Ash and Embers
The sharp roars of the Water Beasts erupted simultaneously from all directions. The Ten-Column Heavenly Defense Array, which had grown so faint it could fade no further, finally vanished completely. The Water Beasts, who had been forced to do nothing but salivate at the sight of the abundant prey before them due to the barrier, charged toward the half-submerged Wonbodo, unleashing their long-repressed fury.
"Launch! Launch the boat now!"
"But we still—"
Someone screamed in panic, while another hesitated, looking back at their companions who had not yet boarded the vessel.
"Shut up! Are you blind?! You see those beasts, but you don't see the horde of the Beast Race rushing in behind them?! If you want to die that badly, get the hell off!"
The hesitation of a few cultivators was torn away like paper by the bloodshot-eyed shouts of the others.
"What about the array?"
"Hurry!"
The moment the boat carrying the cultivators hit the water, dozens of Water Beasts lunged at them like starved demons. Thanks to the hastily activated Ship-Protecting Array, they barely managed to prevent damage to the vessel, but they could not drive off the swarming beasts. The Water Beasts continued to snap viciously at the barrier of light enveloping the ship.
"Damn it! Attack! Shake them off! The array won't hold for long!"
To maintain the Ship-Protecting Array, a formation master had to control the array core and continuously replenish it with Spiritual Energy. However, among those who had fled in such a frantic rush, there was no formation master, and they lacked the Spirit Stones to supply energy to the array core.
Bang! Boom!
Cultivators rushed to the deck, unleashing attacks on the Water Beasts blocking their path, while using several Lightning Strike Talismans to blast away the beasts clinging to various parts of the ship.
"We did it! The path is open! Speed up!"
A moment later, a path cleared as the Water Beasts blocking their front dispersed, and the cultivators' faces lit up with joy. They accelerated the boat, desperate to escape this chaotic hellscape as quickly as possible.
But just as they accelerated and were about to sigh in relief, an unexpected wave slammed into the side of the boat. The cultivators frantically cast spells to keep the vessel from capsizing, but the moment they barely managed to restore its balance, a massive column of water—incomparable to the previous wave—surged into the sky.
"T-The Black Flood Dragon!"
From the geyser of water, a haggard-looking Foundation Establishment cultivator shot out. Right behind him, a massive Black Flood Dragon enveloped in flames followed, its jaws stretched wide.
"Aaaargh!"
The column of water that had soared as if to touch the heavens crashed down like a waterfall, and successive waves battered the boat. The already precarious vessel could no longer endure and capsized completely, and the barely maintained Ship-Protecting Array vanished into nothingness.
"Screeech!"
This played right into the hands of the Water Beasts, who had been tenaciously clinging to the stern despite the cultivators' desperate resistance. Soon, the waters surrounding the capsized boat dyed a deep crimson.
Boom! Crash!
It had begun with a surprise attack that took down one of them, followed by another ambush from behind to dispatch one of the remaining two who had yet to regain their bearings. However, the last one proved to be a bit of a nuisance. Perhaps driven by a desperate will to live, he slipped away like a muddy eel, forcing Jekyeong into an unexpected chase.
Slam! He had lost count of how many times his jaws had snapped shut on empty air. By this point, even Jekyeong was starting to feel a stubborn spark of irritation.
"Pant! Pant!"
The last remaining human Foundation Establishment cultivator was remarkably agile, and his quick reflexes showed he undoubtedly possessed talent. He looked young, too. Perhaps in a few decades, he might have become a figure of renown in the cultivation world. But talent that fails to mature into actual strength is utterly meaningless.
"Graaaaoooor!"
Jekyeong's roar, laced with fury and Monster Power, shook the entirety of Wonbojin and the surrounding waters. The Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had already exhausted most of his Dharma Power and physical strength, momentarily lost consciousness from the sheer force of the roar and faltered. And that was the end of it.
Crunch! A pungent stench and pitch-black darkness swallowed him whole.
Atop a small boat, Myeong-ha stared blankly at the tilted Wonbodo and the burning Wonbojin, clicking his tongue. No matter how many times he witnessed it, his astonishment did not easily fade.
