In truth, Yise had hesitated over whether to reveal his cultivation realm. He could not tell whether revealing his identity or concealing it would better serve his mission. Still, how much attention could a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator from elsewhere attract? Besides, in a place where Cultivators treated ordinary people with such extreme contempt, gathering information while hiding his realm seemed all but impossible.

"Get up. I'll let it slide."

Despite Yise's words, the Cultivator remained prostrate, merely watching for his reaction.

"I said get up."

Other people were beginning to look their way. One eyebrow twitching, Yise lifted the Cultivator with the Levitation Art. Yet even as he rose into the air, the man remained in his prostrate posture. Cold sweat streamed down him, but he simply would not listen.

Sensing Yise's energy amid the unexpected disturbance, Cultivators began gathering one by one. They did not seem intent on threatening him. Most merely took up positions at a distance, surrounding the middle of the street while visibly cowed by fear.

'What on earth are they doing?'

Nothing about this place made sense.

Yise's head throbbed, but he soon realized the situation was about to change, one way or another. From farther inside the city, he could feel the energy contained in a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's Dharma-Transformed Dantian approaching. Before long, his divine sense picked up three Foundation Establishment Cultivators. He brought out the Dream-Saving Cloud and kept it beside him, ready to escape immediately if things became dangerous.

'Two early-stage, one middle-stage. I can manage even if all three come at once.'

He did not let his guard down. Against demonic practitioners of the Iron Sun Thunder Sect, he could handle not merely three but five or even ten through hit-and-run tactics. Their cultivation methods and spells were predictable and well known.

The problem was that this was his first time on the Northern Continent. Cheong Un of the Tyrant Sword Sect, whom he had met in the secret realm, had been quite strong for his realm. Imagining three Daemudo Foundation Establishment Cultivators as his opponents, for instance, sent a chill down his spine. In that case, he would flee without hesitation.

The three Foundation Establishment Cultivators stopped a short distance from Yise. He swiftly scanned his prospective enemies.

'They're not body refiners.'

They lacked the trained physiques characteristic of body refiners or practitioners of dual cultivation of spell and body. All three were advanced in years, their bodies noticeably decrepit. They did not look particularly capable in a fight.

Yise bowed to the old man with the highest cultivation among them. They continued to glare at him warily.

"Which city sent you? Is this a declaration of war?"

"There seems to be a misunderstanding, Senior."

Yise was quite courteous, but their hostility did not fade. He let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

"I'm not from the Northern Continent. I've stopped here on business. If you could offer me a little cooperation, I'll leave without causing any trouble."

"Ha! Another continent? At least put some effort into your lies!"

They roared as though he had insulted them.

Their auras continued to rise. The mind-reading art was useless against someone in the same realm. Their divine senses would not allow one another to peer into their minds.

There seemed to be no other way. Apparently, he would have to resort to force after all.

'I mustn't kill them.'

He knew nothing of the situation on the Northern Continent—which overarching sect they might belong to, or who might back them. He could not cross that line. He had to subdue them without letting matters get beyond repair.

'Subdue them. That'll be much harder than simply killing them.'

He would try to settle this by severing their wrists and ankles as much as possible. Having made his decision, Yise spoke.

"If you intend to pit your strength against mine, send the Qi Refining Cultivators back. They'll certainly die if they're caught in this."

"So you're finally showing your true colors."

Ignoring the old man's anger, Yise unleashed his spiritual pressure, driving the Qi Refining Cultivators away from the battlefield. Those nearby hurried off as though fleeing for their lives.

Yise moved at once. As he charged, the three Cultivators' hands immediately began working busily.

'Slow.'

Their divine senses clearly reached much farther than his, yet their hand seals were painfully sluggish.

Yise raised an Earthen Wall to block the leftmost Cultivator's sight, launched a Wind Blade at the one on the right, and rushed straight at the old man ahead. The Black Phosphor Axe swung fiercely. Imbued with Adamantine Lock, the black hand axe chopped down on a wrist forming hand seals. It failed to sever the wrist in one blow, but disrupted the spell being cast.

Using the primordial energy gathered in the Yellow Grand Parasol, Yise sliced through both the Cultivator's shins at once.

An earthen dragon came flying at him from behind. Yise plunged into the ground. He felt divine sense probing down through the earth, but he was faster.

SLICE! SLICE!

Reappearing behind another old man, Yise severed his ankles with primordial energy and sent Wind Blades at the arms of his collapsing body. Perhaps because the spell was only at the fifth star, the Wind Blades failed to sever the Cultivator's wrists despite his body being completely unprotected by spiritual energy. Yise had no choice but to reach out and cut them off with his hand axe himself.

Meanwhile, the last remaining Cultivator formed a sword of flame and swung it. The flames slashed across Yise's back, but the Lightning-Reflecting Armor discharged, searing the elderly Cultivator with lightning instead.

"Ghhh!"

The old Cultivator hastily released raw spiritual energy without converting it into spell power. It was powerful, but pure spiritual energy was an attack that only worked in Qi Refining.

Drawing back, Yise deflected the spiritual energy with the Yellow Grand Parasol, then caught the sword stroke that followed. There was an enormous quantity of spiritual energy behind it, but no sharpness to the swordsmanship.

In the next instant, he struck the man's wrist with the Black Phosphor Axe. A defensive ritual implement activated, crushing Yise's wrist instead.

