Chapter 4 - 23 to 29

As the group entered the manor, a boy greeted them.

"It's been a while, everyone."

Dang Mi-ryeo, who had stepped forward at the voice, was about to say something, but then spoke with a bewildered expression. A beautiful boy she had never seen before was right in front of her. There was something similar to the name she knew, but it felt like it was someone completely different.

"What the…? Are you really on prolongation?"

"No. 26. Do not call No. 28 by their full names. While you are here, you must refer to each other only by the titles given to you."

"…yes."

When the guard warrior standing nearby pointed it out, Dang Mi-ryeo simply nodded her head. Normally, she would have spoken out loud, but for some reason, she just stepped back with a bashful look on her face.

Looking at that sight, Dang Won-jin thought.

'I didn't notice it even though I saw it every day, but it really has changed a lot.'

Boy No. 28, Dang-myung-myeong, had a completely different appearance than he had half a year ago. The boy, who had a slender figure but looked skinny, had gained some weight thanks to eating and sleeping well. His arms and legs had also gotten a little longer.

As her face gained weight, her natural face was revealed, and she was incredibly beautiful. It was enough to suggest that she was born with extraordinary bloodlines.

"Your eyes have become brighter. It's nice to see you."

Number 25 Dang Yuri spoke calmly. However, she couldn't hide the affection in her eyes. Her face turned slightly red.

'He's so handsome! Come to think of it, he's that Dokbong's son.'

Even though he was still young, he had a sharp nose like a sword and dark, cool-looking eyebrows. If he continued to grow like this, he would definitely become a peerless handsome man. Now it really felt like he was the blood of Dokbong Dang Ji-hye, once called the most beautiful of the four heavens.

Meanwhile, Dang Yi-jeon made a strange expression as he looked at Dang Mi-ryeo who had become somewhat shy.

'… It seems like my anger goes away just by looking at your face.'

It was a sight I had never seen before while living in the cave of the cliff. Wasn't it Dang Mi-ryeo who had been waiting and waiting for the day when she would meet Deung-myeong, saying that she would always go and live comfortably by herself?

Dang I-jeon nodded his head and greeted Dang Myeong-myeong.

"It's been a while… No. 28. I'm glad you've been doing well."

"Yeah. You look okay too."

"Have you achieved anything? Oh, I'm not trying to restrain you…."

"So-so. It seems like you guys have improved quite a bit. Your muscle tone has improved."

"Because I have to climb a cliff every time I go in and out of Donghyeol… No, but more than that, do you see that? What kind of technique did you learn…?"

While Dang Yi-jeon was talking to Dang Myeong-myeong, Dang Mi-ryeo and Dang Yu-ri also quietly approached him.

"No, come to think of it, why don't I feel any special aura from you, No. 28? Our senses are clearly honed to the point where they can pass the test."

"… More than our achievements, the extension of life… No, the achievement of No. 28 is deeper."

"Does that make sense? After all the hardships we endured, how can someone who eats warm food and trains comfortably in the garden be more outstanding?"

Dang Mi-ryeo quickly revealed her fierce true face. Suddenly, Mun-yun-myeong felt that it was strange that she still had a pale complexion despite being so hot. Was there something wrong with her body? However, she did not feel anything. It was a little cold, or it felt like there was a strong yin energy, but it was not enough to cause a problem.

"That's enough to relieve stress."

The Bongwidae warrior who had interrupted the conversation between the four opened his mouth. Now that all of the 7 groups had reached the minimum level, it was time to proceed to the next step.

"Half a year from now, that is, one year after the start of the competition━"

Dang Won-jin, who had been looking over the boys and girls, spoke.

"We elect a temporary leader."

****

Half a year has passed.

For half a year, the 7th group spent their time making up for their own shortcomings and learning various martial arts. The remaining three of the 7th group, who realized that Deungmyung's achievements were not ordinary, devoted themselves to training, even sparing sleep, but the more they did, the more the gap widened.

In almost all areas of dark arts, including the art of gigam, anbeop, and throwing, and the art of divine magic, Dang-myeong's achievements were overwhelming compared to the other three. Although Dang-i-jeon was superior to Dang-myeong in the art of dragon poison and the production of poison, there was not much difference.

One thing that was strange was that Dang Jeon-i showed extraordinary interest in the poison produced by Dang Jeon-i.

What was even stranger was the part where Dang-myung-myeong showed interest. Dang-myung-myeong didn't know anything about the recipe for the poison. He was just curious about the effects of the poison and whether Tang-yi-jeon could make a more powerful poison.

Tang Yi-Jeon said that this was enough to kill, but Yu Myeong-Myeong said that it was not true. Not only did he say that, he soon proved that Tang Yi-Jeon was fine after eating the poison he had made or applying it to his skin, making Tang Yi-Jeon dumb and speechless.

'That's ridiculous! How can someone eat intestine-rending poison and still be fine? Just three drops would kill a normal person with the pain of having their intestines ripped and torn apart!'

'I guess I'm not ordinary. It seems a bit too much to call this extreme.'

'Profit! Wait. Even if you die from drinking the poison I made, never blame me.'

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'It seems like it's been more than ten times since I've heard that.'

'Shut up!'

Inspired by Dang Sang-myeong, Dang Jeon put his martial arts on the back burner for a while and devoted all his efforts to developing new poisons, some of which even Dang Won-jin could not help but admire.

The problem was that all of those poisons were still useless to him. He hadn't even taken any antidotes. It was just that his body's own resistance to poison was completely beyond the normal range.

It was amazing. How could such a thing be possible?

Of course, there was a secret here that only Deungmyung could have.

The Dokyocheong Gwangsimbeop - Although it was the basic household heart method of the Tang family, the Dokyocheong Gwangsimbeop that was accumulated due to the Dokyocheong Gwangsimbeop of the successful Tang family had a completely different aspect from what was known.

The nature of devouring poison like prey!

No matter how strong the poison was, it would become prey to the poison-requesting madness as soon as it entered the body. Originally, Dang-Yi-Jeon had been using poison to increase his internal energy until Jang-Won returned.

The function of the Poison Request Madness was not simply to make Mandok invulnerable. The more poison the Poison Request Madness consumed, the stronger it became, which meant that its internal energy was increasing.

The core of most mind and breathing methods is to convert the energy that exists in the universe into a certain quality and store it in the body. That means that no matter how excellent the mind method is, it absolutely requires a long period of time to store energy through breathing.

It was known that it was nearly impossible to increase one's internal energy in a short period of time without taking the internal energy of spirits or creatures that had been imbued with the energy of heaven and earth for a long time, or by taking elixirs made from them.

However, the poison request madness was possible. To those who mastered the poison request madness method, poison itself was no different from an elixir. In particular, the more extreme the poison, the better the effect. The stronger the poison, the better the prey.

After focusing on using poison to increase his poison request madness for a while, Dang-myeong soon reached his limit. He could no longer increase his poison request madness. As his poison request madness grew stronger, it seemed that even the most powerful poisons could not send a message.

In other words, in order to further increase the poison request madness and raise the internal energy to the desired level, a very strong poison is needed.

However, there was a limit to the poisons that could be obtained from the Bongwidae warriors in the manor. He also tried to make poison himself, but self-study (毒學) was completely different from martial arts. Just mixing strong poisons together did not create a more powerful poison, and several almost harmless poisons were mixed to create a deadly poison.

In a situation where the Dokyo Request Madness was at a standstill, Dang Yi-jeon returned to Jangwon, and Dang Yuan-myeong immediately recognized his talent.

By stimulating Tang Yijun appropriately like that, Dang Yuanming ate all the poisons he created, and when Tang Yijun finally stopped feeling any excitement from the poisons he created, he reached the desired level of internal energy.

Right before Hwagyeong!

Since he had already experienced the realm of the swordsman, he was aware that he did not lack enlightenment. What he lacked was just the vessel, shell, and internal energy. That is why he deliberately stopped the growth of the Dokyo Request Madness before the Hwagyeong.

'Because when you reach Hwagyeong, you will be completely transformed.'

Transformation of the body (換骨脫態) - This refers to the reconstruction of the body of a warrior who has reached a high level. Naturally, this was something he had already experienced once in his previous life.

When you undergo a complete transformation, your body transforms into the most perfect form and material for implementing martial arts.

The problem was that it was obvious that he was of this age.

The body of a boy who has not yet fully grown undergoes a complete transformation?

'It's one of two things. Either it doesn't change much from where it is now, or it grows up completely.'

The natural name was already accustomed to the current body. That meant that the transformation could be completed while maintaining the current limb spacing. The body that has undergone the transformation is perfect in itself, so it will no longer grow or age. As long as the original source is not damaged, the body will remain in its prime until death.

If that were to happen, it would naturally mean that I would have to live my entire life in the body of a boy. It couldn't have been anything but a terrible story.

