Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Primal Spirit Realm (5)
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The Joint Pursuit Team had requested cooperation from the Black Bamboo Sect and Goldbranch Sect before entering Yu Nation territory.
It was a natural diplomatic procedure.
No matter how much it was about chasing a wanted criminal, they couldn't just let a quasi-military organization enter the country recklessly.
The joint command received shared intelligence on this occasion.
Wi Ji-mok had roamed across the entire Western Continent, killing countless Golden Core cultivators.
He was undoubtedly completely insane.
The joint command couldn't help but be impressed.
The reason it was just admiration was simple.
The Black Bamboo Sect and Goldbranch Sect had suffered no damages.
Wi Ji-mok hadn't hunted anywhere near Yu Nation.
From the start, he wasn't some unrestrained pleasure killer.
To achieve his goal of the Primal Spirit ritual, he had to thoroughly conceal the hideout where the altar was located.
In such a situation, drawing the attention of two of the Western Continent's top major sects located right near the hideout would have been truly foolish.
To the two sects, this incident was half someone else's problem.
Still, there was no reason to stop someone from killing a madman.
The joint command permitted the Joint Pursuit Team's entry.
They also issued a travel advisory as a bonus.
Entry into Yu Nation was completely banned, and they urged all currently residing cultivators to evacuate immediately.
The command dispersed, admiring their own handling of the matter.
And exactly one gak (15 minutes) later, they reconvened.
It was because of the prominently recorded line in the entry-exit registry: "Ryu Seoran, to Yu Nation."
Now it was no longer someone else's business.
There was an uproar about immediately dispatching a strike team or deploying Primal Spirit Realm-level forces instead.
Fortunately, the incident was resolved just before the formation of the Black Bamboo Sect-Goldbranch Sect joint team and a four-person Primal Spirit Realm party.
Seoran had eliminated the danger herself and returned.
For reference, Yeo Mujin, who was telling this story to Seoran, had also been scheduled to join the Black Bamboo Sect-Goldbranch Sect dream team.
Yeo Mujin said with a smile.
"There was that sort of incident. Anyway, it's a relief you returned safely. How was the Heavenly Tribulation? Manageable?"
Seoran recalled the hardships she endured inside the barrier.
After killing Wi Ji-mok, Seoran had to block the terrifyingly strengthened Heavenly Tribulation with the barrier while condensing her Primal Spirit.
Either task alone would have been difficult.
If not for the clone technique training Yeo Mujin had assigned, she surely would have failed at both and died.
Seoran replied.
"Ah, the Heavenly Tribulation... that was really tough..."
"What you went through was an extremely unusual case. Normally, it's not that hard. Anyway, enough chit-chat—let's start the lesson."
Seoran straightened her posture.
Yeo Mujin's lesson began.
The characteristics of Primal Spirit Realm cultivators were largely three.
Primal Spirit condensation, myriad flowers blooming, and five colors in the heart.
Yeo Mujin said.
"First, I'll explain myriad flowers blooming. The expression about all sorts of flowers blooming—here, flowers mean the senses. Simply put, it's awakening the sixth sense."
The Primal Spirit Realm was the transcendence of the soul.
A soul that has escaped its limits gains a separate sensory organ independent of the body.
Commonly called intuition or the sixth sense.
Yeo Mujin's explanation continued.
"Now, close your eyes and focus your mind. Once you're used to it later, you can keep your eyes open. Anyway, imagine an invisible sphere enveloping your head. From now on, that's your consciousness."
Seoran did as instructed.
"Now, slowly expand the radius of that sphere, your consciousness. Since you're not used to it yet, making it large enough to reach me should suffice."
The sphere in Seoran's imagination began to grow steadily.
Past her shoulders, to her waist, the desk and books in front of her.
Finally, when the sphere's surface touched Yeo Mujin, something suddenly expanded and pushed back Seoran's consciousness.
Seoran startled and opened her eyes.
Yeo Mujin said.
"Your consciousness bumped into something, right? That's my consciousness range. Do you have a rough idea of what this new sense feels like?"
Seoran replied dazedly.
"Yes, it's somehow amazing. It's not seeing or touching. It's completely different from the five senses."
"That sensory range—your consciousness—is the key to expanding further and maintaining it longer. Naturally, being able to do it all day would be best. Practice steadily even in your daily life."
"Yes!"
Yeo Mujin moved to the next step.
"This is about the Primal Spirit. I needed to cover consciousness first to explain this, so I switched the order a bit. Wrap your upper dantian with your consciousness and focus your senses inside your skull. Like peering in."
Seoran did as instructed this time too.
She could then physically peer into her mind.
She saw the infant spirit body that perfectly resembled her—her Primal Spirit.
Yeo Mujin asked.
"You see the Primal Spirit, right? Describe its state."
Seoran replied.
"Uh, it looks kind of frowning. It's huddled up tightly, like it's cramped. Must be uncomfortable."
Yeo Mujin said with an awkward expression.
"Your Primal Spirit is just that large. There's nothing I can do about it. Actually, since it's a spirit body, being cramped shouldn't be a problem."
He then continued the explanation.
The greatest characteristic of the soul is its immateriality.
Thus, it relies on the body's materiality.
The soul cannot be whole on its own without the body.
