Chapter 365
Chapter 365
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 374
Chapter Title: Breathing Freely in Deadly Poison
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Hyeon Baek's eyes widened as he stared at the purple smoke rising from the pouch on the ground.
"Poison! Everyone, stop breathing!"
His shrill voice echoed to the Wudang Sect Taoists.
The second-generation disciples held their breath and sealed all their pores.
Almost simultaneously, the purple smoke billowed up, covering their field of vision.
Hyeon Baek trembled with rage.
'These mad bastards! Using poison in a fight!'
He had heard that Tang family members were with them, but he never imagined they would release poison smoke in a battle like this!
'Trying to die together?!'
He knew they had something up their sleeves, but not like this?
No fight could continue in this poison smoke.
All martial arts stemmed from breathing, and now that was completely blocked.
Starting a reckless fight here would lead to disaster.
The moment they stopped breathing, the Seven Star Sword Formation formed by the second-generation disciples collapsed.
The sticky, eerie energy flowing from the formation lost its power and scattered.
Boom! Clang clang clang clang!
As the late-generation experts' prior attacks were blocked by the Taoists, a massive roar erupted.
Whoosh!
Hyeon Baek widened the distance and glared into the poison smoke.
"You bastards, how...!"
He bellowed in fury but then his eyes bulged wide.
A black object arced over the poison smoke toward them.
What was that?
Why was it still flying?
Huh?
Swoosh! Whoosh whoosh swoosh! Whoooosh!
Objects of all shapes and sizes suddenly filled their vision.
Hyeon Baek stared blankly at the incoming projectiles flying like a madman jumping around.
The moment the continuous parabolas stopped.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
The objects that had soared over the poison smoke exploded in sequence.
Exploding, and exploding again.
They kept bursting, spewing white, red, and blue smoke.
Hyeon Baek gaped as a bird coincidentally flying overhead plummeted to the ground.
"P-Poison?!"
All of that was poison?
"Y-You mad bastards!"
"Tang family scum!"
"Using poison so cowardly...!"
"Cover your mouths!"
The second-generation disciples panicked.
What the hell were these lunatics doing!
Were they dumping every poison pouch from their sleeves?!
Why?!
'This isn't just a threat—it's kill or be killed!'
Fighting like this?
What did they gain from it!
But they couldn't just panic. No, after the initial shock, Hyeon Baek and the Wudang Taoists were already blasting palm strikes to dispel the poison smoke.
'You think you'll come out unscathed!'
This poison smoke rendered antidotes useless.
Just by the colors, it was a mix of several poisons.
Whoever could hold their breath longer would win.
This was absolutely in favor of the Wudang Sect Taoists.
They were second-generation disciples.
Active powerhouses in the martial world, with internal energy at a profound level enhanced by the depth of Wudang martial arts!
'Foolish bastards!'
Even in an endurance battle, they couldn't close the gap.
The fight would just drag on a bit longer.
Hyeon Baek glared fiercely into the poison smoke.
The acrid smoke obscuring their vision was about to scatter from the palm strikes.
Faint silhouettes emerged, four figures standing dumbly.
His gaze locked onto Paeng Jung-hyuk, whose shadow unmistakably resembled a beast.
'They held out well!'
But for how long?
He pondered how to deal with these fools who had dug their own graves.
They had few options left.
Retreat from the poison smoke to regroup, or charge through it.
Otherwise, they'd pass out or die from lack of breath!
They weren't even twitching—they must have inhaled the poison.
'This just got easier!'
That stance was clearly them straining to expel the poison.
But without breathing, soon...
Siiiip!
They couldn't breathe...
Hooo!
Breathing...
Siiiip! Hooo!
'...How the hell are they breathing?!'
Hyeon Baek's eyes bulged as he watched Paeng Jung-hyuk inhale the poison smoke.
No, not just Paeng Jung-hyuk.
So Hye-yeon, Paeng Yeon-hwa, and even Namgung Ryong, who had been quietly holding position, were freely inhaling the smoke, filling their lungs.
Hyeon Baek's eyes rolled in shock.
[...What the hell is this? How are they breathing?]
[I-It must be a trick!]
[A trick?]
[There's no poison in the smoke! How else could they breathe so easily?]
His junior priest Hyeon Sang stepped forward confidently.
"What's the point of dragging this out? Let me take them down and drag them to Wudang Moun..."
[Hyeon Sang?]
"Drag them to... Uh, why, why is it spinning?"
[Bl-Bloo-Blood!]
"Huh?"
Drip!
Hyeon Sang wiped his suddenly warm philtrum and blinked.
"...Bl-Blood? Why blood?"
Hyeon Baek's eyes widened.
[Y-You idiot! Don't talk! This is real poison, real poison!]
"H-Haha! No way. Then how are they..."
[Don't breathe!]
"...Murang shit, real poison, poi... Gah!"
Thud!
The second-generation disciples gasped as poisoned Hyeon Sang collapsed backward.
Crazy?
A few words and Hyeon Sang drops like that? That potent?
Not just a threat?
'Wh-What the hell?'
'Then how are they breathing?'
'Breathing more comfortably than in their own rooms? Ridiculous!'
Inhaling straight from poison smoke that even Wudang's profound internal energy struggled against?!
Paeng Jung-hyuk chuckled.
"Guess even you snout-faces can't handle this? Heh heh, pretty potent, huh?"
Paeng Yeon-hwa chimed in.
"Feels like seven kinds mixed in? The Tang kids must be serious in real combat, brother!"
"Tang bastards aren't going in themselves but sure lit it up?"
"But they can't last in there anyway!"
Th-They're talking?
In this poison smoke?
Paeng Jung-hyuk curled his lip.
"Ha, fuck! Almost felt bad if we survived. I went through hell building tolerance for this! Worth every brush with death!"
