Chapter 404

The world he saw was all a blur.

At times, it was as if frost had formed in his mind, making it impossible to think clearly. Nevertheless, he never forgot the purpose of his existence.

It was to return.

To the place where he was born.

He had wandered his entire life.

Those who didn’t know his circumstances called him immortal, but the truth was different.

The body is merely a vessel for the Soul. If the Soul is too powerful, a body that cannot match its level is bound to collapse.

Such was the Ghost King’s situation.

His body had reached its limit, and he no longer had the strength to maintain it.

That was why he had switched to Do Yeon-san’s body.

A young and fresh body.

Even the Ghost King did not know how it was possible.

He simply did it because he could, without any doubt about his actions.

For he was a being born that way.

The Ghost King looked at Pyo Wol with hazy eyes.

Originally, the Ghost King was wary of powerful beings who threatened him.

This was because powerful figures and Experts who coveted his abilities were always after his life. But for some reason, he did not feel such wariness toward Pyo Wol.

Someone was whispering from within him.

Telling him that he could trust that man.

And so, he was confused.

Nothing like this had ever happened before.

A being who was not the least bit intimidated even after seeing him.

The aura emanating from him was as keen and sharp as an invisible Silver Thread.

It felt as if the moment that Silver Thread was brandished, everything in the world would be mercilessly severed.

Pyo Wol, having reined in his Silver Thread-like aura, was keeping a close watch on Hong Ye-seol.

Even from a tree quite far away, Hong Ye-seol’s face was clearly visible.

On the first day, there was no particular change.

She was still pale, her breathing faint.

She was so precarious it seemed as if a gust of wind could extinguish her breath.

Still, Pyo Wol watched on with patience.

The change occurred on the second day.

Chiiii!

Suddenly, the trees and grass around the black earth rapidly lost their vitality, withering and turning yellow in an instant.

Conversely, a bit of color began to return to Hong Ye-seol’s face.

At the unbelievable Qi Thread, Pyo Wol furrowed his brow.

There was a great difference between hearing about it from the Ghost King and seeing it with his own eyes.

‘Is it a method that absorbs the vitality of the surroundings and transfers it to her?’

He didn’t know how such a thing was possible. But since it was happening right before his eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.

As suspicious as Pyo Wol was, he did not deny a sight he had witnessed himself.

Hong Ye-seol was clearly getting better.

The Ghost King said to Pyo Wol.

“Let’s move back a little further.”

The yellowing had already reached the tree they were standing on.

The black earth had encroached upon their location.

The two moved back a little more.

Pyo Wol kept a close watch on the phenomenon unfolding before his eyes.

Saving Hong Ye-seol’s life was a relief, but if the encroachment continued like this, it could lead to a disaster.

As if reading Pyo Wol’s mind, the Ghost King spoke.

“No need to worry too much.”

“Why?”

“Because once it grows beyond a certain point, it disappears completely.”

“How do you know?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. One of the three disappeared just like that. Although the place where it vanished became completely desolate, unable to support any life, it at least no longer affects the world.”

“Are you certain?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I saw it with my own eyes. I can’t explain any more than that.”

With those words, the Ghost King closed his eyes.

It was an attitude that said he had nothing more to say.

Pyo Wol did not ask any further.

Though a corner of his heart felt uneasy, it was a relief if it ended that way.

Pyo Wol was once again reminded of how vast the world was.

He thought he knew a lot, but many things he was unaware of were happening in every corner of the world.

It was strange that despite such mysterious phenomena occurring everywhere, the world continued to turn peacefully.

It was then.

Chiiii!

Suddenly, a strange sound was heard.

It was a sound so faint that no one could have heard it unless they had reached the level of Pyo Wol or the Ghost King.

In that instant, the Ghost King’s expression changed.

Focus returned to his hazy eyes, and hostility appeared on his face.

“It seems he has followed me.”

“He?”

“Gyeong… Musaeng.”

“You mean the Life-Death Guest?”

