Kapitel 47: ‘Star Marked Heaven Extremity’ Breath

As Lumina and Solaris were falling into a trace-like state, Hyuk had one last thing to say to them:

"Beware the Heart Devils."

Something they had yet to understand in their current state of enlightenment towards the self.

They started to understand what was 'Qi'.

Though it was considered an offshoot of what could be created by the excess Life Energy the body constantly radiated, that explanation didn't quite capture the mysterious aspects of its power.

Without the perspective of the System, the duo could only interpret it the same way as Hyuk did.

They breathed in the 'Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth'. The first step to any type of cultivation.

Regardless if it was a 'Breath' technique or not.

But something was different this time compared to the others. Now… it was time for them to choose.

What will they set their hearts on pursuing in life?

Unlike Gaia Humans of the Divine Realm, Earthlings had the right to choose their own choice of 'Dao'.

They were born with randomly selected backgrounds and talents, but all had this choice.

A restriction placed upon themselves…

It was similar to a 'Geis', but more natural and deeper than that. As it formed their foundation.

Also known as a practitioner's 'Dao Heart'.

To pursue their beliefs, it was important to have the will that could support the power they gathered.

Hyuk watched them both deeply…

'Dao Hearts' were different from an obsession or goal. It was the manifestation of a personality trait.

Similar to an Innate Semblance.

Except a Dao Heart wasn't simply formed from feelings and ideals alone. A firm will was needed.

Along with the risks that followed such a thing.

There was a saying that warrior's could exchange words with another purely through their fists.

Or being able to frighten others with 'Killing Intent'.

Both of these being superhuman feats that normally wouldn't be possible with beliefs alone.

The real reason warriors of Hyuk's realm were so sensitive was because the Dao Heart was more than just a 'restriction'. This source of power was more harder to perceive compared to Internal Qi.

Not unless the user made the power obvious.

The Martial King considered this profound and intangible power from Dao Heart to be 'Aura'.

Aura, as in the emotional energy of any single individual. The manifestation of their willpower.

Lumina and Solaris understood this as well.

In fact, they were able to glean a deeper layer of understanding due to their 'Life Comprehension'.

In the zigzag building blocks of life, the 'Heart' was the two layers more intangible than the physique.

Just one layer away from being the most ethereal form of energy. One you could consider quite rare.

The two semi-conscious naked figures could vaguely hear Hyuk constantly talking in the back.

His voice and tone were in such a way that the duo weren't startled from hearing the new techniques.

He was passing on his experiences and teachings to them directly. Without holding anything back.

This was so they could create their own 'Sea of Consciousness'. A place between two powers.

Between the Dao Heart they were taught and the newly passed on 'Mind Palace' he was speaking of was where consciousness was formed. It was why Holy Progenitor made him imagine them as boxes.

The rectangular shapes easily connected to each other firmly, unlike the separated 'Flesh' and 'Soul'.

Two circles kept far away from each other…

The only difference between them and normal Martial Artists was that there were two sets of this.

Lumina had her own set of Life Pillars like the Flesh, Mind, Heart, and Soul. All to keep her alive.

The same could be said for the OG body: Solaris.

This meant two sets of 'Sea of Consciousness'.

Lumina was the first one to fully form his Dao Heart and Mind Palace upon the structures of her ideals.

Thanks to her 'Empty Darkness' Innate Semblance acting as a blueprint, the rest was easier to make.

She could feel her Gift Slot being enveloped by the newly forming 'Sea of Consciousness'… or not.

The specifics were hard to fully comprehend.

It was easy to come to the realisation that Innate Semblances and Sea of Consciousnesses seemed too compatible. Even with her eyes closed, she could distinctly 'feel' the world around her shifting.

The darkness of her closed eyes mirrored the 'darkness' of the ideals that built her Mind Palace.

There was no light, but she didn't need that to perceive her 'Ego' and self within the dark world.

She felt comfortable in the shadows that birthed her. As it was like the mother figure she yearned.

Especially now that Gaia was gone from her life.

Lumina flicked her fingers, and the dark world was parted by the psionic energy from her Mind Palace.

A small ocean of mental power was created under her. It fully mimicked the radiance of moonlight.

