The Great Violet Pill is the Mount Hua Sect’s secret miraculous medicine. It was known that technique daoists spent decades refining to make one.
Having experienced it, he understood. The power it contained was no less than its reputation.
Boom-
Energy circulated in Jeong Yeon-shin’s body as if melting a cluster of plum blossoms.
From the curved bone acupoint below the navel to the celestial prominence acupoint between the collarbones.
He included the jade hall acupoint at the solar plexus in the trajectory moving in a large circle in the upper body.
It was the area where the middle dantian was. He stimulated it continuously.
‘It’s working.’
He felt the function activating. He perceived noticeable changes.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Technique true energy circulating through the major heavenly circuit along with the Great Violet Pill’s energy was becoming sticky as it passed through the middle dantian.
This must be the endurance Baek Mi-ryeo mentioned.
‘It’s not opening completely.’
It felt only about half opened. It seemed he would need to pierce it with true energy embodied in himself.
Even this much was more than enough achievement.
They said internal force masters who cultivated the middle dantian never had their internal energy handling shaken in any situation.
Without further training his own true energy, he had stepped into the realm of definite masters. He had shortened an enormous amount of time.
Feeling satisfied, Jeong Yeon-shin moved his hand.
He placed his palm on the center of Yu Hyeon’s back as he lay face down, and began pouring in the Great Violet Pill’s energy that had been circulating inside his body.
“Already…!”
Cheon Ju’s voice was heard. Jeong Yeon-shin opened his mouth while strengthening the power he was pouring.
“Yu Hyeon. Get up.”
Even while openly speaking during energy circulation, his energy didn’t waver.
It was both a characteristic of Jeong Family Dynamic Technique that moved the body to refine internal energy and his innate control over internal energy.
No sound was heard, perhaps because Cheon Ju had closed his mouth.
“I said get up.”
Along with the words, he firmly pressed Yu Hyeon’s nape with his left hand. He had sealed the mute acupoint.
After making him unable to speak, the rest was easy.
He stimulated the young Taoist’s interior while circulating energy without rest. Consciousness had no choice but to awaken.
“This is the Great Violet Pill’s energy. I’ll give you all of it, so operate the Purple Mist Divine Technique.”
Jeong Yeon-shin said, detecting the greatly risen pulse.
He could feel Yu Hyeon’s turbulent emotions at his fingertips. Jeong Yeon-shin transferred all the energy and removed his hand.
They called it cross-body power transfer. It was a term referring to the act of transferring energy to another person.
He had heard it naturally accompanied extreme physical exhaustion.
Jeong Yeon-shin was different. Perhaps because he had greatly opened his middle dantian, he felt power overflowing throughout his body.
He straightened his posture and stepped back. Ma Jin’s hand, which had tried to support him, awkwardly pressed empty air.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
The three people waited in silence for Yu Hyeon’s energy circulation to end.
When Yu Hyeon finally rose from his seat, Cheon Ju’s eyes, who was checking his pulse by holding his wrist, widened as if they would tear.
Jeong Yeon-shin had completely dissolved the Great Violet Pill’s energy and infused it into Yu Hyeon’s body without the slightest loss.
A supreme master like the Mount Hua Sword Saint would have to notice immediately.
“The power…!”
The Mount Hua Sword Saint Cheon Ju couldn’t continue speaking for a moment. Only after taking several breaths did he let out a low sound.
“You completely transferred this much dissolved energy? Such a thing in the world…”
His expression as he raised his head to stare at Jeong Yeon-shin was filled with shock and admiration.
“You are truly a great person!”
“I understand you trusted and entrusted it to me.”
“Even so…”
The emotion shown on his face wouldn’t easily disappear. Yu Hyeon also looked at Jeong Yeon-shin with similar eyes.
Though he had felt admiration from the start, now he seemed to look up to him like a sect senior brother.
“You saved Mount Hua’s future. Having treated the Mount Hua Sect with the bearing of a great hero, there should rightfully be compensation.”
Cheon Ju spoke without hiding his reverence. Even his manner of speech had changed.
The Mount Hua Sword Saint’s formal condescension felt awkward.
Until becoming Divine Sword Squad Leader, he had only passed on cumbersome energy because time was lacking.
