Chapter 190: Obtaining Red Spirit Grass
Chapter 189
Finding the elixirs was not difficult.
[Just a bit more from there.]
I only had to move in the direction instructed.
Whether it had received instructions from the Queen Mother of the West beforehand, the Azure Bird showed the approximate locations, and Master Heavenly Demon explained the detailed spots.
[Yes, right there.]
In a place out of people’s sight, the elixir revealed its form.
[That is the Red Spirit Grass.]
Only after clearing away the thick weeds that looked like common grass and digging through the soil did the red herb show itself.
It was a root-type herb.
I carefully harvested the herb.
Digging up the herb without damaging a single fine root was even trickier than finding it.
“Phew…….”
After wrestling with it for about half a shijin, I was able to obtain the Red Spirit Grass.
I put the Red Spirit Grass into the box prepared by Yi Hwa.
“I’ve gathered them all.”
Red Spirit Grass, Ever-Brilliant Cinnabar, Non-Descending Immortal Fruit, and Thousand-Year Fleeceflower Root.
Half a day was enough to gather elixirs that could shake the martial world with just one of them.
“Did you know beforehand?”
Old Man Jong asked suggestively with a very bewildered face.
I hesitated for a moment on how to answer, but I felt there was no need to speak in a roundabout, complicated way to those who were practically my people.
“The heavens taught me.”
“Oooooh!!”
The Heavenly Demon’s Personal Guards standing in attendance behind broke into exclamations.
It seemed they thought Master Heavenly Demon had designated the elixirs for me.
Well, it was not completely wrong. Because the one who guided the location to this point was indeed Master Heavenly Demon.
‘In truth, the one who designated the elixirs was the Queen Mother of the West, and Master Heavenly Demon whom they revere is just a low-ranking, minor immortal…’
The truth is cruel.
Since I had no intention of breaking the mood, I refrained from unnecessary words.
‘Thank you, Queen Mother of the West.’
I bowed my head toward the Azure Bird.
As if in response, the Azure Bird also spread its wings wide and bowed its head.
Once all the core ingredients were gathered, greed began to arise.
‘If only I could ride on its back…’
“Can you perhaps go outside of Tianshan?”
If I could fly in the sky riding on this fellow, it would not take very long to reach the main residence in Samyang County.
Then I would be able to return home immediately and manufacture the medicine.
With the manufactured medicine, I could free Sister Seol-ah from her pain.
*Ggureuk.*
However, contrary to my expectations, the Azure Bird shook its head.
“Is that so?”
Unfortunately, it seemed this fellow had no intention of going outside Tianshan.
I would only be able to make the medicine when I returned home after wrapping up the Demonic Cult’s affairs.
Around the time I was swallowing that regret.
“……Mmh?”
I felt a strong momentum approaching.
A short while later, an old man revealed himself.
He was a person in my memory.
The old man who had been next to Adept Cheon-won, the Sect Leader of the Kunlun Sect.
“It is Adept Cheon-gyeong. Please be careful.”
Having confirmed the old man’s face, Im A-hyeong gave a warning.
“Should I be careful?”
“He is an expert known to have a violent personality. The very fact that he approaches without hiding his momentum at a time like this is an action that cannot be taken lightly.”
Hearing Im A-hyeong’s explanation, it made sense.
The old man who had approached close by, Adept Cheon-gyeong, showed a fierce smile.
“There is no need for my introduction, it seems. Since the fellow next to you seems to have told you everything.”
“He did indeed. Though it was close to a warning.”
“Then he did it properly.”
“Sigh…….”
He did not hide his inner thoughts that he had not come with good intentions.
‘Should I call this pure, or should I call it reckless?’
Although someone who heard the title of Adept in the Kunlun Sect would be a considerable expert, the power around me was not ordinary either.
If he came to pick a fight against this force, it was correct that he was reckless.
Adept Cheon-gyeong, perhaps not considering his own recklessness, spoke as he pleased.