This was the first step she made to personalising her own inner dreamworld to suit her own tastes.

To fit the persona she had made part of herself.

The rivers of psionic energy ran through her nervous system and became part of her meridians.

Allowing her better control over her mental faculties and the Internal Qi she was breathing in.

The step after that was settling the Dao Heart.

With another flick of her finger, the 'flame' that would refine her own personalised Qi conjured up.

The roof of her inner world opened to to reveal an empty space… A vastness that could devour all.

So boundless was its reaches that a normal person looking in would probably find their souls missing.

Losing themselves in the magnificent emptiness.

It became the true inactive state of her Aura.

This completed reformation of her Gift Slot. The two new energies crashed into her like a tidal wave.

Just as she felt like she'd lose herself, Hyuk's voice resounded in her head. She wasn't finished yet.

There was one key detail her inner avatar missed.

"I'd learnt in a certain place that females amongst Human Cauldrons form their Qi Centres at their womb. This was to make it easier for a male who practiced 'plucking' to reach their partner's Qi."

The Martial King continued monologuing to her:

"After coming to this world, I'd come realise that my preconceived notions of 'Qi' were all wrong."

"As well as my distinction between Yin and Yang."

"Qi could be considered a creation of the harmony between the Yin and Yang of the individual fighter."

"While those practicing manuals that forced users to abstain from sex used 'the point of extremity'."

"The difference between Heavenly Yin and Extreme Yin being the coldness to detach from Yang itself."

"To forgo Yang would be to completely give up the opportunity to ever be able to attain Heavenly Yin."

"Even though the vice versa was already possible."

"Thus, forming the ice techniques maidens of a certain sect were well-known for in my realm."

"What I'm about to tell you is two techniques. Each one will impact your life differently in the future."

"Choose wisely." Hyuk then went on to pass on the self-created techniques he made solely for Lumina.

Basing them off two types of people of his realm.

The first were the Snow Maidens of the Arctic Frost Ice Palace Sect that cultivated their 'Extreme Yin'.

This type of energy gave their techniques a particular conceptual alignment to 'Ice' and 'Death'.

On the other hand, 'Heavenly Yin' was a distinct type of energy more practiced by Sword Maidens.

Their alignments more towards 'Soft' and 'Dark'.

The ego within Lumina's Sea of Consciousness sat down crossed legged to sense her Yin and Yang.

She distinctly felt the warmth of Yang Energy and coldness of Yin Energy in the way she'd expected,

With the latter far outweighing the other.

While he was explaining the two techniques, she'd heard that Extreme Yin maidens couldn't allow their virginity to be taken… Lest they lose their power and be crippled of the Qi Centre they'd cultivated.

This was what had cemented her decision.

Lumina wasn't fond of seeing herself with any male inside of her despite being a heterosexual at heart.

The memories of being a male heterosexual made thinking of that be a disgusting idea to her bones.

The reason why she'd die than lose her virginity.

But that didn't mean she'd discard the orb of Yang Energy she'd managed to finally attain herself.

Looking at the vast emptiness above her, she threw the orb of Yang Energy and dispersed it into her Aura. A bold move that permanently influenced the strength of the 'Empty' feeling of her Semblance.

Though this was also a calculated move by her.

Rather than choosing to forgo the teachings of Heavenly Yin, she thought of an idea in her head.

'What if my Yang Energy could not be influenced by Yin Energy?' Was the idea that was thought of.

Emptiness wasn't the same as darkness.

It was a concept that was more intangible than anything else. Unable to be influenced whatsoever.

'Darkness' could perhaps fill the 'Emptiness', but it couldn't alter the latter regardless of what it did.

It was because the former was something, while the latter was 'nothing'. It practically didn't exist.

Hyuk watched as a frigid energy started to freeze turn Lumina's body into the equivalent shaped ice.

A transparent sculpture that pushed out his needles and started to burn with an 'Empty' flame.

But rather than refining the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth into 'Qi'… It merely stood out.

The Yin Energy within her congealed into the Frigid Qi that Snow Maidens were widely used in Yin Arts.

A unique type of Breath Circulation was born!

