Chapter 79: Tang Se-rin (3)
Episode 79
Tang Se-rin (3)
Clang!
The jagged sword clashed against Se-rin's Iron Wire in midair.
The grotesque, saw-like blade looked ready to slice clean through the wire.
Grind—!
Crackle!
The grating sound of metal and orange sparks scattered chaotically.
The jagged sword was a weapon specialized in destroying opponents' weapons with its serrated edge.
The pirate wore a confident smirk—
"?!"
—only for it to twist into shock moments later.
Because instead, it was his blade that had been worn smooth.
The pirate's eyes bulged.
He desperately tried to pull his weapon back—
Swish!
—but Se-rin's counterattack was faster.
Like a viper striking its prey, her Iron Wire lashed out.
Crunch!
And shattered his spine in a single blow.
The enemy's body crumpled, lifeless.
Clatter.
As the grotesque jagged sword clattered to the deck, Se-rin felt a chill run down her spine.
'......If it weren't for Se-woon, I would've been in serious trouble.'
The enemy's weapon was nearly on par with a treasure-grade armament.
Had it not been for this new Iron Wire Se-woon had crafted for her, she would've lost her primary weapon in the first exchange—a disastrous setback.
But this wire, gifted to her before her departure, displayed overwhelming durability without a single nick.
She didn't give the enemy time to recover.
—!
Whoosh!
Slash!
This time, three pirates rushed her simultaneously.
Unable to match her skill, they sought to overwhelm her with numbers.
Tap!
Se-rin watched their charge coldly—and stepped back.
Swoosh!
Clang!
The moment their three hideous weapons closed in—
A mast suddenly rose, blocking her path.
The pirates, sensing opportunity, fanned out to cut off her escape routes—
Whoosh!
Thud!
"—!"
"!!"
But she planted her foot on the mast behind her and leapt into the air.
The pirates, initially stunned, soon grinned viciously.
She was obviously going to rain hidden weapons from above.
But that was practically suicide.
Unless she could perform the legendary Sky Treading Steps, she'd have no way to defend against their counterattack midair.
Hummm...
Hiss...
Then—a murky green energy rippled around Se-rin's body like heat haze.
Swish!
Whooosh!
The air tore with a piercing sound.
As expected, countless hidden weapons poured from her sleeves like a storm.
But blocking an anticipated attack was child's play.
Clang!
Clang-clang!
The three pirates deflected every projectile with their weapons.
Not a single scratch.
Smirking in triumph, they turned their blades toward Se-rin as she descended—
"......!!"
"Ghk—!"
"Cough!"
—only for their faces to suddenly turn purple.
Clatter!
Clang!
They dropped their weapons, clutching their throats and noses in agony.
They had no choice.
Their airways had abruptly seized—as if scorched from within.
'Exposed directly to Cut Breath Powder... must be excruciating.'
Cut Breath Powder—a lethal poison that, as its name suggested, severed an enemy's breath upon contact.
Normally a powder, Se-rin had infused it into her hidden weapons as energy, activating only when deflected.
All thanks to the Poison Cloud Art.
Se-woon, displaying his genius as a sect leader, had created this new Tang Clan technique—one that allowed the user to store poison within their body.
Its hidden function?
Mixing stored poison with external energy and dispersing it.
Without the need for manual application, enemies—caught off guard—would be poisoned instantly.
Tap.
Se-rin landed lightly.
Without hesitation, she flicked her fan-blades outward—
Schlick!
—and with a sickening sound, three heads slid diagonally from their bodies, hitting the deck.
"Ugh...!"
"......!"
A pained groan made Se-rin's heart drop.
It was Peng So-hye's voice.
Whoosh!
She shot toward the source.
In the distance, Peng So-hye was struggling.
Every punch she threw was easily dodged, while every enemy strike landed cleanly.
'That's—'
Se-rin instantly understood why.
Swish! Thud!
Firing hidden weapons at approaching enemies, she urgently sent a Sound Transmission.
[So-hye!]
[Y-yes, unnie!]
[The ship's about to tilt hard left. Shift your weight to the right axis, plant your foot half a step forward, and aim your punch half a finger's width lower than usual!]
[Got it!]
Anyone else might've questioned the sudden advice—
Tap!
—but Peng So-hye adjusted immediately.
Her unwavering trust in Se-rin demanded no less.
Whoosh!
Her fist shot forward.
The enemy sneered—her aim was completely off.
But then—
Lurch!
"!!"
The ship heaved violently left.
The pirate staggered off-balance—
And Peng So-hye's "misdirected" punch—
"?!"
Crunch!
—slammed square into his face.
The enemy flew back, skull caved in.
Dazed by the sudden reversal, Peng So-hye glanced at Se-rin—
Swish!
