Chapter 1027
'The Way of Nature?'
Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh laced with astonishment and bewilderment.
'Has Sect Leader Wi Ji also grasped a clue to the Nature Sword?'
During his duel with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor in the past, the Sword Sovereign had accomplished something unprecedented.
He had perfected the Nature Sword—a concept that had only existed as an incomplete theory until then—in his own unique way.
And with that perfected Nature Sword, he had driven the Demonic Heavenly Emperor to the brink of death.
However, unleashing the Nature Sword required one's spirit and mind to be in a flawless, immaculate state.
Yet the Sword Sovereign had been consumed by an obsessive desire to surpass the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, driven by an intense competitive spirit.
And in that obsession, he had exposed a fatal opening.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor seized that vulnerability without hesitation, killing the Sword Sovereign.
At the time, Ak Mu-ryeong and Bu Eun-seol, who had witnessed the duel, had gleaned hints of the Way of Nature.
Based on that realization, Ak Mu-ryeong had devised the Breaking and Dissolving Studies—a martial art that pierced through and dismantled all things—while Bu Eun-seol had created the Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes, a technique that restored all things to their natural order.
This had only been possible because both of them were martial artists who transcended the boundaries between orthodox and unorthodox paths, delving into the very essence of martial arts itself.
But now, Wi Ji-mua was emanating the energy of the Way of Nature?
'Has Sect Leader Wi discarded his demonic saber?'
From the perspective of Demonic Path martial arts, the Nature Sword was an unacceptable technique—one that belonged to the orthodox faction.
Bu Eun-seol and Ak Mu-ryeong could wield the pure Way of Nature because they had mastered martial arts without distinction between orthodox and unorthodox.
But Wi Ji-mua was different.
Even if he had grasped the Nature Sword from the Sword Sovereign's teachings, the moment he unleashed it as a grandmaster of Demonic Sword Arts, it would inevitably become a sword of the Demonic Path.
Yet the aura he was radiating now...
Wasn't it the same pure Natural Qi that Bu Eun-seol himself wielded?
Crrrk—
The earth, unable to withstand the pressure of the surging Natural Qi, let out a scream as spiderweb-like fissures spread outward from where Bu Eun-seol stood.
Yet he remained unfazed, deploying his Protective Astral Energy to block the onslaught before asking with deliberate nonchalance:
"Will you not draw your sword?"
Huuung...
Wi Ji-mua, retracting his aura, glanced down at his own hand and replied indifferently:
"I discarded my sword long ago."
"At some point, I realized that wielding sword techniques did not require holding a blade."
A chill ran down Bu Eun-seol's spine.
Wi Ji-mua's words revealed something beyond mere unity of sword and self—they indicated that he had reached the Sword God Realm, where he dominated the sword itself.
'Moreover...'
A deep sorrow lingered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Originally, there had been a question he most wanted to ask Wi Ji-mua upon meeting him.
Jin Gak, Cheon Un-gwang, Dan Cheon-yang—
They had all awakened the ultimate secrets of the Fire Rain Sword in their own ways, each a true swordsman with the soul of a martial artist.
Knowing that better than anyone, why had Wi Ji-mua driven them to their deaths?
That had been what he desperately wanted to know.
'Because they were true martial artists.'
But the moment he faced Wi Ji-mua's aura and gaze, Bu Eun-seol realized he didn't need to hear the answer.
They had all been men of unyielding integrity, unwilling to compromise with injustice.
In a Fire Rain Sword Sect that had already decayed, there had been no place for them to live and breathe.
'They accepted it.'
If they had been the kind of cowards who clung to life in fear of death, groveling before power...
They would never have been capable of comprehending such profound truths of sword studies in the first place.
"I am well aware that I am no match for you, Sect Leader."
Suppressing his grief, Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully before drawing Ink Soul Sword.
"Forgive my discourtesy."
Shhhling—
As the black blade revealed itself, a subtle shift flickered in Wi Ji-mua's eyes.
The time Bu Eun-seol had spent training with the sword was incomparable to his own, and his skill level still fell short.
And yet, he could distinctly sense a sword momentum capable of cleanly severing even his own Natural Qi.
"A man as sharp as you would never mistake courage for recklessness."
Even as Wi Ji-mua praised him, Bu Eun-seol showed no reaction.
