Blooming (1)
She was still breathing.
She had simply fainted from sheer exhaustion.
What a fool, Sobaek thought.
He had a card up his sleeve. Jim-i hadn't needed to throw herself in harm's way. He was confident he could have broken the technique himself. Her sacrifice had only resulted in a useless loss of combat power.
Three fighters and two fighters possessed entirely different levels of utility. There was a reason why the foundation of all combined battle formations was the Three Talents Formation.
Though they had seemed to rush the weasel in a chaotic frenzy, it was only because Dang Sobaek had been coordinating their movements from the center that they had managed to put up any semblance of a fight.
Now that the Three Talents Formation was broken, dealing with the beast would become far more difficult.
But what was the use of blaming someone who was already unconscious?
Still, that was definitely...
It was the Yo-language.
At the very end, Jim-i had clearly said, "Sorry." Sobaek did not know why she had said such a thing, but it was undeniable that she had awakened her Yojok-eo. He had not misheard.
"That one passes for now," the weasel said.
He confirmed it with a satisfied expression.
The weasel waited quietly, silently prompting Sobaek to move Jim-i out of the way. Dang Sobaek assessed the situation for a moment, then carried her over to the shade of a nearby zelkova tree.
He couldn't understand it at all.
If Sobaek had been in the weasel's position, he would have finished her off for good.
I have no idea what his goal is.
The beast did not seem to be a simple madman, as Sobaek had initially assumed.
Dang Sobaek checked his remaining spiritual energy.
Two exchanges. I must settle this within two moves.
Winning was impossible.
His best option was to exploit an opening, land a clean hit, and flee.
At the very least, that creature is not immune to all poisons. He clearly showed symptoms of poisoning from the energy-dispersing poison.
Poison had many advantages.
But if he had to name the greatest among them,
it was that poison was one of the most efficient means for the weak to oppose the strong.
One used poison precisely because a straightforward, orthodox approach was impossible.
But he would notice immediately if I used something with instant effects like the energy-dispersing poison.
It would be wiser to use a subtle, hard-to-detect poison, even if its immediate effects were minor.
Dang Sobaek extracted and blended only a few specific components from his Dokyodan, which held a chaotic mixture of various poisons.
The result of his refinement was a type of hallucinogenic powder.
The weasel was staring blankly at the unconscious Jim-i.
He seemed completely unguarded, yet at the same time, utterly flawless.
Such was the vast disparity in their realms.
Dang Sobaek infused his feathers with the hallucinogenic powder and launched a surprise attack at the weasel.
Swoooosh!
The feathers tore through the air in a straight line. The weasel casually swatted them away with a look of sheer disdain.
The deflected feathers embedded themselves deeply into the ground.
Sobaek had never expected the direct strike to work anyway. He had merely used the feathers and the wind as mediums to stealthily disperse the poison.
Once more, a violent surge of energy swirled around the weasel. He began to mutter continuously in an incomprehensible tongue.
Seven purple spheres of lightning materialized in the air.
They resembled a brilliant cluster of stars—or rather, a shower of meteors packed with destructive force.
Crackle!
Flickering lightning writhed like snakes inside the spheres, emitting a ferocious hiss as if ready to tear into Sobaek's throat at any second.
It was truly ominous.
"This is a spell from the Wind-Lightning True Scripture, called the Taiyi Seven Sages Purple Lightning. Let us see how you—"
The weasel smiled eerily at Dang Sobaek.
Soon, the seven lightning spheres took up the positions of the Big Dipper, surrounding Dang Sobaek.
The power of a single lightning sphere was far inferior to the spells the weasel had shown before. That much was clear.
However, through his vast experience, Sobaek instinctively realized something.
There was a profound, mystical principle at play here, one entirely different from traditional martial arts.
The seven spheres were one and the same.
In other words, Sobaek would not be fighting a single sphere, but the collective force of all seven.
This was closer to a natural disaster.
The weasel spoke with a sneer, communicating telepathically.
Dang Sobaek honed his energy perception to its absolute sharpest.
Seven Stars as One.
Even if the seven were one, there had to be a central axis anchoring them.
The seven purple spheres trembled in resonance, then surged toward Dang Sobaek all at once.
Dammit.
If he had been given just a little more time, he might have found it, but the lightning spheres were already upon him.
He had no choice but to break through with brute force.
Gathering as much spiritual energy as possible, Sobaek briefly glanced aside.
His gaze locked with Jim-il's in midair.
Jim-il's pupils trembled violently.
He closed his eyes shut.
...What is he doing?
Soon, Jim-il's expression hardened with resolve.
Crack! Snap!
The sound of bones twisting echoed, followed by:
A horrific shriek tore through the air. In an instant, Sobaek's surroundings plunged into pitch darkness.
Jim-il's entire body was dyed ink-black once more. An ominous energy erupted in all directions, swallowing the weasel's lightning spheres before exploding violently.
BOOM!
A gale so fierce that Sobaek could barely open his eyes whipped up, scattering dust and debris everywhere.
Jim-il, completely consumed by ghost qi, lunged at the weasel.
