Chapter 286: Old Monster Mangong (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 286: Old Monster Mangong (2)
A palm-sized hole was punched through his chest, and Jeok Gyegwang died on the spot.
But Cheon Yeo-hwa didn't let her guard down until the very end.
She had seen too many people survive what should have been fatal wounds.
Only after she saw Jeok Gyegwang's internal energy dissipate into the heavens and the earth could she finally look away.
“Cough!”
At that moment, Cheon Yeo-hwa coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Mixed in the dark red blood were small pieces of her internal organs.
‘…Pushing my power to its limit is still too much for me.’
Even though she had taken an antidote, her weakened body had not fully recovered.
A significant amount of her internal energy had scattered, and her meridians were clogged with impure energy. Not only that, but her muscles were severely weakened, and the slightest movement left her breathless.
The elixir and Acupoint Manipulation from Kang Hyun-woo had helped her recover to some extent, but she was far from her peak condition.
Moreover, the martial art Cheon Yeo-hwa practiced was the Moon Spirit Demonic Art, one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts of the World, unrivaled in its wickedness.
It was inevitably a strain to perform it in her unstable state.
“Ugh…”
Cheon Yeo-hwa swayed, feeling a wave of anemia.
“Sister-in-law!”
Seeing this, Mujin rushed over, but Cheon Yeo-hwa waved him off.
She had internal injuries, but they would heal with some rest.
However, the real problem lay elsewhere.
Perhaps because her mind and body were exhausted to their limits from unleashing the full-power Moon Spirit White Yin Palm, Cheon Yeo-hwa was a step too slow in realizing her own condition.
One of the defining characteristics of the Moon Spirit Demonic Art, one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts, was that it turned the user's hair completely white.
And that was a fact known to every martial artist in the Central Plains.
“…That hair.”
Mujin stared at Cheon Yeo-hwa's now snow-white hair with trembling eyes.
The users of the Moon Spirit Demonic Art inherited the title of Moon Spirit Witch from generation to generation.
And the current Moon Spirit Witch was a great demonic leader with a history of slaughtering martial artists throughout the Qinghai, Sichuan, and Gansu regions, regardless of whether they belonged to the Orthodox or Evil Factions.
There were even rumors that she was a Demonic Human who held a significant position within the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
Of course, nothing had been confirmed. The Heavenly Mountains were too remote for information to travel easily.
Nevertheless, one fact remained unchanged.
—Those who learn one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts of the World, regardless of age or gender, shall be designated a Public Enemy of Murim. This is the will of the Orthodox Murim, and no one shall be permitted to defy it.
This was a proclamation issued throughout the martial world in the name of the first leader of the Murim Alliance.
Whenever one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts—like the Moon Spirit Demonic Art, the Blood Flame Asura Demonic Art, or the Essence Absorbing Demonic Art—appeared, it invariably brought a storm of blood to the martial world, so no one ever objected to the decree.
Thanks to this, despite being a Transcendent master, Cheon Yeo-hwa, like the elders of the Heavenly Demonic Cult, was subject to the Murim Alliance's directive: kill on sight, or if she escapes, share all related information. This order had been passed down to the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance, the Five Great Families, and all other Orthodox Factions.
There was no way Mujin, a member of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes who were destined to lead the future of the Orthodox Faction, would be unaware of this.
Although Mujin's realm was far below Cheon Yeo-hwa's, her current condition was anything but normal.
Even gathering a wisp of power made her Eight Extraordinary Meridians tremble, and her muscles screamed in protest, preventing her from using her innate strength.
Mujin, on the other hand, was in perfect condition.
If he were to draw his sword and declare his intent to subjugate a Public Enemy of Murim, Cheon Yeo-hwa would clearly not last long.
‘If I give up an arm, I might be able to secure a victory… Hyun-woo can probably reattach an arm, right?’
In that fleeting moment, Cheon Yeo-hwa made a judgment worthy of a Demonic Human and immediately concealed her killing intent.
It was a ploy to make Mujin lower his guard.
Although he had been friendly, calling Kang Hyun-woo his younger brother, to Cheon Yeo-hwa, Mujin was just another hypocrite from the Orthodox Faction.
Naturally, she had never trusted him for a single moment.
