Chapter 524
The Pratyekabuddha Hall.
It was the Martial Alliance's scripture repository, gathering the most exceptional orthodox martial techniques—a counterpart to the Demon Hall's Ten Thousand Demonic Secret Archive.
"For the Hall Master or Commander-rank figure who achieves the greatest merit, we shall grant access to the second floor of the Pratyekabuddha Hall. As for all members of the unit that achieves the greatest merit, we can permit entry to the first floor or award them spirit medicines to enhance their Internal Power."
Muk In-hyeok and Seong Jo-yeong slapped their knees in realization.
—Why hadn't they thought of the Pratyekabuddha Hall?
When it came to swords and secret manuals, martial artists would leap from their beds even in the dead of night.
And if it were the martial arts of the Pratyekabuddha Hall?
It would instantly reignite the morale of warriors who had sunk to their lowest.
"The commander-in-chief has the authority to open access up to this floor, correct?"
At Gongson Dan-gyeong's question, Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
"That is correct."
"Then the conclusion is near."
With such rewards at stake, the fighting spirit of the two elite divisions would pierce the heavens.
Even if ordered to stand down, they would throw their lives into exterminating the Heavenly Human Cult. Now, the true endgame was approaching.
"Deputy Commanders, relay these terms to your subordinates."
"Understood."
"And after they have rested sufficiently, have them annihilate the Heavenly Human Cult at the break of dawn."
Muk In-hyeok and Seong Jo-yeong pressed their palms together and bowed deeply.
Gongson Dan-gyeong and Bu Eun-seol.
They were figures whose stratagems and wisdom were beyond what ordinary minds could fathom.
And so, the two deputy commanders found themselves yielding—not out of obligation, but from genuine awe.
As the two left, silence settled over the barracks.
"We've reached the final stretch."
Gongson Dan-gyeong, after exchanging an inscrutable glance with Bu Eun-seol, murmured as if speaking to herself.
"Since we've established our barracks here, the Heavenly Human Cult will make their move soon, won't they?"
"Indeed."
"Now, my life rests in the hands of Commander Seon-u."
Bu Eun-seol cautiously ventured a question.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid? Hardly."
"If this gamble fails—if my abilities prove insufficient... the Supreme Commander's life could be in danger."
"I don't gamble. I only calculate."
The final plan was about to unfold.
If it failed... Gongson Dan-gyeong might lose her life. Yet far from fear, a faint smile played at the corners of her lips.
"And,"
She lifted her long lashes and fixed Bu Eun-seol with a piercing gaze.
"I trust Commander Seon-u."
Her jewel-like eyes radiated unshakable confidence.
Outwardly, she was a woman of boundless beauty and warmth.
But in truth, she was the most formidable mind Bu Eun-seol had ever encountered—not only peerless in strategy but utterly inscrutable in her motives.
And he couldn't shake the intuition that she, too, harbored secrets of her own.
"I will give it my all."
As Bu Eun-seol replied with measured courtesy, Gongson Dan-gyeong's lips curved into a faint smile.
Now, the true life-or-death plan would begin.
And if it succeeded... Bu Eun-seol would immediately ascend to the rank of First-Grade Commander within the Martial Alliance.
—For the Hall Master-rank individual who achieves the greatest merit in the battle against the Heavenly Human Cult, the second floor of the Pratyekabuddha Hall shall be opened.
And for the members of the unit that fights most valiantly, access to the first floor will be granted.
When Gongson Dan-gyeong's decree spread, the martial artists erupted in fervor.
It was the highest reward they could possibly desire.
Moreover, it transformed what had been a battle without clear purpose—
Into a fight they were compelled to win.
—Uwaaah!
—Charge!
With morale soaring skyward, the Divine Guard Unit and Heavenly Martial Division immediately advanced toward the Heavenly Human Cult's stronghold at Yangmun Mountain.
And the battle began.
—Huh?
Only then did the cultists sense something amiss.
The Divine Guard Unit and Heavenly Martial Division—forces that had always prioritized caution and steady victories—
Now surged forward like rabid dogs, frothing at the mouth, their eyes wild with battle frenzy.
They no longer feared injury. No, they actively welcomed it.
The more ferocious their display of valor, the higher their chances of claiming the rewards.
