Chapter 231: Awakened Hong Seol
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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“I see. Is there no other news?”
“…”
“Why. Did the Soul-Tempering Division Leader ask you to stand guard for him when he challenges the Soul Formation stage?”
Was it far from the reaction she had expected?
After making a blank expression for a brief moment, Myo Seol regained her composure.
“No. The other news is… the Artifact Refining Division Leader and Cultivator Ha Un said they made progress in the study of the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure and have something to report.”
“Good. Tell them to wait, as I will visit them in person once I finish my urgent business.”
“Yes.”
He guessed it upon seeing that they had created the Soul-Tracking Compass, a Rank 5 Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. As expected, it seemed they had achieved results in their research on the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure.
It meant that the day Limitless would reach Rank 5 was not far off, and although it was welcome news, there was no need to visit in a hurry, so he put it aside for a moment.
First, he went to the eastern region and retrieved the sword in which Hong Seol was residing, which he had kept in his subspace.
“Master. Can you hear me?”
He carefully inspected the sword so as not to strain it, but its condition was much worse than expected.
There was no response even when he called, and fine cracks resembling spiderwebs covered the entire sword.
The aura felt from it was also faint. It was to the point where it would have been difficult to be certain that Hong Seol was residing inside if not for the insight provided by the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye.
‘If I had left it in the desert, it would have taken decades to recover.’
He looked it over here and there, but no proper treatment method came to mind.
After all, he could not feed elixirs to a sword, could he?
After pondering for a moment, he simply consumed the Supreme Great Ability to unfold the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability.
As he poured in approximately 100 million units of the Supreme Great Ability, the fine cracks covering the sword gradually began to disappear.
‘Fortunately, it works well.’
It was his first time treating someone else with the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability, and the effect was better than expected.
By the time the consumption of the Supreme Great Ability exceeded 200 million and approached nearly 1 billion.
The cracks covering the surface completely disappeared.
Wung…!
The vibrating sword turned into a dazzling light, then gathered in the air and took the shape of a person.
Her neat white robe, long hair reaching down to her waist, and the red eyes situated in her snow-white skin were like jewels.
In an instant.
Hong Seol’s eyes, which had been unfocused, became clear, and she paused just as she instinctively grasped her sword.
“Ah… So-myeong, it was you.”
“Are you feeling a bit better? I treated you in my own way, but I do not know what the outcome will be.”
As she narrowed her eyes and checked her condition, she nodded.
“There does not seem to be any particular problem. In fact, my condition is so good that it is surprising.”
“That is a relief.”
“My ruined dantian and meridians have also been almost entirely restored. Just how did you do it? It could not have been easy.”
“I have a divine ability related to regeneration, and it seems to have worked well.”
Hong Seol, who was expressing her wonder while caressing the back of her hand which had not a single wound, smiled.
“To receive your help again… thank you so much. I am glad that I seem to have chosen a good disciple.”
“I have also received a lot of help from you, Master. This time as well, if you had not drawn the attention of the Divine Wood Lord, I would have run into him.”
He might have run into the Star-Shattering True Monarch in his Nascent Soul stage as soon as he emerged from the True Realm of Illusory Dreams.
Although the Star-Shattering True Monarch might have only checked his potential and let him go given his purpose, there was no telling what would have actually happened.
Thinking of it in that light, it could be said that he had received Hong Seol’s help.
“In the first place, wasn’t your coming to the True Realm of Illusory Dreams all to help me? Therefore…”
She paused just as she was about to say something with a smile.
She stared intently at Jin So-myeong’s face like someone who had seen a ghost, then muttered in astonishment.
“The Soul Formation stage? So-myeong, have you ascended to the Soul Formation stage?”
“Yes. I became a Soul Formation cultivator not long ago.”
“Not long ago…?”
Her calm eyes were dyed with bewilderment.
Since Hong Seol, who had always shown a noble appearance as a female sword cultivator who had reached a high realm, was bewildered, he felt like teasing her a bit for some reason, but he did not play any pranks.
He nodded with a serious expression, but her confusion only grew deeper.
“Moreover, this place seems to be a Rank 5 spiritual vein, could it be that this is the Sacred City?”
“Yes. It is indeed the Sacred City.”
“There is no way the Divine Wood Lord would have allowed this, just how on earth.”
Where should he start explaining? For now, he spoke of the most important thing.
“The Divine Wood Lord is already dead, so you do not have to worry.”
“What?”
As she pressed her forehead as if dizzy from the successive shocking news, he briefly explained what had happened in the meantime.
