I Possessed a Cultivator Destined to Die at the Hands of the Protagonist - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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37.
At Eun Hui-gyeom’s remark, the monastery disciples exchanged glances and fell silent.
None of them had anticipated such a situation would unfold.
“What is this commotion!”
As the spiritual energy within Dongcheon Welfare Center surged violently, the startled Eom Cheol hurried to the scene.
Eom Cheol was the administrator overseeing Dongcheon Welfare Center.
Eun Hui-gyeom quickly fastened his sword to his waist and bowed his head.
The other disciples hastily paid their respects.
“Ahem, Senior. These fools monopolized all the spiritual energy, nearly causing us to fall into qi deviation. Please punish them for this transgression.”
Eom Cheol surveyed the interior of Dongcheon Welfare Center.
Yoo Yeon-seo, seated in lotus position in the most secluded corner, remained utterly motionless.
Eom Cheol could sense the spiritual energy of Dongcheon Welfare Center being absorbed into Yoo Yeon-seo.
“Pathetic.”
“Pardon?”
“Fools! You call yourselves disciples, yet you cannot even control a single stream of spiritual energy and nearly succumbed to qi deviation. And now you dare blame your junior? You don’t even think to fault your own shallow and insufficient cultivation!”
As Eom Cheol rebuked Wi Tae-gang’s group instead, their faces flushed crimson with embarrassment and confusion.
“Occupying a prime location and still whining like this. You don’t even deserve to be called disciples!”
“Ah, Administrator Eom?”
Eom Cheol issued an order banning Wi Tae-gang’s group from entering Dongcheon Welfare Center for three months.
As the holder of the Owun Tablet, his disciples had no choice but to obey without protest.
Wi Tae-gang’s group departed Dongcheon Welfare Center with dejected expressions.
“Thank you for your help.”
“Help? What are you talking about? I merely acted according to my duties as administrator.”
….
“These foolish wretches don’t even know where the true prime location is. They’ve caused me considerable trouble.”
Eom Cheol recognized at once that the spot where Yoo Yeon-seo sat was the genuine treasure ground of Dongcheon Welfare Center.
Eom Cheol, declaring he would not interfere further, vanished in an instant with his hands clasped behind his back.
***
“Well, well.”
“….”
“Does something like that even happen in this world?”
After completing the meridian examination, I looked around and found that the number of monastery disciples had dwindled to less than half.
I listened to what had transpired while eating the steamed buns Eun Hui-gyeom had brought.
Since Eun Hui-gyeom possessed less spiritual power than I did, it seemed he had finished the meridian examination process earlier.
“You should have woken me.”
“How could I disturb you while you were concentrating? Anyway, everything worked out fine.”
“Hmm, I suppose that’s true.”
Hungry as I was, I finished all the steamed buns Eun Hui-gyeom had brought and rose from my seat.
With the meridian examination complete, we began earnest preparation for our rank advancement.
“…More studying? Haven’t you already memorized the Cheongi Jipgyeong?”
“The Cheongi Jipgyeong is merely the beginning.”
Starting with the Cheondo Chonggyeong, then the Cheongwoo Daejeon, the Yeonsim-do Chongseo, and so forth.
The volume was incomparably greater than the Cheongi Jipgyeong.
It took five years just to understand and master a single text, which said everything.
It was only at this pace because Baek Un-jin spent almost every day at Seowun Pavilion, teaching me what I didn’t know.
‘If I had tried to do this alone, I probably would have died.’
I thought my studies would end with the Cheongi Jipgyeong, but I was sorely mistaken.
“You mastered the Cheondo Chonggyeong in five years?”
“Yeah, well. I thought I’d die from the strain.”
Running low on energy, I licked a lollipop when I encountered Kang Jin-heon.
After mastering the Cheondo Chonggyeong, I advanced to 5-star rank, and Eun Hui-gyeom to 4-star.
Kang Jin-heon had succeeded in advancing to 6-star rank several years prior, but he seemed to be struggling with mastering the Cheongwoo Daejeon.
Kang Jin-heon was genuinely astonished that Eun Hui-gyeom and I had completely mastered the Cheondo Chonggyeong—a sixteen-thousand-volume tome—in just five years.
Given his typically expressionless demeanor, I could tell his surprise was genuine.
“It took me ten years just to master it all. How on earth did you manage it?”
“Ah, well…. Hehe.”
I retrieved a book from the Jeomul Platform.
[Cheondo Chonggyeong Summary Collection Vol. 1]
“Thanks to this!”
“What is that?”
“What else? A summary collection, just as it says.”
To put it simply, you might call it a study guide.
