Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 15

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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 15: Ghost Head City (3)

 

 

Perhaps because Song Jun-hak always carried it with him and read it multiple times.

The manual’s cover was discolored in several places. Crumbled paper dust fell from the edges.

 

But Cheon Woo-jin knew that this manual was an item of tremendous value.

He could confirm the six characters written on the cover.

 

“Taeul Mysterious Sword Art…”

 

It was the Sword Cultivation technique that the Taeul Yeokri Sect took pride in.

 

In the game, it was a technique that could only be obtained by becoming an inner disciple of the Taeul Yeokri Sect and accumulating many achievements, and it possessed the highest level of attack power among Qi Refining realm Sword Cultivation techniques.

 

As Song Jun-hak had demonstrated earlier, using spiritual power to create Sword Qi was the basic attack method.

Without having to craft Sword Control Talismans one by one and infuse each with spiritual power before throwing them, one could freely unleash massive amounts of blades at opponents.

 

‘To obtain such a useful cultivation manual on my first mission, I’m quite lucky.’

 

As could be seen from the black blades it produced, the Five Elements attribute of the Taeul Mysterious Sword Art was Water.

Water attribute techniques had good compatibility with Cheon Woo-jin’s Water Spirit Root Profound Dark True Body.

The Taeul Mysterious Sword Art also had aspects similar to the Black Shadow Technique, making it a Sword Cultivation technique suitable for Cheon Woo-jin to learn.

 

Cheon Woo-jin had been feeling the need to master a new technique anyway.

Currently, the only technique Cheon Woo-jin had mastered was the Five Elements Path Cultivation Technique, an introductory cultivation method.

Since it was a basic technique with nothing special about it, he needed a new technique.

 

But as soon as he arrived at Ghost Head City, he had obtained such a useful technique.

It seemed luck was on his side.

 

‘This makes the Mysterious Snake Spirit Sword feel like a waste though.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin examined the Mysterious Snake Spirit Sword once more.

As could be seen from its serpentine, winding blade, this wasn’t a weapon meant to cut down enemies with its edge.

It was a Dharma Artifact for channeling spiritual power to perform magic arts.

 

Since ancient times, swords had been used as ceremonial tools.

They weren’t simply weapons, but tools symbolizing cosmic harmony and spiritual power.

With blades on both sides, swords were tools that achieved harmony between yin and yang and could ward off evil energy coming from all directions.

That’s why sword-shaped Dharma Artifacts could commonly be found in the Cultivation World as well.

 

The Mysterious Snake Spirit Sword was a Dharma Artifact that displayed peak performance when executing Water attribute Sword Cultivation techniques, making it highly compatible with the Taeul Mysterious Sword Art.

 

But Cheon Woo-jin couldn’t keep this for himself.

The mission would only be completed once he retrieved the Mysterious Snake Spirit Sword and delivered it to Seo Seol-ryeong.

 

‘I’ll have no choice but to procure a Dharma Artifact myself.’

 

Cheap, low-grade Dharma Artifacts were sold even in the Ghost Head City 1st Floor market.

But poor quality Dharma Artifacts weren’t particularly necessary.

They were worse than just going empty-handed.

 

‘I should aim to get something of higher grade than the Mysterious Snake Spirit Sword.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin recalled the various top-grade Dharma Artifacts that could be obtained in the game.

Even if not right now, when the time came, he would need to move to get his hands on them.

 

* * *

 

“The job is done.”

“…”

 

When Cheon Woo-jin entered the tent and submitted the Mysterious Snake Spirit Sword and Soul Capture Talisman, Seo Seol-ryeong remained silent for a while.

 

“The deadline was one month, wasn’t it.”

“It was.”

“Only three days have passed though.”

“Isn’t it good to finish quickly?”

 

Seo Seol-ryeong examined the Mysterious Snake Spirit Sword and Soul Capture Talisman with her mouth closed.

 

“Just how did you find Song Jun-hak in only three days?”

“Trade secret.”

 

The status window ability was a special power that only Cheon Woo-jin possessed.

There was no need to tell others about it.

 

“You’re a wise person.”

 

But Seo Seol-ryeong didn’t seem particularly displeased.

 

“Revealing one’s methods to others is something only foolish people do.”

