Chapter 13: Closed-Door Cultivation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Closed-Door Cultivation (2)
Seok Myeong stepped into the cave, set down his belongings, and surveyed the interior.
In one corner stood several large jars filled with nearly a year’s worth of water and Bigu Pills, which he had prepared with Song Gwan’s help. Since Bigu Pills were inexpensive, gathering such a large supply hadn't been much of a burden.
“The elders will worry once they realize you’ve disappeared. Even if our lineage has faded, you are still the last remaining Azure Cloud Taoist.”
Song Gwan’s gaze was heavy with concern.
“Just tell them I’ve entered seclusion for my cultivation. I won’t be in here forever; I’ll be out before the Qingcheng swordsman examination. If I achieve what I’m looking for, I might even be out sooner than expected.”
“Very well, I understand.”
Song Gwan nodded readily, though the worry didn't quite leave his eyes as he continued to watch Seok Myeong.
“Do not be disappointed even if you fail to reach your goal. Just as the Taiji is a circle that returns to its start, the spirit of our Qingcheng is to possess a resolve that seems as if it might break, yet never does.”
“I will not forget.”
“Good.”
Song Gwan departed with a brighter expression. Once he left, only silence remained in the cave.
Seok Myeong set down the bundle of books he had been carrying against his chest. With trembling eyes, he began to read the words left behind by his master.
In the end… I failed.
At first, I thought I had succeeded. For several months, I was able to utilize three Gapja’s worth of internal energy without a single seizure.
But it was all an illusion.
One day, a year later, the dormant demonic qi suddenly began to seethe. It went berserk, as if it intended to tear the world apart.
I tried to use the Dark Heaven Bracelet to turn the demonic qi back into pure energy, but it was impossible.
The massive internal energy of three Gapja erupted simultaneously across my upper, middle, and lower Dantians. Nothing could suppress that power.
I had to endure that demonic qi using only the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method.
Finally, the moment the demonic qi began to burst from my entire body, I realized I had to make a choice.
Would I let the rampaging energy run wild?
Or would I use my own life force to suppress it?
Seok Myeong grew tense as he read. He could feel the emotions of his master standing at that crossroads of fate.
I made my decision.
I chose to suppress the energy.
I knew the demonic qi would gnaw away at my life and lead me to my death, but I believed it was the path for both Qingcheng and myself.
From that day on, I began to die slowly.
Because the demonic qi surged within my body every single day without rest, I sacrificed my very lifespan to keep it under control.
And slowly, I came to a realization.
To master this martial art, something special is required.
The ability to look at the hidden side of things, even if one hasn't experienced them directly.
I realized too late that one must have eyes capable of viewing things from a completely different direction.
It was around that time that I met you, Seok Myeong.
“Master…”
Seok Myeong’s heart sank, his chest beginning to tremble quietly.
The master he knew had suffered greatly from a chronic illness in his later years. He would often collapse on the floor, and eventually, he became so frail he could no longer walk.
The moment Seok Myeong realized that all of it had been a desperate struggle to suppress demonic qi, he felt as if a heavy weight was pounding against his chest.
Most of the following content described the time they had spent together. On the final page, his master’s wishes were recorded. It spoke mostly of wanting to show the world the mettle and unyielding spirit of Qingcheng.
The choice is yours.
However, if you choose not to learn it, I hope you will bury it so that no one may ever find it.
*
Seok Myeong sat in deep thought for a long time, staring at the martial arts his master had left behind. Before examining the techniques, he had to ask himself one question.
Would he take the challenge? Or would he step back?
He knew this was a rare opportunity, but it was by no means an easy martial art to master. The moment he began to learn the Demonic Energy Absorption Art, demonic qi would begin to boil within his body, slowly tightening a noose around his neck.
To survive, he would have to circulate the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method and the Taiji Empty Heart, all while wearing the Dark Heaven Bracelet kept in the wooden box.
From that point on, it would be a life-or-death gamble. He would either gain immense power or, like all the Azure Cloud Taoists before him, slowly wither away.
“Sigh.”
Seok Myeong let out a long breath. It was a difficult decision to make.
Was it fear? Yes, he was afraid.
It wasn't just because the martial art was difficult to learn; it was the fact that every single Azure Cloud Taoist before him had failed this heart method. Countless disciples of the Azure Cloud had challenged it.
To suppress the demonic qi, they had used not only the Taiji Empty Heart—the purest heart method of the Taoist sects—but also the Dark Heaven Bracelet with its neutralizing properties. Yet, they had all failed. They had tried so many things that it was hard to imagine what more could be done.
“Haaa…”
Seok Myeong sighed again, lost in thought. Yet, it was also true that he didn't want to back down.
This book contained the dreams of many Azure Cloud Taoists. It held the resolute will of his master, who had thrown away his life for it. It was a sincere dream to see Qingcheng flourish like Wudang or Shaolin.
It wasn't something that could be explained by simple obsession. How much patience and pain must they have endured? The sorrowful efforts of the Azure Cloud Taoists, who practiced this demonic absorption art in secret without ever informing the main sect.
‘Let’s look at this logically.’
Seok Myeong began to analyze the situation piece by piece.
What if he succeeded? What would happen if he could truly control the demonic qi? Would he be able to make a name for himself across the world?
“No, that’s not what’s important.”
Seok Myeong thought of the books in the Azure Moon Storehouse. The vast number of Qingcheng Sect manuals. The products of the Azure Cloud Taoists who had dedicated their lives to martial research.
