Chapter 149
Yu Un-ryong tilted his head as he observed the grave look in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Enormous Masters?"
Chwararak!
A bizarre sound reverberated through the distant sky.
And before long, five shadows descended from the air before Bu Eun-seol.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyebrows shot up.
Through the senses of the Way of the Beast, he had detected their presence from roughly a thousand feet away. Yet in the blink of an eye, they had arrived right here.
Thud. Thud.
They approached without hesitation toward where Bu Eun-seol and Yu Un-ryong stood.
Clad in black martial uniforms with iron masks covering their faces, their appearance was grotesque beyond measure.
Shiver.
Yet as Yu Un-ryong stared at them, his body trembled faintly.
"Do you know them?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Yu Un-ryong sucked in a sharp breath.
"The Soul Annihilation... Corps."
So it's the Soul Annihilation Corps. They were the masters of the Soul Annihilation Corps who had been pursuing Yu Un-ryong for failing to eliminate a Great Righteous Expert.
"You've been quite the handful, Yu Un-ryong."
Ak Cheon-bu, the Group Leader of the Third Squad of the Soul Annihilation Corps, spoke in a voice tinged with emotion.
"I never imagined there'd be someone who could evade our main force's pursuit so tenaciously."
Until now, Yu Un-ryong had stubbornly survived both battles and pursuits.
His persistence and thirst for life were so extraordinary that even the formidable masters of the Soul Annihilation Corps could only click their tongues in amazement.
"But this is where it ends. I trust you're prepared."
Swoosh.
As he drew the sword from his back and stepped toward Yu Un-ryong,
"Turn back."
Bu Eun-seol blocked Ak Cheon-bu's path.
"You lack the qualification to take him."
"Bu Eun-seol."
Yu Un-ryong's face twisted in surprise, and Ak Cheon-bu's eyes flashed.
"Qualification?"
From behind the mask, crimson killing intent rose like a heat haze from those pitch-black pupils.
It was a spine-chilling, terrifying sight, yet Bu Eun-seol responded with a relaxed expression.
"He killed a Great Righteous Expert."
"What did you say?"
"He is the Great Righteous Expert."
Bu Eun-seol pointed at Seong-ryun, collapsed against a tree stump.
When Ak Cheon-bu signaled to the unit member behind him, one of the Soul Annihilation Corps examined Seong-ryun closely before nodding.
"Formerly of the Beggars' Sect—Great Righteous Expert Seong-ryun."
Ak Cheon-bu, who had been staring fixedly at Bu Eun-seol, wore an expression of disbelief.
"Did he kill him?"
"That's right."
"Impossible."
He had been pursuing Yu Un-ryong all this time.
Though the man had grown stronger even while fleeing, Ak Cheon-bu knew he still wasn't capable of facing a Great Righteous Expert.
"Nonsense. With his skills, he couldn't possibly have killed a Great Righteous Expert."
Bu Eun-seol crossed his arms and replied indifferently,
"If you doubt it, verify it yourself."
Ak Cheon-bu, who had been scrutinizing him, turned and examined Seong-ryun's body closely.
"Hmm."
Indeed, the scars covering Seong-ryun's body were all marks left by the White Horse Whip Art.
The Whip-Protecting Garment—wounds inflicted when Yu Un-ryong unleashed the White Horse Temple's Otherworldly Peerless Arts.
"But the fatal wound is the stab to the chest...!"
A sharp glint flashed in Ak Cheon-bu's eyes.
Seong-ryun's decisive cause of death was the precise stab wound in his chest.
'But the White Horse Whip can replicate all variations of weapons in the world... It's not an impossible wound.'
In truth, this was only possible because of Bu Eun-seol's Formless Heavenly Flow, which left no traces or techniques behind—but Ak Cheon-bu had no way of knowing that.
"Hmm..."
Ak Cheon-bu let out a troubled sigh.
His orders were to cripple the martial arts of a Ten Demonic Heir who had failed to eliminate a Great Righteous Expert.
But now, right before his eyes, the man had killed a Great Righteous Expert... He was torn over whether Yu Un-ryong should still be punished.
"Your objective was the Great Righteous Expert regardless. He has fulfilled his duty."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, one of the Soul Annihilation Corps members behind Ak Cheon-bu sneered.
"Ridiculous. That bastard disobeyed the Demon Hall's orders and fled. That alone makes him guilty."
Bu Eun-seol countered coldly,
"He retreated only to fight another day. Killing him now would mean destroying a sharp blade that could still eliminate Great Righteous Experts."
