***
The world inside the pattern, which he entered after nearly fifteen days, had become somewhat different.
First, the appearance of the blue-colored Blue Flame True Fire, which had been situated on the high mountain peak, had vanished.
Furthermore, one of the fields located below was entirely covered in snow.
It was as if winter had arrived only at that particular location.
A single cave was situated in that place covered in snow.
Just then, someone walked out of that cave along with a groan.
"Ughhhhh—"
It was none other than that naked old man named Jin Wi-dong.
However, Jin Wi-dong’s appearance had completely changed in the meantime.
His face, neck, and all exposed skin were entirely covered in ice, and although he was draped in the thick hide of a beast he had obtained from somewhere, he was trembling from the cold.
Jin Wi-dong trembled violently, warmed his body with the Blue Flame True Fire on his palm, and pleaded with Lee An-jeong, who was floating in the sky.
"Ughhhh— Please save me! If I continue to stay inside here where spiritual qi is scarce, my injuries will worsen and I will end up freezing to death! It’s a good thing I at least ate the Vitality Elixir I made last time; otherwise, my realm would have already dropped by one level! Please let me out of here!"
'Oho? Has the injury he suffered from his arch-enemy while undergoing the Heavenly Tribulation worsened? I suppose that arch-enemy must have practiced an ice-type cultivation method?'
Just as Jin Wi-dong said, he and the area around where he stayed were gradually freezing over.
The spiritual qi, which was originally scarce, was now almost entirely gone.
If things continued this way, it seemed that before long, this entire world would be completely frozen solid.
Seeing this, a question could not help but arise.
Wasn't it said that the Food World is a world created inside the body of an immortal?
But how could there be such a lack of spiritual qi?
It was too different from the image of the Food World in his imagination, where spiritual qi overflowed and spirit veins and exotic plants and flowers were abundant.
"Hmm. Anyway, why is it like this here? Is it not a real Food World, but a hidden realm as that old man said?"
Rumble—
At Lee An-jeong’s murmur, the sound of thunder echoed from the sky.
Jin Wi-dong covered his ears at that sound, trembled once, and then shouted.
"Ugh—I cannot know for certain whether this is a Food World or a hidden realm. However, one thing is clear: that pattern is connected to your body, you brat. It has become such a barren land because the realm of your body is low! Damn it!"
'What? You're saying it's like this because the pattern is connected to my body?'
Lee An-jeong was startled by Jin Wi-dong’s words.
How could a special pattern leading to this place—whether it be a Food World or a hidden realm—be connected to his body, which was only at the early stage of the Qi Condensation?
However, if that were the case, everything became understandable.
To resonate with his low realm, this world had also become a place where spiritual qi was scarce.
'What? I thought this body was completely like a beggar and a waste grade, but it turns out it was actually the highest grade?'
As he grew stronger and stronger, this world would also transform into a space filled with spiritual qi.
Then, what if he were to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
Furthermore, what if he rose to the Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Transformation stages?
He could not know how much more incredible it would transform into as he did so.
'Who knows? Once it’s filled with spiritual qi, maybe cultivation will become possible here? Hehe—'
If that were to happen, it meant he would obtain a cultivation space of his own inside his body.
It was something that could not help but make his heart pound just from thinking about it.
However, the term "Soft-Root Bloodline" that Mak Cheong-un had mentioned last time suddenly occurred to him.
If his body were truly the Soft-Root Bloodline, such a plan would be completely derailed.
Lee An-jeong quickly asked Jin Wi-dong about this.
"Old man! Is my body the Soft-Root Bloodline or something? Someone said so."
At those words, Jin Wi-dong burst into a loud snort.
"Hmph! Who said that? Your body is not the Soft-Root Bloodline of the Nine Heavenly Bloodlines, but merely a Five-Spirit Root, which is a mixed spirit root. If you didn't have those two elixirs and that unique physical characteristic of abnormally absorbing medicinal power, you would be a mixed spirit root who couldn't even sense spiritual qi, let alone enter the Qi Condensation stage!"
