Chapter 282: Method of Piercing the Wall

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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***

Around the time Jin So-myeong was facing the Void Refinement stage-level Stone Heart race.

Yin Cheon-ho and the other Dark Soul Demonic Sect Elders were galloping through the secret realm riding the three-headed snake.

On their way, they discovered colonies of 6th-rank spiritual herbs several times, but ignored them.

They advanced straight toward the place indicated by the gray disc, a Dharma Treasure specially manufactured to track Life-Prolonging Stones.

And so, eventually.

They arrived at a place that could be called the center of the Limitless Pure Land, and

“Found it.”

The expressions of those who discovered a low hill brightened instantly.

At a glance, it looked like a normal hill, but if one examined it with a little concentration, one could know it was a highly special place.

“Is it a Life-Prolonging Stone vein? We are lucky.”

White stones were embedded here and there on the hill.

Only counting the ones exposed on the surface, there were over six. Including the ones buried deep underground, the quantity would be substantial.

Just as the man wearing the blood-red rosary on his wrist was about to head toward the hill.

“Wait.”

“Why? Ah, because of those mountains?”

As the blood-red rosary man paused, Yin Cheon-ho nodded his head.

About ten mountains rose around the hill, and considering that this place was the Limitless Pure Land, they could not pass over them casually.

“Let us verify just in case.”

The moment he opened the beast-controlling pouch, an eagle large enough to carry three or four people appeared.

“Go.”

The moment he gave a forced command to send the eagle toward the hill.

Rumble…!

The ten mountains surrounding the hill raised their bodies simultaneously.

Should he call it a pack of Void Refinement stage-level wolves?

The pack of wolves whose entire bodies were covered with rock shot out ferocious eyes.

Beep!

The eagle that was flying toward the hill was terrified and turned its direction.

Although it flapped its wings in a hurry, trying to flee somehow…

Chirrrk!

As a wolf swiped its front paw, a gale arose, and the eagle’s entire body was divided into six pieces and fell.

It was not that the claws actually touched it, but merely being grazed by the sharp wind made it so.

Looking from afar, the Dark Soul Demonic Sect Elders clicked their tongues.

“To think all ten are at the 6th rank? How can there be so many Void Refinement stage-level existences?”

Only counting the ones revealed on the outside, there were at least ten.

Since some might be hidden underground, in reality, there could be more.

“Since the Limitless Pure Land is abundant in resources, there is no reason why not. However… to think all ten possess no intellect is slightly strange.”

The Stone Heart race beasts that had raised their bodies to kill the eagle returned to the appearance of mountains.

It meant they did not possess the intelligence to track the one who sent the eagle.

“Do the Stone Heart race originally possess no intellect?”

“Well… there were also records that their intelligence is as high as any intellectual race.”

It was certainly strange.

Why were there no intellectual races in the Limitless Pure Land? He was not pointing out only the Stone Heart race.

It made no sense that there were no intellectual races in such an abundant environment.

Of course, according to what cultivators calculated, one could not go out of the Limitless Pure Land once twenty years passed after it opened.

It meant that if one missed the timing, one had to be locked for ten thousand years.

However, what did that matter? One could just settle down and live here.

Although ten thousand years was a very long time, to high-realm foreign races whose lifespans exceeded several hundred thousand years, it was a manageable level.

Indeed, there were those who actually tried it.

There was a foreign race who declared that they would undergo closed-door cultivation for ten thousand years, and there was also one who brought a crowd of subordinates, saying they would establish a country of cultivators in the Limitless Pure Land.

All of them remained inside the Limitless Pure Land with substantial preparations, but…

The results were wretched.

When the Limitless Pure Land opened again after ten thousand years, they had vanished without leaving even a small trace.

The one who said he would establish a country and the one who said he would undergo closed-door cultivation all evaporated.

As always, only the Void Refinement stage-level Stone Heart race remained.

“It is bizarre…”

The more they thought in detail, the more the Limitless Pure Land possessed eerie points.

“There is no need to care uselessly. At any rate, we just need to go out within twenty years.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, it became troublesome.”

Yin Cheon-ho, who stared at the wolf pack that had returned to the appearance of mountains, narrowed his brow.

The Stone Heart race had bodies so sturdy that they were not even scratched by typical spells, and because they possessed no intellect or emotions, demonic cultivation arts did not work well.

If they spent time to deal with them, there was nothing they could not do, but since the number was that large, it was troublesome.

Just as they were agonizing while looking at the Void Refinement stage-level wolf pack.

The Elder who had been quiet until now opened his mouth.

“How about luring them with bait?”

