Chapter 446
Chapter 446
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 446
Chapter Title: The Path of Blood
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Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
This was no time for despair.
What mattered was the safety of the Blood Diamond.
‘If this is an enemy I cannot defeat, I must ensure the elder escapes safely.’
The Blood Diamond was gravely injured, with not a single part of his body left unscathed.
“The elder is leaving the martial world to return to his rightful place.”
Bu Eun-seol said, clasping his hands together, hiding his complex and tormented thoughts.
“Your humble disciple will handle this troublesome matter for a moment. Please, leave first.”
Without another word, he drew the Ice Soul Sword in a single motion.
Repaired by Master Craftsman Wang Geol, the Ice Soul Sword now looked like a simple, dark iron sword.
But it was sturdy enough for Bu Eun-seol to wield freely, and had even gained the ability to naturally emanate white sword energy when infused with internal energy.
Slowly.
As Bu Eun-seol calmly walked to the center of the clearing, the assassins surrounded him as if they had been waiting.
With over a hundred assassins forming a circle around him, it was as if black walls had been erected on all sides.
Flash!
Just then, Bu Eun-seol's Ice Soul Sword, infused with his internal power, unleashed a massive cross-shaped wave of sword energy.
Swish!
With a sound like a rushing stream of water, massive trees toppled over, cutting down the assassins.
Clang!
But these were assassins sent by the Three Realms with the express purpose of eliminating Bu Eun-seol.
Moving with machine-like precision and discipline, they swung their swords swiftly, easily deflecting the chaotic cross-shaped sword energy that rained down from unpredictable angles.
Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Meteor Transcending Form and the Mist-Controlling Soaring Cloud Form one after another, cutting through the assassins.
But they advanced and retreated with perfect discipline, flawlessly defending against his sword forms.
‘Did the elder escape this place safely?’
As the battle raged on, Bu Eun-seol grew anxious.
Not only were the assassins encircling him, but they were also emitting a strange energy, making it impossible for him to sense the Blood Diamond's location.
‘They might target the elder. I must get away first.’
If he continued to drag this out, the assassins might change their minds and go after the Blood Diamond.
‘Could it be... that you planned all of this?’
Feeling his focus waver, Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
When performing martial arts, one's body and weapon must become one, and one's mind must be focused to overwhelm the enemy.
But worrying about the Blood Diamond's safety created a distraction, and his mind was becoming scattered.
Someone who could grasp Bu Eun-seol's personality and tactics so well.
Could it be anyone other than the subordinates of the Shadow Hall?
‘I must end this quickly!’
Whoosh!
As Bu Eun-seol unleashed his sword techniques, a strange sound of tearing air emanated from his left hand.
A whirlwind imbued with red energy began to rage fiercely from his shoulder down to his fist.
Boom!
Hundreds of red streaks of light fanned out, and a mountain-crushing fist force began to pour forth.
He had unleashed the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist with all his might.
Boom! Crash!
The torrent of fist force became a storm that swallowed everything, then like a flood dragon soaring through the air, it effortlessly pierced the assassins' bodies.
Crack! Snap!
Thick trees on all sides continuously snapped, turning the dense forest into a clearing.
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had never used the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist consecutively.
This was because its power was immense and its forms were so profound that no formidable enemy had ever been able to easily block it.
Sssss.
White smoke rose from Bu Eun-seol's heated left fist as he stopped his attack.
But his expression was not bright.
‘Nine of them.’
Even after unleashing the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist with all his strength, he had only managed to take down nine assassins.
And those were the assassins who had been moving and attacking separately, not part of the main battle formation.
The remaining assassins in formation had moved as one, flawlessly blocking the power of the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist.
‘They’ve studied the martial arts techniques I’ve revealed so far.’
Before he had mastered the Glacial Heavenly Flow Art.
During his travels in the martial world, he hadn't been able to completely erase the traces of his techniques left on the wounds of corpses.
He had used the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist quite often and casually, leaving behind many traces.
It seemed the Three Realms had thoroughly analyzed all the variations and forms of the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist that Bu Eun-seol had left behind, and had perfected a defense against it.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for the assassins to pool their internal energy and mount such a perfect defense.
Shhhk!
Undeterred, Bu Eun-seol unleashed a dozen more sword techniques.
