Chapter 478
Chapter 478
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 478
Chapter Title: Eyes Wide Open in Death
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Reducing one's internal energy level through the Refining Secret Art was a considerably arduous and time-consuming task.
However, the cave had clear groundwater flowing through it, and Cold Spirit Grass, which could be chewed and eaten, was abundant everywhere.
Bu Eun-seol practiced the secret art slowly, without rushing, and after about nine days, he was able to concentrate over ninety percent of his internal energy somewhere other than his dantian.
This meant.
Even if he instinctively exerted his internal energy, he could only unleash about ten percent of it.
“I've come again.”
Having mastered the Refining Secret Art, Bu Eun-seol immediately sought out the old man in the prison.
As he entered, the old man, without a word, extended his index and middle fingers and began to attack.
But something was strange.
The old man no longer used the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.
Could it be that he thought I might study and master his saber arts?
Bu Eun-seol was dying of curiosity about the old man's exact internal energy.
However, he soon composed himself and attacked the old man with his finger sword, without using any internal energy.
*Swish, swish.*
Despite having no internal energy, the old man continuously created saber energy with his middle and index fingers, attacking Bu Eun-seol.
‘If I take a direct hit, I'll die.’
Having suppressed over ninety percent of his internal energy, he could no longer use techniques like the Great Stillness Ice Blade.
Bu Eun-seol focused his entire mind, continuing the battle of forms with the old man.
*Swish!*
Just then, the old man unleashed a move that seemed to strike down at Bu Eun-seol's chest.
Unable to find the slightest opening in the movement, Bu Eun-seol extended his finger sword and thrust at the old man's neck.
At a glance, it looked like a move of mutual destruction, but it was a form that contained the essence of Demonic Sword Arts.
‘If we strike simultaneously, the one stabbed in the neck will suffer a fatal wound.’
The old man would, nine times out of ten, withdraw his form and counterattack with a versatile saber form.
Bu Eun-seol intended to seize that fleeting moment and attempt to subdue him in one breath.
*Swoosh!*
But an unexpected situation occurred.
The old man did not retreat; instead, he initiated eight variations mid-move, rendering Bu Eun-seol's form useless.
‘Incredible.’
The old man's technique was very similar to Cheon Un-gwang's Nine Dragons Lightning Flash.
Not only that, but compared to Bu Eun-seol, who could only manage four variations.
The old man was effortlessly executing eight variations mid-move.
‘The gap in our saber arts is too great.’
What if this saber form had been accompanied by internal energy?
Or if he had used the Seven Forms of Blood Tears?
Saber energy would have poured out even without internal power, and Bu Eun-seol would have been torn to shreds before he could even dodge.
But fortunately, the old man's internal energy was completely sealed, and he didn't use the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.
Because of this, Bu Eun-seol could counterattack again.
*Swish, swish!*
As their fingers clashed repeatedly at close range, this time an inky black light flowed from Bu Eun-seol's fingers.
It was a variation of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears that the old man favored, which he had transformed into his own sword art.
*Flick!*
But the form did not last.
The old man, having found a flaw in the variation Bu Eun-seol had improvised, instantly created a long gash near his neck.
“I have lost.”
If he kept this up, his head would eventually be severed.
Bu Eun-seol immediately admitted defeat and retreated.
“I'll see you again tomorrow.”
When Bu Eun-seol came out, his entire body was drenched in sweat.
Because he had suppressed his internal energy, a situation of life and death unfolded with every move.
Fortunately, because he fought while completely suppressing his internal energy, he could exert extreme concentration and instantly understand the martial principles of the saber forms the old man unleashed.
“You're finally here.”
In front of the cave where Bu Eun-seol was staying, Tak Il-hon stood with his arms crossed.
“What is it?”
“What in the world are you doing?”
Tak Il-hon said, as if he couldn't understand.
“If your internal energy is intact, you shouldn't be bickering with him. Shouldn't you be escaping this place quickly?”
