WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
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◈ Cultivating Underground ◈
Chapter 35
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Yi Hyeon returned the jade slip to its place and headed toward the entrance.
“Senior Brother Im, may I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Does the Scripture Repository also have the Foundation Establishment section of 《Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art》?”
Im Do-gyeom’s brush stopped.
“The Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art?”
He thought for a moment, then took a thick catalog of inheritances from beneath the desk.
Rustle. Rustle.
After turning several pages, his hand stopped.
“It does.”
Im Do-gyeom pointed to a line in the catalog.
「《Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art》, Foundation Establishment Section.
One reading within an inheritance chamber.
40 contribution points.
Teaching it to outsiders or making copies is forbidden.」
Yi Hyeon asked, “That’s not many contribution points for a Foundation Establishment cultivation art.”
“There’s little demand. The Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art is famous for its mysteries, but how many people would use it to cultivate all the way to Foundation Establishment? Even in our sect, it’s mostly disciples from Jin-gi Peak who occasionally look for it while researching formations.”
“But the Scripture Repository isn’t a business. Is there any need to lower the price because demand is low?”
“What are you talking about? The Scripture Repository runs a very important business. If we recover the contribution points disciples have saved through books and jade slips, the sect doesn’t have to give out as many physical rewards, such as spirit stones and alchemical pills. We lower the prices of neglected inheritances to encourage more people to read them, and raise the prices of popular ones so they aren’t handed out too freely. Doesn’t Peak Lord Go often tell you to study at the Scripture Repository? Reading is a habit, too. The more often you visit, the more things you become curious about, and the more contribution points you spend.”
‘...!? Wasn’t I sent here to learn the principles of heaven and earth through different fields?’
Im Do-gyeom looked at Yi Hyeon.
“But why are you looking for the Foundation Establishment section, Junior Brother Yi?”
“I was reading 《Treatise on the Five Primordial Stages in Formations》 earlier. It mentioned using incantations from the Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art in formations, which made me curious. Master also told me to look for principles shared by alchemy and formations.”
“I see. There’s no harm in researching it.”
...
Yi Hyeon clasped his hands in farewell and left the Scripture Repository.
‘It won’t take long to earn 40 contribution points...’
* * *
Two months later.
Third-Stem Fire Court, Danjeong Peak.
A nutty aroma spread through the communal alchemy chamber.
Fwoosh!
A waist-high pill furnace stood before Yi Hyeon.
Inside, finely ground Cheonga Rice flour slowly rotated with a pale blue glow.
Cheonga Rice was a first-tier spirit rice grown in large quantities by the Jangchun Sect. Its medicinal potency was weak, but it was widely popular because disciples could eat it to satisfy their hunger without side effects, no matter which cultivation art they practiced.
The Jangchun Sect supplied some of it as food for its disciples and used the rest to make Fasting Pills.
Unlike the Fasting Pills of the mortal world, those produced by cultivation sects were classed as spirit pills. They were among the first things alchemists learned to make.
The formula was simple and the ingredients were cheap, but that did not mean they could be made carelessly.
The rice’s spiritual qi and nourishing essence had to be refined together, while the small amount of turbid qi that offered cultivators no benefit had to be removed. If the fire was too strong, the nourishing essence would burn away. If it was too weak, moisture would remain, shortening the pills’ shelf life and making them spoil easily.
Yi Hyeon’s fingers moved in a dazzling series of gestures.
Two of the six fireballs weakened.
Hummm!
The essence of the Cheonga Rice rotating inside the furnace slowly gathered in one place.
Yi Hyeon formed the final hand seal.
A moment later, small objects dropped onto the bottom of the furnace.
Pat-pat-pat.
He put out the fire and lifted the lid. A soft glow rose from within.
Warm steam followed, carrying a nutty fragrance.
Twelve pale green pills lay at the bottom.
Yi Hyeon took them out one by one, checking their color, sheen, scent, internal medicinal strength, and remaining moisture.
Three were middle grade.
Nine were low grade.
None were ruined.
“Am I getting the hang of this?”
Just then, a voice came from behind him.
“I’d say you’ve done more than get the hang of it.”
Na Gyeong-mun, Sim Yeon-ju, and Bae Gyeong-song had entered the chamber without him noticing.
