WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations

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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈

Chapter 13: Uh Dobaek

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Strictly speaking, when Jegyeong first came to the Forget-Me Garden, he had only lingered at the entrance before leaving.

He had been invited by chance and met only the kind guide, Yu Jeonggyeom. He had heard all sorts of things, but in the end, they had been nothing more than words.

That was why, now that he had finally entered the Forget-Me Garden on his own merits, Jegyeong could only stare blankly at the sight before him.

A Small World, a world unto itself.

He had not thought much of the term when he first heard it, but seeing it for himself, he finally understood what it meant.

An endless blue sky stretched above an equally boundless land. Countless mountains rose so high they seemed to touch the heavens, while an immense river flowed even higher overhead.

A river flowing through the sky?

After adapting to his second life, Jegyeong had thought he could no longer be surprised by anything. Even so, this sight was profoundly shocking.

“Ten years from today, I shall give a Lecture on the Dao in Vast Leisure Forest. Any Fellow Daoist who is interested may come.”

As Jegyeong stood there, absorbed in the view, a voice suddenly rang out as though it had shaken the entire world.

He had no idea where it came from, but that one sentence seized all his attention. There was no deliberate pressure behind it, yet his mind trembled uncontrollably the moment he heard it.

‘A powerful being.’

The owner of the voice had not even identified themself, but Jegyeong was certain they possessed strength beyond anything he could imagine.

They had spoken only a single sentence, yet a vast, gentle wind stirred the clear sky. It was as though the entire world had turned its attention toward them.

“Who was that?”

“Vast Leisure Forest? Then it must have been Senior Floating Cloud.”

“A Lecture on the Dao! But ten years from now?”

“We are not the same. To a Great Power like Senior Floating Cloud, ten years are no different from ten days.”

Pillars of light suddenly shot up from every direction.

No, upon closer inspection, they were not pillars of light. They were clusters of light rising swiftly into the air.

Even the nearest was at least several dozen kilometers away, yet Jegyeong barely managed to recognize them as Spirit Bodies.

‘As I thought, I still can’t make them out.’

Within the Forget-Me Garden, all cultivators could exist only as Spirit Bodies.

A Spirit Body was, as the name suggested, a cultivator’s mind given form. Its appearance reflected how the cultivator perceived themself. That was why Yu Jeonggyeom had known at once that Jegyeong’s true body was a snake. Since Jegyeong perceived himself as a snake, his Spirit Body had taken that form as well.

However, discerning another person’s Spirit Body was not as easy as it sounded.

The Spirit Bodies of cultivators with higher cultivation appeared to weaker cultivators as nothing more than clusters of light. If the gap in cultivation was too great, even attempting to examine one could cause one’s own Spirit Body to waver or collapse.

Conversely, cultivators with higher cultivation could easily examine the Spirit Bodies of those below them. Even then, though, they could only gain a vague impression. It was not easy to scrutinize every detail as though stripping someone naked.

Jegyeong had some doubts about that part.

Yu Jeonggyeom had added it as if to reassure him. Jegyeong had no idea how much Yu Jeonggyeom had discerned about him.

‘At the time, I was only a snake whose Spirit Awareness had opened by chance.’

Back then, Yu Jeonggyeom had asked in a tone that suggested uncertainty, as though they merely suspected Jegyeong was a snake. Looking back on it now, that had probably been a considerate lie.

‘Every one of them is beyond anything I can measure.’

Dozens of clusters of light had appeared, but Jegyeong could not look directly at a single one.

After only a few seconds, he felt so uneasy that he wanted to flee. The feeling was similar to, yet different from, what he had felt from the two Demon Birds before. Perhaps it was because this was a world where only spirits existed, not physical bodies.

If he encountered them in the Azure Basket Realm...

‘Terrifying.’

He knew they were not enemies, yet his unease remained. Was this how an ant felt when looking at an elephant? Jegyeong could not think of them as people like himself.

No matter how hard he tried not to dwell on it, he instinctively shrank back. This was the pressure of cultivation realms.

