Chapter 516
Chapter 516
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 516
Chapter Title: The Demon Sword, Thousand-Man Blood
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Demon Sword, Thousand-Man Blood.
A legendary demon sword passed down through generations in the martial world, said to take the form of a rusted iron sword.
But when offered the blood of a thousand martial artists who have cultivated their inner energy as a sacrifice…
...it not only transforms into a demon sword powerful enough to shatter any divine sword or precious blade, but also grants its wielder a mysterious power.
The Blood Demon Emperor, a past owner of the Thousand-Man Blood...
...lured martial artists from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions to Daegok Mountain, intending to kill them all at once to awaken the sword.
However, he failed to collect the blood of a thousand martial artists and was ultimately killed by the combined forces of the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions, who saw through his scheme.
*‘No, with this much blood, they could have awakened dozens of Thousand-Man Blood swords.’*
Considering when the Sword Mound became known, the number of third-rate martial artists who have died here must be in the thousands, perhaps even over ten thousand.
It's unthinkable that they would orchestrate all this just to awaken a single Thousand-Man Blood.
*‘Then does that mean the Thousand-Men Cult possesses a large number of demon swords, and they opened the Sword Mound to awaken them?’*
Come to think of it, the Thousand-Men Cult had devised an astonishingly clever plan.
Killing numerous martial artists openly, like the Blood Demon Emperor did, would make them a public enemy of the martial world.
But they, on the other hand, easily lured martial artists with the promise of swords from the Mound, and by establishing the "Eight Rules of the Sword Mound," they created a situation where killing was permissible without consequence.
*‘I’ll destroy this mechanism first.’*
The blood flowing through these pipes is likely all being used to awaken demon swords.
If I don’t destroy it quickly, something terrible will surely happen.
Just then,
*Creeaak.*
the sound of an iron door opening echoed once more.
Bu Eun-seol immediately suppressed his presence and hid behind a pillar.
*Splash, splash.*
Three figures appeared, walking through the thick, viscous blood.
Unlike the one Bu Eun-seol was wearing, their demon masks were dyed black.
*‘They use the color of the masks to distinguish status.’*
The ones wearing black demon masks...
...were emanating an aura of power far beyond that of Yeon Baek-ryang, the Human Sword Bu Eun-seol had dealt with.
*‘A mere branch of a heretical cult has masters this strong?’*
Of course, they weren't on the level of the Emissaries of the Three Realms.
But they were certainly not masters you'd expect to find in a mere branch of a heretical cult based in the Yellow River region.
“Come out.”
The one in the middle of the three demon-masked men spoke coldly, looking around.
“We know you’re hiding here somewhere. This mechanism was designed to sound an alarm if anyone enters.”
Bu Eun-seol sighed inwardly.
*‘Was I too careless?’*
When they built a mechanism this massive, they would have naturally installed security measures to match.
No matter how skilled Bu Eun-seol was, he couldn't possibly identify the flaws in every single device at a glance.
In the end, his intrusion had been detected by some mechanism installed somewhere.
*‘This comes first.’*
Now that his presence was discovered, it was only a matter of time before all the masters in this branch swarmed him.
Therefore, the first thing Bu Eun-seol had to do was not to fight them.
*Zhiiing.*
He raised his internal energy,
*Shwaaak!*
and swung the demon sword at his waist, unleashing a continuous stream of sword energy.
*Swoooosh!*
The interconnected pipes shattered, and thick, viscous blood began to pour out like a waterfall.
“That madman!”
The three black-masked men immediately rushed to surround Bu Eun-seol, who was unleashing sword energy.
*Swoooosh!*
But the chamber was filled with massive pillars supporting the ceiling, and blood was pouring down from all directions.
Furthermore, Bu Eun-seol used his Extreme Speed Shadowless Form at full power to weave between the pillars, evading their pursuit, making it difficult to track his movements.
*Drip.*
Suddenly, the blood pouring from the pipes stopped in an instant.
With that, Bu Eun-seol's movements, previously obscured by the cascading blood, became clearly visible.
“There he is!”
*Tap, tap, tap.*
Having pinpointed Bu Eun-seol's location, the black-masked men immediately surrounded him in a triangular formation.
*Shink, shink, shink!*
They unleashed hundreds of streams of sword energy in an instant.
They were using demonic sword arts, a rare killing style in the martial world.
Bu Eun-seol was instantly trapped by the storm of sword shadows they had unleashed.
But just then,
*Fwoooosh!*
with a strange sound of tearing air, the sword shadows that had rained down began to spin violently and shot back in the opposite direction.
The Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword.
The otherworldly technique that could instantly spin any form of power and return it in a more potent form had been unleashed.
*Kwoooom!*
The returned sword techniques became a gale of blades that threatened to tear everything apart, spreading in all directions.
“Dodge!”
The black-masked men hastily scattered as their own techniques came rushing back at them all at once.
*Swish!*
In that opening, Bu Eun-seol slipped out toward the exit.
*Chiiing!*
But when he struck the closed door, it only sustained a deep gash and didn't break.
It was incredibly thick, and not made of ordinary iron.
“Die!”
In that moment, the black-masked men rushed Bu Eun-seol again, unleashing their sword arts.
Fearing Bu Eun-seol would turn their techniques back on them again,
they refrained from using sword energy and instead swung their swords in a chaotic dance, aiming to cut Bu Eun-seol's body directly.
Moreover, though they each used different sword arts, they unfolded like a perfect and intricate coordinated attack.
*‘So the Thousand-Men Cult has an incredible sword master among them.’*
Though the Thousand-Men Cult was a major heretical sect in the martial world, it was known for its bizarre and unique techniques, not swordsmanship.
They had never produced anyone who used such outstanding sword arts.
And even if they had obtained secret manuals from the real Sword Mound, it would be impossible to arbitrarily harmonize three different sword arts.
In other words, a sword master who had reached the pinnacle of their art had unified three exceptional sword arts to create a perfect coordinated attack.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
But after killing Paeng Ryun, Bu Eun-seol's swordsmanship had reached a far higher realm.
He easily neutralized the black-masked men's attacks, and instead observed their sword arts.
*‘Their sword arts are impressive, but they haven't practiced them for very long.’*
The techniques the black-masked men unleashed were powerful and their forms profound.
Unfortunately, it seemed they hadn't trained for long, as their flaws were glaringly obvious.
Bu Eun-seol could instantly find their weaknesses and spot opportunities to easily take their heads.
*‘Since it’s come to this, why not develop the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword as well?’*
Through his battle with Paeng Ryun, Bu Eun-seol had further developed the Peerless Heavenly Flow.
And now, in his identity as Seonwoo Jin, he was having the absurd thought of developing the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword to match.
“Kuh.”
Finally, a groan escaped the lips of the black-masked men who were tenaciously pressing their attack.
Forty moves had passed, and they hadn't even touched the hem of Bu Eun-seol's clothes. Instead, as time went on, weren't their own wounds just increasing?
*—This man is practicing his sword arts right now, without even using his true power.*
The black-masked men, who had all arrived at the same thought, looked greatly flustered. They briefly retreated and looked at each other.
They realized Bu Eun-seol's swordsmanship was so advanced that attacking him in formation was useless.
*Nod.*
They exchanged vicious glances as if plotting something, then nodded.
Then they approached a large pillar in front of them,
*Shink!*
and with a short cry, they suddenly plunged their swords into the pillar simultaneously.
*Ruuuuuumble.*
The ground inside began to shake as if in an earthquake.
*K-Rumble.*
A sound like thunder echoed loudly, and the chamber began to shake uncontrollably.
*‘Don’t tell me.’*
Bu Eun-seol had forgotten one thing.
The Thousand-Men Cult was not an ordinary martial arts sect, but a heretical one.
And the members of such cults would not hesitate to sacrifice not only the lives of others, but also their own, to achieve their goals.
*Crack. Thud.*
The pipes crisscrossing the ceiling fell to the floor, and soon the ceiling itself began to collapse.
“Did you destroy the mechanism?”
In response to Bu Eun-seol's question, the black-masked men let out a low laugh.
“That’s right. You will never leave this place alive!”
The black-masked men, realizing Bu Eun-seol's martial arts were too superior to face, had decided to collapse the structure in a suicide attack.
“Die!”
To prevent his escape, the black-masked men surrounded Bu Eun-seol again and unleashed their sword techniques.
*‘There’s no time!’*
*Woong!*
Bu Eun-seol released his internal energy in a single burst,
*Fwoooosh!*
unleashing a cold qi that seemed capable of freezing the very heavens.
As they charged in at close range, he used the Glacier Heavenly Flow Art.
*Crack.*
Their attacks were formidable; even after being hit by the Glacier Heavenly Flow Art, they were only frozen for a fleeting moment.
They quickly escaped the cold.
But that fleeting moment was enough time for Bu Eun-seol to execute five techniques.
*Swish! Swiiish!*
A brilliant purple sword energy, bright enough to illuminate the entire world, unfolded before their eyes.
