The Spirit-Cleansing Grounds
Just as Jin Somyeong was looking forward to entering the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds, the Golden Core merchant spoke.
"Before you go in, let me first warn you of a few things. I'm sure you all already know this, but you may remain in the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds for exactly one month."
"Only one month..."
Several of the winners sighed in disappointment, but the Golden Core merchant was firm.
"Once the time is up, the restrictions will automatically transport you outside the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds."
"Ah."
"There is no room for negotiation on this matter. If we kept it open any longer, the vital essence of the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds would suffer too greatly. The next generation must also benefit from it, so one month is the best we can allow."
In the end, everyone meekly nodded. Once he had confirmed it, the Golden Core merchant spoke as if to console them.
"Do not be too disappointed. A month will be enough for each of you to raise your cultivation by at least one stage. Ah, and one more thing!"
As though it had only just occurred to him, the Golden Core merchant struck his fist into his palm and spoke with a playful air.
"There are many treasures in the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds. If you have the ability, take whatever you like. In exchange, swear just one thing: that if you one day form your Golden Core, you will replenish what you took with something better."
A vow?
Jin Somyeong wondered if they would have to sign some kind of contract, but no. It was truly just a vow.
"A single word is enough?"
"Your realms are still low, so you may not understand, but those of us who gaze toward the Great Dao must be careful with our vows. If something weighs upon the heart, it may one day become a heart demon and block the road ahead."
A heart demon...
He thought it over, but saw no particular problem.
After all, if he reached Golden Core, then treasures that seemed precious now would become trivial. Replacing them with something better would hardly be difficult.
"Good. Then we depart at once. All of you, board my flying carriage."
Under the gazes of the crowd, dense with envy, desire, admiration, jealousy, and every emotion in between, the ten winners climbed into the skyborne carriage and vanished in an instant.
The moment Jin Somyeong entered the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds through the teleportation formation, he saw an open blue sky and a river reflecting it.
The sight of that glass-clear river left him dazed, because he could guess what substance composed its waters.
So this is the Jade Purity Pool.
The same water as the Jade Purity Bath he had received as a tournament reward filled the entire river. The quantity was staggering—so vast that even if he absorbed it for a full month, he would be able to consume only the tiniest fraction.
"Ooooh!"
"Incredible! Just using the Jade Purity Pool should be enough to raise my realm by another stage!"
Excited voices rang out. They came from the other winners who had entered the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds with him, all of them staring at the Jade Purity Pool with sparkling eyes.
Even Ha Yulhui, daughter of the Sky Island Master, swallowed hard.
"...Everyone, hurry. A month is short."
The cultivators, who had been standing there as though stunned, snapped back to themselves.
Without waiting for anyone else to move first, they scattered in every direction and claimed their own spots, immersing themselves in the Jade Purity Pool and absorbing its spiritual power.
Jin Somyeong did the same. Faster than anyone, he moved far away from the entrance.
Whew. Finally alone.
He amplified his senses with the Boundless Great Ability and examined the surroundings. There was no one nearby.
The Jade Purity Pool was so wide it formed a horizon; simply putting distance between himself and the others was enough to ensure solitude.
He tapped his storage pouch.
Then he took out all the rewards he had received for winning the Ascension Tournament. The Sword Seed, the wooden box, and various spiritual medicines floated in the air before him as he concentrated.
I want to know if there is anything wrong with these.
Crack.
To make certain, he spent a full five hundred beads of the Boundless Great Ability at once, and a vague sensation swept through his mind.
If he had to interpret it...
It depends on how they are used?
He could only sigh at the nearly meaningless answer.
Every object in the world brought gain or loss depending on how it was used. Even water, indispensable for life, became harmful if one drank too much.
Still, at least I know they aren't especially dangerous.
In truth, he had tried to obtain information through the Boundless Great Ability more than a few times before, and the results were usually like this.
Jin Somyeong rubbed his chin, separated out only the Sword Seed, and asked again.
If I use this Sword Seed to create my life-bound magical treasure, will it endanger me?
A life-bound magical treasure was far too important. He spent two hundred beads of the Boundless Great Ability and posed the question more specifically.
"No problem?"
The answer was so clean that he felt relieved.
Its meaning was clear. The Sword Seed was that pure.
Most likely, even if he had checked it through some method other than the Boundless Great Ability, he would have been able to discover as much without difficulty.
Good.
Reassured, he stored it in his subspace. When he had time, he intended to plant it in the Mental Secret Realm and grow it.
Next to inspect was the wooden box the Sky Island Master had given him as an apology gift.
