Chapter 7: Heaven-Sent Talent (1)

Chapter 7: Heaven-Sent Talent (1)

"In this situation, I'm not interested in that."

"Ah, yes..."

Young-hoon Hyung-nim seemed more concerned about our current situation than my breathing and health exercises and didn't show much interest in them.

'It can't be helped. There's plenty of time...'

The next day.

I encountered the fox, and as it happened, it bit off one of my arms.

The pain was still similar, but this time, with increased mental strength and the medical knowledge accumulated in my past life, I managed to stop the bleeding and pain by pressing on the acupoints and applying chewed herbs to the wound.

We were granted the right to reside on the land by the fox.

Jeon Myeong-hoon, as in the previous life, schemed and, after learning everything from me, proposed to offer me to the fox.

Like my previous life, I made Jeon Myeong-hoon work hard, and the next day, I made him offer blood to the snake, tormenting him diligently.

On the third day.

The same people as last time came and kidnapped Section Chief Oh Hyun-seok, Deputy Manager Kang Min-hee, and Section Chief Jeon Myeong-hoon.

On the fourth day.

"I will take this lady with me."

Sea Dragon King Seo Hweol arrived and picked up Deputy Manager Oh.

"May I ask a question to Sea Dragon King?"

[Hmm, what is it?]

Seo Hweol looked at me with interest and asked.

"It seems that you are taking our Deputy Manager Oh with you... However, she is a mortal without a spiritual root and cannot live more than 100 years. How do you intend to use her?"

[Ha-ha, you are quite knowledgeable about immortal cultivation for a mortal. But no worries. I shall give her my blood, transforming her into a member of the Sea Dragon clan. Once she accepts the blood of my clan, she will awaken a suitable Spiritual Quality. Then she too can walk the path of immortality.]

"!"

Spiritual Quality!

Another term for Spiritual Root.

In other words, by accepting Sea Dragon King's blood, one could become a cultivator instantly.

"Perhaps... could you also give us a chance? She is from the same homeland as us. Maybe we too have unique abilities..."

[Ha-ha, your words have merit.]

Suddenly!

At my suggestion, Seo Hweol's eyes narrowed like those of a reptile.

[The Ascension Gate will open soon, and many high-level cultivators will pass through this Dangseonhyang region... Just a word of caution.]

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Argh! Ugh!"

I collapsed, clutching my chest.

[It's best not to express your opinions carelessly before a high-level being like me. We live for hundreds and thousands of years, seeing things you cannot imagine, knowing things you cannot understand, and gaining wisdom you cannot achieve. I am lenient, but others with a temper might find even your mere gaze offensive and crush you like insects.]

"Heugh, huff..."

[My intention to take this lady is because I believe her abilities will be enormously beneficial to my clan. You lack Spiritual Roots and unique abilities, and even if not, they won't be as helpful as hers. Besides, carrying more people through the Ascension Gate increases its difficulty, so I won't take you. Know that it's a significant burden for me.]

Having finished speaking, he walked towards the cave entrance.

Crash! Boom!

With a thunderous noise and flash of lightning, he disappeared from the entrance.

Above the sky, a blue dragon pierced through the stormy clouds and flew leisurely.

"What just happened?"

Young-hoon Hyung-nim and Manager Kim stared at the sky in dismay.

That evening, I picked some special mushrooms, roasted them over the fire, and enjoyed a last meal with Manager Kim.

Then, after she awakened her abilities, a ghastly figure arrived on a cloud, just like in my previous life.

As before, the figure decided to take Manager Kim with him.

I prostrated before the figure and asked.

"Respected Cultivator, our colleague Manager Kim is a mortal without a Spiritual Root. How can she become a disciple of a cultivator like you?"

The old man with a hunched back chuckled and replied.

[While rare in the secular world, there are spiritual medicines and artifacts that can open the Spiritual Channel () for a mortal. Even an ordinary mortal can embark on the path of immortality if they get hold of such an opportunity.]

"!"

Shocked by the revelation, I trembled.

'There's another way to become a cultivator!'

[Well... Additionally, the martial arts practiced by you mortals can indeed awaken the Five Elements Spiritual Root if refined to the extreme, but... that path takes too much time. Even if you awaken your spiritual roots through this method, the result is not always satisfactory. So, I will seek a spiritual elixir to feed my disciple. You understand, don't you? Follow me, and you will become a cultivator!]

We were randomly transported by the hunchbacked old man to an entirely different place.

Since there were no houses nearby, we had to keep moving until we found a village.

There seems to be martial arts in this world, so I'll teach you, etc...

Director Kim Young-hoon didn't look too despairing, especially after hearing, 'I'll teach you martial arts.'

I taught him the Cheonji Heart Method, basic vocabulary of this world, primary acupoints, and left the forest together.

By observing the constellations in the night sky, I deduced our location and managed to reach a nearby city.

"It's Yanguo again..."

I arrived at one of Yanguo's cities, Yonghyul City (), feeling a strange sensation.

'The ghastly figure randomly throws us around. But the randomness seems to be confined to Yanguo.'

There are many neighboring countries like Shengzi Kingdom, Byeokra Country, etc.

It didn't seem like the hunchbacked figure particularly cared about us.

'So why keep dropping us only within Yanguo?'

Is there a reason for this?

Or...

'Is it just chance?'

If this is just a coincidence,

'Fate...'

I somehow felt more inclined to believe in the word 'fate' than any specific reason.

'In my last life, I died on the exact same day and time as before my regression.'

Does that make sense?

I had lived a completely different life,

With completely different medical and nutritional standards.

Yet, I died at the exact same moment as before my regression.

'Was that my allotted lifespan?'

Maybe my fate was set to that point.

Fate.

It's a metaphysical concept, something I'd rather not think about...

But maybe, the concept of fate truly exists, driving all beings.

'For now, it's not something I can know.'

I shook my head and entered the city with Director Kim Young-hoon.

I sold the herbs at a nearby pharmacy, used the money to buy identification plaques, clothes, and a house.

'Now that I've settled the basics, it's time to set short-term goals again.'

Initially, I aimed for the Five Energies Converging to the Origin as a short-term goal.

Reaching that state is necessary to awaken the Five Elements Spiritual Root and learn cultivation methods to become a cultivator.

But...

'I might not reach that state in this life.'

In my past life.

Even though I had followed Young-hoon Hyung-nim and somewhat distorted my sense of power, reaching the peak stage was not easy.

The same was true for Three Flowers Gather at the Summit and Five Energies Converging to the Origin.

'It's challenging to cross each stage even within the peak, and...'

That was the general opinion of typical peak experts.

Moreover, I lack talent in martial arts.

Even with considerable effort, it might be difficult to reach even the first-rate expert level in this lifetime.

'So, the best course of action is...'

I watched Director Kim Young-hoon in the backyard of our new house, practicing a version of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship he had modified into a sword dance.

If practiced correctly, the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship could reach the peak level within six months, according to Young-hoon Hyung-nim in my past life.

'Raise Kim Young-hoon Hyung-nim, no, Director Kim, to the peak level as quickly as possible.'

And then learn from him.

That was the fastest way for me to reach the peak.

***

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