The Longevity Fruit Awakens and the Battle of the Fading Castle
“Longevity Fruit...!”
My hand trembled as I reached toward the sapling before me. A moment later Seo Ran appeared, eyes wide as he gazed at the tree bearing the fruit. “This... this is...”
“It... it is?”
Seo Ran studied the Longevity Fruit with solemn eyes. “It is indeed the Longevity Fruit...”
“...Then...”
“But.”
Seo Ran’s face remained grave. “In this state where the fruit is not yet fully ripened, ingesting it will not greatly extend your lifespan. The Longevity Fruit activates its heavenly and earthly life force only after it is fully ripe.”
“...Then it increases it only slightly?”
“Yes, according to what I know, this unripe Longevity Fruit should add about six months to your life.”
“...Half a year.”
The difference between fully ripe and not seemed vast. “How long will it take for this Longevity Fruit to fully mature, in your estimation?”
“The Longevity Fruit requires roughly six hundred years from flower to fruit. Judging by its form, it appears to be about four hundred years old. Another two hundred years and it will ripen, and the other fruits will follow.”
“...I see.”
I let out a hollow laugh. Two hundred years. If I regressed again, pierced the Palace of Liberation, harvested the Longevity Fruit, and fed it to Kim Young-hoon, the only result would be an extra half-year of life.
I stroked the sapling before me. Suddenly, I recalled the wooden qi stirring in my dantian. Wood was one of the five elements that governed life force. Those who mastered wood-attribute techniques gained powerful self-healing and regenerative abilities. Among them, the monks who cultivated special arts could pull up wood qi to rapidly grow plants and trees. The Thousand Scales Tree Ocean was one such technique.
“...Seo Ran.”
Uuuuung!
I drew up the pure qi of the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean and showed it to him. “I am cultivating a wood-attribute technique. If I steadily infuse wood qi into this sapling, it could at least slightly hasten the ripening of the Longevity Fruit.”
“Hmm...”
Yet Seo Ran’s expression darkened. “As the senior said, wood qi does promote growth. But for fruits or plants that require an extremely long time to ripen, such as the Longevity Fruit, the amount of qi the senior would need to pour in would be far beyond imagination.”
“How much do you estimate?”
“I don’t know precisely. But even the Nascent Soul monks I know who tried to use wood qi to grow saplings did not succeed. Perhaps only those who have reached the Four Pillars realm can manage it...”
“Four Pillars...”
Meaning the High Grade realm.
“...Seo Ran.”
“Yes, senior.”
I looked at the Longevity Fruit. “You said it will take two hundred years for this fruit to ripen?”
“It is true, but...”
“Then, for the next two hundred years, I will remain here and steadily infuse wood qi into the Longevity Fruit.”
“S-Senior...?”
Seo Ran looked startled. “What do you mean by that...?”
“Even if it is nearly ripe, perhaps I do not need the strength of a Four Pillars monk. I will keep pouring qi in and observe how much faster the fruit will ripen than it would naturally.”
If I knew the exact amount of qi required, I could later replenish it from outside and accelerate the process.
‘Then in the next loop I will squeeze out even more qi and force the fruit to ripen.’
I could not simply leave the Longevity Fruit untouched, even if it was not yet ripe. No matter how much lifespan heaven granted me, I could escape fate’s threads through human effort.
‘I will definitely ripen this Longevity Fruit!’
I glared at the fruit, while Seo Ran looked at me with a troubled expression. “...Because of the friend you went to see, or rather, the one who ascended, the Pure Heavenly Venerable.”
Seo Ran guessed the reason and sighed softly. “...In that case, I will investigate a few more spots in the Palace of Liberation. I will report to the senior if I find anything, to see whether the Nascent Soul monks truly emptied the place before the war.”
“No need. If it is not related to longevity, Seo Ran may keep everything he finds.”
“...Understood.”
After bowing, Seo Ran left the Sapling Garden.
For several days I sat quietly, practicing the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean and steadily infusing wood qi into the sapling.
Several days later Seo Ran returned. “...Senior, I found several documents and the items left behind by the Nascent Soul monks.”
“Anything related to longevity?”
“No...”
He looked disappointed. “Only one-use talismans, immortal wine, incense herbs, or talismans that grant spiritual nature to ordinary beasts. Even those were useless.”
Seo Ran clicked his tongue. “Most of them are protected by arrays that even the Foundation Establishment monks had to break through in groups, so I gave up. The Nascent Soul monks who left them behind probably had no use for them either.”