“Did I pass the test?”

“I’ve judged that you have at least the minimum qualifications.”

 

Seo Seol-ryeong placed her right hand on the table.

Immediately after, a large quantity of spirit stones poured out from her sleeve as if spilled onto the table.

 

“Two thousand spirit stones. Take them.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin swept the spirit stones into his storage bag.

With two thousand spirit stones inside, the storage bag felt noticeably heavier.

 

“Are there any other jobs available?”

“Unfortunately, there are no assassination requests right now.”

“I don’t mind if it’s not assassination work.”

“In that case.”

 

Seo Seol-ryeong asked in a calm voice.

 

“How about Night Hunt?”

“Night Hunt?”

 

When Taoists go around eliminating demons or ghosts, it’s called Wandering Hunt or Night Hunt.

 

“They say a Ghost General frequently appears near the Spirit Fields in the outer area of the 2nd Layer.”

“Ghost General….”

“I heard several owners of the Spirit Fields have already suffered damage. But it appears and disappears mysteriously, making it difficult to exterminate.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin recalled his memories of what kind of creature the Ghost General was.

 

The Ghost General is a ghost dressed like an armored general.

In the game, ghost-type mobs generally showed mysterious movements, and the Ghost General was particularly difficult to hunt due to its excellent attack and defense power.

 

“The reward is 800 Spirit Stones. How about it?”

“….”

 

Actually, this was among the lowest-grade missions that Seo Seol-ryeong handled.

The reward was also less than the previous mission.

 

However, there was still insufficient trust between Cheon Woo-jin and Seo Seol-ryeong.

It would take a bit more time to be entrusted with high-importance missions.

 

“I’ll accept it.”

 

At Cheon Woo-jin’s answer without hesitation, Seo Seol-ryeong nodded.

If this were a game, he could have confirmed a small increase in trust points, but unfortunately, such a system wasn’t implemented.

 

* * *

 

After parting with Seo Seol-ryeong, Cheon Woo-jin returned to Ghost Head City 1st Floor.

Then he entered his cave dwelling and began studying the Taeul Mysterious Sword Art.

 

‘Create a sword with Divine Consciousness….’

 

The principle of creating black Sword Qi had similar aspects to the Black Shadow Technique.

By maximizing the characteristics of the Profound Dark True Body while operating water spiritual energy, he could create black Sword Qi without much difficulty.

However, simply creating and launching Spiritual Energy Blades wouldn’t unleash the true power of the Taeul Mysterious Sword Art.

 

The Taeul Mysterious Sword Art required making the cultivator’s Divine Consciousness like a single sword.

Before releasing spiritual energy externally to form it like a blade, one must already create the sword within oneself.

 

“….”

 

Cheon Woo-jin sat cross-legged and concentrated his mind.

He imagined the scene of a single sword existing within himself.

However, drawing that sword to the outside wasn’t easy.

 

The sword imagined within.

The blade made of spiritual energy.

These two needed to match, but they felt like they were operating separately.

 

‘This isn’t simple.’

 

Let’s try changing the approach.

 

Cheon Woo-jin decided to first delve deeper into his own inner self.

Rather than just imagining the form of a sword in his head… he began to be conscious of the space where the sword would exist.

 

As he delved into his inner self for a long time while sitting cross-legged, his mind gradually began to feel distant.

Though he felt some fear, he ignored it and continued concentrating his mind.

 

Then at some moment.

A vast darkness unfolded within Cheon Woo-jin’s inner self.

This was something that hadn’t existed in Cheon Woo-jin, who was originally an ordinary human.

It was a massive spiritual domain he had gained upon acquiring the Profound Dark True Body.

 

‘Does such a space exist within me now?’

 

He couldn’t guess where its end might be.

Perhaps it might be endless.

After all, it would be stranger for a space of the mind to have boundaries.

 

Suddenly he felt like he might be sucked into this black space.

As he kept looking into his inner self, it felt like he might be devoured by his inner self instead.

 

‘It feels like looking into an endless cliff… or gazing into the deep sea.’

 

The ‘ming’ in Profound Dark True Body means the endlessly vast and deep northern sea.

As can be seen from the inclusion of the character for darkness, it’s an abyss sea whose end cannot be known.

