Jin Cheon-hee once again hoisted the massive dragon statue onto his shoulder and repeated the exercise several more times.
Kuuung!
"Huff, huff. My body feels so hot. My muscles are really going to take shape now."
From a modern medical perspective, Jin Cheon-hee had been continuously training based on the martial arts he had learned.
Originally, the Five Elements Divine Art, which focused on internal energy and mental power, would have made such basic physical training seem unnecessary.
However, according to the revised version of the Five Elements Divine Art by his master, Zhuge Lin, muscles had become increasingly important.
"Come to think of it, our master is quite the physical specimen too."
Despite his handsome face, Zhuge Lin stood nearly 190 centimeters tall, with broad shoulders and fearsome muscles.
His strength was immense.
Once, there had been an arm-wrestling competition among the sect leaders.
Zhuge Lin had effortlessly defeated them all, smiling without breaking a sweat.
Of course, Zhuge Lin had taken first place, while the leader of the Sleeping Pill Sect had come in last.
Given his master's robust physique, it was hard for anyone to believe that he was living on borrowed time.
One shouldn’t be fooled by his brilliant mind and striking appearance.
In reality, he was a man of unparalleled toughness.
'I need to heal him quickly.
To do that, I need to get stronger.'
Jin Cheon-hee submerged his body into a jar filled with a black liquid.
"Kkeuk..."
As he circulated his energy, the liquid in the jar began to boil, releasing a strong medicinal aroma.
After overworking his muscles, the body naturally begins to recover.
However, in this world where qi exists, one could absorb qi, circulate it, and use the secret medicinal liquid of the Zhuge family to accelerate the recovery process.
"By repeating this process, my body will become even more resilient."
This was the essence of external martial arts—the secret external techniques of the Zhuge family.
Originally, external martial arts would have been completely abandoned by now, as the Zhuge family had been increasingly focusing on internal energy.
However, under the guidance of his master, Zhuge Lin, the scattered texts on external martial arts had been collected and restored.
"Moreover, by practicing energy circulation, I can minimize the need for sleep. Instead of sleeping, I’ll circulate my energy."
In addition, he would train in the next stage of the Three Treasures Technique, the Foresight Technique, and the Ten-Step Divine Spear.
"And finally, I’ll consume the Primordial Five Elements Divine Pill."
He planned to absorb every last drop of its energy into his internal energy.
To achieve this, he needed to further strengthen his body.
"If I do this, I should be able to raise my internal energy to at least the level of one Jiazi, complete my physical training, and maybe even grow taller... Hmm... I hope I’ll be taller than that guy."
Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t help but think of Yeo Ha-ryun, who had grown so much taller in such a short time.
Even in his past life, he had been self-conscious about his height.
In this life, he hoped to grow tall and strong.
"Height is ultimately determined by genetics, though."
A friend who worked as a pediatrician in Cheongdam-dong had once told him that genetics determined 80% of one's height.
Actually, it was probably closer to 90%, but even so, with proper care, one could grow an extra 1.2 centimeters instead of just 1 centimeter.
So, he’d give genetics an 80% credit.
"Alright. My goal for this life is to reach at least 180 centimeters."
Whether in the past or now, not knowing his parents' faces was the same.
As he circulated his energy, Jin Cheon-hee focused his internal energy on his growth plates.
A month later.
"Oh, I’ve grown a bit."
Jin Cheon-hee marked his height on the wall with a spear.
One month.
Even for someone in their growth period, this was quite rapid.
Stimulating the growth plates with internal energy seemed to be a very effective strategy.
'Yeo Ha-ryun, you’ll be shocked when you see me next.
I’ll show you the true difference in our heights.'
With that thought, Jin Cheon-hee lightly swung his spear.
Zzzzrt—
Thunder energy followed the trajectory of his spear, sparking as it moved.
What had once required conscious effort now came as naturally as breathing.
Jin Cheon-hee’s body left afterimages in three different directions.
This was the sign of entering the Foresight Technique.
Then, he flicked the dragon statue upward with the tip of his spear.
This time, he balanced it on the sole of his foot instead of his shoulder.
Kung!
"First one!"
He began practicing his external martial arts while standing on his hands.
Two months later.
"My hair has grown so much. It’s growing as fast as my height."
He tied his hair loosely with a string and used the pond as a mirror to quickly run his hand over his face.
Then, he immediately reached out and caught a carp.
His hand split into three different directions as he grabbed the fish.
Splash!
As if retrieving something he had left behind, he placed three carps into a basket and stood up.
Jin Cheon-hee’s body had gained quite a bit of muscle.
Martial artists naturally grew quickly, but Jin Cheon-hee was growing even faster.
The dragon statue was covered in marks from his training.
"Once my closed-door training is over, I’ll need to get a new one."
Finally, the last month arrived.
Jin Cheon-hee measured his height with his fingers instead of a spear.
"25 centimeters... By martial world standards, that’s one chi of growth..."
He sighed as he tried to tie back his messy hair.
"Right. I used my hair tie for training."
Habits were scary.
"Is it puberty? My voice is starting to deepen too. Hmm..."
The boyish youth now looked more like a teenager.
Beneath his long, disheveled hair, his deeply defined muscles looked almost like weapons.
His upper body was bare, his shirt completely worn out, and only his pants barely covered his muscular thighs.
