A Treasure to Temper the Soul of Newlyweds

The moment Jin Somyeong poured in the Spirit Stones, the entire Mental Secret Realm shuddered. The spirit vein had broken through its grade and reached the high tier of the Third Realm.

The spiritual energy flooding his lungs was intoxicating. Compared to before, it had grown nearly one and a half times denser. The sudden swell of spiritual energy made his meridians ache, but only just enough to endure.

Good.

After carefully examining the state of his meridians, he closed his eyes and sank into meditation. He circulated Cheonroedochegyeol in abbreviated form, gauging the speed of his cultivation.

...It works.

He had achieved his goal. Before the secret realm opened, he was now certain he could break through to the second layer of Golden Core.

And then—

As the grade of the spirit vein had risen, so too had the Spirit Stone output. It had not been his main objective, but naturally, it was welcome news. The pain he had endured to temper his meridians felt worthwhile.

"Mm-hmm."

Just as he smiled in quiet satisfaction—

Whooom!

The heavy sound of something cleaving through the air reached him. When he glanced back, he saw a dark ink-colored longsword flying toward him in a straight line.

"Mugeuk?"

Why had the little one, who was supposed to be absorbing the Thousandfold Blackstone Sword in the spiritual herb field, suddenly come here?

The answer became clear at once. The dark longsword circled around him as if standing guard. Because of the sudden tremor that had rippled through the Mental Secret Realm, it had flown over to protect him.

The restless sword came to an abrupt halt. As if only belatedly realizing there was no danger, Mugeuk popped out from within the blade.

Wing-wing!

They transformed into their true form, a glowing cotton-fluff shape, and began flying around the surroundings.

That one has curiosity in absurd abundance...

At a glance, it looked like some harmless winged creature at play, but its speed was astonishing. Scattering Sword Qi, Mugeuk darted in every direction faster than any arrow could hope to fly.

They showed no sign of tiring, crossing the secret realm from end to end again and again. Apparently, the sudden expansion of space had left them wildly excited. If the little one had possessed a tail, it would surely have been wagging without a moment’s rest by now.

Jin Somyeong watched the oddly amusing sight for a while before looking away. Now he had to decide on his next worthwhile goal before entering the secret realm.

What would be best?

Raising his cultivation realm further was impossible with the time he had left, so it seemed right to focus on increasing his combat strength.

Should I buy more Dharma Treasures?

He considered it for a while, then shook his head. Dharma Treasures were not better simply because one had many of them. Unless one had learned some special secret art, two or three were the appropriate number.

He had yet to perfectly wield even the Thousandfold Blackstone Sword he had purchased recently. Buying more would only scatter his concentration.

As he wondered whether there was another goal worth setting, one divine ability suddenly passed through his mind.

...Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust?

That divine ability was the strongest weapon he possessed, but it had a fatal flaw: he could not control it perfectly. Every use emptied all his energy and left him exhausted, making it difficult to employ in actual combat.

If only I could adjust its firepower.

If he could freely regulate the amount of energy he released, the potential of Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust would rise to an entirely different level.

He searched through his memories. Once, in the past, he had succeeded in controlling Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust. When he fought the Wolf Demon King, he had fully restrained the divine ability, mixed it with Sword Qi, and unleashed it as a slash.

However, that experience had only been a partial success.

It wasn’t the proper Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust.

Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust was a divine ability that detonated the energy stored in his five viscera, but at the time, his five viscera had contained less than a quarter of their full energy. He had controlled a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠version of it cast with a mere speck of power.

...Still, once it mixed with Sword Qi, it was absurdly powerful.

It had felt as though all its destructive force had been concentrated along the edge of the blade. Considering it had sliced even a Third Realm Demon King apart in a single stroke, there was no need to discuss its might.

Then should he solve the problem by lowering the amount of energy stored in his five viscera?

That feels like a shame.

Reducing the power because it was difficult to control seemed reasonable at first glance, but it felt as though he was putting the cart before the horse. To lower its power, he would have to reduce the magic power stored in his five viscera, which functioned as his dantian.

But if he did that, the magic power he could use ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in ordinary situations would also decrease. There were too many drawbacks.

...For now, I should try using it myself.

