Chapter 491
Chapter 491
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 491
Chapter Title: The Devil's Saber Arts
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After leaving the Martial Alliance, Bu Eun-seol immediately returned to the Demonic Palace.
And without delay, he led the elite forces of the Shadow Spirit Hall toward the Heavenly Mountains.
The Heavenly Mountains were where the disciple of the Nameless Elder—who had proclaimed himself the shadow of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Saber—and a renowned hero of the righteous faction resided.
The Great Hero of the Southern Heavens, Gwan Hae-geum, was living in seclusion there.
And a master from the Three Realms, a mysterious old man who had mastered the Saber Emperor's arts, was relentlessly pursuing him.
Gwan Hae-geum, who had encountered Bu Eun-seol before, had been attacked by the mysterious old man and had once again left the Heavenly Mountains.
But Bu Eun-seol knew.
Gwan Hae-geum was still in seclusion in the Heavenly Mountains.
Because it was the perfect place to evade the pursuit of the Three Realms alone.
The strange thing, however, was the mysterious old man.
Regretting that he could not fight the Seven-Fingered Demonic Saber, he relentlessly pursued Gwan Hae-geum, who had mastered the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears.
Then why wasn't he tracking or ambushing Bu Eun-seol, who had also mastered the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears?
It wouldn't be impossible for someone from the Three Realms.
*Does that mean he isn't the leader of the Three Realms either?*
The mysterious old man's saber arts surpassed Bu Eun-seol's and were at a level that could not be countered in a single breath.
Yet, if he was not the leader of the Three Realms...
The power of the Three Realms and the masters positioned there would be on a scale that was truly unfathomable.
*His saber arts were incredible.*
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had fought and triumphed over the descendants of the Eight Desolations and Three Stars.
But the mysterious old man was different.
He displayed a profound martial prowess on a completely different level from the masters he had fought so far.
*At the very least, his rank must be higher than an Emissary of the Three Realms.*
Judging by his incredible martial skill, even if he wasn't the leader, he had to be a figure close to the core of the Three Realms.
If he could be captured, it might be possible to obtain new information about the Three Realms.
Just then, Wi Cheon-gyeong, who was leading the troops and commanding the scene, approached and spoke.
"We've found signs of troops retreating around the same time we arrived."
Even though they had come as soon as the Soul-Devouring Brigade obtained the information, there were no Soulless Ones, nor the descendant of the Saber Emperor.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol's intelligence network was still no match for that of the Three Realms.
"This is nothing new."
Bu Eun-seol said calmly after a moment of thought.
"Lead the troops and return to the Demonic Palace immediately. I will look around a little longer before I leave."
"Understood."
The elite warriors of the Shadow Spirit Hall, including Wi Cheon-gyeong, immediately returned to the Demonic Palace.
As Bu Eun-seol stared at the Heavenly Mountains with a calm expression, So-yo's low voice was heard.
"You're going to look for the Great Hero Gwan, aren't you?"
"Yes. You've noticed."
Even if the forces of the Three Realms had retreated, Gwan Hae-geum was likely still here.
Bu Eun-seol intended to find him, both to deliver news of the Nameless Elder and for his own sake.
"Let's go now."
Executing his movement technique, Bu Eun-seol swiftly ran through the Heavenly Mountains without hesitation.
The Heavenly Mountains were so vast that finding a single person was impossible.
However, Bu Eun-seol knew how Gwan Hae-geum chose his hiding places, so he could easily find his trail.
Terrain that a large force could not enter, and which offered several escape routes.
And a place where formations or various traps could be set up in preparation for an attack by the Saber Emperor's descendant.
Bu Eun-seol was searching thoroughly through such places.
"There he is."
Bu Eun-seol smiled as he looked at a cave at the edge of a cliff somewhere in the Heavenly Mountains.
There were no visible signs of human presence, but to Bu Eun-seol's eyes, enhanced by the All-Seeing Eye of the Mind, countless traces of the Traceless Steps on Snow were visible.
