Chapter 312: Monsters Living Eternity

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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“I came because there is something I must absolutely tell you. I felt that if it is not now, there would be no opportunity.”

“Please speak. I shall listen intently.”

Why did the Taixu Sacred Venerable, who should be confronting the Insect-Armor Race in the Green Garden Realm, suddenly visit?

Listening with curiosity, a low voice continued.

“Where should I start speaking… yes. It will be better to tell you about the current state of the human race first.”

The Taixu Sacred Venerable, who paused for a moment, said while looking at the continuously flowing valley water.

“To speak straight to the point, the current human race is in a considerably dangerous state.”

He had judged that the situation improved recently due to the sacrifice of the Twelve Stars Sect descendants, but had he thought wrongly?

“…Is it because of the Asuras?”

“No, although the Asuras are a race with outstanding natural talent, if it is the latent strength possessed by the human race, they can sufficiently overcome them.”

“Then…”

“The Insect-Armor Race? Their reproductive power is quite threat-inducing, but it is not to the extent of discussing the life or death of the human race.”

As he remained silent at the appearance of denying the most obvious and largest danger befalling the human race, the Taixu Sacred Venerable, who smiled with a wrinkled face, said.

“I heard that you can unfold A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens. You probably mastered a blade scripture derived from the Light-Moon Silent-Life Dao.”

“That is correct.”

“If so, you must also know. How was that cultivation art?”

How was the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword?

There was no need to even ponder.

“It was outstanding. To the point where there is no room to add anything more.”

It was a blade scripture outstanding enough that the expression of being the essence of the human cultivation civilization was not a waste.

“Yes. It is a highly powerful cultivation art, so outstanding that it is unbelievable to have been born from the hands of the human race whose cultivation history is short.”

Should it be said that it is like a miracle…

The Taixu Sacred Venerable, who murmured in a barely audible strange tone, smiled brightly and stared straight into Jin So-myeong’s two eyes.

“Since obtaining the Light-Moon Silent-Life Dao, the human race is no longer a weak race.”

“…”

“They are a race strong enough to compete even with the mighty races beyond the Northern Mang Xuan. That, I shall guarantee.”

Staring back at the unshaken eyes, he opened his mouth.

“Then why is the human race in danger?”

“Before letting you know that… first, there is a need to let you know about those noble ones ruling above the sky, the Grand Ascension stage.”

Grand Ascension stage.

As the existence who could be called the practical ruler of the upper realm was mentioned, he could not help but be startled.

“Have you heard the saying that if one rises to the Grand Ascension stage, they can live for eternity?”

“Yes.”

“How is that possible? For your reference, the lifespan of an ordinary human Unity stage Dao Sovereign is forty-six thousand years.”

“Forty-six thousand years.”

As he murmured in slight surprise, the Taixu Sacred Venerable harbored a bitter smile.

“Do you think it is a lot? Well. Have you never thought it strange that the lifespan added as the realm rises is odd?”

“Hmm… there were indeed a few slightly puzzling points.”

The lifespan of a 1st-rank Qi Condensation cultivator is 120 years.

The lifespan of a 2nd-rank Foundation Establishment is 250 years.

The lifespan of a 3rd-rank Golden Core is 500 years.

The lifespan of a 4th-rank Nascent Soul is 1,500 years.

Up to here was fine, but after that, it was slightly strange.

The lifespan of a 5th-rank Soul Formation is 3,000 years.

The lifespan of a 6th-rank Void Refinement is 9,000 years.

When transitioning from the Nascent Soul to the Soul Formation stage, it seemed it should increase by three times, yet it increased by only two times, which he had once found puzzling.

As he mentioned that, a brilliant light dwelled in the Taixu Sacred Venerable’s eyes.

“You felt that? This is slightly marvelous. Normally, they cannot even perceive it.”

The Taixu Sacred Venerable, who wore an incomprehensible smile, nodded his head.

“You are correct. Originally, in the case of a human Soul Formation stage, possessing forty-five hundred years of lifespan is normal.”

“Ah.”

“But it is not. Then where did the lacking lifespan go?”

