Chapter 415
The next day.
Countless people had gathered at the Grand Training Stage erected at the center of the Tang Clan's Outer Courtyard.
And upon the Martial Arts Stage stood three individuals.
Jang Song and Hyeong Geuk—and Tang Gon, who would face them in battle.
"No need to drag this out."
Tang Gon extended his hand toward Jang Song and Hyeong Geuk.
"Hall Leader Jang, Hall Leader Hyeong. Come at me together."
Jang Song and Hyeong Geuk exchanged glances before letting out mocking laughs.
Of course, if it were the current Family Head, Tang Pae, he could defeat not just them but all three sect leaders of the Three Poison Sects simultaneously.
But Tang Gon was no Tang Pae.
Moreover, the martial prowess of the Three Poison Sects was now incomparable to what it had been in the past—a difference as vast as heaven and earth.
Thanks to the backing of a formidable faction, they had been supplied with miraculous elixirs to enhance their internal power, as well as taught exceptional poison techniques.
From their perspective, Tang Gon was still nothing more than a fledgling whose feathers hadn't even fully grown in.
"Your arrogance is certainly on par with the Family Head's."
Jang Song smirked as he nodded.
"Very well. If my abilities prove insufficient, I won't hesitate to call for assistance."
"As you wish."
The moment Tang Gon raised his hand, Jang Song immediately summoned his internal power.
Oooooom—
A black fog began to seep from his entire body.
Jang Song was known as a master of hidden weapon techniques. Yet instead of unleashing concealed weapons, he was channeling poison arts.
Oooooooh—
As he drew upon his poison techniques, the training stage was soon engulfed in a crimson-black mist.
'The Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art?'
Tang Gon's eyebrows shot up as he observed the mist spreading from Jang Song's body.
The poison technique Jang Song was employing was none other than the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art—a forbidden poison discipline once used by the Thousand Poisons Divine Lord, a figure who had once plunged the martial world into terror.
It was said to have been lost long ago. So how had Jang Song mastered it?
"Huuuuu—"
The spreading crimson-black mist coiled around Tang Gon's body like a living creature.
Thud. Thud.
Not only did the poisonous fog constrict his lungs, making it difficult to breathe, but parts of it transformed into thick, rope-like tendrils that wrapped around his limbs.
'To think he's refined the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art to its peak.'
Tang Gon was deeply shocked.
In the past, the Thousand Poisons Divine Lord had trained the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art to Grand Perfection, allowing him to wield the poison mist like a weapon and freely alter its properties.
But Jang Song, a master of hidden weapons, had actually reached such heights in poison arts?
"Heh heh heh. For all your confidence, you're not much to look at."
With a leisurely laugh, Jang Song was about to tighten the mist around Tang Gon's body—
Zzzzziiing!
A streak of light erupted from within the poison mist, swiftly dissolving the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art.
Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art.
One of the Tang Clan's Eight Great Secret Arts, capable of absorbing toxic energy and converting it into internal energy, unfolded from Tang Gon's hands.
Whoooosh!
As the light radiating from Tang Gon's palms intensified, the poison mist surrounding him was nearly eradicated.
"Just as I expected."
Despite Tang Gon dispelling the poison mist, Jang Song only smiled wider.
'But the Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art has its weaknesses.'
Jang Song spread both palms and swept them upward from below.
Fwoooosh!
Another wave of poison mist surged from beneath Tang Gon's feet, coiling around him once more.
Zzzzziiing!
At the same time, the power of the Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art swirling in Tang Gon's hands surged violently.
This was exactly what Jang Song had wanted.
"Ugh..."
A low groan escaped Tang Gon's lips as he unleashed the Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art.
This time, the poison mist Jang Song had released was infused with tangible internal energy.
In other words, while pretending to employ the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art, Jang Song had actually lured Tang Gon into a battle of internal power.
'Perfect!'
The spreading poison mist acted like an extension of Jang Song's arms, unleashing overwhelming internal energy.
As the sharp surge of energy bore into his meridians, Tang Gon had no choice but to retaliate with his full strength.
No matter how much Jang Song's martial prowess had advanced, Tang Gon was the Young Clan Head of the Tang Clan.