No—from the moment he drew his sword, he had been forced to hold his breath.
The instant he faced Wi Ji-mua, the Profound Demon—a peerless swordsman renowned for wielding the most enigmatic sword arts in the world—an oppressive force bore down on him, crushing his body and mind as though threatening to suffocate him.
'Immeasurable...'
Among the Three Demons, Wi Ji-mua possessed the broadest magnanimity and the sharpest wisdom.
After reaching the Martial Extreme Realm, he had concealed his true strength, living like an idle wanderer.
As a result, his current capabilities and true nature remained unknown to the martial world.
'...Profound.'
Standing before Wi Ji-mua in combat readiness, Bu Eun-seol finally understood the true meaning behind the title Profound Demon.
It was because he was deep, inscrutable, impossible to measure—
That he had been given the name Profound Demon.
"Give it your all. Ensure you leave no regrets."
Though Wi Ji-mua appeared to simply have his hands clasped behind his back, in truth, he had already unleashed his Sword Stroke.
A Heart Sword—one that would strike without fail the moment any flaw was exposed in spirit, stance, or anything else.
Zzziiing—
Realizing the Heart Sword had been activated, Bu Eun-seol adjusted his stance once.
Bu Eun-seol attempted to mimic the intricacies of the Posture of Perfection that Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had once used, hoping to defend against the mind sword.
Yet even such mimicry was woefully insufficient to withstand Wi Ji-mua's mind sword.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Under the crushing pressure that grew heavier by the moment, Bu Eun-seol felt as though he might lose consciousness.
"Do you intend to stand there like a lifeless stone for the rest of your life?"
Wi Ji-mua's voice, imbued with an eerie magic, shook Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind.
And he could sense it—though he could neither see nor perceive it—that Wi Ji-mua's mind sword was on the verge of piercing his heart.
'This is—'
A flash erupted in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he pushed back against the extreme pressure.
Kreeeeek!
With an ear-splitting howl, a dark radiance surged from Ink Soul Sword.
He had unleashed the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
Wi Ji-mua's eyes narrowed.
To a fellow master of the sword, executing such an extreme martial technique while frantically scrambling to defend—without regard for stance or positioning—was no different than swinging a blade blindly with closed eyes.
Did he truly believe that the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, which delivered death to all things, could at least defend against the mind sword, regardless of its attributes?
Schlick.
A chilling slash resounded.
Splurt!
A crimson line appeared across Bu Eun-seol's neck, and—
Splash—
A waterfall of blood gushed forth.
In the midst of attempting the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, he had been bisected halfway through the neck by Wi Ji-mua's single stroke.
A truly futile death.
A young grandmaster who had stood unrivaled among his generation, who had walked his own path to reach heights none could attain—had ultimately failed to overcome the towering wall that was Wi Ji-mua.
His head fell, severed by a single sword stroke.
Drip, drip, drip.
A small pool of scarlet blood formed where his head had landed.
Whoooosh—
Suddenly, like mist dispersing, the surrounding scenery shattered, revealing a pavilion beside a tranquil pond.
And there sat Bu Eun-seol, unharmed.
"So the Sect Leader is also capable of manifesting a Mindscape."
In his hand was still the wine cup Wi Ji-mua had handed him.
From the moment he accepted it, he had been trapped in an illusion of Wi Ji-mua's making.
"It was quite an interesting experience, but—"
Setting down the cup, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"—a Mindscape is nothing more than a tedious trick to me."
A Mindscape exerted influence indistinguishable from reality—attacks within it could inflict catastrophic damage to both body and spirit, leading to actual death.
But Bu Eun-seol had recognized this space as a Mindscape.
By deliberately leaving himself open through the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, he had embraced death—vivid and real.
After all, he possessed the ability to reconstruct the Mindscape.
In fact, by dying—
He shattered the mystical workings of Wi Ji-mua's Mindscape in an instant.
"Truly Bu Jan-yang's grandson. To exploit death in such a situation."
Wi Ji-mua let out an astonished sigh, his expression one of disbelief.
"Not only that—you didn't escape the Phase. You used the Phase someone else manifested..."
A Mindscape was like a prison—once entered, escape was impossible without the owner's permission.
