Chapter 551
Heonwon Dam-cheong furrowed his brow deeply.
"You... claim to be the grandson of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
"That is correct."
He frowned as if unable to comprehend.
"What nonsense are you spouting? He never established a family."
Heonwon Dam-cheong scoffed as he stared at Bu Eun-seol.
"Surely you're not calling yourself his grandson just because you learned his saber techniques."
"Absolutely not."
"Then how do you intend to prove you're Bu Jan-yang's grandson?"
"I cannot prove it immediately."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with unwavering confidence.
"Because I, too, only recently learned that my grandfather was the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
There was no hesitation in his gaze.
Heonwon Dam-cheong was an absolute powerhouse who had reached the Martial Extreme Realm, a man who had weathered countless storms and witnessed the myriad faces of humanity.
He could instinctively tell that Bu Eun-seol was not lying.
"The grandson of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade..."
He let out an unconscious sigh.
'Am I still unable to escape the debts and grudges of the martial world?'
Though unknown to most in the martial world,
the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang had once saved his life and given him the strength to wield his sword again.
Had he not met Bu Jan-yang back then, the Heonwon Dam-cheong of today would not exist.
And now, hearing Bu Eun-seol claim to be his grandson, an indescribable emotion welled up within him.
"If you hadn't killed my disciple, I would have given you the Gratitude Coin."
Heonwon Dam-cheong had regarded his youngest disciple, Cheon-geom, as his own child.
There was no way he could forgive Bu Eun-seol for beheading him.
"Do you truly believe that?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke resolutely.
"Even if it hadn't been me, he would have met an early death in the martial world. And the blame for that lies largely with you."
"What did you say?!"
As killing intent surged from Heonwon Dam-cheong's eyes, the sky seemed to darken, and the air itself felt like blades of rain.
"Say that again."
A terrifying energy gathered at Heonwon Dam-cheong's fingertips.
If Bu Eun-seol uttered another insolent word, he would sever his head without hesitation.
"He died because you failed to discipline your disciple strictly—"
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, Bu Eun-seol was flung back 50 feet in an instant.
Enraged, Heonwon Dam-cheong unleashed the force of Injury Through Form and Intent with sheer momentum alone, striking Bu Eun-seol's body.
ZZZT—
As he was hurled backward, a spherical glow of True Qi enveloped Bu Eun-seol.
When the energy of Injury Through Form and Intent surged forth, Body Protection True Qi naturally expanded in response.
Tap. Tap.
Bu Eun-seol lightly steadied himself and stepped forward again, continuing calmly.
"...I said it was because you failed to teach him fairness."
His eyes brimmed with unyielding severity.
Seeing this, Heonwon Dam-cheong recalled the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade reprimanding him in the past.
"Hmm..."
He exhaled a heavy breath.
'Is this, too, fate?'
Heonwon Dam-cheong fell silent for a moment.
If all of this was the arrangement of fate, then perhaps following it was simply the natural order.
"Very well."
As he raised a finger into the air,
Tap.
a wooden rod flew from somewhere into his grasp.
SWOOSH!
At the same time, chaotic marks were carved into the ground, spanning roughly 30 feet in length and width.
They formed the first stance of the Nature Sword—a foundational sword form of Myriad Forms One Style that he had once sought to create.
"For many years, I yearned to attain the Sword Path, and through relentless effort, I completed a sword form embodying the patterns of nature."
Heonwon Dam-cheong fixed his gaze on Bu Eun-seol.
"But even after perfecting the sword art, I could not wield it properly. So, in the end, I gathered the essence of the Nature Sword separately and created Myriad Forms One Style anew."
He continued.
"I will give you three days to decipher this sword form. If you can do so, I will grant you the Gratitude Coin."
Then, without another word, he turned and retreated into the thatched cottage.
Bu Eun-seol, forgetting even to bow in farewell, stared transfixed at the sword art etched into the ground.
The purpose of a sword art is to subdue the enemy with profound stances.
But the sword technique inscribed here did not seek to subdue—it expressed the profound mysteries of nature.
'Can this even be called a sword art?'
Terrifyingly, the Nature Sword had no "end."
Once unleashed, it would not stop until it severed the enemy's breath.
Swish.
Bu Eun-seol picked up a fallen branch from the ground.
If one wished to discuss the mysteries of nature, there were many other ways.
Why did the Sword Sovereign choose to express nature through such a lethally refined sword art?
'Because it's infinite.'
All life is born, ages, and falls ill.
And it repeats this cycle endlessly.
The Sword Sovereign had equated nature's infinite principle with reincarnation—the cycle of life and death.
'Even if one comprehends the Sword Principle... knowing and executing are two different things.'
