NOVEL NEXT chapter 213
There are times when you just get a feeling.
A sense that you shouldn't get too close.
An instinctive, bodily rejection.
Right now, Myung Gong was feeling exactly that.
At that moment, a young man slowly stepped out of the cave.
‘Who is that? A new disciple?’
But the clothes he wore were far too luxurious for that to be the case.
“Show your respects. This is the teacher who will be instructing you.”
“…What?”
When he heard “teacher,” Myung Gong had assumed someone around his master’s age. But this man was far too young.
At best, he looked like he was just barely in his twenties.
“H-He’s going to be my teacher?”
“Why? You don’t trust him?”
Myung Gong was about to answer yes, but then bowed his head.
“N-No, sir. I’m just grateful for your concern for your disciple.”
“Hahaha. It’s good that you understand.”
Then, grasping Myung Gong’s hand tightly, he said:
“No matter how hard it gets, you must endure it.”
“…Excuse me?”
“It’s going to be very hard. But you must endure. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“…Understood.”
He had no idea what this was all about, but since it was his master saying it, Myung Gong answered obediently.
There was, in fact, a reason Baekwoon was speaking this way.
Two days before Myung Gong descended—two months within that cave—he had spent them with Yeon Woo Jin.
To master the Taiji Wisdom Sword and Two Principles Supreme Art.
Those two months had become an unforgettable memory.
The most difficult—and also the happiest—two months of Baekwoon’s life.
Yeon Woo Jin had told him:
Myung Gong would probably suffer even more than he had.
He even promised to completely reconstruct Myung Gong’s body.
Reverse Muscular Flow Formation, was it?
That thing was hell.
If someone asked him to go through it again?
Absolutely not.
Even if the Origin Primordial Lord himself ordered it, he wouldn’t do it.
He’d rather give up his position as Sect Leader and descend the mountain.
Recalling his own experience, Baekwoon gave a small shudder and silently prayed for Myung Gong’s well-being.
‘He must endure this.’
With that, he pushed Myung Gong toward Yeon Woo Jin.
“Go now. I’ll see you in four days.”
This time, it wasn’t two days, but four.
Unlike Baekwoon, both Myung Gong and Myung Cheon were neither at high cultivation levels nor very experienced. They would need more time.
Possibly even more than four days.
Still, Woo Jin was determined to finish within that window if possible.
Myung Gong walked up to Yeon Woo Jin and bowed in greeting with a martial salute.
“I am Wudang’s Head Disciple, Myung Gong. I look forward to your instruction.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best to teach you. Please follow me.”
Something about Yeon Woo Jin’s gesture gave him a sense of foreboding, but he shook the unnecessary thoughts from his mind and followed him in.
****
“Senior Brother!”
As soon as he saw Myung Gong, Myung Cheon greeted him with a booming voice.
“Oh, hey. It’s been a while, little brother.”
“Yes! Have you been well?”
“Not exactly.”
“You didn’t achieve the result you were aiming for.”
“Yeah. What about you? I heard… your health was bad?”
“Ah! You heard? There was a time like that, but I’m fine now.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief.”
While the two martial brothers exchanged pleasantries, Yeon Woo Jin activated the Temporal Displacement Formation inside the cave.
Zzziing—
A sound rang in their ears, followed by a wave of dizziness.
“It’s begun.”
Myung Cheon spoke with a tense expression. Myung Gong asked:
“What has?”
Looking at him seriously, Myung Cheon said:
“Senior Brother. You must endure. You’re the future of Wudang.”
For some reason, that was the exact same thing Master had said.
“What do you mean? Endure what?”
But Myung Cheon didn’t answer.
Yeon Woo Jin called out instead.
“Taoist Myung Gong, over here.”
Given his Master’s order to listen well to Yeon Woo Jin, Myung Gong obeyed and stood before him.
Yeon Woo Jin examined his body, touching here and there as he said:
“I’m going to check your pulse.”
