The True Heart and the Healing Spring
Yoo Gyeyoon continued his explanation kindly, as if teaching a young child. "Under no circumstances should a cultivator turn away from their true heart. Even if you must clash, break, and end up battered and bruised, you must never avoid it. To do so is like closing your eyes before a problem that must be solved, simply out of fear of getting the wrong answer. All the while failing to realize that, from the very beginning, there was never a set answer to that problem."
Internally, Jekyeong wondered if it was truly something to speak of so solemnly. He had merely felt a slight discomfort, a passing unease that would surely settle with time. Yet, Yoo Gyeyoon was advising him to deliberately drag that discomfort into the light and stare it dead in the eye.
"The cultivation world is rife with all manner of schemes and conspiracies," Yoo Gyeyoon continued. "There are countless individuals who would deceive their friends, their martial brothers, and even their own families for a mere handful of profit. Yet, even such people do not deceive their own true hearts. For they know that the true heart is, in itself, the Dao heart."
The true heart is the Dao heart. Jekyeong quietly buried those words, still difficult to fully comprehend, deep within his chest.
"Senior. If that is the case, what should I do? I do not understand my own heart."
"Simply do not run from it. Even if it feels hopeless, continue to seek and ponder. Then, at some point, you will realize that the answer is already grasped firmly in your hand."
Yoo Gyeyoon did not hand him the answer, but he taught him the way to find it.
Is this thing called the heart truly so important? The question arose naturally, but then Jekyeong had a sudden realization. Was the heart important? Of course it was. Was he himself not the living proof of that? Though he possessed the body of a demon beast, he still held a human heart—whether in part or in whole. Without this human heart, he would be nothing more than a beast. But because he had it, he was not entirely a demon beast.
I see. If the true heart was indeed the Dao heart, then did it not mean that an incomplete true heart would result in an incomplete Dao heart? On a path where a single misstep of half a pace could plunge one into a bottomless abyss, what would it mean to possess an imperfect Dao heart?
"I thank you deeply for this profound teaching."
"I am glad if it was of some help to you."
At this moment, the way Jekyeong looked at Yoo Gyeyoon was no different from how the other cultivators of the Mansi Assembly regarded him. The distance that had existed between them just moments ago had visibly shrunk. Since things had turned out this way, Jekyeong decided to follow his true heart and be a little more shameless.
"Senior. To tell you the truth, I injured one of my eyes during that battle."
Although a significant amount of time had passed and his physical condition had largely recovered, Jekyeong was still unable to open one of his eyes. While he had brushed it off as a minor issue at first, it was now starting to weigh on his mind.
"Hmm. The eye itself hasn't been completely destroyed, has it?"
"No, Senior."
"Then seek out a Spiritual Spring. Within these springs, a special liquid known as Medicinal Water often forms. Its healing properties are extraordinary, making it a key ingredient in various elixirs and alchemical pills. Had you been in the Human Territory, I would have advised you to acquire a healing elixir, but since you are not..."
"I understand. Is a Spiritual Spring similar to a spiritual land?"
"A spiritual land refers to a territory where spiritual energy is densely concentrated, so a Spiritual Spring can indeed be considered a part of it. However, just as not all land in the world is a spiritual land, not all water in a Spiritual Spring is Medicinal Water. You will have to find it yourself, but there is no need to worry too much. Once you see it, you will recognize it instantly. Therefore, I shall spare you any further explanation."
Jekyeong's heart swelled with joy. The lingering unease that had occupied a corner of his mind for so long was washed away completely.
"Well, it seems we have shared all the words we needed to. I shall take my leave now."
"Thank you, Senior. May you achieve the Great Dao."
With a hearty chuckle, Yoo Gyeyoon's spiritual body vanished. No, it had not truly vanished; rather, it had moved at a speed far too great for Jekyeong's eyes to follow.
Heading toward Gwanghanlim in the Northern Region, where the grand sermon would be held in nine years and a few months.
