Ep426 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

Seol Suyeon fully embraced the art of Mokryeong and finally reached the state of Hwagyeong. Upon witnessing this, the branches of a sapling trembled slightly. "Hmm... Now that she's at Hwagyeong, she won't get knocked down just anywhere." Her state, which had previously been found lacking, had risen to an appreciable level. While she was still not a match for the strongest of the age, she wouldn't be easily defeated either. After all, the Mokhaeng Sinju would accompany her. The energy contained in the Mokhaeng Sinju was nature itself. Even in the visions projected by masters of higher realms, the Mokryeong martial art and Sinju remained powerful. "Now it's my turn to keep my promise." She had splendidly fulfilled her promise. She had manifested the Mokryeong martial art, which previously existed only in theory, and made it her own. Yet, a touch of regret lingered. "I had hoped for a descendant of the plains to inherit the Mokhaeng Sinju." But what could be done? Fate had intertwined them this way. Setting aside the heavy weight of ambition, she could only accept it as destiny. A branch of the sapling, serving as a hand, gestured for the two of them to come closer. "I shall open the path to where the Mokhaeng Sinju is." As soon as the words were spoken, a gentle green aura began to emanate from the sapling. It reached into the dense forest surrounding them. Rrrrack! With a sound of trees twisting mercilessly, a hidden path was unveiled. Not too far along this path lay an old box, bound tightly by thick branches. The sapling gave a gentle push to Seol Suyeon, who was staring blankly at the box. "Go on." Propelled by the momentum, Seol Suyeon walked towards the box. She was engulfed by a strange sensation. An overwhelming energy. An indescribable green aura spilled out from the old box. And it incessantly tapped at the energy coiled within her danjeon. Arriving before the box, feeling an exhilarating freshness, she pondered how to open it, bound as it was by roots that had pushed up through the earth. "Use the energy of the Mokryeong martial art to control the roots." The voice of the sapling softly resonated throughout the forest, guiding her. Seol Suyeon promptly awakened the energy dormant in her danjeon. Her unique energy, a delicate blend of pure sacred force with a faint touch of green, penetrated the roots entwining the box. "I can feel it." She sensed the entirety of the tree's roots with her whole being. "Release." As she inwardly commanded, Crack! The roots that had tightly ensnared the box began to move as if alive, retreating back into the soil. The roots vanished without a trace, leaving only the old, weathered wooden box. Her eyes, looking down at the box, gleamed with intense excitement. "So, this is how it feels..." Trees, akin to nature itself, moved at her mere word. It was as if a part of her own body had transformed into nature. And there, a deep, indescribable vitality surged. Seol Suyeon unconsciously swallowed hard. "If this is the extent with just the Mokryeong martial art... what will it be like when I gain the Mokhaeng Sinju?" With this power... "I can help the hero." Not merely treating his injuries from behind but providing more substantial aid. "Haa..." She exhaled softly, calming her excited mind. Crises always stemmed from within. Especially at such a crucial stage where she was about to acquire a powerful object like the Mokhaeng Sinju. "Stay calm." Calming herself was as easy as pie for her. During her quest to decapitate the Demon King, She had to suppress and compose the feelings surging towards the hero countless times each day. She couldn't help but let out a wry smile. Reflecting on those pain-filled moments now proved to be helpful, ironically enough. With useless thoughts dissipating her tension, She gently knelt down, placing her hand carefully on the lid of the aged box. The stiff hands gradually opened the gap, Through which a vivid green light began to seep out. "...!" As the gap widened, light poured out, spreading everywhere. Yet her eyes remained firmly fixed on the object emitting the light from within the box. Within the green glow lay a dark green orb, the size of a fist. Gulp! Swallowing once more, she slowly reached out to the orb. Tap From the fingertips where she lightly touched it, a lush greenery spread forth. "Ah...!" She finally realized. That she had misunderstood the Mokhaeng Sinju all along. The orb, thought to merely contain the elemental energy of wood — one of the five elements that constitute the world. She had dismissed it as just an orb encapsulating a fragment of nature’s energy. But that wasn't it. The Mokhaeng Sinju was not merely a simple encapsulation of nature. It was "a fragment that constructed the world." If one could fully harness the power within this orb, it held the potential to even shake the roots of the vast world — truly an orb of the gods. She was certain. "This wasn't made for humans." Human bodies and their petty skills could not fully extract the power contained within the Sinju. Not even the immortals could manage it. While they might utilize more power than humans, they too fell short when it came to realizing it fully. So who was this orb intended for? There was only one answer. "The gods." It