Chapter 508
"Hmm."
The man resting his chin on the armrest while looking down at Bu Eun-seol and Noe Bi-hon made an intrigued expression.
"How amusing. The Martial Soul Lord of the Demon Hall and the Thunder God sticking together."
He nodded as if finally realizing everything.
"Aiming to kill two birds with one stone using the Five Tigers Saber. You manipulated Paeng Mun-cheon to collapse the main house and came to kill this old man."
"Why...?"
Before beginning his revenge, Noe Bi-hon asked one thing.
"Why did you kill my wife and son?"
"Didn't I tell you? Or have you forgotten after spending so long in madness?"
Flash!
At that moment, a blinding white bolt of lightning struck down above Paeng Ak's head.
It was Noe Bi-hon, enraged, unleashing Divine Thunder Annihilation.
But the man was no longer seated in the Imperial Mentor's chair—he stood firmly before it.
Crunch.
The Imperial Mentor's chair where Paeng Ak had been sitting turned into blackened charcoal and collapsed.
Glancing back at the sight, Paeng Ak wore a faint smile.
"Your Thunder Essence Divine Qi has reached Grand Perfection."
"..."
"Tsk, you should have reached this realm sooner."
Clicking his tongue, Paeng Ak looked at Noe Bi-hon with a regretful expression.
"If you had, I would have taken your spine instead of... your son's."
Crackle!
Noe Bi-hon's pupils turned white.
There was no need—nor any possibility—to hold back anymore. He summoned Thunder Essence Divine Qi, reaching the Twelve Stars realm, intending to burn Paeng Ak to ashes in an instant.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Sizzle—!
Suddenly, a downpour of pitch-black blade qi began raining down over Noe Bi-hon's head.
It was the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi that Paeng Ak had been using all along.
Paeng Ak stood motionless with his hands behind his back—so how could such blade qi be pouring from above?
Crackle—!
Noe Bi-hon immediately converted the Thunder Essence Divine Qi he had gathered into Divine Thunder Annihilation, repelling the falling Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.
Tap.
At the same time, another shadow descended beside Paeng Ak.
It was another Paeng Ak.
"As I thought."
Noe Bi-hon wasn't particularly surprised by the sight.
"I considered the possibility of twins. Otherwise, your past actions wouldn't make sense."
It wasn't all that shocking.
Among the noble clans of the Black Path or the Demonic Path, it was common practice that if twins were born, the elder would protect the family while the younger would become either a shadow or a blade guarding the family.
"Strange."
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol, who had been observing the two, spoke to them.
"Can twins who are completely identical truly exist?"
No matter how identical twins may appear, there are always subtle differences.
But Paeng Ak was different.
From their appearance—facial features, gaze, and expressions—to the faintly perceptible aura and the level of their Internal Power, they were flawless replicas without the slightest deviation.
"Completely identical?"
Noe Bi-hon muttered softly and activated his Enhanced Vision.
Though he lacked Bu Eun-seol's extrasensory perception, he had mastered the Observation and Retrospection Object Art, which allowed him to trace remnants of the past.
Zing.
When he deployed the technique, Noe Bi-hon was slightly startled.
"They deliberately altered their faces. To make them identical."
Using the art, he could see traces where blades had reshaped the faces of both Paeng Aks to match perfectly.
The marks were minute and had healed flawlessly, invisible to the naked eye—but the Observation and Retrospection Object Art revealed them clearly.
"Then there's only one possibility."
Bu Eun-seol looked at the two Paeng Aks and spoke.
"To achieve a certain outcome. They deliberately made everything identical—from appearance to speech and personality..."
"Hohohoho. Impressive."
Paeng Ak burst into laughter.
"No wonder you've survived clashing with the Main Realm all this time."
Then he turned to his younger brother, Paeng Ryun, who had descended from the air, and said:
"That's right. We were born twins from the start."
After taking a deep breath, he spoke with an expression full of reminiscence.
"And from childhood, the Infinite Realm invested enormous resources and manpower to meticulously match even our appearances and personalities."
"Why?"
"They wanted to test whether twins with perfectly identical thoughts and personalities could also achieve the same level of martial prowess."
