Chapter 131: A Fortuitous Opportunity Across the Desert

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Inspecting the stone tablet engraved with blade marks, Jin So-myeong narrowed his eyes.

Over the past few years, he had observed this stone tablet in the gaps between his cultivation. He had inspected it easily more than hundreds of times, but he had not yet been able to uncover its secret.

But today was different.

Since his Divine Sense had grown to the Nascent Soul-grade upon reaching the late Golden Core stage, the power of the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye would have also grown stronger.

Through this divine ability, which was said to pierce and see through all possibilities in the universe, he intended to uncover the secret of the stone tablet.

Ssssp…

Through his breathing, he elevated his mind.

As he gently closed his eyes, darkness naturally came. The moment he drew a single clear bolt of lightning onto that pitch-black expanse.

The world became filled with light.

Jin So-myeong, who was observing the stone tablet with eyes harboring golden lightning, let out a low groan.

‘…It hurts.’

His solar plexus burned as if it had been cut by a blade. It felt as though a faint sword sound echoing in his ears had pierced right through his heart.

When he checked his chest, there was no wound. The pain was distinct, but it had not left any trace behind.

The moment Jin So-myeong, who was silent for a moment, flicked his finger. A vividly glowing Sword Qi hovered in the empty air before disappearing.

‘My Sword Qi has become sharper.’

He had tested it because he felt it would be so, and it truly was.

There was only one reason: he had seen the sword of the one who went before.

Once he learned what it meant to be even sharper, his realm of the sword naturally rose.

‘This won’t do. I must go see it in person.’

With things reaching this point, he could not possibly remain still.

He resolved to go to the Dead Soul Wilderness indicated by the map, the place where the yellowish-brown stone tablet was presumed to have been discovered.

‘The timing is a bit ambiguous, but…’

That place was originally so far that it took about a year just to get there. It meant at least two years for a round trip.

On the other hand, only a year and a half remained until the date he had agreed to return to Wu Yeong-jin and the Heavenly Elixir Sect.

Under normal circumstances, the time would have been utterly insufficient, but.

‘Since I’ve reached the late Golden Core stage, it should be fine.’

As his realm rose, his flight speed also became faster. He judged that he would be able to make the round trip within the time limit.

‘Let’s depart immediately.’

Having made the decision, he did not hesitate.

He burned a Voice Transmission Talisman to leave a message for Wu Yeong-jin that he would be going out for a short while, and then headed toward the Dead Soul Wilderness indicated by the map inside the jade slip.

***

One day, in Vast Wilderness Immortal City.

Houn Tavern, a pub favored by low-level cultivators, became noisy.

“Wu On-baek. You are truly amazing! To think you’ve already made a Rank 2 talisman at the Qi Condensation stage!”

“Didn’t I tell you? Fellow Daoist Wu is a genius at making talismans! He is a born Talisman Master!”

Wu On-baek, one of the direct descendants of the Wu Family. He scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.

“No. It is all thanks to the support provided by the family.”

Perhaps because it had been a while since he had attended a gathering, everyone was very interested in him.

Although he felt embarrassed as attention focused on him, frankly, he felt good. How could he not be pleased when admiration and praise were pouring in…

He controlled the corners of his mouth, which were trying to rise, with all his might.

“Hey! Why act so humble among us. Becoming a Rank 2 Talisman Master at such a young age like you is, no matter what anyone says, thanks to talent!”

“No, well…”

“I agree as well. If anyone could make a Rank 2 talisman just by receiving some support from their family, then every dog and cow would have become a Rank 2 Talisman Master.”

He did not know what to do with himself at the continuous pouring of praise.

“Ahem. It is truly not so. If not for the family’s support, I wouldn’t have even been able to become a Rank 1 Talisman Master yet.”

“Uh-huh! I said it’s not so! Even if you had started as a rogue cultivator, you would have succeeded as a Talisman Master. Regardless of the family.”

A bitter smile formed around the mouth of Wu On-baek, who had been purely happy at first. This was because, as talk about the family kept coming up, worries naturally arose in him.

‘The atmosphere among the elders hasn’t been good lately. Is there really no problem? There are even rumors that the entire family will relocate…’

If they were to truly relocate, they would have to establish themselves in a new place, so they would suffer tremendously.

Just as he was holding back his desire to let out deep sighs.

A young man who usually spoke little and only listened quietly opened his mouth.

“Wu On-baek. Your face is a bit dark.”

