CFZ

Hearing something absurd, I furrowed my brow.
"…Did I mishear?"

Just moments ago, the Poison King had been keeping his distance, addressing me with the utmost formality. Now, suddenly calling me "son-in-law" with such blatant desire? It was ridiculous. Or maybe refreshingly honest.
"I understand, though."
Seeing the hope in the Poison King's eyes, I let out a small sigh. It wasn’t as if I couldn’t empathize with how overjoyed he was.

His trembling hands, unsure of where to go, caught my attention. Watching him hesitate, I turned my gaze to the glowing mixture.
Hwaaaah—!
The mixture still glowed brightly. It wasn’t just the light—the energy emanating from it was immense.

The difference in power was beyond comparison to what I had sensed before adding the mana stone. One glance was enough to confirm:
"It’s a success."
This was the real deal. Its brilliance made it impossible to mistake.

"I was right."
Relief washed over me. I’d worried that I might be wrong, but my guess had turned out to be spot on.
When the Poison King had first approached me, saying the mana stone was the issue, this solution had immediately come to mind.

The demonic energy # Nоvеlight # in the stone caused problems. When I drained the energy, there was no reaction. But if the mana stone was absolutely necessary, then the answer was clear:
"The mana stone needs to hold something other than demonic energy."
It sounded contradictory, even absurd, to suggest that a mana stone, defined by its demonic energy, should be emptied of it. Yet the results spoke for themselves.

Still, one question lingered:
"Why a red mana stone specifically?"
Among all the possible stones, why red? It was the first question that had come to mind, and now, I thought I understood.

"So that’s it."
The answer was clear. It wasn’t that red mana stones were the only option—they were simply the minimum requirement.
"They specified red because it’s the bare minimum."
While I couldn’t confirm this conclusively, it felt highly probable.

"Green or blue wouldn’t be enough."
The energy a mana stone could hold depended on its grade. From that perspective, the use of a red mana stone likely came down to the sheer amount of energy required.
"The energy of a red mana stone is the minimum necessary for success."

That was my working theory. I wasn’t entirely sure, as I still lacked complete information.
"Especially…"
I turned back to the mana stone used for the mixture.

A stone emptied of its original energy, now filled with my own. This was the material that had successfully created the mixture.
Yet…
"It shattered as soon as it left my hand."

The mana stone hadn’t even been fully ground down; the moment it left my grip, it had broken apart.
"Did it break because it was ground down, or because it left my hand?"
That was another question that needed answering.

Still…
"What matters is that this worked."
The creation of the Dokcheon Pill had been successful. That was the only thing that truly mattered now.

After years of preparation, achieving this result was paramount.
"Clan Leader Tang," I called.
"Yes, son-in-law. Do you have something to say?"

"Uh… I mean… ah…"
The sudden change in his demeanor threw me off for a moment, but I quickly pushed through.
"…I don’t know how to refine elixirs. Could you handle the rest?"

"Ah—!"
Finally snapping out of his daze, the Poison King approached and took the mixture into his hands. I watched him closely.
"It doesn’t seem to have any issues leaving my hand."

The mixture, now in the Poison King’s possession, remained stable. It still radiated light, and the energy within seemed to grow even stronger.
"Does this mean it’s fine?"
While the final results were still unknown, everything seemed promising so far.

"It should be fine."
Visually, there didn’t seem to be any major issues. With this level of energy, the completed elixir wouldn’t be anything mediocre.
Still, if it failed…

"…That would be a nightmare."
It would mean finding an entirely new method, which was an exhausting thought. But fortunately, after some time, the Poison King finished refining the mixture. Before me now were three completed elixirs, radiating an intense energy.
"Truly… it’s a success," the Poison King murmured, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Truly…"
He gazed at the elixirs with an almost reverent expression, as though he couldn’t bear to touch them. I’d never seen him look like this before.
"…Well."

I could understand his feelings. This was a monumental achievement.
"Clan Leader Tang," I called again.
"Speak, my so—"

"Can you stop with the damn 'son-in-law' nonsense already??"
"…"
The Poison King nodded silently, though he looked visibly disappointed. I rolled my eyes and averted my gaze, instead focusing on the elixirs.

