Have you ever seen hell? (4)

Haenam’s elders, stunned, widened their eyes in horror.

In a situation where it was difficult to even hold their bodies steady from the shock of the explosion, a black poisonous cloud surged towards them like a sandstorm in a desert.

It was too late to evade.

With grim determination, summoning all their remaining strength, Haenam’s elders faced the approaching storm head-on.

Whooosh!

Accompanied by a sound that seemed to split the air itself, the black wind engulfed them.

“Block it!”

Tang Pae’s desperate cry erupted.

Who would know better than him how dangerous that poison truly was?

While it was already too late for the elders at the front, they had to at least shield Haenam’s disciples behind them from the poison.

The ordinary disciples of Haenam, lacking in internal strength, wouldn’t last a moment against that poison.

But the venomous wind, having swiftly swept away the elders, fiercely bore down on Haenam’s disciples standing behind them.

“Ah…”

The disciples of Haenam could only watch in dismay as the dark venomous storm approached, unable to muster the courage to confront it.

Even if they were to exert all their internal strength, how could they possibly block such a storm?

Tang Pae’s face twisted with despair.

Though his heart was frantic, there was nothing he could do but resign himself to the inevitable.

But then, in that moment, someone’s vehement curse pierced through the chaos.

“Son of a b****!”

Thunk!

‘Is that… Nokrim King?’

Im Sobyeong stomped forcefully, then fiercely swung the fan in his hand.

As he did so, a tremendous gust of wind erupted.

“Whoooooaaaargh!”

Drawing upon every ounce of his inner strength from his dantian, he unleashed a torrent that left nothing untouched.

And thus, he brilliantly demonstrated the original purpose of the fan.

The gust of wind unleashed by the fan [선풍(煽風)] collided with the venomous storm rushing towards them.

The storm was pushed back, rising higher and higher.

Whooosh!

The venomous storm, unable to penetrate Im Sobyeong’s wall of wind, surged up to the cliff’s edge.

It was as if a black wall had appeared in the middle of the gorge.

Drip…

From Im Sobyeong’s tightly clenched lips, blood trickled down.

Unaware that his lips were torn, he continued to swing the fan in transe.

Most of those present here were martial artists.

With their martial skills, they couldn’t do anything with the rushing wind.

Except for Im Sobyeong, there was no one else to step forward.

Only he could do it.

But…

‘I… am being pushed back…’

As Im Sobyeong stared at the approaching venomous storm, veins began to bulge on his forehead.

Though he exerted all his strength to create the wind, it was impossible for him alone to withstand the aftermath of the explosion.

The surging wall of poison gradually encroached upon them.

Despite summoning every last ounce of his inner strength, the situation continued to deteriorate.

“Aargh! Damn it!”

At that moment, when Im Sobyeong let out a roar.

“Amitabha! Siju, step back!”

Behind him, a brilliant golden light spread out.

Even if he had approached silently, anyone would have known who moved forward just from the light alone.

Im Sobyeong, after exerting every last bit of his internal strength, swung the fan with all his might and then swiftly rolled back to evade.

Kwaaaaaaaah!

As Im Sobyeong’s defense waned, the venomous storm poured down upon the heads of Haenam’s disciples with even greater fury.

Seeing the black storm approaching him, Hye Yeon closed his eyes while holding a half-palm stance.

“A-mi-ta-bha!”

From his entire being, a majestic blaze of light emanated.

The light he emitted clashed directly with the incoming black storm.

It was one of the seventy-two techniques of Shaolin, the Supreme Power of Nothingness [무상대능력(無上大能力) – mu-sangdae-neung-lyeog].

A legendary phenomenon, revered even by those skilled in Shaolin’s martial arts, manifested here.

“Oooooooh!”

A resounding lion’s roar erupted from Hye Yeon’s mouth.

From his half-palm stance, Hye Yeon, extended his hand forward

In an instant, his formidable energy penetrated the balck storm and enveloped the poison.

The sight resembled that of two colossal dragons, one black and one golden, entwining and ascending together.

Kuuuuuuuuuuung!

Following this, Hye Yeon took a powerful step forward as if he would shatter the cliff itself.

The ground where the foot was partially embedded cracked and split, creating golden spiderweb-like patterns in all directions.

“Taaaaaaaah!”

Following this, a strike of the Arhat Divine Fist, imbued with the full heaviness of Shaolin, propelled the entwined dragons up the cliff in an instant.

“Aaaargh!”

Wuuuuuuuuuuuuung!

Kwaaaaaaaaah!

The black venomous storm, which had been raging from the sky, suddenly exploded in all directions as if bursting forth.

Those who had been watching the spectacle without even taking a breath finally saw the blue sky spread out before their eyes.

“S… stopped it…”

“He blocked…”

Moans and groans emanated from the mouths of Haenam’s disciples. Though the ordeal was not lengthy in terms of time, it felt like they had barely managed to catch a few breaths.

In that brief moment, they had been dragged to the very gates of hell, only to return alive by a mere thread.

But… despite successfully thwarting the calamity, there was nothing to rejoice about.

With a thud, Hye Yeon collapsed on the spot.

“Monk!”

Cough!

Hye Yeon coughed while clutching the ground with both hands.

Blood trickled from his lips.

Shaolin’s martial arts were known as the most stable in the world. It was rare for someone to sustain internal injuries while practicing them.

For Hye Yeon to have incurred internal injuries despite using such martial arts indicated the severity of the situation.

His pale complexion and trembling arms clearly displayed this fact.

“Monk! Are you okay?”

“I… I’m more concerned about the elders…”

At his words, everyone who was looking at Hye Yeon quickly lifted their heads.

The elders of Haenam were struggling to rise amidst the aftermath of the poisonous storm.

