Chapter 38 – To the Center of the Secret Realm

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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 let out a sigh.

Looking down at the rogue cultivator who had become a corpse instead after attacking him, he thought.

‘…So it’s this kind of place.’

He felt he truly understood what the Red Cloud Secret Realm, which he had only heard stories about, was like.

After a brief silence, he kicked off the ground.

Heading toward the center where the Foundation Establishment spiritual objects grew, he inspected the storage pouch he had just obtained.

‘There are only thirty-two spirit stones, and is this a Fire Bullet Talisman?’

Perhaps having spent his entire wealth before entering the secret realm, there were not many spirit stones.

Still, there were quite a lot of miscellaneous items.

It was full of all kinds of combat means, starting with talismans that exploded flames.

‘It would have been annoying if we had fought properly. As expected, it is better to suppress or kill as quickly as possible.’

He selected only what was necessary and stored them in his sub-space.

He wore the half-empty storage pouch at his waist. Since it would be a strange realm if he did not have a storage pouch by now, it was a disguise to show others.

Tap!

How long did he travel without resting even for a moment?

Jin So-myeong, who was passing by a fairly large tree shade, flinched.

This was because there was a man sitting in the dark shade with his eyes closed, meditating.

The other party’s presence was too faint.

It was to the extent that even Jin So-myeong, who possessed sensitive senses, noticed only after approaching within ten meters.

‘A Giant Sword Sect disciple?’

The attire was familiar. It was definitely a Golden Core-grade immortal sect disciple who had come riding the giant flying sword.

Just as Jin So-myeong narrowed his eyes.

Perhaps it was the same for the other party who had failed to detect him, as the man who slowly opened his eyes made a puzzled expression.

“…”

They guarded against each other while looking in silence.

How long did the atmosphere, which felt like ticking inside his throat, last?

The other party, who saw Jin So-myeong’s sword, spat just a single word.

“Sword cultivator?”

“…If so?”

“Good. Care to clash for a round?”

“What?”

Looking around just in case, it was desolate. It was just a wasteland with a single tree.

They were not competing because they had discovered some treasure, so why on earth should they fight? That was a waste of time.

Right now, he had to head to the center where the Foundation Establishment spiritual objects were as quickly as possible.

At that moment.

A sharp wind sound pierced his eardrums. A flying sword containing a cluster of light flew in like a flash!

Action was faster than judgment.

Clank!

Simultaneously with instinctively drawing his sword, he deflected the sword shot in a straight line toward his heart.

As the two Sword Qis collided, a roaring sound like a bomb exploding was heard.

The flying sword that flew in hovered in the empty air as if it were alive, then returned to the Giant Sword Sect disciple.

The moment he was attacked, Jin So-myeong’s gaze changed.

Wuuung!

He drew up the spiritual Qi in his dantian and spread it throughout his body. Just as he prepared for combat in an instant and glared at the other party.

A calm voice in which not a single emotion was mixed was heard.

“Good Sword Qi. However, you have too many thoughts. If you live like that, your Sword Qi will lose its sharpness before long.”

Twitch.

Jin So-myeong, who knit his brow, fell silent.

This was because the Giant Sword Sect disciple’s words felt like poking somewhere deep in his heart.

“A sword cultivator must only look ahead and move forward. The actions that look foolish at a glance are precisely the sole path to achieving the Great Dao…”

Click!

The nameless sword cultivator, who slowly sheathed his sword, turned around.

“If you dislike it, I will not force you. However, I hope your sword becomes a bit freer the next time I see you.”

Watching the other party who departed just like that, Jin So-myeong clicked his tongue.

‘…Ridiculous.’

He understood generally what he meant, but it was hard to agree.

He, who belonged to a Golden Core-grade immortal sect called the Giant Sword Sect, and Jin So-myeong were different.

‘Even if you just walk out of here alive, someone will give you a Foundation Establishment Pill. But not me.’

He had to seize everything himself from start to finish.

The Red Yang Sect?

There was no way that narrow-minded sect would give a Foundation Establishment Pill. It would be fortunate if they didn’t kill him out of wariness over his rapid cultivation speed.

“…”

Even so, there was something he learned through the Giant Sword Sect disciple’s words.

‘Does one have to devote oneself solely to the sword without looking back to achieve greatness? They were literally sword demons crazy for the sword.’

In a way, sword cultivators were also half-crazy fellows.

Was it a normal thought to try to breach all bizarre spells with a single sword?

However, it was also true that there was something here that resonated with his heart.

After a long silence, Jin So-myeong moved his stopped steps.

*

Shaking off the demonic beast’s blood flowing on his blade, Jin So-myeong murmured.

‘I should be able to see it by now.’

