Chapter 222
When Bu Eun-seol first encountered Gu Hong-cheong, the difference in their abilities was like that between a newborn baby and a full-grown adult.
But after continuously honing his martial prowess during that time, the gap had narrowed considerably.
If the Beggar King was a robust adult fighting bare-handed, then Bu Eun-seol was a youth wielding a razor-sharp blade.
The Eighth Form of the Formless Heavenly Flow and the Willful True Binding had become that keen-edged weapon.
"Show me your tricks."
Gu Hong-cheong, standing firm in place, spoke coldly.
No long staff—the kind typically used by Beggars' Sect disciples—hung at his waist.
His Subduing Dragon Palm was the First of the Beggars' Sect, and he had always been capable of handling even the most formidable masters with just his two hands.
Srrrlk.
As the Ink Sword revealed itself, darkness seemed to descend over the Feathering Platform in an instant.
"Hmm."
Gu Hong-cheong's eyes narrowed.
Unlike masters of the Transcendence Realm, those who had reached the Extreme Heaven Realm did not rely solely on martial techniques to determine victory or defeat.
An opponent's height, stride, the type and length of their weapon, the distance between them, the direction of the sunlight—
They could absorb all the information necessary for battle, analyze it, and predict movements and martial forms.
That was why, just from observing Bu Eun-seol's stance and momentum as he drew his sword, Gu Hong-cheong could already gauge the astonishing level of his internal energy.
"Were you counting on your internal power?"
Gu Hong-cheong scoffed.
"But such things don't decide the outcome of a battle!"
Kurung!
In that instant, a massive palm suddenly materialized before Bu Eun-seol's face.
It was the fastest and most concealed form of the Subduing Dragon Palm—Sudden Arrival.
Kwaang!
As Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Swift Shadowless movement technique, the spot where he had stood was gouged into a pit so deep the bottom couldn't be seen.
It was power so overwhelming that even witnessing it firsthand was hard to believe.
Swiik!
Again, Gu Hong-cheong flicked his hand lightly.
Then, like a dragon dancing underwater, a spiraling surge of palm energy poured toward Bu Eun-seol's left flank.
It was the exquisite form of Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act.
'Does this mean he can even omit the preparatory movements?'
To execute the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, one normally needed to assume an intense stance.
Yet Gu Hong-cheong was unleashing the Subduing Dragon Palm with nothing more than a casual motion.
This was proof that, no matter what posture he took, he could manifest any martial technique he desired.
In other words, this single move alone made it clear that his martial prowess had ascended to the Extreme Heaven Realm.
Kwarung!
While Bu Eun-seol was still processing this, another massive surge of palm energy cascaded toward him.
'Good!'
Bu Eun-seol, who had been analyzing the Subduing Dragon Palm, gathered his internal power.
Hwiiing!
A faint glow flickered around his fist before erupting into a raging torrent of light.
He was preparing to counter the Subduing Dragon Palm with the second form of the Fist Demon Seven Forms—Extreme Lightning Confusion.
Kuoong!
As fist energy and palm energy collided, the earth trembled, and violent qi waves exploded outward in all directions.
Kurururur...
Dust clouds billowed up before being swept away by a gust of wind, revealing the surroundings once more.
The Beggar King stood unmoved, but Bu Eun-seol had been forced back a step.
"Oh?"
Gu Hong-cheong's lips rounded in surprise.
He had already deduced that Bu Eun-seol's internal energy was not inferior to his own.
What startled him was how effortlessly Bu Eun-seol had neutralized the razor-sharp internal power imbued within the Subduing Dragon Palm.
"Even if his body was pushed back, he blocked the palm energy that should have pierced through his meridians..."
Gu Hong-cheong nodded slowly.
"Indeed, you're no ordinary opponent. You've earned the right to challenge this elder alone!"
With that declaration, he conjured dozens of palm shadows and hurled them at Bu Eun-seol.
It was the form of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms that produced the greatest number of palm images at once—Shaking the Hundred Miles.
Pururuk!
Dozens of palm shadows fanned out like the ribs of a folding screen.
The sight was reminiscent of the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm that Gwang-yeon had once displayed.
Paaat!
Rather than facing the onslaught of palm energy head-on, Bu Eun-seol instantly activated his movement technique to escape its range.
Swish! Papapapap!
As Bu Eun-seol unleashed Swift Shadowless, his body seemed to accelerate dozens of times faster, leaving behind only faint afterimages.
Kwarung!
As palm energy continued to pour forth, Bu Eun-seol's movement technique grew even faster.
No longer restraining the Sound of Breaking Air from Swift Shadowless, he unleashed the technique freely, and with every slice through the air, thunderous echoes resounded.
