Chapter 314
"You dare raise your hand against this old man?"
As the Shandong Five Heroes glared at him with eyes gleaming with killing intent, Bukgung Ryeong let out a derisive snort.
"Getting your hands on one decent weapon has made you grow bold, I see."
"The Ten Weapons of the World are no ordinary arms."
Gu Yeong-hwa smiled coldly as he stared at Bukgung Ryeong.
"Now we shall show you why."
The remaining four heroes also smirked darkly as they glanced at the weapons in their hands.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have dared to even talk back, let alone stand against him.
But now, they held in their hands the Ten Weapons of the World—renowned as the foremost divine artifacts of the martial world.
And having tested these weapons, they were confident in their overwhelming power. Even the Bullet King wouldn't be able to withstand them easily.
"Attack!"
At Gu Yeong-hwa's command, they surrounded Bukgung Ryeong as if by prior agreement.
The first to strike was the third member, Geum Seo-woo. With a swift flick of his fly whisk,
Whoooosh!
A wind sharp enough to rend steel coiled around Bukgung Ryeong's body.
This was the Dharma Whisk of Heaven and Earth—capable of unleashing murderous sharpness with a single swing.
"Hmph."
Barely moving from his spot, Bukgung Ryeong flicked his finger.
KWAOOO!
A powerful gale surged forth, instantly repelling the blade-like winds.
THWOOOM!
At that moment, the fourth member, Cha U-ryang, fired his short bow, and a hail of razor-sharp energy rained down from above Bukgung Ryeong's head.
Though only a single arrow had been loosed, it split into dozens of phantom images midair. This was the Silver Heaven Bow—one of the Ten Weapons of the World.
KWA-RUNG! KWA-RUNG!
Barely flinching, Bukgung Ryeong unleashed a barrage of Inner Energy Bullet Art, deflecting the arrows.
'Hmm.'
He couldn't hide his surprise.
Even if he had casually fired the Inner Energy Bullet Art with only the power of the Third Achievement Level, its force was enough to pierce trees and shatter boulders.
Yet the mere energy radiating from these weapons had effortlessly blocked it?
Sssshhk!
Just then, a crimson light surged toward Bukgung Ryeong's face.
It was sword qi erupting from the Hero Stallion Blade wielded by the second member, Jeong Jung-won.
"Hmph."
As energy from all four weapons converged upon him, Bukgung Ryeong channeled his full strength, compressing an immense surge of air between his fingers.
Finding their power unexpectedly formidable, he prepared to unleash Inner Energy Bullet Art at the Sixth Level.
—Piiii!
A piercing flute note suddenly reverberated in Bukgung Ryeong's ears.
Gu Yeong-hwa had activated the Azure Sky Golden Flute.
"Ghk."
As the flute's sound reached him, Bukgung Ryeong's brow furrowed.
His eardrums throbbed as if about to rupture, and the power he had gathered in his fingers instantly scattered.
This was the legendary weapon's ability—to project sound solely at its intended target and disrupt internal energy.
The true utility of the Azure Sky Golden Flute.
KWA-BOOM! BANG!
Deafening explosions erupted in succession.
With all five of the Ten Weapons of the World unleashing their might simultaneously, the resulting force was overwhelming.
The Azure Sky Golden Flute—a peerless weapon that could target sound waves at will and scatter internal energy.
The Hero Stallion Blade—capable of firing sword qi from unavoidable angles.
The Dharma Whisk of Heaven and Earth—able to conjure murderous blade winds beneath an enemy's feet, sealing off escape routes.
Above, the Silver Heaven Bow rained down arrows, dominating the skies, while the Golden Hammer-Axe intercepted Bukgung Ryeong's most decisive Inner Energy Bullet Art.
Having already slaughtered martial artists on Ghost Island, the Shandong Five Heroes had mastered the full potential of these weapons.
Moreover, fighting in perfect unison, they executed a flawless Combined Attack Art as if they had trained together for decades.
