Chapter 149 Talent (2)

The dark red poison energy rising from Mok Gyeong-un’s hands.

It could be said to be a sign of unleashing the Toad Poison Demon Palm from the Wave Demon Poison Scripture.

Watching this, Cheong-ryeong clicked her tongue inwardly.

‘Is he capable of mastering poison techniques right away as well?’

Since his body was essentially that of a Poison Master from the beginning, she had considered the possibility, but to think it was actually possible.

Poison techniques were on a different level compared to other martial arts.

But seeing him embody it in an instant, it was truly a frightening level of talent.

‘If it’s this brat…’

It might really be possible.

To fulfill her hundred-year-old grudge.

However, he still needed more experience and time.

The true power of the Heaven and Earth Society was not so easy to deal with.

Therefore,

-Hey, mortal. Aren’t you revealing too much of your strength?

Cheong-ryeong warned Mok Gyeong-un in a low voice.

If an awl is too sharp, it will pierce the handle.

He needed to show just the right amount, but if he displayed too much talent, it might only raise their guard.

In response to her words, Mok Gyeong-un replied:

-I’m going to change my approach.

-Change your approach? What do you mean?

-It seems that moderation won’t work if I want to contact the Society Leader.

-What?

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Cheong-ryeong expressed her concern.

-Mortal. Your rate of development is indeed very fast, but you’re still only ahead among the disciples. You mustn’t be impatient.

-That’s not it. But I think the best choice will be necessary.

-The best choice?

What was this fellow thinking?

Hadn’t he decided to build up his strength as much as possible under the shadow of the Shadow Clan Master?

Could it be that he was planning to overturn his plan and get involved in the competition to become the Society Leader’s successor?

As she was thinking that, Mok Gyeong-un had already kicked the ground and launched himself towards Woo Ho-rang, the trusted subordinate of Wi So-yeon, the Society Leader’s third disciple, who was bewildered.

-Swish!

The trajectory drawn by the dark red haze was bold and aggressive beyond measure.

It looked like a surging wave.

“Ugh!”

Woo Ho-rang’s expression darkened.

Once he became convinced that Mok Gyeong-un had mastered the Poison King Baek Sa-ha’s Wave Demon Poison Scripture, he realized it was dangerous to confront him in close combat.

-Whoosh!

Woo Ho-rang hurriedly used his lightness skill to widen the distance.

It was already troublesome enough that he had to dispel the poison energy in his chest.

He had thought he could easily subdue Mok Gyeong-un since he had the upper hand in internal energy, but the situation had changed.

‘I can’t understand it.’

How was he able to use the Poison King’s martial arts?

Poison techniques weren’t something that could be mastered so quickly.

-Swish!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un swung his palm, and the dark red poison energy haze flew towards him in a diagonal line.

In response, Woo Ho-rang raised his sword’s sharp energy to cut through the front.

-Slash!

Woo Ho-rang generated wind pressure with the wide blade of his Nine Harmony Blade, which had cut through the poison energy.

-Whoosh!

The dispersed poison energy scattered backward due to the wind pressure.

Passing through the scattering poison energy, Mok Gyeong-un kicked the blade of Woo Ho-rang’s Nine Harmony Blade like lightning.

-Clang!

Then, like an eagle snatching its prey, he tried to grab Woo Ho-rang’s shoulders with his fingers.

In response, Woo Ho-rang tilted his head back and kicked Mok Gyeong-un’s thigh.

-Thud!

Along with that, Woo Ho-rang used the recoil to widen the distance again.

‘Annoying.’

Poison was fatal even with a single touch.

No matter how much he protected his body with true energy, he couldn’t let his guard down.

Mok Gyeong-un provoked him with a smirk.

“How are you going to subdue me by just dodging?”

‘This bastard!’

He was angry at the provocation, but he had to respond calmly.

If the opponent was a master of poison techniques, getting close would be disadvantageous, so he had to maintain distance and defend against the poison energy somehow.

-Tap tap tap tap!

Woo Ho-rang, who had much more practical experience than his disciple Yeop Wi-seon, didn’t fall for the provocation and maintained even more distance.

However, there was one thing he had overlooked.

The moment he tried to create distance, a sharp blade energy rushed towards his forehead.

At this,

-Clang!

