The Flickering Shadow of the Black Blood Poison
The Military Alliance's Military Advisor, Zhuge Mun-hu, was speaking with Elder Gu Daming of the Blood Demon Cult.
Officially, Zhuge Mun-hu held the position of Military Advisor to the Martial Alliance, yet in reality the Alliance's operations were decided after discussions between Zhuge Mun-hu and Gu Daming.
“They say the Tang Family has entered the Alliance.”
“Then, I suppose most of the sects that could possibly arrive have already arrived.”
“In the righteous camp, only the Nanhai Sect needs to show up, and in the demonic camp, the conclusion will come the moment the Black Moon Pavilion appears.”
“Even if the Black Moon Pavilion comes, they will not send a messenger. No, they might already be inside the Alliance right now.”
The Black Moon Pavilion was an assassination group, and simply joining the Martial Alliance was already shocking.
It was an organization that held grudges against both of the major righteous factions in the Wulin.
As they spoke, Gu Daming's gaze suddenly shifted sharply to one side.
“What is this?”
A gentle yet majestic voice rang out alongside Gu Daming's astonished expression.
“A life-and-death duel will take place at the trial grounds between the Young Family Head of the Great Sichuan Tang Family, Tang Myung, and the former Commander of the Black Demon Region, Jang Young.”
Startled by the sudden announcement, Zhuge Mun-hu shot up from his seat.
“What is going on? Who is outside?”
The door opened at Zhuge Mun-hu's call, and a martial artist entered.
“What is this news?”
“I will investigate.”
The martial artist hurried out. Soon after, Zhuge Mun-hu turned toward the direction of the voice, quickly opened the window, and leaped outside.
“Even if the boy from the Tang Family has been training in the Heavenly Grant Forest, it has not been long since he reached the Peak Realm. He is still lacking against the Black Blood Cult.”
With those thoughts, Zhuge Mun-hu strode rapidly toward the main hall. Gu Daming, who had now caught up, spoke.
“Who called out the Lion Roar?”
“I wonder. Why do you ask?”
Upon seeing that, Gu Daming opened his mouth.
“He is a master. It is also… extremely… formidable.”
“Compared to Gu Dabeop?”
“……”
Since Gu Daming offered no reply, Zhuge Mun-hu looked at the direction of the Lion Roar with curious eyes.
“The phrase ‘Great Sichuan Tang Family’ suggests it must be one of the Tang Family's masters… Tang Jang?”
The only person who could possibly be stronger than Gu Daming was Tang Jang.
But the Tang Jang that Zhuge Mun-hu knew was not that strong.
With a puzzled expression, Zhuge Mun-hu unfolded his light-stepping technique. That was when he spotted the Tang Family members approaching the trial grounds.
***
The trial grounds was nothing more than a rope-enclosed open area, a pitiful display despite the grand name.
Tang Myung, without even glancing at Jang Young, entered the arena by stepping over the rope.
Jang Young followed him inside with a solemn face.
Inside the trial grounds, Tang Myung surveyed his surroundings and spoke.
“I, Tang Myung, Young Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Family, pay my respects to all the heroes present.”
As Tang Myung bowed deeply toward the gathered people with cupped hands, some of them reciprocated the gesture with bowed heads.
And then Tang Myung looked at Jang Young.
In his previous life, Jang Young had killed him. Tang Myung opened his mouth while looking at him.
“Come at me.”
At Tang Myung's words, Jang Young's face hardened.
“How dare you!”
With a stern expression, Jang Young shouted and drew his sword.
Clang!
Jang Young drew his sword and released a burst of Sword Gang.
Hua-aak!
As the Sword Gang spurted from Jang Young's sword, Tang Myung lightly loosened his wrist.
Udu-dduk! Udu-dduk!
After lightly loosening his wrist, Tang Myung released the hidden thread.
Sreureuk!
Tang Myung adjusted the thread and let it flow into his sleeve, then looked at Jang Young.
“Tang Myung, Young Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Family.”
“Jang Young. I am the one who will kill you.”
At Jang Young's murderous words, Tang Myung looked at him.
“I know that the Black Demon Death King is dead.”
“You bastard!”
At Tang Myung's words, Jang Young roared and charged forward.
Papapapat!
Jang Young's body moved like lightning as he approached Tang Myung.
He was not moving in a straight line but shifting left and right to dodge the throwing weapons.
As Jang Young, spitting killing intent and approaching while weaving unpredictably, elicited gasps from the surrounding people.
Jang Young's footwork was that swift and agile.
