The Mad Old Man’s Invitation
A chill raced through my body, freezing me solid. I couldn’t move. Not literally—my qi hardened like iron, and my will meant nothing. I simply had no strength left.
[Look, look, look… The fellow is bright and clear. His mind pours out so plainly. Did he swing it around to chop off the Nascent Soul demon? And what’s this other thing? A mental restriction array?]
Goe-gun. The mad old man was stroking my hair, picking me apart like a specimen.
[How curious. Where on earth does someone like you come from? You… human? Or a special demon beast wearing a human shape? I hunted the Nascent Soul demon with your unusual consciousness, but you’re not at the Nascent Soul realm at all. Just a bug with zero cultivation base… and your consciousness is only at the early Foundation Establishment stage.]
He poked and prodded me, eyes sparkling with fascination.
‘Damn it. Why did he appear already?’
I turned the thought over in my head. ‘The Heavenly Person cultivators who came from different directions—Yeon Kingdom’s Heavenly Venerable, the Dragon King, all of them. But Goe-gun always flew in from the Ascension Gate direction.’
Perhaps he had already reached the Ascension Gate and was waiting for me to awaken my consciousness. ‘So right from the start of the regression, I should have expected this mad old bastard to be waiting in Deungsunhyang…’
He probably sensed the aftershocks of the fox and my fight, came to watch, and decided to examine this strange consciousness of mine.
And that was when it happened.
‘Hm?’
While I was reading his intent, I caught a glimpse of his mind.
‘Kueugh…’
A dark, rotten feeling welled up inside me. His mind was a completely dead tree.
The blackened, rotten wood stood rooted in endless darkness, supported only by thin, anemic pink vitality. Whenever that life flickered, the madness in Goe-gun’s eyes grew sharper.
The darkness, the dampness, the pain—it made my own brows tighten. Less disgusting than Won Rip’s, but the gloom was far vaster.
‘A heart that is already rotten to the core.’
Just then I noticed Goe-gun staring straight at me. I jumped. The moment I recognized his gaze, he flinched too.
[W-what… you…]
Shock filled his eyes. The qi that had been gripping my body loosened, and I could speak again.
“You… you weren’t reading my mind, were you?”
[You read my mind?]
We stared at each other, stunned. Then Goe-gun suddenly burst into wild laughter.
[Kwahahahaha! I see! You reached the Heavenly Person stage too, even if I don’t know how. Your consciousness is the same as mine! Hah! I feel great!]
The old man suddenly grabbed my head. It wasn’t a martial arts move—just Heavenly Person qi manipulation. Then his consciousness pierced mine.
‘Damn it!’
[I like you. You belong to my world. I’ll evolve you into something superior. Studying you will get me one step closer to her…!]
Goosebumps raced over my skin. He wanted to turn me into his puppet.
The mad consciousness of a Heavenly Person cultivator flooded my mind. Control began to slip.
And then.
Whoosh! Inside the dantian. Deep in the soul, blood-red light flared. The Five Elements Blood Curse Flag reacted.
Kugugugu! The blood-red energy carrying the Five Elements change pushed Goe-gun’s consciousness out.
“Kueeeugh!” The pain was beyond description, but my mind stayed clear. The Five Elements Blood Curse Flag guarded my consciousness while restricting it.
[Hmm?]
Goe-gun frowned, then released me.
[Oh? That spell… where did I see it? Ah, right—the Nascent Soul snake in the desert used it. How about it?]
He looked me in the eyes.
[What’s the relationship between you and the Nascent Soul demon from the Dabcheon Desert?]
“It’s just…”
[No, no matter. I’ll find out myself. I’ll turn this useless fellow into something superior and study it.]
Kwaddeuk! His consciousness stabbed into my brain again. The Five Elements Blood Curse Flag surged in response.
“!” The agony was crushing, but my mind stayed sharp. Goe-gun had activated some spell.
Pach! Pat-chi! Blue talisman characters appeared in the air, then shot off toward Deungsunhyang.
‘Is that a curse? I’ve studied Yin Soul Ghost Curses—those characters were definitely a curse.’
Goe-gun had stimulated my Five Elements Blood Curse Flag to trace the energy, then fired the curse at its source.
[Hmm. Not connected to the Nascent Soul kid? Same root but weaker reaction. Ah—probably from the same desert sect. Hahaha! I really am a genius! Thank you, beautiful one. You’re stunning!]
