It was a strange and peculiar feeling. Like being an unwelcome guest, the sole target of glares in a place where hundreds, thousands of others were mingling in harmony. His natural breathing became labored.
The river water, once as cozy as a cotton blanket, felt as if it had turned into a field of thorns. This was all an illusion, but for a moment, Jaekyung felt the change as if it were real. The indescribable pressure and the feeling of being ostracized seemed to tell him that this was not a place he belonged.
“Nonsense!”
Jaekyung’s eye flew open as he unleashed all the strength in his body. He squeezed the large catfish’s body as if to burst it and violently shook the flesh he had clamped down on. The catfish’s spirit beast blood flowed into his mouth.
Jaekyung drank it down as if it were a delicious beverage. He wondered if this was what it felt like to be a vampire. The blood that endlessly poured down his throat was imbued with vigorous vital energy, which soon became Jaekyung’s new strength.
The catfish was also biting him, but Jaekyung had sturdy scales that the catfish spirit beast lacked. The catfish’s feeble teeth couldn’t even properly pierce Jaekyung’s scales, and even if they managed to, they couldn't inflict a serious wound.
‘It made a mistake.’
This catfish fellow was certainly no ordinary creature. It must have possessed some sort of respectable bloodline, as it had several strange abilities Jaekyung had never seen before. A creature that lives in water having the ability to control water?
If he had faced it normally, Jaekyung would have been torn to shreds without even getting close. However, while Jaekyung didn't know the full extent of the catfish’s power, he knew of its existence and did his best to avoid a difficult situation, and he had succeeded.
The catfish, on the other hand, not only suffered a surprise attack but also attempted to counter in the most foolish way possible. Jaekyung was on high alert, wary of the catfish escaping his constricting grip, but the creature chose to counterattack rather than escape.
‘It must be furious.’
He wondered how long this fellow had been strutting around as the master of this river. The ability to control river water at will. With such an ability, it probably thought itself invincible in the water.
If so, was this cute little bite a childish act born from such pride?
‘What a waste of talent.’
How could such a foolish creature possess such a magnificent ability? Wasn't this a case of pearls before swine? Come to think of it, the creature's cry did resemble a pig’s. Jaekyung channeled his blazing jealousy and discontent into his already clenched jaw.
The giant serpent and catfish sank toward the riverbed, tearing at each other. They tumbled along the bottom of the river, caught in a whirlpool. Fish that failed to escape in time were torn to shreds, and the surrounding water was quickly dyed red.
“Gweeeek~!”
Even while engaged in a contest of bite strength with the catfish, Jaekyung was mindful of his power distribution. The creature was acting foolishly now, having lost its temper, but there was no telling when it might come to its senses and struggle to break free.
Once he let go, there would be no second chance, so he had to hold on with the resolve that letting go meant death.
‘Give up.’
Jaekyung was clearly aware of the difference between him and the catfish. If his Cultivation was at the level of the mid-Qi Refining Stage by human standards, having just entered it, the catfish was at the late stage.
He didn't know if it was at the beginning or the middle of the late stage, but the energy he felt from it was clearly on a remarkable level. But Cultivation was just Cultivation; combat power was another story. Of course, in most cases, Cultivation and combat power were proportional, but it wasn't an absolute rule.
There were definitely aspects that changed depending on the situation. Jaekyung, who had nothing to boast of but his physical toughness, and the catfish, which wielded its might through its ability to control water. If they were to fight using their respective strengths, Jaekyung, with his lower Cultivation, would naturally be at a disadvantage.
But wasn't it the wise way to fight to target the opponent's weakness with one's own strength? Moreover, the foolish catfish had abandoned its strength and was playing right into his hands. For Jaekyung, the conditions couldn't be better.
If he couldn't gain the upper hand even in this situation, he wouldn't have come here in the first place.
Crunch!
A large chunk of the catfish's flesh was torn away. Jaekyung swallowed it in one go and thrust his mouth and head into the exposed flesh. The catfish's massive body writhed in pain, but Jaekyung pressed down with his entire body, suppressing its resistance.
Around this time, the catfish must have sensed that the situation had become truly dangerous, as it changed its strategy. The moment Jaekyung felt the pain and pressure from the area the catfish was biting suddenly weaken, he sensed something was amiss and prepared himself.
Sure enough, he soon felt a powerful suction force, as if his entire body was being torn apart. Jaekyung couldn’t turn his head to see, but a small whirlpool had formed right above him.
‘Agh!’
If he kept holding on like this, it felt like all the scales on his body would be ripped off. But the more intense the pain, the more venomous the look in Jaekyung's eye became. As expected, this catfish was no ordinary creature.
Just when he thought it was about time for its strength to wane, it displayed such an ability at such a moment.
‘I will never let go.’
Without a doubt, the moment his strength gives out is the moment of death. Jaekyung squeezed the catfish with every last ounce of strength he had. Not just to bind it and prevent escape, but with the intent to squeeze so hard that it would simply burst.
The catfish's blood and flesh that went down his throat, and the vital energy contained within, were immediately converted into power.
“Guooo!”
