The Weight of Ambition
Once they began to move, everyone—enemies and allies alike—would instantly grasp their intentions. Therefore, the moment they set themselves in motion, they would have to strike with such blinding speed that no one could possibly react in time.
'The Hoyeon Family.' Deep in thought, Jekyeong mechanically chewed and swallowed dozens of spirit stones. As the crushed stones slid down his throat and into his core, his rock-like scales flickered with a faint, transient light.
Inside the Patriarch's Hall of the Hoyeon Family.
"A message has arrived." Hoyeon Baek, the Young Patriarch of the Hoyeon Family, respectfully presented a jade slip to his father, Hoyeon Sin.
"Mu is working hard."
"He is merely fulfilling his duty as the eldest grandson."
"Indeed," Hoyeon Sin murmured, scanning the contents of the jade slip. "Most fools only covet the prestige that comes with a position, never once considering the heavy responsibilities and duties it demands."
After reading the entire message, a look of satisfaction crossed his face. "That Great Yao has finally made up his mind. It seems the information we provided was quite useful."
"It likely wasn't just the information. Though that octopus is unusually thoughtful for a Great Yao, he is still nothing more than a beast in the end. Having a monster like the Black Flood Dragon right next to him must have made every waking moment feel like sitting on a bed of needles."
"True. You speak the truth. What is bound to happen will eventually happen."
Their words dripped with profound contempt for the Beast Race. While this was common among any human living near Yangseo Lake, those born of great clans harbored an even deeper disdain. To be a great clan meant possessing a long, storied lineage—a history forged through relentless warfare against the Beast Race and other foreign tribes. Generations of blood debts had been carved deep into their souls, turning their hatred of beasts into an inseparable part of their very nature.
"While this plays to our advantage, we must remember that the octopus will not trust us blindly either."
"Does it matter? We only need his cooperation until we stand face-to-face with the Black Flood Dragon."
"Do not let your guard down. The Beast Race are indeed like wild animals, but there are times when they prove far more cunning than any human."
"I will keep that in mind, Father."
Their schemes involving Seon-gu had been meticulously crafted, but in truth, it was only a minor piece of their grand design. The moment that octopus delivered detailed intelligence on the Black Flood Dragon, he had already outlived half his usefulness. What truly occupied the minds of the Hoyeon Family leaders were their rivals, who were slowly beginning to show their teeth. In the past, merely hearing the name 'Hoyeon' was enough to make those upstarts bow their heads. Now, not only did they dare to look them in the eye, but they were also actively baring their fangs.
Yet, such was the harsh reality of the cultivation world; there was no point in harboring useless resentment. Of course, that did not mean they would sit idly by, weeping over their faded glory. Had they lost their golden age? Then they would simply take it back. Everything they were planning now was merely preparation for that grand reclamation.
"At present, the factions most likely to make a move are the Cheongdo Sect, the Jangtap Sect, and the Gye Family."
"I expected the Cheongdo and Jangtap Sects, but the Gye Family is a surprise."
"The Ancestor of the Gye Family harbors an old grudge against your grandfather. It seems he has suddenly remembered that ancient debt."
"Hmph! I still remember that man coming to offer gifts every year on Grandfather's birthday. To think he would change his tune so easily now... how utterly pathetic."
"That is simply the way of the world. When you are strong, you are worshiped; when you are weak, you are torn apart."
That was why everyone struggled so desperately to grow stronger. For only absolute power could safeguard one's dignity.
"Ah, Father. I heard that this Black Flood Dragon is significantly larger than ordinary ones. Does that mean we will be able to harvest a greater amount of Flood Dragon blood?"
"Hmm." Hoyeon Sin stroked his beard, falling into deep thought. "I cannot say for certain. That Flood Dragon is no ordinary beast. Though my experience is far from absolute, I have never once heard of a Flood Dragon reaching the Great Yao stage. If I had to guess, it likely awakened only a very faint trace of the true Flood Dragon bloodline."
"If that is the case, then perhaps..."
