The Echo of Fallen Power

Even in the face of thousands of threats that seemed ready to tear his spiritual essence to pieces at any moment, Shin Baekrim remained cold and composed. He tossed the scroll—its light visibly dimmed after absorbing hundreds of the black figures—up into the sky. "A shallow trick to put on airs."

The night sky, which should have been quiet and still, writhed like a living creature. An inky rain poured down, and eerie wails, rather than thunder, filled the ears. In such an ominous sky, the light emitted by the scroll was so faint it was barely discernible. "Disperse!"

At Shin Baekrim's command, the scroll, which had previously done nothing but devour, spat out everything it had held. Yet, what erupted from the scroll was not the black figures it had just swallowed, but a wave of pure Dharma Power.

Rumble! A spiritual wind shook the heavens. The darkness surged, and the demonic energy fluctuated violently. Even Chaesan Noyao, who had remained leisurely throughout, could not maintain his composure this time; he frowned and began to chant an incomprehensible mantra.

"Screeech!" The thousands of black figures that had nearly reached Shin Baekrim shrieked eerily and vanished like smoke. A similar scene unfolded on the battlefield below. The Dead Spirits, which had been possessing corpses and rampaging on instinct, collapsed or fell to the ground en masse, as if suddenly drained of all strength.

"Huh?" A human cultivator, who had just barely escaped being torn alive by several Dead Spirits, blinked in confusion, unable to grasp the situation. But in the very next moment, just as a smile of relief was about to form on his face, Jekyeong materialized behind him and put an end to his newly extended life.

What is this now? Jekyeong's eyes, bloodshot with anxiety, urgency, and madness, swept over the rapidly changing surroundings once more. Have the corpses lost their strength? Has that demonic energy vanished? Come to think of it, his head felt slightly clearer. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or if the madness-inducing demonic energy had truly weakened or disappeared, but either way, it was a welcome change.

No, wait. Is it really a good thing? Jekyeong strained his cleared mind to analyze the situation. After that sinister demonic energy had indiscriminately spread madness, the Yao had eventually begun fighting among themselves, in addition to attacking the human cultivators and the corpses. As a result, their numbers had dwindled rapidly, and now, at a glance, they seemed to be outnumbered by the humans.

No, this is bad. If the corpses lost their strength, the humans would benefit. The Yao had already lost their numerical advantage, and they had exhausted most of their strength rampaging blindly. Clearly, the remaining Yao stood no chance against the human cultivators. Even if the high-level combatants won their battle and changed the tide, Jekyeong predicted that nothing good would come of it, even if the Great Demons of Sangyo Forest emerged victorious.

This black rain and sinister demonic energy are undoubtedly a trick played by Sangyo Forest. It was a scheme to maximize casualties on both sides, and those being ground to dust in the process were the disciples of the Jeyeon Sect and the low-grade Yao scraped together by Sangyo Forest. If both sides bled equally, who stood to gain and who stood to lose? The answer was simple.

It's time to get out of here. He didn't feel completely full yet. But he had an ominous premonition that if he got too greedy, he wouldn't be able to pull out in time.

Where are Cheongo and Muk-su? At the beginning of the battle, he had kept an eye on their positions and status, but as the situation grew dire, he had lost the luxury to do so. Still, they wouldn't have lost their minds as easily as the other Yao, so he hoped they had kept a low profile.

Where are they? Fortunately, Jekyeong hadn't wandered too far while hunting the human cultivators, and Muk-su's size was large enough to be easily spotted even on this chaotic battlefield, so finding them wasn't too difficult. Activating his Presence-Concealing Technique to its absolute limit—a skill now as natural to him as breathing—Jekyeong moved toward Muk-su in the distance.

"Muk-su! Behind you! Behind you!" At Cheongo's urgent cry, Muk-su whipped out a root without even turning around. An arrow that had been flying straight for his trunk was blocked by the thick root. Woo-wooo! It was just a single small arrow, but Muk-su cried out in pain upon blocking it. At the same time, Cheongo flew as fast as the arrow, grazing past the archer.

"Argh!" Although Cheongo was relatively weak in combat for a Yo-beast, a Yo-beast was still a Yo-beast. Its beak and talons were sharp enough to easily leave deep gouges in solid rock, and that sharpness was not something a defenseless Qi Refining cultivator could withstand. While the human cultivator staggered, a chunk of flesh torn from his face, another of Muk-su's roots whipped him with furious force. With a sickening crack of breaking bones, the man was sent flying, crashing into a massive pile of corpses in the muddy water.

