Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 61

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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 61: Jakryang Mountain (4)

 

 

‘What a pointless struggle!’

 

Even while pursuing Cheon Woo-jin, Gi Sin-ryeo didn’t feel any particular sense of crisis.

He knew his opponent was merely at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

 

‘He got all cocky just because he defeated a few Core Formation cultivators!’

 

It wasn’t that he was dismissing Cheon Woo-jin’s talent.

 

Originally, no matter how much one struggled, the difference in cultivation stages generally couldn’t be overcome.

Qi Condensation cannot defeat Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment cannot defeat Core Formation, and Core Formation cannot defeat Nascent Soul. This was common sense in the Cultivation World.

 

Yet Cheon Woo-jin had defeated several Core Formation cultivators from the Ten Thousand Poison Six Evil Sect.

He must have used special Dharma Artifacts that enabled Core Formation-level attacks, but even so, it would be impossible without exceptional talent.

 

Gi Sin-ryeo held that aspect in high regard.

That’s why he had proposed for Cheon Woo-jin to join the Ten Thousand Poison Six Evil Sect.

If he possessed such exceptional talent, he could achieve great accomplishments even learning Poison Arts.

 

However.

That didn’t mean he was a threat to Gi Sin-ryeo.

 

A Core Formation Great Perfection cultivator possessed far greater power than mid or late Core Formation.

This was because their core formation was completely mature, allowing them to fully manifest that power.

Moreover, Gi Sin-ryeo, as the sect master, was armed with powerful Magical Treasures and Dharma Artifacts.

As could be seen from how he had broken through the Golden Garuda Dragon-Breaking Chain Method earlier, he possessed the power to easily subdue even several Core Formation cultivators attacking together.

 

Even if Cheon Woo-jin had defeated several early or mid Core Formation cultivators, he could never match Gi Sin-ryeo, who was at Core Formation Great Perfection.

 

‘Yes, it’s all pointless effort.’

 

Right now, Cheon Woo-jin was fleeing in a strange direction.

Normally he should flee away from Jakryang Mountain, but instead he was flying toward the central area of Jak Ryang Mountain.

 

Perhaps he had some kind of plan.

Maybe he wasn’t trying to escape from Gi Sin-ryeo, but was devising a strategy aiming for a comeback.

 

But that too was all pointless effort.

Whatever strategy he devised wouldn’t work on Gi Sin-ryeo, who was at Core Formation Great Perfection.

 

“You brat!”

 

Gi Sin-ryeo raised his voice toward Cheon Woo-jin, who continued to flee.

 

“Are you perhaps thinking of stealing the Ten Thousand Poison Orb inside?”

 

The Ten Thousand Poison Orb was the Ten Thousand Poison Six Evil Sect’s treasure, possessing very powerful strength.

If he could steal it, he might be able to stand against Gi Sin-ryeo.

But….

 

“Foolish brat! Bringing the Ten Thousand Poison Orb was just false information to lure the Golden Wing Sect! There is no Ten Thousand Poison Orb here!”

 

Revealing the truth like this, Gi Sin-ryeo observed Cheon Woo-jin’s reaction.

He had almost caught up now and could even confirm his facial expression.

 

“…?”

 

But something was strange.

Cheon Woo-jin showed no particular reaction.

 

Without reducing his speed, he flew to the highest Northern Peak near the volcanic crater, then calmly landed there.

And he gazed at Gi Sin-ryeo with cold eyes.

 

‘What’s this?’

 

Gi Sin-ryeo landed on the opposite Southern Peak with the crater between them.

He felt some inexplicable uneasiness from Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze.

 

“Gi Sin-ryeo.”

 

From across the crater filled with heat, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

 

“Is Sama Moon not getting involved in this matter?”

“What?”

 

At the suddenly mentioned name of the previous sect master, Gi Sin-ryeo’s eyes widened.

 

“Why are you looking for our Elder Ancestor?”

“Because it’s the part I’m most concerned about.”

“…?”

 

Gi Sin-ryeo didn’t quite understand, but he answered anyway.

 

“The Elder Ancestor has never intervened in this fight even once. From the beginning, I decided and I commanded. He probably won’t intervene unless absolutely necessary.”

“I see.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin slowly nodded.

 

“So you’re saying he might intervene if something not ordinary happens.”

“What?”

 

What on earth was this guy doing?

 

“You brat, how is that important right now?”

 

The same tone he used when lecturing disciples came out naturally.

That’s how absurd it was.

