Nano-engineering Immortal Cultivation Chronicle

Chapter 35

Episode 35: A Sprout Grows on the World Tree

Whoosh!

The members of One Group, who had been attacking the Demon Clan, were startled when Jang So-cheon, who had been missing for several days, suddenly leapt down from the sky.

Then, they noticed that Jang So-cheon's cultivation had advanced yet again.

Gwak Mu-jin spoke to Jang So-cheon.

"Junior Jang, every time you disappear and reappear, your realm seems to rise. You can tell us where you went later—let's take care of these Demon Clan first."

"Understood. By the way, have you been lying in ambush at the foot of the mountain for long?"

To Jang So-cheon, the timing of the Extreme Heaven Sect disciples’ appearance was extremely suspicious.

They hadn’t shown a hair when the Demon Clan was rampaging, but...

The moment the Tamrang Tribe’s main force left, they sprang out as if waiting, immediately seizing Muguk Peak.

"We’ll talk about that later. But your arm looks injured... are you alright?"

Seeing Jang So-cheon wield the Primordial Divine Sword with his left hand, Gwak Mu-jin asked with concern.

Jang So-cheon tried moving his right arm a little.

He could move it without much discomfort, thanks to timely bone-setting, but it was still too soon to use sword techniques properly.

"It’s just a slight fracture, nothing too serious."

"That’s a relief."

Swish!

Just then, a Demon Clan member who had been hiding underground burst out, swinging a sharp crescent blade.

His target was Jang So-cheon.

Gwak Mu-jin stepped in front of Jang So-cheon and, with the Wuji Blade of the Crimson Heaven, sliced through both the Demon’s blade and his head in one stroke.

He didn’t roar, but the way Gwak Mu-jin fought was reminiscent of the Demon Clan itself.

It was a shame that the Nine Ancient Kingdoms didn’t have a race like him.

Currently, Gwak Mu-jin’s cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Eleven Star Level.

At his current pace of Realm Advancement, it was widely believed he’d reach the Spirit Refining Stage soon.

Whoosh!

Sanggwan Cheonse’s Fire Serpent was also making a big impact, but to Jang So-cheon, its power seemed a bit lacking.

Remembering Sanggwan’s kindness, Jang So-cheon decided he should at least offer some advice and approached Makjang.

"Makjang! What on earth is going on here?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Extreme Heaven Sect is risking lives to seize Mubulsan Mountain... what’s their real aim...?"

Jang So-cheon trailed off, his expression turning to surprise.

Thinking it over, he realized that controlling Mubulsan Mountain would bring the Extreme Heaven Sect considerable benefits.

Even if the Demon Clan had swept away all the Supreme Grade Spirit Stones from the Demon-Suppressing Cave, there might still be some left.

And not just those.

If there were Supreme Grade Spirit Stones, there would be even more High Grade and Medium Grade Spirit Stones.

No major sect would be ignorant of this.

They’d surely send their experts to demand a share, and with its weaker power, the Extreme Heaven Sect would have no choice but to yield.

But by formally occupying Mubulsan Mountain like this, the Extreme Heaven Sect could claim a major voice in the coming scramble for the spirit stones buried beneath the Demon-Suppressing Cave.

‘You only sent a handful to fight the Demon Clan, but our entire sect risked death to drive them out and protect the cave...’

By emphasizing their efforts, the Extreme Heaven Sect could at least secure a share on par with the major sects.

Realizing Elder Jang Mun’s scheme, Jang So-cheon looked at Makjang with a shiver.

"Elder Jang Mun really had a grand plan, didn’t he?"

"Of course. The most important thing was when our sect would make its appearance."

"Makes sense. If you show up too early, you risk heavy losses from a Demon Clan counterattack. Too late, and no one sees your sacrifice..."

"Heh! I thought only our group leader was clever, but Elder Jang Mun is several steps ahead. The Extreme Heaven Sect really is full of talent..."

"Must’ve been tough lying in ambush all this time?"

"That’s what will make our sect strong in the future. Plus, there are plenty of little profits to be had..."

Makjang glanced at the belt of a high-ranking Demon Clan member lying dead in front of him.

