Chapter 258: Land of the Humans

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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When he went to find Hwi-ryeong, who was enjoying the breeze under the shade of a tree, and bid farewell, her eyes slightly widened.

“To think it has only been ten years and you already mean to leave?”

“Yes. Since my elixirs are running dry, I should go slowly.”

“With your aptitude, even if you cultivate without elixirs, you would be able to become a Void Refinement stage cultivator in a few hundred years.”

“A few hundred years… That is too long of a time for me.”

As if she was thinking of something, Hwi-ryeong, who was silent for a moment, let out a sigh.

“It is regrettable. It will become lonely again. However, because my strength is not yet recovered, it seems difficult to let you out.”

She, who occasionally came to play Go, said that she had to recover for a hundred years to send him outside.

“Could you not fill the lacking strength with this talisman?”

“With just that…”

Around the time Hwi-ryeong, who saw the 6th-rank Realm-Crossing Talisman, shook her head,

he triggered the spiritual power in his heart and spread his Blood Wings.

As his body tempering realm became Rank 5 high-grade, the power of the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration also grew one step stronger.

Just by entering the third circulation, it reached the Void Refinement stage level, and

Koogoogoogung…!

as it entered the fourth circulation, the empty air was about to be torn just by the energy leaking from his pores.

“What a bizarre divine ability. Even I cannot fully see through it.”

Admiration dwelled in the face of Hwi-ryeong, who had said it was lacking even when seeing the 6th-rank Realm-Crossing Talisman. As A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens also formed on the sword, she nodded her head as if it was sufficient.

“Keep that talisman. It seems you will be able to leave without the Realm-Crossing Talisman if I help you just a little.”

“…Is that so?”

He had intended to go up to the fifth circulation, but stopped after hearing her words.

He regulated his breath to control the energy amplified by his Blood Wings. Gathering his concentration, he struck down his sword as if splitting in a single blow, and

Jjeok…!

beyond the vertically split empty air, hundreds of sceneries passed by like a flash.

“Farewell.”

Simultaneously with her hand gesture, the scenery beyond the empty air that was changing without rest became fixed.

A canyon where silver water flowed. It was undoubtedly the Bright Blood Great Valley he saw to the point of being tiresome while being pursued by the Asuras.

“I owe you a great debt. See you next time.”

“Hmm.”

Paying his respects to her who seemed somewhat sad for some reason, he leaped toward the hole opened in the empty air.

Simultaneously with a slight dizziness,

Splash!

he was able to arrive in the canyon where the silver torrent struck the cliff.

As soon as he recognized that he came outside, he immediately emitted his Divine Sense. Comparing the surrounding terrain and the map, it was indeed the Bright Blood Great Valley.

‘This seems beyond the fortress wall. She is kind.’

This place was much further north than the fortress wall where he collided with the Asuras ten years ago, before being teleported to the lawn.

In other words…

it was not the Asura territory, but meant it was the human land located beyond the Severed Realm Mountain Range that played the role of the border line.

Jin So-myeong, who was comparing the map and the surrounding terrain, scratched his chin.

Actually, he did not let go of his suspicion of Hwi-ryeong until the end. He was wary that she might have some scheme.

However, seeing that he came outside safely like this without any incident, it was to the point of being embarrassing that he suspected her.

‘Indeed. She said it was a matter with nothing to lose.’

Thinking from her position, she had merely discovered a talented junior and bestowed a little goodwill.

If Hwi-ryeong was at the Unity stage, lending a 6th-rank spiritual vein was not that difficult of a matter.

‘Thinking about it, I had bad luck recently. Did I meet a good connection as compensation for that?’

Did he not fall into the Asura territory out of nowhere and suffer like a dog? Since he underwent that much misfortune, it was time for good luck to visit.

Of course, good luck and bad luck were not kind existences that took turns to visit in order.

‘Well, it is good for each other if I do as promised.’

Deciding to find her inner core later when his realm became high, he closely looked around the surroundings, then headed north.

It was time to go to the land of the humans that he had wanted to see since he ascended, no, since the days he was in the Human Realm much earlier.

***

The human land, the Stone Heart Realm .

In Heavenly Feast Prefecture City built on top of a 6th-rank spiritual vein, which was the largest among the cities adjacent to the Bright Blood Great Valley, a youth wearing grayish-white martial robes appeared one day.

“Haha… Finally, I arrived.”

