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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Ride the Rapids and Cross the Valley
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Surprisingly, Song Myeong-cheon had already woken up and was watching him. He smacked Han Ibi across the back with his staff.
Or maybe the old man hadn't been asleep from the start.
"You fool! If you're going to do it, do it right. Moving carelessly during internal cultivation can easily lead to qi deviation."
Ouch, that shady old geezer. Who asked for your help?
Why are you making a fuss in the middle of the night?
Amid the chaos, Han Ibi felt the 3D human model diagram wriggling like a split-screen display.
It was as if a camera was filming his own body.
Either way, he couldn't afford another hit!
Han Ibi focused intently, eyes blazing as he observed the situation.
Looking closely, something was visible in the dantian area of the model diagram.
A green glow, like gas or liquid fire, flickered there.
Whoa. That must be the basic true qi that Jong Ri-mae possessed.
That's when Song Myeong-cheon spoke.
"Controlling true qi comes from the mind, so true qi is ultimately connected to the mind. True qi is intricately linked to the head, limbs, and the five viscera and six bowels within the body, making it one with the body itself. Thus, the mind is the body. True qi is merely a carriage to carry the mind."
What nonsense is this? Like eating dog grass.
Wuxia novels always have lines like this.
Damn Chinese people or wuxia authors—one of them's got to be the culprit. It's too complicated. There are simple words, so why phrase it like this? Just say: True qi moves with the mind.
Hmm... right? Really? For real?
Han Ibi decided to apply this sudden epiphany in practice right away.
He regulated his breathing as Song Myeong-cheon had taught, matching inhalations and exhalations.
Then, he gradually lengthened each breath while focusing his mind on the dantian as much as possible.
Move... move... damn it. Feels like ESP telekinesis training... move... move... whoa!
Shockingly, in the instant he kept repeating "move," a portion of the true qi in the 3D model twitched.
Bubble... pop. It seemed to shift a little!
But as his focus wavered, the true qi sank back down.
Ha... this stuff is super sensitive.
Han Ibi refocused on the dantian, and finally, the true qi began to stir again.
It felt so good he even forgot about his numb legs.
At that moment, the view of the 3D meridian map shifted. It was now from the perspective of the true qi itself, racing through the acupoints.
It was just like whitewater rafting.
The pathways for qi circulation were sometimes wide and calm, but others so narrow that the true qi's current churned wildly as it got sucked in.
Whoa! This is like a racing game. So damn thrilling!
Indeed.
Song Myeong-cheon was right.
The human body was truly a network of qi pathways.
Han Ibi's true qi began circulating along the Governor Vessel route: Janggang, Mingmen, Xiezhong, Dazhui, and Yuzhen acupoints.
But there was a devilish section: the Baihui acupoint.
It was like a treacherous ravine between sheer cliffs—narrow, vicious, and sometimes even forming whirlpools.
Whirlpools!
Got... got to be careful!
Han Ibi concentrated fully and barely dodged a torpedo-like whirlpool.
However...
There was a massive boulder blocking the path. The true qi slammed into it and came to a dead stop.
Like a sinking boat, it could go no further.
Yes, it really was like rafting.
The difference with qi circulation was that in rafting, you just get wet if you fall in—but here, the true qi would reverse flow instantly, wreaking havoc on the body.
Ugh-.
Blood surged up from deep in his chest. But he couldn't make a scene here.
I'll have to swallow it back anyway.
He gulped down the blood. A metallic tang hit him, threatening to induce vomiting again.
Haa~.
Han Ibi sighed inwardly. They say jumping once is easy, but twice is hard.
The bitter taste of knowing better.
This thing... once it starts, you can't just stop at will. It's maddening.
Only then did Han Ibi understand why wuxia novels had comrades standing guard during cultivation.
This was seriously dangerous!
He steadied his breathing and calmed his mind.
True qi began rising from the dantian in the 3D model again.
The view switched back to racing mode. He set off once more.
He had to watch the fork at Baihui. Han Ibi guided the true qi onward through the meridian ravines.
The second time was easier.
And finally, Baihui! He dodged the whirlpool and swiftly split the true qi.
Success!
He propelled the true qi forward irresistibly, passing Indang and Yinliao on the Governor Vessel, then Shengjiang and Qiandao on the Conception Vessel.
But trouble arose at Danzhong.
It was...
Crazy! It's a waterfall!
Not some scenic Jeongbang Falls in Jeju. It was like Niagara Falls from movies or travel shows.
The savage ferocity hidden in gentle waters erupting outward!
"Pfft!"
Han Ibi ended up spraying a massive amount of blood onto the floor.
This was supposed to be a quiet, intimate session of studying the Pure Heart Method. The scene was indescribably horrific.
I'm screwed! That's 100 back-smackings!
"S-sorry."
But Song Myeong-cheon didn't seem upset.
A glint sparked in his eyes. He stopped Han Ibi from cleaning the floor and said,
"You're doing well. I thought you were just a dimwit... Clean it up all at once later. Rest and try again. Push too hard, and you'll fall into qi deviation."