With all five weapons working in perfect synergy, Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art could no longer manifest its true power...
Thus, the Shandong Five Heroes—who wouldn't have lasted ten moves against him normally—now fought him on equal footing.
'Must I kill them?'
Bukgung Ryeong's gaze wavered.
Truthfully, even if the Shandong Five Heroes were armed with divine artifacts other than the Ten Weapons of the World, they would still be no match for him.
His sole reason for coming here was to rescue the righteous faction's masters who had fallen into the trap of the treasure map.
Yet upon arriving at Hell Island, he found them already slaughtered in a gruesome massacre—with only the greed-consumed Shandong Five Heroes remaining.
—If I had intended to kill them, then why did I even come to this Ghost Island?
Bukgung Ryeong's spirit and mind were plunged into utter turmoil.
The renowned heroes of the Righteous Faction he knew were always righteous figures who pursued only noble causes, never acting out of selfish desires.
Bukgung Ryeong, too, considered himself one of the Righteous Faction's renowned heroes, and he had always taken pride in that.
'Is this the true nature of the renowned heroes of the Righteous Faction I've prided myself on all this time?'
Was risking one's life to obtain martial arts manuals and divine weapons something that had to be accepted as an instinctive drive of a martial artist?
Or was it merely the inevitable greed of those who, blocked by the wall of the Transcendent Realm, could advance no further?
Had the Shandong Five Heroes not obtained these weapons—had others taken them instead—would this massacre still have occurred?
Bukgung Ryeong's spirit and mind, lost in turmoil, shook uncontrollably.
It was a sight eerily similar to Bu Eun-seol, wavering at the crossroads between the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path.
A clash of convictions.
This was the first time Bukgung Ryeong had ever experienced something like this.
BOOM!
As fissures formed in his spirit and mind, the might of his Inner Energy Bullet Art visibly diminished.
Seizing the opportunity, the Shandong Five Heroes drew forth the full power of their five weapons and exploited Bukgung Ryeong's opening.
CRASH!
When the five weapons clashed head-on with Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art, a deafening explosion erupted.
HISS—
Both Bukgung Ryeong and the Shandong Five Heroes were forced back five steps simultaneously.
"Heh heh heh. So even the famed Bullet King is only this much."
As Gu Yeong-hwa smirked sinisterly, killing intent surged from Bukgung Ryeong's pupils.
"Oh?"
When Bukgung Ryeong gathered his internal energy once more, a faint light emanated from his body—
And a single shining golden pellet floated into the air.
This was none other than the secret weapon that had earned him the title of Bullet King—the Purple Lightning Golden Pellet.
If a man who could topple a pavilion with a mere stone were to unleash the Purple Lightning Golden Pellet—
The sheer might released would be enough to bring down even Mount Tai in a single strike.
HUMMM!
An intense radiance burst forth from the golden pellet hovering in the air.
Yet, hesitation flickered once more in Bukgung Ryeong's gaze.
'Hmm...'
All his life, he had loathed evil men and never spared them.
Had these men been long-standing villains who had committed atrocities, he would have cut them down without hesitation.
But were they not simply warriors who, despairing at their inability to advance the Martial Arts True Scripture, had been consumed by the cruel, selfish greed that came with obtaining the Ten Weapons of the World—these divine artifacts?
Convictions.
Those who reached the pinnacle of martial arts each held their own unwavering beliefs.
Bukgung Ryeong had always executed only those who committed evil deeds, and he had taken pride in that.
But now, because of these vile Shandong Five Heroes, his very convictions were crumbling from the roots.
'Did I risk my life coming to Ghost Island just to save scum like this?'
His gaze wavered endlessly.
'No—how could men like these have ever earned the fame of being renowned heroes of the Righteous Faction in the first place?'
Were even the so-called Righteous Faction—especially those lauded as renowned heroes, praised for their noble reputations—
In truth, no different from the Shandong Five Heroes?
