Chapter 43: Qi Refining (3)

Chapter 43: Qi Refining (3)

When I opened my eyes, the pungent smell of medicinal herbs assailed my nose.

'Red Stemmed Bamboo, Far Reaching Grass, Clustered Earth... I recognize some, but more than half are unknown to me...'

As I inhaled the scent of medicinal herbs, I tried to recall their combinations, but it seems that most were beyond my knowledge.

After circulating my energy to check my physical condition, I slowly rose from my seat.

'This place is...'

It appeared to be the medicinal hall of the Jin Clan.

While I was looking around, on the small table beside me, a red jade stone that was placed there turned blue.

Simultaneously, in my domain of consciousness, numerous spell characters linked to the jade stone formed a connection, alerting me.

'Is this... informing others of my physical condition...?'

The connection of the spell characters extended rapidly outside the room. Soon, a Cheongmun Clan elder of Qi Building, Cheongmun Byeok, and what appeared to be a physician of the Jin Clan entered the room.

"Respected elder..."

"Sit down. Ha ha ha. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes. I feel almost unscathed."

"Well, that's to be expected. Even the head of the Jin Clan was excited watching your duel and ordered to take great care of you. It's surprising that he felt such excitement watching a duel between two Qi Refining cultivators, not even Qi Building. Ha ha, you've made a great contribution."

Cheongmun Byeok, laughing heartily, patted my shoulder and spoke to the Jin Clan's physician.

"If there's nothing unusual after examining his meridians, he can be discharged."

"Yes, understood."

The physician of the Jin Clan examined my condition and promptly declared me fully recovered, allowing me to leave.

I followed Cheongmun Byeok to the quarters assigned to me in the Cheongmun Clan.

My room was next to Cheongmun Byeok's, and before entering, he called me into his room.

The door of the quarters closed with a thud, and Cheongmun Byeok, sitting down, flicked his fingers.

A cushion flew in front of me and landed on the floor, and he gestured for me to sit.

"Sit down."

"Yes."

"First of all, you did very well in today's duel. You upheld the dignity of the Cheongmun Clan in front of the other clans. Today's event will be reported to the head of our clan, and you have definitely earned merit."

"Thank you."

"But, before the main house decides on a reward, I have something I want to know."

He looked at me with clear eyes and asked.

"In my younger days, I read in an ancient text about martial artists of the Five Energies Converging to the Origin, who appear once in several hundred years. They are beyond the reach of ordinary Qi Refiners, with a lifetime of extreme hardship and martial arts training. Only by facing death can they possibly awaken to such a state."

He is right.

Unless one is an anomaly like Kim Young-hoon, who has unprecedented martial talent, or someone like me, an anomaly of time, typical geniuses cannot reach the Five Energies Converging to the Origin without preparing for death.

Even if one reaches the extreme of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, without properly completing a body transformation and strengthening the body, the upper dantian would swell and burst.

"Such beings, born against all odds, often have superior and more intricate consciousness than ordinary Qi Refiners. They can even wield the Pure Spiritual Force that Qi Building cultivators use, overpowering ordinary Qi Refining cultivators."

"Pure Spiritual Foce...?"

"Did you not know? When you reach Qi Building, spiritual energy becomes incredibly pure along the activated spiritual pathways from Qi Refining... Like this."

A pure white light began to emanate from Cheongmun Byeok's hand.

I was awestruck.

"Gang Qi...!"

"Do mortals call it Gang Qi? Qi Building cultivators call it Pure Spiritual Force. It's force created by removing impurities and compressing the existing spiritual energy dozens of times."

I watched Cheongmun Byeok effortlessly emitting Gang Qi from his hand without any intent and became speechless.

Meanwhile, I noticed that the Pure Spiritual Force he emitted was different from my Sword Gang.

'Mine is filled with intent, but his force is just massively compressed Qi.'

Just like when I used the initial move of Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven to infuse energy into my Sword Silk, creating Gang Qi for a few seconds.

A Qi Building cultivator just spews out crudely compressed heaven and earth spiritual energy.

'My Sword Gang might be slightly better in cutting ability, but...'

