Independence (2)
The crimson eyes of the Ink-Scaled Blood Python burned with relentless hostility. Fresh, scarlet blood stained its maw, and a bat's wing hung from one of its venomous fangs.
Judging by its size, it was a subadult. Compared to the one he had seen at the lake before, it was far smaller, its ink-black scales lacked luster, and it had not yet grown its horn.
Yet, it was still an Ink-Scaled Blood Python.
It possessed a formidable immunity to most poisons, and the hardness of its scales far surpassed even hundred-refined steel.
That was not all.
Its entire body was a lethal weapon; a single whip of its tail could easily snap a tree trunk as wide as a man's embrace.
Conversely, the rewards of successfully hunting such a creature were guaranteed to be immense.
Its rigid scales could be fashioned into sturdy armor, its flesh was highly efficacious for cultivating inner force, and its blood was nothing short of a treasure to the Tang Clan. The blood possessed a unique property that allowed it to blend seamlessly with any poison, amplifying its potency.
'Hmm...'
Dang Sobaek fell into deep thought, maintaining a safe distance.
Even with two of them, the outcome of a battle was far from certain.
However...
'It would be a waste to retreat now.'
The location and environment of this hideout were perfect, and the rewards of a successful hunt were far too sweet to ignore.
'First, I must gauge its strength.'
The Ink-Scaled Blood Python remained tense, its tongue flicking threateningly as it kept its gaze locked on Dang Sobaek.
This meant that, even to the python, they were formidable enough to warrant caution.
Dang Sobaek hesitated no longer and launched an attack.
Swish!
A single feather shot from his wing, tearing through the air with a sharp whistle as it flew toward the python.
Sparks flew as the steel-hard feather clashed against the python's scales.
Clang! Screeech!
Though it did not penetrate deeply, the acidic poison coated on the feather hissed as it corroded the python's scales. The ink-black scales began to turn a rusty brown.
As expected of the acidic poison Dang Sobaek had specially refined, it bypassed the python's natural immunity to some extent, leaving a mark.
Startled by this unexpected development, the python's pupils dilated slightly. In the next instant, it slammed its tail against the ground in a fit of rage.
The entire cavern shuddered.
Shattered rocks bounced into the air. With a swift sweep of its tail, the python whipped the airborne gravel straight toward them.
Dang Sobaek spread his wings to block the debris. Though the impact wasn't devastating, his expression hardened, and a low grunt escaped him.
Quite apart from its raw strength, this beast actually knew how to fight.
It felt less like fighting a wild beast and more like facing a seasoned martial artist.
Just then, Jim-i, who had been watching quietly, shot forward like an arrow toward the python.
The python retaliated instantly, twisting its massive body to whip its tail at her.
Whoosh—
Jim-i spun mid-air, gracefully evading the strike, and pecked at the python's head. It was an acrobatic feat of flight.
Though she couldn't inflict a deep wound through the dense scales,
"Screeech!"
A stream of dark blood dripped down. A fragment of a scale was clamped firmly in Jim-i's beak. It seemed the scales on its head were the weakest.
'As expected.'
Whatever else she lacked, Jim-i was by far the most agile and skilled flyer among the siblings.
Dang Sobaek fired a barrage of feathers to support her, ensuring she had the freedom to attack.
He targeted the gaps between the scales with surgical precision, slowly accumulating damage.
They dismantled the python's defenses as if they had trained together for years. As the blood loss from its head mounted, the beast's movements grew sluggish.
At this rate, victory was assured.
Ultimately, as a land-bound creature, the python found it incredibly difficult to deal with the erratic, airborne assaults of the Jimjo.
Dang Sobaek quickly synthesized Blood-Scourge Powder within his poison sac, coating his feathers before launching them.
Blood-Scourge Powder was a secret poison of the Tang Clan designed to prevent wounds from clotting.
Given the python's immense resistance, it wouldn't take full effect, but it would still hinder the beast.
'It's working.'
The pain must have been excruciating, as the python's thrashing grew increasingly violent.
Its tail whipped blindly, sending shattered stone fragments flying through the air. The ground caved in, and parts of the cavern walls began to crumble.
And then, inevitably—
"!"
The python's tail struck Jim-i. She was sent flying backward at a terrifying speed. Dang Sobaek rushed to catch her from behind, but the momentum sent them both tumbling across the stone floor.
Fortunately, the python was also severely weakened and could not press the attack.
Jim-i's condition was critical. Her wing bone was partially crushed.
