Seo-jun pondered the essence of the Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong technique as he analyzed the principles that guided it.
As Pae Jin-gwang had said, it was a martial art difficult to categorize. If one wished, it could even be broken down into several different techniques.
If broken into larger categories, the first would be moving meditation, a form of cultivation that involves building internal energy while in motion.
However, this technique differed slightly from other types of moving meditation. Most such methods ultimately fall under the umbrella of internal energy cultivation, focusing on gathering and storing energy, typically in the dantian.
But Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong was not like that. Instead of accumulating energy in the dantian, it fused the energy directly into the muscles.
Only now did Seo-jun understand the strange sensation he felt when sensing the Fist King’s aura.
The Fist King had no dantian.
That enormous body itself functioned as one.
By embedding energy into his muscles, his entire being transformed into something new. The Fist King didn’t use energy in the traditional sense; instead, his muscles simply grew fatigued over time.
The energy within his muscles became akin to the muscles themselves.
“How unique.”
Even that alone was enough to pique Seo-jun’s interest.
It was completely different from any martial art he had encountered so far.
He may have lacked talent in traditional internal energy techniques, which led him to create his own methods, but it seemed he possessed considerable skill in other aspects.
“Next…”
The art of the fist—literally, the art of handling punches.
It was his first time learning a formal fist technique, so he had some expectations.
And considering it was the fist technique of the Fist King himself, it wasn’t a small matter.
If he could master it, he could freely move between using fists and sword techniques in combat.
In addition, it included footwork, body movement, kicking techniques, joint-lock techniques, eye strikes, and so on. Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong entangled a vast array of different skills within itself.
It felt almost reminiscent of his own Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art, giving him an unexpected sense of connection.
The approaches were entirely opposite, but still.
“Hey, old man, now that I see it, you're kinda skilled.”
“I’ve lived hundreds of years longer than you, you brat. Of course, I am.”
“There’s people who’ve lived 600 years and are still idiots. From what I’ve seen, if you don’t have any sort of talent, you could live 10,000 years and never reach the top.”
“Well, realizing your own potential and following the right path is part of skill too, so you’re not wrong. If you don’t recognize your talents and find the right direction, all the time in the world won’t mean a thing.”
At this, Seo-jun puffed out his chest proudly.
“That doesn’t apply to me.”
“Cocky brat. I ought to smack you.”
“Oh? Wanna go?”
“You’re on, brat.”
Pae Jin-gwang burst into laughter and clapped Seo-jun hard on the shoulder.
Each blow made Seo-jun flinch involuntarily.
This was no light pat like Chun-bong’s playful punches—if an ordinary person took these hits, they’d turn into minced meat!
“You’re serious, huh?”
“Pipe down and listen.”
Pae Jin-gwang continued his explanation of Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong.
The part about a meditation-like moving technique matched Seo-jun’s understanding, but when it came to fist techniques, he struggled to fully grasp everything.
“There’s a basic fighting stance, but that’s about it. You could say it’s formless yet refined, or you could just say it’s fighting wildly.”
This part was similar to the Great Spirit Fist technique. The synergy seemed like it would be quite good.
“Come to think of it, I wonder how Uncle Jang-geuk is doing.”
He’d taught him the authentic Great Spirit Fist technique, but who knows if he was making progress?
He’d have to visit and check on his progress sometime.
“Now, give it a try.”
“Huh? Try what?”
“What else? Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong. What’s the first thing you’d do when learning a martial art?”
“Sense the energy?”
“After that.”
“Establish the dantian?”
“Exactly. You need to create the Ki-muscle, which is the equivalent of a dantian for Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong.”
“Ki-muscle, huh… At the supreme level, would it become a heart muscle or something?”
“Oh? How did you know? That’s the ultimate goal.”
“What…?”
Creating muscle in the heart? This old man wasn’t sane, either.
While studying Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong under Pae Jin-gwang’s guidance, Seo-jun suddenly thought about Demonization.
When he entered Demonization, he gained six arms. Until now, he’d used four of them as mere support, but what if he used two for sword techniques and the remaining four for fist techniques?
Or perhaps even combine it with sorcery and use all three at once.
When he asked Pae Jin-gwang about this, the old man nodded seriously.
“There’s some sense to it… But why are you whispering so close?”
“Chun-bong mustn’t hear this.”
“What’s the big deal if someone has a few extra arms? What’s the issue?”
“Well, you never know.”
If Chun-bong were to be grossed out, the emotional wound might be devastating.
“Strange kid.”
Pae Jin-gwang clicked his tongue and closed his eyes.
“Using multiple arms for fist techniques, huh…”
In his mind, countless movements unfolded.
Martial arts he had once performed with two arms now expanded with the potential of multiple arms, creating new pathways.
The Fist King, having woven all of this together, opened his eyes. The man, who had claimed his throne with just his fists, now carried a profound intensity in his gaze.
“I’ll put it together and teach you later.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The Fist King who gave so generously…
Having glimpsed the boundless paths within Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-gong, Seo-jun meticulously organized them.
Though it might be more difficult due to Pae Jin-gwang’s aversion to internal energy, it only made it more exciting.
“Old man, you better look forward to it.”
“What’re you on about now?”
In the depths of Seo-jun’s mind, within a vast library, a new martial arts manual began to take form.
