Cheon Mubaeck showed a few more favors.

“It’s better to admit it to some extent.”

“What do you mean?”

“The fact that Confucius was a martial artist.”

“That is impossible.”

“Of course, I’m not saying you should admit it completely. I’m saying you should admit some of the facts.”

“Some?”

Kong Yong showed curiosity.

“If this continues, Jae Seok-geon’s side will constantly raise questions. There will be no conclusion. Even if a public consensus is reached, they will not accept it. Because it is a matter of their school of thought.”

Kong Yong slowly nodded his head as if he agreed.

The reason why he had held the World Debate was to prevent further counterarguments by putting forth the fact that Confucius was not a martial artist as a public consensus.

But was a scholar a being who would be meekly convinced?

They were a tribe that constantly explored and asked questions. Even if a public consensus was reached, Jae Seok-geon’s school of thought would not give up.

Although it was a small scale in the Confucian family, their voice, fame, and knowledge could not be ignored.

“But if you trace back the origin of Jae Seok-geon’s school of thought, it eventually comes from Confucius.”

“Then are you saying that they also do not like the fact that the King of Culture and Proclamation was a martial artist?”

Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head. Only then did Kong Yong realize what Cheon Mubaeck was saying.

“You can announce that he was a martial artist, but not a martial artist. You can package it as a technique for self-defense that Confucius learned at that time.”

“But…”

Kong Yong trailed off. Cheon Mubaeck let out a hollow laugh at Kong Yong’s gaze.

Anyone would see that what Zhuge Seola had shown was martial arts. How could that be expressed as self-defense?

There was only one way.

It was possible if Cheon Mubaeck helped.

Because it was enough for a martial artist to testify in person that what Confucius had learned was not martial arts, but a degree of self-defense.

“I will testify at the next meeting. If you don’t use internal energy, it’s a stretch to say that what’s left in the book is martial arts.”

As Cheon Mubaeck said so, Kong Yong’s face brightened as if he were relieved.

“Then I’ll have to talk to Jae Seok-geon at an appropriate time. Thank you for your help. I thought the academic world would be divided again and the conflict between the same Confucians would deepen.”

“No. I just dared to offer a few pieces of advice with my lacking knowledge. It is the Duke of Yansheng’s magnanimity to accept this.”

“Hehehe…”

Kong Yong’s gaze as he looked at Cheon Mubaeck softened. Perhaps because he was a Confucian scholar, he could not help but like Cheon Mubaeck’s humble attitude.

‘Lacking. Even after talking a few times, it seems he has studied enough.’

Although he said his knowledge was lacking, Kong Yong inwardly denied it.

The conversation went well. Even when he spoke in circles with a few ancient stories, didn’t Cheon Mubaeck quickly understand and even respond by telling an ancient story that he himself was unfamiliar with?

Considering that he was a martial artist, far from his knowledge being lacking, he would be overwhelming among martial artists.

Kong Yong, who was striving in both the fields of literature and martial arts, suddenly felt a liking for Cheon Mubaeck, who was also equipped with both literature and martial arts.

“Since you are helping me like this, I would like to repay you in some way. Is there anything you need?”

It was a pure favor.

But Cheon Mubaeck shook his head.

“I have already made the mistake of burning an important object left in the secret pavilion, but you have forgiven me, so what more could I ask for?”

“…!”

“The fact that you have forgiven that fact is already a sufficient reward for me.”

“…Umm.”

Kong Yong closed his mouth with a reluctant expression.

The reason why he had boldly overlooked the burning of the prayer was that he had calculated that if he put him in his debt like this, he would be able to receive great help in an important moment someday.

But Cheon Mubaeck had just brushed it off with a few words. Since he had said that he had already been rewarded just by being forgiven, couldn’t it be taken as having repaid the favor?

The moment he showed a gap, he immediately responded.

Of course, it was not that he would cut him off with a single sword if he asked for help later, but it would be difficult to expect pure help.

Kong Yong swallowed a bitter smile and looked at Cheon Mubaeck.

“…The knowledge is deep, and the ability to use one’s head is a different story. You would have become quite great even if you had cultivated academics.”

Although it was a statement with some bone in it, Cheon Mubaeck just smiled.

* * *

Zhuge Seola nodded her head at Cheon Mubaeck’s words.

“So you’re asking me to talk like that at the next debate?”

“You’ll have to withdraw at an appropriate time. If you keep your foot in the scholars’ debate, you’ll fall into an endless swamp.”

“Well. While you were gone, many scholars came to see me. Just talking once, I felt like I was completely drained.”

“So let’s quietly leave after the next debate is over.”

“Are you going back to Henan when it’s all over?”

