Chapter 17
Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Sect Mission (1)
I entered my eastern quarters and first inspected the flying magic tool.
The bronze bowl-shaped flying treasure looked plain and unadorned, but it was so meticulously maintained that it gleamed brilliantly even under the faint light illuminating my room.
I carefully registered myself as its owner, then sat cross-legged at the center of the bowl and activated it. The bronze bowl smoothly lifted into the air.
Once it was airborne, the bowl no longer consumed spiritual energy, suggesting it had a limited number of uses.
It was a shame to waste one right away, but I decided it was fine since I'd tested it out.
This orange apple... maybe I should brew it into some infused liquor.
These two gains were nice, but there was one thing nagging at me.
The guy I'd taken down had possessed a thunder spiritual root.
'Thunder spiritual root... Among Geum So-ryeo's direct disciples, there was one with a thunder spiritual root. The guy who gathered and helped others with thunder roots, just like himself.'
Becoming one of Geum So-ryeo's direct disciples was no easy feat.
Whenever Geum So-ryeo roamed in search of fortuitous encounters, she'd abduct promising talents and bring them to Sea Severing Peak. The requirements to become an inner disciple were quite lenient, and with her renowned reputation, it drew in many outer disciples. As a result, Sea Severing Peak boasted the largest number of inner disciples in the High Heaven Sect.
But that was only for inner disciples.
The number of direct disciples—one step above—was fewer than on any other peak.
The reason was simple.
To become a direct disciple of the High Heaven Sect, one had to first be under Geum So-ryeo as a direct disciple candidate, receive all sorts of fortuitous encounters from her, and prove themselves against peers who were several realms stronger—geniuses bolstered by her favoritism.
Whether through Dao debates and combat, pill refining, equipment forging, formations, or tactics, you had to compete with the direct disciples using your specialty and show results satisfactory to Geum So-ryeo.
Fail to do so, and you'd remain a direct disciple candidate. The 'talented disciples who receive preferential treatment on Sea Severing Peak' I'd mentioned before were exactly these inner disciples labeled as direct disciple candidates. I was one of them.
This was also why I wasn't rushing to contact Geum So-ryeo about becoming a direct disciple. Reaching out to her wouldn't make it happen.
She'd say something like, "Once you reach Foundation Establishment, let me know, and I'll take you as my direct disciple~" as if it were a done deal. But her true intentions were far different. She tested her disciples, pushed them to their limits, observed them from every angle, sifting and refining until only a handful of gems remained.
She loved geniuses as much as she loved testing them.
'Was his name Han Chun-oh? If I contacted Geum So-ryeo now, that guy might step up, say he'll test me, and try to kill me.'
I'd planned to take the direct disciple exam after mastering the Confluence Art, but with things turning out like this, maybe I should wait a bit longer.
Having decided to bide my time, I spent my days cultivating the Confluence Art and the Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art. Each time I practiced the Confluence Art, my two spiritual roots linked more intimately and precisely, naturally boosting the power of Blazing Palm Seal and Water Essence Bullet Art.
Time passed, and on the day I turned forty-six, I finally uncorked the bottle of Nectar Spirit Liquor I'd been waiting for.
The moment I opened it, a profound aroma and spiritual energy—far deeper than any spirit liquor I'd made before—wafted out from the perfectly matured brew.
"Ugh...!"
Had it fully drawn out the efficacy of the spirit crops used as ingredients? I cautiously poured some into a cup, sensing a dense aura of spirit crop essence. The surface even seemed to shimmer faintly.
Tense with anticipation, I took a careful sip...
"Ugh!"
The instant the liquor hit my throat, I felt a torrent of spiritual energy surging through my body and hurriedly entered a cultivation state.
"What in the world...!"
It was like swallowing a pill elixir! Vivid spiritual energy erupted wildly from the Nectar Spirit Liquor, spreading to every corner of my body!
All the spirit liquors I'd drunk before had only produced a hazy mist-like energy inside me!
'Is this... about half as effective as a Vessel Completion Pill?'
The Refining Qi Realm pill, Vessel Completion Pill, had no effect on me at Foundation Establishment. Taking it would just waste time on pill poisoning, delaying better elixirs.
But spirit liquor was different.
No pill poisoning meant I could drink endlessly. Even if it was only half the potency of a Refining Qi pill, chugging it nonstop would surely yield meaningful gains for me at Foundation Establishment!
I grabbed the bottle and gulped it down.
Each swallow sent bursts of spiritual energy flooding my body. After draining the bottle, I immediately began cultivating the Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art. My sturdy spiritual root eagerly absorbed the massive influx, rapidly increasing my spiritual power reserves.
It was a shame this was just a test batch of casually made spirit liquor. If I'd put real effort into it!
With those thoughts, I cultivated for ten days straight, fully digesting all the energy and converting it to spiritual power.
'The absorption rate is insane.'
With the Vessel Completion Pill, I wouldn't have fully absorbed it without Hyang-mae's help. But this time, I took in every last drop on my own.
Of course, being only half as potent as a Refining Qi pill, the total amount was minuscule, but it still accelerated my spiritual power growth far beyond solo cultivation.
'...If I keep cultivating like this with Nectar Spirit Liquor, I could advance faster than my spiritual root aptitude allows.'
