Episode 16: Disappearance
Late at night.
After finishing his pill refining, Jang So-cheon returned to his dormitory and took out the Cloud Step Shoes he had purchased earlier that day, along with the instruction manual.
Once he had memorized the entire manual, he picked up the Cloud Step Shoes and examined them closely.
Was it because this was his first time owning a magic device?
Or maybe it was because he’d spent a small fortune on them—either way, Jang So-cheon felt an unusual attachment to the shoes.
He carefully inspected their size, weight, and appearance, then cautiously slipped them onto his feet.
At first glance, the Cloud Step Shoes looked a bit large.
But as soon as he put them on, they tightened perfectly to fit his feet.
The comfortable fit brought a natural smile to Jang So-cheon’s lips.
“Since I’m wearing them, I should test their effects. I’ll also check how much Law Power they consume...”
To do that, he had no choice but to head to the training room.
Swoosh!
As Jang So-cheon practiced the Carefree Sword Technique in the training room, his movements suddenly sped up.
He moved so quickly that even his afterimage was hard to see.
What amazed him was that, despite the sudden burst of speed, his body responded perfectly.
From Jang So-cheon’s sword, which shot out like a bolt of lightning, three streaks of sword energy flowed forth.
Ever since reaching the late stage of 4-Star Qi Refiner,
Jang So-cheon had been able to project sword energy outside his blade.
He had finally achieved Projectile Release.
Perhaps because of this, the sword energy that flowed from his blade was no longer just a shadow, but had a tangible, physical presence.
Swoosh!
Twisting his body and leaping into the air, Jang So-cheon tapped a point in midair and instantly changed direction to counterattack his imaginary foe.
“This is unbelievable...”
Jang So-cheon’s face was filled with astonishment.
When he channeled his Spiritual Energy to the limit into the Cloud Step Shoes, he found he could even change direction midair, as if stepping on air itself.
A special ability that should have been impossible at his current cultivation stage—
the magic device had made it possible.
“Haha!”
As he continued to perform the Carefree Sword Technique while wearing the Cloud Step Shoes, the technique no longer felt like a basic sword form.
It had become an advanced sword art—
one that was bizarre and unpredictable, constantly catching his opponent off guard.
Extremely satisfied with the effect of the Cloud Step Shoes, Jang So-cheon next focused on monitoring the Law Power consumption.
This, too, was more than satisfactory.
He’d heard that other magic devices didn’t consume much Law Power, but with the Cloud Step Shoes, he could barely even feel any depletion.
‘While I’m at it, I should try out my movement technique. At this rate, my speed should increase by at least thirty percent.’
Outside the training hall was a fairly wide clearing.
Under the bright moonlight, Jang So-cheon used the Cloud Moon Divine Technique, confirming that his guess was correct.
His speed had indeed increased by about thirty percent.
At that moment,
Jang So-cheon felt that the Spirit Stones he’d spent on the Cloud Step Shoes were worth every bit.
This was a jackpot.
As his cultivation advanced, his speed would only increase further.
He almost regretted not buying them sooner.
After finishing his training and returning to his dorm, Jang So-cheon once again examined the Bronze Mirror.
He read through the instruction manual for magic devices and analyzed it from every angle.
His conclusion:
the mirror was not a magic device.
It was disappointing, but there was nothing he could do.
He tossed the mirror into his Heaven and Earth Pouch and spent some time idly.
Only when night grew deep did he practice Qi Circulation Meditation and drift off to sleep.
*
After about a month of continuous pill refining, Jang So-cheon began to think it was time to try making other elixir pills.
He couldn’t let his talent be tied down to just the Yellow Essence Pill.
So he sought advice, and his Master handed him three pill recipes.
He was told to decide for himself which one to make.
The recipes his Master gave him were:
the Spirit Purification Pill, which clears the soul and spirit;
the Qi Spirit Pill, which aids in realm advancement;
and the Blood Explosion Pill, which unleashes hidden strength for a burst of power.
Looking over the recipes, Jang So-cheon felt he could make the Qi Spirit Pill right away.
But the Spirit Purification Pill required some herbs he didn’t have.
