— Chapter 10 —
“I’ll be away for a while. Any documents requiring approval should be processed at your discretion.”
“Yes, Heavenly Demon.”
Sima Jin nodded as Hyuk Murin donned his robe and issued his instructions. Hyuk Murin simply stated he would be away, offering no details about his destination or the duration of his absence. Sima Jin didn’t question him, accepting the instructions without hesitation. He found this unspoken trust satisfying.
“Is there anything you need?”
“By ‘need,’ do you mean material possessions?”
“Anything at all.”
“Hmm…”
Sima Jin hesitated, unable to articulate his thoughts. It was understandable. Even when a superior offered, few subordinates would readily voice their desires.
“I’m fine. Thanks to your consideration, I have everything I need.”
He politely declined Hyuk Murin’s offer. But Hyuk Murin had already noticed his gaze lingering on the brush resting on the inkstone.
He arrived with nothing but the clothes on his back.
Sima Jin had come to the palace empty-handed. He likely hadn’t anticipated staying long. A martial artist was sensitive about their weapons, and as a member of the Sima Clan, Sima Jin would be particularly discerning about his writing instruments. Yet, he was currently using an ordinary brush, the kind issued to common soldiers. He was undoubtedly dissatisfied. He tried to hide it, but Hyuk Murin saw through the facade.
“Very well.”
“Please take care of yourself.”
Hyuk Murin nodded at Sima Jin’s farewell and left the Jeongcheon Pavilion. His destination was a familiar one.
Deep within Snowmelt Peak, the Heavenly Demon Vault.
He entered the vault and pushed open the heavy doors. Passing the Armory on the first floor, he descended to the second basement level.
[Elixir Repository]
“It’s been a while.”
He hadn’t set foot in the Elixir Repository since his hair had turned white in his past life. Back then, he’d been more focused on honing his techniques than increasing his internal energy. But with the Elders’ Council meeting fast approaching, he needed a significant boost in power. Cheon Jung-ak’s killing intent had depleted his energy reserves, making him acutely aware of his limitations. Even with the high purity of Extreme Demonic Energy, he needed to increase its quantity.
And the solution lies within.
Clank—
Hyuk Murin pushed open the doors. A strange energy washed over him. He shielded himself with Extreme Demonic Energy, deflecting the flow, and stepped inside, closing the doors behind him.
The Elixir Repository of the Heavenly Demon Vault. A mythical realm to martial artists, it housed a vast collection of rare and potent elixirs.
“I can’t even imagine how they acquired all of this.”
Not only did it contain the legendary Grand Restoration Pill, said to be lost even to the Shaolin Temple, but also thousand-year-old snow ginseng, found only in the remote corners of the North Sea, and ten-thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, a mythical herb that absorbed the surrounding energy for millennia, leaving barren wastelands in its wake. Countless other elixirs, pills, and internal alchemy ingredients, emitting various energies – yin, yang, fire, ice, demonic, and poisonous – lined the shelves. Any one of these would provide a significant boost to his cultivation.
But Hyuk Murin walked past them, heading towards the far wall.
Thud— Thud—
He stopped at the end of the hall. A single stone chest sat isolated in the corner. The word “Forbidden” was carved into its surface in crimson, a stark warning.
Rip—
Ignoring the inscription, Hyuk Murin tore off the bindings and opened the chest. Inside, he found an iron box. Inside the iron box, a bronze box. He opened each one in turn, their size decreasing with every layer, until only a small wooden box remained, no larger than his palm.
Hsss—
Hyuk Murin grimaced. With each layer he removed, the energy emanating from within intensified. In his past life, he wouldn’t have even sensed it, but now, attuned to Extreme Demonic Energy, he was acutely aware of its presence.
He carefully opened the wooden box. A jade-white pill lay inside, its smooth surface resembling a pearl. Hyuk Murin nodded.
“The One Breath Death Poison.”
A notoriously dangerous poison. He’d avoided it in his past life. But now, having mastered the Soul Purifying Demonic Art, he was ready to confront it. The poison had been created centuries ago by Dongfang Xu, the Myriad Poison Divine Thief, renowned as the greatest thief in the world.
“The more I read about him, the more fascinating he becomes.”
He was more thief than poison master, yet his obsession with poison had earned him the moniker “Myriad Poison Divine Thief.” He’d stolen only poisons, targeting any whispers of a potent toxin throughout the Jianghu. It didn’t matter how well hidden the poison was—buried underground, dissolved in water, even swallowed whole—Dongfang Xu would find a way to steal it.
No wonder the poison sects were in an uproar.
