Chapter 18. body-strengthening cultivation technique.

‘Damn it! How many dangerous people are there in the cult!’

Danmok Cheong’s heart was filled with urgency as he ran towards the Body-Fortifying Prescription.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had changed a lot from the past under the reforms of the current Heavenly Demon, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God.

But the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was still the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Was it not an undeniable fact that it was a place teeming with warriors who trained in demonic arts under the banner of the law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest?

Besides, no matter how much Jin Yeong-in was the disciple of the Divine Hero of the Azure Sky, not everyone in the cult welcomed him.

Although there were countless people who were indebted to the Divine Hero of the Azure Sky during the past Righteous-Demonic Great War, there must have been just as many who held grudges.

Also, there were countless people in the cult who held hatred and disgust for the righteous faction people of the Central Plains.

It hadn’t even been a few days since he had defected, so if he wandered around aimlessly, he was likely to be caught by some madmen and beaten to death.

So, it wasn’t strange that Danmok Cheong was terrified and got angry at Baek A-rin.

Baek A-rin, having been born and raised in the cult, must have given Jin Yeong-in the advice without much thought…….

‘I hope nothing bad has happened.’

Arriving at the Body-Fortifying Prescription after using his movement arts to the fullest.

Danmok Cheong’s eyes saw a group of muscular men gathered in one place.

Seeing their unnecessarily huge muscular builds, they were clearly the Manual of Formulas.

‘How dare they!’

Danmok Cheong ran to the scene in a single breath without even catching his breath.

If there were any who were harassing or beating Jin Yeong-in, he would never let them go.

“You damn rats! Do you know who this is……”

Danmok Cheong retracted his killing intent.

This was because, looking at the situation, the atmosphere was not hostile.

On the contrary, the atmosphere was nothing but friendly.

“Ooh!”

“This friend has a talent for fitness! His form is quite good!”

“That’s right! Good job!”

Jin Yeong-in was not being harassed.

He was in the middle of receiving teachings from the men of the Body-Fortifying Prescription on how to train his muscles and bones.

“Hup, ha!”

Jin Yeong-in’s form while doing the Bench Press, a training method of pushing a barbell while lying down, was very standard and stable.

His range of motion in the joints was also excellent, and seeing his chest muscles swell up as if they were about to burst and twitch, it seemed he was stimulating them quite well.

‘Hoo. I guess a warrior is a warrior after all.’

Danmok Cheong nodded his head with a sigh of relief.

A warrior is fundamentally a being who uses their body.

So, it was only natural that they could learn the fitness training methods quickly.

“Haa, haa.”

“Young Master Jin, I have been looking all over for you.”

Danmok Cheong approached Jin Yeong-in, who had finished his training and was panting, and spoke to him.

“Did anything happen? Looking at the atmosphere, it seems like nothing happened.”

“It was good.”

Jin Yeong-in replied with a grin.

“The heroes here have given me teachings on fitness training methods, so I was learning.”

“Haha……”

“body-strengthening cultivation technique. It is a really good training method. Hoo.”

Jin Yeong-in made a refreshed expression.

His limbs, muscles, and veins had been twisted and stiffened due to the aftereffects of qi deviation, but moving his body after a long time actually made him feel like he could fly.

“Then I’m glad. However.”

Danmok Cheong whispered in Jin Yeong-in’s ear.

“Among those who frequent the Body-Fortifying Prescription, there are many who are not in their right minds. There don’t seem to be any such people in this Body-Fortifying Prescription, but please be careful just in case. You must never accept any suspicious pills.”

“Suspicious pills?”

“They are pills that strengthen the muscles and bones, but the side effects are no small matter.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Jin Yeong-in answered so and then lay down again to continue his Bench Press training.

“Oh! There’s nothing more to teach you!”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a newbie with such good training form!”

The men who had taught Jin Yeong-in the fitness training method bloomed into broad smiles.

***

After that day.

Jin Yeong-in visited the Body-Fortifying Prescription every day to train his body.

