I Have Not Forgotten

"I have not forgotten."

Snorting at Myeong-ha's parting reminder, Jekyeong vanished completely beneath the water.

"Hmm."

Myeong-ha stared blankly at the spot where the dragon had disappeared, then quickly returned to his absorption in crafting cocoons.

Though several of the cocoons he had painstakingly created turned to dust and vanished without a trace, a few remained intact, faithfully performing their roles.

Next... this one looks good.

Myeong-ha tapped a point of light with the sharp tip of his leg.

Crash!

The massive head of the Black Flood Dragon erupted from the depths, splintering a ship clean in half. At the same time, violent waves surged in all directions, sweeping over the surrounding vessels.

"It's the Black Flood Dragon!"

Screams echoed through the dense fog.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators, quickly assessing the situation, reacted instantly. A barrage of attacks rained down, blanketing Jekyeong and the surrounding waters.

Not only Jekyeong, but also the Qi Condensation cultivators flailing in the water were swept up in the merciless onslaught.

"Aaargh!"

The Foundation Establishment cultivators hovering in the air paid no heed to the screams below. Unfortunately, they could not see through the thick mist; all they could discern was the massive silhouette that stood out clearly even through the haze.

So why hesitate?

Boom! Boom! Crash!

An indiscriminate bombardment poured down.

Although Jekyeong submerged the moment he sensed the danger, he still took a few direct hits.

They seem thoroughly rattled.

Jekyeong smiled with satisfaction despite the stinging pain throbbing in his temple. He could feel that their Mind States were far from stable.

It seemed the fruitless battles of late, combined with Myeong-ha's subtle tricks, had cast a heavy shadow over their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hearts.

An opening, is it?

He had originally planned to simply overwhelm his enemies through brute force, but looking at them now, that didn't seem entirely necessary.

If they were already this worked up, wouldn't they expose their own vulnerabilities after just a few more rounds of hide-and-seek?

"Damn it!"

As Jekyeong began his game of hide-and-seek in earnest, the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the air immediately caught on to his intentions.

However, knowing the enemy's intent did not mean they had a way to counter it.

"Is there really no way to clear this cursed fog?!"

"It is undoubtedly a formation. The array core must be hidden beneath the water."

"Then, to deal with this formation, we have to dive into the water and destroy the core?"

"Indeed. Or, we could simply escape the formation's range."

However, looking at the Qi Condensation cultivators trapped in the mist, slaughtering one another in a frenzied panic, escaping by sailing the ships out seemed highly improbable.

"Huh?!"

While they were searching for a solution, something sharp ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flew out from the fog.

It was a massive arrow.

The targeted Foundation Establishment cultivator deflected it with a single sweep of his sword, but the sheer force behind the projectile pushed him back slightly.

"How dare they!"

The cultivator's face contorted in rage. He felt a mixture of fury and humiliation, but he was given no chance to vent his anger.

He could already feel that the hostility of the Qi Condensation cultivator who had fired the Siege Arrow had been abruptly severed—as if their throat had been slit.

"They have completely lost their minds! Is this also the effect of the formation?"

"No. The formation is a simple Cloud and Mist Array."

Anxiety began to grip the Foundation Establishment cultivators. At this rate, the Qi Condensation cultivators would be wiped out entirely.

"We have no choice. Let us push the ships out of the fog first."

Wasting Dharma Power like this while the Black Flood Dragon watched for an opening was highly risky. However, they needed the Qi Condensation cultivators—or rather, they needed at least a minimum number of personnel to crew the ships.

The ships served as mobile bases where they could rest, and they also provided reliable auxiliary firepower. The Siege Arrow that had just been fired was proof of that.

Equipped with defensive arrays and various offensive measures, the ships themselves were highly valuable assets, comparable to precious Dharma treasures. Thus, while they could abandon the Qi Condensation cultivators, they could not abandon the ships.

"Hup!"

The Foundation Establishment cultivators skilled in water arts began to churn the currents, pushing the vessels out of the mist. The other cultivators stood guard, shielding them as they focused.

Right then, Jekyeong showed himself once more from below.

The moment his head breached the surface, he rammed into one of the ships moving toward the edge of the fog.

This time, because the ship's defensive array was active, he couldn't shatter it in a single blow like before, but it was still more than enough to violently tilt the vessel.

"Aaaargh!"

Several cultivators on board lost their footing from the impact and fell into the water with terrified screams. Amidst the chaos, a few desperately tried to swap the Spirit Stones in the formation plate to keep the array active.

At the exact moment Jekyeong revealed himself, Myeong-ha moved his leg once more, targeting another light point on his Spider Thread Curse Method.

The moment the Heavenly Cursed Thread flowing from his leg pierced the light point, the eyes of the Qi Condensation cultivator swapping the Spirit Stones inside the rocking cabin went blank.

"Heo Song! Hurry! The array is about to collapse!"

Despite the urgent voice shouting from behind, the cultivator named Heo Song paid no heed.

Instead of replacing the depleted Spirit Stones in the formation plate, he reached out and snatched away the few remaining intact ones.

"Heo Song! What are you doing?!"

The moment that horrified scream echoed, the formation plate ceased to function. The barely maintained defensive array completely lost its light.

Crash!

Deprived of its protective barrier, the ship could not withstand Jekyeong's massive body slam.

