Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence
"Isn't there some grand gateway or anything? A test, perhaps... Don't these situations usually involve facing some massive entity that threatens your life?"
No answer came to my question.
As if it had all been an illusion, the surrounding scenery darkened in an instant, and I sat alone in the middle of that emptiness.
Yet something had changed.
"This is it."
A round orb of light floated before me.
It was a mysterious glow that somehow felt both scorching hot and refreshingly cool at the same time.
I instinctively understood that this was the Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence I had been searching for.
I reached out toward the light without hesitation.
In that instant, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, the orb trembled, scattered, and transformed into a wisp of smoke that surged straight into my body through my palm.
An internal upheaval began at once.
My dantian churned violently, expelling every trace of demonic energy it contained.
It took barely a moment for my internal energy to run completely dry.
But that was only temporary. Soon my entire network of meridians began pulsing with frantic intensity.
A hot, majestic energy surged outward in time with my heartbeat.
It was demonic energy, yet somehow not—a completely different sensation that dominated every inch of my body.
The rising internal energy not only filled my dantian but overflowed with power to spare.
What in the world is this...
It was pure demonic energy of the highest caliber.
In the end, even the Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence had acknowledged that the true nature of my power was demonic.
My internal energy had broken through one full Jiazi in a single leap.
One Jiazi represented the total internal energy that could be accumulated through sincere cultivation over roughly sixty years.
Of course, as eras changed and martial arts advanced dramatically, the standard had grown somewhat vague, but it remained the perfect benchmark.
"Huu."
I regulated my breathing lightly.
Surpassing one Jiazi meant I had finally drawn close to what I truly wanted.
I can begin now.
The corners of my mouth lifted on their own.
I brought my hands together neatly and slowly raised them as if lifting the energy itself.
The true qi flowing through my meridians vibrated with terrifying intensity, spreading a heavy aura.
Dragon Heaven True Qi... Twelve-star completion.
With my expanded internal energy as fuel, the Ju family's high-level cultivation method instantly reached twelve-star completion. The pure, overwhelming power circulated through every meridian like a coiling dragon.
Supported by my newfound internal energy, the Dragon Heaven True Qi had broken through to a new realm in one go.
Yet while it was undeniably one of the family's supreme techniques, it still fell short against the Twelve Demon Generals or the Four Evils.
Therefore...
Now that the conditions were met, I needed to engrave a new supreme art into my body.
Rumble!
The space inside vibrated violently.
As if struck by an earthquake, the ground cracked and the surrounding space itself began to collapse.
I'm ready. Let's begin.
With my resolve hardened, I slowly recited the incantation and boldly altered the flow of my true qi.
The energy of a dragon soaring across the open sky.
The fundamental nature of the Ju family's power remained unchanged.
Thus, this was the same.
An energy far more fierce, savage, and incomparably wild than before began circulating through my body like a raging sea.
Success.
Since I understood it perfectly, failure was impossible.
I slowly controlled the energy and sank into a state of no-self.
Boom!
The main gate of the Kunlun Sect, already on the verge of collapse, shattered completely.
Through the wreckage stepped Dogon and his subordinates.
"You damn dogs of the Ju family. Where are you hiding?"
Dogon growled with fury, raising his senses to their peak.
Yet he detected no presence anywhere.
It was as if they had flown into the sky or sunk into the earth—there wasn't even a trace.
"Are you certain this is the place?"
Dogon asked the subordinate beside him.
The subordinate bowed his head and answered quickly.
"Yes, Blood Prince. The trail ends here. They must be inside."
"...Then release the demonic warriors and surround the entire Kunlun Mountain. That bastard—I will catch him myself."
"Understood. It will be done as you command."
The subordinate immediately rushed outside while Dogon glared furiously and began searching every inch of the Kunlun Sect's interior.
But no matter how thoroughly he looked, not even an ant could be found.
His rage reaching its limit, Dogon slammed his sheathed sword into the ground.
"Just where the hell did they—"
It was then that Dogon sensed something strange and looked down.
A crack had formed where his sword had struck.
Crack!
The fissure spread uncontrollably, stretching far and wide until part of the floor collapsed entirely.
"..."
Before his eyes appeared a staircase leading underground.
"What the hell is this?"
A vicious smile finally spread across Dogon's lips.
"So you were hiding here. Heh heh."
Without hesitation, he strode toward the stairs.
The scent.
From underground came the thick smell of that arrogant brat.
Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence.
Just as the name suggested, it meant the breath exhaled by a dragon that had lived for a thousand years.
It promised unparalleled internal energy and profound enlightenment that might never appear again in a thousand years.
Yet for something so extraordinary, obtaining it had been almost disappointingly easy.
"Huu."
After finishing my breathing exercises, I quickly inspected my internal condition.
My internal energy has increased by one and a half Jiazi.
It was comparable to a supreme recovery pill.
But the true power of the Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence did not end there.
The energy that had yet to fully assimilate still crouched within my meridians, hiding its strength.
The amount was easily double what I had already absorbed.
"Huu."
Moreover, there was the tremendous expansion of my senses.
I instantly understood why the Heavenly Demon had shown such a monstrous reaction in my previous life.
The Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence wildly expanded the user's sensory organs themselves.
"So this was why. This is why that insane formation was created."
The Mixed World Heavenly Martial Power Array was an ancient formation not even recorded in modern texts.
It was so old that it had vanished from all records, and its level was so high it could be called an absolute formation. Yet now I could escape this place in a single breath.
No—the only one who could dismantle this formation was the person who had claimed the Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence.
I can see it. As clearly as if it were right before my eyes.
The clusters of light flashing before me.
