WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations

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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈

Chapter 32: Hwa Jeong

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Jegyeong had been locked in a bloody fight with a wolf Demon Beast when he heard Cheongo's distant caw and quietly backed away.

The wolf Demon Beast, bristling with killing intent, hesitated for a moment. Then it stiffened and let out a low growl.

It seemed to think Jegyeong was admitting defeat and retreating.

That was not entirely wrong.

‘What a vicious bastard.’

Jegyeong's entire body was covered in wounds.

If not for his sturdy scales, he would have become a red snake instead of a black one by now.

Why did a wolf keep clawing at him so much? Did it think it was a tiger?

‘This is infuriating.’

He had taken a beating the entire time, so his temper inevitably flared.

Maybe he should have struck back.

‘No. No.’

It might have felt satisfying, and he could have given that arrogant wolf a few deep wounds, but he would have been completely battered in return.

He was this injured even though he had focused entirely on defending himself. If he had bared his fangs, would he not have spilled half the blood in his body?

‘I can only hope Cheongo found something.’

As Jegyeong slowly withdrew as though he could no longer fight, the wolf snorted and gave him a cold look, apparently with no intention of continuing the struggle.

Jegyeong could not read a wolf's expression, but it somehow felt like the beast was telling him to get lost already.

‘Whew.’

The wolf was arrogant, but thankfully, it was not a rabid dog.

If it had been determined to finish him off, Jegyeong would have had to prepare himself as well. Still, beings with Spiritual Intelligence were extremely reluctant to leave their own territory.

It was only natural for those with possessions to cling to them, but to Jegyeong, these creatures were like shut-ins in some ways.

This wolf was even the most shut-in among the shut-ins Cheongo had carefully selected.

Unless it completely lost its mind, it would not chase him beyond its territory. That had been Jegyeong's calculation, and it had proven correct.

“Ugh.”

After retreating far from the wolf Demon Beast's territory, Jegyeong glared down a few opportunistic pests that had gathered at the scent of blood. Only after reaching Muk-su did he finally relax and begin groaning.

The pain was not severe, but the stinging across his entire body was hard to endure.

After what felt like a long time, Cheongo finally returned.

Yet upon seeing Jegyeong covered in wounds, the usually talkative bird looked unusually dejected.

Jegyeong understood at once.

‘They came back empty-handed.’

Even so, he waited for Cheongo to speak with faint hope.

But as expected, hope came to nothing.

“There wasn't any spiritual treasure. There were only cubs inside...”

“Cubs?”

Jegyeong muttered in disappointment and closed his eyes.

For a moment, his heart ached as much as his body, but it soon passed.

“It's fine. We can't expect success on the first try.”

“Yeah.”

Cheongo glanced sideways at Jegyeong's wounded body, looking deflated as though this were their fault.

Jegyeong comforted Cheongo as best he could, then said they should move again once his wounds had healed.

Only then did Cheongo perk up a little and say they would move faster this time.

“Don't push yourself. Being fast isn't important. Not getting caught is.”

“Yeah! Just trust me!”

* * *

Despite Cheongo's loud declaration, they returned empty-handed for a second time.

At least this time, Jegyeong had been able to retreat without suffering serious injuries.

Part of that was because he had been more cautious, but the favorable matchup mattered more.

The wolf Demon Beast had moved quickly and struck with a series of small attacks. The owner of the second territory, on the other hand, relied on huge, powerful blows.

Jegyeong was large but nimble, so he could somehow endure by avoiding attacks that depended entirely on landing one decisive strike.

His body had not been badly injured, but learning that all his effort had been for nothing still wore on him.

He somehow managed to comfort Cheongo after they became dejected again, but if they returned empty-handed next time too, he was not sure he would have anything kind to say.

‘This is harder than I thought.’

He had thought all he needed to do was draw their attention for a while, but that had been a massive miscalculation.

Facing an opponent stronger than him, one who could kill him the moment he slipped up, was never easy.

Throwing himself into situations where he could die exhausted not only his body but his mind.

‘Don't be so weak!’

Jegyeong cursed himself and forced his wavering resolve back into place before it could droop like Cheongo's.

There was a limit to how much he could expect to gain without effort. What right did he have to speak of spiritual treasures if he could not even endure this much hardship?

The heart was truly fragile. Letting down his guard for even a moment could make it weak without end, so he could never relax.

‘Could this be called a Heart State too?’

Jegyeong could not be certain whether this heart was the same as that Heart State, but he decided to think it was.

