WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Cultivating Underground ◈
Chapter 70
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As the half-wrecked flying boat touched the ground, a plank barely clinging to the edge of the deck fell off.
Thud.
The sound made the Qi Refining stage disciples coming out of the cabin flinch.
“Take your time getting off.”
A Qi Refining stage cultivator from the Hyeon Kingdom approached the boat in blue enchanted robes. Other Qi Refining stage cultivators followed with stretchers.
While Mae So-gun and Jin So-yeong handed over the injured, Song Gye-myeong took out his identity token and a list of everyone aboard.
“I’m Song Gye-myeong of the Danso Sect’s Yeonha Peak. We withdrew from Cheongseok Market.”
“Cheongseok Market...”
The cultivator looked up while checking the list.
“It says Elder Dam Un-saeng was leading your group.”
“Our master stayed behind to fight the Nammyeong Twelve-Sect Alliance’s Golden Core cultivators. We don’t know where our master has been since.”
The Hyeon Kingdom cultivator pointed toward the long halls north of the clearing.
“We’ll take the injured over there. Everyone else, please check your numbers first. We’ll let you know if any of your scattered fellow disciples arrive later.”
...
The border gate was already crowded.
Inside one of the halls was a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Danso Sect’s Infirmary who had arrived earlier. The healer sat Yu Jeong-won down, cut away the clothing stuck to his shoulder, and examined the wound with spiritual sense.
“Your meridians haven’t been severed. But you must avoid forcefully channeling spiritual power through this arm for a while.”
The healer used a spell to fit the broken pieces of bone back into place. As Yu Jeong-won gritted his teeth and endured it, the healer gave him medicinal liquid made from Tier 2 Bone-Tempering Powder, then placed a hand on his shoulder.
Blue light from a wood-element healing spell seeped into the wound. The swelling quickly went down, and the torn flesh closed.
“Keep circulating your energy like this to absorb the medicinal strength. You should be able to move your arm in a few days.”
...
Even after sending the others to their temporary lodgings, Song Gye-myeong remained in the clearing for some time.
He looked up whenever he saw light in the southern sky, but only scattered flying boats or small groups of Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived.
As the night deepened, lamps began to light up around the clearing.
Then the cultivators atop the gate stood.
Three streaks of light were approaching from the south.
“It’s the elders!”
Song Gye-myeong flew forward first, followed by the Yeonha Peak disciples standing outside the hall.
Three people landed in the clearing.
Dam Un-saeng, the long-bearded elder from the Byeokra Sect, and the female Byeokra Sect cultivator who had used a bronze mirror.
The Danso Sect elder in blue robes was nowhere to be seen.
The left sleeve of Dam Un-saeng’s enchanted robe was almost entirely gone. Long, black scorch marks covered the exposed arm, and the gourd at the elder’s waist had lost some of its shine.
The other two Golden Core cultivators looked even worse.
“Master!”
As Song Gye-myeong approached, Dam Un-saeng raised a hand.
“I’m fine. What about the disciples?”
“Jeong-won injured his shoulder and is receiving treatment, but his life isn’t in danger. Most of our junior brothers and sisters from Yeonha Peak suffered only minor injuries. Among the Qi Refining stage outer sect disciples... quite a few lost their lives.”
“I see.”
A Golden Core cultivator from the Hyeon Kingdom soon appeared to guide the elders inside. Before following, Dam Un-saeng gave Song Gye-myeong a brief instruction.
“Look after the disciples. I’ll find out how things stand first.”
...
Three days later.
A Golden Core elder from the Danso Sect visited their gate.
The elder had been among those who withdrew from the main sect grounds earlier. The people and supplies carried on several flying boats had entered the Hyeon Kingdom through different gates, then split up and moved to several bases farther inside the kingdom.
The gate where Yi Hyeon’s group had arrived mainly received cultivators coming from Cheongseok Market and the western Gon Kingdom.
Most of those who had come from the Myriad Gu Sect seemed to have taken other routes.
...
That afternoon, the Yeonha Peak disciples gathered in a large room at their temporary lodgings.
Dam Un-saeng sat at the head of the room, looking healthier than before. A sealed letter bearing the main sect’s seal lay in front of their master.