Paeng Ak spoke as if recounting someone else's story.
"At the time, the Family Head had joined hands with the Main Realm and became obsessed with research on modifying and enhancing the physical body."
Bu Eun-seol and Noe Bi-hon widened their eyes.
They had never heard of such experiments conducted on twins, let alone someone divulging what could be considered their deepest secrets so casually.
"Such curious eyes. Shall I tell you more?"
Paeng Ak began recounting an old tale to Bu Eun-seol and Noe Bi-hon.
At the time, Paeng Seong, the Family Head of the Paeng Clan, grew increasingly concerned about the clan's weakening influence.
This was because mastering the Paeng Clan's ultimate technique, the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber Method, required innate divine power and a special physical constitution.
Paeng Seong had refined and improved the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber Method to make it slightly easier and faster to master.
Yet in the end, he arrived at a single conclusion.
Rather than modifying the saber technique, transforming the human body itself into a special constitution would be the faster solution.
—To even consider artificially creating the Heavenly Martial Body... And to have achieved considerable results at that. Truly remarkable.
But then, as if they had known all along, a man calling himself the Heavenly Venerable of the Infinite Realm approached Paeng Seong.
—We shall lend you our realm's power and martial knowledge. Go ahead and conduct your research to your heart's content.
In the end, Paeng Seong took the Heavenly Venerable's hand, becoming the Celestial Spirit Adept of the Infinite Realm and continuing his research into artificially creating the Heavenly Martial Body.
However, though the research seemed on the verge of success, it faced repeated setbacks.
As time passed, he eventually began dabbling in forbidden methods—artificially modifying and enhancing the physical body itself.
—Waaah! Waaah!
Then, his pregnant wife gave birth to twins.
But by then, Paeng Seong had already become a half-madman obsessed with bodily modification.
—If they're twins, shouldn't it be possible to make not just their bodies, but even their thoughts and talents identical?
—Could we artificially control those aspects?
—If that's possible, could their martial talent also be made identical?
What if this experiment succeeds?
He could discover what qualities and factors allowed martial artists to quickly master or comprehend martial arts—and then artificially manipulate them.
The very thought drove him to madness.
In the end, Paeng Seong sent both children to the Three Realms.
And the result?
The Infinite Realm gained two things:
A master of bodily modification capable of creating Soulless Ones and Demon-Binding Jade Men—beings who could be infused with immense vitality and martial power.
And a saber wielder capable of mastering the Blade Emperor's supreme art, a technique that demanded an inborn talent for the Way of the Saber.
Having finished his tale, Paeng Ak let out a bitter laugh.
"I should've thrown Paeng Mun-cheon into the Infinite Realm as well."
He believed himself to be nothing more than an artificially created test subject, born from his father's persistence and madness.
That was why he had kept his son, Paeng Mun-cheon, away from the Three Realms and never subjected him to bodily modification.
And perhaps because of that?
When Paeng Mun-cheon learned the truth, he refused to forgive his father—rebelling endlessly.
In the end, he escaped the Wall-Facing Cave, rallied the Paeng Clan's forces, and raised a revolt...
Now, Paeng Ak couldn't help but wonder—what if he had sent his son to the Three Realms from the start and raised him as thoroughly as he himself had been?
"So the Infinite Realm spent all that time and effort just to create things like the Heavenly Martial Body?"
Bu Eun-seol muttered mockingly, and Paeng Ak chuckled.
"Far from it. The Heavenly Martial Body was merely the Family Head's personal research. What the Infinite Realm truly sought was something else entirely."
"And what would that be?"
Paeng Ak curled his lips into an enigmatic smile before turning to Noe Bi-hon.
"Noe Bi-hon. Earlier, you asked me why I killed your son, didn't you?"
Noe Bi-hon's eyes flashed, but he remained silent.
Under normal circumstances, even if flowers had bloomed from Paeng Ak's mouth—
Even if he had whispered the secret to immortality—Noe Bi-hon would have struck him down instantly.
—Brother Noe. No matter how furious you are, we must first uncover what they know.
But ever since Paeng Ak's appearance, Bu Eun-seol had been sending him Voice Transmissions.
