Tempted by the Demonic Arts
I followed the incantation written in the manual and circulated my spirit qi.
Ugh. That tickles.
It felt like injecting toothpaste into my veins. This was definitely a bizarre sensation I'd never experienced before in my life. Even the tiniest bit of energy hit me with overwhelming intensity.
Is this spirit qi?
It's amazing.
A cool, fiery energy roamed through my body. But the refreshing clarity that followed was as sweet as that first sip after finishing a 10K run. This must have been the process of carving out paths for the spirit qi, just like the preface described.
But why are there so many obstacles?
If it weren't for all these blockages, like rush-hour traffic, cultivating would have been a breeze. Still, I somehow managed to circulate the spirit qi around, centering it from the crown of my head to my perineum, completing a full one heavenly circulation.
Finishing the small heavenly circulation meant I'd safely passed the first gateway to entering the cultivation world, or so the manual explained.
Now it was time to form the lotus dantian where the spirit qi would settle.
The key is rotation, right?
By using centrifugal force to gather the spirit qi in my lower abdomen, I'd enter Qi Refinement 1-star. So what I needed was extreme rotation.
Let's visualize.
A flood of images flashed through my mind: water draining from a sink or bathtub, whirlpools in the ocean, tornadoes. And then, the moment my thoughts reached a black hole—
Something began to clump in my lower abdomen. At first it was a circle, then a blurry ring. Finally—
It became a single point. But inside that point, hundreds of circulations were happening simultaneously.
Is this the lotus dantian? Not that hard.
The bumpy meridians had given me trouble, but forming the dantian was easier than expected.
"Whoa. What is this overflowing power?"
A small change. I'd only created a dantian the size of a grain of rice, but that alone invigorated my entire body. As a test, I grabbed a canned coffee from the fridge, chugged it in one go, and squeezed—crunch.
The can crumpled instantly into a tiny metal ball. The red marks on my palm faded in seconds. My recovery seemed enhanced too.
At this level, I'm no slouch compared to an awakener.
"But this won't make for a good proof shot, huh?"
People would cry fake, say I used a crusher. At least I needed to spit fire from my hand to brag properly. Guess I'd hold off a bit.
Back to the Xianxia Gallery. Cheongsim was desperately looking for me.
I flinched. The gallery wasn't exactly a sunny public site.
Hmm. Failing dantian formation causes a nasty backlash, apparently. But I succeeded, so all good.
About time to make an appearance?
The reactions were weird.
The dopamine rush was overwhelming; I couldn't think straight. Had I ever gotten this much attention in my life? More, praise me more.
But a question popped into my head. Kinda pathetic, but let's ask honestly. Now that I knew their gifts were helpful, better take all I could. One embarrassing moment for a technique? Profitable deal. Whether I learn it or not.
But the Intertwined Lotus Flame from Myeolgeuk emanated a pleasant fragrance, like fresh laundry from a dryer. Fluffy and powdery. Demonic? Didn't feel like it.
"Huh? Kinda makes sense."
Oddly convincing. Honestly, I couldn't imagine Earth in 7,000 years. It's Hell Joseon now, what'll it be then, Hell of Hell? Do I need to live that long? Keeping up with tech changes sounds exhausting.
Alright. Gonna learn it.
Once decided, no one could stop me.
"Guess I lack self-love."
I'd rather shop than save, live in the moment over prepping for the future. That's how I'd lived, how I'd continue. Lame excuse, but in a world where triangle kimbap costs over 7,000 won, motivation fades unless you're an awakener...
"Not the time for this."
Time to master the technique and spit fire. Then I'd be a nine-figure awakener. Not sure if I can enter the Tower yet, haven't tested. Dying to go now, but I'm the ultimate chicken when my safety's on the line. Level up more first.
If I fail the entrance cut, just get a big corp job. Awakener demand overflows without climbing the Tower.
Wonder what awakener rank Qi Refinement equals? Can't resist rank comparisons.
Damn, they don't know goblins. No reference point, frustrating. Were the orthodox snobs offended? No replies.
Didn't matter much, but felt a bit down. Shook it off quick. Ten years as a gallery ghost, this was nothing.
That's the explanation I wanted.
"C-rank?"
Me, a basement gallery lurker yesterday, now mid-tier hunter? Dopamine surged; my shoulders shook involuntarily.
"Who am I? Future S-rank hunter."
A quick search said reaching Foundation Establishment next adds 300 years lifespan. Even burning 200 with Intertwined Lotus Flame leaves 100.
"Wait, no. Even burning all 300, I live like others?"
They say it's the century of 100 now. At 25, I had 75 years left. Burn them all, what realm would I reach? Could I hit Foundation Establishment? And then next, and next?
Suddenly, I wondered about my limits.
Meanwhile, at that moment in the Upper Realm.
"Hong Yeon-seonja. Are you here?"
Someone called out to a woman.
"Who?"
The woman gazing at the night sky turned her head. With the motion, her moonlit hair fluttered, unfurling a galaxy of pink threads. But as she blinked, it was as if nothing happened, peaceful daily life resumed.
Was it a mirage? Or a phenomenon transcending principles? Only the heavens knew.
She was Celestial Maiden Hong-yeon. Her formal title: Heavenly Human Envoy, Vice-Regent of Myeolgeuk, True Lord Hong-yeon. Known to the world as Myeolgeuk.