He muttered to himself, reached into empty air, and gently stroked nothing at all.
No living being was there. He was just imagining someone.
‘Damn, I’m trapped by this mad old man.’
I clenched my teeth and glared at him.
At that moment a koan flashed through my mind.
“Senior, this junior has something to say. The Nascent Soul demon Senior mentioned—the Blood Wood Daoist—is actually a Nascent Soul cultivator who hides his true form. If he’s plotting to devour the world once the Heavenly Person cultivators are too busy fighting each other, is it all right to leave him alone?”
[Ah, you mean the pact I made with Seo Hyoel?]
Goe-gun regained his composure and answered.
[What do I care? Even if the kid’s mind is filthy, Seo Hyoel and the others will handle it.]
“But what if Senior loses and his family or sect is destroyed by the Blood Wood Daoist?”
[Ah, family?]
Kikik…
Goe-gun laughed slyly.
[I wiped out a whole family with my own hands a few hundred years ago. Why should I worry?]
‘What…’
I was stunned. The rage in Goe-gun’s eyes was unmistakable. The madness had cleared, leaving only fury.
[The only thing that matters to me is her. The family that killed her no longer exists on this land. Why should I care what happens to it?]
I looked at his mind. The darkness had thickened, boiling with rage.
[Still… thank you. It’s been a long time since I remembered those bastards.]
He tapped his own head several times. His eyes were filled with rage, the madness gone.
[Anyway, the fact that you and the Nascent Soul kid share the same spell means… he has something similar to you too?]
Goe-gun stroked his chin and reached into the air.
Pach! Blue lightning crackled. The curse he had just fired rose again.
At the same time.
Whoosh! The curse glowed.
[Alright, I’ll have to take the kid’s Nascent Soul and study him. Even at Nascent Soul stage his consciousness is huge…]
Wuddeuk…
He clenched his fist. The blue curse slowly turned blood-red.
Then.
[Hm?]
Goe-gun looked at the sky. Thunderclouds gathered.
His gaze turned toward Oh Hye-seo.
[What’s this? Wind-Calling Responding Dragon is a Dragon King ability, yet that brat is using it? And…]
Flash! Kurrung! A streak of blue lightning struck. Suddenly a calm young man in a blue robe appeared, smiling gently.
[Who are you? Seo Hyoel of the Serpent Scorpion King? Hahaha, I heard you were leaving late, but why are you rushing like a madman?]
“Haha, old man Goe. I was delayed because my clan left a child in the mortal realm. I stayed to take care of him. After talking, I realized he’s capable enough to stand on his own…”
[Shut up. Get to the point.]
Kwaddeuk! Goe-gun squeezed harder. The curse he had launched turned blood-red.
Seo Hyoel smiled kindly.
“Old man Goe, don’t threaten these young apprentices. Release the one you’re gripping right now, and let the others go too.”
[Hmph… yes, I see. That’s why you rushed here—the Nascent Soul kid from the desert is about to die. What are you scheming, you serpent-like brat?]
“Old man Goe, as a senior it’s not right to bully the weak. Stop it and let the boy go.”
Whoong! Seo Hyoel reached out and tried to turn the curse blue again.
‘Won Rip is being strangled by Heavenly Person cultivators right now.’
Even though Deungsunhyang was far above the Dabcheon Desert, the distance was hundreds of li. Yet the two were fighting across that distance.
‘These are Heavenly Person cultivators…’
“You’ve already taken a backlash and are seriously injured. You should stop.”
Wuuung… The curse Goe-gun had raised began to fade. He was clearly losing to Seo Hyoel.
Goe-gun smiled slyly and pulled a small wooden box from his waist.
Kwoong! The box grew huge and dropped beside him.
[This brat thinks my true power is weaker than yours and mocks me. Fine, let’s see what you’ve got!]
“…” Seo Hyoel’s face stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.
“Old man Goe… after we defeat him we can talk about such pleasantries. The Ascension Gate opens in a few days. In a time like this, why do such things? Why not talk about these talented people instead?”
Seo Hyoel smiled kindly and patted Oh Hye-seo with one hand and my shoulder with the other.
I couldn’t hold it in. I staggered.
