Chapter 293: A Clearly Shining Star
===================
Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
===================
The sword swung by Jin So-myeong parted the upper body, and Gwang-rim’s fist grazed past his forehead.
The moment their respective strikes crossed.
Gwang-rim’s gaze descended.
He looked at the snow-white slash that cut across his chest, the sword scar inflicted by the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration, and faltered.
“This sword…”
Countless emotions flashed through his eyes.
Did he instinctively feel the death that would soon arrive?
An avatar was different from a simple clone. It was closer to an independent living organism born from a part of the original body.
“…”
As if there was something he wanted to say, his mouth, which was opening slowly, closed again.
In a bizarre silence where no one moved, a very brief moment of time passed, and…
Boom!
Jin So-myeong parried a fist that flew in by surprise with his sword held diagonally.
To throw a final strike instead of leaving a last will in his final moment.
It was a choice worthy of the Asura race, but it did not work on Jin So-myeong.
It was because he had experienced countless Asuras while participating in the Sacred War in the past.
“What a pity… Ha, indeed, to think I would say such words to a Void Refinement Stage cultivator.”
Gwang-rim, who chuckled as if dumbfounded, closed his eyes and turned to ashes, scattering just like that.
He disappeared as if weathered, centering on the wound that diagonally crossed his upper body, and while watching that sight, Jin So-myeong reached out his hand.
Before the flames caused by the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration could spread, he took the storage pouch at Gwang-rim’s waist.
‘Just in case.’
Although he had become able to control the destructive power of the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration almost perfectly as his realm rose, he had not been able to pay attention to the storage pouch while fighting Gwang-rim with all his might.
Since the storage pouch might be ruined if the flames spread, he secured it in advance.
In any case, since the fight was over, shouldn’t he take what was to be taken?
Just as he was looking around to see if there was anything else to take.
‘Ah, right.’
The existences he had temporarily forgotten in the urgent battle came to mind.
Two men who had become a complete mess like castaways caught in a typhoon.
Ha Do-jin and Jeok Song, who had woken up after fainting, were staring with their mouths wide open, and their expressions were exactly the same.
“He won…?”
Whether they were shocked by the sight unfolding before their eyes, they could not close their mouths even though quite some time had passed.
When he waved his hand lightly at the two who were frozen like stone statues, only then did they snap out of it with a start and begin to blink their eyes.
Deeming that they were not in a state to hold a conversation, he averted his gaze for now.
‘I am not perfectly fine either.’
As the excitement subsided, pain rushed in from here and there.
Starting from his forearm where the inner flesh was exposed, his entire body was in a state of being turned into a rag, but in truth, wounds like these could be recovered quickly, so it was fine.
The problem was his lifespan.
‘How much did it decrease? Surely over ten thousand years did not fly away…?’
With a tense heart, he checked the status window.
【Jin So-myeong】
【Lifespan】: 258 / 9,502
【Realm】: Void Refinement Stage 4th Layer
【Supreme Great Ability】: 72 billion / 400 billion
【Spiritual Power Amplification】: +197%
【Divine Ability】: <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>
The lifespan he originally possessed was exactly 12,707 years. That had become 9,502 years.
He calculated how many years of his lifespan had decreased…
It was roughly 3,200 years.
‘Still, I defended relatively well.’
A painful feeling and a thought of relief arose simultaneously.
He had thought more than half of his lifespan would have flown away from fighting for too long in the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture state, but it was consumed far less than expected.
‘Is thanks to having mastered the Primordial One Qi Art?’
As he pondered for a moment, several reasons came to mind.
First of all, by unfolding the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture at the mid-stage rather than the early stage of the Void Refinement Stage, the burden was drastically reduced.
And…
Because he had not properly reached the supreme realm called the Integration Stage even after using the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture,
the lifespan consumption was not large.
The only time he truly reached beyond the wall in this fight was just once.
It was only when he unleashed the Law-Breaking divine ability.