These lights illuminating the dark space were arranged in a precise, regular pattern at fixed intervals.
And that was—
The Big Dipper.
There was no doubt someone had created this formation after observing the heavens.
It was a classic Phoenix Wing Formation.
The Phoenix Wing was used to neutralize an opponent's mobility and restrain or suppress something important.
Since it could also be deployed as a sword formation, many sects and families incorporated its principles into various arrays.
And it was the same here.
As if sealing an existence of supreme purity, hundreds of Phoenix Wing Formations—each slightly different in shape—were positioned upon the seven seats of the Big Dipper.
I walked forward slowly and removed the seven clusters of light one by one.
I had to open the brightest gate of the Big Dipper first, then carefully dismantle the remaining six constellations in the proper order.
What would have happened if I hadn't obtained the Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence?
I wouldn't have been able to see these lights at all, and I would have died trapped inside this formation.
I was too reckless. I need to be more careful from now on.
Blinded by the opportunity, I had acted rashly based on my shallow memories from my previous life.
If I had been trapped here...
There could be no more unfair death than that.
Having obtained the Thousand-Year Dragon Saliva Essence, I had gained both overwhelming sensory perception capable of dismantling an ancient formation and a satisfying one-and-a-half Jiazi of internal energy.
All of this was merely the foundation I needed to crush Dogon and the entire Demonic Cult.
I slowly gathered the final, seventh cluster of light.
And then...
Crack!
With an explosive roar, the surrounding space began to distort.
Dogon couldn't believe his eyes.
A massive stele stood squarely before him.
Just as he was examining it closely, the inscriptions carved upon it suddenly began emitting light all at once.
Soon the stele grew quiet again, and the inscriptions vanished completely as if they had never existed.
The world was vast and full of strange phenomena, but this was the first time he had ever seen letters disappearing right before his eyes.
As Dogon tensed, a low rumble shook the ground.
The area behind the stele opened up into a vast underground space.
The moment three figures emerged from within, a smile full of killing intent spread across Dogon's face.
"I wondered where you disappeared to. So you were just hiding here?"
"..."
I stared at Dogon in silence.
The overwhelming pressure I used to feel when my realm was inferior had long since vanished.
Still, he was one of the Twelve Demon Generals.
I would never underestimate him.
I extended my hand toward Muyoung.
"...?"
"Lend me your sword for a moment."
"My sword?"
Though puzzled, Muyoung immediately offered his blade.
"Hmm."
I drew the sword and swung it a few times.
The weight was appropriate, but its durability was the problem.
This sword wouldn't even withstand a single strike from me.
"I'll get you a new one when we return."
"...Pardon?"
"Let's go."
I turned to face Dogon.
The moment I gripped the sword, a sharp killing intent flooded the area as my old senses returned.
At that electrifying sensation, Yuran's body twitched and she unconsciously stepped back.
Dogon also looked at me with startled eyes.
"You've... changed."
"That's right. I have."
Why else would I have come here?
"But that doesn't mean anything."
Dogon easily predicted his own victory.
Anyone else would have thought the same.
"Really? Does it mean nothing?"
I tilted my head with a relaxed smile.
This time Dogon wasn't letting his guard down.
His tense expression and rigid posture proved it.
He was wary of whatever trick I might pull next.
But this time there were no tricks.
I could defeat him.
"Once," I began.
Dogon gripped his sword tightly and lowered his stance, ready to charge at any moment.
"I was called a good-for-nothing. I did nothing but drink, carouse with the black path, beat people, beat servants... and, well, I was crazy about women too."
Extorting money went without saying.
I had even destroyed several businesses with threats when things didn't go my way.
"But when the banner the righteous path raised collapsed, when the alliances they had carefully built shattered one by one, and when their beliefs became utterly worthless..."
I was speaking of the righteous murim that had crumbled beneath the Demonic Cult's assault.
"People started calling me something else."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Dogon listened quietly to my words.
No—he couldn't act recklessly.
Because he couldn't find a single opening.
"The last star of the righteous murim. Their final hope. Heh heh heh."
Wasn't it truly amusing?
Amusing enough to make me laugh like this.
"The same person once called a good-for-nothing, a piece of trash, the family's shame... became the last star of the murim? Isn't that funny?"
"..."
I slowly stroked the sword with a reverent gesture.
Zing!
The blade resonated at my touch and began to tremble.
It was then.
"I can't listen to this anymore. Just die already, you Ju family brat."
Dogon made the first move.
The moment he took a single step forward, he was suddenly standing right before me.
"Hear me out until the end. These are words I would never say to anyone else."
Shing!
I thrust out a single strike.
There was no technique or flourish.
Yet the sword whipped like a lash, carrying sword energy that pierced straight through Dogon's left shoulder.
His movements, forms, breathing, and flow—I already held all of them in my head.
"Ugh!"
Dogon retreated in panic.
It hadn't been a light strike.
With dozens of transformations contained in a single move, his movements had been completely sealed.
Such a thing was only possible if the opponent possessed enlightenment that surpassed his own.
Did that brat really surpass me? Does that even make sense?
Dogon's pupils trembled faintly.
"Don't feel too wronged."
I gave him one final message.
"The star of the murim, the Blood-Plume Sword Saint. Ju Woo-jin."
"..."
"That is my other name."
A single red dragon burst from the tip of the sword with a mighty roar, instantly swallowing Dogon whole. The ferocious dragon energy, far more savage than the Ju family's original power, devoured everything in its path.
Boom!
The moment I finished speaking, I took a single step forward.
In that instant, a red dragon burst from the tip of my sword with a mighty roar and swallowed Dogon in one bite.