Chapter 318: Fortune and Misfortune

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Jin So-myeong, who made up his mind while looking at the sky, closed his eyes firmly.

‘…First, recovery.’

Although his mind was complicated and it was not easy, he calmed his emotions and regained his composure.

Silent Life . Changing fate was not something that could be finished in a day or two.

He engraved the debt deep within his heart, and focused on the matter immediately in front of his eyes.

‘I should recover enough to move around and first figure out where this place is.’

Every time his Supreme Great Ability recovered, he unleashed the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability.

How much time had passed.

He was able to suppress the sword Qi and cold Qi stirring inside his body, making it no longer leak outside his body.

Around the time he became unable to cause harm to the surroundings.

He barely raised his body to sit cross-legged, and called Geum-cheong who was in the Secret Realm of the Mind.

Screeeech……!

Geum-cheong, whose height had already easily exceeded dozens of meters,

and who had come to possess a dignified appearance like the Great Peng in myths, spread her wings and burst into a phoenix cry.

Geum-cheong, who raised her beak as if boasting of her growth, paused.

Blinking her eyes that resembled black beans was also brief. Her beak gaped open.

“Screeech!? Master, what on earth did you do to end up in that state!”

“…I am okay, so do not worry.”

“You look extremely in pain? Screech! There is blood here! Blood!”

“Wait, it is dangerous, so do not cling to me.”

Since she, who had performed a transformation technique to become as small as a sparrow, was about to sit on his shoulder, he hastily stopped her.

The cold Qi and sword Qi stirring inside his body now were energies dangerous even to Unity stage Dao Sovereigns.

Although he was suppressing them somehow, if they leaked out by any mischance, Geum-cheong, who was at the upper 5th rank, would go to the other world that very day.

“Who on earth do you go around being beaten by? Tell me who bullied you.”

Seeing her chirping discontentedly, a dry laugh came out.

“Why, are you going to scold them?”

“Screech! I am also quite strong now.”

Seeing her nodding confidently, his complicated mind became much lighter.

“They are quite strong guys, will it be possible?”

“…Then later when I become stronger, I will scold them.”

“That’s a pity. The guys who made me into this state are all dead.”

“If so, it is a relief. From next time, if you think it is dangerous, run away.”

Run away if he thinks it is dangerous?

Although Geum-cheong stared intently… he did not bother to answer.

“More than that, go and look around the surroundings for me.”

“Surroundings?”

“I have been transferred to an unknown place. Since it could be dangerous, I should find out what is nearby.”

Was it because of the word dangerous.

Geum-cheong, who shrank her body tightly, hesitated for a very short moment, then soon nodded her head resolutely.

“…Understood! Trust only in me.”

Rumble!

Flapping her wings enveloped in blue lightning, she soared into the sky.

And,

she returned in just five minutes.

“Master. I scanned thoroughly, and this surrounding seems to be safe. There are only weak guys.”

“…Really? That is fortunately a relief.”

“Shall I go further?”

Listening to her minutely trembling voice, he chuckled.

“No. This much is enough.”

Geum-cheong, who was born with lightning, was quite fast. In five minutes, she would have scanned a radius of hundreds of kilometers.

‘Since the spiritual Qi density is also low, there won’t be anything majorly dangerous.’

Rather, roaming around in vain and drawing attention was more dangerous.

As his Divine Sense and vision gradually recovered, there was much he came to know.

Currently, the place where he opened his eyes could be called a massive pit or a deep valley, and the spiritual Qi density was roughly at the level of a 3rd-rank spiritual vein.

Since it was not an environment where a dangerous entity would live, it was a fine place to recover for the time being.

“Go back and rest.”

“If anyone messes with you, call me. Because I will scold them.”

Returning the chirping Geum-cheong to the Secret Realm of the Mind, he quietly closed his eyes.

‘I should first restore the shattered Chaos Origin Wheel.’

To suppress the energy stirring inside his body, restoring the Chaos Origin Wheel divine ability, which was specialized in absorbing and digesting energy, was the best method.

Ah, and he must not forget to review the battle and engrave the realization.

Especially the ultimate secret of the Light-Moon Silent-Life Dao that Taixu Sacred Venerable showed must be engraved in his heart.

***

Should it be called a wasteland.

In a desert composed of yellow-red rock, five human figures appeared.

“Is this the place?”

“Yes. I clearly saw something shining falling from the sky. It was too far to see in detail, but it looked like a meteor.”

“A meteor…”

The eyes of an entity possessing the energy of the 4th rank, the Nascent Soul stage, narrowed.

Standing on two legs and even having two arms, he looked like a human at a glance, but if looked closely, he was distinctly different.

