Chapter 1040
Whoooosh!
A black storm of shattered fragments from the Swan Bone Sword, tangled with flesh and bone, raged like a vengeful wraith, its edges honed to a razor's sharpness as it viciously tore through the very space where Bu Eun-seol stood.
Yet, even at the heart of this storm of destruction, Bu Eun-seol's movements remained endlessly unhurried, serene.
The eyes that guided the Ink Soul Sword seemed to contain a condensed insight—one that pierced through the countless principles of the blade, the innumerable boundaries between life and death, and the very truths of the world.
Back in the Fantasy Pond of India,
he had once forged a sword barrier and advanced over 400 feet through a situation even more desperate than this.
But now, with his body intact, creating a sword barrier using the Fluorescent Sword Control technique—
was as effortless as breathing.
Shuuuu...
Eventually, the black storm dissipated, leaving only Bu Eun-seol standing in its wake.
Squelch... Squelch...
The floor of the Grand Hall was drenched in blood, each step producing a wet, sticky sound.
Rumble...
But the defenses of the Holy Demon Pavilion were not to be underestimated.
The forty-some Divine Guardians stationed earlier had merely been the vanguard guarding the entrance.
Now, before his eyes, a new wave of Divine Guardians emerged.
"Attack!"
Perhaps their pride had been wounded, for they no longer resorted to bizarre Great Arts.
Instead, they drew only their Swan Bone Swords and surged toward Bu Eun-seol like a black mist.
CRACK! THUD!
Each time, a dull sword force erupted from the circular sword barrier, shattering the fists of the charging Divine Guardians one by one.
The Divine Guardians staggered back, low groans escaping their lips.
The Swan Bone Sword was fully fused with the bones, nerves, and qi-blood of its wielder.
Yet now, the fists that housed them were being obliterated wholesale by blunt sword energy—
bringing with it pain beyond imagination.
CRACK! SNAP!
Unfazed, Bu Eun-seol continued his leisurely stride down the darkened passage, systematically crushing the fists of every Divine Guardian that dared approach.
"To unleash sword force of this magnitude without a shred of internal energy in his body...?"
Hidden in the shadows, beads of sweat formed on the brows of the Divine Guardians.
Sword force, by definition, was the collective term for the kinetic power generated when wielding a blade—but it typically referred to a force concentrated with internal energy.
Yet Bu Eun-seol was wielding it as though he possessed Innate Divine Strength,
generating fierce sword winds that poured forth with devastating power.
"For a long time now, I've faced those who employ techniques that annihilate the energy within one's body."
Bu Eun-seol murmured as if speaking to himself, seemingly able to perceive the frozen spirit and mind of the Divine Guardians hiding in the dark.
"So I even considered devising a method to preserve my strength."
CRACK!
Another dull surge of sword force erupted from the barrier, predictably crushing yet another fist.
"But in the end, I abandoned the idea. After all, it was what I wanted anyway."
Bu Eun-seol did not crave strength greater than his enemies.
He had always wished to fight them on equal footing.
Thus, he had devoted himself to studying the subtleties of martial arts, ensuring he could battle even without the energy in his body.
If his strength vanished, then so be it—he would simply fight with what remained.
Every struggle would one day become the foundation for victory.
"......."
The Divine Guardians could no longer attack, curling in on themselves in the darkness.
Every time they struck, the dull sword force would bend like a whip, coiling around their fists before crushing them—
or winding like a spear to stab, or even folding like a Three-Section Staff before lashing out in a brutal strike.
With just a single longsword,
he could replicate the transformations and intricacies of countless weapons.
"To think his swordsmanship has reached such heights..."
For masters who had trained with the sword for decades, wielding a single longsword to emulate the strengths of other weapons was not particularly difficult.
But to reach the realm of "the sword follows the heart's command"—where one could freely adopt the advantages and variations of any weapon at will—
was something even the peerless swordsmen of murim dared not attempt.
Crunch.
In the end, most of the Divine Guardians' fists had been shattered.
The fortunate part was that, though the pain was excruciating, their lives were not in danger.
The unfortunate part was that a warrior's weapon was their pride.
And now that it had been broken, their dignity and self-respect lay in ruins.
"Final warning."
Bu Eun-seol came to a halt, sheathing his sword barrier as he spoke in a low voice.
"From now on, if you attack, I will take your heads. So—scatter."
The Divine Guardians trembled faintly.
These were men personally instructed in martial arts by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself—warriors who had secretly cut down countless renowned experts of murim.
They had prided themselves on being unmatched when the Divine Guardians assembled as one.
Yet now, the Martial Soul Lord, whom they had not even deemed worthy of notice, had crushed them so utterly?
