Chapter 328: Legitimacy (5)

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Cheong-hwa rushed over immediately, seemingly sensing the gravity of the situation from me. As I lay prostrate on the ground, he tried to place a hand on my back. He intended to guide my true qi.

“Don’t do it!”

When I shouted, Cheong-hwa paused.

Unintentionally, informal speech had come out. To be precise, formal speech failed to come out in time.

When a martial artist was undergoing qi deviation, attempting to guide their true qi was an extremely dangerous act.

Because it was identical to diving into the water to save someone while they were being swept away by tidal waves. If my internal energy were meager as before, it might be one thing, but with internal energy of this level of purity and quantity running rampant, guiding true qi was far too dangerous even for Cheong-hwa.

“Just what in the world happened? How should I help you?”

Cheong-hwa asked urgently. For now, I spread my palm to calm Cheong-hwa down.

“Stay still.”

I couldn’t even manage to say the words ‘please stay still.’ Enduring the intense pain, I placed my feet over both thighs. While methods of regulating qi included moving cultivation and reclining cultivation, nothing was as stable as sitting cultivation after all.

I closed my eyes. Right now, the only energy running rampant was demonic qi. Fortunately, Primordial Mixed Qi and spiritual qi were not reacting to it. Since they were energies that had been steadily harmonized inside my body, adverse reactions between internal energies did not erupt.

“Phew.”

I began with a slow, deep breath. Although my breathing trembled from the intense pain, I remained as calm as possible.

In complete balance, demonic qi had erupted in rebellion. Clearly, the martial arts of advanced orthodox sects stood at opposite extremes with demonic arts.

The Taiji Wisdom Sword was a martial art at the very zenith even among such Wudang martial arts. Moreover, having been unleashed by Cheong-hwa, who would later ascend to the Eight Exalts, it was perhaps only natural that the demonic qi inside me could not endure it.

Snap, snap. The sound of taut strings snapping rang out continuously. It was the sound of blood vessels expanding to their limit and tearing. The current pain was coming from the tearing of my meridians.

Although I had forged my physical body through external arts, one could not forge blood vessels and meridians. I had no choice but to fully take on the intense pain I hadn’t faced in a long time.

“……Haa.”

I heard Cheong-hwa’s sigh. Though he was restraining himself as much as possible, Cheong-hwa seemed thoroughly distressed at being unable to help me.

Even so, suddenly dispelling the domain created by the Taiji Wisdom Sword here was also out of the question. The demonic qi in my body was flaring its edges and resisting in rebellion against the balanced natural energy outside.

Yet in such a situation, if the natural energy were abolished all at once, the demonic qi that had flared up would lose its direction and head straight back toward my dantian. If internal energy of this scale entered the dantian all at once, the dantian, compared to a vessel, could shatter.

I exhaled internal energy as much as possible into my breath. It felt like scooping out water with a gourd while a dam had burst, but I had to do at least this. Beads of sweat formed along the edge of my forehead.

“Cough.”

A cough escaped me involuntarily. A warm, thick liquid splattered over my thighs. Seeing that it smelled fishy, it was blood.

Naturally, one shouldn’t even open one’s mouth while energy was running rampant. But because the pain was so severe, I had opened it for a moment.

My head spun at full speed. What had gone wrong? I, too, was now a martial artist with knowledge of martial arts and internal energy.

Right now, the outside was composed of the Five Elements densely and perfectly. Because demonic qi was a method obtained by circulating that natural energy in reverse, it was clashing.

However, according to my realization, spiritual qi and demonic qi were not black and white drawn by a clear line. Nor were they a hierarchical relationship. They were merely the left and right opposite ends of a single rod. Meaning neither was right or wrong.

Furthermore, both demonic qi and spiritual qi ultimately performed the act of defying Heaven when reaching extremes. Because a human assimilating with nature was not following Heaven, but defying Heaven. In the end, reaching the extreme meant they converged.

If so, was the reason I was experiencing resistance right now that the demonic qi inside me was somewhat impure?

