Chapter 149: Golden Core 9th Layer
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Right before becoming a Golden Core 9th layer as time flowed.
Jin So-myeong replenished his depleted spirit stones by selling useless magic treasures and spiritual objects piled up in his sub-space.
Then, purchasing enough ingredients to refine the Nascent Condensation Pill twice, he visited the Medicine King Sect together with Wu Yeong-jin.
It was in order to actually request the Nascent Condensation Pill and distinguish whether he was an enemy or an ally by watching the Medicine King Sect Supreme Elder’s reaction.
However.
“You guys are truly lucky. No, is it that my skill is good?”
The Supreme Elder, who returned after finishing the pill refining, smirked and extended two jade boxes.
“I succeeded both times. Junior Jin. This is all thanks to the Heavenly Elixir Sect’s pill recipes you gave. Thanks to studying the recipes, my pill refining skill rose one step higher.”
“Oh, may I verify it?”
“Sure. Of course.”
Asking for understanding and opening it slightly to verify, it was indeed the low-grade Nascent Condensation Pill.
Certainly, perhaps because a highly experienced expert made it, the luster was better than the ones Jin So-myeong refined directly himself. Of course, because the Lost Void Leaf Herb was used as an ingredient, the quality was low-grade.
‘…It seems there is no particular problem?’
As he nodded and marveled, the Supreme Elder’s smile grew even deeper.
“Hahaha! Now, even including the entire Southern Province…no, the Eastern Province…there won’t be a single person who makes the Nascent Condensation Pill better than me.”
He was so delighted that his pill refining skill had risen, smiling brightly like a young child and rejoicing.
Despite being over a thousand years old, seeing that he possessed passion for pill refining, at the very least he did not seem like the dregs of humanity.
For a moment, it was to the extent that a thought arose whether Cheong Hwa-ran had misunderstood the Supreme Elder.
Would such a highly passionate artisan truly establish a vicious plan to forcibly extract another person’s Spirit Body and give it to his daughter?
‘One never knows.’
Rather, because he was good, he might have harbored a heinous heart out of loving his daughter too much.
Jin So-myeong, who left the Medicine King Sect, inspected the Nascent Condensation Pill meticulously using even the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, but there was no particular problem.
‘Let us pack it for now.’
With this, the low-grade Nascent Condensation Pills he possessed became two, and the high-grade Nascent Condensation Pill became one.
For the time being, he decided to turn off his mind regarding the Medicine King Sect Supreme Elder father and daughter.
It was put aside because it felt like it would only complicate his head for no reason. Right now, he wished to concentrate entirely on challenging the Nascent Soul stage.
Just as he reached a rough conclusion.
Wu Yeong-jin, who was flying beside him, spoke.
“Fellow Daoist Jin. I shall be away for a while. I intend to find a safe place and consume the Nascent Condensation Pill.”
“You are leaving straight away like this? What about the family?”
“I have already told the family. Since there are several Golden Core elders other than me, as long as they stay quiet, there won’t be a problem. In the first place, is the Damun Kingdom not a place small enough to be ruled by Golden Core forces?”
The Damun Kingdom itself had no Rank 4 spiritual vein. It was merely that Nascent Soul-grade forces settled in several regions surrounding the Damun Kingdom.
In any case, although he was curious about where Wu Yeong-jin would go to consume the Nascent Condensation Pill, he did not ask. Merely…
“I wish you good luck.”
“Yes. When we meet next time, you will have to call me Senior.”
“We shall see. You yourself might have to call me Senior and revere me.”
Wu Yeong-jin, who let out a soft chuckle, wore a determined expression and departed, traversing the sky.
***
Half a year later.
In the cultivation room that was silent enough that the rustling of clothes could be heard, thunder suddenly resounded.
Centered on Jin So-myeong who sat cross-legged in the middle of the cultivation room, dazzling lightning surged. The lightning that ran wild with a resounding roar as if to shatter even the sky grew quiet only after a long while.
*Rumble…*
In the cultivation room that regained silence with the flow of time, Jin So-myeong opened his eyes.
[Jin So-myeong]
[Lifespan]: 76 / 653
[Realm]: Golden Core 9th layer
[Supreme Great Ability]: 1.3 million / 2.2 million
[Divine Abilities]: <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>
The reason his completely restrained energy lost control and leaked out was only one.
The Golden Core 9th layer!
Because as his realm rose one step, the amount of spiritual power exploded.
‘I am almost there.’
