Chapter 70 – A New Divine Ability

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“I will give you the Golden Core Insights I received from my master. Instead…”

Jin So-myeong listened to Baek Yu-geon’s words.

“Five years from now. When Sky Island enters the Demonic Roaring Sea, please help me with my mission.”

“The Demonic Roaring Sea?”

The sea where demonic beasts cry. For some reason, it was a place where it felt like demonic beasts would be swarming just by its name.

“Ah, as a rogue cultivator, you might not know well, Fellow Daoist Jin. Unlike the Source Light Sea, the Demonic Roaring Sea is a region where demonic beasts are more dominant than us humans.”

“…Why is Sky Island heading to such a place of all places?”

“Naturally, it is because of the spiritual vein. While we were inside the Soul Washing Land, an ultra-large Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein was discovered in the Demonic Roaring Sea.”

Hearing the following explanation, he could understand it roughly.

Although Sky Island was composed of floating materials and could float in the air on its own, since countless cultivators lived there, the consumption of spiritual Qi was immense.

He did not know how large the ultra-large Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein was, but it was a resource that must absolutely not be missed.

From the perspective of the demonic beasts, it would feel like being invaded, but humans could not back down either.

“If we miss this opportunity, Sky Island will wither and die.”

This was not a matter of right and wrong, but a problem related to survival.

Since demonic beasts invaded in reverse whenever a spiritual vein arose on the Source Light Sea side, collision was inevitable anyway.

“Hmm… I understand what kind of situation it is. By any chance, did the demonic beasts that raided recently come to issue a sort of warning?”

“That is correct. They are telling us not to covet the ultra-large Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein and to get lost. Haha. It is an absurd claim.”

Jin So-myeong, who was silent for a moment, nodded.

“So what is that mission?”

“It is a mission given by my master, which is to investigate and resolve the problem of Rank 2 demonic beasts that speak increasing rapidly recently.”

“Ah.”

It was certainly a strange matter.

Because he had encountered too many speaking demonic beasts recently, he was just doubting whether the existing information stating that they could only speak upon reaching Rank 3 was incorrect.

“It seems a colony of the Speech-Opening Herb has formed somewhere in the Demonic Roaring Sea. Since I have marked a few suspected areas, we just need to go and destroy them.”

The Speech-Opening Herb was a spiritual herb of little use to humans, but if a Rank 2 demonic beast consumed it, it had the effect of opening its speech.

“Destroying a colony…”

It was not as complicated as he thought, but it was a dangerous mission.

However, the reward was sweet to that extent.

This was because even without gathering demonic beast inner cores by suffering for several years, he could obtain the Golden Core Insights right now.

“By the way, why did you come looking for me of all people? There must be many cultivators around you, Fellow Daoist Baek.”

“Haha. You are too humble. I, who have experienced it directly, know your strength best, Fellow Daoist Jin. Where else would I find an existence like you?”

“…Hmm.”

“Since it is a mission heading deep into the Demonic Roaring Sea. We cannot go in a large scale, so we need a person of skill. Secrecy is important, you see.”

“If a Rank 3 Demonic King is guarding the colony, it seems impossible with our strength.”

“That possibility is slim. Since the Speech-Opening Herb is meaningless to a Demonic King who can already speak. Even if we encounter Rank 3, it is fine. I have a secret plan of sorts.”

Baek Yu-geon, who smiled leisurely, pulled out three talismans.

Flinch.

A coercive energy that pressed down on his shoulders was felt from mere pieces of paper.

Looking at the talismans fluttering as if showing off, he muttered.

“Rank 3 talismans?”

“That is correct. If one uses this Teleportation Talisman, they will be transmitted to a random location a hundred li away. Even if we encounter Rank 3 demonic beasts, we will be able to survive.”

His mind leaned increasingly.

Although there was some danger, it was at a level bearable for the sake of the Golden Core Insights.

“…Very well. I will help you with the mission five years from now.”

“Haha! You made a good decision. Here are the promised Golden Core Insights!”

It was refreshing without a single complaint. After seeing off Baek Yu-geon who left after giving the jade slip,

he immediately ran to the cultivation room. In truth, since he had many curiosities about the Golden Core stage since earlier, it was hard to hold back.

The moment he infused his Divine Sense into the blue-green jade slip engraved with bamboo,

‘The methods of forming the Golden Core are largely divided into the External Elixir Method and the Core Formation Method. The External Elixir Method is a method that utilizes external objects, and its strengths and weaknesses are clear. The most famous method is replacing the dantian with a Rank 3 demonic beast’s inner core…’

For a long time.

