The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

Chapter 311: Yi-gang And The Unorthodox Sects' Successors (2)

“Crazy bastard!”

The Green-Faced Willow Demon’s face had turned pale.

Though it seemed as if he was frightened, that wasn’t truly the case. His complexion had always been bluish.

Yi-gang glared at the Green-Faced Willow Demon.

“You, you’ve got a nickname I don’t particularly like.”

Green-Faced Willow Demon and Blue-Eyed Mad Demon.

Their nicknames were strikingly similar.

Had it been during the era when the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon was making a name for himself, a lesser figure like the Green-Faced Willow Demon Ho Jong-shin wouldn’t have dared to adopt such a moniker.

“What did you say?”

The Green-Faced Willow Demon seemed about to faint from rage, but Yi-gang ignored him.

The aura of the Flawless Blade Ghost standing directly in front of him was anything but ordinary.

“You truly are courting death.”

His blade was still bound with severed chains, which clinked as they dangled.

Rather than bother to untie the chains, he shook them off his sword as if ridding it of blood.

Pakang!

A flash of red light shimmered from the blade, and the chains were cleanly severed.

“Draw your sword, Immortal Divine Dragon.”

“Hm.”

Yi-gang did not draw his sword.

Had this been a sparring match between orthodox martial artists, they would have waited for Yi-gang to act first.

Even if they were enraged by his arrogance, no one wanted the dishonor of striking down an unarmed opponent.

But Seomun Cheong was part of the unorthodox faction.

“If you won’t draw, then so be it.”

The warning itself was an act of mercy.

Seomun Cheong swung his blade downward from above.

Yi-gang clearly observed the decisive slash.

His pupils dilated as he meticulously captured every movement, breath, and motion of Seomun Cheong.

‘…An interesting blade technique.’

Seomun Cheong’s blade technique was like the fangs of a snake.

Normally, its lethality remained hidden, only to strike with venom the moment it was about to cut the opponent.

From a blade stripped of all embellishments, a sudden flash of crimson energy burst forth.

That blade would split Yi-gang cleanly in two, from the crown of his head to his groin.

Swae-ak!

It was a merciless killing strike.

If he heard it himself, he would be furious, but Seomun Cheong’s appearance was akin to a blade demon rising from hell.

Seomun Cheong wrinkled his nose, his nostrils flaring wide.

His hands were more sensitive than his eyes.

There was nothing caught on his blade.

Yi-gang had merely taken a single step backward.

But the movement was so swift and precise that it fooled even the eye.

‘Swift blink…!’

That could be the only explanation.

How could he possibly know the Radiant Shadowless Art, a cultivation technique of the Quanzhen Sect?

Yi-gang stepped on the back of Seomun Cheong’s blade and climbed upward.

“You dare!”

A shocked Seomun Cheong withdrew his blade.

Yi-gang, who should have lost his balance and fallen, instead used the momentum to propel himself into the air.

Seomun Cheong gritted his teeth and surged forward.

The distance was too close to swing his blade.

He intended to collide head-on and push Yi-gang back, but Yi-gang’s hands slipped effortlessly between Seomun Cheong’s arms.

Puh-buh-buhk!

Seomun Cheong took a direct blow to his chest.

A surge of nausea welled up, but he barely endured it by protecting his body with inner energy.

A sense of crisis surged.

This was an undeniable opportunity for his opponent.

However, Yi-gang did not press his assault on Seomun Cheong any further.

Instead, he simply stared at him silently.

Seomun Cheong’s face twisted in response.

“…Are you mocking me?!”

Seomun Cheong’s eyes turned blood-red in fury.

It was the unique inner technique of the Unorthodox Union Leader, Red Ghost Art.

His intricate blade technique changed once more.

Seomun Cheong poured his anger and frustration into an explosive release of inner energy.

Yet Yi-gang remained calm as ever.

“You’re overestimating yourself.”

Contrary to Seomun Cheong’s assumption, Yi-gang had no intention of provoking him.

His purpose here was strictly to assess the opponent’s full capabilities.

Shouldn’t he witness all the techniques Seomun Cheong had to offer?

“Uaaaah!”

And besides, had he wanted to end the fight, Yi-gang would have done so long ago.

Seomun Cheong’s blade was enveloped in a vivid crimson energy.

Unlike the simple blade techniques from earlier, his attacks became fierce and intricate.

Yi-gang’s eyes flashed a brilliant blue.

His movements accelerated even further.

Yi-gang narrowly evaded Seomun Cheong’s blade each time.

