Chapter 350: Hegemon of Poison Paramount
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The large frame that had passed a distance of over one hundred Zhang before long.
Thus, Meng Wang displayed supreme-level lightness techniques befitting the hegemon of the southern forest beyond the borders.
TUTUTUTU… TUTUTUTU… TUTUTU… TUTU…
Before long, the sound of his fierce charge quickly subsided.
After a while, Meng Wang’s movement became extremely quiet.
He hadn’t stopped.
Body movements faster than wind and lighter than a feather.
Yet no sound could be heard.
Not even the sounds of brushing past grass or leaves.
The reason was simple.
Because he had transformed his movement’s application.
Swamp-Treading Concealment Body Technique.
Southern Embrace Poison Palace’s unique supreme Lightness technique that covertly hides Aura while moving simultaneously.
When that reaches peak intensity, it’s said the opponent would have difficulty sensing that sound or movement even while treading through a swamp.
However, since it was fundamentally a training of complex essence, a high Internal energy level must necessarily support it to skillfully execute.
For that reason, the palace personnel who could properly employ Swamp-Treading Concealment Body Technique were limited to the elite expert forces including the leadership.
Of course, even within that, ranks were divided, and what Meng Wang was currently executing was a truly supreme level.
In other words, it meant that his individual Internal energy level was unrivaled.
Indeed, he didn’t rule as the southern forest’s hegemon for nothing.
Because he possessed such tremendous skill, he had become the owner of the grandiose and oppressive epithet of Hegemon of Poison Paramount.
Suddenly.
KKUMTUL.
The space ahead rippled transparently.
It was certainly an absolute formation.
Seeing that, Meng Wang’s lips curled up.
‘Keuheut, this must be a place where the Heretic Cult’s sorcery has harmonized with the existing absolute formation!’
He immediately raised his Internal energy one level higher.
Energy sense protruding sharply like a blade.
Even his body hair stood on end.
He was spreading internal energy evenly throughout his body to exercise maximum sensation.
So as not to be deluded by the formation’s power.
Following the method Cheol Ryu-heun had taught, he sharpened his energy sense and immediately passed through the absolute formation’s starting point, again advancing with Swamp-Treading Concealment Body Technique.
It was felt.
The strange ominous energy.
The eerie sorcerous power of the Heretic Cult that had harmonized with the natural absolute formation.
Before long.
UTUUK.
Meng Wang’s footsteps stopped.
A broad swamp had appeared ahead.
It was a place that evoked an even more eerie atmosphere because it was nighttime.
After briefly rolling his eyeballs, he quietly gazed at the nearby water surface.
He had sensed something lurking in the deep swamp.
‘Quite a lot are hiding.’
The internal energy mental method passed down to Southern Embrace Poison Palace Masters across generations exercises excellent sixth sense in perceiving all kinds of toxicity in the world.
He had read it precisely through that.
The covert poison energy hidden in the pitch-black water.
It was probably one of the ferocious venomous creatures said to have lived here since time immemorial.
‘Hoo, there’s no need to wait. I’ll go to them first.’
Meng Wang, who had formed a sly smile, moved with strides and stepped onto the waterside mud.
CHALPAK-
One step, then another step… and when his calves were about half-submerged in water.
CHYAHAAAAK-!
Along with a small splash, one large yellow shadow surged up and ferociously descended upon his front.
HUHUUK!
A large maw studded with countless saw-like teeth flew in.
It was an attack by a beast with an even larger build than Meng Wang.
A gigantic crocodile.
Other species couldn’t even be compared.
It was no exaggeration to say it was as enormous as combining three or four crocodiles.
Perhaps one could call it a baby dragon without issue.
However, Meng Wang didn’t retreat.
Rather, he was thrusting his sturdy left arm forward.
As if inviting it to bite if it could.
In an instant.
JJEOJEONG, JJEOJEOJEONG-!
Red sparks flew as the crocodile’s teeth and forearm collided.
