The Harvest
This was a proper strike, infused with a massive amount of Dharma Power. Thud! This time, the result was indeed different. Instead of bouncing off uselessly like before, the flying sword pierced through the scales and lodged itself in his flesh—though only by a dangerously shallow margin.
"This is impossible!" Even Seo Muso could not suppress his emotions this time, crying out in sheer shock. While manipulating his Dharma Power to recall his flying sword, he threw himself aside to evade the Great Demon's impending charge. Perhaps his shaken state of mind had dulled his reflexes, or perhaps his concentration had wavered while retrieving his weapon, but his reaction was a fraction of a second too slow.
Yang Yuwan had sensed that something was terribly wrong the moment the invisible barrier enveloped Heukgyodo. She had immediately tried to shatter the barrier, but even when she unleashed her full power, the barrier merely trembled slightly, without a single crack appearing. After several futile attempts, realizing that her strength alone could not breach this barrier—or rather, this grand formation—Yang Yuwan decided to join Seo Muso, who had entered the building. Yet, the moment she made up her mind, a violent surge of energy erupted from within the structure, followed by a succession of deafening explosions, and the entire building collapsed into a heap of rubble.
Crash! From the collapsing debris, a small figure shot rapidly into the air. Yang Yuwan recognized at a glance that it was her husband, Seo Muso, and flew toward him with all her might.
"Husband! What on earth happened?!"
"Yuwan! Watch out—!" Seeing Yang Yuwan rushing toward him, Seo Muso shouted in a strained voice, then abruptly turned his head toward the billowing cloud of dust as if sensing an imminent threat.
Whoosh! A wave of crimson fire surged toward them. Gritting his teeth, Seo Muso thrust his hand forward. His flying sword interposed itself like a shield, expanding into a wide, translucent barrier of light. The flames, which had rushed forward with enough fury to incinerate everything in their path, faltered as they crashed against the barrier. However, this was no ordinary fire; it was Yokai Fire, infused with demonic power. The moment he blocked the wave of Yokai Fire head-on, Seo Muso's face turned deathly pale. Had Yang Yuwan not supported him with her spells in the nick of time, he might have been consumed by the flames then and there.
"Haaah!" Yang Yuwan's eyes flashed with a pale blue light. A misty white vapor drifted from her lips, and a freezing chill capable of extinguishing even the fiercest flames enveloped her entire body. It was this very frost that suppressed the fire raging against the barrier.
Like most human cultivators of Yangseo Lake, Yang Yuwan was a cultivator who practiced water-attribute cultivation methods. She possessed no other talents, but in one area, her expertise was profound: spellcasting. Because of her pride in her spellcasting abilities, she did not even deign to use offensive Dharma treasures. This was not mere arrogance, but genuine confidence. Indeed, her water-attribute spells boasted a destructive power that surpassed most Dharma treasures.
The barrier blocked, and the frost suppressed. It was like a perfect combination of shield and spear. Yet, despite this exquisite synergy, the Yokai Fire refused to back down. After a tense, grueling struggle of wills that seemed to stretch on, a colossal silhouette finally emerged from the thick shroud of smoke.
"A Black Flood Dragon?!" Yang Yuwan's eyes widened in shock. Beside her, Seo Muso, panting heavily, shook his head.
"No. It resembles one closely, and perhaps it truly does inherit the dragon bloodline, but it cannot be called a true Gyoryong."
The fact that he had managed to escape that collapsed building alive was the greatest proof. Though the Great Demon's appearance was certainly imposing, its power fell far short of a true Flood Dragon. The problem, however, was that even this "far short" power was more than the couple could handle. Grimacing as the pain intensified with every breath, Seo Muso cried out, his voice trembling slightly.
"Who is Fellow Daoist?! Why are you attacking us?!"
Jekyeong let out a cold chuckle at the question. A low, deep laugh rumbled, echoing eerily as if originating from the depths of a cavern.
"Why am I attacking? Is it not only natural to attack thieves who have broken into my home?"
"Your home?" Seo Muso muttered blankly, his expression suddenly stiffening. That bastard Gwak Jeong-sin really did join hands with the Beast Race! He had harbored a sliver of suspicion ever since he heard about a peculiar spiritual beast called 'Elder Cheongo' from that fellow Han Cheongyu, but hearing these words turned his suspicion into absolute certainty.
Now it all made sense. Gwak Jeong-sin of the Yeongbu Merchant Alliance had allied himself with this Great Demon. After partnering with the Beast Race to annihilate the Black Flood Dragon Gang, they had established their business here. The Black Flood Dragon... In a way, the rumors were true. Seo Muso's eyes clouded over, but only for a brief moment. As an experienced Foundation Establishment cultivator, he did not lose his composure even in this utterly absurd situation.
"We sincerely apologize for trespassing on your domain and causing this offense. However, we truly had no idea that this was your dwelling."
