Chapter 357
Chapter 357
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 357
Chapter Title: A Different Perspective
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‘I can do it.’
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew upon the Heavenly Will Heart Art.
Then, he deliberately clashed with their sword strikes once more.
*Clang! Chaang!*
After repeating the clashes about twenty-four times, Bu Eun-seol was able to grasp the flow of true energy of the disciples performing the sword technique within the formation.
‘So this is how it works.’
The moment he clashed with their sword energy, Bu Eun-seol instantly understood the secret of the Void Annihilation Formation.
‘They weren't waiting to unleash their sword energy. They had already spread thread-like strands of it across my body… predicting my movements and striking in accordance with them.’
Bu Eun-seol began to synchronize with the flow of true energy of the sixty disciples.
As he did, the true energy within his body flowed in and out, receded and surged.
And there was a moment when the true energy that entered his body struck his Baihui point again and ascended to the Du meridian.
‘Because the power of over sixty people is gathered as one, a momentary flaw like this is revealed.’
Since the power of over sixty people was being gathered and unleashed at once, the moment the true energy moved from the Ren meridian to the Du meridian.
A very subtle, momentary break was occurring.
And in that instant, they were completely defenseless, absolutely unable to counterattack.
‘Wait. If that’s the case…’
As Bu Eun-seol continued to fight while trapped in the sword formation, another realization flashed through his mind.
A state of neither life nor death.
Could it be referring to a state where one synchronizes with the enemy's energy and loses one's sense of self?
*Zhiiing.*
When he finally mastered all the profound secrets contained within the art of Half-Life, Half-Death, a dark light flowed from the Ink Sword.
*Rumble.*
He had only lightly infused his power, yet a thunderous cry of the sword echoed from the Ink Sword.
*Swish!*
As if sensing something ominous, the disciples of the Sword Pavilion, hidden behind a transparent sword barrier, unleashed a flurry of sharp sword forms.
*Pat!*
As a strike grazed Bu Eun-seol's forearm, the flow of true energy from the disciples hidden within the round barrier momentarily ceased.
In that very instant,
*Phat!*
A colossal sword aura passed through the transparent wall of true energy.
The third form of the Seven Forms of the Bloody Tear, Half-Life, Half-Death, had finally been unleashed.
*Shwoook!*
The massive sword aura that had passed through the sword energy suddenly scattered into hundreds of points of light, and then,
*Hwaak!*
The round wall of sword energy, which had seemed unbreakable, crumbled, finally revealing the figures of the sixty-some disciples.
*Thud!*
The hands of all sixty disciples were torn and bleeding.
With a single move, Bu Eun-seol had destroyed all of their weapons.
‘How can this be.’
The disciples of the Sword Pavilion were all dumbfounded.
To destroy sixty weapons held by skilled swordsmen in a single move?
—He unleashed a single stream of sword aura as hundreds of sword orbs?
What if Bu Eun-seol had decided otherwise? Could he not have severed all sixty of their necks in an instant?
“Hoo.”
Bu Eun-seol’s entire body was drenched in sweat.
After infusing A-yeon with his true energy, he had faced the Void Annihilation Formation without having recovered his body.
Moreover, he had poured all his mental and physical energy into unleashing the Half-Life, Half-Death technique… It was difficult for him to even remain standing.
“Impossible.”
Elder Neung-in could not close her mouth.
It wasn't just because of the profundity of the technique, which had transformed sword aura into sword orbs.
She had seen it clearly.
Just as the true energy of the disciples forming the sword formation was being newly stored in their dantians and new power was about to emerge.
Bu Eun-seol's sword strike had flown through, splitting time and space.
Didn’t Bu Eun-seol’s sword form, which seized that exquisite moment, far surpass the power that could be shown within the confines of swordsmanship?
“Will you concede?”
At Bu Eun-seol’s words,
“This nun…”
Elder Neung-in could not continue.
She had made a promise in front of hundreds of disciples. If she did not keep it, she could no longer call herself an elder of the Sword Pavilion.
*Thump, thump.*
As if having given up on everything, Elder Neung-in walked listlessly and stood before Bu Eun-seol.
“This nun…”
She took a deep breath and stepped closer again.
“…has no intention of letting a demonic seed who would destroy this pavilion live!”
With a sudden, desperate cry, a brilliant sword light blossomed from Elder Neung-in's hand.
The Elegant Dream Sword. The Seven Aids to Enlightenment.
One of the Sword Pavilion's supreme sword forms was being used in a vicious surprise attack.
*Woong!*
In that moment, hundreds of sword orbs rose from beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet.
He had already anticipated Elder Neung-in's ambush.
And in front of the Sword Pavilion disciples, he intended to once again clear himself of the false accusation of being the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao who had murdered the nine grand elders.
“You fiend!”
