Chapter 260: Hunting a Void Refinement Stage-Level Demonic Beast

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Actually, the Succession Ceremony was not an entirely strange culture.

Wanting to hand down a carefully raised tree or spiritual herb to descendants was a mind that could naturally be empathized with if one was human.

However, the brothels floating in the sky, the spiritual feasts that were matchlessly luxurious, and the cultivation elixirs that became expensive because of them.

Combining all of these, he could not help but feel that something was strange.

If it was a time of peace, enjoying leisure would not matter, but did they not have the extremely bellicose Asura race right next to them?

This was equivalent to stretching out and taking a long nap beside a tiger that had starved for three days.

It was difficult to guess just what kind of reason there had to be to tolerate this kind of situation.

‘It seems like a result reflecting someone’s intention…’

At that moment when he continued various thoughts,

“Daoist Jin?”

He snapped out of it at Byeok Hae-wol’s gaze that was staring at him as if puzzled.

Since it was hard to judge properly due to lacking information, he decided to think of it again later, and concentrated on the conversation now.

“When does the Succession Ceremony open?”

“The exact date is not decided. Although the Profound Lotus Tree bears fruit periodically, the timing is not strictly decided.”

“Can I not know even roughly?”

Although he had not decided yet whether to go and make a mess at the Succession Ceremony, still, he had to know.

“Hmm… Everyone is guessing that the Succession Ceremony will open within thirty years.”

Thirty years.

The timing was not bad. It was just appropriate to go after cultivating until the Soul Formation stage Great Circle.

Other than that, after asking in as much detail as possible about the Succession Ceremony, he passed to the next question.

“I want to know the place where a Void Refinement stage-level demonic beast possessing a special divine ability resides. Would it be possible?”

“…Yes?”

“Ah, I hope it is an Ancient Ominous Beast that is not too far and whose intelligence has not awakened.”

Opening her eyes round, she stared blankly at him.

She carried an expression as if she heard an absurd talk, and he understood why late.

Certainly, his tone was a bit strange.

By while asking about a Void Refinement stage-level demonic beast, he spoke like a person searching for prey.

‘Although that is actually correct.’

How many seconds passed in the silence?

Byeok Hae-wol, who was stiff like a broken doll, cleared her throat.

“The place where a Void Refinement stage-level demonic beast resides… Hmm. If you wait for a moment, I will organize the data in the merchant union and give it to you.”

“Thank you. This is the price for the information.”

As he handed a storage pouch filled with immortal stones, she, who did not decline, called her subordinate and ordered something.

Jam-si hu.

He was able to hold in his hand a jade slip containing information on the 6th-rank demonic beasts in various places of the Stone Heart Realm.

[Spiritual Wood Lion. A 6th-rank low-grade demonic beast residing in the Bone-Crushing Forest, born with Wood Escape Art. Because it possesses stealth skills outstanding enough to not be revealed by any insight-type magic spell if in the forest, it is extremely troublesome…]

[Red Heaven Flying Bird. A 6th-rank low-grade demonic beast residing at the summit of Mount Yeolju, possessing a flying ability at the late Void Refinement stage level. Because it possesses the Undying Body divine ability…]

Injecting his Divine Sense into the jade slip to scan it rapidly, he saw a commonality among the demonic beasts.

‘Every single one of them is troublesome to hunt.’

Either possessing an extremely fast escape art, or having highly outstanding stealth skills.

Worthy of demonic beasts that were alive and well despite their habitats being publicly known, they possessed talents specialized in survival.

“Not bad. It is precisely the information I wanted.”

He liked it because there were many coveted divine abilities.

As he nodded his head and laid down the jade slip, Byeok Hae-wol’s smile thickened.

“It is a relief that it is to your liking. Is there nothing else you need?”

“Rank 4 or above thunder-attribute spiritual objects, minerals or Magic Treasures related to sharpness. And…”

Starting with the gifts to give to Geum-cheong and Mu-geuk, as he continuously listed the things he needed in the meantime, the smile did not leave Byeok Hae-wol’s face.

*

At that moment when Jin So-myeong, in whose spatial pocket numerous treasures were added, came out of the Thousand Gold Merchant Union,

Woooong…!

a tearing sound echoed in the sky, then someone descended in front of him.

The moment their gazes met, it was a youth possessing a slightly sharp eye shape.

‘Soul Formation Stage 9th Layer. Just before the Great Circle.’

He habitually gauged the opponent’s strength, but that was brief.

