Chapter 472
Chapter 472
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 472
Chapter Title: The Impostor's Test
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*Swoosh! Fwaat!*
Drawing his Icy Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol left behind traces of the fourth form of the Blood Tears Seven Forms: Desiring Death, Finding No Grave.
Although he had fully grasped the complete principles of the Blood Tears Seven Forms, he had not practiced them for very long.
And in actual combat, he had only ever used up to the third form.
But upon seeing Jeongcheon execute the fourth form, Desiring Death, Finding No Grave, he was able to grasp its practical application.
He could now execute a reasonably clean version of the technique.
*Taat!*
After diligently leaving his traces, Bu Eun-seol once again employed his movement technique.
As he neared the summit, the vista of the snow-covered Heavenly Mountains opened up below, revealing a vast, solidly frozen lake.
In a landscape that seemed to have frozen the entire world, the sight of the pure white lake… made Bu Eun-seol stop in his tracks without realizing it.
His grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, had taught him about the greatness and subtlety of nature, and how to appreciate its beauty.
Seeing the frozen lake near the dizzyingly high peak of the Heavenly Mountains, it felt as if all time in the world had stood still.
Bu Eun-seol felt not only the inexpressible grandeur of nature but also a deep sense of inspiration welling up inside him.
“They say human ability is limitless, but how can it compare to nature?”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol gazed endlessly at the lake spread out below.
“...!”
Suddenly, spotting something on the lake, his eyes widened.
Unable to hide his surprise, he immediately descended to the frozen surface.
He then bent down, tracing the hard ice with his fingertips.
“How…”
There was no need to use his All-Seeing Heart.
He could feel the faint, sharp traces transmitted through his fingertips.
They were marks of a saber art, so faint they were almost invisible to the naked eye.
Someone had unleashed a saber art… upon this massive lake.
“How can a human being wield such power?”
Amazingly, the marks etched into this lake were the work of a single person.
And in a single stroke.
Traces had been left across the entire expanse of the vast lake.
“So that’s what it was.”
As Bu Eun-seol followed the sharp traces, a particular saber form came to mind.
Desiring Death, Finding No Grave.
The saber art engraved on the lake was an infinitely expanded version of the fourth form of the Blood Tears Seven Forms.
“The man in black was here, too.”
The man in black who had given the manual to Jeongcheon, the one living in seclusion on the Heavenly Mountains.
He must have been passing by and, like Bu Eun-seol, was captivated by the lake's beauty and stopped in his tracks.
Then, overcome with a great surge of inspiration, he had unleashed the Blood Tears Seven Forms upon the lake.
After all, with snow falling and ice accumulating year-round, no one would ever see the marks he left behind.
“Is such a thing possible in a single stroke?”
Bu Eun-seol knew the complete principles of the Blood Tears Seven Forms.
But he had only ever used up to the third form in actual combat. He had only managed to perform the fourth form by hastily mimicking Jeongcheon’s technique.
He thought that experience had allowed him to grasp the principles of Desiring Death, Finding No Grave to some extent…
But seeing the saber forms drawn on the lake, Bu Eun-seol came to a realization.
Principles were just principles.
The Blood Tears Seven Forms he had executed were nothing more than a newborn’s first steps.
And that the power of a saber form could vary immensely depending on the user's ability.
“To think that principles bound to the meaning of death could be transformed into such a free-spirited saber art.”
The saber forms etched into the lake.
They did not contain the loneliness and solitude of a saber wielder embarking on a journey to find a place to die.
Rather, they seemed to portray the journey of a free-spirited swordsman, setting out to find the very meaning of death.
In other words, it showed just how diversely the Blood Tears Seven Forms could change, all centered on the single meaning of death.
“I see.”
Different people could look at the same painting and have different assessments.
Similarly, one could read the same principles but interpret them differently.
Bu Eun-seol stared, entranced, at the interpretation of the principles contained within the lake.
How much time had passed?
*Tinkle.*
The sound of a bell from somewhere snapped Bu Eun-seol back to his senses.
He looked around and saw that the area around the lake was now densely surrounded by pitch-black figures.
While he was lost in a trance, the Mindless Ones had swarmed the lake's perimeter.
Their numbers were ten, twenty… no, there were over a hundred of them.
The Mindless Ones possessed a tenacious life force that surpassed human limits, and they knew no fear.
Moreover, they possessed formidable power due to Human Incineration, and most importantly, Bu Eun-seol was standing on a slippery lake.
Standing on a slippery surface where one could not firmly plant their feet made it impossible to properly execute martial arts.
