Chapter 1105
"Hohoho."
Despite Bu Eun-seol's terrifying aura, Wi Cheong-un clapped his hands in delight as if watching an entertaining Beijing Opera performance.
"Your presence is impressive. This will make for a rare and enjoyable time."
Wi Cheong-un nodded with a smile.
"Good. Let us relocate."
As soon as the response came—
Whoosh.
Bu Eun-seol activated his movement technique and instantly moved himself to a desolate rocky wasteland.
The cracked, parched earth stretched endlessly, covered in lifeless red soil and gravel devoid of any warmth of life. Above it, bizarre rock formations carved by eons of time jutted toward the sky.
Towering spires of rock like thousands of sharpened blades thrust into the ground.
Massive boulders resembling clenched fists of giants.
Wind-worn stones, hollowed out like the empty eye sockets of skulls, lay scattered in chaotic disarray.
It was a place more than suitable for a battle against Pa-myeong, the servant of the True Demon.
But something was strange.
Zzzziiing.
The moment Wi Cheong-un arrived behind him, an inky darkness descended upon the rocky wasteland, transforming it into a place where breathing became impossible.
'The Land of the Ultimate Void?'
Zzzzziiing.
At the same time, a transparent barrier unfurled across the sky.
Like the Life-and-Death Combat Formation.
A Golden Chain Formation had been cast—one that would not release them until one of the two had fallen.
"Rest assured."
Wi Cheong-un—no, Pa-myeong—revealed a peculiar smile.
"I am merely controlling another's body... I cannot use Soul-Demon Magic Energy."
He casually surveyed their surroundings.
"I knew you would choose this place, so I laid down the formation to prevent escape."
Despite being unable to use Soul-Demon Magic Energy, Pa-myeong had not only revealed himself confidently—
He had also anticipated that Bu Eun-seol, who adhered strictly to martial arts, would select this rocky wasteland as their battleground, and thus prepared the Golden Chain Formation here in advance.
"So you've expended all your Soul-Demon Magic Energy just to control that body."
The idea that the highest-ranking subordinate of the True Demon couldn't use Soul-Demon Magic Energy was absurd.
"It's your good fortune."
Pa-myeong curled his lips into a wicked smile.
"Because of that, I'll fight you using only martial arts—the thing you love so much."
Even without Soul-Demon Magic Energy, someone of Pa-myeong's caliber could wield countless ancient secret techniques and forbidden arts.
Yet despite knowing full well that Bu Eun-seol walked the unyielding path of the Martial Way—
He deliberately declared he would kill him using only martial arts.
'This isn't just an ordinary formation.'
Bu Eun-seol could sense it.
What had been cast here was not a martial world formation, but an ancient forbidden technique fused with a unique spatial ability.
"Where are you looking?"
Pa-myeong flicked his index finger lightly.
BOOM!
With a deafening blast, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying over thirty zhang away, crashing into a cliff face.
A mere flick of a finger had unleashed an invisible, undetectable force that struck him with devastating power.
Crash.
As he rose from the shattered rocks, Bu Eun-seol's gaze grew infinitely heavy.
'It's like the Land of the Ultimate Void.'
Inside the formation, a terrifying pressure poured down, and time flowed unbearably slow.
His extrasensory perception had shattered, leaving only chaos in his mind.
Bu Eun-seol did not resist the crushing pressure, instead gradually adjusting his strength.
'I must adapt.'
The only saving grace was—
Thanks to the Return-to-One Realm Lord in the past, he had trained in a similar space like the Land of the Ultimate Void.
Because of that, even within this bizarre domain Pa-myeong had created, he could still move freely and unleash his sword strokes.
Swoosh.
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol adapted his body to the pressure, drew the Ink Soul Sword, and—
Thrust!
Closed the distance to pierce Wi Cheong-un—no, Pa-myeong's—throat.
His movement was supremely fluid.
Simple and direct, yet the razor-sharp tip of his sword reached its target immediately.
"An excellent sword technique."
Pa-myeong let out an admiring exclamation as he extended his index finger and lightly flicked the Ink Soul Sword away.
But as if anticipating this, the sword had already pierced toward his lower abdomen.
Originally, Pa-myeong had intended to exploit the flaw in the sword stroke and take Bu Eun-seol's head in one strike.
Yet Bu Eun-seol's swordplay contained no openings whatsoever, forcing Pa-myeong to resort to brute force to repel him.
"The Fire Rain Sword has reached Ultimate Transcendence."
Pa-myeong muttered in astonishment.
"And to move so freely in this place... Impressive."
Bu Eun-seol had no room to respond.
