Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Revisiting the Eastern Continent
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One year after reaching the Origin Spirit Realm, Seoran said this.
‘Double Root Harmonization is difficult. It’ll probably take about ten years.’
The joint leadership gathered closely together.
“Ten years? That’s incredibly fast.”
“But how fast is ten years, exactly?”
“It’s definitely something to wonder about.”
Everyone’s gazes turned to one side.
It was Ju Susa, the statistics expert.
He was also in charge of future strategy planning.
Ju Susa cleared his throat and spoke.
“Statistically speaking, the time required to harmonize a Dual Spirit Root is around 180 years. More precisely, between 178 and 179 years. Of course, there are individual differences. Everyone has attributes that suit them better or worse. Even so, the average comes out to about 180 years.”
The joint leadership exclaimed in unison.
“Ooh!”
“Impressive!”
“A heaven-sent talent!”
Then, someone asked.
“What about the remaining stages?”
Dual Root Harmonization takes 180 years.
So what about Triple and Quadruple Spirit Roots?
It was a question that piqued everyone’s curiosity.
Once again, all eyes focused on Ju Susa.
“The Triple Spirit Root stage isn’t much different from harmonizing a Dual Spirit Root. It’s similarly around 180 years. The more complex Quadruple Spirit Root stage is said to take over 360 years. From the Quintuple Spirit Root stage onward, samples are extremely rare, so there are no statistics.”
“But you can make estimates, right?”
“Of course. A simple calculation shows it takes a total of 720 years to harmonize up to Quadruple. Inductively reasoning the training time required for an Origin Spirit Cultivator to reach Soul Transformation yields about 1,250 years. The time needed to harmonize a Quintuple Spirit Root can be estimated at around 530 years.”
“Ooh!”
Buoyed by the positive reaction, Ju Susa grew more animated in his explanation.
“It’s a bit complex, but even more precise calculations are possible. By applying the average difference in spirit energy sensitivity between Quintuple and Quadruple Spirit Root Holders, along with formulas for inter-root interference. Doing so yields a result of about 540 years. No matter the method, the results are similar, so the established theory adds a slight margin to 540 years.”
Everyone applauded Ju Susa’s dazzling eloquence.
“As expected of Black Bamboo Sect’s top statistics expert!”
“A great intellect who will shine through the ages!”
“The very authority on the subject!”
Ju Susa basked in the joint leadership’s cheers.
An ecstatic feeling, as if he had lived solely for this moment.
It was the pinnacle of self-realization.
The questions kept coming.
“But why are Origin Spirit Cultivators who’ve harmonized Triple Spirit Roots so rare? Combining Dual and Triple stages is 360 years—around 700 years old on average. Shouldn’t everyone become Triple Spirit Root Holders by then?”
Ju Susa answered kindly.
“Finding spirit veins is no easy task. Celestial Veins are practically impossible to find, and secret realms are rare too. Even finding a secret realm isn’t the end. Whether it matches the attribute you need and the right timing are crucial.”
“Timing?”
“Yes. Do you remember the Divination Ritual from about twenty years ago? It was the period richest in Earth Spirit Energy in centuries. Even if you find a secret realm, you have to wait for the proper timing.”
“So you have to find a secret realm with an attribute you lack and wait until a period rich in spirit energy of the same attribute? How often do these periods come?”
Ju Susa nodded.
“Usually every hundred to two hundred years.”
The joint leadership buzzed.
“If you’re really lucky, it’s a few years; in the worst case, two hundred years.”
“Riding good fortune is important too.”
“I just thought it took forever vaguely, but knowing the exact numbers makes it feel real.”
Detailed information on Origin Spirit Realm cultivation.
Most of the leadership wore expressions of hearing it for the first time.
A cultivator who sensed something off asked.
“But isn’t this top-secret information? Judging by the reactions, most people here didn’t know.”
“Indeed, we knew nothing about the Origin Spirit Realm.”
“No, more than that—how did you find the secret realms?”
“Now that you mention it. Even the leadership didn’t know.”
Ju Susa replied.
“There was a secret organization within the leadership. They scout secret realms and calculate optimal times for acquiring spirit roots. They always kept minimal size for security. We selected purely based on specialty, so I hope there are no misunderstandings.”
“Why reveal classified info so suddenly?”
“Because sect ascension is right around the corner. From now on, speed matters more than secrecy. It’s time to disclose all top-secret information and unite the entire sect. We’ve already shared intel with the Golden Forge Sect’s secret organization.”
