Chapter 43
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43
Ise composed his flustered mind and first checked the boundaries of the barrier.
Placing his hand against the translucent wall, he walked along its perimeter to get a rough sense of its size.
The barrier encompassed Hae Il’s residence, spanning a massive area that covered both the interior and exterior of the mansion. It was an unspoken permission to use the residence if needed, just in case Hae Il's return was delayed.
Although he was grateful for such vast consideration, Ise had no desire to step foot inside the residence of an absent Nascent Soul Great Cultivator. He had already received an immense favor; he couldn't bring himself to be a nuisance on top of it.
He had brought preserved rations, which, if rationed carefully, would last him a few months. Besides, as a cultivator, a single meal was enough to sustain his body for an entire month.
It was a pity to be deprived of culinary pleasures, but... he had gained something far greater.
Making up his mind, Ise settled down.
The density of spiritual energy here was beyond compare—leagues above Cheongsan's training center. It was no exaggeration to call this entire space a grotto-heaven in its own right. Even a single breath caused spiritual energy to seep directly into his spirit veins.
Ise searched for a spot where the purest spiritual energy flowed, only to return to his original position and sit cross-legged. The spiritual energy was distributed perfectly evenly throughout the entire grotto-heaven.
First, he needed to reconfirm the realm he had reached.
Opening his palm, he drew up his spiritual energy. As he imparted the fire attribute through the process of Spiritual Energy Manifestation, the spiritual energy within his body seamlessly transformed into Dharma power.
A red flame flared above his palm. Looking at it, the corners of Ise’s mouth curled upward.
The bottleneck that hadn't budged despite three months of relentless effort had collapsed like a sheet of paper the moment his shackles were removed. Taking advantage of the momentum, he tried casting the Fireball Art, the most basic Dharma spell.
The method was simple: project the conjured flame outward as if firing spiritual energy.
The spell flew forward, scattering sparks, and crashed against the barrier. It didn't leave so much as a scratch.
Laughing sheepishly, Ise attempted to manifest the other attributes.
Placing his palm on the ground, he converted his energy into Earth Attribute Dharma power, causing the soil to clump and rise. When he layered Metal Attribute Dharma power over it, the dirt hardened like steel.
He subsequently tried the water and wood attributes, but unlike the previous three, they did not manifest easily.
'Is this a matter of talent, like with spirit roots?'
Ise shook his head. Under the circumstances, it was likely a matter of familiarity rather than innate talent. Fire, earth, and metal were elements Ise had encountered and utilized countless times throughout his life, whereas wood and water were relatively less familiar in comparison.
It was merely a guess, but not something to dwell on. He believed it was only a matter of time before he could wield them all fluidly.
The basic Five Elements Dharma Spells were included in the Ghost-Banishing Spirit-Purging Cultivation Art, so he could hone them slowly over time. Special attributes like lightning, wind, and ice could be learned later once he obtained the appropriate spell manuals.
'Knowing a variety of Dharma spells will allow for much more versatile combat.'
Since the Five Elements possessed relationships of mutual creation and opposition, he needed to maximize the advantages of his unique constitution to its absolute limit.
* * *
He did not know how much time had passed.
By the time he finished the manifestation process for all five attributes and mastered two basic spells for each, his stomach was clamoring in protest.
Popping a Fasting Pill into his mouth, Ise opened the secret manual of the Dogwi Shadow-Gathering Demonic Art. He flipped through the pages, eagerly drinking in the contents.
Detailed within the manual was the complete cultivation system of the Dogwi tribe.
The cultivation of demon ghosts was fundamentally different from that of human cultivators. Where a human cultivator stepped through stages by gaining enlightenment to manipulate spiritual energy, a demon ghost’s method of growth was simple and crude.
Devour the enemy and grow the demon core. Accumulate demonic energy through devouring, then compress that energy to form a core inside the body.
As he imprinted the manual's contents into his mind, a sudden thought struck Ise.
'In a way, the Ghost-Banishing Spirit-Purging Cultivation Art feels like a blend of a demon ghost's cultivation and a human cultivator's cultivation.'
Absorbing the enemy’s energy and making it one’s own—that was the devouring of a demon ghost. Of course, the Ghost-Banishing Spirit-Purging Cultivation Art included an extra step of purifying that demonic energy into spiritual energy. But looking purely at the framework, the flow was identical to devouring.
Perhaps the roots of this cultivation art had been influenced by the Great Martial Dao Master, who shared the exact same constitution as him. It was fascinating to think that the foundational art of the Great Martial Dao might have originated from the training methods of demon ghosts.