Now, if he simply accumulated spiritual power until he reached the Golden Core Great Perfection, and pulled up his body tempering to the high-grade Rank 3 level, he would be completely ready to challenge the Nascent Soul stage.
Jin So-myeong, who was smiling, closed his eyes.
Operating the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art for a full fifteen days, he perfectly controlled the unstable spiritual power and estimated the speed at which spiritual power accumulated.
‘It will take around two to three years.’
If cultivating while actively using Supreme Great Abilities it would be two years, but because he had places to use Supreme Great Abilities separately, it would probably take around three years.
In any case!
Now it was truly the countdown. Since the time to challenge the Nascent Soul stage drew right before his nose, he had to select where to consume the Nascent Condensation Pill.
A wasteland without even a spiritual vein?
It was the option with the lowest possibility of enemies visiting during the breakthrough.
However…
If there was no spiritual vein at all, the probability of ascending to the Nascent Soul stage would also drop. Although the Rank 4 Secret Realm of the Mind existed, anyway, the thicker the spiritual Qi, the better.
Furthermore, breaking through in a wasteland did not guarantee perfect safety.
‘When challenging the Nascent Soul stage, heaven sends down a tribulation.’
Probably, no matter how remote a place he selected, a problem would eventually arise.
Then, should he try lending a Rank 4 spiritual vein possessed by a Nascent Soul-grade force like the Medicine King Sect? Depending on negotiations, it could also be the safest method.
Although it would vary depending on what was given as payment, if it went well, the Nascent Soul-grade force could even escort Jin So-myeong.
At a glance it seemed like a not-bad method, but a fundamental problem existed.
‘I cannot trust them.’
In the process of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, a cultivator was placed in an extremely vulnerable state.
If exaggerating slightly, to the point of dying if tapped? If disturbed or attacked while crossing the great realm, one could die without even being able to resist or meet a terrible fate.
It was literally no different from offering up one’s life, so who could he trust? Even if Cheong Hwa-ran had not warned him about the Supreme Elder, he would not have relied on the Medicine King Sect.
‘Hmh… right now, no one knows that my preparation to challenge the Nascent Soul stage is almost finished.’
It was thanks to the Extreme Fire Spirit-Ascending Pill.
Probably, the forces watching Jin So-myeong would treat him as a crippled person. They would think he would have to concentrate only on recovery for at least twenty years.
Since the talent and military force Jin So-myeong showed were not trivial, rather than blindly antagonizing him, they would be in the midst of pondering how to employ him.
At this time when no one would expect. Should he break through by surprise?
‘Breaking through at Natian City is not bad either.’
The methods were many. He could go to the Myriad Desolation Mountain Range, a region swarming with demonic beasts, and look for an appropriate spiritual vein.
Just as he was pondering the pros and cons.
‘Mmh?’
Someone visited the surroundings of his cave dwelling surrounded by formations.
“I came seeking you out upon hearing of Fellow Daoist Jin’s fame. May we converse for a brief moment?”
In truth, today was not the first time a visitor had come like this. They visited from all sorts of forces wishing to meet, but because he was focusing on cultivation, he had struck them all away.
He tried to ignore them in the same manner this time too, but paused.
‘That guy is…’
His appearance was highly peculiar. He was a drunken old man wearing shabby hemp clothes full of holes, with a reddish flushed face, and was somehow familiar.
Because he definitely felt like they had met, he traced his memory for a long while.
“Ah!”
He remembered where he had seen that drunken old man.
In the past during his Qi Condensation days, a day before the Red Cloud Secret Realm formally opened, he had tried to enter the secret realm first utilizing the Supreme Great Abilities.
At that time, there was a mysterious expert who warned him that entering before the secret realm opened completely was dangerous, and that guy was precisely that drunken old man.
‘Golden Core 9th layer?’
Jin So-myeong, who inspected the opponent utilizing his Nascent Soul-grade Divine Sense, stroked his chin.
Pondering briefly, he disguised himself as if he were a Golden Core 8th layer and then opened the formation. Because he was curious why the old man, with whom he had a connection but had not even exchanged names, visited suddenly.
“Glad to meet you. I am Ju Gwang.”
“I am Jin So-myeong.”
As they exchanged names, the smell of alcohol vibrated. Seeing his loosely unfocused pupils and tottering gestures, he was not moderately drunk but in a state of extreme intoxication.
“Hehe. Do you know just how startled I was when your rumors spread? I do not know if you remember, but we met in the past… *Burp!*”
“…”
The old man, who let out a thick burp as soon as they met, waved his hand to scatter the smell and spoke.
