“Everyone, go inside.”
There was no Ship-Protecting Formation on Jaekyung's boat, nor were there any other special devices. It was, in every sense, an ordinary boat, and the crew were ordinary humans. Even though Jaekyung ordered them inside without much explanation, they obeyed without question.
‘Three.’
Jaekyung stepped onto the deck and lightly soared into the air. Having reached the mid-Great Spirit stage, he could now effortlessly use simple flight techniques even in his transformed state. As long as he didn't fly excessively fast, he could continue flying for days on end.
Jaekyung hovered in the air, sensing the auras of those approaching at a pace that was neither fast nor slow.
‘One in the early Foundation Establishment stage. Two in the late Qi Refining Stage? But... something is strange.’
He hadn't noticed from a distance, but as they drew closer, he could tell. The auras of the approaching individuals felt somewhat hazy. He could clearly gauge the magnitude of their auras, but when he tried to examine them in detail, it was like peering into a fog, impossible to see clearly.
It was the first time this had happened since he had started sensing auras, so Jaekyung was overcome with a natural sense of tension. His body, which had naturally relaxed upon assessing his opponent's realm, tensed up once more. A short while later, three cultivators appeared before him, riding a small flying vessel.
Jaekyung quickly scanned them but could find nothing out of the ordinary.
"Greetings to the Dao Friend of the Black Flood Dragon."
The early Foundation Establishment cultivator at the front of the flying vessel offered a greeting in a dry tone.
"You know me?"
At the title 'Dao Friend of the Black Flood Dragon,' Jaekyung's mind instantly raced with various possibilities. His identity was not a great secret, at least not within the Prosperous Treasure Guild. Could these people be from the Prosperous Treasure Guild?
Were they sent by one of Gwak Jeong-shin's rivals? Maybe, maybe not. In any case, they must have been following him since Star Rock Island.
"Personally, no. But the reputation of the Dao Friend of the Black Flood Dragon is quite well-known in the human territories. I, too, had heard much of your fame, and happening to see you by chance, I came to offer a greeting. I hope I am not intruding."
"No need to speak in circles, and even less need for lies. If you've come all this way to find me, state your business."
In his transformed state, Jaekyung felt a stifling frustration, as if he were squeezed into clothes that didn't fit. While in such a poor state of mind, an unwelcome guest was playing word games in front of him, so his words naturally came out sharp.
"Oh. There is no need to be so wary."
"I will be the judge of that."
"Very well. Let's get to the point. I have come to you to make a fine proposal."
Jaekyung gave a slight nod, as if telling him to continue.
"I hear that despite being of the demon races, you are remarkably practical and flexible, Dao Friend. Coincidentally, I am the same. I believe we can be of great use to one another."
"What kind of useful help are you talking about?"
"For instance, these three."
"What?"
Behind the Foundation Establishment cultivator who was speaking, the two late Qi Refining cultivators suddenly drooped their heads. Their standing posture wavered slightly. They looked just like puppets whose strings had been cut.
"These are a gift to commemorate our first meeting. This flying vessel is included, of course."
"Are they puppets?"
"No. They are not puppets. Their spirit souls have been erased, but they are undoubtedly living human cultivators. There should be no problem with consuming them."
Jaekyung’s gaze hardened further. An opponent who could speak so casually of erasing spirit souls was not to be taken lightly. Moreover, he couldn't even tell the realm of this opponent who had not revealed their original form, so he could not let his guard down.
Although the opponent spoke as if they had no hostile intentions, how could he trust mere words? Especially when that mouth was not even the opponent's real mouth.
"A bizarre method."
"It is but a trivial trick."
"A trivial trick? Ha!"
Jaekyung no longer hid his ferocious nature. His unrestrained demonic power flowed out from his body like a heat haze, and his vertically slit pupils revealed the ferocity of a Great Spirit Beast. He was now a Great Spirit Beast wearing the guise of a human.
"Cut the wordplay. If you wish to have a proper conversation, come in your main body. Seeing the gift you've given, I won't turn you away at the door."
"Haha. I shall. I will visit you soon."
As he finished speaking, the light faded from the Foundation Establishment cultivator's eyes, and his head slumped forward just like the two behind him. Jaekyung watched them cautiously for a while, then quickly approached them, snapping each of their necks and confirming that they had stopped breathing.
Living was better than dead, but if it could bring unforeseen danger, it was better to be thorough. And even as corpses, there wasn't much difference from the living if consumed within a few days.
‘A sinister fellow, but a generous one.’
The three cultivators were one thing, but the value of the flying vessel was by no means low. To casually toss something like this as a first-meeting gift suggested that the unknown opponent had considerable boldness.
* Returning to Black Flood Dragon Island, Jaekyung tossed the three free meals to Mook-soo and secluded himself in the Black Flood Dragon Palace, consuming the spiritual objects he had acquired at the auction one by one.
Perhaps because he was now in the mid-Great Spirit stage, his cultivation did not seem to improve as much as before, even though he consumed spiritual objects of similar quality. Jaekyung felt a momentary sense of despair, but he soon put his mind at ease.
The amount of water a container could hold at one time was fixed, but the container itself had become much larger. It was only natural that it felt lacking.
Crunch!
Jaekyung crunched on the spirit stones as if they were crackers to soothe his impatience. As the spiritual energy was absorbed, he soon felt his body grow warm. With his daily cultivation and nutritional replenishment complete, it was time to study.
Alchemy, which he had once devoted himself to, had now become almost a daily routine. These days, the field he was putting extra effort into was formations. The study known as the Way of Formations was as profound as alchemy.
