Chapter 10

Changcheon Wushen Chapter 10 (10/730)

Nangong He stood by the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the secret letter his mother had given him.

The inscriptions on the stone slab he had lifted and the intricate patterns etched on the floor were slowly examined by him.

The inscriptions on the stone slab seemed worn and blurred, as if they had endured the passage of time.

However, the subtlety, power, and determination embedded within them were still clearly present.

Nangong He silently read and memorized the inscriptions.

Although in terms of completeness, the inscriptions he discovered were not superior to other martial arts of the Nangong family,

Nangong He could feel it.

The martial artist who created these inscriptions was at least someone who aspired to the realm of immortality.

The inscriptions were created to leap towards a broader world and a higher realm.

Although they ultimately failed to reach the realm of immortality, this person at least looked towards a more distant and higher place.

Even though they did not reach the place where he was, they looked in the direction where he was.

A strange sense of kinship was felt.

Seeing someone who had walked the same path brought a new feeling.

The possibility of a new martial art, which he had not grasped before, became visible.

Nangong He stared at the characters engraved at the end of the text.

Was it the name of the martial art? Or the author?

Nangong He thought it didn't matter.

"This is it."

A level that was not lacking in perfect directionality and structure, and the potential to further develop through his enlightenment, knowledge, and martial arts.

There was much to fill and much to discard in the inscriptions he discovered, and he needed to reassemble and establish many parts, but Nangong He actually liked it.

Finding a martial art that could properly establish its foundation.

'Perfect.'

Nangong He smiled contentedly and stored the inscriptions in his mind.

He then returned the stone slab to its original position.

Thud!

"It's damn heavy. Maybe I should have just left it."

Nangong He clenched and unclenched his numb fingers, grumbling.

Nangong He stared at the place where the inscriptions were.

"Whoever finds it gets to keep it."

He meant that since he had worked hard to find it, the next person who came in should also work hard.

'After all, things obtained with difficulty are used more carefully.'

This is what the elders taught.

Of course, how many people would find this among the splendid secret manuals in the Imperial Hall?

Even if someone found it, there would be no reason to practice an incomplete martial art.

Nangong He wouldn't have chosen this martial art if he hadn't intended to change its system.

Nangong He stood up. His head spun slightly, and he felt a light dizziness.

"Phew!"

He stretched and massaged his shoulders.

"How long has it been?"

He couldn't tell if it was day or night since he couldn't see outside.

Judging from the aches and pains all over his body, a considerable amount of time had passed.

'Or maybe I'm just in pain.'

It probably was the latter, but he had spent some time reading the book.

His body was tired, but his mind was clear.

Nangong He walked out of the Imperial Hall with a light heart.

* * *

Back in his room, Nangong He sat in a lotus position.

In the quiet room, only his steady breathing could be heard.

He entered a meditative state.

He calmed his mind and relaxed his body.

He cleared his mind and organized his thoughts.

The inscriptions of the internal energy he discovered in the Imperial Hall came to mind.

'I will build the foundation based on this.'

This internal energy would now be the foundation of his practice.

He would plant deep and thick roots and build a solid pillar.

He would cut off the weak branches to grow larger and more fruitful.

It was a very difficult task, but he could do it.

He had reached the peak of the world and the realm of immortality, so creating a martial art was not difficult for him.

Nangong He began to modify the 'Changcheon' he discovered in the Imperial Hall.

'First, I need to break free from the opposing relationship.'

He needed to break free from the opposition with immortals.

The form was set in the mind.

The internal energy of the righteous school was slow.

But it was stable and deep.

It was solid and upright, not easily swayed.

'I need to be faster.'

Nangong He took only what was necessary.

He discarded the flaws and kept the strengths.

'It's been a while.'

Nangong He brought out the fundamental technique he had practiced all his life.

The martial art that made him a tyrant and was everything to him.

The martial art that contained his complete enlightenment, which led him to the peak of the world and the realm of immortality.

The thousand-character inscriptions of the Mingwang Hunchen Technique came to mind.

The inscriptions of the Mingwang Hunchen Technique were superimposed on the inscriptions of Changcheon.

