Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 135

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 135

 

 

 

 

 

It was when they had just taken a boat from Uichang and were approaching the ferry at the southernmost tip of Sichuan.

 

Mujin looked like a frog seeing the real world for the first time after leaving its well.

 

“Wow! This is truly an enormous scale!”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon nodded indifferently.

 

It was embarrassing for the person who had been amazed.

 

But this was Sichuan.

 

Since it was the largest ferry heading to the Central Plains and directly managed by the Tang Family, both its scale and facilities had to be excellent.

 

“The Yangtze River is really long, isn’t it? To think it extends from Uichang all the way to Sichuan. I heard it meets the sea at the eastern end.”

 

“It flows out through Jiangsu Province. But the starting point of the Yangtze River isn’t Sichuan.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“The tributaries flow from the Kunlun Mountains in Qinghai.”

 

“Ah… Huh?”

 

Mujin, who had been nodding, looked at Zhuge Munhyeon as if something was strange.

 

“What? Why?”

 

“No, it’s just that you speak as if you’ve been there before.”

 

“What nonsense? You can know that just by looking at a map.”

 

“No. Come to think of it, you weren’t surprised when you saw the ferry earlier either. Same when we boarded at Uichang. I was the only one making a fuss the whole time.”

 

“…”

 

“It’s really strange. It’s natural for people to be surprised when they see something new, but you rarely get surprised. Same when we met that Evil Seed called an Ascetic, and you take it for granted even when meeting Demonic Sect members… Come to think of it, you didn’t even frown once when you saw all those corpses at the Black Steel Gate Branch. As if all of it was a familiar situation.”

 

“You’re talking nonsense. There’s plenty to be surprised about.”

 

“No, that’s not it. I heard that until recently, the Zhuge Family was so weak that they never left Yungzhong Mountain. Well, thinking about everything so far, there were more than just one or two strange things. You’re lively and spirited, but sometimes you speak like a cunning master… And your search for the Ascension Method too, you know so much about various things that it seems impossible to learn just from reading books…”

 

The longer he spoke, the more suspicion grew in Mujin’s eyes.

 

Don’t tell me this guy developed some new ability as his internal energy increased? Could he be catching on to what I’m hiding…?

 

“You secretly went on trips, didn’t you?”

 

“…Huh?”

 

“Hey, hey. I knew it would be like this. Well, Young Master Munhyeon isn’t the type to just sit quietly and only read books. Just how much traveling have you done? Did you come all the way here while hiding your identity?”

 

“…”

 

Thank goodness.

 

This guy has no intuition.

 

And at times like this.

 

“Hahaha! It’s a secret.”

 

“I knew it! I thought so.”

 

Mujin wore a triumphant smile as if he had discovered something important.

 

He has no intuition and is even naive.

 

“Oh, and there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while.”

 

“What?”

 

“Just how are you so strong?”

 

“Well, because I always cultivate.”

 

“I cultivate too. The Young Master of the Zhuge Family does it, and Gwan Hwiping does it too. But none of us are as strong as you, Young Master Munhyeon. Even if we can’t help the depth of martial techniques, your internal energy is too strange. You said you took something strange at Dongho Lake, but even before that, you had an unusually large amount of internal energy.”

 

“Because the time spent on Heart Methods is different.”

 

“Pardon? That can’t be right? From watching beside you, Young Master Munhyeon doesn’t seem to spend much time on Heart Method cultivation? If anything, you do it less than others.”

 

Mujin tilted his head, unable to readily understand.

 

Well, it was about time to explain.

 

Though Mujin had unsealed the third seal and absorbed demonic energy, he was still too weak to approach the fourth seal.

 

Even his current power wasn’t complete.

 

Because he couldn’t properly control the power that had mixed with Demonic Arts and become chaotic.

 

It was time to teach him.

 

For what comes next.

 

“Mujin.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“When do you do Qi Circulation Breathing?”

 

“Well, at dawn. Every day.”

 

“That’s why.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Qi Circulation Breathing should be done every moment. During all the time you breathe. If you do that, you’ll naturally circulate qi even while sleeping.”

 

“…”

 

At the serious explanation, Mujin blinked and looked at him before saying.

 

“You’re joking, right? That was pretty good.”

 

“Want to get hit?”

 

“…Don’t say you’re serious. I’ve never heard of such a method.”

 

Even when threatened with narrowed eyes, he didn’t care. Traveling together must have made him quite bold.

 

If you’ve gotten bold, should I trim it down a bit?

 

So you can live a long and healthy life?

