Chapter 1310: If It's You, I Should Concede (Part 4)

Tuuuuuuung!

At the moment he heard the sound of impact bursting from the front, Lee Ziyang's body flinched.

'Is this the young monk Hye Yeon?'

His two eyes shook violently.

Strong. No, the word "strong" alone didn't fully express it.

It wasn't just Hye Yeon either.

Namgung Dowi's skills far exceeded the level he had anticipated.

In the face of the power they displayed, all he could do was tremble.

'So much...'

The difference was so great that he couldn't even feel jealousy.

Of course, they were already at a different level among the rising martial artists, receiving praise and expectations from all over the world.

So, comparing himself to them would be difficult.

However, what shocked him so much was that they had become this strong in just a few years.

'It wasn't like this at the martial arts competition.'

Back then, they were undoubtedly strong.

To the point where he couldn't even think of winning.

But the difference was definitely not this big.

If he moved diligently forward over time, he could at least harbor hope that he would be able to match their level someday.

But now, Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi completely shattered such thoughts with the unmatched martial arts they demonstrated.

While he was running diligently, they had already flown so far away that they were practically invisible in the sky.

'What the hell happened over the past few years?'

It couldn't be explained simply by saying they had different natural talents.

"Run faster!"

"Get inside!"

Hearing the continuous shouts from behind, Lee Ziyang bit his lips and ran.

He didn't have the luxury of being shocked by such things right now.

The entrance to the canyon was ridiculously narrow.

Hye Yeon was diligently clearing the way, but it would still take some time for the rushing crowd to completely enter.

Taking advantage of this gap, other disciples of the Mount Hua Sect and elders from the Southern Island Sect were blocking the attackers who were trying to sneak in.

"Move faster! Damn it, why are you pulling out a useless sword? Sheathe the sword and stick closer, you bastards!"

Lee Ziyang spat blood with an air of frustration, annoyance, disappointment in himself, and helplessness in his voice.

"Yes!"

Disciples from the Southern Island Sect squeezed into the valley as if folding their bodies.

"Enough!"

"Move! You people!"

Then, Im Sobyeong shouted loudly.

As soon as the order was given, the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect flew over the heads of Southern Island Sect disciples like flying squirrels and rushed forward.

"Elders, go to the middle! Be on guard, as attacks could come from above! "

"Got it!"

The elders led by Kim Yang Baek responded loudly and moved like a well-organized formation inside the valley.

Those who were pounding outside the valley tried to somehow obstruct their progress, but with more than half of their strength already lost to Namgung Dowi and Hye Yeon, it was impossible from the start.

'Is it all over?'

Once they successfully entered, it could be considered that half of the battle was won.

Lee Ziyang turned around and clenched his fist tightly. Hope, buried deep within him, resurfaced. However, at that moment, he widened his eyes.

'Huh?'

Due to the narrow field of view caused by the cliffs rising on both sides, he saw it clearly. The dense and dark forest they had passed through was shaking as if in turmoil.

"Um, over there..."

After the bushes shook vigorously, numerous assailants with red masks covering their faces rushed out. The bloodthirsty individuals that emerged from the dense forest immediately charged towards the canyon.

At that moment, a chill ran down Lee Ziyang's entire body.

"Oh, they're coming! From behind! It's from behind!"

He shouted desperately.

"Damn it, in the back!"

His voice was not just urgent but also desperate.

Among the Southern Island Sect's disciples, Lee Ziyang was the only one relatively knowledgeable in the art of war.

Because of that, he couldn't help but know.

How terrifying it was to be surrounded from both sides in such a narrow canyon. Moreover, the attackers rushing from behind seemed extraordinary, likely the same ones who had attacked them earlier.

"Elders, it's from behind! We need to block the rear! Damn it, elders!"

Despite Lee Ziyang's efforts to convey the situation with a cursed expression, his voice was drowned out by the chaos of the battlefield.

'Oh no!'

Lee Ziyang's eyes trembled.

Mount Hua's disciples and the elders had already moved forward.

Now, those bloodthirsty individuals would be catching up to the ordinary disciples of the Southern Island Sect. What would be the outcome?

"No, damn it!"

Lee Ziyang hastily kicked the ground and lifted his body.

If the elders couldn't move immediately, he, as a disciple, had to go.

He might not be able to stop them, but he was better than the disciples.

As he lifted his body, the figures of the bloodthirsty individuals rushing into the canyon were visible.

His heart felt like it was going to explode and his stomach felt like it was twisting.

Lee Ziyang's determination was overtaken as the Blood Cultists leaped into the canyon even faster.

"Oh, I need to stop them..."

It was at that moment.

Boom!

Booooom!

A thunderous roar echoed from the entrance of the gorge, and a dark, dense smoke swiftly engulfed the entrance. [not pink?]

'What?'

Swish.

At almost the same time, someone reached out and grabbed Lee Ziyang's foot, pulling him down.

"Ah!"

"Don't go in front of me."

"...What?"

"You'll get poisoned."

The person who pulled Lee Ziyang down inserted both hands into the narrow sleeves.

"A join attack... Predictable but effective. However, they missed one thing."

The man who was at the rear of the force was Tang Pae.

"There's a proverb in Kangho. Don't chase after the Tang Family. I guess your master didn't teach you that?"

