Chapter 1197
So Ok-rim glared at Bu Eun-seol with a face so vicious she might as well have been a Death God risen from hell.
"No more."
"What do you mean?"
"If I say no, then it's no."
Then, as if demanding a promise, she stuck out her pinky finger.
"I'm the last one. Understood?"
Bu Eun-seol stared fixedly at So Ok-rim's rigidly extended pinky.
If he refused—
That pinky didn't seem like it was meant for a pinky swear. More like it would punch a perfectly round hole through anything in its path.
'So that's how it is.'
Bu Eun-seol realized something.
Why his grandfather had so persistently given false hope to the women he met.
It wasn't that he had meant to toy with them.
It was because, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to escape the grasp of those martial heroines—women who had mastered the greatest martial arts of the murim.
"Do you understand?!"
As So Ok-rim thrust her pinky right in front of his face, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Understood."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Swish.
As if she had never worn that vicious expression at all, So Ok-rim's face brightened, and she broke into a radiant smile.
"Good."
Now that her original beauty had returned, she looked as graceful as a celestial maiden—
Yet somehow, the image of Guan Yu brandishing his Green Dragon Crescent Blade still seemed to overlap with her, as if she might swing it at any moment if provoked.
"Still, it's a shame."
Then, gazing at the distant sky, So Ok-rim muttered under her breath.
"When the mood gets this sentimental, men usually kneel and swear eternal love, or so I've heard."
Just as Bu Eun-seol opened his mouth to respond, she grinned.
"I know, I'm joking."
Then she spread her arms wide.
The moment Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered slightly—
She pouted briefly before gently pulling him into an embrace.
"Thank you for indulging my selfishness."
Zzziiing.
As their bodies touched, their Spirit and Mind connected once more through the technique of Linked Energy Shared Body.
And Bu Eun-seol could feel the sincerity in So Ok-rim's heart.
—I'm scared. What if he sees through me?
—I don't want to lose you, even if I have to be unreasonable.
—Because you're my fate.
'So that's how it was.'
This was the woman who had willingly thrown her life on the line to save him in the Sacred Flower Hidden Residence.
Outwardly, she appeared fierce and wild.
But deep in her heart, she was afraid her love would be exposed.
Anxious that she might earn his disdain instead...
And so, each time, she hid herself behind an even more boisterous and menacing facade.
Squeeze.
Bu Eun-seol hugged her tightly in return.
Had his sincerity reached her too?
In an instant, So Ok-rim's cheeks flushed red, and a sweet smile curled at the corners of her lips.
"Ahem, anyway—"
As if trying to mask her embarrassment, So Ok-rim pulled away slightly and pointed at the transparent wrist lying on the ground.
"What are you going to do about that?"
It still emitted a sinister glow, but it no longer ensnared her Spirit and Mind.
Because Bu Eun-seol had already dissolved all the dark knots in her heart.
—Even if my strength isn't enough, it's okay.
Because with him by her side, she would surely achieve her vengeance.
"It's a cursed artifact. It shouldn't fall into anyone's hands."
"I agree."
Fwoosh.
Bu Eun-seol used Void Object Retrieval to levitate the crystalline wrist beneath his palm.
"Be careful."
"It's fine."
Though the wrist still radiated Evil Qi, it had no noticeable effect on Bu Eun-seol.
'Strange.'
Now that he thought about it, it was odd.
If they were comparing the depth of the darkness in their hearts, his should have been far deeper and darker than So Ok-rim's.
Yet why did this bizarre artifact fail to affect him?
'Meaning, it ultimately has nothing to do with the barriers of Spirit and Mind.'
Through her travels in the martial world with Bu Eun-seol, So Ok-rim had come to understand that the resilience of one's Spirit and Mind was paramount.
After relentless training and effort, she had built a formidable barrier of Spirit and Mind, rivaling even his.
Yet, her Spirit had been breached by a mere glance, while he remained completely unaffected?