As for the Blood Explosion Pill, he’d never even seen its main ingredient, Blood Demon Herb....
Still, since his Master had given him the recipes, the ingredients couldn’t be completely unobtainable.
So he rushed to the Alchemy Market, and sure enough, all the missing ingredients were in stock.
However, the ingredients for the Blood Explosion Pill were extremely rare.
With some of them in short supply, he figured he’d be lucky to attempt the pill three or four times at most.
Still, he was grateful to have found them at all, and returned to Wuji Hall to report to his Master.
“You’re interested in all three elixirs? Go ahead and try making them. But even if you succeed with the Blood Explosion Pill, don’t take it lightly. That pill has severe side effects—abuse it, and your body won’t withstand it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After promising his Master, Jang So-cheon returned to his pill furnace and decided to start with the Qi Spirit Pill, which seemed the easiest.
The Qi Spirit Pill was intermediate in effect, between the Yellow Essence Pill and the Enhanced Spirit Energy Pill.
It was similar to the True Blue Pill that Squad Leader Gwak Mu-jin was currently refining.
The reason his Master recommended the Qi Spirit Pill was that the ingredients for the True Blue Pill had recently become scarce....
Especially the main ingredient, which was in very unstable supply.
In contrast, the Qi Spirit Pill recipe used relatively easy-to-find herbs.
The only catch was the large number of ingredients and the tricky refining conditions.
Of course, Jang So-cheon was confident in his skills....
Before starting, he used his experience to write a detailed pill refining guide—
to reduce defects and maximize efficacy.
He included the timing for adding each ingredient, heating times, expected heat output, and methods for controlling it.
As a result,
the first attempt forced him to open the pill furnace lid mid-process—
the heat was greater than expected, and he failed to control the pressure.
The second time, he failed to add the ingredients on time while cooling the furnace.
The third time, he finished the process, but one herb didn’t react properly, resulting in an incomplete pill.
Phew!
Letting out a quiet sigh, Jang So-cheon gathered his resolve and tried a fourth time.
This time,
he finally succeeded in making five Qi Spirit Pills.
When he checked their effects with his special ability, he wasn’t completely satisfied—
but they were at least above average.
Having succeeded with the Qi Spirit Pill, Jang So-cheon moved on to the Spirit Purification Pill.
This one was even harder to make than the Qi Spirit Pill.
The ingredients were more unusual, and the refining conditions much stricter.
Yet, Jang So-cheon succeeded in just three attempts.
But the Blood Explosion Pill was truly difficult.
By the time he’d used up all his ingredients, he’d produced only a single pill—
and even that was salvaged from the usable part of a defective batch.
From then on, Jang So-cheon alternated between making Qi Spirit Pills and Spirit Purification Pills.
Then, one day,
Squad Leader Gwak Mu-jin ran out of the main ingredient for the True Blue Pill he’d been making.
So Sanggwan Cheonse and Han Yeo-ok took flying magic devices to search for more herbs.
But as time passed, even that became impossible.
Prices had skyrocketed.
In the end, the squad leader had no choice but to halt pill refining.
Jang So-cheon was in the same boat.
When he went to the Alchemy Market to buy herbs, he was shocked—
in just a few days, prices had doubled.
The reason:
the war with the demon beast tribe, which had been quiet for a while, had flared up again.
And the herb storage in the rear had been burned down in a surprise attack.
At this rate, pill refining would soon be impossible due to a lack of ingredients.
Jang So-cheon scraped together every last Spirit Stone he had and bought up all the herbs he could find in the market.
Fortunately, that included enough to make another Blood Explosion Pill.
Ten days later.
At Gwak Mu-jin’s suggestion, the members of Herb Gathering Hall’s First Group gathered in the dormitory.
There, Gwak Mu-jin distributed three True Blue Pills to each member, free of charge.
Following him, Jang So-cheon handed out five Qi Spirit Pills, two Spirit Purification Pills, and one Blood Explosion Pill to each person.
“So-cheon! What’s all this?”
Squad Leader Gwak Mu-jin asked, and Jang So-cheon explained the names and effects of each elixir.