“Of course, I’m not measuring your grace with material things. It’s just my heart, so please accept it. Hyeon said he would visit Desolate Sect. I’ll send it with this fellow’s hands then.”
“Thank you.”
Jeong Yeon-shin, who returned thanks with clasped fists, glanced at Ma Jin.
“Is the mission over?”
“Yes. You did everything.”
“What.”
Cheong Myeong had made him come back on his own feet by taking Thieving Ghost’s left hand.
The surely powerful Blood Flame Sect group had been defeated by Radiant Demon Wing and the Mount Hua Sect.
Jeong Yeon-shin had merely placed chopsticks on a rice bowl, yet he had inadvertently concluded all events.
The Great Violet Pill, which was the source of the disturbance, had returned to the Mount Hua Sect leader’s disciple. It couldn’t be neater than this.
The mission ended before support could even arrive from the main sect.
They promised next time with the Mount Hua Sect masters who had shown the greatest goodwill.
Perhaps they felt Jeong Yeon-shin’s energy that had changed once again through the middle dantian.
Cheong Myeong, who smiled brightly, and Baek Mi-ryeo, who shook her head, aligned their horses’ heads together.
The return journey was like touring the martial world as Hyeon Won-chang wished. That’s how great the mission’s achievements were.
Radiant Demon Wing returned leisurely with Ma Jin’s tacit approval. It was a long time.
The Desolate Sect fortress seen upon entering Xiangyang felt both welcome and unfamiliar.
During that time, Jeong Yeon-shin had honed his martial arts while suppressing his impatience. So he could achieve great merit in the next mission too.
* * *
Originally, he had planned to request martial arts from the Desolate Sect Lord immediately upon return. Now it was different.
He had the Radiant Sword Style and Radiant Wing Step that he couldn’t have imagined obtaining when setting out on the mission.
There was still much room for improvement. Since he didn’t know what martial arts might be needed, he decided to deliberately hold back.
“Going to the training ground again? Aren’t you tired from the journey’s fatigue?”
It was Hyeon Won-chang, whom he met at the main hall of the Radiant Demon Wing pavilion.
He thrust forward his face with dark circles under his eyes from who knows how much drinking at taverns. Jeong Yeon-shin pushed away his chin.
“I’m fine.”
He hadn’t touched even a single cup of alcohol for the sake of internal energy achievement.
Now that he had considerably opened even his middle dantian, his stamina felt limitless.
He went out, leaving behind Hyeon Won-chang who shook his head saying how amazing he was.
While heading to the small training ground, he heard all kinds of seniors’ congratulations and whispers.
“Lightning Flash! I heard you achieved unbelievable merit.”
“Is it true you beheaded the Eight Fierce Rakshasa Sword?”
“They say you cut him down with taking advantage tactics.”
“Taking advantage? A Desolate Sect white-rank killed a Tyrant Sword Sect elder. Would a Desolate Sect martial artist disparage it with such words?”
“The blue robe suits you very well. I’m willing to give mine too if needed.”
It was incomparable to when he had killed the Blood Swordmaster.
The response was tremendous. There were even seniors who knocked on his door.
They said a Thirteen Heavens elder was a master hard to handle even for Desolate Sect blue-rank.
No matter how he had killed him, it couldn’t help but become a huge topic.
“They say he also saved the Mount Hua Sect head disciple’s life.”
“How many Nine Sects masters did he befriend in just two missions?”
“Zhongnan and Mount Hua too. When going on missions to Shaanxi, we should request Lightning Flash’s dispatch.”
Even responding to each one was difficult.
He didn’t know the first fatigue he felt after greatly activating his middle dantian would come from his mouth corners.
Later he passed by the main training ground with a forced smile.
In the small training ground made of private rooms, he reviewed the martial arts gained from the mission.
Whether he could imbue more powerful force into the Radiant Sword Style’s flow, how to take the second step of Radiant WIng Step.
He also couldn’t stop creating moves for Eternal Blossom Fist.
‘I can’t grasp it now.’
Inspiration didn’t come immediately. It seemed he needed to broaden his knowledge.
‘I heard there’s a good place.’
Jeong Yeon-shin immediately turned his steps.
