Chapter 317: Silent Life
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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A hard and cold floor.
The eyelids of Jin So-myeong, who was lying down while drenched in blood, trembled.
Bzzzz…!
He opened his eyes with difficulty at the noisy ringing in his ears that shook his head, but nothing was seen properly.
His vision was blurry as if a thick mist was set.
The dark and humid atmosphere seemed to be underground, but it was not certain.
Ah.
He opened his mouth with difficulty, but only the sound of empty wind came out. His physical condition was truly a mess.
Where was this place, and what on earth was the situation?
His head was heavy.
He wanted to let go of the thread of consciousness and entrust his body to sleep, but he purposely put strength into his eyes.
Just when he was continuing his thoughts while waking up his mind that was about to grow hazy.
Creak…
His cheek split as if cut by a blade and blood droplets formed, but they completely froze before even flowing.
The moment he perceived the tingling pain felt from the torn skin.
‘Ah.’
His muddled mind turned completely clear.
The struggle to the death with the Avici Dao Sovereign, Fairy Yeongwol’s sudden betrayal.
The ultimate secret of the Light-Moon Silent-Life Dao that Taixu Sacred Venerable showed, Discarded Dao, Two Moons.
The scenes buried in the other side of his memory flashed past in a flurry.
‘I was certainly…’
At the last moment, he was thrown beyond the empty air by Taixu Sacred Venerable. And after being half-fainted, when he regained consciousness, it was now.
‘I do not know how far I have been thrown.’
Could it be Northern Mang Xuan?
One thing that was certain was that he had traveled an incredibly long distance.
However, why did Taixu Sacred Venerable throw him beyond the empty air?
Simultaneously with the question, the answer came out.
‘Did he just send me away lest I continue to stay in the human territory?’
Certainly, the human territory was not a good environment for cultivation.
Still, he intended to leave after settling the situation. To leave so suddenly like this…
What happened to Taixu Sacred Venerable?
Was he even alive?
…Probably not. At least, it did not seem likely that he could meet him again.
Following the bitterness as if his heart was empty, another worry rushed in.
Now Gwang-myeong Dao Sovereign is the only Unity stage left in the human race, so can he protect the two realms of Stone Heart Realm and Green Garden Realm?
‘Let’s check my body first.’
Since it was useless to contemplate, he put down the thoughts that complicated his mind for now.
As Taixu Sacred Venerable showed, the human race was not that weak.
Believing it would be fine, he decided to take care of himself first.
‘Groan.’
He tried to raise his upper body to sit cross-legged, but it was impossible.
Because of the sword Qi and cold Qi that encroached on his entire body, he could not move even a single finger.
In the end, while lying spread-eagled on the floor, he scanned his internal body…
‘It is a complete mess. I barely survived.’
It was damaged to the point where finding a fine part was faster.
His meridians were shattered and frozen, and his dantian, which could be called the source of power, was right before shattering.
Even, his Divine Sense was out of order, perhaps because a problem occurred in his divine soul as well.
Losing both his Divine Sense and senses, he felt like a blind person who opened his eyes.
‘It will take some trouble to recover.’
It was a mess to the point where he did not know where to start. It did not seem like it would work in at least a day or two.
‘What happened to Mugeuk?’
Groping his blurry senses, he scanned the metal piece felt in his palm.
Should he say it was fortunate? Even in this state, he was tightly gripping the sword.
He spoke to Mugeuk, the Natal Magic Treasure connected to his soul, but the response was weak.
Only a faint vibration was felt as if a fainted person was murmuring.
Did a problem occur?
Suddenly, the moment he awakened the potential of the Secret Realm of the Mind came to mind.
When swords as many as the stars in the night sky filled heaven and earth.
Mugeuk raised a sword cry, and hundreds of millions of swords responded.
Since the Avici Dao Sovereign, who possessed a transcendent physical body, was sliced into thousands of pieces without even being able to resist…
It was not strange even if he suffered injuries as the price of wielding an unmanageable power.