His eyes were filled with impatience.
Looking at Tak Il-hon's face, Bu Eun-seol had a realization.
‘He still hasn't given up hope.’
Most of the old men remaining in the Cave of Repentance had abandoned their ambitions and their glorious past lives.
Even if they hadn't, nothing would change.
Even if Bu Eun-seol possessed great power, there was no way to restore a dantian that had been destroyed decades ago.
Well aware of this fact, the demonic practitioners did not ask Bu Eun-seol for help or beg him to get them out of the Cave of Repentance.
But Tak Il-hon was different.
It had only been about fifteen years since he lost his internal energy. If he had the chance, he wanted to escape the Cave of Repentance and go out into the world.
“What's the rush?”
Bu Eun-seol said with a relaxed expression.
“It makes no difference whether we leave today or tomorrow.”
Tak Il-hon bit his lip.
It seemed that if he didn't speak honestly.
This nonchalant fellow would likely settle in for a year or two, just practicing martial arts with that demon-like old man.
“I have no intention of rotting away in this place.”
Tak Il-hon said with a serious expression.
“If you take me out of here, I will teach you the Ghost Shadow Moonlit Walk and the Profound Ice Finger.”
“That's not a good offer.”
“Not a good offer? I have not yet carved my martial arts onto the stone wall.”
“That's not what I mean.”
Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
“Your movement technique is impressive, but if I learn both the Shadowless Heavenly Ghost's Dreamy Dark Fragrance and the Heaven-Hating Sword Demon's Thunderclap Torrent, written over there... it would be no less than your Ghost Shadow Moonlit Walk.”
And he lifted a finger.
*Crackle.*
Then, a white aura rose from his finger, and an ice crystal floated in the air.
“And I no longer need to learn about extreme yin arts. The same goes for movement techniques, actually.”
Tak Il-hon's mouth fell open.
He knew this young man's martial arts were formidable.
But to think he possessed martial prowess that far surpassed his own.
In the end, Tak Il-hon began to plead.
“Then what should I do?”
“Honestly, I don't know.”
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“Even if all you old men have turned over a new leaf, I don't know what you might do if you actually get out.”
“You're a man of the demonic path too, aren't you? Why are you worried about such things?”
“Don't you know as well, old man?”
“Know what?”
“That I don't care about such things as the demonic path or the righteous path.”
As Bu Eun-seol released his aura, it was as if a cloudless blue sky had unfurled.
It was the dignity of a peerless grandmaster, unbound by either the demonic or righteous factions.
Tak Il-hon finally realized.
This young man before him was no ordinary person, but a divine being sent from the heavens.
‘This is not something I can influence.’
“I understand.”
His shoulders slumped, Tak Il-hon nodded and turned away.
“I will also think about it a little more.”
“Do so.”
In truth, Bu Eun-seol was just as anxious.
Practicing martial arts was fine, but he couldn't stay in this Cave of Repentance forever.
If he delayed any longer, the Hall of Four Shadows would be in an uproar again.
‘Is there no other way?’
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol stared into the pitch-black darkness.
The old man no longer used the Seven Forms of Blood Tears, and his mental state was deteriorating by the day.
Not only that, but it seemed his life was nearing its end, his vitality fading with each passing day.
‘I originally intended to perfectly master the Seven Forms of Blood Tears, but...’
There's nothing more to gain by dragging this out... I have no choice but to take a risk.
Having made up his mind, Bu Eun-seol returned to the cave where he was staying.
He then sat in a cross-legged position and immediately began to circulate his energy.
*Wooooong. Kwaaaaaaah!*
Then, the power that had been sealed in a corner of his dantian spread through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and his body began to levitate about a foot off the ground.
As he restored his formidable power, the state of Floating Samadhi occurred.
*Wooooong.*
At the same time, above Bu Eun-seol's head, different lights were emitting their own magnificent glows.
It was the power of the righteous, demonic, evil, and Buddhist paths sleeping within his body.
