Is He Here as Well?
Was he here as well? A sermon by a Nascent Soul True Lord would be an invaluable opportunity, even for a Core Formation cultivator.
"Hmph!"
With a snort, a colossal presence descended upon the Seonghoejang. The moment that presence manifested, every cultivator froze in place. They could neither move their eyes nor utter a word.
Whether by fortune or misfortune, the owner of this presence appeared precisely in the direction Jekyeong was looking.
What is that?
The spiritual body of this entity was different from those of the other cultivators. While the spiritual bodies of everyone gathered in the Seonghoejang, including Jekyeong, were composed of brilliant halos of light, the spiritual body of this newly arrived being was a dim, lightless silhouette.
The silhouette was massive, and merely looking at it induced a dizzying sensation, as if one were about to be sucked in. Had Ak So-san not spoken up again, Jekyeong, unable to tear his eyes away, might have truly been drawn into that hazy spiritual body.
So this is a Core Formation cultivator.
Though it was merely a spiritual body, its presence was so overwhelming that it made the Foundation Establishment stage seem utterly trivial. Just looking at it felt as if his very body were being crushed.
"Senior Sobyeok. Or should I call you Senior Sobyeok-ik-wang? At any rate, cease your mischief."
"Since when am I your senior? And what if I don't stop? Do you honestly think you can block me?"
As the being addressed as Sobyeok-ik-wang retorted curtly, another powerful presence manifested in the Seonghoejang. Jekyeong, whose gaze was still locked onto the former, could not see him, but he could easily guess without looking that this new presence belonged to Ak So-san.
"Are we not of the same race and fellow Daoists here in Bul-mang-won? If not, why did you even come, Senior Sobyeok? Did you not come to hear Senior Hyeon-do's sermon?"
"Hmph, what a bore."
The moment the scoffing reply left his lips, the wind ceased as if by magic. Only then did the cultivators regain their freedom of movement, and Jekyeong was no exception. The very first thing he did was avert his gaze. Sobyeok-ik-wang's spiritual body blanketed the surrounding area like a massive shadow, and the nearby cultivators, like Jekyeong, were hastily turning away and fleeing to safer ground.
"If you were going to come, you could have just slipped in quietly. Did you really have to make such a grand entrance?"
Jekyeong was finally able to look at Ak So-san. His spiritual body was not dark like Sobyeok-ik-wang's, nor did it shine brilliantly. It took the shape of an ordinary human, devoid of any strange, magnetic pull.
"The outside world is a harsh place. All sorts of vicious tricks are commonplace out there, so a little mischievous prank is nothing. I'd say it was a decent lesson for them."
"Is a lesson forced upon those who neither desire it nor are prepared for it truly a lesson? What if you had damaged their Dao Hearts? Many seniors have already spoken to you about that temper of yours, have they not?"
"Are you lecturing me?"
Sharp words were exchanged between Sobyeok-ik-wang and Ak So-san, though the wind did not rise again. Yet, this was undeniably the calm before the storm. Every cultivator present, including Jekyeong, could feel it. The moment Sobyeok-ik-wang's tone shifted, this fragile peace would shatter in an instant.
"Quite a crowd has gathered."
It was at that very moment. A low, quiet voice cut through the tension between the two Core Formation cultivators, instantly dispelling the anxiety of the tens of thousands of onlookers. Their attention was forcibly, yet naturally, drawn toward that soft voice.
"We greet Senior Hyeon-do!"
More than ten colossal presences descended upon the Seonghoejang simultaneously. Before anyone realized it, the newly arrived Core Formation cultivators had floated up in front of their respective, star-like Grotto-heavens. The sheer weight of their collective presence, revealed all at once, was grand enough to make the tens of thousands of cultivators gathered in the plaza feel utterly insignificant. Yet, because their auras were perfectly restrained, they did not exert even a shred of pressure on the crowd.
"Greetings, Senior Hyeon-do."
"We pay our respects, Senior Hyeon-do."
Sobyeok-ik-wang and Ak So-san also adopted respectful postures, as if they had never been arguing, and withdrew their auras just like the other Core Formation cultivators.
"It seems everyone who wished to come has arrived. Let us begin without further delay."
Following those words, a sound like the light snap of a finger seemed to echo.
It felt as if a finger had been lightly snapped. Or perhaps it was the sound of a sigh. There was a faint trace of longing, and a tremor of joy seemed to run through his body. Vaguely, he felt as though he had caught a glimpse of a painting. That painting contained so many things, yet its execution was incredibly simple. He could not remember how much had been drawn, nor how it had been depicted so simply.