"Ugh... ahhh!" Even with his bones shattered and unable to move, he instinctively struggled to escape the pile of corpses, but his body was slowly swallowed by the writhing, seemingly animate heap. Within seconds, he vanished completely, and the black rain pattered down upon the pile of corpses that had devoured its prey.

The sky, which had briefly seemed to clear, darkened once more. The scroll, which had exerted its power as if to banish all darkness, had completely lost its luster, and the ghostly wails echoing from the heavens now rang out as loudly as if they were shouting directly in one's ear. Shin Baekrim and Chaesan Noyao still faced each other, but their appearances were vastly different from before.

Shin Baekrim's complexion had grown pale, and his once-pristine robe was so tattered and torn that its original form was barely recognizable. On the other hand, while Chaesan Noyao appeared unchanged at a glance, a closer look revealed that his aura was fluctuating quite unstably.

"The River-Reaching Scroll. Truly impressive. It seems even stronger than before. You must have poured quite a bit of effort into that Dharma Treasure over the years, haven't you?"

A Dharma Treasure was a treasure that only cultivators at or above the Foundation Establishment stage could wield, possessing power on a completely different level from the spiritual energy typically used by Qi Refining cultivators. However, as powerful as they were, Dharma Treasures were exceedingly rare; even Foundation Establishment cultivators could not all possess one. In particular, for a rogue cultivator with no special talent for earning wealth, obtaining a proper Dharma Treasure was difficult, even if they reached the middle or late stages of Foundation Establishment.

Of course, this did not apply to Shin Baekrim, the Supreme Elder of the Jeyeon Sect. In the past, when his cultivation had reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he had acquired a mid-grade Dharma Treasure called the River-Reaching Scroll, and since then, the reputation of the scroll had echoed alongside his name.

"What would a mere yin spirit know of Dharma Treasures?" Despite Shin Baekrim's mockery, Chaesan Noyao ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠laughed leisurely. "I do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not know much, indeed. But since trying to understand it is useless, is there any need for me to know?"

It was no exaggeration to say that the history of the cultivation world was a history of conflict. How many other races had the humans fought against to reach their position of supremacy in the Changram cultivation world? Behind their rise to power lay countless victories, and behind those glorious victories were the heritages they so proudly boasted.

To defeat an enemy, one must first know them. The other races pushed aside by the humans, as well as the Yao, were not foolish. If they had been foolish, how could they have contested with humanity for so many ages? They constantly studied the humans and their heritages. Among these, they delved with particular passion into areas that offered direct utility in combat, such as presence-concealing techniques. Yet, the results were deeply disappointing compared to the effort invested. They could mimic the surface-level aspects to some degree, but they could never grasp the true essence of the technique.

"But just as I know nothing of your Dharma Treasure..." Chaesan Noyao's gaze drifted to the battlefield below. "You, too, know nothing of my curse arts."

Having restored his distinct wooden puppet form, Chaesan Noyao formed hand seals with an unprecedentedly solemn expression and began to chant a sinister mantra. Seeing this, Shin Baekrim immediately channeled his Dharma Power, but his attack was blocked by a hazy figure that suddenly materialized between him and Chaesan Noyao.

Thud! As Chaesan Noyao's mantra echoed, the gloomy sky writhed violently, pouring down the massive amount of Ghost Qi it had held onto the earth. In response, the Dead Spirits on the ground wailed in unison, and finally, a passage made of Ghost Qi was established between heaven and earth.

Well over several thousand Dead Spirits swarmed toward the pillar-like passage. Abandoning the living they had been tearing apart and the fleshly shells they had been wearing, they plunged into the passage in a frenzy. It felt less like a voluntary gathering and more like they were being forcibly sucked in.

Shin Baekrim once again channeled his Dharma Power into the River-Reaching Scroll, but this time, even the scroll failed to exert much power. It briefly disrupted the flow of Ghost Qi, but that was all.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" The Ghost Qi filling the heaven and earth gathered entirely toward the Ghost Pillar, toward Chaesan Noyao, who stood at its core. Had any ordinary living being been exposed to such a vast amount of Ghost Qi, their mind and soul would have been instantly twisted, turning them into a ghostly creature. But for Chaesan Noyao, who was a yin spirit by nature, this was of no concern.

He manipulated the gathering Ghost Qi as if it were his own Dharma Power, and his aura swelled to a colossal size at a rapid ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pace. Shin Baekrim watched Chaesan Noyao's rapid transformation clearly, but he no longer made a move.

"One Qi Penetration? An interesting interpretation." Rather, he set aside his hostility, which had been erupting like a volcano, and showed genuine interest.