Uuk— I hadn’t eaten, so nothing came up, but the disgust was overwhelming. The darkness itself was beyond imagination.
‘Mad… is this what a normal mind feels like?’
Goe-gun’s mind was still a dead tree, but Seo Hyoel’s was far worse. No thin pink life, only endless darkness and filth.
Beyond human face and iron heart, it was simply a monster wearing human skin.
Evil. He was evil itself.
“Oh dear, old man Goe. Look—your juniors can’t withstand the pressure of the Heavenly Person cultivators and are suffering…”
Seo Hyoel looked at me with pity.
But Goe-gun, as if he knew why I was staggering, laughed.
[Hahaha, masterpiece! The boy’s staggering is because of my pressure? Or maybe he just saw something too disgusting and feels sick. I feel like vomiting every time I look at your face. What about these weak juniors?]
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, this junior seems to have caught your eye. How about taking him as your disciple? I’m planning to accept this young lady into my clan because she possesses unusual powers. She will become a Dragon Tribe member.”
[You serpent-like brat! Always dodging! What are you plotting about the desert kid? You filthy thing!]
Kiiieeek… Goe-gun opened the box. No Heavenly Person cultivators were around, and he faced the Dragon King alone, so he had no hesitation.
“Goe-gun, you really intend to destroy Deungsunhyang…!?”
[One Deungsunhyang disappears and I clear away some filth? If something goes wrong at the Ascension Gate, the Lord of Liberation’s blessing is there. What’s the problem?]
Kiiik, cheok! The box opened completely.
Next moment. Something—many things—burst out of Goe-gun’s box.
The Dragon King hurriedly cast spells.
‘Eh?’
Gulp, gulp… I looked around in confusion. Water. The entire Deungsunhyang was suddenly flooded.
We all opened our eyes underwater, gasping and struggling.
Kuuu! Even underwater, water qi existed. We were scattered in every direction.
‘What’s going on…’ Goe-gun had opened the box. Seo Hyoel had done something.
And then this happened.
While I struggled to understand.
[Hahahahahaha!] Heaven and earth qi roared. Goe-gun’s voice spread everywhere underwater.
[A water qi technique like this without water? It really is the Dragon King. He’s trying to protect Deungsunhyang from collapsing? He’s only pulled out half the Heavenly Person puppets and even [she] has only come out to her shoulders. Can the entire Dragon Tribe and [she] stand against it?]
Kugugugu! I nearly lost consciousness. Heaven and earth qi boiled on its own, reacting to Goe-gun and Seo Hyoel’s power.
‘The whole Deungsunhyang is now covered by Seo Hyoel’s spell?’
It was huge—several mortal kingdoms combined. I knew it was enormous, yet I still thought Seo Hyoel was losing.
[Come on, [she] has come out to her shoulders. We really need to bring all the Heavenly Person Dragon Tribe members.]
Beyond the sky. Wherever they were fighting, the rain still fell on Deungsunhyang.
‘I have to find my colleagues.’
I extended my Invisible Sword in the water, centered myself, and searched.
‘Kim Young-hoon is over there. I found Jeon Myeong-hoon too.’
I located them one by one—Kang Min-hee, Oh Hyun-seok, Kim Yeon, Oh Hye-seo.
Oh Hye-seo was bleeding from her seven apertures, clutching her head as if something else was happening besides the Wind-Calling Responding Dragon.
‘Damn it, what is this situation?’
I gathered the drowning colleagues, pressed their blood points to keep them alive a little longer, and forcibly expelled the water from their lungs with my inner energy.
‘I have to hold on.’ I had to wait for the monsters to finish fighting.
And then.
Uurung, ururung… The flooded Deungsunhyang. Beyond the clouds. I sensed several terrifying existences besides Goe-gun and Seo Hyoel.
‘This qi…’ The Heavenly Person cultivators, sensing the anomaly in Deungsunhyang, had gathered in greater numbers.
Then. Whoosh! The water disappeared. The clouds evaporated.
Pat, pat-chi! A golden-robed man in golden robes shot golden lightning like the sun, evaporating the clouds.
A few moments later, familiar faces appeared. Around the now-closed box: the Dragon King Seo Hyoel, the Supreme Sect Master of Geumsincheonroemun Geum Byeok-ho, the elder of Heuksaek Gwigol Valley Baekgol Gwima, Changheon Gaebyeokmun’s Changhoja Cheongmun Seon-woo.
