Chapter 511
As Bu Eun-seol sensed the anomalous phenomenon occurring within his body, a peculiar light rose in his eyes.
How could he possibly anticipate the might and intricacies of Paeng Ryun's final saber technique, which had yet to be unleashed?
'I've grown again.'
A strange, exhilarating sensation coursed through his entire body.
Through this battle, he had elevated his martial prowess yet another level.
Flash.
Before he knew it, a mysterious radiance began flowing from Bu Eun-seol's entire being.
His appearance resembled that of an ascetic walking alone on a path no one else dared to tread.
The path he had chosen—
Whether it was the Righteous Path, the Demonic Path, the Black Path, or the Heretical Path, he did not know.
All he desired was to make every ounce of power within his body truly his own.
"Die!"
At that moment, Paeng Ryun, having spotted an opening in Bu Eun-seol's stance, unleashed a technique of Blade Heart's Ultimate Demon.
It was a formidable saber technique that transcended the boundaries of martial arts—one powerful enough to obliterate not just the underground of the Supreme Ancestor Hall but the entire surrounding area.
Yet, to Bu Eun-seol, whose Langya Mind's Eye had briefly manifested, those movements were riddled with nothing but flaws.
'Grandfather, someday I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you.'
The instant saber qi capable of enveloping the entire world expanded outward, Bu Eun-seol instead curled his lips into a bright smile.
It was the same pure smile he had once given Bu Jan-yang as a child.
'In my own way.'
My own Formless Heavenly Flow. My own sword techniques.
Bu Eun-seol, who had mastered a form of True Life-and-Death Ghost.
Amidst this extreme battle, he was evolving his sword techniques yet again, achieving another breakthrough.
Screeeech—
As he gripped the hilt of the Ice Soul Sword, its scabbard burned crimson.
Time itself seemed to freeze, and a storm of scarlet light cascaded around his body.
The world transformed into flames before his eyes, and there—captured in his vision—was Paeng Ryun's arm, poised to unleash a torrent of saber qi.
'Transcendence—Meteor Chasing Moon!'
Flash!
The Ice Soul Sword, stretched out like lightning, became a streak of red light and was sucked into a circular void.
"Guh—ack!"
A short scream erupted as blood sprayed into the air, and Paeng Ryun's right arm fell to the ground.
Using the insights he had gained thus far, Bu Eun-seol had instantly forged a Mind-Training Formula.
The first form of Formless Heavenly Flow—Meteor Chasing Moon Form—had been transcended and broken through.
'Though I borrowed Grandfather's Blade Essence to do it.'
Bu Eun-seol had utilized the Blade Essence of Bu Jan-yang's Bloody Tears Seven Forms—a technique worthy of being called the Number One Saber Art Under Heaven—
To spontaneously create the Sword Formula of the Transcendent Formless Heavenly Flow Form.
"Ugh..."
Paeng Ryun, now missing an arm, immediately sealed his acupoints.
"How... how can you wield such sword techniques...?"
His face twisted as he glared at Bu Eun-seol with trembling fury.
"Is this... the true Bloody Tears Seven Forms?"
"Bloody Tears Seven Forms?"
Bu Eun-seol let out a cold scoff, his voice icy.
"If I had used the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, it wouldn't be your arm lying there—it would be your head."
"So that technique just now wasn't the Bloody Tears Seven Forms?"
"Let me show you."
Shhhhk—
Slowly, Bu Eun-seol drew the Ice Soul Sword.
His burning crimson gaze bore down on Paeng Ryun.
"Your pitiful saber techniques can't even touch the soles of Grandfather's feet."
"Grandfather?"
Paeng Ryun couldn't comprehend it.
What in the world was this bastard saying?
Whoooosh—
Then, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Life Is Temporary Death Is Return Form.
In response, not sword rings, but a mist as dark and crimson as death itself seeped forth.
The moment Paeng Ryun saw that mist, terror gripped him.
For the first time in his life, he instinctively sensed his own death.
"The Blade Emperor's saber techniques are invincible under heaven!"
With a desperate roar, Paeng Ryun gripped his demonic saber with his remaining left hand and unleashed a technique of Blade Heart's Ultimate Demon like lightning.
The Blade Emperor, who had pursued the Saber Path, had indeed created the perfect saber technique.
The might of the technique, the profundity of its forms, the impeccable timing—
Before the Emperor's saber techniques, any martial art became useless. No matter what one did, there was no escape.
