Chapter 469
The black-clad man's robes were drenched in blood, his head hanging limply.
He seemed to be on the verge of death from grievous injuries.
The moment Bu Eun-seol took in the situation at a glance and moved to approach him—
His usually unchanging expression hardened in an instant.
The black-clad man, dying with iron chains wrapped around his body—
Wasn't he Jeong Cheon, the Deputy Head of the Horizontal Sky Department of the Red Sky Curtain Branch, the very man who had once fought him to an indecisive standstill in a single-match duel?
"Do you know him?"
At Gongson Dan-a's question, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"I do."
Chang!
With a single stroke of the Ice Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol severed the chains and stepped closer to Jeong Cheon.
"Brother Jeong, are you alright?"
At that, the black-clad man, Jeong Cheon, slowly raised his head.
The sight made Bu Eun-seol momentarily lose his composure.
'Damn it.'
Jeong Cheon's eyes were pitch-black, and his canines had grown slightly longer, like a beast's.
Moreover, the blood covering his entire body reeked of a bizarre, foul stench.
It was unmistakable—he had been consuming essence blood refined from Human Blossoms or artificial inner elixirs for a long time.
"What the hell happened to you?"
[Huuu...]
From Jeong Cheon's mouth came a sound neither human nor beast—a grotesque noise.
Killing intent. Battle lust.
The only thing left in his pupils was the fighting spirit for combat.
Clank.
With great effort, Jeong Cheon rose and stretched out his arm, gripping the great saber that had fallen to the ground.
"So it was you, Brother Jeong."
The man who had defeated the Bullet King, Bukgung Ryeong—
It had been Jeong Cheon all along.
Jeong Cheon, as if deaf to all words, fastened the great saber to his waist.
—They said the research had made some progress. They've partially neutralized the toxicity of the Human Blossoms, so Soulless Ones who haven't been poisoned for long can be restored...
Suddenly, Yuk Cheong-a's words surfaced in his mind.
If he took Jeong Cheon to Jongriga immediately, could he be restored?
'No... impossible.'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head with a grim expression.
The side of Jeong Cheon's body, as he struggled to rise, was nearly split open, his organs visible.
Right now, his body was closer to a living, moving corpse.
Even if the Human Blossom's toxicity could be neutralized, there was no way to heal wounds of that magnitude.
Sshhk.
Then, Jeong Cheon looked at Bu Eun-seol and began drawing his great saber.
It seemed the instincts of a martial artist still remained in him.
Seeing the gleam of the Ice Soul Sword in Bu Eun-seol's hand, he drew his blade to fight.
"Lord."
"Stand back."
Bu Eun-seol unsheathed the Ice Soul Sword and stood before Jeong Cheon.
It seemed Jeong Cheon had honed his sword techniques at the cost of his life. His entire body bore the marks of relentless, grueling training.
And even in the throes of death, upon seeing a sword, he rose again to fight.
How could anyone stop him now?
The only thing Bu Eun-seol could do for him was to give him one last fight.
"Brother Jeong. Come at me."
Gritting his teeth, Bu Eun-seol swallowed his anguish and spoke.
"I'll show you the finest sword technique I possess."
[Grrruhh...]
Jeong Cheon let out a groan as he gripped the iron chains.
Then, as if infused with internal power, a sharp energy surged from the edge of his great saber.
[KAAH!]
With a Great Roar, he swung the saber outward.
In that instant, hundreds of sword qi rained down around Bu Eun-seol's body.
'This—'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
What Jeong Cheon had unleashed was none other than the fourth form of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms—Wanting Death but No Place?
—Even if you wish to die, you cannot find a place to die...
It was as if it mirrored Jeong Cheon's current state.
Unable to find a place to die, he had wandered aimlessly through the murim until he drifted into this unknown underground castle.
But at last, he had met Bu Eun-seol.
And now, he sought a long, final rest.
Shwaaa—!
The saber energies pouring toward Bu Eun-seol weren't just overwhelmingly powerful—
They sealed off every possible path of retreat.
