The Serpent and the Sacred Fruit
Cheonhwa nodded as he spoke.
“So, the Seven Yang Body and the Seven Yin Body share the pleasures of the bedchamber, allowing the extreme yang and extreme yin energies to circulate and stabilize each other. Is that correct?”
When Cheonhwa asked, Yi Cheon-sang’s face flushed bright red.
“That’s right.”
“Then is the inner elixir of the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake not necessary?”
“If available, it would greatly aid in recovering their strength after they share their energies. However, it is not required to cure the two of them.”
At those words, Cheonhwa looked at Cheon-sang and said with a grin, “That’s good to hear. A boy of sixteen is certainly old enough to take a wife.”
“Uh… but that… my parents……”
When Cheon-sang stammered in embarrassment, a mischievous glint filled Cheonhwa’s eyes.
“Judging by Cheonhwa’s expression, it seems Cheon-sang will be teased quite a bit.”
“Me? I’m not teasing him at all. I’m simply offering my congratulations. But is it truly possible with nothing more than yin-yang harmony? If the meridians have been burning and freezing, wouldn’t there need to be a specific order or sequence to the circulation?”
When Cheonhwa asked, the Divine Physician of Life and Death nodded.
“As far as I know, that is correct. Since each will draw in the energy the other needs to heal their body, there should be no issue. However……”
“However?”
“No one born with either the Seven Yang Body or Seven Yin Body has ever been cured before, so what comes after is unknown.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Whether they will be completely healed in one session, or if they will need to periodically engage in yin-yang harmony to regulate their energies.”
Cheonhwa nodded as if he understood exactly what the Divine Physician meant by those words.
“Still, it means they can be treated, right?”
“Indeed.”
“Then they’ll be able to learn martial arts as well?”
“If they cultivate arts suited to their respective innate energies, their progress will likely be much faster.”
Cheonhwa concluded that there were no major problems.
“Then all that remains is for both families to reach an agreement?”
“An agreement between families?”
“Marriage is one of the greatest matters in a household. We must obtain permission from my maternal grandfather and maternal uncle.”
Yi Cheon-sang nodded at Cheonhwa’s words.
“Grandfather Baek Do-san should go with the Divine Physician of Life and Death, Cheon-sang, and……”
Cheonhwa glanced at the girl lying on the bed.
“Her name is Dan-hwa.”
“Take Dan-hwa with you to the Haedong Merchant Group, explain the full situation to my maternal grandfather, and arrange for Cheon-sang’s treatment.”
“You’re not coming with us?”
“I have somewhere I need to stop by first. Since I’ve already come all the way to Chongqing, I plan to visit Sichuan before heading back. It won’t take long.”
“Sichuan?”
Cheonhwa simply flashed a sly smile and offered no further explanation about where he was going.
“Wouldn’t it be best for the Divine Physician of Life and Death to accompany his granddaughter to the Haedong Merchant Group, speak with my maternal grandfather and uncle, and then proceed with the treatment as quickly as possible?”
The Divine Physician of Life and Death nodded.
“Then let’s do that. Staying here any longer won’t be of much help. Please head to the maternal family without delay, explain everything properly, and ensure the treatment goes well. I’ll stop by Sichuan first and then head straight to the maternal family afterward.”
A breeze seemed to stir inside the room, and in the next instant, Cheonhwa had vanished without a trace.
“Huk!”
Everyone’s faces filled with shock.
“I knew he was extraordinary, but to think he has already reached the realm where he can use the Wind God’s Shadowless Steps.”
In the martial world, there were two primary methods of movement: footwork and lightness techniques. Simply put, footwork referred to walking, while lightness techniques referred to running.
In martial arts forms, footwork was primarily used alongside techniques, whereas lightness techniques were mainly employed for travel.
Once lightness techniques reached a certain level, instantaneous high-speed movement became possible—techniques such as Chosangbi, Dapseolmuheun, Ilwidogang, Deungpyeongdosu, Heogongdapbo, Eogichungso, Ihyeonghwanwi, and Chukjiseongchon.