As I mastered the Cheongi Jipgyeong, I noticed something: the people here stubbornly adhered to orthodox study methods to an almost absurd degree.
“Most of what appears is similar anyway, so I made this.”
It was what one might call the Yoo Yeon-seo special summary collection.
Even with this, five years were necessary, but thanks to it, Eun Hui-gyeom and I managed to cut in half the ten years Kang Jin-heon had spent studying.
Never underestimate a graduate school alumna who has to review dozens of papers daily.
Kang Jin-heon skimmed through the summary collection, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Did you create this?”
“That’s right.”
“Are you planning to do the same for the Cheonmyeong Suseonggi?”
“…uh, huh? I suppose I’d do something similar?”
After all, we’re aiming for 7-star rank as well.
Kang Jin-heon stepped forward and thrust his face close to mine.
“I’d like to be included too.”
And so Kang Jin-heon was added to my circle of study companions in this hellish ordeal.
Seven years passed in the Cheonmyeong Suseonggi.
Thirteen years elapsed mastering the Yeonshimdo Chongseo.
At this point, I couldn’t tell if I’d transmigrated into a xianxia novel or if this was simply my second life as a graduate student.
But honestly, this feels like I’ve studied more than I ever did in university?
To advance in rank, one needed both the corresponding skill and an understanding of the Way.
And advancement in the Yeongiqi could be achieved by performing a ritual to the heavens, barring special circumstances.
And so another three years passed.
Surprisingly, Eun Hui-gyeom reached 7-star rank in the Yeongiqi first.
The following year, Kang Jin-heon became 7-star rank in the Yeongiqi.
And I.
“…Why in the world?!”
I was stuck at 6-star rank in the Yeongiqi, unable to advance to 7-star.
“The six directions of heaven and earth open and embrace the body; scattered qi returns to a single source. Borrowing the breath of heaven and earth….”
A low rumble echoed.
The sky tore open, and suddenly black lightning crashed down, shattering the altar before me.
“Cough, cough…. No, why?! Why is this happening to me?!”
That was right.
Both Eun Hui-gyeom and Kang Jin-heon had succeeded on their first attempt, yet I was already failing this ritual for the tenth time.
At first, I thought it was a mistake.
Or perhaps I was lacking something, so I studied harder and trained more, but it was all for nothing.
After failing about five times, I finally understood.
‘Someone doesn’t want me to advance.’
In the Cheonmyeong Suseonggi, there was definitely a higher power that governed advancement in the Lower Realm.
One of them was refusing my advancement.
‘Damn it, in the original story Yang Ja-han received a gift when he took the 6-star advancement test, but they’re blocking me?’
The original Yang Ja-han had received a blessing from a higher power during his 6-star advancement.
But I was receiving a curse instead.
“O heavens.”
A deep rumble sounded.
A thunderous crash.
“O heavens, please….”
Another deafening crash.
“I won’t do it!”
I sprawled across the shattered platform, my body charred black from the lightning strike.
The advancement ceremony could only be conducted on days when the celestial constellations aligned in the heavens, and each failure required waiting fifteen days until the next auspicious date.
The moment the ceremony ended, the sky reverted to its pristine azure as though nothing had happened.
One hundred fifty-two advancement attempts.
In terms of years, I had spent six years and two months attempting nothing but advancement.
In that time, Eun Hui-gyeom had reached the eighth star.
What stung more than the fact that Eun Hui-gyeom was growing faster than me was my inability to cross from the sixth star to the seventh.
“Sister, you’ll catch a cold sleeping here.”
“….”
Eun Hui-gyeom, now a strikingly handsome man, looked down at me sprawled on the ground.
“Did you fail again this time?”
“Be quiet. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Please don’t say that.”
Eun Hui-gyeom helped me to my feet and placed his hand on my shoulder.
A soft luminescence bloomed.
The spiritual energy flowing from his fingertips cleansed my soiled body and healed the wounds covering it.
“Sigh… Sister, why must it always be this way with you?”
“I don’t understand the reason myself.”
I complained while chewing the steamed bun Eun Hui-gyeom had brought me.
To be honest, I wasn’t entirely without suspicions.
‘Is it because I’m not truly Yoo Yeon-seo?’
My possession.
I wondered if the heavens were rejecting the existence of Yoo Yeon-seo, who was destined to die in the original story.
“In any case, this cannot continue.”
How many years had I already wasted?
Moreover, I still could not forget the grave expression on Baek Un-jin’s face when he gazed at the heavens after my first failed advancement.
‘Master must know something.’
Perhaps he had already realized that I was destined never to advance.
“Sister, where are you going?”
“To see my master.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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