Chapter 35 – Closed-Door Cultivation

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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 arrived at the Red Yang Sect, spoke to Beom Chang who followed next to him.

“Wait here for just a moment. I will go and bring the spirit stones right away.”

“Uh, uh. No, yes.”

After putting on standby the guy who transformed back into a polite servant once they were alone.

Heading to a certain cave dwelling, Jin So-myeong began to relentlessly knock on the formation entrance.

Thump, thump, thump!

“Senior Sister Shim! Please come out for a moment!”

How long did he wait?

Shim Woo-yeon, who came out dressed in thin clothing, glared at him. As if annoyed, she spoke in a somewhat cold tone.

“Junior Brother Jin? Why are you here? Did something happen to Beom Chang?”

“What do you mean what happened. Didn’t you agree to give me three hundred spirit stones? Actually, I wanted to receive it before the grand auction, so I came this morning too, but you weren’t here.”

“…You are truly shameless. Are you really trying to receive spirit stones from me?”

Who was calling whom shameless?

He could only sigh at her breaking her promise as if it were natural, typical of a Red Yang Sect disciple.

Staring intently at her face, he spoke clearly.

“Senior Sister. Do you think I performed the Cheong Hwa-ran surveillance mission half-heartedly because I really couldn’t find out anything?”

“Hmm? Then are you trying to say that you obtained results but reported half-heartedly?”

“Of course.”

Shim Woo-yeon, who snorted as if amused, smirked.

“Well, fine. Since a promise is a promise. However, do not misunderstand. I am giving this to you because I like your boldness.”

As her finger tapped her storage pouch, a heap of spirit stones floated in the air.

Greeting Shim Woo-yeon, who gestured with her chin as if telling him to take it, Jin So-myeong took the three hundred spirit stones and paused.

“I am asking just because I am curious, but why do you want us to find the cultivator named Wang Shin?”

“Why? Did you perhaps find some trace?”

“No. It doesn’t look like much no matter how I look at it, but it’s annoying since you insist on finding him.”

As Jin So-myeong shrugged his shoulders, Shim Woo-yeon spoke as if disappointed.

“He is a rogue cultivator whom the younger sister originally performing your mission put to work. So if you find Wang Shin, do not report it and tell me separately. I will make sure to give you some spirit stones.”

“Understood.”

Jin So-myeong, nodding casually, departed.

Since he had confirmed even the matter of Wang Shin being a spy which he had been curious about inwardly, he had no further business with Shim Woo-yeon.

Returning to Beom Chang, he held out the pouch.

“Here are the borrowed spirit stones.”

“Ha. You really brought them back. To think there was another person in our Red Yang Sect close to Brother…”

“It’s not important, so don’t worry about it. More importantly, take this.”

Jin So-myeong pulled out a stack of paper from his bosom. Then, he began to write relentlessly with a brush.

[Attempted to infiltrate the Blue Flood Dragon Gang this month as well, but failed.]

[The sentries of the Blue Flood Dragon Gang possess no ordinary alertness. For reference, their realm is mid-stage Qi Condensation.]

[Cheong Hwa-ran seems to focus on cultivation. She does not come out of the formation.]

…

He rapidly wrote dozens of pages of reports right in front of Beom Chang.

Did it even take three minutes in total?

A year’s worth of reports was completed, and he handed it over to Beom Chang just like that.

“Brother. This isn’t what I think it is, right?”

The fellow asked with an earnest expression, but the answer was clear.

“It is the mission report. Since I wrote a year’s worth in advance, Brother, submit them whenever you have time.”

*Cough.*

With his mouth wide open and unable to say anything, Beom Chang accepted the reports like a broken doll.

Smiling broadly, Jin So-myeong clasped his hands.

“I am always grateful for Brother’s hard work. Well then, I will focus on cultivation for a year.”

Swish!

Activating even the Wind Control Art to return to his cave dwelling, Jin So-myeong operated the formation.

He cut off all contact, almost as if preparing for closed-door cultivation.

This was because he intended to truly pay attention to nothing else and only cultivate until the secret realm opened.

It felt somewhat reckless, but it didn’t matter.

This was because he intended to leave Red Yang Market as soon as he came out of the secret realm anyway.

Putting useless matters out of his mind, he began cultivation in earnest.

Shring!

The moment he drew the Limitless Divine Sword.

“Ah.”

The cool sensation of the metal cleared his mind.

Did they say a famous sword goes beyond simply being sharp to guard and protect its master? It felt as if he had become one body with the sword.

As one who trained in the sword, being able to hold such a famous sword in his hand was a great happiness.

He had wanted to cultivate continuously ever since he first held this sword at the auction house.

This was because he was curious about what would happen if he cast the River and Cloud Sword Art, which he was currently cultivating, with the Limitless Divine Sword.

