‘What is it?’
There were no other signs of anything inside.
The only thing that bothered him was the enormous bust staring down at him with an arrogant expression.
After pondering for quite some time, Ise finally came to the conclusion that the old monster who had created this labyrinth had a rather eccentric disposition.
‘Does he want me to assume the posture of a disciple if I want to learn the cultivation technique?’
There was nothing to lose.
Ise performed the nine-bow ritual before the bust.
If he was going to receive a cultivation technique from this person, then that person was indeed his master.
Even if he only learned from him for a single day, he should still treat him as his master.
At that moment, the spiritual qi that had been flowing throughout the chamber disappeared, and the bust began to glow.
The lid of the box containing the objects opened.
It seemed that the things placed inside had been fake as well.
What an eccentric old man.
Ise grumbled toward his third master.
Of course, his hand was already reflexively reaching toward the cultivation manual.
When he unfolded the jade slip, the first thing he saw was the name of the founder of the cultivation technique.
However, the name had been covered with cloth, as though warning others not to open it carelessly.
Perhaps he had also taken into consideration the possibility of ascending to the Upper Realm himself.
Just in case, Ise didn’t check his master’s name.
Next came an explanation of the cultivation technique, cultivation formulas, and annotations, all written in a somewhat difficult and hurried script.
After skimming through the general contents, Ise realized that this was, in short, a cultivation technique for rapidly growing spiritual herbs.
It didn’t merely accelerate their growth.
It contained the profound principles necessary for making spiritual herbs absorb the power of passing years.
An advanced cultivation technique capable of growing a Full-Moon Ten-Year Grass into a Full-Moon Hundred-Year Grass, or even a Full-Moon Thousand-Year Grass, within just a few years.
‘So that’s why he made such strange trial chambers.’
In the end, the five trials had each been a question.
The first trial.
Have you properly mastered the Five-Element Arts?
Do you possess a Five-Element Spiritual Root?
The second trial.
Have you truly reached the Foundation Establishment Realm?
The third trial.
Do you possess a proper Dao Heart and walk the right path?
The fourth trial.
Do you have the aptitude to learn this cultivation technique and raise spiritual herbs?
The fifth trial.
Do you possess the mentality and bearing of a disciple who shows proper respect to the person passing down a cultivation technique?
The great cultivator who had created this place was probably a proper cultivator who walked the orthodox path of cultivation.
But for Ise, there was still a slight sense of disappointment.
Of course, it was a good cultivation technique…
But what he actually needed was power.
An advanced cultivation technique that could protect him from Core Formation Realm and Nascent Soul Realm great cultivators who might pose a threat to him.
If all he had gained after enduring all those trials was a cultivation technique for growing spiritual herbs, then the result was somewhat anticlimactic.
As for whether it was really worth 20,000 spirit stones…
Honestly, he still wasn’t sure.
A skill was a skill, after all.
Ise decided that he would examine the cultivation technique calmly again later.
Then he turned his attention to the remaining treasure he had obtained: the door-handle-shaped magical artifact.
It was highly likely to be a Foundation Establishment-level TreasureArtifact.
Judging from its form, he didn’t think it was designed for combat either, so he infused it with spiritual qi.
But nothing happened.
Ise unfolded the jade slip again and searched through it to see whether there was any information about the magical artifact.
Fortunately, an explanation was written at the very end.
「The accompanying object is a Nascent Soul Realm Talisman Treasure called the Secret Realm Key, containing the principles of a personal secret realm.」
「Affix it to a door after infusing it with formless spiritual power, and when the door is opened, you may enter the secret realm from anywhere at any time.」
「The secret realm is ideally suited for use as a cave abode, spiritual fields, storage space, and the like.」
“…A Talisman Treasure!”
Ise unconsciously shouted aloud, nearly collapsing from shock.
A Talisman Treasure.
A Talisman Treasure was a magical artifact containing a portion of a great cultivator’s power, allowing cultivators of lower realms to wield that power themselves.
In other words, this Talisman Treasure contained the power of a Nascent Soul Realm great cultivator.
He had heard that creating a Talisman Treasure would cause the creator’s cultivation to decline somewhat, so they generally avoided making them.
Apparently, they were usually only used shortly before a great cultivator’s death, or for the sake of their family.
The true core of the trial chamber hadn’t been the cultivation technique.
It had been this Talisman Treasure.
A shiver ran down Ise’s spine.
