Chapter 320 : The Demonic Spirit Realm (5)
Chapter 320: The Demonic Spirit Realm (5)
The colossal turtle measured over a hundred li from head to tail.
Naturally, the area of its shell was larger than most islands.
The mountain rising atop its shell surrounded a central basin with dozens of peaks.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage landed near one of the taller peaks and pointed downward.
"The basin below is the marketplace."
"Demons use markets too?"
"It's very different from human markets. It's where demons barter things they've made or obtained. Since there's a marketplace, something resembling a village naturally formed around it. Though, looking at it, calling it a village is a stretch. Most of them just dig caves and live in those."
"Then why haven't you smashed this place apart?"
"Because it keeps moving due to its nature, so unless you're determined to find it, it's hard to locate. Besides, there are quite a few Demon Kings guarding this place."
"I doubt 'Demon King' means they're actual kings. They're not stronger than you either, right?"
"Of course not. I can beat every last one of them."
The Wind-Passing Great Sage snorted dismissively.
"It's just a title for powerful demons. It varies by individual, but if you compare them to martial artists, Demon Kings are roughly at the Wish-Fulfillment Realm. Around that level. Great Demons are much stronger than that."
Jang Woo-hyun stared at him, unable to understand.
If Demon Kings were only that strong, the Wind-Passing Great Sage could destroy them with ease.
Then how was this place still standing just because they were protecting it?
Avoiding his gaze, the monkey revealed the real reason.
"There are too many people connected to this place. I can't just smash it."
My eldest sister comes here from time to time.
He mumbled the rest.
If he touched this place carelessly, he'd have to endure decades of lectures.
So even the Wind-Passing Great Sage tried not to cause trouble here whenever possible.
"So you'd better be careful too."
"...That sounded strange. Shouldn't you be telling me not to cause trouble?"
"Hehehe. You're the type who might stir something up."
"You think I'm you?"
Jang Woo-hyun had come to find Kim Min-su.
He had no intention of wasting time here.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage, however, thought differently.
This was a place where all kinds of demons gathered.
Surely, through human eyes, Jang Woo-hyun would notice something worth getting angry over.
'Then he won't be able to resist smashing something.'
The monkey let out a sinister chuckle, excitement filling his face.
"I'm not going to fight, so stop worrying."
Ignoring the monkey's bizarre concern, Jang Woo-hyun climbed the mountain.
Even without being told where to go, the destination was obvious.
The higher they climbed—
The stranger the surrounding plants became.
At first, they were merely withered.
Farther up, they looked completely rotten, blackened as if dead.
Sticky black liquid flowed across the ground.
Green mist drifted everywhere.
The area overflowed with poison.
Yet Jang Woo-hyun and the Wind-Passing Great Sage strolled through it as leisurely as if they were taking a walk.
After passing through increasingly dense poison—
They arrived at a spacious clearing.
Opposite the path they had climbed—
Large boulders had been piled together as though forming a hill.
That was the source of the poison.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage walked toward the rocky mound.
At once—
A grating screech echoed from within.
Along with it came a surge of killing intent.
"It's me."
"..."
"Not coming out? Want me to tear the place apart?"
The monkey released just a sliver of the aura he had been suppressing.
Centered around him, razor-sharp winds spread outward in perfect circles.
The approaching green mist and the sticky black liquid on the ground were swept away.
Every trace of poison vanished from the clearing in an instant.
【G-Great Sage! Lord Monkey King?!】
The murderous aura immediately subsided.
A flustered voice echoed out as a blue centipede cautiously poked its head through a crack between the rocks.
【How long has it been!】
A massive centipede over one zhang long crawled across the ground before raising the front half of its body in front of the Wind-Passing Great Sage.
Below its head—
Someone had crudely drawn a pair of eyes and a mouth using simple lines.
Its overall appearance was that of a gigantic centipede, making it rather grotesque.
Yet the crudely sketched face beneath its head looked like something a child had drawn, making it strangely comical.
Though centipedes had no tails like dogs—
It wagged the end of its body frantically the moment it saw the monkey.
"What is this demon?"
【You insolent brat!】
The centipede immediately shouted at Jang Woo-hyun.
【Speak respectfully to the Great Sage! How dare you show such disrespect!】
Because it had lifted its head, the odd little face drawn underneath became visible.
The slanted lines that served as eyes angled sharply upward.
It looked furious.
The expression was so pitiful that Jang Woo-hyun couldn't take it seriously despite the loud shouting.
"Your subordinate?"
"Not exactly. I helped him once a long time ago."
