Chapter 39
At the center of the Demon Hall was a Grand Martial Training Ground, large enough for over three hundred martial artists to demonstrate their skills at once.
The Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament of the past had also begun here.
Countless prodigies who had entered the Demon Hall with dreams of rising to great heights had shed their blood and died in this very place.
"This is the place."
Sim Wol, who had been guiding Bu Eun-seol, pointed to the stairs leading up to the Grand Martial Training Ground.
"When you ascend to the Grand Martial Training Ground, there will be people waiting for you, Young Hero Bu."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been about to nod and move his feet, suddenly asked.
"What is the relationship between the Demon Hall and the Demonic Path Ten Gates?"
"By relationship, you mean..."
"Do masters from the Demonic Path Ten Gates also reside permanently in the Demon Hall?"
Sim Wol blinked for a moment before opening his mouth.
"Of course. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the major positions of the Demon Hall are entirely held by masters from the Demonic Path Ten Gates."
"Then are they people of the Demonic Path Ten Gates, or people of the Demon Hall?"
Sim Wol, having grasped the point of the question, his eyes sparkled.
"At present, they could be called people of the Demon Hall. Once one takes on a position in the Demon Hall, one cannot involve oneself in the affairs of one's sect."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
Whether those conducting the five-form test belonged to the Demon Hall.
Or whether they were masters dispatched from each sect—he had instinctively sensed that his fate would diverge greatly depending on that.
'If that person is a master dispatched directly from White Horse Monastery... it will be difficult for me to preserve my life.'
At that moment, Sim Wol clasped his hands together.
"Then, I wish you fortune in battle. Young Hero Bu."
Bu Eun-seol nodded and slowly ascended to the Grand Martial Training Ground.
One step at a time...
As he drew closer to the Grand Martial Training Ground, memories of what had unfolded here at that time came flooding back.
Boys and girls who had died wretchedly amid a scene of utter chaos and carnage. And on that day, Bu Eun-seol alone had survived.
'Today as well, I will survive.'
Step.
When he ascended to the Grand Martial Training Ground, a small platform and table had been set up there, and upon it four people sat side by side.
"Ahem."
Among them, the old man standing in the center cleared his throat and spoke to Bu Eun-seol.
"So you are the Ten Demonic Heir from Langya Pavilion."
The old man's appearance was very gaunt and unremarkable, but in his two eyes flowed an energy that overwhelmed all before him.
"I am called Bu Eun-seol, a disciple of Langya Pavilion."
When Bu Eun-seol respectfully clasped his hands and bowed his head, the old man nodded.
"This old man is Gok Gyo-bong, residing in the back room of the Elders' Hall. I have come to preside over the test you will undergo today."
He introduced himself as an old man from the back room, but he was a master of the previous generation who had once been called the "Roaring Heaven Blood Hand" and had driven the entire Yanggwang Murim into terror.
However, Bu Eun-seol, who knew nothing of such facts, merely bowed his head respectfully.
Gok Gyo-bong then gestured to the middle-aged man on his left.
"This here is Yu Un-seong, Commander Yu, who leads the Secret Shadow Unit in the Main Hall."
Yu Un-seong wore a sword at his waist, which was about three inches longer than an ordinary longsword and about half an inch narrower in width.
He was certainly a master from the Fire Rain Sword Sect.
"Commander Yu."
Bu Eun-seol bowed his head, but Yu Un-seong merely stared at him with cold eyes.
"This here is Neung Gak, Hall Leader Neung, who leads the Mystery Faction of the Main Pavilion. He is from Langya Pavilion, same as you."
Where Gok Gyo-bong pointed, a handsome man dressed in scholarly attire wore a gentle smile.
"Hall Leader Neung."
"A pleasure. I have heard of you so often here that my ears have grown sore."
Smiling softly, he nodded with an expression of admiration.
"The Main Pavilion has truly unearthed a fine disciple."
"This here is Go Gun-pyeong, Commander Go, who leads the Ink Dragon Squad of the Main Pavilion."
At the waist of Go Gun-pyeong, who sat at the very end, hung a gleaming whip that looked as though it had been made by crushing diamonds.
He was a master from White Horse Monastery.
"Commander Go."
Bu Eun-seol bowed his head, but Go Gun-pyeong sat without even giving him a glance.
"Well then, let us begin now."
Gok Gyo-bong, who had glanced around, spoke calmly.
"This matter began at the request of White Horse Monastery and the Fire Rain Sword Sect. White Horse Monastery wished to evaluate the qualifications of the Ten Demonic Heir, and the Fire Rain Sword Sect claimed that there had been an intolerable favoritism."
