Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: The Victor's Demand
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‘This bastard?’
Sensing the extraordinary aura rising from Bu Eun-seol, Tak Il-hwang also unleashed his saber techniques with all his might.
Kwwaaaaa!
Just as the azure saber energy poured forth like a tidal wave, about to engulf Bu Eun-seol,
Bzzzzzzz.
Bu Eun-seol's Muk-geom trembled before it began to chase the shadows of the pouring saber techniques like a phantom.
Mu-sang-cheon-ryu, Fifth Form: Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin.
It was a masterful art that perfectly replicated the enemy's techniques by following the trajectory of their attacks.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
With a split-second delay, Bu Eun-seol's Muk-geom clashed against Tak Il-hwang's blade.
This time, he had no intention of analyzing the saber art or trying to dismantle its forms.
Tak Il-hwang was a master belonging to the Ten Great Saber Demons. His skill was on par with Jeon Il-hon, without the slightest disparity.
"Kuh."
A groan escaped Tak Il-hwang's lips after they exchanged over forty blows in a single breath.
Each time their weapons met, Tak Il-hwang felt the bones throughout his body rattle and a sharp pain shoot through his wrist.
Bu Eun-seol's internal energy was so immense that every clash shook his bones and muscles, much like the Paeng Clan's Five Tiger Decapitation Saber Art.
At this rate, far from taking Bu Eun-seol's head, his own wrist would be broken.
‘He intends to settle this with this one move.’
He saw through Bu Eun-seol's plan: to break his bones with this single technique and end the fight.
‘And this sword art...’
Tak Il-hwang was a master who had roamed the martial world for decades. He immediately realized that the path of Bu Eun-seol's Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin was identical to his own Blood Flame Saber.
Zhiiiing!
At that moment, Tak Il-hwang's Blood Flame Saber blurred, then abruptly dispersed like mist.
Thud.
Bu Eun-seol's Muk-geom, which had been scattering light in all directions, lost its target and fell toward the ground.
When Tak Il-hwang stopped his attack and used a strange technique, the form of Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, which instantly stole the opponent's sword path, was also immediately halted.
Taat.
Taking advantage of the opening, Tak Il-hwang quickly retreated, regulated his internal energy, and recomposed himself.
And just as he was about to attack again,
Flash!
A glint of light flashed from the silver-shining Blood Flame Saber, causing Bu Eun-seol to narrow his eyes.
Tak Il-hwang was standing with the sun at his back.
‘A heaven-sent opportunity.’
He had mastered a unique saber technique that could guarantee a kill, provided he had the sun at his back.
‘This is not a foe I can guarantee an easy victory against, even at full power.’
Tak Il-hwang sensed that Bu Eun-seol's skills were on par with his own.
If that was the case, rather than risking his life in a drawn-out battle, he would use a fatal saber art that could kill in an instant.
"Good!"
Paaat!
With a sharp cry, he shot into the air, leaping over Bu Eun-seol's head.
Simultaneously, he unleashed his Blood Flame Saber, sending sixteen streaks of saber light endlessly raining down on Bu Eun-seol.
That light then multiplied into thirty-two streaks.
Those thirty-two streaks then became hundreds of rays of light, pouring down on Bu Eun-seol.
‘Go on, try to parry the saber light like you've been doing!’
A cruel smile formed on Tak Il-hwang's lips as he watched Bu Eun-seol.
‘The moment you do, it's over for you!’
Finally, just as Bu Eun-seol moved his Muk-geom to strike away the descending lights,
Tak.
Tak Il-hwang had already moved behind Bu Eun-seol.
It seemed as though Tak Il-hwang had leaped into the air, but that was merely an illusion created by the Blood Flame Saber and the sunlight.
Phantom Mirage Tower.
It was a masterful illusionary saber art that showed the enemy a hallucination when one had the sun at their back, allowing for an instant kill.
‘It's over now!’
Tak Il-hwang swung his saber without hesitation at the back of Bu Eun-seol, who was still looking up.
But something was strange.
He had clearly sliced through the body, yet he felt no sensation at the tip of his blade.
