Kuuung!
-Shaaaaak!
Beyond the rift, the massive snake's maw came into view.
Its scales bore a unique pattern of white and blue mixed together—a combination that called to mind the frozen lake of the North Sea.
But there was one thing that shattered that harmony. The Killing Net Poison that stained the area near its crown black was exactly that.
-Sheeeeeek!
Bang! Kwaang! Bang!
The Azure-White Flood Dragon had pulled its head out of the crack but still hadn't regained its senses.
A fierce cold began to swirl around it, yet the flow was erratic—gathering at one point only to scatter again and again.
It knew how to wield the cold, just as Bing Yerin had said, but its movements suggested it kept failing to bend the energy to its will.
The Killing Net Poison seemed to have taken proper effect.
"It really is disgustingly huge."
"Kyaaah! Don't look back—run! Hurry!"
Tang So-wol, who had only glanced back for a moment, was now pounding on my back in sheer panic. Of course, the very Tang So-wol saying that was also looking back herself.
I understood, though. If I were drained of strength, carried on someone's back, and watching a snake that size throw a tantrum, I'd be jumping out of my skin too. Still.
"Since my feet haven't stopped, don't rush me."
I was already unleashing my footwork at full power. Not only was I detonating the maximum internal energy my Meridians would allow, but I was also employing my Intent, though I wasn't yet fully accustomed to applying it to my footwork.
Thanks to that, every step I took split the ground with a Loud Noise, but… the Azure-White Flood Dragon's flailing was so loud that it drowned everything out.
That frantic dash lasted only a moment. Before long, the rumbling from behind faded, and Tang So-wol shouted in an urgent voice.
"Young hero Cheon! We've been spotted!"
"I know."
The Azure-White Flood Dragon's energy, which had been spreading out in all directions in chaos, began to settle little by little… and above all, its gaze. More precisely, I began to feel the killing intent contained within it.
The moment I raised my own Aura to protect Tang So-wol on my back from that killing intent.
Shwaaaah!
The Azure-White Flood Dragon, its maw split wide open, began charging straight at us in a single line.
Its vertically slit pupils flashed as it crawled forward at terrifying speed. Given its immense size, every single twist of its body closed the distance I had managed to put between us by a huge margin.
I had Tang So-wol on my back, and while the Thunder Step was excellent for sudden bursts of acceleration, its top speed was only average…
Even accounting for that, this was far too fast. Puzzled, I looked more closely and immediately understood the reason.
With a body that size and weight, it should have been grinding the ground apart as it moved, but the Azure-White Flood Dragon's scales were gliding across the surface as if sliding.
And that was one of the characteristics of the North Sea Ice Palace's footwork that I had seen a few times while helping Seol Ri-hyang with her training.
They fought on slippery ice often, so that kind of footwork must have developed over time.
"Heh. They said you were clever, but this is more than just clever."
This was probably a trick learned from fighting the previous Ice Palace Lord.
Of course, it wasn't anything that could be called proper footwork. After all, snakes don't even have feet to begin with.
It was just a knack for moving one's body across frozen ground. But the fact that a beast had picked it up by watching with its eyes, without any formal training, was remarkable.
With that size and in an environment like the North Sea, I could understand it moving faster than me.
"Now is not the time for admiration, young hero Cheon! It's already close enough to reach out and touch!"
"Don't worry. Snakes don't have hands."
"Is this really the time to be saying something so calmly?! We haven't even reached our destination yet…"
Tang So-wol trailed off, then swung her arm with a resolute look in her eyes. The Killing Net Poison, which had scattered into several strands like a hidden weapon, stretched out toward the Azure-White Flood Dragon following her gesture. But—
Sssssss!
It faltered slightly, but perhaps that was because it had already been doused in the Killing Net Poison once before. Showing little effect, it instead burst into anger and opened its maw wide.
A mouth large enough to swallow an entire building whole. Above it, fangs closer to pillars than teeth gleamed.
The poison was said to be absent, but from the moment one was bitten or swallowed, survival would be difficult regardless.
But I had expected this much.
"Hup!"
THUD!
I stomped hard with the foot that had been tirelessly executing my footwork. The speed of my run returned to me as rebound force.
It was an impact that could easily break a bone somewhere if I made even the slightest mistake. I applied the technique of Plum Blossom on Ice to redirect that force completely.
My body stopped as unnaturally as if a nail had been driven into my foot. The speed of my run soon became power, surging up through my entire body according to my will.