“Since Neung-heo has to be by her side when she gives birth to do his fatherly duties properly.”

“Hmm. I see.”

As if she had nothing more to say, Zhuge Seola glanced at Cheon Mubaeck.

When Cheon Mubaeck felt her gaze and met her eyes, she quickly turned her gaze away.

Looking at her, it seemed she had something she wanted to say, but she was contemplating whether she should say it herself.

No, it was that kind of emotion. Cheon Mubaeck, who was now used to the immortal eye, was able to analyze the saturation of the color more closely, and had become proficient in reading emotions to some extent.

“You’re going to Henan with us, right, Young Lady?”

As if it were the answer she had been waiting for, the light beyond her face changed brilliantly in an instant.

To the extent that Cheon Mubaeck let out a hollow laugh inwardly.

The corners of her mouth, which were turned away, twitched slightly, and it was clear that it was what she had wanted to hear. But Zhuge Seola did not answer right away, but after a moment’s pause, she asked back.

Although she tried her best to manage her expression, since her emotions were clearly visible in Cheon Mubaeck’s immortal eye. A hollow laugh came out.

“Would you like to go with me?”

“Weren’t we going together? I thought so.”

“Let’s go together. Well. Because I have to go to the Righteous Alliance with you, Young Master. That’s my mission.”

“It doesn’t matter if you go first.”

“That… no. Since I told the alliance leader that I would bring you, I have to do it.”

“You seem to be in a good mood?”

“What?”

“The corners of your mouth are twitching hard, trying to go up to your cheekbones.”

Zhuge Seola was startled and turned her head. It was a sullen face.

“…Ahem. I like children. That’s why I want to see Neung-heo’s baby.”

“I hope it’s not a daughter.”

“Why?”

“They say a daughter resembles her father.”

“…I hope she resembles her mother.”

Neung-heo, who had been watching the conversation silently, shouted as if he were dumbfounded.

“…Why are you suddenly dragging me into this and beating me up? Am I that easy?”

“Neung-heo. Don’t you think it’s better for her to resemble her mother?”

“…”

Neung-heo was at a loss for words.

* * *

While staying at the Kong Family Mansion, Kong Yong gave him a separate space.

It was a place he used when he was learning martial arts. It was in a corner of the Kong Forest, and it was the outermost part of the entire Kong Family Mansion.

Since it was surrounded by dense forests, there was little fear of sound leaking out.

Even if it did leak out, since the distance to where people were was considerable, there was little fear of being caught even if he practiced any martial arts here.

Although Cheon Mubaeck did not need a place to practice without being caught, he just needed a place to check his martial arts.

He quite liked the quiet and secluded place.

Cheon Mubaeck focused on the transparent sensation he felt every time his heart beat.

The prayer on the bamboo slip was not just a phrase to offer a prayer to the Supreme Being and God.

‘It was surprisingly similar to a martial arts verse. If you had to say, it would be the original form of the time when martial arts had not yet been established, or the beginning of martial arts.’

It was not for nothing that Confucius had created a divine art based on the prayer.

It was not just an ordinary phrase, but it was similar to a martial arts verse.

Of course, since it was an object from the ancient times, or perhaps even earlier, it was not exactly the same as martial arts.

But since the form was very similar to a martial arts verse, it could be used like martial arts if you thought about it a little differently.

When his thoughts reached that point, Cheon Mubaeck took out all sorts of knowledge that was in his head.

Just as he had created the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art, Cheon Mubaeck had the knowledge and skill to create martial arts himself.

A great master.

It did not simply mean the realm of martial arts, but it meant the creator and designer of martial arts.

Just as Confucius had created the Regeneration Divine Art by looking at the prayer, Cheon Mubaeck created the heart method of the middle dantian.

Since the content of the prayer itself was very similar to the form of a verse, it was not a difficult task for Cheon Mubaeck.

But if you were to ask if it was the same divine art as Confucius’s Regeneration Divine Art.

Cheon Mubaeck firmly shook his head.

“Hoo.”

Cheon Mubaeck, who had taken a deep breath and focused his mind, his Baihui acupoint opened wide.

Natural qi rushed into his upper dantian. The Heaven-Shaking Soul Art reacted greatly and transmitted the natural qi throughout his body. Cheon Mubaeck intentionally directed that energy to his heart.

Woong, woong, woong.

Was it because the natural qi had seeped in? The speed of his heartbeat gradually increased.

Thump, thump, thumpthumpthumpthump!

As if it were beating to supply blood like crazy after a full sprint.

The heart beat fiercely, and more violently. More and more.

