novelraw Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Episode 26: Nameless Manual of Intent
Jang So-cheon stowed the Golden Wheel Magic Spear into the Heaven and Earth Pouch and pushed his flying speed to the limit, heading straight for Hoguk Fortress.
As he soared past Monstrous Peak Mountain, with its razor-sharp cliffs jutting into the sky, something caught Jang So-cheon's eye.
"Hmm?"
A strange glint flashed in his gaze.
From the cloud-shrouded summit of Monstrous Peak Mountain came the savage howls of beasts. Suddenly, a flock of pterosaurs burst into view, wings spread wide.
"So these are the true rulers of Monstrous Peak Mountain," he murmured under his breath.
The enormous pterosaurs all surged toward him at once.
KRAAAAK!
A bizarre, piercing cry erupted from the beaks of the pterosaurs.
Their cries had the power to scatter the consciousness of anyone who heard them.
On top of that, pterosaurs were adept at joint attacks.
No matter how fierce or vicious a Water Spirit Monster might be, once surrounded by the pterosaurs of Monstrous Peak Mountain, death was inevitable. That was how these creatures had ruled this place for tens of thousands of years.
And now, they were eyeing Jang So-cheon as their next prey.
Shing!
With a smooth turn, Jang So-cheon suddenly shot upward, slashing at the neck of a massive pterosaur with the Primordial Divine Sword.
KRAAA!
Even as Jang So-cheon's sword flashed, the pterosaur didn't bother to dodge.
After all, the sword of a Lower Rank Investigator couldn't even scratch the iron-hard, leathery hide of a pterosaur.
But then—
SPLURT!
As the Primordial Divine Sword came down, the pterosaur's neck split open, crimson blood pouring down like a waterfall.
Enraged, the pterosaur charged at Jang So-cheon, heedless of its own life.
Its massive wings blocked his path, and its razor-sharp talons tore savagely through the air.
But Jang So-cheon was already outside their encirclement.
He spun through the air at a terrifying speed, dodged the pterosaur's beak, and landed squarely on its back.
SKREEE!
As the beast screamed from the shock, Jang So-cheon sprinted toward its head. Gripping the Primordial Divine Sword in a reverse grip, he drove it straight down into the creature's crown.
SPLAT!
A geyser of blood erupted, but Jang So-cheon was already gone, his transparent wings spread wide as he continued his deadly flight.
As he darted through the sky, hunting pterosaurs, Jang So-cheon realized his swordsmanship had improved dramatically. In particular, his mastery of the Dragon Flying Peak Martial Art had soared—thanks to the Flying Divine Artifact.
The Dragon Flying Peak Martial Art was designed for swordplay in the sky, but until now, he'd been unable to unleash its full potential without wings.
"Not a chance!"
As three pterosaurs tried to attack him together, Jang So-cheon spread his wings wide, slicing through the air left and right.
Then, folding his wings, he dropped straight down and tore the wing off one of the pterosaurs.
KRAAAAA!
The pterosaur, its wing severed by the Primordial Divine Sword, spiraled down toward the ground.
Meanwhile, Jang So-cheon soared higher, channeling Spiritual Energy into his sword.
Facing a charging pterosaur, he unleashed a barrage of blue projectiles.
"Die!"
A blue sword-light shot from the Primordial Divine Sword, startling the pterosaur, which ducked its head.
It lashed out with its massive talons, but by then, Jang So-cheon's blade had already sliced through its thick neck.
Shing!
The decapitated pterosaur couldn't even scream, its blood spraying through the air and striking terror into its companions.
When the last remaining pterosaur retreated, Jang So-cheon flicked the blood from his sword.
"So much for the so-called rulers of Monstrous Peak Mountain. Their reputation is a bit exaggerated—or maybe I've just grown that much stronger..."
A smile played at his lips. Compared to before he visited the Red Fox Tribe, he truly had become much more powerful.
Gliding leisurely through the sky after defeating the pterosaurs, Jang So-cheon suddenly felt a prickling sensation on his neck.
"What is it? An enemy?"
He looked up—and his face went pale.
KRAAAAK!
An enormous pterosaur, its wingspan over thirty meters, was hurtling toward him with a monstrous shriek.
Startled, Jang So-cheon activated the Flying Divine Artifact and dove desperately toward the base of the mountain.
But the giant pterosaur was even faster. Even with the Flying Divine Artifact pushed to its limits, he couldn't be sure he could outrun it. The creature's speed was overwhelming.
Where had such a monster come from?
Flying for his life, Jang So-cheon spotted a massive cliff ahead and veered sharply upward.
