Chapter 137: A Festive Occasion in the Thousand Corpses Sect

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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.

In order to find the sword cultivator who was called One Hand Severs Life in the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda, he chose a somewhat crude but certain method.

Namely, it was to search every single continent connected to the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda one by one. Although it was a task that would consume an enormous amount of time and manpower, he did not hesitate.

Since the Great Elder of the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace had died, he had to take revenge.

Under that simple premise, he tracked One Hand Severs Life for over several years.

It was a terrible obsession that would have made anyone click their tongue, but in fact, in a way, it was only natural.

Could a person without even this much tenacity have achieved great success in Spell and Body Dual Cultivation?

The Supreme Elder was an expert who had reached the Nascent Soul stage by cultivating both body tempering and Qi condensation simultaneously.

The Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace was a sect gathered with lunatics who ran to the death once they were hooked on one thing, and they were also famous for their mad vengeance. There was indeed a good reason why they were able to dominate a single continent.

In any case, after an investigation using all kinds of means, the Supreme Elder was finally able to establish several pieces of information regarding One Hand Severs Life.

‘The fellow is a rogue cultivator.’

If he were an existence belonging to some faction, there could not possibly be such a lack of information. Yet, a sense of discrepancy was felt here.

‘By what talent did a rogue cultivator cultivate body tempering, thunder arts, and the sword simultaneously?’

Even if his talent was outstanding and he possessed the qualities of a Battle Immortal, would that be possible?

Well,

It was not for nothing that the absolute majority of cultivators strained themselves to enter large sects. If there was no verified path paved by seniors who shed blood, they had to pioneer a path themselves.

Would that be easy?

To put it vulgarly, it was hard enough to make one defecate blood. It would not be strange if one cultivated recklessly as they pleased, reached a dead end, or fell into Qi deviation to die from bursting meridians.

However, by any chance.

If, by a one-in-a-million chance, One Hand Severs Life was indeed a rogue cultivator, this was not a good thing. Rather, it was a terrible thing.

Because it meant that despite pioneering a path by himself, he had become strong enough to overwhelm a hundred cultivators of the same rank alone…

Just how great would that talent be?

He did not even want to imagine it.

Although the Supreme Elder tried not to consciously think of it on purpose, and would absolutely never admit it.

Honestly, more than half of the reason he tenaciously tracked One Hand Severs Life was due to fear.

For everything, one sees as much as they know.

Having reached the Nascent Soul stage through Spell and Body Dual Cultivation, the Supreme Elder acutely felt just what an absurd existence One Hand Severs Life was.

“Sigh.”

He let out a long sigh. He dispersed the anxiety that had accumulated without his knowledge and honed his killing intent instead.

‘Not much is left.’

After a tenacious chase, he finally succeeded in selecting the region where One Hand Severs Life was presumed to be.

The Eastern Province.

Although it was practically as good as having found almost all of it, there was still much to do. This was because the Eastern Province was a place so enormously vast that it was embarrassing to call it by a single region name.

The seas within the Eastern Province alone were seven, and the continents were twenty-nine.

Even if one counted only the areas rich in cultivation resources enough to sustain a Nascent Soul-grade faction, there were this many.

Furthermore, of all things, the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda in the Eastern Province was located in the Dead Soul Wilderness adjacent to the Southern Province.

Just tracking where One Hand Severs Life, who emerged from the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda, had departed to was not an easy task.

However, it was fine.

Pouching time, resources, and manpower, how many things in the world couldn’t be done?

Just as the Supreme Elder, whose muscular lips twitched, was calming his boiling killing intent.

The Ten Thousand Li Voice Transmission Talisman in his bosom vibrated, delivering a tremendous piece of news.

‘…Traces of the Upper Realm have been discovered?’

The Upper Realm, a larger world where one could ascend upon reaching the end of cultivation in the Cultivation World, the land where they lived. Traces of that place were reportedly discovered.

The Supreme Elder’s face contorted violently.

‘At a time like this, of all things?’

Although in his heart he wanted to ignore it and continue searching for One Hand Severs Life, he could not do so.

The Sacred City of the Middle Province.

This was because an instruction had dropped from a powerful faction that could crush the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace in a single breath.

Of course, the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace was not a subordinate faction of the Sacred City.

The Sacred City was an existence like clouds in the sky, so they did not openly give instructions. They merely delivered news in a hinting manner that such an event had occurred.

However, that was precisely an order.