Without so much as blinking, he used the Dokkaebi Shadow-Gathering Demonic Art to create four Dokkaebi Flames and sent them at the man's limbs. Unable to block all four directions, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator began burning with ghostly fire. He hastily tried to extinguish the flames clinging to him with a water-attribute spell, but they would not die down.

Naturally. This was not a fire-attribute spell.

Yise's hand axe flashed. A scream burst from the elderly Cultivator's mouth.

A short while later, the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators lay sprawled on the ground, groaning, their hands and feet severed.

They were weaker than expected. Not merely weaker than Daemudo Cultivators, but even the demonic practitioners of the Iron Sun Thunder Sect. They barely deserved to be called Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Like dull, rusted blades, they seemed to have gone a very long time without fighting.

'Is it because of the natural environment?'

True, invading would be no easy feat with such a formidable natural barrier.

After that brief reflection, Yise looked around. Laments rose from those who had watched the battle.

"Ah... So this is how Biryu City falls."

"All the men will be killed, and the women will be raped..."

Unable even to consider resisting, they simply wept, looking as though their nation had fallen. Yise frowned at the bizarre sight.

Did they take him for some demonic practitioner? What was all this about the men and women?

This continent was utterly incomprehensible. Putting his thoughts aside, Yise called out to those around him.

"Any Cultivator with Regeneration Pills, step forward."

No one responded.

"Don't these men belong to a sect?"

He looked around in disbelief, but everyone was simply sunk in despair, as though the sky had fallen. His patience was wearing thin.

Grumbling, Yise placed binding spells on the three Cultivators and put Regeneration Pills in their mouths.

"I'll release the bindings once we're finished talking. I don't want the bother of fighting again."

The three elderly Cultivators merely held the pills he had given them in their mouths, looking bewildered.

"They're not poison. Just swallow them. Why would I waste precious poison pills if I wanted you dead?"

Only then did their mouths begin to move.

Even in the cultivation world, where betrayal ran rampant and anyone who failed to watch their back risked getting their skull smashed, these men's wariness was excessive.

The three rose, still looking utterly dazed.

"Do you believe me now? Then let's have a little talk."

* * *

The show of force had worked. Receiving a courteous invitation, Yise entered their sect headquarters. The middle-stage Foundation Establishment old man explained that this was Biryu City and introduced himself as the leader of the Biryu Sect.

Tea was set before Yise. Rather than drink it, he merely savored the aroma.

"A lovely fragrance."

After some hesitation, the Biryu Sect leader cautiously asked a question.

"... Might you be a Senior concealing his true realm?"

At his words, the other two old men cried out in ringing voices, "A great Core Formation Cultivator!"

But Yise shook his head. He had no desire to attract attention by lying.

"No. I've merely learned an unusual cultivation method. As I said, I'm only a visitor from elsewhere, here on business."

"Then... how may we assist you?"

"First of all, I'm looking for an object. Mobilize everyone to search for it here in Biryu City. If you find it, I'll leave without delay."

Outsiders apparently were not welcome here, so Yise thought it best to finish his business and leave. When the three old men nodded, he gave his second condition.

"Second, I want information about the Northern Continent. Until my business is finished, I'd like to avoid another armed clash like this, or finding myself in an awkward position because I don't know the local customs."

His second request was not difficult either. Their expressions had now visibly brightened.

"Haha. Had we known, we should have talked things through from the start, as you suggested, fellow Daoist."

"That's the cultivation world for you. Lastly... you'll need to compensate me for attacking first."

Compensation. At that word, a faint tension spread. Apparently, they thought he was finally showing his true colors. But that was hardly fair to Yise. This was not plunder, but the collection of his rightful due.

"I clearly tried to settle this through conversation. You were the ones who chose to fight. Every choice has a price. Isn't that the law of the cultivation world?"

Unable to refute a word, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators fell utterly silent.

His eyes curving into crescents, Yise added,

"What, reluctant to part with it? I even gave you Regeneration Pills. Precious things, considering none of you three had any."

"By compensation... what, specifically... would you..."

"I'll take spirit stones. Be generous. Generous."

The Biryu Sect leader now looked like a corpse on the brink of death. Yise felt bad, wondering whether he was being too hard on an old man, but he had to collect what he was owed. That was his ironclad rule.

"I'm sorry, but Biryu City has no spirit stones to spare... Underground mines belonging to Foundation Establishment factions yield extremely little. If you expect a large sum, it will be difficult for us to show generosity..."

"You're Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Aren't you laying it on a bit thick? How much do the three of you own?"

Exchanging glances, they cautiously set down their spirit-stone pouches. A rough count suggested that even combined, they barely amounted to eight thousand.

He had considered squeezing about five thousand out of them, but that would be over sixty percent of their entire fortune. Even Han Juok, that despicable petty thief from the Jeong Empire, had not been such a brazen robber.

"You really are poor... Then I'll take goods instead. Bring out the sect's ritual implements. Don't leave a single one behind."

"... All of them?"

"Yes. Every last one. Don't worry. Though I'll warn you now, you won't like what happens if you hide anything. I'll be fair and pick only a few. If there's really nothing worth taking, hmm... I'll settle for three thousand spirit stones. I might lower that further if you give me good information."

Yise delivered the words matter-of-factly, wearing the gentlest expression he could manage.