Chapter 21 – Let’s Start Fishing

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Jin So-myeong, who was stroking the manual of the Rising Dragon Steps, fell into thought.

‘Martial arts…’

He had discovered an unexpected talent. Of course, there was nothing bad about it at all.

For it meant that his options had increased.

However, he needed to pinpoint and go over the difference between martial arts and immortal arts exactly.

If, for example.

A certain spell or martial stance aimed to count numbers from one to nine.

An immortal art felt like suddenly skipping from one, two, and three to eight and nine.

The blank space in the middle was precisely the part that received help from the spiritual nature of spiritual Qi. However, Jin So-myeong was weak in this aspect.

As if he had received a curse, the spiritual Qi did not listen to him.

The spiritual nature, which acted like a super-high-performance artificial intelligence to others, did not function properly for him.

‘Should I say it’s like a defective product?’

On the other hand, martial arts were different. One had to count from one to nine directly, without missing a single thing.

Perhaps because of that, martial arts were intuitive.

As long as one could handle having to directly manipulate the flow of all Qi, it was logical and easy to understand.

While it would be a very annoying and difficult task for other cultivators, it was different for Jin So-myeong.

His natural talent for martial arts made it possible.

Rather, it was much more comfortable than the spiritual Qi that did not listen properly. This was because immortal arts relied too much on the spiritual nature of spiritual Qi.

‘If I use spiritual Qi instead of ordinary Qi, even ordinary martial arts will become much stronger. If combined with immortal arts, it might become my own weapon…’

Jin So-myeong, who was stroking his chin, fell into contemplation.

He pondered how to use the newly discovered talent.

***

Half a year later.

Soft laughter overflowed in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the number one brothel in Red Yang Market.

The gazes of the women, as bright as flowers and possessing various charms, were all focused on a single man.

“Young Master. Please eat some snacks as well.”

“No need! The alcohol is sweet, so I do not need snacks! Hahaha! Today is truly a good day!”

The young man shouting from the seat of honor drank his cup of alcohol clear-headedly and boisterously.

The young man’s name was Beom Chang.

He was the gatekeeper of the Red Yang Sect who had forced a slave contract on Jin So-myeong a while ago.

The man sitting in front of him rubbed his palms together and spoke.

“Brother! Congratulations indeed. Since your punishment ended today, you no longer need to act as a gatekeeper!”

“Hmph. Uncle is truly stubborn. What is the big deal about extorting a few low-grade cultivators? It is too much of him to punish me over such a trivial matter.”

“Ahaha…”

The man who was constantly flattering laughed awkwardly. He dared not reply anything.

This was because the uncle Beom Chang spoke of was a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator.

Since a Foundation Establishment old monster had all sorts of methods, one could not speak ill of him carelessly even in his absence.

“If I had not reached the 6th layer of Qi Condensation to prove my talent, would he have forgiven me this early?”

“Is, is that so.”

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn cold.

A courtesan with a voluptuous figure asked, her eyes sparkling.

“Oh, have you already reached the 6th layer of Qi Condensation? Since you are still young, Young Master, you will be able to challenge Foundation Establishment as well, right?”

The man, capturing the opportunity at her question, widened his eyes and shouted.

“Ahem! Why do you ask such an obvious thing! What do you take our Brother Beom Chang for! Brother will obviously break through to Foundation Establishment and become the ruler of Red Yang Market in the future!”

“My goodness…”

The moment the word ‘Foundation Establishment’ came out. Even the courtesans, who had been acting somewhat haughty, completely changed their attitude.

Every single one of them drew closer to Beom Chang, showing off their charms.

Beom Chang, with a solemn expression, raised his chin.

Only after slowly tilting his glass and enjoying the atmosphere for a long time did he speak.

“None of you are serious. Do you think Foundation Establishment is a realm that can be spoken of so lightly? Well… though I do have the confidence to challenge Foundation Establishment within twenty years.”