Or, the body could have been reconstructed into a fully grown body, which would have been a problem in its own right. Not only would his mother, Dokbong Dang Ji-hye, not to mention the entire family would not believe it. A boy who was barely thirteen years old would have been transformed!

Although he may not know, the ordinary life that the boy envisioned was completely out of reach.

In either case, it was not the situation that Dang-Yang-Myeong wanted. That is why, right before Hwa-Gyeong, Dang-Yang-Myeong stopped the growth of Dok-Yo-Cheong-Gwang-Gi. He was planning to attempt a transformation only after his physical growth was completely finished.

one side.

Having achieved a certain level of martial arts, Dang Yuri, Dang Miryeo, and Dang Yijeon began to personally observe their martial arts performances. He especially instructed Dang Yijeon carefully because he felt indebted to him, but soon the three of them could not help but feel the vast difference in skill between them and Dang Yuri.

'I thought I had some talent. What the heck is that secret technique…?'

'I've been thinking that lately. With that face and that talent. Could it be that heaven made a mistake?'

'Was it really possible to be immortal in the universe…?'

Jealousy and envy can only arise when there is a certain amount of difference. At first, the three lamented the difference in talent and ability, but eventually they were impressed by Yu Myeong-myeong. They said that Yu Myeong-myeong was the one who was fit for the position of Soga-ju.

The date for the election of the temporary leader that the party members had mentioned was approaching.

"Then, by unanimous consent, the temporary leader of Group 7 will be Group 28."

"yes."

Without much fuss, Dang-myeong became the temporary leader of Group 7. Even though he has been promoted, it is literally temporary."

Dang Won-jin said this while looking at the newly appointed leader, No. 28. The participants who knew nothing would have tried hard to become the leader temporarily after gathering at the first place, but in fact, in this competition, becoming the temporary leader had more disadvantages than advantages.

"When the competition begins in the third year, that is, two years from now, we will officially elect a team leader. At that time, the participants who are elected as team leaders will represent their teams and compete in the final test of the competition, the poison battle."

In any case, only one person among the participants in the Sogaju competition could become the Sogaju. Since the goal was to select the most outstanding person in the party, the idea was to select the most outstanding person from each of the seven groups as the group leader and have the seven compete to select the final one.

"The selection of the official leader is done through a duel between the temporary leader and the remaining members. In other words, the temporary leader, No. 28, must defeat the combined attacks of Nos. 25, 26, and 27 and achieve victory before he can become the leader."

"What happens if we win instead of number 28?"

"Good question, No. 25. If that happens, No. 28 will lose his right to be the official leader, and the best one among you three will become the leader."

"… Aren't these conditions too unfavorable for the temporary leader? This is an unacceptable measure."

"So. I don't know what the hell you're thinking."

"No. 28 is still, so I don't know why you guys are acting like this…."

Dang Won-jin trailed off and looked over the boys and girls of Group 7. I don't know the achievements of the other group participants, but at least Group 7 members had improved their skills to the point where they could be called the successors of a prestigious military family without any shame. They didn't show it, but you could tell without even looking that they had gone through a lot of hardships in a short period of time.

However, they unanimously agreed to appoint Boy No. 28 as the temporary leader. This was not an easy task to do without acknowledging the other person deep down. The participants had no idea whether taking on the role of temporary leader would be beneficial or detrimental.

The temporary leader could have become the official leader and faced the final test of competition - a lonely battle.

Even if I didn't know, it wouldn't be strange if the other group had a bloody fight. Thinking so, Dang Won-jin opened his mouth.

"As time goes by, it is natural that the competitors will have an advantage in skill. Each person's original skill, innate talent, and the effort they put in to come here are all different. And when the gap widens to a certain extent, most of the participants will give up their efforts. Even the best participants in each group will become somewhat complacent. That cannot but be a huge loss for the entire family. That is why we chose a temporary team leader."

"So that's why?"

Number 26 Dangmiryo asked back awkwardly as if she didn't understand, but number 25 Dangyuree nodded as if she understood.

"… I plan to make all the participants give their best effort until the end."

"What does that mean?"

"Think about it. The temporary leader… So in our group, it would be No. 28. Anyway, for No. 28 to become the official leader, he has to defeat all of us in a duel, right?"

"I think we can break it. Aren't we losing now?"

"… … ."

While Dang Yuri was momentarily speechless at Dang Miryeo's question and remained silent, Dang Yijeon spoke.

"I guess our group is an exception. The lifespan… no, there won't be another guy like No. 28. Even if most of them are excellent, it'll be hard for them to handle the remaining three at the same time. Depending on the group, it might not be all three. In any case, it's possible for the group members other than the temporary leader to have a chance. It's also advantageous because we can attack together."

"Do you induce effort by throwing out the possibility that you might become a regular promoter?"

"That's right. The kids who were chosen as temporary team leaders this time will feel even more alert and will try to keep their positions. They'll have to work several times harder than the other team members."

Dang Mi-ryeo, who finally understood, nodded and muttered. She really used her head.

"I think everyone understands, so I'll continue. Since we're in a disadvantageous situation, No. 28, who has become the temporary leader, will be given a small benefit."

"Benefits? Maybe an elixir or something?"

"That might be true. Since I have to deal with many people, I think they might want to increase my internal energy."

Dang Mi-ryeo and Dang I-jeon whispered at Dang Won-jin's words.

"Okay. Number 28, come out and get it."

Dang Won-jin called Dang Yuan-myeong, stood him in front of him, and held out a small wooden box.

"What is it?"

"This is a medicinal elixir made by combining various medicinal herbs at the Bonga Yakwangdang. It is called Cheonsimhwan (千審丸), and when taken, it will greatly increase your internal strength."

"… Cheonsimhwan?"

Dang Yu-ri muttered with a surprised expression. Cheonsimhwan was a secret elixir of the Tang family medicine kings that was made by adding a few hundred-year-old snow ginseng roots. The value of the ingredients alone was valuable, but as the name suggests, it took a thousand days of meticulous care to make a proper Cheonsimhwan. The value of such Cheonsimhwan was hard to measure in money. I don't know for sure, but even if you offered it for 10,000 nyang, wouldn't there be people lining up to buy it?

Dang Mi-ryeo and Dang I-jeon also looked at the wooden box with surprised expressions. They expected that they would be given elixirs, but they never thought they would be given Cheonsim-hwan. They felt anew how much the family had expected from the contestants. In particular, Dang Mi-ryeo showed great interest in the wooden box containing Cheonsim-hwan. It was as if there was some reason.

However, the boy who was to receive the Cheonsimhwan had an indifferent expression, without any emotion. After looking at the wooden box for a moment, Yu Sangmyeong slowly began to speak.

"if…."

"Huh? Why are you doing that?"

"I don't really need the elixir, so can I get something else instead?"

"what?"

Dang Won-jin asked back with a puzzled expression. Although Boy No. 28 had often shown unpredictable behaviors, he had thought that he would express joy easily today. To a warrior, internal energy was a power that could be accumulated after breathing hard for many years. An elixir could shorten that time. In particular, the Cheonsimhwan made by the Medicine King Hall was a treasure or a precious gift that could save several years of time. But he refused it and demanded another reward…?

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"Are you crazy? Do you know what kind of elixir that is…!"

"Calm down. Number 26. You must have an idea. It's none other than Number 28."

"Is there anything you can think about and do? Only after you reach a state where your internal energy doesn't increase even if you take elixirs anymore…."

Dang Yuri stopped Dang Miryeo from screaming.

"…Tell me first. I need to hear what you want to receive."

Dang Won-jin said, lightly touching his head. He had long ago given up on trying to figure out what No. 28 was thinking.

Be that as it may, Dang-myung blurted out what he had to say.

"I want extreme poison. I hope it's a party poison."

"… You want extreme poison? Why? The poisons that No. 27 made for you were strong enough. They were extreme poisons. Are you really trying to achieve an invincible body? If so, you should think again."

The human body adapts to any environment when continuously exposed, so if you repeat poisoning and detoxification, you can also gain tolerance to poisons. Long-time herbalists sometimes chew poisonous plants, and it can be seen that they survive poisoning that would kill a normal person without any problems.

But there was a limit to that.

Once a person becomes poisoned, it takes time for the body to recognize the poison and begin to detoxify it. However, the most severe poisons, called toxic poisons, spread throughout the body and kill the person without even giving that time.

In the first place, it is not possible to build up tolerance by repeating addiction and detoxification. Those who have mastered the Tang family's method of poisoning, including the Dokyocheong Gwangsim method, have a certain degree of tolerance to extreme poisoning, but it is reasonable to assume that this has its limits.

It was because I never dreamed that the Pure Name would master the Dokyo Request Light Mind Method and create an energy that could consume any poison, that I expressed such concerns. I was worried that I might make a mistake while trying to achieve a vain state like the Mandok Buljimjiche. I had already been anxious when I saw that No. 27 was trying various things with the poison he had created.