The Feathering Platform was vast enough that Bu Eun-seol could employ Swift Shadowless to its fullest extent.
"A rat-like bastard, aren't you? I'll seal off every escape route!"
As Bu Eun-seol continued to dodge nimbly, Gu Hong-cheong shifted his palm technique once more.
Whoooosh—!
Countless hand shadows surged in all directions, systematically erasing the spaces where Bu Eun-seol could evade.
Outwardly, the palm energy seemed light and effortless, but in truth, each strike carried enough force to collapse an entire pavilion in an instant.
Not only that, but the sheer range of his technique was so vast that even when Bu Eun-seol managed to evade, the razor-sharp internal energy grazed his body, violently disrupting his meridians.
If this continued, his meridians would eventually tear apart.
Swoosh—!
Bu Eun-seol, halting his movement technique, finally drew the Ink Sword.
Swish—!
Then, in a chaotic flurry, he unleashed a storm of sword strokes against the cascading palm energy.
It was the Soul Annihilation Sword Method, an advanced sword study from the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying.
"A sloppy sword technique."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol counter with his blade, Gu Hong-cheong instead grinned and closed the distance.
Clash-clang-clatter!
Sword and hands intertwined in a frenzied exchange.
Gu Hong-cheong multiplied his Dragon-Subduing Palms into dozens of strikes, yet his internal energy remained perfectly controlled—never scattering.
The depth and density of his internal power were unimaginable.
"Ghk—!"
As Gu Hong-cheong pressed in at extreme close range, pouring down palm energy, Bu Eun-seol retaliated with sword strokes.
Simultaneously, his left hand unleashed a razor-sharp Finger Wind—the Dark Whistle Demon Finger, a technique Hyeok So-jin frequently used.
"So this is the extent of your martial arts? Pathetic!"
Gu Hong-cheong chuckled darkly, leisurely expanding his palm energy.
(He's only strong in internal energy—nothing special.)
Since Bu Eun-seol had insisted on a one-on-one duel, Gu Hong-cheong had fought cautiously, thinking Bu might possess extraordinary skill.
But now, after testing his hand techniques, Gu Hong-cheong realized Bu Eun-seol was no different from the average Young Hero of the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
"Time to wrap this up."
As Gu Hong-cheong accelerated his hand shadows, Bu Eun-seol's movements grew erratic, exposing an immediate opening.
Those who had reached the Extreme Heaven Realm could predict most martial forms of those beneath them.
Fwip—!
The moment Bu Eun-seol's weakness was exposed, Gu Hong-cheong closed in—
But Bu Eun-seol abruptly changed techniques in the middle of the exchange.
The Dark Whistle Demon Finger in his left hand transformed into the Great Bright Jade Fist.
The Soul Annihilation Sword Method morphed into the Myriad Thunder Blood Sword.
Bam-bam-bam-bam!
Having trained extensively with Hyeok So-jin, Bu Eun-seol executed the demonic techniques as smoothly as if he had honed them for decades.
Not only that—he even wove in the supreme demonic arts personally taught to him by the Demonkin of Peach Garden Village.
(He knows I'm predicting his forms... So he's cycling through different martial arts.)
Like a predator stalking prey, a glint of interest flickered in Gu Hong-cheong's eyes as he stealthily narrowed the gap.
Shifting martial arts mid-battle was no easy feat.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol was exploiting the principle of Using Strength to Mend Weakness, alternating techniques to cover each other's flaws.
It was a unique, interlocking combat style—one even Gu Hong-cheong, who had dominated the Rivers and Lakes for decades, rarely encountered.
"Entertaining. If it's the subtleties of martial arts you want, then I'll match you with my own."
Rather than frustrated, Gu Hong-cheong grew exhilarated as Bu Eun-seol bought time by unleashing a torrent of demonic techniques.
"Open your eyes wide and witness—this elder's martial arts!"
Hwoosh—
With the sound of wind being sucked away, Gu Hong-cheong retracted his palm energy—enough to push mountains aside—in an instant.
Then—
Shwiiing—!
He unleashed it again, this time in a web-like formation, coiling around Bu Eun-seol's body.
BOOM! BOOM!
Every time Gu Hong-cheong's hands fluttered like butterflies through the air, massive craters erupted around Bu Eun-seol.
Each time, Bu Eun-seol tried to counter by mixing demonic techniques—but he never got the chance.
The moment he gathered his energy to strike back, Gu Hong-cheong would withdraw his palm force, disrupting him perfectly.
(He's reading the flow of my True Qi too...)
To execute a sword technique, one had to violently channel internal energy, surging new power through the body.
Gu Hong-cheong was severing that momentum precisely as Bu Eun-seol was about to unleash his full strength—preventing his techniques from ever fully forming.
