Chapter 73 – Dream-Roaming Primal Pill: A World Lacking One (2)

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Entering the Red Cloud Secret Realm, Jin So-myeong recalled his goal.

‘To obtain Foundation Establishment spiritual objects, I must go to the center of the secret realm.’

Although going there with the strength of the 3rd layer of Qi Condensation was close to a suicidal act, he braced his mind.

It was because without risking his life, achieving Foundation Establishment was impossible.

Running vigorously on his two feet, he paused.

‘…Just harvesting this for a moment first.’

He obtained numerous spiritual herbs on the way to the center.

He earned a hundred spirit stones in an instant. It was a massive fortune that would take years to gather by working as a spiritual crop master.

‘Amazing.’

He had earned a year’s income within a few hours of entering the secret realm.

For a moment, a question arose whether there was any need to go to the center, but he composed his mind.

A cultivator who could not achieve Foundation Establishment was a mayfly. Any glory and wealth were meaningless.

If someone flicked him, he would die helplessly.

Right now, he was fundamentally not a single bit different from his days as a whipped serf.

‘Phew.’

Calming his wavering mind with a deep breath, he advanced carefully while concealing his presence.

In this process, the stealth technique combining the Breath Concealing Art and martial arts was usefully used.

The outskirts of the center reached after twists and turns. He arrived at a giant ice wall.

Although he was excited, he controlled his breathing as much as possible.

He went all the way around the ice wall, and sure enough, he found a hole pierced by someone.

Although it meant he was already far too late, it did not matter.

Since this was the only way for him, who was at the 3rd layer of Qi Condensation, to enter the center.

‘Let’s go.’

As he entered the center, the rapidly soaring atmospheric temperature tormented him.

A full fortnight.

After wandering around the center without even sleeping properly…

he discovered the Foundation Establishment spiritual object, the Nourishing Jade Essence Flower.

‘Ah!’

He was lucky. There was a demonic beast guarding the spiritual object, but its condition was not good.

Grr…

Even though its eyes met Jin So-myeong’s, it did not pounce. It only glared while panting exhausted breaths.

Judging by the corpses of Qi Condensation cultivators scattered around, it seemed it had already fought several times.

‘It is an opportunity.’

It was truly a heaven-sent opportunity.

If he did not risk his life at a time like this, when would he?

Clang!

Simultaneously with drawing his sword, he kicked off the ground.

Fear of death, worry about what if a lot of demonic Qi remained in the demonic beast…

Discarding all hesitation, he pounced at the red-furred fierce tiger.

And at the end of becoming covered in blood. He obtained it.

The Foundation Establishment spiritual object!

“…Hehehe.”

Lacking blood, his head spun. A laugh came out even while staggering.

Although his flank torn by the demonic beast’s claws throbbed, he was just happy.

Just as he felt like flying with the sense of fulfillment from achieving his goal,

“Heh. You really obtained it.”

“Did I not tell you? I felt like that fellow would pull off something big someday.”

From when on earth had he followed? Heo Yang-ok revealed himself.

‘Ah?’

The back of his head tingled.

In the eyes of Heo Yang-ok and the nameless rogue cultivator, only cold killing intent and greed were filled.

Anyone could see they had not pursued him with good intentions.

‘How?’

Jin So-myeong’s gaze, which had been frozen as if broken, turned toward his wrist.

The bracelet, the dharma treasure Heo Yang-ok had given him, was visible.

“Ha.”

Everything was understood in a single moment.

The bracelet was not goodwill. It was a bait to track him in the secret realm.

Whoosh!

He immediately took it off his wrist and threw it far away.

“Tsk, tsk. Why throw it away wastefully? Even though it has a tracking function, it is a real defensive dharma treasure.”

Ignoring the ridicule, he grasped the situation first. He saw Heo Yang-ok with his hands behind his back and the rogue cultivator with a shortbow strapped to his wrist.

‘The enemies are two.’

Looking down, he saw his blood-covered body. It was a mess.

In his current state, he could not defeat even one of the two.

‘…No, even if I were fine, it would be too much.’

Just as he was standing blankly in the bleak situation, Heo Yang-ok’s voice was heard.

“Jin So-myeong. If you just hand over the Foundation Establishment spiritual object in your hand obediently, I will not kill you in consideration of our old relationship.”

“Huh? Brother, wait a moment. You are going to let that guy live?”

“Since we will leave Red Yang Market anyway, it does not matter even if that guy leaves here alive, does it?”

“Haha. Do as you wish, Brother.”

Although the guys babbled something, in fact, he could not hear well. Because he had lost too much blood, his vision was cutting out.

Within the blurry world,

the Foundation Establishment spiritual object held in his left hand and the sword held in his right hand were seen alternately.

