Chapter 181: The Tribe of the Earth (1)
"Thank you for your kindness."
In the end, the best thing I could say was this.
I meticulously manipulated my facial muscles in detail, managing to smile broadly without letting any hint of being forced to show at all.
By controlling my heartbeat to show a genuinely happy physiological response, Seo Hweol's suspicions did not grow any further.
'It's not that suspicion has disappeared; it just hasn't grown any further....'
It seems that he is the type to be suspicious of everything in the world whenever an issue arises.
"Haha, then diligently practice until we reach the Earth Tribe Territory. With your talent, you should be able to grasp the form of consciousness within at most four days."
'He's saying he'll suspect me if I don't form the consciousness into a dragon shape within four days.'
Silently listening to Seo Hweol's well-wishes a bit longer, I had no choice but to unfold the manual for Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation.
The manual, written in the language of the demon race, detailed the intricate training methods for Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation.
The Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation that Yuan Li bragged about stealing from Seo Hweol is a demon beast method that a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage of the Human Race can practice.
However, after roughly reading through the essentials, I simply erased the knowledge from my mind.
'There's no reason for me to learn this crazy method with my own hands.'
The offhand remark Seo Hweol made about being able to form the shape of consciousness within four days meant that if I didn't, he might suspect me.
Then there is only one solution.
'Let's master the Summoning Wind, Dragon Transformation.'
Instead of the Nascent Soul stage method, Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation, I decided to master the Summoning Wind, Dragon Transformation, which I received when I was at a much lower cultivation. Later, after regaining my state at the Nascent Soul stage, I will completely remove the effects of the lower level Summoning Wind, Dragon Transformation.
Of course, I wasn't going to master it myself.
Wo-woong!
I communicate with Yuan Yu, melted inside my body through Blood Body Skin Armor and perform Summoning Wind, Dragon Transformation through it.
The consciousness overlapping with mine starts to take the shape of a dragon as it changes.
Since it’s a technique I had already mastered before, the difficulty level isn't that high.
I operate the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon in accordance with the consciousness of Yuan Yu, hiding my form of consciousness within the consciousness of Yuan Yu.
Now, to the outside, my consciousness takes the complete shape of a dragon.
As my consciousness form changes, not only Gyu-ryeon but also the representatives of the demons from the Head Realm who had ascended with us came to offer their well-wishes.
“Haha, Dragon King Seo… No, from now on, it’s Sir Seo. Seeing you have made a good connection with Sir Seo, it seems you are someone with many blessings.”
“Your future path will be smooth as Sir Seo is someone who takes good care of his own, hahaha!”
The Mighty Tiger King and the Holy Peng King pat my shoulders and continue their well-wishes.
A few days later.
Finally, aboard Gyu-ryeon, we arrive at the demon’s, no, the Earth Tribe’s largest territory, the True Dragon Alliance.
Whooosh!
I admire the landscape of the True Dragon Alliance from above, embracing the wind in the sky.
Countless mountain ranges stretch out in a line.
The color of the mountains are pure white, each emitting dense spiritual energy and giving off a divine feeling.
Below the mountains flow rivers of black and white.
The rivers seem to weave through the entire land, spreading out like a net beneath the mountain ranges.
The white and black rivers are mostly separate, but occasionally they merge, creating areas where multi-colored mists rise around them, looking quite mystical
The territory of the True Dragon Alliance is mostly as described, boasting a size and vastness that is immense compared to the combined territories of the Human Race's Sky Islands.
Looking at that endless horizon, I am overwhelmed by its size and vastness, taking a sharp breath.
While observing the countless mountain ranges and the black and white rivers from atop Gyu-ryeon, I suddenly realize something.
'The shape of those mountains, the flow of those rivers. It's almost like….'
"Bones and blood vessels… Is this a natural landscape?"
"Oh, for a human, you have a good eye."
As I look down and speak, Gyu-ryeon smiles and explains.
"It's not purely natural terrain. That is the corpse of the great Dragon Ancestor who had reached the Entering Nirvana stage from our Dragon Race long ago. Our True Dragon Alliance was established on top of their corpse. Just as you said, those mountains are their bones, and the rivers are their veins and blood."
"...!?"
I gape at the vast land below.
If what she said is true, the size of the Dragon Ancestor at the Entering Nirvana stage would be even larger than the combined territories of the Human Race.
'A single Sky Island of the Human Race is slightly smaller than the continent of the Head Realm.'
Thinking of the territory of the Human Race crowded with numerous Sky Islands and being larger than that area means...
'Each part of his body is the size of a continent? That's rather...'