“What are those one-use talismans and immortal wines?”
I asked, curious. Maybe one of them could slightly extend my life.
“The one-use talismans include the Seal Heaven Talisman that grants High Grade defensive power for a few hours, the Hong Zhao Talisman that forms a formation to trap enemies instantly, and the Transformation Monster Talisman that lets you turn into a monster for a short time. As for the immortal wines, I only saw the effects on jade cups: they temporarily boost strength, speed up cultivation, or clear the mind when smelled.”
“Hmm...”
“Most talismans and wines are one-time use. The remaining artifacts are either those that grant spiritual nature to beasts or strange items that digest food instantly. It seems they won’t help much.”
I listened and chuckled. “In other words, everything except the Longevity Fruit is trash.”
“Exactly. After all, even the Longevity Fruit is unripe, which is why the Nascent Soul monks left it behind.”
Seo Ran handed me a jade cup with a sigh. “This is the map of the Palace of Liberation’s structure. I marked the locations of the talismans, wines, and artifacts. Honestly... most of them are protected by arrays that require several Foundation Establishment monks to break, so their locations mean little. But since the senior intends to stay here for a long time...”
“Hmph. I have no interest in longevity items or pills other than the fruit itself, so I probably won’t search. Still, I appreciate the effort, Seo Ran.”
Having it would be useful later. I accepted the cup and committed the layout to memory.
Seo Ran said, “Then, senior. I will leave first. I cannot waste time in this ruined city.”
“Very well. When you leave, I will have the Ghost Ship take you to the outer edge of space.”
“Thank you.”
I led Seo Ran out of the Palace of Liberation, controlled the Ghost Ship, and transported him to the outer edge of space.
“By the way, senior, if what I know is correct, the Palace of Liberation appears on the continent only once every few hundred years. If you stay to protect the Longevity Fruit, other Nascent Soul monks might enter when it reappears.”
“It does not matter. Nascent Soul monks can be dealt with by my line.”
“Haha, as expected of the senior. Then I will take my leave.”
After bidding farewell, Seo Ran transformed into a dragon and flew toward the sea.
I had spoken my piece, but I sensed he felt burdened by my presence.
‘He moves quickly.’
Of course. Having a Foundation Establishment immortal with me was hardly comforting. I felt a touch of bitterness as I watched him depart.
He had survived this life. Demons had far longer lifespans than humans, and dragons even more so. With his lifespan, will, and talent, he would surely become a formidable Demon King in the future.
‘Good for him.’
I watched Seo Ran for a moment, then controlled the Ghost Ship to return to the Palace of Liberation.
The arrays that had been broken when Seo Ran left were regenerating. And then...
Kugugugu!
The Ghost Ship I had brought collapsed. This was the final fuel it had.
“...You held on well.”
I leaped from the Ghost Ship and dove into the Palace of Liberation before the arrays fully regenerated.
From behind, the Ghost Ship shattered and scattered into the spatial currents. I gazed at the wreckage for a moment before entering the palace.
From now on, it would be time for solitude once more.
I focused more on the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean than the Yin Soul Ghost Curse. The sapling required more qi, but the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean was a wood-attribute technique, and the Sapling Garden was in the Palace of Liberation.
‘It suits me perfectly.’
Although the Nascent Soul monks had taken most of the resources, countless saplings still remained here. Of course, the ones with weakened life force had been stripped, but the saplings themselves emitted wood-attribute spiritual energy. The Sapling Garden was even richer in wood qi than the Deungseonhyang.
‘This is the perfect space for practicing the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean.’
I spent my time cultivating the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean given by my master. Following the principle of the Cutting Through the Past and Opening the Future, I constantly studied and practiced the laws of the technique. At the same time, I observed and tempered the Invisible Sword and cultivated it further.
What thread had Kim Young-hoon left? What ultimate martial art had he unleashed? How had he manifested it in empty space without an opponent? No matter how many years I trained, I could not grasp it. All I had was a gradually deeper understanding of the Invisible Sword and a fuller mastery of the changes it produced. I could not sense how he had cut space.
150 years. The number of regressions had reached 150. That is, I had been in the Palace of Liberation for about 50 years. Uuung!
I inhaled spiritual energy and sensed the stars in my dantian. After steadily infusing wood qi into the saplings in the richly endowed Sapling Garden, the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean had grown rapidly. It now formed five stars: Jia, Geng, Di, Fang, and Xin.
