Chapter 390
Bu Eun-seol shrugged his shoulders upon hearing the fuming assassin's shout.
"You figured it out quickly."
At that, the lead assassin's eyes became bloodshot.
"Hand over the Gratitude Coin obediently, and we'll spare your life!"
Shing.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Sword.
"Hmph, if you want to die, then so be it—"
The lead assassin, who had been sneering, suddenly froze as his gaze locked onto the Ink Sword.
"The Spirit Divine Sword?"
In the martial world, there existed legendary divine swords, and their wielders had always left their mark through the ages.
The moment he recognized the Spirit Divine Sword, a terrifying thought flashed through the lead assassin's mind.
Could this arrogant bastard before me be that young Grandmaster of the Demonic Path—the one you must never cross?
'No, it can't be.'
Bu Eun-seol inherently possessed traits that inevitably led to misunderstandings among martial artists.
His features were too delicate, and there was not the slightest ripple of true qi—something that would naturally emanate from any true martial master.
In short, until he revealed his true martial prowess, even the thugs of the Black Syndicate would scoff at his appearance and demeanor.
"Either way, this was something I'd have to deal with sooner or later. Let's get started."
Simultaneously, crimson light ignited in his pupils, and an overwhelming shockwave surged from his entire body.
He had resolved to annihilate the assassins of the White Rank Assassination Sect.
Kururung.
The shockwave radiating from Bu Eun-seol's body abruptly darkened the sky, and a heavy pressure descended upon the surroundings.
It was an immense momentum unlike anything seen before.
"The heir... of the Demon Hall."
The assassin's voice was laced with shock as he finally grasped Bu Eun-seol's identity.
"So you are the Martial Soul Lord."
The lead assassin muttered softly, then clasped his hands together as if resigned.
Though the White Rank Assassination Sect was formidable, its true stronghold lay in the Western Regions. There was no need to provoke the heir of the Demon Hall, who ruled over the Central Plains' Demonic Path.
"I am Darigon, the Killing Lord of the Shadowless Assassination."
The lead assassin, Darigon, spoke in fluent Han speech.
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, standing tall, Darigon cleared his throat and continued.
"You have no debt or grudge with our sect. Why seek enmity?"
Though Darigon's expression was polite, his gaze was as sharp as a blade's edge.
"Making an enemy of us will bring you no benefit."
It was common knowledge throughout the martial world that Bu Eun-seol had yet to solidify his position as the undisputed heir.
In fact, he was still in open conflict with several of the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
"If you antagonize us, it will only hinder your efforts to maintain your position as heir."
Darigon's confident expression froze over as Bu Eun-seol's lips moved.
"I have no intention of sparing scum who kill even children for money."
A bloody light, as if capable of drowning the world in gore, poured from his eyes.
"Today, it's you. Next, I'll systematically wipe out the White Rank Assassination Sect."
Darigon's gaze shifted.
For the heir of the Demon Hall to openly declare the annihilation of their sect—that meant there was no longer room for negotiation.
"Pity."
Darigon's narrow eyes sharpened like needles.
"Then we have no choice but to kill you all and bury the evidence."
Flash!
At that moment, a brilliant streak of silver—a steel arrow—shot past Darigon.
Simultaneously, a piercing scream erupted.
The steel arrow had struck the deputy Killing Lord, who had been directing the formation behind Darigon.
So-yo had unleashed the White Rank Assassination Sect's secret technique—Dragon Fang—piercing the deputy's forehead in an instant.
"You bitch!"
Darigon roared in fury.
"You dare use our sect's ultimate technique to kill our own fellow disciples?!"
"Assassins have no 'fellow disciples,'" So-yo replied coldly.
"If you can't kill, you die."
"You—!"
Darigon clenched his fists, then gripped his short bow.
"You will definitely—"
But his words were cut short.
Before anyone realized, Bu Eun-seol had soared forward like a great roc, scattering sword strokes in all directions.
Shwaaaak!
The sword strokes, which had seemed slow enough to follow with the eye, transformed into violet brilliance accompanied by the sharp Sound of Breaking Air.
The Peerless Thunderbolt technique had been unleashed.
Thud-thud-thud!
In the same instant, the heads of five assassins standing at the front tumbled to the ground.
"Fall back!"
Caught off guard by the sudden assault, the assassins retreated swiftly, unleashing a barrage of Baekryeol Bolts.
No matter how skilled a master might be, facing such a massive volley of Baekryeol Bolts at once would leave them helpless.
But there was one thing they had failed to anticipate...
From the very beginning of his journey through the martial world, Bu Eun-seol had faced hordes of assassins wielding hidden weapons. When it came to battles against overwhelming numbers, he was more experienced than anyone—a true specialist in such combat.
Moreover, with the Way of the Beast allowing him to detect any attack in advance... To these assassins, Bu Eun-seol was nothing less than the Grim Reaper himself.
