Chapter 391
Clang!
Bu Eun-seol, who had been about to unleash his three-stage Meteor Chasing Moon technique, was forced to halt his sword art mid-execution as Jo Cheon-wang's Emperor Dragon Sword abruptly surged forward once more.
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Before he knew it, a sweet, coppery taste rose from his stomach to his throat.
When executing a sword stroke, one must pour out both their Internal Power and martial forms to the very limit.
But having his flow interrupted midway—before he could fully expend his power—meant that the energy meant to be released through his sword art reversed course, flooding back into his own body.
"Nothing special."
A faint smile curled at the corner of Jo Cheon-wang's lips as he repeatedly disrupted Bu Eun-seol's forms, inflicting internal injuries upon him.
It was the smile of certain victory—the smile of a man who knew he could kill Bu Eun-seol.
'A fight to the death isn't simply won by having superior sword techniques.'
Jo Cheon-wang, who had honed his sword arts to their utmost limit, possessed a unique ability.
The moment an opponent assumed a stance to execute a sword stroke, he could effortlessly predict their next move.
All Streams Return to the Source.
Whether it was the sword arts of the Righteous Faction or those of the Demonic Path, in the end, sword techniques were nothing more than the motions of a human wielding a blade.
And Jo Cheon-wang, having reached mastery through countless life-and-death battles, could instantly discern—just by observing his enemy's posture—
exactly what forms would follow and how they would unfold.
Clang!
Once again, his sword art was intercepted mid-execution, and another wave of hot, metallic blood surged up Bu Eun-seol's throat.
Swish!
But Bu Eun-seol paid it no mind. Instead, he altered his technique midway and launched another attack at Jo Cheon-wang.
Clang!
Yet again, a sharp metallic sound rang out as Bu Eun-seol's sword stroke was cut short.
Hiss!
The moment his form was disrupted, an opening appeared.
Jo Cheon-wang did not miss the opportunity. In a single motion, he swung the Emperor Dragon Sword, aiming to sever Bu Eun-seol's forearm.
Schlick!
Bu Eun-seol barely managed to evade with Swift Shadowless, but his sleeve was cleanly sheared off by the sword qi.
'He even predicted my sword trajectory?'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his astonishment.
Even if Jo Cheon-wang had perfectly grasped the shifting forms of Formless Heavenly Flow... there was no way he could anticipate how Bu Eun-seol would execute them.
Yet Jo Cheon-wang acted as though he had stepped inside Bu Eun-seol's mind—
instantly deducing even the variations of his techniques and cutting them off mid-flow.
'Again.'
Gripping the Ink Sword tightly, Bu Eun-seol swung once more, aiming for Jo Cheon-wang's neck.
But just as before, his stroke was intercepted midway.
'Incredible. Truly incredible.'
Bu Eun-seol's pupils shimmered relentlessly.
Only now did he fully grasp the extent of Jo Cheon-wang's mastery—just how far he had refined his swordsmanship, and how he was predicting the shifts in Bu Eun-seol's forms.
'Because he's fought countless terrifying swordsmen in innumerable battles, he can predict an opponent's techniques just by observing their stance.'
It was a horrifying ability—one that would make any ordinary martial artist despair.
But Bu Eun-seol?
He smiled with exhilaration.
Jo Cheon-wang's sword arts were indeed fearsome, but they weren't so far beyond reach that he couldn't catch up.
In fact, this very method was expanding Bu Eun-seol's horizons—showing him a new approach, one he was grateful to witness.
'I, too, can predict movements based on stance alone.'
Even during his days as an Undertaker, Bu Eun-seol had been deeply familiar with the mechanics of the human body.
Now, with the Beast Path heightened to its peak as he observed Jo Cheon-wang, he could also begin anticipating his opponent's sword strokes.
And so, he began unfolding an entirely new Formless Heavenly Flow—one unlike anything he had shown before.
Hummm—!
A low sword resonance reverberated from the Ink Sword as razor-sharp forms poured forth.
'He appears to be thrusting at my lower abdomen, but in truth, the stroke will shift to target my neck.'