Because they had not yet fused, they were emitting different glows.
*Wooooong.*
As he gradually recovered his power, Bu Eun-seol's body floated three feet high.
While he was circulating his energy in a state of selflessness,
‘That... that fellow...’
Tak Il-hon, who was watching from afar, widened his eyes.
‘What in the world is his identity...’
He had dominated the martial world with his incredible movement technique, the Ghost Shadow Moonlit Walk, and was a man of broad experience and knowledge.
But he had never heard of anyone who could harbor four different kinds of power in their body and still be alive and well.
Moreover, even when achieving Floating Samadhi, it was common for a repulsive force of only about an inch to lift the body.
To float three feet high?
What on earth must one do to attain such a level of internal energy?
‘Is this also fate?’
Tak Il-hon narrowed his eyes.
In the past, he had wanted to become the greatest master of the demonic path, but he realized he lacked the talent to forge outstanding martial arts.
However, his talent for movement techniques was close to being the best in the demonic path, allowing him to master any movement art in a short time.
—Then I will become the best in the demonic path, at least in movement techniques!
From that day on, he began to learn not martial arts, but the various movement arts scattered throughout the martial world, and he searched for secret manuals of lightness skills that were said to be lost.
After about five years, he finally obtained the Asura Blood Dragon Flight of the Blood-Robed Asura, a master of lightness skills from three hundred years ago.
After developing it into his own unique movement technique, he created the Ghost Shadow Moonlit Walk.
He became the creator of a movement art said to be among the top eight in the martial world... but in the end, that was all.
A movement art was just a movement art.
Just because he could perform the best lightness skill in the demonic path didn't mean he could become the greatest master of the demonic path.
On the contrary, whenever he faced strong enemies, the outcome was always an escape using his lightness skill...
It only brought him misery and self-loathing.
—Then from now on, I will steal the greatest martial arts in the world.
Tak Il-hon realized that with the Ghost Shadow Moonlit Walk, he could infiltrate anywhere and be caught by no one.
To obtain the strongest martial arts, he became a master thief and began to indiscriminately raid the libraries of various sects.
As time passed, his thievery became known throughout the martial world, and he clashed with numerous masters from both the righteous and demonic factions.
Tak Il-hon, who had continuously stolen and learned various martial arts, had already become a formidable master.
He killed all the martial artists who pursued him.
As time went on, Tak Il-hon had unknowingly become a public enemy of the martial world, one that the entire world sought to kill.
Nevertheless, he did not give up.
He constantly wandered the martial world in search of more powerful martial arts.
Then, by sheer chance, he obtained some astonishing information.
—There is another Scripture Pavilion in Shaolin, and within it lie peerless demonic arts that can make one the greatest in the demonic path.
He had heard a story that, surprisingly, in a secret place in Shaolin, demonic martial arts manuals that were thought to be lost to the world were hidden.
—I'll do it.
He secretly infiltrated Shaolin and finally broke into the Scripture Pavilion.
But in the end, he couldn't find the Scripture Pavilion containing the demonic manuals... and was eventually captured by the masters of Shaolin, had his internal energy sealed, and was thrown into the Cave of Repentance.
“Now I must make a choice.”
Watching Bu Eun-seol circulate his energy, Tak Il-hon took a sharp breath.
The only way to get out of this place.
And he realized what he must do to achieve his dream anew.
The next day.
Having completely recovered his internal energy, Bu Eun-seol carved a large rock to make two small stone knives.
Today would be the final confrontation.
Even if he couldn't restore the old man's internal energy, he wanted to give him a sharp weapon so they could fight without regrets.
‘After subduing him, by force if necessary, I will inject my internal energy and try to restore his clear mind, even if only for a moment.’
There was only one method left.
After subduing the old man using all his power.
The only way was to inject his Reverse-Polarity True Energy and hope that his memories would return, even temporarily.
