Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Overwhelming Force
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*Clank.*
Yo Bul-beom connected the two poles from his back, forming a spear with a shaft exceeding ten feet in length.
His Soul Extinction Spear was no different from those used by the Myeol-hon-dae members, but its power was in another league entirely.
*Whoosh!*
As Yo Bul-beom fiercely swung the spear shaft, a large space cleared around him.
He swung the shaft and thrust with the tip at any opening. The spear's assault spread out like the ribs of a fan, yet the moment an opening appeared, it converged into a single point of light and struck.
With every move Yo Bul-beom made, the profound techniques of the Soul Extinction Blood Spear Art were unleashed,
“Kuhk.”
“Aargh!”
and screams echoed as the surrounding resident warriors and the White Flower Troupe were invariably wounded and fell.
Weaving through the battlefield and pushing aside all who blocked his path, he finally approached Bu Eun-seol.
*Swish!*
With a sharp whistle of wind, the Soul Extinction Spear seemed to stretch like taffy.
The sharp spearhead pierced through the gap in the space where a dozen men were tangled, fiercely striking at the back of Bu Eun-seol, who was caught in a frantic battle.
*Clang!*
With a loud metallic ring, Bu Eun-seol's Muk-geom moved on its own, swinging behind him to lightly deflect the incoming spear tip.
It was a perfect harmony of the Spirit Form Sword Control and the Way of the Beast.
“Hmph. The Way of the Beast, is it?”
Realizing that a surprise attack was meaningless against Bu Eun-seol's keen senses, Yo Bul-beom spun his spear.
*Fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip.*
Holding the spear shaft horizontally, which was now whipping up a whirlwind, he pushed back the members of the White Flower Troupe surrounding Bu Eun-seol.
A wide space opened up, and the two men clashed.
“Take this!”
As Yo Bul-beom leaped into the air and shouted, Bu Eun-seol defiantly raised his Muk-geom in response.
*Fwoooosh!*
With a flash of light, dozens of spear shadows created afterimages in the air, enveloping Bu Eun-seol's body.
What was astonishing was that the cascading spear phantoms not only fell at different times, but some even remained suspended in mid-air.
‘So this is the Soul Extinction Spear Art.’
The terrifying thing about the Soul Extinction Gate's spear art was its ability to sustain the energy gathered on the spear, much like sharp sword ki, in mid-air for a certain period.
It was even rumored that masters of the Soul Extinction Gate who had deeply mastered the spear could maintain that fierce energy for an extended period.
*Tssssssss!*
At that moment, from the Muk-geom in Bu Eun-seol's hand, a brilliant sword ki, like rays of light through rain, shot into the air and embroidered the sky.
Caged Bird Longs for the Clouds.
The fourth form of the Formless Heavenly Flow, which allowed him to freely move his projected sword ki, was unleashed.
*Cl-cl-cl-clang!*
The sword ki embroidering the sky erased the spear phantoms that were pouring down with a time lag.
But in that interval, Yo Bul-beom, having landed on the ground, thrust the spear shaft straight at Bu Eun-seol.
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to defend, the thrusting spear tip suddenly vanished.
As its target disappeared, the Muk-geom faltered in mid-air for a moment,
*Shink!*
and with a sharp sound of tearing air, the pointed spear tip stabbed toward Bu Eun-seol's throat.
It was the marvel of the Soul Extinction Blood Spear's ultimate technique, A Small Sound in the Midst of Heaven.
*Fsh!*
Blood spurted from near Bu Eun-seol's neck, which he had dodged by a hair's breadth.
‘Incredible.’
Bu Eun-seol was inwardly amazed.
There hadn't even been time to use Extreme Speed Shadowless Movement. If not for the extrasensory perception of the Way of the Beast, his throat would have been pierced by that single move.
“You're lucky!”
*Whoosh!*
In that instant, Yo Bul-beom's spear shaft bent like a bow and swung horizontally to strike Bu Eun-seol's body.
