Chapter 180
With a sharp metallic sound, sparks flew.
As Dokgo Yeon opened her eyes, a familiar back blocked her view.
It was the man dressed in black martial robes—wielding twin swords with both hands, blocking the elder's attacks from the Sichuan Tang Clan.
This man was Gu Janghu, the very man Dokgo Yeon had once proposed marriage to.
"Are you alright?"
Gu Janghu asked without even turning to look at her.
His voice was as blunt as ever, but Dokgo Yeon's heart dropped with a heavy thud.
"... Thank you. You saved me."
Dokgo Yeon spoke with a faint smile. Color returned to her once-pale face.
"If you can buy me a moment, I'll bring the Thousand Snake Formation. I'll show those bastards hell."
"Don't worry and go. I'll take care of things here."
Gu Janghu swung his twin swords, pushing back the two elders.
Kakakang!
His sword strikes were heavy and fast.
After following Jaseong and narrowly escaping death countless times, and learning the secret manual of the Guryong Clan, his martial prowess had grown by leaps and bounds.
Now, he had reached a level where he could face two elders of the Tang Clan alone without being at a disadvantage.
"Guryong Flying Blade, Fifth Form—Guryong Imperial Flying!"
Chuchuchuchu!
From Gu Janghu's fingertips, over a dozen willow-leaf flying blades spread out in a fan-shaped arc.
It was a strike imbued with the essence of the Guryong Clan's secret martial art, the Guryong Flying Blade.
Shuaaaak!
Throwing blades, charged with sword aura, flew through the air like living birds, drawing unpredictable trajectories and targeting the vital points of the Sichuan Tang Clan elders with precision.
"You brat!"
"Kugh!"
The elders of the Tang Clan groaned and retreated.
Watching this, Dokgo Yeon felt chills run down her spine.
'This must be why I can't help but care for you...'
A subtle smile played on Dokgo Yeon's lips. The next instant, she pulled out her flute.
Bbiririri—
A chilling flute melody resonated across the battlefield.
As if in response, thousands of snakes in the depths of Poison Valley began to open their eyes.
But that was not the only thing to turn the tide of battle.
Suddenly, the sky brightened. No, it was not the sky—it was a radiance bursting forth from one person.
"Th-That's...!"
Everyone's gaze snapped to a single point. Cutting through the darkness and appearing midair was Jaseong.
Golden light burst from his body, illuminating the night of Poison Valley as though it were midday.
This was a sacred and overwhelming radiance, born from the fusion of the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula and the Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir's energy.
"It's the Evil Path Association Leader!"
"The Gate Leader is here!"
Cheers erupted from both the warriors of Poison Valley and the Shadow Division of the Hao Sect.
It was the cry of those who had met their savior at the very end of a desperate battle.
Jaseong ignored their shouts and slowly drew his sword.
Srrrng—
As the Wicked Flame Sword left its scabbard, golden ki coiled around its black blade.
Shuaaaaaak!
Jaseong swung his sword once. It was a simple stroke. Yet the result was devastating—
Kwaaaang!
An enormous fan-shaped golden sword aura swept through the ranks of orthodox fighters.
Twenty experts—from the Murong Clan's swordsmen to the Hwangbo Clan's martial artists—were blown into the air without even managing to scream.
Twenty experts defeated with a single attack.
The orthodox fighters staggered back in shock.
"I-Impossible...!"
"That level of skill—unless you're the alliance leader...!"
At that moment, Tang Tian-yue moved to the front.
Amazingly, he had already defeated the Lord of Ten Thousand Poisons, the valley lord of Poison Valley.
In his left hand, he was grotesquely grasping the Lord's severed right arm.
The fact that he held the dripping arm so emotionlessly showed he had already lost his humanity—a monster.
Thud.
Tang Tian-yue tossed the Lord of Ten Thousand Poisons' arm at Jaseong's feet.
"I was told by the alliance leader. All the wicked plots that have plagued our faction were your handiwork, weren't they?"
Tang Tian-yue's voice was as eerie as a demon from hell. The energy of the Millennium Poison Pearl encircled his entire being.
Jaseong replied coldly.
"What harmed you was nothing but your own greed."
Jaseong raised the Wicked Flame Sword. The tip of the blade pointed directly at Tang Tian-yue's heart.
From afar, Lee Rin watched intently, anxiety in her eyes.
