A moment of life and death crisis.
At the critical moment when breath stops and the heart tightens, Hye Yeon's fist cut through the air behind the Tang Pae.
Paaaah!
Ten or so powerful auras explosively burst forth.
Unlike the usual heavy and solemn power, an overwhelming aura, swift and unstoppable, swept through the members of the Myriad Man Manor, knocking them down in succession.
Quad-dook!
The jaw of a Myriad Man Manor member who received the blow was instantly dislocated. Blood and broken teeth spilled out as he was thrown backward.
Hye Yeon gritted his teeth.
In his desperate attempt to unfold his power, he had no time to spare for the lives of his opponents.
Of course, they would soon lose their lives due to the poison.
He knew that. However, even so, the fact that Hye Yeon had ended their lives did not change.
Without giving a moment for condolences, the enemies rushed forward again like madmen.
"Kuk!"
In the brief moment that Hye Yeon had given him, the Tang Pae, who had somehow regained his composure, swung his hand like a whirlwind, sending out poisonous darts.
Puh-aah! Puh-aah!
Black poison clouds burst out successively, but as only pure poison darts without mixing the poisonous gas, they couldn't control the entire canyon.
Hungry packs of panthers rushed in through the gaps in the poison clouds.
Not only that.
Ka-ga-ga-gak!
From above, the sound of scraping rocks with iron echoed continuously.
Those who had climbed the cliffs were thrusting their swords into the cliffs and lifting themselves up, instantly covering Tang Pae and Hye Yeon with attacks.
"Above!"
"Yes!"
Hye Yeon immediately unleashed a series of punches toward those rushing toward him.
At the same time, a very thin poison needle sprayed like rain towards the members of the Myriad Man Manor, emitted from Tang Pae's sleeves.
Kwaang! Kwaaang!
Those who had rushed forward were hit by Hye Yeon's punches and were sent flying with blood splattering.
However, those attacking from above, even after being hit by the poison needles all over their bodies, did not stop their assault.
"Krehaaaap!"
Tiny needles relentlessly penetrated their bodies, causing excruciating pain.
However, the Myriad Man Manor disciples were not ordinary people who stopped wielding swords as soon as a needle pierced their hearts.
To stop such individuals, the martial arts of the Tang Family were insufficient.
The bewildered Tang Pae once again stabbed his hand into his sleeves.
However, the speed at which the Myriad Man Manor's swords struck his head was faster than his hand being pulled out.
The moment Tang Pae opened his eyes.
Parararararalak!
An energy in the shape of a crescent moon began to descend leisurely, in stark contrast to the urgent battlefield.
It resembled a butterfly gently landing on a beautifully blooming flower.
That energy soon touched the wrists of the Myriad Man Manor disciples who were targeting Tang Pae.
The trained wrists of the martial artists were instantly severed.
This was just the beginning.
One after another, the crescent-shaped energy slashed through the bodies of the Myriad Man Manor disciples who were rushing toward Tang Pae, like pouring rain.
Suk! Suk! Suk!
Moves as light as a butterfly's wingbeat.
However, the outcome was absolutely not light. From the split body, darkly stained blood gushed out vigorously.
Thud!
The Myriad Man Manor disciple whose breath had ceased fell to the side.
As the Tang Pae turned to see this, a lightning-fast shout pierced his ears.
"Get a grip!"
"Nokrim King!"
"Don't exhaust yourself trying to block the inevitable! Concentrate on what you can do! The rest will be handled by others!"
Upon hearing these words, Tang Pae quickly nodded.
His venom alone could not completely block the enemy's charge.
In that case, he needed to relieve the burden on others.
Snap! Snap!
He shattered the venomous containers in quick succession and immediately released the toxins.
The venom, infused with the Tang Family's deadly martial arts, spread widely throughout the valley.
He gave up blocking the enemy's approach with venomous walls. Instead, he intended to poison all those rushing from behind.
The venom spread thinly and widely, covering the enemies from behind.
The Myriad Man Manor disciples, seeing the approaching venomous mist, gritted their teeth.
It wasn't as dense to make it challenging to see clearly ahead.
But still, it was the Tang Family's venom.
If they rushed in like this, the outcome was obvious.
Despite knowing this fact, the Myriad Man Manor disciples didn't stop but intensified their momentum.
In any case, the result would be the same.
Once the order for a charge was given, the direction wouldn't change.
If they hesitated and stood still against the oncoming venom, their throats would be cut not by the poison but by the flying knives from behind.
So the only way to survive was to keep moving forward!
Madness flickered in the eyes of the Myriad Man Manor disciples.
They collectively plunged into the poisonous fog, writing evil into the mist.
"These lunatics!"
Im Sobyeong spat out a rough exclamation.
Making his subordinates strong was something he could do.
Given enough time, if he could control the vast organization known as Nokrim to his liking, he might be able to cultivate elite forces that wouldn't fall behind the Myriad Man Manor within ten years.
But that didn't mean Nokrim could be in the same position as the Myriad Man Manor.
The Myriad Man Manor was the Myriad Man Manor.
They were unparalleled within the Evil Sect. The reason they became one of the Five Great Evils, eventually occupying the center of the Evil Tyrant Alliance, wasn't simply because they were strong.
They were, without a doubt, the craziest individuals throughout the Evil Sect.
Weak loyalty and difficult control among the members was like an incurable disease for the Evil Sect.
That's why, despite always overwhelming the righteous sects in terms of numbers, they often suffered defeats against the righteous sects.
