A Patient Predator
There were quite a few who boasted of walking the path of Dual Body and Spell Cultivation. Of course, most of them were mere pretenders, not even worth calling chaff, but the select few who were the real deal were universally recognized as formidable powerhouses.
"But let us return to the main point," U Do-baek said. "It is certainly strange that you have suddenly hit a bottleneck after growing steadily through blood food. From what I have heard, a Yo-beast can steadily raise their cultivation through blood food alone until they reach the threshold of a Great Yo-beast."
Lest Jekyeong grow suspicious, U Do-baek quickly added that he had heard this from a sect cultivator with whom he shared a close acquaintance. The orthodox sects of the Human Race often captured and raised Yo-beasts under the guise of 'sect-protecting spiritual beasts' or 'mountain-guarding spiritual beasts,' which left them with an abundance of knowledge regarding the beast race.
"Then why am I..."
"The most likely possibility is that your physical body has hit its limit. No matter how powerful a Yo-beast is, they cannot absorb vital energy indefinitely. If they could, wouldn't the Beast Race have conquered the Changram Realm long ago?"
What U Do-baek said was a possibility Jekyeong had already considered, yet utterly loathed to admit. A limit? Of course he would hit a limit eventually. But already? He hadn't even become a Great Yo-beast yet, and he was already hitting a wall? That was far too early. Had the grueling hardships of the immortal path caught up to him so soon? Was it because he hadn't inherited a powerful bloodline? Because he was born a mere ordinary snake? Just as Jekyeong's insides began to boil with frustration, U Do-baek spoke again.
"And another possibility is..." U Do-baek hesitated slightly before asking, "How old are you?"
"Excuse me?" Startled by the sudden question, Jekyeong was momentarily left speechless. In Bul-mang-won, asking about one's personal background was an unspoken taboo. U Do-baek couldn't possibly be ignorant of this, which meant the question had to carry some deeper meaning... Ah. In that instant, a realization flashed through Jekyeong's mind.
"Do not misunderstand," U Do-baek said. "I only ask because I have heard that some Yo-beasts with slow physical growth experience periods of stagnation when their physical bodies cannot keep pace with the rapid accumulation of their vital energy. If your vital energy has expanded excessively while your physical vessel has not yet matured sufficiently..."
Jekyeong hesitated, unsure of how to respond, before finally replying that he did not know. He explained that he had spent a considerable amount of time as a beast, and because he had been so desperately focused on survival, he had lost all track of time. It was a flimsy excuse, but surprisingly, it worked.
That makes sense. U Do-baek nodded in understanding. He was a rogue cultivator from a humble background. While 'humble' was relative compared to the vast majority of human cultivators, he was considered quite modest among those at the Foundation Establishment stage. Having clawed his way up through countless life-and-death struggles since his days in the Qi Refining stage, he knew all too well how narrow a person's perspective became in extreme situations. The passage of time? Who would have the luxury to count the days when they were desperately fighting just to survive another hour? In the cultivation world, it was not uncommon for someone to accidentally wander into a Secret Realm, barely escape with their life, and realize decades had passed in the blink of an eye.
"This is the extent of my knowledge. I am sorry I could not be of more help."
"Please, do not say that." Jekyeong maintained a somber expression, but it was entirely a facade. Inside, his heart was brimming with joy and newfound hope.
When U Do-baek had asked about his age, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been splashed over Jekyeong's head. Why didn't I think of that? It wasn't that the thought had never crossed his mind. He had pondered his age a few times before—mostly wondering why his body had grown so massive for his age, or at what point his growth would finally stop. But now, the realization struck him anew.
My body hasn't fully matured yet. His parents were the proof. The parent he had first seen at the entrance of the cave where he hatched had been at least fifty meters long. In contrast, he was currently barely over thirty meters. If becoming a Yo-beast had no bearing on his natural physical growth, then he still had at least another twenty meters left to grow. And if it did—meaning his awakening as a Yo-beast actually altered his physical growth limits—then his ultimate potential was completely immeasurable.
So, all I can do is wait. Jekyeong found himself strongly drawn to the second possibility U Do-baek had mentioned. Part of it was wishful thinking, but it also made perfect logical sense. Looking back, he had rushed forward far too quickly. Jekyeong was no longer the naive beast who knew nothing of the cultivation world. Despite the inherent differences between races, he knew his rate of growth was highly abnormal. If he were to reveal his actual age, no one—including U Do-baek—would ever believe him.
Let's just think of this as a brief breathing room. Once he shook off the suffocating fear that his path to immortality might end here, a sense of peace returned to his mind. Like a fresh breeze sweeping through a room that had been sealed shut for days, his Mind State cleared, and a sudden spark of inspiration welled up within him.
Speed is good, but becoming too accustomed to it can be a trap. As long as one does not stop, going slow is perfectly fine. It was a thought he had held in the past, but somewhere along the way, he had forgotten it. Only now did he seem to fully grasp its true meaning. Perhaps this realization was nothing more than a fleeting illusion rather than a profound enlightenment, but Jekyeong didn't care. Regardless of what it was, this small spark of inspiration had allowed him to take another step forward. Becoming addicted to rapid progress was no different from a poison. Since no one could maintain a breakneck pace forever, it inevitably bred impatience and led to fatal mistakes.
