"Hmm, this damn dullard. If I had known how hard it would be to teach him Daoist cultivation, I would have sent him away a long time ago."
He coughed and pushed me away, stroking his beard as he spoke.
"Thanks to Master not sending me away, I was able to come this far."
I smiled and replied to him.
It took 10 years to completes the 1st Star of Qi Refining.
12 years for the 2nd Star.
6 years for the 3rd Star.
5 years for the 4th Star.
In total, it took 33 years.
My body, rejuvenated through a complete transformation, seemed to age slowly. I still looked like I was in my 30s even though I was in my 60s. But I was increasingly concerned about the approaching end of my lifespan.'In this life, I have even undergone a complete transformation. Yet, will I still die of natural causes?'
It was unknown.
However, I was certainly getting a bit anxious.
"...Master. I am sorry to ask, but could you perhaps teach me about the next stage?"
"Yes, you know your place. A talentless person should quickly advance to the next stage. The 5th Star of Qi Refining follows the principles of the Nine Palaces.
You must converge the variations of your 108 spiritual meridians and 60 types of spiritual energy into nine points.
Attempt the integration of the Nine Points into One, with the concepts of Taiyi, Shepti, Xuanyuan, Zhaoyao, Tianfu, Qinglong, Hanji, Taiyin, and Tianyi, start the integration of your spiritual meridians flowing through your body."
I quietly sat and listened attentively to his words.
"The Nine Palaces also connect with the principles of the Eight Trigrams, serving as a stepping stone to the next stage. By mastering the Nine Palaces, you can control the formation freely, bringing about any change within it."
He demonstrated the formation of the wood attribute in front of me.
The formation, created by the flow of the Twelve Earthly Branches, enhanced its power to the extreme when combined with the Ten Heavenly Stems.
As the Nine Palaces integrated, the formation began to transform.
The wood energy spread in all directions, changing erratically and disharmoniously under my master's will.
"If you successfully incorporate the principles of the Nine Palaces into the formation, you can completely control and freely change the formation, achieving complete freedom within it."
This reminded me of a few Qi Refining 5th Star cultivators I had fought against.
Indeed, from the 5th Star of Qi Refining, the use of spells became incredibly flexible.
Alongside him, I began to learn how to perceive the nine points of integration of the Nine Palaces, how to converge the numerous flows into nine paths, and how to combine spells to use even more powerful ones.
I delved into the Nine Palaces, even bleeding from my hands from the effort of mastering its techniques, and reciting related mantras until my throat was hoarse for seven years.
Wooong-
Integration was successful.
The 108 spiritual meridians flowing through my meridian channels.
The 60 variations.
All converged significantly into nine paths, and the previously diverse spiritual meridians settled in order.
"Qi Refining, 6th Star!"
I exclaimed in ecstasy.
I tried moving the spiritual power flowing through my meridians.
Instantly, the formation unfolded, and inside it, changes occurred according to my will.
Kuguk!
Using the Earth Dwelling Method, six hexagonal shields condensed around me.
But as I clenched my fist, the earth shields crumbled and transformed into earth spears.
Now that I could change the formation at will, even defensive spells could be somewhat converted to offensive ones.
Of course, their defensive power was still stronger.
"Hmm, let's see..."
I summoned the flying sword that was moving on its own in the distance.
Phat!
The sword flew through the air towards me.
For the past 40 years, I had tirelessly practiced the Record of Surpassing Cultivation and Martial Arts.
It was now just a matter of inputting actions, and the movement has become incredibly free.
Also, the knack of sending intent has become much easier.
I called the sword in front of me, charged it with Sword Gang, and then sent the Gang Qi-infused sword flying far away before shooting it back towards me.
Paang!
A sonic boom sounded.
I launched an earth spear, transformed from the Earth Dwelling Method's formation, towards the Gang Qi-infused sword.
Kwaang!
The earth spear and the sword collided.