This space having such a feeling was probably because it was a spiritual domain originating from the Profound Dark True Body.

 

‘I need to keep my mind straight.’

 

If he wasn’t careful, he would be devoured by his own inner self and lose his personality.

 

While paying attention to maintain his ego properly, Cheon Woo-jin began creating a single sword within the black space.

Not vaguely imagining a sword shape, but clearly as if the sword actually existed.

 

It was by no means an easy task.

If he let his guard down even slightly, the form would collapse and scatter into the black space.

 

‘The same knack is needed.’

 

Just as he firmly maintained his ego to avoid being sucked into the black space.

He needed to make the sword in his mind solid.

Cheon Woo-jin kept this in mind as he continued creating the sword.

 

If he could complete a Heart Sword that existed proudly in this endless darkness, it would become possible to bring it outside as well.

 

* * *

 

How much time had passed?

Cheon Woo-jin emerged from the cave dwelling in a disheveled state after finishing his long cultivation.

 

When he headed toward the area Seo Seol-ryeong had told him about, vast rice fields came into view.

Even in the entirely gloomy Ghost Head City, there existed land where farming was possible.

Of course, these weren’t rice fields for growing ordinary crops.

 

‘They’re growing Spirit Rice.’

 

Spirit Rice is rice that grows by consuming spiritual energy.

Unlike ordinary rice, it doesn’t require sunlight or water, and can be harvested after just a month or two of planting the seeds.

It grows well even in places covered with gloomy spiritual energy like Ghost Head City, and since it breaks down the toxicity of spiritual energy during its growth process, only pure spiritual energy remains in the Spirit Rice itself.

 

That’s why the cultivators living in Ghost Head City usually eat this Spirit Rice.

It’s more nutritious than ordinary rice and also helps with spiritual power recovery.

 

However, ordinary humans cannot grow such Spirit Rice.

Cultivators must continuously manage it by constantly inputting spirit stones.

 

What would happen if a creature like the Ghost General appeared and disrupted the Spirit Fields or attacked the cultivator directly?

The farming would be completely ruined.

 

‘That’s why it needs to be exterminated.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin found a suitable spot and waited.

Around midnight, rattling sounds began to be heard from somewhere.

 

When he turned his gaze in that direction, he could see a bluish ghost emerging from the darkness.

 

‘It’s the Ghost General.’

 

It had a massive build, standing about twice Cheon Woo-jin’s height.

Since such a giant couldn’t exist in reality, it must have made its own body more massive after becoming a ghost.

 

It was unclear why such an armored ghost would appear in Ghost Head City, which had been the stronghold of a capital sect.

Perhaps it was the vengeful spirit of a Wei Jin Kingdom general who had been captured as a prisoner by the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace and then killed.

 

“Ooooh…”

 

A bizarre voice flowed from its eerily distorted face.

The Ghost General headed toward the Spirit Fields, holding a large sword as big as its own body.

The moment it raised its sword toward the crops in the Spirit Fields, as if trying to resolve its grudge from life.

 

“Ooh…!”

 

The Ghost General reacted upon seeing Cheon Woo-jin rising to his feet.

Ghost fire blazed from its empty eye sockets.

 

Somehow, intense hatred seemed to be felt.

Perhaps having lost its life to the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace, it had come to hate all cultivators.

 

“Ooooh…!”

 

The Ghost General roared and charged toward Cheon Woo-jin.

As if intending to bisect Cheon Woo-jin with a single stroke to resolve its grudge from life, it raised its large sword high.

 

‘Sorry, but I’m not the one you should be resolving your grudge against.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin also prepared to swing his sword.

Of course, Cheon Woo-jin didn’t have a single blade in his hands right now.

But within Cheon Woo-jin’s inner self existed the Heart Sword.

Drawing it out was sufficient.

 

Whooom!

The Heart Sword forged within the spiritual domain of the Profound Dark True Body manifested with a metallic sword resonance.

Following the trajectory of his swinging hand, a pitch-black spiritual energy blade cut through the air.

 

The spiritual energy blade that extended as if it had substance struck the Ghost General.

And without even allowing time for a final scream, it completely bisected that massive body with a single stroke.

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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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