Chapter 18

After staying up the entire night in the library, Yuwon returned to the Prince’s Palace, had a light meal, and made up for his lack of sleep.

When he finally awoke again, it was already one in the afternoon.

After a brief lunch, Yuwon began preparing to head straight to the library once more.

As he passed through the entrance of the Prince’s Palace, Chief Attendant Marcellus waddled toward him, dragging his heavy body as usual, and intercepted him.

“Your Highness, are you heading to the library again?”

“I was just about to, but… it seems someone intends to stop me.”

The chief attendant laughed awkwardly.

“Haha… Studying is well and good, but this humble servant worries that Your Highness’s precious body might suffer. So please, today, do not stay out too la—”

Yuwon cut him off early.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be too late today.”

“If Your Highness does as you say, this small one’s heart will be at ease.”

Yuwon replied with words he did not mean.

“If you’re that worried, coming along might be an option. The library has plenty of fine books. Would you like to join me?”

The chief attendant was not foolish enough to miss the sarcasm. He responded with a laugh.

“I am deeply honored by your offer, but this humble servant must remain to oversee the affairs of the Fifth Prince’s Palace, so I fear I cannot accompany you.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

“I shall await your return. Please go safely, Your Highness.”

“Then, I’ll be off.”

That concluded their conversation. With a light nod, Yuwon turned and made his way toward the library.

Chief Attendant Marcellus bowed deeply toward the departing Yuwon.

At two in the afternoon, Yuwon once again set foot in the Imperial Library. It had been only seven hours since his last visit.

“Ah, welcome, Your Highness. I thought you might not come today after pushing yourself so hard last night.”

Baron Bartlett, the librarian of the Imperial Library, greeted Yuwon warmly. Yesterday, he had seemed somewhat tense, but now that they had met once, he appeared far more at ease—it was even endearing.

“You’ve worked hard, Baron Bartlett. I heard I caused you quite a bit of trouble yesterday. Are you all right?”

“Oh, no, not at all, Your Highness! It was no trouble. It is my duty as one blessed by His Majesty’s grace to serve as the librarian of the Imperial Library. Should you ever wish to stay through the night again, please don’t hesitate to say so.”

“Is that so? Then I’m glad to hear it. I won’t hesitate, then.”

“You are too kind, Your Highness. Thank you for visiting again today. Please, stay as long as you wish.”

Ending conversations at the right time was also a virtue of nobility—otherwise, such talks would never end.

With a simple nod, Yuwon closed the exchange.

After a brief greeting, Yuwon parted from Baron Bartlett and made his way toward the deeper parts of the library.

The scent of well-kept books filled his lungs, bringing him a strange sense of peace.

‘Did I always like books this much? No, I never hated them… but I didn’t exactly enjoy them either.’

He figured it was likely Yurion’s influence.

Books lined every wall, stretching endlessly in all directions. The Imperial Library’s interior—packed with what seemed like every book in the world—felt like an entirely different realm, cut off from the outside.

Yuwon savored the comfort that the library offered. It was not an unpleasant feeling.

Without stopping once, he continued walking deeper and deeper into the library, as if searching for something.

Step, step—

At the end of his stride, a dark shadow rippled into existence.

It was an unnatural shadow—darker than the ones cast by the bookshelves, as though it was not born from light but from something else entirely.

‘I’ve read enough about poisons, and I even found a superior manual on that subject… perhaps I should study something different today.’

Yesterday, Yuwon had read books on the poisons of this world. If poison had been his subject yesterday, then today it would be history.

Even if one devoted their whole life, it would be impossible to read every book here. The true task was to filter through them and extract only what was needed.

Of course, there was something even more urgent than that.

The ring hanging from the cord around his neck gleamed faintly—and in the next instant, the world around him shifted.

The shelves and books that had surrounded him mere seconds ago vanished without a trace, replaced by a vast empty cavern.

“Phew…”

Yuwon lay flat on the central cavern floor, his entire body drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.

He had run so hard his heart felt as if it might burst, and his limbs—heavy as lead—screamed with muscle pain.

‘…To think I’d be this exhausted after running just a little. I didn’t neglect my training while preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony, but it seems I still have a long way to go.’

He already knew well that Yurion’s body had not been in good condition. Yuwon had continued training to improve it, but after obtaining the secret manual, things had changed—his body couldn’t keep up.

