The Catalyst of Evolution
It could be activated simply by absorbing enough spiritual energy, and with every shedding, the physical body grew even stronger. In terms of sheer efficacy, could this not be called a natural-born body cultivator's divine ability?
Crack! A particularly loud fracturing sound echoed. In that instant, Jekyeong stretched his jaws wide. It was partly due to the pain, but also due to an indescribable, refreshing release.
Something rained down from his gaping maw. Looking down a moment later, he realized they were the teeth that had been perfectly intact just moments ago. Dozens, hundreds of teeth—each like a finely honed blade—now lay scattered, faded and cracked.
The teeth were only the beginning. Soon, scales as large as fists began to shed in droves. Most shattered into tiny pieces the moment they detached from his body, but a few managed to hit the ground intact.
Whoosh! Suddenly, a burst of flames erupted, wrapping around Jekyeong's entire body. The dense Yokai fire endlessly tempered his newly transformed and growing flesh.
"Roaaar!" As his ferocious roar reverberated, the walls and ceiling cracked with a sharp screeech. Outside the Black Cult Palace, the humans casting the Spirit Rain Technique and the water beasts swimming near the island trembled in sheer terror. A few of the faint-hearted even rolled their eyes back and lost consciousness on the spot.
Sometime later, Jekyeong assessed the changes after this shedding, feeling a simultaneous sense of exhaustion and profound fullness throughout his body. First of all, his already colossal frame had grown once again. Was it 160 meters? 170 meters? He couldn't be precise, but it felt at least ten percent larger than before.
As his body expanded, his strength grew proportionally. Even though he was utterly drained and starving, raw power surged through his veins. Yet, it wasn't these familiar changes that caught Jekyeong's attention.
What is this...? Jekyeong sensed a tiny anomaly forming near his heart. It was a condensation of power, and at the same time, the very essence of life. Though infinitesimally small and seemingly insignificant compared to his massive body, its presence was no less pronounced than his violently beating heart.
Observing it intently, Jekyeong soon recalled a spiritual item he had consumed a few days ago. The more he looked at this tiny thing nestled in his heart, the more it resembled that spiritual item. Is it Essence Blood? His suspicion quickly turned into certainty. Jekyeong felt a subtle energy radiating from what seemed to be barely a single drop of blood, slowly transforming him. It was a slow but massive, faint but undeniable qualitative shift.
After completing his shedding, Jekyeong inspected the storage bag of the fugitive human cultivator. Inside, there were a few low-grade spirit stones, some alchemical pills for cultivation, and several spirit tools with varying degrees of damage. By any standard, these were not items a Foundation Establishment cultivator would typically use; they seemed to have been plundered from some unfortunate Qi Condensation cultivators. While those at the Foundation Establishment stage usually wouldn't spare a glance for the meager possessions of Qi Condensation cultivators, there was no shortage of frugal opportunists willing to squeeze blood from a stone.
Hmm. Jekyeong didn't even spare a glance for the spirit stones or spirit tools. What caught his eye were two jade slips, each containing a cultivation method and a secret art. The cultivation method was a water-attribute Foundation Establishment technique, likely the one the cultivator himself had practiced. A brief scan revealed nothing particularly special about it; it was the kind of common method one could easily purchase anywhere as long as they had enough spirit stones. Still, being a Foundation Establishment method, it would likely fetch a decent price if sold.
Is this... a secret art? Cultivation methods had always slightly disappointed him, but secret arts were quite intriguing. It was a soul-attribute secret art called the Tiger's Majesty Soul-Suppressing Method. It claimed to suppress the target's soul and turn them into a puppet, but as Jekyeong examined it closely, he found the description somewhat exaggerated. Generally, suppressing the soul of an opponent of equal rank was far more difficult than overpowering them physically. The Tiger's Majesty Soul-Suppressing Method also briefly touched upon this limitation.
A soul-attribute secret art designed to suppress and dominate the minds of targets with low spiritual intelligence, bending their will to the caster's command.
