Chapter 380 : Trapped in the Cave (2)

Chapter 380: Trapped in the Cave (2)

“What are you doing!”

The Blood Sound Witch kicked Mo Biyoung in the back, knocking her down before trying to escape, but she was forced back as boulders the size of houses came crashing down.

Rumbleee!

Yong Hwarin had been heading for the entrance but turned back when the rocks collapsed midway. With the dust filling the air, he could only gape in shock.

Soon, he realized why the cave had collapsed and let out a sigh.

“What a foolish thing to do!”

It became clear that Mo Biyoung had collapsed the cave to protect the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water.

“What use is it if I take this elixir while leaving Instructor Mo behind!”

Yong Hwarin let out a hollow laugh.

“Instructor Mo doesn’t understand me at all.”

The Blood Sound Witch, enraged, began beating Mo Biyoung mercilessly.

“Kill me!”

Mo Biyoung, bleeding, spoke through clenched teeth, and the Blood Sound Witch sneered.

“Of course, Yong Hwarin will try to clear these rocks to save you. Until then, I’ll keep you alive. Even if you don’t wish it, once we leave this place, I will kill you myself.”

“My Young Sect Leader will leave this place.”

“Oh, really? Do you really think Yong Hwarin would abandon you and leave? I don’t believe that for a moment.”

“That’s just what you want to believe. Do you think anyone could possibly clear away such massive rocks?”

Hearing this, Seon Ok, the Blood Sound Witch, began beating Mo Biyoung again.

Already fuming to the point of madness, having her anger stoked only made her lash out harder.

Yong Hwarin looked at the house-sized boulders and sighed. With his Palm Force, he could strike them hundreds of times and shatter them—but that would collapse the entire cliff.

If that happened, rescuing anyone would be impossible—they would all simply die together.

“What should I do?”

After pondering, Yong Hwarin thought of one method.

‘If I can bore a hole through without shattering the whole rock, it could work.’

But drilling through a boulder wasn’t nearly as easy as it sounded.

“How can I bore through without sending shocks through the rock?”

While touching the stone, Yong Hwarin’s eyes lit up.

“Yes. If I use Dragon Claw Five Fingers to drive my fingers in and crush from within, I can create a hole.”

Through his Tai Chi Dantian, Yong Hwarin amplified his qi, channeling it into his fingers.

Then he bent his fingers and thrust them into the rock.

“Ugh!”

Only then did he realize the rocks weren’t ordinary.

“Of all things…”

The rock was iron-laced cheollokam.

Cheollokam wasn’t just any stone—it was practically solid iron.

Even with Dragon Claw Five Fingers infused with qi, at best he could manage Half-Cycle strength.

All it left was a scratch.

Even though he had honed Dragon Claw Five Fingers, it only allowed qi to be infused into his fingers—not flow vast amounts of energy through the meridians of his fingers.

Of course, the difference was enough to create Dragon Scale Finger, but boring through cheollokam with bare fingers was impossible.

“Damn it!”

Unable to think of a solution, he glanced at the ceramic vial on the ground.

‘Wait. Instead of trying to do the impossible, what if I use the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water to raise my qi and temper my hands—could I break cheollokam then?’

Yong Hwarin took a sip from the vial of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water and entered meditation.

Just one sip, and he was lost in cultivation for an entire day.

When the cave entrance darkened, Yong Hwarin awoke, realizing a full day had passed.

He rose and approached the boulder.

Then he drove Dragon Claw Five Fingers into the cheollokam with all his qi.

Thunk!

“Still not enough!”

His voice carried despair.

He had only driven in as deep as one finger joint. Nowhere near enough to bore a passage.

Nearly Half-Cycle worth of cultivation was accumulated in the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water.

‘That’s less than I thought. I figured a sip would grant a full Half-Cycle of progress.’

But in truth, no herb or elixir in existence could grant Half-Cycle in a single dose.

Stories of gaining that much power from Thousand-Year Ginseng were nothing more than myth.

Even with Thousand-Year Ginseng, Half-Cycle was the most one could gain—and only if one had the right cultivation technique.

“Fine. Let’s see if it’s you or me who wins.”

He drank again from the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water and resumed cultivation.

Upon reaching the highest possible level of accumulation—The Divine Stage—Yong Hwarin suddenly felt a coolness at the crown of his head.

