Chapter 323
During that brief moment, the solidified black True Qi had already begun burrowing into Heavenly Sword's pressure points.
"Oh dear, how terrifying!"
Heavenly Sword laughed as he began swinging his greatswords left and right.
Swish—!
Then, an eerie Qi extended outward, and the True Qi of the Willful True Binding—which possessed destructive power akin to Sword Aura—began transforming into something as simple as mere metal.
Clang-clang-clang!
Once again, Heavenly Sword had faintly altered the nature of the Willful True Binding through Myriad Forms One Style.
"Impressive technique—but it won't work on me!"
Shing-shang-shlang!
Having deflected every last strand of the Willful True Binding, Heavenly Sword closed the distance to Bu Eun-seol and unleashed his sword techniques.
They were so swift and unpredictable that Bu Eun-seol dared not face them head-on, forced to retreat repeatedly.
Seizing the opening, Heavenly Sword advanced until he was close enough to nearly collide with Bu Eun-seol's nose before unleashing his Chaotic Sword.
Whoosh—!
In response, Bu Eun-seol deployed the Willful True Binding once more.
This time, it unfolded at such close range that Heavenly Sword couldn't evade it.
Slash—!
Dozens of wounds appeared on Heavenly Sword's body in an instant.
Yet again, he swung his greatswords left and right, altering the nature of the Willful True Binding before swiftly escaping its range of attack.
"Heh heh. So that's how it works."
The wounds on Heavenly Sword's body, now that he had retreated, were gradually healing.
His physique was akin to that of a Heavenly General—minor wounds and internal injuries recovered in the blink of an eye.
A monster.
Heavenly Sword was like a nightmare creature that refused to die, no matter how many times it was struck down.
Swish!
Seizing the momentum, Bu Eun-seol wielded the Willful True Binding in his left hand while continuously executing the Formless Heavenly Flow with his right.
'Unfortunately, I can't use the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.'
Had he been able to employ the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, Bu Eun-seol might have found it easier to turn the tide.
Though it appeared as a unique form of Qi manipulation, the Thirteenfold Qi Induction was, at its core, the pinnacle martial art of the Righteous Faction.
While masters of the Demonic Path might not recognize it, the highest experts of the Righteous Faction would undoubtedly discern its true nature.
Clang! Clang!
But something was strange.
Heavenly Sword, who had been fighting on equal footing until now, suddenly shifted to a defensive stance, focusing entirely on blocking.
—Must be struggling to parry.
The onlookers gasped in astonishment.
Heavenly Sword's sword techniques had been overwhelming the Formless Heavenly Flow all along.
But now, with the Willful True Binding in play, it seemed he had judged that counterattacking was impossible—forcing him into a purely defensive posture.
Clang!
No matter what sword techniques were unleashed, he dedicated himself solely to blocking the relentless barrage of sword strokes, achieving a level of precision so flawless that not even a drop of water could slip through.
'He's taken the bait.'
As he deflected the onslaught of black True Qi and sword techniques, a sinister smile curled on Heavenly Sword's lips.
'Keep attacking like this, by all means.'
Though the Formless Heavenly Flow and the Willful True Binding relentlessly sought openings, Heavenly Sword poured all his strength into maintaining Myriad Forms One Style as an impregnable defense.
Clang! Clang!
Wave after wave of intricate sword strokes and razor-sharp True Qi rained down, yet Heavenly Sword stubbornly held his ground.
The defensive stance of Myriad Forms One Style, executed with two massive greatswords, had transformed into an impenetrable fortress—completely neutralizing Bu Eun-seol's exquisite sword strokes.
Hiss—!
Occasionally, he would attempt a counterattack, but even those movements were merely feints to reinforce his defense.
Shink.
After forty or so exchanges, the black True Qi emanating from Bu Eun-seol's sword began to fade, and the might of his Sword Duke techniques gradually diminished.
'Heh heh heh.'
A triumphant grin spread across Heavenly Sword's face as he maintained his dogged defense.
'As I thought—it's a technique that drains Internal Energy quickly. And more importantly... you're destined to lose to me no matter what.'
Bu Eun-seol was burning with vengeance.
He had schemed relentlessly to take Heavenly Sword's head, even accepting an open challenge he could have easily refused.
But Heavenly Sword had no absolute need to kill Bu Eun-seol.
In fact, even a draw would secure him a victory in all but name.
'Now that you've brought me to rock bottom, you'll think you've won, won't you?'
As he tirelessly swung his greatswords in an unyielding defensive stance, Heavenly Sword's eyes gleamed with delight.
'You must kill me—but I don't need to kill you!'
Bu Eun-seol had amassed tremendous martial prowess and achievements up to this point.
