Chapter 49 – Secret Realm of the Mind Reaching Rank 2

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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 rented a room in a safe inn, waved his hand.

He laid out the items stored in the sub-space one by one and organized the harvest.

He first scanned the pile of spiritual herbs thoroughly.

‘Are there two Foundation Establishment spiritual objects left?’

The Foundation Establishment spiritual objects gathered in the secret realm were seven in total.

Since he had exchanged five of them for the Foundation Establishment Pill, the remaining Nourishing Jade Essence Flowers were two.

‘Let’s store them for now.’

As they were precious spiritual herbs, they would be desperately needed by someone. They were highly likely to be used usefully even after he became a Foundation Establishment cultivator later.

After sealing them in jade boxes to prevent the medicinal efficacy from dispersing.

He classified dozens of types of spiritual herbs one by one. Choosing only the spiritual herbs whose roots were still alive, he exerted the Secret Realm of the Mind divine ability.

Flash!

Arriving at the blue hill that put his mind at ease, Jin So-myeong’s eyes shone.

It was due to the garden patch visible on one side of the hill, which he had recently made himself.

Approaching the patch where he had scattered spiritual soil , soil that held plenty of spiritual Qi, he carefully planted the spiritual herbs he had just brought.

‘…It looks decent.’

The various spiritual herbs planted in an orderly fashion looked good.

He felt proud for some reason as a real spiritual herb field was created in the empty Secret Realm of the Mind.

‘What else would be needed… water?’

Jin So-myeong searched the sub-space.

The dharma treasures obtained in the Red Cloud Secret Realm were not few. The probability was high that there was at least one water-attribute dharma treasure.

‘Oh, found it!’

Pulling out a blue-green clam, Jin So-myeong injected spiritual Qi. The water Qi condensed in empty air turned into a cloud.

Pitter-patter!

Nodding, he watched the drizzle moisten the spiritual herbs.

‘This should be enough. At least it is better than leaving them uprooted.’

To grow spiritual herbs properly required too much handiwork. He was satisfied with a moderate level.

Flash!

Returning to the inn from the Secret Realm of the Mind, Jin So-myeong continued what he was doing.

Just as he was checking the miscellaneous dharma treasures one by one and distinguishing what to sell and what to use himself, at that moment.

Buzz!

The Limitless Divine Sword worn at his waist vibrated. Looking at the piled-up dharma treasures, it emitted its spirituality.

“…You want to eat these too?”

After thinking for a moment, Jin So-myeong permitted it.

In the meantime, the Limitless Divine Sword had helped him a lot without him realizing. This much was nothing.

Holding out the Limitless Divine Sword along with its scabbard, he stirred the pile of dharma treasures.

Crack!

Seeing the dharma treasures splitting whenever they touched…

Even Jin So-myeong, who had initially not thought much of it, could not help but pause.

“Uh, well.”

The Limitless Divine Sword’s appetite was unusual.

It had already easily surpassed ten.

His mouth fell wide open at its figure of not stopping even after absorbing its fifteenth dharma treasure.

It pained his heart to see the dharma treasures turning into scrap metal.

“Ugh. You’re not even a pig, just how much do you have to eat to be satisfied— Ugh!?”

His palm stung. This was because the Limitless Divine Sword emitted sharp energy as if it were angry.

“…”

Jin So-myeong, who had been gaping, narrowed his eyes.

It felt as if the Limitless Divine Sword’s spirituality had suddenly grown stronger lately.

“Sigh.”

He was about to say something but just stopped.

As a sword cultivator’s intuition told him, it did not seem harmful to him.

He focused on continuing to feed the dharma treasures.

…Until the miscellaneous dharma treasures all vanished.

Looking at the pile of scrap metal stacked high, Jin So-myeong thought without realizing.

‘Just how much worth did it eat?’

He was about to calculate reflexively but stopped in a hurry. This was because it felt like his heart would ache more if he knew.

He forced his eyes away from the dharma treasures that had lost their spirituality and turned into trash.

Shring!

He drew the Limitless Divine Sword and examined it in detail.

The clean blade without a single blemish, enough to reflect his face, was still the same.

‘Good.’

Judging by the sharp energy that chilled his spine, it seemed much sharper than before.

Swish!

Enjoying the pleasant sensation given by the cold piece of metal, Jin So-myeong thrust into empty air.

The Sword Qi that naturally responded emitted a domineering aura.

“Oh?”

Something was different from usual.

The sensation led by the sword became much clearer. He even naturally realized various knacks to handle Sword Qi.

‘As long as there is strong mental strength, Sword Qi can even be extended?’

Originally, Sword Qi rapidly decreased in power if not condensed. However, there was a way to escape that restriction.

