Chapter 344

Fwoosh!

The fire dragon rode the Poison Qi and spread in an instant.

Everyone knew that fire was the natural enemy of poison. But there were almost no people who could truly use fire to burn only the Poison Qi.

Especially when the Poison Qi was spread so thickly in the air, it was nearly impossible to burn only the Poison Qi without causing damage elsewhere. But for Jo Jakyung, it was not such a difficult task.

The fire dragon caused no damage to anything else, consuming only the Poison Qi as it delved all the way to its source, the well.

Kwaaaa!

Having purified the inside of the well in an instant, the fire dragon soared as if in Ascension and vanished.

It was an incredible sight, hard to believe even after seeing it with one’s own two eyes. But the one who had performed this miracle, Jo Jakyung, paid no mind to his own achievement and walked toward Do Yeon-san.

“Did you think you would get away with committing such an act? You must not die like this. You must live and pay for your sins.”

Just then, Jo Igwang spoke urgently.

“You must not let that man live. He tried to kill me, a man against whom he holds no grudge, simply because he didn’t like me. And he didn’t care if the people around him were harmed. If you let him be, he will become a great demon who throws the Jianghu into chaos. You must end his life now to eliminate any future trouble.”

“You mean he did this for no reason at all?”

“That is correct. Ask him yourself.”

Jo Igwang answered, full of confidence.

He could be so bold because he knew that Do Yeon-san’s vocal cords had melted, making it impossible for him to answer.

Jo Jakyung frowned.

Jo Igwang’s overly confident attitude was somehow grating. But this was not the time to leisurely debate the rights and wrongs of the matter.

Whatever the story was, the fact remained that Do Yeon-san was the main culprit behind this incident.

First, he had to be subdued and made to face punishment.

Jo Jakyung said as he approached Do Yeon-san.

“If you do not surrender peacefully, you will be made to suffer.”

It was then.

With a trembling hand, Do Yeon-san took something out from his robes.

It was the cylinder that fired the blood needle.

He had prepared an extra one in case of an emergency.

Do Yeon-san aimed the cylinder at Jo Jakyung.

Seeing this, Jo Jakyung became greatly enraged.

“This demon, instead of repenting, seeks to commit another slaughter.”

He swung his spear before Do Yeon-san could fire the Hidden Weapon.

Kwaang!

Struck by the spear’s shaft, Do Yeon-san was sent flying.

“You are a seed that will only bring harm to the world if left alive. Very well, I shall take your life with my own hands.”

Jo Jakyung raised his spear high. Then he plunged it down with all his might toward Do Yeon-san.

Kwaaaang!

With a deafening roar, the well shattered, and its fragments flew in all directions.

“Keuk!”

Jo Igwang, who had been gloating nearby, grimaced. An immense shockwave had erupted and struck him.

He wondered if it was really necessary to use such tremendous power to kill a brat like Do Yeon-san.

‘Honestly, the old man doesn’t know how to control his strength.’

The moment he grumbled and raised his head.

“……”

His eyes widened at the unbelievable sight.

Do Yeon-san, who he thought was surely dead, was perfectly fine. And Jo Jakyung’s spear, which had been plunged down aiming for Do Yeon-san’s life, was blocked by someone’s palm.

It was a strange man dressed in rags.

A faint film shimmered on the hand of the strange man, whose face was covered by a half-broken mask.

The film, created from Qi, was stopping Jo Jakyung’s spearhead from advancing any further.

The corner of Jo Jakyung’s eye twitched.

For an Expert who had reached his level, even an ordinary attack possessed the power of an Ultimate Technique. Yet the strange man who had suddenly appeared had blocked his attack with such ease.

Wooooong!

The body of the spear was still trembling from the impact.

It was because of the Qi Shield shimmering in the opponent’s hand.

He truly had not known that an Expert existed who could display such power with just a Qi Shield, not even a Protective Gang Qi.

Jo Jakyung asked the strange man.

“Who are you to side with such a little demon? Do you know how many people have died because of this child?”

“I… don’t… know.”

A murky voice flowed from between the strange man’s lips.

His pronunciation was completely garbled, a disagreeable voice that one could barely understand even by focusing all one’s senses.

