At the center of Black Flood Dragon Island stood a building with the grand name of Black Flood Dragon Hall. Jaekyung walked through the magnificent and ornate hall. He had been able to pinpoint the Black Flood Dragon Gang Leader's location from the moment he drew near the Black Flood Dragon Hall.
He had thought it strange that he couldn't detect the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator on an island as large as Black Flood Dragon Island, but upon entering the hall, he thought he knew the reason. 'There seems to be something in this building that blocks energy.'
He didn't know if it was a spirit artifact or an effect of one of the building's materials, but it had caused him to wander a bit. It was a good thing he had brought enough spirit wine; otherwise, he might have revealed his original form in the middle of the island.
But in any case, he had found his way here without issue, and the entire process had been uneventful, just as he had expected. After reaching the Great Spirit stage, his Aura Concealment Art had once again taken a great leap.
When he used his Aura Concealment Art to its fullest, Qi Refining cultivators, unless they had particularly outstanding spiritual awareness, could not notice his presence even if he passed right in front of their eyes. In fact, in most cases, even those he came into contact with would fail to perceive his very existence. 'Black Flood Dragon Hall.'
Jaekyung leisurely strolled through the hall, recalling the name of this stylish building. The island's name was Black Flood Dragon Island, the gang's name was the Black Flood Dragon Gang, and the building where the leader resided was the Black Flood Dragon Hall. At first, he hadn't thought much of such names.
A name is up to the one who gives it, so what did it matter how it was chosen? But as he walked through this magnificent and ornate hall, a certain thought naturally came to mind. 'Why a flood dragon and not a dragon?'
If one were to give a name, why not choose one with more spirit, why settle for the awkwardness of a flood dragon? Of course, a flood dragon was a powerful being in its own right, but with the more powerful and sacred image of a dragon above it, why choose that?
Could it be that he compromised with the name "flood dragon," fearing that using "dragon" would invite ridicule from others? 'Or was it an ambition to one day be reborn as a dragon, though he is now merely a flood dragon?'
Only the Black Flood Dragon Gang Leader himself would know the correct answer, but if that was truly his thought, then that ambition alone was worthy of high praise. Though in reality, he had stopped not just short of a flood dragon, but at the level of a thin snake.
* "Um...
Elder Cheong-o." The turtle glanced up at the large crow perched on its head and opened its mouth.
"Should we start soon?"
"Huh? I don't know either."
What do you mean you don't know! The turtle wanted to shout but held it in. Although this Elder Cheong-o was not a Great Spirit Beast, he was on terms to speak informally with the Dragon Lord, so he must have some special status.
"You handle it. Jaekyung told you to handle it."
"Ah, yes, that's right. Er... but to do that, you'll have to get off my head first...?"
"Huh? Why? I'm comfortable like this."
"No, well... the ones who have to work are in the water."
"Oh, right."
As Cheong-o fluttered away, the turtle finally let out a sigh of relief and entered the water. And at that instant, its body flinched instinctively. It wasn't because it was timid.
Anyone would have reacted the same. With over a thousand aquatic spirit beasts glaring as if to devour you, anyone would cower.
"Go!"
The turtle knew that complex instructions wouldn't work on these creatures who had already lost their minds. Therefore, he simply pointed to Black Flood Dragon Island and said one word. That was enough.
Kuaaaah!
It was not a command. It was permission. For a long time now, they had been losing their senses to the dense aura of humans they felt from the direction of Black Flood Dragon Island.
If Jaekyung's aura, left behind on the turtle, had not acted as a leash to forcibly restrain them, they would have charged toward the island long ago. But now, with the turtle's permission finally granted, they all shot out toward Black Flood Dragon Island in unison. * "Gang Leader!
Aquatic spirit beasts are swarming in from all directions! We can't determine their numbers..." Gong Byeok-un was momentarily unable to collect himself from the flood of reports.
But he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so he quickly regained his composure.
"Withdraw all forces into the island!"
Most aquatic spirit beasts cannot come out of the water. No matter how many of them had swarmed, as long as they didn't leave the island, they were safe. Of course, this was only a temporary measure.
It would be a problem if the ships couldn't set sail. They had to ship the Meat-Scaled Fish in just six days, so the issue with the aquatic spirit beasts had to be resolved. 'What on earth is happening?'
