Chapter 399

Crack!

At the sound of the great hall door being torn open, the warriors guarding outside the great hall all tensed up simultaneously.

Someone’s coming out!

The martial artists immediately took out horn flutes and blew them.

Hoooot! Hoooot!

Everyone had their full attention focused on the great hall. The moment the horn sounds rang out, the entire inner courtyard stirred.

In an instant, people rushed to gather in front of the great hall.

Not only the three Poison Sect Cliques but all the leaders of Tang family organizations assembled instantly.

Tension appeared on everyone’s faces.

It wasn’t that they didn’t know who would come out, but they didn’t know what would come out.

Moreover, on one side, nearly a hundred scholars in academic robes had also come. Wearing caps and holding abacuses, they all stared at the broken great hall door with fierce eyes, creating an atmosphere quite different from the others.

These were Tang Qing’s direct subordinates who had previously fought with Jin Ja-gang.

Tang Gwi-ok also arrived soon. Soul Seizing Hall Master Tang Sang-yul accompanied Tang Gwi-ok.

Tang Sang-yul’s eyes were cold as he looked at the scholars in academic robes.

“Hmph.”

Tang Sang-yul raised his hand.

Countless warriors climbed onto the walls surrounding the great hall. They held nets, spears, and bows.

The eyes of the three Poison Sect Clique leaders Tap Tak-yeon, Ro-gwan, and Yuk Ha-seon glanced at their surroundings and the walls. There were no Tang family members around them. Despite the space not being very wide, they were kept far away. If things went wrong, those nets and spears would pour down on them.

The nets and spears might aim elsewhere too. The warriors on the walls were also looking toward the scholars in academic robes who stood isolated on one side like themselves.

As if wanting to be heard, Tap Tak-yeon spoke somewhat loudly.

“The Tang family’s situation is quite complex.”

Several Tang family members showed displeased expressions, but the scholars in academic robes paid no attention. They only stared at the great hall’s sealed door.

Amid the strange tension, the great hall door that had been quiet briefly began being torn open again.

Rip! Crack!

The planks were being torn.

Strangely, though it was clearly a violent scene, it didn’t feel violent. It looked as natural as drawing back curtains.

Everyone held their breath.

Tension reached its peak.

Depending on what came out, a massacre could occur in front of the great hall.

The target would change depending on whether Tang Qing or Jin Ja-gang emerged.

Or something that had lost reason might come out and slaughter without distinguishing friend from foe.

Come out!

Everyone waited with the same mindset, prepared to act.

Not even the sound of crickets could be heard.

And then.

A pale human figure walked out through the broken great hall door.

“Ah!”

It was unclear who screamed first. But even if it hadn’t been them, someone else would have made the same cry.

Jin Ja-gang…

Had appeared.

Jin Ja-gang wore not a single thread. The only thing remaining was the Soul Seizing Thread ring on his wrist. But he showed no shame or shrinking.

Rather, he stood confidently and surveyed the people waiting outside the great hall.

None of the wounds he had suffered before being trapped in the great hall remained.

His entire skin was pale like a sickly patient but transparent and clean. There wasn’t a single scar.

His bone structure had also changed. It was subtle, but some masters could tell.

Anyone could see his nearly perfect skeletal structure was harmoniously matched with his muscles and bones.

Whatever had happened, they could tell without being told.

Inside the great hall, Jin Ja-gang had undergone bone and marrow transformation!

Most of all, the evidence was that all his hair had fallen out and already grown back about two inches.

Even before bone and marrow transformation, Jin Ja-gang was someone who had defeated Yeong Hyeon-sa, Piercing Ghost, and Benevolent Hero Bulgi among the Poison Sect’s six cliques, as well as Demon Exterminating Monk Mu-gak.

If such a Jin Ja-gang had undergone bone and marrow transformation, how much stronger had he become!

Gulp.

The martial artists swallowed dry saliva.

In life, there’s rarely a chance to see someone appear stronger after undergoing bone and marrow transformation before one’s eyes. Everyone looked at Jin Ja-gang with awe.