"No. Regardless of its purity, it is still a Flood Dragon, so it will undoubtedly possess Flood Dragon blood. We simply cannot predict the exact quantity." Hoyeon Sin dismissed his son's concerns.
"That is a relief. As long as we have even a single drop of Flood Dragon blood, we can refine the Flood Dragon Blood Ascension Pill."
"Indeed. There is no need to worry."
Despite his father's reassuring words, a lingering trace of anxiety remained etched on Hoyeon Baek's face. "Father... I know it may be presumptuous of me to ask, but... how confident are you?"
"..."
This time, Hoyeon Sin did not answer immediately. He stared down at his cooling tea, wrapped in a heavy silence. His slightly unfocused eyes seemed to look past the teacup, gazing instead at someone from the distant past who was no longer there.
"Who could possibly know? The barrier to the Golden Core Realm is like a trial from the heavens themselves. Until one stands directly before it, no one can guarantee success."
In his youth, his father, Hoyeon Sowol, had been widely renowned as a future Golden Core cultivator. The title of 'First Under the Golden Core' had not been given lightly. Back then, his ascension to the Golden Core Realm had seemed like a mere matter of time. But who could have foreseen that such a seemingly guaranteed future would crumble, or that the clan, once poised to become the third Golden Core power of Yangseo Lake, would fall into such decline?
Hoyeon Sin knew better than anyone how truly magnificent his father had been. Because of that, he could grasp just how staggeringly high the barrier to the Golden Core Realm was—a wall that even his legendary father had failed to scale.
"Success lies solely in the hands of heaven. All we can do is throw ourselves against it with everything we have." He offered a faint, reassuring smile to his anxious son.
"Do not worry too much. Even with the Flood Dragon Blood Ascension Pill, I will not attempt the breakthrough unless I am at least seventy percent confident. And even if I do make the attempt, I will ensure I buy as much time as possible for you and Mu."
"Your unworthy son can only offer his deepest apologies for causing you such worry, Father."
"Do not say such things." Even setting aside his paternal bias and looking at him objectively, Hoyeon Baek was an exceptionally talented individual. It was precisely because of his great potential that those jackals kept such a watchful eye on him.
"Once Mu returns, have him stay within the estate for a while. He has been traveling back and forth so frequently that some of those bastards are bound to grow suspicious."
"Understood, Father."
Jekyeong met with Choi Ju-tang in Bul-mang-won almost every day to gather the latest intelligence on the human factions. The moment the humans began their full-scale advance toward the Yao territories would undoubtedly coincide with the Hoyeon Family's move. Thus, to track the Hoyeon Family, Jekyeong had Choi Ju-tang monitor the overall atmosphere and movements of the human cultivators.
Although Myeong-ha was keeping tabs on the Hoyeon Family through his own information network, Jekyeong had no intention of relying solely on him. This battle was his own to fight, and Myeong-ha was merely a piece on his board. Myeong-ha might not see it that way, but that was of no consequence. In the past, Jekyeong had been dragged along by Myeong-ha's manipulation of destiny; now, it was Myeong-ha's turn to do the heavy lifting for him.
'Hoyeon Sin... Is he a seasoned mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, or perhaps late-stage?' If he was only at the mid-stage, he would be of little concern. Jekyeong had already faced and defeated opponents of that level before.
'Even if the Patriarch of the Hoyeon Family is on a different level compared to ordinary mid-stage cultivators, the outcome will be the same.' Jekyeong had not yet fully measured the limits of his strength since his latest molting. However, he was certain that a mid-stage Foundation Establishment human would no longer pose any threat to him. If he were to face the bastard who had severed his horn in the past, Jekyeong was confident he could tear him apart without sustaining a single scratch.
'Even if Hoyeon Sin is hiding his true strength, he is likely at the early late-stage of Foundation Establishment at best. If he were any stronger, they wouldn't have kept such a low profile for this long.'
Back when Hoyeon Sowol had elevated the family's prestige to its peak, he too had been at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Even if Hoyeon Sin fell short of his father's genius, if he possessed the power of a seasoned late-stage cultivator, maintaining the family's status would have been effortless. The fact that he was resorting to underhanded schemes instead of acting openly proved that his strength fell short of that mark.
