Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 239 – Primordial True Qi (2)

Mortal. It seems this brat… has learned the Breathing Technique of the Immortals.

-The Breathing Technique of the Immortals?

Cheong-ryeong spoke to the puzzled Mok Gyeong-un.

-Do you remember when I told you that the techniques for circulating energy in cultivation methods or divine arts originated from the Breathing Technique of the ancient Taoists?

-Ah… Yes.

-In the distant past, Taoist priests or immortals who had achieved deep cultivation practiced a breathing method to boost their source energy for longevity and ascension.

-Boosting the source energy itself, not just internal energy? Isn’t source energy the predetermined life itself from birth?

-Yes. The energy of life is originally a predetermined source energy. That’s why, in the distant past, it was called primordial true qi.

Primordial true qi.

It was the true original true qi that humans possessed innately from birth.

In this regard, things like internal energy were called postnatal true qi, as they were cultivated postnatally.

-Amazing. I heard that the Breathing Technique of the Immortals, no, the method of cultivating primordial true qi, had already been lost even in Taoism a long time ago.

-Then this person has cultivated the primordial true qi that had been lost?

-The only energy that can completely oppose the energy of the dead, Death Qi, is that.

At Cheong-ryeong’s words, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes flickered with interest.

Primordial true qi, which was completely opposite to Death Qi.

Perhaps this was the reason why he had felt a strange aversion since the first time he saw him.

To this, Cheong-ryeong warned Mok Gyeong-un.

-Be careful. Even if it’s a weak energy, if it’s completely opposed, it could be very fatal to you, mortal…

Before the warning could even finish,

The hot energy surging from Joo Woonhyang’s middle danjeon caused a great rebound.

As a result, Mok Gyeong-un’s palm, which had been placed on his chest, was repelled.

Seizing that fleeting moment, Joo Woonhyang struck a palm strike infused with primordial true qi towards Mok Gyeong-un’s danjeon.

-Bang!

Mok Gyeong-un’s body bent like a shrimp as he was hit in the abdomen.

‘It worked…!’

It wasn’t because he had been hit.

The moment the palm strike touched his abdomen, it was to disperse it using the technique of harmonizing and blending.

-Crackle!

The primordial true qi flowed out through the soles of Mok Gyeong-un’s feet, and the stone on the ground cracked.

Seeing this, Joo Woonhyang clicked his tongue.

He never expected him to disperse the palm strike so easily from this distance when he was caught off guard.

However, the real strike wasn’t this palm strike.

With his other hand, Joo Woonhyang unleashed the Reverse Rotating True Qi he had prepared and aimed at Mok Gyeong-un’s heart.

“It’s that technique again.”

Perhaps it was the technique with the greatest power among the ones Joo Woonhyang had learned.

However, it was his mistake to show the same technique multiple times.

From Mok Gyeong-un’s perspective, this was no different from kindly providing a lesson.

-Whoosh!

At that moment, Death Qi began to condense and rotate in reverse in Mok Gyeong-un’s palm as well.

Sensing this, Joo Woonhyang’s eyes widened.

‘No way?’

However, Mok Gyeong-un and Joo Woonhyang’s palm strikes collided.

-Bang!

Simultaneously, a strong wind pressure erupted, and cracks formed on the ground around the two.

The moment of collision was almost a balance of forces.

At this, Joo Woonhyang couldn’t hide his inner shock.

‘How did he do this?’

The Reverse Rotating True Qi was a very profound technique.

It wasn’t the type of technique that could be learned simply by observing; it required enlightenment of the true meaning contained within the technique.

Yet, seeing Mok Gyeong-un precisely imitating it, Joo Woonhyang was naturally astonished.

-Tremble tremble

The force rotating in reverse was in a stalemate for a moment.

It was even more so because the energies of the two were completely opposite.

However, no matter how opposite the energies were, there was bound to be a difference in strength.

‘I-I’m being pushed back.’

Joo Woonhyang’s pupils trembled.

As Mok Gyeong-un drew upon more Death Qi,

-Bang!

Joo Woonhyang’s body was repelled backward.

He flew several feet and rolled on the ground several times before coming to a stop.

“Ugh.”

Joo Woonhyang, who had suffered internal injuries, vomited a mouthful of black blood.

‘A monster… like fellow…’

He collapsed limply.

This was the first time encountering such a monster.

From the realm he had reached to his energy, everything was on a different level, so he wasn’t an opponent that could be dealt with through any means.

“Cough cough…”

Joo Woonhyang, who was coughing up blood, staggered and barely managed to stand up.

His legs were trembling.

With his current condition after suffering internal injuries, it was impossible to even escape.

Joo Woonhyang raised his head and looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

And then he was dumbfounded.

‘Just a scratch?’

He was in such a state that it was difficult to even move due to internal injuries, while Mok Gyeong-un only had a small scratch on his palm.

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un, who had been staring intently at the wound on his palm, opened his mouth.

“That power you possess. It seems quite troublesome.”

“What?”

“I’m talking about primordial true qi.”

‘!?’

At these words, Joo Woonhyang’s eyes widened.

How did this person recognize primordial true qi?

Primordial true qi was different from ordinary internal energy that could be cultivated postnatally, so it wasn’t the type of energy that could be discerned through perception.

At this, Joo Woonhyang asked in a rather serious voice,

“You… What on earth are you?”

“Who knows? That’s not important, but I’m in a dilemma.”

“A dilemma?”

“I’m thinking it might be better to kill you now, considering the future.”

“What?”

As soon as those words were spoken, he took steps towards Joo Woonhyang.

It seemed he was going to put it into action immediately.

