Chapter 86 - The Hellish Regular Exam's 'Second' Gate (3)

"This... makes absolutely no sense."

A scream leaked from Jong Seogang's mouth.

It was understandable. The Sangjeong Sect, who had witnessed this sight in my past life, must have felt the exact same way.

Mount Makgan, which was nothing more than an unnamed, rugged mountain in my past life, only gained fame after the appearance of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python.

At that time, the Sangjeong Sect, which occupied the 17th peak of the 108 Peaks, was the first to hear this news and mobilized all the warriors within their sect, but they ultimately failed.

It turned out that Mount Makgan was home not only to the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python but also to its natural enemy, the Single-Horned Black Toad.

Catching the fishy scent of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python, the Single-Horned Black Toad revealed itself. Naturally, the warriors of the Sangjeong Sect should have fled right then and there, but unable to give up their lingering attachment to the two 300-year-old spiritual beasts before them, they ended up suffering nearly four hundred casualties.

Weakened by this incident, the Sangjeong Sect failed to fend off the offensives of the Azure Blade Gang and the Yellow Sword Sect, eventually disappearing into history.

And ironically, that very Azure Blade Gang and Yellow Sword Sect were now facing the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and Single-Horned Black Toad right here.

"Th-That horned toad first... No, that snake first..."

The Single-Horned Black Toad, which had appeared after catching the scent of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python, soon changed its target upon sensing the killing intent radiating from all directions and began to attack the people.

Its long tongue flashed out and vanished in an instant, and three warriors disappeared without a trace.

"Aaaargh!"

"Gyaaaagh!"

"Aaaagh!"

Only the swords they had been holding remained where they had stood, while the Single-Horned Black Toad raised its head and swallowed what was in its mouth.

"This damn toad!"

Enraged by the loss of their comrades, the warriors glared furiously and shot toward the toad like arrows.

THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD.

They simultaneously slashed at the toad's back, but their swords could not pierce its flesh.

It was at that very moment they realized something was wrong.

*SNIFF. * "What is this..."

"Keugh."

The warriors who had climbed onto the toad's back to strike it suddenly dropped their swords and clutched their own throats.

As if unable to breathe, they quickly jumped off the toad, but they couldn't even take three steps.

Their faces, which had turned blue, quickly changed to purple, then soon blackened before they died right there, looking as if they had frozen solid.

"It's poison!"

"Do not go near it!"

The battlefield instantly turned into pure chaos.

If they distanced themselves from the Single-Horned Black Toad, its lightning-fast tongue would strike them.

And if they stepped back even further to escape its tongue, the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python would snap its jaws wide and swallow them whole.

"Target him first! Strike the bastard holding the First Gate admission tokens!"

At Jong Seogang's desperate shriek, the warriors watching the chaos all turned to look at Gam Cheoljin.

"You damn bastards! I am the future Sect Leader of the Yellow Sword Sect! Move at once!"

"..."

Only when Gam Cheoljin nodded did they finally start approaching me again.

I drew up all my internal energy and emitted killing intent.

"Keugh, what kind of killing intent is..."

"Damn it..."

The warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect fiercely released their own killing intent so as not to be overwhelmed.

The distance between me and the hesitating warriors instantly closed, and our swords clashed.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

I executed the Taiyi Eighty Thousand Divine Steps and scattered the Twin Heaven Sword Art.

It seemed only Gam Cheoljin and a few other warriors had reached the Peak Realm, as the Twin Heaven Sword Art alone was more than enough to deal with them.

"He's falling back! Press him harder!"

I glanced at the triumphant Jong Seogang and spoke.

"You guys are in for a hard time with such a stupid leader."

"..."

Normally, Gam Cheoljin and the Peak Realm warriors should have been dealing with the two spiritual beasts, not me.

Since a fool who didn't even know the basics of combat was in command, it was only natural that his subordinates would suffer.

CROAK. CROAAAK.

The moment the Single-Horned Black Toad's cry rang out.

"Uh... Uhh!"

The warriors, who had been frantically parrying my Twin Heaven Sword Art, suddenly realized they had reached right beneath the Single-Horned Black Toad's nose and paled in shock.

I immediately used Turtle Breath Footwork and slipped away between the Single-Horned Black Toad's legs.

"H-How?"

The warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect stared blankly as I slipped past the Single-Horned Black Toad, utterly horrified.

The Single-Horned Black Toad's tongue was now aiming at them.

"Aaaargh!"

"D-Dodge it!"

"You fools! Don't run! It's just a single toad!"

At Jong Seogang's screaming demands, the warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect could neither fight nor flee, only looking to Gam Cheoljin for orders.

