Chapter 491
Bu Eun-seol, having left the Martial Alliance, immediately returned to the Demon Hall.
Then, without delay, he led the elite troops of the Death Shadow War Unit toward Tianshan.
Tianshan was where Gwan Hae-geum—disciple of the Nameless Old Man, who had once volunteered to be the shadow of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, and a Renowned Chivalrous Hero of the Righteous Faction—had secluded himself.
The Southern Heaven Great Hero, Gwan Hae-geum.
And the Strange Old Man, a master of the Three Realms who had trained in the Blade Emperor's martial arts, was relentlessly pursuing him.
During their previous encounter, Gwan Hae-geum had been attacked by the Strange Old Man and forced to flee Tianshan once more.
But Bu Eun-seol knew.
That Gwan Hae-geum was still in seclusion there.
Because that place was, by far, the optimal location to evade the Three Realms' pursuit.
The only oddity was the Strange Old Man.
He harbored deep resentment for never having fought the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade and thus ceaselessly chased Gwan Hae-geum, who had mastered the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
Then why wasn't he tracking or ambushing Bu Eun-seol, who had also mastered the Bloody Tears Seven Forms?
For someone of the Three Realms, such a thing wouldn't be impossible.
'Does that mean he isn't one of the Three Realms' leaders, either?'
The Strange Old Man's saber technique surpassed Bu Eun-seol's, reaching a level that couldn't be dismantled in a single strike.
Yet, if he wasn't one of the Three Realms' leaders...
The power of the Three Realms and the masters stationed there would be beyond estimation.
'An extraordinary saber technique.'
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had fought and triumphed over the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
But the Strange Old Man was different.
He displayed martial prowess so vast it was on an entirely different plane from any master Bu Eun-seol had faced before.
'At the very least, his rank must be higher than that of a Messenger of the Three Realms.'
Given his immense martial prowess, even if he wasn't one of the Three Realms' leaders, he was undoubtedly a core figure.
Capturing him could yield new information about the Three Realms.
Whoosh.
At that moment, Wi Cheon-gyeong, who had been leading the unit members and overseeing the site, approached and spoke.
"Traces of troops retreating around the same time we arrived have been found."
Despite the Death Soul Squad having acted the moment they received intelligence, there were no Soulless Ones—nor any sign of the Heir of the Blade Emperor.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol's intelligence network still couldn't compare to the Three Realms'.
"Nothing unexpected."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled softly before speaking calmly.
"Withdraw the unit members and return to the Demon Hall immediately. I'll survey the area a little longer before following."
"Understood."
Wi Cheon-gyeong and the elite warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit immediately turned back toward the Demon Hall.
As Bu Eun-seol gazed at Tianshan with an impassive expression, a low voice from So-yo reached his ears.
"You're looking for Hero Gwan, aren't you?"
"That's right. You caught on."
Even if the Three Realms' forces had retreated, Gwan Hae-geum would likely still be here.
Bu Eun-seol intended to find him—both to relay news of the Nameless Old Man and to speak with him.
"Then I'll be on my way."
Bu Eun-seol activated his movement technique and dashed swiftly across Tianshan without hesitation.
Tianshan was so vast that finding a single person seemed impossible.
But Bu Eun-seol knew how Gwan Hae-geum chose his hiding spots, making it easy to track his traces.
A terrain where large forces couldn't enter, with multiple escape routes.
A place where one could set up battle formations and various traps in preparation for an attack by the Heir of the Blade Emperor.
Bu Eun-seol was meticulously scouring such locations.
"There you are."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly as he looked toward a cave at the edge of a cliff in Tianshan.
Though no human traces were visible, with his Empty Mind Spirit Perception heightened, countless marks of Treading Snow Without Trace became clear to his eyes.
"Hero Gwan."
Deliberately revealing his presence, Bu Eun-seol approached the cave entrance.
"...!"
In that instant, he sensed an overwhelming foreboding.
From within the cave, he detected faint, faltering breaths—as if they would cease at any moment.
"HERO GWAN!"
Shouting loudly, Bu Eun-seol rushed inside.
After running about three hundred feet, the narrow passage widened, revealing a broad clearing with jagged stalactites hanging overhead.
And there, in one corner of the clearing, was a shadow—leaning on a saber planted in the ground, gasping for air.
The Southern Heaven Great Hero, Gwan Hae-geum.
"Hero Gwan!"
"You've come."
Gwan Hae-geum clutched his blood-soaked abdomen.
A sharp blade had slashed through his stomach, leaving his entrails spilling out.
"Well? Has our benefactor been faring well?"
Gwan Hae-geum spoke evenly, still gripping his wound.
Even in a life-or-death situation, his first concern was the well-being of the benefactor he hadn't seen in so long.
"The elder... he..."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't bring himself to continue.