The only thing that was left was for her to face what Carl Jung would call the mind's 'Shadow'.

A Heart Devil born with the Sea of Consciousness.

Hyuk watched intently as Lumina's body was transformed. Her skin becoming as pale as snow.

The icicles all over her body cracked open to reveal an matchless beauty equivalent to that of a 'fairy'.

Not the western winged pixie-like beings or horrific monstrosities of the past, but otherworldly beauty.

'Otherworld' not being literal, but to be taken as her looking like a ghost or supernatural being.

The kind who had the looks to literally 'die' for…

From Hyuk's knowledge after 'inspecting' similar Snow Maidens in the past, he was able to see the hard to discern tattoo located just below her dantian and above her most precious spot,

He remembered this was called a 'Crotch Tattoo'.

The Martial King stroked his chin in pride from having remembered the fetishes he'd looked up.

Internet really did let you dive into new territories.

Even reading of never before known sex positions.

His eyes then shifted to the only counterpart that was left. The male he'd been told to call 'Solaris'.

Because this body's Gift Slot was untrained, he had a harder time forming a Qi Centre than Lumina.

Though that only made things more 'Orthodox'.

After all, not many could cheat like she'd done.

It was necessary for him to go through the burden of creating a Sea of Consciousness from scratch.

Without that subtle wisdom, all would be lost.

Perhaps Lumina's power seemed stable, but the lack of hardship of making it was the problem.

Overcoming oneself wasn't that easy to do.

Solaris started off with the Mind Palace. He used his mental strength to lay down the foundations.

His inner world much brighter than Lumina's…

His ego focused that superhuman Agility stat he was aware existed, but couldn't check anymore.

This was when Adam encountered his first hurdle.

Cultivators and Martial Artists all sought to extend their lives through increased lifespan or instant regeneration, but Solaris already had that innate ability. This was what caused the problem in him.

He'd realised that mental and emotional energies were the second most revitalised asset within him because of 'Bloodwood Immortality'. This was after his first regenerated aspect being the physique.

Hyuk's eyes started to widen when he realised that he'd miscalculated. The immorality became a trail.

The only way to finish forming a proper Sea of Consciousness was to exhaust 'Psion' and 'Aura'.

Run them dry before rejuvenating them afterward.

This caused the consciousness forming within the untrained Gift Slot to continuously grow endlessly.

Solaris felt like a certified builder from all the groundwork he was doing to expand his horizons.

The closed eyed Lumina reached out to grab his hand, then used their connection to assist him.

Her Semblance helping him overcome this hurdle through the creation of a 'trained' Gift Slot.

One that suited Solaris specifically.

His inner avatar started to dig deep in what he truly wanted in his life. Was escaping emptiness all of it?

*Clench!*

All of a sudden, the seed of a Heart Devil budded before he finished. A dark figure held his neck…!

Hyuk watched as the two students of his completely lose consciousness like they fainted.

Losing strength like strings had been cut…

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Kapitel 48: Heart Devils

Solaris panted while his vision started blurring. It felt like the clock turned back to his worst incident.

The time when Simon carved fear into his body.

"Stop…" Adam begged, only to be copied back:

"Stop~~" The demonic figure crashed his knee into his ribs. Caused bones to break; stab at the lungs.

"Please… Please stop hitting me…!"

"Pwease stop hwitting me~ I'm such a little crybaby~~!" The creature continued to taunt.

Pain gave rise to fear, but those constant stream of insults gave rise to a madness deeper than spite.

All sounds started to fade away and blend together when he started to fight back against him in futility.

The more he degraded himself to fight on even terms with Simon, the more this futility eroded him.

Weakening his heart and soul…

Solaris was dropped into a world of pain.

*Boom!* Adam felt his entire arm break and reform under the violent assault. The pain was too much.

It was like white noise clouding his senses.

'It hurts…!' Tears streamed down his eyes while trying to run, but there was nowhere to escape.

He shifted between rage and fear, but there was nothing that seemed to change whenever he did.

Everything started feeling more worthless…

'Why am I fighting?' He thought to himself. Many waves rippled in the ocean that was in his heart:

'I wish I could stop thinking.'

