The Shield Shatters, the Storm Gathers

The grand formation surrounding Seongju Island—or rather, the Kingdom of Seongju—was fundamentally an Island-Protecting Grand Formation, but its sheer majesty was incomparable to any ordinary array of its kind. Commissioned from a Grandmaster of Formations at an exorbitant cost from its very inception, the array had undergone continuous refinements over the years. Thanks to these relentless upgrades, it now possessed a defensive power formidable enough to easily withstand the simultaneous onslaught of multiple Great Demons.

This Island-Protecting Grand Formation—no, this Kingdom-Defending Grand Formation—was one of the primary pillars that had allowed the Kingdom of Seongju to enjoy its current prosperity despite its perilous proximity to the beast territory. Once again, the reliable shield of the Seongju Kingdom proved its worth.

If the monstrous waves rose high enough to touch the heavens, the pillars of light erupting from Seongju Island matched them in height. The deluge, capable of swallowing the entirety of Seongju Island, was blocked by a brilliant barrier of light. The monstrous waves quickly lost their momentum and collapsed, failing to wet the island with even a single drop of water.

"Go!"

Just as the waves crashing against the barrier were about to completely disintegrate, a fierce and majestic voice echoed from the depths of the water. Though inaudible to those above the surface, the sound was like a divine revelation to the creatures dwelling beneath.

Gurgle!

The Water Beasts that had quietly approached Seongju Island along the currents charged in unison toward the island, throwing themselves at the barrier. Some leaped above the surface, while others surged forward through the depths. Thousands, tens of thousands, and even more Water Beasts flung their bodies against the barrier. Some slammed their heads, others thrashed their tails, and some bared their fangs with gaping maws, but the end result was the same.

Every Water Beast that touched the barrier was instantly reduced to a clump of bloody flesh, wrapping Seongju Island in a shroud of crimson in the blink of an eye. The barrier enveloping the entire island looked like a protective shield keeping out filth, and in truth, it was. However...

"It is thinning."

Though tens of thousands of Water Beasts had perished, the Great Demons hiding beneath the water smiled with satisfaction. They could see the light of the grand formation protecting Seongju Island gradually dimming, and they could feel the repulsive fluctuations of Dharma Power slowly subsiding. At this rate, two more attempts—three at most—would be enough to completely extinguish that disgusting light.

"Go! Charge without rest!"

One of the Great Demons surrounding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Seongju Island—a hideous creature with the lower body of an elongated fish, a human-like torso, and a body covered in armor-like scales—unleashed a terrifying aura. He thrust his massive trident forward and barked his command. His voice rumbled like thunder, and upon hearing it, every single Water Beast, without exception, rushed toward their deaths with bloodshot eyes. And soon, countless deaths shrouded Seongju Island once more.

The hideous Great Demon laughed in satisfaction at the gruesome sight. At this moment, he could feel his bloodline—the blood of a Yaksha—boiling with vigor. That savage blood urged him to tear through the tattered barrier right this instant and dye the entire island red.

No, not yet.

He suppressed the urge with great effort. Of course, he intended to slaughter every human on Seongju Island, but to do so, he had to conserve his strength. Even a crumbling wall was still a wall. Breaking it would require a non-trivial amount of effort, and he had no desire to waste his energy on such a thankless, boring task. It would be different if there were no other options, but as it happened, the waters all around were teeming with trivial creatures that could do the grueling labor in his stead.

"The Kingdom of Seongju has fallen."

"That was fast."

Hearing his subordinate's report, Gwak Jeong-sin furrowed his brow. He had long anticipated that the Beast Race's offensive would gradually intensify, but this pace was far quicker than he had estimated. Had the Great Demons been stimulated by the thick scent of blood after so long?

"It seems the Geumyang Sect and the Myeongseomun Sect have been in communication."

"Have they made a move?"

"We haven't been able to confirm. As you know... if those seniors wish to move in secret, there is no way for us to find out."

Gwak Jeong-sin let out a sigh and nodded.

"Has the fall of the Seongju Kingdom stirred the seniors' hearts? If they have made up their minds... we won't be able to sit idly by for much longer."

The Yeongbu Merchant Alliance was neither a sect nor a clan. However, they too were cultivators, and their strength was by no means inferior to that of any prestigious sect. If it were an internal conflict within the Human Territory, they could declare neutrality and step back. But a war with the Beast Race was a matter of survival for the entire human race; there was no loophole to escape through.