Glint!
Just then, a tiny point of light bloomed before Tak Il-hwang's eyes.
Simultaneously, a long streak of sword light followed the point, extending endlessly until it passed through the space between his eyebrows.
"..."
Tak Il-hwang stared at Bu Eun-seol with unfocused eyes.
Bu Eun-seol, who should have been split in two, was calmly sheathing his sword with a placid expression.
Drip.
A single drop of blood trickled from between his brows.
Tuk.
As the drop of blood hit the ground, Tak Il-hwang was finally able to realize a crucial fact.
"So that's what happened."
When he had used Phantom Mirage Tower, Bu Eun-seol had not countered the saber technique but had immediately moved away.
Extreme Speed, Shadowless Form. That swift and stealthy movement technique had left an afterimage for Tak Il-hwang to see.
"I was the one seeing an illusion."
Those were his last words.
Thud.
Tak Il-hwang, the Blood Sea Demonic Saber, who had struck fear into the heart of the martial world alongside the Twelve Flame Agents.
His end was all too vain.
It was true that one's senses would momentarily dull when looking directly at the sun.
However, Bu Eun-seol, having reached the state of Gong-sim-tong-ryeong, would suffer no ill effects even if he stared at the sun for two whole hours.
"You chose the wrong final move."
Tak Il-hwang died with his eyes wide open, as if he couldn't believe his own defeat.
Looking down at him, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"You should have unleashed the essence of the Blood Flame Saber Art, not that illusionary technique."
If Tak Il-hwang had fought Bu Eun-seol with all his might, the victor would have been uncertain.
But instead of choosing a risky battle, he had hoped for an easy victory.
And the result... was a vain death, one he couldn't even comprehend himself.
Chaang! Chiiing!
Meanwhile, the Twelve Flame Agents were still locked in a fierce battle with the Mu-bon Division members.
The skills of the Twelve Flame Agents were overwhelming, but under Hyeok So-jin's command, the Mu-bon Division members displayed perfect coordination, moving as if they were a single body.
Despite that, they couldn't gain the upper hand.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol let out a strange hum as he watched the battle for a while.
The reason the members were struggling, despite having a master of the Transcendent Realm like Hyeok So-jin,
was because the skill of one of the Twelve Flame Agents was, surprisingly, close to the Transcendent Realm.
‘Among the Twelve Flame Agents, there's one on the verge of entering the Transcendent Realm?’
Fwoosh.
Bu Eun-seol shot forward in an instant, drawing his Muk-geom on the Flame Agent who was displaying superior skill.
Sreung.
As the sword sang, millions of points of light converged into a single beam.
He had unleashed the Meteor Overtaking the Moon Form.
Chwararak!
At that moment, a wide, silver-shining Blood Flame Saber spread open like the ribs of a fan, creating a broad membrane of light.
Charrrrang!
With a loud metallic clang, the heaven-splitting Meteor Overtaking the Moon Form was stopped in its tracks.
The agent had blocked the technique, which was not only fast but also possessed the power of a heavy sword, with a single saber strike.
Taat!
The Flame Agent who blocked the Meteor Overtaking the Moon Form actually charged forward, as if to rush into Bu Eun-seol's embrace.
"Does the Blood Flame Saber Art also have chaotic sword techniques?"
Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath and swung his Muk-geom, concentrating the energy on its edge. As he moved to cut down the charging Flame Agent,
Swish!
the Flame Agent suddenly formed a hand-blade with their left hand and chopped toward Bu Eun-seol's chest.
"...!"
A peculiar light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
This move was completely unexpected.
Moreover, to use a hand-blade instead of their perfectly good Blood Flame Saber?
Flash!
It was an incomprehensibly reckless attack, but Bu Eun-seol unhesitatingly moved to slice the hand that was aiming for his chest.
Kkaang!
But when the sword and hand collided, there was a metallic sound, and the Muk-geom was actually deflected.
It turned out this person had not only mastered the saber arts of the Blood Flame Saber Clan but also a fearsome hand technique.
Swish!
