Chapter 90
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“This place is more chaotic than I thought.”
It took me about a month to learn the basic acupoints and foundational knowledge of medical techniques from Hwa Seong-myeong. During that time, he brought me thick medical textbooks and illustrations to memorize, and since I was used to this kind of thing, I managed to memorize while practicing the Thunder Spirit Classic I learned from Mangnyang during my spare time. By the end of the month, Hwa Seong-myeong said with astonishment:
“Incredible memory you’ve got! Most people can’t memorize this quickly!”
“Haha…”
“Your study methods are good, not at all like a simple martial artist. Have you studied somewhere else?”
I chuckled wryly, recalling my time studying with Mangnyang. Those intense study sessions over the years were indeed paying off now.
“A little…”
“Anyway, it’s lucky that you’re originally a martial artist; you already know the basics of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and acupoints. Now let’s get down to the main subject.”
According to him, the knowledge martial artists have about bloodletting and qi manipulation is very limited and simplistic. While martial artists do memorize dozens or even hundreds of acupoints, it’s mainly at the level needed for their martial arts and stops there. Unless one is from an orthodox sect like the Wudang Sect, the knowledge between martial artists and physicians will differ greatly. So the vast operations and roles of acupoints that I re-memorized in the past month included what I already knew as ‘fundamentals,’ making my memorization at least ten times the effort.
Hwa Seong-myeong continued, “Before this, did you know that Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism each have their own unique breathing techniques?”
“I know about Buddhism and Taoism, but this is the first I’ve heard of Confucianism.”
“Their teachings are generally similar. Confucianism focuses on the principle of ‘pure principles’ as a fundamental premise for personal cultivation, aiming for ‘Yielding Nature.’ Although it’s hard to explain, ultimately, it’s about cultivating breath to reach the Yang Spirit.”
“Are you saying that Confucian scholars also practice breathing techniques related to the Dantian like martial artists?”
“Exactly. It’s a secret tradition that is very discreet but certainly exists. It’s because of this secret channel that the style known as Elegance Dao, an amalgamation of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, can make its name known in Goryeo.”
I was astounded. When one thinks of Confucianism, it usually evokes images of learned scholars discussing the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, but the idea that they possess their own unique martial arts was a revelation! Moreover, if it could even be compared to the serious martial arts of Buddhism and Taoism, it must be incredibly profound.
After sipping a cup of tea, Hwa Seong-myeong said, “So do you know what the Yang Spirit is?”
“From what I’ve read, it’s connected to the Original Spirit. There’s a realm above the Yin Spirit and the Yang Spirit, which is the Original Spirit.”
“You’ve studied well. Yes, that’s correct. The practitioners of the three paths of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism start from different processes, but they all ultimately aim for the Original Spirit. Now, from the perspective of a martial artist like you, what do you think the Original Spirit represents?”
“Hmm…”
It was a tough question, so I pondered. Although I had memorized the foundational knowledge from those thick medical texts over the past month, it was just rote memorization, and I hadn’t had time to think about concepts like this. After a long contemplation, I finally answered.
“I think it’s the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”
The Heavenly Spirit Pill! It’s probably the ultimate realm of internal power that the three Dharma Guardians of the White Lotus Sect would achieve — a state of super strength where powerful internal energy flows continuously! It could be obtained by opening the Middle Dantian, but in reality, only Samjeol Lee Kwang understood the concept of the Heavenly Spirit Pill properly. Most martial artists either had no idea what it was or only vaguely knew it was related to the Middle Dantian.
Then Hwa Seong-myeong exclaimed in surprise, “What? The Heavenly Spirit Pill wasn’t mentioned in any of the texts I taught you, so how do you know about it?”
“I heard about that realm from a master in the sect I learned from. They said my internal power is close to the Heavenly Spirit Pill, but it’s not quite there.”
“Hmm… That person surely has connections to the White Lotus Sect. Many internal cultivation practitioners exist in the martial world, but only the White Lotus Sect defines that realm with the term ‘Heavenly Spirit Pill.’ Your sect seems to be quite associated with the White Lotus Sect.”
“……”
Of course, it was greatly related. The Thunder God Lineage was originally a branch of the White Lotus Sect’s Dharma Protectors, but they had been unjustly exiled from the Jianghu several decades ago. It was only natural for Lee Kwang to understand and use the concept of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, yet I had no intention of revealing this, so I simply nodded.
“I see…”
“In any case, knowing this makes explaining easier. As you said, the Heavenly Spirit Pill is a path to the Original Spirit. But it’s merely an intermediate stage.”