“Yes?”

“Since you’ve become a Rank 2 Talisman Master, it should be normal to be happy, but your face is full of worry. Is there perhaps some problem?”

“Uh… no. There’s no big problem.”

“Hmm, don’t be like that, and if you have worries, please share them. Who knows? Maybe we can be of some small help.”

Instantly, the entire gathering was enveloped in a subtle silence.

Everyone shut their mouths exactly in the midst of their laughing and chatting. They quietly rolled their eyes and fixed their gazes.

Reacting sensitively to even a single small change in Wu On-baek’s expression, they waited to see how he would answer.

As if they were trying to obtain some important information…

***

Six months later, in a remote desert.

In this place called the Dead Soul Wilderness, a small beast resembling a weasel popped out while digging through the sand.

The weasel, which had a thin and long body, stood on two feet to raise its field of vision.

It kept turning its head while shining its bean-sized eyes, and its appearance was quite cute.

Kkiik!

The moment the fellow, who was diligently observing all directions, let out a short cry.

Along with a *whoosh* sound of the wind, the weasel’s form moved so fast that only an afterimage could be seen.

Had a single second passed?

*Crunch!*

A rather chilling sound of something breaking echoed. In the mouth of the weasel, which had kicked the sand and thrown its body, a large scorpion was now held.

The scorpion emitted an aura that had reached Rank 1 and kept stinging with its tail, but it was of no particular use.

This desert was the Dead Soul Wilderness. It was a place where powerless existences could never survive.

Therefore, the weasel was also not an ordinary beast. It was a demonic beast that had already risen to Rank 2.

Kyak-kyak!

The weasel, having succeeded in its hunt, laughed triumphantly. Just as it was tearing off and eating the legs of the scorpion that was struggling to live.

Rumble…

Simultaneously with a thunderous roar that shook the soul, the night sky, which had been covered in darkness, instantly became as bright as broad daylight.

It was not that the sun had risen.

It was just that a single bolt of lightning resembling a meteor had crossed the empty air.

Thud.

The scorpion that the weasel was holding in its mouth fell helplessly. The scorpion, which was released in confusion, disappeared into the sand, but the weasel could not even react.

Shivering all over its body, it only stared at the empty air with unfocused eyes.

How many seconds had passed?

The moment the sky, which had been bright as broad daylight, was dyed in darkness once again.

Kkiiiiiiik!

Shocked out of its wits, the weasel desperately dug a burrow and hid deep into the sand.

Even then, it did not feel relieved, so it did not come outside for several days.

As if it was afraid that the lightning that had dyed the sky might return…

*

Meanwhile.

Jin So-myeong, who was crossing the Dead Soul Wilderness while actively using the Lightning Escape Art, marveled.

An oasis as vast as the sea, rugged rocky mountains, a desert of golden sand stretching endlessly, deep canyons, and so on…

Every time he closed and opened his eyes, the surrounding terrain changed rapidly.

‘I feel like my flight speed is getting faster and faster.’

Over the past six months, he had done almost nothing but fly all day long.

It was not that he lacked a flying dharma treasure to ride, but because it was slower than flying directly, he suffered a bit.

When he felt he had reached his limit while flying at full strength, he pulled out his flying dharma treasure, summoned Baek Gwang-il, and entrusted him with the controls. Although he was a frail fellow who would fall over if lightly nudged, he could at least manage to hold the general direction.

After taking a rest?

Naturally, he retrieved the flying dharma treasure and flew again.

“Gwang-il. Since I’m fully rested, you should also go to the Secret Realm of the Mind now and… no, just focus on your cultivation.”

“Understood.”

For reference, the physical body of Baek Gwang-il, who had departed for the Secret Realm of the Mind leaving only his body behind, was stored in the sub-space.

In any case,

It meant that for the entire duration of six months, he had done nothing but fly all day long, except for when he rested briefly…

Was it thanks to that?

He realized a way to fly faster and farther with the same spiritual power. It was no exaggeration to say that he had mastered a method to move more efficiently.

On top of this, one more thing.

【Spells】

Lightning Escape Art (Mastery 9.999 million / 10 million)

The Lightning Escape Art, which played a major role in combat, reached the brink of Minor Success.

‘To think I filled up an entire ten million proficiency in just six months…’

It was something unimaginable in the past.

It was all thanks to reaching the late Golden Core stage. Since his Supreme Great Ability restored 1.6 million points every month, he could master most spells to Minor Success in an instant.

