The Dragon Heart Awakens
Han Yujin staggered, gasping for breath, before collapsing. Mu-yong, who had been nestled in his arms, immediately panicked. Her frantic thoughts—what’s wrong, what’s happening?—flooded through the Tongmyeong Eosu-gyeol, but he had no time to answer.
A deafening roar echoed—whether only in his mind or in reality, he couldn’t tell. It felt as if his Origin Spirit and Self-Attachment were being violently shaken.
What had once been nothing more than potential—a modest aid for future growth—now surged forth as raw, tangible power. It erupted like wildfire raging across a parched plain doused in oil and showered with flaming arrows. Fierce. Savage. And far too sudden, far too unexpected.
A colossal current of energy, one that inspired both panic and terror, began to swirl violently around his Origin Spirit. It condensed naturally, gathering into a single point.
At the same time, Han Yujin’s real body on Earth began absorbing ambient spiritual energy at an overwhelming rate. His entire form seemed to ignite with blinding light.
Another immense sound reverberated—impossible to tell if it was real or only in his head.
At the very center of his Origin Spirit, which had become the eye of a storm, a small orb began to form. It was completely unintentional, and because of that, it looked dangerously unstable. Yet before he could even attempt to intervene, it found its own harmony and balance, steadily taking shape.
Han Yujin recognized it instantly.
It was a Dragon Heart.
A Dragon Heart was forming inside the core of his Origin Spirit—a being who wasn’t even a real dragon, but one born through the orthodox path of cultivation.
No… this can’t happen…!
Though it felt like an incredible boon in the moment, he had no idea how this might disrupt his future cultivation. He desperately tried to stop it.
But it wasn’t something he could simply will away.
The awakened bloodline potential of the dragon race had already surpassed the level of burning a mere field. It was now spreading toward the surrounding mountain ranges—ranges that had been dried to tinder, ready to ignite at the slightest spark.
The explosions continued in rapid succession. As the Dragon Heart took fuller form, his Origin Spirit began to change.
A pair of horns, as if woven from every color of light in existence, sprouted from his head. Simultaneously, a pair of wings and a long tail of the same radiant hue grew from his back and tailbone.
His eyes, once dyed by the Yin-Yang True Dragon Eye, now bore vertical black pupils. His hands and feet transformed as well—claws and talons unique to the dragon race coalesced from pure light.
The same metamorphosis was occurring in his real body on Earth.
As he clearly shifted into a half-human, half-dragon form, his very presence changed dramatically.
Before, as the Origin Spirit True Person, his aura had felt like that of a mysterious, lofty being gazing down at mortals with indifference. Now, though still mysterious and transcendent, it carried a terrifying, ferocious quality—like a being that looked upon all creation with predatory disdain.
The violent transformation continued to rage, keeping him trapped in chaos and confusion, when—
Jjik! Jjijik—!
Mu-yong kept darting around him, squeaking in shared panic and worry.
In that instant, two conflicting thoughts and emotions surged through Han Yujin simultaneously.
Worry: This might be dangerous. I need to send her into the Mountain Sea Pearl immediately.
Irritation: This useless little beast is just getting in the way.
……!!
The moment he realized what he was feeling, his blood ran ice-cold despite the storm raging around him.
This was the Heartless Tribulation.
Thanks to the information he had gained from Elb—the rebel AI Queen he had encountered during his adventures in the Galactic Empire—he immediately recognized the phenomenon.
The explosive awakening of the Dragon Heart’s bloodline potential had triggered the second calamity of the Three Tribulations of Cultivation.
Immediately afterward, a brilliant halo of the Six Paths of Reincarnation erupted behind his half-dragon Origin Spirit, as if in response to the crisis.
Suppressing the unwanted thoughts and emotions rising within him, he snatched Mu-yong up and half-threw her into the Mountain Sea Pearl.
Jjik—!!
Her final cry, filled with worry, faded as she vanished completely into the pocket dimension.
Right after that.
As if retaliating for being suppressed by the Six Paths of Reincarnation, or perhaps simply obeying the law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, an unbearable sensation and emotion exploded outward. A primal, ferocious instinct surged with unstoppable force, turning the surrounding flow of spiritual energy into a storm-tossed sea.
This time, he heard it clearly. The sound came from the Dragon Heart within his Origin Spirit’s core—and simultaneously from his real body.
His skin glowed as if on fire, melting away. Beneath it, new skin was born. As blood flowed through his veins with a mystical glow, the shape of every bone in his body became visible. They shattered and regenerated in real time. Ligaments, tendons, and muscles around those bones radiated brilliant light. The light melted and rose repeatedly, producing horrifying sounds.
His internal organs—heart, lungs, and the rest—also pulsed with light. Within them, his entire nervous system, including the brain, flickered between darkness and clarity, taking on an unfathomable quality.
— KRRRRAAAAAAAAAAH!!! —
In that moment, Han Yujin let out a roar filled with agony and primal fury, slamming both hands against the ground.
A massive explosion followed.
The spherical shockwave completely collapsed the dragon lair that had barely held its shape for countless years. From the center of that explosion and destruction, he violently unfurled a pair of wings of light and shot upward, breaking through to the surface.
Everything in his path was blasted aside by overwhelming force, triggering secondary explosions. The entire area shook with an earthquake. The resulting noise sounded like the earth itself was screaming.
