Chapter 9
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Consuming the Elixir
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Full Moon Tower.
After going up to the eighth floor, I placed two leather pouches on Elder Geum's desk.
Elder Geum looked back and forth between the pouches and me, his expression one of disbelief.
“Was Ghost Soul away?”
Elder Geum clearly didn't believe I had killed Ghost Soul, a peak master.
When I took out the Ghost Soul Sword and placed it on the desk, Elder Geum was utterly astonished.
“You... you really took care of Ghost Soul.”
“A punk like him was no problem.”
“My good man, he was over fifty. More than twice your age, and you call him a punk?”
“An expression of confidence. Anyway, please appraise these.”
“You want an elixir, don't you?”
I smiled and gave a slow nod.
I earnestly hoped that by selling the contents of the two pouches, I could increase my internal energy by fifty years.
Could it really be possible?
My heart pounded.
Three old men entered Elder Geum's office and began to meticulously take out and appraise the treasures from the pouches.
There were promissory notes, gold, silver, elixirs, and paintings—a wide variety.
“You should take this one yourself.”
Elder Geum took a hundred-year-old fo-ti root from a pouch and offered it to me, but I firmly refused.
In theory, consuming that could grant me ten years of internal energy.
However, the more elixirs one consumes, the less internal energy one gains from them.
That's why I refused.
“I want the best elixir I can buy. I'm sure you understand why, Elder Geum.”
“Well, now. You give off the air of a seasoned martial artist who's been active in the world for a long time.”
Elder Geum shook his head.
The treasures were sorted and appraised over the course of an hour.
After the three elders left, Elder Geum spoke.
“I can give you 150,000 nyang. Some of the promissory notes are difficult to use immediately and must be circulated discreetly. You understand what that means, right?”
“Yes. So, what kind of elixir can I buy with 150,000 nyang?”
“The Heaven and Earth Golden Spirit Grass. It can grant you forty years of internal energy. Of course, that's in theory; the actual amount depends on the consumer's aptitude. It's on its way here now. If you want it, I'll give it to you.”
After a moment of consideration, I decided to accept.
I could have waited for a better opportunity, but elixirs were the kind of thing you couldn't buy even with money unless fortune was on your side.
I felt that now was the time.
“I'll take it.”
“An excellent decision.”
Elder Geum smiled brightly and said the remaining balance was 7,000 nyang.
I received the money as six 1,000-nyang notes and ten 100-nyang notes.
“Come back in two days.”
“I have one more request.”
“Speak.”
“I plan to continue these kinds of transactions in the future. Please keep them a secret.”
“Of course.”
“Even from my family.”
“Don't worry. I may respect the Sword Emperor and be close with the Ouyang Clan, but I'm not so unprofessional as to mix business with personal matters. If I were to leak a client's business, who would trust this Full Moon Tower?”
Elder Geum replied firmly.
I bid Elder Geum farewell and walked out the door.
As I was about to head down the stairs, someone blocked my path.
It was Hwangbo Yeon.
“Leaving just like that?”
Dressed in a splendid light attire, her stunning beauty seemed to radiate light.
Truly beautiful.
But that was all.
“I'm a bit busy.”
“You haven't changed. You're the only man in Jeongju who treats me like a block of wood. Am I not charming?”
“Not at all. You can be confident. In all my life, I've seen countless beauties, and your looks would rank in the top five.”
Hwangbo Yeon's eyes widened.
She was acclaimed as the greatest beauty not just in Jeongju, but in all of Henan.
I had rarely even left Jeongju, let alone the province of Henan.
Yet my assessment was similar to that of her grandfather, Elder Geum, which surprised her greatly.
A peculiar light shone in her eyes.
“By the way, did you really defeat Ghost Soul?”
When I smiled and gave a slight nod, she let out a stream of exclamations like, "Wow, no way! How?"
She was cute.
Yes, that was the right word.
I was eighty-two years old, after all.
Fortunately, since being reborn as Guyang Cheon, I had controlled my diet and trained rigorously, so my once-obese frame had transformed into a dignified physique.
With the fat gone from my face, I looked quite handsome.
If I were in my old body, wouldn't even Hwangbo Yeon have been disappointed to see me?
“I'm a bit busy.”
“Oh, come on. There's a line of men who are interested in me. I get a lot of marriage proposals, you know.”
Her pouting was so cute I wanted to pinch her cheeks.
“Yeon. I'm busy today and don't have time, but I'll make time in three days.”
“You promised.”
“I did.”
I parted with her and left the Full Moon Tower.
'Did that Guyang Cheon fellow save a country in his past life? Even if Hwangbo Yeon did follow him around since they were children...'
The Ouyang Clan.
Upon arriving at the clan estate, I headed straight for the inner residence.
“Please, use this.”
I immediately handed a 5,000-nyang promissory note to my father, Ouyang Hyeon.