“You ascended to the Soul Formation stage, fought the Divine Wood Lord, and won?”
“That is correct.”
Hong Seol’s face went blank. It was understandable why she was so surprised.
She was someone who had personally fought the Star-Shattering True Monarch.
It meant that she knew better than anyone else how strong the Star-Shattering True Monarch was.
“It was not easy. To the point where it would be hard to guarantee a win even if I were to fight him again now.”
“……”
For a long time,
Hong Seol, who alternated between looking at Jin So-myeong and the Rank 5 spiritual vein without a word, let out a bitter smile.
“Indeed. There is no use in denying what is visible to the eyes. I will believe your words. By the way, how much time has passed since I fell asleep? Surely, hundreds of years have not passed by, right?”
“Based on the day you became a Soul Formation cultivator in the True Realm of Illusory Dreams, twenty-six years have passed.”
“Uh… at that time, you were in the late Nascent Soul stage, So-myeong, but in just over twenty years…”
Hong Seol, who trailed off, closed her eyes tightly and simply nodded. She seemed to have given up on trying to understand.
“Since you have just woken up and must be tired, please rest a little.”
“Ah… I should do that. Again, thank you very much.”
“Not at all. There is no one else in this Rank 5 spiritual vein but me, so you can settle down in any comfortable place.”
The Rank 5 spiritual vein of the Sacred City was as vast as a decent-sized country, so there was plenty of room even if he shared it with Hong Seol.
Leaving behind Hong Seol, who was still feeling dizzy, so she could organize her thoughts,
he headed to the Rank 5 fire vein to hear about the progress on the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure.
*
The deepest part of the canyon where red lava flowed like a river.
When he arrived at the Rank 5 fire vein where the most outstanding artisans of the Sacred City stayed, a hot wind blew in with a whoosh and struck his skin.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Following the regular metallic sounds, he saw artisans who were sweating profusely and straining with all their might.
“Hold on! Since impurities remain in the Great Sun True Essence, you must not stop!”
“Yes!”
Twenty Nascent Soul cultivators spread out in a fan shape were injecting dharmic power into the formation in an exhausted state, and in the center of the formation, a flame emitting intense heat was situated.
Among the artisans struggling with all their might to control the Soul Formation-grade flames rising from the Rank 5 fire vein, those suffering the most were Ha Un and the Artifact Refining Division Leader.
In the center of the formation where flames whirled, they were pounding a lump of iron with a large hammer, and their skin was cooked red from enduring the heat emitted by the flames.
Clang…! Clang!
Looking at the lump of iron turning into the shape of a rod amidst the blazing flames, he could tell what they were doing.
‘Are they smelting a Rank 5 mineral to make a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure?’
It looked arduous, but he did not carelessly intervene. Since he might disrupt them for nothing, he waited quietly.
Three hours later.
Ha Un, who had been swinging the hammer tirelessly, took a step back, and the Artifact Refining Division Leader shouted.
“It is done! Rest!”
As the booming shout echoed, the artisans who had been injecting dharmic power to maintain the formation collapsed and sat down.
They immediately sat cross-legged and operated their cultivation methods, and strangely, the dharmic power they possessed grew stronger ever so slightly.
‘Is the process of creating Dharma Treasures itself cultivation?’
He had heard that some artifact refiners accumulated dharmic power while creating Dharma Treasures, and they were exactly like that.
“Everyone has worked hard.”
As he waited for their training to finish and approached, the Artifact Refining Division Leader, who spotted him, leaped up and bowed.
“I greet the Divine Wood Lord!”
“Oh, you have come at just the right time. The refining of the core materials has finished, and it was time to start making the sword in earnest.”
Unlike the Artifact Refining Division Leader who offered his greetings first, Ha Un went straight to the point, causing the Artifact Refining Division Leader to furrow his brows.
Although the Artifact Refining Division Leader seemed to consider Ha Un’s attitude rude, Jin So-myeong actually preferred it.
“Cut the formalities. More importantly, I heard you have something to say about the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. Have you found a way to upgrade my Natal Spiritual Treasure to Rank 5?”
“Yes. I have something to tell you regarding that.”
As the Artifact Refining Division Leader, whose turn was taken, stepped back with a bitter smile, Ha Un continued speaking.
“To start with the conclusion, the Natal Spiritual Treasure in the Divine Wood Lord’s possession does not particularly need a special method.”
“Hm?”