A gust of wind blew, a loud boom resounded, and when the dust settled, only my flying sword remained.
However, since I controlled the sword, I could feel the rebound and estimated the power of the earth spear.
'It has the power of Gang Qi used by Three Flowers Gather at the Summit martial artists.'
It was powerful enough to easily destroy the defensive spells of Qi Refining cultivators.
"Ha, this ignorant one. So energetic this early in the morning."
And then, through the dust cloud, my master walked towards me, smiling.
"Congratulations. You useless guy. How lacking must your talent be that it took you 7 years to reach Qi Refining 6th Star!"
"Ha, still... I will complete the 6th Star as quickly as possible."
"That's right! The 6th Star, the stage of Eight Trigrams Completed Path, is the easiest in Qi Refining! If you can't do this, I really might kill you!"
He spoke thus, but he looked very pleased, his intent colored with the golden color of joy.
"Do not worry, Master. I have already studied the 6th Star in advance. I learned that it involves completing the spiritual meridians according to the principles of the Eight Trigrams. It's a field I am somewhat confident in."
"Hmph, confident you say. But it's completely different from the internal energy methods martial artists like you are used to. If you don't understand the images of the Eight Trigrams, you can't do anything!"
He handed me a stack of books.
"Read all of these. I personally annotated these for a dullard like you. Otherwise, it would be a waste of time if it's too difficult for someone with your lacking talents."
"I'm always grateful."
"Then please do well."
I also delved deeply into the Eight Trigrams.
Qian (☰), Dui (☱), Li (☲), Zhen (☳), Xun (☴), Kan (☵), Gen (☶), Kun (☷) - I completely mastered the eight trigram images.
I solved several questions I had about spiritual roots.
For instance, there are only five types of spiritual roots in the Five Elements.
Yet, how could the Makli Clan cultivate methods outside of the Five Elements like Wind and Yin?
Of course, I heard about some special spiritual roots and spiritual energy, the rare ones such as Jeon Myeong-hoon's Heavenly Golden Thunder Body and Kang Min-hee's Ghostly Yin Transforming Immortal Root.
But typically, it's said that no cultivator can go beyond the Five Elements spiritual roots.
And now, by studying the trigrams, I understood methods beyond the Five Elements.
'The Five Elements are interconnected with the Eight Trigrams.'
Qian (☰) and Dui (☱) are Metal.
Li (☲) is Fire.
Kan (☵) is Water.
Zhen (☳) and Xun (☴) are Wood.
Gen (☶) and Kun (☷) are Earth.
In this way, someone with a Wood element could use Xun (☴), representing Wind, to specialize in Wind-based spells.
The more I studied the trigram images, the more I could overlap the flow of the Eight Trigrams with the formation, and integrating the Eight Trigrams into my spiritual meridians was the easiest part of my cultivation so far.
The difficult part was understanding the meanings of the Eight Trigrams, and I spent a lot of time on that.
After three years of delving into the Eight Trigrams, I completely mastered and concluded the formation within the same time frame.
As the formation concluded, I felt all the spiritual meridians in my body, following the Eight Trigrams, become activated.
All the spiritual meridians throughout my body connected, forming a circle!
Kugugugu!
The flow of spiritual power in my meridians became incredibly free, and its speed was terrifyingly fast.
In the midst of this pure and swift flow of spiritual meridians, I sensed something strange.
'Something impure... Ah, is this the internal energy from the Dragon Vein Qi Method?'
The internal energy from the internal energy method, impure compared to the spiritual energy of cultivation remained impurely in my meridians.
'I feel irritated by it, but I'm not sure why...'
However, I didn't think much about the internal energy from the Dragon Vein Qi Method and reported the results to my master.
"Kahahaha! Excellent! Truly my disciple!"
My master was very happy, patting my shoulder.
"This stupid one. It took you 43 years to complete Qi Refining 6th Star and enter the 7th! You really are a dullard!"
Although he said that, he looked very happy. Suddenly, he took something out of his pocket.
