Chapter 450

At the same time, Yelu Huan’s hand moved swiftly and struck the crown of Jin Ja-gang’s head.

It wasn’t a blow filled with internal energy meant to crush.

Thwack.

Yet even so, a tremor ran through Jin Ja-gang’s body.

Zzzzzt!

In an instant, his body froze.

Yelu Huan struck Jin Ja-gang’s chest with a palm.

Crunch!

The Thousand-Year Turtle Shell was crushed.

Yelu Huan withdrew his hand, knowing that Jin Ja-gang wore protective armor underneath. He seemed to think this level of impact was sufficient.

Inside Jin Ja-gang’s body, vibrations continued to resound like drumbeats.

Boom boom! Boom! Boom!

The strange palm force from the crown of his head penetrated and shook Jin Ja-gang’s insides.

Starting with both arms trembling violently, his entire body soon became powerless.

He couldn’t endure it. Jin Ja-gang fell to his knees.

Thud.

Yelu Huan released his hand.

Jin Ja-gang’s powerlessness melted away like snow.

Grind.

While kneeling, Jin Ja-gang ground his teeth and drew up his strength.

“Come out, Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit!”

But Jin Ja-gang’s internal energy remained silent. Even though Yelu Huan had removed his hand.

This was truly a bewildering situation.

This was exactly like when Baek Ri-jung’s Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit had held its breath and hidden at the Min River!

“Do you know why Qingcheng Sect developed cruel techniques unlike other Taoist sects? Because as a gateway connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions, it received influences from both sides.”

Yelu Huan looked down at the kneeling Jin Ja-gang and said.

“The foundation of Qingcheng Sect’s martial arts is Suppressing Demons, Controlling Demons, and Subduing Demons to counter Summoning Souls, Ghost Creation, and Nurturing Demons. These are methods for opposing Western Region martial arts that overcome limits by summoning demons.”

Jin Ja-gang glared up at Yelu Huan with raised eyes.

“Do you understand? The root of that Western Region martial arts is our religion.”

Yelu Huan twisted his lips in an intimidating manner and said.

“In the beginning there was a good god, and in his darkness an evil god existed. The evil god created hundreds of millions of demon soldiers from his own shadow.”

Yelu Huan shouted.

“I am darkness and I am the evil god! The demon soldier within you cannot stand before me. The moment it emerges, my shadow will devour you!”

Yelu Huan had reached a much higher realm than Jin Ja-gang, who had climbed to the Eighth Light Dike and subdued the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit.

The Ninth Light Dike!

No wonder the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit wouldn’t emerge.

Jin Ja-gang rolled his body backward and stood up. He tried to raise his internal energy with Mad Blood Heaven Technique once more. Even though he was at a distance from Yelu Huan, his head spun for a moment. The Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit hid inside and devoured Jin Ja-gang’s body. It was instinctively refusing to resist Yelu Huan.

Jin Ja-gang bit his lips until they bled. His mind briefly returned.

He threw off the Thousand-Year Turtle Shell and raised his hands. Poison needles were held between his fingers. Jin Ja-gang scratched his chest and abdomen with his own hands.

Slash! His skin tore and blood spurted.

In that instant, the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit stirred. Jin Ja-gang scratched his belly once more. His belly tore horizontally in a long line and blood flowed out.

“Aaaaaahhh!”

Blood vessels bulged all over Jin Ja-gang’s body and his stagnant blood vessels began to move.

Writhe, writhe!

Jin Ja-gang clenched his teeth and spat words between them.

“The Dao can be pure or turbid, moving or still. From root to end it flows without ceasing and gives rise to all things!”

Crack.

Jin Ja-gang ground his teeth as if to shatter them and raised his hands.

Yelu Huan frowned.

Surely not!

As if responding to that feeling of disbelief, Jin Ja-gang stabbed his side with his fingertips.

Squelch! His fingers dug two knuckles deep into his side.

Kyaaaaa!

The Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit finally stirred inside Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang tore at his side and cried out.

“Listen! I will not be broken, so I am not your servant but you are my servant!”

Blood vessels bulged all over Jin Ja-gang’s body. Internal energy spun madly through his blood vessels. However, the faster the internal energy rotated, the more blood gushed from the hole in his side.

