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Chapter 393: Drink (5)

Chapter 393: Drink (5)

Basement of Governing Dragon Palace.

Within a certain prison located there.

No one has set food in the underground prison recently, but the footsteps of demon beasts echo.

Clang!

Kuung!

"Get in! And Princess Yuk Yo, this way, please!"

What the Demon Race dragged in is a ghostly creature with only white bones remaining, Baek Rin.

Alongside him was Yuk Yo, known as the Sacred Orchid Princess.

After a brief commotion, a demon beast and a ghostly creature are each locked in different cells.

Yuk Yo, imprisoned, bites her lip as she grasps the iron bars.

"...They're really locking me up?"

In response to her words, the sea demon beasts who captured and imprisoned her and Baek Rin click their tongues and speak.

"It's not the first or second time the princess has tried to escape with that ghostly creature. It seems the Palace Lord is very angry, so please reflect on your actions!"

After finishing their words, they leave the underground prison.

"Ugk, ah!"

Yuk Yo shakes the iron bars in the underground prison, but perhaps due to the chains binding her arms and legs, she can't exert her proper strength.

The same is true for Baek Rin, who is imprisoned a couple of cells away.

After trying to escape for a while, Yuk Yo sighed and sat down.

"...Prison...now he's not even treating me as a daughter anymore."

"Well...hasn't the princess tried to escape so many times before? Thanks to the princess, I'm stuck in this prison as well and look like a mess."

At Baek Rin's words, Yuk Yo smirks.

"Who told you to follow me? A scammer like me?"

"I told the princess before, didn't I? The cult leader ordered me to look after the princess."

"That damn cult leader, cult leader...aren't you tired of it? Always being under someone? If it were me, I'd have escaped to find freedom."

"The princess may not understand, but I prefer being tied to someone."

"Ha, you're a frustrating cultivator...wait, come to think of it."

Yuk Yo asks Baek Rin.

"When did you start addressing me as princess? Even after you heard I was the daughter of the Palace Lord, you didn't seem to care?"

Baek Rin remains silent at her words.

Yuk Yo ponders for a moment and then claps her hands.

"Oh! Right. It was after you returned from Penglai Island, wasn't it? Hehe...you were the shaman who showed extreme loyalty to the nation of Penglai Kingdom, no?"

Baek Rin seems to recall past events and smiles faintly.

"...It seems that loyalty to the royal family still lingers. It was truly an amazing illusion."

Yuk Yo gnashes her teeth and retorts sharply at his words.

"How many times do I have to tell you? This world is fake, and Penglai Kingdom is real!"

After escaping from Penglai Island, Yuk Yo didn't have her memory seal re-imposed.

Therefore, she vividly remembers everything from Penglai Kingdom.

Baek Rin laughs heartily and says,

"How can a supposedly real world disappear like a mirage when a single palace is uprooted? Isn't that just an illusion?"

"An illusion you say!? The formation at Penglai Island is merely the entrance to 'enter' Penglai Kingdom from this world, not Penglai Kingdom itself!"

Kuang!

Yuk Yo, emotional, slams the iron bars violently, causing blood to flow from her hand.

"Aiya...it hurts..."

"Is your skin weak, even though you are of the Demon Race?"

"The term Demon Race is funny too. In Penglai Kingdom, I was a half-human, half-dragon, and my identity leaned toward being human. But upon coming out, I found that I'm actually a hybrid Demon Race with just a trace of carp and Sea Dragon blood. And in this world, for some reason, my human bloodline vanished, so I became part of the Demon Race. Right after that, my father sealed my memories, so I just lived as if it had always been that way."

"You were originally half-human, half-dragon...is that why you, towards Sir Seo Ran...?"

"I didn't know at the time, but thinking back now, that's probably it. Maybe I was drawn to him because we share the same half-human, half-dragon identity."

She fiddles with her wounded hand and sighs.

"...Ugh, losing blood is making me feel cold..."

"Even though you've reached the Nascent Soul stage, you haven't obtained a resistance to cold and heat? If you've obtained the Yin Spirit, it would be fine even if your demonic power is sealed."

"Don't just speak recklessly because you're a ghostly creature! Do you think resistance to the power of Yin comes easily?"

Baek Rin chuckles as he stands up.

Then, with his skeletal hand, he knocks on the wall of his cell.

Clang!

