Chapter 213

Pyo Wol’s martial arts were built upon the Thunderclap Mind Method. Though it had evolved into the Thunderbolt Soul Severing Mind Method while he was trapped in the snake pit, its foundation was, in any case, the Thunderclap Mind Method.

The Thunderclap Mind Method inevitably involved Lightning power.

Its core was to stimulate one’s own nerves with Lightning power to increase reaction speed.

Depending on how it was used, it could increase the body’s reaction speed several times over.

That was Pyo Wol’s current state.

Sssiiit!

His body’s movements were those of a snake, but his speed was too fast for the eye to follow.

He was moving at a speed that an ordinary person could never perceive, but Gu Jin-wang was sticking to Pyo Wol, not missing a single moment.

Just as Pyo Wol had drawn much inspiration from the animal known as the snake, Gu Jin-wang was heavily influenced by the wolf.

He had wholly embraced the wolf’s senses, speed, and even its tenacious nature.

Shwaaak!

The Gongpo Sword in his hand amplified the power of the Heavenly Wolf Blood Fang Sword.

Kwaaaang!

The ground his sword grazed past exploded as if a volcano had erupted.

“Hahaha! This is great.”

His wild, skyward laughter echoed below Mount Wudang.

Giant trees toppled, and large boulders were pulverized into dust.

The surroundings had long been destroyed beyond recognition. There, a single wolf was rampaging madly.

The problem was that this wolf possessed fangs and claws incomparably fiercer than those of an ordinary wolf.

When martial arts surpassed the Ever-Victorious Realm and approached the absolute realm, even a simple hand gesture became an Ultimate Technique.

That was Gu Jin-wang’s current state.

Though it looked like a crude Technique Form on the surface, when executed by his hand, it became a Sword Stance of immense power.

The Heavenly Wolf Blood Fang Sword he had created was not a martial art heavily bound by form. Rather, it tended to be unleashed spontaneously, following instinct and intuition.

In Pyo Wol’s hands, the Ghostly Rain had appeared before he knew it.

Swaaaak!

The Ghostly Rain was launched at a terrifying speed.

“Hmph! It is a miscalculation to think you can do anything to me with a mere flying blade technique.”

Gu Jin-wang snorted.

He despised martial artists who used hidden weapon techniques.

It was because he thought them unmanly.

A man should fight by clashing bodies, wielding a long weapon like this. Most of the martial artists he acknowledged fought in such a way.

Above all, a short flying dagger could not inflict a major wound.

Therefore, Gu Jin-wang did not fear Pyo Wol’s Ghostly Rain.

Kaang! Kang!

The Ghostly Rain was blocked by his sword and bounced away futilely.

After deflecting the Ghostly Rain, Gu Jin-wang charged straight toward Pyo Wol. But at that moment, a chilling sensation crept up the back of his neck.

Sssiiit!

The Ghostly Rain he thought he had deflected had swerved in mid-air and was aiming for the back of his head.

Only then did Gu Jin-wang realize that the Ghostly Rain was connected to a thread invisible to the eye.

“Qi Thread?”

It was clearly the thread of qi that had distracted his senses at first.

Chwareureuk!

From Pyo Wol’s waist, the Ghostly Rain connected to the Soul Restraining Thread shot out.

Four strands of Soul Restraining Thread.

Four Ghostly Rain daggers danced according to Pyo Wol’s will.

“Oho!”

Gu Jin-wang let out a cry of admiration without realizing it.

It was the first time he had ever seen this kind of martial art.

He had never even imagined a martial art where one drew out qi in the form of a thread, not Blade Energy or Sword Qi, and then attached flying daggers to it to attack.

Sssiiit!

The four Ghostly Rain daggers traced different trajectories as they pursued Gu Jin-wang.

Gu Jin-wang swung his sword and deflected all of the Ghostly Rain. But no matter how many times he deflected them, the Ghostly Rain came back to life and sought his life.

A chill ran down his spine.

It had been a truly long time since he had felt such an intense sense of crisis.

The precarious feeling, as if he were standing naked on the edge of a hundred-zhang cliff, awakened his vigilance.

All his nerves stood on end, sharp as needles.

With martial arts of this level, he could not be dismissed as a mere assassin.

He had to be considered a supreme powerhouse who acted like an assassin but possessed the martial prowess of the Jianghu’s top tier.

Gu Jin-wang drew out even more of his Internal Power.

Kukwakwa!

At that, his attacks grew even more ferocious.

Kagagagang!

The Gongpo Sword and the Ghostly Rain clashed and separated countless times.