Pat!
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated Swift Shadowless to evade the onslaught.
But something astonishing happened.
The saber energies Jeong Cheon had unleashed didn't dissipate—they pursued Bu Eun-seol relentlessly.
"That's impossible."
Gongson Dan-a, watching from afar, gaped.
With a single stroke of his saber—
Not only had he suspended countless saber energies midair, but they were now chasing his opponent?
What kind of sword technique in this world worked like that?
'This—'
Bu Eun-seol's expression also stiffened in shock.
But it wasn't because of the saber technique Jeong Cheon had displayed. He already knew all the forms of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
It was just that the Bloody Tears Seven Forms Jeong Cheon wielded felt completely opposite to the blade essence Bu Eun-seol had mastered.
The Bloody Tears Seven Forms Bu Eun-seol had learned desperately yearned for his own death in every stroke.
But Jeong Cheon's Bloody Tears Seven Forms didn't seek his own death—
Instead, it wielded a blade essence that delivered death to others.
Hwa-ra-rak!
At that moment, hundreds of sword qi rose from Bu Eun-seol's body as well.
Having witnessed Jeong Cheon's Desire Death, No Place to Die, he had gained a profound understanding of the blade essence behind the fourth form.
Shwa-ra-ra-rak!
The sword qi unleashed by Bu Eun-seol was similar to Jeong Cheon's, but its range was far wider.
Desire Death, No Place to Die.
This technique, imbued with the desperation of one who seeks death but finds no place to die—was not about trapping the enemy with terrifying sword qi to seal their retreat and kill them.
'It is about erasing the distinction between foe and self, turning this battlefield into a place of death.'
Jeong Cheon had enveloped Bu Eun-seol with sword qi to ensure his enemy would meet death.
Bu Eun-seol had poured his sword qi across roughly thirty yards of land, delivering death indiscriminately—without distinguishing friend from foe.
When the two ultimate techniques collided, a thunderous explosion erupted, sending plumes of dust billowing into the sky.
Whoooosh.
A desolate wind swept through, dispersing the rising dust, and gradually, the figures of the two men became visible once more.
Drip, drip.
Crimson blood trickled steadily from multiple wounds across Bu Eun-seol's body.
He had failed to completely block the sword qi Jeong Cheon had unleashed from all directions.
In contrast, Jeong Cheon's body remained as pristine as before.
Tremble.
Yet, as if all vitality had been drained from him, his eyes had dulled, and his body trembled faintly.
Desire Death, No Place to Die.
A technique said to silence all living beings within roughly three hundred yards when mastered to its peak.
His life force had been extinguished under the weight of that overwhelming sword qi.
One who sought the death of others.
One who rained death upon all who stood around him.
The stark difference in their blade essences had produced opposing outcomes.
Straightening.
Jeong Cheon stood rigid, his back unbending.
Even as death loomed over him, he refused to collapse weakly.
"It's been a while..."
Then, a clear light flickered in Jeong Cheon's eyes.
The phenomenon of Terminal Lucidity had briefly restored his clarity of mind.
"Brother Jeong."
"As I thought... the wandering martial artist Seol-so... truly is the Mu-hon Lord who shakes the world."
Shockingly, Jeong Cheon had not only recognized Bu Eun-seol's face at once—
But he had also already known that the wandering martial artist Seol-so was Bu Eun-seol's false identity.
"I searched exhaustively for traces of you... hoping for a rematch. That's how I found out."
Jeong Cheon smiled faintly before asking again.
"The sword technique you wielded... that was the true Bloody Tears Seven Forms, wasn't it?"
It seemed he remembered everything that had transpired with perfect clarity.
"What exactly happened?"
When Bu Eun-seol asked, Jeong Cheon gave a faint smile.
"I made a foolish choice. I was impatient... desperate to grow stronger quickly."
Though he wore a smile, his eyes were filled with bitter regret.