“Yes! Him.”

Pyo Wol lifted his head and sniffed the wind.

He smelled a familiar scent.

A damp, fishy stench and the rage of a being whose freedom had been suppressed were mixed in the smell.

Pyo Wol knew the owner of this scent.

‘Horned Dragon!’

The unascended Dragon, subjugated by the Life-Death Guest Gyeong Musaeng, had appeared.

The Ghost King muttered.

“He followed me all the way here.”

Rage flickered in his eyes.

Until now, the Ghost King had never had a moment of peaceful rest.

It was because of the Life-Death Guest who somehow knew where he was and pursued him.

Gyeong Musaeng and he had been chasing and being chased for decades.

Perhaps it was because of his interference that he was still wandering, unable to find the path he had to take.

The Ghost King said.

“You stay here.”

Without even waiting for Pyo Wol’s reply, he launched himself into the air.

Like a meteor, the Ghost King left a long tail as he fell into the forest far away.

Kwaang!

An explosion erupted right after.

Kieeeeh!

Along with a bloodcurdling shriek, the entire forest shook.

It was the roar unleashed by the Horned Dragon.

At the roar that constricted the souls of those who heard it, the animals in the forest fled in terror.

Dududu!

Because of that, the shaking of the forest intensified.

Kwadeudeuk!

A massive tree was breaking.

A corner of the forest collapsed, and the sight of the Ghost King and Gyeong Musaeng fighting became clearly visible.

Both the Ghost King and Gyeong Musaeng were monsters who had transcended human limits.

Their clash was tantamount to a natural disaster.

The forest, which had stood firm for thousands, tens of thousands of years, was being destroyed by their clash.

And the one who played a part in it was the Horned Dragon.

The Horned Dragon’s enormous body was a weapon in itself.

Every time the Horned Dragon twisted its body, its house-sized tail broke massive trees and shattered large rocks to pieces.

Kwaaaa!

A powerful palm strike unleashed by the Ghost King hit the Horned Dragon’s body.

The Horned Dragon, while struggling in pain, blocked all of the Ghost King’s attacks on Gyeong Musaeng’s behalf.

Because of the Horned Dragon, the Ghost King could not inflict a major blow on Gyeong Musaeng.

Leaving the defense to the Horned Dragon, Gyeong Musaeng was continuously muttering something with his mouth.

It seemed he was chanting an incantation.

The longer Gyeong Musaeng’s incantation became, the deeper the ferocity in the Ghost King’s eyes grew.

“Huuugh!”

The Ghost King groaned in agony.

“Stop!”

The Ghost King roared and attacked Gyeong Musaeng. But this time too, his attack was blocked by the massive body of the Horned Dragon.

Kwang!

The Horned Dragon’s huge body trembled.

No matter how much of a Mystical Creature it was, the Horned Dragon was ultimately a living being. It was bound to feel pain when it received a strong impact. Yet, Gyeong Musaeng completely ignored the Horned Dragon’s pain.

To him, the Horned Dragon was merely of that much use.

It was not a companion with whom he shared affection or a being with whom he communicated, but merely an extension of his own limbs.

The pain the Horned Dragon felt was none of Gyeong Musaeng’s concern.

All that mattered was subduing the Ghost King, no matter what sacrifice the Horned Dragon made.

“Your Soul is mine. As a creature of my own making, it is most fitting that you return to me. Om Sarani, Om Sarani…”

A Crimson Light flickered in Gyeong Musaeng’s eyes.

“Kaaagh!”

Along with it, the Ghost King’s pain intensified.

Reason slowly faded from the Ghost King’s eyes.

The extreme pain was robbing him of his sanity.

A smile appeared on Gyeong Musaeng’s lips.

“You will not escape this time. Ghost King! Your Soul is bound by my Soul Binding Technique. It is impossible to sever that bond.”

For this day, Gyeong Musaeng had made thorough preparations.

The Gold bracelet on his arm was a specially crafted Mystic treasure.