The men who frequented the Body-Fortifying Prescription became excellent teachers for Jin Yeong-in.

They were people with extensive knowledge about the movement and use of muscles and bones, as well as training methods.

They also knew in detail about the dietary methods to strengthen the body.

They avoided noodles and fried foods as much as possible and insisted on a diet consisting of mixed grains, boiled meat, eggs, and vegetables.

Jin Yeong-in tried it out as well, thinking he had nothing to lose, and he felt his insides getting better and his muscles and bones getting stronger with each passing day.

Although he had to give up the pleasure of eating, if he could become stronger, why couldn’t he endure such a trivial desire for food?

Thanks to this, Jin Yeong-in’s body improved day by day.

‘So, there was a reason why the warriors of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult are strong.’

While frequenting the Body-Fortifying Prescription, Jin Yeong-in keenly realized where the true strength of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult came from.

Basically, the Central Plains martial world tended to neglect physical training.

Except for representative sects that traditionally valued outer arts like Shaolin and the Peng Clan, the reality was that they would moderately pass over the training of muscles and bones and focus on internal energy training.

Instead, the trend in the Central Plains martial world was to take children who were born with good muscles and bones as disciples.

Conversely, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult emphasized acquired effort.

The view of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was that even if one was not born with it, one could have good muscles and bones if they trained their body through fitness training from a young age.

In Jin Yeong-in’s opinion, that was a very rational position.

Internal energy?

Of course, it is important.

But fundamental strength comes from the muscles and bones.

If they have the same internal energy, is it not an eternal truth that the one with good muscles and bones can exert stronger power?

In that respect, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s method of training the muscles and bones through fitness training was commendable for any sect.

As he spent the entire month living in the Body-Fortifying Prescription and focusing on physical training, the internal energy of the Clear Mind Heart Art was also completely scattered before he knew it.

‘Finally.’

A faint smile appeared on Jin Yeong-in’s lips as he finished his morning meditation.

An empty dantian.

It was something that warriors who had learned internal energy would have been horrified by.

The internal energy they had polished and refined their entire lives was gone without a trace?

There would surely be some warriors who would choose to take their own lives, depending on the person.

But for Jin Yeong-in, it was no exaggeration to say that there was no greater good news than this.

‘Now I can learn the Heaven-Defying Heart Art.’

As Jin Yeong-in was overwhelmed with that thought, Danmok Cheong’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Young Master Jin, may I come in?”

“Yes, come in.”

“I have some news to deliver to you.”

“News, you say……”

“The gates of the Blood Wolf Corps will open in three months.”

“What is that?”

“It is a process that one must pass to become a warrior of our cult.”

Danmok Cheong said, his eyes shining.

Blood Wolf Corps.

A training and selection process that one must pass to become an official warrior of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

There were no exceptions to this, and Danmok Cheong’s explanation was that even the Heavenly Demon, the Cult Leader, could not become an official warrior without passing through the Blood Wolf Corps.

“The preparation period is short, but how about you give it a try?”

“Hmm.”

At the current rate of recovery, his rehabilitation would be over in three months.

But the problem was his internal energy.

“My internal energy will be far from enough, is it possible to pass?”

“Haha.”

Danmok Cheong laughed.

“The Blood Wolf Corps does not require internal energy.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that……”

“The Blood Wolf Corps is not a place to evaluate martial arts. It is an educational course like a filter that determines whether one has the qualifications to become a warrior of our cult or not.”

“Ah.”

“Even if you have already learned a heart art and possess internal energy, you have to take Qi Dispersing Poison in the morning and evening, so internal energy is meaningless.”

“Are you saying it looks at physical and mental strength?”

“Mental strength is more important than physical strength. As for physical strength, everyone becomes a wreck after rolling around like a dog, so if you are above a certain level, you can consider it as being on equal terms.”

“Are you saying what’s important is how well one can endure in an extreme environment?”

“That is correct.”