Dang Sobaek scooped Jim-i up in his beak and retreated. The python stared back at him, its crimson eyes burning with pure, unadulterated rage.
It looked ready to pounce at any second.
'Now that we have crossed paths, I must finish this.'
That was the way of the Tang Clan.
Once an enmity was formed, it was never left unresolved.
But the current situation was unfavorable. It was time to retreat.
Holding Jim-i firmly in his beak, Dang Sobaek quietly slipped out of the cavern.
Jim-i had always been a coward.
It was because she had witnessed her own siblings perish shortly after they were born.
That was why she always clung to Dang Sobaek. He was capable. He was different from the other chicks.
Though he was slow to learn at first, he practiced constantly.
And before she knew it, he would always end up being the most skilled. His feather-shooting was a prime example.
At first, he didn't even know how to throw them, but now he could shoot feathers faster and more accurately than anyone to hunt prey.
She found it utterly fascinating.
So, Jim-i began to "practice" her flight as well. She had learned this habit by watching him.
That was why she had actively participated in this hunt. She had grown confident.
Of course, there was another reason.
She wanted to repay Dang Sobaek for taking care of her all this time. She could tell he wanted this cave and the python.
Jim-i had narrowly dodged the python's attacks while simultaneously wounding it with her beak.
With Dang Sobaek covering her with his feathers, her confidence had soared.
When the python's tail missed her by a hair's breadth, she had even felt a strange, thrilling rush.
For the first time, Jim-i realized that hunting could be exhilarating.
She pressed her attack more boldly.
But that was her fatal mistake.
Her overextended assault left a momentary opening, and—
Crash!
She took a direct hit from the python. In an instant, her wing bone shattered, and she was sent hurtling backward.
In that brief, fleeting moment, Jim-i knew.
She was going to smash against the rocks and die.
Regret washed over her, but it was too late.
Yet, the impact never came.
Dang Sobaek, who had been covering her from behind, cushioned her fall with his own body, saving her life.
But that was all.
Jim-i knew instinctively.
Even if she was lucky enough to survive this...
...she was doomed.
A bird who could not fly could not hunt.
It would be only natural for Dang Sobaek to abandon her and escape alone. That was the law of the wild. Even Mother Jimjo had abandoned wounded chicks, after all.
Gently, she closed her eyes and resigned herself to death.
Just then, Dang Sobaek approached and picked her up with his beak.
For a moment, she feared he was going to eat her. Terror gripped her entire body. There was no Mother Jimjo here to stop him.
Pain flared from her shattered wing, but there was no sensation of her flesh being torn.
Opening her eyes slightly, she saw that Dang Sobaek was carrying her as he flew.
He hadn't abandoned her. He hadn't eaten her. He hadn't left her to die. Something warm welled up in her eyes. It was a strange sensation. Tears began to drip down continuously.
On that day, Jim-i made a vow.
No matter what happened, she would stay by Dang Sobaek's side forever.
Dang Sobaek sought out Jim-sam's nest. Fortunately, Jim-sam welcomed them warmly.
"Pyaaa..."
Jim-i groaned in pain from her broken wing. Looking concerned, Jim-sam gently stroked her head with his wing and shared some of his food.
Though Jim-sam usually acted completely detached from the world, it seemed he still possessed affection for his siblings.
'A direct confrontation is out of the question.'
Especially now that Jim-i was injured. The python was not an opponent he could face alone.
There were many ways to defeat an enemy too powerful to face head-on.
One could launch a coordinated ambush, lure them into advantageous terrain, or exploit a critical weakness.
Since Jim-i was injured, a joint attack was currently impossible.
He could ask for Jim-sam's help, but...
'The matchup is terrible.'
Jim-sam was far too slow to match the agility required to fight the Ink-Scaled Blood Python.
Ultimately, luring it into advantageous terrain was the wisest course of action.
Dang Sobaek pondered for a long time. Then, he recalled the poison crystal he had acquired not long ago.
'I don't know if it will work, but...'
It was worth a try. The poison crystal emitted an aroma so alluring that few beasts could resist it. It would make an excellent bait.
Luring the python out with the crystal while healing Jim-i for a combined assault was their best option.
'First, I must treat her.'
Securing a nest could wait. If all else failed, they could simply find another location.
Dang Sobaek flew out of the nest to search for medicinal herbs that could aid in her recovery.
'I need either White Lotus Bone or Nine Spirit Branch.'
Of the two, the Nine Spirit Branch was more likely to be found on this island.
