Chapter 337: One Year Difference
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Although the life force contained in the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Extending Stone was so massive as to make his mind dazed, it was insufficient to improve the disadvantage of the training ground.
Scraping together even his remaining lifespan, he deployed his Supreme Great Ability, and only then did the disadvantage of the training ground vanish.
Now, even if he stayed in the training ground, he would not age rapidly.
He became capable of utilizing the training ground without any burden.
It went according to his wishes. Nodding his head in satisfaction, he closed his eyes.
He checked what had changed after using the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Extending Stone, but…
he could not feel any change whatsoever.
Just in case, he took out the Silent Life Token that blocked the Great Ascension stage’s gaze and examined it, but the degree to which his lifespan was consumed was similar to before.
It meant it had not drawn the Great Ascension stage’s attention.
Although he had used the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Extending Stone which was said to bring all sorts of disasters if rashly taken, he could not feel any particular side effects.
Did no problems arise because he had used it through his Supreme Great Ability?
‘Well, I will know as time passes.’
Since it was not a problem that would show an answer by pondering, he just ignored it.
Putting the empty shell of the Heavenly Lifespan Life-Extending Stone aside, he opened his status window.
【Lifespan】: 313 / 1425
‘Did about 1,300 years get consumed?’
Looking at his remaining lifespan, a wry laugh escaped him.
His lifespan which had exceeded ten thousand years had reduced to this before he knew it…
He was a Void Refinement stage cultivator, yet he came to possess a lifespan worse than when he was at the Nascent Soul stage.
Of course, there were no regrets.
Because what he obtained through it was far greater.
‘I should have Geum-cheong and Wuji also stay in the training ground.’
Since the disadvantage of the training ground was resolved, there was no need to use it alone.
It seemed he just had to move their nests to the training ground entirely.
‘Ah, I must also move the spiritual herb field. I should just move everything that can be moved.’
A few days later.
The quite arduous moving ended, and
many changes arose in the training ground where only monotonous plains had existed.
From a volcano where fire-attribute spiritual objects were piled to a poison valley filled with various toxic substances.
A sinister hell at a glance. No, it became a rich environment perfect to train.
His head nodded naturally.
Now, only one thing remained. Training until the Void Refinement stage Great Circle.
***
He forgot all stray thoughts.
Focusing solely on one thing, training, time flew like an arrow.
Before he knew it, three years of time passed, and
【Jin So-myeong】
【Lifespan】: 316 / 1425
【Realm】: Void Refinement stage 9th layer
【Supreme Great Ability】: 720 Billion / 2.2 Trillion
【Magic Power Amplification】: +301%
【Divine Ability】: <Secret Realm of the Mind>, <Myriad Flows Restoration>
he rose to the 9th layer of the Void Refinement stage.
To be honest, it was absurd.
Normally, training should become rapidly difficult once one reached the late Void Refinement stage.
For some reason, his training speed grew increasingly faster.
With all sorts of opportunities overlapping and the creation of the training ground on top, his magic power accumulated at a truly explosive speed.
Letting out a chuckled laugh, he started with a gasp.
“Ah.”
He pulled himself together from the lax mind before he realized it.
The 9th layer of the Void Refinement stage was merely an intermediate process.
Was his true goal not high above the sky?
Rising in realm was naturally a joyous and pleasant thing, but he could not get too intoxicated.
Recalling the palm print he had seen in the middle of the Dark Heaven Academy, the concentration that had been about to dull revived once more.
‘Let’s concentrate.’
Consciously repeating it, he poured all his devotion and time into training.
One more year passed in that manner, and
the day Baek Myo-hwa had promised to refine the Dao Integration Pill drew near.
‘I should slowly prepare.’
Pausing his training briefly, he headed to the place where he had planted the Ink Lotus Flower, the Unity stage spiritual object.
It was to copy it before using it as an ingredient for the Dao Integration Pill, but…
‘No, why is the consumption of my Supreme Great Ability like this?’
Thinking nothing of it, he began the copy, and his jaw dropped.
Because to copy a single Ink Lotus Flower, as much as over sixty trillion of his Supreme Great Ability was consumed.
Although he had estimated about twenty trillion would be consumed, copying it showed the consumption was far greater.
Consequently, he had to pour his Supreme Great Ability into the Ink Lotus Flower whenever it recovered during a span of nine months.
At any rate, having finished the preparation, the promised day arrived.
Going to the fortress where the Golden Rune Fox Clan resided, Baek Myo-hwa, whose complexion had brightened unlike in the past, came out to greet him.
“It has been a long time since we met.”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes. Thanks to Fellow Daoist Jin helping me.”
“That is a relief.”
Judging by her bright smile, the work of absorbing the spiritual vein seemed to have ended well.
“By the way, you came at the perfect time. I had just finished preparations to refine the Dao Integration Pill a few days ago.”
“Oh.”
