Leaving Something Behind
The only news they received was that Hahou Jang and Je Rim-so had departed together for Red Province, with no word on when they might return.
"Then, Elder, could you perhaps send reinforcements...?"
"My deepest apologies. I cannot mobilize the disciples without the Sect Master's explicit approval."
In principle, his words were correct, but this was a time of war. The representatives of the Cultivator Alliance pleaded once more, their voices growing increasingly desperate and urgent.
"I understand the gravity of the situation, but my hands are tied. I have already sent word requesting the Sect Master's return. The moment he arrives, we will dispatch reinforcements immediately."
"Elder!"
Pleading was useless, and coercion was out of the question. Although the Cultivator Alliance held a transcendent position in the Human Territory and its influence spanned the entire realm, that influence was not absolute.
The further one traveled from the heart of the Human Territory, the weaker the Alliance's authority became. In remote regions, they often had to cooperate with local factions or even rely entirely on their goodwill. While Yangseo Lake had not deteriorated to such an extreme, the Alliance still had to lean heavily on local powers, particularly walking on eggshells around the two major Golden Core sects.
Ultimately, they returned empty-handed, forced to squeeze whatever reinforcements they could from the remaining minor sects and clans. However, those meager forces were far from enough to extinguish the raging fires of war.
The region had only just begun to heal from the scars of the previous war. Cruelly, the rebellion of the Simjeon Demon King had erupted at this exact juncture, leaving a massive void in their Foundation Establishment-level forces.
To make matters worse, the majority of those cultivators had still not returned, remaining scattered across the world in search of their 'Golden Core opportunities' even after the outbreak of the war. Consequently, the Human Territory was pushed back helplessly by the ferocious onslaught of the Beast Race.
"Father, is that the place?"
"Yes. There is no mistake."
Hyeongu and Bigu turned their gazes toward a modest island visible past the shimmering barrier. The moment the war began, they had mobilized immediately. Unlike the other Great Demons, however, they moved with a clear, calculated purpose.
"The Yeon Clan resides on that island. They possess the art of Astrology. I do not know what use it might be to us, but having it is better than not."
Hyeongu had carefully selected prime targets based on the intelligence provided by Han Cheongyu, Ju-hyeong, and their other informants. Every single one was a sect, clan, or rogue cultivator renowned for their specialized cultivation arts.
The humans are everywhere anyway. Therefore, what we must target is their heritage.
The primary reason for this, of course, was the Lord Dragon's deep interest in human heritages.
The Lord Dragon's wisdom is so profound that even ordinary Demon Kings cannot hope to match it. He saw through the true value of human techniques long ago.
Alchemical pills, formations, and countless other wondrous arts—the humans possessed a treasure trove of skills. Their value was incomparably higher than the mere flesh of human prey, so they had to plunder as much as possible while the opportunity lasted.
Thus, Hyeongu's objective had been singular from the very beginning: human heritage. Compared to that, human flesh was nothing more than a trivial byproduct.
Since the outbreak of the war, Hyeongu had refused to be blinded by petty, immediate gains, strictly adhering to a meticulously planned route. The Yeon Clan before him was to be his third harvest.
"Attack."
Though Hyeongu was only at the early stage of the Great Yao realm, he successfully commanded a horde of beasts, utilizing the Dragon's Might bestowed upon him by a single drop of dragon blood, alongside his colossal and powerful son.
"Graaaaaah!"
A massive crocodile beast, its eyes entirely devoid of intellect, let out a deafening roar and charged forward ahead of the rest, followed by thousands of low-level water beasts. Standing on his son's back with his hands clasped behind him, Hyeongu calmly watched the human island quickly crumble under the fierce onslaught.
"Let us go."
Upon seeing the island's protective formation shatter, Hyeongu stepped onto the island alongside Bigu. That was the end of it.
Thud!
Bigu stomped a single foot, sending a violent tremor through the entire island. The humans, who had been fighting desperately against the invading water beasts, instantly lost all will to fight the moment they beheld a colossal turtle that spanned nearly a fifth of the island's entire size.
Crunch!
