Chapter 71
Great Law (3)
Crackle!
Blue lightning qi spread outward from Namgung Jun like roots extending through the earth.
The physicians recoiled in shock, hastily retreating. Only after putting more than five paces between themselves and the bath were they able to catch their breath.
“Ah!”
“What in the world is happening?!”
“Young Hero Namgung!”
The violent aura erupting from Namgung Jun's body swept through the surroundings.
Furniture shook violently before toppling over, while scorch marks from lightning qi appeared along the walls and ceiling.
Had they been ordinary physicians who studied only medicine, they would have fainted immediately.
Fortunately, the physicians of the Azure Medicine Pavilion were also trained in martial arts and managed to remain standing.
Whoosh!
The Pavilion Master swept his sleeve, dispersing a portion of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art's aura. His beard trembled violently.
This isn't qi deviation.
The moment he received Namgung Jun's final voice transmission, the violent energy had begun exploding in every direction.
That meant this chaotic circulation was intentional.
What exactly is he doing?
Staring at Namgung Jun's back as he sat in meditation, countless thoughts flashed through the Pavilion Master's mind.
At last, one possibility settled into place.
An utterly insane possibility.
Yet under the circumstances, perhaps the only possible answer.
“Meridian Opening!”
The moment the Pavilion Master uttered the words with a mixture of shock and disbelief, the expressions of the surrounding physicians changed.
Only now did they fully understand what was happening.
“This is madness!”
“He's being reckless!”
“Is such a thing even possible?”
The physicians looked at Namgung Jun with worried eyes.
Attempting a meridian opening was dangerous enough under ideal conditions.
Yet now, with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians rampaging because of the Essence Fortification Great Law, he was attempting it suddenly and forcibly?
It was no different from charging into a blazing fire while carrying a bundle of straw.
As the physicians reeled from the realization, the Pavilion Master rapidly completed his calculations.
“Continue the Great Law! Bring every herb and spiritual medicine rich in yang energy!”
His roar struck the physicians like a whip.
The stunned physicians immediately regained their senses and sprang into action.
“Bring all the Po Geuk Herb, Desert Cistanche, Golden Thread Grass, and Deer Antler!”
“Use all the Flame Immortal Ginseng except for the absolute minimum required for treatment!”
“The rest of you focus on preparing medicinal solutions and decoctions! Under no circumstances can either of those be interrupted!”
At the Pavilion Master's command, every physician in the Azure Medicine Pavilion was mobilized.
The entire strength of the pavilion became focused on a single individual.
“More medicinal solution has arrived!”
“It isn't nearly enough given the rate it's being consumed! Move faster!”
“This is unbelievable!”
Medicinal liquids and pouches of herbs were continuously dumped into the bath containing Namgung Jun.
Wooooong!
Following the principles of the Essence Fortification Great Law, every trace of medicinal energy was absorbed into his body.
It was like pouring water into a jar with no bottom.
The medicinal herbs and solutions vanished endlessly.
Yet the physicians never stopped.
If anything, they moved with even greater urgency as time passed.
Because they knew that every bit of support increased Namgung Jun's chances of successfully opening his meridians.
How many herbs had they poured into him?
The meticulously managed storage vaults of the Azure Medicine Pavilion were nearly emptied.
Then—
“Huh?”
“Wait...”
The blue lightning that had been raging wildly finally began to calm.
Swaaaa!
The tremendous heat radiating from Namgung Jun's body rapidly evaporated the medicinal liquid filling the bath.
Vast amounts of steam billowed upward, obscuring everything from view.
The Pavilion Master casually released a burst of force.
Whoosh!
The steam was swept aside.
Through the newly cleared view, Namgung Jun's naked body became visible.
“Hm?”
The Pavilion Master immediately noticed something unusual.
Black sweat began pouring from every pore of Namgung Jun's body.
An overwhelming stench filled the room.
The amount was extraordinary.
It flowed down his body like streams of ink.
The impurities and turbid energy inside his body are being expelled.
It was undoubtedly a positive phenomenon.
But the Essence Fortification Great Law was not supposed to produce such an effect.
Things were clearly moving beyond all expectations.
The Pavilion Master watched with tense eyes.
The black sweat was only the beginning.
After expelling enough black sweat to nearly fill the bottom of the bath, Namgung Jun's body began trembling.
Ting!
