Chapter 104: Reward
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Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk, having fallen into selfless absorption, had at some point gathered a third white current above their heads like a large bead, then BANG! burst it.
Pure white haze spreading in circles again.
Thus, muscle density increased a little more, and one year’s worth of internal cultivation was newly accumulated in their dantians.
However.
They didn’t stop.
The cycle of realization continued.
BANG… BANG…!
The eyelashes of Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk, eyes closed, trembled.
It was the effect of wave-like thrills.
Finally, the fifth explosion occurred.
BANG… BANG…!
Six times, seven times… Eventually reaching ten.
Exactly ten years’ worth of internal cultivation.
Cheol Ryu-heun stood up abruptly and strode over to them.
‘Hmm, I thought it would take about one gak. Those two are extraordinary in skill, so their achievement speed is faster than expected. Ha. Good, they’re doing well.’
Having approached behind Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk, he transmitted.
<Now I will touch your pressure points. Don’t be startled; when you detect a change in vital energy flow, suppress it as much as possible so it doesn’t leave the Upper Dantian, then when you feel dizzy, push it out hard as if shooting it out through the Crown of the Head. It will be somewhat painful.>
Then he moved both hands rapidly and tapped the pressure points connecting from Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk’s nape to the back of their heads, then to the crowns of their heads in sequence.
Immediately after.
FLINCH.
Both felt their internal energy surge up the Thrusting Vessel as if flowing in reverse, concentrating in the energy and blood of the Upper Dantian.
As if a great waterfall were flowing backwards.
TINGLE-TINGLE, TINGLE-TINGLE.
The thrill that had spread throughout their bodies grew until it could grow no more.
Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk quickly bound the energy concentrated in the Upper Dantian’s energy meridians so it wouldn’t descend again.
Naturally, their inhales and exhales became somewhat rough.
Sweat covered their faces.
DRIP-DRIP.
No different from rain.
Yet the two continued the work, controlling the energy concentrated throughout the entire Upper Dantian according to the teaching Cheol Ryu-heun had earlier transmitted.
‘Phew… Phew…’
As if rope were choking their necks, the two’s breathing became increasingly rapid.
It was their first time experiencing such a drastic change during Circulating energy and regulating breathing, so a strange fear invaded, but they concentrated and concentrated again so that the energy they had forcibly suppressed wouldn’t leak downward.
Before long.
THUNK…
Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk felt dizzy as something like an intangible shock spread through their minds.
‘Urgh! This is it!’
The moment the two realized that was precisely the moment Cheol Ryu-heun had mentioned, they simultaneously shot the energy swirling in their Upper Dantians upward.
Simultaneously.
THONG-
It felt like a new hole had been pierced in the crowns of their heads.
That was the feeling, if they had to describe it.
It was the effect of the Baihui Point being widened as if pierced, from releasing the energy gathered in the Upper Dantian.
It wasn’t the end.
TU-THONG-
The intangible shock intensified.
In that instant, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk nearly plunged their faces into the water and passed out.
‘Urk!’
The pain was that great.
It was to the point where they thought it might be Qi Deviation.
Originally, the Baihui, a vital point of the Upper Dantian, was one of the critical weak spots, so handling it this way was practically taboo.
However.
Cheol Ryu-heun had long ago kept all this in mind and made them achieve Seven Energies Returning to Origin and Five Energy Root Return first.
So that even if a series of pains occurred in the dangerous weak spots, they could adequately endure it.
Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk also understood that and somehow persevered.
They were certain that if they endured this dreadful pain reminiscent of Qi Deviation, unprecedented achievement would definitely come.
Sure enough.
The pain in their minds sharply subsided after a moment, and soon, some warm and gentle energy was newly generated centered on the Baihui Point and distributed evenly along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Regular Meridians.
‘Ah!’
A light of elation flashed across both faces.
Following that.
SSSSSS… SSSSSS…
A current resembling a semi-transparent white disc floated above their heads and slowly revolved.
Both Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk.
It was a phenomenon of another dormant meridian within the Upper Dantian awakening.
Yet.
It wasn’t just one.
The current resembling a rotating white disc atop their heads had doubled in the blink of an eye.
The night before going to the manor, there had only been one.
Development.
Indeed.
The unique phenomenon of White Peak Sword Sect’s internal cultivation mental method, namely the number of white discs of light, signified the level of achievement of the Upper Dantian.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s face was still expressionless, but he was inwardly satisfied with the result.
‘Hmm, successful. Now both have prepared the foundation to achieve Bone Replacement and Marrow Cleansing.’
Meanwhile.
Tae Sa-ja and the others, who knew nothing, simply found the scene fascinating.
‘Wow… It must be proving a new achievement, right?’
Everyone had envious gazes.
Wondering when they would escape their worker status and gain qualifications to learn ascending martial arts.
Of course, upon witnessing those amazing sights, their resolve to bury their bones here only became more firm.
Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk felt all their muscles squirming and slightly swelling, and were inwardly impressed.
Because they detected power settling into their muscle-meridians as if they had tempered their bodies for over a dozen years.
It was amazing.
To think that using Sky Clear Stone Milk in this way could bring muscle-meridian strengthening effects – just how vast was the level of martial knowledge inside Cheol Ryu-heun’s head…
The muscles of their upper and lower bodies alike revealed distinct lines, transforming like perfect sculptures.
Bulging with elasticity.
It was a body any man would want to have.
Tae Sa-ja and the others had no time to retract their envious gazes.
‘Th-this is crazy! I want to have a body like that too!’
Suddenly.
BANG… BANG… BANG…!
This time, Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In burst white currents above their heads.
Just as Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk had done, those three too continuously produced the phenomenon without rest until reaching ten times.
