Chapter 280
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 280
Chapter Title: The Shadow King
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The Shadow King was not just a simple boss.
Level 1,315.
And he occupied the seat of a Transcendent.
At least Demon King tier.
Jeong Hoon was certain of that.
The reason was the NPC who had given the quest on the lower floor.
After the 13th floor, every NPC boasted levels between 800 and 950.
At that level, they could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those in the Heavenly Realm.
For something to imprison such beings here, it couldnt possibly be mere Apostle tier.
Not only did you dispel my debuff, but you also wield Divine Power? What the hell are you?
The Shadow King tilted his head.
To enter this place, one needed to fill Ultimate Energy to 60.
Moreover, at 8, one should have encountered Byulrang and lost their life there.
In any case, this human was clearly no ordinary being.
Huh, whats with these skills?
He possessed over three times the skills of a typical human.
And every single one was a high-grade skill.
Jeong Hoon could roughly guess how he had made it this far.
Still, it didnt fully add up.
No matter how many such skills he had, the guy was still human.
How could a human with such clear limitations stand before him now?
What? Scared of dying to a mere human?
Jeong Hoon brimmed with leisure.
Was it because his Title was level 10?
The pressure from the Shadow King felt like zero.
Even if the bastard could wield Divine Power, Jeong Hoon didnt feel like he would lose.
What did you say?
One of the Shadow Kings eyebrows viciously curved.
That remark had scratched his pride.
A human overstepping without knowing his place?
Those who barely survived by contracting with Apostle tier and borrowing their power?
The superiors simply turned a blind eye.
Such humans could be erased with a flick of a finger by those above.
If a human ever comes, kill them without mercy.
Shadow King.
Now was the time to carry out that command.
The Shadow King uses Shadow Clone.
Shadow King.
Using copied abilities as a base, he summoned clones identical to the human.
The number: a whopping 200.
Oh, clones based on me?
Jeong Hoon instantly recognized the ability.
The Shadow King grinned.
What? Finally scared?
Not at all.
Jeong Hoon shrugged and stepped into Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon.
Foolish bastard.
Those werent simple clones.
They were clones infused with his own power.
In other words, they could amplify abilities even further.
The Shadow King uses Shadow Amplification.
All buff-type skills activated, followed by Shadow Amplification.
Stats skyrocketed, and a sinister black aura surged fiercely from the clones bodies.
Now, every clone surpassed the humans pure stats.
Pow!
But one clone scattered and vanished under Jeong Hoons Heavenly Demon Fist Technique.
The Shadow Kings eyes widened in shock.
What? Vanished with a single punch?
An absurd turn of events?
Each clone outstripped the humans stats.
Dealing with even one should have been overwhelming.
Yet somehow, the clones couldnt withstand a single human and began getting swept away.
Pow!
Sssrrrk
Not a single one endured even one attack.
Veins bulged on the forehead of the watching Shadow King.
You worthless scum! Cant you do anything right!
Even his rage-filled scolding didnt improve the situation.
If youre frustrated, stop bitching and come at me yourself.
Anima was now in Jeong Hoons hand.
He aimed at the Shadow King, drew the bowstring taut, and released.
Pssshh
The arrow targeted the Shadow Kings head precisely.
But the Shadow King whipped his head aside, dodging easily. The arrow embedded in a clones head behind him.
Sssrrrk
The pierced clone vanished.
.
The Shadow King glared at Jeong Hoon murderously, wordless.
Killing intent sharpened the surrounding air like blades.
Yet Jeong Hoons face remained utterly calm.
Definitely abnormal.
To face a Demon King-tier gaze up close without flinching required at least equal rank.
Even Apostles found his gaze burdensome, avoiding approach and prostrating.
How could a human stand so calmly?
Reaching this place was abnormal to begin with.
The ultimate power forbidden to ordinary humans.
For a mere created being to pass the second gateway required to claim it, he surely hid an ace.
What? Scared to face me yourself?
Jeong Hoon provoked him, throwing the question right back.
That ignited the Shadow Kings fury.
Shut up!
The Shadow King stepped into the copied Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon toward Jeong Hoon.
The Shadow King uses Shadow Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon.
Faster and sharper than Jeong Hoons version.
He closed in instantly and thrust his fist.
The Shadow King uses Shadow True Heavenly Demon Fist Technique.
Copied identically, yet the fist brimmed with far greater power than the Heavenly Demon Fist Technique.
Jeong Hoon met the fist with his own, not dodging.
His fist carried the aura of 2nd stage Heavenly Demon Fist Technique.
Boom!
The auras clashed, erupting in an explosion.
As the Heavenly Demon Fist Technique aura scattered with the blast, it reformed on his fist.
Boom!
Fists collided again.
An equal battle unfolded without either yielding.
1st and 2nd stages are comparable. Definitely strong.
Jeong Hoons fist held 2nd stage aura, while the enemys was 1st.
Yet equal destructive power meant the bastards base strength surpassed his.
Whoosh
The watching clones rejoined the fray.
Jeong Hoon used Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon to strike their vitals, eliminating them in a flash.
Clones were just clones.
They couldnt copy Jeong Hoons vast combat experience.
Full of openings, they were easy to vital-strike.
Not being affected by the Transcendent is huge.
Normally, hed have struggled.
Of course, avoiding Transcendent influence was key.
If affected, their movements would face even greater restrictions.
