Chapter 265: Rumors Spread in the Desert
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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***
One day, as time flowed by.
A strange rumor spread, centered around the Plateau Desert.
“Why is the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard so quiet? There’s no way it died; could it have left the desert?”
“No way. Even if it left, it wouldn’t have left so quietly. It would have wiped out the surrounding Immortal Cities.”
From some point, news of being attacked by the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard abruptly cut off.
Ordinarily, they would have considered it no big deal, but this incident was slightly special.
Because it was a phenomenon that occurred starting from the day a tremendous commotion had taken place in the desert.
“It is frustrating. We cannot even enter the desert to check.”
If the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard had left the desert, there was no need to make a long detour when going to the Blue Cloud Sea Region beyond the desert.
It meant they would be able to save a significant amount of time during trade…
Yet, there was no one who actually tried to cross the desert.
Because on the off chance that the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard remained in the desert, they would never come out alive.
Who would check whether the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard was there or not while risking their very life?
Unless it was an expert who had ascended to Void Refinement, it was a difficult task.
“Did the Violet Light Heavenly Lord say anything?”
“Not yet. It seems he is currently in closed-door cultivation.”
“What a pity… It would be nice if the Violet Light Heavenly Lord checked it for us.”
“If about ten years pass like this, even the Violet Light Heavenly Lord will think it is strange. When that time comes, he will check it himself.”
“I know that, but is ten years not too long of a time?”
In fact, if one calculated the period since the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard suddenly vanished, it had only been a year.
A year.
Although it was a fairly meaningful time for low-level cultivators with short lifespans, to a Void Refinement Heavenly Lord, it was nothing more than an instant that would pass in a single session of cultivation.
There was no need to react sensitively just because the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard behaved strangely for a short while.
“It cannot be helped. Let us make a long detour to avoid the desert for this merchant trip as well.”
“We should.”
The Foundation Establishment cultivators let out sighs. Having no way of knowing what on earth was going on, they had no choice but to be frustrated.
Also, some individuals secretly smacked their lips.
If the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard had vanished, the desert right now was practically a golden opportunity to make a fortune with all sorts of treasures scattered about.
Just as everyone was showing similar reactions,
One person silently tilting his wine cup, Ha Do-jin, was different.
Because unlike the others who had no information, he knew about Jin So-myeong.
However, even for Ha Do-jin, it was not that he had no doubts. Rather, he was even more confused.
‘Could it be that he really fought the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard and won…?’
A Soul Formation cultivator defeating a Void Refinement?
“Ha.”
Just imagining it brought a wry chuckle.
A Soul Formation cultivator could not defeat Void Refinement. That was common sense.
No matter how outstanding one’s skills were, the difference in realm was absolute.
Could a chick with a sharp beak defeat a wolf? A difference in realm was such a thing.
“…”
Nevertheless.
Ha Do-jin could not leave the desert. This was because he wanted to confirm who had won between Jin So-myeong and the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard.
It was not mere curiosity.
If it was possible to win even against an enemy of a higher realm, he wanted to see it with his own two eyes.
“This is driving me crazy.”
Perhaps, he might be wasting his time right now.
The result of a fight between Void Refinement and Soul Formation?
Was it not obvious? Naturally, it would have ended in a one-sided hunt.
Yet, absurdly, somewhere in his subconscious, he believed that Jin So-myeong might have won.
Recalling the scene when the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard attacked at that time, there was more than one strange point.
First of all, Jin So-myeong had consistently said that he came to hunt the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard, and even when the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard actually launched the surprise attack, he did not look frightened.
He had merely faced it calmly while holding a single sword.
Although he had failed to see properly at the time because he was focused on fleeing.
At the very least, he had clearly seen that Jin So-myeong’s sword far transcended the level of an ordinary Soul Formation cultivator.
“Hoo.”
Shaking his head, Ha Do-jin stood up from his seat.
He had waited in Sand Gate City to confirm the result of the fight, but he had reached his limit now.
Although he might receive contact from Jin So-myeong if he waited a few more months…
He had no time.
Even now, time was tight if he wanted to go to the Blue Cloud Sea Region, settle down, and prepare to enter the secret realm.
