I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 23
Did they say that if you want to realize something, you should reflect on everything?
As Seonwu reflected on this and that, he eventually reached the point of questioning whether this was truly the limit of the Peak Realm.
Of course, it did not mean the conclusions of countless people before him—who stated that this was the Peak Realm and that one could progress no further—were completely wrong.
But, well, you know how it is.
They say crows are black, but there might be a single albino crow out there that is white.
Even back when everyone believed in geocentric theory as common sense and could predict most astronomical phenomena fairly accurately with it, the heliocentric theory was the actual truth.
What if this current state was not necessarily the limit, even for the Peak Realm?
It was not as if Seonwu suddenly had that thought out of nowhere.
‘No matter how I look at it, isn’t there still a massive empty space inside my Yeouiju?’
Though it was said to contain the Inner Energy of the Peak Realm, it still felt empty.
What if he tried to cram more inside?
Of course, even now, he could alternately operate two different Divine Arts suited for the Peak Realm, but…
Still, what if he just tried filling it up more first?
Seonwu also remembered the saying that a little learning is a dangerous thing.
So, he sought counsel from his father, the Emperor, who would be more of an expert than anyone else.
“You say that because the Yeouiju is empty, you want to try filling it further?”
“Yes, Father. Normally, the general theory is that Spiritual Pills are a waste at the Peak Realm.”
The vessel of Inner Energy itself could no longer be expanded with a Spiritual Pill.
However, a Spiritual Pill was useful for hastily replenishing one’s Internal Force when it was entirely depleted and there was no time to perform Energy Circulation.
Yet, low-grade Spiritual Pills were more than enough for that kind of purpose.
Truly rare and expensive Spiritual Pills should be used to raise those who were still lacking into Peak Realm experts; using them for the rapid recovery of Internal Force was a waste.
Nevertheless, Seonwu thought that this common sense might not apply to him right now.
Because his Yeouiju still seemed hungry.
If so, then perhaps?
“I would like to try consuming at least one Spiritual Pill… No, if possible, several of them.”
“Do as you wish.”
“Is it really alright for me to do so?”
His imperial father smiled warmly.
“You have finally attained a realization in your own right, so why would this father stop you?”
“Pardon?”
Seonwu questioned back, momentarily dumbfounded.
This is a realization in my own right?
It was not anything that could be called the Transcendence Realm.
It was just an experiment to see if he could create one more pool of Inner Energy while staying in the Peak Realm.
It was a trial made possible only because Spiritual Medicine was overflowing in the storehouses, and because he was in a position where no one would curse him for wasting resources even if he failed.
Yet, even this was considered a realization?
“Uh, is something like this also a realization?”
“Though it is something only you can achieve, is there any reason it cannot be your own unique realization?”
Hearing that, it did seem to make sense.
Seonwu felt somewhat dazed.
‘But you can’t reach the original Transcendence Realm with just this, can you?’
That realm would be one where a person suppresses the flow of nature with their own Willpower, connecting it to their own Internal Force so that their Inner Energy literally recovers without rest.
Even if he increased his Internal Force by a lot, it would simply be expanding the water tank, and there would definitely be a limit to his endurance compared to the Transcendence Realm.
‘But it is clearly a step forward from the usual limit of the Peak Realm.’
If this too was a realization in its own way, then it was indeed a realization.
Seonwu thought that perhaps he had regarded realization as something far too profound.
To be honest, concepts like the Buddhist “form is emptiness, emptiness is form,”
or the Daoist “action through inaction”—these kinds of things were just too difficult.
At the very least, the saying among martial artists that one could slash the heavens with a single thread of Willpower resonated with him a little,
but even that did not fully hit home.
In his past life, where science ruled and Martial Arts were mere fantasy, swinging a sword with human will behind it would not make the heavens flinch.
‘No, honestly speaking, isn’t it the same over here too?’
Even though the Martial Arts of this world were on a completely different level, even those at the Realm of Creation could not actually slash the real heavens.
Yet, people prattled on about how because a sword exists in the heart, there is nothing under the heavens that cannot be cut, and seeing cases where they ascended to the Transcendence Realm through such realizations only left him with questions about whether that was truly correct.
But even a modest attempt like this could be a form of realization.
“Then I should go ahead and consume the Spiritual Medicine I’ve received as gifts so far.”
The Emperor shook his head.
“You have finally attained a realization, so there is no need to use such miscellaneous Spiritual Medicine.”
“Then….”
“I shall bestow upon you the Tianlong Pill. Use that.”
“Uh, the Tianlong Pill is….”
Seonwu briefly rummaged through the knowledge in his head.
It was something he knew well, but it required reconfirmation.
“Imperial Father, isn’t the Tianlong Pill the finest Spiritual Pill of the Imperial Court, on par with or even rarer than the Great Rejuvenating Pill?”
“That is so.”