When Baek Rin, a Four-Axis ghostly creature, strikes the iron bars, the sound of metal reverberates.

Clang, clang!

Watching Baek Rin, Yuk Yo asks,

"...What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to move to the adjacent cell."

"Why?"

Clang, clang, clang!

There's a moment of silence, with only the metallic sound echoing underground.

Yuk Yo asks again,

"Why are you trying to come to me?"

She looks at Baek Rin's eyes, glowing with ghost fire.

Within his gaze, she can sense some emotion directed at her.

"Don't come. You can't even use spiritual power. Instead, use that effort to undo the handcuffs or shackles."

"...Do you know why I consider that world an illusion?"

"...Why?"

At Baek Rin's words, Yuk Yo looks at him with a puzzled expression.

Baek Rin smiles bitterly.

"Inside, I dreamed of losing the person I loved again. And my sole purpose there was one. To defeat the King of Demon Spirits and marry the princess."

"Ahk..."

Hearing his words, Yuk Yo's face turns slightly red.

"After coming out, I had brief conversations with other comrades. And from what I heard from the Six Extremes Ghost King and the military strategist, I found a commonality among those who were possessed by that world."

"What is it?"

"It is that the possessed experience their most 'painful' situations."

"...?"

"In that world, everyone must face their own pain, whether they want to or not. I felt such things in that world. It seemed as if the world itself was trying to give the possessed some sort of 'lesson.' Doesn't it feel like...a fairy tale world? A fairy tale that gives a lesson to its reader."

"..."

"Of course, it's not a hopeful fairy tale. It's a story that forces open the reader's wounds and sprinkles salt on them. One feels the pain of having their wounds seared. But just as searing wounds with salt disinfects them despite the pain, the hearts of those who enter become stronger."

Clang!

Baek Rin knocks on the bars.

Baek Rin and Yuk Yo's eyes meet each other.

"...I knew it too. That I didn't follow you merely because of the cult leader's order. In fact, I don't have much loyalty to the cult leader. I joined the order only because I saw my friends doing well. But it seems that until now, I was trapped in love, regret, and despair for my old friends, turning a blind eye to everything else."

"..."

"I have come to love you, Princess Yuk Yo."

Kaang!

The sound of metal echoes once again from the underground.

"...That world must be an illusion. Because, only then will you remain in this world."

At Baek Rin's words, Yuk Yo bites her lip.

"...It's not an illusion. That world...is real."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the childhood I spent there, and the love I received from my mother there, are not lies."

"There is a person who loves you here as well."

Kaang!

Yuk Yo clenches her teeth.

"...Why are you so obsessed with me? I've even deceived you before."

"I don't care even if I am deceived."

"I might continue deceiving you."

"Isn't it because the princess thinks this world is fake that you keep doing such deceitful things?"

"That's right. This world is fake anyway."

"But my feelings are real, Princess Yuk Yo. I know you are not that kind of person. Even if it's only the memories of a shaman from Penglai Kingdom, I know very well that you are a kind-hearted person who cares for your people."

At Baek Rin's words, Yuk Yo's lips tremble slightly.

"You said you were born in that world? I remember the you from that world. Would you lie to someone like me as well?"

At his words, Yuk Yo chews her lip.

Blood drips from her mouth.

"You think of that world as an illusion! If so, my image there is fake regardless. Do you still think the same when I am just a scamming carp woman in this world?"

She asks Baek Rin with a sneer.

"If I were to really go back to that world, would you be able to follow? To that world you believe to be an illusion or a dream?"

At those words, Baek Rin laughs, his jaw opening wide.

"If you wish, I will follow."

"..."

"There was a time I regretted not seizing the moment. I will not let it happen again."

Baek Rin's face consists only of a skull.

But just for a moment, Yuk Yo feels as if she glimpsed Baek Rin's living appearance on his visage.

Yuk Yo averts her gaze from Baek Rin with a stiff expression.

"...Do as you wish. And as I said before, if you continue doing that, you'll just end up breaking your bones."

"I don't mind."

Kaang! Kaang!

"...Do whatever you want."

Without looking at Baek Rin, Yuk Yo sits down and buries her face in her knees.

She seems to be asleep.

However, the sound of Baek Rin striking the bars continues to ring, and something trickles down her cheek, where her face is buried, and falls from her chin.

Yuk Yo ignores Baek Rin.

After all, he would give up eventually.

But ten years pass.