Cheol Ryu-heun advised the same content through transmission as before, then touched their pressure points in sequence.
Thus, as the three felt the energy concentrating in their Upper Dantians and were swept up in great thrills.
BANG… BANG… BANG… BANG… BANG… BANG…
Full-scale fireworks had begun.
All the disciples were bursting pure white firecrackers above their heads.
It was different from the white currents of Yeop Hwon, Hyeop Mu-geuk, and the others.
The size was much smaller to begin with.
Moreover, the time between the first and second took longer.
This was precisely due to the gap in mental method and the gap in martial arts.
Because of that, Cheol Ryu-heun didn’t separately touch their pressure points and instead went back to sit under the tree, giving only brief instructions.
“Everyone, make sure the Yintang Point that has just opened doesn’t waver. There will be a moment when your breath suddenly feels blocked. At that moment, concentrate all your energy, then rapidly perform the Grand Heavenly Cycle five times rapidly in succession, and you’re done. Understood?”
Hearing those words, the disciples thought it wasn’t that difficult.
However, Cheol Ryu-heun’s following words instilled fear.
“Oh, right. This is my original Crown Opening Grand Method, so the pain will be extreme. Well, if anyone dies, I’ll bury them. We can just dig more pits.”
At that, the brows of the disciples in the midst of Circulating energy and regulating breathing twitched.
‘Urk! No, you should give that kind of warning in advance!’
Everyone felt the same.
Meanwhile, the breathing of Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In had grown rough.
Before long.
THUNK…
All three clearly showed signs of dizziness as an intangible shock struck their minds.
‘Keck!’
Guyang Cheon and the others, bodies flinching, gritted their teeth and endured the pain brought by the successive intangible shocks.
Thus, some time passed.
Having barely overcome the crisis, the three Guyang brothers finally regained peaceful expressions.
It was clear that the mysterious energy generated in the Upper Dantian was spreading along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Regular Meridians.
Lacking achievement compared to Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk, they couldn’t produce currents resembling white discs above their heads, but instead, the muscles of their entire bodies were taking on new shapes.
It was impressive.
It was flawless.
It transformed like a work painstakingly created by a famous craftsman, to the point of feeling dissonance with their fierce faces.
Cheol Ryu-heun, leaning against the tree, smiled internally.
‘Ha, proceeding smoothly.’
Over the past thousand years, he had watched.
This damn world had never once been fair.
Separate from working hard.
Those with good conditions, environment, and such had achieved greater success than others.
Unless truly great fortune followed, it was distant for those with nothing to catch up to those who had.
Hence.
He would bestow everything.
Whether peerless martial arts or rare elixirs or whatever, he planned to pour everything in to make White Peak Sword Sect the strongest, greatest martial sect in all martial world history.
Perfect revenge.
Only for that.
So that when he met that vagrant bastard again later, he wouldn’t be able to pull any tricks.
If a powerful force was backing him up… He would grow White Peak Sword Sect to a level that could adequately crush it.
‘Going forward, I will give everything unstintingly, so you all just need to keep developing.’
Cheol Ryu-heun, thinking so, suddenly turned his head and said.
“I’ll give you a reward for your work.”
Simultaneously, the expressions of Tae Sa-ja and the other workers changed completely.
‘What! Reward?’
It was words that made their ears perk up.
Cheol Ryu-heun shook the gourd bottle in his hand.
“There’s a little left. Just swallow one drop each.”
Tae Sa-ja asked quietly while observing the mood.
“Sect Master. I’ve been curious from the start – what is that?”
“Sky Clear Stone Milk.”
“A-Air…!”
Tae Sa-ja was left speechless.
The other ten workers beside him were the same.
Everyone had expected it would be no ordinary elixir, but they never imagined it would be that precious Sky Clear Stone Milk.
‘This is amazing!’
Sparkling gazes.
Everyone already knew well.
That when a person who hadn’t learned internal energy techniques consumed Sky Clear Stone Milk, the turbid energy in their body would be cleanly eliminated, major energy meridians would open on their own, and they would even gain the effect of long life without illness.
“Just dab one drop each on your finger and lick it.”
No sooner had Cheol Ryu-heun finished speaking than Tae Sa-ja quickly received the gourd bottle and bowed his head.
“Th-thank you!”
The remaining personnel also prostrated in deep bows, unable to hide their inner excitement.
Tae Sa-ja soon went to one side and carefully shook the gourd bottle.
However.
Not even a small sloshing sound could be heard.
‘Ah… Is there really only enough to share one drop each!’
Ten workers rushed over and gathered around him.
“Boss, no, Squad Leader. Please have a drop first.”
“Ah, I’m so excited I could go crazy.”
“Good heavens, Sky Clear Stone Milk…”
“The fragrance was amazing – if you actually taste it, it’ll be even more heavenly, right?”
“Of course! Hahah. Your tongue will melt!”
“Come on, Squad Leader, go ahead…”
Yet Tae Sa-ja rolled his eyeballs around.
‘Hmm, now that I actually have it in my hands, one drop seems too regrettable… If I drink all of this, won’t I live forever without aging like a legendary immortal?’
Yeah, with a full eleven drops, it didn’t seem impossible.
One impatient worker reached out his hand.
“Why, are you scared? Then I’ll test it first…”
Suddenly, Tae Sa-ja SWAT pushed that hand away, then clutching the gourd bottle, ran off madly toward the other side of the yard.
“Ah!”
“What the, what…!”
“Squad Leader, no, he’s a thief!”
“Stop right there!”
“You bastard, don’t you have any loyalty!”
“Catch him! No matter what!”
A fierce chase by the utterly enraged workers.
Cheol Ryu-heun, watching that sight, muttered as if finding it pathetic.
“Anyway, human greed is the same now as it was then.”