Chapter 172

## Chapter 172: Spirit Root Stone (1)

The early daylight of dawn cut diagonally across the entryway of the lodging house.

Jeon Rahwa stood with her back against the glow, lingering idly as she traced random paths in the dirt with the front of her shoe.

She had lost track of how long she had been passing the time this way.

Far down the road, a silhouette appeared, stretching a lengthy shadow along the ground.

The person walking toward her was Kim Rae-won.

She quickly swept her foot across the dirt to wipe away the markings, making it seem as though she had never been waiting, and stepped forward to greet him.

“Say, where have you been wandering off to?”

“Nowhere special. Just clearing my head with a morning stroll.”

The garments Kim Rae-won wore were spotless.

They were far too immaculate for someone who claimed to have merely been out for a casual walk.

“A stroll? At this hour of the morning?”

“If a person doesn’t take a walk at daybreak, when else are they supposed to do it?”

Jeon Rahwa twitched her nose, catching a scent in the breeze.

She kept inhaling deeply, trying to identify the peculiar odor, though it was difficult to pinpoint exactly.

It was a subtle, musky scent, reminiscent of the kind of smell found around livestock pens holding swine or cattle.

The aroma was so incredibly faint that a normal individual would have missed it entirely.

“Did you happen to visit a barn or a stable?”

“You possess the senses of a hound.”

“My sense of smell has always been remarkably sharp.”

“Quite an unexpected gift.”

“A hound’s senses?”

“Precisely. Those hound-like senses of yours.”

“Don’t say it like that. It sounds ridiculous.”

Jeon Rahwa gazed at Kim Rae-won with a blank expression for a brief moment.

Overcome by a sudden wave of self-consciousness and an undefinable yearning, she began tracing aimless shapes in the dirt with her foot once more before speaking again.

“…The next time you head out, at least leave a message for me.”

“Understood, I can manage that.”

As Kim Rae-won stepped past her into the lodging house, Jeon Rahwa called out one final request toward his retreating figure.

“And when the day comes that you depart for good, do the same. You absolutely must.”

Kim Rae-won paused in his tracks and shifted around.

The early sun, which had previously projected an immensely stretched shadow ahead of him, had now ascended behind his form, throwing his facial features into deep obscurity.

Against the bright backdrop, his teeth gleamed starkly white.

“I already told you, you serve as my beacon.”

A gust of wind swept past, causing his hair to sway gently.

“I move according to your guidance. If you advance, I advance. If you retreat, I retreat.”

“…”

An unfamiliar sensation of warmth bloomed within Jeon Rahwa’s chest.

She was unable to discern whether the feeling was one of dread or an exhilarating thrill.

“Quit uttering such nonsense and simply guide me in the proper direction.”

Leaving her with those words, Kim Rae-won stepped fully into the building.

The timber steps groaned beneath the weight of his ascending stride.

Jeon Rahwa remained rooted to the spot in a daze for a long duration.

She stayed there until the morning sun had climbed high into the sky, brilliantly bathing her face in light.

—

Upon returning to his private quarters, Dong Bongsu shut the door behind him and slid the deadbolt into place.

The soft daylight filtering through the window pane cast a dim illumination across the interior.

One after another, he pulled out the various possessions he had previously taken to Ak Bul-jin for evaluation and arranged them across the surface of the mattress.

First among them was the Red Umbrella Lord Saber Art.

The text was written in tight, packed characters upon aged sheets of vellum.

This was the exclusive martial methodology belonging to Na Hang, the Red Umbrella Lord Saber, a renowned master among the Twenty Great Masters Under Heaven who had vanished without a trace more than ten years prior.

Naturally, he couldn’t place absolute reliance on the assertions of a low-grade swindler like Ak Bul-jin, but his current priority was to gather every piece of data available.

By filtering out the garbage and retaining what possessed utility, the material would transform into something genuinely ‘worthwhile’.

Even more crucially, he required a benchmark to gauge the true nature and caliber of the combative arts practiced in this realm.

Furthermore, despite Ak Bul-jin himself being a deceptive piece of filth, his assessment regarding this item was highly likely to be accurate.

These were, after all, the remnants left behind by an individual who had successfully breached a threshold equivalent to the Boundary Realm.

Dong Bongsu leafed through the manuscript, rapidly taking in the various weapon forms and poetic mnemonic verses.

