Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: The Ten Demonic Arts
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*Shing!*
As the assault intensified, the Muk-geom finally made its appearance.
Hyeok So-jin's martial arts grew stronger the more he used them, creating a situation where the Geuk-sok-mu-yeong alone was no longer enough to evade.
*Clang! Sh-sh-sh-shing!*
With the ringing of metal, the Muk-geom and the treasured sword clashed repeatedly.
Bu Eun-seol was neutralizing Hyeok So-jin's endless barrage of techniques, one by one.
"Hah. Hah."
It was useless, no matter how furiously he attacked.
The more he attacked, the more exhausted Hyeok So-jin became, while Bu Eun-seol stood firm like a great wall, calmly responding.
"Are you boasting about how many martial arts you've learned?"
*Shwwwing.*
Each time Bu Eun-seol fiercely spun the Muk-geom, Hyeok So-jin's sword forms were powerlessly deflected.
"Rather than dazzlingly unleashing various martial arts, it's better to vary a single one you can execute with proficiency."
Hearing this, Hyeok So-jin stopped the palm technique he was using with his left hand and focused solely on alternating between the Man-roe-hyeol-geom and the Cham-ryong-ma-geom-sik.
As a result, though the power wasn't as great as when he attacked with both hands, he was able to execute far more refined and stable techniques.
*'He's fast.'*
Watching him, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
*'So he's not called a genius for nothing.'*
With just a few words, Hyeok So-jin immediately understood and reacted.
As soon as he started striving with a goal in mind, his innate talent was being displayed without fail.
"The immediate change is good, but it lacks depth."
Bu Eun-seol swung the Muk-geom lightly, as if holding a willow branch, and deflected Hyeok So-jin's attack.
"If you can't merge the martial studies in your head, then remember only the useful ones. I can see you choosing your moves in your head before you execute them."
*Clang!*
Bu Eun-seol infused his true energy into the Muk-geom and swung it forcefully, sending Hyeok So-jin flying back three zhang.
"Kuh."
As Hyeok So-jin let out a rough groan and staggered, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"That's enough for today."
"More... let's go a little longer."
"With your legs in that state?"
Hyeok So-jin, gasping for breath, had legs that were giving out from under him.
Having neglected his martial arts training for so long, he couldn't even maintain basic stamina.
"Just one more time!"
Stubbornly, Hyeok So-jin raised his sword and charged again.
At that moment, a sharp, blue light erupted from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
*Flash!*
Simultaneously, a bolt of lightning in the shape of the character 之 (zhi) flashed, and before he knew it, the Muk-geom was at Hyeok So-jin's throat.
He had unleashed the Jeon-roe-mu-ssang-sik.
*Drip.*
Even though the tip of the sword hadn't touched his neck, Hyeok So-jin's skin was sharply cut, and blood trickled out.
"I'll teach you one last thing."
Bu Eun-seol, aiming the Muk-geom at Hyeok So-jin's neck, spoke in a cold voice.
"Composure."
Bu Eun-seol said with a solemn expression.
"In a fight where life and death are decided by a hair's breadth, losing your composure is the same as fighting with your hands tied."
"..."
"Don't forget. If you are not calm, no matter how outstanding your martial arts are, you can never win a fight."
*Click.*
Sheathing his sword, Bu Eun-seol turned his back coldly without a second glance.
Realization and shame washed over Hyeok So-jin, and he let out a deep sigh.
"Why did I waste so much time..."
Muttering lowly, he shook his head.
"I don't even have time to complain."
Now, even the time for regret was a waste.
Whether by cutting sleep or shortening meal times... he had to make up for the years he had wasted.
***
After that, the battles between Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin continued endlessly.
As the fierce clashes continued, Hyeok So-jin maintained his calm and composure. His techniques became more concise, and unnecessary movements gradually disappeared.
—*If you can't merge the martial studies, then remember only the useful ones!*
Accepting Bu Eun-seol's advice, Hyeok So-jin began to categorize the three hundred or so demonic arts stored in his mind.
Taking the strengths of various martial studies and merging them was still a difficult task for him.
After much deliberation, he selected a few martial arts that suited his disposition and began to learn them in depth.
He named them the Ten Great Demonic Arts.
Hyeon-hyo-ma-ji.
Am-cheon-ma-ryong-jang.
Ma-ha-myeong-ok-gwon.
Man-roe-hyeol-geom.
Am-hyeol-yeol-hwa-jang.
Cham-ryong-ma-geom-sik.
Jeol-hon-myeol-su.
Myeol-hon-geom-beop.
Bi-pa-seom-su.
Bing-hon-hwan-sal-geom.
These were demonic arts that someone with ordinary talent would find difficult to master even after a lifetime of practice.
