WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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Episode 23: Core Formation Realm Great Cultivator (5)
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There were Qi Condensation Realm cultivators assigned to attend Ise in his residence.
“The bath is ready. Would you like to wash first?”
“Yes.”
“Will you require assistance with bathing?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
Ise waved the attendants away.
Steam rose from the wide wooden tub.
As he surrendered himself to the warmth, Ise cleared his mind.
From the heavenly tribulation to his inauguration as Hall Master, the frantic days slowly began to settle into place.
Now that he finally had time entirely to himself, it truly sank in that he had accomplished something momentous.
Thinking he could grant himself a proper rest for once, Ise sealed even his divine sense within his Golden Core and slowly closed his eyes.
After a while, he rose once his body had grown pleasantly languid.
Having finished bathing and purification, he opened the bathing chamber door and found an attendant holding his clothes directly before him.
Startled by the attendant’s presence, Ise let a trace of internal qi leak out before he could restrain it.
The attendant was slammed into the floor. At the same time, Ise barely managed to control his primordial qi.
Her shoulder had nearly been severed halfway through.
“If I have done anything wrong, please forgive me... Hall Master, please calm your anger...”
The lightly wounded attendant trembled as she bowed her head.
Ise immediately took out a Restoration Pellet and used the Telekinesis Art to place it in her mouth.
“I’m sorry. I only recently crossed a major realm boundary, so I’m still not used to controlling my strength.”
Her wound was gradually healing, but the attendant was still trembling in pain.
“It’s dangerous, so do not approach the cultivation chamber or the nearby guest rooms for a while.”
“...Yes.”
“You may leave.”
Once the attendant had departed, Ise sighed. He immediately set up the Living-Spirit Cave Abode and entered it.
After returning to the familiar space, he released Bisang and, out of habit, cast the Life-Accelerating Art over the spirit field.
He poured his few remaining mid-grade Spiritual Stones into the spirit artifact at the center of the cave abode, then took out the secret manual of the Soul-Return Body-Entering Art.
With tense hands, he calmly read through the formulas he had copied down himself.
The formulas of the cultivation method, which had seemed physically barred from his understanding, became much clearer in his mind after he reached the Core Formation Realm.
The broad flow of the cultivation method was as he had guessed from its title.
It was, quite literally, a cultivation method for handling souls.
It could heal wounded souls, or conversely inflict fatal wounds upon an opponent’s soul.
It could carry out body seizure to take another’s body, or transplant a Nascent Soul and Golden Core elsewhere.
Depending on its user, it could sever the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation, imprisoning someone in eternal suffering. Or it could save one fated to die and soothe the wounds of their soul. It was truly a heaven-sent divine art.
A double-edged cultivation method that could be used for either good or evil.
Ise’s fingertips stiffened anew as he considered that such a cultivation method could not be carelessly released into the world.
‘The achievements of early Core Formation are mainly focused on healing and attacking souls... True soul transfer begins only in late Core Formation. To attempt body seizure myself, I’ll need to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.’
To safely bring his master Mongryeon back, he had to reach the Nascent Soul Realm. To at least attempt it, he needed to reach late Core Formation.
He had not expected it to happen immediately, but the thought that he had to raise his realm further still left him disappointed.
‘...Don’t be impatient.’
At least the possibility had become clear.
He now knew what level of cultivation was required.
He had to raise his realm anyway.
He only needed to think of it as changing the order of two goals, revenge against his enemies and saving his master.
There was much to do.
Having reached the Core Formation Realm, he needed to completely reorganize the dharma artifacts, cultivation methods, and spell arts he had been using.
He needed to earn back the Spiritual Stones he had exhausted during his breakthrough and grow accustomed to the unfamiliar circumstances of a Core Formation Realm great cultivator.
At least the change in his cultivation method was welcome.
Until now, maintaining the harmony of yin and yang had been an enormous hassle, but there was no longer any need for that.
Whether it was demonic qi or spiritual energy, he could absorb it as it came, and it would naturally dissolve into the primordial qi within his Golden Core.
Absorbing more spiritual energy made his internal qi somewhat more yang, while absorbing more demonic qi made it temporarily more yin, but neither made much difference overall.
The required amount, however, was enough to leave him speechless.
The Water Source Pool in the west possessed more external qi than most blessed grottos, yet it was still not enough to satisfy a Core Formation Realm great cultivator’s cultivation.
