Chapter 324: An Opportunity of Making a Fortune
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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***
Since Jin So-myeong swept away the swarm of Bone-Winged Birds with the Chaos Sky Shattering Annihilation Palm.
Many things changed tangibly or intangibly.
In the cabin where he returned after finishing guard duty, heaven and earth spiritual Qi flowed more than twice as dense, and wherever he went, gazes followed.
It was not that surveillance was attached, but because the rumor that he was an Unity stage-grade powerhouse had spread.
And although it could be a mere coincidence, not long after showing his skill, good news arrived.
“Senior Jin. I have found someone who has the intention of selling the Dream-Roaming Stone.”
It was the news brought by Yul-cheong whom he entrusted the errand to, and the Dream-Roaming Stone was one of the core ingredients of the Life-Returning Pill, the medicinal pill that helps recall past-life memories.
“Well done. He would not have said he would sell it for immortal stones, so what did he request?”
“He is one of the Void Refinement stage powerhouses belonging to the pioneering team, and he said he wanted to meet Senior Jin directly and have a talk.”
“I understand. Tell him we shall meet.”
“Yes.”
Yul-cheong, who bowed her waist politely, hastily left, and not long after, he was able to face a man whose forehead had goat horns sprouting.
“We meet again, Daoist. I am Muk I-hyeon of the White Feather Race.”
“Glad to meet you. I am Jin So-myeong.”
Muk I-hyeon was a mid Void Refinement stage cultivator who was in the identical group when he stood guard last time, and his tone, which was blunt then, had completely changed.
“I heard Daoist Jin is looking for a Dream-Roaming Stone.”
“Correct.”
“Haha. If so, I can offer some assistance. Coincidentally, I have a spare Dream-Roaming Stone.”
Muk I-hyeon, who spoke in a friendly tone, placed a fist-sized crystal on the table.
It was a crystal whose inside was about half-visible, and inside, an energy resembling a grey mist wriggled.
‘It is indeed a 7th-rank Dream-Roaming Stone.’
It matched the information he held.
Staring at it with concentration made his head turn dazed, which was clearly the Dream-Roaming Stone called the medium connecting dreams and reality.
Only after scanning the crystal closely with the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye did he nod his head.
“I have checked. What shall I give you to buy it?”
“Mmm. If I follow my heart, I would like to just give it as a gift… but it is because the Dream-Roaming Stone is too precious for that.”
“I also have no intention of obtaining it for nothing, so please speak comfortably.”
Muk I-hyeon, who smiled with an embarrassed expression, offered a jade slip.
“I would like to exchange it with one of the spiritual objects written here.”
Various spiritual objects were written in the jade slip, and all were precious things enough to be compared to 7th-rank spiritual objects.
‘Fortune Token, Golden Blood Wood seed, Spiritual Sea Oil…’
Just when he was scanning the treasures whose names were also unfamiliar.
At the very end of the list, he discovered a familiar name and paused.
“Void Wilderness Grass?”
Coincidentally, it was what he possessed.
It was a spiritual herb holding the effect of training the Law Domain, which he obtained while participating in the war with the Asura race.
“Oh, do you possess the Void Wilderness Grass? It is a spiritual herb somewhat hard to find because its seeds have dried up.”
“I obtained it by luck.”
When he offered the Void Wilderness Grass, which he copied using the Myriad Flows Restoration divine ability, a yellow light wriggled in Muk I-hyeon’s pupils.
“Mmm… Fortunately, it is a top-grade product whose roots are even alive. If Daoist Jin is okay, let’s trade.”
“Good.”
Although the Void Wilderness Grass was a highly valuable spiritual herb enough to be compared even with a 7th-rank spiritual object, he did not hesitate.
Now that he reached the late Void Refinement stage, the Supreme Great Ability consumed to copy the Void Wilderness Grass was roughly 300 billion.
Since it meant he could copy it every six days, there was no need to treasure and save it.
“It was a good trade.”
“Haha. I hope to meet you often in the future if time permits.”
Leaving behind Muk I-hyeon who left with a smiling face, he fell into thought.
‘Now if I only have the Wandering Soul Lantern and Net-Heaven Flower, I can refine the Life-Returning Pill.’
In fact, although it was a bit late to say it now, he was not placing massive expectations on the Life-Returning Pill that helps recall past-life memories.
