Chapter 190
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed sharply as he savored the realization that had just flickered through his mind.
'To defeat a seasoned opponent, one must not only surpass them in the level of martial prowess but also seize the advantage in combat tactics.'
Of course, this wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.
So then, what should he do now...?
'Shift the battle into one where their experience cannot be utilized!'
Swoosh!
At that moment, the saber strokes pouring from the Ox-Dismembering Saber changed.
Suddenly, sword light erupted in all directions, piercing toward Bu Eun-seol's body.
Flick.
As the sword light grazed past his ear, though he wasn't wounded, several strands of his hair were severed.
He had dodged properly, but Gongson Gu-reung had anticipated his movement and altered the saber stroke mid-execution.
"Almost made a mistake."
Abruptly, Gongson Gu-reung halted his offensive and bared his yellowed teeth.
"I nearly marred that beautiful skin of yours."
Judging by his ecstatic expression, it seemed he could see Bu Eun-seol's true skin beneath the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art.
Swoosh!
No sooner had his muttering ended than another razor-sharp saber aura slashed toward Bu Eun-seol once more.
This time, without even a moment to evade, it struck true, and blood dripped steadily from his forearm.
Sssk!
At the same time, three sharp streams of internal energy drilled into Bu Eun-seol's meridians.
Gongson Gu-reung had injected powerful internal energy in an attempt to damage his meridians.
However, the Reverse Polarity True Qi circulating within Bu Eun-seol's body effortlessly deflected the invading energy.
"Your internal energy is impressive, but that's all it is..."
As Gongson Gu-reung grinned sinisterly and raised the Ox-Dismembering Saber again, his expression twisted grotesquely.
Because despite the wound on his forearm, Bu Eun-seol was now smiling brightly.
"Madman... A true madman."
Bu Eun-seol nodded, his lips curling into a delighted smile.
"In that case, I'll switch to a fighting style befitting a madman."
"What?"
At that moment, with a sharp shhk, the sword strokes of the Ink Sword began to shift.
Bu Eun-seol neither infused it with sword aura nor employed the intricate techniques of the Formless Heavenly Flow or the overwhelming might of the Fist Demon Seven Forms.
Flash! Flash!
It was pure will—a desperate struggle—to carve the enemy's body apart.
If Gongson Gu-reung dodged like a madman, Bu Eun-seol slashed like a madman. If Gongson Gu-reung attacked like a madman, Bu Eun-seol defended like one.
In truth, Gongson Gu-reung wasn't using conventional martial principles but the mysteries of Reversal.
And Bu Eun-seol, having discerned this, was now attacking Gongson Gu-reung with the same principle of Reversal.
Slash! Crunch! Whizz!
If his opponent rolled across the ground, Bu Eun-seol rolled with him and struck. If Gongson Gu-reung swung wildly, Bu Eun-seol matched him without any fixed martial forms.
'This brat is going to be trouble!'
Gongson Gu-reung's chest turned cold as he realized Bu Eun-seol was instantly mimicking his martial principles.
The mysteries of Reversal weren't something one could replicate by merely acting insane.
Hidden within each movement were intricate doctrines—feints interwoven with genuine strikes, luring the opponent into exposing their weaknesses.
Yet, to adjust one's own forms in response to the enemy's martial arts? That was a combat method only martial grandmasters should be capable of!
Slash-slash-slash!
In the end, Gongson Gu-reung, now wounded all over his body—not just his face—from Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword, flung himself backward with all his might.
Rrrip!
As he tore away the tattered skin of his face, beneath it was revealed the wrinkled visage of a middle-aged man.
This was Gongson Gu-reung's true appearance.
"To think such a martial genius existed among the young upstarts of the Demonic Path?"
Despite his injuries, Gongson Gu-reung let out a sinister laugh.
"But surely you don't think the mysteries of Reversal are the extent of my foundation?"
"Is your foundation just your mouth, then?"
As Bu Eun-seol sneered, Gongson Gu-reung—gripping the Ox-Dismembering Saber—curled his lips into a vicious smile.
"Then let me show you the great Insight I've gained from dissecting martial artists alive!"
Huum!
This time, as if channeling his internal energy at full power, a saber aura about a foot long surged from the Ox-Dismembering Saber.
Whoosh!
Gongson Gu-reung charged forward and swung once more.
Bu Eun-seol also unfolded his sword strokes to counter, but strangely, there was no clash.
The saber strokes Gongson Gu-reung unleashed weren't aimed at Bu Eun-seol—it was as if he were painting in the air alone.
In fact, even as he executed his strokes, he observed Bu Eun-seol's movements intently, nodding to himself.
"Judging by your neural reactions and muscle contraction speed, you've mastered numerous sword techniques of the Demonic Path!"
Crash!
Suddenly, Gongson Gu-reung spun the Ox-Dismembering Saber like a windmill, severing the net-like sword strokes Bu Eun-seol had unleashed in a single motion.
Simultaneously, he closed the distance and began swinging his saber.
"But you've never trained in the Chaos Sword technique!"
Gongson Gu-reung scattered bizarre strokes, scrutinizing Bu Eun-seol's movements with rapt attention.
