noveltune Chapter 246:
Chapter 246:
Chapter 246
Five Poison Sect
The master of the Five Poison Sect fell into an extreme state of anxiety, causing a forgotten childhood habit to resurface.
Crunch.
He bit his nails and muttered to himself.
“Why is there no response yet?”
By now, the vice master should have already administered the poison. However, for some reason, there was no change in the battlefield.
“Could it be that the vice master has betrayed us?”
As this thought crossed his mind, the Five Poison Sect master considered personally administering the poison himself.
“Where do you think you’re going!!”
“Do you think we’ll let you leave in one piece!!!”
Breaking through the obstructions of the Five Poison Sect’s poison experts and the martial artists of the Jeomchang Sect, the Beast Palace Master and the Taiyang Palace Master had already reached the master’s vicinity.
Behind them lay a scene fitting the description of a sea of corpses and blood.
Bodies of the poison experts, Jeomchang Sect martial artists, and archers who had cleared the way for the palace masters lay strewn about.
Having carved their way through hundreds of corpses, the two palace masters were also in rough shape.
Their hair was disheveled, their clothes torn in multiple places, and their bodies covered in various scratches and black spots from dispelled poisons.
“How dare you mock us!”
“This will be your grave!”
Despite their condition, the two palace masters’ spirits were ferocious, as if they had just begun the battle.
* * *
Neung Gok-hwan, leader of the Red Tiger Group.
He expertly managed the battle, issuing commands to his members.
However, his outward composure belied his inner turmoil.
‘Where did these people come from, and why are there so many skilled fighters?’
Dressed in uncoordinated outfits and weapons, they appeared like ronin but were as skilled as his Red Tiger Group members.
This was unusual.
The Red Tiger members, despite their lack of backing, were graduates of the Magic Academy and representatives of the Demonic Sect’s martial prowess.
Their skills had significantly improved over the years of survival in deadly situations, and they could proudly claim superiority over their peers in orthodox sects.
Even compared to the prestigious Nine Great Schools and Five Noble Families, they were formidable.
Yet, the Red Tiger members were not overwhelming their opponents.
The only saving grace was their superior coordination in group battles.
“Form the Three Hell Formation!”
– Fourth squad, fall back!
– Second squad, fill the gap and advance!
Neung Gok-hwan issued commands while battling a martial artist in front of him, coordinating his subordinates through words and internal transmissions.
Additionally, some warriors from the Beast Palace and Taiyang Palace were fighting alongside them, giving them a numerical advantage.
As he was busy directing his men, Neung Gok-hwan furrowed his brow and sent a sharp internal message.
– Squad leader Dan Seo-yoon! Get a grip!
Dan Seo-yoon was fighting with a desperate look on her face.
Neung Gok-hwan understood why she was so anxious.
He, too, was internally just as anxious as Dan Seo-yoon.
His wide view of the battlefield focused on the most intense fighting.
‘Who is this monster...?’
There, the young master he had decided to follow was battling a martial artist named Hwang Gon.
‘He’s on par with our sect’s guardian warriors!’
He had seen him fight the Beast Palace Master before, but now it was clear.
Despite having such a skilled fighter, the Red Tiger Group was holding on only because Ou-yang Pae was single-handedly keeping him at bay.
As always, during crises, it was the same.
But this time was truly dangerous.
‘Even though the young master is talented, this opponent is too strong. We need to break through and assist the young master!’
Dan Seo-yoon was likely distracted by similar thoughts.
Yet.
Nullifying the opponent’s sword energy, Mu-jin closed in on Huang Gon again while Ou-yang Pae approached from behind, swinging his sword.
Although shallow wounds on Mu-jin’s body increased as he continued to draw the opponent’s attention, Mu-jin relentlessly clung to Huang Gon.
Naturally, their battle prolonged.
– Master! Retreat!!
Engrossed in the fierce battle, Huang Gon only broke out of his trance upon hearing the urgent voice transmission from his subordinate.
‘Damn.’
Realizing the battlefield’s situation too late, Huang Gon’s forehead wrinkled involuntarily.
More than half of his subordinates were already down, and not many from the Jeomchang Sect or the poison masters were standing either.
Although there were many enemy bodies on the ground, the number of standing enemies was overwhelmingly larger.
But the biggest issue was not the number of lesser fighters.
“Ugh...”
In the distance, the leader of the Five Poison Sect, with the Taiyang Palace Master’s blade embedded in his abdomen, let out a deflated groan.
And the Beast Palace Master’s subsequent punch crushed the leader of the Five Poison Sect’s face like a watermelon.
Even the illustrious Il-gwang Sword of the Jeomchang Sect was nowhere to be seen, likely having fallen already.
‘How could it end so futilely...?’
The grand scheme he had prepared for years was collapsing pathetically.
Where did it all go wrong? Everything had been perfectly aligned until recently.
Naturally, the person who emerged as the variable in all this came to his mind.
‘Shaolin Dragon!!!’
Huang Gon instinctively realized that Mu-jin was the root cause of all this. And it was too late to flee now.
Thus, only one option remained.
“I’ll take you with me to the afterlife!!”
Suddenly, Huang Gon’s demeanor shifted, and he began wielding his sword like a madman, disregarding any internal energy distribution.
His typhoon-like assault forced Ou-yang Pae and Mu-jin to step back.
As Huang Gon’s body became the center of a massive wave of energy,
Having created a slight opening, Huang Gon prepared to unleash his strongest secret technique.
‘Now!’
Mu-jin, realizing what his opponent was attempting, drew upon his reserved internal energy.
As Huang Gon’s sword unleashed wave-like energy towards Mu-jin,
Mu-jin’s fist also executed the Invincible Divine Fist with full force.
The two enormous forces clashed, intertwining and burning each other, resulting in a massive explosion.
‘He even blocked this!’
Momentarily surprised, Huang Gon quickly moved his left arm.
A technique that explodes latent power at the cost of one’s life.
He intended to eliminate obstacles to the Shaolin Dragon and the plans of Shinchun, even if it meant dying.
But before Huang Gon could fully execute the technique,
“Hyaah!”
Mu-jin, enveloped in golden energy, appeared through the aftermath.
Huang Gon, with a shocked expression, hastily swung his sword.
Snap.
Mu-jin, already closing in, successfully grabbed Huang Gon’s wrist with his left hand.
The sword energy emanating from Huang Gon’s sword was about to reach Mu-jin’s shoulder but could go no further.
‘What strength is this!?’
It felt as though his arm was trapped in a rock; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move it.
More than that, a crushing pain surged through Huang Gon’s wrist where Mu-jin held it.
Giving up on swinging his sword, Huang Gon attempted to take other measures.
“Where do you think you’re going, just trying to die?”
Thud!!
Mu-jin’s right fist pierced into Huang Gon’s abdomen.
“Before you die, you need to spill all the information.”
Looking at the fallen Huang Gon, who had fainted while his arm was held in Mu-jin’s grip, Mu-jin smiled contentedly.
Finally, they had successfully captured a major leader of Shinchun alive.