"You became a young grandmaster who shook the martial world... while I, no matter how hard I tried, achieved nothing remarkable."
Hearing this, Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted in pain.
He understood instantly.
That Jeong Cheon had ended up in this state—
Was because of their duel.
Because Jeong Cheon's pride—the pride of one who had believed himself peerless among the younger generation—could not accept the outcome of a draw.
"Brother Jeong."
The light in Jeong Cheon's eyes was fading.
Realizing his life hung by a thread, Bu Eun-seol asked cautiously:
"How did you learn the Bloody Tears Seven Forms?"
The technique Jeong Cheon had used was a modified version—different from the original blade essence.
Bu Eun-seol needed to uncover the reason.
"It was... inevitable."
Jeong Cheon muttered with a desolate expression.
"The ruin of a man whose ambition outstripped his ability."
His gaze deepened, as if recalling a distant past.
Jeong Cheon had once prided himself on being unmatched among his peers.
But after his duel with Bu Eun-seol, he had been deeply shaken—his pride wounded.
In the end, he left the Silent Sky Lonely Earth to train, desperate to grow stronger.
Yet no matter how long he trained, he made no significant progress.
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol had become a young grandmaster who resounded through the martial world.
He had defeated the Beggar King and ascended to the Seat of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
Jeong Cheon despaired.
There had been a time when he had boasted that he would become the future Number One of the Demonic Path.
But had it all been nothing more than the delusion of a frog in a well?
"What a pity."
Then, a low voice reached him.
"Does a man your age truly need to train in a way that destroys his body?"
There had been a mysterious figure watching Jeong Cheon train in the remote wilderness near Tianshan.
Clad in black, his face concealed by a cloth mask. His voice was deep, and he appeared to be in his fifties.
"Do not meddle in others' affairs."
Jeong Cheon did not even glance at the Man in Black, continuing to refine his sword techniques relentlessly.
The Man in Black sighed as he watched.
It reminded him of his own past—when he had trained like a madman after realizing his lack of talent.
"Free yourself from bondage. Even from the desire to grow stronger."
Swoosh!
With those words, the Man in Black unleashed a single saber technique toward Jeong Cheon.
In that instant, Jeong Cheon could only stand frozen, his face blank.
It had no distinct form or shape. Even when he strained his eyes, he could perceive no substance or figure. It was something that defied all discernment—something beyond comprehension.
Because it was Death itself.
'Such a saber technique...'
Jeong Cheon rubbed his eyes.
Until now, he had believed that what he lacked was not martial knowledge, but effort.
But upon witnessing the Man in Black's saber technique, he realized—what he lacked was not effort, but the martial knowledge itself.
"If you could cast it aside... you might even ascend higher."
The Man in Black spoke in a low voice as he turned away.
"Elder!"
Snapping back to his senses, Jeong Cheon startled and immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground in a desperate plea.
"Please, take me as your disciple!"
Fearing the Man in Black might refuse, Jeong Cheon buried his head deeper into the earth and cried out with fierce resolve.
"If you intend to leave me behind—then cut off my head before you go!"
The Man in Black let out a heavy sigh.
He had only meant to correct Jeong Cheon's misguided training in a fleeting moment of impulse.
Yet now, he found himself shaken by the young man's desperate yearning to grow stronger.
"I am a man forever pursued. I cannot raise a disciple. However..."
Swish.
The Man in Black reached into his robes and pulled out a thin booklet, handing it to Jeong Cheon.
It was a secret manual—one that recorded the techniques of the Three Saber Forms.
"I had already promised to pass this manual on to a worthy young talent."
The Man in Black sighed deeply as he spoke.
"If you can master the remaining two forms within these pages... you may yet become a saber master who shakes the martial world."
Then, with solemnity, he added:
"Read it, then burn it. Keeping it will only invite calamity."
"This..."
Jeong Cheon hastily flipped open the booklet.
"Bloody Tears Seven Forms?!"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
The manual the Man in Black had given him contained the legendary saber arts of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang—a peerless swordsman of the Demonic Path.
