Chronicles of the Demonic Cult Conversion-Chapter 28 : Chapter 28

Chapter 28. Small Heavenly Cycle.
The breathing method of orthodox arts teaches one to concentrate their breath below the navel, that is, in the lower dantian.
However, the Reverse Heaven Heart Art is the opposite.
From the very beginning, it concentrates the breath in the head, that is, the upper dantian.
Orthodox arts are extremely cautious about approaching the upper dantian, and they are wary of it.
Even with most advanced martial arts, it was common not to even mention the upper dantian before reaching the peak realm.
That is why the martial arts of the Righteous Faction were so stable.
Most cases of qi deviation also occurred when martial artists of a certain level or higher messed with the upper dantian to pioneer a higher realm.
Conversely, demonic arts do not hesitate to approach the upper dantian from the very beginning.
Starting from the breathing method, they boldly concentrate on the upper dantian, so how dangerous must that be?
This was the reason why those who started the Reverse Heaven Heart Art either lost their lives to qi deviation or became madmen with a complete change in personality.
It was also the reason why the demonic practitioners who lost their reason and rampaged like beasts were mostly subpar, third-rate martial artists.
‘In the end, it's a matter of pros and cons. Just a matter of which came first, the chicken or the egg.’
To pioneer the advanced realms, the blossoming of the upper dantian was not an option but a necessity.
In that sense, activating the upper dantian from the very beginning had many advantages, which was the thought of Jin Yeong-in and the demonic art practitioners.
Why?
Because progress was fast.
By learning the Reverse Heaven Heart Art, not only does the speed at which internal energy accumulates in the lower dantian increase, but one's understanding of martial arts also rises dramatically.
The activation of the upper dantian meant an increase in brainpower.
This meant that the ability to interpret and understand martial principles developed, which was no different from improving one's innate talent for martial arts.
Based on that principle, demonic art practitioners tend to show rapid growth from the beginning, but their progress slows down as they reach the advanced realms.
As they activate the upper dantian early, it is not easy to find a breakthrough when they hit a limit.
To put it simply, it could be understood as drawing out one's potential early on.
Of course, whether it was demonic arts or orthodox arts, the ultimate goal of internal martial arts was to develop all three dantians—upper, middle, and lower—evenly and achieve unity, so it was no exaggeration to say that although the order was different, the destination was the same.
"Hoo, haa. Heup."
Jin Yeong-in repeated the breathing method, focusing on accumulating qi.
Normally, accumulating qi was a process where one had to work day and night for several months to obtain just a single coin's worth of true qi.
However, Jin Yeong-in, who had already experienced internal martial arts, had a sense of qi that was overwhelmingly faster than that of ordinary people.
‘Done.’
Jin Yeong-in succeeded in creating a coin's worth of true qi in just one hour after starting the breathing method.
And from then on, it was incredibly easy.
‘Yintang, Baihui, Yuzhen, Dazhui…….’
Jin Yeong-in circulated the coin's worth of true qi from the Yintang acupoint, that is, between the eyebrows, down through the Baihui, Yuzhen, and Dazhui acupoints.
Literally, reversing heaven.
It was a flow of true qi that was completely opposite to normal heart arts.
For ordinary people, problems would have arisen here nine times out of ten.
They would have collapsed with a profuse nosebleed, rolled their eyes back and had a seizure, or in severe cases, suffered a permanent disability in one part of their body and become crippled.
But Jin Yeong-in was a body that could not experience such side effects in the first place.
The body of Jin Yeong-in, with his Heavenly Demon's Physique, accepted the Reverse Heaven Heart Art so naturally.
As if it had been promised, the flow of true qi itself was as comfortable as breathing.
‘Perhaps… the original Reverse Heaven Heart Art might have started when the first Heavenly Demon taught his own breathing method to ordinary people.’
Thinking other thoughts while circulating qi was a taboo, but for Jin Yeong-in, who had the Heavenly Demon's Physique, the Reverse Heaven Heart Art was a piece of cake.
It would be the same principle as a living creature breathing without concentrating.
‘I will continue to circulate it like this all the way to the Small Heavenly Cycle.’