Swish!

He cast the River and Cloud Sword Art from beginning to end.

The sharp sound of the wind was pleasant to hear. As if exploding what he had held back tightly, he began to swing the sword relentlessly.

“Ah.”

As time passed, his spirit became elevated.

As if drunk, he stabbed and slashed along the path led by the Limitless Divine Sword.

At the same time.

He felt the ideal pursued by the River and Cloud Sword Art.

Feeling and twisting the flow of force, escaping from all pressures of the world to become an existence as free as a cloud!

The moment he realized that.

A hot heat boiled up from his dantian and escaped through the tip of the sword.

Slash!

The sharp energy extending from the slash cut open the barrier.

The powerful formation linked with the Rank 1 high-grade spiritual vein fluctuated wildly.

“…Sword Qi.”

Jin So-myeong, who murmured blankly, inspected the sword.

He couldn’t possibly not know what the faint haze flowing on the blade meant.

The proof of a sword cultivator, an immortal who deals with swords, Sword Qi was held in his hand.

It was a change that occurred as the River and Cloud Sword Art entered the mastery stage beyond initiation.

“…To think I have become a sword cultivator.”

Sword Qi grows along with the sword cultivator and becomes continuously stronger.

It would be of great help in his upcoming cultivation.

He stood blankly for a long time in an indescribable emotion.

One Sword Breaks Myriad Laws.

It was the most famous phrase describing a sword cultivator.

A true sword cultivator could slash and part ten thousand laws with just a single sword.

Click.

Sheathing the sword carefully, he raised his finger.

The moment he emitted the intent to slash, a sharp wind swirled at his fingertips.

Although it was Sword Qi learned through the Limitless Divine Sword, it was not a power subordinated to the sword.

Since he could use Sword Qi even with bare hands, it meant his strength had purely become stronger.

‘Yes, I learned. It feels like I received guidance.’

Glance.

Looking at the pitch-black treasure sword haughtily hidden inside the scabbard, he felt like bowing.

If this fellow could only speak, wouldn’t he have revered it as his master?

He was even touched by the kind guidance he experienced for the first time since opening his eyes in this heartless world.

Admiring while stroking the scabbard, Jin So-myeong fell into thought.

‘They say a sword handled by a true expert transforms even an ordinary iron sword into a divine sword.’

If a sword immortal who reached the peak swung a sword, sword intent remained.

If one had the fate, one could obtain enlightenment by looking at that sword intent.

‘Who on earth used this sword?’

Becoming curious, Jin So-myeong observed the Limitless Divine Sword more closely.

It was to the extent that he tried using the miscellaneous spells or cultivation methods he had collected so far while holding the sword.

‘Now that I see, it only reacts to martial arts…?’

Strangely, it did not feel like it gave guidance to immortal spells.

There was a reason the Thousand Treasures Pavilion failed to properly recognize this sword and sold it for a bargain.

Guidance specialized in martial arts?

Other cultivators would find it hard to notice, and even if they knew, it was of little meaning.

‘Could it be a sword used by someone who accumulated immense skill in martial arts?’

Of course, martial arts was not the only technique for wielding a sword in this world.

As mentioned earlier, there were also sword cultivators, immortals who made swords their main focus.

He had only judged that the previous owner was likely a martial artist because it reacted well to martial arts.

‘Or it could be that the sword’s spirituality was damaged, making it unable to react to cultivation methods with many omissions like immortal spells.’

The truth could not be known, but it was actually not important either.

How to use the uniqueness possessed by this sword was simply the most important thing.

Thud!

Jin So-myeong, who had been swinging the sword for a long time, sat cross-legged.

Although practicing the River and Cloud Sword Art was enjoyable, he could not neglect other cultivation either.

Inhaling deeply…

Along with his breathing, dense spiritual Qi permeated his lungs.

How long did he concentrate while chanting the mnemonics of the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art?

The pressure of the continuously absorbed spiritual Qi grew progressively larger, to the point of exceeding the limit his lungs could bear.

At that moment.

Jin So-myeong, opening his eyes wide, threw a Qi and Blood Pill into his mouth.

Boom!

The energy that broke through the critical point began to destroy his lungs. Simultaneously, the condensed energy converted into blood Qi, restoring the biological tissues.

‘Ugh.’

He gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

To evolve the lungs, one of the five viscera, into a spiritual particle organ, he had to endure this pain.

Forcing himself to ignore the severe pain that felt like tearing his insides to shreds, he focused on absorbing spiritual Qi.

Saa…

He gathered every bit of energy that permeated through his skin and guided it to his lungs.

He repeated endless destruction and regeneration.

“Fuu…”

After concentrating for a long time, he exhaled turbid Qi.

