WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

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◈ Xianxia Cultivation with a Dragon Heart ◈

Chapter 16: Superpower Verification Training Center

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Han Yujin sat inside a relatively intact building, resting for a moment with piles of books spread before him.

It had taken roughly four days to visit every part of the outer sect area and determine what was where. If he had been able to move around using arts, he could have finished much more quickly.

There were obvious places worth examining carefully in the outer sect area.

The Scripture Pavilion came first, followed by the Formation Array Hall, the Alchemy Hall, and then the Artifact Refining Pavilion. And the most important harvests from those places were books.

Among the things commonly called cultivation crafts, the four most highly regarded were Formation Array Arts, Alchemy Arts, Artifact Refinement Arts, and Talisman Crafting. An expert's value generally followed that same order.

Formation Array Arts, also called Restriction Arts, were the most complex and difficult of the cultivation crafts. Even so, they were indispensable for any faction with power, whether for defense or convenience, which made them extremely valuable.

Alchemy Arts were naturally valuable because medicinal pills were inseparable from cultivation, while the knowledge and techniques required to produce them were far from easy.

Artifact Refinement Arts were valuable as well, since dharma artifacts and dharma treasures could greatly support a cultivator's abilities in many ways. It was like considering how important equipment was in an RPG.

Talisman Crafting were valuable because they could be extremely useful in troublesome or dangerous moments. Since talismans were consumables, both their production costs and sale prices were generally lower than medicinal pills or dharma artifacts. Naturally, they were especially popular among low-realm cultivators, who could benefit greatly from their effects.

The remaining cultivation crafts, such as Spiritual Plant Cultivation Arts for growing and harvesting various spiritual plants, or Puppet Arts for creating golem-like puppets from fantasy stories, were not considered particularly precious.

That was because low-realm cultivators learned Spiritual Plant Cultivation Arts in great numbers simply to make a living. As for Puppet Arts, they were not especially useful for the effort needed to learn, make, and control puppets. The other crafts all had their own reasons as well.

In any case.

Han Yujin had not originally intended to learn such cultivation crafts. He had the reasonable excuse that he lacked the time and energy even to focus solely on cultivation. He had also thought he could somehow handle things with his awakened ability even without learning them.

But exploring the Five Elements Sect had changed his mind somewhat.

Wouldn't knowing those cultivation crafts allow him to use his awakened ability more effectively?

For instance, if he did not know Artifact Refinement Arts, he could only hope to find good items in places like the Artifact Refining Pavilion. Even when visiting other worlds, he would have no choice but to search around for items suitable for use.

But if he could make items suited to himself from various materials, the range of possibilities would expand tremendously. The difference in difficulty between obtaining materials and obtaining finished items would be enormous.

'The problem is how quickly I can learn those crafts.'

Even with transcendent language comprehension, it would certainly not be easy.

That was why he needed to use his awakened ability here.

'For the time being, I don't have enough karma to obtain cultivation gains or items anyway.'

Until he built up enough karma through Hunter work, this would inevitably become something of a resting period for his awakened ability. But there was a way to make use of that time.

'Obtaining knowledge costs almost nothing but my lifespan.'

And cultivation had always aimed for longevity rather than strength.

Even reaching the Dharma Soul stage would let him live nearly two hundred years free of illness. If he reached the Core Formation stage, the exact figure would differ depending on the cultivation method, but his minimum lifespan would be four hundred years.

'Four hundred years... What was happening on Earth in the 1600s? The Age of Exploration?'

In any case, it was definitely before the Industrial Revolution. That meant it was a very long time ago, enough to make him feel just how long four hundred years truly was.

'Taking a slight detour might actually get me to my goal faster and more reliably.'

It did not seem as though his abilities would grow exactly as he wanted just by single-mindedly focusing on cultivation. That was the fundamental reason Han Yujin was thinking this way.

He even intended to learn technologies from other worlds besides xianxia-style cultivation crafts. If he encountered artifact-making techniques or alchemy from a fantasy world, he might combine them with knowledge he already possessed and create something better.

That was how he could properly make use of his awakened ability.

'What would happen if I used a Dragon Heart for Alchemy Arts?'

As he idly considered the matter while resting, Han Yujin suddenly came up with an incredible idea and widened his eyes.

There was a method that seemed far better than simply using it for Alchemy Arts. It might even completely transform his aptitude, which was only at the level of a true spiritual root.

Perhaps it could change not only his spiritual-root aptitude, but even his physique into a Spirit Body favorable for cultivation. No, perhaps even into a Dao Body, which was considered higher in rank.

That was, if the Dragon Heart he would obtain truly was as absurdly overpowered as those described in genre novels.

If it were really possible, his imagination ran wild as he pictured the power he could wield. His heart pounded and heat rose through his body, much like when he had first encountered cultivation.

Only after quite some time did he finally manage to calm down.

Still, he could not stop a plan concerning that Dragon Heart from naturally forming in one corner of his mind.

* * *

“Ah.”

Han Yujin woke up in his bed in reality and reflexively groaned as he sat up.

“That hurt more than I expected...”

When the spirit liquid in the Spirit-Liquid Flask had run out and he no longer thought there was any need to endure stubbornly, he had boldly attempted an “escape.” He altered part of the Flame Projectile Art's formula so it could sufficiently harm its caster, then dropped it onto his unguarded head.

Naturally, he had been a little afraid, but there was no logical reason it would fail. His instincts had agreed, and the result now proved it.

Since it was such an extreme action, he had consciously considered over and over, more than dozens of times, whether it would really be all right and whether he would safely wake up in reality.

It would be a disaster if it ever became a habit. What could be more of a pointless death than carelessly doing something like that in reality one day?

In any case.

He had thought the Flame Projectile Art's explosive force would make him black out cleanly, but he had felt a terrible heat, if only for a moment. He could now sympathize a little with the feelings of enemies who would face flame-based arts in the future.

'My remaining karma...'

He sighed as he looked at the harvests around him, almost all of them books.

He had not been able to bring back even one of the dharma artifacts he had painstakingly gathered from the inner sect area. Unexpectedly, restoring and selecting them consumed an enormous amount of karma.

'They must have been at least high-grade dharma artifacts.'

The Five Elements Sword was a basic dharma artifact distributed to every inner sect disciple of the Five Elements Sect, so it was only mid-to-high grade. Yet even such a Five Elements Sword was more than enough for the current Han Yujin.

Among the items he had brought back aside from books were seeds from an improved Bloodwood variety. When he suddenly noticed them and opened their jade box, vitality flowed out.

After finishing the rest of his sorting, Han Yujin headed for the bathroom, feeling as though it had been an extremely long time since he had last gone.

Not much time had passed in reality, but it really had been a long time in terms of how it felt.

“Huh...”

That was why he was slightly surprised when he looked in the mirror.

He had not been unattractive to begin with, but he now looked more striking. The subtle distortions and imbalances had been corrected, and his skin was as clear as that of an advertising model.

'Did I get a little taller too?'

It could simply have been his improved posture and physique, but it still felt as though he had grown considerably.

He suddenly thought of the cultivators' skeletons in the inner sect area of the Five Elements Sect ruins. Even after enduring countless years of wind and weather, they had been white and lustrous like jade.

'I'll soon become beautiful on the inside too.'

That was what Han Yujin thought. Though he meant “inside” in a somewhat different sense from usual.

Shaking off his stray thoughts, he used the Purification Art instead of washing up, then returned to his room. He changed clothes to go out and picked up his smartphone and Bluetooth earbuds. The actions felt so unfamiliar that he gave several helpless laughs.

'If I spend decades in another world through my awakened ability, will I act like I don't belong when I come back?'

It was a genuinely realistic concern. It was likely one of the shadows hidden behind the greatness of his ability.

'At worst, I might stop feeling that this place is reality.'

Of course, that was probably getting ahead of himself.

In any case.

His destination was the Special Ability Verification and Training Center, which he could reach in twenty or thirty minutes by public transportation from where he lived.

'I could get there faster with the Wind-Cloud Art.'

But if he got caught, he would have to pay a fine, so he needed to restrain himself. Even aside from that, he would look too much like an attention seeker.

He left his studio apartment building, walked out of the alley, and reached the main road. He put in his earbuds and played music on his smartphone, but the terrible sound quality, which he had never noticed before, shocked him enough that he immediately stopped.

Now that he thought about it, there was a reason Hunter-grade earbuds were expensive. For now, it was much better to simply enjoy the city's noise.

