835 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 835: The World's Greatest Martial Artist's Childhood Friend** After arriving at the Tang Clan, night had already fallen. Since the morning, tasks had been handled diligently and even the Dokcheon Pill had been completed, but the research related to it was still ongoing. It was, as expected, essential. Although the pill was completed, various scenarios needed to be accounted for. However, the process was not as smooth as the favorable outcome suggested. “...Cough...!” Thud-! Blood dripped onto the floor—a small puddle but not my own blood. I approached a man who seemed exhausted as he collapsed, placing my hand gently on his back. Wooong-!! I untangled his inner energy and examined his condition closely. As expected, stagnant energy had gathered once more. Although it wasn't a significant amount, it was considerable to have accumulated in just one day, indicating excessive use of energy. I relieved the congestion and cleared the stagnant energy. With that, Dok Wang’s breathing quickly stabilized. “Hoo... Hoooo...” “Are you alright?” “...Thank you.” “It's nothing. I'm glad I could help.” Dok Wang staggered as he stood. His face was marked by deep exhaustion. It was hardly surprising. Extracting such a massive amount of energy in a short span could easily lead to energy deviation. Fwoosh-! I waved my hand to clear the remnant stagnant energy around Dok Wang. It briefly gave off a burnt scent as it dissipated. Witnessing this, Dok Wang looked at me with a curious expression and asked. “I was curious about this earlier.” “Yes.” “How exactly do you extract stagnant energy?” “...Pardon?” How do I extract it? It was a rather peculiar question, prompting a slight tilt of my head. “It's just visible, so I extract it.” As I replied, it reminded me of a similar inquiry before, perhaps from Baek Ryeon Geom. She, too, had asked about stagnant energy. 'And my response was the same back then.' I would have given the same answer: I simply extract what I see. At the time, she had worn the same puzzled expression as Dok Wang did now. “...You just extract it.” His expression conveyed perplexity. I questioned him. “...Is that so challenging?” Extracting just the stagnant energy and burning it—how difficult could that be? I truly couldn't comprehend why it would be. “Well... extracting from moving energy isn't simple. It's like retrieving a needle from a flowing stream.” “Hmm.” Finding a needle in flowing water did sound difficult when put into words, but... “I could manage it, though.” “…” “Isn't that all that matters?” Since I could see it and extract it, what more needed to be said? That was all I could offer, and Dok Wang eventually fell silent. “...I suppose... yes...” He even sighed lightly, as if giving up, not long after. It seemed he realized further discussion was pointless. Watching his response, I scratched my head. ‘Geez.’ A phrase Pae Jon had mentioned came to mind. If I had any talent, it was in sensing and controlling energy—nothing more. At the time, I hadn't given it much thought, but dealing with situations like this offered a new perspective. ‘Is this my talent?’ It might not be martial arts prowess, but having this skill was at least somewhat comforting. ‘It's peculiar.’ Dok Wang's response was reminiscent of the expressions I had seen on geniuses in my past life. Faces that questioned why something couldn’t be done, much like how I quizzically faced them. ‘Hmm...’ It was indeed novel, but not particularly tangible. Being skilled in managing energy? Better than nothing, but how to utilize it remains ambiguous. At most, it’s beneficial for dispelling stagnant energy or stabilizing energy flows, as I did with Dok Wang. ‘Anyway.’ My current talents were not the pressing matter here. The pressing matter was rather... ‘...the outcome of the present situation.’ Having attended to Dok Wang, I surveyed our surroundings. We were still in the chamber where the Dokcheon Pill was being manufactured. The room was now a far larger mess than it had been in the morning. All the magic stones had shattered onto the floor, and the mixtures being prepared lay scattered. It was painful to think all this was wealth, but it was all in the name of experimentation. Though the Dokcheon Pill had been successfully manufactured, it contained fire energy rather than poison energy. I attributed this result to the infusion of my own energy during the manufacturing process. And so, several experiments followed: The first one concerned: 'The issue with magic stones.' Recalling an initial attempt where a magic stone was crushed after drawing and reinserting energy into it. Thus, the first experiment focused on understanding whether this occurred from removing the stone from my hands or by crushing a suitable amount. Thankfully, the outcome was swiftly apparent. 'The magic stone shatters the moment it leaves my hands.' The amount shaved does not matter. Simply dropping it causes destruction. Moreover, 'If too much is added, the mixture cannot withstand it.' I attempted not to let go while adding more, but upon reaching a certain quantity, the mixture lost its luminescence. It meant the energy within the spirit pill was completely dissipated. ‘Ridiculous.’ Witnessing this, I could only laugh in disbelief. Adding too much also created a mess. In summary: I need to add a controlled amount and avoid letting go of the magic stone. It was a crucial consideration while incorporating the magic stone into the mixture. This was the conclusion reached after using about two magic stones. Yes. ‘So far, so good.’ Even though I confirmed this by using two red magic stones, the important thing was that I learned a solution. …The problem lies in what comes next. ‘The next issue.’ The next challenge was how to infuse the poison energy into the Dokcheon Pill. If fire energy had entered due to my own energy, then the solution to infusing poison energy seemed obvious. ‘Infuse the empty magic stone with the energy of someone possessing poison energy.’ I thought I might create a Dokcheon Pill if done this way. It was the first thought that came to mind. And what should be done? Naturally, I needed to try it first. Fortuitously, ‘While I'm the only one who can extract energy, anyone can infuse energy.’ As long as it's not demonic energy, anyone can infuse energy into an empty magic stone. So the answer was simple. Extract energy from the stone, fill it with poison energy, and I had someone right beside me to fill it. Dok Wang. Being the foremost user of poison arts in the present martial world, I did not hesitate to seek his assistance. Having witnessed the completion of the Dokcheon Pill, Dok Wang aided without skepticism. At that point, I believed things would proceed smoothly. Infuse the energy, merge it into the mixture, and it should be done—or so I assumed. ‘…That’s when the biggest issue arose.’ I discovered the most significant problem in this process. ‘Infusing energy into an empty magic stone isn’t as simple as I thought.’ It was an oversight on my part. Dok Wang was undoubtedly a king-level martial artist. Poison arts, like fire arts, require a substantial amount of energy. Thus, I believed that Dok Wang filling the stone wouldn’t pose much of a challenge. Contrary to expectations, Dok Wang struggled with infusing energy into the magic stone. It was peculiar. Though the energy the red magic stone could hold was significant, it wasn't unmanageable. At least, I believed someone of Dok Wang's caliber could fill it with ease, yet... ‘…He struggled tremendously with it.’ Astonishingly, Dok Wang had difficulty filling even one magic stone. I couldn’t comprehend why. Seeking to understand, I questioned him, and he answered while sweating profusely. He mentioned, ‘Regardless of the amount given, only a fraction enters.’ Even when exerting force, the energy transferred was but a fraction of the power given. This was according to Dok Wang, but it left me with more questions than answers. ‘Why?’ I was different from Dok Wang. In my case, the energy entered almost completely, while Dok Wang infused only a minimal amount. I couldn't pinpoint the issue. ‘Could it be related to possessing the Heavenly Devouring Art?’ Having demonic arts as opposed to not. While it seemed presumptuous to think so, more experimentation was necessary to reach a conclusion. Fortunately, even in such circumstances, Dok Wang, through sheer grit, succeeded in filling one magic stone. And the mixture that held the completed stone shimmered without any anomalies. From this, we barely managed to produce four completed Dokcheon Pills. ‘This is the real deal.’ The Dokcheon Pills encapsulated poison energy, identical to energy pills I had known. With this, I was certain. ‘The nature of the infused energy determines the property of the stone.’ Since I wielded fire arts, fire energy was infused, while Dok Wang's poison energy resulted in Dokcheon Pills. Infusing something else would likely yield another variant. And. ‘If my assumptions are correct.’ The manufacturing method I had now possessed enormous potential. ‘This means any energy could be obtained.’ Whether it be cold energy, fire energy, or any other elusive energy and immunity could be achieved easily. Though there exists a possibility of repulsion if contrasting energies are mixed, that’s something to be dealt with later. For now, just being able to easily acquire different energies was unfathomable. ‘Hmm.’ Examining the finished Dokcheon Pills, I glanced at Dok Wang. Though his energy had been restored, his exhaustion was apparent. ‘If someone like him ended up like this...’ If infusing just one magic stone resulted in this, it suggested those below Dok Wang's level couldn't succeed. ‘No wonder it seemed a bit too easy.’ Is this where the final obstacle lies? ‘If commercialization is the goal, this issue needs a resolution promptly.’ A solution needed to be found. To achieve that, first… “For now, you should rest. You must be exhausted.” “…Hoo...” “Since we’ve found a way, you can rest easier, can’t you?” “…Yes, that’s true.” Though his face was full of regret, successfully crafting the Dokcheon Pill offered some solace. “Take a break today... See you tomorrow. Also.” I subtly added while looking at the weary Dok Wang. “I might have something to ask about the Tang Lady. Would that be alright?” “…” Mentioning Tang Soyeol made Dok Wang swallow uneasily. It seemed he was aware of what I intended to ask. “…We’ll talk tomorrow.” “Yes, rest well.” Dok Wang, deciding to avoid further discussion for now, left, and I respected that choice. ‘For now,’ that is. Offering a slight bow, I watched as Dok Wang departed the manufacturing room first. As I was about to follow, I paused, lowering my gaze. “…Hmm…” There was something nagging me. Staring at the fragments of shattered magic stones on the floor, I pondered. 'Everything's good except one thing...' There was one unsettling aspect. ‘Ultimately, without infusing energy back into the magic stones, a Dokcheon Pill cannot be made.’ The final ingredient of the Dokcheon Pill required magic stones infused with energy. It felt like a hook was lodged in my thoughts. The reason being, ‘Then… how were they made in the past?’ How exactly did they obtain the final ingredient? Drawing out energy and reinfusing it into magic stones would require someone capable of fully extracting the stone’s energy. That would mean, perhaps… ‘During the time Dokcheon Pills were made in the past.’ Someone, be it like me, There must have existed a person capable of extracting energy from the magic stone. Such thoughts continually circled in my mind.