The screams of the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit echoed repeatedly in his head. Jin Ja-gang didn’t stop the bleeding. If the pain stopped, the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit would hide inside again!

Yelu Huan’s face contorted.

It’s natural to cower before the strong. Just as internal energy won’t move when intimidated by pressure, the same applies to the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit.

Yet Jin Ja-gang had forcibly dragged out and awakened the terrified Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit. Unable to properly control his internal energy, it was running wild, destroying him from within.

His bulging blood vessels burst one by one, thread-thin streams of blood seeping out. Jin Ja-gang’s entire body was instantly soaked in blood.

It had been truly a long time. The agony of having his entire body torn and bones shattered as internal energy spun wildly through his blood vessels returned. The terrible pain brought by the uncontrollable internal energy of Mad Blood Heaven Technique.

But Jin Ja-gang instead glared at Yelu Huan with murderous intent.

Yelu Huan watched Jin Ja-gang quietly, then clapped with a cold face.

Clap, clap, clap.

“Splendid. But when you couldn’t catch up to me with a healthy body, what do you think you can do in that state?”

Even when healthy, there was a gap between the Eighth and Ninth Light Dikes.

Yet with a hole in his side and unable to properly control his internal energy, how could he defeat a master like Yelu Huan!

Jin Ja-gang’s mouth stretched in a long smile.

Jin Ja-gang clasped both hands together with force.

Grooooo!

Jin Ja-gang’s blood-stained face turned even redder. Not just his face but heat circulated through his entire body. Bloody sweat formed and steam rose from his head.

Jin Ja-gang took a deep breath and put more strength into his clasped hands.

Scorching Twin Phosphor Palm!

“Ooooooo!”

Whoooosh!

When Jin Ja-gang separated his clasped hands, the heat burst forth, spewing steam. Blood atomized and created a crimson mist.

Jin Ja-gang’s blood poison, Asura Blood.

That Asura Blood rose as steam through the Scorching Twin Phosphor Palm and created a poison mist. A crimson poison mist of blood formed around Jin Ja-gang’s arms and upper body.

Jin Ja-gang, with even the blood vessels in his eyes burst, glared bloodshot and bared his teeth.

“Didn’t I tell you not to preach carelessly?”

***

Yeong-gwi was facing Maheul together with White Ape.

Yeong-gwi kicked the back of Maheul’s knee. When Maheul staggered, White Ape rushed in and clawed at Maheul’s back.

Kyaaaaa!

Whether his back was torn or not, Maheul chased after Yeong-gwi. Moving on all fours like crawling on the ground, he tried to grab Yeong-gwi’s feet. As Yeong-gwi jumped backward, she repeatedly kicked Maheul’s face with both feet.

Maheul rammed Yeong-gwi’s soles with his forehead.

Bang!

There was no impact, but Yeong-gwi’s center was disrupted by the sudden strong force and she tumbled. Maheul firmly grabbed Yeong-gwi’s slender ankle. Yeong-gwi raised her other foot and struck Maheul’s nose with her heel.

Crack! Maheul’s nose was dislocated and blood burst out. But Maheul didn’t budge at all.

White Ape climbed onto Maheul from behind and pulled at Maheul’s face with her front paws. She even dug into the hollow eye socket with her fingers. Maheul lowered his head then tilted it back to ram White Ape’s chest with the back of his skull.

Thud! Thud! He rammed several times, but since a monkey’s arms are longer than a human’s, White Ape cleverly didn’t fall off and clung to Maheul’s head.

White Ape covered Maheul’s eye and interfered.

“Kekekeke!”

Maheul laughed as if deranged while being annoyed. He reached out and firmly grabbed the front ankle of White Ape, who was digging into his hollow eye socket. Tendons bulged on the back of Maheul’s hand.

Crack!

White Ape screamed. Her ankle broke and twisted.

Kyaaaaa!

White Ape lost her grip on Maheul’s face. Still, she wrapped her hind legs around Maheul’s neck and held on to the end. In that gap, Yeong-gwi kicked Maheul’s groin.

Maheul’s body vanished with a whoosh. Maheul immediately leaped up and kicked at Yeong-gwi’s face. Yeong-gwi couldn’t handle Maheul’s speed and turned her shoulder to block.

Maheul’s foot tip twisted strangely and struck Yeong-gwi’s shoulder.