She was always on guard, ready to smash his head in at the first sign of betrayal.
Whether he knew her thoughts or not, Mujin continued to close the distance.
Cheon Yeo-hwa forced herself to manage her internal injuries and tensed her muscles.
Sacrifice the flesh to take the bone.
She prepared to sacrifice her left arm to break Mujin's neck with her right hand. Just as she was waiting for the right moment…
“Are you alright?!”
Mujin, a look of alarm on his face, pulled something from his robes.
It was a pill.
A sharp, refreshing energy tickled her nose; it was clearly a high-quality wound-healing pill.
“This is a healing pill I received from my sect. You should take this to treat your internal injuries first.”
“…”
Taking the pill, Cheon Yeo-hwa still didn't let go of her suspicion.
While she was circulating her qi to absorb the pill, she would be more vulnerable than ever.
She wouldn't be able to react to a surprise attack, and if things went wrong, she could even suffer from Qi Deviation.
Cheon Yeo-hwa looked at Mujin with a doubtful expression.
“I’m glad your injuries aren’t too severe, but… I’m so ashamed to face my younger brother. Haha, I’ve gotten old and done nothing to help…”
Self-reproach, grief, regret, shame.
Having lived her entire life in what was essentially a den of demons, she could tell.
Mujin wasn't putting on an act to harm her.
He was genuinely worried about her and felt frustrated that he couldn't help.
In his expression, Cheon Yeo-hwa saw the faces of her old subordinates who had sacrificed their lives to help her escape.
After a moment, she silently swallowed the pill and began to treat her internal injuries.
‘…Hyun-woo.’
For some reason, Cheon Yeo-hwa found herself wanting to see Kang Hyun-woo.
If only to keep herself from being buried in memories she could never return to.
*
The clock turned back to before Cheon Yeo-hwa and Mujin encountered Jeok Gyegwang.
Fwoosh!
A hand burst out from a pile of dirt.
“Hah, I was almost buried alive.”
Kang Hyun-woo brushed off the dust and caught his breath.
Caught in the mysterious explosion centered on Wang Chwiong, Kang Hyun-woo looked like a beggar. No matter how many times he spat, dirt mixed with saliva in his mouth.
It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but he was just glad the tunnel hadn't collapsed.
That the tunnel survived such an explosion was partly due to the hard soil in the area, but the decisive reason was that he had used earth elements to harden the ground.
Of course, as a beginner who had just started handling them, his skill wasn't practical for real combat, but for now, he was grateful for it.
He stood up and surveyed his surroundings.
The explosion had created a cavern about two-thirds the size of a soccer field.
‘Wang Chwiong is… over there.’
Kang Hyun-woo’s gaze fell upon Wang Chwiong.
He appeared unharmed on the surface, but Kang Hyun-woo felt a strange sense of unease.
His instincts were screaming at him not to approach carelessly.
Kang Hyun-woo didn't ignore the warning. It was his instincts, sounding the alarm, that had always saved his life.
After a moment of thought, Kang Hyun-woo cast a spell.
Crackle!!
It was Lightning Spear, a 2nd Circle lightning magic.
In truth, for a 5th Circle mage like Kang Hyun-woo, it was a low-level spell that didn't even require casting, but its power was anything but low-level.
Fwoosh!
The spear of lightning cut through the air, flying toward Wang Chwiong.
Kang Hyun-woo didn't expect this attack to cause any significant damage. Martial artists weren't without means to block magic.
They could use a Protective Aura, or even slice through spells with Sword Qi or Aura Blade.
However, lightning magic possessed a speed comparable to actual lightning. No matter how skilled a martial artist was, deflecting or dodging it was no easy feat.
As such, Kang Hyun-woo expected Wang Chwiong to block the attack with his Protective Aura.
But the result was completely different from what he had anticipated.
Sizzzle—
“?!”
The Lightning Spear didn't even reach Wang Chwiong; it simply melted away in mid-air.
Magic made of lightning, melting?
It was something that defied common sense, but the reality before his eyes proved it was happening.
‘Don’t tell me…’
Only then did Kang Hyun-woo understand the source of his unease.
The thick feeling with every breath he took—all the air remaining in the cavern was clearly saturated with poison.
And it was at a level extremely harmful to the human body.
