The Second Layer of Golden Core

Half a year remained before the secret realm opened.

Jin Somyeong, who had been devoting himself to cultivation in order to reach the second layer of Golden Core, stroked his chin.

Hmm... This isn't easy.

In truth, there was no particular problem. Reaching the second layer of Golden Core before entering the secret realm was as good as certain.

The only thing that had failed to go as he wished was his attempt to use the Blood Spirit Clone Art in his cultivation.

At first, he had assumed that training alongside his clone would increase his speed. Once he actually tried it, however, that proved not to be the case. Even if the Blood Spirit Clone Art divided his body, the mind controlling it remained one and the same.

It just feels like my concentration is being split.

Of course, the clone was not meaningless. It was useful in all sorts of areas.

Since the clone had no need to fear injury, it could be used for dangerous experiments and harsh training without hesitation. Experiments that altered the circulation routes of his cultivation art in order to improve its efficiency, practice in imbuing Sword Qi with Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust, and so on.

He could carry out perilous training that would not have been strange for an ordinary cultivator to die from several times over.

...Still, it is a little disappointing.

If one was going to have a clone, it ought to possess at least enough ability to move and judge on its own. The Blood Spirit Clone Art felt like something only half complete.

Will it change once I reach the Nascent Soul realm?

That was highly likely, but he had no intention of doing nothing and simply trusting in that possibility. What mattered was always the present. If there was something he disliked, he had to solve it.

"Hmm."

He folded his arms and sank into thought.

The greatest flaw of the Blood Spirit Clone Art was the absence of a mind capable of controlling it.

It would be convenient if my mind split into several along with the creation of clones.

A stray thought flashed through his mind, and he snapped his fingers. It felt as if he had glimpsed the direction of a solution.

A secret art that divided the mind.

If he could learn that, one of the Blood Spirit Clone Art's problems would disappear.

Hmm... But secret arts related to the soul and spirit are difficult to obtain.

Would it really be easy to split the mind without side effects? Even at a glance, it seemed difficult.

He was scratching his chin in thought when—

"Ah!"

He remembered Hye-gong, the puppet master.

A puppet master who controlled several puppets at once was highly likely to know something about secret arts related to the mind.

Once the thought occurred to him, he did not delay and immediately took action.

Fwoosh!

He burned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a sound-transmission talisman and contacted Hye-gong. After waiting several minutes, a reply came back telling him he could visit at any time, and Jin Somyeong immediately left his cave dwelling. Acting quickly was one of his strengths.

Whoosh!

He crossed the mountain range known as the cave-dwelling district. After passing over dozens of rugged peaks, he arrived at a grand castle that occupied three mountains at once.

Mokjin Machine Hall.

Judging by the plaque hanging over the entrance, he had found the right place. This was where the puppet master Hye-gong lived.

It's enormous for a cave dwelling.

For one thing, the entrance itself was huge. It could almost be called a city gate.

There were even gatekeepers.

A third-rank tiger puppet guarded the entrance like a guardian deity, and beside it, though they were only at Qi Refining, actual people were on duty as well.

There were three gatekeepers in total, and their matching attire gave the impression that they belonged to a single organization.

Did he establish a sect inside his cave dwelling?

On second thought, there was no reason he could not. The cave dwelling where Jin Somyeong lived could also accommodate a small sect.

Hye-gong's cave dwelling was only low-grade third realm, but its area was larger. Since it consisted of three whole mountains, it was well suited to founding a sect.

Jin Somyeong had been standing at a distance as though admiring the scenery. The moment he took a step forward, the gatekeepers, who had been snickering and chatting among themselves, stiffened.

"G-Greetings, Senior. May we ask what brings you to our Mokjin Machine Hall?"

"I've come to meet Fellow Daoist Hye."

"...Do you mean the Hall Master? Please wait a moment. I will send word inside at once."

The gatekeeper, speaking quickly as though nervous, suddenly paused.

He studied the Five Elements Sword at Jin Somyeong's waist, then his expression brightened as he asked,

"Might you be Senior Jin?"

"Hm? You know me?"

"I have never met you in person, but I have heard about you. The Hall Master instructed us to escort Senior Jin inside immediately if you ever came."

"Fellow Daoist Hye was considerate."

"This way, please. I will guide you to the reception room."

Just as the Qi Refining disciple bowed with the utmost courtesy—

"There is no need. I shall receive him myself."

Hye-gong's voice came from the mouth of the tiger puppet beside them.

The gatekeepers were startled, but only for a moment. Soon, Hye-gong flew down from the sky.