He concentrated spiritual Qi in his eyes. Gazing near the horizon, his expression brightened instantly.

It was because of the massive barrier that had begun to appear faintly.

Swish!

Accelerating his speed, Jin So-myeong triggered the spiritual Qi in his dantian to raise his body temperature.

This was to cope with the temperature that dropped rapidly the closer he approached the horizon.

‘Cold.’

White breath leaked out every time he breathed.

It was a severe cold to the extent that it was overwhelming even though he possessed a robust body from learning the body tempering method.

‘It was hot until just now.’

The rapid environmental change felt bizarre beyond being fascinating.

While contemplating the Red Cloud Secret Realm for a moment, Jin So-myeong’s eyes shone.

This was because he arrived at a massive ice wall soaring high into the sky!

Crossing this endlessly continuing ice wall, it was the center of the secret realm he had desired so much.

The method of crossing was not complicated either.

Observing the ice wall stretching out, he just had to choose a thin spot and smash it, and that was it.

‘…Just because it is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy.’

He did not strike the ice wall hastily and fenced his presence.

This was because a group of cultivators was detected at the edge of his senses.

‘Are they mid to late stage Qi Condensation cultivators?’

They were three rogue cultivators of the mixed 6th and 7th layers.

Approaching quietly, he listened to what they were saying.

“This place looks the thinnest? If we just break this ice wall and cross over, it is the center where the Foundation Establishment spiritual objects are, right?”

“Yeah. I will try to break it.”

A rogue cultivator stepped forward with a confident attitude.

As he drew out a heavy hammer dharma treasure, the companion next to him spoke with a tense expression.

“W-wait a moment! How about we cross over the top instead?”

“Nonsense. Have you ever seen anyone survive after climbing the ice wall? Stop making noise and stay alert.”

“…Be careful. I don’t know the details either, but they said breaking this ice wall is not easy.”

“Hmph. Just over breaking a bit of ice.”

The moment the snorting rogue cultivator threw the hammer into the empty air.

The hammer, which grew dozens of times larger in an instant, charged toward the ice wall.

Thud!

Simultaneously with the powerful collision. The massive ice wall, large as a mountain, shook as if it would collapse at any moment.

Crack!

Centering on the point of collision with the hammer, a crack formed along with a chilling sound.

“…”

The startled rogue cultivators gulped as if tense, but nothing happened.

How much time had passed?

The rogue cultivator who threw the hammer burst into a sneer.

“See. It’s nothing.”

“…Indeed. If we attack five or six more times, we can pierce a small hole.”

“Good. Here I go again.”

The rogue cultivator gestured. The hammer floating in the empty air collided with the ice wall once again, and…

Crack! Thud!

The moment a piece of ice fell from the crack.

Boom!!

A powerful pillar of fire surged to the extent of dyeing the sky red.

The erupted flames wriggled as if they were alive.

“Wh-what!”

The rogue cultivators were flustered but coped skillfully.

Drawing out shields, talismans, and the like, they formed a firm Qi barrier. They naturally cooperated to establish a defensive posture.

It was an impeccable response, but…

It had no effect.

Boom!

The moment the surged pillar of fire transformed like a whip and struck down on the rogue cultivators.

All that remained turned into ashes and vanished.

The confident rogue cultivators were burned without even being able to scream.

Woosh!

The flames that burned down the target condensed in the empty air and became a burning firebird.

It cried out long like a real bird, then flew away somewhere.

‘As expected, it is tremendous.’

Jin So-myeong, who watched silently, narrowed his eyes.

It was an immense firepower. It was to the degree that even he, who was far away, felt his skin burn.

The rogue cultivators seemed not to know due to lack of information, but breaking this ice wall was quite a dangerous task.

To pierce a hole large enough for a person to pass, one had to strike it, and they had to be most careful at that moment.

This was because the heat trapped inside the ice could explode.

‘It is not an ordinary heat.’

Although faint, it was a flame that even possessed spirituality.

The flame counters the one who attacked the ice wall like a living creature, which was honestly ridiculous.

‘If they freed it from being trapped in the ice, shouldn’t it be grateful?’

Regarding this phenomenon, cultivators’ opinions were divided.

Fire among the five elements is naturally ferocious, the firebird is a guardian protecting the ice wall, and so forth.

There were various explanations, but since it possessed spirituality but not to the extent of having intelligence, the prevailing view was that it was merely an instinctive reaction to being attacked.

Jin So-myeong, who observed the ice wall silently, glanced upward.

‘I will cross over the top.’

There was not only one method to cross this barrier.

With the ability of a Qi Condensation cultivator, one could even climb a vertically soaring cliff.

Although it was high enough that the end could not be seen, it was fully possible.

Of course. As the rogue cultivators said earlier, danger existed here too.

