Chapter 836

Behind the Tang Clan lay a mountain once inhabited by wolves, earning it the name Eulang Mountain.

It was that time of day when the sun had only just begun to rise.

The morning dew blanketed the mountain, bringing life to the scenery.

In other words, it was still the hour when most people were deep in slumber.

And yet, in that quiet time, I stood in the forest with my eyes closed.

Ssshhhh—!

A breeze rustled past, brushing against my hair. I felt it as I calmed my breathing.

I focused all my senses inward, observing my body.

Starting from my heart, the energy coursed through my meridians, flowing steadily outward.

There were no issues with the process.

‘Exhale.’

I let out a deep breath, the heat within it a sign that my internal energy had fully settled.

‘...Good.’

Deeper and deeper.

I concentrated my energy more intensely than usual. Normally, a short rest would suffice, but I was unwilling to allow even the slightest disruption. I controlled my energy with meticulous precision.

At the same time, I recalled—

Whoooosh—!

The sensation from yesterday, when my body had fused with flames...

That extraordinary feeling that made me believe I was the flame itself.

It had been both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, as if even the slightest slip would cause me to lose it entirely. Yet within it was an unparalleled sense of euphoria, a belief that I could achieve anything.

‘Can I...?’

Could I possibly reach that state again?

Could I feel that sensation once more?

I clung to the memory, doing my utmost to remain calm and composed.

‘Please.’

Please, let me recall it. Even if I couldn’t fully relive it, I needed to grasp at least a clue.

Ssss---!

The energy coursing through my meridians sped up.

I wouldn’t allow even the slightest mistake. Everything was calculated and perfectly controlled.

I continued to increase the speed, intending to generate friction within my body.

If things went according to plan, my body would soon ignite with flames.

The problem was—

‘Will it really be the same as yesterday?’

Despite my efforts to recreate the sensation, I had no certainty.

I didn’t even know how it had manifested in the first place.

This was nothing more than a desperate attempt—

A futile struggle to try anything.

Vrrrmmmm—!

The spinning wheel of the Nine Flames Fiery Wheels Technique churned relentlessly.

I pushed myself to somehow become the flame, yet—

‘Damn it...’

I frowned as I focused inward. Although everything seemed stable, the issues within were unmistakable.

Realizing this, I couldn’t help but scowl.

From last night until the break of dawn, I had been holed up on this mountain, without sleep, trying endlessly.

Yet instead of improving, things seemed to be getting worse.

“Ugh.”

I added pressure to my breathing, pushing my output to the maximum.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrr—!

The spinning wheel in my heart accelerated at a tremendous speed. It was the peak of my firepower.

If I released it all at once, using my body as the conduit—

‘I could probably destroy half this mountain.’

The firepower alone was sufficient.

At least, it should have been.

“Hoo!”

Extending my hand forward, I poured my strength into it. Flames were supposed to erupt forth.

But instead—

Vrrrrr—! Snap!

The wheel, which had been spinning as if ready to explode, abruptly stopped the moment I willed the flames to emerge.

Ssssss....

“...”

Instead of flames, all that came out of my palm was a wisp of smoke.

And to make matters worse—

“Cough—!”

The backlash struck me hard, and blood spurted from my mouth. I fell to my knees, clutching my chest in agony.

“Ugh...”

Blood soaked the grass beneath me, my vision turning red from the pain.

Clutching my chest, I muttered through clenched teeth:

“Damn it...”

This was the result of my internal energy being violently repelled.

I had altered my energy into an aggressive form, but when it couldn’t release outward, it rebounded internally.

“Hoo... huff... damn it.”

The pain was excruciating. It had been a while since I’d felt anything like this.

Even when my chest had been pierced, it hadn’t hurt this much.

“Ptooey.”

I spat out the pooled blood and forced myself to stand.

My body still wobbled, likely from the lingering backlash.

“Tsk...”

Scowling, I glanced at my palm. It still radiated heat.