Since childhood, he had consumed countless elixirs to enhance his internal power and had mastered numerous poison techniques.
Even if Jang Song had achieved remarkable progress in a short time, Tang Gon was confident he could withstand it.
Crack.
Veins bulged on Tang Gon's forehead.
On the surface, it was a clash between the Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art and the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art.
But in truth, they had entered the most perilous form of combat—a direct contest of internal power.
Yet something strange was happening.
Despite Tang Gon pouring every ounce of his strength into the battle, Jang Song was receiving it with unsettling ease.
'Even for a supreme hall leader, how can his internal energy be this profound?'
Tang Gon's internal energy was just shy of three sixty-year cycles.
But the energy pouring from Jang Song was approaching three cycles.
Such power would be extraordinary even for the sect leader of the Three Poisons Sect, much less a hall leader.
'So this is why he lured me into an internal power duel.'
The light of the Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art flowing from Tang Gon's hands gradually dimmed.
Internal energy duels were dangerous because they were akin to channeling one's power through a narrow tube and pushing against the opponent's.
If the balance of power collapsed and one side's energy surged forward—
Not only would the opponent's internal energy rush back, but one's own expended energy would rebound as well, inflicting fatal injuries.
"You're holding up better than expected."
A sinister voice dripped from Jang Song's lips as he simultaneously unleashed the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art and his internal energy.
"You've picked the wrong opponent, it seems."
Tang Gon noticed a viscous, black radiance seeping from Jang Song's eyes.
To refine such an advanced Poison Art in such a short time...
The glow emanating from his eyes was none other than Black Poison Spirit Energy—a sign of one who had tempered their Poison Art to its utmost limits.
This was not an aura any mere Hall Leader of the Three Poison Sects could produce.
Crack.
A bone-chilling sound echoed from Tang Gon's body as one of his knees slowly buckled.
The pressure bearing down on him wasn't just from the venomous energy of the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art—it was also the sheer disparity in their Internal Energy.
—What?
The Tang Clan members watching the duel gaped in shock.
A Hall Leader of the Three Poison Sects was overpowering the Young Clan Head of the Tang Clan in terms of Internal Power?
Whoosh.
As Tang Gon's defeat grew imminent, Tang Seong—who had been anxiously observing the duel—clenched his fists in frustration.
He must not lose this duel.
Only by winning this martial contest could they blunt the Three Poison Sects' ambitions, which had long been eyeing the Tang Clan.
Tang Gon could not afford to lose.
...Did he already foresee the Young Clan Head's defeat?
Tang Seong gritted his teeth as he glanced at the empty spectator seat not far from him.
Peak Leader Seon-u Jin.
Though merely a Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance, his status as a Special Envoy had earned him a reserved seat near the martial stage.
Yet the moment Jang Song and Hyeong Geuk stepped onto the platform, he abruptly stood up.
After whispering with the elite unit members stationed nearby for a long while, he suddenly withdrew from the training grounds with them.
What a despicable man!
He had once fawned over Tang Gon as if ready to offer his very liver, even daring to provoke the Hall Leaders of the Three Poison Sects.
But the moment their martial prowess proved overwhelming—the moment Tang Gon showed signs of defeat—he fled without hesitation.
"Ghk—"
A low groan echoed from the dueling stage.
The venomous energy of the Heaven-Poison Blood Mist Art was seeping into Tang Gon's body, unable to withstand the gap in Internal Power.
Hang in there! You must not lose this fight!
Tang Seong clenched his fists, staring intently at Tang Gon.
But whether Tang Gon sensed his desperation or not, he remained motionless, unable to repel the encroaching poison.
...This will be a difficult battle.
Meanwhile, outside the Tang Clan's gates, Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
So, it really is an Artificial Internal Core.
When Jang Song and Hyeong Geuk had appeared on the training grounds, the fluctuations of their True Qi had been overwhelming—along with the Black Poison Spirit Energy pouring from their eyes, something only masters who had refined their Poison Art to the extreme could emit.
This was not an aura any Hall Leader of the Three Poison Sects should possess.
Moreover, during their meeting at the Roc Ascension Pavilion, he hadn't sensed it at all—meaning they had deliberately concealed their strength and momentum.
