Chapter 116
Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: To the Haeseong Sect (2)
Yong Yoo's words drew the gazes of the Nascent Soul cultivators toward the two Soul Transformation cultivators for a brief moment. They knew Saran had held out against the three—including themselves—for the past few days, so with only two left now, they instantly grasped who held the advantage.
They didn't believe Yong Yoo's promise to share the items from the Soul Transformation cultivators' storage pouches. But surely he'd share something like a Refined Heart-Concentrating Soul Stone?
The Nascent Soul cultivators, who had ventured to the underground levels only to get caught in the commotion from the four Soul Transformation cultivators' battle and come away empty-handed, thought as much.
For Cho Hye-ryeo in particular, it was an urgent matter. She even considered betraying her bond with Han Chun-oh.
"No, Senior Sister Cho! You can't trust that guy's words!"
At least Han Chun-oh lacked the power to secure a Refined Heart-Concentrating Soul Stone for her. Betting on even a sliver of possibility by cooperating with Yong Yoo seemed the more rational choice.
"These bastards!"
Of course, the two Soul Transformation cultivators, having grasped the situation, had no desire to keep fighting.
The white-robed cultivator had risked his life battling Saran to refine his dharma treasure even stronger using Yong Yoo's Spirit Flame Heart Crystal, while the purple-robed one had merely aimed to take on Saran himself.
Even with the legendary Rebounding Five Dragons Banner added to the mix, nothing was worth more than their lives.
Thus, as soon as they assessed the situation, the two Soul Transformation cultivators transformed into streaks of white and purple light and fled at top speed.
"What should we do?"
"...We'll pretend to chase them, slip out of the secret realm, and then bolt."
Yong Yoo said as much.
This Soul Transformation hunt was nothing more than a smokescreen to divert the cultivators' attention elsewhere.
"Not every cultivator after the secret realm's treasures enters it, right?"
Saran nodded as if she understood Yong Yoo's point.
"Don't you want those two cultivators' storage pouches?"
"Not really. I do want the purple one's for Hyang-mae... but I'm not obsessed."
Do Mun-hyang, the Water Phase Maiden, already had a Black Tortoise egg. Yong Yoo didn't want to distract her focus on engraving water phase patterns and taming it with unnecessary trinkets.
When a secret realm appears in this world, cultivators' responses fall into three categories.
One is the—gentlemen do not linger in danger. Those who test the waters carefully and still avoid crossing.
These are cultivators who've already claimed what they need from the realm, or believe its treasures hold nothing for them, or lack the ability to survive inside and thus ignore it entirely.
Another is —not entering the tiger's den means no tiger cubs. Those who willingly plunge into peril for the rewards.
Like Yong Yoo and his group, they enter to compete and fight other cultivators for the heavenly treasures and fortuitous encounters they seek.
The last is—sitting back to reap others' gains.
They avoid the risks of entering, instead laying traps around the realm's perimeter. They wait for exhausted cultivators emerging from it, then strike to kill and seize not just their harvests but their storage pouches whole.
Yes.
To truly claim a fortuitous encounter from a secret realm, a cultivator must first solve the problem of 'entering the secret realm,' then 'finding the desired encounter inside,' then 'fighting off rivals to seize it,' then 'safely escorting it out,' and finally 'evading the predators lurking outside.'
Naturally, escaping cultivators who've spent months or even years battling over treasures inside is no easy feat against those who've prepared traps outside.
Thus, cultivators with little time left in the realm or who've decided to leave often seek like-minded allies to band together and break through the danger.
Or, like me now, stir up an even bigger, louder commotion.
I stowed the flashy Rebounding Five Dragons Banner and used the Water Escape Art—which I hardly touched anymore—to pursue the two Soul Transformation cultivators.
By adjusting my speed with the Water Escape Art, I gradually widened the gap with them while closing in on the Nascent Soul cultivators.
I didn't care about any of that, though. I focused on spotting the array positions to open the exit, using the constellation patterns Saran had taught me.
'Ah... Reading arrays while moving fast isn't easy. Array masters supposedly grasp them at a glance.'
I planned to study arrays thanks to the Harmonization Art, but separately, my current array mastery as an amateur was rock bottom.
The arrays I drew while refining dharma treasures were just copies of Saran's, and the knowledge I'd picked up using the Star Formation Secret Realm's arrays had come straight from her real-time guidance, barely keeping up.
She'd even nagged me: 'No matter how little talent you have, you need at least the basics of the Four Great Arts.'
True enough. Growing as a cultivator isn't like leveling a game character, picking only needed stats and skills.
Even if lacking arts aptitude means you can only learn basic knowledge and foundations—which seem useless—that just means those basics will prove useful someday.
'Should I have consulted Elder Geum on this?'
I thought of my master briefly but dismissed it. She'd never give a proper answer.
Geum So-ryeo resembled Saran.
Talent supremacism.
But Geum So-ryeo believed geniuses grew on their own if trusted, so she just prepared encounters for them.