While it was a relief to learn that his eye could be healed with the Medicinal Water of a Spiritual Spring, how he would actually obtain it remained a problem.
"A Spiritual Spring? Medicinal Water?"
As expected, Cheongo's eyes went wide as the bird asked what those were and if they were something good.
This fellow is becoming more human by the day. Though Cheongo had always been clever, the bird was now truly no different from a human—albeit one who was a bit excessively naive.
"Yes. If I have that, I can heal my eye."
"And if you don't have it, it won't heal?"
"I don't know. Either way, I need it. So, could you look for it?"
"But how can I find it when I don't even know what it is?"
Jekyeong repeated the words Yoo Gyeyoon had told him to Cheongo.
"Uh... I don't really get it. But I'll look anyway!"
Rubbing its head with a wing and rolling its eyes, the bird did not look like it had fully understood, but for now, Jekyeong had no choice but to rely on Cheongo.
Since Spiritual Springs were said to be located in spiritual lands, he would have to search those areas. However, every spiritual land in the vicinity already had an owner. If Jekyeong went snooping around to check for a spring, a fight would undoubtedly break out immediately. It would be one thing if he were certain a spring existed there, but he couldn't blindly barge in on a mere whim. Thus, Cheongo had to be the one to scout first.
"By the way, how are you feeling? Do you think you're going to molt soon?"
"Yes. Very soon."
Ever since moving to this place, they had steadily hunted demon beasts. Although they split the prey among the three of them, the sheer volume of their hunts had brought Jekyeong's body to the brink of another transformation. Having practiced his presence-concealing technique and examined his inner state whenever he had a spare moment, Jekyeong knew his molting was imminent. His vital energy was already beginning to seethe, suggesting it would start within two days at the latest.
Once I complete this molting, I won't have to hold my breath like this anymore.
There were many powerful demon beasts in this region. While some were easy prey, there were quite a few dangerous entities that seemed impossible to handle at a glance. By "impossible to handle," he meant they would be difficult to face even with the combined assistance of Muksu and Cheongo.
I only realized after coming here that not all demon beasts are created equal.
Just as humans were divided into geniuses and fools based on talent, a demon beast's talent and strength were generally determined by its bloodline. A demon beast that naturally grew by inheriting the bloodline of a legendary divine beast could never be compared to one that merely got lucky, stumbled upon a spiritual item, and changed its fate. Until now, the demon beasts Jekyeong had encountered were almost all of the latter category. Only after arriving here did he begin to vaguely understand what a bloodline truly was, and how vastly different a beast with a proper lineage was from one without.
To think I'd still have to deal with the 'silver spoon' theory even after reincarnating. It was amusing, but that was all. He felt no desire to lament his lot. If anything, Jekyeong looked forward to seeing just how much he could gain by devouring those so-called bloodline demon beasts.
"Grrr..." Having completed another molting, Jekyeong let out a low rumble, venting the irritation of the suppressed pain and the joy of his overflowing power. His deep growl seemed to make the entire swamp vibrate.
Wooo—! Rooted some distance away, Muksu let out a resonant cry in response. Though Jekyeong did not know the exact meaning, he could guess it was a gesture of congratulations. Having shared life and death over a period that was both short and long, they had naturally learned to read each other's intentions.
"Thanks."
Muksu lightly waved a branch, as if telling him not to mention it.
"Where is Cheongo?"
Woo—
Not back yet, then. It was taking longer than expected, but it was understandable. Cheongo wasn't just skimming over the spiritual lands; the bird had to peer inside to see if there was a Spiritual Spring. No matter how swift Cheongo was, it was bound to take time.
Jekyeong calmly examined his body, which was still burning hot from the molting. Unlike before, the physical changes from this shedding were not particularly drastic. There was no explosive growth in size or surge in raw power; instead, the areas damaged in his previous battles had healed. Scales that had cracked and fallen off grew anew, and the unhealed scars began to fade.
