The Seed of Survival
Jekyeong's eyes widened in sheer astonishment as he watched the tiny fruit swell to a plump, massive size in the blink of an eye.
Woo—
A faint, spectral cry from Muk-su echoed in his mind like an auditory hallucination. By the time Jekyeong snapped out of his daze, the withered, lifeless branch had already drifted right before him, bearing a single fruit that dangled precariously from its tip.
Thud.
The fruit fell.
Jekyeong hastily parted his jaws and thrust out his tongue. The fruit bounced off the head of the still-unconscious Cheongo before landing squarely on his tongue.
This is...
The moment the fruit touched his tongue, Jekyeong realized this was an entirely different entity from the ones he had been steadily consuming before.
Crumble.
Right then, Muk-su's branch disintegrated into fine dust. In rapid succession, the roots and the massive trunk followed suit, crumbling into powder and vanishing into the air. The time it took for the colossal Muk-su to turn completely to ash was shorter than a single blink.
Muk-su. You...
A sudden realization flashed through Jekyeong's mind. It could have been a desperate hope or a mere delusion, but he chose to tilt the scales of his heart toward the former. After all, there was nothing else he could do.
"Monster! Where do you think you're running?!"
A human cultivator, looking as though he had bathed in blood, blocked his path while shouting incomprehensible words.
Jekyeong ignored him and charged forward. He paid no heed to the incoming attacks, trusting that his body could withstand the desperate strikes of an exhausted Qi Refining cultivator.
Crash!
His physical form did not disappoint him. Jekyeong instantly crushed the human cultivator blocking his way. Unfortunately, because his mouth was currently occupied with Cheongo and Muk-su's fruit, he couldn't swallow his kill.
Get out of my way, you bastards!
Whether they were human cultivators or members of the Beast Race, he shoved and trampled over everything in his path. The human cultivators charging at him like hounds after cornered prey were annoying, but the beasts of the Beast Race, who were finally regaining their senses and running around in a chaotic panic, were equally irritating.
This was especially true because his most powerful weapon—his fangs, or more precisely, his bite—was currently sealed. Things would have become far more complicated if Cheongo hadn't signaled him from inside his mouth at that exact moment.
"Jekyeong! I'm okay now! Let me out!"
The moment Jekyeong heard Cheongo's voice, he parted his jaws. As if waiting for this very moment, Cheongo burst out, shaking its damp wings. Before the bird could even speak again, Jekyeong passed Muk-su's fruit to it.
"Keep this safe! Do not lose it, no matter what!"
"Huh? Jekyeong, this is..."
Cheongo reflexively snatched the fruit with its talons, but its expression shifted strangely as if it had sensed something within it.
"There's no time to explain. We have to get out of here!"
Although the black pillar that had connected heaven and earth had vanished, the eerie Ghost Qi and demonic energy had grown even denser. In fact, it was spreading further outward. The ghostly wails still echoing from all directions, despite how far they had already traveled, were proof of that.
"Jekyeong... What about Muk-su...?"
"Move!"
At Jekyeong's urgent command, Cheongo shut its beak and took flight with a powerful flap of its wings.
"We're heading to the Spiritual Spring! Lead the way!"
"Got it!"
Cheongo immediately oriented itself, and Jekyeong followed closely behind the flying bird.
"Damn it! That miserable bastard deserves to be torn to shreds!"
"Quiet. Stop shouting. My head is throbbing."
The heavily wounded Sagaewan stumbled as he landed. Normally, he would have planted his four paws majestically upon the earth, but now, even after a short leap, he touched down with a precarious wobble, looking as though he might collapse at any moment.
"I can't see."
"Because your eyes have been completely slashed open."
"I figured as much. How inconvenient."
"It's fine. I can still see."
One of his two heads had its eyes completely shredded, with deep gouges carved into its flesh. The other head was in relatively better shape, but it was far from unscathed; its nose was entirely crushed, and one of its ears had been torn off.
"We're a mess. A complete and utter mess."
"It's all because of that old monster, Chae-san No-goe."
"Yes! That wretched old dog, Chae-san No-goe!"
"I told you to stop shouting."
As Sagaewan's two heads huffed and puffed in unvented rage, the blinded head muttered weakly.
"What do we do now?"
"Don't worry. Neither of us is in good shape, but we just need to acquire a third. We already have our eyes on a candidate, don't we?"
