Chapter 553

Chapter 553

It was natural for the martial artists to have doubts.

That Jin Ja-gang who only just appeared mentioned the red flag as if he knew everything, and that poison was already spread here.

Weren't these utterly unbelievable stories!

But whether they believed or not, nothing changed.

"Cough cough!"

"Kaack!"

Those who had been near the dead coughed and spat out phlegm mixed with blood.

Whether Jin Ja-gang's words were true from start to finish, the poison was real.

Startled martial artists scattered in confusion from near the dead to avoid the poison energy. Those coughing from poisoning were also shunned. Everyone was busy avoiding anyone showing the slightest strange sign.

But that was meaningless struggling.

Jin Ja-gang stood still in place and emitted killing intent.

"I clearly said. No one can return alive."

Asura Heaven Escape, Life and Death Clarity and Extinction Essence.

Thin, sharp killing intent extending from Jin Ja-gang's body split into dozens, hundreds of strands spreading in all directions. The formless energy penetrated martial artists trying to get away from Jin Ja-gang. The martial artists penetrated by killing intent felt their bodies becoming strange. Bodies tingled and heated up. Eyes stung.

Jin Ja-gang's killing intent became even more intense.

Gooooo!

A whirlpool formed beneath his feet, hair fluttered and shot up backward, clothes flapped.

The shooting killing intent contained energy one level higher than Life and Death Clarity and Extinction Essence.

Asura Heaven Escape, Killing Prosperity.

As killing intent intensified, martial artists' eyes swelled as if about to burst under pressure. Pop pop, blood vessels in eyes burst and whites were stained red with blood. Blood boiled and flowed backward. Something hot rose from within as if about to vomit any moment.

Skin hurt as if tearing. Martial artists hurriedly looked at their arms. Extinction flower petals were blooming one by one on their bodies.

"No... n-no!"

Martial artists screamed desperately seeing extinction flowers blooming on their poisoned bodies.

It wasn't one or two but hundreds screaming simultaneously. It was impossible to get away from Jin Ja-gang. Some pushed away the poisoned to keep them from approaching or wielded weapons.

If human, anyone has desire to live. However, the sight of desperately harming others to survive alone was hard to tolerate. It was too ugly and filthy. That wasn't human but the hungry ghost realm where hungry ghosts entangled.

Those who gave up being human.

Return to nothingness all that should be erased from this world!

Jin Ja-gang's eyes widened greatly and killing intent surged extremely.

Jin Ja-gang forcefully raised both hands to the sky then struck the ground with his palms.

Kwang!

Stone slabs crumbled and shattered as dust rose. Between the dust, countless transparent light beams shot out.

Asura Heaven Escape, Realm of Returning to Emptiness!

Dignity EImination.

Materialized killing intent.

It directly caused physical damage to the martial artists.

Pit, pipit!

Light beams ran rampant. Countless light beams pierced martial artists.

"H-hot!"

Where killing intent struck, holes really punctured as if pricked by needles and blood flowed. And those spots festered as they were, producing bloody pus.

"Aaagh!"

"Aaaagh!"

As extinction flowers bloomed, blood became pus, and horrifyingly, bodies melted alive as they died.

Dying wasn't the end.

Pshshshsh! As bodies melted, poison energy spewed. The dying screamed but those who saw poison energy rising screamed just the same. The poisoned could be pushed away with swords, but poison energy couldn't be blocked.

Where killing intent spread centered on Jin Ja-gang, no one stood anymore. All were melting. It became a poison swamp full of poison energy that couldn't be approached even trying to approach.

The martial artists were completely horrified by this terrible slaughter.

Already three to four hundred seemed dead. Not even time to drink a cup of tea had passed.

However, what made teeth chatter more was that earlier he deliberately selected and killed the minions and hairy martial artist when he was going to kill them all like this anyway.

There was only one reason.

He imprinted on the martial artists that he could designate and kill whoever he wanted anytime.

Hiding was useless, fleeing was useless. Jin Ja-gang was showing through action that he could really kill every single one without leaving anyone!

Fighting Jin Ja-gang was different from other fights. Having many numbers was no advantage at all. Even the dead emitted poison energy after dying, so the more who died, the more disadvantageous. At least it was reassuring that poison energy didn't spread quickly since walls were high and wind didn't blow, but...

Jin Ja-gang stretched both arms left and right.

Click.

Asura Divine Scripture, Forty Fold Life Severing Thread.

Kwakwakwakwakwa!

Released forty strands of Asura Divine Scripture swept wildly. Following Jin Ja-gang's arm movements, wind raised by Asura True Scripture pushed poison energy.

Martial artists' faces turned white with extreme terror.

Jin Ja-gang was creating wind himself.

Previously, Jin Ja-gang considered wind direction to spread poison, burned mugwort, and fanned himself to spread poison energy.

However, now he reached the realm of creating wind himself when needed.

Damage to martial artists increased in an instant. Receiving Jin Ja-gang's killing intent meant death, inhaling poison energy carried by wind also meant death. The three-zhang-high walls became an inescapable prison. At least several with skill to leap three zhang tried to jump over walls to flee.

Jin Ja-gang didn't miss a single one. The moment they leaped up, he extended his arm.

