A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation

Chapter 818: Side Story - Talisman War Great Death Mausoleum (1)

'The Naming Family Method is the strongest essence-draining divine power.'

—Makli Hyun-jok, use the word essence-absorbing.

[Editor: Essence (精) has a double meaning in the East Asian languages, take a guess.]

Makli Hyun-ah, with a face full of confidence, looks at the lumps of the Sea Dragons' vital essence that he extracted in large amounts last night.

—Makli Hyun-jok! Please, call it essence-absorbing!

'Sea Dragon clones made by extracting the Sea Dragons' vital essence through the Naming Dao Conferring Gods Canon may vanish after only a few attacks...!'

But it does not matter.

"Go, Blue-Eyes Sea Dragons!"

Kuwak!

Three Sea Dragons simultaneously spew out dragon breath.

From the dragons' mouths, gigantic rays blast forth, and they madly rush toward Makli Nobi's Sea Dragons, which have continuously had their essence extracted by Makli Hyun-ah's Naming Dao method for two nights.

Only then does Makli Nobi realize.

The reason his Sea Dragons are trembling!

His Sea Dragons...

Are afraid.

Kwagwagwagwang!!

Makli Nobi's Sea Dragons spew out dragon breath with all their strength to meet it head-on, but in the end his Sea Dragons cannot endure the aftereffects of having been essence-extracted for two nights and are swept away by the dragon breath of the phantoms that Makli Hyun-ah summoned.

Kururururur!

"Th-This cannot be!"

Horrified, Makli Nobi looks at the Sea Dragons that are pathetically knocked away.

"Wh-What kind of sorcery is this!? I have never heard of that kind of method existing in our Makli Clan!! E-Elder! Has that brat not mastered some unheard-of devilish arts!? Is he not the Seogyeong Line's spy!?"

However, Makli Yu-chi, who is making a shocked expression at Makli Hyun-ah's display, soon puts on a serious face and shakes their head.

"There is no such possibility. If there were such a thing, Elder Makli Hye-seo would have noticed. And...the reason we have never heard of that method is..."

Makli Yu-chi frowns.

They also know about the Extreme Ghost Path Body.

A body that is optimal for being possessed by all kinds of bizarre, uncanny spirits and gods.

In that body dwells the split soul of the clan's ancestor, Makli Cheon-sa.

'Perhaps it is a method bestowed down by the ancestor who ascended to the Upper Realm, so this is the first time anyone is seeing it... Truly, the function of an Upper Realm method is unfathomable.'

"...That matter is a clan secret, so do not seek to know it."

"Kuugh...!"

Makli Nobi grinds his teeth furiously and unfolds the beast scroll in which he stores his demon beasts.

"You damn brat... Do you really dare think you can beat me!? A mere Qi Refining third star! I will teach you the meaning of the Qi Refining seventh star!!"

Woo-woooong!

Countless phantoms of demon beasts start to rise up around Makli Nobi.

It is the secret art of Makli Nobi's Beast Taming method, Demon Beast Heavenly Survey.

"Gal!"

Kugugugugu!

Kuoohhhhh!!

With Makli Nobi's wild shout, the phantoms of the demon beasts that rise around him all howl at once.

That monstrous cry is practically no different from the dragon breath of a Sea Dragon, and it is not the dragon breath of the pair of the mid Qi Refining stage Sea Dragons that Makli Nobi usually takes with him, but the level of a dragon breath of a Sea Dragon close to the Qi Building stage.

The power to unleash, for an instant, a single strike close to the Qi Building stage!

That is one move of the Demon Beast Heavenly Survey that Makli Nobi has mastered!

Makli Hyun-ah's Sea Dragons spit out dragon breath once again, but in the end, his Sea Dragons are pushed back by the shockwave unleashed by Makli Nobi's strike, and their entire bodies start to scatter apart.

"As expected... With only two days of extracting the Sea Dragons, the limit is only being able to fire off two strikes..."

Makli Hyun-ah, seeing the phantoms of the Sea Dragons collapse, gulps.

However, he is not afraid.

"Well, sorry, but...what I have essence-drained over these two days is not only the Sea Dragons!"

—Please, Makli Hyun-jok, use the word essence-absorbing.

"I will show you the result of the power I have essence-drained from everyone over these two days!"

Wooo-wooong!

Makli Hyun-ah begins pouring power with all his might into every talisman he has brought.

