The Birth of the Yin-Yang True Dragon Eye

The Zhou King had been afflicted by a specially prepared poison. And the one who had administered that poison was, ironically, the concubine he favored most.

She must have sided with the rebels because, although she received his favor, her child had no chance of inheriting the throne. It was truly a foolish choice.

Even if the rebellion succeeded, there is no way her child could have ascended to the throne.

She probably had her own thoughts and plans, but to Han Yujin it all looked genuinely idiotic. Without any power of her own, how easily would she be cast aside after the deed was done?

At any rate.

Their opponents were a faction of ghost sorcerers who had abandoned more than half their humanity.

No matter what justifications or complicated circumstances they possessed, by the very nature of ghosts they could never be called good.

Of course, the Zhou King was not so different.

It had taken the Taecheong Hyeonsu combined with the Six Paths of Reincarnation to heal him, and the memories Han Yujin read through the Dream Illusion Mind Snatching Art revealed that the king, too, possessed many filthy and sordid aspects. Just like any other ancient ruler.

Even so, he had not abandoned his humanity to that degree, nor had he crossed the line where Han Yujin needed to overturn their deal and pass judgment.

The healed Zhou King regained consciousness, listened to his ministers’ reports, and immediately presented the Enlightenment Dao Mysterious Mind Tea. At the same time, he granted unrestricted access to the third floor of the royal archives.

“We have truly received far too much help from the Immortal this time…!”

Despite being king, he looked ready to prostrate himself in gratitude. Had Han Yujin not waved him off with sincere insistence, the man might have continued all day.

The chief reason for such deference was most likely the overwhelming power that had swept the rebels away in a single stroke.

In the end, what rules the world is power.

Only strength determines everything.

Recalling a similar maxim from the martial world, Han Yujin decided this version was clearer and more fitting.

After a major rebellion had risen and failed, a bloody purge naturally followed, driven by the enraged king and his loyalists. Even in a world where ghosts appeared at every turn, torture and executions proceeded without hindrance.

Regardless, Han Yujin absorbed every last book on the third floor of the royal archives and diligently digested them alongside the memories taken from the king.

By the time he confirmed there was no more new or important knowledge left to learn, he sat down in the bedroom of the detached palace and took out the Enlightenment Dao Mysterious Mind Tea.

It was a wooden box sealed tightly with four or five talismans and formation patterns. He carefully peeled the talismans away without tearing them, lifted the lid, and found a single completely dried tea leaf inside.

“......”

For a moment he felt disappointment at how meager it seemed, even a touch of stinginess, but on second thought he realized this was no ordinary leaf. It was an extraordinarily precious treasure.

Giving away even one intact leaf must have required a very big decision on his part.

According to the king’s memories, there had only ever been two and a half leaves in total. That made the gesture even more significant.

Han Yujin examined it with his divine sight, a spell mimicking the Yin-Yang Eye, the True Dragon Eye, and even the Ominous Bird Manifestation Technique. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.

He was genuinely curious how great an effect it would show.

After calming his mind and body with a short meditation, he smiled and stroked the quietly waiting Mu-yong before taking out an appropriate jade teacup.

He filled it with Taecheong Hyeonsu, then raised the temperature using the Red Lotus True Flame. Following the precautions he had memorized, he adjusted the water to the ideal temperature and carefully added the priceless leaf.

At first there seemed to be no change. Then, after roughly ten seconds, a jade-like clear green hue bloomed, carrying a fragrance he had never encountered before.

Merely inhaling that aroma stabilized his mind as thoroughly as circulating the Clear Mind Technique back in his Initiation Stage days. His head felt wide open.

He focused on the tea, carefully gauging the moment. When he judged it had steeped enough, he downed the entire contents in one gulp.

Immediately afterward he removed the leaf, dried it cleanly with a spell, returned it to the original wooden box, and resealed the talismans. By then the effects of the Enlightenment Dao Mysterious Mind Tea had begun to manifest.

The efficacy will drop to less than half, but I should be able to brew it at least once more later.

With that final stray thought, he forgot everything around him and slipped into a profound state.

It was a strange sensation—both an extremely short time and an incredibly long span of years.

Focusing on a single topic caused countless related thoughts to surge forth, expanding endlessly, yet he could contemplate the whole without the slightest neglect or dizziness.

When he sensed something lacking, unknown truths reasoned themselves out automatically. Through resonance with the Primordial Chaos Realm, fresh insights rose one after another like fish being pulled from a river.

Yin-Yang Five Elements Extinction Great Hand.

Since he had already secured the decisive clues and it was nearly complete, a brief contemplation was enough to finish strengthening the divine ability.

It was a truly mysterious feeling. Unlike ordinary spells, divine abilities were engraved or melted into the body and soul. As the Origin Power Great Hand evolved, subtle changes appeared in his completed Oral Golden Core diagram as well.

Naturally, they were all beneficial with no drawbacks whatsoever.

As expected, my guess that strengthening and advancing the divine ability was the correct path was right.

The changes in the Oral Golden Core would naturally influence the Nascent Soul that would be born from it.

Having obtained the newly upgraded divine ability called the Yin-Yang Five Elements Extinction Great Hand as he desired, it was now time to delve into the Yin-Yang Eye portion of the Yin-Yang Dao Body Technique that he had been using so effectively.

Unfortunately the stone slab fragment was a physical object from reality and could not be brought here. Still, it was not strictly necessary for him now that he had reached the Golden Core stage.

Besides, his understanding of Yin and Yang was already deep enough to manifest the technique as a spell many times over.

What is revealed is Yang. What remains hidden is Yin.