With a faint vibration, the countless acupuncture needles embedded throughout his body slowly ejected themselves and fell to the floor.
The more needles that emerged, the stronger the convulsions became.
The Pavilion Master failed to miss even the slightest change.
His muscles?
Namgung Jun had never been entirely lacking in muscle.
However, for a martial artist, his physique had always been woefully inadequate.
Yet now his body seemed to compress and refine itself.
Distinct lines appeared beneath his skin.
The remaining traces of excess flesh vanished, while muscles strengthened and developed under the influence of the Great Law.
“Huh?”
“His body is changing!”
“But the Essence Fortification Great Law shouldn't be capable of producing such obvious results!”
Even the physicians who finally noticed the transformation widened their eyes in disbelief.
The convulsions continued for a long time.
And slowly, very slowly, Namgung Jun's body transformed.
Like a rough stone being sculpted into a flawless statue by the hands of a master artisan.
Thus an entire day passed in the blink of an eye.
It was a considerable amount of time, yet the physicians of the Azure Medicine Pavilion could not relax for even a moment.
“...Hoo.”
With a long breath, Namgung Jun opened his eyes.
The instant the Pavilion Master realized he had regained consciousness, he rushed forward.
“My boy! Are you alright?!”
As he approached, the foul odor became even more intense.
But such things no longer mattered.
The Pavilion Master could not hide his shock at the transformation before him.
This can't be...
According to the original plan, raising Namgung Jun's frail body to the level of a healthy ordinary person would already have been an enormous success.
But what stood before him now was something entirely different.
It was as though Namgung Jun had been raised from childhood under the systematic instruction of a prestigious martial family.
His body had been completely remade.
He has become an entirely different person.
Several masters' bodies had passed through the Pavilion Master's hands over the years, and because of that, he could immediately tell.
Namgung Jun's physique had surpassed that of most martial artists who trained external arts.
In fact, it was comparable to the warriors of the Iron Tower Hall, who were renowned throughout the Changcheon Society as the greatest practitioners of external cultivation.
It was an astonishing result.
His body appeared somewhat gaunt, as though he had gone a long time without eating, but that was a problem that could be solved quickly with proper nutrition.
“Truly remarkable. How could such a result come about?”
Namgung Jun slowly raised his head and looked at the Pavilion Master.
The first thing that stood out was the increased depth in his eyes.
Though the Pavilion Master had only reached the initial stage of the Peak Realm, he could tell with certainty.
Namgung Jun had achieved far more than a simple physical transformation.
“Did you succeed in opening the meridian?”
“Yes. I opened the second acupoint.”
Letting out a sigh mixed with relief and admiration, the Pavilion Master nodded.
“Let me examine your pulse.”
Namgung Jun confidently extended his wrist.
The Pavilion Master carefully placed a hand upon it and once again found himself amazed.
“You truly have changed.”
He could tell from that alone.
Previously, it had been the wrist of a slightly frail youth.
Now it felt as though he had placed his hand upon a flat stone.
Has his attainment in the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art increased? His yang energy has become extraordinarily vigorous.
And that was not all.
He could sense traces of yang energy flowing naturally throughout Namgung Jun's body.
It appeared that the constitutional changes he had originally hoped for—creating a physique that naturally fostered greater yang energy—had also succeeded.
A success... no, a tremendous success.
Not only had they achieved their original goal, they had exceeded it by a wide margin.
Such dramatic changes would have been impossible through the Essence Fortification Great Law alone.
The only explanation was that numerous unforeseen variables had emerged when Namgung Jun attempted the meridian opening.
Most importantly, Namgung Jun's condition was remarkably stable.
Of course, he had not eliminated the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
The symptoms and future episodes would still remain.
Even so, the Pavilion Master's expression brightened.
What matters is that he has established a foundation capable of enduring and eventually overcoming the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
The Pavilion Master withdrew his hand.
“You've truly worked hard.”
“Thanks to your efforts, I gained an enormous benefit. Thank you.”
“There appear to be no abnormalities at present, but you should visit the Azure Medicine Pavilion every day for a while so we can monitor your condition.”
“I will do so.”
“Then I'll see you tomorrow.”
The Pavilion Master sent Namgung Jun back with a newly prepared medicinal decoction.
Only after Namgung Jun crossed the threshold and departed did the Pavilion Master finally relax.
“It feels as though a great storm has passed.”
Now that Namgung Jun was gone, the Pavilion Master could finally assess the state of the Azure Medicine Pavilion.