Whoosh
Boom!
The Shadow Kings fist flew again.
Jeong Hoon parried upward, blocking it.
Heavenly Demon Fist Technique, 3rd stage.
Surpassing 2nd stage, 3rd stage aura reformed.
He then thrust toward the Shadow Kings abdomen.
Boom!
The Shadow King read the path and countered identically.
But unlike before, the Shadow Kings body was slightly pushed back.
His fist still held only 1st stage aura.
What!
Lower your guard and you die.
Jeong Hoon issued the grim warning and began pressing him.
Me, to a mere human?!
The Shadow King cried out in desperation.
But as time passed, he fell further on the defensive.
Yeah. Definitely different from Byulrang.
The Heavenly Demon Cult theme of Path of the Ultimate (1).
Byulrang faced there.
Back then, enduring 10 minutes against Byulrang was his limit.
Byulrang hadnt even gone all out.
Full power would have made 10 minutes impossible, and protecting cult leader Dokgo Jun would have failed.
The Shadow King before him was a Transcendent in no way inferior to Byulrang.
Yet this equal fight was possible thanks to the Title.
Whoosh
Jeong Hoon relentlessly pressed the Shadow King.
The more he did, the more the Shadow King failed to hide his agitation, exposing new openings.
Now.
Pow!
Jeong Hoons fist exploited the gap, slamming into his abdomen.
Guhk!
A pained groan escaped the Shadow King.
His waist bent, and Jeong Hoon followed with a knee strike to the face.
Kraaak!
Struck in the face, the Shadow King screamed and tumbled backward.
A so-called Transcendent, looking pathetic.
Jeong Hoon sneered at him once before smashing a fist into his face.
Aaaak!
Victory tilted in an instant.
Whoosh
Then, the clones charged Jeong Hoon en masse.
Wielding swords alongside Heavenly Demon Fist Technique, they replicated Heavenly Demon Annihilation Sword.
Insufficient.
But to Jeong Hoons eyes, they seemed woefully lacking.
Perfect in form, but missing the sharpness within.
In short, mere scarecrows mimicking his skills.
Jeong Hoon deflected and flowed their attacks with his hands, exploiting split-second gaps to smash their abdomens with fists.
The struck clones scattered and vanished.
Huff, huff You bastard.
Thanks to the clones buying time, the Shadow King retreated and caught his breath.
Jeong Hoon found it quite regrettable.
Too bad. I couldve finished you.
Shut up! Thatll never happen!
The Shadow King bellowed.
He tried using the copied healing skill on Jeong Hoon, but it wouldnt activate.
Naturally.
Healing skills ran on Divine Power, not mana.
No Divine Power meant no use, even if copied.
Jeong Hoon chuckled and asked.
Healing without Divine Power? Whatre you gonna do?
The Shadow Kings shoulders heaved.
Khuk khuk, fool. I dont need that pathetic Divine Power.
In that instant, a black aura surged from the Shadow Kings body.
The Shadow King uses Gods Healing.
His body began healing slowly.
Using a healing skill without Divine Power.
Jeong Hoon let out a hollow laugh.
Howd you do that?
How could something without Divine Power use Gods Healing?
Khuk khuk, you think were like you created beings?
Hmm, not mana, but something else, huh?
Mana could never enable healing.
Black aura. Definitely some other energy, not mana.
Also, Gods Healing wasnt perfect.
Its effect was ridiculously inferior to Jeong Hoons healing.
What? Curious about this power?
Not really.
A force that couldnt even perfectly mimic Divine Power.
No desire for it.
Excess in anything becomes poison.
Maximizing his current power to grow stronger was the priority.
Jeong Hoon stepped into Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon.
He had to choke him out before full recovery.
And fighting the clones had elevated Heavenly Demon Fist Technique to 4th stage.
Boom!
Jeong Hoon and the Shadow Kings fists clashed again.
But unlike before, the Shadow King didnt yield.
Despite his fist holding only 1st stage aura.
Because of that energy?
The black aura still enveloping him after Gods Healing.
It seemed to protect him while amplifying power.
So what.
Jeong Hoon continued pressing the Shadow King.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fists kept colliding, strengthening Heavenly Demon Fist Technique.
The same for him, but Jeong Hoons eyes gleamed as he elbow-smashed his face.
No matter the copying, this guy couldnt match Jeong Hoons vast combat experience.
Guhk!
The Shadow King groaned in shock.
Time was on his side.
He should gain the advantage as it passed, yet it tilted toward a mere created being.
Thwack!
This time, Jeong Hoons fist struck the Shadow Kings face squarely.
Kraaak!
The Shadow King tumbled backward.
Getting it now? The gap between you and me.
Jeong Hoon sneered fully and pressed his foot on the Shadow Kings chest.
Why.
The Shadow King muttered in disbelief.
Why was a Demon King like him feeling powerless against a human?
He couldnt comprehend.
Never let them pass this path.
But he couldnt give up here.
If the human cleared this place, hed be discarded for failing the command.
Absolutely not!
The Shadow King gathered all his power.
The black aura thickened, coiling around Jeong Hoons foot.
Ill kill this human no matter what.
He had to stop the human from advancing, by any means.
But Jeong Hoons lips curved into a grin.
Cardinal Sin.
With those words, a familiar demon appeared.
The Shadow Kings eyes bulged.
What, what?! Why is that here!
Devour him.