Bite force on a completely different dimension from the Ghost-Slaying Leopard group.
However, Meng Wang’s forearm, which was bitten by the crocodile, was intact without a single wound.
Merely the skin was microscopically indented.
The terror of the external martial art, Elephant Skin Great Iron Bone, which evoked an elephant’s thick outer hide.
PPEUDEUDUK, PPEUDEUDUK…
Unpleasant sounds played as the crocodile’s teeth and skin friction continued.
“Keukuk, so the famous Yellow Armored Crocodile has arrived.”
Called Yellow Armored Crocodile because its exterior looked like wearing a bright yellow suit of armor, that huge venomous creature had almost no natural enemies within the Shiwan Mountains and was an apex predator.
Its pointed teeth possessed bizarre toxicity, and upon receiving injury, one’s heart would immediately melt and die.
However, Meng Wang wasn’t particularly impressed.
It was natural.
Because in the southern forest where Meng Wang lived, there were innumerable venomous creatures more ferocious and gigantic than Yellow Armored Crocodile.
In fact, those matching its class alone numbered in the dozens.
KWAK- KWAKKWAK-
The Yellow Armored Crocodile violently thrashed its large body while biting the forearm, but Meng Wang didn’t budge like a deeply-rooted old tree.
Its teeth were strong as iron swords, yet couldn’t pierce that skin, so the toxicity said to melt a prey’s heart in an instant was also useless.
It wasn’t an opponent the toxicity worked on to begin with, though.
It couldn’t be helped.
Because Meng Wang was a being of divine rank who controlled poison.
Having handled ten thousand poisons since childhood and moreover sublimated that into Internal energy… therefore, it was an absolute impossibility to harm him with any toxicity in the world.
Soon, Meng Wang smiled leisurely and glared with tiger eyes.
“Heh, good timing of appearance. I always wanted that hide.”
Immediately after.
HOOWOOOWOONG!
Meng Wang’s weighty right fist struck the Yellow Armored Crocodile’s side of its head.
PEOGEOEOK- PPUGAAAK!
The moment a sound burst out like its skull was cracking.
BITEUL-BITEUL.
The Yellow Armored Crocodile, whose jaw power had slackened, showed unsteady movements as it collapsed on the waterside.
CHEOLPPEODEOK!
At that moment, two hands like pot lids caught the Yellow Armored Crocodile’s upper and lower jaw with a DEOPSEOK!
JJWAK- JJEOEOEOEOEOEK…!
The maw being torn and broken apart with a chilling sound.
Meng Wang’s outrageous arm strength neutralizing the Yellow Armored Crocodile’s bite force.
No.
It was strength that far, far transcended the two characters of arm strength, veritably monstrous force in the realm beyond human.
Then, Meng Wang’s left hand fell in knifehand form and thrust into the center of the Yellow Armored Crocodile’s skull.
KKWADEUDEUK- PUHAAAAK!
Thus, the Yellow Armored Crocodile, which had been nearly without natural enemies, met a futile end.
Suddenly.
CHYAHAAAAK, CHYAHAK- CHYAHAAK, CHYAHAK, CHYAHAAAAK-!
The nearby water surface explosively surged in succession as over a dozen Yellow Armored Crocodiles launched a surprise attack.
The death of a fellow species had immediately become a signal igniting fury.
“You want to match strength with this body in a pack?”
Meng Wang, flashing his eye light, wielded both fists and feet with an even more violent Aura.
KKWANG- PPEOPPEK- KKWAJIJIK- UDEUK, UDEUDUK- JJEOJEOJEOK-!
Noisy sounds rang out continuously and then abruptly ceased at some point.
Yellow Armored Crocodile carcasses strewn haphazardly on the mud-filled waterside.
Before Meng Wang’s terrifying monstrous strength, all had died with their heads and bodies crushed.
Among them, three or four had their yellow hides looking hideously mushy and melted.