“An intermediate stage?”
“Yes. Ultimately, it involves opening all three Dantian — Upper, Middle, and Lower — to achieve a state of boundless power and transcend humanity. This state exceeds what’s referred to as immortality in the world — that is the Original Spirit.”
“…….!!”
I was taken aback by a concept I had never even considered before. ‘Transcending immortality?’ According to Mangnyang, Taoists viewed immortals and gods not so differently. In reality, most of those who practiced Taoist teachings regarded becoming an immortal as their ultimate goal. But if the Original Spirit is said to surpass immortality, doesn’t that imply possessing an incredible power that could surpass most gods in human form?
Thinking deeply, I organized my thoughts.
“By accumulating internal power in the Lower Dantian to reach completion, I transition to the Middle Dantian known as the Heavenly Spirit Pill, and once I surpass it, I achieve the realm of the Original Spirit.”
“Exactly. That is the martial arts theory of the Master of the White Lotus Sect.”
“…No way!!”
“You guessed it. The Master of the White Lotus Sect himself has reached the Original Spirit, allowing him to impart that martial arts theory to the Dharma Guardians and other members of the White Lotus Sect.”
I was utterly dumbfounded. To think that the path to the Original Spirit via the Heavenly Spirit Pill was an actual experiential journey that existed! It was a moment that made me realize again the monstrous power of the Master of the White Lotus Sect that I’d heard about countless times in stories.
But soon I had to accept this idea. If he didn’t possess such power, then the Emperor of the Great Ming Empire would have no reason to fear him, nor would an army of millions be rendered meaningless. It was an absolute deterrent force that rendered human military might insignificant.
I asked a question out of curiosity. “Wait a minute. I think I’m getting close to the limits of human internal power using elixirs. It’s not bragging, but there are probably very few humans with more internal power than me in this world.”
Hwa Seong-myeong replied bluntly, “It’s true, no doubt about it. I agree that your internal power is at an absolute level. Probably, even if you include the East, West, Central Plains, and the White Lotus Sect altogether, there might not be even ten who can match you.”
“But I say it’s not the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Why can’t my internal power reach that level?”
“Hmm… You’ve raised a legitimate question. And you’ve come at just the right time. Few exist who could answer that question aside from me.”
Hwa Seong-myeong, while grinning, continued his explanation. “As you might guess, reaching the Heavenly Spirit Pill isn’t just about raising the absolute value of internal power. I wouldn’t be surprised if the actual holder of the Heavenly Spirit Pill has an absolute value that falls short of yours. Nevertheless, if they confronted you, you’d undoubtedly lose every single time. Why do you think that is?”
I suddenly thought of the time I had confronted Han Baek-ryeong in Luoyang. Hwa Seong-myeong’s words reminded me of that spar. I shook my head.
“I’m not sure.”
“Your internal power is immense but not infinite, and you cannot freely condense and distort it beyond the limits of acupoints. Even though they’re of the same quantity, there’s a significant difference in the power that can be exerted momentarily, as well as in the sustainability that belongs to the infinite Heavenly Spirit Pill. The Heavenly Spirit Pill itself is practically a form of martial arts from another dimension.”
“……!!”
Condensation and distortion! I recalled when Han Baek-ryeong had briefly appeared to be inferior to my power before overwhelming me several times over. That was certain — it was a strength that couldn’t possibly be drawn upon within the bounds of human acupoint principles. While I was lost in my thoughts, Hwa Seong-myeong explained.
“What I’ve heard from the Dharma Guardians is that the Middle Dantian is considered the field of the heart. It’s said that recovering the breath of a prenatal fetus and devouring the qi of Yin and Yang opens the Sky Gate. That’s something that cannot be achieved merely through attaining a simple level of internal power.”
“Then what should I do?”
Hwa Seong-myeong chuckled heartily. “Haha… It’s difficult to say if you ask me that. Do you know what you just asked? You basically inquired how a human can become an immortal.”
“Hmm.”
“The only way would be to ask an absolute being who has already attained the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Of course, there may be entities in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism that have achieved levels akin to the Heavenly Spirit Pill, but such beings are generally ascended or no longer interested in worldly affairs.”
Listening to Hwa Seong-myeong, I was able to settle on what I needed to do going forward. ‘I need to meet the Dharma Guardian of the White Lotus Sect.’ In fact, even when I heard about the Heavenly Spirit Pill from Lee Kwang, I had been vaguely considering this step, but now it was made clear through our discussion. For me to rise in internal cultivation to reach the Heavenly Spirit Pill, I absolutely needed to meet the Dharma Guardian of the White Lotus Sect, as only those who have reached the Heavenly Spirit Pill can explain how to attain it.