It was an herb that grew only in the crevices of steep cliffs, capable of stimulating one's innate vitality to maximize natural healing.
Dang Sobaek glided along the mountain slopes, scanning the rocky crevices with a sharp eye.
As he flew, his pupils suddenly dilated in shock.
'This is...'
An unfathomably deep sword scar was carved into the cliffside. It was a massive diagonal slash, as if left behind by a fierce battle.
'The Sovereign Sword Form?'
But Dang Sobaek quickly shook his head. It was similar to the Namgung Clan's Sovereign Sword Form, yet subtly different.
Only Dang Sobaek could have noticed this. Aside from the Namgung Clan themselves, he was more familiar with the Sovereign Sword Form than anyone.
This was not a scar left by pure swordsmanship alone. Another energy was woven into it. It resembled the sorcery wielded by the Blood Cult, yet its fundamental essence was entirely different.
The principles and energy of the Five Elements were infused within the sword scar. It was a bizarre fusion of swordsmanship and sorcery.
Idle gossips often said:
The Wudang Sect's Taiji Sword of Wisdom contains the power of Taiji, and the Shaolin Temple's Tathagata Divine Palm holds the profound truths of demon-subduing and emptiness.
But those were merely conceptual martial principles. It did not mean they literally channeled the physical forces of Taiji or emptiness.
As one of the supreme masters of the previous generation, Dang Sobaek knew exactly how absurd such a feat truly was.
To achieve such a thing, one had to transcend even the realm of Rebirth and reach the absolute pinnacle of sword comprehension just to attempt it.
It was no exaggeration to call this the trace of a Sword Immortal.
'Could Danwu have done this?'
He couldn't even begin to guess.
He simply couldn't believe that a human body could leave such a scar. Perhaps because of the sheer shock of the sight, his body began to tremble. It felt as though he were looking up at an insurmountable heaven.
Suppressing his dread, Dang Sobaek forced himself to focus on the rocky crevices. There, he spotted a single flower glowing with a silver-white light.
What a relief.
Squeezing his small body into the gap, he plucked the flower with his beak. It contained several times more spiritual energy than the Nine Spirit Branches he had known in his past life. Its efficacy would undoubtedly be exceptional.
As he flew back to the nest at full speed, he cast his gaze toward the distant sea. There was no land in sight.
He was deeply curious about where on earth they were.
This island was far too bizarre.
Aside from the traces left by what seemed to be a Sword Immortal, the spiritual energy here was abnormally dense, and the place was teeming with all kinds of Yao beasts.
No matter how much he searched his memories of his past life, no such place had ever existed.
'Then again, this is the very place where I was reborn as a Jimjo.'
Everything was shrouded in mystery.
Furthermore, just looking toward the center of the island sent alarm bells ringing through his entire body, warning him of whatever lay there.
From Mother Jimjo's warning to find a hideout, to the Ink-Scaled Blood Python, the weasel, and Jim-i's injury... there were too many things weighing on his mind. His thoughts were a tangled mess. He wanted to clear his head and enjoy a moment of true freedom.
Without hesitation, Dang Sobaek flew toward the coast.
It was a vast, boundless ocean.
No matter how far he flew, there was nothing but water. The sea was dyed a pitch-black color, hinting at unfathomable depths.
He could taste the salt in the ocean breeze.
Though he had been flying for a long time, he didn't spot so much as a common seagull.
Even so, Dang Sobaek paid it no mind and continued forward.
And then, at some point—
"!"
He spotted a ship. It was a sailing vessel. That meant humans existed, and land was not far away.
Dang Sobaek tried to fly closer to investigate, but—
Thud!
He was deflected backward, as if he had struck an invisible wall.
He found it hard to comprehend what had just happened.
'What is this?'
He tried once more.
Thud—
It was impossible to move forward, blocked by the same invisible barrier.
Looking closely, he noticed a translucent shimmer blocking his path. An energy resembling a grand formation radiated from it.
He couldn't tell if this was a natural phenomenon or if someone had artificially constructed it.
However...
'I sense malice.'
An inexplicable sense of unease washed over him. It felt as though they were being trapped inside, prevented from ever leaving.
'But there must be a way.'
Enclosing an entire, massive island within a single formation should have been impossible—at least, according to the knowledge of his past life.
To confirm his suspicions, he soared high into the sky. Channeling his true qi to enhance his vision, he looked down upon the entire island.
"!"
An unimaginably massive, hemispherical barrier enveloped the entire island.
It was a birdcage.