When Seonwu had inquired before, he was told that Shaolin managed to concoct barely a single Great Rejuvenating Pill every ten years.
Compared to Wuxia settings where Shaolin could not even produce them anymore, Shaolin’s Great Rejuvenating Pill here was slightly less rare, but in truth, one pill every ten years was still extraordinarily precious.
Yet, he was being given the Tianlong Pill, which required ingredients even rarer than that?
“Is it really alright for me to use it?”
“Haha, are you not the son of Jim?”
“That is true.”
“Furthermore, although the Tianlong Pill possesses efficacy superior to the Great Rejuvenating Pill, the Imperial Family has an ample supply.”
“Ah.”
That was right.
Though Shaolin was powerful, it was ultimately just one sect in the Wulin, and its primary sphere of influence was merely a part of Henan Province.
The Imperial Court?
It spanned across the entirety of the Zhongyuan.
On top of that, Spiritual Medicine was a top-priority strategic resource controlled by the state.
In other words, the Imperial Court was also the entity that possessed the largest quantity of ingredients for Spiritual Medicine.
Therefore, while the Great Rejuvenating Pill was rare, the Tianlong Pill was far more abundant in terms of pure stockpile inventory.
Of course, that did not mean the difficulty for those outside the Imperial Family to acquire it was lower than that of the Great Rejuvenating Pill.
“I shall use it gratefully, Imperial Father.”
“It will prove effective.”
* * *
Since he had received confirmation that this was a realization in his own right, Seonwu had nothing holding him back.
He received the Tianlong Pill that very day and ingested it.
‘Apart from the energy I originally possess, I will create one more inside the Yeouiju.’
So to speak, a second Dantian.
The first Dantian actually occupied a portion of the Yeouiju as well, which made it different from an ordinary person’s Dantian anyway.
After endlessly circulating his Inner Energy according to the mnemonic of the Peerless Prajna Divine Art, he brought his mind to awareness and found that a second Golden Core of Inner Energy had properly formed inside the Yeouiju.
‘It’s a success.’
The first mass of Inner Energy, and the second mass of Inner Energy.
Each of them coexisted.
To put it in perspective, other Peak Realm experts merely possessed a single vessel within their human bodies.
Even experts who had mastered two types of Inner Energy would use the energy within that single vessel to operate this Inner Energy at times and that Inner Energy at other times; they could not deploy them simultaneously.
Those who mixed a few types of Inner Energy to create something new had ultimately just altered the proportions to create a new form of Inner Energy.
That new creation did not combine everything that previously existed.
It was not a matter of combining 10 and 10 to make 20, but rather taking 5 from each to create a new form that merely equaled 10.
But Seonwu was different.
He had both vessels entirely within his Yeouiju.
If so?
Seonwu proceeded to test his next goal.
With one, he deployed the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art to make his entire body robust, and with the other, he deployed the Peerless Prajna Divine Art to execute his Martial Arts.
‘It works!’
It worked.
‘Wow, I can carry out attacks with the Peerless Prajna Divine Art exactly as they are, while maintaining the defensive power from when the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art is entirely dedicated to defense.’
In fact, though Seonwu had not realized it yet, this was not something that was originally supposed to work.
Even if someone had mastered the Inner Energy of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, their entire body would have to be endlessly tempered to a degree equivalent to Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth for it to harbor that energy.
For it to naturally permeate his body all at once like this was something that could not be explained even by calling him a prodigy.
The body changing through ‘Yeoui’.
That was what it was, but since he did not even feel as though he had undergone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Rebirth himself, Seonwu simply rejoiced at the result.
‘Possessing two allows this kind of thing to happen? Hehe, it might be a bit strange to call this unification, but it could certainly be called parallel operation, right?’
Could it be that parallel operation is actually more incredible than unification?
‘This is insane.’
Seonwu smiled, feeling great.
‘Heh, even if I can’t be called a Transcendence Realm expert this way, am I worth two Peak Realm experts? No, is it more than that?’
After carefully measuring it out, Seonwu arrived at the conclusion that it was more.
Even if he were to face two Peak Realm experts attacking him in tandem, he alone would be stronger.
Possessing twice the power within a single body was different from one plus one.
It was different from combining wealth.
Since he possessed ultimate defense and profound attack within a single body, what would he have to fear from a coordinated attack?
‘Hold on. There’s still plenty of empty space in the Yeouiju, so should I challenge a third one too?’
He had mastered two Divine Arts so far.
However, did the Imperial Court not have an absolute abundance of Secret Manuals?
Since Seonwu had confirmed that his new concept was indeed a form of realization, there was nothing to stop him.
He also had a trustworthy person who could verify in advance whether his idea was a dangerous move leading toward Qi Deviation.
Namely, His Imperial Majesty.
“You say you wish to consume a second Tianlong Pill and create a third pool of Inner Energy?”