He stood at the bus stop while taking in the cityscape, which felt strangely welcoming after what seemed like so long. When the bus number he knew arrived, he boarded at an unhurried pace, examined how becoming a cultivator had changed his perception of the bus's swaying, watched ordinary people living their busy modern lives, and fully enjoyed the everyday routine.

'This is healing.'

Others might consider camping somewhere like a primeval forest to be healing, but not the current Han Yujin.

Perhaps because he enjoyed himself so much, time passed quickly.

After getting off at the Special Ability Verification and Training Center stop, he strolled for a minute or two before the center building came into view.

It was so large that he could not take it in at a glance. Quite a few people were busily coming and going, but two family groups with teenage children especially caught Han Yujin's attention.

'It looks like their children awakened.'

Perhaps one of his middle school classmates had visited in the past looking just like that. It might not have been this exact center, though.

'I'm a late bloomer, a smiling cheetah, aren't I?'

Suppressing the urge to laugh for no reason, he entered the building.

As he looked around the lobby, his eyes met those of a public employee standing behind the desk. When he approached, they spoke first.

“What brings you here?”

“I'd like to report my awakening.”

“Pardon?”

The response carried clear surprise. As he had thought before, it was extremely rare for someone his age to awaken. Most people awakened in their mid to late teens.

“Ah, verification for awakened abilities is over there on the left. When you get there...”

After hearing the rest of the directions, Han Yujin briefly thanked them and headed that way.

The testing room was easy to find. It was fairly large, and he had spotted the family who entered the building before him and could follow them.

As he entered the area divided off by glass doors, the people in the waiting room briefly scanned the family that had gone in first, then lingered somewhat longer on Han Yujin, who entered behind them.

'There isn't anyone my age.'

There were four youths who appeared to be in their mid to late teens, along with adults who appeared to be their guardians.

“Come this way!”

One of the female employees at the counter called out. Han Yujin went to her instead of the other employee handling the family that had entered ahead of him, stated the purpose of his visit, showed his identification, and completed the usual procedures.

The employee did not seem particularly surprised. She was appropriately businesslike and appropriately kind, as though handling a visitor at a local government office.

“You'll need to wait around an hour.”

“That's fine.”

“Then please read this information consent form...”

As the employee held out a document, she skillfully underlined important sections with a highlighter and circled the places he needed to sign.

After quickly reading it, he found that it was literally a document explaining various information and precautions. It requested his consent to provide personal information and also his agreement that additional fees could apply if he was determined not to have awakened an ability.

Seeing that reminded him of something he had read online.

'They say a lot of people come in for tests even though they haven't awakened.'

They might earnestly wish to awaken, have a minor mental illness, or simply be crazy.

In any case, such people definitely existed.

'They didn't mistake me for one of them, did they?'

Given his age, someone might think that. Of course, it was not a serious problem.

When he finished signing and handed over the document, the employee gave him another one. It was a kind of aptitude questionnaire, around three or four pages long. It first asked whether he had truly awakened, then gradually asked what type of ability he possessed.

“Fill it out over there, then bring it back to me~.”

“Okay.”

He had to wait an hour anyway, so it was perfect for passing the time. He went to one of the standing tables and began filling out the questionnaire.

“Mr. Han Yujin?”

“Yes?”

When he approached after the employee called him, she handed over another document with a slightly apologetic expression.

“You need to sign this one too. It was added recently. While we do the blood test, you can also receive a basic health examination.”

“A blood test?”

He asked without much thought, read through the contents, and readily signed it. Perhaps the employee took his question a certain way, or perhaps she was bored too, because she casually mentioned something related.

“Lately, I've heard that some people take a certain narcotic drug to boost their physical abilities, then come in claiming they've awakened.”

“There are drugs like that?”

“Yes, yes. The side effects are severe, but I guess they do work. Sometimes they even fool the mana scanners... Of course, it all comes out afterward...”

After their short chat ended, Han Yujin returned to his place and continued filling out the aptitude questionnaire when he suddenly recalled something.

Just before visiting the primeval forest, he had browsed an internet community to relax and seen a similar story. A Hunter with a healing ability had been caught taking drugs.

'Could it be related to that?'

Han Yujin thought about it briefly, then erased the question from his mind.

It was someone else's business.

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