The moment he heard the strange man’s voice, Jo Jakyung felt as if his own flesh was being scraped with a spoon, and he shivered.

Though he was the renowned Jo Jakyung of All Under Heaven, this was the first time he had ever felt something so bone-chilling.

“Reveal your identity. Otherwise, I may commit a discourtesy toward you.”

An immense aura naturally flowed from Jo Jakyung’s entire body.

He was Jo Jakyung, called the Spear King.

The aura he emitted when he put his mind to it was truly enough to overturn mountains. But even while facing such a tremendous aura head-on, the strange man’s expression did not change one bit.

He stared at Jo Jakyung for a moment with empty eyes, then shifted his gaze to Do Yeon-san.

Do Yeon-san’s breathing had not stopped, but he had lost consciousness and fainted.

“Heeu!”

A bizarre breath escaped the strange man’s lips.

In a way, it seemed to contain pity, and in another, it seemed mixed with rage—a strange breath.

The strange man suddenly bit his own forearm.

Flesh tore, and Fresh Blood flowed out.

The strange man fed his blood to Do Yeon-san. At that, Do Yeon-san’s wounds began to recover at a visible rate.

His melted skin and vocal cords did not heal, but scabs formed over the wounds, preventing them from worsening. Furthermore, Do Yeon-san’s condition also improved noticeably.

At that moment, a name came to Jo Jakyung’s mind.

“You must be the Ghost King.”

The greatest enigma of the Jianghu.

The one who never dies and wanders the Jianghu alone.

Even though they both belonged to the Eight Constellations, they had never once met, so the Ghost King was a stranger to Jo Jakyyung as well. Nevertheless, he was able to recognize him at once because of the gloomy Qi emanating from the strange man and the Fresh Blood that was healing the gravely ill Do Yeon-san.

There was a saying in the Jianghu: Catch the Ghost King, you who desire eternal life.

No one knew when or from whom the saying began to spread, but it was now accepted as established fact.

It was because of the unbelievable feats the Ghost King had shown until now.

Many coveted the Ghost King’s ability to recover quickly no matter how grievous his injuries and to rise again like a phoenix.

It was due to the belief that if they could only obtain the Ghost King’s power, they too could live forever without dying.

Indeed, many had pursued the Ghost King. But not many of them were still alive and well.

Jo Jakyung’s expression turned grave.

It was because of the pressure that came with the name Ghost King.

He was Jo Jakyung, who feared nothing in All Under Heaven with a spear in his hand, but it was uncertain whether his Spear arts would work on the Ghost King. But he couldn’t just get scared and back down.

Do Yeon-san had committed a great sin, and he had to pay a just price for that sin.

It was a matter of Jo Jakyung’s conviction.

For him, who had fought against injustice his entire life, letting a great sinner like Do Yeon-san go was a betrayal of his beliefs.

“I do not know what your relationship is with that child, but hand him over to me. That child has committed a great sin and must pay the price for it.”

“No.”

“I respect you, but if you insist on being so unreasonable, I cannot stand by idly either.”

“This child, I will take him. I will not hand him over.”

“Ghost King!”

Jo Jakyung raised his voice.

Naturally, an explosive aura flowed from his entire body. But even his aura could not shake the Ghost King.

“If you will not hand over the child willingly, I have no choice but to take him by force.”

Jo Jakyung aimed his spear at the Ghost King.

An intense Qi flowed from his spear.

In that moment, a Crimson Light flickered in the Ghost King’s empty eyes.

Jo Jakyung thought it was for the best.

He had heard the name Ghost King many times and was also called one of the Eight Constellations, but he had never once fought him.

He had always been curious. Why the Ghost King existed at a higher rank than himself.

Now the opportunity to resolve his curiosity had come, and Jo Jakyung had no intention of letting it go.

P-p-p-pat!

The air burst as the Qi Waves of the two men collided.

“Keuk!”

Jo Igwang, who was nearby, was startled and backed away.

A look of dismay was evident on his face.

‘Damn it! Why are things turning out like this?’

If Jo Jakyung had just killed Do Yeon-san, there would have been no problem. But with the appearance of the Ghost King, things had become complicated.

He couldn’t understand why the Ghost King was siding with Do Yeon-san.

The best outcome would be for Jo Jakyung to subdue or kill the Ghost King. But if the opposite happened, the problem would become serious.