An ordinary person wouldn't last a moment. It was a poison that could be absorbed not only through respiration but also through the skin.
“…Twenty long years.”
Wang Chwiong looked up at Kang Hyun-woo. His blackened eyes radiated a poisonous aura.
He was clearly not in a normal state.
It was like watching the final moments of a Demonic Human whose demonic nature had seeped into their very marrow.
Moreover, the poisonous energy flowing from Wang Chwiong's body was protecting him like a Protective Aura.
“This was the Poison Pill I painstakingly gathered to one day kill the Alliance Leader…!”
Grit.
Wang Chwiong ground his teeth, glaring at Kang Hyun-woo as if to kill him.
His blatant malice soon turned into killing intent, dominating the area.
“…I swear on the honor of the Black Crow Sect.”
Shwaaaaaa!!
At that moment, a vicious poisonous aura spread in all directions. Instantly filling the cavern, the poison obscured his vision like a fog.
Wang Chwiong’s eyes gleamed from within the poison mist.
“I will tear you into a thousand—no, ten thousand pieces.”
Swoooosh—
The staff in Wang Chwiong’s hand began to absorb the poisonous energy that had spread out like a Protective Aura.
Soon, the staff, having completely absorbed the poison, was dyed a deep, inky black.
It was the moment the Evil Spirit Poison Scale Staff, passed down through generations of Black Crow Sect Leaders, revealed its true form. A black Aura rose up, enveloping the staff.
Fwip!
Immediately after, Wang Chwiong vanished.
Kang Hyun-woo instinctively swung his sword to the side.
Kagagagak!!
The impact of their clash not only gouged out a chunk of the surrounding ground but also sent the thick poison mist scattering in all directions.
The moment their weapons met, a look of bewilderment crossed Kang Hyun-woo’s face.
The staff was incomparably heavier than before.
A bitter smile formed on Wang Chwiong’s lips at Kang Hyun-woo’s reaction.
Clang!
The moment their weapons separated, they unleashed killing moves at each other.
Poison Blood Ghost Staff Art: Five Ghost Poison Kill.
Formless Sword Art: Formless Moon.
Kwagagagagak!!!
Five poisonous centipedes clashed with a golden slash. Despite the collision of techniques powerful enough to be called ultimate moves, neither of them backed down, continuing to swing their weapons.
Sword and staff tangled, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Dozens of exchanges in a split second painted their own unique patterns of combat.
In the fierce battle that continued without a moment to breathe, Kang Hyun-woo's eyes flashed with a strange light, and with each flash, his movements became noticeably sharper.
That wasn't all.
Occasionally, a slash that seemed to fold space itself would fly toward Wang Chwiong’s neck.
Each time, Wang Chwiong would gasp, but that didn't mean Kang Hyun-woo had the upper hand.
If anything, Wang Chwiong was the one pressuring Kang Hyun-woo.
Of course, considering the difference in their realms, this situation itself was absurd. If any other martial artist had been in Kang Hyun-woo’s place, their skull would have already been smashed by Wang Chwiong’s Evil Spirit Poison Scale Staff.
Wang Chwiong knew this better than anyone, and as time went on, his expression grew more and more distorted.
Most importantly, if he remained with his Poison Pill unleashed for too long, he would end up being poisoned by his own toxins and self-destruct.
Having no intention of meeting such a pathetic end, Wang Chwiong instantly drew upon his internal energy.
Swoooosh—
The Evil Spirit Poison Scale Staff once again began to absorb the surrounding poison. Simultaneously, the poison from the pill also gathered, flowing through his meridians.
Wang Chwiong’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians screamed from the strain of manipulating the poison.
An indescribable agony washed over him, but he gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
The gathered poison soon took the form of a giant centipede and flew toward Kang Hyun-woo.
Poison Blood Ghost Staff Art: Dragon Demon Centipede Kill.
Kwaaaaaaah!!!
To counter it, Kang Hyun-woo extended his left hand.
The Vajra Qi focused in one spot, and the cavern, thick with poison mist, momentarily brightened. It was the hand of a Buddha, guiding all living beings to salvation.
Vajra Buddha's Demon-Subduing Palm.
“?!!”
Wang Chwiong was horrified by the sight unfolding before him.
—!!!