There was a minor mishap where a few mindless water beasts rushing toward the Yeon Clan's estate were crushed into bloody paste beneath Bigu's indifferent steps, but Hyeongu successfully secured his target: the Yeon Clan's Astrology technique.
"Father, what do we do now?"
"We have exerted ourselves, so we must fill our bellies."
As if he had been waiting for those exact words, Bigu began to devour everything in sight. From the humans fleeing in all directions to the water beasts lingering nearby, everything within his field of vision was swept into Bigu's bottomless stomach.
Hyeongu, too, gracefully filled his stomach while standing atop his rampaging son's back.
While the outside world was thrown into absolute chaos, Jekyeong's daily routine remained unchanged: a month of meditation, followed by a brief period of rest. The only difference now was that Cheongo woke him up instead of Hyeongu, who was away.
"Caw!"
At the faint, frivolous cry, the eyes that had been closed for a month slowly fluttered open. His cloudy pupils gradually regained their clarity, and a moment later, a deep sigh escaped his lips.
"I got word from Hyeongu! He says he's coming back!"
"Tell him to do as he pleases."
Jekyeong had given Hyeongu full autonomy from the start. If the turtle had decided to return, it meant he had sensed a shift in the wind.
Has it already come to that?
Jekyeong figured that the Geumyang Sect and Myeongseomun Sect would have thoroughly whipped the humans of Yangseo Lake into shape. If they had finally decided to take action, it meant the situation in the Human Territory had reached a critical state.
"How much time has passed?"
"Four months? Five months?"
At some point, it had become difficult for him to clear his head for a day or two after completing a cycle of meditation. It was a sign that his mental strength was being depleted, and that the suppressed Demonic Obsession was beginning to rear its head once more.
Still, it is definitely better than before.
By his estimation, the rate of the Demonic Obsession's encroachment had slowed by about thirty percent compared to before he began this meditation regime. It was not entirely satisfactory, but progress was progress. It was proof that he was on the right path, allowing Jekyeong to maintain an optimistic outlook.
"Lord Dragon,"
Not long after, Hyeongu returned. A thick scent of bloodlust clung to him, and his aura had grown noticeably stronger—clear evidence of his diligent efforts during his time away.
"Your servant was lacking and could not fully meet the Lord Dragon's expectations."
Bowing deeply, Hyeongu carefully presented a storage bag. With a single glance, Jekyeong swept his senses over the items contained within.
"Oh?"
Jekyeong's eyes gleamed. As expected, the claim of falling short of expectations was merely the cunning turtle's humble wordplay. The storage bag was packed to the brim with all manner of cultivation techniques, manuals, and arts.
Though more than half of them appeared utterly worthless at a glance, there were quite a few that piqued his interest.
There were various specialized arts: Astrology, Spiritual Farming, Heaven-Monitoring, Ghost-Controlling, and Demon-Controlling. Some were techniques Jekyeong had been interested in for a long time, while others were ones he had only heard of in passing.
Though none of them were of an exceptionally high level, the sheer variety of these cultivation arts was a feast for Jekyeong's eyes and mind. Would I be able to utilize any of these? Surely, at least a few of them will prove useful.
"Excellent work. You have done well."
"I am deeply grateful for the Lord Dragon's magnanimity in overlooking your servant's shortcomings."
Hyeongu, who had always been an exceptional flatterer, seemed to have reached a whole new level. Cheongo, who had been watching with a look of sheer disgust, let out a sharp squawk and flew away.
"So, how did it go?"
"Thanks to the Lord Dragon's grace, we encountered no difficulties whatsoever. It was smooth sailing all the way."
Hyeongu's eyes sparkled with genuine sincerity, suggesting this was not mere flattery. Indeed, the Dragon's Might Jekyeong had bestowed upon him through a single drop of blood would have been highly effective against the Beast Race, and would have carried significant weight even against humans. As long as Hyeongu had not overextended himself, he was bound to face little resistance.
"I originally planned to roam the battlefield for another month, but I decided to withdraw after receiving a warning from Han Cheongyu."
"Did he say the Geumyang Sect and Myeongseomun Sect are making their move?"
"Yes. It has likely already begun by now."
Hyeongu's prediction was spot on. A few days later, Jekyeong met Choi Ju-tang in Bul-mang-won and received news that the human counteroffensive had indeed commenced.