The reverse heaven true qi rushed through Jin Yeong-in's acupoints in reverse according to his will.
* * *
Originally, the progress of demonic arts is very fast.
Even martial artists who had learned orthodox arts would see immediate progress just by learning a single line of a demonic art formula.
This was also the biggest reason why martial artists of the Righteous Faction who accidentally came across demonic arts could not escape its temptation.
The Reverse Heaven Heart Art was no different.
Although there were many demonic heart arts in the world, the Reverse Heaven Heart Art was the one with the fastest initial progress among them.
To what extent? The moment one achieved the first Small Heavenly Cycle, a coin's worth of true qi would be amplified several tens of times, so one could obtain in a single day the amount of internal energy that practitioners of ordinary heart arts would have to train day and night for a year to accumulate.
It wasn't for nothing that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult taught the Reverse Heaven Heart Art as a basic art despite its dangers.
Therefore, the signs of the first Small Heavenly Cycle of the Reverse Heaven Heart Art were so clear that even a three-year-old child could recognize them.
‘Almost there.’
Finally, the moment a coin's worth of true qi settled in Jin Yeong-in's lower dantian, completing the Small Heavenly Cycle.
Woong!
A storm raged in his lower dantian, and the coin's worth of true qi began to multiply at a frightening speed.
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaak—!!!
A sinister demonic qi erupted from Jin Yeong-in, who was sitting in a cross-legged position, and filled the room.
"Th-this is!!!"
A scream close to a shriek erupted from the mouth of Danmok Cheong, who was standing guard by his side.
No matter how fast the progress of the Reverse Heaven Heart Art was, the time it took to accumulate qi was not much different from other heart arts.
To accumulate a coin's worth of true qi with the breathing method, it would take at least 4 to 5 weeks, no matter how fast one was.
It wasn't for nothing that the Blood Wolf Corps taught the breathing method as soon as one joined, had them continuously train to accumulate qi, and then guided them to achieve the first Small Heavenly Cycle in the final sixth week.
But to achieve the Small Heavenly Cycle in just two hours after starting training, not to mention accumulating qi?
To be sure, there would have been no one in the history of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult who had shown such rapid progress.
At least, as far as Danmok Cheong knew.
Even in the long history of the Blood Wolf Corps, the fastest case of successfully accumulating qi was said to be about ten days, so the progress Jin Yeong-in showed was a great event that would be recorded in history.
"Young Master Jin, what on earth are you……."
Danmok Cheong looked at Jin Yeong-in as if he could neither believe nor understand it.
Jin Yeong-in's appearance right now was truly bizarre.
His long hair was completely disheveled and flowing, a faint purple luster emanated from his skin, and a strong demonic qi was constantly being emitted from his body.
Was that all?
"L-levitation as well?!"
Jin Yeong-in, sitting in a cross-legged position, was floating about two ‘chi’ (approximately 60cm) off the ground.
That was clearly a phenomenon known to occur only when masters who had reached the super-peak realm achieved their first Great Heavenly Cycle.
Whether Danmok Cheong was shocked and horrified or not, Jin Yeong-in was engrossed in enjoying the bliss of the first Small Heavenly Cycle.
‘Yes, this is the feeling.’
Jin Yeong-in smiled faintly as he saw the true qi, which had been merely a coin's worth, multiplying vigorously like plants in summer.
It wasn't just the multiplication of true qi.
His dantians, which had been scarred from forcibly containing orthodox arts, were rapidly recovering and regenerating in real time.
It was common for the dantian to be destroyed without being able to withstand the first Small Heavenly Cycle, so there was no room for doubt that Jin Yeong-in had the Heavenly Demon's Physique.
Suddenly, he remembered the day he first learned the Reverse Heaven Heart Art.
It was the 100th day of his confinement in the Demonic Prison.
- Demonic arts… I will learn them.
- Hoho, what has suddenly changed your mind? Weren't you the one who didn't care about all that harsh torture?
- Is that important? Whatever my intentions, as long as I learn the demonic arts, that should be enough, right?
