WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations
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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 43: Dae Yokyeong, Yang Seoho
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‘Now, perhaps...’
For a moment, he was tempted, but barely managed to calm himself.
Breaking through to the next realm was never easy.
When he recalled becoming a Demon Beast, there had been a powerful instinct followed by a certainty he could feel clearly. For an instant, it had felt as though the gates of the Great Dao had opened wide before him, and that if it was not now, it never would be.
This time, he was tempted, but he felt no such certainty. It was as though he was not fully prepared yet.
As he hesitated, Jegyeong suddenly gave a quiet laugh.
‘How ridiculous. I’m waiting for someone to spoon-feed it to me.’
What did being completely prepared even mean?
No matter how thoroughly he prepared, something would always be lacking. Was he supposed to shake his head and repeat, “Just a little more,” every time?
No.
He could not sit still and wait for the door to open. He had to open it himself and move forward.
If he needed someone to push him from behind before he could advance, then he had never been worthy of advancing in the first place.
‘Besides, there’s no time.’
The battle between Upper Demon Grove and the Jeyeon Sect had just ended. The Jeyeon Sect had most likely won.
Both sides would make some sort of move, and before long, this quiet land would surely become turbulent.
Would the victorious Jeyeon Sect press this far in? Or would the humiliated Upper Demon Grove launch a massive counterattack?
Jegyeong did not know the conflict between the two factions had been staged, so he could only let his imagination run wild.
From his perspective, both the Jeyeon Sect and Upper Demon Grove were factions he had to avoid.
The Jeyeon Sect would naturally try to skin him the moment they saw a member of the Demon Race. Upper Demon Grove also had to be avoided, since he had killed Sagaewan, one of their Great Demon Beasts.
Perhaps Upper Demon Grove did not know that he had killed Sagaewan. Then again, perhaps they did.
This Cultivation World was filled with all kinds of strange methods. Jegyeong did not want to leave his life to chance unless he absolutely had to.
‘This won’t do. I’m too weak right now.’
After completing his Molting, he had gained the confidence to face any Demon Beast without falling behind. Yet that was only against Demon Beasts. Jegyeong had struggled for a long time against a single Great Demon Beast that had been on the verge of death.
If Sagaewan had retained even a little more strength, Jegyeong would undoubtedly have been the one to die.
‘I need to cross the Great Demon threshold.’
Jegyeong made up his mind.
Once his resolve hardened, he was fully prepared.
‘I shape Spiritual Power into Dharma Power. But is Dharma Power truly what I should shape?’
He had used the Fire Crystal as a Spiritual Seed to cultivate his Spiritual Essence.
His method differed from that of the Human Race, who relied on Spiritual Roots, and that of the Demon Race, who relied on Bloodlines.
He could not claim to have created something from nothing, but his path clearly differed from the cultivation methods of both races. He would take their methods as references, but he had no intention of following them exactly.
‘My Spiritual Essence came from the Fire Crystal’s fire energy. After two Moltings, my body has also grown more attuned to fire energy. Then the power I shape should possess the nature of fire energy, or something similar.’
Jegyeong understood the theory behind the second realm of the Immortal Path well enough.
Still, he did not forget that the theories he knew had come from the experiences of others. His Immortal Path differed greatly from theirs, so he had to pay even closer attention to that fact.
‘The power of my Spiritual Essence must become something other than Dharma Power or demon power. Or... I could combine the two.’
If he had to define his identity, Jegyeong thought it would be half-human, half-demon.
His body was that of a Demon Beast, but the person within was human.
More than that, he accepted both identities, as a Demon Beast and as a human. His Immortal Path had been built upon those identities. Should not the power he wielded suit them as well?
‘Good.’
Jegyeong focused on his Spiritual Essence.
The land of his Spiritual Essence, once a barren wasteland, now pulsed with vigorous life. At its center burned a flame, still small, but much larger than before.
Jegyeong focused on that flame.
His mind melted into it. His Spiritual Essence and the land of his Spiritual Essence melted into it as well.
When every part of Jegyeong had been poured into that small flame, until there was nothing left to pour in, the flames surged.
‘Now I understand.’
Only after throwing everything into the fire did Jegyeong finally realize the truth.
To reach the second realm of the Immortal Path, only one thing was necessary.
Resolve.
The resolve to cast away everything he had cultivated until now in order to shape a single strand of power.
The resolve to take a step forward without fear, even knowing that failure would reduce everything to nothing.
That resolve was different from simple courage.
It was an unwavering desire to improve, the heart that sought the Dao.
Jegyeong’s heart was calm.
He did not waver in the slightest.
His heart had been as firm as a ten-thousand-year boulder ever since the days when he had been a lowly beast.
‘One strand is enough.’
For that one strand, he could abandon every insignificant thing he possessed.
The moment even that calm heart entered the flames of his Spiritual Essence, the fire that had grown quite large shrank back into a spark no bigger than dust.
Yet that spark was far hotter and far clearer than the flame before it.
Crack!
The spark became his Spiritual Essence, igniting his heart and life.
