Chapter 309
Kwa-woo-woo-woo!
Wrapped in a shroud of black light, Bu Eun-seol arrived at Seven Sword Peak in just a quarter of an hour.
And there, still standing tall in front of the thatched cottage where Yeong Mun-ho had once stayed, was that man.
"I knew you'd come back."
As if he had been waiting, the man grinned, his large eyes gleaming.
"Because I made sure there was no way you could survive."
His smile was so guileless it could have been mistaken for innocence.
But to Bu Eun-seol's eyes, it looked like nothing more than a wicked monster flicking its tongue and laughing.
"Why...?"
Swallowing the black rage burning fiercely within him, Bu Eun-seol opened his mouth.
Before reducing this man to dust, there was something he needed to ask.
"Why did you kill him?"
"Shouldn't you ask who I am first?"
Bu Eun-seol's darkened pupils trembled.
Could it be that this man and Yeong Mun-ho were entangled in some deep-seated grudge? Or perhaps there was some bitter feud between them, passed down from their predecessors?
Under Bu Eun-seol's piercing gaze, the man's clear eyes sparkled as he pointed at his own face.
"I... am Cheon-geom."
The Righteous Golden Divine Eye, Cheon-geom.
The youngest disciple of Heonwon Dam-cheong, the Sword Sovereign—one of the Sword Demon Three Venerables.
The Foremost Sword of the Righteous Faction, wielder of the most enigmatic Sword Studies in the martial world, who had perfectly inherited the essence of the Sword Sovereign's techniques...
A master of the new generation, even called the Second Sword Sovereign.
This towering man was none other than Cheon-geom.
"And..."
Cheon-geom bared his white teeth in a smile.
"I'm also one of the eighteen Great Righteous Experts chosen by the Martial Alliance."
Thud.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze wavered as if struck by shock.
It was widely known that the eighteen Great Righteous Experts were mostly composed of outstanding disciples from the Nine Great Sects and One Gang or the Eight Great Families.
But there was something strange.
At the time, the information provided by the Demon Hall—and what could be uncovered through intelligence networks—had been extremely limited.
'So that's how it was.'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize why the information on the eighteen Great Righteous Experts had been so scarce.
Why their true identities had remained hidden.
Because among them were figures of extremely high seniority, like dragons silently moving through the martial world's shadows.
Like Cheon-geom—the disciple of the Sword Sovereign, one of the Three Venerables.
"You look like you finally understand."
The man—Cheon-geom—smiled brightly, without a trace of malice.
"Your Demonic Path's Ten Demonic Heirs also sought out and killed the Great Righteous Experts who were lying low, didn't they? Right?"
"..."
"So why shouldn't we, the righteous faction, kill a Ten Demonic Heir in revenge?"
Bu Eun-seol could feel it.
Though his eyes were clear, they were tainted with madness.
That he would do anything to uphold his convictions.
"Did you really think that just because he left the martial world, he shouldn't be killed? You didn't actually cling to such lukewarm hopes, did you?"
The man laughed, flashing his white teeth.
"Once you set foot in the martial world, favors and grudges never disappear. Not until you die."
The Rivers and Lakes.
A hell where men, bound by chains of grudges, must swing their swords at one another.
Once you step into this place, there is no way to break free of those chains.
Srrring.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Sword.
He had known these truths for a long time.
From the moment he set foot in this hell, he had resolved to shatter everything.
If fate bound him in chains, he would move forward still bound.
But only now did he realize—he hadn't managed to break a single thing properly.
Oong... oong... oong...
His darkened heart churned into black True Qi, surging violently through his entire body.
Cheon-geom, who had been enduring Bu Eun-seol's terrifying momentum, chuckled and nodded.
"I thought the only ones who could be my rivals in this generation were those guys... but it seems there's one more."
The fact that he referred to them as those guys meant there were other rising talents in the righteous faction with strength comparable to Cheon-geom's.
In other words, there were more prodigies who could stand against Bu Eun-seol.
"I heard there was one utterly insane bastard in the Demonic Path. You must be that guy—"
His words never reached their end.
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol—now a black storm—was already swinging for his neck.
Kwaang!
Even though it was a clash of swords, the sound that erupted was not a metallic ring but a deafening explosion.