That was the effect of being struck by the poison art Meng Wang operated, namely “Great Poison Heavenly Divine Art,” the supreme poison studies representing Southern Embrace Poison Palace’s prestige.
Having rotated his neck once, he soon scratched the back of his head and smacked his lips.
‘Tch. Good because there are many, but I can’t take all of these… should I just skin one and go?’
Right at that moment, sharp objects flew in like arrows from behind.
SYUSYUSYUT- SYUSYUSYUSYUT-!
Small, pointed black hidden weapons.
Simultaneously, Meng Wang quickly turned around and swung his right hand, explosively releasing a heavy energy wind loaded with toxicity.
TITITITITING-!
With a sharp sound, the black hidden weapon fragments, broken apart and rapidly corroded, scattered in all directions and thrust into trees.
At that moment.
A figure walked forward, receiving the faint moonlight.
An eight-Cheok-tall man in black, possessing gray-white pupils that showed no trace of human vitality.
That’s right.
Darkness-Craving Blood Clan.
His face looked quite young.
It was facial features estimated to be in the late twenties or early thirties.
“So, it was you. The one who massacred the venomous creatures around this area…”
Trailing off, he stood with a gap of about two Zhang and emitted terrible Fighting spirit and killing intent.
Meng Wang met his gaze and replied nonchalantly.
“Keukut, I just have a bit of trouble controlling my strength.”
At that, the man formed a smirk and revealed his fangs.
Was the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan’s unique innate ability being activated?
His already pointed fangs grew slightly longer.
Meng Wang intuited.
The opponent must be a master belonging to the upper ranks within the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan.
But he didn’t care.
Excluding Bat Demon Great King Heuk Ma-yung and his Three Spirits, no one could handle his martial force as ruler of the southern forest…
As he expected, the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan-born man was one of the upper-tier expert force named Tae-ryak.
He was a relative of Blood-Holding Fighting Ghost Tae-pa, one of the Three Spirits, and within the clan he was called Dense-Blood Ghost Shadow.
The nickname was given because his movements were more covert and nimble than anyone else.
The reason he readily revealed himself after a probing surprise attack was also due to the pride derived from that.
“Hey, Darkness-Craving Blood Clan runt. Go and call your boss.”
When Meng Wang thus dismissed him, Dense-Blood Ghost Shadow Tae-ryak’s eyebrow twitched.
“Looking at you, you seem to be from the Southern Embrace Poison Palace… you’ve come to this place without fear. Since you killed the venomous creatures helping us, it’s only proper you pay the price too. I’ll cut off one arm first.”
No sooner had those words ended.
HWIHWIT-
Tae-ryak suddenly disappeared ghost-like with speed.
Immediately after.
TEOEOEOEOENG-!
A tremendous sound like striking an iron wall burst out.
Before anyone knew it, Tae-ryak’s twin hands had struck Meng Wang’s right forearm.
But there was no result.
His ten blade-like fingernails bounced back fiercely the moment they collided with the skin.
‘What is this…!’
The eyes of Tae-ryak, who staggered backward from the rebound force, wavered.
In an instant, Meng Wang’s large fist charged at his front.
Tremendous power was loaded.
Also.
It was too fast.
Having missed the timing to evade, blocking was the best option.
The moment Tae-ryak crossed both arms in front of his chest.
KKWAKKWANG- PEOHEOEOENG!
By the heavy force of fist power combined with toxicity, Tae-ryak’s form flew over three Zhang back.
‘Keuk!’
The impact soaking into his bones was the least of it, and the skin of both arms, which had originally been pale, was slightly tinged with pale green.
It was the effect of some poison energy having infiltrated through his skin.
KKWANG, KWAKKWANG-!
Meng Wang’s consecutive strikes closing the distance in an instant.
Pushed by that power, Tae-ryak’s body flew back again and collided with a sizable boulder.
KUNG- KKWAJIJIK…!