“Bait? Hmm… it is not a bad method.”

There was no need to ask back to know what he meant by those words.

It was to capture the Soul Formation stage cultivators who had entered the secret realm and use them as bait.

“But will it work with mere Soul Formation stage? I do not know how much time they can draw against Void Refinement stage-level Stone Heart race.”

“If we increase the number and help them secretly, there will be an effect.”

“Hmm.”

“Although spending time is a bit of a waste, since there is nothing particularly to lose other than that, let us try.”

Pondering for a moment, Yin Cheon-ho nodded his head.

“Good. Let us scatter for a moment.”

How much time had passed?

Yin Cheon-ho, who departed the center of the secret realm and returned to the outskirts, opened his beast-controlling pouch, and tens of thousands of insects popped out and scattered in all directions.

The moment he sat cross-legged and concentrated.

“Found one.”

Yin Cheon-ho, who curled up the corners of his mouth, created a streak of light and flew beyond the horizon.

***

A certain plain in the Limitless Pure Land.

A Soul Formation stage cultivator possessing the name Sa Geon-woo was sitting cross-legged, and he could not hide the joy leaking from the corners of his mouth.

“To think the spiritual Qi is this dense…!”

The reason why he, who was at the 6th layer of the Soul Formation stage, challenged the Limitless Pure Land was only one: to break through the minor realm and reach the late Soul Formation stage.

Only then could he overwhelm the competitors who were constantly targeting his spiritual vein and protect his sect.

‘If the spiritual Qi of the plain is at this level, there is no need to risk danger and climb mountains.’

In the Limitless Pure Land, the higher the mountain, the more dangerous it was.

Speaking of it opposite, it meant that if one did not go near mountains, it was manageable and safe.

Sa Geon-woo, who did not dare climb mountains and settled on the plain, let out a sigh of relief.

Just as he was concentrating on cultivation to reach the late Soul Formation stage.

Boom!

The 5th-rank formation he had installed to block intruders collapsed in an instant.

“…!”

Jumping up and hurriedly scanning the surroundings, he was able to discover a man standing loftily while treading the air.

His fluster at the ferocious appearance that made one fear it might appear in dreams was brief.

Sa Geon-woo, who recognized the opponent’s identity, bowed his waist.

“I greet Senior Yin.”

“Oh, you know me?”

“You are an Elder of the Dark Soul Demonic Sect who has spread his reputation across the world, so how could I not know?”

“I see.”

Yin Cheon-ho, who nodded his head, closely examined him and asked.

“You are a face I have not seen. Which sect are you from?”

“This junior uses the name Sa Geon-woo…”

“Who asked for your name? Since time is a waste, answer properly.”

Sa Geon-woo flinched his shoulders.

It was because the tone that had treated him nary short of a human at first became ferocious in an instant.

Feeling that it was somehow not a good sign, he answered in a hurry.

“This junior is the Sect Master of the Juyeom Sect .”

“Juyeom Sect? Was there such a sect in the Stone Heart Realm?”

“…Yes. Since it is a sect located in a somewhat remote place, it is not strange even if Senior does not know.”

Even though he was a Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord, to mock and ignore his sect…

Honestly, it was unpleasant, but he still tried not to show it.

However, did a displeased sign leak out without his realizing? Yin Cheon-ho, who snorted as if it was laughable, spoke.

“I will ask only one last thing. Could it be that there is a Void Refinement stage Fellow Daoist with whom you share a deep connection? It would be better to speak quickly before it is too late.”

Asking for his backing.

Because it was a highly ominous question, his color completely vanished.

“I am sorry, but why do you ask such a thing…”

“It seems there is none. Then it is fine. Since I have a task to order, follow me.”

“Yes?”

As if verification was finished, Yin Cheon-ho did not try to converse further.

The moment he lightly gestured as if shooing a fly.

The surrounding worldly source Qi gathered in the shape of a giant palm and tried to grasp him.

Sa Geon-woo, who opened his eyes wide, deployed the Fire Escape Art.

His entire body transformed into bright-red flames and scattered in all directions.

“Oh. You are a fairly quick fellow.”

Although the Fire Escape Art he had polished his entire life was outstanding enough to be called a master art, regrettably, it was not to the extent of evading a Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord.

“Ugh!”

Although he fled desperately, he was immediately caught by the second palm.

Sa Geon-woo, who came to be unable to budge after being trapped in the giant palm, shouted in a hurry.

“Se-Senior. Why on earth are you doing this! If there is something I did wrong, please give me an opportunity to be forgiven!”

At his desperate shout, Yin Cheon-ho let out a sneer.

