Chapter 765: A Fragrant Scent Instead of Blood

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk bowed respectfully to the skeletal remains of Ju Gasin, the Evil Alliance Chairman from three hundred years ago. "Chairman, three hundred years have passed since your era. I don't know what happened back then, but I believe these orbs were divided to keep peace in the murim."

Of course, the orbs might not have been divided for peace. There must have been complicated entanglements and mutual checks involved.

"With these orbs, I'll surely protect the peace that you seniors gave your lives to create."

Geom Mugeuk carefully picked up the Purple Orb from the skeleton's hand. As he held it up, the Secret Box inside his robes began to vibrate even more powerfully.

He bowed to the skeleton. "Thank you."

The coffin lid closed automatically, as if it had been waiting.

CHWARRRRREUREUNG!

The coffin returned to its original storage place, and the secret door slid shut. Not a single trace of the door remained on the wall between the guardian statues.

Geom Mugeuk took the Secret Box from his robes, feeling more nervous than he ever had when absorbing an orb's energy.

The Secret Box smiled, as always. He remembered drawing that smiling face on it like it was yesterday.

"Secret Box, this is the last one!"

WUUUUUUNG!

He placed the purple orb on the vibrating Secret Box.

SEUREUREUREUK!

The Purple Orb dissolved into the Secret Box as if it were liquid.

"……"

SWAAAAAAAH!

After one strong vibration, the Secret Box floated into the air. It usually rotated, but today, a purple radiance burst from the box instead.

At the same time, the five energies within Geom Mugeuk's body awakened and also began to emit their own colors, becoming light that pierced through his body and erupted outward.

Six colors of light swirled through the air, as if six dragons were coiling around Geom Mugeuk. The scene was so fantastical that anyone who saw it would have thought it was a dream.

SHUUUUUUK!

The six swirling energies gathered into the Secret Box, but even after absorbing them, the box remained floating in the air.

SWAAAAAAAH!

Suddenly, the Secret Box shot the six intertwined energies toward Geom Mugeuk in a straight line, reminiscent of an attack with sword qi.

Geom Mugeuk calmly accepted all that energy.

SEUSEUSEUSEUSEU…

With that, the Secret Box vanished into the air like smoke. Its mission was complete.

No, Secret Box!

The Secret Box had smiled at Geom Mugeuk until the very end. Memories of their conversations surfaced, and a lump formed in his chest. He didn't want to part like this, but if this was their destiny…

Secret Box, thank you for everything.

Smiling brightly, the Secret Box vanished. It was a farewell to a friend who had been with him all this time.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

Now, the Secret Box was gone, but the six energies it had expelled raced through Geom Mugeuk's body.

I've finally gathered all of the energies.

Geom Mugeuk instinctively felt the incredible potential of this power. Its very nature was different from existing miracle herbs. In fact, it should never have been called a miracle herb at all.

He began to execute the qi cultivation method he had learned from the large Secret Box, when he traveled back three hundred years in time.

To move qi, one must be as free as the wind, yet as heavy as the earth. As hot as fire, yet stop as cold as ice. As deep as darkness, yet as bright as lightning. Uniting these six energies will grant the greatest power of all time!

The six energies, which had entered as one twisted strand, scattered to flow down different meridians along paths Geom Mugeuk had never imagined. It flowed in reverse and followed routes that should have caused internal injuries. This cultivation method instantly shattered all his existing knowledge of martial arts.

After swirling through new paths in his meridians, the six mysteries finally gathered at his qi center and united as one.

"……"

Brilliant light erupted from Geom Mugeuk's entire body, so blinding that even his Divine Eye Technique couldn't see through it.

In that moment, he felt a refreshing energy he had never experienced before. The united energy didn't disappear but instead enveloped his qi center.

If he had to describe the feeling in one word, it would be mysterious energy. Yes, mysterious energy now flowed along with the inner qi that emerged from his qi center.

My inner qi has completely transformed.

To say it had simply become purer was a massive understatement.

Suddenly, Geom Mugeuk felt his whole body float into the air.

A wave of dizziness washed over him. It had to be because of this new energy in his qi center.

He sat down and crossed his legs, then tried to calm his mind and stabilize his body, but he still felt dazed.

How could he describe this feeling? It was like standing still and watching a giant tsunami rush in from the distance, or the feeling of needing to run but just staring blankly. He wanted to move, but his body wouldn't budge.