Unless one quick-wittedly moved in accordance with the Sacred City’s intentions, an unfortunate accident would occur in the not-so-distant future. Very coincidentally, that is…

As he put strength into his jaw, a *crunch* sound was made by his molars.

An order handed down from the Sacred City and a single Golden Core rogue cultivator. Which was more important?

It was not even worth contemplating. Naturally, it was the Sacred City of the Middle Province. It was an incredibly self-evident fact.

Yet, why was it?

The intuition tempered while fighting countless battles up until now told him that he must place greater importance on One Hand Severs Life.

That a single Golden Core cultivator was a far more urgent and important matter than the order handed down by the Sacred City, a powerful faction.

That even if he had to suffer a huge loss by falling out of favor with the Sacred City, he had to find and kill him as quickly as possible. Otherwise, it would be too late.

‘Damn it.’

However, that was nothing more than an intuition that could not even be explained properly, so…

As someone belonging to the faction of the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace, he could not act as his heart pleased.

After conflicting for a long time, he squeezed his eyes shut.

He made a choice.

Reason over the warning of instinct. He made a cool-headed decision that could be considered wise in a way…

***

One day a year later.

A happy event occurred in the Thousand Corpses Sect located in the Damun Kingdom of the Southern Province.

This was because the Young Master, who had suffered by falling victim to the strange poison…the pill toxins of the Immortal-Severing Earth Art…that made cultivation difficult, had finally broken free completely from the poison’s influence.

“My son! You have truly suffered much!”

As the head of the Thousand Corpses Sect, the Patriarch, tapped his shoulder with an emotional expression, the young man who had a blade scar on his face grinned and spoke.

“Yeo Dong-bin, I do not know how much time I wasted because of that damned sword cultivator. If that fellow appears again, I will tear him to death.”

“Of course! As my son, you naturally should!”

The Young Master of the Thousand Corpses Sect burning with vengeance, No Seong-hwi, suddenly furrowed his brow and bit his lips.

“However, I worry about that fellow’s master. Recalling the time we chased that sword cultivator in the past, he seems to be a sword cultivator who reached the Nascent Soul stage… what should we do about this?”

“…Do not worry too much. Since the Black Night Palace has already agreed to accept us, even if that Nascent Soul stage sword cultivator comes looking again, he will not be able to trample on the face of the Black Night Palace.”

As No Seong-hwi’s expression was still dark, the Patriarch let out a sigh and continued speaking.

“Furthermore, those things called sword cultivators have very strong pride. Do you remember what that Nascent Soul stage expert said to you?”

“How could I forget? After cutting and killing every single one of our Thousand Corpses Sect disciples, he said, ‘Go and wait for the day you die at the hands of my disciple’.”

The Patriarch, who was contemplating with narrowed eyes, snorted.

“Enough. In that case, he will not lay a hand on you. Even if his disciple rushes in under the guise of taking revenge and gets killed by us in reverse.”

“How, would it truly be so?”

No Seong-hwi still seemed trapped in fear, the Patriarch glared with a stern expression.

“Pull yourself together! Otherwise, what do you plan to do? Will you meekly offer your neck when Yeo Dong-bin comes looking?”

“…No way. I must kill him first.”

Once killing intent filled No Seong-hwi’s eyes, only then did he soften his stern expression and speak in a gentle tone.

“As I said earlier, do not worry too much. That sword cultivator would have died or become a cripple by now.”

“Yes?”

As No Seong-hwi asked back as if he could not understand, the Patriarch wore a fishy smile.

“You said that arrogant fellow laid his hands on thunder arts, right?”

“That is correct.”

“That is a dead end. From ancient times, there have been countless who coveted thunder arts, but without exception, they all met a bad end. He probably died from bursting meridians, unable to handle the domineering lightning Qi.”

The Young Master’s expression brightened instantly.

“Ah… it is a bit regrettable. I wanted to kill Yeo Dong-bin with my own hands.”

“Humph. The regret is the same for this father. If not for that fellow’s master, I would have found him long ago, made him beg to be killed, and then refined him alive into a Jiangshi!”

At the fierce words of his father who had reached the mid Golden Core stage, No Seong-hwi spoke as if reassured.

“Haha, but it is fortunate. Perhaps because my mind has eased, I feel like my cultivation will also go well.”

“Is that so? How long do you think it will take to the Golden Core stage?”

At his delighted father’s words, No Seong-hwi lifted his chin.