At the same time, Cheon-geom was forced back six full steps.
"Have you done nothing but eat and train your Internal Energy?"
Cheon-geom's eyes widened in shock at the sheer force behind the sword technique.
"Your Internal Energy is over four cycles deep. What the hell have you been—"
His words were cut short again.
A violet lightning flash accompanied another razor-sharp sword technique thrusting toward his throat.
It was the Peerless Thunderbolt Form.
"Your killing intent is monstrous."
Though the attack came at an angle and through a space that should have been impossible to evade, Cheon-geom effortlessly blocked the Peerless Thunderbolt Form.
As the Sword Sovereign's disciple, he was not only deeply versed in the righteous faction's techniques but also highly knowledgeable about the Demonic Path's sword arts.
The moment Bu Eun-seol unleashed his vicious killing intent, Cheon-geom had anticipated a killing sword and countered it with the Dragon Saliva Plain Finger Sword—a technique designed to neutralize such attacks.
Kwaang! Kwaang!
The Heavenly Sword was pushed back repeatedly, yet he perfectly blocked the Peerless Thunderbolt.
Then, with a tone that seemed to mock Bu Eun-seol, he said:
"A Killing Sword forged from rage and killing intent may be formidable, but against someone like me—who is equally versed in sword techniques—it only exposes your flaws!"
The principle behind the Dragon Saliva Plain Finger Sword was profound yet simple.
When executing a Killing Sword, the killing intent gathered at the tip of the blade touches the target first.
The Sword Sovereign had devised this intricate sword form to exploit that very trait, creating a defense against the Killing Sword.
That was why the Heavenly Sword could effortlessly block Bu Eun-seol's Peerless Thunderbolt—a technique even Dong Yeo-rip, one of the Ten Demonic Paragons, had failed to withstand.
"Now, face my sword technique!"
Ziiing!
A low Sword Resonance hummed from the Heavenly Sword's greatsword.
At the same time, a blinding white light flooded the surroundings, as if it would sear away one's vision.
Though countless sword techniques existed in the world, all of them possessed form and structure.
But what the Heavenly Sword unleashed was nothing but radiant light—devoid of any discernible form or stance.
CLANG!
With a metallic ring, the massive greatsword halted right before Bu Eun-seol.
He had blocked the formless, shadowless sword—visible only as a flash of light—without even shifting his stance.
"To stop my Formless Shadowless Sword in a single breath... Impressive."
Crash!
Seeing that the Peerless Thunderbolt was ineffective, Bu Eun-seol immediately shifted to the Formless Heavenly Flow.
In response, the Heavenly Sword leisurely altered his technique as well, meeting him blow for blow.
Whish! Whish!
Each time the light from the Heavenly Sword's strikes dispersed, the Ink Sword responded with fierce, violent Sounds of Breaking Air.
As the sword techniques of these two prodigies—representing the new generation of martial masters—clashed repeatedly, waves of True Qi surged to the heavens.
BOOM!
The Internal Energy erupting from their bodies grew increasingly violent, forming a whirlwind that kicked up dust, uprooted grass, and stripped bark from trees.
Crash!
The Heavenly Sword's previously invisible sword technique became tangible sword moves.
Simultaneously, Bu Eun-seol's Sword Strokes accelerated.
Having recognized each other's mastery, they altered their techniques in unison, as if by prior agreement.
"Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!"
The Heavenly Sword swung his sword wildly, howling with exhilaration.
"You're the first to block my techniques this flawlessly!"
Shiing! Clang!
The ruthless Practical Sword Study of the Demonic Path and the exquisite Sword Studies of the Righteous Faction collided repeatedly at close quarters.
Though there was no gap in skill between these two peerless geniuses, the disparity in their Internal Power was staggering.
The meridians of the Heavenly Sword, blessed with Innate Divine Strength, were several times thicker and more resilient than those of an ordinary person.
Thus, despite his age, his Internal Energy had already reached the level of four cycles.
Yet Bu Eun-seol, who had reached the fifth stage of the Counter-Polar Internal Art, far surpassed even five cycles of cultivation.
No matter how much the Heavenly Sword exerted himself, he could never match Bu Eun-seol's sheer Internal Power.