Rumble—
In a single breath, the two elite divisions pushed to the very gates of the cult's main temple, engaging in brutal close-quarters combat.
No matter that the cult outnumbered them twenty to one. No matter how desperately they resisted.
Most of the Heavenly Human Cult's forces were third-rate martial artists.
They stood no chance against elite warriors who fought like demons, each worth a hundred men—especially when those warriors were desperate to spill their own blood.
—Send the Ghost-Faced Envoys!
The cult deployed all their Ghost-Faced Envoys, masters of exceptional martial arts, but even they couldn't stem the tide.
As the two divisions dominated the battlefield, the martial prowess of Deputy Commanders Seong Jo-yeong and Muk In-hyeok began to shine.
Swiish! Crack-crack-crack!
Seong Jo-yeong, who had mastered the sword arts of the Snow Eagle Gate—a renowned orthodox sword clan—to Grand Perfection, had developed his signature Flying Eagle Sword Art by fusing the principles of Chaotic Sword and Scattered Sword.
He had never once tasted defeat, a record that had earned him his position as deputy commander of the Divine Guard Unit.
And what of Muk In-hyeok?
As the true heir of the Iron Lion Sword Gate, he had roamed the martial world since the age of ten with nothing but his Silent Heaven Lion Sword, carving his name across the land.
Muk In-hyeok had mastered the Art of Spells and formations through a Daoist Secret Record he had fortuitously obtained, prompting the Moon Shadow Unit Commander to personally invite him to join the Martial Alliance.
After achieving outstanding merits in the Moon Shadow Unit, he caught the eye of the Heavenly Martial Division Commander and led countless battles to victory.
Now, as the two deputy commanders unleashed their full combat power with their sword techniques, no one could withstand even a single stroke of their blades—enemies fell like autumn leaves before a gale.
KWAANG!
With a thunderous crash, the gates of the Heavenly Human Cult's main palace were shattered.
Having cut down swarms of Ghost-Faced Envoys, Seong Jo-yeong and Muk In-hyeok pushed deep into the cult's stronghold, all the way to the Great Hall where the cult leader was supposed to be.
"...!"
Their eyes widened as they surveyed their surroundings.
Despite having blockaded both paths leading to the cult's headquarters and setting up defensive formations—
The cult leader and his core elites had already escaped from Yangmun Mountain, hadn't they?
—No way.
Muk In-hyeok and Seong Jo-yeong exchanged glances.
Now that they thought about it, something was off.
At the entrance, they had faced elite soldiers who fought fiercely enough to make the battle intense—
Yet once they breached the cult's inner sanctum, the martial artists they encountered were pitifully weak, their defenses easily broken.
"A trap...!"
The two men spat out the same word simultaneously.
If the cult had truly been preparing for war against the Martial Alliance—if they had planned this for so long—
Then they must have devised a strategy.
And they had figured out the easiest way to end this battle.
"The Chief Strategist is in danger!"
The two immediately activated their Lightness Skill, bursting out of Yangmun Mountain.
But reaching the barracks at Haseo would take at least an hour—
Naturally, the cult would have calculated their return time. By now, the barracks where Chief Strategist Gongson was stationed must already be under attack.
"We can't let this happen!"
They pushed their Lightness Skill to its limits, moving like madmen.
If anything happened to Gongson Dan-gyeong—
Neither the Divine Guard Unit nor the Heavenly Martial Division would escape responsibility.
RUMBLE—
With a sound like a stampede of cattle, a thousand black-clad soldiers began encircling the plains near Haseo, where Gongson Dan-gyeong was staying.
Each wore a distinctive sword and a black ghost mask—
The elite forces of the Heavenly Human Cult, who had secretly slipped out of Yangmun Mountain through covert channels.
The Ghost-Faced Envoys.
"Who goes there?!"
The Universal Sword Guard members stationed around the barracks shouted—
—Kill them all!
The Ghost-Faced Envoys immediately launched their assault.
"Enemy intrusion!"
At the sound of the Sword Guard's alarm horns, the stationed defenders rushed to meet them.
But there were only about three hundred warriors here—
Against a tidal wave of a thousand Ghost-Faced Envoys, holding the line was impossible.
"Chief Strategist!"
Naeng Gyeom, the Sword Captain of the Universal Sword Guard, sprinted to Gongson Dan-gyeong's tent.
