Chapter 161: Chapter 161
“You can see that with your eyes too, right?”
The Espionage Hall Master spoke with a trembling voice. To become a hall master of the Martial Alliance, one must have lived through witnessing every sort of rough situation.
Even he, who was not disheartened at all in front of the Poison Lord, felt his heart tremble when the spiritual creature imugi was before his eyes.
Cheon Woo-jin was equally surprised. Of course, it was not out of fear. It was simply astonishing that Black Elder’s words, not White Elder’s, were right.
It was at that moment.
“How could the Heavenly Demon Cult do this to us? Even though we lived meekly like snakes handled by you for the past several decades, you slaughter Poison Valley just because we disobeyed orders a single time?”
A voice without distinctive traits and ordinary, yet not unpleasant to hear, was heard.
Cheon Woo-jin and the Espionage Hall Master’s gazes turned behind the imugi. A man who appeared before anyone noticed was glaring at the two with one hand resting on the imugi’s body.
“Is that person the First Valley Lord?”
“That is right. I had only seen his face through portraits, but seeing him like this, he really lacks distinctive features.”
Just as the Espionage Hall Master said, the First Valley Lord had an appearance commonly seen in marketplaces. It was fascinating that such a person was the head of Poison Valley, one of the Three Great Poison Sects Under Heaven.
“Shall I kill him?”
Cheon Woo-jin spoke so.
Then the imugi, sensing killing intent, subtly moved its body to block between the First Valley Lord and Cheon Woo-jin. At that sight, the Espionage Hall Master subtly pulled his steps back and spoke.
“Still, it is a spiritual creature. An imugi is a spiritual creature just shy of becoming a dragon. How could we humans do anything about it?”
“Won’t it work out somehow?”
Cheon Woo-jin shrugged his shoulders. If one put it that way, the Dark Emperor was also called an evil god, yet was he not sealed by his two masters and Man Gi-ja?
No matter how he thought about it, it did not seem this imugi would be stronger than the Dark Emperor.
At the conversation between the two, the First Valley Lord narrowed his eyes. He had thought they were bastards from the Demonic Cult’s Poison Demon Corps, but something felt discordant.
“You guys… are not demonic cultists?”
The First Valley Lord had a good head. Since he commanded the spiritual creature imugi like his own limbs, his abilities were also outstanding.
The First Valley Lord, lost in thought for a moment, spoke as if having realized it.
“The Martial Alliance.”
If not the Demonic Cult, the only forces capable of doing such a thing to Poison Valley were the Martial Alliance and the Black Overlord Castle. Both forces had plenty of justification.
However, there was no reason for the Black Overlord Castle to deceive the Poison Lord of the Demonic Cult and join the Poison Demon Corps to act.
Cheon Woo-jin obediently nodded his head at the First Valley Lord’s deduction and took out the Crane Feather Fan. Then the First Valley Lord urgently continued speaking.
“I-I have no reason to fight the Martial Alliance. Rather, the Demonic Cult ordered me to strike the alliance, but I refused.”
“Many alliance members died to the Fifth Valley Lord. If the Poison Demon had not stepped forward, even more martial artists would have died.”
“Poison Demon? Was there a person called Poison Demon in this era?”
The First Valley Lord tilted his head. However, when Cheon Woo-jin looked at him as if having no intention of answering, he soon continued speaking.
“She is not my limb. In our Poison Valley, each valley lord possesses independent authority. It means whatever she did has nothing to do with me.”
“I see.”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head.
It was a point that made sense in its own way.
“What shall we do, Hall Master?”
“It is not a matter for me to judge. For now, let us take him alive to the alliance.”
“Yes.”
Cheon Woo-jin took a step forward. Then the imugi opened its jaws while making a threatening sound. It had the momentum to surge forward right away, but Cheon Woo-jin watched it without batting an eye.
“Valley Lord, withdraw the imugi. Otherwise, I have no choice but to kill it.”
The First Valley Lord stroked the imugi’s body gently. Then the imugi obediently lowered its body.
The First Valley Lord looked at the imugi with pitiful eyes for a moment, then spoke.
“You seal this child’s acupoints. I can only control the imugi a little, but cannot put it to sleep. Because I have no internal energy. If left as is, it might go out of the cave and dangerous things could happen.”
The First Valley Lord told him to come close and seal its acupoints while informing him of the imugi’s acupoints. Cheon Woo-jin, nodding his head, approached the imugi one step, two steps.
Soon, just around the time he stood right in front of it and made eye contact before pressing the acupoints of the frightened imugi.
Crash!
Something enormous erupted from the floor.
Watching this, the Espionage Hall Master was startled out of his wits. Because that thing, which soared in an instant, swallowed Cheon Woo-jin and the imugi’s head whole, and without slowing its momentum, broke through the cave and went outside.
Soon, when the enormous, elongated thing soared for quite a while and disappeared, a hole of terrifying diameter was pierced in the ceiling of the cave.
“Wh-What…”
The Espionage Hall Master, left stranded in the spot, looked with startled eyes at the First Valley Lord and the imugi with only its torso remaining.
The First Valley Lord burst into a chuckle.