'Tang Tian-yue, clan head of the Sichuan Tang Clan... A heaven-level expert, among the very top of the Ten Great Experts. Can the great hero possibly defeat such a man...? Even if his might has recently reached the Transformation Realm...'
Sweat beaded on Lee Rin's palm.
At that moment, Tang Tian-yue spread his arms wide.
Uuuuung!
A surge of purple poison energy erupted explosively from Tang Tian-yue's body.
Even his breath exuded poisonous mist.
Shiiiik!
The rock that his breath brushed began to sizzle and melt. It was a deadly venom capable of dissolving even steel.
"He's become poison itself... That's the realm of Poison Man!"
Even the fallen Lord of Ten Thousand Poisons could not hide his shock.
It was a fabled realm, said to be reached only by those who had mastered the secrets of poison arts.
"Myriad Poisons Dance Touching the Heavens!"
Kwaaaang!
As Tang Tian-yue spread his arms wide, an enormous poisonous mist swept out like a storm.
Within the span of a hundred zhang, everything was submerged in the sea of deadly poison.
Grass wilted, trees decayed, rock melted—a calamity driving all living things to death.
"Kugh!"
The surrounding warriors screamed and retreated to avoid the poisonous mist.
But Jaseong did not move. He simply stood tall in the midst of the poison fog.
Shuuuung!
Golden ki gushed from Jaseong's body, dispersing the poison mist.
It was as though the darkness itself could not withstand the light and was forced to withdraw.
"?!"
Tang Tian-yue's eyes twitched. Jaseong, not stopping there, swung his sword.
'Heaven Evading Flash Sword, First Stroke—Heaven Evading Flash Radiance.'
Kwaaaang!
A blinding blade of sword light cut through the poisonous mist, flying straight at Tang Tian-yue.
Its sharpness seemed capable of slicing through space itself.
'Fast...!'
Tang Tian-yue hurriedly sprang away, barely dodging. Where the sword light grazed, a deep sword scar was left behind.
However,
Ssak!
Jaseong was already at Tang Tian-yue's side.
Heaven Evading Phantom Step.
Over a hundred vivid afterimages formed around Jaseong, so intricate, it was impossible to distinguish the real from the shadow.
Chaechaechaechaechaechaechaechaeng!!!!!!!!
All the afterimages swung their swords simultaneously.
Tang Tian-yue defended desperately, but with so many afterimages, his vision grew dizzy.
"Ten Thousand Flower Rain!"
Tang Tian-yue counterattacked.
From his sleeves, thousands of poison needles rained down like a storm, a full-range attack with nowhere to escape.
A flash appeared in Jaseong's eyes. The Samadhi Eyes activated.
Saaa-
A stream of golden light flowed from Jaseong's pupils. For an instant, the world seemed frozen, slowed down to a crawl.
He could see the trajectory of every single poison needle.
No—it was as if he had already foreseen where the needles would fly before they were even thrown.
To counter thousands of hidden weapons, Jaseong unleashed the Eternal Divine Physician's Thousand Needles Sword Art.
Changchangchangchangchang!
Silver needles shot from Jaseong's sleeves, deflecting every last one of the thousands of concealed weapons.
It was as though an invisible shield protected him.
'Impossible...!'
Tang Tian-yue's face was disbelief incarnate. That the Tang Clan's secret ultimate move could be perfectly blocked—
But that was not all Jaseong could do.
"Celestial Gate Opening Art, Tenth Heaven's Gate!"
Kwaaaang!
An even stronger surge of energy exploded from Jaseong's body.
Upon opening up to the Tenth Heaven's Gate, his strength multiplied exponentially.
The atmosphere quaked, and the ground trembled.
Tang Tian-yue broke out in a cold sweat.
'I thought that, having acquired the opportunity of the Millennium Poison Pearl, the Transformation Realm was just within my grasp... But to think such a monster existed in this world...!'
The two clashed once more.
Chang! Changchangchangchang!
Every time the Wicked Flame Sword and Poison Palm collided, explosive shockwaves swept out in all directions.
Observing warriors were blown dozens of zhang away.
"This... this isn't a fight between humans...!"
Tang Tian-yue shouted.
"Poison Dragon Surges from the Sea!"
The gigantic shape of a poison dragon emerged from Tang Tian-yue's hands, attempting to devour Jaseong.