Cosmic in scale, isn't it?
I naturally open my mouth as I imagine the gigantic body of the dragon.
Hearing Gyu-ryeon's explanation, the other representatives of the demon race also look surprised, gaping down at the land.
Then, Seo Hweol, also curious, asks Gyu-ryeon a question.
"I heard that reaching the Entering Nirvana stage essentially means there's no limit to one's lifespan, yet even such a being had passed away."
"Originally, the ancestor was supposed to ascend as an Immortal Beast. However, before the True Devil Realm was separated from the Blood Yin Realm... during a war with the True Devil Realm, and after protecting the Bright Cold Realm from it, they passed away. It's because of their sacrifice that all beings in the Bright Cold Realm can enjoy such prestige."
"Ah~ So the ancestor was killed by a member of the Devil Race at the Entering Nirvana stage from the True Devil Realm?"
"Hmm, wouldn't that be the case? The records aren't detailed about how the ancestor died, so it's hard to say."
Seo Hweol silently looks down at the vast land after hearing Gyu-ryeon’s response.
After a while, we finally arrive at the heart of the True Dragon Alliance Territory, the place known as the headquarters of the True Dragon Alliance.
"That place is..."
The headquarters of the True Dragon Alliance boast a size comparable to that of the Human Race Grand Alliance's main sky island, the Heavenly Human Island.
Actually, it seems even larger than the Heavenly Human Island in terms of size.
Kugugugu!
It’s a mountain that stands on vast land, more massive than any other mountain range I have seen before.
Strangely, the mountain is a perfect square, clearly divided on all sides, unlike any other mountain ranges that were said to be the 'bones' of the Dragon Ancestor I had seen before.
'Hmm, it feels bizarre.'
Looking at the shape of that mountain, I feel a distinct difference from the mountain ranges described as the 'bones' of the Dragon Ancestor.
It’s as if a mountain from somewhere else had been plucked and dropped here, creating an eerie feeling.
What is this?'
As I wonder,
Gyu-ryeon introduces the headquarters of the True Dragon Alliance.
"Well then, welcome. To the True Dragon Alliance headquarters, the Serving Command Ark."
"Serving Command Ark?"
When one of the demon beast representatives asks, Gyu-ryeon, while looking at the square mountain, replies.
"Our True Dragon Alliance headquarters is located inside something called the Serving Command Ark. Hahaha, don't be too surprised, everyone. Inside this ark, there's an unimaginably vast space compressed again, so the space inside is as broad as the entire True Dragon Alliance territory combined."
"Oh…."
"It's said to have been one of the immortal treasures from the ancient True Immortal Realm, but now it's almost devoid of its original functions and has become a wreck, with us using only its shell."
I marvel at the mind-boggling size described by Gyu-ryeon, focusing on the name, the Serving Command Ark.
'What's the relationship with the Serving Command Palace?'
Just as I’m thinking that.
Seo Hweol asks Gyu-ryeon another question with a smile.
"By the way, senior. The area where our True Dragon Alliance headquarters is located, may I ask which part of the ancestor it corresponds to?"
"Ah, the place where Serving Command Ark is situated corresponds to the neck bone of the ancestor. Just a bit further back is the sacred land of the True Dragon Alliance, where the head of the ancestor is located."
"The neck..."
Seo Hweol seems to muse over Gyu-ryeon’s words for a moment before sitting back down with a smile.
After a while.
We enter the True Dragon Alliance headquarters, the Serving Command Ark.
Kugugugu!
The square mountain.
No, one of the upper parts of the Serving Command Ark, as Gyu-ryeon calls it, opens to welcome us.
"Now, since the True Dragon Alliance is the center of the Earth Tribe Territory, many envoys from various Earth Tribes have come. Everyone should find the envoys of their respective races and head to their corresponding territory."
Chk-chk-chk!
Upon entering the Serving Command Ark, Gyu-ryeon lands inside and transforms.
Her form changes, and soon she appears as a woman wearing a casual brown robe. Her hair is long, reaching down to her waist but seems unkempt overall, and small golden antlers protrude from her forehead. Her cheeks and arms are adorned with deliberately exposed yellow-brown scales.
"First, you, the Sea Dragon Race, and... there, the human, follow me. You need to register your names in the Dragon Registry of the True Dragon Alliance, so I'll guide you."
"Yes, thank you."
Gyu-ryeon, like ghosts leading the Human Race in my past life, explain about the True Dragon Alliance to me, Seo Hweol, and the elders of the Sea Dragon Race.