'One thing's certain—this transparent wrist contains power far more immense than any other dark artifact that has ever surfaced in the murim.'
Zzziiing.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's nerves tingled faintly.
A subtle sensation reached him—an unfamiliar energy, flowing from somewhere in his left arm, was gently blocking the Evil Qi of this artifact.
'Don't tell me—'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol remember.
On his left wrist, the Dragon-Phoenix Ring—a treasure of the imperial family—was fitted like a bracer.
And inside it was stored one of the greatest treasures of the murim, given to him by the Beast Palace Lord, Dae Gon.
'It's resonating with them.'
Click.
Bu Eun-seol loosened the Dragon-Phoenix Ring's clasp by channeling his Internal Energy into it.
Then, a small orb inside revealed itself—
Swirling like a nebula, its myriad of colors mesmerizing enough to enchant anyone who gazed upon it.
"Whoa."
So Ok-rim's eyes widened as she stared at the orb.
"What is that?"
"The Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl."
"Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl..."
She nodded slowly, as if realizing something.
"So that treasure was blocking the evil qi pouring out of that demonic thing?"
"It seems so."
After a brief hesitation, he carefully detached the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl from the Dragon-Phoenix Ring.
Click.
The moment the pearl fell away, the evil qi flowing from his wrist surged into his spirit and mind.
It was an overwhelmingly pure demonic energy.
'So this is the energy that ensnared her.'
Just a fleeting glance at it made black smoke seem to rise from his mouth—an illusion—and an impulse welled up, urging him to sever his own wrist and graft that crystalline one in its place.
'If the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl alone can't block the evil qi once separated...'
It wasn't just the pearl's power. The Dragon-Phoenix Ring had to be combined with it to suppress the demonic energy.
Just what was this wrist?
Did it really require two ancient treasures—the Dragon-Phoenix Ring and the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl—to seal it away?
"Bu Eun-seol."
So Ok-rim's voice shattered his thoughts.
"Someone's coming."
Zzziiing—
An overwhelming presence could be felt from hundreds of zhang away—no, tens of li.
This wasn't mere killing intent or hostility.
It was as if it mocked the very principles of the world.
A force so absolute, its mere existence seemed to tear apart the surrounding space.
'Who in the—'
Bu Eun-seol tucked the wrist into his robes and activated his extrasensory perception.
Instantly, the massive ripple spread like ink in clear water, blanketing the sky as it surged toward them.
Goooooo—
Finally, a strange sound that shook heaven and earth drew closer—
Screeeeeeeech—!
Then, a single point in the sky split open, and a lightning-sharp line carved through mid-air.
Szzzt—
In an instant, the sharp line fractured the sky above Bu Eun-seol's head, forming a massive rift.
Kwaaaa—
From the fissure, a torrent of black energy cascaded down like a waterfall.
Trees were uprooted by the sheer pressure, the earth split apart, and dust erupted into the air.
Gwoooong—
Once the black waterfall had fully poured out and the dust settled—
A colossal shadow stood like a specter ten zhang away from Bu Eun-seol.
A monstrous figure clad in full armor.
The surface of the armor writhed faintly, as if alive, with crimson patterns flowing like veins across it.
Krrrkkk—
As he took a single step forward, the red patterns vanished.
The armor transformed into an abyssal black, absorbing even the faintest glimmer of light around it.
Beneath the helmet, only two crimson points of light were visible—radiating a presence that could not possibly be called human.
"Return to Unity Realm Lord."
Bu Eun-seol uttered the name under his breath.
The insurmountable wall. One of the absolute pinnacles of the martial world.
And now, he had suddenly appeared in this desolate land of Tibet?
"Return to Unity Realm Lord? That's really him?"
As So Ok-rim gasped in disbelief—
Shhhhk—
Slowly, he drew the massive saber strapped to his back.
The blade, as large as a man's torso, slid from its sheath—
Sssssssss—
A chilling, oppressive sound, like glaciers splitting apart, echoed outward.