Of course, the probability of his memories returning just by injecting internal energy was extremely slim.
‘Still, there's no other choice.’
What if the old man had unreservedly displayed the martial arts of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears?
Bu Eun-seol would have stayed here for a year, or even two.
Even if another disappearance case occurred and the Hall of Four Shadows was turned upside down, even if the Demonic Hall was turned upside down...
Obtaining the complete practical application of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears would have been worth it.
But the old man, despite his unstable mind, was no longer displaying the saber principles of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.
‘That means...’
Perhaps there had been such an attempt in the past, and the old man subconsciously remembered it.
He might be deliberately avoiding showing the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.
*Slide.*
Picking up the daggers made of stone, Bu Eun-seol strode into the cave.
As if they knew this was the final confrontation, the demonic practitioners who had been resting inside the cave all came out to watch Bu Eun-seol walk.
*Creeak.*
Opening the iron door, Bu Eun-seol entered the stone chamber.
And he strode towards the old man bound in chains.
The old man roared, glaring at Bu Eun-seol with crazed eyes.
“Stay still.”
Bu Eun-seol injected his internal energy into the stone knife.
*Woooong.*
Then, a sharp saber energy, a mix of dark and white light, shot up nearly three feet.
*Slash!*
Bu Eun-seol swung the stone knife in a single breath, slicing through the chains binding the old man's feet.
*Clank.*
The chains, which would have been difficult to cut even with a treasured sword, instantly split into two pieces and fell to the floor.
*Flick.*
Bu Eun-seol tossed a stone knife in front of the old man.
*Thud.*
As the old man picked up the stone knife,
“There is no other way, so I will be using my internal energy from now on. Therefore...”
Bu Eun-seol said in a solemn yet cold voice.
“Let us fight without regrets.”
He had tried to talk to him countless times.
He had tried to provoke him with the saber principles of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao, and had even spoken of his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
He had also told him stories about the Southern Sky Great Hero, Gwan Hae-geum, and the Three Realms.
But the old man only tried to kill Bu Eun-seol; conversation was impossible.
“...”
For the first time, the old man did not go into a frenzy.
He silently looked down at the stone knife in his hand.
Although it was crudely shaped from a large stone, he trembled as if overcome with emotion.
*Thwack.*
The old man gripped the stone knife and lowered his stance.
Then, a sharp and terrifying aura, unlike anything felt before, began to spread in all directions.
He had only given him a single dagger made of stone...
Yet the old man had transformed into a saber master who could look down upon the world.
“Good.”
*Woooong.*
As he drew up his internal energy, a true wave emanated from Bu Eun-seol's body, spreading in all directions.
He intended to subdue the old man with all his might.
*Swish, swish!*
Just then, the old man unleashed his saber art.
The old man's internal energy was completely sealed.
Therefore, to subdue Bu Eun-seol, who possessed immense internal energy, he had to strike first.
He instinctively understood that he must not retreat.
*Swish, swish!*
Forcing Bu Eun-seol back with a single slash, the old man used five consecutive forms.
Although it was just a small stone knife, each time he executed a form, it was like a thunderbolt crashing down.
The moves were divine and ever-changing, making it impossible to find an opening from beginning to end.
‘Incredible.’
Bu Eun-seol exclaimed in admiration.
Not only that, but even as the old man wildly unleashed his saber art, he never clashed with the stone knife Bu Eun-seol held.
Knowing his opponent's internal energy was strong, he made the path of his blade unpredictable.
He was intentionally avoiding clashes between their weapons.
The demonic path's greatest saber master.
The thought occurred to him that perhaps this old man was not the shadow of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao, but the real Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao, Bu Jan-yang.
*Whoosh! Whirrrr!*
Before they knew it, Bu Eun-seol and the old man had fought for over forty moves.
Bu Eun-seol poured out sword forms imbued with internal energy, but the old man instantly identified and broke through the openings in every move.