Moreover, his many good deeds had elevated his fame to dazzling heights—like the sun blazing in the sky.
What if Heavenly Sword could claim the prestige of having fought on equal footing with the Heir of the Demon Hall, the Martial Soul Lord—a figure capable of shaking the entire martial world?
It would be the perfect stepping stone for his resurgence.
'Let's make this last, Bu Eun-seol. Let's make it last.'
Even if Heavenly Sword won this battle, he wouldn't kill Bu Eun-seol.
He would merely sever his right arm—demonstrating his magnanimity to the martial world.
And in their next duel, he would take his left leg.
Just enough to let him keep wielding his sword.
Just enough to ensure they could fight again and again.
'Bu Eun-seol! Even that brilliant mind of yours couldn't have foreseen this, could it?'
The crescent-shaped pupils of Heavenly Sword's eyes flickered once more with a stark, manic gleam.
Hiss—.
Had his Internal Energy finally run dry?
The black True Qi flowing from Bu Eun-seol's body began to thin.
Internally cheering, Heavenly Sword attempted a counterattack.
Shink!
But the moment he shifted from defense to offense, black True Qi erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body like spider silk.
He had been waiting for this exact moment—unleashing the Willful True Binding the instant Heavenly Sword retaliated.
'Heh heh heh. That trick won't work anymore.'
Heavenly Sword abandoned further counterattacks, focusing solely on blocking the sword strokes.
Clang! Clang!
Before long, over two hundred sword strokes had passed.
No matter what sword strokes Bu Eun-seol poured forth, Heavenly Sword blocked every single one.
"Hah. Hahahaha!"
The Heavenly Sword, who had been blocking every sword stroke, erupted into mad laughter through a voice transmission.
"You want to kill me? But what if you can't? You must be desperate for revenge!"
His eyes shimmered with a stark-white madness.
"I may not have the confidence to kill you, but I do have the confidence to block every one of your attacks! Hahaha!"
He knew all too well that Bu Eun-seol wanted him dead.
But what if he could never achieve it?
Just watching him writhe in agony—that alone would make this duel the Heavenly Sword's victory.
"Try harder! Swing with everything you've got!"
Bu Eun-seol layered the Formless Heavenly Flow three times over and unleashed it, yet the Heavenly Sword deflected it effortlessly.
When a master of his caliber devoted himself entirely to defense, even Bu Eun-seol couldn't break through.
—What a bizarre duel.
As time passed, the gathered martial artists began murmuring among themselves.
One side hacked away with murderous intent, while the other focused solely on defense.
This wasn't a matter of skill disparity.
Even when Bu Eun-seol recklessly unleashed killing moves and deliberately exposed openings, the Heavenly Sword refused to counterattack.
It was a battle of spear and shield.
The spear only thrust, and the shield only blocked.
Paaat!
Finally, Bu Eun-seol withdrew his sword and retreated a step.
"Haa. Haa."
He took shallow, controlled breaths.
Naturally, the attacker would exhaust their stamina faster than the defender.
If this exchange continued, Bu Eun-seol would be the first to collapse.
Oooong!
Forcing his internal energy to surge, a dark heat haze began rising from his body once more.
He was preparing to unleash the Willful True Binding again—to shatter the Heavenly Sword's defense.
Thud.
The Heavenly Sword stood tall, his greatsword poised between heaven and earth, a triumphant smile curling his lips.
This would be Bu Eun-seol's final, desperate strike.
And if he could block just this one attack, victory would be his.
"HAAAP!"
For the first time, Bu Eun-seol let out a battle cry.
The Heavenly Sword's smile deepened.
This was proof—proof that Bu Eun-seol was struggling, both mentally and physically.
And so, he too poured everything into his Myriad Forms One Style.
Oooong!
A sword resonance hummed from his greatsword as a blue heat haze unfurled.
KWAARRRGH!
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Formless Heavenly Flow, sending forth a storm of sword strokes.
CLANG—CLANGCLANG!
In that instant, a blue orb-like barrier of light enveloped the Heavenly Sword's body.
By fully dedicating the Foremost Sword of the Righteous Faction's Myriad Forms One Style to pure defense, he had manifested a spherical Sword Curtain.
CRACKLE—FLASH!
Only six steps separated Bu Eun-seol and the Heavenly Sword.
Between them, two dragons—one black, one blue—twisted together in a dazzling clash.
A shockwave erupted from the battleground, and gales tore through the surroundings, flattening trees and grass alike.
Sssssss.
When the dust settled, the two figures reappeared.
Bu Eun-seol and the Heavenly Sword.
Both stood frozen in their stances, as if time had stopped.