Reminding himself that they were not enemies and would not harm him, Jegyeong slowly rose into the air.

He could fly within the Forget-Me Garden.

Naturally, it was because he existed here as a Spirit Body. No one had taught him, but he instinctively understood how.

“Hmm?”

When Jegyeong rose high enough, the nearest cluster of light reacted.

“Your presence feels unfamiliar. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before. Are you a cultivator of the Demon Race?”

“Yes.”

When Jegyeong answered calmly, the other approached at an unhurried pace.

As the distance closed, Jegyeong was finally able to examine them. He still felt uneasy, but it was bearable. Their cultivation was higher than his, but the gap did not seem so great that he could not even look at them.

“A cultivator of the Demon Race. That’s rare. And besides...”

The other trailed off, then quietly exclaimed in admiration.

“Forgive my rudeness upon our first meeting. I am Uh Dobaek.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Senior. My name is Jegyeong.”

Jegyeong guessed that Uh Dobaek was at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage. In terms of Demon Beasts, they had reached the realm of a Great Demon Beast.

‘Not the late stage. Probably early or middle Foundation Establishment.’

Human Race cultivators, who enjoyed dividing everything into precise categories, had classified their cultivation system into numerous stages.

Major realms such as the Qi Refining Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, and Golden Core Stage naturally had to be distinguished, but they had also divided each realm into three further stages.

The Foundation Establishment Stage, for example, was divided into early, middle, and late stages.

According to their classification, an accomplished cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment Stage had effectively reached the threshold of the Golden Core Stage. Given the right opportunity, they could Form a Golden Core at any time.

Naturally, such people could not be compared to those still at the early or middle Foundation Establishment Stage, even if they technically shared the same realm.

If Uh Dobaek had been a cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment Stage, Jegyeong would have needed to expend considerable mental strength simply to exchange a few words with them.

Since he felt no such strain, he judged them to be a cultivator at the early or middle Foundation Establishment Stage.

Could Uh Dobaek be deliberately suppressing their Aura?

Jegyeong recalled meeting Yu Jeonggyeom. Looking back, Yu Jeonggyeom’s Spirit Body had been as stable as a fierce blaze contained behind an invisible glass wall. That was probably what it felt like when someone deliberately restrained their Aura.

He felt nothing of the sort from Uh Dobaek. They were not flaunting their Aura, but neither were they forcibly suppressing it.

“That name?”

“It was my name in my previous life.”

“As I thought.”

Uh Dobaek did not hide their surprise.

They spoke with Jegyeong for a while with clear interest and learned that this was practically Jegyeong’s first real visit to the Forget-Me Garden.

“Forgive me, but your cultivation does not seem very high. Could it be...?”

“It is embarrassing to admit, but I have not yet become a Great Demon Beast.”

A Great Demon Beast was the second realm of a Demon Beast, corresponding to the Human Race’s Foundation Establishment Stage.

Jegyeong had only just become a Demon Beast, but he spoke as though he had simply not reached the Great Demon Beast realm yet. It was a bluff meant to keep him from appearing too weak, since he believed Uh Dobaek could not see through him.

He knew disputes were forbidden in the Forget-Me Garden, but he still could not entirely let down his guard.

“Even so, you are here now. You are a remarkably talented junior.”

“You praise me too highly.”

“Oh?”

A quiet note of admiration followed, along with the sense that Uh Dobaek was observing him.

“You said you received guidance before. May I ask which senior guided you?”

“Senior Yu Jeonggyeom led me here.”

“Hmm... I see.”

“Do you know each other?”

“Well, I know that senior, but that senior likely does not know me.”

It seemed Yu Jeonggyeom was fairly well known even within the Forget-Me Garden.

“Then Senior Yu Jeonggyeom must have told you everything about this place.”

“No. I had to return because of an urgent matter, so I did not hear everything.”

“What a shame.”

“I would be grateful if Senior would offer this junior some guidance.”

“Hmm. There is hardly anything to teach. Before long, you will naturally learn most of it yourself.”

