Chapter 239 – Reward and Traces

After Lady Sama’s departure, everyone was able to spend a day or two alone.

I thought that we could recover some of the energy we had lost while using the innate chi by flying with Yangji, but I didn’t expect to regain more than 80% of the achievement of the Sun and Moon Divine Art’s circulation. It had only been four days since we started.

I didn’t expect to be squeezed so hard by Peng Soso either.

Anyway, not only my body but also my depleted energy and blood were completely restored.

The doctor who treated me declared me fully recovered.

For that reason, I headed to the training ground attached to the mansion where I was staying to practice for the first time in a while.

“Whew.”

The chilly air of dawn filled my lungs deeply.

And when I reached out with my waist, I felt a familiar yet missed sensation at the end of my hand.

Srrung.

With a single metallic sound, I looked at the sword that had just come out for a moment.

It wasn’t particularly heavy or light. There were no fancy decorations, but it was a well-maintained sword with a sharp edge that caught the eye with its bright shine.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary iron sword, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a considerable famous sword, and according to my master, it was one of the best swords made of perennial iron.

In fact, when I first faced Lady Samaryeon, even though the blade broke in front of her strong energy, the sword somehow survived.

Unlike the new recruits in the story, it was just a solid and sharp sword, but that was enough.

I thought it was similar to me somehow, so I looked at the sword for a moment and then adjusted my posture.

My legs were shoulder-width apart, and the tip of the sword I raised was at eye level.

I had reached the peak of the third stage, opened three dantians, achieved the Hwangol Taltae, and although it wasn’t perfect, I could use the sword’s energy.

But still, the only swordsmanship I knew was the Samjae Swordsmanship.

There were times when I felt regretful about it, but not now. After all, I had reached my current level with the Samjae Swordsmanship.

I concentrated my mind on the empty space for a moment.

The mental image I had put into the sword energy this time didn’t contain any special truth or grand cause.

It was purely secular and a very personal wish.

Isn’t it rare for someone to get angry for their own people and clench their fists, having never swung them in their life?

But it was the most important thing to me.

My beliefs.

My happiness.

And my life.

When I concentrated all of these things into one, my inner energy moved naturally.

The inner energy that had risen from the lower dantian passed through other meridians and headed to the upper dantian, bypassing the middle dantian.

The inner energy that had reached the upper dantian returned to the lower dantian through the middle dantian without stopping, and repeated this process faster and faster.

“Huff.”

It was harder than when I had a clear enemy during the Jungsadaejeon and had just gained enlightenment.

But it wasn’t impossible.

It took a little longer, but the pillar of determination and inner energy that encompassed the three dantians, which had been properly completed.

The pillar, which had taken root in my body like my heart, began to attract the surrounding natural energy with a strange resonance sound.

Wooong.

A huge energy flowed through my entire body, as if breathing through my skin.

The pure natural energy was instantly converted into inner energy and seeped into my veins and bones.

A cluster of light emerged from the sword, which was naturally lit.

The faint light gradually became brighter and soon began to burn like a flame.

Sword flame.

It was the most powerful form of energy that could be created by pouring inner energy.

But now I knew. What I needed to do to go beyond the sword flame.

I focused on my determination, which aimed for the sword in my mind. As if responding to it, the inner energy surrounding the sword was compressed and compressed again.

After a moment.

Whooong.

With a gust of wind that ruffled my bangs, the sword flame, which had been forcibly compressed by my determination, took on a different form.

It was brighter, stronger, and, above all, had a clear shape of a sword, unlike the burning sword flame.

This was the sword spirit.

What if you tied the stars in the night sky to a sword? There was something strangely captivating about the pure white sword spirit.

Wow. Did I really create this?

I blinked with a dazed feeling, but nothing had changed. The sword spirit was still surrounding my sword.

Of course, it was lacking in many ways compared to the sword spirit created by a proper Hwagyeong master.

First of all, it required too much inner energy. It wasn’t as powerful as the sword flame.

Although it was undoubtedly stronger than the sword energy or sword flame…it didn’t have the overwhelming feeling of the strong energy unique to the Hwagyeong warriors I had seen so far.

In fact, my sword spirit had been broken several times during my fight with Lady Samaryeon.