Drip. Drip.
But there was one difference—blood trickled from Bu Eun-seol's shoulder and left forearm.
In his desperate attempt to breach the Myriad Forms One Style, he had only wounded himself.
'I've won!'
The Heavenly Sword's eyes curved into crescents, one step closer to victory.
Had there been no spectators, he might have danced and cackled in delight.
Sssssk!
Then, Bu Eun-seol gathered his remaining strength and unleashed the Willful True Binding and Formless Heavenly Flow once more.
But the black true qi grew increasingly faint, and flaws began to surface in his sword forms.
'Time to finish this.'
The Heavenly Sword smiled in satisfaction.
Bu Eun-seol's sword techniques no longer posed a threat.
Moreover, his internal energy had dwindled to less than half.
'There's no faking internal energy exhaustion.'
No matter what he was planning, his reserves were truly depleted.
"He sent a Voice Transmission: “What now? Your only advantage was that monstrous internal energy—and now it's gone?”"
The Heavenly Sword grinned as he raised his greatsword.
"Shall we end this?"
Sssssk!
The Myriad Forms One Style unfolded, and the greatsword blurred, unleashing a rapid flurry of razor-sharp strokes.
But then—something strange happened.
Bu Eun-seol, his gaze lowered, watched the incoming strikes... then lowered his own sword and lunged forward into the greatsword's path.
'This bastard—?!'
A chill shot down the Heavenly Sword's spine.
There was no way this was a joke—he had to be executing some scheme.
SWISH!
The Heavenly Sword's greatsword, originally aimed at Bu Eun-seol's neck and legs, veered midair.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol smirked, as if he had expected exactly that.
'You little—!'
Fury surged in the Heavenly Sword's chest, but he couldn't afford to attack recklessly.
Bu Eun-seol had tricked him multiple times already—there had to be a reason for this suicidal move.
"That was a perfect chance. Why didn't you take it?"
Bu Eun-seol's taunt was met only with a smile—the Heavenly Sword refused to rise to the bait.
"Then I'll go first."
Bu Eun-seol swung the Ice Soul Sword at him.
But his sword strokes were erratic, as if he were drunk—the trajectories crooked, the strikes devoid of power.
'He's deliberately exposing openings.'
The Heavenly Sword scoffed.
He knew Bu Eun-seol was trying to lure him into a counterattack.
'I won't take the bait.'
Killing Bu Eun-seol wasn't his goal.
Surviving was victory enough—he would not fall for such obvious provocation.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol's Ice Soul Sword once again sliced through the air, aiming straight for the Heavenly Sword's throat.
To any onlooker, it was a pitifully sloppy Sword Stroke—yet the Heavenly Sword defended against it with the same caution as if he were blocking a life-ending strike.
Clang!
As their blades clashed, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward and thrust toward the Heavenly Sword's lower abdomen.
Clang.
Blocking yet again, the Heavenly Sword's expression twisted in bewilderment.
Bu Eun-seol's sword held no trace of Internal Energy. It was as if he were merely playing around, swinging his blade in a drunken, nonsensical manner.
The Heavenly Sword tilted his head, clearly not having anticipated such a ridiculous provocation.
'Is he trying to toy with me?'
Once more, Bu Eun-seol lightly flicked his sword toward him.
'Should I just cut him down?'
Who in their right mind would attack so recklessly at close range?
If he truly unleashed his Sword Techniques now—
No matter how fast Bu Eun-seol's Movement Technique and reflexes were, he could sever his head in a single stroke.
'No. I won't fall for it.'
This was the same man who had outmaneuvered him at every turn, humiliating him with endless schemes.
There was no way he would gamble his life on such a blatant provocation without some hidden safeguard.
'He must still have that black True Qi in reserve.'
In the end, the Thousand Swordsman maintained his cautious defense.
—Hahaha!
After repeating this exchange for around ten moves, laughter erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Bu Eun-seol was swinging his sword like a drunkard, while the Thousand Swordsman was retreating and defending as if facing a mortal enemy?
—So that's how it is?
Only now did the watching martial artists realize—the Thousand Swordsman had been resorting to petty, cowardly defense all along.
—Is that the Myriad Forms One Style the Sword Sovereign boasted about?
—More like the "Fear-of-Death Style," if you ask me.
As mocking voices rose from all sides, a vicious glint flashed in the Thousand Swordsman's eyes.
'This bastard!'
Finally, he understood—Bu Eun-seol's actions had been calculated solely to humiliate him.
A madman.
Bu Eun-seol was a true madman, one who didn't even value his own life.
"Fine. Very fine."
A pale heat haze began rising from the Thousand Swordsman's body.