Ak Cheon-bu silently studied Seong-ryun's wounds.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned his gaze to Bu Eun-seol.
"Which faction's Ten Demonic Heir are you?"
"Why do you assume I'm a Ten Demonic Heir?"
"Are you saying you're not?"
Ak Cheon-bu stared intently at Bu Eun-seol, who sighed as if he had no choice.
"Langya Pavilion."
"Langya Pavilion... I see."
Only then did the lingering questions in Ak Cheon-bu's mind clear away completely.
'Even in hell, bonds of brotherhood exist, it seems.'
The corners of Ak Cheon-bu's lips lifted as he gazed at Bu Eun-seol.
It was such a faint, fleeting smile that no one noticed it.
"We're leaving."
"Squad Leader."
"He killed him. A Great Righteous Expert."
Ak Cheon-bu glanced at Yu Un-ryong as he spoke.
"After all, aren't the Ten Demonic Heirs meant to keep fighting until the Great Righteous Experts are wiped out?"
Then, turning his gaze back to Bu Eun-seol, he added,
"The slight delay—the Demonic Heavenly Emperor will understand."
After staring at Bu Eun-seol a moment longer, Ak Cheon-bu turned away.
"Withdraw."
Whoosh!
In an instant, they activated their Movement Technique and vanished into the sky above Master Blacksmith.
Yu Un-ryong, who had remained silent the entire time, abruptly stood up.
"Why—"
His lips trembled as he spoke through gritted teeth, his face twisted in humiliation.
"Why the hell did you step in?!"
He felt nothing but shame.
Bu Eun-seol—the man he had always hated and envied—had stepped forward to save his life...
It wasn't gratitude he felt, but disgrace.
"You begged for your life."
"What?"
Bu Eun-seol's voice was icy.
"Beyond death, there is nothing. You want to live. Only then will you have another chance. That's what you told me."
"What nonsense are you spouting now? When did I ever say that?"
"You may not realize it, but your eyes—your body—they clearly told me that."
—I want to live! Just give me a little more time, and I can grow stronger too!
Bu Eun-seol had sensed it clearly.
The moment the Soul Annihilation Squad appeared, Yu Un-ryong's body—his very soul—had screamed it.
"Thanks to you, dealing with him was easier. Consider this repayment for the debt."
The wounds Yu Un-ryong had inflicted on Seong-ryun were superficial, limited to skin and muscle.
Not a single one had been fatal.
In his own way, Bu Eun-seol had been considerate of him.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Yu Un-ryong shot to his feet, shouting.
"Do you think I'll be grateful for this?!"
Glaring at Bu Eun-seol with burning eyes, he suddenly reached into his robes and hurled a small porcelain vial at him.
Clink.
Catching it, Bu Eun-seol found it contained a golden medicinal pill.
"What is this?"
"Can't you tell? It's an internal injury remedy."
Yu Un-ryong, still biting his lip, raised his voice.
"Next time, I'll kill the Great Righteous Experts—and you—with my own hands!"
Then, he activated his Movement Technique and disappeared into the sky.
Bu Eun-seol watched him go before murmuring under his breath,
"...You're not honest."
Yu Un-ryong was hot-tempered and impulsive, but he wasn't truly evil.
He was simply ashamed of his own helplessness—of having to accept Bu Eun-seol's mercy just to survive.
"...Both of them."
Hell Island had been crawling with those who smiled while drawing their blades. Someone as straightforward—almost naively so—as Yu Un-ryong was rare.
Truthfully... Bu Eun-seol didn't dislike him.
"I should head back."
Wiping the blood from his lips, Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
The injuries from Seong-ryun's strikes would require three straight days of Circulation Healing Sessions to recover.
Had he not grasped the principles of the martial arts mid-battle, he would have been the one lying dead.
"Surprisingly well-prepared."
Just as Bu Eun-seol smirked at the vial in his hand—
BOOM!
A deafening thunderclap split the sky, followed by an overwhelming surge of Palm Energy crashing down.
"Subduing Dragon Palm?!"
It was unmistakably the opening move of Flying Dragon in Heaven—the same technique Seong-ryun had used earlier.
But its scale and power dwarfed Seong-ryun's by an immeasurable degree.
Bu Eun-seol didn't dare block it—he instantly retreated.
Yet the attack's range was too vast to evade entirely.
Sshhk—
In the end, he drew Ink Sword and slashed with all his might.
"...!"
But his internal injuries disrupted the flow of his True Qi.
The Palm Energy slammed into him again, forcing him back three steps as blood spilled from his lips.
Thud.
In that moment, the shadow hovering in midair landed before Bu Eun-seol.