"Tch!"
When their weapons locked midair once more, the Heavenly Sword spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.
"Damn it! I can't keep up with his Internal Energy!"
Every time their blades clashed, Bu Eun-seol's overwhelming Internal Power surged into his meridians.
But all he did was cough up a little blood.
A minor Internal Injury like that was healed in an instant—just by circulating his energy once.
His recovery was nothing short of monstrous.
"Is Internal Energy all you've got?"
Despite the Heavenly Sword's taunt, Bu Eun-seol's gaze remained dark and sunken.
From the start, he hadn't even considered analyzing the superiority of sword techniques or probing for flaws in martial arts.
His sole intention had been to wear down the Heavenly Sword's meridians through relentless clashes—to make his death agonizing.
But seeing how quickly the Heavenly Sword recovered from Internal Injuries, he changed his mind.
'There's no need for that.'
Bu Eun-seol's Spirit and Mind were already steeped in rage and killing intent, pushing him back into the embrace of the Demonic Path.
With his boundless Internal Power, he could simply manifest the Willful True Binding and sever the Heavenly Sword's head in a single stroke.
'All I have to do is discard my emotions.'
Huuung!
At the same moment, hundreds of strands of black True Qi erupted behind him.
Affection only brought suffering. When facing an enemy he wished to cut down, it was nothing but a hindrance.
'I will become the Great Demon who annihilates all.'
Bu Eun-seol had finally made his choice.
Just as he had when eradicating Wicked Incense, he would channel his killing intent and will into immediate, destructive force—the power to shatter his foe into pieces.
The Demonic Path.
And with it, the Emotion Severing Secret Art of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
—Do not blame yourself.
But then, Yeong Mun-ho's final words echoed in his mind.
—The life of a martial artist who lives by the sword is always like this.
Even in his last moments, Yeong Mun-ho had smiled.
Perhaps because he had sensed that what followed death was nothing but... peace.
—Seol-a, this old man has one last request.
Even the grandfather who had died in agony had wished, above all else, for Bu Eun-seol to live in peace.
But if he chose to become the Great Demon who annihilated everything he defied—
Would his grandfather in the Nine Heavens be able to rest? Would Yeong Mun-ho, too, blame himself for what had happened because of Bu Eun-seol?
"Ughhhh."
As conflicting emotions endlessly clashed within him, Bu Eun-seol's eyes darkened to pitch black.
He had finally fallen into the grip of his inner demon.
But at that very moment—
Zzzing!
The immense power dispersed throughout his meridians surged forth, systematically eradicating the black true qi flowing through his body.
It was the power of Prajna Great Power.
Wooong!
The Prajna Great Power circulating through his meridians felt like warm hands gently stroking his back—
Almost like his grandfather's final admonition not to become a Great Demon who would annihilate the world.
Whoosh.
In that instant, the ink-black true qi rising from Bu Eun-seol's body completely vanished.
Simultaneously, his darkened pupils cleared and returned to normal.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The Heavenly Sword, observing the repeated fluctuations of true qi flowing through Bu Eun-seol's body, had discerned that he had succumbed to his inner demon.
Yet suddenly, a majestic golden light erupted from his entire body, and he immediately broke free from the demon's grasp?
"Not only is your internal energy formidable, but you're also a slightly twisted one, aren't you?"
The Heavenly Sword smirked mockingly.
"I've never seen anyone fall into an inner demon mid-battle and then wake from it."
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol raised his Ink Sword.
Having escaped the inner demon's grasp, he no longer relied on the Demonic Path—he intended to calmly display his true capabilities.
Flash!
Once again, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Formless Heavenly Flow.
But something was strange.
His sword strokes were unfolding with an almost excessive straightforwardness.
Not only that—he wasn't using any of the sword forms typically reserved for formidable opponents, such as Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, Returning God Destroying Earth, or even Lament by the River.
As Bu Eun-seol's sword techniques grew increasingly monotonous and subdued, the Heavenly Sword grinned and remarked,
"If this is all you've got, this won't be any fun."
He shifted his Myriad Forms One Style again, swinging the greatsword up and down, then left and right.
Each time, Bu Eun-seol's Formless Heavenly Flow was repeatedly blocked.