Jin So-myeong, who digested the pouring information, burst into an exclamation.

The External Elixir Method was refining external spiritual objects of heaven and earth to make them the dantian.

For example, if one succeeded in replacing the dantian with a Rank 3 demonic beast’s inner core, they could become a Golden Core cultivator.

Although it looked good at a glance, the weaknesses were clear.

‘One becomes able to use the innate divine ability possessed by the demonic beast, but other abilities weaken to that extent…’

Applying it to Jin So-myeong’s case, it meant that his Sword Qi and lightning techniques would weaken.

Furthermore, if this method was used, the possibility of the mind becoming unstable by being stained by the demonic beast’s ferocity was high.

Looking at it only like this, it seemed like a method that must absolutely not be selected, but…

a single advantage overwhelmed all weaknesses.

‘The probability of Golden Core success is overwhelmingly higher than any other method.’

Also. There was an insurance in this method as well.

Even if one failed, the possibility of becoming a False Core cultivator without dying existed.

Fake.

Although it was not a word suitable to be attached before the respected Golden Core stage, it was an exactly appropriate title upon detailed investigation.

If one became a False Core cultivator, they could no longer raise their realm from the early Golden Core stage.

However, their lifespan increased to five hundred years, and they possessed power vastly stronger compared to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Since other methods mostly resulted in death if failed anyway, it was not bad to have this kind of hope.

‘This was why the Lord of Sky Island told me not to be tempted by the shortcut.’

It was a method whose advantages stood out the more he investigated in detail.

If it were a person whose will toward the Great Dao of Longevity was weak, they would have definitely wavered.

However, to Jin So-myeong, the Golden Core stage was not the final goal.

He had absolutely no intention of replacing his dantian with a Rank 3 inner core.

If his Sword Qi and lightning techniques weakened, his combat power would decrease to that extent. It was obvious that due to lacking strength, he would miss countless opportunities right before his eyes.

‘Hmm… not all of the External Elixir Methods are weak.’

Next, he examined other methods, and there was also the Sword Core.

It was a method mainly chosen by sword cultivators who dedicated their lives to the sword, which replaced the dantian with the sword that would become the Natal Magic Treasure.

If there was an advantage, it was overwhelming combat power.

Because it meant becoming one with the sword literally, the affinity toward Sword Qi and natural talent improved rapidly.

The weakness was…

‘If the sword breaks, you die.’

It was truly extreme. Had this been the only weakness, he would have pondered it seriously, but there was one more.

‘As much as the Sword Qi becomes sharper, the lightning techniques will weaken. This won’t do.’

There were many External Elixir Methods besides the two.

There was even a secret technique that gathered a thousand souls to form a Golden Core.

Although it did not describe the detailed method but merely mentioned the name Thousand Souls Core Formation Art shortly and passed, he roughly expected what kind of secret technique it was.

‘The External Elixir Methods generally have a high success rate… but they do not suit me.’

The External Elixir Method of replacing the dantian with spiritual objects of heaven and earth was too heavily influenced by external objects.

Passing all the various methods that followed, he inspected the Core Formation Method.

In a way, the Core Formation Method had parts that were in line with the method of achieving Foundation Establishment.

‘True Core Condensation Method? I like this. It says there are no weaknesses except for the fact that it costs many resources and has a low success probability…’

It was a method of condensing and refining the purification of Essence, Qi, and Spirit to the limit centered on the soul to form a spiritual seed, the Golden Core.

If one achieved the Golden Core with this method, as they did not rely on external elements, their energy was harmonious and stable.

Since all existing divine abilities could be used as they were and would become more powerful, it was perfectly suitable for his case of cultivating lightning techniques and the sword at the same time.

It was also most advantageous when advancing to the next realms of Nascent Soul, Soul Formation…

However, since the pain and difficulty experienced in the process transcended imagination, several auxiliary medicinal pills were needed.

White Spirit Herb, Dream-Roaming Primal Pill, Body-Strengthening Pill, and so on.

Low success probability was pulled up with all kinds of treasures.

‘I can just gather spiritual herbs and medicinal pills. I should go with this.’

Since he was cultivating the sword, lightning techniques, and even the body tempering cultivation method at the same time, the True Core Condensation Method was most appropriate.

***

Two months later, in the cultivation room.