But the Heaven and Earth Pouch, which should have been there, was missing.

Grinning, Makjang tossed a Thunder Strike Talisman into the ground, creating a deep pit.

He jumped down, dug at the bottom with his sword, and finally found a Heaven and Earth Pouch, which he strapped to his own waist.

He’d managed to recover the pouch that the dead Demon Clan elder had hidden underground with his Divine Miracle.

Uproar!

The remaining Demon Clan members, feeling utterly betrayed, barely put up a fight.

Many dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.

In the end, the battle ended in victory for the Human Tribe...

The three Supreme Elders descended into the Demon-Suppressing Cave and wiped out the remaining stragglers.

***

Even after the fighting ended, the Extreme Heaven Sect disciples lingered at the cave entrance for some time.

Eventually, only the Hoseong Army remained to guard Hoguk Fortress, and the rest withdrew—a full month after the battle had ended.

During that time, Jang So-cheon explained to his Master and group members why he’d disappeared.

He’d overheard the Demon Clan discussing a Dragon Vein of flowing lava beneath Golden Lotus Peak. If it erupted, it could wipe out the Extreme Heaven Sect. So, he’d tracked them down and killed them.

After hearing this, Elder Jang Mun sent a disciple skilled in the Earth Escape Technique underground to check.

Once Jang So-cheon’s story was confirmed, the sect secretly invited Investigators from other sects skilled in the Earth Escape Technique to divert the Fire Meridian elsewhere.

The project was funded with High Grade Spirit Stones mined from the Demon-Suppressing Cave.

When it was finished, Elder Jang Mun awarded Jang So-cheon a massive amount of Contribution Points for saving the sect from disaster.

At this point, even Jang So-cheon had lost track of how many Contribution Points were stored in his Jade Token.

Tap!

Jang So-cheon placed his Jade Token into his Heaven and Earth Pouch and, while his broken wrist healed, created a new fire-type Avatar.

But this time, the Avatar he created was not a Fire Dragon.

It was the Vermilion Bird.

The legendary firebird from the Four Divine Beasts, a mythical creature that breathes fire and launches flaming feathers like Dark Energy.

After returning to his quarters from the Demon-Suppressing Cave, Jang So-cheon opened the Heaven and Earth Pouch of the dead Black Phoenix Tribe elder and couldn’t help but cheer.

Inside were a hundred High Grade Spirit Stones.

And that wasn’t all.

Inside the pouch was also a book of spatial techniques Jang So-cheon had long desired.

The Sky Vault Scripture.

Seeing the title, Jang So-cheon took a deep breath.

He slowly exhaled, then nervously flipped through the pages.

But as he turned the pages, his face grew increasingly excited.

The Sky Vault Scripture contained the True Formula for entering Otherworldly Space using secret techniques.

Not only that, but it included methods for hiding oneself in midair, dominating a certain area of space, and even instant spatial movement...

The catch was that all these techniques required Divine Power.

Law Power alone was useless.

At that moment, a wave of gratitude for Eun Dan-bi, who had taught him how to cultivate Divine Power, surged through Jang So-cheon’s heart.

Thump, thump.

Realizing he’d obtained an incredible opportunity, Jang So-cheon closed the book and took a few deep, calming breaths.

And he realized: among the Nine Ancient Kingdoms, the most dangerous race wasn’t the Tamrang Tribe, but the Black Phoenix Tribe.

From that day on, Jang So-cheon devoted himself to training with the Sky Vault Scripture.

He focused especially on the techniques for hiding in midair and instant spatial movement.

As a result—

After about two months, he could at least clumsily imitate both techniques.

But Jang So-cheon hadn’t spent the entire two months solely on the Sky Vault Scripture.

He also studied pill recipes he’d obtained from the Demon Clan’s Heaven and Earth Pouch and managed to create Jade Spirit Pills using the Stone Monkey’s inner core as the main ingredient.

It was Jang So-cheon’s first time making an elixir pill with a Water Spirit Monster’s inner core as the main ingredient.

So he thoroughly analyzed the pill recipe and purified the Stone Monkey’s inner core as much as possible.