But the scholars in academic robes made a sudden move.

Step, they began approaching Jin Ja-gang, taking steps forward. It could never be called goodwill. These were people raised solely for King of Hell Tang Qing. Their intention in going toward Jin Ja-gang was clear.

One of Tang Sang-yul’s eyebrows rose. Tang Sang-yul muttered as if grinding his teeth.

“These bastards…”

Acting without the family head’s orders was hard to tolerate. It might be different if King of Hell Tang Qing were present!

But Tang Gwi-ok restrained Tang Sang-yul.

“Leave them be.”

It was an order that seemed to somewhat anticipate what would happen next. Tang Sang-yul immediately bowed his head and withdrew without objection.

The scholars in academic robes surrounded Jin Ja-gang in a semicircle with about ten steps distance.

Their eyes glaring at Jin Ja-gang were ominous. The scholars bared their teeth and rapidly raised their internal energy.

All the scholars’ robes greatly inflated.

Whooom!

Hot air swirled.

Veins bulged on the scholars’ foreheads. Facing Jin Ja-gang, they felt tremendous pressure. On top of that, the momentum Jin Ja-gang emitted heavily pressed down on their shoulders.

The scholars had already fought Jin Ja-gang once before. They were familiar with Jin Ja-gang’s abilities. Nevertheless, they couldn’t dare meet the eyes of Jin Ja-gang who looked down with an indifferent expression. Jin Ja-gang’s gaze held an aura that was difficult to approach.

Jin Ja-gang had undergone bone and marrow transformation both physically and mentally.

By bringing down King of Hell Tang Qing, he had opened the eyes of a ruler, not just a martial artist.

The dignity of a ruler was overlaid on top of the killing intent he possessed as an asura.

Now the aura Jin Ja-gang emitted was not simple killing intent but supreme intimidation.

Jin Ja-gang looked at them quietly, then reached back.

Swish.

Soul Seizing Thread moved. Tang Qing was dragged and grasped in Jin Ja-gang’s hand.

Jin Ja-gang grabbed Tang Qing’s nape and threw him forward.

Tang Qing was not dead but in a very weakened state, sprawled like luggage before the scholars.

Anger appeared on the scholars’ faces.

Jin Ja-gang’s mouth opened.

“Kneel.”

Just one word.

At just that one word, the scholars nearly had their legs give out.

The scholars endured with all their might.

The intimidation emanating from Jin Ja-gang became even heavier.

Tick tick tick! Tick tick tick tick!

The abacus beads rattled and shook wildly.

The scholars were startled. That wasn’t an action they had done voluntarily.

Tremble tremble tremble.

Their own hands were shaking. Despite decades of training to obey only Tang Qing!

The scholars bit their molars. To counter Jin Ja-gang’s momentum, they raised even thicker killing intent.

Sensing the murderous intent, anger slowly appeared in Jin Ja-gang’s brow.

Jin Ja-gang spoke once more.

Kneel.

The single word, not loud, rang in the scholars’ ears like thunder from clear skies. Several with insufficient internal energy swayed.

Tang Qing, who was no different from the scholars’ leader, had been defeated by Jin Ja-gang. So the time had come for the scholars too to choose submission to the new ruler Jin Ja-gang.

Thud.

Thirty percent finally couldn’t endure and knelt down.

But seventy percent still remained.

“Yahhh!”

One with strong will initiated action. Holding an iron abacus upside down, he leaped toward Jin Ja-gang.

There was one target to attack and dozens of attackers. The most optimal method was to leap up and attack from all directions. That way at least thirty or forty people could act simultaneously. Even if counterattacked, falling corpses could dull the enemy’s movements.

The rest rushed at Jin Ja-gang stepping on the stairs. The front rows crouched low, the back rows ran upright.

Seventy shadows covered Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang grasped Soul Seizing Thread with his left palm and swept it. His palm was cut and blood formed. After one or two drops of blood came out, clear liquid the color of red jade flowed out, and around it, greenish turbid liquid wrapped in thin string form.

Asura Blood infused with internal energy flowed quickly along Soul Seizing Thread’s string.

