You were absolutely incredible. (3)

Fierce streaks of white sword energies rained down into the midst of Maninbang’s warriors.

Quaaaaang!

Accompanied by deafening explosions, the sword energy struck one after another, causing chaos and devastation.

Screams filled the air as people were swept away by the blasts, tumbling in all directions.

“Cough, cough!”

Certainly, not everyone lost their lives in the explosions. Some fortunate souls managed to escape with their lives despite the havoc wreaked by the blasts.

Collapsed and groaning, they were met with a deadly rain of poisoned needles, staining the once-blue sky with darkness.

“Ah, aaah!”

A torrential downpour of the needles accompanied by a deafening roar descended upon them, piercing their fragile skin with lethal poison.

Squelch!

The sound of the needle piercing through flesh. Those who heard it, not just with their ears but with their bodies, were instantly engulfed in indescribable terror.

“No, no!”

Panic-stricken, they desperately tried to extract the needles from their bodies, but the wounded areas had already turned a sickly shade of black, indicating the poison’s deadly effect.

The poison of the Tang clan, which made the name “Sichuan Tang Clan” a symbol of terror, was spreading through their bodies. What began as a mild discomfort soon transformed into unbearable itching, quickly escalating into searing pain.

“Cough… cough…”

The members of Maninbang writhed in agony. Blood trickled from their seven orifices, while frothy, black-tainted foam bubbled from their mouths in an instant.

“Avoid, avoid it! It’s Tangga! Those damned bastards have poisoned us!”

Fear surged in the eyes of Maninbang’s warriors as they watched their comrades turning black and dying before their eyes.

It was incomprehensible. How could those who wield such vile poison be called a Just Sect? Even Evil Sects, who were considered ruthless, refrained from using such wicked poison, or rather, they couldn’t.

“Don’t panic! It’s nothing but needles! We can block this!”

It wasn’t entirely wrong. Surely, the power contained in each needle wasn’t that great. But the problem was that those present here were not just members of the Tang clan.

“Hiyaaaah!”

A series of roars, more akin to the howls of beasts than human screams, erupted as a horde descended upon the members of Maninbang.

Kwaaaang!

Those hit heavily on the shoulders sprayed blood as they thrashed on the ground.

The ones at the forefront, with their formidable strength, clashed with those trying to hold them back, while others, brimming with aggression, leaped forward like leopards, wielding grotesque weapons resembling beast claws.

“B-Beast Palace!”

“These filthy outsiders!”

Beast warriors of Nanman Best Palace, clad in animal skins that firmly proclaimed their identity, charged at the members of Maninbang like enraged wild boars.

“Euhahahahaha! These Sapa bastards! They’ve been ignoring us for too long!”

“Trample them! Thoroughly!”

The spot from where the Beast Palace fiercely rushed out was guarded by the chilling blades of the Ice Palace, emitting a cold deadly aura.

“Do not disrupt the formation, and thoroughly block the incoming enemies. The safety of our Lord and the survival of Hwasan Geomhyeop are paramount. Anyone who dares to challenge will meet our blades!”

“Yes!”

The raging fury of the beast warriors clashed with the icy-cold precision of the ice swordsmen from the Northern Sea. Two sects with completely opposite temperaments united their strength for a single purpose.

“Commander!”

“We’re overwhelmed! The encirclement is crumbling!”

Ho Gamyeong clenched his fists silently.

‘Damn it.’

It was an inevitable outcome.

Certainly, the prowess of Maninbang was undeniable. Among the four sects of Sapaeryeon dominating Gangnam, wasn’t Maninbang one of the closest to being a leader?

However, even so, Maninbang was just a single sect within Sapaeryeon. Despite its considerable strength, fighting alone against the combined forces of the renowned sects was impossible.

Moreover, the ones led by Ho Gamyeong at this moment weren’t even the so-called “main force” within Maninbang.

So, it was inevitable for them to be overwhelmed helplessly.

“Commander! Your orders!”

Ho Gamyeong bit his lip.

It was right in front of him. Maehwa Geomgwi’s neck was right in front of his nose. If only there had been a moment to spare for a breath, he could have severed that neck!

“Why, of all times…”

How did they manage to find this place and arrive here at this precise moment? Those beggars should have been eliminated long ago.

This was an unforeseen event in Ho Gamyeong’s calculations. No, perhaps it wasn’t even part of his calculations.

As Ho Gamyeong, he couldn’t help but feel abandoned by the heavens.

Though always prioritizing rationality, he couldn’t find an ounce of it at this moment.