He began to fill the bones with flesh and muscle.

The Mingwang Hunchen Technique was greedy.

It absorbed all energy to strengthen itself.

It was fast and rough.

Nangong He filtered out the flaws.

He focused on the speed and absorption of the Mingwang Hunchen Technique.

The inscriptions gradually took shape.

Changcheon and the Mingwang Hunchen Technique complemented and stimulated each other.

Nangong He's breathing changed.

The newly conceived inscriptions appeared in his mind.

Whirr!

He quickly absorbed external energy.

But it was stable even as he absorbed it quickly.

The external energy flowed through his meridians.

It was much faster than when he used the Qingming Xianxin Technique.

Yet it was stable and flexible.

Nangong He filtered out the impurities from the absorbed energy.

He drew in the pure energy and guided it to his lower abdomen.

'Thin it out.'

The purest energy passed through his meridians and gathered in his lower abdomen.

It then circulated through his body through one of the expanded points in the Gouyin Meridian.

Once, twice, three times... twelve times.

When the energy had completed exactly twelve cycles, Nangong He exhaled deeply.

"Hoooo!"

When he opened his eyes, a clear light appeared and then disappeared.

It was late at night.

Seeing the gentle moonlight seeping into the room, Nangong He's lips curled up.

"It's about done."

He lightly stroked his lower abdomen, feeling the stable energy gathered there.

A small amount of energy, incomparably smaller than in his tyrant days, was concentrated in his dantian.

Though small, it was incomparably purer than before.

This energy would continue to grow and become a weapon to crush the heads of immortals.

Squish.

The thought of it made him feel good.

Nangong He stretched and got up from his lotus position.

"Hmm, but what should I name it?"

Well, what's in a name?

He didn't ponder for long.

"Let's call it Changtian Mingwang Gong (蒼天冥王功)."

He roughly combined the foundations of Changtian and the Mingwang Hunchen Technique.

The name that came out was quite solemn and righteous.

Nangong He looked satisfied.

"The urgent fire is out!"

He had created the most urgent internal energy cultivation technique.

Now, he only needed to overcome the Gouyin Meridian, known as Tianxing, and reach the realm of immortality to crush the immortals.

Of course, crushing the immortals couldn't be done with internal energy alone.

"Then the next step is clear."

To handle the internal energy he had gathered, he needed to be strong.

"Let's start right away!"

* * *

"Didn't he come to the Imperial Hall today either?"

Nangong Zhangtian stood up at the words of the chief manager, Jin Guangmo.

"I told him not to overdo it, but he has collapsed anyway."

They said he stayed up all night, so his stamina must be depleted.

There was no reason for him not to come for two days, even though the Imperial Hall was open to him.

"I told him not to overdo it."

"Perhaps the young master is too enthusiastic."

"Too much is as bad as too little. He needs to take care of his body!"

More concern than anger welled up.

'How frustrated must that young boy have been?'

Even a small injury can be inconvenient for a person, so how frustrated and helpless must Nangong He have been, having a fragile body since childhood?

It was surprising that he showed interest in martial arts.

"I wonder if he's collapsed and groaning again. Call the head of the Medical Hall."

"Are you going to go yourself?"

"What choice do I have?"

Nangong Zhangtian left the patriarch's room. His close aides, including Jin Guangmo, followed.

With the head of the Medical Hall and five other doctors, the group numbered twenty.

Nangong Zhangtian headed to Nangong He's quarters with a solemn expression.

The atmosphere was heavier and more somber than usual, and his aides held their breath.

'The young master has been causing so many problems lately, so the patriarch must be in a bad mood.'

'He looks even colder today.'

'What if he gets angry like last time?'

'I hope the young master isn't sick. The patriarch is so worried...'

The aides exchanged glances, gauging Nangong Zhangtian's mood.

Nangong Zhangtian entered Nangong He's quarters.

"Whoa! Patriarch!"

"Patriarch, what brings you here?"

"Meeting the patriarch!"

The maids working in Nangong He's quarters were startled.

Nangong Zhangtian passed them and went to Nangong He's room.

But strange sounds came from inside the room.

'Such! Is he groaning so loudly?'