While saying that, Jin Wi-dong thought to himself.
'Even though he's a mixed spirit root, to achieve such rapid success with those two mediocre elixirs. There must certainly be another secret in this fellow's body! Of course, it wouldn't be the Soft-Root Bloodline, but...'
"Aish! Old man! Stop saying mixed spirit root, mixed spirit root! It makes me, a mixed spirit root, feel bad..."
While grumbling like that, Lee An-jeong thought that since they were the words of Jin Wi-dong, who was a Soul Transformation stage cultivator, it was certain that it was not the Soft-Root Bloodline.
If that were the case, his rapid achievement seemed to be due to the physical characteristic of reacting well to medicine.
He could not know why the characteristics of his body from the modern world appeared even in the possessed body, but it was truly nothing short of a miraculous encounter.
'Then it means Foundation Establishment isn't the limit? Hehe—as I thought. How could it make sense for Foundation Establishment to be the end when I react so well to medicine?'
Lee An-jeong felt relieved inwardly while having such thoughts.
Seeing Lee An-jeong’s much more relaxed expression, Jin Wi-dong thought this was the chance and asked again suggestively.
"How about it? I've even resolved your curiosity, so how about letting me out now?"
Lee An-jeong realized Jin Wi-dong’s ulterior motive and replied with an indifferent expression.
"Why should I? What benefit is there for me? And didn't we already fail last time?"
Fury welled up in Jin Wi-dong at those words, causing his brow to furrow, but he suppressed it, endured, and shouted.
"This brat... Ahem. I am not asking you to let my main body out. This time, I am asking you to let my Nascent Soul out. Even if the main body cannot, the Nascent Soul can go out through you. If my Nascent Soul at the mid-Nascent Soul stage goes out and helps you, wouldn't it be beneficial for you as well? How about it?"
At those words, Lee An-jeong snorted.
"Ha! You expect me to believe that? What benefit would you have that would make you help me? You’ll probably just think of some wicked plan to trick me and turn me into a Vitality Elixir or something!"
Then, Jin Wi-dong shouted as if frustrated.
"You brat! If I kill you, my main body will also be trapped here, so would I be crazy enough to do that? Furthermore, at this rate, it will completely freeze over in less than five years, and my main body will be destroyed. I am asking you because I can only get out if I go out as a Nascent Soul within that time to find a way to recover my body or if you rise to the Foundation Establishment stage!"
Lee An-jeong was curious about those unexpected words and asked.
"You're saying you can only get out if I rise to the Foundation Establishment stage? What does that mean?"
"The reason we failed to let my main body out last time was likely because your realm had not reached the Foundation Establishment stage, where one can arouse spiritual qi through mental intent alone. Once you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, I will be able to let my main body out from here as well. Therefore, I am saying I will help you reach the Foundation Establishment stage quickly! If we want to avoid freezing to death within five years!"
'Oho! Is that so?'
When he heard that much, Lee An-jeong’s ears perked up.
For Lee An-jeong, who was only at the 3rd star of the Qi Condensation stage, the Nascent Soul stage was an incredibly high realm.
It was to the point where he couldn't even estimate how much of a difference there was between them.
But for such a being to help him as a Nascent Soul!
Just thinking about it made his heart flutter.
But at the same time, suspicion arose.
'How can I believe that? If it's that sinister old man, he might have already thought of a way to escape even if his main body is trapped here!'
If that were to happen, there would be no way for him to resist.
If it were an expert of that level, he could kill An-jeong even if he just flicked a finger.
When that thought occurred, Lee An-jeong sneered coldly toward Jin Wi-dong.
"Hmph! Old man, don't pull any tricks! How can I believe that! Haven't you already thought of a way to escape even if you're trapped here?"
