0090 : Dark Heaven Village
The time I spent receiving the basic knowledge of Meridian and the essentials for studying medicine from Hwa Seo-myeong was about a month. During that time, Hwa Seo-myeong brought thick medical classics and diagrams for me to memorize. Familiar with such tasks, I utilized the Thunder Spirit Classic, which I learned from Mangnyang, to aid my memorization. After a month had passed, Hwa Seo-myeong expressed his astonishment.
“You have remarkable memorization skills. Most people can’t memorize this quickly!”
“Haha…”
“Your study method is excellent, suggesting you are not merely at the level of an average martial artist. Have you studied elsewhere?”
Recalling my time studying with Mangnyang, a bitter smile surfaced on my face. The intense study I had undertaken over the years was proving beneficial in this regard.
“A little…”
“Regardless, it is fortunate you already knew the basics of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and Meridians as a martial artist. Now, let us slowly get to the main point.”
According to him, the understanding martial artists had regarding blood points and the flow of energy was quite limited and simplistic. While martial artists could memorize dozens or hundreds of Meridians, it was only to the extent necessary for their own martial arts techniques. Unless one belonged to an Orthodox Sect like the Wudang Sect, the knowledge of Meridians between martial artists and physicians would inevitably differ significantly. The knowledge I had memorized over the past month encompassed the vast operations and roles of the Meridians, including the “basics” I had known, requiring me to memorize at least ten times more.
Hwa Seo-myeong continued, “Before that, do you know that Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism each possess their unique breathing techniques?”
“I am aware of Buddhism and Taoism, but this is my first time hearing about Confucianism.”
“The core teachings are quite similar. Confucianism aims for Yielding Nature through self-cultivation, positing ‘pure principles’ as a major premise. Although it’s difficult to articulate, the ultimate goal is to realize the Yang Spirit through breathing practices.”
“So, are you saying that Confucian scholars practice breathing related to the Dantian like martial artists?”
“Yes. Although the secret techniques are transmitted quite secretly, they certainly exist. It is because of this Secret Channel that the school of Elegance Dao—merging Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—has gained recognition in this land of Goryeo.”
This revelation was astonishing. The term “Confucianism” traditionally referred to scholars and students following Confucian teachings, so the existence of a unique martial art related solely to them was unexpected! Furthermore, the depth of such a practice, arguably comparable with the core martial arts of Buddhism or Taoism, was remarkable.
After sipping a cup of tea, Hwa Seo-myeong asked, “Then do you know what the Yang Spirit is?”
“From what I have read, I understand it to be the Original Spirit. There exists a realm where the Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit reach their ultimate positions, and that is the Original Spirit.”
“You studied well. Correct. Although the paths of practitioners from the three schools differ, they ultimately converge at the Original Spirit. From the perspective of a martial artist like you, what do you think the Original Spirit represents?”
“Hmm…”
It was a challenging question, and I pondered deeply. In reality, although I had memorized the basic knowledge from thick medical classics for three whole volumes over the past month, it had mostly been rote memorization without time to contemplate such matters. After some time, I finally replied.
“I believe it is the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”
Heavenly Spirit Pill!
It was likely the ultimate internal energy realm achieved by the three Guardian Dharma Warriors of the White Lotus Sect, a state where remarkably potent internal energy flowed continuously! This realm could be attained by opening the Middle Dantian, yet the only person who seemed to even mention or understand the Heavenly Spirit Pill was Samjeol Lee Kwang. The other martial artists had either no concept of the Heavenly Spirit Pill or only a vague understanding of the Middle Dantian.
Hwa Seo-myeong looked surprised and said, “What? The Heavenly Spirit Pill isn’t written in any of the medical texts I taught you. How do you know about it?”
“An expert from the sect I’ve practiced mentioned that realm. My internal energy approaches the Heavenly Spirit Pill, but it is not quite there,” I replied.
“Hmmm… That person is likely connected to the White Lotus Sect. Among the countless internal energy practitioners in the martial world, only the White Lotus Sect defines that realm with the term ‘Heavenly Spirit Pill.’ It seems your sect has a significant connection to them.”
“……”
It was indeed a major connection. The Thunder God Sect was originally a branch of the White Lotus Sect, which had been unfortunate enough to be exiled from the martial world decades ago. It was only natural for Lee Kwang, who came from the White Lotus Sect, to comprehend and use the concept of the Heavenly Spirit Pill. However, I had no intention of revealing this, so I simply nodded.
