Chapter 343: It Seems We Have Messed with the Wrong Person (3)
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Jin So-myeong, who was examining the stone monument he had painstakingly restored, narrowed his eyes.
[If you have mastered the method of grinding ink, next is the method of writing.]
[Heaven is the paper, and clouds are the ink.]
[Using the Dao as a brush, one carves their will upon the heavens, which is called the Sky-Writing Divine Ability.]
There were a few lines of phrases contained on the stone monument, but the content was a bit short.
‘Is this the end?’
Just three sentences were all that was contained on the stone monument.
If it were a book, it was equivalent to only a few lines of the preface being written, and the rest being completely blank.
Normally, whether it was a cultivation method, a spell, or a special divine ability, a concrete training method or formula should be written. Yet three sentences were the end.
After contemplating for a moment, he deployed the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye to its limit.
Wondering if by some chance any secret was hidden, he thoroughly examined the stone monument.
The stone monument was an ink-colored pillar ten meters high, which had a square shape when looked down from above, and a structure that grew sharper toward the end.
‘The restoration seems to have been done properly… strange.’
As proof of that, the stone monument that had been sucking in black clouds without rest fell silent.
It meant the restoration was finished, so there was no longer a need to absorb black clouds.
Both the bottom and the sides were complete without a single scratch, and the trace of being cut in half was also gone.
It did not look like there was any particular problem, but it was strange because the content was too lacking.
Could the content have been lost as the stone monument shattered?
If not…
[If you have mastered the method of grinding ink, next is the method of writing.]
Re-reading the first sentence of the Sky-Writing Divine Ability, he thought deeply.
‘The method of grinding ink.’
At the familiar phrase, the spell he had mastered recently suddenly came to mind.
[If you wish to write, you must know how to grind ink.]
[The Black Cloud True Scripture is the method for that.]
The dark-patterned jade slip obtained after fighting Wi-ryeon, an Unity stage cultivator of the Sacred Scale Alliance. It was the content contained therein.
‘If the Black Cloud True Scripture is the method of grinding ink…’
Did it mean that he had to properly master the Black Cloud True Scripture to enter the gateway of the Sky-Writing Divine Ability?
Was it not openly saying so? That if you have mastered the method of grinding ink, next is the method of writing.
It was not certain, but it was a quite plausible guess.
If he raised the proficiency of the Black Cloud True Scripture further, perhaps other contents hidden in the stone monument would be visible.
【Spells】
Black Cloud True Scripture (Orthodox, 7.01 million / 200 trillion)
‘200 trillion… it is not to the extent of being unable to raise.’
Obtaining several fortuitous opportunities recently, the recovery amount of his Supreme Great Ability had surged.
As he ascended to the Unity stage, the maximum limit of the Supreme Great Ability increased to 10 trillion, and as the training ground was created in the Secret Realm of the Mind, the recovery cycle of one month was shortened to ten days.
Even the massive amount of 200 trillion could be filled with just about a year of investment at most.
‘Good.’
Deciding to raise the Black Cloud True Scripture later when he had leisure, he moved on to the cultivation method he was paying the most attention to recently.
Although he was curious about what kind of abilities the Sky-Writing Divine Ability would have, it had a lower priority than this cultivation method.
【Cultivation Methods】
Primordial One Qi Art (Orthodox, 299 trillion / 300 trillion)
Exactly 1 trillion was left until Minor Success.
It was thanks to raising the proficiency in his spare time while restoring the stone monument over the past two years.
Having come this far, was there any reason to hesitate?
The moment he filled in the last piece.
‘Ah?’
At the inexpressible distance, all thoughts scattered like mist.
Having stood blankly, when he startled and came to his senses, all changes were already finished.
【Cultivation Methods】
Primordial One Qi Art (Minor Success, 1 / 30 Jing)
Looking at the status window stating that he had already achieved Minor Success, he felt slightly regretful.
He had wished to realize even a single thing while watching the process of the Primordial One Qi Art approaching the ideal, but with his current level, it was impossible to even perceive.
‘It cannot be helped.’
At any rate, it was a joyful thing that the Primordial One Qi Art had reached Minor Success.
‘Just one more step forward and it will be Grand Success.’
What would he obtain if he achieved Grand Success in the Primordial One Qi Art?
[Before all creation and phenomena took shape, there was the purest energy that existed alone in the primordial beginning. Pointing to it, it is called the Primordial One Qi.]
The cultivation method stated that if one obtained the Primordial One Qi, they could dramatically raise the success rate when breaking through a great boundary.