"I don't plan on taking it. For now."

Dang-myung shook his head and said. If he were to grow his poison-requesting madness further here, there was a high possibility that he would reach Hwa-gyeong and undergo a complete transformation. So he wasn't asking for extreme poison in order to eat it all up. For the same reason, he didn't need elixir either.

"… You're probably the only one who uses the word 'taking' to describe extreme poison."

Dang Won-jin made a face that showed that he was relieved for a moment, but then immediately said incredulously. Poison isn't a cure-all.

"Then the reason you want to use it is because you want to use it yourself… If you want to use it in competition, it absolutely cannot be used. It is impossible to use it in the first place."

It was a natural thing. The final test, the battle of solitude, was a competition for survival as its name suggests, and there was a high possibility that it would be a fierce fight to the death. However, using an external poison instead of one made with one's own ability was problematic. That's why the party members refused.

In particular, the Dangga Shippox was an extremely powerful poison that even highly skilled masters had to be careful of. At one point, the Dangga clan was almost destroyed because of the Dangga Shippox. It was because of the martial arts forces who were afraid of it.

It was absurd to think that such poison could be consumed in a single battle. In the first place, a single dose of Danggasipdok was more valuable than dozens of Cheonsimhwan.

"…okay."

Dang Won-jin nodded his head at Dang Won-jin's explanation. After receiving the Danggasipdok, he planned to use it later when he ascended to Hwagyeong or leave it as a means of killing, but it seemed impossible to receive it as a substitute for Cheonsimhwan.

'I guess I'll have to arm myself with Jeon-i's poison for the time being.'

The boy no longer had the weapon he needed to use, but he had no intention of turning down a poison that would increase his killing efficiency.

Even though it was not a formation, I wanted to keep my weapons and poisons ready so that I could be ready for battle at any time. This was just a habit as a warrior. I felt at ease doing it that way.

'Yeah. I guess I'll just ask for a memory.'

The boy's secret technique had already reached a high level, but the only secret technique he had was the shuriken he had taken from Tang Moon-chan.

"Then, can I get the kind of memorization I want? Instead of the Cheonsimhwan?"

"… Are you serious?"

"yes."

Even though he said that, Dang Won-jin finally sighed at the boy's words that he would give up Cheonsimhwan.

'I bet the Yakwangdang would like it. They saved one Cheonsimhwan.'

"Ugh… Okay. Tell me what you need to memorize." Time passed like flowing water.

"He's a truly unbelievable monster."

"So. How can you deal with all of us without losing your breath?"

"Dragon poison technique, dark technique, energy sense, new method, eye technique… all of them are ridiculous. I didn't even take Cheonsimhwan, so what's with all that internal energy?"

A boy and two girls, who looked to be about sixteen years old, were having a conversation with expressions that showed they were completely fed up.

And a boy stands proudly before them⎯

No, it was too much to call him a boy anymore. His moderately broad shoulders and wide chest were manly, and his long arms and legs, which were barely visible from the sleeves of his clothes, were handsome and well-built. Above all, his height, which had grown to be close to 6 feet (approximately 180 cm), was now enough to make most adults look down on him, so wouldn't it be more appropriate to call him a young man rather than a boy?

Another thing that caught my eye was his face, which seemed out of this world. A face so handsome that words like handsome, beautiful, or handsome were not enough. It was a beauty that made me admire the stories of Songok and Ban-an. However, that did not mean that he felt like a woman at all. The hair that went down to his earlobes was very thick, which not only defined his face but also gave him a manly feel. His eyebrows, which were as sharp as a sword, gave him a strong impression, and above all, the green light that occasionally flashed in his eyes created a mysterious atmosphere.

It was Dang-Myeong who turned sixteen this year.

He, who was on the borderline between a young man and a boy, suddenly spoke with a laugh.

"You guys, you were coveting the position of team leader? No way. I've told you over and over again. The position of Sogaju is mine."

There was a playfulness in his eyes. Dang Yuri, Dang Miryeo, and Dang Ijeon had become quite close over the past two years. They had become close enough to joke around without hesitation.

Of course, I knew that. This test was just a chance for the three of us to prove ourselves as we had been building up our skills.

At Dang-myeong's words, Dang-i-jeon smiled and said.

"Yeah. You're great. If not you, who else would be the head of the Tang family?"

"I always feel this way, but No. 28 is unlucky whether he says something or not. But he's handsome."

"That makes me even more annoyed. The sky is unfair."

Dang Yuri and Dang Miryeo added their words and sat down. Due to the constraints of the exam, they were unable to use extreme poison, but they sprayed poisons that could confuse the senses or interfere with the battle, including the mountain poison, and they poured out all kinds of hidden techniques, and even tried close-up techniques, but they were all useless. It was a monster that didn't even breathe heavily even though it was not alone, but three people working together to the point of exhaustion. That was its natural name.

"The world would be surprised if he ascends to the position of Sogaju with that skill and that face."

"I wonder if there's still something like the Yongbong branch these days? If he were to appear in a place like that, the reputation of our family would skyrocket."

"There is a Sacheon branch, right?"

"… There are a lot of Sapa guys there, so let's get rid of them. You could end up a target for no reason."

When the topic of Sacheonjihoe came up, Dang Yuri was disgusted. Sacheonjihoe was a social gathering of the factions based in Sacheon. At one time, it was a place where the later leaders of various sects, including Cheongseong and Ami, would hold competitions and other events to foster their spirit of improvement and promote friendship, but it was no longer the case.

In Sacheon, which had practically become the world of the Four Sects, the Sacheon Branch had long since degenerated into a feast for the sects under the Black Lotus and those who tried to somehow get in line with those sects.

"It looks like the match has been decided."

Dang Won-jin said as he approached.

"The official leader of Group 7 will remain the same as Group 28, who was the temporary leader."

"yes."

Dang-myeong answers without even shedding a single drop of sweat.

The party members and the Bongwidae warriors were shocked at such a natural order. It wasn't that the other three in the 7th group were weak. Since they had personally guided their harsh training, the Bongwidae warriors knew the strength of the 25th, 26th, and 27th. If two of the three were to attack together, it would be difficult for the Bongwidae warriors to completely guarantee an advantage.

'It's hard for me to deal with all three of them at the same time.'

Even the most outstanding martial artist in the Bongwidae in charge of the 7th Division, Dang Won-jin, thought so. The 7th Division was still only a boy and a girl, but they had learned the martial arts of the Dang family. That was why dealing with them was bound to be difficult. The Dang family's secret techniques and poison techniques could kill even the most advanced masters in some cases. There was a reason why the Bangpas, who were once known as the Dokmun, were despised.

However, Dang-myeong showed composure throughout the encounter with the three. He even intentionally gave up the first attack, giving them a chance to show off all the skills they had learned. Nevertheless, he perfectly blocked or avoided all of those attacks.

'Maybe the strongest one in this place is this guy, number 28…'

Suddenly, thinking about that, Dang Won-jin said.

"The final exam will be soon."

"Is this a battle of loneliness?"

"Yes. I don't think I need to talk about it at length. I've mentioned it several times."

"yes."

The eyes of the person answering naturally shone.

The Lonely Battle (蠱毒戰) could be said to be the final stage of the competition for the Sogaju. In the Lonely Battle, the leaders of each group selected from the seven groups participating in the competition participate, and the one who ultimately wins becomes the Sogaju of the party.

The procedure was simple.

The Seven-Spiral Ring-Armed Battle Formation, performed by figures from the Zhuge family, including Zhuge Changxin.

On top of that, a completely new formation world is created and the seven leaders of each group are thrown into it. The formation world is quite large, and since each person enters from a different place, they do not encounter each other at first. However, since a deadline was set when the Seven-Sail Ring Palace Formation was first deployed, the formation world was gradually destroyed from the outside. In this way, the area where activities are possible gradually narrows, and anyone who exits the formation, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, is considered eliminated. The formation shrinks until the last person remains, and everything that happens inside the formation is ignored.

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'That means murder is permitted.'

The obvious answer was that he had figured out the test's intention as soon as he heard it. The name itself was "Lonely Battle." It was a test to leave behind the most vicious person. It was subtly telling him to survive by any means necessary.

"The battle of loneliness begins in a month. No. 28 must be fully prepared by then."

"All right."

Dang-myeong, who had been nodding expressionlessly while answering, suddenly opened his mouth again as if remembering something.

"Can I use extreme poison this time?"

"… Didn't I say that I will leave it at that no matter what you do? Do whatever you want."

****

"Thank you. No. 27. No, before the party."

Dang-myung said as he accepted a few bottles of poison. After being together for over three years, they had become accustomed to calling each other by numbers, but when the Bongwidae warriors were not around, they called each other by their first names.

