WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations
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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 72: The Demon Beast That Eats Spirit Stones
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Black Shark Island had changed.
It was not something one could notice at a glance, but those who had spent months on the island could feel the difference.
“It feels hotter.”
The workers gathered after finishing their work and chatted among themselves.
“Yeah. It’s definitely gotten hotter.”
At first, they thought it was just their imagination. But if everyone felt the same way, it could not be an illusion.
“I’m sweating.”
They were cultivators.
Their realms might have been insignificant, but cultivators were still cultivators. They did not tire easily, and natural conditions had little effect on them.
Yet even as they sat resting, sweat ran down their bodies, and it only grew worse.
“It must mean the Dragon Lord’s cultivation has deepened.”
They knew the reason for this strange phenomenon.
Elder Cheongo, who often put them in awkward situations, had told them.
The talkative crow Demon Beast had said that the heat came from the Dragon Lord’s cultivation.
At first, they had only half believed it. But when they saw that the heat truly lasted only for a set time each day, they realized it was true.
‘What realm does one have to reach in cultivation to do something like this?’
They knew the Dragon Lord had destroyed the Black Sect Hall. They also knew he was powerful enough to cover Black Shark Island in ash.
Still, knowing something in their heads and experiencing it firsthand were entirely different matters.
They did not know how strong Foundation Establishment cultivators were, nor how dangerous a Great Demon Beast could be.
Now that they had experienced it indirectly, they could vaguely grasp it.
The being they called the Dragon Lord was clearly beyond their understanding.
He was only cultivating, yet the effects spread so distinctly across the entire island.
What kind of cultivation was the Dragon Lord practicing?
This had become a frequent topic among them lately.
“The Dragon Lord is a Jiao Dragon. Dragon blood flows through him, so he must be practicing something mysterious...”
“Maybe he’s sleeping? I heard that...”
Though they had left the Black Jiao Waters a few times and stepped into the Cultivation World of Yangseo Lake, they remained frogs in a well.
Their cultivation was lacking, and their knowledge was pitiful compared to the cultivators of the outside world.
Great Demon Beasts? Jiao Dragons? Cultivation?
They were all stories from another world.
They knew their discussion was nothing more than empty chatter.
Its purpose was not some grand investigation. They simply talked to ease their loneliness.
The people back in their hometowns thought they were trapped on Black Shark Island and suffering through harsh labor.
In truth, they lived comfortably here.
Other than tending the Spirit Rice, they had complete freedom. Their meals were plentiful as well.
More importantly, Black Shark Island’s dense Spiritual Energy allowed them to cultivate quickly. If the people in their hometowns learned of these benefits, their eyes would turn red with envy.
“I think I’ll reach the middle Qi Refining Stage before long.”
“I don’t think I’m far off either. The Spiritual Energy here is incredible.”
When the topic turned to cultivation, they secretly glanced at Han Cheongyu.
Han Cheongyu was the youngest among them, but his cultivation was the highest.
They envied him for being younger and yet more advanced, but they also acknowledged him.
Talent was one thing, but Han Cheongyu possessed a determination none of them could match.
Even when they were exhausted and resting, Han Cheongyu never stopped cultivating.
He even cut into his sleeping time to cultivate.
They had once been inspired by him and tried to follow his example, but none of them lasted long before giving up.
After that, they came to recognize him.
Han Cheongyu might have been the youngest, but his desire to seek the Dao was firmer than anyone else’s.
“Cheongyu, is there anything we should be careful of when breaking through to the middle Qi Refining Stage?”
“Anything to be careful of?”
Han Cheongyu had remained quiet without joining the conversation.
He did not enjoy talking, and honestly, he did not want to waste time at such a meaningless gathering.
He thought it would be better to cultivate even a little more during that time.
Still, that was only how he felt. He could not truly act as he pleased.
He understood the importance of this small community and did not want to be excluded from the group if he could help it.
“If there is one thing, it is not to get carried away.”
“Get carried away?”
“Yes. When you break through, confidence wells up as though you can do anything. You must not become drunk on that feeling. Instead, calm your heart and stabilize the realm you have just broken through to. That way, nothing will go wrong.”
Han Cheongyu was not particularly eloquent.
Still, he shared his experience as sincerely as he could, without holding anything back. In return, the others looked at him warmly.
“I see. Thank you.”
“If it weren’t for Cheongyu, quite a few people would have suffered serious injuries after struggling so hard to break through.”
“That’s right. Including you.”
“What?”
Laughter continued for some time.
A while later, the gathering ended, and they headed back to their homes.
