***
It’s hot.
Energy emanated around Woon-seong.
The sensation of the energy surrounding his whole body made Woon-seong feel like a roast chicken.
This was because the energy surrounding Woon-seong originated from the true Divine Flame, fueled by both Woon-seong himself as well as Chun Hwi.
Woon-seong could feel the energy flowing in from his back extending to the rest of his limbic system.
With every breath, an exhilarating sensation spread from his spine to his fingertips.
Through repeatedly cycling this energy through his body, Woon-seong was able to assimilate it and make it his own.
I must not rush this.
The time of my master. A time longer than my past and present lives combined.
And that amount of time represents the amount of Master’s qi.
If I try to swallow this much qi at once, it will only backfire.
Even the best of delicacies will upset your stomach if you consume too much too quickly.
So Woon-seong did not rush.
Slowly and delicately he worked, like a spider spinning threads of silk.
The incoming force weaved through his meridians, scattering to every corner of his body, then wound back and tied together at his core.
It was slow work.
But it didn’t end there.
Once a certain amount of threads had been gathered, the energy was redistributed into his limbs.
According to the universe’s laws guarding chaos and evolution, a new sort of energy swirled around Woon-seong’s body.
Woon-seong slowly refined the energy received from Chun Hwi to suit himself.
Naturally, there was some loss of energy during the transfer and purification process, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
If he tried to immediately assimilate Chun Hwi’s qi, the foreign energy would clash with his own, wrecking his core and meridians.
Of course, it was natural that Woon-seong would look for ways to minimize losses during the process.
The loss rate is about 20%.
As he focused, Woon-seong coldly calculated the amount lost.
It is not a constant amount though… 15% at minimum, 25% at maximum.
Although there’s an average of a 20% loss, Master’s qi is already powerful. Then there’s my own qi on top of that…
Even with some amount of loss, the total should add to an equivalent of Master’s.
As Woon-seong came to that conclusion, a problem suddenly occurred to him.
Then what about Master?! What happens to him?
That was a question Chun Hwi could not answer, as the Heavenly Demon’s hands were placed on Woon-seong’s back, transferring energy.
He has grown well, mused the Heavenly Demon.
Chun Hwi was injecting his qi into Woon-seong’s body while simultaneously using his qi to assess the youth’s body.
As I inject my qi like this, I can finally feel this child’s effort.
His muscle density, pureness of qi, and composition of blood vessels… It’s clear that he has grown well as a martial artist.
As a teacher, Chun Hwi could not help but smile.
However, it’s such a shame.
At the same time, he could not help but feel sorry.
Their master-disciple relationship could not be considered long. At first, Woon-seong had not opened up to his new master.
Now, Chun Hwi could tell that his disciple had finally decided to open up.
But I cannot stay with you any longer…
Woon-seong.
You were like the adolescent son I always wanted.
Maybe I felt that way because you’re the first apprentice I ever had… or will have.
Not that any of that matters anymore…
Once I finish transferring my qi, I’ll no longer be a person of this world.
The more I transfer, the more I can feel the poison inside me trying to take over.
Chun Hwi’s lower half was already blackened with poison, the red handprint-like markings were also slowly covering the rest of his body. His skin had also lost most of its sheen, causing him to look pale as a corpse.
But that wasn’t all.
Every now and then, the stab wound would also throb with pain.
I’m sorry that this is all this fool of a master can do for you.
Chun Hwi continued to inject qi into Woon-seong, feeling sorry for his apprentice.
Suddenly, the strength of the poison crescendoed and he became dizzy from pain.
Cold sweat dripping down his face, Chun Hwi grit his teeth. I have to withstand…
With our qi connected, if I faint right now, it will become much more than my problem.
There’s also a possibility that the poison may flow into him through my qi!
I must prevent that at all costs.
There’s only one life that I’ll let this god damned poison take away.
Woon-seong, go spread your wings in this world without regret.
Chun Hwi’s body was like a rotten old tree.
