Chapter 211: The Flower of the Tang Clan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 211: The Flower of the Tang Clan
I immediately charged toward Ak Bulhwi.
Fwoosh!
I had already gauged his reaction speed.
He was fast enough to block the Gaegaek Death Beam I'd fired from out of sight without any trouble.
It meant a surprise attack wouldn't work.
As expected, Ak Bulhwi swung his sword to block my attack.
Swoooosh!
The sword sliced through the air at an incredible speed.
I hastily dug my feet into the ground to slow down, then swung my tail to parry his blade.
Claaaang!
I had aimed for the handguard of the sword.
“You’re quick on the uptake.”
The color of plum blossoms was clearly visible, even to the naked eye.
My scales could easily block an ordinary sword, but not what I was seeing now.
Even if they were dragon scales, they would surely be pierced if that sword aura struck them.
The moment I parried his attack, Ak Bulhwi pressed forward as if he'd been waiting for it.
He looked aggressive, as if he'd never been hesitant to fight me in the first place.
I extended and twisted my claws, then enveloped them in a blue aura.
Claaaaang!
“Do you truly believe the mere claws of a beast can withstand my sword?”
Screeeech!
We were locked in a contest of strength.
He was certainly no pushover.
The opponents I had fought until now were similar in size to me.
Therefore, my fighting style was specialized for battling giant spirit beasts, making it tricky to fight a small human like this.
On top of that, despite being human, this guy possessed strength greater than most spirit beasts, making him an incredibly difficult opponent.
In terms of raw strength, I had the upper hand.
But the refinement of his technique was beyond comparison.
The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art.
The original technique was blossoming, incomparable to what the Magnosaurus had shown.
Even as we struggled, sharp blades of sword aura flew toward my neck.
I couldn't just stand here and take it.
Swoooosh.
In my left hand, the profound principles of the bird.
In my right, the profound principles of the snake.
Like the king of birds stirring a storm, I snatched at the enemy with blinding speed.
Like the snake queen firing a destruction ray, I thrust my claws toward a single point.
Screeeech!
The profound principles of the Eagle-Snake Life-Death Struggle, clad in aura, erupted forth.
“This… is quite enjoyable!” Ak Bulhwi shouted, pushing my claws back with his sword.
To deal with this guy, using only my two hands wasn't enough.
I focused my internal energy into my foot and stomped hard on the ground.
Kra-koooooom!
As the Descending Dragon Tremor exploded, the energy of wood seeped into it.
The roots of plants surged toward him as if they were dragons swimming through the earth.
Shhhwing! Riiip!
“Kuh!”
He cut through the plants with his sword as if it were nothing, but in doing so, allowed my swinging tail to land a solid hit.
Wham!
The blow wasn't severe, but Ak Bulhwi immediately reacted.
“Sect Leader!”
The martial artists fighting elsewhere cried out in unison.
“Awoooo!”
“Polygamyyyyyy!”
Seeing that I had landed a clean hit, my allies roared in celebration.
The leader clashes with the leader and gains the upper hand. It was the best possible move on the battlefield.
“…Truly marvelous movements. To think a giant lizard is using human martial arts.”
Ak Bulhwi brushed the dust off his body.
“Your movements are like watching several masters execute a combined attack.”
He spoke gallantly, as if quite satisfied with our recent exchange.
“You move like a human, then suddenly use your tail. Any opponent facing you for the first time would surely be caught off guard.”
Ak Bulhwi stood still, staring at me.
Fwoooosh!
“Against such a powerful foe…”
A violet aura enveloped his body.
“I cannot afford to hold back.”
The faint scent of plum blossoms spread through the air.
Gulp.
I swallowed dryly.
Because Ak Bulhwi's sword was now imbued with something other than sword aura.
“Now, come.”
The violet sword aura gathered in one place, forming the shape of a massive blade.
It was a realm I had not yet reached.
Sword Flux.
He was finally going all out.
I couldn't expect the same situation as before.
…….
I was saving this for when I fought Gongbok.
I guess I have no choice.
*
Cold and flame clashed.
“Haven't seen you in a while. You've got some strange things attached to you now, haven't you?” the Red Dragon said, looking at Baek Rang.
“Keeeeeng!”
“Kioooong!”
Tus and Pus, clinging to Baek Rang's shoulders, waved their hands.
Their gestures were meant to convey, ‘How dare you speak to the Left and Right Guardians like that!’, but the Red Dragon couldn't understand them.
She just thought they were two peculiar spiders.
“Hehe, to see such a spirit beast in person! You’re the most amazing thing I’ve seen since Hero Go!”
Tang Soyeong shouted, gripping Baek Rang's fur tightly.
