Chapter 76 – Late Foundation Establishment

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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 nodded his head while looking at the blood-covered Hong Un-gwang.

‘My teaching was correct.’

He felt the worth of throwing him into the middle of the demonic beasts.

A vivid shimmer was burning on the sword of Hong Un-gwang, who was staggering as if he would collapse right away.

Through repeating the battle between life and death, his Sword Qi had become sharp.

“Hehehe… finally, my Sword Qi returned!”

Hong Un-gwang, who rejoiced like a madman, collapsed with a thud.

Picking up the fellow who had completely fainted from exhaustion, he scanned the surroundings.

About 1 km away, he saw the Red Blossom Unit looking over here with weary expressions.

Approaching them, he offered Hong Un-gwang, whom he was holding like a piece of luggage.

“Leader. Could you move this fellow to the city? Because I plan to hunt more demonic beasts before returning.”

“D-Do not worry, Senior. I will have a cultivator who learned medicine treat him.”

He glanced down.

He inspected Hong Un-gwang’s condition, and to be honest, there were no fatal wounds. He had just fainted from consuming all of his spiritual power.

“There is no need to pay that much attention. Just throwing him in some alleyway once you arrive at the city is enough. Since he is a person unrelated to me now.”

“Ah… yes. I will do as you instructed.”

Once he entrusted the piece of luggage, his shoulders became light. Immediately flying high into the sky, he scanned around Filial Moon City.

‘The place where powerful demonic Qi is felt is… over there.’

Boom boom boom!

He saw a demonic beast as large as a gorilla beating a drum with its muscular arms.

Whenever the grating drum sound spread, the movements of the surrounding demonic beasts grew faster.

It was a guy that must be disposed of with the highest priority just by looking.

Kaboom!

Casting the Lightning Escape Art, he became one with the lightning. He charged openly at the guy in the middle of the battlefield.

Although colliding head-on with the demonic beast army outside the city walls was close to a suicidal act, it did not matter.

It was because while performing this Red Blossom Unit mission, he had grasped what level his own strength had reached.

An existence that could threaten him at Rank 2 or below…

did not exist.

***

In the middle of the battlefield where tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands were mixed, there was a particularly eye-catching existence.

Jin So-myeong.

Every time he swung his sword, a wide empty space was created.

Half-moon shaped slashes scattered in all directions like spreading waves. Everything in the trajectory was cut away cleanly.

“Keep rushing in! He will soon tire!”

The late Foundation Establishment-grade demonic beast that was giving the command was split vertically.

The moment it caught Jin So-myeong’s gaze, its fate was only death.

However, the command it left behind was valid.

The demonic beasts that surrounded him in all directions rushed like crazy, and rushed again.

Ten, hundred, thousand.

Around the time the mountain-piled demonic beast corpses rose as high as a city wall,

– Grr…

even the fierce demonic beasts tucked their tails and retreated. Because they felt him as a monster they could not kill no matter what they did.

Originally, it was an impossible thing.

How exhausting would it be to fight against a multitude on a battlefield?

If it were a human, no, a living creature, it was normal to collapse from exhaustion.

However, Jin So-myeong did not tire. He maintained calm breathing from beginning to end.

It was because the body tempering cultivation method specialized in regeneration, the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art which had reached the Mastery stage, gifted him endless stamina.

Since there was even the spiritual power supplied by the Secret Realm of the Mind on top of that…

he was perfectly fine even after fighting for three days and nights.

***

Meanwhile, in the sky above Sky Island.

A three-tailed fox, a monster that seemed like a mix of an alligator and a human, an ape with golden fur, and so on.

The mighty existences called Rank 3 Demonic Kings glared at Sky Island.

The moment the Wolf Demonic King, who was dripping blood as if he had fought a battle just now, swung his claws,

Boom!

a sharp gale raged.

The cutting wind that would cleave even a mountain aimed at Sky Island, but it weakened rapidly once it got closer than a certain distance.

The typhoon-like momentum changed to a gentle breeze before they knew it and faded away.

It was because of the formation cast on Sky Island.

“Despicable human bastards! To run away inside the formation whenever they are slightly disadvantaged in a fight!”

Just as some Demonic Kings burst in anger,

the ape with golden fur spoke as if interested.

“The Reverse Polar Grand Lock Formation. Indeed, it is worthy of being called the race-protecting formation that protects humans.”