But funnily enough, Chun Hwi couldn’t help but feel ecstatic in such a situation.
Even though he was dying, his death would be the catalyst that pushed the powerhouse named Hyuk Woon-seong to new heights.
Woon-seong had the talent. And although he didn’t know the details, it was clear that his apprentice also had a goal.
If his dying body could become the nourishment to help Woon-seong grow into a great tree…
Become a tree that covers the Cult…
No, a tree that covers this whole world.
It doesn’t matter what you do on top of that.
Fulfill your dreams through the Cult.
Those were the last thoughts that the Moon Cleaving Heavenly Demon left in the world.
Or, perhaps they weren’t.
During the last moments of consciousness, Chun Hwi’s voice flowed into Woon-seong’s ears.
“My apprentice, please take care of A-young…”
His only regret was his daughter.
Now completely drained of energy, only a smile remained on Chun Hwi’s face.
Having found his peace, his soul left the body.
Woon-seong was ecstatic.
With each passing second, the decades of qi from Chun Hwi had slowly changed into his own. Slowly, but clearly, this energy had built up in his body.
What if it was too much for his body to handle?
It wouldn’t be easy to expand his dantian. However, the Woon-seong who practiced ‘Heavenward Soul Earthen Body’ could do it! Just this much stress on his meridians was still acceptable!
As his excitement mounted, a disconnect between his mind and body began to appear.
With a rapid build up of power, Woon-seong began to feel invincible. Not only that, he became intoxicated by this feeling.
While under this illusion that he was alone and unmatched under the Heavens, Chun Hwi’s last wishes suddenly flowed into his ears.
“My apprentice, please take care of A-young…”
The voice freed Woon-seong from his fantasy.
At the same time, Woon-seong quickly regained control over his consciousness and operated his qi.
That was a lucky escape, he could have been in dire straights.
He had almost been intoxicated by the sudden, rapid increase in his strength.
For martial artists, an increase in strength was more addictive than opioids.
Just as it was dangerous to be addicted to pain medication, it was definitely dangerous to be addicted to strength and power.
Woon-seong knew that, which was why he had always been disciplined in the use of his iron bracers.
This time, it was because he did not know his limits and continued to accept Chun Hwi’s qi that a disconnection between mind and body had been formed.
Fortunately, the qi transfer had ended. If he had been unlucky, an additional amount of qi would have caused him to explode on the spot.
Perhaps he would not have died, but his life as a martial artist would definitely have ended.
That cannot happen.
Woon-seong grit his teeth.
He still had work to do in this world.
Master… Even in the end, you saved this foolish apprentice.
And because of that, my goal has remained the same.
The poison that took the lives of my two masters is the same, unique one. There are not many who can use such a poison. The people who poisoned them must be the same, or at least share the same goal.
Therefore, the people who have killed my two masters are either the same person or from the same organization.
When he thought like that, Woon-seong naturally made another connection.
Jwa Do-gyul.
Woon-seong almost snarled.
He must also have some kind of connection with the poisoners. If not, there’s no reason for the Martial Alliance to destroy the Spear Master Sect.
And if that’s the case, it’s more of a reason to get revenge.
Because it would mean that I lost both of my masters to the same poison. And that I was played around by the same mastermind like a damn fool!
Woon-seong’s face was set with newfound determination.
Then, he once again began to assimilate Chun Hwi’s qi with his own. This time, he took extra care in order to not get carried away.
It was hard to fathom how much time passed with Woon-seong in this state.
Perhaps it had only been a few minutes, a few days, or even a few months.
The concept of time had become meaningless to the Woon-seong, who was busy trying to increase his qi sea so that it could hold all of his energy.
Even his consciousness had become clouded and only instinctively controlled his qi.
It was a slightly different kind of state than intoxication. Actually, it was more like sensory overload due to a sudden increase of qi.
Within this state, Woon-seong had forgotten himself.
It was very similar to a state of drunkenness.