"Great Hero Gwan."
Bu Eun-seol deliberately announced his presence as he approached the front of the cave.
"......!"
In that moment, he felt a strong sense of foreboding.
Because from within the cave, he sensed a faint breath, as if it would stop at any moment.
"Great Hero Gwan!"
Shouting loudly, Bu Eun-seol immediately entered the cave.
After running for about a hundred feet, the narrow passage widened, revealing a large open space with jagged stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
And in one corner of the open space, a figure was visible, gasping for breath with his saber plunged into the ground.
It was the Great Hero of the Southern Heavens, Gwan Hae-geum.
"Great Hero Gwan!"
"You've come."
Gwan Hae-geum was clutching his blood-soaked stomach.
A sharp saber had sliced his abdomen to pieces, causing his internal organs to spill out.
"Yes. Is my benefactor well?"
Gwan Hae-geum spoke calmly, still clutching his stomach.
Even as his own life hung by a thread, he was worried about the well-being of the benefactor he hadn't seen in so long.
"The elder..."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't bring himself to continue.
He couldn't bear to tell the dying Gwan Hae-geum about the state of the Nameless Elder, who had been trapped in the Cave of Repentance at Blood Shaolin in a miserable condition.
"I see."
Gwan Hae-geum, having understood everything from Bu Eun-seol's expression, gave a faint, calm smile.
"His end... was it peaceful?"
"It was."
Bu Eun-seol said with a heavy expression.
"And he wished to draw his last breath as the shadow of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Saber, until the very end."
"He did. That, too, must have been my benefactor's choice."
The light in Gwan Hae-geum's eyes began to fade.
His life was finally ebbing away.
"Did the Saber Emperor's descendant come again?"
"No, I challenged him."
Gwan Hae-geum's gaze grew hazy.
"Because I found a successor who has mastered the complete principles of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Saber... I thought it would be all right to let go of this harsh life."
"Elder."
A bloody light flared in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"I will definitely avenge you, Elder."
He had no intention of living under the same sky as the Three Realms anyway.
Moreover, they had brutally killed Gwan Hae-geum, the benefactor who had helped him find traces of his grandfather... He would have his revenge.
"You must not."
Gwan Hae-geum shook his head.
"You must not fight him yet."
"Elder."
"The saber arts he uses are beyond the bounds of what can be called martial arts... They are the saber arts of a devil."
"I have the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears."
"That is why you must not."
Gwan Hae-geum said in a low voice.
"He, too, has mastered the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears. Perfectly."
At the shocking answer, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
And he recalled the words the Nameless Elder had spoken before he died.
*—Deceived by a villainous person, I passed on five forms of the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears...*
*Then was he the culprit who stole the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears?*
"Are you saying he used the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears?"
"Yes. Although it was only two forms, it was more perfect than even my own... and I have trained in them my entire life."
"It is likely only five forms."
Bu Eun-seol relayed what the Nameless Elder had said to Gwan Hae-geum.
"Then all the more reason you must not use the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears."
Gwan Hae-geum continued speaking with difficulty.
"He is a descendant of the Saber Emperor who has honed his saber arts to a divine level. The moment you use the remaining two forms, he might obtain the complete principles of the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears."
Gwan Hae-geum said with fading eyes.
"Until you have perfectly mastered the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears and can cut him down in a single blow... you must not fight him. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
The Nameless Elder. And Gwan Hae-geum.
The master and disciple were so alike.
Even as they were dying, they were worried about others.
"I understand."
Bu Eun-seol held Gwan Hae-geum's hands and nodded.
This answer was the only thing he could give him right now.
"Life in the martial world is, by its nature, covered in grudges and favors. So... there is no need to be angry or feel pity for my death."
Gwan Hae-geum smiled faintly.
"Forget everything, if you can. Even the memory of me."