Now that the Unity stage was right in front of his nose, what grand thing would happen just by recalling his past life?
He was just gathering the ingredients within a range that was not burdensome, and his purpose of satisfying curiosity was larger.
Literally, it felt like scratching a lottery ticket lightly.
‘Anyway, this is fine.’
Securing the Dream-Roaming Stone, he called Yul-cheong the maid.
“Since I secured the Dream-Roaming Stone thanks to you, I should give a reward as promised. Do you have anything you want in particular? Speak, because I will match it as much as possible.”
Yul-cheong, who winced her shoulders, hesitated for a very short moment, then shook her head.
“You do not have to take care of me every single time. Because performing Senior’s errands is the mission I took in the first place.”
“If a promise was made, it must be kept. Do not refuse in vain and regret later, but speak if you have something you need.”
“…Haha. It is truly fine.”
“If you do not have anything in particular you need, then fine. I will take care of it myself.”
Rummaging through his sub-space, a suitable item was visible.
Placing several hundreds of cultivation medicinal pills left after using them during his Soul Formation stage days and the 5th-rank dharma treasures gathering dust into a storage pouch, he offered it.
“Errr…”
“Just take it. Because they are things that will be helpful to your realm.”
Seeing her hesitate without taking it was frustrating, so he just threw the storage pouch itself.
The storage pouch flying while drawing a parabola was held in Yul-cheong’s arms as she stretched her hands awkwardly, and the eyes of her who was smiling awkwardly flew wide open.
“Hyaaa! T-to think this many…”
Whether she was startled, she let out a strange sound, then winced and bowed her waist.
“Senior, thank you truly.”
“If you find the whereabouts of the Golden Blood Wood fruit, I will give you something far better.”
“Understood. I will do my best.”
Yul-cheong, who bowed her waist repeatedly, ran off somewhere, and Jin So-myeong, who smirked, headed to the cultivation room again.
Since he had to stand guard only once every three years, the time to cultivate was sufficient.
‘First, shall I increase my clones.’
A portion of his divine soul. Detaching 1%, he made a clone.
Looking at the youth of blunt expression who popped out from the empty air, he spoke.
“Your name is… Mmm, Baek Gwang-97.”
Baek Gwang-97, the 97th clone of the Baek Gwang series, nodded his head as if he understood, then headed to the mine in the Secret Realm of the Mind.
Now he would devote himself to accumulating dharmic power while tempering his divine soul by mining immortal stones.
‘Good.’
Jin So-myeong, who wore a smile of satisfaction, swallowed the Clear Soul Mind-Settling Pill, the secret transmission medicinal pill of the Dark Soul Demonic Sect.
It was to restore his divine soul that became weak while making the clone.
As he achieved Great Success in the Mind-Splitting Art, he became unharmed when dividing his divine soul, but it was identical that the main body became weak by the power shared with the clone.
Feeling his divine soul, which had become about 1% weaker, gradually recover, he sat cross-legged and entered full-scale cultivation.
***
Before he knew it, ten years flowed.
Around the time the raid of demonic beasts and natural disasters that seemed to turn heaven and earth upside down were regarded as daily routine.
His realm rose.
【Jin So-myeong】
【Lifespan】: 302 / 6301
【Realm】: Void Refinement Stage 8th Layer
【Supreme Great Ability】: 980 Billion / 1.9 Trillion
【Dharmic Power Amplification】: +301%
【Divine Ability】: <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>
It was an achievement obtained at the end of constant cultivation, and as such, it was extremely sweet.
His Supreme Great Ability and dharmic power increased by about 20%, and his overall combat strength also increased similarly.
It might not be easily understood that he became 20% stronger just because his total dharmic power increased, but the increase in dharmic power held a meaning larger than expected.
Should he say his spiritual mass increased?
As his dharmic power became larger and larger, the power he could exert when consuming the identical dharmic power also grew stronger.
‘Now what remains is the Void Refinement stage 9th layer and the Great Circle?’
Just taking two more steps, he could challenge the Unity stage.
‘Since training the Law Domain is also almost finished, if things go well, I will be able to become an Unity stage Dao Sovereign within forty years.’
As he achieved Great Success in the Mind-Splitting Art and grew the Secret Realm of the Mind’s spiritual vein to the 7th-rank mid-grade, his cultivation speed visibly increased.