“The Supreme Elders have decided on our course.”
The disciples straightened.
“One Supreme Elder has gone into recovery. The other is contacting acquaintances and looking into what we can do next. For now, they’ve concluded that rebuilding the Danso Sect’s main base elsewhere won’t be possible in the near future.”
Yu Jeong-won asked a question.
“Would moving to another country be difficult too?”
“How could we find a place for two Nascent Soul cultivators, several Golden Core elders, and countless disciples to live together? Wherever you go, spirit veins large enough for that already have owners.”
Dam Un-saeng looked down at the letter.
“They say we can’t maintain our old structure under the present circumstances.”
Song Gye-myeong asked quietly, “Then what will happen to the disciples?”
Dam Un-saeng looked up.
“Starting today, you may each find your own home and livelihood. You’re also permitted to join another sect or leave to become independent cultivators. You won’t be punished for breaking sect rules by doing so.”
The room fell silent.
One disciple’s lips moved hesitantly.
“Is the Danso Sect... disappearing?”
“The Supreme Elders and our sect’s inheritances remain. Some elders also intend to carry on its legacy elsewhere.”
Dam Un-saeng paused.
“However, the main sect will no longer be able to provide you with lodgings or cultivation resources. Regular missions will end, along with the contribution points given in return. Some of the supplies managed by the peaks and courts will be sorted out and divided up. The inheritances will also be entrusted to those who will carry them on.”
Ak Mu-gu clenched and unclenched his hands on his knees.
“If the main sect is rebuilt later, will we return?”
“Well... I don’t know when that might happen. Even I don’t know where the Supreme Elders or the sect master will go, or what they’ll do.”
Dam Un-saeng looked around at the disciples.
“Even if the day comes when the Danso Sect is rebuilt, no one who has already settled into another sect will be forced to return.”
Yi Hyeon touched the identity token at his waist.
‘I didn’t expect it to end like this.’
He had thought he would leave the Danso Sect first. Instead, the Danso Sect had collapsed before he could.
Dam Un-saeng also explained the conditions they had to observe in the Hyeon Kingdom.
They were forbidden from seizing the spirit veins of existing sects and families by force. They could negotiate with owners to buy or rent spirit veins, but establishing a new sect base required a separate agreement with the power governing that region.
...
Within days of the announcement, far more people began visiting their temporary lodgings.
They had come to recruit talented cultivators.
Foundation Establishment stewards from the Cheongun Sect and the Geumjeong Sect asked about the disciples’ spiritual roots and ages.
Those with single spiritual roots would be accepted directly as inner sect disciples if their ages and cultivation realms met the requirements. Those with dual spiritual roots, or mutated spiritual roots with few elements, could also receive favorable treatment if they met the same conditions.
The cultivator from the Taehyeon Sect asked more questions about their practical skills.
After checking what pills they could refine, what level of formations they could repair alone, and whether they had experience growing spirit plants, the recruiter immediately invited several cultivators for interviews.
Every Golden Core elder was an outstanding cultivator, so they seemed to be receiving good offers from several sects. However, Yi Hyeon and the other disciples knew nothing about the details being negotiated.
...
Yi Hyeon received an offer too.
The Taehyeon Sect asked whether he was interested in taking charge of spirit plants and alchemy work. However, because he had triple spiritual roots and was old, he would have to work as a Foundation Establishment steward in the outer sect.
Yi Hyeon read the terms.
“I’d like some time to think about it.”
The recruiter didn’t seem particularly disappointed.
“There are so many alchemists from the Danso Sect that the position may be filled soon. Are you sure you want to wait?”
“Yes.”
After the recruiter left, Ak Mu-gu looked at the document Yi Hyeon had received.
“Tsk... No one recognizes your true worth. Fools.”
“Haha. I really don’t mind.”
...
The disciples began to lean in different directions.
One young disciple with dual spiritual roots kept checking the terms offered by the Cheongun Sect.
A fellow disciple nearby asked, “Are you really thinking of joining?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Couldn’t we settle somewhere together?”
“Where?”
“Well...”
Each disciple had different circumstances.
