What in the world is going on? Jaekyung looked back and forth between the raindrops falling from the sky and Cheong-o several times. Did that fellow Cheong-o really use the Spiritual Rain Technique?
How?
Although the amount of falling raindrops was too meager to be called a Spiritual Rain Technique, each and every drop clearly contained spiritual energy.
"How did you do it?"
"Believe you can do it, and put your whole heart into it."
Cheong-o replied in a slightly boastful tone, as if he had been waiting for the question. At that, Jaekyung's eyes narrowed. It was not because his showing off was annoying, but because he felt something in the fellow's words.
What should he call it, a profound mystery? No, was that going too far? In any case, there was something strangely compelling about it that made it hard to dismiss as mere nonsense.
'It started after that dream.' Cheong-o began to change after he had that strange dream. At first, he thought the dream had just left a deep impression, but as time passed, he realized that was not it.
'The strange fellow has become even stranger.' Come to think of it, Cheong-o had always been a strange, no, a special fellow. Needless to say when he was a beast, and it was the same after he became a spirit beast.
You could not find a trace of the ferocious nature unique to the demon races in him. In fact, aside from his beastly appearance, Cheong-o was closer to the humans than the demon races. 'The Immortal master.'
Jaekyung guessed that Cheong-o's special nature was related to this person called the Immortal master. It was called a guess, but it was almost a certainty. It was bizarre that a dead person could appear in a dream and influence the living, but the cultivation world was a place where things even more mysterious and strange could happen.
'Still... just in case.' After that, Jaekyung watched Cheong-o carefully. However, other than being engrossed in practicing the Spiritual Rain Technique or occasionally visiting the workers, there was nothing particularly noticeable about him.
He was as innocent as ever, and still sincere about decorating his nest. After a full fortnight had passed like that, Jaekyung decided that further observation was meaningless. Cheong-o had certainly changed.
But Cultivation is a series of transformations, so for a cultivator, it is rather normal to keep changing. In that sense, this change could also be seen as a sign that Cheong-o had finally become a proper cultivator. 'By the way... that Spiritual Rain Technique is still terrible.'
A full fortnight had passed. For a fortnight, Cheong-o had consistently practiced the Spiritual Rain Technique, and the results were meager. The spiritual rain he summoned was still less than a drizzle.
Drip! Drip!
Jaekyung ignored the few drops of rain that occasionally fell on his body and quietly closed his eyes.
"My son! You've really returned!"
An old woman with white hair clung to a young man who looked to be just over twenty and shed tears. The young man looked at the old woman and shook his head.
"I told you, Mother. It wasn't dangerous."
"How could that be! Do you know what kind of place that is!"
It was not just the old woman who surrounded the young man. Not only those who knew him, but even those who had never exchanged a word with him gathered around. They were surprised that the young man who had been dragged to the fearsome Black Flood Dragon Island had returned safely, and now they wanted to hear his story.
"The Dragon Lord is a good person. At least, he is much better than those Black Shark Gang bastards. We went to Black Flood Dragon Island to work for him..."
The young man roughly recounted his few months on Black Flood Dragon Island. Of course, he did not tell everything, and appropriately concealed the parts that needed to be hidden. For example, stories like the Dragon Lord granting them some spirit stones as payment for their trouble.
"Is that true?"
"Can't you tell by the fact that I've returned so safely?"
Many did not believe him, but there was living proof before them. On top of that, when the young man took out a few items he had obtained from the human territories, even those who had not let go of their suspicions until the very end had no choice but to believe his words.
Unbelievably, the new master of the Black Flood Dragon water territory was not as fearsome a being as they had imagined, but rather seemed quite merciful. But the human heart is treacherous; if you can stand, you want to sit, and if you can sit, you want to lie down.
Once they learned that the Black Flood Dragon was not as cruel as they had thought, and after seeing with their own eyes those who had returned from the human territories, people naturally began to harbor other thoughts. It was not anything grand.
It was just a desire to leave the island where they were born and raised and see the world outside the water territory. The problem, however, was that Jaekyung had no intention of granting their wishes.
"Dragon Lord. I have taken care of it cleanly."
Hyeon-gu, having finished his task, bowed his head respectfully. Jaekyung had Hyeon-gu, who had been guarding the school of Meat-Scaled Fish, monitor a few islands. To deal with those who secretly left the island without his permission.
