Chapter 40
Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: 10 Years of Seclusion (3)
Yong Yoo had entered seclusion, and with three years followed by four more, a total of seven years had now passed.
The more Yong Yoo cultivated, the more he marveled at the profundity of the Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art.
As a technique that concealed three divine abilities in its latter half, allowing cultivation all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm, it followed the logic that one must clearly understand the five skandhas to grasp their emptiness. True to this, the more he practiced, the sharper all his senses became.
His eyes pierced through darkness and obstructions, while his ears caught the sound of clouds drifting by and snowflakes falling.
Above all, his divine sense—the most crucial sense for any cultivator—had grown even stronger and more sensitive. Yong Yoo's divine sense had already been larger and more potent than others' due to his dual spiritual roots, and now it rivaled that of a Core Formation Realm perfection cultivator in sheer scope.
'At this level, I should be able to shatter the recognition seals on that dharma altar and dharma vessel I obtained from the ruined ancestral gate and claim them as my own.'
A shield-shaped flying dharma altar. One dharma altar and one dharma vessel that amplified spells. And in the future, more dharma altars to be forged from Hu's corpse.
'The more dharma altars, the better.'
Yong Yoo preferred defensive dharma altars, in keeping with his tastes.
In battle, he unconsciously emphasized spells over other means, relegating even an excellent dharma treasure like his Refined Flying Sword to mere surprise attacks via its auto-combat function.
Of course, that surprise function alone had been quite effective in taking down Hu, but it was undeniable that offensive dharma treasures saw reduced utility in his fights.
'This also means I'm still not fully accustomed to combat as a cultivator.'
A cultivator's strength manifested comprehensively through their realm, spells, divine abilities, physical body, the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, dharma treasures, and more.
Even if one's realm lagged, powerful dharma treasures could turn the tide. If spells or divine abilities fell short, mastery of body refinement techniques could exploit an enemy's weakness for victory.
'To truly grow strong, I can't just raise my realm—I need to properly wield everything at my disposal.'
In other words, he needed to consolidate his foundations.
Thus, as Yong Yoo cultivated, he reflected deeply on himself, identifying shortcomings and seeking ways to address them.
Additionally, over the past four years of practicing the Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art, he had successfully advanced his Steel Spiritual Root to the seventh layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Advancing from the fifth to the seventh layer had taken roughly twice as long compared to his Dragon Spiritual Root.
Yong Yoo paused his cultivation briefly, pondering whether the remaining three years would suffice to push his Steel Spiritual Root to Foundation Establishment perfection.
'Should I aim for Foundation Establishment perfection with just the Dragon Spiritual Root, or raise the Steel Spiritual Root to around the eighth layer?'
The deliberation was short-lived.
'I'll go for Foundation Establishment perfection.'
Missing the chance to rapidly advance his Steel Spiritual Root felt regrettable, but perfecting even one spiritual root would prove more beneficial in the Orthodox Dao Tournament.
'If I'd seen a real chance to perfect the Steel Spiritual Root, I'd have kept at it... but since that's not the case, no choice.'
With a touch of regret, Yong Yoo turned to cultivating the Three Lives One Fate Scripture.
Kwarrrrum!!
A ferocious bolt of lightning struck from a clear sky, slamming into Do Mun-hyang.
She deflected it with the power of the dharma altar enveloping her body, but the heavenly tribulations grew steadily fiercer, and soon all her prepared dharma altars were depleted.
From the next tribulation onward, she had to endure them on her own. Do Mun-hyang unleashed the defensive spells she had conserved by sacrificing her dharma altars.
Kwaaaang!!!!
A massive lightning bolt crashed down upon Do Mun-hyang.
Thus, the Core Formation heavenly tribulations were exceedingly straightforward.
Known as the Core Formation Lightning Tribulation, the heavens relentlessly bombarded those attempting to break through to Core Formation with lightning, and the cultivator simply needed to withstand it using every means at their disposal until they could condense their core.
The tribulations fell in rapid succession, as if aware her dharma altars were gone. Each time, Do Mun-hyang blocked, deflected, and endured them while condensing her core within.
How much time had passed since she began her breakthrough?
"...You succeeded."
As Geum So-ryeo, who had been watching her disciple's breakthrough, spoke those words, Do Mun-hyang shook off her charred robe—reduced to ashes by the tribulations—and beamed radiantly.
"Master! Your disciple succeeded!"
Do Mun-hyang.
Age 44.
Ascended to the Core Formation Realm.
Geum So-ryeo praised her delighted disciple, who had now reached Core Formation, and draped a new robe over her.
"Now that you've reached Core Formation, settle your energy calmly first."
"Yes, Master. Are you heading out somewhere?"
Sensing a hint of disappointment when Geum So-ryeo offered only brief praise before leaving, Do Mun-hyang asked as much. Her master smiled softly at the petulance.
"Forgive me."