Swaaaak! Asura Divine Scripture extended incredibly long, penetrating martial artists leaping up walls. Asura Divine Scripture stuck into walls. Martial artists got skewered on Asura Divine Scripture mid-leap and struggled in midair.

And in that state, they melted. Horrifyingly, they dripped down while caught on Asura Divine Scripture.

"Kraaaagh!"

Martial artists near walls watching for escape opportunities backed away in shock.

Worst case. Because of those skewered on Asura Divine Scripture melting and falling, poison swamps even formed on walls. Due to wind Jin Ja-gang raised, poison energy spread left and right along walls, spreading throughout entire walls.

Fleeing to walls became impossible. Moreover, as the dying increased, poison energy inside the great training ground gradually filled. Nowhere to flee, truly surrounded on all sides.

Nevertheless, sect leaders of Nine Great Sects and family heads of Eight Great Martial Families on the platform couldn't join the fight. It was because they drew up internal energy the moment they knew they were poisoned and confirmed their bodies were already poisoned. They had to suppress poison energy with internal energy to somehow prevent Asura blood from spreading.

The quick-witted Sima Family head finally realized where the poison started and shouted.

"The flags! There's poison on the flagpoles!"

Poisoning through flags.

To think the Poison Dragon's poison was in the means to catch the Poison Dragon!

Startled martial artists threw away flags but it was already too late. Not just flagpoles but everywhere was full of poison energy. Discarding flagpoles now wouldn't change anything.

The Heavenly Blade Gate's sect leader on the platform called Baek Li-jung.

"Alliance Leader!"

The Poison Dragon was rampaging. Those who should become hands and feet afterward were dying exponentially. Wasn't now exactly when Baek Li-jung should step forward!

Though called Nine Great Sects and Eight Great Families, they were just nominal, randomly filled in from mid-level sects. They didn't have abilities matching those names. In fact, they could be said to have come relying only on Baek Li-jung.

However, Baek Li-jung silently watched the massacre scene then turned his head to look at someone.

He was coldly looking at Sword Empress Im Yi-eon.

Im Yi-eon smiled bitterly and gripped her sword.

"Seems I must die after all."

"S-Sword Empress?"

Others who didn't know the reason alternately looked between Im Yi-eon and Baek Li-jung with anxious expressions. However, Baek Li-jung had already long turned his gaze from Im Yi-eon.

Im Yi-eon descended the platform without looking back. Martial artists with nowhere to avoid had crowded right in front of the platform. Baek Li Family warriors were forcibly blocking them from cImbing the platform, but couldn't block long.

Im Yi-eon leaped. She flew to in front of Jin Ja-gang, stepping on martial artists' heads and shoulders.

Seeing Im Yi-eon, Jin Ja-gang briefly stayed his hand.

Im Yi-eon entered into the poison swamp Jin Ja-gang created, no, created by poison energy corpses emitted.

"To think breathing chokes on poison energy. Truly terrible poison."

Speaking inside poison swamp meant inevitably inhaling poison energy. However, Im Yi-eon didn't care.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Im Yi-eon indifferently.

Im Yi-eon, who once acted together, now stood on the opposite side with Baek Li-jung's Murim Alliance. It was an inevitably confusing situation.

However, Jin Ja-gang didn't show turbulent emotions.

Instead, he quietly asked.

"Is it because of Miss Son?"

Im Yi-eon smiled, even creating dimple-like wrinkles at the corners of her mouth.

"Not even surprising anymore. Your sharp insight."

Im Yi-eon drew up internal energy and deployed an energy barrier. To prevent others outside from hearing their conversation. Then she spoke.

"I never once thought my actions toward Son-bi were wrong. However, looking back now, I seem to have done something too terrible to that child."

Jin Ja-gang quietly listened to Im Yi-eon's story.

"She was a pretty, bright child. If she could speak, she wouldn't have needed to hide her feelings toward you, and would have monopolized your heart too. She wouldn't have had to suffer alone, crying tears behind the scenes."

"It's past."

At Jin Ja-gang's words, Im Yi-eon smiled faintly. Jin Ja-gang was comforting her self-blame about her past making Son Bi unable to speak.

"Though I thought it nonsense, I see why they say the Poison Dragon is kind."

Im Yi-eon discarded her scabbard.

"However, separate from my self-blame, standing on the Murim Alliance's side worked out well for both. We who were ambiguously on the boundary between martial families and martial sects could officially put our name among the Nine Great Sects thanks to Unbreakable Heavenly Sword, and Son-bi doesn't have to be suspected about her relationship with you."

The 'both' Im Yi-eon mentioned referred not to the Murim Alliance but Southern Sea Sword Sect and Son-bi.

In the subtle nuance, Im Yi-eon's deep anguish permeated.

Jin Ja-gang said.

"You didn't need to go that far."

"It's not that far. Being called a martial sect recognized in jianghu is something even King of Hell couldn't accomplish."

"Did you think I would lose to Unbreakable Heavenly Sword?"

"No."

Im Yi-eon drew up internal energy and created sword energy. Tsss tsss, as poison energy burned on sword energy, worse poison smoke formed.

Im Yi-eon pointed her sword toward Jin Ja-gang.

"Because it seemed you wouldn't, I could stand on this side even more without worry."