Chapter 269
"There's no need to dance to the tune of his opening moves."
Bu Eun-seol, his focus honed to its absolute peak, instantly grasped the martial principles behind Dong Li-jeok's initial strikes.
The Black Blood World was an art rooted in motion.
Then Bu Eun-seol would remain in stillness, biding his time for the decisive moment.
Pah-pah-pah-pah!
The moment the Black Blood Force coiled around Bu Eun-seol, a single pinpoint of light flickered in the air.
Cha-ra-ra-rang!
With a crystalline sword resonance, a massive surge of light erupted from where Bu Eun-seol stood. Simultaneously, that radiance fractured into millions of shimmering motes, engulfing Dong Li-jeok's body.
The eighth form of the Formless Heavenly Flow—Lament by the River—was unfolding. A counter that calculated every facet of the enemy's attack before delivering the perfect retaliatory strike.
Tuk. Tuk...
As the light dispersed, the darkened interior of the Great Hall reappeared.
"Impressive."
Before Bu Eun-seol stood Dong Li-jeok, clutching his own throat.
"So this is the martial prowess of the Heir of the Demon Hall..."
Despite the bloodline carved into his neck—despite being marinated in unknown drugs—Dong Li-jeok refused to die instantly. He clung desperately to life, fingers digging into his own flesh.
"If only... I had a little more time... This Lotus Master would have grown even stronger..."
His voice was thick with regret and anguish.
He had begun as a nameless demon, yet now commanded thirty thousand troops as leader of the Black Alliance. But what he truly desired was martial power strong enough to trample the masters of the Martial World beneath his feet. To achieve that ambition, he had endured the agony of his organs melting, had steeped his body in drugs—and still, he was nothing more than an ant before a peerless master.
Schlick.
Bu Eun-seol sheathed his sword and spoke flatly.
"Who is pulling the strings of the Black Alliance?"
Just like the Blood Poison Valley, which had once threatened the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Black Alliance had experienced explosive growth within a decade. Such a thing was impossible without backing from a hidden force.
"Pulling strings? Heh-heh-heh..."
Dong Li-jeok laughed weakly, still clutching his throat.
"Every warrior born into this world... dreams of glory."
The light in his yellow eyes was fading.
"...No regrets."
Pshht. Tuk.
Finally, blood gushed from the severed line on his neck. His head toppled, and his breath ceased.
Bu Eun-seol gazed down at Dong Li-jeok's corpse, still gripping its own throat. Even in death, the man's fingers clawed at his neck, as if trying to reattach his neck. It was a visceral testament to his obsession with survival.
Peerless martial arts. Glory. Power...
Any warrior would crave such things. And there were forces in this world that exploited those desires to manipulate them.
"Desire became his shackles," Bu Eun-seol murmured, observing the dead man.
Perhaps it was a temptation no warrior could resist. But Bu Eun-seol had entered the Rivers and Lakes for revenge alone. Even now, as he strove to become the Heir of the Demon Hall, nothing outside that goal held his attention.
Creak.
Stepping outside the hall, he found Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong slumped against the wall, gasping for breath. Before them lay the cold corpses of the Five Great Killing Gods—the Black Alliance's five hall leaders.
"Did you... finish it?" Myo Cheon-u panted, still leaning against the wall.
"Those crazy bastards must've eaten something. Their martial arts suddenly surged. I almost died for real this time."
"I see."
Then Yu Un-ryong turned his gaze to Bu Eun-seol.
"The Black Alliance Leader?"
"He remains inside."
"Well done."
"Let's go."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Myo Cheon-u stretched out a hand as if it were the most natural thing.
"Come on, we worked hard. Help me up."
After a long pause, Bu Eun-seol reluctantly extended his hand. Myo Cheon-u grinned, grabbed it, and groaned as he hauled himself up.
Yu Un-ryong, still leaning against the wall, stared intently at Bu Eun-seol. But before he could react, Myo Cheon-u swiftly stepped forward and offered his hand.
"Here. Take it."
Yu Un-ryong's expression darkened. He slapped Myo Cheon-u's hand away and stood on his own.
—Cha-ang! Ta-ang!
