Precautions for Consuming Spiritual Medicine
ㅤㅤ– Includes considerations for consuming inner elixirs from spiritual beings.
ㅤ1.When consuming a spiritual medicine, it is essential to continuously practice Qi circulation and breathing techniques to ensure that the medicine's energy completely dissolves and integrates with your own power. Do not stop this process until you have fully acquired the power. Abruptly stopping Qi circulation and breathing can lead to severe side effects, so be extremely cautious. After consuming the elixir, you may go without food for several days without any harm to your life, so continue the Qi circulation and breathing.
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ㅤ2.Do not carelessly consume spiritual medicines or inner elixirs that are excessively concentrated with either Yin or Yang energy. It can be fatal. In such cases, it is advisable to consult a specialist. Always seek and consume spiritual medicines that are complementary to each other. Consuming conflicting spiritual medicines will lead to certain death! If you wish to consume conflicting medicines or elixirs together, an elixir that can neutralize them is absolutely necessary. If you are not confident in acquiring such a neutralizing elixir, it's better not to consume them. Remember this, especially if you value your life and wish to live long. Also, when consuming complementary medicines, always pay attention to their proportions. Incorrect ratios can cause serious side effects later. Deep caution is required.
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ㅤ3.Consuming elixirs like the Great Rejuvenation Pill typically does not pose significant risks. However, practicing Qi circulation and breathing is still essential. Such elixirs are generally formulated considering all component ratios, so consuming well-known elixirs alone usually does not involve risk. Therefore, always be cautious of unknown, fake, or similar products.
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ㅤ4.Consume the medicine 30 minutes after a meal. While taking it on an empty stomach may not cause severe side effects, it is advisable to avoid this. Consuming immediately after eating can lead to digestion of a significant portion of the medicine's efficacy along with the food. Of course, consuming it after overeating should be strictly avoided.
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ㅤ5.Always be cautious of the risk of side effects. If you sense any adverse reactions, it's advisable to immediately consult a nearby physician or specialist.
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ㅤ6.Ensure to understand and follow the precautions thoroughly before consuming.
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After carefully considering the precautions for consuming spiritual medicine as taught by my master, I swallowed the human-shaped snow ginseng in one gulp. A clear fragrance filled my mouth, and the ginseng melted like snow, sliding down my throat with an enchanting sweetness. Moments later, I felt an immense, unprecedented power swirling inside me, a shock like none I had ever experienced. I was too young and inexperienced to control such immense and unparalleled strength.
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The power of the human-shaped snow ginseng enveloped and tried to engulf me like furious waves or a massive whirlpool. I felt as if my soul was being sucked out of my physical shell into a giant golden vortex. In my unconscious state, I desperately applied the Lightning Spirit Cultivation Method, as it was the only viable approach. A moment's inattention, and I would have been completely devoured by this enormous force, leaving no trace behind. An eternity seemed to pass.
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How much time had elapsed? Gradually regaining consciousness, I slowly opened my eyes. As I came to, it felt like waves of light were crashing around me. I had no idea how long I had been out. The experience left me feeling like a seeker (求道者) who had just returned from exploring a new world, filled with a sense of reverence. I felt a refreshing and powerful energy flowing through my body, making me feel light and buoyant, as if I could fly.
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My mind was as clear and calm as a serene lake. All the murky energy within me had drained away, leaving only a clear and bright force. I had gained power, and it was a strong, clear, and immense force.
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Returning home with a mind and body as light as if ready to take flight, I was scolded by my master for disappearing for four days. He sternly questioned me, assuming I was shirking work, but I remained silent, lips sealed. I felt no need to explain the situation; rather, I thought it must be kept a secret at all costs.
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Why would I confess the truth to my master and risk facing terrible consequences? I already knew the kind of response I would get from my nonsensical master.
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"You ungrateful brat. You had such a precious thing and didn't offer it to your master, who's like the heavens to you? You just gobbled it up all by yourself! If you had something that valuable, you should've immediately brought it to me, your ailing master, or at least shared it with me. You wanted to live a long, healthy life all by yourself! Even if the heavens allow you longevity and the human-shaped snow ginseng aids you, I will not tolerate it. Just you wait and see what happens to you today."