“The Divine Wood Lord’s Natal Spiritual Treasure has the ability to absorb spiritual objects related to sharpness and make them its own. That is sufficient.”
“…Do you mean I just need to create a Rank 5 sword and have Limitless absorb it?”
“Yes. We have checked all the artifact refining methods passed down in the Sacred City, including the jade slip you gave us before, but none of the secret techniques were better than the absorption ability Limitless possesses.”
To think it was the method he had originally used after going in circles; it was slightly empty, but he soon understood.
‘Indeed. Limitless is a sword forged by the Supreme Great Ability.’
In a way, it was only natural.
Even if one was a Nascent Soul or a Soul Formation cultivator, it was difficult to possess a technique superior to the Supreme Great Ability.
“Actually, there are many methods to raise the grade of a Dharma Treasure.”
Sacrificing tens of millions of living souls to perform a blood sacrifice, receiving starlight over a thousand years to nurture spirituality, extracting the core of a Natal Spiritual Treasure and reprocessing it with superior materials…
There were countless methods, but even if all of them were combined, they were said to be inferior to the inherent ability of Limitless.
“As an artisan, my pride is hurt, but since we cannot choose an inefficient method, I had no choice but to admit it.”
“I understand what you mean. Then, is the reason you sought me to ask what kind of Rank 5 sword to make?”
“Yes. If there is a function you specifically desire, we will implement it to the best of our ability.”
“A desired function…”
A sharp blade and unbreakable solidity were basic, so there was no need to even mention them.
What else would be needed besides that?
Various ideas came to mind, but they did not please him. When fighting enemies of a high realm, most abilities were bound to become meaningless.
What was important when fighting the strong was to concentrate all one’s power to elevate sharpness to the limit.
Only then could he cut down enemies of a higher realm.
‘Still, if there is a useful function, it will make things easier.’
While he was pondering, a thought flashed through his mind, and he felt that this was exactly it.
“It would be good if it has a function to store vital energy.”
“…Are you sure you mean vital energy, and not sharpness?”
Since they did not seem to understand readily, he explained in detail. That way, a proper sword would be made.
“I have a divine ability that can exert powerful force by consuming vital energy. If I can store vital energy in the sword, it will be quite useful.”
“Ah, I think I understand what you want.”
“It must be vital energy so pure that it is close to lifespan. Ah! This is the Life-Connecting Stone I obtained not long ago, and I would like you to use it as a material for the sword.”
“The Life-Connecting Stone? Isn’t that a precious mineral called a vessel that holds lifespan?”
He handed the Life-Connecting Stone, which looked like a pure white pebble, to the startled Ha Un.
“How long will it take for the Rank 5 sword to be completed?”
Ha Un and the Artifact Refining Division Leader whispered to each other for a moment and then gave an answer.
“Since the Life-Connecting Stone is a material we are also handling for the first time, we cannot be certain, but we estimate it to be about five to eight years.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, and the research on the Mysterious Ice Crystal Cauldron you lent us before has finished. If you permit, we will modify it for combat use.”
“Modifying the Mysterious Ice Crystal Cauldron for combat? Good. Give it a try. Are there any materials you particularly need?”
Since they could modify the super-large ice cauldron brought from the Red Cloud Secret Realm for combat use, there was no reason to stop them.
“We need the Myriad Thunders Chaos Sky Scroll, the lightning-attribute Spiritual Treasure I made for you before. And the tail feathers of the Thunder-Roaring Bird, the Four-Wheels Resonance Needle…”
The materials Ha Un requested were one and all precious treasures difficult to find even in the Human Realm, but since most of them were in his subspace, he could easily give them.
“If you need anything else, request it through the deacon. Everyone, work hard.”
“Yes. Take care.”
Leaving behind the artisans who had become notably noisy, he fell into thought as he returned to the eastern region where the Rank 5 spiritual vein was located.
He pondered whether there was anything left to do before ascending to the Upper Realm, but only a few things came to mind.
Since he had done things step by step, before he knew it, the preparations to ascend were almost complete.
It was a pity that he was short of one ingredient for the Mysterious Heaven Brilliance Pill, an elixir that would elevate his aptitude to a Heavenly Spiritual Root, but he could just search for it to the best of his ability, and if it really did not work, he could obtain it after going to the Upper Realm.
‘Since the Upper Realm will have resources hundreds of times more abundant than the Human Realm, I should be able to obtain it easily.’
Nodding his head, Jin So-myeong headed to the cultivation room.
He planned to consume the highest-quality elixirs piled up in his subspace to raise his realm as much as possible before ascending.
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