“Forget it. If there is a karmic tie, we will meet again.”
Leaving the shabby tavern frequented by low-level cultivators, Ha Do-jin finished his preparations to leave while wandering around the city.
Wherever he went in Sand Gate City, all sorts of speculations about the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard drifted about, but he did not bring up Jin So-myeong.
He merely turned into a streak of escape light and left the desert, where he had stayed for decades, to head toward the wide sea.
***
A full three years.
That was the time it took for Jin So-myeong to learn the Golden Body Dharma Image divine ability.
‘It took longer than I thought.’
Understanding the jade slip written about the Golden Body Dharma Image was not particularly difficult.
In the first place, was this divine ability not one that was naturally obtained upon achieving Great Success in the Nine Successes Golden Body Art? He learned it smoothly without even needing to register it in the proficiency system.
However, it did not end just because he understood it.
As can be seen just from the fact that a Void Refinement-grade demonic beast inner core was required in the process of learning the Golden Body Dharma Image, the Golden Body Dharma Image was not an ordinary spell but closer to a sort of refining method.
To summarize the production process of the Golden Body Dharma Image…
It was to fashion an incarnation from the essence of the physical body tempered through body tempering, and melt the inner core of a 6th-rank demonic beast to use as a power source.
‘The first process took a long time.’
Looking up at the ten-meter-tall giant that closely resembled himself, which he had completed with great effort, his heart was indeed filled with deep emotion.
The giant, with a subtle golden glow wavering on its skin.
This was indeed the core framework of the Golden Body Dharma Image that he had fashioned by putting in all sorts of efforts over the past three years.
Saying it only now, it was a truly grueling task.
Tendons, bones, blood, meridians, skin, and flesh.
Over a full three years, he had poured in the essence of his physical body without sparing anything.
It meant that days of bones and skin sticking together, with muscles shrinking and blood drying, continued to go on.
Was that all?
【Cultivation Method】
Nine Successes Golden Body Art (Proficiency 10,000 / 1 Trillion)
He invested 100 billion Supreme Great Abilities to raise the proficiency of the Nine Successes Golden Body Art, which was staying at the entry stage.
In addition to that, one more thing.
He consumed over 400 billion Supreme Great Abilities to strengthen the giant that would become the core of the Golden Body Dharma Image.
It was no exaggeration to say that he had poured in all of his sincerity and effort for three years.
‘Today is the last.’
Now, the only thing remaining was the process of melting the 6th-rank inner core and settling it as the power source.
There was no hesitation.
Composing his breathing to calm his excitement, he began the final work to complete the Golden Body Dharma Image.
Simultaneously with completely seizing the surroundings by releasing his Divine Sense and spiritual power.
He took out the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard’s inner core and concentrated his mind.
Pajijijijik!
The immense energy condensed within the inner core scattered in all directions in the form of lightning.
‘Now.’
Since it was an inner core obtained with great difficulty, he could not waste even a handful of energy.
He mobilized all of his Divine Sense and spiritual power that seized the surroundings.
While guiding the energy of the inner core trying to disperse in all directions and injecting it into the Golden Body Dharma Image,
He made a wish by consuming all of the 16 billion Supreme Great Abilities gathered over a month and the 1 billion Supreme Great Abilities stored in the Infinite.
To obtain the divine ability possessed by the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard.
Originally, the probability of obtaining a demonic beast’s divine ability in the process of forming the Golden Body Dharma Image was only one in a hundred, but he amplified the success rate by consuming the Supreme Great Abilities.
He continued the work while repeating it like chanting a Buddhist prayer or praying.
How much time had passed?
Pajijik…!
The bundles of lightning that had continued endlessly died down, and a Void Refinement-grade presence was felt from the giant that previously had no life.
‘It is done!’
The Golden Body Dharma Image was completed. Now, once the final simple task was finished, it was truly the end.
He concentrated while reciting the spell formula.
The moment the Golden Body Dharma Image, which was emitting an intimidating energy, blurred like an illusion.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on his inner self.
Consciously blocking his senses to create darkness, he visualized the Golden Body Dharma Image he had made by pouring in all kinds of devotion over the past three years.
