Chapter 9
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9
Suddenly left alone, Lee Hyun stood there in a daze.
After a moment, he gathered his wits and looked down at the iron token in his hand.
The front was engraved with the words “No. 8,” while a fragment of a low-grade spirit stone was embedded in the back. A faint trace of spiritual qi still lingered within the stone.
Gripping the entry token, Lee Hyun activated it with his divine sense, and the token began to emit a soft glow.
Wuuung—
An unseen force pushed the fog back, creating a circular clearing around him.
The fog receded by about ten feet, revealing a narrow path that led to a cabin. To the left grew Bone-Corroding Flowers with ivory blossoms; to the right grew Purple Poison Orchids with drooping violet leaves. In the innermost, shadowed plot of the spirit field, dark-blue Yin Soul Grass sprouted in thick clusters.
Lee Hyun stepped forward cautiously.
A faint barrier was draped around the cabin. When he brought the entry token close, the barrier parted like rippling water.
Stepping inside, Lee Hyun immediately shut the door and checked the windows.
Unlike the outside, the air in the cabin was fairly clean. Formation flags were planted here and there across the walls and floor, and in one corner of the room sat a formation plate embedded with a low-grade spirit stone.
Nearly half of the stone’s luster had faded. It seemed this spirit stone was what sustained the cabin’s formation.
On the table lay a ledger and a map of the Withered Yin Field.
Lee Hyun opened the ledger first.
It detailed the dates and amounts for watering, harvest periods, and even the schedule for replacing the spirit stones in the formations.
Opening the drawer beneath the table, he found three wooden boxes. Each was labeled: “Yin-Gathering Formation,” “Poison-Warding Formation,” and “Emergency.” Neatly arranged inside were low-grade spirit stones allocated for managing the Withered Yin Field.
At the beginning of every month, the Outer Sect Administration Pavilion provided eight low-grade spirit stones. Five were used to maintain the formations protecting the spirit field and the cabin, while the remaining three served as the monthly stipend for the disciple managing the Withered Yin Field.
Lee Hyun turned to the next page. It explained how to tend the spirit field.
The Bone-Corroding Flowers and Yin Soul Grass only needed the Spiritual Rain Spell once every two days. The Purple Poison Orchids required watering every three days; additionally, if their roots grew within three feet of one another, they had to be transplanted before they drained each other’s life force.
The Yin-Gathering Formation in the center of the spirit field had to be activated every ten days. Inserting one low-grade spirit stone and letting the formation run for a full day would draw the yin qi scattered throughout the valley into the field.
If spirit insects appeared, they had to be caught by hand, though the notes stated that they rarely surfaced in the Withered Yin Field.
Harvesting instructions followed:
Every three months, the fully bloomed Bone-Corroding Flowers were cut along with their stems. Leaving one out of every ten plants untouched allowed a seedpod, white as bone fragments, to form where the petals fell. Once it split open, black seeds would emerge, which only needed to be buried one knuckle deep.
Every four months, the mature leaves of the Yin Soul Grass were harvested by cutting them at the base. The seeds that formed at the tips of the aged stems were light as dust; on a windless day, they had to be scattered over moist soil and gently pressed down with the palm of a hand.
Every six months, the thickened roots of the Purple Poison Orchids were dug up. Detaching a young tuber about the size of a finger and replanting it three knuckles deep would yield a new orchid.
It certainly sounds easy enough.
The problem was stepping outside the cabin.
From the ledger, he learned that the low-grade spirit stones inserted into the entry token had to be paid out of his own pocket.
If he relied on the entry token to manage the field instead of mastering the basic spells, it would cost him one low-grade spirit stone a month. In other words, unless he learned those basic spells quickly, his monthly stipend would effectively be slashed by a third.
First, I need to find out whether the poison in this Withered Yin Field actually whittles away my life span. If it doesn’t, there’s no reason to waste low-grade spirit stones.
And if my life span isn’t drained, I might not even need the basic spells, let alone the entry token. Still, spells have plenty of uses outside of tending this field, so I should learn them anyway…
Checking the date Senior Martial Brother Mun Gang had written at the end of the ledger, all three spirit plants had been watered today.
Since he wouldn’t need to go out and cast the Spiritual Rain Spell on the Bone-Corroding Flowers and Yin Soul Grass until two days from now, he decided to practice the Clear Qi Formula, the Breath-Holding Formula, and the Spherical Qi Barrier until then.
After spending two full days practicing spells inside the cabin, Lee Hyun managed to cast all three at a basic level.
He deployed his Spherical Qi Barrier, circulated the Breath-Holding Formula, and stepped out into the field.
Ssshh—
A murky energy laden with poison crept up the barrier.
The violet mist clung to the surface of the Spherical Qi Barrier, seeming to eat away at it. Perhaps because his mastery was still low, his spiritual power drained faster than expected.
Lee Hyun hurriedly cast the Spiritual Rain Spell on the Bone-Corroding Flowers and Yin Soul Grass, then retreated into the cabin.
Nothing felt wrong with his body.
Day three.