Having predicted Bu Eun-seol's move, Jo Cheon-wang calmly raised his Emperor Dragon Sword to guard his throat.
Tremble—
But then, something strange happened.
The moment he predicted the stroke, Bu Eun-seol's technique shifted again—this time, the blade drove straight toward his lower abdomen.
'Hm?'
Slightly startled, Jo Cheon-wang swiftly adjusted his sword to block.
'What just happened?'
Never before had his predictions been wrong.
Yet suddenly, they had failed him.
'A fluke.'
Swish!
This time, Bu Eun-seol unleashed Waning Moon Morning Star, sending a cross-shaped sword qi surging forward.
Simultaneously, a sharp blade energy slashed diagonally toward Jo Cheon-wang's flank.
'He's amplifying the sword light to create a large cross-shaped slash, but the real attack is aimed at my side.'
Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Waning Moon Morning Star's variation technique, and Jo Cheon-wang, having detected every shift, leisurely swung down at the Ink Sword.
'No...?'
Yet another strange occurrence unfolded.
Though Jo Cheon-wang had raised the Emperor Dragon Sword and struck down with all his might at the Ink Sword targeting his flank—
Suddenly, the sword stroke twisted in an eerie transformation, and a sharp surge of sword qi poured not toward him, but behind his back.
CLANG!
Jo Cheon-wang barely managed to block Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword, his eyes narrowing to slits.
'It was due to a mystical footwork technique.'
Only then did he realize—Bu Eun-seol hadn't altered the sword stroke itself.
Instead, he had employed a profound footwork technique, deftly shifting the trajectory of the sword technique's unleashed energy.
'His improvisation is extraordinary. He's already grasped the essence of Langya Pavilion's Practical Combat Martial Arts.'
Langya Pavilion's Practical Combat Martial Arts evolved and adapted in response to an enemy's attacks.
And Bu Eun-seol, having deeply internalized this philosophy, was once again modifying his sword technique in accordance with Jo Cheon-wang's abilities and swordsmanship.
'So this is the Heir of the Demon Hall.'
Jo Cheon-wang nodded in admiration.
There was no longer any need for probing strikes or testing sword techniques.
If he didn't immediately employ the True Void and cut Bu Eun-seol down in a single stroke—
He would end up merely playing the role of a martial instructor, teaching sword techniques instead of claiming victory.
SHWIK!
After widening the distance and halting his movements, Jo Cheon-wang grinned faintly and nodded.
"Now, I'll show you what the Emperor Dragon Sword truly is."
Bu Eun-seol paid no heed to Jo Cheon-wang's words, instead launching the Waning Moon Morning Star's stance once more, slashing toward his vital points.
But then, something bizarre happened.
ZZZING—
Bu Eun-seol felt a faint vibration, as though a gust of wind had passed straight through his body.
It was a sensation honed through countless battles—an instinct, one might say.
SWOOSH!
Bu Eun-seol immediately aborted his sword technique and twisted his body mid-air, spinning aside.
And just then—
A razor-sharp sword aura abruptly manifested in the empty space, grazing perilously close to his lower abdomen.
"Hoh."
As Bu Eun-seol evaded the strike, Jo Cheon-wang let out an exclamation of surprise.
"To think you could dodge that."
His voice carried an indescribable sense of melancholy.
Jo Cheon-wang had once been a wandering swordsman in his youth.
By chance, he had obtained the Heaven-Shaking Sword Manual, an ancient sword art, and through it, he devised the Emperor Dragon Sword Method.
The Emperor Dragon Sword Method, which maximized the profundity of Void-Shaking Shadow Retrieval from the manual, unleashed overwhelming pressure and terrifying might—as if a heavenly dragon had descended.
Not only that, but through the mysteries of Void-Shaking Shadow Retrieval, he could also seize the perfect moment to deceive an opponent's senses in an instant.
Jo Cheon-wang had named this fleeting moment—
"Fixed Moment."
And if he executed his sword technique precisely at this Fixed Moment?