Since his diet consisted mainly of fish and grain pills, his body appeared lean, but it was still well-trained.
Strangely, when Jin Cheon-hee walked now, no afterimages followed him.
He moved like an ordinary person.
However, his movements were unpredictable—no one could anticipate his next move.
"When you reach the third level of the Foresight Technique, your walking and running become like the wind. You’re no longer bound by form."
He had learned all the key points from his master during their hellish training sessions.
It was as if Zhuge Lin had prepared him to grow no matter what, even if he were to die at any moment.
Thinking this, Jin Cheon-hee’s expression hardened.
'I won’t let him die easily.
No matter what happens.
That was the oath I made with my master.'
When he closed his eyes, he could still see the garden where the dandelion seeds had flown, and the scent of that place lingered in his memory.
There, Jin Cheon-hee had sworn to Zhuge Lin that he would never let him die easily.
Like all humans, Zhuge Lin would eventually die, but Jin Cheon-hee vowed that it wouldn’t be now.
Even if Zhuge Lin begged to be killed, Jin Cheon-hee would save him.
Jin Cheon-hee picked up his spear and began drawing a formation on the training ground floor.
As he moved, the scorched marks left by lightning formed the formation.
Finally, at its center,
Jin Cheon-hee sat down and began circulating his energy.
A faint smile appeared on the lips of the boy who still had traces of youth.
"Let’s give it a try."
The Primordial Five Elements Divine Pill.
When he opened the jade box, five divine pills were inside.
Once again, there was no scent, but Jin Cheon-hee could feel the five pills emitting different fragrances.
Of course.
Each pill contained the energy of one of the five elements.
Normally, one would consume them slowly, one at a time.
Each pill was a powerful elixir on its own.
"Just the scent alone is enough to make me dizzy. They’re truly remarkable."
But Jin Cheon-hee had a different plan.
"I’ll take them all at once."
The same answer he had given when he first consumed the Five Elements Pills upon arriving in this world.
Jin Cheon-hee swallowed all five pills.
It wasn’t difficult.
The moment they entered his mouth, they began to melt like sugar.
At first, it didn’t seem like much.
But the moment the five pills completely dissolved, the energies of the five elements began to surge wildly within him.
Kugugug—
If this had been the Jin Cheon-hee of the past, his meridians would have burst from the overwhelming energy.
But now, it was different.
Instead of sending the five energies to his dantian, Jin Cheon-hee guided them through his meridians, allowing them to circulate freely.
Rather than restraining the rampaging horses, he opened the path for them to run in the desired direction.
The newly absorbed energy began to pierce through his middle dantian.
Bang!
Even a single pill, if properly consumed, could add ten years of cultivation.
The energy was so potent that it was standard practice to consume them one at a time.
But the result of consuming all five at once was now unfolding within Jin Cheon-hee’s body.
The five energies, both complementary and conflicting, created an unprecedented force within him.
Normally, he should have gained the equivalent of one Jiazi’s worth of energy, but the actual surge far exceeded that.
'Hoo, this is just the beginning.'
Jin Cheon-hee had anticipated this.
'The Primordial Five Elements Divine Pill.
One of the treasures that a certain protagonist in a novel stumbled upon after Bai Lin’s death.
Though he practiced a different martial art, he consumed all five pills and underwent a complete transformation.
And the method was...'
He didn’t try to control the massive energy surging within him.
He only guided its direction.
That was the key.
If it had been any other elixir or the energy of a spirit beast, this method would have been dangerous.
No matter how much you guided it, the overwhelming energy would have shattered his meridians.
But the Primordial Five Elements Divine Pill required this approach.
It wasn’t just an ordinary elixir—it was a healing medicine.
'It destroys, heals, and strengthens.
That’s the true power of the Primordial Five Elements Divine Pill.'
His middle dantian had just been pierced.
In the process, his meridians grew thicker and stronger.
The energy and medicinal power of the Primordial Five Elements Divine Pill began to permeate his entire body.
And there was still energy to spare.
The five horses continued to gallop.
Soon, they headed toward his brain.
'It’s coming.
I need to stay sharp...
If I mess this up, I could end up living as a cripple for the rest of my life.'
Touching the brain was a risky endeavor.
If he failed and died, it would be unfortunate, but there was nothing he could do.
The biggest problem was partial success.
Surviving but with a damaged brain.
That was the gamble when touching the Baihui point in the martial world.
One’s personality could change, memories could be lost, or one could go mad or become paralyzed.
'It’s fine.
I’ve prepared thoroughly.'
All that remained was the courage to take one more step.
Jin Cheon-hee prepared himself for death.
Bang!
'Huh?'
But something unexpected happened.
There was no piercing sensation.
The energy simply flowed through a large hole.
The reason was simple.
His Baihui point had already been opened wide!
'What’s this? Why?'
While Jin Cheon-hee was still confused, the excess energy began its grand circulation.
In the torrent, his consciousness was swept into the realm of the unconscious.
*Crack.
Crack.*
The moment he entered a state of no-self, his bones made strange sounds.
An immense amount of black liquid began to flow from his body, and his skin started to peel away.
Bone Marrow Cleansing and Body Reformation!
A phenomenon that even in the martial world, only a handful of people had ever experienced.
Several hours later.
Jin Cheon-hee awoke from his state of no-self.