A bitter wave of doubt and regret flooded his heart.
'No. If I falter now, what will become of me?'
Shaking his head, Bukgung Ryeong steeled himself.
If he gave in to rage and slaughtered them—
Everything he had stood for, the convictions that had upheld him—would all collapse.
"Lay down your weapons."
Finally, after taking a deep breath, he withdrew the floating Purple Lightning Golden Pellet and tucked it back into his robes.
"If you repent even now—"
But his words never reached their conclusion.
The Shandong Five Heroes, spotting the opening in his movements, unleashed all their accumulated true qi in a thunderous strike.
KABOOM!
With the force of the explosion, a massive pit caved in where Bukgung Ryeong had stood.
The most crucial aspect of executing martial forms is timing.
When Bukgung Ryeong first prepared to unleash the Purple Lightning Golden Pellet, his body and spirit had been in perfect unity, his focus at its peak.
But the moment he withdrew his stance, his spirit and body—for the briefest instant—were left defenseless.
And in that fleeting moment, the Shandong Five Heroes, seizing the opportunity, struck with their Ten Weapons of the World in a decisive blow—
Leaving Bukgung Ryeong helpless against the attack.
CRACKLE—
A tremendous shockwave radiated outward, sparks flying as clouds of dust scattered hundreds of feet into the air.
WHOOSH—
Finally, as the wind blew, a shadowy figure emerged from within the great pit—standing right before Bukgung Ryeong.
It was Bu Eun-seol, manifesting the Willful True Binding into a spherical barrier and releasing it outward.
Zzzzt—
The sight of Bu Eun-seol conjuring a dome of True Qi resembled nothing so much as a legendary Protective Aura enveloping his body.
Flinch.
When the Shandong Five Heroes met Bu Eun-seol's blazing crimson gaze, they instinctively recoiled.
Not only was it astonishing that a single man had blocked their combined assault, but the overwhelming momentum radiating from his entire being was anything but ordinary.
"Losing focus mid-battle? Have you lost your mind?"
Bu Eun-seol, who had swiftly intervened to save Bukgung Ryeong's life, spat out a sharp rebuke—
"These bastards..."
—only for the Bullet King's hunched form to seethe with a surging tide of azure killing intent.
He had even stopped preparing his Purple Lightning Golden Pellet out of restraint, attempting persuasion instead.
And yet, these treacherous wretches had exploited that very moment of mercy to unleash a killing move in one decisive strike, aiming to slaughter him where he stood?
"Step aside."
The azure killing intent swirling in Bukgung Ryeong's pupils had already darkened into an eerie, mirage-like haze.
It bore an uncanny resemblance to the form Bu Eun-seol had taken when he had erupted in rage and unleashed the Willful True Binding.
'He's fallen to his inner demon.'
There was no way a master of orthodox Righteous Path martial arts like him would have cultivated something like the Emotion Severing Secret Art—a Demonic Path Heart Formula.
But the belief that had anchored his spirit all this time had shattered, plunging him into the depths of bitter fury. And now, the inner demon had taken hold.
"Snap out of it."
KRA-BOOM!
Instead of answering, Bukgung Ryeong fired his Inner Energy Bullet Art straight at Bu Eun-seol.
KWAANG!
Bu Eun-seol dodged lightly, and the towering great tree behind him was instantly pulverized into dust.
'The might has intensified, but the swiftness is gone.'
Bu Eun-seol, too, had once succumbed to an inner demon when facing the Beggar King—his very humanity erased in the process.
Yet, paradoxically, he had displayed even greater martial prowess then.
Because the Emotion Severing Secret Art—the pinnacle of the Demonic Path's mind techniques, which scraped away emotion—had perfectly aligned with Bu Eun-seol's own heart, which had sought to erase sentiment in the moment between life and death to grow stronger.
But Bukgung Ryeong was a Grandmaster of the Righteous Path, trained in mind techniques that emphasized qi refinement.
