Chapter 278: Secret Realm Limitless Pure Land
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Just as Jin So-myeong, who had completed all preparations to leave, was about to depart for the Blue Cloud Sea Region.
A guest came to find him.
Jo Hyang-un, the Castellan of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City.
The old man who had given him the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit at the succession ceremony came in person all the way to the Plateau Desert.
“It is truly surprising. To think you became a Void Refinement stage cultivator in merely thirty years. Now I must call you Fellow Daoist Jin.”
“It has been a long time.”
Unlike the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace, he had no particular hard feelings toward the Castellan of Heavenly Feast Prefecture City.
Since he could not turn away the old man who was behaving politely, he set up a simple reception room and served spiritual tea.
Savoring the spiritual tea, Jo Hyang-un nodded his head and immediately brought up the main topic.
“Since you must be busy having just broken through the great realm, I will only state the core point. You must guess the reason why I came all this way.”
The reason why the Castellan, who should be guarding Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, came all this way…
Having an expectation, he nodded his head.
“Is it because of the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit?”
“Yes. As I mentioned when I gave you the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit at the succession ceremony, one who ascends to the Void Refinement stage using the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit must pay one thousand years of lifespan as a cost.”
“Hmm.”
“Although it must be uncomfortable to consume precious lifespan, please understand. If the Unity stage Dao Sovereign enters reincarnation during such a chaotic time, the human race will be swept into war.”
Speaking in a calm tone, Jo Hyang-un placed a hand-sized octagonal precious tablet on the table.
‘Is that… a Life-Prolonging Stone ?’
A familiar Qi was felt from the precious tablet made of white stone.
Unfolding the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye to examine it closely, it was a precious tablet made of a Life-Prolonging Stone, which was called a vessel containing lifespan.
“If you use this precious tablet, you will be able to store your lifespan.”
Glancing at Jo Hyang-un’s expression, there was no sign of trying to force it. He merely stared quietly.
Suddenly, a curiosity arose.
If he openly refused, how would Jo Hyang-un react?
Come to think of it, during the previous succession ceremony, the only one who saw through Jin So-myeong’s gaze was the Castellan.
It meant he possessed the most sensitive sensation among the Void Refinement stage cultivators who visited the succession ceremony.
Although he wanted to have a bout to see how strong he was, he slowly let out a breath and scattered his fighting intent.
Jo Hyang-un had consistently shown politeness since the time he was at the Soul Formation stage, so deliberately picking a fight was a bad thing to do.
Stopping his thoughts, he pushed the stone tablet on the table back to the other party.
“Hmm…?”
Gesturing to Jo Hyang-un, who was about to say something, to wait, he placed the jade box containing the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit, instead of lifespan, on the table.
Stiffening, Jo Hyang-un closely examined the jade box, and his eyes opened wide.
“Why is this still… Could it be that you broke through the Void Refinement stage trial without the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit?”
“Yes. The law contained in the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit did not suit me.”
“No, even so, to think you realized the Law Domain without a Void Refinement stage spiritual object…”
For some reason, the Castellan, who stared at the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit for a long time, let out a sigh.
“Since you did not consume the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit, it would indeed be hard to ask for lifespan.”
Jo Hyang-un, who muttered as if troubled, narrowed his brow.
“But if you were not even going to eat the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit, why did you make that racket at the succession ceremony?”
“It was for emergency use.”
“…Haha.”
Although he would not speak it, there was one more reason.
Currently, in his sub-space, there was one more Profound Lotus Precious Fruit that looked exactly like the one on the table.
It was what he had replicated using the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability, and he believed there would be a use for it someday.
Looking at the Castellan who packed up the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit and the tablet with a weary smile, he fell into thought.
‘If I did not possess the Supreme Great Ability, I would have eaten this Profound Lotus Precious Fruit, right?’
What would have happened after that?
Would he have quietly offered his lifespan? Or would he have rebelled? Although it was something that did not happen, he was curious.
Around the time he was deeply lost in the thoughts that suddenly arose.
“Regardless of the Profound Lotus Precious Fruit, I have a proposal to make to Fellow Daoist Jin.”
