Chapter 489
Chapter 489
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 489
Chapter Title: The Sacred Sword's Test
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“Hehehe.”
Noe Bi-hon paid no mind to Bu Eun-seol, who was disguised as Seonwu Jin. His eyes were fixed on the Messenger as he drooled.
“So, the Messengers of the Three Realms really do exist.”
As soon as Bu Eun-seol received Gongson Dan-gyeong's proposal, he had mobilized the Soul Hunters to track down Noe Bi-hon.
However, while they could determine the general region he was in, they couldn't pinpoint his exact location.
After much deliberation, Bu Eun-seol decided to use So-yo.
Her movement technique was remarkably similar to the Divine Fleeting Step used by the Messengers of the Three Realms.
And Noe Bi-hon had been identifying and detecting that very technique to pursue the Messengers.
—Three days from now, the Three Realms will appear at So-ho’s warehouse.
Finally, So-yo found Noe Bi-hon and delivered the message.
—And a Messenger of the Three Realms, too.
—A Messenger, a Messenger…!
Though his mind was erratic, his hatred for the Three Realms remained unchanged.
Furthermore, when she mentioned the message was from his sworn brother, who had once hunted the Three Realms alongside him…
—My brother… I see.
Noe Bi-hon nodded as if he remembered, and agreed.
‘What a relief.’
Watching Noe Bi-hon reveal the perfect majesty of the Thunder God, Bu Eun-seol inwardly sighed in relief.
Only his appearance would allow him to survive the Messenger's grasp under the identity of Seonwu Jin, and to avoid the suspicion of both the Martial Alliance and the Three Realms.
‘However.’
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes darkened for a moment.
Even at a glance, Noe Bi-hon’s madness had grown far more severe than the last time he’d seen him.
“You rat-like bastards. I’ve finally caught you by the tail.”
Strands of pure white Divine Lightning of Annihilation began to emanate from Noe Bi-hon’s body.
He despised the Three Realms.
Because it was their Messengers who had brutally murdered and experimented on his beloved family.
[Noe Bi-hon.]
The Messenger furrowed his brow, seemingly recognizing the Thunder God, Noe Bi-hon.
And before he could unleash his attack, the Messenger immediately stretched out both hands.
In that instant, a tremendous energy surged toward Noe Bi-hon's body.
*Zzzzzzt!*
But that formless power was completely annihilated by the Divine Lightning of Annihilation.
*Fwoosh!*
In a flash, the Messenger launched himself into the air.
Noe Bi-hon was an immortal who constantly regenerated his body using the Lightning Essence Arts as he charged in.
Moreover, possessed by a frantic madness, he would never retreat, even if it meant tearing his opponent apart with his teeth.
Ultimately, as the frenzied Noe Bi-hon began to act in earnest, the Messenger chose to flee without a second thought.
“Stop!”
As the Messenger fled, Noe Bi-hon let out a roar and immediately gave chase.
“Hoo.”
Once they had all departed, Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh.
What if Noe Bi-hon hadn't arrived at the right moment?
The Messenger would have tried to kill him with all his might, and he would have been forced to abandon the identity of Seonwu Jin.
But thanks to his timely appearance, he had overcome the crisis.
‘No. It’s not over yet.’
Though the Messenger had left, the assassins surrounding him remained.
Their eyes glinted as they looked at Bu Eun-seol, swords in hand.
‘Is it impossible as Seonwu Jin?’
Currently, Bu Eun-seol's internal energy was halved, and his only true martial art was that of the Unhindered One.
He had the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword, an excellent counter-attacking style, but that alone wasn't enough to build a great martial reputation.
The martial world only celebrated those who fought and won. Defensive techniques were not held in high regard.
‘I must build a great name for myself as Seonwu Jin, too.’
*Shing.*
Bu Eun-seol drew his iron sword once more.
—*Kaaah!*
Simultaneously, the assassins charged toward him.
It was like a black tsunami threatening to engulf the entire world.
Bu Eun-seol did not evade, immediately unleashing the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword.
He didn't use the subtleties of the Flower-Grafting Arts, instead transforming the gentle forms into a lethal sword style.
It was just like in the past, when he was learning martial arts in the Inferno, a time when he was filled with killing intent.
Back then, no matter what sword art he learned or what move he executed, it all turned into a lethal technique.
For at that time, he possessed a tragic killing intent, enough to overturn the world.
It was not long after he had witnessed his grandfather’s gruesome death.
An immense killing intent, one that would never run dry no matter how much he drew upon it, had flowed out of him naturally.
‘Just like back then… I’ll do it!’
*Swish!*
He stabbed, twisted, severed, and crushed.
