Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 15

A moment later, as my excitement waned, taking the Millennium Snow Ginseng presented itself as another problem. I was well aware that one must not consume such elixirs carelessly.

‘If one could gulp it down like common food, the struggle for the Millennium Snow Ginseng wouldn’t have taken so long…’

The Millennium Snow Ginseng is not a common elixir. No, in the past hundred years, the only elixir that could even compare is perhaps the Grand Elixir Pill from Shaolin Temple. An “elixir” implies that it contains the essence of nature in its extreme form, akin to a massive clump of gathered Qi.

Should I consume the Millennium Snow Ginseng without sufficient preparation, I’d undoubtedly suffer from an overbearing surge of Solar Blood, leading to unbearable heat in my lower abdomen and hips, eventually causing my entire circulatory system to burst and result in death. The contained, refined Qi in the Snow Ginseng would be too much to handle.

What the Millennium Snow Ginseng holds is extreme Yin qi. To consume a clump of Yin qi that has been concentrated for decades, even centuries, I too must possess a profound level of extreme Yin energy. But such energy can only be found in the North Sea, and fundamentally, my Thunder Dragon Breath Technique is Yang-oriented.

Should I adapt by absorbing it through similar Yin energy?

Or should I defend my vitality using intense Yang energy while assimilating the Yin energy?

The only option available to me is the latter.

Needless to say, whether my cultivation is at a level that can survive consuming the Millennium Snow Ginseng is still questionable. While my inner strength might be first-rate, it pales in comparison to the formidable experts who participated in the struggle for the Snow Ginseng. To survive after consuming it, meticulous preparation and focus are essential.

‘Let me recall. How did the struggle for the Millennium Snow Ginseng unfold? There must be some clues somewhere…’

The struggle began when the Danmok clan leader, Danmok Seo, went on an external excursion. During his journey, he befriended O-ryong, a rising star in the righteous faction, and they began to tour Huangshan together. By chance, they stumbled upon the Millennium Snow Ginseng, leading to a dispute and a verbal altercation on the spot.

As a result, Danmok Seo managed to shake off O-ryong and abscond with the ginseng, prompting O-ryong to give chase. Soon after, experts from the local Huangshan Sect intervened. The situation escalated further when masters from both the Zhongnan Sect and the Huashan Sect came running from afar to snatch the prized ginseng. Even the experts from the unorthodox factions and the demonic paths were buzzing like flies, attempting to capture Danmok Seo.

Danmok Seo was fortunate enough to escape with his life but at the cost of losing an arm. He later offered the Millennium Snow Ginseng to the leader of the righteous alliance as a tribute, saving his life in the process. In the end, everyone was left in a state of complete exhaustion.

‘Wait a moment… something feels off. He escaped from here?’

Realizing the incongruity in my memory, I looked around.

The snowy field where I stood was not an extension of the valley. Behind the waterfall of the valley, a cave extends through several chambers, leading abruptly to a precipice— a hidden scenic spot. Although there are small trails between the valleys, escaping through them—especially when dealing with masters like O-ryong from the righteous faction—is akin to plucking stars from the sky. It’s a terrain that makes it exceedingly easy for the pursuers to stab you in the back, with no chance of breaking through even if blocked by just one person.

I had a hunch that there was some kind of secret between Danmok Seo and O-ryong. Additionally, I suspected that the battle of looting that day would be an ugly mud fight, unlike what I’d expect from the normally dignified factions.

Anyway, I now had to make a choice. Should I try to consume the Millennium Snow Ginseng right here and now, or should I take it and leave to think things over?

“Take the Millennium Snow Ginseng and leave? Ridiculous! Just eat it here.”

I decided without hesitation to eat it right then and there. When you obtain something valuable, you shouldn’t give anyone the chance to steal it or lose it. Since coming here was already a gamble of life and death, I had no choice but to rely on my physical and mental strength and take another risk.

A drop of sweat trickled down my forehead. I swallowed hard and pulled out the Millennium Snow Ginseng, holding it in one hand. True to its reputation as a divine elixir, simply holding it made a chill seep into my hand. Moreover, as a refreshing scent flowed into my nostrils, I felt a pleasant sensation as if my insides were being cleansed.

“Ah… no, let’s just recover some stamina first.”

I shook my head. As I was about to eat it, a wave of fear washed over me, and I realized how physically drained I was. The more stamina you have, the better your chances of survival, so now was the time to rest my fatigued body and mind.

I took out some jerky and a pouch of bean liquor from my belongings and had a quick meal. Although I had a flask of alcohol tied to my waist, I intentionally didn’t drink any. I’m not crazy enough to drink alcohol before taking an elixir.

“I’m still a bit hungry, though… Hmm.”

I smacked my lips discontentedly and then noticed some lotus flowers in the pond. Lotus flowers, leaves, and roots are all ideal for eating. I thought they would make good nourishing food if cooked properly.

Didn’t the monks at Baekhwan Temple also eat those black lotus flowers? I couldn’t imagine they’d have any negative health effects. With that in mind, I headed over to the pond and started picking lotus flowers.

I cut both a black and a white lotus flower, and separately harvested their leaves and roots. After making a simple fire, I boiled some pond water in a container and began cooking. When it had boiled enough, I spread the boiling water on the snow and cut away the rotten parts.

Both the black and white lotus flowers tasted quite good. After comparing the flavors, I found both satisfying.

“I’m full.”

Content, I leaned back against the cave wall and lay down. I’ll rest for a bit and then try the Millennium Snow Ginseng.

“……?”

Just then, I felt something strange.

Lying still, I felt a hot energy rising from my elixir field. It was an intense, furnace-like heat that seemed as if it would melt my insides! Fearing my heart would burn up, I quickly sat up.

