Chapter 881: PAID

There were a few things I wanted to confirm.

The first was the efficacy of the Dragon Pearl. Was it consumed purely for the purpose of shedding one’s mortal body? Or did it have other effects as well?

‘There were some changes in my body, after all.’

For starters, my abilities had increased significantly.

Both my internal energy and physical strength had grown by a considerable margin.

If I were to quantify it…

‘About one to two stages.’

For something as small as a single internal pill to produce such an overwhelming increase, it was astonishing. My current internal energy was at a level where even consuming top-grade pills like Dahwandan or Dokcheon-dan wouldn’t yield much improvement, but this pearl was different.

Its efficiency was unparalleled.

That’s why I tried consuming another one.

‘The second one didn’t have the same effect.’

While there was some increase, its efficiency was far below that of Dokcheon Pills.

So, did that mean its benefits were only effective the first time?

‘But even that’s not definitive.’

There was a complicating factor.

I had already undergone shedding when I consumed it. Additionally, there was the anomaly of my Nine Flames Firewheel Art reaching mastery around the same time.

Thus, it was difficult to attribute my growth solely to the Dragon Pearl.

Given the lingering questions, my priority was to address these uncertainties.

Which brought me to this moment.

“Arghhh…!!”

The reason I went out of my way to secure the pearls…

And the reason I had Seong Yul consume one first.

‘If it’s usable, why not make use of it?’

If these special energy pills had unique powers, wouldn’t it be better to use them for my benefit?

‘What’s good for me is what’s beneficial, isn’t it?’

To achieve that, I needed to verify a few things.

The first question was:

‘What happens when someone who hasn’t undergone shedding consumes a Dragon Pearl?’

A body that hadn’t undergone rebirth or shedding—what would occur when it was exposed to the pearl’s energy?

I needed to find out.

“Guhhh… ughhhh…!!”

I was using Seong Yul to conduct that very test.

As he writhed in agony, I sat atop the wooden coffin, watching him closely.

‘The energy is going wild.’

It was clear he had fully swallowed the pearl. His dantian became the focal point of an explosive surge of energy.

It looked as if he could burst at any moment.

It was impressive that he hadn’t already.

‘Is it Seong Yul himself keeping it in check, or is the energy naturally stabilizing?’

I couldn’t tell if he was consciously managing the energy or if it was simply teetering on the edge of control.

And yet, this rampaging energy…

‘It isn’t permeating his body.’

Instead, it swirled around his meridians, refusing to integrate with his physical form.

This only made the situation worse.