Chapter 320
The Great One Pill is fundamentally different from other elixirs.
Because it is one of the few elixirs whose purpose from the beginning is 'internal energy enhancement'.
Originally, elixirs are made with their own unique purposes.
For example, our Wudang Sect's Great Purity Pill or the Huashan Sect's Purple Sky Pill are actually elixirs made to become immortals.
And the purpose of Shaolin's Great Return Pill is also to become a Buddha by eating it.
But since you can't become an immortal or a Buddha just by eating one elixir, only the side effects remain, and that side effect is the enhancement of internal energy.
Of course, if your internal energy becomes incredibly strong and you gain numerous enlightenments, you may become an immortal later, so it can't be said to be completely wrong.
"So, to summarize in one word, it means that this Great One Pill was made solely for the purpose of enhancing internal energy."
"Then does that mean its effect is also that good?"
"That's right. To be precise, it's not that it contains more energy compared to the Great Purity Pill. Instead, it's much easier to absorb compared to the Great Purity Pill, and it costs much less money to make. Of course, since the Tae-eul Taoist didn't teach the manufacturing method of the Great One Pill to anyone and died, it can't be made again."
The reason I know so much about the Great One Pill is also related to a painful past.
In my past life as a self-reliant swordsman, I, who was thirsty for internal energy enhancement, wanted to obtain an elixir by any means, and what I heard then was the rumor about the Great One Pill.
It was a rumor that there was a Taoist who had been kicked out of the Wudang Sect, and that there were numerous Great One Pills piled up in the place where he had lived in seclusion and died.
I, even in the midst of being very busy, took time to look for traces of the Great One Pill and the Tae-eul Taoist, and in the end, I was able to find his secluded residence in the deep mountains of Guangdong Province.
But there, not a single grain of the Great One Pill remained.
Because it had already been looted by someone.
So since that day, I had completely forgotten about the Great One Pill, but to think I would meet it here like this.
'Of all things, there are exactly five... it's as if it was arranged for us.'
I, for now, handed out the Great One Pills to my senior brothers one by one and then said, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go and see if there are any other formations or anything left around."
"Alright. You're not going to collapse somewhere this time, are you?"
At Senior Brother Un Cheol's worried words, I chuckled.
"That won't happen, so don't worry. The me of yesterday and the me of now are very different."
"Alright. I understand."
Although I didn't even tell my senior brothers what had changed, they nodded their heads as if they understood since I said so.
I didn't tell my senior brothers about learning the Divine Eye Art, and I don't plan to tell them in the future either.
It's to leave the Divine Eye Art as a secret that only I know.
Of course, my senior brothers would never tell anyone that I had learned the Divine Eye Art, but still, the weight of the secret is different when only I know it and when even one more person knows it.
"Around here... it seems there's nothing left now."
Although I looked around the end of the cave, there seems to be nothing that catches my eye.
Because thanks to the Divine Eye Art, if there is a formation, it easily catches my eye.
Thinking that there was nothing, I released the Divine Eye Art and stealthily turned my head.
"Huh?"
On the wall at the very end of the cave, I see something whitish.
There is no formation on the wall, no mechanism is installed, just a piece of paper is stuck to the wall.
I took off the paper and read its contents.
— The person reading my writing will be the one who has already obtained my relic. Even if you have obtained the Divine Eye Art, there are more things in the world that can only be seen by looking straight with both eyes. If you are bound by the Divine Eye Art, your field of vision will become that much narrower. Let my successor be able to look at the world with a wide field of vision.
I let out a chuckle without realizing it.
It's exactly as written in this letter.
If I had continued to examine this cave with the Divine Eye Art, I would not have found this note.
It was a stroke of luck that I found this by chance at the end.
Although it's a writing with only a few words, it brings a tremendous resonance to my heart.
If it weren't for this note, I have a feeling that I would have been buried in the Divine Eye Art for a while and would have gotten a big nosebleed at some point.
"Thank you, great hero Meteor King. I will never forget your advice and will look at the world straight."
I bowed deeply towards the place where the note had been attached.
Since he had called me his successor in the note, I also showed my respect.
For some reason, I feel like I can see the great hero Meteor King laughing heartily.
"I will use the ability you have given me to save the world."
I, after a light bow, returned to my senior brothers.
Just before I returned, it seemed as if a faint human figure had passed by the place where the note had been attached, but I don't know if it was just my imagination or what.
***
Returning to my senior brothers, I had them all sit in front of me.
"Senior brothers. Let's just eat here and go up. If we go out of the cave again, we'll have to deal with the Yu family people, so there won't be time to eat."
"Then what about you?"
"I'm fine. I'll keep it and eat it later when I have time. It's not like I'm lacking in internal energy right now."
It's not that I'm trying to be considerate of my senior brothers, it's the truth.
Besides, it's a matter of course that if you eat elixirs too often, their effectiveness will decrease.
It hasn't been long since I took the Hwari's inner core that the Martial Alliance Leader gave me.
So I will keep the Great One Pill a little longer and eat it at a really important moment.
"You have to eat it at the same time. That way, I can look after all of you at once."
My senior brothers, like well-behaved children, nodded their heads at my words and put the Great One Pills into their mouths at the same time.
To think that I'm helping four people take a high-grade elixir at the same time.
This is something I have never experienced even in my past life.
But that doesn't mean it's bad.
To be honest, at times like this, I sometimes feel like I'm raising four disciples.
U-u-ung—
An unprecedented energy begins to rise from my senior brothers' bodies.
They have begun to absorb the elixir.