The catfish’s slightly altered cry echoed throughout the entire river. * From above the turbulent river, Cheong-o looked down with anxious eyes. He knew something unusual was happening down there, but his inability to grasp the exact situation only made his anxiety grow.
Boom!
Just then, the entire river shook violently, and a huge column of water shot up to Cheong-o’s altitude. Cheong-o was drenched before he could even react. At first, he was startled, but soon he cried out with joy.
“Jaekyung!”
Within the massive spout of water were Jaekyung and the catfish, entangled as one. He couldn't see them clearly on the way up, but he saw them for certain as they fell back down. Jaekyung, his single eye glinting as he tore at the catfish's head, and the catfish, its eyes half-rolled back as it convulsed.
Splash!
They crashed back into the river, and a shade of red began to spread from the point of impact. At that, countless creatures in the river that had initially sensed danger and fled from a distance began to flock toward that spot, as if bewitched. Cheong-o was not surprised by the sight.
It was perfectly normal for ordinary beasts to be drawn to the blood of a spirit beast. Hadn't Jaekyung himself been entranced by a few drops of a monstrous bird's blood and licked it up greedily before?
‘It’s over. Jaekyung won.’
As Cheong-o waited for Jaekyung to surface, he imagined what catfish meat would taste like. He had eaten plenty of spirit beast meat before, but a creature that acted as the master of a spiritual land had to be different from ordinary spirit beasts in some way, right? Just the thought made his mouth water.
“Hm?”
Cheong-o’s eyes, lost in blissful thoughts, turned sharp.
“Tree! Others are coming!”
The tree demon, which had remained by the riverbank even after the whirlpool had disappeared, moved at Cheong-o’s words.
Wooooo~!
The tree demon roared loudly, making its presence known. Cheong-o also shrieked as fiercely as he could. Their threats stopped or slowed the steps of the spirit beasts that were cautiously approaching from a distance.
Opportunists, who are inherently sensitive to profit, are also sensitive to loss. These spirit beasts had approached with the intention of testing the waters, having vaguely sensed the disturbance in the river, so the threats from the tree demon and Cheong-o were enough to make them hesitate.
Caw! Caw!
It was the first time in his life that Cheong-o had cried out so freely. It had been his daily life to cower and hold his breath, always in the position of the weak, but now, crying out as if the world were his, the feeling was indescribably exhilarating.
So at first, his intention was to drive away the unwelcome visitors, but later he found joy in the act of shouting without a care and cawed to his heart's content. The noisy crow's cry continued until Jaekyung emerged from the water with the massive catfish in his mouth.
“Jaekyung!”
Jaekyung was about to throw the catfish in his mouth out of the water but paused at the sensation of several spirit beasts’ energies in the distance.
‘They’re quick on the uptake.’
Had they already smelled the blood and gathered? The catfish may not have been able to leave the river, but it was still the master of a spiritual land. For these wanderers to so brazenly stick their heads out like this…
“Jaekyung! A lot of bad guys have gathered! There are spirit beasts and demons! What are you going to do? Are you going to eat them all?”
“No. I want to, but I don’t have the strength right now.”
The catfish had been foolish, but it was strong. Even though he had fought it under the best conditions for him and the worst for it, Jaekyung was completely exhausted. In this state, even with Cheong-o and the tree demon, he wouldn't be able to handle the pack of jackals that had gathered.
“Tell the tree to come into the water. We’ll divide the shares in the river.”
This way, those jackals wouldn't dare to rush in carelessly. And if there was one brave enough to enter the river? Then he would just have to deal with it.
It might be difficult on land, but in the water, even in his current state, he was confident he could handle most wanderers. A short while later. The surging river water soaked a little more than half of the tree demon's trunk.
Cheong-o perched on one of the tree demon's dry branches and preened his feathers, while Jaekyung wrapped himself around a thick root that the tree demon extended over the water, clinging to it.
“They’re not coming in.”
Cheong-o licked his beak with a look of disappointment, watching the few spirit beasts and demons loitering on the riverbank.
“As long as they don’t enter the water, don’t mind them.”
“Okay.”
Jaekyung tore into the catfish hanging beside him and began to divide it. The body that had been so tough when it was alive was now as easy to tear apart as an ordinary fish with a bit of muscle, now that it was dead.
“This time, I get 5 parts. You two get 3 and 2 respectively. Any objections?”
“Nope!”
Since coming here, Cheong-o's importance had grown, so the spoils after a hunt were generally divided equally. However, this time, the actual combat was fought by Jaekyung alone, so his share had to be larger. To this, neither Cheong-o, who was drooling, nor the tree demon, whose outstretched root was trembling slightly, had any complaints.
“Good.”
Jaekyung swallowed the portion of the catfish carcass that fell to him in one gulp. At any other time, he would have chewed it thoroughly over several bites before swallowing, but right now, there were too many eyes watching him eat.
They were quiet for now, but he didn't know when they might lose their patience and leap into the water, so he had no leisure to enjoy a fine meal.
“Awoooo!”
As Jaekyung’s huge mouth devoured the blood-dripping catfish in a single gulp, cries of disappointment erupted from here and there. Jaekyung paid them no mind and sensed the massive lump of vital energy that had entered his stomach. His digestive ability had been greatly enhanced compared to before, but it was still not easy to handle, which was only natural.