How could he tell the dying Gwan Hae-geum... about the Nameless Old Man's wretched state, imprisoned in Blood Shaolin's Repentance Cave?
"I see."
Reading everything from Bu Eun-seol's expression, Gwan Hae-geum smiled faintly.
"Was his end... peaceful?"
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol replied with a solemn expression.
"And until the very end, he wished to pass away as the shadow of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
"I see. That must have been his choice."
The light in Gwan Hae-geum's eyes dimmed.
His breath was finally failing.
"Did the Heir of the Blade Emperor come for you again?"
"No. I sought the fight myself."
Gwan Hae-geum's gaze grew distant.
"Because I had finally found someone who grasped the complete Blade Essence of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade... I thought it would be alright to let go of this wretched life."
"Elder."
A bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"I swear I will avenge you."
He had never intended to share the same sky with the Three Realms to begin with.
And now that the Strange Old Man had brutally murdered Gwan Hae-geum—the benefactor who had led him to his grandfather's traces—vengeance was inevitable.
"No."
Gwan Hae-geum shook his head weakly.
"You must not fight him yet."
"Elder—"
"The saber technique he wields... transcends the boundaries of martial arts. It is the technique of a demon."
"I have the Bloody Tears Seven Forms."
"That is precisely why you must not."
Gwan Hae-geum's voice was low but firm.
"He, too, has mastered the Bloody Tears Seven Forms. Perfectly."
The shocking answer made Bu Eun-seol's eyes widen.
And then, the words the Nameless Old Man had spoken before his death resurfaced in his mind.
—Deceived by a vile man, I ended up teaching him five of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms...
'Then... was he the one who stole the Bloody Tears Seven Forms?'
"You mean he wielded the Bloody Tears Seven Forms?"
"Yes. Though it was only two forms... he executed it more flawlessly than I, who had trained in it my entire life."
"It must have been only five forms at most."
Bu Eun-seol repeated the Nameless Old Man's words to Gwan Hae-geum.
"Then all the more reason you must not use it against him."
Gwan Hae-geum struggled to continue.
"He is the Heir of the Blade Emperor, who has refined his saber technique to the realm of Entering Divinity. The moment you unleash the remaining two forms, he may grasp the complete Blade Essence of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms."
With fading eyes, Gwan Hae-geum whispered,
"You must not face him until you have fully mastered the Bloody Tears Seven Forms—until you can cut him down in a single stroke. Do you understand?"
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
The Nameless Old Man. Gwan Hae-geum.
Master and disciple were alike in this way.
Even in death, they worried for others.
"I understand."
Bu Eun-seol clasped Gwan Hae-geum's hands and nodded.
That was the only answer he could give now.
"Life in the martial world has always been tangled in favors and grudges. So... do not rage at my death, nor pity me."
Gwan Hae-geum smiled faintly.
"Forget it all, if you can. Even your memories of me."
If Bu Eun-seol remembered him, he would seek vengeance against the Strange Old Man.
Even in his final moments, Gwan Hae-geum was still thinking of Bu Eun-seol's safety.
"I pray you achieve what you seek."
With those words, his eyelids slowly closed.
At last, his breath ceased.
"Elder..."
Bu Eun-seol bowed his head.
Even in this ruthless martial world, there were those who lived for others.
They willingly sacrificed their entire lives to help others, and even in death, they left behind no regrets.
Why...?
Why had the Nameless Old Man and Gwan Hae-geum chosen such lives?
If he wandered the Rivers and Lakes a little longer, would he come to understand?
After paying his respects with a deep bow to Gwan Hae-geum's remains, Bu Eun-seol turned away in silence.
For his entire life, Gwan Hae-geum had been hunted by the Three Realms, making the vast expanse of Heavenly Mountain his refuge.
Then, all of Heavenly Mountain was his home—he would have no need for a stifling grave.
Thud. Thud.
As Bu Eun-seol stepped out of the cave, a radiance like a bloodstained sun poured from his eyes.
He had promised not to fight until he mastered the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
But if the Strange Old Man came for him, seeking his life? He could not sit and wait for death—that would not count as breaking his vow.
"Soyo."
His voice was cold as winter wind.
"Relay this to the Death Soul Squad immediately. Tell them to cease concealing my movements from now on."
"You mean to lure him out?"
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the distant sky.
"He has always longed to fight Bu Jan-yang, who mastered the Bloody Tears Seven Forms."
A bloody light surged in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Since he knows I have learned it, he will come for me without fail."
"Understood."
Soyo did not try to dissuade him.
She knew Bu Eun-seol's nature better than anyone.
Whenever he had made up his mind completely, he always looked to the distant sky like this.
And once his decision was made, no one could sway him—no matter what they said.
After that, Bu Eun-seol wandered alone through the martial world without concealing his tracks.