Choi Ju-tang, who had been keeping a low profile since the start of the war, showed a sudden surge of enthusiasm upon hearing that the elites of the Geumyang Sect and Myeongseomun Sect were joining the front lines.
"I plan to secure a handsome fortune during this opportunity. I must pave a small path for my descendants."
Choi Ju-tang was no longer young. The man who had once harbored grand ambitions and looked only toward the peak had finally decided to settle down. He had taken a Dao companion and fathered children. Now, for the sake of his children and future generations, he sought to lay down a solid foundation.
"I wish you good fortune in battle."
Jekyeong offered him a few pieces of advice, pointing out areas to avoid and certain adversaries he should absolutely steer clear of. Choi Ju-tang listened with utmost gravity.
With the full-scale entry of the Geumyang Sect and Myeongseomun Sect, the tide of war shifted dramatically. The beasts, who had been riding a wave of momentum and pushing deep into the Human Territory, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the human forces led by the elites of the two Golden Core sects. Slowly, the humans began to reclaim their lost territories.
Meanwhile, Jekyeong met with the cultivators of the Mansi Assembly in Bul-mang-won. Although this was not a scheduled gathering, almost all the members had attended. They had gathered to bid a final farewell to U Do-baek.
"I am deeply grateful that such busy individuals have spared their precious time to gather for a worthless old man like me."
"Senior, please do not say such things."
One cultivator spoke in a pleading tone. He was a relatively new member of the Mansi Assembly who had received significant assistance from U Do-baek, and thus held the elderly man in the highest regard.
"Indeed."
There were many who shared his sentiment. What had once been a small, intimate gathering of a few cultivators had now grown into a sizable group, with dozens of members attending every regular meeting. The rapid growth of the Mansi Assembly was undoubtedly due in no small part to U Do-baek, who had always selflessly offered his guidance even to the newest juniors.
Now that the day had come for U Do-baek to bid them farewell, how could their hearts remain untroubled? Though they might be cold-blooded cultivators in the harsh reality of the outside world, here they were compatriots and fellow seekers of the Dao. Their sorrow for U Do-baek, who calmly shared his final thoughts, was entirely genuine.
"Senior..."
One by one, everyone exchanged their final farewells with him. The newer members of the Mansi Assembly stepped forward first, followed at last by the 'elders' of the group—Yeo Janggyeong, Choi Ju-tang, and Chae Yu-hwa—who shared longer, more intimate conversations with U Do-baek.
Jekyeong was the last. No matter how much he suppressed it, his spiritual body radiated a brilliance that was qualitatively different from everyone else's, stirring U Do-baek's heart. It was a mixture of awe, jealousy, and lingering regret... but in the end, what remained was joy.
"Jekyeong, may I call you by that name just this once?"
"Yes."
"I still remember vividly when I first met you. Back then, I never imagined a day like this would come. Watching you forge ahead day by day, all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind. But now, I am simply curious. I wonder just how far you will go."
U Do-baek's voice grew distant.
"At one point, I thought about casting everything aside to make one final attempt. But every time that thought crossed my mind, I was reminded of Senior Yu. If I were to fail just as he did, I would vanish without leaving a single trace behind. I figured it would be better to leave something, anything, of myself in this world. So, I tended to my clan and nurtured my successors, constantly telling myself that this was the only way I could leave my mark."
U Do-baek's spiritual body flickered. His mind state was wavering. Whether it was due to his turbulent emotions or a spirit that had grown as decrepit as his physical body, it was impossible to tell.
"Looking back now, they were all nothing but excuses. I was simply afraid. Time did not just rob me of my youth."
He lacked the courage to challenge the heavens, and the courage to fail. He knew all too well that he would never have another chance to rise again.
"I pray that the immortal path before you remains boundless. I hope you will behold sights that people like us could never even dare to imagine."
"I will treasure your blessings, Senior."
"Haha!"
U Do-baek said nothing more. He did not ask Jekyeong to look after his descendants after his passing, nor did he leave any other requests or favors. He simply spent his remaining moments sharing lighthearted conversations with the cultivators of the Mansi Assembly.