Chapter 274: Do It For Me
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 274: Do It For Me
Chodo was staring at me with a pouty expression.
And for good reason. After all, the woman who’d sworn she would never leave her home had come all the way to my nest.
To be more precise, she had listened to me and blown up her own house.
“They won’t be able to follow right away. My power may not be able to break through their defenses, but if I’m determined, I can certainly be a nuisance.”
Chodo wielded the power of Wood.
She was the one who had enabled me to use thunder and storms.
Having used the power of Wood for decades, perhaps even centuries, she could exert a force that defied common sense within her domain.
If she was set on buying time, even the strongest opponent would not be able to escape easily.
Endlessly growing, colossal plants would ensnare their feet, a power that was likely still in effect even now that she had arrived at my nest.
“With my abilities, I can make them wander the forest until the sun has risen five times. However, this time there are two opponents, not one, so buying that much time will be difficult.”
Not one, but two.
And they weren't just any run-of-the-mill opponents; two high-tier spirit beasts had come.
I listened intently to Chodo’s words.
She had bought me not only time but also information about our adversaries.
Knowing your enemy and planning your response is the cornerstone of any endeavor.
“One of them is an opponent I expected. His name is Bixi.”
“Bixi!”
As Gongbok rumbled from within the fox marble, Chodo’s fine features wrinkled slightly.
Bixi.
I felt like I’d heard that name somewhere before.
“He is my older brother. That is to say, the eldest of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.”
The eldest of the Nine Sons of the Dragon!
This was no ordinary heavyweight.
While age didn't automatically equate to greater strength, it couldn't be completely disregarded.
Spirit beasts who practiced martial arts naturally accumulated internal energy through methods like Qi Cultivation. The older they were, the more internal energy they had amassed.
In other words, Bixi, the eldest son of the dragon, was very likely a tremendous monster.
“Among the Nine Sons, he is the one who inherited the purest blood of the True Dragon. Of course, some say the third son, Pulao, is closer to a true dragon in form, but in terms of raw strength, my brother Bixi is the greatest.”
With Chodo stating it so clearly, there was no room for doubt.
My opponent was the strongest of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.
“He possesses the shell of a tortoise, so most attacks won’t even leave a scratch. My brother Gongbok also has a sturdy body, but brother Bixi’s is even tougher.”
A defense greater than Gongbok’s?
I slowly turned my gaze to my own tail.
To land a physically effective blow, I’d probably have to manifest a Sword Flux.
“Not only that, but he also has the head of a dragon, so you must be even more careful.”
Having the head of a dragon didn't just mean he looked like one.
The abilities of a dragon.
Many of the powers that could be called authorities were unleashed from the head.
He could breathe fire like the Red Dragon or use the Dragon’s Word like Gongbok.
His offensive power was clearly not to be underestimated either.
“However, the matchup is favorable. Looking purely at the Five Elements, brother Bixi is a being of the Earth.”
That was welcome news.
Wood overcomes Earth.
That must have been why Chodo was confident she could stall Bixi.
And the Five Elements I could wield overlapped with Chodo’s.
Unlike Gongbok, who had an elemental advantage over me, I could deal a fatal blow to this foe by using the power of Wood.
“With an elemental advantage and numerical superiority, we could somehow repel brother Bixi if he were alone. We have three of the Nine Sons of the Dragon on our side, plus a descendant of the Tailed Old Death.”
Even if Gongbok was out of commission without a physical body, that still meant we had two of the Nine Sons.
Chodo and Taotie.
I had two spirit beasts on par with myself, and the spirit beasts of the Gaegaek Cult also possessed considerable strength.
No matter how strong the enemy was, if it were just Bixi, our side would have an easy victory.
Three against one.
Even if he was a master who surpassed the Transformation Realm, we had at least three masters at that level on our side.
“The problem is that brother Bixi did not come alone.”
The problem was that there were two of them.
If there was another master on par with Bixi, even gathering three more Transformation Realm masters wouldn't be enough.
It was three against one, not six against two.
“His name is Qiongqi. A member of the Four Fiends, a ferocious beast also known as The Most Ferocious.”
“…Qiongqi!”