“Commander! A decision must be made!”

Was it the urgency conveyed by his subordinates that prompted it? An inevitable sigh escaped Ho Gamyeong’s lips.

“The troops…”

Ho Gamyeong bit his lip until it bled. Words he never wanted to utter aloud. But there was only one command he could give now.

“Retreat the troops.”

“Commander!”

“Execute it!”

“…Yes.”

Weak responses came from his subordinate. Hearing this reply, Ho Gamyeong tightly shut his eyes. After a moment of calming his mind with closed eyes, he opened them, glaring at Cheonumaeng with eyes full of hatred.

‘Damn it.’

Now, there was no other option.

Facing them with the exhausted Maninbang was impossible. Delaying would only increase the casualties. If there was any morale left, it was dwindling from the moment they lost Maehwa Geomgwi right in front of their eyes.

Even if it meant sacrificing everyone here to kill Maehwa Geomgwi, Ho Gamyeong would gamble on it…

‘Hwasan.’

Those hateful Hwasan’s bastards remained motionless, surrounding Maehwa Geomgwi as if they wouldn’t take a single step.

Even if the heavens were to collapse, it seemed they wouldn’t yield.

An inevitable groan escaped Ho Gamyeong’s lips as he saw that gaze.

There was no way out. None.

“Didn’t you retreat the troops?!”

“Yes, Commander!”

Blood trickled from Ho Gamyeong’s lips and dripped down to the floor from his chin.

Wuuuuuuung!

The sweat dripping down from Tang Gunak’s chin fell continuously to the ground.

His face seemed to show that he had exhausted all of its strength. However, his eyes remained fiercely focused, fixed on Chung Myung.

In an instant, Chung Myung’s body was covered in white frost, then quickly turned crimson.

The extreme Yin energy and the extreme Yang energy. Scream erupted from Tang Pae’s lips, who struggled to control the two forces raging within Chung Myung.

“My Lord! We can’t…!”

Even though he must have felt the desperation in that scream, Tang Gunak didn’t even shift his gaze.

“My Lord! Your blood vessels will burst! This can’t go on!”

Tang Pae’s voice grew increasingly urgent. But Tang Gunak remained stern, scrutinizing Chung Myung’s condition with a hardened expression.

‘What on earth is he thinking?’

He couldn’t hold on any longer. No matter how formidable Chung Myung was, it was simply too much now.

Of course, Chung Myung was an extraordinary martial artist beyond imagination, but what truly amazed everyone was his swordsmanship and his mind, not his physical body!

But there was something else truly surprising.

As Tang Gunak, with sweat pouring down like rain, examined Chung Myung, he suddenly reached into his robes and pulled out a white jade bottle, swiftly uncorking it.

‘Poison’

Just the faint, acrid scent brushing his nostrils was enough to sense the deadliest of poisons.

“M-My Lord! Ahh! What are you doing?!”

A scream erupted from Tang Pae’s lips. Tang Gunak had just poured the contents of the bottle directly into his mouth.

Tang Gunak’s skin turned purple in an instant. Yet, without blinking an eye, he reached out and pressed his hand against the center of Chung Myung’s chest.

Wuuuuuuuung!

His sleeve swelled as if it would burst, and a purplish energy began to emanate densely from his fingertips. This energy soon started to seep into Chung Myung’s chest.

Tang Pae’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.

‘Poison… to a patient?’

What kind of madness was this?

“Lord! Dojang will die! What are you thinking?!”

Tang Gunak glanced briefly. His gaze didn’t fall on the screaming Tang Pae but on Hyun Jong, who watched the situation unfold without a word, his complexion stiff.

“It’s okay.”

“How can this be okay?!”

“Colliding energies won’t kill him. Death refers to a state where the body can no longer contain the energies within.”

Tang Pae looked at Tang Gunak with trembling eyes. Tang Gunak’s gaze was filled with confidence.

“In other words, as long as he can contain the energy within the body, no matter what measures we take, he won’t die.”

At that moment, a change occurred in Chung Myung’s body.

A distinct boundary formed in his body, which had been alternating between burning and freezing. The upper part was covered in a faint purple hue, the lower left in red Yang, and the lower right in white Yin energy.

“Ah…”

“If poisonous, Yang and Yin energies can balance each other, he can survive until that balance collapses.”

Tang Pae’s eyes trembled.

“What about after that? What happens when the balance collapses?”

Tang Gunak fell silent, but Tang Pae could perfectly understand the meaning of that silence.