Before long, the phantasms of all the Qi Refining stage demon beasts of the Beast Stable, whose essence Makli Hyun-ah has ceaselessly extracted for two days, start to appear in the arena.

"Take this, I will gather everyone's power and bring you down!"

Kugugugu!

At Makli Hyun-ah's command, the phantoms of all the Qi Refining demon beasts of the Beast Stable each start unleashing attacks toward Makli Nobi's shockwave.

No matter how much the strike approaches the Qi Building stage, to block the attacks of dozens of Qi Refining demon beasts...

...is an impossible task.

Makli Nobi's shockwave is pierced through, and the barrage of the demon beasts' attacks pours down on Makli Nobi behind it.

Makli Nobi, with a dumbfounded face, watches the barrage of attacks pouring toward him and opens his mouth, letting out his despondent feelings.

"I am...a Qi Refining seventh star... Other than Makli Hweol Hyung-nim, I am the academy's greatest promising young generation... How...can something like a Qi Refining stage third star defeat me, a Qi Refining seventh star...?"

Soon, the whole world is dyed white, and within it Makli Nobi closes his eyes as he acknowledges defeat.

Kwakwagwang!

After Makli Nobi is hit by Makli Hyun-ah's barrage of attacks, he smashes straight through the dueling ground's barrier, flies all the way to the outer wall beyond the dueling ground, and is driven into the wall.

Kugugugu...

Makli Nobi's upper body remains wedged in the outer wall, and only his lower body sticks out beyond the wall, twitching.

At that sight, everyone stares at one spot with stunned faces.

In that place where the dust clears, a cute young man who is smiling has his nose in the air, pretending to be dignified.

"Hoho...there is only one reason for your defeat. One very simple reason."

Makli Hyun-ah turns around, bringing out a line from Jegal Mikhail's usual sayings.

"You made me angry."

Makli Yu-chi looks at that scene and lets out a sigh.

"Winner, Makli Hyun-ah!"

"Ah, th-thank you!"

Makli Hyun-ah, who turned his back trying to act cool, quickly turns back again, runs over to Elder Makli Yu-chi, and expresses his thanks.

And like that, Makli Hyun-ah is able to seize victory in the decisive battle against Makli Nobi.

"Impressive. Just how were you able to win against a seventh star with a body at only the Qi Refining third star?"

At Makli Yu-chi's question, Makli Hyun-ah rubs his nose and speaks.

"I only made use of the essence-draining ability of my Innate True Method, the Naming Dao Conferring Gods Canon."

"Hooh... I did think you were preparing something going in and out of the Beast Stable—so that was it."

"Hoho... I think we can count on one hand what kind of preparations Daoist Makli Hyun-ah has been making."

“……”

Feeling the supportive gaze of Jegal Mikhail, Makli Hyun-ah straightens his chest proudly and strides confidently toward Makli Nobi.

Wooong!

Makli Yu-chi pulls Makli Nobi out of the outer wall and heals his head and the various parts of his body, and soon Makli Nobi comes to his senses, sinks down on the spot, looks up at Makli Hyun-ah, and lets out a sigh.

"...I lost. As per our wager, I will give you anything among what I have. What do you want?"

Pointing at Makli Nobi, Makli Hyun-ah speaks.

"You said you would give me anything that Cultivator Nobi has, correct? I want to essence-extract Cultivator's power, so please cooperate."

"...! Y-You crazy bastard... Y-You say you will essence-extract me?"

Makli Nobi's body trembles, but then, as if realizing that there are words he has already spoken, he opens his mouth with a face full of shame.

"F-Fine... If you want to take my essence, then take it! I am nothing but a miserable loser anyway...! Do whatever you want!"

"Understood. Then..."

Makli Hyun-ah immediately takes brush, ink, and paper out of the storage scroll, recites the formula of the Naming Dao Conferring Gods Canon, breathes an earnest incantation into it, and engraves Makli Nobi's [name].

At the same time, Makli Nobi's vital essence is drawn straight into the name that Makli Hyun-ah has engraved and is sealed.

Chiiiii...

"Y-You brat, what are you—!?"

Makli Nobi, whose vital essence is taken, immediately loses consciousness and faints, and Makli Hyun-ah lifts up the 'Makli Nobi talisman' that contains Makli Nobi's vital essence and smirks.

'Hmph, this guy said he would make me his slave, right? From today, you are my slave, Makli Nobi punk!'

