NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Genius of Yin and Yang Union
Two months have passed since Lee Cheol-soo joined the Gongdong Sect, on a morning at the Grand Martial Arts Venue.
Once a prestigious site of the Gudaimun Sect, this vast space could accommodate hundreds of disciples practicing simultaneously. Yet, only three souls occupied it.
Yujinhwi was diligently training in Gongdong Sect’s swordsmanship under the guidance of Jeonyeong, while Lee Cheol-soo performed horse stance with sandbags tied to his arms and legs, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.
Huff, huff.
Even after two months, the beads of sweat on Lee Cheol-soo’s face resembled those from day one.
This was no surprise; Jeonyeong, his instructor, had consistently pushed Lee Cheol-soo to his physical limits by adding sandbags just as he became accustomed to external martial arts training.
Thanks to this, every day, Lee Cheol-soo was forced to train his external martial arts to the brink of exhaustion.
It was the training philosophy of Jeonyeong, who believed that a solid foundation was essential to becoming a master.
After all, it was the same method Jeonyeong endured when he started his own journey.
Jeonyeong, while checking Yujinhwi’s posture, glanced towards Lee Cheol-soo.
He saw a sight drenched in sweat, with Lee Cheol-soo’s worn-out clothes clinging to his upper body.
‘Interesting. If this were a typical kid his age, he would’ve surely complained by now after repeating external training every single day for two months…’
Jeonyeong looked at Lee Cheol-soo with a hint of admiration.
Generally, external martial arts are not heavily emphasized in the martial world.
Sure, prestigious sects might begin with external training alongside breath regulation methods before diving into internal arts, but it barely scratched the surface of foundational training.
In the martial community, external martial arts are merely auxiliary to internal martial arts, nothing more, nothing less.
While there are exceptional cases like the legendary Golden Buddha who rose through external training, such feats are relegated to myth.
With external martial arts alone, one could aim only for a level just below top-tier—strictly limited.
Thus, newcomers, especially younger disciples, often neglect external training, grumbling about it as they longed for the internal arts that would lead them to greatness.
They fantasized about transcending humanity, demonstrating powers rivaling mountains and the heavens, unlike the derided external martial arts training.
In simple terms, they joined sects to learn internal arts and become revered but thought training their bodies was a waste of time.
Although seasoned masters understood the folly in this mindset, newcomers were fixated on internal arts over external training, making any advice seem like a cow’s ear reading scripture—meaningless to them.
Every young disciple entering a sect dreams of becoming a hero of the martial world.
‘Even I, when I first joined, all too loudly complained about the external training and begged my master for internal lessons…’
Ironically, it was none other than the Demon Subduing Swordsman, Jeonyeong, who had once grumbled about the harsh external training methods upon joining the Gongdong Sect.
Moreover, external training was boring.
Unlike internal arts, which had elixirs as shortcuts, the progress in external training was gradual, not immediately gratifying.
The results from external training take time to manifest—mid-to-long-term—it wasn’t a quick fix.
Thus, external training typically unfolded with masters pressing reluctant disciples into it like a drill sergeant.
Jeonyeong himself vividly remembered being scolded countless times as he begged his own master to teach him internal arts instead of the monotonous external and breath regulation training during his early days.
Yet, Lee Cheol-soo was different.
The fact that he was already learning breath regulation techniques before joining could be seen in many young disciples who idolized the masters of the martial world.
However, enduring the monotonous and difficult external training without a single complaint was something unheard of for a kid his age.
‘Huh. Although Cheol-soo’s aptitude is average, I didn’t expect much…’
Jeonyeong’s eyes flickered slightly.
Lee Cheol-soo’s physical talents were neither dull nor brilliant, just mediocre.
With relentless effort coupled with luck, he could barely reach the top tier, but reaching a pinnacle would require an exceptional stroke of fortune.
Lee Cheol-soo was a prime example of mediocre talent dashed with misfortune.
He was incomparably dwarfed by Yujinhwi, the prodigy with the qualities of a legendary master.
Because of this, Jeonyeong wasn’t expecting much from Lee Cheol-soo.
His approval of Lee Cheol-soo’s entrance was a mere complement to Yujinhwi’s training role, nothing more.
But now, witnessing Lee Cheol-soo not only endure external training without complaint but even smiling and seemingly enjoying the grueling experience, Jeonyeong found himself revising his expectations.
‘Though his talent is merely average, his perseverance and dedication rival that of a genius.’
Seeing a 13-year-old willingly push beyond typical limits, grinning through the struggle, was borderline insane.
There were times when Jeonyeong felt a shiver run down his spine as he glimpsed madness flickering in Lee Cheol-soo’s eyes.
‘With such tenacity and resolve, Cheol-soo could easily become at least top-tier. If fortune and destiny smile upon him, he might even glimpse the pinnacle.’
In the martial world, true masters who became legends often possessed exceptional tales from childhood or had solid foundational skills.
Although Lee Cheol-soo lacked the innate talent to aim for the ultimate heights, his fiery spirit could certainly guide him to greatness.
‘Hehe. With that kind of capability, he could assist Yujinhwi beautifully. I made a wise choice in letting Cheol-soo join. Both he and Yujinhwi are blessings to the Gongdong Sect.’
Jeonyeong couldn’t contain a satisfied smile.
He had just realized the potential of a disciple he hadn’t expected could elevate the sect.
“There’s one hour remaining,” he said, slapping Lee Cheol-soo’s shoulder lightly while masking his joy.
“Yes, Master.”
With a serious expression, Lee Cheol-soo replied without complaint, all the while secretly chuckling.
‘Hehehe. My stamina is better than it was two months ago, and muscles are slowly forming on this once skinny body. Nice!’
At this rate, he could transform into a rugged ‘hunk,’ guaranteed to attract admiration from women.