—The Infinite Realm's roots run deeper than you can imagine. We must determine whether Paeng Ak is merely a pawn... or the mastermind who orchestrated everything.
Sensing the wisdom in Bu Eun-seol's advice, Noe Bi-hon was exerting every ounce of his willpower to endure.
"The Infinite Realm has long been researching fortunate ones like you."
"Fortunate ones?"
"Indeed. Those born with constitutions like the Thunder Spirit Physique or Water Spirit Constitution—simply by virtue of their bodies, they can wield the immense power of the Great Nature. Lucky bastards."
Hearing this, a thought flickered through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
"Is that why you created the Artificial Inner Elixir?"
"Precisely."
Paeng Ak gave a faint nod.
"The reason the Infinite Realm began mass-producing Artificial Inner Elixirs was to artificially generate the Four Divine Qi."
"Four Divine Qi..."
"Correct."
Paeng Ak gazed down at Noe Bi-hon with eyes brimming with fascination.
"It is the purest force in the world... and something the Infinite Realm absolutely requires."
Bu Eun-seol spat out his next words as if chewing them to pieces.
"So you slaughtered Brother Noe's family—just to obtain this Four Divine Qi. That's what you're admitting to."
"Yes."
Paeng Ak spoke as if explaining something obvious.
"It was the Retired Family Head who killed Noe Bi-hon's family—and who attacked him at Mount Great Red."
A faint smile played on Paeng Ak's lips.
Almost as if he were deliberately unraveling Bu Eun-seol and Noe Bi-hon's suspicions.
"So you're not the Heavenly Venerable or the Supreme Emperor, then."
According to Do Song-baek's words—
Though it wasn't certain, the highest positions in the Infinite Realm were likely held by the Heavenly Venerable and the Supreme Emperor.
But it was rare for an organization to have two leaders.
Which was why Bu Eun-seol had wondered—could Paeng Ak and Paeng Ryun be the current Heavenly Venerable and Supreme Emperor of the Infinite Realm?
"Heh. So you knew even that much."
Paeng Ak stroked his chin.
"We merely attained the rank of Saber Enlightenment Adept. We dare not compare ourselves to the Heavenly Venerable or the Supreme Emperor."
Then, as if bored, he added:
"Any more questions?"
With those words, Paeng Ak subtly revealed that he was following someone's orders in answering Bu Eun-seol and Noe Bi-hon's inquiries.
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Truthfully, there was still much he wished to know about the Three Realms.
But Noe Bi-hon's patience must have reached its limit by now.
They had come here for Noe Bi-hon's revenge, not to extract information about the Three Realms.
So Bu Eun-seol asked his final question:
"Then it was your younger brother I encountered at Tianshan, correct?"
At this, not Paeng Ak but his younger brother Paeng Ryun let out a sinister chuckle through his nose.
"Correct."
"Good."
Shring—
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew the Ice Soul Sword.
"Let us finish our unfinished duel."
"Heh heh heh..."
Paeng Ryun laughed as if this were absurd.
"Running away with your tail between your legs back then—did you learn some new ultimate technique in the meantime?"
Both Paeng Ak and Paeng Ryun had mastered the Blade Emperor's unfathomable techniques—arts that transcended the limitations of ordinary martial arts.
And they had each effortlessly defeated Bu Eun-seol and Noe Bi-hon before.
"You won't escape now that you've come here."
Krrr—
Before Paeng Ryun's words even finished echoing, the sound of mechanisms echoed, and the ascending gate slammed firmly shut.
"We'll make this place your tomb."
Shiik—
Black saber energy erupted from Paeng Ryun's hand.
The Blade Emperor's ultimate technique—he had drawn the Black Blood Demon Saber once more.
"Come this way. Let's have a proper one-on-one."
Paeng Ryun wiggled his fingers, pointing to another door connected to the Great Hall.
There, an almost identical second Great Hall had been constructed.
It seemed Paeng Ak and Paeng Ryun each had their own separate halls.
"Fine."
Thud. Thud.
Meanwhile, Noe Bi-hon strode toward Paeng Ak.
He was the murderer who had killed Noe Bi-hon's family, while Paeng Ryun was the butcher who had slain the Southern Heaven Great Hero.