Tang Pae took out a vial of poison and a poisoned dart from his sleeve, smirking. Soon, the dense poison mist that had been thick in the air gradually revealed the figures of those it had covered.

"Cough... cough..."

The Blood Cultists were gripping their throats tightly, convulsing intensely.

Some even dropped their weapons and shook in seizures.

This was why poison was so frightening.

In a one-on-one duel in training, one could pay sufficient attention to avoid its effects, rendering its power ineffective.

Even if someone got poisoned, their internal energy could suppress it to some extent.

But that was impossible on the battlefield.

On the battlefield where every second was critical, it was impractical to be constantly guarding against an unknown poison that could erupt at any time.

And of course, there was no time to suppress the poison.

"Kuk!"

"That fucking bastard!"

While their preceding comrades fell to poisoning, those following couldn't do anything. Even though the poison mist was still clearly visible, how could they jump into it?

"Take the antidote!"

"Yes!"

The Blood Cultists simultaneously put something into their mouths.

Seeing this, the Tang Pae sneered.

"Antidotes, huh? Not a bad response."

That is, unless the person they were facing was the Tang Family's successor.

"People don't really know the Tang Family."

Even the Mount Hua Sect might not fully understand the Tang Family.

The Tang Family believes that the direction they chose was correct.

They acknowledged the clear criticism that they focused too much on poison, to the point of neglecting their martial strength. They believed that the criticism was not entirely wrong.

That was why they, too, were devoting significant effort to training, wasn't it?

However, at the same time, they didn't think that this criticism was correct.

The Tang Family was a prestigious martial arts family that stood alongside the Namgung Family as a powerful force.

Would members of such esteemed families really be so foolish and imprudent as to stake everything on a clearly limited poison?

Poison has a perfect advantage that hidden weapons cannot overcome.

The Tang Family has maintained this perfect advantage over the years.

"He's just a weakling! I'll cut them down in one breath!"

Tang Pae chuckled.

Certainly, that statement was correct.

He was weak.

The martial strength he possessed couldn't be compared to the likes of Hye Yeon or Namgung Dowi.

Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword and Mount Hua's Righteous Sword were beyond discussion.

But that didn't mean Tang Pae was less useful than them.

He was, after all, a member of the Tang Family.

"Bring it on!"

As the poison mist subsided, the Blood Cultists rushed towards Tang Pae, stepping over the corpses of their fallen comrades.

Whether witnessing a comrade's death or guarding against poison, their momentum was fiercely relentless.

However, Tang Pae gently and calmly opened the cap of the poison bottle he held in his hand.

"Is it so hard to understand?"

The moment the cap was opened, a poison gas so terrifying flowed out, enough to make even him, someone who had dealt with poison all his life, to shrink his body involuntarily.

"People of the Tang Family don't evaluate martial strength in that way."

Bang!

Tossing the poison bottle into the air, he delivered a palm strike towards it.

Hwaaaaah!

As the bottle shattered, the venom inside mixed with Tang Pae's internal force and spread like a fan.

The Tang Family's unique internal force, not for power but for range.

What that internal energy carried was neither intense strength nor formidable power.

It was precisely refined poison.

"Uh-oh!"

The ones rushing in inadvertently let out a breath.

You could block an attack. You could clash internal forces.

But was there a way to stop poison mixed with internal energy pouring out?

"Uh!"

The internal force, like the scorching dust spewing from a volcano, overwhelmed them. 

In the end, they raised their internal force as best as they could while confronting the force of the venom.

They didn't forget to close their eyes and hold their breath.

The force contained in the venom itself wasn't strong.

If you didn't inhale the poison, you could withstand it even with your bare body.

But... unfortunately, that wasn't a good solution.

Something like hot steam swept over their bodies.

The ones who tried to open their closed eyes suddenly were taken aback.

An intense itching that was difficult to explain took over their entire bodies.

"Kuk..."

That was just the beginning.

In a brief moment, the unbearable itch turned into an itch that couldn't be endured.

It soon transformed into a pain so intense that it became violent agony.

"Kkuuaaaa..."

"Aaaaaaah!"

Horrifying screams began to burst out.

Excruciating pain, as if their whole bodies were being pressed against an iron.

No, it wasn't just that.

The poison that stuck to their skin was melting it.

"Grrrrrr..."

Those who poured black blood from their seven apertures (七孔) crumbled on the spot.

The person, whose skin had melted into a deep red, was almost decimated.

It truly happened in the blink of an eye.

"Y-You..."

Those who witnessed their comrades melting away looked at Tang Pae with pale faces.

Tang Pae was casually applying poison to twelve needles in his hand.   

A dark-colored liquid tainted the needles.

At the sight of this, a chill ran down the spines of the onlookers.

"Of course, I might be weak. However..."

Tang Pae slowly lowered the hand holding the poisoned needles.

"The poison I use isn't dependent on the user's skill. That's the terrifying aspect of the Tang Family."

The swordless hand emerged from the sleeve. Seeing the poisoned needles, the Blood Cultists unconsciously took a step back.

"I guess I belong to the Tang Family."

"..."

"Rather than having reservations about killing people, the joy of using these poisons in real combat seems greater. Come. I'll generously feed you the poison personally bestowed by our family head."

A gleam of murderous intent radiated from the eyes of the Sichuan Tang Family's successor.