Chapter 48: Equal Rivals — The Mortal Realm Isn’t Worth It

Su Nan threw a punch, and a mottled dragon shadow burst forth.

With a thunderous roar, it lunged at the ghost king.

The ghost king, shrouded in thick ghost mist, narrowed his eyes and instantly appeared before the dragon.

He let out a piercing screech, unleashing a torrent of black fog from his mouth.

In a flash, the endless black mist collided head-on with the ferocious dragon shadow.

Golden light exploded everywhere as the black mist engulfed the skies.

Su Nan felt a wave of chilling cold wash over him — the dragon shadow was quickly consumed and dissipated, swallowed by the ghostly fog.

His eyes sharpened, and he stepped forward again.

Spiritual energy surged wildly within him, bolstered by the heroic spirit’s presence.

With a flicker, Su Nan appeared directly in front of the ghost king.

The ghost king’s pale, bloodless face twisted into a hideous expression.

Seeing Su Nan so close, the ghost king opened his mouth wide and bit down savagely.

No one would’ve expected such a slender figure to possess such a massive gaping maw.

Su Nan’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly dodged while swinging a punch at the ghost king’s face.

The ghost king missed his bite but swiped his claw toward Su Nan’s chest.

“Boom!”

A muffled thud rang out — Su Nan’s punch landed squarely on the ghost king’s face, while the ghost king’s claw also struck Su Nan’s chest.

Mist swirled around the ghost king’s forehead; golden light flickered over Su Nan’s chest.

Neither was injured.

But the fight didn’t stop.

The two remained locked in close combat.

After taking the hit, Su Nan’s eyes gleamed — the heroic spirit within him erupted with power.

Fueled by that force, he swung again, punching the ghost king fiercely.

The ghost king was relentless as well, slashing his claws furiously toward Su Nan.

Golden light and black mist filled the square.

The battle turned the surroundings into a blur of clashing shadows and radiant bursts, their energy surging to the heavens.

After some time, Su Nan landed another punch to the ghost king’s face — at the same moment, the ghost king delivered a kick to Su Nan’s chest.

The two finally separated, standing on opposite sides.

The ghost king, still surrounded by ghost mist, looked even paler than before.

His bloodshot eyes bulged with fury — the elegant demeanor he once had had completely vanished.

In contrast, Su Nan, though his clothes were disheveled, looked calm and composed.

His breath was steady, his expression unwavering, and his eyes shone with heroic confidence.

The spirit’s energy within Su Nan surged continuously.

During the fight, it had done much of the heavy lifting.

Despite being gone for hundreds of years, the spirit still possessed such incredible power — it was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Su Nan now felt more like a vessel through which the heroic spirit fought the ghost king — their battle transcended the present.

“What are you staring at!”

Su Nan barked as he noticed the ghost king glaring at him with blood-red eyes.

“You brat…”

The ghost king’s once-handsome face twisted into a cold smile — one that quickly turned savage and cruel.

“If I hadn’t expended 90% of my strength just to descend into the mortal realm… do you think someone like you could fight me evenly?”

“Did I invite you to the mortal realm?”

Su Nan retorted sharply.

“Wherever you came from — crawl back. The human world isn’t worth it.”

In both momentum and presence, Su Nan gave nothing up.

With the heroic spirit on his side, the ghost king couldn’t lay a finger on him.

This first fight upon descending into the mortal world had gone far worse than expected — the ghost king’s mood soured.

In a rage, the ghost king erupted with endless crimson mist.

It spread rapidly, blanketing the entire area.

The cold air instantly vanished, replaced by stifling heat.

At first, Su Nan even found the warmth a relief from the previous freezing chill — even amidst battle, it had been uncomfortable.

But as the red mist spread, the temperature soared until Su Nan could barely stand it.

Meanwhile, the ghost king’s skinny body began to swell.

In seconds, he inflated like a balloon — more than tripling in size.

Before Su Nan now stood not a slender figure but a musclebound monster.

His clothes were torn to shreds by the bulging muscles.

Not only had his body grown in size, but two pairs of wings sprouted from his back.

They spread wide — enough to block out the sky.

His formerly eerie, pale face had become monstrous, a true devil’s visage, twisted and terrifying.

“Boy…”

“You’re dead.”

The ghost king’s voice had become hoarse and guttural.

His bulging red eyes glowed like lanterns hanging in the dark sky.

He hadn’t even attacked yet, but the oppressive ghostly aura he emitted already made Su Nan’s heart race.

Within seconds, the transformation was complete.

The cold had become a blazing inferno.

The frost on the ground melted into puddles, which rapidly evaporated under the heat.

Above, the once-bright moon was obscured by dark clouds, its light entirely blocked.

All around, crimson mist rolled like the fires of hell.

But even now, Su Nan showed no fear.

He stepped forward with a calm expression and even a faint smile.

“If you want to kill me, go ahead and try.”

He waved at the ghost king, still unshaken.

The ghost king, already seething with hatred, could bear it no longer.

He let out a furious roar and stomped the ground, creating a deep crater as he shot forward like a cannonball.

Though Su Nan wasn’t afraid, the pressure from the transformed ghost king was immense.

His eyes sharpened.

He summoned all his strength and swung both fists.

Lightning coiled around his palms — a thunder dragon emerged and roared toward the ghost king.

But as it neared, the ghost king caught it in one hand and crushed it into a burst of sparks.

The Thunder Breathing Technique was far inferior to the pure yang energy of the True Dragon Fist.

The ghost king didn’t slow.

Su Nan, seeing this, had no choice — he gathered every bit of strength and met the ghost king head-on.

The ghost king swiped with his claw — Su Nan countered with both fists, throwing in everything he had.

“BOOM!”

A massive explosion rang out.

Su Nan was sent staggering back several steps, blood churning within him, face pale.

The ghost king, in contrast, was completely unharmed.