With a demonic expression, Elder Neung-in charged at Bu Eun-seol, cutting through the sword orbs.
Originally, the Sword Pavilion's swordsmanship was meant to be performed with a calm mind, as if practicing the Dao.
As she attacked with a spirit full of resentment and killing intent, her movements became sluggish, and the sword technique failed to display its proper power.
*Papapapat!*
In the end, Elder Neung-in failed to break through the hundreds of sword orbs and retreated, her body covered in wounds.
And Bu Eun-seol, who had stood tall without fully unleashing the Life and Death's Return technique, was also transformed into a man of blood.
“……”
Ok Yu-ha, whose mixed blood state had subsided at some point, shed tears as she watched the scene.
The image of Bu Jan-yang, who had stood steadfastly amidst the blade orbs that tore at his flesh without defending against the opponent's attacks, was drawn in her mind.
“Ugh.”
Elder Neung-in let out a pained groan.
It was not because of the pain from her injuries, but because of the contemptuous gazes of her disciples.
“This nun!”
She shouted, but then could not continue for a while.
After a long silence, Elder Neung-in spoke with a sorrowful expression.
“I only did what I had to do as an elder of the Sword Pavilion.”
Then, she quietly closed her eyes.
The only place for her now was the Wall-Gazing Cave to atone for her sins. Moreover, she had repeatedly committed acts unbecoming of a Sword Pavilion elder.
She had forced Ok Yu-ha to take the Mind-Calming Pill to maintain her composure and had tried to murder the one who saved the life of the successor, A-yeon.
And she had launched a vicious and petty surprise attack, something a member of the righteous faction should never do.
If this were to be revealed to the martial world through the mouth of that demonic man?
She would no longer be able to maintain her authority as the chief elder, and the honor of the Sword Pavilion would be dragged through the mud.
*Paaaaa!*
In that moment, the area around Elder Neung-in's heart split open, and blood spurted out like a fountain.
Faced with a situation where her foul reputation would be passed down for ten thousand generations, she unhesitatingly severed her heart meridian and took her own life.
*Thump.*
And she collapsed like a log.
“Elder.”
The disciples, who had not anticipated such a situation, ran towards her body with sorrowful expressions.
*Stagger.*
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching the scene, finally dropped to one knee.
His power, stamina, and even his mental energy were depleted; he could no longer hold on.
“You can rest easy now.”
Just then, a gentle and kind voice, suppressing a sob, reached his ears.
“There is no one left here who will harm you.”
As the low voice reached him, Bu Eun-seol unknowingly closed his eyes.
***
When he opened his eyes again, Bu Eun-seol realized he was lying on a luxurious bed.
When martial artists lose consciousness, their power can regress.
However, Bu Eun-seol felt that the true energy within his body was, on the contrary, abundant.
‘A blessing in disguise.’
Bu Eun-seol realized it was because of the Secret of Heavenly Will he had awakened to in his unconscious state.
It not only allowed him to synchronize with the enemy's energy flow but also had the function of continuously circulating true energy even while unconscious.
Just like So Ok-rim, who had mastered the Heart Art of the Saintly Sovereign.
“You’re awake.”
Only then did Bu Eun-seol notice a woman in white robes sitting beside the bed, staring intently at him.
It was A-yeon.
“What happened?”
Bu Eun-seol asked a single question.
Many meanings were contained within those words.
But the first thing he was asking about was the situation at the Sword Pavilion.
“Thank you for your concern.”
A-yeon bowed her head politely.
“With your help, my lord, the pavilion has managed to resolve the situation without any major divisions. The elder’s remains have been respectfully laid to rest.”
A-yeon’s expression was somber.
No matter her sins, Elder Neung-in had been a pillar who had steadfastly led the Sword Pavilion.
Now that she had taken her own life, not only A-yeon but all the disciples of the Sword Pavilion were grieving.
“That is a relief.”
In that moment, A-yeon’s eyes wavered like ripples on water.
She had done nothing good for Bu Eun-seol. Moreover, he was a man of the Demonic Path.
But to prevent the Sword Pavilion from fracturing, he had risked his life to break the formation.
Bu Eun-seol, as the successor of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao, had fought to protect his pride.
And it was a duel he had engaged in to carry on the will of the one who had tried to protect Ok Yu-ha without destroying the Sword Pavilion.
But from A-yeon's perspective, Bu Eun-seol was a man of utmost purity who had risked his life solely for her and the Sword Pavilion.
“It's truly amazing. Our pavilion’s formation has never been broken before.”
Her eyes held a look of pride, as if she were gazing at a husband with the spirit of a hero.
Bu Eun-seol nonchalantly averted his gaze and said.
“That is likely because it has never been tested against a true master.”
“That might be true.”
A moment of silence passed.
