Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 13: Ghost Head City (1)

 

 

In the Wei Jin Kingdom, there exist three great sects.

 

Taeul Yeokri Gate, the greatest power among the Orthodox Sects.

Thirteen Alliances Under the Moon, the greatest power among the Dark Gates.

Blood World Demon Sect, the greatest power among the Demonic Paths.

 

These three great powers divide and rule the Cultivation World of the Wei Jin Kingdom into three parts.

However, there exists exactly one neutral territory where the dominance of these three great powers does not reach.

 

Long ago, a power called the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace succeeded in Sect Ascension.

Sect Ascension refers to not just a single Incarnation Realm cultivator ascending alone, but taking the entire sect along in ascension, which was the ultimate achievement that all sects dreamed of.

 

When the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace left the Mortal Realm, they left behind Ghost Head City, an Immortal Treasure in the form of a massive fortress, and the three great powers fought bloody battles for hundreds of years to claim this Ghost Head City.

Ghost Head City was valuable in itself, but if one could completely secure the legacy of the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace hidden throughout it, even Sect Ascension would be possible.

 

However, after the long war had consumed too much manpower and resources, the three great powers eventually came to armistice negotiations.

Ghost Head City was left as a neutral territory under no sect’s rule, and as a result, various cultivators began flowing into Ghost Head City.

 

Today, Ghost Head City has become a city of cultivators where various people live mixed together.

The three great sects had also officially withdrawn their hands, but they continued to intervene in Ghost Head City through subsidiary organizations, watching for opportunities.

 

“….”

 

The moment Cheon Woo-jin set foot in Ghost Head City, he felt gazes from among the chaotically erected stalls near the entrance.

These were the eyes of veterans trying to assess what kind of person this newcomer was.

They could tell at a glance just from Cheon Woo-jin’s appearance that he was a greenhorn.

How should they fleece this guy? Everyone was licking their lips thinking only of that.

 

But there was no need to be intimidated and cower here.

The area around the entrance was a place where only small fry who hadn’t even reached the late stage of Qi Refining Realm loitered about.

Cheon Woo-jin walked through the bustling streets while maintaining a cold expression.

 

“I say, young brother.”

 

At that moment, a man in shabby attire approached Cheon Woo-jin.

 

“It seems like you’ve set foot in Ghost Head City for the first time, but it’s dangerous to walk around so defenseless like that.”

 

The man looked around and whispered with a serious expression.

 

“That man eating noodles at the stall over there has been fidgeting with the hidden dagger in his chest since earlier. Once he finishes his noodles, he’s probably planning to tail you and attack in some secluded place.”

“….”

“For now, walk with me. I’ll show you a safe route.”

 

Saying this, the man took the lead.

 

“It would be good to secure lodging first. If you plan to stay long, I’ll introduce you to a trustworthy cave dwelling.”

 

Cave dwelling originally referred to caves where cultivators practiced cultivation.

But the meaning expanded, and all hideouts where cultivators resided came to be called cave dwellings.

 

Ordinary lodgings, no matter how well defended, cannot prevent attacks from other cultivators.

That’s why one must stay in cave dwellings where safety is guaranteed.

 

“Come, this way.”

“….”

 

Cheon Woo-jin kept his mouth shut and stared at his counterpart.

He needed to check the status window.

 

[Gwak Yu]

* Race: Human

* Age: 54

* Realm: Early Qi Refining Realm

* Constitution: Fire-Earth-Metal-Water Spirit Root

* Faction: Dark Gate

* Affiliation: Ghost Head City

* Destiny: Cruelty

 

Early Qi Refining Realm.

He wasn’t a threatening opponent for Cheon Woo-jin, who was already at the late Qi Refining Realm.

 

But the lodging this man would introduce would be a man-eating inn.

The moment Cheon Woo-jin lay down and closed his eyes at the lodging, there was a high possibility that vicious cultivators would burst in and butcher Cheon Woo-jin.

 

There was no reason to fall into such a trap.

 

“Krak!”

 

Swoosh!

A shadow blade shot up from the ground.

Cheon Woo-jin’s Black Shadow Technique, unleashed without any warning, pierced through the man’s heart.

 

“Y-young brother….”

 

A skilled cultivator could counterattack even with their heart pierced.

But it was impossible for someone at the early Qi Refining Realm.

The man named Gwak Yu died just like that without being able to offer any resistance.

 

Cheon Woo-jin glanced around his surroundings.

The cultivators who had been staring with greedy eyes all turned their gazes elsewhere in unison.

They understood that he was at a level they shouldn’t mess with.

 

‘Now there won’t be any troublesome incidents.’

 

He advanced forward, leaving the corpse collapsed on the ground as it was.

