Chapter 179: The Inheritance Pass

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read more at Nineheavens.org
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While paying attention to the vibration of the worn-out sword fragment, which Mu-geuk cherished like a treasure—or rather, like a pillow—he dug a tunnel.

‘This way?’

Because the closer the sword fragment drew to something, the stronger its vibration grew as if resonating, he was able to advance to the place the sword fragment guided.

However, it was not a straight line.

As if walking a complexly twisted path, he went in circles around a place right in front of him, or spun around the same spot before moving.

Wing!

Heading toward the place led by Mu-geuk who seemed excited for some reason, he treated his internal injuries using the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability.

At any rate, the most important thing currently was to recover his physical condition.

As long as his body became fine, it did not matter how tough a regenerative power the insect humans possessed.

To also check up to where they could recover, he intended to slice them up again and again.

‘I also want to catch that anglerfish in the oasis.’

To Jin So-myeong’s knowledge, the Ancient Ominous Beasts were creatures that, in exchange for lacking reason, possessed physical bodies developed to the extreme.

It meant the vitality contained in their blood and flesh was colossal, and if he made body tempering cultivation pills with them, he could rapidly raise his body tempering realm.

‘What should I do about the remaining Nascent Soul stage cultivators?’

It was ambiguous to call them enemies in particular.

Had they not ultimately just competed to win treasures?

Although the probability of them coveting the lotus and launching attacks was high circumstantially, defining them as enemies in advance and striking first felt like crossing the line.

In this harsh world where good and evil were not clear, the only single line Jin So-myeong drew to protect himself,

that was indeed the principle of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

‘I should just deal with those who seek me out.’

If he kept killing people and plundering treasures solely on the grounds that they might be threats, at some moment he would become a human-shaped monster.

Of course, if he did not choose means or methods, he would grow far faster than now.

Only that was all.

Was that not no different from being a slave of desire?

Leaving aside gains and losses, he did not want to become like that.

The life Jin So-myeong pursued was to become the complete master of himself, not dragged around by anything.

Even if an event where he violated his principles occurred someday, he wanted to choose it by his own will at the very least.

‘Although this is also a choice possible because I have leeway…’

One could never know human affairs.

How it would turn out if the situation rushed to the worst, no one could guarantee.

Amidst this and that thought, at that moment when he followed in the direction Mu-geuk led,

Wooong!

The vibration of the worn-out sword fragment reached its peak, and Mu-geuk drew a circle in joy.

‘Have we arrived?’

He scanned the surroundings, but there was nothing.

The moment he unfolded the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye in wonder,

an arched door with a height of five meters was visible.

On the left and right pillars supporting the door, unrecognizable letters were emitting a faint light.

It was not an ordinary door at first glance.

There were also no traces of being broken or cracked.

Looking only at the appearance, it felt like the most cleanly preserved structure among those he had seen in the desert.

‘It isn’t detected by Divine Sense.’

Strangely, although it was visible to eyes that unfolded the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, it could not be recognized by the naked eye or Divine Sense.

Wing!

Calming Mu-geuk, who was spinning in circles in his place in pure excitement, he contemplated.

It is an unusual place at a glance; is it okay to enter?

What would be inside?

A hidden fortuitous opportunity?

Danger?

Rustle…

Just in time, dust fell from the ceiling.

Hearing the heavy explosion sounds echoing from the surface, he made a decision.

His curiosity was greater than his vigilance or fear.

The moment he carefully opened the door,

he was swept away by the dazzling brilliance pouring through the door crack and teleported somewhere.

*

Immediately upon opening his eyes, what was visible was a corridor so long that its end could not be known.

The rear was blocked, and a plaque with ‘Inheritance Pass’ written on it hung on the ceiling.

‘Inheritance Pass?’

It meant a place for inheriting something…

Since he had come to an unfamiliar place, he reflexively released his Divine Sense.

He tried to scan all directions, but perhaps due to a restriction, he could not check beyond the corridor.

Ultimately, he examined the surroundings while sharpening his five senses.

‘Quiet.’

