Chapter 38
Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: 10 Years of Seclusion (1)
Grand Dao Tournament.
The reason this tournament bears the name implying it was led by our seniors is the reward: the Ancestral Secret Realm.
The naming honors an unknown senior who left behind the Ancestral Secret Realm to guide juniors toward higher realms.
Even without knowing the name or that it was intentional, we pay our respects because, thanks to them, cultivators of lofty realms can continue their cultivation.
The highest realm achievable through the spirit energy of the Orthodox Earth Meridian is the Soul Harmony Realm at best, no matter how high one pushes.
To break through to Soul Harmony, one must either create an ideal cultivation environment using heavenly treasures like Jin Yang-pyeong did, or cultivate using the abundant spirit energy within such an Ancestral Secret Realm.
Thus, unless it's a massive sect with immense cultivation resources, experts beyond Nascent Soul rarely emerge.
At the same time, this is why higher-realm cultivators increasingly withdraw from worldly affairs.
As realms rise, cultivation grows harder, leaving no time to mind the mundane while seeking fortuitous encounters and Ancestral Secret Realms ideal for training.
Consider how much cultivation resources late Profound World Realm masters consume.
Take Jin Yang-pyeong: after he exhausted his way to Great Victory Realm, the High Heaven Sect's Ancestral Secret Realm became nearly unusable, reduced to opening once every fifty years—when spirit energy somewhat recovers—for a single disciple at Core Formation or below.
Do you think they can just laugh and chat while cultivating together? Hardly.
Even now, monsters from Soul Harmony to Great Victory Realm are likely battling bloodily in some Ancestral Secret Realm or immortal realm fragment for those resources.
That's their world, the so-called realm of the elite.
Well, that's a distant tale for now, so let's focus on the present: High Heaven Sect holds the Grand Dao Tournament for several reasons.
One is, naturally, to scout talented disciples within the sect.
With the Ancestral Secret Realm as bait, even those who usually hide their strength or act passively go all-out, revealing hidden potential and true skill—perfect for assessment.
Another is to send exceptional prodigies—those blessed with heavenly luck—into the Ancestral Secret Realm to uncover fortunes they don't yet know exist.
The hidden opportunities there might yield items for Soul Transformation at minimum, or even Great Victory Realm or higher.
At least something on par with the Vast Bounty Gourd Bottle, discarded after Jin Yang-pyeong's Soul Harmony breakthrough but a near-cheat-level treasure for me now.
If a disciple claims the fortune, it's theirs; if not, it belongs to the sect.
Thus, High Heaven Sect uses the tournament as an excuse to periodically send luck-blessed disciples into the realm.
Finally, a few scattered cultivators can participate too, allowing the sect to flaunt its might and lure any talents with the Secret Realm as bait.
"Then I should look for some fire-element spells."
"Understood, Master."
Wi A-han showed no puzzlement at my sudden request for fire spells.
I patrolled the market with my loyal servant, picking out two promising ones.
Yeom Suk has a single-element Wood Spiritual Root, so she'll fight mainly with fire spells to counter it.
I still needed to test the power of the Daybreak Jade Seal and other spells, and refine the Three Evils Subduing Chain Banner further.
Above all, raising my Metal Spiritual Root's realm was key.
The greater the realm gap between the two roots, the weaker the Harmony Art's power, so to perform at my best, I had to use spare time to push my Metal Spiritual Root close to Foundation Establishment Layer 5, balancing the two roots.
Raising Metal before Dragon might make me stronger overall right now.
For fire-element cultivation aids, the sect market would be better than here.
With my schedule set, I spent the remaining day in the market mastering the two fire spells, then swung by the tailor in the morning to grab my crudely mended pale pink robe before heading home.
While I and Wi A-han stayed in the market, So Hu—who hadn't ventured out—had been consolidating his power.
His Congenital Nascent Soul-grade core had dropped to late Foundation Establishment level, and he'd struggled to adapt to his weakened power and body.
Thankfully, a few days of quiet meditation had attuned him to it.
The biggest change was control over his power.
Before, So Hu couldn't rein it in: winds aided his flight, thunderclouds dispersed around him, making him too conspicuous wherever he went.
Now, he could travel silently without affecting heaven and earth.
His movements had stabilized too, allowing cultivation atop his back.
This might mean no saddle needed?
I left vigilance to So Hu and Wi A-han, using even brief travel moments for cultivation.
In flight, I couldn't selectively absorb spirit energy, so naturally, it was the Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art.