Just as Gongbok had reacted to the name Bixi, this time it was Taotie who reacted.
At this, Chodo’s expression crumpled even more than before.
I got the distinct feeling she disliked Taotie more than Gongbok.
It was only natural.
Chodo had also learned Taotie’s secret.
The fact that Taotie, who had tormented her while pretending to be a man, was actually a woman.
Of course, that probably wasn't the only reason for her dislike.
She must have immediately realized that Taotie’s actions stemmed from a sense of deficiency.
But there seemed to be one thing she absolutely could not overlook.
Taotie wasn't just a woman; she was a woman who possessed in abundance what Chodo lacked.
The fact that she had hidden it with bandages while posing as a man must have looked like nothing but deceit in Chodo’s eyes.
After all, Chodo was flatter than anyone.
“He is a beast that resembles a tiger, but his defining feature is a pair of enormous wings that can cover the sky.”
His appearance was similar to the Qiongqi I knew of.
“If it weren’t for him, I could have bought more time, but he wields Metal among the Five Elements, making it a bad matchup. It’s only a rumor, but his skill with Metal is so exceptional that some say he is a descendant of Shaohao.”
He wields Metal.
On a simple level, that could mean manipulating iron, but just as I wielded storms and thunder, there was a high chance he could use unexpected abilities.
Moreover, a descendant of Shaohao?
In Murim, when the suffix ‘-ssi’ [a respectful title for progenitors or divine beings] was attached to a name, it was no small matter.
It was a title given to beings from mythology, like the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
A descendant of such a being was my opponent.
Of course, Bixi was also a child of the True Dragon, so it wasn't all that different.
“The full extent of his power is unknown, but it’s highly likely he is on par with my brother Bixi. If we were to classify it by human realms… it would have to be called the Profound Realm.”
The Profound Realm.
In other words, Hyeongyeong.
I had to face two Profound Realm spirit beasts.
After hearing Chodo’s words, I remained silent for a while.
There was too much to think about.
Sending not one, but two Profound Realm masters here?
It was excessive.
Far too excessive.
Even for the True Dragon, he couldn't have that many masters to spare.
If he did, he would have conquered the entire Central Plains long ago.
Qiongqi and Bixi had to be core assets on the True Dragon’s side. Deploying them both at once?
Let’s assume he made that choice to ensure the job was done.
But did he send them knowing who his opponent was?
I wasn't certain, but the pretext for their arrival was likely because of the Black Cloud Faction.
The leader of the Black Cloud Faction must have sent a message just before he died, informing them of my existence and the faction's destruction.
That didn't make sense.
At most, a single Transformation Realm master had died. Why send two Profound Realm masters?
There was definitely something more to this.
Their objective wasn't to capture me.
A situation like this…
Hasn't it happened once before?
The Black Cloud Faction was an organization responsible for the True Dragon’s recovery.
The True Dragon’s wound was inflicted when he came to the 100,000 Great Mountains.
Around the same time, my Master was also injured.
It was almost certain that the True Dragon and my Master had clashed.
In such a situation, what if the elixirs gathered for the True Dragon’s recovery were stolen?
If they fell into my Master’s hands, it would be an incredibly troublesome situation for the True Dragon.
That’s why the True Dragon made such a huge investment of two Profound Realm masters.
In other words, it was highly likely they intended to not only capture me but also attack the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
But could two Profound Realm masters defeat my Master?
No, that was impossible.
Setting aside my Master’s own martial prowess, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult wasn't just her alone.
Unless the True Dragon came himself, they wouldn't dare try anything against my Master.
The True Dragon must know this as well.
If Qiongqi and Bixi could defeat my Master, then by extension, the True Dragon, who fought my Master to a draw, could also be defeated by these two.
Bixi and Qiongqi could never defeat my Master.
Then why were two Profound Realm masters coming here?
The answer was simple.
It was because it was enough even if they didn't defeat my Master.
Was this the reason for that strange sense of déjà vu?
Namgung Yeon, who had deceived Gongbok and brought the Mount Hua Sect to subjugate me.
His goal wasn't my head.
It was to trigger my Master’s rampage out of fury over my death.
That’s what he was aiming for.