Yuk Rin doesn't particularly care about the underground prison, and neither do the guards.

In the prison where no one enters.

There, Baek Rin continuously strikes on the iron bars.

Pasasak—

Baek Rin's right hand has already turned to dust.

But he continues to strike the bars with his right arm bone and left hand.

Kaak!

At last, a part of the bars break.

Just enough for a hand to fit through.

Yuk Yo clicks her tongue as she watches him.

"...Stop doing such stupid things."

Baek Rin silently continues to strike the bars.

Twenty years have passed.

By now, one side of Baek Rin's cell bars have collapsed.

Since Baek Rin and Yuk Yo were originally imprisoned one cell apart, Baek Rin still has to break through another wall.

But at some point, both of Baek Rin's arm bones have crumbled completely.

Yet, Baek Rin lifts his legs and kicks the bars.

Occasionally, he rams his body against the bars.

Yuk Yo simply watches Baek Rin quietly.

Baek Rin's body crumbles, but the bars of her cell are gradually shaking.

Amidst the indifference of Yuk Rin and the officials of Governing Dragon Palace, a ghost and a demon beast are slowly, little by little, coming closer together.

Thirty years have passed.

Baek Rin's left side has worn away and vanished, and his left leg has turned to dust.

But Baek Rin continues to slam into the bars with his one remaining leg.

Kaang!

Pasak!

Finally, one of the bars between Yuk Yo and Baek Rin slightly crumbles.

But Yuk Yo shouts at Baek Rin.

"Stop it already! How long are you going to keep this up?"

Baek Rin only smiles.

"We're almost there, can't you see?"

"See what! All I see is your body being smashed to pieces! Your strength is waning as your body crumbles, so what am I supposed to see? Are you the one who can't see?"

Baek Rin's eyes brighten silently.

And once again, he leaps on one foot and rams his body against Yuk Yo's wall.

Kaang!

Tuduk!

One of Baek Rin's remaining ribs shatters.

"...I see it. Very clearly."

"But just why! Didn't you become a ghostly creature because you didn't want to die? What are you doing now?"

At her words, Baek Rin chuckles.

And he crashes into it again.

Yuk Yo seems about to say something more but closes her mouth as she watches him.

And so, forty years have passed.

Pasasak—

Baek Rin's body is completely destroyed.

All that remains now is his skull.

No, even the jawbone of his skull is shattered.

And the forty years feel meaningless.

Baek Rin failed to reach Yuk Yo.

Yuk Yo looks at Baek Rin's skull with empty eyes and speaks.

"...How many times did I tell you? You'd fail."

"..."

"You can't even use mental speech because your spiritual power is sealed. It's pathetic."

"..."

"How stupid. Why didn't you just stay put? What, say something as you usually do. Like asking if I slept well in your greasy manner or assuring me today is the day. Go, go on, try again."

"..."

"In the end, I am right. Just staying still was the best plan. You made a small hole, but this is the end, isn't it? Your body is utterly wrecked for nothing. This is ridiculous."

"..."

"...Say something."

Wo-wong—

The circuit drawn on Baek Rin's skull buzzes softly.

It seems like he is trying to say something to her.

However, the sound is too faint to hear.

"...Of course, after ramming your head so much, that circuit's broken too. You used to brag about receiving it from the cult leader, and now it's a tattered mess. Now that you can't even say what you want to say, what will you do? Ha! Geez..."

Yuk Yo looks at Baek Rin for a moment and lets out a hollow laugh.

"...It's finally quiet now. Do you know how noisy it was all this time? Ah~ It's peaceful. Without that noisy clang clang and breaking sound, I can finally sleep a little more comfortably."

She lays back down on her spot and closes her eyes.

Baek Rin just silently watches her.

And three days later.

Clang, Clang, Clang!

Yuk Yo begins to strike on the bars.

She clenches her teeth.

"Why! After coming! This far! Why! Did you stop! There!"

Baek Rin silently watches her.

"This far! You made a hole! Just a little more! Regardless of everything! What you were trying to do could have been completed! So why did you stop there!"

Splurt!

Blood bursts from her hands.

Due to not inheriting much dragon blood, she has the fragile skin of a carp.

However, Yuk Yo continues to pound on the bars even as blood gushes out.

She has been listening for decades now.

Even without hearing for three days, it's as if something is grating her ears.

Yuk Yo, for the first time in her life.