'I wish someone would help.'

'Someone… help...'

'I want to live. I want to live.'

'I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to-'

His thoughts were suddenly cut off by a new sound echoing back in his subconscious with his voice.

Although it was clearly his own voice, Solaris felt disconnected from the words that it had spoken.

The 'echoes' started to trickle into his ear softly:

"He must've hated you." A dark mirror of himself appeared behind Simon upon saying those words.

The more his heart broke, the clearer the figure became. His ego was threatened, but the words the dark figure spoke was like the most tantalising bait. A reason to let his consciousness fade away.

'Yeah… He must hate me.'

"Wouldn't it be better to stop thinking and kill him while he's weak? Let out what you're feeling?"

'I have to stay sane.'

"What's the point of sanity? Aren't you in constant pain? You would feel so much better if you 'died'."

The words were like a sweet honey to Solaris.

Tempting words that Lumina couldn't stop him agreeing with, as she too was in her nightmare.

Fear started to overcome her heart in a different way than Solaris, because she had his 'Emptiness'.

That's why her Heart Devil coiled around another trauma Adam had hid on a deeper level of himself.

In her own mind, the pale ego saw nothing.

No world. No life. No death. No sensations.

The emptiness engulfed her to the point she'd started thinking in a way that was unlike a human.

"Why am I alive?" In this state of nothingness, the female ego felt indifferent to living any further.

Like life itself was a meaningless struggle.

A feeling similar to futility, but brought forth by an innate understanding that the world was chaos.

Nothing went as expected, so why even care?

She masked this feeling of worthlessness with a face of difference. A thick mask of emptiness.

However, that only made this feeling prominent.

Nothing mattered to her. No one could even reflect in those hollow eyes, as she was disconnected.

She truly felt alone… felt the loneliness of living.

No one could understand her, and she couldn't comprehend others with her alien perspective.

Everything so close now seemed out of reach.

This lead to countless self-criticism of her past…

'If only I stopped giving trust.' Indifference lead to her eyes darting around in a fit of paranoid frenzy.

Paranoia lead to doubt.

Doubt lead to melancholy.

And that state of feeling unexplainable sadness eventually lead to being engulfed by despair.

'I want to be happy. So I have to trust, but why do people betray me so easily? Am I a pushover?'

'Why does no one care about me back?' Lumina thought of how she'd tried to forgive Simon.

Even after all he did, she tried to give him another chance in her own way. To make him truly reflect.

However, he did the same thing as he did before.

He ignored her will…

"Your life is a tragedy. Weep. Let your heart out." A voice echoed from the deepest parts of her heart.

But it didn't even need to tell her that.

Despair had now formed a sea of tears.

The tattered state of her heart was just one push away from falling into the existential feeling in her.

Swallowed by despair beyond words.

'I should let it out.' Lumina thought, but the doubts she had echoed back in the voice of the devil:

"But can you 'empty yourself' of this feeling? Even in your lowest moment, this despair takes root."

'I wish I had no heart to begin with.'

"Yeah… Then you wouldn't have known this pain."

'I wish someone would stay by my side.'

"Someone trustworthy doesn't exist. Wouldn't it be better to end it all here? Any more is meaningless."

'Worthless…' Her thoughts and the devil's voice started to meld together from that point forward.

The apathy that had taken root made her doubts amplify. To the point she started to think to herself:

'Should I just die?'

As this question simmered in her dark heart, Hyuk could see from the outside how they were faring.

And the result wasn't good.

It wasn't that their Dao Hearts were fragile. It was just that the Heart Devils was born from negativity.

Thoughts that would stagnate the flow of their Qi.

'Why are they so weak?' Hyuk thought Adam's two bodies would be able to handle the large backlash.

After all, the Landlord was an immortal.

Extremely different from those who could die from their Heart Devils. They should be able to cope.

'Is it because of him?' The Martial King thought back to the unsatisfied expression from earlier.

What exactly did that 'Simon' do to them?

He watched as a demonic influence was flowing from their Qi the longer this situation went on.

A horrid bruise-like colour started to dye their skin.

Hyuk didn't know what to do at this moment.

