Chapter 77: A Bloody Battle - 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 77: A Bloody Battle - 1
Shuuuuuuk!
Pang!
The ink-colored poisonous qi of the Poison Demon and the green poisonous qi of the Poison King surged against each other before violently erupting.
Skid, skid.
Unable to withstand the repulsive force, the Poison Demon was pushed back slightly.
"Old man, is this all you’ve got?!" Tang Jin-cheol shouted, his voice raspy like metal scraping against metal.
"Well, now..."
The Poison Demon was inwardly surprised. Because Tang Jin-cheol looked like little more than a walking corpse, the Demon had only exerted a moderate amount of internal energy.
But the Poison King was no easy opponent. Despite his severe injuries, he had unleashed a staggering amount of poisonous power—enough to momentarily push back even the Poison Demon.
The Poison Demon’s expression turned serious. It seemed he had underestimated the man far too much.
Injured or not, he was still the Poison King. He was the Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, the family known as the greatest in the Central Plains, and the man who had rightfully made a name for himself as the world's greatest poison master after the Poison Demon’s sudden disappearance.
At first, the Demon had thought him a mere lucky brat. He had scoffed, thinking that if he hadn't vanished, a pretentious title like 'Poison King' would never have even existed.
But after exchanging a single blow, he could feel it. The title of Poison King was no empty boast. The man possessed the caliber worthy of the name.
And that made it interesting.
Thump, thump.
His heart, which had begun to beat slower with age, started to race. A thrill surged through his chest. A fight against a strong opponent was always exhilarating, but against a fellow poison master, that excitement multiplied tenfold.
The former world's greatest poison master versus the current one—there was no way he wouldn't be thrilled.
The Poison Demon’s expression shifted into one of grim focus. The thought of taking it easy vanished. He intended to face this man with everything he had.
"My apologies. This old man underestimated you."
Massive swirls of ink-colored poisonous qi began to howl around him.
"I shall not disappoint you further."
The qi surged forward, threatening to swallow Tang Jin-cheol whole. It was an overwhelming volume.
Not to be outdone, Tang Jin-cheol operated his Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art, pouring out waves of green poisonous qi. A massive tide of poison began to churn between the two men.
*
Kieeeeeeeek!
Slash!
Sun-woo ignited his Sword Astral. He swung it directly at the Human-Faced Spider, whose front legs were tangled among the trees.
Kieeeeeeeek!
The spider shrieked as Sun-woo’s blade bit into it. It strained its legs, snapping the trees they were caught in.
Crack, snap!
The trees felled by the Human-Faced Spider began to collapse toward them. Sun-woo moved quickly to avoid the falling timber.
Rumble! Thud!
The trees hit the ground with a thunderous roar, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
Where is it?
Sun-woo scanned left and right, searching for the spider. However, the dust was so thick it was difficult to spot her.
Chill.
Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down his spine. Sun-woo channeled internal energy into his Yongcheon Point and let it explode.
Propelled by immense momentum, Sun-woo shot forward.
Boom!
The spider’s leg slammed into the spot where Sun-woo had just been standing. Had he stayed there, he would have been crushed instantly.
Sun-woo spun around to face the leg. As the dust settled, the Human-Faced Spider revealed herself.
Kieek, kieeeeek.
She let out a cry, her expression looking almost disappointed.
That bitch.
Sun-woo felt a surge of irritation. It was unpleasant to see a mere insect express such rich emotions.
There was a term for it: the Uncanny Valley. It described the phenomenon where humans feel a sense of revulsion toward something that looks almost, but not quite, human—often finding it more disturbing than something that doesn't look human at all.
That was exactly what Sun-woo felt toward the Human-Faced Spider. Her face alone was that of a peerless beauty, one of the finest in the world, but the body attached to it was a grotesque, nauseating nightmare.
Perhaps because of this extreme contrast, she felt even more repulsive and loathsome to Sun-woo than the male Human-Faced Spider had. It made him want to gag. The thought of something that wasn't human pretending to be one made his skin crawl.
