WeTried Translations
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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 108: Fierce Beast Hunting
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Jegyeong lamented that the ways of the Cultivation World had fallen so low, but he was still satisfied with the Spirit Fruits he had received.
Compared to when he had first entered the Great Demon Realm, Muk-su had grown much larger and was producing considerably more Spirit Fruits.
That was thanks to Jegyeong consistently providing it with quality food.
Of course, Muk-su's innate ability to digest anything it was given had also played a major part.
Unlike other members of the Demon Race, who had to consider the properties of Spiritual Power and Dharma Power before consuming Human Race cultivators, Muk-su ate anything without discrimination.
As a result, the occasional intruders and raiders who appeared over the years had mostly ended up as Muk-su's food.
"How is it?"
"Good."
"Better than before?"
"Yes."
Even if both were past their prime, early-stage and mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were clearly different.
That was simply how cultivation realms worked.
They might seem only one step apart, but the difference was never small.
After sucking up the old cultivator's corpse without leaving behind even a speck of dust, Muk-su unconsciously released demon power.
The amount was not great, but its density and purity rivaled Jegyeong's.
That was astonishing, no matter how many Human Race cultivators it had swallowed.
Jegyeong cultivated Human Race cultivation methods, so the quality of his demon power was no worse than the Dharma Power of most Human Race cultivators.
Yet Muk-su had reached a similar level through nothing but pure Blood Meals.
"Can you give me more things like this in the future?"
"That'll be difficult."
Jegyeong immediately shook his head at Muk-su's cautious request.
It wanted him to bring it mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators? He would have liked to do so too, if he could.
But it was nearly impossible.
He could not even guarantee that he would be able to keep capturing early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Unlike Jegyeong, whose name was not particularly well known, rumors of Black Shark Island and the black jiao had already spread so widely that no one nearby remained unaware of them.
There were no longer many moths foolish enough to fly toward the flame without valuing their lives.
That meant he would have to go outside if he wanted to keep finding food.
Still, it would not be easy to hunt cultivators in the Human Territories, and even if he could, Jegyeong had no desire to do so.
'But I need to find a new route.'
At present, Jegyeong obtained all his Human Race cultivators through Gwak Jeongsin.
Yet the number of Human Race cultivators he needed kept growing.
It was not only because Muk-su's appetite had become more vigorous. There was also considerable demand from the small gathering he had formed.
Originally, Jegyeong had not thought much of the purchasing power of Great Demon Beasts.
He believed the Demon Race had a poor eye for treasures and no habit of storing things away, so even if he continued selling Foundation Establishment cultivators, it would be difficult to receive a fair price.
It had been a serious miscalculation.
He had underestimated the wealth of Great Demon Beasts.
They truly had little eye for treasures and no habit of accumulating them.
Instead, they possessed fertile lands that most members of the Human Race did not.
Normally, they paid no attention to those vast, rich lands.
There was no need to.
No matter what treasures emerged from those lands, very few would catch their attention, so there was no reason to search every corner.
Whether something caught their attention was not determined by its value, but by its usefulness.
Even spiritual treasures that made the Human Race's eyes turn red could be worthless to the Demon Race. Many treasures found underwater were exactly like that.
At Jegyeong's exchange gathering, though, they realized that things they had previously overlooked could be traded for value.
They thoroughly searched their territories and gathered anything that seemed valuable.
As a result, Jegyeong had suddenly become something like an appraiser, forced to carefully examine every sort of item the Great Demon Beasts brought out.
After all, genuine treasures were occasionally mixed among them.
'He said Sea Abyss Island was planning to expand its trade goods.'
Sea Abyss Island, which could be considered half his place of business, came to mind first. But Jegyeong soon gave up on the idea.
Using Sea Abyss Island would be the surest and cleanest option, but Myeongha's influence there was too strong.
Myeongha had already shown interest in Jegyeong's small gathering, and Jegyeong did not want him to grasp what was going on here.
'But... nothing else comes to mind.'
As he continued dwelling on a problem without an answer, his head began to ache.
He needed to keep supplying Foundation Establishment cultivators.
They were the exchange gathering's only exclusive product, as well as its bait.
In truth, Jegyeong no longer needed to cling to the exchange gathering.
The small gathering that had begun with five members, including Jegyeong himself as its host, now had more than ten Great Demon Beasts participating. It could no longer be called small.
Furthermore, after attending several exchange gatherings, the Great Demon Beasts had learned how useful and enjoyable it was to trade away useless items and purchase what they needed. Even if Jegyeong did not lead it, the exchange gathering would likely continue steadily.
Of course, Jegyeong's presence was essential for it to remain stable.
Great Demon Beasts were vicious by nature, and their trust in one another was thinner than paper.
To gather them together and establish rules and order, someone needed the strength to suppress them all. Among the gathering's members, Jegyeong alone possessed that level of strength and authority.
They might not admit it openly, but they needed Jegyeong.
It could even be said that they relied on him.
This was what Jegyeong had intended when he first envisioned an exchange gathering for the Demon Race, so it would not be wrong to say he had already exceeded his goal.
Even if he stepped back a little now, his influence would only grow as long as the exchange gathering continued to be held.
But...
'It's quite profitable.'
At first, he had focused on expanding and maintaining the gathering. Now, though, his attention had shifted to the profits he earned from it.