Then, their techniques collided.
The entire cavern shook precariously from the aftershock, but neither of them paid it any mind, continuing to swing their weapons.
However, unlike before, Wang Chwiong found it difficult to focus on the fight.
‘Th-that was just now…’
It was unmistakably a Shaolin martial art.
Moreover, it was the Buddha's Palm, which was said to have been lost long ago.
His mind grew complicated with rising questions, but he forcibly cleared his head.
He didn't have the luxury of thinking, as Kang Hyun-woo was increasingly keeping up with his movements.
‘What a monster…!’
Wang Chwiong’s original realm was the early stage of the Flower Realm.
However, poison masters were generally considered half a step stronger than others in the same realm.
Furthermore, having just unleashed a Poison Pill he had accumulated for twenty years, his current power was effectively that of a master at the peak of the Flower Realm.
And against such a foe, Kang Hyun-woo, a mere Transcendent master, was holding his own.
‘Could he truly possess the legendary Heavenly Martial Physique?!’
Above all, the fact that he was still alive in this dense poison was unbelievable.
Unless one was Immune to a Thousand Poisons, even breathing should have been impossible.
His complexion was a bit dark, but it was a far cry from what Wang Chwiong had expected.
‘…This can’t be. This can’t be happening…!!’
The man who should have collapsed and been hovering on the brink of death was moving just fine. But beyond that, the Formless Vajra Art that Kang Hyun-woo displayed was, for Wang Chwiong, the very definition of shock and terror.
Wang Chwiong had taken the lives of countless martial artists, but he could swear he had never felt a thrill like this before.
‘…No.’
Ten years ago, there had been one time.
A member of the Three Sovereigns, the Grand Elder of the Namgung Family who had come seeking revenge for the Meteor Sword, Namgung Yicheon.
The Sword Emperor, Namgung Hwang.
He could feel the same supreme realm he had sensed from the Sword Emperor's blade coming from this arrogant brat before him.
Though it was just a faint fragment, it was enough to revive a memory he had long forgotten.
‘Ah, ahh…!!’
The fear of death he had felt from the Sword Emperor once again washed over him.
‘N-no way. It can’t be! It shouldn’t be!!’
He denied reality with all his might.
Kwaaaaaang!!
The poison in Wang Chwiong’s body exploded.
As Kang Hyun-woo was pushed back by the aftershock, Wang Chwiong squeezed out his power to its absolute limit.
“Something like that must never be allowed to happen!!!”
Kiiiiing!!!
The Evil Spirit Poison Scale Staff let out a demonic wail.
An evil energy that surpassed mere poison gathered here.
A swarm of tens, no, hundreds of thousands of centipedes coalesced into an Aura and poured down on Kang Hyun-woo.
Poison Blood Ghost Staff Art: Ghost Path Thousand Kill Centipede Chaos.
Kyaaaaaak!!
The Ghost Path was calling to him.
It was the pinnacle of poison arts and staff techniques, something that even one of the Three Sovereigns would find difficult to survive if met head-on.
All his senses screamed a warning.
But Kang Hyun-woo did not evade.
He simply gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
At that moment, the inky black Aura began to emit a Buddhist light.
The cavern, once filled with thick poison mist, shone brightly.
Watching the swarm of centipedes pouring toward him, Kang Hyun-woo thrust his sword forward.
Formless Sword Art: Heavenly Light, Break.
From a point to a line, a faint path formed in the darkness where nothing could be seen.
Formless Sword Art: Formless Moon, Evil.
Countless slashes cut away the obstructions and silenced the wailing cries.
Formless Sword Art: Broad Moon, Manifest.
A full moon rose in the darkness, illuminating the surroundings before splitting the shadows in two.
Formless Sword Art: Light Dragon, Righteousness.
And a celestial dragon made of light vanquished the evil and soared endlessly beyond.
Soon, the entire Ghost Path receded.
Even amidst the brilliant radiance exploding in all directions, Wang Chwiong did not close his eyes.
“…Don’t tell me, the Vajra Divine—”
His words were cut short.
The Evil Spirit Poison Scale Staff, said to be as strong as Millennium Cold Iron, split in half, and the last thing reflected in Wang Chwiong’s eyes was the Light Dragon.
Slice—