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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈

Chapter 17: Full-Wing Gathering

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Jegyeong had two goals in partnering with the Wood Demon.

One was its fruit, and the other was the Demon Beasts that would be drawn to it.

He had little interest in ordinary animals.

If they were there, he would eat them, but he would not go out of his way to hunt them down otherwise.

It was an indulgent thought, but his stomach was actually full, so what could he do?

After tasting Demon Beast meat once, ordinary flesh could no longer satisfy him.

‘Is this what it means to be a Demon Beast of the Demon Race?’

A Demon Beast’s instincts cried out to him.

Eat, eat, and eat some more.

Then he could keep growing stronger.

Then he would no longer need to fear anything.

‘Is this really okay?’

The condition was that the Wood Demon had to bear fruit at a suitable rate.

What if it took several months to grow a single fruit? That would be a serious problem.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Jegyeong briefly regretted not leaving a few fruits behind instead of taking them all. Yet he relaxed after the Wood Demon said it could quickly bear more fruit with the body of one monkey Demon Beast.

Well, it had also said that two would let it bear more fruit, faster, but he ignored that part.

‘The fruit is good, but Demon Beast meat is still better.’

That was Jegyeong’s conclusion after trying both.

He had been like this even before becoming a Demon Beast, but afterward, his ability to recognize what was “good” had become exceptional.

A glance gave him a rough idea, and consuming something himself let him understand it perfectly.

The Wood Demon’s fruit cleared his mind.

Demon Beast meat strengthened his body.

Between the two, Jegyeong was more drawn to the meat. Still, he did not think that was because the Wood Demon’s fruit was less valuable than monkey Demon Beast meat.

It was like water and rice.

To someone thirsty, water would be better than rice. To someone hungry, rice would be better than water.

In other words, one was drawn more strongly to what one needed most.

By that logic, Jegyeong was probably drawn to Demon Beast meat rather than the fruit because he needed the former more.

‘My real gain was not the fruit. It was those monkeys’ meat.’

He had given one of the four monkeys to the Wood Demon.

He had not wanted to, but it was necessary for the Wood Demon to bear fruit, and it needed a reward after giving him all its fruit.

A tree that had become a demon fiend was no longer an ordinary tree.

This time, Jegyeong had seen that although this arboreal demon fiend might not be quite like a person, it clearly possessed a heart and emotions.

It knew fear, knew anger, and could express both. There was no reason to treat it harshly and earn its resentment.

At least for the time being, they needed to help one another.

‘Hmm.’

After the battle, he had given one monkey Demon Beast to the Wood Demon and a hand to Cheongo.

Cheongo had cheered diligently, but had not contributed to the fight at all, so a single hand was more than enough.

Instead, Jegyeong had given Cheongo three fruits, and the spirit bird seemed satisfied.

Everything left after that division belonged to Jegyeong.

Right there, after dividing the spoils, he devoured all of it, both the Demon Beast meat and the Wood Demon’s fruit.

In a world where he did not know what lay even an inch ahead, Jegyeong believed the safest place was inside his stomach.

And now...

Deep inside a makeshift cave, Jegyeong lay coiled and focused on digestion.

‘If things could keep going like this.’

He felt the Demon Beast’s flesh and blood melt into him, making his body stronger.

The sensation was so faint that it could have been his imagination, but it was still something. Jegyeong firmly believed that if such gains accumulated, they would eventually create a great difference.

Had not Uh Dobaek, a senior from the Forget-Me Garden, repeatedly stressed the importance of the heart in cultivation? Belief was also a part of the heart. If one believed they were moving forward, it would surely be a great help in truly advancing.

‘Am I not living proof of that?’

Jegyeong thought of his parents.

Compared to them, whose appearance would not have looked out of place on a monster movie poster, he might seem small and weak at a little over twenty meters long.

But in truth, he had already become a Demon Beast. His parents, who had been little more than large animals, could not compare to him.

‘Take even those monkey bastards, for instance.’

Judging by size alone, the monkey Demon Beasts should not have dared breathe in front of his parents. Reality was different.

Jegyeong grimaced at the pain from the scratches covering his body.

Even striking a rock would not leave a scratch on his body.

Scales as hard as steel, and muscles not quite as tough but still firm, had made Jegyeong feel invincible. During the height of battle, no matter how wildly the monkeys struggled, he had felt little pain.

Once the fight ended and his tension eased, though, the stinging ache came rushing in.

‘Even so, Demon Beasts are still Demon Beasts.’

Even accounting for differences in strength between individuals, as with humans and beasts, the monkey Demon Beasts had been unimpressive in combat.

For all he knew, they might have been near the bottom among Demon Beasts.

‘It was strange enough that four of them traveled together.’

According to Uh Dobaek, Demon Beasts were highly independent.