'I can handle him. But... I must still prepare.' The only thing he could truly rely on was his own strength. Therefore, Jekyeong intended to maximize his power as much as possible before his enemies arrived.
Two months later.
Boom! A massive Vicious Beast, possessing the body of a serpent and hundreds of spindly legs, crashed to the ground without even being able to let out a scream. Its four distorted eyes were filled with intense pain, but even more so, utter bewilderment.
As was typical for Vicious Beasts, its greatest strength lay in physical combat. Overwhelming its opponents with sheer mass and brute force was its sole tactic and formula for victory. Yet now, it had been utterly overpowered in the very domain it took the most pride in. No, to say it was overpowered was an understatement. That would imply there had been a struggle. In truth, it had been one-sidedly crushed. No matter how desperately it threw its entire weight into its attacks, it was completely futile—like throwing eggs against a solid boulder.
Crash! A tail as thick and heavy as a stone wall slammed into the Vicious Beast's head, causing its eyes to roll back as it collapsed. While it had managed to stagger and endure the blows to its body, this strike was incomparably more devastating than anything before it.
"Grrr!" Jekyeong did not miss the window of opportunity while the Vicious Beast was dazed. Opening his maw wide, he clamped down on the beast's head, sinking his fangs deep into its neck.
Crunch! His terrifying jaw strength instantly shattered the Vicious Beast's hard carapace, tearing deep into its flesh. Though the beast belatedly thrashed and hardened its muscles, it was not enough to stop his fangs.
Whoosh! Demonic fire surged from his throat, coating his fangs. The swallowed head of the Vicious Beast was instantly incinerated, and its hardened flesh melted away against the searing heat of his teeth.
With a massive gulp, Jekyeong swallowed the dying beast whole. Devouring a prey that was not yet fully dead—especially a Vicious Beast brimming with such potent Qi and blood—was a feat impossible even for the most voracious of Great Yao Beasts.
Yet Jekyeong could do it. His Origin Earth Fire, born from the Sacred Fire of the fire spirits, still retained some of the Sacred Fire's unique properties even after merging with his soul. Its immense vitality and melting capability granted him an unparalleled digestive power.
His already formidable digestion had been drastically enhanced once more after his recent molting. Now, he could digest almost anything the moment it entered his gullet, boasting incredible efficiency. Even when dealing with a massive and powerful entity like a Vicious Beast, as long as it was on the brink of death, he could break it down almost instantly.
'There it is.' Within the half-dissolved Vicious Beast, Jekyeong felt a dense, powerful concentration of Qi and blood. It stubbornly maintained its form even amidst the intense heat of his Origin Earth Fire.
It was Essence Blood. This was the sole reason he had spent the last two months hunting over a dozen Vicious Beasts.
'Is my luck finally turning around?'
He had hunted eleven Vicious Beasts in a row, yet only three of them had yielded any Essence Blood. Having come up empty-handed five times consecutively prior to this, Jekyeong's mood had been quite foul.
'This is remarkably dense.' Not all Essence Blood was created equal. While it wasn't strictly categorized into grades like refined pills, Jekyeong could tell that high-quality Essence Blood was twenty to thirty percent more effective than lower-quality variants. The Essence Blood of this particular beast contained ten percent more Qi and blood than the poorest sample he had refined, and its purity was exceptional. Even with only half of it refined, he could feel a surge of vibrant life force spreading throughout his entire body.
'It's about time I head back.'
Two months had already passed since he left the Heukgyo Water Territory to hunt Vicious Beasts indiscriminately. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to dream of doing such a thing. Every water territory had its own master, or masters, who would never tolerate an uninvited guest running amok in their domain. However, with most of the Great Yao currently deployed to the front lines and completely preoccupied with the human forces, Jekyeong was essentially raiding an empty house.
'A pity.' Despite having gathered a highly satisfactory harvest, Jekyeong smacked his lips in lingering greed.