States of intoxication split the brain from the body, logic from the senses. Some people were able to channel this separation of mind and body into allowing the body to enter its most natural state, supposedly reaching enlightenment.
But in the case of Woon-seong, with tremendous stamina, it was like he had reached enlightenment without aligning his body with nature.
Of course, his body and senses followed after accordingly, so it didn’t matter.
The results were the same.
Woon-seong suddenly felt the changes in his body.
Weng—
A strange sound came from within his body.
Just as his mind shook, so did the entire Polymorphic Combat Illusion he was still sitting within.
An abundance of energy gathered within Woon-seong’s body.
Finally, the energy rushed through his meridians, reaching his Twin Veins like a tidal wave.
Unstoppable, it crashed forward.
Boom!
The Twin Veins were only half open, so a major collision happened as the wave of energy found itself blocked by a sturdy wall.
A shockwave spread through Woon-seong’s body, causing him to fly off the ground and smash into a wall.
Fwoom—
It didn’t happen only once.
One more time!
Kuang!
Something collapsed.
Once a crack appeared in the dam, the entire structure quickly collapsed under the pressure.
In the meantime, a river of strength flooded in.
The Twin Veins had been fully opened.
Another change began once all the veins in his body had been opened.
Wooduk—
Woon-seong’s whole body began to twist. It was a disturbing sight as his muscles spasmed and loosened, causing his body to balloon and stretch.
In the process, Woon-seong’s body was entirely reconstructed.
It became the most suitable body for a spearman, ever.
The length of his arm changed. It turned out to be the best arm length for swinging the spear.
The length of his torso also changed, as had his neck.
The muscles that he used to have became stronger and better defined. Even his hair changed, now entirely smooth and silky.
Not all the changes were large, but each made a clear difference in appearance or strength.
Body reformation.
Change the bones and strip the husk.
Ignite the soul to reforge the Heavens, govern the body to dictate the Earth.
The body art he had been practicing, ‘Heavenward Soul Earthen Body’ had finally shown its true power.
By setting the soul aflame, one can change the Heavens. By refining the body, one can control the Earth.
The Heavens and the Earth meet inside a human’s body. And with that, the spirit of a god dwells within the body of a human.
A Semi-Divine Being!
One who was born a human, yet set his foot on the threshold of becoming a god.
Of course, even within the ranks of Semi-Divinity, there were differences in strength.
“If I have barely set foot… Master Chun Hwi had fully entered the realm of a Semi-Divine Being,” Woon-seong mused as he pulled himself out of the rubble.
But what matters is that I have also stepped foot into this realm.
Now I have enough power.
With enough time and effort, there is no doubt that I can become as powerful as Master Chun Hwi ever was.
“Watch me, Master…”
A fabulous light seemed to emanate from Woon-seong’s body, covering him in the glow of a sacred blessing.
“And the bloodbath I will bring to Murim.”
It’s been about six months. He might come out any moment.
The Senior Strategist was the only one who knew exactly what the Heavenly Demon’s plan was.
After the first realization about the strength of the poison, Chun Hwi had made this plan.
That was why Sang Gwan-chuk was also the only one who knew what was going on inside the Third Gate.
“Are you really going to execute this plan? Please, reconsider it one more time…”
“Thank you for worrying about me, Strategist. But I’ve already decided to do it this way. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
The Leader…
The Strategist stopped thinking from there.
As they had planned, Chun Hwi was no longer a person of this world.
Hmmm.
He exhaled a long, almost watery sigh, one unfitting for his steadfast temperament.
Sang Gwan-chuk was a man deeply loyal to Chun Hwi. It was hard for him to let the Heavenly Demon go like this.
If he had been a little more capable, he could have prevented the poisoning.
If he had been a little more capable, he would have been able to find a solution.
But now, he could only feel sorry.
Leader…
Facing the Inner Garden, Sang Gwan-chuk slowly and solemnly bowed his head.
It was then that someone walked out.