"Are they going to the storage room now?" I asked.
"There’s a prepared space," he replied.
"That means we’ll have to wait about half a year, then."

"If the formula is correct, yes."
The final step of the Dokcheon Pill’s creation required it to be stored in a cool, underground space for six months.
This process wasn’t unique to the Dokcheon Pill. Other elixirs, including Shaolin’s Great Elixir, underwent similar aging periods.

Though the specific duration and conditions varied, such processes were standard for elixirs of this caliber.
"So we’ll finally meet the true Dokcheon Pill after this waiting period."
The months-long wait was frustrating, but the outcome would be worth it.

"With this…"
The plans I had involving the Dokcheon Pill could finally move forward. The possibility of mass production was now within reach.
It was a satisfying result. The Poison King seemed equally relieved, his tense demeanor finally relaxing. Even I hadn’t expected such immediate success.

"I thought it would take at least a couple of days."
I had prepared myself for failure and had expected to spend more time in the Tang Clan.
"This is good."

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I allowed myself a small smile. Yet, amidst this satisfaction…
"Hmm."
Unlike the ecstatic Poison King, I found myself staring at the Dokcheon Pill with a faint unease.

It was undoubtedly an elixir.
Its energy and aura closely resembled those of the Dokcheon Pills stored by the Tang Clan and myself. While it felt slightly unstable, that could likely be resolved during the storage process.
By all appearances, everything had gone perfectly.

And yet, the unease wouldn’t leave me.
The reason was simple.
"Clan Leader Tang."

"Yes, speak."
"Do you think we can truly call this the Dokcheon Pill?"
To question whether the elixir was truly the Dokcheon Pill, after going to such lengths to create it, seemed strange even to me.

"…"
Surprisingly, the Poison King didn’t respond immediately. He, too, seemed aware of the issue.
By all accounts, the elixir was excellent.

"The concentrated energy is strong, and the condition is stable."
It was an elixir that could rival the Great Elixir. But still…
"Can we really call it the Dokcheon Pill?"

One glaring issue remained.
"It lacks poison."
The elixir had none of the toxic energy that defined the Dokcheon Pill. While it radiated a brilliant and pure energy, that critical aspect was absent.

"But it’s not just that."
Instead of poison, something else had taken its place—something unmistakable to me.
 

"Fire energy."
The energy carried by those who have mastered flame techniques or spent an eternity in front of fire, absorbing its essence into their very being.
It was about embracing the flame and holding it within oneself. That was fire energy.

"So why the hell is fire energy coming from the Dokcheon Pill?"
The Dokcheon Pill, created from a maddening mix of toxic and spiritual herbs, was suddenly emanating fire energy?
The absurdity wasn’t lost on me, and judging by the Poison King’s increasingly perplexed expression, it wasn’t just me who noticed.

"…Where did things go wrong?"
At what point did this deviation occur? The elixir had been completed properly, yet something clearly had gone astray.
"Wait, what?"

As I pondered the mystery, a thought suddenly struck me.
The reason the Dokcheon Pill carried fire energy instead of poison.
"Could it be…"

I widened my eyes and looked at my hands.
"Is it because I infused my energy into it?"
I had replaced the mana stone’s energy with my own and ground it into the mixture. Could that be the cause?

"This… definitely seems like the answer."
I couldn’t find another explanation. What else could have caused fire energy to infuse the mixture?
"The Nine Flames Wheel Technique's energy was added to the mixture."

This must have seeped into the elixir, infusing it with fire energy instead of poison. Which meant…
"Clan Leader Tang, taste one."
"What?"

"I’m telling you to eat one. Quickly."
"What nonsense are you—how could I—? Urk!"
His protests were too long, so I simply shoved one into his mouth. Forced to chew, the Poison King flailed for a moment but ultimately had no choice. The pill had already entered his system, and it was too late.

He shot me a glare filled with resentment, but there was nothing he could do.
Thud!
The Poison King immediately dropped to the floor, assuming the lotus position. It was an instinctive response to survive.

