Cheonhwa's Molting and the Chains of Lust

The Yeouiju, having empowered Jin Samwol's prayer beads, seemed to know it had fulfilled its duty. It lost its brilliant rainbow hues, reverting to an ordinary marble. Its size had even shrunk to fit neatly in one hand. The auspicious power once emanating from it was completely gone, leaving it feeling like an empty shell.

Of course, the Yeouiju's essence hadn't vanished. If we could accumulate power in it again, it would recreate the miracle it had just shown us.

'The question is how long that will take.'

The imugi Cheonhwa had cultivated for a thousand years to create this Yeouiju. It probably wouldn't take that long to recharge, but I doubted it would happen anytime soon either.

The best way was probably to ask Black Rock Taoist or Cheonhwa herself. I glanced at Cheonhwa, still coiled up tightly. She hadn't moved a muscle.

'Should I wait just until tomorrow?'

Any longer would be pushing it for me. I had mountains of things to do once I returned to the Central Plains.

I lay down on the floor with that thought. My body had long surpassed human limits. Sleeping on hard ground wasn't exactly comfortable, but it wasn't unbearable either. Sure, a soft, warm bed would be preferable, but conditions weren't allowing it right now. I closed my eyes, hoping tomorrow would bring something different.

"Young Hero Jong! Young Hero Jong! Wake up!"

Jin Samwol's urgent voice pulled me from sleep. Thinking she might need morning wood, I tensed my dick and got rock hard.

"Argh! Not that! Get up for real! She's waking up!"

Her words made my eyes snap open. There was only one thing she could mean by "she."

I reflexively turned to Cheonhwa's coiled form. Sure enough, the massive, cocoon-like body was twitching intermittently, just as Jin Samwol said.

"So the molting has finally begun?"

Everything until now had just been preparation for the true molting. Now it was starting in earnest.

Each slow movement of the giant snake sent the surrounding qi into turmoil. We huddled in the cave corner to avoid the waves. The qi surges from Cheonhwa felt like killing intent washing over our entire bodies. This was the power of a three-thousand-year-old imugi.

"It's really starting. Is this the process of an imugi ascending to dragonhood?"

With each subtle shift, Cheonhwa shed her skin. Wrinkles formed in the old, worn shell, pushing it back as fresh new skin emerged beneath.

She was like a baby emerging from its mother's womb—except here, the mother was Cheonhwa herself. She strained with all her might, pushing away her old self as if being reborn.

Humans saw snakes molting and came to view them as symbols of resurrection and renewal. Watching Cheonhwa now, I understood that ancient perception.

Observing a massive imugi like her molt up close brought instinctive thoughts of an old world crumbling, a new one emerging—death, resurrection, and the cycle.

"That's the molting process. For an imugi, it's just one step toward ascension."

"Does perfect molting mean she ascends?"

"Probably."

The answer was vague. According to my original knowledge, Cheonhwa would ascend.

But the original story only covered knowledge about ascension—it never showed an actual imugi doing it.

In the original, Cheonhwa became a rampaging spirit beast that slaughtered martial artists. The protagonist Gong Wuseon ultimately stopped her, and the imugi dreaming of dragonhood met her end on the earth, not in the heavens.

Jin Samwol and I fell silent, quietly watching Cheonhwa's molt. It took an incredibly long time.

It was three shichen—six hours—just for her to shed half her body. The other half took four shichen—eight hours.

A total of seven shichen, or fourteen hours, for the molt to complete. It was a slow, laborious process. Even watching drained my energy.

Cheonhwa, having expended all her strength, showed only occasional twitches—no other movement. Her signature booming voice was absent too.

"It succeeded!"

Jin Samwol clapped like it was her own victory, beaming with joy.

The newly molted Cheonhwa glowed with mystical rainbow colors. Before, she resembled a common serpent; now, she was a breathtaking silken snake unlike any in the world—like opal dust sprinkled over her skin.

The crowning touch was her crimson eyes, like the world's most perfect rubies, priceless beyond measure. She looked nothing short of triumphant.

'At least her appearance rivals a dragon's now.'

But she still didn't look quite like one. A true dragon would have more whiskers, sleeker scales, a more majestic form. She remained a stunning snake. Had something gone wrong?

Cheonhwa panted heavily, exhausted. I approached slowly. Jin Samwol reached out to stop me—isn't that dangerous?

I shook my head: it's fine.

"Lady Cheonhwa. Are you alright?"

Her eyes fixed on me, glaring sharply. No benevolence there.

After all I'd done to help her molt successfully? What had I messed up? I racked my brain.