“Aigo! Sorry, sorry for being impolite. Ahem! It is not intentional. Due to the characteristics of my cultivation method, I must always be drunk on alcohol.”
“…A fascinating cultivation method. And I remember you advising me at the entrance of the Red Cloud Secret Realm around fifty years ago. Thank you for that time.”
“Oh! You remember that? What a stupendous memory. Ah! Could I by chance speak informally? My personality is normally one that does not care about courtesy, and trying to act politely after a long time is absolutely killing me.”
“Just speak comfortably.”
“Thank you. Anyway, even looking at your portrait, my memory was hazy. You were clearly familiar, but where I had seen you did not rise. I almost went crazy from frustration, but just a few days ago, pop! Suddenly I remembered. Hehe.”
“It is understandable that you could not remember. Because at that time, I was merely a trifling Qi Condensation cultivator.”
“Mmh. In truth, I was so startled I almost fainted. A boy who was Qi Condensation not long ago killed a Nascent Soul stage cultivator? Frankly it was hard to believe.”
Ju Gwang, who spoke while smirking, paused while drinking from the gourd tied around his waist.
“Ah, I should have asked before drinking, but I made another discourtesy. As I said earlier, due to the characteristics of my cultivation method, I must always be drunk on alcohol. Ahem. I feel sorry drinking alone, would you care for a cup too? It will be tasty since it is spiritual wine I brewed myself.”
“I am fine.”
“Really? In truth, even though this alcohol is slightly strong, if you only know how to drink it properly, it is absolutely superb…”
Ju Gwang, who babbled on for a long while about what kind of alcohol was good and tasty, brought out his business only after burping as many as three times.
“So because of that. You too must challenge the Nascent Soul stage soon, won’t you go to the Middle Province with me? For rogue cultivators like us to challenge the Nascent Soul stage, going to the Middle Province is best.”
The Middle Province.
The most prosperous place in the cultivation world, a land where spiritual Qi was peculiarly dense and cultivation resources overflowed, a place where Nascent Souls who seriously targeted the Soul Formation stage gathered.
It was a cultivation holy land that was no exaggeration to call the center of the world.
Jin So-myeong was also highly interested in the Middle Province. Because one way or another, if he were to challenge the Soul Formation stage, he had to go to the Middle Province.
“If we go to the Middle Province, can we lend a Rank 4 spiritual vein?”
“In truth it is not that simple. No one welcomes a rogue cultivator ascending to the Nascent Soul stage.”
If the realm was low, rogue cultivators were treated as humble wanderers.
Because the very fact of not entering a colossal force meant that both talent and background were insignificant.
However, once crossing the Golden Core to reach the Nascent Soul stage, circumstances changed.
Even colossal forces were reluctant to mess with Nascent Soul stage rogue cultivators. A rogue cultivator reaching the Nascent Soul stage was equivalent to proving outstanding talent.
Their skill was outstanding as much as they overcame all sorts of adversities, but the larger problem than that was that they were difficult to control.
Who could stop them?
The problem was that they had nothing to protect. If something displeased them, they could simply play havoc and leave, so no matter how colossal a force, a Nascent Soul stage rogue cultivator was an annoying and tricky existence.
“Therefore, you must be prepared to serve for at least a hundred years. They will try to bind you this way and that during that time.”
“How do they bind? Do they by chance place a restriction?”
“A restriction? No! In that case, would the Nascent Soul stage cultivator not harbor a grudge? Rather, it is the opposite. They give extremely sweet honey. A beautiful woman, power. If making things for them to protect, will it not become easy to control?”
“…Even if they give treasures, they won’t lend a Rank 4 spiritual vein.”
“Yes. In the first place, a Golden Core is not a trading partner to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. Ah! I too know that you cleaved and killed a Nascent Soul. However, that is something too difficult to believe. No one will truly believe it, will they? They will probably deem that some unknown conspiracy was mixed in.”
“Hmh.”
“Even so, to cleave one more Nascent Soul to prove your strength? Frankly, the tail would wag the dog. The result probably won’t be good. The Nascent Souls who feel threatened might join hands and target you.”
Ju Gwang, who drank the alcohol in the gourd refreshingly as if his throat were dry, smirked.
“In truth, for rogue cultivators like us, there is one more useful option. Have you heard of the Myriad Cultivators Alliance? It is an alliance gathered for the rogue cultivators under heaven to protect themselves…”
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