The ultimate swift killing sword, which could use nine variations upon reaching mastery.
The Nine Dragons' Lightning Flash was unleashed once more.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
The heads of the black-masked men instantly fell to the blood-soaked floor.
He had taken the heads of three swordsmen in a single strike.
*CRASH! BOOM!*
Meanwhile, large rocks were continuously falling from above.
*Tssst!*
Bu Eun-seol, using the Extreme Speed Shadowless Form at full power, tried to shatter the iron door with all five hundred years of his internal energy.
*Ruuuumble!*
But in that time, with a deafening roar, massive rocks weighing tens of thousands of pounds began to pile up near the door.
*Fwip!*
He quickly dodged the falling rocks, but it was already too late.
*K-RUUUUUMBLE!*
As if the entire Taiping Mountain was collapsing, tens of thousands of pounds of rock rained down ceaselessly on Bu Eun-seol.
There was no more space to escape.
*‘Harmony.’*
Seeing the massive boulders falling,
Bu Eun-seol recalled the time he was trapped with Gongson Dan-ah in the underground facility at Gugok Mountain.
Back then, the two had fallen into a trap, and a giant rock weighing tens of thousands of pounds had fallen on them.
With no way to escape, Bu Eun-seol had overcome the crisis by aligning the four powers within his body and unleashing the power of Harmony.
*‘No, that method won’t work now.’*
The power of Harmony can only be used once.
Unleashing Harmony amidst a continuous collapse like this...
...would only block the falling rocks for a short time.
Moreover, there was another problem.
When he used the power of Harmony, the conflicting energies within his body would threaten to tear him apart.
At that time, after unleashing the power of Harmony, Bu Eun-seol had immediately lost consciousness and collapsed.
If Gongson Dan-ah hadn't been there, if she hadn't injected him with the Water God's Energy...
...Bu Eun-seol would have already lost his life.
*‘But haven't I already obtained two of the powers?’*
The Thunder God's Energy and the Water God's Energy.
Unlike back then, Bu Eun-seol now possessed two of the Four Divine Energies.
There was a glimmer of hope.
*‘I can’t release it all at once.’*
To survive the collapse, he couldn't just unleash Harmony in a single burst.
He had to envelop his body in the power of Harmony until the collapse stopped.
If he released it immediately, even if he blocked the initial wave, he would eventually be crushed by the falling rocks.
*K-Ruuuumble.*
In the end, hundreds of rocks came crashing down at once.
As they exerted immense pressure, the power of the Great Prajna Ability immediately manifested from Bu Eun-seol's body.
“Haaap!”
Bu Eun-seol used that power to perfectly align the energies flowing within him and radiate them outward.
*Whiiirrr!*
His body was enveloped in a five-colored radiance, and the massive rocks that touched the light began to disappear as if melting away.
“Kuhhhhh.”
A groan escaped Bu Eun-seol's lips as he was swallowed by the radiance.
Enveloping his body in this power of Harmony without releasing it at once was no easy feat.
His entire body felt like it was being torn apart, and his skin began to crack.
As he held on, containing energies that a human body could not hold all at once, his physical form was starting to break down.
*K-RUUUMBLE!*
Finally, the collapse seemed to stop, and no more rocks fell.
*Rumble...*
In that time, the entire chamber had collapsed, becoming a giant tomb of stone.
Bu Eun-seol, unable to escape the disaster, was buried under the pile of rocks and vanished without a trace.
Had he truly met such a futile end?
For a while, the underground chamber was filled with nothing but swirling dust, so silent you could hear a pin drop.
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
But then, from a place where giant rocks were piled high, a light like a lightning bolt flashed,
*FWOOOOSH!*
and finally, a five-colored flash of light erupted toward the ceiling.
The pile of rocks on one side all vanished, creating a circular space.
A man with a disheveled appearance stood tall there.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
Amidst the falling rubble, he had not lost consciousness but had endured while maintaining the power of Harmony.
And when the collapse finally stopped, he had unleashed the power of Harmony to escape.
*Drip, drip.*
Bu Eun-seol's clothes were soaked in blood, and his skin was cracked like a biscuit.
The demon mask he had been wearing was shattered and nowhere to be seen.
By holding the power of Harmony within his body for more than half a quarter-hour without releasing it...
...he had been unable to withstand the force, and his qi, blood, and physical body were severely damaged.
*Thud.*
He finally dropped to one knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Blood continuously welled up as if from an internal injury, and his body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.
*‘My internal energy...’*
Bu Eun-seol tried to circulate his true qi, but he couldn't feel anything, as if his internal energy had been completely sealed.