Not missing the opportunity, a soft, white glow pierced Bu Eun-seol's chest. No, it should have pierced it.
Cheok.
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol had caught the Flame Agent's sharp hand with his bare one.
‘How...’
The agent stared at their hand, caught by Bu Eun-seol.
Even if it had been caught by iron pincers, it should have shattered into pieces. How could he possibly catch it with his bare hand?
"You must have thought the Seven Demonic Fist Forms were just a simple fist art."
They must have easily figured out that he had learned a fist art.
But the Seven Demonic Fist Forms, while framed as a fist art, were the very essence of fist, palm, and hand techniques.
It could be used not just as a striking art, but also as a grappling art.
Bu Eun-seol had used the Seven Demonic Fist Forms, which allowed him to freely manipulate his fist energy, like a grappling technique to deflect the hand-blade and seize the wrist like a hook.
Hwiik!
But this time, the agent's left foot moved stealthily, striking deep toward Bu Eun-seol's groin.
It was the Iron Arrow Blood Net Kicking Art, a technique that displayed unparalleled power at close range.
It was an unexpected attack, but Bu Eun-seol dodged the kick as if he had predicted it and threw a punch.
Kwang!
With a loud explosion, the agent's body was sent flying into a nearby wall.
Tuk.
The Flame Agent quickly got up, but the force of Bu Eun-seol's punch had torn their mask, which was carried away by the wind.
Then, a dazzling face, completely unexpected, was revealed under the sun.
Rose-tinted lips. Fair skin and large, clear eyes.
The highly skilled member of the Twelve Flame Agents was, surprisingly, a young woman in the prime of her life.
"As I thought, Do Cheon-rin didn't send you..."
"What do you mean?"
The woman asked back with a venomous glare, and Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
"If he had sent assassins, he wouldn't have done it so sloppily."
Bu Eun-seol had felt something was off from the moment Tak Il-hwang and the Twelve Flame Agents appeared.
Do Cheon-rin.
That profoundly cunning man would never send merely Tak Il-hwang and the Twelve Flame Agents to kill him, would he?
"I see. You must be Do Cheon-rin's sister."
Bu Eun-seol's memory for faces and body lines was good enough to rival a fortune-teller's.
Besides, there was no need to think too deeply. The woman before him resembled Do Cheon-rin like a twin.
"Let go!"
The woman shook off Bu Eun-seol's arm and nervously stepped back.
In truth, she was Do Cheon-rin's youngest sister, Do Chae-ryeong.
Since childhood, she had deeply admired and idolized Do Cheon-rin.
Every day, she enjoyed visiting the places where Do Cheon-rin stayed or watching him as he spoke with others.
But at some point, the name 'Bu Eun-seol' began to appear in his conversations.
—He's truly incredible! Aside from 'those two,' there's likely no one in our generation who could dare to face him.
Do Cheon-rin, known as the Scholar of Ten Perfections for his outstanding talents not only in martial arts but in various other fields.
The brother she thought was the most brilliant person in the world was now lavishing praise on someone else.
Someone he even said must be killed.
In the end, she persuaded Tak Il-hwang to come to the Jianghu with the Twelve Flame Agents.
She intended to personally kill this man named Bu Eun-seol, the sole recipient of Do Cheon-rin's love and hate.
"Hmph."
With a deep sigh, Bu Eun-seol looked down at Do Chae-ryeong and spoke gravely.
"With this, my debt to him is paid."
Do Cheon-rin, the Young Lord of the Blood Flame Saber Clan.
He had consistently opposed Bu Eun-seol's nomination as a successor candidate.
But even as the White Demon Temple, the Hell Blood Fortress, and the Death Spirit Gate continuously attacked, he never once sent the forces of the Blood Flame Saber Clan.
From Do Cheon-rin's perspective, had he joined them, he might have found an opportunity to bring Bu Eun-seol down.
In its own way, that must have been a favor to Bu Eun-seol.
Bu Eun-seol turned his head, his eyes tinged with a red glow.