Pa-myeong was stronger than any opponent he had ever faced. There was absolutely no room for carelessness.
Swish! Slash-slash-slash-slash!
Bu Eun-seol unleashed his full strength in a relentless assault, yet not a single strike managed to touch his opponent.
He still hadn't even figured out what kind of power Pa-myeong was using.
"Then that means you've entered the Land of the Ultimate Void."
Pa-myeong displayed sharp insight.
"Thanks to that, you must have tasted the realm of Ultimate Transcendence."
"......"
"Your sword art is truly exceptional."
Seemingly delighted, he nodded approvingly.
"I've decided."
Then, as if making a grand resolution, he declared:
"I'll use the Mount Hua Sword Art to shatter your sword technique."
With that, he manifested a sword of qi and truly unleashed the Mount Hua Sword Technique.
Originally, the Mount Hua Sword was as swift and agile as a swallow, prioritizing the interception of an opponent's sword trajectory before they could strike.
This method had the advantage of preemptively blocking enemy attacks, but its reliance on sheer speed also left many openings exposed.
Yet when Pa-myeong wielded the Mount Hua Sword Technique, it became an impeccable sword form—blindingly fast, yet without a single exploitable flaw.
Slash-slash-slash!
The exchange of attacks and defenses continued endlessly,
but their sword strokes only tangled in empty air, never clashing directly.
Their sword arts were simply too refined, each predicting the other's martial forms several moves ahead.
Instead of colliding, their sword energies merely sliced through the void in an unbroken cycle.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Every time their blades flashed, sword energy sharp enough to scrape bone grazed past like a phantom.
The ground beneath their feet had become strangely damp, as if drenched by a sudden downpour—
countless droplets of sword energy had rained down thousands of times over.
"Even though your body brims with countless energies, you rely solely on sword techniques... Hmm."
Having sensed the overflowing energies within Bu Eun-seol's body, Pa-myeong nodded with a satisfied expression.
"If you can break this Mount Hua Sword Art as I wield it, I shall withdraw then."
Muttering low, Pa-myeong swung his sword down toward Bu Eun-seol's head.
The sword's trajectory was crooked, as if drunken, and its movement wasn't particularly fast—
BOOM!
A thunderous roar erupted as pitch-black sword energy shot straight toward Bu Eun-seol's heart in a deadly line.
It was a killing stroke—no mercy, no hesitation, aimed solely at delivering absolute death.
Bu Eun-seol twisted his waist and leaned his upper body back, the sword energy grazing past his chest by a hair's breadth.
Had it not been for the icy chill that brushed his skin,
he might not have even realized the attack had come—a sword stroke so divine it bordered on the miraculous.
Slash-slash!
The endpoint of Pa-myeong's attack became the starting point of Bu Eun-seol's counter.
The moment Pa-myeong's sword energy flashed past, the Ink Soul Sword coiled upward like flowing water, rising from below.
Its target: the right wrist.
A fluid yet fatal counterstrike, launched from an angle impossible to evade.
But Pa-myeong didn't evade.
Instead, he channeled the momentum of his sword stroke into spinning his body like a top.
The Ink Soul Sword, aimed at his wrist, naturally lost its mark and sliced harmlessly through empty air.
Whirr!
With the centrifugal force of his spin, Pa-myeong's sword transformed into a black storm of slashing energy.
This was the pinnacle of the Mount Hua Sword Technique—Wind Welcoming Snow Return.
Shwaa-ra-ra-rak!
A single sword split into dozens of black afterimages, engulfing Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
Distinguishing reality from illusion was meaningless—every afterimage carried lethal sword energy.
"Using the Mount Hua Sword to dismantle the Fire Rain Sword?"
Pa-myeong was deliberately countering the Fire Rain Sword—known as the foremost demonic sword art—with the orthodox techniques of the Mount Hua Sect.
As if a child were playing a game, wondering how to make the fun last longer.
"Then—"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed coldly.
At the same time, the tip of the Ink Soul Sword trembled faintly.
Ziiing—
A ripple of transparent sword energy, like heat haze, bloomed into the air.
Instantly, the storm of afterimages Pa-myeong had unleashed scattered like ink dissolving in water, powerless and fading—
revealing only a single, true sword energy.
Bu Eun-seol had adapted the Red Pine Snowfall from the Mount Hua Sword Technique to intercept Pa-myeong's martial forms.
"As expected of a disciple of Langya Pavilion."
Pa-myeong shouted, even more exhilarated.
"Using the enemy's blade to pierce the enemy's shield. Easy to say, but rare are those who can execute it in real combat on the spot."
