전생검신 Volume 87, Chapter 4

I couldn’t help but be surprised. The clear presence of the Bloodline and Dantian I felt from this mechanical body I received from Even Sinha! Could I have ever imagined I would sense this kind of thing from a hunk of machinery? As I stood there flabbergasted, Even Sinha, who was chuckling in delight, spoke up.

“I inferred from your words. Right now, you were originally the ultimate martial artist, but lost all your internal power and intent, right? So I thought you’d be overjoyed if I helped you regain them.”

[…….]

“I don’t really know what intent is, but I’ve done some research on Qi and Dantian, so I had confidence in reproducing them!”

[Wait a minute.]

I decided to cross my legs and sit for a moment. I then slowly began to operate my internal technique.

Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique!

An advanced cultivation technique from the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and the Thunder God Lineage! This Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique was my main focus during my lowly days when I invested nearly all my effort into building up my internal power. Therefore, I really wanted to know if the Qi would flow correctly once I performed this technique.

Sssss…

A stream of Qi started to quickly travel along my blood vessels in accordance with the flow of the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique. It dashed past all the vital acupoints, stimulating my internal power to rapidly gather, and I distinctly felt it slide through the Baihui acupoint at the top of my head before diving down into my Dantian.

Thud!

Once that small circulation ended, I clearly felt the Qi in the air rapidly condensing into my body. I was left in awe without a shadow of a doubt.

[No way… I can really acquire internal power with this mechanical body?]

“Bwahaha! Surprising, right?”

[How is this even possible? More importantly, I can’t breathe with this mechanical body, so why is my internal power still accumulating without the ability to breathe?]

“Oh, you pointed out a very important part as a legendary master.”

Even Sinha wore an intrigued expression as he leaned back onto a nearby chair and continued speaking.

“That’s right. The reason Qi usually gathers in living beings is precisely due to the breathing you mentioned. The act of living beings naturally breathing in order to survive is the foundation of Qi techniques. Therefore, ordinarily, machines cannot obtain Qi. But exceptions do exist.”

[Exceptions?]

“I’ve heard that among high-level martial techniques of martial arts masters, there exists a thing called Heavenly Spirit Pill. Right?”

Gulp.

I couldn’t help but feel shocked at his words.

‘Heavenly Spirit Pill!’

Infinite internal power obtained only from the White Lotus Sect!

I had never anticipated that Heavenly Spirit Pill would come up in our conversation, prompting me to ask.

[… You know about the Heavenly Spirit Pill? You’re an alchemist from the Western Regions, right? How do you know about it?]

“Kekeke… How do I know? Have you forgotten where you are right now?”

[Luoyang Castle… Oh!!]

“You hit the nail on the head. The very master of the White Lotus Sect, Dokgo Uncheon, who knows the most about the Heavenly Spirit Pill in the world, shared its secrets with me. He said it was needed for my alchemy research, so he kindly let me in on it.”

[Is that so… ]

If the master of the White Lotus Sect said so, who could argue with it?

As I was at a loss for words, Even Sinha continued.

“The Heavenly Spirit Pill is a state that enables one to summon infinite internal power, causing the Qi within one’s body to naturally form into Dan. It’s possible due to the terrifying cohesion of Qi dispersed in the atmosphere, akin to the airflow of wind, you know? Of course, the method of summoning infinite internal power from the ‘Throne’ involves a contract with a god, but fundamentally, the god’s power doesn’t directly interfere with the internal power.”

[… You certainly know your stuff. The White Lotus Sect must have shared everything about the Heavenly Spirit Pill with you.]

It felt like I had to die more than twenty times just to learn that secret…

When I spoke up, Even Sinha chuckled.

“Such cohesion can occur thanks to the presence of a terminal that can infinitely absorb internal power. If we simply imitate that principle, we can create a device to absorb Qi almost permanently without the need for breathing.”

[……]

Even though I found Even Sinha’s words a bit complex, I pondered them deeply. After a while, I finally grasped the meaning and replied.

[So… are you saying you inserted a device that can summon Qi from somewhere into this new body?]

“Exactly. That’s precisely it.”

