Chapter 299: Capital of the Human Race
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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How much time had passed?
In front of Jin So-myeong’s group, who passed through the wasteland without a single blade of grass, a massive city appeared.
“Over there is Myriad Swords City.”
“Oh…”
The word impregnable fortress came to mind.
It was a city of a scale so large that clouds draped halfway up the city walls, and uniquely, massive swords were stuck all over the city walls.
Seeing the tens of thousands of swords bristling like thorns, admiration leaked out automatically.
The sharp energy rising from the blades covered the city walls, so it felt like one’s skin would be cut if they approached carelessly.
“Is that perhaps a Sword Array?”
“Yes. It is the secret transmission of the Castellan of Myriad Swords City. She is famous for being a Void Refinement Stage sword cultivator while simultaneously possessing renowned array skills, is she not?”
“I see.”
Jin So-myeong, who was admiring the city walls, stroked his chin.
‘I do want to properly learn a sword array sometime… but I don’t know if it will work in real combat.’
The array deployed using swords and sharp energy, the Sword Array, was an extremely powerful means, but it had the disadvantage of requiring time to install and activate the array.
A formidable enemy who walked a very brief instant like eternity did not seem likely to give him the gap to install an array.
‘Wait… Shall I try to deploy a Sword Array in the Annihilation Slash state?’
It was an idea that suddenly came to mind, and it seemed it would be quite useful.
Annihilation Slash, which sliced and entered the gaps existing between moments of time, caused the load placed on the mind and body to grow rapidly the closer he got to his opponent.
Therefore, if he installed a Sword Array in the surroundings without approaching the opponent in the first place, he would be able to occupy a superior position in battle.
Of course, it was not that there were no problems at all.
Under the state of having unfolded Annihilation Slash, even if he did not get close to the opponent, a load was placed on his mind and body merely by influencing surrounding objects.
Installing an array was also not such an easy thing.
‘Still, it is worth attempting. I must research it when I have time.’
Jin So-myeong, who stroked his chin, folded his thoughts.
Pondering could be done later.
In any case, since they arrived at Myriad Swords City, it was time to keep the promise made with Im Heo-jin.
When he opened the Beast-Taming Pouch and pulled out the half-destroyed sailing vessel, the low-level cultivators sitting on the deck blinked their eyes in surprise.
“Here is…?”
“Could it be we have arrived already?”
From their perspective, they had entered the Beast-Taming Pouch not long ago, yet the surrounding scenery suddenly changed drastically.
“Gasp, we pay respects to the Void Refinement Stage Heavenly Lords!”
The low-level cultivators who were blankly looking around discovered Jin So-myeong’s group, and then hurriedly stood up and bowed.
“Since I brought you to Myriad Swords City as promised, do as you please from now on.”
“Yes! Thank you for your goodwill!”
The Castellan of Flying Cloud City, who greeted as the representative, led the low-level cultivators toward the city gate, but the old man and girl who offered the Calamity-Averting Talisman to Jin So-myeong naturally detached from the crowd.
It seemed it was burdensome to go together with the Soul Formation Stage cultivator who had become one-armed because of them.
Just as they had become considerably far from the group.
The girl, who watched his reactions with round eyes, tapped and pulled Im Heo-jin’s sleeve while whispering.
“Grandfather. Can’t I also take just one look at that?”
“Absolutely not. It is too early for you, So-ryeong.”
“Hmph. Stingy.”
She looked at the jade slip Jin So-myeong gave with an anxious expression, but Im Heo-jin was firm.
There were a few who stared at the two with envious eyes, but no one dared covet what a Void Refinement Stage Heavenly Lord personally bestowed.
“What on earth is written in the jade slip for you to not even show me? Could it be a sword manual?”
“Ahem! Useless talk.”
“You told me absolutely never to become a sword cultivator, and surely you are not trying to practice a sword manual, right?”
“*Cough*.”
Just as he was about to leave behind the persistently pestering girl and the resolutely opposing Im Heo-jin, Jeok Song, who seemed to ponder something, spoke.
“Fellow Daoist Jin. Does that junior perhaps possess some special talent?”
“Well. Since the aptitude to become a sword cultivator was visible, I merely gave him the opportunity to make a choice.”
“Yes?”
Jeok Song, whose eyes grew wide whether he was surprised, hurriedly continued.
“For an outstanding sword cultivator like Fellow Daoist Jin to acknowledge him, isn’t that a tremendous aptitude! Do you perhaps intend to watch him and take him as a disciple?”
Thinking what kind of misunderstanding this suddenly was, he waved his hand.
“It is not that grand. Just as I said, the possibility to become a sword cultivator was merely visible.”
“Ummm. Possibility…”
Jeok Song, who was pondering with his brow tightly narrowed, spoke.
