“In the end, the Martial Alliance Leader really handed over the Eternal Extreme Blood Elixir.”
The place I visited after receiving the Elixir was Shin Ui’s home. A small room filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs and the smell of decoctions.
Inside, Shin Ui was taking care of sick patients, while observing me closely.
“In the end, you handed it over, did you? Did you foresee this, Shin Ui?”
“Of course. In this Central Plains, who doesn’t know that you’re the Nine Pulse Meridians? Even the kids in the marketplace insult you, calling you Bing Yeon instead of anything else.”
Shin Ui spoke to me with disbelief. So, does that mean the Martial Alliance Leader intended to give me the prize of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering from the start?
“Where are those kids now? The audacity to insult my precious master deserves death…”
In this place, aside from me, Bi Wol, Verdandi, and Azazel were all present. The only Elixir that could save my life was in my hands right now.
“Stop it, this isn’t something you can solve just by stepping up.”
I stopped Bi Wol, who looked overly emotional. It’s common to be ridiculed in this realm of martial arts. There have been instances where even beggars called someone the ‘Open Rang Master.’
“Besides, the Eternal Extreme Blood Elixir is said to burn you to death due to its Yang energy if taken indiscriminately. The Martial Alliance Leader must have found it quite troublesome.”
The legendary healer, known as Shin Ui, who is said to revive the dead, sighed and continued.
“It’s the only Elixir that can treat the Nine Pulse Meridians, but it’s also a legendary item that’s said to enable transformation, so if it falls into the wrong hands, it’s dangerous.”
ZAP!
Transformation.
When a high-level master reaches a high state of enlightenment, their body transforms into one suitable for learning martial arts, as depicted in martial arts novels, where an old man rejuvenates or attains a level of indestructibility akin to diamond.
“But to achieve transformation, don’t you need to open the Ren and Du meridians and the Gate of Life and Death?”
I had established that in King of Diamond Fist, the Ren, Du, and the Gate of Life and Death must be open for transformation to occur.
Originally, I wanted to use this detailed setup for a scene where the protagonist, Kim Hyul, gains enlightenment and heals his injuries while fighting Bi Wol.
Not just anyone could undergo transformation because my novel King of Diamond Fist was a low-power martial arts story.
Had it been a tale of immortals committing atrocious acts or the new martial arts stories emerging nowadays, perhaps my constitution could have been fixed more easily.
“You fool. The Eternal Extreme Blood Elixir has the effect of opening the Ren and Du meridians. Normally, those areas are blocked due to air stagnation…”
“…So it breaks through with an immense amount of energy.”
Bi Wol nodded, as if understanding now. The meridians, which are supposed to be open at birth, tend to get blocked as one grows, and it normally requires tremendous effort to unblock them.
Trying to do so comes with risks of death, which was why I had been avoiding it until now.
“Exactly. But your master has one more important thing to address before that.”
With a hopeful look toward Bi Wol, Shin Ui raised his fingertip, indicating something that needed to be done first.
“What is it?”
“…Perhaps it’s to remove the body that Shub Niggurath implanted directly.”
Verdandi asked in confusion, and Azazel answered in place of Shin Ui, having already known my condition since she had made a pact with the outsider, Mordigian.
“Yes, just like a person whose body is infested with parasites, not only is there cold energy everywhere, but it’s also implanted.”
Shin Ui raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise, pointing to the strange mass of flesh wiggling behind me.
“Like that weird lump of flesh behind your disciple. Can I dissect it? I wonder how to dissolve that…”
Shin Ui blinked like she discovered something fascinating. She seemed eager to study Azazel’s tentacles, which she was seeing for the first time.
“No.”
“Eh? Tsk tsk. You’re saying that for those kids, you wouldn’t even risk death to do some simple experimentation?”
“Still, no is no.”
I preemptively intervened before Azazel could readily agree.
Born as a unique succubus and often ridiculed, her position as a saint would be hurt by such words.
“…Ah. Brother, I wonder how you always touch my heart with your words.”
Azazel responded, wrapping her hands around her blushing cheeks, trembling in ecstasy. Shin Ui also realized something was off.
“Junior, you shouldn’t say that; Master will be troubled.”
Bi Wol took a surprisingly calm stance against Azazel this time, perhaps realizing that jealousy doesn’t solve much.
“Oh, is it because of the Eastern rule that a master and disciple shouldn’t be connected? I thought that didn’t apply to someone from the Western Region like myself.”
Azazel said playfully, tapping her lips with her fingers, looking as sly as a female cat purring.
Watching this, Shin Ui turned pale.
There’s a phrase called ‘Teacher-Student Relationship,’ where being linked is considered an unforgivable sin.
“If you’ve become a person of the Central Plains, then you must follow that rule.”
“I think so too! We’re all Master’s disciples, aren’t we!”
Bi Wol and Verdandi were the ones blocking Azazel. Bi Wol was probably worried that her position as the favored disciple would be shaken.
‘…Why is Verdandi also opposing Azazel?’
For a moment, that thought made my head spin. I had never imagined such a pure soul would develop feelings for me, and it scared me to think about what might happen.
The scariest thing is a pure child realizing their romantic feelings. I could control Bi Wol since I had known her for a long time, but it was different with her.
I swallowed hard, sensing the future approaching.
“Anyway…. To remove the strange thing implanted in your master’s body, you must first find the host that implanted it.”
Clearing his throat dramatically, Shin Ui spoke while touching my pulse. The host he was talking about was undoubtedly Shub Niggurath.
“Then does that mean we need to eliminate the host first?”
Surprisingly, it was Azazel, the so-called holy maiden, who made the shocking suggestion. She had transformed, willing to go to any lengths for my sake.
“Yes, and afterward you must mix bodies with the one who consumed the Eternal Extreme Blood Elixir and perform Coitus in order to absorb Yang energy. You need to at least have a higher level than you kids.”
“Y-yes?”
I felt incredulous hearing what Shin Ui just said. Coitus meant that a man and woman would share a bed to absorb Yang energy.
It’s generally considered an impure act; those who performed it were called lustful devils and shunned.
“Then that means at least, you need to reach a level of transformation…”
At that moment, I noticed Bi Wol’s throat bobbing, like a wild animal salivating.
“But how many people in this vast martial world have reached the level of transformation? You’d have to connect with someone called a princess or fairy who has dragon blood.”
Shin Ui shook her head in resignation. Most people who reached the level of transformation had no interest in the martial world of the Central Plains.
In the original novel King of Diamond Fist, the final boss, Bi Wol, had reached that very level, so I couldn’t carelessly introduce anyone at her level.
“…How do you reach this level of transformation?”
“Please share it with me! Master!”
Azazel and Verdandi didn’t even consider anyone else; they were asking me how they could reach the level of transformation.