But Bu Eun-seol, having already unleashed his Extreme Speed Shadowless Movement, slipped out of the spear's range.
“How long will you keep dodging!”
Yo Bul-beom swung his spear again, sealing off all of Bu Eun-seol's escape routes and positions.
Meanwhile, ten more spear phantoms formed in the air. Above, phantoms that would pour down with a time delay.
And on the ground stood Yo Bul-beom, swinging his spear shaft in all directions.
‘I can't break through this immediately.’
Bu Eun-seol used Extreme Speed Shadowless Movement, shifting his position eighty-nine times while staying in the same spot.
He tried to discern Yo Bul-beom's weaknesses while evading the assault. But the man's spear art was too profound to be defeated in a short time.
*Fsh!*
In that instant, the technique Yo Bul-beom was unleashing changed once again.
This time, instead of thrusting directly, he began to unleash feints in all directions.
‘He's skilled at using feints, too.’
Unable to distinguish between the illusions and the real attacks Yo Bul-beom unleashed, Bu Eun-seol was forced to retreat continuously.
Yo Bul-beom was a transcendent master who had led the Myeol-hon-dae for over twenty years, rampaging through the martial world.
He instantly saw through Bu Eun-seol's intention to grasp the changes in the Soul Extinction Spear's techniques while dodging.
That was why he was improvising, changing his forms to display a spear art that was both chaotic and profound.
“Brother Bu is being pushed back.”
Hyeok So-jin, who had sent the attacking Myeol-hon-dae members flying with his Divine Fever Demonic Energy, furrowed his brow.
Fortunately, while Bu Eun-seol and Yo Bul-beom fought, the battle between the forces of Muhasuyu-jeong and the Myeol-hon-dae had mostly been settled.
The resident warriors, including Jeong Rip, all possessed formidable martial prowess.
Their martial arts were closer to the Orthodox Faction than the Demonic Path, allowing them to easily overwhelm the unique evil energy of the Soul Extinction Blood Spear Art.
However, the fight between the leaders, Bu Eun-seol and Yo Bul-beom, was turning unfavorable.
‘The techniques of that Soul Extinction Spear are not something I can figure out in the middle of a battle.’
Bu Eun-seol calmly assessed the situation.
Until now, to further develop his own martial arts, he had always discerned his opponent's techniques, found their weaknesses, and then counterattacked.
But Yo Bul-beom's skill was not only a cut above his own, but his way of controlling the flow of battle was also masterful.
Moreover, with a spear shaft over ten feet long, he preemptively controlled the space where Bu Eun-seol needed to move, making a perfect evasion impossible even with Extreme Speed Shadowless Movement.
*Fsh!*
Once again, the sharp spear tip grazed Bu Eun-seol's cheek, drawing blood.
—Don't think with your head!
At that moment, the solemn voice of Sa-woo, who had taught him the Way of the Beast while swinging a sword on Hell Island, echoed in his ears.
—If you try to figure out the technique and then dodge, you'll be too late.
Sa-woo, who had grazed Bu Eun-seol's cheek with a sharp sword back then, shouted again.
—The moment the attack begins, you must react instantly!
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyes burned hot like charcoal embers.
‘Have I been arrogant all this time?’
The method of fighting by finding a weakness and then striking down the enemy was, in truth, only possible when one's skill was far superior to the opponent's.
Bu Eun-seol had always dodged his enemies' attacks and found their weaknesses using the legendary movement art, Extreme Speed Shadowless Movement, and his outstanding extrasensory perception.
But his Extreme Speed Shadowless Movement was not yet perfect, not at the Seventh Star level.
Yo Bul-beom, with his abundant battlefield experience and masterful use of feints, was hiding his weaknesses while controlling the field, cornering Bu Eun-seol.
“This is the end!”
Having found an opening in Bu Eun-seol's defense, Yo Bul-beom unleashed thirty-two shadows.