Merely unsheathing the saber distorted the surrounding space, and along its edge, the wails of countless vengeful spirits seemed to reverberate.
"Ok-rim."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was low but firm.
"Do not interfere in this fight."
Truthfully, he had many questions for the Return to Unity Realm Lord.
Why had he helped him all this time?
Was he truly his grandfather's flesh and blood?
What was his ultimate goal?
What was the Return to Unity Realm aiming for?
But seeing him suddenly appear before him, saber drawn—
Bu Eun-seol understood.
Even if he knelt and begged for answers... none would come.
The only thing the Return to Unity Realm Lord wanted now—
Was a fight to the death.
"Got it."
Seeing the resolve in Bu Eun-seol's expression, So Ok-rim nodded.
She activated her movement technique and retreated, giving him space to fight.
"But if things go wrong, I'm killing him."
She knew full well that the Return to Unity Realm Lord was a master far beyond Bu Eun-seol's level.
But she trusted him. And if he did falter—
She had the Sacred Flower Secret Manual as her absolute trump card.
Shhhhk—
As So Ok-rim withdrew, Bu Eun-seol gripped the hilt of the Ink Soul Sword with unprecedented caution.
'It's a little sooner than expected, but...'
He had no intention of running.
This battle had been inevitable—a predestined fate long foreseen.
Sssrrrk—
As he slowly drew the blade, the sword gleamed faintly, drinking in the moonlight.
There was no fear.
Instead, his entire body burned with boiling blood.
He had trained relentlessly for this very moment.
The mere act of two masters drawing their weapons caused the surrounding earth to split and the air to evaporate.
Just as every living thing nearby held its breath—
Whoosh!
Surprisingly, the Return to Unity Realm Lord struck first.
The instant the great saber cleaved through the void, all sound in the world vanished.
No—every visible landscape disappeared.
Only an overwhelming pressure, as if an entire mountain were collapsing, remained.
All he could feel was the terrifying great saber, shaking heaven and earth, splitting his skull apart.
'There's no dodging this.'
The Return to Unity Realm Lord's saber technique was akin to a natural calamity that annihilated everything.
It had already occupied every possible space Bu Eun-seol could evade into.
"Hahp!"
With a sharp cry, Bu Eun-seol swung the Silent Tomb Sword in the martial form of Severing Heaven and Earth.
The surrounding space distorted—and in an instant, the massive blade splitting his skull vanished.
Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes.
Just as silence began to envelop the surroundings—
Flash!
The moment he snapped his eyes open and swung the Silent Tomb Sword with full force—
Clang!
The great saber, which had disappeared, was now blocked by the Silent Tomb Sword, sending millions of sparks flying.
Shhhhk!
In that instant, hundreds of saber energies erupted from the Silent Tomb Sword, crashing toward the Return to Unity Realm Lord like a tidal wave.
Bloody Tears Seven Forms, Fourth Form: Desire Death, No Place to Die.
Using the clash of weapons as a pivot, he transformed the pinnacle saber technique of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms—
Unleashing hundreds of saber energies at point-blank range, capable of splitting mountains and cleaving rivers.
Boom! Craaack!
Any ordinary martial artist would have already been torn into thousands of pieces, scattered by the wind.
[Hahahaha!]
In the blink of an eye, as hundreds of saber energies pierced his body, the Return to Unity Realm Lord instead erupted with laughter that shook the heavens.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
As he began swinging the great saber like a madman, the sky split, the earth overturned, and a storm raged.
The Return to Unity Realm Lord had surpassed even the realm of splitting time—reaching the True Martial Scripture, where even lightning strikes seemed slow.
At point-blank range, the three hundred and eighty saber energies unleashed by the Silent Tomb Sword, trailing black afterimages—
Were all deflected in the blink of an eye.
'Damn it!'
As his own saber energies came flying back toward his face—
"Hahp!"
Without a moment to think, he summoned the Heavenly Light Endless Art at full power and executed the Returning Energy Foundation.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A hand dyed in watery blue.