However, it was likely that simply meeting them and asking about it wouldn’t be enough. To step into a state nearly indistinguishable from immortality in terms of worldly martial arts principles — they would probably never reveal such a thing to an outsider. As the difficulty suddenly ramped up, I internally panicked when Hwa Seong-myeong cleared his throat and said, “Hmm, we seem to have strayed off topic. In any case, the ultimate realm is the Original Spirit, which requires practice to reach. And pursuing medical knowledge can help in that regard.”
“How so?”
“Do you know that the human brain ages over time?”
The unexpected question made me tilt my head in confusion.
“I’m not sure. Does the brain age?”
“Indeed. Since the distant Mythological Age, humans have been combating each other and committing massacres. The lineage I belong to — Hua Tuo’s — has been observing the corpses of dead humans on the battlefield since then, often incorporating aspects of human physiology into medical knowledge. Through this, it has been realized that as the human body ages, so too does the human brain.”
I was aware of the brain’s function. Whenever I killed a person, brain matter squirted out, and I would often see the sight of brains spilling out at the scene of a tragedy. I even distinctly recall washing the brain matter off my hands.
‘It was gray, wrinkled, and kind of blueish-green.’
While I was mulling over the appearance of the brain, Hwa Seong-myeong continued, “Yet, the brains of martial artists don’t seem to age much. Whether they hit their fifties or sixties, they age very slowly, regardless of wrinkles in the human physique. Isn’t that interesting?”
“That is interesting, but… what’s the significance of that?”
“No matter how outstanding a scholar or sage is, their brain will age. Brain activity might slightly slow the aging process, but that’s all. Without cultivating martial arts and learning specific techniques that activate the brain, it declines sharply after the fifties.”
Having shared that, Hwa Seong-myeong paused to take a breath and then continued. “Thus, practicing martial arts stimulates the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and acts to open up the Lesser Circulation and Greater Circulation. This action in itself also impacts the latent potential of the Upper Dantian. After all, the human soul lingers the longest in the brain.”
“……!!”
“Do you know where a human’s soul and spirit escape from when they die? It is the energy that congregates in the brain that escapes through the Six Holes. Of course, the human spirit can’t be seen as existing solely in the brain, but it definitely occupies the most prolonged space.”
“Hmmm.”
As a descendant of the Hua Tuo lineage, Hwa Seong-myeong had likely been dissecting human corpses for hundreds or thousands of years while fighting on the frontlines of life and death. From that perspective, he seemed to possess an independent theory that sharply deviated from conventional medical knowledge.
“Now let’s think about this. Why can’t martial artists also become outstanding sorcerers? Surely, the martial arts should also impact a sorcerer’s potential, right? Yet, those capable of becoming sorcerers are solely dependent on their own talents.”
“I never thought about it, so I’m not sure.”
Hwa Seong-myeong smiled slyly and said, “It comes down to whether you can open the channel.”
“A channel?”
“Sorcerers open a completely different door of spiritual communication when they awaken their skills, which has nothing to do with the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. Some call it the Divine Tree, which exists far from the Tianzhu, that life tree in the heavens. Regardless of East or West, the diagram is quite similar, and it follows a sequential order.”
“Hmm.”
“No matter how much martial artists study and mess around with the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, they can never become sorcerers. Opening a ‘door’ of a completely different system is inherently impossible.”
Hwa Seong-myeong clenched his fist. “But if you thoroughly master Hua’s 108 Needles and Huatuo’s Five Animals Play, you will definitely be able to open that door! Moreover, you could liberate the innate limits placed on the human body, especially with medical techniques, you’ll be able to control life and death at will!”
“……!!”
When I was flabbergasted, Hwa Seong-myeong patted my shoulder encouragingly. “You’ve got talent. I’ll do my utmost to teach you so you can reach that realm.”
“Thank you.”
Hwa Seong-myeong said with satisfaction, “However, in order to do that, I will need a bit more groundwork… Could you spare another root of Sacred Lotus?”
I replied firmly, “I don’t have any left.”
“Tsk…”
Hwa Seong-myeong clicked his tongue and then began teaching me about acupuncture and herbal medicine. I found myself having to study in a suddenly stiff atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the buoyant mood just moments ago. I also realized I would need to be cautious in future conversations with Hwa Seong-myeong.
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