Chapter 207: What Happened Long Ago

===================
Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
===================

【Jin So-myeong】

【Lifespan】 : 129 / 1963

【Realm】 : 9th layer of the Nascent Soul stage

【Supreme Great Abilities】 : 230 million / 235 million

【Divine Abilities】 : <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>

Although he did not achieve the Nascent Soul stage Great Circle he had targeted, he obtained truly many things during his nineteen years in the True Realm of Illusory Dreams.

First of all, it was safe to say his realm was just before the Nascent Soul stage Great Circle.

Currently, the maximum limit of his Supreme Great Abilities was 235 million, and if this became 250 million, it was the Nascent Soul stage Great Circle.

There were also many changes in his cultivation methods and spells.

Starting with the Immortal-Severing Earth Art and Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art rising to Great Success.

He grew cultivation methods and spells whose proficiency was below one billion…meaning those with relatively low Supreme Great Ability consumption…by one step.

【Cultivation Methods】

Five Elements Qi Condensation Art (Minor Success 98.65 million / 1 billion)

When he raised this to Great Success, the power of the Five Elements Divine Thunder became stronger, and the speed of accumulating spiritual power automatically became faster.

Becoming sensitive to the five elements spiritual Qi was too natural to even need mentioning.

【Spells】

Wind Control Art (Minor Success 32 million / 300 million)

…

Wind Transformation Body Force (Proficiency 17.09 million / 200 million)

Yin-Yang Great Hand Seal (Proficiency 57.6 million / 300 million)

Hundred Battles Mind-Splitting Art (Mastery 12.01 million / 100 million)

Five Elements Shattering Annihilation Wheel (Proficiency 10.05 million / 1 billion)

Leaving alone those whose maximum proficiency exceeded ten billion like the Lightning Escape Art, he neatly raised those with low Supreme Great Ability consumption to the next stage.

Proficiency to Minor Success, and Minor Success to Great Success. He grew all of them by one step.

Although there were quite many changes, there was no need to speak of them in detail.

Just the single word that he became stronger was enough.

His body tempering realm also achieved Rank 4 highest-grade, and Limitless became a Rank 4 highest-grade spiritual treasure.

All that remained now was to reach the Nascent Soul stage Great Circle.

‘Two or three years will do.’

Although his cultivation speed would drastically slow down once he went outside, the problem would be resolved if he upgraded the Secret Realm of the Mind to Rank 5.

Considering this and that situation, he expected he could reach the Nascent Soul stage Great Circle within three years at the latest.

Jin So-myeong, who traced back what he had obtained in the True Realm of Illusory Dreams, nodded his head.

‘Let’s go out now.’

When he took out the Dream Journeying Path, the spiritual treasure Hong Seol had given him, and cut off the injected spiritual power, the surrounding scenery collapsed like a mirage.

*Flash!*

Along with a split second of flashing light, he returned to the fog filled with starlight after a truly long time.

Looking at the starlight filling the surroundings, he instinctively knew that the moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

‘Let’s watch just one last thing before going.’

A whopping 230 million Supreme Great Abilities.

Consuming all at once that vast power he had accumulated after over a hundred years of cultivation, he made a wish.

‘I want to see a memory or dream that would be most helpful to me right now.’

Muttering so,

He reached out toward the starlight that happened to graze right past him at that time.

*

In the moment his hazy mind became clear as if waking from a deep sleep.

‘It is a memory.’

He realized he could not move his body.

Seeing that only observing was possible, it was a memory, not a dream.

First, he scanned his surroundings to grasp the situation, and saw a wide hall shaped like a meeting room.

Exactly seven people.

People of various appearances, male and female, young and old, sat with serious faces, and to his surprise, they were all Soul Formation stage cultivators.

‘Is it the ancient era?’

For as many as seven Soul Formation stage cultivators to gather in one place. It was impossible in the current era where Soul Formation was treated as a legend.

Even this alone was surprising enough, but one person was even familiar.

It was definitely someone he had seen somewhere before.

Where on earth did he see someone from the ancient era? Just as he was searching his memory.

‘Ah! I remember.’

Back when he had just arrived in the Middle Province,

He had once participated in a Nascent Soul stage exchange meeting and tried to find a Soul Formation-grade sword formula.

‘I obtained a map of a grotto where a Soul Formation stage sword cultivator had stayed.’

He went to the Flow-Shearing Grassland pointed to by the map, and at that place where even ordinary wind was as sharp as Sword Qi, he unfolded the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye and read the past.