"The Heavenly Human Cult is attacking! You must evacuate immediately!"
Gongson Dan-gyeong followed Naeng Gyeom out of the tent without hesitation—
But the surroundings were already swarming with black-clad cultists.
"Protect the Chief Strategist!"
The Sword Guard formed a defensive ring around her, weathering the onslaught of attacks.
Each of them was a skilled warrior—
But the Ghost-Faced Envoys wielded razor-sharp swords and employed bizarre, unpredictable techniques.
And with numbers more than triple theirs, the situation was hopeless.
"Ghk—!"
Though they fought desperately, half the guards soon suffered grievous wounds.
SWISH! WHIRR—!
Then, from somewhere unseen, a barrage of sharp throwing daggers rained down.
"Urk!"
"Agh—!"
With cries of pain, the Ghost-Faced Envoys collapsed as if struck by invisible hammers.
THUD.
At the same time, a figure clad in white descended from the sky, landing before the Sword Guard.
Bu Eun-seol.
"Escort the Chief Strategist to safety—now!"
With that curt command, he unleashed another volley of daggers.
His aim was flawless—Every Shot Hits.
With each flash of steel, another Ghost-Faced Envoy fell without fail.
Bolstered by Bu Eun-seol's efforts, the Universal Sword Guard attempted to break through the encirclement and flee.
But the enemy numbers were overwhelming—escape seemed impossible.
"We can't break their encirclement!"
As Naeng Gyeom shouted, Bu Eun-seol responded:
"I'll carve a path!"
Drawing his iron sword, he unleashed a storm of Sword Qi.
SHWAK! PA-PA-PA-PA!
Though his technique lacked overwhelming power, its precision was exquisite—each strike precisely targeting the vital points of the Ghost-Faced Envoys.
As a section of the encirclement crumbled under his assault, Naeng Gyeom immediately seized the opening.
TAT-TAK!
With Naeng Gyeom leading, the Universal Sword Guard and Gongson Dan-gyeong sprinted forward.
They activated their Lightness Skill, trying to escape the area—
But the entire Haseo region was already ensnared in the cult's layered encirclement.
Finding no way out, Gongson Dan-gyeong shouted:
"Up the cliff!"
Understanding her intent, Naeng Gyeom tore through the enemy lines, heading for the summit.
Back-to-the-Water Formation.
If they couldn't escape the encirclement—then they would make their stand with no retreat.
Instead, they would put their backs to the river or cliff to prevent attacks from behind, then hold out with all their strength until reinforcements arrived.
Whoosh.
But the Heavenly Human Cult had already predicted their escape route perfectly and set up an encirclement.
Just as they were sprinting swiftly up the mountain, they reached a wide clearing deep within the woods—
Swish!
—only to find hundreds of Ghost-Faced Envoys blocking their path, as if they had been lying in wait.
"So these bastards planned this from the start!"
Naeng Gyeom bit his lip.
The Heavenly Human Cult had realized they couldn't win in a direct confrontation with the Martial Alliance.
So instead, they had waited for the moment when the entire allied force would ascend Yangmun Mountain for a full-scale assault—
—then slipped out through a secret passage to ambush Gongson Dan-gyeong.
Naturally, they had also blocked off every possible escape route.
'There's no way out.'
Just as Naeng Gyeom clenched his teeth—
"Buy me eight minutes."
Gongson Dan-gyeong began rearranging the positions of fallen stones and branches on the ground.
"I had a hunch, so I prepared a formation along one of the escape routes."
At her words, Naeng Gyeom's eyes widened, and he nodded sharply.
'Thank heavens the Chief Strategist set up a formation in advance!'
Of course, if they were ambushed, they needed a secured escape route.
Gongson Dan-gyeong had anticipated not only a large-scale surprise attack but also the enemy cutting off their retreat—
—so she had preemptively laid down a formation that could buy them time.
Whoosh.
The moment she completed the formation, the surroundings blurred, revealing a narrow path barely wide enough for twenty people to pass through.
"With this White Transformation Heavenly Pole Formation, no matter how vast their forces, they won't be able to swarm us all at once."
At Gongson Dan-gyeong's confident declaration, Naeng Gyeom exhaled in relief.
Now, even with their small numbers, they could hold off the enemy horde.