It was a highly unconventional style that utilized a parasol as an implement of war, featuring a specialized framework designed to seamlessly merge defensive maneuvers with offensive strikes simultaneously.

The documentation was far too intricate and precise to be a mere forgery, and its foundational principles were so exceptional that he could recognize its high-grade caliber instantly without even attempting to perform the movements.

This evaluation provided him with a clearer understanding of another matter.

‘It appears that even an individual ranked among the Twenty Great Masters in this territory lacks the capability required to breach the gateway into the territory known as the Upper Realm.’

It was highly probable that this man, Na Hang, ranked among the lesser capable individuals within the ranks of ordinary seekers attempting to ascend to the Upper Realm.

After all, there had been a multitude of other corpses scattered across that particular location.

Truly fascinating.

The specific ‘ability’ he had witnessed Bukgung Ri employ the previous day had likewise been remarkable.

That phenomenon was most assuredly distinct from conventional martial arts.

While it shared characteristics with tactical arrays, it operated on a plane of power completely separate from any array configurations he had previously encountered.

Its might was so profound that it genuinely appeared as though the practitioner had commanded the celestial force of the Big Dipper to descend directly upon the earth.

It was almost certainly a specialized discipline that integrated what the locals referred to as either the Formation Dao or Immortal Arts.

Heh heh heh…

A soft, amused chuckle involuntarily slipped from his throat.

The realization that he was entirely isolated within the confines of the room, combined with the sheer thrill of eventually confronting formidable apex adversaries, made it exceedingly difficult to stifle his amusement.

The quiet laughter spilled past his lips.

He was simply filled with too much anticipation for the superior tier of hunting that lay ahead of him.

—

A short while later.

Dong Bongsu sorted the array of items resting on the mattress into distinct groupings based on their utility.

The objects were segregated into three primary classifications.

The first group consisted of commodities intended for liquidation.

This included valuable items such as gold and silver currency, a gilded chalice adorned with elaborate carvings, various silver ornaments, and official markers carved from high-quality jade.

He hadn’t revealed the entirety of his haul, but having Ak Bul-jin evaluate a select few pieces was more than enough to gauge their overall worth.

The collection would easily command a price tag of at least tens of thousands of Nyang.

The second group comprised materials intended for personal study.

This consisted of roughly ten distinct manuscripts detailing combative techniques and tactical arrays, including the aforementioned Red Umbrella Lord Saber Art.

Among these were the Heavenly Thunder Formation Art, the Five Elements Returning to Origin Art, and the Formless Sword Intent, alongside several others.

While there were dozens of additional esoteric records in his possession, those would be systematically discarded.

He might consider liquidating a few if a safe opportunity arose, but the wisest course of action was total destruction.

The artifacts recovered from the levitating landmass had originally belonged to high-tier cultivators or renowned figures of equivalent stature, meaning there was a distinct possibility that an outsider might identify them.

In certain scenarios, such items could serve as a convenient ‘disguise’ to fabricate an association with those figures, but in other instances, they could easily invite unneeded hostility and vengeance.

It was far more prudent to avoid leaving such vulnerabilities unless a particular manuscript detailed an exceptionally rare technique or an invaluable treatise on tactical formations.

When considering his current primary objective, he was presenting himself to the world as a ‘Hero’.

Therefore, avoiding the accumulation of unnecessary animosity was the most logical approach.

The final group consisted of items intended for direct consumption.

Dong Bongsu adjusted his sitting posture, aligning his spine.

This specific category represented the most critical and entirely unmapped territory of his current endeavor.

He gathered the objects belonging to this third group and arranged them neatly across a section of the floorboards.

Among the items were residual components harvested from the Eight-Tailed Fox, a variety of potent medicinal roots, jars of specialized elixirs, and…

Dong Bongsu poured seven minor spheres directly into the palm of his hand.

The tiny, marble-like objects each emitted a soft, distinct colored luminescence.

‘Spirit Root Stones.’

According to lore, these objects were the crystallized Inner Cores harvested from individuals who had successfully attained the Core Formation Realm, or from various magical beasts, monstrous entities, and alternative lineages who had managed to cultivate to an identical threshold of power.

They came in hues of crimson, azure, amber, stark white, and deep black.

While each sphere varied slightly in dimensions, coloration, external geometry, and physical mass, he could detect a monumental reservoir of raw force radiating from within them.

