Chapter 64: A Change of Perspective
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Cheol Ryu-heun soon blew on the finger he’d been using to pick his ear and turned his head to the side.
Where his gaze settled.
Two people could be seen not far from there.
They were White Peak Sword Sect’s Elder Yeop Hwon and Chief Supervisor Hyeop Mu-geuk.
The two were currently sitting cross-legged, deeply immersed in meditation.
The five hundred whole-body twists while operating internal energy had already been completed before noon passed, and it had been over a shichen since they started energy circulation like that.
Thus immersed in deep concentration, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were pouring out countless beads of sweat while ceaselessly emitting white currents from their bodies.
Just then.
Swish… Swish…
The pure white haze wrapped around the two’s figures spread gently and took on a certain shape.
Like the form of a white mountain peak.
It was a unique phenomenon of the White Peak Pure Dew Mental Cultivation, the core of the internal energy cultivation for White Peak Sword Sect’s executive level.
Normally, such a mountain-peak-shaped current was generated when energy circulation reached its final stage.
However.
This time was an exception.
It was still far from everything being finished.
Because the energy circulation Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were performing was a process to obtain new effects, unlike usual.
Namely, the profound use of maximizing the energy sense bestowed by the Seven Energy Alignment and Five Energy Alignment.
As if once again proving that their internal energy levels had risen due to achievements following Cheol Ryu-heun’s arrangements, the mountain-peak-shaped white current the two created was truly large and distinct.
It was a sight like having unfolded a folding screen with a white peak painted on it.
Looking only at the achievement of the internal energy mental cultivation, it could be said to be on par with the late Sagong Woon.
The White Gate Sword Gentleman was dead.
But.
The White Mountain Sword Excellence and White Flash Sword Tiger were still standing.
If Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk smoothly finished this process and eventually mastered the three ultimate techniques, both their aliases would surely rise to a level equal to the White Gate Sword Gentleman.
‘Good, now it’s entirely up to you.’
Having muttered internally, Cheol Ryu-heun was actually also performing an extraordinary energy circulation during this time.
Of course, to anyone else watching, it would just look like he was sitting idly under the tree shade, spacing out.
Finally.
‘Let’s do it.’
Cheol Ryu-heun let out a meaningful glint in his eyes as if something was ready and rose to his feet.
Then he steadied his breathing and.
Phew.
Concentrated his mind and began moving the vital energy in his body in an entirely different manner.
It was time to draw a picture inside his body.
He was trying to create the virtual Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Primary Meridians, the clue to martial advancement he had newly realized the other day.
Since he had tried it whenever he had time after the day he first attempted that method and found direction, he had adapted to some degree.
Still, it was just as difficult.
That was natural.
It was creating something that didn’t exist in the body, after all.
Work that greatly exceeded the scope of martial knowledge he had accumulated over a thousand years, so the entire process was naturally still challenging…
But he had seen hope.
The final result was uncertain, but the fact that his hypothesis had worked was enough value to challenge.
He had seen countless times over the long years he had lived.
The fact that those who made true efforts would duly obtain results befitting them.
Heaven’s Demon, Sword Emperor, Evil Emperor, Martial Immortal, and Blood God were prime examples.
Those five, counted among the peerless strongest tier in martial history, had put in greater effort than anyone in martial cultivation, regardless of their innate talent.
As the Divine Martial Sword at the time, Cheol Ryu-heun had watched all the blood-and-sweat-soaked effort and growth hidden behind their fame.
All of them, starting with Heaven’s Demon, had experienced great failure several times.
Falling and collapsing…
Nevertheless, the five never gave up and continued advancing, ultimately becoming the strongest of the strongest.
Therefore.
Failure was not frightening.
Indeed, such a thing was nothing.
Even if what awaited at the end of this path was a cliff, if he gained something through the arduous process, he could just use that to seek another path.
‘There is no such thing as impossible for me.’
Cheol Ryu-heun immediately closed his eyes gently and envisioned the energy paths and pressure points of the Conception and Governing Vessels while meticulously controlling the vital energy in his body.
A short time passed.
Tingle, tingle.
Starting with the Huiyin and Changqiang points at the beginning of the Conception and Governing Vessels, pressure points settled into place one by one, doubling the pain inside his body.
Suddenly, a faint smile formed at the corner of Cheol Ryu-heun’s mouth.
Heh, it’s fine.
I told you I’m adapted.
Compared to when he first attempted this, the pain was much less.
Thus, his unprecedented body with its disappeared three Dantians was gradually changing while accepting the new method.
No.
Cheol Ryu-heun himself was changing for evolution.
Finally, the last branch of the Conception Vessel – the Tiantu, Lianquan, and Chengjiang points – and the last branch of the Governing Vessel – the Shuigou, Duiduan, and Yinjiao points – were completed one after another.
A path finally bound as one.
‘As long as possible…!’
Cheol Ryu-heun focused his mind on stably maintaining the Conception and Governing Vessels he had created with vital energy.
This was the most important part.
How long he could endure – success or failure depended on that.
Until now, he had gradually increased the duration.
Yesterday, he had held out for nearly two ke (about 28 minutes).
If so, he resolved to maintain it well for over three ke (about 42 minutes) today.
Tingle, tingle.
Pain kept invading, but it was still a bearable level.
‘Yes, just a little more…’
Cheol Ryu-heun spent time maintaining the Conception and Governing Vessels created in his body without wavering.
Before he knew it, sweat droplets completely covered his face.
Finally, he endured the agonizing pain and exceeded the three ke mark.
Done.
He had achieved his goal.
He had surpassed a small limit in just one day.
Right at that moment.
‘Wait.’
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
The current tingling pain in his body was the result of splitting his vital energy as finely as if harming himself.
In other words, it was similar to the process of suffering internal injury.