“A proposal?”
“Although Fellow Daoist Jin might not feel it yet, 6th-rank and above high-realm spiritual objects are extremely scarce and hard to obtain. Especially, obtaining a spiritual object that suits you and helps your cultivation is even harder.”
Come to think of it, even the largest merchant union in Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, which was a 6th-rank immortal city, did not sell 6th-rank cultivation resources.
Although 6th-rank spiritual objects were used as ingredients at a courtesan house called the Heavenly Feast Pavilion, they could literally only handle them, but they did not sell 6th-rank spiritual objects.
It was in the form where a spiritual chef cooked the 6th-rank spiritual object brought by the guest who was a Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord.
“Since 6th-rank spiritual objects are inherently precious, it cannot be helped. To solve that problem, a sect called the Time Gate was established.”
“The Time Gate…?”
He paused at the familiar name.
He clearly felt like he had heard it somewhere, but he could not remember well.
‘Did I hear it in passing?’
The fact that it was vague enough to be almost forgotten meant that at the very least, he had not heard it in the Upper Realm.
Presumably, he had heard it lightly in passing in the Lower Realm.
“The Time Gate is slightly different from a typical sect. Rather than a sect, it would be more accurate to view it as an exchange meeting where various forces are mixed.”
“Ah.”
“It is a gathering created by high-realm cultivators to exchange 6th-rank spiritual objects.”
There was a similar sect in the Lower Realm.
The Myriad Beasts Alliance. It felt similar to that place where rogue cultivators gathered.
And it was not difficult to guess why he was mentioning the Time Gate right now.
“Could it be that you wish for me to enter the Time Gate?”
“Yes. Actually, I also belong to the Time Gate.”
“Hmm… I think I need to ponder it a bit. May I give you an answer later?”
“Of course. If you use this Time Heavenly Mirror , you will be able to contact nearby Fellow Daoists of the Time Gate.”
The Castellan, who left behind a dark disc without any decoration, quietly departed, and
Jin So-myeong, who silently watched that scene, also departed the desert and headed toward the Blue Cloud Sea Region.
***
At the same time.
A bizarre guest visited the Heavenly Feast Pavilion, which was the largest and most luxurious courtesan house in Heavenly Feast Prefecture City.
“It is a truly leisurely place…”
He was a man in his mid-thirties who was looking down at the entire city through a wide-open window, and absurdly, horns were growing on his temples.
Even though he openly had the appearance of an Asura in the middle of a human city. Strangely, no one recognized it.
Even though there were women playing the seven-stringed zither right next to him, it was so.
There was something else strange.
The women plucking the seven-stringed zither were Nascent Soul stage cultivators, who could be called high-realm cultivators in their own right, but they were expressionless like wax dolls.
The sight of them mechanically continuing the performance was oddly chilling.
Around the time the strangely beautiful sound of the seven-stringed zither filled the room.
An Asura woman with purple skin who appeared like an illusion bowed her head.
“I am sorry, Elder. I contacted our cooperators, but no one knew properly what state the Taixu Sacred Venerable is in.”
The man who was silent nodded his head.
“Since that old man has been in closed-door cultivation for three thousand years, it must be so. It seems we must make some racket.”
The woman whose expression was startled silently bowed her head, and the man’s words continued.
“I hear a secret realm will open in the Blue Cloud Sea Region soon. That place would be good.”
“Yes. I will prepare.”
The purpose of the Asura man who openly roamed the human territory was only one.
It was to verify the state of the Taixu Sacred Venerable, who was one of the human Unity stage Dao Sovereigns.
“Come to think of it, Jin So-myeong, whom you requested me to deal with, also made quite a racket here.”
“Ah… that is correct. Although the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace is desperately hiding it, presumably three of their Void Refinement stage cultivators were killed.”
The man who was expressionless let out a hollow laugh as if absurd.
“He was truly born for it. Not to mention that a man who was at the mid-Soul Formation stage broke through the Void Refinement stage in less than a hundred years, but he even killed Void Refinement stage cultivators in succession. It is regrettable to the point that he is not of our Asura race.”
