Chapter 452

To draw powerful internal energy to the extreme, energy capable of turning a person into a puddle of blood or crushing rock like tofu, requires a high degree of mental fortitude.

Yelu Huan had also gained complete solidity upon mastering the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Art.

Yet the stones Jin Ja-gang had thrown continued to create ripples there.

Once doubt arose, the ripples grew and grew until finally a clear crack formed in Yelu Huan’s mental world.

Yelu Huan was watching clearly as Jin Ja-gang threw the poison needles. Jin Ja-gang had broken ribs and internal injuries, so the poison needles had even less force than before. They were slow, and even trembling.

Rather than waiting for the poison needles to fly over, it would be faster to run over himself and beat Jin Ja-gang to death. The probability of success would likely exceed ninety percent.

Yet he couldn’t do it.

Because of hesitation.

Countless distracting thoughts devoured Yelu Huan.

Only two years or so.

That was the time it took Jin Ja-gang to catch up to the Eighth Light Dike of martial arts that he himself had held onto for decades.

From the Zoroastrian Cult’s followers, including Demon-Destroying Monk Mu-gak to Thunder Emperor Ga Mu-ru.

All the renowned masters had become Jin Ja-gang’s prey.

So how could he be certain that something he didn’t know wasn’t hidden in those powerlessly flying poison needles!

How could he definitively say that the gasping breath and trembling arms were not an act!

In the meantime, the poison needles Jin Ja-gang threw flew to within an inch of the vital points all over Yelu Huan’s body.

Yelu Huan snapped back to his senses with a start. He couldn’t possibly fall for such slow poison needles!

Yelu Huan barely came to his senses at the last moment and moved to knock away the poison needles. His reaction was so late that several even pierced through Yelu Huan’s long robe.

Clang clang!

The poison needles bounced off after hitting something hard.

Yelu Huan looked down at his hand.

What he had unconsciously picked up and swung was a broken short sword only a span in length. Ancient script was engraved on the surface of the short sword, but it had no blade and couldn’t cut.

It was a ceremonial short sword of the Zoroastrian Cult that had been passed down from long ago.

The Persian Ancient Sword!

Made from meteoric iron that fell from the sky, its hardness was unmatched, and it possessed such strength that it took two years just to forge the sword’s shape and engrave the characters using special methods.

Not only ordinary swords but even sword energy could hardly damage this Persian Ancient Sword.

Yelu Huan stroked the inscriptions engraved on the Persian Ancient Sword. This broken Persian Ancient Sword was the history of the Zoroastrian Cult and at the same time, a trace of persecution.

A dynasty from hundreds of years ago had summoned blacksmiths to hammer the Persian Ancient Sword day and night to break the momentum of the Zoroastrian Cult, finally breaking it in half after six months.

Therefore, the Persian Ancient Sword symbolized unbreakable strength and became the sacred object of the cult leader.

Yelu Huan’s troubled thoughts vanished like a lie.

Swish! Swoosh!

Jin Ja-gang shot out Flash Severance. It was twice as fast as the previous Flash Severance. As expected, the slowly thrown poison needles just before were a technique to make this Flash Severance look faster.

Yelu Huan was conscious of the poison needles’ existence.

But then.

Loyal Maheul, seeing Yelu Huan’s strange state, came running. Yelu Huan was being attacked so defenseless that something seemed wrong!

“Cult Leader!”

Maheul wedged himself between Jin Ja-gang and Yelu Huan to block the front and drew up the Zoroastrian Cult’s protective energy technique.

Whoooosh!

Hazy energy rose from his body and wrapped around Maheul like a membrane.

The Flash Severance poison needle Jin Ja-gang threw hit Maheul’s body and clattered down.

“To be flustered by such throwing techniques! This is not like you, Cult Leader!”

Yelu Huan shouted.

“Maheul, stand back!”

“He dared to harm the Cult Leader’s sacred body. Please permit me to tear this bastard apart!”

“I said stand back, Maheul!”

