Chapter 324
Chapter 324
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 324
Chapter Title: The Sword Sovereign
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
When Cheon-geom unleashed the Myriad Forms, One Style with the finesse of a swift sword, Bu Eun-seol countered with the very same technique and finesse.
Half above, half below; shifting the heavens to alter the force.
It was similar to the Demonic Path's swordsmanship principle of United Effort, the ultimate secret art of the Orthodox Faction's swordsmanship, capable of altering the very source of an incoming force through the power imbued in the sword's tip.
‘This bastard!’
Realizing the situation too late, Cheon-geom bit his lip.
Had everything up to this point been a setup to steal the secrets of the Myriad Forms, One Style?
‘I should have killed him in one blow.’
He never should have entered this fight thinking of a mere draw.
When he had the chance, he should have snuffed out his life in an instant.
“Hahahaha!”
Overcome with rage, Cheon-geom burst into a crazed laugh.
“So this is your so-called ‘practical martial arts’—stealing other people's techniques and acting all high and mighty. Just what I'd expect from someone from Nang-ya-gak!”
He then drew upon his internal energy with all his might.
‘I'll cut him down with everything I have before he can steal my sword art.’
He had a gut feeling that if he didn't kill Bu Eun-seol today, he would never get another chance.
「You must have thought you had nothing left to lose. That just by holding on, you could get everything back.」
Bu Eun-seol looked down on Cheon-geom.
「Not at all. Simply by being the Sword Sovereign's disciple, you possess a great deal.」
He then raised the corners of his mouth in a cold smirk.
「And I have taken it all.」
*Crack.*
Cheon-geom’s anger surged to the point of exploding, not only because his plan had been seen through, but because the secrets of his sword art had been stolen.
However, he soon felt the eyes of the crowd on him and scoffed.
「You were going on about not speaking to the dead… but you’ve been chattering away for a while now, haven’t you?」
「To provoke you, what wouldn't I say?」
Bu Eun-seol sent the telepathic message with a relaxed smile.
「In any case, you’ve worked hard. Thank you for diligently following the plan I laid out.」
*Grind.*
Cheon-geom gritted his teeth so hard they threatened to shatter.
If looks could kill, tens of millions of blades would have poured from his eyes.
「Break through my sword art before you run your mouth!」
*Crack, crackle.*
Cheon-geom's massive frame was growing even larger.
As he, a man of natural-born divine strength, unleashed even his latent potential, his body was transforming to exert its maximum power.
*Swoosh.*
A white aura began to rise from his body. Cheon-geom grew taller by a head, his frame becoming even more imposing.
It could no longer be called the form of a human. Nor was it a monster.
It was a form like some unknown creature, forged from a mixture of greed, cruelty, viciousness, and killing intent.
“I’ll end this in a single strike!”
The moment he was about to unleash the Myriad Forms, One Style, combining his innate divine strength and energy with his formidable internal energy and killing intent…
*Shiiiii!*
A hazy smoke billowed from Bu Eun-seol's Icing Soul Sword, enveloping an area dozens of feet wide in a thick fog.
“Don't try any foolish tricks!”
The now-gargantuan Cheon-geom instantly closed the distance to Bu Eun-seol and swung his sword at his head.
But just as the greatsword was about to reach Bu Eun-seol's neck, he felt an unsettling sensation on the back of his own.
‘Something’s not right.’
Cheon-geom, too, was a master who had stepped into the Transcendent Realm.
He could perceive time several times slower than ordinary martial artists.
He split his all-out attack into two, preparing a defensive motion for a sudden counterattack.
‘No matter what trick you pull, I can just block it with the greatsword in my left hand!’
*Rumble!*
At that moment, a vortex of sharp air currents, like a raging storm, erupted from Bu Eun-seol's sword.
*Swhoooooosh!*
Simultaneously, countless points of light scattered, beginning to rain down on both Bu Eun-seol and Cheon-geom.
‘What kind of sword art is this?’
The points of light were Sword Pellets unleashed by Bu Eun-seol, capable of easily piercing through cast iron.
The slightest touch from a pellet was enough to tear his clothes and gouge out a chunk of his flesh.
As Cheon-geom had closed the distance in an instant to cut him down, Bu Eun-seol had used a bizarre sword art to unleash a rain of Sword Pellets.
Upon both himself and Cheon-geom.