Because if he held onto the memory of him, he would try to take revenge on the mysterious old man.
Until the very end, Gwan Hae-geum was worried about Bu Eun-seol's safety.
"I hope you achieve all that you set out to do."
With those last words, his eyes slowly closed.
He had finally passed away.
"Elder."
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head.
Even in this desolate martial world, there were people who lived for others.
They willingly dedicated their entire lives to helping others, and even in death, they left behind not a single regret.
Why on earth... did Gwan Hae-geum and the Nameless Elder choose such lives?
If he wandered the martial world a little longer, would he be able to understand the reason?
After bowing respectfully to Gwan Hae-geum's body, Bu Eun-seol quietly turned away.
He had spent his entire life being chased by the Three Realms, making these vast Heavenly Mountains his home.
In that case, the entire Heavenly Mountains were Gwan Hae-geum's home, so he surely would not want a stuffy grave.
*Step, step.*
As Bu Eun-seol emerged from the cave, a light like a blood-soaked sun poured from his eyes.
He had promised not to fight until he had perfected the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears.
But what if the mysterious old man came looking to kill him? He couldn't just sit and die, so it wouldn't be breaking his promise.
"So-yo."
Bu Eun-seol said in a cold voice.
"Tell the Soul-Devouring Brigade immediately. They are to stop concealing my movements from now on."
"You're trying to lure him out?"
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol said, gazing at the distant sky.
"He has always longed to fight Bu Jan-yang, the master of the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears."
A crimson light surged in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Since he knows that I have mastered the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears, he will definitely come looking for me."
"Alright."
So-yo didn't try to stop him.
She knew Bu Eun-seol's personality better than anyone.
When he had made a firm decision in his heart, he always looked to the distant sky.
A decision made like that would never be reversed, no matter who tried to dissuade him.
Afterwards, Bu Eun-seol wandered the martial world alone, without concealing his whereabouts.
He was certain that if he did so, the mysterious old man, the descendant of the Saber Emperor, would come for him.
But no matter how much time passed, there was no pursuit, nor were any traces of the mysterious old man found.
Instead, trouble erupted from an unexpected place.
"The Thunder God?"
A flash of light passed through Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he received So-yo's report.
The Thunder God, Roe Bi-hon, who had pursued the Emissary of the Three Realms from So-ho's warehouse.
The shocking news had arrived that he had suddenly suffered an irrecoverable, fatal injury and was on the run.
*Did the Emissary defeat the Thunder God?*
The Emissary of the Three Realms he had seen at So-ho's warehouse.
That person possessed skills outstanding enough to surprise Bu Eun-seol and used unique martial arts.
*No, that can't be.*
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
The Thunder God was the Thunder God.
No matter how great the Emissary's skills were, he could not have defeated him.
Something must have happened while he was pursuing the Emissary.
*This is all my fault.*
Roe Bi-hon had lost his family to the Three Realms and was wandering the martial world as a madman.
Although they shared a common enemy in the Three Realms, Bu Eun-seol had used Roe Bi-hon twice to protect his identity as Seonwu Jin.
Moreover, since he was now grievously injured and on the run because of him... he had a duty to help him.
*Crack.*
Preparing for any unforeseen circumstances, Bu Eun-seol used the Face-Altering Bone Transformation Art to change into the appearance of Seol-so.
"Where is he?"
The place So-yo led him to was deep within the forests of Great Hong Mountain.
The forest, which should have been dense with trees, had vanished entirely, leaving only charred black rocks behind.
It seemed Roe Bi-hon had fought a fierce battle here.
But the deeper he went into the mountain, the fewer charred marks there were, and only withered, dead trees, drained of life, could be seen.
"The trail went cold here."
So-yo pointed to the ruined surroundings.
The ground was covered with traces of the Divine Thunder Annihilation that Roe Bi-hon had unleashed.
"It looks like he launched an all-out attack here and then made a quick escape."