The less developed their Spiritual Intelligence, the stronger that tendency became. Unless they were parent and child, Demon Beasts rarely moved together.

Yet four monkey Demon Beasts had formed a group.

Jegyeong guessed that they had encountered some fortuitous opportunity and become Demon Beasts all at once.

Perhaps they had become Demon Beasts so suddenly that they had not developed the habits of their kind, continuing to act as they had when they were ordinary animals.

‘Or it could be the opposite.’

The clever monkeys might have realized they were weaker than other Demon Beasts and traveled in a pack to use their numbers to overcome that difference in strength.

“Grrngh!”

Jegyeong cleared his thoughts and closed his eyes.

He had suffered many injuries, but they were all superficial. They would heal cleanly in a day or two.

Still, he did not know when another enemy might appear. He needed to rest deeply while he could and recover as quickly as possible.

A little later, Jegyeong’s breathing became even.

* * *

As always, the vast sky of the Forget-Me Garden captured Jegyeong’s gaze.

Of course, it could not compare to the skies of the Azure Basket Realm in sheer scale. In the forest where Jegyeong lived, though, endlessly growing trees made it difficult to see such an open sky.

He could climb a tree whenever he wanted to look, but if a Demon Bird flying overhead noticed him, he would be in trouble. Even now that he was a Demon Beast, Jegyeong did not dare climb too high.

‘It would be nice to come here to look once in a while.’

He could exist here only as a Spirit Body, so he could not feel a cool breeze brushing against his scales. Still, the view alone was satisfying enough.

Whenever he had time, coming here briefly to relieve his sense of confinement seemed like a good idea.

‘By the way... am I the first to arrive?’

He had reached the meeting place, but every stone pillar was empty.

Jegyeong chose the lowest empty pillar, climbed onto it, and spent the time meditating.

“Hmm? And you are?”

A little later, an unfamiliar cultivator radiating intense pressure looked at Jegyeong atop the stone pillar and asked in surprise.

“My name is Jegyeong. Senior Uh Dobaek invited me to this gathering.”

“Fellow Daoist Uh did? Hmm... I see.”

Whether because of Uh Dobaek’s name or because the cultivator had recognized that Jegyeong was a Demon Beast, the pressure eased at once.

“You said your name was Jegyeong? Good to meet you. I am Ye Janggyeong.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Senior Ye.”

As Jegyeong exchanged a few words with Ye Janggyeong, the other participants arrived one after another.

Each time someone appeared, Jegyeong found it harder to remain calm.

If they had not deliberately restrained their Auras, he likely would not have endured once more than three of them had gathered.

Excluding Jegyeong, there were five participants in the exchange gathering known as the Full-Wing Gathering.

All of them were Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, and one was at late Foundation Establishment.

When that person arrived, Jegyeong had felt crushing pressure. Yet after the cultivator concealed his Aura, the pressure Jegyeong felt from him became far fainter than that of the others.

That was despite the others also doing their best to restrain their Auras.

It meant his control over his Aura had reached a mature level.

“It has been a long time since we have seen a new face. Such an interesting one, too.”

Yu Gyeyun, the late Foundation Establishment cultivator, spoke with a smile.

“That is true. A Demon Race cultivator. This is my first time seeing one. What about you, Fellow Daoist Choe?”

Ye Janggyeong, the early Foundation Establishment cultivator who had first greeted Jegyeong, asked in amazement.

“It is my first time as well. Demon Race cultivators are difficult to see in the Human Territories.”

Another early Foundation Establishment cultivator, Choe Jutang, answered him.

“I have seen one before. Merchants from the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association once visited the city where I stay, and I saw one then.”

Chae Yeonri, the only woman among the cultivators gathered here and a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator, calmly recalled the memory.

Uh Dobaek showed interest.

“Oh? You met one in person?”

“I only saw them from afar. They did not seem to have properly mastered the Transformation Secret Art, so their appearance was strange and their temperament rather violent.”

Chae Yeonri did not hide her curiosity toward Jegyeong.

“That is why I find this so interesting. Your cultivation is low, Fellow Daoist Je, yet the stability of your Heart State is no different from that of Human Race cultivators. It is truly a rare talent.”

“You flatter me. As you said, my cultivation is nothing remarkable. I would not dare let seniors such as yourselves call me Fellow Daoist. Please treat me as a junior.”

“Hmm. If that is more comfortable for you.”

In the Cultivation World, a cultivator’s standing was determined only by cultivation level.

Yesterday’s senior could become today’s Fellow Daoist, and tomorrow’s junior.

Before people strong enough to crush his mind through will alone and peel away his skin with a flick of a finger, Jegyeong showed boundless humility.

These “seniors” seemed deeply impressed by his “stable Heart State,” and their attitude toward him was gentle.

