Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 178

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

Chapter 178: Goal (1)

Although they had defeated Snow Flower True Lord and the four Won Yeong-gyeong Daoists, it wasn’t a situation where they could feel at ease.

On the 7th layer of Ghost Head City, North Palace Annihilation, the leader of the Ghost Bone Alliance, was brazenly holding her ground.

Moreover… they also had to think about Tan Lan Gu Ma from the Blood World Demon Sect.

‘I don’t think Tan Lan Gu Ma would have gone up to the 8th layer. He’s probably staying on the 7th layer.’

Originally, Tan Lan Gu Ma had fled to Ghost Head City to shake off Baekwha-pa.

However, Baekwha-pa had entered Ghost Head City with Seo Seol-ryeong’s guidance and was currently lending their strength in the fight against the Ghost Bone Alliance.

‘Given this situation, there’s a high chance Tan Lan Gu Ma will join hands with North Palace Annihilation.’

Currently, Baekwha-pa was allied with Cheon Woo-jin and Seo Seol-ryeong.

Tan Lan Gu Ma would also know that it would be difficult to oppose them alone.

If that was the case, there was a high possibility that Tan Lan Gu Ma would also join hands with North Palace Annihilation to form a united front.

‘North Palace Annihilation and Tan Lan Gu Ma… both are formidable opponents.’

North Palace Annihilation, who claimed to be a descendant of the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace.

The demon lord Tan Lan Gu Ma from the Blood World Demon Sect.

These two were more dangerous than the Won Yeong-gyeong cultivators they had faced so far.

‘Even in the game, they were troublesome bosses to deal with.’

Moreover, they were incredibly vicious.

Unlike Snow Flower True Lord, who would step forward directly for a frontal confrontation, they were mastermind-style villains who manipulated people from behind and schemed all sorts of conspiracies.

While they wouldn’t immediately come down to the 6th layer to capture Cheon Woo-jin and Seo Seol-ryeong right now, the longer they delayed, the higher the chance of troublesome situations arising.

‘They’re not the type you can negotiate or make deals with either. So it would be better to deal with them quickly.’

Then what should they do?

Cheon Woo-jin had already thought of a plan.

* * *

6th Layer Central Mirror Town.

Deep within an alley lined with various shops, Seo Seol-ryeong’s shop had been located.

But now that shop was gone.

It had been completely destroyed by Azure Wind Valley’s rampage.

Cheon Woo-jin stepped into the spot where that shop had been.

Since it had been cleanly cleared up, no traces of the shop remained.

Seo Seol-ryeong had carefully decorated the interior, but not even a single small ornament was left.

Only Seo Seol-ryeong stood alone, lost in thought, in the empty space.

“Seo Seol-ryeong.”

“What is it?”

When Cheon Woo-jin spoke to her, Seo Seol-ryeong replied in a calm voice.

“Why are you standing here?”

“I was just lost in memories.”

“Memories?”

“It was less than a year, but it was still a place I stayed at continuously.”

“…”

“Taking the form of a tea shop wasn’t bad either. Serving tea to acquaintances who visited was quite enjoyable too.”

Seo Seol-ryeong’s voice was flat.

But Cheon Woo-jin could feel that her voice contained regret.

Even without using his Won Yeong divine consciousness, Cheon Woo-jin was able to sense Seo Seol-ryeong’s subtle emotional changes.

“But it’s somewhat strange.”

“What’s strange?”

“I stayed at the 2nd layer market for much longer, but I didn’t feel anything special when I cleared that place out. But this time is different.”

“…”

Originally, Seo Seol-ryeong had operated a shop disguised as a fortune-telling parlor in the 2nd layer market.

That was also where Cheon Woo-jin had first met Seo Seol-ryeong.

“The situation is different from back then, so naturally the feeling would be different too.”

“The situation is different… I see.”

A bitter smile appeared on Seo Seol-ryeong’s lips.

“Back then, I didn’t have the luxury to feel regret because I was consumed by the thought that you had died.”

“Are you bringing up that story again?”

“I didn’t bring it up to blame you particularly.”

“…”

Cheon Woo-jin closed his mouth and turned his gaze elsewhere.

But Seo Seol-ryeong wanted to continue that story.

“Honestly, I was deeply hurt back then.”

“You were deeply hurt?”

“Why do you think I cleared out my shop on the 2nd layer and moved up to the 6th layer? I’m telling you this now, but there was also an aspect of falling into despair.”

