Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 4

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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 4: Spiritual Root (2)

What would have happened if Cheon Woo-jin had just stayed still?

The Wood Spirit would have torn Cheon Woo-jin’s body to shreds with its monstrous strength.

And then it would have sucked his blood like a plant absorbing water.

But that didn’t happen.

Just before the Wood Spirit’s arm reached him, Cheon Woo-jin opened his eyes.

“Instant Kill.”

Bang!

The Wood Spirit shattered into pieces.

The Instant Death Heaven Eye, which could instantly kill a designated target, had activated.

Since 24 hours had already passed after killing the Black Mist Dragon, he was able to use the Instant Death Heaven Eye again.

‘As expected, it works even against demons without eyes.’

Even if it was a tree demon without eyes, it still possessed senses to recognize enemies.

In the Spiritual Path Immortal Chronicles game, each entity had a field of vision set, and even eyeless demons had vision ranges.

That’s why techniques that only activated when facing each other had the same effect.

The Instant Death Heaven Eye was the same.

Even for eyeless demons, it seemed effective as long as they were facing toward where Cheon Woo-jin was.

“….”

Cheon Woo-jin stared at the shattered Wood Spirit.

In the past, he would have only seen broken pieces of wood.

But now, Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes could see something different.

He could see blue energy rising like heat waves from the Wood Spirit’s remains.

‘Success.’

A smile appeared on his lips.

Being able to see that energy meant Cheon Woo-jin had achieved the result he had hoped for.

‘Now I can see spiritual energy. This means I’ve gained a spiritual root.’

Originally, Cheon Woo-jin couldn’t sense spiritual energy.

But now he could see with his eyes the spiritual energy escaping from the Wood Spirit.

This was because the Core Absorption had been completed.

With the Black Mist Dragon’s Golden Core settling in his body, he had gained the same qualities as those born with innate spiritual roots.

‘And I’ve become the same as someone born with a Water Spiritual Root.’

Spiritual roots also had grades.

Those specialized in only one attribute among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water were considered the highest.

This was because their cultivation speed was several times faster than spiritual roots with two or three attributes.

Now Cheon Woo-jin possessed a Water Spiritual Root specialized in Water.

This was because the Black Mist Dragon had possessed a Water Spiritual Root.

Originally, dragons and lesser dragons often possessed Water Spiritual Roots since they cultivated their power in water, and the Black Mist Dragon was the same.

The fact that the Black Mist Dragon’s Golden Core was jet black was also related to this.

Black corresponds to Water in the five elements.

‘And I should have also gained the same characteristics as the Profound True Abyss Body.’

The Profound True Abyss Body was a constitution specialized in dominating and accumulating spiritual energy.

In the five elements, Water represents the power to store and condense things, and the Profound True Abyss Body could be said to be the maximization of that power.

As confirmed in the status window earlier, the Black Mist Dragon also possessed the constitution called Profound True Abyss Body.

By absorbing its Golden Core, Cheon Woo-jin had also come to possess the Profound True Abyss Body.

‘Now I possess the same spiritual quality as someone with a Water Spiritual Root and Profound True Abyss Body.’

Just moments ago, Cheon Woo-jin was an ordinary person without spiritual roots.

But now he had gained superior qualities compared to cultivators with mixed spiritual roots.

‘In that case….’

Cheon Woo-jin stared at the blue spiritual energy escaping from the tree demon.

It was scattering and disappearing at a rapid pace, but he didn’t feel particularly regretful about it.

‘That blue spiritual energy is Wood Spiritual Energy with the Wood attribute among the five elements.’

It might be different if Cheon Woo-jin had a Wood Spiritual Root.

But for a Water Spiritual Root specialized in Water Spiritual Energy, it was unnecessary spiritual energy.

So Cheon Woo-jin just quietly watched the blue spiritual energy scatter around.

‘Besides, absorbing spiritual energy from such minor demons would make my upper dantian impure.’

Cheon Woo-jin’s goal wasn’t just to live as an ordinary cultivator.