Paeng Ryun shifted the technique of Blade Heart's Ultimate Demon into a rapid saber strike, aiming solely to sever Bu Eun-seol's head.
Flash!
The light extended by Paeng Ryun sliced Bu Eun-seol's neck.
At the same time, the mist that had risen around Bu Eun-seol vanished completely.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
And in that same instant, something fell from Bu Eun-seol's Ice Soul Sword.
Drops of blood, dyed crimson.
"So this... was the true Bloody Tears Seven Forms."
Paeng Ryun's empty gaze fixed on the void.
What had been unleashed upon him was not a saber technique.
It was the tears of a Death God delivering death.
Why would a Death God, who brings death to humans, shed tears?
Perhaps they were the blood tears of the Peerless Saber Master—
Who, with every life he extinguished, felt his own hopes for life fade alongside them.
"To have created such a saber technique of death... and yet to carry such loneliness... I don't understand it."
Clang.
The demonic saber slipped from Paeng Ryun's grip as he muttered with trembling lips.
"If death is this terrifying... then Bu Jan-yang, why did you...?"
The Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
Bu Jan-yang, who had created this saber technique as merciless as death itself, must have long ago broken through the Heavenly Human Domain and become a Death God.
Had he wished it, there would have been no one he couldn't kill.
So why...?
Thud.
A single drop of blood fell from his heart—
Thud.
Paeng Ryun collapsed to the ground as if crumbling.
"Was it all... just a dream?"
Those were his final words.
Even the martial arts of the Blade Emperor, the most tyrannical and overwhelmingly powerful among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, had been unable to withstand Bu Jan-yang's Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
"Great Hero Gwan..."
Bu Eun-seol's mind flashed to the image of Gwan Hae-geum, dying alone in the caves of Tianshan.
Now that his revenge is complete... will he finally rest in peace?
For a long moment, Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes and silently prayed for the departed.
The battle between Noe Bi-hon and Paeng Ak was fierce.
In pure saber technique, Paeng Ak was slightly inferior to his younger brother Paeng Ryun—but he had studied a wider variety of martial arts and had undergone extensive body modifications.
In raw destructive power, he surpassed even Paeng Ryun.
Crackle—!
Noe Bi-hon, his body restored, had reached the pinnacle of Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
He could now freely wield all the martial arts of the Thunder Spirit Gate.
But Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi, which annihilated True Qi Martial Arts, was nearly the perfect counter to Noe Bi-hon.
No matter how much Thunder Essence Divine Qi he poured out, it was blocked by the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.
Without the support of Thunder Essence Divine Qi, the martial arts of the Thunder Spirit Gate could barely threaten Paeng Ak—let alone deal a fatal blow.
Slash—!
Once again, Noe Bi-hon was struck by razor-sharp saber energy and sent flying 60 feet back.
Thanks to the Thunder Essence Divine Qi protecting and regenerating his body, he wasn't torn apart—
But with each strike from the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi, his Thunder Essence Divine Qi diminished, and even the resilience of his Spirit and Mind began to waver.
"Mistakes, in the end, are always repeated."
Paeng Ak sheathed his Black Blood Demon Saber with a leisurely expression.
"Back then, you raged like a madman too—yet in the end, you couldn't save anyone."
He was deliberately trying to provoke Noe Bi-hon.
But Noe Bi-hon no longer flew into a frenzy. Because he had already been mad for a long time.
Even if his mind had regained clarity, he was still consumed by vengeance—
Tormented by the guilt that his wife and son had died because he had been too weak.
Slash—! Slash—! Slash—!
Noe Bi-hon's body was cut over and over by the Black Blood Demon Saber, each strike gouging away chunks of his Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Paeng Ak, who had not only mastered the Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Saber Method to Grand Perfection but had also studied the Blade Emperor's saber principles, now surpassed Noe Bi-hon in martial prowess.
And with the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi rendering Thunder Essence Divine Qi useless... none of the Thunder Spirit Gate's techniques could make a difference.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Blood now flowed freely from Noe Bi-hon's body.
Had the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi depleted his Thunder Essence Divine Qi so severely that he could no longer heal his wounds?
"Why aren't you regenerating?"
Paeng Ak frowned as Noe Bi-hon's chest stained crimson.
"Your Thunder Essence Divine Qi hasn't been exhausted enough to prevent recovery yet."