'Either way, this means I need to form a demon core...'
If a cultivator’s journey began with perceiving spiritual energy, a demon ghost’s journey began with creating a demon core. It was said that most demon ghosts didn't learn this process through instruction, but naturally acquired it through the sheer instinct of survival.
Ise promptly set about forming his own demon core.
'Where should I place it?'
Moving the demon core once it settled would be difficult, as it was a physical entity rather than a spiritual body. In other words, an enemy could slice open his body, dig inside, and rip it out.
'It needs to be a location that won't interfere with my organs even if it grows a bit larger, yet remains as safe as possible...'
The spot he chose was the space between his liver and lungs. From what he remembered, the demon core would shatter upon reaching the Core Formation Stage and transform into the spiritual body known as the Golden Core, so a small space would be sufficient.
He gathered the demonic energy flowing through his body, spinning it beneath his lower dantian. He whirled it under intense pressure, compressing it again and again.
As he spent more time manipulating the demonic energy, a deep chill settled over his body. As if grumbling at this uncomfortable coexistence, his spiritual energy surged violently whenever it passed the spot where the demonic energy was condensing.
Normally, the natural order was to form the demon core first and then manipulate demonic energy centered around it. However, the process he was undertaking was in reverse: he was tightly packing an overwhelming volume of demonic energy that had already been accumulated through countless acts of devouring.
Was it not said that forging a path is difficult, but retracing it is easy?
At a certain moment, the volatile nature of the demonic energy—which had been scattering erratically—calmed down. It began to condense into a dense, solid mass.
A bizarre sensation of a foreign object intruding inside his body suddenly emerged, and a considerable amount of demonic energy was instantly absorbed into it. The remaining demonic energy that had not been absorbed continued to flow along his spirit veins as before.
It seemed the total capacity of demonic power a demon core could hold varied depending on one's realm.
Ise opened his eyes.
A landscape completely different from when he opened his Spirit Eye unfolded before him. Where only the spiritual energy of heaven and earth floating in the void had been visible before, the demonic energy lurking behind it now came into clear view as well.
If spiritual energy was the power of Yang, demonic energy was the power of Yin. Just as shadows existed wherever there was light, the two energies flowed eerily within the exact same space.
He looked down at his abdomen. Though invisible to the naked eye, he could feel it clearly.
Having a demon core take root inside his body was a strange sensation. He felt as though he had truly turned into a demon ghost.
It would be a lie to say he felt no aversion to it. Having lost his family to demon ghosts and grown up making demon ghost hunting his lifelong duty, a demon core was traditionally nothing more than an object to be shattered and devoured.
At the same time, he felt a surge of complex emotion as he recalled the Dogwi of Ghost-Guarding Temple, his new home. The Dharma spells they used to manipulate shadows at will—he was now finally capable of learning them.
Rescued by the Dogwi tribe, raised by them, he had ultimately inherited their power. It was a deeply ambivalent feeling, a space where aversion and anticipation coexisted.
In the Dogwi Shadow-Gathering Demonic Art, there were three Dharma spells that a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator could learn.
Shadow Net Formation (影網陣): A Dharma spell that weaves shadows into a net to bind the opponent.
Four Directions Strike (四方擊): A Dharma spell that pulls shadows from all four directions to strike simultaneously.
Earth Shadow Snare (地影羂): A Dharma spell that ensnares the opponent's ankles using their own shadow as a surprise attack to trip them.
However, unlike the Dogwi tribe, who were innately capable of manipulating shadows, a human needed to be able to wield Attributeless Dharma Power to use the Dogwi spells.
'I'll need to reach 6-Star to use these.'
The key mantra of 6-Star Qi Refining was Attributeless Dharma Power. It was a realm where one could freely grant, convert, and release attributes. Above all, the core of 6-Star Qi Refining was converting spiritual energy into Dharma power without imbuing it with any specific attribute.
Upon reaching 6-Star, one could learn various attributeless Dharma spells.
Though it felt like a distant prospect to Ise at the moment, his heart pounded simply because he could finally glimpse its threshold. It was exhilarating. Purely, innocently thrilling, like a child acquiring a brand-new toy.
Dharma spells were tools used to manipulate the world. Creating fire, raising earth, manipulating shadows. All of it was born from his own two hands.
Cultivation was always enjoyable, but right now, it was especially intoxicating. He wanted to climb to the next step quickly and cast the Dharma spells of the Dogwi tribe.
Ise calmed his excitement, sat cross-legged once more, and closed his eyes.
* * *
Hae Il returned after more than fifty days had passed.