“…”
“Jin So-myeong has a strong search for the Dao, to the extent that he participated in the Sacred War while risking danger in the middle of the Asura race.”
“That is correct.”
What was he trying to say suddenly? Stiffening, the woman chimed in, and the man continued his words.
“Such a man would not miss a good opportunity like a secret realm. It turned out well. I must deal with him during this opportunity as well.”
“Ah… yes!”
The expression of the purple-skinned woman, who was one of the Void Refinement stage Asuras who had chased Jin So-myeong in the Bright Blood Great Valley, brightened.
She had always been uncomfortable after losing Jin So-myeong, but finally, an opportunity arose to undo the mistake of that time.
Currently, the one she served was the avatar of the Asura race’s Unity stage Dao Sovereign.
Since it was an avatar, it was bound to be lacking compared to a true Unity stage cultivator, but
Even so, it was more than enough for Jin So-myeong, who had just ascended to the Void Refinement stage.
Since a typical Void Refinement stage cultivator could be killed with a light flick of a finger.
***
Meanwhile.
It was not only the Asuras who came to have an interest in Jin So-myeong.
The Dark Soul Demonic Sect, which was a mighty force counted on one hand even across the entire human race.
Yin Cheon-ho, an Elder of that place, frowned.
“The soul lamps of the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace Elders went out? You mean they died after borrowing my Soul-Shattering Bell?”
It was because as soon as he came out after finishing his closed-door cultivation, he heard such absurd news.
As Yin Cheon-ho, who was ferocious enough to make one flinch if encountered on the street, frowned, cold sweat formed on the spine of the disciple who was delivering the report.
“I am sorry, but according to what this disciple investigated, it is so.”
“Then what about my Soul-Shattering Bell?”
“It is considered to have been taken by the man named Jin So-myeong.”
“It is mind-boggling. To think they could not deal with a single Soul Formation stage sword cultivator properly and were killed instead?”
“…Yes.”
“Sigh. Leaving aside those incompetent fools of the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace, why are you only telling me this now!”
“I am sorry. Because the Ghost Smoke Grand Palace, which lost three Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lords, hid it desperately…”
“Tsk. Then what is that fellow Jin So-myeong doing now?”
“Since he just broke through the great realm, probably…”
“How frustrating! Would I be curious about such a thing? Go immediately and bring back my Soul-Shattering Bell!”
“Ah, yes!”
Yin Cheon-ho, who glared at the disciple departing in a hurry, narrowed his brow in annoyance.
***
One day, as time passed.
The Infinite Void Temple , which was a force large enough to be compared to the Dark Soul Demonic Sect.
A certain cultivator who broke through the Void Refinement stage using a 6th-rank spiritual vein borrowed from that place woke up from meditation.
“It is finally over.”
Ha Do-jin, the rogue cultivator who had helped Jin So-myeong when he hunted the Thunder-Pattern Hermit Lizard fifty years ago, let out a sigh of relief.
He succeeded in completely subduing his law power, which had become unstable upon ascending to the Void Refinement stage.
As he emerged from his dwelling after finishing his closed-door cultivation, the old man wearing a white robe who came not long after smiled warmly.
“Fellow Daoist Ha. It has only been three years since you ascended to the Void Refinement stage, and you have already finished subduing your law power?”
“It is entirely thanks to the Infinite Void Temple lending me a 6th-rank spiritual vein. Thank you once again.”
“Haha. Not at all. With Fellow Daoist Ha’s aptitude, even if we had not helped, you would have eventually become a Void Refinement stage cultivator.”
“Even so, it would not have been this easy.”
“Hmm.”
Looking at the old man who smiled wordlessly, Ha Do-jin spoke with a serious expression.
“You mentioned that once I ascended to the Void Refinement stage, there was a task to request in the Limitless Pure Land. Will you slowly tell me what kind of task it is now?”
Since he had ascended to the Void Refinement stage through a deal with the Infinite Void Temple, it was now time to pay the price.