Through the Tai Chi Dantian, five Half-Cycles of qi surged outward through his Crown Point, merging with Nature’s Energy.

The Heaven’s Best Sword’s Fontanelle came to mind.

‘So, when I was struck by Sound Arts, the hole that formed is now being completed into a true Fontanelle as immense qi pours through it.’

Remembering the melody, Yong Hwarin guided his qi through the Crown Point, and it surged like a flood.

The sensation of his Crown Point melting made his body tremble.

At first it was refreshing, but soon it felt like his scalp was being carved away by blades.

That was the pain of massive qi rushing out through his Crown Point.

‘I never thought it would hurt this much.’

If he couldn’t endure, he would fall into qi deviation and die.

Before, it had only been a hole formed by Sound Arts—no real qi could flow. Now, he was forging it into a true Fontanelle that would allow Sword Control with Qi.

Amidst the agony, Yong Hwarin remembered the faces of those he loved.

It was for them that he had sought strength.

If his goal had only been strength for its own sake, he would never have endured this pain.

But since his purpose was to protect his clan and not lose those he cherished, it was more urgent than anything.

The loss he had suffered in his past life could never be filled by anything else.

Knowing this, Yong Hwarin endured the agony of his melting skull.

When he opened his eyes, morning had come again.

He had been cultivating all through the night.

The first thing he did was touch his head.

Squish!

Like that of a newborn, his crown was soft. Tears welled in Yong Hwarin’s eyes.

“At last, I’ve reached Sword Control with Qi.”

For a moment, he basked in emotion—but then thought of Mo Biyoung and leapt up.

“Two days! The air inside may already have run out!”

The realization struck him hard. If the air was gone, Mo Biyoung might already be dead.

Yong Hwarin drove Dragon Claw Five Fingers into the cheollokam.

Thunk!

This time, his fingers sank in two joints deep.

“Enough.”

At this depth, it seemed possible to crush and break through the cheollokam. Yong Hwarin gathered his qi and infused it into Dragon Claw Five Fingers.

Crunch!

Finally, the cheollokam broke apart.

From then on, Yong Hwarin began smashing through the iron-laced rock.

Though his cultivation had only grown by one Half-Cycle, when amplified through the Tai Chi Dantian it surpassed five Half-Cycles, thus producing this effect.

The qi infused into his fingers had increased from one Half-Cycle to two.

His finger meridians were too narrow to accept more than one Half-Cycle, but soaking his fingers in the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water had both protected and strengthened them.

All day, Yong Hwarin drilled with Dragon Claw Five Fingers until he had burrowed nearly three jang.

“Just a little more…”

When his qi ran dry, Yong Hwarin cultivated to restore it.

Each time, a few drops of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water quickly replenished his strength.

“Truly a peerless elixir.”

He began to feel that the rock’s end was near. With one last burst of qi, he drove both hands into the cheollokam.

Crack!

His fingers suddenly broke through to the other side.

Pushing harder, he widened a hole large enough for his body to pass through.

Just then, a sharp killing intent came flying from the side.

Whish!

Yong Hwarin caught the incoming strike aimed at his throat between his fingers.

The moment he emerged, the Blood Sound Witch had thrust a dagger at him.

But Yong Hwarin caught it easily—though it carried two Half-Cycles of force—and the Blood Sound Witch’s eyes widened in shock.

A dagger infused with that much qi could have cut through fingers like tofu.

Yet when the dagger was caught and held fast, she muttered in disbelief.

“With bare fingers…?”

Yong Hwarin smirked at her.

“Thanks to you, I’ve mastered the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Hand.”

At that moment, the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water had become a martial art.

The Blood Sound Witch released the dagger and stumbled back.

Yong Hwarin moved to strike her, but she held Mo Biyoung as a shield, keeping him from attacking recklessly.

The Blood Sound Witch muttered,

“Incredible. Honestly, I never expected you to bore through that rock. Who could have thought it possible?”

Even as an enemy, she had to acknowledge him. She knew how much pain and effort it would take to pierce cheollokam with mere fingers.

As an enemy, yet in this, he was worthy of respect.

Was there any superior who would make such an effort to save a subordinate?

For her, only her master had once risked everything to save her.

But even that, in truth, had not been pure sacrifice.