Some had to search for family members who had lived in the Gon Kingdom. Others intended to seek shelter with cultivation families they hadn’t contacted in years. Some disciples planned to return to life as independent cultivators.
...
Five days later.
Dam Un-saeng gathered the disciples.
“I’ve decided to take a position as a guest elder in the Taehyeon Sect. There may be opportunities to conduct research with their alchemists. They seem to have quite a few medicinal ingredients and pill formulas I’ve never worked with.”
For the first time in a while, their master’s voice sounded full of energy.
“If any of you wish to join the Taehyeon Sect, tell me. I’ll look into positions for you. However, it’ll be difficult for us all to live on one peak as we did before. You’ll be assigned to different places according to your skills and cultivation realms.”
Dam Un-saeng slowly looked around at the disciples.
“I’m sorry I can’t look after all of you. I’m your master, but I’m also a cultivator who still dreams of advancing on the path to immortality. There’s still much I want to try in my cultivation. This battle also made me painfully aware of my shortcomings. I’m not in a position to spend my time somewhere without a Tier 3 spirit vein.”
Dam Un-saeng was not particularly old among the Golden Core elders and could still dream of reaching Nascent Soul.
Song Gye-myeong was the first to cup his hands.
“Congratulations, Master.”
The other disciples offered their respects in turn.
Several Yeonha Peak disciples, including Jin So-yeong with her dual spiritual roots, were already considering offers from the Taehyeon Sect.
A few days later, those who had received favorable terms decided to follow Dam Un-saeng there along with Jin So-yeong.
* * *
Half a month later.
Heukmu Market, in the southwestern Hyeon Kingdom.
It had once been a quiet place, but now its streets were packed with cultivators who had come from the south.
People wearing the enchanted robes of the Danso Sect and Byeokra Sect were common. Spirit insect pouches still bearing the Myriad Gu Sect’s mark could also be spotted now and then.
Goods hastily put up for sale were piled along the streets.
There were old pill furnaces, damaged formation disks, and broken magical implements, but most of the goods were spoils taken from Nammyeong Twelve-Sect Alliance cultivators.
Lines formed outside the pill shops deeper inside the market. Meanwhile, a cultivator selling magical implements at a stall couldn’t attract a customer.
“Wait, aren’t you interested in this flying sword?”
“Who would pay that price now? Ownerless magical implements are lying around everywhere.”
Elsewhere, two cultivators were arguing over a price, but they quickly stopped when a market patrol appeared.
Rumors said bandit cultivators had been prowling outside the market for days.
Yi Hyeon passed through the crowd and entered a medicinal herb shop.
Song Gye-myeong, Bang Je-un, Ak Mu-gu, and Mae So-gun were sitting inside.
Across the table from them, the herb merchant spread out a map.
“This is the Seo Kingdom.”
A broad stretch of land was marked west of the Hyeon Kingdom. Farther west, forests and mountain ranges seemed to cover almost the entire map.
「Vast Verdant Forest Sea (蒼茫樹海)」
“Doesn’t the Seo Kingdom have a sect with Nascent Soul cultivators?”
At Song Gye-myeong’s question, the herb merchant nodded.
“There’s a great sect called Jewel Light Temple (寶光寺). It’s the largest power in the Seo Kingdom. However, unlike the Hyeon Kingdom’s three great sects, it doesn’t often interfere in the affairs of smaller sects.”
“Do you mean we can claim a spirit vein and establish a sect base?”
“As long as you don’t take a place that already has an owner. There are quite a few undeveloped Tier 2 spirit veins along the eastern frontier of the Vast Verdant Forest Sea.”
The merchant pointed to small dots on the map.
“These are all sects or families established by Foundation Establishment cultivators. In some places, a few people joined forces to settle down. Others moved here from different countries.”
Ak Mu-gu folded his arms.
“If it’s such a good place, why are there still unclaimed spirit veins?”
The merchant smiled.
“Demonic beasts often come down from the forest. Obtaining a spirit vein and making a living there are two different things.”
“How strong are the demonic beasts?”
“On the frontier, they’re mostly Tier 2 or below. If a Tier 3 beast appears, the monks of Jewel Light Temple take action. That’s why few stay around for long.”