Those spear phantoms not only had different timings but also changed rapidly.
Even with Extreme Speed Shadowless Movement, a perfect evasion would be difficult.
‘If I can't dodge it, I'll shatter it!’
*Boom!*
The moment Bu Eun-seol summoned his internal energy with all his might, a powerful explosion of true ki began to erupt from his body.
Simultaneously, an ink-black radiance spun fiercely from the Muk-geom,
*Vwoom!*
and suddenly, a jet-black form of light materialized from the Muk-geom and shot into the air.
It was Sword Aura.
*Vrrrrr.*
At the same time, the Muk-geom began to tremble, and the ink-black Sword Aura started to erase the cascading spear phantoms.
It was an absolute defense, a combination of Spirit Form Sword Control and Return to the Origin.
*KABOOM!*
Even though it was just weapons clashing, a deafening explosion that seemed to tear the sky apart rang out.
The Sword Aura Bu Eun-seol created was completely different from ordinary Sword Aura, which preserves the shape of the weapon.
The ink-black Sword Aura not only stretched and contracted like rubber, but its power was also on a completely different level from typical Sword Aura.
*Rumble!*
When the circular Sword Aura grazed the ground, a jet-black hole of unfathomable depth was created.
‘Th-this bastard?’
Bu Eun-seol stopped taking a defensive stance to analyze techniques.
And as he poured out his techniques, using his internal energy without reservation, it was a series of truly heaven-shattering strikes.
Yo Bul-beom didn't dare to bring his Soul Extinction Spear against the Muk-geom and was forced to continuously backpedal.
*Clang!*
Then came the moment when he had no choice but to clash weapons to defend himself.
When the Muk-geom and the spear tip finally collided,
*Screeech.*
pushed back a full twenty paces, Yo Bul-beom withdrew his spear, his eyes wide.
“Your internal energy… surpasses mine?”
Having reached the fifth stage of the Reversal Core Art, Bu Eun-seol's internal energy was powerful enough to not be outmatched by anyone.
It was just that he had never used his internal energy to overwhelm an enemy like this before.
But as Yo Bul-beom's techniques became ever-changing, he had generated Sword Aura with his immense power to simply crush the techniques themselves.
“You talk too much.”
Bu Eun-seol gave him no time, thrusting his Muk-geom without hesitation.
As the one who had been on the defensive launched an aggressive assault, it was now Yo Bul-beom's turn to be flustered.
*CRASH! RUMBLE!*
Again, the Sword Aura grazed the ground, and this time, it wasn't an explosion but the sound of actual thunder that echoed.
Every time the jet-black Sword Aura brushed past his body, Yo Bul-beom's expression hardened.
This was because Bu Eun-seol's Muk-geom not only contained immense power but was also infused with two different streams of internal energy.
The Reversal Core Art.
A legendary internal art said to be able to influence the creation and extinction of all things upon reaching its peak.
In the past, when Bu Eun-seol infused internal energy into his weapon, thirteen streams of energy as sharp as a blade's edge would pour out.
But as his power deepened and became purer, the pure Yin and Yang energies, which could be called the forces of nature itself, were unleashed.
‘I can't just keep dodging!’
*Vwoooom!*
In the end, Yo Bul-beom also created Spear Aura to counter Bu Eun-seol's Sword Aura.
*BOOM! RUMBLE!*
With each successive clash between the Muk-geom and the Soul Extinction Spear in mid-air, Yo Bul-beom's face grew rapidly paler.
The two powerful streams of internal energy pouring out with every clash of weapons were rattling his internal organs.
“You bastard!”
Yo Bul-beom tried desperately to create distance and avoid the clashes.
But Bu Eun-seol moved like a phantom, circling him and blocking his escape.
Even when the Soul Extinction Spear luckily moved out of the Muk-geom's range, Bu Eun-seol would use a powerful Absorption Art to pull the weapon back in.
‘The Paeng Clan has a saber technique that shatters the body through weapon clashes.’
