Chapter 182: Returning to the Oasis

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read more at Nineheavens.org
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Jin So-myeong, who was heading towards the oasis, recalled the events he had experienced in the Inheritance Pass.

The sword forged by the human race, the Rank 6 Boundary-Breaking Talisman, and the gold-colored jade slip containing a nameless cultivation method.

‘I don’t know.’

He did not know how much of it was the truth. Was the remnant soul that had dwelled in the wooden dummy truly the Star-Shattering True Monarch?

Honestly, it felt absurd.

If the story of the Star-Shattering True Monarch were true,

Did it not mean that he had waited for Jin So-myeong—no, the one who might become the sword of humanity—for a distant time spanning a full two hundred thousand years?

Even without any proper certainty.

For the sake of the human race persecuted in the upper realm? Leaving aside the nobility of the intention, was that possible by human will?

‘Although it seems he was asleep for most of the time.’

It was purely a question.

Even an indomitable will that felt eternal was bound to eventually crumble before distant time.

‘Come to think of it… in the past illusions I saw, the Star-Shattering True Monarch had a different face every time.’

The Star-Shattering True Monarch who had cleaved meteorites and imugis in a single slash.

The Star-Shattering True Monarch who had delivered teachings on the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword in front of tens of thousands of swordsmen.

Not only the appearance, but the atmosphere and temperament themselves were completely different.

As if they were different people.

Could the Star-Shattering True Monarch be a sort of official title to call the one bestowed with the role?

If the one who descended from the upper realm to find the sword of humanity had entrusted the mission to later generations, he thought it would probably take such a form.

However, two hundred thousand years was too long a time.

‘The possibility of it still continuing is slim.’

The Star-Shattering True Monarch had already become a figure of the distant past, treated as a fairy tale or legend. That there was once such a person in the past. Only that level of presence remained.

‘It’s a bit regrettable, though. No matter how the Star-Shattering True Monarch viewed me, I just have to do what I must.’

The sword representing the human race.

If it meant the strongest person in the human race, he naturally desired it. Because it was a path he would naturally pass through in the process of achieving the Great Dao of Longevity.

If it were the savior of the persecuted human race, it was out of the question. Although it was interesting, he did not keep it in his heart.

To put Jin So-myeong’s reason for cultivating bluntly, it was for personal prosperity.

He just enjoyed becoming stronger and wanted to see the end of the wide world.

He was not a grand enough figure to dedicate his entire life for someone whose name and face he did not know, for a noble mission.

In the first place, cultivation was a path of asceticism. It was not a path easy enough to walk while looking at a goal injected by others.

Suddenly, a question occurred to him.

‘If they were facing a war where the entire humanity might perish two hundred thousand years ago… what has happened by now?’

Surely it wasn’t that there was not a single human when he ascended to the upper realm? He felt that would be regrettable. After all was said and done, he was a human.

By the time he organized these various thoughts,

Gradually, the familiar terrain caught his eyes.

The changed density of the insects filling the sky also suggested that he would arrive at the oasis soon.

***

At the same time.

About a dozen Nascent Soul stage cultivators gathered at the lake that Jin So-myeong called the oasis.

As if holding a meeting, they sat in a space built in a structure similar to a main hall and looked at each other.

“Haaa…”

Was there some problem? No matter how one looked at it, the atmosphere was not good. It was dark and heavy, like people holding a funeral.

“It is already the tenth year since entering the Defeated Sage Dojo. We must truly leave now.”

In the uncomfortable silence, someone opened their mouth, and everyone agreed as if they had been waiting.

“That’s right. If we are any later, it will truly be a big trouble.”

“They said that no one could endure for more than ten years in the Defeated Sage Dojo, and I finally know the reason now.”

Someone, gritting their teeth, raised their hand as if to show this…

Heavens.

Five carapaces looking like beetle shells had sprouted on the skin of the back of the hand.

It was an appearance as if they were becoming an abnormal entity instead of a human.

“A poison that twists the race!”

“We were only paying attention to the petrifaction poison and didn’t notice, but to think such a bizarre poison was hidden too…”

He was not the only one like that.

All the Nascent Soul stage cultivators present in this place had carapaces growing all over their bodies.

Someone had their forearms covered in carapaces as well as the back of their hands, and someone… had their entire upper body filled with carapaces.

Although there was a difference in degree, the symptoms were all the same.

“Anyway, those alien race bastards who invaded last time are indeed the Insect-Armor Race.”

“The Insect-Armor Race?”

“It is a race known to have been exterminated in the ancient era. I saw it in an ancient book; they are said to skillfully wield terrifying and bizarre poisons. I heard there is also a poison that forcibly twists the race and infects them into the Insect-Armor Race.”

“Heh. It is truly terrible.”

