The Scorched Earth of Jimagwon
According to the information he had gathered, the Heavenly Fire Sect was a power on par with them. Even based solely on what was publicly known, a Great Elder at the late Foundation Establishment stage presided over the sect, and they possessed numerous other Foundation Establishment-level combatants. If this was merely what was visible on the surface, and considering that the Heavenly Fire Sect's history was even older than that of the Jeyeon Sect, their hidden reserves were beyond imagination. Jekyeong had a premonition that borrowing a spark of the Sect-Guarding Heavenly Fire would be no easy task.
Jimagwon was a dry plateau where forests were hard to find. With a thin stream flowing from Yangseo Lake serving as its sole water source, the harmony of the world's spiritual energy here was somewhat distorted. While fire-attribute energy was abnormally dense, other elemental energies—especially water and wood Qi—were incredibly scarce. Consequently, let alone ordinary creatures, even cultivators who practiced water- or wood-attribute cultivation methods were prone to a visceral sense of rejection the moment they set foot here. On the flip side, cultivators who practiced fire-attribute methods felt as comfortable in Jimagwon as if they were staying in a cozy home. Jekyeong was no exception. The moment he inhaled the hot air of Jimagwon, his mood lifted, and vitality seemed to surge through his body.
'Is that the place?'
In the distance, a city wall of modest height came into view. Though its height felt almost pitiful compared to its sprawling length, the height of a wall was of little consequence in the cultivation world. No matter how high a wall was built, it meant nothing to cultivators who could scale mountains with a single leap or even fly through the sky. Therefore, what truly mattered were the restrictions and formations capable of suppressing a cultivator's power. Jekyeong could feel the vast power of the formation enveloping Gwangyang City. With his limited knowledge of formations, he could only sense the existence of the grand city-protecting array, unable to discern its specific effects.
'Gwangyang City.'
Jimagwon was different from the Jugye Mountain Range. Although the scale of the cultivation region itself was similar, unlike the Jugye Mountain Range, which was divided between humans and demons, Jimagwon was an entirely human cultivation domain. Here, let alone foreign races, even rogue cultivators were a rare sight. Human strongholds like Gwangyang City were scattered throughout the region, and ruling factions like the Heavenly Fire Sect exerted their influence. In the case of Gwangyang City, which had just come into view, it was co-ruled by the Heavenly Fire Sect and the Yangbu Cultivator Family, with a staggering eighty percent of the city's commercial districts reportedly held in their grasp.
"Name."
"Han Cheongyu."
In front of the gates of Gwangyang City, Jekyeong had an unfamiliar experience. He had to wait in line and was even inspected by stern-faced cultivators. It was a relief he had brought Han Cheongyu along; otherwise, he might have hesitated. And had he shown such cluelessness... he likely would have gotten into a troublesome entanglement with those gate guards.
"And him?"
"He is the esteemed elder I serve."
At those words, the expressions of the gate guards, which had been blank the entire time, shifted. Han Cheongyu did not actively flaunt his spiritual power, but neither did he hide it. To guard a city gate, one needed sharp wits as much as strength. They recognized at a glance that Han Cheongyu was a cultivator at the late Qi Condensation stage. If so, what kind of person was this 'elder' whom he treated with such extreme deference? Furthermore, this 'elder' looked even younger than Han Cheongyu, yet there was absolutely no fluctuation of spiritual power radiating from him. Had it not been for Han Cheongyu's words, they would have assumed this 'elder' was either a novice who had just embarked on the path of cultivation or a mere mortal.
"Everything is in order. You may enter."
Having finished their calculations in less than a second, the gate guards bowed with faint smiles on their lips. It was a dramatic shift in attitude, so much so that one might doubt they were the same people from a second ago. The corner of Han Cheongyu's mouth twitched imperceptibly. Indeed, I suppose one must possess this level of tact to guard the entrance of a city.
"Thank you."
Han Cheongyu bowed back slightly and passed through the gate, while Jekyeong followed indifferently behind him without sparing the guards a single glance. His demeanor, appearing utterly unconcerned with anything in his field of vision, was the quintessential bearing of a high-ranking cultivator. The ignored gate guards did not feel offended; rather, they took it as a matter of course.