After Geum So-ryeo departed with those short words of apology, Do Mun-hyang was left alone. Over the next few days, as she stabilized her energy, a wave of loneliness washed over her.
'...If only Yoo Lang were here.'
Yong Yoo would surely have celebrated her core formation extravagantly, showering her with praise.
Closing her eyes, she could almost feel his arms around her, the warmth of his hand stroking her hair, his body heat.
Yet on Sea Severing Peak without Yong Yoo, only her master Geum So-ryeo treated Do Mun-hyang with kindness. Everyone else remained coldly distant.
Especially Wi Ja-seok, recently surpassed in realm by Do Mun-hyang, glared at her murderously and picked fights at every encounter.
As Do Mun-hyang felt this loneliness from Yong Yoo's absence, she suddenly gazed toward the main peak where he resided.
He was surely still diligently secluded somewhere out there.
Recalling the Orthodox Dao Tournament he had resolved to attend, Do Mun-hyang fell into thought before hardening her gaze with determination.
'I need to enter the Orthodox Dao Tournament too.'
Not with aims of victory.
She was tired of living timidly, minding others' opinions.
Do Mun-hyang was a genius who had reached Core Formation before age 50. Her revered master and beloved Dao companion acknowledged as much, so she could proudly declare herself one.
'Yoo Lang is going too. Even knowing Core Formation cultivators will appear, he's fighting for what he wants. I'll steel my resolve as well.'
Once, she would have stayed demurely by Mun Yoo's side, supporting him. But Yong Yoo's constant praise and harmony had subtly shifted her nature.
She was becoming more proactive and assertive.
'I'll compete in the Orthodox Dao Tournament and achieve results. Then I'll prove myself boldly to the senior and junior brothers. I'm Master's direct disciple!'
Crying this inwardly, Do Mun-hyang flew off to register for the tournament.
Afterward, unlike her prior three years of focused cultivation, she sought out spells, dharma treasures, and spirit beasts relentlessly to hone her Dao combat skills.
Over the ten years Yong Yoo spent in deep seclusion, many changes swept the world.
A new Nascent Soul Realm cultivator named Ye Ga-seok emerged from the Falling Star Sect, rumored to have an odd fixation on slaying only the handsome male cultivators.
A minor sect suddenly vanished from the northern seas, but cultivators paid more heed to the mysterious ancient secret realm that appeared in its stead than the sect's loss.
News of a new ancient secret realm drew Geum So-ryeo from the High Heaven Sect and elders from various sects, along with reclusive high-realm cultivators from hidden corners of the world.
Moreover, the High Heaven Sect's Orthodox Dao Tournament stirred uproar when a female mountain hermit at Core Formation perfection appeared out of nowhere to participate. External entrants were typically Foundation Establishment cultivators seeking the sect's favor.
As eyes focused on the High Heaven Sect's tournament, some sects launched opportunistic wars on their distracted rivals. Meanwhile, a once-in-5,000-years calamity erupted in the neighboring Nine Provinces Realm, its shockwaves rippling into the central Nine Provinces Realm.
Amid such grand and petty events in the Nine Provinces Realm as ever, Yong Yoo devoted himself solely to cultivation, completing a full decade before opening his eyes.
"So this is Foundation Establishment perfection?"
Having cultivated without rest for ten years, bolstered by the subtle favoritism of the female attendants in the training cave, Yong Yoo enjoyed superior conditions and achieved his goal: Foundation Establishment perfection in his Dragon Spiritual Root.
"You've awakened?"
"Keeper Yang Ho. Why are you here?"
"Some disciples immerse themselves so deeply they overlook the training token's expiration. Toward the end, we wait like this."
Yong Yoo let out a hollow chuckle at Yang Ho's explanation.
"I still have five days left on my token, don't I?"
"Yes. What will you do with them?"
"I can't advance my realm further, so I'll consolidate my foundations. Will you watch that too?"
Yang Ho smiled wordlessly, as if to say it was natural.
Fair enough—who wouldn't bend sect rules for such prime cultivation conditions?
Many probably feigned compliance only to slip away and hide elsewhere in the training cave.
Yong Yoo nodded in understanding and ascended to the upper floors of the tower.
Passing Little Fox, who licked blood from its plump, gore-smeared body atop spirit beast and demon beast corpses, Yong Yoo entered a vast Mustard Seed Space stocked with puppets. There, he asked the waiting female attendant, who soon fetched a Core Formation-level puppet.
The puppet, carved like a wooden doll, moved with uncanny lifelike delicacy as it stood before him. With the High Heaven Sect sect master's Core Formation puppet at hand, Yong Yoo decided to test his spells.
For five days, Yong Yoo trained in cultivator combat methods against the Core Formation puppet, using spells and dharma treasures.
Yang Ho watched impassively at first.
Disciples coming here were typically elders' direct disciples. Yang Ho had seen more surpass their realm's norms than those merely matching it.