Thinking of becoming a physical specimen made the difficult external training taste sweet like honey.
Though he had some experience with external training in his past life, he had never committed so fully.
In that previous life, he had been a eunuch stripped of testosterone, so even extensive external training led him to clear limits.
Unlike modern times, the martial world didn’t offer performance-enhancing substances to boost testosterone, making it even harder to achieve results.
Yet, his breakthrough to the exalted state of ‘Hyeongyeong’ stemmed from mastering the elusive ‘Gyuhwabojeon,’ an unparalleled skill passed only to the masters within the sect.
Gyuhwabojeon was hailed as a superior art, comparable to the Ice White Divine Palm of the Northern Sea Ice Palace and the Sosu Demon Art of the Demon Sect.
One caveat though.
It could only be mastered by a man who had become a eunuch—neither male nor female.
‘Honestly, there was even a guy in my previous life who voluntarily underwent castration just to learn that nonsense.’
There had actually been a lunatic who willingly castrated himself to master Gyuhwabojeon. That person was Jang In-taek, a former comrade in Lee Cheol-soo’s past life, who was delighted to have achieved mastery despite being a eunuch.
He couldn’t fathom that crazy sentiment.
Moreover, Gyuhwabojeon also had severe side effects. As the training progressed, a man who practiced it would accumulate feminine energy and begin transitioning into a more womanly form, their voice becoming high-pitched like that of a historical court eunuch.
‘Seriously, every martial artist is a little off their rocker.’
Choosing between mastering arts and becoming a eunuch was beyond his understanding.
Lee Cheol-soo shook his head internally.
‘Forget it. I wouldn’t learn such a martial art even if it were offered for free.’
No matter how powerful a martial art was, the ultimate cost was becoming a eunuch to master it.
‘Damn you, that quack healer…’
The process of transformation of flesh and bone would reconstruct the body, and at that moment, the slightest chance of restoring what was damaged vanished. Lee Cheol-soo had blindly trusted the healer’s words.
Instead of helping himself, he’d just mistreated his comrades and gone around destroying the environment claiming to amass all the elixirs in the entire Central Plains.
He realized with chagrin that one remained a eunuch even after transformation—only grasping that bitter truth after reaching the exalted state.
But now, it was different.
As long as he had his health intact, there was no need to master a dreadful martial art like Gyuhwabojeon.
Forgetting such a wretched martial art was a hundred times better.
With that thought, Lee Cheol-soo bit his lip and continued with his external training.
*
After all the training was done, Lee Cheol-soo finished his dinner spread and wrapped up the day’s final routine, the Jerk Exercise.
It had been two months since he began practicing his unique technique, and now his member was undoubtedly larger than it had been two months prior.
Hehehe… this is sex.
He lifted his pants to confirm his sizable member resembling an African elephant, chuckling to himself.
Not only that, he noticed a distinct outline of six-pack abs forming on his abdomen.
Unlike his past life, where practicing external arts had only increased the subtle feminine qualities from Gyuhwabojeon’s side effects, he was now transforming in a far different way. Observing the emerging muscles of a grown man, he felt positive.
However, satisfaction from external training alone was inadequate.
Strong muscles alone wouldn’t catapult him to the status of a quintessential seducer or a master of the Color Spectrum.
What also mattered were the raw beast-like muscles and enormous attributes, of course.
Yet, fundamental to achieving the dreams of the ‘Wushan Dream’ was also endurance.
To indulge in the pleasures of Samcheosacheop and experience the joys with women for days at a time, he needed the endurance to not collapse easily.
And the quickest way to build endurance? Running!
The benefits of running extend beyond just improving stamina.
What is an erection? According to modern medicine, it is the phenomenon of an increased blood supply to the cavernous bodies of the penis due to factors like excitement.
‘To enhance erection power, improving cardiovascular endurance is essential.’
Indeed, the blood supply was the key focus.
To boost erection power, he needed a sustainable and increased blood supply to the penis cavernous tissues for an extended period.
Thus, the functions of the heart and lung endurance are vital factors affecting his stamina.
By enhancing cardiovascular endurance with a strong heart, blood vessels, and overall circulation, his sexual vitality would naturally improve.
The best elixir created by modern medicine, comparable to the mighty Grand Rejuvenation Pill, Viagra was initially developed as a heart disease treatment—which explains its origins.
High cardiovascular endurance directly leads to increased stamina.
And there’s nothing quite like running for cardiovascular endurance training.
Hehe, then should I begin my running training to satisfy my future wives?
If he steadily practiced running, he might someday captivate women just by running like those in sports commercials.
With sandbags tied to his arms and legs like a personal weight set, he immediately began jogging around the Gongdong Sect Main Base.
Huff, huff, huff…
Having trained to the limit with external martial arts during the day—think anaerobic exercise—he had just begun running, and already felt his breath catch, pain in his sides, and sweetness pooling in his mouth.
Yet, even as he sweated profusely under the moonlight, he continued running while simultaneously doing Kegel exercises.
It wouldn’t do to become a master of the Color Spectrum overnight.
His daily routine was this: training external martial arts by day, secret running practice and bodyweight exercises by night.
For the past two months, he kept this regimen without fail.
To become the transcendent genius of Yin and Yang Union by the age of majority—to complete the physical form of a ‘Seductive Bone’, he could not afford to slack.
Just then, while circling the Gongdong Sect Main Base for the second round, he encountered someone familiar at the Gongdong Sect Mountain Gate.
“Disciple? What are you doing up at this hour?”
A handsome youth stood under the moonlight, his features a blend of elegance and charm that left him strikingly beautiful.
Damn it, it was his troublesome senior, Yujinhwi, staring wide-eyed at him from the mountain gate.
Drip.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
No way.
What is that guy doing here?