In the abode of the Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox.

Dam Hyun nodded to Seo-mi’s explanation.

“A form closer to a curse than a technique, huh? Is it because it’s based on yokai power?”

Dam Hyun was checking his ritual utensils, which he always carried with him. The way he lit the incense was definitely Taoist-like.

Seo-mi looked at Dam Hyun with a surprised look.

“So, you don’t find it repulsive?”

“Repulsive?”

“Yes, Taoists in the Central Plains tend to despise yokai, don’t they?”

“Some do eat people, so how could they be liked?”

“We haven’t eaten humans in a long time. A very long time.”

“Why?”

It meant they used to eat people in the past.

“Because mother decided not to accept human sacrifices.”

“You’ve got a divine beast on your hands.”

Dam Hyun’s tone was rude, but there was no malice in it. Perhaps that’s why Seo-mi didn’t get angry at the little human in front of her.

“If you’ve lived since the ancient times, you must have had your fill of witnessing the ugliness of humanity. Why do you still remain on this earth?”

“I do not fully understand mother’s intentions either.”

Dam Hyun fiddled with the doll in front of him.

It was a bronze fox doll he had made himself. The Nine-Tails planned to make this doll the core of her spell.

Perhaps his doll would become the new real body of a Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox.

Dam Hyun focused and removed the decorations from the bronze fox.

“The Kunlun Sect’s castrated Taoists are also merciful, even making treaties.”

“Do you know them well?”

“The Kunlun Taoists? Yes, I know them. They once visited my sect… What was the name of that Taoist?”

Dam Hyun scratched his head, then snapped his fingers with an “Ah!”

“It was Go… ja, I think. A Taoist whose Taoist name was Goja.”

“Goja? I’ve never heard of such a person.”

“That Goja came to my master, wanting to discuss. It was about an external alchemy method for ascending.”

“You humans, especially those from Kunlun, desire to become immortals.”

“He talked about a unique method among the external alchemy methods. Mortal body liberation method, a forceful method to discard the flesh when becoming an immortal.”

“Does discarding the body mean suicide?”

“Yes, there were methods like melting the body in a mountain stream all at once or burning it in a fierce fire. He also mentioned draining all the blood from the body. Extreme, but it had its rationale. Still, whatever…”

It was from before Dam Hyun was confined to the Repentance Cave.

Just thinking about that time made Dam Hyun giggle with laughter.

“My master and I thoroughly refuted him. That castrated Taoist’s face turned bright red.”

“He must be very insightful, your master.”

“My master is indeed smart. But I’m smart too, so I took the lead in the debate.”

At first glance, Dam Hyun was young. If this was a story from the past, he would have been even younger.

The Taoist known as Goja, by all accounts, seemed to have age and status, but not the Grand Library Master. He must have found it quite embarrassing to be refuted by the young disciple instead.

Thinking this, Seo-mi heard something unexpected from Dam Hyun.

“He must be extremely grateful to us, to the Azure Forest.”

“…Grateful?”

“Because of his ignorance, he was about to do something foolish that could have killed him, but thanks to me and my master, his life was saved.”

Dam Hyun truly seemed to believe that.

Seo-mi was not human, but she was not entirely ignorant about humans.

“Did the Kunlun Taoists really appreciate it?”

“That’s what he told me.”

‘The things that this senior Taoist priest had been pondering over for ten years… turned out to be nothing but trash. …Thank you for your teachings. Truly…’

Dam Hyun added that the Taoist known as Goja’s face had turned red with embarrassment.

‘Especially that small Taoist priest there. His potential is very… Do visit Kunlun sometime. I will definitely…’

He left abruptly without finishing his sentence.

As Dam Hyun narrated the anecdote, his voice gradually became softer.

Seo-mi, who had been silent, spoke up, “Was he really grateful?”

Dam Hyun quietly closed his mouth.

He had thought so before, but recalling it now, he was confused.

“…Was he not?”

Whether the Kunlun Taoist was truly grateful or not… he would only know after meeting him again.“Taoist name Go… what?”

Yi-gang asked again, thinking he had heard it wrong.

The Kunlun Taoist answered calmly yet seemed furious.“It’s Go Yo-ja!”

The story was about a Taoist with the name Go Yo-ja being among the swarm of Blood Moths.

Yi-gang and his companions were taken aback by the hostile demeanor of the Kunlun Taoist.

Seemingly unaware of the inner workings, the Kunlun Taoist was just as bewildered.

“Didn’t your master talk about that debate?”