"Send someone to Heukgyodo."

It was better to take the initiative and act proactively rather than be passively dragged along.

"But... there will be talk."

"Undoubtedly."

Gwak Jeong-sin was a Vice Chairman of the Yeongbu Merchant Alliance in Yangseo Lake, but he was not the only one. Aside from the Chairman, who refused to yield his position until his dying breath, the other Vice Chairmen were all his rivals and enemies. They would easily guess why Gwak Jeong-sin was so intent on heading toward the Heukgyo water region, and they would fabricate all sorts of rumors to tear him apart.

"But it doesn't matter."

Interacting with the Beast Race had not been a major issue until now. It was something everyone did behind closed doors anyway, and only the incompetent who couldn't find a suitable trading partner would foam at the mouth, spouting nonsense about the greater good and morality. Gwak Jeong-sin had no doubt that those noisy hypocrites would sew their own mouths shut the moment they got their hands on a sweet deal with the Beast Race.

But now that war had broken out, the situation had changed. The lucrative trade of the past would be branded as treason in times like these. Gwak Jeong-sin also did not want to sever his ties with the Black Dragon. However, this war promised to be incredibly fierce, and his rivals would jump at any opportunity to bite at his weaknesses. Even if he didn't take action, his competitors would step forward to subjugate the Black Dragon. Rather than letting that happen, it was better to lead the charge himself and display the righteous act of sacrificing personal ties for the greater good.

Yes. Though he and the Black Dragon did not share blood, they shared profits thicker than blood, making the phrase "sacrificing personal ties for the greater good" more than appropriate.

It's a pity, but it can't be helped.

Now that he had climbed to such heights, he couldn't afford to keep looking down at his feet forever. Humans were creatures of adaptation, and cultivators were humans after all.

Bul-mang-won.

Jekyeong listened to Choi Ju-tang's story with great interest. Though styled as a story, it was in truth a report from an employee to his employer. However, since Jekyeong nominally addressed him as "senior" and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he addressed Jekyeong as "junior," the report took the relaxed form of a casual conversation.

"We have arrived at Yangseo Lake and successfully established contact with Gwak Jeong-sin. It was so easy it was almost baffling. He happened to be actively gathering forces at the time. He was recruiting on a massive scale, throwing around Spirit Stones as if he wanted to show off to everyone around him."

"Oh? He's being quite proactive."

The letters Jekyeong had received from Gwak Jeong-sin contained no mention of this. The last letter had been filled only with concern for the current situation and worried advice for a friend, telling him to flee if things ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠went south.

He really has made up his mind.

Perhaps it wasn't exactly what he was thinking right now. In any case, Gwak Jeong-sin knew he was a Bulmang Cultivator and likely guessed he had various connections within the human race, so he wouldn't try to deceive him with such shallow tricks.

"He's probably trying to make his stance clear. It's not particularly surprising. Given the nature of their business, merchants easily attract resentment in various ways. That's why they always act like this. When an opportunity arises, they try to prove their influence and loyalty to the human race."

"It's amusing. That a Vice Chairman of the Yeongbu Merchant Alliance has to publicize and prove himself in such a manner."

"He has rivals too. Besides, his own cultivation is only at the early Foundation Establishment stage. While he's not a complete nobody, he's hardly a heavyweight either."

While Jekyeong held Gwak Jeong-sin in relatively high regard, Choi Ju-tang seemed to think little of him.

"Did he not suspect you? You have a high cultivation level and are a cultivator who just arrived from the outside, so he surely would have taken notice."

"The timing was perfect. And I had good luck. Since the clouds of war have been hovering over Yangseo Lake for quite some time, rumors have spread far and wide. In other words, it's only natural for people like me, who want to earn blood-stained Spirit Stones, to gather here. Gwak Jeong-sin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't seem to suspect much. In fact, he was quite pleased. Perhaps he thought that a wandering early Foundation Establishment cultivator like me could be easily controlled, even if I had other motives."

"Early Foundation Establishment?"

When Jekyeong expressed confusion, Choi Ju-tang replied as if it were obvious.

"If I had come to do mercenary work, I would have shown off every bit of my strength to raise my price, but that's not my goal here. So, of course, I had to hide it. To be honest, I wanted to disguise myself as a Qi Condensation cultivator, but I couldn't do that because of my subordinates. They already knew my previous realm."