The poison in the bottle was a deadly poison made by Dang I-jeon. Dang I-jeon would make simple poisons by crushing or boiling easily available grass and insects, and he would mix these poisons with poisons or medicinal herbs that the Bongwidae warriors had, and he would make new deadly poisons.

The production of these poisons could not be done simply by knowing the recipe. Not only would the mixing ratio change from time to time, but the results would be completely different depending on the state of the poison or medicinal material. It seemed like it required some kind of sense that was completely separate from the martial arts.

"Remember. You're fine with the intestinal-rupturing paper poison. If a normal person swallowed just one drop, they'd lose consciousness and eventually die. The ocular poison won't work unless you spray it in your eyes, and the guyeolsan… ."

Tang Yi-jeon explained the poisons one by one. There were quite a variety of poisons, from minor ones to extremely poisonous ones, but as a general, he had already experienced them all firsthand.

After explaining for a while, Dang Yi-jeon met his eyes and said.

"I don't think I have much to worry about since it's you. Anyway, good luck."

"okay."

Dang-myeong nodded while packing the poison bottles into his bosom. In addition to the small pouch that could hold the poison bottles, he also had large and small belts in his bosom. And on those belts, all sorts of weapons were hanging like fruits on a tree. From spears that were a little bigger than a finger joint to a few bundles of Umochim, a type of small needle weapon, and several shurikens that looked almost exactly like the ones he had taken from Dang-mun-chan.

This was all a private secret of Deungryungmyeong. He said he would receive it instead of Cheonsimhwan.

Perhaps that was why the quality seemed much better than what he had borrowed from the Bongwidae warriors. Even the color was different. In addition to the Bongwidae warriors, there were also family members who had been dispatched from their families for this competition and had been ordered to stay for several years. Among them were craftsmen who made secret weapons, so it was possible for Deungmyung to have his own secret weapons made.

At the time, no one understood why he gave up the Cheonsimhwan that could increase his internal energy, but it was a natural choice for him. In any case, he could increase his internal energy by increasing his poison-requesting madness if he had poison, and since he had already mastered the secret technique, he just wanted to equip a dedicated secret technique. He also wanted to be fully prepared.

Of course, if you put your mind to it, you can deal with most enemies with just one shuriken… .

'You never know. There might be some crazy guys targeting this place.'

Suddenly, Yu Myeong-myeong was slightly surprised by such a thought. It was not that it was not possible, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed quite possible. All the talents who could be considered the future of the Tang family were gathered here. Even though they are currently hidden by the Chilsae Hwan-gung-jin, when they return to the family? Even then, can they really guarantee their safety?

It has been a long time since Sacheon became the world of the Sapa forces. Will they just sit back and watch as the Tang family's power rises again?

'I guess I have to get on the stage this time.'

Myung-myeong made up his mind to do so. Although he was only sixteen, his body had grown sufficiently thanks to eating and sleeping well. It seemed that his limbs would be able to grow long. He thought that he would have no regrets even if he completely transformed and stopped growing. He also thought that it would be better to take care of it when he was alone rather than going to his family and suddenly drawing attention with his changed appearance.

Finally, Sangmyung, who was fiddling with the poison bottle containing the poisonous substance, put it in the pocket right below where the umochim was. So that he could take out the umochim and apply the poison at any time.

'I don't know if I'll ever use it.'

Dang-myung adjusted his clothes with a dry expression. He had no intention of killing the other participants, but he had no intention of letting those who rushed to kill him off kindly either.

Now, the battle of loneliness had begun. at las."

A girl with her face covered with a fine cotton cloth mutters as if she is deeply moved. The girl has a slim waist and a curvy body, as if she is just about to become a woman. Judging from the outline, she seems to be growing very beautifully.

but.

A sudden gust of wind lifted the cotton cloth slightly, revealing a bit of her skin. Surprisingly, it was bumpy and reminded her of a toad.

It wasn't just acne or pimples, it was like my skin had come into contact with something toxic and was completely ruined.

'With the skills he showed back then, he would have definitely made it to the Lonely Battle.'

The leader of Group 1 of the competition, a girl known as Number 2, thought of someone as she entered the new world of formations.

"It's a given."

The voice that spat out the words as if chewing was dreary. It seemed that the resentment was not ordinary resentment. That was understandable, since it was Destiny that ruined her face.

The girl's true identity was none other than Dang Yeong-ryeong. Thanks to her maternal grandfather being the real power in the family, the three elders, she received the best treatment she could receive immediately after the incident with Dang Sang-myeong broke out, but it was already too late.

Other places could be restored somehow, but the people of Yakwangdang couldn't do anything about the ruined face. It was because the various poisons were intertwined and transformed into a completely new poison. It was fortunate that the poison was completely removed, so there was no danger to one's life.

I wanted to use my maternal grandfather's authority to make him kneel and cut off his limbs and veins right away, but there was no way. After committing the crime, the bastard went straight to Amdokjeon and said that he would participate in the Sogaju competition. He took advantage of the fact that if he participated in the competition and became a prospective Sogaju, he would be exempted from all responsibility for anything that happened within the family.

'Wow, that kid's heart is amazing! I guess there's nothing I can do.'

The maternal grandfather, Samjangro Dang Seok-hyeong, also gave up cleanly after finding out about it. Not only was his beloved granddaughter badly treated, but he was also furious, but the competition for the Sogaju was not simply a place to decide the Sogaju. It was a place of opportunity to gain legitimacy, power, and force that could influence the next Dangga. It was a place where not only the key figures of the family with clever children, but also the elders, with their blood relatives and disciples, jumped in.

Even though the third elder, Dang Seok-hyeong, was the real power in the family, he could not interfere with the competition for Sogaju. There were too many people involved. And since his granddaughter, Dang Yeong-ryeong, was participating in the competition, he did not want to create any faults.

The third elder, Dang Seok-hyeong, made a cool-headed judgment. It was right not to touch it now. The loss outweighed the gain.

'Hold on, Spirit. Anyway, you can deal with that guy as soon as you become the owner of the cow. Or… you can even get rid of him in there. I decided to leave what happens in the final test unanswered.'

At that time, the young Dang Yeong-ryeong was so angry that her face, which she had been confident in, was ruined and her self-esteem was shattered, but she decided to follow her maternal grandfather's advice. As the old saying goes, a gentleman's revenge is not too late even if it takes ten years.

One thing I was worried about was being assigned to the same group as Dang Yeong-ryung, but that didn't happen, perhaps because my maternal grandfather intervened. In addition, I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the same group as Dang Moon-chan, who had a cripple in one arm, but Dang Moon-chan quickly acknowledged that he had no chance and sided with Dang Yeong-ryung.

How dare you, you idiot!

Although Tang Yeong-ryeong secretly despised him, he was in a position where he could not help but feel sorry for him.

'If I become a cow owner, I will find a way to fix your arm.'

And in the end, that choice was right. Who would have thought that there would be such restrictions after becoming a temporary leader? Even though I took Cheonsimhwan and my internal energy had improved considerably, it was not easy to win a duel against the three members of the group. Since I had Tangmunchan on board, I was able to become a regular leader relatively easily.

And when he became the official commander, the military officer of the Zhuge family who managed the formation secretly contacted him.

'No. 2. What do you think of our Zhuge family?'

'…Why are you asking such a thing?'

'The Zhuge family wants to form a close relationship with the next Tang family leader.'

'If it's a close relationship…?'

'I'm talking about a relationship where we give and receive what we need from each other. For example, can't we help you rise above the cowherd?'

'How can I help you?'

'The final test, the battle of solitude. Think about whose hands are decorating that stage.'

'Will you help me with the law?'

'Yes. It can put you in a position where you have an overwhelming advantage. You can force other contestants to bump into each other first, or you can force tired or injured contestants to move towards you.'

To be honest, it was a tempting offer. However, Dang Yeong-ryeong, who had seen his maternal grandfather at the center of power since childhood, knew that there was no such thing as a completely sweet offer.

'So what do you get out of it?'

'I guess it's to leave a debt to the next Sogaju... no, the next Danggaju. I'll be honest with you. Our Jegal family has long since decided that it's difficult for us to revive like before. That's why the majority opinion in our family is that we should submit to the Gui family, which was once a similar Five Great Powers family. However, if we were to simply merge with the Gui family, wouldn't we also have little room to stand?'

'So that's what helps me.'

'That's right. If you have the next party leader as your backer, there's nothing more reliable than that.'

'But then, wouldn't I be able to reject you… the Zhuge family? In a way, your very existence could be my weakness.'

'Haha. That's why we want to be a solid strength for you. So that you won't abandon us, or rather, so that you can't abandon us.'

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'… … .'

'First of all, we will support you. If you promise to be married to my family here!'

'Engagement...? Do you dare say something like that knowing what kind of a mess my face looks like right now?'