“Do you know what the worst thing to do at a gambling table is?”
“What is it?”
“Winning unilaterally and running away. How can you be so devoid of human touch?”
“I have never gambled with the Kunlun Sect, though.”
“But you slashed our prestige.”
Asking the Sect Leader of Kunlun about the Tao of Kunlun.
Discussing the Teachings of the Sword Immortal with the Kunlun Sect disciples.
Adept Cheon-gyeong seemed to have judged that these matters damaged the prestige of Kunlun.
“Step forward. I must see if you have the qualification to shout at the Great Kunlun.”
The opponent was an elder of the Nine Sects. Moreover, he was an expert who stood next to the Sect Leader.
“What a laughable provocation, Adept Cheon-gyeong. Consider the difference in years.”
Old Man Jong stood in front of me and glared.
“Vajra Iron Demonic Sovereign, step aside. This is not a place to question your qualifications.”
Just like Kunlun which had faced the Demonic Cult for a long time, he recognized Old Man Jong immediately.
Nevertheless, Adept Cheon-gyeong did not waver in the slightest.
“What if he must step forward?”
“Is a young Heavenly Demon not the Heavenly Demon?”
“…….”
“If you admit it, I will withdraw.”
As Adept Cheon-gyeong smirked, the wrinkle on Old Man Jong’s brow deepened.
From Old Man Jong’s position, it would be a dilemma.
Because if they backed down, it seemed I would find it hard to handle Adept Cheon-gyeong, and if they did not back down, it would damage the dignity of the Heavenly Demon by their own hands.
‘I see why he is doing this.’
Adept Cheon-gyeong said I slashed the prestige of the Kunlun Sect.
Therefore, his intention was to slash my status as the Heavenly Demon.
“How annoying.”
I was trying to give something to Kunlun somehow, but Kunlun was holding me back while thinking only of face and prestige.
To the point where I felt it would be better to throw everything away according to my thoughts.
Or, smash that old man.
“……Can I win?”
[You, against that child? Wake up from your dream. With your current level, it is out of the question. Even if it is Kunlun’s study that has lost its original uprightness, the accumulated effort piled up over a long time is not shallow.]
Considering the gap in years, it was a natural statement.
But I disliked just enduring it and letting it go.
[Well, it is not that there is absolutely no way, though.]
Seeing how Master Heavenly Demon’s words were unnecessarily long.
It seemed there was indeed something.
I believed in you!
“What is it?”
[Borrow the strength of the Azure Bird.]
For a moment, I did not understand Master Heavenly Demon’s words.
“……You want me to make it fight…… in my stead?”
[Foolish fellow! What did you take it for when I said it is an existence with half a foot in heaven!]
Master Heavenly Demon scolded me sharply.
[The Azure Bird has nested and lived in the thousand-year snow that does not melt for over a thousand years. Then, what do you think is the essence of the power this fellow has accumulated?]
It accumulated power and grew in the thousand-year snow.
It is an existence with one foot in heaven.
The power the Azure Bird accumulated.
“Ice… the Divine Power of Water…”
[Even if it is not to the extent of settling gently inside you like during the time of the Gold-furred Ape, you will be able to borrow enough power to form the Five Elements Divine Power for a brief moment.]
A way to fill the lacking power of years.
If I could form the Five Elements Divine Power and fully blossom the powers of mutual generation and overcoming, I could defeat Adept Cheon-gyeong.
“The Five Elements Divine Power…”
Divine power was the force that enabled me, with a shallow training period, to stand on equal footing with the experts of the martial world.
If it achieved complete balance, it would be enough to face Adept Cheon-gyeong.
“I need the Divine Power of Water.”
While Old Man Jong was confronting Adept Cheon-gyeong, I asked the Azure Bird for help.
“Will you lend me your strength?”
*Peeeeeeee!*
A cool and refreshing energy flowed in from the Azure Bird, which pressed its forehead against mine as if responding to my request.
