The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 22

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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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22
The Battle for the Sword
Although he appeared completely motionless from the outside, a fierce battle was raging inside Woo Geom-san’s body.
The medicinal effect of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill was vicious.
No matter how firmly he steeled his mind, passion erupted like an active volcano, eroding his reason.
To make matters worse, intense stimulation was applied from the outside by Chie Xianzi.
Chie Xianzi was a woman who had mastered all kinds of Chamber Arts and Soul-Seducing Arts of the Western Regions to near perfection.
With just a flick of her fingertips, she could arouse even an old man right on the verge of breathing his last.
Chie Xianzi did not rush, stimulating Woo Geom-san while watching his reaction. Unlike usual, however, irritation was etched on her face.
This was because Woo Geom-san remained completely unresponsive despite her careful touch.
“What? Is he actually a eunuch or something?”
“Sister, are you seriously struggling and flustered over a single brat like that?”
The voice of Qinghan Xianzi coming from behind broke Chie Xianzi’s concentration.
“Shut up! What do you know to be talking such nonsense?”
“Ho-ho! I thought you’d be thoroughly enjoying yourself by now, but you haven’t even been able to start yet, have you? The great Chie Xianzi has truly lost her touch.”
Qinghan Xianzi mocked Chie Xianzi.
Qinghan Xianzi had always looked upon Chie Xianzi with displeasure.
She did not like how Chie Xianzi had always claimed the best of everything first, simply because she was older than her.
Seeing Chie Xianzi, who had put on such arrogant airs, now completely helpless against a mere boy felt utterly ridiculous to her.
“Why don’t you just hand him over to me instead? Exactly how long are you going to make me wait?”
“Shut up! I’ll have him up in no time, so just watch my technique in silence.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll probably get wrinkles just waiting for my turn.”
“You, seriously…”
“What about me?”
The voices of Chie Xianzi and Qinghan Xianzi grew louder.
They engaged in an emotional spat with Woo Geom-san caught in the middle.
Because of that, Woo Geom-san was left alone for a moment.
It was a golden opportunity for Woo Geom-san.
This was because he was liberated, even if only briefly, from the external stimulation that had been tormenting him so severely.
He had fought desperately against the passion, but now he too was reaching his absolute limit.
If Qinghan Xianzi had not interrupted, he would have succumbed to Chie Xianzi before long.
That was just how terrifying the medicinal effect of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill was.
‘Just how on earth does this medicine work to arouse such intense lust?’
Woo Geom-san focused on his inner self.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been absolutely impossible for him.
Contemplating one’s inner self is impossible with ordinary cultivation.
Woo Geom-san was not at that level of attainment yet.
However, the current situation was highly unusual.
The Heavenly Pleasure Pill sharply awakened every single one of Woo Geom-san’s senses.
Thanks to that, he became vulnerable to lust, but his remaining senses were clearer than ever before.
His senses, honed as sharp as a blade, did not miss even the slightest internal change.
Thanks to this, Woo Geom-san could fully perceive his own inner self.
What caught Woo Geom-san’s attention was none other than his Dantian.
An alien energy had taken root inside his Dantian.
The heavy, rock-like mass occupying the space was the medicinal effect of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill.
Coiling like a serpent, the energy of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill was supplying its medicinal effects throughout his entire body via Woo Geom-san’s acupoints.
‘It feels almost alive.’
Of course, the Heavenly Pleasure Pill did not actually possess a will of its own.
It merely felt that way because spreading through the most vulnerable area to encompass the whole body was extremely efficient.
‘I have to drive the medicinal effect out of my Dantian.’
The Dantian was the most vulnerable part of his body.
His Dantian, which had suffered a major injury, was so incomplete that Qi Accumulation was impossible.
For that reason, he still did not dare even attempt to accumulate Qi.
Woo Geom-san focused on the incompleteness of his Dantian.
‘What if I let the energy of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill pass through, just like Qi?’
His deliberation was brief.
Woo Geom-san immediately put his thought into action.
He abandoned the idea of keeping anything contained within his Dantian.
Instead, he opened his Dantian wide.