I heard that the Great One Pill is easier to absorb compared to other elixirs.
So I heard that it is an elixir that can be absorbed smoothly without anyone's help.
In fact, my senior brothers absorbed the Great One Pill almost on their own.
I, while observing my senior brothers, just helped them move their energy by adding my energy when they seemed to be struggling sometimes.
And so, about two 4 hours passed?
My senior brothers, one by one, as if they had finished absorbing, began to open their eyes.
A different kind of brilliance flows from the eyes of my senior brothers who have opened their eyes.
Even at a glance, I could feel that their internal energy had become much more profound than before.
I asked Senior Brother Un-jeong, who had opened his eyes first.
"Senior Brother. How do you feel?"
"Very... good."
"Really? What about it?"
"To be honest, I was worried a lot recently because my martial arts weren't improving. I felt like I had enough enlightenment, but for some reason, I felt like I wasn't moving on to the next stage. I wondered if the limit of my talent was here, but it wasn't. It was just a lack of internal energy."
Senior Brother Un-jeong smiled shyly.
The story my senior brother just told is something I have also felt before.
Although internal energy is not everything for a martial artist, it certainly plays a not-so-small role.
Especially in awakening a new realm, there is nothing like internal energy.
"That's a relief."
I, genuinely feeling happy, smiled at him.
After Senior Brother Un-jeong, the other senior brothers also began to open their eyes one by one, and soon, everyone was awake.
"Is everyone's body condition okay?"
"Good."
"The best."
"Then everyone, pack what you need to pack, and let's go up now."
"Alright."
My senior brothers and I, after dividing the secret manual and the money, began to go back up the cave we had come down.
Although it took two days to come down, it only took a very short time to go up because we performed a movement technique.
Because there were no mechanisms and no formations, we just had to go up.
As we came out of the cave, I unknowingly frowned at the brilliant light.
It's not that the sun is at its zenith, it's just about to set, but it's this bright.
It seems to be because my eyes had adapted to the darkness in the cave, and also because my eyes had become brighter due to the Divine Eye Art.
After blinking a few times, my eyes adapted to the light again.
Looking back at my senior brothers, as if they were similar to me, tears even welled up in Senior Brother Un-sik's eyes.
"Ah...! Ah!"
And seeing us who had come out of the cave, there was a man who couldn't even speak properly and was just letting out exclamations of admiration.
It was Yu-hoe.
Yu-hoe, with an expression close to being moved, is looking at us and can't even speak properly.
Judging from his appearance, it seems he had been waiting for us without going anywhere for the two days we were in the cave.
I, in a playful voice, said to him, "Were you waiting for us?"
"Ahem, ahem. No. Just..."
"Just?"
"It would be troublesome if you failed, so I was just curious how things were going."
"Isn't that what you call waiting?"
"......"
He, embarrassed, didn't answer.
Although I could have been more mischievous, I decided to let it go at this point.
"Anyway, it's good to see you again, alive."
"By any chance. The relic of the ancestor...?"
"Of course, I found it."
His face brightened.
Although he had shown a smiling face many times until now, his smile now is a smile with a much more fundamental happiness.
It was a smile that made me look back, thinking that that person could also smile like that.
"Then follow me."
"Where to?"
"There's one last thing to check."
"Check?"
"The ancestor said so. That we have to check if the challenger has truly obtained the relic. If it is confirmed that you have really brought the relic... only then can we escape from this place."
His gaze seemed desperate at a glance.
I felt like I knew what he meant by checking.
'It's a procedure to check if I have learned the Divine Eye Art.'
Although the Great One Pill, the gold, and the secret manual are amazing, to be honest, they are not that amazing compared to the Divine Eye Art.
"I understand. Lead the way."
Yu-hoe, without even answering, immediately turned his body and began to walk somewhere.
He took us back to his house and then headed to a room on the opposite side of the room where we had stayed.
"Excuse me, just a moment."
"Why?"
"I think I can go alone. Tell my senior brothers to rest in the room."
"...... I understand."
I told my senior brothers to go to their quarters and wait.
In any case, I am the only one who has learned the Divine Eye Art.
Although I don't know what kind of check he is trying to do, if my senior brothers who have not learned the Divine Eye Art go there, it will just be a waste of time.
"This way."
He took me and stopped in front of a certain room.
"What do I have to do here?"
"I... don't know either."
"You don't know?"
"I was just told to bring the one who has obtained the relic here. So I have never opened this place, nor have I ever been interested in what is inside."
He seemed quite nervous.
After meeting at the entrance of the cave, he didn't ask me what the relic was, or how I got it.
Perhaps it was because he had faith that everything would be confirmed here.
In fact, this point makes me see Yu-hoe in a new light.
To be honest, he could have just run away with the money, but he has kept the will of his ancestor and the words passed down for his entire life.
It's the same now. If he didn't have faith in his ancestor, he wouldn't be able to do this.
"Then I'll open it."
He, grabbing the door with both hands, took a light deep breath and then...
Beol-keok!
He opened the door right away.
I, looking inside the room... ended up laughing.
"This... is no joke."
Inside the room, all sorts of formations were layered on top of each other.
And in the middle of the room, there is another piece of paper.
It seems the final confirmation is to break through or disarm all those formations and then read the paper.
If I hadn't learned the Divine Eye Art, I wouldn't have been able to disarm the formations, and I might not have even known that there were formations.
"Wait a minute. I'll get it right away."
But, now I have the best eyes.
So I stepped into the room without any hesitation.
(End of Chapter)