They just had to endure until the Star Guard Corps and the Heavenly Martial Division returned.
Thud! Thud!
In that moment, twenty or so Ghost-Faced Envoys charged toward the path.
"I'll take the front."
Bu Eun-seol immediately dashed forward, scattering flying daggers.
Thanks to the formation's effect, despite being surrounded, the Ghost-Faced Envoys could only attack from the front and rear paths.
Clang! Clang!
Bu Eun-seol alternated between the Heavenly Cliff Flying Dagger Art and the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms, swiftly cutting down those who rushed at him.
—"So Commander Seon-u's martial prowess is this formidable?"
Naeng Gyeom and the Universal Sword Guard members gaped in astonishment.
Even if Bu Eun-seol was a commander, he was only a second-tier unit leader.
They, as first-tier swordsmen, had assumed they far surpassed him in martial skill.
But Bu Eun-seol's martial arts shattered their pride and left them feeling ashamed of their own inadequacy.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Every swing of his dark iron sword left faint afterimages in the air.
His sword techniques appeared deceptively simple, yet they contained an ineffable profundity—a level of martial understanding so lofty it defied description.
"Guhk!"
"Ugh!"
Every time Bu Eun-seol swung his sword, the Ghost-Faced Envoys couldn't evade—each strike precisely striking their vital points.
This was the sword art of a true orthodox warrior, subduing foes without resorting to killing moves.
As Bu Eun-seol effortlessly dispatched the charging enemies, the sword guards, emboldened, held their ground against the rear assault.
"Hold out just a little longer!"
Naeng Gyeom, commanding the unit, raised his voice.
"The deputy commander will return with reinforcements soon!"
Boom. Boom.
But then—a sound that shook the earth itself reverberated.
The relentless onslaught of Ghost-Faced Envoys momentarily retreated.
Boom.
As the earth-shaking noise drew closer, a shadow emerged within the path.
A towering middle-aged man, so massive he resembled a mountain.
Standing over eight feet tall, his entire body was covered in fur more than a foot long.
His face was hidden behind an iron-black mask, with gaping holes where his eyes should be.
His pupils—elongated and upturned like a beast's—glowed with a feral light, making him look like a tiger standing on two legs from afar.
The Heavenly Human Cult's leader, Ho Yeon-gyeong, had arrived.
"How adorable."
Striding forward, he surveyed the mist of the White Transformation Heavenly Pole Formation before murmuring lowly:
"Did you think this formation would stop me?"
Possessing some kind of Dharma Eye, he instantly spotted Gongson Dan-gyeong hiding among the unit members.
"Hahaha!"
His laughter was a beastly roar.
"Gongson Dan-gyeong! At last, I've caught you."
Strange.
Ho Yeon-gyeong spoke as if he had known Gongson Dan-gyeong for a long time.
"Once I have you, they'll come crawling to negotiate."
As if channeling his Internal Power, an overwhelming energy erupted from Ho Yeon-gyeong's body, soaring to the heavens.
His pupils froze coldly, and his inner Spirit and Mind maintained an indescribable, unshakable calm.
If someone like him were to unleash his sword techniques, the destructive power would surpass all imagination.
Tak-tak-tak.
The members of the Universal Sword Guard, sensing something amiss, stepped forward and raised their swords toward Ho Yeon-gyeong.
Swiish.
In response, Ho Yeon-gyeong drew the blade at his waist.
It was a bizarre sword, its blood groove—designed to allow smooth withdrawal after piercing flesh or muscle—stained black.
"We don't have time. Let's quickly clear away this swarm of insects."
Kwoong.
The moment he raised his great saber, dark clouds suddenly gathered, as if the sky itself had darkened.
'Something's off.'
A sense of foreboding struck Naeng Gyeom, and he lunged forward, unleashing an immediate assault. He had instinctively realized that if Ho Yeon-gyeong's saber techniques were fully unleashed, overwhelming destructive force would follow.
"Hahp!"
As Naeng Gyeom executed the Heaven-Cutting Sword Art's ultimate stroke—River Waves Spreading Across the Lake—a mist-like sword qi enveloped Ho Yeon-gyeong's entire body.
"Hmph."
With a short scoff, Ho Yeon-gyeong swung his great saber.
Screeeech!
At the same time, Naeng Gyeom was flung backward as if someone had yanked him away.
