Chapter 74
Translator: penny
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Another Heavenly Tribulation (7)
In xianxia tales, there's something called a split soul.
In the case of Elder Tuho Bibul's "remnant soul," it was a fragment of the soul deliberately left behind for a specific purpose. A split soul, however, involves cleaving the very core of the soul in two.
In other words, it divides one's existence into two complete beings.
Even for immortals, this is an extremely perilous act. Most split souls occur unintentionally when an overwhelming blow shatters the soul beyond endurance.
In such cases, the primary soul desperately seeks to absorb the split soul and reunite, while the split soul tries to kill the primary soul to claim the title of the true self. That's why, from time to time in the immortal realms, you see identical immortals locked in deadly battles.
However, there are times when immortals deliberately create a split soul.
In moments of mortal peril, when escape seems utterly impossible, an immortal will split their soul, create the split soul, and immediately slay it, hurling it into the River of Reincarnation.
This sends a being bearing all their memories and heritage into reincarnation in the mortal world, allowing escape from the danger.
The primary soul meets death in the process, but since the split soul is killed before its self-awareness awakens, it reincarnates intact with the primary soul's consciousness, memories, and heritage—potentially reviving as a true second self.
Yun Seong-guk was precisely such a case.
An immortal from the celestial realms who created a split soul to reincarnate and evade danger.
'Yun Seong-guk won't realize his past life until he's 2,000 years old... So he probably doesn't yet know he's an immortal's split soul.'
The reincarnation of a great being doesn't come with full memories and consciousness from the start.
They live as a completely new existence, and only upon ascending to high realms as a cultivator do the memories of their past life naturally resurface.
But the timing of Yun Seong-guk's awakening wasn't the issue.
'The fact that Yun Seong-guk reincarnated means the Earthly Immortal Tribulation is highly likely to occur as fated.'
That was the problem.
The one who killed Yun Seong-guk later plummets into the mortal world, triggering the Earthly Immortal Tribulation.
Why that immortal, out of countless mortal realms, falls here of all places—and in this vast realm spanning several Earths, why precisely the Central Sujin Realm?
It all traces back to Yun Seong-guk.
The lingering karmic enmity between Yun Seong-guk and that immortal inexorably draws their existences together, ensnaring the Central Sujin Realm in the Earthly Immortal Tribulation.
'I had considered the possibility it might not happen at all.'
This was the world of Black and White Immortal Chronicle, but the novel had become reality.
Mun Yoo had plummeted into ruin in an instant, degenerating into a demon hunted by the High Heaven Sect, while Hyang Mae—the main heroine—now stood by my side as my Dao companion.
Figures like So Hu from the original story never appeared, nor was the Black Tortoise of the Ancient Secret Realm ever mentioned. I'd long abandoned any naive assumption that everything would follow the original plot.
Yet if the Earthly Immortal Tribulation struck...
'If I survive it, reaching the Soul Transformation Realm might be no issue at all.'
The Central Sujin Realm suffers catastrophic losses from the Earthly Immortal Tribulation, but afterward, the spiritual energy across the entire Sujin Realm surges, creating a paradise for cultivators.
High Heaven Sect elders stagnating in the mid and late Nascent Soul Realm break through to Soul Transformation in one go, while Geum So-ryeo, then at Soul Harmony, ascends straight to Integration.
Cherished heavenly treasures and earthly boons sprout everywhere in the Sujin Realm, and countless lesser caves and secret realms—fading into oblivion as energy thinned—burst open anew.
'Just the residual power scattered by a single dead immortal caused such phenomena, masterfully impressing on readers the perils of the celestial realms.'
I pondered Yun Seong-guk and the Earthly Immortal Tribulation, but realized dwelling on it now was pointless, so I set the worries aside.
All I could do was, when forced to choose, pick the path best for me and mine.
That's true for everyone. And to make good choices stick, you need the power to back them up.
'Well, to even survive until the Earthly Immortal Tribulation, I need to reach Soul Transformation first.'
In the end, the answer was cultivation.
Cultivation, training, asceticism, endurance. Elevate my cultivation base, deepen my cultivation.
Trust in the fortuitous encounters I've gained.
The Eighty-Four Thousand Sutra Pagoda, a supreme-grade spiritual treasure and my core Dharma treasure.
The heroic spirit of So Hu, heir to the Dragon Subduing lineage and qualified for the Proving Gate challenge.
The Rigid Golden Core and Dragon Golden Core. These two fortunes in my dual cores are the twin pillars and guiding stars of my path as a cultivator.
With two monumental fortunes others couldn't claim in multiple reincarnations, I should focus solely on them, ignoring all else.
I tried to shelve my fascination with Yun Seong-guk and resume cultivation, but he'd come here precisely to assist his master, Yi Shim-gyeol.
And Yi Shim-gyeol, my spirit arts master, had been invited here.
Thus, Yun Seong-guk and I were bound to meet. Realizing that, I couldn't just ignore it.
'But Yun Seong-guk came to High Heaven Sect with his master to assist him? That's not his style—he's no saint.'
Once aware of his exceptional talent, Yun Seong-guk became insufferably arrogant, charging at anyone called a genius to publicly prove them inferior.
'He appeared earlier than in the original, so his personality might differ...'
Usually, such types showed their colors young.
Days passed as I mulled over Yun Seong-guk, thinking then dismissing him repeatedly.