He could see that Noe Bi-hon still had over eighty percent of his Thunder Essence Divine Qi remaining.
Yet the man wasn't healing—something was off.
"To cut you down... I first had to cut down my past self."
Noe Bi-hon had regained all his memories.
He realized that what had tormented him all this time wasn't just the deaths of his wife and son—
But his own self-loathing, his hatred for the powerless man who couldn't even protect his own family.
And so, the first enemy he had to slay wasn't Paeng Ak—
It was himself.
If he couldn't cast aside this self-hatred, he would never wield the true power of the Thunder God.
Bzzzt—! Rumble—!
But then—
The Great Hall shook as if struck by an earthquake, a massive shockwave rippling outward.
Paeng Ak sensed the distant tremor and shook his head.
"That brat's strength... isn't to be underestimated."
The vibrations just now—
He recognized them as the shockwave emitted when Paeng Ryun unleashed the Dark-Blood Blade Art at full power.
Which meant that young man was strong enough to resist the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.
He needed to finish off Noe Bi-hon quickly and join forces to kill him.
"Hohoho. How frustrating."
Paeng Ak smirked at Noe Bi-hon.
He must be burning with rage and helplessness.
With his Thunder Essence Divine Qi and Thunder Spirit Gate martial arts, he couldn't even graze a single hair on Paeng Ak.
History was repeating itself—and he would never avenge his family.
"We'll make good use of your body in the Main Realm. To unravel the secrets of your Thunder Spirit Physique."
As Paeng Ak stretched out his hand, the interior of the Great Hall darkened, and a black storm surged from all directions.
He unleashed the opening move of Black Wind White Rain, sealing off Noe Bi-hon's martial arts and Thunder Essence Divine Qi to prevent any resistance—
Then immediately swung to sever his neck.
"Safe travels."
Just as the razor-sharp saber energy was about to slice through Noe Bi-hon's throat—
Thunk!
Suddenly, Noe Bi-hon fired a Finger Wind—
A perfectly round orb.
"Trying to imitate the Bullet King, are we?"
Paeng Ak scoffed and swatted it aside with his Black Blood Demon Saber.
Crash—! Thud—!
But the orb pierced straight through the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi-infused saber—
And embedded itself in Paeng Ak's right shoulder.
"Guhk."
Paeng Ak let out a loud groan as he tried to pry the orb embedded in his shoulder.
Zzzzt!
But the moment his fingers touched it, a searing pain—as if his body were burning—flared through him, accompanied by a blinding white radiance.
"What... is this?"
"Hundreds of lightning strikes, Extreme Yang Qi, the Divine Spirit Staff, and the Mysterious Leaf Stone—all fused together."
Noe Bi-hon slowly approached, his voice low.
"I named it Heavenly Punishment Jade. A vessel that carries divine retribution."
It was none other than the Divine Spirit Staff and Mysterious Leaf Stone that Noe Bi-hon had been holding at All Swords Land.
The hundreds of lightning bolts that had rained from the heavens had melted the two sacred relics into a single mass, eventually forming two orbs.
Unconsciously, Noe Bi-hon had picked them up and kept them.
But these orbs contained not just the energy of the hundreds of heavenly lightning strikes.
They also held the pinnacle of Extreme Yang Martial Arts—Hot River Great Essence True Qi—that Bu Eun-seol had unleashed.
And even the essence of the Mysterious Leaf Stone and the Divine Spirit Staff.
Moreover, the hardness of these orbs defied all imagination—no force could shatter them.
—So this is how you aid my vengeance.
Noe Bi-hon trembled as he sensed the overwhelming power within the orbs.
These two jades were gifts from his wife and son in the heavens—
Divine instruments of punishment, meant to slay the demon who had slaughtered countless in cruel experiments.
From the moment the battle began, Noe Bi-hon had deliberately taken hits.
Only by appearing helpless could he lure Paeng Ak into lowering his guard and delivering a decisive strike.
And when the opportunity came, Noe Bi-hon immediately hurled the Heavenly Punishment Jade at him.
"Heh heh heh..."
But Paeng Ak only cackled in response.
He glanced at the orb lodged in his shoulder, then stretched out his left hand.
Zzzzzzzz—
Black True Qi surged from his left palm, forming another massive blade.
He had manifested the Black Blood Demon Saber—with his left hand.
"Did you think I could only conjure the Black Blood Demon Saber with my right?"
Paeng Ak smirked arrogantly.