"You may be able to kill us,"
then, the leader of the Divine Guardians, Cho Jin, spoke in a low voice.
"But you will not drive us away like dogs!"
WHOOSH—CRACK!
Jagged blades protruded from their shoes, though their hands were shattered.
And once again, the blades dissolved into black mist before surging toward him.
Whoosh!
Bu Eun-seol remained rooted in place.
Swinging the Ink Soul Sword like a long spear, he struck the vital points of the Divine Guardians concealed within the black mist.
Squelch. Thud.
They vomited blood as they collapsed messily onto the ground.
Then, disregarding death entirely, they charged head-on.
Whoosh!
As the Divine Guardians surrounding him unleashed their attacks, Bu Eun-seol transformed the spear-like sword energy—
Slash! Slash! Slash!
—into hundreds of needle-thin strands and rained them down upon his enemies.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
They bravely parried with the blades that had erupted from their shoes, but—
Every time they clashed with the sword energy unleashed by the Ink Soul Sword, their faces flushed crimson as if they had drunk potent liquor, forcing them to stagger back.
Unable to withstand the overwhelming force imbued in the blade, they suffered severe internal injuries.
"Now!"
The moment Bu Eun-seol paused briefly, Cho Jin shouted.
"Deploy the Abyssal Devouring Formation!"
Whoomph.
In an instant, the Divine Guardians vanished, and from the far end of the passage, a massive crimson tongue and maw materialized.
The Abyssal Devouring Formation—a deadly battle formation only the Divine Guardians could execute. Their relentless assault had all been to set this trap.
[Neither blade nor supernatural power can cut through or block this ancient formation once swallowed.]
From within the blackened void, Cho Jin's voice echoed like the wail of a vengeful spirit.
[May you bitterly regret your arrogance in the depths of hell.]
Chomp.
The colossal maw swallowed Bu Eun-seol whole in an instant.
Silence fell within the hall as the grotesque scenery slowly reverted to its original state.
Shhh—
Before long, the Divine Guardians reappeared inside the Grand Hall.
Though they had barely survived, their bodies were drenched in blood, bearing fatal wounds.
"The losses are too great."
Cho Jin shook his head as he stared at the spot where Bu Eun-seol had been devoured by the Abyssal Devouring Formation.
"It took three years to prepare this formation. When will we ever be able to set it up again—"
Squelch.
A jet-black blade suddenly erupted from Cho Jin's chest.
Bu Eun-seol, who should have been trapped within the Abyssal Devouring Formation, had abruptly appeared behind him and thrust his sword.
"How...?"
Cho Jin's eyes widened as he stared at the blade impaling his chest.
The moment one was swallowed by the Abyssal Devouring Formation, no martial arts or supernatural power could be used.
No matter how formidable a master one was, escape from this ancient formation was supposed to be impossible.
So how had he gotten out?
"Because I never entered."
A glacial chill spread through Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
During his previous encounter with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
The man had once conjured a table and teacup out of thin air, as if plucking them from the void itself.
That was only possible because he had reached a realm where he could comprehend and manipulate space itself.
Bu Eun-seol had not yet attained such mastery—
But the instant the distorted space, like a massive maw, attempted to swallow him whole—
He had detected the gaps in the warping fabric of reality.
The blind spots untouched by the formation's destructive influence.
Without hesitation, he had hurled himself through that fleeting opening.
"Further conversation is meaningless."
Slash! Splurt!
Bu Eun-seol swung the Ink Soul Sword without hesitation.
He had given the Divine Guardians their final chance.
But since they had ignored it and attacked, there would be no further mercy.
"Scatter!"
The horrified Divine Guardians dispersed like mist, vanishing with desperate shouts.
But their struggle was futile.
The stealth arts they employed—
Were nothing more than a form of Shadow Evasion Technique, shifting their bodies into blind spots beyond an enemy's sight and perception.
Yet because Bu Eun-seol's comprehension and manipulation of space surpassed theirs—
No matter how frantically they flailed, they were nothing more than rats trapped in a jar.
Squelch!
Blood gushed endlessly from the necks of the Divine Guardians.
This Grand Hall had been designed as a death trap—a place to confine intruders and annihilate them with overwhelming esoteric arts.
But before Bu Eun-seol, who had pierced through the principles of space—
It had instead become an inescapable prison, tightening around its own casters.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One by one, the Divine Guardians hiding within the Grand Hall fell as headless corpses.
Click.
Sheathing the Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol slowly pushed open the door leading out of the Grand Hall.
Brilliant sunlight poured in, revealing a small garden plot near the western gate of the Holy Demon Pavilion.
By design, exiting the Grand Hall should have led to a maze of branching passages.