...This is a good opportunity.
Though their power far exceeded expectations, Bu Eun-seol wasn't particularly worried.
Tang Gon would undoubtedly defeat them. And then, he would proudly stand before him.
The only concern was the Three Realms and their intentions.
The Three Realms... the Three Realms.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze deepened.
The Three Realms' hidden influence had spread throughout the martial world, capable of annihilating or rebuilding entire sects in an instant.
Moreover, they could transform ordinary individuals into peerless masters—such power was no different from that of a Supreme Martial Lord.
Since I've cut off their communication, they must be aiming for two birds with one stone through this duel.
Bu Eun-seol had already discerned Jang Song and Hyeong Geuk's plan.
The two Hall Leaders had boldly demanded this duel because, with their connection to the Three Realms severed, they intended to crush Tang Gon first—breaking the Tang Clan's momentum—
And while everyone's attention was fixed on the duel, they would mobilize their assassination squad.
After all, they had already reached a level where they no longer feared the Tang Clan's martial arts.
They said they stationed an assassination squad near the Tang Clan...
A smile akin to that of a Death God curled at the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Before the duel even began, he intended to hunt down that assassination squad—and wipe them out entirely.
"Deputy Unit Leader Tae."
Exiting through the Tang Clan's Main Gate, Bu Eun-seol handed his Command Plaque to Tae Mu-ryong and spoke.
"Show this to the guards and wait at the entrance to the Inner Courtyard. If they ask why, tell them it's an order from me, the Martial Alliance's Special Envoy."
"Understood."
Accepting the plaque without question, Tae Mu-ryong immediately headed toward the Inner Courtyard.
Bu Eun-seol always had a backup plan.
Tae Mu-ryong, a man of sharp wisdom and insight, had long since gauged Bu Eun-seol's capabilities—and now placed unwavering Trust in him.
"Where are you headed?"
As Bu Eun-seol stepped out, a Tang Clan guard bowed and inquired.
"I'll be surveying the perimeter for a moment."
"Understood."
Knowing his status as the Martial Alliance's Special Envoy, the guards opened the gates without further question.
At least the Tang Clan has no spies—that's fortunate.
The Three Realms planted informants in every faction they sought to control.
But they had failed with the Tang Clan.
Likely because all Authority in the Tang Clan was concentrated in the Family Head—
Even the elders could do nothing without his Permission. That was the Tang Clan's unique trait.
"I can see why they couldn't plant spies and had to deploy an assassination squad instead. But..."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
For all the meticulous effort the Three Realms had put into these plans, they were pathetically sloppy.
So much so that the moment someone interfered, they were bound to be exposed.
'I don't know why they'd devise such an amateurish scheme, but—'
A glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
'I'll crush it. All at once.'
Zzzzing!
Drawing upon his Empty Mind Spirit Communion, Bu Eun-seol shot into the air in one swift motion.
His goal was to locate the hidden assassination squad near the Tang Clan compound in a single sweep.
Whoosh—!
Streaking through the air like a flash of light, Bu Eun-seol's gaze finally locked onto a specific location after rapidly scanning the surroundings.
It was Blue River Manor, situated about twenty li from the Tang Clan.
The estate appeared relatively new, with clean walls and neatly maintained grounds.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Bu Eun-seol walked up to the manor's great gate and knocked.
After a long pause, an elderly servant emerged, blinking his narrow eyes.
"What brings you here, young master?"
The old man's eyes were so thin that his pupils were barely visible.
"I've come to see the master of the manor."
"The master is currently away on business."
"I see. May I take a brief look inside?"
As the old man hesitated, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands politely.
"I'm from the Martial Alliance. There's a small matter I need to investigate."
Having given the Command Plaque to Tae Mu-ryong, Bu Eun-seol showed the emblem embroidered on his sleeve instead.
The old man stared intently at the intricate embroidery before reluctantly opening the gate.
"Come in."
Inside, numerous servants and attendants bustled about the manor grounds.
As Bu Eun-seol stood motionless, observing them, the old man asked with a troubled expression:
"But may I ask why a warrior from the Martial Alliance has come to our humble manor...?"
"What business does the master of Blue River Manor engage in?"
