The giant snake's inner core.

Though the creature had been on the verge of starving to death, the inner core still held significant energy. Despite being slightly depleted, the monster had displayed power close to that of a pinnacle martial artist.

The inner core held a considerable amount of energy, and if absorbed properly, it could become quite a potent elixir.

"Hmm."

However, Chunbong couldn’t absorb a monster’s inner core. Of the group, Seo-jun was the only one who could, but truthfully, elixirs didn’t hold much value for him at this point.

‘Might as well keep it for later.’

Seo-jun tucked the inner core into his chest pocket.

Perhaps later, if he could find a way to transfer the energy, he could give it to Chunbong to consume.

"Doesn’t seem like there’s anything else worth taking, right?" he asked.

“No. The snake’s skin is also in poor condition, probably due to its starvation,” Namgung Sua replied.

“Figures.”

Seo-jun shook his head and impulsively absorbed the residual death energy lingering in the cave.

“Ugh.”

Disgusting.

He spat it out immediately, grimacing.

“Shall we head back to the inn? It’ll get dark soon,” Namgung Sua suggested.

“Sounds like a good idea.”

"You heard her, let's go, Chunbong."

Seo-jun scooped Chunbong up in his arms, who had been poking at the snake’s carcass.

“I can walk by myself!”

“Aww.”

“What do you mean, ‘aww’?!”

“You usually just let me carry you. Just stay still, Chunbong.”

“Ugh.”

Chunbong sighed and glanced over at Namgung Sua, raising her lips in a confident smirk, as if to say, Did you see that? Namgung Sua widened her eyes in surprise before chuckling.

“Hehe.”

With a pout, Chunbong nestled comfortably into Seo-jun’s arms, leaning against him as if it were second nature.

Seo-jun, with Chunbong in his arms, began retracing their steps.

Since it was a path they had already taken, they quickly made their way back to the spot where the large rock had been.

“Huh?”

Seo-jun noticed something sticking out from the shattered pieces of rock.

He picked it up and examined it closely.

“This is... a talisman?”

Only a fragment remained, but it had something written on it in red, over a yellow background.

Perhaps the rock didn’t absorb energy on its own. It might have been the talisman’s power at work.

In fact, if the rock had been truly unbreakable, Seo-jun had been prepared to smash the cave walls instead. If the talisman was the cause, then the walls might have had the same properties as the rock.

Or maybe not.

Chunbong, still nestled in his arms, nodded her head in agreement.

“That could be it. But seriously, if you had tried to smash the walls, we could’ve been buried alive under a cave-in. What were you thinking?”

“Ah, now that you mention it, that makes sense.”

“Haven’t I told you to think before doing something?!”

“Hehe.”

As Chunbong scolded him, Namgung Sua called out, having found something.

“Everyone, look at this.”

They approached where she pointed and saw faint characters inscribed on the cave wall.

“Hm… I can’t make any sense of it.”

Having quickly given up, Seo-jun passed Chunbong forward to have her interpret the text.

Chunbong squinted, leaning closer, then further away, frowning as she read the faint letters aloud.

“Caution… danger… do not touch…”

“Well, then.”

Seo-jun scratched his head and glanced deeper into the cave.

“Well, everything worked out fine, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“You’re right. Even if we’d seen that beforehand, we would’ve gone in anyway.”

“Gold Chunbong, you know me well.”

“What nonsense. That’s just obvious.”

Chuckling confidently, Chunbong relaxed in Seo-jun’s arms as they made their way out of the cave.

By the time they stepped outside, the sun had begun to set.

“If we head back to the inn now, we’ll probably arrive by dawn.”

“Better than camping out.”

“That’s true.”

Since Chunbong was still growing, it would be best to let her sleep while being carried.

Seo-jun was confident he could be the perfect, stable mode of transport.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, Seo-hyup,” Namgung Sua replied, subtly moving closer to Seo-jun. As they walked, she inched nearer, her shoulder almost brushing his, a sweet fragrance wafting from her.

Terrifying!

Seo-jun decided that once they reached the inn, he would make sure to lock his door securely.

 

“This is unfortunate…”

Hyewoon gritted his teeth as he surveyed the remnants left by the vanished demonic figure.

Somehow, the wicked demon had eluded Shaolin’s pursuit and disappeared without a trace.

Taking a deep breath to calm his turbulent thoughts, Hyewoon turned to Jiam.

“Master, what should we do now?”

“First, we must follow the trail left behind,” Jiam said, his eyes fixated on the faint footprints on the ground.

“We’ll split into groups of three and pursue the demon. His concealment techniques are formidable, so stay vigilant and immediately send a signal if you find anything suspicious.”

“Yes!”

The Shaolin disciples divided into teams and dispersed.

Unlike the other groups, Jiam and Hyewoon, forming a pair, continued tracking the demon in silence. After a moment, Jiam stroked his beard and spoke in a low voice.

“Hyewoon, if my memory serves me right, that demon is the Soul-Stealing Demon.”

“The Soul-Stealing Demon? You mean the one who fled from the Demonic Sect?”

“Yes. He fled after losing at the Life and Death Confrontation, but he is no opponent to be taken lightly.”

The Soul-Stealing Demon’s specialty was releasing overwhelming internal energy through palm techniques and qigong.

Though his internal energy had become muddied after mastering the Absorbing Star Technique, he was still a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle. Caution was essential.

