novelraw Chapter 194 : Trampling Upon the Shadow of One’s Master (2)
Chapter 194 : Trampling Upon the Shadow of One’s Master (2)
Chapter 194: Trampling Upon the Shadow of One’s Master (2)
The enemy’s attack was subtle yet razor-sharp.
Sewoon immediately activated Ink Blood to reinforce his physical body, but—
Kuuwoong!
A heavy impact that could never be ignored flowed straight into Sewoon’s interior.
For a moment, Sewoon’s vision was clouded by rage, but he quickly pulled himself together.
‘Manifestation Realm—no, fully matured…!’
Like an electric shock, the poisonous energy that burrowed into his body belonged to a complete Manifestation Realm.
Not the initial stage, but full maturity.
Poison Demon had achieved a level of advancement that could not even be compared to the last time they met.
Just like Sewoon, he was several times faster than his strength at the same point in time before the regression.
Paat!
When Sewoon stretched out his right hand, the connected Heavenly Thread flew forth and coiled around an ancient tree.
Then it reeled back, and Sewoon’s figure moved rapidly.
“Heh heh, after just a single move, you’re already trying to tuck your tail and run?”
“I’ll give a sharp lesson to a pathetic disciple!”
Kuuung!
At that, Poison Demon kicked off the ground and chased after Sewoon.
The ground he stomped caved in as overwhelming energy surged forth.
Like a predator charging after its prey, Yelü Seung rushed forward, yet the gaze with which Sewoon stared straight at Poison Demon was completely different from before.
‘Good.’
The experience Sewoon had accumulated since the regression was not so shallow as to allow the same mistake twice.
Just as Poison Demon was about to reach him, an unusual glint—something no one could easily notice—briefly surfaced in Sewoon’s eyes before vanishing.
“Kuahaha! I’ve got you, you brat!”
“I’ll start by tearing off one arm—!!”
Yelü Seung roughly stretched out his hand, intending to rip Sewoon’s arm clean off from the shoulder—
Flinch!
Suddenly, a chilling and terrifying sensation that made his spine run cold seized Yelü Seung’s body.
He was only an inch away—close enough to subdue Sewoon outright.
Saaaah!
Hwiik!
Yelü Seung abandoned his original intent, slammed the brakes on his step, and halted his movement.
Even forcing his body to move under strain, he twisted away.
And at that moment—
Slash!
‘……!!’
A gruesome slicing sound rang out beside Yelü Seung’s ear.
At the same time, the upper portion of the flesh on his left ear was cleanly severed.
Tuk!
Simultaneously, Poison Demon’s eyepatch split apart and fell to the ground.
Had he not followed his instincts, what would have fallen to the ground would not have been the eyepatch, but his head.
Yelü Seung immediately leapt backward, widening the distance between himself and Sewoon.
Watching that, Sewoon restrained his regret while shooting a gaze as cold as the ice crystals of the North Sea.
‘Tch. As expected, the Invisible Dagger still doesn’t work on him.’
Even in the past, when one of Yelü Seung’s arms had been severed, the bastard had sensed the presence of the Invisible Dagger.
At the very last moment, Poison Demon alone had detected the Invisible Dagger—something even Blood Demon had failed to perceive.
And it seemed that was still the case, even now that he had reached full maturity in the Manifestation Realm.
Sewoon slowly retrieved the Invisible Dagger.
Though he had lost his sight and should not have been able to see it, Yelü Seung clearly captured the scene with his clouded, white eyes.
“Heh heh, I had forgotten about that trashy little thing for a moment.”
“If you had something that good, you should have brought it to your master and offered it right away. Why didn’t you?”
“Then I’ll give you a gift instead. Go on—open your mouth wide.”
“Kihih, you damnable disciple!”
Pababat!
Having fully readjusted his stance, Yelü Seung charged at Sewoon once more.
Kuuung!
This time, Sewoon did not yield and charged head-on as well.
Stepping through his footwork, Sewoon crossed both hands as if drawing the character ‘乂’.
In that instant, fearsome poisonous energy was already surging through the black threads of the Heavenly Thread.
Saaaah!
Viscous, mucus-like Form-Shaped Qi filled the Heavenly Thread to the brim.