There was nothing left to ask these men, nothing left to hear from them. Now was the time for revenge.
Zzzt—zzzt—
His hair turned snow-white as Thunder Essence Divine Qi continuously surged from his entire body.
"Just to obtain the power of the Four Divine Energies... Just for such a reason—"
Noe Bi-hon muttered darkly as he stretched out his hand.
"You split open the skull of a child who hadn't even grown, extracted their spinal cord, and performed every manner of experiment?!"
KWA-JIZIZIZI—
In that instant, a circle of pure white Divine Thunder Annihilation swirled around Paeng Ak like a cage before swallowing him whole.
BOOM—
The moment the thunder vanished with a sound like a demon's laughter, Paeng Ak stood revealed—having already drawn the Black Blood Demon Saber and unleashed the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.
"Impressive."
Paeng Ak raised the corner of his mouth in admiration.
"So you're finally using proper martial arts."
In the past, Noe Bi-hon had relied solely on endless Thunder Essence Divine Qi, overwhelming foes with sheer Divine Thunder Annihilation.
But now, cured of his madness and fully restored to reason, Noe Bi-hon wielded the profound mysteries of the Thunder Spirit Gate's martial arts without reservation.
SHWAK! ZZZT—
Paeng Ak's saber techniques and Noe Bi-hon's Divine Thunder Annihilation collided endlessly in midair.
It was as if a darkness-drenched Demon God and a lightning-wreathed Thunder God were clashing with their very existence at stake.
"Surprisingly weak. You fought better when you were blind with rage."
Despite Paeng Ak's provocation, Noe Bi-hon responded with an icy smile, unleashing another wave of Divine Thunder Annihilation.
These strikes extended like exquisite sword forms—varying in speed and shape.
He had endured countless failures and trials to reach this moment of vengeance.
And knowing he couldn't win if he lost his reason, he continuously steadied his mind as he executed his techniques.
"Hmm."
Meanwhile, in the other Great Hall, Paeng Ryun extended his hand toward Bu Eun-seol.
"Show me your little tricks."
Oooong—
The Blade Emperor's True Body Secret Studies—the saber of True Qi capable of unleashing Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi—the Black Blood Demon Saber.
It resonated like a true sword in Paeng Ryun's hand.
"I'll give you three moves."
He treated Bu Eun-seol, renowned throughout the land, like a child.
Among the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, the Blade Emperor's techniques were the most mysteriously powerful.
Especially the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi emanating from the Black Blood Demon Saber—it could nullify the very essence of any martial art.
No matter how formidable the technique, none could display its true might before Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.
"Since we're here, why not show me the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's saber techniques?"
Paeng Ryun spun the Black Blood Demon Saber idly as he spoke.
"After three moves, your head might roll before you even get the chance."
"You know the Bloody Tears Seven Forms well, don't you?"
The Nameless Old Man who died at Blood Shaolin had said the Three Realms stole five forms of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms from him.
"And it's highly probable that both Paeng Ak and Paeng Ryun mastered it. After all, the two had comprehended the Blade Emperor's ultimate technique—one said to have no equal in the Saber Path."
"Hohoho. To your eyes, the Bloody Tears Seven Forms may seem like some grand saber art, but in this old man's eyes, it's nothing more than a mediocre technique."
Paeng Ryun had roamed the martial world as Paeng Ak's shadow, carrying out countless tasks.
Because of this, his mastery of saber techniques surpassed even Paeng Ak's in purity, and he yearned to test himself against stronger opponents.
Finally, having grasped the Blade Emperor's techniques, he had longed to cross blades with the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade.
But while still in the martial world, the Infinite Realm had forbidden it, and afterward, Bu Jan-yang had vanished without a trace, leaving him no chance to fight.
However, while carrying out missions for the Infinite Realm, he discovered that there were still those in the martial world who had learned the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's techniques.
And so, unrelated to his duties, he began hunting them down one by one.
It gave him a thrill and pleasure that nothing else could match.
Yet among them, one man—Gwan Hae-geum—proved difficult to kill.
He was a prodigy in saber techniques, having reinterpreted the Bloody Tears Seven Forms and mastered it in his own unique way.