I can't remember?
Had he recognized it initially and then forgotten? Or had he been unable to comprehend it from the very beginning? The moment the confusion blooming in his heart touched his drifting consciousness, Jekyeong snapped awake.
But what had he awakened from? Sleep? Delusion? Enlightenment? It was none of those. It felt as if he had dreamed a long dream, yet nothing came to mind; it felt as if he had realized something, yet he could not explain a single word of it. He could only sigh blankly, struggling to shake off the profound sense of emptiness.
Hearing the sighs of regret erupting from all around, Jekyeong realized that he was far from the only one who had experienced this. The cultivators were frustrated and filled with lingering regret. They knew all too well how rare it was to even catch a glimpse of a Nascent Soul True Lord—a living legend of the cultivation world—let alone how nearly impossible it was to hear one preach.
Yet, at the same time, they also understood that gaining something from a Nascent Soul True Lord's sermon was akin to catching a whale with a tiny fishing rod. Thus, despite their regret, they quickly accepted it. Even if they could not remember or comprehend it, they found satisfaction in the mere fact that they had heard the teachings of a True Lord, believing that his protection would guide their future path to the Dao.
Such a reaction seemed natural to them. But Jekyeong was different. He persistently tried to recall the memories that eluded him, straining to grasp at what could not even be seen. It was only when his mental energy was entirely depleted and his spiritual body began to flicker that he was forced to stop. Yet, the lingering attachment and regret in his heart did not diminish in the slightest, continuing to torment him.
"You held out for a long time," U Do-baek said with a bitter smile. Like the others, he had long since accepted his limits and was looking forward to the subsequent sermons by the Golden Core cultivators, but he had felt a complex wave of emotion upon noticing Jekyeong stubbornly repeating his "fruitless efforts."
"Well? Did you manage to gain anything?"
When U Do-baek inquired gently, Jekyeong replied somewhat curtly. He had exhausted too much of his mental energy, and since he had gained absolutely nothing despite his efforts, he couldn't bring himself to speak politely.
"I gained nothing but a mountain of regret."
"Haha! Regret isn't necessarily a bad thing. If managed well, can it not serve as fuel to stoke your ambition?"
"I suppose so."
Though the words sounded slightly mocking, Jekyeong decided to take them in stride.
"Look over there. Those who are only now waking up must be at the late Foundation Establishment stage, or at least equivalent to it. The higher one's cultivation realm and the deeper their comprehension, the later they awaken."
Jekyeong glanced around and saw that U Do-baek's words were indeed correct. Those who seemed to be just regaining consciousness possessed spiritual bodies whose depths he could not fathom at all.
But they probably didn't gain anything either.
The heavy sighs let out the moment they regained consciousness were identical, whether they had awakened early or late. Even their subsequent acceptance and satisfaction were exactly the same.
"The only ones who can truly harvest anything from a True Lord's sermon are the seniors up there."
U Do-baek's gaze, filled with envy, drifted toward the spiritual bodies of the Golden Core cultivators floating like ghosts in front of their Grotto-heavens.
"How long will it take?"
"Well, who can say? However, I have heard in the past that a Nascent Soul True Lord's comprehension can often last for over a hundred years. Since those seniors are only in the Golden Core stage, and the stories I heard likely contain a mix of truth and exaggeration, I doubt it will take quite that long, but..."
A hundred years for a single moment of comprehension? Even for an exaggeration, there had to be a limit.
...Could it be true?
Even if it were exaggerated tenfold, that would still be ten years. Even if exaggerated a hundredfold, it would be a year. Did that mean he had to wait here for at least a year? Surely not. Even if it were half a year, or even three months, he couldn't afford to do that. But what if the sermon ended while he was away? In an instant, Jekyeong's mind began to race with complicated thoughts.
Unable to find an answer no matter how much he pondered, he asked U Do-baek, who let out an incredulous laugh.
"Your cultivation has already reached a high level, yet your mind is still bound by mundane concerns. An opportunity that one might not obtain even after thirty years of bitter asceticism is right before your eyes, and you worry about a mere matter of time? What does it matter if it takes a month or a year? Even if I had to wait in this very spot for ten years, I would do so gladly."
"I was foolish."