Ping!
Countless Baekryeol Bolts rained down, yet Bu Eun-seol didn't even bother activating his Movement Technique. He simply stood there, calmly evading them.
With just the flow of the wind and the Sound of Breaking Air, he could clearly discern the trajectory and speed of every bolt.
Ping! Ping!
Meanwhile, So-yo's steel arrows pierced through the foreheads of the assassins one by one.
She wasn't just targeting the assassins of the White Rank Assassination Sect—she was also disrupting their formation, severing their coordination, ensuring Bu Eun-seol could fight unhindered in close quarters.
Bu Eun-seol, in turn, expanded his Sword Curtain, limiting the assassins' attacks and giving So-yo free rein to dominate the battlefield.
"Damn them!"
Darigon bit his lip.
The assassins of the White Rank Assassination Sect specialized in ranged weapons, meaning their strength multiplied with numbers.
But now, two peerless Masters were executing a flawless Combined Attack Art, rendering the sect's infamous hidden weapons utterly useless.
Bu Eun-seol and So-yo.
Without exchanging a single word or glance, they moved as one.
As if they had spent their entire lives perfecting their coordination, they seamlessly balanced offense and defense—close and long-range alike—leaving not even a drop of water's worth of opening.
"Fine!"
Gnashing his teeth, Darigon raised his left hand and splayed his palm wide.
It was a silent signal to his assassins.
Shwaaaak!
The assassins, who had been relentlessly firing Baekryeol Bolts, abruptly widened their distance and unleashed a volley of pitch-black bolts toward Bu Eun-seol.
At that moment, So-yo—who had been circling Bu Eun-seol while loosing arrows—spoke in a low voice:
"Black-Explosive Fireburst. I'll handle it."
Just from the name, Bu Eun-seol could guess that those bolts contained an enormous amount of gunpowder.
Clink.
So-yo swiftly drew a silver arrow from her quiver—one she hadn't used until now. It was a Baekryeol Bolt, the very same weapon the assassins wielded.
Ping!
A single arrow split into a hundred needle-like projectiles mid-flight, colliding with the dozens of incoming Black-Explosive Firebursts.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted in midair as the Black-Explosive Firebursts detonated one after another.
Ping! Ping!
So-yo switched back to normal arrows and fired them in rapid succession.
Whoosh!
The arrows, which had been flying straight, suddenly curved midair—striking the quivers of the assassins who carried the Black-Explosive Firebursts.
KABOOM!
In an instant, a dozen assassins were engulfed in flames, their ammunition detonating violently.
Divine Archer.
So-yo's archery had truly reached the realm of the divine.
Swoosh!
With So-yo handling the Black-Explosive Firebursts, Bu Eun-seol surged through the flames, unleashing his swordplay.
"Fall back!"
The assassins, realizing Bu Eun-seol had closed the distance, activated a Movement Technique as mist-like as their own, attempting to escape his range.
But it was futile.
"Ghk—!"
Bu Eun-seol's Formless Heavenly Flow had evolved continuously through countless battles against elite Masters.
If, in the past, he had blended multiple techniques to amplify his power, now he had refined the very principles of martial arts into his strikes.
Even his simplest Martial Forms were impossible for the assassins to block—
And every single strike carried such overwhelming internal energy that even a glancing blow left them crippled beyond recovery.
Thud.
Before long, more than half of the eighty assassins had fallen.
Darigon clenched his jaw.
Bu Eun-seol and So-yo's Combined Attack Art was unleashing devastation akin to a thunderstorm.
If this continued, every last elite of his Blood Curtain would be wiped out.
"Just you wait! Even if I have to summon every elite assassin from the main sect, I swear—I won't let you two bastards walk away alive!"
Darigon roared, glaring at Bu Eun-seol and So-yo.
"Retreat!"
Rumble.
But then, a deep, resonant vibration shook the earth.
The tremor was so low and intense that, the moment it reached their ears, it felt as though their hearts had plummeted to their feet.
CRACKLE—!
At the same time, a net-like Sword Qi descended from the sky, crashing down upon the assassins trying to retreat.
Shwaaak!
The moment the Sword Qi touched the ground, its range expanded to over three hundred feet.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed from the assassins' bodies as the razor-sharp energy sliced through them.
Thud.
Only about ten assassins, including Darigon, had managed to escape the range of the sword qi.
The rest of the assassins lay in pieces, their bodies carved into dozens of fragments, rolling across the ground.
Tap.
At the same time, a massive shadow descended from the sky and landed heavily on the earth.
Whoosh.
As the towering figure straightened, it seemed as though the moon hanging in the night sky had been blotted out.
This was no human—it appeared more like a colossal lifeform descending to swallow the world whole.
Thud. Thud.