However, this time even Maheul didn’t stand back. He noticed that Yelu Huan was wavering. He had a duty to assist Yelu Huan.

Jin Ja-gang exhaled shortly and spread both arms.

“I was trying to catch a carp, but a minnow took the bait.”

“You’re a dead man now.”

Maheul bared his teeth and his eye flashed. He tried to spring forward and rush at Jin Ja-gang.

In that instant, countless poison needles appeared before Maheul.

Jin Ja-gang raised Flying Thread Twelve Branch to the maximum and threw poison needles consecutively. The second throw was a bit faster than the first, and the third throw was faster than the second.

Therefore, over thirty poison needles poured onto Maheul almost simultaneously.

“Struggle all you want!”

Maheul crouched in place once more and used his protective energy technique. The poison needles lodged in Maheul’s protective energy as if covering it with an inverted hemisphere. However, they all failed to penetrate Maheul’s protective energy and fell powerlessly.

Maheul’s sneer grew louder. But the sneer gradually faded.

Before Maheul could withdraw his protective energy, Jin Ja-gang’s poison palm flew over it and struck.

Thud.

The palm force itself didn’t penetrate the protective energy. However, the poison palm created poison mist as it struck.

Hissss.

“…Huh?”

By the time Maheul sensed something was wrong, Jin Ja-gang had already shot out several palms.

Thud thud thud thwack!

The poison mist burst and scattered, completely enveloping Maheul. Maheul was instantly wrapped in a blood spray. He couldn’t release his protective energy. He couldn’t see ahead because of the poison mist. If he moved wrong…!

***

Yeong-gwi and White Ape, who had fled all the way outside the estate, were watching this.

White Ape trembled, chattering her teeth. For White Ape, who was sensitive to poison, to be this frightened. One could tell how terrible the poison mist that Jin Ja-gang was spewing with his blood was.

If White Ape reacted this much even from afar, then Maheul wrapped in the poison mist…!

Unable to endure, Maheul leaped upward.

Even while wrapped in protective energy, his skin peeled off in places and his clothes rotted. He had to escape quickly and breathe.

A shadow fell over Maheul’s face. Jin Ja-gang, who had leaped above Maheul’s head, pressed down on Maheul’s face with his palm.

Sizzle! The Scorching Twin Phosphor Palm burned Maheul’s face.

“Kyaaaaa!”

Maheul screamed and ended up inhaling. Jin Ja-gang pushed Maheul’s face downward with force.

Boom!

Maheul was buried again in the poison mist he had escaped.

“Maheul!”

Yelu Huan stamped his foot and leaped up. Jin Ja-gang also sprayed poison mist-laden palms at Yelu Huan. Yelu Huan threw off his robe and swung it. He tried to blow away the poison mist with wind and land a palm on Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang drew out Asura Scripture in midair.

Swirl.

Asura Scripture was drawn out in a tangle like silk from a cocoon. Though the internal energy he could use was at the Sixth Light Dike level due to internal injuries, Yelu Huan was also floating in the air so there would be no way to avoid it.

Jin Ja-gang poured all his internal energy into Asura Scripture.

Asura World-Destroying Soul!

Swiiiiish!

Asura Scripture scattered countless times. Asura Scripture scraped at Yelu Huan’s body at a speed difficult to follow with the eyes.

Even a slight graze would turn him into bloody pus!

Yelu Huan extended the Persian Ancient Sword forward. The Persian Ancient Sword moved at a speed just as invisible as Asura Scripture.

Clang clang clang! Clang clang clang clang!

Sparks flew.

The Persian Ancient Sword and Asura Scripture clashed ceaselessly.

Surprisingly, Asura Scripture couldn’t penetrate the Persian Ancient Sword’s wall.

Yelu Huan knocked away every single strand of Asura Scripture’s attacks.

Finally, Asura Scripture, its strength exhausted, became limp threads and unraveled in the air. Yelu Huan pushed off again and extended a palm toward Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang pressed his palm against Yelu Huan’s and struck together.

Crrrack!