Click...
He opened it carefully, paying close attention, and saw a shape far too familiar.
An inner core?
It was a flawless crimson bead—a demon beast's inner core, radiating an energy so fierce it sent chills down his spine.
Yet something about it was strange.
The aura emanating from inside the wooden box was anything but ordinary.
...Could it be the inner core of a third-realm Demon King?
The instant he examined it closely with Divine Sense—
Roooaaar!
He flinched at the beastly roar that swept through him like an auditory hallucination. It felt as if sharp claws had raked across the nape of his neck.
A stabbing ache pulsed between his brows, as though a needle had pierced him there. Yet instead of feeling unpleasant, he found himself impressed.
As expected of the third realm.
It was already dead, nothing more than a corpse—and only a portion of one at that—yet this much power still remained.
After a moment's thought, he sent his Divine Sense into it again. Ignoring the prickling pain, he examined it as thoroughly as he could.
Thump... thump...
From a bead smaller than his fist, he sensed a power more ferocious than a volcano on the verge of eruption.
In particular, it was packed with blood vitality useful to body refiners. If he absorbed it bit by bit, it would be of great help.
It must have been a demon beast with an exceptionally tough body in life.
It was truly a satisfying gift. With this inner core, training in the Five Viscera Hundred Refinements Art would become far easier.
One thing the Sky Island Master had said, however, lingered in his mind.
He told me not to be tempted by shortcuts and lose my Dao heart.
What had he meant?
Was he warning Jin Somyeong not to absorb it too recklessly and become tainted by the demon beast's feral nature?
Jin Somyeong rubbed his chin, then closed the wooden box.
For now, it was enough to know that there were no major problems with the gifts he had received.
Since he had entered the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds, cultivation came first.
First, I'll challenge the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.
He immersed himself in the Jade Purity Pool, clear enough to contain not a speck of dust, and quietly closed his eyes.
Five days later, Jin Somyeong, who had not moved an inch, abruptly opened his eyes.
Crackle!
Lightning qi flowed over his skin, and the sensation pleased him. Surrounded by violent energy that might have killed an ordinary person, he smiled.
Why else would lightning qi, which should have been sleeping inside his dantian, be overflowing? Naturally, because his realm had risen.
Finally, mid-stage Foundation Establishment!
Because he had broken through a minor realm, his growth was dramatic.
The capacity of his Boundless Great Ability had doubled, increasing to a staggering four thousand beads. It was a truly enormous amount.
Since four thousand recover each month... that means about one hundred and thirty appear every day.
Was the Boundless Great Ability the only thing that had grown?
Of course not. Every one of his abilities, including his Sword Qi, had strengthened overall.
His Divine Sense, which had originally covered a range of one hundred meters, had exactly doubled to two hundred meters. That was already at the level of late-stage Foundation Establishment.
As he was now, he was confident he could fight Ha Yulhui head-on even while she used a third-realm magical treasure.
Mm. Mm.
After savoring the feeling of his newfound strength, he looked around.
Although he had done his utmost to absorb it for five straight days, the spiritual power emitted by the Jade Purity Pool remained unchanged.
He had not absorbed even a quarter of a quarter. No, not even the barest fraction.
Is there no way to take it with me?
The Jade Purity Pool had played a major role in allowing him to break through a minor realm so easily. If he could move this water into the Mental Secret Realm, it would be incredibly useful.
On the off chance it might work, he took out a gourd bottle and scooped up some water, but strangely, the moment he lifted it, it turned into ordinary water.
What a shame.
It was exactly as he had investigated before the tournament, but it was still regrettable.
If he could take this water with him, his cultivation speed would become extraordinary... but it would not be easy.
They said to take everything if I had the ability. They meant it literally.
In truth, everything in the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds was like this.
All of it was managed by strict restrictions, and there were only a few things one could actually take.
It was not difficult to understand.
The Spirit-Cleansing Grounds were an important foundation that allowed Sky Island to continuously produce Golden Core cultivators. There was no way they would allow any single person to sweep it clean.
If I use the Boundless Great Ability, I feel like something might be possible, but...
Jin Somyeong rubbed his chin, then rose from his spot.
The Jade Purity Pool was excellent, but it was not the only place in the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds.
Since he had achieved his first goal of reaching the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, next came the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art.
I need to go to the Blue Lightning Spring.
If he immersed himself in that lightning-attribute spirit spring, there was a high chance his proficiency in the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art would skyrocket.
Recalling the map of the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds he had received before entering, he fixed his direction.
Whoosh!