Pop! The struck shoulder was dislocated.

Yeong-gwi sat down from the pain, then when Maheul grabbed her hair, all her hair stood on end. She immediately pulled out a dagger from her sleeve and thrust it into Maheul’s belly.

Clang!

The blade didn’t enter. Like Jin Ja-gang, Maheul also wore thin protective armor on his belly and chest that swords couldn’t penetrate.

Maheul grinned and lifted Yeong-gwi by her hair.

Rip. Yeong-gwi’s fake hair and part of her human skin mask tore off and were held in Maheul’s hand.

“Huh?”

Maheul was startled. Yeong-gwi leaned back and bumped her shoulder against the ground to fit it back in, then kicked Maheul’s belly with both feet.

“Gack!”

Maheul’s body lifted. White Ape fell away from Maheul.

Yeong-gwi did a reverse somersault, drew her dagger, and consecutively stabbed at Maheul’s single eye and philtrum.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Maheul turned his head this way and that to dodge Yeong-gwi’s dagger, then extended his palm.

Yeong-gwi leaped up and spread her legs straight to dodge the palm. Maheul’s palm shattered the pile of debris.

Crash!

While airborne, Yeong-gwi spun like a whirlwind and kicked Maheul’s chin. As Maheul took the hit to his chin, he also swung his fist and struck Yeong-gwi’s ribs.

Crack. The ribs broke immediately.

Maheul only staggered about two steps and touched his chin, but Yeong-gwi’s broken rib pierced her lung and her breathing rapidly became labored.

Maheul leaned back slightly then tilted forward, throwing consecutive punches. Yeong-gwi crossed both arms to block the punches, but Maheul didn’t care and struck right over her block.

Thud, thwack!

Yeong-gwi’s arms bounced and she was struck in the belly and head consecutively. Yeong-gwi staggered, briefly losing consciousness, then retched.

“Urgh!”

“Ehehe.”

Maheul grabbed Yeong-gwi’s real hair and made her lift her head. Then he ripped off the tattered human skin mask.

However, upon seeing Yeong-gwi’s bare face, he grimaced.

“Ugh. What is this? The face is pretty, but why is there no nose?”

Yeong-gwi’s eyes filled with venom. Yeong-gwi rolled her tongue in her mouth and spat out a small poison needle hidden under her tongue.

Pft! The poison needle entered Maheul’s hollow eye socket. Maheul, still gripping Yeong-gwi’s hair, inserted his finger into the eye socket and pulled out the poison needle.

“You wicked woman.”

Maheul struck Yeong-gwi’s abdomen several times.

Thwack, thud!

When Yeong-gwi curled her body and covered her belly, he slapped her.

Smack! Smack!

Her cheeks swelled immediately and her lips burst. Blood flowed from her nose and mouth. Unable to dodge because he was holding her head.

Yeong-gwi’s limbs went limp.

Maheul grabbed Yeong-gwi’s head with both hands.

“I’ll kill you by splitting your skull vertically!”

Kyaaaaa! Kyaaa!

White Ape, swinging her broken forearm, climbed onto Maheul’s shoulder and wildly struck his head.

Thud, thud thud!

Even as his head shook wildly, Maheul didn’t release the strength from his hands. Maheul’s fingers gradually dug into Yeong-gwi’s head.

“Aaaaaahhh!”

Yeong-gwi’s screams rang out as if tearing.

Then suddenly Maheul’s eye widened.

Maheul threw both Yeong-gwi and White Ape aside and launched his body. White Ape also grabbed the collapsed Yeong-gwi’s arm and desperately fled.

Whoooosh!

A crimson blood spray erupted where Maheul had been.

Maheul looked up in shock toward where the palm force had flown from.

Jin Ja-gang, who had become a blood man, was extending his hand toward Maheul.

Jin Ja-gang immediately turned his head and looked at Yelu Huan.

Then he lightly stepped up and leaped before Yelu Huan.

Jin Ja-gang, wrapped in poison mist, glared up at Yelu Huan from below.

Killing intent shot out from Yelu Huan’s eyes as he looked at Jin Ja-gang.

Yelu Huan’s hand moved.

Jin Ja-gang also moved simultaneously and struck at Yelu Huan’s face with a palm filled with poison mist.