Nano-engineering Immortal Cultivation Chronicle

Episode 11: Primordial Divine Sword

*

"Senior Eun! You called this sword the Primordial Divine Sword—was it because of the characters engraved on the blade?"

"How could I possibly know the script of the ancient era? There’s simply someone in my clan who is well-versed in old characters. That person interpreted them for me."

"Would it be possible for me to meet this person?"

"You? Why? Do you have some ancient spellbook from the archaic times?"

"It’s not that, but…"

"Why are you worrying over something so trivial? I’ll ask that person to make a booklet interpreting the characters and send it to you. Does that solve your problem?"

"Is that really possible?"

"What could be so difficult about it? Oh, by the way, which peak do you live on?"

"Present Ghost Peak."

"Then it’s even simpler. I’ll have the booklet delivered to you within a few days, so look forward to it. Let’s leave it at that for today and part ways."

"I received a lot of help from you today, Princess."

"I’m satisfied with our trade as well. Master Jang! I’ll see you next time."

With those words, Eun Dan-bi’s figure dissolved like mist.

As soon as Eun Dan-bi left the Eastern Region, Jang So-cheon drew the Primordial Divine Sword and began practicing the Carefree Sword Technique.

He was thoroughly satisfied.

It felt as if the sword belonged to him, fitting perfectly in his hand and moving exactly as he wished, as if his mind and the blade were one.

Swish!

Leaping up to the ceiling, Jang So-cheon swung the Primordial Divine Sword and sliced through a stalactite.

He hadn’t even infused it with spiritual energy…

Yet the stalactite was cut so cleanly it looked like glass, and it fell to the cave floor.

Encouraged, Jang So-cheon practiced the Carefree Sword Technique several more times.

Only when he sensed it was nearly time to leave did he finally sheath the sword and exit the Eastern Region.

Whoosh!

Using the Cloud Moon Divine Technique, Jang So-cheon sped toward Ghost Blood Valley—only to witness an unexpected scene.

Screeech!

Cacklecacklecackle.

Thousands of evil spirits were shrieking hideously, attacking both their own kind and the experts from the White Herb Pavilion.

The evil spirits came in many forms.

Some looked human, others resembled demonic beasts or phantoms.

Thud!

A mantis-like spirit lunged at a White Herb Pavilion expert and drove its sharp claw into his crown.

"Guh…"

As the expert staggered, evil spirits from all directions pounced on him.

They knocked him to the ground, gouged out his eyes, and began devouring his flesh.

Swish!

The dying expert swung his sword.

But without spiritual energy, the blade merely passed harmlessly through the spirits as if they were phantoms.

The spirits he struck just laughed eerily and greedily sucked out his life force.

Crunch, crunch.

Some spirits even gnawed on his bones.

Hua Yun, seeing this, screamed and rushed to a fallen comrade.

He pulled a blue orb from his robes and hurled it into the sky.

Flash!

The orb shot upward, radiating a mysterious light.

Any spirit touched by the light vanished without a trace, allowing the fallen expert’s body to remain intact.

Staggering.

Having exhausted his spiritual power fighting the spirits, Hua Yun wobbled as he tried to use another technique.

Using Divine Sight, he saw that both his spiritual energy and Law Power were nearly depleted.

Even so, Hua Yun gathered every last bit of spiritual energy and infused it into the orb.

Another White Herb Pavilion disciple was in danger.

And then, something unbelievable happened.

A disciple from Present Ghost Peak dashed into the midst of the spirits and rescued the endangered White Herb Pavilion disciple.

But what was truly strange was his swordsmanship.

The technique he used was the Carefree Sword Technique, the basic sword art of the Extreme Heaven Sect.

Yet with each move, he destroyed a spirit.

‘Was the Carefree Sword Technique always this profound?’

That couldn’t be.

She herself could perform the Carefree Sword Technique skillfully, but she’d never seen such miraculous effects.

Shhhk!

Swish!

As Hua Yun watched Jang So-cheon’s movements, he noticed something else remarkable.

Wherever Jang So-cheon’s sword moved, there was always a spirit.

It wasn’t that the sword chased the spirits—the attacks anticipated where the spirits would move, striking preemptively.

No matter how fast or unpredictable the spirits were, they couldn’t evade his blade.

Even more astonishing was the spirits’ reaction.

