Chapter 9
Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Arms Aren't the Problem (3)
After reading through the entire jade slip, I realized it contained a technique called the Water Escape Art.
The Water Escape Art was like a movement technique in wuxia novels—it allowed for swift travel over long distances.
'Water Escape Art, huh...'
It was one of the basic escape arts based on the five elements. You could transform into water to move at high speed, and even travel rapidly through rivers or the sea.
But best of all... mastering this would let me fly through the skies!
'Flying will probably require reaching Foundation Establishment, but hey, being able to fly at all is incredible!'
Flying through the sky had long been humanity's dream. As a kid, my dream was to soar like Superman.
I'd even jumped off a playground slide trying to fly, only to end up in the hospital and give up on that dream...
I spent the entire day immersed in mastering the Water Escape Art.
Once I'd learned it, I tamped down the urge to test it immediately and decided to calmly build up my strength first.
To hide my dual spiritual roots, most of the pill's energy had gone into my dragon spiritual root. Thanks to that, it was now brimming with the pure spiritual energy of the Deep Roots Luxuriant Branches Art.
My metal spiritual root had already neared the third layer of Refining Qi just from absorbing a portion of the pill's power. If I converted this pure energy into the energy of the Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art, I might break through to the third layer—and even aim for the fourth.
I chugged the spirit liquor I'd brought back from the eastern region and kept cultivating.
While Present Music Peak required inner disciples to offer spirit liquor to the sect monthly to maintain their status, Sea Severing Peak had no such demands. I could use it all for myself in peace.
Less than a day into my cultivation, my metal spiritual root reached the third layer of Refining Qi.
'The Five Skandhas Enlightenment Art being a Buddhist method helps, but it still took nearly four times more spiritual energy than when my dragon spiritual root hit the third layer. Is this the difference in spiritual root aptitude?'
My dragon spiritual root was a three-element root. My metal spiritual root was a five-element root.
At first glance, the dragon root might seem average, but most people in the world had five-element roots—or no spiritual roots at all.
In truth, even a three-element root was rare and considered excellent aptitude.
'I didn't realize that right after possessing this body.'
At first, I thought Yong Yoo truly had no talent. But the more I studied the cultivation world, the clearer it became that wasn't the case.
If anything, Yong Yoo's cultivation speed was slower than it should have been for his aptitude.
He never focused on training, constantly comparing himself to those with single- or dual-element roots, deeming himself talentless, giving up in frustration, and scheming shortcuts instead of cultivating. No wonder his Dao heart was unstable.
That shaky Dao heart prevented him from fully utilizing his gifts, and over twenty years, he'd only climbed two minor realms in Refining Qi before hitting a wall.
In that sense, it was inevitable that I'd misunderstood Yong Yoo's potential. Plus, I'd learned about this world from the novel, and Geum So-ryeo's direct disciples—who appeared often as side characters—were all single-element root holders. Until I studied up, I genuinely thought Yong Yoo's three-element root was trash-tier.
'Now it's up to me to make good use of it.'
Luckily, I had good fortune there. If I'd been reborn as Kang Young-jun with his five-element root, I probably still wouldn't have reached even the first layer of Refining Qi.
Using Yong Yoo's three-element root aptitude to train the Deep Roots Luxuriant Branches Art and amass pure spiritual energy, then converting it all at once into Five Skandhas energy to boost my metal spiritual root's realm regardless of its aptitude.
Having already reached a high realm once via the dragon root made elevating the metal root straightforward.
Over the next year, I focused solely on cultivation and pushed my metal spiritual root to the fourth layer of Refining Qi. I wanted to hit the fifth, but I lacked the spiritual energy.
No more pills, and I'd drained all my spirit liquor—I'd have to brew more.
After that, I spent half my day practicing the Blazing Palm Seal and Water Escape Art, using the other half to harness the spiritual energy flowing in my eastern plot for spirit farming.
Over six months, I created new spirit crops. Then I grew spirit crops and herbs, harvesting the slightly matured ones at age 39 to start brewing fresh spirit liquor.
Yong Yoo had been 36 when I possessed him, so three years had passed in this world before I knew it.
Life flew by in a blur while I focused on cultivation.
Meanwhile, as I busied myself, two big events occurred. First, Do Mun-hyang reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.
She visited every three months at shortest, half a year at longest. We'd spend a week dual cultivating, happily sharing her progress each time. I praised her lavishly.
Having endured only envy and jealousy from those around her, she lit up at even small compliments and threw herself into my arms.
The other major event was Geum So-ryeo taking a new direct disciple.
His name was Mun Yoo.
Unlike in the original story, he'd ignored meritorious force to hoard karmic force, acquired the Dual Fate Scripture, skyrocketed from the second layer of Refining Qi to the first layer of Foundation Establishment in three years, proving his talent and earning direct disciple status.