But for Hyeok So-jin, this was his own careful selection from among the three hundred or so demonic martial arts.
—*Your basic stamina is also lacking.*
Furthermore, to continue fierce battles with a master like Bu Eun-seol, he needed the endurance and tenacity of a camel.
For stamina, Hyeok So-jin increased his food intake and ran through the forest in his spare time. He cultivated his internal energy instead of sleeping, and while eating, he studied the martial arts manuals stored in his mind.
Finally, on the tenth day.
*Clang!*
With a clear metallic ring, Bu Eun-seol's Muk-geom and Hyeok So-jin's treasured sword collided in mid-air.
At the same time, their two swords stuck together like magnets, and a powerful wave of ki radiated outward in concentric circles.
They had entered a clash of internal energy.
*C-c-crack.*
Thick veins began to pop out on Hyeok So-jin's forehead.
"Ughhh."
No matter how hard he pushed, Bu Eun-seol's profound internal energy didn't budge, pressing down on his body.
"Did you not anticipate that a clash of internal energy could occur if you got in close?"
"Ack."
When Bu Eun-seol spoke during the internal energy struggle, Hyeok So-jin was so startled that the flow of energy he was pouring out faltered.
At that moment, just as a sharp stream of internal energy was about to penetrate Hyeok So-jin's meridians,
*Whoosh.*
With the sound of air escaping, the pressure on his body lightened.
Bu Eun-seol had instantly withdrawn his internal energy, even absorbing the force that had been pouring into Hyeok So-jin.
*Ssssss.*
White steam poured from Bu Eun-seol's body as he absorbed Hyeok So-jin's sharp internal energy.
Despite this, he stood there calmly, as if touched by a gentle breeze.
"Hah, hah."
Hyeok So-jin's face contorted as he gasped for breath.
He had worked himself to death for ten days...
Yet in the end, he hadn't been able to inflict even the slightest damage on Bu Eun-seol.
"I've lost."
Hyeok So-jin's expression was dark as he lowered his head.
For ten days, he had trained his martial arts and stamina with all his might. And yet, he couldn't even lay a finger on Bu Eun-seol...
The sense of despair was beyond words.
"As promised, I will give up on traveling the Jianghu."
Swallowing his devastating expression, Hyeok So-jin managed a smile.
"Your martial arts are the best among the successors of the Ten Demonic Sects. You will surely become the successor of the Demonic Sanctum."
As he turned away with a bitter smile, Bu Eun-seol's low voice reached him.
"I permit you to accompany me."
"What are you talking about? I lost the bet."
"It never mattered in the first place. The outcome of the bet, I mean."
Hyeok So-jin turned back, his eyebrow twitching.
"I don't need your pity."
"It's not pity."
Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
"I am merely repaying a debt I owe."
"A debt?"
"Thanks to you, I've been able to comprehend the practical applications of the Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji Demonic Arts, which I didn't clearly understand before. I'm simply trying to repay that debt."
"I don't know what kind of nonsense you're spouting."
"Were you too busy lazing around to hear?"
As Hyeok So-jin furrowed his brow deeply, Bu Eun-seol continued.
"I, too, have learned a significant portion of the Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji Demonic Arts. That's why I was able to block your attacks so easily until now."
"The demonic arts of our headquarters...?"
"That's right. While I was staying in Doweonhyang, I was taught the Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji Demonic Arts by the demonic beings there."
"You're saying those old men taught you their martial arts?"
Instead of answering, a faint smile played on Bu Eun-seol's lips.
"However, all I did was decipher the oral formulas or watch demonstrations. So I never properly mastered them."
Finally understanding the situation, Hyeok So-jin's sharp eyebrows twitched.
"So, in other words, I've been a teacher, instructing you in those demonic arts."
"Correct."
"Haha."
Hyeok So-jin burst into an empty laugh, a look of hollow disbelief on his face.
To think that the reason Bu Eun-seol could so easily block his attacks wasn't due to a vast difference in martial skill... but because he could see right through his techniques.
Moreover, their duels up to now had been no different from him teaching Bu Eun-seol the practical applications.
"No wonder."
Hyeok So-jin let out a deep sigh, a mix of lament and relief.
"And I didn't even know... I thought the gap in our skills was as wide as the heavens and the earth."
He laughed heartily, dusted off his hands, and said.
"Very well. Since you've already gained the support of the headquarters, learning a bit of my martial arts won't change anything."
His brows knitting together firmly, Hyeok So-jin said with an utmost serious expression.
"I look forward to our journey through the Jianghu."
***
Before long, they reached a distance from which they could arrive at Muhasuyujeong within ten days if they used their lightness skill at full speed.
However, Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin did not hurry, instead hiring a carriage.