No, to be exact, for the first time since following Yuk Rin out of Penglai Island.

She shouts not out of desperation, but with sincerity.

"Let me hear your voice! Why! Why did you stupidly crush your jaw to the point where you can't speak anymore!?"

Clang!

Sixty years have passed.

Is it at last?

Or is it only now?

In any case, Yuk Yo, after pounding on the bars until her hands have torn, is able to connect Baek Rin's cell and her own.

Dururuk...

She extends her foot into Baek Rin's cell.

This is because she can no longer use her hands.

"...Are you satisfied now?"

Yuk Yo asks as she pulls Baek Rin's skull towards her.

Then, facing Baek Rin's skull, she presses her forehead against it for a moment.

Woong, Wo-woong—

Baek Rin's skull resonates.

Through the fine circuits drawn on his skull, Yuk Yo finally hears Baek Rin's voice.

Wooong, Wo-woong—

After listening to Baek Rin for a while, Yuk Yo clenches her teeth.

"...Was it just to say something like that?"

Woong—

Wo-woong—

Yuk Yo looks at Baek Rin for a while and then laughs.

A single tear flows down her face.

"You could have just said, 'Good morning,' like you used to. Just that one sentence would have been enough."

As Yuk Yo speaks, tears stream down on Baek Rin's head.

"If only you broke your handcuffs, if only you broke your iron bars and escaped, that would have been better!"

Though she cries out, Yuk Yo knows as well.

Even if the cuffs shatter, the restraint embedded in their Nascent Soul wouldn't disappear.

Even if they break through the iron bars, as long as they are within Governing Dragon Palace, all their actions are visible to Yuk Rin, so it's meaningless.

Baek Rin has simply done what he wants within the confines of his cage.

To be with Yuk Yo.

And Yuk Yo, knowing that fact, can do nothing but hold Baek Rin's skull and cry out in tears.

And so four years pass.

Kwagwagwagwang!

Within the prison.

Yuk Yo, who was sleeping with a skull in her arms, wakes up to a sound as if Heaven and Earth are being torn apart.

Kugugugu!

The entire Governing Dragon Palace is shaking.

With the vibrations, the underground prison, which no one paid attention to, twists, and the bars of the cell where Yuk Yo is confined violently distorts.

Kakang, Kang!

With a single shake, Yuk Yo gains the opportunity to escape from the cell.

Ghost fire flares up in Baek Rin's eye sockets.

Yuk Yo listens to Baek Rin's small whisper as her eyes shine.

"...He sure comes late. Your cult leader.'

Woong—

Wo-woong—

"You're saying we should escape, right? I understand."

She takes Baek Rin and steps outside.

Kiiiiik—

As she ascends from the underground prison, she squints her eyes.

The prohibition of the entire Governing Dragon Palace is being shaken, and countless subjects of the palace are in chaos.

It's the perfect time to escape.

However, Yuk Yo does not escape outside but rather heads further into the interior of Governing Dragon Palace.

Woong—

Wo-woong—

"Where am I going? Isn't it obvious?"

A certain poison burns in Yuk Yo's eyes.

"Since my nature is that of a thief, I'm going to steal what my father cherishes the most."

Kuuung, kuuuuuung!

Amidst the bombardment of the Fighting Demon Pirate Gang attacking Governing Dragon Island,

In that way, Yuk Yo and Baek Rin walk toward somewhere.

Chapter 394: Drink (6)

Kugugugugung!

A massive sword light shines as it intercepts Governing Dragon Island.

From the opposite side, a golden saber light glows and slices through the Governing Dragon Island.

It's a joint attack by Kim Young-hoon and I.

'That took a while.'

There is a reason it took so long for Kim Young-hoon and me to strike Governing Dragon Island.

First of all, it's betrayal.

Both Kim Young-hoon and I are aware of Jin Ma-yeol's true nature and know he is someone who would stab us in the back given the chance, so we had to find a way to restrain him.

To prevent Jin Ma-yeol from betraying us, I had to procure the Black Ancient Paper that originally mediated the contract between Yuk Rin and us, and slowly send it up from Penglai Island.

It was an incredibly difficult task because it required using the All-Heavens Sword to elevate the material to the Plane of Soul, hence it took quite a bit of time.

Secondly, even if we managed to rescue Baek Rin, we had to plan how to bring him to Penglai Island.