“Senior Brother Na, Senior Sister Sim, Senior Brother Bae.”
Na Gyeong-mun examined the pills in front of Yi Hyeon.
“I heard you started learning to refine Fasting Pills less than two months ago.”
“That’s right.”
“And you’ve already made three middle-grade pills in one batch, without ruining a single one?”
Na Gyeong-mun marveled at them.
“Junior Brother Yi, you’re an alchemy genius!”
Sim Yeon-ju clicked her tongue.
“He makes one good batch of Fasting Pills, and you’re already calling him a genius?”
“It’s not just one batch. I checked the records. Including this one, he’s successfully produced pills nine batches in a row. Even for Fasting Pills, that’s impressive.”
Bae Gyeong-song took samples from earlier batches out of a jade bottle on one side of the table and compared them with the newly finished pills.
“There’s almost no difference in medicinal strength between batches.”
“Is that impressive?”
Bae Gyeong-song nodded at Yi Hyeon’s question.
“Your control over spiritual power is incredibly refined. Better than mine.”
Sim Yeon-ju also examined the latest batch.
“Oh? All jokes aside, these really are good. Come to think of it, you said you learned pill refining while you were an independent cultivator, didn’t you?”
“Only the basics.”
“You must have built a very solid foundation.”
‘I certainly spent a long time on the basics.’
Yi Hyeon put on a suitably embarrassed expression.
Na Gyeong-mun folded his arms.
“I’ll have to tell Master. Now that Danjeong Peak has gained such a remarkable talent, the other peaks might start plotting to steal him away.”
Sim Yeon-ju sighed.
“This is the only peak that practices alchemy. What sort of plot could there possibly be?”
“We simply haven’t discovered it yet. Think about it. How could a cultivation sect not have hidden plots? There must be another nine peaks underground... No, probably eighteen.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? How could the Jangchun Sect have peaks we don’t know about? Even our sect’s grand formation is called the Nine-Peak Rejuvenation Formation. And if they’re underground, how are they peaks?”
Yi Hyeon listened with half an ear as he divided the finished Fasting Pills among medicine bottles.
Refining Fasting Pills was one of the most common missions performed by Danjeong Peak’s disciples. The sect provided ingredients and an alchemy chamber. Once a disciple delivered at least the required number of pills, they received contribution points according to yield and quality. Wasting ingredients reduced the reward, while producing more pills of middle grade or above earned extra points.
Over the past two months, Yi Hyeon had refined several kinds of basic pills, including Fasting Pills. Once he delivered this batch, he would have 55 contribution points.
‘Time to pay another visit.’
...
The next day.
The Scripture Repository on Jangchun Peak.
“Follow me.”
Im Do-gyeom opened a door behind the desk and entered a narrow corridor.
A row of small stone chambers stood at the far end.
He inserted Yi Hyeon’s identity token into a slot beside one chamber. The formation inscriptions engraved there glowed faintly.
Humm!
“I’ll deduct 40 contribution points.”
The number on the token dropped to 15.
Im Do-gyeom removed the token from the slot and returned it to Yi Hyeon. The stone door opened.
Inside stood only a chair and a low stone platform. A gray jade slip floated above the platform, surrounded by a small restriction.
“You may only read the jade slip here. You must not record its contents or teach them to outsiders.”
“Understood.”
“When you’ve finished, hold your identity token against the formation inscription inside the chamber to open the door.”
Im Do-gyeom withdrew, and the stone door closed.
Yi Hyeon sat down and pressed the gray jade slip to his forehead.
Hummm!
Text, diagrams of the body’s meridians, and illustrations showing the circulation of spiritual power flowed into his consciousness.
The Foundation Establishment section of 《Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art》.
Yi Hyeon had already practiced the Qi Refining section for over a thousand years. As a result, the incantations in the Foundation Establishment section did not feel unfamiliar. Following the flow of spiritual power, he committed the contents to memory, one part at a time.
Half a shichen later.
Yi Hyeon put down the jade slip and reviewed everything from beginning to end several times in his mind. There were no gaps or passages he could not recall.
‘I’ve memorized it all.’
He stood up.
...
After leaving the stone chamber, Yi Hyeon did not immediately leave the Scripture Repository.
‘Since I’m here, I might as well look around a little more.’