“Yes.”
Myung Gong held out his wrist, and Woo Jin grabbed it and focused.
“Hm.”
Opening his eyes, Woo Jin made an ambiguous expression.
Then he looked straight at Myung Gong.
“As expected of Wudang.”
“…Sorry?”
“Such a surplus of talent.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Since it sounded like praise, Myung Gong offered his thanks.
“But… your body has some issues.”
“…What?”
What now?
“You’ve hit a wall, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Felt like you’d never break through it, even if you died.”
“Yes.”
“That makes sense. Someone placed a restriction on your body to prevent you from advancing.”
“W-What? Y-You mean someone placed a restriction on me?”
“Yes.”
“Why…?”
He couldn’t understand it.
Why would anyone place a restriction on someone with an ordinary body like his?
“Because you have the Heavenly Martial Body.”
“…What?”
He recoiled in shock.
Even with his lack of worldly knowledge, he knew what that meant.
A body perfectly suited for martial cultivation.
“Who? Me?”
“Yes.”
As Yeon Woo Jin confirmed it, Myung Cheon, who had been listening beside them, offered congratulations.
“I knew it! Senior Brother! Congratulations!”
“…Huh?”
…Was this really happening?
Still dazed, he turned to Woo Jin.
“T-Then… that restriction is the reason why my cultivation progressed so slowly?”
“Yes.”
“Can you… remove it?”
“Of course.”
At that, Myung Gong grabbed both of Woo Jin’s hands and pleaded sincerely.
“Please! Please remove it for me!”
“I will. But it’ll hurt—a lot. The restriction’s been in place for so long that your body’s internal balance is completely broken. We’ll have to forcibly realign it.”
“If I can grow stronger, I’ll endure any pain!”
Yeon Woo Jin saw the determination in Myung Gong’s eyes and nodded with a smile.
“Good eyes. I hope your resolve doesn’t waver.”
“It won’t, no matter what!”
“Very well. Then let’s begin.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Stand over there.”
Where Woo Jin pointed, a formation had been drawn on the ground.
Myung Gong did as instructed and took his position.
“Now, copy my stance exactly.”
As Woo Jin slowly shifted into position, Myung Cheon, watching from the side, clenched his eyes shut.
The memory of that nightmarish pain resurfaced.
But Myung Gong, too focused to notice, mimicked Woo Jin’s stance.
Surprisingly, his body was quite flexible, and he had little trouble copying it.
“Now hold that pose.”
Then, despite saying that, Woo Jin walked over and suddenly began twisting Myung Gong’s limbs even further.
Crack—
Loud popping sounds came from his joints, and pain surged through him.
But Myung Gong clenched his teeth and endured.
If this was the path to becoming stronger, he could bear it.
The pain intensified.
“Ghk…!”
A groan finally escaped.
Then Woo Jin let go of him.
Was it over?
That was… more bearable than expected.
If that was the extent of the pain, he could survive—
“Now we begin. This is going to hurt a lot.”
“…Huh? T-That wasn’t it?”
“No. We haven’t even started yet. That was just setting your posture.”
“Then what was that pain?”
“That wasn’t pain.”
“…What?”
What did that even mean?
It hurt. A lot.
He barely endured it!
That wasn’t pain?
Suddenly, a chill swept over him.
“We’ll begin now.”
“W-Wait—”
Too late.
A prickling sensation rose from his toes, and in an instant, unbearable pain surged through every muscle as they twisted violently.
“AAAAARGH!”
That was real.
What came before wasn’t even worthy of being called pain.
Crack—
As his muscles twisted, his joints began to shift out of place.
“Since it’s your first day, we’ll take it easy.”
This was taking it easy?
It felt like he was dying.
His consciousness blurred.
****
“AAAAAAARGH!”
It had been a full week since he started undergoing the Reverse Muscular Flow Formation.
Myung Gong was on the verge of madness.
He didn’t even faint anymore.