The Formless Heavenly Flow was a Practical Sword Study, refined from all of Langya Pavilion's sword techniques.
The stronger the opponent, the more it evolved, capable of generating sword techniques to counter them.
In other words, the Formless Heavenly Flow was incomplete—a sword study that could endlessly develop through real combat.
But the Heavenly Sword's Myriad Forms One Style was a near-perfect sword study, created by the Sword Sovereign in his later years.
Meaning, the still-incomplete Formless Heavenly Flow simply couldn't keep up with Myriad Forms One Style yet.
"You must be dying to cut me down, but your Demonic Sword Arts won't even come close."
Clank!
Abruptly, the Heavenly Sword gripped his greatsword's hilt with both hands and spread them apart.
In an instant, the greatsword split into two, each now held in one of his hands.
The reason his greatsword had been so massive and thick was because it had been two blades fused into one.
"We've got plenty of time—let's make this more entertaining!"
Swhish—craaack!
As he swung both greatswords wildly, cold streaks of light began encircling them.
Simultaneously, hundreds of sword shadows lunged for Bu Eun-seol's vital points.
Slaaash!
At that moment, spiderweb-like manifestations of true qi burst from Bu Eun-seol's left hand, piercing through the sword shadows and driving straight toward the Heavenly Sword's body.
"Not a chance!"
As the materialized true qi invaded his body, the Heavenly Sword merely smiled and altered his sword stroke.
Kwaaang!
A sharp gale erupted from the greatswords—
Zzzing!
Moonlight-like, chilling sword auras poured forth, each one deflecting the true qi blanketing the air—straight back toward Bu Eun-seol.
Normally, the true qi shaped by Willful True Binding possessed destructive power comparable to sword auras.
Yet the Heavenly Sword not only effortlessly deflected them with his greatswords—he even redirected them back at Bu Eun-seol.
"How do you like that?!"
The Heavenly Sword let out a triumphant roar.
"This is our sect's sword technique—Myriad Forms One Style!"
Myriad Forms One Style.
A sword form created by the Sword Sovereign in his later years, one that not only encompassed all orthodox sword techniques—
But as an Outer-Heaven Sword Study, its power and variations changed entirely depending on the wielder's enlightenment, internal power, and weapon type.
Even as the materialized true qi curved back toward him, Bu Eun-seol remained unfazed, calmly retracting his Willful True Binding.
Swish!
Seizing the opportunity, the Heavenly Sword surged forward like a whirlwind, charging straight at Bu Eun-seol.
Clang! Thud!
Pushing forward like a tide before retreating, raining down like a storm before softening into stillness.
Myriad Forms One Style contained all the transformations of heaven and earth—and every time Bu Eun-seol attempted a counterattack, it preemptively occupied space and direction, cutting off his sword strokes.
Slaaash!
Blocked again, Bu Eun-seol unleashed Willful True Binding once more.
Without entering the Demonic Path, his Willful True Binding posed little threat to a master like the Heavenly Sword.
Yet Bu Eun-seol persisted, as if testing something, continuously altering the form of his Willful True Binding to pressure the Heavenly Sword.
"Hahaha! Is that all you've got?"
Each time, the Heavenly Sword cackled, using Myriad Forms One Style to deflect the materialized true qi straight back at Bu Eun-seol's body.
"So that's how it was."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
The tangible true qi formed by the Willful True Binding was, in essence, a temporary manifestation of force.
It could be destroyed or dissipated, but it was not an object with pliable properties.
Yet, the Heavenly Sword had used the profound sword principle of Myriad Forms One Style to alter the nature of the true qi shaped by the Willful True Binding, bending it as if it were a flexible object.
"Qi."
At last, Bu Eun-seol understood the Heavenly Sword's method.
Unlike the Buddhist Venerable, who could alter the very principles of martial arts, the Heavenly Sword could only modify the properties of the Willful True Binding through the function of Myriad Forms One Style.
"Not only does he possess monstrous regenerative abilities, but he can also defend against the Willful True Binding with his sword forms..."
Having coldly assessed the Heavenly Sword's capabilities, Bu Eun-seol began to steady his spirit and mind once more.