Even if we managed to save Baek Rin, there was no answer if Yuk Rin tried to capture him again, so we needed a way to quickly bring him back to Penglai Island before Yuk Rin could take action.

In that regard, both Jin Ma-yeol, who has extensive experience in the Ancient Force Realm, and Buk Hyang-hwa provided assistance.

"Should we use the Salt Bones Ship as a middle zone to leap across the sea domain?"

Even though the Salt Bones Ship can dive into the depths of the Deep Sea, it's impossible to dive deeply enough to Penglai Island.

Therefore, the suggestion was to submerge the Salt Bones Ship as far as it could dive, and then create a 'middle zone' that jumps between sea domains to bring Baek Rin back.

With her advice and Jin Ma-yeol's cooperation, more time was spent modifying the Salt Bones Ship to be used as a middle zone.

During that process, there was some friction with the Fighting Demon Pirate Gang, and the modification time was extended as Jin Ma-yeol occasionally felt displeasure. It was due to these reasons that it took almost 80 years to finally come to rescue Baek Rin.

"It's going well. The plan must not have any mistakes. It's already been nearly 100 years since Yuk Rin acquired enough Salt Crystals to master Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade to great completion, so his power must be beyond imagination."

Woong!

Jin Ma-yeol's projection appears beside me, arms crossed as he speaks.

I glare at him.

"If your pirate gang had cooperated earlier, we could have come faster."

"You're the weird one for spending so much time to save one subordinate. And with you modifying my ship like that, of course there would be resistance, would there not?"

"You agreed because it's beneficial to you as well. Thanks to Conqueror King Buk Hyang-hwa's modifications, your ship's performance has improved nearly tenfold."

"Regardless, It's still just a lower-tier version of your Buk Hyang Fleet."

"Enough with the small talk. It's about to begin. You better do your part properly."

"You're one to talk."

Jin Ma-yeol retorts sharply before releasing the projection.

Kugugugugug!

At the center of the Governing Dragon Palace.

There, Yuk Rin, who seems to have completely adapted to the body of Yuk Ung, reveals his enormous form.

Around him, several of his Four-Axis stage vassals appear.

Jiiiiing—

As soon as he reveals himself, the entire sea of the Ancient Force Realm hums.

Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade truly seems to resonate well with the sea of the Ancient Force Realm.

Zzzzt—

'This is insane...'

From the other side, Kim Young-hoon sends a heart message asking if it's okay, sensing something unusual.

Facing Yuk Rin's main body, I realize.

'One sea domain in the Ancient Force Realm is practically no different from his domain.'

The Heaven Tribe unfolds an Integrated Dao Domain, while the Earth Tribe assimilates it into their bodies.

Then, what about those who practice Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation?

It's simple.

They can do 'both' unfold and assimilate.

Moreover, they can do so simultaneously.

[Have you forgotten that last time when you couldn't oppose me with those feeble avatars? Now, over a hundred years later, you've come to find me after my divine method has reached new heights...you must be asking for your insignificant avatar to be erased, right?]

Woong!

Yuk Rin's body gradually transforms as if embodying the blue sea.

His mane becomes the storm.

His scales become the waves.

Jiiiiing—

In addition, the entire Wi Jeong Sea Domain resonates with Yuk Rin at its center.

I break out in a cold sweat.

In truth, right now he can treat the entire Wi Jeong Sea Domain as his domain in addition to the domain he's assimilated with his body.

Therefore, he is essentially at the Grand Perfection Integration stage of Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation.

'Almost rivaling my main body...!'

It isn't just at the level of the Three Great Ultimates; I would have to unleash all of Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Puppet.

But I smile slightly.

"How frightening."

Booong!!

Ignoring whatever he is babbling about, I once again unleash a single strike of Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion.

Kwaduduk!

A transparent scar seems to appear on Yuk Rin's body, but it heals instantly.

He laughs with his moon-like eyes shining and his voice resonating powerfully.

[How foolish. Even though this Palace Lord gave you a chance to flee, you persist? Admittedly, you are difficult to catch, but as the entire sea domain is akin to my domain, from the moment you used the Wi Jeong Sea Domain as the battlefield, you have essentially entered my belly.]

"Indeed, mastering Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade to this extent is slightly intimidating with an avatar. But isn't there one thing you've misunderstood?"

I speak with a sly grin.

"At the Integration level, one doesn't engage in battles they cannot win."

[Ahahaha. You lot must have something hidden...]