【He saved my life! But who are you? To speak so rudely before the great Wind-Passing Great Sage! And you smell like a beast while wearing the skin of a human. Not in the Lower Realm, but here in the Demonic Spirit Realm... how can such a disgusting creature exist?】
"I'm human."
【...What?】
The centipede immediately stopped wagging.
Its gaze darted from the Wind-Passing Great Sage to Jang Woo-hyun—
Then back again.
Several times.
"He's really human."
【Huh?】
"Human Jang Woo-hyun. This guy's name is Gong Ryo. A Flying Heavenly Centipede demon. I saved him once when he was about to die, so he helps me from time to time."
The Flying Heavenly Centipede was a demon that grew larger as it matured.
Normally, they became gigantic creatures rivaling Wyverns and Dragons.
Yet Gong Ryo had been unusually small ever since birth.
Because he was different from ordinary Flying Heavenly Centipedes—
His own mother tried to eat him.
Just before Gong Ryo was devoured—
The Wind-Passing Great Sage happened to pass by and ended up fighting his mother.
The monkey slaughtered every Flying Heavenly Centipede in the area.
Only Gong Ryo survived because he had disobeyed his mother's orders.
From that day onward—
He regarded the Wind-Passing Great Sage as his savior.
In truth—
The monkey had never intended to rescue him.
He had simply fought because he happened to be bored.
Yet thanks to that senseless battle—
The centipede demon who had nearly died survived.
【Even a lifetime wouldn't be enough to repay the Great Sage's kindness.】
"Enough with the pointless chatter. You can find the Living Spirit Mountain Range, right?"
【Yes, I can. Are you planning to go there personally?】
"Yeah. There's something I need to find."
【It's quite far away, so we'll need several medicinal herbs. I'll prepare them immediately. We can gather everything we need once we head down to the marketplace.】
Without a single complaint—
Gong Ryo immediately agreed to help.
"I'm going somewhere for a bit. Show Jang Woo-hyun around while I'm gone."
"I'll just stay here."
"Why? Go cause a little trouble."
"No thanks. Let's finish preparing and leave."
"How boring. Fine then. I'll go take care of my business."
Leaving Jang Woo-hyun behind—
The Wind-Passing Great Sage and Gong Ryo headed down the mountain.
【Why... are you traveling with a human...?】
Once they were some distance from the cave—
Gong Ryo cautiously asked.
"They're just someone I happened to meet."
【...】
The answer was one Gong Ryo couldn't understand.
"And let me warn you beforehand. Don't be disrespectful toward Jang Woo-hyun. You'll get yourself killed."
【What? Impossible. Compared to you, Great Sage, I may be insignificant... but there's no way I'd lose to a human like him.】
"Hehehe. Right now he's hiding his presence using something I gave him. If he wanted to, he could tear apart every Demon King around here with his bare hands."
【...】
Gong Ryo couldn't believe it.
Yet he also knew—
The monkey walking beside him would never joke about something like this.
"I'm leaving. Make sure everything's ready."
The Wind-Passing Great Sage suddenly changed direction.
Gong Ryo bowed respectfully toward his departing figure.
【Yes, have a safe trip. I'll make all the preparations.】
Watching the monkey leave—
Gong Ryo turned back to glance toward his own dwelling.
'He really is a strange human.'
No ordinary human would enter the Demonic Spirit Realm alone while traveling alongside the Wind-Passing Great Sage.
But Gong Ryo had been so happy to reunite with his benefactor—
He hadn't stopped to think about it until now.
---
"What do you need a Formation Combination for?"
"Because there are opponents no one can face alone. By combining our strength."
"Why bother wasting energy like that? Just smash them yourself."
"Even you sometimes meet opponents who are difficult to handle alone, don't you?"
"I don't."
"I beat everyone."
"Huh? Um... but back in the Central Plains, didn't your elder brother beat you?"
"That was only because it was a summoned avatar. If we fought properly, I'd win."
"But your elder brother wasn't even that strong back then. He was only at the Absolute Realm... I-I don't mean you're weak, Great Sage. I'm just saying there are times when fighting together is necessary. That's when Formation Combinations become useful. We fight together too, don't we?"
"We do? Since when?"
"Yes. You're at the front, while Brother Mak and Brother Seo take the left and right flanks. It's something like that. You don't dislike fighting that way either."
Just as the little boy who taught him martial arts had said—
At some point—
Fighting together had become fun.
And by fighting together—
The battle itself grew larger.
Now—
The Wind-Passing Great Sage was moving to make the battlefield even bigger.