[TL/N: Nobi means slave.]

Through the talisman that contains Makli Nobi's vital essence, Makli Hyun-ah not only can summon Makli Nobi's power when he needs it in the future, but in an emergency, if he sticks it onto Makli Nobi, it is also possible to control his actions.

In other words, as long as this talisman retains its effectiveness, Makli Nobi is now no different from being Makli Hyun-ah's slave.

"Makli Nobi controller, obtained!"

Makli Hyun-ah carefully puts his talisman away in his chest and turns his back on Makli Nobi, and seeing that sight, countless promising younger generations of the Makli Clan come up to Makli Hyun-ah and start talking to him.

"H-Hey, Makli Hyun-ah. Just what is that method?"

"Makli Hyun-ah Unnie, you are so cool!"

"I-I want to touch that talisman too!"

"C-Could you give me just one of those talismans? I will get anything you ask me to get!"

"Me too...I am going to touch it too. I am going to touch the talisman!"

For a moment, Makli Hyun-ah goes into a panic state at the people crowding around him, and as he feels his social anxiety acting up, he hurriedly leaves the place.

***

A few days later.

Makli Hyun-ah looks at the pile of presents in front of him room and lets out a sigh.

All sorts of spirit stones and spirit elixirs,

And spirit ink, spirit brush, spirit paper, which help Makli Hyun-ah when he draws talismans, are piled up in heaps.

And perhaps because his battle left a deep impression...

There are letters from many members of the Makli Clan requesting that Makli Hyun-ah draw talismans for them.

"Tsk... Drawing talismans for them is not hard, but..."

Makli Hyun-ah sighs.

What they probably want is that talisman which Makli Hyun-ah used, the one that borrowed the power of demon beasts to create phantoms.

"To make that, I have to go around essence-draining here and there, and it is a pain..."

The reason Makli Hyun-ah spent two nights without sleep draining the vital essence of demon beasts to complete the talisman was because there was the concrete threat named Makli Nobi. There wasn't any other particular other reason.

If it weren't for such a threat, Makli Hyun-ah wouldn't have tried so hard to make this talisman.

'Such a pain... Even just breathing right now is a pain, and when I think about trying to do this, it becomes even more insanely a pain...'

Makli Hyun-ah sighs and struggles over what to do about these requests.

And a little later, Makli Hyun-ah comes up with a clever idea.

"Ah, right. That's it."

Makli Hyun-ah immediately gathers brush, ink, and paper and goes to find Makli Nobi.

***

Makli Clan infirmary.

After losing in the duel with Makli Hyun-ah, Makli Nobi has been in the infirmary, undergoing treatment for his injuries for several days inside a healing formation.

"How is it, can you move?"

"Yes, Great Elder, I am fine now."

Makli Nobi's body, from his head on, was rammed into the outer wall, and on top of that, because Makli Hyun-ah drained his vital essence, his condition was quite bad.

Because of that, not just Elder Makli Yu-chi, who is a healing elder, but the great master of healing methods who oversees the entire infirmary,

The Great Elder Makli Young-guchi, Makli Yu-chi's father, personally had to bring him to the infirmary and treat him for several days.

"At such an important time when you are about to reach the Core Formation stage, I am sorry to trouble you, Elder Young-guchi."

"It is fine. It is something for the clan's young generation prodigies, so what does it matter? Besides, while taking care of you, I am able to broadly review various parts of the healing methods, so it is rather to my benefit.

 "...Thank you."

 "Then go on your way."

 "Yes!"

Makli Nobi bows to Makli Young-guchi and leaves the infirmary.

Some time later, outside the infirmary, he has to see the face of someone he does not want to see.

"Ah, found you. Cultivator Makli Nobi, so you were here."

"...Makli Hyun-ah..."

With a face full of shame, Makli Nobi asks Makli Hyun-ah,

"That day, after you knocked me out, to me...wh-what did you do...?"

"It is nothing special. I just did a bit of essence-draining."

"Eeeek...you..."

"That aside, I have a favor to ask."

"What...?"

Makli Hyun-ah, among the elixirs that the promising young generation of the clan gifted to him, hands one bottle of wound-healing pills to Makli Nobi and says,

"These are wound-healing pills. Your treatment should all be finished, but they will help with recovery of your vitality. I hope you will receive them and grant me one favor."

"...Let's hear it. What do you want from me again...you brat...?"