'At least she doesn't seem outright hostile...'

I pulled heaps of jujubes from my inventory—Solari World recovery items that instantly restored stamina and mana.

I snacked on these even mid-battle. Unlike potions, they tasted amazing—that was their best feature.

Snakes were carnivores, as far as I knew. But this special item should be fine, right?

Plus, as a spirit beast, Cheonhwa eating veggies wouldn't be weird.

Her body was as thick as a mid-sized car. I tossed jujubes right into her mouth.

Obviously, a few wouldn't satisfy. I shoved in whole clusters.

Thankfully, she swallowed them down. I worried she'd spit them out, but she gulped them eagerly. Snakes don't chew—they swallow and digest. Right.

'Just like deepthroating my cum.'

Horny thoughts even now? My brain's seriously busted.

She devoured hundreds of jujubes. To keep her mouth busy, I tossed in premium Hanwoo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beef from the real world—the stuff spirit eagles went crazy for.

She gulped down enough to feed ten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grown men. Only then did she close her mouth, belly full.

Meal done, she shut her eyes. Eat then sleep—the basic rule. Sticking to basics brings happiness, whether human or beast.

Jin Samwol toddled over.

"She's asleep. Must've been tough."

"Yeah. A feat like that molt takes it out of you. Molting consumes massive stamina for snakes. But it went smoothly—lucky."

I eyed the shed skin left behind. Spirit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beast byproduct. I inspected it.

Cheonhwa's shed skin was an S-grade item. Even her body dandruff was S-grade. It really hit home how extraordinary she was. What about Han Kangwoo...?

Come to think of it, this was like phoenix feathers. The description said armor or weapons from it would be jackpot items. But not easy for just anyone to work with.

'Wonder if Solari World's dwarves can handle it.'

Different worlds—worried they might not. Guess I'll hand it over ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and see.

Jin Samwol and I embraced. Until Cheonhwa woke from her post-molt slumber, we passed the time entwined.

"It failed! Faaaaiiiled!"

I let my guard down and got hit by Cheonhwa's sonic blast.

"Eeeeek!"

"Gaaah!"

Jin Samwol and I clutched our ears in agony. Cheonhwa panted, glaring at me with crimson eyes.

"This is all your fault!"

My blood ran cold. Failed? Ascension failure?

By original knowledge, she should become a dragon. She'd transformed auspiciously, but remained a snake. I'd sensed something off.

"D-did ascension fail?"

"Yes! I was so close...! I felt the heavenly gates open, just like you said...! Because of you!"

"W-what do you mean!?"

I caught key info from her words.

Cheonhwa had nearly ascended—nearly become a dragon. Then failed for some reason I didn't know. What was it?

I pressed for explanation.

"I don't get it. Nearly ascended because of me, then failed because of me...?"

"For ascension, one must fully abandon the seven emotions and six desires. When the heavenly gates opened, I knew that. So as I shattered my old shell and was reborn, I tried to discard them. But you...! You and that harlot rutting obscenely—I couldn't let go of lust!"

Ascension had extra conditions I didn't know. Jin Samwol shrieked.

"Who's a harlot!?"

"Right, Lady Jin isn't a harlot. If anything, she's my personal one."

"Young Hero Jong!"

She pinched my dick at my joke. Tears welled up.

"A-anyway, that's why ascension failed? So what are you now?"

Cheonhwa growled like a wolf.

"I'm one step from true dragonhood. People call imugi that, but precisely, an imugi is a spirit beast with dragon potential. Now, I need just one possibility to ascend to the heavens."

Good—not total failure.

"So abandon lust and become a dragon?"

"Yes. Probably."

Opportunity. My left and right brain schemed furiously.

Even in that form, she could become human—a spirit beast. Before I could voice my plot, Cheonhwa boomed.

"You! You did this to me—take responsibility to the end!"

"Responsibility...?"

"Yes! Make me ascend! Figure out how to purge my lust!"

She said that, but I knew it was impossible.

'Heh! Abandon lust!? Nonsense! You'll be chained by it instead!'

A concrete plan flashed in my mind. Abandoning emotions for dragonhood felt dull. And purging lust? Unthinkable for someone like me, lust incarnate.

'She's strong enough already. No need to become a dragon by ditching lust.'

Even absolute power as a dragon—I didn't want that heroine.

Jin Samwol eyed me anxiously, sensing my scheme. But she clasped her hands silently.

"Got it! Lady Cheonhwa! I'll take responsibility and make you ascend."

"Good! You must! Heh! Didn't I even give you the Yeouiju?"

I smirked, anticipating her laughter turning to moans.