 

“I’m about to die by your hand right now, so why do you care about the Elder Ancestor? Whether the Elder Ancestor intervenes or not, what difference does it make?”

“If I could be certain that Sama Moon won’t intervene, I could make a different choice.”

 

Cheon Woo-jin answered while maintaining a cold expression.

 

“But as long as there’s even the slightest possibility of intervention, there’s only one method I can choose.”

“You’ve been spouting incomprehensible nonsense this whole time.”

 

Could he perhaps be caught up in madness?

 

Going insane during cultivation was a common occurrence.

It happened more frequently in the Black Gate or Demonic Path than in the Orthodox Sect.

This was because they often practiced expedient cultivation methods while accepting side effects.

 

Perhaps this guy had also cultivated in the wrong way to gain power and his head had become somewhat strange.

 

Gi Sin-ryeo felt slightly disappointed.

If his head had gone strange, there was no need to recruit him into the Ten Thousand Poison Six Evil Sect.

It would be better to just kill him quickly here.

 

‘His eyes are somehow unsettling too.’

 

I should just kill him.

Having reached a conclusion, Gi Sin-ryeo raised one hand.

 

That bastard is merely at the early stage of Qi Accumulation.

But I mustn’t be careless. At least his speed is at the Foundation Establishment level.

 

I need to suppress him in one strike with magic arts that can sweep a wide area.

Otherwise, he’ll escape like before.

 

I’ve consumed a lot of spiritual power, so using the Lesser Yang Fire Poison Burning Heat Method once more would be difficult, but I can deploy a wide-range attack with similar effects.

 

“I’ve wasted time. Now die.”

 

Spitting out those words, Gi Sin-ryeo tried to spread deadly poison throughout the crater area.

 

It was right then that heat like a volcanic eruption came sweeping in.

 

* * *

 

While confronting Gi Sin-ryeo.

Cheon Woo-jin was thinking about Foundation Establishment in one corner of his mind.

 

What is Foundation Establishment?

It means building a foundation.

 

Then what is a foundation?

It’s a foundation for continuing to walk the path of cultivation in the future.

 

Growing as someone in the Foundation Establishment stage is the same as completing this foundation.

 

‘I need to create my own foundation.’

 

There’s nothing predetermined about this foundation.

Since the path of cultivation differs for each person, their foundations must also differ.

 

‘It wasn’t like this during the Qi Refining stage.’

 

In the Qi Refining stage, the methods for growing through early, middle, late, and perfection stages were predetermined.

 

To reach early Qi Refining, one had to be able to operate spiritual energy through the twelve main meridians.

Middle stage required the conception and governing vessels, late stage required the eight extraordinary meridians and connecting vessels, and perfection required operating spiritual energy throughout the entire body.

 

This is the same for all cultivators.

Even Gi Sin-ryeo in front of him would have gone through the same process during his Qi Refining days.

 

But in the Foundation Establishment stage, there’s no predetermined answer.

One must create a foundation for oneself using one’s own methods.

Only when that foundation is completed can Foundation Establishment be considered complete.

 

Then what kind of foundation should Cheon Woo-jin build?

 

‘It’s just like playing the game.’

 

Cheon Woo-jin recalled his experience playing Spirit Path Cultivation Chronicle in the real world.

 

‘Maximizing strengths and compensating for weaknesses… that’s the answer.’

 

One shouldn’t try to grow evenly in a mediocre way.

One must maximize strengths to make them one’s main weapon.

 

But that doesn’t mean neglecting weaknesses either.

One must prepare countermeasures to handle unfavorable situations.

 

‘Excluding the Instant Death Heaven Eye, my greatest strength is having the Water Spirit Root Manifestation True Body. And my greatest weakness is the same thing.’

 

Earlier, Gi Sin-ryeo pointed out that Cheon Woo-jin could only use water-attribute black lightning among the Five Thunder Methods.

Since Cheon Woo-jin has a single water-attribute spirit root, it’s natural for him to operate water spirit energy and use water-attribute magic arts.

While using other attribute magic arts is possible, it’s inefficient and unnecessary.

 

This was also a weakness of single spirit roots.

While they could grow quickly at the Qi Refining stage, being specialized in only one attribute made it difficult to respond to various situations.

 

Cheon Woo-jin needed to overcome this weakness.

While maximizing his greatest strength of having the Water Spirit Root Manifestation True Body.

 

“….”

 

He closed his eyes.

He sank into the inner space that stretched endlessly within, the spiritual domain of the Manifest True Life Body.