Do Cheon-rin and the masters of the Bloodflame Blade Family were desperately breaking through the Black Alliance's defensive lines. Meanwhile, the main forces of the Blood Mist Corps fought alongside them, straining to breach the final defenses before the Heuksa Palace.
"Just a little more!"
An unprecedented impatience flickered across Do Cheon-rin's face as he swung the Bloodflame Blade.
This extermination of the Black Alliance was a mission crafted by the sect leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates—a scheme to eliminate Bu Eun-seol from the succession struggle. Only a battle of this scale could render his terrifying martial prowess and genius talent meaningless.
Do Cheon-rin had persuaded the sect leaders early on, even mobilizing the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and securing the allegiance of the Blood Martial Group Leader.
But for it to come to this?
He would rather die than accept this outcome.
"This can't be happening!"
Do Cheon-rin bit his lip.
The Black Alliance's defenses clung like vengeful water ghosts, showing no signs of collapse.
Moreover, having fought against an enemy force ten times their size for so long, even the Blood Mist Corps was gradually showing signs of exhaustion.
'There's no choice but to take the gamble.'
Crack!
Do Cheon-rin, drawing upon his internal energy at full strength, unleashed the Raging River Technique.
As he soared into mid-air, hundreds of arrows rained down upon him from the Black Alliance warriors.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Swinging his Bloodflame Blade, Do Cheon-rin deflected every single arrow mid-flight and in one swift motion, vaulted over the Black Alliance forces, advancing all the way to the gates of the Heuksa Palace.
—Stop him!
As he reached the palace entrance, a hundred Black Alliance warriors immediately launched their assault.
But Do Cheon-rin ignored their attacks entirely, charging forward without regard for defense. Even if he had to take some wounds, his priority was breaching the Heuksa Palace.
Whoosh!
Just as he leaped one final time toward the palace gates—
Creeeak—
The massive doors of the Heuksa Palace swung open on their own.
And from within, dozens of figures emerged, their robes drenched in blood, walking forward with deliberate slowness.
Bu Eun-seol. The Death Shadow Squad. And the successors of the Qinghai Seven Sword Gates.
"Bu Eun-seol!"
Do Cheon-rin's eyes widened as he spat out the name in a low, furious growl.
If Bu Eun-seol and his squad had emerged unscathed, the outcome was already obvious, wasn't it?
"The Death Shadow Squad Leader has beheaded the Black Alliance Lord!"
Won Se-mun, amplifying his voice with internal energy, roared the announcement once more.
—The Death Shadow Squad Leader has beheaded the Black Alliance Lord!
The thunderous proclamation echoed like a shockwave, reverberating across the battlefield.
At those words, every warrior on the battlefield froze, and for a long moment, silence reigned.
—ROOOOOAR!
Then, a deafening cheer erupted, shaking the heavens.
For the Blood Mist Corps, breaching the Heuksa Palace had meant breaking through the Black Alliance's ironclad defenses—a task that had seemed impossible.
Yet their defensive line still stood strong, and had the battle dragged on any longer, the Blood Mist Corps would have suffered devastating losses.
—Thank heavens!
Relief flooded the eyes of the Blood Mist Corps members as they roared in triumph.
Truthfully, this operation to annihilate the Black Alliance had been little more than a scheme to push Do Cheon-rin's reputation.
The commander, Blood Martial Group Leader Jwa Dae-baek, should have devised tactics and strategies to minimize casualties while crushing the Black Alliance.
But instead, he had only cared about securing glory for Do Cheon-rin.
Hadn't this very assault been carried out recklessly, solely on Do Cheon-rin's insistence?
As a result, the Blood Mist Corps had been forced into a brutal, head-on clash against an enemy ten times their number.
And just as they were exhausting themselves, breaking through layer after layer of defenses—
Bu Eun-seol had stormed the Heuksa Palace in a single stroke and beheaded the Black Alliance Lord, ending the battle in an instant.
To the Blood Mist Corps, Bu Eun-seol was nothing short of a savior.
"You've worked hard."
Bu Eun-seol nodded slightly at Do Cheon-rin, who stood frozen before the palace gates.
Coincidentally, Do Cheon-rin had been crouched low, mid-leap—
From a distance, it almost looked as if he were kneeling before Bu Eun-seol.
"Bu Eun-seol..."
Do Cheon-rin's face twisted as if he were vomiting blood as he looked up at him.
