Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 47

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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 47: Foundation Establishment (2)

 

 

‘Let the original Way of Heaven and Earth be revealed so that filthy energy may scatter and disappear. Let the fundamental light be brightly revealed in the mysterious void of Cave Heaven.’

 

‘Majestic spirits of the eight directions, lead me to the original Way. Let it be proclaimed throughout the Nine Heavens to receive the talisman of Lingbao.’

 

‘Guardian deities, deities of Dao power, slay demons and repel evil, and guide all people.’

 

Such incantations are for Purify Heaven and Earth and Dispel Filth Spirit… spells to cleanse this place and drive out impurities.

 

By reciting these incantations while extending spiritual power to activate the formation, one creates a pure space where no impurities can intrude.

Without such a space, the ritual cannot proceed.

To use an analogy, it’s like creating a sterile room for surgery.

 

In such a pure space, Cheon Woo-jin’s body slowly began to decompose.

Though it maintained human form, the connections between material elements became extremely loose.

If someone poked it with a finger, it would sink right through the skin.

 

Despite this state, he still maintained his human appearance precisely because of the Foundation Building Pill.

The energy of the spirit materials contained in the Foundation Building Pill was holding all of Cheon Woo-jin’s elements together.

 

The Five Elements spirit materials grasped the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys; the tendons, vessels, flesh, skin, and bones; and the eyes, tongue, mouth, nose, and ears.

The foundation spirit materials grasped the essence, energy, and spirit; the three elixir fields; and the triple burner.

 

Though loosely decomposed, it was properly held together without scattering.

Using this state, he had to break through existing barriers to reach a new realm.

 

‘Transform my body so I can reach the Foundation Establishment realm.’

 

Foundation Establishment means building a foundation.

To properly begin the process of becoming an immortal, one transforms the body itself to create a foundation.

 

Of course, one cannot transform the body carelessly.

One must plan in advance what state to transform into, and the cultivation method serves as the guide for this.

One could maintain the same cultivation method practiced during the Qi Refinement realm, or proceed with Foundation Establishment while entering a new cultivation method for the Foundation Establishment realm.

 

Cheon Woo-jin had learned the Five Elements Path Cultivation Technique and Taeul Mysterious Sword Art during the Qi Refinement realm.

But this time, he planned to proceed with Foundation Establishment while entering a new technique.

 

‘I’ll use the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art as my guide.’

 

Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

A cultivation method he had found among Taesa Ryang’s collection of books.

 

A technique said to have been created long ago by the ascended Thunder Spirit True Person during his Foundation Establishment realm. Among thunder-attribute techniques for the Foundation Establishment realm, it possessed the strongest offensive power.

However, the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art was so difficult that almost no one had properly mastered it.

Even Taesa Ryang seemed to have used it only as reference material to utilize his Dharma Artifact, the Thunder Strike Jade.

 

But Cheon Woo-jin could understand the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

Because he knew the hints that appeared in the game.

 

‘When entering the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art, one must be conscious of Water Ascends Fire Descends.’

 

Originally, in Daoist Thunder Methods, lightning is generated when the energies of heaven-earth yin-yang collide with each other.

Thunder-attribute techniques in the world of Spirit Path Cultivation Chronicle are also designed to utilize this principle.

 

However, when entering the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art, one must not only be conscious of heaven-earth yin-yang energies.

One must also collide yin-yang energies within oneself.

 

‘One must collide the heart fire of the upper body with the kidney water of the lower body.’

 

In Five Elements theory, the heart corresponds to Fire and the kidneys correspond to Water.

And Fire is yang within yang, while Water is yin within yin.

 

Forcibly lower the fire energy of the heart in the upper body.

Forcibly raise the water energy of the kidneys in the lower body.

By artificially colliding heart fire and kidney water in this way, one can recreate the situation where heaven’s yang energy collides with earth’s yin energy.

 

What happens when this is done?

Just as lightning strikes in the sky.

Lightning also strikes within the human body.

Heaven-Human Correspondence is achieved, allowing one to embody the laws of nature with the entire body.

 

This is precisely the key to entering the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

 

‘Other cultivators couldn’t master the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art because they didn’t know this.’

 

This is a part that must precede entry into the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

Yet this part wasn’t written in the cultivation manual.

From Thunder Spirit True Person’s perspective, it was such a basic part that he didn’t bother mentioning it.