Danmok Cheong nodded.

“You, Young Master Jin, will have to pass the Blood Wolf Corps someday, even if it’s not this time. Because the final part of the Blood Wolf Corps training is to learn the Heaven-Defying Heart Art.”

“Ah!”

“Of course, even if you have learned the Heaven-Defying Heart Art in advance, if you fail to pass the training, you will not be recognized as an official warrior, so it is a mountain you will have to overcome someday if you wish to live as a warrior in our cult.”

“In that case, I will give it a try.”

Jin Yeong-in did not hesitate any longer.

If internal energy was not required, it was something he could definitely try.

Because he was confident in his mental strength…….

“Good. I will fill out the application form for you.”

“Thank you, time and again.”

“Don’t mention it. From today, focus on building your basic physical strength. Although it is a process where mental strength is more important, a certain level of basic physical strength is essential.”

“Understood.”

Thus, Jin Yeong-in decided to enter the Blood Wolf Corps and began his training in earnest.

***

The news that Jin Yeong-in had applied to enter the Blood Wolf Corps soon reached Yi Ja-yeong’s ears.

She immediately had an audience with the Cult Leader, the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, and reported on this matter.

“Heavenly Demon’s Reign! Demonic Path’s World! I have an audience with the Cult Leader.”

Yi Ja-yeong performed a full prostration towards the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, who was seated on the throne.

“I heard you have a matter to report.”

“Yes, Cult Leader. Jin Yeong-in, the disciple of the Divine Hero of the Azure Sky, Jang Guk-pyeong……”

Yi Ja-yeong opened her mouth after politely making a cupped fist salute.

In Yi Ja-yeong’s eyes as she looked at the Iron-Blooded Demonic God, there was a mixture of a desire close to lust, infinite respect, and also fear.

It was likely awe for the one who was the greatest in the world of their time and perhaps the greatest of all time, and fascination with a beauty that was not of this world.

“That was fast.”

The Iron-Blooded Demonic God’s comment was simple and to the point.

“His body was not in a state to recover in a couple of months.”

“Yes, Cult Leader. As a result of my investigation, his recovery speed is difficult to comprehend from a common-sense perspective.”

“Was there any particular secret?”

“Gongson Chaek’s opinion is that he did not take any special spiritual medicine or learn any martial arts related to recovery.”

“Should we see it as him being naturally gifted?”

“I am currently judging it as such.”

“Then, I will also understand it as such.”

“Then, the Blood Wolf Corps……”

“Is it not a gateway that must be passed someday if one wishes to become an official warrior of our cult? If there is no disagreement with Gongson Chaek’s diagnosis, there is no need to stop him. Are there any other unusual matters?”

“There are widespread rumors about him within the cult.”

“It was bound to be known anyway, so leave it be.”

“I will do so.”

“What about information on ‘them’?”

The Iron-Blooded Demonic God changed the subject.

“I am sorry to report, but it seems they have gone completely underground.”

“Increase the personnel of the Bat Squad and further strengthen our intelligence capabilities. Recently, not only has the spiritual energy of Sky Mountain become thicker, but even the Heavenly Demon Peak is not in an ordinary state.”

“……!”

Yi Ja-yeong was startled.

She couldn’t feel the spiritual energy of Sky Mountain, so she could let that slide, but the fact that the Heavenly Demon Peak was not in an ordinary state was by no means a matter to be taken lightly.

The Heavenly Demon Peak was the most important of the Five Forbidden Areas of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and it was a place that was no different from a sanctuary.

That meant there was a high possibility that it was clear circumstantial evidence that the main enemy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, ‘they’, had made a move.

“I obey your command!”

Yi Ja-yeong shouted forcefully.

“I, your subordinate, will grind my bones to powder to serve the Cult Leader’s command. Heavenly Demon’s Reign! Demonic Path’s World! Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten ten-thousand years!”

In Yi Ja-yeong’s cry, there was a firm will to surely complete the mission.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep