Chapter 63
Translator: T_Fan
After deducting the contribution points from his identity token, the cultivator on duty pointed toward a small stone chamber farther inside.
“Go to the Third Inheritance Chamber.”
…
Click.
After the stone door closed, Lee Hyun infused divine sense into the jade slip on the stone pedestal and examined the pill recipe.
The main ingredient of the Origin-Opening Pill was Spirit-Storing Ginseng.
One root of Spirit-Storing Ginseng between 200 and 390 years of medicine age. A list of auxiliary medicinal ingredients followed beneath it.
Many of the names were familiar. Some were ingredients he had often processed at the Inner Alchemy Court, while others were things he had seen at the Spirit Materials Hall in Danxiao Immortal City.
‘I already have Spirit-Storing Ginseng, and the rest shouldn’t be difficult to obtain.’
In a good mood, Lee Hyun moved on to the next section. The refining method for the Origin-Opening Pill did not seem particularly complicated.
‘I think even I could manage this….’
He then pressed the second jade slip to his forehead and examined the pill recipe for the Profundity-Penetrating Pill.
The Profundity-Penetrating Pill required another main ingredient in addition to Spirit-Storing Ginseng.
Midnight-Noon Grass.
It had to be between 220 and 450 years of medicine age and used whole, with its roots, stem, and leaves intact.
The image of the spirit plant recorded in the jade slip appeared in his mind.
Midnight-Noon Grass had dark green leaves, with faint vermilion lines running along their veins.
Fortunately, its growing conditions were not demanding. It was a spirit herb that grew in warm places without sunlight, though its leaves readily rotted when exposed to cold wind.
‘I can grow this in the tunnel.’
The underground of this world was less hot than the Earth of his past life, but deep within the common soil stratum, there were no seasonal temperature fluctuations like those on the surface, and it remained fairly warm.
After memorizing the growing conditions of Midnight-Noon Grass, Lee Hyun examined the refining method for the Profundity-Penetrating Pill.
‘It looks harder than the Origin-Opening Pill, but… I’ll have chances to learn it in the future.’
Now that there would be records of him having studied both pill recipes, he would have opportunities to assist with refining those pills.
…
The next day, Danxiao Immortal City.
Lee Hyun visited the Spirit Materials Hall where he had previously bought Jade-Condensing Grass seeds.
“Do you have Midnight-Noon Grass seeds?”
“Yes. How many do you need?”
“Give me a hundred.”
The clerk headed toward the shelves farther inside and returned shortly afterward with a wooden box. Lee Hyun inspected the seeds inside, paid the spirit stones, and placed the box into his storage pouch.
He also bought small samples of several auxiliary medicinal ingredients used in the Origin-Opening Pill and Profundity-Penetrating Pill. They were not for planting, but so he could compare the descriptions in the pill recipes against their actual medicinal potency.
After finishing his business in Danxiao Immortal City, Lee Hyun departed to the northwest. He had been granted a month of rest as well as permission to leave the sect, so he intended to use the opportunity to inspect Tunnel No. 3.
…
As he traversed mountains and rivers by alternating between the Reclining Escape Art and Skywalking Art, Lee Hyun slowly reviewed the contents of the Great Unity Heavenly Dipper Sword Canon in his mind.
The Great Unity Heavenly Dipper Sword Canon contained methods for condensing and refining sword qi, thirty-six basic sword forms, light splitting, and sword formations.
The mnemonic formula that encompassed the condensing and refining of sword qi and the application of sword forms within this inheritance was called the Great Unity Heavenly Dipper Sword Art.
The next stage, light splitting, was a technique for dividing sword light into multiple streams and controlling them separately. Each divided stream of sword light carried sword qi and could genuinely attack an opponent. The technique Xue Jingxing had used during their spar, dividing his sword qi into several streams and controlling them individually, also fell under light splitting.
Once one became proficient in light splitting, one could precisely control multiple streams of sword qi with a single sword and have them respond to one another, weaving them into a sword formation.
…
Eight days later, Tunnel No. 3.
After breaking through the rock wall, Lee Hyun opened his spirit-insect pouch.
Bzzzzzz–
Golden balls of fur poured out in a rush.
Fuzzbees soon flew in from the passage farther inside as well. Some touched antennae with those that had emerged first, while others circled around Lee Hyun’s sleeves and storage pouch.
“Have you all been well?”
When Lee Hyun took out Bonefuzz No. 1, the swarm grew even more excited.
“Go ride it and play. Just don’t go into the spirit fields.”
He opened the chest plate, and one fuzzbee darted inside.
Click.
Its six bone arms moved one after another.
The other fuzzbees landed on Bonefuzz No. 1’s head and shoulders.
Lee Hyun watched them for a moment.
Whenever possible, he took the fuzzbees to the Danxiao Sect in rotation.
He did not want the experiences of those that remained in the tunnel and those that traveled outside to become too different. It would be easier to bring them around if they all understood the same instructions to roughly the same degree.
The same applied to operating Bonefuzz No. 1.
There were always a few fellows that tried to get inside its chest first, but Lee Hyun never allowed any single one to monopolize it for long.
“Take turns riding it.”
…
Lee Hyun first inspected the water tanks, bamboo pipes, formation inscriptions, drainage channels, and other facilities before beginning his tour of the spirit fields.
「Spirit Field No. 1-1」
He slowly walked around the field, comparing the ledger against the actual plants.
“Eighty-one Bone-Rot Flowers, 281 Yin Soul Grass plants, 73 Purple Poison Orchids, 51 Earth Vein Flowers… average medicine age, 466 years… These fellows will soon become Tier 3 spirit plants, won’t they?”
He examined the lower portions of several mother plants. There were no spirit-insect eggs and no signs of disease.
Several fuzzbees were rolling around on the nearby soil.
“You’ve taken good care of them.”
Squeak.
…
He also inspected Spirit Fields No. 1-2 through No. 1-5.
“Across all four fields, that makes 431 Bone-Rot Flowers, 1,103 Yin Soul Grass plants, 291 Purple Poison Orchids, and 202 Earth Vein Flowers… with a medicine age of around 432 years… I can harvest the Yin Soul Grass for the Spirit-Calming Pills from here.”
…
「Spirit Field No. 1-6」
Round Yin Water Lotus leaves overlapped across the surface of the broad pond. Flowers and lotus pods rose here and there between the leaves, while young stems stretched toward open patches of water.
There was no point in counting the lotus leaves. The ledger distinguished them by mother plants that had independently rooted beneath the mud.
The older mother plants had a medicine age of around 412 years, while their descendants were about 122 years old.
Lee Hyun collected the ripe lotus pods, shelling and snacking on some of the seeds while storing the rest in his storage pouch.
…
「Spirit Field No. 1-7」
Six Stone Honey Peach trees spread their branches wide.
The three older trees had thick branches extending almost to the rock walls, while the three propagated from cuttings had also grown into respectable trees.
Their medicine ages were similar to those of the Yin Water Lotuses. The older trees were around 412 years old, while those planted later were roughly 122 years old.
Lee Hyun trimmed several branches that had begun touching one another and cut back a few that were pressing too close to the tunnel ceiling.
When he extended a hand, a Stone Honey Peach detached from its branch and flew into his palm.
He peeled it and took a bite. Cool, sweet juice spread through his mouth.
He picked the fully ripened Stone Honey Peaches and placed them into his storage pouch.
…
Spirit Fields No. 2-1 through No. 2-5 were all Spirit-Storing Ginseng fields.
“Five hundred fifty-two roots at 297 years of medicine age and 914 roots at 155 years… That’s more than enough for the Origin-Opening Pills and Profundity-Penetrating Pills….”
…
「Spirit Field No. 3-1」
The Ringless Divine Tree was still small.
“About sixty-three years since sowing, twenty-two years since it sprouted… and it has one more leaf….”
Lee Hyun looked back and forth between the drawing he had made in the ledger last time and the tree in front of him, then added a new drawing.
Next, he checked Spirit Fields No. 3-2 through No. 3-4, where three hundred Jade-Condensing Grass plants were growing. The first thirty he had planted were a little over seven years of medicine age, while the 270 planted later were around five years old.
…
At roughly twenty-five li (about 9.8 km) underground, the air grew warmer.
The three hundred Fire-Heart Orchids brought from the Huatian Secret Realm had been divided among Spirit Fields No. 3-5 through No. 3-7.