The original essence of the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword was to deflect an enemy's attack with the Flower-Grafting Arts and then counter at the opportune moment.
But Bu Eun-seol made defense unnecessary by launching a preemptive strike.
Since the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword had no lethal moves of its own, he was like a madman, stabbing wildly in all directions, relentlessly forcing the enemy back.
‘For a madman intent on killing his enemy, what do orthodox or unorthodox matter? What use are lethal forms?’
It was a momentary inspiration.
He didn't want to change the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword into a lethal style, but to perform a sword dance that would stir a storm of blood.
Instead of a sword art imbued with powerful internal energy, he wanted to unleash a continuous, unending barrage of attacks.
*Whoosh.*
As he swung his sword, a blue aura began to flow from Bu Eun-seol’s body.
It was the small amount of Water Spirit Energy that Gongson Dan-ah had infused into him before.
It was a tiny wisp of energy, but it enveloped his body, allowing his true ki to circulate smoothly.
‘So that was it.’
As the Water Spirit Energy began to flow unceasingly like running water, Bu Eun-seol realized what he was lacking.
He had yet to create a purely original martial art.
He was a jack of all trades, master of none.
He had learned various martial arts from both the orthodox and unorthodox factions, but he had not mastered any of them.
He had created the Peerless Heaven-Flowing Style, but it was merely the essence of the sword arts passed down by Nangya Pavilion and Dang Cheong.
He frequently used the True Art of As-You-Will, but he had not delved deeply into it, and it was not his ultimate technique.
The same could be said for the Martial Emperor's True Awakening and the Thirteen Night Demonic Arts.
He restrained himself from using martial arts of extreme yin and yang, like the Glacial River Flow Art and the Great Essence True Ki of Scorching Fire, because they caused his true ki to clash.
Even sword arts that had reached the pinnacle of a single school, like the Rhombus Sword Control Form and the Nine Dragons Lightning Flash, were used only when necessary.
It was because he had not yet managed to harmonize these martial arts or transform them into his own.
‘Wasn’t it the same for the martial arts of the Unhindered One?’
The Unhindered One's flying dagger techniques and the Flower-Grafting Arts.
And the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword had provided great inspiration in forming his orthodox martial arts, but he hadn't deeply practiced them.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol had no unique martial art of his own.
—Where in this is the martial art of the Pavilion!
The voice of Ak Mu-ryeong, berating him in the past at Nangya Pavilion, echoed in his mind.
Even after all this time, he still hadn't created his own martial art.
No, he couldn't.
The martial arts he had learned were created by grandmasters who had already reached the pinnacle.
He didn't dare tamper with them, so he tried to unify them through 'harmony'.
But as Seonwu Jin, he couldn't even do that. Because he couldn't use the abilities Bu Eun-seol possessed.
‘But I can transform Seonwu Jin’s martial arts.’
Seonwu Jin's martial arts were different.
They had not reached their peak, so even with Bu Eun-seol's level of skill… he could freely transform them into his own.
*Swish! Chwaaaak!*
Lost in a state of selflessness, Bu Eun-seol’s swordsmanship became faster and more profound.
Whenever a martial technique surfaced in his mind, the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword immediately transformed to match it.
Sword Dance.
Unconsciously, Bu Eun-seol was freely executing a sword technique that had all but vanished from the martial world.
*Thud, thud.*
Silence suddenly fell.
A stillness descended upon both Bu Eun-seol’s mind and the reality around him.
*Thump.*
At the same time, the two hundred assassins who had surrounded Bu Eun-seol all collapsed.
Sword Dance.
In his selfless state, Bu Eun-seol had relentlessly pursued the path of martial arts, and that deep cultivation had manifested in his swordsmanship.
‘The Divine Reckoner. No, the Heaven-Defining Emperor.’
Looking at the corpses piled around him, Bu Eun-seol's feelings were indescribably complex.
‘What on earth were you thinking, passing on such a martial art to me?’
If he had cared so much about Seonwu Jin's identity and martial arts, he surely would have had someone else in mind to take on this role.
So why did he give it to him?
He was not a foolish man who would give away something he had prepared for decades on a whim.
*Shhhhk.*
But this was no time to be lost in sentiment.
Once again, the space around Bu Eun-seol was being filled with assassins clad in black.
The total number of assassins that had flocked here was roughly a thousand.
Bu Eun-seol had only just dealt with what could be called the first wave.
“…”
The sheer number of assassins surrounding him was suffocating.
But Bu Eun-seol felt a strange sense of excitement rising within him.
It wouldn't matter if there were a thousand of them, or even two thousand.
Right now, all he wanted was to perform a sword dance, again and again.
‘Shall I perform the sword dance of the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword… once more?’
