Chapter 6
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 3.2
Chapter Title: Chapter 3. Growth
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"I figured I'd at least regain my strength once I reached the Aspiration Learning stage... but with things turning out like this, there's no helping it."
The Two Forms Divine Art had reached the Minor Accomplishment stage, and its infusion rate had jumped to 40%.
The problem was his body.
It hadn't changed a bit from two months ago.
He'd barely endured it when the infusion rate hit 30%, but now that it was at 40%, he could no longer hold out.
He scrapped his original plan.
Before being swayed by the laws, he would sway them first.
"I'll break into the 2nd Hierarchy as fast as possible."
Aggressive cultivation was akin to gambling.
Hadn't he achieved Minor Accomplishment in the Two Forms Divine Art in just two months, even while avoiding cultivation?
The outcome of pushing hard was obvious.
But An Hoe was confident.
"First, I'll achieve Major Accomplishment in the Two Forms Divine Art."
Minor Accomplishment alone had brought the infusion rate to 40%, so Major Accomplishment would likely push it to 50%.
It was just a 10% difference, but the pressure on An Hoe was several times greater.
It was the kind of pressure that would stop an ordinary person's breath cold.
Even so, he charged toward Major Accomplishment in the Two Forms Divine Art without hesitation, because he had a way to alleviate that pressure to some extent.
"The 7th Order Multi-Layered Refinement Array should hold it back."
Layering one Refinement Array atop another created a Multi-Layered Refinement Array.
The number of layers in such arrays varied based on one's alchemy realm.
"Alchemy is divided into five realms: Joy, Removal of Defilement, Radiance, Flame Wisdom, and Hard to Conquer."
An Hoe had reached the fourth realm, Flame Wisdom, where one confronts the Gate of Truth.
Though he'd lost that qualification, he hadn't lost the knowledge, allowing him to deploy the insane 7th Order Multi-Layered Refinement Array.
He'd spent a full five days in agony to set up this 7th Order array in his room.
More precisely, beneath his bed, making his bedding the spot where its effects were strongest.
Of course, even such an advanced array was up against the laws of the 2nd Hierarchy, so he had to pay a minimum price.
An Hoe decided that price would be something he could manage within this room.
"It requires more caloric energy than I expected."
To offer that energy as payment, he had to gorge himself.
The required intake, which had increased bit by bit, soon reached the level of ten full portions.
-Fwoosh!-
Even now, steam-like heat rose from his body only to dissipate rapidly.
He was paying the deferred price.
After a moment, he paused the payment once more.
From here on, he'd eat the food Song Hwa brought and continue.
"This is worrying. It'll demand even more energy as time goes on."
In the end, he'd need over 30 portions, so he felt sorry for Song Hwa, who would suffer even more ahead.
"Well, I can pay it back later with interest compounded."
For now, he had no choice, so An Hoe brazenly declared as much.
To survive, he'd already spent over half a year holed up in his room without stepping out.
Naturally, he'd achieved more than one or two things in that time.
First, he'd reached Major Accomplishment in the Two Forms Divine Art.
When dividing cultivation realms for martial arts, Minor Accomplishment is mentioned for a specific reason.
The gap between pre- and post-Minor Accomplishment is vast.
One pours nearly all their effort just to reach 8th Star, let alone 9th or 10th.
But An Hoe, going all-out for survival, shockingly achieved Major Accomplishment in just one month.
This allowed him to handle four divided minds.
One was dedicated to his PTSD, so he could actively control only three.
With his divided minds up to three, he immediately decided to learn a new 2nd Hierarchy martial art.
"This is basically getting serious about cultivating martial arts."
The Two Forms Divine Art was purely a mind division technique.
It couldn't accumulate internal energy on its own.
That was why, despite its amazing effects, it was rated low-grade.
But Major Accomplishment changed everything.
Pre-Major Accomplishment, divided minds just let you multitask.
Post-Major Accomplishment, they became undivided despite division—one mind's insight into a strain instantly informed the other three.
The implications were huge.
"It's like multiplying my time."
Thanks to this hidden profundity of the Two Forms Divine Art, he could catch up quickly despite his lag behind other heroes.
This meant he could aim for much higher-level arts next.
And the one An Hoe chose was... the Nine Yang True Scripture.
The Nine Yang True Scripture was a divine art discovered at Great Victory Temple.