The golden core survivor Seoran had met was a perfect example.
A soul separated from the body inevitably suffers damage.
It was fortunate it had relied on the golden core; otherwise, it would have surely wandered without self-awareness and dissipated.
That was why all vengeful spirits craved the bodies of the living.
But a cultivator's spirit body—the Primal Spirit—was different.
The Primal Spirit possessed both materiality and immateriality simultaneously.
Thanks to that, it could exist wholly on its own without the body.
In other words, astral projection without side effects was possible.
Yeo Mujin cautioned.
"Ryu cultivator, keep this in mind. If you're in mortal danger, abandon your body and flee with at least your Primal Spirit. If you have time, take the golden core too—losing it will cause major setbacks in your cultivation."
Seoran replied.
"Yes, understood."
If in danger, abandon the body and flee with the Primal Spirit.
If there's time, take the golden core too.
It felt exactly like an emergency escape device.
Yeo Mujin, emphasizing it repeatedly, continued the lesson.
The third characteristic of Primal Spirit Realm cultivators: five colors in the heart.
Here, five colors meant the five colors.
And each color corresponded to a Five Elements Spirit Root.
Red: Fire Spirit Root.
Black: Water Spirit Root.
Blue: Wood Spirit Root.
White: Metal Spirit Root.
Yellow: Earth Spirit Root.
Yeo Mujin pointed to his own chest and said.
"Spirit Roots are located near the heart, in the middle dantian. Would you like to take my pulse once? See what my Spirit Roots are like."
Seoran checked Yeo Mujin's wrist pulse.
Then she exclaimed in surprise.
"No way, Triple Spirit Roots?!"
In Yeo Mujin's middle dantian existed three Spirit Roots: red, black, and yellow.
He was a Fire-Water-Earth Triple Spirit Root Holder.
Yeo Mujin said again.
"Now, open your spirit eyes and observe my spiritual power closely."
Seoran used her spirit eye technique.
"Red, purified spiritual power."
"Look more closely."
Seoran widened her eyes and examined again.
"No, the colors are a bit odd. Mostly red, with a bit of black and yellow mixed in. Purified spiritual power, and Pure Earth Spiritual Power. How is this possible? Don't you usually only have one type of pure spiritual power?"
Yeo Mujin replied.
"That's the meaning contained in the expression 'five colors in the heart.' The Five Elements Spirit Roots in the middle dantian, and the five types of pure spiritual powers."
Seoran asked.
"But I only have an Earth Spirit Root?"
"I originally only had a Fire Spirit Root too. The Water and Earth Spirit Roots came after becoming a Primal Spirit Realm cultivator."
"How do you acquire Spirit Roots?"
Yeo Mujin replied.
"The easiest way is to consume Five Elements Spirit Fruits. Eating a fire spirit fruit creates a Fire Spirit Root, and so on. But Five Elements Spirit Fruits are inherently rare."
"What's another method?"
"Another way is prolonged cultivation in a secret realm abundant in specific spirit energy. For example, immersing yourself in a volcano crater. You can forcibly create a Fire Spirit Root by condensing the pervasive fire spirit energy around you. Of course, it's just as difficult."
"Collecting all Five Elements Spirit Roots isn't the end, right?"
"You're stating the obvious. The five pure spiritual powers must harmonize perfectly to reach the Incarnation Realm. Moreover, spirit root sensitivity dulls with each additional root, making it progressively harder."
Seoran recoiled.
"It sounds difficult just hearing about it."
"If it were easy, would it have taken 1,250 years? Everyone would have become Incarnation Realm cultivators and ascended."
"My head hurts."
Yeo Mujin clapped once and said.
"Alright, let me summarize. One, train your newly acquired sixth sense. Two, flee as a Primal Spirit if in danger. Three, supplement your missing Spirit Roots to harmonize the five pure spiritual powers."
Seoran asked.
"Then, don't you need five different attribute-specific Primal Spirit Realm techniques?"
"You're right. Of course, no need to worry. We have good fire and water attribute techniques in the Black Bamboo Sect. They're truly the best in the Western Continent. I'll teach them to you once you acquire fire and water Spirit Roots."
"Then today we learn earth attribute techniques?"
Yeo Mujin shook his head.
"No, I don't recommend the earth attribute technique I cultivate. Tomorrow, go straight to the Goldbranch Sect headquarters and learn their earth and metal attribute techniques. For wood... well, we'll figure it out from now on. Anyway, the sect will do its utmost to procure the highest quality ones."
"Ah, thank you so much."
"No need for thanks—you succeeding benefits us too. I'll give you a few helpful books."
Seoran received a bundle of books.
But on top was a small wooden box.
It looked expensive at a glance.
Seoran asked.
"Elder Yeo, what's this wooden box?"
Yeo Mujin grinned mischievously.
"It's a surprise gift to celebrate becoming a Primal Spirit Realm cultivator. Open it alone at home later."
Seoran gave her thanks and went home.
Then, alone in her room, she opened the wooden box.
Inside was a single letter and a strange white fruit.
Seoran read the letter first.
'Ryu cultivator, that golden spirit fruit is your surprise gift.'
Seoran exclaimed in shock.
"What?!"
It really was a surprise.