Gong Byeok-un maintained his composure in front of his subordinates, but after giving them their orders and being left alone, he couldn't hide his bewilderment at this incomprehensible situation. He intended to go out and check for himself. Just what had those aquatic spirit beasts eaten to make them go on such a rampage!
However, just as he was rising from his grand master's chair, someone rushed in and prostrated. In an instant, Gong Byeok-un's eyes turned sharp, and before the person could even speak, his spirit artifact, the Clear Stream Pendant, unleashed a torrent of fire.
Kwang!
The entire hall shook, and crimson flames swept through the inner chamber. A mixture of stone dust and smoke spread thickly, obscuring his vision, but Gong Byeok-un's piercing eyes stared beyond the smoke.
"How did you know?"
A question, as if unable to understand, came from within the smoke. Gong Byeok-un frowned. He once again gripped the Clear Stream Pendant and infused it with spiritual power.
"Die!"
The Clear Stream Pendant spat fire once more. This time, the firepower was half again as strong as when he had hastily used his power just before.
Fwoosh!
Flames filled the inner chamber. An ordinary cultivator would have vanished without a trace in these powerful flames, but Gong Byeok-un did not let his guard down. 'I can't feel anything.'
Paradoxically, he had sensed something was wrong with this stranger because he couldn't sense anything at all. Until the stranger entered the inner chamber and showed himself, Gong Byeok-un hadn't even noticed his approach. That fact had stirred the rusty instincts of the experienced Foundation Establishment cultivator, creating an extreme sense of crisis.
Grrrr- From within the thick smoke, a menacing growl, as if heavily suppressed, could be heard. In response, Gong Byeok-un immediately threw the Clear Stream Pendant. But this time, before the Clear Stream Pendant could properly spew flames, it was repelled by a black iron wall.
No, on a second look, it wasn't an iron wall but a scale. It was just so large that each scale looked like a stone from a castle wall.
"A demon race!"
Gong Byeok-un instantly recognized his opponent's identity. The opponent was of the demon race. And one that knew transformation at that!
The moment he realized this, his heart sank. Whether it was a Demon King who had undergone the Transformation Tribulation, or a Great Spirit Beast who had learned a secret art, they were all opponents he would struggle to handle.
"Kuaaaah!"
A huge head shot out from the smoke. Even though Gong Byeok-un had not let his guard down, he failed to react in time. Not only was the opponent's movement too fast, but the shape of the emerging head had once again shaken his mind.
'A dragon?!'
Horrified, he urgently summoned a shield-shaped spirit artifact. At the same time, a powerful force, the likes of which Gong Byeok-un had never felt in his entire life, collided with the shield.
* Kwaaaaaang-!
With a roar that shook the entire Black Flood Dragon Island, a massive figure burst through the Black Flood Dragon Hall and soared upwards.
The attention of the Black Flood Dragon Gang members, who had been completely focused on the aquatic spirit beasts that appeared outside the island, was momentarily drawn toward the hall as they witnessed the massive figure soaring as if to reach the sky.
"What is that?"
"A-a spirit beast!"
A giant, ink-black snake was soaring, its mouth agape as if to swallow the sky. If they had been a little calmer, they might have seen a human cultivator desperately flying a hair's breadth away from the giant snake's mouth, but they lacked that level of composure right now.
They had momentarily lost their sense of reality as they watched the massive spirit beast emerge from the very center of the Black Flood Dragon Hall.
"A dragon?!"
Someone shouted in terror, but his words were immediately denied by another nearby.
"It's not a dragon! Look closely!"
The spirit beast that burst through the Black Flood Dragon Hall was large enough to be mistaken for a dragon, and it even had horns, but its overall form was closer to a snake.
"If not a dragon... a black flood dragon?"
Their dazed speculation ended as people, one by one, began to regain their sense of reality.
"A spirit beast has appeared in the Black Flood Dragon Hall!"
The panicked Black Flood Dragon Gang members began to move toward the hall.
"Keok!"
Those who were close to the Black Flood Dragon Hall arrived at the scene quickly. But their agility and diligence brought disaster upon them, as the killing intent of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Great Spirit Beast was not something an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator could handle.
Those who rashly got too close immediately turned pale and either vomited blood or fainted on the spot.
"Don't get close! Attack from a distance!"