 

In the game, one could only enter the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art after mastering a technique dealing with the principles of Water Ascends Fire Descends to obtain hints.

Because this differs from orthodox cultivation methods, ordinary cultivators couldn’t master the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

But since Cheon Woo-jin already knew this part, he could directly enter the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

 

‘Being conscious of the Great Yang and Great Yin in the Central Palace, colliding the fire energy of the Upper Burner heart with the water energy of the Lower Burner kidneys…’

 

Cheon Woo-jin operated his spiritual energy with his eyes closed.

 

Originally, fire burns upward and water falls downward.

Here, one does the opposite. Raise water and lower fire. This is called Water Ascends Fire Descends.

 

Actually, Water Ascends Fire Descends is the body’s natural physiological function.

If yang energy remains above and yin energy below, no circulation occurs.

But in the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art, this physiological function becomes the driving force of great power.

 

Using spiritual power to artificially force a strong collision between the heart’s fire energy and the kidneys’ water energy.

By doing so, one induces a reaction between extreme yang and extreme yin, recreating the phenomenon where heaven’s yang energy collides with earth’s yin energy.

 

It was like recreating the great universe of heaven and earth within the small universe of the human body.

 

“…!”

 

A tingling sensation raced through his entire body.

Due to the collision of yin and yang, lightning energy was continuously being generated within his body.

 

The more he repeated this process, the more he could feel his understanding of the principles of heaven and earth deepening.

It wasn’t understanding with his mind. The comprehension was progressing at the level of the basic units that composed the human body.

 

At some moment.

Cheon Woo-jin felt his consciousness falling into deep darkness.

He had fallen deeply into the Spiritual Domain of the Manifest True Life Body.

 

Even within the Black Space where nothing existed, lightning was striking down.

Suddenly, Cheon Woo-jin felt an instinctive fear.

The thought occurred to him that he might be swept away by that lightning and lose not only his physical body but his soul as well.

 

‘No, that’s not right.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin shook his head inwardly.

 

‘I must not fear that.’

 

Fearing natural phenomena like lightning is an animal instinct.

But one who walks the path of cultivation must dominate and transcend that nature.

 

Cheon Woo-jin steeled his resolve and expanded his will.

As if spreading both arms wide and accepting the lightning falling from the sky with his entire body.

 

At that moment.

An intense sensation as if his very soul was being electrocuted overwhelmed Cheon Woo-jin.

But Cheon Woo-jin’s consciousness did not shrink back in the slightest.

 

Instead, he poured out his entire soul to draw a new outline.

A new self that had become one by accepting the lightning energy.

 

“…!”

 

And then.

Changes began in Cheon Woo-jin’s physical body.

 

All the components of the human body that had been loosely decomposed were rearranged.

The elements that the Five Elements Spirit Creatures and Foundation Spirit Material had each been holding onto were fitted together one by one.

In that process, some things expanded while others contracted.

Some things even melted away and were expelled.

 

His body was changing in response to the enlightenment Cheon Woo-jin had reached.

 

“Ah…!”

 

Crack, crack.

Sounds like countless parts being fitted together echoed out.

 

At that intense sensation, Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes snapped wide open.

Simultaneously, a tremendous thunderclap burst forth.

Violent lightning energy was swirling around Cheon Woo-jin as well.

 

It was Heaven-Human Correspondence. In response to the lightning energy generated within Cheon Woo-jin, lightning was also falling from outside.

But Cheon Woo-jin felt no fear.

He spread both arms wide and accepted everything.

 

‘The essence of yin-yang true energy that penetrates heaven and earth, the light of Break Evil Reveal Truth that is you….’

 

The principle of lightning energy that penetrates all things.

Speaking to that natural law itself, he reached out his hand strongly.

 

‘I will make you the sword with which I penetrate this world.’

 

Boom!

Massive lightning exploded on the mountain peak.

Though it seemed powerful enough to annihilate the entire mountain, after the lightning ceased, there was no change to the mountain.

 

Only from Cheon Woo-jin’s body were remnants of lightning energy crackling and sparking.

 

‘I succeeded.’

 

Under the sky that had cleared once again.

Cheon Woo-jin felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

 

‘Now I am at Foundation Establishment!’

 

He stood up.

Even without trying to use his spiritual power, he could feel that great changes had occurred in his body.

 

First of all, his physical body itself had changed.

His height had increased and his shoulders had become broader.

 

‘I have undergone Bone Transformation Rebirth.’