If it had been a personnel of lower rank in the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan, a large hole would already have been punctured somewhere on his body.
In the meantime, Tae-ryak realized his mistake.
‘Oops!’
Only after fighting up close did he recognize.
The fact that his opponent was Southern Embrace Poison Palace Master, called Hegemon of Poison Paramount.
Precisely, he had belatedly perceived that the ivory on his back was deep green.
The Number One Strange Weapon of the Southern Forest, Green Fang Poison Horn.
The only one who wields the tusks of a Green Wave Elephant as weapons is Southern Embrace Poison Palace’s palace master.
‘Kuuuk, my judgment was hasty! Damn it…!’
Meng Wang’s fist flew in again, cutting through the wind and advancing.
KWAHAAAANG-!
The sizable boulder shattered with a roar and turned to hazy dust.
Tae-ryak was in a state of having barely evaded that offensive by a hair’s breadth.
Had he been just a bit slower, his own skull would have been sent flying.
‘Difficult!’
He’d picked the wrong opponent.
Despite his bear-like massive frame, he was even fast as lightning.
Impossible to fight.
This leaves no answer.
Suddenly.
-Get out! Hurry!
A Secret Sound Transmission reached Tae-ryak’s ears.
‘Ah!’
He quickly realized who it was.
It was Blood-Holding Fighting Ghost Tae-pa of the Three Spirits.
He had probably been hiding nearby and watching.
Tae-pa, said to have the most belligerent temperament within the clan, had ordered retreat without even a moment’s hesitation.
That clearly proved Meng Wang, ruler of the southern forest, was a threatening being.
Therefore, Tae-ryak too unhesitatingly executed peak-level lightness techniques and began fleeing.
“Keukut. That rat bastard’s fleeing skill is faster than mine.”
He didn’t bother to pursue.
Because there was someone he was supposed to meet here.
At that moment.
SASASASAK, SASASASAK-
From not far away, some beautiful young woman pushed through the dense thicket and stood beside him.
She had bronze-colored skin with overflowing healthy beauty.
Her attire was very different from local women’s, with many areas clearly exposed.
It was a very unique outfit that covered only the truly embarrassing parts such as chest and buttocks.
However.
She possessed a pair of ivory just like Meng Wang.
She was surely a female martial artist belonging to Southern Embrace Poison Palace.
Sure enough, Meng Wang spoke with a smile.
“Oh, you came just in time. So, is the work done?”
“Yes, Father.”
The young woman in her twenties was none other than Meng Wang’s youngest daughter and the greatest genius within Southern Embrace Poison Palace, Meng Min.
Having briefly surveyed the surroundings, she opened her mouth again.
“Then shall we hurry along? To the one I love… ah, just thinking I’ll see him soon makes my heart pound so much I might go crazy. What should I do?”
“What? Suddenly the one you love, what…”
“Sect Master Cheol, of course.”
“…”
“Back then, I fell for him at first sight. Father will support my love going forward, won’t you?”
“Sup… port?”
“Yes! I’m absolutely going to marry Sect Master Cheol.”
“Keuk! That absolutely cannot happen!”
Meng Wang spoke firmly with a serious expression.
He was originally a fierce purist.
Therefore, he would never permit marriage with outside ethnic groups.
Yet his youngest daughter, born in his old age, was acting like this…
“Why?”
“Why, you ask! You know well, why ask! Even though I really like that person, this is different! Before dirt gets in my eyes… oeok!”
Meng Wang, who had suddenly yelped, clutched both eye sockets.
Meng Min had lunged forward and sprinkled dirt on his face.
“Ah, dirt got in! Then you’ve given permission?”
“Crazy… ooook, my eyes…!”
“Ah, not enough? Here, more!”
“You brat, that’s enough! Stop sprinkling dirt!”
* * *
Cheol Ryu-heun, who had been advancing along the illusory path created by the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation, quietly frowned and dug at his ear hole.
“Which nobodies are talking about me again?”