Refilling the Scales
The spiritual energy remaining in his scales had been completely depleted. It was time to replenish it.
"Is it the same as before?"
"Yes."
"Understood. I shall gather them immediately."
Having received his orders, Hyeongu set off for Yeongi Island at once.
"Gather, everyone!" Hyeongu bellowed the moment he set foot on Yeongi Island.
His powerful voice reverberated across the land, and his demonic energy blanketed the entire island.
Oh no...
The moment they sensed the ominous, overbearing demonic energy, the hearts of the cultivators on Yeongi Island sank. Choe Ubo was no exception. He realized instantly that the turtle Great Demon's demeanor was different from before.
"Cheong-hwa."
"Master, I believe it is time for me to bid you farewell."
So Cheong-hwa's expression was no different from usual. Yet, Choe Ubo could faintly sense the tension hidden beneath his disciple's calm gaze.
"What do you intend to do?"
"A commotion will break out soon. I plan to use that opportunity to test my luck."
"A commotion?"
"Dae-rang and his group are already consumed by fear. They will not be able to endure this."
"Is there anything your master can do to help?"
So Cheong-hwa shook his head. "Even if things go wrong for me, Master, please do not interfere. The only thing that can aid me now is a single stroke of luck."
Choe Ubo let out a deep sigh and handed over a storage bracelet. "There are some spirit stones and a few spiritual items inside. I am sorry your master can do so little for you."
"You have already given me more than I could ever deserve, Master."
Before departing, So Cheong-hwa bowed deeply to his master. "Please, take care of yourself."
"Go. And do not look back."
A short while later, a series of explosions boomed, followed by the furious roar of a Great Demon that shook the entire island.
There had been a minor incident on Yeongi Island. Consumed by terror, the young spirit blacksmiths had attempted an escape. While most were captured, a few managed to vanish.
"Let them go."
Jekyeong did not care about such a trivial incident. He did not spare a single thought for the few who had escaped. Just as it was natural for living creatures to struggle for survival, it was only natural for cultivators to risk their lives for the path of immortality.
Jekyeong had herded the spirit blacksmiths onto the island and raised them like livestock, but even livestock would thrash wildly when facing slaughter. Unless he turned every single one of them into a Lost-Soul Puppet, such incidents would be unavoidable in the future. It was fortunate that he had asserted his dominance over them recently; otherwise, the forging process might have been disrupted.
Jekyeong stepped out of the Black Cult Palace. Before him stood the young spirit blacksmiths, paralyzed by fear and despair.
"Begin."
Jekyeong neither consoled nor threatened them. Revealing his true form was more than enough. The moment they laid eyes on his colossal body, the spirits of the blacksmiths utterly shattered.
"Caw!"
Cheongo's cry swept over their broken minds. As if possessed, they swarmed around Jekyeong.
Clang!
When a drenched spirit blacksmith struck the final hammer blow, a thread of his vitality seeped through the hammer and into the scales.
"Grrr..."
Jekyeong let out a satisfied rumble and lightly shook his body. It felt as if he were wearing a thick coat. Far from feeling restrictive, it was warm and incredibly comfortable.
"Reward them generously."
"Yes, my Lord."
Glancing at the spirit blacksmiths, who looked as though they had aged ten years in the span of ten days, Jekyeong returned to the Black Cult Palace to inspect his condition once more.
There were no abnormalities whatsoever. He could feel the spiritual energy infused within his scales gently stimulating both his physical body and his soul.
"Dragon Lord. It seems something has occurred on the side of Yojeong."
"Oh?"
As Jekyeong opened his eyes, Hyeongu, who had been waiting, reported in a cautious tone.
"There was a Water Tide in the Myeong-ae waters. It appears they were provoked by something, but..."
Hyeongu trailed off, uncertain, but Jekyeong understood immediately.
"Is that all?"
"Yes. It is said to have lasted for only a few days."
Only a few days. This alone was enough to deduce that the Water Tide Hyeongu spoke of was highly unnatural. If such a commotion had occurred right in Yojeong's front yard, the Simjeon Demon King would naturally be involved. Considering that only a Demon King could provoke another Demon King...
It isn't the Jansu Whale King. If he had intended to make a move, he would have done so long ago. In that case... is it the Heumwon Clan?
Jekyeong's suspicion hit the mark. Not long after, news spread widely across the demon territory that Myowon, an elder of the Heumwon Clan, had become the Second Palace Master of Yojeong.
Coinciding with the spread of this news, Yojeong began to aggressively expand its territory. They forcibly annexed the domains of several neutral Great Demons and integrated those who had been loosely affiliated with Yojeong more tightly into their hierarchy.
Many Great Demons were alarmed by these coercive maneuvers, but against Yojeong—which now boasted two Demon Kings—the most they could do was grumble behind closed doors. They hoped Gyeongwang Palace would put a brake on Yojeong's movements, but unfortunately, Gyeongwang Palace showed no reaction whatsoever.
Is the Heumwon Clan finally stepping into the forefront?
Many Great Demons watched Yojeong's every move with bated breath, and Jekyeong was no exception. In particular, having recently clashed with Yojeong's mad dog, he could not help but feel an even greater sense of tension.
The previous Water Tide was highly likely caused by a clash between Mu-ara and Myowon. Since Myowon ascended to the position of Second Palace Master immediately after, does this mean Mu-ara has been reduced to a mere figurehead?