The complexions of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators turned white as a sheet.

They looked down at their bodies with scowling faces, seeming to disgust the carapaces sprouted on their skin.

“Let’s leave immediately. I absolutely cannot stand it.”

“How can we leave? Those Insect-Armor Race bastards destroyed all the transmission arrays in the desert, and they control the only intact transmission array, do they not?”

“Naturally, we must invade their base and secure the transmission array.”

“It is obvious it will be a trap…”

“Then do you have any other way?”

“Ugh.”

If there was one characteristic of the transmission array going outside the Defeated Sage Dojo, it was that only humans could use it.

The fact that the Insect-Armor Race left a transmission array they couldn’t even use was an outright trap.

It could be called a bait to draw them in, who were holding out after installing a formation near the lake.

“What are you afraid of? Our strength is also substantial. Since there is no other way anyway, it is right to attack before it is too late.”

“Hmm.”

The gazes of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators, who stopped speaking as if lost in thought, gathered at one place.

To Mok Sa-heon and Nam So-yeong, who were the highest experts in this place.

After all was said and done, the cultivation world was the survival of the fittest. When various forces joined hands, it was common for the one with the higher realm to take the leadership.

“It seems Fellow Daoist Mok’s intention is more important than my opinion. Fellow Daoist Mok, what would be good to do?”

As the floor was handed over, all eyes focused on Mok Sa-heon.

Mok Sa-heon, who was situated among the Mok Clan cultivators who arrived late at the lake due to passing through the gateways, spoke in a slow tone.

“Please wait. There is someone who has not arrived yet, is there not?”

“Someone who hasn’t arrived? Are you talking about Cultivator Jin, by any chance?”

As Mok Sa-heon, who gave a brief nod, closed his eyes again as if meditating, the watching Nascent Soul stage cultivators were puzzled.

“If it’s a cultivator surnamed Jin… Jin So-myeong?”

“Jin So-myeong? Hasn’t that fellow daoist just reached the Nascent Soul stage not long ago?”

“Hmm… Fellow Daoist Jin is also a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, so he is better than nothing, but we lack time, do we not? It would be better to move as quickly as possible before the poison flares up.”

“No. If Fellow Daoist Jin comes, it will definitely be of help.”

The reaction was split exactly into two.

Those who had quickly passed the gateways and personally seen the battle for the lotus that took place at the lake accepted it cleanly,

And those who did not know well about Jin So-myeong frowned as if they could not understand.

In their dissatisfied expressions, their inner thoughts were clearly read.

Normally, waiting for a moment would not be a problem, but right now the situation was different.

Were they poisoned by a terrible poison that twisted their race?

No one wanted to spend time for a single early Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

“It is not early Nascent Soul, but mid-stage. I saw it; his realm increased after passing the Spiritual Power Pass.”

“Mid-stage? Assuredly, if it is that level…”

“Furthermore, Fellow Daoist Jin possesses a very powerful divine ability. It will be helpful when fighting the Insect-Armor Race.”

At the words that his realm had become higher, the expressions of a few people relaxed, but that was all. The majority showed a look of not being convinced.

“No matter what Fellow Daoist Jin’s skill is, has he not failed to show even a hair of himself for the past nine years? Is he even remaining in this desert in the first place?”

“Could he have discovered another exit and gone outside?”

“It is a bit awkward to say this, but there is also a possibility that he is already dead.”

“Ah…”

At the highly persuasive opinion, the buzzing clamor stopped, and the gaze gathered again on Mok Sa-heon. They glanced at him as if asking if he was truly going to wait.

And no wonder…

Because most of Mok Sa-heon’s upper body was covered in carapaces. The state of his injury was more severe than anyone else here.

Fine protrusions had even grown on the carapaces that tore through his clothes and popped out, making it honestly disgusting.

Nevertheless.

“Please wait.”

Mok Sa-heon’s expression was peaceful from beginning to end.

Should he say he was like an old monk who had cultivated for a long time? He acted as if he were a person who could not see the terrible carapaces grown on his own body.

Everyone admired his composure, which was like a thousand-year-old tree, but the Mok Clan cultivators watching right next to him could not.

Since he was clearly not in a normal state, they could not help but be anxious.

Just as Mok Ra-yu, the current family head, was unable to bear it and about to open her mouth,

“He has arrived.”

Mok Sa-heon, who had closed his eyes as if meditating, raised his head.

He stared beyond the air as if seeing something, and the gazes of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators in the main hall all turned towards the same direction.

***

Jin So-myeong, who had almost arrived at the oasis, paused.

‘Were they all gathered here?’

Sweeping the oasis with his Divine Sense, he felt quite a few human presences.

About half of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators he had met when entering the Defeated Sage Dojo were gathered here.

