Chapter 171: A New Sword

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read more at Nineheavens.org
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True Blood referred to blood in which the essence of a living creature was condensed.

The most important point to be careful of when absorbing the True Blood of a dragon was not to be impatient.

‘I must absorb and digest it very slowly, little by little.’

If one absorbed a dragon’s True Blood to an unmanageable degree, their mind and body could turn like a dragon’s.

If one did not want to become a bizarre existence that was neither human nor dragon, they had to pay sufficient attention.

In that respect, Jin So-myeong had an advantage over others.

One of the effects granted by the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art was Invulnerability to Myriad Poisons.

Since a dragon’s True Blood was no different from a deadly poison in a way, he could digest it more easily than others thanks to the poison resistance tempered by the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art.

‘If I even use the Supreme Great Ability here to amplify the effects and eliminate the side effects, it won’t be very dangerous.’

Of course, he could not let his guard down.

Because there were so many species that called themselves dragons that they might seem trivial, a true dragon was an existence powerful enough to be called a True Spirit.

According to legend, just becoming an adult showed at least the majesty of the Soul Formation stage.

Should the True Blood of such an existence be taken lightly?

He had to be careful so that his body and mind would not be contaminated.

‘Therefore, that is all for today.’

He absorbed the energy contained in the golden drop of blood for two hours and then stopped his cultivation.

He clenched and opened his fists to gauge the results of his cultivation, and he felt a progress so great that the increase in physical strength was tangibly felt.

At this rate, he would probably be able to achieve Rank 4 mid-grade body tempering within a year.

‘Then, I will also be able to strengthen the Secret Realm of the Mind to Rank 4 high-grade.’

Making plans in his mind, he hesitated just as he was about to close the jade box containing the True Blood.

‘…Should I absorb a little more?’

Looking closely at his physical condition, there was still some leeway.

It felt like there were about four or five steps left to reach the limit?

It was regrettable to stop when he could do more.

Had he not always done his best until now?

To the point that he felt guilty about cultivating leisurely.

“…”

He stared intently at the dense energy contained in the drop of blood, then closed his eyes tightly.

He did not think of anything and simply focused on his breathing, then quietly closed the jade box.

Only after putting away the jade box into his sub-space did a bitter smile appear belatedly.

He had almost been bewitched by the dragon’s True Blood.

Despite being fully aware of the danger, it was difficult to stop the cultivation.

‘I shouldn’t think complacently. Rather, I must unconditionally stop cultivating once the set time passes.’

It seemed he should make at least an hourglass to use as an alarm.

Letting out a short breath, this time he examined his sub-space.

To also take a break, he intended to check the miscellaneous items among the harvests he had obtained so far, whose uses he had not yet properly grasped.

He poured out the trivial items in a heap, stacking them like a mountain, and scanned them one by one.

A Rank 1 dharma treasure that only a Qi Condensation cultivator would use, talismans containing low-grade spells, pills that gave off a foul odor as if they had failed, and so on.

Among the miscellaneous items where it was hard to find any use.

When he opened a gold-plated wooden box, he saw a red flower with a long stem like a reed.

‘Oh? This is the Red Bone Flower.’

It was a spiritual herb for body tempering cultivation that made the bones sturdy and tough if consumed for a long time.

A smile naturally emerged at the decent harvest.

Rummaging through miscellaneous items, useful treasures like this were occasionally discovered.

The Red Bone Flower was a spiritual herb whose effect appeared only after long-term consumption, but there were only three stalks.

It meant the quantity was far from enough, but it was fine since he could just copy them.

He planted two stalks in the spiritual herb field and decided to eat the remaining one as a test.

The moment he ground the spiritual herb into powder with his spiritual power and swallowed it in a mouthful,

Crack!

A lukewarm heat arose from his entire skeletal system, including his spine, and an itchiness was felt.

After a long time passed, Jin So-myeong, who thoroughly checked his physical condition, smiled with satisfaction.

‘The effect is decent. If I eat it for a long time, my bones will become as hard as a Rank 4 spirit treasure.’

The consumption of the Supreme Great Ability when copying was roughly one million.

It seemed he could just copy and consume them one by one whenever it crossed his mind.

At that moment, as he was rummaging through the next miscellaneous items with a pleased mind,

A jade box buried in the corner caught his eye.

It was of a size that would fit exactly four or five apples, and its weight was also light.

He turned it this way and that to examine it, but no energy was felt.

‘Is it a dud?’

He was about to roughly open it and finish his confirmation, but hesitated.

Because his sensitive senses felt a strange incongruity.

‘…What is this?’

The more closely he examined it, the more unusual it was.

