The Path of a Half-Human
It felt as though a blind man had suddenly opened his eyes. Jekyeong no longer found this place called Yangseo Lake so unfamiliar. He didn't even consider the possibility that the turtle had lied. The fear the creature displayed was genuine, and Jekyeong's sharp senses hadn't detected even a shred of falsehood throughout the turtle's long-winded tale. Furthermore, the parts of the story that overlapped with what he had previously heard from the Great Yao—such as the three major factions—were nearly identical. The only difference was that the Great Yao had claimed the Jansu Whale King was the strongest in Yangseo Lake, while the turtle suggested that the Insect Mother of the Gakchung Clan was superior... but that was a minor detail.
"If a lowly water beast like me could be of even the slightest assistance to the Dragon Lord, I am boundlessly grateful. Th-then, Dragon Lord, I shall take my leave."
The turtle departed with utmost politeness, keeping its webbed feet pressed together until the very end. Before turning around, Jekyeong felt the turtle stealing a glance at his horns, but he pretended not to notice.
These horns are certainly useful.
To be precise, it was the identity of a Gyoryong that was useful, but it was undoubtedly these two horns that had invited such a misunderstanding.
But aren't a dragon's horns supposed to look like stag antlers?
No matter how he looked at them, his horns resembled a bull's more than a stag's.
Maybe the dragons in this world have different horns.
Both the previous Great Yao and this turtle had jumped to their own conclusions and treated him with utmost hospitality, which was more than welcome as far as Jekyeong was concerned. Even if their kindness stemmed from a minor misunderstanding, it wasn't his problem. After all, he had never once referred to himself as a Gyoryong.
I didn't lie.
And that was all that mattered.
The day of the Mansi Assembly arrived once more. Jekyeong closed his eyes in his new nest. After undergoing the familiar process, Jekyeong arrived in Bul-mang-won as a spiritual body. Unlike before, he was slightly surprised to find three of his senior cultivators already waiting.
Did something happen?
The seniors naturally noticed Jekyeong's arrival. They had been engaged in a heated discussion, but now they turned their attention toward him.
"What?!"
U Do-baek was the first to gasp in surprise, followed quickly by exclamations from Yeo Janggyeong and Choi Ju-tang. They realized they could no longer peer through Jekyeong's spiritual body as clearly as before, and they knew exactly what that implied.
"Have you... reached the Great Yao realm? How could you progress so quickly?" Yeo Janggyeong asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Jekyeong replied humbly, "I was fortunate enough to encounter a fortuitous opportunity."
To be precise, the opportunity had practically delivered itself to him. That opportunity was Sagaewan. If not for the monster power residing in that beast's two heads, Jekyeong would still be agonizing over how to break through to the Great Yao realm.
"Astonishing. Truly astonishing. I have never seen a cultivator whose progress is as rapid as yours. Could you perhaps be a Heavenly Genius?" U Do-baek asked, half-amazed and half-joking.
However, the response came not from Jekyeong, but from Choi Ju-tang, who had been listening quietly.
"A Heavenly Genius? You mean those chosen by the heavens at birth, destined to shake the world? I thought such tales were merely nonsense made up by idle gossips."
"Well, I wouldn't dismiss it so easily. One must remember that legends in the cultivation world are rarely born out of thin air," U Do-baek replied.
The discussion regarding Jekyeong's incredible cultivation progress continued for quite some time. Yeo Janggyeong and Choi Ju-tang, who were still lingering at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, suggested that they should now address each other as 'Fellow Daoists,' but Jekyeong politely declined.
"Though I have fortunately obtained a fortuitous opportunity, how could I dare stand on equal footing with the seniors who have guided and helped me from the very beginning? I shall continue to treat you as my seniors, so please, continue to regard me as your junior."
Touched by Jekyeong's humility, Yeo Janggyeong and Choi Ju-tang laughed heartily, any fleeting trace of jealousy instantly evaporating. After several rounds of warm, mutually flattering conversation, an elated Yeo Janggyeong looked at Jekyeong and said, "By the way, Jekyeong, have you heard the news?"
"What news might that be?"
"Ah, so you haven't heard. The Bulmang Holy Assembly is about to be held!"
Excitement vibrated in Yeo Janggyeong's voice. Though U Do-baek and Choi Ju-tang remained silent, their excitement was equally palpable.
"The Bulmang Holy Assembly? I have never heard of it. What is it?"
It sounded like some sort of gathering, and given that it shared the name of Bulmangwon, it was bound to be highly prestigious.
"The Bulmang Holy Assembly is a grand gathering of the entire Bulmangwon, hosted by Hyeon-do-jin-gun. It is scheduled to take place in a month, and they say anyone can participate."
Hyeon-do-jin-gun.
He was another Nascent Soul Perfected Lord, alongside Yeongbu Jin-gun, whose name Jekyeong had heard before.