He had overthought things.
Instead of fighting like a maniac from the start, he had wasted time scheming—uncharacteristically cautious.
"Let's fight like the madmen we are now..."
A draw? Cutting off an arm and settling it later?
He cast aside such wishful thinking. From this moment on, he would pour everything into cutting Bu Eun-seol down.
Shiiik!
As the Thousand Swordsman twisted and swung his greatsword, his Sword Stroke transformed.
And finally, it coiled around Bu Eun-seol's neck—who had advanced without any defensive stance.
Splat!
The blade grazed him by a hair's breadth, sending blood flying.
'All bark and no bite.'
Smug triumph curled the Thousand Swordsman's lips.
To think Bu Eun-seol had been bluffing—risking his life in a reckless gamble just to shame him?
'Time to end this.'
Instantly shifting his Sword Technique, he closed the distance in a flash and aimed for Bu Eun-seol's throat.
Flicker-flicker!
As the Thousand Swordsman unleashed Myriad Forms One Style with full Killing Intent, Bu Eun-seol's Ice Soul Sword began thrashing like a living fish.
The Thousand Swords Society's Peerless Defense Form.
The Fluorescent Sword Control had activated.
Clash-clang-clang!
As the greatsword unleashed dozens of slashes in a single motion, Bu Eun-seol's Ice Soul Sword followed its Trajectory, pouring out a misty cold energy.
'Go on! Try me!'
The Thousand Swordsman poured his full strength into breaking Bu Eun-seol's defense, unleashing every variation of Myriad Forms One Style.
Yet no matter how many Sword Techniques he employed, he couldn't shatter that stubborn, bizarre defensive form.
"The Society's Sword Forms can break any sword art in the world!"
With a Great Roar, the Thousand Swordsman unleashed the highest principles of Myriad Forms One Style—Neither Above Nor Below, and the Mystery of Move Heaven Exchange Force.
It was a profound principle that inverted the nature of all external force, allowing it to be repelled by the sword—and it reversed the properties of Bu Eun-seol's Willful True Binding.
Clang. Thud.
Finally, the Fluorescent Sword Control—which relied on the Wind and Cloud Creation Formula's reaction to Killing Intent—collapsed under the Mystery of Move Heaven Exchange Force.
Splat!
Seizing the opening, the Thousand Swordsman delivered a decisive strike toward Bu Eun-seol's throat.
Splat!
Bu Eun-seol evaded with Swift Shadowless, but blood sprayed from his right shoulder.
'Now!'
Not wasting the opportunity, the Thousand Swordsman unleashed Myriad Forms One Style once more, aiming for his neck.
Bzzzt.
As the Fluorescent Sword Control flickered back to life in Bu Eun-seol's hand, the Thousand Swordsman inwardly cheered.
'That technique won't save you now!'
Clang!
Blades clashed again—
And in that instant, the Thousand Swordsman's expression warped in shock.
'How?!'
The overwhelming force he had poured into his greatsword had suddenly transformed into something soft, causing it to be pushed back by Bu Eun-seol's Ice Soul Sword.
"So this is how it works."
A knowing smile curled at Bu Eun-seol's lips as he regarded the Thousand Swordsman.
"I've been wondering—just how you altered the properties of the Willful True Binding."
Truthfully, Bu Eun-seol could have ended this fight in a single move.
Yet he had prolonged the battle, deliberately provoking the Thousand Swordsman into attacking with Killing Intent.
Only then would the Fluorescent Sword Control activate—allowing him to properly observe and steal the secrets of Myriad Forms One Style.
Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin.
The Fourth Form of Formless Heavenly Flow, capable of instantly replicating the essence of an enemy's sword technique.
But copying Myriad Forms One Style—the pinnacle of orthodox swordsmanship—on the spot was impossible from the start.
Instead, through this drawn-out battle, Bu Eun-seol had stolen only the core Sword Principle behind it—the method of altering True Qi's properties.
In other words, every single fight up until now had merely been groundwork—all to steal the profound principles of the Myriad Forms One Style from the Heavenly Blade.
The realization struck like a blade of its own. Every clash, every drawn-out exchange, every moment where the battle had been deliberately prolonged—none of it had been for the sake of victory alone. It had all been a calculated ploy, a slow and meticulous theft.
Because stealing the Myriad Forms One Style outright was impossible from the start.
So Bu Eun-seol had done the next best thing.
Through relentless combat, through forcing the Heavenly Blade to wield his killing intent, through enduring the shifting tides of battle—he had extracted only the essence. The core principle behind altering the nature of his qi, the very foundation that made the Myriad Forms One Style what it was.
A theft not of the whole, but of the marrow within the bones.