Makli Hyun-ah takes out the talisman he has drawn from his chest and hands it to Makli Nobi.

"Please do a bit of promotion for me."

"Pro...what?"

Makli Nobi looks at Makli Hyun-ah with a face that says he does not understand.

Makli Hyun-ah starts explaining for Makli Nobi.

***

Woong!

"...So, what I make by extracting the essence of tamed demon beasts in this way is the true nature of the talisman I used to bring down Cultivator Makli Nobi. It is a characteristic of my Naming Dao Conferring Gods Canon method."

"Uuuhm... S-So that is what you meant by 'essence-extracting'...?"

"...? Then what were you thinking?"

"Sh-Shut up! Anyway, if you draw talismans that contain the [name], all I have to do from now on is distribute your talismans to the clan members and go around explaining how to use them, is that it?"

Makli Nobi gulps, snaps at him, then takes Makli Hyun-ah's talisman and asks.

"Yes, I would be grateful if you do that."

Makli Hyun-ah's Talisman Dao method, the Naming Dao Conferring Gods Canon, is a method that seals power into names.

But after researching, Makli Hyun-ah realized that reciting the formula and focusing to engrave the [name] is only possible for himself...but sealing power into that name is something another person can do just fine.

In other words, Makli Hyun-ah's plan is to produce talismans with the [name] engraved on them.

Then he plans to hand them out as promotional talisman to Makli Nobi, who has a decent amount of popularity, have him go around explaining how to seal power into the talismans, and make the clan members themselves directly seal in the necessary essence of demon beasts. That is his plan.

'This way I reduce the hassle, and I still gulp down the gifts as gifts...isn't it killing two birds with one stone?'

Whether he knows Makli Hyun-ah's sly scheme or not...

Makli Nobi receives and examines Makli Hyun-ah's talisman with a serious face.

"Hm...so talismans made with your method have a function like this... I see. Splendid, really...your method has far wider versatility than I imagined."

"Hehe...well, I think so too."

"At any rate, I understand. If it is as you say...the clan members will actually like it even more. No, perhaps not only the clan members but even the elders of the family might like it tremendously."

"Hehe...pardon?"

"I understand. I will take responsibility and go around explaining how to use your talismans. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

After expressing his thanks to Makli Hyun-ah, Makli Nobi, with a determined expression, takes Makli Hyun-ah's talismans and heads toward the inner quarters of the main house.

Seeing Makli Nobi's attitude, Makli Hyun-ah scratches his head.

"...Hm, is it that serious...?"

***

Chiiiiii—

It has been a few months since the decisive battle with Makli Nobi.

Now it has already been half a year since Makli Hyun-ah came to the Makli Clan.

"Huahhh...so this is the realm corresponding to the sixth star of Qi Refining..."

Makli Hyun-ah takes off his upper garment and, looking at the [names] that fill his upper body, sticks out his tongue in amazement.

When Makli Hyun-ah exerts strength, the [names] all at once emit a blue-green light and hum.

"At this rate, I can reach the Qi Building stage within a few years, and even reach the Core Formation stage...then I can beat that bear bastard. Let's go, let's go, Lee Hyun-ah!"

After confirming his realm, he puts on his clothes with an excited face and starts producing today's batch of talismans.

It is at that moment.

"Daoist Makli Hyun-ah, may I come in?"

At Makli Hweol's call, Makli Hyun-ah stops his talisman production and lets Makli Hweol into the room.

"What brings you here, Daoist Makli Hweol?"

"You were in the middle of talisman production, I see. I have come because I have something to say for a moment regarding that. Has talisman production been going well lately?"

"Yes, of course. In fact, recently the realm of the Naming Dao Conferring Gods Canon has risen, so the dimension of the talismans I can make has changed."

"Hoo...roughly in what way has it changed?"

Makli Hyun-ah brings a talisman on which he drew various runes only along the edges, leaving blank the very center where the [name] is supposed to go.

"Previously, because it worked by sealing power into a [name], I absolutely had to write the target's name in advance, but from now on, as long as one has this talisman where I drew the formula of the Naming Dao Conferring Gods Canon around the border...you can pull up the name of any being you want, not just a name I have prepared beforehand. For example...please excuse me for a moment."

Makli Hyun-ah sticks the talisman onto Makli Hweol's chest, chants the formula, and breathes spiritual energy into it.