Though it seemed a bit extreme, Jekyeong understood U Do-baek's reaction. The longer a cultivator had practiced, the more deeply they understood the sheer difficulty of the path. It was easy to forget because of the youthful and flexible attitude U Do-baek often displayed, but he was actually quite advanced in years.
During a previous Mansi Assembly meeting, U Do-baek had mentioned that his grandson was solely focused on cultivation and had absolutely no interest in marriage. Considering that most cultivators in this world married quite late in life, one could easily surmise that U Do-baek's age was by no means young, even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
An advanced age, and his cultivation was still stuck at the bottleneck of the middle Foundation Establishment stage. Although breaking through minor realms granted a slight increase in lifespan, it was truly just a small amount. Even if he somehow managed to reach the late Foundation Establishment stage, would he have enough time left at the end of it to even gaze upon the Core Formation stage? U Do-baek likely knew the answer himself. Had the opportunity never presented itself, that would be one thing, but now that such a chance was right before him, he would never let it slip away.
Frankly, while Jekyeong could vaguely understand his desperation, he couldn't fully empathize with it. This was probably because, despite the various hardships he had faced so far, he had never truly been pressed for time. Looking solely at the time it had taken him to reach his current level, it would not be an exaggeration to call him a peerless genius by human standards.
Unlike those high-born Yao beasts born with silver spoons in their mouths, he possessed no powerful bloodline that naturally elevated his cultivation. He had achieved his current strength solely through his own efforts. Considering that even humans possessed Spiritual Roots, the achievements he had made as a mere serpent deserved to be held in even higher regard.
Jekyeong was well aware of this, and thus he harbored a quiet pride in his accomplishments. He knew the path ahead would not be easy, but he had no doubt that, just as he had done so far, he would find a way to forge ahead.
Yet, when he thought about it, which cultivator had not felt the same way? In particular, everyone gathered here had achieved at least the second realm of the immortal path. Among them, there would be those who were once confident but had been broken upon encountering a wall, as well as those who remained unbroken, firmly believing they could reach the very end of the immortal path. They, too, would eventually hit a wall, and he would be no different.
When that time came, would the Jekyeong of the future be any different from the U Do-baek of today? In the end, time was an adversary that could neither be defeated nor avoided; one had no choice but to run from it as fast as possible. This was likely no different even for a Nascent Soul True Lord.
Until one achieves the Great Dao, are we all merely fugitives fleeing from time?
Thinking of it that way, the Golden Core cultivators—and even the Nascent Soul True Lord—who had once felt vaguely distant and terrifying, began to look a bit different. Though it might just be a fleeting illusion, and even if they still remained utterly terrifying, the perspective had shifted.
"Senior U."
"Hmm?"
"I recall you mentioning the Transformation Secret Art before."
"Oh."
The solemn air around U Do-baek instantly vanished, returning to his usual self.
"Indeed, I did. Are you interested?"
"Well, there is no harm in learning whatever one can, is there?"
"Mmm. I suppose I can agree with that to some extent. Anyway, what of it?"
"If it can be obtained, I would like to acquire it. As you know, for me to personally seek it out..."
"I understand what you mean."
Their conversation flowed a bit differently than usual. Both of them were well aware that this was not a casual exchange, but a business transaction.
"I cannot make any promises, but I believe I can find a way to obtain it. However, it will cost quite a bit. Will that be alright?"
"To be honest, I am not sure. As you can probably guess, Senior, I do not possess any Spirit Stones, so I will have to pay with something else... but I do not know what would suffice."
"I figured as much. As much as I would like to help you, procuring something like the Transformation Secret Art is not a matter that can be resolved through good intentions alone."
"I understand. The guidance you have bestowed upon me so far is already a heavy debt to bear, so this time, I wish to pay a proper price."
"I appreciate you saying so. In that case, I will look into it and see if I can secure it at the best possible price."
"Thank you. I will also make preparations on my end."
Jekyeong did not rush his thoughts. For now, the only compensation he could offer was the carcasses of Demon Beasts. He had heard that wild Demon Beasts were rare deep within the Human Territory, so they would likely hold some value, but would that still be true by the standards of a middle Foundation Establishment cultivator? A Great Demon Beast's carcass might be a different story, but he doubted a mere Demon Beast's carcass would suffice.
Yet, even for the current Jekyeong, hunting a Great Demon Beast was a perilous venture. Leaving aside the aftermath, he could not even be certain whether he could successfully hunt one in the first place.
If all else fails, I'll just have to gather as many Demon Beast carcasses as I can and offer them up.