The Place Where the Snake Can Be Found (6)
“Sung-sul?”
I was stunned by Cheongmun Ryeong’s words.
And then it happened.
Tuk tuk—
Cheongmun Ryeong thumped me on the back.
“!”
I jumped in surprise.
‘My body…’
Chi-chi-chi-
Rushing blood flow returned to my limbs and flesh began to knit back together.
At the same time, qi surged out and the stagnant energy inside my dancheon began to fill once more.
“T-this…”
It wasn’t any kind of healing technique.
Not even the Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi had moved.
Yet my body had recovered in an instant.
According to all the magic arts I had ever known, this was truly a miracle!
On top of that, my body, which had been torn to shreds by Gwak-am’s whip and ruined by doing the menial labor he forced on me, had healed and felt even more resilient and tougher.
It wasn’t simple extreme training followed by recovery ‘hardening’. This felt as if the very fundamental constitution of Seo Eun-hyun had been completely rewritten.
Udeuk…
‘Even though I haven’t undergone bone-and-marrow replacement, the innate power of my body itself has jumped several times over. Has my gene been manipulated…?’
I looked up at Cheongmun Ryeong in bewilderment. He smiled gently and turned away.
“Well then, come. From today you will train diligently.”
“Wait, Senior Cheongmun Ryeong! No, Master!”
Before we began training together I bowed to him and shouted,
“One of my closest friends has been acting strangely lately. Every night he sees ghosts and hallucinations. Please, with mercy, help this disciple’s master seal his spirit!”
Cheongmun Ryeong nodded and said,
“That’s nothing I can’t handle. Go with Am-ah.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Help my companion of Seo Eun-hyun stabilize himself.”
“Yes.”
Gwak-am kicked my back lightly and said,
“Lead the way. Since it’s Master’s order, I’ll assist within my capabilities.”
“….”
I didn’t like this vicious fellow, but since he obeyed Cheongmun Ryeong’s words, I headed with him toward the room containing the snake.
“Ah, aaaaaah! Aaaaaah!”
When we arrived at the inn room where the snake was kept, its pitiful moaning leaked out into the hallway.
“Ah! Eun-hyun-ah, you’re here?”
Kim Young-hoon opened the door with a cheerful smile.
Inside the room, Jeon Myeong-hoon and Oh Hyun-seok were pinning down Seo Ran, while Kim Yeon tried desperately to calm the creature.
I looked at Gwak-am and asked,
“Gwak-am hyung. Can you treat it?”
“…Don’t talk to me. You bastard.”
Gwak-am clicked his tongue in annoyance and strode straight over to Seo Ran, looking down at her.
After examining her for a moment, Gwak-am smirked.
“What a delicious-looking creature.”
“!”
I barely held back the killing intent surging from me as I glared at Gwak-am.
“If you harm her in any way, I won’t spare even my hyung.”
“I told you not to call me that. And since Master’s order is involved, I won’t do anything bad. Rest assured.”
Gwak-am looked at my companions and said,
“I’ll stabilize this. Each of you grab its limbs and hold it down.”
My companions looked at me with bewildered eyes. I nodded.
“This is the disciple of Senior Cheongmun Ryeong of Hamhae. My hyung is Gwak-am, who has become my senior this time. Since he’s offering to treat Seo Ran, please allow him to take care of it for now.”
Hearing my words, my companions each grabbed one of Seo Ran’s limbs and pinned it to the bed.
Gwak-am watched for a moment, then raised his hand.
The next instant, Gwak-am’s palm struck Seo Ran’s abdomen.
Kwaaang!
The entire inn shook.
“Kweeeek!”
Blood spurted from Seo Ran’s mouth.
‘His internal organs have burst!’
My eyes nearly rolled back, but I managed to keep my composure and asked,
“…What is this?”
“Treatment.”
“…Treatment?”
“Yes. After observing it calmly, I found a great deal of filth inside its head. Shock therapy has been applied to erase those stray thoughts. With the power of Sung-sul, its soul has been condensed even firmer, so until the end of this life it will no longer see any hallucinations.”
“…Thank you.”
Although I believed in Sung-sul, seeing Seo Ran’s dying form made me clench my teeth.
