Chapter 63
The meeting with the Dangga Lord ended far more abruptly than Tian Ailang had anticipated. There wasn't even a perfunctory exchange of personal details; he simply read the letter and dismissed them like unwelcome guests.
Dang Jeong-ah apologized on his behalf. "He despises unnecessary conversation..."
Tian Ailang shook his head. "No matter. Still... poison resistance training."
It was one of the hypotheses he'd considered on the way to the Dangga. The most likely outcome was receiving no help at all. The next best was the clan's elites assisting in the Palgaksa hunt while claiming ownership of the byproducts excluding the Hwarongdan. He hadn't seen the Palgaksa himself, but as a massive serpent, its corpse would surely hold immense value.
Yet offering only poison training without mention of other aid suggested the Dangga Lord viewed the Palgaksa hunt with skepticism. He'd issued the order without even soliciting their opinions. It felt less like decisive leadership and more like a perfunctory nod to the Shaolin Abbot's letter for the sake of face.
As Tian Ailang pondered gravely, Dang Jeong-ah ventured cautiously, "Lord Tian, do you truly intend to undergo poison training?"
He met her worried gaze. "I will. If it's the swiftest, surest way to obtain the Hwarongdan."
"Even in our Dangga, poison training is no easy feat. The Palgaksa's eight poisons, in particular, can threaten your life in severe cases. Let me find another way."
Tian Ailang fixed her with a firm stare. "Train me. I have no intention of dying before saving my little sister, so spare your concern for my life."
His unyielding resolve startled Dang Jeong-ah. "...Your sworn sibling must be fortunate indeed. To have someone willing to stake their life for them."
Her eyes brimmed with envy and profound loneliness.
* * *
In a cavern deep in the Dangga's rear mountain—strictly off-limits to all but a select few—Tian Ailang and Dang Jeong-ah began training immediately.
"Truth be told, we can't perfectly replicate the Palgaksa's eight poisons. They mingle with spiritual energy when expelled. But we've recreated them as closely as possible from the records."
As she spoke, Dang Jeong-ah carefully placed sealed vials on the prepared table.
"The Palgaksa's horns produce poisons that disrupt touch, hearing, smell, sight, spatial awareness, and directional sense; an illusion-inducing bewitching poison; and finally, a spring poison that unleashes uncontrollable lust. All inflict excruciating pain. The poison mist pervading its territory is a mild energy-scattering poison—not lethal on its own, but prolonged exposure scatters your internal energy, saps your stamina, and leaves you ill-equipped to face the Palgaksa."
Tian Ailang thought, As expected, no easy poisons here. The Palgaksa alone was a formidable foe; its toxins offered no respite.
"Of course, we have antidotes for each, but as I mentioned, they can't fully neutralize the spiritual energy-infused originals, and their effects are short-lived."
"Understood. Tell me what I must do."
"We'll train against the eight Palgaksa poisons, the mist poison, and one Dangga toxin for pain tolerance. Start with pain training—it'll help you endure the others. Sit comfortably in the lotus position."
Tian Ailang nodded and complied. Dang Jeong-ah selected a vial etched with "Gut-Severing."
"This is called Five Steps Gut-Severing Poison. One of our clan's deadliest, it wrenches the guts as if they're being torn apart before you can take five steps. Among pain-inflicting toxins, it's top-tier. Survive this, and most agonies will seem trivial. I've tailored it to your request for minimal time—but you must endure without using internal energy."
With that, she gently uncorked the vial, extracting a tiny amount with her qi.
"Brace for the pain."
She flicked it toward him lightly. As Tian Ailang opened his mouth to respond, an acrid stench hit, followed by torment utterly at odds with her gentle tone.
"Gah!"
His agonized groan erupted. Dang Jeong-ah shouted, "Maintain your focus! Overcome the pain!"
It felt like hands rummaging viciously inside his abdomen, squeezing organs now and then, triggering dizziness and nausea.
"Urghhh."
As foam bubbled from his lips and unconsciousness loomed, Dang Jeong-ah blew an antidote mist into him with her qi.
"Hah... hack!"
Tian Ailang gasped raggedly.
"You lasted a full quarter-hour. Our warriors rarely endure even half that on their first try. Impressive."
Damn it, he cursed inwardly. It had felt like at least two hours. And warning him no internal energy right before? The lack of preparation amplified the suffering.