The lightness technique Cheonhwa had used moments ago to disappear silently was called the Wind God’s Shadowless Steps. It was an art that allowed one to conceal their form within the wind itself. Some claimed it was not a martial technique at all but rather a Taoist spell, while others insisted it was not a lightness skill but a form of stealth. Nevertheless, within the martial world, the Wind God’s Shadowless Steps was still regarded as a branch of lightness techniques.
“Is Cheonhwa’s martial prowess truly that impressive?” Cheon-sang asked.
“There are many martial artists whose skill surpasses Cheonhwa’s. However, those who can use the Wind God’s Shadowless Steps so naturally are exceedingly rare—perhaps only a handful in the entire world.”
“I see. By the way, Divine Physician Grandfather.”
“What is it?”
“Is my condition truly that severe? There are times when moving my body vigorously leaves me exhausted, but I’ve never experienced any actual pain.”
“For those with the Seven Yin Body, intense suffering begins in earnest from the age of seventeen. Over the following three years, they endure unimaginable agony as their meridians gradually freeze, ultimately leading to death. It is a truly terrifying affliction.”
“Then I too……?”
“Changes will begin in your body starting next year. In that sense, this is truly a stroke of heavenly fortune for both you and Dan-hwa.”
Though Cheon-sang didn’t fully understand, he nodded.
“What will you do? Will you accompany us to the Haedong Merchant Group and meet the old master?”
“I shall. As long as my granddaughter Dan-hwa’s illness can be cured, I will do so.”
After leaving Okhwa Temple, Cheonhwa wandered through Mount Okhwa. He spread his energy in all directions, searching for any creature that emanated an unusually powerful and alien aura. His goal was to locate the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake that the Divine Physician of Life and Death had mentioned.
After roaming the mountain for quite some time, Cheonhwa sat cross-legged on a thick tree branch and began circulating his internal energy.
Spreading one’s internal energy over a vast area to search for something consumed a tremendous amount of power. That was why he needed to pause midway and restore his energy through cultivation.
Normally, his internal energy would replenish slowly even without deliberate cultivation. However, when he expended such a large amount in such a short time, even Cheonhwa had to focus on recovering his strength.
After circulating his energy for some time, Cheonhwa rose once more and continued his search. Eventually, on one of Mount Okhwa’s peaks—Oknyeo Peak—he detected a creature radiating an overwhelmingly powerful aura.
Below the cliffs of Oknyeo Peak, a small cave was visible. From within it flowed an incredibly dense and potent energy.
“Even a high-level martial artist would find this location difficult to approach.”
Cheonhwa took a single step downward from Oknyeo Peak.
As if descending a staircase, he stepped through empty air, descending gracefully. He paused briefly in front of the cave, then stepped inside with a faint smile.
As Cheonhwa slowly entered the cave, a strange sound echoed from within—a mixture of warning and hostility directed at the intruder.
Cheonhwa ignored the sound and continued forward.
The cave was dark and damp, filled with heavy, oppressive energy, yet none of it affected him in the slightest.
The deeper he went, following the flow of energy, the more threatening the sounds became.
Shhhk… Shhhk……
Sensing the clear killing intent within the sound, Cheonhwa tensed slightly.
Although it was a spirit creature he could handle with relative ease, it still possessed powerful venom and strength. A moment of carelessness could prove fatal.
After advancing a little further, Cheonhwa finally reached the end of the cave.
At the end was an enormous cavern. Light streamed in from one side, suggesting there was at least one more entrance leading into this space.
And there, in the illuminated area, was the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake. Beside it grew a tiny tree—no, a flower—bearing small red petals and fruits that were even whiter than snow.
When Cheonhwa examined the flower more closely, his eyes widened.
“Is that the Yin-Yang Fig I read about in the books?”
Thanks to his parents, Cheonwoo and Yi Hwarin, Cheonhwa had already read an immense number of books. His parents had once joked that they had practically emptied the Eight Great Libraries just to provide him with reading material.
Moreover, after leaving the island and settling at the Haedong Merchant Group, Cheonhwa had requested countless more books through the Hao Sect. He had studied not only texts related to the martial world but all manner of general knowledge as well.