"Pity, but your little scheme—"
His eyes suddenly widened mid-sentence.
CRACK-BOOM!
A streak of white lightning split the air—
ZZZZT! KRRRUMBLE!
—and the Black Blood Demon Saber in his left hand instantly disintegrated.
Noe Bi-hon had unleashed the Divine Thunder Annihilation—a strike at the pinnacle of Grand Perfection—burying the Heavenly Punishment Jade into his shoulder at an unavoidable speed.
"...There were two?"
Paeng Ak's face twisted in disbelief.
"This makes no sense."
Only now did he realize everything had gone horribly wrong.
"How can such an orb exist in this world?! What kind of object can nullify the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi?!"
"My wife and son sent it."
Zzzzt... Zzzzt...
Noe Bi-hon's pupils had turned pure white as he advanced, his entire body wreathed in crackling lightning.
ZZZZT!
Before Paeng Ak knew it, a massive circle of white lightning had formed around him, striking relentlessly.
Noe Bi-hon was pouring Thunder Essence Divine Qi—perfected to Grand Perfection—directly into Paeng Ak's body.
"You bastard—!"
Despair and terror flooded Paeng Ak's eyes.
Even if Noe Bi-hon's Thunder Essence Divine Qi had grown several times stronger, he should never have lost.
No matter its form, Thunder Essence Divine Qi should have been erasable by the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi.
If so, victory would have been determined by martial skill—and a madman like Noe Bi-hon, who had spent over a decade in insanity, should never have been able to defeat him.
But the unexpected had happened.
Noe Bi-hon had brought forth a treasure that should not exist in the Murim—one that annihilated the Black Blood Demon Saber and the Dark Blood Blade Emperor Qi, overpowering him completely.
"Impossible!"
Forcing his Internal Power to surge, he desperately drew the saber at his waist.
But the might of the Thunder Essence Divine Qi far surpassed his expectations.
Against this overwhelming lightning, no martial technique—no matter how profound—could stand.
ZZZZT! OOOOOM!
Paeng Ak's body was now engulfed in white lightning.
He looked like a god commanding thunder—
But in truth, his flesh was melting under Noe Bi-hon's Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
He swung his saber wildly, but the endless torrent of lightning passed straight through him.
CLANG.
Finally dropping his saber, Paeng Ak screamed.
"Wait! I'll tell you the Infinite Realm's secrets!"
"..."
"The Heavenly Venerable! I'll tell you where he is! If you seek him—Guhh... GAAAAAH!"
A wretched scream echoed through the grand hall.
Writhing in agony, Paeng Ak clawed at his own chest—
Only for his fingers to sink into his melting flesh.
ZZZZT!
He wanted to roll on the ground in pain, but his body had stiffened like a block of wood.
"UUUURGH!"
By now, his skin had completely melted away, leaving only raw, crimson muscle as he shrieked.
"Kill me... just kill me!"
Despite his formidable Internal Power and martial prowess—befitting a Special Divine Rank of the Three Realms—Paeng Ak did not die, even as his flesh dissolved.
ZZT!
When Noe Bi-hon finally ceased the lightning, Paeng Ak crawled forward on his exposed muscles, begging.
"Please... kill me. Just kill me."
Noe Bi-hon had originally intended to prolong the man's suffering—to infuse him with Thunder Essence Divine Qi,
extending his life as long as possible.
That way, he could savor this hellish torment for an eternity.
"Kill me... please, just kill me."
But the sight of Paeng Ak writhing in agony dredged up memories of his own son, who had died in similarly wretched pain.
His beloved child must have suffered just like this before perishing.
Drip.
A single tear rolled down Noe Bi-hon's cheek as he bit his lip.
Thud.
At the same moment, a gaping hole tore through Paeng Ak's heart.
He had used Divine Thunder Annihilation to grant him a swift death.
"Th... thank you..."
With those final words, Paeng Ak exhaled his last breath.
Drip.
Noe Bi-hon stared blankly into the void.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his wife and son dying horribly.
Not a single day had passed since that night when he slept peacefully. Not a single day when he wasn't drowning in agony.
And now... at last... he had avenged them.
Clink. Roll, roll, roll.
Then, the pair of Heavenly Punishment Jade embedded in Paeng Ak's body clattered to the ground, rolling to a stop at his feet.
Drenched in blood, the orbs gradually lost their form as they tumbled,
Clink.
until only small fragments remained—two shattered beads resting before Noe Bi-hon.