He was an old man with a bristling gray beard. His eyes blazed fiercely, his body built like a bear with the waist of a tiger.
Without a doubt, he was a Master who had attained Superior Martial Arts.
"Huh..."
A cold, azure light radiated in streaks from the old man's eyes as he stared at Seong-ryun's corpse.
"Was this your doing?"
Under the moonlight, the old man's tattered robes were clearly visible.
At a glance, there was no mistaking it—he was a Master of the Beggars' Sect.
"Answer me!"
The roar was like a thunderclap.
Moreover, it carried such immense Internal Power that it struck like a Lion's Roar, further aggravating Bu Eun-seol's Internal Injury.
'A Master I cannot face.'
The old man's Martial Prowess far surpassed Bu Eun-seol's.
Even if he were in perfect condition, he instinctively knew he stood no chance against such a foe.
'Should I flee?'
If he fled, the old man—clearly a Beggars' Sect Master—would surely strike him down on the spot.
But he had no intention of lying to beg for his life.
"It was."
The old man's eyes, already large like marbles, widened further, as if he hadn't expected Bu Eun-seol to admit it so readily.
"Who are you?"
"Bu Eun-seol."
"Bu Eun-seol?"
The old man stared blankly for a moment before bursting into a hollow laugh.
"Hah. What does your name or background matter?"
As he finished speaking, an Energy as towering as Taesan erupted from his body, surging straight into the heavens.
"In the end, all I have to do is kill you."
Bu Eun-seol took a Deep Breath and tightened his grip on the Ink Sword.
This time, no matter what method he employed, there was no escaping Death.
"Are you from the Beggars' Sect?"
"I am."
The old man responded in a low voice to Bu Eun-seol's question.
"Our sect may claim to be righteous, but at its core, it's just a den of beggars. Since ancient times, beggars have repaid grudges with blood."
Then, staring straight at Bu Eun-seol, he added:
"Since this wasn't a fair fight, you have nothing to say, do you?"
"What do you mean?"
"One of the Dog Slaying Squad members was still breathing by the riverside earlier. He told me that two of the Ten Demonic Heirs were attacking our sect's disciples."
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol understood the full picture.
When he saw that Yu Un-ryong was being overwhelmed by Seong-ryun, he had hurriedly finished them off and rushed over.
The Dog Slaying Squad member must have assumed Bu Eun-seol was joining forces with Yu Un-ryong for a Combined Attack.
"I don't know what you consider a 'fair fight,' but I fought him one-on-one."
"Ah, is that so? Then it was a proper duel."
The old man nodded slowly—then suddenly, his pupils flashed with a sharp light.
"And you expect me to believe a dying disciple of my sect lied?!"
Whoooosh—!
An Energy capable of tearing the heavens apart erupted from the old man's body.
'No words will convince him now.'
Once the dying Dog Slaying Squad member had made that claim, even if Primordial Spirit Light—like that of the Buddha himself—were to shine from Bu Eun-seol's forehead, the old man would never believe him.
"Are you prepared?"
At the old man's words, Bu Eun-seol silently gathered his Internal Energy.
He had no intention of dying without a fight. Drawing upon every last drop of True Qi circulating in his body, a faint glow began to rise from his form.
"Not a bad display of spirit."
The old man chuckled darkly.
"If you can withstand a single palm strike from me, I'll spare your life!"
Then, his eyes bulged as he unleashed a swift Palm Technique.
The old man's strike was neither fast nor intricate.
Yet Bu Eun-seol couldn't dodge.
Because a colossal palm descended from the sky, crashing toward the earth. Even if he deployed Ultimate Speed Shadowless, there was no escaping its range.
Just as Bu Eun-seol, gripping the Ink Sword, braced to counter the falling strike—
"Pfft—!"
A spray of Bloodstained crimson spilled from his lips.
His True Qi was too disrupted to execute any Martial Arts.
"Halt!"
A low voice rang out as countless Shadows descended from the sky, forming a barrier before Bu Eun-seol.
BOOM!
When they intercepted the Dragon-Subduing Palm, a shockwave of Qi Waves exploded outward, unleashing a Storm that threatened to annihilate the world.
Whoooosh—!
As the gale dispersed, ten men clad in Yellow Robes stood imposingly before Bu Eun-seol.
'They're—!'
The moment he saw them, Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but doubt his own eyes.
The ten masked men in yellow robes all had piercing gazes.
Staring intently at their stances and the sharpness of their eyes, Bu Eun-seol instantly recognized their identity.
'The Wind and Cloud Corps?!'