This Mystic treasure momentarily amplified the power of his Mystic art. It had the drawback of being unusable for a whole year after one use, but its effect was certain.

The pain the Ghost King was feeling now was proof of that.

In the past, he could resist Gyeong Musaeng’s Mystic art to some extent, but now it was pressing down on him to the point of shattering his mind.

It was only because he was the Ghost King that he had not yet succumbed; anyone else would have already surrendered.

“Haaaah!”

The Ghost King let out a monstrous cry and threw a palm strike. But this time too, his attack was blocked by the Horned Dragon’s massive body.

Kuwuooo!

The Horned Dragon’s scream echoed through the forest.

From the Ghost King’s formidable attacks, the Horned Dragon was already covered in blood. Yet, Gyeong Musaeng was ruthless.

“Endure it! You beast. Just a little longer, and I can subjugate the Ghost King.”

The Horned Dragon could not defy Gyeong Musaeng’s command.

It had been forcibly placed under a Restriction when it was at its weakest, its Ascension thwarted. After that, the Horned Dragon’s Soul was subjugated by Gyeong Musaeng.

The bond connecting the two would never be broken unless one of them died.

The Horned Dragon was enraged.

It was enraged at itself for being wielded at Gyeong Musaeng’s whim, and enraged at the Ghost King for hurting it. It was also frustrated by its inability to resist Gyeong Musaeng.

Kwaaaang!

At the Horned Dragon’s rage, the forest collapsed.

Though it had stood firm for a long time, the forest was powerless before the Horned Dragon’s fury.

Breaking, collapsing, and being trampled, the forest was destroyed. But the place the Horned Dragon was heading was right where the black earth was.

The moment the Horned Dragon thrashed about on the black earth, Hong Ye-seol’s life would also end.

He could no longer stand by and watch.

Pyo Wol launched himself toward Gyeong Musaeng.

Closing the distance in an instant, Pyo Wol appeared before Gyeong Musaeng.

“Hah!”

At Pyo Wol’s appearance, as if he had torn through space, Gyeong Musaeng gasped.

“You are?”

“Back off.”

“Why are you here?”

“I said, back off.”

“Did you side with the Ghost King?”

Ghost Fire flickered in Gyeong Musaeng’s eyes.

It was a decisive moment.

If he pushed the Ghost King just a little more, he could subjugate him. If he missed this moment, he didn’t know when such a golden opportunity would come again.

Indeed, as Pyo Wol distracted Gyeong Musaeng, the ferocity in the Ghost King’s eyes faded slightly.

Gyeong Musaeng was enraged at Pyo Wol for ruining things at a critical moment.

“How dare you!”

Without a second thought, Gyeong Musaeng commanded the Horned Dragon.

“Devour him.”

He left Pyo Wol’s fate to the Horned Dragon.

This was so he himself could focus on subduing the Ghost King.

Gyeong Musaeng leaped off the Horned Dragon’s head. Then, the Horned Dragon snapped at Pyo Wol with its huge mouth.

Tak!

The countless teeth that filled its massive mouth bit into the space where Pyo Wol had been. But by then, Pyo Wol had already disappeared.

Pyo Wol had already moved behind the Horned Dragon.

Sssreuk!

The Horned Dragon’s enormous body rotated as if sliding, turning toward where Pyo Wol was.

It was a Horned Dragon that had gained sentience after living for a long time.

Its mind was by no means inferior to a human’s.

Moreover, it possessed a mysterious sense that humans could not match. With the Horned Dragon’s unique sense, it instantly detected Pyo Wol’s movements and gave chase.

Tak! Taaak!

It repeatedly snapped at the space where Pyo Wol had been.

Pyo Wol dodged the Horned Dragon’s attacks and looked straight into its eyes.

The Horned Dragon’s eyes, as large as an adult’s torso, seemed to hold no emotion. But Pyo Wol could feel it.

What the Horned Dragon truly desired.

“Fine.”

Pyo Wol answered the Horned Dragon’s wish.