‘How on earth did he pull this off?’
He had watched the entire battle from start to finish. At first, the Water Beasts had charged recklessly, only to be blocked by the Island Protecting Grand Array. Then, after a few thunderous booms, the entire island had begun to tilt. With the island tilting, the defensive array erected upon it naturally became unstable, and once the barrier finally collapsed, the slaughter began.
Yes, it was a slaughter. There was no other way to describe the sight of the humans, their morale crushed and their will to fight shattered, falling prey to the Water Beasts.
"Let's go, let's go. If we're too late, we won't even get a sip of the leftovers."
The small boat glided forward. A few dull-eyed Water Beasts pushed and pulled the vessel from the front and back.
‘What a mess. A complete disaster.’
The closer they drew to Wonbodo, the more clearly the gruesome state of Wonbojin came into view. The once-sturdy outpost was submerged in water or engulfed in flames in various places, and sticky pools of blood spread everywhere, giving off a foul stench. Yet, despite the surroundings being painted entirely in red with fire and blood, there were hardly any corpses to be seen—whether of humans or Water Beasts. It was the result of the gluttonous Water Beasts eagerly filling their bellies.
Myeong-ha moored his boat at a suitable spot and stepped onto the island. After walking for a bit, he occasionally spotted relatively intact corpses. Naturally, they were all human.
‘I wondered why those fellows were still lingering around; it seems they just couldn't let go of their lingering attachments.’
Myeong-ha casually scanned the broken and charred ruins as he traced the powerful aura emanating from deep within the island.
"Fellow Daoist, congratulations on your victory."
"You've arrived."
When Myeong-ha found Jekyeong, the latter had just shattered the seal on a warehouse and was inspecting its contents. Because the Foundation Establishment cultivators had ordered an evacuation too early, finding intact goods was no easy task. It was a stroke of luck that a few sealed warehouses remained; had it not been for them, Jekyeong would have felt uneasy despite his clean victory.
"How is the harvest?"
"Not bad."
Inside the warehouse, various Elixirs, talismans, and Spirit Stones were stored. Most of the Spirit Stones were of the lowest grade, though a few low-grade ones could be seen here and there. As for the elixirs and talismans... their quality was uncertain, but the sheer quantity was impressive at a glance.
"Ah, Buyang Pills. And these are Sangdu Pills. There isn't much of high utility, but the quantity is certainly impressive."
Most of the elixirs were meant for treating wounds. There were very few elixirs meant to aid cultivation, and even those were of mediocre quality.
"Still, with this much volume, it's quite a decent haul. And these talismans... now this is the real prize."
Most of the talismans were highly practical, and in some cases, they were easier to liquidate than elixirs. Especially during times of war, combat talismans often became far more sought after than cultivation elixirs.
"Though none are of premium quality, low-grade ones have their own steady demand."
Since the one present here was merely a Lost-Soul Puppet, it was difficult to read any emotional shifts on its face, but Myeong-ha seemed quite satisfied.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you plan to do now? Will you wait here and ambush the reinforcements, or..."
"We take what we can and retreat for now."
Jekyeong had absolutely no intention of overextending. From the moment he had left the Heukgyo Water Territory, the only word that had consistently occupied his mind was safety. Ambush the reinforcements? It sounded simple enough, but how could he plan to eliminate them when he had no idea who or how many would show up?
Had it been his past self—before one of his horns had been severed—he might have boasted that he could easily escape even if five or six early-to-mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivators swarmed him at once. But the current him was different. Jekyeong refused to take even the slightest gamble.
Inside Bul-mang-won.
"The news that Wonbojin fell without a single survivor has thrown our side into absolute chaos," Choi Ju-tang said, unable to hide his admiration for Jekyeong's feat. He had witnessed Jekyeong's prowess firsthand before, but he had never imagined the dragon could dismantle an entire outpost so swiftly and cleanly, leaving not a single soul alive.
"How are they reacting?"
"Everyone is panicking. They rushed over after receiving a sudden request for reinforcements, only to find an outpost that had been perfectly fine just days ago completely reduced to ashes."