*Twitch, twitch.*
Sang-hwa guided the refreshing power that flowed through the brow and harmonized it with the existing divine powers.
Because among the divine powers settled inside me, there were those friendly with the Divine Power of Water, but also those with bad relationships.
Like that, the Divine Power of Water that settled inside me moved according to the flow of mutual generation and overcoming.
‘*Inhale?!*’
I felt something expanding explosively inside my body.
It was a completely different flow from usual, so I almost failed to control it.
[How is it? A bit different, isn’t it?]
“Indeed… it is… so.”
It had definitely changed.
The divine powers until now were forces with strong individual personalities.
It should be said that they had rough edges, or rather, they were guys that made a big gap stand out when gathered into one.
There was always a part protruding somewhere, showing a strong tendency to move as they pleased.
Right now, it is different.
Following the subtleties of mutual generation and overcoming, the five divine powers created a smooth flow.
The flow of a neat circle established itself inside my body.
One wheel.
The Five Elements Divine Power, which lost its edges as they meshed with each other, no longer needed unnecessary distinctions.
‘If it is this, the story is different.’
Rather, my body grew itchy with the thought of wanting to test it.
Conveniently, even an opponent to test it on was readily prepared right before my eyes.
“Old Jong. Step back.”
“……Yes.”
At my command, Old Jong stepped aside.
A heart worrying about me could be glimpsed on his face, but he did not ignore my instructions.
“You want to see if I have the qualifications?”
“You are suddenly overflowing with confidence. Did you eat something strange?”
He recognized that my momentum was different from before.
However, that did not mean there was any sign of tension on Adept Cheon-gyeong’s face.
The difference in years was clear. The size of the accumulated internal energy and the depth of martial arts were bound to be different. It was a face thinking so.
‘It would feel ecstatic to plant a punch on that face.’
It was something that would happen soon.
Enduring the itchy feeling on my skin, I quietly pulled up my energy.
“I shall yield the first move.”
“Haha!”
Typical words an expert spoke to an underling.
Adept Cheon-gyeong, having been provoked, slowly drew his sword and swung it.
Although it was a sword strike extended as if in jest, the power contained in the sword was absolutely not light.
‘You want to play around?’
He intended to mock me if I suffered a setback while clumsily deflecting this sword.
Asking if I could not even block such a joke.
‘I will break it.’
A familiar martial art naturally welled up in my hand.
Master Bodhidharma’s Ultimate Extreme Strike!
The moment the energy of the Five Elements Divine Power was laden onto Master Bodhidharma’s martial art, I felt an immense flow being created and extending.
[Ah, and the martial arts you unfold from now on will be a bit different.]
‘*Inhale?!!*’
Since the flow of the smoothly refined divine powers grew rapidly in speed, stopping and controlling them was also difficult.
[Say what you want, the martial arts you learned are heavenly martial arts. They are simplified versions refined so you can move with little power. But the moment you achieve the Five Elements Divine Power, the story changes significantly. From now on, the characteristics of the martial arts themselves will be clearly revealed.]
*Kwaaaa!*
“Ugh!”
The moment the blindly hurled blow struck the sword strike extended in jest, Adept Cheon-gyeong’s body bent back greatly and was flung backward.
Though he barely managed to recover his balance somehow, avoiding the embarrassment of rolling on the ground, Adept Cheon-gyeong’s face was dyed in shock.
“W-What in the world is this……!”
Adept Cheon-gyeong gasped and looked alternately at his trembling hand and me, but I was just as surprised.
It was a power beyond imagination.
Is this what they call the characteristics of the martial art itself?
If so, what would Master Heavenly Demon’s martial arts unfolded with this power be like?
*Koong!!*
The power moving according to my will spread concentric circles of force centered around the spot where I stood.
The power of the Heavenly Demon’s Reign Stride struck the earth, raising a presence.
The power rising along with that presence.
“……The Heavenly Demon?!”
Behind my back, a lump of force taking some form revealed itself.