Wh-What crazy talk?!
"I'll let you all take a nice whiff! My arm from earlier still hurts—round two!"
The second-generation disciples stared in bewilderment.
They couldn't comprehend what was happening.
'M-Must have an antidote. Otherwise...'
No, even with one, could they breathe it down like fish with gills?
That was when.
"Wudang Sect, dealt with!"
So Hye-yeon flashed silver sword light and burst through the poison smoke.
Swoooosh! Clang!
'Hng!'
Hyeon Baek's jaw dropped.
'Wh-What?'
The power from her sword was utterly different from before.
Even with the Seven Star Sword Formation broken and no breathing possible, So Hye-yeon's sword force was markedly stronger.
Her sword tip sharper, her linked movements flowing like a flood overflowing.
"Kyahaha!"
Th-This witch?
Hyeon Baek's eyes bulged.
Does this make sense?!
'Why are they stronger after inhaling poison smoke!'
What the hell was in that poison!
And it wasn't just So Hye-yeon.
Kwaaaang!
"Keuugh!"
"Take that!"
One second-generation disciple bounced back like a ball from Paeng Yeon-hwa's vigorous blade swing.
Like a chariot had smashed him.
'Th-This, what?!'
Even unable to perform at full due to poison smoke—could they drop like this so fast?!
Then, Paeng Jung-hyuk strode forward, snorting fiercely.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With each step, poison smoke swirled upward.
His terrifying figure resembled a demon approaching.
Hyeon Baek swallowed hard and maxed his internal energy.
"Snout-face! That's why I said go nicely when I told you!"
'This damn bastard!'
"Already swung, might as well knock you out!"
Paeng Jung-hyuk charged crudely at Hyeon Baek, his Hunwon Divine Blade dropping laced with poison.
Kwaaaang!
'Krgh!'
Hyeon Baek barely blocked the devastating blow that nearly split his jaw.
He hastily circled for a counter, but Paeng Jung-hyuk's movements were frighteningly agile.
Shuuuuaak! Kwaaaang!
Cold sweat poured from Hyeon Baek.
Paeng Jung-hyuk's terrifying assault pierced the Seven Star Sword.
Hyeon Baek ground his teeth as blade ki grazed his hair by a hair's breadth.
Ching ching ching ching! Kwaaaang!
As Dang Myeong-ok and Dang Myeong-jin began hurling hidden weapons from the rear, the second-generation disciples were instantly cornered.
Taoists flinched at sword flashes amid the smoke, struggling to escape it.
But each time, poison pouches or hidden weapons cunningly blocked them, driving them mad.
Even masters needed to breathe.
Needed to breathe, but...
"Ke, kek!"
"Gurgle!"
"Cough!"
Hyeon Baek groaned as second-generation disciples who couldn't hold out collapsed after inhaling.
'Ugh! Breath, need breath!'
How did it come to this?
How?
He planned to retrieve the demonic sword and lightly punish the Light Dragon crew shaming Wudang.
But what was this mess!
Instead, their beards were being shaved off!
Murang mercy, Murang mercy...
Wudang's righteousness defeated by such vile tactics!
Wudang's path...
"Block this too! And this!"
Bang! Bang bang!
That bear-like bastard...!
Hyeon Baek's face paled as he deflected the Hunwon Divine Blade with Taiji circles.
"Breathe! In!"
Bear-sized body with a snake's tongue!
Why taunt every strike!
Finally, unable to endure, Hyeon Baek shrieked.
"You bitchhhh... Uegh!"
Opening his mouth invited a rush of poison smoke, flipping his insides.
Pwaaak!
The Hunwon Divine Blade tore through the shaken Taiji and smashed Hyeon Baek squarely.
"Kweeegh!"
Hyeon Baek screamed as the flat struck his head.
Bloodied Hwang Bo-chung gaped at the Light Dragon crew rampaging in the poison smoke.
'...These madmen eat poison like water and breathe in it too.'
Now toying with Wudang's second-generation disciples?
Does this make sense?
Mere late-generation juniors brutalizing active Wudang second-gen disciples.
And they had numbers, yet it was one-sided.
One-sided to outright mockery.
Really the same late-gen as him?
Really...
'...This bastard trained them.'
Hwang Bo-chung rolled his eyes to Namgung Hyeok gripping his head.
This monster—how did he whip them into shape?
"Why, you traitor fuck."
"......"
"Join them?"
Shake shake.
"...Heh, heh heh. Th-This spot's good."
Yeah, this spot's good.
Step in there and drop dead.
How survive that hell?
As Hwang Bo-chung thought he'd lucked out.
Namgung Hyeok muttered.
"Big boss shows."
Big boss?
Who's—ah?
Hwang Bo-chung spotted Jin-gong diving into the smoke.
Mist swirling at his feet like an immortal descending, targeting rampaging frontline Paeng Jung-hyuk.
Kwaaaang!
"Keuaaaagh!"
Paeng Jung-hyuk, valiantly thrashing second-gen disciples, blocked Jin-gong's palm but flew back.
Poison smoke swirled in Jin-gong's palm strike, scattering everywhere instantly.
As smoke cleared, foam-mouthed second-gen disciples finally exhaled.
Jin-gong, who routed So Hye-yeon and Paeng Yeon-hwa in one go, stood proudly in the battlefield center.
Jin-gong glared sharply at the Light Dragon crew.
"You take advantage when I go easy! Toyed by petty tricks!"
His resounding voice echoed across the field.
Namgung Hyeok grinned.
"Ah, my turn now? Big boss is big boss..."
Huh?
As he stepped up, passive Namgung Ryong advanced one step.
Shing!
Ah, bro's got it?
"Alright, let's see."
Namgung Hyeok smirked.