“You’ll never win,” Mang-Dok's taunt echoed across the battlefield. The cultivators' resolve wavered, their spirits dampened by the overwhelming odds.
But fate, it seemed, had other plans.
A rumble in the distance caught Joo-won's attention. He squinted, hardly daring to believe his eyes. On the horizon, a sea of figures approached, their qi blazing like a thousand suns.
"Reinforcements!" Do Joon-soo cried, his voice thick with relief.
Above the advancing army, a lone figure soared, her presence commanding awe. Alchemist Joo's eyes widened in recognition.
"Maeng Yeonji," he breathed, a smile breaking across his weary face.
The leader of District Two, a revered member of the Medicine Faction, had answered their call. Her arrival was like a bolt of lightning, electrifying the beleaguered defenders.
As Maeng Yeonji descended, her presence electrified the battlefield. With a flick of her wrist, she dispatched her elite cultivators to bolster the ground forces, their arrival turning the tide against Mang-Dok's serpentine army.
Amidst the chaos, Alchemist Joo and Maeng Yeonji locked eyes. A flicker of warmth passed between them, a moment of respite in the storm of battle.
"Maeng Yeonji," Alchemist Joo called out, relief coloring his voice. "Never thought I'd be so glad to see District Two's finest."
A wry smile tugged at Maeng Yeonji's lips. "Save the flattery, Joo. We've got bigger fish to fry – or should I say, snakes to charm?"
Their eyes darted to the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon, its massive form casting shadows over the ravaged landscape.
Alchemist Joo's face hardened. "That monstrosity needs to be stopped. I'm with you, old friend."
"Just like old times, eh?" Maeng Yeonji's eyes glinted with determination. "Let's show this overgrown reptile why they call us the Twin Terrors of Alchemy."
With a shared nod, they leapt into action. Alchemist Joo's hands blurred as he concocted potions mid-air and drank it to replenish his qi, while Maeng Yeonji's qi surged, her robes billowing with barely contained power.
Maeng Yeonji's hand moved in a graceful arc, drawing forth a fan that gleamed like moonlight on water. As it unfurled, the very air seemed to hold its breath.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, chaos erupted.
Gale-force winds howled across the battlefield, carrying with them razor-sharp blades of qi. They slammed into the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon, each gust finding gaps between its mighty scales.
The beast's roar of pain shook the earth, a sound of primal fury and... was that fear?
Joo-won's eyes widened in awe. "So this is the power of a true master," he breathed.
Around him, the battered cultivators and alchemists found new strength. Backs straightened, grips tightened on weapons, and faces set with grim determination.
Do Joon-soo's voice rang out above the din. "Press the advantage! For our home!"
The cry was taken up by others, a battle shout that grew into a roar to rival the dragon's own.
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As Maeng Yeonji continued her assault, her silver fan a blur of motion, Joo-won felt a surge of hope. Victory, so long out of reach, now seemed tantalizingly close.
But the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon wasn't finished yet. Its eyes blazed with malevolent intelligence as it reared back, preparing a counterattack.
As the battle raged below, a lone figure scaled the writhing body of the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon. Joo-won, his face set with grim determination, inched his way towards the beast's reverse scale.
With every movement, his muscles screamed in protest. One slip, and he'd plummet to certain doom. But Joo-won pressed on, driven by a desperate hope.
Finally, he reached his target-the reverse scale. Gathering his qi, he struck with all his might—only to watch in dismay as the scale remained unblemished.
"No," he whispered, despair clawing at his heart.
A mocking laugh cut through the air. Joo-won looked up to see Mang-Dok sneering down at him.
"Well, well," the alchemist drawled, "what have we here? A little mouse trying to fell a mountain?"
Joo-won gritted his teeth, ignoring the taunt. He knew the reverse scale was key—he just needed one more chance.
Closing his eyes, he reached deep within himself, drawing on reserves of strength he didn't know he possessed. His qi surged, focusing to a needle-sharp point.
As Joo-won concentrated his attack, Do Joon-soo and the others seized their chance. They unleashed a furious assault on Mang-Dok, their combined might forcing the Serpent Tongue Alchemist to divide his attention.
"Now, Joo-won!" Do Joon-soo's voice cut through the chaos.
With a battle cry that seemed to shake the very heavens, Joo-won brought down his blade—the masterpiece forged by Yu Han-eol—upon the reverse scale.
CRACK!
The sound echoed across the battlefield, followed by an earth-shattering roar from the Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon. Its massive body writhed in agony, nearly throwing Joo-won off.
As he clung to the beast, Joo-won silently thanked his foresight in donning the protective armor. Venomous fangs from the smaller serpents glanced off the enchanted metal, leaving him unscathed where a lesser defense would have failed.
Despite being only in the Soldier class, Joo-won had managed to strike a critical blow against a legendary beast- this is probably due to the concentrated amount of qi of the Tower of Myriad Immortals. His heart raced with a mixture of fear and exhilaration.
In the chaos of the moment, Joo-won's hand flew to his belt, fingers closing around a small vial. The Five Organs Mountain Herb Decoction.
"Now or never," he muttered, uncorking the vial with his teeth.
With a practiced flick of his wrist, he sent the decoction arcing through the air. It splashed against the exposed flesh where the reverse scale had shattered, sizzling on contact.
The effect was instantaneous. The Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon's roar of pain shook the very ground beneath their feet. Its massive body thrashed wildly, scales rippling as the potent concoction raced through its veins like liquid fire.
For a heartbeat, hope flared in Joo-won's chest. But then...
"No!" Mang-Dok's voice thundered across the battlefield. "I will not be defeated by mere children!"
Before anyone could react, the Serpent Tongue Alchemist lunged forward. With a sickening squelch, he plunged into the dragon's gaping maw.
Horror dawned on Joo-won's face as he realized what was happening. "He's... merging with it!"
The dragon's thrashing intensified, its form beginning to warp and twist. As Mang-Dok's essence fused with the beast, Joo-won knew their battle had just entered a whole new realm of danger.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The Thousand-Fangs Viper Dragon's form began to warp and grow, pulsing with an unholy light.
"By the heavens," Do Joon-soo breathed, his face pale.
Hyeol-Ran stepped forward, her artifact sword blazing like a star. Her eyes flashed with determination as she declared, "This ends now! Whatever it takes!"
But before they could launch their assault, the sea of lesser snakes surged forward as one, responding to some unheard command. The ground beneath their feet became a writhing mass of scales and fangs.
Caught off guard by the sudden movement, Joo-won lost his precarious grip on the transformed dragon. He plummeted through the air, heart in his throat—only to be snatched from certain doom by a gust of wind.
Maeng Yeonji set him gently on the ground, her silver fan still humming with power. Her keen eyes studied him with interest.
"So," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice despite the chaos around them, "you're the boy Alchemist Joo can't stop writing about. I see his praise wasn't exaggerated."
Joo-won blinked, momentarily stunned by both his near-death experience and the unexpected compliment. But there was no time for introductions or explanations.