At that moment when he was about to lightly nod his eyes and pass by,

from the youth’s shadow, a female figure possessing pale skin popped out, then the corners of her mouth stretched up.

The moment he narrowed his eyes at the smile that felt bizarre for some reason,

Kkihihihihi!

simultaneously with a noise like scratching a blackboard with fingernails, a matchlessly unpleasant laughter pierced his eardrums.

Just hearing it made his head ache, and it was not a simple illusion.

Seeing his brow throb, this was an attack utilizing sound.

‘A Law Domain?’

Although it was too weak to be certain, he could faintly feel even the energy of the 6th-rank.

In any case, since he was attacked abruptly, he could not stay still.

Chaeng!

He had intended to blow off the neck simultaneously with drawing his sword, but stopped the half-swung sword upon seeing the opponent’s bewildered expression.

Sure enough.

The youth, who took out a bell and suppressed the woman who popped out of the shadow, immediately bowed his head.

“Oh dear. I am truly sorry. I recently obtained a Magic Treasure, but because the control is not well, I made a mistake.”

Staring quietly at the youth who politely apologized, he retrieved his sword.

“Keep a close watch on your Magic Treasure. Because I will not think of it as a mistake a second time.”

The startled youth bowed his head even deeper.

“I am truly sorry. Ah! I am Je Won-tak. Although it is hard now because I have an urgent matter, if you leave a Voice Transmission Talisman, I will treat you to at least a spiritual feast in the meaning of an apology before long.”

“No need.”

Leaving alone the youth who repeatedly said he was sorry, he departed.

‘It seemed the bell just now was a 6th-rank Magic Treasure… Could that fellow be the pre-designated owner?’

Recalling the youth who introduced himself as Je Won-tak, he shook his head.

Although it was not very pleasant, since he received the apology, he just let it go.

Returning to the inn, he checked the elixirs compiled by his clones, and it was ninety years’ worth in total.

‘Calculating based on my standard… It is roughly five years’ worth.’

Although it was not a sufficient amount, it could be said that he put out the urgent fire.

Furthermore, since he opened transactions with the merchant union, obtaining elixirs periodically was not that difficult of a matter.

Jin So-myeong, who resolved the elixir problem, moved straight to the Secret Realm of the Mind…

Kwarrrrung!

The entire sky was filled with blue lightning.

For a split second, he wondered what it was, but looking closely, each thunderbolt was entirely an afterimage created as a bird that became one with lightning traversed the sky.

Geum-cheong, who was flying around the sky while drawing a dazzling trajectory, paused, then shouted as if glad to see him.

“Peek! Master has come!”

It descended in front of him along with a bolt of lightning, which was frankly surprising.

Because although Geum-cheong’s realm was still Nascent Soul stage, the speed it showed just now was comparable to the Soul Formation stage.

“Geum-cheong. When did you become this fast?”

Whether it regarded it as a compliment, the fellow who was liking it while peeking and chirping paused, then shook its head.

“No. I was originally fast.”

Seeing the fellow who was boasting by subtly spreading its wings even while denying, he let out a chuckle.

‘Could it be that because I said last time that monsters several hundred times faster than you are scattered everywhere, it became like this?’

Apparently, it seemed to have flown around diligently without playing lazy while in the Secret Realm of the Mind, which was truly a great achievement.

It was to the point where a conviction arose in his speculation that it seemed to be born with the lineage of the Thunder Bird, a True Spirit.

“Wonderful. At that degree, you can go outside now.”

“Peek! Truly?”

“Yeah. Because this place is quite safe. Ah, but do not go too far.”

“Got it!”

Because he gave Geum-cheong a necklace made of True Blood, as long as it was within the range of his Divine Sense, it could move to the Secret Realm of the Mind at any time.

To the fellow who was liking it to the point of fluttering its wings because it was so glad, he poured out a heap of the thunder-attribute spiritual objects purchased while walking around today.

“This is a gift.”

“Peeek!? This many? Master pulled off a big one after a long time! Truly well done! With this, I will be able to grow the nest immensely!”

Leaving alone Geum-cheong, who was distracted by the thunder-attribute spiritual objects piled like a mountain, he headed toward the spiritual herb field where Mu-geuk usually stayed.

‘Huh. This place has also become quite grand.’

Seeing Mu-geuk’s nest after a long time, it was indeed a spectacle.

Should he call it a mountain made of spears and swords?

To the point where his skin prickled just by the sharpness felt implicitly.

Over tens of thousands of weapons were pinned all over, and the types were also diverse, including swords, long sabers, tridents, scythes, axes, and curved blades.