Gwak-am turned and left the room, saying,
“By the way, its internal organs are somewhat smashed. I was only ordered to treat the spirit, so I won’t touch the organs… but this fellow is quite interesting. If I may offer advice, the best physician in the vicinity for treating internal injuries is the doctor who treated you last time.”
‘Buk Hyang-hwa…’
I bit down hard on my teeth and lowered my head.
“…I shall treasure the advice.”
After speaking, Gwak-am walked straight out of the inn, and Kim Young-hoon drew his sword.
“That crazy bastard… Eun-hyun-ah, don’t stop me. I need to draw some blood today.”
“…Stay still. With a monster like that, you won’t win. And most importantly…”
There was something strange about it.
He had clearly been filled with malice and driven Seo Ran to the brink of death, yet at the same time I felt as if Gwak-am had been helping gather my companions.
“…Since he mentioned that physician, please immediately have Hyung-nim take Seo Ran to Baekreongol in Cheongha and entrust her to the ‘Baekran’ doctor.”
“…Understood.”
Kim Young-hoon glared at the room Gwak-am had left, lifted Seo Ran onto his back, and vanished in an instant with Light Body Technique.
Kim Young-hoon was the fastest, so Seo Ran would arrive soon enough.
“Jeon Myeong-hoon, Hyung Hyun-seok, and Yeon. Go ahead to Baekreongol and care for Seo Ran.”
I sent my companions off and left the inn, heading for Cheongmun Ryeong’s manor.
‘I wanted to examine Seo Ran’s dragon aura more closely, but…’
It seemed Cheongmun Ryeong was calling me.
My head was toward Seo Ran, but my feet were already moving toward Cheongmun Ryeong. It must have been a kind of Sung-sul.
Thud!
The moment I opened the door to Cheongmun Ryeong’s manor and stepped inside.
Hic!
I could only be startled.
“…The Great Plains?”
I stepped through the door and looked around.
The place that had been the manor until a moment ago had become the Northern Great Plains.
I hurriedly turned back, only to find the door gone. Beyond the plains stood a single lone tree.
At the very top of that tree, Cheongmun Ryeong sat in lotus position with eyes closed.
Wonderfully, he was not using any technique or martial skill, yet he remained suspended on the smallest branch at the top of the tree without falling.
“Have you come?”
“Yes, Master. This disciple merely wished to observe my companion’s dragon aura, but I wonder why you called so urgently.”
“I know nothing of Am-ah’s True Nature. But that child does not take my orders lightly, so your companion will definitely be treated.”
“…Understood.”
“More importantly, you must learn Sung-sul quickly.”
“?”
Why did it feel as if Cheongmun Ryeong was growing slightly impatient?
“Understood. Please instruct your disciple.”
I bowed my head to Cheongmun Ryeong, and the lesson began.
“First, what do you think Sung-sul is?”
‘Sung-sul…’
I recalled Seo Hyul and Yang Su-jin’s explanations.
‘A technique that affects the rank of one’s fate…’
Fate is the heavens themselves, so in other words…
“Is it not a technique that reverses the principles of the heavens?”
“Correct. Then I ask: what does it mean to reverse the principles of the heavens?”
“That would be… not fearing death and turning the heavens over through the heart, just as Master said?”
“Yes. And you have recently endured my test and entered that realm. Then I ask: how can the heart of a single human reverse the heavens?”
“Um…!”
The heart of a single human.
‘How interesting.’
I never expected such words to come from his mouth.
Yet as I heard them, I felt he was right.
‘Of course. A single human heart cannot reverse the laws of this world, the heavens.’
But then one thought struck me.
‘A single human? Then…’
At the same moment, Goe-gun’s Sung-sul, Yeon-ui Yeon, came to mind.
A forbidden art that pulls the spacetime of history toward the affinity of fate through trillions of artificial souls beyond the realm of billions.
And Takhon Mancheon came to mind.
A forbidden art that fills this world with the existence called ‘Seo Hyul’ and erodes it until it turns entirely around Seo Hyul.
“…If it is not the heart of one person, but the hearts of many, then the heavens can be reversed, correct?”
“Correct! It seems you have seen something similar before.”
“Yes, I have seen something similar.”
