CFZ

I returned to my quarters with Seong Yul.
Despite the ordeal, he looked radiant, his mood brighter than ever.
This idiot seemed so ecstatic he didn’t even remember that I’d forced the Dragon Pearl on him.
When he expressed an immediate desire to test his new strength with his sword, I let him go. I understood. Not only had he broken through to Hwagyeong, but his energy had skyrocketed. How could anyone sit still in such a state?

‘And besides…’
I recalled Seong Yul’s eyes.
‘There’s a new light in them.’

Whether it was because he had overcome his limitations or because his body had absorbed the Dragon Pearl’s energy, his once-dull yellow eyes now sparkled far more brightly.
But was that necessarily a good thing?
‘They shine brighter than the Sword Demon’s did in my past life.’

From what I knew, those eyes were said to be proof of the Heavenly Killing Star. Was it really okay for them to shine like that?
‘It was the same when he fought Peng Woojin. Is this really safe?’
When the Heavenly Killing Star manifested, the eyes glowed, killing intent intensified, and the energy could even be weaponized into physical forms during combat.
Given that, I couldn’t just assume this newfound glow was entirely positive.

‘…Though he seems to have it under control for now.’
On the surface, there didn’t seem to be any issues.
He wasn’t consumed by killing intent, nor was any residual malice leaking out from within.
‘Could it be because I suppressed it earlier?’

When I was stabilizing his energy, the Heavenly Killing Star tried to emerge, and I forced it back down. Perhaps that helped.
‘As for his clean state post-transformation, it’s likely because I purged the impurities earlier.’
Even during sparring, I’d periodically rid him of built-up impurities.
Thanks to that, his rebirth left fewer traces of the usual waste products.

‘Hmm. Not bad at all.’
Whatever the case, the result was good.
Seong Yul had grown stronger, and that was a win.
More importantly…

‘I’ve figured out how to use the Dragon Pearl.’
I now understood the utility of this absurd elixir.
Even if it couldn’t fully integrate into the body, it could still be useful.
‘Of course, it’s better to use it after a proper rebirth, but that’s easier said than done.’

Rebirth wasn’t something you could achieve just because you wanted to.
Ideally, I’d like to use the pond water, but…
‘…It takes too long.’
Five years was too much time to invest.
Sure, it was a miraculous opportunity that martial artists across Zhongyuan would kill for, but…

‘For me, it’s far too slow.’
There were too many time constraints to rely on it. Plus…
‘I don’t even understand how it works.’
What kind of power it held or how it facilitated rebirth remained a mystery.
Without that knowledge, using it recklessly wasn’t an option.

And then there was the matter of…
‘The creature in the pond. That’s also an issue.’
No matter how much I investigated, I couldn’t discern its nature.

Even Amwang, with all his knowledge, had neither seen nor heard of it.
It made further investigation challenging.
‘The only thing I do know is…’
There are several hidden spaces beneath the pond.
I discovered this while detecting the flow of energy within the formation.

I even dismantled the mechanisms and explored those spaces myself, without alerting the others.
One of them is where the Dragon Pearls are currently stored.
‘What was it made ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) for?’
Though the temperatures varied, the dimensions of the spaces were identical.
Were they meant for secret storage?
If so, what were they supposed to store?

Additionally…
‘If they’re empty, it means either nothing was placed there, or…’
…someone already took whatever was stored there.
If it was taken, was it the Gate Master (Mun Do-hyuk) of the Celestial Stream Sect who did it?

‘It’s complicated.’
Even with Amwang’s help searching, there were no clear answers.
‘What could this all be for…?’

I couldn’t stop questioning the purpose behind all these intricate setups.
Fwoosh—!
Frustrated, I released a burst of flames.

Boom!
The white flames spread in a wide circle, consuming everything in their path.
As they roared back to me, I noticed that nothing in their wake had changed.
“Hm.”

I frowned slightly at the result.
“As expected.”