He had seen the man who gave teachings in front of tens of thousands of sword cultivators, and Jin So-myeong also obtained the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword.

‘Star-Shattering True Monarch.’

To think he would see him here again.

Leaving his surprised heart behind, he focused on the scene unfolding before him.

He closely inspected the middle-aged man wearing pure white dharma robes, and it was certainly the Star-Shattering True Monarch who had taught the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword.

However, the Star-Shattering True Monarch, who had worn a gentle smile in the past, now had a miserable expression to the point where it would not be strange if he died right away.

Not only the Star-Shattering True Monarch but everyone in the hall had bad expressions.

Did some problem arise?

Just as a heavy silence was flowing, to the extent that even Jin So-myeong, who had not grasped the situation yet, felt uncomfortable.

“I am truly sorry. Because of my incompetence, I have caused great trouble to you all.”

As the Star-Shattering True Monarch opened his lips with difficulty, everyone looking at him was startled and waved their hands.

“What on earth do you mean by that, Master? If you had not bestowed teachings, our human race would not have adapted to spiritual Qi and would have been slaughtered by demonic beasts.”

“No. Although we would have been pushed back at first by the demon race born with naturally robust bodies, we would have developed various cultivation methods over time to seize the initiative.”

He had heard that the Star-Shattering True Monarch, who descended as the first immortal in the distant past, had bestowed numerous teachings, and they seemed to be talking about that story.

‘Did the Star-Shattering True Monarch, who came from the Upper Realm, feel sorry upon seeing the human race pushed back by the demon race, and thus teach the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword?’

Just as he was making various guesses while listening to the conversation.

The Star-Shattering True Monarch, who could not easily continue his words, closed his eyes tightly.

“I said it before. I came to search for a successor who would become the sword of humanity.”

“Yes.”

The Soul Formation stage cultivators, who sat politely as if showing respect to their master, nodded their heads.

Although they had become Soul Formation stage cultivators who could be called the most noble entities in the Human Realm, they still devoted themselves to cultivation every single day without fail.

Because they were all working hard to become the sword of humanity in agreement with the Star-Shattering True Monarch’s will.

“An unexpected problem arose.”

“What kind…?”

“Some of the principles contained in the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword originated from the Upper Realm. Just by mastering it, a phenomenon occurred where the connection with the Upper Realm deepened.”

It meant that just as a salmon returns to the place where it was born against the ocean, the principles contained in the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword wanted to return to the Upper Realm.

“Originally, the connection between the Human Realm and the Upper Realm was extremely faint. It was to the extent that even if a few Soul Formation stage cultivators ascended, there was no impact.”

“……”

“However, it is no longer so now. If even a single person ascends, the connection with the Upper Realm will become firm and irreversible.”

While everyone’s faces stiffened, the faintly trembling voice continued.

“If I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have taught the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword carelessly. I am truly sorry. It is entirely my mistake and incompetence.”

“Sigh.”

“It would be fortunate if the first person to ascend was the sword of humanity, but if not… the foreign races of the Upper Realm who capture the location of the Human Realm will lay this place to waste.”

“Wait a moment, Master. Didn’t you say that descending from the Upper Realm to the Lower Realm requires a great price and is an extremely difficult task?”

“Normally, no one would bother to descend all the way to the Human Realm. However, foreign races also have divination. If they confirm that the successor is still in the Human Realm, they will ignore the price and descend a high-realm cultivator.”

“…….”

“They will wipe out the seed of the human race so that the sword of humanity cannot be born.”

One of the silent disciples opened his mouth.

“Then can we not just discard the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword?”

For a Soul Formation stage cultivator, erasing memories was simple.

However…

“No. Your achievements in the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword are insufficient. Since you cannot control your subconscious, you cannot erase it either.”

“Then what should we do? As you know, I also taught the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword to my disciples. I worked hard to spread the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword as much as possible.”

“……”

“Let us rather ascend all together. Could it be that the successor is among us?”

“I am sorry, but I cannot gamble with the fate of the human race. I will surely, by any means, find the sword of humanity and send them up to the Upper Realm.”

Just what on earth was he planning to do?

While everyone’s attention was focused, the voice from which trembling had completely disappeared continued.

“One thing is certain.”

“A certain thing…?”

An answer did not come easily.

The Star-Shattering True Monarch, who had only kept his eyes closed for a long time, quietly rose from his seat and drew his sword.

“That there is no way someone who cannot even defeat me is the sword of humanity.”

“…Pardon?”