"What would an old servant like me know? Only that he trades extensively beyond the frontier."
"I see."
Passing through the front courtyard, Bu Eun-seol began carefully examining the manor's buildings.
Then his gaze settled on one spot, and he smiled faintly.
"For an assassination squad, you've invested quite a lot of time and money."
"Pardon?"
Bu Eun-seol stared directly at the old man, still smiling.
"To establish such a proper manor as your base."
"Whatever do you mean, suddenly—"
"If this were truly a merchant's manor, it wouldn't be built like this."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed as he surveyed the surrounding structures.
"The layout and formations of these buildings aren't designed to keep enemies out—they're meant to trap anyone inside."
Before the old man could respond, he pointed to the large dining hall across the way.
"Moreover, what merchant who's frequently away needs a dining hall spacious enough to seat two or three hundred?"
Baring his white teeth in a grin, Bu Eun-seol added:
"Don't you think this is an absurdly obvious setup?"
Silence.
At those words, not just the old man but all the bustling servants and attendants froze mid-movement.
Swish.
As one, they turned their heads to glare at Bu Eun-seol.
Dozens of people standing motionless, their eyes filled with palpable killing intent—it was both eerie and terrifying.
"How strange. I heard the Martial Alliance sent some useless fool, but..."
Crack.
The old man, who had been hunched over, suddenly straightened his spine. A sharp light radiated from his narrow eyes.
This elderly servant in disguise was none other than the leader commanding the assassins in the manor.
"So what?"
The old man's piercing gaze felt like blades raining down on Bu Eun-seol.
"What difference does it make if some third-grade commander from the Martial Alliance figured it out?"
Swoosh.
Not just the servants, but dark shadows emerged from between the buildings.
They all wore black poisoned swords, their eyes completely blackened without a trace of white—likely the result of being steeped in some special combat-enhancing drug.
"You've prepared quite the welcoming party."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head at the assassins densely surrounding him.
"But with just these numbers, you wouldn't even get a glimpse of the Tang Clan's Inner Courtyard."
"How presumptuous, acting so composed."
The old man snorted.
"We know your martial arts are exceptional—enough to match Cheon Hwa-in, one of the Great Righteous Experts."
The old man smirked sinisterly, flicking his tongue.
"People like you always make the same mistake. You think you're special... that you have the ability to escape any crisis."
"Judging by how you've turned your assassins' eyes into those of dead fish... the Blood Prison, crouching like a toad in Blue Sand Valley, has moved its entire nest here."
Every person in Blue River Manor—
They were all assassins of the Blood Prison, who had established themselves in Blue Sand Valley.
"Hmm."
The old man—no, the Shadow-Haunting Old Fiend, Jo Baek-san, Master of the Blood Prison—furrowed his brow.
'He knows our true identity yet still acts so composed? What gives him such confidence?'
He couldn't understand it.
"That young bastard clearly came here alone."
Yet he was leisurely wagging his tongue while staring down the Blood Prison assassins—the very embodiment of terror, the ones said to silence even a crying child's wails?
"Ah. So you were counting on the Martial Alliance."
Only then did Jo Baek-san seem to grasp Bu Eun-seol's thoughts, letting out a dry chuckle.
"Pity. But once you've stepped into this place, not even a Hall Leader of the Martial Alliance, let alone a Third-grade Commander, can—"
"Your tongue runs long. If you've called all your assassins, you should strike quickly."
Bu Eun-seol cut him off with a bored expression.
"Or have you been hiding in this manor so long that you're starved for conversation?"
Crack.
In an instant, thick veins bulged across Jo Baek-san's forehead.
"You've got guts."
Whoosh!
As Jo Baek-san channeled his Internal Power, his silver hair lashed upward like flames. Simultaneously, his pupils darkened, swallowing even the deepest shadows.
"Kill."
Further words were meaningless.
With the command for an all-out assault issued—
Shhhiiing!
A bizarre slicing sound reverberated as the blue sky itself began to blacken. Every assassin in the manor converged on Bu Eun-seol, unleashing the Blood Prison's signature killing formation—the Black Heaven Shadow Pursuit Formation.