Found in the Lankavatara Sutra written in Sanskrit, it was said that Zen Master Ilji mastered it and dominated the world.
One of the Five Great Divine Arts, the pinnacle of the 2nd Hierarchy, legend held that Major Accomplishment made one the world's best.
But it was so profound that without top talent and fortune, Major Accomplishment was near impossible.
"Without Zen Master Ilji, I never would have obtained it."
He hailed from Great Victory Temple and was the contemporary successor to the Nine Yang True Scripture.
At the time, Ilji, gravely wounded in battle with the Southern Demon King and facing death, wished to pass it on.
Ilji shared it with those meeting simple conditions: 2nd Hierarchy or higher, male.
Only five accepted.
Two more qualified but refused—they were 1st Hierarchy.
Why learn a lower hierarchy art when you're higher?
"But that was a truly foolish mindset."
Ilji had held off the Southern Demon King alone for half a day.
An feat even most 1st Hierarchy heroes would struggle with.
"What's truly amazing is that Ilji hadn't even reached Major Accomplishment."
Yet he achieved that, hinting at the Scripture's greatness.
No wonder it was so hard to learn.
"It took a full day."
Preparation alone took ten days.
He had to link it with the existing 7th Order array and suppress ripples from his elevated realm.
Thus, precautions were necessary.
But An Hoe was An Hoe.
Once prepared, he entered the gateway in under half a day.
"It's been a while since I handled one."
Were it not for needing to rebuild his dantian from scratch—essentially shedding bones and exchanging marrow—he could've cut the time to a tenth.
Above all...
"As expected... worthy of the Nine Yang True Scripture."
Learning it added a 25% infusion rate.
With Two Forms at 30%, one might think it underwhelmed, but no.
Added infusion rates drop sharply with more arts.
Nearly halving each time—25% was absurd.
Had he learned it first, it'd probably hit 50%.
"...Just thinking about it sends chills."
At 30%, he'd suffered immensely; at 50%, he'd have been immobilized.
He might've survived somehow, but with long-term aftereffects.
The Nine Yang True Scripture, hard-won, truly rivaled the top of the 2nd Hierarchy.
Its discovery in the Sanskrit Lankavatara Sutra was no coincidence.
Sanskrit, an ancient tongue, means "perfected language."
To convey its mysteries to later generations, mere hanja semantics wouldn't do—only phonetic scripts like Devanagari could.
But the divine being who completed it feared it falling into evil hands.
After deliberation, he hid it in the Lankavatara Sutra, trusting Buddhism's expanding doctrine then.
"The divine one believed the universe's core was the Nine Yangs—the sun. He emulated it, ultimately realizing nine solar orbits exist in the meridians, leaving this scripture."
Thus, the Nine Yang True Scripture was no mere mental art.
Divided into five stages, each awakening new power.
"The first is the Nine Segments breathing method, following the sun's nine cycles."
This mental art was also called Nine Yang Divine Art.
It transformed one's internal energy foundation.
The energy from Nine Segments breathing was pure Nine Yang, harmonizing yin and yang.
His dantian energy shifted to this, explaining the time sink.
Purely for internal energy, Nine Yang Divine Art wasn't exceptional.
Arguably unworthy of "divine art."
"Yet it purifies qi and blood, incinerating poison and evil qi."
The latter was impressive, but the former was key.
Purifying qi and blood meant circulation alone rivaled Marrow Cleansing.
About 10% effect, versus a full month's effort for proper Marrow Cleansing.
"This alone makes it a divine art."
Knowing the resources for one Marrow Cleansing, this was miraculous.
Even better: higher attainment yielded over 30% per session.
"At Major Accomplishment, it could purify others—truly wondrous power."
At 4th Star, one gains Nine Yang Life-Preserving Art.
This circulates energy like flames, sealing wounds instantly.
It forms "fire veils" in meridians for self-healing trauma and aftershocks.
Stamina surges, recovery skyrockets—foes see an inexhaustible monster.
"And at Minor Accomplishment... one gains the Nine Yang Adamantine Body."
In simple terms, rebirth via bone-shedding into new flesh.
Nine Yang energy coalesces in bones, muscles, skin for near-indestructible physique.
Sword qi barely scratches from then on.
"At 8th Star, Nine Yang Blazing Fire Art; at 9th, Nine Yang Blood Return Method."
For reference, Ilji—who stalled the Southern Demon King half a day solo—reached 9th Star.
That explains how he managed it.