"But even if they say anyone can join, is that truly the case? If we had plenty of time, perhaps, but with only a month left..."
Jekyeong recalled how Yoo Gyeyoon had set off nearly ten years in advance just to attend a sermon in Gwanghanlim. And that was when Yoo Gyeyoon was already a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. If Jekyeong were to travel a similar distance now, it would take him twenty years, let alone ten. Bulmangwon was just that vast. Though called a sub-world, it was, for all intents and purposes, an entire 'world' of its own.
"Indeed. While seniors with profound cultivation might not mind, the issue of time and distance is a massive hurdle for people like us. However, Hyeon-do-jin-gun has graciously taken that into consideration. He announced that he will soon erect Teleportation Pillars throughout Bulmangwon, which will instantly transport anyone to the assembly grounds. Once those pillars are established, Bulmangwon will undergo a massive transformation."
Hearing this, Jekyeong immediately understood why his seniors were so thrilled. As U Do-baek had put it, "massive transformation" was by no means an exaggeration.
"Will those Teleportation Pillars be permanently accessible? Or is it a one-time event?"
"We do not know yet. But surely they wouldn't be for single use only, would they? If the Holy Assembly continues to be held in the future, we should at least be able to use them then."
None of them could conceal their excitement. Although they knew they could not comprehend a Nascent Soul Perfected Lord's sermon—and even if they heard it, they wouldn't gain anything from it—the sermons of the Golden Core cultivators were a different story. Since a Nascent Soul Perfected Lord was personally hosting the assembly, the Golden Core cultivators certainly wouldn't just sit idly by. Even putting Hyeon-do-jin-gun aside, there would surely be those who, like Buyun-ja in the past, wished to sow good karma.
A Nascent Soul Perfected Lord...
Jekyeong did not share his seniors' unbridled excitement. While they viewed this as a godsend, Jekyeong looked at the Bulmang Holy Assembly through a slightly different lens. Though he had no concrete reason, the mere title of a Nascent Soul Perfected Lord filled him with a vague, instinctual dread. Even Golden Core cultivators felt like distant, unreachable mountains; a Nascent Soul Perfected Lord was simply suffocating to contemplate.
It was a natural reaction. Just as a human might feel terrified and hesitate to approach an elephant even if the beast had no intention of harming them, one could not help but feel an instinctual fear toward an entity capable of snuffing out their life effortlessly, even by a mere accident.
Even though I have entered the Great Yao realm, I am still nothing but an ant to those beings high up in the heavens.
His resolve didn't break, but a bitter taste lingered in his mouth.
"Every cultivator in Bulmangwon will flock there," Jekyeong remarked.
"Indeed. I am truly looking forward to it. It will be a magnificent spectacle."
"Come to think of it, just how many cultivators are there in Bulmangwon?"
"Who could possibly know? Perhaps the Garden Master knows, but I doubt someone of his stature would concern himself with such trivial matters."
Jekyeong quietly listened to his seniors' chatter. Watching them brim with sky-high expectations for the Holy Assembly slowly eased his anxiety.
Yes. To a Nascent Soul Perfected Lord, someone like me is just an ant, but that is precisely why I am safe.
To an ant, an elephant is an absolute, terrifying existence, yet that very disparity guarantees safety. No elephant, no matter how ill-tempered, would harbor malice toward a mere ant. With that comforting thought, Jekyeong finally relaxed and began to chime in on his seniors' conversation from time to time.
Jekyeong believed his current circumstances were better than they had ever been. The island he had claimed was a remote wasteland devoid of even a minor spiritual territory, meaning neither Great Yao nor human cultivators paid it any mind. The only creatures lingering nearby were low-level water beasts, which, to the current Jekyeong, were no different from ordinary wild animals.
If I only cared about living a safe and comfortable life, there would be no better place than this.
A peaceful, quiet life. It was something he had desperately yearned for in his past life, but not in this one. Safety was good, and comfort was fine, but cultivation had to be his top priority. Having been born into a world where one could transcend through cultivation, it was only right to...
"What are you doing?"
Jekyeong, who had been steeling his resolve as a cultivator, finally lost his patience and asked. Cheongo, who had been rustling continuously in the corner of the cave, raised its head.
"Huh? Jekyeong! Jekyeong! I was trying to figure out how to make myself look pretty!"
Wondering what on earth that meant, Jekyeong craned his neck to look. A decent pile of mysterious, glittering objects lay at Cheongo's feet.
"What is all that?"
"Good things! Shiny things! Pretty, right? So pretty!"
Looking closely, Jekyeong saw that most of them were just seashells and pebbles. Every single one of them was colorful, and some even emitted a faint glow. He examined them closely, wondering if they might be spiritual items, but there wasn't a single spiritual object among them.
"Sure. It's pretty."
Lacking anything else to say, Jekyeong gave a half-hearted response.