He glanced back—the giant pterosaur was not only fast, but also skilled in aerial maneuvers, clinging to the cliff and closing in on him.
Jang So-cheon reached into his robe and pulled out a Thunderclap Talisman.
FLASH!
CRACKLE!
He detonated the talisman, but the monster didn't even flinch.
That level of attack didn't faze it at all.
When even the Flame Talisman failed to have any effect, Jang So-cheon truly began to panic. He had no way to fight back.
Just then, he spotted a crack in the cliff face.
"There!"
He accelerated.
WHOOSH!
Spreading his wings, Jang So-cheon twisted his body and dove into the narrow crevice.
CRASH!
The giant pterosaur, too large to follow, raked the cliff with its iron talons, sending rocks tumbling down.
But it couldn't squeeze into the crack.
KRAAAAK!
Frustrated, the giant pterosaur called its minions from the sky to chase after Jang So-cheon.
But they were no match for him.
Shing! Shing!
The pterosaurs that forced their way into the narrow crevice were cut down one by one by the Primordial Divine Sword, their bodies piling up.
The giant pterosaur roared furiously at the sky, ordering its minions to keep watch so Jang So-cheon couldn't escape from the crevice.
WHOOSH!
As the crevice narrowed to the point where he could no longer fly, Jang So-cheon folded his wings and landed on a rock.
"Hah! Who would've thought there was such a monster in Monstrous Peak Mountain? Well, I've escaped its clutches for now, but what comes next?"
Peering up through the crack, he saw the giant pterosaur and its minions circling above.
It was clear that if he tried to leave, he'd be in immediate danger.
"Hmm. For now, I'd better rest and think."
With no other options, Jang So-cheon searched for a place to rest among the rocks.
After a while, the crevice widened again.
Below him, a vast expanse of the Eastern Region came into view.
To think such a space existed inside the cliff...
Awed by nature's grandeur, Jang So-cheon enhanced his vision and looked down at the plaza in the Eastern Region.
It was a bit dim, but everything was there.
Small trees like shrubs, Qi Flower Herbs, a water pool, and even stone buildings.
Buildings.
He couldn't tell what lived inside them, so he didn't dare go down.
Instead, he climbed back up the crevice and used the Primordial Divine Sword to flatten a rock for a seat.
He took out a Qi Spirit Pill, but gazed at the Elixir Pill in his hand with mixed feelings.
"The Elixir Pill I made with Divine Power is definitely potent. It helped others advance their cultivation, but... my own progress has stalled."
There was a reason he felt this way.
To make Sacred Pills, Jang So-cheon had to cut down the time spent transforming Spiritual Energy into Law Power for his own Spirit Realm.
He'd neglected his own Realm Advancement, pouring his time and energy into making Sacred Pills for others.
"If I'd spent that time building up Law Power, my realm might be higher now..."
With a tinge of regret, he popped the Qi Spirit Pill into his mouth and began circulating his Qi with the Mystic Heaven Wuji Heart Method, transforming all the Spiritual Energy into Law Power.
After finishing his meditation, Jang So-cheon climbed up to check on the pterosaurs, but, disappointed, he came back down and gazed at the plaza below.
There, small animals like rabbits grazed peacefully.
But there were no Water Spirit Monsters in sight.
The stone buildings remained silent...
"......."
After watching for a while, Jang So-cheon tapped the Heaven and Earth Pouch and took out the Mystic Flask.
Oh!
Something was different.
After swallowing the Qi Spirit Pill, the flask, which had been dormant for a long time, now showed a nine-tailed fox spreading its tails wide.
As the fox wagged its tails at him, Jang So-cheon tilted the flask downward.
Clink, clink.
A Qi Spirit Pill dropped from the mouth of the flask, and Jang So-cheon's face filled with awe.
"Thank you."
He bowed deeply to the peerless beauty painted on the flask, then opened his eyes wide.
As expected.
This pill was free of impurities, and its efficacy was beyond measure.
A supreme-grade Elixir Pill.
Its medicinal power far surpassed even the Sacred Pills he was famous for.
Gulp.
Stowing the Mystic Flask back in the Heaven and Earth Pouch, Jang So-cheon didn't hesitate to take the Qi Spirit Pill.
As he began his meditation, pure Spiritual Energy surged from the pill like a storm.
The clear, pristine energy expanded his lower dantian and meridians, washing over his entire body and transforming him completely.
Crack, crack.
His bones reformed, his skin split and peeled away, revealing baby-soft new skin.
His internal organs grew stronger, his nerves and tendons tougher than ever.
Though his body felt newly reborn, the Spiritual Energy from the pill showed no signs of abating.
