Chapter 73
Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Another Heavenly Bridge (6)
Having completed the owner recognition rituals for the Five Rivers Pulse Axis Chart and the Sevenfold Layered Bell, I examined the two dharma treasures.
"Hmm."
Both were powerful enough to serve all the way up to the perfection stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Still, considering they were dharma treasures hidden away in the 'archives' of a colossal sect like the High Heaven Sect, they left a bit to be desired.
'Well, can't be helped.'
In this Central Star Domain, the High Heaven Sect—a massive sect—had arisen and dominated the entire domain for tens of thousands of years as the leader of the righteous path sects.
That also meant they had absorbed and consumed vast quantities of cultivation resources over that time.
Do cultivation resources spring up infinitely?
Just as mining ore from a vein eventually exhausts it, the cultivators in a star domain will one day deplete their cultivation resources through constant consumption.
In the Immortal Realm, you might occasionally find things like 'infinitely regenerating cultivation resources,' but at least in the mortal realm, nothing of the sort exists.
The more you use them, the fewer there are.
Above all, the natural regeneration rate of cultivation resources is far slower than the rate at which cultivators consume them.
This is especially true once cultivators reach higher realms, where they require resources nurtured over centuries at the short end or millennia at the long end.
There were many complex reasons why the High Heaven Sect was gradually declining, but the biggest was the overall waning qi of the entire Central Star Domain.
It was the natural order.
When cultivation resources abound, orthodox cultivators who train methodically and steadily grow stronger. But when resources dwindle, demonic path sorcerers and demon beasts who cultivate through unorthodox means gradually gain power.
When orthodox cultivators are strong, they hunt down demonic sorcerers and demon beasts. Then, harboring grudges, those demonic sorcerers and beasts strike back fiercely when their own power waxes.
And does it end there? No.
Demonic sorcerers and demon beasts treat other lives as cultivation resources.
At first, they'll gleefully grind through mortals and spirit beasts in the mortal realm to cultivate. But eventually, they'll turn on each other—demonic sorcerers hunting demon beasts, and vice versa.
Once one faction remains dominant, they'll devour each other until ultimate destruction.
In a world where rivers run red with blood and mountains pile high with corpses, qi slowly recovers over eons, depleted resources accumulate anew, life springs forth again, and the cycle repeats.
People awaken to cultivation, splitting into orthodox and demonic paths; demon beasts emerge; the orthodox reign supreme; in the end, the orthodox fall, ushering in the era of demonic paths and beasts; and finally, all fades away.
This is the nature of the periodic Great Calamities—the Cyclic Annihilation Tribulations—that afflict star domains.
At least with the Cyclic Annihilation Tribulation, there are ways to overcome or delay it, which is better than nothing.
There are also sudden Great Calamities, like the one that engulfed the Buddhist Sect 180,000 years ago, striking without warning and sweeping everything away.
As I pondered the root causes of the High Heaven Sect's weakening and these tribulations, having finished the rituals, I unfurled the Five Rivers Pulse Axis Chart and inspected the rivers flowing within it.
I first extended a finger toward the grand river flowing majestically. With a poke, amazingly, my finger sank into the river in the painting as if dipped into a real one.
I watched the ripples spread in the painted river, then withdrew my finger to examine the water clinging to it, and finally tasted it.
Slurp.
"Hmm."
Sucking the water from my finger, I analyzed the texture and flavor on my tongue, nodding to myself.
'Not quite as good as the Vast Bounty Gourd Bottle. A bit bitter. Still, not bad at all. If I refine the water... I could probably make something like Nectar Spirit Liquor.'
Fortunately, the High Heaven Sect had provided top-grade tools suitable for spirit liquor brewing, so refining the water to improve its quality wouldn't be difficult.
I'd only used Nectar Water a few times since it would actually degrade the quality if applied here, but I had mastered the method completely.
I sampled the other four rivers as well.
The meandering one had a slightly sweet taste, the rapids were exceptionally clean, the rain-fed river carried a hint of impurities but was rich in air, and the obstructed one reeked of muddy earth and fishiness—utterly unusable.
I stored away the Five Rivers Pulse Axis Chart and picked up the Sevenfold Layered Bell next.
The Sevenfold Layered Bell had no internal clapper or metal weight to produce sound, so shaking it yielded no noise.
I half-clenched my fist and struck the seven bells in succession with the hard joint of my middle finger.
Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-dong!!
A clear ring echoed as seven layers of bell-shaped barriers unfolded around me.
I carefully stood and moved, and the barriers followed seamlessly.
'No way to gauge their power.'
Infusing a bit of spirit power lightly, it seemed spirit power projected from within could pass through the barriers. Probably the same for spells and treasures.
I tested by lightly thrusting my Refined Flying Sword, confirming it passed through.
As I examined the Sevenfold Layered Bell, I recalled the hair tie Hyang Mae had given me long ago.
This thin cord-like tie was a magic tool, fairly sturdy despite appearances. Useless as a tool otherwise, so I'd never used it.