He felt it was a relief. Since he would soon reach the Void Refinement stage Great Circle, it would have been troublesome if she postponed it again.
Just as he was smiling at the good news,
she paused, narrowed her eyebrows, and stared blankly at his face.
“Void Refinement stage 9th layer…?”
“Ah, I rose in realm recently by good luck.”
“…By good luck? Uh, mmm. I see. Congrat…yes. Congratulations.”
She was so startled that her words even broke, which was actually understandable.
About thirty years ago,
when he had just participated in the pioneering team, his realm had been at the 7th layer of the Void Refinement stage.
Rising from the 7th layer to the 8th layer was something that could be.
Because one could think that after he reached the 7th layer, an appropriate amount of time passed and he reached the 8th layer.
However,
rising in realm once more in about a dozen years was an entirely different issue. It could not even be explained by common sense.
“…”
To Baek Myo-hwa, who was undergoing some cognitive dissonance and only trembled her lips, unable to speak, he handed over the Unity stage spiritual object.
“This is the Ink Lotus Flower I found in this ruin. Please see if it is suitable as an ingredient for the Dao Integration Pill.”
“Ah, yes.”
Regaining her senses with a start, she smiled awkwardly, and immediately wore a serious expression.
Thoroughly examining the lotus flower as dark as a shadow, she let out an admiration.
“My goodness… it seems to have grown for at least a million years.”
“A million years?”
“Actually, it is also my first time seeing an Ink Lotus Flower that has grown for so long, so I do not know exactly how many years it has been.”
No wonder.
He had been puzzled by the consumption of over sixty trillion of his Supreme Great Ability when copying the Ink Lotus Flower, but it was a fellow far more precious than he had thought.
“The higher the age, the better it is, right?”
“Of course. To be honest, it is to the point of being a waste to use as an ingredient. These days, the moment Unity stage spiritual objects are discovered, they are all used as ingredients for the Dao Integration Pill, so it is difficult to even find such top-grade ones.”
Smiling at the good news, a sudden curiosity arose.
“You said it is a waste to use as an ingredient; does the Ink Lotus Flower have other uses? Except for using it as an Unity stage spiritual object, that is.”
“The Ink Lotus Flower must naturally be used as an Unity stage spiritual object. What I meant by a waste is because of the rumors about the Dao Integration Pill.”
“Rumors?”
“It is a story quite famous among the Unity stage powerhouses, but it seems you did not know.”
Appearing slightly puzzled, she continued.
“There is a rumor among the Unity stage powerhouses that if one breaks through the major realm by consuming the Dao Integration Pill, it becomes difficult to rise to the Great Ascension stage.”
“Huh.”
“Of course, it is merely a rumor and has not been verified.”
“Then why did such a rumor arise?”
“Who knows. Probably because there is not even a single person who rose to the Great Ascension stage after consuming the Dao Integration Pill, such a rumor arose.”
“Then couldn’t there really be side effects in the Dao Integration Pill?”
As his brow furrowed, she wore a bitter smile.
“You know that the Dao Integration Pill was developed only 150,000 years ago, right?”
“Yes. I have heard that.”
“It is only natural that there is no one who rose to the Great Ascension stage after consuming the Dao Integration Pill. To begin with…”
Remaining silent for a moment, she continued.
“Ending with three million years ago as the last, no one has risen to the Great Ascension stage.”
“…Are you saying that not a single person has risen to the Great Ascension stage in recent times?”
“Yes.”
A peculiar silence flowed.
Just as he was silently lost in thought, Baek Myo-hwa broke the silence.
“At any rate, it is a waste to use this Ink Lotus Flower as an ingredient for the Dao Integration Pill; what would you like to do?”
“Hmm… it is fine for me, so please just refine it.”
“Even if you consume it raw, about seventy percent of the Dao Integration Pill’s effect would come out; will you be fine?”
“It does not matter.”
Without much contemplation, he asked her to make it into the Dao Integration Pill.
Because the Ink Lotus Flower he had handed to her was a copy anyway.
Although he had not decided whether to consume the Dao Integration Pill or not,
since he could copy the Ink Lotus Flower as many times as he wanted, there was no need to limit his choices.
“Understood. The refining will take about two months.”
“Thank you. By the way, may I watch the refining process? Although I am lacking, I am also in the middle of learning refining arts.”
“Mmm… go ahead. However, please understand that I cannot show you the secret transmissions.”
“That is only natural.”
Contemplating for a moment, she readily permitted, allowing him to watch from the ingredient preparation process thanks to that.
***
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Ancient Wilderness.
Cheong-eung, who had fled the moment he saw Jin So-myeong’s single slash, paused.
While traversing the Ancient Wilderness to return to Dark Heaven Xuan in the Xuanhuang Realm, he had established contact with the Sacred Scale Alliance.
‘Already?’
His doubt did not last long.
Intuiting that an investigation team had been dispatched because it became known that Wi-ryeon and Myeong Cheon-ak had died, he changed direction.