Mae So-gun asked, “If we report one to Jewel Light Temple, will they come right away to kill it?”
“I can’t promise that. The monks aren’t waiting in the sky for you to call. That’s why even small sects try to prepare defensive formations and places to take shelter.”
The herb merchant pushed the map a little closer.
“Some of my herb suppliers are around here. If you wish, I can introduce you so you can visit and ask about the local conditions first.”
...
After leaving the herb shop, the group settled into a teahouse on the outskirts and spread out the map again.
Yi Hyeon asked, “Are you really planning to go there?”
“We haven’t decided yet.”
Song Gye-myeong looked at the western part of the map.
“But it might not be a bad idea to establish a small sect base where we can spend our later years together.”
Bang Je-un put down his teacup.
“A merchant company in the Hyeon Kingdom offered me a position. The terms weren’t bad. But if I joined, I’d spend the rest of my life managing someone else’s herbs and pill furnaces. It didn’t particularly appeal to me.”
“Would joining a sect be any different?” Ak Mu-gu asked. “Who’s going to offer good treatment to people with middling talent like ours?”
Mae So-gun looked at him.
“You don’t need to put yourself down so much.”
“That’s true. Still, I’m tired of working under someone else.”
Song Gye-myeong continued.
“We should be able to earn spirit stones through alchemy. We don’t need a large herb garden from the start. We could find a small spirit vein, build cave abodes and an alchemy chamber, then trade with a nearby cultivator market.”
“We’ll need a defensive formation too.”
“Of course. It would be good to have artifact refiners and formation masters come with us. I’ve seen quite a few fellow disciples from other peaks who have nowhere to go. I intend to ask if they’re interested.”
Yi Hyeon studied the map.
A small sect base where Foundation Establishment cultivators would live together on a Tier 2 spirit vein.
They seemed to be planning to build a small force of their own.
Most of the cultivators who hadn’t received good recruitment offers from the Hyeon Kingdom’s great sects were disciples who had joined the sect long ago.
Their cultivation realms were low for their talent and age, leaving them little hope of breaking through to Golden Core. Even if they had useful skills, they were treated as workers to be put to immediate use rather than people worth nurturing.
For former inner sect disciples of the Danso Sect, that was quite a blow to their pride.
Song Gye-myeong turned to Yi Hyeon.
“What do you intend to do, Junior Brother Yi?”
“I was planning to live as an independent cultivator.”
“I thought you might.”
Song Gye-myeong looked disappointed.
Yi Hyeon looked at the others.
‘Hmm... Can I really let them go like this?’
To him, these naive fellow disciples looked like ducklings rushing toward the water to swim.
They had spent most of their lives under the sect’s protection. He wasn’t sure how well they would adapt to settling in an unfamiliar land without anyone backing them.
‘This doesn’t sit right with me...’
Yi Hyeon put down his teacup.
“I’ll come with you for now.”
“Really?”
Ak Mu-gu raised his head.
“Yes. I’ll stay with you for a while, just until you’ve settled in. After that, I intend to leave and attend to my own affairs.”
Song Gye-myeong looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
“Even that much would be a great help.”
“With our fearsome Junior Brother Yi along, Tier 2 demonic beasts won’t stand a chance.”
Ak Mu-gu laughed, and Mae So-gun immediately replied.
“Senior Brother, you should learn how to hunt demonic beasts before Junior Brother Yi leaves.”
“Did I say I wouldn’t? I was thinking exactly the same thing.”
Yi Hyeon scratched his head.
‘I should only need to look after them for a little while.’
He thought of Underground Hideout No. 3 and the route they had traveled.
Although he had entered the Hyeon Kingdom, he was actually closer to Underground Hideout No. 3 than he had been at the Danso Sect’s main base.
Traveling to the Vast Verdant Forest Sea west of the Seo Kingdom would take him farther away again, but there was still plenty of water in the tank.
Even after subtracting the half year spent in Cheongseok Market and the time since their withdrawal, his calculations said it would last at least another two years.
‘It’s not as if I have to stay with their sect the whole time. If settling in looks like it’ll take a while, I can make a few trips back to Underground Hideout No. 3 in the meantime...’
...