"Let's stop babbling with our mouths."

I take a stance and, with the All-Heavens Sword, once again deliver a single strike of Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion at Yuk Rin.

He is wounded once more, but he snorts.

To him, this level of injury seems as trivial as a Core Formation stage head being cut off. He appears perfectly fine.

[Is this the power of the strongest in the Wuji Religious Order, the Cult Leader? Truly nothing has changed in over a hundred years. Ahahaha!]

"Ah...that is true."

I grin as I move erratically around Yuk Rin, drawing his attention.

It's an amusing sight.

Even just 80 years ago, I was the one facing Yuk Rin head-on while Kim Young-hoon was the one using speed to draw his attention.

But now, it is me focusing on distracting him and scattering his attention.

The reason is simple.

Kugugugugu!

The eyes of Kim Young-hoon who is concentrating behind me brightens.

To Kim Young-hoon, who was communing with the enlightenment of Jang Ik, an opportunity to commune in the confines of a narrow space for 80 years was granted.

Eighty years of embedding Jang Ik's podao into Kim Young-hoon.

Can you imagine it?

Dududududu!

[Wh-What?]

The sea domain trembles.

Jang Ik's enlightenment, and the enlightenment of Great Desert to Dead Sea through communing with me.

And through sharing enlightenment with Heavenly Being and Four-Axis cultivators, there is a man who obtained the enlightenment of Celestial Energy Guidance and attraction force, integrating it into his weapon.

The light of the entire Wi Jeong Sea Domain seems to focus momentarily on a small saber.

It isn't an illusion.

In that brief moment, the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy of the entire Wi Jeong Sea Domain was indeed sucked into that small saber.

The saber called Surpassing Radiant.

That saber is united with the man's hand as one.

He is Surpassing Radiant, and Surpassing Radiant is him.

For a moment, I see the vision of a golden Peng Bird roaring out from behind Yuk Rin.

[You, you bastard!]

Around Yuk Rin, white salt crystal-like grains of spiritual energy emerge.

He appears to transform from a blue dragon into a pure white dragon in an instant.

White Dragon Yuk Rin glares at Kim Young-hoon and opens his mouth.

From his mouth, a compressed Dragon Wave capable of encompassing the entire sea domain within its range shoots out.

A Dragon Wave clearly stronger than it was a hundred years ago!

This is the power of a Dragon.

But do you know?

There is a bird known as Garuda (金翅鳥).

This bird is said to cause thunder with a flap of its wings, break the world's cycle,

And devour dragons.

Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form (凌光開闢形).

First Style (第一式).

A martial art created by Kim Young-hoon upon witnessing the enlightenment of the Heaven-Collapsing Esteemed One.

Surpassing Radiant Genesis Painting (凌光開闢圖).

Its first form.

"Golden Wing Defiles the Light (金翅衊光)."

[Editor: Garuda (金翅鳥) literally means 'Gold Winged Bird.']

The saber, concentrated with the light of Heaven and Earth, is swung.

The next moment.

All the light between Heaven and Earth is severed.

That is the only way to describe it.

It's as if the entire world has been enveloped by the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts for an instant, making it impossible to perceive anything.

And when that fleeting 'unperceivable world' finally vanishes and perception returns.

I feel the illusion of a golden flash descending upon the entire world.

It's as if a golden wing momentarily obscures the light and then gently lets the light shine again.

'Yuk Rin is...'

I look at the spot where Yuk Rin had been.

Yuk Rin is no longer there.

I turn to look at the horizon opposite from where Kim Young-hoon stands after swinging his saber.

'There he is.'

After being hit by Kim Young-hoon's single strike, Yuk Rin had been flung to the edge of the sea domain's horizon.

As if he can't believe he was so wretchedly blown away in a place that is essentially his own domain, an immense sense of humiliation and disgrace emanates from the distant Yuk Rin.

'Not just humiliation. He's taken a significant hit.'

If I were to compare it to the Core Formation stage, it isn't merely a cut to the torso, but a considerable strain on his Golden Core.

"Do you understand now, Yuk Rin?"

I speak with a sly smile.

"Our power is already equal to yours."

Whether he heard my words or not, I can see his eyes turning white with rage.

Even if there are some endurance issues due to the small amount of energy,

The power of a Heart Tribe's avatar is identical to the main body.