'Big Brother and Eldest Sister won't interfere.'
Neither of them moved easily.
Especially his eldest sister.
Unless something truly outrageous happened—
She rarely involved herself in such matters.
'Then the other three will come.'
The Roc Demon King.
The Lion-Camel King.
The Bull Demon King.
Those three brothers were the most likely to move.
Perhaps the Bull Demon King had already contacted the others the moment the monkey rejected his proposal.
'Three on their side.'
'Me and Jang Woo-hyun on ours.'
Three against two.
The numbers weren't right.
Even so—
Simply fighting would still be enjoyable.
But the Wind-Passing Great Sage wanted an even greater battle.
And after spending time with Jang Woo-hyun—
He had no idea what else might happen.
So he intended to prepare.
He was no longer the reckless monkey who only knew how to charge straight ahead.
After living among humans—
After learning martial arts—
He had changed.
'Hehehe. Since a True Immortal's involved, evening the numbers will make this even more entertaining.'
His brothers stood on the opposite side.
Since they spent all their time fighting, there was no one he could ask for help.
The only companion and friend the Wind-Passing Great Sage had—
Was Jang Woo-hyun.
'Still... there is one person I can ask.'
That person would definitely accept.
Their relationship wasn't bad.
And this would be the first favor he had ever requested.
The place he was heading toward—
Contained a means of contacting that individual.
Leaving Gong Ryo's mountain—
The Wind-Passing Great Sage headed toward another peak.
At the summit—
A crude temple-like building made of rough stone stood alone.
"You in there?"
Without waiting for an answer—
He walked straight inside.
Though crudely built—
The interior was enormous.
Holes in the ceiling let sunlight pour in, yet hundreds of candles still burned throughout the hall.
Opposite the entrance—
A gigantic red elephant sat cross-legged upon a stone throne.
It had four eyes.
Six protruding tusks.
Even seated, it stood over two zhang tall.
"Good people never come, and those who come are never good."
Contrary to its intimidating appearance—
Its voice carried profound serenity.
The hall filled with its tranquil words.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage casually waved a hand as he approached.
Invisible energy exploded through the air.
"What's with the tricks? 'Those who come are never good?' Don't make me laugh."
"Heh heh. To possess such overwhelming power, yet remain so violent... Even I fail to comprehend the Buddha's intentions. Amitabha."
Warm energy, like a gentle spring breeze, spread outward from the red elephant.
Its voice remained soft and composed despite its enormous size.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage let out a dry laugh.
"Says the guy who got caught eating human flesh and had to flee the Buddha Realm. And now you're chanting Amitabha?"
"..."
"If you're going to keep talking nonsense, let's start with a few punches."
"T-Wait! Why are you always so impatient?"
Without replying—
The Wind-Passing Great Sage clenched his fist.
"W-Wait! Stop! Have you forgotten whose place this is? It's connected to the Flood Demon King and the Bull Demon King! No matter how great a Great Sage you are—"
"I surrender! I surrender! I won't say another word!"
The red elephant immediately climbed down from its throne with both hands raised.
After all—
If anyone could reduce this place to ruins regardless of whether it belonged to the Flood Demon King or the Bull Demon King—
It was this mad monkey.
Only after the monkey lowered his fist did the elephant cautiously ask,
"So... what brings such a busy Great Sage here?"
The serenity had completely vanished from his voice.
Only thick greed remained.
"I've got a job for you."
"For me?"
The elephant pointed at the monkey—
Then at himself.
"Yeah. You can still contact the Buddha Realm, right?"
"I can contact them."
"But I don't."
"You know my situation."
Unlike Ascension—
The Buddha Realm was where Buddhist martial artists and enlightened Buddhas eventually arrived.
The red elephant had originally belonged there.
Long ago, after causing major trouble alongside the sworn brothers he met in the Lower Realm—
He had been captured.
True to his incorrigible nature, he was later caught eating human flesh and fled into the Demonic Spirit Realm.
Unlike ordinary demons—
He had originally been born in the Buddha Realm.
Because of that—
Even across immense distances—
He could still communicate with it to some extent.
"Let's hear it first. Why would a Great Demon of the Demonic Spirit Realm need to contact the Buddha Realm?"
"You only need to pass along a message."
"To whom?"
The Wind-Passing Great Sage revealed the name of the person he wished to contact.
The moment the elephant heard it—
"You insane monkey bastard! Are you trying to get someone killed?!"
All four of the elephant's eyes bulged open.
He snorted so violently—
That the Wind-Passing Great Sage himself was pushed backward by the force.