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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“I’ll buy both.”
Parenhope and Mokuru’s eyes widened at Lee Seong-joon’s unexpected answer.
“What?”
“Both?”
It was a hefty sum of 30 billion won, but Lee Seong-joon nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, both.”
There was no reason to choose just one. He’d initially hesitated at the 19 billion won price because his entire fortune was only 35 billion won. But thanks to their competition, the price had dropped to 15 billion won each, making it possible to buy both.
‘It’s more than I planned to spend, but…’
Considering the hundreds of billions of won he’d saved, it was a worthwhile expense.
“Yes, I’ll buy both. I can’t choose just one after you’ve been so considerate.”
While there were some lingering reservations, Parenhope and Mokuru nodded, accepting his compromise that allowed them both to save face.
“Ahem, if you insist.”
“Well, I’m grateful.”
However, the competition wasn’t entirely over.
“Um… if you don’t mind, could you tell us which elixir you’ll consume first?”
“I’m curious about that as well.”
They wanted to settle their rivalry, at least in the order of consumption. But Lee Seong-joon’s answer was completely unexpected.
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“An unexpected harvest.”
Lee Seong-joon was quite satisfied with his encounter with Parenhope and Mokuru. He’d thought he might get one, if he was lucky, but he’d managed to acquire two elixirs. A truly successful shopping trip.
With a bright smile, he opened the two locked wooden boxes.
As a refreshing fragrance filled the room, he recalled Parenhope and Mokuru’s expressions. Their eyes were wide as saucers, their mouths agape. They looked dumbfounded, beyond surprised.
He understood how they felt.
‘They didn’t expect me to consume both at the same time.’
Elixirs were medicines with mystical properties, concentrated masses of Qi. Consuming an elixir wasn’t like gradually accumulating inner energy through breathing and meditation; it was like forcibly injecting it into the body.
‘It could be fatal.’
Absorbing an elixir meant circulating the forced influx of energy through the blood, spreading it throughout the body, and merging it with existing energy. This process caused the blood vessels to expand significantly, putting a strain on the body.
A single mistake could disrupt one’s internal energy flow. In the worst case, the body could explode from the excessive energy. That’s why, no matter how potent the elixir, one never consumed two at once.
But he’d casually mentioned consuming both elixirs simultaneously. Parenhope and Mokuru were naturally concerned and surprised. They’d earnestly explained the absorption process, recommending he consume them one at a time.
But their efforts were futile.
‘There’s no need for the hassle of taking them separately.’
The foundation of blood Qi was blood, and Blood Cult members at his level had complete control over their blood flow. This meant he could prevent his blood vessels from overexpanding. He picked up both elixirs and put them in his mouth.
Gulp!
As the pure, concentrated energy slid down his throat…
“…?!”
His eyes widened. The amount of Qi in the two elixirs was far greater than he’d anticipated. Or rather, it was increasing.
‘The elixirs are merging.’
Mokuru’s Earth Dragon Pill, focused on physical enhancement, and Parenhope’s Blessing of the Forest, focused on Qi enhancement, were blending within his body, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
The elixirs’ effects were amplified, and the contained energy increased explosively. It was a fortuitous encounter. The combined Qi was now comparable to legendary elixirs like ten-thousand-year mountain ginseng, azure sky oil, and thousand-year snow ginseng.
‘Excellent.’
If he could absorb all of this, he would achieve a significant breakthrough. With a smile, Lee Seong-joon focused all his consciousness, actively circulating the absorbed energy. However, this unexpected development made the process far from smooth.
Spurt!
His meridians couldn’t withstand the sheer volume of circulating energy. He felt a burning sensation on his back as blood spurted out. For an ordinary martial artist, this would be a life-or-death situation. But Lee Seong-joon remained calm.
“…”
He was the former Blood Demon and Demonic God, a master of blood Qi manipulation. He had complete control over his blood, including its composition, temperature, pulse, and red blood cell count.