Without any realization, I was dumbfounded by Cheongmun Byeok, who could continuously emit Gang Qi, not just for 'a few seconds,' but 'steadily.'

'I'm overwhelmingly inferior in output. Moreover, the purity of his Qi is much higher than my Sword Gang. It's free from impurities...!'

More importantly, being able to emit Gang Qi so crudely means that...

"I have a question. If I reach Qi Building... that Gang Qi... no, Pure Spiritual Force..."

"In Qi Building, Pure Spiritual Force is the 'norm'."

"It flows through the meridians instead of regular spiritual power. It densely fills the entire body with natural resilience, so what you martial artists call protective Gang Qi is effectively being constantly emitted."

A monster whose meridians are filled with Gang Qi!

A being almost constantly emitting protective Gang Qi, that is a Qi Building cultivator!

'The reason only Gang Sphere can fight against Qi Building... Is because they are monsters constantly spewing protective Gang Qi. To injure a Qi Building cultivator, one needs power beyond Gang Qi...'

I was dizzy with the concept I hadn't even imagined before.

Gang Qi instead of regular energy flowing through the meridians!

Is this even human?

'No wonder the lifespan of Qi Building cultivators greatly increases...'

Their bodies are filled with Gang Qi, continuously cultivating and expanding its volume. It would be strange if such monsters didn't experience a change in lifespan.

"...Anyway. Martial artists who have reached Three Flowers Gather at the Summit can emulate our Pure Spiritual Force, and those of the Five Energies Converging to the Origin can do so quite freely... Those below Qi Building stand no chance.

However, excluding such obvious information, martial artists of the Five Energies Converging to the Origin are so rare that I don't know what you might need. So, tell me what you need for your reward from the Cheongmun Clan."

"Something I need..."

After a moment of thought, I spoke to him.

"The elder of the Cheongmun Clan who oversees the territory I reside once told me about Understanding before Breakthrough. Since my spiritual root is of the Five Elements, my cultivation speed isn't fast. I would like to follow the method of Understanding before Breakthrough."

"Understanding before Breakthrough... If it's about understanding spells and mantras, I'll recommend you as a disciple to Cheongmun Ryeong after I return to the main house. He may have given up on reaching Core Formation, but he's dedicated to researching spells, mantras, and formations. He'll be of help in your pursuit of Understanding before Breakthrough."

"...Thank you!"

"And..."

He stroked his beard for a moment and then said.

"The head of the Jin Clan also found your martial prowess interesting and decided to grant you a reward. They'll fulfill any reasonable request, so think about what you want."

After finishing his words, Cheongmun Byeok indicated that our conversation was over, and I stepped outside, mulling over.

"A reward from the Jin Clan too..."

From his tone, it seems like they were willing to fulfill any minor request I have.

'...Then, is that possible...?'

I contemplated a possibility, thinking about what to ask for.

A few days later, I had the opportunity to meet the head of the Jin Clan, Jin Yeo-woon.

He expressed great interest in me and asked if I had any wishes.

"Ask within a reasonable scope that they can fulfill."

Before meeting the head, Cheongmun Byeok had earnestly advised me that 'reasonable' meant something that could be fulfilled at the Qi Refining level or below.

"Then, I ask of you, head of the Jin Clan. I..."

After a moment of hesitation, I finally voiced the wish I had been considering.

"...Previously, when I briefly stayed in Yanguo, I formed bonds with the mortals there. Later, I heard they were all used as alchemy ingredients by the Makli Clan and that their descendants are under the care of the Jin Clan. I would like to visit where they live."

"Hmm, you mean the mortals working for the Jin Clan..."

He paused, thinking, then called one of the elders of the Jin Clan.

"Weren't those sacrificed by the Makli Clan trained for assassination before?"

"Yes, they were. But they lacked martial talent and since Makli Jung was assassinated, we found no need to train them as assassins... We've educated them to do farm work or menial tasks in the territories."

"Then, that should be fine..."

The head of the Jin Clan nodded and said.

"I'll allow it. But even if it's the mortals' quarters, they work for our Jin Clan. You, being part of the Cheongmun Clan, cannot freely roam our territory. You can only visit the mortals' area and will be accompanied by a supervisor from our main house."

"I am deeply grateful for your generous grace!"