"Whew."
Sun-woo quickly calmed his rising agitation. Getting worked up would only lead to the same struggle he’d had with the male spider. There was no need to waste energy on anger.
Sun-woo looked toward the spot where he had slashed her with his Sword Astral, curious about the damage. He had landed a direct hit on her torso, and with a Sword Astral formed from a significant amount of internal energy at that.
Yet, she was perfectly fine, without a single scratch.
How was this possible? He had definitely felt the blade cut, and her black blood was still on his sword. And yet, there was no wound.
Sun-woo focused his eyesight, examining the area he had struck more closely. He soon found the reason. The flesh where he had cut was writhing and undulating.
Sun-woo had seen this before. It was the same movement the male Human-Faced Spider made when regenerating a severed leg. This spider had regenerated the wound in the blink of an eye.
Fuck me.
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. The male spider’s regeneration had been slow enough that he could overwhelm it with brute force—cutting faster and harder than it could heal.
But the female’s regeneration speed was on a different level. If she could heal that quickly, the strategy changed. He couldn't just mindlessly rush her like he did with the male.
"Haaa..."
Sun-woo let out a sigh. How did he end up with such rotten luck?
Having his identity discovered by the Poison King was already a massive headache. From the moment he first saw the Poison King, Sun-woo knew the man was on the same level as the Sword Emperor Yang Tae-san, whom he had fought at White Flower Peak.
That was why he had been so cautious and decided that disguising himself as Tang Se-gi was the right move. He knew he couldn't win in a head-on confrontation.
And yet, the Poison King had seen through him. Usually, Sun-woo kept his aura suppressed, but in the Godok Hall, he had let it loose, leading to his exposure.
How was he supposed to deal with him? Just thinking about it made his head throb. And now, another monster of similar caliber had appeared. It was infuriating. What had he done to deserve meeting one monster after another?
What was the point of reaching the Upper Stage of the Super-Peak Realm when every opponent he faced was in the Transcendent or Profound Realm?
Grip.
Sun-woo adjusted his hold on his sword. There was no other way. Even if they were in the Transcendent, Profound, or even the Harmony Realm, he would struggle with everything he had to survive. That was the path he had chosen.
A cluster of light gathered on Sun-woo’s blade, forming a vivid Sword Astral that surpassed mere sword qi. The color was deeper than before.
If she regenerated at an incredible speed, there were two options: kill her in one blow with overwhelming power, or keep cutting until she could no longer regenerate.
Sun-woo chose the latter. The first option seemed impossible no matter how he looked at it. If he were in the Transcendent Realm, maybe, but right now, he didn't have the confidence or the means to kill this giant monster in a single strike. Why waste effort on the impossible?
So, he chose the second method. No matter how great this monster’s regenerative powers were, it would eventually consume a vast amount of her energy. He didn't know how much power she had stored, but this was his only choice. He would cut her again and again, forcing her to regenerate until her energy was spent.
Sun-woo’s Sword Astral flared.
Shuaaaa!
Swinging his glowing blade, Sun-woo charged straight at her.
Clang!
She raised a front leg to block his sword. Her legs were even harder than her torso. Not even a scratch appeared on the limb.
Shit.
Sun-woo cursed. This was a different league from the male spider. That one had sturdy legs, but they could still be cut. This female’s legs wouldn't even take a nick.
Whoosh!
The Human-Faced Spider flicked her leg upward, parrying the sword and sending Sun-woo flying into the air. It was a pure display of the gap in their strength.
As Sun-woo hung in the air, the spider’s other leg swung around and slammed into him.
Klang!
A massive boom echoed as Sun-woo was sent flying thirty meters back.
Fwoosh!
Thud!
He slammed directly into a tree standing behind him.
"Fuuuuuuck!"
Sun-woo screamed as pain radiated through his back. He had managed to raise his sword just in time to block the follow-up hit, but he couldn't negate the impact. As a result, he was now embedded in a tree trunk.