“Then may I admit them as disciples of the Infinite Void Temple? Since that girl’s aptitude is also not bad, I want to take her and nurture her.”
“I do not mind, so please go and ask them. If they want to, what problem would it be?”
“Thank you. Then I will go over for a moment.”
Jeok Song, who flew while generating escape light, landed in front of the grandfather and granddaughter and spoke something with a solemn expression, and the old man and the girl gaped their mouths wide.
“Are, are you talking about the Infinite Void Temple, one of the Three Great Sects of the Stone Heart Realm?”
“Indeed. Wouldn’t it be better to become a disciple of the Infinite Void Temple rather than staying as a loose cultivator?”
Just as the properly flustered Im Heo-jin could not answer and only moved his lips.
Jeok Song, who leisurely clasped his hands behind his back, spoke in a calm tone.
“Do not make useless worries. In my name as a Void Refinement Stage cultivator, would I play some kind of trick on you?”
“Ah, no. I did not even make such a worry.”
“Even if your entire assets are combined, they would not equal a single pebble inside my storage pouch. I merely proposed it because it seems I have a connection with you, so decide with an easy mind.”
“Ah…”
Just as Im Heo-jin, who swallowed dry saliva, fell into contemplation.
The girl who was standing blankly snapped out of it with a gasp, then looked around and searched for Jin So-myeong.
A hollow laugh came out at the sight of her cheeky looking directly into his eyes, and whether she understood what meaning it held, she nodded his head as if she knew.
“Grandfather, I think it will be fine.”
The words whispered while pulling her grandfather’s sleeve were truly absurd.
What does a Qi Condensation Stage kid know to say it will be fine?
Of course, although becoming a disciple of the Infinite Void Temple did not seem like such a bad thing.
“…Come to think of it, it is a matter that does not even require pondering, but I hesitated because I was too flustered. As you said, I will enter the Infinite Void Temple.”
Watching the grandfather and granddaughter who bowed prostrate, Jeok Song wore a pleased smile.
“Good. Since the formal admission procedure will be done upon arriving at the Infinite Void Temple, follow me. Ah, since my name is Jeok Song, call me Elder from now on.”
“Yes! Elder Jeok. I am Im Heo-jin and my granddaughter is…”
“Im So-ryeong!”
At the sight of the girl introducing herself firmly, Jeok Song wore a benevolent smile.
“If you encounter troublesome matters in the Infinite Void Temple, mention my name. Most problems will be resolved.”
“Ah! Thank you truly!”
Watching Jeok Song take disciples while clasping his hands behind his back, he realized anew.
Because he had only seen the figure of him being unilaterally beaten by Gwang-rim, he had not felt it, but looking at him now, Jeok Song was an existence close to the apex among countless human cultivators.
If he had to estimate, he was likely stronger than the Dark Soul Demonic Sect elder Yin Cheon-ho whom he fought right when entering the Limitless Pure Land.
“*Cough*. Thank you for waiting. Shall we depart?”
“Let’s do that.”
Jeok Song, who returned with the grandfather and granddaughter, coughed as if embarrassed, and shortly after, they all headed toward Myriad Swords City.
Until they passed the city gate and boarded the Teleportation Array.
All processes proceeded smoothly. It was entirely thanks to the secure identity of being an Infinite Void Temple elder.
Flash!
How many times did they pass the Teleportation Array like that?
“We have arrived. This is Destiny Piercing City.”
Starting from Myriad Swords City, which was the outskirts when considering the entire Stone Heart Realm, until arriving at Destiny Piercing City which could be called the deepest part.
It did not take that long a time.
‘Is this a Rank 7 immortal city?’
Upon coming out of the building where the Teleportation Array was installed, the view opened up wide.
Simultaneously, he was speechless.
“Judging by the reaction, it seems Fellow Daoist Jin is visiting Destiny Piercing City for the first time.”
A bustling market and alleys filled with stalls, a massive flying vehicle floating in the sky, a square bright as broad daylight because ores emitting light were densely embedded…
Scenery both unfamiliar and familiar filled his eyes.
A place that was safe to call the capital of the human race.
Destiny Piercing City.
He slowly looked around the Rank 7 immortal city, which could be called the cutting edge of human cultivation civilization.
The grand avenue, wide enough for hundreds of carriages to run simultaneously, was filled with crowds, and because there were too many people, it was difficult to even walk without bumping shoulders.
“…There are indeed many people.”
“Haha. Since it is the number one immortal city of the Stone Heart Realm, it is natural.”
Watching the cultivators who walked as if running and moved busily, he felt a strange feeling.
True Spirits who were in the Integration Stage from the moment of birth, Asuras whose population size was their combat power because everyone possessed spiritual roots, the Insect-Armor Race who possessed breeding power of a different dimension.