Should one say that the more you know, the more difficult it becomes? Jaekyung had no intention of becoming a formation master; he only wanted to gain some basic knowledge and discernment to avoid being cheated when buying better formation flags later. But even that was not easy.
"Ugh."
At the part about the energy of heaven and earth and the lay of the land, Jaekyung finally let out a groan. To clear his head and for reference, he left the Black Flood Dragon Palace to inspect the Island-Protecting Grand Formation installed on Black Flood Dragon Island.
The Island-Protecting Grand Formation on Black Flood Dragon Island had recently been replaced with an even more expensive one. It was a formation focused on defense, purchased for a whopping 160 medium-grade spirit stones.
The price of the first one he had bought, the Supreme Tiger Island-Protecting Great Formation, was 25 medium-grade spirit stones, making this one more than six times as expensive. The price alone was enough to make his teeth ache, but once it was installed, he was satisfied.
Expensive things have their reasons, and the thought that Black Flood Dragon Island was now safer brought him a sense of calm. This sense of stability was important. With a peaceful mind, his cultivation seemed to go better as well.
The more one has, the greater the risks. Thus, one must put in more effort to protect what one possesses. Take the incident from a few days ago, for instance.
That unknown, sinister fellow approached him. What if that fellow changed his attitude and decided to attack? If such a thing were to happen, even by the slimmest chance, the investment of 160 medium-grade spirit stones would surely prove its worth.
‘Truly profound.’
Jaekyung held the formation plate and observed the Island-Protecting Grand Formation from various angles, marveling at it time and again. He didn't know when he was a layman, but after learning, even if just superficially, he could now see a little. Of course, he gained nothing practical, merely admiring the sublimity of a formation worth 160 medium-grade spirit stones.
After circling the island along the boundary of the Island-Protecting Grand Formation while sipping spirit wine, Jaekyung returned to the Black Flood Dragon Palace to continue his cultivation. And a few days later. A small boat arrived before Black Flood Dragon Island.
On the boat stood a young man with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile on his face.
"Dao Friend of the Black Flood Dragon. As we discussed before, I have come to visit you in person."
His low voice passed through the Island-Protecting Grand Formation and precisely reached the ears of Jaekyung, who was concentrating on his cultivation inside the Black Flood Dragon Palace. * "Let me introduce myself formally. I am called Myeong-ha."
"I am Jaekyung."
When Myeong-ha arrived before Black Flood Dragon Island and called out to him, Jaekyung hesitated for a moment whether to let him in. It was because he hadn't sensed his aura until the opponent was right in front of him, even after he knew he had arrived. Jaekyung was momentarily flustered but soon grasped the situation.
‘Aura Concealment Art.’
He was always the one who benefited from using the Aura Concealment Art, so being on the receiving end felt strange. He tried to see through the opponent's Aura Concealment Art, but he couldn't. Jaekyung felt a natural apprehension toward this unfathomable and immeasurable opponent and hesitated, but only for a moment.
At least the opponent had not yet shown any hostility, and most importantly, he was the one who had told him to come in person. As someone posing as the Black Flood Dragon, he could not show weakness to an opponent who was showing such sincerity.
Thus, Jaekyung greeted the opponent inside the Black Flood Dragon Palace, and they even exchanged names.
"You are skilled in the Aura Concealment Art."
Myeong-ha said with a faint smile.
"You are skilled as well."
"It is a convenient ability. At least for me, it is so."
"The same is true for me."
"I suppose so. If you have inherited the bloodline of a flood dragon, your aura must be immense. Once revealed, it would certainly draw the attention of many."
Jaekyung did not understand Myeong-ha's words but maintained his silence, showing no sign of it. However Myeong-ha interpreted that silence, he let out a chuckle and said.
"My words must sound laughable to you. I can imagine. But..."
The moment Myeong-ha's words trailed off, an explosive aura erupted from him. It was an immense and intense aura, the likes of which Jaekyung had never felt before. For a moment, he felt as if he would suffocate from the sheer pressure of the aura.
This time, even Jaekyung couldn't maintain his composure. His eyes widened, and his vertical pupils were even revealed.
"What... are you?"
He was so flustered that he blurted out such a dazed question without realizing it. Myeong-ha, satisfied with Jaekyung's reaction, smiled and reined in his aura.
"As I said, I am Myeong-ha. I am half-human and half-demon. And as you have just confirmed, I am not ordinary. Just like you."
Jaekyung knew that Myeong-ha was gravely mistaken, but he again showed no sign of it. In that moment, his long-honed, profound acting skills shone once more. He tilted his head slightly to the side with a composed expression.
"I understand you are a rare breed, but what of it? An aura is just an aura."
The saying that 'an aura is just an aura' was something he had heard from the seniors at the Garden of Remembrance.
Once, when Jaekyung mentioned that he gauged an opponent's skill by their aura, those seniors had told him that an aura is just an aura, so while it could be used for reference, he should not blindly trust it.
Until now, Jaekyung had let those words go in one ear and out the other, but the moment he faced Myeong-ha's overwhelming aura, those words naturally came to mind.
"That's right. An aura is just an aura. If it cannot be unleashed and simply fades away, it is meaningless."
Myeong-ha's smile vanished as he nodded.
"But is that not the same for you? From what I've heard, that being known as the Shattered Waters Whale King seems to be narrow-minded. How long do you think he will tolerate your existence, Dao Friend?"
"..."
"..."
"Of course, you must have your own calculations. But there's no harm in becoming stronger, is there?"
"What is it that you want?"
"It is simple."
Myeong-ha straightened his slightly slouched posture.
"I wish to borrow a suitable island from you."