‘If others saw this, they would mistake me for an incredible genius.’

Jin So-myeong, who smirked, concentrated on the status window. The moment he filled in the last remaining point of proficiency.

Lightning Escape Art (Minor Success 1 / 10 billion)

What had changed?

Swiftness.

He had simply become fast. Very much so.

Jin So-myeong, who was savoring the Minor Success-grade spell text as if reciting a scripture, was enveloped in lightning.

The moment he flew at full strength targeting a rocky mountain visible near the horizon.

The rocky mountain that had been at the edge of his vision instantly appeared right before his eyes. The massive distance of dozens of kilometers had vanished in a split second.

Just as he stopped in sheer shock.

*Boom!*

The shockwave from the sudden acceleration and sudden stop slammed into the rocky mountain. The mountain, which was shaking and rumbling, ultimately failed to maintain its shape and collapsed.

“…Ha.”

To think that a rocky mountain was destroyed solely by the aftermath, when he had merely flown at full strength and had not actually collided with it.

It was an absurd speed.

Jin So-myeong, who only moved his lips in dumbfoundedness, burst into a hollow laugh.

‘This is practically no different from teleportation.’

Wouldn’t even experts who had reached the Nascent Soul stage find it difficult to react to this speed?

However, the problem was that it was too fast.

While a sword was better the sharper it was, that was only when there was a hilt. An unmanageable power was bound to wound oneself.

‘I’ll have to suffer a bit to adapt to this speed.’

For any power, practicing was the only answer to use it properly.

*

One month later.

Jin So-myeong, who had been engrossed in flying without any proper rest to get used to the Minor Success-grade Lightning Escape Art, came to a sudden halt.

This was because he had finally arrived at his target destination.

Mountain peaks that were half-collapsed and did not seem naturally formed at all due to being too sharp or too round were scattered here and there.

Jin So-myeong, who was comparing the surrounding landmarks with the map, shone his eyes.

‘It’s there!’

Among the hundreds of mountain peaks, there was one cliff that particularly stood out.

Should he say it was shaped like a sword fallen from the sky, pierced deep into the ground with only the hilt revealed?

With the towering cliff as the center, large and small mountain ranges drew concentric circles, resembling ripples made by a large drop of water falling onto a calm lake.

‘It is a strange terrain…’

It was a situation where hundreds of mountain peaks seemed to surround a single cliff. No, perhaps rather than surrounding it, they were worshiping it.

Standing in a place higher than the clouds, Jin So-myeong, who was admiring the scenery that could be described as magnificent, approached the cliff.

Seen up close, the cliff was much larger than expected.

Its height alone was seven to eight kilometers. It was a cliff shaped like a sword hilt or a cylinder, and because the scale was so massive, the curved sides felt like a flat wall.

After circling the cliff halfway, he was able to face what he wanted.

On the cliff viewed from the direction of the rising sun, there was the sword mark that had brought him all the way to this place.

A single line that traversed the entire massive cliff.

He did not know how old the trace was, but sharp energy still remained. Just looking at it made his skin tingle.

‘Is it because of the sharp energy? There isn’t a single living creature in the vicinity…’

Jin So-myeong, who was staring at the sword mark as if possessed, pulled out the yellowish-brown stone tablet.

There was a slightly broken part at a corner of the cliff, and it was obviously the spot where the stone tablet had fallen out from.

*Thud!*

The moment he inserted the stone tablet into the hole that matched perfectly from size to shape.

Nothing happened.

Although he had expected that perhaps some hidden secret realm would open.

“…Aw.”

Actually, it was a natural thing.

In the first place, this cliff was just a single blade mark, and that was all. He had merely fitted a broken piece of stone back, so what could possibly happen?

Swallowing his disappointment, Jin So-myeong took a few steps back and contemplated the cliff.

Certainly, since the scale was massive, the feeling was different.

In a way, it was just a flat cliff, but he felt as if he was facing a sword aimed right between his eyebrows.

After standing blankly for about half a day and observing the sword mark, he nodded his head.

Having come all this way, what was there to hesitate about?

The moment he used the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, even consuming his Supreme Great Ability.

Suddenly, his vision distorted, and the surrounding scenery became completely different.

‘Ah?’

The clear sky was covered with dark clouds.

In a world where he could not distinguish between dream and reality.

He saw an imugi trying to ascend to heaven by making its own cintamani, and a human confronting it with only a single sword…

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