Chapter 517
'So that bastard has become the master of the Blood of a Thousand People.'
It was said that awakening the Blood of a Thousand People required the blood of a thousand martial artists who had honed their martial arts.
'Then the trials up until now must have been meant to awaken the Blood of a Thousand People.'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol grasp the meaning behind the Eight Rules of the Sword Tomb and the trials.
'They must have been awakening demonic swords by altering the conditions of each trial.'
The Heavenly Human Cult had established the Sword Tomb quite some time ago.
Each time, they would have invoked the Eight Rules of the Sword Tomb to select sacrifices that met the conditions for awakening the demonic swords.
And the three trials that had awakened the Demonic Nature and madness of the current participants must have been preparations to awaken the Blood of a Thousand People.
'In that case, there must have been many other swords besides the Blood of a Thousand People.'
The fact that Cheon Hwa-in, who had arrived late, had obtained a legendary demonic sword like the Blood of a Thousand People could only mean one thing:
The Heavenly Human Cult had been continuously offering sacrifices to awaken demonic swords even before the Blood of a Thousand People.
'But... how could a mere heretical sect obtain such demonic swords in such quantities?'
In the murim, legendary demonic swords like the Blood of a Thousand People were exceedingly rare, and their types were extremely limited.
Yet the scale and traces of the Sword Tomb made it seem as though every demonic sword known to the world had been planted there.
If so, then the Heavenly Human Cult either possessed tremendous power and authority far beyond what was publicly known... or had an immensely powerful faction backing it.
"You."
At that moment, Cheon Hwa-in noticed Bu Eun-seol.
Fortunately, the Black Mask Lion's disguise kept his identity hidden, but—
"Kehehehe."
To Cheon Hwa-in, whose eyes and mouth oozed killing intent, it meant nothing.
"So there's still one left alive."
As Cheon Hwa-in, glaring at Bu Eun-seol through the black mask, poured dark energy from his pupils,
Kiiieee!
A sharp, witch-like scream echoed out.
It sounded like a cry of rage, as though the sword still thirsted for more human blood.
"Where did you obtain that demonic sword?"
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to ask Cheon Hwa-in.
Having been trapped for some time in the underground mechanism after fighting the Black Mask Lions until the place collapsed, he had no way of knowing how Cheon Hwa-in had acquired the Blood of a Thousand People or what had happened to the remaining members of the Heavenly Human Cult.
"I'll kill them all..."
But Cheon Hwa-in was no longer sane.
His eyes were rolled back, gleaming white, and his mouth dripped with frothy saliva and a murderous grin.
Likely, all the corpses here had been slaughtered by Cheon Hwa-in using the Blood of a Thousand People.
"Kehehehe."
Then, Cheon Hwa-in let out a sinister laugh as he stared at Bu Eun-seol, who wore the black demon mask.
His appearance—yellowed eyes and skin flushed crimson—was that of a demon clawing its way up from the depths of the earth.
"Kehehehehe!"
With every burst of laughter, it seemed as though dark smoke spread, blotting out the entire world.
'Perhaps this was his fate all along.'
Even if he hadn't become the sect leader of Mount Hua.
Even if he hadn't become the chief of the Martial Alliance.
Cheon Hwa-in had been given every opportunity and condition to live a good life.
But due to his warped and narrow-minded nature, he squandered every chance and was ultimately forced to leave Mount Hua.
Bu Eun-seol had thought Cheon Hwa-in had fallen into an irredeemable abyss because he couldn't overcome his despair.
But that was a mistaken belief.
From the very beginning, Cheon Hwa-in had been a wicked man with a cruel and dark nature, destined to walk the path of a demonkin.
"Keheh."
Cheon Hwa-in stared at Bu Eun-seol with his pitch-black eyes.
Then, without hesitation, he leveled the demonic sword at him.
Drip.
The moment Bu Eun-seol's gaze met the tip of the Blood of a Thousand People, a sound like dripping water echoed in his ears.
At the same time, his vision darkened, and his entire body went numb, as though all sensation had vanished.
The demonic sword, the Blood of a Thousand People.
It possessed a terrifying ability to steal away a person's spirit and senses just by being looked upon.
Zzziiing.
Bu Eun-seol tried to unleash the Willful True Binding.
But only a faint ripple surged from his body—his materialized true qi refused to spread.
A lingering effect of having wielded the Power of Harmony for so long.