He was strong enough to rival even the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.
Just as their relentless pursuit and battles reached their peak, the Infinite Realm bestowed upon him the Blade Essence of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
Though incomplete, it was enough to rid him of any fear toward Gwan Hae-geum's techniques.
But perhaps realizing he was no match, Gwan Hae-geum refused to engage him head-on, instead alternating between flight and skirmishes.
In the end, though he did finally stand his ground and fight, he wasn't as strong as Paeng Ryun had hoped.
But now, standing before him was someone who had fully mastered the Blade Essence of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms—and he couldn't contain his excitement.
At last, he could compare the complete Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's techniques against his own.
"Three forms, you say? Fine by me."
Instead of gripping the Ice Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol extended his hand.
Crackle-crackle-crackle—
A transparent surge of qi poured forth, and in an instant, Paeng Ryun's body froze solid.
CRACK!
Paeng Ryun immediately channeled his internal energy, shattering the ice.
"What kind of trick is this?"
The Glacier Thousand Streams Art's cold energy was so intense that even after breaking free with his internal energy, droplets of water still dripped from the tip of his nose.
"Didn't you say you'd yield three forms?"
"Draw your sword."
"That's my choice to make."
This time, Bu Eun-seol stretched out his right hand.
Whoooosh—!
A scorching heat erupted, so intense it began cooking his very organs—the Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
FWOOOM!
Just as Paeng Ryun felt himself turning into charcoal, he spun the Black Blood Demon Saber like a windmill, blocking the solar flare of Extreme Yang Qi.
'As expected. No matter the form, any martial art that relies on True Qi is nullified by the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.'
Which meant that not only the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and Hot River Great Essence True Qi, but even the Willful True Binding and the Thirteenfold Qi Induction would be useless.
In other words, the only way to defeat Paeng Ryun was through direct physical strikes or weapon blows.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Hiding his inner thoughts, Bu Eun-seol gave an unaffected smile and applauded.
"Truly, as they say—the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi erases all force. Impressive."
Even as he praised him, Paeng Ryun's expression twisted.
He had expected a sword technique, but instead, this brat had assaulted him with bizarre Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang Qi, toying with him?
"Use your last form."
Though he had lived his life as Paeng Ak's shadow, he was now a Saber Path grandmaster who had mastered the Blade Emperor's ultimate technique.
Even as fury boiled within him, he intended to keep his word.
"Very well."
Shhk.
Bu Eun-seol sheathed the Ice Soul Sword entirely and stretched out both hands.
Hwiiiiing—!
A devastating force surged from his palms—the greatest power he could wield.
Harmonization.
WHOOSH!
In that instant, Paeng Ryun's eyes bulged like saucers.
He realized—if given time to gather that kind of power, not even the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi could stop it.
SWISH!
He immediately swung the Black Blood Demon Saber, aiming to bisect Bu Eun-seol.
Ssskkt!
But the blade slashed only empty air—Bu Eun-seol had anticipated it, unleashing the Swift Shadowless movement art.
"Can't even keep your own word, you petty coward?"
Bu Eun-seol hadn't yet refined the Power of Harmony enough to use it in actual combat.
Aligning all the forces within his body required far too much time.
But the moment Paeng Ryun offered him three forms, he had seized the chance to force him to break his promise.
"A narrow-minded wretch like you will never reach the heights of the Saber Path."
Paeng Ryun glared at him in silence.
In truth, yielding three forms had also been a psychological tactic.
If an enemy attacked with everything they had in those three forms and failed to land a decisive blow, what then?
Not only would the gap in martial prowess become painfully clear, but their spirit would also waver.
But Bu Eun-seol had shattered that ploy by manifesting Harmonization—winning the battle of momentum.
"I heard you were a man of few words. Seems you're quite the chatterbox."
"At your age, you still believe in martial world rumors?"
Indeed, Bu Eun-seol was different from usual.
Because he was meticulously following the advice given to him by Master Blacksmith Wang Geol, who had once fought the Heir of the Blade Emperor.
—Forget your usual combat style and martial arts. Only then can you win.
When Bu Eun-seol told him he would be fighting the Heir of the Blade Emperor, Wang Geol had offered this counsel.