An unstoppable sword stroke would be born—one that even a god could not evade.
Until now, he had employed this principle only six times.
The opponents he had faced with the Fixed Moment were all formidable adversaries who threatened his life, and it was by defeating them that he had attained his supreme position as the leader of the Martial Heaven Unit.
No matter how lightly he had wielded it, for someone so young to evade a sword strike unleashed at the Fixed Moment—
"Until now, my heart was heavy."
Jo Cheon-wang spoke with an inscrutable expression.
"No matter how much it was for my only son's vengeance, cutting down a child who hasn't even fully grown..."
The composed demeanor and relaxed posture Jo Cheon-wang had maintained until now shifted.
His gaze turned solemn and cautious as he raised his sword.
"But from this moment on, I acknowledge you as a worthy opponent—one who can cross blades with this unit leader. And I will wield my sword in earnest."
Bu Eun-seol tightened his grip on the Ink Sword warily.
Jo Cheon-wang's words were no boast.
For decades, he had roamed the Murim, amassing countless achievements, surviving life-and-death battles against powerful foes—a veteran warrior who had overturned the tides of fate.
Not even a single moment of carelessness was permissible. Even giving his all, Bu Eun-seol couldn't guarantee his own survival.
'I can't use the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.'
Bu Eun-seol's ultimate trump card was the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade'sBloody Tears Seven Forms—
A saber technique of death that none could block.
But even this technique only unleashed its full power when its forms were executed flawlessly.
Yet Jo Cheon-wang seized the Fixed Moment to deliver a decisive strike.
Meaning, the Emperor Dragon Sword Method would undoubtedly unfold faster than the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
'Then...'
Bu Eun-seol could sense it.
This battle was not a clash of sword techniques against sword techniques.
But of moment against moment.
Of instant against instant.
WHOOSH—
Suddenly, an intense surge of energy erupted from Jo Cheon-wang's body.
Before he knew it, the swirling energy currents had already enclosed the space behind Bu Eun-seol.
Jo Cheon-wang had woven a barrier-like net of fierce Sword Qi currents across a radius of about one hundred feet—
To prevent Bu Eun-seol from retreating.
He intended to charge forward in a single breath and settle the battle with one decisive strike.
Whoosh!
A powerful shockwave erupted from Jo Cheon-wang's body—
Shhk!
—and tore through the air as if erasing space itself, cleaving toward Bu Eun-seol.
Fixed Moment.
The perfect timing where the opponent could never counter.
If this Fixed Moment was seized flawlessly, any enemy would inevitably fall.
Even if Bu Eun-seol had mastered a sword technique surpassing his own—
Before the profound principle of this Fixed Moment, any sword technique, no matter how mighty, would become nothing but an empty shell.
Hssss—
At the same time, a pure white aura surged from Bu Eun-seol's body.
Crrrk—
Simultaneously, an overwhelming cold energy—so intense it made teeth chatter—engulfed Jo Cheon-wang.
The Glacier Great Emperor's supreme martial art, the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, had been unleashed.
'This bastard!'
Jo Cheon-wang realized his mistake too late.
He's using Ice Art?!
This was a situation that completely scrambled his calculations—just as he had seized the perfect Fixed Moment!
'I never imagined he'd mastered Ice Art...'
Having reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, Jo Cheon-wang could read the flow of his opponent's body, sensing the exact moment new power would surge.
And by exploiting that instant—the Fixed Moment—he could unfold his sword technique in a way that was absolutely unavoidable.
But the moment Bu Eun-seol unleashed his formidable Ice Art, the flawless timing Jo Cheon-wang had grasped was disrupted.
Swish!
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword exploded forward, piercing through space and shooting toward Jo Cheon-wang.
Jo Cheon-wang's Emperor Dragon Sword, perfectly aligned with the Fixed Moment—
And Bu Eun-seol, slowing that flow of the Fixed Moment to launch his counterattack—
Which of the two had seized the true Fixed Moment?
Only the heavens knew now.
But then—
Shhk!
With a sharp, fleeting Sound of Breaking Air, a blade suddenly shot up from beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet.