Healing this wound was trivial. His blood Qi quickly enveloped the ruptured area, rapidly repairing the damage. But this was just the beginning.
Splurt! Splurt!
Meridians ruptured throughout his body, and blood flowed freely. Excruciating pain assaulted him, but he didn’t stop circulating his energy. He couldn’t stop. If he failed to absorb the energy, it would explode within him, resulting in death.
‘I have to endure. I have to endure.’
This was an opportunity.
‘Meridians are like muscles.’
Or rather, like any part of the human body. Through constant stimulation and training, they could be strengthened beyond their limits. The repeated rupturing and regeneration of his meridians were further enhancing his body.
He continued circulating the Blood Shadow Asura Divine Art, accelerating the circulation of the elixir’s energy.
‘Faster, faster, faster!’
After about an hour of circulation…
Woong!
The blue energy resonated, forming a vortex. The blue energy then converged into a single beam of light and flowed into his body. The rupturing meridians stabilized. He’d finally broken through his limits.
A vast amount of energy flowed through his lower and middle dantians, spreading throughout his body, coursing through his meridians at incredible speed like a hawk diving for its prey. But his meridians no longer ruptured.
A tingling sensation spread through his body. Lee Seong-joon opened his eyes.
Ding!
A green holographic window appeared before him.
> By perfectly absorbing Mokuru’s masterpiece, Earth Dragon Pill, Strength, Agility, and Stamina stats increased by 3 each, and Blood Qi stat increased by 1.
> Experience gained!
> By perfectly absorbing Parenhope’s masterpiece, Blessing of the Forest, Blood Qi stat increased by 4, and Strength, Agility, and Stamina stats increased by 2 each.
> Additional stat increase due to the harmonious fusion of Earth Dragon Pill and Blessing of the Forest within your body
> All stats (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Blood Qi) increased by an additional 5
> Due to the strengthening of your meridians, the efficiency of all inner energy usage has doubled
『Status』
> Name: Lee Seong-joon
> Class: Mystic
> Title: Low-rank, Survivor
> Level: 68
> Strength: 29 (+16)
> Agility: 28 (+17)
> Stamina: 29 (+16)
> Blood Qi: 34 (+24)
> Available Bonus Points: 8
A total of 40 stat points, a level of growth that would have taken years to achieve through leveling alone.
“…This is beyond my expectations.”
The fusion of the elixirs had produced a synergistic effect, far exceeding the sum of their individual parts. And his meridians, strengthened in the process, allowed for smoother circulation of his inner energy. He now possessed a body any martial artist would covet.
In his current state, even against a boss monster like Eliorus, he wouldn’t need to consume his own blood to replenish his blood Qi.
‘I’ve now truly reached the Transcendent realm.’
He was equivalent to an S+ rank hunter, a top-tier hunter by Earth’s standards.
‘At full power… I can achieve even greater strength.’
This wasn’t arrogance. He was stronger now than he was at the same level in the Thousand Continents, thanks to the system’s power and his Mystic class skills. Therefore, he could confidently declare,
‘Peak Transcendent… I can stand toe-to-toe with SS-rank hunters.’
He wasn’t just a promising rookie anymore; he was among the strongest in Korea. A smile spread across Lee Seong-joon’s face.
‘Not bad.’
But he wasn’t going to be complacent. This was just the beginning. He would continue to strive to regain the power he possessed in his prime, when he was hailed as the Greatest Martial Artist of All Time, the Demonic God.
However, he wasn’t going to be single-mindedly focused on power.
‘I mustn’t lose sight of my priorities.’
He’d given up his fame and power as the Demonic God to return to Earth and spend time with his family.
‘So, let’s stop here for today…’
The trip to Dongmyo, purchasing the elixirs, returning home, and consuming them had taken quite some time. The clock on the wall showed 7 PM. It was almost dinner time, the most important part of his day.
It was a precious time he shared with his family, a time he wouldn’t trade for anything. Suppressing his excitement, he started preparing dinner.
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