Jaekyung named the stage of his physical Cultivation, or more precisely, the bottleneck in his Cultivation, the Physical Barrier. Human body cultivators might have their own way of distinguishing realms, but Jaekyung’s Cultivation was different from theirs. Since he had crossed the Physical Barrier once, should it be called the mid-Qi Refining Stage?
Absolutely not.
Judging solely by the degree of improvement in his strength, Jaekyung determined that his physical training was at least on par with the mid-Foundation Establishment stage of humans, if not higher.
“Hoo.”
After finishing another molting, Jaekyung recalled the second Physical Barrier he had briefly sensed. Molting was like a qualitative leap. It was an ascension in the dimension of life, a great jump forward.
In such moments of leaping, one could, for a short while, feel many things one was not even aware of before. As one’s perspective heightened in that single leap, it was only natural to see more. Though it was a fleeting experience, it was enough.
Cultivation is an endless walk in darkness, so even a single point of light is enough to illuminate the path. At the very least, it was enough to clear away the uncertainty and set a direction.
‘Back to the bottom again.’
Money, no, spirit stones come and go, he muttered to himself, trying to persuade himself that as long as they could be converted into Cultivation, it was a gain no matter what… but still, seeing his storage pouch, now gaunt and empty, a far cry from its plumpness in its heyday, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.
‘I have to wait at least four months for the Meat-Scaled Fish, and Mook-soo’s spiritual fruit… I have to wait a month for that too.’
It had already been two years since Mook-soo became a Great Spirit Beast. The continuous supply of expensive food had paid off; the creature had begun to bear spiritual fruits again, faster than he had worried. He had been concerned that the spiritual fruit’s effects might change into something less profitable, but that turned out to be a needless worry.
According to Gwak Jeong-shin’s experiments, the new spiritual fruit had the effect of purifying a cultivator’s spiritual nature and strengthening their spirit to a certain extent, making it effective for expanding and training their divine sense. Spiritual objects of this kind were rare to begin with, and those that had a significant effect on Foundation Establishment cultivators were even rarer.
So, naturally, the price more than doubled, and even this was the minimum price; the actual price varied depending on the auction’s progress. To a merchant, a good product is like a weapon, so Gwak Jeong-shin, having acquired a new and powerful weapon, did not spare any spirit stones.
He showed his sincerity with spirit stones, and Jaekyung, satisfied, caught a Great Spirit Beast and threw it to Mook-soo. This time, he didn’t drain the blood, so the meat was not dry. Thanks to that, Mook-soo didn't put on airs and happily extended its roots to the food.
“Got it? You just have to eat a lot and bear a lot without any worries. I guarantee you, there’s no demon race that cultivates as comfortably as you do.”
Jaekyung threw Mook-soo another four or five aquatic spirit beasts and began its mental education. It was an effort to reduce the creature’s pickiness about food, even if by a little, but it wasn't a lie. He truly believed there was no other demon race that cultivated as easily and comfortably as Mook-soo.
Doesn't food just fall before its eyes while it sits still in one place, enjoying the warm sunlight and cool breeze without a care in the world? Where else could you find a demon race with such a fortunate life?
Perhaps to compete with this creature’s fortune, you would have to bring in some demon race with a noble lineage and a golden inheritance.
“Cheong-o… still sleeping?”
A few long lines appeared on Mook-soo’s trunk, and one of them moved up and down. A slurred and slow, yet clearly meaningful voice reached Jaekyung’s ears. Whether a spirit beast or a demon, or any other race, upon reaching the Great Spirit stage, they undergo a massive evolution as a living being.
It is no exaggeration to say they become a completely different life form. Mook-soo was a case in point. The creature could now live in water if it chose to, and as long as there was spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it could live until its lifespan ended without consuming anything.
Its previous weapon, the colorless and odorless poisonous mist, was now potent enough to cover the entire Black Flood Dragon Island, and it even claimed, though it was uncertain if it was bluffing, that it could maintain that state for several days.
Compared to these evolutions, the ability to communicate directly through voice seemed insignificant, but Jaekyung preferred this small, if you could call it that, ability. Thanks to it, he no longer had to guess and have frustrating conversations as before.
“Yes.”
“He sleeps… a lot.”
He sleeps a lot? The stage where one could describe it so politely had long since passed. If he hadn't been certain that the creature's changes were not negative, Jaekyung would have long ago called for a veterinarian, no, a beast tamer through Gwak Jeong-shin.
Cheong-o now spent most of the day asleep. Nevertheless, Jaekyung judged that the creature's condition was not bad because he noticed that while asleep, it was constantly drawing in and absorbing spiritual energy. The absorbed spiritual energy was slowly causing transformations in Cheong-o. The vitality felt in its even breathing grew slightly deeper, and its physical body also grew larger.
The only problem was that, in proportion, it was also losing a lot of weight, which was why Cheong-o would briefly open its eyes. For the past few months, it had become a habit for the creature to wake up with drowsy eyes and immediately start whining that it was hungry.
Jaekyung had suddenly become Cheong-o’s nanny, piling fresh aquatic spirit beast meat in front of it every day. Of course, he didn't hunt himself but used Hyeon-gu, who probably ordered his own subordinates.
