Chapter 20

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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**

Early the next morning, an Elders’ Council was convened in the Wudang Sect.

“This is the manual written by your disciple, Gangwon? Not you, but your disciple?”

In response to the question from the Wudang Sect’s Managing Elder, Immortal Hyeon-won, who was checking once again, Gangwon nodded.

“Yes, that is correct, Senior Brother Managing Elder.”

Immortal Hyeon-won closely examined the manual in his hand once again from the beginning. Then, he passed the finished manual to Seung-won, the Master of the Pavilion of Standards sitting next to him.

“Read it.”

Elder Seung-won tilted his head slightly and opened the manual.

As if Gangwon’s words were true, handwriting that was still immature entered his eyes.

‘With such handwriting, there is no need to even look at the content…’

Lifting a brush shared the same principles as lifting a sword.

Immaturity in handwriting could lead to immaturity in the practiced martial arts.

However, this time was a little different.

Passing through the ordinary early parts, when he read the cultivation power operation formula.

‘I should gouge out my eyeballs or something.’

Seung-won, who had thought there was no need to look further, knocked his own head and frantically devoured the manual.

“It is a divine art.”

Beside Seung-won, who put down the manual with a murmur, a hand reached out. If the word ‘divine art’ came out of the mouth of a Wudang Sect elder, and moreover, the Master of the Pavilion of Standards who corrected the sect’s discipline and decided on rewards and punishments, it was only natural to be curious.

“Just what is it like for you to make such a fuss…”

The owner of the outstretched hand was the Master of the South Rock Palace, Immortal Hae-won.

As the person in charge of the South Rock Palace where the True Martial Pavilion was located, he was well-versed in all of Wudang’s martial arts, while also being notorious for being fastidious. And above all, Immortal Hae-won was the disciple of Jin Heo-ja, who had created the Supreme Clarity Mind Art and the Primal Chaos One Qi Art.

Because of that, Hae-won read the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art manual slowly, page by page, with a gaze full of suspicion more than anyone else. This was despite the fact that someone at the level of a Wudang Sect elder could easily understand and absorb the content even if they read it quickly.

Having spent his youth in the Original Sage Library of the Mysterious Heaven Pavilion to complete the Primal Chaos One Qi Art, yet ultimately failing to complete his master’s insights, it was natural for Hae-won to find it difficult to predict that the Primal Chaos One Qi Art would be completed so easily.

Furthermore, he could not have predicted that it would be completed by the hands of a young disciple who had not even reached twenty years of age.

Thus, Hae-won burst into a hollow laugh as he closed the final page.

“Haha. What is this. Is this truly created by your disciple, Gangwon? No matter how many insights Master left behind, a child who has not even reached twenty created this?”

By now, it was admiration, not suspicion.

In addition to admiration, he looked hollow, and the corners of his eyes turned slightly red.

However, those tears were not unsightly.

Because the tears of emotion that only a person who had laid down a burden on their heart could shed would wear such a color.

“He was a child I had my eye on since he entered the True Martial Pavilion, but I did not know it would be to this extent.”

Hae-won, who sent a moved look to the Managing Elder, looked back at Immortal Gangwon this time and even clasped his hands in salute.

“Thank you for raising your disciple so well. I never dreamed that the day would come before I die when I would see Master’s insights completed. Thank you so much.”

At Immortal Hae-won’s salute, Immortal Gangwon waved his hands and spoke.

“There is nothing I have done. It is something my disciple achieved on his own. Please dispense with the excessive courtesy, Senior Brother.”

After the small commotion subsided.

The book began to circulate once more.

Immortal Bang-won, the Master of the Clear Spirit Palace who received the book from Immortal Hae-won, closely examined the dynamic art formula written by Yeon Baek-jung and nodded his head.

“Stimulating acupoints through muscles? Although this is a utilization of acupoints that deviates from the common sense of static cultivation, it is theoretically perfect. As long as external cultivation training supports it, there will be no side effects from the practice.”

At the confirmation of the Master of the Clear Spirit Palace, the highest authority in the field of Taoist studies, the rest of the elders also reached out quickly without exception to devour Yeon Baek-jung’s Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art manual.

Admiration was the primary response.

“Is it true that this child is the same one who was practicing Tai Chi Chuan among the formal disciples until just a while ago? I simply cannot believe it.”

“Yeon Baek-jung. Even if his constitution and bones made him a martial genius rarely seen in the world, I did not know his comprehension was this outstanding.”