Not only his internal power, but even the Two Spirit Energies and the combined forces of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist Arts within him had been temporarily sealed.
'This is dangerous.'
The sealing of all his power was an entirely natural reaction, meant to restore his chaotically scattered energy...
But Cheon Hwa-in, wielding the Blood of a Thousand People, wouldn't wait for that time to pass.
Whoosh!
In that instant, a pitch-black sword qi surged toward Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
Tschuk!
Bu Eun-seol swiftly attempted to execute the footwork of the Swift Shadowless movement art.
But with all his internal energy gone, his movements were far from agile.
Sssk!
The sword qi from the Blood of a Thousand People grazed the hem of his clothes.
Immediately, Bu Eun-seol felt as though the blood in his body had evaporated.
Just from that slight contact, the sword qi of the Blood of a Thousand People was already exhibiting its bizarre power.
"Kehahahaha!"
Cheon Hwa-in erupted into mad laughter as he wildly swung the Blood of a Thousand People.
"You damn rat!"
With each slash of the demon sword through the air, razor-sharp Sword Qi left vivid afterimages in its wake.
Not only that—these afterimages lingered, refusing to fade even after long moments.
The more Cheon Hwa-in swung his sword, the more the Grand Hall became saturated with the Blood of a Thousand People's lethal Sword Qi.
Thud.
A strand of Bu Eun-seol's hair, as he retreated, barely grazed one of the suspended Sword Qi remnants.
Instantly, it was severed as if sliced by a blade.
'Bare-handed won't work.'
His eyes flickered across the surroundings before he swiftly crouched and yanked a sword from the Sword Tomb.
Shhk.
The remaining demon swords, deprived of proper blood absorption due to the tomb's collapse, offered no resistance—coming free effortlessly.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol immediately unleashed the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
Unlike the Formless Heavenly Flow or the Bloody Tears Seven Forms—demonic sword arts that prioritized overwhelming force—
proper execution of such techniques required substantial Internal Energy to back them up.
But orthodox sword arts like the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms were different.
Rather than raw power, they relied on the subtleties of martial principles to subdue opponents, making them ideal for situations like this—where his energy was scattered.
Whirrr!
Using the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms' sword strokes, Bu Eun-seol redirected the Blood of a Thousand People's lingering Sword Qi straight back at Cheon Hwa-in.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yet the rebounding Sword Qi was instantly absorbed by the demon sword.
As it turned out, the terrifying weapon wasn't just emitting ordinary Sword Qi—it was unleashing the grudges and Demonic Energy it had accumulated.
'Then—'
Instead of retreating, Bu Eun-seol closed the distance, pressing right up against Cheon Hwa-in.
With intricate sword strokes, he began carving directly into his opponent's flesh.
Thanks to his profound mastery of sword techniques, he could still exhibit formidable prowess even without Internal Energy.
—Kyaaaa!
A sword resonance resembling a witch's wail erupted from the Blood of a Thousand People, and Cheon Hwa-in began dismantling Bu Eun-seol's strokes one by one.
Clang! Clang!
But something was off.
No matter how Bu Eun-seol attacked, Cheon Hwa-in swung his sword like a madman.
Upon closer inspection—it wasn't Cheon Hwa-in moving.
The Blood of a Thousand People itself seemed to be autonomously defending against the sword strokes.
Shink! Thud.
As the weapons clashed repeatedly, the demon sword Bu Eun-seol wielded finally shattered into pieces, scattering across the floor.
This grotesque demon sword, fueled by grudges, was crushing ordinary demon blades as if they were mere snacks.
'Holding this sword is like mastering the Blade Emperor's saber principles.'
Not only could the Blood of a Thousand People nullify all external force—
it also instinctively blocked every attack aimed at its wielder.
It was as if the Blade Emperor's martial arts and the Fluorescent Sword Control had been fused together.
And with its ability to destroy any sword it clashed against, one could argue it was even more terrifying than the Blade Emperor's saber techniques.
Tap. Shhk.
Unfazed, Bu Eun-seol swiftly discarded the broken sword and drew another demon blade from the Sword Tomb.
Then, weaving the Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade into the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms, he deflected Cheon Hwa-in's relentless strikes.
Clink. Thud.
But once again, unable to withstand the Blood of a Thousand People's power, the demon sword shattered into fragments.