"Fight back with palm techniques!"

"Yes, sir!"

And in unison, the warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect fired off palm strikes.

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

A thick cloud of dust filled the air, obscuring the Single-Horned Black Toad's figure.

"..."

"D-Did we get it?"

The very moment the uneasy warrior finished speaking, a massive shadow fell over their heads.

"F-Fuck!"

THUMP.

CROAK. CROAAK.

Without a single scratch, the Single-Horned Black Toad began to rampage through the warriors.

"Are you alright?"

I quickly approached the Geum-eun-dong Brothers to check on them.

Fortunately, none of them seemed seriously injured.

"Eldest Senior Brother, what in the world is that?"

"Our Second Gate admission tokens, what else?"

"Is this really how we're supposed to pass the Second Gate?"

Eunho looked at me with eyes full of disbelief. This punk, who would happily recite words I never even said as my holy gospel, didn't bother hiding his mistrust at times like this.

"Listen well. From now on, we are hunting our pursuers."

"What?!"

"Right now?"

"Yes. If we don't do it now, we won't be able to shake them off. Moreover, if others don't realize they'll pay dearly for messing with us, the pursuit will never end. Do you want to keep eating jerky with blood-soaked hands surrounded by corpses?"

"... Who do we hit first!"

Geumpyo shook his head, apparently utterly sick of the past few days. If he was already like this, what was he going to do in the future?

"But will we be okay? After dealing with them, it seems like we'll become the monsters' next prey."

"Why do you think I taught you Turtle Breath Footwork?"

"Will the monster not notice us if we use Turtle Breath Footwork?"

"Even if they've lived long enough to form a core, they are merely dumb beasts. Because they have no intelligence and only rely on highly honed instincts, they are even easier to fool."

"Understood."

With those words, we scattered in all directions.

I immediately headed back toward the Yellow Sword Sect, who were fighting the Single-Horned Black Toad.

"Strike it! Kill it! Why can't you even catch a single toad! Can you even call yourselves warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect!"

Jong Seogang had completely lost his usual composure, flying into a frenzy and screaming his head off.

Led by Gam Cheoljin, the warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect were calmly maintaining their distance and continuing the hunt, but to Jong Seogang's eyes, it seemed like they were just avoiding a direct clash with the Single-Horned Black Toad.

"Jin Sowoon! Where is that bastard Jin Sowoon?!"

After momentarily being distracted by the Single-Horned Black Toad, he soon began calling my name and scanning the surroundings.

-Keugh!

-Guh!

-T-Taiyi Sect! The Taiyi Sect is attacking!

Screams from the warriors began echoing from afar.

Unable to secure their vision due to the thick dust spread all around, the warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect had to face the Single-Horned Black Toad while constantly worrying about being ambushed at any moment.

Thanks to that, dealing with the Single-Horned Black Toad was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Young Master. We should fall back for now."

"... What?"

"We are not prepared to hunt the Single-Horned Black Toad or the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python right now."

"What nonsense are you spewing! Both the First Gate and Second Gate admission tokens are right in front of us."

"If we keep this up, every warrior of the Yellow Sword Sect might die."

"Gam Cheoljin!!!"

Jong Seogang's spiteful voice echoed loudly across the field.

"Do I look like a joke to you just because I haven't officially received the position of Successor yet?!"

"..."

Jong Seogang seemed beyond agitated; he looked as though his reason had completely vanished.

"I am Jong Seogang of the Yellow Sword Sect!"

"..."

"If we fall back now, we will not only lose the First Gate admission tokens, but also the spiritual beasts that can grant us the Second Gate admission tokens! Are you saying this because you can take responsibility for that?! Tell me!"

"..."

Jong Seogang was acting in the exact same manner he had used to ruin his own sect while working at the Disciplinary Pavilion in my past life.

'People truly don't change.'

Deciding I didn't need to pay him any more mind, I immediately sought out Jang Sunwon, the Young Gang Leader of the Azure Blade Gang.

Jang Sunwon was keeping watch from the safest spot with his escort warriors.

"Your gang members are dying, yet you only plan to watch?"

As I approached using Turtle Breath Footwork, they flinched in surprise.

"Jin Sowoon..."

Jang Sunwon gritted his teeth and called my name.

"I'm deeply moved. To think you would call my name with such emotion."

"... Do you know me?"

He looked utterly bewildered.

It couldn't be helped, considering our connection was from my past life.

"If you take your warriors and turn back, I won't stop you."

"..."

A pondering expression.

How truly shallow.

He was calculating profit and loss while his own gang members and the warriors of the sects he had allied with were dying.