“Practicing it itself would be difficult if one’s qi sensitivity does not support it, but since it is only transmitted to the worthy, its value as a divine art is even higher.”

“Truly excellent! Excellent indeed!”

The Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art manual, whose value was recognized after passing through the hands of all the elders in that manner, returned once again to the hands of Hyeon-won, the Wudang Sect’s Managing Elder.

Hyeon-won turned to Immortal Mang-won, the Chief of the Mysterious Heaven Pavilion, and spoke.

“Where do you think this manual should be placed, Senior Brother?”

Immortal Mang-won, the oldest among the Won generation, answered without a single moment of hesitation.

“Where else would it be placed? It must be placed on the divine arts bookshelf of the Immortal Memorial Repository in the Mysterious Heaven Pavilion.”

The books placed on the divine arts bookshelf of the Immortal Memorial Repository of the Mysterious Heaven Pavilion were not very many. The Wudang Supreme Clarity Mind Art, the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition which was the Wudang Sect’s foremost upper dantian cultivation, the Pure Yang Limitless Art which was the true personal secret technique of Zhang Sanfeng, and the Two Polarities Creation Art which was said to be the Wudang Sect’s greatest divine art. Indeed, the bookshelf of the Immortal Memorial Repository was a place where only internal cultivation manuals recognized as divine arts could be placed.

“Is that not so?”

“It is so.”

Receiving the Chief of the Mysterious Heaven Pavilion’s confirmation once more, Managing Elder Hyeon-won smiled warmly and turned to the Master of the Pavilion of Standards.

“Then what would be good to bestow as a reward upon the disciple who completed such a divine art?”

**

Just because someone created a divine art did not mean the creator could immediately master that cultivation to its ultimate limit.

This was because cultivation and manuals were merely maps for climbing a high peak shrouded in a maze. Of course, just possessing such a map was great, but in the end, it only had meaning when one actually took steps forward.

Before reaching the summit, it was impossible to know what other difficulties lay ahead.

In that sense, as written in the first part of the Primal Chaos One Qi Art manual, my current state was at the very end of the Resonance Stage, the third stage of internal alchemy, which was divided into various realms.

If this were translated into the realm of the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art?

‘About the sixth level.’

In other words, my current self was at a stage where I could move and communicate with external qi based on the true qi within my body. And the next was—

‘The Elixir Condensation Stage!’

I would have to solidify the cultivation power accumulated in the well of the Qi Ocean acupoint in my lower dantian like a single elixir pill to move on to the next stage.

‘It means I must induce a phase transition.’

In physics as well, phase transition was one of the very important concepts. This was because the properties a substance possessed changed in countless ways depending on its state.

Just as flowing water lost heat to become ice, and met hot fire to become steam, exhibiting completely different characteristics and properties, qi was the same.

When it was in the state of natural qi of heaven and earth, it flowed like a gas, and after entering the body and turning into internal energy, it flowed like a liquid.

And the Elixir Condensation Stage was said to be the stage where one accumulated and refined such thin cultivation power until it acquired a pure and thick nature, and then met enlightenment to form a solid-like inner core.

It was also said that numerous internal energy practitioners usually failed to reach the Elixir Condensation Stage and stagnated after tasting the frustration of their talent.

Because of that, it was safe to say that the true beginning of internal alchemy started from the Elixir Condensation Stage.

That meant a dramatic change like a physical phase transition was needed.

If so, what should I do to enter the beginning of the Elixir Condensation Stage?

Also, what kind of changes would I experience upon entering the Elixir Condensation Stage?

I was curious.

As anticipation and excitement were sown in my heart, the sprout of my will grew slightly thicker, and I vigorously began practicing the dynamic art of the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art once more.

It was fun.

Along with the enjoyment, my past self came to mind anew.

Myself, who used to reluctantly come out to the training ground and practice like a pig being dragged to the slaughterhouse, felt as distant as a past life.

‘Not much time has passed in terms of actual time, though?’

At most, about a month had passed.

Come to think of it, back then, my internal energy was also terrible. Since it was at most the level of the beginning of the Body Cultivation Stage, where one cleansed the body through cultivation power.

Handling and digesting the Lesser Cleansing Pill, and receiving the transfer of cultivation power from Great Grandmaster Sword Immortal were major factors. On top of that, I had now created a new divine art cultivation.

‘I will be able to climb faster, right?’

In the midst of such thoughts, a cane came down on the back of my hand with a sharp smack.