Hummm…
After calling Mugeuk, who was murmuring as if talking in his sleep, a few more times, he unleashed the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability.
Pouring the Supreme Great Ability, which was completely depleted and filling up little by little, he recovered Mugeuk.
‘Fortunately, it is getting better gradually.’
It had an effect. The weak response grew gradually stronger.
Although it would take time, recovering it fully did not seem very difficult.
Inwardly relieved, he scanned himself again.
Through the torn martial robe, his skin, which was frozen while cracked here and there, was visible, and although it looked somewhat fine, the inside was a mess.
Should he say regeneration and destruction were constantly repeated.
As soon as his physical body recovered, it was mercilessly sliced by the sharp energy and simultaneously froze.
His physical body, which regenerated at an immense speed by achieving the Undying Body, and the sword Qi and cold Qi that encroached on his mind and body were colliding without rest.
‘Physical tempering cultivation will be done properly.’
Although it was a considerably serious injury, he purposely recalled positive aspects.
Anyway, he lived, didn’t he?
Since he possessed the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability, no matter how serious the injury was, he could recover if he only took time.
‘Will it take about two or three years?’
It was not certain. Because his Divine Sense and senses were damaged, he could not gauge how long it would take until he could move around.
‘Ah, how much did my lifespan decrease.’
【Jin So-myeong】
【Lifespan】: 288 / 6301
【Realm】: Void Refinement Stage 7th Layer
【Supreme Great Ability】: 10 Million / 1.6 Trillion
【Dharmic Power Amplification】: +301%
【Divine Ability】: <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>
It decreased by roughly three thousand years.
Although it was a painful loss, he decided to just forget it.
Anyway, with the remaining six thousand years, he was confident enough to reach the Unity stage.
Moreover, didn’t he originally intend to settle the problem with the Asura race even by throwing away all his remaining lifespan?
Although it was not very pleasant… as the situation rapidly changed, he had saved his lifespan in a way.
‘The amount of dharmic power amplification also rose a lot.’
Since it increased from the existing +197% to +301%, he could roughly see that his dharmic power of 300 was amplified to 400.
Just as he was about to turn his gaze from the status window, he paused.
The Myriad Flows Restoration in the 【Divine Ability】 category caught his eye.
Although he had mastered numerous secret transmissions until now, the only ones classified as 【Divine Ability】 were only two.
Secret Realm of the Mind and Myriad Flows Restoration.
It should mean the two were of the same class, and recalling the distant power that the Secret Realm of the Mind showed, this thought could not help but arise.
Could it be that potential remains in Myriad Flows Restoration as well?
If so, what is that potential, and how can he awaken it…
He contemplated, but nothing in particular came to mind.
Putting it aside for now, he scanned the energy remaining after unleashing the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture.
‘I can probably unleash the Burning Moon Slash about two or three times.’
After gathering the remaining energy to prevent it from scattering as much as possible, he recovered Mugeuk with the Supreme Great Ability that was filling up little by little.
How much time had passed.
Hummmm…!
Something like a pure white steamed bun slid out from the sword he was holding, and rolled over with a limp body.
‘Mugeuk, are you okay?’
Hum!
Although it still looked lack of strength, he was happy to see it regain consciousness.
Scanning its condition, it seemed to have become somewhat fine, so he entrusted the energy of the Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture to it.
‘Go to the nest and rest.’
Mugeuk, which rolled on the floor and drew a fist-sized circle, returned to the Secret Realm of the Mind.
Around that time.
As his damaged divine soul recovered, his Divine Sense returned.
Of course, it was not that it became fine, but he became able to scan a radius of about 10 meters.
Compared to when he could scan tens of thousands of kilometers, it was like a speck of dust, but where was this.
‘It was frustrating, so this is good.’
Just when he was scanning the surroundings gropingly with his weak Divine Sense.
Inside his torn martial robe, he realized that an object that was not there before had appeared on his chest.
‘What is it?’
At a glance, it looked like an ordinary wooden token, but it was difficult to take his eyes off it.