Days after Yi Shim-gyeol and Yun Seong-guk arrived at High Heaven Sect, I was summoned as a core disciple to the building housing them.
Yi Shim-gyeol, invited as my spirit arts master, resided in a fine structure. He'd even brought Yun Seong-guk along, seating him beside him to greet me.
"Greetings. I am Yong Yoo, direct disciple of Sea Severing Peak in High Heaven Sect."
I introduced myself, then regarded the two.
Yi Shim-gyeol had the look of a typical elder.
His long hair, white beyond white, was so thin it seemed it might rip out by the roots if tugged wrong, unnervingly fragile.
His face was a web of deep wrinkles, especially around the eyes, where folds shadowed the pupils.
His eyebrows hung unusually long—defying age-related loss—but with no stray hairs in nose or ears, he clearly groomed meticulously for tidiness.
His frail form was draped in white robes, evoking the perfect image of an immortal.
Yet his complexion was poor; despite early Nascent Soul aura, his appearance suggested his lifespan neared its end.
"Heh heh heh."
Yi Shim-gyeol beamed warmly at me, stroking his beard.
"As rumored, the Heavenly Prodigy possesses both an immortal poise and jade quality."
Yi Shim-gyeol spoke gently to me, despite my lower realm, offering praise.
"Immortal poise and jade quality" originally described outward beauty with inner refinement, but in the cultivation world, it praised a cultivator's elevated aura and handsome features.
After greeting Yi Shim-gyeol, I turned to Yun Seong-guk.
Unlike his typical-elder master, Yun Seong-guk brimmed with youthful vigor and arrogance.
Beneath hair tied in a single topknot gleamed glossy skin and large eyes that scanned me relentlessly from head to toe.
Unhappy at meeting me, his lips pressed thin, but he forced a smile by tugging the corners up to mask it.
Contrasting Yi Shim-gyeol's plain white robes, he flaunted black finery embroidered with rampant golden dragons, adorned excessively with ornaments on body and garb.
Yet at a mere nineteen, his youth undercut it. Spotting Ahan behind me, Yun Seong-guk's gaze locked onto her.
"Ahem!"
Irked by his blatant staring, I cleared my throat pointedly, prompting Yi Shim-gyeol to chide him.
"Disciple. Such rudeness."
"S-Sorry, Master."
Yun Seong-guk flushed crimson.
Did he feel embarrassed? Insulted? Whatever it was, he now glared at me far more openly.
I sighed softly at the sight.
'His mental cultivation is shallow. Makes sense—with his unique foundation, he'd breakthrough realms just by gathering spirit power, no chance for mental discipline.'
Ahan, blaming herself for the discord, kept sending apologetic looks.
I gently stroked her hand to reassure her it was fine, then ignored Yun Seong-guk to converse with Yi Shim-gyeol.
We started with introductions, mutual praise, and light greetings, then delved into what he'd teach and what I'd learn, launching straight into lessons.
Yi Shim-gyeol was an astonishingly good man and master, hard to believe as Yun Seong-guk's teacher.
"This old man believes enlightenment, drawing nearer truth, demands simplicity. Thus, I've devoted my life to distilling all my knowledge into its simplest form."
True to his introduction, his teachings were crystal-clear, piercing straight to the core.
He effortlessly cleared every blockage in my understanding, and I felt my Spirit Liquor Brewing and Spirit Farming Technique surging in growth.
'Impressive.'
My Spirit Liquor Brewing knowledge and skills rocketed to Core Formation level, and suddenly I could brew liquors I'd only dreamed of before.
To be frank now, as a liquor enthusiast, my goal was spirit liquor that captured pills' benefits without their side effects.
Cultivate with pills, surge power with pills, recover body, vitality, and spirit power with pills, bolster divine abilities and spells with pills...
Pills' immense power came with equally potent pill toxins.
If I could craft spirit liquor stripping the toxins but retaining the effects, it would vastly aid my cultivation path.
Spirit liquors restoring spirit power perfectly matched that aim.
But those relied on brute-forcing Nectar Water's power for battlefield viability—not purely my own creation.
"Master, I have a question..."
Could I replicate Nectar Water's prowess with my own power?
Intrigued by the possibility, I memorized his every lesson and questioned eagerly.
Naturally, we exceeded the allotted time, spending the entire day immersed in talk of Spirit Liquor Brewing and Spirit Farming Technique.
The protracted lessons ended only when the moon hung high.
Yong Yoo's earnest pursuit so enthralled Yi Shim-gyeol that he'd unwittingly taught all Core Formation knowledge, even dipping into Nascent Soul insights.
A versatile artisan versed in myriad spirit arts, Yi Shim-gyeol had mastered none of the core Four Great Arts, so his hard-earned skills were dismissed.
Yet High Heaven Sect inviting him to teach—and Yong Yoo sincerely seeking knowledge—rekindled his youthful passion.
"Disciple, what do you think of High Heaven Sect?"
Plus, he could show his disciple, confined to the minor Haeseong Sect, the heavenly tribulations of other great sects as planned. Surely this broadened the boy's horizons?
"..."
"Disciple?"
With no reply from Yun Seong-guk, Yi Shim-gyeol puzzledly glanced his way.
"...Sigh."
But the rascal disciple had vanished without a trace, fooling even his master's senses and divine sense.
To prevent his disciple's rudeness or disturbance in High Heaven Sect, Yi Shim-gyeol took to the chilly night sky on his aged body, searching.