But the manual was heavily damaged, with only two of the forms still legible.
Worse still, someone had deliberately altered the blade essence—scrawling new characters over the original text in haphazard strokes.
It seemed the Man in Black had attempted to reconstruct the ruined techniques himself.
"Why is the manual in such a state?"
"Not damaged—deliberately altered."
The Man in Black sighed again.
"Otherwise, those of ordinary talent like us would never be able to wield it."
As the Man in Black turned to leave, Jeong Cheon called out:
"Where are you going? If you permit it, I will accompany you!"
"I told you—I am being hunted."
"Then let me help you!"
The Man in Black smiled faintly.
"The one pursuing me appears and vanishes like a ghost. He is like a demon—no martial art can touch him. Not even the greatest factions of this world could aid me."
Jeong Cheon blinked.
Appears and vanishes like a ghost? A demon impervious to martial arts?
Even after practicing such saber techniques, there existed someone the Man in Black could not overcome?
Jeong Cheon wanted to say more, but the Man in Black had already activated his movement technique and vanished.
'Still... with this saber art, it might be possible.'
Though only two forms remained, the Bloody Tears Seven Forms was an absolute martial doctrine—one that could perfectly fill the void Jeong Cheon had felt all his life.
From that day on, Jeong Cheon devoted himself entirely to mastering those two forms.
Yet no matter how relentlessly he trained, he could never perfect them.
'Is my talent truly this pitiful?'
The Man in Black had explicitly stated that he altered the blade essence so even ordinary martial artists could wield it.
And Jeong Cheon was no ordinary talent—he had been personally taken in as a disciple by the Grass Sword Wave, one of the Ten Demonic Paragons, in his final years.
So how could he fail to master just two forms?
'Am I truly this worthless?'
After a full year of grueling training with no progress, Jeong Cheon finally succumbed to despair.
But then—
"So you're his disciple, I see."
Another figure arrived—one who had discovered the traces of Jeong Cheon's training.
He was an old man, not particularly tall, his face concealed behind a mask. Only a pair of eerie, gleaming eyes were visible beneath the cloth.
"Judging by that botched Bloody Tears Seven Forms, I suppose it makes sense."
Jeong Cheon's eyes widened.
The saber arts the Man in Black had shown him possessed such overwhelming power that all the martial knowledge Jeong Cheon had learned before now seemed like child's play.
And yet—this old man called it a botched version?
"Who are you?"
The masked old man smiled faintly.
"A shame. You're not ripe enough to devour yet."
That smile, that glint in his eyes—it reminded Jeong Cheon of a lion licking its lips before pouncing on a rabbit.
And in that instant, he understood.
The demon who had pursued the Man in Black his entire life—
—was standing right before him.
"Come at me."
Jeong Cheon drew his sword with courage.
Even if this old man was the King of Hell himself, he would not sit idly by and wait for death.
"Hm."
The masked old man stared intently at the light in Jeong Cheon's eyes, then nodded slowly.
"Ah, so you wanted to grow stronger. Desperately, at that."
Strangely, just like the Man in Black, the masked elder had instantly recognized the desperation in Jeong Cheon's heart.
"Very well. What this old man desires is to taste the Bloody Tears Seven Forms in its true form."
The masked old man nodded and made an unexpected proposal.
"I'll help you perfectly master the saber forms you've learned."
"What do you mean?"
"Your talent isn't bad, but you met the wrong master. You're still stuck in those outdated training methods—no wonder your martial arts haven't progressed."
"What are you talking about?"
"You neither consume proper nourishment nor take proper rest. Worse, you're in no state to recognize your own mistakes. Training alone in a secluded valley is meaningless."
"What do you want?"
"I'll give it to you—the perfect environment to master the saber art, elixirs, and even a master."
Jeong Cheon couldn't understand.
This masked old man was clearly an enemy of the Man in Black, who had taught him the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
So why would he offer to help Jeong Cheon, who had learned that very technique?
