NOVEL NEXT Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Completion of the Four Divine Beasts
“What’s this? What do you mean by that?”
“I think the balance might be off.”
“The Four Divine Beasts’ Technique?”
“Yes.”
“Explain in more detail.”
“The energy of the Four Divine Beasts governs each of the organs: liver, lungs, heart, and kidneys. By activating these four organs, excluding the spleen, one can push the body’s strength to its limits.”
“That’s correct.”
“I’ve only acquired the energy of two so far. Wouldn’t that cause an imbalance within the body?”
“That’s nonsense.”
“Pardon?”
“Some people are born with strong hearts, while others have strong lungs or livers. Do you think most of these people die early because of organ imbalance?”
“Ah…”
“The human body is highly complex but also evolved to achieve extreme efficiency. This is true for all living beings. Unless affected by external factors or disease, the body quickly adapts to its current state.”
“You mean that if one organ is particularly strong, the other organs will naturally adjust to activate the body accordingly.”
“In extreme cases, as long as it’s not a life-threatening organ, a person can survive even if it’s somewhat damaged or removed.”
“The human body is truly mysterious.”
“It is indeed. Among all organs, I would say the liver is the most mysterious.”
“The liver?”
“It’s not as dangerous as the heart, lungs, or kidneys. Yet, it performs the most functions in the body. For instance, it has a detoxification function.”
“Detoxification…”
“Yes. It also synthesizes muscle, stores nutrients from food, and enhances immunity to various diseases. It even has excellent regenerative capabilities.”
“That’s an impressive organ.”
“Once you master the Four Divine Beasts’ Technique, you must not neglect any part of it. I’m certain that if you engage in a bloody battle in the martial world, you’ll benefit the most from the Azure Dragon’s energy that governs the liver.”
“…”
“Of course, that’s if your body is sufficiently complete.”
* * *
Tsutsutsutsu.
The dust settled.
Wuuuuung.
A translucent, turquoise glow flickered and created a dragon’s form, then vanished.
Yeon Hojeong’s face showed a strange vitality.
He sensed an extremely subtle fatigue that even sufficient sleep couldn’t relieve, something he hadn’t been aware of.
His skin gradually cleared up. Though his tan from the sun remained, it seemed to glow somehow.
“Finally.”
At last.
“I’ve obtained everything.”
The reason he hadn’t touched the Azure Dragon’s energy was clear.
He wanted to mature the energies of the Three Divine Beasts and form an organic relationship, pushing the functions of his organs to their limits.
It wasn’t just because it was the Azure Dragon’s energy. He intended to draw out the final energy at a crucial moment, regardless of what it was.
“If one organ is particularly strong, the other organs will naturally adjust to activate the body accordingly.”
Due to the energies of the Three Divine Beasts, the functions of his heart, lungs, and kidneys had become extremely active, so even without the Azure Dragon’s energy, his liver’s detoxification function had also become excellent.
After pushing his abilities to their limits, adding the Azure Dragon’s energy would cause the liver’s capabilities to grow explosively. The increased liver function would, in turn, drastically amplify the concentration of the remaining Three Divine Beasts’ energies.
Rather than establishing a stable foundation by balancing all four divine energies, he aimed to complete the Four Divine Beasts’ Technique by leveraging the synergy of mutual growth.
“It came a bit earlier than expected, but…”
It’s not bad.
The liver had accumulated unnoticed fatigue due to not keeping up with the superiority of the heart, lungs, and kidneys. This meant that the limits of the organs’ abilities had been reached.
In other words, it was the perfect time to call upon the Azure Dragon to explosively enhance the organs’ capabilities.
Jiiiiiing!
An odd sound emanated from Yeon Hojeong’s body.
He took a deep breath.
“Hoo.”
Saaaak!
With the inhaled breath, the White Tiger’s energy surged. The highly concentrated natural energy entered the lungs, influencing the blood flow.
Thump-thump!
As his heartbeat gradually quickened, the Vermilion Bird’s energy became active. The powerful heart muscles pumped blood that provided explosive strength to his limbs.
“Huuu.”
Wiiiiing!
The liver, the body’s largest biochemical factory, began full-scale operation. The liver, explosively enhanced by the turquoise Azure Dragon’s energy, supplied nutrients to injured muscles, stored remaining energy, and converted minor fatigue into easily expelled components.
Tuuuuung!
The kidneys, tirelessly working throughout the twelve-hour cycle, sent the fatigue components produced by the liver to the excretion system. Immediately, the Black Tortoise’s energy activated, vaporizing those components through the 84,000 pores.
And finally,
The Byukra Jinryeol, which balanced all Four Divine Beasts’ energies, completed Yeon Hojeong’s body.
Kwa-jijijik!
The already cracked and shattered floor of the martial arts training ground cracked further. The now fully gathered Four Divine Beasts’ energies condensed with mutual growth, generating tremendous pressure.
The ground within a five-jang radius of where Yeon Hojeong stood shook as if struck by an earthquake.
Pususu.
Yeon Wi, holding a shattered sword, looked at Yeon Hojeong.
“It’s changing.”
His body, energy, everything was changing.
Like a crouching lion, Yeon Hojeong, with his upper body curled and fists clenched, trembled as a translucent four-colored energy flickered like lightning.
And that energy, each flickering and forming strange shapes.
“It’s blinding.”
Yeon Wi looked to the left, towards the east.
There, a giant dragon with two massive horns and a long white beard wriggled. It exuded a grand and mysterious atmosphere.
“The Azure Dragon.”