Like a volcanic eruption, Han Yujin burst into the sky, spreading his massive wings wide and releasing the agonizing power that had been raging inside him.
—!!!
It sounded as if a true colossal dragon had appeared and roared. The resulting wave of power swept across the surroundings at terrifying speed, uprooting all vegetation and terrain like a tidal wave.
Uncontrollable ferocity. Unbearable pain. A suffocating feeling as if his entire body were bound in chains. Thoughts and emotions splitting into two streams every moment, rampaging through his mind.
Within that irresistible chaos, he suddenly witnessed a path shining with clear, brilliant light.
It was the path to becoming a true dragon.
A path to shed his humanity, be reborn as a flawless dragon, overcome countless weaknesses, and evolve into a supremely superior cosmic lifeform beyond comparison.
It was a path that could completely suppress the Heartless Tribulation that had struck without warning, and even ignore the final tribulation of the Three Tribulations of Cultivation. A path where, if he simply worked hard, he could transcend all fate and reach the Immeasurable Void realm.
The moment he instinctively took a step toward that path—
A single strand of clear will rose from within his mind, which had been boiling like molten lava, spiraling further and further out of control.
Is this truly the path I desire? The path that will allow me to achieve my own aspirations?
At the same time, countless scenes flashed through his mind like lightning.
The moment he had named the little rabbit-weasel Mu-yong. The sight of Eun Miryeong blushing as he gave her clothes for the first time beneath a sunset sky. Brenar’s smile as she promised they would meet again in front of a painting and a necklace. The peaceful atmosphere of joking with his friend in a small, cozy café. Wonhui’s bright smile as she looked at him after finishing her prayers amid the faint ringing of New Year’s bells.
Countless other memories—too many to list. Memories that had always been by his side, so familiar their value was easily overlooked. All the inspiration and thoughts he had accumulated through diligent training.
They remained like afterimages of intense light, thickly covering and subduing the chaos. They revived his original will, which had barely managed to bloom, and finally allowed him to regain his senses.
And at that moment.
His gaze was suddenly drawn to a small shadow of himself on the ground.
Behind the half-human, half-dragon shadow, on its back.
A silhouette that looked as if a woman with long hair was being carried piggyback.
— I will save you.
— I will save you.
Countless voices seemed to whisper from all directions. At the same time, a terrifying chill swept over him, smothering the confusion in his mind that had been boiling like lava.
— This time, I will truly save you.
Save him from what?
— Last time, I couldn’t save you, could I?
— This time, next time, the time after that, forever and ever, I will always save you.
A sensation—whether goosebumps or a shiver—ran down his spine. Then, from the shadow he had been staring at, or more precisely from the long-haired woman’s form riding on its back, a pair of eyes blacker than the abyss opened, as if staring directly at him.
Rumble……!
By then, the aftermath of the destruction he had unleashed in his half-rampage state was finally subsiding. Still in his half-human, half-dragon form, Han Yujin slowly, precariously regained his composure.
How much time had passed?
The strange aspect of the shadow had vanished, returning to normal. His own half-dragon form had also reverted to its original state.
However, the terrifying and ferocious change in his presence remained. His Self-AttachmentOrigin Spirit stayed in its half-dragon form, and the Dragon Heart formed in its core remained as well.
After a long silence, having finally completely suppressed the chaos, he let out a long, deep sigh and shook his head.
“What the… hell… is this sudden disaster…?”
He had to speak the words aloud; there was simply no other way to vent this overwhelming bewilderment.
It had truly been an abrupt and colossal change.
At a glance, his body had been strengthened to an unfathomable degree, and he seemed to have gained a new, special divine ability to assume a half-dragon form.
But it wasn’t just that his body had grown stronger and gained a new ability. The fact that a Dragon Heart had formed in his Origin Spirit’s core weighed heavily on his mind.
And though he had somehow managed to suppress it for now, the sensation of having triggered the Heartless Tribulation still lingered vividly.
Shaking his head again, he began thinking about the important matters he needed to handle first. He also quickly considered what he should do next.
I should… stop the exploration here.
He had already confirmed that no monster capable of destroying Earth would emerge. There was no need to push the exploration any further in this state.
The students were currently taking their exams. It would be best to head outside, wait for them, and use that time to fully calm his mind.
And then…
Simply meditating on his own clearly wouldn’t be enough. This was the perfect time to rely on external aids.
Things like spiritual pills.
He recalled seeing several recipes for spiritual pills in the Three Origin Ninefold Extreme Mystic Flower Pill Furnace that would be effective in situations like this.
Despite his power being far more abundant than before, his complexion looked somewhat haggard as he moved toward the exit of the Great Rift.
The exam ended safely, with no casualties.
After returning through the rift transfer formation just as they had arrived, Han Yujin did not announce the results immediately. Instead, he gave the students two days of rest and then shut himself inside the pill refinement chamber within the Mountain Sea Pearl.
His expression was extremely serious as he examined the dharma inscriptions and formulas engraved on the surface of the Three Origin Ninefold Extreme Mystic Flower Pill Furnace like dot paintings.
Given how uniquely special his current condition was, he needed to choose with extreme care which spiritual pill to refine and consume.
He would also need to carefully and continuously observe whether this would cause any problems for his future cultivation.