At that confident attitude, the man clapped as if truly filled with admiration.

“Twenty years! Then Brother will become a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator in your late forties!”

“Well, that should be the case.”

“You are truly amazing! Isn’t that on par with the true disciples of great immortal sects! Ah! Come to think of it, I have another piece of good news to tell you, Brother!”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know who I discovered a while ago? You will be shocked when you hear it. Hehe.”

“Tsk. Who on earth is it for you to act like this? Stop playing hard to get and tell me quickly!”

“Hahaha. Do not be surprised to hear it. Jin So-myeong, whom you had searched for so much, Brother. That kid has appeared again!”

“Jin So-myeong? Who is that?”

Beom Chang, frowning, hugged a courtesan close.

As if disappointed, he focused on teasing the courtesan. He did not seem particularly interested in what the man was saying.

The man was flustered by the cold reaction that differed from his expectation.

“I mean that kid whom you ordered me to watch. That persistent bastard who survived on Mount Red Yang for three years with a mortal body!”

“Three years…? Ah! I remember now. That fellow who foolishly went to Mount Red Yang after entering Qi Condensation and then went missing?”

“Yes! That is right! Didn’t you feel it was a pity when that fool disappeared like that? Since you felt it was a pity, Brother, how could I, your junior, stay still? I did not give up and kept investigating.”

The man showed his loyalty, but Beom Chang merely sipped his alcohol.

Instead of praising him as if it were natural, Beom Chang asked back.

“Hoh. But did you not say that the fellow was definitely dead?”

“I did say that there was a high possibility he was d-dead. At any rate, the fellow was caught in my information network a few days ago while selling dew. Seeing that he is wrapped in bandages, he seems to be quite severely injured.”

“Injured? Has he not appeared all this time because he was treating his wounds?”

“That is probably the case. But that foolish bastard, as if he still has not come to his senses, keeps climbing Mount Red Yang.”

“Hmm? Wait. He climbed Mount Red Yang again?”

“Yes. What should we do? Shouldn’t you take him in and bestow grace upon him before he dies in the wilderness, Brother?”

“…That is true.”

Tak!

Beom Chang, who suddenly set down his wine cup, even patted and pushed away the courtesan he had been caressing.

He fell into deep thought without a word. He did not move for a long time.

“…Brother?”

In the room that had soon grown quiet, only the subtle fragrance wafting from the spiritual wine lingered.

At that moment filled with awkward silence.

Beom Chang said with a satisfied smile.

“Jin So-myeong. To take risks again even after suffering a serious injury. As expected of the guy I picked, he has persistence. I like it. It is to the point where it would be a waste to kill him after using him as a slave. If things go well, I might gain a good subordinate.”

The flattering man was flustered.

He was practically Beom Chang’s right hand now. There was no way he would welcome the appearance of a rival.

“Br-Brother. Wouldn’t being a subordinate be too generous for such a kid? Just being used like a dog would be the honor of three lifetimes. Please just use him roughly and discard him.”

Glancing sideways at the man, Beom Chang suddenly laughed heartily.

“Hahaha! Seeing you contradict my words lately, I feel that I have become quite close to you.”

“N-No— No, that is not the case. I follow your words unconditionally, Brother. Th-That is why.”

The man’s face turned pale.

Seeing him unable to speak properly out of panic, Beom Chang waved his hand.

“Heh. Why are you so scared just because I made a joke?”

Pulling the courtesan he had pushed away back into a tight hug, he spoke playfully.

“Do you think I do not know my brother’s loyalty? I know everything.”

“Th-That is right. Ahaha! I only have you, Brother. I will continue to pledge my loyalty at the risk of my life in the future!”

***

The entrance of Mount Red Yang.

Unlike usual, Jin So-myeong, who did not disguise himself with the Faceless Mask and revealed his true appearance, slowly looked up at the sky.

The glaring, scorching sunlight was dazzling to a burdensome degree.

“Is this why it is Red Yang ?”