"How did you get here?"
"By boat."
"By... boat?"
Despair flickered in Do Cheon-rin's eyes.
Bu Eun-seol hadn't just deceived him—he had slipped past the Black Alliance's surveillance entirely, breaking through via the Raging River.
'It's over.'
This operation to annihilate the Black Alliance had been a golden opportunity, one he had forced into existence by leveraging the support of the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
But instead of crushing Bu Eun-seol, it had only solidified his position as the Heir of the Demon Hall—
Leaving Do Cheon-rin with no more chances.
—ROOOOOAR!
The triumphant cheers of the Blood Martial Group now sounded to Do Cheon-rin like the howls of demons dragging him into the abyss of hell.
His head drooped, and at last, his eyes slowly closed.
The Blood Martial Group, with just three thousand troops, had annihilated the Black Alliance, the dominant force of Qinghai, and beheaded its leader, Dong Li-jeok.
Because of this, the prestige of the Demon Hall had soared to unprecedented heights.
And at the center of it all stood the Death Shadow Squad Leader—Bu Eun-seol.
Leaving the three thousand troops behind, he had led the Death Shadow Squad alone in a lightning strike straight into the Heuksa Palace, where the Black Alliance Lord resided.
This legendary feat was embellished with each retelling—
Until it eventually morphed into an absurd rumor that Bu Eun-seol had single-handedly charged in, crushed the Black Alliance, and beheaded its leader in one stroke.
—The succession is decided.
By this point, every faction within the Demon Hall had no choice but to acknowledge Bu Eun-seol's ascension as heir.
Even the Demonic Path Ten Gates could no longer deny it.
All members of the Demonic Path now took it for granted—
Bu Eun-seol would become the next ruler of the Demon Hall.
The rightful successor of Langya Pavilion and the heir apparent of the Demon Hall—
Bu Eun-seol no longer relied on the support of the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
Instead, he had the backing of the entire Demonic Path.
But then, an unexpected challenge arose from an unlikely place.
—The main house cannot recognize this.
While the entire Murim acknowledged the truth, the Bloodflame Blade Family Leader, Do Mu-jeok, refused.
And so, he personally sought an audience with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, making a bold proposal:
—Open the Blood Dragon Seven Gates.
The Blood Dragon Seven Gates.
In the past, the Demonic Path Ten Gates had established these seven trials within the Demon Hall to determine the greatest rising talent among their sects.
Mechanisms, formation-breaking, adaptability, movement techniques, weapon mastery, willpower, and wisdom—
Seven gates, each testing a different field of ability. Victory would be determined by who could break through them first.
"When successor candidates are evenly matched, have we not always settled matters through the Blood Dragon Seven Gates?"
It was already widely known that Bu Eun-seol possessed extraordinary martial prowess.
Yet Do Cheon-rin's abilities remained unproven. Moreover, the heir of the Demon Hall must excel not just in martial arts but in all fields.
In other words, Do Mu-jeok was insisting that Do Cheon-rin—the Perfect Scholar, renowned for mastery across multiple disciplines—was the superior successor to Bu Eun-seol.
"Let the Death Shadow Squad Leader decide."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor granted Bu Eun-seol the right to choose.
And Bu Eun-seol, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, responded:
"I will enter the Blood Dragon Seven Gates."
At that, every figure in the Demon Hall nodded in admiration.
"He truly is the Demon Hall's successor!"
Even the unit commanders who had once viewed him unfavorably. Even the Hall Master-leveled High Command who had dismissed him for lacking foundation—
All of them now bore witness to Bu Eun-seol's overwhelming majesty, his refusal to shy away from any trial or challenge.
Though the Blood Dragon Seven Gates had yet to begin, they already knew—Bu Eun-seol would become the Demon Hall's heir.
"Begin."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor wasted no time.
The moment negotiations concluded, Bu Eun-seol and Do Cheon-rin were immediately sent into the Blood Dragon Seven Gates.
The Blood Dragon Seven Gates.
Located near the Stone Mountain connected to the Demon Hall's North Gate, the seven trials were as follows:
The First Gate tested the dismantling of mechanisms.
The Second Gate, the unraveling of formations.
The Third Gate, adaptability in crisis.