“You madman! Was taking me down with you the best you could come up with?”
Cheon-geom abandoned his attempt to behead Bu Eun-seol and began to swing his greatsword like a club, obliterating all the points of light.
But Bu Eun-seol was different.
He charged at Cheon-geom, heedless of whether his body was torn apart by the descending Sword Pellets.
*Swaaaaa!*
Plunging through the rain of Sword Pellets, Bu Eun-seol instantly became a blood-soaked figure.
*Flick.*
Yet, he paid it no mind, catching a single Sword Pellet, condensed like a drop of dew, on the tip of his sword.
He then spun the Icing Soul Sword in a wide arc and immediately sent it flying toward Cheon-geom.
In that instant, all the Sword Pellets that had been pouring down like rain vanished.
*Whoosh!*
Simultaneously, the fog surrounding Bu Eun-seol and Cheon-geom evaporated in a flash.
For a moment, a dead silence fell over the Stone Light Plain.
—What in the world just happened?
Because of the strange fog that had spread from the Icing Soul Sword, even masters with exceptional eyesight had been unable to witness the precise exchange of blows between the two.
*Drip, drip, drip.*
Bu Eun-seol's entire body was torn and drenched in blood, but he stood tall and unyielding.
Cheon-geom, however, was completely unscathed, staring at Bu Eun-seol with a placid expression.
“An exquisite, yet insane, sword art.”
Cheon-geom, who had mastered the Myriad Forms, One Style, could also be called a Sword Fiend.
He had discerned that the technique Bu Eun-seol had just unleashed was one that could only be performed by a madman.
One who could accept the meaning of death without a shred of fear.
The Sword Pellets Bu Eun-seol had unleashed possessed tremendous destructive power.
If he had shown even a hint of hesitation or fear, his body would have been riddled with hundreds of holes.
But Bu Eun-seol had charged into the storm of Sword Pellets without an ounce of hesitation.
And from within it, he had unleashed a bizarre sword technique, slicing Cheon-geom’s carotid artery.
“If you had used this sword art from the beginning, you could have defeated me in a single move.”
Cheon-geom was overestimating Bu Eun-seol's abilities.
The Seven Styles of Blood and Tears was an unparalleled sword art that could only be executed when the user's spirit and the sword's principles were in perfect alignment.
It was only because Cheon-geom had unleashed a sword technique powerful enough to take his life that he, too, was able to execute the Seven Styles of Blood and Tears.
“If you were a true madman, you wouldn't have clung to life and death. You would have been able to block that move.”
Bu Eun-seol said coldly.
“But your madness was a fake one, born from arrogance.”
Cheon-geom had been victorious in every battle he had ever fought.
And he was confident he could survive any fight.
—I am strong. I am confident I can survive a fight against anyone!
That was why, when he entered the Demonic Cult, he had dared to act defiantly even before the Dark King, Yeop Hyo-cheon, who had been the head of the Seven Kings of the Grim Reaper.
What if he thought he could actually die? Cheon-geom would never have challenged him.
“Ah, I have no choice but to admit it.”
Cheon-geom lowered his head with a lonely expression.
“The real madman wasn't me. It was you.”
He took a deep breath and asked.
“So, are you not afraid of death?”
“This world is but a temporary place to stay.”
*Click.*
Bu Eun-seol sheathed his Icing Soul Sword and spoke calmly.
“To die is simply to return to one's original place…”
The First Style of Blood and Tears, First Technique: Life is a Sojourn, Death is a Return.
This sword style involved showering both the enemy and oneself with Sword Pellets, then risking one’s life within that storm to cut down the enemy…
It was truly a mad style of destruction.
“To die… is to return to one’s original place.”
Cheon-geom said with a faint smile.
*Pssh!*
And then, blood spurted from his neck.
His vision blurring, Cheon-geom remained standing and reached a hand out to Bu Eun-seol.
“I’m sorry.”
He extended a trembling hand and said.
“For cruelly killing your friend, the Ten Demon Successor… can you forgive me?”
Was it that, facing death, he was reminded of his wrongful life?
Cheon-geom reached out to Bu Eun-seol with a desperate expression.
“…”
Bu Eun-seol slowly approached and stood before Cheon-geom, taking his hand.
It was the final farewell between two rising stars of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions who had fought without regret.
Or so it would have been, normally.