And a plump middle-aged woman in white, a thin, nervous middle-aged man in gray, a giant in green with lion-like beard, a thin black-robed woman with long nails. They surrounded Goe-gun.
[A federation of Thunder Sect, Ghost Bone Valley, Gaebyeokmun, Dragon Tribe, Geumho Tribe, Seongbong Tribe, Righteous Path Alliance, Demonic Path Alliance. They’re all surrounding this old man. What glory!]
Goe-gun laughed and looked around.
One by one they spoke.
[Don’t cross the line, Goe-gun! If Deungsunhyang collapses, who knows what will happen to the Ascension Gate!]
[Why are you so reckless? If it weren’t for the Dragon King, Deungsunhyang and the Ascension Gate would have collapsed and countless Heavenly Person cultivators’ dreams would have been ruined!]
[This crazy old man wanted to leave us alone in a good time, but you pulled ‘that’ out of Deungsunhyang? With all of us here together, do you think you can escape?]
In the center of all the Heavenly Person cultivators, Goe-gun still laughed and placed his hand back on the box.
Every Heavenly Person cultivator present shuddered.
[Of course we can’t win if all these forces unite. But I’m ready to self-destruct with [her] anytime. Do you have that much resolve?]
[You insane old bastard…!]
The battle between Goe-gun and the Heavenly Person cultivators continued. Then Seo Hyoel began mediating with a smile.
[Please, don’t do this. In such a good time, what good does it do? Old man Goe, for your beloved, isn’t it better to defeat him and ascend?]
Seo Hyoel jumped between the cultivators, calming them. After a while they reached an agreement and formed an unbreakable pact with Goe-gun.
Then.
Geum Byeok-ho looked down and suddenly met Jeon Myeong-hoon’s eyes.
[What? A moment… this is…]
Geum Byeok-ho, Baekgol Gwima, and Changhoja looked down. The same thing happened again.
This time, besides Seo Hyoel and Goe-gun, the leaders of the Righteous Path Alliance, Demonic Path Alliance, Geumho Tribe, and Seongbong Tribe were present.
They had also seen the talent of our colleagues and were greedy.
[Heh, is that really the Heavenly Golden Lightning Body from the founding legend of Geumsincheonroemun? The one Yang Su-jin possessed? We’re tempted too…]
[The Ghost Dao Sound Flower Lotus Root? Not as good as entering my sect and being taught properly…]
The leaders of the Righteous and Demonic Path Alliances licked their lips at Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kang Min-hee. The Geumho and Seongbong Tribe leaders drooled over Oh Hyun-seok.
[A human born with a human physique? Seriously…]
[If they give the Geumho Tribe’s True Origin Bloodline and accept him as a Geumho…]
But Geum Byeok-ho growled and grabbed Jeon Myeong-hoon.
[You bastards from a ragtag group dare to covet the reserve disciple of our main sect? Even knowing he shares the same physique as the founding ancestor? Do you really want to make an enemy of our sect?]
[Hmph, Supreme Sect Master Geum. It’s not like that…]
[Get out right now. Wait quietly until the Ascension Gate opens.]
Baekgol Gwima smiled sinisterly at the Demonic Path leader who was eyeing Kang Min-hee.
[I was going to take this child from my valley…]
[But there’s no rule that only the talented can be taken from Black Ghost Bone Valley…]
[How about tasting the Seopmyeong Ship?]
[Ugh… you disgusting Ghost Bone Valley brats. Fine, do whatever you want!]
The leaders of the Righteous and Demonic Path Alliances backed away without a word in front of Geum Byeok-ho and Baekgol Gwima.
The Geumho and Seongbong kings glared at Oh Hyun-seok, but when Changhoja coughed, they averted their eyes and smiled awkwardly.
[Heh… I can’t make Cheongmun Seon-woo angry…]
[Indeed, if it’s Changhoja, we’ll raise him well.]
But the Geumho and Seongbong kings turned their gaze to Oh Hye-seo.
She was bleeding from her seven apertures, and something other than the Wind-Calling Responding Dragon was happening. I didn’t know exactly what, but greed was in their eyes.
[Anyway, this woman seems to be using the power of an immortal beast bloodline directly…]
[It might be a huge talent for our demons…]
They approached her. Seo Hyoel secretly blocked them and smiled.
