Chapter 172: The Great Auction Has Opened
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read more at Nineheavens.org
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As he practiced Blood Wings and A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens alternately, time flowed quickly.
Before he knew it, three months passed, and it became the time promised with Ha Un.
He went to retrieve the completed sword with a heart full of anticipation, and indeed.
“You have arrived right on time.”
Ha Un did not say twice. He held out the sword, which was completed as cleanly as the confidence he usually showed.
Chang!
The moment he drew the sword from its dark navy-colored scabbard,
he was able to face a silver blade shimmering with a faint yellow light.
‘It is a fine sword.’
He gripped the hilt made of a cold lump of iron, and it felt as if his hand had lengthened.
Should he say it clung perfectly to his palm?
Although he gripped it for the first time, it was as familiar as a sword he had used for a long time.
Its weight was twenty thousand catties.
It was quite heavy for a sword, but the center of gravity was well-balanced, making it easy to swing.
The chilly sharpness reflected on the blade also pleased him enough to make his heart tremble.
“Check it over, and if there is a problem, come find me. Though there probably won’t be any issues.”
“Understood.”
He felt as if he had received a birthday present.
With a smile leaking out, he returned to his cave dwelling with all his might and headed straight to the cultivation room.
The moment he drew the Starlight Afterimage Sword while injecting spiritual power,
Wuuuung!
The chilly metallic sound was pleasant to hear.
When he flicked the middle of the sword with his finger, the humming vibration sound grew endlessly louder.
The low and long sword hum caused the formation installed in the cave dwelling to fluctuate.
‘This is the effect of the Shattering Resonance Metal.’
Thanks to adding the Shattering Resonance Metal when making the sword, practical destructive power was infused into the sound of the sword.
If he utilized this sword hum, he would be able to convulse the internal organs of the enemy.
Nodding his head with satisfaction, the moment he slashed horizontally with the sword that was pointing forward,
Chachachachang!
Sparks flew simultaneously in all directions of the cultivation room.
It was because illusions that looked exactly like the sword flew like flying swords and hacked at the formation installed in the cultivation room.
‘Oh…’
It is amazing.
As he infused the sword with spiritual power along with his Divine Sense, it was possible to change the appearance of the illusions and manipulate them as he wished.
Making an illusion that looked exactly like himself attack the surroundings, it felt as if he had used some kind of cloning technique.
‘Good.’
Because the illusions accelerated in proportion to the sword speed, they were so fast that unless it was a cultivator reasonably familiar with battle, it would be hard to follow them with the eyes.
In an urgent combat situation, it would distinguish the illusion from the real one.
If there was a drawback…
‘It is that the spiritual power consumption is severe, and the power of the illusions is lacking compared to the main body.’
Leaving aside the spiritual power consumption as unavoidable, was there no way to increase the power?
After contemplating for a few minutes, he called Mu-geuk.
Wing!
Allowing Mu-geuk, who was hovering around like a puppy wagging its tail, to dwell in the Starlight Afterimage Sword, he scattered slashes again.
Kugugugung!
The flying swords that scattered like petals hacked at the formation; the formation, which had been perfectly fine until just now, fluctuated as if it would collapse immediately.
‘Certainly, since Mu-geuk dwells in it, the sharpness becomes much stronger.’
Should he say the spiritual power efficiency surged?
The consumption was the same, but the sharpness felt about twice as strong.
At this level, would it work against a late Nascent Soul-stage powerhouse?
Feeling a bit uncertain, he added one more thing.
“Mu-geuk, you remember the Heaven-Heavy Ink-Rock Sword you absorbed in the past, right?”
One of the swords Mu-geuk had absorbed was the Heaven-Heavy Ink-Rock Sword, and the ability of this sword was to amplify weight.
If he combined the weight amplification ability with the illusions that possessed physical form…
Kwakwakwakhang!
Even the sound was different.
The moment the illusions that flew through the air collided with the formation, the formation that boasted robust defensive power could not withstand even a brief moment and was shattered.
‘This is it.’
Since flying swords with a weight of one hundred thousand catties flew in all directions every time he swung the sword, it was literally a bombardment.
Combining the two sword abilities, the power was beyond imagination.
Although the spiritual power consumption increased crazily to a burdensome degree, the power alone was superb.
If he had only this sword, he was confident that he would not be pushed back even if he fought multiple enemies.
To get used to the newly obtained sword, he stabbed into the air, slashed, and smoothly drew a circle at the same time.
Assuming there was an imaginary enemy in front of him, he swung the sword for a long time.
“Phew…!”
In just ten minutes, his dantian was emptied.