This secret art... was originally created to subdue targets lacking spiritual intelligence. Jekyeong quickly grasped the core of the Tiger's Majesty Soul-Suppressing Method. In his estimation, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this technique was designed specifically to deal with the beast race, particularly low-level demon beasts. Many demon beasts lacked spiritual intelligence, and the aquatic water beasts were especially deficient in that regard.
It could essentially be called a beast-controlling technique. Jekyeong suddenly thought of the water-balloon-like creature resting inside his beast-controlling bag. Looking at it now, he suspected that creature had also been subdued using this very secret art.
If used correctly... this secret art could be a highly lucrative skill. Recalling the auction on Seongam Island, valuable demon beasts fetched prices comparable to rare spiritual items. If he mastered the Tiger's Majesty Soul-Suppressing Method, he would be able to safely and cleanly subdue ordinary water beasts. In terms of earning spirit stones, it was arguably superior to most standard cultivation crafts.
Was he hunted down because of this? He had checked all the items in the storage bag, but he couldn't find anything more valuable than this secret art. To lose one's life over a mere secret art like this. Jekyeong clicked his tongue inwardly, but on second thought, it made sense. Ultimately, no matter how many spirit stones one had, it was never enough. Rogue cultivators, in particular, had no backing and would readily turn murderous over a single spirit stone. To such desperate people, a secret art like this would feel just as precious as a rare spiritual item or an extraordinary cultivation method.
Not bad. Jekyeong mentally recited the mnemonic of the Tiger's Majesty Soul-Suppressing Method several times. For him, the practical application of subduing demon beasts was irrelevant. Subduing them? A single glare or a lone roar from him was more than enough; he had no need for a secret art to achieve that. What captured his interest was the technique's fundamental approach to accessing and manipulating another's soul.
Intriguing. But I must proceed with caution. The soul was not something to be trifled with carelessly. Jekyeong was certain that the droplet-like creature in his beast-controlling bag had been subdued via the Tiger's Majesty Soul-Suppressing Method, and he was equally certain that its soul had been utterly ruined in the process. This was likely the result of the cultivator's blunder while trying to dominate it. Instead of subduing it, he had turned it into an idiot—no, a living corpse.
Another thing to add to my training regimen. Though his already scarce time would be stretched even thinner, Jekyeong was pleased. He had tempered his body through shedding and accumulated demonic power through cultivation methods, but he had never properly explored, let alone trained, his soul. He had contemplated it early on, but soul-related cultivation methods and secret arts were exceedingly rare and prohibitively expensive. He had comforted himself with the thought of acquiring one in the future when he had the leeway, so obtaining it like this was an unexpected windfall.
It's a secret art rather than a full cultivation method, but it's not bad as a reference. Jekyeong carefully placed the jade slip containing the Tiger's Majesty Soul-Suppressing Method back into his storage bag and shook off the stiffness in his body as he stood up. Stepping out of the Black Cult Palace, he summoned Hyeongu and ordered him to search for several water beasts, including the split-wing fish.
"Just find out if they are within our waters, and if so, where they are located."
"Understood, My Lord."
Having delivered his orders, Jekyeong returned to the Black Cult Palace and swallowed his last remaining spiritual item, the Vermilion-Grand Cicada. After fully digesting the Vermilion-Grand Cicada, Jekyeong felt his spiritual nature grow even denser.
It won't be long now. From what he had heard from others and felt himself, cultivation was fundamentally like climbing a mountain, but at certain points, that mountain transformed into a steep, towering staircase. In this regard, he had to commend the human race. The various minor and major boundaries of cultivation they had categorized were precisely those steps. Though they varied in height, they were ultimately thresholds and gateways that could not be crossed through mere diligence alone.
Therefore, crossing that threshold or gate required a special catalyst. It could be a sudden flash of enlightenment, the assistance of external items, or something else entirely. Of course, such concepts primarily applied to humans, but Jekyeong partially agreed with them. After all, his cultivation was fundamentally rooted in human methods.
