Chapter 274: Challenging the Void Refinement Stage
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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【Jin So-myeong】
【Lifespan】: 236 / 2,017
【Realm】: Soul Formation Stage 9th Layer Great Circle
【Supreme Great Ability】: 2.3 billion / 25.0 billion
【Spiritual Power Amplification】: +102%
【Divine Abilities】: <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>
One hundred and five years based on the day he reached the Soul Formation stage. Finally, he possessed the qualifications to challenge the Void Refinement stage.
He was filled with deep emotion. It was a feeling of his chest tickling.
While fully enjoying the sense of achievement, he pulled himself together. Since it was not yet time to stop, he must not be too intoxicated.
Subduing his surging emotions, he began in earnest to prepare to challenge the Void Refinement stage.
Taking out the Void Refinement stage spiritual object, the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit, he examined it closely.
‘It is a bit of a waste to just eat it.’
The Profound Lotus Precious Fruit, which helped when ascending to the Void Refinement stage, was a treasure so important that it could affect the balance between races.
Since it was an extremely hard-to-obtain item, he needed to replicate one before eating it.
Gauging how much Supreme Great Ability would be required…
‘I will need about two hundred billion points to replicate it.’
The consumption was by no means small.
Although he was slightly conflicted, he still decided to replicate it.
At any rate, since he needed time to govern his mind and body to challenge the Void Refinement stage, he did not particularly lose out in terms of time.
Quietly, he closed his eyes.
Reflecting on the life he had lived until now, he fell into a long, long meditation.
***
A certain dark underground where not a single speck of sunlight entered.
The middle-aged man who was monitoring Jin So-myeong with a mirror-shaped 6th-rank Dharma Treasure, the Ten Thousand Li Heavenly Mirror, gnashed his teeth.
“Damn it. I don’t know just how much longer we have to stay like this.”
As the man who was staring intently at the projected crystal cave muttered as if he could no longer endure it, the old man next to him let out a sigh.
“Tell me about it.”
Fatigue was thick on the faces of those who were Soul Formation stage cultivators belonging to the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace.
Having monitored Jin So-myeong for twenty-five years already, it was enough to drive them crazy.
During that time, Jin So-myeong did not emerge from the crystal cave even once, but even so, they could not let their guard down.
Although opinions were divided on how strong Jin So-myeong was, at the very least, it was certain that he was strong enough to slice a 6th-rank divine treasure with a single sword strike.
It meant that no matter how low one estimated, he was a powerhouse that normal Soul Formation stage cultivators could not oppose.
Even while spending time tediously like this, if Jin So-myeong suddenly surprise-attacked, they could die.
How unfair would it be if they died because they neglected their vigilance? They had no choice but to monitor the crystal cave with all their nerves focused.
“Sigh… Being only underground is suffocating me to death.”
As the danger of death was added to their monotonous routine, their mental pressure was considerable. It was truly the worst.
It would be fine if they could at least breathe some fresh air once in a while, but hiding deep underground where there was not even a spiritual vein made them feel like dying.
Just as they were pouring out complaints.
A phoenix possessing a mysterious appearance appeared right in front of the cave like an illusion.
“That fellow came out again.”
“Is it a spiritual beast raised by Jin So-myeong?”
The phoenix was overall golden, but uniquely, its wings were made of blue crystal where lightning was wavering.
Just by looking, it was a special existence born with a precious bloodline.
“A phoenix born with lightning…”
“He did well to tame such an existence. A typical Beast-Controlling Glyph would not even work.”
The spell that forcibly tames a demonic beast is called the Beast-Controlling Glyph , but a Beast-Controlling Glyph was not all-powerful.
Demonic beasts possessing truly special bloodlines were not affected much no matter how strong a constraint was cast.
At best, they could be ordered around when the demonic beast’s realm was low, but it was difficult from the 5th rank and above.
The middle-aged man, who was marveling while looking at the golden phoenix, narrowed his eyes.
“Is it traveling around to find treasures in the Plateau Desert?”
“Probably.”
The golden phoenix, which began to come out of the cave about two years ago, repeated flying off somewhere and returning to the cave with something in its beak.
It seemed to be searching for the spiritual objects that the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard had left in various places of the desert as bait.
“But I do not know just how on earth that phoenix enters and exits the cave.”
“Well. Does it possess a related divine ability?”
The middle-aged man, who was observing the phoenix with the 6th-rank divine treasure lent by the Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord, the Ten Thousand Li Heavenly Mirror, narrowed his eyes.
“The Qi it harbors is small. It seems to have recently reached the 5th rank.”
At the tone that was almost like gauging prey, the old man was startled.
“Could you perhaps…”
“How about capturing that fellow and finding out the method to enter and exit the crystal cave?”
The old man hurriedly waved his hand.
“It is too dangerous. Jin So-myeong is a sword cultivator who sliced even a 6th-rank divine treasure with a single strike. There is nothing good about provoking him.”