Sparks flew, and the sound of weapons clashing echoed through the forest.

Leaves rained down, and the mountain beasts fled in surprise.

At some point, Gu Jin-wang’s face began to contort.

It was because despite attacking so fiercely, he had failed to inflict any significant damage on Pyo Wol.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had moved so violently.

He grew even more enraged at Pyo Wol for making him move like this.

“I will definitely tear you to shreds and kill you.”

If he couldn’t kill his opponent after fighting to this extent, he would be too ashamed to show his face in the Jianghu.

Hwoooong!

The Gongpo Sword let out a tremendous sword cry, incomparable to any before.

The blade of the sword seemed to tremble for a moment, then soon emitted a clear halo of light. The halo of light quickly took the shape of a large sword.

It was Sword Gang.

Sword Gang was something with power incomparable to Sword Qi.

Gu Jin-wang usually refrained from unleashing Sword Gang.

He thought its efficiency was not very high compared to the consumption of Internal Energy.

Whether he killed by a sword strike or by using Sword Gang, the result was the same: death. If so, there was no reason to use Sword Gang, which consumed an extreme amount of Internal Power.

But to face an opponent of a kind he had never seen before, like Pyo Wol, he had to bring out a technique with far greater power.

That was Sword Gang.

The Sword Gang unleashed with the Gongpo Sword was far more powerful than that unleashed with other swords.

With this much, he felt he could even face the masters of the Two Powerhouses.

“You bastard!”

Shwaaak!

The Sword Gang headed for Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol tried to block the Sword Gang using the Soul Restraining Thread. But it was impossible to block the Sword Gang, a condensation of qi, with the Soul Restraining Thread.

Tududuk!

The Soul Restraining Thread snapped like a rotten string.

The Ghostly Rain that had been hanging from the Soul Restraining Thread also fell powerlessly to the ground like rotten apples.

It seemed Pyo Wol had no weapons left.

Though he had six more Ghostly Rain daggers at his waist, they could not block the formidable Sword Gang.

“Now die!”

Gu Jin-wang swung the Sword Gang at the defenseless Pyo Wol.

At that moment, a thread of qi formed again in Pyo Wol’s hand.

Gu Jin-wang presumed it was the Soul Restraining Thread.

“I told you it’s useless.”

The Soul Restraining Thread was no match for Sword Gang.

It was a fact that had already been proven once.

He focused even more Internal Power into the Sword Gang.

He intended to take Pyo Wol’s life in this single move.

Teong!

But his Sword Gang was blocked by the thread Pyo Wol had created.

“What?”

Gu Jin-wang couldn’t believe that his Sword Gang had been blocked by a thread of qi as thin as a strand of hair.

Only then did he realize that the thread of qi Pyo Wol had created was different from before.

It was shining much more vividly.

“Don’t tell me, Gang Qi? Gang Qi in the form of a thread?”

Gu Jin-wang’s pupils wavered.

He had never even imagined Gang Qi created in the shape of a thread.

The form of the Gang Qi was like a thread-snake. Thus, its name was also Silken Serpent Strong Energy.

Jjeo-eong!

The Sword Gang and the Silken Serpent Strong Energy collided, and a shockwave swept through the area.

For Pyo Wol, the Soul Restraining Thread or the Silken Serpent Strong Energy were excellent tools for surprise attacks, but this was the first time he was using them in earnest as a weapon.

Chwahwak!

The Silken Serpent Strong Energy burrowed into an opening like a thread-snake.

Gu Jin-wang unleashed the Ultimate Technique of the Heavenly Wolf Blood Fang Sword to block the thread-snake’s advance.

Peong! Peo-eong! Peong!

The air exploded each time the Silken Serpent Strong Energy and the Sword Gang clashed.

‘How can this be!’

Gu Jin-wang’s eyes widened.

It was because the thread-thin Gang Qi was overwhelming his Sword Gang.

Pyo Wol was utilizing the Silken Serpent Strong Energy as if it were a whip.

Whipping, striking, pushing, pulling—its applications were endless.

Gu Jin-wang’s Sword Gang was blocked by the Silken Serpent Strong Energy and could advance no further. On the contrary, he was too busy fending off Pyo Wol’s attacks. He had been pushed onto the defensive.

While fighting Gu Jin-wang, Pyo Wol also gained a new understanding of how to operate the Silken Serpent Strong Energy.

His opponent was a top-tier martial artist in the Jianghu, known as the Wolf King.

Moreover, he was a battle-hardened veteran who had been through thick and thin.