Meteor Transcendence and Waning Moon at Dawn. And even the forms of Mist-Controlling Soaring Cloud...
He layered the forms to generate greater power and mixed in various variations to make them unpredictable.
But it was useless.
The assassins perfectly defended against the three sword forms of the Peerless Heavenly Flow that Bu Eun-seol favored, and even occasionally counterattacked.
‘They want me to use a new technique.’
So far, the assassins had only focused on defense, not actively attacking.
In other words, they were waiting for Bu Eun-seol to reveal a new martial art.
‘It’s as if they’re telling me to reveal all my secrets if I want to protect the elder.’
Bu Eun-seol's eyebrows shot up.
He had the As-You-Will True Art and the Thirteen Nights, which could be called his true skills.
Then there were the exotic arts powered by his formidable internal energy: the Glacial Heavenly Flow Art and the Scorching River Grand Righteous Energy.
And finally, his ultimate trump card, the Seven Forms of Blood Tears from the Seven-Branched Demonic Path.
But if he were to use these true arts?
It would be like handing over the essence of his martial arts and techniques to the Three Realms on a silver platter.
But if he couldn't deal with the assassins quickly... the Blood Diamond could be in danger.
‘Fine.’
Having made a decision, a five-colored radiance began to flow from Bu Eun-seol's body.
So that he could wipe out the assassins at once, without the trouble of using various martial arts techniques.
He was about to unleash 'Harmony', a power that mixed extreme yin and extreme yang arts to display unprecedented might in an instant.
Crack.
As he drew upon the incomplete technique, he felt an agonizing pain as if his qi and blood were twisting and his muscles and bones were warping.
Such a reckless attempt would only further damage his body.
But it didn't matter.
Bu Eun-seol had come here to safely escort his master, the Blood Diamond, to the Heavenly Dragon Temple.
But to think he had put him in danger instead? That was something he could never forgive.
Kwoooosh!
Just then, the sound of a raging storm erupted,
Boom!
and with a deafening roar, a section of the human wall formed by the assassins crumbled.
Looking back, he saw the Blood Diamond unleashing a palm strike with his severed left hand.
“Elder.”
“Perhaps... they did not consider this humble monk to be part of the fight.”
The Three Realms had excellent intelligence, so they knew the Blood Diamond's body was a wreck and that he was half-dead.
Therefore, they likely didn't count him as a combatant, but rather as a burden to Bu Eun-seol.
But that was a grave miscalculation.
Crash! Boom!
Each time the Blood Diamond unleashed his palm force, assassins were sent flying without even a chance to scream.
Though he didn't use killing moves, his profound internal power shattered bones in an instant.
Although his body was far from normal, the Blood Diamond had practiced the Counter-Polar Divine Art for a long time, and his internal power was deep enough to split heaven and earth.
The freedom and profundity with which he controlled his internal energy had reached a level that even Bu Eun-seol could not dare to match.
‘The elder can perform martial arts in that state?’
Bu Eun-seol couldn't believe it.
The Blood Diamond, who had been on the verge of death and could barely walk, was capable of unleashing such powerful martial arts?
Boom! Rumble!
The Blood Diamond unstintingly poured his true energy into his palm techniques.
He had come out into the martial world to settle all his past grudges, and he had no intention of using his martial arts.
But to save Bu Eun-seol, who was in danger, he was now pouring out his internal power without reservation.
‘So this was the extent of the elder’s martial prowess.’
Bu Eun-seol was once again greatly surprised by the Blood Diamond's might.
He knew his internal energy was profound, but he had never expected his martial arts to have reached such a high level.
‘If the elder hadn't lived in seclusion, the state of the martial world would have been different.’
The Blood Diamond, who had not only immersed himself in martial arts his entire life but also upheld his duties as a monk, never wasting his primal essence.
The pure internal power he unleashed truly held the might of a thunderbolt.
In particular, the Heavenly Dragon Temple's palm art, the Great Heavenly Dragon Seal, was considered one of the most powerful palm techniques in the martial world.
When the Great Heavenly Dragon Seal was unleashed with his powerful and profound Counter-Polar True Energy, it was like throwing a whole mountain.
It unleashed a fierce and ferocious power.
‘This should be enough.’
Bu Eun-seol tightened his grip on the Ice Soul Sword.
The assassins had only mechanically trained in techniques to face Bu Eun-seol alone.