"It is not a claim but a fact. That child learned the Peerless Thunderbolt Style despite not being a disciple of our sect."
Yu Un-seong's words made Gok Gyo-bong shake his head.
"Let us not debate the legitimacy of today's matter. If it is something that must be done, then so be it."
His words carried a reproach toward the Fire Rain Sword Sect for their unreasonable demands.
"I will ask once more. If he passes this test, do you agree that no sanctions will be imposed for having learned the Peerless Thunderbolt Style?"
"That is correct."
When Yu Un-seong agreed, Gok Gyo-bong turned his gaze to Go Gun-pyeong.
"I ask you. If he passes this test, will the White Horse Monastery never again hold this child accountable in any way?"
"That is correct."
When Go Gun-pyeong answered without hesitation, Gok Gyo-bong nodded.
"Then let the test begin."
At that, Go Gun-pyeong, who had been seated, slowly walked out before the training platform.
"It is five forms."
He spoke toward Bu Eun-seol, who stood at the center of the training platform.
"If you can block just five forms, it is over."
"Understood."
When Bu Eun-seol answered, Go Gun-pyeong took a deep breath.
Slither.
At that, the White Horse Whip coiled around his waist wrapped itself around his forearm like a living snake.
He was displaying the realm of the Mind-Driven Whip, in which one manipulates the whip freely according to one's will.
"Draw your weapon."
"I will draw it when the time comes to draw it."
"Hm."
Recalling that Langya Pavilion's martial arts did not rely on weapons, Go Gun-pyeong nodded.
"Do as you please."
"Then, I shall learn a lesson from you."
Bu Eun-seol, who had politely brought his hands together, slowly lowered his body.
It was an impeccable stance, but in Go Gun-pyeong's eyes, it was nothing more than the movements of a novice who had yet to master the True Body Secret Art.
Hmm.
Go Gun-pyeong, who had been looking down at the White Horse Whip, let out an inward sigh.
Though it was called a test, the difference in skill between himself and Bu Eun-seol was that of a child and an adult. No, even greater than that.
I do not know what the point of this is.
Go Gun-pyeong was a master counted among the finest in the White Horse Monastery, and he had been selected early for the Demon Hall, where he now commanded the Ink Dragon Squad.
No matter that it is the monastery master's order...
He could not hide the dissatisfaction welling up inside him.
Go Gun-pyeong was a master renowned even throughout the Martial World. To have to face a mere novice in a place like this.
"Then I shall begin."
Gripping the White Horse Whip, Go Gun-pyeong narrowed his eyes as he looked at Neung Gak, who sat far away.
Since Langya Pavilion's reputation is also at stake, let him pass the first four forms, then take both his arms on the fifth.
Originally, the White Horse Monastery master's order had been to strike Bu Eun-seol's neck.
But for him, who held the position of unit commander in the Demon Hall, to take the neck of some nameless novice was far too wounding to his pride.
Living without both arms will be more agonizing than death. The monastery master will surely understand.
Once his mind was made up, Go Gun-pyeong lightly extended his whip and unfolded his form.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
The Quick Sword Form?
Hwiik.
At that moment, with an enormous sound of breaking air, something fast drove toward the space between Bu Eun-seol's brows.
Ugh.
He twisted his body as much as possible to avoid it, but with a sharp crack, Bu Eun-seol's cheek split open.
Drip, drip.
From the split cheek, blood welled up thickly.
If he had not learned the fundamentals of Practical Combat Martial Arts from Dan Cheong and thus been unable to predict the movement, he would never have dodged it.
"First form, White Demon Mind Seizure."
Go Gun-pyeong muttered in a low voice.
He announced the name of the form after executing it, in order to count the moves precisely.
The boy has a decent grasp of the basics.
Nodding, Go Gun-pyeong spread open the palm that gripped the White Horse Whip.
Whoosh!
At the same time, the White Horse Whip in his hand transformed into five streaks of radiance and drove in as if to seize Bu Eun-seol's body.
They are all feints!
Bu Eun-seol, who had already deeply mastered the Way of the Beast, discerned that all five streaks of whip shadow were feints.
Above!
Sensing killing intent surging up from the floor, Bu Eun-seol flung his body backward.
Ping!
At the same time, a single line of the White Horse Whip grazed the tip of Bu Eun-seol's nose and drove into the ground.
"Second form, White Demon Spirit Descent."
Go Gun-pyeong, who had muttered in a low voice, inwardly nodded as he watched Bu Eun-seol, who had narrowly evaded.
He has certainly mastered the Way of the Beast.
When Bu Eun-seol easily evaded even the second form, Go Gun-pyeong's eyebrows rose.
