Chapter 45 – A Clue

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 45 – A Clue

Around the time noon approached.

Cheol Ryu-heun was performing energy circulation meditation while comfortably leaning back in the chair of his office in Mountain Patriarch Hall.

It was a posture that no outside observer could possibly understand.

What martial artist in the world performs energy circulation meditation while sitting however they please as if taking a rest?

The meditation practices accompanying internal energy cultivation typically required sitting cross-legged, believing that proper posture begets proper spirit.

Orthodox methods, unorthodox methods, and even demonic methods all fundamentally use the cross-legged position for energy circulation meditation – yet this was the complete opposite.

But.

Cheol Ryu-heun was able to do it.

This level of energy circulation meditation that defied common sense.

The reason was simple.

It was due to his body's strange attribute that transcended the framework of existing martial studies – specifically, the influence of his entire body, from crown to toe, transforming to become like one large dantian.

Currently, Cheol Ryu-heun was researching a clever plan to further strengthen this body that was unprecedented in martial world history.

It was the natural order.

It was a task that had to be done regardless of his desire for martial achievement.

The ultimate goal.

Revenge.

That's right – to achieve that.

This body that even the past Heavenly Demon, Sword Emperor, Evil Emperor, Martial Immortal, and Blood God had never possessed would clearly play a core role in finding and getting revenge on the mysterious wanderer.

In truth, any ordinary martial artist would be more than satisfied with just this level of achievement.

But not Cheol Ryu-heun.

From the very beginning, his martial aspirations were positioned at a supreme place like that distant sky.

To definitively subdue the wanderer, he had to somehow shorten the time required for the martial advancement process.

That was the one and only path to increasing the probability of successful revenge.

Researching clever plans to develop the body meant finding countermeasures to break through limits.

The problem of seeing no change in his internal energy level when he had chewed and swallowed the Great Restoration Pill before… The current energy circulation meditation was the expression of his determination to find a method to tear down that invisible wall.

Finally.

"Hmm."

Having let out a quiet sound, Cheol Ryu-heun remained leaning back and raised both hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers.

A failure.

How many times was this now?

He had been doing energy circulation meditation continuously since morning without rest.

Seeking to discover a clue that would break through the invisible obstacle blocking the advancement stage.

He had tried harmoniously grafting other elevated mental cultivation essences onto the White Peak Great Heart Method's framework.

It was an appropriate attempt.

Yet applying new formulas wasn't as easy as he thought.

'Even for me, difficult is difficult.'

It was literally truly difficult.

It was essentially the same as creating something from nothing.

Because this strange body where the three dantians had vanished belonged to an unprecedented realm.

He was resolved.

That repeated failure is often an essential element in gaining great enlightenment.

'Something from nothing, something from nothing…'

After briefly closing his eyes and repeating this internally, he suddenly sprang to his feet.

'Wait!'

A peculiar light circling in his pupils.

Something seemed to have flashed through his mind just now.

'Right, if I create what doesn't exist inside the body…'

Until now, he had only been testing various changes to the method of channeling true energy, the core of internal cultivation.

Because all the acupoints inside his body had completely vanished.

But.

What if he used the energy within his body to create the nonexistent channels and meridians one by one?

Virtual Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Primary Channels, that is.

By extremely finely controlling true energy to complete a picture made of dots and lines, he thought he might be able to find some answer.

A premonition that a path might become visible.

Whatever, let's try it.

No sooner had Cheol Ryu-heun made up his mind than he gently closed his eyes while standing upright.

From now on, he would become a painter with a fine brush in hand.

Squirm, squirm.

The movement of energy within his body.

Having fallen into meditation, he soon separated a portion of true energy and concentrated it toward his abdomen.

A small lump settled in the place where the lower dantian had originally been.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

Having steadied his breathing, Cheol Ryu-heun began splitting that small lump of partial true energy into thin strands.

Tingling.

'Oof!'

Pain assaulted him.

It couldn't be helped.

This was like the process of suffering internal injury – in other words, an act no different from self-harm.