“Ah. Why do you strike me after suddenly disappearing in the morning and only showing up now?”

At my question, my master looked at me with a pitiful gaze and spoke.

“Who would believe that this rascal created such a divine art.”

Toward my master who clicked his tongue, I protested.

“Is it right to discourage a disciple who has been practicing hard since morning like this?”

“Am I not saying this because you are not properly performing the movements of the internal dynamic art you created yourself?”

At my master’s words, I looked at my outstretched arm and flinched.

‘It came down half an inch too low!’

The Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art was a delicate internal mind method.

As such, it had to be learned through precise movements to achieve the best efficiency, yet I was lowering my right arm by about half an inch from the movement I had conceived.

“How can you focus on training when your head is full of stray thoughts? Tsk, tsk.”

“…You are right. Your disciple has learned another lesson.”

“Indeed. Then try to do it properly now. So that I can watch you and learn as well.”

With that, he sat heavily on a rock on one side of the Purple Yang Hermitage’s yard. Receiving my master’s gaze, I swept away all stray thoughts like ambition, excitement, and anticipation.

Only then did the sensitivity of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition fully come alive, and the flow of true qi gradually revealed itself clearly.

“Huu.”

After exhaling a long breath, I slowly inhaled.

Cool air and true qi filled my lungs, and headed back toward the well of the Qi Ocean acupoint through the fine meridians connected to my lungs.

Instantly, I began to move according to the dynamic art formula of the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art.

‘Work is originally qi, qi is originally void, vortices are like micro-qi, vortex qi is like a flow field…’

While slowly reciting the formula in my mind, I read the vortex of cultivation power spinning around my body and the flow of natural qi formed by it.

‘Differentiation, integration.’

I finely divided the ever-changing flow of natural qi, converted it into numbers, and accumulated those numbers to predict the future.

I moved my body according to the prediction, and along with the movement, true qi formed a force field around my body.

Accordingly, the true qi racing through my body split into two streams: pure energy and turbid, impure energy.

“Huu.”

The moment the natural qi was pushed away along with the movements, I exhaled the turbid qi, and when the dense true qi of Wudang Mountain rushed in like a wave, I inhaled.

As the cultivation power flowing through my body formed a smooth flow and accumulated cleanly and clearly in my lower dantian, my eyes and ears became clear, and my body grew light. My lower abdomen felt solid, and fatigue disappeared.

It was thanks to the discharge of turbid qi and the accumulation of vital energy occurring simultaneously.

In that manner, I completed my training by pressing the true qi down below my lower dantian along with the final movement of the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art.

“Huu.”

Having lightly caught my breath, I turned back to my master.

“Shall I look over your form?”

“You rascal?”

My master’s figure blurred, and I also executed the Flowing Cloud Movement Skill to slide my body. While learning my master’s Eighteen Clothes-Dampening Falls movements that were closing in along the grain of the air with my eyes, I twisted my body to dodge them and exploded my cultivation power through my Gushing Spring acupoint.

Thud.

My master was looking up at me as I landed soundlessly on a pine tree of the Purple Yang Hermitage. Although he could easily follow me, my master just stared at me with a strange look.

Just as I was about to provoke my master once again out of brief wonder—

“Tsk. I was intending to put the Supreme Clarity Pill personally bestowed by the Managing Elder into your mouth, but…”

Following my master’s words, my gaze directed toward his right hand. A small pill emitting a clear color and fragrance was held there.

It was an elixir pill whose density of true qi felt incomparable to the Lesser Cleansing Pill I had taken before.

“Since my disciple declines out of consideration for his master’s body, it would not be right for me not to eat it either.”

Then, was not my master’s right hand heading toward his own mouth?

‘?!’

In that instant, I put all my strength into falling toward my master through the Cloud-Climbing Step’s Body Stepping Classic, and stretched my hand toward his right arm, following the movements of the Eighteen Clothes-Dampening Falls that my master had performed just earlier.

‘Grab the Crooked Pond acupoint of the elbow, and strike the Yang Valley acupoint of the wrist.’

However, there was something I had overlooked.

It was that my master’s left hand was free.

Whack!

I had no choice but to yield my Hundred Convergences acupoint to a fiercely descending blow from his knocking fist.

With stars floating before my eyes, my master’s stern scolding reached me.

“I have told you time and again that a true martial artist must use their head rather than their body, so how can you navigate this harsh Jianghu when you cannot even see through a shallow trick like deceiving the heavens to cross the sea?”

He was a disciple who still had much to learn.