"This brat... you're a fellow with a damn lot of suspicion. If there were such a way, tell me as well! Unfortunately, since there is no such way, isn't that why I'm doing this? If the main body is destroyed, no matter how excellent a cultivator is, they will become a living corpse before long with only a Nascent Soul. If you're a Qi Condensation cultivator, you should at least know this much, right? Since my main body is inside this space within your body, would I be crazy enough to attack you? Rather, I would protect you from those who attack you!"
'Hmm? That's true too...?'
A Nascent Soul stage cultivator could create a clone called a Nascent Soul, which had the appearance of a small child.
However, no matter if one had a Nascent Soul, if the main body was destroyed, the Nascent Soul would also die before long.
It might be different if one obtained a new physical body before then, but that would require a body comparable to the original main body, so considering Jin Wi-dong’s level, obtaining one would be nearly impossible.
This was a fact that even Lee An-jeong, who was only at the Qi Condensation stage, knew well.
If that old man’s words were true, he was entrusting such a main body and going out as a Nascent Soul to help, so he would be able to feel relieved to some extent.
But despite that, Lee An-jeong did not feel at ease.
'As long as there isn't some certain way to control the Nascent Soul, I can never trust that sinister old man!'
With that thought, Lee An-jeong shook his index finger from side to side and shouted resolutely once more.
"I don't trust you, old man!"
Then, Jin Wi-dong beat his chest as if frustrated and shouted.
"You cowardly brat! What exactly must I do for you to believe my words?"
'Hmm. Judging by the reaction, it seems he's sincere... isn't there some more certain device?'
At that moment, Lee An-jeong recalled how a demonic cultivator in a Xianxia novel he had read in the past had taken away the opponent's soul essence blood.
It was a terrifying method where, if someone took away the opponent's soul essence blood, the moment they thought of destroying it, the opponent's soul would be extinguished and they would be turned into a dead corpse.
In short, it was an atrocious method to make someone a slave.
'Oh! This is it!'
Lee An-jeong immediately spoke with a sinister expression toward Jin Wi-dong.
"Then... if you hand over your soul essence blood to me, I'll think about it!"
"What? What did you say? My s-soul essence blood!! Where on earth did you hear of such a thing? You malicious fellow..."
Jin Wi-dong shuddered at those cruel words.
It was because such a method was an atrocious one used only by some arch-demons even among demonic cultivators.
But there was no other way.
If Lee An-jeong did not let him out of here, he would freeze to death here.
"Dammit! You devil-like fellow! Fine! Here! Take it!"
Tak! Swish—
Jin Wi-dong immediately struck the center of his forehead.
Then, glowing soul essence blood emerged from the center of his forehead and flew toward Lee An-jeong.
And then, it permeated into Lee An-jeong’s large face.
Lee An-jeong felt the old man’s soul essence blood taking its place deep within his divine sense.
At the same time, Lee An-jeong felt that he had gained control over both the divine sense and the soul of that old man named Jin Wi-dong.
He also naturally realized that he could extinguish the old man immediately if he only made up his mind to kill him.
At that moment, a conflict arose in Lee An-jeong’s mind.
'Should I just kill him right now?'
If he intended to kill that old man now, he could do so as much as he wanted; if he did, he wouldn't even need to take a risk, and he could even complete the Sword-Soul Recognition for the ten ink-colored swords of that old man.
But he soon changed his mind.
Since he could kill him at any time, he thought it would be more beneficial to easily rise to the Foundation Establishment stage with the old man’s help.
Only then did Lee An-jeong, having made up his mind, nod his head.
"Good. Then what should I do to let the old man’s Nascent Soul out?"
"I do not need your help for that! Because I can just do this!"
At Lee An-jeong’s words, Jin Wi-dong shouted like that, brought his palm to the crown of his head, and pulled something out.
Shwaaa—
Then, a small human figure with the exact same appearance as him was pulled out onto Jin Wi-dong’s palm.
It was an appearance just like a one-year-old newborn baby.
At the same time, Jin Wi-dong sent that small human figure flying toward Lee An-jeong.
<><><>