His business at the imperial capital had been delayed far longer than expected. Despite his assurance that he would return soon, it had taken nearly two months.
Tearing through space to arrive at the cave abode, Hae Il checked inside the barrier first.
Ise was sitting cross-legged in meditation at the exact same spot where Hae Il had left him. As if determined not to make the same mistake twice, the moment Ise sensed Hae Il’s presence, he sprang up and bowed respectfully.
"You have returned."
"I am a bit late."
Ise simply stood straight, showing no sign of minding the delay.
"Now, let's see how diligently you've been cultivating."
Hae Il’s eyes swept over Ise’s body. A faint trace of bewilderment flickered in his gaze.
"6-Star?"
"Yes."
Hah. Hae Il let out a dry laugh. The initiate disciple before his eyes had already set foot into the realm of Attributeless Dharma Power.
When the kid had first come to him, he had been flustering about, unable to break through even a single minor realm. Hae Il had confirmed his breakthrough to 5-Star after the gu was removed, but he hadn't imagined the boy would reach 6-Star right away.
To a cultivator, two months was a span of time that could pass in a single meditation session. It was virtually a double jump in progression.
'The moment his shackles broke, he went absolutely wild.'
Looking at Ise, Hae Il recalled the boy's answer that it had taken him only a month and a half to reach 4-Star after the entrance exam. The spiritual energy and enlightenment that had accumulated while he was bound by the gu had violently erupted the moment those shackles disappeared.
Since it had taken Woo Yu-hee a full year to cross her first minor realm, he was twice as fast.
"I didn’t tell you because I thought it was still far off for you, but it seems better to mention it in advance."
At Hae Il's words, Ise’s eyes brightened, his attention instantly focusing.
"Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage generally splits into three methods. One is taking an elixir called the Foundation Establishment Pill to forcibly open your Divine Sense and create a Dharma Flower Dantian. It is safe, but it requires a rare pill known as the Foundation Establishment Pill. That is the method used by the Jedan Sect."
The Foundation Establishment Pill. Ise had heard of it. Word was that in the Jedan Sect, disciples wouldn't hesitate to fight to the death just to claim one.
"The second method is constructing an altar with immense amounts of spirit stones and performing a ritual to Heaven, ascending to the Foundation Establishment Stage with the aid of the Heavenly Emperor. It requires vast time, fortune, and immense resources. That is Kunlun's way."
Hae Il continued his explanation.
"Lastly, there is the method of breaking down and regenerating bones, flesh, and internal organs through Body Refinement Arts to personally achieve Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones, thereby creating Divine Sense and a Dharma Flower Dantian. This is the way of the Great Martial Dao. Though it may seem somewhat crude, anyone can attempt it without relying on anyone else's support or sacrifice."
"I heard that it is dangerous."
"It is. If you fail, you fall to evil, die, or become crippled."
He added casually, as if it were no big deal.
"You will go through a similar process. However, you must combine the method of the Great Martial Dao with that of the demon ghosts. Specifically, the molting of the demon core. Refer to Mongryeon's cultivation art for the details. Just make sure you remember the general direction."
Finishing his words, Hae Il dispelled the barrier. As the translucent wall vanished like mist, Ise understood that this was an eviction order.
"Thank you for your grace, Hall Master."
Ise immediately rose to his feet and offered his respects.
"Remember your three tasks well, and don't go dying a dog's death. If an enemy ever learns of your constitution, make sure to kill and erase them completely."
"I will keep it engraved in my mind."
"You may leave."
Ise bowed deeply, then turned around.
Hae Il stared at Ise's receding back and muttered to himself.
"Reclaiming the Yin-Yang Origin Return Art is fine and all, but I had better practice my cultivation diligently too."
A new wind was blowing.
A wind of change that would bring transformation to the cultivation of the Eleventh Inner Hall's Hall Masters, which had become stagnant and complacent. If the Hall Masters found out about the sheer speed of this kid’s breakthroughs, they would spur their own training as if kicked in the rear.
Just as the Hall Masters' realms had gradually risen after Woo Yu-hee made her appearance.
The peace of the Eastern Continent was barely maintained in a precarious balance. Who knew what kind of waves this fledgling kid would cause decades from now?
It was then that he noticed bite marks on a sweet potato skin lying scattered on the floor.
'Tsk. There’s plenty of food inside.'
Picking up the solitary sweet potato peel strewn across the floor, Hae Il muttered under his breath, "Maybe I should ask him to start a fight."
Because it was imbued with spiritual energy, the peel the boy had discarded a month ago was still completely fresh.