 

“You wouldn’t have heard of it. But there are already people doing it.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“The Wudang Sect Leader probably does it that way too.”

 

“The Sect Leader does?”

 

“Yes, probably several people who have reached the realm of strong energy do it too.”

 

“What are you talking about? Strong energy?”

 

“Strong energy is what you’ve been doing until now… No, that doesn’t apply to you. The moment you absorbed demonic energy and tried to achieve chaos, you also took a completely different path from others.”

 

“Don’t change the subject. What do you mean the Sect Leader and Martial Artists who have reached the realm of strong energy are doing it?”

 

His eyes became as big as marbles.

 

Even a Taoist is a Martial Artist.

 

Since it’s a method to become stronger, he couldn’t help but be greedy for it.

 

But where does he get off glaring at me?

 

I’ll hit you if you do well, you bastard.

 

Smack!

 

“Ah, why did you hit me!”

 

“I hit you before you could hit me.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“That’s how it felt.”

 

“…”

 

Though Mujin rubbed his head looking wronged, his eyes were burning very brightly.

 

It meant he wanted me to speak quickly.

 

“Anyway, when you reach the realm of strong energy, you enter completely different cultivation from conventional dantian cultivation.”

 

“Different cultivation?”

 

“Yes, because the middle dantian opens.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“Yours is already open. You just can’t use it.”

 

“I, I see.”

 

“So you have to cultivate Heart Methods in a different way from dantian cultivation.”

 

“What is that?”

 

“Conventional Qi Circulation Breathing is typically done before sunrise as a principle.”

 

“That’s right. The quiet time before dawn is easier for concentrating on cultivation, and the energy is at its purest.”

 

“Exactly, the accumulation speed is faster too. As a Taoist, you’d know well that Dantian Cultivation is like the process of Pill Refinement. As is known, most martial arts have developed alongside the history of Shaolin and Wudang, so it naturally continued that way. Accept, refine, and expel incompatible energy.”

 

Mujin perked up his ears and nodded earnestly, and the explanation continued even as they disembarked and searched for an inn.

 

“Generally, after Qi Circulation Breathing ends, your whole body becomes limp as if drained of energy. You’d know from experience that the Great Heavenly Circuit isn’t easy.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Also, after completing the Great Heavenly Circuit, your dantian is usually fully filled, so there’s no need for further cultivation. There’s nowhere left to accumulate.”

 

“Then what about cultivating constantly?”

 

“Are you rushing me?”

 

“No. Please continue.”

 

“Don’t interrupt.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Anyway, things change when you reach Gang Qi. As I mentioned before, when the middle dantian opens and Internal Energy flows endlessly, you’ll constantly feel a state of Internal Energy ‘hunger.'”

 

“Hunger?”

 

“Yes, we describe the emptying of the dantian or middle dantian like feeling hungry.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“Internal Energy flowing instead of staying put means you need more Internal Energy to fill it. So martial artists who’ve reached Gang Qi are always hungry. But can you do Qi Circulation Breathing every time you feel hungry?”

 

“You wouldn’t be able to do anything else.”

 

“Exactly. That’s why they usually train to be able to circulate qi at any moment. It must become as natural as breathing at all times.”

 

“Is that really possible?”

 

“You’ll naturally understand when you reach the Gang Qi level.”

 

“Then why don’t they teach such things before that?”

 

“Because you can’t do it even if you know.”

 

“What?”

 

“I told you. It only becomes possible when the middle dantian opens.”

 

“Ah… Huh?”

 

Mujin, who had been nodding, widened his eyes and stared at Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

Only when the middle dantian opens…

 

“Don’t tell me?”

 

“Idiot, would it be Gang Qi?”

 

“Then if it’s not even Gang Qi, how can you circulate qi like breathing every moment?”

 

At Mujin’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

 

Well, it was a process he’d already been through.

 

Even without Gang Qi, you could modify it to make it possible.

 

But he needed to give a more understandable answer.

 

“I read it in a book. Why?”

 

“…”

 

“Really.”

 

Mujin subtly turned his gaze away and made various expressions while pouting.

 

Hmm, wasn’t that a good answer?

 

It worked well until now.

 

Seems I’ve used it too much.

 

“Whether you believe it or not is your choice. However, what’s important is that I actually did it.”

 

“Fine. I’ll believe you. So tell me. How exactly do you circulate qi all day long?”

 

“You just create a state similar to reaching Gang Qi. To feel hunger.”

 

“Hmm, what’s that…”

 

Sensing that the words ‘bullshit?’ were omitted, Zhuge Munhyeon slightly raised his hand.