“Their medicine ages are mostly between nine and eleven years….”
Lee Hyun inspected the water tanks, bamboo pipes, formation inscriptions, drainage channels, heat-insulating stone slabs, Lesser Yang Stones, and everything else in order.
…
The last place he visited was the unnumbered test spirit field.
Spirit plants of varying medicine ages had been planted in separate small plots so he could study traces of bone age. Recently, he had also begun using part of the field to test the germination of newly acquired seeds.
“That’s the spirit-field inspection finished! I only need to make one new field now.”
…
He created the new field below and a short distance away from the cavern where the Jade-Condensing Grass was being grown. This location, eighteen li underground, was warm enough for Midnight-Noon Grass, so there was no need to descend all the way to twenty-five li.
After connecting the bamboo pipes and the formation inscriptions for supplying water, he took out one hundred Midnight-Noon Grass seeds, buried them in the soil at regular intervals, and cast the Germination Art.
After evenly moistening the soil with the Spirit Rain Art, he erected a wooden plaque as the final step.
「Spirit Field No. 3-8」
…
After finishing his inspection of the spirit fields, Lee Hyun dug up three Yin Soul Grass mother plants around 432 years of medicine age from Spirit Field No. 1-2 and brought them to the alchemy chamber twenty-five li underground.
He then took out the auxiliary medicinal ingredients he had purchased in Danxiao Immortal City one by one and began processing them.
…
The next day.
When he opened the lid, two round pills lay at the bottom of the pill furnace.
“It worked!”
After ruining his first two furnace batches, Lee Hyun succeeded in refining Tier 2 low-grade Spirit-Calming Pills for the first time on his third batch!
After resting thoroughly, Lee Hyun swallowed one Spirit-Calming Pill in the cultivation chamber. He immediately closed his eyes and began refining the medicinal strength according to the mnemonic formula for consuming the pill.
The Yin Soul Grass Lee Hyun had used was old for a Tier 2 spirit plant and therefore possessed strong medicinal potency, so the effect of the Spirit-Calming Pill was considerable as well. He felt a constant sense of pressure while assimilating its medicinal strength.
Even so, because he had already trained his primordial spirit and divine sense with the Spirit-Nourishing Pill and Spirit-Refining Essentials, he had little difficulty enduring the medicinal strength.
…
How much time had passed?
After thoroughly refining the medicinal strength, Lee Hyun opened his eyes.
“Oh….”
The increase in his divine sense was far more noticeable than when he had first taken a Spirit-Nourishing Pill.
Lee Hyun examined the remaining pill inside the jade bottle.
‘I should make around ten, then take them little by little while cultivating back at the sect.’
***
Two days later.
After harvesting six more Yin Soul Grass plants and repeating the refinement several times, Lee Hyun managed to secure ten Tier 2 low-grade Spirit-Calming Pills.
Having finished his business in the tunnel, Lee Hyun stopped at a city in the mundane world on his way back to the Danxiao Range.
As soon as he passed through the city gate, the rumble of cartwheels mingled with the cries of traveling merchants. Steam rose from restaurants along the streets, while crowds bustled through every alley.
Lee Hyun had a particular destination in mind.
A bookstore.
When he opened the door and stepped inside, the smell of paper and ink greeted him.
The shelves were divided among classics, collections of poetry and prose, geography books, and popular novels, while newly printed books were stacked high on tables near the entrance.
Lee Hyun stood in front of them and flipped through a book. After reading a few pages, he heard a young voice beside him.
“Mother, can’t you buy me this one?”
“Dear, you really should stop reading such trashy popular novels.”
“But all my friends have read it….”
“You need to read classical literature if you want to learn anything. Here, choose one from these.”
Lee Hyun turned his head without thinking.
The shelf the woman pointed to bore a sign reading Classic Masterpieces.
His eyes fell on the titles of the books beneath it.
《I Took In What I Thought Was a Demon Beast, but It Was a Prince of Qianyang Kingdom》
《I Became a Prisoner of Qianyang Kingdom, and Now I’m Popular》
‘Huh?’
Lee Hyun pulled out a book and examined the cover.
‘This is classical literature?’
Lee Hyun let out a quiet laugh.