It was something even a ghost couldn't have predicted—let alone Bu Eun-seol.
'An assassin?!'
It seemed someone had been lying in wait underground, concealing themselves with the Turtle Breath Grand Art, even before the two had begun their duel.
And at the exact moment when life and death hung in the balance—
They had seized the perfect opportunity to strike.
From the perspective of swordplay, this too could be called another Fixed Moment.
'I can't let this blade pierce me!'
Shht!
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol's body turned pale as frost—
The blade that had erupted from the ground grazed past his foot as he twisted away.
The Swift Shadowless, capable of shifting through ninety-nine directions in midair when mastered to Grand Perfection, had been pushed to its absolute limit.
Pat! Pat!
But as a result, the sword strokes he had been pouring toward Jo Cheon-wang slowed by half a beat.
Splurt!
In that moment, blood sprayed from Bu Eun-seol's body.
Jo Cheon-wang's Emperor Dragon Sword had slashed diagonally across his chest and shoulder, carving a deep wound.
Flash!
A brilliant light ignited in Jo Cheon-wang's eyes.
'Now!'
He could feel it—
This was the moment.
Even if his opponent were a Martial God, there was no escaping this perfect Fixed Moment.
'But...'
Countless thoughts flickered through his mind in that brief instant.
As a leader of the Martial Alliance, he had upheld Chivalrous Righteousness all his life—never once committing an act of injustice.
But if he killed Bu Eun-seol now, thanks to this masked assassin's ambush—
Wouldn't that make his revenge dishonorable?
'How can honor and vengeance ever align?'
Though his thoughts were long, his movements were swift as lightning.
Recalling his son's mutilated corpse, Jo Cheon-wang swung his Emperor Dragon Sword without hesitation—aiming to sever Bu Eun-seol's head.
Swish!
Just then, a steel arrow came flying from somewhere, hurtling straight toward Jo Cheon-wang's blade.
In that moment, he was utterly stunned.
Yet another unforeseen disruption—
His perfect Fixed Moment had been thrown into chaos once more.
Clang!
The steel arrow collided with Jo Cheon-wang's sword.
Meanwhile, threads of Willful True Binding energy spread from Bu Eun-seol's body like a spider's web.
This was Bu Eun-seol's own perfect Fixed Moment.
Zzzzt!
And that spreading energy did not entangle Jo Cheon-wang—
But the masked assassin who had ambushed him from underground.
The Willful True Binding wrapped around the enemy, sealing them beneath the earth so they couldn't escape.
Flash! Flash!
At the same time, two rapid shifts in momentum occurred midair with Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword.
Thud!
As the Ink Sword plunged deep into the ground, a fountain of crimson blood erupted.
In the end, despite seizing the perfect Fixed Moment, Bu Eun-seol had not counterattacked Jo Cheon-wang—
But the masked assassin who had ambushed him.
Thud.
The fatally wounded ambusher immediately activated an earth-escape technique and began fleeing.
Whoosh—!
Seeing this, So-ok unleashed her movement technique and gave chase.
That ambusher could return at any moment to attack Bu Eun-seol again.
In other words, if they didn't eliminate him for good, Bu Eun-seol's mental power would remain divided—ensuring his defeat in this duel. So-ok had instantly grasped that fact and launched her pursuit without hesitation.
'Now's my chance...!'
Meanwhile, Jo Cheon-wang, seeing that Bu Eun-seol had not directed his attack toward him, seized another opportunity to deliver a decisive strike.
'I must have my revenge!'
Even among the Demonic Path, such underhanded tactics were considered shameful.
But he couldn't let this chance slip away.
'If his martial prowess is already like this, leaving him alive for a few more years would make him unbeatable!'
Back when he had witnessed Bu Eun-seol's battle with the Heavenly Sword, the boy's skills had still been clearly beneath his own.
Yet in this short span of time, hadn't he made terrifying progress?
Jo Cheon-wang himself had been hailed as a genius since childhood, but he had never even heard of someone advancing through the realms of martial arts as swiftly as Bu Eun-seol—not even in jest.