“With Go Yo-ja? No, never heard of it.”

Yi-gang had never heard the Taoist name Go Yo-ja before.

He had heard that Kunlun Taoists had visited the Azure Forest, but was there some issue?

A disciple, who introduced himself as Sang Mu and a disciple of Go Yo-ja, shared the story from that time.

“No matter what… it’s unthinkable for a mere child, far below in status, to give such a rebuke.”

“So, Senior Brother Dam Hyun did that.”

“The disciple’s fault is the master’s fault. Wasn’t it instigated by your master? Otherwise, how could a child be so knowledgeable about mortal liberation methods and scriptures?”

It might have been a misunderstanding on the part of the Kunlun Taoist. Master Yu Jeong-shin wasn’t that harsh, and Dam Hyun, being smart, also lacked manners.

Even Yi-gang thought that the Azure Forest had gone too far.

Go Yo-ja and the Kunlun Taoists must have felt a significant humiliation.

“Ah, but my master isn’t that heartless. Didn’t he say anything?”

“He did. That was the problem.”

The Taoist named Sang Mu in front of him said he had trained with Go Yo-ja, who was the master at the time.

Just recalling it seemed to make him clench his teeth in discomfort.

Back then, Yu Jeong-shin had scolded Dam Hyun for completely refuting Go Yo-ja and embarrassing him.

The elders were speaking, and he was scolded for interrupting.

There was no problem up to that point, but the content was problematic.

‘No matter how absurd the argument may be. How could you interject and speak so harshly? Even if an argument is full of holes, being pointed out hurts.’

Considering how Yu Jeong-shin used to act cluelessly in front of his daughter, it seemed likely.

It was easy to imagine the master speaking uncomfortably about it.

‘Ha-ha. I’m sorry, Sage Go. I should have taught my disciple more about etiquette; he has a habit of speaking his mind. You weren’t offended, were you?’

‘Are you… mocking me?’

It seemed like that was the gist of their conversation.

“For the next ten years, my master devoted himself to researching mortal liberation methods. And today!”

What Go Yo-ja had advocated was the mortal liberation method, becoming an immortal by abandoning the living flesh.

However, the method was bizarre, and that’s why he had come to Azure Forest to debate.

“He decided to ascend!”

The martial artists of Kunlun blocked Yi-gang and his group.

Their presence was so formidable that it seemed impossible to get past them.Pahan cautiously asked Yi-gang, “It’s not a good idea to clash with the Kunlun Taoists. How about we back off for now?”

Yi-gang paused to think before asking, “Would you be able to find such a scale of Blood Moths so soon? Before the newly formed swarm disperses.”

“…It won’t be easy.”

Yi-gang didn’t want to waste time.

Sensing his urgency, Pahan became anxious.

“Young Master.”

“…Don’t worry. They won’t draw their swords against us.”

At a glance, Kunlun seemed to harbor old resentments against the Azure Forest, but how could Yi-gang be so confident?

Pahan might not understand, but Yi-gang was certain.

The Kunlun Taoists were the kind of people who would come all the way to the distant Azure Forest to request a meeting with Master Yu Jeong-shin.

Yi-gang once again bowed respectfully and requested.

“I regret what happened before. I am a disciple who has taken up the mantle directly from the Grand Library Master. I am well-versed in the external alchemy methods.”

“…”

“As fellow Taoists, I ask for your observation. If you need even my modest strength, I am willing to help.”

Pahan thought the Kunlun Taoists would scoff and dismiss them.

But Sang Mu hesitated, then uttered a Taoist term.

“A divine response of the Tao…”

Then, as if he had no choice, he nodded.

“Follow me. The master will be pleased to know a disciple of the Grand Library Master has come.”

The tone became more moderate.

The Kunlun martial artists sheathed their swords and led the way.

Yi-gang and his party followed, fluttering among the Blood Moths.

“What is this…”

Pahan was surprised by the sudden change in situation.

Not being a martial artist of a Taoist sect, he couldn’t help but be puzzled.

“Brother, what’s happening?”

“These are people who came to the Azure Forest seeking to become immortals.”

Kunlun was obsessed with the path of immortality.

Unlike other sects, their foremost priority isn’t the strength of martial arts. If they had desired to become the overlords of the Central Plains or to amass wealth, they wouldn’t have established their sect in the remote mountains of Qinghai.“They needed my master’s advice sincerely.”

Those who recognized the Azure Forest’s Taoist power came all the way here.

