Chapter 45
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45
The mantra for 7-Star Qi Refining was Spirit Attraction.
As detailed in the cultivation manual, it was the process of drawing in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy from the outside world.
Up until now, cultivation had solely been about controlling the spiritual energy within oneself. Now, albeit in small amounts, he was learning to manipulate the external spiritual energy flowing through nature.
Upon ascending to the 7-Star realm, a cultivator could cast dharma spells using trace amounts of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy even when their internal Qi was completely exhausted. Furthermore, meditation would allow them to recover their spiritual energy far faster than letting it replenish naturally.
If the 5-Star realm marked the beginning of dharma spells and the 6-Star realm was the process of mastery, then the 7-Star realm was their true expansion.
At the same time, it served as the preliminary preparation for the late Qi Refining stage, where one would undergo full-fledged Body Refining.
Ise repeatedly cast various dharma spells to empty the internal Qi within his body, then carefully traced the flow of spiritual energy in nature.
Though he hadn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, Ise was in no rush. He knew his cultivation speed up to this point had already been exceptionally fast.
He calmly continued his cultivation, pushing himself until the lingering effects of the Wadu Noodles in his system finally began to fade. Only then did he stand up.
It was about time to gather ingredients for Spirit Food.
The Training Center was unusually crowded. Normally, it would have been quiet with many initiate disciples away on missions, but their burning zeal had cooled as news of their peers' deaths arrived one after another.
Few volunteered to step outside the sect unless they had formal missions. Thanks to that, the mission board was overflowing—there were enough assignments piled up that one could grab one at any given moment.
After walking about thirty steps and turning the corner of the training hall, a familiar voice drifted over.
"Hey, Fellow Daoist I—"
It was Park Gang-seo.
"...Ah, no... Senior... You really crossed the minor realm boundary, didn't you?"
With an expression that said the inevitable had finally arrived, he trudged over.
"To think the day would come when I'd call a fellow initiate disciple 'Senior'... I must have one foot in the grave..."
"I told you that you don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable," Ise said. "And how do you manage to find me every time? Are you aiming to be a Dark Snake or something?"
"Come on, the only places Senior ever goes are the butcher shop, the training room, and the Management Office. How could I not find you? Besides, even if it's uncomfortable, what choice do I have? I just have to get used to it. You should drop the formal speech with me now, too, Senior."
"I prefer speaking like this, though... And you're older than me."
"How much older could I possibly be? Senior's the one who needs to get used to it, awkward or not."
"Is there really a need for that?"
"You're going to pull far ahead of me anyway. It might be fine for now, but what about when you reach Foundation Establishment? Or Core Formation? If you're still speaking respectfully to me then, the seniors at those realms won't let me off easy. They'll accuse me of disrupting the hierarchy of the cultivation world."
"That's quite an exaggeration."
"'That's an exaggeration'—say it without the honorifics! Get used to it, Senior. No matter what you say, as the gap between our realms widens, I'm going to give you the honorifics and respect fitting your status."
"......"
It was truly a comical sight: showing someone respect only to have them beg to be spoken down to.
For Ise, who had been drilled since childhood to show the utmost deference to his elders, this was a difficult adjustment. But it was something he had to adapt to nevertheless.
Adapting, after all, was one of his specialties.
"Still haven't gotten the hang of the minor realm?" Ise asked, dropping the formalities.
Only then did Park Gang-seo show a satisfied smile and reply.
"I feel like I kind of get it, but then I don't. Could you give me a hand if you have time, Senior?"
"Sure."
"Man, having good connections pays off! Where else could I get private tutoring from a genius like you?"
Seeing Park Gang-seo chuckle made Ise feel a bit lighter as well.
"So, how does it feel to leave everyone in the dust? Pretty good? People's attitudes toward you must have changed a lot."
"Rather than 'good,' it's just funny and entertaining."
"Bwahaha! Honest, aren't you?"
Ise didn't refute him. Park Gang-seo chuckled softly and continued.
"And here."
Park Gang-seo pulled a pouch from his robes and tossed it over. Inside were twenty spirit stones.
"It's two months' worth of pay. Are you running low on painting albums?"
"I'm still fine."
"Makes sense, considering you were gone for nearly two months. Anyway, I brought news again today."
Ise's eyes glinted with interest.
"A war might break out."
"...A war?"
Surprised by the heavy, unfamiliar word, Ise asked for clarification.
"There are two reasons. The first happened a few months ago—Core Formation cultivators from the Jeong Empire ambushed Hall Master Hae Il of the Azure Dragon Hall."
That was something he had heard directly from Hae Il himself.
"Of course, it all started because Hall Master Hae Il went into the Jeong Empire first and caused a ruckus... but since this is the first time an actual, direct armed clash has broken out, the Hall Masters are all sharpening their blades to slaughter them."
"I understand that, but wouldn't it be possible to settle it amicably and move on?"
"Of course. Even Hall Master Hae Il wants that. But the real reason is this."
Park Gang-seo lowered his voice, glanced around their surroundings, and continued.
"Signs of a Secret Realm have been discovered."
A Secret Realm. A mystical space connected to another dimension, said to contain slumbering ancient dharma artifacts, rare spirit creatures, and otherworldly ores.
Normally, because a Secret Realm opens within the territory of whichever faction finds it, ownership is decided naturally—assuming, of course, that the faction possesses the strength to defend the entrance.
A Secret Realm opening within Great Martial Dao territory would give all Great Martial Dao disciples an exclusive opportunity. Cultivators from the Jeong Empire wouldn't dare even dream of entering.