The typical trait of those who believed what they had was in no way inferior to their opponent's.

'And they usually end up making a similar decision.'

Jang Sunwon's eyebrows shot up.

"What cheap trick is this! You're the one who needs to hand over all the First Gate admission tokens right now!"

"I knew you'd make that choice."

A warrior like Gam Cheoljin wasn't someone just anyone could drag around.

And the Azure Blade Gang had never nurtured a secret warrior on Gam Cheoljin's level.

The Black Dragon Sword, its blood not yet dry, was swung, instantly creating dozens of phantom swords in all directions.

The escort warriors of the Azure Blade Gang stepped forward and swung their great sabers, but the essence of the great saber is heaviness (重).

It could never overcome the Twin Heaven Sword Art, which contained the essence of the variable sword.

"Keugh."

"Kuk."

As his four escort warriors collapsed in an instant, Jang Sunwon's eyes began to tremble violently.

"A-Alright. I'll t-turn back..."

"You only make a decision when your own life is in danger?"

"I said I'll turn back! Since I'm turning back..."

"Die like a proper Young Gang Leader."

"Keugh! You bastard! Do you dare do this to our Azure Blade Gang's..."

Unable to finish his words, Jang Sunwon collapsed with his chest sliced wide open.

I imbued my voice with internal energy and shouted loudly.

-The Young Gang Leader of the Azure Blade Gang is dead. Those who wish to live, fend for yourselves!

...

...?!

...!!

Seeing Jang Sunwon's death with eyes full of disbelief, the movements of the warriors began to slow down.

Since the Azure Blade Gang's warriors were occupied with the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python, they couldn't even dream of approaching me.

"Kill him! If we just kill him, we win! We can enter the Murim Academy!"

Jong Seogang pointed at me and screamed, but there was no one who could act rashly.

I immediately executed the World-Traversing Lone Footwork and appeared before Jong Seogang in an instant.

"Hup! What kind of lightfoot technique... Keugh!"

And just like that, I thrust the Black Dragon Sword into him.

"What is this..."

Jong Seogang's eyes refused to believe it even as he looked at the Black Dragon Sword piercing through his chest.

SLIDE.

As his body tilted, the sword buried inside him slid out.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect, who had been fighting the Single-Horned Black Toad, stared blankly in devastation.

"Now, the Yellow Sword Sect also has no one left to enter the Murim Academy. Will you continue?"

I said this looking at Gam Cheoljin, the true powerhouse of the Yellow Sword Sect.

"..."

"If you wish to continue, every warrior of the Yellow Sword Sect will have to bury their bones here. As you saw earlier, our Taiyi Sect is unaffected by those spiritual beasts."

"..."

Gam Cheoljin looked around.

Nearly fifty warriors were dead.

And yet, there were barely over thirty left standing. The remaining twenty had become wandering ghosts without even leaving behind a corpse.

In a situation where success wasn't guaranteed even if they all hunted with one mind, continuing to endure the Taiyi Sect's ambushes would mean inevitably burying all their bones here.

"We're turning back."

"..."

"..."

"..."

No one voiced any objections to Gam Cheoljin's decision. Rather, they wore expressions of relief at being able to retreat.

"You've made a wise choice."

"... Thank you for sparing our warriors' lives."

"It is you who saved those warriors' lives."

"Everyone fall back! We are retreating!"

The moment Gam Cheoljin finished speaking, the warriors of the Yellow Sword Sect unleashed palm strikes to cover their retreat.

As the Yellow Sword Sect withdrew, the Single-Horned Black Toad began moving toward the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python again, and seeing this, the Azure Blade Gang's warriors could no longer hold out and were forced to retreat as well.

"I will give you half a quarter-hour! I will assume that anyone remaining here after that has decided to fight to the end!"

"What are we supposed to do about the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and the Single-Horned Black Toad?"

"I will block them."

"?"

I immediately leapt high above the two spiritual beasts' heads and explosively unleashed the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist.

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

The creatures, whose massive bodies hadn't budged an inch previously, were now pinned down completely as if crushed by a giant pile of boulders.

"What in... This makes no sense."

"How can a warrior of the Taiyi Sect possibly use such martial arts?"

The warriors forgot to even run away, staring blankly.

I infused internal energy into my voice once more and roared.

-I said half a quarter-hour!

At that, the warriors' eyes shot wide open as if struck by lightning, and regardless of their sect, they hoisted up whatever corpses they could find and bolted down the mountain.

* * *

Should he be happy about this or not?

Watching the enemies who had suffocated them from all sides like a tight net now fleeing like mice running from a cat, Eunho's feelings were complicated.

'Wait, if they all leave like that, how are we supposed to catch those monsters?'