Then a portion of Makli Hweol's essence is extracted into the talisman, and a name surfaces on the talisman.

"Look, in this way, rather than a name written beforehand, it directly sucks in the name of the object it touches, and it is a talisman that can immediately seal the name and power of the desired target...huh?"

Makli Hyun-ah suddenly notices that the name written on the talisman is different from the one he knows.

"Seo..."

"Hoho, that is my old name from before I received the Makli surname."

"Ah, you are an adopted brother the same as me. I forgot for a moment."

"Hoho, in any case..."

Makli Hweol takes the talisman with his name written on it, tucks it into his chest, and speaks.

"You have evolved the talisman into something that will become far more popular."

"Hehe even if it does become popular, well...I still..."

"Please follow me for a moment. I think Daoist need to read the atmosphere of the Makli Clan at least once right now."

Makli Hweol grabs Makli Hyun-ah's wrist and takes Makli Hyun-ah around to various places in the Makli Clan.

And then, Makli Hyun-ah's eyes go wide.

"Eh, eeeh?"

Everywhere he looks.

He sees people slipping onto their wrists boards the same as the ones he used during the Makli Nobi battle, placing talismans on them, and sparring with one another using their own talismans.

"Right now, the entire Makli Clan is in an uproar thanks to the talismans Daoist Makli Hyun-ah made. Everyone is imitating your appearance from that day and playing with the talismans. That game is extremely popular."

"Wh-Why, why is it so popular?"

"That is...there really are many reasons. The biggest reason is that it is quite helpful for Immortal Cultivation."

"Pardon?"

Makli Hyun-ah blinks, and Makli Hweol calmly explains the reason.

"After Daoist Makli Hyun-ah spread the talismans that seal power into names...the frequency with which the promising younger generation of the Makli Clan go outside to hunt demon beasts noticeably increased. For the younger generation of our Lianshan Makli Line, whose main technique is Beast Taming methods, each of them has to capture demon beasts that will fight as their contracted demon beasts...but up until now that process was extremely perilous and not easy. It was all too common for them to die in the process of capturing demon beasts or suffer fatal injuries that leave them with severe disabilities."

"I see."

"However, after your talismans spread, when they discover a demon beast, they can pre-emptively seal the demon beast's essence into the demon beast's name and thereby halve its power. On top of that, if they stick the talisman with power sealed into its name onto the demon beast, they can control its movements to some extent...so the danger of capturing demon beast has dropped significantly."

"I am glad to have been of help."

Makli Hyun-ah originally handed out the talismans just for the purpose of replenishing strength in the Beast Taming area.

He feels a bit taken aback that the clan is using them so aggressively in an unexpected way.

"In any case, after they started making talismans in that way and capturing demon beasts with them...it naturally led to sparring through talismans among the clan members."

"Why is that?"

"Because...once you contract a demon beast with Beast Taming methods and make it into a contracted demon beast, the demon beast becomes no different from family. The affection for the demon beast grows. Of course, you cannot just cherish them your whole life and never use them, so you have to take them out in battle...but if you do not practice normally, how will you know what abilities your demon beast has and in which aspects it excels at?"

"I...see..."

"However, because everyone actually cherishes their own demon beasts...even in friendly spars, unless the opponent is someone they can overwhelmingly trample, they do not easily bring them out against one another. Even if it is a friendly spar, if the demon beasts collide and get hurt, it becomes extremely, extremely troublesome."

"Ah...don't tell me..."

"That 'don't tell me' is exactly right. Thanks to Daoist's talismans...even without injuring the demon beasts they cherish, they can test their demon beasts' abilities to their heart's content, and they also gain some real combat experience with Beast Taming methods. That is precisely what this talisman spar is. For that reason, talisman-based sparring is enjoying immense popularity in the Makli Clan right now."

Since Makli Hyun-ah did not expect that the talisman he made would bring about this kind of result, he feels dazed.

"Anyway, this talisman spar is..."

"Du..."

"Pardon?"

"Du...no...actually, in my hometown, it was a game called Duel."

[TL/N: Duel in English.]

As a field he knows comes up, Makli Hyun-ah gets excited and explains the rules he knows.

Makli Hweol listens carefully to those rules and nods.

"Those are good rules. I was just about to speak about that, in fact. Detailed rules are in the process of being established, but we need somewhat more unified rules, and it seems we can just apply the rules Daoist Makli Hyun-ah has mentioned."