'Of course I know that your appearance has faded for some reason. However, appearance is only a thing of the past. Among the brilliant and distinguished scholars of the family, there are few who are dazzled by mere appearance. What do you think? I will give you the one with the most outstanding appearance as your companion.'

It was a proposal that Dang Yeong-ryeong could not help but waver in. To be honest, as a woman, she had suffered so much because her face was so disfigured. Even if she ever had a man she loved, she didn't think he would love her. Who would like a woman with such an ugly appearance?

Yeah, if that's the case anyway, wouldn't it be right to use the marriage for one's own future?

Tang Yeong-ryeong came to that conclusion. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take the most handsome man among the Zhuge family's later successors as her husband.

Her maternal grandfather would have also used everything he could to help her secure the position of the head of the household.

'Let's make one thing clear.'

'what…?'

'The Tang family has a tradition of taking in sons-in-law.'

'Of course I know that. Whoever marries you will have the surname Tang.'

'Then, the child born from my body will also be of the Tang surname.'

'… That goes without saying.'

In this way, secret negotiations with Zhuge Liang were established.

"I want to see you soon."

For the past three years, I have been training with the sole thought of the day I will tear that bastard to pieces. Now that I have the support of the Zhuge family on my back, it is only natural that I will win the competition of Sogaju.

Boohoo!

Could it be because this is a new world of battles where solitude is taking place? Or maybe there was a change of heart.

Dang Yeong-ryeong suddenly grabbed the cotton cloth that had been covering his face and ripped it off.

Then, her hideous face is revealed naked under the sunlight. Not only was her skin bumpy, but there were also puss oozing from places as if she had been pressed down, making her a horrifying sight that would make anyone who saw her frown.

"Because I don't want you to not recognize me."

As she spoke, her eyes, smiling eerily, were shining ominously with a dizzying mix of anticipation, joy, hatred, and even a strange madness.

"Wait. I'll kill you with the most horrible poison the world has ever seen."

****

Same time.

After that, Dang-myeong set foot in a new world of formations prepared for the lonely battle under the guidance of Jegal Chang-sin.

'That's pretty good.'

Originally, the Seven-Sail Circle Palace formation was a formation that aimed to establish separate formation worlds. Even if an intruder were to occur, the intruder would only enter one formation world, so the remaining six formation worlds were safe. Furthermore, if necessary, the formation world the intruder belonged to could be turned into an environment where survival was difficult, and a counterattack could be launched, so it could be called a perfect formation.

However, since they were able to build a new world of formations that overlapped the worlds of formations created in this way and became one, they could truly be called the Zhuge Family, a gathering of the great masters of formations.

It was a highly sophisticated magic formation that most people would not dare to guess at its principles. However, Dang-Myeong had a keen sense of humor.

With the heightened sense of aura that had been strengthened through the Jusamang Station that had reached Daeseong, Dangmyeong was able to gain insight into how the Chilsae Hwanungjin was structured. To be precise, he wanted to grasp the structure of this new formation world that had been prepared for the battle of solitude.

'There's no need to waste time.'

Once you understand the structure of how the world of numbers works, you will be able to easily figure out the positions of other participants.

The intention was to finish the competition quickly.

'hmm?'

Suddenly, Yu Myeong-myeong felt a certain ominous gaze. An unpleasant sensation as if his every move was being thoroughly examined.

'… I thought that no one would know the outcome of the lonely battle.'

A certain intuition flashed through my mind. With Zhuge Changxin's good-natured smile. Perhaps there was some kind of scheme hidden behind that smile. Zhuge Changxin, who habitually talked about the fairness of the competition, was planning to intervene in the competition at the end.

Leaving behind the questions that suddenly arise.

Dang-myeong took out a shuriken. Since he had come this far anyway, it didn't matter what Zhuge Jia did. He would be the one to win the competition anyway.

widely.

It seemed as if he was lightly kicking the floor, but soon the new form of the obvious name turned pale and disappeared as if it had evaporated. The secretiveness of the Tang family's new technique, the movements that could be compared to those of the Salsu sect⎯ A shadow spread out.

It was only after a breath that the disappeared name reappeared out of thin air.

'It's an annoying gaze, just get rid of it.'

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Lightly swing the shuriken with a thought.

At first glance, it seemed like a waste of time, but the result was different.

The swordsmanship wielded by the Sword God could even cut through things that were invisible.

Choaaaak!

There was a splitting sound as space was torn apart. Huh!"

There was a man stepping back with a gasp. The man dropped the slingshot that he had never let go of, and fumbled to check if his eyes were okay. For a moment, he could not see anything.

'If I had been just a little bit late in disconnecting from the world of truth, it could have been a disaster…!'

The man felt relieved as his vision returned.

He was none other than Zhuge Changxin, who led Dangryunmyeong into the world of Jinbeop where the battle of loneliness would unfold.

Zhuge Changxin recalled the situation from a little while ago. The leaders of each group had all entered the new formation world, and the battle of loneliness had just begun. The formation world overlaid on the Seven-Shot Ring Palace Formation was so complex that even Zhuge Clan was said to be unable to intervene at all, but that was not true.

Although other people may not know, Zhuge Liang's master, Zhuge Changxin, could observe the situation within the formation and manipulate the formation itself.

The Zhuge family had already concluded a secret deal with No. 2, and Zhuge Changxin decided that he only needed to pay attention to No. 10, who had refused the deal, and No. 28, who he had decided to recruit later. So he wanted to first examine the two through Zhuge family's secret eye technique, Jinmyeongan (眞明眼). With the Jinmyeongan, he could see what was happening inside the formation as if he was right in front of his nose.

Rather than No. 10, I wanted to pay attention to No. 28, which is considered to be a target of attention.

but.

The boy number 28, who was chosen as the leader of the 7th group, gave off an ominous vibe shortly after entering the world of formations, and then completely disappeared from Zhuge Changxin's sight. That was unbelievable in the first place. There were no blind spots in the world of formations observed through the True Mind Eye…!

And when the boy appeared out of thin air again.

'…!'

Zhuge Changxin thought his heart had stopped.

That was because the boy's eyes were staring straight at his existence. There were several overlapping formations between the boy and Zhuge Changxin. Naturally, it was impossible to recognize Zhuge Changxin outside the formation world with just a little sense.

'What an absurd feeling…!'

The unthinkable happened, but instead of denying the reality, Zhuge Changxin made a quick judgment. He immediately severed the connection between the world of Jinbeop and Jinmyeongan, where Boy No. 28 was.

The formation of the Zhuge family was not just an illusion. Reality and illusion were mixed together, and all of them affected the beings within the formation. This was also true for Zhuge Changxin in the Seven-Sail Ring Palace Formation. If Zhuge Changxin had been a little late in withdrawing his True Ming An, he would have definitely lost his eyesight. The momentary blackout immediately after was proof of this.

"… What on earth was that?"

Zhuge Changxin, who had regained his vision, muttered with a blank expression.

Just before the connection was lost, he felt it clearly.

The boy's lightly swung shuriken, completely tearing apart the overlapping formations!

Although Zhuge Changxin was proud of his considerable knowledge, even he had never seen or heard of such a swordsmanship. It was a swordsmanship that transcended space and cut through the essence. How was that possible? No, before that, he wondered whether it could be called a swordsmanship or a swordsmanship. What the boy was swinging was nothing more than a shuriken, a mere secret weapon.

'Was it a misjudgment?'

Zhuge Changxin had a feeling that something was wrong. The plan to kill two birds with one stone, the small-scale head of the Tang family and the talented man who would show his outstanding ability in this competition, seemed to be going awry from the start.

If the girl number 2 who joined hands with Zhuge Jia is defeated and the boy number 28 wins the competition.

Also, what if Boy No. 28 had just noticed Zhuge Liang's intervention?

The person who will lead the next party may have a bad reputation.

'This is the worst. If that happens, it will be difficult for the main family to survive.'

Even without that, he was barely able to breathe thanks to the support of his family. Jegal Changsin's face turned pale. He had to somehow make Girl No. 2 win this battle of loneliness. That was the only way to survive.

However, Zhuge Changxin did not have the courage to look at Boy No. 28 again.

Once I got caught up in his vibe, I really might lose my eyesight next time.

****

one side.

Dang-myeong, who had escaped the watchful eyes, found a place to rest. It wasn't because he needed rest.

There was something I had in mind when I first heard about the final exam, the Battle of Solitude.

'Here we go to Hwagyeong.'

It was obvious that he had been putting off ascending to the Hwagyeong because of his immature body. If he ascended to the Hwagyeong properly, he would also experience a complete transformation. Now that his limbs had grown to a certain extent, he planned to ascend to the Hwagyeong in this world of the Jinbeop, where he would not have to be conscious of other people's gaze.

The inside of the world of the truth where reality and illusion coexisted was quite large. After running around for a while in the light-hearted pursuit of the moonlight, Dang-myeong soon found a suitable place. It was a cave that looked like a wild beast had lived there. There were small animal bone graves around it.

