Nano-engineering Immortal Cultivation Chronicle

Episode 9: Entering the Thousand-Mile Gorge

When the vice-captain began his meditation training, Jang So-cheon had no choice but to step outside the cultivation room. He wandered over to the captain’s quarters and, to his surprise, found the room spotless.

“Aren’t you going to refine any pills today?”

“I’m out of ingredients.”

“What kind?”

“I went to the market a few days ago, but they said they were completely out of White Lotus Herb roots. The ones I had in storage all rotted... And as luck would have it, there’s none left in the main stock either, so I have no choice but to take a break from pill refining.”

“I see. Did you manage to make any quality pills before you ran out?”

“Luckily, I managed to make a few at the end. I sold half of them at the market...”

“Did you get a good price?”

“Ten Spirit Stones per pill. At least I didn’t take a loss.”

“Wow! Congratulations.”

“It’s nothing to celebrate... If you need them, take those over there. They’re free this time.”

Jang So-cheon glanced over and saw two bottles of failed elixir sitting in the corner.

“Thank you, I’ll gladly accept them. By the way, today’s the last day of our break, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. Tomorrow, we’re heading out for a mountain expedition early in the morning. I’ll fill you in on the details at the dormitory this evening.”

“Understood. Oh! Do you remember when I got hurt last time, and you said you’d tell me your strengths later?”

“Why? Still can’t think of any?”

“No, I just thought you’d get embarrassed if I said them out loud. You have a tenacious spirit that never gives up, a broad and open mind, and you’re very humane. In short, you’re the type who matures late but achieves greatness.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“It’s enough to make me want to learn from you. Since you said it’s free, I’ll take those pills.”

“All right. See you at the dormitory in a bit.”

“Okay.”

Leaving the captain’s quarters, Jang So-cheon headed straight for the kitchen and managed to make eight Yellow Essence Pills. Now, his Heaven and Earth Pouch held a total of seventeen Yellow Essence Pills, almost as good as Half Essence Pills.

One Group Dormitory.

Once everyone had gathered, Gwak Mu-jin handed out wooden cases to each member.

Sanggwan Cheonse, receiving his for the first time, asked, “What’s this?”

“These are Yellow Essence Pills I made myself.”

“Yellow Essence Pills? Aren’t those really rare? And you made them yourself, Captain? Are you sure they’re not poison?”

“If you don’t want it, give it back.”

“Oh, no! If it’s from you, even if it’s poison, I’ll eat it gratefully. Thank you, Captain.”

“Han Sa-jeo, here’s one for you too.”

“And one each for Makjang and Jang Sa-jeo...”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Jang So-cheon felt a pang of guilt as he thanked the captain. He’d planned to keep most of his pills for himself, only giving a few to Makjang, but the captain was sharing them generously with everyone. Still, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t do the same—if he did, it might reveal that his soul had been swapped. He resolved to repay the captain with something even greater in the future, which eased his conscience a bit.

After distributing the elixirs, Gwak Mu-jin spoke again. “These are the first elixirs I’ve ever made, so I wanted you all to have them first. Enjoy.”

“Thank you!”

“And as you all know, we’re heading out for a mountain expedition tomorrow. Our destination is the Thousand-Mile Gorge, beyond the Guardian Fortress. We might run into Yao Clan members while gathering herbs, so make sure you bring your War Machines. By the way, the Sect Leader will be joining us tomorrow.”

“The Sect Leader?”

“Yes. I’ve never been to the Thousand-Mile Gorge myself, but I’ve heard there are not only Yao Clan but also fierce beasts and monsters. The Sect Leader is coming to protect us.”

At the mention of the Thousand-Mile Gorge, the group’s anticipation and anxiety were palpable, but when they heard that the Sect Leader—a master of the Spirit Refining Stage—would be with them, everyone cheered. With the Sect Leader’s protection, they could gather herbs without worry.

After reminding everyone to be fully armed for any dangers in the gorge, the captain dismissed the group.

As Jang So-cheon walked back to his quarters, Makjang handed him three Thunderclap Talismans.

“These are Thunderclap Talismans. I finally finished them this morning. You learned how to use talismans at the Dormant Dragon Pavilion, right?”

“Of course. But how powerful are they?”

“Remember the Poison Horn Iron Bull we saw at Black Dragon Gorge two weeks ago?”

“Yeah.”

“Three of these would be enough to knock it out.”

“But not kill it?”

“That’s not so easy. It took the captain, vice-captain, and Han Sa-jeo working together to finally kill that thing...”

“You’re right. Thanks.”

“No need to thank me. Compared to the elixirs you gave me, this is nothing. I’ll make you a few more next time.”

“I won’t say no. But is it worth making these talismans?”

“Not really.”