 

This bastard, really.

 

“Ah, there’s an inn. Let’s find a place first.”

 

“…”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon shook his head at the sight of Mujin running away hurriedly.

 

Usually such a slow guy, but he’s really quick-witted at times like this.

 

Where does he learn such things?

 

Ah, Gwan Hwiping.

 

I shouldn’t have left him with those guys.

 

Even bad feelings become affection, so I kind of miss… Ahem!

 

“This way, over here.”

 

“…”

 

Mujin, who wanted to hear the rest of the story, ordered simple snacks and even alcohol before calling Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

A Taoist drinking alcohol.

 

Seems he sold off the word ‘ascetic’ somewhere.

 

Hmm, no.

 

I think I heard that some previous Taoist master whose name was Jin… something abolished the ten precepts.

 

“Come, let’s wet our throats and continue.”

 

“…”

 

Such an annoying brat.

 

He pouted when I said I learned it from books, but now his intention to extract everything with a drink is clearly visible.

 

But such is a teacher’s heart.

 

I shall give generously.

 

The one who sows seeds cannot know whether it will be a good or bad harvest. Success or failure depends on heaven’s help and one’s own effort.

 

“…Where did we leave off?”

 

“Up to trying to hit… no, up to creating a state of feeling hunger.”

 

This bastard really is quick-witted.

 

Somehow the mountain tiger keeps becoming more like a fox.

 

The cunning, fox-like, quick-witted, lustful demon Taoist Mujin.

 

Roughly abbreviated: Fox-Colored Demon.

 

“Kheup…”

 

“Why are you laughing?”

 

“Huh? No… Puhup!”

 

“…”

 

At Mujin’s sharp glare, Zhuge Munhyeon hurriedly continued his explanation.

 

“Anyway, you forcibly create a hunger state for cultivation. So that qi circulation is constantly needed.”

 

“So how exactly do you do that?”

 

“You keep the energy flowing and moving. Little by little, along the blood vessels throughout your body.”

 

“What?”

 

“Think about when you’re fighting someone or having a martial duel. Your Internal Energy isn’t just sitting in your dantian.”

 

“Well, you have to make it flow to release it.”

 

“Right, that’s how you do it.”

 

“All day?”

 

“Yes. Little by little.”

 

“Is that possible?”

 

“I’m doing it right now. Right in front of your eyes.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Mujin just stared blankly.

 

It’s not something you can see just by looking.

 

There’s only a feeling.

 

“In that state, you continuously circulate qi. Like breathing. While walking, while running, never stopping. It’s painful at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll accumulate Internal Energy faster than others.”

 

“But then you’d get exhausted quickly, wouldn’t you?”

 

“Of course. That’s why you need stamina. So you don’t tire easily. You also need to train your lungs to accept breathing.”

 

“Were the iron rings you always wore on your arms and legs for that reason?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“You don’t meditate now?”

 

“I don’t need to anymore. I’ve built up enough stamina to circulate qi at any moment.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“If you’re bored, you should try it too.”

 

“Bored? What kind of talk is that? Of course I should start right away!”

 

“Hmm, it won’t be easy though?”

 

“I am Mujin.”

 

“…”

 

At the sight of him suddenly pounding his chest and making bold claims, Zhuge Munhyeon made an incredulous expression.

 

So what if you’re Mujin?

 

What’s that supposed to mean?

 

And that night.

 

“Aaaahhh!”

 

Mujin’s voice could be heard from the next room.

 

That guy, he’s started.

 

It probably won’t be easy.

 

Even I, who knew the method, had to go through a painful process.

 

But that’s how the world works – nothing comes easy.

 

If you want something big, you need even greater effort and sweat.

 

Step by step, slowly moving forward…

 

“Damn it all! This is supposed to be possible? You should at least make sense. If you don’t want to teach me, just say so. I almost got qi deviation and died. Crazy bastard, lunatic, bastard who should drown swimming in a dung pit, bastard worse than a pile of shit that even dogs step over!”

 

Hmm, is he trying to draw out primordial power while circulating energy?

 

For a Taoist, his cursing is quite impressive.

 

How difficult must the cultivation have been for him to curse with perfect rhythm, meter, and even creativity.

 

Well, when no one’s around, you can even curse His Majesty, right?

 

But.

 

I’m not His Majesty, am I?

 

“…Ptui!”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon spat on his hands, rubbed them together, gripped his Silver Cold Staff tightly, and went out for a night stroll.

 

To the next room.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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