Until now, I had been continuously making efforts to dilute demonic qi with the Primordial Mixed Qi and spiritual qi in my dantian. But what if that method was the wrong one?

“……”

Gathering the rampaging energy together, I began to draw it inward. Instead of expelling the energy outside, I initiated internal circulation.

I did not know what would happen. I was merely moving according to my enlightenment.

* * *

‘Haa.’

What had happened so suddenly? With worried eyes, Cheong-hwa looked at Muk Hui-yeong, who was vomiting blood.

At first, he had merely been a child kept as a disciple because of his splendid talent. But now it was different. Even if Muk Hui-yeong was in the strange position of a registered lay disciple, no one raised objections to the fact that he was family of the Wudang Sect. That was how much Muk Hui-yeong had dedicated himself for Wudang, possessing the righteousness and spirit of the orthodox factions.

‘What do you intend to do?’

Cheong-hwa knew better than anyone that what was currently emerging from Muk Hui-yeong’s body was demonic qi.

Because Cheong-hwa was also someone who had fought against remnants of the Demonic Cult. It wasn’t even crude demonic qi, but considerably refined demonic qi. It was the first time he had seen demonic qi that pure.

If Muk Hui-yeong had possessed that from before, his sudden onset of qi deviation was understandable.

The Taiji Wisdom Sword was a complete domain. It was also a martial art known to be mutually incompatible with the Demonic Cult, alongside Shaolin Temple’s Vajra Immovable Divine Art.

However, when using the Taiji Wisdom Sword against other cultists, such a violent reaction had never occurred. They possessed impure energy and harbored unrefined demonic qi in their haste to amass quantity.

Just what in the world was Muk Hui-yeong to possess such refined demonic qi? That demonic qi was not something obtained through a day or two of practice.

Yet Cheong-hwa was worried about Muk Hui-yeong instead. He did not even suspect that Muk Hui-yeong was a spy for the Demonic Cult. He must possess demonic qi due to some circumstance. That was what he thought.

Cheong-hwa remembered the incident in the Guiyou year. Just before the orthodox martial artists were all killed by the Great Toad of the Eastern Sea, Muk Hui-yeong had sacrificed himself to save many people. There was no way a demonic practitioner would do that.

He saw breath moving in and out. Demonic qi was heavily contained in his breath. He was expelling the rampaging demonic qi.

Qi deviation was the most guarded emergency for a martial artist. Naturally, one had to know the standard code of conduct.

First, qi deviation arose from the rampage of energy and the immune system’s adverse reaction. If so, one had to first expel all the rampaging energy.

Next was severing connection with external energy. Breathing ultimately meant inhaling natural energy. Drawing in other energy while suffering from qi deviation was no different from adding firewood to a fire.

Right now, Muk Hui-yeong was doing sufficiently well according to the code, severing connection with external energy and expelling demonic qi through his breath.

However, Muk Hui-yeong’s condition seemed to worsen instead. His skin, including his face, turned dark and bruised, and his blood vessels stood out before bursting, spraying blood.

Cheong-hwa knew as well. In this situation, guiding true qi would not only endanger himself, but would also hinder Muk Hui-yeong, who was coping well. For now, he had no choice but to simply trust Muk Hui-yeong.

“……!”

Just then, Muk Hui-yeong began to take bizarre action. Suddenly halting the severance with the outside, he began to absorb energy on the contrary.

‘He shouldn’t do that?’

He had never even thought of such a method. No, rather than having never thought of it, it was simply an absurd method.

Because he was acting in exact opposition to the standard procedure.

Demonic qi was a startling method of absorbing natural energy and circulating it in reverse. With energy of opposing nature densely packed, qi deviation was only natural.

Cheong-hwa wanted Muk Hui-yeong to somehow expel all the demonic qi. While damaging the dantian would be unavoidable, giving up quickly would be important.