Beyond the Qi Refinement stage where one can manipulate spiritual energy.

Beyond the Foundation Establishment stage where one can build magical power.

Beyond the Core Formation stage where one can form a Golden Core.

Beyond the Nascent Soul stage where one can transcend the physical body.

Beyond the Soul Transformation stage where one can escape the Lower Realm.

He had to overcome the coming calamities and reach realms that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine, surviving until the very end.

To do that, Cheon Woo-jin already knew what path he needed to walk.

‘Right now I only have spiritual roots, I’m not yet a cultivator. So I need to learn a cultivation method first.’

What corresponds to a martial artist’s internal energy mental method is the cultivation method.

By cultivating a cultivation method, one becomes able to manipulate spiritual energy.

This stage is called the Qi Refining Realm, and it’s the first stage of cultivation.

‘My first goal is to learn a cultivation method and become a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.’

No matter how well Cheon Woo-jin knew the game settings, he couldn’t cultivate a cultivation method by himself.

He needed to receive someone’s teachings.

‘Fortunately, there’s someone perfect to take as a master.’

Cheon Woo-jin got up from his spot.

If he searched around this area, he could find some martial artist’s corpse.

It was a martial artist who lost his life to a monster attack near Goeyu Mountain, and Cheon Woo-jin planned to borrow those martial robes to change his clothes.

Because he needed to borrow that martial artist’s identity to meet his first master.

* * *

Near Goeyu Mountain.

In a place that barely escaped the Black Mist Dragon’s territory, there was a small hermitage.

The owner of the hermitage was an old man with many wrinkles on his face.

But his back was straight and his gait was strong.

The old man was from a branch family of the Won Family Clan that governed this region.

He was a martial arts master called by the alias Ghost Shadow, who had accomplished many feats for his family for a long time.

But currently, Ghost Shadow had retired from the front lines and was cultivating alone here.

“Is anyone there?”

A visitor came to Ghost Shadow’s hermitage.

It was a boy who appeared not yet to have reached adulthood, possessing mysterious-colored eyes.

“I’m sorry. I was attacked by wild beasts on the way here and ended up in this state.”

The boy’s clothes were torn here and there.

As if he had rolled around in a mud pit, he was completely filthy.

“I am Cheon Woo-jin, who recently became an outer disciple of the Won Family Clan. Elder Won Hang of the Won Family Clan sent me here. He told me to receive teachings from you, sir…”

“Nice to meet you, child.”

Ghost Shadow didn’t even listen to the boy’s words to the end.

Instead, he examined the boy carefully from top to bottom.

His bones and muscles were ordinary, as if he had never properly cultivated martial arts, and no particular internal energy could be felt.

But the fact that his nephew Won Hang had deliberately sent him here meant he was a talent with the qualities Ghost Shadow desired.

“If that boy Won Hang sent you, you must possess very outstanding talent. From now on, I am your master. I will teach you special martial arts, so just do as I teach you.”

“Thank you…!”

Seeing the child politely clasp his hands together, Ghost Shadow smiled with satisfaction.

‘A new livestock has arrived. I should raise it well and then devour it.’

Ghost Shadow, the old monster of the Won Family Clan.

His true identity was a cultivator who had belatedly jumped into the path of cultivation.

The reason Ghost Shadow accepted disciples like this was to cultivate them as cultivators, then turn them into elixirs to add to his own spiritual power.

So far, Ghost Shadow had sacrificed over ten children, and thanks to that, he had reached a considerable level as a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.

If the martial artists of the jianghu knew this fact, they would condemn him for falling into the demonic path.

But Ghost Shadow felt no pangs of conscience at all.

This wasn’t because Ghost Shadow was a particularly vicious person.

He was just a common cultivator who regarded human lives like insect lives.

However…

‘Ghost Shadow, the one being devoured won’t be me, but you.’

Cheon Woo-jin had come here precisely because he knew Ghost Shadow was that kind of person.

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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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