His cultivation, which had been at the late stage of the Qi Refining Stage, shot up to the early stage of the Eight Stars of Spiritual Energy before the energy finally began to subside.
After finishing his meditation, Jang So-cheon pinched his nose.
"Ugh! What a stench."
He looked around, but there was nowhere to wash.
Awkwardly, he glanced down at the plaza again.
Seeing no one around, he activated the Flying Divine Artifact and leapt down.
Splash.
Landing in the water pool, Jang So-cheon washed away the filth from his body.
He glanced at the building—still no sign of movement.
"Is it really uninhabited?"
Cautiously, he stepped out of the water and used fire-attribute Spiritual Energy to dry his clothes.
Then he checked his cultivation.
--
Realizing he'd reached the early stage of the Eight Stars of Spiritual Energy, Jang So-cheon couldn't help but marvel at the miraculous ability of the Mystic Flask.
His rapid advancement was entirely thanks to the flask.
The peerless beauty depicted on it had poured Spirit Fluid into his eyes, awakening its special ability, and transformed ordinary Elixir Pills into supreme-grade ones, allowing him to achieve Realm Advancement at a speed beyond imagination.
At the seventh star, one's consciousness reached perfection, allowing them to shape Spiritual Energy as they wished.
At the eighth star, one could imbue those forms with intent, making them move on their own...
This could even be applied to alchemy.
Now, Jang So-cheon could channel Spiritual Energy into the Pill Furnace, creating any flow he desired.
He could stir Spirit Fluid, apply localized heating, or even cool it as needed.
With his cultivation advanced, he wanted to test his swordsmanship and flight abilities, but now wasn't the time.
The building ahead.
First, he needed to find out what was inside.
Step, step.
Tense, Jang So-cheon approached the building and used Divine Sight to scan the interior.
His range had now expanded to twelve meters.
Plenty of distance to check inside.
"Oh!"
Peering within, Jang So-cheon made a strange face.
There was a person sitting inside—but they were already dead.
Creak!
He pulled the door open with ease.
The room was simple.
A single Pill Furnace and two books on a cot were all that remained.
Confirming the old man was dead, Jang So-cheon cautiously approached the cot.
He flinched—the old man was missing a leg.
Judging by the Pill Furnace, the old man was likely a Pill Alchemist.
But no matter how he looked around, there were no signs of recent alchemy.
Jang So-cheon first offered his respects.
"I'm sorry to disturb your peace. Please forgive my intrusion."
He saluted with fist and palm, then picked up the books to examine them.
He'd expected them to be pill manuals, but his guess was completely off.
One was the Nameless Manual of Intent (□意訣).
The other was a personal journal with no title.
Jang So-cheon started with the journal.
Inside, he found astonishing revelations.
The old man was a Refining Alchemist of Upper Grade Level 2 from the Ancient Sect, known as the Alchemical Saint.
His name was Heaven-Taming Technique, and he was a master of the Void Refining Stage.
It was strange to find someone said to have died a hundred years ago here, but Jang So-cheon couldn't tear his eyes from the book.
Then something struck him as odd.
There were no alchemy secrets or pill recipes—on the contrary, the book urged against making pills.
The contents read:
[All my life, I made pills to help others, but looking back, it was a waste of time. When I was in danger, the only one I could rely on was myself, not those I'd helped. So, instead of spending your time making pills for others, focus on your own Realm Advancement.]
Thinking it over, Jang So-cheon realized it wasn't wrong.
There might not be many now, but as his alchemy skills grew, more and more people would demand pills from him.
If he spent his time making pills for others, his own advancement would inevitably slow...
He could end up as miserable as the Alchemical Saint.
[And advancement through pills has its limits. Unless it's a supreme-grade Elixir Pill, impurities will accumulate in your body, cloud your mind, and eventually strangle you. So, as much as possible, rely on training and enlightenment to advance.]
This too was true.
Just as Soso of the Demon Clan had experienced, repeatedly taking similar Elixir Pills would eventually dull their effects...
And resentment could easily be directed at the one who made the pills.
The Alchemical Saint's words continued:
[So, avoid alchemy as much as possible. If you must, then don't just refine pills—refine your body and mind, and after that, refine the heavens themselves.]
Such words brimmed with wisdom.
Especially the line about refining the body instead of pills...
The profound meaning behind those words began to take shape in Jang So-cheon's mind, though not fully.
[To this end, I leave you the Nameless Manual of Intent. It is a training manual to strengthen your consciousness, and its value and utility are limitless. It's a shame, though, that it is only the first part.]
With that, the Alchemical Saint's words came to an end.