It seemed to ask which of the two he would choose…

“Now, hand it over quickly. Uh-uh? Do not hold it too tightly! What if even a petal gets damaged! For a fellow who is nominally a spiritual crop master, you are really a mess!”

“…Heh.”

Looking at Heo Yang-ok, who was still shouting as if he were his master, it was just laughable.

“Fine. If you want it, I will give it.”

He tossed the Nourishing Jade Essence Flower. Precisely in the middle of them.

In an instant,

Heo Yang-ok and the rogue cultivator, who were looking at each other, kicked off the ground at the same time.

Reaching out toward the Foundation Establishment spiritual object, they clenched their teeth.

Boom!

Without saying who was first, they poured spells on each other.

“What are you doing now! Did we not agree to sell the spiritual object in a Golden Core-grade city and then split it half-and-half!”

“Hmph! Words even a dog would not believe. Just because I call you brother, do you think you are really my brother?”

“W-Wait. Let’s dispose of Jin So-myeong first and… Uh-uh? Watch your back!”

“Clumsy! Who would believe such a trick—”

The neck of the rogue cultivator who was pouring out a sneer flew through the air.

It was because Jin So-myeong, who approached secretly, swung his sword relentlessly.

“You!”

Just as Heo Yang-ok, who had frozen stiff, was only pointing his finger,

Jin So-myeong, who shook off the blood droplets stained on his blade, spoke.

“Take it if you want. The price is your lives.”

Although his voice was calm, his entire body, including the tip of his sword, trembled violently. It was not anything else, but simply that he lacked blood.

The world spun around and around.

Because of the terrible dizziness experienced for the first time in his life, even standing still was difficult.

“…Bluffing when you are all but dead! It turned out for the better instead. Thanks for disposing of the troublesome guy.”

Whoosh!

Simultaneously with the Fire Bullet Spell flying in as if a surprise attack and brushing past his ear,

he stepped on the Wind and Cloud Steps, the martial art someone had ignored as a mortal’s trivial skill.

“…!”

The distance to Heo Yang-ok, who glared with wide eyes in panic, narrowed rapidly.

An instant.

The opponent, who clenched his teeth, formed a hand seal.

A sharp stone spear sprouted from the ground and aimed for his heart, but he did not stop. Twisting his upper body, he avoided only the fatal injury.

A handful of flesh from his shoulder tore away.

Forcibly ignoring the sharp pain that made his head go white, he gathered all the destructive power generated by kicking off the ground.

The moment he struck down with his upper body as if cleaving him in two,

Clang!

a clash of metal hitting metal was heard.

Heo Yang-ok, who retreated in a hurry with a terrified expression, curled up the corners of his mouth.

“I knew since long ago that you wield the sword a bit, but I did not know it would be to this extent. It was good that I went out of my way to wear armor.”

Toward the guy who bragged about the armor hidden inside his dharma robe as if to break his will,

he swung his sword.

With the thought that if the armor was the problem, he just had to aim for the part where bare flesh was exposed.

Clang! Clang!

However, it was not easy.

Because as much as the opponent was not a fool, he desperately guarded his wrists or face that were not protected by the armor.

“Eek! Do you think a bastard like you can defeat me! Give up and die!”

“Hehehe.”

“Are you crazy? Why on earth—”

Heo Yang-ok’s voice cut off abruptly. At the same time, the entire world became silent.

The curiosity was brief. He soon realized the reason.

‘Did I go deaf?’

In the void without any noise other than a faint ringing,

looking at the opponent who only gaped his mouth like a goldfish, he felt a strange sensation.

‘I have to lose to such an idiot?’

That could not be.

He forgot all of the terrible pain rising from his internal organs and the dry dust that entered his mouth.

Holding the sword, he put only the enemy he had to stab into his sight.

In any case, the moment he retreated, he died. The sole path of survival was to cut through the enemy.

Jin So-myeong, who was staggering, dashed forward as if falling.

He swung his sword at Heo Yang-ok, who had pulled out even a shield at some point.

Inside the silent clash,

he mobilized all the martial arts he had learned so far.

Cloud Flow Sword Style, Mountain-Cleaving Slash, Blue Wave Sword Art, Severing Moon Slash.

Holding that which had come to him one day and become a hope, he advanced step by step.

He stabbed, sliced, and struck away.

Just how many deathlines had he crossed?

His vision dyed red from the stone spear that brushed past his forehead. The blood that flowed down along his eyebrow covered his eyes.

‘Ah.’

He could not see.

Had Heo Yang-ok retreated now, or was he capturing the opportunity and pouncing?

No.

‘What must I do now?’

While death looked down in the darkness. Leaving all kinds of thoughts behind.

He made a choice.

He just took a step forward and stabbed his sword. He contained everything he had accumulated in the tip of his blade.

Whoosh!

He sighed at the blade that advanced futilely easily.