[But how? The Heavenly Spirit Pill is a divine terminal created by the Sea God making a contract with the ‘Throne.’ After all, even to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill, a divine being must be involved. You couldn’t possibly possess that level of existence or power.]

Even Sinha chuckled softly and shrugged his shoulders.

“Hehehe. I mean I mimicked the principles of the Heavenly Spirit Pill. I didn’t create a perfect copy of it. It is true that a device for summoning Qi was installed, but in this case, it isn’t summoning infinite Qi from the ‘Throne.’”

[Then where does the Qi come from?]

“That.”

Even Sinha pointed leisurely behind him at something. As I turned to look, I spotted a massive black dragon head still partially disassembled, with its eyes wide open. Naturally, it was the corpse of the Dragon King.

Even Sinha then spoke.

“I’ve stuffed the heart and brain of the Dragon King into your body. It was the most valuable material, but I added it generously. Therefore… at this moment, that body is currently operating to refine all the magical power the Dragon King had within into Qi!!”

[……?!]

“In that sense, it’s still incomplete. You could say it’s a magical artifact getting stronger over time. Furthermore, since it’s based on the biological structure of a dragon, it was also able to realize the blood vessels and bloodline.”

What? What?!

I was thoroughly shocked. This was an idea I hadn’t even remotely thought of.

A heart and brain from a being that was once a demon king, all dissolved inside, and currently converting all that magical power into Qi?

If that’s the amount of Qi we’re talking about, there’s no way breathing could make a difference. Even just the energy itself must surpass the level of a human effortlessly. While I was stunned, Even Sinha continued speaking.

“And because of that, there might be some side effects.”

[Side effects?]

“As mentioned… it’s not a magical artifact based on humans. It’s based on the powerful physique of an ancient dragon. Therefore, even if it’s hard to feel right now, soon you’ll start to feel discomfort.”

[……]

I immediately grasped what Even Sinha’s words meant.

[… So the Dantian and blood vessels I have now are actually those of a dragon?]

“That’s the case. You have become a dragon in order to absorb Qi rather than a human.”

[Hmm… But then, why did the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique operate as it did? That doesn’t make sense; if the Dantian and blood vessels are those of a dragon, then human internal martial arts techniques shouldn’t work.]

“It’s because the Qi used in the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique is too meager. The dragon’s Dantian and blood vessels are significantly thicker than those of a human, so you wouldn’t even notice minor friction. However, if you increase the volume of Qi and use a larger technique…”

[That would lead to Walking Fire Entering Demon, wouldn’t it?]

“Exactly. You’ll definitely need a new internal martial arts technique fitting for a dragon’s body.”

[……]

“What do you think? Even if it’s a bit uncertain, isn’t this gift enough?”

To gain the Dantian of a dragon in a mechanical body.

It was such a bizarre experience that I found it amusing. I thought to myself that this wasn’t too bad, and I smiled back at Even Sinha.

[Not bad at all. Let’s see how well I can adapt.]

“Phew, I’m relieved. I sincerely hope you can adapt quickly to that physique. If you can fully adapt to the Dantian of a dragon, you won’t be inferior to Frankenstein.”

[Frankenstein? The combat homunculus that Saint Germain is making?]

“That’s right.”

[How strong is this Frankenstein? I’m quite curious, to say the least.]

“Well… I’m not entirely sure… but… I heard that Saint Germain has already secured the soul of an ancient god to use as the core of Frankenstein.”

[……?!]

A homunculus powered by the soul of an ancient god?!

Does that mean it’s even greater than the Portrait Immortal?!

‘Why would Saint Germain create such a monster…?’

While I was still astonished, Even Sinha chimed in.

“Let me give you a piece of advice: if you want to make proper use of that power, you need to find an internal martial arts technique suited for a dragon. Keep that in mind.”

[Thanks for the advice.]

Paat!

After wrapping up my business with Even Sinha, I returned to Nanjing Castle with Miho. Then I recounted everything that had happened to Mangnyang, who sat in his chamber coughing lightly.

“You did very well… cough…”

[Are you feeling alright?]