“Golden-Haired Sacred Ape. Do not just marvel, tell us the solution!”

“Humph…”

“You. Having bragged so much about learning formations, you will not say you do not know, will you?”

As the Wolf Demonic King, who wrapped cutting wind around his entire body, growled, the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape snorted.

“Who said I do not know? The Reverse Polar Grand Lock Formation is certainly great, but its output limit is clear. If fifteen Golden Cores deliver a blow simultaneously, it will collapse.”

At the clear confirmation of the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape, the Demonic Kings looked at each other. Their number was exactly twelve.

“Fifteen? If so, three are lacking.”

“Where are we to gather as many as three Demonic Kings again? Surely we do not have to bow our heads to those arrogant Sea Dragon Clan bastards?”

The Golden-Haired Sacred Ape, who had delicate expressions like a human, curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Is there a need to go out of our way to gather them? Our demonic race is strong. Once twenty years pass, those who break through their realms among the underlings will emerge.”

“Hmm.”

“Therefore, everyone, do not die fighting in vain, protect your lives well. Since the ultra-large spiritual vein is wide, it is fine to yield about a third of it to the humans.”

“To share the spiritual vein with those despicable human bastards? I would rather die! Absolutely not!”

As the Crocodile Demonic King, whose upper body and face were full of knife scars, shouted furiously, the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape let out a sigh.

“I am saying we should just pretend to yield. Or would you be satisfied only by dying one by one while rushing blindly as usual?”

“No, still…”

The opinions of the Demonic Kings split.

Existences with strong reason like the three-tailed fox fell silently into thought, but for most, their signs of reluctance from being unable to overcome their instinctive disgust were distinct.

At that moment,

their gazes looking down at the ground from the sky above Sky Island gathered gradually at one place.

It was because there was a particularly eye-catching existence on the battlefield.

“A sword cultivator with lightning techniques?”

Whenever the lightning-mixed Sword Qi shone, dozens of demonic beasts were sliced ruthlessly.

Kaboom!

Simultaneously with the thunderclaps ringing without rest, commander-class demonic beasts died without even being able to resist.

“That fellow… is dangerous.”

Merely by having a swift and sharp sword, no one could match him.

He was already a person who had shed a layer from the Rank 2 level.

Even though he was outside the city walls, he was relentless. He swept through the battlefield with a tough physical body not like a human.

“He even learned body tempering?”

“Heh. Just how much cultivation resources did they pour into that single human?”

In the places the sword cultivator passed, only lightning and bloody water were filled.

Since the demonic beasts were so many, it was to the extent of looking like stirring a gold brush on a blackened plain.

“He is a fellow we must kill immediately…”

Looking at the Demonic Kings filled with killing intent, the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape spoke mockingly.

“If that human becomes Golden Core, half of us here will die. Do you still have the leisure to hesitate?”

“…Tsk.”

***

Around the time the war where demonic beasts and humans killed and died from each other became a daily routine,

one year of time flowed before they knew it, and

Jin So-myeong reached the 7th layer of Foundation Establishment. The late stage.

【Jin So-myeong】

【Lifespan】: 30 / 210

【Realm】: 7th layer of Foundation Establishment

【Supreme Great Ability】: 14,700 / 16,000

【Divine Ability】:

【Cultivation Methods】: Omitted

【Spells】: Omitted

Reading the status window, he marvelled.

It was because as he reached the late Foundation Establishment, his Supreme Great Ability exceeded the ten-thousand unit.

‘By the way, it is fascinating.’

Really strangely, since he daily fought battles, his realm rose rapidly.

It was several times faster than when he focused only on cultivation in his cave dwelling without any disturbance.

When he closed his eyes, everything within 1 km was felt clearly.

Compared to before, his Divine Sense range expanded twofold.

By breaking through the minor realm, he became to possess a Golden Core-grade Divine Sense.

This change was quite large.

It was not merely that the distance expanded.

All abilities related to senses rose by a level.

It was to the extent that if he wanted to, he could pierce the formations installed in Rank 2 cave dwellings and find out what his neighbors were doing.

And.

As he came to possess a Golden Core-grade Divine Sense, the possibility of controlling the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration divine ability expanded greatly.

Currently, it did not seem like he would be placed in a near-death state by using the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration once.