"Dismissed."

I bowed to the head of the Jin Clan and was introduced to two supervisors who would guide and watch me in the mortals' quarters.

Among them was someone I know.

'We meet again.'

'Indeed.'

Kim Young-hoon, representing the Jin Clan, was waiting for me, dressed in a red robe.

'You are the junior I met during my active days in the martial world. May we talk for a moment?'

'Of course.'

The other supervisor, a Qi Refining 10th Star cultivator, glanced at Kim Young-hoon and discreetly left.

'I was really surprised that you are part of the Cheongmun Clan's envoy... Looking at the size of your consciousness...You have learned the way of cultivation, have you not? I can faintly sense the pressure of your spirit.'

'You have noticed correctly.'

For martial artists of the Five Energies Converging to the Origin, no matter how much they train in martial arts or wield a sword, the size of their consciousness does not grow. It becomes more detailed, as seen in the Record of Surpassing Cultivation and Martial Arts, and they can freely control consciousness or split it, handling more delicate aspects than ordinary cultivators. But the absolute size of consciousness does not increase.

This was true for Kim Young-hoon, who had reached the Ultimate Pinnacle, as his consciousness was slightly smaller than mine, despite his high level.

'So, you've chosen to be a cultivator. That's one way to go.'

'I want to know about what you said through consciousness when we fought.'

'Ha, that matter.'

He walked out of the Jin Clan's building with me, looking up at the sky and began to speak.

'When I first came here, I thought I would never return home. As I learned the Severing Vein Saber Method you taught me, that thought intensified. Feeling the will imbued in that martial art... Ha ha, even the saber move is called Saber Tomb'! Isn't that too cruel?'

'......'

'Anyway. Until I reached the stage of the Five Energies Converging to the Origin, that was my thought. But... after achieving the Ultimate Pinnacle and changing my mindset, I became confident in reaching the extremes of the Ultimate Pinnacle through the Record of Surpassing Cultivation and Martial Arts...'

He extended his hand.

Looking closely, I saw that his workshop was filled with similar family sculptures.

I quietly observed these sculptures.

Suddenly, Nok-hyeon saw my shadow cast into the workshop, flinched, and looked up at me.

"Who are you?"

I gestured to the cultivator and Kim Young-hoon to leave us alone. They nodded and stepped back.

"Is that... your family?"

"...? Yes, it is."

"Do you find your work fulfilling?"

"Yes, but... who are you?"

He cautiously asked, eyeing the black robe of the Cheongmun Clan I was wearing.

"Just a passerby."

"Oh, I see."

Of course, Nok-hyeon didn't seem convinced, his eyes holding a hint of suspicion.

"So, what brings you here?"

"It seems you miss your parents."

"...Yes. They passed away when I was young. I miss them terribly and find myself doing this often."

"Do you harbor any resentment for not being able to see your parents?"

He became more respectful, thinking I was related to a cultivator clan and answered.

"...The day after we completed our grueling training, the severed head of Emperor Makli Jung, our enemy, was placed in our training ground. At first, I didn't know whose head it was, but after finding out, I felt a bit of my resentment dissipate. Of course, it didn't completely resolve my feelings...

But it's not unbearably painful anymore."

"...That's good to hear."

"May I ask who you are...?"

"Just a guest of the Jin Clan."

"Oh, I see. I apologize. My place is like this, and I have nothing to offer..."

"It's fine. I'll be going."

I left Nok-hyeon's house, leaving him behind as he tried to offer hospitality.

'They're living well.'

That's good.

Yet at the same time, I felt a pang in my heart.

After all, these are not my disciples.

My disciples are in another timeline.

"......"

Thump, thump!

I pushed the surging emotions deep inside.

Then I went to the last house.

It was Man-ho's house, the representative of my disciples.

'I've heard some interesting rumors about Man-ho on the way...'

As I approached Man-ho's house, a woman emerged from inside, waddling.

Her belly is swollen with life inside her.

Her face is one I know well.

'It's Kae-hwa... Man-ho, you succeeded after all.'

She was hanging laundry on the line.

Suddenly, Man-ho ran up to her, passed by me without noticing, and rushed towards her.