I promptly tied the cord around the wooden rod connecting the seven bells, then secured it to my belt, fastening the Sevenfold Layered Bell at my waist.
Next, I headed to the Scripture Pavilion to find spells suitable for the Core Formation Realm.
"Master, what spells are you looking for?"
"Attack spells stronger than Blazing Palm Seal but castable at similar speeds. A few defensive ones. And finally, something to disrupt enemies."
Tactics like binding foes with Water Shield Box or creating openings with Life-Death Rhythm or Unenlightened Calamity Staff had proven quite effective every time.
"Understood."
Wi A-han borrowed my identity token, allowing her—as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and an outer elder—to access forbidden spellbooks. I, meanwhile, browsed separately.
My spell preferences had always leaned toward massive, powerful, heavy hitters like Blazing Palm Seal that could also blanket wide areas.
Blazing Palm Seal, One-Day Jade Seal, Triple Serpent Dragon Lotus Spear Image. Water Essence Bullet Art and Unenlightened Calamity Staff were the quiet ones, but even Water Essence Bullet Art's power made it viable for area attacks.
Fine, precise strikes I left to treasures.
But after sparring with Pyeong Yu-ran and trying Severing Dragon Palm, my thinking had shifted slightly.
'Slashing techniques might not be bad. Sharpening spirit power into a keen edge gives tremendous penetration and speed—easy to sever an enemy's vital lines.'
With a clear target, it didn't take long to find what I wanted.
Falcon Flash.
A spell meaning 'a swift, sharp gleam like a falcon in flight,' it honed pure spirit power—without elemental attributes—into a blade-like edge and hurled it forth.
These were usually weaker than elemental spirit power, but with my single-element spirit power making pure spirit power exceptionally strong, it suited me perfectly.
I wanted a combined spell too, but regrettably, from Core Formation onward, they mostly required three or more people.
'Makes sense. Combined spells are typically for groups. No one develops them just for two.'
No helping it. I gave up on combined spells and, while browsing, found a book not available in Foundation Establishment sections.
It was a Buddhist scripture.
'Even up to Core Formation, there are a few Buddhist spells, huh?'
I skimmed a few spellbooks and selected two.
One was Protective Light Shield, the defensive spell I'd sought. Extra spirit power could extend protection to surroundings—highly versatile.
Next, Elephant-Taming Incantation, a chant that eroded enemy combat will and forcibly calmed the mind.
Satisfied with these fine spells, I was about to leave when Wi A-han achieved a major find.
"Master, what do you think of this?"
Wi A-han had brought not a spellbook, but one on arts of concealment.
"Concealment? I have no talent for that."
"Yes, I know. But since it was Buddhist-related, I thought it might help you and checked it out. It contained remarkably valuable information."
Divine Spirit Grasping Pearl Technique.
I skimmed the book, grasped the worth of its contents, and said,
"This is incredible? Truly amazing! A-han, you're the best."
Delighted, I borrowed that book along with several others from the Scripture Pavilion.
Afterward, I pored over the new spellbooks and began mastering the spells.
Core Formation spells contained far more profound principles than Foundation Establishment ones, so fully studying and mastering even one took about a month.
I started with Falcon Flash, ascending above the clouds to practice it repeatedly, internalizing the mudras and usage sensations.
Next came Protective Light Shield.
Having learned it, I sought out acquaintances one by one—Wi A-han, Do Mun-hyang, So Hu, and finally Pyeong Yu-ran—to test its power with their help.
Escalating gradually, Protective Light Shield proved inferior to Water Shield Box alone but vastly superior when combined.
Last was Elephant-Taming Incantation. The trickiest of the new spells, and with no suitable test subject, I mastered and practiced it a few times but couldn't gauge its full effect.
Mastering and refining these three spells took five whole months. Back in Foundation Establishment, one spell took mere days.
'Wonder how long Nascent Soul ones will take. Scary.'
For reference, while I trained, A-han reached the 4th layer of Foundation Establishment, and news of Sea Severing Peak's Yeom Suk achieving Nascent Soul and becoming a core disciple rocked the High Heaven Sect.
Time flows impartially for all.
As I built my foundation, those diligently cultivating advanced a step each.
Feeling I'd finally solidified mine, I prepared to seriously pursue Nascent Soul.
Had no interruptions come, I might have trained straight through to the next year.
The final month of the year.
The arts master specially invited from an outer sect for High Heaven Sect's pride, the Heavenly Bridge prodigy Yong Yoo, arrived.
But he wasn't alone.
"I am Elder Yi Sim-gyeol of the Ha-seong Sect. Thank you for inviting this unremarkable old man."
"I am Elder Un Seong-guk of the Ha-seong Sect. I've come to assist my master. Please take good care of us during his stay."
Astonishingly, Yong Yoo's arts master traveled with a monster who had reached the 1st layer of Nascent Soul at just 19 years old.
Everyone marveled at this terrifying cultivation speed and the emergence of a Nascent Soul under thirty.
Yong Yoo was shocked too.
'Un Seong-guk? That's the Immortal's soul fragment.'
Though the nature of Yong Yoo's shock differed slightly from the others.