The Chaotic Immortal Wood Sect: Immortal Cultivation War - Chapter 7

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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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7. Obtaining the Absorption Divine Ability

Kang Hyeon’s consciousness traveled at the speed of thought somewhere along the passage connected to the Heaven and Earth Laws.

Thus, after passing through time where moments and eons could not be distinguished, his consciousness reached the Heaven and Earth Laws.

‘What is it?’

Kang Hyeon realized there was something beyond perception before him.

But that was all.

The true form of the Heaven and Earth Laws did not reveal itself from beyond perception.

‘Ahhh.’

Thirst.

His consciousness, aware that it could not reach the supreme truth or laws before it, cried out with uncontrollable thirst.

Woooooooooong!

Then, from afar, an alien presence knocked on Kang Hyeon’s consciousness.

It was a sensation transmitted from Trent.

‘Heoeoeoek! Haaaaa!’

In an instant, Kang Hyeon felt his entire consciousness shake with tremendous pleasure.

And a strong desire arose to surrender himself to that pleasure and enjoy it.

This was a phenomenon caused by the pleasure felt by the Spiritual Root and body left in reality being transmitted to his consciousness.

‘No, I can’t!’

Kang Hyeon awakened his consciousness, which was drowning in pleasure, with desperate resolve.

He instinctively realized that if he couldn’t overcome this and accepted the pleasure, his hope of obtaining something from the true form of the Heaven and Earth Laws would disappear.

‘I must find it.’

He didn’t even have the leisure to properly think about what he needed to find.

While struggling to suppress the surging pleasure, Kang Hyeon sharpened the blade of his consciousness to find something perceivable from the unprecedented something that could not be perceived.

And at some moment, one strand of that sharp consciousness touched something.

‘Absorption!’

Simultaneously, the Absorption Divine Ability was engraved in Kang Hyeon’s consciousness.

And he and his consciousness were pulled back to the Trent Spiritual Root in an instant, like an expanded rubber band being snapped back.

At that moment, Kang Hyeon felt deep regret for the true form of the Heaven and Earth Laws receding far away, though it was beyond perception.

‘Ahhhhh!’

It was an emptiness as if he had left part of his soul there, and this engraved a desperate resolution deep in his consciousness that he must return and reunite with it.

“Haaaaa.”

Kang Hyeon let out a long sigh.

In his breath lingered faint traces of pleasure.

While his consciousness had been touching those distant Heaven and Earth Laws, his body and Spiritual Root had been immersed in the Dharma Bliss of enlightenment.

And that Dharma Bliss was so powerful that it was incomparable to any joy he had ever felt.

‘I must be careful. If I become addicted to this Dharma Bliss, I won’t be able to escape.’

The pleasure of Dharma Bliss is incomparable to anything in the world.

Thus, it was said that even sages sometimes took the wrong path of focusing on Dharma Bliss rather than seeking the Way.

Also, since he had heard that most such people often fell into heretical paths rather than the righteous way, Kang Hyeon was wary of it.

“Huaaaa.”

Kang Hyeon completely gathered his consciousness and exhaled deeply.

At this moment, Kang Hyeon’s senses had achieved an unprecedented expansion he had never experienced before.

All his senses felt amplified several times over, and at the same time, Spiritual Energy felt much denser than before.

This meant his sensitivity to Spiritual Energy had greatly increased.

‘More important than that is the expansion of perception. The world looks different.’

Being able to perceive what could not be perceived before.

Even the air remaining in the Training Room felt different to Kang Hyeon than before.

‘But still, Absorption. This is…’

After confirming to some extent the changes that occurred from entering the Spiritual Energy Technique, Kang Hyeon turned his attention to the divine ability engraved in his consciousness.

It had been engraved in his consciousness in a truly imperceptible instant.

And now Kang Hyeon could naturally understand what kind of power this divine ability possessed.

‘The efficiency of absorbing targets and making their power my own has greatly increased.’

When you think about it, absorption is an ability everyone possesses.

Don’t even ordinary people eat something and absorb it to use as material for life energy?

Translating this to cultivation, one absorbs the Spiritual Energy spread throughout the world and uses it as nourishment for the Great Way.

Whether living or not, could there be anything without the ability to absorb?

However, since it’s a divine ability granted by the Heaven and Earth Laws, its power would be incomparable.

‘A divine ability that allows me to take more things faster. Good. It’s good, but the fact that it’s limited to the Spiritual Root…’

Kang Hyeon felt regret upon realizing that the Absorption Divine Ability was limited to the Spiritual Root’s activities.

He realized that the Absorption Divine Ability he obtained this time was restricted to the Spiritual Root’s activities.

But in the midst of this, Kang Hyeon suddenly thought of a possibility and summoned his summon, Trent.

“Huh? This is…”

And he was able to confirm that the Absorption Divine Ability also applied to his summon Trent.