‘Soon my master will catch up.’
It was bitter, but true. My master had formed the six-star formation Jia, Geng, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei. He was one star away from completing the seventh. The dense, overflowing wood qi here had allowed me to achieve this.
I had made remarkable progress. But...
‘The Longevity Fruit has hardly changed.’
Despite pouring qi into it for 50 years, its ripening rate had not improved much. How much more qi would be needed to see a difference? I sighed lightly and left the Sapling Garden to wander the Palace of Liberation. When it grew too frustrating, I would walk its halls.
Studying the map Seo Ran had given me, I familiarized myself with the structure and checked for any truly hidden treasures. Despite having mapped over 80 percent of the complex arrays and mazes, there were no additional pills or artifacts.
‘Of course, there are still arrays left...’
The glimpses visible inside them were, as Seo Ran had said, one-use talismans. Moreover, each array required several Foundation Establishment monks to break, so they held no interest. I passed them by.
‘Those must be the puppets of Goe-gun.’
Among the useless items inside the arrays, the interesting ones were the broken puppet remnants scattered across the Palace of Liberation. It seemed Goe-gun had also looted the palace, leaving puppet debris everywhere.
“Still, what level are these puppets... They look quite strong.”
There were many of them, though most were shattered. I could not imagine their original power. While I examined the puppet remains and other traces left by Nascent Soul monks, something unique caught my eye. ‘That...’
I pushed through the debris and approached. ‘Puppet...?’
A Goe-gun puppet. One of the more intact ones. The bee-shaped puppet looked complete.
‘The internal components seem damaged.’
The bee puppet, about human-sized, made a clicking sound when lifted, with something rolling inside. ‘Can this be repaired?’
What feeling had Goe-gun’s puppets possessed? I wanted to sense his power indirectly. What kind of person could simultaneously fight three Sects?
‘It seems he fought tactically through puppets...’
But not now. One day I would face him. Perhaps I should study his puppets then. I memorized the location, returned, and resumed cultivation.
Kugugugu!
“Hoo...”
I opened one eye and circulated the pure qi. In my dantian, seven stars of spiritual energy sparkled. The first star of the Foundation Establishment, Jia, Geng, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, had been completed!
‘90 years...’
Even here, in the absurdly rich Sapling Garden, I had barely reached it.
‘My master’s legacy also helped.’
190 years of regressions. Only now did I gain the qualification to enter the second star of the Foundation Establishment. But I worried about what lay ahead.
‘So far I borrowed the power of the Seven Star Ceremony from the Pure Heavenly Venerable to complete the six-star formation. The next, Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi, Bi, will not be able to borrow that power...’
My progress would slow. But the abundant wood qi would still allow steady advancement. The Longevity Fruit still showed no signs of ripening.
‘When will it bloom...’
I sighed softly and continued infusing qi into the Longevity Fruit. In any case, I began cultivating the second star of the Foundation Establishment: Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei.
About 30 years into the first star of the Foundation Establishment. Nearly 220 years since my first regression.
‘It is amazing that 130 years of lifespan still remain. Originally I was granted 300 years by heaven, and even now my days are countless.’
But...
‘The second star of the Foundation Establishment, Dou, has only formed one star.’
After 30 years of investment, I had only one star.
‘Before entering the Palace of Liberation, I trained the Yin Soul Ghost Curse in the Deungseonhyang. Once inside, I relied on the even denser wood qi to practice the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean and completed the first star in over 140 years.’
Relying on immense spiritual energy, I created a star roughly once every 20 years. But since receiving the power of the Seven Star Ceremony, it had slowed to one star every 30 years.
‘A talentless person would need a lifetime of 300 years of cultivation to reach the Foundation Establishment.’
How many years of suffering would it take for a flower to bloom? No matter how much qi I poured in, the Longevity Fruit would not ripen. No matter how much I cultivated, it was still far from enough for my talent.
Hoo—
I blew wood qi onto the saplings and weeds in the garden. Ssaruk!
The weeds shivered with the wood qi and instantly bloomed. I watched them with a wry smile. A sapling would require endless qi to grow, but weeds bloomed with just a little.
I thought perhaps my situation was similar to a weed’s. I grew rapidly because of regression, but beyond that I could not advance without overwhelming time. This was my limit.
‘Even if I lived another 100 years, I would at best form two or three stars.’