Mount Red Yang, visited in broad daylight, was unfamiliar. The intense heat was like a furnace.

Although he had not recognized it well because he usually went only at dawn, Mount Red Yang was an incredibly hot place.

Strangely, the energy of the sun was powerful.

Jin So-myeong was also curious about the reason, but since nothing in particular had been revealed, he focused on the task at hand.

‘Sensory Amplification.’

He had come here now to hunt demonic beasts.

This was to check the results of his training and grasp his own strengths and weaknesses through actual combat.

Crackle!

A Supreme Great Ability bead disappeared, and his five senses became several times sharper. It was to the extent that he could feel the surrounding scenery clearly even if he closed his eyes.

Tread, tread.

Unlike usual, he did not use the Breath Concealing Art. This was because he had to lure the demonic beasts in order to hunt them.

‘It is here.’

Jin So-myeong, his eyes gleaming, drew his Horse-Slaying Saber .

It was not the old and shabby broadsword he had used before. It was a formal Rank 1 mid-grade dharma treasure purchased from the market.

Pointing the Horse-Slaying Saber, which harbored a momentum that seemed capable of splitting even Mount Tai, forward, he slowly took a stance.

Grrrr…

He glared at a leopard-like demonic beast that had approached at some point and bared its molars, and they stared each other down.

How many seconds had passed? The moment the demonic beast’s pupils dilated rapidly.

Kraaaang!

With a roar that shook even the mind, the fellow rushed forward.

The wild beast as large as a house approached right before his nose in an instant, as if teleporting.

Whoosh!

Claws sharper than a treasured sword shot out like rays of light, and Jin So-myeong’s concentration also reached its peak.

Grip.

He gripped the Horse-Slaying Saber and tilted his center of gravity forward. He confronted the momentum that seemed capable of crushing even boulders head-on.

The moment the flame rising from his dantian heated his entire body.

Bang!

His figure, which disappeared with an explosive sound, brushed past the demonic beast and vanished.

A faint saber light followed behind, which was like a shadow.

The demonic beast, reacting nimbly, swung its claws but ultimately failed to catch up and only struck the empty ground.

Krang!

The demonic beast, which was about to pursue immediately, faltered. It glared at Jin So-myeong as if feeling wronged, and then stiffened.

Thud…!

The entire ground vibrated as the massive body fell.

It collapsed along with the head that dropped down with a thud, a beat slow and late.

“Whew.”

Jin So-myeong, who calmed his roughened breath, sheathed the Horse-Slaying Saber.

Glancing at his shoulder, he saw that his clothes had been cut open before he knew it.

It was because of the demonic beast’s claws. If they had penetrated just a bit deeper, his arm would have been cut off entirely.

“Hmm…”

He reflected on the strike just now, the 1st stance of the Flying Swallow Horse-Slaying Saber Art, the Flying Swallow Flash , and searched for points to improve.

‘Certainly, performing martial arts with spiritual Qi instead of ordinary Qi yields considerable power. But it’s too extreme.’

The Flying Swallow Flash was a swift saber technique of the limit.

Although it was fast enough that even Jin So-myeong himself found it hard to react, his defense was vulnerable because he poured all his nerves into the offensive.

Just now, if he had not succeeded in the attack, the one who suffered would have been himself.

Of course, as extreme as it was, its sheer power was overwhelming.

‘It also goes well with the Rising Dragon Steps. If I do well, I think I can combine it with the Wind Control Art too…’

As he went through actual combat, various ideas welled up.

Certainly, martial arts were different from the immortal arts for which his aptitude was lacking.

It was fun. In the realm of fighting, he was as free as a fish in water.

After repeating the process of dismantling and assembling the martial arts mnemonics for about a minute, he suddenly came to his senses.

Slash!

He quickly butchered the demonic beast that was cooling down as a corpse.

A demonic beast with a rank was no different from a lump of spirit stones. Everything from the hide to the meat, and even the blood, was useful. Naturally, he could not throw it away.