was undoubtedly crafted with gods in mind. Such an unimaginable force could only be fully wielded by such beings. She grew apprehensive. "Can I... handle this?" The words of the sapling, once king of the plains, echoed in her mind. How using too much power had ruined his body. He claimed to have devised the Mokryeong martial art as a means of control, but he was wrong. "The Mokryeong martial art alone cannot solve it." It could not resolve the overload that came with using the Mokhaeng Sinju. It might reduce the burden significantly, but it would only delay the eventual ruin of her body. If she continued to wield this power indiscriminately, sooner or later, her body would be destroyed. "Can I withstand it?" She wanted to be a pillar of strength for Baek Woojin. Just as earnestly, she wished to complete their tasks and spend the rest of her life with him. Hadn't she forsaken her original world to be born anew for that very reason? Yet, what if... "If my body is ruined and I can no longer be with him..." Could she endure the agony that would await her then? As she hesitated to fully grasp the orb, A gentle energy traveled from the orb, touching her fingertips, and spread up to her heart. "Ah..." The intent contained within the deep verdure communicated its meaning to her. That power could be wielded for good. So not to hesitate, but to embrace it within her grasp. Sweet words akin to a devil's temptation. Yet there was no malice detected within them. Instead, a goodwill was conveyed, a desire to aid her endeavors. "Yes, that's right." She remembered the fundamental truth. Power varies vastly depending on how it is wielded by its owner. Seol Suyeon steadied herself, realizing she almost succumbed to despair beneath the colossal power of a mere orb. "I can do it." She chose to believe in herself. In the serene life with him she so longed for after concluding their arduous journey. She was certain she could seize that future. No, she resolved that she would. So. "Will you help me?" As she acknowledged the presence she had been rejecting out of fear and hesitation, a remarkable event transpired. Whoosh! "Ah...!" The orb, the size of a hand, suddenly levitated and darted towards her heart! But rather than feeling the impact of a hard orb and a resulting sharp pain, something different happened. "The orb..." The orb barreled into her chest and embedded itself within her. It instinctively found its place and took root. With a peculiar sensation coursing through her, Seol Suyeon placed a hand over her heart. The precise location the orb settled was none other than her heart. Thump! Each heartbeat pulsed with a gentle green energy circulating through her blood. Allowing it to flow outwards naturally, Crack! A branch shot up from beneath the earth, propelled by the energy. Snap! The branch rapidly grew into a towering tree reaching towards the sky within moments. "Kyaa!" Startled by the massive tree sprouting right before her eyes, she let out a scream. Regaining her wits, Seol Suyeon gazed up with a complex expression at the tree shooting upwards as if trying to reach the heavens. "Such enormous results from merely a hint of energy..." For such a small amount of energy flowing through her blood, the end result was astoundingly grand. Faced with such ridiculous efficiency and power, she thought it was best to practice careful control over her strength for the time being. Bae Woojin marveled as he watched the colossal tree that Seol Suyeon had grown. "To think it would be to this extent." The amount of energy she had moved was incredibly slight. Yet the results before him were simply unbelievable. It seemed the synergy between the Mokryeong martial art and the Mokhaeng Sinju was far better than anyone could have anticipated. "Well... it's only natural, I guess." After all, the former master of the Mokhaeng Sinju had meticulously developed the martial art with great care. He might have focused considerably on ensuring it harmonized perfectly with the Mokhaeng Sinju, above everything else. "But it's dangerous." The tales told by the sapling — the king of the plains — appeared to be entirely true. Judging by her state, at Hwagyeong, the question was just how much greater power she would wield when reaching Hyungyeong. Reflecting on it, a sense of urgency began to rise within him. "At least two of the Ohhaeng Sinju are in the hands of the Celestial Demon." This meant that there could be up to two more Ohhaeng Sinju yet to be found. Bae Woojin turned to the sapling, which was cheerfully swaying nearby, and asked. "Do you know of any other places where another Ohhaeng Sinju might be hidden?" "Another Ohhaeng Sinju..." The sapling twisted its branches as if deep in thought, halting its movements. "If the restrictions on the Ohhaeng Sinju have indeed been lifted, as you say... there's one place that comes to mind." "Where is that?" "The North Sea Ice Palace." Upon hearing the response, Bae Woojin's face instantly twisted in dismay. --- **Author's Note** It seems the story is gradually reaching its conclusion. That said, it won’t end immediately, but as we approach the final stages, I'll take care to wrap it up well. I'll see you in the next chapter. Thank you for reading as always. Have a restful night. 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