'That is...'
I trembled slightly at the sight of what my master took out.
"Your achievements seem to be growing, which eases my mind. Even if it's just a little, I want you to have some accomplishments in this life. This is a gift for you..."
What he took out of his robe was a small silk box, exuding a familiar fragrance.
When my master opened the box, inside were three pills emitting a faint red glow.
"Blessing Pill. For mortals, it extends life by 10 years. For Qi Refining cultivators, it can extend life up to 8 years, or 6 years if some resistance has developed. It's a precious elixir."
"...Master."
"Hmm, I knew you'd be grateful. I'm tired of hearing thanks, just eat it..."
"...I'm sorry."
"What...?"
He frowned as if he couldn't believe what he heard.
"Am I hearing things wrong? Surely I heard you correctly?"
"...You heard me right, Master. I... I cannot consume that pill."
"...? Are you mad? This is an elixir that can extend life by 8 years! Do you not understand how precious and valuable this is? You foolish boy..."
"Master, do you know the ingredients of the Blessing Pill?"
At my words, he looked at me as if I was speaking nonsense.
"How would I know that! I've spent 250 years dedicated to studying spells, mantras, and formations. Do you think I had time to learn about alchemy, a completely different field? Pill-refining knowledge is difficult to obtain unless you're a professional alchemist!
The Makli Clan is famous for alchemy, so even their collateral branches know a fair bit about it...
As I always say, a dullard should focus on just one field..."
So, not only my master but many others are unaware of this alchemy.
They don't know what the Blessing Pill and Qi Building Pill are 'made of'.
Should I tell him?
"......"
After a moment of hesitation, I closed my eyes and said,
"I am sorry, Master, but I have reasons why I cannot consume that pill. Please believe me..."
"...Damn it. You refuse the elixir that your master went through so much trouble to get? Fine, it's yours anyway, do with it as you please. I'm leaving!"
Annoyed, my master handed me the silk box and left.
I stared blankly at the Blessing Pill in my hand.
Makli Hyun's words still echoed in my ears.
Elixirs made from humans.
Should I…really consume this?
I bit my lip.
No, it's not right.
No matter how much it could extend my life.
No matter how precious it is to continue the ties of this life.
If I abandon my humanity in this life, it's all for naught.
I apologized inwardly to my master, then went to a mountain near the Cheongmun Clan's main house.
There, I dug a hole and buried the three pills.
After covering them with earth and forming a small mound, I performed a solemn ritual and recited a prayer.
Of course, there were no souls lingering in these remnants, but I prayed for the peace of the souls sacrificed for the pills.
'...I'm sorry, Master.'
Even if it is a gift from my master, I cannot consume something made of humans.
"...What am I doing?"
Honestly, it would have been in my best interest to consume it without question.
How much longer do I have to live, and who am I to know?
It's best to extend life whenever possible.
I just reached Qi Refining 7th Star, and there's still so much ahead, unclear and uncertain.
While I've made significant progress in Five Energies Converging to the Origin through practicing the Record of Surpassing Cultivation and Martial Arts, the next stage still seems far away.
Unlike the realms I achieved so far – Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, Five Energies Converging to the Origin – The Ultimate Pinnacle felt too far away and elusive.
This life alone would not be enough; perhaps another life might be needed.
Thus, the elixir promising to extend life by over ten years is undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity for me.
But...
'...No matter how great the opportunity, I cannot bring myself to consume it.'
It wasn't just about this pill.
I resolved never to swallow any elixir created through wrongful means.
I slowly descended the mountain and returned to the Cheongmun Clan's main house.
I went to greet my master.
"...Have you come?"
"Yes."
"...Well then, let's study regarding Qi Refining 7th Star..."
My master, perhaps a bit hurt by my refusal of his gift, opened the book with a somewhat gloomy expression.