“Gasp! Gasp! Cough…!!”

This is insane. What’s going on?

Frantically, I operated the Thunder Dragon Breath Technique and sat in the lotus position, concentrating. As I channeled my qi through my body’s Great Circulation, the excessive Yang qi that had shot up to my head temporarily subsided, easing the agonizing pain throughout my body.

Gurgle, gurgle

“Cough, cough…”

The next moment, I vomited blood. Although I had calmed the rampant qi, an enormous amount of Yang qi still surged through my body, running amok like a rampant horse. In the midst of unbearable pain and confusion, I tried to understand what was happening.

And a fleeting thought crossed my mind.

‘Elixirs… elixirs coexist… they live together… could it be…!!’

I was dumbstruck.

White Lotus and Black Lotus!

Although overlooked by all, these too were miraculous elixirs! Due to the inherent tendency of yin and yang energy to coexist, near the Millennium Snow Ginseng, which held extreme yin energy, lotus flowers carrying extreme yang energy also grew.

“Ha… But the monks who consumed the black lotus seemed just fine…”

Is it because I consumed both the white and black lotuses?

Indeed, what I had done was something difficult for anyone to fathom. Those who’d come to explore this place in the future wouldn’t think to consume both. Consuming just one wouldn’t activate the dormant yang energy, but eating both would unleash yang energy rivaling that of the Millennium Snow Ginseng.

*Ppajijik*

*Thud thud thud*

I felt the veins throughout my body bulging. Although I tried to suppress it with the Thunder Dragon Breath Technique, it was unmanageable. At this rate, my heart would burst first, followed by my internal vessels, like inflated balloons. I sensed that there was not even half a moment to spare.

“I…If it’s come to this…I have no choice!”

I tightly closed my eyes and picked up the Millennium Snow Ginseng that was in one hand. Without hesitation, I opened my mouth and began to chew.

*Chew*

*Chew*

I felt the cool energy glide down my esophagus. Moments later, when I thought that the remnants of the Millennium Snow Ginseng had reached my stomach,

*Crash!!*

“Aaargh!!”

The extreme yin and yang energies collided as if exploding! I felt agonizing pain, more severe than being stabbed by a knife, and blood spurted from both nostrils. The pain was as if needles were being stabbed into my flesh and turned one by one.

“Agh…Aaargh…”

I screamed as I crawled on the ground. Attempting to calm my energy in a seated position was out of the question. Simultaneously, I felt a momentary relief and sweat trickling down my back.

The energies of the Millennium Snow Ginseng and the black and white lotuses were mixing within me. While it felt as if my organs would burst due to the collision, the energy of the elixirs was patching it up. Despite the pain that felt like ants were eating me alive, I was amazed.

“It would have been suicidal… If I had just tried to consume the Millennium Snow Ginseng…”

If I had done so, the exact opposite situation would have unfolded. Extreme yin energy would shoot up, and suppressing it with the Thunder Dragon Breath Technique would be absolutely impossible. The idea of freezing to death after eating the ginseng gave me chills.

And so, I realized I had miraculously found the correct way to consume these elixirs.

Eat the extremely yin Millennium Snow Ginseng and extremely yang black and white lotuses together!

There was no other way to survive after consuming the Millennium Ginseng.

I felt the pain gradually subside. To be precise, as the yin and yang energies mingled, their volume expanded, and I was slowly channeling that energy into my dantian.

“Ugh… *cough*… eh…”

Desperately regaining my composure, I assumed a seated posture. Then, clenching my teeth, I tried the strongest Qi-circulating technique I could muster.

Finally, when the yang energy descended to my Life Gate point (mingmen point), I could enter a state of serene mindfulness.

With my body relaxed, I pressed the tip of my tongue against the upper front teeth. Breathing through the nose, I inhaled slowly, conserving air until my dantian was inflated. Following the nuances of the “Wheel-Arm Separating Clouds” technique, I exhaled slowly, turning my palms outward and assuming the horse stance.

(Horse stance)

After repeating this about three times, qi finally filled my dantian and settled down.

The moment the Qi settled in my Dantian, it synergized with the Millennium Snow Ginseng and black and white lotus energy that had already been gathered there, making my whole body tremble. However, there was no pain—only a steady emanation of sweat and a mysterious Qi gathering in my eyes. The Dantian was vibrating as if on the verge of exploding, pulsating throughout the blood vessels in my surroundings.

Taang!

The force followed the conception vessel (renmai) meridian, eventually encountering a vital passageway (guanmen). Although the force gently pushed against the gate, it did not open. I felt a faint pain near my temples, but couldn’t determine if it was an actual sensation or merely my anticipation of pain. I gathered all the circulating energy into the dantian before releasing it all at once.

Woorururung…

Moments later, I opened my eyes, feeling as if a clear, divine light had penetrated my whole body.

Spots of blood or vomit around me, or two fingernails that had been torn off from scraping the ground in pain, or sweat tinted with a pale yellow hue covering my body, or blood tears that had dried in my eyes—none of it mattered anymore.

Smoke-like mist started to rise from my entire body.

Slowly gathering my internal energy, I stood up. I had successfully channeled the Qi into my Dantian, and the power of the elixir had spread to every limb. Ultimately, I had managed to breakthrough the vital passageway of ‘Life and Death Mysterious Gate’.

With this, my internal energy had unmistakably reached the pinnacle of mastery!

Even compared to the elders of the great sects, my internal strength was formidable. From now on, any basic techniques or internal martial arts I deploy will exhibit at least ten times more power than before.

“I’ve succeeded.”

I obtained this miraculous opportunity through sheer effort.

My current mood is beyond words.