Though Uh Dobaek said that, they began explaining as though they had been waiting for the chance.

“You know that the Forget-Me Garden is an independent Small World. But do you know the origin of this Small World as well?”

“Not in detail.”

“A senior created this place in the distant past. I cannot even imagine what kind of Divine ability could create an entire world.”

Jegyeong completely agreed.

Creating a world? Not as a metaphor, but literally creating heaven and earth?

What kind of being could accomplish such a thing?

“And that senior?”

“I do not know either. As I said, it was in the distant past. At least tens of thousands of years ago.”

“Tens of thousands of years...”

Yu Jeonggyeom had already told him this, but hearing it again still left him overwhelmed.

At least tens of thousands of years? In his previous world, the entire history of human civilization did not even reach ten thousand years.

Yet this place had existed for at least tens of thousands of years? How long might it have existed if that was only the minimum?

It sounded impossible, but in this world, it was entirely possible.

Human Race cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage were said to have a maximum lifespan of roughly one hundred and twenty years.

That was only an average. Those at the late Qi Refining Stage could live several decades longer.

Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, one’s lifespan was at least three hundred years. From that point on, though, maximum lifespan was said to have little meaning.

Once one reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was rare to die of old age. Most died in unexpected accidents or after attempting and failing to reach a higher realm. Almost no one accepted the end of their lifespan and died naturally.

Jegyeong did not know about the Golden Core Stage or higher because Yu Jeonggyeom had not told him.

Thinking about it now, perhaps Yu Jeonggyeom did not know either. Or perhaps they thought there was no point in discussing such things.

In any case, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage lived at least three hundred years. Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage likely lived at least twice as long.

Comparing it to his previous world was meaningless, but if he had to, a single person’s lifespan would exceed that of an entire nation.

‘Honestly, at that point, it’s hard to call them human.’

Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage were already like this. What about cultivators at the Golden Core Stage, and those beyond them?

What about someone whose cultivation allowed them to create an entire world?

Then a lifespan of at least tens of thousands of years was no longer a joke.

Besides, this was based on the Human Race, whose lifespan was among the shortest of the cultivation races in the Azure Basket Realm.

Among the races known for their longevity were beings whose individual lives could be called the history of the Cultivation World itself.

Of course, such monsters were beings of legend. Yet Yu Jeonggyeom had said that most legends in this world were history, not fiction.

Well, he had strayed from the topic. Speaking of lifespans, Jegyeong had something to look forward to as well.

He was a snake, and now he was a Demon Beast.

He was probably a Demon Beast with no lineage to speak of, but he was still a Demon Beast. Demon Beasts generally lived long lives, far longer than Human Race cultivators of the same realm.

‘A long life means many opportunities.’

He had not wanted this second life, but now that he had it, Jegyeong did not want to waste it.

Besides, this world held opportunities. They were far greater and more precious than anything he could have dreamed of in his previous life.

In that world, king or slave, rich or poor, everyone was only human. They lived their limited time of less than a century, then became dust.

The Azure Basket Realm was different.

One could break every shackle and reach greater heights. Even the limit of one’s lifespan, death itself, was no exception.

Yu Jeonggyeom had said that when a cultivator’s cultivation reached its peak, they could pass through the Heavenly Gate and undergo Ascension, gaining true eternal life.

It sounded like a legend, but as mentioned repeatedly, legends in this world were history, not fiction.

Yu Jeonggyeom said there had truly been a cultivator who underwent Ascension six or seven thousand years ago.

Honestly, Jegyeong had some doubts about whether history had been distorted, but Yu Jeonggyeom did not seem like the sort of person who would lie about something like that. For now, Jegyeong intended to believe them.

Whether the legend of Ascension was fiction or history did not really matter to him.

Dreams gave motivation, but fantasies numbed one’s sense of reality.

Jegyeong had only just become a Demon Beast. By Human Race standards, he was a cultivator who had only just entered the Qi Refining Stage.