A single, moderately powered strike shattered the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stern completely, and the unbalanced vessel began to sink.

"You monster!"

One of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the air let out a screeching roar. His eyes bloodshot, his body trembled violently as if he were about to charge into the mist at any second.

"Fellow Daoist Choi! Calm down!"

Seeing his state, another Foundation Establishment cultivator hastily tried to soothe him, but Choi Ju-tang's condition did not improve in the slightest.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down?! My brothers are dead!"

Screaming hysterically, Choi Ju-tang suddenly spat a mouthful of blood. Then, without warning, he lunged at the cultivator next to him—the one who was currently focusing on pushing the ships.

Caught completely off guard at point-blank range, the cultivator failed to react in time and was sent flying, coughing up blood.

"Choi Ju-tang! Have you lost your mind?!"

The shocked Foundation Establishment cultivators glared with wide eyes.

Some were furious, some were bewildered, and some... were terrified.

"C-Could this be..."

Those who showed fear had realized a terrifying possibility.

And in that exact moment, the shadow that had long hung over their hearts fractured into a small crack.

"Oh."

Myeong-ha's eyes lit up.

He stretched out one of his legs and tapped a point of light that had surfaced on the outer edge of his Spider Thread Curse Method.

"Aaaargh!"

While everyone's attention was locked onto Choi Ju-tang, another Foundation Establishment cultivator suddenly twisted in agony, letting out a sharp shriek.

Splash!

Simultaneously, Jekyeong revealed his full form outside the mist for the first time.

His ferocious eyes locked onto a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator standing closest to Choi Ju-tang.

Whoosh!

Crimson Yokai Fire dyed the empty air a deep, burning red.

While facing the human cultivators who had invaded his waters, Jekyeong had been forced to restrain himself time and time again.

Not yet, he had told himself. I must drag this out a little longer. He had endured and endured, constantly persuading himself to hold back.

But finally, the long, grueling period of patience was over.

"Groooaaaarrr!"

He poured all his pent-up frustration and rage into a single, earth-shaking roar. The soaring demonic power instantly transformed the bright daylight into a pitch-black night.

Thick, baleful clouds rolled in, and a fierce wind laden with demonic energy swept through the area.

Already thrown into chaos, the Foundation Establishment cultivators momentarily lost their bearings under the crushing weight of Jekyeong's oppressive presence.

However, the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were different.

Even when Choi Ju-tang had run amok as if possessed, they had not panicked but had immediately moved to subdue him. This time was no different; they unleashed their attacks toward Jekyeong without a moment's hesitation.

"You vile beast! This time, I will end your life!"

With a thunderous shout, a flying sword soared into the sky.

Splitting the dark, baleful clouds, the flying sword reached the heavens and erupted with a brilliant, blinding light.

The sword, which was originally smaller than one of Jekyeong's scales, expanded to a colossal size, large enough to sever the dragon's head in a single strike.

Though it was merely an illusion, the sharp edge and momentum it radiated were more intense than the real thing.

"You will not escape this time!"

His attention momentarily drawn to the giant sword illusion, Jekyeong flinched and turned his head.

Behind him, an immense amount of water energy condensed, rapidly shaping itself into a giant water colossus.

Its size was massive, easily matching the portion of Jekyeong's body revealed above the water.

Thud!

The moment the water giant took shape, it slammed into Jekyeong. Despite its colossal size, its movements were astonishingly swift.

"Get a grip, everyone! This is nothing but the Black Flood Dragon's tricks! Steady your Mind States and distinguish friend from foe!"

The mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, distinguished by his striking white hair and eyebrows, shouted to the other confused cultivators while manipulating the water giant to lock Jekyeong in a contest of strength.

"Ugh!"

Hearing that shout, Choi Ju-tang gasped heavily and clutched his head, as if trying to break free from his demonic state under the influence of his senior's rallying cry.

Yes. You must be desperate.

Choi Ju-tang maintained his grimace and stumbling posture while subtly scanning the battlefield.

The situation was quite chaotic.

While his own madness was entirely an act, the other cultivator seemed to have truly fallen into a demonic state, rampaging wildly. Two cultivators were struggling to restrain him—not because they wanted to, but because they had been dragged into the fray.

Perhaps because of this, their attitude was highly passive. Despite outnumbering him two to one, they were being pushed back instead of subduing him.

And over there... how is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he doing?

Choi Ju-tang cast a stealthy glance toward Jekyeong, who was currently facing the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

To an outsider, Jekyeong appeared to be in a tight spot, struggling against the water giant while his attention was divided by the giant sword illusion hovering in the sky.

But Choi Ju-tang was not worried.

To be precise, he felt a natural trace of anxiety, but his trust in the dragon far outweighed it.

I trust that what you said back then was not an empty boast.

Choi Ju-tang continued his performance, showing signs of hovering on the edge of regaining his sanity to keep the other cultivators' attention divided.

Meanwhile, Jekyeong, who was locked in a struggle with the water giant, noticed that the momentum of the giant sword illusion—which had seemed to rise endlessly—had finally peaked. His eyes gleamed.

"Strike!"

A majestic voice echoed through the air, and the colossal sword hanging in the heavens began its descent.

Watching the massive blade plunge toward him, Jekyeong couldn't help but marvel inwardly at its magnificent, awe-inspiring grandeur.