Normally, he would have immediately used a movement technique to escape the lake, create distance, and then exploit the loosened encirclement to defeat the Mindless Ones.
But right now, he had no such thoughts.
He forgot the constraint of not being able to properly execute his martial arts, and the countless strategies that came to mind.
All he wanted was to stand right here. He didn’t want to move a single step.
*Shing.*
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew his Icy Soul Sword.
He looked at the Mindless Ones surrounding him and spoke in a low voice.
“Come on, you sacks of meat.”
*Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle!*
Bells rang out from all directions. The Mindless Ones began to charge in a frenzy.
But Bu Eun-seol’s gaze had already left them and was fixed on the distant sky.
As he recalled the principles of the Blood Tears Seven Forms, his heart filled with solitude and loneliness.
He even felt a strange impulse to cut his own throat.
Bu Eun-seol's interpretation of the Blood Tears Seven Forms.
On the surface, it seemed like a demonic saber art… but in reality, it was less about cutting down enemies and more about yearning for one's own death.
It was the struggle of an invincible swordsman, filled with sorrow and grief.
But the one who had unleashed the saber art on the lake saw the meaning of death as a journey.
It even contained the joy of a wanderer setting off toward an unknown destination.
Bu Eun-seol wanted to emulate that feeling.
*Fwaaaaa!*
At that moment, hundreds of streams of sword energy rose from Bu Eun-seol’s body.
Even as hundreds of streams of sword energy appeared, the Mindless Ones madly swung their great sabers and charged at Bu Eun-seol.
“Those without souls cannot savor the meaning of death.”
If the Mindless Ones were human, they would have fled instantly at such a terrifying sight.
But they were the Mindless Ones, unable to distinguish between life and death.
Even seeing Bu Eun-seol’s Blood Tears Seven Forms, enlightened by the traces on the lake, they charged forward without fear.
*Shhhlick!*
Something strange happened.
The Mindless Ones had clearly dodged the scattered sword energy as they charged.
But Bu Eun-seol was not where they broke through; only sharp sword energy awaited them.
Bu Eun-seol's interpretation of Desiring Death, Finding No Grave was a technique that could instantly turn an area of a hundred yards into a space of death.
But the man in black’s interpretation was not to attack enemies by scattering saber energy… but to control the enemy's movements by scattering it.
In other words, every move made to dodge the saber energy would, in fact, become an action that exposed a weakness.
‘Now, I’ll combine it with the original principles.’
Understanding the man in black's interpretation, Bu Eun-seol developed the technique a step further.
Closer to the original principles of the Blood Tears Seven Forms.
Into the technique of one who yearns for death.
*Fwa-ra-ra-rak!*
The chaotically pouring sword energy of Desiring Death, Finding No Grave began to transform into a supreme saber art that guided the movements of all enemies within a certain space toward death.
An art that controlled not just the enemy's body, but their very spirit.
*Shlick! Shhhliiick!*
But the Mindless Ones, unable to perceive the meaning of death, charged forward bravely.
*Thud, thud.*
Clumps of blood scattered in all directions, staining the lake.
The once transparent lake was now transformed by an unsettlingly crimson blood flower.
And then, silence fell.
*Drip, drip, drip.*
Blood dripped endlessly from the tip of the Icy Soul Sword, which was pointed toward the ground.
In less than a moment, he had decapitated all one hundred of the charging Mindless Ones in a single stroke.
But Bu Eun-seol’s eyes were filled with desolation.
There was no sign of victory, nor any joy from mastering a new saber form.
Instead, he was once again contemplating the desolate heart of Bu Jan-yang, the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade who had created the Blood Tears Seven Forms.
‘What did he feel when he saw his enemies die? Was it perhaps his own death?’
The Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade must have believed that only death would bring peace. That must be why he endlessly craved death.
“He probably had no lingering attachments to life…”
Bu Eun-seol looked at the distant sky and said.
“So why did he find even the act of cutting down his enemies so agonizing?”
*Click.*
Sheathing his Icy Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh.
If one could not unify their spirit with the principles of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, the Blood Tears Seven Forms would become nothing more than a saber art of well-postured stances.
That was why even a peerless genius like Jeongcheon had failed to properly master even a single form of the Blood Tears Seven Forms, falling into a ruinous despair.
If he had managed to escape the state where his spirit was consumed by the desire to defeat Bu Eun-seol and become stronger, and by his burning obsession…
He, too, might have mastered a different form of the Blood Tears Seven Forms.
“The Blood Tears Seven Forms is an art that a warrior with intense desires could never perform in the first place.”