Perhaps it was because I had spent too long in an empty space. Lately I felt increasingly depressed. After all, long-term cultivation could drive one mad. I clicked my tongue and looked up at the ceiling. The Palace of Liberation had seven floors. The Sapling Garden was on the lowest floor, the first. But in its current state, the first and seventh floors were the same. The Nascent Soul monks had looted everything.
Perhaps the young Longevity Fruit sapling on the first floor was the palace’s only remaining treasure. Uuuung!
I imagined infusing qi into the sapling until it grew, pierced all seven floors of the palace, and shattered the entire structure. How much time would that require? I seriously considered the fantasy. A tree does not simply grow with time. It needs soil rich in nutrients, deep roots, water, shoots, stems, branches. The observer sees only size, but the tree works ceaselessly.
Roots, leaves, branches. Everything must be done by the tree itself. And every season it changes its clothes. Spring—colorful. Summer—green. Autumn—yellow. Winter—rest. I placed my hand on the sapling and continued cultivating the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean while infusing qi.
Kugugugu!
‘With every passing season, the tree grows one layer thicker.’
Wood qi flowed toward Seo Eun-hyun. Green tree shapes swirled around him.
‘Every year adds a ring to the tree.’
Seo Eun-hyun had become a green tree. ‘Layer upon layer... stacking years...’
The green tree and the young sapling seemed to exchange something. That was right. Seo Eun-hyun unconsciously connected with the sapling. After decades of focusing on one tree, dividing and dividing his qi, the sapling itself began to respond to his power, and the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean began to respond to the sapling.
‘So it grows slowly and grandly...’
Kugugugu!
“...Ah.”
At last Seo Eun-hyun opened his eyes. The massive mass of wood qi that had stacked around him flowed into his body. He looked at the sapling before him with a dazed expression. “Thousand Scales Tree Ocean.”
Foundation Establishment, second star. Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei. Paaaaat!
Upon comprehending the essence of the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean technique, qi surged in at an astonishing speed and the stars of spiritual energy began to form. Five stars blazed instantly.
‘Aah...’
A total of 12 stars of spiritual energy glowed in the dantian. ‘How many years has it been now...’
At some point my sense of time had vanished while I fed qi to the sapling. I placed my hand on the sapling again. ‘The rings...’
I poured qi into the sapling and read the rings that had formed. Then I laughed hollowly. Only 30 years. I had almost completed the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment.
“Ha, haha...”
Through observation and reflection on the tree, I had understood the inner meaning of the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean. That was why it had grown so overwhelmingly fast. What had happened was a kind of karmic coincidence. I would probably never experience a similar epiphany again. But gazing at the Longevity Fruit that was now clearly ripening before me, I could not hold back my tears. The Longevity Fruit had slowly ripened while consuming my qi.
‘...I was right.’
Perhaps merely confirming it was enough. 250 years of regressions. The middle stage of the Foundation Establishment was nearing completion. I had obtained the inner meaning of the Thousand Scales Tree Ocean and nearly had the Longevity Fruit’s fruit before me. Everything was going well. Kugugugung!
“What the—!”
The Palace of Liberation shook. At the same time, spiritual energy surged more wildly throughout the palace. “This...”
I hurriedly left the Sapling Garden and flew toward the main gate. Kiiiii—
The jade-green main gate of the Palace of Liberation. The gate was opening. Kuuung!
Wiiiiii!
Wind blew. I looked outside the gate. Blue sky. Yes. The outer edge of space. The Palace of Liberation, which had been floating in the outer edge of space, had reappeared in the mortal realm. Wiii—
“Kuh, cough, cough!”
I furrowed my brow at the dusty wind and quickly cast a purification technique. Why was so much dust coming from outside? I frowned and stepped out of the gate. Then I was startled. “The Dabcheon Desert...?”
The Palace of Liberation was currently floating above the Dabcheon Desert.
‘It only appears randomly once every few hundred years. This time it’s the Dabcheon Desert... How close is it to the Deungseonhyang?’
I was thinking this when... “Hmm...!?”
I suddenly trembled. The heavenly machine was inauspicious and chaotic. Now that I had reached the second star of the Foundation Establishment, more heavenly qi was readable.
‘Damn it, what is this inauspiciousness...’
I was about to read the heavenly qi closely when Kugugugu!
A massive explosion erupted in the Dabcheon Desert. ‘This... blood stench!?’
I furrowed my brow and pinched my nose. Then I realized I had smelled this blood stench before. Ooh!