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol grabbed yet another sword from the tomb.
The Blood of a Thousand People was a legendary demon sword, renowned throughout the Murim.
Even if he had wielded a divine sword, it wouldn't have lasted long.
So Bu Eun-seol kept retreating, snatching up demon swords one after another to fend off Cheon Hwa-in.
With many blades still embedded in the Sword Tomb, he could hold out for a while longer.
Clang! Thud! Crash! Thud!
But perhaps because the remaining swords were in poor condition, they now cracked or shattered upon impact.
'Not many demon swords left now.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip as he glanced at the half-collapsed Sword Tomb.
Soon, he would run out of weapons to oppose the Blood of a Thousand People.
"Heh heh heh. Not many swords left now, are there?"
Cheon Hwa-in halted his movements, letting out a sinister chuckle.
Tap.
Seizing the moment, Bu Eun-seol swiftly retreated and drew another demon sword.
"Yes, keep resisting. It makes killing you all the more satisfying."
Cheon Hwa-in licked his lips, his face twisted in delight as he stared at Bu Eun-seol.
"I'll strip the flesh from your bones and make your death excruciating."
'Is this the price of maintaining the Power of Harmony for so long?'
Neither his Internal Energy nor the Two Spirit Energies had returned.
Had he been able to calmly perform a Circulation Healing Session after his injuries, he could have recovered immediately.
But the moment he escaped the underground mechanism, he had been thrust into this life-or-death struggle—and his condition was worsening by the second.
"Haa, huu."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed sharply as he gasped for breath.
Even if his internal energy was sealed, gasping for breath like this—
That could only mean the Blood of a Thousand People had the ability to drain the enemy's stamina as well.
If things continued like this, he might end up collapsing pathetically at Cheon Hwa-in's hands.
"Hahaha!"
Cheon Hwa-in let out another burst of mad laughter as he swung the Blood of a Thousand People once more.
Bu Eun-seol swiftly activated his footwork to evade, but the black demon mask he had been wearing was grazed by the Sword Qi.
Tchk. Thud.
The mask, which he had picked up and worn again, split cleanly in two and clattered to the ground.
At the same time, the face of Bu Eun-seol—disguised as Seon-u Jin—was slowly revealed.
"You..."
Black flames flickered in Cheon Hwa-in's pupils as he gripped the demonic sword.
Seon-u Jin.
The man who had stolen the position of Peak Squad leader—the seat that should have been his—established by Gu In-jeong, an elder of the Martial Alliance.
The man who had pushed him, already reeling from being sidelined in the Hua Mountain Sect's succession struggle, into complete ruin.
That insignificant merchant brat who had made him tear at his hair in fury even in his sleep.
And now, in the ruins of the Sword Tomb, this very same Seon-u Jin was daring to challenge him with such pitiful martial arts?
"Heh heh heh. Hahahaha!"
Cheon Hwa-in erupted into mad laughter.
The Blood of a Thousand People was flooding him with boundless internal power, stamina, killing intent, and strength.
Even if the Twin Celestial Emperors of Righteousness and Demonic stood before him now, he would fight them without fear—such was the overwhelming confidence and power surging through him.
And yet, here before him was the very enemy he could chew to pieces and still not sate his hatred.
How could he possibly contain this joy?
"You bastard!"
Cheon Hwa-in charged like a storm of black fog, swinging the demonic sword in a frenzy.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
As if intent on shredding Bu Eun-seol's body apart, the Blood of a Thousand People spun like a windmill, unleashing razor-sharp Sword Qi in all directions.
Bu Eun-seol retreated rapidly, executing the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms, but the Sword Qi pursued him relentlessly, like a living creature, slicing through his body as it passed.
"Die!"
Finally spotting an opening, Cheon Hwa-in roared like thunder and swung the demonic sword with all his might.
—Screeeech!
Responding to his Demonic Energy, a massive Sword Qi erupted from the Blood of a Thousand People, soaring into the sky before crashing down toward Bu Eun-seol.
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, a section of the Sword Tomb was obliterated.
Hiss—!
Though he barely managed to evade the strike, white steam rose from Bu Eun-seol's body.
With his internal energy sealed, every graze from the demonic sword's Sword Qi caused his blood and moisture to evaporate instantly.
"You should feel it too."
Black mist coiled thickly in Cheon Hwa-in's pupils as he glared at Bu Eun-seol, who was barely standing.