Whether they were 200-year-old or 300-year-old spiritual beasts, encountering them even once in a lifetime would normally leave a warrior with no other regrets. However, they were only treasures to someone capable of handling them. To him, who hadn't even reached twenty, they were simply man-eating monsters.

"Senior Brother sent them away because he can handle it on his own."

At Eunho's concern, Geumpyo spoke nonchalantly, acting as if Eunho was worrying over nothing.

"... Phew."

Dongryong just looked refreshed as he flicked the blood off his sword.

Just then, Jin Sowoon stopped fighting the two monsters, kicked off the air, and landed next to the Geum-eun-dong brothers.

"Uh-uh?"

"Ack!"

"...!"

Naturally, the eyes of the three Geum-eun-dong brothers widened.

"Why did you suddenly come here?"

Eunho asked without thinking out of sheer anxiety.

"..."

Jin Sowoon gave him a half-lidded stare. Realizing his mistake, Eunho quickly added on.

"Senior Brother, you sent those people away because you have a way to kill them, right?"

Jin Sowoon flicked the bodily fluids off the Black Dragon Sword and raised his eyebrows, as if asking what he was talking about.

That expression unsettled Eunho and Geumpyo greatly.

"I'm not one of the world's top ten experts. How am I supposed to catch those things?"

Right. He was absolutely right.

Even if he didn't know the limits of his Eldest Senior Brother's martial arts, taking down spiritual beasts that had lived for hundreds of years was a whole different story.

... But he shouldn't be saying that right now, should he?

"So you sent everyone away even though you can't kill them?"

If he couldn't take them down, he should have at least cooperated... Ah, although working together with them was unimaginable.

"Then do we just leave them behind?"

"Why bother hunting something we don't even need to hunt in the first place?"

"Excuse me?"

Thinking he might have missed something, Eunho looked at Geumpyo, but Geumpyo was busy trying to wipe a bloodstain off his clothes, and Dongryong was just staring blankly at the spiritual beasts with his mouth open.

Clearly, he wasn't the only one who didn't understand.

These two had simply stopped thinking entirely.

"There's no need to hunt them. Start using Turtle Breath Footwork again."

"..."

The moment Jin Sowoon started using Turtle Breath Footwork, his presence completely vanished, even though he was standing right in front of them.

On the other hand, Geumpyo and Dongryong's Turtle Breath Footwork definitely still let off a slight trace.

"It's a battle between a snake, the natural predator of toads, and a horned toad that feasts on such snakes. There is no need for us to get involved."

"What do you..."

"Watch closely."

When the presence of Jin Sowoon's group vanished, the two monsters, who had been fiercely searching for people, looked around in confusion.

Then, realizing everyone was gone, they turned their aggressive intent toward each other.

HSSSSSSS!

CROAAAAAAK.

The battle between the two spiritual beasts erupted in an instant.

The Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python tried to coil around the Single-Horned Black Toad's body, and the toad leaped up with its massive body, charging at the python with the horn on its head.

HSSSSS!

The flesh of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python, which hadn't even suffered a scratch from normal swords, caved in deeply as the python shrieked wildly.

Its high-pitched cry pierced their eardrums.

"Does that mean we only need to deal with the winner after they fight? But even that doesn't look easy."

Even if one of them died, what possible method was there to deal with the survivor?

"We don't need to do that either."

The battle intensified.

The Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python spewed venom everywhere, and the Single-Horned Black Toad convulsed, seemingly paralyzed after being struck by the venom.

In that moment, the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python opened its massive maw and swallowed the Single-Horned Black Toad whole.

"Ah! If it does that, the core...!"

"It's not over yet."

The Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python had swallowed the Single-Horned Black Toad in one bite. Its throat bulged out, and it attempted to digest its prey rapidly.

CRACK. SQUELCH.

A horn suddenly sprouted from the top of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python's head.

Just as the absurd thought, *'Oh! Is it becoming a Single-Horned Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python now that it ate the toad?' *, crossed Eunho's mind...

Blood erupted like a fountain from around the horn as the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python's massive body slumped over.

THUD.

CROAK. CROAAAK.

Pulling its horn out of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python's head, the Single-Horned Black Toad barely managed to crawl out, patches of its skin melted away.

"See? I told you we didn't need to fight."

Having somehow already moved atop the Single-Horned Black Toad's head, Eldest Senior Brother drove the Black Dragon Sword deep into its eyeball.

Croak.

The Single-Horned Black Toad died without even putting up a proper fight.

Eunho asked, thoroughly dumbfounded.

"Senior Brother, did you lead us into Mount Makgan knowing pursuers would trail us?"