 

Bone Transformation Rebirth is commonly known as a realm that martial artists reach when they attain a high level.

But originally, Bone Transformation Rebirth is a Taoist concept.

It means that when one cultivates to become an immortal and achieves enlightenment, their skeleton changes and they are reborn.

 

In the world of the Spirit Path Cultivation Chronicle, one undergoes Bone Transformation Rebirth when reaching Foundation Establishment.

It establishes the foundation to continue cultivating the Way going forward.

 

‘Even my facial features have changed.’

 

Creating a water mirror with water spirit energy to check, he could see that his facial outline had become more refined and his features more well-defined.

Even the brightness and elasticity of his skin had improved compared to before.

This was due to his skeletal structure itself changing and his skin and facial muscles being reborn.

 

Of course, what had changed the most wasn’t his appearance but his inner self.

All components of his body, including his meridians, were now optimized for the spiritual energy circulation of the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

Using spiritual power with this body would allow him to display incomparable strength to what he had before.

 

‘Moreover, my spiritual domain has grown as well.’

 

When he closed his eyes and sank into the space within his mind, he could feel that the spiritual domain of his Manifest True Life Body had become clearer.

Not only that, but he also felt that his spiritual domain had expanded beyond what it was before.

It was a strange feeling that the endlessly extending space had expanded even further, but that’s how it felt experientially.

What meaning this growth held would need to be contemplated going forward.

 

‘But the most important thing is… the wall I had been feeling all this time has disappeared.’

 

Until now, no matter how much spiritual energy he absorbed, he could only recover what was consumed and experienced no growth whatsoever.

He had constantly felt that wall, but now that wall had disappeared.

From now on, he would be able to accumulate spiritual energy and grow once again.

 

‘The path of hardship has opened.’

 

Right now, Cheon Woo-jin was at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

To advance to middle stage, late stage, and perfection, he would have to endure even more hardship than during the Qi Refining stage.

 

But excitement preceded fear.

By enduring such hardships, he would be able to gain the strength to continue surviving in the future.

 

* * *

 

Cheon Woo-jin went outside the Great Void Cave Heaven Realm.

It turned out that over a full month had passed since he had holed up in his cave dwelling.

 

‘After not eating anything for a month, I’m getting hungry.’

 

Originally, a Qi Refining perfection cultivator could abstain from food for roughly a month.

Though Cheon Woo-jin had now reached early Foundation Establishment stage, he was still hungry.

 

‘I should eat something on the 2nd Layer… and meet Seo Seol-ryeong.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin headed toward the market on the 2nd Layer.

But he heard an ominous voice from somewhere.

 

“Is it true that the bastard called Cheon Woo-jin frequently wanders around this area?”

“That’s correct, Senior Brother.”

 

Mastering the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art made one sensitive to air vibrations, maximizing hearing as well.

Thanks to this, he could catch the conversation some bastards were secretly having in a back alley.

 

“We must soon leave Ghost Head City and return to the Blood World Demon Sect. But if we return empty-handed, we’ll surely face punishment.”

“Since Red Night Moon Branch Leader died, we’ll have to take responsibility.”

“So we need to at least bring back that bastard Cheon Woo-jin’s head. Then at least our necks will be safe.”

 

Poking his head out to look into the back alley, he saw Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect gathered there.

Come to think of it, these were bastards he had made eye contact with several times before.

 

It seemed they were now completely withdrawing from Ghost Head City, but wanted to take revenge on Cheon Woo-jin before leaving.

 

Cheon Woo-jin snorted and entered the back alley.

 

“Who are you?”

 

None of them recognized Cheon Woo-jin.

This was due to Cheon Woo-jin’s face and physique changing greatly from his Bone Transformation Rebirth.

 

“It’s a face I haven’t seen before… Are you perhaps one of those bastards who hunts demonic cultivators?”

 

A Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator glared at Cheon Woo-jin with a menacing expression.

Recently in the lower levels of Ghost Head City, incidents of scattered cultivators banding together to attack Demonic Cultivators had been occurring frequently.

He seemed to suspect this guy might be one of those.

 

“If you don’t want to die, get lost. Right now we don’t have time to deal with the likes of you…”

 

Crack!

Lightning energy that suddenly burst forth pierced through his chest.

 

The Demonic Cultivators all fell silent at once before Cheon Woo-jin’s first magic art after reaching Foundation Establishment.

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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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