Though there was a corpse lying around, he paid it no mind.

 

Immediately, the skeletal thin man burst out from the alley.

With a grinning face, he dragged the corpse away.

 

This was a place overflowing with evil cultivators and ghost cultivators who used corpses.

That’s why no matter how many people died, corpses never piled up on the streets.

 

‘Still, I need to find lodging.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin recalled his memories from the game and moved toward the area where cave dwellings were clustered.

There were several shops with signs indicating “Vacancy Available.”

 

Rather than entering the shops directly, he just peeked inside.

He needed to check the owners sitting in the shops.

Just by looking at their status windows, he could confirm whether they were trustworthy or not.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin stopped at the fourth shop he peered into.

 

A fat man was sitting in a chair, fanning himself.

Over his shoulder, he could see a little girl lying on a bed, sleeping.

Whether she was his child or granddaughter, she was probably the owner’s family.

 

[Jo Hyu]

* Race: Human

* Age: 89 years

* Realm: Qi Refining Late Stage

* Constitution: Earth Spirit Root

* Faction: Neutral Path

* Affiliation: Ghost Head City

* Destiny: Family Love

 

Qi Refining Late Stage.

His skills were superior to Cheon Woo-jin’s, but he was considerably old.

 

And the destiny of “Family Love” caught his eye.

It meant he was born with a fate to prioritize his family above all else.

 

‘I can see through him.’

 

He seemed like someone who came to Ghost Head City with great ambitions, but eventually gave up challenging the Foundation Establishment realm and chose to live modestly while supporting his family.

 

‘There are cultivators who live this way too.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin entered the shop.

 

“I’d like to use a third-grade cave dwelling.”

“…”

 

The fat man, Jo Hyu, looked at Cheon Woo-jin with drowsy eyes.

 

“Third-grade is expensive.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Thirty standard spirit stones per month.”

 

Jo Hyu said while scratching his belly.

 

“And a deposit of 300 spirit stones paid in advance.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin immediately took out 330 spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them over.

Jo Hyu fondled the pile of spirit stones with his hands.

Just by doing this, he could confirm how many spirit stones there were in total.

 

“Follow me.”

 

Jo Hyu got up from his seat, carrying the sleeping girl on his back.

Then he entered a winding back alley.

 

“This is the entry token.”

 

Jo Hyu held out a black token.

Suddenly, a door appeared in what had been an empty wall.

 

“Come in.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin followed Jo Hyu inside.

A cozy single room immediately came into view.

In terms of floor space, it was about 7 pyeong?

There were no windows, but there was a hole in the ceiling for ventilation.

 

“As you felt when entering, it’s protected by formations created using quite a lot of spirit stones. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators can’t enter without the entry token.”

“…”

 

The fact that even Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t enter meant that Core Formation realm cultivators or higher could break through the formations and invade.

But at Cheon Woo-jin’s current stage, there was no chance of becoming a target for Core Formation cultivators.

 

In other words, it was the safest space in the world.

 

“If there’s anything inconvenient, come find me at the shop.”

 

Jo Hyu handed the entry token to Cheon Woo-jin, then went outside carrying the girl on his back.

 

Finally alone, Cheon Woo-jin unpacked his belongings.

Just in case, he attached an alarm talisman to the entrance, then… lay down flat on the floor.

 

‘Now I can finally relax my shoulders.’

 

About eight months had passed since he came to this world.

During all that time, he had never once been able to lie down comfortably.

Even the time he spent inside the stone cave after killing Ghost Shadow was the same.

He had to be wary of monsters from Goeyu Mountain or warriors from the Won Family Clan appearing.

 

But now he could stretch out both legs and rest comfortably.

Though he couldn’t say it was 100% perfectly safe, at least within this space he could sleep peacefully.

 

‘Even though it’s a monthly rental room.’

 

He closed both eyes with a comfortable mind.

 

‘For the first time, I have my own home.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin fell into sleep.

It had been 8 months since he had fallen asleep with such a comfortable feeling.

 

* * *

 

After taking sufficient rest.

Cheon Woo-jin examined his current situation.

 

‘The Spirit Stones I obtained from Jin Cheong are almost gone too.’

 

Jin Cheong’s Storage Bag contained about 900 Spirit Stones.

Of those, he had consumed 500 for teleportation array fees, and 330 for monthly rent and deposit.

He needed to pay 30 for next month’s rent, so there wasn’t much leeway.

 

‘Though it’s not to the point where it’s hard to make a living.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin hadn’t come to Ghost Head City to live quietly by himself.

He had come to gain the power to survive in this world.

 

For that, he needed Spirit Stones.

 

‘To reach the Foundation Establishment realm, I need a large quantity of Spirit Stones.’

