The Birth of Thought-Burning Cultivation

He wasn't merely forcing himself to endure it; he truly felt no pain at all. The flames conjured by the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation had absolutely no effect on him. It was like a tiny ember trying to burn down a colossal cliff. Before his soul—which had taken fire as its Spirit Seed and steadily refined its spiritual nature—and his physical body—which had grown incredibly robust through repeated shedding—the flames of the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation were nothing more than a lukewarm draft.

'I see.'

The original training method of the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation was to moderately control these spiritual flames to reduce the burden on one's soul and body. While this lowered the efficiency of refining spiritual energy, it ensured safety. Human cultivators had no choice but to train this way. Because they were weak. They played with fire, yet lived in constant fear of being burned by it.

But Jekyeong was different. He had the confidence, so he decided to test it. And the results exceeded his expectations. Even if he were to practice a technique far more violent and powerful than the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation, he wouldn't feel the slightest strain.

'Should I give it a try?'

An impulsive thought suddenly crossed his mind. Jekyeong had practiced both the Heat-Absorbing Technique and the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation, and it was safe to say he had completely mastered the former. Furthermore, although he hadn't practiced other basic techniques, he had memorized them all and grasped their underlying principles. His understanding of cultivation methods was by no means shallow.

'The core principle itself isn't difficult.'

Ultimately, the point was to draw in more spiritual energy. To use an analogy, it was like opening one's mouth a little wider to take a bigger bite of food.

'...Well, no. That's a bit of a crude comparison.'

Regardless, increasing the amount of absorbed spiritual energy didn't seem too difficult. The only real risk was that the intensified fire attribute might place a heavier burden on his soul and body. However, having just practiced the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation and compared it to the Heat-Absorbing Technique, he doubted it would pose any real problem even if the strain grew far larger than expected.

'Let's do it.'

Jekyeong made his decision. The beginning was no different. He activated the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation, chanting the mnemonic formulas to attune himself to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Next was drawing that attuned energy inside. This guidance had to be meticulously regulated through the formulas. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was wild and untamed; if left unchecked, it could easily damage a cultivator's soul and body. Therefore, a superior cultivation formula was defined by its ability to draw in vast amounts of energy while maintaining stable control over it. In that sense, the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation could be considered a reasonably decent technique.

But now, Jekyeong completely threw that decent technique out the window. He abandoned all control over the spiritual energy, focusing solely on pulling in as much of it as possible.

Thud!

The absolute maximum amount of spiritual energy the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation could possibly attract surged in like a tidal wave, shaking his soul. Yet, Jekyeong's rock-solid soul weathered the wave without a single flinch.

'Ah!'

Having accepted the spiritual energy, the next step was refinement. That process also occurred at a blistering pace. Wild, untamed flames spread throughout his entire soul and body. The heat far surpassed the lukewarm temperature from before, but it was still nowhere near enough to harm his robust form.

'Yes. This is it.'

The haphazardly drawn spiritual energy transformed into Monster Power and settled into his soul. Compared to when he operated the technique normally, the yield was nearly double. An efficiency of this level wouldn't pale in comparison to the secret techniques of renowned sects and cultivation clans.

Boom!

Having finished his training, Jekyeong transformed back into his true form and left the island. Moving his massive body freely, he fully released the excitement he had suppressed throughout his cultivation session. The step he took today was a light one, but its significance was anything but light. It was the discovery of a new possibility. Though he didn't know how fruitfully this potential would grow in the future, the results achieved today were more than enough to be deeply meaningful to him.

'Hmm. Come to think of it, I can no longer call the technique I'm practicing the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation.'

The modest name of Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation felt ill-suited for his brilliantly modified new technique.

'Heaven-Burning Cultivation? No, that's a bit too grandiose.'

After mulling over various options and failing to find a perfect fit, Jekyeong simply stripped the words "Heart-Searing" from the original name. Since his technique was created by cutting away the unnecessary, cautious parts of the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation, this felt quite appropriate.

'Thought-Burning Cultivation. Thought-Burning Cultivation.'

It was a somewhat plain name, but Jekyeong liked it. Perhaps he felt that way simply because it was a technique born of his own hands.

Having created the exceptional Thought-Burning Cultivation by using the Thought-Burning Heart-Searing Cultivation as a mere reference, Jekyeong truly understood what it meant to find joy in training. The feeling of his Monster Power swelling with every single session was incredibly exhilarating. Because he threw himself so deeply into his training, his supply of Spirit Wine ran completely dry in less than a month, forcing him to order double the amount from Gwak Jeong-sin. In the past, his tight pockets would have made such luxurious training unimaginable, but things were different now. He was tempted to convert every single Spirit Stone in his possession into Spirit Wine.

Of course, he couldn't actually do that. Doing so would inevitably arouse Gwak Jeong-sin's suspicion.

'I must not rush. I have to increase it slowly, bit by bit.'

Every time Jekyeong met Gwak Jeong-sin, he made sure to praise the taste of the Spirit Wine, exaggerating his persona as a passionate connoisseur of fine alcohol. This way, even as his orders steadily grew, he could deflect any suspicion.

Gulp, gulp!

Jekyeong drained another bottle of Spirit Wine and resumed his training. Spiritual energy rushed into him without resistance, and before long, an intense, fiery heat flared up.