If he could combine Divine Sense and Sword Qi into one, throwing slashes from a distance was also possible.

Swish! Swish!

To digest the teachings given by the Limitless Divine Sword. Jin So-myeong, who had been swinging his sword for a long time, paused.

‘I must finish what I was doing.’

Clank!

Suppressing his regret and sheathing the sword. He organized the harvest obtained in the Red Cloud Secret Realm completely.

Wondering if he had missed anything, he even inspected the jade slips meticulously, and discovered an unexpected harvest.

‘To think there was such a secret technique in the Taiyi Medicine King Scripture.’

The Taiyi Medicine King Scripture, a secret transmission combining elixir refining and cultivation methods.

This cultivation method obtained in the deepest part of the Red Cloud Secret Realm included a very unusual secret technique.

That was none other than the method to resolve the pill toxins generated from consuming medicinal pills!

Immortal-Severing Earth Art .

If he mastered this secret technique properly, he no longer had to worry about pill toxins.

Even if he consumed several times more pills than others, it did not hinder his cultivation.

‘Not bad.’

He was strongly drawn to it. Setting aside the Taiyi Medicine King Scripture, he definitely wanted to master the Immortal-Severing Earth Art.

Straightening his posture and examining the jade slip, Jin So-myeong’s expression became peculiar.

This was because the original purpose of the Immortal-Severing Earth Art was more vicious than expected.

‘To think it is dragging immortals down to earth and severing their path of cultivation.’

This secret technique was a method to condense the pill toxins generated from eating pills and refine them into a bead, which could be used as a hidden weapon.

The hidden weapon refined with pill toxins was naturally lethal.

If it even grazed them, the opponent struck by the pill toxins would find it several times harder to raise their cultivation realm.

‘Since elixir masters have weak combat power, do they protect themselves in this manner?’

No one wished for their cultivation to become difficult.

If it became known that an elixir master who mastered the Taiyi Medicine King Scripture possessed such a secret technique, no one would touch them rashly.

Because if they harassed them for no reason and got hit by pill toxins, it was only their own loss.

Anyway.

Even excluding the effect of using pill toxins as a hidden weapon, it was sufficiently useful.

What Jin So-myeong desired was simply to eat more pills, more frequently.

‘Mastering the Immortal-Severing Earth Art will make my cultivation speed even faster.’

After scanning the Taiyi Medicine King Scripture several times, he came to the judgment that mastering this secret technique separately was also possible.

In that case, there was no reason to hesitate.

He immediately tried to register the Immortal-Severing Earth Art in the proficiency system, but was astounded.

‘It consumes as many as 100 Supreme Great Ability spheres?’

Just as he was puzzled by the higher-than-expected registration cost, at that moment.

He realized the reason thanks to the information that floated into his mind.

‘Aptitude improvement!’

He had been curious in what manner the wish he had made previously would be fulfilled, and he just found out.

Originally, the higher-grade a cultivation method was, the more complex the conditions one had to achieve to initiate.

From constitution or aptitude to gender, age… even race.

One had to meet what the cultivation method demanded to initiate.

However.

Now Jin So-myeong was free from that restriction.

This was because registering a cultivation method or spell in the system forcibly met the minimum conditions to learn that cultivation method.

‘Because I am trying to learn a secret technique without extensive knowledge of pills, the consumption has grown larger.’

Originally, the Immortal-Severing Earth Art was a secret technique that handled pill toxins based on vast knowledge of spiritual herbs.

The system resolved this issue in a different way.

It raised the body’s regenerative power to the limit to foster resistance against pill toxins.

Admiration escaped at the true utility of the proficiency system.

Now he could master any cultivation method with any complex conditions!

‘As long as I have enough Supreme Great Ability, that is.’

Jin So-myeong, who nodded his head, consumed 100 Supreme Great Ability spheres, and.

Crunch!

A chilling sound was heard from his spine.

“…!”

Jin So-myeong’s eyes flew wide open. At the sudden intense pain, he could not even scream.

Tightly clutching his hands that trembled like someone with hand tremors, he barely endured.

How long had passed?

The pain vanished as if washed away, and a refreshing feeling that he was truly experiencing for the first time in his life approached.

To the corners of his limbs, his entire body felt purified.

“Hoo…”

He felt a grain-sized, tiny bead forming near his dantian.

It was a hidden weapon created by condensing the pill toxins accumulated while consuming pills during his training for the past few days.

He had succeeded in initiating the Immortal-Severing Earth Art!

Flash!