He could feel his heartbeat gradually slowing, but his body didn't react. The Heavenly Demon Defense Art remained inactive, and his crisis instinct didn't respond.

What in the world is going to happen now?

Geom Mugeuk had never been in this physical state before.

Could I have been poisoned or fallen victim to a soul-manipulation technique? Impossible. This is definitely a side effect of the energy I absorbed.

The giant tsunami in his mind crashed down on him.

CRACK!

"…UGH!" he groaned. He was someone who wouldn't blink at most pain, yet he couldn't stop his face from contorting in agony.

KA-RACK!

The sound of cracking bones came from his body again.

"AAAAAAGH!" Geom Mugeuk screamed.

Something unbelievable was happening. The bones all over his body began to shatter one by one. He tried to circulate his qi to stop it, but his qi wouldn't obey him. It was as if his body didn't belong to him.

The energy surrounding my qi center! Was it actually a trap meant to harm me? No, that can't be. No one would lay a trap that's so difficult to discover. Then, why is this happening?

CRACK! CRACK!

"Uwaaaack!"

The bones inside his body moved on their own.

KWADEDEUK! UDEUDEUK!

The muscles and tendons attached to his bones stretched and then contracted again.

"Aaaaaaaargh!"

It was a pain no human could endure.

Geom Mugeuk fell into a dream.

The floor was covered in blood. He looked around and saw he was standing in front of the Heavenly Demon Hall.

Blood flowed from the collapsed, bleeding bodies of the Heavenly Demon Hall's bodyguards.

Among them was Hwi. Hwi, who had been blocking the entrance, was dead, leaning against the wall. His eyes were still open.

Uncle Hwi!

Geom Mugeuk instinctively knew where he was.

It's that day.

Before his regression, he hadn't made it this far. Before he got here, Hwa Mugi had defeated him, and he had been on the verge of death. This scene was an illusion his mind had created.

He closed Hwi's eyes, then opened the doors to the Heavenly Demon Hall and stepped inside.

SPLASH!

The floor was drenched a literal river of blood.

In the distance, he saw the grand throne, but someone else sat there instead of his father.

Father!

His father sat on the floor in front of the throne, but he didn't need confirmation to know that he was dead.

Although he knew it was a dream created by his subconscious, he felt his heart wrenching in pain.

Hwa Mugi sat on the grand throne, staring down at him. The man's arrogant, haughty gaze was exactly as it had been that day.

Geom Mugeuk knelt before his father. He didn't know what kind of fight had taken place that day, but…

"This time will be different, Father."

HWIIIIK!

Hwa Mugi extended his hand, and Geom Mugeuk flew helplessly into his nemesis's grasp. The telekinesis was too powerful to resist.

"What's going to be different?" Hwa Mugi asked coldly.

Geom Mugeuk stared him in the eye and said calmly, "You'll find out soon."

Hwa Mugi's lips curled into a sneer.

CRACK!

Without hesitation, he broke Geom Mugeuk's neck.

"Aaaaaaaargh!"

Screaming, Geom Mugeuk's eyes shot open.

KA-RACK! CRACK!

He found himself still lying on the cold floor inside the tomb, writhing in pain as the bones in his body were reconstructed.

How much time has passed?

Opening his eyes, Geom Mugeuk felt a raging fever throughout his body. He had never been this sick before.

The changes to his body were still underway. Previously, it was his bones being completely reconstructed, and this time, it was his flesh.

SQUELCH…

Muscles tore, and new muscles regenerated.

SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

Geom Mugeuk had endured the pain of his shattered bones, but the pain of his torn muscles was equally agonizing. Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and endured it.

He repeatedly lost and regained consciousness, feeling as if an old house were being demolished and a new one were being built.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

The qi that exploded from his qi center raced through his meridians. All blocked channels opened, and every meridian through which the qi flowed became wider and stronger. This change was different from that of the Meridians Strengthening Art.

Once his flesh and meridians had been reconstructed, another change occurred. All the pores on his skin opened, and all the impure qi in his body was expelled.

Soon, an unbearable stench radiated from him, so foul that he couldn't believe it came from his own body.

That wasn't all. All the hair on his body fell out and grew back. His skin peeled off and new skin formed. He was molting.

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk couldn't distinguish between dreams and reality. He sank into another dream.

SPLASH!

Once again, he entered the Heavenly Demon Hall. As before, the floor was drenched in blood.

He looked at the grand throne. To his bewilderment, the person sitting there wasn't Hwa Mugi, but his father.