For a moment, he wondered if the vital energy that should have gone toward growth had been entirely consumed by the healing process. However, upon inspecting his stable internal state, Jekyeong realized that was not the case.
The stimulation of my vital energy wasn't as intense as before. During his previous moltings, the seething vital energy had violently thrashed his body as if trying to tear it apart. This time, though it had boiled, it remained relatively stable, like water simmering in a kettle. Why was it different? Was the accumulated vital energy insufficient? But if that were the case, the molting shouldn't have triggered in the first place.
I'll find out in time. Whether this trend would continue was something he would have to observe. With no reference points and no mentor to guide him, Jekyeong had to navigate this fog entirely through his own experiences and deductions.
Still, it's not bad. Though there was no distinct growth as he had hoped, he had cleared away most of his lingering injuries. The wounds he thought he would have to heal alongside his eye using the Medicinal Water were mostly gone now. All things considered, it was a reasonably satisfying molting.
But my eye still won't open. It felt as though someone had applied glue to his eyelid. Fortunately, unlike before, there was no pain in the closed eye, but this state had persisted for well over a month. While he had initially believed it was just recovering, he could no longer remain as optimistic now that more than a month had passed.
I can only hope that Medicinal Water is as effective as he said. Yoo Gyeyoon had spoken as if the Medicinal Water would resolve the issue without fail, and Jekyeong could only pray that was true.
"I'm back!"
Just as Jekyeong finished his inspection and was about to catch his breath, Cheongo's energetic cry echoed from afar.
"Did you find the Medicinal Water?"
"I couldn't find that. I did find a few Spiritual Springs, but I don't know if there's any Medicinal Water in them. Every time I tried to peek, fierce beasts glared at me, so I couldn't get close!"
"Is that so?"
Whether they were demon beasts or monsters, none of the creatures occupying a spiritual land were easy to deal with. Not only were they powerful, but their wariness far exceeded that of ordinary beasts. Naturally, they would never tolerate a strange beast approaching their territory.
I suppose I have no choice but to search them one by one. He had anticipated it would be difficult, but facing the reality still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Tell me everything about the Spiritual Springs you found. Where they are, and what kind of bastards are occupying them."
The place they currently resided was still part of the endlessly stretching mountain range. However, instead of the monotonous forest they had lived in before, a diverse array of terrains unfolded here. There were jagged peaks that looked like inverted stalactites, areas where bizarrely shaped rocks spread out like sand on a beach, and fierce torrents of water that could have been either rivers or streams.
When he first arrived, Jekyeong had wondered how such a place could even exist. At the same time, he was struck with awe by the sheer scale of this vast mountain range. Come to think of it, since reincarnating into the Changram Realm, he had never once managed to leave this massive range. Just how vast was this mountain chain? How colossal and wide must it be to embrace all of this so effortlessly? Were there many places like this in the Changram Realm? Did the seniors of Bulmangwon know of this place?
Ever since waking up in this unfamiliar world, Jekyeong had always been too busy surviving to focus on anything but what was right in front of him. In truth, he had no choice. While it was true he lacked the luxury to look elsewhere, what unique emotions could he have felt in a place surrounded by nothing but trees and grass? But this place was different. No matter where he cast his gaze, wondrous and mystical landscapes captured his eyes. He felt the mental fatigue that had accumulated without his knowledge being purified. This, too, was a luxury he could only enjoy because he still possessed a human heart.
"Are we going to do it?"
"We have to. I can't go on living with only one eye forever."
In total, Cheongo had identified four Spiritual Springs. Two of them were too far to reach within five days, so he ruled them out for now. Of the two closer locations, one was a river and the other was a massive cave, ruled by a fish demon beast and a rock monster respectively. Jekyeong chose the river. It was a decision made entirely based on the nature of their masters. He judged that a familiar demon beast would be easier to handle than a monster whose abilities were completely unknown.
"Jekyeong, you have to be careful! That catfish guy is super fierce! If you even go near, he sticks his head out and starts shouting things!"
"He only does that because he's weak."