To flourish this much in the Upper Realm filled with monster-like existences…
A strange feeling difficult to explain tickled his chest.
Then suddenly,
the surroundings darkened. Raising his gaze to the shadow that appeared while covering the sun, a continent-sized island was floating slowly in the sky.
“That is…”
“It is Cloud Moon Island. It is a market that circles the outskirts of the city in a one-month cycle. It is a place mainly used by low-level cultivators of the Nascent Soul Stage and below.”
“Heh. You are saying that is a market?”
He examined in detail with his Divine Sense, and it was true. Numerous cultivators were trading all kinds of spiritual objects at the square installed on the island.
Indeed, there was not only one.
If all the large and small islands covering the sky of Destiny Piercing City were combined, they far exceeded one thousand.
“Because a flying restriction is installed in Destiny Piercing City, cultivators of the Golden Core Stage and below cannot fly. That is why they use such islands as means of transportation.”
Destiny Piercing City, which was a Rank 7 immortal city, was so wide that low-level cultivators at times died without even being able to look around properly the region where they were born for their entire lifetimes.
‘It is wide to a surprising degree…’
What would it feel like to begin cultivation in such a bustling city?
Just as he was vaguely imagining.
“Ehh? G-Grandfather. Look at that, an island is flying.”
“I saw it too. The city’s scale is unbelievably large…”
Unlike the grandfather and granddaughter who were surprised enough to make weird sounds, the other group members were calm.
Although it was natural for the Infinite Void Temple elders to be familiar since this was their headquarters, the reaction of Ha Do-jin, who was a fellow loose cultivator, was slightly unexpected.
“You seem familiar with it.”
“This is my third visit. I was also surprised like you when I first came to Destiny Piercing City.”
“I see. Ah, you may depart now.”
As he nodded his head to signify that he had seen enough, Jeok Song guided the path as if he had been waiting.
They arrived at a seven-story pavilion through a complicated path, and he was curious because a plaque reading Infinite Void Temple was hung.
‘For one of the Three Great Sects of the Stone Heart Realm to be this small?’
The doubt did not last very long.
It was because the Teleportation Array was visible as soon as he entered the pavilion, and looking at it now, this building was merely one of the entrances leading to the Infinite Void Temple.
“Since it would be bothersome to fly directly to the Infinite Void Temple, let us use the Teleportation Array.”
Hearing the explanation that because the city was too wide and bustling, they had installed Teleportation Arrays leading to the Infinite Void Temple all over the city, it was simply mind-blowing.
Flash!
The Infinite Void Temple arrived at riding the Teleportation Array in that manner…
was utilizing the vast mother nature, a pitch-black mountain range whose end was not even visible, entirely.
“We pay respects to the Elder!”
“These two are those who will enter the Infinite Void Temple, so guide them. And these people are precious guests, so serve them with all your might.”
“Yes!”
Entrusting the grandfather and granddaughter to the disciple who guarded the Teleportation Array, Jeok Song personally guided the path.
“Fellow Daoist Jin, Fellow Daoist Ha. Since you have just come out of the secret realm, you must be tired, so how about resting first? I will lend you cave dwellings so that you can rest comfortably.”
“Hmm, let us do that.”
Following the guidance, they were soon able to arrive at the spiritual mountain where a Rank 6 high-grade spiritual vein was located.
“Since all the mountains in this vicinity are empty, you may use any place comfortably.”
Releasing and examining with his Divine Sense, cave dwellings good for cultivating were built here and there across the mountain range.
“Understood.”
“I think I must report the events that happened in the secret realm and find out how the war is progressing. You two rest for now. I will return shortly.”
Jeok Song and the Infinite Void Temple elders departed hurriedly, and he and Ha Do-jin chose their respective suitable cave dwellings and parted.
‘Finally, it has become quiet.’
Sitting cross-legged in the cultivation room made of wooden floorboards, a slightly cool aura rose and cleared his head.
In the long-awaited leisure, he pondered deeply.
‘What is it that I need the most right now?’
Disregarding all miscellaneous things and calculating only the most important, the answer was clear.
The Integration Stage spiritual object needed to break through the major realm.
The high-grade Immortal Stone to strengthen the Secret Realm of the Mind to Rank 7.
The spiritual object to temper his Law Domain.
These three.
‘If I had to add one more, it would be cultivating until the Great Circle of the Void Refinement Stage.’
However, the treasures mentioned above were the rarest of rare objects, difficult to obtain even if one searched the entire human territory.
‘Should I accumulate exploits in the war, and ask for those treasures as rewards?’
For quite a long time, he recalled this and that method, then folded his thoughts.
In any case, it was fine since he grasped the approximate direction.
For now, organizing the harvest obtained in the secret realm and deciding where and how to cultivate in the future was the priority.
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