"Oh? Then whose home did you think you were breaking into?" At Jekyeong's sly question, Seo Muso clamped his mouth shut. Answering this was pointless. Given the circumstances, it was obvious that this massive Great Demon and Gwak Jeong-sin were business partners. What difference would it make to say they thought it was Gwak Jeong-sin's business site rather than the Great Demon's lair?
"No answer. Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Even if you didn't know, so what? Blood has already been spilled between us."
"...Must we truly fight to the bitter end?"
"Where there is a beginning, there must naturally be an end."
That was the end of their conversation. Still, it was fortunate that they had managed to catch their breath, even if only for a brief moment. At the very least, they had gathered enough strength to make another stand. Crash! Seo Muso's flying sword shot forward, and massive frost flowers bloomed across Jekyeong's body. Yet, the freezing cold failed to freeze him. At most, it slightly hindered his movements, and even that negligible effect was instantly dispelled by the Yokai Fire rising like a shimmering haze from his entire body.
Gritting her teeth, Yang Yuwan took a deep breath and pressed her hands together. Instantly, colossal ice spikes erupted from the ground. Crack! Dozens, hundreds of massive ice spikes pierced and trapped Jekyeong. Yet, not a single one managed to wound his body. At most, they caused a few of his scales to slightly crack.
"This is impossible!" Yang Yuwan stumbled back in shock. It was partly due to the exhaustion of her Dharma Power, and partly because her Mind State had been shattered by panic. Staring at Jekyeong as he violently thrashed to shatter the ice spikes, she pressed her hands together once more. Boom! Every single ice spike shattered simultaneously. The shards transformed into halos of frigid light, binding Jekyeong like a lasso.
"You have quite a few tricks up your sleeve!" Jekyeong did not resist. Instead, he parted his jaws slightly and held his breath. "Grrrrr." A terrifying heat leaked from his open maw.
"Go!" Sensing that something was terribly wrong, Seo Muso spat out a mouthful of blood and unleashed his flying sword. Infused with the absolute limit of the Dharma Power he could muster, the flying sword lodged itself fairly deep into Jekyeong's forehead. However, to Jekyeong, who had grown to a staggering 150 meters through repeated moltings, a single sword was less than a toothpick. Even with Dharma Power infused within it, the result was the same. Had Seo Muso been in peak condition, things might have been different, but in his current state, he posed no threat unless he managed to strike a vital spot.
Fwoosh! It took less than a few seconds for the heat to transform into Yokai Fire. As he accumulated demonic power and grew accustomed to manipulating fire, his ability to breathe fire had naturally evolved. He could now unleash it faster and with far greater force. While gathering his strength longer would produce a more devastating blast, even a brief charge like this yielded formidable power.
"Evade!" Seeing Jekyeong completely unfazed even with a flying sword lodged in his forehead, Seo Muso screamed in desperation. Thanks to his warning, Yang Yuwan managed to dodge immediately, but Seo Muso himself could not. He was already gravely injured and half-unconscious from forcing his Dharma Power to its absolute limits.
"Husband!" Realizing the situation too late, Yang Yuwan desperately tried to fly toward her husband. Seeing this, Jekyeong's eyes curved slightly. "What a touching sight! Fine! You can both turn to ash together!"
A torrent of fire erupted. If the previous attack had been a wave of fire, this was a pillar—a colossal column of flame that seemed capable of propping up the heavens. Rumble! Jekyeong did not make empty threats. The pillar of fire spewed from his jaws engulfed both Seo Muso and Yang Yuwan simultaneously. Seo Muso had no way to escape. Yang Yuwan might have been able to dodge if she had tried, but instead of fleeing, she flew directly toward her husband. Standing before him, she unleashed her water spell once more, desperately attempting to block the cascading storm of Yokai Fire.
But without Seo Muso's support, Yang Yuwan's strength alone was not enough to withstand the Yokai Fire. The mystical ice mist she conjured vanished like a mirage almost the instant it touched the pillar of flame. Despair flooded Yang Yuwan's eyes. The sinister fire, seemingly capable of incinerating even the soul, reached her very nose in an instant. Yet, the moment she squeezed her eyes shut, the flames vanished without a trace.
"Huh?" When a bewildered Yang Yuwan opened her eyes, what she saw was a massive black tail casting a shadow so vast it seemed to blot out the sky. Thud!
When Jekyeong first detected the intruders and roughly estimated their cultivation realms, he had decided to capture them alive if possible. There were several reasons for this decision. First, interrogation. Second, their storage bags. Third, their intrinsic value.
The first reason required no explanation. He needed to find out where these bastards had come from and why. As for the second and third... let's just say he was sick of the misfortune of fighting a hard battle only to walk away empty-handed. However, capturing someone alive was easier said than done. If the opponent's strength exceeded his expectations, securing a victory, let alone a capture, would be out of the question. Furthermore, capturing them was not the end of it. Unless he had some special means to completely neutralize them, a half-hearted capture would only breed endless trouble.