How the Terminal Trash Survives
Baek Cheong stumbled out of the former family head's trial chamber and somehow made her way back to her private residence, her steps unsteady. The massive, terrifying blue giant star she'd encountered in her trance-like state, and the hair's-breadth moment when the circulation of the five elements nearly collapsed—all of it churned chaotically in her mind. A thousand thoughts chased one another in an endless chain, but after wandering the inner world for five straight days, her exhaustion had reached its limit.
"Ah... I need to sleep first."
Unable to even shrug off her robe, Baek Cheong collapsed onto the soft bed. The instant her head hit the pillow, she sank helplessly into the deep swamp of profound slumber.
......
Two days passed.
While Baek Cheong slept oblivious to the world, a quiet yet wondrous change was unfolding inside her dantian.
Even with just the portion of five elements energy that hadn't been stolen by the blue giant star, her spiritual roots had grown.
"Yaaawn."
Finally emerging from her long sleep, Baek Cheong stretched refreshingly. As she sat up, an unprecedented lightness and vitality coursed through her entire body. The first thing she noticed was the dramatic change in her natural qi absorption. Without entering meditation or consciously regulating her breath, her everyday breathing alone drew in spiritual energy from the surroundings, filling her dantian.
"Yes, this is a true heavenly spiritual root."
Her heart racing with excitement, Baek Cheong sat cross-legged and turned her gaze inward to examine the state of her five elements spiritual roots. At the center of her dantian, the five elements spiritual roots had shed their former murky, faint hues. They now shone with brilliant, vivid light, like five stars densely embedded in the night sky. Having overcome the curse of her O-yeong-geun, each one had perfectly evolved into monstrous roots rivaling single-element heavenly roots in purity and absorption capacity.
But upon closer inspection of the five elements spiritual roots, she felt a subtle sense of incongruity.
"Why do they feel a bit faded, though?"
They clearly shone like stars, yet they had a hazy quality, as if viewed through a window. Still, it was worlds apart from her fake heavenly roots, so she couldn't deny they were the real deal.
"No way..."
Realizing the reason, chills ran down her spine. The five elements spiritual roots hadn't grown properly because of the nutrients stolen by the blue giant star.
"What the hell was that thing?"
She examined her dantian and roots meticulously once more. But like an illusion, the blue giant star left not even the slightest trace. No matter how deeply she probed, only the five elements spiritual roots stood firm; the sixth alien energy had vanished long ago.
"...Moomyeongbang!"
Unable to bear her curiosity, Baek Cheong logged into the Moomyeongbang. She posted a serious question on the Q&A board.
While cultivating, I entered the inner world. Something huge and scary appeared besides my original roots and tried to devour them. After snapping out, no trace of it, so is this like a latent hidden root?
She'd poured her heart into detailing the bizarre phenomenon from her inner world. Yet despite the Moomyeongbang overflowing with miscellaneous chatter as the Su-seon vs. Baek-ye debate wound down, her earnest question was thoroughly ignored.
"Ugh, this is pissing me off."
Pouting, Baek Cheong revised her strategy. If polite inquiries didn't work, she'd have to pull aggro with a provocative bait post. So she crafted a casual thread with a clickbait title.
Was definitely five roots before, but suddenly one more popped up. Can't find it though lol what to do?
As expected, Dou users swarmed the post, flooding it with replies.
The Dou users, coarsened by the heated Su-seon vs. Baek-ye debate, unleashed raw replies. But amid the chaos, some thoughtful responses stood out.
Still no clear, satisfying answer. Baek Cheong racked her brain again and posted anew.
Beautiful natural landscape of five elements. Then a blue giant star covers the sky and sucks it all up like absorbing nature.
This time, she twisted the inner world description to be more provocative and vivid.
Most Dous spewed nonsense without knowing the truth, cluttering the thread. Just as Baek Cheong was about to retaliate with a frustration post calling them useless...
A single ray of light pierced through—a new reply from one Dou updated.
This Dou remembered her claiming to be in Yeon-gi-gi and mistook it for pre-ascension rhetoric. Definitely someone who'd replied to her before.
"Who is this?"
She usually remembered well, so she recalled. Soon, she remembered it was the Dou who'd given breakthrough advice long ago.
The bold reply left Dou (237.309) visibly flustered.
He spoke of her situation as if familiar.
Amazed and puzzled, Baek Cheong asked back.
Dou (237.309) asked incredulously.
Baek Cheong swallowed dryly and confessed the truth.
Dou (237.309) clicked his tongue in disapproval but continued.
Your current state is a mismatch between enlightenment and realm—straddling the boundary. Thus, the unified root exists but hides as a latent root. Normally, the unified root would consume the five to fully form, but latent, it doesn't appear, so the five alone provide nutrients, turning you mortal. Top-grade pills sustain you now, but as the unified root grows dominant, it's terminal.
Baek Cheong shivered at the unexpectedly detailed explanation, yet a strange incongruity and curiosity welled up.
Facing the unimaginable reply, she shuddered. A mad Su-seon who'd bought five-root trash like livestock for brutal experiments.
This guy's insane...
Feeling cold sweat trickle down her back, Baek Cheong hurriedly logged out of the Moomyeongbang. Fortunately, a Su-seon lingering in the lower realms couldn't cross interfaces to find her, so she could relax.
Terminal, though?
Even without the mad Su-seon, an unforeseen crisis loomed. She holed up in her residence all day, observing her inner five elements spiritual roots. Confirming the mad Su-seon's words as truth. The brilliant glow of her five elements spiritual roots was subtly fading. Yet she couldn't even detect whatever was devouring them like nutrients. At this rate, before properly achieving five-elements unification, she'd devolve to mortal—truly terminal.
"Me, terminal?!"
Baek Cheong wailed at the desperate situation. Sunk in gloom briefly, she snatched the Jeomuldae beside her. Pulled out a jade bottle of top-grade pills and swallowed one. The pill slid down her throat, unleashing vast energy into her dantian. Like a lie, the waning momentum of her five elements spiritual roots halted abruptly.
"Pfft, no big deal."
With the crisis easily resolved, her tension melted. Eyeing the mountain of top-grade pill bottles in her Jeomuldae, she added,
"Even if it drains a ton later, I can just pop more top-grade pills."
As if it were nothing, she lounged on the bed, idling away. At least the immediate danger was averted.