"This is seriously some bullshit."
Faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, Sun-woo began to vent. How could she be that strong? How could her follow-up be that fast?
The female Human-Faced Spider was strong—far beyond his imagination. He regretted even for a moment thinking she was on the same level as the male. He had to give it his all, as if he were fighting a Transcendent Realm master.
Spring!
Sun-woo leaped back to his feet and took a stance. This time, he only ignited sword qi. If he couldn't cut her front legs, he just needed enough power to block them. Using Sword Astral would be a waste of internal energy.
He didn't know how long this would take. He had to avoid techniques like Sword Astral that drained his reserves too quickly.
Sun-woo stepped into the Wind-Dust Step. His body bent like a bow before snapping forward.
It was the stage of Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker. A feat that only those who had mastered movement techniques could perform was now being displayed by Sun-woo.
Shooting forward at a speed incomparable to before, Sun-woo tightened his grip on his sword. He intended to cut her down.
Kieeeeeeek!
The Human-Faced Spider, startled by Sun-woo’s sudden burst of speed, lashed out with her front legs.
Boom! Boom!
But she couldn't keep up with his speed, her strikes hitting only empty air. Before she knew it, he had bypassed her legs and reached her torso.
Sun-woo poured internal energy into his sword. The sword qi flared and thickened.
Sword Astral.
Slash!
Kieeeeeeeek!
Sun-woo sliced through the spider’s body again, her scream echoing through the entire forest. He didn't stop.
Slash!
Slash!
He cut her again and again. The Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker was a movement technique that put a heavy strain even on Sun-woo. By pushing the Wind-Dust Step to its absolute limit and relying on instantaneous explosive power, it provided unmatched speed, but at a great physical cost.
However, this was the only way to get close to her while avoiding those lethal legs. He had to make it count. Since he was pushing his body to the limit, he would make sure her body paid the price as well.
With that thought, Sun-woo increased his sword speed even further, carving into her.
Slash!
Slash!
She shrieked in continuous agony. She spat poison from her mouth, trying to drive away the man who was wounding her.
Whoosh!
Sun-woo used the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker again to leap out of her range. Naturally, she couldn't catch him. Her back legs only swiped at the air.
Kieeeeeeeeeek!
She shrieked in pure frustration.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
Sun-woo crouched, breathing heavily. Although he had avoided her attacks with ease, his body was feeling the strain. Using the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker twice in a row by pushing his movement technique to the extreme had left him breathless.
Moving so fast had made it hard to catch his breath. His thighs were burning, and he felt significant pain in his calves and ankles.
No, I’m still okay!
Sun-woo forced himself upright. He could still handle this. Unlike when he fought the Sword Emperor, he felt a glimmer of hope. His attacks were working.
Sun-woo adjusted his grip on his sword once more. If it meant winning, he was prepared to cut her a thousand times. Sword qi began to coat his blade again.
*
The Human-Faced Spider was furious at the being who had wounded her. For hundreds of years, she had lived without a rival. She took what she wanted by force and destroyed what she couldn't have.
And now, someone had actually hurt her. Moreover, it was the same person who had killed her mate. It would have been stranger if she weren't angry.
She had swung her front legs repeatedly, but the human dodged every time, moving at a speed she couldn't even track. It was infuriating.
She could regenerate from wounds as many times as needed, but the constant pain was agonizing. Being able to heal didn't mean she didn't feel the pain of her flesh being torn open over and over again.
She lashed out again to catch the one hurting her, but he still dodged with ease. She spat poison, but he moved out of range so quickly it was impossible to infect him.
This couldn't continue. She needed a way to catch him. Her massive body was sturdy, but it was too slow. Her sharp, lethal legs were also a hindrance; they had power, but lacked speed.
To catch this human, her body had to change. She needed to be smaller and faster.
Her eyes flickered as she stared at Sun-woo. Soon, a white light began to envelop her.
It was time to molt.