He stared back and forth between the note and me with a look of utter surprise.
My mother, Moyong Hye, also held the note with a bewildered and disbelieving expression.
“What is this money?”
Ouyang Hyeon asked, quickly composing himself.
“I was lucky enough to catch a wanted criminal.”
“Don't do such things. It's dangerous.”
Moyong Hye realized that my absence for several days was to deal with a wanted villain, and her first reaction was to worry.
But surprisingly, Ouyang Hyeon was composed.
“Let's trust him. Our Cheon is a grown man now. Cheon.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Act with caution. Never overreach yourself. I heard from Seong Hwi that your martial skills have improved by leaps and bounds. But the martial world is a rough and cruel place, so you must conduct yourself with a cool head. Understand?”
“I'll keep that in mind.”
I recalled the time he'd smacked me on the back of the head, yelling, 'You damn brat!' when I first woke up in Guyang Cheon's body.
Still, thinking that I had earned his trust filled me with a sense of pride.
If the Sword Emperor were still alive, he too would have opposed it.
But the family's fortunes had declined so sharply that Guyang Su had to lead the sword guard on escort missions; the situation was that dire.
Therefore, the 5,000 nyang I had just given them must have felt like rain in a drought.
“Always be careful. And don't neglect your training. Thank you.”
Ouyang Hyeon's eyes grew red.
He had half given up on the son who had always caused him nothing but trouble.
But now, seeing him grown up and no less capable than his older brother Guyang Su, he felt a deep sense of pride.
And in his heart, a dream began to stir and grow—the hope that Guyang Cheon might succeed the Sword Emperor.
Compared to Ouyang Hyeon and Guyang Su, Guyang Cheon's talent was exceptional.
Of course, he didn't think he would become a true Sword Emperor.
He thought he could ask for nothing more than for him to become a renowned martial artist in Henan and elevate the Ouyang Clan to the ranks of the Five Great Clans.
Even that was an incredibly difficult task.
Leaving the inner residence, I handed Seong Hwi a 1,000-nyang note.
He vehemently refused, but I forced it into his hand and headed for the training chamber.
My goal was singular.
To continue training so that Guyang Cheon's body could catch up to my consciousness, which had reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
Two days later.
I headed to the Full Moon Tower to get the Heaven and Earth Golden Spirit Grass.
“So this is what the Heaven and Earth Golden Spirit Grass looks like.”
“Look at the back of the leaves. See how the central vein is yellowish, starting from the stem?”
“So that's why it has 'Gold' in its name.”
“Exactly. This vivid yellow vein is probably unique to the Heaven and Earth Golden Spirit Grass. Eat every last bit of it. If I may offer some advice, you should chew it all at once and absorb it through a grand circulation. That's the only way to absorb the maximum amount of the elixir's energy as internal energy. If you eat it bit by bit and use a small circulation, you'll be lucky to get even half. That would only be twenty years of internal energy, which would be a shame, wouldn't it?”
“Thank you for the advice.”
I was an expert when it came to consuming elixirs.
How else could I, who had lived to eighty-two, have obtained six cycles of internal energy?
Six cycles is 360 years.
When it came to elixirs, I was a master.
“I hear you're meeting Yeon tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
I answered obediently, then subtly tried to sound out Elder Geum's thoughts.
“Seeing her after three years, Yeon has become truly beautiful. No, she's already twenty and called the greatest beauty of Henan, so 'beautiful' isn't enough. I've heard many clans want her, including the Chungso-gu. What about me, the insignificant second son of the Ouyang Clan?”
“Hahaha! My good man, why beat around the bush? If you two like each other, that's all that matters.”
Elder Geum laughed heartily.
He gazed into the air for a moment, lost in thought, before speaking.
“Listen here.”
“Yes. Please, speak.”
“I know it's an unreasonable request, but please strive to reclaim the glory of the Sword Emperor. I'd like to see it before I die, but don't push yourself too hard. I'm still living in the age of the Sword Emperor. When I close my eyes, I can vividly see him performing the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art. I'd have no other wish if I could just see the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art one more time.”
Elder Geum's eyes grew slightly red.
It had only been a few months since I was reborn in Guyang Cheon's body, but I could clearly tell.
Just what kind of position the Sword Emperor held in Henan.
“Next time, I will demonstrate the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art for you.”
“How? It's been lost, hasn't it?”
“An imitation. The Heaven-Shattering Sword Art can only be properly performed by one who has mastered the Heavenly Martial Divine Art, so performing it perfectly is impossible for me.”
“I would be grateful if you could just imitate it properly.”
Elder Geum's reverence for the Sword Emperor was palpable, and it touched my heart.
Leaving Elder Geum's office, I walked out of the Full Moon Tower and gazed up at the sky as I headed for the Ouyang estate.
It was a blue sky.
'Hey, Sword Emperor. Are you doing well? I miss you. Come visit me in a dream sometime.'