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Or maybe,
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"Oh, how much money that could have fetched if you'd sold it! Are you planning to line your stomach with silver coins? Selling it at its true value could have made enough money to live lavishly for two hundred years. And you wasted such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without even consulting me. Oh, what a waste!"
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I was sure to hear such nonsense. I lacked the confidence to handle the aftermath of revealing the truth. Therefore, it had to be kept strictly confidential.
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Anyway, after consuming the human-shaped snow ginseng, my Lightning Spirit Cultivation Method improved tremendously. My Lightning Commanding Hands technique also effortlessly advanced beyond the sixth level, reaching the stage where I could finally play the Lightning Guaqin. Furthermore, I became eligible to learn the Flying Lightning Knife, which I had always dreamed of.
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More miraculously, even after being overworked all day in the forge, I felt no fatigue. On the contrary, I was brimming with so much energy that it was almost difficult to control. Had I not consumed the human-shaped snow ginseng then, I might still be enduring the harsh labor and my master's inhumane treatment, barely clinging to life, or perhaps I would have already died from overwork and been buried. People need to think about the long-term future rather than just the immediate consequences. From this perspective, my decision back then was truly excellent.
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(End of POV)
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"Clang! Clang!"
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Awoken from his reverie by the sound of the hammer striking iron, Bi Ryu-yeon suddenly returned to reality. His brief moment of reflection was over. He looked down at his left hand in surprise.
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"What's this? Why is there a lump of scrap metal here? Where has the sword gone, and why am I holding this shabby iron rod?"
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The sword Bi Ryu-yeon had intended to forge from the heated iron was nowhere to be seen. Instead, all that remained was a twisted, candy-like lump of scrap metal, embarrassingly held in his hand. More precisely, it was a piece of scrap metal clutched in the tongs he was holding in his left hand.
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Originally, the iron was destined to become a gleaming, pure white sword, showcasing its beauty. However, due to someone's mistake, it had turned into a dark, crumpled piece of scrap metal resembling a bent stick of taffy. If left as is, the forge master would undoubtedly deduct the loss from Bi Ryu-yeon's wages.
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"Damn it, to get distracted by other thoughts while forging a sword! I should have concentrated all my attention on the sword… This is all that cursed master's fault. Well, nothing to do but start over from scratch. It's no help at all, no help."
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Quickly trying to rectify the situation to prevent a reduction in his wages, Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze suddenly shifted to the window. The sun was already setting, staining the sky red.
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"Oh, the sun is setting already! How did time pass so quickly? Can't help it. I must stick to my quitting time precisely. Working overtime without compensation goes against my principles."
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Fired up with a sense of duty to strictly adhere to his quitting time, Bi Ryu-yeon carelessly tossed the would-be sword, now a mere lump of metal, into a corner and got up from his seat. The sun was already hanging over the western mountains, ready to sink. Leaving the red sunset behind, Bi Ryu-yeon headed home – to the house where his detestable and exhausting master awaited.
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After working in the forge for three years, his skills were recognized, and he became a swordsmith. Consequently, his salary increased from three silver coins to eleven per month. However, Bi Ryu-yeon's attitude towards work remained unchanged.
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***
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The Unlucky White Tiger
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This incident became the catalyst that completely changed my fate. It taught me about a new destiny. Some might criticize me for acting on a whim, purely for amusement, but I found it interesting, so I did it. Bi Ryu-yeon, 20 years old, on a certain day…
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"Growl…"
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It was a gigantic tiger, a white tiger that appeared to be at least four times the size of Bi Ryu-yeon. Its eyes shone like the sun, and its fur had a silvery sheen with a hint of blue. Judging by its size and the intensity of its gaze, it was undoubtedly the alpha tiger of the mountain. No other creature in these mountains would be foolish enough to confront such a massive and imposing being. It seemed to be casually searching for its lunch. Standing naturally in front of this king of the white tigers was Bi Ryu-yeon, the successor of the Flying Lightning School, serving a master who was the embodiment of evil itself.
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The silvery white tiger stared down Bi Ryu-yeon with a ferocious intensity in its eyes, as if ready to pounce at any moment. It seemed to be sizing up its prey, preparing for its meal. However, the look in Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes was simply calm. No, there was even a faint, contented smile on his lips. Why was he smiling? It was clear that he wasn't joyfully anticipating a leisurely walk in the tiger's stomach after the meal. The reason soon became apparent.