“...”

I stared at it for a moment before cautiously applying a small amount of force.

This time, only enough to create a tiny flicker of flame—barely a handful.

But even that—

Tsk!

The sharp pain returned immediately, causing me to grit my teeth.

“Hah.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. This was absurd.

“...Forget the sensation.”

I had spent the entire night trying to replicate yesterday’s feeling. That had been my original goal.

But now—

“Ah.”

I realized I had a much bigger problem.

“Shit...”

The flames wouldn’t come out anymore.

This was undoubtedly—

“...Damn it. A Heart Demon (Simma).”

******************

A Heart Demon.

Often referred to as a “sickness of the mind,” it describes a state where one, after encountering confusion or a shocking event, is unable to function properly and behaves as though something within has broken.

While it can be debilitating for ordinary people, for a martial artist (muuin), it is a truly fatal condition.

For a martial artist to unleash their full abilities, physical strength is crucial, but mental fortitude plays an even greater role.

The higher one climbs in cultivation, the more mental enlightenment surpasses physical prowess.

Once a martial artist reaches Hwagyeong, physical strength becomes far less significant.

This is the realm of Simjang, where the heart takes on form.

If the body is the vessel of a martial artist, then the mind is their foundation.

Thus, Simma is particularly devastating—it corrodes the mind, causing everything else to collapse.

One loses their sense of self and becomes incapable of doing what they once could.

This could mean losing their martial techniques, their ability to manipulate energy, or even basic movements.

In the worst case—

‘All of the above.’

It’s a dreadful condition that can encompass all aspects of one’s abilities.

Moreover, escaping from Simma is no easy feat.

Most who fall into its grasp never free themselves until the day they die.

...And now,

‘You’re telling me I’ve fallen into this?’

I ran my hand down my face.

The more I thought about it, the more it grated on me.

Since last night, from dusk until dawn, I had been training to recapture the sensation I’d felt yesterday.

It didn’t take long after starting my training to realize—

My body could no longer produce flames.

At first, I thought it was an illusion caused by fatigue.

But after several attempts, the results were the same.

No matter what I did, the flames wouldn’t come.

All I felt was searing pain.

Why had this suddenly happened?

Out of curiosity, I tested whether other forms of energy were affected. Fortunately—or unfortunately—my magi still functioned.

In other words, only the Nine Flames Fiery Wheels technique had been frozen.

“...This is driving me insane.”

How did it come to this? Why, all of a sudden, had I fallen into such a state?

If this truly was Simma, what had caused it?

‘And why now, of all times?’

There was so much I needed to do in Sichuan, and this situation was nothing short of disastrous.

I had to resolve it.

Especially since I had experienced that sensation yesterday.

‘That was undoubtedly the key to the next level.’

To go beyond mastery and reach perfection.

It was the most critical step toward the transcendence Paejon spoke of.

Currently, I stood at mastery, and one more step would bring me to perfection.

The problem was, in my past life, I had also stalled at mastery and never discovered how to progress further.

But now, I had glimpsed the path to perfection.

No one had ever shown me before, and it could very well be a delusion.

Yet I was certain.

That sensation was what I had been yearning for.

I had been so close to grasping it—

“Nothing ever goes as planned, does it?”

Why now, of all times?

Crack.

I ground my teeth, racking my brain to identify the cause.

‘Could it be…’

Was it the sensation itself that caused the problem? Had what I thought was a clue turned out to be poison instead?

‘No.’

I shook my head. That didn’t seem right.

This wasn’t the first time I’d pursued a higher realm. It didn’t make sense for that to be the issue.

If not that, then—

‘…Could it be?’

A scene I had been recalling since trying to pinpoint the cause:

"How are you still alive?"

The words my past self had spoken to me.

They replayed in my mind again and again.

“...”

I wasn’t certain, but something told me that was the cause. No, to be honest, I was sure of it.

My instincts were screaming at me—if there was a reason, it had to be that. What else could it possibly be?