When Seo Hyoel spoke, the two nodded and backed off.
[If it’s Lord Seo who says so…]
[Lord Seo’s temperament is far more dignified. We can extract the immortal beast’s talent more elegantly…]
In the end, everything flowed according to fate.
All colleagues were taken by the Heavenly Person cultivators they belonged to.
Among this time’s Heavenly Person cultivators, the weaker ones could only watch as the truly talented were divided up.
After the distribution, the gazes of the remaining people turned to me and Kim Young-hoon.
[The remaining ones here… maybe they have other talents…]
[The human brat has a human heart inside him, yet he possesses a demon core…]
[Is he a half-demon? Let’s tear him apart one by one. Maybe a monstrous talent will be discovered…]
Finally, the Heavenly Person cultivators reached out to us. I, Kim Young-hoon, and Kim Yeon absorbed heaven and earth qi and screamed.
Kim Yeon awakened her consciousness in the middle of it all and became a disciple of the plump white-robed woman from the Righteous Path Alliance.
I and Kim Young-hoon were squeezed by the other Heavenly Person cultivators and subjected to countless unpleasant things.
But the results were clear.
I was simply an unusual constitution with no talent. Kim Young-hoon was a normal human with neither unusual constitution nor talent.
Changhoja treated us and the matter was settled.
[Unfortunately, these two don’t seem to have any remarkable talent. We’ll have to leave them.]
[I want to research this unusual constitution a little… how did the demon core end up in a human’s abdomen…]
[No need. It’s just an unusual constitution within the ordinary range. Not worth taking. It’s better to leave them.]
The Heavenly Person cultivators chatted among themselves and prepared to fly back to the Ascension Gate.
‘Damn, this life started off in chaos.’
I clutched my head and frowned.
‘Still, there’s something I mustn’t forget…’
I started to speak about Won Rip hiding in the Dabcheon Desert.
“Seniors, I must report… if the Blood Wood Daoist who lives in the Dabcheon Desert…”
Thud.
The Dragon King came and patted my shoulder kindly.
“This king also knows that fellow. Despite being human, he has zeal and knows many interesting techniques. This king has also learned one of his spells… and you seem to have inherited that spell from him.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Speaking of the Blood Wood Daoist meant death at the Dragon King’s hands.
No killing intent was in his eyes. Nor in his intent.
But my intuition screamed danger.
Gulp…
The Dragon King stood with a kind smile.
“If you’re a half-demon constitution like me, I can’t ignore you. Here. This is a water technique manual suitable for half-demons to cultivate. As thanks, I have one small favor to ask… is it all right?”
Seo Hyoel offered the Hofung Eungryongbyeon and the Wave-Breaking Pearl with a kind smile.
“…Understood. Thank you.”
I silently received the cultivation manual, talisman, and favor from him.
Everything proceeded according to fate.
I said nothing. My colleagues were taken by the destined people.
Kim Yeon was taken by the plump white-robed woman this time, but Goe-gun kept glancing at her and Kim Yeon.
I somehow felt that the woman from the Righteous Path Alliance wouldn’t live long.
Goe-gun licked his lips while looking at me, but this time he was surrounded by countless Heavenly Person cultivators and quietly flew toward the Ascension Gate.
Whoosh… A storm swept through us.
‘…Still, something has changed.’
No one opened a spatial rift and sent me and Kim Young-hoon anywhere this time.
The fox’s demon core remained in my hand.
When the Demonic Path cultivator tried to snatch it, Changhoja glared at him for stealing my junior’s item.
After Deungsunhyang, everything flowed according to fate except that the fox’s demon core remained with me.
I put Kim Young-hoon back to sleep for a while, then stared at the demon core in my hand.
Inside the core, monstrous heaven and earth qi condensed.
Because it was a Nascent Soul demon’s accumulated spiritual energy and heaven and earth qi, absorbing it would grant enormous power.
I closed my eyes, sat in lotus position, held the demon core, and began absorbing.
***
Half a year passed in Deungsunhyang.
Kurlung, ururung…
I roared from the sky. My Invisible Sword dispersed the clouds.
Heaven and earth qi changed. I gained three hundred years of lifespan.
I absorbed the Nascent Soul demon fox’s core and successfully recovered to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, the realm of Corner Star.