Even if one recognized it as false, breaking free was unthinkable.
Yet within Wi Ji-mua's Mindscape, Bu Eun-seol defied that absolute law.
Despite being decapitated, his body and soul bore no wounds—he had calmly reattached them.
In other words, he had dominated another's mental world, turning it into his own domain.
"You've faced Phases many times before. Your spirit is as unyielding as diamond."
Admiration flickered in Wi Ji-mua's eyes.
"But reconstructing another's Mindscape is something only those who have reached the Fifth Layer of Phase Integers... or the Baekri Clan's descendants can achieve."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
Not because of the mention of the Baekri Clan—but because Wi Ji-mua had used the term "Phase Integers."
"Does the Fire Rain Sword Technique include methods like the Mindscape?"
Disappointment saturated Bu Eun-seol's voice.
Terms like "Phase" and "Phase Integers" were used only by the Servants of the True Demon.
"For a disciple of Langya Pavilion, you're quite bound by prejudice. The roots of the Phase lie in martial arts, and its evolution has always been intertwined with them."
Wi Ji-mua spoke indifferently.
"Just as countless streams eventually merge into a single great sea, all things ultimately return to the principle of All Laws Return to One."
Then he added:
"You, too, possess a martial lineage more complex than most, do you not?"
Though phrased diplomatically—
It was an implicit admission that Wi Ji-mua himself had not solely trained in the pure Fire Rain Sword Technique.
"Both the Sect Leader and I wield swords and practice sword techniques."
Bu Eun-seol gazed calmly at the Ink Soul Sword in his hand.
"How about we settle this with swords alone—no other tricks?"
For a moment, Wi Ji-mua's eyes widened as if he had discovered something entirely new.
It was an audacious provocation—so bold it beggared belief.
With the Sword Sovereign Heonwon Dam-cheong gone—
Wi Ji-mua stood as the greatest swordsman of this era.
When it comes to pure mastery of the sword alone, even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor would have to concede superiority...
And yet this boy was proposing to settle things with nothing but the sword?
"Why deliberately choose such an unfavorable condition?"
Wi Ji-mua clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"Even if you were to employ all the various powers inherent in your body, it would still be difficult for you to survive a single stroke of this sect leader's sword."
He had already discerned at a glance that Bu Eun-seol had mastered multiple martial disciplines simultaneously.
"Length and shortness can only be measured by crossing blades."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with unshaken confidence.
"These energies were merely things I happened to acquire while wandering the martial world. What I have honed is the sword—not a single day has passed where I let it leave my hand."
"Hohoho."
Wi Ji-mua let out an involuntary chuckle.
Ever since he had faced the naked truth of his clan and sword sect, nothing in this world had been able to stir his heart.
The only moments that held meaning for him were savoring fine tea or losing himself in fragrant wine.
But this boy was different.
He always delivered fresh shocks, brimming with audacity and ingenuity.
Never once had he moved according to Wi Ji-mua's expectations.
And each time they met, he splashed vivid colors across the ashen world that had become Wi Ji-mua's existence.
Just like now.
"This is a first."
Rustle.
Withdrawing his Mindscape in an instant, Wi Ji-mua spoke with an expression of utmost delight.
"Since earning the epithet 'Profound Demon,' you are the first to challenge me to a duel using only the sword."
As he extended his hand to the right,
one of the straightest branches of the noble plum tree beside the pavilion snapped with a crisp tok, as if moved by will alone.
In midair, unseen blades of qi whittled and shaped it until, in the blink of an eye, it took on the elegant form of a sword.
Whoosh.
With a sound like parting wind, the branch—now a flawless wooden sword—flew into his grasp as though returning to its rightful master.
Though it appeared fragile enough to crumble at any moment, the moment his fingers closed around it—
the languid air of a man detached from worldly affairs vanished entirely, replaced by the majesty of a grandmaster who could survey the world with nothing but a sword.
Click.
The moment Wi Ji-mua settled into his stance, the tranquil pond shuddered violently before—
Kwawooo!
—erupting skyward in the form of a colossal dragon.
The towering pillar of water, brimming with razor-sharp energy, surged forth like a blade-clenching dragon intent on piercing through Bu Eun-seol's heart.
Swish.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol angled his sword downward.