Since there was nothing particularly bothersome about the operation up to the injection station, Dang-myeong went inside and sat down cross-legged.

'I don't think you need to take your clothes off.'

Normally, when you undergo a transformation, a lot of waste products that have accumulated in your body are discharged. Even if you learned breathing techniques from a young age and practiced them constantly, it was inevitable that turbid energy would accumulate. That is, unless you cleansed your blood vessels with a great mind method from the beginning.

However, Dang-myung had already used the Se-maek stimulation method that he had realized while he was in the family to remove all the impurities accumulated in the various meridians. Immediately after, he had continuously practiced the Dok-yo-cheong-gwang-sim method that had reached Dae-seong, so he thought that the state of his body could not be more pure. He thought that even if he were to undergo a complete transformation, there would be no waste products.

'Okay, let's begin.'

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Reaching Hwagyeong was simpler than you might think. All you had to do was have enough enlightenment to carry out your will on Qi, and strong enough internal energy to break through the Imdokyangmaek (任督兩脈).

The Im-Dok-Yang-Maek refers to the Im-Maek that starts from the philtrum, passes through the navel, and reaches the perineum point, while the Do-Maek refers to the Do-Maek that starts from the perineum point, passes through the spine and crown of the head, and reaches the philtrum.

When these two meridians are completely opened and circulated, the flow of energy becomes completely free and the state of true ascension is reached. In other words, it is said to have penetrated the mysterious passage of life and death.

Of course, it was easier said than done. The Imdokyang vein was a major vein that was difficult to penetrate with just a little internal energy. In addition, it was extremely sensitive, so many people who tried to penetrate it incorrectly ended up becoming a wreck or a madman. In severe cases, they died instantly while sitting. This was also the reason why there were more Hwagyeong masters who had pure energy at one time. This was because there were parts that required delicacy.

In the end, only the masters who could put their will into the energy could attempt to break through this life and death barrier. In fact, most of those who had achieved that level of enlightenment had already naturally broken through the Imdokyang vein with their immense internal energy and ascended to the Hwagyeong.

Anyway.

Right now, the situation was quite strange. In the hundreds of years of martial arts history, had there ever been a case like this?

First of all, since he had retained the enlightenment of his previous life, his mental aspect had already surpassed the Hwa-gyeong. Therefore, if he had only fulfilled his internal energy, he would have simply broken through the Im-dok-yang vein and ascended to the Hwa-gyeong. However, because his body was not fully developed yet, he was worried about his transformation, so he completely closed the Im-dok-yang vein and the Dok-yang vein. To be precise, he had blocked the flow of his true energy in that direction.

Thanks to this, the poison-requesting madness that had grown in size by eating extreme poison was completely filled with the meridians and veins of Dang-yong-myeong's entire body. To use a metaphor, it was like a wine glass on the verge of overflowing.

In that state, Dang-myeong destroyed the dam that was blocking the path to the Im-maek and Dok-maek.

Bam.

Then, the poisonous request madness that had found a place to stretch out began to run like a galloping horse across the plains. It was an incredible momentum. So much so that even though Dang-myung was sitting still with his eyes closed, his entire body shook.

Was it because it had been suppressed for so long? Even though it was strong, it was too strong.

An ordinary person would have panicked and lost control, but Yu Sangmyung was not panicked at all. What was the mind method he had learned in his previous life? It was a breathing method that built up a powerful energy that was difficult to learn unless you had the power of Yongryeokji. To Yu Sangmyung, who had been handling the power of ...

'woah.'

With the sense of putting reins on a wild horse, Dang-myung-myeong began to skillfully control the madness of the poisonous request. He did not stop them indiscriminately. He guided them to run along a steady flow without going off the set path.

The strong current instantly became a huge wave and flowed through the Im and Du veins, and at some point, Yu Sang-myeong felt a sense of liberation as if his philtrum and perineum were completely opened up.

The threshold between life and death has finally been reached.

The energy that started from the lower abdomen spread to the limbs of Dang-myeong's body. A large circular flow of Dok-yo-request-light energy flowed forward and backward.

Dang-myeong naturally realized that he could now handle greater energy more freely.

Only then did we reach the state called the state of creation.

At the same time that such awareness arises.

Drumroll please!

A tremendous sound erupted from Dang-Myeong's body, which was sitting cross-legged. It was as if every bone in his body was breaking.

As expected, the transformation has begun. A body that matches the achievements that have reached the state of Hwagyeong is given. The innate frame cannot be completely changed, but the body is reconstructed into the most suitable state to display martial arts under the given conditions.

The sound of bones breaking was not an illusion. In fact, at this moment, the joints of Dang-myung's entire body were being broken into very small pieces and reattached repeatedly. Through this process, his limbs became slightly longer and his joints became stronger.

Of course, such a process was accompanied by tremendous pain. It varied from person to person, but in most cases, it was common to lose consciousness due to extreme pain when undergoing a transformation.

However, Dang-myeong was just observing the physical transformation indifferently. Since he had already experienced it once and was prepared for it, the pain was bearable.

'My muscles have become tougher. I can now swing a strong sword. My skin has become more elastic… and I will have no problem swinging a quick sword.'

While checking the swordsmanship that he could use habitually, Dang-myeong suddenly remembered his situation and muttered to himself. Yes, if possible, I will only reveal the dark technique and the poison technique.

There was no longer any gruesome sound, but the transformation continued for a while after that. Fingernails and toenails fell out and grew back, and hair also fell out in clumps, but then new, much longer and shiny black hair grew.

Before I knew it, Dangsangmyeong, who had been sitting cross-legged, was lying down straight, but what was surprising was that he was floating about three inches (about 10 cm) off the floor.

After waiting for about an hour, Yuan Ming fell to the ground with a burst of light.

The transformation has finally been completed. Flash!

As the man opened his eyes, a deep green light flowed out from his pupils, gradually fading away. It seemed to be the process of calming down his overflowing energy.

Dang-myung mutters as he slowly gets up. Now I can finally be of some use.

As the Imdokyang vein was opened, the Dokyocheong Gwanggi gained an incomparably fierce momentum. The energy like a strong torrent continuously swept through his body. When he slightly clenched his fist, he felt full of power.

Even though he had reached the state that any martial artist who had mastered martial arts would aspire to—Hwagyeong—Dang Dang-myeong's expression was calm. There was not a single trace of satisfaction or joy.

I knew it for sure. For most people, Hwagyeong, which is like the end point, is actually just the beginning.

'Still, I can barely use my energy.'

When a warrior who has reached the level of Hwagyeong is able to put his thoughts into his energy, he can use extremely powerful techniques that are incomparable to swordsmanship or dog-armed weapons. These are the powerful techniques called Geomgang (劍罡) or dog-armed weapons.

Being able to put one's will into something is in line with being able to change its nature as desired.

Who could possibly stop a sword that is imbued with the determination of a peerless swordsman who will cut through anything? If such a determination were present, it would be able to cut not only silk but even blades of grass, and not just iron.

So the only thing that could stop Kang-gi was Kang-gi with the same level of determination.

The fight between the best martial artists who had reached the level of Hwagyeong was ultimately decided by either an overwhelming advantage in martial arts or a direct clash of strengths that completely broke one side's will.

And of course, he knew that fact thanks to his previous life's master, Geom-Gwi.

As he was leaving the cave, he suddenly raised his index and middle fingers and placed his thumbs together.

It was a posture called the Sword Trick Finger. What was he trying to do?

In an instant, a cloud of hazy light gathered and a deep green light extended from the finger. It seemed as if a purple current was mysteriously flowing. It was a sword that had been unleashed with the Dokyo Request Madness.

Dang-myung swung his right hand, which was holding the sword, towards the entrance of the cave. There was no resistance in the movement. However, after a breath or two, surprisingly, the cave collapsed from the inside.

'It's definitely a benefit to see the effectiveness of the True Energy increase.'

The obvious reason was that there weren't that many poisonous requests for the sword to enter the sword chamber, and he felt happy. The long-time, painstaking, stimulating method of the three veins was starting to show its true effect. If the amount of internal energy needed to form the sword chamber with the sword crystal in the previous life was originally 10, it would now be around 7.

At first glance, it may seem like a small difference, but this was a huge advantage in a fight between masters who had reached the level of Hwagyeong. Since most of them were of similar level of martial arts, the victory or defeat was determined by how long they could maintain their momentum.

Of course, as a natural swordsman who had reached the realm of swordsmanship, he did not necessarily need to rely on his internal energy… .

'Then shall we move?'

The obvious answer is that the senses have been maximized to the maximum.

Hwaak⎯

The sense of radiance, expanding at an incredible rate, detected the movements of all living things around him, one by one. It was as if a gigantic net had appeared, covering the sky.

As he was moving in that state, a light-hearted moonlight movement was immediately caught in the net of the spirit.