***
It’s hot.
Energy emanated around Woon-seong.
The sensation of the energy surrounding his whole body made Woon-seong feel like a roast chicken.
This was because the energy surrounding Woon-seong originated from the true Divine Flame, fueled by both Woon-seong himself as well as Chun Hwi.
Woon-seong could feel the energy flowing in from his back extending to the rest of his limbic system.
With every breath, an exhilarating sensation spread from his spine to his fingertips.
Through repeatedly cycling this energy through his body, Woon-seong was able to assimilate it and make it his own.
I must not rush this.
The time of my master. A time longer than my past and present lives combined.
And that amount of time represents the amount of Master’s qi.
If I try to swallow this much qi at once, it will only backfire.
Even the best of delicacies will upset your stomach if you consume too much too quickly.
So Woon-seong did not rush.
Slowly and delicately he worked, like a spider spinning threads of silk.
The incoming force weaved through his meridians, scattering to every corner of his body, then wound back and tied together at his core.
It was slow work.
But it didn’t end there.
Once a certain amount of threads had been gathered, the energy was redistributed into his limbs.
According to the universe’s laws guarding chaos and evolution, a new sort of energy swirled around Woon-seong’s body.
Woon-seong slowly refined the energy received from Chun Hwi to suit himself.
Naturally, there was some loss of energy during the transfer and purification process, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
If he tried to immediately assimilate Chun Hwi’s qi, the foreign energy would clash with his own, wrecking his core and meridians.
Of course, it was natural that Woon-seong would look for ways to minimize losses during the process.
The loss rate is about 20%.
As he focused, Woon-seong coldly calculated the amount lost.
It is not a constant amount though… 15% at minimum, 25% at maximum.
Although there’s an average of a 20% loss, Master’s qi is already powerful. Then there’s my own qi on top of that…
Even with some amount of loss, the total should add to an equivalent of Master’s.
As Woon-seong came to that conclusion, a problem suddenly occurred to him.
Then what about Master?! What happens to him?
That was a question Chun Hwi could not answer, as the Heavenly Demon’s hands were placed on Woon-seong’s back, transferring energy.
He has grown well, mused the Heavenly Demon.
Chun Hwi was injecting his qi into Woon-seong’s body while simultaneously using his qi to assess the youth’s body.
As I inject my qi like this, I can finally feel this child’s effort.
His muscle density, pureness of qi, and composition of blood vessels… It’s clear that he has grown well as a martial artist.
As a teacher, Chun Hwi could not help but smile.
However, it’s such a shame.
At the same time, he could not help but feel sorry.
Their master-disciple relationship could not be considered long. At first, Woon-seong had not opened up to his new master.
Now, Chun Hwi could tell that his disciple had finally decided to open up.
But I cannot stay with you any longer…
Woon-seong.
You were like the adolescent son I always wanted.
Maybe I felt that way because you’re the first apprentice I ever had… or will have.
Not that any of that matters anymore…
Once I finish transferring my qi, I’ll no longer be a person of this world.
The more I transfer, the more I can feel the poison inside me trying to take over.
Chun Hwi’s lower half was already blackened with poison, the red handprint-like markings were also slowly covering the rest of his body. His skin had also lost most of its sheen, causing him to look pale as a corpse.
But that wasn’t all.
Every now and then, the stab wound would also throb with pain.
I’m sorry that this is all this fool of a master can do for you.
Chun Hwi continued to inject qi into Woon-seong, feeling sorry for his apprentice.
Suddenly, the strength of the poison crescendoed and he became dizzy from pain.
Cold sweat dripping down his face, Chun Hwi grit his teeth. I have to withstand…
With our qi connected, if I faint right now, it will become much more than my problem.
There’s also a possibility that the poison may flow into him through my qi!
I must prevent that at all costs.
There’s only one life that I’ll let this god damned poison take away.
Woon-seong, go spread your wings in this world without regret.
Chun Hwi’s body was like a rotten old tree.