"Our Earth Tribe is, as you might know, a collection of numerous demon beast races. Though we talk about demon beasts and Earth Tribes, in truth, aside from the Dragon Race and a few other species, they are all different races
To lead these countless other races, the Dragon Race born with Immortal Beast lineage, and a few other superior large races have come together to govern the entire Earth Tribe. These large races have formed a single alliance to govern everything, which is our True Dragon Alliance.".
She continues with pride.
"And as you might have guessed from the name of the True Dragon Alliance, the strongest voice within the alliance belongs to our Dragon Race, which possesses particularly powerful strength among the large races.
Therefore, the name of the alliance was chosen as the True Dragon Alliance, and the headquarters of the alliance was also built in the central area of our Dragon Race's territory. In short, our Dragon Race is no different from the highest ruling class of the Earth Tribe. Act with pride."
"We will keep that in mind."
Gyu-ryeon, seemingly pleased with Seo Hweol's attitude, cheerfully pats his shoulder and continues forward.
The inside of Serving Command Ark is vast enough to be considered another world in its own right.
'Is that... the sky?'
I am astonished at the 'clouds' floating inside Serving Command Ark and the 'mountain ranges' within.
This is incomparable even to space artifacts like the Serving Command Palace.
Rather, it seems right to call it a world of its own.
Following Gyu-ryeon, we swiftly cross numerous mountain ranges and landscapes, feeling her Four-Axis stage power compressing space.
Despite merely walking, space is being compressed.
'Shrinking Earth Technique..'
A formidable technique that only those at the late stages of the Four-Axis stage or beyond can utilize!
I observe the flow of the Shrinking Earth Technique, trying to grasp the enlightenment of the Four-Axis stage.
After a while.
Inside the Serving Command Ark,
While it isn't as vast as the corpse of the Dragon Ancestor that is as large as the entire Human Race Territory we had seen earlier, we arrive at a place filled with bones of dragons, resembling mountain ranges, on the level of the Black Dragon King, Hyeon Eum.
It appears as if white mountains are scattered everywhere.
"Come here. This is the tomb of the Dragon Kings and the homeland of our Dragon Race, the Dragon King Mausoleum. Here, you can receive your identity plaques."
We arrive at the center of the Dragon King Mausoleum.
There, the skulls of Dragon Kings are gathered in abundance.
Even the skulls alone are as massive as mountains.
Gyu-ryeon points at the skulls, saying,
"Now, engrave your names on the skulls of past Dragon Kings. Carving your names into the minds of our ancestors in this way is a ceremony to announce to them that you have become part of the Dragon Race of the Bright Cold Realm."
All members of the Sea Dragon Race came out from Seo Hweol's storage artifact and engraved their names on the skulls of Dragon Kings.
As they did so, a radiant light flowed from the skulls of the Dragon Kings, entering the bodies of those who had engraved their names, leaving peculiar patterns on the bodies of the Dragon Race members.
"From now on, that pattern will serve as your identity plaque. Depending on each individual's qualities and characteristics, you would have received different patterns in different locations. I can't show you, but I have a pattern on my hip. When you infuse Qi into the pattern..."
Wo-woong!
A faint dragon-shaped aura seems to flow from Gyu-ryeon's body, sweeping over her once.
"This illusion proving you're of the Dragon Race appears. From now on, you can prove your identity this way. Remember everyone… And for the human, you."
She says, looking at Seo Hweol.
"It's not possible to include a member of the Human Race in the Dragon Registry of the Dragon Race. It's only possible for a member of the Human Race to be included in the Dragon Registry if they have been infused with the Immortal Beast true blood, and their own blood has been covered by the true blood by more than 70%. If you wish to accept a member of the Human Race as part of the Dragon Race under other circumstances, you must create an identity plaque for them using a part of the recommender's body."
"That won't be difficult."
Woong!
Seo Hweol reveals his arm, and blue scales sprout all over it.
He plucks one of the scales.
The scale he pulls from his arm floats in the air and enlarges to the size of a palm.
Patz!
With a flick of Seo Hweol's hand, the scale is processed in mid-air, and an identity plaque with my name inscribed on it is created.
"Here, take this. This identity plaque made from my scale will preserve your status in the Earth Tribe Territory."
"Thank you for your kindness."
I thank Seo Hweol, feeling something odd.
'All the other Sea Dragons are registering their names in something called the Dragon Registry, and I've received an identity plaque, but why don’t I see Oh Hye-Seo?'
I ponder Seo Hweol's intentions.
'Why isn't he creating an identity plaque for Oh Hye-Seo now?'
Though I wonder, there is no way to know right now.
Thus, we all acquired the means to prove our identities.