"Fellow Daoist Jin. It has been a long time. I did not expect you to visit so soon, so my preparations are lacking."

"Not at all. I should be the one apologizing for arriving so suddenly."

"Haha. If not for you, Fellow Daoist Jin, I might already be dead. Please don't concern yourself with such trifles."

Leaving the wide-eyed gatekeepers behind, Jin Somyeong followed Hye-gong into the castle.

He was more extravagant than I expected. No, perhaps he simply likes things that sparkle.

The corridors and many other places were filled with sculptures made of gold, silver, and jewels.

When he examined them with Divine Sense, they were not gilded; they were solid gold.

Of course, to cultivators, minerals without spiritual energy were no different from stones. With a single Spirit Stone, one could buy enough ordinary gold to fill a wagon.

Seen another way, perhaps he's actually frugal.

Eagles, foxes, wolves, two-headed snakes, and more.

As Jin Somyeong looked over the sculptures, which were so exquisitely made that even a single strand of fur and each facial expression seemed tangible, Hye-gong spoke as though embarrassed.

"They are a little crude, aren't they? I carved them for practice when I was young."

"You carved these when you were young? Hah. It seems you were remarkably skilled with your hands even then."

"Ahem. Remarkably skilled? Hardly. I carved these around the age of sixty, so it was precisely the fiftieth year after I began practicing puppet arts. Anyone who trains for half a century can manage this much."

Hye-gong's tone had turned cheerful, perhaps pleased by the compliment, but Jin Somyeong could not help pausing.

Sixty counts as young?

For an instant, he felt a sense of dissonance, but he soon accepted it.

This place was not Earth. It was a world of long-lived beings who lived for hundreds of years.

By Golden Core standards, with a lifespan of five hundred years, sixty was the equivalent of youth in one's teens by mortal measures.

In any case, this was not what he had come here to discuss.

Now that they had loosened the mood with small talk, Jin Somyeong asked directly as soon as they reached the reception room, without bothering to circle around the matter.

"Fellow Daoist Hye. Do you know of any secret arts that divide the mind into several parts?"

"...Are you perhaps in need of a soul-splitting art?"

"Yes."

Hye-gong let out a low hum, as though he had been asked a difficult question.

"Most soul-splitting arts have considerable side effects. Learning one in itself will not be easy..."

"What sort of side effects are we talking about?"

"Emotions such as sadness or joy may vanish. One may become mad. And if something goes wrong, the split personality could even threaten the original body."

"Hah."

The side effects were far more serious than he had expected.

While he was frowning, Hye-gong continued.

"To be honest, the puppet art I practice does include a soul-splitting method with comparatively fewer side effects. However..."

Hye-gong hesitated, then sighed.

"I am sorry, but I cannot teach it to you. When I entered the old Mokjin Machine Hall, I swore never to leak our cultivation arts to outsiders."

"...I see."

Jin Somyeong considered offering compensation in exchange for the art, but soon abandoned the idea.

A cultivator's primary cultivation art was their foundation and their most important secret. No matter that Jin Somyeong had healed Hye-gong, there was no way he would reveal it.

A pity.

Still, it was not as though he had gained nothing.

Now that he knew puppet arts included soul-splitting methods, the solution naturally followed.

First- and second-rank puppet arts should be easy enough to obtain. If I evolve one through the proficiency system, it may become a usable cultivation art.

As he stroked his chin in thought, Hye-gong cleared his throat and spoke.

"Soul-splitting arts without side effects are exceedingly rare, but that does not mean there is no way to obtain one. The Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda will open soon, so you may as well aim for a soul-splitting art there."

Jin Somyeong tilted his head.

According to what he had investigated, the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda contained many treasures, but its internal structure changed constantly, making it difficult to aim for any specific item.

"You are telling me to find a soul-splitting art in the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda? To be honest, that seems difficult."

When he asked in puzzlement, Hye-gong glanced around. Then, as though whispering a secret, he lowered his voice.

"It is not certain, but there is a rumor that the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda responds to desire."

"Desire...?"

"Yes. They say that when one first enters the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda, if one strongly wishes for something, the chances of obtaining it increase."

Jin Somyeong paused at a story he had never heard before, and Hye-gong's voice continued.

"If you yearn for a soul-splitting art, Fellow Daoist Jin, the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda may guide you to one. Of course, I cannot guarantee you will definitely obtain it. The pagoda has a tendency to act as it pleases."

He had not neglected to investigate the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda, so why had he not known such important information?