He was a little surprised.

He hadn’t expected Seo Seol-ryeong to speak so openly about it.

“Fellow Daoist Cheon, I had placed my hopes in you.”

“…”

“I had expected that you could become the person I wished for.”

At some point, Seo Seol-ryeong had come to harbor such expectations toward Cheon Woo-jin.

But one day, Cheon Woo-jin was kidnapped by Elder Ancestor Sama Moon of the Ten Thousand Poison Six Death Gate.

Since it was difficult to expect him to return alive, Seo Seol-ryeong thought Cheon Woo-jin had died and moved up to the 6th layer alone.

And although she tried to join hands with the Ten Thousand Night Ice Palace to obtain the Ghost Spirit Summoning Banner… in the end, because Cheon Woo-jin came back to life, Seo Seol-ryeong gave up the Ghost Spirit Summoning Banner and became Cheon Woo-jin’s collaborator again.

Looking back at these actions, it seemed that Seo Seol-ryeong hoped for Cheon Woo-jin to grow smoothly and become someone who could play some kind of role.

What exactly was Seo Seol-ryeong hoping for from Cheon Woo-jin?

This was a difficult problem to figure out even for Cheon Woo-jin, who possessed game knowledge.

Because the game never revealed Seo Seol-ryeong’s specific settings or past, there were too few clues to even attempt speculation.

Still, recently he had begun to get some sense of it.

He had learned the information that the true masters of Mount Miaogushe, Seo Seol-ryeong’s hometown, had all ascended to the Upper Realm, leaving only Seo Seol-ryeong behind.

“Fortunately, you have overcome various crises and continued to survive. And as I expected… no, you’ve grown smoothly beyond what I expected.”

“Can my current level satisfy your expectations?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m only saying your growth rate exceeded expectations.”

Seo Seol-ryeong replied in a cold voice.

“You’re still insufficient for the level I desire.”

“Even though I’ve reached Won Yeong-gyeong, it’s still not enough…”

Cheon Woo-jin looked straight at Seo Seol-ryeong and voiced his speculation.

“You mean I need to reach Hwa-sin Gyeong. To the same level as you.”

“…”

Seo Seol-ryeong fell silent for a moment.

“I am a Gyeoldan-gyeong disciple.”

“That’s only at this point in time. But you weren’t in the past.”

“Well, there was a time in the past when I was at Qi Accumulation Stage. There was also a time when I was at Yeongi Gyeong…”

“Don’t play word games. I’ve already figured it all out.”

“…”

A sigh escaped from Seo Seol-ryeong’s lips.

“At one point you said I was Won Yeong-gyeong, and now you’re saying I’m Hwa-sin Gyeong? What’s your basis?”

“After completing Won Yeong condensation, when I supported you as you collapsed, I could feel it.”

In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to feel anything.

But Cheon Woo-jin had reached Won Yeong-gyeong with expanded Divine Consciousness, and he had also suspected that Seo Seol-ryeong had once been an existence higher than Core Formation Realm.

That’s why it was possible for him to notice.

“I felt a strange sense of dissonance from your body.”

“Did you grope my collapsed body? What a lewd person.”

“…”

“Ah, it’s a joke, so don’t stay silent like that. I don’t mind.”

Seo Seol-ryeong hurriedly waved her hands.

“So, what did you feel?”

“A body where the Material World and Mental World harmonize with each other… that’s the feeling I got.”

Won Yeong-gyeong is an existence with a dual structure of a Material World body and a Mental World nascent soul.

But at Hwa-sin Gyeong, this dual structure is unified again.

The body of Hwa-sin Gyeong is an object of the Material World, but at the same time, it’s also a spiritual body of the Mental World.

It can perform life activities as a living being, such as eating and sleeping, but it’s also possible to make that body similar to a nascent soul state.

That’s why the body of Hwa-sin Gyeong differs greatly from bodies at Won Yeong-gyeong and below.

The body is composed of much more high-dimensional elements.

“Seo Seol-ryeong, isn’t your body composed of spiritual matter?”

“…”

Spiritual matter is a high-dimensional element with different properties from ordinary matter existing in the Lower Realm.

It can exhibit the same characteristics as ordinary matter, or it can become a spiritual state without material substance.

To ascend to the Upper Realm, one must become an existence composed of this spiritual matter.

“When you reach Hwa-sin Gyeong, your body and nascent soul merge again to possess a body made of spiritual matter.”