"The problem is that the location happens to be in the no man's land between the Three Peninsular Kingdoms and the Jeong Empire."
If it opened in no man's land, it was a whole different story. It became finders keepers.
"They say it will open in a few years. Depending on the size and value of the Secret Realm, bloodshed could break out. No—bloodshed is guaranteed."
"Do you know what kind of Secret Realm it is?"
"I don't know that much yet. Once ownership is settled, a full investigation will probably begin. Besides, all initiate disciples will be entering the Main Mountain before winter comes anyway. You'll probably find out on your own without me having to dig into it for you, right?"
The time had already come. The moment to strip away the title of initiate disciple and enter the Main Mountain as a formal disciple.
What kind of place would it be?
Though he was reasonably content with life at the Training Center, curiosity and anticipation welled up inside him at the prospect of ascending to the Main Mountain.
Park Gang-seo took his leave, telling Ise he would see him when they moved to the Main Mountain.
As Ise walked, he mulled over the thought of the Secret Realm. Ancient dharma artifacts. Ores as precious as cold iron, if not more so. Just hearing about them was captivating.
A deep desire surged within him to enter if given the chance.
But that was a matter for later. Until he left for the Main Mountain, he had to do his duty.
*
U Jeol was alone inside the Management Office. Spotting Ise, he put down the secret manual he was reading and spoke.
"Good timing. A Designated Mission came in for you."
"A Designated Mission?"
"Yes. The Main Mountain specifically named you for this assignment."
"I've already completed my formal mission, though..."
"This isn't a standard formal mission. It is, quite literally, a designated assignment. You have a choice, and there is a reward. This is the first time a Designated Mission has ever been issued to an initiate disciple."
What could it be for them to designate him specifically?
U Jeol unrolled a mission scroll.
"It's a hunt for a cultivator."
"A cultivator? Not a demonic cultivator?"
"Indeed. A rogue cultivator bastard who killed three of your peers and pillaged their resources. Given that he operates in Cheongsangyeong, he shouldn't be a demonic cultivator. Though what he becomes in the future remains to be seen."
Ise accepted the mission document.
– Name and Appearance: Unknown.
– Estimated Realm: Mid Qi Refining Stage.
– Crimes: Targeting Great Martial Dao initiate disciples for murder and resource plunder.
– Confirmation of Appearance/Sketch: 30 Spirit Stones, 40 Contribution Points.
– Elimination: 50 Spirit Stones, 60 Contribution Points. (Proof of target identity required.)
– Capture Alive: 100 Spirit Stones, 70 Contribution Points.
Reading down the list, Ise's eyes paused for a moment.
A bastard who killed three of his peers. He had thought it strange that several disciples had died in such a short span—it turned out they had been murdered.
"The reward is substantial." He made the comment after checking the numbers at the bottom.
"Because it's a dangerous task for an initiate disciple to undertake," U Jeol replied calmly.
"Then why designate me? Wouldn't it be better and safer for seniors of higher realms to handle it?"
"We already sent some. The bastard is so cunning that he won't approach anyone who is even at the Late Qi Refining Stage. They say even when our cultivators used Spirit Concealment Techniques to hide their realm, he was nowhere to be seen. Given how long he's skulked around Cheongsangyeong, he seems to have memorized the faces of all the initiate disciples."
"...In other words, since he won't reveal himself unless his target is an initiate disciple, the sect needs to send someone among us capable of handling a Mid Qi Refining cultivator."
"Precisely. Had you not been here, we would have used someone else as bait to draw him out. But since a viable option exists, we are offering it to you. Given the danger, the Main Mountain has agreed to lend you two dharma artifacts. If you still feel uncomfortable, you are free to decline."
"If I refuse, what happens to him?"
"Great Martial Dao will not halt its pursuit. The mission will remain open, someone will keep tracking him, and eventually, his tail will be caught."
To the sect, he was merely someone who had killed a few initiate disciples. They wouldn't invest excessive manpower into the hunt, but nor would they simply let it slide.
U Jeol pulled two items from a drawer. One was a small bead. The other was a thin, lightweight set of armor.
"This is a Spirit Concealment Bead. Carrying it veils your internal spiritual energy, making your realm appear two stages lower. This armor is called Life-Saving Armor. If you sustain a fatal injury, channeling spiritual energy into it will transport your body to a designated nearby location."
It meant the mission was dangerous enough to warrant protective dharma artifacts.
Having already hunted a demonic cultivator two stages above him, Ise wondered if it was really that perilous. Still, knowing the Main Mountain's nature of only issuing missions they were certain a disciple could handle, the extra precautions made sense.
Ise tucked the bead into his robes and donned the armor—a silent sign of acceptance.
U Jeol scanned Ise and nodded. The artifacts seemed to be working properly.
"If you feel uneasy, I can send a Late Qi Refining cultivator to lie in ambush nearby."
"Would I have to split the reward?"
"Naturally. We'd have to pay them at least eighty percent to find a cultivator willing to move."
"I'd rather die taking all of it for myself."
As if expecting that exact answer, U Jeol curled the corner of his lips slightly.
"Go bring judgment upon that arrogant rogue cultivator who dared lay hands on a disciple of Great Martial Dao."
"I will complete the mission without fail."
As Ise turned to leave, U Jeol added, his voice dropping with genuine concern.
"All three were taken down unilaterally. They left almost no traces of battle. Furthermore, there were faint signs of resistance on the corpses. He undoubtedly relies on treacherous schemes, so exercise extreme caution."