Suck in spirit energy with Dragon Root, then hijack it mid-way with Metal! This lets Layer 5 power cultivate Layer 3!
Heh heh heh.
Even without Deep Roots Luxuriant Branches Art, dual roots let me accelerate cultivation freely.
My greatest fortune was these two roots—never forget it.
Plus, Layer 3 gains Layer 5 insights, pushing Metal's inferior aptitude to new heights without stagnation!
And in my cave abode, two years' worth of Spirit Liquor waited.
With that, my cultivation would surge.
En route to High Heaven Sect, I spent one-third of each day on Metal Root, one-third on spells, and the last third resting or more Metal training.
After three sleepless days and nights of flight, we reached High Heaven Sect airspace.
"You there, halt! This is High Heaven Sect territory. You can't just barge in."
Patrolling guardian disciples flew over to block me.
I silently presented my identity token.
They glanced casually—then startled at the order and seal below.
[Treat Sea Severing Peak Direct Disciple Yong Yoo as a Core Direct Disciple.]
Shocked by the sect lord's marked command despite my lower realm, they treated me politely.
I reached my cozy cave abode without further checks.
Though eager to cultivate, I left Wi A-han and headed to Peak Lord Hall's main chamber.
The steward said Geum So-ryeo was at Sea Severing Peak's summit.
I flew there on So Hu and spotted her meditating atop a blue lotus.
I landed quietly behind, knelt, and waited for her to speak.
Geum So-ryeo sat rock-still, neither gathering energy nor casting spells, sensing sun and moon's dance, heaven and earth's flow.
After a week of meditation, as the seventh moon set and eighth sun rose, she turned to me.
"Disciple."
"Master."
"It took longer than expected."
"My apologies. I faced two Core Formation Perfected and a spirit beast at the fortuitous site you prepared, wasting time."
"Two Perfected Core Formation and a spirit beast? Someone must've botched an array, awakening it."
...So that's what happened?
I'd thought it was just "defeat the beast and claim the Wood Spirit Lotus Core."
Geum So-ryeo wasn't a bad master after all.
As I silently apologized for misunderstanding, she smiled at me.
"But, disciple."
"Yes, Master."
"No shadow on your face, body intact—you've clearly claimed the fortune properly."
"Yes, Master. I secured the fortune you prepared."
Breaking through two Perfected Core Formation and the beast for it exceeded her expectations; she beamed with joy.
To share better news, I pulled the beast's corpse from my storage pouch.
"This is the spirit beast I felled."
"...! Beyond expectations!"
Eyes wide, Geum So-ryeo exulted at the sight.
"To fell a Congenital Nascent Soul-grade spirit beast!"
"The two Perfected cultivators weakened it first, and it'd been trapped so long, it was frail."
"Still, transcending two great realms for victory demands a reward. First, what of the corpse?"
"I sacrificed most treasures in battle; I'll use it for new ones."
"Good. I'll introduce a fine artifact refiner. But... no nascent soul in the corpse?"
I explained absorbing the nascent soul, the core's nature, So Hu's birth, and our blood pact.
"With Layer 2 Foundation Establishment, defeating two Perfected Core Formation and a Congenital Nascent Soul beast, claiming the fortune to jump to Layer 5, and taming the beast despite lacking beast affinity."
Geum So-ryeo eyed me and So Hu mysteriously.
Why that look?
"Disciple, future plans?"
"Yes. I wish to enter the Grand Dao Tournament in ten years."
"The tournament."
Yeom Suk could've attempted Nascent Soul long ago but stalled her realm for the Secret Realm.
So I could prepare worry-free for ten years.
Geum So-ryeo knew Yeom Suk's goal but showed no reaction to my declaration.
"...Perhaps that's a fortune prepared for you."
"Master?"
Her mutter intrigued me, but she cut the conversation, so I couldn't press.
"You've proven your talent and great luck, so I'll grant a reward."
She bluntly changed topics; I focused on the reward.
Geum So-ryeo reached into her storage pouch, producing a jade token.
"This grants access to elder-only training grounds. I'll lend it for ten years."
Hearing the token's purpose, I nearly dropped it in shock.
"Master! This...!"
"Not quite the Ancestral Secret Realm, but ten waste-free years there equals a century's training. It also has elder aids—use my allocation freely."
I carefully stowed the token and bowed deeply in thanks.
"Disciple. Train hard. I support you."
"Yes! I'll train diligently and never disappoint you!"
I vowed firmly to her benevolent smile.