Originally he expected it would take seventy more years to reach the Great Circle of the Void Refinement stage, but the period was sharply reduced.
‘If only I obtain a single Integration spiritual object here, it would be perfect.’
Even though it had already been ten years since they drifted through the Ancient Wilderness.
The most needed Integration spiritual object did not show even its shadow.
How many more years must he wander to obtain the Integration spiritual object?
He could not know.
Although there were quite a few records of obtaining Integration spiritual objects in the Ancient Wilderness, the time it took was widely varied enough that it was hard to make an average.
Some obtained it in a single year as heavenly luck followed them, and some barely obtained it at the end of wandering for thousands of years because their luck was bad.
However, in fact, those who left records were rather on the lucky side.
Because those who were truly unlucky would have died hollowly without obtaining any harvest in the first place.
‘Since I cannot wander blindly without a promise, let’s search for exactly twenty more years. If I cannot obtain an Integration spiritual object by then, I should consider other methods.’
He drew a line in his heart. Just when he was setting the time limit.
-A matter of importance has arisen, so everyone come out to the deck.
The voice of Baek Myo-hwa, the leader of the pioneering team, echoed through the entire sailing vessel.
‘What is it?’
It was the first time in ten years.
Thinking that some problem might have arisen, he scanned the surroundings of the sailing vessel with his Divine Sense, but nothing in particular caught his eye.
After contemplating for a moment, he first went out to the deck.
How many minutes had he waited. The deck was filled with tens of thousands of cultivators.
“Everyone has gathered.”
The gazes of those on the deck focused.
Baek Myo-hwa, who stood on the two-story-high platform, smiled beamingly, and unlike before, her complexion was bright.
“You must have worried because I called you suddenly, but fortunately, it is good news.”
“Ah.”
Along with the sighs of relief mixed with admiration escaping from various places, her voice continued.
“Our Golden Rune Fox Clan’s diviner has found out good information. He says there is a very high possibility that a super-large 7th-rank spiritual vein is in this vicinity.”
“Oh…!”
The eyes of the cultivators, who were listening while holding their breath, flew wide open, and they rejoiced one and all.
Why did they participate in this pioneering team?
Although it might be different if investigated in detail, in the end, it was because they hoped for an opportunity of making a fortune.
Joy was visible on everyone’s faces. Jin So-myeong was also no exception.
‘If things go well, there might also be an Integration spiritual object…?’
Since a place with a spiritual vein had rich heaven and earth spiritual Qi, it was good for spiritual herbs to grow naturally.
If it had not suffered someone’s hand over long years, the possibility of a precious treasure being there was large.
Just when his eyes were shining.
Baek Myo-hwa, who glanced at this direction, opened her mouth.
“However, danger naturally follows an auspicious matter. Since we do not know what will happen, everyone, be tense and guard the surroundings.”
She, who advised in a serious tone, divided the Void Refinement stage cultivators into three groups.
Unlike before when twenty-four stood guard, hundreds guarded together, and she made them take turns standing guard every three days.
Baek Myo-hwa also prepare for any unforeseen event while sitting cross-legged in the center of the deck.
Like that, everyone searched the surroundings while being highly tense…
Peculiarly, the concentration of heaven and earth spiritual Qi in the air did not change.
If a spiritual vein was nearby, the concentration of heaven and earth spiritual Qi should naturally rise.
Putting behind his doubt, he continued to explore the surroundings.
The time that flowed like that was one year.
There was no harvest whatsoever.
Disappointment dwelled on everyone’s faces. Around the time doubt arose whether something went wrong.
The Golden Rune Fox Clan old man, who had become skin and bones while daily engrossed in divination, snapped his eyes open.
“Found it!”
Heading toward the place he pointed to, a desolate desert appeared.
“Ah…”
Far from a 7th-rank spiritual vein, there was not even a single blade of grass.
At the parched land where there was nothing except sand wind, the cultivators gathered on the deck sighed.
Just when a silence full of disappointment was flowing.
Baek Myo-hwa, who was staring at the desert, narrowed her glabella.
Confirming the diviner old man who still wore a look full of certainty, she pointed at the desert with her slender finger.
At that moment.
Rumble…!
All the sand touching their sight defied gravity and soared into the sky.
The sand that soared endlessly covered the sky to the point where the sun was hidden,
and finally it was visible.
The city that was buried inside the thick sand. The traces of an unknown civilization.