Transparent blades of wind.
And violet lightning—
All combined to deflect the saber energies that the Returning Energy Foundation alone couldn't block.
But the returning saber energies had already been infused with the Return to Unity Realm Lord's profound saber principles.
Their power transcended human limits, and Bu Eun-seol felt as if every muscle in his body were being torn apart.
Splat! Splat!
A few razor-sharp saber energies pierced through the Returning Energy Foundation, slicing into his body as blood sprayed in all directions.
[Hmph.]
With a short scoff, the Return to Unity Realm Lord—
Released twice as many saber energies as Bu Eun-seol's Desire Death, No Place to Die, all at once.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bu Eun-seol conjured hundreds of sword blossoms, blocking the fatal saber energies while—
Enduring the lighter ones with his body, barely managing to hold on.
Even so, his shoulder split open, blood gushing out, and he was relentlessly pushed back by impacts strong enough to make his bones tremble.
Crash! Shatter!
Finally, after deflecting the last of the saber energies, Bu Eun-seol steadied his stance, raising the Silent Tomb Sword to mid-guard.
In the past, he couldn't even block a single move of the Return to Unity Realm Lord's assault without suffering internal injuries.
But now, he had only taken light wounds—standing firm against the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
Whoosh—
Meanwhile, the Return to Unity Realm Lord's great saber underwent another transformation.
As if performing sorcery, the saber stretched unnaturally long, coiling around Bu Eun-seol's body like a serpent.
Flash!
Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Turning Child Four Seas from the Fire Rain Thirteen Forms, attempting to slice through it in one stroke.
Twang!
But the moment his sword met the saber energy, the Silent Tomb Sword rebounded like rubber.
Shwrrrak!
In that instant, the saber energy the Return to Unity Realm Lord had unleashed spread like silk, wrapping around his body.
'Half-Alive, Half-Dead Form.'
The Return to Unity Realm Lord had altered the Half-Alive, Half-Dead Form, which synchronized with an opponent's qi and blood—
Creating saber energies as thin as silk yet as strong as a dragon's sinew, then weaving them around Bu Eun-seol's movements to ensnare him completely.
'No escape.'
Realizing instinctively that none of his sword techniques could break this form, Bu Eun-seol—
Crack!
Hurled a lightning-fast strike with his left fist.
A sharp, living force of authority extended from his fist like a venomous serpent, writhing freely—
Shhhhk!
Scaling the wall of saber energies with terrifying speed before driving straight toward the Return to Unity Realm Lord's throat.
The first stance of the Azure Heaven Seven Forms—the Cloud Motion and Flowing Water Form—had been altered and unleashed.
Pahht!
As the serpentine undulations of the Cloud Motion and Flowing Water Form lashed upward to slit his throat, the Return to Unity Realm Lord twisted his neck slightly.
That momentary disruption caused the Half-Alive, Half-Dead Form to falter.
Bu Eun-seol didn't miss the opening and immediately escaped the range of the Blade Stance.
In the end, he had shattered the Bloody Tears Seven Forms twice now.
Drip, drip.
Fresh blood trickled from the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
He had blocked the saber technique, but the inverse force imbued within the great saber's strike... still couldn't be perfectly negated.
'Neither inner energy nor a supernatural power.'
If it had been purely internal force—
There was no way he, who had reached the limits of what a human's inner energy could contain, would fail to block its reverberations.
'Providence.'
What the Return to Unity Realm Lord had infused into the great saber's strike was neither martial arts nor supernatural power...
It was the inscrutable workings of providence itself—the force of death that governed the world.
'Is this the realm of death the Return to Unity Realm Lord has attained?'
Thanks to his previous battle with the monstrous man, Bu Eun-seol had taken one step closer to comprehending his grandfather's Blade Essence.
But the Return to Unity Realm Lord's Bloody Tears Seven Forms were fundamentally different.
He did not follow the Blade Essence his grandfather had devised.
