Chapter: 881
There were a few things I wanted to check.
The first was the efficacy of this thing called Yeouiju. Was it something you consumed merely to shed your shell right away?
Or was there something more to it that I was wondering about.
‘Well, my body has undergone a bit of a change.’
First of all, my skills had improved significantly.
I could see that my energy had increased, and the physical aspect had also risen considerably.
If I were to quantify it…
‘To the extent of being able to do the work.’
The numbers were overwhelmingly high, considering it only took one pearl to achieve this.
Right now, my energy doesn’t increase even if I consume Daehwandan or Dokcheondan, but this thing was different.
The efficiency couldn’t possibly be this good.
So I decided to try one more.
‘No effect after two.’
While there was an increase, the efficiency was much lower than that of Dokcheondan.
That meant it was only effective at first.
‘But I’m not fully convinced yet.’
There was a problem.
I was in an incomplete state of shedding my shell to begin with. It couldn’t be said that I had grown stronger solely from consuming Yeouiju, especially considering the anomaly that Guyeonhwaryun Gong had reached the Great Saint level.
Thus, it was hard to say it was entirely due to Yeouiju.
Since there were many doubts lingering in my mind, I thought it best to clear this up first.
That’s why…
“Kuaaaahhhh…!!”
I had even gone so far as to discreetly swipe the beads.
I also fed it to Seongyul first for good measure.
‘Wouldn’t it be nice if it could just work for me?’
If it was a special power, wouldn’t it be wise to utilize it for my benefit?
‘What’s the big deal about being beneficial? If it’s good for me, then it’s beneficial enough.’
For that, I had to check a few things.
The first being…
‘What happens when someone whose body isn’t prepared swallows the Yeouiju?’
A body that hasn’t reached transformation or shed its shell.
What would transpire if you swallowed the Yeouiju in such a state?
I had to find that out.
“Ugh… Huuuuuu…!!”
I was observing this through Seongyul.
Seongyul continued to writhe in pain. I perched on the wooden coffin, watching him attentively.
‘The energy is fluctuating.’
If he had ingested Yeouiju properly, the energy was violently surging from his danjeon.
It appeared it could burst at any moment.
It was miraculous he hadn’t exploded yet.
‘Is Seongyul holding it together… or is it the energy itself?’
Is it adjusting itself so it doesn’t explode?
I couldn’t tell if it was shaking so much because of sheer excitement.
And yet, that quaking energy…
‘Isn’t really infiltrating into the body.’
It only spiraled through his blood vessels without impacting the physical aspect at all.
That made it all the more concerning.
‘The shaking is intensifying.’
It started invigorating the flow through the bloodstream.
It felt like it was accelerating.
If left untouched…
‘This is really going to blow.’
Forget holding it; it wouldn’t be long before his entire body erupted.
I suspected the fact that it wasn’t seeping into his body was the root cause.
‘Tsk.’
Is this what happens when you consume it without having completed your transformation? That would certainly complicate things.
“Ugh… Huh….”
“That’s too bad.”
If I watched any longer, Seongyul would die. So, I stood up and moved closer to him.
Hwarururuk-!!! Flames of white burst forth from my hands.
I couldn’t just leave him to die; I was planning to burn away his energy.
I wondered if I could achieve this with the white flames, but I had faith.
‘I can burn it.’
You could tell from my experience. I had confirmed that fact multiple times over the past days.
I could sense it instinctively.
Whether I could burn it or not.
When I looked, the energy enveloping Seongyul’s body was something I could indeed burn.
I was going to wipe it clean.
With that in mind, I reached out my hand toward Seongyul.
At that moment…
“… Wait… just a second…”
Kwak-!
Seongyul suddenly clutched my pant leg.
“What?”
“Wait… wait… please.”
“What?”
Seongyul scrunched his face at my confusion.
What kind of lunacy is this guy spouting right now?
“What are you waiting for? If you keep this up, you’re going to die.”
“I can still… still… handle it.”
“Is he insane?”
I had nothing to counter since I was the one who forced him to eat it. I snorted at Seongyul’s words.
‘You plan to hold on?’
What kind of gumption does he have? He has no energy in his body, so what on earth does he think he can do?
“Hey. I feel bad for having fed you, but you have to be tough when the time comes. Keep this up, and you will die.”
“… I can do it….”
“This is driving me nuts.”
This guy doesn’t seem to have the sense to listen. Where did he gain this stubborn streak? Am I making him eat this out of spite?
‘He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.’
Seongyul’s nature isn’t one to act this way; he seems genuinely intent on enduring it.
It was absurd to me. Does he even understand what he’s putting himself through?
‘Should I just ignore him and burn it?’
I could ignore all this stubbornness and just eliminate the problem. With that thought, I reached for him again.
“I… can… do… it!”
Seongyul grabbed my leg tighter, as if realizing my intent.
His eyes were bloodshot with veins bulging across his body.
“Ha. You….”
“… Just a little longer… Just a little….”
I still couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to accomplish.
Even if I needed to stop this immediately, upon meeting Seongyul’s gaze, I found myself nodding.