He knew how to utilize his martial arts to their fullest.

He didn’t just rely on the power of his Sword Gang; he used its subtle applications to attack Pyo Wol. Facing such a Gu Jin-wang, Pyo Wol also experienced numerous life-and-death crises. And those experiences became Pyo Wol’s nourishment.

“Keuk!”

Gu Jin-wang’s face contorted more and more.

His movements were gradually slowing down. It was because of the flying dagger embedded in his back.

The more violently he moved, the more the dagger tore at the wound, causing more blood to flow.

He could endure the pain, however much.

He was used to this level of pain.

The problem was that as the Ghostly Rain tore at the wound, the muscles in his lower back area stiffened, and the effect spread to other parts of his body.

If he were facing an ordinary martial artist, a wound of this degree wouldn’t be a problem. But to a martial artist of Pyo Wol’s level, even such a small flaw appeared large.

It was for this effect that the Ghostly Rain had been embedded in the first place.

Piing! Ping!

Pyo Wol’s Silken Serpent Strong Energy became more and more exquisite.

On the other hand, Gu Jin-wang’s movements became noticeably slower.

“Bastard!”

Gu Jin-wang shouted as if in a desperate struggle and swung his sword.

The power was stronger, but as a result, openings were exposed all over.

In that instant, a crimson light flickered in Pyo Wol’s eyes.

He judged that this was the moment to decide the match.

Just before it clashed with the Sword Gang, he stopped the operation of the Silken Serpent Strong Energy. At that, the Gang Qi that had been coiled like a thread-snake vanished with a sizzle, like fog exposed to the morning sun.

Because of that, Gu Jin-wang’s Sword Gang futilely cut through empty air.

“Hut!”

Gu Jin-wang unknowingly let out a sharp intake of breath.

Because he had tensed his body in preparation for the impact, his balance was thrown off.

Pyo Wol did not miss that opening.

He unfolded his Serpentine Steps and approached the staggering Gu Jin-wang.

In his hands, the Ghostly Rain had appeared before he knew it.

Puk!

One Ghostly Rain dagger dug into Gu Jin-wang’s side.

“Heup!”

At that moment, Gu Jin-wang tensed his side. The muscles tightened like steel, halting the Ghostly Rain’s penetration.

It was truly a reaction and physical ability that transcended human limits.

Pyo Wol was not surprised that the Ghostly Rain did not go in further. He, too, had anticipated this level of reaction.

Pyo Wol unleashed Jade Destruction on the handle of the Ghostly Rain.

Jjeo-eong!

The force of Jade Destruction was transmitted directly into Gu Jin-wang’s body through the Ghostly Rain.

“Kraaack!”

Finally, Gu Jin-wang screamed and vomited a torrent of blood.

The blood he vomited soaked Pyo Wol’s face and chest.

Gu Jin-wang’s face was contorted like a ferocious demon. It was because Pyo Wol’s attack had shaken his entire insides.

If not for his body, trained to be harder than steel, his internal organs would have burst long ago, and he would have died instantly.

Gu Jin-wang glared at Pyo Wol with beast-like eyes.

Even though his insides were in turmoil, his fighting spirit was not broken at all.

To attack until death, and attack again to seize victory, was his way of fighting.

“Heheh!”

It was when Gu Jin-wang let out a crazed laugh and approached Pyo Wol.

Hwoooong!

Suddenly, an unusual Qi Wave was felt from the direction of Mount Wudang.

In an instant, Gu Jin-wang’s expression completely changed.

“Damn it! That damn old man is coming.”

“……”

“You, what’s your name?”

“Pyo Wol!”

“I am the Wolf King, Gu Jin-wang. Be sure to remember my name. When we meet again, I will surely repay this debt.”

“You’re going to escape?”

“Kehehe! I’d like to deal with you more, but it seems I can’t because of that troublesome old man.”

Gu Jin-wang pulled out the Ghostly Rain daggers embedded in his back and side, threw them down, and suddenly flung his body backward.

Pyo Wol started to chase him but stopped.

He had seen Soma sprawled out in the distant bushes.

Soma was in such a critical condition that the rise and fall of his chest were barely visible. He had miraculously survived Gu Jin-wang’s final attack but had sustained a grave injury.

Pyo Wol stopped his pursuit and approached Soma.

Just then, someone appeared abruptly, riding the wind.

It was an old Taoist priest, five feet tall and dressed in a shabby robe.

The old Taoist priest wrinkled his nose and muttered.

“I’m sure I smelled that wolf bastard around here.”