The following day, Namgung Yeong-bo’s message arrived at the perfect time.
Preparations were complete, and they were ready to begin the creation of the Cheonin Elixir whenever Seo-jun was ready.
Seo-jun postponed his training with Pae Jin-gwang for a day and headed to Cheonyak-dang.
“You’ve arrived, young master!”
The place resembled a religious sect awaiting a god.
“Alright, applause.”
“Waaaah…!!”
Amid the thunderous cheers of Cheonyak-dang members, Seo-jun stepped into the alchemy chamber and quickly prepared to begin.
In truth, there wasn’t much preparation needed. Since it didn’t involve using energy, he didn’t know much about the alchemy process itself.
All the preliminary work had already been completed.
All Seo-jun had to do was channel his internal energy into the cauldron.
“Though that’s the most crucial part…”
Scratching his head, Namgung Yeong-bo instructed the members.
“Don’t interfere with the young master; stand back! Those who haven’t yet mastered Cheonin-shin-dan-gong, watch and learn until your eyes fall out!”
“Yes!”
Under the intense gaze of the Cheonyak-dang members, Seo-jun twisted the flow of the Cheonin Elixir’s Five Element Array in his mind.
The cycle of generation and overcoming:
Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water.
Water conquers Fire, Fire conquers Metal, Metal conquers Wood, Wood conquers Earth, Earth conquers Water.
The principles followed the natural order, a law of Heaven and nature alike.
He twisted them.
It wasn’t difficult.
Had he not handled the Reverse Tai Chi before? He recalled the subtlety of defying natural order, and sketched the resulting flow within the Cheonin Elixir.
It was more sorcery than martial arts.
But Seo-jun’s talent wasn’t limited to martial arts but extended to energy itself.
Without much trouble, he drew up a blueprint in his mind and placed his hand atop the cauldron.
“Don’t try to copy this.”
“What?”
“It’s… different.”
The thin thread of internal energy extending from his hand perfectly controlled the flow within the cauldron.
The thread led the energy flow, and the energy changed accordingly.
Thus, he created a Reverse Five Element Array.
The cycle of generation and overcoming reversed the natural order.
Water fueled Fire, Fire birthed Metal, Metal rooted Wood, Wood nurtured Earth, and Earth purified Water.
Water withered Wood, Wood extinguished Fire, Fire burned Earth, Earth eroded Metal, and Metal failed to contain Water.
The reversed principles defied Heaven and imbued themselves into a single elixir, altering the surrounding principles as the process grew more bizarre.
Trees sprouted from the cauldron, extinguishing the fire, while flames erupted from the cauldron’s ingredients, empowering them.
Then, the pill within the flames solidified into metal and scattered light around.
Namgung Yeong-bo, who had been staring blankly at the elixir floating in midair, widened his eyes.
“The principles are distorting.”
As he realized this, the clothes draping the young master unraveled into threads and blossomed into purple flowers, which twisted and grew pairs of eyes and mouths.
“Young… young master?”
Thump, thump! His heart pounded loudly before coming to a halt. Namgung Yeong-bo swallowed hard.
The image of the demon blossoming behind this man suffocated him.
Namgung Yeong-bo, pinned by the enormous presence, could only watch.
Swipe—
Seo-jun brought his fingers together. Thumbs met, index fingers met, middle fingers met, while the ring and pinky fingers splayed out, trapping the pill within a six-fingered circle.
Boom—!
At that moment, all pressure vanished.
“Huff… huff…”
Everyone at Cheonyak-dang gasped and stared at Seo-jun.
It felt like a dream, but the trees and grass growing around proved it was no illusion.
As Seo-jun sealed the pill’s energy in a wooden case, Namgung Yeong-bo took a trembling step forward.
“Young… young master…”
“Yes?”
Curiosity flickered in Seo-jun’s eyes. Namgung Yeong-bo shivered.
“How…?”
His breath quickened. His bloodshot eyes fixed on Seo-jun, and his trembling mouth betrayed fierce emotion.
“Young master… are you…”
Namgung Yeong-bo shouted.
“The god of alchemy!?”
“What?”
“No… No! How did you do that!? To twist the Five Element Array and create a Reverse Array…! This isn’t human!”
Namgung Yeong-bo leaped and sputtered in disbelief.
“You are indeed the god of alchemy! No, truly! This is… wow!”
Startled by the bizarre reaction, Seo-jun stepped back, but Namgung Yeong-bo was relentless.
“I love you, young master…! Please teach me!”
“Please…!” the voices of Cheonyak-dang members echoed in unison, leaving Seo-jun flustered.
“What is this…?”
He had no desire to receive love confessions from a bunch of men.
After promising to teach them “someday” and escaping from Cheonyak-dang, Seo-jun sighed with relief.
“Phew, are they crazy?”
Wouldn’t most people be at least a bit creeped out or frightened by such a display?
It seemed alchemists were surprisingly tolerant of defying natural order.
They had enough potential as demons.
But that was beside the point. The important matter now was the elixir.
Grinning, Seo-jun thought about finally consuming the elixir he had dubbed Cheonma-shin-dan .
If things go as planned…
This would be the first step toward harmonizing natural and reversed principles within one body.
An impossible feat, but that’s the essence of the way of reversing Heaven.
Seo-jun quickened his pace.