Woo Ho-rang hurriedly blocked it by swinging his sword.

What had targeted his forehead was none other than Mok Gyeong-un’s sword.

-Clang clang clang!

As the blades of the sword and the sword collided, blue sparks flew.

But Woo Ho-rang frowned at the cracks visible between the sparks.

That was because cracks were forming on the blade of the Nine Harmony Blade that was in contact with Mok Gyeong-un’s sword.

‘shit!’

Woo Ho-rang infused true energy into the blade and generated a repulsive force.

-Clang clang clang!

At the same time, he unleashed the 4th stance of the Bright Sun Sword Art, the unique swordsmanship of Bright Blade King Son Yun, called the Orderly Wheel Sword Barrier^[1].

The sharp trajectory of blade energy he created formed a barrier.

The Bright Sun Sword Art had six attacking stances and three defensive stances, and this was the most flawless defensive stance among them.

-Clang clang clang clang clang!

The collision between his Orderly Wheel Sword Barrier stance and Mok Gyeong-un’s overwhelming sword strikes produced an ear-splitting metallic sound.

‘what the .... is this guy?’

Not only poison techniques, but his swordsmanship was also not ordinary.

As a disciple of the Shadow Clan Master, he should have mastered the sword, but how did he learn swordsmanship to this level?

He was puzzled for a moment.

At that instant,

-Thud!

-Clang clang clang clang!

Mok Gyeong-un’s short sword pierced through the barrier created by Woo Ho-rang’s Nine Harmony Blade and spun around on its own.

In that instant,

-Thud!

Mok Gyeong-un lowered his stance flat towards the ground,

‘Flowing Profound Leg Technique^[2], 8th stance, Soaring Profound Rising Strike^[3]!’

Using his leg energy, he rotated along the ground, digging underneath, and immediately kicked upward, striking Woo Ho-rang’s chin.

‘Leg technique?’

Poison techniques, sword techniques, and now he even unleashed such a high-level leg technique?

Just how many martial arts did this bastard master?

-Thud!

Woo Ho-rang hurriedly tilted his head back.

However, the key point of the Bi-hyeon-seung-gyeok was to kick upward and then strike downward.

-Bam!

“Ugh!”

Woo Ho-rang’s knees buckled as his right shoulder was struck downward.

Not missing this opportunity, Mok Gyeong-un tried to strike Woo Ho-rang’s chest with the Toad Poison Demon Palm.

At that moment, Woo Ho-rang let go of his Nine Harmony Blade.

Then, kicking the ground, he rolled backward.

-Thud thud thud!

It wasn’t a situation to worry about self-esteem.

If he were to be hit by the poison palm here, the match would be decided.

However, Mok Gyeong-un had already unleashed another leg technique, sending a flurry of kicks towards Woo Ho-rang, who was rolling on the ground.

‘Flowing Profound Leg Technique, 9th stance, Torrential Rain Wild Wind^[4]!’

-Bam bam bam bam bam!

Mok Gyeong-un’s kicks flew with numerous afterimages.

The power was truly unpredictable.

‘shit!’

With his unstable posture, Woo Ho-rang raised his sharp blade energy with his bare hands, drawing a long line on the ground and slashing upward.

Then, the fragments of the ground mixed with the blade energy and shot upward, colliding with the afterimages created by Mok Gyeong-un’s leg strikes.

Woo Ho-rang tried to regain his posture using this opportunity.

Right at that moment,

-Bang!

‘What!?’

Mok Gyeong-un, who had been unleashing his stance, suddenly kicked the air.

Then, launching himself into the air, he performed an aerial somersault, rotating his body, and then kicked the air again, unleashing a sword stance towards Woo Ho-rang.

That sword stance was,

‘Flying Transforming Ghost Sword Technique^[5], 3rd stance, Reflecting Transforming Sword Subjugation^[6]!’

It was the Ghostly Sword Art, the unique swordsmanship of the Shadow Clan Master.

The Reflecting Transforming Sword Subjugation, which could be considered the most destructive stance among the Ghostly Sword Art, slashed Woo Ho-rang diagonally from his shoulder to his chest.

-Slash!

“Ugh!”

A scream erupted from Woo Ho-rang’s mouth as he was cut by the sword.

Then, unable to maintain his posture, he collapsed on the ground.

‘…Ha!’