"Good work. There will be no problems with the school of fish, right?"
"Yes. That matter is now well-established, so there will be no problem even if I am away."
Apart from his polite tone, Hyeon-gu's voice was filled with strength and confidence. It was distinctly different from before, when he had felt somewhat frail. His eyes had cleared, and his overall aura had grown significantly.
He did not know if Mook-soo's spiritual fruit was just that effective, or if Hyeon-gu was particularly compatible with it, but in any case, Hyeon-gu, after eating the spiritual fruit, had become more competent than before. He had become more adept at handling the aquatic spirit beasts, and his way of dealing with matters had also become more flexible.
This incident was a case in point. Hyeon-gu's handling of the matter was faster and cleaner than Jaekyung had expected.
"Shall I continue to watch?"
"Yes."
It did not seem likely there would be that many courageous and decisive people, but still, he had to watch just in case. Jaekyung could not tolerate a hole appearing in his net. No matter how small the hole.
A hole, once made, cannot be mended and will only grow larger, so not even a speck-sized hole should be allowed in the first place. A fish that escapes the net will bring all sorts of other fish, and a net that already has a hole will not be able to stop them. Therefore, thorough control was the only answer.
At least, it was the best judgment Jaekyung could make at present. Of course, no matter how he tried to control it, the net would eventually break, whether from leaks within or intrusions from outside, but he still had to delay that time as much as possible. Until the threats from the outside could no longer shake him.
'In the end, it is because I am weak.' He had gained some breathing room by obtaining the status of a Guest Elder at the Whale King Palace this time, but he could not be completely at ease.
A small, unseen awl is more frightening than a large, visible sword, so Jaekyung believed that the only thing he could truly trust was his own strength. 'If I could just reach the late stage of the Great Spirit stage, no, even the middle stage, I would be able to relax to some extent.'
He was proud that he had never been idle for a single moment after becoming a Great Spirit Beast. But despite that, the progress of his Cultivation was frustratingly slow. The process of increasing his demonic power step by step, without the help of a bloodline, was daunting and unbearably tedious.
'It is a relief I managed to get a proper cultivation technique this time.' What Han Cheong-yu and the other workers brought back was not just the Hundred Arts of Cultivation. They also obtained several cultivation techniques, which were commonly practiced by Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
In other words, they were not basic techniques. Among those various techniques was a fire-attribute technique, and Jaekyung finally bid farewell to the dreadful Heat Gathering Technique. The Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art.
It was a fire-attribute technique that could be practiced smoothly up to the late Qi Refining Stage. Though not particularly famous, it had its own advantages in cultivation speed and stability, so it was a technique commonly practiced by cultivators who had not inherited a special legacy.
It was a common technique that could be obtained with a little legwork in the market square, but to Jaekyung, who was accustomed to the abysmal cultivation speed of the Heat Gathering Technique, this Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art was a divine art, the likes of which the world had never seen.
Fwoosh!
A large flame erupted. It was a spiritual fire that burned away idle thoughts and heated the heart. This fire was much fiercer compared to the one ignited by the Heat Gathering Technique, but Jaekyung could handle its ferocity.
So, he did not control it and let it loose. The wild flames that rose from his spiritual nature spread in an instant, as if to burn his spirit and flesh. However, Jaekyung's expression was serene.
He was not forcing himself to endure it; he truly felt no pain at all. The flames created by the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art had no effect on him. It was like a small ember being unable to burn a giant cliff face.
Before his spiritual nature, which had been steadily honed using fire energy as its spiritual seed, and his physical body, which had grown stronger through repeated molting, the flames of the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art were nothing more than lukewarm heating.
'I see.'
The original cultivation method of the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art was to appropriately control these spiritual flames to reduce the burden on the spirit and flesh. Doing so would lower the efficiency of refining spiritual energy, but in return, it would ensure stability. Human cultivators had no choice but to cultivate that way.
Because they were weak. That is why they feared getting burned by the fire they wielded. But Jaekyung was different.
He had confidence, so he gave it a try. And the result was beyond his expectations. Even if he were to practice a technique more ferocious than the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art, he would not feel any burden at all.