"This lunatic actually surrendered his body to ghost qi," the weasel muttered.
Dozens of clashes occurred in the blink of an eye.
Dang Sobaek could not understand it at all.
Why had Jim-il made such an extreme choice, throwing his own life away?
Because his sister, Jim-i, had fallen?
To sacrifice himself in Sobaek's stead?
That made no sense.
From what Sobaek had seen, Jim-il was a creature who cared only for himself. He was thoroughly selfish.
Cold, prickly, and proud.
That was Jim-il.
For such a fellow to disregard his own safety and charge into battle...
Sobaek did not know.
This was an emotion Dang Sobaek had never experienced.
Even so,
Right now...
He could escape.
Perhaps because the ghost qi had stimulated his upper dantian, explosively awakening his latent talent, Jim-il was holding his ground remarkably well against the weasel.
Since Jim-il likely couldn't distinguish friend from foe right now, Sobaek's intervention would only make things worse.
Sigh, how irritating.
To put it bluntly, they were just beasts. They merely shared the same blood. Sobaek had never once truly considered them his family.
Yet,
...
At least, these fools didn't seem to think that way. That was why they could throw away their lives for him.
If Sobaek fled now, Jim-il would almost certainly die. He might be pushing the weasel back at the moment, but it would only last a brief while.
Dang Sobaek felt his emotions churning strangely.
If he abandoned them both and fled,
how would he be any different from a mere beast?
Once a debt of gratitude was incurred, it had to be repaid in full.
That was the way of the Tang Clan.
Therefore...
Sigh.
Dang Sobaek slowly awakened the core of the Black-Scaled Blood Python that he had sealed deep within his Dokyodan.
Though Dang Sobaek did not know it,
Jim-il and Jim-i
held Sobaek in a very special place in their hearts.
For both of them had been saved by him.
To Jim-il, Dang Sobaek was a savior and a rival he wished to surpass one day.
To Jim-i, Sobaek was a family member for whom she would gladly lay down her life at any moment.
That was why they had thrown themselves into danger—to repay him in their own way.
Even as his body spun out of control from the backlash of awakening the ghost qi, Jim-il stole a glance at Dang Sobaek.
The idiot was standing frozen in place.
He wanted to scream at Sobaek to run away immediately, but his body refused to obey his will.
You absolute fool.
Cursing inwardly, Jim-il clashed with the weasel once more.
A fierce, razor-sharp wind whipped around continuously, battering his body. Even with the ghost qi enveloping him, it was impossible to completely negate the impact.
Though his body moved solely on instinct, his mind remained strangely clear.
Had the weasel noticed this?
The weasel backed away to a safe distance and spoke with genuine interest.
"Oh? Unlike before, you don't seem entirely out of your mind. Even though you've lost control of your body, you've managed to maintain your sanity despite becoming a ghost bird... I do not know if this is a trait of your bloodline or if you are simply special, but it is certainly worth investigating."
The weasel's figure blurred. In an instant, he appeared right in front of Jim-il and pressed a lightning sphere against his abdomen.
*BOOM!*
The air warped slightly with a deafening blast.
An agonizing pain, as if his entire body were being torn apart, flared up. The ground rushed up to meet him. A strong urge to just close his eyes and rest took over his mind.
Even if he crashed here, he wouldn't die.
Yet, Jim-il forced himself to stay conscious.
If you receive something, you must return it. One who cannot even uphold that basic principle could never become a king.
He knew now.
A king was not made simply by possessing superior martial prowess.
He had realized this by watching Dang Sobaek.
A true king
must be capable of embracing all things.
Even if his talent was far inferior to Sobaek's, even if he was lacking and had no followers to his name,
if he poured blood, sweat, and tears into his efforts, he would achieve it one day.
This could be considered Jim-il's core belief.
It might have been a wild, absurd dream, but Jim-il truly believed in it.
So,
at the very least, he had to buy enough time for Dang Sobaek to escape safely.
This was his starting line.
Jim-il spread his wings wide and soared into the sky once more.
Awakening his latent talent, Jim-il gathered his spiritual energy and ghost qi, fusing them to form a single ring. It was saturated with pure Yin energy.
He was mimicking the martial arts Dang Sobaek had demonstrated before.
The weasel's eyes widened in surprise at the sight.
Jim-il hurled the rapidly spinning, ink-black Yin ring toward the weasel.
However...
Shatter!
The ring shattered against the defensive spell cast by the weasel, dispersing harmlessly.
Seeing his final hope blocked so effortlessly, Jim-il cursed under his breath.
"Dammit..."
It was the Yo-language.
He had awakened his Yojok-eo in a manner similar to, yet slightly different from, Jim-i.
Unlike humans, the process of a beast awakening language was far more complex. It was not merely a product of intellect.
Though the monkey demon beast had said it required the seven emotions and their amplification, the true essence of the awakening was desperation.
Mother Jimjo had yearned to escape the island; the monkey demon beast had desired to lead his pack; and Jim-il and Jim-i desperately wished for Dang Sobaek to survive.
For humans, who were a single species, language was simple. But for beasts, whose species numbered in the dozens, hundreds, or even tens of thousands, unifying their tongues was impossible.
