Returning Immortal

Chapter 26 : Inner Core

Buzzzzz.

When the queen Blood Fly stepped forward, the fight became so tense that not an inch of superiority could be determined.

The place where the queen Blood Fly led her swarm and concentrated their attack was the Three-Eyed Toad's eye area.

Her target was not simply the eyeball.

Her intention was not just to blind it, but to pull out the eyeball, go inside, and even gnaw on its brain.

As the Blood Flies swarmed in at once, the Three-Eyed Toad, which was reducing its swollen body, rolled its eyeballs back and forth and spewed out a blue poison mist even more intensely.

The Blood Flies, engulfed in the poison mist, once again fell to the ground in a pile.

However, there were evolved species that broke through the dense poison mist.

These were special species improved from the evolved species, and their number was only about a hundred.

Naturally, they were faster and more ferocious than the evolved species.

The Three-Eyed Toad, which had sensed the danger, had a brilliant golden light rise widely from the center of its forehead.

This light had a wide range, affecting even the Blood Flies attacking from the sides.

Flash!

A strange thing happened.

The movements of the Blood Flies exposed to the light were significantly reduced.

Some special species even felt as if they had almost stopped in mid-air.

In that gap, the Three-Eyed Toad's tongue shot out, wrapped around the slowly flying special species, and put them into its large mouth.

Ten at a time, in an instant, about thirty special species disappeared into the Three-Eyed Toad's mouth.

Gulp.

The Three-Eyed Toad, which had swallowed the Blood Flies in its mouth into its stomach, licked its lips with its long tongue as if satisfied.

However, in the process of performing a strange ability that was unparalleled in the world, the Three-Eyed Toad had made a big mistake.

It was so preoccupied with swallowing the special species rushing towards its face that it had overlooked the Blood Flies rushing at the edges.

It was true that the golden radiance had spread wide, slowing down not only the ones in front but also the special species attacking from both sides of its head.

But the effect was less than in the center, and as fate would have it, the queen Blood Fly with three pairs of wings was located there.

The queen Blood Fly was a powerful demonic creature that had formed an inner core in its middle dantian.

Its speed and ferocity were no match for the evolved species or special species demonic beasts.

Swish!

The queen Blood Fly, which flew in like lightning, bit and tore the Three-Eyed Toad's lens, making it tattered like a rag in an instant.

Screeeech!

The startled Three-Eyed Toad hit its own eye with its front paw to catch the queen Blood Fly and spewed out hundreds of blue poison needles, but it was no use.

As if performing an acrobatic feat, the queen Blood Fly leisurely broke through the encirclement and fled.

The Three-Eyed Toad's other eye was not fine either.

A dead Blood Fly was dangling from the lens of that eye.

It was a special species Blood Fly.

However, that side's lens was not completely destroyed, so it was only to the extent that its vision was a little dim.

The queen Blood Fly, which had achieved an unexpected battle result, did not stop its attack there.

It commanded the surviving Blood Flies and continuously harassed the Three-Eyed Toad.

In the meantime, Ne Jinja's hand finally shot up.

As feared, the Three-Eyed Toad's divine ability was far beyond his imagination.

But it wasn't to the extent that he was surprised and ran away.

Moreover, it was now in a state where one of its eyes was blinded by the queen Blood Fly.

It was a golden opportunity to attempt an attack.

When Ne Jinja gave the signal, the Raging Fire Divine Lord jumped into the air as if he had been waiting.

Then he scattered the flames of hell at the Three-Eyed Toad.

"Die!"

The Fangtian Huaji, containing the flames of hell, blazed with killing intent, and behind it, a white flash as deep as the abyss secretly followed.

Truly the divine might of the late stage of the supreme realm.

The group all thought that with this much power, they could kill the Three-Eyed Toad in a single blow.

But the Three-Eyed Toad's reaction was completely different.

Even after witnessing the Raging Fire Divine Lord's divine might, it calmly shot its usual golden radiance at him.

Although it was in a crisis of having its body torn to a thousand pieces, it was too complacent a response.

Flash!

Compared to the momentum of the Raging Fire Divine Lord, which was falling with a ferocious momentum as if to burn the sky, the golden radiance was too plain.

It was like a spring day's haze.

But when the two energies collided in mid-air, an unexpected result appeared.

The momentum that was falling ferociously suddenly lost its speed as if it had fallen into water.

'What kind of harmony is this!'

Ne Jinja's mouth fell open on its own.

Not only the sword qi containing the flames, but even the Fangtian Huaji and the Raging Fire Divine Lord lost their momentum and their speed slowed down.

Ne Jinja's astonishment did not end there.

Croak!

The Three-Eyed Toad, which had looked at the Raging Fire Divine Lord hanging in the air triumphantly, croaked long, and then suddenly spewed out a round object wrapped in a blue radiance from its mouth.