Leaving behind a bit of fatigue and emptiness, he stroked his chin while looking at the devastated cultivation room.
‘The power is strong, but the spiritual power is the problem.’
Because he used the Rank 4 high-grade spirit treasure, the Starlight Afterimage Sword, and Mu-geuk simultaneously, the spiritual power consumption was too large.
‘If I even use the Myriad Thunders Chaos Sky Saber and the Lightning Escape Art here… I really won’t be able to last more than a few minutes.’
With this level of spiritual power consumption, it was hard to manage unless he was in the Blood Wings state.
It seemed he would have to be at least at the late Nascent Soul stage to escape from the burden of spiritual power.
In fact, due to this problem, he had used Mu-geuk only for the purpose of amplifying sharpness all this time.
Although Mu-geuk could absorb swords and use their abilities, the spiritual power consumption grew exponentially the more abilities were used simultaneously.
Rather than wielding a hundred trivial abilities, amplifying sharpness was more effective against strong enemies.
‘Is there no way to drastically increase my spiritual power?’
Although the amount of spiritual power was bound to increase as the realm rose, that was a goal difficult to achieve in a short period of time.
‘It would be nice if I could at least raise the spiritual power stat in the status window.’
Just in case, he checked the lifespan consumption of a wish to amplify the amount of spiritual power, and a gasp naturally escaped.
‘At least a thousand years.’
Jin So-myeong, who wore a bitter smile, focused on accumulating spiritual power by operating the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art again.
In the end, cultivating diligently was the most correct path and the royal road.
***
One day.
At a place so far away that one had to fly for a day and a night from Cloud Dragon Immortal City,
Kwaaaaahang!
An explosion that felt like heaven and earth were turning upside down rang out. It did not end with just once. Every time a whitish afterimage traversed the void, cracking sounds of space splitting resounded endlessly.
Could thunder and lightning have poured down from a storm?
However, the sky was still clear.
How many seconds did the commotion, which was like a war had broken out, continue?
A sudden silence arrived.
Suddenly all the noise ceased, and Jin So-myeong, who spread red wings, appeared in the empty sky.
The moment he, who clenched his teeth as if enduring something with all his might, extended his fist toward the sky,
—————!
In an instant, the entire sky was colored with blankness. Pure white light spread out in a fan shape, and nothing remained in that spot.
An instant.
A gust of wind blew into the space where even the air had been erased, turning it into a vacuum.
As it was such a powerful strike, a mess was made just from the aftermath.
To the point that the surrounding earth rumbled and trembled just from the movement of the air.
Jin So-myeong, who forced down the blood welling up in his throat, grinned broadly, showing his teeth.
“Finally!”
He was glad. He succeeded in properly spreading the Blood Wings for the first time.
From when the energy initially departed from the heart, circulated through the five viscera, and returned to the heart again,
he had endured a total of two circulations.
He could not even dream of a third circulation yet, but at any rate, he had achieved a progress that was nothing short of satisfying in a period of less than a year.
The reason he was able to safely spread the Blood Wings?
It was because he had achieved Rank 4 mid-grade body tempering.
With his current physical body, even if he were not in the Blood Wings state, he would be able to exert a physical strength similar to that of the Dragon Elephant Demonic Palace’s Supreme Elder.
Pure joy.
Enjoying the sense of achievement, Jin So-myeong calmed his excitement and regulated his breathing.
First, he examined his physical condition.
‘…It’s not to the point of dying.’
Although his meridians had turned like a rag, at least they were not severed strand by strand.
It meant that at the very least, he could move his spiritual power.
At this level, even if fighting an enemy was impossible, fleeing was possible.
He thought it over.
He needed to grasp what level his current combat power had reached.
‘Can I fight and win against a late Nascent Soul stage?’
It was difficult to give a ready answer.
Even Jin So-myeong himself, is he not absurdly strong for an early Nascent Soul stage?
The deviations among late Nascent Soul stage cultivators would also be large.
Even if there was a particularly strong person among them, it was not a strange thing.
‘It was said that the cultivation methods of the cultivators belonging to the Sacred City are incredibly outstanding.’
Can I win?
He also wanted to have a match without this and that calculation.
At that moment when he was having thoughts that others would consider crazy if they heard it,
he felt a group of Golden Core cultivators observing this way at the edge of his Divine Sense.
“What a commotion… Could it be that Nascent Soul stage seniors collided with each other?”
“Mhm. Perhaps so. Let’s wait a little and then go look. If we are lucky, we might be able to pick up pieces of a Rank 4 spirit treasure.”