He did it so that any kind of energy could flow through naturally.
Once, Baek Ho-yang had told Woo Geom-san:
The wind blows on its own, and water flows to the lowest point.
Qi is just the same, so do not try to hold onto it; let it flow.
It is the nature of the world that it scatters if you try to trap it, so simply trust it and leave it to flow.
He had understood Baek Ho-yang’s words with his mind.
He had actually tried to practice it.
But it was not as easy as it sounded.
Failing to cross a certain line, he had repeatedly collapsed.
Now was different.
There was nowhere to retreat, and no path to return.
It was an absurd situation where no options were given.
Woo Geom-san staked everything he had on this faint possibility.
He did not attempt to control the energy of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill; he merely watched it flow on its own.
The only thing he focused on was firmly guarding his mind.
Leaving nothing but his steadfast mind behind, he released his control over his Dantian and his senses.
He felt his entire body sink heavily, as if he had plunged into water wearing a heavy weight.
Even so, he did not panic and accepted the situation exactly as it was.
The moment he released control, the medicinal effect of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill surged wildly throughout his entire body.
His senses sharpened even more precariously, and his blood coursed rapidly through his body, causing Woo Geom-san’s face to flush red.
He felt as though his entire body might explode from even the slightest stimulation.
Even so, Woo Geom-san did not make a single move.
He only hoped that the medicinal effect would naturally flow out and empty from him.
He was in a completely defenseless state, but fortunately, Chie Xianzi and Qinghan Xianzi were too busy bickering to pay any attention to Woo Geom-san.
Consequently, they failed to notice the transformation occurring within Woo Geom-san.
Woo Geom-san was undergoing a mystical experience.
The pathways through which the energy of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill traveled became vividly visible to him.
Originally, Qi is invisible to the human eye.
Because it inherently has no form, it cannot be seen with the eyes.
It was the same even if one accumulated it within the body.
One could only vaguely guess its presence through sensations and feelings.
The energy channels and blood meridians through which Qi traveled were no different.
They could never be seen by the eyes of an ordinary human.
Yet right now, all of those things were vividly visible to Woo Geom-san’s eyes.
He was not seeing them with his actual eyes, but they were felt with that level of clarity.
The energy of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill mixed into them, making the energy channels feel as distinct as if they had been injected with red dye.
It was a mystical experience that defied description.
His entire body felt as though it might explode from the wildly swirling energy, yet every single path was vividly imprinted into his mind.
As time passed, the energy that had been running amok as if to burst his body gradually found stability.
This was because the furious energy moved on its own to find the optimal pathways.
When it overflowed, it naturally flowed to where it was lacking; when it was not held back, it naturally moved to empty spaces on its own.
The energies that had circulated through Woo Geom-san’s body passed through his Dantian and were naturally discharged out of his body.
Thanks to that, Woo Geom-san’s body gradually regained its composure.
The path through which the Heavenly Pleasure Pill had circulated became deeply engraved into Woo Geom-san.
Woo Geom-san realized that his energy pathways had been opened.
If he could discharge energy from the inside to the outside, it meant he could conversely draw energy from the outside into the inside.
For now, his achievement was too meager to draw upon great power, but as his attainment grew higher, the power he could utilize would grow larger as well.
Woo Geom-san realized that he had encountered a fortuitous encounter in the worst possible situation.
Thanks to the rampage of the Heavenly Pleasure Pill, he had easily obtained energy channels that would normally have taken at least several years of effort to forge.
The one who detected the abnormal sign first was Chie Xianzi.
“Wait, what is this?”
“Why are you changing the subject?”
“Be quiet! Shut up!”
Chie Xianzi brushed off Qinghan Xianzi’s arm and hurriedly examined Woo Geom-san.
Woo Geom-san’s body, which had been flushed red as if about to explode, had returned to its usual appearance before they knew it.
No trace of poisoning could be found in his appearance.
Only then did Qinghan Xianzi also realize that something had gone wrong.
“What on earth is this?”
At that moment, Woo Geom-san opened his eyes.
Within his clear eyes, the light of passion no longer existed.
Not only that, but he could also move his hands and feet freely.
