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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“So you’re the famed Blue-Eyed Lion. A pleasure to meet you. I am Seo Yong-myeong, the Alliance Leader.”
This was the Alliance Leader?
I bowed towards the middle-aged man who looked more like a scholar than a martial artist.
“I am William Marshall. Please call me Wi.”
“William…Western names are difficult to pronounce.”
“Please, call me whatever is comfortable.”
“Very well, Wi. Ahem…then, as the champion of the tournament, I present you with your prize.”
The Alliance Leader produced a small box from his sleeve and handed it to me. I accepted it respectfully and bowed again.
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks. This is the rightful reward for the tournament champion.”
This small box, which looked like it should contain a wristwatch…
…actually contained an elixir that would drive martial artists into a frenzy. It felt surreal.
Elixirs shouldn’t be this small, though.
“If absorbed properly, it will greatly aid in increasing your internal energy.”
“I see.”
“And…hmm. Have you considered working for the Martial Alliance?”
I looked up at his words. The Alliance Leader was looking at me with a rather favorable expression. Now that I looked closer, he was quite tall.
Almost eye-level with me.
“While the offer is intriguing, I must decline.”
“Hmm, what are your plans? Working for the Martial Alliance is the best way to settle down here.”
“I have things I must do.”
“Things you must do…may I ask what they are?”
“I plan to continue my training.”
“Haha.”
His disappointed look made me uneasy.
He was known for being a demanding leader.
I couldn’t come all this way just to be overworked.
“Achieving mastery is important, indeed. Yes, indeed. If you change your mind, come find me.”
“Yes.”
I turned around to face the audience. Countless eyes were on me.
Curiosity.
Goodwill.
Hostility.
Jealousy.
Anger.
Gazes filled with various emotions pierced me, but I showed no reaction and approached Mokgyeong. He was breathing heavily, seemingly exhausted from the previous battle.
“Congratulations, Benefactor.”
“You worked hard too.”
“Not at all. I simply got lucky…”
“Don’t say that. Everything you’ve achieved is a result of your own skill.”
Being influenced by talent didn’t mean it was all luck. He simply hadn’t mastered it yet. Given time, he would learn to control his talent, just like the protagonist he was.
“You received a considerable prize, so perhaps you should visit the Yunnan Dan Clan.”
“…No, I plan to focus on refining my skills for now.”
“That’s not a bad choice either.”
He had only recently reached the peak expert realm, so taking time to consolidate his foundation was a wise decision. The difference between first-rate and peak expert was vast. Even Mokgyeong would need some time to adjust.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
“…Farewell.”
I parted ways with Mokgyeong and headed outside the arena, where Hye-ryeong was waiting.
“Wow…is this the elixir?”
“Yes.”
“The box is so small! It looks like it would fit in my hand!”
It was rather small. This box contained a pill that held sixty years’ worth of internal energy. Did wuxia stories simply ignore the laws of physics? Or rather, the laws of the universe?
…As someone who wasn’t scientifically inclined, I didn’t know what to say.
In any case, I opened the box in front of Hye-ryeong, who was staring at it intently. As the box opened, the potent energy of the Tae-cheong Pill filled the room.
“It feels powerful just looking at it.”
“It smells strange!”
“Like mint chocolate…”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing.”
I carefully removed the so-called mint chocolate—the precious elixir—from the box.
The pill, about the size of a rice cake ball, emanated a strange, auspicious aura.
This was a mystical pill.
The kind that magically boosted internal energy in wuxia stories.
Absorbing most of the pill’s energy was a protagonist’s privilege, wasn’t it?
In any case, the prize I had received was the Tae-cheong Pill, a special elixir crafted by the Wudang Sect, a name that would make any martial artist’s ears perk up.
It was an incredibly rare pill, even within the Wudang Sect, but for some reason, they had donated it as the prize for this tournament.
Normally, they wouldn’t offer such a valuable elixir as a prize. What was their intention?
From a narrative perspective, it was simply the first stepping stone for the protagonist’s rapid growth, but this was reality, so there had to be a more plausible reason. What could it be?
…Perhaps I should visit the Wudang Sect sometime.
To find out why they offered the Tae-cheong Pill, an elixir so rare that even their next sect leader rarely saw it.
And to see the Wudang Sect itself.
“Mister, when are you going to start cultivating?”
“Right now.”
“What about dinner?”
“I’ll eat after I’ve absorbed the Tae-cheong Pill. You know it’s not good to cultivate on a full stomach.”
Cultivating with a full stomach could disrupt the flow of energy, and if I was unlucky, I might need to use the bathroom mid-meditation.
Normally, I could control that, but it would be difficult while absorbing the Tae-cheong Pill’s energy.
So, emptying my stomach beforehand was a priority.
“I’ll be preparing for cultivation, so spend time with your fellow disciples today.”
“But I want to stay here, just in case!”
“You’ll just be bored…”
“I can read a book or something!”
A book, huh…
“If you’re going to buy a book, could you look for a simple Qinggong manual for me?”
“Can’t we go together?”
“As you know, I don’t have the patience to wait with an elixir right in front of me. I’ll go with you later, so just do this for me.”
“Fine…”
Hye-ryeong turned and left my room. I watched the door close with a slightly more forceful thud than usual, then turned my attention back to the Tae-cheong Pill.
“I’ll be able to absorb this properly, right?”
Since it was essentially a lump of internal energy, I should be able to absorb it, but I wasn’t sure if my Western meditation technique would be sufficient.
I had absorbed the hundred-year-old Haesoo-oh without any problems, but this was an even more potent elixir. My Western meditation technique might not be enough.
But I couldn’t learn a different cultivation method now, so I had to try.
Even if there was some loss, it would significantly increase my meager mana core capacity.
I entered the training room and sat cross-legged. Once I consumed the Tae-cheong Pill and began meditating, the battle against the elixir would begin.
Could I absorb most of its energy?
Or would I fail to digest it and expel it?
Either way, I wouldn’t lose anything.
I took a deep breath and placed the Tae-cheong Pill in my mouth.
…It melted like cotton candy.
At first, a refreshing, invigorating sensation filled my mouth. As the energy slowly flowed down, my body began to heat up.
It was beginning.
I closed my eyes and focused on the crane-like energy that had been unleashed within me.
The crane, wandering through my inner world, met my gaze as I began to observe my internal state.
It glared at me, as if refusing to be absorbed easily. I carefully tried to draw the crane towards me.
But instead of approaching, it circled around me.
Was it wary of my energy?
I slowly drew aura from my mana core and extended it towards the crane.
Slowly, very slowly.
I had plenty of time, so even if absorbing the energy took a long time, it didn’t matter. I gently drew the mint-chocolate-like energy of the Tae-cheong Pill towards me.
As my fist-sized aura guided the small tendrils of the Tae-cheong Pill’s energy towards my mana core, the crane, seemingly intrigued, slowly approached.
I seized this opportunity and carefully sent my aura towards the crane, attempting to communicate.
Fortunately, the crane no longer seemed wary and approached.
As the crane came into contact with my energy, my aura began to mix with the Tae-cheong Pill’s energy.
Perhaps because it was an energy that sought harmony, the Tae-cheong Pill’s energy blended seamlessly with my own, like water mixing with water.
How much time had passed?
My mana core slowly expanded.
Creating space for the new energy, refining it.
Like a craftsman shaping clay, I carefully molded my mana core.
“…Is it over?”
I opened my eyes, murmuring to myself.
My mana core had grown by almost half.
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