(Still... unreachable.)
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
Even fellow disciples of the same sect would struggle to perceive the flow of True Qi.
Yet Gu Hong-cheong could predict the circulation of Bu Eun-seol's internal energy and blood flow just by observing his movements—and pour forth his Palm Energy accordingly.
Extreme Heaven Realm.
This realm, where human martial arts reach the heavens, enhances even the speed of thought and cognitive ability.
In other words, he was employing a combat method that ordinary martial artists wouldn't even dare attempt.
Pah!
Finally, the Subduing Dragon Palm found an opening and pierced toward a vital point on Bu Eun-seol's chest.
'I can't dodge this.'
The timing and angle made evasion impossible.
Bu Eun-seol swiftly deployed the Dark Heaven Demon Dragon Palm to block the strike.
KWAANG!
In that instant, with a deafening explosion, Bu Eun-seol was forced back three more steps.
"Tch."
He spat out a mouthful of blood—a clot the size of a pebble splattering onto the ground.
That single strike had left him with no minor internal injury.
"Heh heh heh. I can see your death now."
Even as Gu Hong-cheong roared, Bu Eun-seol's gaze remained unshaken.
'I knew it wouldn't be easy. But...'
To face a master of the Extreme Heaven Realm, he would need at least five years.
But he had no intention of slowly honing his martial arts over that time just to fight Gu Hong-cheong.
The moment he met the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, he had resolved never to climb stairs built by another.
'I must avenge the Wind Cloud Brigade members who died in my place.'
Five years would be enough time for the flesh of those buried comrades to rot away.
Before their corpses began to shed their flesh, leaving only bones, Bu Eun-seol had sworn to himself that he would kill the Beggar King.
"You're something else. To endure this far..."
As Bu Eun-seol staggered but then straightened like a weighted doll, a glint of admiration flickered in Gu Hong-cheong's eyes.
"In all my years, I've never seen a reckless fool like you."
Pausing his assault, Gu Hong-cheong tilted his head in curiosity.
"With your skill and talent, you would've reached the perfected stage of the Extreme Heaven Realm within five years. Why force yourself into this reckless fight?"
Swish.
Wiping the blood from his lips, Bu Eun-seol gripped the Ink Sword once more and spoke.
"Who knows when an old man past a hundred might drop dead?"
"What did you say?"
"I heard you were one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, so I expected some grand martial art..."
Standing tall, Bu Eun-seol grinned at Gu Hong-cheong.
"Turns out you're only good enough to make me spit blood."
"Heh heh heh... HAHAHAHA!"
Gu Hong-cheong suddenly burst into mad laughter, exclaiming in amazement.
"Good, very good! If you're going to challenge this elder alone, you'd better have the guts for it!"
Baring his yellowed teeth, he chuckled darkly.
"Now, I shall unleash the Art of Killing—the culmination of this elder's lifelong insights."
The martial art that had elevated Gu Hong-cheong to his position among the Four Gods and Seven Kings was not the Subduing Dragon Palm.
It was the Nine Flower Flash Hands—twenty-four techniques devised to sever an enemy's lifeline in an instant.
Not only did it compensate for the Beggars' Sect's inherent flaw of brute-force reliance, but it was also a hand technique that fully unleashed the overwhelming killing intent within him.
It was this fearsome technique that earned him the title of First of the Beggars' Sect...
And it was precisely because he had created this blood-soaked art that he was excluded from the succession for Sect Chief.
Crack—
A bone-chilling sound reverberated from Gu Hong-cheong's body as a dazzling light erupted from his pupils.
"Take this!"
With a roar like a beast's, countless razor-sharp hand forces transformed into millions of light points, raining down upon Bu Eun-seol.
At last, Gu Hong-cheong's signature technique—the Nine Flower Flash Hands—was unleashed.
FWOOOOOSH!
The sharp Palm Energy, now multiplied into hundreds of shadows, poured forth, sealing off every possible movement from Bu Eun-seol.
Against this, even the demonic arts he had learned from Heaven-Severing Earth-Destroying would be utterly useless.
'Now!'
Hwoom!
A faint golden light surged from Bu Eun-seol's body, wrapping around the hundreds of descending hand shadows.
He had finally activated the Willful True Binding.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
But in that same moment, the Nine Flower Flash Hands cascaded like a tidal wave, engulfing Bu Eun-seol's body.
FLASH!
Then—a sharp light shot upward into the heavens for the briefest instant.
Suddenly, it exploded like a firecracker, scattering into millions of light points that rained down below Gu Hong-cheong's head.
Formless Heavenly Flow, Eighth Form.
A technique that calculates every variation of the enemy's attack and delivers an unavoidable counterstrike.
At last, Lament by the River had been unleashed.