“So. We ended up consuming this much medicine after all.”
“Yes. Young Hero Namgung practically devoured six months' worth of our medicinal supplies.”
The Pavilion Master merely sighed.
He was not particularly surprised.
In some ways, the outcome had been inevitable.
Even if it was only the second acupoint, it still belonged to the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
Opening such a meridian could easily have consumed six months' worth of medicine—and perhaps even more.
“Ordinarily, even pouring every herb we possessed into him would not guarantee success. Considering that, we're fortunate it ended with only this much.”
The other physicians nodded in agreement.
“We'll need to replenish our stores as soon as possible.”
The Pavilion Master and the physicians immediately began moving about busily.
***
After returning to the Heavenly Sword Hall, Namgung Jun headed straight toward the Hall Master's office.
Lee Seha was not inside.
Instead, he was pacing outside the building.
His footsteps lacked their usual lively energy.
They seemed heavy enough to sink into the ground.
Sensing the concern hidden within his master's movements, Namgung Jun's lips curved slightly upward.
“Master.”
The familiar voice emerging from the shadows beside the wall caused Lee Seha's hair to sway as he turned around.
Namgung Jun's outward appearance had not changed dramatically as he approached.
Yet Lee Seha immediately noticed the difference.
His martial robe concealed much of it, but the shape of his body had clearly transformed.
At first glance, he seemed slightly leaner.
Yet the overall frame was noticeably broader and firmer.
“Jun-ah. You succeeded!”
The changes were not limited to his appearance.
Lee Seha could clearly sense the transformation in Namgung Jun's aura.
It has become sharper... and deeper.
His disciple's achievement was unmistakable.
Namgung Jun had advanced beyond the stage of Peak Realm mastery and now stood on the verge of the Peak Realm's absolute limit.
The Peak Realm's limit was a state where Essence, Qi, and Spirit had all been cultivated to their utmost potential and brought into harmony.
Beyond the harmony of Essence, Qi, and Spirit lay complete unity.
Once that unity was achieved, one would transcend the Peak Realm and step into the realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
It was the threshold where a Peak Realm master became a true grandmaster.
Given Jun's body, I thought it would take another two or three years.
Looking at Namgung Jun objectively, reaching the Peak Realm's limit had indeed seemed far away.
Compared to his Spirit, both his Qi and Essence had lagged significantly behind.
Yet whatever achievement he had gained this time had drastically elevated both his Qi and Essence.
With only a small additional opportunity or moment of growth, the harmony of Essence, Qi, and Spirit seemed within immediate reach.
“Jun-ah has already caught up right to my heels.”
“It won't be long before I surpass you, Master.”
“Perhaps. But this master has no intention of standing still.”
Lee Seha looked at his disciple with obvious delight.
Then his gaze softened with concern.
“You've become so skinny all of a sudden. Though you've certainly gained a great deal of muscle.”
“That seems to be the case.”
“Still, the Great Law must have worked wonders. For now, let's focus on resting and recovering.”
Namgung Jun nodded.
Having endured the Essence Fortification Great Law, the rampage of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, and the opening of the second acupoint simultaneously, his body had undoubtedly suffered considerable strain.
He intended to spend at least a few days resting and replenishing himself with proper nutrition.
“Let's head to an inn. I need to feed you immediately.”
Pulled along by Lee Seha, Namgung Jun headed toward an inn located within the Changcheon Society's main stronghold.
“It's fortunate that there's still some time. You'll be able to recover properly before entering the Training Corps.”
“The Training Corps? What is that?”
“Hm? You didn't know?”
Still dragging Namgung Jun along, Lee Seha explained.
“All martial artists attempting promotion to the Third Cloud Rank must enter the Training Corps. Complete the entire training program there, and you're promoted.”
“The Training Corps? This is my first time hearing of it.”
Lee Seha chuckled and lightly poked Namgung Jun's cheek.
“You seem so mature, yet sometimes you can be surprisingly clueless.”
When Namgung Jun didn't dodge her finger, Lee Seha poked his cheek again and continued.
“If you finish first in the Training Corps, there's a special reward. Since you've achieved so much recently, it might be worth trying for.”
“A reward. I don't know what it is, but it certainly sounds promising.”
Murmuring softly, the disciple smiled along with his master.
“I will take first place.”
Namgung Jun made the declaration with absolute confidence.