“Don’t worry about me. But how much of your divine power has recovered by now?”

I measured the amount of divine power I had left at Mangnyang’s words. I then replied.

[Honestly, it hasn’t been long since I battled Ananda, so I’m still drained.]

“I see… That means it’s impossible to create the new Seven Luminaries right away. So, for the next few months, just relax in Nanjing Castle and wait for your divine power to recover. The territory of humans has just started to expand, and with the Celestial Reincarnation Jade installed in the city, your divine power will soon rise quickly.”

I scratched the side of my head.

[So you’re saying I’ll just be sitting around doing nothing for a few months?]

“Yes.”

[That seems a bit unproductive… ]

“Hehehe. You’ve been working so hard that it’s created a slight anxiety about not working! Hahaha.”

Mangnyang chuckled, sounding oddly pleased.

“Well then, spill the secrets of your body during this downtime.”

[The secrets of my body…?]

“You’ve obtained the Dantian of an ancient dragon, haven’t you? You need to acquire an internal martial arts technique that matches that dragon’s Dantian. That alone will keep you extremely busy.”

[Hmm!]

“Luckily, there are plenty of subjugation squads returning from the front line in Nanjing Castle. Joining them to hone your martial arts would be beneficial.”

[Which subjugation squads are back?]

“Let me tell you the list of those who returned…”

As I listened to Mangnyang, I immediately made up my mind. When I leapt to my feet, Mangnyang smiled faintly.

“Looks like you’ve decided who to go see.”

[Take good care of yourself.]

“Then I’ll take a nap…”

Leaving Mangnyang, who tucked himself under the covers, I quickly headed toward the place where the subjugation squads had gathered. Spotting one of them, I shouted.

[Hey!!]

Swoosh.

The one, his face covered by a hood, looked at me. After staring for a brief moment, he broke into a grin.

“You’re one strange fellow. I never imagined you’d return in such a form.”

[I didn’t see it coming either. But hey, as long as I managed to get back, right?]

“Haha… You do know how to talk.”

Swoosh.

“Catch this.”

He slowly plucked some grass nearby. As all eyes were on him, he flicked the grass with his finger, sending it my way.

‘This is…!!’

There was no sound, and it wasn’t very fast.

But it wasn’t the lack of powerful internal strength that I normally had, either.

It was merely grass drifting in the air, and if I were my old self, I might have thought it was a joke and gotten careless.

However — I knew the real power behind that seemingly harmless movement.

That was because I had suffered immensely against opponents using this very same technique back in the Palace of Martial Gods.

[Flow].

I needed to read the [flow].

All phenomena before my eyes were illusions; the essence lay solely in that flow.

Zzzzz.

And soon, I started to distinctly sense the waves of the [flow]. Like before, I realized I didn’t need to block it with speed or power, simply by reflecting upon the heart. Unlike before, my skill in this realm allowed me to respond faster by bypassing unnecessary steps.

Swish!

I created my mechanical arm into a knife-hand and executed a decisive slash through the [flow].

That slash seamlessly blended into the Darkness of Night, easily stopping the advance of the grass and cleanly splitting it in two before it fell to the ground.

Thud.

As the grass dropped, the nearby subjugation martial artists looked stunned.

“Whoa.”

“Hmm…”

“Isn’t that the first time someone has successfully blocked that?”

The power of the grass seemed not so impressive, but that only proved that the subjugation martial artists had all experienced its potency before.

Seeing this, the one who threw the grass grinned.

“You really did manage to acquire the Dark Night Slash. Congratulations, Baek Woong.”

Upon hearing that, I felt a pang of emotion and replied.

[Congratulations? What are you congratulating me for?]

“Huh?”

[Who are you trying to fool here?]

I picked up the grass that had fallen to the ground with a dry expression.

[You’re the one who can now use the Natural Sword after twenty years, Asura.]

Though it wasn’t entirely the same realm that Gong Sun Da-rang had mastered—

Putting nature itself in the realm of the heart was still within the divine domain.

The practitioner before me had reached that level and was testing my skills with that single move.

Upon my words, Asura burst into laughter.

“Just killing two birds with one stone!”