Chapter 56

“Cough, cough…”

This isn’t an ethical dilemma of saving one person versus saving another. It’s, ‘If I choose the Abbot of Shaolin, can I even restore him?’

Often, trials present these kinds of choices. It’s like being forced into a gamble with unpredictable outcomes.

The situation has unfolded, and I must choose before it’s too late.

What I need in times like these is experience and intuition.

‘Even if I save them, they won’t be able to stop the ultimate boss, the Blood Devil. I’ll only be able to buy time.’

I stood firm. High risk, high return.

“Master, I’ll leave things here to you!”

“Lad, I heard you learned martial arts in the West, and you’re quite skilled… Hurry and go! We’ll hold this place!”

The head of the Azure Dragon Escort Agency and the remaining warriors fought desperately. In the distance, I could see a man in a long robe struggling against a Blood Ghoul.

‘Hoo…’

Leaving them behind, I ran.

Fallen monks along the way, muttering sutras, guided me. It seemed the Mountain Air Poison had spread throughout Shaolin, as they couldn’t even scream and collapsed.

‘Damn it, old man.’

Following the signs, I arrived at a building.

[Abbot’s Quarters] The heart of Shaolin.

The building was surprisingly ordinary, not as grand as I expected.

Crash!! Splatter!!!

I followed the sound of wood breaking and flesh tearing. When I entered, the building was filled with blood. “Stop!!”

Namgung Myeongil, seemingly possessed, was holding a high monk aloft with one hand, while the other held a dripping sword.

He tilted his head at my shout. “Ah, the little one? You’ve finally arrived?”

The gentle image from earlier was gone, replaced by a bloodthirsty demon.

His body was about 1.5 times larger, and his hands were like a beast’s, with sharp claws. His blue eyes had completely turned red.

“Just wait a moment. Once I devour the Abbot, you and I can be together.”

“What? No way!!!”

He grabbed the high monk’s neck and walked towards the door, which was protected by a blue barrier. I threw a dart at his back.

He tossed the high monk aside and quickly twisted his body to dodge the dart. “You… attacked me? Why?”

‘This guy is fast?’

He didn’t seem this strong earlier. He must have been empowered by something. “It’s okay. Even if I lose a leg, I can just reattach it!”

Whoosh!

With tremendous force, he was instantly in front of me.

‘Is he trying to body slam me?’

I didn’t resist, but gently yielded my body to the immense force.

Thud!

With a violent body slam, my body flew, smashing through the building’s wall and rolling dozens of meters outside before stopping. My body was tough, even without using internal energy, so I wasn’t seriously hurt.

‘Good. I’m better off in an open space like this than in a confined room.’

“Heh heh… You’re tough.”

He slowly emerged from the hole in the wall.

“Are you alone?”

I aimed my spear at him and asked.

“Are you trying to get information? Heh heh… Fine, I’ll tell you. I am alone here.”

He smiled as if there was nothing more to ask, gesturing for me to continue. It was as if he was dismissing me, implying that even if I knew, it wouldn’t matter.

‘That bastard…’

My blood pressure rose slightly, but I calmly asked, “Where is the Blood Devil?”

“Ah… I’ll bring him here soon. I asked him for a favor.”

“A favor?”

“He promised. If I kill the Abbot of Shaolin this time, he’ll let me have the woman I want… That’s right… it’s you, isn’t it?”

‘Is this guy completely obsessed with women?’

“That’s right. I did all this for you. I’ve always… for you, just to have you. Heh heh…”

“You’re insane.”

There was no need to listen anymore. I was worried it might be a diversion by the Blood Devil, but it seemed this guy was acting alone. ‘So, this guy is the mid-boss.’

“Alright, are you done asking questions? Then die!”

Bang!!

The ground shattered, and the air tore as he charged. ‘He’s fast, as expected.’

I might have had trouble reacting in the past.

But now, I had <Haste Stacking> from the injury I sustained on the 13th floor. ‘Burn all divine power.’

[Haste] [Haste] [Haste] [Haste] [Haste] [Haste]

Instantly, I stacked six layers of Haste, increasing my agility by 90. The world slowed down. It felt like time itself was slowing.

I could see the confident expression on his face.

His attack trajectory and the time it would take to reach me were easily calculated. I placed my spear in his path.

“Hahaha!! You can’t stop me with that!”

I could see every minute muscle movement. ‘Not yet.’

[Strength]

[Strength]

[Strength]

[Strength]

I squeezed out the remaining divine power to amplify my strength.

As his right ankle slightly turned inward, I predicted his movement and thrust my spear to the right.

“Huh?”