She readied massive opportunities for her direct disciples—enough to be called artificial heavenly tribulations—but aside from her personal disciple Do Mun-hyang, no one else learned directly from her.
Sure, in the cultivation world, providing disciples such encounters made her a fine master. But considering a master's duty is to teach and guide, she fell short of 'exemplary.'
Saran was different. She loved teaching.
If I asked about something I didn't know, she'd explain. Even unasked, she'd point out my flaws and guide me to fix them.
Even now.
"Master, fixating too much on specific shapes clouds your vision."
Saran sped up just enough to keep the Soul Transformation cultivators in sight while teaching me how to read arrays.
"An array master sees the forest not as a whole, but every single tree composing it."
"..."
"Not as nature's grand painting, but by viewing every brushstroke at once to see nature itself."
"Got it."
"Array masters paint grander pictures than anyone, yet scrutinize finer details than anyone. Reading and grasping arrays works similarly..."
Her explanation highlighted the difference between array masters' arrays and the ones cultivators used to refine dharma treasures or in combination arts.
Array masters wielded nature itself to paint their desired image.
By contrast, arrays for treasure refinement or combination arts were like doodling freely on a tiny canvas.
Both involved painting, but no one would call them the same.
'Comparing those two is like calling sky stars and roadside pebbles the same stones.'
I interpreted Saran's words my way while reading the Star Formation Secret Realm's arrays. Fortunately, months of staring at its night sky had familiarized me enough; grasping the arrays wasn't too hard.
As I scanned them, I spotted the two Soul Transformation cultivators opening a passage to flee outside. I shouted,
"Allies! Chase them down! I'll open the exit!"
I yelled that while dumping my stock of Mystery Moon Stones onto the surrounding arrays, creating dozens of exits.
"Yes, there. There. Toss some that way too."
I'd pinpointed about three arrays myself; the rest came from Saran. But compared to my first time here—when I couldn't manipulate a single one without her—this was huge progress.
With dozens of portals open, I watched the Nascent Soul cultivators bolt for the nearest ones. Then I unleashed my Fire Dragon and Cloud Escape Art to slip out.
Emerging, as expected, countless cultivators lay in wait around the Star Formation Secret Realm, targeting us. They panicked at the sudden emergence of two Soul Transformation and dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators.
Even in the chaos, striking visible foes to snatch storage pouches was classic cultivator behavior. But none could react to my Fire Dragon and Cloud Escape Art's speed.
"...!! Someone's fleeing!"
"Wait! Check that speed! That's top-tier even among Nascent Souls! No gain picking a fight!"
"Right. Doesn't look winded either. Touch him and regret it."
Judging my realm and power from my speed alone, they gave up pursuit. I escaped the Star Formation Secret Realm unscathed.
"..."
"Ugh!"
"That pretty boy! He dared trick us?!"
"Allies! Let's join forces and crush these scoundrels first!"
After Yong Yoo fled, many Nascent Soul cultivators realized they'd been used and fumed. But with enemies swarming them, they couldn't pursue him or try anything else.
The Star Formation Secret Realm had been open half a year. Now, with all levels unlocked and many deeming their gains sufficient, cultivators poured out—right into the traps of those who'd waited patiently.
In that tangled, chaotic melee of cultivators, few could chase Yong Yoo.
Which meant among the elite few, someone had broken through the fray after him.
"Hand over Senior Park's banner!"
"That cultivator radiates unusual power."
Those targeting the yellow-robed cultivator's array banner, and those sensing something off about Yong Yoo and Saran, broke free to pursue.
"..."
Observing this, Cho Hye-ryeo—who'd agreed to aid Yong Yoo for a Refined Heart-Concentrating Soul Stone—followed the hunters chasing him.
Though she hadn't secured the stone, she'd repaid Han Chun-oh's aid: he'd protected her life these past half-years, enabling her entry. She'd stashed him safely elsewhere.
Free of her Core Formation burden, Cho Hye-ryeo pursued Yong Yoo and the others at impressive speed.
Flying through the sky, she recalled what Han Chun-oh had told her about Yong Yoo during their time in the Star Formation Secret Realm.
Han Chun-oh had babbled everything to her, true or not. As a Nascent Soul, piercing his intentions was easier than flipping her palm.
Filtering truth from lies, Cho Hye-ryeo learned one fact.
'Young Master Mun's enemy.'
Yong Yoo was her late husband Mun Yoo's foe.
'...Merely Young Master Mun's enemy, not mine.'
Thus, she willingly aided him for the stone. Helping them was far easier than killing them.
Later, if Mun Yoo overcame his technique issues via the stone and sought Yong Yoo's death, she'd aid Mun Yoo then.
"He's with a Soul Transformation cultivator! Allies! Everyone, combine your strength!"
"I have a banner that works even on Soul Transformations, but it guzzles spiritual power to activate! Lend your strength if you can spare it!"
The cultivators naturally teamed up to hunt Yong Yoo and Saran. With brazen calm, Cho Hye-ryeo slipped among them.