“Good. I will state it directly. There is a spiritual object we must find in the Limitless Pure Land. Since the earth-attribute spells you mastered will be of great help, we request it.”
“Just what kind of spiritual object is it?”
“There is a spiritual object called the Life-Prolonging Stone. I do not know if you have heard of it.”
“Of course. Is it not a mysterious mineral called a vessel containing lifespan?”
If one absorbed the pure life breath contained in a Life-Prolonging Stone, one’s lifespan increased.
It was no exaggeration to say it was a treasure desperately desired by all cultivators in the world, so naturally, he had heard of it.
“If a Life-Prolonging Stone is exposed to extreme pressure and extreme Yang Qi for over a million years, a 7th-rank spiritual object, the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone , is born.”
“…Could it be that there is a Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone in the Limitless Pure Land?”
“Yes. We obtained information that there is a Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone in the deep parts of the Limitless Pure Land. No matter what, we must find that spiritual object.”
The deepest part of the secret realm. It looked dangerous just by looking.
Ha Do-jin, who habitually pondered whether there would be a problem, paused and nodded his head.
“…Understood.”
He had already received many things from the Infinite Void Temple.
Since he had received the help necessary to ascend to the Void Refinement stage, even if it was dangerous, he could not back out now.
***
As time flowed and flowed.
It became a point exactly fifteen days before the Limitless Pure Land opened, and
In the endlessly spread, boundless sea, the Blue Cloud Sea Region, a sword cultivator carrying a single sword appeared.
“It has been a long time since I saw the sea.”
Looking down at the boundless sea dyed golden by the sunset, Jin So-myeong was filled with emotion.
As he felt the salty sea breeze, the memory of staying on Coral Island during his Foundation Establishment stage days came to mind.
Although it was a past that was already over a hundred years ago, it was still as vivid as yesterday.
Quietly floating in the sky, he who was staring at the golden sea emerged from his thoughts.
Since the Limitless Pure Land would open soon. There was no time to leisurely indulge in memories.
While traversing the sky while comparing the surrounding terrain with the map, admiration suddenly leaked out.
‘To think it is called the Blue Cloud Sea Region, yet it is incredibly wide.’
Usually, a region that a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could rule was called a Realm , and dozens or hundreds of such Realms had to be gathered to make a single Province .
However, for a place called the Blue Cloud Sea Region to be a Realm, it was extremely wide.
At about the size of combining ten or fifteen Provinces?
If one only considered the width, it felt like it should be called a Domain like the Stone Heart Realm or the Crimson Heart Realm, but in the end, it was a Realm.
Was it because there was no most important 7th-rank spiritual vein?
Leaving behind the curiosity that suddenly arose, he traversed the endlessly spread sea.
‘It is here.’
Although it was a sea that looked exactly the same to the eye, if scanned with his broad Divine Sense reaching ten thousand li, a subtle difference was felt.
He was certain. That the entrance to the secret realm, the Limitless Pure Land, was right here.
The entrance to the Limitless Pure Land was inside the deep sea, so deep that sunlight could not enter.
‘Let us go right away.’
He had investigated sufficiently while coming to the Blue Cloud Sea Region.
Since there was no reason to hesitate, he immediately jumped into the sea and went straight to the secret realm entrance.
As the water depth became deeper, the surroundings gradually became dark.
Although a mighty water pressure strong enough to crumple steel rushed in, to him, who was a Void Refinement stage cultivator, it could not become any problem.
While treading bare-bodied inside the pitch-black deep sea.
‘Found it.’
He discovered the undersea cave, which was the entrance to the Limitless Pure Land, without difficulty, and after examining it a few times, he entered immediately.
Splash!
The moment he passed through the thin barrier, the formation to block water.
The surroundings became as bright as day, and a cave filled with fresh air instead of water welcomed him.
And,
Countless gazes poured in. They were all Void Refinement stage cultivators waiting to enter the Limitless Pure Land.
Vigilance and curiosity, an unknown goodwill, and even a hidden hostility.
As he faced the gazes where all kinds of emotions were mixed head-on…
‘This will be fun.’
A smile came out of him without his realizing.
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