Low-realm cultivators, unlike high-realm ones, often had blurred power gaps between realms; Foundation Establishment perfection matching shaky early Core Formation was commonplace.
"Ah, good. I get the feel now. Using spells and dharma treasures together is like this..."
But when Yong Yoo muttered that midway and unleashed his full power, Yang Ho's expression shifted.
"Impossible. Are you truly at Foundation Establishment perfection?"
Core Formation first layer, second layer... As the puppets Yong Yoo faced grew stronger, he destroyed them faster. Against late Core Formation, his pace slowed but his combat grew far more stable.
Yong Yoo spent half each day honing techniques against up to mid-Core Formation puppets, then battled a Core Formation eighth layer puppet for the remainder.
Initially time-consuming, he halved the duration on the second try.
Further bouts shortened it more, until after over ten fights with no further reduction, he advanced to the Core Formation ninth layer puppet.
After a day building skill against it, he spent two days on the Core Formation perfection puppet, then challenged a Nascent Soul puppet for the final day.
Crafted via a divine-ability puppet art rather than ordinary puppetry, the Nascent Soul puppet's power dwarfed even Core Formation perfection.
First attempt: defeated in a blink.
Later: withstood one strike, fell to the next.
Each defeat prompted Yong Yoo to ponder defense, evasion, counterattacks—ways to prolong the fight.
And just before leaving the training cave, in his final clash with the Nascent Soul puppet.
Crack!
"Oh."
"Hah...!"
Using the Four Images World-Repelling Altar Projection, Yong Yoo succeeded in chipping the puppet's fingertip.
Witnessing this, Yang Ho thought he must report to the sect master, masking his trembling excitement as he escorted Yong Yoo out. The female attendants wailed in grief at his departure.
"Waaahhh!"
"Please don't go!"
"Young master!!"
Yang Ho teased Yong Yoo upon seeing it.
"Hahaha. For the female attendants to react like this—you're remarkable, Young Master Yong Yoo."
"Keeper Yang, enough teasing. Let's go."
"Hahaha!"
Leaving the women's sobs behind, Yong Yoo emerged from the training cave and looked up at the sun and sky after a decade, overcome with emotion.
"Ten years."
They had flown by in an instant.
Now 61 years old, he was at an age where "truly old" might apply, yet his timelessly youthful body and face still felt oddly unfamiliar at times.
Putting aside his, Yong Yoo headed to the Sea Severing Peak Lord's Hall to inform Geum So-ryeo of his emergence, but she was away. The peak keeper handed him a green storage pouch.
"Master instructed us to reclaim your training token and give you this upon your exit."
"What's this?"
"The dharma altar made from Hu's corpse, as you requested."
"Oh! Thank you, Keeper."
Regretting not seeing Geum So-ryeo, Yong Yoo pocketed the storage pouch and returned to his cave dwelling.
He considered visiting Do Mun-hyang but, recalling his prior short stay before seclusion, yearned to immerse himself in the nostalgic space.
Upon arriving, he found the formation enveloping his cave dwelling in ruins.
"......"
Yong Yoo's face darkened as potent divine sense surged forth, probing inside.
Within sat Wi A-han kneeling silently in a corner and a man in a brown robe.
As Yong Yoo entered, he spoke.
"Isn't this Senior Brother Han? May I ask what this rudeness is about?"
"Rudeness? You threatened my junior brothers first, so I came calling. Your absence is your own fault."
Yong Yoo scanned Wi A-han with divine sense, confirming Han Chun-oh hadn't laid a finger on her, then turned to him.
"Junior Brother Yong. I hear you're entering the Orthodox Dao Tournament."
"Yes, that's right."
"And that Master gave you a training token for it."
Yong Yoo's eyes narrowed at Han Chun-oh's words. As expected, past slights against his acquaintances were mere pretext; there was another agenda.
Only Geum So-ryeo, Yong Yoo himself, Little Fox nearby, and later Do Mun-hyang and Wi A-han knew of the token.
Yet Han Chun-oh knew, which meant...
"You put someone on Junior Sister Do? They hid their presence well enough to evade my divine sense—quite skilled. But attaching such a person to a fellow sect junior sister? What rudeness is this?"
Pinpointing the situation swiftly, Yong Yoo accused. Han Chun-oh smirked.
"The rudeness is yours. You and Junior Sister Do—neither bows to sky-like senior brothers or yields. You just gobble up Master's fortuitous opportunities like pigs."
"Senior Brother Han."
Yong Yoo replied coldly.
"What Senior Brother Han lacks stems not from Master favoring Junior Sister Do or me, but from your feeble Dao heart and shallow dedication to cultivation. Blaming externals instead of your own flaws is why you're barely at early Core Formation second layer."
"......"
Hearing this, Han Chun-oh's eyes flashed as he swung his hand toward Yong Yoo.
Kwarrrrum!!
Soon, blue light flooded Yong Yoo's cave dwelling.