Normally, she should have been reduced to ashes by the Red Dragon's heat, but she was currently wearing the pelt of a Fire Rat.
The combination of Baek Rang's cold energy and the Fire Rat's pelt made it possible for her to be this cheeky.
The Red Dragon breathed out a massive, spreading plume of fire.
Fwoooosh!
“Kyaaaaak!”
As Tang Soyeong screamed, Baek Rang moved nimbly to dodge the Red Dragon's attack.
Crrrackle!
Baek Rang was using her cold energy strategically, making it difficult for the Red Dragon to aim as she continuously tried to close the distance.
The Red Dragon, on the other hand, was trying to keep her distance.
Because if she was too close when she betrayed them at the crucial moment, they might get caught in the crossfire.
But she couldn't make it obvious, so she had no choice but to fight with some sincerity.
Kra-koooom!
As flame and cold clashed, steam billowed continuously, and for some reason, the Red Dragon's flames ended up engulfing the martial artists of the Mount Hua Sect.
“Kuaaargh! My body's on fire!”
“Oh my, did I make a mistake?”
The Red Dragon flapped her wings and briefly flew into the air.
Fierce flames enveloped her body.
Crrrrrackle!
As if to counter her, the blue cold energy increased its output even further.
A faint arc formed on the Red Dragon's lips.
“You've certainly gotten stronger.”
The difference between the Red Dragon and Baek Rang had been overwhelming.
In fact, Baek Rang had a history of being utterly defeated by her.
But now, Baek Rang wasn't being pushed back in the slightest.
After the Crushing Dragon defeated the Iron Head Dragon, the power of the disciples grew even stronger.
In particular, all stats related to cold energy had increased.
Furthermore, over the past month, the other disciples had grown enough to vaguely handle cold energy, which inevitably made Baek Rang's own cold energy stronger.
Because the power of everyone on this battlefield using cold energy was amplifying Baek Rang's power.
She had reached a level where she could fight on equal footing with the Red Dragon in her human form.
On top of that, the Priestess and the Right Guardian were shooting webs to interfere, while the Left Guardian and Tang Soyeong spread poison, constantly keeping the Red Dragon in check.
Fwoooosh!
Of course, such attacks couldn't penetrate the Red Dragon's flames, but they were enough to get on her nerves.
The Red Dragon decided to acknowledge them.
The Red Dragon had a certain worry.
Her benefactor who had taken the Dragon Gate, Gomodo.
Having possessed the Dragon Gate herself, she knew what that position entailed.
One is forced to continue slaughtering, repeating meaningless actions.
Gomodo seemed fine now, but the longer he possessed the Dragon Gate, the more his heart would inevitably be stolen by its power.
That was why Gomodo needed a sword.
He needed a faithful disciple who would face challengers in his stead and walk the path of Asura for him.
She believed she was the only one who could fill that role.
There were other disciples, but they wouldn't be of much help to Gomodo.
If anything, he was more likely to covet even more power to protect them.
That was why the Red Dragon had hesitated.
Because if she died, there would be no one to take her place as his sword.
But things were different now.
Baek Rang and Gomodo's new disciples might be able to take on that role instead.
“Three spiders… I’ll never understand his tastes.”
The fact that they were all female was a bit concerning, but what did it matter?
“By the way, doggy. Why are you carrying a boy?”
Seeing that he had even accepted a male disciple, it must have been a coincidence.
“…A boy?”
Baek Rang tilted her head.
“I didn't think you, of all creatures, would carry another male.”
Baek Rang glanced behind her.
Tang Soyeong, feeling the gaze, looked around.
A boy? Where was there a boy here?
“Yeah, and a human one at that?”
Only then did Tang Soyeong realize who the Red Dragon was referring to.
“Don’t tell me… are you talking about me?”
Tang Soyeong's eyes narrowed.
“I’m not a boy!”
She glared at the Red Dragon, her face forming the same triangular shape her Divine Beast sometimes made.
“Really? From your appearance, you look exactly like a boy,” the Red Dragon replied playfully.
“A-a-are you looking at my chest and…!”
The Red Dragon couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
“…It would have been fun if we could have spent time together.”
The Red Dragon focused her power.
This was enough.
Now, all she had to do was shake them off and attack the Mount Hua Sect with the strongest attack she could muster.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Fwoosh!
But Baek Rang wouldn't let her go.
This was quite troublesome for the Red Dragon, who had planned to fight them half-heartedly before landing a single, powerful blow on the Mount Hua Sect.
“…You’re so persistent.”
Now was the perfect time to attack, but with Baek Rang charging at her like this, she couldn't execute her plan.
The Red Dragon gathered her power to shake Baek Rang off.
Fwoooosh!