He silently clenched his fist and silently cheered.
It felt as though all the hardships he had endured had been washed away in an instant.
He didn’t know how extraordinary the great cultivator who had left behind this cultivation technique was, but judging from the fact that he could create such a magical artifact, he must have possessed extraordinary talent and comprehension.
The founder of a cultivation technique, a master of mechanism formations, a cultivator of spiritual herbs, and an expert in artifact-refining techniques.
He truly seemed like someone who could do everything, worthy of being called a Grandmaster among grandmasters.
Ise bowed once again toward his unknown master, this time with sincere respect, before entering the secret realm.
With his heart pounding, he affixed the Secret Realm Key to the door that appeared to be the exit and opened it.
A space suffused with a faint green light spread out before him.
“Ah…”
A sound of admiration escaped Ise’s lips, and his mouth opened slightly.
It was a mysterious space.
Fine, rustling soil covered the floor, while the walls were made of stone covered in thick green moss.
There was clearly no source of illumination, yet the space was faintly bright, and despite being completely enclosed, a refreshing scent tickled his nose.
The space was approximately the same size as Ise’s residence in the Great Exorcist Order.
It wasn’t spacious, but it wasn’t cramped either.
It was just the right size for cultivation.
Ise’s gaze swept around the secret realm before settling on the center.
In the middle was a magical artifact resembling a miniature volcanic crater.
Beside it was a raised platform for cultivation.
‘Come to think of it, there’s no spiritual qi.’
The end of the secret manual had clearly stated that this was an ideal place for cultivation.
Ise recalled the explanation and approached the miniature crater.
There was a depression inside it, as though it were meant to hold something.
It wasn’t difficult to guess what should be placed there.
Most magical artifacts used spirit stones as their power source, after all.
Ise put a single mid-grade spirit stone inside.
The spirit stone within the crater began to glow, and soon the space started filling with an ambient energy composed of spiritual qi and demonic qi.
For something produced from just one mid-grade spirit stone, the amount of energy was astonishingly abundant.
This was an apparatus that expanded the spiritual essence contained within spirit stones and transformed it into the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth, essentially creating a miniature grotto.
Its primary purpose was probably to create an environment where spiritual herbs could be safely cultivated.
At the same time, the spiritual qi produced as a byproduct allowed one to cultivate anytime and anywhere.
It was quite literally a mobile cave abode and a spiritual herb garden.
The byproduct seemed more valuable than its primary purpose, but good was good.
Ise raised both arms and cheered like a mountain ginseng hunter who had stumbled upon a priceless wild ginseng.
This was something he needed so badly that he liked it even more than any of the fortuitous opportunities he had obtained so far.
If Jang Yeonggeol had discovered not only the cultivation technique but also clues regarding the Talisman Treasure hidden alongside it…
Then this really had been worth gambling his entire cultivation life on.
Since he was already here, Ise decided to try transplanting some of the spiritual herbs he had stored with their roots intact in the Spirit Herb Pouch.
The spiritual herb that would benefit most from the secret realm’s effects was the Full-Moon Ten-Year Grass.
Commonly shortened to Ten-Year Grass, it was an extremely common spiritual herb.
However, after maturing its spiritual qi for around ten years and bearing fruit, it began to display its efficacy as a spiritual herb.
The Full-Moon Ten-Year Grass was particularly dependent on how many years of accumulation it had undergone, much like wild ginseng in the mortal world.
Once it became a Hundred-Year Grass, its value increased dozens of times, while Thousand-Year Grass was worth whatever price the seller could name.
Ise immediately took Bisan out.
“Grru!”
Bisan rolled its eyes around the unfamiliar surroundings for a moment, then apparently decided it liked the secret realm and began flying low through the space, flapping its wings.
Ise beckoned to it.
For now, there was something more important than sightseeing in the secret realm.
A hunting hawk had to perform its duties as a hunting hawk.
Ise stroked Bisan’s feathers.
At the same time, he took out a Snowfish from the Sealing Album and handed it to Bisan.
The little fellow immediately began pecking at the Snowfish with its beak, looking like it had just struck the jackpot.
Until now, Ise had mostly given it the parts he didn’t eat, so from Bisan’s perspective, this must have felt like an unexpected feast.
“There’s something I need you to do.
It’s very important.”
After devouring the entire fish, Bisan let out a burp of flame.
Ise spoke to the little fellow as it bobbed its beak and showed every sign of contentment.