Sitting still and thinking was unlikely to produce an answer. Jin Somyeong left the cave dwelling and mounted the Black Jade Flying Boat.

After flying at full speed for three hours, he arrived in a stretch of plain where not a single person could be seen. There was nothing there except weeds grown as high as his waist.

The instant he thrust out his fist, everything along its trajectory vanished. Even the distant clouds were torn to pieces, revealing a clean, empty sky.

Whoooosh!

A gale surged belatedly after the attack. Wind rushed in to fill the vacuum carved through the air.

"...Hah."

Jin Somyeong, who had been focusing on that fleeting instant, let out a low groan. Before he knew it, all he could feel was an empty dantian.

The moment he decided to use Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust, every step of the process had ended in an instant.

Is it because I consumed the Wind-Acupoint Lantern? Its activation has grown even faster.

Somehow, Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust became more powerful the higher his realm rose. Without question, that was a good thing, but the difficulty of controlling it had also risen.

As he stroked his chin, he gripped high-grade Spirit Stones in both hands. He intended to recover, then try again.

A month passed.

One day, after spending his days focusing on cultivation and traveling to secluded places to unleash Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust, Jin Somyeong nodded to himself.

After using the divine ability dozens of times over the course of a month, he finally understood.

With my current control over magic power, it’s impossible.

Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust was like popping a balloon with a needle; controlling it was extraordinarily difficult. It felt like trying to forcefully lift a heavy object with insufficient strength.

It was not something that could be solved with a trick. To move something heavy, one ultimately had to increase one’s strength.

Then how should he increase that strength—his control?

I have to temper my soul.

Once the direction of the solution was decided, his objective became clear. He wandered through Gwangya Immortal City, asking after cultivation methods or spiritual objects that could strengthen the soul.

...This isn’t easy.

For the first time since arriving in resource-rich Gwangya Immortal City, he learned that some things could not be bought with Spirit Stones.

Until now, he had tempered his soul with ease through the Mental Secret Realm, so he had not realized that strengthening the soul was one of the most difficult forms of cultivation. Spiritual objects related to the soul were extraordinarily rare.

On top of that, the range of Jin Somyeong’s Divine Sense was currently two kilometers, the level of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. Since he had already surpassed his realm, ordinary spiritual objects would have no effect.

He diligently searched the immortal city for several days, but obtained no results.

What now...?

Truthfully, his current actions might have been meaningless. Given enough time, the Mental Secret Realm would eventually strengthen his soul, and once his proficiency in the Five Viscera Hundred Refinements Art increased, the flaw in Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust might improve as well.

Of course, that did not mean he had no need to make an effort, so he did not stop asking around.

Then, one day, after he had continued his inquiries without giving up, he heard news that a gathering for Golden Core merchants would be held in Gwangya Immortal City. It was a meeting where cultivators shared difficulties in cultivation and exchanged treasures they possessed.

I should go.

The timing was perfect. On the appointed day, he went to the location of the gathering.

It was an estate so enormous it could be called a castle. When he entered the main hall, he saw more than ten Golden Core merchants seated with composed dignity.

"You are a new face."

At the friendly greeting of a beautiful, voluptuous woman, Jin Somyeong smiled in return.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. My surname is Jin, so please call me whatever is convenient."

"You may call me Madam Ryeo."

"I am surnamed Cho."

After the brief introductions ended, the Golden Core merchants began bringing up their matters one by one.

"I recently caught a mutated demon beast, but the creature has such a violent temperament that it refuses to listen."

"Have you formed a spirit-beast contract?"

"Of course."

"Strange. Then try learning a Beast-Taming Script. If you acquire a proper cultivation method for handling spirit beasts, it should improve somewhat."

"A decent Beast-Taming Script is not easy to obtain..."

"I happen to have a fairly good method. Are you interested?"

Overall, the atmosphere resembled the Foundation Establishment gathering he had once attended on Sky Island. It was a place where everyone sought what they needed or shared difficulties they had encountered in cultivation.

"Are there any fellow Daoists here proficient in fire-attribute spells? I would like to make a request."

"What sort of matter is it?"

"It is not dangerous. I am trying to refine a special Dharma Treasure, and I require intense firepower."

"Hmm."

A Golden Core merchant who seemed to have learned fire-attribute spells moved his lips. The two faced each other, apparently conversing through voice transmission, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and soon nodded. The transaction had been concluded.

So this is how it works.

After observing the meeting and grasping the atmosphere, Jin Somyeong spoke.

"I am looking for spiritual objects or cultivation methods that strengthen the soul. It does not have to be the object itself. If you can simply tell me where such a thing may be found, I will offer compensation."

"The soul?"

"Hmm..."

He waited, but no useful information emerged. A few people merely cast curious glances his way.

Jin Somyeong withdrew with a sigh, and the turn passed to someone else.

"Recently, I have been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠researching a method to nurture lightning energy using wood- and metal-attribute spiritual energy. The lightning energy is too tyrannical, however, and controlling it has proven difficult. How might I..."

After the meeting ended, Jin Somyeong was returning to his cave dwelling empty-handed when his brows narrowed. Someone had followed him.

Still, there was no sign that the person was trying to hide their presence, so they did not appear malicious. He moved to a deserted place and waited, and before long, a plump, curvaceous woman appeared.

"Madam Ryeo. Do you have business with me?"

"Do not be so wary. I followed you because of the soul-related spiritual object you mentioned earlier, Fellow Daoist Jin."

Jin Somyeong paused, and his expression brightened slightly. His effort in asking around had borne fruit.

"What kind of spiritual object is it? If you intend to sell it, I will buy it."

"My, do you even know how much such a thing is worth?"

She smiled playfully with her eyes. Jin Somyeong stared at her and said,

"Ten thousand high-grade Spirit Stones."

Madam Ryeo’s eyes widened at once. She opened and closed her mouth several times before shaking her head and glaring at him sidelong.

"Do not joke with me."

"..."

"Even if you meant that seriously, it makes no difference. No matter how many Spirit Stones you offer, I will not sell it, so stop."

"Then why did you follow me?"

When he asked with a frown, she hesitated, then surveyed their surroundings. Only after checking again and again did she seem reassured, and she spoke in a cautious tone.

"The truth is, I discovered a soul-related spiritual object, but it is in a place where harvesting it will not be easy. I need someone to help me."

"Are you saying you will give me the spiritual object if I help?"

"Yes. But your share will be exactly one. I found the spiritual object in the first place, so you have no complaints, I assume?"

He examined her expression closely, but she did not seem to be running a scam.

After a brief moment of thought, Jin Somyeong asked, "What spiritual object is it?"

"If you swear that, for at least one year, you will not tell anyone else about today’s conversation, I will tell you."

"...Very well."

It was not particularly difficult, so he made a light oath. Only then did her heavy lips finally part.

"It is a five-hundred-year-old Moonbright Grass. If you help me, I will give you one petal."

He gave a short sound of admiration and nodded. Moonbright Grass was a spiritual herb with twelve petals, and it was a soul-related spiritual object effective even for mid-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Not bad. But why come specifically to me?

If she offered a petal of Moonbright Grass as compensation, there would be no shortage of Golden Core merchants willing to help.

As he grew suspicious, her voice continued.

"Do not worry over nothing. I happened to be looking for someone to help when I heard what you said, so I followed you."

Her tone was casual, but thanks to his keen senses, he did not miss the way her gaze brushed over the Five Elements Sword.

Ah.

Only then did he understand the situation. At present, the Thousandfold Blackstone Sword was in the Mental Secret Realm, being absorbed by Mugeuk. That was why he had the Five Elements Sword, a Second Realm magic artifact, hanging at his waist, and it seemed she had misunderstood because of it.

A wandering cultivator at the first layer of Golden Core, without even a proper offensive Dharma Treasure. From the perspective of Madam Ryeo, who was at the third layer of Golden Core, he was someone she could control even if something unexpected happened.

Do I really look that weak?

He wondered what expression Madam Ryeo would make if she learned that more than five Demon Kings had died after being cut by this Five Elements Sword.

He was curious, but there was no need to ruin something that was going well.

"How long will it take to reach the place where the Moonbright Grass is located?"

"To be safe, about fifteen days."

"Good. Then please tell me specifically how I am to help you."