Chapter 8: The Peak of Mount Song
"If you can't speak about anything else from the future, then you may leave. However, I cannot allow you to enter the Mount Song Sect."
"..... What?"
"You heard me perfectly fine Ryu Il, I cannot allow you to enter the Mount Song Sect."
"I-I understood that sect leader, I'm just confused as to why I can't join the sect?"
What did I do wrong? What did I say wrong that led the sect leader to not allow me into the sect?
"Ryu Il, there's no point in trying to enter the sect again. Why would the biggest fish in the ocean want to live in a puddle of water?"
There I sat, deep in thought upon hearing the sect leader's words. I knew the meaning behind his words, I was too knowledgeable for the Mount Song Sect now.
Now that I think about it, what even was the point in trying to rejoin the Mount Song Sect, I knew every technique, every scripture, every hidden spiritual herb and elixir location, I would be joining just to be taught things I already knew.
"It wouldn't want to, because it can't..." I replied, hanging my head low and gripping my pants tightly.
"Exactly, but that doesn't mean you should lose hope, Ryu Il. You should still strive to reach the Other Side once more."
"How can I? I need the help of the Mount Song Sect to undergo the Foundation Establishment stage, without it, I won't be able to ascend."
"Ryu Il, did the Mount Song Sect exist when I was on the path to ascension? And do you not know all the teachings of Mount Song? You will do just fine on your own."
Even after five millennia I'm still learning from the Mount Song Sect... Such is the fate of living beings; we learn more to continue learning.
"Sect leader, before I go, I have one more thing I wish to say."
"Hmm, if you wish to say something then speak."
"I will return in four years exactly for reasons I cannot tell you, so prepare the new students well."
---
Despite what one would think about the location of the Mount Song Sect, the sect was not built at the very top of Mount Song.
The peak of Mount Song was left untouched by the sect, as it was seen as a holy ground for those outside of the sect who wanted to seclude themselves from the world.
In fact, many of the masters of the Mount Song Sect climbed to the mountain peak to harmonize themselves with nature. Many of them went so far as to use Inedia* to stay at the peak of Mount Song for months, and even years.
But right now, I can't use Inedia. As it's something cultivators can only acquire after reaching the Golden Core Stage. Yet still I attempted to climb to the peak of Mount Song.
Why did I climb you might ask?
Because there's a secret at Mount Song's peak.
A rare phenomenon that occurs every day at sunset, one that gives even the most cold-hearted individuals of Jianghu a sense of peace.
The evening sun sat as my hand searched for a place to grab atop the peak of Mount Song. From the moment after I told the sect leader of my return in four years, I began my ascent to the top of Mount Song.
I said goodbye to my master, and my sibling student, Il Ji-Soon. When I did it, they were confused since I didn't explain anything, I just bowed, gave my goodbyes, then began running up the mountain.
I probably could have explained to them what had happened, but they would learn that from the sect leader anyway. I had no need to waste my time with the affairs of the Mount Song Sect from then on, and I had to hurry as well, so I wouldn't miss this perfect chance to acquire the secret of Mount Song.
Pulling myself up to the flattened peak of the mountain, I let out a sigh of relief as I had made it to the peak on time.
Now that I see it though, it looks like I somehow made it to the peak an hour earlier than I needed to, maybe I could have explained to Elder Un-Ju and Il Ji-Soon about why I was leaving.
That doesn't matter now, since I have an extra hour before the secret starts, I might as well use it doing something productive.
Sitting down at the edge of the mountain peak and entering the lotus position, I began to fill my meridians with the purest energy around me, just as I did earlier this morning.
What I'm doing is a risky move since I don't have someone else to stop me if this goes wrong, but I don't have any other choice at the moment.
The energy of nature slowly seeped from my slow and deep breathes into the depths of my meridians, filling all but one pathway slowly but surely.
The pathway I had left unfilled with energy was the meridian directly connected to my mouth, as this last step would need a pathway for all the turbid qi stored where my dantian is going to be to exit my body.
Filling all but one of my meridians took more than ten minutes to complete. However, the effects were greatly noticeable, as the pressure within my meridians made my body feel like it was going to explode.
"Hoooooo-"
As I exhaled for the final time during the process, all the energy within my meridians began to flow to where my future dantian would be, forcing all the impurities within to flow up the empty meridian.
"Urrrg-"
Roughly four years of impurities being pushed up my only empty meridian at once, it's not exactly a feeling I relish. Some people in the future argued that a man getting kicked in the balls was the worst pain to exist, some argued that a woman giving childbirth was the worst pain to exist.
But I know the truth, if you really want the worst pain in the world, go through the final step of an absolute meridian cleanse. You'll experience more pain than you ever thought possible.
But once that pain is gone, your body will feel light than e-
"URP- BELCH!"
Author's note: Inedia is a state martial artists who have reached the Golden Core stage can use, it allows their body to survive without the need for food or water, allowing them to survive purely on the energy from their golden core
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