The demonic object that spewed from the Three-Eyed Toad's mouth immediately charged at the Raging Fire Divine Lord.

Whoosh!

It pierced through the sword qi the Raging Fire Divine Lord had shot in one breath, then spun around the Fangtian Huaji and flew towards the Divine Lord's face.

"It's an inner core! The demonic creature is attacking the Divine Lord by spewing its inner core."

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had come to his senses at the horrified scream, operated the Pure Yang True Qi of his middle dantian and was barely able to tilt his head to the side.

But perhaps because his response was somewhat insufficient, one of his ears disappeared and his head was covered in blood.

As a crisis befell the Raging Fire Divine Lord, Ne Jinja and Ilgeom, who had been watching, rushed at the Three-Eyed Toad.

The poison mist had thinned a little as it was operating its inner core.

Ne Jinja, a supreme master, attacked the Three-Eyed Toad's head without hesitation.

Ilgeom also flew into the air and threw a hidden weapon at the Three-Eyed Toad's eye.

But it was no use.

The hidden weapon Ilgeom had thrown was blocked by the Three-Eyed Toad's eyelid and bounced off, and Ne Jinja also had to retreat after leaving only a faint scar on the Three-Eyed Toad's head.

It was because of the poison qi that poured down like a storm.

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had barely dodged the inner core with the small amount of Pure Yang True Qi remaining in his middle dantian, pushed his internal energy down and accelerated his fall to the ground.

It was because he thought it was a top priority to get out of the golden radiance.

His mind was still in a daze from the shock he had received as the inner core grazed his head.

Moreover, within the golden radiance, even his consciousness slowed down.

It was a feeling as if he was trapped in a space where time was flowing slowly.

Was it because of that?

The Raging Fire Divine Lord belatedly sensed that the inner core that had grazed past him had turned around and was coming back.

The result was disastrous.

Even though he had turned his Pure Yang True Qi to his back and protected his body, the Raging Fire Divine Lord bent his waist like a bow and spewed a blood arrow in the air.

The fact that he had landed safely on the ground was also possible because he was a man who possessed the internal energy of the supreme realm.

Stagger, stagger.

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had fallen to the ground, couldn't even walk properly.

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had come staggering, dragging his Fangtian Huaji, collapsed next to Gwi Seongjin.

"Divine Lord! Eat this and regulate your breathing."

When the Ghost Medicine Hall Master took out the Three-Branched Nine-Leaf Herb and handed him a few leaves, the Raging Fire Divine Lord swallowed it without chewing it a few times.

Then he immediately began to regulate his breathing.

When one of the Three-Eyed Toad's eyeballs burst, the group thought the tide of victory had turned.

But with just one inner core, the tide of the battle had completely turned.

Whoosh!

The Blood Flies, which collided with the inner core that was flying around like a battlefield's treasure, protecting the Three-Eyed Toad, died in a pile again.

Ilgeom, who had been poisoned while avoiding the inner core, had his movements clearly slowed down, and even Ne Jinja, who had left a few bloodstains on the Three-Eyed Toad's head, was now busy dodging.

At that, the Grand Prince, who had been staying behind to protect Gwi Seongjin, finally drew his body up.

Excluding the Raging Fire Divine Lord, the Grand Prince had the highest martial arts among the group.

It was because he had been directly taught a divine art by the Cult Leader, Jang Mujong.

His internal energy was also at the late stage of the supreme realm, similar to the Raging Fire Divine Lord.

However, compared to the Raging Fire Divine Lord, his combat experience and improvisation were a little lacking.

Until now, the Grand Prince had been fighting with his bare hands.

But perhaps because he was afraid of the Three-Eyed Toad's poison, something was held in the Grand Prince's hand as he flew into the air.

It was a small shuttle that was shining with a silver light.

As the Grand Prince's hand was shaken in the air.

Zap!

Dozens of silver flashes rushed towards the inner core.

* * *

Even at the moment the Grand Prince stepped forward, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master was looking back and forth between Gwi Seongjin and the Raging Fire Divine Lord, lost in thought.

He also wanted to attack the Three-Eyed Toad, but he had not been able to leave his position until now because of the two.

Not only the seriously injured Raging Fire Divine Lord, but also Gwi Seongjin, who was chasing away the poison mist with the poison-repelling pearl, was in a position where he could not properly defend himself.

If he left his position, and if demonic beasts swarmed in, he could not guarantee their lives.

But the situation in front was not entirely relaxed either.

The fact that the silver flash the Grand Prince had shot had subdued the inner core, which was rampaging like an angry bull, in one breath was certainly a move that was beyond his expectations.

The Grand Prince was a direct descendant of the Iron-Blooded Reigning Family, the top family of the demonic path, so the items or techniques he possessed could not be ordinary.

As expected, when surrounded by the silver flash, the inner core could not move an inch, like a fish caught in a net.

The tide of the battle had turned in their favor.

But that didn't mean the situation was completely reversed.