"We have to pass the Second Gate anyway, don't we? And we have no money. So, we just got a little 'help' from the others."

"... Help?"

While Eunho stood in a daze.

Jin Sowoon spoke to Geumpyo and Dongryong.

"Can you trust your Senior Brother a little more now?"

"Senior Brother! I, Geumpyo, have never once doubted you since the day I was born!"

"Eldest Senior Brother! I'd believe you even if you said you made fermented soybean paste out of red beans!"

"..."

While Geumpyo and Dongryong cheered wildly, intoxicated by the joy of victory.

Eunho couldn't fully join them, plagued by an unexplainable feeling of unease.

Is this right?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't easily accept this.

'I don't think this was the intended way to pass the Murim Academy's exam.'

According to what Eldest Senior Brother said, since the Murim Academy was still an educational institution, they couldn't just overtly say, 'We only want rich brats to join.' That was why they designed the test this way.

So, how panicked would the Academy be if someone actually solved a problem they weren't supposed to solve in the first place?

'Is this really okay?'

Geumpyo and Dongryong were now looking at him, seemingly lacking the strength to toss their Eldest Senior Brother into the air with just the two of them. Eunho let out a small sigh and stopped thinking.

* * *

"Honestly, I don't know what to do about this."

Yang Gunbaek stared at the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and Single-Horned Black Toad with a grim expression.

When the messenger hawk that should have arrived couldn't approach due to the killing intent of the Heaven and Earth Net, the worried Yang Gunbaek had ultimately come himself.

For my part, his arrival was welcome since I happened to have business with him, but he didn't look very comfortable at all.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because if I report this exactly as it is, I will definitely be suspected of lying."

"... Haha. Is that so?"

Yang Gunbaek let out a long sigh before quickly regaining his composure.

"I am truly relieved. I was worried, but to think you'd achieve such an outstanding result."

"It is thanks to your concern."

"Have you received the Second Gate admission tokens?"

After killing the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and Single-Horned Black Toad and cutting open their bellies to extract their cores, an examiner and warriors from the Murim Alliance had appeared out of nowhere.

"They credited them as 180 years' worth of internal energy each."

"You are truly remarkable."

Yang Gunbaek stared blankly at the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and Single-Horned Black Toad before suddenly raising his eyes and asking.

"Then... what have you decided to do with these creatures' corpses? Will you hand them over to the Murim Alliance?"

Normally, the Murim Alliance handled the corpses and cores of spiritual beasts, so the examiner had asked the exact same question.

"I have a much better friend, so is there really a need to use them?"

As I said this with a meaningful smile, Yang Gunbaek's mouth broke into a wide grin.

"I absolutely... I will make sure you have absolutely no regrets."

"Then, while you're at it, I'll entrust this to you as well."

I handed the cores of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and Single-Horned Black Toad to Yang Gunbaek.

His eyes went wide.

"Please dispose of these two and procure three suitable spiritual elixirs."

"... Sowoon. That is possible, of course, but wouldn't it be better for you to consume these directly rather than selling them to buy something else?"

"That is true, but my brothers' internal energy is still hovering around the 10-year mark."

"Ah..."

I spoke while looking at the Geum-eun-dong brothers, who were currently goofing around with each other.

The cores of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and Single-Horned Black Toad contained potent venom.

Someone with enough internal energy could convert even that venom into internal energy, but the Geum-eun-dong brothers would be poisoned before they could even refine the cores.

"Please handle the corpses of the Golden-Scaled Azure Thread Python and Single-Horned Black Toad as well, and add the profits to the purchase of the spiritual elixirs."

"Yes, sir. I will procure the spiritual elixirs for you before even disposing of the spiritual beasts."

Yang Gunbaek's words made me tilt my head in confusion.

"That would be great for me, but you don't need to push yourself so..."

Providing the spiritual elixirs before selling the goods meant he would have to use his own or his sect's money first.

In that case, the increased incidental expenses—such as processing and storing the spiritual beasts' corpses—would become unavoidable.

And if he failed to sell the goods on the market, his funds could end up tied up for a long time.

I couldn't understand Yang Gunbaek's intention to take on such an unnecessary loss.

"..."

Yang Gunbaek, who seemed to want to say something about it, parted his lips several times before finally managing to speak.

"I am afraid I might ruin the good mood, so I don't quite know how to break this to you."

"Is something wrong?"

"Sowoon, you have no time left."

"What do you mean... Even if we were late for the First Gate, we should be early for the Second Gate, shouldn't we?"

"The Wudang Sect, Mount Hua Sect, and Mount Cangshan Sect have begun to move."

"...?"

"Toward you, Sowoon."