His skin was covered with scales like a fish, there were gills behind his ears, and his pupils resembled a reptile.

The Deep-Scale Race Nascent Soul cultivator, whose appearance looked like a mix of a fish and a lizard, did not hide his greed.

“Good. If it is truly a meteor, I will bestow a very large reward.”

“Thank you, Elder!”

“By the way, were there no other witnesses? A massive commotion must have arisen when the meteor fell.”

The Golden Core stage Deep-Scale Race cultivator grinned, then lowered his posture as if claiming to be a servant.

“There were a few Fox Clan guys, but since I have already handled them cleanly, do not worry.”

“Well done. We cannot give a precious opportunity like a meteor to others.”

The moment the Nascent Soul Deep-Scale Race cultivator snapped his webbed fingers.

A colorful light mass gathered in the empty air, and a giant stingray large enough for dozens of people to ride appeared.

“Just in case, let’s hurry. There might be witnesses you do not know, and there will be those who take interest in the large commotion.”

“Yes! I will guide you immediately.”

The moment the Nascent Soul stage cultivator who boarded the stingray stamped his foot.

Gwoooo…

The stingray, which let out a low and heavy cry, flapped its wings and began to advance.

Its body was large so it seemed like it would be slow, but in reality, it was fast enough that the surrounding scenery passed by with a whoosh.

How much did they advance.

The wind brushing past his skin turned cold, and the atmospheric temperature began to drop rapidly.

“…It is cold.”

This Sandrock Vein was originally a region so hot that a haze formed, so why did it suddenly become this cold.

Frowning his eyes, the Nascent Soul stage cultivator scanned the surroundings, but the flat ground was completely shattered.

As they drew closer to the place where the meteor fell, the terrain turned into a mess.

The hard rock zone was cracked here and there, and by all appearances, it seemed to be shattered by the impact of the meteor falling.

‘It seems a considerably large meteor fell?’

Thinking that he might make a massive fortune, his heart rate quickened.

Just when he was advancing rapidly while suppressing the greed rising stealthily.

“Hah.”

A shocking sight unfolded.

Every scenery touching his vision was pure white.

The entire Sandrock Vein, which usually exuded heat, was frozen solid, and by now, it was to the point where they could not advance due to the cold Qi that encroached on the surroundings.

“How much is left until the place where the meteor fell?”

“We have to go about fifty thousand li more.”

At the answer of the Golden Core Deep-Scale Race cultivator who was shivering due to the cold, he could not help but be startled.

“Fifty thousand li? Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

It is fifty thousand li away and it is this cold?

What kind of meteor is it?

Something was unusual. Feeling that it might be an opportunity that went far beyond his expectations, he could not afford to be leisurely.

Swallowing his dry saliva, the Nascent Soul Deep-Scale Race cultivator took out a dark red token and dropped a droplet of blood.

The moment the blood droplet containing the essence of the Nascent Soul stage cultivator seeped into the token.

The flat surface wriggled and formed characters, and his eyes flew wide open.

‘Great Auspiciousness !’

Seeing the two characters that appeared on the token that divined fortune and misfortune, his fingertips trembled finely.

Great Auspiciousness!

It meant that a massive opportunity that could completely change his entire life had arrived.

Standing blankly, he suddenly snapped back to his senses.

Barely calming his boiling emotions, he threw a gourd specialized in absorbing cold Qi forward.

Whoooosh!

As the cold Qi blocking the front was sucked into the gourd, he became able to advance a little more.

‘This cold Qi alone is a massive treasure…’

Scanning the cold Qi accumulated in the gourd, his eyes shone.

It seemed that if he gathered this cold Qi and refined a dharma treasure, an extremely outstanding treasure would be born.

Of course, he had no intention of being satisfied with only the cold Qi.

If the cold Qi that spread up to fifty thousand li was this powerful, how outstanding a treasure would the meteor be.

He absolutely had to obtain it.

“Ugh, Senior. We are sorry, but the cold Qi is too strong, so we do not think we can go any further.”

“Hm? Indeed, it would be impossible for you. I understand. Since I will give the information value in advance, just tell me the location where the meteor fell.”

“Thank you!”

The moment the Deep-Scale Race cultivator, who listened attentively to the place where the meteor fell, wore a satisfied expression.

“Keugh?!”

The Golden Cores who were shining their eyes in anticipation of the reward vomited blood and collapsed.

Sssss…!

Soon after, they melted away, leaving only sticky blood water.

“Think of it as bad luck.”

Usually he would not go this far, but since Great Auspiciousness was in front of his eyes, he used a harsh hand.