How much time had passed?
He was able to join the Sacred Scale Alliance Dao Sovereigns who came flying on an ultra-large sailing vessel.
“Cheong-eung.”
“It has been a long time, everyone.”
Greeting the Sacred Scale Alliance Dao Sovereigns, Cheong-eung narrowed his brow.
Five of the Crocodile Flood Dragon Race, three of the Stone Bird Race, and three of the Tengshe Race.
There were eleven Unity stage Dao Sovereigns, which was a powerful force no matter what anyone said.
It was only natural since they could wipe out average weak races in an instant.
However, why was it?
The moment he saw those on the vessel, the thought that it was insufficient arose first. For some reason, he couldn’t put his mind at ease.
Yet contrary to his anxious instinct, his reason judged it was sufficient.
The greatest threat in the ruin was Jin So-myeong, but he was ultimately merely at the Void Refinement stage.
Although he had killed Myeong Cheon-ak with an incomprehensible divine ability, he grew rapidly weak after unleashing the single slash.
Eleven Unity stage cultivators were more than enough to deal with him.
“Mmm… did everyone come because Fellow Daoist Wi and Fellow Daoist Myeong died?”
“That is so. We came to investigate what happened in the ruin.”
“I do not know how to explain this matter, but first, I will tell you exactly as it happened.”
The hesitating Cheong-eung related what he had undergone in the ruin exactly as it was, and
the expressions of the Dao Sovereigns listening silently turned bizarre.
“So, Wi-ryeon and Myeong Cheon-ak were defeated by a single Void Refinement stage cultivator?”
“For Fellow Daoist Wi, it is my speculation, but since I directly saw Fellow Daoist Myeong being defeated, it is certain.”
“Without even reacting, in a single slash?”
“…Yes.”
Looking at each other, the Dao Sovereigns let out chuckled laughs.
Although they did not sneer or mock, their feeling of disbelief was fully revealed.
Because even though Cheong-eung listed objective facts as much as possible, from the perspective of the listeners, it was absurd.
How long did the silence last?
The Crocodile Flood Dragon Race Dao Sovereign spoke while clicking his tongue slightly.
“Cheong-eung. Did you perhaps get bewitched by Baek Myo-hwa’s soul-controlling spell?”
“Ha, what kind of nonsense is that? My divine sense is not significantly lacking compared to Baek Myo-hwa’s.”
“Can you really be certain? Rather than the possibility of what you said being true, it is more rational that you saw an illusion due to being hit by Baek Myo-hwa.”
The startled Cheong-eung closely examined his soul state.
Before he knew it, he doubted himself, but soon shook his head.
“My soul is perfectly fine. If I had been hit by a soul-controlling spell, traces would have remained.”
“Mmm.”
Narrowing his brow, Cheong-eung scanned the Dao Sovereigns, and everyone’s gaze was identical.
Disbelief.
An annoyance surged at their attitude of treating his warnings lightly.
“Are you saying you do not believe my words right now?”
“Calm down. Even if your words are entirely true, there is no particular problem anyway. The difference in power is absolute.”
“…”
“You said he grew rapidly weak after cleaving Fellow Daoist Myeong? It seems to be a divine ability that pours full strength into the initial strike. Is it not?”
“That is…”
“If so, there are many ways to respond. We can pressure him while paying attention to sudden surprise attacks, or simply shoot spells from far away.”
Remaining silent for a moment, Cheong-eung nodded his head.
Because he realized that whatever he warned now would be of no use.
Furthermore, their words were also not largely incorrect.
“Understood. Then let’s hurry as much as possible.”
“We are already going as fast as possible. To raise the speed further here, we would have to push ourselves to the point of harming our origin Qi.”
“…”
Hesitating, Cheong-eung ended up saying nothing.
Pushing themselves to the point of harming their origin Qi would allow them to arrive one or two years earlier, but…
that was literally pushing it.
To collectively tolerate internal injuries just to kill a single Void Refinement stage cultivator?
Since no one present would welcome it, urging them was of no use.
Putting aside his baseless anxiety, he thought as rationally as possible.
Jin So-myeong’s realm was at the 8th layer of the Void Refinement stage.
At least, it meant he wouldn’t suddenly become an Unity stage cultivator.
‘It is a relief in the midst of misfortune. Even if his talent is outstanding, it should take two or three hundred years to reach the Void Refinement stage Great Circle.’
The worst that could happen currently was Jin So-myeong giving up the ruin and fleeing, but that was not a problem that could be prevented by arriving a few years earlier.
Calming his excitement and judging calmly, his anxious mind became a little easier.
‘I just hope he hasn’t fled into the middle of the Ancient Wilderness and hidden completely…’
Cheong-eung, who stared in the direction where the ruin was located, muttered.
That even if they were late by a year or two, there wouldn’t be any major issue.
***
Four years later.
Jin So-myeong’s realm rose to the Void Refinement stage Great Circle.