His eyes widened in surprise. The spear and his body grew closer.

As if knowing the future, the spear followed his path, piercing his heart like a magnet. Thwack!!

It pierced through his tough flesh, shattered his ribs, and pierced his heart.

I accurately destroyed his heart, but I didn’t let my guard down. ‘These kinds of guys usually have regeneration and immortality. I need to tear out his organs from his heart.’

Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!!!

I rapidly stabbed his entire body. A flurry of thrusts.

Rather than aiming, I instinctively stabbed his vital joints and weak points. Holes appeared all over his body, and his limbs fell off.

He lost his momentum and fell backward.

One strike.

The mid-boss who had terrorized Shaolin was easily defeated with a single blow. “Cough, cough!! How, how could this be…”

‘He’s still not dead, even after all this.’

His limbs were severed, and his torso, heart, lungs, and other organs were all destroyed, but he still wasn’t dead. I stood beside him and raised my spear to finish him off.

“No, don’t! Doho! You can’t defeat the Blood Devil! The only salvation is to join me! It’s not too late!!!”

He desperately shouted, spitting blood as he lay on the ground. He probably genuinely believed that this was the only way to be saved.

Once someone is consumed by a twisted ideology, they believe they are right, no matter what. It’s tragic and pitiful.

Sad…

“Ah, why… now that everything blocking you and me has disappeared…”

‘Were those obstacles his own family?’

Namgung Myeongil, who turned his back on his family and took countless lives by joining hands with the Blood Devil for a woman, I pointed the tip of my spear at his forehead.

“No, don’t!! How much I’ve done for you… Aaaaaaaah!!!”

I slowly pushed the spear in. It tore through his skin and crushed his skull.

Crack!! “Doho!! Nooooo!!”

Ignoring his agonizing screams, I pushed harder. Crack!! Crack!!

His skull cracked, and the spear pierced through, destroying his brain. With a sickening sound, his brain was destroyed, and he finally died.

“Hoo… Everyone, don’t be blinded by women.”

I turned to the camera and gave a word of caution before rushing back to the Abbot’s Quarters.

The red moon still hung in the sky.

The Blood Devil would arrive soon. Before that, I had to do something about the Abbot of Shaolin.

I was wondering if I should go outside again and help the others, but I couldn’t just leave the Abbot of Shaolin to recover on his own.

The inner part of the Abbot’s Quarters was blocked by a special energy.

“Hello? Are you alright?”

I approached a high monk who had survived Namgung Myeongil’s attack and asked.

“Ugh… I’m alright. I just have a slight sore throat. But… everyone is dead.” He looked around with a bitter expression.

Whether it was intentional or not, the bodies of the high monks were brutally torn to pieces.

“Hoo… May they all rest in peace… Namo Amitabha.” “Namo Amitabha…”

I clasped my hands together like the high monk and waited for him to finish his prayer. He finished as quickly as possible and looked at me with curiosity.

“Young warrior, do you wish to enter this room? Are you curious about Abbot Bo Hong Juji’s condition?” The Abbot of Shaolin’s name was Bo Hong Juji.

I was slightly taken aback by his words, but I answered honestly. There might not be another chance if I didn’t do it now. “Yes, I want to see Abbot Juji’s condition and, if possible, try to heal him.”

“Hoo… You’re going to do what even we couldn’t? This barrier is created by Abbot Juji and the Eight Great Protectors combined. We were granted the authority to dispel the barrier in case of an emergency, but Abbot Juji is already in a state of Demonic Qi Deviation, and I am the only remaining Great Protector. Once dispelled, it cannot be recreated. I hope you understand what that means.”

“…”

‘So, it’s impossible?’

Forcing my way through was also impossible.

A strange barrier was erected in the room where Abbot Juji was presumed to be.

Moreover, there was only one chance to dispel the barrier.

If I failed to heal him, Abbot Juji, who was in a state of Demonic Qi Deviation, would be easily exposed to the Blood Devil’s attack. Even if I went in, could I really succeed?

And to make matters worse, there was no way they would allow a woman in such revealing clothing to enter… “Alright, I’ll allow it.”

“Really…? Huh?”

What? Did I hear wrong?

“You…?”

“However, there is a condition. May I touch your breasts once?”

“What?”

What was this…?

I was speechless.

Was this elite member of the Eight Great Protectors, who was supposed to be protecting the Abbot of Shaolin, actually a pervert who was desperate to touch me!?

“W-Well, such a thing… I, but… I have no choice. T-Touch them! Yes, this is unavoidable…” As I blushed and leaned forward, offering my chest, he panicked.