Bu Eun-seol was mimicking the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique of Woo Moon-cheong, who had tried to shatter his bones through weapon clashes on Hell Island.
“Uweck!”
After forty continuous clashes, unable to withstand the immense internal energy, Yo Bul-beom finally vomited blood.
“Ugh...”
Kneeling on one knee, Yo Bul-beom let out a groan.
He couldn't move a single step because the two powerful streams of internal energy had all but melted and severed his meridians.
“Such internal energy...”
Yo Bul-beom's body trembled.
The tactics of a martial artist are varied.
One can fight with weapons, or one can fight by unsettling the opponent's mind through sharp words.
And then there is the method of simply crushing the opponent with overwhelming internal energy.
“Brother Bu.”
Just then, Hyeok So-jin approached Bu Eun-seol's side.
The battle was over.
The three hundred members of the Myeol-hon-dae were in utter disarray.
More than half of the Myeol-hon-dae's forces had fallen to the attacks of Muhasuyu-jeong's disciples and resident warriors.
Furthermore, with their leader Yo Bul-beom defeated, the remaining members stopped resisting and surrendered.
“Incredible, Brother Bu. To think you subdued the renowned Lord of the Myeol-hon-dae all by yourself.”
Bu Eun-seol was looking down at Yo Bul-beom.
Killing intent flickered in his eyes, making Hyeok So-jin pause for a moment.
“Subdued?”
A bloody light surfaced in the eyes of Bu Eun-seol as he spoke.
“Brother Bu. Surely you're not...”
Realizing Bu Eun-seol's intention, Hyeok So-jin waved his hand.
“If you kill him, you will make an enemy of the Soul Extinction Gate.”
When Bu Eun-seol didn't answer, Hyeok So-jin swallowed hard.
“Brother Bu, you're already on bad terms with Hell's Blood Fortress and the White Horse Temple, aren't you? There's no need to add the Soul Extinction Gate to that list.”
“On bad terms... you say.”
In truth, Bu Eun-seol had always harbored a question in his heart.
—Why does the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, under the pretext of choosing a successor, demand the blood of fellow demonic path practitioners?
If it was about testing a successor's qualities, there were many ways.
If it was for unity, they could fight against their common enemy, the Orthodox Faction.
If he wanted to compare martial arts talent, he could just hold a tournament.
But the Demonic Heavenly Emperor demanded constant conflict and bloodshed among the demonic sects.
“So that was it.”
Finally, after defeating Yo Bul-beom, Bu Eun-seol could guess the reason.
“There's no way we could be on good terms.”
A cold smile touched his lips as he looked down at Yo Bul-beom.
“Because without bloodshed, the alliance known as the Ma-jeon could never survive.”
He finally understood everything.
The fight to succeed the leader of the alliance called the Ma-jeon. In it, anyone who is not an ally becomes an enemy.
There is no neutrality, and those who are hostile must be thoroughly subjugated.
“From now on, I'll show you what happens when you mess with me.”
In that instant, the look in Yo Bul-beom's eyes changed.
As the Lord of the Soul Extinction Gate's Myeol-hon-dae, he had rampaged through the martial world for decades and was known as the epitome of fear.
But to think he would meet his end at the hands of a successor of the Nang-ya-gak?
“I won't die by your hand.”
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Yo Bul-beom staggered slowly to his feet.
Then, gripping his Soul Extinction Spear, he straightened his body and raised his internal energy. He was trying to sever his own heart meridian to end his life.
*Flash!*
But his attempt did not succeed.
Before he could sever his heart meridian with his internal energy, Bu Eun-seol had instantly slashed his carotid artery.
*Pshhh!*
With a spray of blood, Yo Bul-beom's eyes shot wide,
*Thud.*
and he collapsed like a log.
That was the end of Yo Bul-beom, the Lord of the Soul Extinction Gate's Myeol-hon-dae, who had terrorized the martial world for decades.