“You are truly foolish. Did a mere venomous snake look like an imugi to you? If one truly encounters an imugi, it is normal that a mere human cannot even stand on two feet, overwhelmed by its momentum. Well, you will find out now.”
What the Espionage Hall Master and Cheon Woo-jin had thought of as an imugi was merely a giant snake raised by the First Valley Lord. Yet, he was speaking as if a real imugi existed.
“In that case…”
Did it mean that thing which had swallowed Cheon Woo-jin and exited outside the cave just now was an imugi?
Dismay was painted on the Espionage Hall Master’s expression. If even the Hidden Dragon Squad Leader, a master of the Realm Beyond the Heavens, was taken down in an instant like that, there was no longer any chance of victory.
It was at that moment.
“Hall Master, please come outside first. It will collapse soon.”
The Hidden Dragon Squad Leader’s voice was heard from outside the cave.
Before he could even grasp the situation, the ceiling was already collapsing.
The Espionage Hall Master hastily threw his body and fired finger wind toward the First Valley Lord. Even if he had to flee, he could not leave the bastard alive. However, giant venomous snakes that appeared from here and there blocked the First Valley Lord with their bodies.
The finger wind pierced five or six venomous snakes, but ultimately failed to reach the First Valley Lord.
“…Damn it.”
The Espionage Hall Master escaped out of the cave, leaving his regret behind. If he delayed any further, there was a high probability he would be crushed to death under a pile of boulders.
The one feeling regret was the First Valley Lord as well. He had learned of the imugi’s existence through the ancient books of Poison Valley. He had spent his entire life awakening and controlling that imugi. Now that task was just around the corner, and he had believed that if he accomplished it, he could place both the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance beneath Poison Valley’s feet.
Yet, things had suddenly turned out like this. He could not yet control the imugi perfectly. He was merely injecting deadly poisons gathered over decades at will, making the imugi run wild in a frenzy.
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Coming outside, the Espionage Hall Master was spellbound.
The scene unfolding before his eyes was bizarre enough that one would think it unrealistic even if seen in a dream.
Above the massive canyon of Poison Valley, an imugi shaped like a dragon and Cheon Woo-jin were confronting each other. It truly looked like a painting recording a folktale.
Cheon Woo-jin was experiencing interest, which was rare for him. Even though such a colossal creature was situated in that small cave, he had not sensed its presence in the slightest.
Furthermore, from the imugi’s colossal teeth clashing against the Crane Feather Fan thickly wrapped in sword astral, an indescribable power was felt.
Cheon Woo-jin, with feet firmly planted, was pushed backward bit by bit, leaving marks on the ground. Being pushed back by pure physical strength was the first time since he had grown up.
Cheon Woo-jin momentarily folded the Crane Feather Fan and struck the bridge of the imugi’s nose. Simultaneously pulling his body back, the imugi surged forward at tremendous speed.
Whack!
He struck the bridge of its nose once more. Might capable of shattering even the skull of an ultra-peak master in a single blow was contained within, but the imugi merely shook its head as if momentarily dizzy.
In that brief gap, Cheon Woo-jin dropped down beside the Espionage Hall Master. Because if an imugi possessing that level of internal power suddenly altered its trajectory and attacked the Espionage Hall Master, it was questionable whether he could save him.
“S-Squad Leader. I am dreaming right now, yes?”
“Try getting bitten once. It will wake you right up.”
The Espionage Hall Master shuddered while looking at the imugi’s colossal jaws and teeth.
“Do not say such things even as a joke. Shall we run away for now? It is not something humans can face at all.”
Even having reached ultra-peak, strength kept leaving his legs, so standing like this was his limit.
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head.
“Yes, let us do so.”
“However, my legs won’t move.”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin smacked his lips and looked at the Espionage Hall Master. The Espionage Hall Master scratched his head feeling sorry for no reason.
Soon, the imugi regained its senses and surged toward the two, and Cheon Woo-jin grabbed the hem of the Espionage Hall Master’s robes and kicked off the ground.
The imugi was fast, but Cheon Woo-jin was slightly faster.
Only after opening up a considerable distance did the Espionage Hall Master, freed from the imugi’s overwhelming presence, begin to run on his own feet.
“Hall Master.”
“What is it.”
“If we run away like this, whatever lies in the path we take will be completely crushed and killed.”
The Espionage Hall Master nodded his head. If an imugi of that size and internal power even grazed a village, that place would no longer be a village but an open field.
“I will stop it.”
“What?”
Startled, the Espionage Hall Master turned his head sideways. However, Cheon Woo-jin, who had been running side by side, had already vanished.
Simultaneously, a colossal detonation erupted from far away.
Roaaar!
The white whirlwind blanketing heaven and earth and the imugi intertwined in midair, clashing wildly. It truly felt like watching a fight between a spiritual creature and an immortal.
Cheon Woo-jin moved beyond mere interest to reach enjoyment. Master White Elder’s ultimate technique, Crane Wind Single Annihilation, was failing to leave even the slightest scratch on the imugi’s skin.
If his two masters had seen this fellow during their lifetimes, they certainly would have been delighted and fought it for days and nights.