Yet the door had instantly become a direct path to the western gate?
But Bu Eun-seol, as if he had anticipated this, strode toward the garden without so much as a flicker of surprise.
Before long, a small pavilion erected in the middle of the garden came into view—
There stood an ordinary-looking old man in gray robes, hands clasped behind his back.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Though he was supposedly in secluded training, here he stood casually enjoying the scenery.
"You're faster than expected."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor observed Bu Eun-seol—drenched in blood and covered in wounds—before speaking in a low voice.
"I thought it would take at least a meal's time."
'Demonic Heavenly Emperor.'
Bu Eun-seol's pupils burned with a radiance like the sun.
That tone, as if he knew everything.
That attitude, as if he held all the world's figures in the palm of his hand—it was sickening.
For a long time, Bu Eun-seol had been waiting for the right moment to challenge him.
But the gap in martial prowess was still stark.
And since he hadn't yet built up the Martial Soul Society or his own forces, he had kept delaying that moment.
Yet now, all of that felt meaningless.
The difference in martial arts? The perfect timing?
What use was any of it?
"Hall Master Sado."
Bu Eun-seol discarded the respectful tone he had used until now—his voice dropping to its coldest, most solemn timbre.
"Bu Eun-seol, disciple of Langya Pavilion. I challenge you now."
For an instant, a dazzling light erupted in the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's pupils.
The Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic.
The Three Demons and Three Venerables.
In the Orthodox and Unorthodox Martial World, there were two heavens.
And six supreme masters pursued them relentlessly.
They clashed in secret.
But those were mere collisions—never true challenges to the Twin Emperors.
Even the grandmasters serving the Four Gods and Seven Kings had never dared approach the domain of heaven.
Because the gap in martial prowess was simply too vast.
Thus, only the Three Demons and Three Venerables could challenge the Twin Emperors—an unwritten rule that had endured for generations.
And now, Bu Eun-seol was the first to shatter that unspoken law.
"A challenge, you say."
"Do you think me unworthy?"
"Not at all."
Though Bu Eun-seol's tone was insolent, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor remained unperturbed.
"There are few in this world who have faced both the Four Gods and Seven Kings and the Three Demons and Three Venerables."
The Four Gods and Seven Kings.
The Three Demons and Three Venerables.
The difference lay only in the hierarchy of martial prowess.
Each was a grandmaster who had reached the pinnacle of their respective path, differing only in their specialties and pursuits.
In the martial world, there was only one—
Only Bu Eun-seol had fought them all, directly or indirectly.
That experience had granted him an immeasurable advantage—the very reason he had survived until now.
"Still, what a pity."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor gazed at the distant sky, his voice calm.
"If you had said those words after reaching a level where you could defeat one of the Three Demons in a fight to the death... I would have accepted your challenge in earnest."
Flash!
In that instant, a brilliant radiance erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body.
The light condensed into a single point—then transformed into the purest, most perfect form of a sword.
Fire Rain Sword.
The blade, forged of pure flame and raindrops, was wreathed in a spiraling brilliance.
The essence of martial arts—the pinnacle of mastery—honed through relentless training and countless life-or-death battles.
And the crystallization of his bitter vengeance, piercing through the Abyss—all poured into the form of the Fire Rain Sword.
Then unleashed toward the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
"Now that is the true Fire Rain Sword."
With a low murmur—
A crimson glow and a dark wave, reminiscent of a black dragon's scales, coiled around the Fire Rain Sword like iron filings drawn to a magnet.
Krrrk—
The boundary between heaven and earth trembled violently as—
At the point where the two forces collided, a swirling aurora of prismatic colors erupted.
Each time the blade of fire and rain carved a luminous spiral through the air—
Fragments of darkness clinging to the sword scattered across the world, and a roar like a dragon's cry pierced the heavens.
Rooooar—
Then, in an instant—absolute silence, as if everything had evaporated.
The cataclysmic clash neutralized both forces, and the auroral storm of sword and Demonic Energy slowly dissipated.
The two stood facing each other, as if nothing had happened.
Drip.
A trickle of crimson blood slid from the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Despite launching the first strike with the Fire Rain Sword—imbued with the full refinement of his martial arts—
He had failed to completely block the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's black surge, leaving him with severe internal injuries.
Though Bu Eun-seol had fought on equal footing with the world's greatest masters—
Since his emergence in the martial world—
He still could not match the power of the peerless Great Demon who had long stood above all beneath heaven.
'Of course.'
Bu Eun-seol's gaze did not waver in the slightest.
From the very beginning, he had discarded any thought of defeating the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
But once the battle begins—
He had entered this place with the resolve to leave no living being alive within the Holy Demon Pavilion's vicinity.