He had read these books 909 years ago, back when they were still classified as popular novels.
The copy in his hand was a newly printed edition. The typeface had been changed to an archaic style unlike the one from centuries ago, and there was even a note beneath the title stating that the text had been annotated by a certain scholar.
「These classic masterpieces, once popular in the now-fallen Yunze Kingdom, reflect the emotions of the Yunze people during an era when they suffered repeated invasions by Qianyang Kingdom. Literature is a mirror reflecting its age, and…」
Beside him, the woman was placing a book into the child’s hands.
“You must learn the spirit of the ancients.”
“Yes….”
Lee Hyun returned to the shelves containing the newest popular novels.
“I’ll take everything from here to here.”
“Pardon? Are you certain? The books in this section haven’t been completed yet.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
…
By the time he returned to Qingyu Ravine, only a few days remained of his rest period.
Lee Hyun piled the books he had bought in one corner of his residence and lay down to read the popular novels.
…
His leave eventually ended, and life returned to its usual routine.
After several months, he began assisting not only with the Foundation Establishment Pill but also with the Origin-Opening Pill and Profundity-Penetrating Pill.
Once his alchemy duties for the sect were finished, he returned to Qingyu Ravine and trained in the Primordial One-Qi Art, Spirit-Refining Essentials, and Great Unity Heavenly Dipper Sword Art.
From time to time, he visited Xue Jingxing to ask about passages where he was stuck, and they occasionally had light sparring matches.
Even after that, he received permission to leave the sect about once every six months to visit Tunnel No. 3, and from time to time he convened a central meeting of the Two Heavens Society to keep the organization going.
***
Fifteen years later.
Lee Hyun purchased an Origin-Opening Pill in Danxiao Immortal City for eight mid-grade spirit stones. It was far cheaper than a Foundation Establishment Pill, and he could obtain one without spending contribution points. Contribution points were better saved for studying inheritances.
After returning to Qingyu Ravine and giving both his body and divine sense ample rest, Lee Hyun swallowed the Origin-Opening Pill and began circulating the Primordial One-Qi Art.
Hummmm–
Lee Hyun calmly held the rest of the spiritual power throughout his body steady while focusing on the movement within his lower dantian.
The light of the Qi-Gathering Formation gradually brightened, rapidly drawing the surrounding spiritual qi into Lee Hyun’s body. The dense spiritual power rotating within his lower dantian surged into motion along a new flow.
Then, at a certain moment.
Thump!
Lee Hyun’s long robe billowed slightly.
He continued his qi circulation until the flow of spiritual power within his lower dantian stabilized, then slowly opened his eyes.
“It worked!”
Foundation Establishment Stage 4.
His lower dantian had finally reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment.
After taking some time to stabilize his realm, Lee Hyun inspected his body internally. Then he took a wooden board from his storage pouch and began carving in Korean onto it.
【Age: 1,479】
【Realm: Foundation Establishment Stage 4 (Lower Dantian)】
【Spiritual Power: 1,420 → 1,452】
【Cultivation Art: Primordial One-Qi Art (Foundation Establishment Section)】
【Techniques (Minor Attainment): Great Unity Heavenly Dipper Sword Art, Spirit-Refining Essentials, Condensed-Essence Grasping Hand, Flame-Threading Art, Spirit-Guarding Essence-Protecting Method, …】
【Techniques (Major Attainment): Skywalking Art, …】
Once he had finished carving everything, he floated the wooden board in front of himself and admired it with satisfaction.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the words beside Great Unity Heavenly Dipper Sword Art.
‘Can I really call it Minor Attainment? It might still be Novice… Well, whatever. It’s not like anyone is going to inspect my wooden board….’
…
A few days later, at the communal Alchemy Hall.
When Lee Hyun entered, Liu Zhengyuan, who had been processing medicinal ingredients, looked up.
“Senior Brother Li.”
He stopped halfway through his greeting.
“Could it be…?”
“I reached Stage 4.”
“Congratulations!”
Fang Jiyun, who was farther inside, also turned and examined Lee Hyun’s aura before smiling.
“You’ve finally reached the mid stage. Did you use an Origin-Opening Pill?”
“Yes. I bought one.”
