Because I Have to Sleep to Dream...
"Because I have to sleep to dream..."
"A dream? What dream?"
"The Seonin's dream."
Jekyeong narrowed his eyes as Cheongo continued to ramble incoherently. Cheongo was certainly eccentric, but the bird was not one to spout meaningless nonsense. Thus, Jekyeong could not simply brush off these sleep-talk-like words.
Besides...
That Seonin again.
According to Cheongo's rambling, whenever it fell asleep, it dreamed—and the dream was always the same. A dream featuring that very Seonin and the ungrateful beasts.
Is it a recurring memory? But why now of all times? Is it because of Muk-su's fruit? What does the purification of spiritual nature have to do with a dream like this?
While Jekyeong was lost in thought, Cheongo finally drifted back to sleep. And once more, a scene from the same memory unfolded in its dream.
An old man spoke softly, and a multitude of beasts sat quietly, listening to his voice. They did not understand the language of the Human Race, but that did not matter. Language was merely a form; the meaning contained within touched their hearts directly. The more that meaning drenched their hearts, the clearer the beasts' once-cloudy eyes became. And as their eyes cleared, the eyes of the seated old man grew increasingly dim.
The old man's voice faded. He parted his lips as if to say more, but no sound came out. The light that had lingered in his eyes vanished entirely.
"Haha," the old man chuckled heartily, lifting his head. "I have chased the Dao my entire life, yet now all that remains is regret."
Though his words spoke of regret, the only thing radiating from him was a sense of profound relief, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted.
"I have received so much throughout my life, so it is only right that I return it before I depart."
The old man's gaze swept over the beasts surrounding him. He locked eyes with each clear-eyed beast, smiling and nodding in turn. But when his gaze met a single crow whose eyes held a completely different expression, he paused.
This crow was different from the other beasts. Tears like dew clung to its eyes, and its gaze was filled with deep sorrow.
"..."
The old man stared at the bird. When the tear finally spilled over and rolled down, he closed his eyes and sighed softly.
"Do you weep for me? Or do you weep in my stead?"
After a brief silence, opening his eyes once more, the old man smiled at the crow again.
"Since you have given me your tears, I shall also give you a gift. May a virtuous destiny follow you."
With those faintly echoing words, Cheongo woke up. Tears were welling thick in Cheongo's eyes.
Jekyeong felt Cheongo's aura grow significantly stronger upon its awakening and rose in surprise.
"You..."
How was this possible? Could an aura change so drastically in a single instant?
Just in case, he examined Cheongo closely, but the bird was still a Yo-beast. It was only natural. In the vast cultivation world, miraculous events occurred, and some occasionally broke through their realms after a sudden realization... but breaking through while drooling in one's sleep? That was utterly absurd.
"Jekyeong," Cheongo said dejectedly, wiping its tears with a wing. "The Seonin is gone."
"Gone?"
"Yes. I can't see him anymore."
"How do you know that?"
"I don't know. I just do."
Jekyeong had nothing to say. He could only chalk it up to the mysteries of the cultivation world.
Well, it's a good thing.
A stronger aura was definitely a positive development. Perhaps this would increase Cheongo's chances of reaching the Great Yao stage.
The Great Yao stage.
Looking at Cheongo, Jekyeong also thought of Muk-su. In this cold and ruthless cultivation world, companions you could trust with your back were as rare and precious as spiritual beasts. Though Jekyeong had not personally experienced the heartless ways of the cultivation world, he had heard enough.
He cared for and protected Cheongo and Muk-su because he considered them trustworthy companions. They had faced life and death together, and Cheongo had even saved his life when he was on the verge of death.
That was why Jekyeong hoped Cheongo and Muk-su could reach the Great Yao stage. Only when they reached that stage and stood on equal footing with him could they continue to walk together in the future.
But without a bloodline, reaching the Great Yao stage is a distant dream.
Without a strong bloodline, they would have to plant a Yeong-jong and pioneer their own spiritual nature just as he had. But that method was like walking on a blade; it could not be forced upon them. Moreover, Jekyeong had no intention of forcing his path onto Cheongo and Muk-su. Cultivation was a personal journey, not something to be pushed by others.
Jekyeong glanced at the sighing Cheongo and lay back down.
Han Cheongyu and his group returned. Their numbers had decreased by four compared to when they set out, but fortunately, they had not fled; they had simply met with an unfortunate accident. The experience must have been quite intense, as the group's atmosphere was somewhat gloomy, but Jekyeong did not mind. What mattered to him was not the head count, but the items they had brought back.
Various cultivation manuals and auxiliary arts.
Han Cheongyu's group had executed his orders even more faithfully than expected. Jekyeong held a Jade Slip containing basic alchemy methods and nodded in satisfaction.
"You have worked hard."