And in that process, Gongson Gu-reung had discerned exactly what True Power Sword Art Bu Eun-seol had mastered.
"If you haven't trained in the Chaotic Sword, you'll struggle to counter attacks at point-blank range!"
Thwick! Thwick!
Several crimson streaks bloomed across Bu Eun-seol's body.
The Chaotic Sword—a technique for cutting down foes at extreme close quarters.
Unless one had mastered the Chaotic Sword Art, allowing a Chaotic Sword Master to close the distance was no different from admitting defeat.
'He predicts what sword techniques I've learned by observing my muscle movements...'
Bu Eun-seol faintly nodded as he grasped another of Gongson Gu-reung's abilities.
For example, those who trained in the Fast Sword and those who trained in the Heavy Sword developed entirely different muscle structures.
Gongson Gu-reung, who had dissected countless human bodies, was deducing his opponent's sword techniques purely from the movement of their muscles.
'So this is why he dissected martial artists.'
Gongson Gu-reung possessed an ability eerily similar to Bu Eun-seol's—predicting the flow of martial forms from the scars left on corpses.
"Disappointing."
Bu Eun-seol flicked away the Ox-Dismembering Saber, which had been aiming to flay his skin, and wore an expression of disdain.
"To go to such lengths just to gauge an enemy's martial techniques..."
Truthfully, Bu Eun-seol had expected more from the Suspicious Madman.
In the past, his grandfather Bu Jan-yang had been able to discern and read all of the Divine Arts and Supreme Techniques a deceased person had mastered simply by preparing their corpse for burial.
But Gongson Gu-reung, despite dissecting living humans, could only predict what their primary martial arts were?
"Hmph! Focus on properly defending yourself before acting so smug!"
As Gongson Gu-reung scoffed, Bu Eun-seol slowly raised his blood-soaked arm.
Holding the Ink Sword horizontally, he allowed a faint smile to curl his lips.
"Very well."
With that brief reply, Bu Eun-seol condensed the Ink Sword's energy—
And instead closed the distance between them.
Flash!
At the same time, the Ink Sword unleashed a torrent of dark light.
The radiance swallowed the world in darkness before transforming into razor-thin beams that rained down upon Gongson Gu-reung.
The fourth form of the Formless Heavenly Flow—Caged Bird Longing for Clouds—a technique that freely manipulated sword qi.
Combined with the fifth form, Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, which allowed him to instantly mimic an opponent's sword techniques using the heightened senses of the Beast Path.
"What—?!"
In an instant, the Ink Sword's blade condensed, and as a flurry of unpredictable slashes—perfectly countering the Chaotic Sword—erupted, Gongson Gu-reung hastily retreated.
But the Ink Sword pursued him like a vengeful spirit, slicing deep into his calf as he fell back.
Shhk.
A grotesque cutting sound echoed as Gongson Gu-reung's leg was deeply wounded.
"How can you wield such a sword technique—?"
As Gongson Gu-reung faltered, Bu Eun-seol sighed.
"Weren't these things supposed to be carved into my muscles?"
"What?"
"The sword techniques I've faced until now."
Bu Eun-seol had already crossed blades with Jeong Cheon—a supreme master of the Chaotic Sword—.
Meaning, while he had never formally learned the Chaotic Sword, he could still create countless forms to counter Gongson Gu-reung's version of it.
"You tried to mask your dullness with killing techniques."
As Bu Eun-seol stared at him with pity, thick veins of rage bulged across Gongson Gu-reung's face.
"You little—!"
"Or was it just an excuse to collect skins? So your pursuers wouldn't kill you?"
Gongson Gu-reung had once been a man obsessed with martial arts.
But when his progress stagnated no matter how hard he trained, he began capturing weaker martial artists to dissect them—barely managing to break through to the Peak Realm as a result.
Not only that, but in the process, he had obtained human skins to conceal his grotesque appearance.
And now this bloodstained brat dared to belittle the effort he had poured blood and sweat into?
"What the hell do you know?!"
Infuriated, he channeled his internal energy to its limit, causing the blade aura of the Ox-Dismembering Saber to stretch outward.
"Or do you think cutting my leg means you've won?!"
He abandoned the refined precision of his Bone-Piercing Saber Method and began slashing wildly.
No longer caring about obtaining Bu Eun-seol's flawless skin—now solely focused on severing his throat.
"I don't need your hide anymore!"
Killing intent radiated in all directions as the Ox-Dismembering Saber's razor-sharp strokes poured forth.
Watching this, Bu Eun-seol instead smiled brightly, as if he had been waiting for this very moment.
"Now you're finally revealing your killing intent."
At that instant—
The Ink Sword began leaping like a living carp.
Simultaneously, Bu Eun-seol's body was enveloped in a sphere of light as he began deflecting each incoming sword stroke, one by one.
Until now, Gongson Gu-reung had held back his killing intent, wanting to capture Bu Eun-seol alive to skin him.
But now that he was unleashing lethal techniques in rage—
The Peerless Defense Form, Fluorescent Sword Control—a technique that automatically countered killing intent—finally activated.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
The sound echoed like wind chimes swaying beneath a rooftop, one after another.