Clang!!
"......!!"
—only to see her dispatching enemies with terrifying ease.
Her movements flowed naturally, as if predicting every shift of the ship.
Peng So-hye blinked in awe.
'......D-did unnie train in naval combat??'
What she didn't know was that Se-rin's prowess was entirely thanks to Se-woon.
-Huff... Se-woon. But Sichuan's landlocked—why do we need to prepare for water battles?
-Isn't the Yangtze in Sichuan? The currents here rival the Three Gorges of Shaanxi.
-W-well, yes, but...
-And you never know when or where trouble will strike in the martial world.
-Still, wouldn't our time be better spent on poison techniques...?
-I just don't want you getting hurt, no matter where you are.
-......Sigh. Fine. You really leave me no room to argue.
Se-woon had trained Se-rin—and every Tang Clan warrior—for combat in all environments, including naval battles.
He'd simulated extreme scenarios with Yeo-seon, drilling them relentlessly.
The suffering they endured—standing atop giant barrels while deflecting a rain of hidden weapons—all to prepare for moments like this.
The core principle of Se-woon's naval combat training?
Weight distribution.
The biggest variable in water battles was the unstable footing.
Thus, one had to read the shifting currents and constantly adjust their center of gravity.
Fail to do so, and you'd end up like Peng So-hye moments ago.
But even seasoned fighters struggled to predict a ship's erratic movements.
-But you have an advantage here, noona.
-Huh?
Whoosh...
Se-rin's Iron Wire swayed gently in the wind.
'Wind's coming from the right.'
In an instant, she deciphered the wind's flow.
Lurch!
Anticipating the ship's tilt through the wind, Se-rin—
Swish!
—was already before the enemy blocking her path.
She gathered her fan-blades into a spear-like thrust—
Thud!
—piercing clean through the pirate's forehead.
Clang!
Clang!
The Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade—the Peng Clan's pride—roared across the deck.
True to its name, evoking five tigers pouncing at once, its relentless slashes carried overwhelming force.
Peng Dae-ho's blade was wreathed in blue energy—threads of Blade Qi.
Beyond mere swordplay, this was Blade Silk—a mastery-level technique.
Yet his expression was grim.
'Not easy.'
Hummm...
Clang!
Because his opponent's sword was similarly clad in sharp Sword Silk.
Peng Dae-ho and Nam Mu-jin were locked in fierce duels with the pirates' lieutenants—both at the Pinnacle of Martial Arts (Complete Mastery) level.
'......Are they really from the Blood Cult? To think such fighters exist—and that one among them took down Il-ryun.'
Given the ongoing battle at the bow, the other side was likely just as intense.
As his thoughts raced—
Whooosh!
"Guh—!"
"—!"
Nam Mu-jin let out a pained groan.
A fresh gash marked his back.
Not fatal, but far from minor.
While Peng Dae-ho held his ground, Nam Mu-jin was being pushed back.
Unlike Peng Dae-ho (Complete Mastery), Nam Mu-jin was only at the Entry-Level Pinnacle—outmatched.
'I should help, but...'
Peng Dae-ho cursed his own helplessness.
What good was being the Blade Dragon or wielding the Unavoidable Blade if he couldn't even save a comrade?
Then—
'......This?'
Tap-tap!
He sensed two approaching energies—one familiar (Peng So-hye's), the other...
"Young Master Peng! We're here to help!"
"Much obliged!"
Tang Se-rin had joined the fray.
Peng Dae-ho was stunned.
'She already dealt with all those enemies?'
By his estimate, since he and Nam Mu-jin were handling the lieutenants, the remaining grunts should've swarmed Se-rin and Peng So-hye.
At the Peak of Mastery, Se-rin should've only been able to stall at best—
But his doubts vanished as hope for a reversal sparked.
'Good. With two Peak Masters joining, we can gain the upper—
Whooosh!
BOOM!
A sudden surge of energy erupted.
"!!"
"......!"
Peng Dae-ho and the others couldn't hide their shock.
Se-rin had unleashed her energy mid-clash.
The power radiating from it—
—rivaled even his Primordial Thunder God Technique.
Meaning—
'......Pinnacle?'
Se-rin had shattered the Peak barrier—ascending to the Pinnacle of Martial Arts.
Not far from the mountain pass where Se-rin's carriage had passed...
Flash!
A streak of lightning flickered.
CRACK!
ZZZT!
Trees and shrubs split apart as the light carved through them.
A figure tore through the forest.
The energy radiating from him—unlike even Do Ye-cheon's Heavenly Killing Star—
—was demonic in nature, obliterating everything in his path.
'She'll be fine...... No, she won't.'
Se-woon's eyes burned with madness.
The Sichuan Tyrant was on the move.