Today, the Purple Poison Orchids needed the Spiritual Rain Spell. This time, Lee Hyun lowered the Spherical Qi Barrier around just one arm.
A chilling, yin energy seeped past his skin and deep into his flesh. It felt as though an invisible hand were tugging at something warm within his body.
Lee Hyun had harbored a lingering fear that his ageless body might not protect him from such strange powers. But even as he waited, he felt no change.
The yin energy attempted to drag out his life force, only to disperse in vain, as though finding nothing it could grasp.
“Hmm… Am I immune after all?”
Lee Hyun dispelled the Spherical Qi Barrier entirely. The violet smoke drifted through his nose and mouth, permeating the depths of his lungs.
He took ten breaths.
Twenty breaths.
Thirty breaths.
His body showed no adverse reaction whatsoever.
He channeled his spiritual power to expel the poison in his lungs. When he exhaled a long breath, a grayish-white mist drifted from his mouth.
Bolstered by confidence, he walked deeper into the field.
Squatting before a Bone-Corroding Flower, he brought his face close to the petals and cautiously inhaled.
Inhaaaale—
His lungs tickled slightly.
“Yaaawn…”
Lee Hyun let out a yawn so wide it felt as if his jaw might unhinge.
There was no agony of rotting bones; instead, it felt as refreshing as stepping into the shade on a sweltering summer day.
“To me, this place is practically a cool, breezy farm…”
Returning to the cabin after finishing his duties, Lee Hyun inspected himself closely to check for any potential side effects.
He found no signs of diminished life force or essence. However, perhaps because he had inhaled far too much fog, his head felt a bit heavy and drowsiness washed over him.
Only then did Lee Hyun realize a blind spot in his reasoning.
Damn it, I was careless! Come to think of it, life span isn’t the only thing at stake. Even if I’m immune to aging, that doesn’t mean I’m immune to poison itself…
A few days later, Lee Hyun confirmed that his body had suffered no harm.
Though relieved, he resolved to remain more vigilant moving forward. In the cultivation world, a single moment of carelessness could plunge one into grave peril.
* * *
One year later.
Lee Hyun had thoroughly adapted to life in the Withered Yin Field.
At regular intervals, he cast the Spiritual Rain Spell and activated the formations. When spirit plants were ready for harvest, he cut them, placed them in wooden boxes, and replanted the reserved seeds.
The work took less than two hours a day.
Weeds barely grew, and spirit insects hardly ever appeared—whether because they couldn’t withstand the poison or simply disliked the three spirit plants.
Compared to when he had tended Clear Dew Herbs under Senior Martial Brother No Baek-san, this was remarkably leisurely.
He spent his spare time mastering spells and cultivating.
Now, a mere flick of his wrist with the Cleansing Spell could wash away any poisonous dust on his clothes and body. The ember produced by the Fire-Kindling Spell had grown to the size of a torch, and he could purify the air inside the cabin with the Clear Qi Formula.
He also made a point to practice the Spherical Qi Barrier and Detoxification Formula every single day.
One day, an inspector from the Outer Sect Administration Pavilion paid a visit. It was not due to any issue with his work, but merely a routine inspection mandated by regulations.
“Junior Martial Brother Lee, your complexion still looks good even after staying in the Withered Yin Field,” said Jin Gu-myeong, who had come for the inspection, examining Lee Hyun’s face.
“I have been strictly following the guidelines our senior martial brothers taught me.”
“Even so, after a year or so, people usually grow pale and start losing their hair…”
“I suppose I was just born with a sturdy constitution.”
“How enviable.”
Jin Gu-myeong brushed it off as nothing, but Lee Hyun could not bring himself to smile.
From that day on, he grew a beard and mixed a pinch of dried grass ash from the hearth with water to dab around his eyes and cheeks.
With a sallow complexion and dark shadows beneath his eyes, he appeared several years older.
Yet this was no fundamental solution.
Though a year had passed since his arrival at the Withered Yin Field, his bone age was still nineteen. If he spent another four years here and still looked the exact same, even the densest person would find it bizarre.
If Senior Martial Brother Jin Gu-myeong grew suspicious and brought some method to measure his life span, it would be a disaster.
Deceiving them for five years is impossible. I have to leave the sect as soon as I can!
Fortunately, he had gained quite a bit as well.
Each month, he was granted three low-grade spirit stones and thirty contribution points. If the harvest was bountiful, he received bonus contribution points.
Lee Hyun did not spend a single spirit stone from his share, treasuring and hoarding them while using contribution points for his living necessities.
Gradually, he began preparing to leave Cheongha Valley.
* * *
Before he knew it, a year and a half had elapsed since his transfer to the Withered Yin Field, and late summer arrived.
At the foot of a mountain a few li away from the valley of the Withered Yin Field, there was an empty, small cave where a bear had once lived long ago.
Far from any footpaths and lacking anything of value nearby, it was not a place cultivators would ever visit.
Lee Hyun sat deep inside the cave, moving his brush.
Across from him, Wang So had a book open, frantically transcribing text.
“I never dreamed that an upright man like you, Brother, would be the first to suggest something like this…!” Wang So said in a low voice.
