Chapter 7
Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Arms Aren't the Problem (1)
I'm fucked.
Let me think calmly and rationally about my current situation.
Hmm.
I'm fucked.
I gazed at Do Mun-hyang sleeping beside me. She'd stripped off her robe completely and was clinging to me naked in her sleep. It was so lovel— no, that's not it.
The important thing was that Do Mun-hyang was this story's main heroine, and I'd gone all the way with the main heroine herself.
And right after defeating the protagonist, no less!
Who the hell else does that besides trash like Kim Tae-yang, beating up the boyfriend and stealing the girlfriend?
'I'm dead.'
At the very least, one thing was clear: the life I'd dreamed of when I first arrived in this world was no longer an option.
Retire from cultivation?
Attach myself to some royal family, live it up with fine food and luxury?
So let's just make sure I don't lose an arm?
Arms aren't the problem right now!
'Damn it. I heard plans fall apart the moment you make them, but how the hell did things go this wrong?!'
What did I do wrong!
I just fought the protagonist planning to lose, one-shot him by accident, then got drunk with Do Mun-hyang who came on my master's orders, our eyes met, and we ended up sleeping together!
'Ugh. My bad!'
Fine. I'll admit it.
Arrogantly assuming the power of an untested spell and beating the protagonist, then getting swept up in the booze without thinking and making a mistake— all my fault.
Now, it'd be great if someone could save me from this mess, but sadly, life has no save or load.
Well, some cultivators who succeed in transcendence deliberately die and reincarnate as they choose to restart their lives... but not me.
'In that case... I need to get stronger.'
The best way for a reader possessed in a novel to get strong is to steal the protagonist's fortuitous encounters, but... there's a problem.
First.
I don't know where they are.
The reason is that most of the protagonist's encounters in this mortal world arc come from his master, Geum So-ryeo.
Geum So-ryeo, elder of High Heaven Sect's Sea Severing Peak.
A genius fanatic, she's a character with outstanding talent.
Harsh and cold to those without talent, but as you can see from how many storage pouches Do Mun-hyang owns, she's a great master who pours her heart and soul into nurturing geniuses.
She believed geniuses needed encounters to match their growth, so she used the sect and Sea Severing Peak resources, and even traveled everywhere herself to gather info on encounters and pass it to her disciples.
After defeating Yong Yoo, Mun Yoo caught Geum So-ryeo's eye with his performance and became her direct disciple, devouring all the encounters she provided to grow.
The reason Geum So-ryeo has this convenient setup is probably the author being lazy and using her as a plot device... but in-story, it's tied to High Heaven Sect's founding ancestor.
The founding ancestor established High Heaven Sect, and 3,000 years later—9,700 years ago—achieved transcendence to become an immortal. After that, the sect produced no more transcendent cultivators, and the quality of its members gradually declined, leading to its fall.
Geum So-ryeo, a direct descendant of the founding ancestor, believed reviving High Heaven Sect required another genius like him, so whenever she spotted promising cultivators, she'd gather them and force-feed them encounters to make them grow.
To create a transcendent cultivator who would make High Heaven Sect great again.
Of course, that doesn't mean I know zero encounter locations.
For those detailed or roughly mapped in the story, I could find them through Yong Yoo's memories.
But the problem is, they don't suit me.
As the saying goes, encounters are heaven-sent—hard to obtain, and even if you do, mismatched ones are useless.
Most of the protagonist's encounters in the mortal world are heavy on karmic force.
There are some merit force ones for balance, since imbalance leads to falling into a demon, but karmic force dominates.
That's why the protagonist suffers later from this imbalance after transcendence.
But I've cultivated the Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art, and as I said, Buddhist arts fatally counter karmic force.
Not just incompatible—auspicious energy unilaterally melts it away, an absolute mismatch. Even if I got a karmic encounter, all I could do is destroy it with my own energy.
Even trying to learn it, the art's energy inside me would interfere, turning the encounter into poison.
'The best way is to catch Geum So-ryeo's eye, become a direct disciple, and receive encounters. Next best is lucking into one rolling my way.'
Thinking that far, I chuckled.
Either way, only one thing for current me to do: cultivate.
I need the power to seize an encounter when it comes. So, cultivate. Not just enough to save my arm— I need to get seriously strong.
'I need to get strong. Strong enough to... kill Mun Yoo, and it'll all be solved.'
I hardened my resolve, got up, and started cleaning the surroundings.