But the Myriad Man Manor was different. Their cohesion and loyalty surpassed righteous sects effortlessly.
No matter how hard Im Sobyeong tried, he couldn't draw out such blind loyalty.
Their insane cohesion had already surpassed the boundaries of the Evil Sect...
No, hadn't it surpassed the boundaries of the martial world?
"Fall back..."
At that moment, a group swiftly flew from behind Im Sobyeong, charging forward.
"Southern Island?"
Im Sobyeong squinted his eyes.
Elders from Southern Island, who had rushed from behind, jumped over not only Im Sobyeong but also Hye Yeon and Tang Pae, colliding with the front line of the Myriad Man Manor.
"Come! You wicked bastards!"
"This is Southern Island's fight! You can't take a single step back without overcoming me!"
"Die, you filthy Myriad Man Manor bastards!"
Shooooooo!
With a sound resembling a massive wave crashing, the formidable energy emitted by Southern Island's elders swept over the Myriad Man Manor disciples like a tidal wave.
"…Huh."
A breath of empty air escaped Im Sobyeong's lips.
Those who hadn't been particularly effective so far had come this far.
Perhaps they had been restrained to only protecting their disciples.
But now, the shackles of the disciples were finally released.
They were proving why Southern Island had become one of the Ten Great Sects and what kind of existence the elders of Southern Island were.
A desperate escape that they had never thought they would experience in their lifetime.
At this moment, the swords of the elders, suppressed by pressure, were unleashing all their resentment.
Chwaaaaak!
Blue-green energy, reminiscent of the sea, shot out layer by layer. It carried the accumulated history of a master of the righteous sects who had steadily built up his profound background over decades.
While the Myriad Man Manor disciples were considered elite within the Evil Sect, a regular martial artist had no chance of withstanding the background energy contained in the attacks of the elders of the Ten Great Sects.
Ka-ga-ga-gang!
"Aaargh!"
"Scream!"
Just as a person, no matter how strong, couldn't resist an incoming tidal wave, the fate of the Myriad Man Manor disciples who dared to stand against the onslaught of Southern Island's energy was inevitable.
When their swords clashed, the swords would break; if they exerted force to block, they would be swept away by the accumulated energy.
"Cut off all their breaths!"
Kim Yang Baek shouted with a thunderous voice as he swung his sword. The blue-green energy that once enveloped his sword fiercely shot into the air and fell behind.
The Myriad Man Manor disciples, who were eagerly waiting for an opportunity to strike from behind, were unexpectedly swept and cut ruthlessly by the incoming energy.
"Aaargh!"
"My arm! My arm!"
Whether a soldier or a martial artist, there was one reason to fight for their lives.
Those who had reached the front lines were already halfway out of their minds.
However, conversely, those who had not yet reached the front lines had not been completely tainted by madness.
The eyes of the Myriad Man Manor disciples, who watched the tragedy unfold right in front of them, were momentarily filled with fear.
"Don't let a single one through!"
Kim Yang Baek shouted.
"Yes!"
In response, the elders of Southern Island raised their voices with determination, answering with a resounding cheer.
Breaking through the crowd was akin to entering hell.
The ones honed in this advance were not only the Southern Island's disciples but also the elders who had been peacefully cultivating on the island.
Their swords now carried an unprecedented vigor and venom.
Thunk!
Whenever the elders of Southern Island swung their swords, the members of Myriad Man Manor mercilessly fell, their necks pierced in an instant.
From the mouths of those whose throats were instantly punctured, poisonous blood spurted out.
Without delay, the elders swiftly withdrew their swords, not content with merely holding their ground but taking another step forward.
Their mission was to repel the enemy, even though they knew it meant harboring hatred and resentment against the foe that fueled their every step.
"Come! You damn Myriad Man Manor bastards!"
Hatred poured out from their eyes like a river.
"Huuaaaaah!"
The difference in skill was glaringly evident.
At least to the forefront, the Myriad Man Manor members faced an impenetrable fortress composed of Southern Island's elders.
However, the members charged forward without a moment's hesitation.
Similar to someone eager to strike a bell with their head, willingly sacrificing their lives to the elders, they lunged forward.
Squelch! Squelch!
The wave-like energy of their swords swept over bodies, cutting through.
Even when their hearts were pierced, they swung their swords, and even when their waists were severed, they wielded blades targeting the legs of the elders.
There was no shortage of malice, intending to harm the opponent even as their own lives were ending.
Yet, the elders of Southern Island were equally ruthless.
Swoosh!
In the moment their hearts were about to be pierced, they swung their swords from left and right.
The only choice was to let go of the sword and retreat.
However, the lesson ingrained in them was that a swordsman must not release their weapon until their life was extinguished.
The lifelong teaching prevented them from letting go of the sword, even in the face of an obvious choice.
Squelch! Squelch!
The attacking swords cut through Southern Island's elder's body horizontally, and blood gushed from the gaping wound.
"You sons of bitches!"
The life that had been shared for decades was extinguished.
The eyes of the other elders, facing death before them, were filled with profound malice and vitality.
Swinging, stabbing, killing, cursing.
It was a scene of relentless slaughter that had persisted since the formation of the Kangho.
Justice and evil.
A familiar scene unfolded every time those on different paths collided.
The pursuits they had once valued, the goals they sought, and even the reasons for fighting were forgotten.
Everyone had become a beast, slashing and killing whoever crossed their path.