'It's over there.'

The shining eyes of Dangseonmyung soon disappeared like smoke.

****

"Ah, this is boring. Is this all? I had some expectations since it was a lonely battle. What have you been doing for the past three years? Didn't you come here with the intention of becoming a sorcerer?"

There was a young man speaking in a soft voice. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. He was sitting on a tree branch, throwing and catching a bucket of water, and just like he had said, he had an expression on his face that made him look like he was really bored.

And below that.

As the young man looked down, there was a large boy covered in blood, unable to move.

'… I wasn't lucky.'

The big boy, Dang Jeong-il, thought with a cold sweat. How happy he had been after being eliminated as the temporary leader and eventually winning the position of the official leader by working together with the remaining members. At that time, it really felt like the position of Sogaju was within reach.

but.

Not long after I entered the final test, the battle of solitude, I came face to face with the young man in front of me. The young man was holding a knife dripping blood. The pungent scent of blood still lingered from him. The young man had just 'dealt with' someone.

Even though time had passed and the boy had become a young man, Dangjeongil could tell at a glance who he was. How could he not know?

Danggeukrin.

A disciple of Elder Dangseokjung.

Before Dang-myung entered the Sogaju competition, he was the most famous figure among the original participants. He was said to have already achieved unrivaled achievements in the art of dark magic and poison. It was said that the elder was very pleased with him. He even considered him as his own grandson.

Dang Geuk-rin was known as a collateral figure. He had lost both of his parents and happened to catch Dang Seok-jung's eye. Dang Seok-jung was so impressed by his qualities that he immediately took him on as a disciple. There was also talk that when he was old enough, he would marry his granddaughter. Marriages between collaterals were common.

Anyway, Dang Jeong-il, who faced Dang Geuk-rin, quickly attacked. The first player will win!

However, Tang Geuk-rin easily evaded the secrets that were poured out in an instant. The accomplishment of the divine law was not ordinary. With Tang Jeong-il's level of anatomy, it was difficult to just keep track of Tang Geuk-rin's movements. In such a situation, it was not easy to use poison.

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In the end, what Dangjeongil chose was close combat.

Originally, Dang Jeong-il, who was born with a physique and strength superior to his peers, mainly learned the martial arts. There was no rule that Dangga had to use only secret techniques and poison. However, after Dang Sang-myeong crushed his fist bones, he began to focus on long-distance techniques. His fists recovered somewhat, but he did not want to learn martial arts that had once been ruined.

A technique that allowed for a moderate amount of superiority in physical strength while also being able to pack in a lot of energy was exactly what Dang Jeong-il liked. The technique that Dang Jeong-il mastered was called Bi-eung-dok-jang (飛鷹毒掌), which was a technique that contained a strong poison that could incapacitate an opponent while being fast and hitting them. He had once defeated a boy who was the temporary leader of the same group using this technique.

Dang Jeong-il thought. No matter how much Dang Geuk-rin was outstanding enough to be called a genius, that was only when he was young. He himself had not been idle for three years. He believed that if he could use his Jangbeop just once, just once, he would be able to seize the day.

'Hmm. I guess you thought you'd have the advantage in close combat?

As he said this, Tang Geuk-rin dodged all the long techniques that Tang Jeong-il was waving in front of him. Tang Jeong-il swung his hands like crazy, but everything that touched his long techniques was Tang Geuk-rin's reflection. This meant that he was far behind in both the eye technique and the new technique.

Dang Geuk-rin, who had been avoiding Dang Jeong-il's attacks for a while, soon saw Dang Jeong-il showing signs of fatigue and spoke with a look of loss of interest.

'It's boring.'

And that was the beginning. Tang Geuk-rin started swinging his sword. Evil, evil.

At first, even Dang Jeong-il didn't know what was going on. He was just moving around frantically to avoid Dang Geuk-rin's attacks.

But soon he realized. Tang Geuk-rin was using his knife to cut Tang Jeong-il's skin surprisingly thinly. At one point, thin veins began to burst out from his cheeks and the back of his hands.

'Oh my god, this is crazy!'

'You're just now realizing it? You're going to die, your skin slowly peeling off. If you want to live, start fighting properly from now on.'

'… You little brat!'

'Vulgar provocations won't work.'

Tang Geuk-rin continued to draw the sword with a leisurely expression. Tang Jeong-il's clothes had already been cut off, and blood kept gushing out from places such as his arms, sides, thighs, and forehead.

Dang Jeong-il felt that his vision was slightly reddened by the blood flowing from his forehead. It was time to decide. The bastard seemed to be planning to kill him anyway. Rather than dying like this…!

'Dead!'

Dang Jeong-il deliberately shouted and waved his palm loudly. A move without thinking about the consequences. It was to create a momentary gap. When Dang Geuk-rin paused for a moment, Dang Jeong-il's hand moved nimbly in and out of his bosom.

And immediately afterwards, pink powder began to scatter around Dangjeongil.

It was a deadly poison called Hongsa Powder. It was a poison made by mixing the venomous sac of a snake called Hongsa and various poisonous plants. If you inhaled even a handful, it had the effect of immediately paralyzing your limbs. Furthermore, after a certain amount of time, the paralyzed limbs would completely harden and begin to rot.

Dang Bu-yoon. Dang Jeong-il's father, the vice-chief of the clan, spent a lot of money to buy him an antidote, which was his lifeline. He hadn't used it in the past three years, but now was the time when his life was in danger, so he wasn't in a position to be picky.

Dang Jeong-il had been practicing the method of pouring powdered poison in preparation for the time when he would use Hong Sa-bun.

He must be addicted. Please. Thinking to himself like that, Dang Jeong-il immediately took out the antidote and drank it.

Soon, the pink powder that had been flying around settled down, but the sight that Dangjeongil had expected was not there.

Before he knew it, Dang Geuk-rin had jumped up onto a tree, throwing and catching the sword peacefully.

"You're using a different method. I expected you to use poison around this point. Is that Hong Sa-bun?"

"… … ."

"It must be quite painful to waste something so precious on something like that. Huh?"

Tang Geuk-rin spoke mockingly, but Tang Jeong-il was unable to say anything in response. The last resort did not work. Because he had been using his full power to continuously spread his martial arts, his internal energy was not fully restored. The fear of dying was slowly eating away at his body.

Suddenly, Dang Jeong-il felt a sense of foreboding. Three years ago, hadn't he felt like he might die?

'…obvious.'

When I recalled that time, I felt strangely at ease. The Tang Geuk-rin in front of me was certainly a fearsomely strong man, but it wasn't as strong as the gaze of that skinny boy back then.

"oh."

Tang Geuk-rin let out a small exclamation. He was still looking down at Tang Jeong-il. It was a familiar face that was clearly terrified, but at some point, he had taken on the expression of a monk who had attained enlightenment.

"It's different from the three I've hunted with so far." Dang Geuk-rin muttered as he jumped down from the tree.

"… … ."

A clean landing without even a sound.

"You. I think you recognize me."

"… There will be fewer people who don't know you, Dang Geuk-rin."

"Aren't you curious? Why I'm trying to kill you?"

I was curious. Why did they try to kill me like this when they didn't even try to take my life first?

When a look of doubt appeared on Dang Jeong-il's face, Dang Geuk-rin spoke in a faint voice.

"Actually, I'm the one who's the liver. I'm from the Taeeulmukgeompa."

"what…?" Contestant number 10 and a traitor of the Taeeulmukgeompa, Dang Geuk-rin was an illegitimate child.

It doesn't mean that he was an illegitimate child in the Tang family.

Originally named Mak In-geuk, he was born to the Taeeulmukgeompa Jangmun Mak In-hu and his maidservant. Although he was an illegitimate child, Mak In-geuk was born with outstanding talents. From a young age, he had an extraordinary sense of learning.

Of course, it was his father, Mak In-hu, who first recognized his talent.

'… What a truly pitiful quality.'

Mak In-geuk showed his prowess in martial arts to the point that Mak In-hu, who had tried teaching him several martial arts including the mind method, sighed.

After Mak In-hu secretly took Mak In-geuk's mother, who was a maid, as a concubine. However, that did not mean that Mak In-geuk's existence could be acknowledged.

Mak In-hu had three sons in addition to the young Mak In-geuk, and he was worried about a fight over succession, so he declared the eldest son, who had shown the most outstanding qualities among the three, as the rightful successor early on.

There was no room for a curtain call.

In the first place, the fact that he was able to live was because the succession had already been decided. The first wife of Mak In-hu was a woman who would do anything for her son. Like most mothers. If she thought that the eldest son's succession position was threatened, she would have taken action against Mak In-hu before even taking him as a concubine.

But Mak In-hu knew that Mak In-hu was still young and much more talented than his three sons. This was a bigger problem than he thought.