Breaking them out of their trance could cause a 'Qi Deviation' that would lead to a state of insanity.

So what could he do?

What SHOULD he do…?

He took the needles out of Solaris and checked his pulse. Yang Energy was moving in a strange way.

He couldn't identify the breathing method at all.

The same could be said for Lumina.

Since they had made exclusive Breath Circulation techniques, he couldn't correct their cultivation.

Doing so may do more future harm than good…

The only thing he could do was bring the two figure close to him. Their naked bodies were embraced.

Like a father trying to cajole his kids to stop crying.

"Everything is fine now. I'm here. No one can hurt you… Live! Living a happy life as the best revenge."

His words abruptly changed neared the end when he felt the Heart Devils had started to take control.

The warmth of his own Dao Heart influenced them.

It was similar to 'limbic resonance', but was an act even a non-fighter could do. Just showing 'Love'.

This feeling of affection in Hyuk's heart was real.

He called himself everyone's friend, but that wasn't just a title meaning that he treated people equally.

Actually, it was the exact opposite of that.

The Martial King of Dual Cultivation was known for his whimsical and promiscuous nature by 'Xia'.

Warriors of the Martial World throughout Jainghu.

However, the ones who knew him felt differently.

To them, Hyuk was a deliberate man who never stopped trying to understand the people in his life.

He never stereotyped them into one role or face.

Believing that even someone who looked evil could have a reason for their actions and inner beauty.

The ugliness of the world not fazing him one bit.

It was why his feelings could reach deep into the Dao Hearts of others regardless of their states.

Both Solaris and Lumina couldn't hear his words personally, but his feelings had been laid bare.

They couldn't ignore the warmth of his affection.

Intimate unlike physical passion, but more like the care that could thaw the heart of even ice queens.

It effected Lumina and Solaris in a deep way…

Giving them the strength to face their despair and futility eye-to-eye, with Solaris having acted first.

From within the nightmare he was trapped in, the male counterpart let go of his negative feelings.

Whether it be an emotion of rage or fear, all that had dominated his mind turned to tranquility.

The demonic voice in his heart started to waver.

Perhaps only could say the damage was done.

He'd likely never recover from the trauma Simon inflicted on him, but would never be 'swallowed'.

This and that were two different things.

The higher his psyche and ego operated, the more cracks seemed to occur in the nightmarish illusion.

"Stop this! You can forget me today, but you'll remember me tomorrow. Because 'we' are one!"

The Heart Devil snarled and fused with Simon to create a beastly creature that shot in his direction.

Only to find that Solaris wasn't 'dying' anymore.

There was something even someone who hadn't comprehended life could tap into as a combatant.

Adam knew he had two types of immortality.

The immortality of an Elf, and the immortality of a Vampire. Both of them were distinct in nature.

But where did this distinction start innately?

If one looked at the building blocks of life, 'Blood Essence' seemed to be a thread that connected between the 'Heart' and 'Flesh'. Perhaps it was indiscernible, but it definitely existed there.

Helping the vigorous 'Flesh' hold up the 'Mind'.

Which was why it was also called 'Lifeblood'.

Without it, a human would be drained of vitality from their Heart and Flesh… Mummifying them.

All until they were a husk of their former selves.

Well, that only applied to those without immortality.

And vampires were the fastest in existence to regenerate their 'Blood Essence', unlike others.

The moment he ignited his blood, his arm took on a red hue. Scarlet flames started to arise from it.

The next he limb he set aflame was his left arm.

Unlike 'Blood Essence', the pillar between the Mind and Flesh was made up of a particular Vital Energy.

Also known as 'True Breath'.

It was known as the vitality of breathing. The kind that many elf types found sacred in their culture.

Many would think merely 'breathing' was weak.

Unlike Lifeblood, losing this Vital Energy only fatigued the user until death. As it was 'stamina'.

That's why some considered Elves to be weak.

Oh how wrong they were…

Solaris displayed the true night of drawing out one's True Breath… His arm covered in dense air.

The liveliness of vitality became green energy.

A power that could've already shown that it could uproot an ancient tree in its current air-like form.

However, Adam wasn't satisfied with that.