Whether greed arose at the mention of a Rank 4 spirit treasure, the man who swallowed dry saliva spoke as if urging.
“Wouldn’t it be better to go quickly before others come? Since it has been quite a while since the commotion ceased, the senior must have left as well.”
“…No. What if the senior is resting right there in that spot?”
“Mhm.”
“If the senior is injured and holds vigilance, we could die without anyone knowing. It is better not to do anything that would cause misunderstanding needlessly.”
Jin So-myeong, who listened to the conversation of the Golden Core merchants with his vast Divine Sense reaching thirty kilometers, burst into a hollow laugh.
It seemed they misunderstood that a Nascent Soul-stage battle had occurred here.
He understood how they felt.
To a Golden Core cultivator, the place where Nascent Soul stage cultivators fought was no different from a fortuitous opportunity.
For example, just obtaining the corpse of a Rank 4 spiritual insect split in half was a great harvest for them.
Looking at the Golden Core cultivators who were waiting with anxious expressions, Jin So-myeong quietly left and returned to his cave dwelling.
A week later.
After recovering his physical body that had been ruined from spreading the Blood Wings, he headed to the Secret Realm of the Mind.
Since his meridians had grown stronger as his body tempering realm rose, there was something he absolutely had to do.
‘Let’s start right away.’
It was time to raise the Secret Realm of the Mind’s spiritual vein to Rank 4 high-grade.
【Resource Production】: 41 Highest-Grade Spirit Stones / 1 Day
Kugugugung!
The moment the daily production became forty-one, the spiritual vein reached Rank 4 high-grade.
The Secret Realm of the Mind fluctuated and began to expand rapidly.
“Ppiiiiik?!”
Geum-cheong, who was dozing in the Jade Light Spring, was startled and flew over urgently.
As if looking for a safe place, she crouched under Jin So-myeong’s feet and moved only her head to examine the surroundings.
“It is fine, so calm down. I did it.”
“Ppii…”
He had not known since she acted haughtily, but she was more fearful than he had expected.
At that moment when he was stroking the head of the yellow chick who was so flustered she could not even speak properly.
Wiiiing!
Mu-geuk, who appeared before long, flew in all directions, completely excited.
It was a truly contrasting sight.
【Resource Production】: 42 Highest-Grade Spirit Stones / 1 Day
【Resource Production】: 42 Highest-Grade Spirit Stones / 1 Day
…
【Resource Production】: 62 Highest-Grade Spirit Stones / 1 Day
While carefully examining the state of his meridians, he strengthened it as much as possible within a range that would not cause strain.
“Ppiik, what is this commotion? The world has grown larger.”
The chick guarding the surroundings while curling her body round like a ball, and Mu-geuk who was just running wild in excitement.
It was a spectacle that could be called a mess, but it was good to look at.
Should he say it felt like vitality was turning in the Secret Realm of the Mind which had only been quiet.
Twenty minutes later.
Geum-cheong, who was squeaking while hiding under his feet, returned to the Jade Light Spring as if nothing had happened, and Mu-geuk went to sleep in his nest in the spiritual herb field.
Jin So-myeong, who was admiring the landscape of the Secret Realm of the Mind that had widened significantly until then, hesitated.
‘Why does it feel like the width of the Secret Realm of the Mind has become similar to my Divine Sense…?’
It was a spherical shape with a radius of thirty kilometers.
Was it a coincidence?
Since the Secret Realm of the Mind was strengthened whenever his realm rose, it was natural for it to grow similarly to his Divine Sense.
Returning to the cultivation room,
he first measured how fast his cultivation speed had become.
‘Four years!’
The time taken to reach the 3rd layer of the Nascent Soul stage was reduced from seven years to four years, by almost half.
At this rate, is it not faster than the cultivators with Heavenly Spiritual Roots who were said to have the most outstanding talent?
It was all thanks to the Secret Realm of the Mind.
The Secret Realm of the Mind was truly an ability so powerful that it was natural for it to be called a divine ability, to the point that he wanted to call it by a much grander title.
As he was enjoying the sense of fulfillment and pride that his own territory had grown stronger, a curiosity suddenly arose.
‘What would be needed to strengthen the Secret Realm of the Mind to a Rank 5 spiritual vein?’
It would be an object more precious than extreme-grade spirit stones at the very least…
It seemed he should investigate it from time to time whenever he had time.
***
One day, as he was pondering the text of the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword to practice unfolding A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens at will, and polishing his body to maintain the Blood Wings state for even one more second,
the Great Auction opened.
It meant the day to enter the secret realm had approached right in front of his nose.
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