“Ah, I see…”
“Well, if you already understand, it will be easier to explain. As you mentioned, the Heavenly Spirit Pill is a path to the Original Spirit. However, it is just an intermediate stage.”
“An intermediate stage?”
“Yes. Ultimately, reaching the original spirit means achieving an open mind by unlocking the Upper, Middle, and Lower Dantians to obtain infinite power and transcend humanity. It surpasses even the realms known as immortals—it is beyond what it means to be human; that is the Original Spirit.”
“…….!!”
I was taken aback by a concept I had never considered before.
“‘To transcend the immortal level?’”
According to Mangnyang, the Taoist approach viewed immortals and deities as not significantly different from one another. In fact, most practitioners of Taoist studies regarded becoming an immortal as their ultimate goal. To say that the Original Spirit transcends immortals meant possessing colossal power that could overshadow most deities while still in a human body!
I contemplated deeply and organized my thoughts.
“So, through accumulating internal energy in the Lower Dantian, one transitions to the Middle Dantian, which is the Heavenly Spirit Pill, and then surpassing that reaches the realm of the Original Spirit.”
“Exactly. That is the martial theory of the White Lotus Sect leader.”
“… No way!!”
“Just as you thought. The leader of the White Lotus Sect himself has reached the Original Spirit, which allows him to impart this martial theory to the Guardian Dharma Warriors and other members of the sect.”
I could only be dumbfounded at this revelation.
To think that the path to the Original Spirit through the Heavenly Spirit Pill was an actual experiential process that existed! It was the moment I truly grasped the monstrous power of the leader of the White Lotus Sect, about which I had heard countless tales.
However, I quickly came to accept it. Without such strength, the emperor of the Great Ming Empire would not fear him, nor could he possess a level of deterrent force that rendered human military power meaningless.
I had a question to ask.
“Wait a minute. Although I might seem unassuming, I believe I have approached the limits of human internal energy using elixirs. I’m not bragging, but there are hardly any individuals with more internal energy than I possess.”
Hwa Seo-myeong curtly replied, “That is indeed bragging. However, I agree that your internal energy has reached an absolute level. Perhaps less than ten individuals across the East, West, Central regions, and even among the White Lotus Sect can rival you.”
“Yet I claim I am not at the level of the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Why is my internal energy not at that realm?”
“Hmmm… You have a valid question. And today, you’ve found the right person to ask. There aren’t many who could provide an answer besides myself.”
With a grin, Hwa Seo-myeong continued, “As you might suspect, the Heavenly Spirit Pill is not a realm one simply achieves by raising the absolute level of internal energy. I suspect that even the true owner of the Heavenly Spirit Pill may fall short of you purely on the foundation of absolute internal energy. Nevertheless, if your internal energy were to clash with the Heavenly Spirit Pill’s, you would lose every single time. Why do you think that is?”
I suddenly recalled the time I clashed with Han Baek-ryeong in Luoyang. Hwa Seo-myeong’s words reminded me of that duel. I shook my head.
“I don’t understand.”
“Your internal energy is vast but not infinite, and you cannot freely condense and distort beyond the limits of the Meridian. Although you may have the same amount, there is a significant difference in the power you can exert instantaneously, and the endurance level pales in comparison to the boundless Heavenly Spirit Pill. The Heavenly Spirit Pill itself belongs to a dimension of martial arts that is practically different.”
“……!!”
Condensing and distorting!
I recalled when Han Baek-ryeong seemed to momentarily lag behind my energy but then overwhelmed me with several times that strength. Indeed, it was a force that could not be raised according to the principles of common internal energy. As I murmured, Hwa Seo-myeong continued.
“What I’ve heard from the Guardian Dharma Warrior is that the Middle Dantian is conceptualized as the field of the heart. It is said to regain the prenatal breath and consume the dual energies of yin and yang to open the Heaven’s Gate. This cannot simply be achieved through a common internal energy level.”
“Then what should I do?”
Hwa Seo-myeong chuckled.
“Well… it’s tricky for me to answer that. Do you realize what question you just asked? You inquired about how humanity can become immortal.”
“Hmm.”
“The only method would be to ask an absolute being who has already attained the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Of course, there exist others who have reached similar realms within Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, but such individuals usually ascend to immortality or have little interest in worldly matters.”
Hearing Hwa Seo-myeong’s words, I was able to clarify what needed to be done moving forward.
“I must meet the Guardian Dharma Warrior of the White Lotus Sect.”