During the process, he entered the Mysterious Heavenly Blessed Land to gather herbs, processed and dried them to make them easier to refine.

As a result, he succeeded in refining the pills in just three attempts, but the problem was the Mystic Flask.

Even though Jang So-cheon infused Divine Power into the pills, the Mystic Flask once again rejected them.

‘What’s the issue?’

From experience, Jang So-cheon realized that the Mystic Flask would never accept an elixir pill it had already refined once before.

And it only accepted pills that had reached the maximum possible medicinal effect he could achieve.

This meant there was still a way to further increase the pill’s potency.

As he pondered, a sudden inspiration struck Jang So-cheon like a bolt of lightning.

"Could it be...?"

Shaking his head, Jang So-cheon took out a black, square stone from his Heaven and Earth Pouch.

He infused it with Divine Power and entered the Mysterious Heavenly Blessed Land—then gasped in shock.

A single green sprout had appeared on a branch of the World Tree.

It had just begun to bud, so it wasn’t very big.

Yet the area around the tree was filled with a radiant energy.

"Wow!"

Jang So-cheon’s jaw dropped as he looked at the herbs growing beneath the World Tree.

With the World Tree revived, its energy had elevated the herbs’ innate spirit to the level of Spirit Herbs.

They were incomparable to what he’d harvested two months ago.

"Is this the reason?"

There was no way the peerless beauty inside the Mystic Flask could know what was happening here, but Jang So-cheon, entranced, began harvesting the herbs.

Then he exited the Mysterious Heavenly Blessed Land and began refining pills again.

Confident in his skills, Jang So-cheon used Divine Power from the start.

After pouring his heart into the process, he succeeded in creating four Lustrous Spirit-Stone Elixirs.

He placed one inside the Mystic Flask, and this time it was absorbed without any issue.

Relieved, Jang So-cheon stored the remaining three Jade Spirit Pills in his Heaven and Earth Pouch.

Jang So-cheon knew that elixir pills made from Demon Clan recipes were especially effective for the Human Tribe.

But he had no intention of taking them himself.

***

"Captain! I heard you’re going to the seaside to gather Spirit Herbs this time?"

"That’s right. We’re heading to the Archipelago Sea at the far end of Taehyeon Kingdom."

"The Archipelago Sea?"

"There are so many islands, it’s called the Archipelago Sea, but it’s really just a part of the Sea Beneath Heaven. I’ve heard there’s a rare herb called the Dragon Scale Leaf Herb there."

"In the ocean?"

"Dragon Scale Leaf Herb only grows deep in the ocean. If we can harvest it, Master will be able to concoct a Dragon Flame Pill."

In the past, Master had given Jang So-cheon the Extreme Heaven Sect’s pill recipe book.

So as soon as he heard the name Dragon Scale Leaf Herb, Jang So-cheon immediately thought of the Dragon Flame Pill.

Only Master and Jang So-cheon knew he possessed the sect’s pill recipe book.

So Jang So-cheon had to keep his expression neutral.

"Wow! I think this will be my first time seeing the sea."

"Why? So-cheon, are you planning to come too?"

"Of course! Master hasn’t been refining pills much lately. This is a great chance to see the sea and gather herbs... Oh! How far is it from here to the Sea Beneath Heaven?"

"It takes about fifteen days by Flying Magic Device."

"That’s really far. But if we use the Flying Magic Device Master gave us, can’t we cut down the time?"

"That’s how long it takes even with that. You’ve been pretty busy lately, haven’t you?"

Just as Gwak Mu-jin said, Jang So-cheon had been extremely busy for the past three months.

He’d been training in the spatial techniques from the Sky Vault Scripture and refining Jade Spirit Pills, barely spending time with his group.

"I’m free now. So when are we leaving?"

"We’ll depart early tomorrow morning. If you want to come, So-cheon, get Master’s permission first."

Although he was a member of the same group, Jang So-cheon held a special status.

He was Master’s direct disciple.

So whenever he went on a long expedition, he had to report to Master and get permission.

"I was planning to do that anyway. Captain, I’ll see you tomorrow morning."

Whether he could get Master’s permission or not, Jang So-cheon dashed off at full speed.