Jin Ja-gang grasped the rings of Dark Thread and White Thread and threw them into the air.

Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art, Seven Light Emperor’s extreme.

Seven dikes built up inside Jin Ja-gang held full internal energy and swirled.

Dark Thread and White Thread rampaged in the air as if alive. Like whips, like waves, cutting and slashing everything, embroidering without obstruction.

Not only were limbs severed, but Soul Seizing Thread cut marks across the scholars’ faces and bodies.

Soul Seizing Thread’s momentum was so fierce that the scholars who had leaped into the air were almost suspended in midair.

Red extinction flowers bloomed all over the scholars’ bodies.

Then bubble! Foam began boiling from wounds marked by Soul Seizing Thread.

Wounds that were merely thin lines began festering and opening in an instant. Blood foam bubbled and boiled from the opened wounds. Once started, the blood foam flowed down without stopping.

As wounds melted, the opened areas widened more and more. Internal organs spilled out.

This happened even from mere scratches and cuts, not to mention severed limbs. The severed areas boiled entirely and tremendous blood foam poured out.

The worst poison was born as King of Hell’s Soul Extinction was added to the existing Asura Blood.

A·su·ra·World·De·stroy·ing·Soul

Aaahhh!

Aaargh!

Soundless screams echoed.

Jin Ja-gang swept his arm wide to retrieve Soul Seizing Thread. Only then did the scholars suspended in midair begin falling.

Thud thud thud thud!

Already half of them had become blood foam and could no longer be considered human forms.

In an instant, Jin Ja-gang’s front was filled with boiling blood and flesh.

However, the scholars who had knelt beforehand were unharmed.

They were the only ones to survive the slaughter.

The kneeling scholars trembled.

Jin Ja-gang stepped on the blood foam and came down the stairs, passing by the kneeling scholars.

No one could block Jin Ja-gang’s way, nor could they move easily.

The first to move was… none other than Yeong-gwi.

Yeong-gwi blocked Jin Ja-gang’s path and gritted her teeth.

Yeong-gwi had a desperate expression.

If not now… if not now!

Yeong-gwi rushed forward regardless and stabbed a dagger into Jin Ja-gang’s belly.

Stab!

Yeong-gwi didn’t relax her strength and pushed the dagger harder. The dagger was driven in up to the handle.

Ah!

The onlookers were surprised and opened their eyes wide.

But Jin Ja-gang only frowned slightly and said nothing.

Jin Ja-gang grasped Yeong-gwi’s hands with both hands. Yeong-gwi’s hands, eyebrows, and lips were trembling.

Jin Ja-gang held Yeong-gwi’s hands and pulled out the dagger. Blood spurted out. But Asura Blood didn’t flow out. He had no intention of killing Yeong-gwi.

Jin Ja-gang held Yeong-gwi’s hand gripping the dagger and stabbed it into his own chest. Though it was Yeong-gwi who had just tried to kill Jin Ja-gang, she was the one surprised and tried to let go. Jin Ja-gang didn’t let her hands go.

Thunk!

The dagger embedded deeply in his right chest.

Yeong-gwi bit her lips and shook her head.

Only then did Jin Ja-gang let go of Yeong-gwi’s hands. Yeong-gwi collapsed on the spot.

What Yeong-gwi wanted was three acts of revenge.

But one still remained. No, Jin Ja-gang had deliberately left one.

Tears flowed from Yeong-gwi’s face as she sat collapsed looking at Jin Ja-gang.

Once the tears started pouring, they couldn’t easily stop. Her legs lost strength.

But Yeong-gwi forced herself to stand.

With trembling hands, she removed the long robe she was wearing and draped it over Jin Ja-gang.

Then she stepped aside, knelt on one knee, and bowed her head.

Jin Ja-gang turned his head to look at the Poison Sect warriors blocking his path.

The Poison Sect warriors hesitated then moved aside and knelt.

Jin Ja-gang looked briefly at the three Poison Sect Cliques and Tang Gwi-ok, then moved forward.

All doors on the path Jin Ja-gang took opened wide.