 

Spirit Stones weren’t simply currency.

Because they contained condensed spiritual energy, Spirit Stones had to be consumed when conducting formations or rituals.

 

He could reach the late stage of Qi Refining without Spirit Stones, but to enter Foundation Establishment, he needed to consume Spirit Stones to perform the advancement ritual.

 

‘The Spirit Stones consumed when advancing to Foundation Establishment… about 10,000.’

 

An amount equivalent to about 30 times a year’s rent.

But he shouldn’t think this was too much.

When challenging Core Formation, he would need to use far more Spirit Stones than this.

 

‘In the end, I need to earn money.’

 

There were various ways to earn Spirit Stones.

Among them, the most representative method was performing ‘missions.’

Complete missions assigned by sects or civilians and obtain Spirit Stones as reward.

 

‘In other words, performing quests.’

 

Since Cheon Woo-jin hadn’t joined a sect, he couldn’t perform sect missions.

But various missions existed outside of sects as well.

 

Especially Ghost Head City was a place where all kinds of cultivators gathered and various factions competed, so he could find much more diverse missions than in ordinary cities.

 

‘If I perform missions like that and secure a position in Ghost Head City… I’ll be able to obtain the legacy of Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin hadn’t simply come to Ghost Head City to earn Spirit Stones.

Obtaining the legacy of Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace, which the Three Great Sects and many others coveted, was Cheon Woo-jin’s real purpose.

 

Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace was a force that possessed power even stronger than the Three Great Sects, and they had left all the achievements they had made in the Mortal Realm in Ghost Head City.

However, since Ghost Head City itself was like a massive dungeon, exploration wasn’t easy.

Despite a long time passing since Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace had ascended, a large quantity of legacy still remained intact.

 

If Cheon Woo-jin could claim that… it would be possible to match the Three Great Sects even with the status of a rogue cultivator.

 

* * *

 

Ghost Head City had a tower structure with multiple layers.

 

The area where Cheon Woo-jin was now located was the 1st Layer, a place where one could live normally despite the air being somewhat poor.

So not only Qi Refining cultivators but also ordinary people without Spiritual Power could stay there.

 

But upon entering the 2nd Layer, ordinary people would immediately faint.

This was because the miasma of Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace spread widely.

 

Miasma meant damp poisonous energy, and since even cultivators would quickly become poisoned if they inhaled it with their bare bodies, it had to be purified with Spiritual Power.

For reference, even denser miasma spread throughout the 3rd Layer.

 

‘My stomach feels stuffy even though this is still the 2nd Layer.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin operated his Spiritual Power while inhaling the contaminated air.

Even with a late-stage Qi Refining body, the miasma of Ghost Head City’s 2nd Layer was burdensome.

If the 2nd Layer was this much, he would collapse from poisoning the moment he set foot in the 3rd Layer.

 

But he couldn’t keep staying in the 2nd Layer.

To obtain what Cheon Woo-jin wanted, he had to go up to the 3rd Layer or higher.

 

‘In the end, I need to quickly advance to Foundation Establishment.’

 

At Foundation Establishment, he could endure the miasma of the 3rd Layer.

So he should prioritize gathering 10,000 Spirit Stones.

 

“….”

 

Cheon Woo-jin headed toward the commercial district of the 2nd Layer while staying alert to his surroundings.

And among the various street stalls, he found a tent with the character for “fortune” written on it.

 

Entering the tent, he saw a woman sitting there with long, jet-black hair hanging down.

Her body was frail and her skin pale, and she wore a white Wide-Sleeved Robe, making her look at first glance like a maiden ghost dressed in white mourning clothes.

 

Another distinctive feature was that her eyes were covered with cloth decorated with intricate patterns.

Since the most important part of her face was hidden, it was difficult to read her expression and gauge her inner thoughts.

 

“I want work.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin said this bluntly as he sat down in the chair.

Then a calm voice flowed from the woman.

 

“If you need work, look for it at the Broker Hall across the street.”

 

Broker refers to an intermediary.

Incidentally, this brokerage is one of the five professions of the Five Lower Gates that appear in martial arts stories.

 

“You must be a broker too.”

“….”

 

The woman fell silent.

Though she wore a blindfold, it felt as if she was staring intently at Cheon Woo-jin, observing him.

 

“I don’t assign work to just anyone. I only give it to those who are qualified.”

“That’s only natural.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin spoke in a cold voice.

 

“But that doesn’t matter, does it?”

“Doesn’t matter?”

“If someone’s unqualified, they’ll die while doing the job anyway.”

“….”

 

She placed her finger against her pale lips.

 

“So you’re saying you don’t mind even if the work puts your life in danger?”

 

As if pleased, the corners of her mouth turned upward.

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