“You’re full, right?”
“Grru!”
“Then let’s work.
Poop.
As much as possible.”
“…”
Bisan soon let out an indignant squawk in protest, but there was no other choice.
What else could it do?
If it had eaten, it had to earn its keep.
Behind him, he left the spirit beast struggling to produce fertilizer, while Ise transplanted the Ten-Year Grass into the spiritual soil he had prepared.
Spiritual herb gardens were less space-efficient than one might expect.
Planting spiritual herbs too close together caused them to negatively affect one another.
So each spiritual herb had to be planted with at least four or five zhang (16m) of distance around it.
The problem was that the newly acquired spirit beast wasn’t suitable for producing fertilizer.
There was a reason people said something was as small as mouse droppings or bird droppings.
It seemed he would have to procure spiritual soil himself.
Among the Arts contained within the cultivation technique was a Wood-attribute art called Soil-Fertilizing Art that could supposedly substitute for spiritual soil, but he hadn’t even begun cultivating the technique yet.
For now, Ise decided to grow just one Ten-Year Grass as an experiment until he could secure more spiritual soil.
As soon as the Ten-Year Grass was transplanted, he sensed through his Divine Sense that its roots immediately took hold beneath the spiritual soil.
As befitted a spiritual object, it displayed a truly wondrous sight.
After a short period of adaptation, it began absorbing the surrounding demonic qi.
Spiritual herbs were truly mysterious living things.
They absorbed the demonic qi in nature, purified it into spiritual qi, stored part of it within themselves, and released the rest back into nature.
That was why spiritual herbs grew easily in places rich in ambient energy, and when spiritual herbs became abundant, they created a virtuous cycle in which the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth became even richer.
‘Use spirit stones to grow spiritual herbs, then use those spiritual herbs to earn more spirit stones.
And if I absorb the spiritual qi produced in the process…’
He could create an ecosystem that would allow him to cultivate at ease.
If he had enough room, he could even grow ingredients for medicinal pills and immortal cuisine.
However, the secret realm itself did not seem to accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs.
It merely provided a place to cultivate them.
His gaze turned toward the Five-Element Life-Promoting Art.
The secret of accelerating the growth of spiritual herbs was contained within it.
Ise got to his feet.
He had obtained enough of a fortuitous opportunity, and he had established a foundation for cultivation while away from home.
All that remained was to wait for the seeds he had planted to germinate, and to cultivate enough strength to harvest them once they did.
He wanted nothing more than to begin cultivating immediately, but if he entered secluded cultivation now, several more years might pass before he knew it.
Ise named the secret realm “Life-Spirit Cave Abode” and left the Abyssal Labyrinth.
***
When he returned to his residence, he found a note left behind by Ryu Seonghan.
I heard that the Heavenly Ice Palace’s entrance examination will be held soon.
I intend to apply through the special selection process for externally recruited disciples.
He appeared to be steadily working toward his goal.
The storage compartment was completely empty, so he must have been diligently eating the immortal cuisine Ise had prepared.
Before beginning serious cultivation, Ise first organized the things he needed to prepare.
Purchase a Flesh Storage Vault or Cold Energy Stones for long-term storage of immortal cuisine.
Fill it with as much immortal cuisine as possible.
Secure enough spiritual soil.
Learn what kinds of spiritual herbs were mainly traded in the Northern Continent and obtain their seeds.
And, if possible, it would be good to make a few acquaintances.
Once Ryu Seonghan entered the Heavenly Ice Palace, they would have fewer opportunities to meet, so it would be useful to have at least one source who could bring him news about the situation in the Northern Continent.
The problem was that Ise lacked a certain amount of sociability.
He was actually somewhat shy around strangers.
He could hardly remember ever approaching someone first rather than simply responding to people who approached him.
‘I heard there are plenty of cultivation exchange gatherings in Tiandao City.
Maybe I should try going to one.’
For now, he merely kept the idea in mind as a possibility.
‘There’s a lot to prepare… but should I cultivate for just a little while before starting?
Even if it’s only for a few days.’
For the moment, his thirst for cultivation was stronger.
Ise opened the Life-Spirit Cave Abode, entered, filled the crater with mid-grade spirit stones, and began his cultivation in earnest.
First, he would use meditation to settle his muddled state of mind, then he intended to cultivate the Five-Element Life-Promoting Art to at least a certain level.
His mind sank deep into the abyss.