Volcanic Age - Chapter 10

It turned out that the location he had reached was the underwater cave he had remembered.

The moss he first noticed filled the entire cave and glowed brightly with a green light.

After that, he came across a massive tree that was so large it was breathtaking.

The moss covered the walls and ceiling, which were loaded with innumerable branches that spread out in a convoluted pattern.

The leaves were unusual because they were blue rather than green.

The tree had a considerable thickness that gave you the impression that it was quite old.

Finally, the floor was completely covered by the tree’s support roots.

“The underwater tree!”

It was an underwater tree, as its name implied.

The most amazing thing was that it continued to grow despite the lack of sunlight.

Only a few of the underwater trees, which were thought to be a rare species, could be found throughout the entire central plains.

But not for the same reason that Ju Seo Cheon had been startled by the underwater tree.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t find the Water Spirit Fruit, either.

He saw the fruit rolling about on the ground that the ronin had mentioned twenty years previously.

There was one difference, though.

There was something he was ignorant of even before traveling across time.

“Exactly what is that?”

That was a snake.

It wasn’t as big as the underwater tree, but it was still enormous.

At first impression, the size wasn’t typical, but it did appear to be roughly as long as five adults put together.

Even though its length was incredible, its thickness was equally remarkable. It appeared to be three feet thick or so.

‘A spiritual being!’

The underwater tree was considered to be a type of spiritual being, along with other creatures and plants that possessed extraordinary powers and energies.

Plants weren’t so harmful, in this situation. Typically, the ones with poison were the most hazardous.

However, spiritual animals constituted a major threat.

They had intelligence comparable to that of humans, and they were powerful enough to pose a threat to experts.

“With a body that size…”

Ju Seo Cheon spent a lot of time alone and read a good number of books before going back in time.

Among them was a book about spiritual creatures, and he learned a lot from the material it contained.

It’s a spiritual being that has been around for at least a couple hundred years, damn it.

Particularly, snakes were as hazardous as wild animals. Most snakes gain more power and speed when they evolve into spiritual beings, and their scales also harden to the point that they can block sword aura.

The poison concealed in their fangs was the most dreadful aspect, though.

It appears to be asleep at the moment, however…

He had sworn several times that it was winter right now, but it wasn’t. Thank goodness it was winter, he thought.

Whether they are spiritual entities or not, all snakes hibernate during the winter. Because of that, he was able to avoid detection and survive.

“If I were to get into a battle with it…no, if I wake it up, I’m going to die.”

Peak and transcendence experts had to work together to combat such a spiritual being.

Without the sword qi, a power that claimed to have a more powerful cutting force than any legendary blade, it would be difficult to combat it.

As a result, facing that serpent without even having the martial arts before returning in time was equivalent to committing suicide.

“If that thing had been around twenty years ago…”

“I have no means of knowing about that. since it wouldn’t have been there.”

If it were that light-mouthed ronin, he would have told everyone that he survived the serpent and returned alive.

“But that snake was not there because I was unable to hear of it twenty years later.”

He wasn’t sure why.

It might have previously been pursued by a different spiritual being or secretive masters, or it might have evolved into an imugi.

That wasn’t the case now, though. In this underwater cavern, that snake was hibernating.

His luck was abhorrently poor.

“Should I escape?”

Spiritual beings weren’t spiritual beings for nothing. If he approached it, it might sense his presence and awaken from its slumber.

If it occurred, he would pass away.

But after traveling so far, it would be a waste to go back.

He looked up and examined the submerged tree. Under the obscenely large trunk, he could make out a fruit.

The fruit had blue coloring. It was the Fruit of the Water Spirit.

He examined the roots and branches as well as the other components, but the only Water Spirit Fruit he could make out was the one on the ground.

“I’m positive that’s it.”

Additionally, he was aware of the properties of the Water Spirit Fruit because of Ronin’s profusion of information about it.

“But….”

Right close to it was the head of the enormous snake, which was sound asleep. He lacked the nerve to approach closer.

Ju Seo Cheon racked his head and became very contemplative.

He should retreat now, right?

or progress?

He didn’t give it much thought.

Ju Seo Cheon lowered his body and made the best effort to conceal his existence. Then, like a turtle, he began to move slowly forward.

“Master!”

Although he would get another chance the following week, there was no guarantee the snake wouldn’t be present.