And just like that, the dragon's ferocious advance—
Chwak.
—transformed abruptly into the shape of a loyal wolf, retreating to his side as though lowering itself at its master's feet.
The tyrannical sword of the Fire Rain Sword Sect and the arcane sword of Langya Pavilion had clashed, mediated by the forces of nature itself.
"Make your move first."
Wi Ji-mua spoke with a satisfied smile.
"I wish to observe your swordsmanship in detail."
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol unleashed his technique.
It was the Caged Bird Longing for Clouds—the most intricate and flawless form of the Formless Heavenly Flow, capable of manipulating sword qi in midair.
Ssshiik!
The three strands of sword qi he unleashed pierced toward Wi Ji-mua's head, torso, and lower body in an instant.
"No need for courtesy."
This opening move was both a gesture of respect toward Wi Ji-mua and a defensive measure against his profound sword studies.
Pat!
When the Profound Demon thrust his wooden blade forward, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened in shock.
An unprecedented, unstoppable force was driving straight toward his brow.
Crash-crash-crash!
Bu Eun-seol rapidly spun the Ink Soul Sword, unleashing a torrent of razor-sharp sword qi all at once.
A single stroke from Wi Ji-mua carried enough force to topple mountains—without matching it in kind, there was no way to neutralize it.
Paaah!
In the air, currents of qi and sword energy collided endlessly, like massive waves crashing against one another.
Chiiik.
Even after employing the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan technique and unleashing over a hundred and eighty strands of sword qi—
Bu Eun-seol failed to neutralize even a single stroke of Wi Ji-mua's blade and was forced back three zhang.
Pat!
At the same time, a single razor-sharp strand of sword qi drove straight for his throat.
Just before it could pierce through—
Shwook.
His entire body suddenly turned transparent.
He intended to let the sword qi pass through him using the mysteries of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
'No—it won't work.'
The martial arts of the Wind God Palace were not swordsmanship.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol gathered his full strength, invoking the mysteries of Neither Above Nor Below and Move Heaven Exchange Force.
Kukukuku.
At that moment, the sword energy that had until now been as gentle as a spring breeze—
revealed its True Body.
It was a colossal sword energy capable of reducing hundreds of zhang to wasteland.
Kwawooo!
In the end, the sword energy was deflected into the distant sky with a shockwave that seemed to tear heaven and earth apart.
"Neither Above Nor Below... Move Heaven Exchange Force."
Wi Ji-mua, having momentarily withdrawn his wooden branch, smiled faintly as he asked:
"You've crossed blades with the Sword Sovereign as well, I see."
Bu Eun-seol replied flatly:
"I merely received a lesson or two from him."
"Your humility is excessive."
Wi Ji-mua swung the branch once more, thrusting diagonally toward Bu Eun-seol's flank.
"Be careful."
Pat!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than blood erupted from Bu Eun-seol's side.
'This is different from before.'
If earlier he had concealed destructive sword energy within an impossibly light sword stroke—
This time, despite being a simple martial form, he unleashed a sword technique that left no possible means to defend.
Thwip! Thwip!
With each movement of the sword, blood sprayed from Bu Eun-seol's body.
It was as if the act of being cut had already been predetermined, and the sword was merely manifesting the cause after the fact.
'I'll clash with it.'
Bu Eun-seol channeled his inner energy to its limit and unleashed the Qi Absorption Art.
Zzzzzzing!
When the Ink Soul Sword met the tree branch, a strange metallic resonance erupted, sending a massive shockwave rippling outward.
'Ghk—'
Instantly, the coppery tang of blood surged up Bu Eun-seol's throat.
What Wi Ji-mua held was nothing more than a withered tree branch, the kind one could pick up anywhere.
But from the perspective of martial arts—
It was as if he had condensed the unfathomable principles of the Under-Heaven Sword Art, something that could neither be dismantled nor neutralized, into the form of a mere stick.
Fwish!
In that moment, Wi Ji-mua's wooden branch transformed midair once more.
Like an ink-laden brush tracing the spine of a dragon—
A powerful yet fluid sword energy unfurled in the void, its silver-white afterimage lingering without fading.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Wi Ji-mua, having swiftly executed three consecutive strokes, simultaneously pierced Bu Eun-seol's face, chest, and lower abdomen.