On their tenth day in Heukmu Market.
Nearly everyone who intended to leave had decided on a destination.
Among those going to the Seo Kingdom with Song Gye-myeong were Foundation Establishment cultivators from other peaks. Two cultivators skilled in formations, two artifact refiners, one talisman crafter, and one sword cultivator from the Dharma Protection Court joined them. Around eighty Qi Refining stage disciples who had asked to be taken along would also come.
...
The next morning.
A flying boat hovered over a clearing outside Heukmu Market.
It wasn’t the boat they had ridden from Cheongseok Market. Repairing that one would have cost too much, so they had stripped out and sold its usable equipment.
Their new boat was smaller and older, but it could carry over a hundred people, and its restrictions were intact.
As the boat slowly rose, Ak Mu-gu shook the railing to test it.
“This should do.”
Song Gye-myeong turned his gaze ahead.
“We’re heading west.”
The flying boat gathered speed beneath the clouds.
* * *
Half a month later.
After traveling 100,000 li west from the southwestern Hyeon Kingdom, their flying boat entered the western Seo Kingdom.
The Seo Kingdom had broad plains and cities.
Small temples stood here and there on low hills beside the roads. Some were places where mortals burned incense. Others had spiritual light flowing above their gates.
But the farther west they went, the fewer homes they saw.
The forests between the cultivated fields grew larger. At some point, the peaks and valleys began to disappear beneath a thick blanket of green.
The distant mountain ranges vanished into clouds and mist, with no end in sight.
It was the Vast Verdant Forest Sea.
...
At a cultivator market east of the forest sea.
Two monks in yellow enchanted robes stood atop the walls. A large stone tablet beside the gate listed the prohibitions that applied in the region.
Yi Hyeon got off the flying boat and stood before it.
「Do not trespass on the grounds of other sects or families.
Do not enter the restricted areas designated by Jewel Light Temple without permission.
Upon securing a new spirit vein, report its location to a nearby outpost so that territorial boundaries do not overlap.」
Below that were rules concerning demonic beasts.
「Report any demonic beast of Tier 3 or above to Jewel Light Temple.
Do not take eggs or young without good cause.
Do not poison or burn forests to wipe out groups of demonic beasts.
Avoid killing unless necessary to protect your homes and spirit fields.」
Ak Mu-gu tilted his head after reading the last line.
“Why are they telling us not to kill?”
An independent cultivator passing by in gray robes smiled.
“Be careful. If you tear up their nests too, the monks will come looking for you.”
“Are you saying we can’t fight even to defend a spirit vein?”
“You can kill them then. What else can you do if you can’t drive away a beast that harms people? They just mean you should drive it away if you can.”
The cultivator added, “The monks will welcome news of Tier 3 demonic beasts. Especially ones likely to have formed demonic cores.”
...
Before choosing a spirit vein to settle on, the group visited a merchant company in the market to gather information.
Dried medicinal herbs and demonic beast shells were piled in the back courtyard.
Upon hearing that they were from the Danso Sect, the owner immediately guided Song Gye-myeong and several others into an inner room.
After Song Gye-myeong and Bang Je-un discussed spirit veins and the herb trade, Ak Mu-gu asked about what they had just heard.
“Why does Jewel Light Temple actively hunt Tier 3 demonic beasts? Are they really trying to save all living beings out of Buddhist compassion?”
The owner filled their teacups.
“It’s because of the demonic cores. They’re said to have a special method for making Gold-Condensing Pills with Tier 3 demonic cores.”
Bang Je-un’s hand stopped.
“Gold-Condensing Pills?! You mean the pills needed to break through to Golden Core?”
“Yes. But I don’t know the actual formula.”
Song Gye-myeong spoke.
“Then Jewel Light Temple must have many Golden Core cultivators.”
“It does. Not a single sect in the Seo Kingdom tries to challenge its power.”
The owner pointed toward the shells piled outside.
“When the monks bring back demonic beasts, they take the cores and useful materials first. The rest goes to merchant companies like ours.”
Ak Mu-gu gave a slightly incredulous laugh.
“So they use demonic cores to refine pills themselves, but tell us to avoid killing?”