No matter how many times I tried, the result was the same.
The White Flame couldn’t burn ordinary objects.

It couldn’t incinerate wood or even melt stone.
While it could be fine-tuned to avoid damaging its surroundings, it wouldn’t ignite anything even with deliberate effort.
So, was it a flame meant solely for combating demons?
‘Then why could it melt the structures underground?’

When I fought the Gate Master, the flames had pierced through the walls.
Why was it possible then but not now?
I couldn’t discern the difference.
‘At least…’
Fwoosh—!
The white flames in my hand shifted to blue.

‘It’s fortunate I can still control them.’
The newly acquired White Flame,
the original Blue Flame,
and the Black Flame born of demonic energy—
I could control and alternate between all three.
‘If the White Flame was my only option, it’d have been a disaster in battle.’

Aside from its overwhelming power against demons, it was nearly useless in practical combat.
It would’ve thrown all my plans into chaos.
‘Now that this is settled…’
I extinguished the flames and heightened my energy perception.
Once I confirmed there was no one nearby…

Snap!
Using my thumb and middle finger, I snapped lightly.
Whir—!

Behind me, the air split open, forming a crack.
Growl—!
From beyond the rift came the guttural growls of a beast.

I stared at it impassively, inspecting the item in my possession.
‘The Demonic Ward Talisman still shows no reaction.’
The artifact from the Wudang Sect, designed to detect Demonic Gates before they opened, was considered essential for any martial artist of the current era.

Yet, it didn’t react to the gate I had created.
‘So it’s not a true Demonic Gate, huh?’
Since this gate was formed using the power of my Authority, it didn’t trigger the talisman.

Realizing this, I smirked.
‘That makes it even more useful.’
A Demonic Gate undetectable by the talisman held immense strategic value.

With that realization, I focused my energy.
‘Let’s see how far I can take this.’
The name of this power: Life.

It allowed me to summon any creature I had killed, consuming energy to do so.
That’s how I had summoned the hordes of blue and red demons the other night.
Which meant…
‘Perhaps I can summon them too.’

I focused harder, imagining the form of a White-Rank Demon, one of the strongest beings I had slain.
Whir—!
“…!!”

As soon as the thought formed, a massive amount of energy drained from my body.
Then…
SCREEEEEEECH—!!!

A deafening roar erupted from within the crack, accompanied by an overwhelming surge of energy.
“Shit.”
I immediately cut the power and closed the gate.

Hiss—!
Even after sealing it, the lingering pressure in the air was palpable.
If I had fully summoned it, the disturbance would’ve been enough to alert the entire branch.
If that had happened, martial artists would’ve swarmed this place in no time.

“That was close…”
Letting out a sigh of relief, I laughed lightly.
“It’s possible.”

It worked.
I could even summon White-Rank Demons.
Knowing this, I couldn’t help but smile.

‘Though it seems the duration is limited.’
Judging by the energy cost, I’d be able to maintain the summon for no more than fifteen minutes.
But that was more than enough for me.
The fact that the Demonic Ward Talisman didn’t react and that I could summon White-Rank Demons, even briefly, proved just how valuable this power was.

‘This is settled. Now for the last test.’
I extinguished the residual flames and focused once more.
I wrapped flames around my outstretched hand.

No, to be precise, I didn’t just wrap them—I transformed my body into flames themselves.

This was the transformation that occurred when the Nine Flames Wheel Art (구염화륜공) reached mastery.
"I’ve become one with the flames themselves."
Rather than merely summoning flames or cloaking my body with them, I had become one with the flames. This was the pinnacle of the Nine Flames Wheel Art’s power.

"But now what am I supposed to do with this?"
I was currently facing a rather perplexing issue.
Reaching mastery was undoubtedly a great achievement. My skills had improved significantly, and although I hadn’t fully tested it yet, I was confident my firepower had grown immensely.