“You do not understand what I mean. Did I not clearly say I have a task to order?”

“What does that…”

“Since I will let you know soon what you have to do, enter here for now.”

Ah.

Before he knew it, even words did not come out.

His law power was sealed with a light flick of a finger, and like a captured beast, he had no choice but to be sucked into the beast-controlling pouch…

***

Meanwhile.

Jin So-myeong was marveling while absorbing the energy contained in the crystal bead, the heart obtained after dealing with the bull-shaped Stone Heart beast.

‘It is literally a lump of worldly source Qi.’

The energy contained in the crystal bead was so pure that law power accumulated the moment he absorbed it.

To the extent that it was alarming because it accumulated too easily.

It was more than excellent.

‘At this rate, it would be better to focus on hunting the Void Refinement stage Stone Heart race rather than harvesting spiritual herbs.’

Of course, there was no need to go to that length.

At any rate, the Stone Heart race had a tendency to settle in places where the worldly source Qi was dense, and such places were bound to have spiritual herb colonies as well.

Since he would naturally encounter them while searching for spiritual herb colonies.

There was no need to distinguish between hunting the Stone Heart race and searching for spiritual herbs.

‘Accumulating law power is smooth… but body tempering cultivation is the problem.’

It felt like he could reach the 6th rank immediately if only there was some opportunity. Yet when he attempted to break through the realm, nothing happened.

It was a feeling of being blocked by a wall.

“Sigh…”

He let out a long breath.

Since he was already growing sufficiently fast, there was no need to make his mind hasty.

Governing the haste arising from frustration, he focused on the tasks to do.

Scanning the surroundings with the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye and flying toward spiritual herb colonies was repeated.

*

One year later, as time flowed.

The spiritual herb field Jin So-myeong had set up in the Secret Realm of the Mind became richer day by day.

Not only that.

In the sub-space, elixirs made from 6th-rank spiritual herbs were piled up thickly, which was a whopping two hundred years’ worth.

Even to Jin So-myeong, who consumed twenty times more elixirs than others, it was an abundant amount that would cause no worries for ten years.

If someone had seen it, they would have been startled.

To think he harvested such an immense amount of spiritual herbs in merely a single year…

No matter how much it was the Limitless Pure Land, harvesting this much spiritual herbs in a short period was not easy.

First, because his Divine Sense was restricted, discovering spiritual herbs itself was hard, and the Stone Heart race surprise-attacked whenever they had a chance.

However, Jin So-myeong’s situation was different from others.

Thanks to the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, he could easily locate spiritual herbs, and the Stone Heart race could not become a threat.

Ah, and there was one more achievement obtained during the past year.

【Arts】

6th-Rank Elixir Refining Art (Mastery 10,000 / 20.0 trillion)

His Elixir Refining Art grew from the Entry level to the Mastery stage. It was the fruit obtained after pouring in the Supreme Great Ability for a year.

‘The elixir refining success rate of the clones doubled, and as the elixir quality improved, the medicinal effect also became stronger.’

What used to succeed merely two or three times out of ten attempts rose drastically to five or six times.

Until now, he was busy making spiritual herbs into elixirs to consume as soon as he harvested them, but now, surplus amounts accumulated as time flowed.

‘It finally feels like things are running properly.’

In merely a single year since entering the Limitless Pure Land, he established the foundation to cultivate at the Void Refinement stage.

Like a ship with wind in its sails, everything was smooth.

Except for exactly one thing. His body tempering cultivation.

‘To think it is still at the 5th-rank highest grade.’

Although he tried to govern the haste that had become quite frequent lately, it was not easy this time.

It was natural since he had been stagnating for a year already.

“…It is frustrating.”

How should he pull up his body tempering realm, which was in a bottleneck state, to the 6th rank?

Just as he was agonizing over the opportunity.

A very decent idea popped up suddenly.

‘I think it will work if I have a refreshing bout.’

If he clashed while placing life and death on the line against an enemy strong enough to threaten his life, could he not smash the wall that was blocking him?

And fortunately,

Currently, he had arrived at the center of the Limitless Pure Land, which was known to be dangerous even to a Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord.

Although time was delayed due to harvesting 6th-rank spiritual herbs, thanks to moving diligently for a year, he was able to enter the center.

Rumble!

He deployed the Lightning Escape Art. Becoming one with yellow lightning, he traversed the sky like a meteor.

While flying through the center where mountains uniquely higher than other areas were gathered, he searched all directions thoroughly with the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye.

‘Found them!’

He was able to discover six Void Refinement stage-level Stone Heart race beasts, and the Life-Prolonging Stone mine they were guarding.

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