Even the energy flowing from the Living-Spirit Cave Abode still left him craving more.
‘Mid-grade Spiritual Stones won’t be enough.’
From now on, only high-grade Spiritual Stones placed into the Living-Spirit Cave Abode’s Spiritual Stone inlet would allow him to continue cultivating meaningfully.
Even setting aside the fact that he had spent all his wealth on breaking through to Core Formation, high-grade Spiritual Stones were not items one could easily obtain just by gathering a hundred mid-grade Spiritual Stones.
Most of what came out of Spiritual Stone mines took the form of Spiritual Stone fragments.
Those fragments were processed into Spiritual Stones, then into mid-grade Spiritual Stones, before being distributed on the market.
However, concentrating a hundred mid-grade Spiritual Stones into a high-grade Spiritual Stone without losing spiritual essence required the help of a professional spirit-stone artisan.
Not only was there a fee, it was practically impossible without connections.
‘First, I should adapt.’
He had so much to do that it made his head spin.
Ise sent a Message Talisman to the Mission Pavilion, requesting a spirit-stone artisan, then focused on resolving the matters before him.
The most urgent task was controlling his changed spirit sight, sharper divine sense, and rampaging primordial qi.
His primordial qi in particular was like a finely honed blade. If it leaked out by mistake, someone could be hurt.
What had happened to the attendant was proof enough.
Until he could control it perfectly, he intended not to take a single step outside the Living-Spirit Cave Abode.
* * *
Every day at sunrise, the attendants stopped at the entrance to the room Ise had forbidden them to enter. They left spirit fruit, spiritual tea, and fresh clothes, then returned later to take them away once they had grown cold.
Ise thought they would eventually stop on their own, but they continued even after several months had passed. In the end, he told them to stop through voice transmission.
Thus, he spent around six months steadying his body and mind.
All that time was spent taming his rampaging primordial qi and adapting to his altered spirit sight and divine sense.
With the mindset of a child learning anew how to move even a single finger, he silently adapted to his new body.
Fortunately, as time passed, the primordial qi that had leaked from him like water through a broken dam gradually began to obey him.
Yet he did not stop cultivating once he had immersed himself in it.
He calmly recited the formulas and guided his primordial qi in order to reach the first star of the Soul-Return Body-Entering Art.
It was the attendant’s voice, heard for the first time in a while, that made Ise raise his heavy body.
“Azure Dragon Hall Master. A Message Talisman has arrived.”
-Lay it out.
As instructed, the attendant spread the message talisman on the floor so its contents could be read, then withdrew.
- Mountain-Guarding Disciples who wish to join Azure Dragon Hall have gathered.
After confirming the contents with his divine sense, Ise retrieved the Living-Spirit Cave Abode and stepped outside the cultivation chamber.
He could already guess who would volunteer to serve under him. It appeared that the procedure for transferring their hall affiliations had been completed.
Ise had never urged his companions to join his hall.
They only needed to choose what each of them wanted.
Different hall affiliations did not mean they were no longer friends.
He put on the daoist robe handed to him by an attendant, combed down his hair, which had grown longer in the meantime, and tied it firmly with a silk cord.
Soon, his body cut swiftly through the air.
Light as a bird riding the wind, he left the Water Source Pool and landed in the crowded commercial district.
To travel from the Water Source Pool to Azure Dragon Hall, one had no choice but to pass through the commercial district.
“Greetings, Hall Master.”
“I pay my respects to the Azure Dragon Hall Master.”
The moment he encountered the crowds, people parted before him like waters dividing at low tide.
At the same time, countless disciples greeted him and bowed.
Even cultivators he had never seen before somehow recognized him and bowed their heads.
Ise could not return every greeting individually. He merely nodded a few times and quickly left the market-town streets.
‘Did they distribute portraits of me or something?’
He had only passed through once, but it was already so uncomfortable that he understood why great cultivators rarely showed themselves in public.
Upon entering the Inner Hall District, Ise took in the sight of Azure Dragon Hall.
This would be the place for cultivating and training Mountain-Guarding Disciples who belonged to Azure Dragon Hall.
Its facilities consisted of only one pavilion, one hall, and a spacious training ground.
Inside the hall, which was large enough to comfortably hold more than a hundred people, five Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators sat in a row.
‘Five?’
Only three people from his entrance cohort had reached Foundation Establishment, so two additional people had volunteered.
Ise immediately studied the two newcomers.
One was familiar. The other was a familiar dokkaebi.
‘Why is that person here?’
It was Shin Hyeon, the Silver Dragon Mine’s Seok Gongju.
The other was a dokkaebi of the dokkaebi clan.
They were one of the Foundation Establishment Realm dokkaebi who had stood beside Gong Wol-a when Ise visited Halla Gwitak.
“We greet the Azure Dragon Hall Master.”
Shin Hyeon bowed first, and the other four immediately bowed as well.
“We greet the Azure Dragon Hall Master.”
Ise had worried it would feel awkward to receive such formal respect from his friends, but they treated him more naturally than he expected.
After nodding, Ise greeted his three peers first.
“Why leave perfectly good halls? I suppose you wanted an easier life?”
At his joking words, the three cultivators smiled faintly as though they were used to it.
Yet rather than throwing back the usual pointless jokes, they simply maintained their proper manners.
Pi Garam answered on their behalf.
“I hear it is customary for peers to assist their Hall Master when someone from their cohort becomes one. Of course, we did not choose this merely because of custom. Hall Master, you are the pride of the Founding Year 313 cohort. If not us, then who would assist you?”
Ise stared fixedly at his peers and let out a small sigh.
“Ah, this won’t be easy.”
As expected, he could not immediately grow accustomed to the change in his peers’ attitudes.
Ise withdrew his gaze from them and looked at Shin Hyeon.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to repay my debt. I heard you were seeking a spirit-stone artisan, and I believed I could be of use to the new Hall Master. But... if you do not wish for me, you may send me away.”
“No. I’m grateful, but...”
Spirit-stone artisans were valuable talents.
Shin Hyeon had lived as a cultivator for quite some time, so Shin Hyeon would surely be a great help to a newly appointed Hall Master like Ise.
Still, Ise could not imagine that Shin Hyeon would feel particularly pleased about their connection.
“Spirit-stone artisans must be in short supply.”
“Please speak less formally. There are far fewer Spiritual Stone mines, so I transferred to Yellow Dragon Hall and was serving as a warehouse keeper. Stoneworking is not so much difficult as it is a craft people avoid, so please do not worry.”
Under the gaze of the great cultivator that seemed to see through everything, Shin Hyeon bowed once more.
It was a wordless pressure to reveal the honest truth.
Perhaps Ise was even using the Mind-Reading Art.
“Thank you for delivering my child’s belongings and letter. I have always remembered it. Though it is late, I wanted to repay your kindness.”
Ise silently regarded Shin Hyeon, then nodded.
“I permit you to join the hall.”
He did not consider it a kindness, but if the recipient wished to repay it, it was only proper not to refuse.
“Given your experience and cultivation, Shin Hyeon is the senior among you. Serve as Deputy Hall Master and assist me. I look forward to your advice.”
“Yes. I will do my utmost.”
Lastly, Ise turned his gaze to the dokkaebi of the dokkaebi clan.
“Brother, what brings you all the way here?”
“I am Doksu. I became an adult dokkaebi two years ago. Acting Leader Gong Wol-a sent me. Here is a message talisman for you.”
Ise unfolded the message talisman Doksu handed him.
- I heard the news. Congratulations. It looks bad for a great cultivator to travel alone without even an attendant. With your personality, you probably do not have anyone you know, so the dokkaebi clan has sent its most promising dokkaebi. Put him to work as you please.
Gong Wol-a had sent Doksu because she wished to personally look after Ise after hearing of his breakthrough.
It was something to be grateful for.
But what did she mean, “With your personality, you probably do not have anyone you know”?
Why she held such a misunderstanding was truly beyond him.
He had as many as five friends.
If he counted carefully, he even had two more in the Northern Continent.
Adding in his dokkaebi clan brothers, it would not be an exaggeration to say he was rich in friends.
‘She is truly a terrible judge of character...’
Genuinely saddened, Ise carefully folded the message talisman and tucked it into his robe.
“I’ll think further about the hall’s rules and direction, so each of you should cultivate while you wait. Ah, I’ll give you each an assignment.”
Ise looked over the five and gave his first order.
“Gather information on the Han Clan and Han Juok. Shin Hyeon, divide up the work.”
“As you command.”
Revenge against the old bandit who had taken his Spiritual Stones.
That would be his first step after becoming a great cultivator.
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