The island of Heukgyodo, once known as a barren land that devoured Spirit Stones, was changing. Though nothing could be seen on the surface, those who had spent months living on the island ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could feel the shift.

"I think it's gotten hotter," one of the workers muttered as they gathered to rest after finishing their day's labor.

"Yeah. It's definitely gotten hotter." At first, they thought it was just their imagination, but when everyone felt the exact same thing, it could no longer be dismissed as a mere illusion.

"I'm actually sweating."

They were cultivators. Even though their realms were meager, they were still cultivators, meaning they didn't tire easily and were largely unaffected by natural weather. Yet now, even as they sat still and rested, sweat dripped from their brows, and the heat was only growing more intense.

"It must mean Lord Dragon's cultivation has deepened."

They knew the reason behind this bizarre phenomenon. It was because 'Lord Cheongo,' who often left them in awkward situations, had told them. The talkative crow-like spiritual beast had boasted that this heat was a direct result of Lord Dragon's training. At first, they had been skeptical, but seeing how the heat wave consistently flared up only during specific hours of the day, they realized it was the absolute truth.

'Just how high must one's cultivation be to cause something like this?'

They knew that Lord Dragon had annihilated the Black Flood Dragon Gang, and they knew he was powerful enough to reduce Heukgyodo to ashes. However, knowing something in theory was entirely different from experiencing it firsthand. They had no real concept of how powerful a Foundation Establishment cultivator was, or how dangerous a Great Demon could be. But now, experiencing it directly—even if only through this indirect heat—they could faintly grasp the reality.

The entity they called Lord Dragon was clearly beyond their comprehension. To think that merely training could exert such a vivid, palpable influence over the entire island. Just what kind of cultivation was Lord Dragon practicing? This topic had recently become the most popular subject of discussion among them.

"Lord Dragon is a Gyoryong, after all. Since the blood of a dragon flows through his veins, it must be some kind of mystical..."

"Isn't he just sleeping? I heard that..."

Even though they had occasionally left the Heukgyo Water Territory to dip their toes into the cultivation world of Yang-seo-ho, they were still frogs in a well. Their cultivation, as well as their worldly knowledge, was pitifully sparse compared to the cultivators of the outside world. Great Demons? Gyoryong? Cultivation? These were all concepts from an entirely different realm. They knew it themselves—their debates were nothing more than wild, baseless speculation.

The point of these discussions wasn't some grand intellectual pursuit, but simply a way to pass the time and stave off loneliness. While the people back in their hometowns probably imagined them trapped on Heukgyodo, suffering under brutal forced labor, they were actually living a highly comfortable life here. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Aside from the time spent tending to the Spiritual Rice, their schedule was entirely free, and their meals were abundant. Most of all, thanks to the dense spiritual energy of Heukgyodo, their cultivation was progressing at a rapid pace. If their fellow villagers ever learned of these benefits, their eyes would turn red with envy.

"I think I'll be able to reach the mid-stage of Qi Condensation before long."

"I feel like I'm close too. The spiritual energy here is truly incredible."

As the conversation turned to cultivation, they secretly glanced at Han Cheongyu. Han Cheongyu was the youngest among them, yet his cultivation was the highest. They envied him for being younger yet more advanced, but at the same time, they respected him. It wasn't just because of his talent; Han Cheongyu possessed a sheer, relentless grit that none of them could match.

Even when they were exhausted and resting, Han Cheongyu never stopped training. He would even cut down on his sleep just to squeeze in more cultivation. In the past, they had been motivated by him and tried to copy his regimen, but every single one of them had given up before long. Since then, they had accepted his superiority. Han Cheongyu might be the youngest, but his resolve to seek the Dao was firmer than anyone else's.

"Cheongyu. Is there anything we should watch out for when breaking through to mid-stage Qi Condensation?"

"Things to watch out for?"

Han Cheongyu had been sitting quietly, staying out of the conversation. He didn't enjoy idle chatter, and in truth, he hated wasting time in these meaningless gatherings. He believed it was far better to spend this time cultivating, even if only for a moment longer. However, despite his personal feelings, he couldn't simply act as he pleased. He understood the importance of this small community and wanted to avoid being ostracized by the group if possible.

"If there's one thing to be careful of, it's not letting yourself be deluded."

"Deluded?"

"Yes. The moment you break through to a new realm, you'll feel a sudden surge of confidence, as if you can do absolutely anything. You must not let ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yourself get drunk on that feeling. Instead, you have to calm your mind and stabilize your newly attained realm immediately. Only then can you avoid any backlash."

Han Cheongyu wasn't a particularly eloquent speaker. However, he shared his experience with utmost sincerity, and his efforts were rewarded with warm, appreciative looks from the group.

"I see. Thank you."

"If it weren't for Cheongyu, a few of us probably would've ended up seriously injured right after working so hard to break through."

"Yeah, and that definitely includes you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

Laughter rang out among them for a long while.

A short while later, the gathering dispersed, and everyone headed back to their respective homes. Though their dwellings were nothing more than crudely built mud huts, they were sufficient to block the sun and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lay their heads. Han Cheongyu's home was no different. However, instead of going inside, he sat down just outside his door. Having wasted a non-negligible amount of time today, he intended to make up for it by cultivating. But before he could even begin in earnest, the vigorous flapping of wings shattered his concentration. Han Cheongyu, who had just closed his eyes, let out a soft sigh and stood up.

"Lord Cheongo."