The sensation was akin to cradling a miniature star, a blazing sun, or a fragment of eternal winter right in his grasp.

For a brief interval, the memory of his prior exchange with the proprietor of the curiosities shop replayed across his thoughts with absolute clarity, like viewing a recorded projection.

—

The hour had grown deep into the night, and the flame of the candle resting upon the greeting counter of the Assorted Antique Shop flickered unsteadily.

“Spirit Root Stones… you say?”

Ak Bul-jin’s narrow, bead-like eyes glittered with an undeniable expression of avarice.

“This marks the very first instance where I am observing such specimens with my own eyes, hehehe. These items are truly beyond any measurable price. The reason being, legend dictates that an individual’s actual ‘Spiritual Root’ takes physical form in this precise manner.”

“The foundational source of spiritual essence?”

“Precisely, the Spiritual Root itself.”

“…”

“Which is exactly why your most prudent course of action is to liquidate them to me right this instant.”

Ak Bul-jin’s protruding, muzzle-like mouth contorted into a grimace as he pressed further.

“You will invite disaster upon yourself if you attempt to ingest them incorrectly. An uninitiated practitioner such as yourself, Young Hero, hehehe.”

The shopkeeper paused to clear his throat with a raspy hack.

“Regrets. A careless utterance on my part. Ahem. At any rate, should an unrefined cultivator ingest an object of this nature improperly, their being will be completely overridden by the residual consciousness of the Spiritual Root’s original possessor. They will transform into a Stiff Monster, trapped in a state suspended between life and death.”

“And what precisely occurs if one possesses the capability to digest it successfully?”

Dong Bongsu had inquired with total serenity.

“What typically happens to a youngster who consumes their meals properly?”

The shopkeeper had erupted into an unsettling chuckle.

A repulsive odor drifted from the spaces between his decayed teeth.

“They develop into someone massive and incredibly powerful, do they not?”

“…”

“As I previously stated, a mere novice of your standing, Young Hero, hehe, is incapable of growing massive or powerful regardless of what sustenance you take in. Ah, my profound apologies. Yet another careless utterance…”

—

The penalty for that specific careless utterance had been a corresponding slip of the hand.

An unfortunate accident of the palm had caused the merchant to tumble headfirst into the refuse of the swine enclosure.

Ssk.

Dong Bongsu once more turned the Spirit Root Stone over in his fingers, scrutinizing it intently.

He contrasted its dimensions against the fist-sized Spirit Root Stone harvested from the Eight-Tailed Fox, which currently emanated an independent glow from within his storage inventory.

The disparity in physical scale was almost certainly reflective of the massive gulf in cultivation progress separating these minor marbles from the power of the ancient fox.

“Hmm.”

Following a brief period of internal calculation, Dong Bongsu invoked the summoning command for Kaiji.

A creature of silver fur materialized out of the empty air.

Exhilarated to be granted freedom after such a long confinement, Kaiji swept its tail back and forth enthusiastically and pressed its tongue against his cheek.

The warmth of its respiration and the coarse texture of its tongue felt entirely real.

In kind, Dong Bongsu spent several minutes affectionately stroking the beast’s skull and muzzle.

Kaiji’s solitary remaining eye narrowed into a pleased, crescent shape.

Abandoning any further hesitation, Dong Bongsu selected the most diminutive Spirit Root Stone from the cluster.

It was a tiny sphere carrying a brilliant golden tint.

He immediately activated a Super True Qi Field across the entirety of the room’s parameters, erecting a solid Qi Wall.

It formed a flawless energetic boundary that would prevent even a stray breath of wind from slipping through.

Its purpose was to ensure that absolutely no noise could escape into the corridor.

With the barrier established, he pried open Kaiji’s jaws and deposited the Spirit Root Stone directly down its throat.

In that exact instant.

Krr, krrrrrrr-.

An agonizing, guttural screech tore from deep within Kaiji’s throat.

Strands of saliva spilled past its teeth, pooling onto the floorboards below.

Its single functional eye began to rotate frantically within its socket.

The dark pupil and the pale sclera shifted in rapid succession, alternating dozens of times over the span of a single second.

It resembled the frantic spinning of a gaming wheel.

Every single strand of fur across its form bristled violently, as though a massive electrical current had surged through its flesh.

Each silver-tinted hair stiffened until it was as sharp as a metallic barb.

Krr, krrrrrrrrrr-.