At the same time, a vivid Ink Imprint was etched into Sewoon’s body.
The Form-Shaped Qi in which the power of Ink Blood, Form-Shaped Qi, and Innate True Qi had merged into one.
Angcheon Gang revealed its destructive form.
The poisonous energy of Angcheon Gang, which instantly engulfed the surrounding air and space, was so overwhelming that it made the poisonous energy Yelü Seung was emitting seem no more than the scent of flowers.
Yet even as Angcheon Gang crashed down upon him like a tidal wave, Yelü Seung instead looked delighted.
A madness-tainted smile formed on Poison Demon’s lips.
“I praise you! You diligently studied on your own and fulfilled your master’s teachings!”
“But—!”
Paat!
With his final word, Yelü Seung instead plunged straight into the Heavenly Thread.
It looked no different from an act of suicide.
“You’re still far from enough!”
Saaaah!
Kwagagaga!
Without the slightest hesitation, Yelü Seung spread his hand toward the threads pouring down upon him once more.
But this time, he was not trying to seize them.
Uuung!
He, too, unleashed his own Form-Shaped Qi.
From within his widely opened palm, a vicious Poison Gang that did not yield to Angcheon Gang bloomed forth.
The moment Sewoon saw it, he recognized the foundation from which that Poison Gang had been created.
‘Angshin Tears…!’
Just as Sewoon had devoured Angshin Tears and created Divine Poison Qi, Poison Demon had likewise returned to the Blood Cult and made the power of Angshin Tears his own.
“Kuahaha, this is my Poison Gang—Divine Medium Gang!”
“Melt away and vanish, all of you!”
With Yelü Seung’s roar, two Poison Gangs—sharing the same root yet blooming into different flowers—collided head-on.
Kwagagaga!
Kwaaaang!
A bizarre sight unfolded in midair, as if dozens—no, hundreds—of layers of heat haze overlapped.
The collision of the two transcendent poisonous energies, which melted everything they touched, was powerful enough to warp vision itself.
The shockwaves from the clashing Poison Gangs began to sweep outward like ripples spreading across the surface of a lakeshore.
Chijijijik!
Ju-ruruk!
A pungent stench that felt like it was burning the nose blanketed the surroundings.
A horrifying poisonous smoke (毒煙) that made it impossible to even breathe was covering everything in all directions.
At the same time, as if the lava that erupted melted everything it touched, everything nearby began to dissolve without leaving a trace.
At the very moment hell was being reenacted in reality.
Chiiiik!
The precariously maintained balance was clearly being pushed to one side.
‘……Strong!’
The Poison Demon’s Shinmaegang was gaining even the slightest edge over Angcheongang.
The difference was so small it was difficult to distinguish, but in a battle between martial artists who had reached the Manifestation Realm, that difference was not something to be ignored.
Sewoon quickly assessed the situation and searched for another option.
Pabat!
Sewoon retreated backward and retrieved Cheonra.
The black threads that had been covering Angcheongang had, in the meantime, been replaced by a new kind of energy.
Uwoong!
Chwaaaah!
Jeokmyeolsa, imbued with demon-subduing power, was emitting light like the sun.
At the instant Yelü Seung’s poisonous qi poured out like an overflowing torrent, Sewoon once again unleashed Cheonra.
Geugeuk!
Countless layers of Jeokmyeolsa overlapped, instantly unfolding into a wall that completely enveloped Sewoon’s divine form.
The densely layered Jeokmyeolsa took the shape of a perfectly rounded sphere that fully embraced Sewoon’s body.
Reverse Flawless Heavenly Garment
Second Move (二招) Modification (改)
Circular Wing (圓翼) Nirvana (涅)
It was a technique reborn into something far more powerful by unfolding Circular Wing, the defensive move of Reverse Flawless Heavenly Garment, through Jeokmyeolsa.
The lingering energy left behind by the New Monk was properly blocking Yelü Seung’s poisonous qi.
Seeing that, Yelü Seung’s brow furrowed.
“Tsk, I can feel the power of that old Shaolin monster.”
“So that damn disciple was wagging his tail quite shamelessly while having his real master.”