*Whoosh!*
But at that moment, a flash of light erupted from Cheon-geom's body.
In a moment of desperation, he had unleashed the Heaven-Defying Flash, a suicidal sword technique guaranteed to take the enemy down with him.
*Swish!*
But Bu Eun-seol calmly twisted his body, evading the attack.
*Rip.*
The sword energy of the Heaven-Defying Flash left a light wound on Bu Eun-seol's left shoulder before shooting up into the sky.
He had anticipated that it was a ploy for one last, desperate struggle.
A man incapable of understanding the feelings of others would never ask for forgiveness.
*Murmur, murmur.*
Gasps of disbelief erupted from the martial artists in the audience.
—Is that… how the disciple of the Sword Sovereign should act?
To attempt a mutual destruction with Bu Eun-seol using such a despicable method, even in the face of death.
Did that mean all the rumors up until now were true?
“The madness of the weak is always this pathetic.”
Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath.
“I’m screwed.”
Clutching his neck, clotted blood trickled from Cheon-geom's mouth.
Most of the blood in his body had already drained out.
Even so, his right hand still gripped his greatsword tightly, and his fading eyes were still searching for a weakness in Bu Eun-seol.
A warrior's instinct. And a fearsome resilience.
“Damn it.”
Cheon-geom’s face twisted in regret as he spoke.
“I’ve really smeared shit on my master’s face.”
*Splat!*
Suddenly, with the sound of leather bursting, Cheon-geom's neck shot into the sky.
Bu Eun-seol had swung the Icing Soul Sword like lightning, sending his head flying into the air.
*Thud.*
The head, airborne for a moment, tumbled to the ground.
A deathly silence fell over the Stone Light Plain.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
The severed head rolled like a ball on the ground, coming to a stop at Bu Eun-seol's feet.
The martial artists watching this scene couldn't close their mouths.
What if it had been a fair and square duel?
The Orthodox Faction martial artists would have immediately protested loudly or drawn their weapons in anger.
To behead a figure like Cheon-geom in an instant, as if swatting a demonic bandit, was an insult to them all.
But all the Orthodox Faction members, including the observers, had witnessed his despicable and cruel side. Therefore, they could not direct any criticism toward Bu Eun-seol.
“…”
Bu Eun-seol looked down at Cheon-geom’s severed head.
To ensure the complete death of this crazed madman, he had executed many plans and had even advanced his martial arts by another level.
But he felt no sense of triumph.
All he could see was the smiling face of Young Mun-ho as he died, blood trickling from his lips.
—Don’t blame yourself.
Even in his last moments, Young Mun-ho had wished for Bu Eun-seol not to suffer.
It must have been because he knew that Bu Eun-seol would surely avenge him.
‘Young Mun-ho.’
Bu Eun-seol turned his gaze to the distant sky.
The image of Young Mun-ho dying in agony in his memory seemed to have changed into one of him smiling.
*Swish!*
At that moment, with a sharp sound of slicing air, dozens of sword auras rained down from the sky toward Bu Eun-seol.
*Shing!*
His mind had momentarily drifted from reality, but the Wind and Cloud Creation Art etched into his body instantly reacted to the killing intent.
The Icing Soul Sword shot out of its scabbard in an instant, leaping and dancing to create a circular sword screen.
The Rhombus Sword Control technique had been unleashed.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
Blocking the chaotic storm of sword auras, Bu Eun-seol was pushed back continuously.
The force contained within the swords surpassed even that of Cheon-geom, who possessed natural-born divine strength.
*Thud.*
A shadow descended from the sky—a man of large build.
He had the fierce gaze of a tiger, and behind his back, a shimmering mirage in the shape of a colossal sword seemed to be visible.
“Jo Cheon-wang.”
He was none other than the leader of the Martial Heaven Brigade, and the father of the Flawless Sword, Jo Mu-gyeol, whom Bu Eun-seol had once beheaded in an instant.
The Emperor Dragon Sword, Jo Cheon-wang.
“To be honest, while I hoped you would die in a single strike… a part of me hoped you wouldn't.”
Jo Cheon-wang let out a deep sigh and walked over to the fallen Cheon-geom.
“You deserve to suffer more, and you must properly face this leader’s sword in the future.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Collecting the blood debt for his son's death was a father's natural duty.
Therefore, Bu Eun-seol did not condemn him for the sudden ambush.