Then, in rapid succession, he unleashed Jade Flow Blood Wave, Silver Wave Sparse Shadow, and Blue Snow Returning Cloud, sending three streams of sword energy hurtling forward.
Mount Hua was home to many ancient pine trees, each with its own distinctive character.
The masters of the Mount Hua Sect had modeled their sword strokes after these pines, creating techniques with unique traits.
The culmination of these was the foundational swordsmanship of Mount Hua—the Moonlit Blue Pine Sword.
Pa-myeong was now wielding the sect's elementary swordplay, overwhelming Bu Eun-seol's Fire Rain Sword.
Plip. Plip.
In the brief exchange, blood trickled from Bu Eun-seol's neck and forehead.
Even when using the same Mount Hua swordsmanship, he couldn't fully evade the sword energy unleashed by Pa-myeong's techniques.
Ssshk!
Before he knew it, another wave of the Moonlit Blue Pine Sword pierced toward his neck and forehead simultaneously.
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to counter—
Swish.
Pa-myeong's shadow, like a specter, pierced through that fleeting opening.
There was no sound of footsteps, no trace of movement.
Phantom-like, he closed the distance in an instant—
Fwoosh.
—and placed his fingertip a mere half-chon away from Bu Eun-seol's fatal Chest Center acupoint.
A single drop of sweat rolled down Bu Eun-seol's forehead, tracing the bridge of his nose.
Until now, every formidable foe he had faced wielded power that transcended human limits.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had always defeated those superlative martial experts with pure martial arts alone.
His ultimate pursuit had been to reduce them to mere martial artists—ordinary warriors—and bring them down through skill alone.
But Pa-myeong...
...was the first to shatter that confidence.
'Should I use poison?'
Though he rarely resorted to it,
the power of the Saint Among Poisons was a trump card—once unleashed, its devastating force was nearly impossible to withstand.
'No. Pa-myeong's martial prowess is too high—poison likely won't work.'
If he carelessly revealed the level of his poison arts, it would only alert countless enemies to his capabilities.
"Hahaha."
Then, Pa-myeong laughed.
If he unleashed sharp internal power now, Bu Eun-seol would suffer a fatal wound.
But instead of pressing the attack—
Fwoosh.
—he slowly withdrew his hand.
It was a demonstration—proof that he could subdue Bu Eun-seol at any moment.
And at the same time,
it was another deliberate shattering of his pride.
"An entertaining exchange."
Pa-myeong wore a satisfied expression.
"At your age, none have ever reached such heights."
He nodded approvingly, as if genuinely impressed.
"Now, shall we reap the fruits?"
Once more, he extended a finger.
A seemingly simple motion—yet concealed within it were countless follow-up techniques, leaving no room for reckless movement.
"So this is where it ends."
The moment Pa-myeong moved his finger, a blade of sword energy, three chi long, shot forth.
Bu Eun-seol didn't so much as twitch—as if resigned to powerlessness and despair.
And why would he?
Even weakened, even without fully restoring his body, Pa-myeong was one of the Three Attendants.
An existence closest to the True Demon, who had endured since antiquity.
Bu Eun-seol, as he was now, stood no chance of total victory.
"Even if you evade this, you cannot escape my grasp."
Thump.
The sword energy surged toward Bu Eun-seol's heart.
But the instant the three-chi blade should have pierced his body—
"......!"
Pa-myeong's expression twisted strangely.
Despite driving the sword energy deep, it hadn't penetrated flesh—instead, it had plunged into an endless, pitch-black void.
Crackle—
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol's pupils darkened, and a terrifying aura unfurled.
Baekri Geom-ha.
At the brink of death, the other personality lurking in the Abyss had emerged.
―I still can't defeat Pa-myeong.
Even before facing Pa-myeong in battle,
Bu Eun-seol had coldly assessed the situation.
He hadn't even achieved total victory against the Return-to-One Realm Lord. How could he possibly defeat one of the Three Attendants, who stood even higher?
―Then there's only one way.
He had known this desperate moment would come.
Just as he had once dealt a decisive blow to the Thousand Killing Star,
he had devised a plan—borrow the annihilating power of Baekri Geom-ha, block the fatal strike, and launch a counterattack.
―If you don't want to die, come out.
The moment Pa-myeong appeared,
Bu Eun-seol had activated the Phantom Restoration technique to summon Baekri Geom-ha from the Abyss.
Normally, it required deep concentration in absolute stillness—
but faced with a foe like Pa-myeong,
there was no such luxury.
Yet the personality of Baekri Geom-ha had grasped the situation instantly.
The moment the Phantom Restoration was unleashed, it responded—
and agreed to Bu Eun-seol's plan.