"But this is the only time. If you cross me again, you will have to risk your life. Not just you, but everyone in the Blood Flame Saber Clan."
Grit.
Biting her lip, Do Chae-ryeong clutched her wrist and looked at the bodies of the deceased Tak Il-hwang and the Twelve Flame Agents.
"The main family will handle the bodies, so leave them as they are."
"As you wish."
As soon as Bu Eun-seol finished his reply, with a sharp sound, she used her movement technique and immediately left the place.
* * *
Kuuuung.
Guards opened the massive gates of the Demonic Hall.
Then, two young men, one in white and one in blue, walked in slowly, shoulder to shoulder. It was Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin.
Step, step.
And behind them, men covered in wounds both large and small followed in formation.
Their martial uniforms were torn in places, and their bodies were covered in scars. Yet, their eyes were sharp, and a keen aura radiated from them.
They were the members of the Mu-bon Division.
Originally, they should have returned after receiving treatment and being in good condition, but the surprise attack by Tak Il-hwang and the Twelve Flame Agents had left them scarred once more.
—Is that the infamous Mu-bon Division?
Passing martial artists gaped in surprise. The Mu-bon Division, which had always been met with looks of contempt and scorn.
But now, they looked like battle-hardened veterans, radiating a sharp aura despite their wounds.
The place where Bu Eun-seol and the Mu-bon Division members arrived was the grand training grounds of the Demonic Hall.
There, an impossibly high dais had been erected, and upon it, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, clad in a black dragon robe, sat on a grand chair.
Beside him stood the Grand Commander, Yeop Hyo-cheon, and below, martial artists clad in uniforms embroidered with the emblem of two dragons fighting over a pearl stood tall.
They were all the Division Lords belonging to the Demonic Hall.
However, the three Division Lords of Cheon-sal, Am-cheon, and Myeol-hon, who held special status and carried out covert missions, were absent.
And along the path leading up to the training grounds, the Demonic Hall's honor guard stood in solemn formation on both sides.
Step, step.
As Bu Eun-seol and the Mu-bon Division members ascended to the training grounds,
Cheok.
swordsmen saluted them as they passed.
The Demonic Hall, a powerful coalition that encompassed a million demonic practitioners.
Unlike the Murim Alliance, which proclaimed justice and chivalry, this mighty conglomerate was sustained and moved solely by money and power.
Therefore, the Demonic Hall always promised generous rewards to martial artists who achieved great merits. The greater the reward, the greater the loyalty they would offer.
—Deal with the Ma-ban Gate and its Gate Lord!
Bu Eun-seol and the Mu-bon Division, who had returned after completing an impossible mission.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor and other key figures had come out to commend them for their achievements.
Step, step.
They finally passed the honor guard and arrived at the base of the dais where the Demonic Heavenly Emperor sat.
Ssk.
Bu Eun-seol cupped his hands in a salute, and Hyeok So-jin and the Mu-bon Division members, who stood in formation with solemn expressions, also cupped their hands and bowed their heads.
"Bu Eun-seol, Lord of the Mu-bon Division."
Cupping his hands once more, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a grand yet low voice.
"I have returned after completing the order given by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
Nod.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, sitting on his throne, gave a slight nod.
Then, the Grand Commander, Yeop Hyo-cheon, who stood beside him, spoke in a low voice.
"Though it was a mission to select a successor candidate, the Lord of the Mu-bon Division has once again demonstrated the might of the Demonic Hall to the martial world and achieved great merit."
He looked at Bu Eun-seol and said to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor in a low voice.
"According to the laws of this hall, it is only right that he be given a great reward."
"Hmm."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor looked down at Bu Eun-seol and spoke in a low voice.
"State what you desire."
For a moment, all the martial artists of the Demonic Hall, except for Yeop Hyo-cheon, wore puzzled expressions.
While dealing with the Ma-ban Gate was a great accomplishment, it was not a merit worthy of being told to 'state what you desire.'
Ssk.
Then, Bu Eun-seol, who had lowered his head, took a deep breath and spoke in a loud voice.
"I wish to officially become a Division Lord of the Demonic Hall."