Chapter: 832
The dough was perfectly fine just a moment ago, but now it has completely rotted and is no longer usable.
“As you can see, this is the situation.”
“… Yes, I see.”
With things like this, I can’t do anything at all, let alone come up with a solution. Just by looking at the amount of dough in the room, it’s clear how much of a failure this has been.
‘How much does it cost to make one like this?’ It’s not like it contains just one or two expensive herbs.
‘At this point, it would have been more beneficial to just gather together and eat whatever was left before this disaster.’ I don’t know much about spiritual units, but the dough I just saw was quite impressive. Compared to the Daehwandan of Shaolin, it wasn’t fabulous, but it was inferior to the Summoningdan.
Even that would be a tremendous achievement in its own right.
‘Of course, the Poison King won’t be satisfied.’ The Poison King has personally seen the Dokcheondan, which had vanished.
How could anyone forget such an absurd splendor?
A level of spiritual unit that is comparable to that of the Great Transformation. After witnessing that, one could hardly be satisfied with something so subpar, especially now that we are at the final stage.
From that perspective…
“Are you really saying you can solve this?”
I boldly declared that I believed I could handle the situation. I couldn’t resist the temptation to have some expectations. The real issue here is…
‘Hmmm…’
Even I hesitated to speak with absolute certainty.
‘… I’ll understand better when I see it for myself.’
Now, I’ve pinpointed the problem.
‘Just as I predicted.’
The magical energy contained in the magic stone powder reacts the moment it enters the dough. It rots the fresh ingredients in an instant, scattering all the shimmering energy.
As if it refuses to acknowledge any energy other than its own.
‘No matter how much I look at it, it really is an ignorant aura.’
How could something like that possibly lead to a successful spiritual unit? I find it hard to believe it’s even a recipe.
‘There must be a reason to include it.’
I didn’t dismiss it outright. After all, it was none other than Senior Dang who provided the recipe. The manufacturing method itself isn’t wrong; it’s the practitioners who are messing it up.
I was fully convinced of this and it was time to try out my idea.
“I’m not entirely certain, but… I have a few methods in mind that I’d like to try.”
“I’ve already gone through countless scenarios, yet I failed each time… finding an alternative methodology won’t be easy.”
“Yes, that sounds about right.”
Still, I figured there has to be some way. But…
‘I can do what others can’t.’
No matter how many scenarios one tries, methods that are guaranteed to fail do exist—and I have those methods at my disposal.
I might not know much else, but I am confident about magic stones.
‘How many magic stones have I consumed?’
Counting my past and present lives, the number is beyond measure. I’ve absorbed that many magic stones.
So, if the last problem revolves around the magic stone, then I don’t really know, but it’s certainly worth a shot.
“Are there any more magic stones?”
Upon asking the Poison King, he pointed to a spot. It was a cart in the room, containing a handful of stacked magic stones.
There weren’t many—maybe three? It was fewer than I expected, but I wasn’t disappointed.
Magic stones with their original color are not easy to come by.
Over time, they lose their coloration naturally. And this one happens to be a red magic stone.
Even with the increased frequency of red monster sightings, it was not enough for anyone to go hunting for magic stones.
Rather, it’s quite impressive that the Tang clan has managed to retain this many magic stones for experimentation.
‘Still, it seems I can make the most of what I’ve got.’
Nodding, I picked up a magic stone. I then proceeded to the dough which had been set aside for verification.
“Your Majesty.”
I carefully spoke to the Poison King.
“Please promise me one thing.”
“What are you saying?”
“That what you’re about to see will remain a secret from everyone.”
“…”
A flicker of anxiety crossed the Poison King’s face. To request he keep it secret? That was quite a risky thing to ask.
In normal circumstances, I wouldn’t dream of making such a request.
“… I understand. I’ll promise it on my name and clan.”
Acknowledging that the present moment seemed to weigh heavier than his dignity, the Poison King obliged. But…
“That alone won’t suffice. I need you to also extend the promise to the Tang family’s daughter-in-law.”
That wasn’t enough for me. I required something of greater significance.
“…!”
Hearing that, the Poison King’s expression soured. Not only for having his trust questioned but also because the name of Dang So-yeol was brought into the equation, which seemed to irk him greatly.
“Please do it.”
I wasn’t going to back down, so I pressed on. After all, there was only one choice left for the Poison King.
“… Very well.”
“I appreciate it. Oh, and by the way.”
Holding the magic stone, I added to the Poison King’s predicament.
“Could you please stop using formal language?”
I distinctly remember we were on casual terms before. Perhaps he was still upset over that ‘incident’ last time, as he seemed to be pretty childish about it now.
“… That.”
Just as the Poison King was about to say something in response to my comment…
Woooooosh—!!!
“…Huh?”
He couldn’t finish his thought because I abruptly began something that interrupted him.
The Poison King gaped at the sight.
The magic stone gripped in my hand was gradually losing its light.
It was due to the activation of the Demonic Absorption.
Magical energy was flowing steadily into my heart.
While the amount of magic contained was considerable, it didn’t take long to absorb it all.
In a heartbeat, all the colors drained away. The magic stone soon became transparent. I tightened my grip on it.
Crack-!
Instantaneously, the magic stone shattered. The transparent magic stone bore significantly less durability.
With the powder added, I stirred the dough several times by hand.