 

The Manifest True Life Body was an abyssal sea that accepted everything.

But had Cheon Woo-jin ever truly used that power in its genuine sense until now?

 

Cheon Woo-jin directed his consciousness outward.

Since reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, it had become possible to observe the external environment from within his spiritual domain.

 

Outside was filled with the heat of the volcano.

This place, Jakryang Mountain, was the hottest spot in the already heat-filled 5th Layer.

Gi Sin-ryeo had deliberately chosen this place as the battleground because it would maximize the power of fire evil.

 

That scorching fire energy.

Could the cold sea of the Manifest True Life Body accept it?

 

‘I must not let the seawater extinguish the flames. Conversely, I must not let the seawater dry up either.’

 

Making fire and water harmonize.

At first thought, it seemed impossible.

 

But thinking it impossible was itself the mindset of an ordinary person.

Wouldn’t making possible what ordinary people consider impossible be what it means to walk the path of cultivation as a cultivator?

 

‘I’ve already laid the foundation for that.’

 

The Yin-Yang Mysterious Bead.

It was the foundational spirit item Cheon Woo-jin had used to create his Foundation Building Pill.

A mysterious orb where black and white harmonized like the taiji, representing the harmony and balance of yin and yang.

 

Like its appearance where black and white harmonized, he needed to make two opposing energies blend together.

 

“….”

 

Cheon Woo-jin opened all his channels wide.

 

He even released the basic protective qi that safeguarded the human body.

And he accepted the Fire Shadow Energy that filled this entire area into his body.

 

No matter how much of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator one was, doing this would burn the body to death.

But Cheon Woo-jin tried to control the Fire Shadow Energy with the Water Spirit Energy he had accumulated so far.

 

Though the Fire Shadow Energy in this area was stronger than the Water Spirit Energy Cheon Woo-jin possessed, originally in the principle of the Five Elements’ mutual restraint, water could suppress fire. It was the principle of water overcoming fire.

He utilized that principle to the maximum to control the massive Fire Shadow Energy and made it harmonize with his Water Spirit Energy.

 

Then a change occurred.

 

The spiritual channels Cheon Woo-jin had created during his Qi Refining stage could only flow Water Spirit Energy.

Since it was a Water Spirit Root specialized in Water Spirit Energy, it was natural to make it that way.

 

Those spiritual channels evolved into a new realm.

Fire Shadow Energy harmonized with Water Spirit Energy raced through the twelve main meridians and eight extraordinary meridians, transforming everything.

 

In the intense sensation of all blood vessels seeming to burn, the image of taiji where yin and yang harmonized came to mind.

Like the Yin-Yang Treasure Bead, the yin Water Spirit Energy and yang Fire Shadow Energy harmonized as Cheon Woo-jin’s physical body evolved to the next stage.

 

‘With this….’

 

He had entered a new realm.

He could instinctively feel that fact.

 

‘I am at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.’

 

The moment he opened both eyes.

A completely different energy wave from before burst forth, shaking the volcanic crater.

 

“You bastard…!”

 

Had he noticed that Cheon Woo-jin had entered a new realm?

Gi Sin-ryeo shouted and deployed a spell formation.

 

It was a magic art that spread massive amounts of poison energy all at once.

Though not quite at the level of the Lesser Yang Fire Poison Burning Heat Method, it was still sufficient to fill this entire area with deadly poison.

 

This kind of attack couldn’t be defended against with Silver Spirit Steel Defense.

Because of its wide range and fast deployment speed, dodging was also impossible.

Even launching hundreds of lightning swords with Black Lightning Annihilation couldn’t eliminate all the poison energy.

 

Defense impossible, evasion impossible.

Even neutralization was impossible.

Then how should he deal with it?

 

The answer was already within Cheon Woo-jin.

 

‘I’ll make Fire Shadow Energy and Water Spirit Energy collide.’

 

The collision of fire energy and water energy.

That was something he had done countless times within his body, operating Heart Fire and Kidney Water according to the incantations of the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art.

 

What he had continuously repeated while cultivating the Thunder Spirit Great Evolution Art after performing the Foundation Establishment ritual now bore new fruit.

 

Generating lightning energy through the collision of extreme yang and extreme yin.

Borrowing the scorching heat that filled this area, he imbued it with the principle of the fire attribute.

 

A new door had opened.

In that intuition, Cheon Woo-jin threw all his spiritual power.

 

[Crimson Thunder]

 

Red lightning energy burst forth like fierce flames, as if to devour the entire world.

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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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