“I envy you.”

She whispered to her hostage, Mo Biyoung.

“I’ll give you the vial if you let her go.”

Yong Hwarin extended the ceramic vial in his hand.

Suddenly, Mo Biyoung burst into tears.

The ever-cold Mo Biyoung shedding tears startled Yong Hwarin.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

She shook her head, though her eyes could not leave his hand holding the vial.

His hand was a wreck.

Nails torn away or cracked, clotted blood caked over raw skin where flesh showed through split joints.

Seeing his mangled fingers clutching the vial, she realized how he had managed to pierce those iron boulders.

“I’ll go out first and release her at the entrance.”

The Blood Sound Witch also knew delay would only harm her. After days without food or rest, her stamina had dropped sharply.

In this condition, even escape was difficult.

“Fine, I’ll grant all your demands.”

Yong Hwarin stepped back out through the hole he’d carved.

“Stay far back.”

Fearing he might strike as she exited, the Blood Sound Witch made him keep his distance.

Holding Mo Biyoung as a shield, she edged toward the cave mouth.

Then she stretched out her hand.

“Give it.”

Without hesitation, Yong Hwarin handed over the vial.

His palms, shredded from breaking the cheollokam, were ragged and bleeding.

Seeing them, Mo Biyoung’s tears flowed all the more.

Never in her life had she wept so much.

The Blood Sound Witch, after taking the vial, drew a dagger and stabbed Mo Biyoung’s neck.

“What are you doing!”

Yong Hwarin shouted.

“This dagger is coated in poison that kills within fifteen minutes if untreated.”

Her words proved true—Mo Biyoung’s neck was already turning green.

“With your power, you can drive out the poison. But you won’t be able to chase me.”

Immediately, she spun and ran for the exit.

Mo Biyoung’s body collapsed, and Yong Hwarin caught her.

Seeing her consciousness slipping, Yong Hwarin’s fury exploded.

“I’ll kill you!”

“If you chase me, she dies! Ohohohoho!”

The Blood Sound Witch ran, laughing wildly.

Yong Hwarin pressed his left hand to Mo Biyoung’s Crown Point, infusing her with Self-Existence Qi.

He suppressed the toxin, halting its spread.

Then he split his qi with Divided-Mind Inner Art.

With a flick of his right fingers, the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword flew from its sheath into his hand.

He roused the Azure Dragon Three Marbles with the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique and hurled the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword.

Shooo!

The sword shot toward the Blood Sound Witch’s back as she nearly cleared the cave entrance.

At such a distance—nearly one hundred jang—only Sword Control with Qi could have sent the blade.

Seeing it, she turned in shock.

“Sword Control with Qi?”

She twisted aside.

If it were not Sword Control with Qi, the blade could not possibly change course. But as Yong Hwarin flicked his fingers, the sword shifted midair.

“Ah!”

She gasped in horror.

“It truly is Sword Control with Qi!”

Again and again, the blade swerved in pursuit at his command.

Thud!

Finally, as Yong Hwarin snapped his wrist, the speeding sword pierced her back.

“Impossible. Sword Control with Qi… from such a distance…”

Confirming her fall, Yong Hwarin pressed his right hand to Mo Biyoung’s Lower Dantian.

He infused Self-Existence Qi into both her Upper and Lower Dantian to gather the poison. Then he drank two more sips of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water and, through the melody of the Royal Consort Record, completed his Fontanelle.

That had naturally awakened Sword Control with Qi.

The qi surging through the Fontanelle allowed him to guide the paper-light White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword freely, even across great distances.

It wasn’t simply a matter of accumulating four Half-Cycles of qi.

Even after reaching The Divine Stage—the highest state of cultivation achievable—Sword Control with Qi was on another plane entirely.

Without the melody of the Royal Consort Record, it could never have been achieved. The melody had forced all his qi to surge through the Crown Point, forging the Fontanelle.

But this was a dangerously reckless method.

For most, it would have led straight to qi deviation.

Yet through countless miraculous encounters, Yong Hwarin had been tempered to endure it.

Through his battle against the Demon Sound Immortal Hyebang’s Sound Arts, he had pierced his Crown Point. That had allowed the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade Water to complete the Fontanelle.

Every step, every gain had been born of extraordinary fortune.