“W-Wait! I think there’s been a misunderstanding!” “What? Weren’t you saying that I had to pay the price with my body?”

“Ah, I see. I didn’t explain myself clearly enough. Since I have to explain everything inside anyway, I’ll tell you everything now. Please don’t misunderstand.”

‘Oh, so it wasn’t a forced molestation situation…’

I didn’t know why I felt somewhat disappointed, but I listened to his words.

“Let’s see… First, I need to explain this. The martial art that Abbot Juji is currently practicing is the Virgin Boy Skill.” Virgin Boy Skill?

It was a martial art that granted immense internal energy in exchange for becoming a voluntary eunuch who abstained from sexual relations. “Do you know why there are no monks who have mastered the Virgin Boy Skill and reached a high level?”

Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of anyone becoming the strongest in the world by mastering the Virgin Boy Skill. It was clearly a technique for accumulating a massive amount of internal energy.

“Because they can’t resist their sexual desires in the middle…?”

“That’s certainly an important reason, but that’s only the case before reaching a certain level. The more you practice the Virgin Boy Skill, the less you feel sexual desire. And once you reach a certain level, your internal energy doesn’t disappear even if you have sexual relations.”

“Then what’s the reason?”

“There’s a crisis that comes in the middle. The internal energy becomes too violent compared to your level. Too much Yang energy accumulates to the point where you can’t handle it, and it gradually destroys your body. Usually, most people fall into Demonic Qi Deviation during the transition from the peak of the intermediate stage to the advanced stage.”

“Then what do you do? If it’s a case of self-induced Demonic Qi Deviation, is there a way to heal it?”

“Actually… it was that. Usually, the only way is to somehow control and overcome the excessive Yang energy, but that’s bound to fail. This is a way to secretly break free from the Demonic Transformation through Sexual Intercourse, and even ascend to a higher level of enlightenment!”

“What… is it?”

The monk suddenly averted his gaze and hesitated before speaking.

“Ahem, it is… Yin-Yang Harmonization!”

“What?!”

Yin-Yang Harmonization? Isn’t that something only lecherous martial artists use?

“Don’t get the wrong idea… It doesn’t mean the woman will wither away.”

“If that’s the case, why is it so secret? If it’s a good method, wouldn’t everyone use it?”

“Yin-Yang Harmonization with an ordinary woman is useless. There are conditions. She must possess perfectly pure Yin energy, and she must have an amount of Yin energy similar to that of the Head Monk. Now do you understand why it’s a secret? It’s probably because it’s impossible to use, so no one even mentions it. It would only tarnish the reputation of the Shaolin Temple.”

“… ”

Right, finding a female master with an amount of Yin energy equal to the excessively increased Yang energy due to the Virgin Boy Skill is not easy. And if they have reached that level of enlightenment, they would probably be old enough to have a husband, or they might be reluctant to engage in sexual relations due to their chastity.

Furthermore, to have very, very pure Yin energy, one must master only Taoist or Buddhist martial arts without any mixed attributes, and that’s not easy. In the first place, such places usually don’t even accept outsiders.

“It’s about soothing the extreme Yang energy with extreme Yin energy. And it’s not just about soothing it. The suppression of sexual desire and extreme Yang energy of the Virgin Boy Skill go against the laws of nature. Rather, the laws of nature lie in the union of Yin and Yang and the desire for reproduction. All living things reproduce. Don’t you think it’s strange that the Virgin Boy Skill, which rejects that, is somehow strange? That’s where the problem comes from. And the moment you break free from it, realize the union of Yin and Yang and the law of natural reproductive instinct, you realize the harmony and reason of nature, and a tremendous rise in enlightenment occurs.”

“That’s… right. The desire for reproduction is a famous law of nature…”

“However, there could be negative consequences if the compatibility isn’t right, so there has been constant debate about whether to use this method until now. But there’s no one to debate with now.”

“To summarize… I go inside and engage in a ritual of exchanging Yang and Yin energy with the Head Monk?”

“That’s right. Once you reach the level of enlightenment above the Transformation Realm with the Virgin Boy Skill, it doesn’t mean that your skills will disappear or anything if you have relations with a woman. You can enjoy yourself to your heart’s content.”

Enjoy myself to my heart’s content…

“In that sense, take off your clothes.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t I tell you the reason I said that earlier? You seem to have Qi in both breasts, but I can’t tell just by looking whether it’s pure or not. If you’re not a suitable woman, it could be dangerous for both of us.”

“So…?”

“Are you deaf? Quickly strip naked and show me your breasts! Time is of the essence! I need to touch those big breasts directly to know!”

“Do you really need to touch them to know?”