Simultaneously with Jin So-myeong, who sat cross-legged without moving, opening his eyes quietly,

Thump… thump…!

the sound of a heartbeat began to echo in the quiet cave dwelling.

The pulsation that was weak at first grew larger as time went on. The moment the gradually strengthening energy reached its peak,

Boom!

from the body of a mere human, an energy that would only be felt from an ancient vicious beast shimmered.

If a person with a weak will were present in this place, they would have fainted merely by feeling a fragment of the power.

“Phew!”

The bizarre commotion, which felt like something was about to explode right away, vanished in a single breath.

This was because he had completely adapted to the power generated as his body tempering realm rose to the late Foundation Establishment level.

As much as he had concentrated on body tempering cultivation for the past five months since the Ascending Immortal Tournament ended, his achievements were not small.

Naturally, the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art rose to the mastery stage.

It was a result achieved by generously investing the Supreme Great Ability and absorbing the blood energy of the Rank 3 inner core.

What had changed?

Body strength, regenerative power, toughness of meridians, poison resistance, agelessness, and so on.

The blessing-like effects possessed by the existing Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art grew stronger.

Although this alone was an exceptionally joyful matter, one more unexpected harvest arrived.

‘A physical divine ability was generated.’

Was it thanks to the proficiency system, or was it a secret originally possessed by the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art?

Although he could not distinguish it precisely, an interesting ability engraved in his physical body was generated.

‘Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration.’

This divine ability was a technique that accumulated and exploded spiritual power by utilizing the five viscera, which had become spiritual organs, like the dantian.

Closing his eyes, he felt the five organs that absorbed spiritual power on their own and communicated with his dantian.

Heart, liver, kidney, lungs, spleen.

Now, Jin So-myeong was no different from having five additional small dantians.

To explain more intuitively, he became able to accumulate spiritual power by 1.3 times more than cultivators of the same rank.

Spiritual power was the source of all power. There was no need to even mention the advantages arising from having more than others.

‘This is the basic effect applied in ordinary times.’

The true power of the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration was not merely accumulating a lot of spiritual power.

The true power emerged from the side that exploded it.

Tight!

In his lightly clenched fist, an unimaginable colossal strength condensed.

According to the information learned upon awakening the divine ability, extending this fist could inflict a fatal blow even to a late Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

‘I must use it directly.’

Shaking himself off and rising, he left Filial Moon City. Flying for nearly half a day, he went to an uninhabited wild mountain.

Standing in front of that place, which was a mountain formed of piled rocks and desolate without a single animal, he assumed the horse stance.

Bending his knees to lower his center of gravity, he extended his left hand to aim forward.

Imbuing the physical strength that had reached the late Foundation Establishment level entirely, he clenched his right fist tightly and placed it at his waist.

Sssip…

The moment he concentrated on his breathing and awakened the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration engraved in his body,

the spiritual power accumulated in his heart raced through his meridians.

The somewhat weak spiritual power was amplified endlessly as it passed through the spleen, lungs, kidneys, and liver.

‘Urgh?’

His entire body felt like it was about to explode. The energy that had reached out of control in an instant tried to tear apart his physical body from the inside.

Had it not been for the physical body strengthened by the body tempering cultivation method, every meridian would have severed strand by strand, resulting in death at this very moment.

Screech!

The overflowing energy became a bizarre pressure, shattering the earth.

In a split second, up to ninety percent of the spiritual power in his true dantian also drained out.

The moment the energy, which had become incomprehensibly powerful by mixing with his blood energy, reached his fist,

he extended a straight punch unconsciously.

and there was light.

“…”

After the flash that colored the world cleared.

Jin So-myeong, who blankly stared at the rocky mountain that had vanished as if evaporating, flinched.

Spurt!

A fountain of blood burst from all over his body. This was because the cracks starting from his fist spread to his entire body.

“Keck.”

Was it a backlash against the unmanageable divine ability.

His vision fragmented at the intense pain that arrived suddenly.

It was too painful to even breathe. He could not even scream. Moving his mouth wordlessly was all he could do.

Simultaneously with the feeling as if curses were about to pour out, he was joyful.

How on earth was this power at the late Foundation Establishment stage. No matter how he looked at it, it was a Golden-Core-grade blow.

Rolling on the ground, he endured the pain for quite a while.

“Gasp… gasp…”

Jin So-myeong, who lay spread-eagled and looked up at the sky, laughed despite himself.

Because he looked forward to how powerful it would be when, someday, he succeeded in controlling the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration and combined it with Sword Qi.