Chapter: 836
The mountain behind the Tang Gate.
It is called Uirang Mountain (儀狼山) because, in the past, it was a dwelling place for wolves.
Finally, the sun is just beginning to rise.
It was around the time when the morning dew wrapped around the mountain, breathing life into it.
That is to say, while others are still deep in slumber.
During that tranquil hour, I stood still with my eyes closed in the mountains.
whoosh—!
The wind blew, brushing through my hair. Feeling this, I calmly regulated my breathing.
I focused my mind and observed my body.
Energy flowed through my veins, starting from the heart, gradually spreading outward. The process wasn’t troublesome at all.
Phew.
I let out a deep breath. My exhale was filled with warmth, proof that my body was well-stocked with profound energy.
…Good.
Deeper and deeper.
I concentrated my energy far more than usual. Normally, a brief rest would suffice, but today I was adamant about allowing no distractions, adjusting my flow with meticulous precision.
At the same time, memories resurfaced.
Fwhoosh—!
Just yesterday, I had experienced the sensation of flesh merging with fire…
A unique feeling that made me think I was a flame.
The slightest disruption would leave me anxious, fearing it would slip away, yet within, there was an exhilarating confidence that I could achieve anything.
Indeed…
Could I possibly reach that place again?
Would I ever feel that sensation again?
Struggling to recall that feeling, I sank deeper into tranquil focus. Come to me.
Please.
Please, bring that memory back. If I can’t remember, I should at least grasp some clue.
Swish—!!
The energy coursing through my veins quickened its pace.
I would not allow even the slightest mistake. Everything was perfectly calculated and in complete control.
I kept ramping up my velocity, aiming to create friction within my body.
If I continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before my body ignited in flames.
The issue was…
“Is it truly the same as yesterday?”
I exerted every effort to find that feeling, yet confidence eluded me. I had no clue how what I felt yesterday was even manifested in the first place.
It was nothing but flailing—an attempt to try something, anything.
Hweeng—!!
The endlessly spinning ring of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique. I was fighting tooth and nail to become a flame.
Dammit…
Feeling a knot in my stomach, I furrowed my brow. Although it seemed like I was maintaining control, the flaws inside were glaringly apparent.
Recognizing that made me grimace.
From last night until dawn, stuck in the mountains without a wink of sleep, the situation only seemed to worsen.
“Ugh.”
Applying pressure to my breath, I cranked the output to the max.
Kiinnnng—!!!
The interwoven rings began spinning at a dizzying speed around my heart. That was the most firepower I could muster.
It was the peak of what I could unleash at once. If I detonated it using my body as a catalyst…
“I could probably incinerate half this mountain.”
If we were solely considering firepower, it would have easily sufficed.
That would be the case under normal circumstances.
“Hoo!”
I reached my hand forward, ready to unleash the flames.
But then…
Kiinnnng—!!!
Thump—!
The spinning ring, on the verge of exploding, ground to a halt the moment I set my mind on creating fire.
Chiiiii…
“….”
Thanks to that, instead of flames, only smoke rose from my palm.
And to make matters worse…
Cough—!
I felt a jerk at the recoil, blood spurting from my mouth. Pain shot through me as I sank to my knees.
“Ugh….”
Crimson ichor soaked the grass as I clutched my chest, tears of agony blurring my eyes.
“Curse… it…”
This was the backlash from my body, which had exploded without releasing the accumulated firepower.
After all that effort to channel violent energy, it came back around and hit me squarely.
“Whew… Hoo… Damn it.”
The pain was excruciating. It was the first real agony I had felt in ages.
I don’t think it ever hurt this much even when my chest was pierced.
“Ugh.”
Spitting out the collected blood, I barely managed to rise.
Still reeling from the backlash, my body staggered.
“Heh…”
I grimaced at my palm; the heat still lingered.
“….”
Watching intently, I cautiously exerted slight pressure again. It was a drastically smaller amount this time, barely enough to produce a handful of sparks.
Just that much effort.
Crack—!
The immediate, sharp pain made me clench my teeth.
“Damn.”