By doing so, the Strange Old Man—the Heir of the Blade Emperor—would surely come looking for him.
Yet no matter how much time passed, no pursuer followed, nor were any traces of the Strange Old Man found.
Instead, trouble erupted from an entirely unexpected direction.
"The Thunder God?"
A flash of lightning flickered through Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he received So-yo's report.
Noe Bi-hon, the Thunder God—the same man who had once pursued the Messenger of the Three Realms in So-ho's warehouse.
Now, shockingly, word had spread that he had suffered irreversible fatal injuries and was on the run.
'Did the Messenger defeat the Thunder God?'
The Messenger of the Three Realms he had seen in So-ho's warehouse—
That man possessed extraordinary skill, enough to startle Bu Eun-seol, and wielded a unique martial art.
'No... That can't be.'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
The Thunder God was the Thunder God.
No matter how formidable the Messenger was, he could never defeat him.
Most likely, some unforeseen mishap had occurred during the pursuit.
'This is all my fault.'
Noe Bi-hon had lost his family to the Three Realms and now wandered the martial world as a madman.
Though they shared a common enemy, Bu Eun-seol had already used Noe Bi-hon twice to protect his identity as Seon-u Jin.
And now, because of him, the man was gravely injured and fleeing—
He had no choice but to help.
Crack.
Preparing for any possible situation, Bu Eun-seol activated the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art and transformed into his alias, Seol-so.
"Where is he now?"
The place So-yo guided him to was deep within the forests of Mount Great Red.
The once-lush woods had been completely obliterated, leaving behind only scorched black boulders.
It seemed Noe Bi-hon had fought a fierce battle here.
But as they ascended deeper into the mountains, the signs of burning disappeared, replaced only by withered, lifeless trees.
"The trail ends here."
So-yo pointed to the ruined surroundings.
The ground was littered with traces of Noe Bi-hon's Divine Thunder Annihilation.
"It looks like he unleashed his full power here before fleeing in haste."
Bu Eun-seol, carefully examining the area, shook his head.
"No. He's still nearby."
"Huh?"
"He deliberately left these traces to throw off pursuers. With Divine Thunder Annihilation, he could easily create false trails."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze sharpened as he studied the withered trees.
"But a martial art that drains trees of life like this..."
Tap.
His eyes swiftly scanned the surroundings before he activated his Movement Technique.
In an instant, he began combing through the forest at high speed.
'There.'
Bu Eun-seol stopped at a small valley where a waterfall cascaded from a height of about thirty feet.
After a quick survey, he lifted a massive boulder not far from the valley's edge.
Crrrrk.
Beneath it, the earth was hollowed out—and inside lay a man, his eyes wide open.
He was over seven feet tall, with unusually long limbs, his body covered in wounds so severe that not a single part of him remained unscathed.
And his eyes—
His pupils had turned ashen, devoid of focus.
Even a corpse wouldn't lose this much vitality from its eyes.
It was the Thunder God himself—Noe Bi-hon.
"Brother Noe."
Bu Eun-seol immediately pulled him out.
But Noe Bi-hon lay there blankly, as if he couldn't hear anything.
'Don't tell me...'
Even at this proximity, Bu Eun-seol couldn't sense even a trace of Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Alarmed, he began meticulously inspecting Noe Bi-hon's wounds.
'These injuries...'
His body was crisscrossed with lacerations as if carved by razor-sharp sword qi—not from an ordinary blade, but from solidified True Qi.
These were unmistakably the marks of the Black Blood Demon Saber, the same technique used by the Strange Old Man who had killed Gwan Hae-geum.
'It was him.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
The Heir of the Blade Emperor.
The one who had fought Noe Bi-hon wasn't the Messenger of the Three Realms—it was the Strange Old Man, the Blade Emperor's descendant.
Not only had he reduced Noe Bi-hon to near-death, but he had also completely eradicated the Thunder Essence Divine Qi within his body.
"So that's why the trees..."
The trees slashed by the Blade Emperor's saber technique had all withered, their vitality drained.
And now, Noe Bi-hon was withering in the same way.
'Similar to the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, but different.'
What the Bloody Tears Seven Forms embodied was death.
But the sword qi unleashed by the Strange Old Man carried a destructive energy that ceaselessly erased vitality.
'And besides... It makes no sense for ordinary saber techniques to annihilate Thunder Essence Divine Qi.'
The Thunder God, Noe Bi-hon, could not only unleash the devastating Divine Thunder Annihilation infinitely but also instantly heal all wounds—internal or external—using the power of Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
But to extinguish the powerful Thunder Essence Divine Qi within his body using a saber technique?
'Does that mean he adapted the Bloody Tears Seven Forms to unleash the Blade Emperor's saber technique?'