Given all that, the current situation should have been ideal…
"How do I actually use the ultimate technique?"
The ultimate ability of the Nine Flames Wheel Art was the power I had anticipated the most upon mastering it. The overwhelming strength my father once displayed—how was I supposed to wield it?

Since reaching mastery, I’d tried countless experiments and tests, but I couldn’t figure it out.
"Do I just… have to ask my father in the end?"
I sighed.

"…I was planning to visit him anyway."
I had already decided to visit my father at some point. After all, the vision I’d seen when I reached enlightenment confirmed it.
It wasn’t just about meeting him—it was also about having a proper conversation.

"I guess it’s time for a long talk with my father."
The idea of having an in-depth conversation with my father was a strange one. It was so unfamiliar that even imagining it made my stomach churn.
"...Forget it. I’ll think about this when I get to Hanyang."

For now, there was no point in dwelling on it. Shaking off the thoughts, I turned and headed back.

   ******************
   
When I returned to the quarters, my first stop was the infirmary. My objective was clear: to check on Namgung Bi-ah.

“You’re almost fully healed.”
I said this as I withdrew my hand from her back.
“…Mm.”

“By the day after tomorrow, you should be able to walk around.”
Every day, I came here to clear her body of the residual dark energy. Of course, part of the reason was to see her face.
"Her recovery is unusually fast."

Even before, I’d noticed it. Namgung Bi-ah’s body had an extraordinary regenerative ability. Despite her near-fatal injuries, she had healed to the point of walking within a few days.
My own body wasn’t exactly a fair comparison, but even so, her speed was abnormally fast.
"Could it be because I’ve been regularly clearing out the dark energy?"

It was possible. In any case, it was a good thing her recovery wasn’t slow.
I glanced at her bandaged back and spoke.
"Why do you always end up getting seriously hurt?"

“…”
Namgung Bi-ah turned her gaze toward me. Her eyes seemed to convey a clear message.
—You’re one to talk.

Her intent was evident.
"Ahem."
I had no rebuttal to that, so I coughed awkwardly to gloss over it.

“Hey, stop glaring. Your eyes are so sharp that it’s scary when you look at me like that.”
“That applies to you as well…”
“Anyway.”

I cut her off. There was no point in continuing this back-and-forth since I’d come here with a purpose today.
“We’ll be heading back to Hanyang in a few days. You should be able to walk by then, so the timing works out.”
As I spoke, I calculated internally.

"Let’s see… Five days at most."
That should be enough. Sorting out the schedule with the Tang Clan, wrapping up the tasks I’d entrusted to Cheol Ji-seon and Amwang, and preparing for the journey would take three to four days.
“So, here’s the thing.”

“…Mm?”
“Come to my room in two days.”
“…What?”

“Preferably at night.”
At my words, Namgung Bi-ah froze briefly. I didn’t notice, as I was lost in thought.
"By then, I can give her a Dokcheon Pill  to stabilize her condition, and if she seems capable of enduring it, I could even give her a Dragon Pearl."

Having figured out how to use it, I planned to distribute the Yeouiju to my companions one by one. Of course, I’d conduct a few more tests before giving it to Namgung Bi-ah.
“…At night?”
“Yeah.”

“When I’m better and at night?”
“Yeah, when you’re able to walk, at night.”
“…?”

Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head in confusion. Was my explanation unclear? Why was she reacting like this?
I was about to explain the Dokcheon Pill when she spoke.
“Are you… planning to sleep with me?”

“No, we’re not going to—wait, what?”
I froze mid-sentence, my eyes widening.
What did she just say?

I looked at her, utterly baffled. Surely I misheard her. That had to be it, right?
But then…
“If that’s what you want, I don’t mind…”

Namgung Bi-ah spoke in a clear, unwavering voice.
“Do you… want to sleep with me?”
Her words left me completely frozen, my body stiffening like stone.

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Hello everyone! This is Solee )) The remaining 2 chapters will be released a little later today.