Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: It Was Real? (4)
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A serpent this ripe ought to have an inner core. Before claiming the Azure Clear Oil, Mujin secured the inner core first.
He sliced into the heart of the Venom-Horned Dark Dragon with his Formless Sword, then yanked it out using Void Grasping. The inner core was the size of his palm.
He pocketed the broken horn as a souvenir too. Ground down like ivory, it'd make a perfect club.
The kids' spirit... Perfect for training.
'Too bad.'
-Stop obsessing over money.
'You make as much as you can when you can. The fool's got no sense of economy.'
-I don't need to hear that from you.
The Venom-Horned Dark Dragon was a treasure in itself. Its blood held poison, sure, but purified right, it granted resistance to toxins. The hide and scales could be cut into combat gear, the scales perfect for weapons. When you got down to it, there was almost nothing to discard. And thanks to the venom, it wouldn't rot easily.
'Not just anyone could make use of it.'
That was the problem.
You needed immunity to the poison, plus specialized knowledge and experience in the field. The good news? There was a decent workshop en route to his destination. He'd negotiate there, and if that fell through, try elsewhere.
'They won't get greedy, right?'
-If those guys do...
'What a shame.'
-Just don't go!
'Can't, because of that guy.'
-True enough.
Before that, he stuffed the prepared pouches with the dragon's blood, hide, and scales. He couldn't take it all, but he'd need them for bargaining.
Tremble, tremble!
Mujin turned to check on Cheol-ho's condition.
Fools were mostly immune to horns and poison, but the venom blast from the Venom-Horned Dark Dragon at the end must have been intense.
He was barely holding on through sheer pride and will, unable to expel the infiltrating toxin. The poison lingering in the cavern kept seeping in.
"Well, now."
First, he gathered the cavern's toxins with his inner energy and burned them away. His refined senses merged with his qi, drawing every last bit.
Whoosh!
After clearing the poison, Mujin fed Cheol-ho some of the dragon's blood. He'd heard somewhere that poison cured poison.
Kraaaagh!
Cheol-ho, who'd downed three gulps, rolled on the ground screaming.
"...?"
-...?
To Mujin and the Demon King, neither of whom had ever been poisoned, it was a bizarre sight.
Why was he like that? They pondered.
Poison against poison was basic neutralization, wasn't it?
True, but you had to neutralize the toxins in the Venom-Horned Dark Dragon's blood first. If any blood worked, anyone could play doctor. Gulping it raw had mixed the toxins, amplifying the effect.
Hoh.
The poison got stronger!
Oh no!
Not the time for admiration.
Mujin hurriedly searched the area. For a spirit beast like the Venom-Horned Dark Dragon to form, there had to be matching spirit herbs, beasts, or fruits. If Azure Clear Oil was here, it explained the dragon.
Kraaaagh!
I know, I'm looking.
It's not gonna kill him from a sip, right?
Don't get hasty.
It's not your life!
Mujin methodically searched for the Azure Clear Oil. Cheol-ho's screams and thrashing didn't make him rush.
The calmer he stayed, the clearer it became. The oil wasn't far. Entering the cave where the dragon's tail draped, he found a small gourd-shaped rock pooling with milky water laced with limestone.
'Not much.'
-It's Azure Clear Oil.
Thought it'd be bathwater amounts?
Three drops boosted cultivation— a gourd full would be immense. It could mass-produce experts.
'Won't do much for me anyway.'
-As if.
'One sip can't hurt.'
-Since when do you listen? Drink it!
He'd found it; might as well.
Per the Demon King, peak cultivation boost days were past. And he wouldn't mass-produce soldiers with it. Legion experts were strong, but absolutes were key.
Slurp!
He took a sip, savoring with his tongue. Odd taste, but mixed with baijiu, it'd be fine.
Kraaaagh!
I said I know, quit whining.
Mujin roughly swallowed his sip, rushed back, hauled up the frothing, flailing Cheol-ho, and fed him five drops of Azure Clear Oil.
Slurp!
As it slid down his throat and activated, Mujin sat behind the cross-legged Cheol-ho, guiding qi smoothly. The energy spread from his dantian to limbs and meridians, unleashing the oil's power.
"Should be good now."
Kraaaaaagh!
Not yet.
Na-rung and Yuk-chil emerged from the cave, faces refreshed after circulating qi. Expelling the poison had taken time. Dusk was falling.
"Takes a while, huh, Elder Brother."
"Not like him."
"Maybe the venom's too potent?"
"You saying that after seeing that guy!"
The beast's poison was riskier than most spirit creatures. Hard to predict the type.
But it was Mujin.
That man struggling against mere poison? Unthinkable he'd die.