'Should I... push him a little harder?'
This time, Go Gun-pyeong opened the hand holding the whip and extended his palm outward.
"From now on, you'd best be careful."
After muttering in a low voice, he called out the name of the next form in advance.
It was because he was certain that Bu Eun-seol would not be able to dodge it safely.
"Third form, White Demon Chaotic Shadows."
Saaaaaa.
Bu Eun-seol felt the illusion of hundreds of whip shadows pouring down from the sky like rain.
No matter how much he examined the falling whip shadows, there was no way whatsoever to discern which were real and which were illusions.
'If I cannot discern them, then I must dodge them all.'
The endless shadows of the whip, unpredictable in where they would rain down from.
Watching the whip shadows writhing down like hundreds of snakes, Bu Eun-seol raised his internal energy at full power.
Swoosh.
A faint mist seemed to rise from the shadows of Bu Eun-seol's feet, and soon even his body turned blurry.
At the same time, the hundreds of strands of whip falling from the sky began to graze past his body.
Kwaoooo!
Along with the sound of a passing storm, the whip shadows that had filled the training ground vanished as if washed away before he knew it.
"Impressive."
Go Gun-pyeong could not hide his astonished expression.
He had expected that even if Bu Eun-seol dodged the first strike of White Demon Chaotic Shadows, he would still sustain a fairly serious injury.
But aside from the clothes he wore being reduced to rags, Bu Eun-seol stood perfectly fine without a single fatal wound.
"Huff. Huff."
Bu Eun-seol gasped for breath.
Not only had he raised his internal energy at full power, but he had also used Ultimate Speed Shadowless, which he was not yet accustomed to, in real combat for the first time.
'If he had followed that form with the next one in succession...'
Thick beads of sweat poured down Bu Eun-seol's forehead like rain.
'I would have been instantly dealt a fatal wound.'
Bu Eun-seol had only just reached the Third Achievement Level of Ultimate Speed Shadowless.
Even so, the reason he had been able to dodge White Demon Chaotic Shadows was due to two factors.
First, Go Gun-pyeong had not used his full strength, and second, he had stopped his hand immediately after executing a single form.
'This won't do. Ordinary forms won't be enough.'
Go Gun-pyeong was, in his own way, greatly surprised.
Bu Eun-seol possessed skill far beyond what he had expected. If he carelessly let even the fourth form slip by, he might fail to cut off both arms.
'It can't be helped.'
This time, Go Gun-pyeong slowly raised his arm into the air.
"Fourth form, White Demon Heart Strike."
Goooooo.
In an instant, an immense energy began pouring in from all directions.
Seeing that movement, Bu Eun-seol's expression changed for the first time.
'I cannot read the form.'
Ever since learning the basics of Practical Combat Martial Arts from Dan Cheong, Bu Eun-seol had been able to predict forms to some extent.
But with Go Gun-pyeong's current stance, he could not detect even the slightest sign of an attack.
'If I cannot detect the attack, I die!'
In that moment of crisis, Bu Eun-seol recalled the secret manual he had read in the Book Repository, Wilderness Single Turn.
—The Way of the Beast is not all-powerful. Moving by senses alone is the act of a beast. A Murim Master must 'think' a little more. Amplify the senses only when necessary...
Recalling the passage, Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes.
And then he raised the senses of the Way of the Beast, which he had kept locked away until now, to their maximum.
Flash.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flew wide open.
Simultaneously, he saw the illusion of a sharp whip shadow piercing through his body from above his head.
Crunch!
At that instant, the whip that Go Gun-pyeong had lashed out was embedded in the ground at Bu Eun-seol's feet.
The moment he saw the illusion, Bu Eun-seol had instinctively taken one step backward.
'He dodged... the White Demon Heart Strike?'
Go Gun-pyeong's eyes widened like bells.
White Demon Heart Strike was a hidden killing move that unraveled the Phantom Sword as a whip technique, one that almost no one in the current murim used.
Even within White Horse Monastery, masters capable of avoiding this technique were rare—so how could a brat who had not even properly learned martial arts dodge it?
'So that was it.'
Only then did Go Gun-pyeong realize why even the Fire Rain Sword Sect had joined the revenge plan of the White Horse Monastery master who had lost his grandson.
They had been wary of such an outstanding prodigy of peerless martial arts inheriting the legacy of Langya Pavilion.
'The root of trouble must be removed in advance.'
Go Gun-pyeong had witnessed with his own eyes just how extraordinary a prodigy Bu Eun-seol was.
From his entire body, hundreds of strands of flame seemed to blaze fiercely.
In the end, he resolved to take not Bu Eun-seol's arms, but his life.