“Surely…”

If the lifespan of a Soul Formation stage should normally be forty-five hundred years, it was not that he was simply deprived of fifteen hundred years.

If forty-five hundred years increased by three times, how many years would it be?

It was thirteen thousand five hundred years.

It meant that normally upon rising to the Void Refinement stage, possessing a lifespan easily exceeding ten thousand years was normal, yet they came to live only nine thousand years.

And…

this disparity became larger once they reached the Unity stage.

“A Grand Ascension stage lives for eternity? Haha! Truly a bizarre thing. A mortal who could only live for several tens of thousands of years even at the Unity stage, comes to live for eternity merely by transcending one stage.”

The lifespan of the Unity stage was forty-six thousand years.

Although it was a distantly long time, compared with eternity, it was merely a split second, a speck of dust.

“…Are the Grand Ascension stage experts exploiting the lifespan of the human race?”

“Well. As a result, it is so, but it will be slightly different from what you think.”

The Taixu Sacred Venerable, who harbored a gentle smile like telling a fairy tale to his grandchild, continued speaking.

“The reason the Grand Ascension stage experts can live for eternity is because they wished for it. That is all.”

Simply because they wished for it?

He could not understand readily.

“Are you saying that merely by wishing to live forever, they come to exploit the lifespan of the human race?”

“It is not just the human race. All living spirits existing under the sky are being deprived of their lifespans without realizing it.”

“Heh.”

It was an astounding authority. To the point where he did not know how to react.

“Heh, do you know which race those noble ones avoid the most?”

“…I think they would avoid a race with outstanding cultivation aptitude.”

“A long lifespan, outstanding spiritual roots, powerful innate divine abilities, a robust physical body. Do you mean a race that built a mighty force by possessing such superior talent?”

“Would it not be so? Since they would be a threat.”

“No.”

The Taixu Sacred Venerable, who denied firmly, stared intently into Jin So-myeong’s eyes.

“They wish for their lives and power to last eternally. Therefore, they hate the variables that hinder it the most.”

“…What variables do you mean?”

“They avoid things that cannot be calculated, anomalies that deviate from the standard, mutations that pop up no matter how much they block. And…”

A voice tinged with laughter continued.

“There is no race where mutations are born as frequently as the human race. At least as far as I know.”

“Then, that the human race is in a dangerous state right now is…”

“Correct. The human race is right before being targeted by those monster-like beings. It is a highly precarious state.”

“Heh.”

“Fifty thousand years ago, the gathering of twelve Unity stage cultivators to perish together with the Unity stage Dao Sovereign was the starting point.”

The potential revealed as the human race placed in the crisis of extinction struggled had reached a level of offending the moods of those ruling above the sky.

Despite this, the highly fortunate point was that before their gazes reached, they made the human race into a terrible race.

It was not difficult.

Giving them peace was sufficient. Since the human race intoxicated by peace weakened on their own.

“Probably no one has told you this kind of story. Because mentioning the Grand Ascension stage is by no means beneficial to the speaking side nor the listening side.”

While listening with concentration, he was startled.

“Not beneficial?”

“In the first place, what would be the reason this information is not known? It is entirely because those noble ones above the sky do not wish for their information to spread.”

The existence who deprived the lifespans of all living spirits under the sky merely by the desire to live long does not wish…?

Since it was highly ominous content, he narrowed his eyes, and a calm voice continued.

“From now on, unlucky events will break out often.”

“Pardon?”

“Normally to handle this much knowledge, one must be at least at the Unity stage, but… well, if it is you, I believe you can overcome it.”

To speak of a severe evil effect so casually. Staring blankly because it was absurd, the other chuckled.

“Such a minor problem is fine. More than that, do you know why I am telling you this kind of story?”

“…Are you telling me to leave for the Northern Mang Xuan without getting caught in the eyes by fighting the Asuras for nothing?”

“No, whether you leave or not is not the important thing. I merely wish for you to make the correct choice.”

“If it is the correct choice…?”

“Life is a continuation of large and small choices. At the important moment, what you must listen to is what your Dao Mind wishes for.”