"You must die!"
With a battle cry, he drove the Emperor Dragon Sword straight into Bu Eun-seol's back—without hesitation.
Clang—!
But the blade only sank in about an inch, meeting an eerie resistance.
Bu Eun-seol had already anticipated the ambush and activated the Great Spirit Ice Body.
Crackle—! Krshhh!
Yet Jo Cheon-wang's internal power surpassed all expectations.
Even with his defensive technique active, Bu Eun-seol suffered severe internal injuries as the sword tip pierced through.
Crash—!
The force of the blow sent him flying back fifty feet before he collapsed in a heap.
"Pah."
Having endured two successive ambushes, Bu Eun-seol spat out a mouthful of bright crimson blood—evidence of deep internal damage.
Straightening up—
Yet he soon rose to his feet, steadying himself as he tightened his grip on the Ink Sword.
"Let's begin again."
Tremble.
His unyielding, solemn demeanor made Jo Cheon-wang's eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
Driven by his obsession for vengeance, he had resorted to despicable sneak attacks—twice—acts even the Demonic Path would scorn.
But Bu Eun-seol didn't condemn him.
Instead, his expression remained composed, as if he had expected nothing less, calmly preparing to resume their duel.
"I..."
Jo Cheon-wang's voice no longer carried its former authority.
The moment he had chosen to ambush Bu Eun-seol, both his internal power and mental strength had sharply declined.
A martial artist must act with honor.
An evil man must commit wicked deeds without hesitation.
A righteous man must uphold justice with dignity.
But Jo Cheon-wang had failed in all respects.
For a master of his caliber to abandon his convictions had caused an irreversible collapse in his spirit and mind.
"...have no right to revenge."
Jo Cheon-wang bit his lip.
Then, he channeled his immense internal power into the Emperor Dragon Sword.
Crack—!
Spiderweb-like fissures spread across the blade forged from Mysterious Iron—
Snap! Shatter—!
—before it burst apart into dozens of fragments, crumbling to the ground.
"This ends here."
Jo Cheon-wang had lost his son to Bu Eun-seol's hand.
But in his blind pursuit of vengeance, he had forsaken the beliefs and pride he had built over a lifetime. He had committed acts so dishonorable that even he could no longer stomach them.
As a result, both his internal power and his Spirit and Mind level had deteriorated drastically. He no longer had the justification——to continue this fight.
"Between you and me, there is no longer any debt of blood."
With those final words, Jo Cheon-wang bowed his head in shame. Then, slowly, he turned and walked away.
"Hah... Hah..."
Gasping for breath, Bu Eun-seol waited until Jo Cheon-wang had completely vanished before—
Click.
—sheathing the Ink Sword and leaning against a boulder.
Tap. Tap.
Pressing on the acupoints at his shoulder and chest, he stemmed the flow of blood. Then, he retrieved the Purple Herb Pill from his robes and swallowed it whole.
'Still so far to go...'
Jo Cheon-wang, the Emperor Dragon Sword, was one of the Seven Great Leaders of the Martial Alliance.
And among them, he wasn't even considered particularly outstanding.
Yet his true strength still surpassed Bu Eun-seol's.
Had he not lost himself to vengeance—had he not abandoned his Righteous Grandeur and justification—Bu Eun-seol might already be buried in the cold earth.
Clang! Clash—!
Just then, the distant clashing of weapons echoed from the sky.
'So-ok.'
Remembering that she had chased after the ambusher, Bu Eun-seol—
Whoosh—!
—activated his movement technique and shot into mid-air.
Clang! Clatter—!
In an instant, he crossed two thousand feet, arriving at a wide clearing in the forest where two figures clashed fiercely with their weapons.
So-ok and the masked man.
'That man—'
As Bu Eun-seol watched the masked man dueling So-ok, her dagger flashing, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
'It's him.'
The masked man was the swordsman from Beyond the Frontier—the very same one he had encountered in the underground Chengdu facility, where the Human Blossoms were cultivated.