Once his breathing steadied, Dang Jeong-ah said softly, "Shall we try again?"
Before he could reply, the gut-severing agony engulfed him once more.
"Grrrrr!"
* * *
Two weeks vanished in a haze of torment. Tian Ailang blacked out over ten times from the gut-severing poison alone in the first four days. Yet persistent training paid off; now he endured it fully conscious.
Dang Jeong-ah marveled at his absurd progress rate. The subsequent poisons felt manageable by comparison—at least, not as soul-shattering.
The loss of touch, hearing, smell, sight, spatial sense, and direction forced him to rethink sensory balance he'd never pondered before. His Qi Circulation Stage 4 experience—maintaining self amid vast nature's qi—proved invaluable for composure in sensory voids. He even refined his martial forms by sensing movement discrepancies.
Dang Jeong-ah viewed this poison-resistance trainee—who honed his martial arts amid the ordeal—like a monster.
The bewitching poison's illusions failed entirely against him. His qi arts, immune to such deceptions, had transcended internal energy reliance, imprinting at the level of divine sight. A brief endurance sufficed.
The energy-scattering poison required sensing its intrusion, experiencing the dispersal, then expelling it instantly from the body.
"The last one now?"
Tian Ailang eyed the vial labeled "Spring."
The final poison they'd postponed: one amplifying lust beyond restraint. In the Palgaksa's forest, it spurred rampant reproduction—beneficial to nature, poison turning to medicine.
"Yes. Given your phenomenal progress, I'm sure you'll conquer this easily too."
Dang Jeong-ah opened it without hesitation. Tian Ailang inhaled slowly as directed, enduring the milder initial pain. A bizarre flow followed, splitting toward his perineum and crown.
"Hup!"
As it hit those points, his heart raced, vision blurring into a hazy dream-state.
"Hah... hah."
His breaths grew fevered as he fought for sanity.
Suddenly, his hands clamped roughly on Dang Jeong-ah's shoulders.
She watched with an inscrutable expression.
Suppressing his turmoil, he rasped, "I... need to go. Right now!"
Despite his pained plea, she stood motionless.
"Nngh!"
Unbearable lust surged; he yearned to embrace her, strip away that green fluttering robe, drown in her scent, and slake his desire.
"Grrrh!"
Blood trickled from his bitten lip. Veins burst in his straining eyes. His throbbing manhood and tireless heart battered reason's chains. As primal instinct consumed him, Dam Soyeon's image flashed unbidden.
"Fuuu..."
He shut his eyes, drawing a deep breath. Why her? Then Song Sogeol followed—always smiling brightly, full of pranks. The poor girl, pale as a corpse in her bed.
"Fuuuuh..."
His breaths deepened, lengthening repeatedly.
"Fuu."
Composed, he opened his eyes. Dang Jeong-ah still stood before him.
"Congratulations on your achievement."
She bowed. Tian Ailang blinked in confusion. He'd wanted to chide her for not fleeing—for nearly suffering disaster because of him—but her words came first.
"...Achievement? What do you mean?"
Smiling faintly, she replied, "Imitations, perhaps, but you overcame a spiritual beast's eight poisons. Your internal energy and senses must have advanced. Circulate your qi."
Tian Ailang did so for the first time in ages.
Whoosh——
Clear qi surged, refreshing the stuffy cavern air. He marveled at his heightened senses.
The Dominion of Perception feels lighter.
Expanding his absolute sensory field felt smoother, more natural. Against Paeng Pung-gyeol, the bodily strain had limited him to training since. Now, the poisons seemed to have spurred genuine growth.
"Incredible."
He grinned broadly.
"You can smile like that too."
As she smiled back, Tian Ailang's expression hardened.
He voiced his pent-up question. "Why didn't you leave? You nearly met with grave misfortune because of me."
Her smile turned wistful at his reproach. "Would you have, truly?"
"...?!"
Her unexpected reply flustered him.
"Forget I said that."
She shook her head, tidying the vials. Awkward silence settled.
Gazing at her back, Tian Ailang hesitated, then spoke gently. "What's troubling you? Tell me. You've bestowed great favor on me; if I can help, I will with all my heart."
Her hands paused. Turning, tears streamed down her face.
"If—just if—you succeed in hunting the Palgaksa, I'll tell you then. Even if you can't help after hearing it, I won't mind."
Before her inexplicable sorrow, Tian Ailang found no ready response.