Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Awakening
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Summer's heat had ripened even further.
A great many things had happened.
First, Toto-seo and Ji-am-seo had gotten married.
It was the culture among Labyrinth Scholars to simply register at the government office without any formal ceremony.
And so Seoran had sent only a congratulatory gift.
Next, Jang Seonhwa had moved out on her own.
It wasn't due to family discord; she was just tired of going back and forth between her family home and Seoran's estate.
She was currently staying in the guest quarters of the estate.
The inter-sect ball game tournament had also taken place.
Over ten sects from the Eastern Coast Alliance had participated.
Damcheong had been relegated to supervisor due to the age restriction.
But the most important matter was something else entirely.
Seoran had finally harmonized her Quad Spirit Roots.
It had been six years since acquiring the Fire Spirit Root on the Southern Continent.
The joint headquarters was ecstatic, and all the monthly magazines were plastered with news of Seoran.
However, Seoran was suffering from an acute lack of training.
*****
Seoran muttered blankly in the face of a laid-off breadwinner who had lost his job overnight due to restructuring.
"What now?"
Today's training session of three shichen—six hours—had already ended.
Of course, she could force it to last longer.
But any training beyond what was needed to maintain her senses was pointless.
She still had about three years left until the Swimming Realm sun.
Until then, she had no choice but to idly waste away.
That was why Seoran was squirming in boredom.
That said, Seoran's schedule wasn't completely empty.
She still had a variety of tasks left: writing the Doll-Doll series, researching doll arts, habitual meditation, serving as Earth Mother God, tending to the Food Mountain Great Peng, social activities, and more.
But for a superhuman who didn't even need sleep, the days were far too long.
If this were Earth, she could have binged movies to her heart's content.
But in a world without even cameras, no such thing as entertainment videos existed.
At best, reading novels or magazines was the extent of cultural life.
And so, for the past few days, Seoran had skimmed through novels and magazines, grumbling nonstop.
They're all so stale.
Not stimulating at all.
In truth, these were all just excuses.
She simply wanted to train.
She craved that thrill of advancing one step at a time toward becoming a better existence each time she accumulated spiritual power, circulated her technique, and recited her incantations.
At that moment, Jang Seonhwa called out to Seoran.
"Teacher, you have mail."
"Thank you."
"Aw, it's nothing."
Jang Seonhwa handed over two letters and left.
She was probably off to feed her pet rabbits.
Thanks to Jang Seonhwa bringing all her animals when she moved out, the entire estate had long since become a zoo.
Seoran examined the envelopes one by one.
Coincidentally, both letters were from research contractor institutions.
Judging by the luxurious envelopes, they had chosen to send letters instead of using messenger orbs out of a sense of formality.
Seoran opened the first letter.
It detailed the research progress on the Incense Burner Dharma Treasure.
Though it contained a vast amount of information, the summary was that they had discovered almost nothing so far.
Seoran decided to allocate more time and budget.
The second letter was from the archaeologists studying the ancient pillar.
It too concerned research results.
But the outcome was different from the previous one.
Surprisingly, the archaeologists had succeeded in uncovering the true nature of the ancient pillar.
However, they apologized for not being able to detail the findings in the letter.
It was for security reasons.
Seoran set down the read letters and stood from her seat.
She felt it was perfect timing, since she was bored anyway.
*****
Seoran headed to the International Academy headquarters.
Damcheong, who happened to be free, came along as well.
For reference, the inter-sect ball game tournament was still ongoing.
But it wasn't that Damcheong was slacking off as an irresponsible supervisor.
He had simply been eliminated from the round of sixteen at the speed of light.
An archaeologist near the reception desk spotted Seoran and Damcheong and greeted them.
"Ah, you've arrived. Let's head right over."
The archaeologist led the way to the research wing.
They reached their destination quickly.
Off in the distance stood the pillar, covered in ancient runes.
The lead researcher approached the group with an exceedingly awkward smile.
It was because all the funding came from Seoran's personal coffers.
The smile was steeped in the pathos of an impoverished scholar.
The lead researcher said,
"We are truly grateful for your visit. In truth, we should have come to you, but security concerns made it impossible. Now, if you'll follow me this way."
The lead researcher began explaining the research process on the ancient pillar, pointing here and there in the lab.
Seoran understood less than half of it but nodded vigorously in response.
Damcheong did the same.
Finally arriving before the ancient pillar, the lead researcher summarized the findings.
"In a word, this ancient relic is a kind of vault."
When the lead researcher finally said something comprehensible for the first time, Damcheong, who had been silent until then, asked,
"A vault? What leads you to that conclusion?"
The lead researcher unleashed another torrent of jargon incomprehensible to anyone but experts.
A lecture on specialized knowledge involving topological refraction and spacetime distortion—utterly unrelated to archaeology as far as anyone could tell—continued for quite some time.
The laymen responded mechanically once more.
Seoran, who had been nodding unconsciously, asked,
"So, what's inside it?"
The lead researcher replied,
"We haven't opened it. It wouldn't be right for us, who aren't the owners, to check the contents arbitrarily. Ah, of course, we do know how to open it. Would you like to see inside right now?"
"Sure, why not."
"That's a relief for us as well. Truth be told, we've been dying to know what's inside. I could hardly sleep at night."
The lead researcher, who had been brimming with curiosity since childhood, manipulated the relic with a genuine smile.
The more complex the procedures, the more the ancient relic began to emit a bright glow.
The other archaeologists stealthily gathered around the relic.
Watching the unsealing process, Seoran asked Damcheong,
"What do you think is inside? Maybe a dharma treasure?"
"The power to manipulate spacetime is the sole domain of Earth Immortals. Thus, the ancient relic itself is no different from a dharma treasure. A stored item can never be more lowly than its container. Surely some tremendous dharma treasure lies slumbering within."
"What brilliant reasoning! As expected of Damcheong!"
Seoran gazed at the ancient relic with swelling anticipation.
No one prepared a ten-million-won vault to store a million won in cash.
By common sense, every vault held contents more valuable than itself.
She was eager to see just what precious treasure lay within this vault tantamount to a dharma treasure.
Then, Seoran suddenly had a ridiculous thought.
"Heh heh, heh heh heh heh..."
"Seoran, why are you suddenly laughing?"
"Oh, just a funny thought."
Damcheong asked,
"A funny thought?"
"Yes. Think about how we've been using that ancient relic all this time. We've treated it half like a stove, using it just to boil water. And now it turns out it was actually a treasure chest. That's why you can never tell with the ways of the world."
"You're right. Oh, right—we even roasted potatoes and mushrooms on it once."
"Yeah, they got a bit burnt because we looked away for a second. You can probably still see the scorch marks if you look closely."
"Heh heh, I remember."
"Heh heh heh."
"Heh heh heh heh."
At that moment, a laughter that shook heaven and earth rang out.
"Ahahahahaha! Finally!"
Seoran and Damcheong looked at each other.
It wasn't either of them.
It was a voice neither had ever heard before.
In that instant, a flash of insight struck Seoran's mind.
Stored items were generally more valuable than their containers.
No sane person would store firewood or pebbles in a gold box.
But there was one exception.
A prison.
Prisons and vaults had much in common.
Both were built to isolate interior from exterior, so their structures weren't all that different.
The only distinction was what they held.
The same went for the capital sect's Brain Prison; the construction cost of a prison wasn't determined by the prisoner's ransom.
It was their level of danger.
If the ancient relic was a prison, who knew how dangerous the being trapped inside might be.
Seoran hurriedly shouted,
"Wait, stop the unsealing...!"
But before she could finish, the ancient relic shattered to pieces.
Heavenly energies whipped up like a gale.
A presence approaching from twisted spacetime.
The primordial spirit of an ascetic wrapped in black flames.
The being freed from its seal bellowed,
"Heaven and earth, tremble in awe! For I, Vanguard General Deng, have personally descended to the mortal realm! Ahahahahaha!"
The archaeologists fainted in droves from the killing intent of the one who called itself Vanguard General Deng.
Seoran and Damcheong simultaneously surged their spiritual power.
The enemy's presence was vividly felt; there was no escaping the fight.
Vanguard General Deng haughtily cried out,
"To think there are figures of note even in the mortal realm! Excellent! Behold clearly the might of the Quasi-Selection Realm!"
Vanguard General Deng charged at Seoran and Damcheong.
And was subdued in an instant.