Bringing the Golden Body Dharma Image to mind was unusually difficult, but he silently continued.
Filling in the bones and flesh centered around the spine, he clearly visualized down to a single finger of his extremities.
The moment the Golden Body Dharma Image, which had felt like a phantom, was clearly engraved in his mind.
The Golden Body Dharma Image that was before his eyes vanished like smoke, and a giant phantom that looked identical to Jin So-myeong took its place in his mental imagery.
“…I have finally completed it.”
The three years of effort bore fruit. He had learned a Void Refinement-grade divine ability in both name and reality.
Was it because his mind was at ease?
Along with a feeling of exhaustion where all his strength drained away, fatigue rushed in, but that was only temporary.
‘Wait, what happened to the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard’s divine ability?’
He closed his eyes again and concentrated.
He searched through the changes that had occurred in his mind and body without missing a single one…
‘Oh!’
With a feeling of his eyes snapping open, he realized.
That he had successfully awakened the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard’s divine ability.
Whether thanks to the Supreme Great Abilities, he broke through the success rate that was only one in a hundred.
‘Shall I test it?’
The moment he flicked his finger to shoot out a streak of lightning.
The streak of lightning flying like a flash solidified and turned like a crystal arrow.
Peok!
Checking the crystal arrow embedded deep in the sand, it was considerably sturdy.
Examining the crystal, whose tip was as sharp as an awl, here and there, he tried breaking it once, and the lightning Qi contained inside scattered as if exploding, reducing the surroundings to ashes.
‘This is useful.’
Even though he had merely solidified the Five Elements Divine Thunder roughly and launched it, the power was quite something.
It seemed it would be able to deal a significant blow if it exploded in a state where it had pierced through the skin or carapace.
‘Hmm… let us call this divine ability the Thunder Dao Refining Art from now on.’
As he was nodding his head in satisfaction, a decent usage suddenly came to mind.
Kwareung!
The moment he spread eight streaks of lightning in all directions.
The bundles of lightning crossing the air transformed into giant crystal pillars in an instant, and were driven vertically into the sandy ground.
Stroking his chin while looking at the crystal pillars vibrating with a hum in a state where they seized the surrounding eight directions.
‘It would be pretty good if linked with formations?’
If he made the crystal pillars the core of formations, it seemed he would be able to set up formations in an instant during battle.
‘Should I learn formations a bit?’
Since he possessed the Supreme Great Abilities, there would be nothing difficult, but it was unknown how powerful formations utilizing crystal pillars would be.
Deciding to worry about whether to properly learn formations or not next time,
He paused just as he was about to test the Golden Body Dharma Image divine ability, which was his original purpose.
‘…What is it?’
He was late to notice because he was focusing on the Thunder Dao Refining Art, but the divine ability obtained in the process of learning the Golden Body Dharma Image was not just one.
A total of two.
The additionally obtained divine ability was related to the pupils, and it was absorbed into the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye.
Was it thanks to the Supreme Great Abilities?
While rejoicing at the unexpected harvest, he unfolded the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, and
The scenery beyond the horizon, twenty thousand li away, was clearly visible as if it were right before his eyes.
‘This is good?’
Twenty thousand li was roughly 8,000 km, a distance equivalent to five times the Divine Sense possessed by Jin So-myeong.
To inspect such a vast distance as if it were right before his eyes.
Furthermore, the observable distance was not fixed.
It was in a way where it would increase in proportion as his Divine Sense grew stronger.
‘Did the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard observe me with this divine ability?’
It had been strange because he did not feel any sign of someone watching him the entire time he was in the desert, but looking at it now, it seemed it had observed him from thousands of kilometers away.
Jin So-myeong, who was adapting to the changes that had occurred in the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, nodded his head.
The Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard’s divine abilities were all to his liking, but they were not the core. To put it a bit coldly, it was fine to say they were side branches grown from a tree trunk.
No matter what anyone said, the greatest among the harvests obtained today was the Golden Body Dharma Image.
Seup…
Jin So-myeong, who was regulating his breathing, stared at the endlessly stretching sandy desert.
Awakening the giant phantom engraved in his mental imagery, he extended a fist, and
A blast of fist wind split the desert.
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