This was so they could continue to train their martial arts through sparring even while traveling to Muhasuyujeong.
During the day, they hastened their journey by carriage. And when dusk fell, they would stop the carriage and camp for the night.
Then, in a secluded place, they would spar all night or study martial arts manuals.
During this time, Hyeok So-jin had completely adopted Bu Eun-seol's attitude and disposition.
He too studied martial techniques while eating and devoted himself to cultivating his internal energy instead of sleeping.
Everything, including breathing, was filled with the effort to advance his martial arts.
After about a month of this, Hyeok So-jin's martial arts progress had advanced astonishingly.
His Sin-yeol-ma-gi broke through the sixth level, and he was able to maintain a somewhat equal footing in his spars with Bu Eun-seol.
"So, this is Guilin."
Stepping out of the carriage, Hyeok So-jin nodded as he gazed at the mountain range that unfolded endlessly like a folding screen.
Guilin's scenery is the finest under heaven.
The scenery of Guilin is the best under the heavens.
Guilin, a name meaning 'the place where cassia flowers bloom in abundance.'
Here lies Muhasuyujeong, one of the Ten Demonic Sects.
In the past, Bu Eun-seol had visited Guilin once before. It was to uncover the identities of the Gong Twin Demons, who were in charge of the Yueyang Nine Killers Division.
"Hmph."
As if to erase the bitter memories of that time, Bu Eun-seol quickened his pace.
"Let's go."
If you take a boat along the river, you can see the landscape of Guilin, with its thousands of limestone peaks.
Limestone is weak to water, so it is easily eroded. Because of this, countless strange and mysterious caves are hidden within these many mountains.
Muhasuyujeong.
This place was originally the Cha-nyeo-pa, a gathering of masters of the Seop-sim-sul.
And it was a sect born from the merger with the Hwan-hui-gung, which specialized in researching the Chae-bo-ji-do, the absorption of men's yang energy.
Not only did both sects share the commonality of using Yeo-in-bi-sul, but the martial techniques of the two also complemented each other's weaknesses.
When the two sects merged, their secret arts developed to an even higher level, eventually becoming one of the ten pillars supporting the Demonic Path.
"How fascinating."
Hyeok So-jin exclaimed as he entered the entrance of a huge, porous cave.
The entrance to Muhasuyujeong, located in a secret land, was very unique. One had to pass through a cave filled with water.
"Let's go in."
Bu Eun-seol took the lead.
The water-filled cave had stones installed everywhere that glittered with a mysterious light like night-luminescent pearls, creating a mystical atmosphere.
*'Amazing. To think there's a precious object that repels water.'*
Bu Eun-seol, too, could not hide his admiration.
Transparent stones installed throughout the cave's interior were preventing water from invading the passage.
Thus, even though the cave was filled with water, the two could enter without getting a single drop on them.
"Hmm."
Reaching the end of the cave, they could see numerous pavilions shimmering beyond the clear water.
The exteriors of the pavilions, reflecting the sunlight, all glittered with five colors, reminiscent of a mystical palace straight out of a fairy tale.
"How extravagant."
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue as he gazed at the splendid pavilions visible beyond the water.
"To cover this entire place with such expensive Eun-yeong-seok."
"It's not particularly extravagant."
Hyeok So-jin replied with a calm smile.
"I don't know about other things, but when it comes to wealth, this place is the greatest in the Demonic Path."
Muhasuyujeong was the predecessor of the Hwan-hui-gung, which was said to have once ruled all the courtesans under heaven.
The Hwan-hui-gung had accumulated immense wealth through the money and various information obtained from running brothels.
Their fortune was said to be enough to buy half the world.
"I wasn't talking about the buildings, but the formation."
Muhasuyujeong was covered not only in appearance, but all the structures placed in front of the palace were devices to prevent enemy invasion.
"I wonder if it's necessary to spend this much."
Even the flowers, trees, and rocks in front of the palace were clever devices to activate a powerful formation.
"Isn't it only natural?"
Hyeok So-jin said.
"They may be called one of the proud Ten Demonic Sects now, but in the past, all sorts of factions pounced on them, trying to swallow Muhasuyujeong whole."
"Hmm."
"If they hadn't prepared defenses of this level, the name Muhasuyujeong would have already vanished from the Murim."
Bu Eun-seol nodded as if agreeing with Hyeok So-jin's words.
Unlike the female sects of the Orthodox Path, the female sects of the Demonic Path had always served as stepping stones for the strong.
And yet, Muhasuyujeong had become one of the ten pillars supporting the Demonic Path... its underlying strength must be immeasurably powerful.
*Rumble.*
As Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin stood before the palace gate, a huge door opened on its own with the sound of grinding stone.
And then, an unexpected scene unfolded before their eyes.