‘Although I could not practice properly because we are in the middle of a war…’

Jin So-myeong, who nodded his head, took out a medicinal pill from his breast pocket.

It was the Steel Body Pill exchanged by gathering as many as ten Rank 2 high-grade inner cores, and the effect of this medicine was only one.

Amplifying physical ability in an instant.

Although it was useful even when eaten during battle, its true usage was elsewhere.

‘I heard that if one eats it when challenging the Golden Core stage, it increases the success probability.’

Putting the Steel Body Pill, which made him feel reassured every time he saw it, into his sub-space, Jin So-myeong fell into thought.

Now, not much was left of what was needed to reach the Golden Core stage.

Leaving aside reaching the 9th layer of Foundation Establishment since time would resolve it, if he were to list the remaining preparations, there were largely two.

White Spirit Herb and a Rank 3 spiritual vein.

For now, obtaining a Rank 3 spiritual vein was not difficult.

If Sky Island occupied the ultra-large Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein, he would be able to rent at least one cave dwelling.

If it was the merits Jin So-myeong accumulated during the war, that much was sufficiently possible.

Of course, he could also grow the Secret Realm of the Mind.

‘Although obtaining high-grade spirit stones is a headache.’

【Secret Realm of the Mind】

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

【Resource Output】: 80 mid-grade spirit stones / 1 day

【To grow to Rank 2 highest-grade or higher, high-grade spirit stones are required.】

At the notification rising in a holographic form, his mouth turned bitter.

Although more than ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones were piled in his sub-space, there was not even a single high-grade spirit stone.

He tried to obtain high-grade spirit stones, but it was not easy.

He only obtained the answer that it was absolutely not allowed because they were strategic materials consumed to maintain Sky Island’s Reverse Polar Grand Lock Formation.

What was slightly absurd was that the solution to this problem was also the same.

‘That if they occupied the Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein, they would be able to mine high-grade spirit stones…’

In the end, it meant just waiting would do.

He received a firm confirmation that once the mine operated in earnest and there was leeway in high-grade spirit stones, they would give him about twenty.

For the other required item, the White Spirit Herb, there was no suitable method at present.

Even what kind of environment this spiritual herb, called a Golden Core spiritual object, grew in had not been clarified precisely.

Since it was discovered rarely in the Demonic Roaring Sea, it was an extremely precious spiritual object of heaven and earth.

‘How should I obtain it…’

Pondering, he came out of his cave dwelling for now. Going up the city wall that felt as comfortable as home, he quietly waited.

It was because Sky Island would soon enter the area where the Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein was located.

A few days later.

Mocking his tension, Sky Island settled onto the Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein all too easily.

For Jin So-myeong, who had expected to fight a fierce war, it was baffling.

‘What is it?’

It was a good thing anyway.

The concentration of spiritual Qi rose by a level in all places inside Sky Island.

His cave dwelling, which was originally Rank 2 high-grade, was also upgraded to the Rank 2 highest-grade level. He gained a profit despite doing nothing.

‘Why are the demonic beasts staying quiet?’

Since it was too strange an affair to just be happy about, he asked Baek Yu-geon, who knew many things.

“It is fine. The demonic beasts seem to have some plan, but… the beasts who do not even know formations properly made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

“The Reverse Polar Grand Lock Formation becomes several times more powerful when combined with a spiritual vein. Whatever their intention was, since it is connected to the Rank 3 highest-grade spiritual vein, it is already too late.”

“Is that so…”

He was relieved by the confident attitude. Hearing it, it was not a wrong statement.

Just as he nodded his head, Baek Yu-geon spoke in a serious tone.

“Since the formation has stabilized, the demonic beasts will not invade for the time being either. In this gap, let us go destroy the Speech-Opening Herb colony.”

“I understand.”

Since it was what he had promised while receiving the Golden Core Insights, he did not refuse.

As Sky Island happened to enter the Demonic Roaring Sea, there was also a place to go.

‘I should look for the Spiritual Seeking Talisman on the way.’

The position where it was said the Spiritual Seeking Talisman, a talisman that found opportunities, was obtained was near here.

He looked forward to it inwardly.

It was because if he poured in a ten-thousand unit of the Supreme Great Ability into the Spiritual Seeking Talisman that found opportunities suitable for the user, it might find him a Golden Core spiritual object.