From the eyes that had been gleaming only with madness, a clear light of displeasure surfaced.
It felt as though taking another being as one’s master genuinely offended him.
Sewoon glanced at him and could only feel dumbfounded.
‘Does that crazy bastard really think of me as his disciple?’
It truly looked that way.
Swoosh.
At that moment, Yelü Seung withdrew the arm he had extended.
The Shinmaegang that had been overflowing like the sea vanished as if it were a lie.
However, it was not because he had given up after realizing he could not break through Circular Wing Nirvana.
A vicious killing intent glittered in Yelü Seung’s two white eyes.
“What can you do by struggling with another man’s power.”
“I have no choice but to let you know that this master’s power is the greatest.”
“……!”
Startled by the ominous shift in his attitude, Sewoon flinched at that very moment.
Ts-ts!
Ts-ts-ts!
Suddenly, a spine-chilling, bizarre sound began to echo from somewhere.
Sewoon quickly identified the source of that sound, which reminded him of a ghostly wail.
Astonishingly, ghostly sounds were pouring out from within the Poison Demon’s fluttering sleeve, which should have contained nothing after being severed.
And then.
Kwa-ra-ra-ra!
From within the Poison Demon’s sleeve, an enormous jet-black shadow was suddenly vomited forth.
The writhing, mysterious shadow took shape and flew toward Sewoon at tremendous speed.
As energy gathered in his eyes, the shadow’s true form became clearly visible.
‘……Poison insects?’
Could this be how the ancient swarms of locusts, said to have destroyed entire nations and been called calamities, once looked?
Countless poison insects were flying out from Yelü Seung’s empty sleeve, appearing as a single shadow.
“Keuk keuk, why do you think you’re the only one who can handle poison insects?”
“Even Tang Eui-tae didn’t dare bring out poison before me.”
“Don’t you dare drag my grandfather’s name through that filthy mouth!”
“Kheuheu, isn’t this master higher than your grandfather who died long ago?”
However, the poison insects surging fiercely toward Sewoon were no ordinary insects.
Sswaeak!
Kwaaaang!
The swarm of poison insects, faithfully carrying out Yelü Seung’s command, flew into Reverse Flawless Heavenly Garment and, the instant they made contact with the barrier, caused a massive explosion.
Jjeojeok!
And with the power of the form-shaped qi generated by the poison insects’ self-destruction, cracks continued to spread across Circular Wing’s barrier.
“Keuk keuk, how is it, isn’t it beautiful?”
“And I suppose I should thank you, even if it’s late. Your influence certainly played a part in completing this power.”
“What?”
That his own help had contributed to the completion of the enemy’s power.
What did that even mean?
As Sewoon stood bewildered, Yelü Seung answered with a greasy smile.
“That formless (無形) throwing blade you use.”
“It was the source of inspiration for creating this insect poison (蟲毒).”
“……!!”
Before meeting Sewoon, the Poison Demon had been obsessed with the final realm dreamed of by all who practiced poison arts.
Becoming a Poison Human (毒人).
He believed that surpassing his limits was possible only through that method.
But after confronting Sewoon, who wielded silent, emotionless, formless power.
A different realization surfaced in Yelü Seung’s mind as he immersed himself in cultivation.
What if he did not become a Poison Human.
If everything that obeyed his command was imbued with the strongest poisonous qi, that would be sufficient.
That was it. Within the poison insects Yelü Seung scattered, Shinmaegang had been condensed.
That Shinmaegang, compressed to its absolute limit, unleashed such destructive power upon making contact with the enemy.
‘He created that power by seeing the Invisible Dagger?’
As Sewoon muttered inwardly.
Kwaaaang!
With a tremendous explosion, Reverse Flawless Heavenly Garment was finally destroyed.
And through the shattered gaps.
Ts-ts-ts!
Ts-ts!
The horrifyingly flapping poison insects rushed fiercely toward Sewoon.
As Sewoon watched that sight, it felt as though time itself was flowing in slow motion.
‘Angcheongang won’t be enough to win.’
Then there was only one method left.
Though he could not yet control it perfectly—.
‘Form-shaped qi fused with Reverse Heaven Qi.’
He had no choice but to unleash the strongest power he could currently draw upon.