“That is exactly why we must hunt it. Do you want to continue wasting time in this desert where we don’t know when we might die?”
“…Of course not.”
“If we capture that fellow, we will establish a very great merit. If we petition the Elders, we will be able to leave this place.”
The old man who was conflicted let out a sigh.
“Let us report to the Elders first. If they grant permission, we will try.”
“Good.”
How much time had passed since they reported to the higher-ups?
The permission and order of the Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord fell simultaneously.
It was to capture the phoenix and extract the secret of entering and exiting the cave.
“Let us start right away.”
“Sigh… Fine. Since we cannot back out now anyway.”
The Ghost Smoke Grand Palace cultivators, who grasped the path the phoenix frequently traveled, secretly installed a formation.
Like hunters who had set a trap, they waited for the phoenix with anxious hearts. One day.
Rumble!
The golden phoenix possessing blue lightning on its wings appeared, and the eyes of the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace cultivators shone.
Holding their breath, they waited only for the phoenix to fall into the formation.
Right at that moment.
The phoenix that was flying peacefully in the sky passed precisely over the formation, and
Chirrrrk!
The iron chains that shot up in an instant covered the sky, forming a dense net.
Beep!?
Just as they were about to cheer, looking at the phoenix who opened her eyes wide as if startled.
Rumble!
Filled with terror, the phoenix, who roared as if screaming, poured out dazzling lightning.
The moment the indiscriminately poured lightning touched the iron chains.
Snap!
The iron chains, which possessed strong resistance to lightning Qi, could not endure even for a moment and turned to ash.
“Ah?”
The demonic cultivators who opened their mouths wide hurriedly poured out spells, but it was meaningless.
The moment the golden phoenix, Geum-cheong, flapped her wings, she traversed the air at an incredible speed, and the spells rushing from all directions could not even graze her.
Geum-cheong, who escaped the encirclement with a single wingbeat, paused and tilted her head.
After falling far enough to secure safety,
She closely examined the demonic cultivators whose complexions had turned pale from astonishment, and beeped as if she finally realized.
“You are slow. Enough to make me yawn.”
“What.”
Where did the sight of screaming in fear go? Once she realized the opponent was weak, she became majestic.
Rumble!
Circling around the demonic cultivators at an invisible speed, she poured out lightning.
Its power was so strong that even their Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasures could not endure a few hits and all burst.
“Cough!”
The complexions of the demonic cultivators turned haggard moment by moment.
Although they tried to hold out somehow, it was impossible. They had no choice but to fall to the ground in a wretched state and vomit blood.
“Groan…”
Looking at the demonic cultivators who collapsed in an instant after becoming complete wrecks, Geum-cheong tilted her head.
“Why are you so weak when you are at the Soul Formation stage? Our master is strong.”
Although it would be extremely unfair to them, to Geum-cheong, the average of the Soul Formation stage was Jin So-myeong, so she could not help but be curious.
The demonic cultivators, who were driven to the brink of death due to the lightning Qi, could not even answer and only let out groans. One day.
Beeeeep!
Geum-cheong, who spread her wings wide to fully enjoy the sense of victory, stirred up a wind.
Blowing the abundant sand in the desert, she covered the demonic cultivators.
Creating a tomb with the sand, she circled around it as if mocking them, and then left quickly.
How much time had passed?
The demonic cultivators who painfully crawled out of the sand pile gnashed their teeth.
“Damn it. What a cursed monster… She is filthily strong just like her master.”
“Sigh… I really barely survived. I think we looked down too much on a demonic beast that just reached the 5th rank.”
Just what kind of lightning Qi was so domineering? Even spreading defense spells was useless. It penetrated everything and severed their meridians strand by strand.
Groaning in pain, they let out sighs.
Although their injuries were severe enough that they had to recuperate for at least fifty years… still, it was a relief that they saved their lives.
The old man who could not even handle law power, let alone stand, and was crawling on the ground spoke painfully.
“At any rate, let us leave here as quickly as possible. If Jin So-myeong comes to find us now, we are dead meat.”
Just as they were trying to somehow pack up their injuries and leave the spot.
Rumble…!
The clear sky was covered with dark clouds.
Simultaneously with the sudden weather anomaly, the atmosphere became as heavy as if a thousand-catty weight was harbored in it.
Due to the absurd pressure, they could not even wiggle a finger.
“Just what kind of spiritual Qi pressure…”
Due to the worldly source Qi pressing from all directions, they could not govern their bodies at all.
The old man, who belatedly realized something, opened his eyes wide.
“Could it be… he is already challenging the Void Refinement stage?”
“What?”
Exactly at this time? To think he began his breakthrough at a time when they were severely injured and could not even govern their bodies…
“Ugh…”
The atmosphere became heavier and heavier, to the point where they could not even speak.
To them, whose meridians and dantians were ruined and who had become crippled, they had no choice but to endure the pain while being pinned to the ground.