Whenever the sword was swung, the other spirits recoiled in terror and scattered.

Whenever they regrouped, another was destroyed…

Screeeam!

And his movement technique was just as mysterious, filling the area around him with the screams of spirits.

Thanks to this, Hua Yun was able to rally his disciples and reorganize their formation.

Thump!

Only then did the young Present Ghost Peak disciple dash back to his own group.

While the White Herb Pavilion experts suffered casualties and chaos, the Present Ghost Peak side hadn’t lost a single member.

That was because they stuck together around Herbal Hall Master Chae, acting as one.

Tu Gon, a Spirit Refining Stage expert, wielded a peculiar artifact—a bell that repelled evil.

Jingle, jingle.

Whenever the bell rang, the spirits slowed dramatically.

They couldn’t even dodge the spiritual attacks from Gwak Mu-jin and Han Yeo-ok.

Thanks to this,

The three of them were able to dispatch countless spirits.

Still, the one who killed the most spirits that day was Sanggwan Cheonse.

Using his fire-based Divine Miracle, he conjured a Fire Serpent that grew to nearly fifteen feet long, soaring through the air and devouring spirits wherever it went.

To the spirits, it was like a grim reaper from hell.

The real surprise, though, was Makjang.

Despite being at a lower cultivation level than the others, the Thunderclap Talismans he crafted destroyed a significant number of spirits.

Flash!

Crackle, crackle, crackle.

Whenever Makjang threw a Thunderclap Talisman, even the fiercest spirits were instantly engulfed in flames and incinerated.

With Jang So-cheon wielding the Primordial Divine Sword joining the fray, the morale of the Present Ghost Peak disciples soared.

Now, they were chasing down the spirits, demanding retribution for attacking humans.

As time passed, the disciples of Present Ghost Peak and White Herb Pavilion joined forces.

The number of spirits dwindled rapidly.

Screeeee!

As the spirits’ casualties mounted, a sharp whistle rang out from somewhere.

Immediately,

The spirits who heard the whistle retreated from Ghost Blood Valley like the ebbing tide.

*

News that Jang So-cheon had once again harvested spirit herbs spread like wildfire through the Extreme Heaven Sect.

This time, it was a thousand-year-old spirit herb.

Not just any herb, but Dragon Snow Herb—the main ingredient for the Celestial Dragon Pill, which could raise a Spirit Refining Stage cultivator’s level.

Wuji Perfected One, who received the spirit herb from Jang So-cheon, kept a tight lid on the information to prevent it from leaking.

But within a single day, rumors had spread throughout the entire sect…

The next morning, before sunrise, the Heavenly Medicine Hall Lord came to Wuji Hall to request a share of the herb.

It was out of the question.

When Wuji Perfected One flatly refused, the Heavenly Medicine Hall Lord returned with Elder Jang Mun.

Even then, Wuji Perfected One didn’t relent, so the Heavenly Medicine Hall Lord sighed deeply and pleaded with him.

"I know coming here to beg is shameful. But I’m asking you, sincerely. Couldn’t you spare even a single root?"

"A single root? Do you not understand the value of a thousand-year-old Dragon Snow Herb?"

"Of course I do! That’s exactly why I’m asking. If you want, I’ll even kneel."

"Hmph! You were quick enough to cast me out of the Heavenly Medicine Sect, and after I settled on Present Ghost Peak, you cut off all support for elixirs."

"It’s all my fault. Shameful as it is, I was framed."

Thud.

Before he even finished speaking, the Heavenly Medicine Hall Lord dropped to his knees.

Wuji Perfected One looked down at him for a long moment, then let out a deep sigh.

He bent down and helped the Hall Lord to his feet.

"Is a mere spirit herb worth kneeling to me for? Is it really that desperate?"

"Desperate doesn’t even begin to cover it. I heard it’s a thousand-year-old Dragon Snow Herb. If we refine it into a Celestial Dragon Pill, there’s a chance we could reach the coveted mid-grade third rank. That would not only restore our sect’s glory, but also raise the level of two or three Spirit Refining Stage cultivators."

"…Let’s go inside first."

"Thank you."

Wuji Perfected One invited the Heavenly Medicine Hall Lord and Elder Jang Mun into the meeting room and ordered Dotong to bring tea.

They began negotiating the price for the herb, and perhaps because of old grievances, Wuji Perfected One drove a hard bargain.