Originally, I intended to join forces with Kim Young-hoon if Yuk Rin's power, enhanced by learning the Salt Sea Returning Dew Jade, turned out to be unexpectedly strong.

But after witnessing the recent exchange, my thoughts change.

Tadat!

As Kim Young-hoon passes by me, we exchange glances.

Now, Kim Young-hoon will face Yuk Rin alone.

Turning my attention to the stunned officials of Governing Dragon Palace, who are in disbelief at the recent strike and are staring in shock in the direction where their palace lord had been flung, I brandish the All-Heavens Sword.

"I will count to ten. If you surrender within that time, you won't meet a harsh fate."

At my words, several cultivators at the Four-Axis stage affiliated with the Governing Dragon Palace flinch and exude killing intent.

It seems they are not inclined to surrender.

Perhaps it's because they judged my avatar to be only at an ordinary early Integration level compared to Kim Young-hoon.

"One, two, ten."

Using the counting method I learned from the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, I count to ten and swing the All-Heavens Sword.

'Wait for us, Baek Rin.'

We have come to rescue you.

Step, step...

Yuk Yo succeeds in reaching the depths of Governing Dragon Palace while holding Baek Rin's head.

Already, her body is adorned with glittering ornaments.

"...What's this? Given Father's personality, if I had come this far, he would have at least sent a split soul as a warning."

Yet, even after reaching the area she is concerned about, there is no sign of Yuk Rin stopping her.

A sly smile appears on Yuk Yo's face.

"It seems they are fighting well outside. Seeing as Father can't pay attention even though I've entered this far..."

Wo-woong—

Baek Rin's skull vibrates.

"'Still, there must be a prohibition or something guarding in place'? Don't worry. Given Father's nature, he would guard it himself rather than entrust it to someone else."

Creeeak—

With a confident expression, Yuk Yo opens a door to a secret chamber within Governing Dragon Palace.

Her eyes catch sight of a large altar, and on top of it, some basic prohibitions are placed on a spirit plaque.

"Father is confident in his skills and doesn't trust others, so he guards most treasures personally and rarely relies on prohibitions or subordinates. Isn't it clear from the fact that he's only left prohibitions that even a Qi Refining stage cultivator could undo?'

Woong—

Wo-woong—

"What's that, you ask?"

Yuk Yo approaches the spirit plaque with a sly smile.

"It's my father's paternal uncle. My great-uncle inscribed his 'name' onto this Black Ancient Plaque. It's an artifact created for breaking through to the Star Shattering stage, but unfortunately, he passed away after contracting some disease before achieving it."

On the spirit plaque, the words 'Yuk Ung' are engraved in the language of the Demon Race.

"This is a name plaque proving my great-uncle's existence, and simultaneously...a symbol recognizing my great-uncle as the owner of the Purple Soul Jade Seal and thereby proving his royal authority. This name plaque is an identity plaque and, at the same time, a contract proving that my great-uncle was acknowledged as the Sea Dragon King of the Ancient Force Realm! My father is trying to change the name on this plaque to inherit the royal authority of the Purple Soul Jade Seal and become the true Sea Dragon King himself."

A thrilling sense of exhilaration passes through Yuk Yo's eyes.

"If I have this...I can finally escape my father's grasp!"

Woong—

Wo-woong—

She slowly approaches the spirit plaque known as the Black Ancient Plauque.

Baek Rin's skull vibrates wildly, but somehow, the closer she gets to the Black Ancient Plaque, the more her eyes become dazed.

It's as if she is being enchanted.

And at that moment.

Wooo-woooong!

With an exceedingly strong vibration trying to convey a message, Yuk Yo regains awareness with a flinch and hurriedly ducks her head.

Kuaaang!

She breaks into a cold sweat, turning to see what had just grazed above her head.

A long claw mark is etched onto the chamber wall.

Dense devilish energy is spewing from the claw mark.

Step, step...

Someone emerges from the shadows of the secret chamber.

It's Wi Yun, eyes half-rolled back and exuding dark devilish energy.

[Master's...possession...cannot...be touched...]

Yuk Yo inhales sharply, looking quite flustered.

"F-Father used someone else to guard the Black Ancient Plaque, which he cherishes as much as his life?"

Wi Yun screams incoherently, as if out of her mind.

To that ghastly howl, akin to a wailing ghost, Yuk Yo spews blood from her seven orifices and starts to activate the artifacts she had stolen on her way to the chamber.