Even amidst the chaos, his icy gaze continued to analyze Seomun Cheong.

‘Supreme Peak. He seemed to conserve his Sword Aura at first, but now he uses it recklessly. Deep and profound inner energy…’

Sword Aura could cut through anything except for special metals like a meteorite sword.

However, because it materialized by shaping Qi, it required an enormous amount of inner energy.

It was evident that Seomun Cheong had accumulated remarkable inner energy, unusual for someone his age.

‘But, he’s hot-tempered. He was said to have a calm demeanor, but perhaps an accident changed his personality.’

Yi-gang coldly identified even his opponent’s weaknesses.

At that moment, Seomun Cheong’s killing intent surged explosively.

A skilled swordsman would usually conceal their killing intent to some extent.

However, with his heightened intuition, Yi-gang could clearly sense Seomun Cheong’s intent to kill.

As Yi-gang analyzed Seomun Cheong, he murmured something to himself.

It was the thought process of a true swordsman.

It was something utterly unfamiliar for a martial artist of the unorthodox faction.

“…Summon lightning, the great power of the sky.”

A low voice rumbled from Yi-gang’s mouth.

Seomun Cheong saw a flash of lightning.

Crack!

A deafening thunderclap resounded moments later, splitting the air near his ears.

A searing electric current surged through Seomun Cheong’s entire body.

This was Yi-gang’s Thunder God’s Movement, a technique he had once demonstrated at Mount Kunlun.

Unlike before, the thunderclap did not unleash earth-shaking destruction.

The bolt of lightning that struck from the clear sky failed to burn Seomun Cheong’s body, which was protected by his inner energy.

However, the temporary paralysis prevented him from attacking Yi-gang.

At that moment, Yi-gang struck Seomun Cheong’s wrist with a precise kick.

Ppeoeok!

The move was so seamlessly executed alongside the lightning strike that Seomun Cheong lost his grip on his blade.

“Huh… Huff…!”

“…”

It was a decisive victory for Yi-gang.

However, Yi-gang was not satisfied yet.

Gripping the sword that had naturally sprung from its scabbard, he swung it decisively.

Unlike Seomun Cheong’s frantic gaze, Yi-gang’s eyes carried a cold, piercing intensity.

Seomun Cheong instinctively felt that his throat would be sliced.

Slash!

Blood sprayed everywhere.

Crimson droplets splattered onto Yi-gang’s face.

Seomun Cheong clutched his neck, which was gushing with hot blood.

“…!”

No, his throat was unharmed.

Yi-gang had feinted as if slashing Seomun Cheong’s throat, then reversed his position using Radiant Shadowless Art in an instant.

So, whose blood was it?

Nearby, the Green-Faced Willow Demon was clutching his arm and retreating.

Bright red blood dripped steadily from his forearm.

“Kugh.”

“…A bold ambush,” Yi-gang murmured, wiping the blood off his face.

Green-Faced Willow Demon’s ambush had been truly sinister.

He crept closer like a snake slithering along the ground, aiming a dagger at Yi-gang’s back.

Even the Green-Faced Willow Demon couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Summoning lightning? You’re not even human. And those piercing blue eyes…”

“Talkative for someone with a blue face.”

“Are you talking about my complexion?”

The Green-Faced Willow Demon skillfully pressed the acupoints on his injured arm.

The wound wasn’t deep, and the bleeding soon stopped.

“It’s part of becoming a poison practitioner.”

“Your grandfather, the Five Poison Demonic Lord, had a dark complexion.”

“That’s just because he was tanned from the sun.”

The Green-Faced Willow Demon was said to be the direct grandson of the Five Poison Demonic Lord.

Yi-gang evaluated him differently from Tang Eun-seol, labeling him as a sinister individual.

“He nearly reached the pinnacle of poison mastery.”

“Nearly?”

“Yes, to become a complete poison practitioner, one must remove all poison from their body entirely. It’s about turning poison into nothingness.”

“Can such a person still be called a poison practitioner?”

“Of course. Eliminating poison entirely, and then recreating it from nothing—that is the ultimate poison mastery.”

While martial arts are inherently mysterious, poison arts took it to an even greater extreme.

From the combination to the method of poisoning, the less known it was, the more dangerous it became.

Then why was the Green-Faced Willow Demon revealing so many of his secrets?

“As a poison practitioner, I have not yet reached my grandfather’s level. My entire body is imbued with poison, which is why my face is blue.”

“That must be painful.”

“Are you acknowledging it? Heh, I managed to expel the poison from my breath, but I still can’t remove the toxins from my bodily fluids and blood.”