Luckily, the array in the eastern sector had convenient features for management, so erasing traces of our intercourse wasn't hard.
Unlike my brown robe, torn from getting caught up in our passion, Do Mun-hyang's pink robe was intact. I admired it, then carefully draped it over her body.
Then I took out a new brown robe, put it on, sat in position, and began cultivating.
Thankfully, spirit energy from the endless spirit liquor over the past few days lingered in my body, making cultivation go smoothly.
While I cultivated, Do Mun-hyang finally woke, blinked dazedly around, then startled upon seeing me.
As she sat up, the robe slipped off her body, and realizing she was naked, she yelped again and hugged herself with both arms.
But those slender arms wrapping her ample breasts just mashed them enticingly. Her legs twisted shyly, thighs rubbing together... what was that? Seducing me?
I calmed my stirring manhood at the sight. Damn. Lingering afterglow from intercourse? My mind kept turning that way.
"Hyang-ah, you're awake?"
I greeted her warmly, and memories of the past few days flooded back. She shyly covered herself with the robe but replied in a friendly tone.
"Yes... Yoo Senior."
The quiet affection in her voice as she said "Yoo Senior" made me smile unwittingly.
Seeing my smile, she blushed but smiled back faintly. We silently confirmed our newfound closeness.
'Hmm. Sleeping with Do Mun-hyang is a huge problem... but it feels damn good.'
"I wanted to dress you, but touching you while you were out cold didn't seem right."
"Ah, no... it's fine. ...You could've touched me."
Her bold response startled me, but I realized she'd fully accepted and acknowledged our relationship.
Does this mean Do Mun-hyang and I are dao companions? For some reason, I'd burrowed deep into her heart.
"Um... Yoo Senior. Sorry it's late, but thank you for saying that."
"Huh? For what?"
"That I was pushing too hard and it was tiring... and to love myself more. Lately, my dao heart had been shaking, but thanks to you, it's stabilized."
With that, she released her energy.
Surprisingly, it felt stronger and purer than when she'd shown me anger and killing intent before.
"......You broke through a minor realm?"
"Yes. I'd been stuck at Foundation Establishment first layer... but you opened the path for me."
Only then did I understand why she'd accepted me so deeply and strongly. Hm. Not just from physical union.
Comforting words for her troubled heart, pleasurable union, stabilizing her shaken dao heart with my advice and advancing her realm.
All these factors combined to spark massive favor in her toward me.
"If you're cultivating, shall I help?"
"Pardon?"
What else could "helping cultivate" mean for a man and woman who'd already shared their bodies?
As I stared in surprise, she boldly shed her robe first and approached me. Sober this time, Do Mun-hyang and I connected again.
Dual cultivating with her for practice rather than pleasure skyrocketed my cultivation. In one go, I shot up to Refining Qi fourth layer and second layer.
'No way... after ten months of grinding......'
My ten months of effort couldn't match one hour of dual cultivation with Do Mun-hyang.
Dazed in futility, I watched her pull a jade token from her bosom, hold it to her ear, and converse.
Is that the sound transmission jade token, like a phone call?
"Yes, Master. Understood."
After talking with Geum So-ryeo via the token and disconnecting, she told me,
"Yoo Senior, you've been officially made an inner disciple of Sea Severing Peak starting today. Let's go together."
She smiled and offered her hand. I took it.
Soon after, we packed everything from the eastern sector, sealed the entrance with a boulder, left Mystic Herb Peak, and headed to Sea Severing Peak.
After opening a new eastern sector in a much better spot than at Mystic Herb Peak, unpacking, I went with Do Mun-hyang to meet Geum So-ryeo.
Geum So-ryeo was a beauty like a celestial fairy descended from heaven, and at a higher realm than any cultivator I'd seen.
Sensing her realm faintly, I swallowed dryly, approached, and bowed. Accepting my bow, she recognized me as her inner disciple.
Unlike direct disciples, inner disciples don't get personal elder teachings, but nominally master-disciple, so formal rites are required.
After the rites, Geum So-ryeo gazed at me calmly and spoke.
"So you're Yong Yoo. They say you have talent in dao combat?"
She glanced at Do Mun-hyang, who nodded firmly beside me.
Seeing that, Geum So-ryeo drew a small jade flute and a box of pills from her sleeve.
"Show me the spell you can use now. If it impresses me enough, I'll give you this spell and the pills."
Her voice was kindly affectionate, but her eyes coldly warned.
They said if I didn't show satisfactory talent, harsh punishment awaited.