'There's no doubt about it. He's a senior at the Foundation Establishment stage. But why is a Foundation Establishment cultivator lining up to enter the city?'
Once Han Cheongyu and Jekyeong vanished from sight, the guards who had forced those smiles returned to their expressionless faces to continue the inspections. Yet, while their expressions had returned, their hearts were still pounding with anxiety. A Foundation Establishment cultivator! Why would such a figure line up among juniors who were light-years behind him? What kind of twisted hobby was this? Was he trying to give innocent juniors like them a heart attack?
"They say Gwangyang City is a cultivation city built during the early days of the Reclamation War."
Jekyeong, who had been casting his gaze here and there after entering the city, showed interest in Han Cheongyu's words.
"The Reclamation War?"
"Yes. I hear the original inhabitants of Jimagwon were fire spirits. However, thousands of years ago, the human race waged a reclamation war, driving the fire spirits out and claiming Jimagwon for themselves."
Spirits were, so to speak, entities formed from the transformation of the world's spiritual energy. Spiritual energy, which should naturally exist and constantly circulate, would condense for some reason, even developing a consciousness to become a single entity—that was a spirit. And a fire spirit was a spirit gestated from fire-attribute energy among those spirits, often born in places where fire energy was abundant, like Jimagwon. Therefore, the tale of Jimagwon being the land of fire spirits thousands of years ago sounded plausible to Jekyeong's ears. The story of humans waging war to drive the fire spirits out of this land also sounded equally plausible. The human race had waged countless reclamation wars throughout history, achieving their current prosperity by winning those wars. Jimagwon was merely one of them. This land, where fire spirits and perhaps other unknown races once roamed, now belonged solely to humans.
'Are those watchtowers?'
Jekyeong took in the small, weathered structures floating throughout the city. He hadn't thought much of them at first, but looking at them again now, they felt somewhat extraordinary. For a brief moment, the faint scent of blood left behind from thousands of years ago seemed to brush past his nose.
"Hello, seniors! Is this your first time in Gwangyang City?"
As Jekyeong slowly walked, observing everything in Gwangyang City one by one, a cautious yet expectant young voice called out from behind.
"And if it is?"
Jekyeong, who had sensed the other party's approach from over a hundred paces away, merely turned his head slightly to look at the owner of the youthful voice. It was a kid in shabby clothes. Although a child's innocent light shone in his eyes, Jekyeong saw right through the cleverness hidden behind it.
"My name is Ju-hyeong. I was born and raised in Gwangyang City. There is nowhere in Gwangyang City that I do not know, so if you would like, seniors, I can guide you."
Han Cheongyu scanned the kid, Ju-hyeong, from head to toe and asked, "Dra... Elder. What would you like to do?"
Without a word, Jekyeong took out a low-grade spirit stone and flicked it toward Ju-hyeong.
"Th-thank you, Elder!"
Ju-hyeong caught the spirit stone in surprise. Though he had worked as a guide for several years, this was the first time he had met a customer who paid before the tour even began.
"Elder, is there a specific place you are looking for?" Ju-hyeong asked, looking at Jekyeong.
"Lodging first. Expense is of no concern, so guide us to the best place."
"Understood. Then I shall take you to the Yuhyang Pavilion. It is Gwangyang City's finest inn, managed directly by the Heavenly Fire Sect."
"Oh? The Heavenly Fire Sect?"
For the first time, a gleam of interest appeared in Jekyeong's eyes, which had been indifferently subdued for a long time.
"Yes. Surely you know of the Heavenly Fire Sect, Elder? It is the greatest sect in Jimagwon. The Heavenly Fire Sect has several businesses in Gwangyang City, and the Yuhyang Pavilion is one of them. I hear a deacon from the Heavenly Fire Sect is permanently stationed there."
"I have heard of the Heavenly Fire Sect. But the greatest sect in Jimagwon? I imagine there are those who would disagree."
"Ah... haha."
Ju-hyeong let out an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head. Then, lowering his voice significantly, he continued.