But funnily enough, Chun Hwi couldn’t help but feel ecstatic in such a situation.
Even though he was dying, his death would be the catalyst that pushed the powerhouse named Hyuk Woon-seong to new heights.
Woon-seong had the talent. And although he didn’t know the details, it was clear that his apprentice also had a goal.
If his dying body could become the nourishment to help Woon-seong grow into a great tree…
Become a tree that covers the Cult…
No, a tree that covers this whole world.
It doesn’t matter what you do on top of that.
Fulfill your dreams through the Cult.
Those were the last thoughts that the Moon Cleaving Heavenly Demon left in the world.
Or, perhaps they weren’t.
During the last moments of consciousness, Chun Hwi’s voice flowed into Woon-seong’s ears.
“My apprentice, please take care of A-young…”
His only regret was his daughter.
Now completely drained of energy, only a smile remained on Chun Hwi’s face.
Having found his peace, his soul left the body.
Woon-seong was ecstatic.
With each passing second, the decades of qi from Chun Hwi had slowly changed into his own. Slowly, but clearly, this energy had built up in his body.
What if it was too much for his body to handle?
It wouldn’t be easy to expand his dantian. However, the Woon-seong who practiced ‘Heavenward Soul Earthen Body’ could do it! Just this much stress on his meridians was still acceptable!
As his excitement mounted, a disconnect between his mind and body began to appear.
With a rapid build up of power, Woon-seong began to feel invincible. Not only that, he became intoxicated by this feeling.
While under this illusion that he was alone and unmatched under the Heavens, Chun Hwi’s last wishes suddenly flowed into his ears.
“My apprentice, please take care of A-young…”
The voice freed Woon-seong from his fantasy.
At the same time, Woon-seong quickly regained control over his consciousness and operated his qi.
That was a lucky escape, he could have been in dire straights.
He had almost been intoxicated by the sudden, rapid increase in his strength.
For martial artists, an increase in strength was more addictive than opioids.
Just as it was dangerous to be addicted to pain medication, it was definitely dangerous to be addicted to strength and power.
Woon-seong knew that, which was why he had always been disciplined in the use of his iron bracers.
This time, it was because he did not know his limits and continued to accept Chun Hwi’s qi that a disconnection between mind and body had been formed.
Fortunately, the qi transfer had ended. If he had been unlucky, an additional amount of qi would have caused him to explode on the spot.
Perhaps he would not have died, but his life as a martial artist would definitely have ended.
That cannot happen.
Woon-seong grit his teeth.
He still had work to do in this world.
Master… Even in the end, you saved this foolish apprentice.
And because of that, my goal has remained the same.
The poison that took the lives of my two masters is the same, unique one. There are not many who can use such a poison. The people who poisoned them must be the same, or at least share the same goal.
Therefore, the people who have killed my two masters are either the same person or from the same organization.
When he thought like that, Woon-seong naturally made another connection.
Jwa Do-gyul.
Woon-seong almost snarled.
He must also have some kind of connection with the poisoners. If not, there’s no reason for the Martial Alliance to destroy the Spear Master Sect.
And if that’s the case, it’s more of a reason to get revenge.
Because it would mean that I lost both of my masters to the same poison. And that I was played around by the same mastermind like a damn fool!
Woon-seong’s face was set with newfound determination.
Then, he once again began to assimilate Chun Hwi’s qi with his own. This time, he took extra care in order to not get carried away.
It was hard to fathom how much time passed with Woon-seong in this state.
Perhaps it had only been a few minutes, a few days, or even a few months.
The concept of time had become meaningless to the Woon-seong, who was busy trying to increase his qi sea so that it could hold all of his energy.
Even his consciousness had become clouded and only instinctively controlled his qi.
It was a slightly different kind of state than intoxication. Actually, it was more like sensory overload due to a sudden increase of qi.
Within this state, Woon-seong had forgotten himself.
It was very similar to a state of drunkenness.