Kaiji’s entire frame fell into violent spasms.

Its four limbs clawed desperately at the empty air, and its tail lashed about with unchecked fury.

In spite of the chaotic display, Dong Bongsu remained entirely unperturbed, smoothing his hand along Kaiji’s bristling coat while observing every nuance of the creature’s internal restructuring.

With each reassuring stroke of his palm, the intensity of Kaiji’s muscular contractions began to gradually subside.

The duration it took to consume a single cup of hot tea ticked away.

Eventually, Kaiji’s erratic pupil settled back into its proper alignment and ceased its spinning.

However, a monumental transformation had manifested.

Its iris had taken on a subtle, shimmering golden tint.

It was an otherworldly shade, reminiscent of liquefied gold having been infused directly into the eye.

Furthermore, its standard silver-gray coat had transformed, overlaid with a delicate, metallic golden luster.

The fur possessed a brilliant sheen that looked as though it would radiate blinding gold when exposed to direct sunlight.

Utterly depleted of strength, the beast slumped onto the floorboards, emitting a low growl.

Its labored, heavy breathing resonated softly throughout the quiet room.

Dong Bongsu gently ran his fingers through the hair of the exhausted Kaiji.

Even the texture of the coat had shifted, becoming remarkably velvety against his palm.

It felt akin to the rarest woven silk, signaling that the beast had successfully undergone a process akin to Bone and Body Metamorphosis.

“So that represents the ‘contamination’ by the initial owner’s consciousness that the old man spoke of.”

He possessed no definitive way of identifying the original bearer, but it was highly probable that the stone had belonged to a cultivator whose Spiritual Root was aligned with the Gold element.

With this outcome, his experiment was concluded successfully.

If this level of alteration constituted contamination, he would welcome it without a moment’s hesitation.

Though the object clearly presented a significant challenge to safely process, this Spirit Root Stone appeared to function identically to a high-grade miraculous panacea at its core.

He immediately dismissed Kaiji back to the inventory space and seated himself directly upon the floor.

Folding his legs into a meditative posture, he regulated the rhythm of his inhalation and exhalation.

Securing that focused state, he reached down to claim the smallest specimen among the surviving Spirit Root Stones.

This particular one was crimson.

A deep red sphere that gave the impression of vital blood having been compressed into a solid point.

‘A Fire attribute Spiritual Root, most likely.’

The Fire Spirit Root Stone was then guided past his throat, traveling down his esophagus into his stomach before settling directly into his lower Dantian.

In that precise moment.

Fwoooosh-.

A terrifying wave of thermal energy erupted outward from his core.

[Critical ERROR AH! Critical ERROR Occurred! Critical ERROR Occurred! The player is currently illegally downloading an unverified mod map! The player must stop the download immediate… zzt! Zzzt! Force logging out…]

The interface governing the Murim Online architecture was malfunctioning once again.

The translucent notification displays flashed erratically across his field of vision.

Dozens of crimson cautionary alerts manifested and dissolved in rapid succession.

Which indicated a singular truth…

This confirmed that his methodology was entirely correct.

The specific phrasing of the alert, however, was rather intriguing.

‘An unauthorized mod map.’

Was the automated system registering the internal mental landscape of the Spirit Root Stone’s original possessor as an entirely unmapped territory?

Naturally, the true answer would reveal itself to him shortly…

Swoosh.

Before long, a bizarre sensation of being completely submerged began to press down upon his entire physical form.

It was a claustrophobic, stifling pressure, as though heavy silt and wet clay were progressively sealing off his nostrils, mouth, and ears—an experience akin to being interred alive beneath a coastal tidal flat.

It felt saturated with moisture.

It was entirely devoid of air.

He could scarcely draw breath.

This oppressive weight, enveloping his form like a tight shroud, forced its way past his epidermis and burrowed deep into his muscles and bones.

It felt as though thousands of microscopic needles were pricking his flesh simultaneously.

Even so, he did not allow his internal focus to waver for a single instant.

He simply remained still and bided his time.

This was an indispensable phase of evolution.

He was on the verge of ascending to a higher tier of might.

Endeavors that lacked challenge never offered any true entertainment, and if the path to power were simple, it wouldn’t provide the necessary catalyst for genuine growth, would it?

Thus, his conscious mind plunged deeper and deeper into an uncharted void.

Like tumbling down into a bottomless chasm.