The man in black must have seen Jeongcheon’s obsession with strength.
And so he taught him the Blood Tears Seven Forms, an art that could only be mastered by casting off all attachments.
But Jeongcheon's obsession was far deeper than the man in black had imagined.
Thus, giving him the manual with the saber forms written in it… became the very thing that drove Jeongcheon to his death.
“Hah.”
Bu Eun-seol sighed deeply.
To learn the Blood Tears Seven Forms, one had to place life and death on the same plane.
It was an art that could only be performed by transcending all things, with no lingering attachments.
“Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.”
The more he learned the Blood Tears Seven Forms, the more his admiration for the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade grew.
As he cut down his enemies, he was constantly confronting his own death.
What he was cutting down was not his foe, but himself, the one attached to so many things.
“Bu Jan-yang, were you not a peerless swordsman who crossed blades with the world’s greatest masters?”
A lament escaped Bu Eun-seol’s lips.
“Why would the Vice Lord of the Demonic Palace, an invincible swordsman revered by all the warriors of the world… try to transcend everything like a high monk of Buddhism?”
The more he mastered the Blood Tears Seven Forms…
The more his admiration and respect for the enigmatic figure known as the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade surged.
*Step, step.*
Having defeated all the Mindless Ones, Bu Eun-seol walked on calmly.
His spirit, having unleashed Desiring Death, Finding No Grave, was now in sync with the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade of the past.
Hiding his loneliness and anguish, as if he had become a man made of steel.
He walked silently and endlessly along the snow-covered path.
“…”
Suddenly, he felt a presence.
He lifted his head and saw a middle-aged man in a worn martial arts uniform.
He wore a veil, so his face was not visible, but his eyes were filled with loneliness.
In contrast, the aura flowing from his body was resolute, and a gallant-looking Full Moon Saber was tied to his waist.
“Who are you?”
A faint hostility emanated from the middle-aged man’s eyes.
“How can you use the Blood Tears Seven Forms?”
‘So he’s here.’
Bu Eun-seol finally came to his senses and looked at the middle-aged man.
As someone who had survived the pursuit of the Three Realms alone for so long…
He must not only possess outstanding martial skill but also have a wealth of experience in the martial world, having faced death in countless battles.
“I am Bu Eun-seol.”
“Bu Eun-seol?”
The middle-aged man looked at Bu Eun-seol, and for a moment, his eyes flashed.
“Wait.”
The middle-aged man looked around and then nodded.
“No, they’re just passing by.”
Bu Eun-seol was slightly surprised.
He hadn’t heard a single sound, yet the man had sensed where the Mindless Ones were heading from here.
‘Perhaps it’s to be expected.’
The Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade was an invincible swordsman.
If this man had received his saber arts…
He would naturally possess commensurate skill.
Furthermore, considering the passage of time, he would have achieved a level of saber mastery far beyond what Bu Eun-seol could imagine.
“This junior of the martial world, Bu Eun-seol, greets you, elder.”
Bu Eun-seol respectfully clasped his hands.
Through the Blood Tears Seven Forms, Bu Eun-seol had come to respect the figure of Bu Jan-yang, the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, at least a little.
Therefore, he felt that this middle-aged man, who had learned the saber arts of Bu Jan-yang, was almost like a martial brother.
“Where did you learn the Blood Tears Seven Forms?”
The middle-aged man’s voice was solemn and low.
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands and replied.
“I happened to come across his legacy.”
“Legacy?”
The middle-aged man asked with a strange expression.
“Where did you find this legacy?”
If he were an ordinary martial artist, he would have immediately told the truth.
But Bu Eun-seol hesitated for a moment.
He realized that the middle-aged man had only recognized the Blood Tears Seven Forms. He had revealed nothing about himself.
‘I must be careful.’
Bu Eun-seol had never trusted anyone so quickly.
He always judged after a long time and through various events.
Because a person’s character and true intentions could not be known in a short time.
“I found it in a cave near Golden King Mountain.”
Bu Eun-seol made up a story, using the place where the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade and the Needle King had met in the past.
“Golden King Mountain?”
“Yes.”
“Hah.”
The middle-aged man let out a sigh, and his eyes flashed.
“So you’re another spy from the Three Realms.”
“What do you mean?”
“He never left behind any legacy. Besides, he never wished for his martial arts to be passed down to later generations.”
A glint shone in the middle-aged man’s eyes.
“The Three Realms have laid so many traps over the years. Pretending to help me or sending spies in various ways.”