Jekyeong examined everything they had brought. After reaching the Great Yao stage, his Spiritual Intelligence had sublimated to a completely different level. Once he saw something, he rarely forgot it, and if he willed it, he could remember anything.
"Take them back."
The cultivation manuals and auxiliary arts brought by Han Cheongyu's group were already firmly engraved in his mind. He did not even need to try to remember; simply thinking of them brought everything naturally to the surface.
"Yes, Master."
After Han Cheongyu's group left, Jekyeong began to review the cultivation arts engraved in his mind one by one. What he had obtained this time were three arts: Alchemy, Smithing, and Spiritual Farming. All of them covered basic introductory knowledge, equivalent to elementary cultivation methods, which was perfect for Jekyeong, who had zero prior knowledge.
Smithing... I don't need it right now. I doubt I'll need it in the future either.
Smithing was the art of forging spiritual items and Dharma Treasures, which was of little use to the Beast Race. A normal Dharma Treasure could not be used by a beast, and even if it could, his greatest weapon was his powerful physical body. To him, most Dharma Treasures were just expensive decorations. Of course, forged Dharma Treasures were not only for combat, but Jekyeong had no interest in smithing for now.
On the other hand, Alchemy and Spiritual Farming were different. Jekyeong was highly interested in these two cultivation arts. Needless to say, Alchemy could aid his cultivation, and Spiritual Farming was essential for cultivating Spiritual Rice and spiritual herbs, so he must master it.
It's a pity there are no formations.
Jekyeong did not expect anything grand. Just being able to set up a basic Spirit Gathering Array would be highly satisfying. A Spirit Gathering Array consumed Spirit Stones to increase the concentration of spiritual energy within the array. It literally "converted Spirit Stones into cultivation." However, he had heard its efficiency was not great, so only those with deep pockets used it.
Buying a Spirit Gathering Array separately wouldn't be a bad idea, but...
After a brief hesitation, Jekyeong dismissed the thought. He planned to keep sending messengers anyway, so it would not be long before he could set one up himself. Buying a formation array was no simple matter. They were inherently expensive, and since each array had a distinct purpose, buying one inevitably leaked information. For instance, buying a Spirit Gathering Array indirectly told the seller that you were wealthy enough to use one for cultivation.
If Jekyeong sent his messengers to buy a Spirit Gathering Array, the danger they faced would be incomparable to this time. Jekyeong did not want to risk such danger just to get something a little sooner that he could obtain later anyway. Han Cheongyu and the other messengers would be very useful in the future, so they had to be handled with care.
Alchemy is close to what I expected, but Spiritual Farming is quite different.
Between Alchemy and Spiritual Farming, the latter caught Jekyeong's interest more. This cultivation art, which had an even longer history than alchemy, was far more complex than he had initially anticipated. There were so many variables to consider. Seed selection and geography were basic, but one also had to consider the nature and concentration of the spiritual energy affecting the cultivation site, and even the ambient aura. He could not tell if this was actually true or just written to sound profound.
Soil-based crops and water-based crops... spiritual herbs and poisonous herbs...
Just skimming through the basics made his head spin. The basic Spiritual Rice cultivation recorded at the very beginning was simple, but moving on to the conceptual parts quickly gave him a headache. Jekyeong returned to the beginning and looked at a few crops that were easy to grow.
First... should I try growing some Spiritual Rice?
The conditions and methods for growing Spiritual Rice were simple. All it took was land with a decent amount of spiritual energy and Spiritual Rice seeds. With occasional care using the Spirit Rain Technique, it would grow rapidly on its own. Spiritual Rice was the staple food for Qi Refining cultivators who could not perform inedia, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators often consumed it for their training. It was one of the primary food sources for the Human Race. This means once cultivated, there was no way it would not sell.
Coincidentally, there was plenty of idle land on Heukgyodo, making it perfect for growing Spiritual Rice. The only issue was the Spirit Rain Technique, but he could just order a few humans to cast it.
Hmm. I can have Han Cheongyu's group do it.
Since the cultivation methods they practiced were likely water-attributed anyway, casting the Spirit Rain Technique should not be a problem. Bringing outsiders onto the island was slightly bothersome, but they were only a few low-level Qi Refining cultivators, so it would not cause any issues.
*Gulp!*
Han Cheongyu swallowed hard, looking at the gray land stretching before him. It was partly due to tension, and partly due to a sense of helplessness. From now on, he had to cultivate this vast land into soil suitable for planting Spiritual Rice.
"This is truly immense," a companion marveled.
The others had similar expressions. They knew the gray ash covering this land was related to the destruction of the Heukgyobang not long ago. At that time, a flame cloud covering the sky had rained fire, and this gray land was the remnant of that event.
"Let's begin."
Letting out a long sigh, they took their positions and cast the Spirit Rain Technique. Rain imbued with spiritual energy began to wash away the gray ash covering the ground.
"..." Watching this from afar, Cheongo tilted its head in curiosity.