They had not even figured out who had attacked them. Based on the circumstances, they merely speculated that the Court of Demons had launched a surprise raid.
"They are keeping the news under wraps for now, but that won't last more than a few days."
"Have they requested reinforcements?"
"They sent the request just today. That's why we must hurry. I don't expect the main headquarters to react swiftly... but one can never be too sure."
According to Choi Ju-tang, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the three remaining outposts were trembling with fear. The fall of Wonbojin was terrifying enough, but the fact that there was not a single survivor struck dread deep into their hearts. The reality that three Foundation Establishment masters could not even manage to flee was proof of just how overwhelmingly powerful their attacker was.
"Between Cheonghajin and Hyeongseojin, which would be better?"
"Cheonghajin is the better target. Although its defenses are more robust, Hyeongseojin has a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed there."
"Then we shall go with Cheonghajin."
The choice was simple. To Jekyeong, the statement that Cheonghajin's defenses were robust only meant there would be more valuable spoils to plunder.
"When do you plan to strike?"
"I will move within four days."
"Good. Give me a heads-up right before you make your move. If you stir up a few Water Beasts, I will send a request for aid to the Foundation Establishment cultivators at Cheonghajin. That should draw out at least one or two of them."
"That would be ideal for me, but will you be alright?"
When Jekyeong voiced his concern, Choi Ju-tang chuckled.
"I'll be fine. It's not as if I'm fabricating lies out of thin air, is it? I simply spotted a pack of Water Beasts, sensed the aura of a Great Demon, and immediately requested backup. But once reinforcements arrived and a skirmish broke out, the Great Demon realized the tide was turning against him and tucked his tail. Simple as that."
Jekyeong let out a dry chuckle, but Choi Ju-tang remained perfectly serious.
"It might sound like a ridiculous excuse now, but when the moment comes, it will play out differently. Besides, I am certain whatever lucky bastard rushes to my aid will end up thanking me. Once they see Cheonghajin reduced to the same state as Wonbojin, that is."
Jekyeong decided not to overthink it. There was no reason to refuse offered help. While he was slightly concerned about the potential fallout, that was a problem for Choi Ju-tang—who had proposed the plan in the first place—to handle.
Cheonghajin burned.
Thousands of Water Beasts surrounded the island, and a rain of fire incinerated the entire outpost. The Island Protecting Grand Array was so silent one might wonder if it had ever existed in the first place. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators tasked with commanding the defense fought desperately against the invading Black Flood Dragon, but they were ultimately no match. As they scrambled to flee, they were engulfed by Yo-hwa and vanished into ash.
Half a day later, when a human patrol unit arrived at Cheonghajin, all they witnessed was an island of death, with nothing but gray ash drifting in the wind.
Upon hearing the news, Taesojin and Hyeongseojin were once again thrown into an uproar, frantically sending requests for reinforcements to the main headquarters. The headquarters in the rear was bewildered by the consecutive emergency dispatches, but upon receiving reports that two outposts had already been completely annihilated with zero survivors, they were struck with sheer terror and scrambled to devise a countermeasure.
However, their forces were limited, and sending reinforcements when two outposts had already collapsed was highly inefficient. Furthermore, even if they did dispatch troops, there was no guarantee they could withstand the onslaught of the Court of Demons.
A few days later, Choi Ju-tang met Jekyeong in Bul-mang-won, his face beaming with joy as he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
"It is all thanks to you."
"I am glad everything went smoothly."
"Indeed, it is a relief. Once I join the main headquarters, I won't have to worry about my life even if those bastards from the Court of Demons swarm in."
Both Jekyeong and Choi Ju-tang were thoroughly satisfied with this collaboration. Choi Ju-tang had secured the safety he so desperately desired, while Jekyeong had reaped an immense harvest by destroying two outposts. The spoils were so abundant that they made even Jekyeong's eyes widen—despite the considerable wealth he had already amassed while managing Haeyeon Island.
And since Jekyeong was satisfied, Myeong-ha, who shared the spoils with him, was naturally pleased as well.