States of intoxication split the brain from the body, logic from the senses. Some people were able to channel this separation of mind and body into allowing the body to enter its most natural state, supposedly reaching enlightenment.
But in the case of Woon-seong, with tremendous stamina, it was like he had reached enlightenment without aligning his body with nature.
Of course, his body and senses followed after accordingly, so it didn’t matter.
The results were the same.
Woon-seong suddenly felt the changes in his body.
Weng—
A strange sound came from within his body.
Just as his mind shook, so did the entire Polymorphic Combat Illusion he was still sitting within.
An abundance of energy gathered within Woon-seong’s body.
Finally, the energy rushed through his meridians, reaching his Twin Veins like a tidal wave.
Unstoppable, it crashed forward.
Boom!
The Twin Veins were only half open, so a major collision happened as the wave of energy found itself blocked by a sturdy wall.
A shockwave spread through Woon-seong’s body, causing him to fly off the ground and smash into a wall.
Fwoom—
It didn’t happen only once.
One more time!
Kuang!
Something collapsed.
Once a crack appeared in the dam, the entire structure quickly collapsed under the pressure.
In the meantime, a river of strength flooded in.
The Twin Veins had been fully opened.
Another change began once all the veins in his body had been opened.
Wooduk—
Woon-seong’s whole body began to twist. It was a disturbing sight as his muscles spasmed and loosened, causing his body to balloon and stretch.
In the process, Woon-seong’s body was entirely reconstructed.
It became the most suitable body for a spearman, ever.
The length of his arm changed. It turned out to be the best arm length for swinging the spear.
The length of his torso also changed, as had his neck.
The muscles that he used to have became stronger and better defined. Even his hair changed, now entirely smooth and silky.
Not all the changes were large, but each made a clear difference in appearance or strength.
Body reformation.
Change the bones and strip the husk.
Ignite the soul to reforge the Heavens, govern the body to dictate the Earth.
The body art he had been practicing, ‘Heavenward Soul Earthen Body’ had finally shown its true power.
By setting the soul aflame, one can change the Heavens. By refining the body, one can control the Earth.
The Heavens and the Earth meet inside a human’s body. And with that, the spirit of a god dwells within the body of a human.
A Semi-Divine Being!
One who was born a human, yet set his foot on the threshold of becoming a god.
Of course, even within the ranks of Semi-Divinity, there were differences in strength.
“If I have barely set foot… Master Chun Hwi had fully entered the realm of a Semi-Divine Being,” Woon-seong mused as he pulled himself out of the rubble.
But what matters is that I have also stepped foot into this realm.
Now I have enough power.
With enough time and effort, there is no doubt that I can become as powerful as Master Chun Hwi ever was.
“Watch me, Master…”
A fabulous light seemed to emanate from Woon-seong’s body, covering him in the glow of a sacred blessing.
“And the bloodbath I will bring to Murim.”
It’s been about six months. He might come out any moment.
The Senior Strategist was the only one who knew exactly what the Heavenly Demon’s plan was.
After the first realization about the strength of the poison, Chun Hwi had made this plan.
That was why Sang Gwan-chuk was also the only one who knew what was going on inside the Third Gate.
“Are you really going to execute this plan? Please, reconsider it one more time…”
“Thank you for worrying about me, Strategist. But I’ve already decided to do it this way. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
The Leader…
The Strategist stopped thinking from there.
As they had planned, Chun Hwi was no longer a person of this world.
Hmmm.
He exhaled a long, almost watery sigh, one unfitting for his steadfast temperament.
Sang Gwan-chuk was a man deeply loyal to Chun Hwi. It was hard for him to let the Heavenly Demon go like this.
If he had been a little more capable, he could have prevented the poisoning.
If he had been a little more capable, he would have been able to find a solution.
But now, he could only feel sorry.
Leader…
Facing the Inner Garden, Sang Gwan-chuk slowly and solemnly bowed his head.
It was then that someone walked out.