The youth who looked up at the fortress wall soaring higher than the clouds muttered as if deeply moved, and actually, it was natural for him to do so.

Because after traversing the Bright Blood Great Valley full of all kinds of dangers over two years, he had finally arrived at the city built by the humans.

Jin So-myeong, who crossed the fortress wall, to be precise, the outer city, admired.

‘Wonderful.’

An endlessly stretching golden wave filled the plains, and looking closely, each golden grain fluttering in the wind was entirely rice ears.

To think there were rice paddies wide enough to distantly exceed the horizon.

Seeing the spiritual crop masters watering the spiritual rice by deploying water-attribute spells, he finally realized that he arrived at the land of the humans.

Directly confirming with his own two eyes the human race living well in the Upper Realm teeming with dangerous existences like the Asuras, a sense of emotion rushed in for some reason.

Watching the golden ears gently swaying with the wind, he headed toward the center.

‘Huh.’

Passing the outer city and arriving at the inner city of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, the gates were wide open, and there were truly many people.

The number visible at a glance was at least tens of thousands of people.

How long had it been since he saw this many people…

Watching the crowd going back and forth through the gates, he took a step.

Walking along the main street and looking around Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, he could not suppress his admiration.

‘A lake?’

In the very middle of the city, there was a spacious lake, which was not ordinary water, but spiritual water in which spiritual Qi was condensed.

Was that all? A lawn was formed centering on the water clear enough to mirror the sky as it was, a scenery reminiscent of a park he saw in his past life on Earth.

‘…Peaceful.’

Low-stage cultivators lying down or sitting cross-legged here and there on the lawn were visible.

Some were cultivating, and some were leisurely enjoying a nap.

“Waaaa!”

“Amazing! Show us more!”

Shifting his gaze to the innocent voice unique to children, he saw a Qi Condensation stage cultivator performing on the street utilizing fire-attribute spells.

‘It seems the public security is truly good.’

At that moment when he was admiring the boys and girls gathered closely to watch the spells,

Woooong…

Raising his head at the low, heavy vibration sound, a procession of dozens of flying carriages was traversing the sky.

Looking toward the center of the city along with the flying carriages, he was slightly surprised.

An immense something numbering over thousands packed the sky, all of which were pavilions exceeding dozens of stories.

‘Just what kind of buildings are they for them to float them in the sky?’

Curious about their purpose, he closely examined them, and absurdly, most of them were brothels.

Seeing the Golden Core Sages sitting by the window and leisurely tipping their wine cups, the difference from the Asura race was clearly felt.

Should he call it affluent?

Actually, the cities where the Asuras lived were large in scale, but compared to the Human Realm, he did not feel that much of a difference.

However, this place was different.

The feeling of a more developed civilization rushed in.

‘Everyone looks happy.’

Wandering around the city while watching the laughing and chatting people, he paused.

It was because of a pavilion grand enough to be called a palace, which was the largest in scale among the buildings he saw in Heavenly Feast Prefecture City.

‘This is an inn?’

Going in out of curiosity, it was a place that received only Nascent Soul stage cultivators and above as guests.

“We greet the Lord.”

“I want to stay for a few days. The best room.”

A woman whom anyone would call a beauty was startled, then became even more friendly.

Did she notice that he had many spirit stones?

Soon, he was guided to a luxurious room where a 5th-rank high-grade spiritual vein flowed.

“This is the best room in our inn.”

“Not bad.”

Although the accommodation fee was quite expensive objectively, since it was nothing to Jin So-myeong who was overflowing with spirit stones and immortal stones, he decided to stay for a while.

“If you are hungry, we can prepare a spiritual feast. How about it?”

“Spiritual feast?”

“Yes. The spiritual feast of our inn is famous for being the best in Heavenly Feast Prefecture City.”

A spiritual feast was dishes made of ingredients containing spiritual Qi.

Depending on what ingredients it was made of, the effect would differ, but naturally, it was also helpful for cultivation.

It was safe to call it a meal for cultivators, or a deliciously cooked elixir, and since they said it was the best in the 6th-rank immortal city, it aroused his curiosity.

“Since it is the best in Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, I am curious. Bring a table.”

“Yes. You, a senior in the Soul Formation stage, will also be satisfied.”

Actually, as he obtained the ability of Bigu while passing the Nascent Soul stage, he did not need to eat or drink, but since it was the first human city he arrived at in the Upper Realm, he wanted to experience various things.