The seal placed on the jade box was much more outstanding than he had thought.

Should he call it a strangely lack-of-presence feeling?

It felt like looking at a stone or a weed rolling around on the roadside.

Although it seemed like nothing at first glance, it was a jade box to which a fairly high-level sealing art had been applied.

It became even more certain when he observed it by utilizing the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye divine ability.

What could be inside for them to seal it in this manner?

It was as if they were trying to deceive others into thinking a precious treasure was a trivial object.

‘If I open it once, it seems it will be hard to seal it again…’

If he did it wrong, the object inside might be ruined.

Puzzling over what to do, he rummaged through the miscellaneous items further.

It was because he wanted to see if there was any information regarding the jade box.

After rummaging for a long time, he finally found it.

Among the small jade slips containing low-grade cultivation methods, he found a record similar to a diary.

[What is inside the jade box is a Rank 5 spiritual herb, the Nine Heavens Jade-Core Grass . Although it is regrettable that there is only a part of the root, if you go to an elixir refiner with outstanding skills, you will be able to refine it into a useful pill.]

A Rank 5 spiritual herb!

At the words that a Soul Formation-grade spiritual herb was inside, his mouth instantly went dry.

His composure was shaken to the point that his fingertips trembled slightly, but that was only for a moment.

[…If you, Jin So-myeong, are reading this text, it must mean that I have been defeated. I pray that you will show the tolerance of a victor and not touch the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace.]

The records that followed were secret transmissions regarding various body tempering methods.

[Myriad Catty Origin Power Pill . It is a Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace secret transmission pill that amplifies physical capabilities in an instant upon consumption, and can also be used for cultivation. The ingredients are dragon bone powder, red sage root, red meat essence…]

Jin So-myeong, who read through the useful knowledge written in a plain tone, fell silent for a moment.

‘…….’

Putting down the jade slip, a sigh naturally escaped.

In the first place, he had no intention of going to the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace to slaughter low-grade cultivators.

It was enough to have killed the enemy with whom he had directly crossed blades.

If he tried to dispose of even the associated surrounding people, there would be no end.

Even if he killed and killed and then killed again for his entire life, it would not be enough.

Usually in a sect, the one with the highest cultivation realm took the position of Supreme Elder.

Since such a Supreme Elder had been defeated, the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace was no longer a threat.

Since he had nothing to fear, there was nothing to hold him back.

If someone came seeking revenge, it would suffice to simply kill them cleanly.

‘Well… even if I don’t touch them, those around them won’t leave them alone.’

Since the roof that protected the sect had disappeared, the wind and rain would rage.

If they had committed evil deeds in the past, a bloody retribution would return, and even if they had not, they would experience difficulties for a long time.

If they responded poorly, the name Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace might disappear.

It was a common occurrence in the cultivation world.

He shook off his idle thoughts with a single breath and focused on the jade box again.

‘Anyway, a Rank 5 spiritual herb is in here.’

No wonder the seal on the jade box was unusual; it was a treasure far more precious than he had thought.

According to the jade slip left by the Supreme Elder, the Nine Heavens Jade-Core Grass was a spiritual herb used for training the Divine Soul.

‘A Divine Soul spiritual object. I have obtained something truly precious.’

But where on earth did the Supreme Elder obtain such a treasure?

He was curious, but there was no way to know.

Putting aside his doubts, he focused on how to handle the jade box.

After contemplating for a moment, he first set up a formation around the cultivation room.

Since he did not know what state the contents of the jade box would be in, he prepared thoroughly.

After time passed and even his Supreme Great Ability was fully charged,

Click…

He carefully opened the jade box while devoting all his attention,

And nothing happened.

It was so quiet that his caution was rendered meaningless.

There was no violent reaction, such as the suppressed energy exploding.

Of course, it did not mean there were no problems at all.

Inside the jade box, there was a root that was split in half, and its life force was leaking out through the wound.

If left like this, it seemed its life force would cut off before long.

‘Oh no.’

If the spiritual herb died, it could not be copied.

He hurriedly poured in the Supreme Great Ability.

He made efforts to heal the wound on the root by casting the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability…

‘What on earth?’

The Supreme Great Ability literally melted away.

One million, two million, three million…

In an instant, it surpassed five million.

Despite a tremendous amount of Supreme Great Ability being consumed, the root remained the same.

His mouth went dry with anxiety, but he did not stop.

He cast the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability with a nervous heart for a long time.

In the end, only after a massive amount of thirteen million Supreme Great Ability vanished did he barely manage to restore the spiritual herb.

Even then, it did not mean he made it perfectly fine, but that he barely blocked the life force from leaking.

