Chapter 109: Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda (9)

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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The Supreme Elder of the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace traversed the sky at a tremendous speed.

Before even a single breath passed, he broke through dozens of li and arrived at the pavilion where the Soul Lamps were kept.

“We pay our respects to the Supreme Elder!”

The Foundation Establishment disciples guarding the front of the pavilion greeted him in a flurry, but the old man did not even pay attention.

Making a large hand gesture as if telling them to get out of the way, he entered right inside the pavilion.

His gaze, which rapidly scanned the Soul Lamps densely displayed throughout the entire building, came to an abrupt halt.

The only one extinguished among the Soul Lamps boasting bright light. This was because he discovered Elder Jeok’s Soul Lamp.

“…”

Glaring at the Soul Lamp with bloodshot eyes, he clenched his fist tightly.

Rage welled up along with frustration. Twitching his jaw muscles, he grit his molars hard enough to make a cracking sound.

“Dammit!”

For the first time since being called the Supreme Elder, he spat out a curse.

He had the intention of thoroughly demanding an explanation for what happened once Great Elder Wi Mun-seok returned.

“Huu.”

At that moment when he was forcing his roughened breath to settle.

Hwareuk!

Wi Mun-seok’s Soul Lamp vomited an intense light for a split second, and then shook uneasily as if it would soon go out.

“No, why is this again?”

Panic washed over the face of the old man who had been seized by anger.

The light emitted by a Soul Lamp was deeply related to the owner’s state. That the light weakened meant the owner’s life hung by a thread.

He could not understand.

Great Elder Wi Mun-seok, who was a Spell and Body Dual Cultivator in the late Golden Core stage, was on the verge of death? Merely in the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda?

He could not believe it. No, he did not want to believe it.

Until just now, he was filled only with the thought of censuring the Great Elder, but now, he was confident he would be glad even if he just returned alive.

At that moment when all kinds of thoughts raged in his head.

“No!”

One more Soul Lamp went out.

It was the lamp right next to Elder Jeok’s Soul Lamp, belonging to one of the three who had entered the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda.

And.

As if waiting only for this moment, even Great Elder Wi Mun-seok’s Soul Lamp lost its light.

With this, all three who entered the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda had died.

‘…Is this a dream?’

He was simply dumbfounded. For three Spell and Body Dual Cultivators boasting powerful combat strength to die on the same day at the same hour?

Just how was he supposed to clean up this matter?

He was in a state of mind where he wanted to cough up blood.

***

Meanwhile.

Jin So-myeong, who split Wi Mun-seok vertically in the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda, caught his breath.

Simultaneously with the thought that it was finished, fatigue rushed in. He was a powerful enemy encountered after a truly long time.

Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace. He did not know what kind of sect it was located, but they were vicious fellows.

‘But I won.’

Although there was not a single spot that did not hurt, from the extremities of his limbs to the head and toes, laughter came out.

This was because the sense of accomplishment was greater than the pain and fatigue.

The moment of fighting a strong enemy and winning was good no matter how many times it was repeated. It was ecstatic to the extent that he wondered if he raised his realm for this very moment.

‘Huu.’

Jin So-myeong, who was settling his roughened breathing, turned his gaze.

Madame Ryeo, who arrived a step late, was staring with wide eyes, and her pupils blinking incessantly were filled with surprise.

“My goodness, he really won…”

Whether it was hard to believe despite seeing it directly, she was muttering with a bewildered expression, and then let out an exclamation of “Ah!” and approached hastily.

“Is your body okay? You appeared to be heavily injured.”

“I am fine. Although not as much as that fellow Wi Mun-seok, my body is reasonably sturdy.”

“That is a relief. Ah! I should have greeted you with gratitude first, but I forgot. I haven’t had a sense of reality since earlier.”

Madame Ryeo, who gathered both hands near her chest, bowed her head slowly. She did not know which region’s etiquette it was, but it felt considerably polite.

“Don’t mention it.”

Around the time he nodded his head in response.

“We pay our respects to the benefactor.”

“Thanks to you, we were able to escape from those nasty fellows. Thank you very much.”

The remaining two men, who had been watching from an awkward distance, also approached and bowed in greeting.

In their awkward smiles was glimpsed a faint worry, which had a different attitude from Madame Ryeo who was completely relieved and glad.