“…”

“Hah, haha…”

The Green-Faced Willow Demon smirked.

The blood that splattered on Yi-gang’s face earlier.

Although he wiped it off immediately, dark blue rashes began to appear where the blood had touched.

“Arrogant fool. I won’t kill you, but you will suffer plenty.”

Soon, Yi-gang’s body stiffened completely.

It was clear that the poison Green-Faced Willow Demon had absorbed from the Well of Ten Thousand Poisons was paralyzing Yi-gang’s body.

Thud.

Yi-gang eventually dropped the Shooting Star Fang.

It rolled across the dark soil.

Yi-gang thought to himself, ‘Clever and insidious. Skilled in poison arts—who could face someone like this…?’

The Green-Faced Willow Demon calmed his excitement and successfully subdued Yi-gang.

With a composed expression, he approached Yi-gang.

“You’ll need to stay in bed for at least a month.”

Like a snake that had just brought down a beast much larger than itself, his steps were slow and eerie.

Yi-gang asked in a trembling voice, “…You mean even your bodily fluids are poisonous?”

“Yes, heh heh.”

By now, Yi-gang’s face had turned pale.

The Green-Faced Willow Demon smirked at Yi-gang, who somehow managed to keep talking, and raised his hand.

In the meantime, Yi-gang managed to squeeze out one more remark.

“If that’s the case… then you’re practically impotent, aren’t you?”

The Green-Faced Willow Demon’s eyes widened in shock.

At the same moment, Yi-gang’s complexion returned to normal.

And with that, his foot slammed into the Green-Faced Willow Demon’s face.

Kwaaang!

It sounded like a hammer striking a leather drum.

The Green-Faced Willow Demon was sent flying with tremendous force.

He spun several times in the air before crashing to the ground with a thud.

Though his blue-tinged face had once been somewhat handsome, the Green-Faced Willow Demon’s features were now sunken.

His body trembled uncontrollably, seemingly unconscious.

“Hmm, he talks too much and lets his guard down easily…”

Yi-gang committed the Green-Faced Willow Demon’s characteristics to memory.

Seomun Cheong and Gal Dong-tak stared at Yi-gang in shock.

“How can you resist the poison…?”

Among the five, Yi-gang’s martial skill was the weakest, yet the Green-Faced Willow Demon was the most difficult opponent to handle.

This was because his insidious poison arts were nearly impossible to counter effectively.

“Could it be… all-poison immunity…?!”

At Gal Dong-tak’s murmuring, Yi-gang let out a bitter smile.

All-poison immunity—such an epitome of vitality didn’t suit Yi-gang at all.

Yi-gang had resisted the Green-Faced Willow Demon’s poison-tainted blood for two reasons.

‘Tang Eun-seol’s help made this easier.’

Yi-gang had directly learned how to control demonic energy from Tang Eun-seol, who sought to become a poison master through a different path.

Thanks to this, he could suppress the poison energy.

Tang Eun-seol’s poison energy and the Green-Faced Willow Demon’s poison were imbued in exactly the same way.

Additionally, the Green-Faced Willow Demon’s poison wasn’t particularly potent. It was likely because his attack was an indirect ambush through bodily fluids rather than a direct poison technique.

Yi-gang channeled the suppressed poison energy into his left hand.

Then, he drew out a small blade and sliced his palm.

Bluish blood dripped steadily onto the ground.

Chiiiik—

Pungent smoke rose from the poisonous liquid.

Frowning, Yi-gang turned his head.

He noticed Gal Dong-tak and Seomun Cheong covering their noses.

Yi-gang spoke in a low voice, “I’m going to track down the rest of them. Want to watch?”

If Yi-gang had asked for their help in finding the remaining two, they would have refused without hesitation.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll wander around on my own.”

However, Yi-gang’s proposal was different—he offered to take them down himself, letting them watch if they wished.

It was also right after they had witnessed Yi-gang’s ghost-like speed and skill.

For Seomun Cheong, rejecting outright wasn’t an option.

Especially since he had been soundly defeated just moments ago.

“…”

Yet it wasn’t an easy question to answer.

At that moment, Gal Dong-tak was the first to answer enthusiastically.

“Alright!”

“Fine, lead the way.”

“They’re probably over there.”

Without hesitation, Yi-gang headed in that direction.

Seomun Cheong hesitated briefly before speaking.

“I’ll… go too.”

Yi-gang didn’t even look back.

Seomun Cheong muttered a curse under his breath and followed after Yi-gang and Gal Dong-tak.