As the shadow stepped forward, the figure of a middle-aged man with an enormous physique slowly came into view.
His build was that of a bear, yet his waist was as long and slender as a tiger's.
An overwhelming aura, capable of crushing even Mount Tai, radiated from his entire body, and his pupils flickered like torches lit in the dark.
Moreover, just looking at him made it hard to breathe, as if the bones in one's body were being crushed under the sheer pressure he exuded.
"Why have the mongrels of the Western Regions come to play in the Central Plains?"
A voice as deep and thick as the King of Hell's rumbled through the forest.
"You—"
Darigon's eyes widened as he recognized the middle-aged man's face.
"Jo Cheon-wang."
His body trembled as if he had seen a ghost.
The Emperor Dragon Sword, Jo Cheon-wang.
One of the Seven Pillars said to uphold the Martial Alliance—the supreme master of the orthodox Murim had suddenly appeared before them.
"I—I merely came to the Central Plains to eliminate a traitor..."
Darigon's voice shook.
Though Bu Eun-seol was said to be the future ruler of the Demonic Path, his current authority was not enough to freely mobilize all forces of the Demon Hall.
But Jo Cheon-wang was now one of the supreme masters who held sway over the orthodox Murim, the highest authority in command of the Martial Heaven Unit—one of the Seven Great Battle Corps of the Martial Alliance.
If they incurred his displeasure, the White Rank Assassination Sect could immediately face the full might of the Martial Alliance's assault.
"I have no intention of incurring the Hall Master's grudge."
Despite losing dozens of his subordinates to Jo Cheon-wang's hand, Darigon spoke in a servile tone.
"This humble assassin shall quietly take his leave."
"Hmph."
Jo Cheon-wang let out a low scoff.
"Make sure you don't loiter around the Central Plains from now on."
'Just wait. I'll make sure you witness the true power of our sect.'
But those were merely thoughts in his heart.
"Understood."
Bowing deeply, Darigon immediately retreated with the remaining assassins.
"It's been a while."
Once the White Rank Assassination Sect's killers had left, Jo Cheon-wang looked down at Bu Eun-seol with a smile laced with killing intent.
"Now that you've grown enough meat on your bones, it seems the time has come to slaughter and devour you."
In the past, Jo Cheon-wang had publicly declared that he would take revenge only when Bu Eun-seol's fame and martial arts had grown enough to be worth his time.
And now, he was declaring that the time had finally come.
"Were they assassins from the Martial Heaven Unit?"
Jo Cheon-wang frowned at Bu Eun-seol's words.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"You've been sending assassins affiliated with the Martial Alliance, haven't you? To prevent me from reaching Chengdu or any villages."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Jo Cheon-wang's voice was low.
"All I ordered my subordinates to do was track your movements and find the right moment for our duel."
Bu Eun-seol fell into deep thought.
If those words were true, then the only explanation was that the Martial Alliance had been sending assassins after him without Jo Cheon-wang's knowledge.
Even though they knew full well that Jo Cheon-wang intended to face him in battle.
'He is a man who values honor and justification—so much so that he even delayed avenging his son. There's no way he would lie.'
Jo Cheon-wang had watched Bu Eun-seol's duel with the Heavenly Sword and still deemed him far beneath his own level.
Moreover, considering propriety, tormenting a mere child would be beneath him. That was why he had postponed his son's revenge—he was a true orthodox martial artist at heart.
A man like him would never stoop to using assassins to observe Bu Eun-seol's martial arts or drain his strength.
'So even the Martial Alliance is like this.'
Bu Eun-seol gave a faint nod.
Come to think of it, that shadow force had enough power and authority to even turn the disciples of the Three Demons into puppets.
It was only natural that such figures would be entrenched in the Martial Alliance's high command.
'The Nectar Bureau Head must have been just one of their pawns.'
In the past, Bu Eun-seol had infiltrated the Martial Alliance and, alongside Law Enforcement Commander Jongjeong Yak, eliminated the Nectar Bureau Head—a spy controlled by the shadow force.
But thinking about it now, there was no way they would have sent only the Nectar Bureau Head as their informant.
Just like the Demon Hall, the Martial Alliance must have been riddled with the shadow force's agents... It was all too obvious.
"Shall we begin?"
Jo Cheon-wang drew the treasured sword from his waist.
As he did, an overwhelming force surged to the heavens, and the very air of the world grew heavy, as if filled with molten lead.
"Will that Semu woman be joining you?"
At Jo Cheon-wang's words, Bu Eun-seol turned his head to look at So-yo.
"This is my fight. Step aside."
Soyo, instead of answering, fixed her gaze upon Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Within that gaze swirled a tangled mix of emotions never before seen—among them, what Bu Eun-seol could clearly discern was deep concern.
Thud.
Yet contrary to her eyes, Soyo activated her Movement Technique in an instant, soaring mid-air and vanishing from sight.