Thunder Essence Divine Qi is the power inherent to the Thunder Spirit Physique.
At best, it can be temporarily suppressed—but completely eradicating it should be impossible.
But what if it were the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, which delivers death to all it touches? What if it had merged with the Blade Emperor's devastating swordplay, infused with that annihilating energy...
Then such a thing might indeed be possible.
"Brother Noe. Let me check your pulse."
Bu Eun-seol meticulously examined the pulse of Noe Bi-hon, who lay as still as death.
But he couldn't sense even a trace of Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
The problem was that the vicious saber qi still lingered within his body... gnawing away at his vitality.
'At this rate, he'll die.'
Without his Thunder Essence Divine Qi, his body felt limp, as if its very framework had dissolved.
If this demonic saber qi wasn't purged soon, he would breathe his last before long.
"Shouldn't we take him to a physician?"
At So-yo's words, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"No ordinary physician can treat his body. Besides... if we don't act now, he'll lose his life soon."
After inspecting Noe Bi-hon's body once more, Bu Eun-seol injected Reverse Polarity True Qi into his Life Gate Acupoint.
But it couldn't expel the malevolent energy seeping through his flesh.
To revive his dying body, they needed to ignite a powerful spark—one that could rouse his life force.
'A spark.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he recalled his first fierce battle with Noe Bi-hon.
'Would the Hot River Great Essence True Qi work?'
The reason he had been able to defeat Noe Bi-hon—who wielded the all-destroying Thunder Essence Divine Qi—with such composure...
Was precisely because of the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
If an ordinary person were exposed to it, their meridians would melt and their organs would boil to death in an instant.
But if Noe Bi-hon possessed the Thunder Spirit Physique, capable of containing Thunder Essence Divine Qi...
Then perhaps, just perhaps, it could awaken his body instead.
That was the mad thought taking hold of him.
'If this goes wrong, Brother Noe's entire body will melt away, and he'll die.'
There was no guarantee that the Hot River Great Essence True Qi could reignite Noe Bi-hon's vitality and expel the malevolent energy.
But if they did nothing, his breath would soon cease. In that case, they had no choice but to attempt this method.
"So-yo, guard us."
Whoosh—!
Bu Eun-seol immediately summoned the Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
Instantly, his blood vessels twisted, and a coppery surge of blood flooded his mouth.
'It's still too much for me to wield Extreme Yang Martial Arts properly.'
Ever since Gongson Dan-a had infused him with Water Spirit Energy, executing the Glacier Thousand Streams Art had posed no major difficulty.
But the moment he unleashed the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, his meridians writhed as if tangled, and blood surged up his throat as though he'd suffered internal injuries.
'No matter!'
Huuuung—!
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol began channeling the Hot River Great Essence True Qi into Noe Bi-hon's body.
Hiiiiisss—!
White steam erupted from Noe Bi-hon's body as his skin turned crimson, burning with heat.
If this judgment was wrong...
His body would instantly burst into flames and burn to ashes.
Oooong—!
But Noe Bi-hon's body only glowed red—it didn't combust or melt.
His flesh was accepting the energy of the Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
Oooong—!
Noe Bi-hon's body flared brighter, pulsing like the stars in the night sky.
The more Hot River Great Essence True Qi was poured into him, the more intense the radiance pouring from his body became, and scorching heat continuously spilled forth.
'Ugh...'
Thick veins bulged across Bu Eun-seol's body as he relentlessly channeled the energy.
The moment he unleashed the Extreme Yang Force, the conflicting energies within him began to scream in discord.
The more he pushed the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, the more violently the clashing forces collided, until it felt as though his entire body was being torn apart like paper.
Yet Bu Eun-seol ignored it all, continuing to pour out the energy without pause.
Since he was the reason Noe Bi-hon had been brought to death's door, he had to save him—even if it cost his own life.
Flash—!
Then, a blazing light erupted from Noe Bi-hon's body, shooting skyward—
Whoooosh—!
—before black smoke gushed out, dispersing in all directions.
The demonic saber qi that had been erasing his vitality had finally been expelled.
"Ugh...!"
Noe Bi-hon, who had been writhing in agony, suddenly let out a guttural roar, his eyes rolled back to reveal only the whites.
"So it was you—you're the one who killed my son!"
Foam bubbled at his lips, his pupils vanished beneath his eyelids.
"You hid like a rat behind that status—that's why I could never find you until now!"
Noe Bi-hon screamed with a face twisted as though vomiting blood.
"You... you're the Heir of the Blade Emperor?!"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Noe Bi-hon had claimed that the murderer of his wife and son was the Messenger of the Three Realms.
But if the Strange Old Man—the Heir of the Blade Emperor—was the culprit...?
And what did he mean by "that status"?
Did that imply the Heir of the Blade Emperor had another identity as well?