But when a formidable master like the Blood Diamond joined the fray, they were completely unable to respond.
Boom! Craaash!
When the Blood Diamond's palm force pushed the assassins back,
Flash!
Bu Eun-seol would unleash the Peerless Heavenly Flow forms with all his might, one after another.
The martial arts unleashed by the master and disciple were a perfect harmony of offense and defense, and with the support of the ultimate internal energy art, the Counter-Polar Heart Law...
they were truly displaying the power of the martial apex.
‘I've been relying too much on my internal energy.’
The Blood Diamond could not only strike a target thirty feet away with a single breath of true energy, but he also aimed precisely for vital points.
‘Because I've only learned powerful martial arts, I've been too tense. Doesn't my body feel even stiffer than the elder's?’
Not only that, but through the Blood Diamond's profound palm techniques and rich combat experience,
he was indirectly learning the Blood Diamond's masterful tactics and even realizing his own shortcomings.
‘I've been acting like a rich young master all this time. Like paying with gold for a single cup of tea.’
Bu Eun-seol had reached the pinnacle of internal energy too quickly and had learned too many powerful martial arts.
Therefore, without needing any special tricks, without using any particular variations or tactics,
he could defeat his enemies in an instant.
But the Blood Diamond, despite possessing a powerful level of internal energy, used it appropriately and profoundly.
Moreover, he enhanced the power of his martial arts through profound changes in his forms.
It was the wisdom of a great tycoon who could enjoy a splendid banquet while spending little money.
“Huu, huu.”
Bu Eun-seol and the Blood Diamond stood back to back, panting heavily.
After about two hours, the forest was littered with fallen assassins.
With the Blood Diamond's help, Bu Eun-seol had easily defeated a powerful enemy using ordinary martial arts and simple techniques.
Furthermore, so as not to break the Blood Diamond's penance, he had not taken the assassins' lives, merely rendering them incapable of fighting.
“The smell is awful.”
The Blood Diamond frowned, looking at the fallen assassins.
It wasn't an artificial internal core; they must have ingested some kind of poison, as a foul stench rose from their flowing blood.
If the two hadn't learned the Counter-Polar Heart Law, which was impervious to poison,
they would have succumbed to the poison and collapsed, even in victory.
“A fine job you've done!”
Catching his breath, the Blood Diamond glared at Bu Eun-seol.
“Giving this humble monk such a fine experience as he tries to settle all his grudges and return!”
He said, looking furious.
“What kind of send-off is this?”
“Isn't the elder's title the Blood Diamond?”
Bu Eun-seol said with a shameless expression.
“Since it is a path to repay a blood debt, wouldn't the path back naturally be a path of blood?”
The Blood Diamond, who had been staring blankly for a moment,
“Huhuhuhu! Hahaha!”
burst out laughing and nodded.
Gazing at the distant sky, he let out a hearty laugh for a long while.
“I am the Blood Diamond, so of course my path is one of blood! Wahahaha!”
As he laughed heartily, thick blood flowed from his chest and back.
He had already sustained countless wounds during his pilgrimage of penance.
Moreover, the assassins sent by the Three Realms this time were strong enough to take down any master, not just Bu Eun-seol.
Having fought them with his wrecked body, there was no way he could be unharmed.
“Elder.”
“It's fine. As you said, wasn't this humble monk the Blood Diamond from the start?”
The Blood Diamond smiled.
Then, he struggled to his feet and began to walk.
“I will escort you to the Heavenly Dragon Temple at once.”
“Don't.”
the Blood Diamond said calmly.
“If I use a movement technique, how could I wash away all this blood?”
“Elder...”
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's gaze darken, the Blood Diamond forced a smile.
“Only by shedding all the blood in my body can the Blood Diamond become the Iron Diamond again, wouldn't you say?”
And so, he walked on, still bleeding.
Bu Eun-seol wore a pained expression, but he didn't dare stop him.
The Blood Diamond had been gravely wounded even before entering Dali, and he had been trying to wash away the blood debt flowing through him, disregarding his own life.
So how could he possibly stop him?
With a tormented look, Bu Eun-seol followed behind him.
Trudge, trudge.
The sun set, night fell, and then dawn broke again.
As the Blood Diamond and Bu Eun-seol walked on endlessly, a large temple came into view.
The Heavenly Dragon Temple.