“Hah, ridiculous. I finally got my hands on the real secret manual I’ve longed for, and yet this body can’t even keep up with it.”

A dry laugh escaped him. His will and mind were already far ahead, but this frail body held him back. The body Yurion left behind was fragile beyond belief.

In truth, bringing Yurion’s body—one that could have collapsed at any moment—up to a merely “weak” state in such a short time was an impressive achievement. But greedy as ever, Yuwon wanted more.

‘Using inner power as a base, I can unleash brief bursts of strength… but my endurance is far too poor. To reach my full potential, I need stamina before inner energy.’

The strength of the current Yuwon was comparable to that of his younger self—who had survived by scavenging scraps in the market—perhaps even less. Back then, at least, he had been able to kill stray dogs with his bare hands.

‘…Even after working this hard, I’ve only reached this level. Fixing this frail constitution will be no easy task.’

A sound body was the foundation of inner cultivation. All martial arts began from a healthy physique, and in that regard, Yuwon still had a long road ahead.

“Phew, I’ve rested enough.”

After catching his breath for a while, Yuwon forced himself upright. One task was done; it was time for the next.

It wasn’t that he didn’t feel fatigue—he dearly wished to lie down and rest longer.

‘But… that would just waste time.’

He had enough opportunity to rest when staying in the Fifth Prince’s Palace. Any more than that would only rot him with idleness. Thus, Yuwon did not compromise.

‘Sit, and you’ll want to lie down. Lie down, and you’ll want to sleep. That’s just human nature.’

He had to make use of his time to the fullest.

Sitting cross-legged, Yuwon straightened his aching limbs and steadied his posture.

“Ha…”

He took several slow, deep breaths before closing his eyes.

‘I’ve already memorized the incantations… now all that’s left is to put them into practice.’

Ideally, he would have waited until his body was stronger before beginning cultivation. But he didn’t have that luxury.

‘I have no idea what might happen on my way back from the library tonight. I can’t afford to wait.’

Inner cultivation was both a training of body and mind. Without complete preparation on both fronts, one risked falling into qi deviation.

Had someone else in such poor condition attempted this, Yuwon would have stopped them.

‘But right now, I have no choice. I must do this—and I can. I’ve done it before, and I will succeed.’

Yuwon steeled his resolve.

This was not the hollow imitation of inner cultivation he once knew—but the true inner method, the genuine secret art of the Sichuan Tang Clan, taught only to its direct bloodline.

With eyes closed, Yuwon began to sense and guide his energy, following the formula engraved in his mind.

‘…!’

A few minutes after beginning to sense his inner power, Yuwon was struck with shock. He was so startled that he nearly opened his eyes mid-cultivation.

‘This… this is unbelievable…!’

A passage from the secret manual flashed through Yuwon’s mind—something that had briefly mentioned the difference between the Central Continent and this world.

— What the people of this world call ‘magic power’—its true nature is none other than what martial artists know as ‘qi.’ Through several experiments, I have proven that qi and mana are fundamentally the same. For the sake of those who will read this book after me, if there is a difference, it lies only in the degree of purity…

At the time, that part hadn’t made sense to him. For his coming-of-age ceremony, he had already been cultivating and storing inner energy in his body using a half-complete technique, but he hadn’t noticed any difference then.

Now, with a proper cultivation method in his hands, everything had changed.

‘Ah… so it was just that my method was wrong. This isn’t a small difference—it’s worlds apart.’

He had expected some improvement with the new method, but this far exceeded his imagination.

The qi of this world was unbelievably pure, clean, and yet heavy and profound at the same time.

Qi was often compared to water—but the qi here, with not even a trace of impurity, felt like it was born from melting crystalline snow on a sacred mountain in legend.

Even the most famous mountains of the Central Continent, known for their pure qi, would seem murky like fog compared to this. They weren’t even worth comparing.

In the Central Continent, acquiring qi had been a process of refining and distilling countless impurities to extract a single drop of essence. Here, however, it was like catching ripe fruit as it naturally fell from the tree—there was simply too much to take in, more than his hands could hold.

‘If it’s already like this now, then what if my body were in perfect condition…’

Each time Yuwon inhaled and exhaled according to the inner cultivation method’s formula, qi accumulated in his dantian—steadily, and at a speed visible to the mind’s eye.

It was a fresh shock unlike anything he had ever felt in his lifetime.

‘How… how could qi like this exist…?’