* * *
The land used by the Seventeen Great Squads of Desolate Sect’s Divine Sword Division was incredibly vast.
The vast space was necessary since it had to accommodate not only the martial artists of each division but also servants and attendants.
Radiant Demon Wing’s Radiant Demon technique and Azure Sky Squad’s Azure Sky Sword technique were different.
The seventeen martial squads under the Divine Sword Division were each compared to independent sects.
They said the number of people was similar to small and medium sects, but there was a huge difference in martial power.
Different martial arts in a vast compound. Left alone, it was an environment where exchange would be difficult.
‘They said instead of becoming narrow wells, we should meet and form an ocean.’
Ma Jin’s words came to mind.
Desolate Sect was an innovative martial arts collective. The imperial court created it by breaking the unwritten rule of non-interference in official murim affairs.
They made all sorts of attempts to sharpen the Great Ming Empire’s sword. Innovation had to continue.
“And you are?”
The middle-aged scholar asking Jeong Yeon-shin now was in such a place.
The neatly laid out training ground visible over his shoulder was truly magnificent. Even small steps for viewing were arranged.
Unfamiliar martial artists sat scattered around while staring at the center, and following their gaze, Jeong Yeon-shin saw all sorts of martial arts he was witnessing for the first time.
Clang! Boom!
It was the sight of white and blue warriors from other Seventeen Squads crossing hands.
A training ground where all martial artists belonging to the Divine Sword Division could freely spar. It was a place where the martial arts of the Seventeen Squads intersected.
“Is this the Martial Arts Training Ground?”
“That’s right. A youth swordsman in a blue robe… You must be Lightning Flash. I am Do Yu-won of the General Administration Office.”
“I am Jeong Yeon-shin of Radiant Demon Wing.”
The two exchanged clasped fist greetings.
Do Yu-won opened his mouth. The goodwill in his expression was intriguing.
“I’ve heard much about Radiant Demon Wing’s Lightning Flash. All news of Desolate Sect gathers at the General Administration Office. We’re the ones who classify the achievements you’ve made. Truly remarkable.”
When Do Yu-won with his sharp features smiled, he looked quite benevolent.
“Building a name as a hero at such a young age… seeing you makes my heart glad. I’ll secretly tell you something.”
“What…”
“When you complete even one small mission, you will be promoted to blue level. Each of your achievements has been substantial and received many points. Enough that the test will be just a formality.”
“Ah.”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s short exclamation came from his heart.
He was definitely progressing.
He knew the merit accumulated through three missions, including the Zhongnan Sect affair, was not small.
However, hearing it directly from a General Administration Office scholar was different.
He was someone who managed personnel within Desolate Sect. To Jeong Yeon-shin, he was an even greater figure than Ma Jin.
“Congratulations in advance.”
Do Yu-won smiled slightly.
“Anyway, welcome here. Today’s duty of managing the Martial Arts Training Ground will be worthwhile. Wouldn’t it be something to see young master’s spar?”
“Did you say young master’s?”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s tone had unconsciously become more respectful.
Even he felt the big difference from how he treated his inadequate maternal uncle Ma Jin.
Radiant Demon Wing Leader? Meeting them, he understood. The people who held personnel rights were kings.
“You didn’t know, I see. Right now, the heir of the Desolate Ma Family is training there.”
Where Do Yu-won pointed, there was a familiar figure.
A handsome appearance that seemed like seeing Cheong Myeong’s childhood. He was maternal grandfather Ma Yeon-jeok’s adopted grandson.
Now he was wearing a white martial uniform with Desolate Sect’s ‘Hwang’ character.
He remembered creating Eternal Blossom Fist with his help.
He was making good use of the further developed flow of force. Gratitude rose again.
‘It was a good fist technique.’
While he was reminiscing, Do Yu-won continued speaking.
“Indeed, there’s much praise for the Desolate Ma Family. He’s winning consecutive victories against other white warriors here at the Martial Arts Training Ground. Isn’t it even more amazing since it hasn’t been a month since he passed the Desolate Exam? Thanks to him, the area around the main fortress is quite bustling.”
“I see.”
It was when Jeong Yeon-shin nodded. His eyes met with the guy who was far away.