Makjang shook his head. “There’s a high failure rate, and drawing them drains so much Law Power and mental energy that after a few, I’m completely wiped out. Feels like I’m burning up my lifespan.”

“Sigh! Nothing’s ever easy, huh?”

“That’s life. See you in the morning.”

“Wait!”

“What?”

“Take this. Just don’t tell anyone I gave it to you... If you get caught, say you bought it with Contribution Points.”

Makjang’s eyes widened as he opened the wooden case Jang So-cheon handed him. Inside were three Yellow Essence Pills.

“These are supposed to be really expensive. Are you sure you can just hand them out like this?”

“They’re not free. Pay me back with more Thunderclap Talismans later!”

“...Thanks.”

“Get some rest.”

“Yeah.”

*

The next morning.

Tu Gon, the master of the Herb Gathering Hall, had a large and fast Flying Magic Device, befitting a Spirit Refining Stage master. It looked like a boat with wings, and its speed was astonishing—at least twice as fast as the Ink Ghost Ship the captain owned.

“Makjang, how many Spirit Stones would it take to buy something like that?”

“Forget it. Last time I checked at the market, even a wooden scrap of a flying device cost three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. For one like that, you’d need at least fifty thousand.”

“Fifty thousand? That’s insane.”

“It’s a magic device, after all.”

Jang So-cheon shook his head, gazing enviously at the flying device. Even if someone gave him one for free, he wouldn’t be able to use it without Spirit Stones.

“Isn’t there anything cheaper?”

“There is, but they break down easily and burn through Spirit Stones like crazy.”

“Sigh! Guess I’ll just have to run everywhere.”

“Or you could raise your realm and ride your sword like a Sword Immortal. Of course, you’d need to reach the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage for that...”

“Tenth level? That might be faster.”

“Then let’s work hard, earn money, and buy more elixirs. For martial artists like us in the lower realm, eating a hundred Yellow Essence Pills should be enough for Realm Advancement.”

“Have you given up on Qi Circulation Meditation?”

“Of course not. But elixirs are way faster.”

“What about enlightenment and all that?”

“That’s for the higher-level martial artists...”

“...”

As they chatted idly, the Guardian Fortress came into view. The fortress was built on the human side of the border, with the Thousand-Mile Gorge lying between it and the Yao Clan’s territory. The fortress on the Yao side was called Yao Fortress. The space between them, left as a buffer zone, was the Thousand-Mile Gorge—narrow, but stretching for tens of thousands of miles.

Originally, it was a forbidden zone, but with all the Heaven and Earth Treasures and herbs scattered inside, it had become more of a restricted area than a true no-go zone.

After stopping by the Guardian Fortress to greet the garrison commander, the group received unexpected news: the White Herb Pavilion from the Heavenly Medicine Sect had also sent a team.

A short while later, disciples from the White Herb Pavilion entered the commander’s office. Coincidentally, it was the same One Group they’d clashed with at the market a few days earlier.

Sparks flew between Gwak Mu-jin and Gogak, the vice-captain of White Herb Pavilion’s One Group. Both were captains and vice-captains of their respective teams, and both teams were called One Group. This herb-gathering expedition had become a matter of pride.

While Gwak Mu-jin and Gogak eyed each other like venomous snakes, determined to outdo the other in herb gathering, an awkward silence hung between Tu Gon and Hua Yun, the White Herb Pavilion’s captain. Hua Yun, a Spirit Refining Stage master, was dazzlingly beautiful, but her gaze toward Tu Gon was icy cold.

Sensing the tension, Tu Gon was the first to speak. “Hua Yun! It’s been a while.”

“Don’t call my name so casually. And I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your distance from us while gathering herbs. I trust you understand what I mean.”

With a frosty glare, Hua Yun gave a brief report to the garrison commander and disappeared into the Thousand-Mile Gorge.

Noticing the strange atmosphere, Jang So-cheon sent a sound transmission to Makjang. [What’s with them? Were they lovers or something?]

[I heard they were married once.]

[No way!]

Jang So-cheon looked at Tu Gon with newfound sympathy. He finally understood why Tu Gon sometimes gazed at the sky with the look of someone who’d lost everything.

After reporting to the garrison commander, the group finally stepped into the Thousand-Mile Gorge—a historic moment for Present Ghost Peak’s first official entry.

Their destination was Ghost Blood Valley, a place where, thousands of years ago, humans and the Yao Clan fought a great war and countless souls were buried. Perhaps because no herb gatherers had set foot there for ages, they found many rare herbs along the way. Still, no one stopped—they were sure they’d find even more valuable herbs at Ghost Blood Valley.

But as they walked, Jang So-cheon’s eyes suddenly widened.

A blue radiance—vivid and unmistakable.