Of course, it wasn't unbearably painful.

'Starting with the Conception and Governing vessels.'

Cheol Ryu-heun quietly visualized the energy paths and acupoints of the Conception and Governing vessels.

His body responded in turn.

Two strands separated from the small lump went to the original location of the Huiyin acupoint and Changqiang acupoint and pressed down as if making dots.

A strange sensation arose in the groin area and near the tailbone.

Huiyin and Changqiang were respectively the first acupoints of the Conception and Governing vessels.

In an instant, the two bits of true energy converted to dots wavered slightly.

'It's tricky.'

Cheol Ryu-heun concentrated even more on channeling internal energy and carefully controlled that wavering.

The Conception Vessel governed the body's yin meridians, while the Governing Vessel governed the body's yang meridians.

Both were meridians that could be called the central axis of internal energy cultivation.

Therefore, Cheol Ryu-heun intended to start by creating the virtual Conception and Governing vessels as a starting point.

The energy paths of the Conception and Governing vessels connected along the front and back of the body, with many acupoints in between.

This was just the beginning.

Lines moving again.

A thin strand that had risen from the Huiyin acupoint pressed down at the Qugu acupoint location as if making a dot.

Simultaneously, the true energy from the Changqiang acupoint also drew out a minute thread heading toward the Yaoyu acupoint location.

A short while later.

Acupoints within the Conception Vessel – Huiyin, Qugu, Zhongji, Guanyuan, Shimen, Qihai, and others – formed part of the energy path like a stem extending straight.

Acupoints within the Governing Vessel – Changqiang, Yaoyu, Yaoyanguan, Mingmen, Xuanshu, and others – were also in a state connected by dots and lines.

So far, successful.

But the tingling pain didn't stop.

Trickle, trickle.

Already, sweat was flowing.

His forehead, neck, armpits, and more were getting damp.

The pain was intensifying faster than expected, making him suffer.

Still, there was no giving up.

'It's too early!'

It was a moment requiring high concentration proportional to the increased pain.

The Conception Vessel stem crawled upward again.

Shenque, Shuifen, Xiawan, Jianli… Shangwan, Juque, Jiuwei, Zhongting… Huagai, Xuanji, Tiantu, Lianquan, and finally Chengjiang.

The same for the Governing Vessel stem.

Yamen, Fengfu, Naohu… Baihui, Qianding, Xinhui, Shangxing… Shuigou, Duiduan, Yinjiao – all were bound together to form a path.

'Done!'

Cheol Ryu-heun steadied his mind again and tried to maintain that state for as long as possible.

Just then.

'Urgh!'

He let out a short groan internally and stopped channeling true energy.

It seemed that if he endured the pain spreading throughout his body any longer, he wouldn't be able to avoid the shock of internal injury.

The energy paths of the Conception and Governing vessels he had worked hard to create dissolved and disappeared like powder.

Sssss, sssss…

But.

A faint smile formed.

At the corner of Cheol Ryu-heun's lips.

Meaning that whole exercise was by no means a failure.

'This is it!'

He hadn't expected it to work.

Separating true energy finely to create virtual energy channels.

He had finally found a clue.

He would need more time for refinement and verification to have certainty, but he thought that if he followed this method, he could reach the result he wanted.

Having caught his breath, he murmured with a smile.

"This is truly interesting."

He looked forward to what would come next.

The moment when he could stably create the Extraordinary Meridians including the Conception and Governing vessels, as well as the Twelve Primary Channels like the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, Large Intestine Meridian of Hand-Yangming, and Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin.

'When that time comes, if I take elixirs and see their effects, opening the floodgates to martial advancement, I'll be fully capable of achieving a second Bone Replacement and Marrow Cleansing!'

Suddenly.

Gurgle, grumble-

His stomach sang a song.

Just then, someone appeared outside the door and spoke.

"Sect Master, this is Tae Sa-ja. It's lunchtime."

Cheol Ryu-heun straightened his collar and threw open the office door.

"How annoying."

"Pardon?"