Now, on the verge of reaching the mid-stage Great Yao realm, he could feel that troublesome step looming before him. However, he had no intention of stopping before the step to wait for a catalyst like human cultivators did. It wasn't due to a lack of patience, but simply because it was unnecessary. Though he emulated human cultivation methods, he was ultimately not human.
Even among humans, did not those blessed with supreme talent charge forward as if bottlenecks in cultivation simply did not exist, up to the limit of their innate potential? How much more so for Jekyeong, who belonged to the beast race? Jekyeong had a premonition bordering on absolute certainty that he could simply trample over the minor step before him. This confidence likely stemmed from his unique assets: a physical body incomparably stronger than any human's, and a bloodline whose full depth even he had yet to completely fathom.
It is near. We shall see whether my premonition holds true. Measuring his visibly increased demonic power against the faintly perceived 'step,' Jekyeong calmed his mind and began to circulate his cultivation method. He had only just finished digesting the Vermilion-Grand Cicada, but digestion was digestion, and training was training.
Ten years was not a particularly long time for cultivators. Yet, during those brief ten years, Heukgyodo underwent significant changes. The most notable transformation was the increase in its population. The number of human residents, which had previously been fewer than ten, had more than doubled.
They were no longer mere laborers who only cast the Spirit Rain Technique. Jekyeong had permitted them to practice cultivation methods and even bestowed cultivation pills upon them. Although those pills were merely byproducts of his attempts to master alchemy, Jekyeong had nonetheless invested in them. While such investments were trivial to him, a single sip of water offered to a dying man in a desert often shone brighter than a mountain of spirit stones.
They had once been victims of the Black Flood Dragon Gang's tyranny—slaves to put it kindly, livestock to put it bluntly. Jekyeong had granted them freedom and opened the path to cultivation for them. In the eyes of the humans in the Heukgyo water region, he was nothing short of a savior, even if he was a ferocious and terrifying Great Yao.
Guided by exemplary figures like Han Cheongyu, who led by example, the humans who had settled on Heukgyodo and received Jekyeong's 'grace' nurtured a deep, growing loyalty toward their new master.
"Cheongyu, do you know when our next excursion is?" After casting the Spirit Rain Technique over the spiritual rice and various spiritual herbs, the humans rested and chatted amongst themselves.
"I'm not sure. But since our last excursion was nearly a year ago, it should be about time, shouldn't it?" Unlike in the past, Han Cheongyu was now treated as the leader among the humans of Heukgyodo. This was partly due to his cultivation progress, but primarily because Jekyeong had repeatedly demonstrated trust in him.
He was the only human to have ever received words of praise from Jekyeong, and he was appointed as the leader every time they ventured into the outer waters. Consequently, whether they liked it or not, the humans of Heukgyodo had no choice but to recognize Han Cheongyu as their chief.
Han Cheongyu had initially found his compatriots' attitude rather burdensome, but he had gradually adapted. Eventually, he even came to enjoy the respect and deference they showed him. Now, looking at his companions who were eager for the next excursion, he smiled bitterly to himself.
How incredibly naive. They seemed to view venturing into the outer waters as a light, refreshing picnic. Of course, he could understand their perspective. Aside from tending to the spiritual rice and spiritual crops, they were confined to a narrow living area, so it was only natural for them to feel suffocated. However, an excursion was a mission, and a mission had to be completed at all costs. While they rejoiced like innocent children every time they set out, he was plagued by immense pressure.
To him, the outer waters were not a bustling, exciting world, but a perilous wilderness swarming with fierce, cunning wolves. He had realized this truth from the very first time he stepped out of their territory.
If only I could reach the late Qi Condensation stage, I could breathe a sigh of relief. While the late Qi Condensation stage was not a realm high enough to command respect as a powerhouse, it would at least allow him to protect himself, provided he didn't run into Foundation Establishment cultivators. He also possessed the spirit tool bestowed upon him by the Dragon Lord, so if he acted with utmost caution, he could carry out his duties with a modicum of confidence. It feels so close, yet it remains just out of reach.