“This guy, who was weak normally, why is he showing his perseverance in such a strange manner?”
Tsk.
I let out a short tongue-click and placed my hand on the impudent fool’s body.
However, I didn’t spark any flames.
I carefully laid my hand on his back and channeled my energy into his body.
Phew-!!
My energy surged in an instant. Then…
Kwuk-!!
‘Whoa, crap.’
I was swept away by the turbulent energy inside him and began spinning along with it.
If I weren’t careful, I almost would have lost control. That was close!
“Huh!”
“Shut your mouth. Don’t even breathe.”
Seongyul clamped his mouth shut immediately in response to my warning.
Making a mistake could result in all that energy bursting forth.
‘Had I known this would happen, maybe I shouldn’t have fed it to you.’
I was merely trying to ignore the situation, yet I didn’t expect this guy to be so obstinate about it.
‘Then I guess I gotta take responsibility.’
I was the one who forced him to eat it. If he chose to endure this, then he had to bear the consequences.
“I haven’t tried this either, so I wouldn’t know if it fails?”
“Ugh… Ugh.”
That seems to hint at some form of acceptance.
Phew—!!!
I immersed myself in the storm of energy.
The speed was increasing dramatically. What on earth should I do from here?
‘If I force a slowdown, what happens with the backlash?’
The extreme recoil could kill Seongyul instantly.
So, what do I do now?
That thought process didn’t last long.
Kuuuuuu—!!! I pressured my energy, slowing the flow down.
The backlash from that was…
Kwaaaaaaaah—!!!
‘Ugh.’
I managed to keep it together.
Veins bulged on my arms, but I couldn’t afford to raise my energy to endure this.
So ultimately, facing it barehanded was my best option.
One eye instinctively squinted.
It was a pain like I hadn’t felt in ages.
‘Is it a bit painful?’
Normally, I wouldn’t feel discomfort thanks to Tuapacheonmu, but this was beyond the threshold.
At least I still had my wits about me, so that was fortunate.
‘I’ve managed to slow down the pace, but what should I do now?’
Pain can be endured; however, that doesn’t mean I could do so indefinitely.
While I managed to slow the pace, I hadn’t halted the rogue energy.
‘Can I force it into the body?’
If the issue is that energy isn’t seeping in, couldn’t I find a way to make it penetrate?
Thinking this, I tried to make it happen.
Ki-ki-ki-ki-ki!
“Damn it.”
‘This won’t do. Check.’
It was too prevalent. Even the adjusted pace was too hasty to maintain control, and it was far too turbulent to insert properly.
Seongyul’s talent might be extraordinary, but his body didn’t seem well-suited for energy intake.
‘So that’s why I’m forcing him to undergo a transformation.’
The energy from Yeouiju was powerful and wild.
This meant that if you wanted to put it into someone’s body, their vessel had to be extraordinary.
Now I clearly understood why they left it in that pond for five years.
‘Hmm…’
So this is how it goes when unprepared. I felt embarrassed for Seongyul all over again.
‘It would’ve sufficed just to burn it away.’
This process turned out to be tougher than I imagined.
Gulp. Cold sweat began to trickle down my forehead and back.
The pain was troublesome, but controlling my energy was even more laborious.
Not only was it difficult to mix my energy with someone else’s, but managing it was far from easy.
This means…
‘I don’t have much time left.’
This signified that my ability to endure was limited.
‘Hmm…’
What to do indeed? Just then, I thought something stirred within him.
Ki-ki-ki-ki!
‘What’s that?’
I sensed something wriggling within him.
Frowning at the sudden sensation, I was taken aback.
Kwaaaaah.
‘Oh, hell.’
Something chilling surged suddenly, sweeping the energy away.
The palpable killing intent sent shivers down my spine.
‘What the hell is this kid?’
Startled though I was, I retained my focus.
Since I had my hand in the energy, if I swayed now, it would all come crashing down.
Kikkieeeeeee–!!!
Looking closely, it seemed this entity was attacking the energy that had invaded Seongyul’s body.
That was when it dawned on me.
‘It’s the Thousand-Year Star.’
Another instinct lying latent within his body. It looked like it had finally reared its head.
‘You little brat.’
Oblivious to the fact that I was trying to save my master.
I clenched my teeth and poured strength into my energy.
Pushing a bit more power into it, I began to envelop the Thousand-Year Star.
Kikkigik–!!!
The creature seemed to startle and twist its body in response to my aggression.
As I tried to subdue it, I felt an unsettling sensation.
‘It’s cold.’
How could the energy feel this frigid?
Could it be this pure as well?
When being devoured by the past blade master and Thousand-Year Star, I hadn’t recognized just how pure this energy was.
Was it simply because it was filled solely with the intent to kill?
Anyway, if it felt like this, it would be easier to manipulate.
‘Which means it’s convenient to toy around with.’
As the creature’s presence awakened, I pressed down on it even more fiercely.
Rumble—!!!
Kikkigik…!
The Thousand-Year Star began to retract in response to my presence.
It was more a coward than I thought.
Perhaps the dragon’s power was simply stronger.