The space and setting I had visited after taking the freshly made Dokcheon Pill...

If I had fallen into Simma, that had to be the trigger.

‘Then what should I do?’

If that was the cause, what was the solution?

If he was the problem, how could I deal with him?

“Master Gu.”

‘What should I even—’

“Master Gu—!”

“...!”

A sharp voice pierced my ears, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I quickly regained focus and looked up. The Poison King was standing there, frowning as he stared at me.

“Are you all right? You’ve been lost in thought for quite some time.”

“Ah, my apologies.”

I let out an awkward laugh.

“I guess I’m a bit out of it. I didn’t sleep well.”

“I see. I understand.”

The Poison King nodded, genuinely seeming to empathize.

“I, too, didn’t sleep a wink after we completed the Dokcheon Pill yesterday.”

“Is that so...”

Did that mean he was just that happy?

His reaction seemed quite different from mine, but in any case—

Having descended from the mountain, I had sought out the Poison King immediately. There was much we needed to discuss.

“First, let me thank you once again. Thanks to you, I’ve achieved one of my long-standing goals…”

The Poison King lowered his head to me. I quickly waved my hand, urging him to stop.

“Please, there’s no need for that. Raise your head.”

“No, this is the least I can do. If anything, I feel guilty that this is all I can offer.”

“I only did it for my own benefit, as you know.”

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re my benefactor. A few years ago, and now again today.”

“Hmm…”

The Poison King bowed deeply.

Feeling awkward, I returned the gesture carefully.

After a moment, he straightened up, and I followed suit.

“Thank you.”

“I appreciate your kind words, but it’s not over yet, is it?”

“That’s true.”

Though his expression suggested he felt the matter was settled, in reality, it was far from resolved.

“If this is the only method we have, it will take far longer than expected.”

“I agree.”

The issue lay in the process of crafting the mana stones.

Finding red mana stones was difficult enough, and even when found, their energy had to be extracted before anything else could be infused.

This was the biggest obstacle.

Which meant—

‘Without me, it’s impossible.’

Without someone capable of extracting the energy from mana stones, the Dokcheon Pill couldn’t be made.

And currently, I was the only one who could do it.

This meant…

‘It’s unrealistic to keep making them.’

I couldn’t stay in Sichuan indefinitely just for the sake of the Dokcheon Pills. I needed to find a solution.

‘Absorbing all the energy in advance would also be a problem.’

When a mana stone lost all its color, it would crumble into powder within a day.

Even if it retained its color, its energy wouldn’t last forever.

While red stones lasted longer than green or blue, they weren’t infinite either.

‘Haaah.’

Between the Dokcheon Pills and the Simma, nothing seemed to be going my way.

As I chewed on my frustrations—

“…Master Gu.”

The Poison King cautiously called out to me.

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

“...”

From his tone and expression, I knew immediately what it was.

He was going to ask how I extracted the energy from the mana stones.

“…Yesterday, the mana stones—”

“Before that.”

I interrupted him preemptively.

“Yesterday, I mentioned there was something I wanted to ask you today. Do you remember?”

I had prepared for this moment, anticipating his question.

“...”

The Poison King’s eyes widened. He seemed to realize what I was about to ask. Unlike me, however, he appeared resigned to the situation.

“…Go ahead.”

“What happened between you and Lady Tang?”

“...”

I asked about the unusually hostile attitude of Tang So-yeol toward him.

As expected, the Poison King’s expression turned troubled upon hearing my question.

It was the reaction I had been aiming for.

Inwardly, I felt relieved.

This would make it easier to steer things in the desired direction.

“If it’s too difficult to answer, you don’t have to. But in return, the question you were about to ask…”

“It’s because of you.”

“…What?”

His reply stunned me. I hadn’t expected him to actually answer—let alone say something like that.

“…Me?”

It wasn’t just his willingness to speak that caught me off guard; it was the reason he gave.