When he asked about that, Hye-gong smiled bitterly.

"The natives of Gwangya Immortal City likely know. However, in the end, what cultivators want tends to be similar, does it not?"

"...Nascent Soul spiritual objects?"

"Correct. Some may also wish for treasures that increase cultivation speed. They remain silent because they do not want to increase the number of competitors aiming for the same things."

Had Hye-gong not owed Jin Somyeong a favor, he likely would not have gone out of his way to tell him either.

"It has not been long since the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda appeared in the Sahon Wilderness, so information is still quite lacking. Still, if there are things you should beware of..."

Jin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Somyeong listened closely to the continuing explanation. There was a fair amount of useful information.

Half a day later.

After the conversation ended and he left the cave dwelling, Jin Somyeong made a circuit through the market.

He bought a handful of miscellaneous puppet arts and skimmed through their contents. Sure enough, most of the secret arts that divided the soul had severe side effects.

You lose your memory for a day or two every year? What kind of cultivation art is this?

In truth, such a side effect was on the minor side. The serious problem lay elsewhere.

The possibility that the clone might rebel.

A second personality created by splitting the soul. The greater the clone's autonomy became, the higher the chance it would revolt.

In Jin Somyeong's case, the danger was especially great.

The possibility that his clone would obediently listen to him? Slim. It was easy to understand if he thought about it from the opposite perspective.

What would happen if I realized one day that I was the clone?

What else could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he do?

There was no need to agonize over it. He would do whatever it took to dispose of the main body and regain his freedom.

Of course, since a Blood Spirit Clone could be erased with a mere thought at any time, the chances of a rebellion succeeding were slim.

My personality is the problem.

He let out a hollow laugh and shook his head. For now, he decided to set this matter aside and think about it again later.

It would be difficult to learn a proper soul-splitting art in a short period anyway.

Only half a year remained until the secret realm opened, so for the moment, it was right to focus on cultivation and reach the second layer of Golden Core first.

Five months later.

Boom!

A thunderous roar rang out across a quiet mountain.

In the cloudless sky, bright yellow lightning blossomed.

Strangely, the lightning had not descended from the heavens but surged up from the earth, dyeing the surroundings in its glow. Then—

"Huu..."

With a single slow exhale, the wildly rampaging thunder and lightning settled into silence.

At the center of the place where lightning had been raging stood a young man, Jin Somyeong. The instant a smile formed on his lips—

Flash!

He could not stop smiling at the translucent hologram that appeared before his eyes.

The second layer of Golden Core!

The moment his realm rose was always intoxicating.

Should he say that his rank as a living being had risen? It felt as though he had become a more superior existence.

"Heh..."

Unable to hide his joy, he focused his mind.

He brought under control the unstable magical power caused by his breakthrough and retrieved every trace of lightning energy that had leaked out after escaping his control.

Good.

Then he went over the recent changes one by one.

First, as the Five Viscera Hundred Refinements Art reached ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lesser Completion, his lifespan had increased by thirty years. With this, it was certain that the Five Viscera Hundred Refinements Art affected lifespan.

Is this a change caused by the proficiency system?

He had never heard that the Five Viscera Hundred Refinements Art circulating on the market had such an effect.

An ordinary Golden Core cultivator could live only five hundred years, yet Jin Somyeong already possessed a lifespan of seven hundred.

Fantastic.

His Boundless Great Ability had also increased from one hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand.

The divine ability that had always supported him so reliably had grown stronger.

Naturally, his magical power had increased as well, becoming one and a half times stronger than when he had been at the first layer of Golden Core.

Unable to restrain himself, Jin Somyeong grinned broadly, then checked his spells.

These were what he had raised over the past five months after deliberating over where to spend his Boundless Great Ability.

First, Cheonbyeonmanhwagong, his disguise art, had become even more refined after reaching Orthodox Mastery.

Even Divine Sense at the late Golden Core level could not sense anything strange, so although it was only his guess, it seemed likely to work even on Nascent Soul experts.

Hmm... Would Nascent Soul be too much? If they examine me closely, perhaps they might notice.

In any case, it seemed it would prove useful in the secret realm he would soon enter.

Also, as the Wind-Riding Art reached Lesser Completion, the power of all wind-related spells had been amplified.

The Windfire Divine Scripture had grown about thirty percent stronger, and his normal movements had also become meaningfully faster.

Now, even without using Lightning Escape, he was confident he could move faster than a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Good.

He had made truly tremendous progress over the past three years.

Now, only one thing remained: to enter the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda and obtain treasure.