An atmosphere settled calmly like a dawn mountain on which dew had fallen.

It was quiet enough that he would know even if a single thread fell.

It felt as if he had come to a temple.

Although it looked peaceful at first glance, he did not let down his guard.

‘I have received too many surprise attacks since coming to the Defeated Sage Dojo.’

Although his Divine Sense was not on the weak side, it was a strange thing.

Was it simply because the enemy’s stealth ability was outstanding?

That might be so, but since he had recognized the problem, he had to resolve it.

By all accounts, it seemed he would have to master a secret art that grew detection capability or senses before long.

Wing-wing!

Calling back Mu-geuk, who wanted to wander here and there like a curious child, to dwell in his sword, he slowly moved his steps.

Thud… Thud…

He walked the long corridor along with footfalls that felt particularly loud.

Soon a spacious open space came out, and he was able to perceive a wide cavern through his Divine Sense that had escaped the influence of the restriction.

‘Is here also underground?’

It was not dark, but the ceiling was blocked in a dome shape.

What caught his eye the most was the platform occupying most of the space in the center of the open space.

‘It feels like a sparring arena.’

A floor covered with tiles made of carved rock, iron pieces and broken spear shafts scattered here and there, a wooden dummy standing in a slanted posture like a drunk person, and so on.

In many ways, it seemed like a place for training.

Scanning through the sparring arena, his attention naturally directed toward the wooden dummy.

As it was of a human shape, it could not help but catch the eye.

He examined closely the wooden dummy standing in an unstable posture like a puppet with cut strings, but no energy was felt.

Ultimately he failed to find anything special and turned his gaze.

On the outskirts of the open space, there was a bedroom or a closed space good for meditating, which certainly gave the feeling of a place for training.

Should he say it was an atmosphere combining a temple and a training ground.

‘It was called the Inheritance Pass. What kind of place is it to inherit?’

Judging by the battle traces scattered all over the sparring arena, Jin So-myeong was not the first visitor.

It seemed someone had already visited, but it did not seem to be an event that occurred recently at least.

Moss grew in the cracks of the broken tiles and rust sat on the iron lumps, showing traces of not having been touched by human hands for a long time.

‘Hm? Could this perhaps be a transmission formation leading outside?’

A transmission formation for one person situated in a corner of the open space was visible.

It was not damaged and was fine.

It was indeed an exit to go outside.

By all accounts, this seemed to be a place where the insects could not encroach.

Although he had become able to leave right away if he wished, he had no such intention.

Since he had come to the secret realm with difficulty, he intended to get the absolute most out of it.

Jin So-myeong, who checked if there was anything dangerous while circling the outskirts of the open space once, nodded his head.

‘Is it because the name of the secret realm is dojo? Excluding things like bugs, it is subtly friendly to visitors.’

He sat cross-legged and focused on his breathing.

Since he had come to a place that looked reasonably safe, he intended to first focus on recovery.

‘Ah, right. Dan-il, please transplant the lotus in the sub-space into the Secret Realm of the Mind.’

Checking it by sharing senses with Baek Dan-il, fortunately, the lotus was a type of spiritual crop easy to transplant.

‘Is it because it was a lotus that floated on water in the first place?’

Only sleeping quietly in the pond made temporarily, no problems such as life force leaking occurred in particular.

*

A week later.

Jin So-myeong, who regained perfect condition, smiled.

Recovering his body that had been torn to shreds from spreading the Blood Wings, he felt like he could live.

‘Good.’

Now that his body was recovered, he gradually felt like properly examining the place called the Inheritance Pass.

The moment he stepped onto the platform intending to first check the sparring arena that occupied most of the open space,

the wooden dummy that had been limp like a machine with cut power raised its head.

It straightened its limbs and waist as if raising its body…

In the silent open space, a clear voice was heard for the first time.

“Prove that you possess the qualifications.”

Simultaneously,

a tremendous aura surged from the wooden dummy which was nothing but an ordinary statue.

At least four or five times.

It instantly surpassed the spiritual power Jin So-myeong possessed.