"Honey! I brought the persimmons you wanted!"

"Oh, you noisy man! You'll startle the baby! And look at your clothes, they're torn! I just mended them, and you tore them again!"

"Sorry, honey."

"Oh dear, it's so hard to live with you..."

After scolding Man-ho for a moment, Kae-hwa suddenly clutched her belly and sat down on the porch.

"Oh, look at this. The baby is kicking."

"Really?"

With my heightened senses from being in the Five Energies Converging to the Origin, I clearly heard the sound of life kicking inside her.

Man-ho, grinning ear to ear, put his ear to Kae-hwa's belly and laughed.

Unknowingly, I realized I was crying while watching them.

Ah, yes.

You two had this possibility.

Not a life of harsh training, covered in blood, listening to the ghosts and resentments of dead family members.

But simply doing what you wish to do.

Living a new life, you had this possibility.

"...Sniff, sniff..."

I couldn't help but let the emotions I had pushed inside erupt a little.

I am so happy.

That these children could grow up and live such lives.

At the same time, I am so sad.

That these children are not my disciples. That they have no relation to me anymore.

The children with whom I had a relationship were in another timeline, the children I could only teach blood and death.

I was joyful at the vastly different lives these children are living, yet paradoxically pained that I would never see them again.

This is the reality of regression.

No matter what relationships I form, they all disappear, moving to another timeline.

Even if I form similar relationships with the same people in each cycle, all the characters in each cycle are actually completely different people who just look the same.

Unlike calling Kim Young-hoon Young-hoon Hyung-nim' like the 1st and 2nd cycles, I now call him 'Kim Hyung' for this reason.

Of course, since he was essentially the same person, I couldn't completely change how I address him, and in urgent situations or without thinking, I sometimes call him Young-hoon Hyung-nim...

But regardless, the Kim Young-hoons are clearly different people from the ones in my past cycles.

The same went for my disciples.

The definition of a relationship lies in the time spent together.

These are not my disciples who had spent time with me; they are entirely different people.

On the first day of this life.

I thought I had buried the memories of my past life, but how could human emotions be simply buried?

The memories and emotions of teaching those children had become a part of my life.

"...I'm sorry."

My disciples from my past life, I'm so sorry for not allowing you to dream of such a possibility.

"And thank you."

Children of this life, thank you for living this way.

As my emotions intensified, the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts that I had been unconsciously maintaining was released.

Suddenly, Kae-hwa noticed me and was startled.

"...Oh, who is that?"

"Ah, what? He's crying."

I wiped my tears and smiled at them.

"...I apolgize. Seeing you two reminded me of some people I knew. ...Precious people who I can never see again."

"Oh dear... We've had similar pains. If you don't mind, would you like to come in for a cup of tea..."

"It's fine. Your peaceful home is more fragrant than any tea. May you have a hundred years of harmony."

I finished speaking and bowed to them before using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.

They were surprised to see me suddenly disappear like a ghost and looked around, then seemed to realize I was a cultivator and accepted it.

"...Have you seen everyone?"

"...Yes. I've met everyone I needed to."

I avoided eye contact with Kim Young-hoon and looked up at the sky.

Today, my resolve has solidified even more.

I will escape this cycle of regression.

And to do so, I will elevate my realm even further.

To ensure my life is not invalidated by the play of time.

A few days later.

When it was time for the delegation from the Cheongmun Clan to return, I bid farewell to Kim Young-hoon and returned to the Cheongmun Clan.

After paying a brief visit to the head of the Cheongmun Clan and being assigned a significant role, I was allowed to stay in the main house of the Clan.

I then became a disciple of a Qi Building elder named Cheongmun Ryeong, introduced by Cheongmun Byeok.

Taking a disciple's stance before him, I made a vow.

Even if my body breaks to pieces.

No matter what happens, I will aim for the higher realms!!!

Translator Notes: Recently bought Tactics Ogre Reborn since it was on sale for the switch. I've always heard it was one of the best alongside Final Fantasy Tactics but unfortunately FFT has no PC version and I have to set up an emulator to play. Just finished chapter 1 in my first playthrough and I'm expectant for what to come. As a consequence though, the stockpile of chapters have dropped kekw.

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