"Wait. Did you hide your breakthrough even from your own subordinates?"

"Yes."

Jekyeong felt his perception of Choi Ju-tang shift. This senior was far more calculating and deep than he had imagined. As far as Jekyeong knew, Choi Ju-tang had broken through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment at least three years ago, and he was still hiding that fact? Even from his closest associates?

Rogue cultivators were different from sect or clan cultivators who had backing. They could face danger anytime, anywhere, so they had to remain constantly vigilant against everything. When a powerful enemy attacked, they had to fight with all their might, and when small fry gathered, they had to suppress them with their strength. Therefore, the fact that Choi Ju-tang could hide his cultivation realm by an entire stage for so long meant his shrewdness and depth of mind were incomparably greater than those of ordinary rogue cultivators.

"I plan to keep a reasonable distance from Gwak Jeong-sin and just blend in."

"That is wise. Getting too close would only arouse suspicion."

"Exactly. The current distance is perfect. If he truly intends to draw your blood, he won't leave me out of it."

"What is the strength of the forces he has gathered so far?"

"From what I know, at least two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and seven early-stage ones. I didn't pay attention to anyone below that, so I wouldn't know."

"How much more do you think it will grow?"

"Who knows." Choi Ju-tang paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "It seems you believe you can handle their current level of strength?"

"Of course not. I am not that arrogant."

Jekyeong denied it, but Choi Ju-tang did not believe him. He keenly sensed that Jekyeong had not lost his composure for even a second. Just as Jekyeong knew Choi Ju-tang, Choi Ju-tang knew Jekyeong. That calm demeanor was by no means a bluff.

His hidden strength must be immense.

Though he had only recently arrived at Yangseo Lake, Choi Ju-tang had conducted extensive investigations into what lay ahead during that short time. Among his findings were details about the Yeongbu Merchant Alliance and Gwak Jeong-sin, but they also included information about Jekyeong. He knew that Jekyeong was called the Black Dragon of the Heukgyo water region, and that his prestige carried significant influence, at least in the neighboring waters.

The Black Dragon. It was a name that brought unease just by hearing it. The humans whispered that the name was highly exaggerated, as was often the case in the cultivation world, and that the Black Dragon's true form was merely a remarkably large serpent, but...

Could it be? No, surely not.

Choi Ju-tang suppressed the growing doubt in his mind.

"Assemble every Water Beast we can gather."

"Yes, Master!"

Jekyeong handed down the order to Hyeongu, who immediately sprang into action. Since all the influential Water Beasts of the Heukgyo water region were Jekyeong's subordinates, all Hyeongu had to do was convey Jekyeong's command to them.

The Water Beasts Jekyeong had taken under his wing were all powerful enough to throw their weight around in their respective smaller territories. With these creatures carrying Jekyeong's blood within them and borrowing his formidable authority, intimidating and controlling the ignorant Water Beasts was child's play. Thousands of Water Beasts began to move in unison, and this massive migration was not confined to just one or two places. Overnight, the entire Heukgyo water region was thrown into a massive upheaval.

The first to sense the anomaly were the humans living in the Heukgyo water region. Trembling with anxiety, they flocked to the shrines that clearly showed signs of recent construction. These were the Black Dragon Shrines, which had begun to crop up one by one over the past few years.

The humans of the Heukgyo water region revered the Black Dragon, who had delivered them from oppression and subsequently gifted them a peaceful and prosperous life. Though no one had ordered them to do so, they built the shrines of their own accord and bowed before wooden statues of the Black Dragon. It was as if they believed that by doing so, the Black Dragon would look upon them with even greater favor.

"The humans of the water region are highly anxious."

His human subordinates reported the movements of the populace, but Jekyeong paid them no mind. To him, the humans of the Heukgyo water region were nice to have around, but ultimately expendable. With a grand war looming right before his eyes, he had neither the leisure nor the inclination to worry about them.

However, even if that was his true sentiment, he could not openly show it. After all, he did have humans under his command, and they were a force that could be put to good use. Of course, with the Blood Contract Restriction in place, there was no need to worry about betrayal, but there was also no reason to needlessly dampen their morale beforehand.

"Inform them that the humans from the outer regions will invade. Make arrangements so that those who wish to avoid the conflict can withdraw to the rear."