Papapat!
Watching Jang Young's footwork that fast enough to create afterimages, Tang Myung simply stood still.
It was a technique he had already experienced in his previous life.
“At this distance….”
With that thought, Jang Young's figure suddenly vanished.
Paat!
And from behind Tang Myung, Jang Young appeared.
“Die!”
As he shouted for death and swung his sword downward, Jang Young's face showed panic.
Chwa-reureuk!
From behind Tang Myung, a storm of throwing blades suddenly surged.
Chwa-reureuk!
The throwing blades rained toward Jang Young.
Moreover, every single one of them carried Sword Gang.
Chaechae-chang! Chae-chang!
To avoid being cut down, Jang Young hurriedly moved his sword to fend off the throwing blades, then retreated backward due to the recoil.
Hu-rileek!
As Jang Young retreated backward while spinning in the air, he noticed the throwing blades coming toward him.
Jang Young's face hardened at the sight of the blades he had just deflected now changing direction and shooting back from the air.
“How? Moreover, the Sword Gang is still maintained.”
Sword Gang began dispersing the moment it left the hand.
No matter how many throwing weapons were shot with Sword Gang, they would disperse once they hit the opponent or grew too far.
But the Sword Gang was still being maintained.
“How is the Sword Gang still active?”
At that moment, a faint light of Sword Gang appeared in Jang Young's eyes.
“Silver Dragon! You are controlling the throwing blades with Silver Dragon!”
At Jang Young's shout, Tang Myung looked at him and raised his internal energy.
Hua-aak!
As a result, the faint light of Sword Gang became clear on the thread.
All the throwing blades were connected to the thread and formed Sword Gang.
In the air, thin Sword Gang flickered, and the connected throwing blades spurted out Sword Gang, causing the surrounding people's faces to show admiration.
“They look like dragons, don't they?”
“They are too thin to be called dragons.”
“Anyway, the internal energy control is outstanding. Connecting throwing weapons with the threads of Sword Gang.”
At the admiring words, Jang Young's face twisted. He must have thought he was highlighting Tang Myung's young age.
“Ha-ah!”
With a shout, Jang Young swung his sword like a windmill and charged forward.
“The same technique as the Vice Commander.”
Tang Myung released internal energy to counter the thread-winding technique.
Hua-aak!
As Tang Myung released internal energy, the thread began to stretch rapidly.
Chwa-aak! Chwa-aak!
The stretched thread began to surge toward Tang Myung and Jang Young.
As the thread rushed toward him, Jang Young's sword showed a subtle movement.
The windmill-like sword that had been spinning rapidly suddenly shifted in one direction like a lightning flash.
It was headed toward the throwing blade.
Chaechae-chang!
The sword that had been fending off the throwing blades slashed through the air.
Sa-ak!
The sword that had cut through the air began spinning madly.
Chwa-reu-reu-reuk!
At that, the throwing blades attacking Jang Young from all directions began to be sucked toward the spinning point.
The thread was being sucked in.
Pazijik! Pazijik!
A loud thunderclap flashed where the thread and Jang Young's sword met.
As Jang Young wrapped the thread around his sword and then pulled it back with force, he slammed it into the ground.
Kwaang!
Jang Young, who had slammed the sword handle into the ground, charged straight toward Tang Myung.
“Black Blood Heart!”
With that shout, a black-red aura began surging from Jang Young's palm.
Jang Young's nickname was Black Blood Cult. It meant that his sword technique was secondary to his palm technique.
Sword technique was merely a means to effectively strike the opponent's body with the palm.
Ureureung!
With the sound of thunder, internal force gushed out. Tang Myung crossed his hands in front of his chest and pushed them forward rapidly.
Hua-aak!
From his dantian, internal energy spurted out, combining with the three types of Yang energy, and flew toward his hands.
“Samyang Divine Palm!”
A mixed green and red Samyang Divine Palm from Tang Myung's hands collided with the Black Blood Heart.
Kwaang! Ureureung!
“Kua-ak!”
With a boom, Jang Young vomited blood and was sent flying back.
Kwaang! Uddangtangtang!
Jang Young bounced off the trial grounds floor and tumbled backward, then vomited blood uncontrollably.
“U-eok!”
Jang Young's arms and chest were charred black.
“U-eok!”
Jang Young, vomiting blood again, glared at Tang Myung.
“Kukuk! Do you think you won?”
At Jang Young's words, Tang Myung looked at his own hands. Tang Myung's hands were dyed black-red.