"Why would you help me?"
"I already told you."
The masked old man's voice turned icy.
"This old man wants to taste the Bloody Tears Seven Forms in its true form."
Then, in a flash like lightning, he drew his sword.
Kiiii—!
A terrifying surge of saber qi erupted, crashing down before Jeong Cheon's eyes.
It was a saber technique as fearsome as the Man in Black's Bloody Tears Seven Forms—one that could shatter the boundary between heaven and earth.
"You mean to break the Bloody Tears Seven Forms?"
At Jeong Cheon's question, the masked old man scoffed.
"'Break' is an amusing word. Had this old man fought Bu Jan-yang, he would never have earned the title of the Demon Path's Foremost Bladesman."
A starlike glint flared in the old man's pupils.
"He would have died by my hand."
Jeong Cheon's eyes widened.
The masked man's words were no boast.
Even this single saber technique he had just displayed rivaled the Man in Black's Bloody Tears Seven Forms in both might and profundity.
"Since you couldn't face the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, you're chasing after the person who learned his technique—to settle the score."
"Correct."
"Why couldn't you fight him? You seem to be of similar age."
"That's none of your concern."
The masked old man narrowed his eyes into crescents.
"Will you become prey that whets this old man's appetite?"
In short, the masked old man saw Jeong Cheon's talent as exceptional. He intended to perfect his Bloody Tears Seven Forms—then cut him down.
"Fine."
Jeong Cheon took a deep breath.
Even if the old man's saber technique was formidable, mastering two forms of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms would be enough to face him.
With a blazing gaze, he met the masked old man's eyes.
"I'll follow you."
From that day on,
Jeong Cheon followed the masked old man deep into Nine-Bend Mountain, where he began mastering the saber technique in an underground fortress hidden in the peaks.
There, countless elixirs to enhance his stamina and memory were piled high.
A man called "Messenger" was there to point out flaws in his technique.
And he was even provided a place to restore his exhausted body and spirit, along with a Mind-Training Formula.
"I'll return once you've mastered the technique."
With a sinister smile, the old man left behind a single warning.
"See that you don't disappoint this old man."
But Jeong Cheon paid no heed to his words.
This place was the perfect training ground. He immediately began refining the two saber forms anew.
However, mastering the true sword art of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade was anything but easy.
To learn the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, one had to be innately fearless—to see death and life as one.
That alone would have been manageable. But it also demanded unparalleled genius and unshakable mental fortitude.
"Damn it!"
BANG!
As time passed, Jeong Cheon despaired.
Even in such an ideal environment, he couldn't master even these two forms?
Was he nothing more than an insect—not even a frog at the bottom of a well?
Just as he writhed in despair, realizing the Bloody Tears Seven Forms might be beyond him,
[Drink this.]
"Messenger," who had been correcting his technique, held out a vial of crimson liquid.
[This will grant you limitless stamina. The more you drink, the stronger your internal energy will grow.]
"I've had enough elixirs already."
[This is no ordinary elixir. You already know, don't you?]
Somehow, Jeong Cheon did know.
That this underground fortress cultivated Human Blossoms—and repeated grotesque experiments.
But by the time he learned the truth, he was too deep in despair to care.
[This will let you surpass your limits. The only problem is the risk of addiction... and loss of reason.]
"You mean becoming a Soulless One."
[Correct. Our organization is researching ways to mitigate those side effects.]
"So you're using me as a test subject."
"Messenger" placed the vial on the table and turned away.
[No one's forcing you.]
Jeong Cheon stared blankly at the vial.
That crimson liquid was brewed from Human Blossoms—flowers cultivated using human essence blood.
If he drank it, he would most likely lose his mind and become a Soulless One.
He knew he shouldn't succumb to this temptation.
But drowning in despair and frustration, his mind was ruled by a single desire—to grow stronger.
Gulp.
He downed the crimson liquid in one swallow.
In the end, he couldn't resist.
He had accepted a deal with the devil.