In truth, I had already vaguely considered this when I first heard about the Heavenly Spirit Pill from Lee Kwang, but the current conversation made it clearer. To raise my internal energy level and reach the Heavenly Spirit Pill, I would ultimately need to meet the Guardian Dharma Warrior of the White Lotus Sect. After all, only those who have achieved the Heavenly Spirit Pill know how to reach it.
However, simply meeting them to extract information would likely not suffice. Reaching such a level—one almost akin to immortality—was not something that could be freely shared with outsiders. As I panicked internally at this sudden increase in difficulty, Hwa Seo-myeong cleared his throat and said,
“Hm, I seem to have strayed off topic. In any case, the ultimate realm is the Original Spirit, and reaching there requires cultivation. Pursuing medical skills could aid in that endeavor.”
“How so?”
“Do you know that the human brain ages over time?”
Taken aback by the abrupt question, I tilted my head.
“I’m not sure. Does the brain age?”
“Indeed. Since ancient times, humanity has waged wars, slaughtering one another. The lineage I follow, stemming from Hua Tuo, observed the corpses of dead humans on battlefields, often encapsulating all aspects of human physiology within medical knowledge. As a result, we learned that when the human body ages, the brain ages as well.”
I readily recognized the brain. I had witnessed the brain fluids spill when a human was killed and had seen the sight of brains oozing at scenes of tragedy several times. I even recalled having washed my hands from the brain fluids.
“I think it was gray, wrinkled, and bluish.”
As I mulled over the brain’s appearance, Hwa Seo-myeong continued.
“However, the brains of martial artists do not age as readily. Whether they reach their 50s or 60s, they age very slowly, regardless of the wrinkles of the human body. Isn’t that fascinating?”
“It is fascinating, but… what does that mean?”
“No matter how exceptional a scholar or sage might be, the brain will inevitably age. While you can slightly delay the aging of the brain through mental exercises, that’s about it. If you do not practice martial arts, the brain will rapidly decline in function after the 50s. You must learn special techniques that stimulate the brain, including martial arts, to keep it active.”
After saying this, Hwa Seo-myeong took a breath and continued.
“In other words, the act of stimulating the Eight Extraordinary Vessels through martial arts and breaking through the Lesser Circulation and Greater Circulation directly impacts the potential of the Upper Dantian. This is because the human soul tends to stay longest in the brain.”
“……!!”
“Do you know where the human spirit and soul escape from when a person dies? The vital energy that has coalesced in the brain escapes through the Six Holes. While we cannot say that the soul is the brain itself, it undoubtedly remains there the longest.”
“Hmm.”
Hwa Seo-myeong’s lineage, stemming from Hua Tuo, must have dissected human corpses for hundreds or even thousands of years, engaging at the very frontline of life and death. In that sense, Hwa Seo-myeong appeared to possess a unique theory distinct from conventional medical practices.
“Now, think about this. Why can’t martial artists also become exceptional sorcerers? It’s clear that martial arts impact a sorcerer’s potential too. Yet, those who can become sorcerers are solely influenced by their own talent.”
“I haven’t thought about it, so I’m not sure.”
Hwa Seo-myeong chuckled and replied,
“That’s because it’s all about whether one can open the pathways.”
“Pathways?”
“Sorcerers open a completely different door of spiritual communication when mastering their arts, distinct from the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. In distant lands, they refer to it as the Divine Tree, a life-giving tree that exists in the heavens. Whether in the East or West, the shapes are quite similar and follow a specific order.”
“Hmm.”
“Regardless of how much martial artists study and toil over the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, they cannot become sorcerers. It is fundamentally impossible to open a ‘door’ that operates under an entirely different system.”
Hwa Seo-myeong clenched his fist.
“However, if one fully masters the Huashi Hundred and Eight Needles and Hua Tuo’s Five Animal Play, they could surely open that door! Moreover, they could liberate the innate limitations of the human body and, especially in terms of medical skills, manipulate life and death at will!”
“……!!”
As I was shocked and floundering with amazement, Hwa Seo-myeong patted my shoulder.
“You have the talent. I will do my utmost to teach you so you can reach that state.”
“Thank you.”
Hwa Seo-myeong said with a smile of satisfaction.
“However, for that, I’ll need a bit more resources… Do you have one more root of Sacred Lotus to spare?”
I firmly replied,
“I do not have any left.”
“Tsk…”
Hwa Seo-myeong clicked his tongue and began to teach me about acupuncture and herbs. I had to study in a suddenly tense atmosphere that starkly contrasted with the previous excited atmosphere. I also realized I needed to be cautious in future conversations with Hwa Seo-myeong.
—————————= Author’s Note —————————=
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