Among them was the Encyclopedia of Spiritual Beasts and Herbs, which recorded information about spirit creatures and sacred medicines. In it, he had read about the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake.
It was written that a Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake that had lived for over five thousand years must consume the Yin-Yang Fig in order to ascend and transform into a true dragon.
If a snake that had not yet lived five thousand years consumed the fruit, it would become an Imugi and endure another long period of hardship before attempting to become a dragon. However, if one that had lived beyond five thousand years ate the fruit of the Yin-Yang Fig, it would immediately transform into a dragon and ascend to the heavens.
“This is an unexpected development.”
Looking at the fruit, it appeared it would fully ripen either today or tomorrow.
Shhhhhk!
The Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake, radiating intense hostility and murderous intent, slowly slithered toward Cheonhwa.
Its size was immense—its length so great that its end could not even be seen.
The Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake possessed a unique ability: it could freely shrink or expand its body at will. When moving about normally, it took on a small form to avoid detection by humans. But while guarding the Yin-Yang Fig alone inside the cave, it revealed its true, colossal form.
“This is not an opponent to be taken lightly.”
The Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake before Cheonhwa’s eyes was a creature that had lived for no less than five thousand years.
It expressed its fury toward Cheonhwa, who had come seeking its companion’s sacred fruit. That fury transformed into killing intent, threatening even Cheonhwa’s life.
Since he had not deeply considered the creature’s story before setting out to find it, even Cheonhwa felt a considerable amount of surprise and hesitation.
“Hey, if I just leave right now, will you let me go?”
Even after he spoke, the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake showed no intention of simply letting him leave.
It attacked first. Despite its enormous size, its movements were astonishingly agile. It opened its massive maw wide, clearly intending to swallow Cheonhwa in a single bite.
Cheonhwa’s figure vanished from the spot as if it had been an illusion. The Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake’s face slammed into the ground where he had been standing. The entire cave shook violently, sending rocks flying in every direction.
Realizing that Cheonhwa had fled elsewhere, the snake moved again. Its speed was equally terrifying.
Cheonhwa had used the Ihyeonghwanwi technique to evade, yet the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake seemed to know exactly where he had gone and attacked once more.
“Can’t we settle this with words?”
Cheonhwa tried speaking to it, but even though it was a spirit creature, expecting it to understand human speech was asking too much.
The Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake seemed determined not to spare the intruder who had come to interfere with its ascension. It moved toward Cheonhwa with savage, violent force.
Watching the creature, Cheonhwa drew the two swords he carried at his waist.
“I came because I needed your inner elixir, but if you were truly on the verge of becoming a dragon, I was considering leaving you be. Since you’ve chosen to act this way, however, I can’t simply let myself be defeated.”
Cheonhwa stopped dodging and began to fight back against the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake’s attacks.
A powerful tail swept toward his body. Cheonhwa leaped into the air to avoid it, but at that exact moment, the snake opened its mouth wide and lunged to swallow him midair.
Just from this exchange, it was clear that the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake had fought against high-level martial artists more than once or twice.
Cheonhwa’s form blurred like smoke in midair and then vanished completely.
For a moment, the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake seemed confused and looked around. The instant it sensed Cheonhwa’s presence, it lifted its head and looked upward.
From the area where light poured in, Cheonhwa descended like an arrow loosed from a bow, both swords thrust forward, hurtling straight toward the snake’s head.
A faint glow emanated from Cheonhwa’s body. His current appearance was rather strange.
The left side of his body resembled the fierce, demonic visage of an Asura, while the right side bore the noble, heavenly countenance of Indra.
It was a bizarre half-demon, half-god form, yet strangely, it suited him perfectly.
This phenomenon occurred whenever he unleashed the Heavenly Spiritual Divine Art—his own unique martial art created by merging the Demonic Cult’s demonic arts with the Wulin Alliance’s divine techniques.
The Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake spotted Cheonhwa falling toward its head and opened its mouth even wider.
It looked as though Cheonhwa was leaping directly into the creature’s maw. And indeed, the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake swallowed the falling Cheonhwa in a single gulp.