It didn’t matter.
What mattered was this kid and the energy from Yeouiju. They both needed to be dealt with.
‘Since I can’t force it into the body, and I can’t rotate it like this, then…’
There was only one method left.
“Hey.”
“…!”
At my call, Seongyul flinched slightly.
“Don’t answer, just listen.”
“…”
“From now on, I’m going to grab all your energy, compress it, and push it into your danjeon.”
“…!”
Seongyul shook as though shocked. He seemed to grasp the implications of what I said.
Compressing all this energy and shoving it into his body was akin to forcing an entire storm into his dantian.
“Can you handle it? If not, then tell me now… oh, right, you can’t speak. If you can’t, then move a little.”
If it came to a worst-case scenario, I could merely absorb the energy back and release it.
While my body would bear a heavy burden and he might hurt to some extent, in the end, it was better than letting him die.
Instead…
“If you hold on, you’ll gain immense strength. Even though, realistically, holding on makes little sense.”
“…!”
“What’ll it be?”
“….”
In response to my question, Seongyul showed no movement whatsoever.
I had told him to do something if he didn’t like it… but now he only sat there, motionless.
“… Tsk.”
I suppose it did express his desire to at least try, even if it meant dying.
Seeing that, I simply drew in my energy.
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!!!
“Ugh…!!”
The energy started to gather under my guidance. The swiftly rotating mass began to condense.
‘Ugh.’
Even though the energy was too potent, compressing it was still feasible.
‘Just enough to use, excluding the excess.’
So, I adjusted it and compressed it.
Then, it went straight into Seongyul’s danjeon, and I pulled my hand away from his body.
At that moment.
Kuuuung—!!!
“Khuhhhh…!!!”
With booming sounds, something within Seongyul exploded consecutively.
“Hold on. If you can’t take it, you’ll die.”
Boom-! Boom boom boom–!!!
“…!!”
“Don’t open your mouth. Hold it tight. If you spill even a little, it’ll burst.”
Gulp.
Blood streamed from Seongyul’s mouth. The recoil clearly hit hard.
“Phew.”
I observed, crossing my arms.
Yet, something felt damp, so I checked my palm.
My palms were drenched in sweat.
Was it just my palms? My entire body was clammy.
“… Seriously.”
I thought it might be a little tricky, but it turned out to be this intense.
I quickly wiped the sweat from my uniform and looked back at Seongyul.
Boom! Boom boom!
“I wonder.”
Could he withstand this level of pressure?
Doubt crossed my mind but quickly faded.
‘I must.’
I had to see it through. He had to have that stubborn brake-up attitude.
If he were just an ordinary human, he would have already evaporated! But, he’d stubbornly held on thus far.
No matter why he suddenly became so unyielding.
‘If you can show me, then show me.’
I sensed that Seongyul was trying to demonstrate something.
Whether it’s stubbornness or his own will.
‘Come on, don’t throw yourself away so uselessly.’
It would be a waste to see someone like him end up as a casualty in a place like this.
I continued to observe Seongyul for a while, keeping that thought in mind.
Boom-! Boom… Boom boom…
The vibrations gradually increased until they suddenly ceased altogether.
Then.
Thud-!
Seongyul’s body collapsed onto the ground.
I narrowed my eyes at the sight.
Did I fail? Anxiety surged as I approached him.
But…
“Damn it, you scared me.”
Upon seeing him, I couldn’t help but curse.
“Why aren’t you getting up quickly?”
A smirk graced my features as I spat out my irritation.
“…”
Seongyul reacted to my words.
The guy who had been lying down pushed himself off the floor with his hands.
Thud thud-!!
Something crumbled off his body.
It looked similar to shedding skin. Maybe even the remnants left after a snake had shed its skin.
A significant transformation.
With the aid of overwhelming energy, he had grown a corporeal vessel.
“Ah….”
Seongyul, now standing, murmured a single word.
As soon as he opened his mouth, energy flowed out with his breath.
His murky yellow irises shimmered strangely.
It seemed like he felt something too, as his gaze grew sentimental.
The energy was dense and radiant.
Upon confirming this, I felt assured.
“You’ve crossed the wall.”
Seongyul had risen to Hwagyeong.
“Wow…”
“Is it good?”
He stared at me, wordlessly.
The emotions reflected in his expression were clearer than I had ever seen.
Joy and gratitude. Those feelings shimmered in his eyes.
“… Thank you… Thank you so much.”
Is crossing that wall truly such a delight? Seongyul continuously expressed his gratitude toward me.
“… Uh, yeah.”
I found it somewhat awkward to fully accept thanks.
‘… Technically, I forced you to eat it for you to succeed, didn’t I?’
Had I been careless, he could have ended up dead.
I was attempting to fix a mistake I almost made while checking for side effects. That hadn’t been my intention.
‘Yet, if the outcome is good, then everything is good.’
So, that’s fine. Moreover…
‘If it goes like this…’
I confirmed that Seongyul had succeeded with the Yeouiju.
‘This means I can feed it to others too, right…?’
I started to grasp how to utilize this.
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