Thus, the Yo-language was essentially the transmission of pure will.
It was the manifestation of a desperate desire to truly understand others and communicate with all creation through the medium of the seven emotions.
Though Jim-il himself did not seem to realize what he had done,
"A remarkable talent. You have also won this Daoist's favor, so you pass."
His intent had been clearly conveyed to the weasel.
"However, you do not seem to be in your right mind yet, so rest for a moment."
The weasel's figure blurred, and Jim-il's consciousness flickered out.
Blood vessels burst in Dang Sobaek's eyes.
This was the consequence of forcibly awakening the sealed core of the Black-Scaled Blood Python.
An uncontrollable energy surged through his body, threatening to crush his meridians. An indescribable, dizzying pain assaulted him, causing his consciousness to repeatedly fade and snap back.
Cough!
Blood surged up his throat and spilled from his beak.
But...
Have I not endured far worse than this?
Dang Sobaek steeled his resolve.
Back when he was researching the Muhyeong-jidok...
Had he not repeatedly ingested all kinds of deadly poisons, using his own body as a test subject? Dang Sobaek barely managed to control the wildly thrashing spiritual energy, forcing it down into his Dokyodan.
As the energy exceeded its capacity, the Dokyodan ruptured, only to be regenerated by the overflowing spiritual energy.
He repeated this agonizing process over and over.
To an outside observer, only a split second had passed, but to Sobaek, it felt like an eternity.
I cannot take any more.
It was not a matter of endurance or willpower.
His current vessel was simply too small to fully absorb the energy.
The excess spiritual energy flooded his entire body.
Dang Sobaek's pupils slowly turned purple, and the remaining energy erupted outward.
Ugh... it hurts like hell.
He had barely managed to seize control, but if he couldn't expend all of this residual energy, he would end up destroying himself.
He had to bet everything on a single move.
I, too, am a fool.
He had never imagined he would risk his life for these creatures.
Even if this was the way of the Tang Clan...
If the world knew that the Patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Clan, who once ruled Sichuan, had risked his life for mere beasts, they would laugh themselves to death.
No matter. As long as I can face myself without shame, that is enough. But... something is strange.
Jim-il had fought valiantly, but he was clearly far inferior to the weasel. If the weasel had intended to kill him, the battle would have ended long ago.
Did he even have any intention of killing them in the first place?
This is almost like...
...he is teaching us.
At first, Sobaek had dismissed him as a crazy weasel, but the more he thought about it, the more anomalies he noticed.
He wasn't playing with them before a slaughter like some unorthodox sect bastard, nor did he seem to be enjoying the thrill of battle for its own sake.
Only now did Sobaek realize that the weasel harbored no killing intent.
What is he planning?
Even if Sobaek's hypothesis was correct, it didn't change the fact that this creature was highly suspicious.
He clearly had an ulterior motive.
While Jim-il bought him time, Sobaek had to prepare his strike.
Dang Sobaek cleared his mind of all distractions and gathered his spiritual energy into a single point.
Rumble!
A green waterspout laden with deadly poison formed around Dang Sobaek.
At that moment, Jim-il plummeted from the sky. His entire body was covered in blood, and his wings were bent at a grotesque angle.
He didn't seem dead.
However, without proper treatment, the injury was severe enough to leave him crippled for life.
No matter what the weasel's intentions were...
none of that mattered now.
...
For the sake of these mere beasts, Dang Sobaek detonated his Dokyodan several times. His insides churned, and his entire body trembled violently.
Sensing the unusual disturbance, the weasel rushed toward him.
Dang Sobaek ignored him and maintained his focus.
Mandok-gwigong.
Countless feathers soared into the sky.
The feathers blanketed the heavens, spinning fiercely around the weasel before raining down in succession.
Far from being terrifying, the sight was as beautiful as dancing flowers.
Derived Ultimate Art.
Thousand-Leaf Flying Flower Dance
The pinnacle of the martial arts that the current Dang Sobaek could perform was unleashed.
The nine thousand snakes hastily conjured by the weasel clashed and tangled with the falling flowers, dissolving into chaos.
It was a dreamlike spectacle, far too brilliant to be described in mere words.
The world flickered wildly.
And then...
Flash!
A gray thread of light seeped from between Sobaek's brows, blooming into a flower.
Unknown, mysterious information etched itself into his mind.
Where to strike,
and how to move.
He perceived the world in a far broader, more detailed scope.
And simultaneously, the awakening of his Yojok-eo.
But he had no strength left.
Having expended every ounce of his power, Dang Sobaek plummeted toward the ground.
The weasel also appeared to have sustained some injuries, but he was still standing strong.
The ground drew closer and closer.
Despite his wounds, the weasel rushed over and caught Sobaek in his arms.
Only now did Sobaek understand with absolute clarity.
What the weasel had truly wanted.
Cradled in the weasel's arms, Dang Sobaek asked:
"...Do I pass as well?"
"Beyond brilliantly," the weasel replied.
Dang Sobaek let out a weary, dry chuckle, offering his final thoughts to the weasel.
That it had been a truly wretched day.