"The 7th Star is known as the Seven Stars Ritual. It involves offering rituals to seven of the twenty-eight celestial stars governing the spiritual nature of heaven and earth. It's essentially declaring to the celestial deities that you are embarking on the path of immortal cultivation.
Up to now, completing your spiritual meridians through the Seventy-Two Earthly Sha True Words, Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Law Decrees, Twelve Earthly Branches, Ten Heavenly Stems Diagram, Nine Palaces Integration, and Eight Trigrams Completed Path was, in a way, preparing the altar for this Seven Stars Ritual.
Your body, your formation, and your spells become an altar to connect with the celestial deities."
He continued his explanation.
"In fact, there's nothing special you need to realize at this stage. The Seven Stars Ritual involves using your body as the altar and your soul as the priest to conduct a ritual communicating with the celestial deities.
Of course, you'll need to learn how to conduct the ritual, calculate the best time to receive the celestial stars' power, and interpret celestial patterns..."
Reading celestial patterns is a skill I had previously learned during my time as chief advisor in the Wulin Alliance, so it didn't seem too difficult.
In reality, besides learning about a few unknown stars and their associated symbolism, there wasn't much new to learn compared to before.
'Is the 7th Star one of the easier stages?'
Furthermore, since the ritual involves offering to the Seven Stars and receiving celestial energy bestowed by the heavens to evolve the meridians, most cultivators quickly pass this stage.
'Of course, for those with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, calculating the exact time is crucial in the 7th Star stage...'
But that was a unique case, not applicable to me.
Following my master's guidance, I read the constellations, calculated celestial patterns, and determined the most auspicious time for myself.
Fortunately, the right time wasn't far off, and my master, using his authority as an elder, built a small altar for me at a place where the Dragon Veins converged near the Cheongmun Clan's main house.
"Tonight is the right time for you."
"Yes."
"Prepare thoroughly. Have you fully grasped the ritual process?"
"Yes, of course."
"And are you satisfied with this constellation?"
The twenty-eight celestial stars represent the spiritual nature of heaven and earth.
Among them, choosing the constellation that best fits the night's timing and receiving blessings from its seven stars is the key to the Seven Stars Ritual.
I heard that depending on which constellation you offer rituals to in Qi Refining 7th Star, it determines the stage in Qi Building where you'll receive assistance.
"Yes, I'm very satisfied with this constellation. It was chosen by you, Master, after all."
"Hmph! Flattery... Never mind. The sun will set soon. Prepare for the ritual."
"Yes!"
I arrived at the altar and completed the process of transforming my body into a small altar using my spells.
Now, as the sun set and the stars began to cover the sky, I planned to start the ritual.
The sun sets.
And the stars begin to rise.
"Begin! I'll assist you!"
"Yes!"
I started the ritual, offering it to the celestial deities, moving the formation around the altar.
In the midst of the ritual...
"And thus, I pray to the celestial gods and warriors for blessings..."
Whooosh-
The wind blows.
'What...?'
Both my master's and my expressions began to change.
Rumble, rumble...
The sky was clear.
Just moments ago, there wasn't a single cloud, and my master had precisely calculated the weather to choose this night.
It was supposed to be clear tonight.
But suddenly, dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
The sky is obscured.
The clear moonlight and stars hid behind the clouds.
My altar, preparing to communicate with the stars, lost its connection and dissipated.
The celestial deities descending from the sky were abruptly cut off.
"...Don't panic. It's just an unexpected cloud. Plus, I don't feel any water vapor. It's not a storm cloud that will bring rain, just a passing one. The wind is strong, so it'll soon pass."
"...Master, can you disperse it?"
"Foolish boy! Didn't you listen to my explanation? I can only assist your ritual, direct intervention is impossible! Especially in matters related to the heavens!
If I interfere with the heavens and blow away the clouds, your ritual will immediately fail!"
"...Then I'll wait."
I paused the ritual for a moment and looked up at the sky, waiting for the clouds to disperse.
And then, it was morning.
