Chapter 199
"Th-those are the ones!"
Go Ryong-pung pointed at Hyeok So-jin and the Second Squad members as he shouted.
"They're the bastards who infiltrated Blood Pill Cave, stole the Demon-Binding Pills, and picked fights with the Mount Hua and Zhongnan Sects!"
"What did you say?"
Jeon Il-hon swept a furious gaze over Bu Eun-seol.
How could this mere youth—who looked barely past his coming-of-age ceremony—lead a group and orchestrate such an absurd scheme?
"You're telling me this whelp is responsible?"
"Ah, the one who infiltrated our sect is the guy next to him. His movement technique is quite sharp, and—"
"Kill them."
Jeon Il-hon cut him off as if annoyed.
Even if those thirty-odd men were prodigious Rising Talents of the Younger Generation, there was no way they could defeat the hundred Peak Realm Masters Jeon Il-hon had brought with him.
Srrring—!
As the Demon Rebel Gate disciples drew their great sabers, Bu Eun-seol shouted in a low voice:
"Now."
Though his voice wasn't loud, it carried a scorching heat that shook their very chests.
"The time has come to shed the disgraceful name of the Rootless Squad."
In that instant, a blazing fire ignited in the eyes of the Rootless Squad members.
Before arriving here, Bu Eun-seol had told them:
He would give them the opportunity to change their name.
But the power to change it—that lay not with him, but with them.
"If we win here, you will be called by a new name."
Bu Eun-seol drew a deep breath and spoke in that same low voice.
"Wipe them out."
In that moment, the pupils of the unit members blazed like wildfire.
Rootless Squad.
The chance to finally cast off that humiliating label—"a band without foundation"—had arrived at last.
A hundred Peak Masters wearing demon-mask helmets.
The killing intent they radiated flooded the forest, suffocating every living thing as if clamping down on their throats.
Yet the Rootless Squad's morale didn't waver in the slightest.
Until now, these men had been forced to suppress their individuality, doing only what they were ordered.
But Bu Eun-seol had acknowledged their uniqueness, imparting martial arts and secret techniques tailored to their talents.
Because of this, in an astonishingly short time, their martial prowess had skyrocketed as though they had undergone Metamorphosis and Bone Renewal.
Srrring—!
Then, a sword resonance like the tolling of a Death God's funeral bell reverberated—
Chwa-ra-ra-rak—!
Bu Eun-seol, who had conjured hundreds of points of light, charged toward the hundred Demon Rebel Gate disciples.
Oooong—!
The inky Gang Qi erupting from the Ink Sword split the void, spreading in all directions.
With each slash, a spine-chilling severing sound followed, blood sprayed, and limbs flew through the air.
Thud-thud-thud—!
Falling blood rained down like a storm, drenching everything in crimson.
Bu Eun-seol.
To further rally his unit's morale, he had taken the vanguard, demonstrating overwhelming martial prowess.
"Follow the Commander!"
—Waaaah—!
The Rootless Squad members roared with unprecedented fervor and charged after Bu Eun-seol.
A battle beyond anyone's prediction—a clash at the utmost limit—had finally begun.
Paaat! Chwaaak—!
The vanguard was led by Won Se-mun's First Squad.
What they had focused on mastering was a formidable sword art disguised as the Demon Rebel Gate's saber techniques—imparted by Bu Eun-seol.
A profound sword technique and moves that could unleash devastating power with every strike, without expending vast amounts of True Qi...
The unit members called this the Nameless Sword Art.
Not only could it be used with a saber, but Bu Eun-seol hadn't even bothered to name it when he taught it to them.
Woooosh—!
As the First Squad unleashed the Nameless Sword Art, the Demon Rebel Gate's formation crumbled in an instant.
Simultaneously, the Second Squad members behind them fanned out left and right, raining down sharp concealed weapons.
The Second Squad, trained in swift movement techniques, had learned from Bu Eun-seol a method to explosively enhance their speed.
Along with foundational internal energy principles, they had also mastered the Flying Dagger Art.
Swish—!