If it made this home until he turned fourteen, that would spell the end. Yu Jong Mok would perish as in the past.

Ju Seo Cheon gained bravery from his apprehension and terror.

While carefully approaching the Water Spirit Fruit, Ju Seo Cheon held his breath.

On the surface, a head appeared. It belongs to a kid.

Ju Seo Cheon, the kid, managed to get away. He had dived to the ground as the sun was at its highest.

But at this moment, as the sun was setting and the sky was turning crimson, he felt the color was absolutely lovely.

When Ju Seo Cheon rose above the surface, he mumbled with a depressed expression.

“I pissed myself…”

Ju Seo Cheon returned to Mount Hua Sect after successfully retrieving the Water Spirit Fruit.

Four days later.

Around dinnertime, Yu Jong Mok returned from the meeting.

After a few days, Ju Seo Cheon began to enter his thoughts.

“How do I present this to my master?”

In the Mount Hua Sect, there were no fruits similar to the Water Spirit Fruit.

Even the way it looked wasn’t typical.

Although it was a typical size, it reflected the color of the ocean.

It was immediately obvious that something wasn’t right.

“Wow, it’s too risky to promise that the medication isn’t a miracle cure in the first place.”

Miracle medicines continued to work after being ingested.

When ingesting miracle medicine that was packed with a tonne of energy, like the Water Spirit Fruit, you had to take extra care.

If you consumed it without making any preparations, the immense energy that suddenly entered your body would leave you perplexed.

In the worst-case scenario, your internal energy may explode and experience internal distortion as a result of your confusion turning into an inability to regulate it.

‘Ugh.’

No matter how he informed him about it, he wouldn’t be able to avoid being thought to have stolen it.

It made no sense to claim that he picked it up off the floor because you required at least a thousand gold pieces to purchase a miraculous medicine like this.

Additionally, he was unable to claim that as a disciple of the Righteous Sect, he had stolen it from someone.

Furthermore, he wasn’t even equipped to do so, to begin with.

Ju Seo Cheon groaned and sighed since he was helpless to change the situation.

“Is something not right?”

Not long after, Yu Jong Mok became aware of something bothering his apprentice.

He also wasn’t able to say that he stole it from someone as a disciple of the Righteous Sect. 

And he couldn’t even do so in the first place.

Ju Seo Cheon wasn’t able to do anything about it and let out a sigh while groaning.

“Is there something wrong?”

Yu Jong Mok noticed that something was troubling his disciple not long after.

“Ma, master!”

“These days, dread and unease were all over your face. When you can’t handle a problem on your own, it’s okay to ask for assistance from those around you. “

Ju Seo Cheon was struck in the head by Yu Jong Mok as usual.

“Ugh.”

Ju Seo Cheon appeared to be a little boy, but on the inside, he was an elderly man.

In terms of age, experience, or martial arts knowledge, he was a few levels superior to Yu Jong Mok.

However, marvelously enough, he felt as though he had truly changed into a child when he was in front of Yu Jong Mok, whether he had returned in time or not.

Aside from that, he found it quite challenging to keep things from his lord.

He behaved subtly in front of others so as not to appear suspicious and to avoid attracting any notice.

His acting abilities were also pretty impressive, and everyone was duped.

Except for Yu Jong Mok, who was standing in front of him.

“Right. Being questioned after being accused of hiding anything is useless.”

Ju Seo Cheon took a swallow and pretended to have made up his mind.

“If it will save master…”

If the medication’s expiration date was today?

As soon as he considered that, he started to get chills.

But of course, that might be going a little too far. Ju Seo Cheon believed his concerns were a little over the top.

But the “what if” lingered tenaciously in his mind.

Ju Seo Cheon bravely removed the Water Spirit Fruit.

“Won’t you take it, Master?”

“It’s a remarkable medicine.”

Ju Seo Cheon spoke without any pauses.

“Hah.”

He pretended to laugh internally since he found it to be silly.

A nine-year-old child was groaning as if he were ready to urinate when he suddenly reached into his pocket, pulled out a miraculous remedy, and ordered you to take it.

Everyone would be in awe.

Yu Jong Mok kept silent. His eyes fell on the water-colored fruit that Ju Seo Cheon was holding.

A moment of silence.

And then, Yu Jong Mok finally opened his mouth.

***

Translated by novel multiverse

Edited by Beetlesme