So then… What if he grafted energy circulation healing here?
If he simultaneously operated the essence of healing internal injuries, wouldn’t the series of pains be alleviated?
What was there to hesitate about?
Just try anything.
Concentrating again, Cheol Ryu-heun separately operated the remaining vital energy according to the essence of energy circulation healing while maintaining the Conception and Governing Vessels.
This was something not just anyone could do.
Didn’t Cheol Ryu-heun’s intention mean the same as simultaneously performing energy circulation practice and energy circulation healing?
Destruction of common sense.
It was an insane thing to do.
Splitting one’s original vital energy to maintain it like energy meridians and pressure points wasn’t enough – channeling the remaining vital energy in a different flow was actually an impossible technique even for a supreme master who had mastered internal energy cultivation.
Among the martial world’s supreme mental cultivations, there existed something called the Two Hearts Divine Art, which split the mind and spirit to alternately use two different attributes of internal energy.
But Cheol Ryu-heun was trying to display a profound use belonging to an unknown realm that far transcended even that level.
Dividing vital energy dwelling in one body and having flows go differently?
Anyone who heard would point fingers and call him a madman.
However, Cheol Ryu-heun had already successfully taken the first step in creating virtual pressure points and energy meridians through a similar method.
If it were a martial artist made of blood and flesh, that alone would have caused severe internal injury and made them fall into qi deviation, but he was still fine.
Why?
Because he possessed a mysterious body that had never appeared in all of ancient and modern martial history, that none of the powerhouses had ever had.
That’s why a change of perspective was needed.
To unravel the secret of this body that had bewildered even himself as the Divine Martial Sword, and to develop further…
Twitch.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s jet-black eyebrows moved slightly.
It was working.
He could feel it.
Slowly, slowly, slowly.
The vital energy that had crept along following the essence of energy circulation healing began to wrap around the virtual Conception and Governing Vessels like soft silk.
After a while.
A smile formed on Cheol Ryu-heun’s face once more.
Heh.
It was a success.
The silk-like vital energy that had completely covered the Conception and Governing Vessels had rapidly diminished the tingling pain as if displaying the profound use of energy circulation healing.
Wow, this is working.
I didn’t live the past thousand years for nothing.
He felt good.
So this is what joy feels like.
Strike while the iron is hot, they say.
‘This time, the Primary Meridians.’
Since he had maintained the Conception and Governing Vessels and even reduced the pain, he intended to try creating the framework of the Twelve Primary Meridians connected to them.
Cheol Ryu-heun immediately separated some more vital energy.
In a brief instant.
Burn.
Hot pain arose fiercely as if flames were surging inside his body.
‘Urk!’
Since he had newly split his vital energy, it was a perfectly natural phenomenon.
It was fine.
He just needed to complete the Primary Meridian he had in mind, then calm the pain with vital energy operation according to the essence of energy circulation healing.
‘Push through.’
Cheol Ryu-heun moved the separately split vital energy without hesitation.
Starting from the pressure points of the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming, one of the Three Yang Meridians of the Hand.
The remaining Small Intestine Meridian of Hand Taiyang and Triple Burner Meridian of Hand Shaoyang were next.
Excessive ambition was absolutely forbidden.
Completing the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming as a test came first.
Shangyang, Erjian, Sanjian, Hegu… As the pressure points of the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming settled into place one by one, the fiery hot pain sharply increased.
Burning hot.
Time passed again.
Yangxi, Pianli, Wenliu… Quchi, Zhouliao, Shouwuli… Futu, Heliao, Yingxiang… Finally, the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming, one of the Three Yang Meridians of the Hand, was completed.
Currently, Cheol Ryu-heun’s clothes were completely soaked with sweat.
At that moment, his expression contorted.
‘Gah…!’
It was because an enormously great agony, incomparable to when he first created the Conception and Governing Vessels, had spread throughout his body.
Gritting his teeth and steadying his mind, he slowly moved the remaining vital energy according to the essence of energy circulation healing, just as he had done before.
This time was more difficult.
It required concentration beyond what he’d expected.
Considerable time passed from that point.
But the effort of enduring the terrible pain ultimately did not betray his will.
That’s right, he had achieved yet another success.
The fiery pain caused by the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming subsided rapidly to an almost imperceptible level.
‘This is it!’
Cheol Ryu-heun was certain.
If only he could completely calm the pain like internal injury using this method, he would eventually reach the goal he desired.
In an instant, extreme fatigue invaded his body.
It was time to stop.
Cheol Ryu-heun swiftly stored the Conception Vessel, Governing Vessel, and Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming back into his original vital energy.
When everything had dissolved and disappeared like powder.
Retch!
Cheol Ryu-heun lowered his head and coughed up a small amount of blood.
Due to pushing himself a bit too hard, he had actually suffered internal injury.
But he instead wore a smile.
‘Heh… Because of this mysterious body, life as a human is becoming more and more interesting.’
In a flash, one person’s figure rose in his mind.
The mysterious masterless ronin.
The one who had mercilessly destroyed him as the Divine Martial Sword half a year ago.
-They called it a divine sword unprecedented in history, but it’s nothing much.
Soon, Cheol Ryu-heun raised his head and smiled even more deeply.
‘I’ll return those words right back to you.’
Just then, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk sitting cross-legged over there simultaneously absorbed the white current resembling a white mountain peak and regulated their breathing.
“Haa…”
“Phew…”
After repeating inhalation and exhalation several times, the two soon gently lifted their eyelids.
But at that moment.
‘Gasp…!’
Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk flinched in surprise the moment they saw Cheol Ryu-heun standing not far away.
Wh-What?
Did something happen while we were doing energy circulation?
No… Why is he smiling creepily while bleeding? It’s scary to watch.