"That is true, but in Gwangyang City, one has to say it that way. Otherwise... well, you can guess, right?"
Of course, Jekyeong understood the clever kid's plight. No one could deny the might of the Heavenly Fire Sect, but in the end, they were merely one of several ruling powers in Jimagwon. There were a few cultivation factions in this land that rivaled the Heavenly Fire Sect, and the Yangbu Cultivator Family, which currently co-ruled Gwangyang City with them, was one such power. Of course, being a cultivation clan, they wouldn't nitpick over the title of the greatest sect in Jimagwon.
"I see."
Ju-hyeong carefully stole a glance at the 'elder' who had nodded so readily. Just like the gate guards, a city guide couldn't survive without sharp wits. Clinging to ill-tempered seniors was a quick way to meet a miserable end, so one had to develop an eye for people just to stay alive.
'He's unusual. Extraordinary.'
Ju-hyeong's cultivation was merely at the level of having just sensed spiritual energy, but his ability to perceive spiritual power was not inferior to that of mature early Qi Condensation cultivators. And to his senses, the spiritual power radiating from this 'elder' was far weaker than that of the man who appeared to be his servant. Yet, in the cultivation world, a strong cultivator never became the servant of a weak one. At least, Ju-hyeong had never heard of such a thing. Therefore, it was simply that he couldn't perceive it; this elder was undoubtedly a powerful figure. Could he perhaps be a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
While harboring various thoughts in his mind, Ju-hyeong never let his mouth rest. However, he wasn't just making meaningless noise; he concisely summarized and shared various useful pieces of information about Gwangyang City. The eloquence he had honed over years of guiding was displayed to its fullest.
As they moved diligently and were nearly at the Yuhyang Pavilion, Jekyeong, who was following Ju-hyeong, suddenly halted.
"Is something the matter?"
Han Cheongyu, who was following behind, and Ju-hyeong, who was leading the way, stopped as well. They looked at Jekyeong with questioning eyes, but Jekyeong's gaze was not directed at them.
"Aaaargh!"
In the distance, a succession of screams and explosions erupted. At first, only Jekyeong noticed, but before long, Han Cheongyu and Ju-hyeong could also perceive the commotion drawing closer.
"What is that?"
Ju-hyeong took an anxious step backward, then suddenly checked the 'elder's' expression. Seeing that he remained completely calm without a hint of panic, the boy suppressed his fear as best as he could and cautiously crept closer to his side.
*Boom!*
A thunderous roar echoed, and even the ground shook slightly. Only then did Jekyeong finally identify the source of the disturbance. Jekyeong's Divine Sense captured it in an instant, his Spiritual Awareness detected it immediately after, and finally, his eyes beheld it. He saw a cultivator clad in fire like a garment, surrounded by about a dozen other cultivators. He wasn't sure about the former, but judging by their attire and conduct, the latter group seemed to be cultivators belonging to Gwangyang City.
'What is this?'
At a glance, it looked like they were subduing a rampaging cultivator, but Jekyeong suspected the matter was not that simple. First of all, the strength of the rampaging cultivator engulfed in flames was bizarre. Judging solely by the fluctuations of his spiritual power, he was a cultivator at the late Qi Condensation stage, yet the destructive power of the fire spells he unleashed was on par with that of an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"A Fire Demon!"
Ju-hyeong, who had finally realized what was happening, let out a scream-like cry.
"A Fire Demon?"
Ju-hyeong flinched several times, looking as if he wanted to flee at any moment. However, perhaps drawing courage from the still-composed 'elder,' he swallowed hard and answered the unvoiced question.
"It is a type of possessed cultivator, one who has been beguiled by the residual thoughts of a fire spirit. From the looks of it, that cultivator seems to have fallen into possession while trying to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck. I have only heard stories about them; this is the first time I'm seeing one in person."
A possessed cultivator. Jekyeong had heard of them both inside and outside Bulmangwon. When a flaw appeared in a cultivator's Dao heart, inner demons would exploit the crack. If they failed to properly manage those inner demons, they would be seized by demonic possession—that was what it meant to fall into possession.
'But I've never heard of a possessed cultivator's strength exploding like this.'