Although it was good that the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace cultivators who treated them like slaves died, it was because they were worried about how Jin So-myeong would act.

‘Though I have no intention of employing them as slaves, indeed.’

However, reassuring a strange cultivator with just a few words was a difficult task, and there was no need to do so.

At any rate, after just a few minutes, they would realize he had no particular malice toward them.

After accepting their greetings.

He first retrieved the Heavenly Heavy Darkrock Sword which had been blown away in the explosion and buried in the dirt.

Next, he examined the surroundings, and a small pouch was visible on Wi Mun-seok’s right torso split in half.

‘A storage pouch?’

Confirming it with his Divine Sense, it was indeed a storage pouch. He was worried that it might have been damaged during the fierce battle, but it was perfectly intact.

‘Fortunately. He was a quite strong fellow, so what might be inside?’

Might there be spiritual objects related to Spell and Body Dual Cultivation? Smiling, Jin So-myeong stretched out his hand.

Hwik!

As he raised his spiritual power, the storage pouch that floated up gently was sucked into his hand.

Examining the storage pouch filled with splendid dragon patterns, he felt like he had obtained a treasure chest.

‘It looks high-grade at a glance.’

Just by looking at the appearance of the storage pouch, he felt like he knew how wealthy Wi Mun-seok was.

Thinking about it, a Spell and Body Dual Cultivation sect made no sense.

It was a fact he naturally came to know as his realm rose. The real reason why body tempering cultivation methods were treated as non-mainstream in this world was not because they were weak.

A body tempering cultivator displays supreme combat strength in close combat. Even in empty words, they could not be called weak.

Despite that, the reason body tempering was treated as non-mainstream was…

‘Because it is inefficient.’

It was because the time and resources consumed to cultivate were too much.

With the resources to raise a single body tempering cultivator, one could foster dozens of ordinary cultivators.

What about a Spell and Body Dual Cultivator? It went without saying. It cost even more resources than a pure body tempering cultivator.

However, the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace appeared to have raised all their disciples as Spell and Body Dual Cultivators.

The more closely he thought about it, the more absurd it was.

‘For me, it is fine since I am alone and possess the Secret Realm of the Mind, but just how does the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace handle that much consumption?’

Could they be the hegemon ruling the entire continent?

A single scene rose in his head.

It was a sight of rugged, muscular giants flocking around and plundering all directions.

Although it was merely an imagination, for some reason it did not seem like it would be much different from reality.

‘Since the guy who was the Great Elder died to me. Has their force weakened slightly?’

If so, it served them right.

Was it because he had experienced numerous exploits during his days as a mortal? He flatly detested fellows who plundered as if it were natural.

‘Sigh, forget it. They are fellows whose location I don’t even know, so let’s not care.’

What was important now was that they were wealthy. The probability that numerous treasures were contained in the storage pouch was high!

Jin So-myeong, who was nodding his head with expectation, paused.

This was because a gaze mixed with greed was felt, and the owners of that gaze were the two men who had greeted him with gratitude until just now.

Staring intently at the storage pouch was absurd, but on the other hand, it made sense.

‘It must be because of the mental restriction.’

In the current situation, the peculiar one was Madame Ryeo’s side, who did not covet the storage pouch.

She frowned after looking at the storage pouch a few times, and the sign of being bewildered was greater than greed. She appeared like a person who did not understand her own emotional state.

Shaking her head as if to shake off the greed, she said in a somewhat rapid tone.

“Daoist Jin. If there is an opportunity later, I will surely repay today’s grace.”

Greeting him like a person about to depart soon, she turned her head. Staring at the stone pagoda visible far away, she looked as if she intended to go straight to the 3rd floor at a glance.

‘What is it that she usually desired, that she even ignores the storage pouch and tries to go to the 3rd floor.’

Jin So-myeong, who contemplated for a moment, decided to bestow goodwill. According to what he had experienced so far, she was a trustworthy person.

“Madame Ryeo, wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Seeing you when fighting earlier, you appeared to be poisoned, so where are you going without even treating it properly? And… everyone, pull yourselves together.”

The moment he tapped the scabbard as if warning.

The two men who were still unable to pull themselves together and only stared at the storage pouch retreated in startlement.

“Heot.”