At last, the Blood Diamond had returned to the home he had longed for.
“Hmm.”
The Blood Diamond looked up at the stone steps and hesitated for a moment.
Did he, soaked in blood, have the right to ascend to the Heavenly Dragon Temple? Was it truly okay for him to return here?
Creeeak.
Just then, the closed gates of the Heavenly Dragon Temple opened.
As if they understood the Blood Diamond's suffering and anguish.
Trudge, trudge.
Seeing this, the Blood Diamond summoned his courage and began to climb the stone steps.
Drip. Drip.
His body had turned pale, as if all the blood had drained from him, and his eyes were dim.
Yet, the reason he could still climb towards the temple,
was his desperate wish to die in this place.
When he finally reached the top of the steps, an old monk with snow-white eyebrows was standing in front of the Main Hall.
It was Great Master Jeong-yeong, the Blood Diamond's master and the abbot of the Heavenly Dragon Temple.
Thud. Thud.
The Blood Diamond stood before Great Master Jeong-yeong with trembling steps.
And he fell to his knees.
“Th-this humble monk...”
The Blood Diamond dared not call himself a 'disciple' before Jeong-yeong, and with his head bowed to the ground, he spoke.
“I have committed too many sins. I have come to wash them away with my death.”
The Blood Diamond said with all his remaining strength.
“Although I can never be a disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Temple again, although I cannot wash away my past sins...”
“...”
“I ask that the temple, that the Great Master... punish me...”
The Blood Diamond was choked with emotion and could not continue.
He was ashamed and full of regret.
Even if he shed his blood like this now, how could it wash away the mistakes of the past?
Had he only caused his master more pain with this useless gesture?
But the Blood Diamond once again summoned his courage and spoke.
“I earnestly beg you to punish me.”
Great Master Jeong-yeong let out a deep sigh and looked at the Blood Diamond.
“Gwang-deok.”
Placing a withered hand on the Blood Diamond's shoulder, Great Master Jeong-yeong gave a benevolent smile.
“You are already a disciple of this temple.”
Drip.
At those words, a clear tear rolled down the Blood Diamond's cheek.
Great Master Jeong-yeong had already forgiven the Blood Diamond, no.
He had already forgiven his disciple, Gwang-deok.
“M-Master... Master!”
Gwang-deok shed tears of blood at Great Master Jeong-yeong's feet.
Images of his foolish past flashed through his mind.
And in those memories, the benevolent gaze of his master was always etched.
“Master! Master!”
Seeing Gwang-deok wailing, Great Master Jeong-yeong put his hands together.
“Amitabha.”
Then, with a benevolent expression, he placed a hand on Gwang-deok's back.
“The sea of suffering is endless, but turn your head, and you will find the other shore...”
Hearing his words, Gwang-deok seemed to attain a great enlightenment and gave a bright smile.
And then, as if all his life force had faded, he fell backward.
“Elder!”
Bu Eun-seol, who had been standing outside the gate, rushed to support him.
He immediately infused him with Counter-Polar True Energy.
With a soft breath, Gwang-deok opened his eyes again and smiled benevolently at Bu Eun-seol.
“It is so hard to sever the ties of the martial world.”
“Elder. Elder.”
Tears streamed from Bu Eun-seol's eyes as well.
The Blood Diamond's peaceful yet benevolent smile overlapped with the death of his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
“You poor child. You have always lived calmly, hiding your tender heart behind a cold exterior.”
Watching him, Gwang-deok reached out and wiped away Bu Eun-seol's tears.
“I pray you achieve your goals and reach the state of great aspiration.”
“Elder.”
“...And if, in the future, you can return the complete Counter-Polar Heart Law to this temple, this humble monk will be grateful to you even from hell...”
With those last words, he closed his eyes, a gentle smile on his face.
Dong, dong, dong.
The sound of the temple bell, announcing a monk's passing, echoed through the Heavenly Dragon Temple.
Bu Eun-seol held Gwang-deok in his arms and sobbed silently.
After some time had passed, the high-ranking monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple approached and carefully lifted Gwang-deok's body.
In his youth, Gwang-deok had accumulated countless grudges, but he had finally resolved them all.
And he had once again become a disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Temple, the place he had so longed to return to.
What more could he regret?
On the lips of the deceased Blood Diamond was a smile like that of an enlightened Buddha.