The various goods he brought in from the Human Territories were extremely popular among the Great Demon Beasts, and the prices they sold for were so outrageous that Human Race cultivators would condemn them as blatant profiteering.
That did not even include the Foundation Establishment cultivators.
If he could acquire and sell them in abundance, the resulting profit would exceed the income from his share of Sea Abyss Island or his trade with the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association.
How could he not remain attached to the exchange gathering?
Foundation Establishment cultivators were difficult to acquire, but if he could somehow obtain them, the wealthy patrons of the exchange gathering would buy them at prices that made him grin from ear to ear.
If possible, Jegyeong wanted to obtain more Foundation Establishment cultivators and hand them over to his loyal wealthy patrons.
'Forget it. There's no need to force what can't be done.'
In the end, it was greed.
No matter how much he suppressed that tiresome feeling, it always grew so tall that he had to look up at it. No weed in the world could compare.
Such greed could not be eliminated, nor should it be.
The desire to improve and the Dao-Seeking Heart were also forms of greed.
They were the driving force that allowed one to advance. In theory, if a cultivator's will were infinitely strong, infinite greed would be a reliable force that allowed them to go farther and faster.
But that was not the case.
That was why cultivators had to constantly restrain their greed so it would not grow too large.
Jegyeong cleared his mind and calmed his heart.
A short while later, Black Shark Island's cool air was overtaken by midsummer heat.
* * *
"Fellow Daoist, how many will appear this time?"
"It wouldn't be fun if you knew beforehand. Don't cheat."
Jegyeong answered Jang Yeong's subtle question with a smile.
"Please, tell me just a little. My circumstances haven't been good lately."
If Jang Yeong's circumstances were poor, he could wait for the next chance.
Jegyeong wanted to answer that way, but held back.
They had built some rapport while hunting together, and Jang Yeong's backing was so powerful that he could not treat him carelessly.
'Judging by the way Makgye spoke, Jang Yeong's father seems to hold a position equal to or even higher than Makgye's.'
He had learned that from Makgye, who had visited him not long ago.
Jegyeong had known that Jang Yeong had ties to the Dragon King Palace, but he had assumed they were only somewhat more deeply involved than a guest elder.
That was not the case.
Jang Yeong's backing was not related to his own status, but to his father.
And his father's position seemed comparable to, or higher than, Makgye's.
Jegyeong did not know how the Dragon King Palace was organized, but considering that status in the Cultivation World was generally proportional to strength, Jang Yeong's father was most likely in the late stage of the Great Demon Realm, or perhaps even close to the Demon King Realm.
'Scheming bastard.'
Jegyeong had guessed there was nothing ordinary about Jang Yeong, but he had not expected him to be so thoroughly calculating.
Why would someone with such an impressive father come all the way to this remote place and live so miserably?
"Then at least tell me whether there'll be plenty."
Jang Yeong looked as though he would not give up without an answer.
It was unlike him.
"You must be in quite a hurry."
"I truly am."
Jang Yeong let out a sigh.
"Are you trying to break through?"
"Yes. But I'm not certain."
After hunting together more than ten times, they had grown close enough to discuss various matters related to cultivation.
No matter what they thought privately, their outward relationship could be called friendship.
"But I can feel it. It feels as though I only need to refine myself a little more."
If cultivation was the process of opening a channel for water, then a bottleneck was a massive wall.
Being blocked by a bottleneck was like water trapped behind a wall, while breaking through a bottleneck meant using that water to shatter the wall in its path.
Ordinary people continued moving the water, gradually wearing away at the wall.
It was like a rat gnawing at a city wall.
It required a long time and immense effort, and success was not guaranteed even then.
The talented could break the wall more easily and quickly, but the process itself was similar.
In Jegyeong's eyes, Jang Yeong was talented.
He was only a little over a thousand years old, yet he was already approaching the mid-stage Great Demon Realm. Among the Demon Race, he was clearly quite gifted.
"Four."
"That is a little lacking."
Jang Yeong sighed again and frowned.
Perhaps because of his appearance, his expressions were no different from those of the Human Race.
If not for the dozens of enormous tentacles writhing below his waist, Jegyeong might have mistaken this for a conversation with a Human Race cultivator.
"It hasn't been easy to obtain goods lately."
"This area is too quiet."
The Demon Race and the Human Race were enemies by nature.
Yangseo Lake was said to be calmer than other places, but scattered conflicts still broke out constantly.
There were even occasional cases where a Great Demon Beast raised a Beast Tide and swept away several islands, or even an entire nation.
Naturally, none of that had anything to do with this quiet, boring area.
Just as thieves did not break into a shack that was already falling apart, conflict could only arise when there was something worth fighting over.
What conflict could there be in a place with no Spiritual Veins to be found and only scattered Spiritual Lands?
"Don't rush. If this time doesn't work out, you can simply wait for the next chance."
"Hoo. You're right."
Jang Yeong was a demon fiend, and he was certainly different from a Demon Beast.
He was more rational and intelligent.
"What are we targeting this time?"
"A Fierce Beast. It originally did not come into shallow waters, but its fierce nature has grown stronger recently. It left its usual habitat and has been rampaging wherever it goes."
"A Fierce Beast..."
Jegyeong smacked his lips.
"Is it wanted by the Palace?"
"It isn't."
Jang Yeong immediately shook his head, but Jegyeong was not entirely convinced.
Footnotes:
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