“If the Absorption Divine Ability originally existed only in the Spiritual Root, its application would have been limited, but if it’s Trent who can operate externally…”

Since Trent was a summoned creature that could be called to reality and then merged back with the Spiritual Root Trent, Kang Hyeon couldn’t help but smile at its endless potential uses.

“Excellent.”

***

Kang Hyeon entered the 1st level of Spiritual Energy Technique exactly ten months after the Great Festival began.

And In Deok entered the 1st level of Spiritual Energy Technique half a month after that.

“Ehehe, this is great.”

“Is it good?”

“Of course, I don’t know why I waited so long to do something this wonderful.”

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

“You deliberately broke through to the next level later than me, right?”

“N-no?”

“What do you mean no? I already knew you were ready long ago.”

“You told me, Kang Hyeon. You said it was better to build a solid foundation.”

“That’s not it—you were trying to avoid attention, weren’t you?”

“Hehe.”

“No matter how clever you think you’re being, it’s hard to escape the eyes of seniors and adults. Don’t do that anymore since it might give them the impression you’re lazy. We need to go home when the Great Festival ends.”

“Still… I feel more comfortable following behind you, Kang Hyeon.”

“Tsk, so stubborn. Fine, do whatever you want. But In Deok.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you actually keep up properly?”

“Hey, I-I can do well too when I try!”

Ever since birth, In Deok had always followed behind Kang Hyeon.

To In Deok, Kang Hyeon was like a reliable pillar.

“In Deok, I’m confident I can keep up even if you go a little ahead. And I’m confident I can overtake you too. So don’t hide what you can do—give it your all. That’s fine.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Alright then, let’s get going again.”

Kang Hyeon dusted off his bottom and got up from the rock he’d been sitting on.

In Deok also stood up, shoving the dumpling in his hand into his mouth.

Right now, Kang Hyeon and In Deok had come outside the Tower to gather cultivation resources.

The basic education in the Tower was now almost complete.

Only children nine years old and under were still receiving separate dormitory education, while older children had been made independent.

Though Kang Hyeon and In Deok were still staying at Hyeon Gak’s Estate, the other children had been kicked out of the Communal Dormitory and had to find their own lodgings scattered throughout the Village Inside the Tower.

Naturally, the contribution points or Spirit Stones needed for this had to be earned through activities outside the Tower, and if that proved difficult, they had to find work within the Tower to make a living.

At least there were no children who couldn’t perform Spiritual Energy Resonance, so there was plenty of work available if they wanted it.

The monks of Cheonroemun assigned various tasks related to the many arts of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation to the children.

It was essentially close to labor exploitation, but they said learning and mastering things one by one this way was the orthodox path.

In this situation, Kang Hyeon and In Deok had fully entered the 1st level of Spiritual Energy Technique and had even obtained several basic Cultivation Methods from Hyeon Gak, so they were confidently engaging in activities outside the Tower.

Since only trainees wandered around outside the Tower anyway, there was no reason for children to be afraid.

“Do you see anything?”

“Not much, just a few faint ones.”

“Over there, over there, over there?”

“Yeah.”

“The spiritual energy is weak, but let’s gather them anyway. Even things that seem insignificant are always needed at some point.”

“That’s true. Even common things often prevent you from doing what you need to do when you don’t have them on hand.”

“Right. Don’t forget that.”

Saying this, Kang Hyeon moved toward the nearest place where spiritual energy was concentrated.

There, several Spirit Herbs that could be called the licorice root of herbal medicine shops were growing.

It was best to collect as many of these common but widely useful Spirit Herbs as possible.

“Should I dig them up?”

“You should.”

“You always make me do it.”

“You need to practice.”

“Lucky you, Kang Hyeon.”

In Deok looked at Kang Hyeon with envious eyes, then crouched down and began digging up the Spirit Herbs.

The reason In Deok envied Kang Hyeon was because of his Earth Manipulation Technique with earth attributes.

Earth Manipulation Technique, which manipulates soil, uses spiritual energy to soften earth, and its uses range from digging massive caves to harvesting Spirit Herbs and medicinal plants.

Besides that, there were several other Basic Techniques learned from Hyeon Gak, but generally Kang Hyeon’s achievements far surpassed In Deok’s.

That’s why most of the gathering was done by In Deok, who needed the practice.

“What kind of evil energy is attached to this?”

In Deok frowned as he reluctantly approached to harvest the Purple Bell Flower.

He had only now noticed another energy hidden within the herb’s aura.

“Great, it’s Purple Bell Flower again.”

In Deok responded with a grim expression to Kang Hyeon’s words.

When they had previously encountered Lee Tae Ho’s group from Hyeonhae Sect, Purple Bell Flower had been the cause.

Now they had found Purple Bell Flower again, and danger had come along with it.

It was a demon beast.

“Even if it’s a low-grade demon beast, it can use spiritual energy, so be careful.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Well, who else is here besides you?”

“K-Kang Hyeon…”

“You need to try real combat too. You can’t just spar forever, right?”