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"Yahoo, what a stroke of luck! I don't remember dreaming of pigs last night, do I? It's like a watermelon rolling in with the vine, and a white one at that. Or should I say, a silvery white watermelon? I've scored big today, what good fortune."
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The majestic black stripes of the tiger, known as the King of the White Tigers, appeared to Bi Ryu-yeon as mere stripes on a white watermelon. To his eyes, even the king of white tigers seemed no more than a cute kitten. However, he was not ungrateful to the tiger. It was a once-in-a-year opportunity that had come around again after last year's windfall. A perfect chance to make a fortune easily.
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Was it last year? While hunting throughout the mountains, he had encountered it – a giant bear resembling an ancient tree! After easily knocking it down (not by hand, of course), he removed its gallbladder, highly sought after by people and referred to as bear bile, and sold it for a high price.
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Bear bile was touted as a panacea, almost as if it were an elixir from a spiritual creature. Even if it wasn't a cure-all, it was a valuable medicinal ingredient known for its excellent medicinal properties, so there was no issue in bargaining. Moreover, he skinned the bear and sold its hide to a high-ranking member of a martial arts faction. It fetched a good price, making the deal all the more satisfying.
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Bear hides were not very popular in the market, so he hadn't expected a high price. However, he learned that the deputy leader of the martial arts faction, Giant Bear Gang, was desperately seeking a high-quality bear hide as a birthday gift for their leader. There was a shortage of premium bear hides, and when they heard that Bi Ryu-yeon had one, they were thrilled. They said they had never seen such a flawless, superior bear hide and happily paid a significant amount of silver coins to take it. It was an unexpected windfall.
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He also cut off the bear's paws – both the upper and lower, right and left – and sold them to the largest and most famous restaurant in the village. The meat, being of superior quality, sold for a high price. He sold everything that could be sold, and the rest he took home to make bear soup, which turned out to be quite tasty.
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With the considerable amount of money he earned, Bi Ryu-yeon entrusted two-thirds of it to the largest and highest-interest moneylender in the village. Of course, how much he earned and deposited was a secret known only to Bi Ryu-yeon. He certainly didn't inform his master. In fact, it was crucial that his master never found out. It was horrifying to even imagine, but if he did, most of the earned money would undoubtedly be snatched away, leaving only scraps.
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When Bi Ryu-yeon brought the bear home, its carcass – or rather, its meat – was already cut into dozens of pieces, so the master never knew they had eaten bear soup. Bi Ryu-yeon cleverly used seasonings to mimic the taste of wild boar meat and lied to his master that he had cooked a mixture of wild boar and two other types of meat. Naturally, the master was easily fooled. He was pleased to have saved a significant amount of money.
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A year later, heaven presented him with another opportunity to hit the jackpot. The heavens hadn't abandoned the protagonist of this unfortunate destiny. Right now, the embodiment of money was leisurely strolling in front of Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes.
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The white tiger, unaware that it appeared to Bi Ryu-yeon as a criminal with a bounty on its head screaming, "Please catch me!", had no idea that it was viewed only as a bundle of cash. How could it possibly guess that it, a being always revered and feared by people, was seen as nothing more than a package of money!
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The king of the white tigers, unaware of Bi Ryu-yeon's sinister and dreadful plan, continued its routine hunt for lunch. It was earnestly contemplating whether to tear apart its prey or bite it to death. The white tiger, confident in its fatal strike that had never missed before, didn't consider the possibility of a mistake. It opened its jaws wide, showcasing its sharp fangs, and roared loudly enough to shake the mountains. However, even in this moment of crisis, Bi Ryu-yeon was joyfully considering the best way to make the most of this walking bundle of money.
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Having made his decision, Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze locked onto the white tiger, which was compressing the distance between them at lightning speed. His left hand casually dropped down, and a Flying Lightning Knife slid down his arm, settling into his hand. As Bi Ryu-yeon lightly grasped the handle of the blade, the Lightning Edge revealed its hidden form, emanating a blue aura and tracing an elegant semi-circle.