It meant it could replace a Great Ascension-stage spiritual object, which was pleasant to even imagine.
However, achieving Grand Success in the Primordial One Qi Art was not an easy task.
‘The required proficiency is tremendous.’
To think it is Jing.
Now that the maximum limit of the Supreme Great Ability was 10 trillion, how long would it take to fill 30 Jing?
Assuming he poured in all of his Supreme Great Ability as soon as it recovered, it would take about 820 years.
‘It takes an absurdly long time.’
820 years to obtain a Great Ascension-stage spiritual object?
In fact, it was an incredibly short time.
Probably every Unity stage Dao Sovereign existing in the world would rush forward saying they would do it.
It would be the same even if it took eight thousand years instead of eight hundred years.
Of course, to Jin So-myeong, who had ascended to the Unity stage in just three hundred years, it was indeed a frustratingly long time.
‘When I reach the late Unity stage, the maximum limit of the Supreme Great Ability will expand rapidly. If I raise it then, will it be roughly fifty years…?’
Fifty years.
Honestly, this also looked long, but it was somewhat bearable.
Suddenly, this thought also came: as his realm grew higher, the utility of the Supreme Great Ability was rising rapidly.
Imagining the vaguely rising future, he shook his head.
Although imagining how it would be in the future was pleasant, it would be troublesome to get too drunk on it.
He cut off his thoughts by intentionally taking slow, deep breaths.
Halting his miscellaneous thoughts, he concentrated on the changes that arose as the Primordial One Qi Art rose to Minor Success.
First, the most noticeable change was the energy capacity.
The amount of energy that could be stored in the Chaos Origin Wheel surged.
Exactly ten times.
It expanded rapidly to the point where it could not even be compared to when it was Orthodox.
‘At this level, there is no need to maintain the Silver Thunder Beads.’
The energy of the Lightning Tribulation made into a bead shape using the Chaos Sky Shattering Annihilation Palm.
He took out the Silver Thunder Beads and tried absorbing them with the Chaos Origin Wheel, succeeding extremely easily.
‘Is it about half full?’
Even after absorbing all of the silver lightning, the Lightning Tribulation that possessed absurd destructive power, it was spacious.
And also.
The silver lightning contained in the Chaos Origin Wheel began to be digested little by little.
Because the Chaos Origin Wheel’s ability to refine energy had also grown stronger.
In fact, he had tried over hundreds of times to digest the silver lightning over the past two years.
Regrettably, all had failed, so he was in the middle of devising what to do, but as the Primordial One Qi Art proficiency rose, he succeeded so easily that his worries were put to shame.
As the silver lightning that he had only forcibly swallowed began to digest, he naturally nodded.
Judging by the sluggish speed, it would take quite some time, but it was fine.
‘At any rate, it is important that it works.’
If he completely digested the silver lightning, he would be able to use it for the Lightning Escape Art too.
He looked forward to seeing just how strong a power it would display.
‘The ability to control energy has also grown stronger.’
The goal of the Primordial One Qi Art was, in a way, somewhat absurd.
To reproduce the primordial Qi of the beginning by gathering all hundreds of millions of energies existing in the world; there was a limit to arrogance.
Yet was it because of that?
The Primordial One Qi Art was specialized in handling all kinds of diverse energies.
Poison, Lightning Tribulation, heat or cold, and so on.
He could control even energy that was not properly refined, and that ability had grown significantly stronger.
Although it was slightly vague, he got a feeling.
That this change would be extremely useful in battle.
If used well, it seemed he could even overturn victory and defeat.
And for some reason, it seemed the changes of the Primordial One Qi Art would not end with this. He simply had not realized it yet.
‘…I should contemplate it slowly.’
Jin So-myeong, who was savoring the changes of the Primordial One Qi Art, dusted himself off and stood up.
It was about time to leave.
Although the Dark Heaven Academy was a decent place to cultivate quietly, it was insufficient for achieving rapid growth.
If he was aiming for the Great Ascension stage, it was correct to leave.
Furthermore, he had searched various parts of the Dark Heaven Academy over the past twenty-odd years, but had not obtained any particular harvest.
Since he felt he had obtained everything he could obtain, ending with the Sky-Writing Divine Ability, he had no regrets about leaving.
‘I must go to the Dark Heaven Xuan, and stop by the Sacred Scale Alliance first.’
Under the current situation, to obtain cultivation resources in large quantities, going to the Sacred Scale Alliance was best.
‘After that… I must investigate the Great Ascension stage.’
As soon as he learned that this region was the Xuanhuang Realm, he investigated the Great Ascension stage whenever he had an opportunity.
