The streets of District One erupted into chaos, a symphony of hissing snakes and clashing steel. Joo-won's heart raced as he surveyed the battlefield, his fingers clutching a vial of Seven-Hued Harmony.

"Watch out!" he cried, diving to push a fellow cultivator out of the path of a lunging viper. The snake's fangs sank into the cobblestones, acid sizzling where its venom dripped.

All around him, cultivators danced a deadly waltz with Mang-Dok's serpentine army. The smaller snakes fell quickly, their bodies dissolving as the antidote did its work. But for every victory, a new challenge arose.

"By the heavens!" someone shouted. Joo-won's eyes widened as a monstrous python, thick as an ancient tree trunk, came crashing through a nearby building. Its scales gleamed with an unnatural, oily sheen.

"Corrosive Coil!" The python's body whipped out, narrowly missing a group of alchemists. Where it struck, the ground bubbled and smoked.

Joo-won gritted his teeth. This was what they'd trained for, what they'd sacrificed so much to achieve. He couldn't – wouldn't – let Mang-Dok win.

"Formation Omega!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the din of battle. Cultivators scrambled into position, their movements perfectly synchronized after countless drills.

…

Alchemist Mang-Dok surveyed the chaos below with a twisted smile playing on his lips. Perched atop the colossal Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon, he looked more demon than man, its scales glinting like polished obsidian in the fading light.

"Crush them, my beauties!" he cackled, his voice carrying over the din of battle. At his command, the sea of serpents surged forward, a living tide of scales and venom.

But as the snakes advanced, five figures stepped out from the ranks of the defenders.

The air crackled as the five cultivators sprang into action, their movements a blur of deadly grace. Do Joon-soo's blade sang through the air, leaving trails of shimmering qi in its wake as it sliced towards the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon's scales.

"Piercing Autumn Leaf!" he cried, his sword flickering like sunlight on water.

Beside him, Alchemist Joo's fingers danced in intricate patterns. "Needle Barrage!" A hail of glittering, poison-tipped darts materialized, seeking out the chinks in the monstrous serpent's armored hide.

Hyeol-Ran's eyes blazed with inner fire as she thrust her palms forward. "Starfall Cascade!" Orbs of pure energy erupted from her hands, pummeling the Viper Dragon with celestial fury.

At the rear, Baek Woojin and Yi Gwan stood back-to-back, their qi intertwining. "Twin Dragons' Inferno!" they shouted in unison. A torrent of flames, shaped like two sinuous dragons, roared towards their titanic foe.

The Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon reeled under the onslaught, its ear-splitting roar shaking the very foundations of District One. Its massive tail lashed out, narrowly missing Do Joon-soo as he leapt aside.

"Miasma Shroud!" Alchemist Mang-Dok's voice cut through the chaos. A sickly green fog billowed from the Viper Dragon's maw, threatening to engulf the cultivators.

Atop his serpentine mount, Mang-Dok's face contorted with rage. "Arise, my children!" he howled. The ground beneath them writhed as more snakes burst forth, a living carpet of scales and fangs.

From his lofty perch, the Serpent Tongue Alchemist's smirk faltered. Something was... wrong. The Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon's poison should have laid waste to all but him, yet...

His eyes narrowed, focusing on Alchemist Joo. The man stood tall, unaffected by the poison he prviously injected, his aura radiating power that spoke of the fourth stage of the General class. Mang-Dok's blood ran cold. Impossible! Unless...

"So," he snarled, "the rumors were true. Someone dared to challenge my poison!"

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Rage consumed him. With a bone-chilling screech, he commanded, "Thousand Fang Devastation!"

The colossal serpent's maw gaped wide, unleashing a torrent of venom and qi that sent Joo and his companions flying like leaves in a storm. Mang-Dok's laughter echoed across the battlefield, dark and triumphant.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted. "I'll grind your bones to dust!"

But as the dust settled, five figures rose. Battered, but unbroken. Alchemist Joo's eyes blazed with inner fire as he shouted, "Now!"

The air thrummed with tension as Alchemist Joo reached into his robes, pulling out an ornate flute. Its surface gleamed with ancient runes, a relic from a forgotten age.

"The Song of a Thousand Needles," he whispered, bringing the instrument to his lips.