Na-rung and Yuk-chil cautiously entered the cave. Not following to the end might bring repercussions. Mercy existed, but so did great evil.
Reaching their prior spot, they realized:
"The poison's drastically thinned."
"As expected."
The beast was dead, inner core, organs, hide, scales stripped. A money-grubber like him wouldn't leave it. The beast would become crafting materials.
Following traces, they entered the cavern.
Crack, craaaack!
Cocoon, shedding!
They gaped at the shedding before them—a rare sight, lifelong elusive. Reserved for chosen geniuses experts dreamed of.
Shh!
Mujin signaled silence.
Craaaack, splat!
Cheol-ho was entering a crucial phase.
Neutralized poison, absorbed oil potency—his skeleton shifted, expelling impurities. The dragon blood harmonized with the oil.
'Shedding and recarving bones!'
'No way!'
Na-rung and Yuk-chil were green with envy. Past forty, and Cheol-ho was just seventeen. Shedding at that age laid the foundation for grandmastery.
Huh?
What's that?
Only then did they notice the slumped monster. So huge, mistaken for cave rock. Closer look: massive serpent. Not ordinary—broken horn, but those traits matched one.
"...Venom-Horned Dark Dragon!"
The poison was fierce, but who knew it'd be this? That size meant at least ten thousand years old.
'One strike instant kill!'
'Who's the monster here!'
Among ten-thousand-year ink dragons, the Venom-Horned was special. Rare to see, rarer to catch. Yet here it lay intact. Head and body mush suggested extreme warrior realm piercing strike.
'What happens if a human takes that?'
Gulp!
Na-rung and Yuk-chil swallowed dryly. What they'd seen was the tip of the iceberg. Strength, speed, qi unity—easy to say. Landing precise piercing on mountain-shattering power wasn't simple.
Do it freely? Invincible under heaven.
The pinnacle of trinity realm.
Craaaack!
At shedding's end, Cheol-ho burst with light, then stilled. Swirling energy waves synced with breath, absorbing inward.
Flash!
Opening his eyes, Cheol-ho felt refreshed, like flying. Reborn? His body felt entirely new. Qi flow smoother than ever. Iron-Blood Lion Art hit eight stars in one go.
Best day ever? Past pains forgotten.
"Still ugly, though."
Grab!
Cheol-ho's ecstatic face twisted. Second master with a knack for ruining moods.
But he couldn't blame the man who'd given him Azure Clear Oil, so he swallowed his ire.
"Master's grace—I'll never forget it!"
"You better. That was five drops."
Not words from a guy who'd chugged it like water.
Na-rung and Yuk-chil snapped alert.
Not random shedding—he drank Azure Clear Oil?
Whoa!
Yuk-chil's shock dwarfed Na-rung's.
"...It was real!"
What now if it's true!
Hong Mu-gae's face flushed crimson at the second report. So absurd, he wondered if they mocked him. Felt like a gripe list disguised as intel.
"What the hell!"
Days ago, peak expert; now transcendent realm. Martial arts sprouting like bean sprouts.
Transcendents were rare continent-wide. Known and unknown combined? Under fifty.
"This bastard toying with me! What do you make of it?"
"Yuk-chil's not the type."
"Taking his side?"
"Reliable intel, sir!"
O-chil's loyalty topped out there. "Loyalty-less corpse" was bluster for show. Live first, beggar creed through and through.
"What the hell is this guy?"
"Pine Tiger Sect's firstborn."
"Right, just a wastrel from a minor sect—why so strong? Peak's already absurd."
"Hiding something?"
"If hiding, why expose!"
"Maybe needs attention."
Definitely hiding, yet showed nothing. Peak level hard for Yuk-chil to pierce. Yet reports flowed easy.
First to hook his curiosity like this. Solid background, little leverage. Imperfect, yet logical.
"Lucky encounter, probably."
Pine Tiger Sect's moves too stagnant otherwise. No expansion in Cheongyang, same as ever. Pushed back by Gushan Hall's entry.
"Why pushed?"
Didn't add up.
No clashes, but Gushan eyed Cheongyang. Testing orthodoxies. A peak expert changes everything. Flex power, unorthos back off.
Hold off.
Needed more intel for judgment.
"Found traces?"
"Secured expected zone."
"Who's there?"
"Heavenly Lord Divine Spear leads."
"Enough?"
Not in Shenju Twenty-One, but top-tier voice, unignorable powerhouse. Lone wolf, but spear master with repute for character and virtue.
"Coincidentally, Wudang joined."
"Why 'coincidentally'?"
"Tied to that guy."
"Is that so."
Vitality gleamed in Hong Mu-gae's eyes. Coincidences woven right become treasures.