"The despair I felt! The helplessness!"
Black fog spilled from his mouth as he spoke, making him look like a vengeful specter from hell, ready to devour the world.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze remained calm.
Even facing a madman wielding a legendary demonic sword while his own energy and all his strength were sealed—
He maintained his composure, analyzing the situation, thinking only of how to bring down his enemy.
Thud.
Then, he noticed something metallic embedded in the ground at his feet.
It was an object that had been dislodged from the earth by the aftershock of Cheon Hwa-in's Sword Qi.
'A sword?'
Bu Eun-seol hesitated.
Right now, Cheon Hwa-in was gathering power for a decisive strike.
But what if that thing wasn't a sword? What if it was just a broken fragment?
Bending down to grab it would only expose him to a fatal attack.
'I have to take it.'
In this state, he couldn't block Cheon Hwa-in's finishing blow.
Which meant he had no choice but to gamble on whatever was buried at his feet.
Swish.
He swiftly reached down and pulled the object free—
Zzzziiing—
A low hum resonated as the buried item revealed itself.
'An iron sword?'
As it turned out, it was nothing more than a shabby, worn-out old iron sword.
"DIE!"
At that moment, Cheon Hwa-in seized the opportunity and swung the Blood of a Thousand People with all his might.
A crescent-shaped Sword Qi surged forth, threatening to split Bu Eun-seol in half.
The strike was so fast that Bu Eun-seol didn't even have time to raise the iron sword—he could only roll across the ground to evade.
Even so, the Sword Qi grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep scar as it passed.
"Hahaha."
Cheon Hwa-in had intended to follow up with another strike, finishing him off in one go.
But when Bu Eun-seol rolled across the filthy ground to escape, he stopped and burst into triumphant laughter instead.
"Hahahaha! What a sight!"
Renowned masters of the martial world—
They would rather die than resort to rolling on the ground like a Lazy Donkey Roll to evade an attack.
But Bu Eun-seol wasn't even conscious of being a martial artist right now.
Even if it meant sticking his rear out and tumbling backward—even if it meant performing the Monkey Rolling Forward—he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest to evade an attack.
He didn't care at all.
Clank.
Bu Eun-seol rose to his feet again, his eyes flashing as he gripped the iron sword.
Cheon Hwa-in, seemingly even more exhilarated, let out a grating laugh.
"What a magnificent piece of trash you've picked up. Do you really think that can stand against the Blood of a Thousand People?"
Bu Eun-seol didn't answer, only glaring at him.
But something was strange.
The moment he gripped the dull, blackened iron sword, an indescribable exhilaration surged through him.
It almost felt as if the energy flowing from the blade was loosening his knotted qi vessels and pouring strength back into his exhausted body.
"You've dodged well enough, but this is the end."
Whoooosh!
Cheon Hwa-in swung the Blood of a Thousand People in a wide arc.
Instantly, razor-sharp sword qi began filling the space around Bu Eun-seol.
From the start, he had been sealing off Bu Eun-seol's escape routes with layers of cutting energy.
"After I take your head, I'll go to the Martial Alliance and sever the necks of those old fools who humiliated me."
Swirling, swirling...
Enraged, Cheon Hwa-in was now completely obscured by the black fog seeping from the Blood of a Thousand People.
His silhouette, with only his sickly yellow eyes flashing within the dark mist, resembled nothing so much as a demon.
'I have to block it.'
The sword qi generated by Cheon Hwa-in had completely cut off all paths of retreat.
Unless his internal energy returned, the only option was to parry with this sword.
Whiiiiii—!
With a whistling Sound of Breaking Air, the sword qi pouring from the black fog cascaded down toward Bu Eun-seol's head.
CLANG!
A clear, resonant sound rang out, and a shockwave rippled outward in all directions.
Bu Eun-seol had effortlessly blocked the Blood of a Thousand People's sword qi with the iron sword in his grip.
Huuuum...
A low tremor ran through the blade—but strangely, it was a pleasant vibration.
This was no ordinary iron sword. It was a mysterious weapon capable of withstanding the destructive power of the Blood of a Thousand People.
"You blocked it?"
Cheon Hwa-in's killing intent flared as he swung the demonic blade again from within the fog.
CRACKLE-CRACKLE!
Like rolling storm clouds, waves of sword qi surged toward Bu Eun-seol's body.