'This is only the beginning!'
Just as Bu Eun-seol, his eyes radiating bloody light, was about to unleash all the energy within his body—
Crackle—
Suddenly, across the clear blue sky, thin fissures began to spread like ice shattering.
The warm sunlight, the gentle breeze, the chirping birds, the blooming wildflowers—even the beautiful garden that had once flourished here—
All of it began to fracture like a spiderweb.
CRASH—!
With an ear-splitting, spine-chilling sound—as if thousands upon thousands of glass shards had shattered at once—
The illusion veiling the beautiful scenery began to crumble.
Bu Eun-seol's brows shot up in an instant.
As the scenery shattered like glass, the true appearance of the once-beautiful western garden was revealed—
And it was a horrifying garden of hell.
What had been planted in the ground were not plants but bleached white bones.
Some still bore faces twisted in agony, not yet fully decayed.
One corpse had its bloodshot eyes exposed, its mouth frozen in a scream, while another had ribs jutting out like a fence.
The stench of blood and rotting souls filled the air, and the earth itself was stained with death.
This garden... was a burial ground for those who had dared oppose or challenge the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
"Hmm."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor swept his indifferent gaze over the garden before nodding slightly.
"It seems you've earned the right to engage in discourse with this sovereign."
"......"
"Though whether you walk away or are buried here remains to be seen."
'He manifested the Phase into reality.'
Had Bu Eun-seol not clashed with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor here, sending shockwaves of power rippling outward, he might never have seen through the true nature of the western garden.
The Emperor's mastery far surpassed even Wi Ji-hon's ability to merely overlay reality and the mental realm—
He had fully manifested the Phase as if it were reality itself.
"I have no need for discourse."
A bloody radiance erupted from Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"The time for peaceful conversation has long passed!"
BOOM—!
With a deafening crash, as if heaven and earth had collided, the ground beneath his feet split apart.
"How naïve..."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor casually extended his hand.
And in that instant, the countless forces within Bu Eun-seol's body clashed, negating one another.
Extreme Yang energy collided with Extreme Yin,
The Demonic Path's secrets warred against the Righteous Faction's Mind-Training Formula.
Lightning evaporated crystal energy, wind repelled thunder.
Spirit and Mind, entangled in light and darkness, sought to extinguish his consciousness.
Thud—thud—thud—
Then, from the Brain Gate Acupoint at the base of his skull, a strange power erupted—his pupils burning crimson.
From his left eye flowed a river of starlight, like the Milky Way itself.
From his right, the abyssal darkness of the Abyss spilled forth, devouring all.
Just as molten heat, like lava, began seeping from his reddened skin—
Whoosh.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor withdrew his hand.
The forces that had reached their peak rippled outward like waves—and in an instant, Bu Eun-seol's body and flesh were emptied.
Not a trace of energy remained circulating within him.
Instead, he became as calm and detached as if he had been meditating for years.
"...It will be necessary."
The Emperor spoke dispassionately.
"Though only insofar as stopping that pitiful self-destruction of yours is concerned."
Pitiful self-destruction.
Those words carried a layered meaning.
First—it was a refusal to even acknowledge Bu Eun-seol's challenge.
Second—
It was a declaration that, within the bounds of preventing this so-called "self-destruction," he would answer whatever questions were necessary.
"Discourse, you say."
An ordinary martial artist—
Had the Demonic Heavenly Emperor emptied their Spirit and Mind, they would have lost all will to fight, never daring to oppose him again.
But Bu Eun-seol's Spirit and Mind remained unbroken.
If he willed it, he could summon his power at any moment and strike.
'Whether he accepts the challenge or not, I can attack regardless.'
In all the world, few could engage in discourse with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
And Bu Eun-seol knew better than anyone just how powerful information could be.
"Fine."
A conversation with the Emperor—
Was an opportunity to grasp truths worth more than mountains of gold.
So he accepted.
"Speak."
"Your declaration of challenge suggests an unyielding determination to uncover this sovereign's secrets."
A mysterious glint flashed in the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's eyes.
"Which means Jin Seol must have passed along information—or evidence—about me."
"So you killed Jin Sanghwa?"
"Hohoho."
The Emperor laughed.
"Do you truly believe this sovereign is so heartless as to cruelly dispose of even an adopted daughter?"
"It's good that you know."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was bleak.
"Though, given you're not truly of the Demonic Path, I suppose you would have done such a thing."
He had already read Jin Seol's final letter.
And its contents were shocking.
The Demonic Path Annihilation Plan.
Despite being the Number One of the Demonic Path and ruling from the Demon Hall's throne—
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had been orchestrating a plan to eradicate the Demonic Path entirely.