He flew through the air toward the outskirts of the Jade Purity Pool, only to see the cultivators who had entered the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds gathered together in a tight group.
Hm?
Rather than cultivating, they had lit a campfire and were chatting. Just watching them felt like a waste.
They went through all that trouble to enter the Spirit-Cleansing Grounds, so why are they resting?
He looked at them, gathered around Baek Yu-geon as they talked, then turned his gaze away.
It was puzzling, but he had no intention of involving himself in other people's affairs.
Just then—
"Jang... no, Fellow Daoist Jin!"
At the cheerful voice brimming with delight, Jin Somyeong sighed and descended to the ground.
Baek Yu-geon was waving at him with a bright smile, and Jin Somyeong answered him.
"What is it?"
"Haha! Please don't be so wary. I only wanted to talk. Hm? Now that I look, you've already reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment! Truly, congratulations."
"...Thank you."
The open goodwill made him feel oddly uncomfortable.
Baek Yu-geon, who had been called a candidate for victory, had ultimately placed fifth. Because he had lost to Jin Somyeong, his ranking had fallen sharply.
And yet he still approached him with such easy friendliness.
Did he not cling to victory or defeat? It was a personality Jin Somyeong found difficult to understand.
"Fellow Daoist Jin, don't tell me you spent all five days inside the Jade Purity Pool?"
"I did."
"Heavens. The Jade Purity Pool is wonderful, yes, but please don't overdo it. If the dantian and meridians grow too quickly, subtle damage can accumulate."
Jin Somyeong paused and shifted his gaze.
When he examined the cultivators resting around the campfire more carefully, he saw deep regret buried in their expressions.
They too wanted to continue cultivating. It simply was not possible.
So I avoided problems because of the Five Viscera Hundred Refinements Art.
Body refinement required dozens of times more cultivation resources than ordinary methods, but in ways both obvious and unseen, it was always helping him.
Baek Yu-geon gestured as if inviting him to come rest with them, but Jin Somyeong shook his head.
"Thank you for the advice, but as an independent cultivator, I find it far too wasteful to let an opportunity like this slip by. I intend to move diligently for the time I have left."
"Ah. In that case, I won't stop you. Please, just don't push yourself too hard."
After exchanging greetings with the resting cultivators, Jin Somyeong departed.
He flew for some time. When a faint peal of thunder reached his ears, a smile came to him of its own accord.
The Blue Lightning Spring!
What would spring water infused with lightning look like? He had expected something, and it was exactly as he had imagined.
A pool of blue water about four hundred meters across flashed ceaselessly.
Crack!
Each time the sound of lightning splitting the air rang out, thick bundles of electricity surged from the surface.
The way they lashed the air like whips looked extremely dangerous.
It was the sort of place no one in their right mind should ever enter.
Of course, that was by the standards of ordinary cultivators.
To me, it's practically medicine.
He approached the spring water glowing blue and carefully dipped his hand in.
Rumble!
Thunder burst like the sky itself had taken offense.
Lightning surged from the center of the Blue Lightning Spring and transformed into the shape of a dragon. As if possessed of a will, it flew straight at him.
Jin Somyeong instinctively started to dodge, then quietly closed his eyes instead.
Hiss...
Along with heat that seared his skin, lightning qi invaded through his meridians—but that was exactly what he wanted.
He circulated the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art and awakened the lightning within his mental image.
As one used poison to suppress poison, he devoured the unauthorized invading lightning qi with the energy raised from his dantian.
A fierce yet silent war broke out inside his body, and the result soon appeared.
As expected!
The lightning in his mental image, the symbol of the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art, had grown slightly larger.
Cultivation Arts
...
Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art:Proficiency 81,320 / 200,000
He checked his proficiency just in case, and it became even clearer. In only a few minutes, his proficiency had risen by ten.
As expected, the Blue Lightning Spring was a great help in training the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art.
Proficiency 81,330 / 200,000
Proficiency 81,337 / 200,000
Proficiency 81,351 / 200,000
Each time he absorbed lightning imbued with spirituality, the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art grew. The constantly rising proficiency was delightful.
If this goes well, I may be able to raise the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art to the orthodox stage here.
How much stronger would he become then?
Roughly twenty-five days remained. He could not afford to waste even a moment.
Rumble...
The Blue Lightning Spring threatened him, spewing lightning as though trying to drive away an intruder. Jin Somyeong's eyes gleamed as he looked at it.
Splash!
He leaped in as if diving beneath the surface, with the momentum of someone intending to absorb every last trace of lightning qi contained in that place.