Since when did that fellow pick up such a hobby?
Cheongo hadn't been like this before, but now that they had settled in a safe place, it seemed the bird was finding interest in various little things.
Well, it's not a bad thing.
Since they had to stay here for the foreseeable future whether they liked it or not, passing the time like that was perfectly fine.
Is Muk-su still not ready?
Jekyeong fell into thought as he stared at the fruit, which was protruding halfway out of the ground and had grown noticeably larger than before. Judging by its appearance and the aura it exuded, it was about time for some sort of change to occur. Yet, the fruit did nothing but absorb nutrients, showing no signs of any real transformation. If only the fellow could speak, or at least express its intent, they could have a conversation. But since that wasn't the case, Jekyeong had no choice but to keep feeding it demon beasts. Of course, catching a few demon beasts to feed it was child's play for Jekyeong now, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated. He couldn't play babysitter to Muk-su forever.
As his frustration mounted, he momentarily hallucinated the plump fruit looking like a pig smiling in satisfaction. Shaking his head, Jekyeong cast aside his worries about Muk-su and began to ponder his own cultivation.
The cultivation methods of the beast race are of no use to me. Even if my Spirit Core acts as a substitute for a bloodline, a Spirit Core is ultimately not a bloodline. I must refer to the methods of the human race.
The way a human Foundation Establishment cultivator trained was very simple. They continuously expanded and increased the Dharma Power they had forged upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. Once they accumulated sufficient Dharma Power, they would undergo One Qi Penetration to condense their Dharma Power into the form of a core and plant a Dharma Seed—this was the process of Core Formation. While it sounded simple when put into words, countless Foundation Establishment cultivators closed their eyes forever because they failed to achieve this simple task. Not to mention the sheer difficulty of Core Formation, the vast majority of cultivators could not even reach its threshold.
Expanding and nurturing Dharma Power was fundamentally no different from gathering spiritual energy during the Qi Refining stage. However, considering that even a single strand of Dharma Power was required to ascend from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, one could easily guess how difficult it was to increase that power, even after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
This is why human cultivators are so obsessed with spiritual veins.
Having lived in the spiritual spring for a while, Jekyeong was acutely aware of how barren his current island was. It felt as though he had been sleeping on a luxury bed with a down comforter, only to suddenly be forced to spend the night in a leaky barn.
If I can already feel such a stark difference, it will only get worse once I actually begin my cultivation.
Although he realized that a spiritual territory was essential for his future cultivation, Jekyeong did not rush. He could easily endure this temporary discomfort. What truly mattered was his cultivation, and until he began in earnest, this place was a decent enough haven. It was inconvenient in many ways compared to a spiritual territory, but at least it was safe.
For my future cultivation... I need a way to steadily absorb spiritual energy.
The reason he needed raw spiritual energy rather than monster power or Dharma Power was that those forces had already been refined by other cultivators of equivalent strength. Simply put, it was someone else's power, and absorbing such energy was highly likely to cause backlash unless it shared the exact same fire attribute. But hunting down equivalent-stage cultivators with fire-attribute power? Finding them was a problem, and hunting them was another; it was highly impractical. Therefore, what Jekyeong had to target was raw spiritual energy. Although the required amount would be massive and the yield low, it was the only stable way to grow his monster power.
Hunting human cultivators in the Qi Refining stage is another option.
But that method was too risky. To satisfy his need for spiritual energy that way, he would have to hunt a massive number of them, which would inevitably attract attention. Once he was exposed, Foundation Establishment cultivators would surely intervene, and perhaps even the two major sects of Yangseo Lake would take action.
Even if cultivation is a path of struggle, it is best to avoid making enemies as much as possible. You never know when a poisoned blade will fly at you from the shadows.
Unless there was absolutely no other choice, Jekyeong preferred to avoid conflict with others.
In the end, I must obtain and practice a human cultivation technique. That is the most stable and easiest way.
Human cultivators accumulated their cultivation by practicing techniques. In other words, they absorbed raw spiritual energy. The problem was that this method came with prerequisites. First, he needed a cultivation technique. Second, putting aside where he would obtain one, he had to actually be capable of practicing a human cultivation technique.
For other Great Yao, it would be difficult, if not impossible. But I will be different.
This was not groundless confidence. Jekyeong had always possessed a certain level of self-assurance, and after obtaining his Spirit Seed through the Fire Crystal and establishing his Spirit Core, that confidence had solidified into absolute certainty.
What constitutes a human is the mind and the body. I possess a Spirit Core that can act as a spiritual root, and I have a human mind. What the Yao Kings obtain after undergoing the Transformation Tribulation is, in essence, a human body. They become half-human, allowing them to enjoy a portion of the human race's heritage. On the other hand, I am already half-human. If I can just master the Transformation Secret Art and mimic a human body to some extent, practicing a human cultivation technique should be well within my reach.