Even though he was approaching slowly, Joo Woonhyang couldn’t properly control his body due to his internal injuries.

-Step step!

The sound of Mok Gyeong-un’s footsteps, approaching with murderous intent in his fingers, sounded like the signal of the Underworld Guard opening the gates of hell.

And that signal quickened.

Mok Gyeong-un leaped forward, intending to behead Joo Woonhyang in an instant.

Unable to avoid it, Joo Woonhyang stared intently at Mok Gyeong-un, who was swinging his fingers with a desolate gaze.

At that moment,

-Smack!

Mok Gyeong-un’s fingers, which had been about to behead him, stopped precariously on his skin.

-Drip!

However, due to the murderous intent condensed in his fingers, the skin was cut, and blood flowed out.

Joo Woonhyang asked, puzzled,

“Why did you stop?”

“You’re quite peculiar.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’re the first person to make such an expression before getting beheaded.”

“What do you mean by such an expression?”

“Usually, people would either be overwhelmed with fear and lose their senses or glare at me with resentment. Of course, they would also tightly close their eyes before dying.”

“…”

“But you stare at me intently even at the moment when your neck is about to be cut. And with a very desolate expression at that.”

This was a first for Mok Gyeong-un.

He thought all humans would be the same in the face of death, but Joo Woonhyang was different.

There was not a shred of fear towards death itself, and there was no feeling of resentment towards him either.

There was only a gaze of regret.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un asked,

“I’m curious about why you had such an expression.”

“…”

Joo Woonhyang frowned at this question.

What on earth was this bastard?

He couldn’t read his thoughts at all.

He abruptly tried to kill him and then stopped for a strange reason.

“…It’s a meaningless question, isn’t it? The power of life and death is in your hands anyway.”

“Still, I don’t know, so I’m asking.”

“…I don’t know if you’re playing with me, but after encountering a person like you, I absolutely don’t want to make you an enemy. If I’m forced to do so, I’ll have to desperately try to kill you using any means necessary.”

“You’re honest.”

“There’s no need to deceive when I might die anyway.”

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un lifted the corners of his mouth.

“It’s a first.”

“What’s a first this time?”

“Although that troublesome energy is annoying, I don’t particularly want to kill you anymore.”

“You don’t want to kill me anymore?”

“Yes, it seems like a very inefficient decision, but I don’t dislike you that much.”

‘!?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Joo Woonhyang frowned and couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

Did this fellow really have a change of heart as he had said?

Anyway, if there was a change in his mindset, it was also an opportunity to save his life.

At this, Joo Woonhyang carefully gestured towards the fingers with his eyes and said,

“Then, can’t you take this away?”

“I haven’t received an answer yet.”

“What answer? Ah!”

Was he asking why he had such a desolate expression when he was on the verge of death?

He seemed like a really peculiar fellow.

Why did he want to know such a thing?

It was incomprehensible, but he wanted to end this situation, so he opened his mouth.

“I just regretted that moment.”

“You regretted it?”

“…I had resolved to change everything with my own hands, but I was about to become unable to do anything again.”

At Joo Woonhyang’s words, Mok Gyeong-un looked at him with peculiar eyes.

They were clearly around the same age.

But the way he spoke was as if he had gained enlightenment in life.

That aspect felt very peculiar to him.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un said to him,

“After hearing your answer, even more…”

Before he could even finish his words,

-Smack!

At that moment, Joo Woonhyang’s figure in front of his eyes disappeared.

‘!?’

Where did he go?

Mok Gyeong-un moved his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

Then, he saw a blurry figure charging towards him with tremendous momentum from the right.

The speed was so immense that it was difficult to discern with the naked eye.

It was impossible to avoid.

-Swish! Bam bam bam bam!

In an instant, something swiftly brushed past him.

Along with it, the vital points of his entire body were struck, and his body was sent flying limply into the air.

-Crash!

“Ugh.”

Mok Gyeong-un’s expression stiffened as he fell to the ground.

Not only was it painful, but due to the energy penetrating the major vital points, his body couldn’t move.

That energy was suppressing the Death Qi within Mok Gyeong-un’s body with a fierce momentum.

Through this, Mok Gyeong-un could tell.

This was,

‘Primordial true qi…’

It was identical to the energy Joo Woonhyang possessed.

The difference was that it was primordial true qi that was incomparably vast and profound compared to Joo Woonhyang’s.

A chilling voice reached Mok Gyeong-un’s ears.

“Trainee Mok Gyeong-un. As expected, you are a dangerous existence.”

The owner of that voice was none other than Commander Seo Yerin, the deputy supervisor of the Embroidered Uniform Guard selection process.

Thanks to that, Mok Gyeong-un realized that his judgment had been correct.

When he first saw Seo Yerin, he had felt an aversion similar to Joo Woonhyang, but only for a fleeting moment.

However, unlike Joo Woonhyang, she possessed internal energy, so he had received this aversion faintly, but as expected, she had also cultivated primordial true qi.

-Groan! Groan!

The primordial true qi that had penetrated his body suppressed the Death Qi and tried to penetrate his five viscera and six bowels.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un took a deep breath and transformed his energy.

-Roar!

At that moment, black energy surged from Mok Gyeong-un’s body.

It was Demonic Qi, born from gathering all the energy he had obtained so far, including Death Qi, into one.

-Whoosh!

The moment the energy was transformed into Demonic Qi, the profound primordial true qi that had penetrated each vital point was pushed out and oxidized, rising like a haze.

‘What?’

At this strange sight, Commander Seo Yerin’s pupils, who had thought she had completely subdued Mok Gyeong-un, trembled faintly.