Now that he had fallen to his inner demon, the might of his Inner Energy Bullet Art had weakened drastically—
Because both his physical reflexes and the fortitude of his spirit had completely shattered.
"You dare dodge this old man's Inner Energy Bullet Art?"
Consumed by his inner demon, Bukgung Ryeong began attacking not the Shandong Five Heroes—
But Bu Eun-seol.
"The Bullet King has fallen to his inner demon! Deal with him first!"
The Shandong Five Heroes had already discerned the sheer superiority of Bu Eun-seol's martial arts and had hesitated momentarily.
If he and the Bullet King were to join forces, it was obvious they would lose their lives in an instant.
But now that the Bullet King had turned on Bu Eun-seol in his demonic state, they seized the opportunity without hesitation—
And launched a combined attack immediately.
BOOM! KABOOM!
Assaulted from both sides, Bu Eun-seol could barely regain his bearings.
Though its speed and power had diminished, the Bullet King's Inner Energy Bullet Art was still nothing short of a Heaven Collapsing Strike.
Even a grazing hit would reduce clothing to dust and tear flesh from bone.
—Piiii!
Worse, the Azure Heaven Flute's piercing Sound Arts disrupted Bu Eun-seol's internal power with every shrill note.
Each time the flute's sound reverberated, it felt as though one-third of the True Qi circulating through his body had been drained away.
Had that been the only threat, Bu Eun-seol could have endured it easily.
KWA-UUU!
But then the Dharma Whisk of Heaven and Earth was swung—
And a murderous gale tore into Bu Eun-seol's body as if to rend him apart.
The Hero Stallion Blade'ssword qi slashed at his limbs from impossible angles.
And when he barely managed to evade that, the waiting Golden Hammer-Axe cleaved through the air in relentless succession.
Meanwhile, the Silver Heaven Bow's arrows rained down like a barrier of steel, cutting off all paths of retreat.
'No way to dodge.'
From the front—Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art.
From behind—the Shandong Five Heroes' assault with the Ten Weapons of the World.
WOOOONG!
As the combined attack, capable of sundering heaven and earth, engulfed Bu Eun-seol, a surge of black True Qi erupted from his entire body.
With no other recourse, he had no choice but to deploy the Willful True Binding.
'Can't take it head-on.'
No matter what, he could not block the Bullet King's Finger Flick Qi directly.
Adjusting the Willful True Binding, Bu Eun-seol deflected the Inner Energy Bullet Art at an angle.
KWAANG!
With a deafening explosion, the Inner Energy Bullet Art and the Ten Weapons of the World' combined impact slammed into Bu Eun-seol's body, wrapped in the Willful True Binding.
"Tch—"
Staggering back five steps, Bu Eun-seol finally spat out a mouthful of blood the size of a pebble.
Even after deploying the Willful True Binding at full power, he hadn't been able to completely deflect Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art.
Hwaak!
But the blood was only momentary.
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol closed the distance to Bukgung Ryeong—
And unleashed a fist technique with both hands.
He too had once fallen into the grip of an Inner Demon. That was why he knew the most effective method of escape was to deliver a powerful shock to the body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At close range, Bu Eun-seol unleashed a relentless barrage of fist techniques, forcing Bukgung Ryeong to counter with both hands outstretched.
Seizing the opening, the Ten Weapons of the World struck from behind.
Yet each time, Bu Eun-seol deployed the Willful True Binding, blocking their attacks.
"Get lost!"
As he deflected the Shandong Five Heroes' assault with the Willful True Binding, a crimson radiance erupted from Bu Eun-seol's fist.
Whoooosh!
Simultaneously, the Shandong Five Heroes were sent flying dozens of yards away. He had unleashed the full force of the Heavenly Hand Empty Wave.
'This is the last chance.'
Now was the final opportunity to pull Bukgung Ryeong out of his Inner Demon.