The ‘Hundred Temperings’ in the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art meant training one hundred times. It was not a cultivation method that could be completed overnight.

Taking a brief rest, he sat cross-legged again.

Since he had cultivated the River and Cloud Sword Art and the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art, next was the turn of the Five Elements Qi Condensation Art.

Since the Five Elements Qi Condensation Art was his natal cultivation method, he could never neglect it.

Whoosh…!

The spiritual Qi of the high-grade spiritual vein, twice as dense as the mid-grade, swirled.

Rotating around Jin So-myeong, it was continuously absorbed.

One year until the Red Cloud Secret Realm opened.

He had to do his best to reach the 6th layer of Qi Condensation within that time.

***

Before long, time flowed rapidly.

One week before the Red Cloud Secret Realm opened.

“Whew…”

Holding the black sword, Jin So-myeong, who took a high-guard stance, gathered his concentration.

The moment he lightly struck down the sword held higher than his head.

Swish!

A whitish wind of the blade sliced through the empty air.

A faint cutting sound brushed past, and the barrier protecting the cave dwelling was divided in two.

Rumble!

With a single strike filled with River and Cloud Sword Qi, the formation that had been tightly closed for closed-door cultivation was breached.

Watching this scene silently, Jin So-myeong sheathed his sword.

【Jin So-myeong】

【Lifespan】: 18 / 67

【Realm】: Qi Condensation 6th Layer

【Supreme Great Ability】: 80 / 80

【Divine Ability】: (empty)

Having become a lively young man before he knew it, he smiled while wearing the longsword.

He achieved his primary goal. He succeeded in rising to the 6th layer of Qi Condensation before entering the secret realm.

‘Now, I have the minimum qualifications.’

A high-grade spiritual vein, the Secret Realm of the Mind, and cultivation pills consumed like water.

If even one of these had been missing, he would not have been able to reach the 6th layer already.

All preparations were finished.

For today, he had kept the Supreme Great Ability at its maximum capacity without using it recklessly.

The remaining task was to enter the secret realm and seize a Foundation Establishment spiritual object.

Actually, it was also slightly regrettable.

If the secret realm had opened just three years later, he would enter as a late Qi Condensation cultivator.

However, it could not be postponed.

If he missed this opportunity, the next secret realm would open only thirty years later.

‘Absolutely not. How could I wait thirty years when I don’t know how the situation will unfold?’

Sss…

Around the time the swirled spiritual Qi subsided as the formation was restored.

Messages accumulated during his closed-door cultivation poured in.

Dozens of Voice Transmission Talismans waiting outside the barrier approached Jin So-myeong and delivered the news.

[Brother Jin. If you tell me when you will end your closed-door cultivation, I will prepare in advance…]

[I found out new information about the secret realm. First, three locations of Foundation Establishment spiritual objects were added…]

He checked them one by one meticulously. Most of them were letters Beom Chang sent to him.

After contacting Beom Chang that his closed-door cultivation had ended, he stroked his chin.

This was because he wanted to test a thought that suddenly came to mind while cultivating.

‘Would I be able to enter the secret realm earlier than others if I use the Supreme Great Ability?’

Just one week.

No, even entering just one day earlier would yield a fairly large benefit.

Since he would be able to preempt numerous fortuitous encounters in the empty Red Cloud Secret Realm.

‘Let’s go.’

Jin So-myeong, who arrived at the place where the secret realm opened with anticipation, frowned.

There was nothing special.

Since only a desolate wasteland was visible, only questions filled his mind.

‘Is it really here?’

Honestly, he couldn’t feel anything, but he closed his eyes anyway.

He silently concentrated on his breathing and heightened his senses.

‘Mmm…’

How much time had passed?

Something massive and hot began to be faintly felt.

Aiming for that moment, Jin So-myeong exerted the divine ability engraved on his soul.

Crack!

Consuming a few charges of the Supreme Great Ability, he inspected the secret realm’s restriction. He checked if it would be possible to enter earlier than others.

‘It seems possible…?’

If he consumed roughly fifty beads, it seemed he could enter about half a day earlier.

‘Half a day is fine too. I can run at full power and preempt the Foundation Establishment spiritual objects.’

If he did just that, he would be able to obtain at least one or two Foundation Establishment spiritual objects for free.

However, the fact that fifty golden beads would be consumed weighed on his mind. Since his combat power would weaken by that much.

‘What should I do?’

Just as he was contemplating whether to enter earlier than others while stroking his chin.

“Kid. How did you know this is the most vulnerable part of the secret realm’s restriction?”

“…!”

He got goosebumps at the voice that was suddenly heard.

Turning his head creakingly, he saw a drunken old man sipping from a gourd right next to him.