"Hehe, of course, right? Then this Duel is..."

"But the name Duel does not seem to fit very well... Is there a reason it is named that?"

"Ah..."

Makli Hyun-ah thinks over various reasons.

"The biggest reason is that it is a phonetic transcription of a word from my hometown, and if you examine the detailed meaning, it uses 'du', which means steep or rough, and 'eol', which means stake. So you can feel the profound meaning of a fierce bout where one is driven in like a stake..."

"Hmm...it is dull and pedantic."

At Makli Hweol's words, Makli Hyun-ah feels as if blood surges up to the top of his head, but when Makli Hweol pats his shoulder, he feels his spirit pressure and decides to control his anger well.

'Spiritual pressure close to the Qi Building stage... Against this guy...I can't talk back...'

"Rather than a name that needs this and that explanation, I will just neatly call it talisman battle. I will name it Talisman War (符戮)."

"...Yes."

Makli Hyun-ah does not like it, but in front of the overwhelming difference in spirit pressure, there is nothing in particular he can say.

"And...now we come to the main point. In order to prepare for the upcoming match against the Seogyong Makli Line, the main house is planning to hold a number of tournaments to stir up the enthusiasm and blood of the young family members. Among them, there is even an opinion to hold this recently popular Talisman War tournament'. Therefore...could Daoist Makli Hyun-ah take on the role of host and referee for this Talisman War tournament?"

"Eet...I, I am the host?"

When Makli Hyun-ah imagines himself becoming host and referee, he feels an immense sense of burden cover his chest.

'There will be a lot of people...I am definitely going to suffocate to death...'

—Have confidence, Makli Hyun-ah.

'B-But, Mister Jegal Mikhail...'

—Don't focus on the sense of burden, try focusing on what you can enjoy. For example, deciding the name of the tournament in your own way will help. Since it is a Talisman War tournament, how about a name like 'Talisman War Great Death Mausoleum (符II太^陵)'?

Recalling the term 'Magnificent Death Mausoleum' that Jegal Mikhail used to occasionally mention in the chat window while alive, Makli Hyun-ah asks Makli Hweol.

[TL/N: Talisman War Great Death Mausoleum and Magnificent Death Mausoleum have the same Hangul but different Hanja. It's the Bleach technique Futen Taisatsuryō.]

"Ah, can I decide the name of the tournament?"

"Since you will be the host and head referee, you can certainly make proposals."

"Does Talisman War Great Death Mausoleum not work?"

"Hmm...why such a terrifying name...?"

"Well...as for what Great Death Mausoleum means..."

Using various metaphors, Makli Hyun-ah pushes the name Talisman War Death Mausoleum, but Makli Hweol's reaction is lukewarm.

"...It is dull and pedantic..."

'This bastard...'

—He really is an idiot with no sense for names at all!

"I will at least try suggesting it to the Elders."

In any case, with those words that he will try suggesting it to the Elders, Makli Hweol tells Makli Hyun-ah to prepare to host the Talisman War tournament, then goes to the Elders.

***

Makli Hyun-ah prepares for the Talisman War tournament.

Being the host is a burden, but in any case, there is no one in this world who can devise the rules of Talisman War more fairly and meticulously than himself, so he has to do it.

'The Talisman War tournament must not end as just some simple tournament.'

It has to become the greatest tournament.

In particular, just like the name 'Talisman War tournament' suggests, it has to be a tournament where you can fight only through combinations of talismans and talismans.

'Regardless of which star you are in the Qi Refining stage, the outcome has to be decided only by the skill of handling talismans. To do that...'

In his room, Makli Hyun-ah takes out the Method book, the Confucian Family Method 'Pacifying Myriad Demons Under Heaven Survey,' and looks inside it for an appropriate Confucian Family Formation Method.

"I have to make it so they cannot use their own methods."

He's read about the characteristics of the Confucian Family Method beforehand, so he knows them to some extent.

And he also understands what kind of power the formation created by borrowing the characteristics of the Confucian Family Method will have.

'Suppressing Heaven and Earth spiritual energy."

The first ability of the Confucian Family Method.

It suppresses strange powers, chaotic spirits, and mysteries within the designated area, except for the single person of authority.

In other words, it endlessly presses down Heaven and Earth spiritual energy and the divine powers and spells that arise from Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, not permitting any mystery other than what one designates.

'The only mysteries permitted in the Talisman War tournament are my talismans alone!'