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In an instant, a flash of light, like a bolt of lightning, shot from Bi Ryu-yeon's left hand and flew straight into the tiger's open mouth. It seemed as if the tiger was swallowing a bolt of lightning. The white tiger, which had been leaping to overpower Bi Ryu-yeon, shuddered violently, lost its balance, and collapsed powerlessly to the ground. The king of the white tigers couldn't withstand the explosive and swirling immense force inside its belly.
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It was an absurd end for the Silver White Tiger, the king of beasts and ruler of the forest. It had reigned as the king of these mountains for a long time, but it had unwittingly attacked a human, not realizing how dangerous, merciless, and absurdly strong this particular human was. The white tiger had mistaken Bi Ryu-yeon, who it had intended as its lunch, for an easy prey, only to meet its unexpected demise.
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As Bi Ryu-yeon's left index finger flicked once, the Flying Lightning Knife, which had left his hand, miraculously returned to him like a lie. Not a single drop of the Silver White Tiger's blood was on the blade, which remained immaculate. This ensured that he would have an unblemished tiger hide in his possession.
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Bi Ryu-yeon's ever-present flying knife fluidly moved between the tiger's body and skin, easily peeling off the hide. In a blink, the Silver White Tiger's skin was completely stripped off, leaving only its glossy, naked body behind. Bi Ryu-yeon's skillful and practiced technique suggested that he had been doing this for a long time. Now, only the hide-less, pathetic body of the tiger remained.
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As the proverb goes, the tiger had left its skin behind in death. Moreover, this skin, being highly valuable, was even more precious. The skin was sure to be sold for a high price, especially considering its rarity and the unique silvery-blue sheen of the tiger's fur.
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Pleased with these thoughts, Bi Ryu-yeon decided to erase all evidence. He split the tiger's belly open. A large amount of blood flowed from the abdomen, a natural outcome since the Flying Lightning Knife had stirred its insides. Efficient as always, Bi Ryu-yeon collected every drop of blood into a skin bag, not wanting to waste any of the valuable tiger blood, which would surely fetch a high price.
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After splitting the belly and rummaging through the innards, Bi Ryu-yeon was relieved to find the tiger's liver intact. The liver was an important commodity that could be traded for a high price. As the saying goes, eating a tiger's liver would embolden one, although there were also tales of potential side effects like liver swelling. Regardless of the truth, its value as a pricey item remained unchanged.
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After cleanly removing the innards of the forest king, Bi Ryu-yeon skewered the tiger from its anus to mouth with a wooden stick and placed it over a fire. He seasoned it with salt, various spices, and condiments, slowly rotating the skewer as the meat cooked. The aroma that filled the air as the meat crisply browned was mouth-watering. Ravenous after his unexpected morning exercise, Bi Ryu-yeon devoured the deliciously roasted whole tiger, savoring the exquisite taste of the king of the white tigers.
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After the meal, the site was left with nothing but a pile of bones, presumably of what once was the king of the forest. Not a single piece of flesh remained on these bones. Initially, Bi Ryu-yeon intended to leave the remains as they were, without conducting any form of burial. However, as he was about to leave, he hesitated, then returned to the dining scene and began collecting the bones of the tiger, once the white tiger. Carefully gathering the bones of the white tiger, Bi Ryu-yeon paid a silent tribute to its beautiful sacrifice, grateful for the animal that had given itself up for his benefit. He then happily wrapped the tiger's hide around himself and headed down to the village.
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Inside his collection bag were 20 tiger claws he had extracted before cooking, along with the bones he had gathered after the meal. The large size of the tiger meant there were plenty of bones left. He planned to make tiger claw necklaces with these claws and sell them at the department store, anticipating a high price. Necklaces made from such large and sharp claws were unheard of. The rarer an item, the greater its value.
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Moreover, these abundant tiger bones would also fetch a high price at a medicinal herb shop. Tiger bones have been widely recognized for their medicinal properties since ancient times. Truly, from its hide to its bones, there was nothing about the tiger that went to waste. It appeared that a spiritual creature was indeed a creature of spirit.
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The money he would accumulate from this would be used to execute his grand and magnificent plan. Perhaps due to having consumed the white tiger, Bi Ryu-yeon's steps as he descended to the village were as light and swift as a flying tiger.