The purple poison energy formed a dragon's body and roared.
Facing it, Jaseong raised his sword.
"Heaven Evading Counterstroke!"
Shuaaaak!
Dozens of sword forces whirled out like a storm, shredding the poison dragon.
The dragon scattered, screaming.
Both drew back at the same time. Blood trickled from Tang Tian-yue's lips; he had suffered internal injuries.
'Kugh...! It's not over yet!'
Tang Tian-yue released poison mist again.
Jaseong, deploying his lightning-speed sword art Heaven Evading Flash Sword, repelled every trace of poison mist.
So, in a flash, a staggering ten thousand bouts of offense and defense were exchanged.
'Thanks to absorbing the Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir, even just opening up to the Tenth Gate, I had enough power to capture the Tang Clan's clan head. Then... Shall I show him even more?'
At a certain moment as they exchanged attacks, Jaseong moved—sasak!—leaping back.
Then, he unleashed the final secret he had not yet revealed.
"Celestial Gate Opening Art, Eleventh Gate Opening Heaven!"
Kuuuuuung!
Heaven and earth shook.
A pillar of golden light burst from Jaseong's body, shooting up into the sky.
With the Eleventh Gate Opening Heaven released, he seemed about to surpass even the Transformation Realm—a power utterly beyond human explanation, absolute and overwhelming.
'Wh-What is this...! Even alliance leader Namgung Cheon-rui never displayed such power...?!'
Tang Tian-yue's face was all disbelief and terror, overwhelmed by primal fear.
"It's over."
Jaseong raised his sword high.
"Heaven Evading Flash Sword Secret Technique—Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword!"
Kwaaaaaaaaaang!
Nine enormous blades of sword aura erupted from Jaseong, seemingly splitting heaven and earth.
It was a light of judgement, impossible to dodge or block.
Tang Tian-yue desperately conjured poison mist to protect himself, but it was useless—the mist vanished the instant it met the sword aura.
"Kuaaaagh!"
The blades pierced through the mist and ran Tang Tian-yue through.
Puk!
Tang Tian-yue collapsed to his knees, torrents of bright red blood spilling from his chest.
"How... can this be... Even after absorbing the Millennium Poison Pearl... to be defeated so easily..."
Tang Tian-yue spat blood and toppled over.
With that, the chaos of the battlefield faded into silence.
Everyone was struck dumb with shock.
Tang Tian-yue, clan head of the Sichuan Tang Clan and one of the highest-ranked among the Ten Great Experts—Jaseong had defeated such a man.
A youth who had risen from the very lowest depths beneath the Red Light District.
"That's the Evil Path Association Leader... He really defeated the Tang Clan's clan head..."
"At that level of martial arts... The title 'Greatest Under Heaven' almost seems lacking..."
The orthodox fighters recoiled in terror. In their eyes, Jaseong was no longer human.
He was the very Calamity Sent from Heaven.
In contrast, the warriors of Poison Valley and elite forces of the Hao Sect exploded with cheers.
"Waaaaaaah!!"
Amid the cheering, Lee Rin ran over to Jaseong and looked up at him. Her eyes shone with awe and, at the same time, concern.
"Great hero, are you alright?"
Jaseong smiled.
Even though his whole body ached from the backlash of the Celestial Gate Opening Art, he showed no sign of it.
"I'm fine, Rin."
The Lord of Ten Thousand Poisons came forward as well and bowed deeply.
Even having lost an arm, he showed Jaseong all due respect.
"Leader, thank you for saving Poison Valley. I will never forget this favor."
Jaseong looked at the Lord's severed right arm, then gazed at Lee Rin.
"Rin. Could you reattach the Lord of Ten Thousand Poisons' right arm?"
It was natural to ask, for Lee Rin had inherited the Eternal Divine Physician's healing arts even more thoroughly.
As the successor to the Heavenly Physician's Needle Technique, which could even revive the dead, perhaps she could do it.
Lee Rin examined the wound for a moment, then nodded.
"I'll do my best. If the blood hasn't completely died, it should be possible."
Lee Rin took out her needle case. Silver needles gleamed at her fingertips.
Watching this, Jaseong wiped the blood from his Wicked Flame Sword and sheathed it.
Thus ended the long night's battle. But it was not yet time to rest.
Jaseong still had a prepared counterattack waiting.