Jegyeong’s body, which had lain limp and lifeless, regained the warmth of life. At the same time, the scales across his entire body split, shattered, and fell away.
“Huff!”
Still unconscious, Jegyeong drew ragged breaths. Each time he exhaled, black smoke poured from his mouth and evaporated the Spirit Spring’s spiritual water.
Crack! Crack!
His body twisted whenever he expelled black smoke.
Old scales fell away while new ones grew in. His bones and muscles repeatedly heated and cooled.
As the violent changes in his body gradually subsided, Jegyeong’s limp head twitched.
The two bumps on the top of his head silently split apart, and a small horn emerged from each one.
That was when Jegyeong opened his eyes.
‘I succeeded.’
The Great Demon Realm.
The second realm of the Immortal Path.
Crossing the first wall that forced countless cultivators to their knees held great meaning. Still, what mattered more to Jegyeong was that it proved his Immortal Path was not wrong.
This success proved that even if he encountered another severed road someday, he would not need to despair.
‘Has another new path opened before me?’
After crossing a small hill, a low mountain now awaited him in the distance.
That mountain was called Form a Golden Core.
* * *
When Jegyeong revealed himself, Cheongo was badly startled and fell backward. They even foamed at the mouth. Startled by their intense reaction, Jegyeong wondered whether he had failed to properly conceal the Aura of a Great Demon Beast.
Fortunately, that was not the case.
“Y-you!”
Cheongo braced a wing against the ground and awkwardly got back up, stammering as they looked at Jegyeong.
Understanding how Cheongo felt, Jegyeong gave them plenty of time to calm down from their surprise and excitement.
“Jegyeong, that’s incredible! You’re amazing!”
Cheongo was clever enough not to ask about Sagaewan. Instead, after praising Jegyeong to their heart’s content, they simply stared blankly at him.
“What do we do now?”
Just as Cheongo looked at him, Jegyeong looked down at Cheongo.
Now that he had reached the Great Demon Realm, Cheongo’s cooperation was no longer essential. He could wield Divine Sense now, so Cheongo’s scouting ability was no longer necessary.
If they encountered danger in the future, Cheongo would likely become a burden. Even on the battlefield between Upper Demon Grove and the Jeyeon Sect, Jegyeong had needed to worry about Cheongo and Muk-su.
They had not caused him any trouble, but without them, he could have escaped the battlefield faster and more safely.
No matter how he considered it, continuing to travel with Cheongo would bring more losses than gains.
But he was not a machine.
He valued gains and avoided losses, but he did not act based on profit and loss alone.
He had a heart.
Cheongo was weak, but they were not difficult to take care of.
At times, they chattered enough to be annoying. Yet without their chatter, he would feel bored and strangely empty.
More than anything, Cheongo was the first friend he had met in this unfamiliar world.
Yes. A friend.
Jegyeong considered Cheongo his first friend in this world.
“We don’t know when people from Upper Demon Grove or the Jeyeon Sect will come here. We’re leaving this place.”
“Mm. Right now?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Where are we going?”
Thanks to Sagaewan, he had learned that this place was something like a buffer zone between Upper Demon Grove and the Jeyeon Sect. That was highly useful and important information.
“Do you remember where we came from? Beyond the river where you saw humans. There’s a good chance the Jeyeon Sect is in that direction.”
“Mm!”
“Do you remember which direction Sagaewan came from?”
“Mm. It was that way.”
Jegyeong looked in the direction Cheongo pointed with a wing.
Sagaewan might have stopped somewhere and changed course along the way, but that direction was ruled out regardless.
That left only one option...
“We’ll follow this Spirit Spring.”
Jegyeong turned his gaze toward the Spirit Spring’s lower reaches.
He did not know where that waterway led, but there was no other choice for now. They would have to feel their way forward like a blind man feeling an elephant.
“Gather the fruit. We’re leaving now.”
“Mm!”
Once Cheongo returned with Muk-su’s fruit, Jegyeong held Cheongo in his mouth and entered the water.
* * *
Following the lower reaches of the Spirit Spring brought Jegyeong’s group to a vast lake called Yangseo Lake.
Several large islands lay upon the water. Beneath the surface, resources were plentiful enough for many races to coexist, even if they occasionally snarled at one another.
‘There are dozens of islands large enough to hold an entire country. I can’t even count the smaller ones... And this is only a lake?’
Once again, Jegyeong was left speechless by the vastness of this world.
If he had not heard a few things about Yangseo Lake from the Great Demon Beast he had encountered by chance, he would still have believed this place was the sea.
It was absurd, but reaching this immense lake by following the Spirit Spring’s waterway was the best possible outcome for Jegyeong’s group.
As long as they remained cautious, they did not need to worry about either the Jeyeon Sect or Upper Demon Grove here.
Yangseo Lake was home to many factions comparable to the Jeyeon Sect and Upper Demon Grove, as well as factions even more powerful than them. Outside forces like those two factions could not even raise their voices here.
‘I need to be careful.’
It was good that he no longer needed to worry about the Jeyeon Sect and Upper Demon Grove, but that also meant this was a dangerous place.