As it stared this way while emitting a massive aura that only a Great Circle of the Nascent Soul stage would possess, it showed absolutely no gaps in its naturally standing posture.

“Prove the qualifications?”

At the extremely bizarre phenomenon, he asked back to the wooden dummy, but there was no answer.

He drew his sword while narrowing his eyes.

The index finger of the wooden dummy pointed this way, and a streak of flash appearing like a blink was right before touching his solar plexus.

…!

An overwhelming speed.

There were no minor tricks.

It flew in from the front, yet it was so fast that he could not perceive it.

There was no need to think.

He executed the Lightning Escape Art with all his might.

Watching the streak of light approaching rapidly even within the slowed-down world, he even detonated the spiritual power accumulated in his heart.

At the same time as he cast the Blood Wings to amplify his energy,

he coated his solar plexus with Blood Armor and kicked the ground.

Instead of focusing on defense, he lunged with his sword.

He guided the energy amplified by circulating through the five viscera directly to the tip of his sword.

At that brief moment when the dazzling light dyed the void,

the wooden dummy that was emitting an absurd momentum soared by dozens of times.

Like a mirror,

responding to the energy amplified by the Blood Wings, it emitted an aura powerful enough to be remote.

There was no time to be flustered.

Tjjeong!

The streak of light that flew in across the void pierced his solar plexus, and the Blood Armor was shattered without withstanding even a brief moment.

His breath was choked.

Along with tinnitus, his vision blurred.

The counterattack he launched while clenching his teeth, the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration…

disappeared without a trace at a single light gesture of the wooden dummy.

Boom!

His vision was cut off abruptly.

An additional blow that flew in before he even perceived it bashed his abdomen, and he bounced off like a cannonball, crashing into the wall of the open space.

“Keu-heok!”

It was a strike so fast that he only realized he was hit after spitting blood from the intense pain as if his organs were being crushed.

He put strength into his eyes to revive his distorting vision.

Using the aching pain as a stepping stone, he straightened his body.

At that moment when he pointed his sword while holding onto his fading consciousness out of stubbornness,

the wooden dummy that was emitting an absurd momentum went limp and became an ordinary statue just like earlier.

‘…What?’

It was baffling.

It suddenly beat him up telling him to prove his qualifications, then fell quiet again.

He did not let down his guard and focused all his attention on the wooden dummy, but it showed no signs of moving.

Then suddenly, he realized that he had come outside the sparring arena before long.

‘No way.’

Clearly, the wooden dummy had begun to move simultaneously with him stepping onto the sparring arena.

The moment Jin So-myeong, who contemplated for a moment, stepped onto the sparring arena,

“Prove that you possess the qualifications.”

Along with the identical line, the limp wooden dummy straightened its posture.

When he took a step back and came outside the sparring arena, it came to a sudden halt.

It went limp like a dummy with cut power.

‘Does it attack when stepping onto the sparring arena?’

Only now did he get a grasp of roughly what kind of place the Inheritance Pass was.

By all accounts, defeating that wooden dummy seemed to be the trial.

Setting that aside…

Jin So-myeong, who was silent for a long time, lowered his gaze.

He saw his body that had returned to a mess after barely recovering.

He lost.

It was an overwhelming defeat with no room to even lift a hand.

The sudden surprise attack, the fact that the wooden dummy’s energy was four or five times greater,

none of them could even be excuses.

A fight was originally unfair.

“Hah, really.”

Brushing off the dust on his clothes and chewing on the defeat after a long time, he sat cross-legged.

After recovering his body over a week,

he challenged again,

and lost again.

This time, he actively used even the Supreme Great Ability and the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, but the result was the same.

He bounced off in a miserable state and crashed into the wall.

Spark flared in the eyes of Jin So-myeong, who dripped blood from the corners of his mouth.

He no longer cared whether defeating the wooden dummy was the trial or not.

What was important was that he lost, and that he must not leave the bitter defeat as it was.

He resolved,

dozens of times,

no, even if he had to challenge again hundreds of times, he would definitely win.

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