“Then won’t this put the others in danger?”

“No, Shaolin’s techniques are the exact counter to his. He won’t be able to steal our internal energy, so the demon won’t risk provoking Shaolin further.”

If he attacked any Shaolin disciples, the Soul-Stealing Demon would face the wrath of the entire sect.

Being an experienced martial artist, the demon wouldn’t make such a foolish mistake.

“That makes our role crucial. If the other teams can maintain the encirclement, we must strike swiftly and subdue him once he’s cornered.”

That was why Hyewoon had been chosen for this task.

Despite his relatively young age, Hyewoon’s martial prowess was exceptional, standing out even among the Shaolin disciples. Though he still had a long way to go before becoming the head of the sect, if he could cleanse his heart of worldly distractions, he would be one of the strongest candidates.

“Understood, Master.”

“Good. Let’s get moving.”

The trail led toward a dense forest.

Given how easy it would be to hide in such a place, the Soul-Stealing Demon had likely fled there.

Calming his thoughts, Jiam began moving forward.

 

“It’s pitch black,” Seo-jun muttered.

The already dim forest, densely overgrown, had turned into a near-darkroom as the sun had set.

Holding Chunbong in one arm, Seo-jun lit the path ahead with a flame in his other hand.

“Seo-hyup, shall I tell you a scary story?” Namgung Sua suggested with a playful tone.

“…No? Why would you?”

“Isn’t it fun? Especially in an atmosphere like this.”

Namgung Sua chuckled, gesturing toward their surroundings.

The chirping of strange insects, the rustling of wild animals moving about, and the occasional unsettling sound of something brushing against the trees blended with the pitch-black darkness. If a ghost were to jump out, it would be oddly believable in this eerie environment.

“I don’t like scary stories.”

“Oh? I didn’t expect that. Why not?”

“Well… because they’re scary?”

Chunbong, snuggled up in Seo-jun’s arms, scoffed lightly.

“For a man, you sure scare easily.”

“Hey, Gold. I won’t carry you anymore.”

“Who says you’re allowed to put me down?”

Chunbong wrapped her arms and legs around Seo-jun, clinging tightly.

So cute. I’ll let it slide.

Seo-jun shook his head and asked Namgung Sua, “Do you like scary stories?”

“Hm… I neither like nor dislike them.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Don’t worry, if a ghost shows up, I’ll protect you.”

“Wow, big sis!”

As Seo-jun laughed, Namgung Sua snuck closer and lightly clung to his arm.

“To protect you, Seo-hyup, I’ll need to stay a little closer, won’t I?”

“Oh…”

So bold!

As he felt the soft sensation against his arm, Seo-jun rolled his eyes and mechanically continued walking, trying not to focus on it.

Seeing this, Namgung Sua smiled slyly.

“You don’t seem very experienced with women, Seo-hyup.”

“I’m very experienced, actually. Practically a master.”

“Really? I don’t believe it.”

“I’m serious. I’ve been in hundreds of relationships.”

“What did you just say?”

Chunbong suddenly perked up.

Seo-jun quickly patted her on the back, calming her down before continuing, “Well, I mean, I’ve read about it. That’s still a form of experience, right? Indirect experience counts.”

“Ah… Most people don’t count that.”

“Lies!”

Seo-jun was horrified to learn this cruel truth.

Namgung Sua leaned in closer, standing on her toes to whisper into his ear.

“In that case, Seo-hyup, why don’t you—oh?”

Namgung Sua was cut off as Seo-jun gently set Chunbong down and swiftly punched into the air.

Boom!

The hand of a swiftly approaching figure collided with his fist.

“You’re quick to react!”

Grinning wickedly, the old man grabbed Seo-jun’s fist and began drawing on his internal energy.

It was the Soul-Stealing Demon, Hyeok Mu-gang.

With the absurd amount of internal energy the old man possessed, there was no chance a young martial artist like Seo-jun could win in a contest of strength.

Hyeok Mu-gang was confident he could not only overpower Seo-jun but also take the lives of the women beside him without even breaking a sweat.

Moreover, with his mastery of the Absorbing Star Technique, he could drain the internal energy—and even the true essence—of his opponent.

In other words, he could absorb Seo-jun’s internal energy as if it were an elixir.

“Your internal energy will be well-used by me!”

As he pressed down on Seo-jun, beginning to drain his energy, the Soul-Stealing Demon’s demonic energy started to seep in, infecting Seo-jun’s body. He expected an easy victory.

“Hehehe…! Such pure energy! What a fortunate find!”

“Ah, thank you?”

“What?! How are you… speaking?!”

“I mean… can’t you talk? You’ve been chatting this whole time.”

Seo-jun glanced at the demonic energy entering his body.

It was trying so hard to blend in with his energy, but it was like a pale imitation of Chunbong’s charm—barely cute by comparison.

And the energy the demon was absorbing from him? It was flowing along such a clear and precise path that Seo-jun couldn’t help but marvel.

“Oh, is it like this?”

It was absurdly easy—easier than ever before.

Ignoring the Soul-Stealing Demon’s resistance, Seo-jun began to pull the demonic energy back into himself.

Behind him, three twisted, grotesque flowers bloomed, reflecting the changes in his body as it accepted the demonic energy.

In no time at all, Seo-jun had mastered the Absorbing Star Technique, smiling brightly.

“Wow, thanks so much!”