But Bu Eun-seol had momentarily forgotten one crucial fact.
That Baekri Geom-ha was trapped within the personality of his childhood self from the Saha Manor days.
—"No need for such rat-like schemes."
That he was utterly arrogant and self-aggrandizing, capable of discarding promises at any moment.
The instant they escaped this life-or-death crisis, he should have immediately struck Pa-myeong with a decisive blow.
"Where do you think you're shoving that ugly mug of yours?"
A smirk.
Bu Eun-seol—no, Baekri Geom-ha—flashed a leisurely smile as he lightly brushed off Pa-myeong's hand and floated into the air.
Zzzing.
With unshakable confidence, he raised one hand toward the sky.
"Servant of the True Demon, let me show you the difference in our level."
In that instant, a massive sphere formed in the heavens.
The blackened orb swirled with a force that seemed capable of annihilating everything.
Flash.
Suddenly, three radiant lights—azure, crimson, and white—bloomed like meteors from Pa-myeong's body, coiling around him like serpents.
"Your petty tricks won't save you."
Baekri Geom-ha bared his fangs in a grin as he stretched out his hand.
"Die."
KWAOOONG!
The black sphere instantly transformed into a meteor and hurtled toward Pa-myeong.
KWAUUUU!
The heavens screamed, the earth split apart, and a deathly heat spread as though it would melt everything in its path.
Shhk.
But the moment the black meteor grazed Pa-myeong, he vanished without a trace.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Baekri Geom-ha landed back on the ground, erupting into uproarious laughter.
"Whether it's the True Demon or his lackey, none can withstand my power."
But then, something astonishing happened.
Ripple, ripple.
The space where Pa-myeong had disappeared began to undulate like water.
Then, the azure, crimson, and white lights violently tangled together, devouring one another in a frenzied whirlpool.
Ripple, ripple.
The swirling lights coalesced into an indistinct, pale mist before suddenly writhing as though alive.
Like an invisible giant hand molding clay, it gradually took on a humanoid shape.
Shoulders, arms, legs—and finally, the contours of a face emerged.
Color and texture seeped into the hazy form, sharpening into the unmistakable figure of a person.
Pa-myeong, who should have been obliterated by the black meteor, had resurrected in an even more sinister and incomprehensible form.
Smirk.
As the fully restored Pa-myeong smiled and extended both hands,
GOOOOOH.
A violent surge of black energy and searing darkness condensed between his palms.
It was the very power of the black sphere Baekri Geom-ha had unleashed.
KWAUUUU.
But as the torrent of black and crimson energy continued to gather between his hands,
Pa-myeong's flesh began to tear apart, piece by piece.
"Hmm. Seems I can't absorb this."
Clicking his tongue, Pa-myeong thrust his hands forward.
"Take it back."
KWAUUUU!
A transparent heat haze bloomed around Baekri Geom-ha, distorting space itself.
Without a moment to evade, he absorbed the black surge Pa-myeong had hurled back at him.
For an instant, a deep, hollow light spilled from Baekri Geom-ha's pupils.
Drip, drip.
Then, a trail of dark crimson blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The counterattack had dealt him a grievous internal injury.
"So it is the Heavenly Darkness Star."
Pa-myeong's gaze lingered on the vortex of infinite, annihilating power still coiled around Baekri Geom-ha's body before scoffing.
"They said you survived the hands of the Heavenly Killer Star. So this was why."
"You... bastard."
Baekri Geom-ha gritted his teeth.
"Is this... martial arts?"
"Of course."
Pa-myeong snorted.
"Though it's an ancient Secret Art lost to the modern martial world."
He continued leisurely.
"In the past, you would have brought about the martial world's extinction... but in this era, the Heavenly Darkness Star is nothing more than a convenient power."
"......"
"My power defies fate itself. No attack can ever reach me."
Drip, drip.
Blood continued to spill from Baekri Geom-ha's lips.
Unable to disperse the rebounded force,
his injuries only deepened.
"Tch. You haven't even awakened the Heavenly Darkness Star's power properly yet."
Pa-myeong's eyes curved into crescents as he flashed a malevolent grin.
"Now, die."
"Heh... keheheh. HAHAHAHA!"
Baekri Geom-ha burst into mad laughter.
"Bragging after blocking one attack?"
Zzziiing.
Before anyone realized, dozens—no, hundreds of black spheres had filled the sky.
"You die instead—!"
KWAAAAAA.
The moment his words ended, the hundreds of black spheres blotting out the heavens began their simultaneous descent.
This was not mere force.
This was death and annihilation made manifest, pouring forth to erase all life.