Of course, since she’s no longer at Hwa-sin Gyeong now, she probably can’t freely utilize her spiritual matter body.

If she were at Hwa-sin Gyeong, she could make her body like a nascent soul to pass through physical barriers, but Seo Seol-ryeong had never shown such abilities.

But the body of Seo Seol-ryeong that Cheon Woo-jin had contacted last time was… definitely a body composed of spiritual matter.

“You always exceed my expectations.”

Seo Seol-ryeong let out a long sigh.

“Excellent, Fellow Daoist Cheon.”

“So my thoughts are correct?”

“They are correct.”

Placing her hand on her chest, Seo Seol-ryeong spoke in a complicated voice.

“I was a Hwa-sin Gyeong existence. But for certain reasons, my power is currently sealed.”

“I knew it… hm?”

Cheon Woo-jin was nodding when he suddenly looked surprised.

“Your power is sealed?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then…”

If that seal were just released… does that mean she could regain her Hwa-sin Gyeong power?

This was something Cheon Woo-jin hadn’t expected.

“Just in case you’re wondering, it’s not such a simple seal. It’s not a seal that can be released at any time, so for now, just think of me as Core Formation Realm.”

“Hmm…”

When he temporarily lowered his realm with the Blood World Demon Sect’s Scatter Retreat Secret Submersion Technique, there was no change in his Status Window.

On the other hand, when Jang Si-u of Huanyi Xiangshe had his realm lowered due to Heavenly Tribulation, it was immediately reflected in the Status Window.

So he had thought that Seo Seol-ryeong also couldn’t return to Avatar Mirror realm.

Since the Status Window displayed her as Gyeoldan-gyeong Arena.

But… it seems that wasn’t the case.

Although her power remains sealed and continues to be displayed as Gyeoldan-gyeong Arena, returning to Avatar Mirror realm is possible.

“Seo Seol-ryeong, then…”

“By now you must have realized it too.”

Seo Seol-ryeong said while placing her hand on her chest.

“I have been searching for someone to ascend to the Upper Realm with me.”

“…!”

“Naturally, I don’t need an ordinary Avatar Mirror cultivator. There are countless such people in the Upper Realm too.”

Seo Seol-ryeong’s true goal.

The mystery that all players of Spirit Path Cultivation Chronicle had been curious about was finally solved.

“Finding someone with extraordinary talent that would be rare to see even in the Upper Realm… and bringing such a person to the Upper Realm was the reason I alone among the Guye True Person remained in the Lower Realm.”

* * *

‘They seem to be having some conversation, but I can’t hear anything at all.’

Back Alley of Central Mirror Town.

Tan Lan Gu Ma, who was spying on Cheon Woo-jin and Seo Seol-ryeong from there, clicked his tongue.

The two seemed to be having some important conversation, but he couldn’t hear anything at all.

‘It seems they’ve set up a barrier at some point. Is it Seo Seol-ryeong’s doing?’

But Tan Lan Gu Ma didn’t give up.

Though it would be somewhat troublesome, it was possible to break through the barrier and spy on them.

Tan Lan Gu Ma lay flat on the ground and slowly tried to extend his spiritual energy.

It was right then that a voice came from behind him.

“Oh my, what a cute-looking child.”

“…!”

It was a voice he had heard somewhere before.

When Tan Lan Gu Ma carefully turned his head, he saw a strange figure standing in the darkness of the back alley.

It was a figure wearing a white mask with a smiling face drawn on it.

‘Mujung Soma?!’

Why is that bastard here?

Could it be that the Blood World Demon Sect has issued an assassination order?

Tan Lan Gu Ma hid his confused inner thoughts and opened his mouth.

“Woof, woof!”

“Oh my, the puppy barks quite energetically.”

Tan Lan Gu Ma who was here now was not in human form.

He was a small-bodied dog with brown fur.

He was in a state where only his consciousness was being transmitted from his main body located far away.

In any case, there would be nothing good about continuing contact with Mujung Soma.

Tan Lan Gu Ma tried to leave the scene while pretending to be an ordinary stray dog, but…

“But thinking that a thousand-year-old serpent-like demon head is sitting inside this puppy makes me quite uncomfortable. What exactly are you doing here, Tan Lan Gu Ma?”

“…!”

Tan Lan Gu Ma tried to flee urgently, but it was already too late.

Mujung Soma’s pure white sword qi was flying toward him at merciless speed.

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