“Well. Since father prepared all the necessary spiritual objects, wouldn’t fifteen years be enough?”

“Fifteen years! Then a Golden Core at the age of 140? It is truly fast! Brave! Truly brave!”

No Seong-hwi, who behaved arrogantly while putting on airs, clicked his tongue in a feigned manner.

“If only my cultivation speed had not slowed down from being hit by Yeo Dong-bin’s strange poison, I would have reached the Golden Core stage long ago.”

No Seong-hwi truly believed so.

Having been on the verge of the late Foundation Establishment stage since roughly forty years ago, to think he was only barely looking at the Golden Core stage now?

For him, who had been praised as a genius since childhood, it was a humiliating result.

Watching him get annoyed, the Patriarch straightened his face.

“No. Being too fast is rather not good. As this father has lived, outstanding talent buys jealousy. It often becomes poison.”

“Hmm… I will keep father’s teachings in mind.”

“Good. Then hurry and go concentrate on cultivation. Since this father will get everything you need, do not worry.”

“Yes!”

The father and son, who stared at each other for a moment, curled up the corners of their mouths and burst into hearty laughter at the same time.

While imagining a bright and brilliant future where both father and son became Golden Core cultivators.

***

Meanwhile.

Jin So-myeong’s cultivation proceeded extremely smoothly.

【Arts】

Rank 3 Elixir Refining Art (Expert 3.75 million / 20 million)

First of all, his proficiency in the Elixir Refining Art rose from Initiate to Expert. Although the failure rate was high, he reached a level where he could make Rank 3 pills if he did his best.

Following this.

【Spells】

Wind Transformation Body Force (Mastery 1 / 200 million)

Yin-Yang Great Hand Seal (Mastery 1 / 300 million)

The two spells he mainly used in combat reached the Mastery stage.

To explain the concrete effects, it was like this.

Intertwined with the Minor Success-grade Wind Control Art, the Wind Transformation Body Force made his movements fast when moving riding the wind, and the effect of his reflexes growing faster also became greater.

Although it was not an effect as powerful as the Lightning Escape Art, which was at the level of the entire world slowing down, it was enough to produce meaningful results in real combat.

For the Yin-Yang Great Hand Seal… he became able to increase or decrease the scale at will.

The moment Jin So-myeong aimed at the empty air with his index finger.

*Rumble!*

A rice-grain-sized Yin-Yang Great Hand Seal flew and shook the formation.

A micro-sized lightning mass mixed with red and white flew like a bullet, giving a feeling similar to Finger Wind or the Finger-Flicking Divine Ability, which condensed energy to shoot from a finger.

Of course, it was not that he only obtained the effect of adjusting the strike range at will. As his proficiency rose, the destructive power limit the spell possessed also naturally grew stronger.

‘Next, I should raise elixir refining to Mastery.’

He must also not forget the secret art of dividing the mind, the Hundred Battles Mind-Splitting Art, and the disguise art, the Thousand Transformations Art.

He intended to raise all spells with proficiency requirements in the tens of millions by one stage.

Jin So-myeong, who nodded his head in satisfaction, estimated the spiritual power accumulated in his dantian and Golden Core.

‘By the time I get off the flying vessel, I should be at the Golden Core 8th layer.’

In this way, his cultivation went extremely well, but there were also areas where the results were minor.

First of all, realizing space by observing the Void Shadow True Blossom Herb had virtually come to a halt in progress.

A feeling like the bowl was already full, but no matter how many drops of water he poured, it would not overflow?

Something of an opportunity was needed.

And also, his sword art was not solely smooth.

River and Cloud Sword Art (Mastery 2.82 million / 3 million)

Once his proficiency broke through the 2.8 million range, his growth speed slowed down sharply. It was almost the speed of a grub crawling.

Although he cultivated silently every day to avoid feeling impatient, since he was also human, there were times when he felt frustrated without realizing it.

Actually, the method to resolve this kind of situation was simpler than expected.

Namely, engaging in real combat.

If one fought an enemy harboring killing intent putting their life on the line, they could obtain one of two results.

Defeat and die, or cross the wall to cut and kill the formidable enemy.

‘…I hope we arrive in the Southern Province quickly.’

The numerous enemies who would be sharpening their blades to kill him, and Hong Seol, who had appeared from the Limitless Divine Sword and saved him when he was chased by the Thousand Corpses Sect in the past.

While vaguely imagining where and what they would be doing by now,

He quietly closed his eyes and threw himself into cultivation.

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