Bu Eun-seol, who was carefully examining the area, shook his head.
"No, he's nearby."
"Huh?"
"He deliberately left a trail to throw off his pursuers. With the Divine Thunder Annihilation, he could easily create false signs of an escape."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes deepened as he examined the withered trees.
"But a martial art that withers trees like this..."
*Thwip.*
Bu Eun-seol, who was rapidly scanning his surroundings, executed his movement technique.
And he began to swiftly sweep through the forest.
*Over there.*
The place where Bu Eun-seol stopped was a small valley with a waterfall about thirty feet high.
Quickly scanning the area, Bu Eun-seol lifted a large boulder not far from the stream.
*Rumble.*
When he lifted the rock, there was a hollow in the ground beneath it, and a man was lying there with his eyes wide open.
He was over seven feet tall with very long limbs, and his body was covered in so many wounds that not a single spot was unscathed.
And his eyes.
His pupils were ashen gray and unfocused.
Even a corpse's eyes wouldn't be so drained of life.
It was the Thunder God, Roe Bi-hon.
"Brother Roe."
Bu Eun-seol immediately pulled him out.
But he lay there blankly, as if he hadn't heard anything.
*Could it be?*
Even when he got close to Roe Bi-hon, he couldn't feel any Thunder Spirit Energy at all.
Feeling that something was wrong, Bu Eun-seol began to examine his wounds thoroughly.
*These wounds.*
A web of wounds created by a sharp saber energy spread across Roe Bi-hon's body.
They weren't wounds from an ordinary blade, but cuts from a sharp, manifested true energy.
They were clearly traces of the Black Blood Demonic Saber used by the mysterious old man who had killed Gwan Hae-geum.
*It was him.*
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
The descendant of the Saber Emperor.
The one who had fought Roe Bi-hon was not the Emissary of the Three Realms, but the mysterious old man, the descendant of the Saber Emperor.
He had not only left Roe Bi-hon in a near-death state, but had also completely extinguished the Thunder Spirit Energy within his body.
"So that's why the trees..."
The trees that the Saber Emperor's arts had touched had lost all their vitality and become withered husks.
And Roe Bi-hon, too, was having his life force drained away like a dead tree.
*It's similar to the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears, but different.*
The Seven Forms of the Blood Tears embody 'death'.
But the saber energy unleashed by the mysterious old man contained a destructive aura that ceaselessly extinguished life force.
*Besides... it makes no sense that an ordinary saber art could extinguish Thunder Spirit Energy.*
The Thunder God, Roe Bi-hon, could not only use the destructive Divine Thunder Annihilation indefinitely, but could also use the power of his Thunder Spirit Energy to instantly heal his internal and external injuries.
Yet his powerful Thunder Spirit Energy had been extinguished by a saber art?
*Then does that mean he applied the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears to the Saber Emperor's arts?*
Thunder Spirit Energy is a power that resides in a Thunder Spirit Body.
It might be possible to suppress it temporarily, but extinguishing it should be impossible.
But what if it was the Seven Forms of the Blood Tears, which brought death to all it touched? What if it was combined with the ultimate techniques of the Saber Emperor, which possessed a destructive aura...
Such a thing might be possible.
"Brother Roe. Let me check your pulse for a moment."
Bu Eun-seol thoroughly checked the pulse of Roe Bi-hon, who was lying there as if dead.
But he couldn't feel any Thunder Spirit Energy.
The problem was that the vicious saber energy still remained in his body... eating away at his life force.
*He'll die at this rate.*
With his Thunder Spirit Energy gone, his body felt limp, as if his bones had disappeared.
If this devilish saber energy wasn't extinguished, he would soon breathe his last.
"Shouldn't we take him to a physician?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head at So-yo's words.
"Ordinary physicians can't treat his body. Besides... if we don't do something right now, he will soon lose his life."