The Yang Energy he'd obtained set the green air ablaze, creating an emerald flame unlike no other.

It was a technique he derived from signature technique of the Ming Cult's secret sub-faction.

Also known as the 'White Arm Demonic Art'.

Hyuk had passed this to Lumina unintentionally while trying to explain different insights he knew.

It was an Extreme Yin technique that cultivated Demonic Qi, which was more dangerous to use.

Thus, it being categorised as a 'Demonic Art'.

However, because there were things Adam could recklessly give up unlike mortal practitioners of that Demonic Art, he personalised a new type of breathing technique that made use of this style.

The original White Arm Demonic Art cultivated Extreme Yin, but it could also be used by men.

The downside being that it gradually tainted the body's True Breath until the user became ice itself.

Which was the downside of this Demonic Art.

'Tainting' his True Breath might be a problem, but what if he burnt away his vitality instead of that?

By using his Vital Energies as firewood, he'd be able to cultivate arms that could kill his opponent.

No, why stop at only each of his arms?

A scorched blackness started to spread all over his body. The ignited True Breath and Blood Essence unified into one flame. Yang Energy was amplified tremendously, while Yin Energy was hidden away.

An orb of Yin Energy was thrown upwards.

Rather than creating stars, it creates a sky that he would blaze under. His aura painted with serenity.

It was similar to the tactic Lumina used.

Except even she wasn't crazing enough to burn her body in order to go past her limits as a 'human'.

The beastly creature that charged at him couldn't even scream before being engulfed by the flames.

An explosive burst turned him into a sun-like entity.

With the ocean of Psion under him and the sky of Aura above, he became a light within the darkness.

The opposite of what happened within his female counterpart. As she merely stopped 'listening'.

Her closed eyes opened to see the slight radiance of stars above, unlike the shadows surrounding her.

Perhaps it was due to her deep connection with Solaris, but those stars seemed brighter now.

The avatar of her ego became much clearer…

When the duo simultaneous opened their eyes, the newly acquired might radiated out from them.

They had now truly been reborn of individuals.

Though the connection between them deep, the difference in their natures was way too prominent.

When Hyuk realised they had woken up, he felt a little embarrassed by the position they were in.

He was still holding their heads close his shoulders in an embrace, an act he'd done out of impulse.

But before he could let go of them, Solaris and Lumina reciprocated the feelings he'd shared.

They hugged him without shame…

"Thank you…" "…for being there for us." Lumina started speaking, and Solaris ended the sentence.

Hyuk couldn't help feeling their sincere hearts.

He scratched the bridge of his nose, trying to hide how happy he was they were opening up to him.

It was at that point he'd started teaching them many things. Trying his best to teach everything.

A few days passed while doing this…

The two counterparts of Adam figured out how to use their newly cultivated Qi using 'Internal Arts'.

Yin Techniques, Yang Techniques, Battle Arts, Step Methods, and the like… They all sank in easily.

Likely because of Adam's superhuman intellect.

Sexual Arts of Dual Cultivation that Hyuk was known for also passed down to the two of them.

Finally, they had fully completed their training.

The only thing left to do was go to their next destination. There was one thing that was left.

Hyuk made sure to warn the duo extensively:

"Don't ever use what I've taught you to coerce others into bed. Although I like you two, I'm hoping there won't come a time when there's no other choice but to erase your existence from the world."

His tone was unusually cold for an innately warm person at that moment. He spoke his bottom line.

Something they didn't even need to promise to avoid, because they had no option to break it.

For the first time since they met Hyuk, the two of them felt like there was a side to him they didn't know. It made them curious why they felt a power akin to a Heart Devil festering in those frigid eyes.

But just as soon as he revealed this face, Hyuk went back to his usual self without hesitation.

He saw them off with a smile…

Solaris and Lumina fused back together. There was one thing they wanted to do above all right now.

Which was to conquer the Beastkins of this land.

If Adam wanted any sort of true power, the first thing he needed to do was consolidate influence.

Which was by gaining control of Nyaura's people.

He knew this would cause conflict with both of them, but he wasn't interested in an 'alliance'.

They'd become his whether they liked it or not!

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