But Bu Eun-seol felt something was off. It could be called a sense of unease.
The back of his neck felt cold, and he felt as if something was watching him from the darkness.
It didn't take long for him to realize it was A-yeon's intense gaze, which pursued him relentlessly even when he tried to subtly avoid it.
“You look better in your original appearance.”
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol touched his face. Due to his loss of consciousness, the Face-Changing Bone-Altering Art had been broken.
A-yeon, who had been staring intently at his face, tossed out a lighthearted joke.
“I disliked your previous face; it was too artificial.”
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol had a strange thought.
She was a disciple of the Orthodox Path and carried herself with solemnity. Yet she was joking about his appearance?
“Through this incident, I’ve realized I cannot ascend to the position of the pavilion’s successor.”
A-yeon, as if reading Bu Eun-seol’s mind, wore a lonely smile.
“The successor who will one day be responsible for this pavilion must be profound and upright in every action and thought. But I failed to do so, fell prey to a demon of the heart, and endangered many people.”
“It can happen when one pursues the martial path with passion. I myself have experienced such a thing in the past.”
“Do you think the reason I fell to a demon of the heart was because of the duel at the Demonic Cult?”
Of course, Bu Eun-seol knew that wasn't the case.
But he couldn't bring himself to say it, so he had spoken indirectly.
“Hoo.”
A-yeon let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
“The reason I was possessed by a demon of the heart wasn't because of the martial path, but because I had delusions that a disciple of the Orthodox Path should not have.”
She then gently bit her rosy lips.
As if having made a decision, she took another deep breath and spoke firmly.
“After returning from the Demonic Cult, I thought of you constantly.”
Bu Eun-seol was slightly surprised.
It was an ardent gaze he had never seen before.
A-yeon was directly confessing her feelings to Bu Eun-seol.
“Thinking of someone is a common occurrence, is it not?”
Flustered, Bu Eun-seol tried to neatly package and close off her feelings with a nonchalant expression.
But A-yeon coolly tore open the packaging and said.
“No. I thought of you as a man.”
“……”
“The Young Mistress of the Divine Maiden Palace provoked me. She asked if I would accept your heart even if you, my lord, got on your knees and proposed.”
She smiled bittersweetly.
“After that day, whenever I closed my eyes, I would see your image. Your image, proposing to me.”
She then shook her head faintly.
“Don’t worry. They say that at my age, it’s common to experience something like the fever of a first love.”
A-yeon’s eyes were filled with fervent interest and affection.
It was a passionate emotion that could not be suppressed even with her profound arts.
As one with a Yang Radiance Body, she had a personality richer in emotion and more honest than anyone else.
“And it seems that even I, who have dedicated myself to the Orthodox Path, cannot escape it.”
She was openly laying out all the stories she had kept deep within her heart, holding nothing back.
“I have decided to step down from the position of the Sword Pavilion’s successor and become an ordinary disciple again.”
“You mean to give up being the successor.”
“That’s right. And if I can overcome this gateway of affection… I will be able to stand tall again as someone who can lead the Sword Pavilion.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
She had expressed her feelings honestly. So what of it?
If she were to hide those feelings, they could instead become a sickness of the heart. Just like Ok Yu-ha.
“I have a favor to ask of you, my lord.”
A-yeon said cautiously.
“I want to cross swords with you.”
Bu Eun-seol, guessing A-yeon’s intentions, nodded.
She likely still had much she wanted to say. And she intended to express those words not through conversation, but through the sword.
On the sheer cliff of a peak on Great Sword Mountain.
Snow was gently falling there.
The two silently drew their swords and began to duel.
*Saeng! Chaang!*
Every time their swords clashed, their gazes met in mid-air.
Instead of words, A-yeon was showing all her feelings through her sword and her eyes.
Bu Eun-seol was from the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
He knew well that if she performed her sword techniques honestly, without variations, he could easily grasp their profound principles.
For her own sake.
And for Bu Eun-seol, who had risked his life for the Sword Pavilion, she was generously showing him the profundity of the Elegant Dream Sword.
Bu Eun-seol, understanding her heart, silently accepted the sword techniques she displayed.
It was the best he could do.
*Clang.*
Finally, A-yeon's treasured sword was sent flying into the sky by Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword.
It then landed and stuck upright in the ground.
The match was decided.
A-yeon showed Bu Eun-seol an incomparably beautiful smile.
“I am a disciple of the Orthodox Path. I will surely overcome this trial.”
She then politely clasped her hands and bowed.
“Thank you.”
“Then, take care.”
Bu Eun-seol also clasped his hands and returned the gesture.
He immediately turned and descended the peak.
A-yeon stared blankly in the direction Bu Eun-seol had disappeared, her eyes filled with a mixture of countless emotions.
“I hope we meet again, even by chance.”