He was their nemesis. The Sichuan Tang Clan, who had suffered the most at his hands, had placed a hefty bounty on his head, circulating his description throughout the Jianghu. But despite their efforts, they couldn’t catch him. He’d always escape with his prize, his movements as elusive as smoke.
Then, one day, Dongfang Xu made a fatal mistake.
Greed got the better of him.
He’d decided to infiltrate the Heavenly Demon Vault. He’d heard rumors of various potent poisons within, including the Three Steps Gut-Melting Poison he’d been searching for.
Well, he was half successful…
He’d managed to infiltrate the vault, but luck wasn’t on his side. While searching the Elixir Repository, he’d run into the Heavenly Demon. Trapped within the sealed vault, with no escape route, Dongfang Xu, for the first time in his life, was captured mid-heist.
—Kill me.
He’d demanded a swift death, refusing to beg for his life. This intrigued the Heavenly Demon. He offered Dongfang Xu a deal. Freedom, in exchange for a service.
—Create a poison so potent that it can kill anyone instantly, a poison with no antidote. In return, you will have access to all the poisons within the Heavenly Demon Vault.
—Very well. But you must keep your word.
It was a daunting task, but Dongfang Xu had no choice.
Decades passed, and everyone had forgotten about him. Then…
—It is done.
He had created the impossible: a truly incurable, instant-death poison. He’d poured his life into its creation, dedicating decades to refining it. The result was the One Breath Death Poison. A single pill, unique in all the world. One breath after ingestion, and death was inevitable.
“No antidote…”
There were no records of its ingredients, making it impossible to counter. Had he not been protected by Extreme Demonic Energy, the mere whiff of the poison’s aura would have been fatal. But it was a risk worth taking.
Before leaving the cult, Dongfang Xu had uttered a single cryptic sentence:
—It’s unlikely, but if you manage to overcome this poison, you will not only gain immense power but also achieve complete immunity to all poisons, a feat I dedicated my entire life to achieving.
Huuu—
Hyuk Murin took a deep breath. This pill contained the most potent energy within the entire Elixir Repository. But with the Soul Purifying Demonic Art, he could refine it, transform it.
He sat down, crossed his legs, and placed the pill between his fingers. He placed it on his tongue and swallowed.
He began circulating his energy. His eyes widened, the pupils dilating.
Cough!
Black blood spewed from his mouth. The poison was incredibly potent. Veins bulged on his face, his body wracked with pain as the One Breath Death Poison ravaged his system. But Hyuk Murin endured, his faith in the Soul Purifying Demonic Art unwavering.
Images flashed through his mind.
Losing his parents and becoming clan leader. His loveless, political marriage. Years of tireless training, ignored and dismissed by the elders. Reaching old age, white-haired and alone, with no one to visit him…
“…!”
His eyes snapped open. Visions during cultivation… the poison was trying to seize his mind. He regained his focus, breathing through his skin, refusing to expel even a trace of the poison. His body trembled uncontrollably, his skin cracking and bleeding, staining his clothes crimson.
More, more. I must absorb it all.
Trapped within his body, the One Breath Death Poison began to consume his very essence. His skin dried and cracked, his organs screamed in agony. But Hyuk Murin endured.
After what felt like an eternity, a bluish light flickered in his eyes.
It’s done. I’ve absorbed it all.
Having completely absorbed the One Breath Death Poison, he moved on to the next stage. He slowly gathered the dispersed poison and channeled it towards his lower dantian. The process was excruciatingly slow, as if time itself had stopped.
Finally, after what felt like an age…
“…Huu.”
Hyuk Murin opened his eyes, having reached the third stage of the Soul Purifying Demonic Art.
“An unexpected achievement.”
The advancement of the Soul Purifying Demonic Art was an unforeseen bonus. A smile played on his lips as he marveled at his progress. He rose to his feet and scanned the room. His gaze settled on something. He walked over and picked it up.
Poison Lake Turtle Gallbladder.
The gallbladder of a turtle that had lived for centuries in a poison-infested lake. Classified as a highly potent poison.
“Hmm.”
He stared at it for a moment, then popped it into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch.
He chewed the rancid, fishy thing and swallowed. He closed his eyes, focusing on his body. He hadn’t bothered shielding himself with Extreme Demonic Energy this time, yet the Poison Lake Turtle Gallbladder had no effect. No, it couldn’t have any effect.
“Success!”
Increased internal energy.
And the hidden benefit.
Complete immunity to all poisons.
A triumphant grin spread across Hyuk Murin’s face.
——
Translated by Sato
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