The natural qi that had seeped into the middle dantian, the demon-subduing qi full of the demon-subduing energy of the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art, was newly born with the blood in the heart.

It was transparent.

It was colorless, and it was odorless.

It was immortal energy.

The threads of immortal energy that had existed before were not even visible. It had not disappeared. It had seeped into the heart.

The heart itself had become a vessel.

Following the lower dantian and the upper dantian, the middle dantian had become Cheon Mubaeck’s heart itself.

If Confucius’s Regeneration Divine Art accumulated a powerful internal energy in the heart.

Cheon Mubaeck’s new Regeneration Divine Art dealt with something else.

A mysterious power.

‘Immortal energy.’

The middle dantian, which had been considered only a passage for the lower and upper dantians at first.

The threads of immortal energy were suitable for such a passage.

But the moment a vessel was created in the middle dantian, all the immortal energy was sucked into the heart.

Immortal energy was contained in the newly created dantian. And surprisingly, Cheon Mubaeck was finally able to control this. Like internal energy.

Of course, it was not an easy task.

‘An intangible, transparent energy. It cannot be caught, and it cannot be blocked.’

It was more transparent than internal energy, and it was a strange feeling that seemed to be caught in the hand, but was not.

But Cheon Mubaeck had already reached the realm of freely using the supreme yin energy of the Ice Soul Divine Art and the demon-subduing energy of the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art.

It was safe to say that his skill in handling internal energy was the best in the world.

‘If it cannot be caught, I will catch it with my will. If it cannot be interfered with, I will communicate with it with my spirit.’

Paat!

Cheon Mubaeck suddenly kicked up a stone that was on the ground.

The internal energy that was loaded on the tip of his foot was loaded on the stone, and the stone flew at a fierce speed.

Sweeeek!

If it were to be embedded in the tree in front, a hole the size of a fist would be made.

But at that moment.

Jiiing-

With a resonance, the stone that had been shot in a straight line sharply turned its direction.

Pajik!

It was a sharp change of direction. It suddenly fell vertically to the ground and was ruthlessly embedded in the ground.

A slight smile appeared on Cheon Mubaeck’s lips.

Pat, pat, pat, pat!

He kicked the stones on the ground in succession. The stones all shot out fiercely in a straight line, and then sharply turned their direction with a resonance.

They continued to fall vertically to the ground.

How long had that been repeated? When he had kicked all the stones around.

Kwadeuk!

Not the ground, but a stone that was embedded in a rock a little below.

“Now I get it.”

A satisfied smile appeared on Cheon Mubaeck’s lips.

The function contained in the immortal energy of the middle dantian, the Regeneration Divine Art.

It was clearly different from internal energy.

Unlike internal energy, which was emitted through some medium, the immortal energy was transparent and had the function of jumping over space in one go.

Soon.

“Telekinesis…”

In fact, although telekinesis seemed like a ridiculous story, it was not unfamiliar in the martial world.

The realm of moving objects from a distance, such as moving objects from a distance or moving objects from the air, had existed since ancient times.

Although the realm of controlling a sword with one’s will was extremely rare, didn’t it certainly exist in the martial world?

But this was different.

Although they had reached the realm of moving objects from the air or moving objects from a distance, they did not actually use it.

It was just for show.

‘It’s a waste of internal energy.’

Just by moving an object, one had to consume an enormous amount of internal energy and mental power.

Moving objects from the air was something that required a large consumption of internal energy and enormous concentration during a fierce battle.

Moreover, what about the legendary realm like controlling a sword with one’s will?

But what was achieved with the power of immortal energy was clearly different.

He had turned the direction of something that was shooting out fiercely with internal energy loaded on it, just with immortal energy.

“…”

Jjeojeojeong!

A blue cold qi formed in Cheon Mubaeck’s left hand.

It was the supreme yin energy of the lower dantian.

He turned his head and moved his gaze.

Woong! Woong! Woong!

A pure white energy rose like a haze in his right hand.

It was the demon-subduing energy of the upper dantian’s Heaven-Shaking Soul Art.

Now, even though the two dantians were emitting energy from two heart methods at the same time, Cheon Mubaeck’s body did not feel any burden.

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes, which were looking down at his hands indifferently, flashed.

Kwaang!

As if clapping his hands, Cheon Mubaeck clenched his hands strongly.

The two opposing energies clashed violently and emitted a loud qi wave.

But it did not explode. The immortal energy that was slowly flowing out from the middle dantian soothed the two energies.

An invisible, odorless energy.

Soon, the telekinesis slowly calmed the two clashing energies.

“Haha…”

A satisfied laugh came from Cheon Mubaeck’s lips.

Finally.

“I can use my full power.”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep