Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Soul Transformation (2)
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About sixteen years ago, right around the time they had just returned from the expedition to the Southern Continent.
Damcheong planted a seed near Seoran's estate.
Its true nature was that of a colossal cactus.
The cactus thrived even in harsh environments.
It meant it could endure long periods of neglect.
There was no plant more suitable for Damcheong to raise.
In fact, the colossal cactus (age 16) had survived to this day despite its owner's indifference and neglect.
For reference, Damcheong had watered it exactly twice during that time.
Considering he never forgot to feed the carp five times a day without fail, it almost seemed deliberate.
By now, the cactus had grown to a height of 50 meters.
It still had a long way to go before full maturity, but it was starting to be usable for food.
That didn't mean chopping off the base entirely, of course.
Seoran plunged her knife deep into the cactus's surface.
She then moved the blade in a circular trajectory.
With skillful control of her strength, the cactus flesh separated into a conical shape with a popping sound.
Damcheong, who had been watching silently, spoke up.
“Every time I see it, I'm amazed by your dexterity.”
Deng Jingun nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. Is it because you handle carving knives so often?”
Seoran's flashy knife work sliced the cactus into bite-sized pieces perfect for eating.
“There, all done. Dig in.”
Damcheong and Deng Jingun began munching away at the cactus flesh.
Seoran picked up a piece and tasted it as well.
She wondered why it tasted like watermelon, but in a world where dragons and giants existed, she let it slide.
While Seoran pondered the differences between watermelons and cacti, Damcheong and Deng Jingun were deep in conversation.
Having listened to Damcheong's story, Deng Jingun asked a question.
“Desert giants? You're saying there are giants living on the Southern Continent?”
Damcheong nodded.
“Yes, they were living happily, even bathing in lava.”
“How tall were they?”
“Height? Probably a little less than twice the size of Shiksan Da-bung's true form.”
Deng Jingun glanced at the distant true form of the standing Food Mountain Da-bung and remarked.
“Considering the height difference, they must be an entirely separate species from the giant race inhabiting the Immortal Realm.”
Damcheong recalled the sights he had seen in the Immortal Realm before and said.
“You mean the giant race in the Immortal Realm, the ones so massive they reach the clouds?”
“Yes, exactly. They're native to the Immortal Realm.”
“True, the size difference is enormous. Hard to consider them the same species.”
Deng Jingun took a sip of tea and replied.
“Still, it's truly fascinating. Mortal Realm giant species of that scale are exceedingly rare.”
“Ah, it's because of the concentration of heaven-earth spiritual energy.”
“Most likely.”
At that moment, Seoran, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“Deng Jingun, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“After the Black Bamboo Sect and Golden Bamboo Faction ascend to the Immortal Realm, will they be able to settle in safely?”
During the ascension ritual, the heaven-earth spiritual energy of the entire mountain range had concentrated on the altar.
Thanks to that, Seoran had briefly experienced the level of spiritual energy concentration in the Immortal Realm.
As a result, a new worry had arisen.
Deng Jingun smiled faintly and said.
“I can guess what you're thinking. You're worried they won't even be able to compete with the major sects of the Immortal Realm, right? That the accumulated gap in abundant heaven-earth spiritual energy, cultivation resources, and superior techniques will be impossible to close?”
“It does worry me. You said that in the Immortal Realm, people can reach Soul Transformation without even needing rituals, because the heaven-earth spiritual energy is so abundant...”
“And that's not all. There are spirit fruits, though rare, that improve spirit root aptitude or immortal bone aptitude. Even for secret realm rituals, they don't have to wait for the optimal timing like in the Mortal Realm. All thanks to the Immortal Realm's spiritual energy concentration.”
A truly blessed environment for cultivation.
Seoran's expression rapidly darkened.
She could already envision a future after ascension where they were pushed around by the native Immortal Realm inhabitants.
Deng Jingun grinned mischievously and continued.
“But you don't need to worry too much. The Black Bamboo Sect and Golden Bamboo Faction have a smooth path ahead. It's all thanks to you, Investigator Ryu.”
“Thanks to me?”
“Of course. Shall I explain why?”
Seoran nodded vigorously.
Deng Jingun posed a question.
“You said you're from the secular world, right? How old were you when you joined the Black Bamboo Sect?”
Seoran had met Investigator Wang the year after becoming a duke's daughter.
“I joined at fifteen.”
“And when did you achieve Foundation Establishment?”
“The very next year, at sixteen.”
Deng Jingun couldn't hide his admiration.
“Oh ho, that was only a year.”
“I actually started cultivating at ten.”
“You were born into a tenant farmer family, weren't you? You probably didn't even have low-grade spirit stones. And with helping on the farm, did you even have time to cultivate? Less than four shichen (eight hours) a day—how is that even cultivation?”
Seoran and Damcheong unwittingly turned their heads.
Below the colossal cactus stretched the vast estate.
Geum Yeongyeong was having brunch in the central courtyard.
Deng Jingun's questions continued.
“When did you reach Core Formation and Nascent Soul?”
“Core Formation at twenty, Nascent Soul at thirty-five.”
“So, Foundation Establishment the year after joining, Core Formation in just four years, and Nascent Soul fifteen years later. And the Five-Colored Heart cultivation from Nascent Soul to Soul Transformation took less than thirty years.”
Seoran was sixty-four this year.
Seeing the numbers laid out made the speed sink in.
Considering a Soul Transformation cultivator's lifespan was two thousand years, it was even more absurd.
Seoran realized what Deng Jingun was getting at.
“Wait, you mean my realm advancement speed is that fast? Fast enough to overturn the gap with the Immortal Realm's major sects?”
“You still don't quite grasp it, do you? Well, I understand. The major sects that ascended from the Mortal Realm all harbored excessive illusions about the Immortal Realm. Calling it a paradise free of suffering, or that even Quintuple Spirit Root Holders could become immortals just by breathing.”
“Hey, I'm not that naive. I've learned from you for years—illusions about the Immortal Realm?”
Deng Jingun sighed and said.
“Then, on average, at what age does a native Immortal Realm Single Spirit Root Holder reach Foundation Establishment?”
“Hmm... seventeen?”
“The answer is twenty.”
Seoran couldn't accept it.
Foundation Establishment at twenty was no different from the average for Single Spirit Root Holders in major sects like the Black Bamboo Sect and Golden Bamboo Faction.
With the Immortal Realm's spiritual energy concentration being several times denser, how could the results be the same?
Deng Jingun resolved Seoran's curiosity.
“You received concentrated investment from your sect because you're a Single Spirit Root Holder, right? Spirit stones, pills, that sort of thing.”
“Yes, they pulled out some pillar roots for me.”
“So that's why Immortal Realm and Mortal Realm Single Spirit Root Holders achieve Foundation Establishment around the same time. It's not that the Immortal Realm major sects invest less—it's that Mortal Realm major sects invest far more than imagined. Of course, enlightenment plays a role too. Living in the Immortal Realm doesn't make everyone wise.”
Seoran asked.
“In the Immortal Realm, how many times longer does cultivation time take for each subsequent realm? In the Mortal Realm, it's roughly fivefold.”
“About threefold.”
Seoran began calculating mentally.
Join at ten, Foundation at twenty: 10 years.
If threefold each time: Core Formation in 30 years, Nascent Soul in 90, Soul Transformation in 270.
Totaling it up, a native Immortal Realm Single Spirit Root Holder would reach Soul Transformation at 410 years old.
Seoran's face lit up.
“So native Immortal Realm Single Spirit Root Holders reach Soul Transformation at 410 on average! My pace is over six times faster even by Immortal Realm standards! Now I feel relieved!”
Deng Jingun shook his head.
“Not 410. It's 1400.”
“What? 10, 30, 90, 270 years?”
“Not 270—it's 1260 for the Five-Colored Heart from Nascent Soul to Soul Transformation. That phase takes similar time in Mortal or Immortal Realm. It makes sense when you think about it. What does abundant heaven-earth spiritual energy have to do with Quintuple Spirit Root Harmonization?”
Seoran stammered.
“Th-then...”
“Yes, congratulations. Investigator Ryu, you're advancing realms about twenty times faster than the Immortal Realm average. Do you understand now?”
“Twenty times... twenty times...”
Muttering to herself for a while, Seoran suddenly jumped up.
And shouted energetically.
“Yahoo!”
Her smile, having cast off all future anxieties, shone dazzlingly like the scorching summer sun.
*****
But to go to the Immortal Realm, they first needed to ascend.
They had to figure out what to do with Dokanryong, who had been guarding the sect's gate for over two thousand years at the world's center.
Seoran, Damcheong, and Deng Jingun put their heads together.