Like a tyrant who sought to dominate the world—
As if cutting down the Reaper himself when it came to claim his life—
He pursued the Heaven-Destroying Tyrant Path, denying even death itself.
Huuung... Huuung...
The Return to Unity Realm Lord, who had been exhaling crimson energy from his entire body, slowly advanced toward Bu Eun-seol once more.
The distance between them was now barely four feet.
For masters like them, it was practically point-blank.
They had entered the range where either could sever the other's life in an instant.
Now, they would unleash their most decisive strikes to determine life or death.
'If I fail to block this next strike, I die.'
The scarlet energy flowing from the Return to Unity Realm Lord's blackened armor seemed to dye the entire world in blood.
"Haa..."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and, instead of gathering strength, gradually released the energy rising within him.
'There's no need to oppose it directly.'
He had fought the monstrous man with his life on the line, and upon mastering the Sacred Flower Secret Manual—which eliminated the loss of power—
A new principle of martial arts, one he had never grasped before, flashed through his mind.
Transforming Power into Principle. Turning Hardness into Softness. Inverting Force to Follow Reason.
Power was not subdued by opposing force with force—it required altering the very nature of power itself.
The reason the Sacred Flower Secret Manual could amplify even the smallest fragment of energy into overwhelming might was not simply because it was a secret art that prevented power loss.
It was because it was a secret art that allowed for the meticulous refinement of force—one that, when mastered to its extremes, could sublimate external power into principle.
And in doing so, unleash a pure, unadulterated strength.
'A contest of raw power is meaningless.'
Masters of the Martial Extreme Realm could manifest the phenomenon known as Limitless Power—
Infusing even ordinary strikes with might that transcended martial principles.
He had once sought to wield such strength himself, struggling desperately to dismantle every incoming attack.
But now he knew.
There was no need to obsess over a battle of brute force.
Whether the enemy was strong or weak, the best strategy was to let their attacks flow past.
Whoooosh...
As he completely emptied his body of strength, faint points of light began gathering around him one by one.
Simultaneously, the very space where he stood rippled like disturbed water.
Any master who reached a certain level would, unconsciously, seize control of their surroundings with the energy radiating from their body—
As if gripping the space itself in their palm.
But Bu Eun-seol had emptied himself of power.
And as a result, the space freed from the ripples of his energy began to tremble violently, as if reclaiming its liberty.
To an opponent, this was no different from exposing an enormous, gaping flaw.
Paaaaaht!
Seizing the opening, the Return to Unity Realm Lord unleashed the Bloody Tears Seven Forms once more.
This was not a strike aimed at a single point—it was a severing technique designed to consume the very space Bu Eun-seol had left undefended.
The slash, beginning from four feet away—
Three feet, two feet, one foot...
Until finally, it dominated the space right before Bu Eun-seol's skin, rendering him unable to even twitch a finger.
Glurrk—
Then, just as Bu Eun-seol's body flowed smoothly in motion, he suddenly halted as if severing the current.
It closely resembled the Taiji Fist principle—
Where one builds momentum, then abruptly stops at the critical moment to unleash explosive force.
Paaaaaa!
And then, something astonishing happened.
In an instant, the severing techniques that had dominated the space around the Return to Unity Realm Lord—
Rebounded as if droplets of water had been shaken from a blade of grass.
Paaaaaa!
Countless saber energies that had poured in from all directions reversed their trajectories as if time itself had turned backward.
Dozens of silver severing lines etched into the air scattered in all directions around Bu Eun-seol.
Like a transparent mirror shattering, scattering fragments of light in every direction.
Shiiiiing!
With a sharp metallic ring, the rebounding saber energies traced silver arcs through the air before vanishing.
Some split the earth, others soared into the sky, and some simply dispersed midair, dissolving into shimmering motes of light.
Around Bu Eun-seol, standing at the center, an indistinct sphere seemed to form—ripples of energy flickering like heat haze.
The Return to Unity Realm Lord's Bloody Tears Seven Forms, woven without a single gap, had been completely neutralized by a single motion.