'Should I give it a try?' A sudden, impulsive thought came to him. Jaekyung had practiced the Heat Gathering Technique and the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art, and it was safe to say he had mastered the Heat Gathering Technique in particular.
In addition, although he had not practiced other basic techniques, he had memorized them all and understood their principles, so his understanding of cultivation techniques was by no means shallow. 'The principle itself is not difficult.' In the end, the key is to draw in more spiritual energy.
To use an analogy, it is like opening your mouth a little wider when eating to take a bigger bite. ...
Hmm.
No. No matter what, that is not it. Anyway, it did not seem too difficult to increase the amount of spiritual energy absorbed.
The only risk would be that the fire energy would become stronger, increasing the burden on his spirit and flesh, but after practicing the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art and comparing the difference with the Heat Gathering Technique, it did not seem like it would be much of a problem even if the burden grew larger than expected. 'Let's do it.'
Jaekyung made his decision. The beginning was no different. He operated the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art, recited the incantation, and sensed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
The next step was to draw in the sensed spiritual energy. This guidance must be meticulously controlled through the incantation. This is because the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is rough and untamed, and can harm a cultivator's spirit and flesh.
Therefore, an outstanding incantation means being able to draw in a large amount of spiritual energy while stably controlling it. In that sense, the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art could be called a decent enough technique. But now, Jaekyung had ruined that decent technique.
He eliminated the control over the spiritual energy and focused solely on pulling in more of it.
Thump!
The maximum amount of spiritual energy the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art could draw in surged like a wave and shook his spiritual nature. But Jaekyung's solid spiritual nature withstood the wave without any trouble.
'Oh!'
Having accepted the spiritual energy, the next step was refinement. That process also happened quickly. The flames that rose of their own accord spread throughout his entire spirit and flesh.
The heat far surpassed the previous lukewarmness, but it was still insufficient to harm his spirit and flesh. 'Yes, this is it.' The haphazardly drawn-in spiritual energy was converted into demonic power and settled in his spiritual nature.
Compared to when he operated the technique normally, the amount was nearly double. An effect of this level would not be greatly inferior even when compared to the secret techniques of famous sects and cultivation clans.
Boom!
After finishing his cultivation, Jaekyung transformed into his original form and left the island. He then moved his body freely, releasing all the excitement he had suppressed throughout his cultivation. The step he took today was light, but its meaning was by no means light.
It was the discovery of a possibility. He did not know how richly that possibility would grow in the future, but the achievement of today alone was meaningful enough for Jaekyung.
'Hmm.
Now that I think about it, the technique I am practicing can no longer be called the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art.' The humble name of Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art did not seem to suit his new, splendidly modified technique.
'Heaven-Burning Art?
No, no matter how I look at it, this is too grandiose.' After pondering this and that, Jaekyung could not come up with a suitable name, so he just removed the two characters for 'scorching heart' from the original technique's name.
His technique was one where he had removed the unnecessary parts from the original Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art, so this seemed appropriate. 'Burning Flame Art, the Burning Flame Art.' It was a name that felt plain at first glance, but Jaekyung liked it.
It probably felt that way because it was a technique his own hands had touched. Jaekyung, who had created the outstanding technique called the Burning Flame Art by slightly referencing the Mind-Burning, Heart-Scorching Art, realized anew what it meant to find joy in cultivation. The feeling of his demonic power increasing every time he cultivated was truly indescribably joyful.
He was so engrossed in cultivation that his spirit wine ran out in less than a month, and he had to order double the amount from Gwak Jeong-shin. Previously, due to his financial situation, he could not even dream of such luxurious cultivation, but not anymore.
If he had his way, he wanted to exchange all the spirit stones in his possession for spirit wine. Of course, he could not actually do that. If he did, he would not be able to avoid Gwak Jeong-shin's suspicion.
'I cannot be hasty. I will increase it slowly, little by little.' Every time Jaekyung met Gwak Jeong-shin, he praised the taste of the spirit wine, exaggerating his image as a liquor enthusiast.
This way, even if the amount of spirit wine he ordered gradually increased, he should be able to avoid suspicion to some extent.
Gulp, gulp!
Jaekyung emptied another bottle of spirit wine and continued his cultivation. Spiritual energy surged in without restraint, and before long, intense fire energy soared.