That low whisper, like a snowflake falling on her palm, melted away and soon vanished.
***
Upon returning to the Demonic Cult, Bu Eun-seol convened the Council of Grand Lords.
He briefly recounted the events he had experienced. However, he kept silent about the matter of the Sword Pavilion, as it was a personal affair.
He then gave orders to Yu Un-ryong and the others.
The Black and White Witch was clearly someone who had belonged to some organization, so they were to trace his past.
And also to find information on the Eight Desolations and Three Sages, the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao, and the whereabouts of the Divine Calculator.
After the meeting, Bu Eun-seol immediately entered seclusion.
This time, he had mastered the third form of the Seven Forms of the Bloody Tear and obtained the Secret of Heavenly Will, a peerless martial arts secret.
He needed to ruminate on all these things and deeply engrave them into his body.
Bu Eun-seol sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
An ordinary martial artist would have used a brush and ink to study the manuals and practiced the martial arts by moving their body.
But he could engrave countless manuals in his mind just by sitting and closing his eyes.
And with just his imagination, he could repeat the process of practicing martial arts forms with great effort, as if sweating, and engraving them into his body.
Before he knew it, four days had passed.
*Ssk.*
Bu Eun-seol, who had been in seclusion reviewing his martial arts, slowly opened his eyes.
He stood up and looked around the training chamber.
Staring into the darkness where not a single speck of light entered, a strange thought suddenly occurred to Bu Eun-seol.
The Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao.
Whether he liked it or not, while traveling the martial world, he had coincidentally found traces of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao.
And this time, he had learned of another hidden deed related to the previous successor of the Sword Pavilion.
The more he traced his footsteps, the stranger Bu Eun-seol felt.
The image of him known to the world was that of a cruel, great fiend of the Demonic Path.
But the traces of him that Bu Eun-seol had found were closer to that of a chivalrous hero, the kind one would see among figures of the righteous faction.
In other words, he showed a completely different side from what the martial artists of the world knew.
‘But this fact… could the Heavenly Demonic Emperor truly have not known?’
Until now, the places where he had learned of the hidden deeds of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao were strictly on the side of the righteous faction.
If so, did the Heavenly Demonic Emperor know nothing of this?
Bu Eun-seol thought the probability of that was almost nil.
‘The Heavenly Demonic Emperor was someone who watched my every move as a successor candidate as if reading his own palm.’
Even before Bu Eun-seol became a successor, the Heavenly Demonic Emperor had thoroughly investigated his past through the Shadowless Pavilion and predicted his future moves.
It was impossible that such a man would know nothing about the deeds of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao.
‘Besides, the actions of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao this time are quite different from the personality of the grandfather I know, aren’t they?’
His grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, was a wise, warm-hearted, and sagacious person.
But the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao he learned about at the Sword Pavilion was passionate, a remarkable man who could even comprehend deep affection for others.
‘Of course, even a hot-blooded person’s character can change with age. But…’
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
He couldn't imagine his grandfather, a former Shaolin disciple, being a romantic who wandered the martial world, spreading his affections here and there.
‘The strangest thing is the name.’
If his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, had intended to thoroughly hide the fact that he was the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao, Bu Jan-yang?
He should never have used the name Bu Jan-yang when he worked as a constable.
But his grandfather had proudly used the name Bu Jan-yang and had even registered it with the constabulary.
Even a person who wasn't meticulous would never make such a mistake.
‘From now on, I must consider all possibilities.’
When he first learned of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao's deeds, Bu Eun-seol was convinced he was his grandfather.
But as time passed, he began to think that perhaps they were just two different people with the same name.
‘There is only one conclusion I can draw right now.’
Walking towards the door of the training chamber, Bu Eun-seol forcefully pushed it open.
*Thud.*
As light gradually streamed in, he said softly.
“Now I must verify the deeds of the man called the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao from the perspective of the Demonic Path.”
Although fragmented, he had confirmed some of the deeds of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao from the leaders of the righteous faction.
If so, from now on, he had to thoroughly investigate what kind of person the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao was from the standpoint of the Demonic Path.
Walking down the long corridor and out of the building, the brilliant sunlight stung his eyes.
As Bu Eun-seol appeared, the passing members and servants all bowed their heads.
Normally, he would have exchanged a light glance with them and gone for a casual stroll.
But as if having made a momentous decision, Bu Eun-seol immediately left the Demon Subjugation Hall and walked towards the east gate.
The place he was heading to was the intelligence organization with the greatest information network in the Demonic Path.
And the head of that organization was a mysterious figure whose identity had not even been revealed.
The Master of the Shadowless Pavilion, Hwa Jung-cheon.
Bu Eun-seol intended to once again meet the head of the Demonic Cult's greatest intelligence organization.