***
The moment Jin So-myeong, who had completed all preparations, began his breakthrough to the Void Refinement stage.
The worldly source Qi within tens of thousands of li gathered like a vortex.
Rumble!
The clear sky was covered with dark clouds wavering with lightning Qi, and the wind and rain that suddenly poured became rougher and rougher.
Due to the wild downpour that could be called a disaster, the entire desert was on the verge of being submerged in rain.
Yet, the inside of the cave where Jin So-myeong was sitting cross-legged was peaceful.
Of course, that was how it looked on the outside, and in reality, he was doing his utmost to break through the great realm.
“Urgh…”
Due to the worldly source Qi constantly rushing in, his meridians expanded as if about to burst, and his dantian also reached a saturated state, but he did not stop.
Pain is inevitable to transcend limits.
Like walking a tightrope between life and death, he continued to move forward. He constantly absorbed the worldly source Qi, ignoring the warning of his physical body.
And so, eventually.
A bizarre change occurred in the worldly source Qi that had reached the critical point, and the moment he perceived it, his mind was dyed stark white.
‘Ah…’
Was this pain, or was it the spiritual ecstasy felt when realizing the true truth?
It was like the feeling of being swept away by a giant wave.
The myriad thoughts that filled his head scattered to pieces, and even the tension and excitement of breaking through the great realm vanished without a trace.
Literally a blank slate .
It was empty. Just as everything lost meaning and became blurry.
The 6th-rank Qi began to be felt from the energy that crossed the wall, and his mind became distant.
In an unperceived instant.
The world was dyed in darkness, and a beat late, he realized that his five senses, including sight, had vanished.
The same went for his Divine Sense.
The transcendent sense that could look out four thousand li from his seat lost its power as if he had become a blind man.
His head was dazed.
He felt like he had researched a lot about what trials one undergoes when breaking through the Void Refinement stage, but strangely, he could not remember anything.
Even what he had been doing until just a moment ago was unclear.
‘Why am I here…?’
Looking around blankly, only darkness is visible.
Just where on earth is this place, and what is it doing?
Just as he was pondering with a stiff head that did not roll well.
A gust of wind. No, something sharp grazed his flank.
Along with a chill as if his nerves were cleanly cut, the surrounding scenery completely changed.
‘What.’
The place he had thought of as darkness just a moment ago twisted and became something indescribable.
How should he express this?
Something so numerous that measuring was impossible lay scattered all over heaven and earth in an intricately tangled state.
It is dark, yet bright at the same time.
It is higher than anything else, yet extremely low.
It seems empty, but looking closely, it is packed with something.
From his flank cut by something sharp just now, the coldness of freezing flesh and the burning sensation of being seared by fire are felt simultaneously.
Heaven and earth are full of contradictions.
Extreme heat is felt from the refreshing wind, and though it is wide enough that the end cannot be seen, it is as suffocating as being locked in a prison.
There was not a single clear thing.
The feeling of the clear world turning into something incomprehensible was truly terrible.
‘Just how much longer…’
Must he endure this pain?
Before he knew it, even his sense of time became blurry.
He could not even distinguish just how long he had been wandering around.
It is distant…
As the pillar connecting reality and thoughts, the anchor that held the center of his soul vanished, he felt like he was thrown bare-bodied into a stormy sea.
Just as he was narrowing his eyes, not knowing what he should do.
“…!”
Something like a blunt weapon penetrated his heart.
Reflexively, he felt his chest, but there was no wound.
He was not fine.
The moment his heart was penetrated. Along with an intense sense of loss, he painfully realized what the feeling of his soul being shaved away was.
Instinctively, he knew.
That he must absolutely not stay in this space for long.
Yet, not even having a clue how to escape was enough to drive him crazy.
Just as he was devising a solution while forcibly ignoring the crisis feeling that was creeping up.
“Why do you court trial?”
In the midst of the extreme confusion, a voice that was heard strangely clearly continued.
“Since you possess the Supreme Great Ability, any trial would be meaningless to you.”
Since it openly mentioned the Supreme Great Ability, he could immediately realize whose voice it was.
‘It is the Heart Demon .’
Since I was the only one in the entire world who knew about the Supreme Great Ability, he could know immediately.
The doubt and fear accumulated inside. The darkness in his heart had come to find him the moment his soul became weak.
To think a Heart Demon would enter in a bizarre space where his soul was being shaved away moment by moment.
‘Tsk.’
Narrowing his brow, he ignored it.
He had intended to focus only on recalling the escape method…
“Why do you use such a great authority like the Supreme Great Ability so insignificantly? Use it more actively.”
“Do you want to use the Moon-Reflecting Blade Canon without cost? It is sufficiently possible.”
“There is no need to pay your own lifespan as a cost either. It is enough to snatch another’s lifespan to replace it.”
“Imagine. How powerful the Moon-Reflecting Blade Canon unfolded without any cost would be.”
Content that he could by no means ignore followed.
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