I moved behind him, pressing my hand against his back.
Words weren’t necessary. The Poison King couldn’t respond during the critical moment of circulating energy anyway.
Fwoooom—!

I could feel the flow of energy beneath my palm.
"It’s definite."
The energy spread through his body as soon as he ingested the elixir. The phenomenon was identical to what happened when consuming a true Dokcheon Pill.

Except…
"It’s fire energy instead of poison."
There was no poison to be found.

"Is the energy otherwise functioning properly?"
I increased the circulation speed to observe.
Sssssssss—!!!

"Ugh!?"
The sudden acceleration startled the Poison King, making him flinch.
"Focus," I ordered.

"…"
The energy spread rapidly across his body. At the same time, I removed accumulated impurities, gathering them into my left hand and burning them away.
"…!!"

The Poison King reacted dramatically with every development.
"This old man… why is he like this?"
His over-the-top reactions were perplexing.

"If his blood vessels misalign, he could die. Does he not understand the risk?"
This wasn’t the first time he’d received energy assistance, after all.
Still, the process went smoothly.

"The flow of energy is excellent. This is good."
Though the elixir was freshly made and slightly unstable, its condition was remarkably clean. Minor instability could easily be corrected through controlled circulation. It was acceptable.
Carefully, I guided the energy through every part of the Poison King’s body, finally gathering it into his danjeon (energy core).

"Grrr… ugh."
The Poison King groaned in pain as the energy swelled.
Of course, I could have controlled the process to minimize discomfort, but I didn’t bother.

"That’s just too much work."
Besides, he was the Poison King. Surely, he could endure at least this much. That was all I considered.
After some time of forceful circulation:

"Blegh!"
The Poison King collapsed forward, vomiting violently.
Plop-plop!

Black blood oozed from his mouth, thick and foul.
"Huff… huff…"
It was the residual impurities expelled from his body. Though it looked painful, it was ultimately beneficial.

"Congratulations," I said casually, observing him catching his breath.
The Poison King’s cultivation had advanced slightly. Even I could sense the change through the energy flow, so surely the Poison King himself would notice it more keenly.
"Cough… huff… wheeze…"

Finally steadying his breathing, the Poison King looked up at me, his eyes filled with a tangle of emotions.
"You… what did you just—"
"No need to thank me," I interrupted.

"That’s not what I meant—!! What were you thinking, doing this without my consent—"
"Fire energy really does emerge… is it purely immunity, or could it integrate with the mixture? The results are clear enough… which means…"
"Even if you’re my benefactor, this deserves punishment—hey, wait! What are you doing?"

The Poison King’s indignant outburst was abruptly cut off as I grabbed another Dokcheon Pill and shoved it into my own mouth.
"I’ve already tested it on the Poison King. Now it’s my turn to confirm the results myself."
If this was truly an elixir infused with my energy, how would it react within me?

Curiosity demanded that I find out immediately.
The pill’s sharp, spicy flavor spread through my mouth. Savoring it briefly, I bit down and swallowed.
Gulp.

The elixir slid down my throat, sinking deep into my body. Preparing for the energy to spread, I steadied my breathing.
"You… you idiot—!"
The Poison King’s panicked voice broke my focus.

He seemed utterly shocked, his reaction exaggerated enough that I couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed.
"Relax. There are more Dokcheon Pills anyway. Besides, I fixed the problem for you. Surely I’m entitled to this much?"
Not to mention, the formula itself came from me. After everything I’d done for the Tang Clan, this was hardly unreasonable.

But then—
"Just make more if you need—wait, are you alright? Gu Gongja!"
"Huh?"

The Poison King’s reaction was strange.
"What did you say?"
"Are you alright?" What kind of question was that?

Before I could voice my confusion, a sudden realization hit me.
"Wait… what?"
The space around me had changed.

"Clan Leader Tang?"
There was no sign of the Poison King or anyone else. The atmosphere was eerily empty, devoid of any human presence.
Squinting at my surroundings, I muttered:

"What the hell is this now?"