The power of Harmony, which twisted his qi and blood and made him lose consciousness even when used just once.
He had kept it enveloped around his body for half a quarter-hour to survive the collapsing chamber... it was impossible for his body to be unscathed.
Fortunately, thanks to obtaining the powers of the Water God and Thunder God, he hadn't lost consciousness or had his body destroyed.
But his internal energy, as well as the divine energies and the powers of Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist arts within him, were all temporarily sealed.
*Clench.*
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist tightly.
He had been confident that he had reached a higher realm, yet just by using his power once, all the energy within him was sealed?
“Am I still so far from my goal?”
Bu Eun-seol wore a despairing expression, but the reality was completely different.
Not only was there no one in the history of the martial world who had reached the pinnacle of the Transcendent Heaven Realm at his age...
...but the power of Harmony he had just displayed was closer to a 'phenomenon' that could only be manifested by masters of the Limitless Realm.
He had accomplished an unprecedented feat, wielding a transcendent power without having reached the Limitless Realm.
Yet, unaware of this fact, he was lamenting how far he still had to go.
“First, let’s get out of here.”
Bu Eun-seol walked weakly, leaving the place.
Then, he suddenly spotted a black demon mask in the ruins.
It was the same kind of mask the black-masked men had worn.
“...”
This place had collapsed, but he didn't know the situation outside.
Just in case, Bu Eun-seol picked up the black demon mask and put it on.
*Trudge, trudge.*
As he left the collapsed ruins and went up the stairs, the hellish door that had been closed before was now wide open.
With unfocused eyes, Bu Eun-seol wiped the blood from his mouth and slowly entered.
“...!”
Bu Eun-seol's weary eyes widened slightly at the scene before him.
In the desolate landscape, various swords were stuck in the ground.
The Sword Mound.
Amazingly, the Sword Mound had not completely collapsed in the destruction.
All sorts of swords were stuck in the ground across this wide, open hill. Some were buried in collapsed or broken areas.
*‘As I thought... the Thousand-Men Cult created the Sword Mound to awaken demon swords.’*
In the ruined Sword Mound, thick blood flowed like underground streams. It was the blood that had been pumped in from the mechanism below.
Creating three gates to make martial artists kill each other and unleash their killing intent.
It was all to obtain the blood of martial artists driven mad by slaughter.
*‘Demon swords, indeed.’*
Bu Eun-seol pulled out a sword stuck in the Sword Mound.
The swords remaining in the ruined Sword Mound were all demon swords that craved blood, and their numbers were beyond count.
*‘At this rate, there must have originally been hundreds of demon swords.’*
Judging by the traces throughout the Sword Mound, most of the demon swords had already been taken.
It was unclear whether they were taken by martial artists who entered in the past, or if the Thousand-Men Cult had retrieved them when the mound collapsed.
*‘So many sacrifices were needed to awaken so many demon swords.’*
Awakening a demon sword comes with various conditions. Some desire only the blood of children, while others want the blood of a pure maiden.
But most demon swords require the blood of martial artists with internal energy—specifically, the blood of those driven by madness.
The reason they went to the trouble of opening the Sword Mound...
...was to lure third-rate martial artists...
...who had not tempered their spirits, people whose deaths no one would care about.
*Trudge, trudge.*
The Sword Mound was quite large. After walking for a while, he saw a large, wide-open gate in the distance.
And the path leading to the gate was piled high with the bodies of those who had been brutally killed.
Not only martial artists, but also figures who appeared to be followers of the Thousand-Men Cult were among them.
*‘They haven't been dead for long. Moreover...’*
The bodies were still warm, and their skin had a strangely gray hue.
*‘There’s no blood.’*
Furthermore, it was as if all the blood had been drained from the bodies; not a single drop remained.
*‘Could it be...’*
Just as Bu Eun-seol, feeling puzzled, was examining the corpses,
*Trudge, trudge.*
a figure emerged from inside the gate, entering the Sword Mound.
His hair was disheveled, and his entire body was covered in blood.
And in his right hand, he held a sword that emanated a black mist.
It was Cheon Hwa-in.
*Sluuurp.*
But then, something strange happened.
With a normal sword, the blood on the blade should have dripped to the ground.
But the blood on the sword Cheon Hwa-in held was slowly vanishing, as if being absorbed into the blade itself.
*‘So it really was the Thousand-Man Blood.’*
The Demon Sword, Thousand-Man Blood.
The sword in Cheon Hwa-in's hand was the legendary demon sword passed down through generations in the martial world: the Thousand-Man Blood.