He turned his head to the right, towards the west.
A beast with thick, pillar-like legs stood on the ground, roaring ferociously. It displayed an overwhelming presence and savageness.
“The White Tiger.”
Yeon Wi looked up at the southern sky.
The wings of red flames, burning like a phoenix, radiated intense heat as if they could engulf the world. Its beautiful form belied an inherent ferocity.
“The Vermilion Bird.”
And finally, his eyes turned to the northern sky.
Unlike the other three divine beasts that showed dynamic movements, a hexagonal monster stood silently, gazing down at the world. The stillness added to its immense weight, the embodiment of the Black Sky.
“The Black Tortoise.”
Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise.
Now, Yeon Hojeong had mastered the martial arts of all Four Divine Beasts.
Amazingly, the transformation didn’t stop there.
Wuuuuuuung!!
Yeon Wi’s eyes widened.
“Byukra Jinryeol?”
Water nourishes wood, wood nourishes fire.
The Black Tortoise’s energy of water enhances the Azure Dragon’s energy of wood, and the Azure Dragon’s energy enhances the Vermilion Bird’s energy of fire.
Metal nourishes water, and the White Tiger’s energy of metal, which has enhanced the Black Tortoise, adds momentum to the growth of energy. All energies except the White Tiger have been refined to the highest quality.
What about the White Tiger?
Where is the energy of earth, which nurtures metal, the foundational energy of earth?
Paaaaak!
It’s the Byukra Jinryeol.
The Byukra Jinryeol amplified the White Tiger’s energy to match the highly refined energies of the other three. It filled the missing piece of the five elements’ mutual growth.
Flash!
The light of the sky enveloped the four-colored energies of the Four Divine Beasts.
“Magnificent.”
Yeon Wi’s face was filled with awe.
“You’ve perfected the Byukra Jinryeol!”
Wuuuuuuung!
The various energies swirled around the training ground, gradually calming down.
“Huuu.”
Yeon Hojeong, who exhaled deeply, opened his eyes.
Clear.
His eyes had been clear before, but now they were different, filled with a clarity that separated black and white distinctly. Within those eyes, a powerful martial force, ready for an explosive advance, lay dormant.
Yeon Wi smiled and asked,
“You rascal.”
Yeon Hojeong also smiled in response.
“After all the effort to become a great wall for my son, you’ve already climbed up there. What do you expect this father to do now?”
Though he spoke like that, he couldn’t hide his pride. Yeon Wi’s eyes and the corners of his mouth, lifted high, clearly showed his joy.
“You should advance further as well, Father.”
“Does that mean I have to sleep even less?”
“That’s your concern, Father.”
“What? Hahaha!”
Despite the cheeky tone, Yeon Wi didn’t reprimand him. Instead, he laughed heartily, something he had never shown before.
It was understandable. This monstrous son had just taken the first step on the grand journey of transcending human limits and embarking on the ultimate path.
Transcendence.
Breaking through the so-called Martial End Wall and finally stepping onto the stage where the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Six Great Clans stood.
He was still young. Having just taken the first step, he couldn’t be compared to the seasoned masters who had walked the path of transcendence for a long time.
However, just stepping onto that path at such a young age was astonishing. Searching through thousands of years of martial history, how many had reached such a state at that age?
“Hojeong.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Congratulations.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Father. Thank you.”
“And Hojeong.”
“Yes.”
“Well done.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Shall we have a drink together today?”
A phrase Yeon Hojeong, often playful, had never said to his father.
Yeon Wi accepted his son’s audacious proposal with a great laugh.
“Good. When else would I have a drink with you but on a day like this? Let’s drink heartily today.”
Thus, in front of countless martial artists, the fame of the Yeon family shook the world once again.
* * *
The news of the duel between the Yeon father and son at the martial arts training ground within the Murim Alliance spread quickly. Naturally, it also reached the Moyong family.
“Yeon Gunjang?”
“Yes.”
Moyong Woo clicked his tongue.
“How did he already…?”
He was genuinely shocked. The surprise was so great that he couldn’t even utter a word of admiration.
Transcendence.
Martial arts, an ever-deepening endeavor, didn’t necessarily require distinctions like first-rate or ultimate.
However, there existed an absolute limit that everyone faced. This limit was called the Martial End Wall, and it troubled many.
Few could break through this wall and step into a new world.
Among countless martial artists, perhaps less than a fraction of a percent succeeded. That’s how difficult it was to surpass the Martial End Wall.
And now, they said a young man at the age of twenty had broken through it.
It was an event that could stir the world. Unlike when he was called the ‘Yeonsan Hojeong’ and turned the famous clans upside down, this was a different kind of astonishment.
“Remarkable.”
“Yes, remarkable.”
Moyong Gun’s eyes were so cold they seemed fierce.
His gaze was sharp, but within it, there was also an unexpected hint of genuine admiration.
“A monstrous kid.”
Just when he thought he had reached his limit, he had already fled far away. And when he felt relieved to have caught up, now he showed feats of flying in the sky.
There’s no other like him.
Moyong Gun felt an urgent sense of danger. Initially, he had intended to root him out, but seeing Yeon Hojeong’s rapid growth, he realized he could delay no longer.
“There are poisonous weeds that die easily, and then there are monstrous ones that grow tall while you sip a cup of tea.”
A murderous intent flickered in Moyong Gun’s eyes.
“Woo-ya.”
“Yes, brother.”
“After the expedition, we need to bury the Myeolsagun.”
“…!”
“We can’t afford to be half-hearted. We must end this.”