“Haha. If you kill all the little ones, there’ll be fewer left to form demonic cores later.”
The owner answered quite calmly.
“That’s why they particularly dislike people taking eggs and young. Hunting itself is forbidden in certain areas deeper inside the forest sea.”
Mae So-gun put down her teacup.
“Then...”
“Well... It’s best to watch what you say in front of the monks.”
The owner smiled.
“Some of them genuinely dislike needless killing. Jewel Light Temple is so large that it has all sorts of people.”
...
Bang Je-un still seemed preoccupied with the Gold-Condensing Pills.
“If they have such a method, wouldn’t cultivators from other countries come to buy Gold-Condensing Pills too?”
“Many do. However, people say there’s a problem with those pills.”
“What kind of problem?”
The owner lowered their voice a little.
“They say cultivators who form their cores with those pills have difficulty reaching Nascent Soul. Exactly what goes wrong isn’t known outside the temple.”
“Do you mean they damage the cultivation foundation?”
“Some say that. Others say there’s another reason. I don’t know. I’d rather not pretend to know and upset the monks who come here to buy things, so I only tell customers what I’ve heard.”
Yi Hyeon listened while drinking his tea.
Gold-Condensing Pills.
For a moment, he remembered Senior Brother Do Mun-gyeom sharing drinks with his fellow disciples after receiving one.
Even the Danso Sect couldn’t refine those pills easily.
‘Can demonic cores replace the principal ingredients? Wait. If I got that formula... I wouldn’t have to spend all those years growing the principal ingredients for Gold-Condensing Pills in Underground Hideout No. 3. If I hunted enough Tier 3 demonic beasts to make fifty or more pills, couldn’t I break through to Golden Core throughout my body?’
Yi Hyeon was tempted for a moment, but the claim that forming a core with Jewel Light Temple’s pills made it difficult to advance to Nascent Soul bothered him.
Besides, only his lower dantian was at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment. The rest of his body was still only at the ninth layer of the Qi Refining stage. He had much to learn and train first, so there was no need to rush into investigating it now.
The owner continued.
“Even so, many people want them. Never mind Nascent Soul, how many cultivators have no way to form a core at all? Golden Core cultivators live for over five hundred years, and Nascent Soul is a legendary realm they can’t hope to reach in the first place... To most cultivators, Jewel Light Temple’s Gold-Condensing Pills are just as precious as ordinary ones.”
Song Gye-myeong nodded.
The owner set down the teapot and took out a map.
“Anyway, you said you were looking for a place to live. Let me show you the places that have recently become available for settlement.”
...
Song Gye-myeong and the owner spoke for a long time.
In short, two months earlier, monks from Jewel Light Temple had killed a Tier 3 demonic beast that had settled nearby. Independent cultivators had then explored the surrounding area and discovered new Tier 2 spirit veins.
The group paid the merchant company spirit stones for the information and decided to send a few Foundation Establishment cultivators ahead to inspect the area.
...
Four days later.
Yi Hyeon sat on the edge of a cliff, looking down into a valley with a stream running through it.
His fellow disciples were busy inspecting possible sites for their new home, but Yi Hyeon merely wandered around as though none of it concerned him.
In fact, he intended to leave soon, and the others were grateful simply to have him along. They didn’t trouble him by asking for his advice on establishing their new sect base.
Yi Hyeon planned to protect them if any Tier 2 demonic beasts appeared. But now that they were here, there were no demonic beasts in sight nearby.
It felt strange to be the only one relaxing while everyone else was busy.
Yi Hyeon took a map of the Seo Kingdom from his storage pouch.
As he examined the place names in the area, his hand stopped at one spot. It was a name he had heard somewhere before.
‘Hmm? This place...’
He had seen it recently in a report submitted by members of the Two Heavens Society.
He had ordered them to expand north about fifty years earlier. Since then, the Two Heavens Society had established more bases in the Hyeon Kingdom, and some members had followed the western trade routes into the Seo Kingdom as well.
Yi Hyeon pointed in turn to the market where the Two Heavens Society had a base and the valley where he now sat.
They weren’t very far apart.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve never met the members around here in person. I should hold a meeting here before returning to Underground Hideout No. 3.’
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