Jin Yeong-in's cool eyes glinted as he glared at the Great Divine Physician of Immortals.
- It's just a pity. If you were going to learn it anyway, why did you resist so tenaciously? It would have been easier for both of us if you had cooperated from the start.
- …….
- This is the secret manual of the Reverse Heaven Heart Art. Go ahead and learn it.
The Great Divine Physician of Immortals tossed the secret manual of the Reverse Heaven Heart Art in front of Jin Yeong-in.
‘I am not the kind of being you think I am.’
Jin Yeong-in ground his teeth inwardly.
By learning the Reverse Heaven Heart Art, he intended to prove that he did not have the Heavenly Demon's Physique, and if possible, to deliberately enter qi deviation and commit suicide.
Until then, Jin Yeong-in had firmly believed that this whole incident stemmed from the Great Divine Physician of Immortals' misunderstanding, and that he did not have the Heavenly Demon's Physique.
However…….
‘Th-this is.’
Jin Yeong-in was utterly astonished by the power of the Reverse Heaven Heart Art.
He could see his body, which had been mangled by torture, recovering in real time, and from his dantian, a pure demonic qi that he had never experienced before surged up like a waterspout.
The Reverse Heaven Heart Art was a celestial ecstasy.
It was a pleasure he had never experienced in his life, and a stimulation more intense than any drug in the world.
‘This is truly incredible… oops.’
Snapping back to his senses, Jin Yeong-in's eyes shot open.
His spine chilled as if he had been doused with cold water.
He had been so sure he didn't have the Heavenly Demon's Physique this time either, but to think he would be captivated by demonic arts as soon as he learned the Reverse Heaven Heart Art.
If he hadn't come to his senses later, he shuddered just imagining what kind of disgraceful behavior he might have shown.
- See? Didn't I tell you? You have the Heavenly Demon's Physique.
- ……Shut up.
- I should have brought a mirror. You should have seen the bliss on your face with your own eyes.
The Great Divine Physician of Immortals said, a wide smile blooming on his face.
- From now on, you will train that heart art more diligently than anyone else. Your body, the Heavenly Demon's Physique, will constantly crave the Reverse Heaven Heart Art.
- …….
Jin Yeong-in glared at the triumphant Great Divine Physician of Immortals and inwardly sharpened the sword of revenge.
‘Fine, just you wait. If I am the Heavenly Demon's Physique as you say, then I will learn as much of that damned demonic art as you want. But in return, I will make you bitterly regret ever putting demonic arts in my, the Heavenly Demon's Physique's, hands.’
From that day on, Jin Yeong-in trained in demonic arts more diligently than anyone else.
Waiting for the uncertain day of revenge…….
* * *
Hatred and anger deeply engraved in his soul.
Even now, having returned to the past, the events of that time were as vivid as if they had just happened.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—!!!
His heart pounded like crazy, and the blood flow throughout his body began to race wildly.
The heart, that is, the middle dantian, is the organ among the three dantians that is most affected by one's emotional state.
Furthermore, one of the core principles of demonic arts was to not control emotions but rather to explode them to accelerate the middle dantian.
Wooooong!
The middle dantian, reacting to his anger, amplified the demonic qi residing in his lower dantian.
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!
The demonic qi raged like a tempest.
It was a storm of demonic qi so intense that it was hard to believe it belonged to someone who had just achieved the first Small Heavenly Cycle.
"Y-Young Master Jin? Heok!"
Danmok Cheong staggered backward, clutched his chest, and writhed in pain.
Jin Yeong-in, who had at some point undone his cross-legged position, was standing stock-still with both feet on the ground.
Looking at Jin Yeong-in, Danmok Cheong was seized by a fear he had never experienced in his life.
The current Jin Yeong-in looked like a demon that had just crawled out of hell, and it seemed as if he would commit a massacre at any moment.
And with the strong premonition that he would be the first victim, Danmok Cheong froze completely.
Despite being a martial artist of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult who had passed the Blood Wolf Corps, at this moment, he was nothing more than an ordinary person dominated by fear.
Jin Yeong-in slowly turned his head to look at Danmok Cheong.