If the Heumwon Clan had resolved to strengthen their influence, Mu-ara could not stop them, nor should he. The moment the Heumwon Clan turned their backs on him would be the very moment of his downfall. Mu-ara himself likely knew this better than anyone.
Why is Gyeongwang Palace remaining so quiet? Are they simply being cautious, or did they have prior knowledge of this?
Jekyeong preferred it to be the former. If it were the latter... things would become troublesome in many ways.
Even keeping a low profile is proving to be no easy task.
If Yojeong continued to expand at this rate, the neutral Great Demons would find it increasingly difficult to find a place to stand in the demon territory.
The Heumwon Clan...
Did they find Muryang-ae too small, prompting them to set foot in this remote lake? They truly were insatiably greedy.
Rumble!
A 'meteor' plummeted onto a mountain that pierced the heavens. Simultaneously, a monstrous bird—no, a monstrous beast—with three pairs of massive wings spread wide, swept its wings toward the spot where the meteor had fallen. A violent tempest erupted, sweeping over the mountain. Sharp winds, like invisible blades, sliced and shattered the peak.
"So-byeok! Do you truly intend to end this here?!"
A furious roar dispersed the tempest and collapsed the mountain. From within the crumbling peak, raising a massive cloud of dust, a colossal figure surged forth. A pair of translucent wings scattered the threatening winds, and four pairs of compound eyes, burning with rage, glared at the beast looking down from the heavens.
"How redundant. Did you think I was playing around until now?"
The beast called 'So-byeok' responded to the furious roar with biting mockery.
"You still bark with nothing but your mouth, Ju-yeon. I can see right through you. You have survived for so long on nothing but shallow schemes and cheap eloquence. A wretch like you does not belong in Muryang-ae."
Three pairs of massive wings unfurled completely. As the Demon King's aura swept across the land, the heavens wailed and the earth trembled.
"You wet-behind-the-ears brat! You are nothing but a mad colt that doesn't know its place!"
Ju-yeon erupted with his own aura, refusing to back down. As the eerie demonic energy clashed with the oppressive aura, the void rippled and cracked.
"If I am a brat, then you are a piece of trash. You and your entire clan are garbage."
With a smirk, So-byeok extended a beastly forepaw. As he lightly swiped his claws, the void tore open along their trajectory.
"Do not act so unsightly. The Demon God is watching."
So-byeok looked up at the sky, which had somehow turned blood-red, and let out a long howl. Red light poured down like rain. As the demonic energy drenched the world, the souls of the Demon Kings vibrated, and their blood boiled. A gaze originating from an unimaginably distant place descended, locking onto this very place, this very moment.
Ju-yeon felt that gaze, and his heart plummeted. Two of his eight eyes burst with a loud pop!, yet he could not even feel the pain.
"Now, let us begin! The loser shall become the victor's sacrifice!"
The moment So-byeok swiped his claws through the air, one of Ju-yeon's wings was torn off entirely. Before So-byeok's madness-tinged eyes, Ju-yeon also let out a savage shriek.
On that day, Ju-yeon, the Great Elder of the Heumwon Clan who had spread terror across Muryang-ae for over five thousand years, fell. The death rattle he let out just before his breath ceased turned into a curse, transforming the entire region of Mount Sucheo into a Ghost Realm. A few drops of his blood that seeped into the river turned countless low-level aquatic monsters living there into madness-driven Vicious Beasts.
And on that day, after slaying Ju-yeon and absorbing his essence, the Winged King of Sobyeok, Yeon-jo, declared a Holy War.
For nearly two months, Yojeong's movements grew even more violent. Over those two months, they annexed more than ten territories, and in the process, dozens of Great Demons who had defied Yojeong or shown ambiguous attitudes were slaughtered. Terrified that they might be next, other Great Demons began abandoning their domains and fleeing to distant waters, naturally triggering a wave of massive chaos.
They are incredibly reckless.
Yojeong's wild rampage raised suspicions among those who were perceptive and analytical, such as Jekyeong. Why cause such a commotion at a time when they should be keeping a low profile? Were they not afraid that the Gakchung Clan would find fault with them? Could they have reached some prior understanding with the Gakchung Clan?
The Gakchung Clan wouldn't have agreed to hand over the demon territory to the Heumwon Clan, would they?
Jekyeong doubted it for a moment, but quickly dismissed the thought. The Gakchung Clan was not that generous, nor would the Jansu Whale King be so easily defeated. Although the Jansu Whale King Jekyeong had seen in person at Gyeongwang Palace was quite different from what he had imagined, he was still undeniably a Demon King who had ruled over the Yangseo Lake demon territory for centuries. Even if the opponent was the Heumwon Clan, he would not hand over his livelihood so meekly.
"Dragon Lord. It is reported that Myowon personally took action and wiped out the Doya waters," Hyeongu reported in a heavy voice.
As Jekyeong remained silent with a frown, Hyeongu carefully gauged his reaction before continuing. "Seeing Yojeong run so rampant, it seems they intend to sweep through a vast portion of the demon territory this time. Given that Gyeongwang Palace is not interfering either... could everything have been prearranged?"
"Who knows."
It seemed unlikely, but one could never be certain. After all, up until now, Yojeong had not laid a finger on Gyeongwang Palace's territory.
"An increasing number of demons are fleeing Yangseo Lake."