The sixteen-year-old boy had grown into a well-built young man. A sword hung at his waist, and a shallow scar marked the space above his right eyebrow.
“In the cultivation world, you have to do whatever it takes to survive. How can you get ahead if you play by the exact same rules as everyone else?”
“True. But… are you sure this is alright?”
Wang So glanced anxiously toward the cave entrance.
“Who would pay that much attention to early-stage Qi Refining outer disciples? As long as we keep quiet, no one will ever know.”
Piled before the two were books borrowed from the Scripture Pavilion.
Cheongha Valley allowed disciples to check out basic cultivation arts and spellbooks so they could study them in their quarters during their spare time.
Cultivators did not exclusively use jade slips to record or read information.
From the middle stage of Qi Refining onward, disciples often read jade slips using their divine sense, but early-stage disciples possessed divine sense too weak for that, so they frequently relied on physical books. However, unlike jade slips, reading a book once did not instantly imprint the knowledge into one’s mind.
Aware of this reality, the Scripture Pavilion permitted books of cultivation arts and spells to be checked out for anywhere from two weeks to two months.
However, showing borrowed books to other disciples or transcribing and sharing their contents was strictly forbidden.
Even if these were not core inheritances, there was no way the sect would tolerate the private dissemination of techniques without paying contribution points.
In short, Lee Hyun and Wang So were flagrantly breaking sect rules.
After coordinating with each other, they had split the list of necessary spells, borrowed different texts, and transcribed each other’s books in a secluded spot out of sight.
Over the past six months, the pair had copied several volumes this way.
Lee Hyun, who had proposed this risky scheme in the first place, shouldered more of the contribution points than Wang So. Thanks to managing the Withered Yin Field, he had accumulated far more points.
The texts Lee Hyun had spent his contribution points to borrow were the Three Protective Arts, Earth Escape Technique, Spirit-Concealing Qi-Suppressing Formula, Six Perceptive Arts, and Explanations of Basic Five-Element Spells.
The Three Protective Arts detailed the Spirit Light Shield, which forged a shield from spiritual power; the Earth Armor Technique, which coated the entire body in earthen armor; and the Flowing Water Screen, which deflected incoming attacks with a curtain of water.
The Earth Escape Technique was a spell for moving through soil. Given their low cultivation realm, it could not penetrate solid rock or ground fortified by formations, and without sufficient mastery, one risked losing their sense of direction underground or even suffocating.
The Spirit-Concealing Qi-Suppressing Formula recorded the Qi-Concealment Technique, which hid one’s spiritual power fluctuations, and the Spirit-Concealment Technique, which disguised one’s cultivation realm to appear lower than it actually was. While seemingly similar at a glance, their underlying principles differed.
The Six Perceptive Arts was a compilation consisting of the Farsight Technique to pull distant sights closer, the Enhanced Hearing Technique to amplify faint sounds, the Night Vision Technique to peer through darkness, the Scent-Tracking Technique to distinguish faint odors, the Qi-Observation Technique to observe flows of energy, and the Earth-Sensing Technique to detect nearby movements via ground vibrations.
Explanations of Basic Five-Element Spells contained common offensive spells of the cultivation world, such as the Fireball Technique, Water Arrow Technique, Metal Blade Technique, Earth Spike Technique, and Wood-Binding Technique.
On the other hand, the texts Wang So had borrowed were the Essentials of Lightness and Footwork, Cheonggang Sword Formula, and Primer on Telekinesis and Sword Control.
The Essentials of Lightness and Footwork contained the Lightness Technique, which made the body light as a feather, and the Earth-Shrinking Step, which allowed for swift bursts of short-distance movement.
The Cheonggang Sword Formula was the most common foundational sword formula practiced by outer-sect sword cultivators. The Primer on Telekinesis and Sword Control started with the Telekinesis Technique—using spiritual power to pull or push objects—and progressed to the fundamentals of the Sword Control Technique to direct flying swords.
All of these spells could be practiced starting from the early stage of Qi Refining. While none were extraordinarily powerful, their principles were straightforward and faithful to the basics, laying a solid foundation that would aid in learning superior techniques later on.
In particular, the Earth Escape Technique, the Spirit-Concealing Qi-Suppressing Formula, and the Essentials of Lightness and Footwork were the paramount arts to master first in order to evade pursuers after escaping the sect.
Lee Hyun copied down the final sentence and set down his brush.
“Done.”
After letting the ink dry, he neatly folded the transcribed pages.
“This way, we get to learn all these spells while spending only half the contribution points.”
“Assuming we don’t get caught, that is.”
“If we get caught, let’s just say you suggested it first.”
“Brother!” Wang So cried, his face twisting in mock grievance.
“I’m joking.”
Lee Hyun handed the original book back to Wang So.
Wang So also pushed the transcribed copies of the Earth Escape Technique and the Spirit-Concealing Qi-Suppressing Formula across to Lee Hyun.
“Keep this in mind: once you memorize the contents, burn the copy without leaving a single trace.”
“Of course. But Brother… are you truly going to leave the sect?”