The Three-Eyed Toad was still rampaging with great momentum, and as time passed, the damage to the attackers and the poisonous insects was increasing.

There was no more time to hesitate.

Rustle. Rustle.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had hardened his resolve to participate in the attack, turned his hands behind his back and took out a maroon box from the sack.

Click!

When he turned the handle and opened the lid, black scorpions with a clear red ghost pattern on their carapaces were visible.

These poisonous creatures the Ghost Medicine Hall Master had taken out were demonic beasts called Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions.

He even had a spiritual connection with them.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had released two demonic beasts next to Gwi Seongjin, flew at the Three-Eyed Toad with a look of relief.

When the Ghost Medicine Hall Master left, one of the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions immediately dug into the ground.

And the other one hid between the Raging Fire Divine Lord and Gwi Seongjin and crouched down.

Swish.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had approached the rear of the Three-Eyed Toad by performing a movement technique, shook his hand and released the remaining three Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions.

When they disappeared into the ground, baring their hideous teeth, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master once again rummaged through the sack and took out a large pouch.

The pouch, made of leather, did not have just one opening.

Even with a rough count, there seemed to be ten, and the Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who was standing with his back to the wind, untied one of the knots.

At that, a red powder spread out and flew towards the Three-Eyed Toad.

Next, an orange powder flew.

Then a yellow powder flew on the wind and reacted violently with the previous powders.

As the Ghost Medicine Hall Master untied the knots that tied the pouch openings, more powder flew and mixed with the previous powders.

And when the last remaining powder was mixed, the powders turned transparent and silently settled on the back of the Three-Eyed Toad.

Immediately after.

Screeeech!

With a loud scream, the Three-Eyed Toad jumped about three zhang into the air.

After landing on the ground and shaking its body, the melted fluids and flesh on the Three-Eyed Toad's skin scattered in all directions.

Puff!

Then, a flame suddenly erupted from its body.

When a fire started on its back, the startled Three-Eyed Toad rampaged and then suddenly dug into the ground.

That too was only for a moment.

When it shot up again, the flames were still blazing.

The fire did not go out even when it rolled on the ground.

Rather, it burned more fiercely as time passed.

"Gekekeke. If it were a flame that could be extinguished so easily, it wouldn't have been called the Dark Heaven and Earth Fire."

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had a hideous smile on his lips, moved a little further away from the Three-Eyed Toad.

Unlike a master of poison, he seemed to be very wary of the monster's poison.

The tense battle situation suddenly tilted because of the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions.

While its guard was down from being hit by the Dark Heaven and Earth Fire, two Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions had succeeded in piercing the Three-Eyed Toad's belly and digging inside.

A situation that could never have happened with the Three-Eyed Toad's cultivation level.

But in the extreme pain of its whole body burning, the Three-Eyed Toad was now losing its composure.

Kieeeek, kieeeek.

Thud. Thud.

As the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions that had infiltrated its belly clung to its internal organs and bit mercilessly, the Three-Eyed Toad's convulsions became even more severe.

Opening its large mouth like a demon, it shot poison needles in all directions and swung its long tongue like a whip.

As it lost its mind and rampaged like that, it made a fatal mistake.

It showed an opening to Ne Jinja, who had been waiting for a chance to attack, avoiding the Three-Eyed Toad's tongue.

Ne Jinja was not one to miss an opportunity.

Ne Jinja's form, which had flown forward as if bouncing, shot up like a venomous snake.

Then, at the same time as he swung his hand, he twisted his body in the air and escaped the Three-Eyed Toad's attack range.

Puff!

The skin under the Three-Eyed Toad's neck was a little weaker than other parts.

As the sharp fingernails like a blade grazed past, it was split into five strands and red blood shot out about a zhang.

Tremble.

The Three-Eyed Toad, which had its internal organs bitten by the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions and had a large wound under its neck, looked at its inner core and cried out long without a sound.

At that, a demonic radiance spread from the inner core that was being held by the Grand Prince, and it finally broke free from the restriction and was sucked into the Three-Eyed Toad's mouth.

Flash!

Ilgeom flew up and tried to cut the light connected to the inner core, but unfortunately, he did not succeed.

The price for the failed attack was disastrous.

The Three-Eyed Toad's demonic tongue cruelly licked one side of his face.

Next, a blue poison qi covered his body...

In the end, Ilgeom staggered and retreated.

But Ilgeom's sacrifice was not in vain.

While the Three-Eyed Toad's gaze was focused on Ilgeom, the queen Blood Fly, which had climbed up the toad's back, was finally able to approach close to the monster's brow.

Swish!

The queen Blood Fly, baring its hideous teeth, flashed its body and rushed into the Three-Eyed Toad's wide-open eye.

One regrettable thing was that the Three-Eyed Toad had finally extinguished the Dark Heaven and Earth Fire with the help of its inner core.

(End of Chapter)