When Tae Sa-ja made a puzzled expression, Cheol Ryu-heun took a step and spoke indifferently.

"The human body, I mean. Dutifully eating, excreting, sleeping – it's such a hassle. It used to be so convenient."

"Ah, yes… That's true. Before, you were in a vegetative state lying down all day… In a certain sense, one could say it was convenient…"

"You're a genius. Interpreting it that way."

Cheol Ryu-heun's blasé voice.

Tae Sa-ja, who had no way of knowing the hidden circumstances, followed behind muttering internally.

'What, it sounds like a compliment… but it feels oddly unpleasant.'

Anyway, shouldn't a former bandit be satisfied with hearing the word 'genius' once?

* * *

Vicious Poison Snake Sword Geum Ja-jeom held an emergency meeting immediately upon returning to the Thousand Snake Gang, gathering everyone.

The agenda was one thing only: the elevation of a new Gang Leader.

Naturally, the only candidate was Vice Gang Leader Geum Ja-jeom.

Standing at the podium, he put forth the justification that since White Snake Head Sword Gul Ma-hun was dead, they had to quickly elect a new Leader to minimize chaos.

In the end, that motion was passed rapidly without any dissent, led by the executives including Du Cheong, who had become the new second-in-command.

Having finished the succession work in an instant, Geum Ja-jeom prepared Gul Ma-hun's funeral without further delay.

"We will hold the previous Leader's funeral quietly among ourselves without notifying outsiders. Understood?"

The first command of the new Gang Leader Geum Ja-jeom.

Since the executives had already pledged their loyalty, the subordinates could only obediently comply.

Well, the living are scarier than the dead, after all.

Since Gul Ma-hun hadn't enjoyed particularly deep respect while alive anyway, the preparation process went smoothly.

Thus, the funeral that ended sloppily in just one shichen.

Geum Ja-jeom roughly settled the mood in the venue and then arranged a separate gathering for the executives.

The upper-tier swordsmen of the Thousand Snake Gang sat around a table.

Du Cheong, seated closest to Geum Ja-jeom, offered flattering words.

"Gang Leader, my sincere congratulations. Please lead our Gang well. I will help with all my strength."

At that, the remaining swordsmen also murmured transparently sycophantic phrases while bowing their heads.

Geum Ja-jeom smiled back as if pleased and got to the main point.

"We'll toast later – let's deal with urgent matters first. First, since we need to prepare half of the reparation to give White Peak Sword Sect, I'm thinking of liquidating ten large establishments including the Red Sound Pavilion at once. After that, I'll meet Cheol Ryu-heun and get the White Fang back."

"Yes, Gang Leader."

The moment Du Cheong answered on behalf of everyone, Geum Ja-jeom placed a book on the table and smiled meaningfully.

"Heh, after that, we'll use this to build an alliance. To completely sweep away White Peak Sword Sect."

Everyone knew well what it was.

The Ghost Shadow Sword Technique.

It was the true teachings of Heaven's Death Sword Ghost Eum Ryun – the murderous swordsmanship ghost who had made a great name as an ultra-first-rate unorthodox powerhouse in Hunan Province over ten years ago.

Du Cheong looked at the book and asked quietly.

"Gang Leader, is there an alliance power you have in mind as a priority?"

"The Dark Hall."

The Dark Hall was an unorthodox power mighty enough to be counted among the top ten in all of Hunan.

Du Cheong's eyes sparkled as he nodded.

"Oh… Excellent. If the Dark Hall joins first, it couldn't be better."

"As you know, the Dark Hall Master's martial power is at a level rivaling the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan. From rumors floating around, he's apparently been immersed in creating new techniques lately. Then wouldn't this Ghost Shadow Sword Technique make a very good bait?"

No sooner had Geum Ja-jeom finished speaking than Du Cheong chimed in.

"That's right. The Dark Hall Master's unique martial arts are similar in style to the late Heaven's Death Sword Ghost, so it should sufficiently whet his appetite."

"The moment we successfully bring in the Dark Hall… White Peak Sword Sect will face a fate like a lamp flickering before the wind."