At this moment, his heart had become a little firmer.

If he thought of it that way, then the two fruitless attempts had not been entirely wasted.

“Cheongo, there's a saying. Third time's the charm.”

“Third time's the charm? What's that?”

“It means one out of three tries is bound to work.”

Jegyeong ignored Cheongo, who kept asking what that was supposed to mean.

His heart, firmer than before, brimmed with hope and drive.

Then came the long-awaited third attempt.

“Jegyeong!”

Jegyeong had been groaning over his tail, which had nearly been torn off entirely, when he suddenly lifted his head.

Cheongo was flying toward him from afar, shouting, with something clutched in their talons.

“Look! Treasure! A treasure!”

As Cheongo drew closer, the object they held became clearer, and Jegyeong could also sense the Aura it gave off.

With his keen Spirit Awareness, he detected the heat contained within it.

Wooooo-

Muk-su, who had been still as though dead, seemed to sense something too. The Wood Demon moved and let out a quiet cry.

“Jegyeong! Look at this! It's something good, right? Right?”

Cheongo set it down before Jegyeong.

Before he could even react, Muk-su flinched and slowly retreated as though unwilling to remain near it.

Seeing that reaction, Jegyeong studied the object, which looked like a small stone, with interest.

Now that it lay right in front of him, he could feel the considerable Spiritual Energy within it without even examining it closely.

The Aura he sensed through Spirit Awareness was hot, so it seemed to contain fire-aligned energy from the Five Elements, or perhaps yang energy from yin and yang.

But spiritual treasures related to yin and yang energy were said to be extremely rare. Considering Muk-su's strong aversion to it, the stone-like object was more likely a fire-aspect spiritual treasure.

‘This should count as a Cultivation Treasure too, right? It looks like a stone... Could this be a Fire Crystal?’

Jegyeong remembered the senior cultivators of the Full-Wing Gathering speaking about crystals when they had discussed Cultivation Treasures.

Like Spirit Stones, they were formed from condensed Spiritual Energy. Unlike Spirit Stones, they contained Spiritual Energy of a particular attribute and were supposedly more valuable.

‘Come to think of it, I've never even seen one of those common Spirit Stones.’

Spirit Stones were valuable but common enough to serve as currency in the Human Race's Cultivation World.

Still, only the lowest-grade and low-grade Spirit Stones, which contained faint Spiritual Energy, were common. Above that, things were different. Even high-grade Spirit Stones were apparently difficult for a cultivator in the middle Foundation Establishment Stage like Uh Dobaek to obtain.

“Is this good? It's something good, right?”

Cheongo did not seem able to sense the Fire Crystal's Aura as clearly as Jegyeong, but they appeared to have vaguely realized it was no ordinary object.

‘Well, that must be why they took it.’

Jegyeong looked down at the Fire Crystal, feeling both joy and regret.

He was happy because they had finally found something on the third try. He regretted that all they had found was this one small Fire Crystal.

“It's a decent item. A rare spiritual treasure.”

“I knew it!”

“Was this the only one?”

“Yeah! This was all there was! It was buried under a pile of rocks, so I almost didn't find it.”

“I see...”

Jegyeong smacked his lips and swallowed his disappointment.

It was not satisfying, but it was better than nothing.

“I need this. In return, I'll catch two Demon Beasts for you.”

“Great!”

Jegyeong hunted one that very day and gave it to Cheongo.

He had only hunted one because he worried that hunting too often would make the Water Demons overly wary.

When he explained that to Cheongo, they understood.

“It's fine! This alone should keep me full for a while.”

What Jegyeong had caught was a cephalopod Water Demon that looked like an octopus, except it had far more than twenty legs.

After tearing off and eating a few legs, Cheongo seemed to decide that this would not do and called Muk-su over to share it.

Jegyeong watched them for a while, then turned away and began examining the Fire Crystal in earnest.

‘How should I use this?’

His original plan had been to swallow it, but seeing the Fire Crystal, which looked exactly like a stone, made him hesitate.

His huge, powerful stomach could probably handle a stone without trouble, but this was no ordinary stone.

What if he swallowed it thinking it would be fine, only for fire energy to erupt inside his stomach?

‘The safest option is to ask the senior cultivators at the Full-Wing Gathering.’

Even if he could not use it the same way they did, he could at least hear some precautions and advice.

Full-Wing Day was not far away either, so he would not have to wait long.

“But Jegyeong, are we going to check the remaining places too?”