No matter how many times he marveled at it, the astonishment didn’t fade. But Yuwon quickly calmed himself and focused on tracking the flow of energy.

‘I can’t let myself lose focus and fall into qi deviation. A good start. I must maintain this concentration.’

He guided the newly gained inner power through his body’s intricate meridians.

What began as a gentle trickle like a small stream swelled into a mighty river, surging powerfully through his body.

All Yuwon needed to do was direct it properly; after that, the qi did all the work on its own.

The pure qi coursed through his blood vessels, washing away the accumulated poison and waste that had built up in Yurion’s body over the years.

It was something he hadn’t been able to do for days due to lack of inner strength—yet now, with the new cultivation method, it was easily accomplished in just one session.

The process left Yuwon feeling as if his lungs had been scrubbed clean with pure mountain air.

The waste was completely eradicated after a single cleansing. All that remained was the poison.

The poison that had tormented Yurion throughout his life now scattered in panic before the surging tide of inner energy, fleeing in every direction.

It fled so desperately that it almost seemed alive.

‘Run all you want—you’re still just a rat in a jar. Go quietly.’

The chase between the pure qi and the tainted poison reached its climax right before the heart. It was a dead end.

Cornered, the poison gathered tightly together, forming a thick, heavy mass of power.

Yuwon could feel the fierce struggle taking place inside his own body. It was a tense moment.

‘So, it’s going to fight to the end, is it?’

He didn’t think the poison could overpower his growing qi. What worried him was the shock that would ripple through his body from their clash.

However, things did not unfold as Yuwon had expected. The poison’s next move made him curse inwardly.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me…!’

He had only thought the poison behaved like a living creature—but he had never imagined it would truly act like one. Cornered, the poison chose self-destruction.

It happened in the blink of an eye. The poison shot toward his heart—fast and without hesitation, just like Yuwon himself would have done.

Before he could react, the venomous energy—saturated with deadly toxins—launched a full assault on his heart.

Boom—!

Agonizing pain tore through him as though his heart were being ripped into a thousand pieces.

A tidal wave crashed through his chest, thunder roared in his skull, and dark blood spurted from his nose.

‘Qi deviation!’

That single thought flashed through Yuwon’s mind.

Panicked, he hastily gathered his energy back into his dantian.

Since the poison had been provoked by his qi, withdrawing it might subdue the frenzy. It was the only solution he could think of.

But once roused, the poison grew even more violent, drilling deeper into his heart.

‘Damn it all…!’

The excruciating pain made it nearly impossible to act. Yuwon was utterly defenseless against the onslaught of qi deviation.

Then, something changed within his heart. Amid the violent pounding, its rhythm began to slow noticeably.

Gradually, the frantic beating slowed—until it was barely half its usual pace.

It slowed so much that Yuwon worried it might stop altogether. As blood circulation faltered, his thoughts also dulled.

‘Wha… what’s happening…?’

And that was when it appeared.

From deep within his crimson heart, something black and coiled like a serpent emerged—a dark poison that had been lurking there all along.

Apparently, the poison in his body hadn’t been all of it. Within Yurion’s heart lived something even more vicious.

Like a snake raising its head, the black poison peeked out, taking in the chaos around it.

Perhaps startled, the other poisons halted their attack and turned toward the newly emerged presence.

Then—gulp.

The serpent-like poison opened its jaws and swallowed the intruders whole. It happened so suddenly that Yuwon barely registered it. The poison had devoured the poison.

The toxin that had previously dominated the heart was swallowed in a single bite, as if held responsible for the disturbance.

No more, no less—just one bite. That single act resolved everything.

The strength drained from Yuwon’s weary body as the chaos subsided. His condition rapidly stabilized.

The immediate danger had passed. But Yuwon could not feel relieved.

‘What in the world was that…!’

Fighting poison with poison.

The venom had devoured its own kind. Yuwon had witnessed it clearly—not with his eyes, but with a clarity beyond sight.

He had seen it without doubt—the black, serpent-like poison coiled around Yurion’s heart.

‘Wait… this isn’t good….’

A familiar sensation.

Caught off guard by the sudden qi deviation, Yuwon’s body and mind could no longer endure.

He had held on with superhuman will until everything was over—but now, his limits had been reached. His consciousness began to fade.

In chasing a fox, he had accidentally awakened a serpent that had slumbered for a hundred years.

Thud—

As Yuwon lost consciousness and collapsed, a sinister green light flickered across his eyes.