What kind of state is he in this time?

Nangong Zhangtian became anxious.

The sounds from the room were not normal.

But he couldn't show his anxiety to the heads behind him.

His heart was anxious, but his actions were composed.

Jin Guangmo opened the door.

Creak!

Nangong Zhangtian's gaze pierced through the crack in the door and wavered slightly.

'Hmm?'

Steam and hot air billowed out from the crack.

Staring at the room, which was like a sauna, Nangong Zhangtian slowly opened his mouth.

An unimaginable scene unfolded before his eyes.

A surprised sound escaped Nangong Zhangtian's lips.

"Uh..."

His gaze fixed on the center of the room.

At the end of his gaze, Nangong He was seen sweating profusely and struggling on the floor.

'Is, is that?'

With his thin arms trembling, Nangong He's upper body was lifting up.

Seeing a familiar movement performed by an unfamiliar person, his brain momentarily froze.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Nangong He's rough breaths burst out.

After taking three deep breaths, Nangong He's arms bent again.

"Ugh!"

With a sound that was either a shout or a scream, Nangong He's chest nearly touched the floor.

Nangong Zhangtian blinked.

Could it be...

'Push-ups?'

Push-ups?

He?

Our son?

Is our son doing that right now?

Nangong Zhangtian rubbed his eyes and looked at Nangong He again.

Another sound of air escaping came from his mouth.

"Uh..."

Still unable to believe it, he quietly asked the dazed Jin Guangmo.

"Is he really doing push-ups?"

Goodness.

How is he doing that when he had trouble even using chopsticks?

Jin Guangmo nodded, as if in a trance.

"Yes, the young master is doing push-ups."

Nangong Zhangtian's eyes widened.

He wasn't seeing things.

"He?"

"Yes, the young master..."

"Y-You mean, He?"

"Yes, the young master..."

Unbelievable.

A miraculous thing was happening.

One, two, three...

The number of times Nangong He bent and extended his arms was increasing.

Arms that he was grateful to have, even if they didn't break or dislocate, were now being used for exercise?

Nangong Zhangtian couldn't believe what he was seeing.

When had his second son ever shown such vitality and energy?

Nangong Zhangtian felt something welling up in his chest.

The aides who followed also looked at Nangong He in shock.

"Goodness! The young master is doing push-ups?"

"How many has he done already?"

"His form is even perfect!"

"His arms didn't break!"

Everyone was surprised by the sight of Nangong He, which no one had ever imagined.

They watched him as if they were seeing a legendary phoenix.

Nangong Zhangtian clenched his fists.

He bit his lip, savoring the moment.

Nangong He continued his routine, regardless of whether people were there or not.

Shiver, shiver.

Nangong He, who had been trembling like a bee flapping its wings, started doing push-ups with renewed vigor.

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Crack!

Nangong He's shoulder suddenly dislocated, making a loud noise.

Snap! Crack!

"Damn, this body is causing trouble again."

Nangong He muttered.

Then, he calmly adjusted his dislocated shoulder.

It was so natural that he had to think hard about what had just happened.

Crack, crack.

"..."

"..."

Silence fell.

Nangong Zhangtian, who had been savoring the moment, opened his mouth wide again.

The way he adjusted his dislocated shoulder was so natural that it was unbelievable.

The aides, who had been watching, were about to have their eyes pop out.

"Didn't his shoulder just dislocate?"

"He adjusted it?"

"Y-Young master?"

"Ugh!"

As the commotion continued, Nangong He glanced at the room outside.

He saw the heads, who had come unexpectedly and were now making a fuss.

His brows furrowed, and he felt annoyed.

'Is this a show?'

Is this the first time you've seen a dislocated shoulder? I've shown it to you many times.

Nangong He withdrew his gaze, adjusted his dislocated shoulder, and rotated it.

Crack!

"..."

"..."

The people froze, staring at Nangong He.

"It's fine, it's fine. I won't die."

Nangong He waved his hand, turning the people into spectators in an instant.

Nangong Zhangtian was speechless at his composed demeanor.

"Wh-What is this..."

Before the confusion could subside, Nangong He turned his body and started to lift his