Even Human Race cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage and Demon Race cultivators in the Great Demon Realm could not act arrogantly here. Other Races beyond the Human Race and Demon Race lived here as well, making it a gathering place for chaos.
After learning the rough details of Yangseo Lake, Jegyeong claimed a small, secluded island.
The Demon Bird that had ruled the island froze the moment it was exposed to Jegyeong’s killing intent. It soon became a meal for Cheongo and Muk-su’s fruit.
“Not bad.”
At the center of the island stood a small rocky hill with a cave. That cave had been the Demon Bird’s nest.
“There’s water inside too!”
“Water?”
Intrigued by Cheongo’s report after they inspected the cave, Jegyeong began digging it out.
The Demon Bird had been fairly large, and its cave was not small by ordinary standards. Still, it was far too cramped for Jegyeong, so it had to be expanded.
Boom! Boom!
He did not even need to use much strength. Jegyeong’s brute strength after reaching the Great Demon Realm was more than natural stone could withstand.
After easily finishing the expansion, Jegyeong discovered a pool inside the cave. He recognized at a glance that it was seawater, no, lake water.
‘Is there an underground waterway connected to it?’
Once he had roughly figured out the situation, Jegyeong began enlarging the pool.
That work was easy as well. The ground split and shattered with every sweep of his tail. When he came across a hard layer of rock that did not break at once, he breathed fire and melted it entirely.
Whoosh!
It was not ordinary fire, but Demon Flame infused with demon power. Its power was enough for combat if not for the long preparation it required, so ordinary rock had no hope of enduring it.
Boom!
After digging for some time, Jegyeong saw water filling the hollowed-out pit and smiled in satisfaction.
‘Good.’
He had unexpectedly become a fire snake after reaching the Great Demon Realm, but he still felt most comfortable in the water.
He did not plan to stay here for long, but he wanted to live at ease while he did.
‘This should let us stay quiet for a while.’
The Great Demon Beast he had met before had given him several useful pieces of information, but Jegyeong could not be sure that everything they said had been true.
For the time being, he planned to lie low and learn about the area. Once he had gathered enough information, he would look for a Spiritual Land.
“Should we plant Muk-su here?”
“Yes.”
Cheongo now treated Muk-su’s fruit as Muk-su, and Jegyeong did not deny it. That fruit clearly possessed the same Aura as Muk-su.
Jegyeong suspected that when Muk-su had nearly withered to death, Muk-su had transferred their Aura and life into that fruit.
“But will it be okay? Muk-su doesn’t like heat.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s dangerous outside.”
Jegyeong also thought staying with him would not be good for Muk-su’s fruit, but there was no other choice. It should be fine if he occasionally caught some Water Demons for it.
“You should stay on the island as much as possible too.”
“Mm! But will you be okay alone?”
“I’ll be fine. There won’t be any problems.”
After reaching the Great Demon Realm, Jegyeong had gained several new abilities.
One was the Demon Flame he could breathe from his mouth. Its power was decent, but it was nearly useless in battle because it required preparation.
Another ability had no use in battle, but was overwhelmingly practical.
It was the ability to communicate, which Cheongo had possessed from early on.
Unlike Demon Flame, Jegyeong had not gained this ability the moment he entered the Great Demon Realm.
He had once heard from senior cultivators of the Full-Wing Gathering that reaching the second realm of the Immortal Path allowed one to gain the ability to communicate regardless of language.
They had said that the Transverse Bone was a restriction Heaven placed upon all living beings. As long as it existed, they could only communicate by using a particular language.
Yet cultivators who reached the second realm of the Immortal Path and shaped their own power would break that restriction and awaken spiritual communication. From the moment they melted the Transverse Bone, they would no longer be bound by language and could communicate freely.
When Jegyeong had first heard that, he had thought melting the Transverse Bone did not mean shedding a restriction, but learning a Divine ability that allowed communication.
At the time, the realm had felt far too distant, so he had simply found it interesting and moved on. Now that he had reached that once-distant realm, what he had heard naturally came to mind.
After a brief period of contemplation, Jegyeong found the Transverse Bone and melted it away. At last, he gained the ability to communicate that he had envied for so long.
Thanks to that ability, he had been able to speak with a Great Demon Beast they encountered while following the waterway and learn various things about Yangseo Lake.
With this ability, gathering information would not be difficult.
It would not be easy to find Water Demons capable of holding a proper conversation, but he could seek out Great Demon Beasts if necessary.
He had only just entered the Great Demon Realm, but Jegyeong considered himself fairly capable. Against an opponent like Sagaewan, he might not be able to win, but escaping should not be difficult.
Still, fighting was an option to consider only as a last resort. Jegyeong had something else to rely on.
‘Great Demon Beasts know how to think. They won’t start a fight with nothing to gain. Exchanging information shouldn’t be a problem. And...’
Jegyeong looked at his reflection in the water.
The familiar shape of his body held one particularly unfamiliar feature.
The two horns growing from his head.
Those horns were another thing he could rely on.
‘Either way, I already got free information once because of these horns... You never know.’
Jegyeong gazed at his two horns for a while before sinking into the water that now filled the pit.
Footnotes:
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