No matter how authentic or flawed it may be, Taeeulmukgeompa is also a shaman.

Right now, we can solidify the succession structure with long-term authority, but what about in 10 or 15 years?

At that time, if the power of the Mak In-geuk was far higher than that of the Jang Ja guy, the intentions of the sect's senior members were bound to change. This means that the succession structure would become unstable as time passed.

If he gains power, Mak In-geuk will have his own thoughts, and if that happens, the Taeeulmukgeompa that Mak In-hu has built up throughout his life will inevitably be shaken. There will definitely be a bloodbath.

After the closing ceremony, he had to make a decision as the head of the family.

In order to ensure a peaceful succession, either completely eliminate the youngest sibling with the best qualities, or

Or should he acknowledge that quality and endure the bloody wind for the Taeeulmukgeompa?

Either way, blood was bound to flow. If I chose the former, I would have been disappointed with the natural talent of Dang In-geuk, and if I chose the latter, I was worried about the power of Taeeulmukgeompa being weakened by internal strife. Sacheon, which had become a world of the four great powers, was thoroughly governed by the logic of the strong.

The agony after the curtain fell only deepened.

Then, a clue to the solution appeared in an unexpected direction.

'What? You're saying that you're going to decide on the head of the household regardless of whether it's direct or collateral?'

It was when I heard the story of the Dangga Sogaju competition that a possibility flashed through my mind.

He puts the youngest, who is no different from a plaything, in as the scapegoat of the party. If he can get involved with a key figure in the party, it would be the icing on the cake. And he participates in the competition. If he has talent for theatrics, he would definitely be one of the best in the party.

'If you do well, you can even aim for the position of the head of the Tang family!'

In the best case scenario, the Taeeulmukgeompa could be inherited by the eldest son, and the Dang family could be led by the youngest son. No matter how much it declined, the Dang family was still the Dang family. If it could easily swallow up a family with potential, there was nothing better than that.

And even if Mak In-geuk didn't become a small business, it wouldn't be bad. I heard that competition was a matter of life and death, so it was a great achievement to step on the growing sprouts of the Tang family. He could come back after accumulating enough military service and receive recognition for his achievements, or he could live his entire life as a spy who had infiltrated the Tang family's inner circle.

After that, Mak In-hu secretly met the youngest child.

'I have an offer for you.'

'I will follow you, Father.'

'…I haven't said it yet.'

'I guess you're worried because of me, a lowly child. I guess it's because I'm born with slightly better qualities than my three older brothers, even if it's presumptuous.'

'… … .'

'My father is the supreme leader who leads the family. He has deliberated for a long time and has decided that it is the best course of action, so I believe that we should follow that decision, no matter what it may be.'

'…Youngest.'

After hearing what his youngest son had to say, Mak In-hu was deeply moved. It was to the point where he thought that he was completely different from his other three sons.

'I intend to make you the heir of the party.'

'Liver… is that what you mean?'

'Yes. I've already found a disguised identity. I'll be an orphan from the collateral line who lost both parents at an early age. My name is Dang Geuk-rin.'

'Danggeukrin… .'

'It's not that I hate you and want to throw you out. It's just that I want to give you a chance.'

'If you have the chance?'

'Soon, there will be a competition within the Dang family for the position of Sogaju. Anyone with the Dang surname, regardless of whether they are a direct or collateral line, will be able to participate.'

'Then, does that mean the little one can win there?'

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'I expect that since you have extraordinary qualities, but you don't necessarily have to win and become the leader of the small group. If you just get to the top, you can become a key figure in the next party.'

'All right.'

'If you get the chance, weaken the power of the Tang family. That will soon become your achievement, and when you return to the main faction one day, you can use that as an excuse to solidify your position.'

'…I will keep that in mind.'

'Then come here. I will teach you the Taeeul Double Sword Style.'

'Father, that's…!'

It is unknown whether Mak In-hu originally intended to do so or whether it was due to a change of heart, but he taught Mak In-geuk the complete Taeeul Ssanggeom style. It was a martial art that only the head of the Taeeul Mukgeom sect could master.

In that way, Mak In-geuk became Dang Geuk-rin.

****

"And the reason I tell you this fact is⎯"

Tang Geuk-rin took out another dagger from his bosom. He threw and caught two of them. Holding them in each hand, it looked like he was holding twin swords.

"No matter what happens, I'm going to kill you."

As he says this, he crosses his hands in the shape of a father. It is a martial art form that does not exist in the Tang family. It is an uncommon posture. Anyone who sees it for the first time will be able to recognize its characteristics.

"…Taeulssanggeomsik."

Dang Jeong-il muttered in a weak voice. There was no way he didn't know. If I remember correctly, it was a swordsmanship known as the Dokmunmugi of Mak In-hu, the head of the Taeeulmukgeompa. It was said to have been bestowed upon him by Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master.

Although he did not know what his relationship with Mak In-hu was, it seemed certain that Dang Geuk-rin was a spy. And Dang Jeong-il now had to worry about his own life.

"From what I can tell, your eyes are set properly."

At the same time that Tang Geuk-rin was making noise, an ominous black aura rose from the rain like a mist. Those who knew it called it the ink sword energy. It was proof that he had properly mastered the Taeeul Twin Swords.

'I can't handle this.'

Even before they collided, Dang Jeong-il's momentum was dampened. Dang Jeong-il had also developed a certain level of stamina, so it was obvious. The energy flowing out of Dang Geuk-rin's Ink Sword was no joke. He was completely unrivaled. How could he have such energy when they were only a few years apart?

Escaping wasn't easy either.

He had already confirmed that the divine law was far above him, and the energy flowing out of the Ink Sword was gradually entangling Dang Jeong-il's body. It was restricting the opponent's movements. Needless to say, it was a martial art of ascension.

"Yeah. That's the expression. They all died with that face."

Looking at the party, Tang Geuk-rin let out a satisfied smile. For a moment, it seemed like he was showing a different side from the other guys, but in the end, even this guy would despair in the face of death.⎯ That thought made Tang Geuk-rin feel superior.

"Then, die. Don't even leave a body behind."

Phew!

Tang Geuk-rin's new form disappeared like a gust of wind. Taeeulssanggeomsik was an extremely refreshing and powerful swordsmanship. It was composed of swordsmen who focused on attacking without any thought of defense or evasion. If you master Taeeulssanggeomsik, you will be able to completely cut down your opponent with incredible speed. In fact, the Taeeulmukgeompa's leader Mak In-hu would often cut the opponent's flesh like a piece of paper and kill them like a sashimi. Those who fought him usually did not even leave their bodies intact.

Naturally, with the level of law enforcement of the party, he could not even chase away the shadow of the party leader, and it was at this time that the party leader swung his sword while watching the party leader.

Fit.

"uh?"

Tang Geuk-rin stopped swinging his arms and let out a stupid voice. Just now, what was it…?

dump.

Tang Geuk-rin knelt down on one knee with wavering eyes. The strength in his entire body began to drain away rapidly.

'It's poison.'

I realized what had happened, but the questions still remained. When? Who? I didn't feel anything... .

thud.

Tang Geuk-rin fell to the side, filled with doubts. The severe abdominal pain had begun to the point where he could no longer control his body. It was as if each of his internal organs was being torn apart.

Meanwhile, Dang Jeong-il, who thought he would die without being able to move, looked bewildered.

"Who are you…?"

After thinking for a moment, I changed my address to polite language and looked at Dang Geuk-rin, who had fallen down. I saw something small stuck in Dang Geuk-rin's neck.

'Wow…!'

I thought they weren't going to intervene in the battle of solitude, but was the guard watching?

He is a person from the main family. A smile appeared on Dang Jeong-il's face as he judged him that way. He survived…!

"This guy admitted with his own mouth that he was a liver transplant! He must be from the Taeeulmukgeompa! The elder may also be related…."

Dang Jeong-il stopped talking hurriedly and looked at the man who suddenly appeared with a surprised expression.

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How can people in this world exist like this?

A man of incredible beauty, whom he had never seen before, appeared silently. Of course, Dang Jeong-il had no idea that he was a contestant.

'Is that a warrior from another group's Bongwidae? He's an incredible master.'

The Umochim was effective, but it was not a dark weapon with great lethality. Even if it was poisoned, only a very small amount would penetrate, and it was not easy to throw it in the first place. The thin needle-type dark weapons would have to break through the air resistance, and most of the energy already loaded would be consumed. However, if the energy was loaded too much, the stealthiness would fade. If the wind blew, the trajectory would change.

So it was common to throw dozens of feather needles in a bundle, and even that was more for the purpose of deterrence than killing.

However, he was able to subdue Dang Geuk-rin, who had such outstanding skills, with just one slash. It was appropriate to regard him as a master of dark techniques.

While Dangjeongil was guessing like that, a man approached him and said.

"You haven't changed at all. Your name… was Jeong-il. Is your fist all better?"