"So you recognized it? Yes. If my own power is lacking, is it not enough to borrow it from elsewhere? Steadfastness and foolishness are two different things, and the path of the immortals is never a single road."

"True words." Both Shin Baekrim and Chaesan Noyao were individuals who had spent ages unable to reach the third realm of cultivation. In the beginning, they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had devoted themselves to their cultivation with faith in their own abilities, but as their stagnation dragged on, their confidence turned to doubt, and they even feared they had taken the wrong path entirely.

What Chaesan Noyao was doing now was also a result of that fear. Some might call this a heretical path, but to one driven into a corner, if it allowed them to reach beyond the wall, that was the orthodox path. Thus, Shin Baekrim could understand Chaesan Noyao. If they were not enemies, and if they had not met in such a place, he might have even applauded him. Unfortunately, they were enemies, and this was a battlefield.

"Core Formation..." Shin Baekrim sighed deeply. If only one could reach that distant realm, what did a detour matter? He would gladly crawl through a wasteland filled with filth if it meant achieving it.

"Do not lament too much. Even if you cannot achieve it, you will at least witness it." A voice suppressing its ecstasy echoed from the center of the Ghost Pillar, and an alien Dharma Power that seemed not of this world whipped up a violent gale. That power was clearly beyond the level of Foundation Establishment, reaching for the realm above, and even Shin Baekrim felt a heavy pressure.

"..." Yet, even under the crushing pressure that weighed down on his very soul, Shin Baekrim's eyes remained calmly settled.

"Ahhh!" It was an ordinary, short scream. But what followed that mundane cry was terribly extraordinary.

Huh? Jekyeong, who had just met up with Cheongo and Muk-su and was about to shout that they needed to flee, felt what seemed like a very faint breeze brushing past. In the midst of his body and mind being stained with pain and fatigue, it was a truly pleasant and welcome breeze—yet what Jekyeong felt was not refreshment, but a terrible sense of foreboding.

Ah. In that instant, Jekyeong recalled the scream he had heard just moments ago, and a certain story he had heard in the past came to mind.

"Watch out!" Shouting that single warning to Cheongo and Muk-su was the best he could do, and it was all he had time for. Immediately after his shout, a tempest tore away the mask of the gentle spring breeze and swept over him in its true form. It was a flood of emotions, a scream of agony, and a wave of cultivation.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator, or a Great Demon, has died! Jekyeong recalled what the seniors of the Mansi Assembly had told him. The power wielded by a cultivator at or above the Foundation Establishment stage was Dharma Power, and this Dharma Power was essentially the cultivator's cultivation itself. A cultivator's Dharma Power was infused with their mind, strength, emotions, and all other elements. Thus, a cultivator's Dharma Power was their very identity.

Generally, when a cultivator—specifically, one at or above the Foundation Establishment stage—met their end, their Dharma Power would escape their control and disperse into the surroundings. This was a temporary phenomenon, and before long, the Dharma Power would decompose into spiritual energy and dissolve into heaven and earth. However, before it vanished, the Dharma Power would affect the world and leave its mark. The stronger the Dharma Power, and the more intense the emotions felt by the cultivator before their death, the greater the impact and the mark left behind.

At the time, Jekyeong had taken the story seriously, but the senior cultivators of the Mansi Assembly had brushed it off as nothing major. That was because they were already Foundation Establishment cultivators themselves. No matter how vast and powerful the dispersing Dharma Power of a dying Foundation Establishment cultivator was, could it possibly be stronger than when they were alive? To them, it was merely a minor annoyance, easily ignored.

But I am different. Jekyeong felt his mind and emotions waver. Anger, sorrow, and fear flowing in from the outside attempted to dominate his heart. But Jekyeong knew these emotions were not his own. He resolved to resist, and the moment he made up his mind, his spiritual essence flared to life. It was still a small ember, but it was bright enough to dispel the encroaching darkness.

Whoosh! The moment the ember flared, reason returned to the serpent's eyes, which had grown turbid. Dharma Power. Is this Dharma Power? Having escaped the madness and regained his senses, the first thing that came to Jekyeong's mind was not relief at having survived, but the nearly vanished Dharma Power—specifically, its lingering resonance. It was a dangerous force that might have driven him mad if not for the spark of his spiritual essence, but it was also the very power he had to pursue. Jekyeong felt a simultaneous sense of relief and regret at the rapidly fading resonance of the Dharma Power. Anyone who saw Jekyeong in this state would have cursed him as a madman.