After all, the catfish's cultivation realm was higher than his. If he had swallowed the whole thing by himself without dividing half for Cheong-o and the tree demon, he might have gotten sick.
“Jaekyung! Me, me! My body is hot!”
Cheong-o, who had been greedily tearing at the catfish flesh, began to show an unusual reaction not long after. Unlike the tree demon, which absorbed vital energy slowly as if absorbing nutrients through its roots, Cheong-o had torn at the meat directly like Jaekyung.
But Cheong-o possessed neither Jaekyung's constitution nor his digestive ability, so he had to pay the price for happily tearing into the meat of a spirit beast he couldn't handle.
“You’ll be fine after a nap.”
“Sleep? Here? Mm... okay.”
In the past, even if his eyelids were drooping as if they would collapse at any moment, he would have tried to find a safe place to rest, but things were different now. By sharing food and overcoming life-and-death situations together, Cheong-o had come to trust Jaekyung and the tree demon.
Especially Jaekyung; he was now comfortable enough to land in front of Jaekyung even when they were alone. Thanks to that trust, when Jaekyung told him to close his eyes, Cheong-o did so without any doubt or worry. Jaekyung glanced at Cheong-o, who had fallen asleep the moment he closed his eyes, and asked the tree demon.
“Can you stay here for long?”
Wooo- “Ah, right. I’d be the problem.” Jaekyung’s weight was too heavy for even the tree demon to support with just one root.
The root had been trembling for a while now, and it seemed like in a few more minutes, the tree demon would start to whine.
“Stay here and protect Cheong-o.” Wooo~!
Jaekyung felt a sense of urgency. He could wait a little longer for the bothersome creatures outside the water to leave, but the frustration of being unable to open one of his eyes was unbearable. On the other hand, he was also anxious.
What if there was no elixir water here? Did he have to find and check another spiritual spring? But he had struggled this much even when things were going as well as they possibly could; how was he supposed to deal with the masters of other spiritual lands?
Would he be as lucky when facing them as he was this time? Pushing aside the negative thoughts that kept rearing their heads, Jaekyung swam diligently through the river. 'He said I would know it when I see it.'
Yoo Gye-yoon hadn't explained what the elixir water was. Just like when he spoke of the spiritual spring, he only said that he would be able to recognize it at a glance.
‘Recognizing it at a glance must mean with my spiritual awareness. Since it only comes from a spiritual spring imbued with spiritual energy, the elixir water must surely contain a dense spiritual energy.’
With that assumption, Jaekyung moved with his spiritual awareness kept as sharp as possible. This river, no, this spiritual spring, was wider than it had looked from the outside. It felt like he hadn't gone far, but the water depth had doubled.
‘Huh?’
As he passed over a sunken part of the riverbed, Jaekyung felt a particularly clear spiritual energy and his eye lit up. The point where his spiritual awareness detected the anomaly was below him, in a sunken area that looked as if a giant had slashed it with a sword.
Its appearance was clearly out of the ordinary, and Jaekyung, filled with interest and anticipation, slowly descended toward it.
‘There’s no doubt. I don’t know if it’s elixir water, but there’s definitely something here.’
The crevice in the riverbed, which looked like a sword slash, was neither too wide nor too narrow. Jaekyung cautiously continued downward, following the direction his spiritual awareness guided him. How far down had he gone?
At some point, the dense spiritual energy, which was refreshing to both mind and body just by being in it, became a little thinner.
“This is…”
Jaekyung, who was momentarily puzzled, soon realized the reason. The surrounding spiritual energy was steadily flowing into somewhere down below. The constant flow, neither fast nor slow, was as natural as water flowing from high to low.
Now, he no longer needed to rely on his spiritual awareness. Jaekyung followed the flow of spiritual energy. Before long, a small underwater cave appeared before his eyes.
Though it was called a cave, the entrance was wide and the cave was not deep, so he could see the entire interior without even entering. And so, he could recognize it at a glance. Something translucent, situated in the very center of the cave.
It seemed to be neither liquid nor solid, resembling something like jelly, and it emanated a dense spiritual energy he had never felt before.
‘Is that the elixir water?’
Jaekyung cautiously approached it. Only when he got close enough to touch it in a single breath did he realize it was stationary in one place. At a glance, it seemed to be swaying in the gentle current, but on closer inspection, it remained in one spot.
As if it were held in an invisible container.
‘Whether this is elixir water or not, it’s definitely no ordinary spiritual object.’
Jaekyung slowly approached it. And cautiously, he stuck out his tongue. The moment the tip of his shyly extended tongue touched it, a dense spiritual energy rushed through the tip of his tongue and into his body.
Before Jaekyung could even register it, the flow of spiritual energy had made a full circuit of his body. The flow, which had been racing unimpeded along his blood vessels and bones, paused for a moment when it reached a certain point, but then pushed forward as if nothing was wrong.
‘Ah!’
Only then did Jaekyung realize the change occurring within his body. His one eye, which had been firmly shut and motionless for quite a long time, began to twitch at that very moment.