Calling them homes was generous. They were little more than crudely built shacks, but they were enough to shelter them from the sun and give them somewhere to lie down.
Han Cheongyu’s home was much the same.
Instead of going inside, he sat down outside.
He had wasted quite a bit of time today, so he intended to cultivate that much longer.
Before he could properly begin, vigorous wingbeats shattered his concentration.
Han Cheongyu had just closed his eyes. He let out a soft sigh and rose.
“Elder Cheongo.”
“Mm. Hello, Cheongyu.”
A crow Demon Beast nearly as large as his home landed before him.
“Cheongyu, are you going to cultivate?”
“Ah, yes.”
Han Cheongyu quietly avoided the vacant gaze fixed on him.
This elder had been barging in unannounced for some time, but he still could not get used to the pressure of a Demon Beast nearing the Great Demon Beast realm.
“Then cultivate. Cultivate. Don’t mind me. I’ll stay still. I’ll be quiet.”
“Yes. Then...”
Han Cheongyu forced down his discomfort and began cultivating.
It was not easy to focus while feeling as though someone was watching him, but this was not the first or second time it had happened. He had become somewhat used to it.
Only the beginning was difficult. Once he entered a focused state, he quickly lost track of time and immersed himself in cultivation.
“Huu.”
When his mind grew hazy from continuous cultivation, Han Cheongyu exhaled a turbid breath and opened his eyes.
Cheongo was still staring at him blankly.
“Are you done?”
“Ah... yes.”
“Mm. You’re doing well.”
Doing well? What did that mean? Did Cheongo mean his cultivation? Was cultivating something one could be good at?
Han Cheongyu’s thoughts tangled together, and he gave an awkward smile.
Elder Cheongo was truly unusual.
At first, Han Cheongyu had thought Cheongo was one of the Dragon Lord’s subordinates. But after listening to Cheongo ramble, he realized Cheongo’s status was not so simple.
Cheongo often chattered about someone named Jegyeong. Only later had Han Cheongyu learned that Jegyeong was the Dragon Lord’s name.
He could not describe how shocked he had been when he first found out.
‘Elder Cheongo cannot be an ordinary member of the Demon Race.’
Cheongo called the Dragon Lord by name without restraint, wandered freely around the island, and was unusual in every way.
Then again, how could anyone who associated with a Jiao Dragon be ordinary?
“Elder Cheongo, what do you mean by doing well?”
“Hm? Doing well means doing well. Diligently, sincerely.”
After delivering a few words that sounded like a scolding for not understanding something so obvious, Cheongo continued with several questions.
What did Han Cheongyu think about when he cultivated? Why did he cultivate?
They were not new questions.
Cheongo had asked the same things many times before, so Han Cheongyu’s answers were naturally no different from before.
“Hm. I see.”
Though Cheongo had received the same answers to the same questions many times, Cheongo nodded with interest, as though they were exchanging such questions and answers for the first time.
“I’m going now. Work hard. Jegyeong praised you.”
“The Dragon Lord praised me?”
“Mm. He said you’re a hardworking fellow and might prove useful.”
“Ah...”
The corners of Han Cheongyu’s mouth rose before he realized it.
‘The Dragon Lord has noticed me.’
He did not hear another word Cheongo said afterward.
* * *
“Huff.”
After crunching through another pile of Spirit Stones, Jegyeong let out a long breath as he felt his Spirit and Flesh stir.
By swallowing countless Spirit Stones like candy, he had finally understood exactly how Spiritual Energy affected Molting.
He had used dozens of Spirit Stones to learn this.
And they had all been mid-grade Spirit Stones.
The expense had been enormous, but it was not a loss.
Every Spirit Stone he swallowed had become nourishment for Molting. Eating Spirit Stones could be considered another form of cultivation.
‘But Molting does not help me advance my realm.’
That was what troubled Jegyeong now.
From what he had observed, the Spiritual Energy absorbed by his Spirit and Flesh certainly hastened Molting.
Yet Molting only aided physical growth. It had nothing to do with directly advancing his realm.
Advancing a realm depended on accumulating demon power, not on how large or strong his body became.
‘My realm comes first. I cannot neglect the accumulation of demon power.’
Now that he understood how Spiritual Energy hastened Molting, Jegyeong could accelerate it through his cultivation method whenever he wanted.
It was simple. He only had to refrain from refining the Spiritual Energy he absorbed into demon power and guide it to seep into his Spirit and Flesh.
But that would prevent him from accumulating demon power, which was not what Jegyeong wanted.
Unless he encountered a bottleneck and could no longer increase his demon power, he needed to focus on raising his realm.
‘Still, this is not bad. As long as I have Spirit Stones, I can increase my combat strength.’