The greed that filled their pupils vanished cleanly. Recognizing that Jin So-myeong was a strong expert, they regained their reasoning.

When he explained the mental restriction to the bewildered men, the two who coveted the storage pouch were frightened out of their wits.

“No wonder! Something was indeed strange.”

“Ugh. By the way, the restriction is more powerful than expected. Even now, the crazy thought of wanting to steal the benefactor’s storage pouch and run away continues to occur.”

“…Pardon?”

The gaze focused in an instant.

Should he call it honest? The man who spat out his inner thoughts exactly as they were without any tact belatedly excused himself, perhaps realizing his blunder.

“I-I said it was a crazy thought, didn’t I? It is just a figure of speech. Although I have lived selfishly, I have at least never once repaid grace with enmity!”

He merely nodded his head to the man who stared earnestly as if asking him to believe him.

Since his strength could not even steal the storage pouch in the first place, he did not particularly care.

“Anyway, everyone appears to be abnormal due to the mental restriction, so be cautious. The same goes for Madame Ryeo.”

The woman who could not take her eyes off the stone pagoda flinched. Looking now, she was also under a strong influence of the restriction.

“…Thank you.”

Madame Ryeo, who hesitated, eventually sat cross-legged.

Holding a high-grade spirit stone in her hand, she fell into meditation, seemingly intending to resolve the poison first by accepting the advice.

“Well, may I leave now? Since greed keeps arising since earlier, it seems I must go to a secluded place and meditate.”

“Ahem. Then I shall also…”

He spoke as if requesting the two men who tried to leave stealthily while watching his reaction.

“Leaving is fine, but I would prefer if my story does not spread to other places.”

“Ah, do not worry about that. My mouth is very heavy. I will not disclose any information about the benefactor.”

“The same goes for me. As I said earlier, I do not repay grace with enmity.”

Seeing them answer so easily without much contemplation, he chuckled.

Do they think it is other people’s business?

“If today’s matter spreads, you Daoist friends will also be chased by the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace fellows, so it would be best to keep the secret even for your own sakes.”

“…I will absolutely not say a word.”

The faces of the two men turned pale. As if having imagined being chased by muscular giants, they left with serious expressions.

In truth, Jin So-myeong did not consider today’s matter as a secret that must absolutely be kept.

This was because he did not particularly fear the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace. What he had warned just now was merely to lessen annoyance.

‘It is enough to just cut them all down as they come.’

Turning his gaze while thinking thoughts that others would be dumbfounded to hear as if it were nothing.

Fastening Wi Mun-seok’s storage pouch to his waist for now, he wandered around the surroundings and gathered all the harvests he had missed.

The storage pouches left by the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace cultivators totaled 3, but one had ambiguous ownership.

‘I didn’t kill the last fellow alone.’

If Madame Ryeo and the two men who just left had not held him down, the fight with Wi Mun-seok would have been more difficult.

After contemplating for a moment, he took it for now.

‘I shall share a bit if we meet again next time.’

Or he could simply consider it receiving compensation for saving them from the status of slaves.

The last harvest was the staff that was Wi Mun-seok’s primary weapon.

It was embedded deep inside the ground in the lengthened state, and it was heavy enough that Jin So-myeong, who possessed a tough body, staggered while lifting the staff.

‘Vajra Extending Staff.’

A Rank 3 highest-grade Magic Treasure, characterized by its size changing freely and being extremely solid.

Although its functions were somewhat crude, it was a Magic Treasure that displayed tremendous power when held in the hand of a body tempering cultivator.

‘Is the weight roughly 200,000 jin… Mugeok, can you absorb this staff as well by any chance?’

A faint vibration was felt from the scabbard fastened to his waist. If he interpreted the meaning Mugeok transmitted…

‘You don’t know well? Good. Then I will give it to you later, so try absorbing it.’

Since there was nothing to lose by trying, he did not ponder. If he did not know, trying it was enough.

He asked Mugeok, who hummed as if understanding, to keep guard. Holding high-grade spirit stones in both hands, he focused on recovery.

How long had passed?

“Haa…”

Madame Ryeo, who finished her detoxification, ended her meditation, and Jin So-myeong, who had been waiting while recovering, also opened his eyes.

This was because he had something to propose to her, who was a formation master.

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