The Fourth Gate, mastery of movement techniques.
The Fifth Gate, weapon proficiency.
The Sixth Gate, the resilience of one's spirit and mind.
And finally, the Seventh Gate, the trial of wisdom.
Each gate was a death trap—failure meant losing one's life.
To pass through, one needed not just martial skill but wisdom, courage, willpower—excellence in every field.
In that regard, the Blood Dragon Seven Gates heavily favored Do Cheon-rin.
The Perfect Scholar.
A title earned not just for martial arts, but for his genius in scholarship, arts, and all disciplines.
Thud. Thud.
Bu Eun-seol and Do Cheon-rin stood side by side before a massive stone gate engraved with the emblem of Two Dragons Vying for a Pearl.
Rumble—
As the gate opened, the two stepped inside without hesitation.
From this moment on, the first to break through all seven gates and emerge from the exit would be the victor.
The title Perfect Scholar was not given lightly.
Do Cheon-rin's abilities were nothing short of genius.
Not just in martial arts—in any field, his talents were extraordinary, and they shone brilliantly within the Blood Dragon Seven Gates.
No matter how difficult the obstacles before him, he solved them effortlessly and broke through each gate.
'This time, I can win!'
Rumble—
As he stepped into the Fourth Gate, a confident smile curled at Do Cheon-rin's lips.
He was the heir of the Bloodflame Blade Family, groomed from the start to be the Demon Hall's successor.
He had not focused solely on martial arts—economics, politics, religion, military strategy—
He had cultivated everything necessary to rule over the Million Demon Blades.
'But...'
Suddenly, the image of Bu Eun-seol—huddled in the ship bound for Hell Island—flashed through his mind.
'I thought he was just some strange guy in vestments.'
The first time he saw Bu Eun-seol on that ship, his heart had wavered.
Objectively, there was nothing about him that surpassed Do Cheon-rin.
And yet, inexplicably, he had felt both curiosity and fear.
"Become my ally."
After that, Do Cheon-rin had ceaselessly tried to sway and manipulate Bu Eun-seol.
He didn't need much.
Just once—if Bu Eun-seol accepted his offer even a single time, that would be enough.
"Once a person tastes sweet assistance, they can never break free of it."
Do Cheon-rin had been certain of it.
The moment Bu Eun-seol accepted his offer, he would forever remain under Do Cheon-rin's control.
But, regrettably, Bu Eun-seol never accepted.
Instead, he walked the thorny path without hesitation.
At the time, Do Cheon-rin hadn't understood.
But now, he knew with absolute certainty—
Bu Eun-seol's choice had been the right one.
The difficult, arduous path he had chosen... was the shortest path to the top.
"But I will win this time."
Do Cheon-rin clenched his fists.
The position of Demon Hall's heir no longer mattered. If he could win this contest—if he could defeat Bu Eun-seol just once—
Even if he never became the successor, he would have no regrets.
Do Cheon-rin, the peerless genius.
Just like Seok U-haeng before him, he burned to trample Bu Eun-seol beneath his feet—even if just once.
Thud. Thud.
As he advanced deep into the Fourth Gate—
CRASH!
The walls around him suddenly collapsed.
The Fourth Gate tested movement techniques. To pass, one had to move faster than the collapsing structure—swift as lightning itself.
Swish!
Do Cheon-rin's figure, wreathed in crackling electricity, sliced through the crumbling passage like a blade.
'I will shatter every trial and surpass you!'
Do Cheon-rin had resolved to take no shortcuts.
Like Bu Eun-seol, he would throw everything he had into this—breaking through with sheer force.
He had given his all since birth. There was no way Bu Eun-seol could keep up.
The Fifth Gate, the Sixth Gate, and finally—the Seventh Gate...
Pushing himself to the limit, Do Cheon-rin finally broke through the last gate.
Rumble—
The stone gate opened, revealing the exit ahead.
Thump. Thump.
Stepping outside, he found himself in a vast clearing.
'I won!'
No matter how hard he looked, there was no sign that anyone had exited before him. He checked again and again—but the result was the same.
With a triumphant expression, Do Cheon-rin stepped forward.
"Bu Eun-seol!"
Overcome with joy, he clenched his fists and shouted.
"In the end, you couldn't surpass me after all!"