And yet, I have absolutely no reason or need to be impatient right now. Why hadn't he realized this sooner? The beasts currently ruling their territories, the solitary wanderers, and even Cheongo and Muk-su—not a single one of them had lived a shorter life than him. Yet, he had remained unsatisfied, constantly looking up at those at the very peak and agonizing over why his own progress was so slow. Cultivation was not meant to be a race against others, and by that same token, there was no reason to grit his teeth in envy of them either. Whether this was true enlightenment, a simple shift in perspective, or merely a well-packaged coping mechanism, Jekyeong knew that his Mind State had taken a massive leap forward. And perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt the invisible wall that had been firmly blocking his path soften ever so slightly.
Mind State. Is this what they meant by Mind State? He had heard the senior cultivators of the Mansi Assembly emphasize its importance multiple times, but until now, he had only known that one's mental state was reflected in their spiritual body. This was the first time he had actually felt its direct impact on cultivation. Does the state of one's mind truly affect one's realm? But he hadn't mastered any cultivation methods like human cultivators; he had simply accumulated vital energy through repeated blood food. How could a Mind State possibly influence such a primal process?
Perhaps it is because I am no ordinary Yo-beast. A human soul. A human heart. A human mind. Yet, the vessel housing them was the physical body of the Beast Race. A beast on the outside, but human on the inside—he was fundamentally different from ordinary Yo-beasts. Was that why his cultivation process was also shifting? Jekyeong suddenly recalled the senior members of the Beast Race in Bul-mang-won. The general perception of them within the garden was quite poor. When he had asked why, he was told that their spirits were highly unstable. Thinking about it now, that was just another way of saying they behaved like beasts—impulsive, erratic, and utterly lacking a tranquil Mind State.
Did they completely succumb to their beastly nature? If so, was it by choice? And if it was a choice, why did they make it? Could they have faced the same cultivation bottlenecks he was currently experiencing? Perhaps they had chosen to fully embrace their identity as beasts just to progress faster. As Jekyeong lost himself in these wild speculations, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle. It didn't matter. He had already found his own path. Besides, he had no intention of denying his own nature now. What did it matter how those seniors lived their lives? I am myself, and they are themselves.
Jekyeong uncoiled his massive body and rose. Though he had remained in the same position for a long time, he didn't feel the slightest bit of stiffness. On the contrary, he felt incredibly refreshed, as if he had just woken from a deep, peaceful slumber.
Hmm? As Jekyeong left his nest and headed toward the water's surface, his senses flared at an indescribable, subtle anomaly in the surrounding water. Suddenly, he detected a presence silently approaching from behind. "Jekyeong!" Jekyeong tensed, ready to strike with lethal intent, but flinched as a familiar voice rang out. "How was it? How was it?" Relaxing his coiled muscles, he turned around to find Cheongo staring at him intently, eyes practically begging for praise.
"The Presence-Concealing Technique?" "Yep! How was it? Amazing, right?" "It actually is." It had taken quite some time, but achieving this level of mastery was undeniably impressive. In truth, Jekyeong had been on the verge of giving up hope that Cheongo would ever learn the technique.
"So, are we doing it now?" "Of course." The eyes of the serpent and the crow gleamed with shared anticipation. Thievery. It went without saying, but to steal a spiritual treasure, one first had to know where it was. Yet, short of directly invading every single territory, there was no way to know which ones held treasures. Searching them one by one was out of the question; that would be tantamount to Jekyeong picking a fight with every single territory lord in the region. Jekyeong wanted to acquire treasures, not shorten his lifespan. After much deliberation, he had devised a clever scheme.
"Look for the ones acting overly sensitive." The plan was to lightly provoke them first. They were bound to react in some way. While all territory lords were naturally territorial and sensitive, there would undoubtedly be some who were exceptionally defensive. Jekyeong wanted to weed out those specific individuals. While some might just have terrible tempers, there was a high probability that others were acting aggressively because they were hiding something valuable. Looking back, the catfish Yo-beast might have been a prime example. Perhaps it had been so hostile to intruders precisely because it was guarding the Medicinal Water hidden within the Spiritual Spring. If so, they could use the same method to identify other beasts hoarding spiritual treasures.
"Leave it to me!" Cheongo flapped its wings, brimming with confidence. "As always, you must be extremely careful this time. If they catch our tail, we're in serious trouble." "Catch our tail?" Cheongo's gaze drifted down to Jekyeong's long, trailing tail. Jekyeong quickly clarified, "It's a figure of speech." "Oh, okay."
"Anyway, be careful. Act as if it's completely unintentional—like you were just flying by and happened to drop in." "Got it!" In truth, Cheongo was already an expert in this field, making Jekyeong's warnings somewhat redundant. Yet, he nagged anyway because of the sheer danger involved. More specifically, he feared the consequences if things went south. Up until now, this region had been relatively peaceful. Some might call that absurd given the bloodthirsty beasts roaming around, but the daily life-and-death struggles here were merely the natural result of survival of the fittest. Since there were no mindless slaughterers killing without reason, it could be considered peaceful by the standards of the Beast Race. This peace was established and maintained by the territory lords. Because the strongest entities generally confined themselves to their own domains, the weaker beasts had no choice but to fall in line and respect the status quo. However, what Jekyeong was about to do would completely disrupt this delicate balance. Naturally, the territory lords—especially whichever one ended up robbed—would be absolutely furious, and they certainly wouldn't take it lying down.