"Ah, right. That serpent."
"Exactly."
The head with intact eyes licked the blood from its muzzle, its gaze gleaming with malice.
"That creature is no ordinary serpent. Setting aside its cleverness, the mere fact that it survived that chaotic battlefield proves it possesses something extraordinary. It might even carry an incredibly rare bloodline. Either way..."
"...it is more than worthy of becoming our third head."
"Precisely."
Thick, viscous saliva dripped from both of his muzzles. Pushed to the absolute limits of his physical and mental endurance, the reins of greed he had desperately held back were now completely unleashed.
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
Sagaewan groaned as he leaped forward. Though his pace was like a crawling turtle compared to his usual speed, his trajectory was unmistakably set toward Changangwon.
Because the forces of Sangyo Forest had swept away every minor obstacle in their path when they marched out, the journey back to the Spiritual Spring in Changangwon was incredibly smooth for Jekyeong's group.
Yet, despite the clear path, Jekyeong felt as though he were sitting on a bed of needles. Driven solely by the desperate urge to return as quickly as possible, he dragged his creaking, battered body forward.
"Jekyeong, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Cheongo, scouting ahead, asked with deep concern. Even to the bird, Jekyeong's physical condition looked alarmingly precarious.
Cheongo was a companion who had shared countless hardships with Jekyeong ever since he was a mere ordinary serpent. The bird had seen him wounded and exhausted more than a few times. For Cheongo to be this worried, Jekyeong's condition had to be truly dire.
In truth, Jekyeong had reached his absolute limit. Even with the robust body he had cultivated since becoming a Demon Beast, he could no longer endure the strain, forcing himself forward through sheer, unyielding willpower.
Ugh...
In his battered state, the constant dread of Sagaewan catching up to them gnawed at his sanity with every passing second. Fortunately, however, Sagaewan did not appear by the time the familiar silhouette of the river came into view in the distance.
Did he die?
He wished that were the case, but the probability was slim. Although Jekyeong had not witnessed Chaesan Noyao's death and remained unaware of it, he knew for a fact that Sagaewan was still very much alive when the tide of battle had turned sharply in favor of the human cultivators.
If even I managed to escape, there's no way a monster like him couldn't.
In truth, everything was uncertain. With Sagaewan's power, slipping away from the battlefield would have been child's play. However, as a high-ranking powerhouse of Sangyo Forest, the human cultivators would likely have hunted him down with relentless focus.
Had Sagaewan perished? If he survived, would he pursue Jekyeong instead of returning to Sangyo Forest? There were no guarantees.
Nevertheless, Jekyeong prepared for the worst-case scenario. This was his ultimate survival instinct. While his excessive caution and paranoia occasionally led to unnecessary preparations and later regrets, Jekyeong believed that was perfectly fine. After all, only the living had the luxury of feeling regret.
"Jekyeong! We're here!"
"Yeah."
As the Spiritual Spring came into view, a fraction of his strength seemed to return. Dragging his leaden body to the water's edge, Jekyeong turned to look at Cheongo.
"Cheongo. The fruit."
"Huh? Oh, right."
Taking Muk-su's fruit back from Cheongo with his tongue, Jekyeong held it carefully inside his mouth. Instantly, a familiar energy and a faint, pulsing throb of life resonated within him.
"This won't take long. Wait for me here."
"Okay."
Slipping into the water, his body instantly felt lighter and more comfortable. Jekyeong flared his presence to its absolute maximum as he descended toward the riverbed where the Medicinal Water lay. Along the way, he could feel various Water Beasts scattering in panic as they sensed his approach.
Jekyeong felt a wave of relief at their flight. He knew all too well that these Water Beasts were opportunistic creatures that would turn on him in a heartbeat. If he hadn't established his absolute dominance beforehand, and if he hadn't put on this bluff by artificially inflating his aura, those beasts would have swarmed him like piranhas catching the scent of blood, tearing his flesh to pieces.
Ugh...
Perhaps his mental fortitude had finally reached its breaking point, or perhaps the relief of returning to familiar territory had caused his tension to snap; warning lights began flashing all across his body. In truth, these warning signs had been flashing for a long time, but only now did he have the mental capacity to notice them.
Just a little further. Almost there.
He focused more on maintaining his inflated aura than on the physical act of swimming. Although the Water Beasts had retreated from his exaggerated presence, he could still feel them lingering at a distance, drawn by the scent of blood clinging to him. The moment his bluff was exposed, they would pounce without hesitation.