【Cultivation Method】

Five Elements Qi Condensation Art (Mastery 125/10000)

Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art (Initiation 3520/4000)

【Spell】

Wind Control Art (Mastery 450/3000)

River and Cloud Sword Art (Mastery 1262/30000)

Immortal-Severing Earth Art (Initiation 1/500)

Although he was flustered due to the unexpected pain, it was fine.

He had mastered a complex secret technique for nothing, so what would be the problem.

Since pill toxins no longer accumulated even if he consumed twice as much spiritual medicine as others, it was all good.

‘Now I must grow the Secret Realm of the Mind.’

Jin So-myeong, who gathered everything to sell from the sub-space, measured the approximate value.

‘Calculating in spirit stones… 8,000!’

Even though he excluded things to use himself or things difficult to sell, it was like this. His head spun at the sweet harvest.

With 8,000 spirit stones, he might be able to raise the Secret Realm of the Mind to Rank 2!

Thinking of this, he tried immediately.

Wearing the Faceless Mask, he went around several shops and disposed of all kinds of goods.

Holding the 8,000 spirit stones gathered that way, he moved to the Secret Realm of the Mind.

Embracing a somewhat anxious heart, he shouted.

“Upgrade the mine!”

The piles of thousands of spirit stones began to vanish without a trace, and.

Rumble!

The peaceful hill vibrated continuously.

【Resource Production】: 25 spirit stones / 1 day

【Resource Production】: 26 spirit stones / 1 day

【Resource Production】: 27 spirit stones / 1 day

…

【Resource Production】: 39 spirit stones / 1 day

【Resource Production】: 40 spirit stones / 1 day

Just as the spirit stone production exploded like crazy, at that moment.

【The spirit stone mine has reached the Rank 1 mid-grade limit.】

【To grow the mine to Rank 1 high-grade, 2,000 spirit stones are required.】

Although notifications floated in his mind, he nodded resolutely.

“Continue upgrading!”

…

【Resource Production】: 80 spirit stones / 1 day

【The spirit stone mine has reached the Rank 1 high-grade limit.】

【To grow to Rank 1 highest-grade or higher, mid-grade spirit stones are required.】

When production reached eighty, an unexpected demand popped up, but there was no problem.

This was because he had obtained forty-seven mid-grade spirit stones after fighting and defeating the Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator.

He consumed twenty mid-grade spirit stones additionally.

The moment the daily production reached 100 spirit stones.

Thump!

The Secret Realm of the Mind, fluctuating as if an earthquake had occurred, continued to expand.

It stopped only after becoming nearly five times wider than originally.

It was now embarrassing to even call it a small hill. Seeing the spacious downs carpeted with green grass made his chest feel open.

“Ah!”

Closing his eyes gently, he inhaled. The smile that naturally formed did not disappear.

Although he instinctively realized what changes had occurred in the Secret Realm of the Mind…

He focused his mind to make sure.

Flash!

【Secret Realm of the Mind】

【Facilities】: Rank 2 low-grade spiritual vein, Rank 2 low-grade spirit stone mine

【Resource Production】: 1 mid-grade spirit stone / 1 day

There was no need to look at anything else.

Rank 2!

Though only a single digit changed from Rank 1, many things had changed. Now his Secret Realm of the Mind had reached the Foundation Establishment level!

“hahaha!”

The spiritual Qi generated from deep within his body was incredibly sweet.

Absorbing the dense and pure spiritual Qi that had reached Rank 2 to the point of being sticky, he paused.

“W-Wait a minute.”

The continuously pouring energy sent a chill down his spine.

That his dantian and meridians began to throb was unusual!

The nightmare he had experienced in the deepest part of the Red Cloud Secret Realm came to mind, giving him goosebumps.

‘…Hoo.’

Although he paid close attention for a long while with a tense mind, it was not to that extent.

Thanks to his trained body, he could sufficiently handle a Rank 2 low-grade spiritual vein.

‘What a relief. Still, the next upgrade must be done after I reach Foundation Establishment.’

Wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, he gave a bitter smile.

Too much of anything became a harm.

Looking at the state of his dantian and meridians, it seemed problems would occur if he upgraded further.

After catching his breath.

Jin So-myeong, who was measuring the spiritual Qi level of the Secret Realm of the Mind, stroked his chin.

‘Will it take about three years to reach the 9th layer of Qi Condensation?’

It felt like Foundation Establishment was truly not far away. Three years was a time that would fly by in one or two seclusions.

Recalling his future training plan, he left the inn.

It was to rent a suitable cave dwelling, create a Fire Spiritual Root, and train in the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art.

‘Once I open my heart, the physical body among the Three Passes of Essence, Qi, and Spirit is as good as resolved. …No, wait a minute.’

Come to think of it, his divine soul was also not a problem. Since he had already awakened Divine Sense.