Dao Mind?

Feeling it was slightly out of place, he paused, and a serious voice as if preaching continued.

“Recently, there was a commotion in the human race. Your heart must be complicated due to the series of events. There must also be some unsatisfactory points.”

“That is…”

“Forget the noise that blurs the essence. Do you intend to deceive yourself because the situation is difficult? As much as you retreat, the wall blocking you will become higher.”

“…”

“Reviving a Dao Mind that is broken once is close to impossible. If you compromise while considering it a wise judgment, what welcomes you will be a dead-end cliff.”

The Taixu Sacred Venerable, who spoke in a low tone as if giving a teaching, smiled brightly and stood up from his seat.

“If you wish to advance to the Unity stage and beyond, keep it in mind.”

“Ah… are you leaving already?”

“Since I have finished saying the words I had to, there is no need to linger. Please devote yourself.”

The moment the Taixu Sacred Venerable, who waved away Jin So-myeong trying to see him off, took a step.

A distant distance lost meaning.

The Taixu Sacred Venerable, who jumped over a distance that ordinary cultivators could not reach even if they flew all their lives in a single step, arrived at a sparsely populated meadow.

He had left with a brief farewell as the end.

However…

A truly bizarre thing broke out.

The moment the corner of the mouth of the Taixu Sacred Venerable, where a gentle smile was formed, distorted strangely.

The appearance of the gaunt old man was enveloped in light and completely overturned in an instant.

A neat-looking noble youth clad in a luxurious silk long robe.

The moment the youth, who looked like he possessed a precious status no matter how one looked, clasped his hands behind his back.

His eyes that resembled a human were dyed pale yellow and then ripped long vertically.

It turned like the eye of a clear non-human, a dragon.

And,

all the vegetation filling the meadow bowed their heads as if worshipping a king.

“Jin So-myeong. I pray you do not disappoint my expectations.”

What on earth broke out?

Was he indeed the Taixu Sacred Venerable in the first place?

Someone whose identity became unclear now harbored a bizarre smile and disappeared beyond the north.

***

At the same time, Jin So-myeong, who was chewing over the words the Taixu Sacred Venerable said, paused.

Suddenly, the fact that the Taixu Sacred Venerable did not cough even once came to mind.

When they met in the past, even supporting his body looked difficult, but today the feeling was slightly different.

‘Did his physical state become better…?’

Or… surely the last radiance of setting sun?

It could be that he was pouring out the saved vigor as his lifespan ended.

As far as Jin So-myeong knew, the lifespan remaining to the Taixu Sacred Venerable was less than a hundred years.

Since it was at most several tens of years, if there was the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone, it would be helpful.

However, extending lifespan with the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone was like drinking seawater when thirsty.

The True Spirit Gon-ak said that if one extends lifespan with the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone, all kinds of disasters will befall and leave them in a miserable state.

Since goodwill could also turn into poison, he had no choice but to ponder.

‘…If I let the Taixu Sacred Venerable know that I possess the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Prolonging Stone, he will make a wise choice.’

He decided to visit the Taixu Sacred Venerable before long and ask what he wanted to do.

In any case, what he had to decide now was eventually one.

Should he leave for the land beyond the human territory, the Northern Mang Xuan?

“Hmm.”

Was it because the situation changed suddenly? It was difficult to make a decision readily.

If he calculated coldly, going to the Northern Mang Xuan, a region larger than a Realm, was more advantageous for cultivation. That was an undeniable truth.

This thought also occurred.

Since he had obtained everything he could, was it not fine to leave?

However, although he did not know exactly for what reason, leaving like this did not make his heart comfortable.

Jin So-myeong, who pondered for quite a long time, eventually postponed his choice.

‘For now… let us achieve the late Void Refinement stage and think.’

Currently, his realm could be said to be the absolute end of the mid Void Refinement stage.

If he cultivated with concentration for only two or three years, he would cross the wall.

He decided to first exchange the Void Wilderness Grass with a hundred billion points of contribution to temper his Law Domain, and make a decision after breaking through the minor realm.