‘That...’
Beyond the explosion, the dust cloud cleared to reveal a massive black castle that I had glimpsed once before. Chiiit, chiiit!
A chill ran through my body. The feeling of dread I had felt then reached its peak. And suddenly I recalled something. ‘The great war of 200 years later.’
Thinking about it, the 200-year mark was based on when I had lived 40 or 50 years. That is, the 250th year of my regressions.
‘Is it the time of the great war...?’
And then... Paaaat!
From the explosion site, people began flying toward the Palace of Liberation at high speed. ‘That... is the Rapid Flight Technique!?’
Dozens of human figures flew toward us. Each was a sect leader or elder, a Nascent Soul monk. “The Palace of Liberation has appeared!”
“Everyone retreat inward!”
“Hurry! Before the old monsters chase us!”
Pababat!
The dozens of Nascent Soul monks who arrived at the gate using the Rapid Flight Technique exchanged blood oaths with pale expressions. I asked one in surprise, “W-What is going on?”
“Who are you! How are you still alive at the Foundation Establishment stage!? Shut up and get out of the way!”
“Close the gate!”
“Seal the entrance!”
Kugugugu!
The jade-green gate began to close. At the same time, several Nascent Soul monks who had not yet reached the palace shouted from the explosion site. “Wait! Dou! Hold on!”
“Ah, no! Don’t close the gate yet!”
“Wait, wait!!!”
Kiiiek—Kung!
But the Nascent Soul monks who had entered the palace, faces pale, quickly exchanged blood oaths and the main gate slammed shut. “Hah... huh...”
“It... it’s closed...”
Only then did the Nascent Soul monks relax. “Ah, no... What is happening?”
I grabbed one who seemed to catch his breath. “You, what...”
And then... Kugugugu!
A blood light flashed behind the jade gate. The Nascent Soul monks inside the palace turned deathly white. “An old monster is knocking on the door!”
“I-It’s not going to break, is it...?”
“Hurry! Everyone pour qi into the gate and hold! As long as we hold until the Palace of Liberation re-enters the outer edge of space, the old monster won’t be able to chase us into space!”
Kwaquagwang!
But the moment another blood light flashed, the jade gate shook. It was about to open. “Haa, haaaaa!”
“This madman... Is this the power of that old monster...?”
“Everyone gather! Combine your strength to block the gate...”
“I... I don’t want to! We’ll all die!”
“Scatter! If we hide inside the palace, the old monster won’t bother searching for us...!?”
The white-bearded old man tried to rally the Nascent Soul monks, but they scattered in panic. “Ah, no! Come back! If we combine our strength we can block it! Combine your strength...”
And in the next instant... Kwaaaang!
The blood light exploded and the gate opened. And in the next instant... Puk!
The Nascent Soul old man exploded into a handful of blood, and someone stepped through the jade gate. I immediately melted into the air like a ghost using the Hidden Consciousness Technique and the Wansuigungmurok. He smiled coldly. “Low-level trash. You all tried to combine your strength to stop this lord but only managed to hide in the Palace of Liberation. Kkuk... I thought hiding deep would make me unable to find you. Foolish.”
Saaaah—
The blood stench was so thick it numbed the nose. At the same time, nausea rose in me. The mental state of a person beyond the Void Shattering realm that I had glimpsed. The man’s mind was disgusting to the point of vomiting.
“I am about to smash this palace to pieces. What are you hiding?”
Dududu...
I remained hidden, using the Hidden Consciousness Technique, the Wansuigungmurok, the Ghost Commanding Great Method, and the Hiding Technique. He approached me. Chiiit, chiiit!
‘What is this pressure...!’
My breath was blocked. ‘This strength... It is not the level of a Nascent Soul monk.’
Dududu...
He passed me and headed toward the Sapling Garden. ‘This person... must be...’
And in the next instant... “By the way, you are using quite an unusual technique.”
Udd!
He twisted his neck around to look at me. ‘A Yuan Ling stage monk...!’
“You don’t even run, and your face is well-balanced. You would make a good disciple for me, right?”
Hwaaaak!
As the man in the blood robe gestured, all the Hidden Consciousness Techniques and other hiding arts vanished. At the same time, I could not bear the disgusting mental state from him and collapsed, vomiting. “Why... aaaaaah! Uuuk!”
‘A Yuan Ling stage monk, one who has devoured countless powerful beings...!!!’
I saw the existence before me twist his face in disgust at my pathetic state.