After finishing the processing meticulously as learned from books, though it was clumsy.

“Done.”

He used a Cleansing Talisman to clean up the blood and traces splattered all over his body, and took out the jet-black flying sword from his sub-space.

This flying sword was a flight-type dharma treasure he had obtained after luring Wang Shin to the dew tree and killing him in the past, and he had crushed the decorations and repainted it to change its shape.

The flying sword, which was originally blue, had now become as black as a shadow.

Whoosh!

When he mounted the one-meter-long sword thrown into the air, strangely, it did not sink. It carried him and rose like a flying disk.

The moment he injected spiritual Qi into the flying sword.

Hum!

The sword hum, which felt good just by listening to it, resonated through the mountain.

With the sharp sound of wind, his figure traversed the sky.

“Haha.”

The appearance of Jin So-myeong, who mounted the flying sword with his hands behind his back, was quite impressive. If mortals had seen him, they would have shouted “Sword Immortal”.

Enjoying the cool wind brushing past his cheeks, he smiled with satisfaction.

He could not use this mysterious flying sword in the past because his spiritual Qi was insufficient.

But it was different now.

Because Jin So-myeong was already in a state of having reached the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

Whoosh!

Entering the wasteland while riding a single sword like an immortal in legends, he concentrated his mind.

【Jin So-myeong】

【Lifespan】: 16 / 67

【Realm】: Qi Condensation 4th Layer

【Supreme Great Ability】: 37 / 40

【Divine Ability】:

Looking at the semi-transparent hologram, he was truly gratified.

As he became a 4th layer Qi Condensation, mid-stage cultivator, there was much progress.

The most noticeable thing was, as expected, the Supreme Great Ability.

The maximum limit had doubled from twenty to forty.

The Supreme Great Ability was completely recovered on a one-month cycle.

Since there were forty golden beads in total, it meant that more than one bead was recovered every day.

The same went for the spiritual Qi in his dantian.

The quantity itself had increased, and the energy efficiency had also become stronger. He did not tire easily even when using spells.

‘I’ve definitely grown stronger.’

Compared to the early stage of Qi Condensation, it was no different from undergoing a complete rebirth. Now he would not feel ashamed even if called a proper cultivator.

‘Hmm? Have I arrived already?’

Flying while riding a flying sword was certainly fast. The fact that he could ignore rough terrain and go in a straight line was major.

Step.

Discovering Red Yang Market, which appeared faintly near the horizon, he stepped onto the ground.

Putting the flying sword into his sub-space, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the spiritual Qi in his dantian.

Shhhhh…

How many breaths had passed? The pressure of spiritual Qi emanating from his entire body began to subside rapidly.

When his momentum, which had been at the 4th layer, lowered to the mid-2nd layer.

‘This much is just right.’

Jin So-myeong, who quietly opened his eyes, was satisfied.

Currently, he was not using a stealth spell with the Supreme Great Ability.

He had concealed his presence using the Breath Concealing Art, which he had purchased from the Library Pavilion and formally mastered.

Once he mastered the Breath Concealing Art properly, several effects appeared. It was natural that the consumption of spiritual Qi decreased, and the concealment effect also became stronger.

In addition, as the spell entered the mastery stage, a capability to hide his cultivation realm also arose, making it highly useful.

‘Shall I start fishing slowly?’

Having become a kid at the 2nd layer of Qi Condensation, he took out a shabby bundle. He put miscellaneous herbs and a portion of the demonic beast meat that were in his sub-space inside and slung it over his back.

This was because it was too strange for a low-grade cultivator to use an expensive storage pouch.

‘If I’m going to do it, I should do it properly.’

Lastly, he even took out blood-stained bandages and wrapped them around his entire body.

Everything, from roaming around in Jin So-myeong’s true appearance to lowering his cultivation realm. It was all to lure Beom Chang in.

With his senses still sharply honed, he walked ploddingly toward the market.