The Thirteenfold Qi Induction—to unleash this supreme martial art of the righteous path, he needed the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment, which amplified the might of martial techniques through extreme emotions.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just as sharp currents of qi began to flow from his body—
RUMBLE!
A sound of breaking air echoed from the distant sky as dozens of black shadows descended to the ground.
They were none other than the Kill-Seeking Unit.
"Lord!"
Having received word from the Henan Branch Leader of the Kill-Seeking Unit, they had mobilized every available combatant from the unit, along with the Demon Hall's elite forces in Henan, and rushed to Seven Sword Peak.
"Tsk, what a nuisance."
The Heavenly Sword, seeing the Kill-Seeking Unit descending from the sky, immediately halted his attack and retreated dozens of paces back.
If the Kill-Seeking Unit intervened now, the balance would collapse instantly.
"We'll settle this another time!"
With a single leap, the Heavenly Sword soared into mid-air.
"I won't let you escape."
Under normal circumstances, Bu Eun-seol might have let him go—if only to kill him alone later.
But after he had brutally killed Yeong Mun-ho, there was no forgiveness.
If possible, he would have mobilized not just the Kill-Seeking Unit but the entire military force of the Demon Hall.
Tzzzt!
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated Swift Shadowless and pursued him.
Realizing he was being chased, the Heavenly Sword suddenly doubled his internal power and pushed his movement technique to its limits.
CRACK!
A thunderous roar resounded as the Heavenly Sword's speed in mid-air more than doubled.
But Bu Eun-seol's movement technique was already among the finest in the Martial World. There was no shaking him off.
Tzzzt-tzzzt-tzzzt!
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to catch up—
The Heavenly Sword abruptly veered sharply to the right and came to a stop before the gates of a temple nestled deep in the mountains.
THUD!
The moment Bu Eun-seol landed and prepared to strike without hesitation—
"You mustn't!"
A desperate shout rang out as a shadow descended from the sky—No Trace.
"You must retreat immediately."
Having pushed his movement technique to the absolute limit, No Trace was drenched in sweat, his voice trembling.
"The Martial Alliance's front leaders and the Nine Great Sects' elders are scheduled to hold an assembly here at the Temple of Precepts and Virtue soon."
At this, the Heavenly Sword, standing before the mountain gate, clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"You've got a decent intelligence network, huh? I only happened to hear about this meeting by chance."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
At first glance, the Heavenly Sword seemed like nothing more than a martial brute with no deeper thoughts.
But contrary to appearances, he was meticulous in nature.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered to scout out such a location in preparation for unforeseen circumstances.
"Hahaha. What now?"
Completely oblivious to the fact that Bu Eun-seol had thoroughly analyzed both his martial prowess and personality, he continued speaking playfully.
"You still want to keep this up here?"
"Is this meticulous retreat part of the Sword Sovereign's teachings? Or is it the righteous faction's signature tactic of strength in numbers?"
"Heh. Are you saying the righteous path shouldn't survive through cowardly means?"
Instead of rising to the provocation, the Heavenly Sword merely smiled.
"I won't hesitate to use any means necessary to survive."
Madness flickered in the Heavenly Sword's eyes—the kind that vowed to eradicate the Demonic Path entirely.
"I will survive—and by surviving, I'll wipe out not just you, but every last Demonic Path spawn. Only then can the Martial World's righteous energy be restored."
The Heavenly Sword believed that any method was justified if it led to the annihilation of the Demonic Path.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze burned crimson as he stared at him.
That look conveyed something clearer than any oath or action.
For Yeong Mun-ho's vengeance—
He would kill him.
"That won't happen."
"Oh? And why is that?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke with the utmost solemnity.
"Because you'll die by my hand before then."
"Looking forward to it."
The Heavenly Sword chuckled lightly.
"Today was just a light skirmish, after all."
He knew.
That Bu Eun-seol hadn't shown his full strength.
But the Heavenly Sword, too, had held back.
"...!"
Yet, the Heavenly Sword's carefree smile stiffened slightly.
Because Bu Eun-seol's lips had curled up faintly as he stared straight at him.
It was a smile reminiscent of a Death God delivering judgment.
"We're leaving."
With a brief command to No Trace, Bu Eun-seol activated his movement technique and vanished from the spot.