He demanded that the Heavenly Medicine Sect reveal all their pill recipes and hand over three pill furnaces designated as sect treasures.

That wasn’t all.

He also demanded a reduction in the number of elixir pills they were required to pay as tribute, and the right to freely sell elixirs produced on Present Ghost Peak.

Of course, the two men protested.

But when Wuji Perfected One produced two roots of the herb, their eyes began to waver, and when he brought out a fifteen-hundred-year-old herb, they nodded vigorously.

It was an offer they couldn’t refuse.

"Elder Moon! With this, I’m confident I can advance to mid-grade third rank as a Pill Alchemist. With the elixirs I’ll make, our Spirit Refining disciples will grow stronger and the sect’s prestige will rise. I’ll never forget your generosity."

"I’m only making this concession for Elder Jang Mun’s sake. I feel I’ll have a place here only if the Extreme Heaven Sect prospers, so I made this decision for the greater good. Do you know what the disciple who brought me this herb said?"

"What did he say?"

"He said, ‘It’s only natural for water to flow from high to low, so Master, please fill your stores first.’"

"A thoughtful disciple. What’s his name?"

"It’s Jang So-cheon, the one who found the Nine-leaf Immortal Herb last time. He seems to be blessed with extraordinary luck for spirit herbs."

"Indeed. What will you give him in return this time?"

"He said he wants to learn pill refining from me."

"You can hardly refuse. Are you planning to take him as a direct disciple?"

"That’s the plan."

"What about his herb gathering duties?"

"I’ll let him do as he wishes. If he wants to keep gathering herbs, I’ll allow it… After all, the foundation of elixir making is herb gathering, isn’t it?"

At that, the Heavenly Medicine Hall Lord nodded silently.

This time, it wasn’t just Present Ghost Peak that sent people to gather herbs in the Thousand-mile Gorge.

The Heavenly Medicine Sect, under his leadership, sent nearly twice as many disciples.

Yet while Present Ghost Peak returned with a bounty of ancient spirit herbs, the Heavenly Medicine Sect suffered only casualties.

Was it just bad luck?

No.

The Heavenly Medicine Sect had long prioritized alchemy and pill refining over herb gathering.

As a result,

They’d fallen so far that now he had to beg a former disciple for help.

Resolving to reorganize the White Herb Pavilion upon his return, the Heavenly Medicine Hall Lord left Wuji Hall with Elder Jang Mun.

*

Meanwhile,

Jang So-cheon was watching his team leader refine pills.

Thanks to the White Lotus Herb root he’d gathered in the Thousand-mile Gorge, the team leader was delighted to be able to refine pills without worrying about ingredients.

"Junior Jang! Is it true you’ve been allowed to learn pill refining from Master?"

"Yes. Master has given me permission. Still, I’ll always be a member of Herb Gathering Hall’s One Group. If you go out to gather herbs, I’ll go with you."

"Will Master allow that?"

"I think it’s likely. After all, I’ve been performing exceptionally well lately, haven’t I?"

"True. No disciple has ever gathered as many spirit herbs as you. Keeping you locked up in the Refining Room would be a loss not just for Present Ghost Peak, but for the entire Extreme Heaven Sect."

"And a big loss for you, Team Leader."

"You’re right. When you go to Master, you’ll start by learning to manage ingredients. You know you can’t actually refine pills until you reach 4-Star Qi Refiner, right?"

"I know. You can manifest spiritual energy at Third Star Level, but to freely control fire energy, you need to be at Fourth Star Level."

"Exactly. Still, it’s lucky you have fire-type energy. Otherwise, you’d have to use a fire-type beast or underground earth-fire, which is much more troublesome. By the way, what about your lodging?"

"For now, I plan to stay where I am. It’s more comfortable that way."

"That’s a good idea. Wherever you are, you’re still a member of our One Group. If you ever need help, just say the word. We’ll be there for you…"

"Just hearing that gives me strength. Oh, and I’m not going to take any more defective pills. I earned a lot of Contribution Points and spirit stones this time, so I’ll just buy the Yellow Essence Pills you make. You’ll give me a good price, right?"

"Of course. My skills have improved a lot, so you can expect great results."

He said that confidently…

But today, what Gwak Mu-jin had made was still just a Half Essence Pill.