Leaving behind the maid who departed with a smile, he immersed his body in the hot spring attached to the room, and there was no separate paradise.

“Whew…”

Since he ascended, he had not been able to let go of tension for a single moment, and only now did he feel like he was truly taking a rest.

‘This hot spring is also not ordinary water.’

The warmth permeating down to his bones healed his microscopic wounds.

Should he call it the feeling of the decade’s worth of fatigue accumulated while fighting the Asuras and crossing the Bright Blood Great Valley completely washing away?

It was not a simple illusion.

As his tense mind and body relaxed, his body tempering realm even rose. It seemed he would reach the 5th-rank peak-grade before long.

‘Awesome.’

Returning to the room after enjoying the hot spring, he soon heard the voice of the maid.

“Lord. The spiritual feast is prepared.”

“Come in.”

Should he call this a royal table?

Thinly sliced meat was placed in the shape of a lotus flower, and on the pan-fried fish fillet neatly deboned and grilled, something shining like starlight was sprinkled.

‘It seems to be the meat of a Rank 5 demonic beast… They did well to obtain such ingredients.’

The table, wide enough to lie down and roll on, was filled with food that was incomparably luxurious, looking just like a painting.

Dismissing the maid who naturally tried to serve him, he picked up the chopsticks.

The moment he put the pan-fried fish sprinkled with star-like powder, which he was most curious about, into his mouth,

“Huh.”

At the feast of flavors that exploded like firecrackers, he could not help but stiffen despite himself.

“Lord. Does it not suit your mouth?”

“…No. It is the best I have eaten in my entire life.”

How should he express this?

A truly shocking taste. Extolling it as the essence of civilization was not excessive.

The savory aroma brushed the tip of his nose, and as the soft texture and thick umami blended, his eyes closed on their own.

To the point where he felt it was a pity to swallow the pleasure filling his mouth.

However, there was no such thing as eternal pleasure.

As he swallowed the soft fish fillet chewed between his teeth, the spiritual Qi spreading from his stomach flowed along his meridians and headed toward his dantian.

Here, a second emotion rushed in.

Because the taste was one thing, but the cultivation effect was also exceptionally outstanding.

Frankly, although they said a spiritual feast was helpful for cultivation, he thought it would be at a trivial level compared to elixirs, but it was not like that at all.

At this degree, it was at a level similar to formally cultivating after consuming elixirs.

Of course, that was speaking based on another ordinary cultivator, not Jin So-myeong who consumed sixteen times more elixirs.

“It is a relief that it suits your taste. The spiritual chef will be pleased.”

“Hmm.”

“If the spiritual feast was to your liking, shall we prepare it often in the future?”

Jin So-myeong, who savoured the pan-fried fish once more, paused.

Should he dine like this often in the future?

Since it naturally led to cultivation just by enjoying the ecstatic taste, it was matchlessly good.

Since he was not lacking immortal stones, there was also no particular problem.

He was tempted for a split second but soon shook his head.

“No. Having experienced it once is enough.”

A spiritual feast was too sweet, so he felt that if he encountered it frequently, his blade would become blunt.

As he refused, the maid seemed slightly surprised, but did not urge him twice. With a polite bow, she quietly left the room.

‘Hmm… It is certainly delicious.’

A spiritual feast was treated as one of the One Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation like elixir refining or formations, and only today did he truly realize why.

Certainly, if it was a dish at this degree, it was worth being called an art.

Following the pan-fried fish, as he picked up and ate the meatball drizzled with sweet fruit juice, this was also delicious to the point of being moving.

Fully enjoying the spiritual feast, he laid down the chopsticks.

Forgetting the taste pleasing his tongue for a moment,

since he relieved his accumulated fatigue, it was the turn to contemplate what to do in the future.

For now, the highest priority goal was clear.

‘After cultivating until the Soul Formation stage Great Circle, I will challenge the Void Refinement stage.’

If he added an intermediate goal, he wanted to hunt a Void Refinement stage-level demonic beast or Ancient Ominous Beast possessing a powerful divine ability to master the Golden Body Dharma Image.

Nodding his head, Jin So-myeong summoned his clones.

Before going to a merchant firm to replenish his exhausted elixirs, he intended to investigate the situation of the human race.

Although they seemed to live well, one did not know just by looking at the surface. The inner story could only be known by investigating it.

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