Bu Eun-seol could understand such a reaction.
If he had been evading the pursuit of the Three Realms alone for so long, and had thwarted all their schemes…
He couldn’t even imagine how cautious and suspicious one would have to be.
At this point, even the most suspicious person would have honestly told everything.
But despite the middle-aged man’s sharp reaction, Bu Eun-seol hid the truth.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. I just have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
“What is your relationship with the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade?”
The middle-aged man scoffed and said.
“Why should I tell you that?”
“Because I am the successor of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.”
“What did you say?”
The middle-aged man looked at Bu Eun-seol with an expression full of disbelief.
“You claim to be the successor of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade?”
“That is correct.”
“You call yourself his successor just because you obtained his principles?”
“You may take it that way if you wish.”
As Bu Eun-seol answered enigmatically,
“Fine.”
The middle-aged man’s eyes flashed, and he spoke coldly.
“Then prove it.”
“How so?”
“Come at me.”
The middle-aged man tapped the hilt of his great saber.
“If you can show me all seven of those forms, I will acknowledge you.”
He then stared intently at Bu Eun-seol with a resolute expression.
“If you can prove it, I will tell you everything I know.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Being asked to demonstrate the saber art to prove he was the successor of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade was not an unreasonable request.
Only the middle-aged man and himself would know the Blood Tears Seven Forms of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
It would be the most definite proof.
But Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“My abilities are lacking, so I have only learned up to the third form.”
“The third form?”
“Yes. Instead, I will recite all the principles. How about you verify them?”
“Hmm.”
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and said.
“Fine. Then recite the principles. But if you make a mistake.”
He glanced down at his great saber and said in a chilling voice.
“I will cut off your head immediately.”
“Very well.”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol began to recite the principles.
“Inhaling the clear essence, a semblance of death in a living form, coiling the body like a dragon…”
Each character of the principles Bu Eun-seol recited held a very profound logic.
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and closed them, as if gauging the accuracy of the recitation.
Then, Bu Eun-seol glanced around, took a step closer, and made a troubled face.
“Do I have to recite them all to the end?”
“You do.”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol nodded as if he had no choice.
“I understand.”
And without hesitation, he drew his Icy Soul Sword like lightning and slashed at the middle-aged man’s neck.
*Flash!*
A purple bolt of lightning drew a Z-shape as it cut across the middle-aged man’s neck.
*Fwat!*
Amazingly, the Peerless Lightning Form, unleashed at point-blank range, missed.
The moment the sword form was executed, the middle-aged man had twisted his body like lightning.
But in the end, it left a long gash on his shoulder.
“Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo.”
Despite being struck by Bu Eun-seol’s sword, the middle-aged man kept his head down and let out a low laugh.
“How did you know?”
When the middle-aged man raised his head, his eyes were stained black.
Judging by the sinister, sharp glint that shot from them, it seemed to be the result of practicing a special internal art, not due to drugs or external factors.
“There should have been no reason to be suspicious.”
“I was almost fooled.”
Bu Eun-seol snorted.
“Pretending to be suspicious first was excellent, and verifying the principles was certainly a good method of discernment.”
“And yet?”
“But isn’t it strange if the one conducting the test doesn’t know the real principles?”
Bu Eun-seol smiled coldly.
“From the very beginning, I mixed this pavilion's general martial principles with the saber principles, yet you didn't suspect a thing.”
Bu Eun-seol’s suspicion was beyond imagination.
He still didn’t fully trust the middle-aged man and had mixed the general principles of the Whispering Cliffs Pavilion’s martial arts with the principles of the Blood Tears Seven Forms.
“The Whispering Cliffs Pavilion, so that’s it.”
The middle-aged man wore a chagrined smile.
The martial arts of the Whispering Cliffs Pavilion and the Blood Tears Seven Forms were both supreme arts that stood at the pinnacle of the demonic path.
Even when mixed arbitrarily, there had been no awkwardness at all.
“You’re an incredible one. To maintain your suspicion and not reveal your true intentions until the very end.”
The middle-aged man’s deep voice had changed into the cracking voice of an old man.
“Indeed, it must be because you’re that capable that you could survive after repeatedly ruining our plans.”
*Crack.*
As if he had removed a facial disguise, the middle-aged man’s body shrank, and the eyes behind the veil looked slightly different.
‘So it’s him.’
Bu Eun-seol knew instinctively.
The person before him was the one who had pushed Jeongcheon into an irreversible abyss.
He was the masked old man who had lured him to the underground city of the Three Realms and turned him into a cripple.