Having discovered this new path, I stroked the Vast Bounty Gourd Bottle with gleaming eyes.
"You're the real treasure, my treasure."
As I said it, my hand unconsciously patted my belly.
Hmm... I wanted to guzzle liquor and cultivate nonstop, but realistically, my stomach had limits.
This one bottle had already been quite a strain.
'I need to find a way around that.'
If I could produce Foundation Establishment-grade spirit liquor and drink it endlessly, it might even outpace pill-based cultivation efficiency.
With that thought, I headed straight to the market. This mattered more than the Confluence Art.
I went to the Scripture Pavilion and rummaged through the dusty corners where books and jade slips on spirit farming and spirit liquor brewing gathered dust, untouched by anyone.
The Hundred Arts of Cultivation weren't mere skills.
Not just the Four Great Arts, but every skill aided cultivators in some way, embodying the profound principles of heaven and earth, the Great Dao, and enlightenment.
That was why the Hundred Arts demanded matching aptitude just to grasp the basics—unlike mortal crafts, where even the talentless could learn fundamentals and improve with effort.
Of course, reading books and jade slips wouldn't instantly make me a Foundation Establishment-level expert in spirit farming or brewing.
For spirit farming, you needed fields on suitable spiritual veins, seeds for crops and herbs, detailed knowledge of each plant, and feng shui skills to create matching environments.
'Refining Qi spirit farming didn't need feng shui. Guess I have to learn that too.'
I swept up every feng shui book and jade slip as well. No one ever checked these out anyway, so the pavilion senior didn't care.
Mastering feng shui properly required formation knowledge too, but I lacked formation talent.
'Then I'll rely on formation tools. Decide on crops and herbs first, then buy or commission formations to suit... that'll cost a fortune.'
I gathered everything I needed, returned to my eastern quarters, stacked the materials, and picked out the essentials to study immediately.
Then I headed straight to Sea Severing Peak's Mission Hall to find a decent task.
No money? Earn it. Having found a way to boost my cultivation speed, I wouldn't let lack of funds stop me.
I scanned missions involving hunting spirit beasts, yao, or demonic cultivators—ones that leveraged my Dao combat talent and Confluence Art.
True to its reputation for the most inner disciples, Sea Severing Peak had few missions left in the hall, but a few deemed too tough for Foundation Establishment lingered.
I placed my hand on one that caught my eye and read the info via divine sense.
The sect slaves offering spirit herbs to our great High Heaven Holy Sect, with its ten-thousand-year history, are facing difficulties due to wood fiends appearing in the spirit herb habitat. We seek brave Foundation Establishment cultivators willing to aid these pitiful sect slaves. A substantial wood fiend pack has been confirmed, so five Foundation Establishment cultivators must assemble to begin. If five do not gather by five days after posting, proceed with fewer. Team Leader Jo Jeong-deok, Core Formation direct disciple of Bear Embrace Peak, will lead. Hunt the wood fiends without damaging the spirit herb habitat. Additional spirit stones for any essence roots that spawn more fiends.
So long-winded... Can't they summarize it neatly? Break it into lines, keep it concise.
1. Wood fiend pack appeared where sect slaves harvest spirit herbs.
2. Hunt them without damaging the habitat.
3. Personnel: Core Formation (1/1), Foundation Establishment (0/5).
P.S. Extra spirit stones for essence roots.
High Heaven Holy Sect? Whatever.
I infused divine sense to accept, and soon felt four responses. I was the last.
The plaque doubled as a sound transmission jade, and a voice rang out immediately.
"The five who accepted, gather at the location I specify. Prepare what you need and wrap up loose ends—you have two days. Fail to arrive after two days, and you'll answer for neglecting a sect mission. Be punctual."
Hearing that, I returned to my quarters, refined the Confluence Art for two days, then headed to the teahouse Jo Jeong-deok mentioned right on time.
Three were already in the private room. The man with the strongest aura scowled at me.
"Even from different peaks, we're all High Heaven Sect cultivators. Hiding your face from fellow disciples on a joint mission—what rudeness! And reeking of alcohol before sect duty?"
"My apologies, Senior Brother Jo. My master ordered me to veil my face and bestowed this artifact, so I can't remove it at will. As for the alcohol scent, it's purely from my cultivation and won't hinder the mission."
"...Is that so? Forgive me, junior brother. I spoke out of turn without knowing your circumstances."
Jo Jeong-deok's expression softened instantly, and he apologized sincerely for his outburst.
His face clearly showed regret, but his hulking frame—three times my size—made even an apology look furious.
"I expected as much from Bear Embrace Peak, but Senior Brother Jo, you're an exceptional body refiner."
Bear Embrace Peak only took body refiners as disciples.
Body refining was straightforward: tempering the physique. Body refiners used body refinement arts to push toward higher realms.
A powerful body refiner could uproot mountains barehanded, embodying the Great Dao and principles in flesh and bone. They shrugged off mystical spells and divine abilities with raw durability, shattering them with fists.
"Hahaha!"
Jo Jeong-deok bellowed with laughter, flexing his pectorals.
I watched his chest muscles writhe like they might rip his robe and was grateful for the face-concealing veil hiding my expression.