“Black Blood Poison?”
Thinking that he would die even if the Tang Family Head died with him, Jang Young burst into laughter.
“Kukuk! Correct. You are poisoned by Black Blood Poison….”
As Jang Young was speaking, his face twisted. The red aura from Tang Myung's hands surged, and the black-red color began to fade.
“How absurd. Did you think you could poison the Tang Family Head and kill him?”
Contrary to his words, a slight excitement appeared on Tang Myung's face.
“The Black Blood Poison is truly formidable.”
In his previous life as well, the Black Blood Poison had been formidable. But he had defeated it by using an antidote.
But now… he had melted the poison with the Samyang Divine Art and absorbed it into the Pill of Origin.
That was why the aura of the Pill of Origin had grown stronger.
“There is no need for a separate spiritual herb.”
Muttering to himself, Tang Myung looked at Jang Young.
Jang Young was looking at Tang Myung with an expression full of resentment.
“Unfair. I couldn't avenge my son and die like this….”
At Jang Young's words, Tang Myung looked at him and raised his hand.
“Those who died by you and the Black Demon Death King would not think that way.”
Then Tang Myung's hand moved lightly.
Chwa-aak!
The sword that had been stuck in the ground was pulled out by the thread and slammed into Jang Young's head.
Peo-ok!
How powerfully he had thrown the sword, it was embedded in the ground together with Jang Young's head.
“Lord!”
“Lord!”
The black-clothed men who had come with Jang Young screamed in shock and jumped into the trial grounds.
And while searching for Jang Young's body, Tang Myung strongly pulled his wrist.
The sword wrapped in the thread broke.
Kwa-jik!
The thread that broke Jang Young's sword was quickly pulled back into Tang Myung's wrist.
After retrieving the thread, Tang Myung looked at the Great Righteous Person.
“What should we do in this situation?”
“Huh?”
“There are still combatants left, and the opponent has come up.”
At Tang Myung's words, the Great Righteous Person and the people around him looked at him in surprise.
“What… do you mean to face them now?”
“There are people from the main family with grudges in front of us….”
Tang Myung looked at the twenty black-clothed men.
“There is no reason to run away.”
Then Tang Myung opened his mouth.
“Come. I will give you a chance to avenge your enemy.”
The black-clothed men glared at him and surrounded Tang Myung.
“Wait!”
The Great Righteous Person hurriedly stepped forward.
“Life-and-death duels are one-on-one rules.”
“Isn't it okay if the two parties agree?”
“That is….”
“Then let's do that.”
At the voice coming from behind, the Great Righteous Person turned his head.
Behind him stood Zhuge Mun-hu and Gu Daming.
“We greet the Military Advisor. We greet the Blood Cult.”
After the Great Righteous Person paid his respects, the two men also reciprocated.
“Life-and-death duels are the basics of duels… but now both sides have agreed, and the one who wants it is Tang Myung, the Young Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Family… Hmph! Great Expert.”
Zhuge Mun-hu, who found it slightly awkward to call Tang Myung a Great Expert, cleared his throat once and continued.
“However, the Young Family Head must bear all responsibility for this matter.”
At Zhuge Mun-hu's words, Tang Myung bowed with cupped hands.
“Even if I die, the Tang Family will not hold the Martial Alliance responsible.”
With that, he sent a telepathic message. Zhuge Mun-hu glanced at him and sent a telepathic message in return.
[Will it be possible? The opponent is three Peak experts and seventeen First-class experts.]
At Zhuge Mun-hu's telepathic message, Tang Myung looked at the black-clothed men surrounding him.
“Numerical superiority against Tang Family masters is nothing but a number.”
Tang Myung lightly shook his body.
Hudu-duk! Hudu-duk!
As Tang Myung's steps began, a sound of something unraveling came from his body.
“You want the target. Come!”
At Tang Myung's shout, the black-clothed men drew their swords and spears. Then they charged toward him with shouts.
“Kill them!”
“Revenge for Lord Vice Commander's grudge!”
The sight of twenty martial artists charging together was extremely oppressive.
But to Tang Myung, it was rather laughable. Even if twenty people charged, there were at most nine directions they could attack. Four directions and up….
And while it might be difficult for a normal expert to face nine directions at once, it was no problem for a Tang Family master.
Tang Myung's hand quickly brushed past his sleeve. On Tang Myung's hand that had passed through the sleeve, the throwing weapons appeared.
“Die. All of you.”
With a small murmur, the throwing weapons began shooting from Tang Myung's hands.