Every time they swung their arms, a barrage of deadly projectiles scattered forth, disrupting the enemy's ranks.
"Fall back left and right without worry! We'll clean up the small fry in the center!"
Jo Nam-cheon, leader of the Third Squad, shouted to the Second Squad members.
The Third Squad had been taught a razor-sharp sword technique modeled after the Zhongnan Sect's Sword Studies essence.
Shwaa-aa-aak—!
With every thrust of their blades, the sword bodies rotated, releasing keen surges of energy.
Though reminiscent of Zhongnan's Drifting Wind Sword and Emerald Rain Sword forms, the actual techniques were composed of lethal killing moves—true to the Demonic Path's sword philosophy.
"Aaaargh—!"
Though the hundred Demon Rebel Gate disciples displayed exceptional saber techniques, they couldn't withstand the Rootless Squad's assault—moving as one cohesive force.
The moment the enemy's formation faltered, Bu Eun-seol seized the opportunity and swiftly closed in on Jeon Il-hon's position.
Spotting Bu Eun-seol's approach, Go Ryong-pung stepped forward to block him, bellowing confidently:
"I'll handle this one myself!"
"You're playing with me now!"
At that moment, Hyeok So-jin—who had been tailing Bu Eun-seol—intercepted Go Ryong-pung like lightning.
Chwaaa-aa—!
Hyeok So-jin extended his hand, and with a violet flash of lightning, dozens of thin streaks of light pierced toward Go Ryong-pung's body.
"Huh?"
Go Ryong-pung, finding the faint glimmer strange, hastily twisted his body to evade.
Swish!
In that instant, razor-sharp steel threads, unraveling like a spool of thread, sliced clean through a fistful of his hair as he dodged.
It was the Blood Thread Steel Wire, obtained from the Eight Demons' Institute, now unleashed alongside Divine-Rending Demonic Qi.
Flick!
Hyeok So-jin retracted the steel threads with a flick of his wrist and smirked.
"Your dodging is as graceful as a swallow skimming water."
"Bastard! I'll kill you first!"
Go Ryong-pung, his eyes burning with fury, was about to lunge at Hyeok So-jin when—
Click.
Bu Eun-seol, having sheathed the Ink Sword, spoke to Jeon Il-hon.
"For the crimes of terrorizing Shaanxi under the banner of the Demonic Path, and for daring to disregard the authority of the Sky of the Demonic Path—this one, Jeon Il-hon."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze bore down on him with solemn intensity, his pupils flickering with a crimson blood light.
"As a disciple of Langya Pavilion, I, Bu Eun-seol, shall deliver judgment in place of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor. Accept it willingly."
"A disciple of Langya Pavilion, you say."
Jeon Il-hon, upon learning Bu Eun-seol's identity, instead curled his lips into a leisurely smile.
"What an impressive brat we have here."
No matter that Bu Eun-seol was a disciple of Langya Pavilion—Jeon Il-hon was a Transcendence Realm master who had once stood among the Ten Great Blade Demons.
For a mere whelp who had barely passed the age of twenty to challenge him alone? From his perspective, it was laughable to the point of absurdity.
"I'll have to dispose of you quickly."
Shing!
Jeon Il-hon drew the Great Blade from his waist.
The blade, forged from what appeared to be layers of bone, was revealed in full.
This was none other than Jeon Il-hon's signature weapon—the Spirit-Haunting Blade, a legendary Ancient Treasure Blade refined through the Corpse Hardening Art.
"Die!"
As he swung the saber, a sharp gleam shot toward Bu Eun-seol's forehead, accompanied by a putrid stench.
Flash!
Bu Eun-seol unsheathed the Ink Sword and, with lightning speed, slashed through the incoming light.
Whish!
Yet, despite the blade's interception, the light did not dissipate—instead, it bored straight toward his forehead.
'...!'
Bu Eun-seol twisted his body like lightning, barely avoiding the strike.
Had he not possessed reflexes bordering on the supernatural, that single attack would have left a gaping hole in his forehead.
'A sword stroke that cannot be severed.'