He headed toward the section on spirit plants and medicinal ingredients.
It occurred to him that although he had read plenty of material here over the past two months, very little of it had concerned spirit plants.
Since the Jangchun Sect specialized in alchemy and spirit plants, the Scripture Repository had plenty of relevant material.
《Harvesting and Storing Root and Rhizome Spirit Plants》, 《Three Hundred Cases of Spirit Plant Incompatibility》...
Yi Hyeon scanned the titles of books and jade slips, then pulled out a volume.
《Medicinal Uses of Aquatic Spirit Plants》.
As he turned the pages, a familiar name caught his eye.
「Yinwater Lotus.
Grows in ponds with dense yin energy and an even concentration of water qi. Its flowers and leaves have medicinal properties, but the most widely used parts are the seeds inside fully ripe seed heads. Eating raw Yinwater Lotus seeds helps expel pill toxins through the breath. They are also used as supplementary ingredients in certain alchemical pills.」
‘They help expel pill toxins?’
He had been eating them as snacks without ever suspecting they had medicinal effects.
‘No wonder I felt refreshed whenever I ate them.’
He suddenly thought of the Stone-Honey Peaches.
‘If Yinwater Lotuses have a use like this, Stone-Honey Peaches might also have effects I don’t know about.’
He searched several nearby spirit fruit guides, but none mentioned the name Stone-Honey Peach.
‘Perhaps they have different names in different regions. I’ll look into it when I have time.’
...
That night.
Yi Hyeon’s residence on Danjeong Peak.
He closed the cultivation room door and lay comfortably on the floor.
Starting from the beginning, he reviewed the Foundation Establishment section of 《Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art》 that he had memorized at the Scripture Repository.
‘I see... If I’d forced a breakthrough using only the Qi Refining section, there would’ve been a lot of trial and error while my spiritual power liquefied. Mishandling the Foundation Establishment Pill’s remaining medicinal potency would’ve strained my meridians, too. I’m glad I obtained this in advance.’
Yi Hyeon felt delighted. Foundation Establishment cultivation arts were precious, and he had never expected to obtain one while still at the sixth layer of the Qi Refining stage.
He had no grand ambition to reach the very peak as a cultivator, but growing stronger brought a pleasure that was hard to describe. Cultivation had its own addictive appeal!
‘But the Grand Flight-Suppression Formation uses incantations from the Foundation Establishment section to return five-element spiritual qi to a state of primordial unity. Since I already have primordial unity true qi, couldn’t I skip the return to unity?’
It seemed possible. However, generating Earth-Origin Force required materialization after the return to unity. The formation also used earth veins, formation artifacts aligned with the five elements, and formation disks. The Foundation Establishment section alone could not tell him which incantations the formation masters had adapted, or how.
‘I’ll have to look for material on the Grand Flight-Suppression Formation later.’
Knowledge from his past life suddenly came to mind.
‘If Earth-Origin Force really is similar to gravity, could it affect space and time at its extremes?’
‘And Supreme Simplicity is the fourth of the Five Primordial Stages, isn’t it? If the Supreme Ultimate divides into the Two Modes, the Two Modes into the Four Images, and the Four Images into the Eight Trigrams, with the material nature of everything in heaven and earth expressed through the five elements... then the change imitated by Earth-Origin Force comes before all those divisions! In terms of its theoretical roots, it’s much closer to the origin.’
Of course, power related to the Five Primordial Stages themselves was far beyond anything he could dream of wielding now.
Even 《Treatise on the Five Primordial Stages in Formations》 stated that postcelestial five-element spiritual qi could not recreate Supreme Simplicity itself. Primordial unity true qi was merely refined from the postcelestial spiritual qi of heaven and earth found in the human realm.
Nor did Earth-Origin Force’s imitation of the changes of Supreme Simplicity guarantee that it was stronger than postcelestial five-element spells. Perhaps this was simply an order of emergence. A child could surpass their parents, after all.
‘I’m still only at the sixth layer of the Qi Refining stage. First, I should gather Origin-Raising Pills and reach the seventh layer, then reach the very limit of the ninth layer and obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill. I can take my time researching Earth-Origin Force.’
...
A few days later.
Songgye Cultivator Market, just over 800 li east of the Jangchun Sect.