Sounds of joints twisting came from Jin Ja-gang’s wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

Pop! His shoulder was dislocated and the bone even protruded behind his shoulder blade.

Bang!

Jin Ja-gang and Yelu Huan were pushed back simultaneously.

Jin Ja-gang tumbled on the ground.

Yelu Huan landed perfectly. However, Yelu Huan couldn’t pull Maheul out from the poison mist. The palm that had struck Jin Ja-gang tingled. In that brief moment, skin had peeled off and pus was seeping out.

“What is this…”

Yelu Huan glared and ground his teeth.

“What do you mean what is this! How can such a terrible poison exist!”

He had knocked away all of Asura World-Destroying Soul but couldn’t resolve Jin Ja-gang’s poison.

Crack, pop.

Jin Ja-gang set his shoulder while spinning his arm around and around, then walked forward.

Though Yelu Huan was right there, he paid no attention and went toward Maheul. Maheul was in the blood spray. Trapped in the poison mist, he couldn’t come out. Since he had already inhaled the poison mist earlier, there was no telling what had happened.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Yelu Huan and suddenly stuck his hand into the poison mist.

Then he grabbed Maheul from inside and pulled him out.

Maheul, who emerged from the poison mist, already had his whole body bruised and his skin melting. Even when Jin Ja-gang grabbed his neck and lifted him up, he couldn’t resist.

“Kuh… gack… kuk.”

Bloody pus flowed from his eyes and his tendons were damaged, making his limbs tremble. With eyes that couldn’t even see, Maheul turned his head toward Yelu Huan.

“Cult… Leader… Please… your sacred body…”

Maheul’s joints went limp and he drooped. Jin Ja-gang set Maheul down. As Maheul’s body melted, bloody pus flowed out, and even the bloody pus was contaminated with poison and became poison blood.

Yelu Huan extended the Persian Ancient Sword toward the sky to honor Maheul’s death.

However, Yelu Huan no longer attacked Jin Ja-gang.

“Because of me, a loyal subordinate and longtime friend became a wandering ghost.”

Yelu Huan looked at Jin Ja-gang. His eyes were tinged red with sorrow and anger.

“I will honor his last words and will not kill you here today.”

Jin Ja-gang stared at Yelu Huan and pointed to the ruined surroundings. He said.

“You’re making it like this and then withdrawing?”

“You did your utmost to catch me even at the cost of broken ribs, but I was reluctant to stake anything and held back, ultimately losing a friend who was like my own limbs.”

Yelu Huan pointed the Persian Ancient Sword at Jin Ja-gang.

“Next time we meet will be different.”

“If you apologize before leaving, I’ll let you go.”

Even at Jin Ja-gang’s words, which seemed almost arrogant, Yelu Huan no longer wavered.

Jin Ja-gang had earned that right.

“The Cult Leader of the Zoroastrian Cult is the cult itself. I bow my head to no one and ask forgiveness from no one.”

“I am not a follower of the Zoroastrian Cult. That’s not my concern. I said it clearly. If you don’t apologize, there will be no next time.”

Yelu Huan looked quietly at Jin Ja-gang, then asked back.

“With that body?”

Yelu Huan didn’t wait any longer and turned around. He left the estate in the opposite direction, avoiding the poison mist scattered everywhere.

Jin Ja-gang staggered, unable to chase.

Yeong-gwi, who had been watching, tried to run in.

“Don’t come.”

Jin Ja-gang stopped her.

“I’m just dizzy from losing too much blood. Please collect the clue he left behind.”

“What about you?”

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth.

“I’m chasing the Cult Leader.”

“You can’t chase with that body!”

“If I don’t chase now, next time I’ll be the one who dies.”

Yeong-gwi couldn’t stop him further.

Even though the Zoroastrian Cult Leader had withdrawn on his own, Jin Ja-gang would be the only one who would insist on chasing to kill him to the end.

“It’s not really because he didn’t apologize, is it?”

Jin Ja-gang wore a very slight smile. Then he gathered himself and chased after Yelu Huan.