The stronger his opponent's martial prowess, the more Bu Eun-seol's heart raced. After all, the mightier the foe, the greater his own growth.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Unleashing Swift Shadowless, Bu Eun-seol circled Jeon Il-hon in rapid, spiraling motions.
He wanted to observe the nature of his opponent's saber technique.
Whizz!
At that moment, a chilling, razor-sharp gleam grazed past Bu Eun-seol's spine.
Jeon Il-hon's Spirit-Haunting Blade was not only formless, like the Zhongnan Sect's Cloud-Treading Sword, but it also seemed capable of splitting its sword qi into multiple strands, akin to the Scattered Sword.
This was not the saber art he had taught the Demon Rebel Gate—it was his personal technique, the Afterimage Ghost Saber.
Schlick!
In the same breath, the saber wind conjured by the Spirit-Haunting Blade skimmed past Bu Eun-seol's temple.
'It's not just the sheer might of the technique.'
Despite executing a flawless evasion, the razor-sharp wind clung to him like a vengeful ghost.
Worse, with every slash, something foul and metallic seemed to brush against his nostrils.
'One more observation.'
Bu Eun-seol had a habit—he would first analyze his opponent's martial arts in full before exploiting their openings.
While this greatly aided his own realm progression, it was also an exceedingly dangerous battle strategy.
Whirr.
Another keen saber wind traced along his spine.
'No—analysis can wait!'
If he allowed such attacks to continue unchecked, he would lose all momentum, plunging into irreversible peril.
Flash!
Twisting midair, Bu Eun-seol evaded the sword qi raining down from behind and unleashed Formless Heavenly Flow.
Crackle!
Sword energy, splitting the void like fireworks, coiled around Jeon Il-hon's body.
He had simultaneously activated Meteor Chasing Moon and Caged Bird Longing for Clouds, scattering razor-sharp sword strokes around his foe.
Snap!
In that instant, the Ink Sword's keen sword aura grazed Jeon Il-hon, disrupting his stance ever so slightly.
It was the briefest of moments—but Bu Eun-seol did not miss the opening.
Slash!
Pouring all his strength into the strike, the Ink Sword erupted with thirteen streaks of light—seven coiling around his upper body, the rest lashing at his incomplete lower half.
The seventh stroke of Formless Heavenly Flow, Returning God Destroying Earth, unfolded—a technique of unfathomable variation, designed to pierce through any defense.
"Haaap!"
Jeon Il-hon roared with a Great Roar, swinging the Spirit-Haunting Blade in retaliation.
CRACK!
The Phantom Soul Saber, spinning like a windmill, slashed through Bu Eun-seol's sword aura in rapid succession.
Yet at that very moment, the thirteen streaks of light transformed into ninety-nine sword strokes. And just as they were about to engulf Jeon Il-hon's entire body—
—A slight stumble.
Bu Eun-seol's movements, mid-execution of his sword strokes, faltered strangely.
SHHING!
Jeon Il-hon, seizing the opening without hesitation, swiftly activated his movement technique and instantly escaped the encirclement of Returning God Destroying Earth.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze turned icy.
This attack had been perfectly timed—he had seized the opening and unleashed Returning God Destroying Earth.
Even if it wasn't a fatal blow, he had expected to inflict some injury... yet Jeon Il-hon had evaded it so effortlessly?
At that moment, a pungent scent once again brushed against his nostrils.
'Ah.'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize it.
The Ancient Treasure Blade wielded by Jeon Il-hon—the Phantom Soul Saber—contained a paralytic poison.
However, Bu Eun-seol had reached the Fifth Layer of the Counter-Polar Internal Art, his meridians overflowing with Reverse Polarity True Qi.
In other words, his formidable internal energy prevented full-blown poisoning, but it had dulled his reflexes ever so slightly.
'Because I can ignore most poisons, I failed to detect this one in time.'
Huuuuuung—
A strange glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's pupils as the blood vessels across his body abruptly dilated.
Internal energy reflects the will of the spirit and mind.
The moment he sensed the faint traces of poisoning, the Counter-Polar Internal Art circulating within him instantly reacted, burning away the paralytic toxin.