That his lifespan was consumed less was a good thing, but simultaneously, it was also a regrettable thing.
Since it meant that he had not been able to use the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture properly.
Or…
it could also mean, although truly regrettable, that the limit of the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword was drawing near.
Since the highest realm in the human race was the Integration Stage, it was not a strange thing.
‘Should I obtain another sword manual besides the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword…?’
If he registered it in the proficiency system, the limit of the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword would rise drastically, but he wanted to delay this method as much as possible.
While pondering various solutions with a regrettable heart, he faltered.
It was because the introduction of the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword suddenly came to mind.
[Splits heaven and earth, penetrates law, and ultimately cuts off life.]
Here he thought he understood the meaning of the words splitting heaven and earth and penetrating law.
Wouldn’t it mean physical destruction and a divine ability that twists laws?
It was safe to say that he had already achieved up to here, and was in the process of achieving it.
But the next part.
Cuts off life.
This sentence was not readily understood.
What was life, and what did cutting it off mean?
He pondered it, but only vague speculations arose.
‘…In a way, it is a relief. Since it means there is still room for development.’
While silently thinking, he shook his head. Now was not a good time to continue his thoughts.
Resolving to think about this issue again later.
He folded his worries about the already consumed lifespan and the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword, and examined what he had obtained.
【Spiritual Power Amplification】: +197%
While unfolding the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture, his spiritual power amplification rate, which was +102%, increased drastically to +197%.
Calculating roughly by estimation, it was convenient to think that what was 200 had become 300.
‘At this level… it could be seen that I have surpassed one minor realm.’
In fact, if one measured the spiritual power Jin So-myeong possessed, it was more than that of the late Void Refinement Stage.
‘Not bad.’
The spiritual power amplification rate increased now would become an even greater power as his realm rose.
Thinking positively, the consumed lifespan was not so painful either.
‘Ah, right.’
As Limitless reached Rank 6, it became possible to store the Blood Wings.
When wishing at that time, he had hoped to also be able to store the energy amplified by the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture, and the time to test this had come.
Drawing Limitless, he placed his palm on the sword body.
Although most of the energy remaining after unfolding the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture was used to amplify spiritual power, there was still some left.
Should it be called the residual fragrance left after a flame burned?
Or should it be called the trace of an expanded soul?
Although it was difficult to express precisely, there was clearly something remaining. He did not want to waste that which would volatilize and disappear if left alone.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated. He guided the traces remaining in his mind and body to Limitless.
‘…It is done.’
It was definitely stored.
If he drew out what he had just guided to Limitless, he would be able to exert a power comparable to the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture for an instant.
Of course, compared to the real Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture, it would be lacking in many ways, but since lifespan was not consumed, he could use it without burden.
‘Should I call it the Simplified Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture?’
Having finished all the tasks that had to be done urgently, Jin So-myeong turned his gaze.
He checked if Ha Do-jin and Jeok Song had regained their senses, and both were completely awake.
Ha Do-jin, who had been pushed to the brink of death by Gwang-rim, was focusing on recovery while taking medicinal pills, and Jeok Song was recovering the corpse of a woman that had been buried in the ground.
‘Is she an elder of the Infinite Void Temple…? It seems she was done in by Gwang-rim.’
Seeing his gloomy face, it seemed correct.
Although he wanted to give him time to mourn, the current situation was not very good.
‘Thirty minutes. No, I must get out of the Limitless Pure Land within twenty minutes at the latest.’
The Supreme Great Ability that had run dry during the battle had recovered by more than half before he knew it. It meant that in just a few minutes, half a month had passed on the outside.
For the Limitless Pure Land, once twenty years pass after opening, the spatial cracks communicating with the outside completely disappear.
Once that time came, even if he used a Rank 6 Boundary-Breaking Talisman, he could not go outside. If he did not want to be trapped, he had to move right away.