“Therefore, raise your swords. Cut me down and prove that you are the successor.”

At the shocking conclusion, everyone was at a loss for words.

“Are you telling us to cut you down right now, Master?”

“Please do so.”

As the Star-Shattering True Monarch’s sword emitted a violent sharp intent, the entire room was enveloped in a cold silence.

When they realized it was neither a joke nor a prank, reactions split.

“How could such a tragedy…”

“No! What on earth do you mean by that!”

Although there were some who drew their swords silently after understanding the circumstances, most shuddered with a sense of betrayal.

However, in the end.

Regardless of their reactions, the tips of everyone’s swords pointed toward the Star-Shattering True Monarch. And.

*Drip… Drip…*

Blood droplets flowing down the blade dyed the floor red.

Before long, the Star-Shattering True Monarch, standing blankly alone on the sea of blood, opened his dry lips.

“···I swear. Even if it takes hundreds of millions of years, I will find them.”

He discarded the sword.

He cut away a portion of his soul and also forgot the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword.

Except for A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens which remained only as a shell, he discarded everything. This was to prevent the connection with the Upper Realm from growing stronger anymore.

From that day on, it was hell.

Due to the arrangements laid out to find the successor, cultivators who mastered the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword appeared whenever they had a chance,

And the Star-Shattering True Monarch visited and killed them under the pretext of a test.

Most of those who possessed talent outstanding enough to master the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword were leaders of large sects.

Their descendants and disciples came and cried for revenge.

“You beast-like bastard! You are crazy for power!”

“To kill even the disciples you raised yourself out of fear that your position would be shaken!”

“Do you block even your juniors just because you lack the courage to ascend to the Upper Realm yourself! You petty bastard!”

He did not make excuses. He just killed and killed again.

Believing that someday,

Someone with talent outstanding enough to kill him would appear.

Amidst all kinds of insults, he volunteered as the final examiner to find the successor.

Even as hundreds and thousands of years passed.

Numerous talents possessing brilliance like stars had their breaths cut off by his hands.

“Ah… Even after going this far, can I still not find them.”

He regretted only when his lifespan was nearing its end, but he could not give up now.

He chose the most talented among those remaining and raised him as his successor.

“Master, I will take up your burden.”

At the youth’s words full of confidence, the Star-Shattering True Monarch nodded with a tired expression.

Right before dying as his lifespan ended, he extracted his memories and passed them down to his successor.

Because it was impossible for the successor, who had just ascended to the Soul Formation stage, to play the role of the examiner.

And so.

Vast ages settled in the eyes of the youth who had been full of vitality and passion.

“Ah.”

Had he taken the memories filled with countless fierce battles and crazy persistence too lightly?

The self-confident successor could not even maintain his sense of self.

Although the person changed, what was inside remained the same.

Instead of the youth’s self which grew faint under the weight of memories, he became another Star-Shattering True Monarch and carried on the legacy.

Silently killing and killing again,

When his lifespan was nearing its end, he chose a successor and passed down the memories.

The Star-Shattering True Monarch who would test the sword of humanity had to be strong to the point where winning was impossible. Otherwise, it had no meaning.

Passing down memories containing battle experiences was essential.

However, how intense would the memories of two Soul Formation stage cultivators be? This successor also could not maintain his sense of self.

The vitality filling his eyes turned hazy in an instant.

According to the persistence contained in the memories, he merely carried out the mission of the Star-Shattering True Monarch.

Countless similar events were repeated.

Over two hundred thousand years passed, from the setting of the time called the ancient era to this day.

***

When Jin So-myeong came to his senses, the memory was already over.

“···.”

Standing blankly in the fog filled with starlight, he let out a choked breath.

He moved his lips but did not know what to say.

He had never imagined that the Star-Shattering True Monarch’s obsession with finding the sword of humanity would be to this extent.

‘The Sacred City. No, the Lord of the Divine Tree was the descendant of the Star-Shattering True Monarch…’

Only now did he completely understand why they were chasing him.

From the moment he mastered the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword, clashing with the Lord of the Divine Tree was inevitable.

He also realized the reason he came to see this memory. Through numerous battle scenes, he learned indirectly just how strong the Star-Shattering True Monarch was.

Recalling the memory, Jin So-myeong opened his closed eyes.

In any case, the time he could stay in the True Realm of Illusory Dreams was over.

It was now time to go outside.

Enjoyed the chapter?

If you like our work, consider supporting us on Ko-fi. This site solely runs on donations. Every donation helps us keep translating!

Support on Ko-fi