“Yes, Imperial Father. Would it be alright?”
“Yes, keep trying until you can do no more.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you not the son of Jim? It is only natural.”
‘Ah, Imperial Father.’
Seonwu was deeply moved by the affection of his father, who was like a truly unconditional, giving tree.
He heard that in some places, there were many histories where the Imperial Family was a completely broken household.
Yet, the family he was born into was incredibly harmonious.
“What should I try to create the third Inner Energy with?”
“Since you have achieved Vajra and Prajna, Taegeuk would be good.”
“That would be Wudang.”
“Yes. No matter what the other Nine Great Sects say, it is the pinnacle of Daoist Martial Arts. The Beiming Xingong might be comparable, but it is currently absent from the Imperial Court and completely lost.”
‘If he praises it to this extent, it must be certain.’
Of course, as someone who personally liked Mount Hua more than Wudang, Seonwu felt a bit of regret.
To be honest, among the Nine Great Sects, the Mount Hua Sect was most to his taste.
But taste was taste, and looking at it cold and objectively….
‘Honestly, it’s only when the protagonist is from Mount Hua that Mount Hua gets pushed to become the best, but in absolutely every other instance, the pinnacle of the Daoist sects is always Wudang anyway.’
There’s a saying like “Wudang is the Southern Sovereign,” but there’s no saying like “Mount Hua is the Southern Sovereign,” right?
Granted, Mount Hua is in the north.
Even so, there is no common idiom like “Mount Hua is the Northern Sovereign” either.
There are several novels where a Mount Hua expert becomes the undisputed best under heaven.
However, when hearing the phrase Mount Tai and the Big Dipper, honestly, not a single person among even the fans of the Mount Hua Sect would think of the Mount Hua Sect.
Everyone would think of Shaolin.
‘I have to admit what needs to be admitted.’
And when something continues to maintain the number one spot for over a thousand years, there is a good reason for it.
Was it said that the strong do not survive, but those who survive are the strong?
But if you continue to survive while being recognized as strong, then that must be truly strong, right?
“The Taegeuk Yangui Shingong. I’m looking forward to it.”
“It will be just perfect.”
Three Divine Arts alone.
Moreover, what if he could use three types simultaneously instead of alternating between them?
Seonwu himself was quite curious about just how much effectiveness that would display.
And he immediately began to learn it.
* * *
Creating the third Divine Art could not begin by immediately consuming the Tianlong Pill.
Because he lacked an understanding of it.
First, he had to know something about it before consuming the Tianlong Pill would lead to any results, wouldn’t it?
Therefore, Seonwu spent a year first consuming small Medicinal Pills and calmly building the foundation of the Taegeuk Yangui Shingong from the basics.
And he could define its characteristics.
‘Taegeuk is harmony.’
If Vajra is steadfast,
and Prajna is peerless,
then Taegeuk was the harmony of Yin and Yang.
Stating it like this was far too pedantic, though.
‘It’s specialized in deflecting the opponent’s power, receiving it softly, and gently passing it away while achieving harmony.’
To put it simply in terms of a Game System, it could be said to be specialized in deflecting and counterattacking.
‘If we discuss the pros and cons, it would depend on the situation. If I have to hold out against an expert stronger than me, it would be Vajra.’
Or if he was caught off guard and ambushed.
In such situations, the one with the most steadfast defense was indeed the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art.
No matter what happened, that defensive power at least provided a baseline.
On the other hand, the deflecting and counterattacking of the Taegeuk Yangui Shingong required him to respond and use it more actively.
Hence, if he went against an expert who utilized Martial Arts better or if he faced a sneak attack, it would be difficult to display its true power.
Instead, against those weaker than him, it excelled by deflecting with little consumption while simultaneously counterattacking.
Against those of equal strength….
‘Well, it would be a battle that truly depends on how one plays it.’
Furthermore, if he wanted to proactively resolve a situation, Prajna was the best.
Since all three showed the ultimate height through a single principle, each had its own advantages, and one could not be said to be unconditionally better than the others.
If he had been born as an ordinary human, he would not have had the chance to encounter even one of the three.
He would barely have had a chance to encounter one only if he managed to enter Shaolin or Wudang and was recognized as an outstanding top disciple there.
And would he really have been able to master even one of the three?
If a stroke of fate connected him to one, he would have been deeply grateful just to master that single one.
‘There’s no way I could have mastered all three.’
And how on earth, even if someone managed to master two or more, could they use them simultaneously?
It was impossible.
Yet, the current him could do it.
Clad in Vajra like armor to defend his entire body.
With the sword in his right hand harboring Prajna to attack.
With his left hand containing Taegeuk to deflect and counterattack.
Even just reaching this point, he was already so strong that he simply could not be compared to a conventional Peak Realm expert.
And the fact that three were possible meant that a fourth was also possible.
‘What should I add for the fourth?’

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