As if mocking him.
He had mimicked the sword strokes of Bu Eun-seol's earlier Caged Bird Longing for Clouds form—only to refine them into something several times more profound and devastating.
Splurt!
This time, blood burst from his shoulder.
The wounds on his flesh mattered little.
But with each touch of that sword energy, an eerie force burrowed into his meridians, inflicting internal damage bit by bit.
"Even now, you may retract your words about fighting solely with swordplay."
Wi Ji-mua calmly spoke as he momentarily withdrew the branch.
"Your strengths lie in True Qi Martial Arts, rooted in formidable inner energy, and your diverse techniques."
Bu Eun-seol had mastered numerous martial arts, and his body housed a complex amalgamation of energies.
Even if he employed them all, it would still fall short against an adversary like Wi Ji-mua.
"The reason I proposed to Sect Leader that we fight with swords alone...."
Bu Eun-seol adjusted the Ink Soul Sword horizontally, pulling it close beneath his ear before continuing.
"...is because only by facing you with a sword can I achieve victory."
For a moment, Wi Ji-mua's expression went blank.
To claim that the only way to defeat him—a man who prided himself as the world's foremost swordsman—was through swordplay?
"An amusing riddle."
His face soon twisted into one of pure delight.
"If I sever your head, perhaps I'll uncover the answer to that conundrum?"
Before he knew it, Wi Ji-mua wore an expression more joyous than when sipping tea or drinking wine.
Yet, contrary to that expression—
The withered tree branch was already lashing toward Bu Eun-seol's throat like a gale.
Shhk—shhk—shhk!
Bu Eun-seol activated Swift Shadowless, conjuring dozens of afterimages in rapid succession.
But Wi Ji-mua's swordplay transcended distance, striking his vital points as though unfolding the strokes right before his eyes.
Sssssk—
Each graze of the branch carried an unsettling heat.
If ordinary sword strokes were mere slashes and thrusts—
Wi Ji-mua's technique carried a wave of absolute void within it.
With every wound inflicted by those strikes, his meridians trembled, his reflexes and senses dulling further.
At this rate, before his neck was severed, he would collapse into the Collapse State—dropping his sword of his own accord.
Zzzzzing—
But then, something miraculous occurred.
With each razor-sharp sword energy that grazed him, a faint glow seeped from Bu Eun-seol's body.
Mysterious points of light began blooming into the air, one by one.
As the relentless onslaught of Wi Ji-mua's terrifying swordplay carved wounds into him, the Heavenly Light Endless Art activated on its own.
Ssssssss—
The motes of light were neither fierce nor blinding, but warm and gentle, like sunlight dancing on water.
Drip—drip—
The luminous points intertwined, weaving new flesh and reconnecting torn muscle.
With the Heavenly Light Endless Art in motion, his wounds began to slowly heal.
'So... it also has the power to mend external injuries.'
The Heavenly Light Endless Art was born from the fusion of the Three Divine Powers—the forces of nature.
And the void within Wi Ji-mua's sword strokes originated from the Way of Nature.
As he suffered continuous wounds from this kindred force, the Heavenly Light Endless Art instinctively activated in opposition, restoring his injuries.
Thwip!
Another sharp stroke grazed his cheek, carving a long gash—
Drip.
Yet the wound closed in an instant.
"I thought it was some sorcery..."
Wi Ji-mua muttered, watching as each injury healed the moment it formed.
"...but it seems you've refined a Nature Sword superior even to mine."
Shhk—shhk—shhk!
Mistaking the power of the Heavenly Light Endless Art for the Nature Sword, Wi Ji-mua shifted his swordplay again.
He unleashed three strokes in succession, targeting Bu Eun-seol's head, neck, and lower abdomen.
'So that's it.'
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
He had unraveled the secret behind Wi Ji-mua's cascading sword strokes.
Halt.
Abruptly, he stopped moving and stood still.
He neither countered the incoming strikes nor attempted to dismantle the swordplay.
Shhh—
Bu Eun-seol raised his sword to mid-guard.
And in that moment, all sound in the world died.
The flow of wind ceased, the movement of waves stilled, even the distant chirping of insects sank into silence.
By merely raising his sword to mid-guard, everything—including Wi Ji-mua—had vanished.