Ankle, thigh, waist, and then through the back to the arm. Muscles and joints moved flexibly, each tracing small circles.
At the moment all that power concentrated in my arm, I twisted my body in the opposite direction and swung the sword fiercely. Filled with the single-minded determination to protect Tang So-wol on my back.
WHOOONG!
Internal energy and Intent layered over the sword, swung with more force than usual, taking on a distinct form.
A pale, gleaming Sword Force surged from below to above, slicing across the underside of the Azure-White Flood Dragon's chin.
THWACK!
The Azure-White Flood Dragon, which had been snapping its jaws wide open to strike down from above, had its mouth forced shut as if it had been hit, and its head bounced upward.
Its chin was naturally exposed. The wound that had just appeared was far too large to be called a mere sword cut.
That was because the Sword Force had not only cut through the area it touched, but had fiercely sliced through the very space beyond it.
It had cut a length roughly three times the size of the sword. However, that was not enough to inflict a fatal wound on the Azure-White Flood Dragon.
Because the moment the sword touched, the creature reflexively concentrated its energy on its chin.
Perhaps it was because of the Killing Net Poison. As Bing Yerin had said, it could not cover its entire body with scales of ice, but it seemed capable of creating them instantaneously on the spot where my sword struck.
Of course, that alone couldn't block my Sword Force. Especially not my sword, which was specialized in cutting through energy.
…However, it was enough to dull that sharpness a little.
"It's disgustingly big, and disgustingly hard."
Even with Sword Force wrapped around it, I had felt resistance as I cut through scales and hide. When I reached the bone, I couldn't cut all the way through, and the strike turned into more of a heavy blow.
I had intended to split its chin open, but that was why the Azure-White Flood Dragon's head snapped upward as if it had been struck.
The wound I left was probably nothing more than a slightly deep scratch from its perspective.
Having cut it just once, I could understand why the Ice Heaven Lord had failed to kill the Azure-White Flood Dragon. To be this strong even after being poisoned by the Killing Net Poison…
…But unlike the Ice Heaven Lord, I was not alone.
Shaking its raised head once, the creature's gaze turned more cautious as it regained its senses.
From the side, a small figure charged in at incredible speed, then stepped into the air and flew straight at it.
So fast that it arrived before the Azure-White Flood Dragon's eyes in the blink of an eye.
Seomun Hwa-rin, who had been hiding and waiting ever since I lured the beast here, clenched her fist.
A forward stance taken in midair with nothing to step on. A moment later, a fist wreathed in dark-red Aura shot toward the side of the Azure-White Flood Dragon's head.
KWAANG!
With a Loud Noise, the Azure-White Flood Dragon's massive head snapped to the side, then toppled over.
THUD!
The ground trembled as the massive body collapsed. I set down Tang So-wol, who had been on my back, and spoke.
"You should be able to move now. Go on ahead."
"Understood… and please be careful, young hero Cheon."
"With Senior Seomun Hwa-rin here, there's no need to worry."
With those words as my parting, I kicked off the ground and drew out my Sword Force to its maximum length.
The Azure-White Flood Dragon, caught off guard by the sudden punch, hadn't yet regained its senses. If there was one thing Seomun Hwa-rin excelled at, it was instantaneous destructive power—among Harmony Realm Martial Artists, she was second to none.
She hadn't concentrated that power into a single point but had spread it as wide as possible before striking.
Looking closely, I could see a mark on the side of the Azure-White Flood Dragon's head, as if it had been hit by something large.
The thick scales weren't pierced through, but… that was only a matter of time.
I swung my sword at the creature, which still hadn't managed to rise.
"Hah!"
All that was needed was the will to cut. The Sword Force shone brighter as it flew toward the creature's eyes.
-Sssss!
The Azure-White Flood Dragon twisted its head at the last moment with a sharp, serpentine hiss. But the sword strike, cutting through the air and extending far beyond what it appeared to be, sliced through its scales.
Sseok.
Perhaps because I hadn't given it a moment to gather its energy this time, the cut went much deeper.
I had failed to cut out its eye, but the Azure-White Flood Dragon, now bearing a long sword wound beneath it, began dripping blood.
Strangely, the moment the creature's blood droplets touched the ground, they froze solid.
As the sight of blood consumed the Flood Dragon's eyes with anger, it began to stir up an unstable but still immense wave of cold air.
Thud.