But instead of retreating, Bu Eun-seol lunged toward the energy, unleashing the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
SHIIIIING!
Using the principles of Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade, he redirected the torrent of sword qi, and a violent Sound of Breaking Air erupted.
PA-THOOOM!
Finally, the sword qi vanished as if washed away, revealing Cheon Hwa-in's form hidden within the mist.
"HAAAH!"
Bu Eun-seol seized the opening, closing the distance in an instant and swinging his iron sword.
SHIIING! CLANG!
Clear sword resonance rang out as their blades clashed in rapid succession.
Cheon Hwa-in tried desperately to shatter Bu Eun-seol's sword, but each time, his own hands only stung from the impact.
"How—?"
Pushed back by what should have been a worthless scrap of iron, Cheon Hwa-in glared at the Blood of a Thousand People and roared.
"What kind of demonic sword can't even break a rusted piece of trash like that?!"
SCREEEEEECH—!
In response, the Blood of a Thousand People emitted an irritated, rage-filled sword resonance.
GRIIIIIND...
The resonance twisted into a distorted noise as the blade began transforming, its shape warping into something jagged and grotesque.
CRACK. CRACKLE.
Finally, the sword blade of the Blood of a Thousand People settled into its new form—now resembling a beast covered in bizarre scales.
At the same time, it began spewing thick, suffocating demonic energy like a fog.
"So this is your true power!"
A dark, glossy sheen spread across Cheon Hwa-in's skin as he gripped the sword, and black smoke billowed from his mouth with every breath.
The overwhelming demonic energy pouring from the blade was flooding his mind and body with immense power.
GRIIIIIND!
A strange sword resonance echoed from the Blood of a Thousand People.
Simultaneously, black sword qi erupted from beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet, shooting upward before—
CRUNCH!
—snapping shut like a circular maw, attempting to swallow him whole.
Just like the Caged Bird Longing for Clouds stance of the Formless Heavenly Flow, it sought to shred Bu Eun-seol's body in an instant by freely manipulating the sword qi.
Or at least, it should have.
WHOOOOOOSH!
From within the swirling black sword qi, a gust of wind blew—and then a faint light began to seep out from inside.
SHATTER!
In the next moment, the enclosing sword qi exploded outward, and above it, the black iron sword slowly revealed itself.
Bu Eun-seol had shattered the encroaching sword qi with the iron sword in his hand.
HUUUUM... HUUUUM...
A low sword resonance pulsed from the blade.
'The Two Spirit Energies?'
What he sensed through the resonance was unmistakable—
A demand.
The sword was asking for the Water Essence Divine Qi and Thunder Essence Divine Qi contained within Bu Eun-seol's body.
'The sword is asking for the power of the Two Spirit Energies?'
Bu Eun-seol was baffled.
The sword wanted the energies that embodied the power of Great Nature?
HUUUUUUM!
As the sword practically whined again, Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but feel absurd.
'Even if I wanted to give them, all the energy in my body is sealed!'
"Did it read my thoughts?"
The vibrations flowing from the sword intensified, and suddenly, a strange force poured into Bu Eun-seol's meridians.
Then, as if his twisted and knotted qi vessels were realigning themselves—
Ssskrrrt—Crackle.
The Two Spirit Energies, which had been sealed, returned to their original state.
Without even realizing it, Bu Eun-seol naturally channeled those energies into the sword.
Zzziiing—
A faint radiance flickered from the blade, and gradually, a mysterious emblem began to emerge—one shimmering with golden and crimson hues.
Huummm.
As the light from the emblem deepened, a resonant Sword Resonance reverberated from the blade.
It was as if the sword was screaming at him to hurry up and shatter the Blood of a Thousand People.
"Just what kind of sword is this?"
Divine swords exist solely for the benefit of humans, while demonic swords demand something in exchange for their power.
But this sword was neither.
It made demands—yet what it craved was the Two Spirit Energies, something no demonic sword could ever contain.
And to absorb those energies, it was exhibiting an eerie ability—rearranging Bu Eun-seol's qi vessels.
"What the hell is that now?!"
Cheon Hwa-in, who had been staring at the demonic sword now imbued with a mysterious glow, swung the Blood of a Thousand People once more.
KWAOOO—!
Black fog erupted from the demonic sword, taking the form of a beast that coiled around Bu Eun-seol's body.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion followed as Bu Eun-seol was sent flying backward from the force of the slash.