Cheon Woo-jin observed the imugi while engaging in a colossal battle for a moment, then decided to bring about the outcome.
As he withdrew the Crane Feather Fan, the white whirlwind that had been fiercely clashing with the imugi subsided. Cheon Woo-jin stood quietly in place and watched the imugi.
The imugi surged forward with gaping jaws as if to swallow such a Cheon Woo-jin in a single mouthful.
From behind, the Espionage Hall Master’s voice was heard urgently.
“You crazy bastard!”
The Espionage Hall Master was approaching Cheon Woo-jin with his sword drawn. He seemed to have misunderstood that he was trying to sacrifice himself.
When Cheon Woo-jin lightly extended his hand, formless energy poured out and blew the Espionage Hall Master backward again.
The Espionage Hall Master, who drifted away like a paper doll, looked at Cheon Woo-jin with grave eyes.
– There is no chance of victory from the outside.
Leaving those words behind.
Cheon Woo-jin was truly swallowed whole by the imugi.
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The imugi that swallowed Cheon Woo-jin coiled its body and fell half-asleep.
No matter how great a spiritual creature like an imugi was, to digest a master of the Realm Beyond the Heavens, it had to prepare deliberately.
An imugi lives its entire life eating other spiritual creatures. It cultivates for hundreds of years to become a dragon.
To such an imugi, Cheon Woo-jin, who harbored immense energy, must have been a high-quality meal indeed.
Of course, a different matter was transpiring inside it.
“It is not as dark as I thought.”
Cheon Woo-jin walked nonchalantly while sightseeing the inside of the imugi’s body. It was so enormous that it would not be an exaggeration to view it as a cave situated in a large mountain.
Sticky green stomach acid poured down from all directions.
Poison Valley and the Poison Demon Corps. No, it was a deadly poison that not even Dok-ra-su and the Poison King could imitate.
Even so, Cheon Woo-jin was calm. The stomach acid could not exert any influence on Cheon Woo-jin. Because he had already reached the realm of perfect Immunity to All Poisons.
Cheon Woo-jin unfurled the Crane Feather Fan. Clearly, the interior looked much more vulnerable and softer than the outer scales. He gained conviction that he could tear this entire inside apart with Crane Wind Single Annihilation.
However, he did not feel like doing so. The moment right before being eaten by the imugi. Somehow, the imugi’s gaze had felt very sorrowful.
An imugi was a spiritual creature.
Judging by its size and harbored energy, it must have lived for at least several hundred years.
If it had fundamentally been an evil being, could it have survived on earth for that long time?
Even the Dark Emperor was ceaselessly attacked by those who despised and feared that evil, and was ultimately sealed.
How much more so if an imugi had lived while committing evil deeds: the martial artists who shook the world throughout several hundred years of history, or… though unrealistic, there was no way immortals would have left it alone.
“Indeed, when there is an imugi, there is no rule that immortals cannot exist.”
Thinking thus, he walked for a while instead of fanning the Crane Feather Fan. The deeper he approached into the depths of its body, a considerably fierce and colossal power was felt.
Apparently, it seemed to be the source of spiritual power harbored by the imugi. From that spot, a regular beat was spreading like a heart.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin stood before a bead presumed to be the imugi’s spiritual pill. In the bead the size of a human head, azure and black energies were clumping together.
He could tell the moment he saw it. The azure color was the imugi’s spiritual power, and the black color was the poison qi the First Valley Lord had injected over several decades.
“He committed an atrocious deed to a mute spiritual creature.”
He had expected the imugi had easily lived several hundred years, but seeing the inner core, his thoughts changed.
At least a thousand years. That was how immense and dense the imugi’s spiritual power was. Since it was an existence where it would not have been strange had it become a dragon long ago, ordinary poisons would not have worked.
The poison used by the First Valley Lord was extremely unique. It was poison, yet not poison. It seemed as if it naturally melted into the imugi’s spiritual power.
‘Is it a secret art passed down in Poison Valley?’
Regardless, it did not matter.
Cheon Woo-jin placed his palm on top of the inner core without hesitation.
Then an immense repulsive force was felt. If it were an ordinary martial artist, their arm would have burst the moment they touched it from that repulsive force.
Even Cheon Woo-jin let out a hum and slightly frowned.
“Stay still. This is all for your sake.”
The imugi, seeming startled, twisted its body wildly. Thanks to that, stomach acid poured down even more fiercely.
However, the stomach acid could not even reach within a one zhang radius of Cheon Woo-jin. He was deliberately pushing it away by circulating his energy. Because his clothes were not immune to all poisons, it would be embarrassing if they melted away.
Cheon Woo-jin began to control the spiritual power inside the inner core with the internal energy channeled through his palm. The principle was similar to when he treated the Poison King’s dementia.
Naturally, the imugi rebelled wildly. It was resisting fiercely so as not to have control of its energy stolen away.
However, although the imugi might possess more in terms of simple quantity of energy, a beast could not surpass a human in the ability to handle energy.
Of course, the opponent was not a mere beast but a spiritual creature, but this side was also not a mere human, but Cheon Woo-jin.