Like that,

becoming alone, the Deep-Scale Race cultivator advanced while breaking through the cold Qi by mobilizing all sorts of means.

The time he advanced toward the meteor was a whopping one year.

After truly immense suffering, he was able to clear the distance reaching fifty thousand li and arrive at the place where the meteor fell.

Tired to the point of being skin and bones, he took out the token that divined fortune and misfortune and dropped a droplet of blood.

‘Good, it is still Great Auspiciousness.’

He did not know what would be in front, but at least, it seemed he did not have to worry about dying.

Lapping his lips, he scanned the pit assumed to be the place where the meteor fell, and his glabella frowned on its own.

Inside the pit dug deeply enough to be called a valley, what was there, contrary to expectations, was not a meteor.

It was some strange-looking cultivator.

A cultivator of an unfamiliar appearance wearing a messily torn rag was sitting cross-legged, and although he looked somewhat similar to the Giant Ape Clan, he had no tail.

‘Is it the Beast Soul Race?’

Seeing that his appearance was unfamiliar, it did not seem like a race that formed a force as a single species.

It seemed one of the beasts roaming in the wild coincidentally held spirituality and became a cultivator.

His realm was not easily grasped, but his life force was faint as his injuries were so severe.

Although he must not let his guard down, he looked frail enough to die if tapped, and a thick bloody smell was felt.

‘He seems like a Soul Formation stage Heavenly Lord… but I do not know.’

Narrowing his eyes, he checked the token in his hand, and it was still Great Auspiciousness.

Just when he was contemplating what to do.

“Stop hesitating and come close. Since meeting like this is also a connection, let’s have a talk.”

A voice that felt an indescribably, truly deep fatigue was heard.

He vaguely intuited. It seemed the injury was far more severe than he vaguely thought.

“…I greet Senior. I am the Deep-Scale Race rogue cultivator Ra Hong.”

“Glad to meet you. I am of the Jin surname.”

Jin surname? Seeing the culture of having a surname, it seemed the Beast Soul Race was indeed correct.

“Since my body is not comfortable, it is difficult to have a long conversation, so may I ask a few questions?”

“Of course. Do as you please.”

“First, I would like to see a nearby map.”

“Ah, here it is.”

He politely offered the map, but the opponent did not extend his hand.

He rolled his head while watching him scan the map by moving only his Divine Sense.

‘Is the injury so severe that he cannot even move?’

The opponent seemed to have suffered a massive accident, and coincidentally crashed here.

“Flame Dust Realm. By any chance, do you know what province it belongs to?”

“It is Dark Heaven Xuan.”

“Mmm, have you ever heard of Northern Mang Xuan?”

“I am sorry, but it is a place name I hear for the first time.”

Seeing him mention an unfamiliar and raw region, he was certain.

The opponent was correct to have suffered an accident in a very distant place.

“I see. What is the strongest force nearby?”

The man whose complexion turned a little dark continued his questions, and every single one of them was about common sense.

“The Heavenly Law Palace and the Sacred Scale Alliance are on the stronger side. The Sacred Scale Alliance is an alliance of races with scales like me, and as far as I know, the number of belonging races easily exceeds a thousand…”

The man who asked this and that nodded his head.

“Thank you. This is a reward for answering sincerely, so take it.”

The pouch that popped out in the empty air floated loosely, and flew while drawing a parabola.

“Thank you!”

His face beaming with joy, he secretly scanned the pouch and paused.

The pouch was packed with immortal stones, and even counting roughly, they easily exceeded several thousands.

For him who was a Nascent Soul stage, it was a very large reward.

That was certain.

Didn’t he only show a map and answer simple questions. It was more than enough.

Using the cold Qi obtained while coming here and these immortal stones to make a powerful dharma treasure, he could even rise to the Soul Formation stage.

However,

‘It is Great Auspiciousness, but only this much?’

It was lacking to be called Great Auspiciousness, which was called the most important opportunity throughout a lifetime.

Then suddenly, coincidentally.

The four storage pouches hanging at the opponent’s waist caught his eye.

Whether they were in a sealed state, no energy was felt, but they were high-realm storage pouches just by looking.

“…”

Simultaneously with a thirst that made his mouth go dry, he saw the Senior who was suffering from extreme injuries and could not even move properly.

He contemplated what the path that Great Auspiciousness pointed to was.

Should he help this Senior recover?

Since he did not seem to have a violent and bellicose temperament by his words and deeds, the possibility of giving a reward was high.

Or… should he follow the desire wriggling deep within his heart now?

‘If I feed him poison…?’

In fact, what choice he made might not be important.

Currently, he was in a state of having the great fortune of picking up gold even if he fell.