Shhhk—
Finally, as the heavens fully darkened, the entire manor was submerged in pitch-black gloom. At the same time, Jo Baek-san and his assassins, who had just moments ago stood plainly visible, vanished without a trace.
The reason the Blood Prison was synonymous with terror?
They always trapped their targets within the Black Heaven Shadow Pursuit Formation, mercilessly butchering them in the suffocating darkness.
But now, the assassins inside the formation began to panic, stumbling in confusion.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been standing perfectly still, had also disappeared without a trace.
[So this is why these assassins reek of poison.]
Bu Eun-seol's voice, projected through the Six Harmonies Voice Transmission, echoed through the darkness-cloaked formation.
"You've been practicing the Evil Prison Dark Blood Art."
The mist permeating this formation wasn't just part of its function—it was laced with the poisonous energy exuded by the assassins' Evil Prison Dark Blood Art.
"Over there!"
Assassins who pinpointed Bu Eun-seol's location unleashed a barrage of poison needles.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
But hundreds of needles sliced through nothing but empty air.
'Impossible...'
Jo Baek-san, concealed within the formation, narrowed his eyes.
The moment one entered the Black Heaven Shadow Pursuit Formation, all senses were severed, and the potent poison energy paralyzed the body. Moreover, assassins trained in the Evil Prison Dark Blood Art could see clearly within the formation's confines.
Yet no matter how hard he looked, there was no sign of anyone—except his own assassins.
"Flood the formation with more poison! Unless he's a Poison Person, he will succumb!"
At Jo Baek-san's shout, the black miasma within the formation thickened.
But it was futile.
Bu Eun-seol, having reached the Harmonized Golden Source realm, brimmed with overwhelming Internal Energy. The poisonous mist of the Evil Prison Dark Blood Art couldn't even penetrate his meridians—it was expelled the moment it touched him.
Furthermore, his Movement Technique was none other than Swift Shadowless, the pinnacle of Concealment Art. Even as he weaved between assassins, they stood dumbly oblivious, unable to sense his presence.
'A Killing Sect composed of Poison People...'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he observed the assassins within the Black Heaven Shadow Pursuit Formation.
Every assassin of the Blood Prison was a Poison Person trained in Poison Art.
From the perspective of the Tang Clan, whose expertise lay in poison and hidden weapons, they'd be troublesome foes.
'But...'
After a moment of deep contemplation, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Even if these assassins had somehow infiltrated the Tang Clan's Inner Court, their chances of assassinating Tang Pae were slim. The Tang Clan feared neither poison nor hidden weapons. And if this wasn't a direct confrontation but an assassination attempt?
The Blood Prison assassins were even less suited to face the Tang Clan's masters. Had they tried, nine out of ten would've been slaughtered.
'A Borrowed Knife Murder scheme, then.'
Given the circumstances, the Three Realms' plan wasn't to topple the Tang Clan or kill Tang Pae—
No, it was more accurate to say their goal was to utterly crush the Three Poison Sects.
Yet a question remained.
If so, why bother strengthening the Three Poison Sects' forces and martial arts in the first place? What was the point of this elaborate plan?
'Ah, right. I'm Seon-u Jin now.'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head again.
This wasn't the time for such musings.
Shhk— Shhk—
Suddenly, within the Black Heaven Shadow Pursuit Formation, a razor-sharp Sound of Breaking Air began to tear at eardrums.
—Guhk.
The assassins froze mid-movement, eyes widening.
Not only did they feel an ear-splitting agony—an invisible, spine-chilling terror gripped them, as though the scythe of a Death God had already touched their throats.
[You're the kind who'd slit a child's throat for coin.]
A voice, low and dark as the abyss, seeped into their eardrums.
[Worthless vermin like you... don't deserve to live.]
Swish! Swish!
The razor-sharp Sound of Breaking Air grew louder.
Flash.
Simultaneously, a pair of crimson eyes ignited in the darkness.
Within the Black Heaven Shadow Pursuit Formation, the Martial Alliance's Third-grade Commander no longer existed.
What stood before the assassins now was—
A peerless grandmaster radiating the Majesty of the Demonic Dao, channeling the Thunderous Force of Ten Thousand Needles...
To exterminate the vermin of the Killing Sect.