While silently praying for a moment as he watched Jeok Song recover the woman’s corpse, Jin So-myeong approached.
“Elder Jeok.”
“Ah, my greeting is late because I was flustered. I was on the verge of suffering a terrible fate, but I survived thanks to Fellow Daoist Jin. Thank you so much.”
Although he was embarrassed because he did not fight to save Jeok Song, as he just nodded and accepted the greeting, the worry continued.
“But is your body alright? Your injuries look severe.”
“I am fine to this extent. More than that, the current situation is not very good.”
As he explained about the passage of time being strange and that they had to leave immediately, Jeok Song’s expression turned serious.
“No wonder I have been continuously anxious since earlier…”
“Where is the closest place among the exits you know of?”
Although there were many exits Jin So-myeong had identified in advance, he asked because even the closest place required flying for several days.
“If you fly northeast from here for about one two-hour period, there is an exit we have looked at.”
“Fortunately, it is close.”
One two-hour period meant two hours, but if they flew with all their might, they would be able to arrive within twenty minutes.
Just as he was smiling, thinking that they could leave in time.
“However, that Asura said he had blocked all the exits in the vicinity. I do not know if it will be alright.”
“Hmm… Let us go and check for now.”
Just as he was about to depart, bringing along Ha Do-jin who was cleaning up the battlefield and recuperating from his injuries, he faltered.
It was because an extremely massive Life-Prolonging Stone, a snow-white stratum that looked as though a mountain was buried entirely, caught his eye.
Since he had just consumed a large amount of lifespan, it was difficult to avert his gaze.
‘If only I have that…’
As he was looking at the Life-Prolonging Stone buried underground despite himself, Jeok Song’s voice was heard.
“Fellow Daoist Jin. Extracting the vitality contained in the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone is an extremely difficult task. Even if you try to extract just a small amount, it cannot be done in a day or two.”
“…Yes. It seems so.”
The result observed with the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye was also like that, and as he actually attempted to approach, a strange suction force was felt, giving him an intuitive feeling of danger.
As could be known from it being called the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone, it was not a common Life-Prolonging Stone.
After examining it this way and that, he cast aside his greed.
The Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone seemed to be an extremely precious treasure, but that was all. Getting trapped in the Limitless Pure Land while obsessing over a treasure was a foolish act.
“Let us depart.”
They flew with all their might toward the exit that Jeok Song’s group said they had found.
***
The deepest part of the Red Lotus Realm, the land of the Asura race.
A massive figure meditating in a cave where not a single speck of light entered.
The brow of the Avici Dao Sovereign twitched minutely.
“To think Gwang-rim was killed by a Void Refinement Stage sword cultivator…”
As the avatar died, various memories were transmitted, and there were several pieces of special information sufficient to cause a stir even in an Integration Stage Dao Sovereign.
His slowly opened eyes directed past the Bright Blood Great Valley, the territory where humans lived.
How much time had passed in the silence?
“Is anyone there?”
An Asura woman waiting outside the cave immediately approached and bowed politely.
“Yes. Did you call?”
“The time has come.”
Around the time the startled woman swallowed her dry saliva.
“Begin the preparations for war.”
A calm voice followed.
***
At the same time, the Stone Heart Realm.
In a certain primeval forest filled with lively vegetation, an emaciated old man who would not be strange to die at any moment was sitting cross-legged, and he looked incredibly frail.
As if he would collapse even if the wind blew just slightly strong…
The old man, reminiscent of a withered old tree, opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at the sky.
The night sky where the sun had set and was dyed in darkness.
The wrinkled corners of the eyes of the Taixu Sacred Venerable, who was looking at that place filled with starlight, trembled.
“Has it finally come?”
In the ocean of stars spread out profusely, he wore a faint smile while looking at a star that shone exceptionally clearly.
Enjoyed the chapter?
If you like our work, consider supporting us on Ko-fi. This site solely runs on donations. Every donation helps us keep translating!
Support on Ko-fi