“Of course.”

He had a good feeling.

It seemed his luck was finally changing.

A powerful premonition told him he might strike it rich in one of the remaining places.

* * *

There had certainly been a time when he thought that.

Perhaps his nasty desire to gain something without effort had already raised its head again.

“So after all that hardship, all you got was one Fire Crystal?”

“Yes.”

The senior cultivators had marveled when they first heard how Jegyeong obtained the Fire Crystal. But when he told them he had gained nothing despite all the hardship afterward, their reactions became awkward.

They looked as though they did not know whether to congratulate him or comfort him.

“That is simply how it is. If spiritual treasures were so common, why would everyone search for them with such desperation?”

“Yes. I learned that properly this time.”

Honestly, he was quite disappointed, but he had no choice but to accept it.

The world was not so easy, and a treasure was a treasure wherever it was found.

A treasure rare in the Human Territories did not become as common as pebbles on the roadside just because it was outside the Human Territories.

“Spiritual treasures usually appear in places rich in Spiritual Energy. In that sense, a Spiritual Land is... somewhat lacking.”

“Is there somewhere with denser Spiritual Energy than a Spiritual Land?”

“There is. A Spiritual Vein is the best example. If the Spiritual Energy density of an ordinary Spiritual Land is one, even the lowest-grade Spiritual Vein would be at least five.”

According to Uh Dobaek, a Spiritual Vein was a Spiritual Land among Spiritual Lands.

Naturally formed Spiritual Veins often contained Spirit Stone veins, and all kinds of rare spiritual treasures could be found within them.

“You said naturally formed Spiritual Veins. Does that mean there are artificial Spiritual Veins too?”

“That is right. In fact, most of the Spiritual Veins in the Human Territories today were created artificially.”

Almost all naturally formed Spiritual Veins had been depleted, making them difficult to find in the Human Territories.

The few that remained had been acquired as the Human Race expanded its territory. Only a small number existed on the outskirts of the Human Territories.

“In truth, the depletion of Spiritual Veins was a grave problem for the Human Race. If the Spiritual Veins that formed the foundation of cultivation were depleted, it was the same as damaging the Human Race's foundation. As I understand it, there were strong calls at the time for an Expansion War that would stake the Human Race's fate on the outcome.”

“I have heard that story too. They said that if the Spiritual Vein Alteration Technique had not been created in time, there truly would have been a great war...”

“At the time, there was no other solution. In any case, once the Spiritual Vein Alteration Technique was invented and artificial Spiritual Veins could be created, talk of war naturally faded away.”

Uh Dobaek then briefly explained the Spiritual Vein Alteration Technique to the curious Jegyeong.

“The Spiritual Vein Alteration Technique is a method of using an immense quantity of Spirit Stones to raise the Spiritual Energy density in a specific earth vein. The amount of Spiritual Energy required is truly enormous, so I hear that no one can even attempt it unless they are a Nascent Soul True Lord.”

Nascent Soul True Lord.

It was a rank every cultivator dreamed of reaching. Those who attained it were each great figures capable of shaking the Human Race's Cultivation World.

“Nascent Soul True Lords...”

Ye Janggyeong and Choe Jutang, who had been listening quietly, murmured as though entranced.

Jegyeong could sense the distant longing in their voices.

“We have strayed from the topic. To return to the point, things like the Fire Crystal you obtained are mainly found in Spiritual Veins. They usually appear in places with strong fire energy. Yet you said you found this in a Spiritual Land, so... I believe it was moved there from somewhere else for some reason.”

For the briefest moment, Jegyeong had hoped there might be a hidden Spiritual Vein nearby. He smiled bitterly inwardly.

“I see. Then is there a way for me to use this Fire Crystal?”

“Hmm... Human Race cultivators like us usually use a cultivation technique to absorb a Fire Crystal's energy little by little. It is the most reliable and stable method. But you cannot do that, so I think...”

Jegyeong openly explained the cultivation method he had been planning.

Uh Dobaek and the others admired his plan and considered together whether there were any areas to improve.

For them, this was both a chance to help a junior and an opportunity to improve their own understanding of cultivation.

They agreed with Jegyeong's overall plan but offered their opinions on the finer details.

Their advice greatly reinforced a plan whose framework had been established but which still had weak points here and there. Jegyeong gained confidence that he could break through the Great Demon Beast barrier if he solved the problem of Spiritual Energy.

“To be honest, if your body is truly as sturdy as you say, it should be fine to simply swallow it. But a Fire Crystal differs from other Spirit Crystals. Fire energy is the most intense of the Five Elements. Because it is so intense, it is unstable and difficult to handle. That is why the most ideal method would be to find a spiritual treasure of a different attribute, especially a water-aspect spiritual treasure, and swallow it together with the Fire Crystal. The two treasures should achieve balance and harmony, at least briefly. If you attempt a breakthrough then, you will have an easier time overcoming the ordeal.”

This was a method often used by Human Race cultivators as well.

One of the core theories of the Alchemical Dao and Medicine Dao was harmonization, finding balance by combining different energies.

Jegyeong found Uh Dobaek's suggestion convincing too.

The problem was where he would find a water-aspect spiritual treasure, or whether he could find one at all.

Uh Dobaek seemed aware of that as well.

“Of course, it will not be easy to obtain a spiritual treasure capable of balancing the Fire Crystal's energy. That is why I called it the most ideal method. To obtain such a treasure under your present circumstances... you can only hope for Heaven's aid.”

“That is true. Even obtaining this Fire Crystal required heavenly luck.”

“Yes. So if we speak of a more realistic method... the first thing that comes to mind is borrowing the power of the environment. Swallow the Fire Crystal in a place with strong water qi. It will not neutralize the Fire Crystal's fire energy, but it should ease some of the burden on your body.”

“That sounds like a good method.”

“Yes, it is the most practical method available to you. In any case, there is another method...”

Uh Dobaek hesitated at that point.

Seeing how long the hesitation lasted, Jegyeong felt that Uh Dobaek was not confident about the second method either.

“Senior, why do you hesitate? I know every word you say is for the sake of this junior. Please speak freely.”

“I appreciate you saying that, but I still hesitate. I am not certain about this method either. The idea suddenly came to me after hearing what you said earlier.”

Uh Dobaek fell silent for a moment, then spoke as though having reached a decision.

“The second method is to make the Fire Crystal's fire energy your Root Spiritual Energy.”

“Root Spiritual Energy?”

“Yes. Simply put, make it your Spiritual Root.”

Jegyeong, Ye Janggyeong, and Choe Jutang, the two Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, were all shocked by the unexpected words.

Uh Dobaek continued explaining without minding their reactions.

“As you said, a Demon Beast's cultivation depends heavily on its Bloodline. By awakening the power of their Bloodline alone, they can easily cross into a major realm. Even if the difference between Demon Beasts and humans is as vast as heaven and earth, how could that be possible? No matter how light a body is, it cannot fly without wings. Demon Beast cultivation and Human Race cultivation may be entirely different, but they have corresponding elements within their broader frameworks. Just as Great Demon Beasts use demon power while Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators use Dharma Power.”

Uh Dobaek's words, uncertain at first, gradually gained strength.

“So I suspect that a Demon Beast's Bloodline contains the key elements of each cultivation realm. For example, a Demon Beast needs the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth to cross the Foundation Establishment barrier, no, the Great Demon Beast barrier. Yet how can a Demon Beast without a Spiritual Root contain and refine the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth? Through the power of its Bloodline? If so, might there be something dormant within that Bloodline that serves the function of a Spiritual Root?”

Uh Dobaek's words connected with doubts Jegyeong himself had harbored.

To break through the Great Demon Beast barrier, he needed to wield the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth. But then how could a Demon Beast, which could not even contain Spiritual Energy in its body, cross that barrier?

That was the question Jegyeong had carried and the obstacle he had sought to overcome.

Yet Uh Dobaek's words now answered it.

‘It was impossible from the beginning.’

How could a cultivator without a Spiritual Root cultivate?

How could a Demon Beast without a Bloodline become a Great Demon Beast?

‘No. That is not it. Bloodlines could not have existed from the very beginning. Then how did the first Great Demon Beast, the being that first left behind a Bloodline, reach that realm?’

At that moment, lightning flashed through Jegyeong's mind.

‘Perhaps the first Great Demon Beast was in the same position as me. A Demon Beast without a Spiritual Root must have tried all sorts of things to reach a higher realm. Then it finally found a way.’

The more Jegyeong listened to Uh Dobaek's words, the more convincing they became.

Cultivation itself was an act of endlessly taking things from heaven and earth.

If he could draw in the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth and refine it into his own, why could he not obtain the vessel to hold it as well?

Jegyeong's Spirit Body surged violently, and Uh Dobaek smiled without a word while watching.

Footnotes:

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