By this point, Jegyeong could not help doubting his own origins.
The more Spirit Stones he ate, the stronger his body became. This was not an ability an ordinary Demon Beast could possess.
He had originally been nothing more than a common beast. How had he gained such an ability?
‘Has something changed in my Bloodline?’
Thinking about it, his Bloodline must have continuously changed, no, evolved, ever since he had transformed from an ordinary snake into a Demon Beast.
No one, not even Jegyeong himself, knew what traits had emerged or vanished during that process.
‘Interesting.’
Jegyeong took another large bite of a Spirit Stone.
The mountain of Spirit Stones, once piled high, had already shrunk by more than half.
‘I need more Spirit Stones.’
Objectively speaking, Jegyeong earned a decent amount of Spirit Stones.
There was the Spirit Fruit from Muk-su, and he also earned a tidy sum from selling Fleshscale Fish. As the school of fish grew, sales had increased considerably.
Even so, Jegyeong hungered for Spirit Stones.
The Spirit Stones he spent on Spirit Wine were not the real issue.
The true problem was that he had discovered the taste of Spirit Stones.
Crunch!
Over the past few days alone, he had swallowed the equivalent of dozens of lower-grade Spirit Stones.
Even a wealthy cultivator would struggle to afford such spending.
He knew he should restrain himself, but he could not help it.
If eating Spirit Stones made one stronger, who would refuse?
“Burp!”
Jegyeong sensed that another Molting was not far away.
If he continued devouring Spirit Stones at this rate, he would likely shed his skin within five days.
‘They’ve arrived.’
As he savored the pleasant sensation of Spiritual Energy seeping into his Spirit and Flesh, Jegyeong sensed an Aura approaching Black Shark Island and slowly raised himself.
* * *
“...Haha. Fellow Daoist Jegyeong, it has been a long time.”
Gwak Jeongsin’s eyes widened as he looked at Jegyeong, who had come to greet him.
More than half of Jegyeong’s body was submerged in the water, but Gwak Jeongsin could still tell at once that he had grown noticeably larger since their last meeting.
At a glance, he seemed at least half again as large.
“Fellow Daoist Gwak, it has been a long time.”
Jegyeong returned the greeting. Noticing what Gwak Jeongsin was thinking, he spoke first.
“I have made some progress in my cultivation lately.”
“Ah, I see. Congratulations.”
Gwak Jeongsin did not understand why progress in cultivation had resulted in physical growth, but since Jegyeong said so, he had no choice but to accept it.
They spoke for a while in a friendly atmosphere.
They discussed each other’s recent circumstances, as well as various major events that had taken place around Yangseo Lake.
Though they spoke, Gwak Jeongsin did most of the talking while Jegyeong listened.
Jegyeong occasionally sent workers out to gather information, but all they could obtain were the lowest-quality rumors. He listened closely to every word Gwak Jeongsin said.
“Yudam Kingdom has fallen. It seems several Great Demon Beasts attacked at once. They say almost no one survived.”
Yudam Kingdom was a small island nation near the border of Yangseo Lake’s Human Territories.
It had a history of more than two hundred years, yet an attack by the Demon Race had brought it to ruin in a single stroke.
“Fortunately, it does not seem Dragon King Palace was involved.”
As he said that, Gwak Jeongsin carefully watched Jegyeong’s reaction.
“There are many members of the Demon Race in Yangseo Lake. Dragon King Palace cannot control all of them.”
It was an obvious statement, but its meaning changed greatly depending on who said it.
Gwak Jeongsin knew that Jegyeong was a guest elder of Dragon King Palace. Jegyeong’s words lent more credibility to the information Gwak Jeongsin had heard.
“The atmosphere has been rather unusual lately. Yudam Kingdom is one example, but the Demon Race’s rampages have increased greatly in recent days. The Golden Sun Sect sent an envoy to Dragon King Palace, asking them to control the Demon Race near the border, but Dragon King Palace seems unenthusiastic.”
“Could a war break out?”
Jegyeong asked gravely. Gwak Jeongsin sighed and shook his head.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so, but one can never be certain. In any case, you must be especially careful for a while. During turbulent times like these, all kinds of riffraff begin causing trouble.”
Gwak Jeongsin’s words were not a warning.
They were a prophecy.
Only a few days after he left, a group of Human Race cultivators appeared north of the Black Jiao Waters.
They were exactly the riffraff Gwak Jeongsin had spoken of.
“Grrr.”
Jegyeong had just finished Molting. He irritably shook himself, then rose.
Vicious killing intent surged within his wide-open eyes.
Footnotes:
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