Scorching flames washed over Baek Rang's body.
“Kaaeng!”
Despite the Fire Rat's pelt, Baek Rang's fur began to singe.
Baek Rang let out a pained whimper but continued to glare at the Red Dragon.
“…You know I’m still fighting you in my human form, right? Get out of the way before you get hurt more seriously.”
Fire energy gathered once more around the Red Dragon's mouth.
It had seemed like an even match, but that was largely because the Red Dragon was holding back.
She couldn't bring herself to hurt his disciples.
But Baek Rang did not back down.
“You, worrying about me? I’ve seen it all now. I may not have lived as long as you, but still!”
Kra-koooom!
A gust of wind mixed with cold energy flew at her.
“You’re really… getting on my nerves!”
The Red Dragon, annoyed, wrapped her entire body in flames.
“Why are you blocking me so persistently! You don’t even know what I’m trying to do!”
“Hey, you idiot.”
Baek Rang responded in kind, cloaking her body in cold energy.
“Do you think I’m doing this because I like you?”
Swoooosh!
A fierce blizzard began to rage.
“I wouldn’t care if you dropped dead from that poison, you know?”
Unexpected words came out.
Could it be that she knew she had been afflicted with the Gu?
“But that lizard said something.”
Crrrackle.
“That he wouldn’t lose anyone ever again.”
I will not lose anyone precious to me again.
It was the vow the Red Dragon had made to herself after losing her family to the Ice Dragon and the Thunder Bird.
Because of that vow, she had swallowed the Gu.
And because of that same vow, she was now trying to throw her life away.
But the Divine Beast she served, the one who had melted her frozen heart, was different.
He was trying to save even her, no matter what.
Even though all of this might have happened because of her.
“…He’s so naive, my Divine Beast.”
You have to cut what needs to be cut and discard what needs to be discarded.
You can't carry everything with you.
Saving the disciples, and saving the Red Dragon too.
That was impossible.
The Red Dragon focused her fire energy once more.
There was only one thing she could do.
Shake off Baek Rang immediately, then pour all her power into Ak Bulhwi and die.
She wouldn't be able to finish him in one blow, but at least she wouldn't become a burden.
Fwoooosh! Crrrrackle!
Once again, fire and cold collided.
Since she was no longer holding back, the Red Dragon had the upper hand.
“Kieeeeng!”
But Pus's web shot out somewhere.
“Keeeeng!”
Tus sprayed poison, obscuring her vision.
In the face of her overwhelming fire, that much poison was meaningless.
However, the attacks from Tus and Pus managed to draw the Red Dragon's attention, if only for a moment.
A sturdy web shot out.
A decisive blow aimed at an opening.
But it had no offensive power to speak of.
Nothing would change even if the web touched her body.
It would only be burned away.
“Ugyagyak!”
But at the end of that web was a girl with dumpling hair, wearing the pelt of a Fire Rat.
It was Tang Soyeong.
Her power wasn't that great.
She was exceptional for a Third-Rate martial artist, but lacked something to be called First-Rate.
Thus, her realm was Second-Rate.
A Second-Rate martial artist like her couldn't possibly inflict any significant damage on the Red Dragon.
But was Tang Soyeong really just a Second-Rate martial artist?
Would a mere Second-Rate martial artist be granted the authority to handle her clan's spirit beast?
Would the members of the radical faction go to such lengths to assassinate a mere Second-Rate martial artist?
Tang Soyeong was a flower that had not yet fully bloomed.
Nevertheless, she was the most beautiful and dangerous flower in the Tang Clan.
Her title, the Flower of the Tang Clan, was partly due to her outstanding looks, but it stemmed more fundamentally from the ability she possessed.
A beautiful flower has sharp thorns.
As the Flower of the Tang Clan, she was bound to have thorns more dangerous than any other flower.
Shatter.
Tang Soyeong's poison vial shattered in mid-air, and its contents seeped into the Red Dragon's body.
An extreme poison that not even the clan head could control, one that only she could create.
A poison that drove out even the evil energy within the body, making it impossible for even the strongest to resist.
Thump.
Thump.
The Red Dragon's heart began to pound like crazy.
The Flower of the Tang Clan, destroying the Gu in her body and leaving even the Red Dragon herself dazed.
A legendary extreme poison, said to be unstoppable even by the former Sword Empress who had supposedly reached the state of Myriad Poisons Immunity.
The Red Dragon could not resist the poison spreading through her body.
Her heart hammered as if it were on fire.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she felt an insane urge to see a certain being.
Only then did the Red Dragon realize the name of this poison.
The most fatal and irresistible poison.
But at the same time, a poison one could become addicted to so easily.
Yes.
The name of that poison was love.