After examining Roe Bi-hon's body again, Bu Eun-seol infused Reversing True Energy into his Gate of Life acupoint.
But he couldn't expel the vicious energy that had seeped into his body.
To revive his dying body, he needed to create a powerful spark to reawaken his life force.
*A spark.*
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he recalled his first fierce battle with Roe Bi-hon.
*Could the Great Scorching True Energy work?*
The reason he had been able to win so comfortably against Roe Bi-hon, who used the all-destroying Thunder Spirit Energy.
It was thanks to the Great Scorching True Energy, which was very similar to Thunder Spirit Energy.
If an ordinary person were exposed to the Great Scorching True Energy, their meridians would instantly melt and their internal organs would cook, leading to death.
But for Roe Bi-hon, who possessed a Thunder Spirit Body capable of containing Thunder Spirit Energy... couldn't it instead awaken his body? That was the thought that occurred to him.
*If this goes wrong, Brother Roe's entire body will melt, and he will die.*
He couldn't guarantee that the Great Scorching True Energy would awaken Roe Bi-hon's life force and expel the vicious energy.
But if left alone, Roe Bi-hon would certainly die. In that case, he had no choice but to try this method.
"So-yo, please stand guard."
*Fwoosh!*
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew upon his Great Scorching True Energy.
As he did, his blood vessels twisted, and the sweet taste of blood rose in his mouth.
*Is it still too much for me to use extreme yang martial arts?*
After obtaining the Water Spirit Energy that Gongson Dan-a had infused into him before, Bu Eun-seol had no major trouble using the Glacier Flow Art.
But when he used the Great Scorching True Energy, his meridians felt like they were twisting, and blood rose in his throat as if he had suffered an internal injury.
*It doesn't matter!*
*Woooong.*
Bu Eun-seol immediately began to infuse the power of the Great Scorching True Energy into Roe Bi-hon's body.
*Sizzzle!*
White smoke began to rise from Roe Bi-hon's body as it started to glow red-hot.
If this judgment was wrong.
Roe Bi-hon's body would instantly become a ball of fire and begin to burn.
*Woooooong!*
But Roe Bi-hon's body only glowed red; it did not burst into flames or melt.
His body was accepting the energy of the Great Scorching True Energy.
*Woooooong!*
Roe Bi-hon's body glowed red. Then it began to flicker on and off like a star in the night sky.
The more Great Scorching True Energy was infused, the more intense the light flowing from his body became, and heat poured out of him endlessly.
*Ughhh.*
Thick veins stood out on Bu Eun-seol's body as he continuously poured out the Great Scorching True Energy.
As he exerted the power of extreme yang, the mixed energies within his body began to cry out in protest.
The more he used the Great Scorching True Energy, the more the mixed powers began to clash, and eventually, he felt a pain as if his entire body was being torn apart like paper.
But Bu Eun-seol paid it no mind and continued to pour out the Great Scorching True Energy.
He had fallen into a near-death state because of him, so he had to save him, even if it meant risking his own life.
*Flash!*
Just then, a hot radiance shot up from Roe Bi-hon's body toward the sky,
*Whoooosh!*
and black smoke flowed out, scattering in all directions.
The devilish saber energy that had been extinguishing his life force had finally been expelled from his body.
"Ughhh."
Roe Bi-hon, who had been writhing in pain, shouted loudly, the whites of his eyes showing.
"You're the one! The one who killed our son!"
Foam frothed at his mouth, and only the whites of his eyes were visible.
"You had an identity like that, hiding like a rat, which is why I couldn't find you until now!"
Roe Bi-hon shouted with an expression as if he were vomiting blood.
"You... To think you were the descendant of the Saber Emperor!"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Roe Bi-hon had said that the enemy who had harmed his son and wife was an Emissary of the Three Realms.
But the mysterious old man, the descendant of the Saber Emperor, was the culprit?
Moreover, 'an identity like that'... didn't that mean the descendant of the Saber Emperor also had another identity?