Someone shouted through gritted teeth.
* Kwa-kwang!
He felt a tickling sensation on his side but ignored it. All of Jaekyung's attention was now focused on Gong Byeok-un, who was fleeing like a little rat. 'He's really quick.'
His initial attack had achieved some success, but all subsequent attacks were missing by a narrow margin. Even that first attack hadn't landed properly, being blocked by the shield spirit artifact; the backlash of spiritual power had only managed to inflict some minor internal injuries.
"Begone!"
In the midst of it all, Gong Byeok-un wasn't just being chased. He occasionally launched counterattacks to slow Jaekyung's movements. Just like now.
Poof!
Without any warning, a wave of spiritual power suddenly erupted before his eyes, followed by an explosion. A human cultivator might have taken some damage, but it was nothing to Jaekyung.
"Hmph!"
Jaekyung didn't even blink, ignoring the explosion and baring his teeth at Gong Byeok-un. Gong Byeok-un scowled and once again increased his speed, dodging Jaekyung's fangs.
"Demon! How dare you invade human territories?! Do you not fear the consequences!"
Jaekyung ignored Gong Byeok-un's childish threat. He continued to pressure Gong Byeok-un, focusing on preventing him from flying any higher. Jaekyung did not fear a war of attrition.
From what he had seen so far, Gong Byeok-un had no means to threaten him. Perhaps such means existed, but it was clear he couldn't use them while being constantly pressured. In this situation, what he was wary of was Gong Byeok-un flying to a height he couldn't reach.
As a Great Spirit, he could naturally fly. But his flight technique was as clumsy as a child's first steps, and in terms of speed, it was more like floating than flying. If Gong Byeok-un managed to create distance, Jaekyung would never be able to catch him.
This was the biggest reason he had infiltrated the Black Flood Dragon Hall to ambush Gong Byeok-un. His plan was to strike him down at once, without giving him a chance to take to the sky. And fortunately, his plan had been proceeding smoothly so far.
"Help the Gang Leader! Attack!"
From afar, the Black Flood Dragon Gang members relentlessly fired attacks at him, but Jaekyung didn't even blink. It might have been different for another Great Spirit Beast, but for him, whose greatest strength was his robust body, such attacks were meaningless. 'But it is annoying.'
It was like a fly buzzing by his ear. It didn't hurt, but it was a slight distraction.
'Alright.'
Jaekyung glared at Gong Byeok-un, who had once again slipped from his jaws, and gathered his demonic power.
"Grrrrrr."
It was no exaggeration to say that his demonic power was corrupted fire energy itself. Just by drawing on his power, the entire area was engulfed in heat.
"Demon! Stop!"
Sensing something was amiss, Gong Byeok-un quickly threw his Clear Stream Pendant, but Jaekyung ignored it and took the hit with his bare body. Having clashed with it several times, he had confirmed that unless it hit a vital point like his eyes, this spirit artifact was not a major threat to him.
"Dodge this, too."
The Heat Gathering Technique wasn't the only cultivation technique Jaekyung had purchased through Gwak Jeong-shin. There were also basic techniques of other attributes. Of course, the one he trained in was the fire-attribute basic technique, the Heat Gathering Technique, but he had looked at the others for reference.
He had done it without much expectation, but unexpectedly, he had reaped a decent harvest. For example, there was something called the Spiritual Rain Technique. It was a Spiritual Farming Secret Art that Spiritual Plant Farmers had to learn, a secret art that, as the name suggests, created a rain of spiritual energy to grow spiritual plants.
Normally, it was a secret art that would have no connection to Jaekyung. To learn and use the Spiritual Rain Technique, one needed water-attribute spiritual energy, but Jaekyung's demonic power was imbued with fire energy. However, Jaekyung never intended to grow spiritual plants with the Spiritual Rain Technique in the first place.
What he paid attention to was the principle of the Spiritual Rain Technique itself.
Thump!
Demonic power covered the sky. The Spiritual Rain Technique used by a Qi Refining cultivator could at most cover a single field, but Jaekyung was a Great Spirit Beast. The Spiritual Rain Technique he unleashed instantly covered more than half of Black Flood Dragon Island.
Fwoosh!
Rain began to fall from the sky shrouded in demonic energy. A rain of fire, imbued with the demonic power of a Great Spirit Beast.