A Painful Miscalculation
His barely maintained consciousness began to fade, and the strength drained from his body. Sensing something was terribly wrong, Seon-gu struggled with all his might to break free, but it was entirely futile. He looked up in despair at the mocking eyes of the Black Flood Dragon staring down at him.
Above the calm surface of the water, an inconspicuous little boat floated quietly. Inside the flagless vessel, seven cultivators were aboard; except for one who was outside keeping watch, they all sat in the cabin with their eyes closed as if asleep.
"..."
In the midst of a silence that had stretched on for hours, Hoyeon Sin, who had been sitting cross-legged with a fist-sized bead in his hand, opened his eyes. He raised the bead, which had begun to emit a faint glow. Seeing this, Hoyeon Baek, who was kneeling quietly before him, asked,
"Has the signal come?"
"Yes."
They did not hesitate for even a moment. The seven cultivators, including Hoyeon Sin and Hoyeon Baek, plunged into the water in unison. The moment they entered the depths, faint talismanic runes began to swirl around them. Under the protection of these mysterious runes, they could breathe as freely as water beasts and navigate the depths with ease.
Leading the way, Hoyeon Sin watched the light emanating from the bead in his hand grow increasingly intense, his expression hardening.
"It is close. Stay alert."
"Understood."
They descended deeper and deeper. The darkness pressed in on them as they went, but the eyes of Foundation Establishment cultivators were not hindered by such natural obscurity. They carefully observed the multiplying underwater rocks and cliff formations, mentally mapping out the impending battle.
Meanwhile, Hoyeon Sin detected a faint trace of monster power rising from below. The one who had handled the contact with Seon-gu was his grandson, Hoyeon Mu. It had been a scheme to evade the eyes of watchers, and the plan had worked perfectly. Hoyeon Mu had successfully recruited a Great Demon. However, a mere Qi Condensation cultivator could not be allowed to meddle in a dangerous affair like hunting the Black Flood Dragon. Consequently, no one here could be certain if the monster power below truly belonged to Seon-gu. Yet, the signal from the Induction Bead in Hoyeon Sin's hand was unmistakably emanating from down there.
"Are you Fellow Daoist Seon-gu?"
In a sunken underwater basin, a Great Demon was waiting for them, a dimly glowing Induction Bead placed before him. He had an octopus-like appearance, and his monster power was rather pathetic for a Great Demon. It seemed he had tried to suppress his energy in his own way but failed to conceal it completely, letting a bit leak out. Hoyeon Sin sneered inwardly but kept his face neutral, stepping into the basin while maintaining a proper distance. Since this Seon-gu fellow seemed to be quite cautious, it was best to avoid any actions that might arouse his suspicion. After all, they still needed his assistance for now.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hoyeon Sin of the Hoyeon Family."
Hoyeon Sin introduced himself politely and waited for a response. But no answer came. The creature did not even show the slightest reaction, despite the fact that he must have clearly sensed Hoyeon Sin landing right in front of him.
"Fellow Daoist Seon-gu?"
Hoyeon Sin instinctively felt that something was wrong. Calling out to the creature once more, he signaled to his son and subordinates behind him. Right at that moment, Seon-gu, who had been stiff as a stone statue, twitched. Dozens of tentacles squirmed, revealing the eyes that had been hidden beneath them.
"You are late. It seems you Hoyeon lot aren't very enthusiastic about this matter."
"How could that be? If that were the case, I would not have come here in person."
Hoyeon Sin's eyes narrowed sharply. Behind him, the cultivators, fully prepared to move, kept their bodies tense as they awaited his command.
"That Black Flood Dragon is arrogant, but he is no fool. If he senses even the slightest thing amiss, he might abandon everything and flee immediately."
"Are you not overreacting?"
"Overreacting? Hmph! You do not know him. The arrogance he displays is merely a... mask? Yes, a mask to hide the cunning within."
Hoyeon Sin realized that the creature's petulance stemmed from anxiety. He furrowed his brow, but the tension that filled his body eased slightly.
"We came as quickly as we could. As you know, we cannot move through the water as swiftly as your kind."
"Hmph!"
"In any case, now that we are here, let us not waste words. So, where is the Black Flood Dragon?"
"He is returning to Heukgyodo. But he seems to be lingering, snooping around as if patrolling the waters."
"Then where should we set our ambush?"
"An ambush? That is well and good, but..."
Seon-gu's petulant voice suddenly turned dry as a withered branch. Then, with a violent explosion, rocks of all sizes began to rain down like a deluge.
"It would be best if you were buried right here."
"It's a trap! Fall back!"
His face twisting in shock, Hoyeon Sin roared fiercely and reached out, summoning an elegant, antique spear. Gripping the weapon, he charged toward Seon-gu. As if man and spear had merged into one, he flew forward like a beam of light, moving at a speed far too fast for Seon-gu to react.
Thud! The moment his lightning-fast strike pierced Seon-gu's body, Hoyeon Sin instinctively sensed something was wrong. He hadn't noticed it from a distance, but now that his spearhead had run the creature through, it felt as though he had stabbed a mere scarecrow...
Oh no! The instant the realization struck Hoyeon Sin, Seon-gu's body ruptured with a loud pop! Simultaneously, a black liquid sprayed in all directions.