‘Whew.’

Regulating his breathing, Jin So-myeong concentrated.

He activated the Breath Concealing Art with much more care than usual, and…

Tap!

He leapt up using a movement technique that combined the Wind Control Art and the Rising Dragon Steps.

He climbed while stepping on the minute crevices in the ice wall.

Did he climb about halfway up the dizzying cliff?

Whoosh!

A cold, sharp wind brushed past his neck, but he did not lose concentration.

He even manipulated the swirling wind with the Wind Control Art. He used the wind as a foothold to maintain balance.

Around the time he felt the air had become too thin to breathe easily.

Glancing below, the ground was invisible, hidden by fog.

‘…I should be arriving soon.’

Just as he was concentrating while recalling the information on the map.

His field of vision opened up sharply!

Empty sky was visible. The end of the ice wall, which seemed like it would continue infinitely, had arrived.

A smile naturally formed, but he did not let his guard down.

Since he deliberately did not fly on a flying sword, he poured all his attention into concealing his presence.

Thud.

Stepping carefully onto the summit, he froze.

This was because the snowfield spreading over the ice wall was too peaceful.

It was so wide that it was hard to believe it was a place higher than the clouds. It felt like a grassland covered with transparent ice.

‘The ice wall is much thicker than I thought. If we can’t find a thin spot properly, piercing a hole won’t be easy either.’

Jin So-myeong, who was silently alert to the surroundings, soon discovered a danger element.

Screech! Screech!

A flock of dozens, hundreds of Ice Birds gathered closely on one corner of the snowfield was visible.

He did not approach recklessly and observed from afar.

The Ice Birds folded their wings and lowered their heads, looking like birds sculpted from ice at a glance.

‘Is the weakest one also Rank 1 high-grade? Every single one is stronger than an ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator.’

Jin So-myeong, narrowing his eyes, looked up at the sky.

The Ice Birds flying leisurely were dozens of times more numerous than those on the ground.

The moment he revealed his presence here, this tremendous flock of Ice Birds would rush in altogether.

‘Fuu…’

At that threat, tension welled up, but he suppressed it with reason.

‘It doesn’t matter. It’s fine as long as I don’t get caught.’

The Turtle Breathing Art, Breath Concealing Art, and Supreme Great Ability.

He mobilized all the abilities he had accumulated so far to perform the concealment technique.

Step by step, he advanced cautiously toward the other side of the ice wall.

Just as he was focusing on crossing the snowfield.

Screech!

Caw! Caw!

A sharp screech mixed with threat struck his eardrums.

Startled, Jin So-myeong immediately grabbed his sword, but the target of the Ice Birds was not him.

More than half of the Ice Birds that filled the sky flew toward the eastern sky.

Boom! Boom…!

At the explosion faintly heard, he realized what had happened.

‘It seems they were detected while trying to cross the ice wall like me.’

He didn’t know who it was, but it was a pity. Surviving the attack of a flock of over hundreds of Ice Birds was close to impossible.

How many seconds had passed?

The noisy explosion vanished cleanly, and the top of the ice wall regained silence.

Jin So-myeong, who had been silent, moved his steps. He did not stop until he broke through the snowfield.

The moment he arrived at the edge of the cliff like that.

A hot wind blowing in with a gust welcomed him.

‘Finally. Is it the center of the secret realm?’

Emotion welled up.

It was because of the magnificent scenery filling his field of vision.

The taste of looking down from a high place was special.

The center of the secret realm was basically composed of rugged terrains like volcanoes or deserts.

Here too, green forests were visible here and there like the outskirts, and strangely, he could see the forests growing larger.

The reproductive power of the plants was so strong that it was like pouring green paint to dye the desert.

‘Since the life force is that strong, that must be why the Foundation Establishment spiritual objects grow.’

He froze while comparing the map in his head with the actual scenery.

At a sudden question that arose, his head tilted.

The center of the secret realm was much larger than an ordinary capital city, but looking down from a high place, the rough shape was visible.

Yet the shape of the ice wall was strangely familiar.

It would be a shape familiar not only to Jin So-myeong but to most people.

The shape surrounding the desert and volcano in a circle was like…

‘A cauldron?’

Once it looked like a cauldron, it kept looking like that. It was difficult to shake off the sudden feeling.

It was to the extent that he even had a delusion of whether this entire secret realm might be a cauldron that someone had used.

‘No way.’

Jin So-myeong, who brushed off the distracting thoughts, his eyes shone.

After choosing an appropriate volcano and estimating the direction.

Tap!

He leapt down without hesitation from the dizzying cliff.

‘The Foundation Establishment spiritual object is not far off!’

Toward the center where the hot wind raged, he soared riding the wind.