A hollow laugh escaped me. This was genuinely insane.
“…Feelings are nonsense.”
I had spent all night circulating my energy. I initially wanted to somehow grasp yesterday’s sensations.
“Oh.”
Now I found myself facing an even bigger problem.
“Shit…”
Suddenly, no sparks emerged. This was undoubtedly a catastrophe.
“I’m screwed.”
It seemed to be the heart demon.
—
The heart demon.
It’s one of the symptoms often described as a mental illness.
This refers to the situation where, when confused or shocked, one cannot perform their usual tasks and acts as if something’s broken.
It’s true that this causes significant issues for ordinary people, but for warriors, it could be viewed as a life-threatening affliction.
To unleash martial prowess, physical strength is essential, but mental fortitude plays an even more critical role.
As one ascends further and further, spiritual insight overtakes physical prowess.
The moment one surpasses the pinnacle of martial technique, physical strength becomes nearly inconsequential.
The realm of the mind.
Especially when one can give form to the heart.
If the body is the vessel for a warrior, then the mind resembles the roots; thus, a heart demon is especially fatal for a practitioner.
The moment the mind becomes mired in demonic thoughts, nearly everything unravels.
You lose your original self, rendering you incapable of what was once possible.
It could pertain to martial arts, managing energy flows, or the very movements themselves.
If it’s not that…
“All of it.”
You could end up wrestling with the entirety of the issues.
It’s a real disaster.
Furthermore, escaping a heart demon is no easy feat. Once ensnared, most never seem to find their way out until their dying breath.
…to think I would fall victim to such trash.
“Me?”
I swept my hand across my face.
The more I considered it, the more it felt like utter nonsense.
From last night until the sun broke, I sought to capture yesterday’s essence during my training.
But soon after commencing, I realized something.
My body could no longer produce sparks.
Initially, I thought I was simply exhausted and mistook it for an illusion. When I tried a few more times, the results remained the same.
No matter the effort, no spark would come forth.
All that filled me was a searing pain.
Why did this suddenly transpire?
I wondered if other forces were similarly affected, but fortunately—or not—magic had begun to stir.
That is, only the Gu Flame Wheel Technique had crystallized.
“This is driving me nuts.”
How did things end up like this? Why did it escalate so abruptly?
If this is truly a heart demon, what on earth did I do to earn it?
“Especially at this moment.”
There was a heap of tasks waiting for me in Sacheon, and this predicament only made it all the worse.
So, a resolution needed to be found.
Especially after having tasted that sensation just yesterday.
“That’s surely the fragment needed to reach the next level.”
A leap from mere composition to true greatness.
The crucial condition to attain the transcendence that Paejon mentions.
Right now, I stood at the brink of composition, needing only one more step toward greatness.
The snag was, since my previous life also lingered in composition, I lacked clarity on how to advance to Daesung.
In such a scenario, I had sensed the slightest hint of Daesung.
While it might be an illusion, with no one guiding me, I was confident about it.
That sensation from earlier was undoubtedly what I had longed for.
Thus, I’d resolved to seize it by any means necessary.
“Anyway, nothing seems to work.”
Why did it have to be now?
Crack.
I clenched my teeth, attempting to figure out the cause. My gears were spinning.
“What if…”
Was it the very act of sensing that had led to this mess? The clue I thought I found—could it have actually turned into poison?
“No.”
I shook my head. That didn’t seem right.
I had always chased after higher realms. I didn’t think that was the root of the problem.
Then…
“…Could it be that?”
A scene emerged in my mind as I sought the source.
“How are you still alive?”
The voice from my previous life echoed in my head, words directed at me, always resurfacing like a ghost.
“….”
While not absolutely certain, I sensed that it was likely the cause. No, honestly, I was pretty sure.
Instinctively, it told me—if a cause existed, that must be it. What else could there possibly be?
The space and context surrounding the fresh Dokcheondan that I had ingested.
If I had fallen prey to a heart demon, the source must certainly be there.
“So what should I do about this?”
If that’s the cause, then what’s the remedy? If I’m dealing with the nemesis, how do I tackle this conundrum?