'This bastard—!'
Jeon Il-hon couldn't hide his shock as Bu Eun-seol purified the poison mid-battle.
'His internal power is monstrous.'
But that was all.
In life-or-death battles, victory isn't determined by internal energy alone.
He had clashed with countless opponents with formidable internal power—and emerged victorious every time.
"Try blocking this!"
The Phantom Soul Saber slicing through the air blurred—and then, his entire body began to fade like mist.
Having confirmed Bu Eun-seol's superior internal energy, Jeon Il-hon now sought to overwhelm him with the profound intricacy of his saber techniques and forms.
Zzzziiing— Zzzziiing—
With Afterimage Ghost Saber unleashed at full power, not just the Phantom Soul Saber but Jeon Il-hon's very body flickered in and out of existence like dispersing fog.
Afterimage Ghost Saber.
The very technique that had earned him his place among the Ten Great Sabermen of the Demonic Path—its name, "Divine Emergence, Ghostly Vanishing," was no exaggeration.
Because it wasn't a continuous assault but a series of sudden, unpredictable strikes, even Fluorescent Sword Control couldn't be deployed in response.
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
Meanwhile, the Phantom Soul Saber raged like a storm, leaving countless afterimages in the air as it pressed down on Bu Eun-seol like an untraceable specter.
SHHHT! SCHLICK!
With every passing moment, Bu Eun-seol was becoming a bloodied mess.
Was it simply that ingrained habits were hard to break?
Even in this perilous situation, he refused to counterattack with Formless Heavenly Flow—instead, he continued to observe Jeon Il-hon's saber techniques, remaining purely on the defensive.
SCHLICK! SHHHT!
Each time the razor-sharp Phantom Soul Saber grazed him, blood sprayed without fail.
"Heh-heh-heh! I can see your death now!"
Bu Eun-seol's entire body was now riddled with the saber's light.
Even with Swift Shadowless, he couldn't completely evade this bizarre technique that flickered in and out of existence.
At this rate, the only thing awaiting Bu Eun-seol was defeat.
'Afterimages... sound... saber techniques...'
Yet, despite everything, Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind were utterly tranquil.
Empty Mind Spirit Communion.
He wasn't merely observing martial techniques—he was pushing the ultimate sensory perception of the Beast Path to its absolute limit.
Time seemed to freeze as he traced the trajectories of the Phantom Soul Saber's passing strikes, his entire focus locked onto a single moment of insight.
'There's no need to fixate on unseen saber strokes.'
Jeon Il-hon's Afterimage Ghost Saber surpassed even the Scattered Sword—it could only be described as a ghostly blade, elusive beyond measure.
But facing this pinnacle of martial artistry, Bu Eun-seol found himself questioning:
Did he really need to track the invisible path of the Phantom Soul Saber?
After all, its final destination would always be his vital points—the places where it could inflict fatal wounds.
SCHLICK!
By now, the Phantom Soul Saber had carved a deep gash into Bu Eun-seol's left forearm.
In a battle of this intensity, a wound this severe was as good as a defeat.
"All that arrogance, and this is your skill?!"
Jeon Il-hon's lips curled into a triumphant sneer.
"Now die."
Just as Jeon Il-hon, brimming with certainty, roared those words—
'...So that's how it is.'
—Bu Eun-seol's eyes erupted with radiant light as he finally grasped the key to dismantling Afterimage Ghost Saber in a single stroke.
Simultaneously, the Reverse Polarity True Qi coursing through his meridians in tandem with his spirit exploded outward in all directions.
BOOOOOOM—!
A deafening roar, like the bellow of a mythical beast, shook the air.
Bu Eun-seol's body began to shine, and the haze of True Qi became visible to the naked eye.
ZZZZIIIIING—!
As if responding to the sound, hundreds of luminous threads erupted from the Ink Sword, weaving through the air and taking on a distinct form.
Willful True Binding.
The secret martial technique he had mastered in the Second Floor of the Ten Thousand Demonic Secret Archive—finally unleashed in the midst of this extreme battle.