In truth, considering their numbers, his life was not guaranteed even with the sword dance of the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword.
Yet, Bu Eun-seol was about to unleash it again without hesitation, rather than his own true martial arts.
*Swaaaaaa.*
Just then, a peculiar sound echoed from all directions.
It was like the serene sound of waves crashing on a beach.
Why would the sound of waves be heard in a remote place far from Chengdu?
*Swaaaaa! Boom!*
Suddenly, the sound of waves turned into a massive explosion.
It sounded as if compressed air had burst, or a large pile of gunpowder had been detonated.
*Thump.*
Simultaneously, a section of the human wall formed by the assassins surrounding Bu Eun-seol collapsed entirely.
*Step, step.*
A middle-aged martial artist, holding a white sword that glowed with a faint light, slowly walked through the breach in the human wall.
His eyes were like a dragon's, and the aura emanating from his entire body was like that of a divine being descended from the heavens.
The Sacred Sword, Baekri Mujo.
He had finally appeared.
*Flinch.*
The assassins had shown no fear of death.
But upon Baekri Mujo's appearance, they instinctively took a step back, their faces filled with dread.
The authority of a transcendent.
They were sensing it instinctively.
‘Baekri Mujo.’
Bu Eun-seol also swallowed hard.
He was completely different from when he had seen him at the Sacred Guard Pavilion.
Back then, he had exuded a holy and divine aura befitting his title of Sacred Sword…
But now, he displayed the majesty of a god of destruction, ready to turn any fiends who dared trespass on his sacred ground into ash in an instant.
*Saaaaah!*
Just then, white shadows began to fill the inside of the warehouse.
They were the elite warriors of the Sacred Guard.
*Shashashak!*
The warriors of the Sacred Guard immediately drew their swords and began to cut down the assassins.
Their martial prowess was exceptional, and they quickly drove back the assassins who had swarmed the warehouse.
“Commander.”
As the blood-soaked Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands, Baekri Mujo's profound eyes rested on him.
“Did you take care of the assassins here?”
“Yes, I did.”
For a moment, a strange light flickered in Baekri Mujo’s eyes.
*Grrrr.*
Just then, Vice Commander Seo Muk opened the mechanism leading to the basement.
From within, Gongson Dan-gyeong slowly emerged.
Seeing Seo Muk open the door naturally without breaking the mechanism, she had realized they were allies.
“Commander.”
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke.
“Chief Strategist.”
Baekri Mujo nodded and offered a light bow in return.
Gongson Dan-gyeong had falsely requested a leave of absence, then used her intelligence network to completely cover her tracks and come to the comic book shop.
But not only had Baekri Mujo been watching her every move, he had also led his forces here in an instant when she was in danger.
*Crackle.*
As Gongson Dan-gyeong and Baekri Mujo’s gazes met, it was as if sparks flew in the air.
But it was only for a fleeting moment.
As if nothing had happened, the two exchanged amicable smiles.
“Chief Strategist.”
With a very polite gesture, Baekri Mujo pointed to the carriage the Sacred Guard had brought.
“Please return to the Alliance immediately.”
Normally, he would have asked why she had left the Alliance secretly while concealing her whereabouts.
But he asked nothing.
He simply looked at her with a gentle and amicable gaze, as if he was just relieved that she was safe.
“I will.”
Gongson Dan-gyeong replied curtly and walked slowly toward the carriage.
‘Are they not on good terms?’
Bu Eun-seol could feel it.
Gongson Dan-gyeong and Baekri Mujo.
The two were meticulously hiding their true feelings, not revealing the slightest opening.
*Ssk.*
Just then, Baekri Mujo turned and began to carefully examine the wounds on the assassins Bu Eun-seol had dealt with.
“A Sword Dance.”
He identified it at a glance as the Sword Dance technique, which was rarely used in the martial world.
“You didn’t learn it beforehand, but executed it on the spot.”
Not only that, he had discerned that Bu Eun-seol had gained enlightenment during the battle and spontaneously performed the Sword Dance.
One who grows stronger in a life-and-death battle.
Wasn't that something only chosen, exceptional martial artists could achieve?
“Commander, look at this.”
Just then, Seo Muk spoke gravely, looking at a burnt rock on one side.
“These are traces of the Lightning Essence Arts.”
Feeling Baekri Mujo’s gaze on his face, Bu Eun-seol quickly explained.
“A masked man with incredible martial arts appeared here. I was no match for him and was in peril when the Thunder God suddenly appeared.”
“Hm.”
“When the masked man fled, the Thunder God immediately pursued him.”
Bu Eun-seol’s words were the complete truth.
Just then, Baekri Mujo, who seemed to be deep in thought, approached Bu Eun-seol and lightly grasped his wrist to check his pulse.