As the stars vanished and the sun rose, the clouds dispersed as if they were never there, as though their only purpose had been to obstruct my ritual the previous night.
"This, how can this be..."
Although I was quite surprised, my master seemed even more bewildered, staring at the sky in disbelief.
"Heavens obstructing a cultivator's auspicious time? No, this can't be. There must be some mistake. Yes, that's it. I'm sorry, my disciple. It seems I miscalculated the auspicious time!"
"Master..."
However, I couldn't help but feel an ominous sense about it all and questioned him.
"Can such a celestial phenomenon occur due to a miscalculation of the auspicious time?"
"No, of course not. That was just an anomaly. Yes, perhaps it wasn't the auspicious time but a serious miscalculation of the weather. My disciple, I'll recalculate the appropriate time soon, and we'll perform the ritual again."
"Understood."
I sighed softly and stepped down from the altar.
After all, life doesn't always go as planned. I knew better than anyone that life doesn't always follow our desires.
I decided to wait, as I had always done.
We calculated another auspicious time, set up the altar again, and prepared for the ritual.
"This time it's certain! We'll definitely receive the celestial deities' energy! I've even precisely calculated the weather this time, so..."
However, as night fell, the sky darkened.
Not with the darkness of the night, but with ominous clouds.
Large curtains of clouds covered the entire sky, appearing out of nowhere.
"This, this is impossible! My calculations can't be wrong!"
My master was so panicked he shouted.
"Again! It's happening again! What is this..."
Thus, the second ritual also came to nothing.
"Let's try again! A setback like this can happen twice! Hahaha! This time I'll calculate the perfect auspicious time and set up the altar properly."
Months later.
My master had calculated another suitable time for me.
Furthermore, this time, we headed east of Byeokra, to a place in the middle of the Heaven-Treading Desert, not rich in spiritual energy, but where clouds never formed.
"This area is known as the Windy Plains of the Heaven-Treading Desert, where the wind is strong and the air is dry, so clouds absolutely never form! Since the surrounding area is a rocky desert, there won't be any sandstorms either, so this time the ritual will surely be completed!"
Again, as the sun set and the stars rose, I began to prepare the ritual.
This time, everything seemed to be going smoothly until the final stage of the ritual, when I was about to receive the celestial energy from the stars.
Rumble, rumble!
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
The clouds, before I could even finish the ritual procedure, completely covered the dry desert sky.
"No, no, no, no!"
My master cried out as if his own ritual had been interrupted, but the clouds remained immovable, blocking the sky and cutting off the celestial energy.
"Ahh! Why can't my disciple succeed! Why!"
Rumble, rumble!
My master's spiritual power surged towards the sky, attempting to clear the clouds.
The formidable spiritual power of a Qi Building cultivator lit up the night sky as the clouds dispersed.
But, perhaps because my master intervened with the heavens, the stars that had been sending down their energy stopped.
And so, the ritual ended.
"Why, why is this happening... Why, why..."
He chewed his lips, pacing around for a while, and then sighed.
"Let me find out why this is happening. Let's go back, my disciple."
We returned to the Cheongmun Clan's main house on my master's flying artifact.
After that, he frequented the clan's library, rummaging through all sorts of ancient texts.
He had always been a man of many books, but now he was pulling out even more books in a frenzy, searching for something related to my condition.
About a month later, my master came to me with bloodshot eyes.
"...I've found out about your condition."
"...! What could it possibly be..?"
After a moment of hesitation, biting his lip, he spoke.
The next moment, I felt as if my heart had crumbled at the words that came out of my master's mouth.
"The world is forbidding you. It's a symptom shown by the heavens to those whom they forbid immortal cultivation..."
"Forbid... immortal cultivation...?"
"...You were not born with the fate to be a cultivator. ...I'm sorry, my disciple. There's nothing I can do for you."
Translator Notes: Eun-hyun just can't catch a break. When I first read this, I actually felt my heart drop just thinking about how much difficulties and hardships await our MC.
***
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