Poison! Such venom was not unfamiliar to the cultivators of the Hoyeon Family. Poison was the most common weapon of the Beast Race, and as cultivators of Yangseo Lake, they were naturally accustomed to it and knew exactly how to counter it. For instance, among the dharma treasures Hoyeon Sin always carried was a high-grade Poison-Avoiding Bead.
A Poison-Avoiding Bead of the dharma treasure grade was on an entirely different level from the crude, common beads that didn't even reach the spiritual energy grade. As long as one carried it, even the venom of a Great Demon could not touch the owner if it was of mediocre quality.
But this was different. The poison stored within Seon-gu's venom sac had mixed with his blood, flesh, and the final embers of his lingering life force, undergoing a horrific transformation. In a sense, this was both a poison and a curse.
The cultivators of the Hoyeon Family felt as if the poison were alive. Like a serpent, it hungered for their souls and flesh, writhing desperately to corrode them further. Hoyeon Sin, who had been at the forefront and exposed to the greatest amount of poison, found himself in an especially dire situation.
Boom! Just as Hoyeon Sin grimaced and attempted to expel this vile substance with his dharma power, a deafening roar erupted, making the previous explosion seem like child's play. The lake bed collapsed, and the entirety of Yangseo Lake trembled. Though it was physically impossible, in that single moment, the cultivators of the Hoyeon Family truly felt as if the vast lake itself was shaking.
Whoosh! Before they could even fully recover from dodging and blocking the rain of rocks, a sudden wall of fire materialized, surrounding them. The fiery energy clawed at their skin, and the intense heat choked their lungs. This was Yokai Fire, forged from pure monster power. Even the dense water energy of Yangseo Lake's depths seemed intimidated by the fierce heat of the Yokai Fire, yielding its place. In an instant, the area grew as scorching hot as the heart of an active volcano.
"Hoyeon Family. I do not recall there being any bad blood between us..."
The blood, flesh, and toxic mist scattered by Seon-gu's explosion, combined with the stone dust from the shattered underwater rocks, heavily obscured the Hoyeon cultivators' vision. Yet, through the murky haze, they could discern a massive silhouette moving. It circled them openly, gliding slowly as if mocking them.
Gulp. Hoyeon Baek, the Young Patriarch of the Hoyeon Family, swallowed hard without realizing it. He had heard that the Black Flood Dragon was larger than typical flood dragons, but knowing it in his head and seeing it with his own eyes were two entirely different matters. And... wasn't that thing just absurdly massive?
"We are the Human Race, and you are of the Beast Race. What need is there for long-winded talk?"
"Heh. How cold."
Hoyeon Sin, who was currently using his dharma power to suppress the poison, instantly saw through his opponent's intention. The beast was waiting for this troublesome poison to eat away at their strength even a little more. In such a volatile, touch-and-go situation, he couldn't focus on expelling the poison; he could only expend his dharma power to keep the toxic energy at bay.
Of course, a Foundation Establishment cultivator's strength wouldn't be depleted significantly just by stalling like this, but a drain was still a drain. He who scorns small advantages will never achieve a great victory. That Black Flood Dragon clearly understood this principle.
"Cunning beast!"
Hoyeon Sin roared, charging toward the Black Flood Dragon, which loomed before him like a small mountain range. Just as he had when flying toward Seon-gu, he transformed into a streak of light, rushing recklessly toward his target.
But this time, his opponent was not Seon-gu.
Boom! Without any warning, a fireball plummeted from the void, cutting off his charge. With that single clash, Hoyeon Sin realized that the power of the Yokai Fire was far greater than he had anticipated.
How can he manipulate fire of this caliber in the deep waters of Yangseo Lake?
Dodging the successive barrage of falling fireballs, Hoyeon Sin soon came to a realization. This place, this very battlefield, had somehow become saturated with dense fire energy. It was a transformation brought about by the towering wall of fire that had risen to trap them.
Could it be a formation?
Even as he dismissed the possibility as absurd, his mind grew chaotic.
No, it doesn't matter.
Whether it was a formation or not, it was clear that this was an elaborately prepared trap. If so, their priority had to be escaping it.
"Follow me!"
Hoyeon Sin did not waste words. The cultivators of the Hoyeon Family he had brought along were all highly experienced. The moment Hoyeon Sin shouted and shot forward, they followed closely on his heels.
As if waiting for this exact moment, the Black Flood Dragon lunged, opening his hideous maw to swallow one of them whole, but they did not stop.
"We made it!"
After breaking through the wall of fire, Hoyeon Sin felt the skin-searing heat rapidly dissipate.
"We are out of the formation! Now..."
We begin the hunt. Hoyeon Sin was about to say those words. That was, until the Black Flood Dragon, gliding smoothly out from the wall of fire, let out a low chuckle.
Flash!
Once again, their vision was illuminated. The wall of fire they had barely escaped at the cost of one of their men had trapped them once more. Furthermore, this newly formed wall was even taller and thicker than the one they had just broken through.
Hoyeon Sin realized it then. The wall of fire he had assumed to be a formation was no such thing. Although he could definitely sense something bizarre in addition to the monster power, it was distinctly different from a formation.
Could it be some kind of Divine Ability?
It was a painful miscalculation.