After checking his physical condition, Woo Geom-san raised his upper body.
“You, how did you break free from the Heavenly Pleasure Pill? Don’t tell me you took an antidote beforehand?”
“You know better than anyone that no such thing exists, don’t you?”
“True! But…”
Chie Xianzi, who had reflexively agreed with Woo Geom-san’s words, flinched in startle.
For some reason, the look in Woo Geom-san’s eyes made her heart turn cold.
Instinctively, a sense of aversion welled up within her.
“I don’t know what kind of sinister sorcery you used to break free, but even so, you cannot escape our hands.”
“The ones who used sinister sorcery were you all, not me.”
“I didn’t want to leave any flaws on you, but it can’t be helped. If the Heavenly Pleasure Pill doesn’t work, I have no choice but to subdue you by force.”
Watching Chie Xianzi gather Martial Cultivation Force into both of her hands, Woo Geom-san wore a troubled expression.
Although he had unwittingly gained a fortuitous encounter, that did not mean his martial skills had instantly risen.
Having never learned proper sword techniques, he was still completely powerless.
Nor was he in a situation where he could use the fist techniques he had learned in the past.
Right then, a saving voice echoed in Woo Geom-san’s ears.
“What shameless witches dare speak of subduing someone?”
The owner of the ancient, resonant voice was none other than Baek Ho-yang.
Before anyone realized, he had entered the room where Woo Geom-san was confined.
Seeing Baek Ho-yang appear completely unharmed, Chie Xianzi’s and Qinghan Xianzi’s faces turned stark white.
“How can this be!”
“How did that old man…?”
“I have already subdued the abbot of this temple and the other witches. Do not resist and surrender quietly.”
At Baek Ho-yang’s words, the two women shook their heads.
“Don’t lie to us, old man!”
“How dare you try to deceive us. Die!”
Without another word, they unleashed killing blows.
They had reacted blindly, driven by instinctive fear.
Baek Ho-yang let out a sigh and effortlessly evaded all of their attacks.
“How foolish.”
There were always those who only learned their lesson after blood was drawn.
Baek Ho-yang did not like to inflict harm on others. However, because it was clear that letting these women be would only result in more people suffering, he did not hesitate to strike.
Thud! Thud!
His Sword Hand-Sign struck the Dantians of Chie Xianzi and Qinghan Xianzi in rapid succession.
He had unleashed the Heart-Shottering Resolution.
“Arrgh!”
“N-No!”
Feeling their Martial Cultivation Force shatter and scatter to pieces, the two women shrieked in agony.
As if hit directly by decades of time, their beautiful faces and skin shriveled up at a terrifying speed.
The youth they had maintained by plundering the essence and blood of others vanished in an instant.
Their beautiful features were gone without a trace, leaving behind only heavily wrinkled old crones.
Woo Geom-san’s mouth fell wide open at the unbelievable sight.
Baek Ho-yang tapped Woo Geom-san on the shoulder and spoke.
“You held out well. It seems you’ve even gained a fortuitous encounter…”
Baek Ho-yang recognized Woo Geom-san’s physical state at a single glance.
Woo Geom-san gave an awkward smile.
“It just somehow turned out that way.”
“It seems you have grasped the method of letting things flow.”
“I could see it, you see.”
“A misfortune has turned into a blessing.”
“I was lucky.”
“That is a relief.”
Baek Ho-yang nodded.
Although he had undergone unexpected hardships, the reward gained was by no means small.
Since he was neither injured nor lost his life, it could be said that Woo Geom-san had come out ahead.
Woo Geom-san asked:
“Did the others all end up like them as well?”
“Indeed. They have all lost their youth and power, becoming worse off than ordinary folks.”
“Their future lives will be quite miserable.”
“Does that make you feel sorry for them?”
“Not at all.”
“Good! There is no reason to feel sorry. They are merely paying the price for the wicked deeds they have committed until now. Though it may seem like there is no immediate retribution, the Dao of Heaven is fair and always demands a price. You must keep this firmly in mind.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
“Good! That is enough.”
Baek Ho-yang flashed a smile that resembled the vast sky.

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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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