Everyone looked at them with tense expressions. It was the poisonous power of the Tang clan, which not only swept away the warriors of Sapaeryeon but also claimed the lives of countless members of Maninbang.

Now, even the elders, despite their status, were entirely engulfed by this dreadful poison.

And then, the ominous premonition became a grim reality. Several elders began to cough up black blood.

Though their number was small compared to the total count of elders, it didn’t offer much solace.

This meant that remaining elders may have withstood immediate poisoning with their resilient internal energy, but it’s just a matter of time before the situation deteriorates further.

While they could manage the toxicity with leisurely cultivation in a peaceful setting, there’s no such luxury at the moment.

The instant they attempt to circulate their energy, the ferocious hordes of enemy fighters will pounce upon them like a pack of hungry wolves.

“Are you alright?”

“I’ll manage.”

A grim expression briefly crossed the face of Geum Yangbaek as he surveyed the elders.

Black aura lingered on their faces.

It was evident that none had escaped the poisoning.

Even Geum Yangbaek, the Sect Leader of Haenam, would be overwhelmed trying to manage the poisonous energy penetrating through his skin, so it’s understandable that the elders would be in even greater distress.

“This, this is!”

Tang Pae exclaimed as he hastily approached them, offering a vial of white medicine.

“An antidote?”

“Uh… that’s…”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence, biting his lip.

While the medicine could suppress the poisonous energy, it wasn’t a fundamental antidote.

This indicates that there is no way to address the poisoning here.

“Thank you,”

Geum Yangbaek said, accepting the medicine without further ado. It’s better to have something than nothing.

“Why rush like this?! If…”

One elder exclaimed, only to be silenced by a fierce glare from Geum Yangbaek.

“Quiet!”

Geum Yangbaek shouted, his gaze sharp enough to intimidate the elder into submission.

“He did his best.”

Geum Yangbaek gritted his teeth. After all, without Tang Pae’s intervention, the situation could have escalated uncontrollably.

Blaming accidents that occur despite one’s best efforts is unfair.

Who doesn’t know that Tang clan’s poison can be fatal even to allies?

Who wouldn’t celebrate when help is provided, only to condemned when harm arises?

It’s not human to curse someone in such circumstances.

If there’s someone to blame, it’s…

Geum Yangbaek’s gaze shifted beyond the gorge, where the figure standing at the entrance was clearly visible.

“That vile schemer…”

If anyone deserves to be blamed, it should be directed at that bastard.

The one who, as if anticipating Tang Pae’s poison, preemptively detonated explosives, that devil-like creature.

Ho Gamyeong, who had been watching the situation without a flicker of expression, slowly spoke as he felt the gaze directed at him.

“You’ve been careless.”

Everyone’s attention shifted to his voice.

“A mere poison haze, nothing more than carried away by the wind. If that’s the case, a stronger wind could blow it back the other way.”

Ho Gamyeong’s chilling gaze met Tang Pae’s.

Tang Pae clenched his fist until his nails dug into his palm, blood seeping out.

Ho Gamyeong’s calm voice continued.

“It’s something that should have been carefully considered.”

“This…”

Tang Pae’s body trembled.

Did not consider it? No, he knew.

As someone who used poison, he couldn’t be unaware of its weaknesses. The fact that fire and storms neutralized poison was fundamental knowledge.

What he didn’t know was the malice of Ho Gamyeong.

Tang Pae’s gaze shifted to where the explosives had detonated, where the horribly mangled bodies of Maninbang’s warriors lay scattered.

“…On top of your subordinates’ heads.”

“They were going to die anyway.”

“And yet you call yourself the second in command of Maninbang!”

When Tang Pae exclaimed in frustration, a rare smile appeared on Ho Gamyeong’s lips.

“Not just because of that, but because of it.”

It was a response laden with multiple meanings to a question imbued with numerous implications.

As Tang Pae was left speechless, Gwak Hwanso spoke out in his place.

“Explosives!”

Anger boiled in his eyes, and his cry was filled with blood.

“To resort to such dirty tactics! No wonder you’re Sapas! You have no shame…”

Ho Gamyeong looked at Gwak Hwanso with eyes devoid of emotion.

“Well, I wonder how the Tang bastards will take that.”

Gwak Hwanso was unable to continue speaking and fell silent. Ho Gamyeong’s words shattered all of his arguments with just one sentence.

“In the first place, it was a mistake for you to walk in here.”

His calm words pierced everyone’s hearts like a dagger.

“Don’t worry. Your recklessness will be widely known. Everyone in the world will praise your foolishness. Those who are scratching their heads in Gangbuk will also need something to show off. However, in exchange for that…”

A sneer formed at the corner of Ho Gamyeong’s mouth.

“…You will see hell.”

Everyone’s eyes reflected a gloomy light.

The elders of Haenam were all poisoned. They would now be unable to exert even half of their true abilities.

Im Sobyeong and Hye Yeon had exhausted all their inner strength. Now they were in a position where they needed protection rather than being of any help.

Tang Pae would no longer be able to use poison recklessly.

This ultimately meant that they could no longer hold off the pursuing forces.

They were all going to die.

“Regret it…”

“…Hell.”

At that moment, a person walked slowly among the disciples of Haenam.

Covered in blood from head to toe, his eyes were chillingly cold.

“Have you ever seen hell?”

Passing by Hye Yeon, Im Sobyeong and Tang Pae, Chung Myung walked among the elders of Haenam.

He passed Geum Yangbaek’s gaze and stood before everyone.

“Yeah. It might be hell.”

Paaaat!

Chung Myung shook off the blood on his sword and smiled brightly.

“Not to us, but to you, you greenhorn.”