“Meeting such an excellent junior is a joy for all of us. We seem to have finished our introductions, so let us get to the main subject.”

Under Yu Gyeyun’s lead, the gathering began.

“About the matter from before, the reports of the Myriad Heavens Palace’s appearance seem to be true after all. I hear that the Hyeonhae Immortal Dynasty has already sealed off the Hyeonhae Sea Region.”

“It is true. I heard that Green Star Hall strongly protested the Hyeonhae Immortal Dynasty’s unilateral action.”

“Even so, is the Hyeonhae Immortal Dynasty not justified?”

“Green Star Hall likely will not openly show its greed for the Myriad Heavens Palace. It will only fan the flames from behind the scenes. A cultivator’s heart is not bound by justification or principle, so if the Hyeonhae Immortal Dynasty does not wish to lose the people’s support, it will eventually have no choice but to compromise.”

The exchange gathering he attended for the first time was quite different from what Jegyeong had imagined.

He had pictured powerful cultivators seriously discussing their cultivation and seeking progress together. Instead, it reminded him of a familiar scene from his previous life.

If only someone had brought drinks, would this not have looked exactly like people gathered at a cafe to chat? Of course, there were no drinks here, and even if there had been, they would have been only for show.

‘It feels like people ordering an Americano and rambling about international affairs and stocks.’

The Hyeonhae Immortal Dynasty and Green Star Hall were matters from another world to Jegyeong.

He listened as closely as he could, wondering whether any passing detail might help him understand his current situation.

Most of what they discussed concerned major events in the Cultivation World, far removed from him, but it was still quite interesting.

Someone had broken through, someone else had fallen, a treasure had appeared somewhere...

It felt strange to think that events he had only read about in novels in his previous life were happening somewhere in this world, even now.

“I thought I would gain something this time, but it turned out to be another wasted effort.”

“Do not be too discouraged. That is why a fortuitous opportunity is called a fortuitous opportunity. Your heart has already reached the Dao, Fellow Daoist. Heaven will surely open a path for you.”

“Haha. Heaven... I truly hope so.”

Once the major topics had passed, they began talking about each person’s recent circumstances.

Most of it concerned cultivation.

One had gained a small achievement through repeated comprehension. Another had spent months exploring for spiritual treasures, only to return empty-handed.

“Come to think of it, fortuitous opportunities are not always far away.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you not know? Senior Floating Cloud has announced a Lecture on the Dao.”

“Senior Floating Cloud’s Lecture on the Dao? When will it be?”

“In ten years. I heard that anyone who wishes may come and listen.”

Uh Dobaek and Chae Yeonri, both at mid Foundation Establishment, seemed slightly excited.

In contrast, Ye Janggyeong and Choe Jutang, both at early Foundation Establishment, were relatively calm.

Jegyeong could roughly guess why.

‘That Lecture on the Dao would not be much help to those two. Their realms are too low.’

No matter how excellent a focused lecture might be, it would sound like nonsense to someone who had not grasped the basic concepts. A Lecture on the Dao from Floating Cloud, who stood at the peak of the Golden Core Stage, would not be very useful to those whose realms were too low.

That was probably why their reactions differed.

‘Even within the Foundation Establishment Stage, is there such a difference between early and mid stage?’

Perhaps the Human Race had not divided major cultivation realms into three stages solely out of an obsession with classification.

Jegyeong looked toward Yu Gyeyun, who had been silent for a while.

The others did the same.

“Senior Yu. What will you do?”

“I intend to go. It may become a good opportunity.”

“Have you truly decided?”

“Yes. I’m desperate enough to grasp at straws. I have felt that way for a long time.”

As the mood turned serious, Jegyeong wisely remained silent.

The seniors spoke of cultivation bottlenecks and the helpless misery they brought.

A shared feeling that Jegyeong could not understand had already taken deep root among them.

‘A bottleneck...’

He had not experienced one yet, but someday he would.

To cultivate and walk the Immortal Path was also to fight countless bottlenecks.

“Then when will you depart?”

“I should leave within a year at the latest.”

Jegyeong was inwardly astonished at the way Yu Gyeyun spoke as though even that would be tight.

‘Vast Leisure Forest is in the Northern Region, and this place is in the heart of the Southern Region. Even so...’

They could exist here only as Spirit Bodies and could move purely through mental strength, but cultivators were certainly not slow.

Jegyeong himself was confident that he could fly faster than a bird here, so how much more so Foundation Establishment cultivators?

Yet Yu Gyeyun, not just a Foundation Establishment cultivator but one at late Foundation Establishment, was speaking of nine years at the very least.

Jegyeong could only be dumbfounded.

‘Is the Forget-Me Garden really that vast?’

Had it not been called a Small World?

Did the Cultivation World’s idea of “small” differ somewhat from his own?

For a moment, Jegyeong was left confused.

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