“W-What… is this…”

Such extreme treatment was unheard of. No, it was not treatment but rather forced prolongation of life. Could such extreme measures, which could turn a living person into a corpse with a single misstep, even be called treatment?

“Hands off!”

As Tang Gunak shouted, Maeng So, Seol Sobaek, and Han Imyeong, who had been infusing energy into Chung Myung as if possessed, collapsed on the spot from exhaustion.

Tang Gunak withdrew his hand from Chung Myung after pushing the poison energy into him.

Wuuuuuuung.

The remaining energies inside Chung Myung raged on. But Tang Gunak could see it. The energies were balancing each other out, restraining one another.

It was a precarious balance, one that could explode at any moment, but if carefully managed…

“Damn it!”

A scream erupted from Tang Gunak’s lips. The poison energy he injected and the Yin energy from the Ice Palace were pushing against the Yang energy infused by Maeng So.

Compared to his poison energy and the Yin energy, Maeng So’s Yang energy seemed lacking in purity.

Tang Gunak raised his head abruptly and shouted.

“Elixir! Does anyone have elixir infused with Yang energy?!”

At Tang Gunak’s words, everyone exchanged intense glances, but no one stepped forward.

“We have Jasodan!”

“I can’t use Jasodan! It’s not an elixir of the Yang line!”

“T-Then…”

“No, it won’t work.”

Despair clouded Tang Gunak’s face. If things continued like this, the balance would collapse, and Chung Myung’s body would explode.

“I can still extract Yang energy!”

Though Maeng So tried to offer a solution, Tang Gunak couldn’t say anything. This couldn’t be resolved by mere quantity of Yang energy. They needed purer Yang energy.

Tang Gunak’s face was filled with helpless despair.

“Lord Tang!”

It was precisely at that moment when desperate cries erupted from Maeng So’s and Hyun Jong’s lips.

Swish!

Tang Gunak caught something flying towards him. As he felt the Yang energy emanating from it, his eyes widened.

“It’s the Joyangdan* from Haenam. When it comes to Yang energy, Haenam is second to none. With this, we might be able to save the Hwasan Geomhyeop.”

“Sect Leader Geum?”

Geum Yangbaek, who had joined them without notice, nodded with a stern expression.

“Sect Leader! Why aren’t you taking it yourself?!”

Following behind, the elders of Haenam spat out their breathless voices.

Tang Gunak’s eyes fell on a long wound across Geum Yangbaek’s chest. It was a long gash that had pierced through his chest and reached his dantian.

“Sect Leader…”

A bitter smile played on Geum Yangbaek’s lips.

“My wounds cannot be healed by elixirs.”

“…”

“What are you waiting for! Lord Tang! My benefactor is in grave danger!”

At the stern reprimand, Tang Gunak nodded and immediately shoved the pill into Chung Myung’s mouth.

As soon as it entered his mouth, Tang Gunak guided the energy of the pill flowing into Chung Myung’s body, exerting all his strength.

Wuuuuuuung!

Chung Myung’s body was engulfed in intense heat.

‘Good!’

This amount of Yang energy should suffice! With this, they could restore the disrupted balance.

And soon after…

Wuuuuung.

“It’s done!”

The energies inside Chung Myung’s body finally reached equilibrium. The energies, now wary of each other, refrained from rushing recklessly and settled in place.

“Lord! What about Chung Myung?”

Tang Gunak lifted Chung Myung and shouted.

“I have contained it for now! But for proper treatment, we must head to Gangbuk as soon as possible!”

Seeing Chung Myung in Tang Gunak’s arms, Hyun Jong shouted with determination,

“Disciples of Hwasan, listen!”

“Yes! Retired Sect Leader!”

“Clear the way. Spare no one blocking our path! Show them how ruthless Hwasan’s sword can be!”

“We will follow your orders!”

The fierce disciples of Hwasan surged forward once again, brimming with determination.

As the disciples of Hwasan surged forward with full force, Hyun Jong extended his hand to support Baek Cheon.

“Lean on me.”

“R-Retired Sect Leader. I can go on my own…”

“Baek Cheon-ah.”

“…”

Baek Cheon, bewildered, heard Hyun Jong’s gentle voice near his ear.

“You’ve endured a lot. Let’s go back now.”

Baek Cheon turned his dazed face, and there he saw Hyun Jong’s gentle smile. With a choked breath, Baek Cheon nodded.

“Yes.”

Those carrying the wounded ran toward the path opened with the sword of Hwasan.

Covered in thick blood, yet no longer despairing, they moved forward towards a path that was no longer hopeless.