Someone was hiding and watching their confrontation.

That someone was none other than Seo Hye-in, the leader of the Grass-Smoke Clan, one of the five, no, four trusted subordinates of Jang Neung-ak, the Society Leader’s second disciple.

She was genuinely shocked.

‘How could this be…’

She had been hiding and waiting for Mok Gyeong-un on Jang Neung-ak’s orders.

However, before she could make a move, Woo Ho-rang had appeared first, so she had been hiding and observing the situation.

‘…Was he at this level?’

The real reason she had concealed her presence and observed the situation was to gauge Mok Gyeong-un’s true intentions.

If he showed any signs of contact with Wi So-yeon, it would have been an act of betrayal against her lord, so she had intended to observe and judge.

However, something unexpected had occurred.

‘He defeated Woo Ho-rang?’

Who was Woo Ho-rang?

He was the Society Leader disciple of Bright Blade King Son Yun, one of the Five Kings, and the Grand Cland Leader of the Geo-gweol Clan.

This alone was already remarkable, but he was also known to possess the highest martial prowess among the Heaven and Earth Society’s disciples, being one of the Five Tigers.

Defeating him, who was said to have no match except for executives of the Valley Master level or higher, was a shock in itself.

Moreover, what was even more surprising was,

‘Just how many martial arts did he master?’

If her eyes weren’t deceiving her, the martial arts Mok Gyeong-un had unleashed were all transcendent.

From the Poison King Baek Sa-ha’s Wave Demon Poison Scripture, the Shadow Clan Master’s Ghostly Sword Art, to the unpredictable and destructive leg techniques, and the mysterious sword techniques that were difficult to find flaws in, which she had seen somewhere before.

Each and every one of them appeared to be high-level martial arts that were very difficult to master.

‘Impressive.’

She had guessed that he might be at the transcendent stage due to his brief exchange with Wi Maeng-cheon, but she had never dreamed he would be at this level.

‘…I won’t be a match for him.’

She had to admit it.

If he was at this level, it seemed he could even compete with Ko Yeon-hu, known as the strongest of the Five Mountains Alliance and another member of the Five Tigers.

‘No. That’s uncertain.’

Even among the Five Tigers, she believed that Ko Yeon-hu, the First Mountain, was stronger than Woo Ho-rang.

Rather, if she had to name someone who could compete with Ko Yeon-hu, she would compare him to that person who was considered the undisputed best among the Five Tigers.

That was how strong Ko Yeon-hu truly was.

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

‘Is this a good thing?’

Her lord was already in a very unpleasant mood due to the death of Wi Maeng-cheon,  the Second Mountain of the Five Mountains Alliance, and the failure to gain the support of the Poison King Baek Sa-ha.

If Mok Gyeong-un, who was the joint disciple of the Poison King and the Shadow Clan Master and had defeated Woo Ho-rang to become a new member of the Five Tigers, joined her lord’s faction, it would improve his unpleasant mood.

‘It’s even more of a two birds with one stone since he already suspected Woo Ho-rang of killing Wi Maeng-cheon.’

Thinking it was a good thing, she was about to make her move.

After all, the match was over, and since Mok Gyeong-un had so miserably defeated Wi So-yeon’s trusted subordinate, there was no reason for him to join her faction, so there was no need to hesitate any longer.

But it was right at that moment.

“Well, well, that was quite an entertaining spectacle.”

-Flinch!

‘Huh, when did he…?’

Startled by the gruff voice coming from behind her, she hurriedly used her movement technique to create distance.

Since when was he behind her?

She hadn’t sensed his presence at all.

-Thud!

After creating distance, she quickly turned her head.

But there was no one there.

‘!?’

What was going on?

She clearly heard a voice from behind her.

As she was puzzled, the voice spoke again from behind her.

“I’ve been watching with you all this time, so why are you so surprised?”

-Shudder!

Those words sent chills down her spine.

That meant he had been behind her the whole time, and she hadn’t noticed until now?

Seo Hye-in was so trembling that she couldn’t turn her head.

Then, the owner of the voice said:

“I was thinking of letting one or two of my disciples have a chance so it wouldn’t end too quickly, but that would be too much of a waste.”

‘!!!!!’

Could it be that the person behind her right now was…

‘The Eldest Young Master?’