“Hmm.”
I touched it as I had before, but there was no immediate response.
Checking its condition, I spoke to the Poison King.
“For now, the first attempt has failed… my lord?”
Though I stated it calmly, the expression on the Poison King’s face was quite a sight. His eyes and mouth were wide open, as if he had just witnessed the impossible.
The Poison King looked at me with an expression I had never seen before. I had expected some reaction, but this was beyond what I anticipated.
Honestly, it’s absurd to think one could instantly drain the color from a magic stone.
“Uh, what on earth did you just do?”
“It’s nothing to worry about. Just remember the promise you made earlier.”
“There’s no way it can be nothing….”
“Next.”
Ignoring the Poison King’s reaction, I continued forward. I didn’t have the time to go through each of his surprises.
‘The first attempt was a failure.’
While the Poison King claimed he had already attempted this with a colorless stone, I tried it anyway, just in case. The result, as expected, was a failure.
The only difference is that the dough didn’t rot… but since the outcome was the same, it counts as a failure.
‘Then let’s move on…’
I transitioned to the next method.
Now, this was the real deal. I would have to navigate uncharted territory from here on.
Swish-!
I empowered my heart and focused.
‘When magic energy enters, it causes a backlash.’
It completely ruins the materials, leaving them unusable.
‘However, the magic stone has to be included as an ingredient…’
But if I insert something devoid of energy, there will be no response.
‘So this means the magic stone has a vital role to play.’
Among these perplexities, I also labored under a lingering sense of dissonance.
‘Why, out of all things, a red magic stone?’
Why did the senior member of the Tang clan mention the red magic stone?
Amidst greens and blues, why specifically red?
What crucial role does the magic stone play in the creation of the Dokcheondan?
Questions flooded my mind endlessly. However, I didn’t stop moving.
Fwoosh!
The energy of the magic stone flowed into my body. Just like before. I was engaged in the endeavor of removing the color from the magic stone again.
The process was identical to before, which piqued the Poison King’s curiosity. It’s only natural for him to look at me skeptically since I was doing something that had previously failed.
But…
The moment I was aiming for began the moment all the energy drained away.
I confirmed the absence of energy and that the interior of the magic stone was completely hollow.
Now’s the moment.
Exhale…
With a long breath, I switched my approach.
This time, I would do the opposite of extracting magic.
Huff!
I expelled my own energy into it. The energy surged through my heart and permeated into the magic stone.
Here comes my energy flowing into the once-empty stone.
The difference this time is that I was inserting the energy from the Nine Flames Lun Gong instead of the magic.
With that, the now-transparent magic stone filled with my energy, regaining a color vastly different from its original appearance.
The stone, which was once vividly red as proof of its nature as a red magic stone, now appeared as light blue. At a glance, it could easily be mistaken for a blue magic stone.
Could it be my energy that changed the color? My gaze lingered for a moment but I quickly redirected it.
‘At this moment, the color doesn’t really matter.’
It doesn’t matter how the stone turns out in terms of color.
We can figure that part out later; right now, resurrecting the Dokcheon-dan is the priority.
With that line of thought, I reached towards the Poison King.
He stood there in shock, evidently struggling to grasp the significance of the situation. I pointed at what he was holding.
“Please hand me that item you currently possess.”
“Ah….”
As if entranced, the Poison King handed over the tool. The same object he used for grinding the magic stone earlier.
Grabbing it without hesitation, I got to work on the magic stone.
Screech—!!!
Applying force, it ground much faster than before. The shape remained unchanged.
The powder cascaded from the stone, blending into the dough.
Once I had added a sufficient amount, I set down the tools and the magic stone. Now it was time to mix the dough.
Yet…
Crack-!!
“Hmm?”
As I turned my gaze, the recently colored magic stone shattered into tiny fragments.
“What on Earth is that… ugh.”
I felt a bit flustered, but the dough needed my attention first.
I kneaded the dough vigorously. I took my time to ensure it mixed adequately with the flour.
Upon doing so, I immediately sensed a change within the dough.
Whirl–!!
‘The energy is shifting.’
The energy inside the dough began to stir. But I didn’t let my guard down; I remembered the changes that had occurred earlier when the ingredients rotted.
Cautiously, I kneaded the dough, attentively monitoring its condition.
Whoosh…
The energy continued to flow. When I confirmed that there was no foul odor, unlike before when we failed…
Shimmer—!!!
“Oh?”
Suddenly, the dough radiated light.
That familiar light blue glow, no less.
“Huh…!! W, could it be!?”
Seeing this, the Poison King was startled and approached me. I too couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the light.
“Got it.”
As I continued to stir, the light seems to grow brighter and brighter. This was clearly not a failure.
If it isn’t a failure, then there’s only one conclusion to draw.
‘It’s a success.’
At this very moment,
The greatest treasure the Tang family lost in the past.
A great sect comparable to the Daehwandan. I have succeeded in resurrecting the Dokcheondan.
“This can’t be happening…”
The Poison King approached, disbelief written all over his face. Looking at him, I declared:
“Look, Your Majesty. Didn’t I say I had all the methods at my disposal?”
At this point, I thought I deserved at least some praise. I took a deep breath and addressed the Poison King.
“Son-in-law… did you really just accomplish this?”
“You wouldn’t know unless you saw it… what?”
Something in his tone felt very peculiar.
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