A plump, middle-aged cultivator with a short beard crouched before a stall selling worn magical implements.
It was Yi Hyeon, his appearance altered through disguise techniques.
After leaving the Jangchun Sect, he had changed direction several times, along with his clothes and appearance. He had also lowered his apparent cultivation to the third layer of the Qi Refining stage.
Cracked shields, flying swords that had lost their owners, and old formation disks lay jumbled together on the stall.
While sorting through the implements, Yi Hyeon picked up a stone tablet about the size of his two palms together.
A silver pattern resembling the bones of a human hand was engraved on its surface.
“Is this for measuring bone age?”
The old stallholder nodded.
“That’s right.”
“Does it work properly?”
“It’s accurate for Qi Refining stage cultivators and mortals. The margin of error is a year at most.”
Yi Hyeon bought two more bone-age measuring implements from other shops, each operating differently. The three cost him 50 low-grade spirit stones in total.
...
Two days later.
Underground Hideout No. 2.
Yi Hyeon went straight to the storeroom.
He cleared part of a shelf and placed the bone-age testing implements he had bought at the market on it. Beside them, he set a small wooden board and used the Seventh-Stem Metal Art to engrave words into it.
「Three types of magical implements for testing bone-age disguise using Bone-Tempering Powder.
Record measurements according to the ingredients’ medicinal ages, dosage, and time since consumption, as well as when traces of medicinal age disappear.」
Yi Hyeon placed his hand on each of the three implements in turn.
The results were nineteen, twenty, and nineteen again.
Leaving the storeroom, he went to the Experimental Spirit Field and planted some of the spirit plants needed for first-tier Bone-Tempering Powder.
Bone-Rotting Flower was the main ingredient, and the formula required it to have the highest medicinal age. It was also likely to have the greatest influence on the traces of medicinal age left in the skeleton. He therefore planned to begin by preparing Bone-Rotting Flowers of different medicinal ages.
After tending to the Experimental Spirit Field, Yi Hyeon headed to Spirit Field No. 1-6.
Grrrk!
Cool, damp air flowed out as the stone door opened.
Broad lotus leaves spread across the pond, with drooping seed heads among them.
Yi Hyeon picked a ripe seed head and split it open. He took out one of the neatly packed seeds, peeled it, and put it in his mouth.
Crunch.
After swallowing the seed, he felt a cooling sensation in his chest, and his breathing seemed a little clearer.
“Maybe it’s because I know what it does now, but it feels even more refreshing. Should I dig another pond?”
He made a new pond, separated a few sections of young lotus rhizome from the existing one, and planted them in the new pond’s mud. Then he filled it with the Spirit Rain Spell.
...
Spirit Field No. 1-7.
Yi Hyeon selected a healthy branch from each of three Stone-Honey Peach trees and cut them off.
He cast the Germination Spell on the cut ends, wrapped them in damp cloth and soil, and planted them in three spots in the newly expanded spirit field.
If all three new Stone-Honey Peach trees took root properly, the field would have six trees in total.
‘The Yinwater Lotuses had an unexpected effect. Perhaps the Stone-Honey Peaches have something, too.’
Even if they had no special medicinal effects, they tasted good enough that it did not matter.
...
After expanding the spirit fields, Yi Hyeon inspected all the facilities in Underground Hideout No. 2.
First, he enlarged the water supply reservoir one level above the spirit fields.
He left thick stone pillars at regular intervals between the reservoir’s floor and ceiling to support the ceiling and prevent a collapse.
Inside the expanded reservoir, he built low stone walls to divide it into several sections. That way, a crack in one section would not drain all the stored water.
He also inspected the bamboo pipes leading to each spirit field and replaced those that had worn out.
Finally, he cast the Spirit Rain Spell with his vast spiritual power.
Whoooosh!
A brief downpour fell inside the reservoir. Soon, clear water containing spiritual qi filled even the newly expanded space.
Yi Hyeon checked the flow of water to each field and nodded.
“Now the automatic watering should work fine even if I leave for about two years.”
...
Yi Hyeon inspected the remaining spirit fields in turn.
The Bone-Rotting Flowers, Purple Poison Orchids, Yin Soul Grass, and Spirit-Storing Ginseng were all doing well.