As a result, Bu Eun-seol couldn't even fully execute his forms and had to constantly retreat to protect himself.
‘Even with my internal energy, I still can't match him in a battle of forms.’
Having made his decision, Bu Eun-seol immediately drew up his internal energy.
*Hwiiiiing.*
Then, an intense true wave spread out like fog in all directions, and a sharp saber energy jutted out from the stone knife Bu Eun-seol held.
*Flash!*
Bu Eun-seol's stone knife, infused with immense power, created a massive cross-shaped saber energy.
It was the Fourth Form of the Peerless Heavenly Stream: Waning Moon at Dawn, executed as a saber art.
*Slice!*
Not daring to clash with it, the old man immediately rolled on the ground to dodge the cross-shaped saber energy.
But the Meteor Chasing the Moon form was already striking down at the rolling old man's vital points.
*Thud, thud, thud!*
The sharp saber energy dug into the floor like it was tofu, but the old man got back up and was counterattacking.
But that was as far as he could go.
*Woooong!*
A web-like true energy spread out in all directions, beginning to ensnare the old man's escape route.
He had unleashed the Wish-Fulfilling True Art.
*Slice!*
The old man tried to cut through the true energy of the Wish-Fulfilling True Art, which was spread out like a spider's web, with his stone knife.
But that was the old man's mistake.
*Ting!*
When he struck a strand of the Wish-Fulfilling True Art, there was a metallic sound, and the old man's stone knife was sent flying back.
*Swoosh!*
Bu Eun-seol did not miss the opportunity and immediately aimed his stone knife at the old man's neck.
“It's over.”
He couldn't ask if he would admit defeat.
It was no different from having subdued him with pure brute force.
“As long as you cannot use your power, you cannot defeat me, even if you possess the world's greatest saber art.”
The old man's internal energy was sealed, and having eaten only water and Cold Spirit Grass for a long time, his physical strength had also weakened considerably.
But Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess was not only at the Extreme Heaven Realm, but he also possessed five hundred years' worth of internal energy.
The difference in power was greater than that between a newborn baby and an adult.
Therefore, no matter how profound a saber art the old man used, he could not bridge this gap.
When the old man said nothing,
*Thwip, thwip, thwip.*
Bu Eun-seol immediately fired off a series of finger winds, sealing the old man's acupoints.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Because the old man's body was greatly damaged, he had focused his mind and released the finger winds with extreme delicacy, worried he might harm him.
“Are you the Seven-Fingered Demonic Dao himself? Or were you his shadow?”
The old man said nothing.
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to place his hand on the old man's Gate of Life acupoint and inject his Reverse-Polarity True Energy.
“...!”
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
If his dantian had been destroyed, there should have been gruesome traces of it.
But the old man's dantian was intact, and none of his Eight Meridians were severed.
That meant...
The old man's power had not been sealed by an external force; he had expelled his internal energy from his body himself.
“Why would you do such a thing...”
The most excruciating pain a martial artist can feel is expelling their internal energy from their body.
To a martial artist, internal energy is like the skeleton that supports the body.
If one were to voluntarily remove it?
Not only would their internal organs be ruined, but their body would become even weaker than someone who had never practiced martial arts.
“Why on earth would you do this?”
*Grrrrr.*
Just then, a great vibration emanated from the old man's body.
*Thwip, thwip, thwip!*
As Bu Eun-seol's pure Reverse-Polarity True Energy was injected into his body, he absorbed it completely.
He dispersed some of it through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians and used the remaining power to unblock his sealed acupoints.
*Thwip, thwip, thwip!*
Using the injected internal energy to instantly unblock his acupoints, the old man swung the stone knife, forcing Bu Eun-seol to retreat.
*Woooong!*
The old man poured all the Reverse-Polarity True Energy injected into his body into the stone knife.
Then, with a faint light, a mist of death rose in all directions.
—Even in death, the eyes do not close...
It was the Fifth Form of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.
Eyes Wide Open in Death.