Seomun Hwa-rin, who had been floating in the sky, landed beside the wound I had just carved open with a few steps of Air Stepping. And then.
"Hup!"
Thump!
A fist wrapped in a dark red Aura shot toward the Flood Dragon's eye. From a distance so close that it had no chance to dodge.
Thwack!
His fist slammed into the eyeball, which was far larger than Seomun Hwa-rin's entire body. This time, unlike before, the force concentrated on a single point tore through the inside of the Flood Dragon's eye.
Blood gushed out like a waterfall from the ruptured eye, which had no chance to resist.
— Sssshaaaaa!
The Azure-White Flood Dragon writhed and flailed madly, letting out a shriek.
At the same time, it spewed cold energy in every direction, and a thick, fog-like haze began to settle over the surroundings.
At this point, even Seomun Hwa-rin couldn't stay standing. She leaped and landed beside me.
She swung her sword toward the mass of cold energy that was approaching us.
Swoosh!
The energy scattered as it was cut. Amid the cold that blanketed the entire area except where we stood, I spoke to Seomun Hwa-rin, who was covered in blood.
"Get that blood off quickly. That's dangerous."
"Don't worry. I saw the blood from the wound you inflicted freeze as it fell, so I was already prepared."
The blood covering Seomun Hwa-rin's body was already half-frozen, but when she shook herself, it shattered in an instant and fell to the ground.
Beneath the revealed surface, a thin but unmistakable Aura lingered over her body. So she had blocked the blood with her Protective Qi the moment it splattered.
I swung my sword again, inwardly admiring her.
Whoosh!
The sword cut horizontally, a long, sweeping slash. This time, it severed not only the energy directed at me, but also the energy scattered throughout the surroundings.
The vision blurred by fine ice crystals cleared, revealing the Azure-White Flood Dragon.
Whether it was the effect of the Killing Net Poison or its inability to control itself, drool flowed ceaselessly from its mouth. Deep sword wounds marked its chin and the side of its head, and blood gushed like a waterfall from its burst eye.
For a moment, we stared each other down, the standoff continuing.
If we fought to the very end like this, I could probably bring the beast down. But I wouldn't come out of it unscathed either.
I had succeeded in poisoning it and, with a surprise attack, managed to burst one of its eyes… but unfortunately, the wounds I inflicted, though deep, hadn't proven fatal.
On the other hand, if I took a hit from that massive body, even my Protective Qi wouldn't fully absorb the impact.
As if aware of this, the Azure-White Flood Dragon glared at me with its remaining eye… then turned its head and began to flee.
I stared at its retreating figure for a long while, just in case, and only after confirming that the creature had hidden itself deep within the crack did I finally speak.
"Would you say that's enough?"
"Hmm! With wounds that severe, it will take quite some time for it to recover."
"I never imagined I'd have an experience like this in my lifetime…"
"Nor have I. This is the first time I've faced a Spirit Beast of such size since the day I was born."
"I hope there's never a second time."
I let out a hollow laugh and sheathed my sword.
The Azure-White Flood Dragon, having crawled back into the crack, barely managed to suppress its rage.
The moment the black liquid had poured down out of nowhere, the energy within its body had run wild on its own, and a sharp pain like its organs being torn apart had come crashing in.
It had set out to kill the culprit behind that pain, and in the process had lost not only a few minor wounds but even one of its eyes.
But regardless, it was alive. That was enough.
Judging by the looks of them, these beings seemed to have come from somewhere entirely different from this place—so it would count itself unlucky and simply retreat.
It would recover its wounds somewhere safe and build up its strength again.
…But what awaited the Azure-White Flood Dragon back at its nest were its offspring, dead after writhing in agony.
Killing Net Poison. The Azure-White Flood Dragon did not know the name, but it realized in an instant that the black liquid was what had killed its children.
- Sssssss!
A serpent's anatomy cannot produce a loud cry. All that echoed through the cave was the sound of air leaking out.
The Azure-White Flood Dragon grieved for a long while, then began swallowing the corpses of its offspring one by one.
To swallow the pain of the Azure-White Cold Serpents, the poison still lingering within them, their deaths… and their inner cores.
There was no further ground to retreat to. The Azure-White Flood Dragon knew this itself. The land where it could survive was growing narrower by the day.
That was why it had wanted to reclaim its territory… but now, even that no longer mattered.
A dull flame began to burn in the Azure-White Flood Dragon's remaining eye.
The poison that brings a serpent to death.
The name of that poison was despair.