Hiss...
Then, like mist evaporating, they began to vanish.
As if his wife and son in the heavens were bidding him their final farewell.
With trembling hands, Noe Bi-hon embraced the dissipating haze.
"Hhhk... hhh... hhh..."
Then, collapsing to his knees, he wept.
"My son... my boy! My dear...!"
His body shook with the force of his grief, wailing as sorrow and anguish tore through him.
"Hhh... hhhk... hhh..."
The only reason Noe Bi-hon hadn't taken his own life sooner was guilt—the crushing weight of shame for failing his family.
If he met them in the Underworld without fulfilling his vengeance, he wouldn't have been able to face them.
So he clung to this wretched existence, becoming a vengeful ghost wandering the Rivers and Lakes.
But now that his revenge was complete...
He could finally meet them with pride.
"My dear... wait for me. I'll be there soon."
Noe Bi-hon closed his eyes.
No regrets remained.
No—truthfully, his soul had left this world the moment his loved ones had.
Crackle—zzzt!
As he channeled his Internal Energy to its limit, his body turned deathly pale.
Though his Thunder Essence Divine Qi could restore his wounds in an instant, the only way for him to end his life was to sever his own Heart Meridian.
"Brother Noe!"
Just then, the doors of the Grand Hall burst open, and a gray-clad figure rushed in frantically.
Drenched in blood but eyes brimming with worry—it was Bu Eun-seol.
"Little brother."
Noe Bi-hon turned his head and offered a faint smile.
"Thank you... for everything. Because of you, I was able to take my revenge."
"Brother Noe! You can't!"
"I'm sorry. I decided... long ago. Once my vengeance was done, I would go to them."
"Brother."
Desperation flickered in Bu Eun-seol's gaze.
"For my sake, if nothing else... please reconsider. I... still need your help."
Noe Bi-hon's smile was dry.
That young Divine Being needed no help—wanted none.
He was only lying for his sake.
"The debt I owe you... I'll repay it even as a ghost."
Just as he prepared to sever his meridian—
BANG—!
The doors outside the hall slammed open again, and a black figure charged in. Dae Gu-hwi.
"Great Hero Noe!"
The moment he saw Bu Eun-seol and Noe Bi-hon, his face lit up as he sprinted toward them.
His body was a mess of wounds, his plain martial uniform soaked in blood.
Though injured, it seemed he had achieved a great victory against the Paeng Clan's Masters and rushed here immediately.
"What... are you trying to do?"
Seeing Noe Bi-hon's tear-streaked face and Bu Eun-seol's anguished expression, Dae Gu-hwi instantly understood.
"No! Great Hero Noe!"
He lunged forward, gripping Noe Bi-hon's arms.
"You can't! Absolutely not!"
"Gu-hwi."
"Aren't you my master?"
"I'm sorry... Gu-hwi."
Dae Gu-hwi dropped to his knees, desperation etched into his face.
"Don't leave me behind. Great Hero Noe!"
Clear tears spilled from his eyes.
"I'm begging you... don't abandon me."
His body trembled as he pleaded.
This was a young man who had endured countless trials without shedding a single tear.
But now, faced with Noe Bi-hon's resolve to die without hesitation, the sorrow and grief he had buried deep inside burst forth like a broken dam.
Drip.
Tears welled in Noe Bi-hon's eyes as well.
Dae Gu-hwi's injuries were worse than expected—not a single part of him was unscathed.
Yet he had run here in high spirits, eager to show his victory.
"Gu-hwi."
Noe Bi-hon gazed at him with trembling eyes.
If he ended his life now, this pitiful child would drown in another unbearable sorrow.
This poor boy who hadn't even begun to recover from his mother's death.
"Brother."
Then, turning his head—
He met deep, solemn eyes fixed on him.
This was a man who wouldn't flinch even if the entire Martial World came for him.
Yet now, those eyes were filled with fear—fear that he might make the wrong choice.
"I..."
Noe Bi-hon released the gathered Internal Power. Then, smiling faintly at Bu Eun-seol,
"I'm sorry... little brother."
he pulled the weeping Dae Gu-hwi into his arms.
"Forgive me, Gu-hwi."
Drip—
Thick tears rolled down his own cheeks.
"It seems meeting my family in the Underworld will have to wait a little longer."
"After all... I've found another reason to keep living."