He especially emphasized, several times, that the Blood Explosion Pill should never be taken unless one’s life was truly in danger.
“You mean you made all of these yourself?”
“Yes. But I can’t make any more. As you know, all the herbs at the Alchemy Market are sold out.”
“What! So even if we have money, we might not be able to buy elixirs anymore?”
Makjang looked at Jang So-cheon and asked.
“That’s right. In a few days, the price of elixirs will skyrocket. So use what you have sparingly.”
“Oh, this is bad.”
“What’s so bad about it?”
Sanggwan Cheonse asked, and Makjang poured out his worries like a waterfall.
“As you know, my Spirit Root Attribute is pretty poor. I was relying on elixirs to make up for it, but now even that chance is gone.”
“They say talisman prices have also shot up because of the war, right? Then you could use that money to buy elixirs. If that doesn’t work, you could just gather herbs yourself and bring them to So-cheon....”
“Oh, that’s a good idea! So-cheon, if I bring you the ingredients, can you make elixirs?”
“Of course.”
“Hahaha! Joining the First Group of Herb Gathering Hall is the best decision I’ve ever made. Hold on a second.”
This time, Makjang stood up and handed out three Thunderclap Talismans and three Flame Talismans to each member.
He winked at Jang So-cheon and gave him five of each—
plus one more strange-looking talisman.
[That last one is a Flying Talisman I made recently. You can only use it once, but it’ll come in handy someday.]
[Thanks. I’ll put it to good use.]
[Of course you will. Hehe.]
With a creepy grin, Makjang returned to his seat, and Gwak Mu-jin began briefing the group on the current situation.
“As you’ve probably heard, there are almost no usable herbs left in the market. If this continues, Master and us pill refiners will be useless, and in the end, we’ll likely be sent to the battlefield.”
“We could just go out and fight, right?”
“Exactly. But before that, we need to maximize our strength. That means we need to buy ourselves as much time as possible....”
“Are you suggesting we go herb gathering in the Thousand-Mile Gorge?”
Sanggwan Cheonse, quick on the uptake, asked, and Gwak Mu-jin nodded.
Sanggwan Cheonse was about to object, but fell silent when he saw the squad leader’s eyes.
He wasn’t the type to send his team into a death trap.
“I’m not saying we should wander around recklessly for herbs. Remember the place where So-cheon gathered spirit herbs before?”
“Ghost Blood Valley?”
“The waterfall?”
“That’s right. We’ll go into that cave and train for a few months. If people think the disciples went missing while gathering herbs, no one will blame Master.”
“Wow! Squad Leader, you’re a genius at scheming!”
“You brat! I’ve got more brains than that.”
“Really?”
“I’ll explain everything to Master. So-cheon, what about you?”
“There are plenty of people here to help Master, so my absence won’t cause much trouble. I’ll go with you, Squad Leader.”
“Good. But since you’re a direct disciple, make sure you see Master before you leave.”
“I was planning to.”
“Alright. We leave at dawn tomorrow. Everyone, get ready and keep this secret.”
“Yes, sir.”
The squad leader, who had stepped outside the dormitory, returned after about half an hour.
He looked a bit tired,
but said the persuasion had gone well.
After parting with the others and returning to his room, Jang So-cheon waited until late before seeking out the Wuji Perfected One.
“You’re going to the Thousand-Mile Gorge? Mu-jin told me. Are you leaving with them?”
“It won’t take too long.”
“Go safely. I’ve always told you—what’s the most important thing for survival in the cultivation world?”
“You said raising one’s cultivation is the most important thing. That it’s the highest virtue....”
“Never forget that. Understood?”
“I understand, Master. And this is a small token from your disciple.”
“What is it?”
“These are elixirs I made in my spare time.”
“Let’s see.”
When the Wuji Perfected One opened the box Jang So-cheon offered, he looked genuinely surprised.
Inside were stacks of Yellow Essence Pills and Qi Spirit Pills—
plus ten Spirit Purification Pills and two Blood Explosion Pills.
Even if the higher-ups pressured him, with this many elixirs, he could probably hold out for a year or two.