Afterward, we leave the Serving Command Ark, and under the guidance of Gyu-ryeon, we are introduced to the living space for the Sea Dragon Race.
It’s a large 'lake' near the front paws of the Dragon Ancestor.
...Of course, it’s called a lake, but in reality, its size is no different from the seas of the Head Realm.
The lake is connected to the rivers known as the blood veins of the Dragon Ancestor, with black and white waters mixing, creating a five-colored mist.
Due to the mixing of black and white waters, the lake itself is not black and white but transparent.
'The surrounding area is covered in an enormous density of heaven and earth spiritual energy.'
The Five Elements Spiritual Energy is densely spread around the area.
Training here, I will be able to quickly regain my past life's cultivation.
"There are quite a few water attribute demon beasts living under this Cloud Heart Lake. But you, the Sea Dragon Race, should be able to subdue and take over, right?"
"There will be no issues."
"Good, then I hope you live well under the lake from now on. I'll be going now... If you have any questions, you can come and find me."
"Thank you very much for everything so far. We will surely seek your teachings in the Bright Cold Realm in the future."
When Seo Hweol smiles and bows to Gyu-ryeon, her cheeks flush with color.
"Hemhem, I'll be going now."
She coughs a few times as if to clear her throat, hastily bids farewell to Seo Hweol, and transforms back into her dragon form to fly away into the distance.
As soon as Gyu-ryeon is out of sight, Seo Hweol turns to the elders of the Sea Dragon Race and asks,
"How long do you think it will take to take over this Cloud Heart Lake? How long does the council think it will take?"
Responding to Seo Hweol's question, one of the older-looking elders of the Sea Dragon Race bows and replies.
"With our power, we can establish a larger Sea Dragon Palace under Cloud Heart Lake within three days and demand tribute from the surrounding races. If Lord Seo Hweol assists, it will not even take three days but two."
"I see. However, we need to discuss the protocol and titles among the Sea Dragon Race again. I cannot casually use the title of Dragon King in the Bright Cold Realm."
"King... no, if it’s Sir Seo Hweol, you will surely reach the Integration stage and officially reclaim the title of king."
Thank you for the encouragement. Then, I'll wait for three days, so please take care of everything. I have some matters to attend to at the True Dragon Alliance headquarters."
"Leave it to us."
After finishing their conversation, the elders of the Sea Dragon Race transform into dragons and dive into Cloud Heart Lake.
Shortly after.
Kugugugu!
The waters of Cloud Heart Lake boil tumultuously.
A significant battle seems to be taking place beneath the lake.
"Now then, you should follow me now."
"Yes?"
"I said I would recommend you for participation in the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion if you followed me. I'll keep my promise."
"May I know what this Immortal Beast Blood Fusion is?"
"Haha, you followed me without even knowing what the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion is?"
'Damn.'
I clench my teeth internally.
Suspicion blooms once again in Seo Hweol's mind.
Although there isn't much suspicion, if it continues to accumulate like this, I will inevitably be betrayed by him.
"More than the Blood Fusion, I trusted and followed Sir Seo Hweol's reputation. Haha…."
"Ahaha, is that so? This is quite embarrassing."
We both laugh openly, while behind our smiles, we are sharpening knives against each other.
"I'll explain on the way. Follow me."
I climb onto Seo Hweol's back as he transforms into his true form and heads towards Serving Command Ark, listening to his explanation.
The Immortal Beast Blood Fusion is a competition held once every hundred years, gathering young demon beast prodigies to compete for the true blood of Immortal Beasts.
Winners of the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion receive a drop of their desired true blood, which they incorporate into their own blood, acquiring superior demon beast qualities.
Originally, non-Earth Tribes, like the Heaven Tribe, are not allowed to participate in the Immortal Beast Blood Fusion, but with the recommendation of a Four-Axis stage demon beast, participation is possible.
'The true blood of Immortal Beasts...'
As I think about the existence of Immortal Beasts,
Before long, Seo Hweol arrives inside Serving Command Ark again.
Within the Ark.
Seo Hweol lands in front of a massive stone building, transforms back into human form, and goes inside to handle some business, leaving me behind.
The building looks to handle various administrative tasks for the demon races, and as soon as Seo Hweol disappears from sight, I turn around.
'First, let's forget about ridiculous things like Summoning Wind, Dragon Transformation or Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation.'
Below the mountain where the stone building is erected, there is a large market that seems to be a marketplace for demon beasts, where numerous demon races are trading goods.
'For now, I'll find some proper demon beast methods.'
Tadat!
Using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, I enter the demon market without anyone noticing.