"Y-yes."
What's with this master-disciple vibe? At least I didn't get hit—thank goodness.
Then Song Myeong-cheon asked,
"Where did it get stuck?"
"Baihui at first, then Danzhong later."
"Those acupoints you mentioned are tricky spots during circulation. Don't overdo it—try again."
"...Yes."
Now I'm really scared. But with Song Myeong-cheon watching, I can't not do it.
He composed himself and entered racing mode.
This time, it was truly easy. He breezed through the Governor Vessel acupoints, then Shengjiang, Qiandao, and faced Danzhong again.
I panicked before, but this time it'll be different.
He focused every ounce of will and plunged down the cliff.
The impact of the fall—that shockwave reversing the true qi.
How... how to counteract it!
Falling now would bring pain worse than before—worse yet, definite qi deviation as the system warned.
A month bedridden! On thin gruel too!
No way.
Han Ibi grew desperate. If it were air instead of water, maybe no fall... ah!
In that instant, enlightenment struck.
The 'Meridian Map' visualizes the invisible.
The basic true qi I saw in the 3D model—it's liquid, but also gaseous!
In that moment.
The true qi plummeting like a waterfall instantly turned to mist.
Yes. It was a variable Han Ibi could control from the start.
Because 'true qi is the mind.'
You can't strike mist. It won't crash to the ground. It defies gravity.
Han Ibi safely passed Danzhong, reaching Zhongwan, Qihai, and Huiyin, completing a full Small Heavenly Circuit.
His eyes snapped open.
His mind cleared, and an inexplicable power surged through his body.
⚙ MISSION COMPLETE ⚙ (Difficulty ☆☆): Circulated basic true qi through the Small Heavenly Circuit. ⚙ REWARDS ⚙ Reward 1: Internal Energy +20, Strength +5, Wisdom +3 Reward 2: Gained insight into the source of true qi. Wisdom and EXP doubled. Wisdom +3 (additional), EXP +60 Zhongli Pure Heart Method level increased: Stage 2 → Stage 3 Player can now utilize internal energy. Reward 3: Acquired Eagle's Eye Technique (visual enhancement system). Activate via eagle eye icon. Advice: Eagle's Eye Technique consumes internal energy rapidly—use with caution. ✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Lv 10 → Lv 11
I did it. I freaking did it!
In his excitement, Han Ibi jumped up and thrust both arms into the air.
Then Song Myeong-cheon's bellow rang out.
"What are you doing, acting like a fool! We have to head out early tomorrow for mountain trekking—clean up that filthy floor quick!"
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He was right. They woke up at dawn that day too.
Which made sense—the spots for gathering herbs were getting farther from the cabin.
The nearby areas were depleting, so it was inevitable.
But... his body felt stronger day by day, yet following Song Myeong-cheon wasn't getting any easier.
And today, Han Ibi finally realized why.
The old man's trekking speed was increasing with each passing day.
So far, Song Myeong-cheon had been matching his pace—slowing down just enough for him to barely keep up.
But now, he moved even faster, leaving Han Ibi clutching his lungs like they might explode, barely chasing after.
Same pattern as the start. A pattern that would continue... an inescapable hellscape.
Han Ibi felt cold sweat trickling down his back. Thinking internal energy would make trekking easier was a huge delusion.
Then a thought struck him.
Every sect has basic lightness skills. A martial clan like the Zhongli Clan especially.
Aha! Why didn't I think of that sooner? I'm a genius!
In his exhausted, nauseous state, Han Ibi rummaged through Jong Ri-mae's memories and found the Zhongli Clan's lightness skill.
Come to think of it, Jong Ri-mae the slacker had scorned—no, avoided—lightness skills.
Zhongli Swift Leopard Step.
A lightness skill mimicking a leopard's swift movements.
True to its famous-clan origins, the technique itself was excellent, above average.
But Jong Ri-mae had stalled at stage 1.
Sigh... what an idiot. Even with this slick lightness skill... synced with such a lazy bum...
Han Ibi inwardly cursed Jong Ri-mae while activating Zhongli Swift Leopard Step.
They called lightness skills a divine art that lightens the body... and sure enough, his body felt lighter.
But control was tricky this time.
Like a kid learning to bike, Han Ibi bounded through the rugged mountains like a wild beast on the loose.
Song Myeong-cheon glanced at him and tsked.
How pathetic must he look to such an expert...
That's when it happened.
Too lost in thought, perhaps.
Han Ibi failed to control the lightness skill properly and slipped on a jutting sharp rock.
Han Ibi flying through the air.
Thud.
"Ow ow ow!"
The impact from landing on his back shot through his whole body.
Bracing for a torrent of scolding, Han Ibi got up from the ground. Agonizing pain pierced from his waist and back throughout.
There was Song Myeong-cheon, who had gone far ahead but returned in a flash.
He stood perfectly balanced on one foot atop that sharp rock, his presence like Mount Tai—unyielding, allowing no tremor.
(To be continued next time)