A haunting melody filled the air, eerie and beautiful. Suddenly, the sky darkened as countless glinting needles materialized, raining down upon the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon like lethal hail.

"My turn!" Do Joon-soo roared, his blade flashing in the dim light. "Piercing Fang Technique!"

His sword became a silver blur, finding gaps in the great serpent's scales. The beast's agonized bellow shook the very ground.

Hyeol-Ran darted in, her movements too fast for the eye to follow. "Meteor Shower Fist!"

Her hands and feet became a storm of strikes, each blow resonating with thunderous force against the Viper Dragon's hide.

Not to be outdone, Baek Woojin and Yi Gwan moved in perfect sync. "Twin Dragons' Fury!"

Streams of qi, one blazing red, the other icy blue, spiraled around each other before slamming into their titanic foe.

Mang-Dok's laughter cut through the chaos of battle, cold and mocking. "Pathetic!" he spat, perched atop the writhing coils of his monstrous mount. "You dare challenge the Serpent Tongue Alchemist? I'll crush you like the insects you are!"

Below, the streets of District One churned with scales and fang. Cultivators battled wave after wave of venomous serpents, their movements growing sluggish with exhaustion.

"Don't give up!" Bao Li shouted, his fists blazing with qi as he pummeled a cobra the size of a tree trunk. "Remember what we're fighting for!"

Nearby, Sister Mei-Ling's dance-like movements faltered as she narrowly avoided a viper's strike. Sweat beaded on her brow, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "There's... there's just so many of them," she panted.

Old Man Chen leaned heavily on his cane-sword, his weathered face set in grim determination. "In my day," he wheezed, before skewering an approaching rattlesnake, "we fought armies twice this size before breakfast!"

Despite their bravado, fatigue was taking its toll. Muscles burned, reflexes slowed. But in each cultivator's eyes burned an unquenchable fire. This was their home, their future. They'd rather fall here than live another day under Mang-Dok's poisonous rule.

Joo-won's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos of battle. "My fellow cultivators, the god of victory smiles upon us tonight!"

His words sparked a fire in the hearts of his comrades. They needed that boost—the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon was no joke. Just looking at the beast made their qi tremble.

As if to prove its terrifying reputation, the dragon's tail smashed into a nearby cliff. The entire face of rock crumbled like it was made of sand. Hyeol-Ran gulped. One hit from that, and she'd be nothing but a red smear on the ground.

But they couldn't back down now. Not when they were so close.

The five cultivators moved as one, a dance of deadly grace they'd perfected through countless battles. Alchemist Joo's potions sizzled through the air. Do Joon-soo's sword flickered like lightning. Hyeol-Ran's spirit beasts swarmed around her. Baek Woojin's fists glowed with inner power. And Yi Gwan... well, Yi Gwan was Yi Gwan, unpredictable.

For a moment, it seemed like they might actually win.

Then the dragon roared.

The sound alone was enough to make their bones rattle. Its qi exploded outward, a tidal wave of pure, overwhelming power.

Joon-soo grit his teeth as he felt his techniques crumble. This beast... it was on a whole different level.

"Ha! Is this the best the 'mighty' rebels can do? Pathetic!"

Alchemist Mang-Dok's laughter boomed across the battlefield, dripping with contempt. He stood atop the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon like some demented emperor on a scaled throne. The beast's massive coils crushed trees and carved furrows in the earth as it moved.

Do Joon-soo wiped blood from his chin, his sword arm trembling with exhaustion. Around him, his fellow disciples fought a losing battle against an army of venomous snakes. For every one they cut down, two more seemed to take its place.

"Give it up, boy!" Mang-Dok sneered. "You'll never defeat me. Why not join me instead? I could use someone with your... potential."

Joon-soo's grip tightened on his sword. The blade hummed, resonating with his qi. "Join you? I'd rather kiss a toad."

He spat blood and raised his voice so all could hear. "Listen up! We didn't come this far to quit now. Yeah, we're tired. Yeah, there's a massive beast trying to eat us. But are we going to let this villain and his reptile rejects push us around?"

A ragged cheer went up from the cultivators. Hyeol-Ran flashed Joon-soo a weary grin. "Nice speech, pretty boy. Got any more tricks up your sleeve?"