Despite any past grievances, they wouldn’t refuse the observation of a disciple of the Azure Forest’s Grand Library Master.

And thus, Yi-gang was able to meet the Go Yo-ja they were protecting.

Ha-jun, standing next to Yi-gang, unconsciously held his nose.

Because the smell of blood was too strong.

Blood had flowed enough to hatch all the Blood Moths in the vicinity.

On the ground, mantras were written using rice and blood.

“It’s written with the blood of chickens and horses. There’s nothing bizarre about it.”

Pahan and Ha-jun had been startled for a while, but Yi-gang was different.

He looked ahead with a calm expression.

“That person over there.”

A Taoist was sitting cross-legged in front of them.

His upper body was exposed, revealing a gaunt figure, and he was meditating with his eyes gently closed.

Red Blood Moths were sucking blood from his fingertips and various parts of his body, their wings folded.

His complexion was pale from having lost much blood. He was Go Yo-ja.

Sang Mu whispered something to Go Yo-ja.

When Go Yo-ja opened his eyes, a strange light flashed. Yi-gang’s eyes met his.

Ha-jun whispered to Yi-gang, “But, can becoming an immortal be achieved like that?”

Yi-gang briefly explained.

The method of becoming an immortal depended on how one treated their body, dividing into two paths.

“In cases like the ancestors of the Azure Forest or Wudang’s Zhang Sanfeng, they became immortals with their physical bodies.”

When enlightenment reached its peak, one became a living immortal. Afterward, whether ascending to heaven by walking or disappearing with the light, the essence was to become an immortal before dying.

“Shedding the mortal body literally means abandoning the physical body.”

“…Isn’t that just dying?”

“Correct.”

One dies, leaving behind a corpse, and only the spirit becomes an immortal.

This was the way of becoming an immortal through mortal liberation, as described in the Baopuzi.

Ha-jun was flabbergasted.

So, Go Yo-ja intended to use the Blood Moths to commit suicide and then become an immortal.

“How do you know if he really died or became an immortal?”

“I don’t know.”

Yi-gang answered lightly, but that was the reality.

Since it’s unknown what happens after death, the method of shedding the mortal body hasn’t garnered much attention.

Sometimes after a deeply spiritual elder dies, people venerate them as having become a corpse-free immortal.

In that sense, the Taoist named Go Yo-ja who chose suicide was extraordinarily resolute.

‘It doesn’t seem like they’d let us take the Blood Moths…’

The Blood Moths that sucked the blood soon lay eggs and die. One would have to catch those before they sucked blood, but given the situation, it seemed they wouldn’t allow it.

Ha-jun muttered something beside him.

“I don’t understand.”

It was a very soft voice, but Go Yo-ja seemed to have heard it.

“There’s no need to understand. The path of immortality is not for gaining understanding…”

Go Yo-ja’s voice was not loud, but it had strength.

He glared at Yi-gang.

“However, a disciple of the Grand Library Master of the Azure Forest should be able to understand.”

“…I am Baek Yi-gang, a second-generation disciple of the Azure Forest.”

“Is Sage Yu doing well?”

“He is well.”

Yi-gang bowed respectfully.

Go Yo-ja’s gaze was extraordinary. One could immediately feel that his position within Kunlun was not ordinary.

“You wish to collect Blood Moths?”

“That is my intention.”

“To think that a disciple of the Azure Forest’s Grand Library Master has come at this moment when I am shedding my mortal body to ascend. Surely, this must be the benevolence of the heavenly supreme… Isn’t that right, Sang Mu?”

The Kunlun Taoists bowed respectfully.

Go Yo-ja, seemingly genuinely pleased, made an offer to Yi-gang, “I originally wanted to meet Sage Yu once again, but it’s fortunate to meet you, who has inherited all of his teachings.”

“I still have much to learn.”

“Let’s cut to the chase.”

Despite facing death, Go Yo-ja exhibited a vivid desire.

“I’m about to perform shedding the mortal body after achieving a certain level of Taoist power. I became curious all of a sudden.”

“What are you curious about?”

“I once met Sage Yu and admired his high level of Taoist power. Now, I’m curious how I compare to him…”It was a desire to validate himself.

“Judge fairly for me. Whether my Taoist power is greater, or your master’s.”

With a fluttering sound, the Blood Moths clinging to his body all flew up into the sky.

“If your judgment is fair, you may take the Blood Moths. Not only that. I will also share my Taoist power with you.”

Yi-gang struggled to conceal his astonishment.