When he appeared, the Fuzzbees swarmed toward him.
Bzz! Bzz-bzz-bzz! Bzz-bzz!
Squeak. Squeak-squeak-squeak. Squeak-squeak.
* * *
Before he knew it, a year had passed since Yi Hyeon joined the Jangchun Sect.
The sect remained on guard following the medicine raid at Cheongmok Ridge five years earlier. Disciples returning from outside missions had to present their identity tokens at both the outer and inner formations of the Nine-Peak Rejuvenation Formation.
Transport routes for spirit plants and alchemical pills were only revealed just before departure. Disciples entrusted with important supplies were grouped with cultivators from different peaks. Foundation Establishment elders took turns remaining on duty at Oesa Peak’s storehouses and Mission Hall.
All these procedures had become part of daily life, but the identities of those behind the raid remained unknown.
Yi Hyeon paid little attention to the raid. It was not something a nominal disciple who had joined only a year ago needed to worry about.
He only had to do his assigned work well, learn pill refining and spells, and gather the pills he needed.
During that time, Yi Hyeon had visited cultivator markets near the sect and bought seven Origin-Raising Pills. He placed them in a jade box, sealed it with a first-tier Spirit-Sealing Talisman, and stored it in his storage pouch.
‘Hmm... When will I ever buy the other forty-three? It still seems a long way off before I’m trusted enough to be taught the Origin-Raising Pill formula...’
Yi Hyeon had been slightly disappointed to learn that even Senior Brother Na Gyeong-mun, who was at the ninth layer of the Qi Refining stage, had not been taught the formula. Perhaps it was only passed on to Foundation Establishment elders.
...
Then, one day.
The lounge in Third-Stem Fire Court.
Na Gyeong-mun set a mission token on the table and grumbled.
“Damn it...”
Yi Hyeon looked up from his book.
“What’s wrong?”
“Apparently, Origin-Raising Pills aren’t selling as well as they used to.”
Na Gyeong-mun folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.
“Not long ago, a merchant group from a cultivation kingdom on another continent released a large quantity of pills used to break through to the late Qi Refining stage. That’s pushed the price of Origin-Raising Pills down a little throughout the Ram Kingdom.”
“I see.”
Na Gyeong-mun tapped the mission token.
“The problem is that it was my turn when Oesa Peak sent down a sales mission. They’ll give me a counter at the Jangchun Pill Pavilion for the mission, and I have to sell thirty Origin-Raising Pills for at least 230 low-grade spirit stones each.”
“How much time do you have?”
“Three months.”
“Isn’t that plenty?”
“I have to spend ten days every month at the Jangchun Pill Pavilion’s counter until they’re all sold. I need to refine pills and find a way to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill. Sitting in a shop just to sell Origin-Raising Pills feels like such a waste of time.”
“Senior Brother Na.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll do it.”
Na Gyeong-mun blinked.
“Do what?”
“The mission to sell the Origin-Raising Pills.”
“You will?”
“I’m quite talented at selling things.”
“I thought you were only good at alchemy. You have a talent for business, too?”
“When you spend a long time as an independent cultivator, buying and selling what you need is one of the first things you learn.”
Na Gyeong-mun’s expression brightened.
“You’ll really take it?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful!”
Na Gyeong-mun stood up and held out the mission token.
“I haven’t collected the Origin-Raising Pills from Oesa Peak yet. Go to the steward at the Mission Hall and have the mission reassigned to you. Then collect the pills and take them to the Jangchun Pill Pavilion on Oesa Peak. The shop manager will give you a sales counter. That way, you’ll receive the contribution points once the sales are complete.”
“Understood.”
“You just have to sell them all and bring back at least the required amount of spirit stones.”
“Do I also have to identify every buyer and submit their details?”
“Of course not. If we insisted on knowing their identities before selling to them, what cautious cultivator would buy anything?”
“I see.”
“You only need to record the number sold and the spirit stones received in the Jangchun Pill Pavilion’s ledger. Whether it’s an independent cultivator hiding their face or a merchant group’s agent, it doesn’t matter as long as they pay the proper price.”
Yi Hyeon accepted the mission token.
“Thank you, Junior Brother Yi. I’ll treat you to some good wine later!”
Na Gyeong-mun hurried out of the lounge.
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