It overlapped somewhat with the True Dragon Eye divine ability, but in broader aspects they complemented each other perfectly. The very overlap gave him confidence that the two could be fused.

The fact that the True Dragon Eye had not yet fully bloomed made it even more feasible.

It was truly wise that I did not rush to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

Had he advanced hastily, the True Dragon Eye would almost certainly have bloomed completely, making fusion with the Yin-Yang Eye extremely difficult.

He did not know how long he had spent in contemplation. He forgot even the flow of time and himself.

Thanks to that, he passed smoothly through what would have been a painful transformation of the two eyes and completed the delicate changes to the Oral Golden Core diagram without the slightest hitch.

From now on the True Dragon Eye divine ability would be called by its new name: the Yin-Yang True Dragon Eye. It would fully bloom once he reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Having produced results far beyond his expectations, he went further and began contemplating the Five Elements Divine Light spell—the very thing he had originally planned when he first received inspiration about Yin-Yang harmony.

Perhaps because he had already succeeded in strengthening two divine abilities, a good idea came to him without deep effort. Progress flowed like water. In what felt like a very short time he completed the improved spell and easily gave it a fitting name.

Five Elements Light Night Slash.

It was clearly a high-grade spell. At the same time, because he had created it himself, he could deploy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it fully even at his current realm.

It will serve as my main offensive technique for the time being.

He was extremely satisfied.

Still marveling at the lingering effects of the Enlightenment Dao Mysterious Mind Tea, he suddenly began reconsidering the Precious Orb Ghost Controlling Technique.

Since it was originally a special method that used a precious orb as the contract medium to control ghosts, changing the medium to the Ghost Soul Banner required a few adjustments.

He did not need to alter much. It was simply a matter of smoothing out the rough edges. Incidentally, he also changed the name to Spiritual Treasure Ghost Controlling Technique.

Around that time, the effects of the Enlightenment Dao Mysterious Mind Tea, which had seemed as if they would last forever, began to fade rapidly.

Although much still remained to be explored, he felt a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deep pang of regret. Yet what he had already gained was an enormous harvest.

This alone must have saved me twenty or thirty years.

Perhaps even thirty or forty—maybe as much as fifty. Considering that enlightenment could arrive at any unpredictable moment, it might even equal a century or more.

Indeed, the Enlightenment Tea was worthy of being regarded as an incredible treasure.

A short while later he opened his eyes and looked around.

“Jjik!”

Mu-yong, who had been watching over him, immediately hopped onto his lap and rubbed her head against him. He stroked her reflexively while assessing the situation.

…Roughly ten days have passed.

It was unexpected. He had been told the tea’s effects lasted at most five days.

Thinking for a moment, he quickly understood why.

It’s thanks to having reached the Golden Core stage.

Completing the Oral Golden Core had clarified his connection to the Primordial Chaos Realm. The link possessed a profundity beyond what realm advancement alone could provide, granting him unexpected benefits even here.

Had he not reached the Golden Core stage, the harvest would have been cut in half. The same would have happened if his understanding of Yin and Yang had been insufficient. In every way, he was reaping the rewards of the foundation he had diligently built until now.

After savoring that sense of satisfaction for a moment, he suddenly sensed several palace women pacing anxiously outside the barrier he had erected for safety.

The Taiyi Festival, when he had promised to capture the Ghost King, was tomorrow. Yet he had remained shut away and allowed no one inside. That was why. With the recent rebellion still fresh, they felt external threats more keenly than ever, making this matter especially urgent.

“Let’s go.”

He stood, cradling Mu-yong in his arms.

To obtain the magnificent Golden Radiance White Phoenix Brush, he needed to keep his promise.

As he withdrew the barrier and left the detached palace, his steps felt remarkably light.

After exchanging brief pleasantries with the greatly delighted Zhou King and reconfirming the Ghost King’s location, he transformed into a streak of light the instant he left the grand hall and shot forward at tremendous speed. The figures watching from below with surprise and admiration receded into the distance in the blink of an eye.

He did not need to travel far. The Black Soil Continent was vast, but if the Ghost King had been distant enough to require a long time even with the Five Elements Heavenly Escape Art, he would never have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠posed a threat to the Zhou Kingdom in the first place.

Arriving at his destination in mere minutes, he halted in the sky and took in the scene below.

Even though it was the Taiyi Festival—when ghosts were at their weakest—the ominous canyon beneath him remained dark and sinister. It felt as though the sunlight pouring from the clear sky was being devoured halfway and vanishing.

He briefly imagined what it would have felt like to visit this place during the Ghost Gate Festival, then shuddered. As always, he stroked Mu-yong and spoke.

“I’ll show you what this big brother gained from drinking the tea.”

“Jjik…? Jjik!”

Armed with two strengthened divine abilities and a high-grade spell he could deploy in full, he was confident he would not die even if the opponent turned out to be at the early Nascent Soul stage.

The moment he closed and reopened his eyes with that thought, his pupils transformed into swirling rings of brilliant gold and dreamy purple that chased each other’s tails. They sparkled and flowed as if containing the galaxy of the universe itself, an incomparably mystical sight.

When the halo of the Six Paths of Reincarnation appeared and cast a backlight upon him, the pair of Yin-Yang True Dragon Eyes became even more distinct.

Above his head the Monghyeon-gyeong manifested, reflecting a single splendid sword of light upon its mirror surface—a blade that was supremely brilliant yet cast an equally viscous darkness in every direction, giving off a strange and powerful aura.

In the hand not holding Mu-yong, a transparent yet extremely dangerous power flickered like heat haze.

“Let’s go.”

Having completed every preparation, he descended without hesitation into the Ghost King’s lair.