He had to endure all of it—this infernal pain—fully conscious.
Crunch—
A chilling crack echoed from his dantian as pain like his entire body being ripped apart surged through him.
“This is the final stage. Stay strong.”
Hearing that, Myung Gong clenched his fists so hard they nearly shattered.
Just a little more.
If he could endure this, he would become stronger.
Thinking that made it bearable.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
But then, the pain began to fade—starting from his feet—and a refreshing energy washed over him.
“Haa…!”
A cry of pure elation burst from his lips.
It felt like every cell in his body was breathing.
His body felt weightless, overflowing with the confidence that he could do anything.
His mind cleared, his senses sharpened.
Everything he had studied suddenly came into focus. He could instantly see the gaps in his technique.
What he’d struggled so long to grasp now appeared with ease.
The first thing Myung Gong did upon opening his eyes was refine his martial technique, eliminating every weakness.
Taechung Sword Technique.
The next most advanced Wudang technique after Taiji Wisdom Sword, only the Sect Leader and his successor were permitted to learn it.
It was that difficult and complex.
Yet despite the restriction on his body, Myung Gong had mastered most of it.
Even with a sealed Heavenly Martial Body, he was Wudang’s greatest martial talent.
He moved as if holding a sword.
In that moment—
A transparent sword aura manifested in his hand.
What had been faint now shimmered brilliantly, rapidly condensing.
He had completed Formless Sword Qi.
Fwoosh fwoosh fwoosh—
Unleashing the Taechung Sword Technique through Formless Sword Qi sent powerful energy rippling through the air.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Even though the formation absorbed most of the shock, the ground shook.
Myung Cheon, who was training in a nearby cave, rushed out in shock.
He saw Myung Gong wielding Formless Sword Qi in dazzling fashion.
It was magnificent.
“As expected of Senior Brother…”
And of course, he had the Heavenly Martial Body.
He had brought the stagnated Taechung Sword Technique to perfection in an instant.
All his blocked cultivation stages surged forward like a dam breaking.
Having completed every movement of the Taechung Sword Technique, Myung Gong let out a satisfied breath.
Then he looked at his hand and flinched.
“Huh!”
He was shocked by the Formless Sword Qi.
He’d unleashed it unconsciously—only now realizing it.
Still glowing in his hand, Myung Gong smiled.
He’d done it.
He had finally gained what he so desperately longed for.
Paang—
The sword aura vanished, and Myung Gong immediately sat down and entered meditation.
Slowly, his body began to float.
The energy overflowing from his advanced cultivation level poured out from his body.
It formed a mist-like aura around [N O V E L I G H T] him, then began to enter through his nostrils.
Simultaneously, a golden lotus-shaped formation spread out beneath him.
The golden energy, too, was absorbed through his nose.
Flash—
As he opened his eyes again, a powerful light burst forth from his gaze in all directions.
He had entered the Apex-Level Realm.
To reach such a realm at the age of Irip—early thirties—was a rarity in all of martial history.
And it was all thanks to Yeon Woo Jin.
If not for him, he would never have known he had the Heavenly Martial Body, never understood the restriction, and would’ve spent his life resenting his own inadequacy.
Myung Gong saw Yeon Woo Jin smiling proudly at him from nearby.
Rising to his feet on the spot, Myung Gong bowed deeply and offered a martial salute.
“Thank you for your grace! I will honor you as my lifelong benefactor! When I become Sect Leader, if there’s ever anything you need, just say the word! If it’s within my power, I’ll do it!”
“Then be on good terms with Martial Deity Heaven.”
“…Pardon?”
“By the time you become Sect Leader, I’ll likely be the Master of Martial Deity Heaven.”
“…Huh?”
He thought nothing could surprise him anymore.
“W-Wait, are you from Martial Deity Heaven?”
“Yes. The Master of Martial Deity Heaven is my grandfather.”
“…What?”
No wonder his master had treated him so carefully.
He was far more incredible than he’d imagined.