“That simplifies things. Listen well. A single person’s heart cannot reverse the heavens. But… the hearts of many can. Yet is it not strange? Why have you not possessed many hearts and still entered the foundation of Sung-sul to prolong your life?”
I thought carefully and answered. This was possible because I had entered the realm of Void Shattering, directly witnessed the appearance of the soul rank, and endured countless lives.
“The human heart is not formed solely by one’s own heart, is it?”
Cheongmun Ryeong smiled faintly.
“Indeed.”
He leaped down from the top of the tree and began his explanation.
“The human heart does not belong to any organ or entity inside this chest. Have you ever thought that? What is the fastest thing in this world?”
“Yes, I thought about it a lot when I was young.”
“Then do you know the answer?”
“Many people answered ‘thought’.”
Thought could reach anywhere in the universe, after all.
“Correct. Precisely, it is thought and heart. They are essentially the same, like the palm and the back of the hand, so either answer is fine. Then I ask you: why can the heart go anywhere in this world?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
In my knowledge, the heart could simply go anywhere in the universe.
Hearing a ‘why’ question even for this made me feel slightly flustered.
And Cheongmun Ryeong answered so easily.
“That is because the heart of existence is not bound within the flesh but spreads throughout all phenomena of the world.”
“That… ah!”
I was momentarily confused, but recalling the appearance of the soul rank, I immediately understood.
‘I see…’
Why did the soul rank appear like a cloud?
In the past I had thought each speck of the soul rank cloud was the heart of existence.
But those specks gathered into clouds and formed collective unconsciousness.
And when the ‘specks’ became the ‘cloud’…
It was already one single mass.
And since the soul rank is filled with clouds, and if the hearts of all beings in this world are connected in cloud form…
‘I am connected to the world.’
It was a rather obvious realization, yet I felt it deeply in my chest.
“Have you understood?”
“To some extent, yes.”
“Good. Then let us attempt basic Sung-sul right away.”
“Yes?”
“The foundation of Sung-sul has already been removed. Cleaning the heart, exchanging hearts, and understanding the power of the heart. That is the foundation of Sung-sul, and now you must try to reflect your heart onto the world through the power of that heart.”
“Th-that…”
“Do not worry. First, beyond the foundation of Sung-sul, let us try a Sung-sul for training. The effect of this Sung-sul is to reflect one’s own heart onto the world in six forms.”
“Tell me the seed.”
Cheongmun Ryeong closed his eyes and clasped his hands without any explanation.
‘Suddenly Sung-sul?’
I thought of the monstrous Sung-suls like Myeolsin Geopcheon, Takhon Mancheon, and Yeon-ui Yeon and began to tense up.
‘Will I be able to learn well?’
And then.
U-rung, u-rurung!
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
At the same moment, Cheongmun Ryeong’s eyes snapped open.
“U (Rain).”
Swaa-aa-aa!
Rain began to fall.
I and Cheongmun Ryeong stood in the plains and let the rain pour down.
“This is the first form of primordial heart. Just like a baby crying after birth. Feel it.”
I felt the sound of the rain and the sky covered in dark clouds as instructed by Cheongmun Ryeong.
“Next is Yang (Yang).”
Swaa-aa-aa…
The clouds that had covered the sky gradually thinned.
The sky cleared.
“This is the second form. The ‘clarity’ a baby feels when it is born and begins to recognize the world for the first time. Feel it.”
I closed my eyes and felt the ‘Yang (Yang)’.
“Next is Yuk (Heat).”
It grows warm.
“The third form of primordial heart. When a baby is in the arms of its parents or a protector. Next is Han (Cold).”
Hui-i-i!
It grows cold.
Snow flurries danced.
“The fourth form of primordial heart. The ‘anxiety’, ‘loneliness’, ‘fear’, ‘panic’ felt when a baby leaves its parents’ arms. Next is Wind (Wind).”
Hui-i-i-i!
Powerful wind swept across the plains.
“Wind. Wind changes the world. As the baby gradually grows and feels the difference in how it perceives the world. And finally…”
“Is it the sixth, Time?”
“Haha, yes.”
Cheongmun Ryeong continued his explanation.
“U, Yang, Yuk, Han, Wind. These five attributes cycle and act continuously. When they are gathered together as one, they are called Time. Thus… these are the six primordial forms of the heart.”