They were people who had toiled in the darkest corners of Qingcheng, disappearing after leaving behind a few books without ever receiving recognition. Perhaps it was because he was thinking of them that his master’s frequent words came to mind.
“Seok Myeong. What Qingcheng aims for is not to be the greatest under heaven. It is to harbor a spirit that does not break even in the face of hardship. It is to move toward the world with an upright spirit, never compromising with injustice and never clinging to fame.”
“Do not succumb to fear. Become one who stands tall and fights against adversity.”
“I hope for you to live such a life.”
Seok Myeong held the book in silence. His eyes grew red, though he didn't notice. He felt deeply ashamed of himself for hesitating out of a moment’s fear.
He had briefly forgotten who he was.
“Let’s do this.”
Seok Myeong steadied his mind and turned to the next page with a look of grim determination.
*
[The order is: Azure Wind Origin Heart Method, Demonic Energy Absorption Art, and Taiji Empty Heart.]
Using the Heaven Pillar Heart Method, Seok Myeong examined how his master had attempted to control the demonic qi and was greatly surprised. It was exactly how he had envisioned it.
First, he would establish a center with the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method. On top of the normal flow of internal energy, he would use the Demonic Energy Absorption Art to absorb a massive amount of demonic power. Then, he would use the Taiji Empty Heart to prevent the demonic nature from corrupting him while simultaneously merging the energies into one.
Harmonization.
This revealed the method his master had chosen to control the demonic qi. However, there was a major constraint. The more demonic qi one accumulated, the harder it became to control. Furthermore, it would occasionally clash with the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method, causing the demonic qi to burst through the acupoints.
[Next is the Dark Heaven Bracelet.]
The Dark Heaven Bracelet was the countermeasure for that. The bracelet would neutralize the energy, working alongside the Taiji Empty Heart to suppress the demonic qi.
This made it possible to control the demonic qi. Not only that, but it transformed the energy into pure qi, giving birth to an orthodox martial art unparalleled in the world.
However, a fatal problem arose here as well. Because three different heart methods were interlocked solely to control the demonic qi, there was no energy left to protect the body.
The Azure Wind Origin Heart Method only guided the energy in the right direction; it did not protect the body. The Taiji Empty Heart used all its strength to harmonize the demonic qi with the original energy. The Dark Heaven Bracelet only possessed the function of neutralization; it did not protect the internal energy within the body.
“Then is there no way? In this situation, if the demonic qi becomes greater than the energy of the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method, the body won't be able to withstand it.”
His master had not found that final answer. His research had ended at using the Taiji Empty Heart to prevent the demonic qi from turning into demonic nature and using the Dark Heaven Bracelet to neutralize the qi so it could be fully accepted.
“Stay calm.”
Seok Myeong did not rush. He read his master’s writing once more and opened the manual for the Taiji Empty Heart lying to the side.
‘This is incredible.’
The heart method of the Taiji Empty Heart was profoundly serene. It was a method of circulating energy completely different from Qingcheng’s standard arts. Unlike the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method, which primarily absorbed energy from the palms into the lower Dantian, this method focused on awakening the upper Dantian first. This was likely why the energy was so pure.
Next, he took out the Dark Heaven Bracelet. The dark, matte object looked like a piece of sculpture or perhaps a woman’s accessory. Looking closely, there seemed to be a dragon pattern engraved on its surface.
Seok Myeong tried it on his wrist. The half-open bracelet snapped shut firmly the moment he put it on.
Click.
Wooooong—
He didn't exactly hear a sound, but he felt a sensation like a low vibration. He felt a strange sense of comfort, as if he were lying in a cradle.
“Now…”
After performing these brief tests, he opened the Demonic Energy Absorption Art. The complex network of acupoints and instructions filled his vision.
“Let’s just observe for now.”
Seok Myeong had to prepare a way to harmonize the demonic nature. If he didn't prepare thoroughly, he would be consumed just as his master had been.
*
“But… is it absolutely necessary to control the energy?”
After agonizing over it for several days, a strange thought suddenly occurred to Seok Myeong.
Neutralizing the demonic qi to make it pure. It was a natural way to think. But perhaps it wasn't the only way.
How many geniuses or people of extraordinary insight must there have been among the previous Azure Cloud Taoists? Even though such people had challenged this, they hadn't been able to solve it. If so, the probability of him succeeding by following the same path was low.
No, it would be impossible. He wasn't exceptionally talented or extraordinary.
“Let’s think again. Starting with why the demonic qi, which had been managed so peacefully, suddenly went berserk.”
He thought about it while looking at his master’s notes. It was written that the demonic qi had exploded at a certain moment.
Rebellion.
Demonic qi is energy that has corrupted the natural flow of energy. To change it back into something close to natural energy, it had to be mutated once more. In his master’s case, he hadn't suffered a seizure for an entire year.
“Master was at the level of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.”
If the demonic qi had still resurfaced and exploded despite that, it meant the power of the demonic qi exceeded the realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
“I don't know.”
Seok Myeong shook his head. He wouldn't know unless he practiced it. Nothing was certain. If he followed the established path, he would be even less likely to master it—unless he became powerful in a very short time.
Unless he reached the Realm of Entering the Divine before practicing the Demonic Energy Absorption Art, the energy would eventually go berserk and overwhelm every corner of his body, just as it had happened to his master.
“What should I do now?”
As his mind became a tangled mess, Seok Myeong sat with his head bowed, unable to move for a long time.