First, one thing that was certain was that it was an incredibly old object.
Its surface was worn down and full of faint cracks, to the point where it was difficult to gauge how many long years it held.
However, peculiarly, only the two characters Silent Life (寂命) engraved in the center of the token were strangely vivid.
‘Silent Life…?’
Silent for quiet, and life for lifespan.
It would be unfamiliar to others, but to him who mastered the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword, they were familiar characters.
‘Why is this with me?’
Suddenly, the last appearance of Taixu Sacred Venerable smiling beamingly came to mind.
The appearance of him pushing him with his palm to send him here at that time.
By all appearances… this token seemed to be given by Taixu Sacred Venerable.
“…”
What on earth was it that he took care of it and gave it to him in that situation.
He forcibly moved his arm, which was made a mess by the sword Qi and cold Qi.
The moment he held the token with his trembling hand.
A moon.
An incredibly large moon. He saw a full moon so pure white that his eyes were dazzled.
After blankly staring at the sphere so large that he was overwhelmed for a split second, he suddenly realized. Where he had seen this moon.
When ascending from the human realm to the upper realm.
When passing through the void according to the guidance of the 6th-rank Realm-Crossing Talisman given by the Star-Shattering True Monarch.
The moon he encountered at that time was precisely this.
‘Why is this…?’
An instant when he was dazed after realizing the identity of the sense of déjà vu.
The dense life force felt from the moon. His mind went dazed at the thick life force he felt for the first time in his life.
At least a million years when calculated by lifespan. It was so much and so thick that it was vividly felt even with his damaged senses.
A life force comparable to a million years of lifespan… it was absurd.
It was not a miscellaneous life force either. It was a life force so thick and pure that it would be helpful even to high-realm entities of the 6th rank or higher.
What on earth was this moon that it held such a massive life force?
His doubt was also brief.
He realized the fact that the life force contained in the moon was decreasing very little by little.
The moment he saw that, the words the True Spirit Gon-ak had spoken passed by like a flash.
[Something is protecting you. It is hard for me to find out in detail because my power has fallen, but it is certain.]
[Someone paid a massive price for you. To take you away from their gaze even for a moment.]
He vaguely imagined.
The Great Ascension stage entities have some means of monitoring the entire upper realm, and this moon is blocking it.
If so,
where did this massive life force comparable to a million years of lifespan come from…
This also could be realized without difficulty.
The thousand years of lifespan that the human Void Refinement stage cultivators offered for the Unity stage Dao Sovereigns.
The lifespan that countless people offered over hundreds of thousands of years was precisely used to make this moon.
And the moon made like that was protecting him from the gaze of the Great Ascension stage entities.
All along from his ascension until now.
“…”
Although he only vaguely guessed with information scattered like fragments, the direction of his thoughts would be correct.
He heard that the reason why the Void Refinement stage cultivators offered their lifespan was to increase the lifespan of the Unity stage Dao Sovereigns, but by all appearances, that seemed to be a disguise.
And, here was one more thing.
Four storage pouches he had not seen before were hanging at his waist, which were what Fairy Yeongwol and the Asura race’s Dao Sovereigns possessed.
‘Heh.’
When on earth did he take care of this and give it to him. His chest felt so clogged that only a sigh came out.
Truly. He owed too great a debt. How on earth should he repay this debt…
For a long time without a word, just as he was tinkering with the wooden token engraved with the characters Silent Life, he paused.
[If one can even throw away one’s life for the Dao, one will be able to cleave heaven and earth, pierce the Law, and ultimately sever fate.]
The core of the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword that suddenly came to mind.
The sword formula containing the struggle of the human race, which was in danger of extinction, was felt differently from usual.
At the same time, he realized what the hope contained in the name Silent Life was.
Silent also has the meaning of death, end.
Therefore, Silent Life…
must mean the end of fate, severing the destined fate.
“…Good.”
It finally became clear. What he should do from now on.
Although his eyes were damaged and he could not see, he swore toward the heavens.
Whatever existed above that sky, he would absolutely reach and cleave it.