Paa-aaat!
The sun rose in the east and set in the west.
Between them countless phenomena changed. Rain fell, the sky cleared, it grew hot, it grew cold, the wind blew…
Cheongmun Ryeong was not speeding up time.
He had merely twisted the speed of our perception for a moment.
Finally the wind died down.
I briefly stored my realization.
And finally understood.
“…One question.”
“Ask.”
“Why is the practice called ‘Suseon’ (Cultivation of Immortality)? Is it because Suseon itself is a process of learning Sung-sul?”
U, Yang, Yuk, Han, Wind, Time.
The six wonders realized during the Integration realm.
I hadn’t known until I debated with Cheongmun Ryeong.
From Qi Condensation to Heavenly Person, we accumulate law power and study ‘cleaning the heart’.
Up to this point was the Lesser Realm.
And from Four Pillars to Fissure Opening.
During Four Pillars, performing ‘Qi Axe Practice’, bestowing blessings upon the lower realms for the Six Happinesses, understanding the power of the heart through exchanging hearts, indirectly feeling death through the Six Extremities, and entering the foundation of Sung-sul through a heart that does not fear death.
Then, from the Integration realm onward, the Lesser Realm, we begin to master the basic forms of the heart, U, Yang, Yuk, Han, Wind, Time, and gradually enter the stage of ‘learning Sung-sul’ up to Fissure Opening. This is the Medium Realm.
‘The realm-specific seed spells from Qi Condensation to Fissure Opening… I wonder if even True Immortal knows them, but perhaps… they were not merely seed spells but the foundational forms of Sung-sul.’
Cheongmun Ryeong smiled warmly and said,
“It was similar, but slightly different.”
“Yes?”
“Suseon is not the process of learning Sung-sul. Suseon itself is… a Sung-sul of someone.”
“…Is that so?”
His words continued.
“You already know the cultivation realm system of ordinary cultivation. Qi Condensation, Four Pillars, Breakthrough, Origin, Heavenly Person… but in very ancient times, far beyond imagination, such a complex realm system did not exist.”
“Yes?”
“There were only three realms. ‘The realm of cleaning the heart’, ‘the realm that builds the foundation of Sung-sul through the heart’, ‘the realm that truly wields Sung-sul and approaches the heavens’.”
It seemed each referred to the Lesser Realm, Medium Realm, and Greater Realm respectively.
“But later the realms began to divide. As realms divided, many people began to obtain powerful powers. One… the precise division of stages between the realms inside the cultivation… was not to obtain the power to cover the world or to become a monster that shatters stars. It was to study the heart more systematically.”
He looked up at the distant sky.
Somehow his eyes seemed displeased with the heavens.
“But [Someone] distorted the ‘process of cultivation’ into a Sung-sul named ‘Suseon’. Thanks to that, every living being gradually obtained excessive lifespans beyond imagination by gathering qi to correspond with the process of cultivation, and enjoyed excessive strength and power. The purpose of living beings gradually changed from understanding the heart to seeking power. Everyone could wield powerful strength, but… was that truly right? I do not know…”
“…Master?”
I asked, seeing that Cheongmun Ryeong’s state seemed off.
Somehow his eyes did not look normal.
Upon my call, Cheongmun Ryeong briefly looked at the sky, then trembled.
“Um…! Again it seems I have lost some memory for a moment…”
He gave a bitter smile and said,
“Lately such things have been happening more often. My body is also reaching its limit. That is why I called you urgently.”
He continued, not remembering what he had just said.
“Where did I stop… I had explained U, Yang, Yuk, Han, Wind, Time, right? Well, since I have told you about the foundation of Sung-sul, now let us properly train Sung-sul.”
“…Understood.”
Just like that, I learned four types of basic Sung-sul from Cheongmun Ryeong.
The first was the six primordial forms of the heart, which also connected to the Integration seed spell.
The next were five actions and two more, totaling seven behaviors that arise from the action of that heart.
The third was eight techniques born from five perceptions and three kinds of heart awareness.
The last was the law of commanding nine powers by adding one more will to the eight techniques.
Just like that, I learned many things from him.
And eighty years passed in an instant.