I rode my horse slowly, lost in memories of the Sword Emperor.
Upon returning home, I went straight to the training chamber.
After sitting cross-legged, I carefully took out the Heaven and Earth Golden Spirit Grass, washed it meticulously, and then cut the leaves, stem, fruit, and roots into bite-sized pieces.
There was so much that it looked impossible to swallow in one bite.
Anyone consuming an elixir for the first time would be daunted by the amount.
But having taken many, I smiled in satisfaction.
I knew that once in my mouth, it would melt into a liquid after just a few chews.
That's why it was called an elixir.
I took a deep breath and put the entire elixir into my mouth at once.
My cheeks bulged, and as I began to chew, it turned to liquid inside and started to flow down my throat.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I hurriedly stuffed it all in, chewed, swallowed, and quickly activated the Universe's Will Divine Art to begin the grand circulation.
My existing ten years of internal energy from my dantian began to mix with the forty years of energy from the Heaven and Earth Golden Spirit Grass.
Today, I was determined to open the Conception and Governor Vessels, no matter what.
If my grand circulations until now had been merely scratching the surface, I could perform a true grand circulation only after opening these two vessels.
I could only attempt this because I had experienced the pinnacle of martial arts.
The true energy leaving my dantian merged with the essence of the Golden Spirit Grass and began to ascend through my meridians.
It rose unimpeded through the Weilü, Jiaji, and Yuzhen acupoints, and as the powerful energy passed, my meridians expanded and became more resilient.
Gathering that power, I moved it toward the Baihui acupoint.
This was the most difficult gate; mishandling the energy could turn one into an imbecile, or in the worst case, lead to death.
I boldly gathered the energy and sent it to the Baihui acupoint.
Thump. Thump.
I could feel the true energy knocking inside my head—a sensation that was stinging, ticklish, and even pleasurable.
I had to be even more focused here.
Gritting my teeth, I continued to gather true energy and send it to the Baihui acupoint.
How long did I strive like this?
My entire body was drenched in a cold sweat.
BOOM.
Hearing an explosion in my head, I let out a sigh of relief.
Afterward, the true energy flowed rapidly through the Yintang acupoint and returned to my dantian.
“I've opened the Baihui acupoint about halfway.”
It would have been better to open it completely, but I was satisfied with this much.
It was only possible because I had experienced the pinnacle; otherwise, it would have been an impossible dream.
I circulated the grand cycle.
Before, one grand circulation took a full hour, but now I could complete three in that time.
Flash.
When I opened my eyes, a divine light flickered within them.
Fifty years.
Not quite a full cycle, but I could feel a distinct difference.
I stood up, loosened my body, then drew the Ghost Soul Sword and performed the Heavenly Will Sword Art.
“Lightning Flash!”
Shweeeeeeek.
A sharp sword aura poured from the tip of my blade, leaving three vertical gashes on the hard stone wall.
They were much deeper and sharper than before, which was satisfying.
“Swift Burst Kill!”
The second form of the Heavenly Will Sword Art unfolded.
It was a move that normally required over a cycle of internal energy to display its true power, but I performed it boldly since I had partially opened my Conception and Governor Vessels.
BOOM.
Rumble.
The stone chamber trembled slightly.
It gouged out a hole one inch deep and three inches wide.
If it had hit a person, their body would have been torn apart as if by an explosion.
“Thunderclap's Lament!”
I extended my sword straight out.
Thwump.
A sharp energy condensed at the tip of the sword before shooting toward the wall.
Thwack.
The sound was small, but the result was astonishing.
It bored two inches deep, precisely penetrating a single point.
If Swift Burst Kill was an explosive attack, Thunderclap's Lament was a piercing one, like a focused finger strike.
I wore a satisfied smile.
“Lightning Flash can now display eighty percent of its power, while Swift Burst Kill and Thunderclap's Lament can manage thirty percent.”
Now, if I increase my internal energy and continue my training so this body can fully accept my consciousness that has reached the pinnacle, the power will increase.
As my internal energy grows, that process will accelerate.
This was why I needed more elixirs.
I needed to increase my internal energy further to perform the fourth form, Storm Slash Wheel, and the fifth form, Thunderstorm Rain.
There was an even more important reason to increase my internal energy.
One of the strengths of the Universe's Will Divine Art was its resistance to poison.
Having gained fifty years, I would now be immune to most aphrodisiacs.
To reach the state of being impervious to all poisons, I would need at least two hundred years of internal energy.
To survive in the harsh martial world, one had to be wary of poison.
After that, I performed the Ouyang Sword Art.
The sword aura at the tip of my blade was on a completely different level, making it look like a different sword art altogether.
Then, recalling my spar with the Sword Emperor, I performed the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art.
To be precise, it was an imitation.
If Elder Geum had seen me, he would have been astonished.
For the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art had been reborn at my hands.