In any case, fresh aquatic spirit beast meat was piled in front of Cheong-o every day, and Cheong-o would briefly open its eyes, whine, fill its stomach, and then close its eyes again. Months passed like that, and then more months.
During that time, whenever Jaekyung obtained spirit stones, he absorbed them without hesitation, and he usually focused on accumulating demonic power. Occasionally, when Hyeon-gu requested, he would patrol the water territory, making an effort to manage his domain. He also went hunting with Jang-yeong from time to time.
Although they had already hunted more than five Great Spirit Beasts, they had unfortunately not yet seen any Refined Blood. And this was despite choosing those five from among creatures that were known to be quite sturdy and strong.
At this point, Jaekyung began to suspect that no matter how sturdy and strong they were, creatures that had not reached a certain level of realm could not form Refined Blood. Jaekyung used himself as a standard, but he was no ordinary Great Spirit, nor a Great Spirit Beast.
In terms of physical robustness alone, he might be on par not just with the mid-stage Great Spirit stage, but even the late-stage, and that was a level comparable to Great Spirit Beasts. Previously, there had been no way to make a comparison, but now it was different.
The Refined Blood he had formed himself and the first Physical Barrier he had broken through by chance served as a benchmark.
‘Even a physically sturdy Great Spirit Beast would have a hard time forming Refined Blood if it's only in the early Great Spirit stage.’
The five hunts had been in vain, looking only at the results, but Jaekyung was satisfied. It was not a hunt but a process of confirming his own superiority and specialness, so even if he gained nothing else, he couldn't help but feel pleased and happy.
Meanwhile, after Dae-yeong’s death, Jaekyung decided to expand his modest exchange meeting, which had been maintained with four members.
Previously, he had been passive about recruiting new members because it wasn't easy to procure items for trade, and he worried that carelessly letting in someone he couldn't handle might lead to losing control of the group or even endangering himself, but now things were different.
With Mook-soo, who had become a Great Spirit Beast, consistently producing high-quality spiritual fruits, there was no problem in procuring goods, whether by trading them as they were or exchanging them for other items. Jaekyung was confident that, unless their attributes were incompatible, he would not be pushed back even when facing enemies of the mid-stage Great Spirit stage.
With such skill, there should be no problem controlling new members. Even if that new member was a Great Spirit of the mid-stage Great Spirit stage. This was not arrogance.
For about half a month, Jaekyung had felt that the accumulation of his demonic power was not as smooth as before. This meant he was approaching a bottleneck; one more step from here, and at that moment, he would enter the mid-stage Great Spirit stage.
Most cultivators feel frustrated and lost when facing a bottleneck, but those who are confident in breaking through welcome this brief difficulty. Literally, because they know it is a difficulty that will stay for a short while and then pass. Jaekyung was the same.
Feeling the almost unchanging demonic power no matter how many times he circulated the Burning Flame Art, he quietly waited for the right time. * Breaking through bottlenecks, big or small, are all massive transformations, and as such, they are accompanied by no small amount of danger.
Therefore, no matter how confident one is, one must be cautious when crossing a bottleneck. Accumulation, timing, opportunity. Cultivators each relied on something they could trust.
Jaekyung was no different. He too had relied on a moment of intuition, or spiritual sense, to become a Great Spirit Beast in one fell swoop when he broke through the Great Spirit barrier. It was no different this time, and his heart was much more at ease than before.
It was just a matter of stopping for a moment to catch his breath. A day when his mind felt calmer and his body lighter than usual. That day would be the day he ascended to the mid-stage Great Spirit stage.
But life often deviates from expectations without any warning. Jaekyung had no idea. That a crow spirit beast, which had been lazing around so fortunately for so long, would break through before him.
It was a moment he had long awaited, but the absurdity was greater than the joy.
‘He’s breaking through in his sleep? And the Great Spirit barrier at that?’
The world may be wide, but could such a thing be possible? Becoming a Great Spirit while sleeping so fortunately? What would the countless demon races who die without ever becoming a Great Spirit, lacking the bloodline and the fortunate encounters, think if they saw this scene?
Most of them wouldn't be capable of thought, but the few demon races who could think and feel emotions... if they saw this scene, wouldn't they go mad with jealousy?
“Mmmph.”
A wind blew. Every time Cheong-o smacked its lips and drooled, a wind carrying spiritual energy brushed past its head.
Whoosh!
Jaekyung felt a strange ripple sweep past him. The ripple did him no harm, but Jaekyung narrowed his eyes with an instinctual sense of unease.
“Aha.”
Cheong-o, who had been mumbling and drooling for a while, suddenly let out a sound like a cry of realization and flapped its wings. Thinking it had finally woken up, Jaekyung looked at its face, but seeing its closed eyes and its beak turned up like a human smile, he knew the creature was still wandering in a dream.
It seemed to be having a rather pleasant dream.
‘How absurd.’
Once raised, Cheong-o’s beak did not come down. It twitched occasionally, but that was all.
“Heehee.”
Another ripple occurred. But this ripple was different from the first. It still approached silently and instantly, but it contained something within it.
When that ripple swept past him, Jaekyung felt his vigilance relax and a streak of joy blossom.
‘What is this?’
His heart was moved. The sight of Cheong-o, chuckling to itself while flapping one wing frivolously, looked different from just a moment ago. Like paper getting soaked by a single drop of water, joy spread through his calm mind.