The movement was so natural and concise that there was no time to avoid it.
‘Damn it.’
Bu Eun-seol was inwardly shocked.
A wave of anxiety washed over him, fearing that a master like Baekri Mujo would see through to his true martial realm by checking his pulse.
“Your internal energy is solid.”
Fortunately, Bu Eun-seol had already concentrated half of his internal energy into his inner core, so Baekri Mujo did not notice.
*Woooong.*
Holding his wrist, Baekri Mujo briefly infused a bit of his internal energy.
He was healing the internal injuries Bu Eun-seol had sustained while performing the Sword Dance.
“Commander.”
Seo Muk, who was watching, was greatly surprised.
The Sacred Sword, Baekri Mujo.
He was a man who pursued perfection and subjected his subordinates to grueling training to match his standards.
For him to personally infuse his internal energy to treat an injury?
“He suffered in my stead, did he not?”
The duty of the Sacred Guard was to protect the highest echelons of the Martial Alliance.
Since Bu Eun-seol had risked his life to do just that, he was deserving of such a reward.
Despite this, Seo Muk's expression was not pleased.
It was because Bu Eun-seol was the one who had refused to join the Sacred Guard.
The fact that he had rejected the offer of the Commander whom he revered like the heavens still bothered him.
*Woooong.*
Baekri Mujo’s internal energy was unimaginably deep and pure.
After instantly settling his roiling blood and recovering from his internal injuries, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands.
“Thank you.”
“How is your body?”
“I have fully recovered.”
Baekri Mujo nodded and said to Seo Muk.
“Escort the Chief Strategist and return immediately.”
As she was getting into the carriage, Gongson Dan-gyeong looked at Bu Eun-seol and nodded.
It was a gesture of gratitude and trust toward the man who had risked his life to protect her.
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands.
Now that he had earned her trust, he would be able to accomplish much more in the future.
*Clatter, clatter.*
Inside the carriage, Gongson Dan-gyeong’s eyes narrowed as she looked out the window.
‘He is a great martial talent.’
Gongson Dan-gyeong knew.
The reason Baekri Mujo had checked Bu Eun-seol’s pulse.
It was a test to see if his level of internal energy matched the swordsmanship left on the assassins’ wounds.
Fortunately, there were no discrepancies, so he had infused his internal energy. If there had been any, he would have immediately unleashed his power to subdue Bu Eun-seol.
‘I like him.’
Gongson Dan-gyeong nodded.
He was skilled in both martial arts and strategy, possessed loyalty, and a courage that knew no fear.
Moreover, she was pleased with his firm heart, which harbored no ill intentions toward her despite her beauty.
—Isn't it common to overlook the magnolia, hidden by the peony?
Recalling Bu Eun-seol’s compliment, Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled.
She had received many compliments in her life, but none as unique and pleasing as his.
“Overlooked the magnolia, hidden by the peony… huh.”
She smiled faintly and looked out the window.
Then, she spoke in a small voice.
“Soon, I will definitely…”
But her voice was so soft that it was quietly swallowed by the sound of the moving carriage.
“The main contingent will begin the investigation now.”
Meanwhile, Baekri Mujo, who had finished organizing the scene, turned and lightly patted Bu Eun-seol’s shoulder.
“Return safely.”
His tone and gaze were gentle and friendly.
Bu Eun-seol respectfully clasped his hands.
“Thank you.”
Then he turned to leave.
But as he turned, Bu Eun-seol’s expression hardened like ice.
‘So that was it.’
He bit his lip to suppress the emotions welling up inside him.
Now that everything was over, a strange thought crossed his mind.
Could it be that Baekri Mujo was also part of what Gongson Dan-gyeong had intended to test?
Even if that thought was wrong, one thing was certain.
Baekri Mujo had also tested him here.
The hand that patted his shoulder at the very end.
It was a pretense of patting his shoulder to measure the rebound force of his internal energy, just in case there was a level of power he hadn't detected.
‘What in the world.’
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
‘What kind of place is the Martial Alliance that they test people to this extent?’
Why were Gongson Dan-gyeong and Baekri Mujo wary of each other?
Why did Baekri Mujo test him again, even though he seemed to like him?
Were they suspicious because the man known as Seonwu Jin came from the Upper Realm? Or was it a test to see if they could entrust him with important matters?
Even so, wasn't this level of suspicion excessive?
What on earth… were they so wary of?
‘Is this place no different after all?’
Bu Eun-seol could tell.
The Martial Alliance was far more perilous than the Demonic Palace, which was called a den of demons…
It was a brutal place where people were killed with a smile, a place rife with conspiracies and schemes.
It was by no means a place that upheld justice in the martial world.