When the group finally reached Ghost Blood Valley, everyone’s faces lit up. The place was overflowing with herbs. But they couldn’t just dig up anything—they needed to fill their Heaven and Earth Pouches with only the rarest and most valuable herbs.

Though the Sect Leader was present, the captain was still in charge.

“We’ll meet back here in three hours. Any questions?”

No one raised a hand.

“Then let’s begin gathering herbs. If you run into danger, use your signal flare. Let’s go!”

With Gwak Mu-jin’s command, the One Group members and even Tu Gon scattered into the forest, herb gathering nets slung over their shoulders.

Whoosh!

Thanks to advancing to the third level of the Qi Refining Stage and steadily consuming Yellow Essence Pills, Jang So-cheon’s Cloud Moon Divine Technique had improved dramatically. His footwork was now so fast that his steps left no shadow.

Curious about the blue radiance, Jang So-cheon retraced his steps without hesitation. Soon, he stumbled upon a patch of White Lotus Herb—the very ingredient the captain had needed to make more Yellow Essence Pills.

“Wow!”

With a cheer, Jang So-cheon dug up the roots without hesitation. The Heaven and Earth Pouch given to him by his Sajeo was so vast that this amount barely made a dent. Still, he only picked the oldest and most valuable roots.

After gathering the herbs, Jang So-cheon used his footwork to race toward the source of the radiance, arriving nearly an hour later.

But he was in for a shock.

The light was coming from a huge swamp, where giant, crocodile-like monsters lurked. The distance was too great for even Divine Sight to reach. Whatever treasure was hidden in the swamp, he’d have to deal with the monsters to get it.

Snap!

One of the beasts opened its jaws, looking ferocious enough to kill with a single bite. Its hide looked so thick and tough that even the Blue Silver Sword might bounce right off.

No matter how he thought about it, Jang So-cheon couldn’t see a way to drive off the beasts and claim the treasure. Reluctantly, he backed away from the swamp.

As he returned to Ghost Blood Valley, he witnessed an unexpected scene.

Splash.

The crocodile monsters weren’t just near the treasure. One giant beast was struggling to climb a tree near the swamp, but kept failing. Despite repeated failures, it never gave up. Eyeing a red fruit hanging from the tree, it leapt into the air, snapped at the branch with its fangs, and finally struck the tree with its long tail. With a heavy thud, a fruit fell to the ground.

Splash.

Before the fruit could sink into the swamp, the beast lunged and snatched it up, swallowing it whole after barely chewing.

After eating the fruit, the beast lumbered off.

Once it was gone, Jang So-cheon climbed the tree, picked some of the red fruit, and stored some in his Heaven and Earth Pouch and some in his herb net.

Whoosh!

Returning to the treasure site, Jang So-cheon checked the wind direction and tossed a ripe fruit over the swamp. The monsters near the treasure caught the scent and charged after it.

Splash, splash.

A wild brawl broke out as the beasts fought over the fruit, blood and flesh flying everywhere. The fiercest, largest beast finally swallowed the fruit.

But there was more than one fruit. When the scent drifted from farther away, the monsters stampeded after it again.

Jang So-cheon had tossed several fruits in a line, and at the last spot, he dumped the rest from his net. Then, using the Cloud Moon Divine Technique, he sprinted for the treasure with all his might.

His cultivation was only at the early third level of the Qi Refining Stage, so his Divine Sight could barely reach three meters. Even when he arrived at the source of the radiance, he couldn’t see what the treasure was.

Fortunately, there were no monsters lurking in the swamp.

Splash.

Without hesitation, Jang So-cheon dove into the swamp. The sticky, muddy water slowed him down, but he channeled Spiritual Energy into his hands and swam through the earth.

After about ten meters, he found several large stones buried deep in the mud. They looked ordinary, but anyone without an eye for treasures would have ignored them, even with Divine Sight. There were various sizes—one as big as a watermelon, one slightly larger than a fist, and a few tiny fragments.

He didn’t know what they were, but now wasn’t the time to find out. Since they were the source of the blue radiance, he had to collect them first.

“Ugh.”

Even the fist-sized one was incredibly heavy—he had to draw Spiritual Energy from his dantian just to lift it. But there was no way he was leaving it behind.

Using Spiritual Energy, Jang So-cheon opened his Heaven and Earth Pouch, shrank the stone, and put it inside. He struggled to lift the watermelon-sized one, but managed to get it into the pouch as well.

The beauty of the Heaven and Earth Pouch was that it could adjust the size and weight of items inside, making even the heaviest things easy to carry.

After stowing even the smallest fragments, Jang So-cheon swam upward with all his strength.

Then his face turned pale.

A giant beast was swimming straight toward him, jaws wide open.