And, as one can tell already from the name Myriad Demons, Pacifying Myriad Demons under the Heavens Survey is a Beast Taming Method.

A Confucian Family-line Beast Taming Method.

To use the formation derived from that method, demon beasts are necessary.

Makli Hyun-ah comes into the Beast Stable to obtain demon beasts to use in the formation.

The Beast Stable is full of various demon beasts that the promising younger generation of the Makli Clan have recently captured.

Among them, there are quite a few demon beasts that still do not have an owner because they have not yet been contracted through Beast Taming Methods.

Makli Hyun-ah looks among them for low-level demon beasts with outstanding intelligence.

'The greatest characteristic of the Confucian Family Method is...social authority (権威).'

By means of social authority, the characteristic of the Confucian Family Method is to concentrate mysteries into a single authority-holder and completely negate all other mysteries and strange powers and chaotic spirits.

And, of course, social authority never exists standing alone, but is something gained from the recognition of the many.

Since Pacifying Myriad Demons under the Heavens Survey is a Beast Taming Method, it requires the recognition of demon beasts rather than of humans.

'The derivative formation of Pacifying Myriad Demons Under Heaven Survey, the Great Demon Pacifying Heaven Formation, can be deployed on a small scale regardless of realm, as long as there is social authority.'

For that reason, Makli Hyun-ah goes around searching for low-level Qi Refining stage demon beasts with intelligence that can establish his social authority.

"What kind of demon beast are you looking for?"

"Ah, Elder Makli Yoeo."

Scratching his head at the question from Makli Yoeo, the Elder in charge of the Beast Stable of the Makli Clan, Makli Hyun-ah asks.

"Because I need it for something recently...I am looking for a low-level demon beast with some intelligence. Among the low-level ones, is there perhaps any demon beast that is smart? Intelligence equivalent to around a nine- or ten-year-old child is fine."

"Hmm, a demon beast with a good head... Demon beasts with good heads are usually fox or raccoon-dog demon beasts. Those fellows, though they are low-level demon beasts, have a human-like intelligence. Want to take a look?"

At Makli Yoeo's words, Makli Hyun-ah arrives at the iron cage inside the Beast Stable where a raccoon-dog demon beast is confined.

"Huh...?"

Looking at the demon beast inside, Makli Hyun-ah is dumbfounded.

The raccoon-dog demon beast is wearing a modified hanbok and a splendid official hat as if it is a human.

Just like that bear demon beast!

"How is it? It is a raccoon-dog demon beast we captured recently, and its intelligence is quite high. Will you use this one?"

"First...can it talk?"

"Raccoon-dogs are good at human speech. Try talking to it."

"Um...hello? Raccoon-dog? What is your name?"

At those words, the hanbok-wearing demon beast glares at Makli Hyun-ah and speaks.

"There is a misunderstanding. I am not a raccoon-dog, I am a badger. I am telling you that you have captured the wrong being!"

"...? You are a badger?"

Makli Hyun-ah looks at the creature that claims it is a badger with a choked 'keek' sound and asks Makli Yoeo, but Makli Yoeo simply sighs and goes off somewhere else.

"It is a raccoon-dog that firmly believes it is a badger. I have to feed the other ones, so if you like that one, come find me."

"Uh, yes... Hey, they say you are a raccoon-dog."

"Keeeek, please do not say such ridiculous things! Would I, who am a badger, know better, or would you know better?"

—Makli Hyun-jok.

"Uh, Jegal Mikhail?"

Suddenly hearing Jegal Mikhail's voice calling him, Makli Hyun-ah pricks up his ears, and at his next words, he lets out a hollow laugh.

—That guy is not a raccoon-dog.

"Uh, then is this guy really a badger? But no matter how I look, it looks like a raccoon-dog..."

"You are the ones who are mistaken! I am a badger!"

—Makli Hyun-jok...that guy is neither a badger nor a raccoon-dog.

"Then what is it?"

—That guy is a raccoon...

"Ah..."

Looking at the raccoon demon beast he thought was a raccoon-dog that claims to be a badger, Makli Hyun-ah lets out a hollow laugh.

'This punk, who doesn't even know whether it's a raccoon or a badger...its intelligence seems a bit low. Will it really help with the Confucian Family Formation Method?'

Makli Hyun-ah seriously ponders how much help this stupid raccoon demon beast will be to the formation.