Since he was a martial artist, giving up energy would bring a severe sense of loss, but casting it away was the only way to save his life. If bitten on the arm by a venomous snake, one had to sever the arm. Otherwise, the venom in the arm would spread throughout the entire body—it was the same principle.

Yet right now, Muk Hui-yeong seemed to be absorbing energy and circulating demonic qi on the contrary. It was an act of making demonic qi even purer.

That meant it was no different from taking steps westward when one needed to head east.

‘What in the world are you doing!’

Cheong-hwa shouted in horror internally.

If he truly shouted out loud here, it would disrupt Muk Hui-yeong’s cultivation, so he could not actually make a sound.

A whirlwind began to swirl around the spot where Muk Hui-yeong sat. Right now, Muk Hui-yeong was displaying a considerably sophisticated method of internal energy manipulation.

While pulling the rampaging internal energy inward, he circulated natural energy in reverse to integrate it into demonic qi. To Cheong-hwa’s eyes, there was no reason to take such action unless he was determined to die.

However, Cheong-hwa watched. The disciple named Muk Hui-yeong was a child who was not merely bright, but had an extraordinary side. Even if no one understood his actions at the time, they understood later on. That meant he was seeing moves further ahead than ordinary people.

Since Cheong-hwa had also always admired Muk Hui-yeong’s discernment and vision, he had no choice but to wait this time as well.

Above the head of Muk Hui-yeong, who had his eyes closed, a circular halo faintly rose. That halo soon vanished, and flowers bloomed one by one, finally blossoming into three flowers.

‘Three Flowers Gatherings at The Crown……!’

Cheong-hwa had stood guard for many people, but actually witnessing the Three Flowers Gatherings at The Crown was only his second time, alongside Cheong-ui.

A phenomenon that arose when the realm of enlightenment was supreme. Muk Hui-yeong was leaping over yet another realm right now. Of course, since the crisis had not fully passed, he would have to conclude this situation well.

Unwittingly clasping his sweaty hands before him, Cheong-hwa looked at Muk Hui-yeong. Muk Hui-yeong seemed to be continuously absorbing and refining energy. Accordingly, the shapes of the flowers became even clearer.

However, Muk Hui-yeong’s Three Flowers Gatherings at The Crown was a bit different from what Cheong-hwa knew.

The Three Flowers Gatherings at The Crown Cheong-hwa had seen from Cheong-ui was a clear blue, but right now, it was closer to a somber gray or black.

And before long, he saw Muk Hui-yeong’s swollen blood vessels subside. Without knowing the details, Muk Hui-yeong’s method seemed to have succeeded.

His dark, bruised skin had also returned to a healthy complexion with a pale pink flush before he knew it.

“Phew.”

Soon, a sigh escaped Muk Hui-yeong’s mouth. No energy whatsoever was mixed in that sigh.

It meant his cultivation had ended. The moment Muk Hui-yeong opened his eyes, he was startled out of his wits.

“Whoa, what a shock!”

The surroundings were enough to startle Muk Hui-yeong upon opening his eyes. Because blood vessels across Muk Hui-yeong’s entire body had burst, splattering blood everywhere.

The space was so desolate that anyone looking at it would mistake it for a gruesome murder scene.

Yet surprisingly, there was no trace of a wound on Muk Hui-yeong’s body. The energy Muk Hui-yeong had forged had healed it immediately.

Cheong-hwa realized that Muk Hui-yeong had lightly scaled yet another massive wall.

Judging by the demonic qi he had emitted just now, it seemed like it would be a fairly even match even against himself.

Cheong-hwa retracted the Taiji Wisdom Sword. Fortunately, the back of the Hall of Exhausting the Way was tidy.

Muk Hui-yeong looked at Cheong-hwa with tense eyes. It was the first time that slick disciple had made such an expression.

“Disciple.”

Cheong-hwa said in a low voice.

“While I am glad you wisely handled the crisis, I must ask nonetheless.”

“I understand.”

“Are you a demonic practitioner?”

“……Shall we go inside and talk?”

Muk Hui-yeong scratched the back of his head. It seemed it would be a long story.