They had built an underground city near the lake and even installed a formation, which was sturdier than most fortresses.

It seemed everyone had stayed for quite a long time. But why were they gathered here of all places?

‘I thought they would have left the Defeated Sage Dojo long ago.’

Stopping in front of the formation in doubt, a dozen escape lights flew over.

“Fellow Daoist Jin. It is a long time since we met.”

“Nice to meet you, Chief Administrator Du. I tried to track your location with the nameplate, but there was no response, so I thought some problem had occurred.”

“Ah, actually, my nameplate was broken while being chased by a strange beast.”

One of those who came out to greet him, Chief Administrator Du Geum-bo of the Myriad Treasures Tower, greeted him with a bitter smile, but a bizarre sight was visible.

‘What is that.’

His entire right arm was covered in a disgusting carapace. It was an appearance as if he were infected.

It was not only Du Geum-bo. All of the dozen or so who came out to greet him had carapaces sprouted on at least one place, though there were differences in degree.

‘Poison? Is it by any chance an infectious kind?’

A sight reminding him of the insect humans he had fought before.

Just in case, he first blocked the surrounding energy from entering his body.

Just as he was about to ask Du Geum-bo, whom he was relatively close with, what had happened.

“Fellow Daoist Jin. You said you would recover as quickly as possible and return, but you are quite late.”

“Hmm…?”

“I almost died waiting while believing only in your words.”

The Mok Clan elder, whom he had clashed with in the lotus battle, approached him with a faint smile.

Pausing at the sight of almost his entire upper body covered in carapaces, he replied belatedly.

“There was a bit of an accident on the way. But what is this situation?”

If one was confident in one’s skill, there was no need to look around this way and that. Since he asked outright, Du Geum-bo stepped forward and explained the situation.

“So… you are saying that the aliens called the Insect-Armor Race have seized the transmission array going outside the Defeated Sage Dojo?”

“Yes. Fellow Daoist Jin will also have to go outside, so how about joining forces with us?”

To summarize, it was a proposal to invade the base of the Insect-Armor Race to secure the transmission array.

‘It’s a proposal that has nothing bad about it. As long as I am not betrayed.’

By the way, everyone did not mention the lotus, which was assumed to be a Soul Formation spiritual object, at all.

Since they were to cooperate soon, did they decide to forget about the treasure that could be a seed of conflict for a moment?

“Although Fellow Daoist Jin seems still fine, carapaces will sprout starting from the extremities of your limbs before long.”

“…May I take a look?”

Jin So-myeong, who asked for understanding, unfolded the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye.

He observed the carapaces sprouted on Du Geum-bo’s hand, and honestly, if only combat power was considered, it was true that they had become stronger.

The carapaces were hard enough to deflect most spells raw. It was literally armor.

‘Am I infected too?’

He swept the inside of his body thoroughly, but there was nothing he could find out. If it were true, it was a very covert poison.

He glanced at the Mok Clan elder, Mok Sa-heon, whose name he learned while exchanging introductions.

Most of his upper body was covered in carapaces. It was strange that the degree of infection was severe despite him having the highest realm here.

‘Could it be that he accepted the poison without resisting on purpose? What a gutsy fellow.’

Jin So-myeong, who was thinking deeply while synthesizing various pieces of information, nodded.

“Fine. I will go together with you. But does anyone happen to know what happened to the anglerfish-like ancient ominous beast that attacked me at the lake?”

“You must be talking about the Soul-Sucking Ghost Fish. That ancient ominous beast is still hiding in the lake exactly as it was. Since it is dangerous to be ambushed in the water, we did not touch it unnecessarily.”

Hearing the explanation of Nam So-yeong, who was one of the late Nascent Soul stage cultivators, he thought it was good.

“Then everyone, please prepare to set off. I will go and take care of a quick matter.”

“Yes…?”

*

When he said he would go to catch the Soul-Sucking Ghost Fish, which was skilled in concealment and ambush, the majority was startled.

A few people offered to help, but he declined.

“It will be over quickly.”

“You never know. I heard the ambush of the Soul-Sucking Ghost Fish is quite fierce. If some problem occurs to Fellow Daoist Jin, we will at least cover you.”

Even though he said it was fine, they insisted on following.

Five Nascent Soul stage cultivators took positions at a distant place and watched, but he did not care particularly.

The lake, wide enough for waves to rise. Staring intently at the oasis, he moved his steps.

Walking on the water surface alone, he densely scattered lightning Qi made thin as thread.

Standing in the center of the quiet lake,

He put one hand on the handle of the sword at his waist and quietly closed his eyes.

How long had he waited?

Sssss…

Finally, a bite came. Deep below the water surface, something massive touched the scattered lightning Qi.

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