He suddenly realized that Mu-geuk’s abilities were truly diverse. Since it absorbed this many Magic Treasures, it would possess over thousands of divine abilities.

However, when fighting a formidable enemy, it was hard to use other than amplifying sharpness.

Because thrusting a clumsy ability at a true powerhouse was equivalent to merely revealing a gap.

Of course, just by the fact itself that it could cut enemies of a high realm, Mu-geuk was a sufficiently outstanding sword.

If a sword sharp enough to work against the 6th-rank was not called a divine sword, what would be called a divine sword?

However, it was slightly regrettable.

‘Hmm… If I continue to make it absorb minerals that can contain lifespan like the Life-Prolonging Stone, the amount of the Supreme Great Ability it can store will increase.’

Then could it also store the energy amplified by the Moon-Burning Realm-Crossing?

Thinking various thoughts, he crossed the scenery that could be called a forest of blades and swords.

Heading toward the center, a sphere resembling cotton candy was stretched out on the ground and sleeping.

Perhaps because Mu-geuk was basically a plant born from a seed, there were many times when it was usually asleep.

Weeeing…?

“No. You must have suffered crossing the Bright Blood Great Valley, so sleep more.”

He made Mu-geuk, who tried to rise in a half-asleep state, rest.

He piled up spiritual objects related to sharpness orderly on one side of the nest. If left like this, Mu-geuk would wake up later and organize them.

Coming out of the Secret Realm of the Mind, he took out the jade slip.

Since all urgent matters were processed, now it was time to decide the demonic beast to hunt.

‘Let’s see.’

To enter the Golden Body Dharma Image, he had to take the inner core of a Void Refinement stage-level demonic beast, and at this time, if he was lucky, he could awaken the divine ability possessed by the demonic beast.

The probability of obtaining the divine ability was one in a hundred.

Although it was considerably low, Jin So-myeong possessed the Supreme Great Ability.

He believed that if he amplified the success rate with the Supreme Great Ability, which could be called a fragment of omnipotence, he would be able to overcome a probability of about one in a hundred.

‘What kind of divine ability should I obtain…’

Since he had been feeling that the defensive power of his Blood Armor was regrettable, should he aim for a divine ability related to body protection?

Or an offensive-type divine ability possessing powerful might was also good.

‘The kind that amplifies senses is also not bad.’

Reading down the information on the Void Refinement stage-level demonic beasts with the feeling of doing shopping, he paused.

‘Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard?’

A lizard settled in a region that was once a sea, no, now a desert, which was an existence widely notorious for its appetite eating anything up.

‘Building a structure possessing a physical form by crystallizing lightning Qi? A marvelous divine ability.’

The structures built by the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard merged with spiritual veins and grew increasingly harder as time passed, and it was said that if attacked, they spewed lightning Qi to counterattack.

Simply put, it could be called a divine ability specialized in stronghold defense.

‘Not bad.’

At first, it was not particularly appealing.

However, thinking deeply, this divine ability was exceptionally suitable for him, a rogue cultivator.

The time a rogue cultivator became most vulnerable was exactly when breaking through a major realm.

Since they could not receive the help of a sect or a predecessor, it could not be helped.

‘If I settle in a suitable place and build a fortress, it will be much safer when breaking through a major realm.’

Usually, because he traveled frequently, he would not be able to use this divine ability properly, but when the time to break through a major realm arrived, it would be used truly usefully.

Coincidentally, was it not soon the time to challenge the Void Refinement stage?

He had been worrying about how to defend against external enemies, and it seemed this divine ability would be helpful if he had it.

‘Good. Let us go with the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard.’

He read the jade slip carefully once more, but the divine ability possessed by the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard was to his liking the most.

Having made his decision, Jin So-myeong read the information on the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard meticulously.

‘It says the stone cave where the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard resides has passed thousands of years since built, so it has grown hard to the point where even a Void Refinement stage cultivator cannot leave a scratch…’

On top of that, the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard had extremely strong wariness, so if an existence capable of harming it was nearby, it would absolutely never come outside.

Worthy of a demonic beast alive and well despite its location being revealed, it possessed considerably troublesome traits.

Jin So-myeong, who repeatedly read the jade slip, was deeply lost in thought, then nodded his head.

He seemed to know how to hunt it.

***

One year later, the plateau desert.

In that place devastated because of the 6th-rank Ancient Ominous Beast that ate anything up,

a sword cultivator carrying a sword appeared.

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