…So Namgung Yeon has sided with him.
The True Dragon’s goal was to induce my Master’s rampage, making her easier for him to deal with.
So, what should I do?
If my opponents were Profound Realm masters, the best course of action would be to get support from my Master.
But I couldn't do that.
Their objective was painfully obvious.
I wanted the help of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but for now, I should just let them be after passing on the information.
My Master must not move now.
If she left her position, the True Dragon might make a move himself, or Namgung Yeon could use the scheme he failed to execute last time.
Knowing that my Master’s body was not in a normal state, I couldn't wish for her help even more.
The best way to escape this threat was for my Master to recover completely.
I had to overcome this trial with my own strength, without my Master’s help.
But realistically, facing two Profound Realm masters was difficult.
Let’s count the spirit beasts who could stand against Bixi or Qiongqi.
There was Chodo and Taotie.
And then Baek Rang, Iron Head Dragon, and perhaps the Unicorn.
But that wasn't enough.
Even Iron Head Dragon had been utterly defeated by Taotie, showing a vast difference in skill. Realistically, only Chodo and Taotie, who were also among the Nine Sons of the Dragon, could hold down a Profound Realm master.
If there were only one enemy, I could join in and we might somehow win. But with two enemies, we lacked the forces to face them both.
In that case, I just had to bring in outside help.
From the factions I had allied with.
The Snake Queen and the King of Birds were spirit beasts who had successfully bought time against Gongbok.
If the two of them joined forces, they could certainly fill the remaining spot.
If it flowed in a way where three of them faced one enemy while the other spirit beasts provided support, we would have a good chance of winning.
But unfortunately, the Snake Queen and the King of Birds were not in good condition.
They had been injured from directly facing Gongbok in the last battle.
Though I was desperate for every hand I could get, I couldn't ask for their help.
…If the lives of my followers were truly in danger, I would have sought their cooperation somehow, but I also had another option.
My allies weren't just the King of Birds and the Snake Queen.
I had considered calling him during the last war, but someone had to remain in the jungle, so there was one being who couldn't participate.
“Chirp… Chiiirp…!”
The cute sound of a parrotbill broke the silence.
He was arriving just in time.
I could see a lizard, held in Chirpy’s talons, with a dazed look on its face.
With a perfect mix of black and white, it wore an expression I had never seen before.
It was only natural.
He was watching his granddaughter’s friend put on a cute display.
“Kekekek?”
Tusulisu, Honhwi.
The smallest, yet most reliable ally had joined us.
His face seemed to be getting longer, but whatever the case, it was a request from his son-in-law, so he had no choice but to listen.
You should know you got a good son-in-law, Father-in-law.
You looked so bored last time, so I made a special exception and called you.
“Kegegegegek!”
Clang!
Without fail, Old Man Compy’s iron mace came flying.
I didn't know the full extent of this old man’s power, but considering the side effects of miniaturization, I could make an educated guess.
If he undid his miniaturization, he would reveal a truly overwhelming size.
Taotie, Chodo, and the old man.
These three would pin down one of them.
From a distance, Baek Rang and Iron Head Dragon would provide support using their cold energy.
The Bicorns, led by the Unicorn, would employ hit-and-run tactics using their unique traits.
As the opponent’s stamina drained, Nephila, Tus and Pus, and Soyeong would land additional blows with poison and spiderwebs.
If we poured everything the Gaegaek Cult had, we could probably take down one Profound Realm master.
Of course, if we focused everything on one, the other wouldn't just stand by.
He would see it as an opportunity and join the attack.
And my role was to stop that.
I would not participate in the fight against the first Profound Realm master.
My job was to tie up the remaining one.
While the entire Gaegaek Cult faced one, the other would be forced into a one-on-one with me.
I’d get beaten to a pulp, but I was used to getting hit by now.
I would take the hits as painlessly as possible, buy time, and endure until the Gaegaek Cult could take down one of the Profound Realm masters.
If I could hold out until then, I could join my followers, turn to the master who had been beating me, and ask, “How’s that feel?” as we launched a counterattack.
This operation was, in a manner of speaking…
The ‘Do It For Me’ Plan.