Mun Yoo's name was buzzing not just on Sea Severing Peak but across other peaks for that insane speed. According to Do Mun-hyang, Geum So-ryeo had recently granted him a fortuitous encounter.
Hmm. I see.
I did feel a twinge of anxiety, but masking my face had kept anyone from recognizing me as Yong Yoo over the past two years.
Mun Yoo had no reason to come after me. I steadied my heart and poured myself into cultivation.
As my skills improved, so did my spirit farming technique, yielding higher-quality spirit crops and herbs. From those, I brewed excellent spirit liquor.
Drawing on my past life's knowledge of alcohol, I gradually developed my own spirit liquor brewing techniques.
Using that liquor, I kept cultivating until I hit a plateau. Without hesitation, I stopped and left the eastern plot.
'With the money I have now, it'd be great if I could snag a Vessel Completion Pill.'
Using the Water Escape Art outside, I moved faster than a car.
First, I collected the monthly stipend for inner disciples. Not claiming it for two years meant spirit stones had piled up.
Then I headed to the sect market, weaving through the crowds and checking every pill shop for Vessel Completion Pills and their prices.
I found a few shops selling them, but none caught my eye.
'The one from Geum So-ryeo must've been top-quality...'
All of them were inferior to hers.
With more impurities that burdened the body and weaker effects, I grew pickier and more cautious.
If I didn't know the novel's plot, I'd have bought one on the spot. But knowing it made me hesitate.
In two years, a genius alchemist would appear in High Heaven Sect. Maybe I should wait for him and cultivate in the meantime?
Pushing pill thoughts aside, I roamed the market for fun.
There were plenty of wondrous magical tools to gawk at, and among the cultivation methods and spell manuals sold by other cultivators, some made my mouth water.
'Magical tools or treasures would be nice too... In Black and White Immortal Chronicle, cultivators with good treasures often punched above their weight.'
If buying, I'd prefer a treasure over a tool.
Treasures packed more punch than equivalent tools, but the real difference was disposability versus permanence.
Magical tools lost power with use. Some had fixed uses before breaking outright; others gradually depleted their spirituality until they failed.
My storage pouch was the latter—a gift from Geum So-ryeo to Do Mun-hyang, so it showed no signs of depletion no matter how much I used it.
Still, I carried it empty most days to preserve it.
Treasures, conversely, were permanent but finicky, requiring a soul link with the cultivator's divine sense rather than a simple blood bond like tools.
And their value dwarfed tools, so acquiring one now was...
"...?"
A sudden idea struck me. I stopped wandering the market and stood in a corner, lost in thought.
'Speaking of treasures... Mun Yoo milked one all the way to Core Formation. Could I get my hands on it now?'
It was the item he'd claimed after breaking through a grotto at the third layer of Foundation Establishment.
'Should I ask Hyang-ah for help?'
I could trust Do Mun-hyang.
She was the type to happily hand a fortuitous encounter to a loved one or share unneeded ones with friends.
'Bonus: it'd weaken Mun Yoo, which benefits me.'
Mun Yoo had been gnashing his teeth about tracking me down and punishing me. Do Mun-hyang said he'd stormed off to Present Music Peak a year ago, only to rage upon learning I'd moved to Sea Severing Peak.
Even she seemed disillusioned with him.
'Next time Hyang-ah visits, I'll bring it up.'
I shelved pill thoughts, bought seeds for new spirit herbs and crops, returned east, and resumed cultivation.
Around age 40, as I focused on training, Do Mun-hyang came by.
"Yoo Senior. I got a Vessel Completion Pill recently. Do you need it?"
With those welcome words.
"Hyang-ah, come on in."
"It's been a while."
"Yeah. Master give you another mission?"
"Yes. I got a treasure that suits me there."
Do Mun-hyang said, showing off the blue bamboo folding fan at her waist.
"Oh, impressive. Must've been tough."
"Yeah, really hard."
As she acted cute and vulnerable, I hugged her and praised her.
"I bet it was. Any injuries?"
"Nope."
"Good..."
"Ow. Maybe my shoulder a bit."
"Really? That hurts. Let me see."
Do Mun-hyang playfully pulled aside her robe, baring her snowy shoulder. I pretended to check it.
We chatted like that, locked in a tight embrace.
I had nothing but cultivation to report, but she eagerly shared every detail of her recent experiences.
"I ran into a Nascent Soul senior there by chance..."
"Nascent Soul. Distant just thinking about it. Weren't you scared?"
"No, he was kind! Lucky, right?"
"Sure is."
After catching up fully, I swallowed the Vessel Completion Pill she'd given me. With her help, my dragon spiritual root broke through to the sixth layer of Refining Qi.
Once at the sixth layer and the pill's impurities cleared, I finally got to the point with her.
"Hyang-ah."
"Yes? What is it, Senior?"
"I found a grotto. Can you help me with it?"
Her eyes went wide at my words.