I made it. I'm here.
Taking nearly twice as long as usual to reach the riverbed, Jekyeong strained to push aside the massive boulder he had placed to conceal the entrance. He had worried that some of the beasts might lose their patience and attack him, but fortunately, no such thing occurred.
It's still here.
He had fully expected it to be there, but seeing the Medicinal Water untouched brought a profound sense of relief that washed over his entire being. At that moment, the tight thread of tension he had barely managed to hold onto finally snapped. Jekyeong carefully set down Muk-su's fruit and approached the pool of liquid. Then, just as he had done once before, he gently extended his tongue.
The moment the tip of his tongue touched the Medicinal Water, a wave of pure, refreshing energy surged through his entire body. The agonizing pain and exhaustion that had plagued him for the past few days vanished as if washed away, replaced by a deep, soothing comfort. It felt as though he were being born anew.
Though he had experienced it once before, Jekyeong was struck anew by just how miraculous a treasure this Medicinal Water truly was.
"Whew."
Jekyeong opened his eyes, confirming that his body had fully recovered. He looked down to see that the pool of Medicinal Water was nearly depleted. The consumption had been far greater than his previous use, likely because his physical condition had been exponentially worse this time. He felt no regret, however. In fact, he thought it was for the best.
I don't know if this will work, but...
Jekyeong picked up Muk-su's fruit, which he had carefully set aside, and brought it to the remaining pool. The moment the fruit touched the soft, blue glow of the Medicinal Water, it gave a subtle twitch. Simultaneously, the last drops of the liquid began to rapidly shrink.
A moment later, the Medicinal Water was completely gone. Having absorbed the liquid, the fruit now possessed a rich, glossy sheen and occasionally squirmed. Describing a fruit as "squirming" felt incredibly bizarre, but there was simply no other word for it. Sensing that the familiar energy radiating from the fruit had grown significantly stronger, Jekyeong let out a sigh of relief.
A storm of blood—no, a veritable tempest of slaughter—swept through the once-peaceful river.
"Screeech!"
Jekyeong slammed the Water Beast he had been biting onto the riverbed, following up instantly with a brutal whip of his tail. The creature couldn't even react before its eyes rolled back and it went limp.
The entire hunt had taken less than ten breaths. It was an astonishing speed compared to his past self. Was it because the target was a relatively small and weak Water Beast? While that was partly true, the primary reason lay in the spectacular growth he had achieved over the past few days.
His mind and spirit, which had been left tattered after being exposed to the overwhelming pressure of Foundation Establishment cultivators and Great Demons, had been completely restored by the Medicinal Water. Furthermore, as if rewarding him for surviving those near-death trials, Jekyeong realized that all of his senses had become incomparably sharper than before.
Yet, these improvements were trivial compared to the changes brought about by his Yeong-jong. Having feasted upon the spiritual power of human cultivators, the Spirit Seed had fused even deeper into his soul, enriching and elevating his entire spiritual nature.
An advancement in one's spiritual nature did not merely signify an upgrade in spiritual senses and abilities. Cultivators walking the path of the immortal Dao were beings who had already begun shedding their mortal shells to transcend into higher existences. The higher one's realm, the further they drifted from mortality and the closer they drew to transcendence. Though Jekyeong had not yet become a Great Demon, standing at its very threshold meant he was already, to some extent, a transcendent creature.
Therefore, to Jekyeong, his spiritual nature represented his existential status, and its development meant an elevation of his very being. Of course, Jekyeong did not understand the abstract concept of existential status. He simply felt that every single aspect of himself had undergone a massive leap forward as his spiritual nature evolved.
Boom!
To him, ordinary Water Beasts were now no different from common wild animals. Jekyeong tore open the carcass of the Water Beast he had just slaughtered. He then pushed Muk-su's fruit directly into the exposed, bloody flesh.
Just as he had anticipated and hoped, the moment the fruit made contact with the Water Beast's blood and flesh, it began to move vigorously, just as it had when absorbing the Medicinal Water. Watching the beast's blood drain and its flesh shrivel up, Jekyeong waited until the fruit's movements subsided before taking it back into his mouth and swimming up to the surface.
"Cheongo."
As Jekyeong poked his head out of the water, Cheongo immediately flew down, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment.
"Take this."