Well, in fact, these two things weren’t a big problem for me.

I wondered where the Muryeongshingong drew inner energy and strengthened the body, but it was probably natural energy.

I had just realized this through the Muryeongshingong, but maybe I had been strengthening myself with natural energy all along.

Anyway, natural energy was everywhere in the world, so it could be said that my inner energy was practically infinite.

So, in fact, there was only one problem.

“It takes too long….”

It takes a considerable amount of time to pull up Muryeongshingong to the extreme and extract the sword energy by concentrating the determination.

Maybe it takes about 30 seconds combined?

It’s impressive to think that you can swing the sword energy by concentrating for just 30 seconds, but it’s a huge problem that you have to wait 30 seconds in life and death situations to pull up your full power.

“Well, there’s nothing I can do. I have to keep practicing relentlessly.”

Anyway, now that I can extract the sword energy, the rest is not enlightenment but the realm of practice.

I put away my sword and started pulling up Muryeongshingong again.

***

I stopped practicing when my stomach started to growl.

Is it already morning?

I put away my sword and turned my back to the practice field for a moment. Then I saw a familiar person in the distance.

Small stature and compact build. But a vicious-looking mammoth.

Her pink hair, which stands out everywhere, swished and soon our eyes met.

Immediately, Hong Yeon-hwa came running towards me.

She didn’t hug me, but it was more like a body check. But fortunately, I was able to receive it safely because I had prepared in advance.

“Hey.”

I quickly put my hand between Hong Yeon-hwa’s armpits and spun around in place, sending out a shockwave.

Then I raised my arm, and Hong Yeon-hwa, who stretched out her arms and legs to put her weight on me, flashed her pink eyes.

“I was just on my way to call you, and here we meet like this!”

Bam bam.

Hong Yeon-hwa wriggled her arms and legs towards me as if she was trying to hug me.

When I cautiously pulled my arm, she wrapped her arms and legs around me as if she was waiting.

Squish.

The feeling of her chest touching my upper body. Hong Yeon-hwa, who came close to my nose, started to giggle.

“I heard you were in the practice field, but were you practicing? How did it go? Do you need my help? Since you can use the sword energy now, how about learning some of my sword techniques?”

Her voice was as pleasant as the birds chirping in the morning.

I answered each question while holding Hong Yeon-hwa’s slender and compact buttocks in one hand.

“Yeah. I was practicing. It seems a little difficult to use the sword energy in actual combat. Can you teach me some tips on how to extract the sword energy later? Oh, let’s do the sword techniques later. You have to know the basics first.”

Finally, Hong Yeon-hwa nodded satisfactorily and rubbed her cheek against mine.

“Okay, I got it. Call me next time you practice.”

“Sure.”

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll be sleeping together, so we can just go out together.”

As I patted Hong Yeon-hwa’s back, I was organizing my thoughts. Suddenly, Hong Yeon-hwa fell off of me.

“Huh?”

“Just stay still for a moment.”

Then she removed my hand from her waist and butt and clung to me like a cicada.

Shak, shak, shak.

She crawled on top of me like a burning log.

“Eub?”

Thick thighs that wrapped around my face. The scent of flowers, similar to Hong Yeon-hwa’s unique scent, wafted in the air.

“Oops! Didn’t I tell you to stay still?”

After scolding me by tapping my head, she sat on my shoulders from behind.

I held my breath for a moment, wondering what she was up to. Soon, the dark view in front of me brightened.

Hong Yeon-hwa turned around and sat on my back, placing her heavy chest on my head. She breathed out with a satisfied expression.

“Phew. It’s done now!”

“Isn’t this a one-sided fusion?”

“Fusion… Don’t say dirty things.”

I wanted to argue why fusion was dirty, but I stopped myself when Hong Yeon-hwa playfully pulled my cheeks.

“Okay! Let’s go to the restaurant now! Everyone is waiting.”

“Like this?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“That’s not it.”

I grabbed Hong Yeon-hwa’s thighs that were falling on my shoulders and started walking.

And a moment later.

Kong!

“Ouch!”

Hong Yeon-hwa sadly cried out as she hit her forehead on the door frame.

Ah. I didn’t think about that.