Hwa Mugi was sitting where his father had been in the previous dream, dead.

Geom Mugeuk looked at his father in joy.

"Now, only the unification of murim remains," Geom Woojin declared.

Geom Mugeuk's eyes flew open. He was still lying on the cold tomb floor.

He could hear the sound of his blood flowing through his veins. It was a bizarre experience. The pounding of his heart reverberated in his ears, and the breeze caressing his skin felt vivid. Scents he hadn't noticed before filled his nostrils.

In that dizzying flood of sensations, he lost consciousness again.

Just how long have I been here?

He stood among countless stars. In the deep darkness, he saw an illusion of innumerable twinkling stars passing by him.

The largest star flew toward him and collided with him.

Geom Mugeuk opened his eyes yet again. Finally, he was fully awake.

How many days has it been?

He slowly pushed his body up. Fortunately, the maddening pain was gone. His five senses, which had been driving him crazy, had also calmed down.

I feel like I could fly.

His body felt truly light. The saying 'light as a feather' must have been for times like this.

He soon frowned at the stench coming from his body, though. He was absolutely filthy!

SNAP!

He immediately unleashed the Spacetime Manipulation Technique, transporting himself to the place with the warm hot spring in the snowy field. Tossing off his clothes, he threw himself into the water.

PLOP!

Geom Mugeuk bathed in the warm spring to cleanse his body, but it wasn't enough, so he created a new hot spring and bathed again.

When he was finished, he stepped out and snapped his fingers again. A large bronze mirror capable of reflecting his entire body appeared before him.

His eyes widened in shock as he examined himself. His body had changed. It wasn't a drastic change, but his bone structure was clearly different. The width, thickness, and length of his shoulders, arms, and legs were all altered.

Moreover, his skin was flawless. Not a single scar remained. When touched, his skin was as smooth as jade and as soft as a baby's, and the muscles beneath were incomparably stronger.

Next, he focused on his senses. His vision, which was already good, had improved even more, and his sense of hearing, smell, and touch had become much more acute. To exaggerate slightly, he could hear an ant crawling far away if he focused.

Finally, he was certain.

I really underwent Body Reformation!

He thought it might be possible when he realized his bones were reforming.

Body Reformation, the death of old flesh and rebirth into a new body, was the greatest miracle a martial artist could experience. He wondered if it could happen to him, but it seemed that the pain he endured was indeed for the sake of attaining perfection.

Eager to test his newfound abilities, he picked up the Black Demon Sword that had fallen to the ground at some point.

SHWIIK, SHWIK!

Geom Mugeuk swung his sword within the Spacetime Manipulation Technique. True enough, the feeling was completely different. He had thought his body was optimized for martial arts before, but that had been an arrogant miscalculation.

It feels even better!

His body had now changed into one perfect for performing martial arts.

"Haha… Hahaha!"

Geom Mugeuk's thunderous laughter echoed throughout the world within the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

He wasn't happy because he could now better deal with Hwa Mugi. No, he was elated because he now had a perfect body, heightened senses, and an even clearer mind. As a martial artist, he had grown closer to perfection.

At the end of the day, he was a martial artist. Born with the Heavenly Martial Body, he was the epitome of martial talent, but killing Hwa Mugi wasn't all he lived for. Just as reaching the summit of a difficult mountain doesn't mean one has to live there forever, he felt pure joy simply from advancing in martial arts.

Body Reformation wasn't the only gift from the mysterious energy. The united elemental energies still enveloped his qi center and lingered in his inner qi.

SWAAAAEK!

Geom Mugeuk executed the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. Perhaps due to the mysterious energy, he was able to unleash greater power with less inner qi than before. Furthermore, when he circulated his qi to replenish it, the newly created qi retained that mysterious power as well.

He had truly obtained a new type of qi. He wasn't sure if this power simply made his inner arts more efficient or if it had some other effect. However, he believed it would help him fight Hwa Mugi.

He washed and dried his clothes with heat energy before exiting the Spacetime Manipulation Technique. A fragrant scent radiated from his body.

After enduring all that pain, I'd better smell good.

Geom Mugeuk stood before the wall through which Ju Gasin's coffin had passed and bowed respectfully. "If we meet again, I'll greet you properly," he said.

He walked to the tomb entrance and paused on the boundary between life and death.

Glancing back, he shouted to the former Evil Alliance chairmen, "I'm going to live with this fragrant scent instead of the smell of blood! I mean it! Without a doubt!"