Ju Susa looked somewhere.
Then, someone stood from amid the crowd.
From the circumstances, he appeared to be the Golden Forge Sect secret organization’s leader.
The joint leadership couldn’t hold back their admiration.
“Ooh!”
The Black Bamboo Sect secret organization leader, Ju Susa, shouted.
“We’ve already completed a meticulous plan to produce a Soul Transformation Cultivator! The next spirit root Senior Brother Ryu will acquire is the Water Spirit Root! We’ve even discovered a secret realm near the Merfolk Church’s deep-sea headquarters!”
Cheers followed.
“Ooooh!”
“They’ve already found a secret realm!”
Ju Susa’s voice grew even louder.
“Investigations show the seas will be filled with Water Spirit Energy in about twenty years! The margin of error is wide now, but it’ll get more precise as the time approaches!”
Cheers echoed again.
In the midst of it, someone asked.
“Senior Brother Ryu’s report personally submitted said Double Root Harmonization would take about ten years, didn’t it?”
Ju Susa answered.
“Human senses aren’t reliable. Our precise calculations put it at around sixteen years. Why else would Senior Brother Ryu use the vague phrasing ‘about ten years’ in the report? He himself lacked confidence.”
Ju Susa’s rhetoric was smooth.
Moreover, the expertise he’d demonstrated lent immense credibility to his words.
No one doubted Ju Susa’s claims.
Finally, Ju Susa shouted.
“Execution in about twenty years! Let’s all unite to support Senior Brother Ryu’s Water Spirit Root creation! With Black Bamboo Sect and Golden Forge Sect together, we’ll surely succeed! We’ll all ascend to the Immortal Realm together!”
The entire joint leadership was moved by the hopeful future.
“Sect ascension forever!”
“Long live! Long live!”
“Long live forever!”
Uncontrollable, a cauldron of frenzy, a field of chaos.
The atmosphere defied description.
The joint leadership’s standing ovation lasted a good while.
This was two years ago.
*****
Two years later, in winter, Seoran succeeded in perfectly harmonizing her two types of spiritual power.
For the record, she hadn’t expected this either.
She had stumbled there with a dazed “Huh?”
A leadership meeting was convened, and everyone sought out Ju Susa.
“What happened, Ju Susa!”
“This is totally different from what you said before!”
“What was that precise calculation supposed to be!”
The chair calmed the crowd.
“Now, now, everyone calm down. Senior Brother Ryu finishing cultivation early is a good thing, isn’t it? And our tasks haven’t changed. Let’s prepare countermeasures.”
They called it countermeasures, but options were few.
There were only two ways to acquire spirit roots from the start.
Celestial Veins or secret realms.
The astrologers’ consensus was this.
‘The optimal time for spirit root creation is far off. The soonest is the Water Spirit Year, seventeen years from now. Creating spirit roots from secret realms is impossible in the near term.’
In the end, whether it worked or not, they had to seek Celestial Veins.
The joint leadership racked their brains desperately.
Wherever was a Celestial Vein most likely to open.
First, it had to be a place few cultivators visited.
Otherwise, someone would’ve claimed it already.
A place rich in a specific attribute’s spirit energy would be ideal.
Celestial Veins were a type of spirit vein, after all.
Additionally, it couldn’t be too far away.
Long-distance expeditions reduced operational capacity.
The conclusion came surprisingly quickly.
The Great Primeval Forest of the Eastern Continent.
Few cultivators set foot there.
As a colossal rainforest, it brimmed with Wood Spirit Energy.
Thanks to the teleportation array, the effective distance was quite short.
The Black Bamboo Sect-Golden Forge Sect Great Primeval Forest search operation began.
*****
Seoran started packing as soon as she heard the news.
Yi Agum, who had come visiting for fun, asked.
“Sister, what’s with that? Why are you packing?”
Seoran said with a serious face.
“I have a place I need to go.”
“Where?”
“To the Eastern Continent.”
Yi Agum was puzzled.
“You’re going back there?”
“You know the sect’s been in turmoil lately, right? They’re planning a massive search of the Eastern Continent’s Great Primeval Forest. To find a Celestial Vein for me. I can’t sit this out. Everyone’s working hard—can’t just lie around with my mouth open.”
Impressed by her sister’s sense of duty, Yi Agum joined in.
“I’ll help you pack too.”
“Thanks, Agum.”
Ryu Seoran: One step to Eastern Continent arrival.