Watching this, Jo Cheon-wang spoke in a low voice:
"I'll grant you the first move."
His hushed tone oozed with thick, cloying killing intent.
"It wouldn't be an entertaining duel if I struck first."
From his perspective, Bu Eun-seol was the sworn enemy who had murdered his beloved only son.
That he could utter such words with such calmness at the precipice of long-awaited vengeance—?
'A demeanor I must learn.'
Maintaining composure before a foe you yearn to tear apart is no easy feat.
Even with a life-threatening adversary before him, Bu Eun-seol sought lessons to glean.
"Unnecessary."
Swiish—
As Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Sword, the surrounding air seemed to ignite with scorching heat.
"You attack first."
A swordsman's battle begins with momentum.
Bu Eun-seol was unleashing a fierce aura to shatter Jo Cheon-wang's overwhelming pressure.
Jo Cheon-wang's epithet was Emperor Dragon Sword—
A name shared by both his treasured blade and the sword art he pioneered.
Though he hadn't coined the title "Emperor Dragon Sword Art."
Countless masters who faced him had unanimously praised it as a technique akin to a dragon descending from the heavens.
"Very well."
Before the words fully left his lips, Jo Cheon-wang's Emperor Dragon Sword was already splitting Bu Eun-seol's skull.
The distance between them had been three paces.
Yet in the blink of an eye, Jo Cheon-wang closed the gap until their noses nearly touched.
'The Beast Path didn't activate?'
The Beast Path, which detected even the flow of air, had always allowed him to effortlessly—and preemptively—anticipate an enemy's movements.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol had been staring straight ahead, eyes wide open.
Yet he hadn't sensed Jo Cheon-wang's approach until the man was right before him.
Clang—!
A clear metallic sound rang out as Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed deeply.
The moment the Ink Sword clashed with the Emperor Dragon Sword, his entire body shuddered as if his organs had been rattled and his heart plummeted to his feet.
This wasn't a disparity in internal energy.
The sheer pressure and vibration emanating from the Emperor Dragon Sword had struck his body from within.
'He's using sword force.'
Jo Cheon-wang wasn't just a master of sword techniques—he was unleashing sword force so potent no human body could endure it.
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
Even if he blocked the sword techniques, those intangible gusts of sword force were unavoidable.
Meaning, with every clash, his body would be wracked.
'Continuing like this will lead to severe internal injuries.'
"Impressive. In raw internal energy, you surpass even this leader."
Upon their blades meeting, Jo Cheon-wang's eyes flashed with surprise.
"Such a feat is impossible, even if one consumed spirit medicine like rice."
Before the words fully landed, Jo Cheon-wang closed the distance again.
Bu Eun-seol had no time to activate a Movement Technique.
He had no choice but to raise the Ink Sword and block.
Clang—!
As steel met steel, Bu Eun-seol's brow twitched again.
Though his internal energy was superior, the sword wind and the force carried within it radiating from the Emperor Dragon Sword once again jolted his organs violently.
'A novel technique.'
Bu Eun-seol had fought countless strong opponents and experienced myriad sword techniques.
But this method—using sword force like gusts to vibrate an enemy's body and inflict internal injuries—was unheard of.
'He must also be intimately familiar with the Formless Heavenly Flow and Willful True Binding.'
Jo Cheon-wang had witnessed Bu Eun-seol's duel with the Heavenly Sword firsthand.
He would have scrutinized every nuance of the Formless Heavenly Flow and Willful True Binding.
Swish—!
In that instant, Jo Cheon-wang's Emperor Dragon Sword twisted at an uncanny angle.
A maneuver designed to force a clash while simultaneously channeling another wave of sword force into Bu Eun-seol's body.
Zzzing—!
Suddenly, an eerie vibration resonated from the Ink Sword.
Simultaneously, the incoming sword force began tearing apart like paper.
He had materialized the intangible sword force using the Move Heaven Exchange Force from Myriad Forms One Style.
"You've stolen the Sword Sovereign's techniques."
Jo Cheon-wang showed no surprise at Bu Eun-seol employing the Myriad Forms One Style.
"Let's play differently this time."
Decades of dominance in the Murim had honed Jo Cheon-wang's sword mastery and combat adaptability to a level Bu Eun-seol couldn't match.
The moment Bu Eun-seol nullified the sword force with the Move Heaven Exchange Force, Jo Cheon-wang altered his approach again.
Clang—!
Once more, the Ink Sword and Emperor Dragon Sword collided.
This time, though no sword force surged forth, Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed.
'He's anticipating my techniques before I execute them?'
Something unbelievable was unfolding.
Every time Bu Eun-seol attempted to unleash a sword technique, Jo Cheon-wang seemed to predict its initial variations—
Interrupting it before it could fully manifest.