He had only reached the starting line. Was it not absurd to try to look at the finish line ninety thousand li away?

Still, if a day came when he had the chance to dream such a dream, Jegyeong would not refuse it.

* * *

“The Forget-Me Garden’s greatest function is exchange. Yet that exchange means something different from what those outside believe.”

Uh Dobaek spoke, their amusement fading.

“They think we gather here in secret for some purpose. They are not entirely wrong. It is simply that our purpose is not as sinister as they imagine.”

All who could enter the Forget-Me Garden were those who could not forget their previous lives.

What could they not forget?

Their past lives.

They had failed to forget what they should have forgotten upon beginning a new life, so from birth, they were not normal.

In cultivation, such abnormalities could cause many problems.

Therefore, they had to choose.

Discard it, or accept it.

Yet choosing to discard it was the same as giving up on moving forward.

It was like someone born with six fingers cutting one off to become “normal.”

Even if they became “normal” that way, only the outer shell would be normal. Something within them would already be flawed.

It would not matter if they lived and died as ordinary people, mere mortals.

But to a cultivator walking the path of cultivation, even the smallest flaw was fatal.

It might be fine at lower realms.

Yet the higher one climbed, the more that flaw would grow like a rolling snowball until it brought ruin.

Those who looked to the distant future had no choice but to overcome it. The Forget-Me Garden existed for that very purpose.

Here, they did not have to be outsiders.

Here, they could meet their own kind and interact with them. They could recognize that they were not uniquely strange and allow their past and present lives to coexist.

Every cultivator here became an anchor and a support for the others. That was why they saw each other as kin and did not act with hostility.

Considering that cultivators’ gazes would first go to one another’s Storage bags whenever their eyes met, and that, when faced with a treasure, they could momentarily forget even blood ties depending on its value, it was easy to see how remarkable that was.

“I may have exaggerated a little, but you will understand someday. Having people you can interact with at ease is a great blessing. Besides, you can sometimes receive teachings from Great Powers here. You heard that voice earlier, did you not?”

“Yes.”

“Senior Floating Cloud has been stuck at the late Golden Core Stage bottleneck for more than a century. It seems Senior Floating Cloud has decided to break through this time. To leave no path of retreat, Senior Floating Cloud is likely bestowing one last Good karmic bond.”

Die, or break through.

“We cultivators often say we fight against heaven, but how many can truly do that? We, especially those who have already died once, know well how frightening death is.”

Was there not a saying that ignorance made one brave?

Saying one was prepared for death, or that one should not fear death, was only possible because one did not understand how terrible death was.

Did living a long life make one indifferent to death? What kind of joke was that? The longer one lived, the more one feared death.

“Senior Floating Cloud’s resolve is that firm. At the Lecture on the Dao ten years from now, Senior Floating Cloud will pass on much knowledge to leave behind no regrets. It will be a great opportunity for us juniors.”

A great opportunity.

Jegyeong did not know how extraordinary such a Lecture on the Dao could be, but he acted as though he agreed.

Uh Dobaek was as kind as Yu Jeonggyeom.

Along with various explanations, they went on about trivial matters. Jegyeong felt that Uh Dobaek enjoyed the conversation itself.

The easygoing exchange continued, as if they were friends talking together.

“Most exchanges take place within the Forget-Me Garden, but sometimes people become acquainted in the Azure Basket Realm as well. I would advise you to be careful in such cases. No one can predict the hearts of people in the Cultivation World, and you are of the Demon Race.”

“Because of conflicts between races?”

“That is part of it, but members of the Demon Race, especially Demon Beasts, are useful in many ways. A Demon Beast’s body is treated as a treasure in itself. Hmm... There is also a saying that no cultivator dislikes Spirit Beasts. Do you know the difference between a Spirit Beast and a Demon Beast?”

“I do not.”

“A tamed Demon Beast is called a Spirit Beast.”

“...”

“So never let down your guard, wherever you are. Unless you want to find yourself wearing a collar and guarding someone else’s home as a Spirit Beast.”

Footnotes:

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