Closing the distance in an instant, Bu Eun-seol appeared right before Bukgung Ryeong's face and unleashed the full might of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
Bukgung Ryeong was a Master who had felled countless experts with his long-range Inner Energy Bullet Art.
But when Bu Eun-seol engaged him in close combat—so near their noses nearly touched—his hands became a chaotic blur.
Even in the throes of his Inner Demon, Bukgung Ryeong instinctively countered with the Breaking Revealed Chain Fist, attempting to shake Bu Eun-seol off.
Yet the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, though incomplete, encompassed the essence of all fist and palm techniques across the martial world—a peerless fist art.
The Breaking Revealed Chain Fist, imbued with the Righteous Path's characteristic righteousness, stood no chance against it.
Boom! Boom!
Under the relentless flurry of rapid strikes and transcendental techniques, Bukgung Ryeong was forced back six steps in succession.
'Now!'
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Finally spotting an opening, Bu Eun-seol's left hand unleashed a deafening Sound of Breaking Air, like a hammer striking iron, reverberating in all directions.
The Forgetful Shattering Together—a technique carrying overwhelming destructive force—descended like a storm, slamming Bukgung Ryeong's body dozens of yards backward into a stone cliff.
CRASH!
Unable to fully disperse the impact, Bukgung Ryeong smashed into the cliff face before rebounding violently.
Bu Eun-seol had layered the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation atop the Forgetful Shattering Together, first pushing him away, then yanking him back with brutal force.
"You..."
At last, the darkness staining Bukgung Ryeong's eyes began to fade, his pupils slowly regaining their clarity.
"Have you come to your senses?"
Blood trickled from the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Dodging the terrifying Inner Energy Bullet Art while repeatedly deploying the limited-use Willful True Binding to block the Ten Weapons of the World' attacks had left him not only covered in wounds but also suffering deep internal injuries.
"Why would you...?"
Bukgung Ryeong's voice trembled.
Though he had succumbed to the Inner Demon, he had not lost his sense of self.
He had seen everything—how Bu Eun-seol relentlessly unleashed fist techniques to shatter his Inner Demon, how he had risked his life to shield him from the Ten Weapons of the World.
"The Righteous Path bastards I trusted my whole life betrayed me... yet a disciple of the Demonic Path like you protected this old man..."
His body shook faintly.
When one falls into an Inner Demon while their beliefs crumble, both body and soul can be dragged into irreversible ruin.
Bu Eun-seol, knowing this well, had risked his life to shake Bukgung Ryeong's body and restore his lucidity.
"I learned something from it too."
"What do you mean?"
Bu Eun-seol replied flatly,
"While pulling you back to sanity, I found a way to mend the fractures in my own spirit and mind."
Rustle.
At that moment, the Shandong Five Heroes reappeared behind them.
Having been flung back by the Heavenly Hand Empty Wave, they had watched intently as Bu Eun-seol and Bukgung Ryeong engaged in their life-and-death close combat, hoping the two would destroy each other.
But upon seeing Bu Eun-seol knock Bukgung Ryeong down, they immediately closed in again to attack.
"You vile wretches!"
Bukgung Ryeong glared at them with furious eyes.
"I'll handle them now. Stand back."
The faces of the Shandong Five Heroes darkened.
They realized—not only had Bukgung Ryeong suffered no injury from the blows, but he had also instantly broken free from his Inner Demon.
—If those two join forces, we're dead men.
As the nervous Shandong Five Heroes broke into cold sweat and began retreating,
"I'll do it."
Bu Eun-seol stepped forward.
"I need to test what I've realized."
Though his body was battered, his eyes were as clear as a tranquil lake.
Bukgung Ryeong flinched slightly.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze had changed completely.
'This brat...'
Bukgung Ryeong couldn't comprehend what was happening.
They had only exchanged a brief bout of close combat. Yet not only had Bu Eun-seol suddenly repaired the fractures in his spirit and mind on his own—his martial prowess had also surged abruptly, hadn't it?