The shattered remnants of the sword strokes dispersed into the air, leaving behind only futile specks of light.
Shwak!
At the same moment, Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword suddenly shot upward through the scattered fragments of light.
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's crouched stance and the sword strokes pressing in low,
"Hyaap!"
Gongson Gu-reung abruptly let out a fierce battle cry and swung his Ox-Dismembering Saber like lightning.
He had anticipated that Bu Eun-seol would seize the opening and unleash a relentless flurry of sword strokes targeting his weak points.
Swish-swish-swish!
The life-saving ultimate technique of the Bone-Piercing Saber Method, Those Who Share Evil Walk Together, unfolded—encircling his body with an impenetrable barrier of saber energy.
"...?"
But Bu Eun-seol had already vanished from his sight.
At the same time, a faint breeze brushed against his neck.
Sssk.
A thin crimson line traced itself across his throat.
Drip. Drip.
By the time Bu Eun-seol returned to his original position, drops of red blood were already falling from the Ink Sword.
"How...?"
As Gongson Gu-reung muttered with unfocused eyes, Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a sneer.
"You took others' lives so easily, yet you were afraid of dying yourself?"
Only then did Gongson Gu-reung realize his mistake.
When Bu Eun-seol deflected every one of his sword strokes and closed in, he had panicked and resorted to his life-saving ultimate move.
But Bu Eun-seol hadn't attacked immediately—he had waited, watching calmly, then unleashed his killing move the moment the technique ended.
It was a mistake born from fear, committed by a murderer who had believed himself invincible.
"I..."
He tried to speak, but no more words came out.
Thud.
Suddenly, the sky flipped upside down, and the last thing he saw was Bu Eun-seol's foot.
That was the final sight of the Suspicious Madman, Gongson Gu-reung—the man who had once made the entire murim tremble in terror.
"Ghk—!"
Hyeok So-jin let out a stifled groan.
Despite consecutively unleashing the Heaven-Severing Earth-Destroying Sect's ultimate art, Divine-Rending Demonic Qi, Black Impermanence's Black Force Demon Claw clung to his face like a vengeful ghost.
Clang!
When his hastily deployed Ice Soul Illusion Killing Sword collided with Black Impermanence's claws, a metallic screech echoed, followed by a powerful shockwave rippling outward.
As a cloud of dust billowed up, Hyeok So-jin seized the chance to retreat more than a hundred feet in an instant, steadying his stance.
Thump.
But suddenly, something heavy bumped against his heel.
Turning his head, he saw a severed head—its face half-torn, its eyes wide open—wearing a grotesque mask of flayed skin.
The head of the Suspicious Madman, Gongson Gu-reung.
"Eeek—!"
Distracted for just a moment, Hyeok So-jin flinched and tried to pull his foot back—
Whoosh!
A shadowy figure, dark as storm clouds, lunged forward, its blackened claws reaching for his throat.
Black Impermanence.
"Tch."
In the battles of the martial world, a single moment of carelessness decides life and death.
That brief glance downward had cost Hyeok So-jin his balance, and now he had to face Black Impermanence's overwhelming assault while disoriented.
Whoosh!
Then, a black sword abruptly appeared, deflecting the claw that had been about to tear through the air.
Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword.
Shiiing!
The Black Force Demon Claw contained the Explosive Formula—a technique that detonated True Qi with every strike.
Normally, clashing with a weapon would trigger a violent shockwave, repelling the opponent.
But despite hitting the Ink Sword, no shockwave erupted. Instead, Black Impermanence was forced back two steps.
Bu Eun-seol's overwhelming internal energy had effortlessly suppressed even the Explosive Formula's force.
"Brother Bu!"
Hyeok So-jin called out in relief, but Bu Eun-seol's expression remained stern.
"Do you not survey your surroundings when fighting an enemy?"
"Well... This bastard was attacking so relentlessly that I couldn't focus on anything else."
Hyeok So-jin possessed acute senses and had even mastered the Empty-Awareness Earth-Listening Art, rivaling the Beast Path.
But his lack of real combat experience—and the fact that this was his first life-or-death battle against a true master—left him unprepared.
Instead of spreading his awareness evenly, he had fixated solely on tracking Black Impermanence's movements.
"A warrior does not get a second chance. If you do not prepare for every possibility, you will lose your head before you can even display your skills."
"Understood."
As Hyeok So-jin clasped his hands together, Bu Eun-seol stepped past him and walked away.
"Where are you going?"
"They've reached their limit."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze was fixed on Jegal Seo-un and his group, who were frantically encircling White Impermanence.
White Impermanence's elusive movement technique had left them struggling to mount an effective offense, leaving them continually on the defensive.
"I've also reached my limit, you know?"
"Do not be so quick to declare your limits. You—"
"Huh?"
Before Hyeok So-jin could respond, Bu Eun-seol shot toward Jegal Seo-un's group.
"..."
As Hyeok So-jin stared blankly at where Bu Eun-seol had vanished, a figure slowly approached from the front.
Creak.
Black Impermanence, his fury burning in his eyes, advanced with deliberate steps.