A single slash had unleashed such immense pressure that it repelled both the sword qi and his body in one motion.
Shwaaak!
In that brief moment, Ho Yeon-gyeong cleaved through the guards protecting Gongson Dan-gyeong.
Shwaak! Shwaaaak!
With each step he took, limbs of the guards flew into the air.
It was shocking.
How could the leader of a mere heretical sect possess such profound martial arts?
Why had this fact remained unknown in the murim?
"Ugh..."
A young guard, frozen in terror, trembled as the great saber descended upon him—
Claaang!
Suddenly, a clear metallic ring echoed as a pitch-black iron sword intercepted the strike.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
"Fall back."
At his command, the guard stumbled backward in a panic.
Swish!
With a surge of fierce energy, the force from the iron sword reversed its trajectory.
He had executed the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
"Oh?"
Ho Yeon-gyeong's eyes flashed as Bu Eun-seol effortlessly deflected his attack.
"Who are you?"
"None of your concern."
"Hmph."
The moment Ho Yeon-gyeong's shoulder twitched subtly, Bu Eun-seol wasted no time—his sword shot forward, aiming straight for the throat.
A true master of the sword always moves from the shoulder first, no matter how slight.
Ho Yeon-gyeong had been feigning stillness while actually searching for an opening to strike.
"Impressive swordsmanship!"
Finding no flaw in Bu Eun-seol's single stroke, Ho Yeon-gyeong retreated.
Flaaash!
As Bu Eun-seol's sword split the air once more, dozens of blade-like sword qi scattered outward.
The finishing technique of the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms—Bodhi Dividing Method.
Ho Yeon-gyeong swung his massive saber again in retaliation.
"Perish!"
Flaaash!
It was a strange saber technique—a fusion of Overbearing Saber, Swift Saber, and Killing Saber.
Claaang!
Yet Bu Eun-seol effortlessly parried the attack, deflecting the saber's bizarre angle.
'This isn't saber technique.'
The moment their blades clashed, Bu Eun-seol realized the truth.
Ho Yeon-gyeong wasn't simultaneously using three saber techniques—the saber itself was naturally emitting energy that blended all three styles.
'A demonic saber.'
It wasn't that Ho Yeon-gyeong's saber mastery was exceptional—it was the saber itself that was demonic.
"Heh heh!"
Ho Yeon-gyeong whipped the demonic saber like a storm.
Bu Eun-seol attempted to redirect its overwhelming force using Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade and the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
But the saber's energy, perfectly harmonizing all three techniques, began to slip through his defenses, leaving shallow cuts on his body.
Clang! Claaang!
The two masters continued their rapid exchange at close range.
A true master could gauge an opponent's skill from a single sword stroke.
Ho Yeon-gyeong recognized that this young man's martial prowess was no less than his own.
Yet he remained utterly composed.
Even if the commanders of the Divine Guard Unit and the Heavenly Martial Division arrived at top speed, it would still take half a two-hour period.
With Gongson Dan-gyeong and the guards already completely surrounded, there was no need to rush.
'Hm.'
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his bewilderment.
He had assumed that even as Seon-u Jin, his martial arts would be more than enough to handle a mere heretical sect leader.
But Ho Yeon-gyeong's strange demonic saber was amplifying his abilities beyond what Seon-u Jin's skills could handle.
"You'll make fine prey for the Blood Wheel Demon Blade."
Ho Yeon-gyeong's demonic saber, Blood Wheel, grew stronger the more it drank the blood of powerful martial artists.
The greater the opponent's skill, the more nourishing the feast.
Bu Eun-seol felt Gongson Dan-gyeong's gaze on him amidst the chaos.
—Unleash your hidden strength.
Her eyes seemed to say just that.
'Was this part of her plan too?'
Even as Ho Yeon-gyeong's martial arts far exceeded expectations, her expression remained unshaken.
'She wants to confirm my true abilities through this fight.'
Moreover, the members of the Universal Sword Guard were watching intently, their eyes burning with focus.
They were all exceptional swordsmen who could instantly discern the difference between orthodox and demonic sword arts.
If Bu Eun-seol were to use his true martial arts, such as the Formless Heavenly Flow, here—forget rising to the rank of First-Grade Commander—he would have to be prepared to leave the Martial Alliance entirely.