Do Yeon-san still hadn’t regained consciousness.

‘I have to kill him somehow and shut his mouth.’

The problem was that Do Yeon-san was near the Ghost King.

To get to Do Yeon-san, he absolutely had to get past the Ghost King.

Jo Igwang held his breath and watched the Ghost King.

“Chahat!”

At that moment, Jo Jakyung’s attack began.

The spear, launched with a stomp, aimed for the Ghost King’s life.

Jjeoong!

The Ghost King deployed his usual Qi Shield and blocked Jo Jakyung’s attack. Then he immediately switched to the offensive.

Kwakwakwang!

As the Ghost King and Jo Jakyung clashed, the entire area shook as if an earthquake had struck.

The Ghost King’s Martial Arts were different from any Martial Arts Jo Igwang had ever seen.

He moved intuitively, not bound by any particular form.

It was just that his speed and destructive power were beyond common sense.

He threw his whole body like a meteor and collided with Jo Jakyung.

Jo Jakyung countered by continuously unleashing the Ultimate Techniques of his Signature Technique, the Fire Dragon Demon-Subduing Spear Art.

Explosive sounds erupted as a bare body and a spear clashed.

The duel between the two men was beyond the limits of mortals.

The impact of their clashes caused the structures around the plaza to crumble like sandcastles.

“Ugh!”

“H-Help me!”

The people who had survived the poison screamed and began their Escape.

The once-leisurely plaza by the Great Lake instantly became a land of death.

Kwakwakwang!

It was as if a celestial being from the heavens and a demon crawling up from hell were testing their strength.

The duel between Jo Jakyung and the Ghost King instantly raced toward its climax.

Kwaruru!

A storm raged in the area from the clash of Martial Artists who had surpassed human limits.

Jo Jakyung truly put his heart and soul into unleashing the Fire Dragon Demon-Subduing Spear Art.

The Fire Dragon Demon-Subduing Spear Art was as fierce as a flame. Every time he performed his Spear arts, an Afterimage of a fire dragon formed.

The fire dragon opened its maw wide as if to devour the Ghost King at any moment, but it was instantly extinguished by a simple strike from the Ghost King.

Kwaang!

The Ghost King threw his entire body and clashed with Jo Jakyung.

A distinct film of Gang Qi shimmered around his body.

Jo Jakyung immediately recognized the film’s identity.

‘Using Repulsion Force Energy as a means of attack?’

The film swirling around the Ghost King’s body was Repulsion Force Energy.

No matter how great an Expert, one had to concentrate to maintain Repulsion Force Energy. Moving one’s body while maintaining Repulsion Force Energy required an even higher level of concentration.

It was not easy to move while maintaining Repulsion Force Energy in a life-or-death situation. That was why even Experts who could deploy Repulsion Force Energy only used it for defense and did not dare to use it as a means of attack.

But the Ghost King was using it as a means of attack, as if to mock such worldly common sense.

It was truly a Martial prowess that transcended imagination.

“Keuk!”

Cracks gradually appeared on Jo Jakyung’s face.

A trace of blood had appeared at the corner of his mouth.

His internal organs had been shaken by the repeated clashes. Not only that, but he had also sustained injuries that were not light all over his body.

Jo Jakyung did not just take the hits. He, too, had inflicted countless wounds on the Ghost King’s entire body. The problem was that such wounds recovered in an instant.

He couldn’t help but be dumbfounded seeing the wounds heal in an instant, leaving only faint traces.

Even if they inflicted the same damage on each other, it was a situation where Jo Jakyung was at an absolute disadvantage.

Kwaaaang!

“Keuk!”

In the end, Jo Jakyung ended up allowing a powerful blow from the Ghost King.

The impact was on a different level from before, and Jo Jakyung’s body skipped across the ground like a stone on water.

It was a good thing he had reduced the impact with his spear shaft at the last moment; otherwise, he would have suffered a fatal wound from this one blow.

“Keuk!”

It was when Jo Jakyung grabbed his spear and tried to get up.

Chwareureuk!

Something huge rose from the Great Lake onto the plaza. And it charged toward the Ghost King.

It was an unbelievably enormous snake.

The being riding on the snake shouted.

“Ghost King!”