“Prince.”
“What on earth do I do…?”
“Old Duke-!”
“…!”
Suddenly, my eyes shot wide open at the shrill voice.
I snapped back to reality and looked ahead. There stood the Poison King, frowning as he gazed at me.
“Are you alright? You still look a bit out of it.”
“… Ah. I’m sorry.”
I forced an awkward smile.
“I think I’m just a little dazed from insufficient sleep.”
“I see. I understand.”
The Poison King nodded as if he genuinely got what I was saying.
“I, too, finished the Dokcheondan yesterday and couldn’t catch a wink of sleep.”
“Oh… so you were really quite happy.”
It felt so different from my experience… but nevertheless.
After descending the mountain, I immediately sought out the Poison King. I had a plethora of discussions to engage in with him.
“First, I’d like to express my gratitude once again. Thanks to you, I’ve fulfilled one of my long-held wishes…”
The Poison King lowered his head as he looked at me. In response, I had to wave him off.
“What are you doing? Raise your head.”
“No, it only makes me feel more embarrassed that this is the only greeting I can offer…”
“I did this out of my own volition, as you well know.”
“Nevertheless, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re my benefactor. That was true years ago and remains the same today.”
“Hmm…”
The Poison King maintained his heavy bow.
I felt somewhat awkward, eventually stealing a cautious gesture of my own.
After bowing deeply, I raised my head as I sensed the Poison King was about to rise.
“Thank you.”
“… I appreciate your words, but it’s not over yet, is it?”
“That’s right.”
The Poison King’s demeanor seemed to suggest that the matter was resolved, yet in truth, it still loomed large.
“If the manufacturing method is only that one way… it seems the process will take longer than anticipated.”
“I concur.”
Regarding the issue of other necessary materials, that was one thing, but the process of producing the magic stone was quite troublesome.
Acquiring a red magic stone is challenging enough. Even if procured, one must extract the energy from it before involving any additional energies.
That was the crux of the problem.
Which means…
“I can’t proceed without you.”
Dokcheondan would be impossible without extracting the energy from the magic stone, and at present, I remained the only one capable of this.
Arriving at this juncture…
“It seems like it’s impossible to continue this way.”
I couldn’t afford to be stuck in Sacheon just because of Dokcheondan, so I needed to craft a solution.
“…Absorbing all the energy beforehand poses a challenge too.”
Typically, when the color of a magic stone fades completely, it crumbles into dust in less than a day. Even if it retains its color, it doesn’t last eternally.
While its lifespan would be longer than that of green and blue stones, it still was not infinite.
“Hmm.”
Neither the Dokcheondan nor the heart demon provided any assistance.
While I bemoaned my plight, gnawing thoughts consumed me.
“…Then, Prince Gu.”
The Poison King quietly beckoned me.
“There’s something I’d like to inquire about.”
“….”
From the expression and tone he carried as he spoke, I felt an intuition. It was clear.
He was going to ask how I extracted energy from the magic stone.
“…Yesterday’s magic stone…”
“Before that.”
Anticipating his inquiry, I preemptively replied.
“As I mentioned yesterday, I indicated I wanted to ask something today. Do you recall?”
I had laid the groundwork in advance.
I had expected the Poison King to pose this question.
“….”
The Poison King’s eyes widened. He seemed to understand what I was about to ask. The only difference was his demeanor resembled someone partially resigned.
“…Speak.”
“What transpired between you and Lady Dang?”
“….”
I inquired about the oddly hostile attitude that Dang So-yeol held toward the Poison King. Just as I had anticipated, he wore a troubled expression upon hearing my question.
That expression was the reaction I sought.
Internally relieved, I thought, “Thank goodness.”
This way, it would be easier to steer the conversation in my desired direction.
“Oh, if that’s too complicated, you needn’t feel compelled to answer. However… what you were about to ask—”
“It’s because of you.”
“…If you could kindly move on… Pardon?”
I was stunned by what the Poison King disclosed. I never expected he’d go that far.
“…Me?”
The implications behind his words made this even more shocking.
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