He did not openly ask someone, but merely looked up relevant books or compiled circulating rumors.
Yet strangely,
even though he had come to a region as wide as the Xuanhuang Realm, he could not find a Great Ascension stage cultivator.
It was not that there were no Great Ascension stage cultivators in the upper realm.
They certainly existed. It was simply that their locations were not revealed.
According to what he heard from Baek Myo-hwa, the patriarch of the Golden Rune Fox Clan, the last person to ascend to the Great Ascension stage three million years ago also vanished at some point.
According to rumors, they escaped the bustling mortal world and ascended to the heavens, but whether it was true could not be known.
‘I must go to the Dark Heaven Xuan and do some investigation.’
Since he had become an Unity stage cultivator, the quality of information he could access would have risen.
As a side task, he also intended to find out a way to return to the human territory.
Nodding his head, Jin So-myeong turned his gaze.
One hundred thousand kilometers away. Void Refinement stage cultivators monitoring this direction with a mirror-shaped magic treasure were visible.
They were those who had revealed themselves exactly two years ago, and at a glance, they belonged to the Sacred Scale Alliance.
Not long after he killed the Sacred Scale Alliance Dao Sovereigns, they came looking.
This was a place considerably far from the Dark Heaven Xuan, so how had they already arrived?
‘They must have installed teleportation arrays in various parts of the Ancient Wilderness. This is perfect.’
Thanks to that, it seemed he would be able to arrive comfortably at the Sacred Scale Alliance.
***
A faction with over five hundred…no, over four hundred…belonging Unity stage Dao Sovereigns.
A commotion arose at the total headquarters of the Sacred Scale Alliance.
“What? Say that again.”
“Informing the Patriarch. Jin So-myeong has seized the teleportation array installed in the Ancient Wilderness. They say he is heading straight here right now.”
“You fools… if you knew the teleportation array was seized, you should have cut the connection immediately!”
The disciple submitting the report to the Crocodile Flood Dragon Patriarch said in a flurry.
“We are sorry, but by the time we grasped the situation, it was already too late. Because Jin So-myeong possessed a bizarre disguise technique, it could not be noticed…”
The Crocodile Flood Dragon Patriarch, who was glaring at the disciple, tightly closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
“So where is Jin So-myeong now?”
“Probably arriving at the main gate before long…”
Boom………!
Even before the disciple’s words could finish, a roar resounded and the sky split.
And,
Jin So-myeong appeared, holding a single sword.
It was an event that occurred right in the midst of the Sacred Scale Alliance’s stronghold.
“Uh… it seems he broke through the main gate just now and came here.”
“…I can see that too.”
Brushing aside the disciple who spat out the half-witted words and swallowing his dry saliva, the Crocodile Flood Dragon Patriarch stepped forward himself.
“I did not know I would meet you like this. I am the Crocodile Flood Dragon Patriarch, Hyeon Baek.”
“Jin So-myeong.”
“…True to rumors, you are bold. Yes, what business brought you all the way here?”
Was it because of the commotion of the main gate shattering?
Jin So-myeong, who glanced at the Sacred Scale Alliance Dao Sovereigns gathering in an instant, said:
“I have come to bestow mercy.”
“Mercy…?”
Just as the Sacred Scale Alliance Dao Sovereigns narrowed their eyes.
“Does the expression bother you? Then I will say I came to request a conversation.”
The face of a middle-aged man, who had only just arrived and was grasping the situation, flushed red.
“Ha! Fine, let us hear it. Just what words did you want to babble that you committed this outrage?”
“Two thousand bottles of Golden Yang Immortal Dew.”
“What?”
“If you only give me two thousand bottles of Golden Yang Immortal Dew, I will cleanly forget that you fellows have been bothersome all this time. In fact, looking back, I did not suffer much.”
“…”
Everyone’s mouths fell wide open.
To think he charged alone into the Sacred Scale Alliance’s stronghold and babbled such extremely arrogant words…
it felt as though they were slapped in the face.
Furthermore, two thousand bottles of Golden Yang Immortal Dew. Did he even know how precious an object that was to act like that?
Just as they were lost for words and only twitched their lips.
Woooong!
The sword Jin So-myeong was holding vibrated and let out a sword hum, and Jin So-myeong, who paused to glance at the sword, cleared his throat.
“It says it also wants a Rank 7 sword.”
“No…”
He is even asking for a Rank 7 divine treasure?
Since the Sacred Scale Alliance was founded, it was the first humiliation experienced in hundreds of thousands of years.