“Good. Tell Master at this month’s lecture as well. Now that you’ve reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment, you can be considered a proper pillar of Yanxia Peak.”
“You praise me too highly.”
…
Several months later.
After Yanxia Peak’s lecture ended, a few people remained behind.
Lee Hyun, Fang Jiyun, and Eldest Senior Brother Song Qiming.
Song Qiming was a Foundation Establishment Stage 9 cultivator. After Tao Wenqian passed away, he had naturally taken on the role of Eldest Senior Brother while handling various affairs around Yanxia Peak.
He spoke little and rarely showed much expression, but he was good-natured.
Tan Yunsheng watched the doorway through which the disciples had left, then placed a jade slip on the table.
“Dongsan. I need you to take on an external assignment this time.”
Lee Hyun cupped his hands.
“What kind of assignment is it?”
“We’ve decided to send alchemy personnel to Haimen Port on the southwestern coast of the Great Yan Kingdom. Go there and take charge of one of the alchemy rooms.”
Lee Hyun recalled the name Haimen Port.
It was a coastal port reached by traveling southwest from Qinghe Valley’s former Mountain Gate. Located on the border between Anling Kingdom and the Great Yan Kingdom, it was a major trade hub frequented by many cultivators as well as mortals.
Song Qiming spread a map beside the jade slip.
“The cultivation forces in the area have established a joint base. Our sect and the Biluo Sect have both agreed to contribute supplies and personnel.”
Several points were marked along the coastline on the map, and red lines had been drawn over a few of them.
Lee Hyun asked,
“Is this related to demon beast activity?”
“It is.”
Tan Yunsheng nodded.
“The affected area has expanded since Qinghe Valley first reported it. For the past few years, the damage has spread beyond the sea routes to small coastal islands and harbors as well.”
Song Qiming pointed to the southern section of the map.
“As the Nanming Twelve-Sect Alliance expands its influence over the sea routes toward Lan Kingdom and Cang Kingdom, merchant groups and cultivators pushed out of those waters have been searching for other routes. More of them are venturing into distant waters than before and encountering demon beasts.”
“Has the reason for the increase in demon beasts been discovered?”
Tan Yunsheng shook his head.
“Not yet. Our sect’s Intelligence Hall is investigating as well, but so far, there is no evidence that the demon beast appearances are connected to the Nanming Twelve-Sect Alliance.”
The Intelligence Hall was responsible for gathering reports from disciples dispatched throughout the region and information brought in by merchant groups. When necessary, it also sent people out directly to verify whether rumors were true.
Tan Yunsheng pointed to several of the red markings on the map.
“If the smaller sects are unable to cope and withdraw, the number of available sea routes will shrink even further. Then people and goods will become concentrated along the remaining routes, and when an incident occurs there, the damage will be even greater.”
“It would affect the transportation of medicinal ingredients used by our sect as well.”
“For certain ingredients, yes. But there is a larger problem than a slight increase in medicinal ingredient prices. If the coastal bases collapse, the sea routes and harbors leading toward Kun Kingdom will become difficult to keep safe as well. If the kingdoms of the mundane world are devastated and their populations decline, we lose children we might otherwise take in as disciples. What good is it if a child is born with a spiritual root but dies before we ever find them?”
Tan Yunsheng continued.
“Still, we cannot exactly send our sect’s Golden Core Elders to every stretch of coastline…. What they need locally are alchemists capable of adjusting medicinal potency according to the properties of different demon-beast poisons. And if you go, Dongsan, given how skilled you are in combat, I’ll feel somewhat more at ease. The others on our peak are far more dependable at alchemy than they are in a fight. I worry they would panic and get themselves injured even when facing demon beasts at the same realm.”
Song Qiming added calmly,
“That is why we have also requested personnel from the Dharma Protector Court. We cannot expect you to bring the junior disciples along while handling both alchemy and protection yourselves.”
Lee Hyun picked up the jade slip and examined its contents.
The deployment period was initially set at two years, after which they would be rotated out depending on local conditions and whether replacement personnel were ready.
Song Qiming would lead the group, while Lee Hyun would be responsible for the alchemy work. It also seemed likely that one Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Dharma Protector Court would accompany them.
⚬──────────✧──────────⚬
Join our discord server: https://discord.gg/96hMXymzMP