"Did it just change its appearance for show?"
Since it had absorbed both spirit energies, he had expected the power of Thunder Essence Divine Qi or Water Essence Divine Qi to surge forth.
But it seemed the two energies had only been used to form the emblem on the blade—no extraordinary might was displayed.
"DIE!"
KWAOO! KWAOOO—!
From the Blood of a Thousand People, sword qi in the shape of beasts poured out endlessly.
"I can't block this."
Whispering to the sword, which merely gleamed with its mysterious emblem—
SWOOOSH—!
The light from the emblem intensified, and once again, a refreshing energy surged into Bu Eun-seol's body.
"It's unsealed."
In an instant, his blocked meridians were cleared, and he could wield his Internal Power again.
WHOOSH—!
As Bu Eun-seol channeled his Internal Energy and swung the sword, the beast-like sword qi was completely obliterated.
FLASH! FLASH!
With each swing, the demonic sword, now infused with his energy, emitted a blinding radiance.
SHWIIING—!
The sword qi of Waning Moon Morning Star tore through the fog, revealing Cheon Hwa-in, who had been concealed within the black mist.
"How?!"
"Now!"
Seizing the opening, Bu Eun-seol poured his Internal Energy into the blade and swung with all his might.
SHWEEEE—!
The world seemed to slow down as a crimson light extended from the sword—inch by inch—toward Cheon Hwa-in's neck.
Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form.
A peerless sword technique, born from the fusion of Formless Heavenly Flow and the Blade Essence of Bloody Tears Seven Forms, unfolded once more.
CLANG—!
As if trying to save its wielder, the Blood of a Thousand People formed a black Sword Curtain to block the attack.
But Bu Eun-seol's Sword Stroke transformed yet again.
SHWAAAK—!
Before anyone could react, dozens of sword qi rained down from above Cheon Hwa-in like a storm.
The fourth form of Formless Heavenly Flow—Caged Bird Longing for Clouds.
A Breakthrough variation that allowed the user to freely manipulate and relocate sword qi.
THUD-THUD-THUD—!
As the sword qi pierced through his body, Cheon Hwa-in froze in place.
"Ah..."
His entire body riddled with holes from Caged Bird Longing for Clouds, Cheon Hwa-in's eyes—now clear—suggested the Demonic Energy had dissipated.
"I..."
Memories of slaughtering countless people in his madness seemed to flood back, and his body trembled, his gaze unfocused.
"Seon-u Jin."
Raising his head, Cheon Hwa-in stared intently into Bu Eun-seol's calm eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"You... never saw me here."
Those were his last words in the Mortal Realm.
FWOOOSH—!
With a deafening explosion, his body burst apart, scattering in all directions.
Unable to withstand the Blood of a Thousand People's energy within him after death, he had violently self-destructed.
Thud.
All that remained where Cheon Hwa-in had stood were crimson fragments and bodily fluids.
Clang.
The Blood of a Thousand People fell unceremoniously to the ground.
Huuung... Huuung...
A low Sword Resonance hummed from the demonic sword in Bu Eun-seol's grip.
And the emblem on the blade began to glow like the sun.
"You want to destroy it?"
The sword was urging him—shatter the Blood of a Thousand People now.
"Can you really break it? The Blood of a Thousand People?"
As Bu Eun-seol looked down at the sword and asked—
HUM HUM HUM—!
It roared even louder, as if excited.
SCREEEEEECH—!
Had it sensed its impending doom?
Or was it resentful for being defeated before it could unleash its full power?
A scream-like howl erupted from the Blood of a Thousand People lying on the ground.
"A demonic sword like this... should vanish from Murim."
Bu Eun-seol walked toward where the sword had fallen.
Huuung—!
Using Void Object Retrieval, he lifted the Blood of a Thousand People into the air—then swung his own blade with all his strength.
DEEEEENG—!
A sound like a temple bell resounded across the world.
Tuk. Shatter.
The Blood of a Thousand People, now split into countless fragments, spilled blood as thick as a human's.
Yet the demonic sword in Bu Eun-seol's hand remained unscathed—not a single scratch.
Instead, the emblem on its blade burned even brighter, like a monstrous beast patting its belly after a satisfying meal.
Grrrrr...
And as if its task was complete, the mysterious emblem vanished with a final eerie hum.