“Call on me anytime.”
At Bu Eun-seol's confident words, Jo Cheon-wang gave a placid nod.
“When you reach a level where you can properly face me in a duel.”
Surprisingly, Jo Cheon-wang saw Bu Eun-seol as beneath him and intended to wait for him to grow stronger before killing him.
‘A brigade leader would be capable of that.’
If the Demonic Cult had the Ten Demonic Sects, the Murim Alliance had the Seven Great Brigade Leaders.
Their martial prowess was such that they could single-handedly annihilate a clan, and they wielded enough power to operate their brigades independently.
The military might that supported the Murim Alliance was not the Nine Sects One Gang or the Eight Great Families, but the Seven Great Sword Brigade Leaders.
“Collect his body.”
It seemed Jo Cheon-wang was the only brigade leader from the Murim Alliance present.
At his command, warriors who appeared to be from the Murim Alliance respectfully collected Cheon-geom's body from behind.
Once the duel was over, both the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance dispersed the martial artists gathered on the Stone Light Plain.
There was no telling what might happen if masters from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions were gathered in one place.
“…”
After the duel, Bu Eun-seol briefly exchanged glances with the leaders of the Four Shadows Hall, who were watching from a distance.
Understanding his meaning, they all nodded.
—Go on.
—Go safely.
Leaving the Stone Light Plain, Bu Eun-seol unleashed his movement technique at full speed.
The place he arrived at was not the Demonic Cult, but the Seven Swords Ridge, where Young Mun-ho's thatched hut stood.
The hut, having lost its owner, stood desolate in its place, and only the bleak wind blowing from all directions brushed meaninglessly past his ears.
Bu Eun-seol climbed to Young Mun-ho's grave, which had been made atop the Seven Swords Ridge.
“The sun is warm, yet I don’t know why the wind feels so cold.”
Bu Eun-seol poured a glass of strong, fine liquor on Young Mun-ho's grave.
“I couldn't bring you his head.”
He then said in a low voice.
“He was too prominent a figure.”
Bu Eun-seol had avenged Young Mun-ho's brutal death.
If Cheon-geom had not come, he would have left the martial world to live quietly, gathering medicinal herbs.
He would have met a simple woman, raised children, and lived a happy life.
‘Grandfather.’
A sense of longing surfaced in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
If the fiend who killed his grandfather had not come.
Bu Eun-seol would still be with Bu Jan-yang, performing rites for the dead, eating noodles topped with pickled radish…
And at night, he would fall asleep in their small room after talking with his grandfather.
He would have been living a happy life.
‘I hope you find happiness in that place.’
As Bu Eun-seol gazed at the grave, briefly lost in memories of Young Mun-ho, his eyes glazed over.
Before long, the night deepened, and a bright moon rose. Bu Eun-seol slowly turned to descend the Seven Swords Ridge.
*Step, step.*
But he saw a shadow in the distance.
Although the moonlight was brightly illuminating the land, the face of the approaching shadow was blurry.
His face was obscured by a powerful wave of internal energy.
“Is your mourning finished?”
The shadow's voice was that of an old man.
Bu Eun-seol had not sensed the old man's presence at all while climbing the Seven Swords Ridge.
Not only that, but no matter how he focused his vision, he could not see the face within the shadow.
The shadow before him possessed an unimaginably high level of martial arts.
“Were you waiting for me?”
But Bu Eun-seol was not particularly surprised as he spoke nonchalantly.
“There was no need for that.”
“Hehehe.”
The shadow chuckled lowly and walked slowly toward Bu Eun-seol.
An old man with countless deep scars etched all over his face and forearms came into view.
There were so many scars that he looked less like a human and more like someone wearing reptilian skin.
However, his eyes were clear and righteous, not giving a bad impression at all.
But Bu Eun-seol's expression became incredibly serious. He took a deep breath and immediately drew his Icing Soul Sword.
“Indeed.”
The old man nodded as if surprised that Bu Eun-seol had drawn his sword instantly.
“Just by the act of drawing your sword before this old man, I can tell what an exceptional talent you are.”
“Are you here to avenge him?”
“That is correct.”
As the old man answered, Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
He could tell with a single glance from his aura and stance.
He was the creator of the Myriad Forms, One Style, said to be the greatest sword art of the Orthodox Faction.
The Sword Sovereign, Heon-won Dam-cheong.