‘Phew, as expected of a Rank 5 spiritual herb, it is not easy.’

The Nine Heavens Jade-Core Grass was still in a state of having only a root split in half.

Even so, since the wound on the root had completely healed, his worries were lessened.

Jin So-myeong, who had broken into a cold sweat, wore a bitter smile.

It seemed that to restore the Nine Heavens Jade-Core Grass to a perfect state, he would have to consume at least hundreds of millions of Supreme Great Ability.

He carefully planted the root, which showed no response as if deeply asleep, in the spiritual herb field of the Secret Realm of the Mind, and walked out of the cave dwelling.

Although he was slightly tired, his body was fine, so he intended to go to a nearby wasteland to practice A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens and Blood Wings.

However.

‘Hm?’

Due to the sound-transmission talisman sent by the Rank 4 artifact refiner Seo Hyeon-geuk, he had no choice but to change his plans.

‘Why does she want to meet suddenly? Could it be that the sword I commissioned is already completed?’

Initially, she said it would take ten years to complete the sword, so he was puzzled since only five years had passed.

He wondered if he should go find her, but she said she was coming directly.

‘…’

From this point on, he gradually became anxious.

For the artifact refiner commissioned to manufacture a spirit treasure to seek him out directly, was she not like someone coming to apologize?

He had a hunch that something had gone wrong.

“I’m sorry.”

Sure enough,

The first words he heard upon meeting Seo Hyeon-geuk were an apology.

“Did you perhaps blow the materials I entrusted to you?”

“It is not that.”

Hesitating as if embarrassed, she held out a long iron rod, which, upon closer inspection, was a bar combined with Starlight Afterimage Stone and various minerals.

It was a shape that looked as if a sword’s fabrication had been abandoned midway.

“What is this?”

“It is the sword Daoist Jin commissioned. It is about half-completed… but since I plan to enter a secret realm soon, I am handing at least this over to you in advance just in case.”

So…

Since she might not be able to complete the commissioned sword if she died after entering the secret realm, she was giving him the half-completed one in advance?

“Hah, really.”

He did not know how to react.

Should he get angry?

Or should he be grateful that she did not just irresponsibly go to the secret realm while pretending not to know?

Whether she knew she was in the wrong, Seo Hyeon-geuk, who smiled awkwardly as if checking his reaction, held out an additional jade slip and a silver stone.

“Here are the sword design plan and the Shattering Resonance Metal which is the material to be added at the end. For your information, I named it the Starlight Afterimage Sword.”

“…”

“If I die in the secret realm or if you cannot bear to wait, you can go find another artifact refiner and commission the fabrication.”

Clicking his tongue slightly, Jin So-myeong picked up the iron rod placed on the table.

As he injected spiritual power and shook it gently, more than ten afterimages arose simultaneously and struck the surroundings, which was quite a spectacle.

Frankly, it pleased him.

If only it were completed properly, it seemed it would become a fairly powerful sword.

“For now, I understand.”

Sending away Seo Hyeon-geuk, who apologized repeatedly, he went to visit Ha Un, the artifact refiner who had completed the Myriad Thunders Chaos Sky Saber last time.

When he held out the iron rod, the Shattering Resonance Metal, and the design plan, Ha Un scowled like a person who had chewed on feces.

“Starlight Afterimage Sword? Why do you keep bringing half-made spirit treasures? Grasping the structure of an incomplete dharma treasure is quite an annoying task.”

“Ahem, the artifact refiner who was making this sword said she had circumstances and told me to find someone else. Is it possible?”

Ha Un, who sighed heavily like a person who had taken on an annoying chore, replied briefly.

“Three months.”

“Pardon?”

“It will take roughly that long, so come back to retrieve it in three months. The fee is thirty thousand extreme-grade spirit stones and it is upfront payment. If you do not like it, forget it.”

Seo Hyeon-geuk said she had to make it for five more years, but he was going to complete it in three months…?

If that was true, Ha Un could be said to be a person of such tremendous skill that it was incomprehensible why his reputation was low.

“What do you think the rank of the completed sword will be?”

He asked because it would be troublesome if it were a defective product,

“Since quite usable materials went in, Rank 4 high-grade will easily come out.”

An answer exceeding his expectations returned.

An indifferent voice that contained no inspiration whatsoever.

Because it was a tone that seemed to speak of a daily routine with nothing special, it was even more trustworthy.

Initially he had aimed for a Rank 4 mid-to-high-grade spirit treasure, but to complete it as a high-grade spirit treasure?

There was no need to hesitate.

He immediately handed over thirty thousand extreme-grade spirit stones, which was as good as his entire fortune.

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