“But…”

“Should I just kill it instead?”

“W-would you?”

In Deok brightened at Kang Hyeon’s playful words, but it was just a joke.

“No, that won’t do. Go back.”

“Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?”

“In Deok, go on, go show me your skills!”

“That’s too much!”

“A guy built like a mountain acting so pathetic! Go on.”

“But won’t it hurt if I get stabbed?”

“Do you think the needles of a mere lowest-grade monster could even pierce your skin? Don’t worry.”

The monster guarding the Purple Bell Flower was a hedgehog monster.

Since it was a beast that had gained the ability to obtain and utilize spiritual energy, it couldn’t be compared to an ordinary hedgehog.

Not only was it nearly half a zhang in size, but the spiritual energy gathered at the tips of its densely packed needles was quite formidable.

However, while In Deok might lack in other areas, his defensive capabilities alone could truly be called exceptional, so Kang Hyeon wasn’t worried at all.

In Deok possessed a unique spiritual root that had both lightning and metal attributes simultaneously, and thanks to this, great achievements were expected in both offense and defense.

The problem was In Deok’s disposition.

In Deok had an extremely defensive nature, so he focused on metal-attribute spiritual energy cultivation and had high achievements in it.

Thanks to this, when In Deok covered his skin with spiritual energy, it became as hard as iron, making it difficult to even scratch him under normal circumstances.

However, compared to that, his attack power was average for the 1st level of Spiritual Energy Technique, or even below that.

Pop pop pop pop pop!

“Ugh, it stings! It stings! Die! Die!”

Thud, thud! Crack! Crack!

Even now, In Deok was enduring the hedgehog monster’s needles with his sturdy body while hunting it with his fists.

Though he had learned lightning-attribute long-range techniques, he still couldn’t use them properly, so wrapping his fists in lightning energy and striking was all he could manage.

“Hey! You should have taken off your clothes before fighting. How much of a loss will it be if your clothes get torn?”

“Damn, you should have told me earlier! Ow ow ow! It stings! Die! Die!”

“He seems timid, but when you see him fight like that, he’s really full of fighting spirit. Really, he’s a guy I understand yet don’t understand.”

Kang Hyeon watched In Deok fight while quietly moving his body to approach the Purple Bell Flower.

He was concerned that the Purple Bell Flower might get damaged in the fight between In Deok and the monster.

And after some time, In Deok, whose clothes had become rags, finally succeeded in hunting the hedgehog monster.

“Ugh, look at this. I got stabbed after all.”

In Deok grumbled as he pulled out two hedgehog needles that had pierced his side.

In Deok’s side was greatly swollen with a purplish tinge.

“Will you be okay?”

“There seems to be some poison, but the lightning energy is burning it away. It’ll subside soon.”

“Your body really is sturdy.”

“Ugh. I don’t like this kind of thing. I want to cast techniques from far away and deal with them with a bang…”

“You learned it. Lightning Summoning Technique. If you just used that, you could blow away monsters like that in one shot, right?”

Lightning Summoning Technique was the most basic technique among the lightning-attribute attack techniques In Deok had learned.

As the name suggested, it was a technique that guided lightning to strike a target, and even though it was basic, it had very powerful force since the attribute was lightning.

The problem wasn’t just making the lightning strike, but accuracy.

In Deok’s skill level was such that out of ten lightning strikes, he could only hit the target once or twice.

So he had no choice but to engage in close combat to avoid wasting precious spiritual energy.

“That’s too much. You know I’m still not good at it.”

In Deok whined and looked at Kang Hyeon with resentful eyes.

“Now, you harvest the Purple Bell Flower. I’ll take care of that thing.”

Kang Hyeon handed the Purple Bell Flower over to In Deok and approached the dead hedgehog monster.

Then he selected only the needles with particularly good spiritual energy reactions, gathering about ten of them, and checked if there was a monster core in the monster’s body.

“I expected too much from a lowest-grade monster. Tsk.”

Kang Hyeon confirmed there was no monster core.

He soon concentrated his consciousness on his Mental Space and summoned Trent.

Then he had Trent take the dead monster’s corpse before reverse summoning it.

As soon as Trent appeared, it wrapped the hedgehog monster’s corpse with its roots, then was reverse summoned back to the Mental Space.

‘When Trent absorbs monster corpses, it sends the spiritual energy needed for the spiritual root’s growth to the spiritual root, and uses the rest for strengthening the summoned creature Trent.’

Now the distinction between the spiritual root and the summoned creature was becoming increasingly clear with Trent.

Among them, the spiritual root grew through Kang Hyeon’s cultivation and Trent’s absorption, while the summoned creature Trent grew on its own through the Absorption Divine Ability.

‘It means that even without paying special attention to the summoned creature’s growth, it will grow on its own as long as I hunt diligently.’

Kang Hyeon looked at the summoned creature Trent, which was absorbing the hedgehog monster in one corner of his Mental Space, with appreciative eyes before returning his consciousness to reality.

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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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