Had it collided with armor, a repulsive force would have been felt, but was it because he stabbed empty air, there was no resistance.

At that moment,

a faint vibration began to be felt from the tip of the sword.

“Cough!”

Sound returned to the quiet world.

The blood that covered his vision cleared and the result of the choice was revealed.

Heo Yang-ok, whose heart was pierced along with the armor, muttered as if he could not believe it.

“Sword Qi! How could a bastard like you…”

The shimmer flowing along the blade.

Simultaneously with realizing the sharp energy that seemed as if it would cut through whatever blocked him,

Shatter!

the entire world broke like a shattering glass window.

***

He had dreamed a long dream.

“Ah…”

His voice was hoarse. His throat was locked, just how long had he slept.

Jin So-myeong, who was sitting blankly in the center of the cultivation room, sighed.

‘A dream? That was a dream?’

The moment he fought for his life was vivid even now.

From the faint vibration he felt while slicing the heart, to even the pain of his flank torn by the demonic beast’s claws, he remembered clearly.

Snap!

When he flicked his finger, wood Qi condensed in the empty air. It was the Wood Nourishing Art he had learned while becoming a spiritual crop master in the dream.

“…How fascinating.”

Of course, it was a spell he did not know before. But now, he could use it very proficiently.

Casting a glance, he saw the 100 mid-grade spirit stones consumed by the formation.

‘Has about ten days passed?’

Since ten pieces were consumed per day to maintain the formation, it would be roughly correct.

“Phew.”

Forcibly raising his heavy body, he strolled through the cave dwelling as if taking a walk.

As his blank mind grew gradually clearer, he realized what he had obtained through the Dream-Roaming Primal Pill.

If he were to name the greatest, it was naturally Divine Sense. The existing 300-meter range expanded greatly to 500 meters.

‘Is it at the level of the very end of Foundation Establishment?’

Even though he did not break through a minor realm, his Divine Sense became stronger.

Since it would grow stronger again when he reached the late Foundation Establishment, around that time, he would possess a Golden Core-grade Divine Sense.

‘It was worth pouring in the Supreme Great Ability.’

What else did he obtain?

Although he was a bottom-tier spiritual crop master, he had accumulated experience by going through various trials and errors.

For some reason, it felt like he could learn the Spiritual Crop Art more easily now.

Shring!

The moment he drew his sword and aimed at the empty air, the shimmer formed on the blade emitted a sharp energy.

‘…It is certain. Something has changed.’

The speed at which Sword Qi was generated was faster than usual. The sword felt familiar today of all days.

Whoosh!

Indeed. When he swung the sword lightly, a half-moon shaped slash flew and sliced the formation.

Even though he did not focus much, he succeeded in flying Sword Qi.

Fiddling with the sword here and there in his fascinated mind, he paused.

Just in case, he turned on the status window.

River and Cloud Sword Art (Mastery 1,050,000 / 3,000,000)

“…Heh.”

The proficiency had increased by close to 1,000,000 before he knew it.

Also, he just perceived it now, but his realm had also risen.

Although it had clearly not been long since he reached the 6th layer of Foundation Establishment, his spiritual power had increased by close to half before he knew it.

If he had to put it in numbers, it could be called the 6.5th layer.

The reason was clear. It was because he had fought risking his life.

Thanks to the Dream-Roaming Primal Pill whose effect was amplified by the Supreme Great Ability, he experienced a battle crossing between life and death all too easily.

Although it was chilling if he imagined what would have happened had he died there…

it was already a past matter.

‘Awesome.’

Although it was to the extent that he wanted to eat one more, the Dream-Roaming Primal Pill had a particularly powerful effect only when consumed for the first time.

He heard that when eating it a second time, one clearly perceived that they were in the middle of dreaming.

Even if he ate it again, he would not be able to have this kind of special experience.

‘A pity.’

Jin So-myeong, who smacked his lips, entered the Secret Realm of the Mind.

It was because he had become wanting to test how strong his Sword Qi had become.

Whoosh!

He went to the top of the hill and sprayed Sword Qi on the Sword Seed, and…

indeed, the fellow who did not have any reaction unless he used the Supreme Great Ability had changed.

Wuuung!

The Sword Seed resembling an almond seed vibrated minutely.

It was not violent. It was not at a delicious level, but gave the feeling of barely passing.

‘Fastidious fellow.’

Smiling lightly, Jin So-myeong gave it plenty of Sword Qi and also consumed 500 points of the Supreme Great Ability.

Shiver!

After watching the Sword Seed vibrating as if asking for more, he came out of the Secret Realm of the Mind.

The moment he came out of the cave dwelling to see if anything had happened during the ten days he was asleep,

Clang clang clang clang!

“Demonic beasts! Demonic beasts have invaded Sky Island!”

Along with the violent bell sound ringing without rest, someone’s shout struck his eardrums.