Grandmasters of martial arts research countless Divine Arts and Supreme Techniques to create new martial techniques.
Bu Eun-seol, too, possessed martial prowess and talent so profound that he could be called a young grandmaster without reservation.
But he had run forward too frantically.
He had never had the time to systematically organize the martial arts he had grasped or digest them slowly.
Thus, even with his exceptional intellect, he couldn't easily understand the Nature Sword, rendered in geometric lines and shapes.
'But I must succeed.'
Before he knew it, a full day had passed.
Bu Eun-seol stood motionless as a boulder, his gaze fixed on the sword forms.
Lost in time, he analyzed each Sword Stroke within the State of Selflessness.
Calculating strokes with his mind, unraveling them with his intellect—
For Bu Eun-seol, who had always advanced his martial arts through real combat, this was utterly unfamiliar.
But in another sense, this was yet another opportunity to elevate his martial realm.
Chirp, chirp.
Before he realized it, dawn had broken twice.
Two days passed, and now the morning of the third day arrived.
Then, with a creak, the door of the Thatched Cottage opened, revealing Heonwon Dam-cheong.
"You failed."
Bu Eun-seol stood exactly as he had three days prior, still clutching the tree branch.
In the end, he had been unable to dismantle the sword form.
"Leave."
Heonwon Dam-cheong's voice was icy.
"Do not further clutter this old man's mind."
Tap.
But then, Bu Eun-seol slowly raised the branch he held to mid-level.
"What are you doing?"
"If I can't establish the Dismantling Technique in my mind, then I must attempt it with my body."
Heonwon Dam-cheong's gaze turned dangerous.
"Do you think I drew those sword forms on the ground for no reason?"
"I know. It was consideration for me."
Though incomplete—
Had Heonwon Dam-cheong unleashed the Nature Sword upon Bu Eun-seol?
He wouldn't have been able to study it leisurely. He would have been grievously wounded on the spot.
"Knowing that, you still insist on reckless defiance?"
"Thanks to your consideration, I've spent three days thoroughly observing the Sword Strokes. Now, I must comprehend them with my body."
"Heh-heh-heh."
Heonwon Dam-cheong let out a hollow laugh.
It wasn't one of admiration—it was laughter brimming with Killing Intent.
"Indulged you a little, and now you dare pluck at my beard."
The moment his laughter ceased, Heonwon Dam-cheong's eyes filled with a murderous aura.
"Did you take this old man for a pushover?"
Whoosh!Thud!
As he extended his palm, a branch from a tree over thirty meters away flew into his grasp as if summoned.
"Fine. I'll demonstrate the Sword Stroke for you. But don't expect mercy."
Crackle.
At the same time, the branch Bu Eun-seol held crumbled to dust.
"Draw your sword. Don't make excuses."
Though the Sword Sovereign belonged to the Righteous Faction, his temper was fiery, and he spared no kindness in battle.
Furious that Bu Eun-seol had cast aside his goodwill and now sought to cross blades, his rage was palpable.
"Understood."
Shing.
As Bu Eun-seol drew Ink Soul Sword—
Snap!
Heonwon Dam-cheong immediately thrust his branch forward.
Despite the roughly six-meter distance between them, Bu Eun-seol felt as though his neck might be severed at any moment.
Thud.
Unable to dismantle the sword technique, Bu Eun-seol instantly unleashed Sword Qi from Ink Soul Sword, slashing at the branch.
Hum!
Despite meeting the razor-sharp Sword Qi, the frail branch didn't break.
Instead, hundreds of unfathomable energies surged from the slowly advancing branch, coiling around Bu Eun-seol's body.
Twitch, twitch!
Then, Ink Soul Sword began thrashing like a live fish.
The Peerless Defense Form, the Diamond Sword Control Form, had activated in response to the Killing Intent.
Swoosh!
As the strange energies were deflected by the Fluorescent Sword Control, they were reabsorbed into the branch Heonwon Dam-cheong held.
And still—
The branch continued its slow advance toward Bu Eun-seol.
A single Martial Form.
The one stroke Heonwon Dam-cheong had unleashed toward Bu Eun-seol's chest was still unfolding.
Zzzzzzt!
At that moment, an icy Frost Essence formed, blocking the path of the creeping branch.
Bu Eun-seol had merged Water Essence Divine Qi with the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, attempting to halt the sword form.
CRACK!
Yet that solid ice crystal shattered into fragments the moment it touched the wooden branch.
FLASH!
This time, violet lightning surged toward the branch, and scorching flames erupted.
It was the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, fused with Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
HISS!
But the flames lasted only an instant.
The branch swiftly returned to its pristine state and, before Bu Eun-seol could react, had already plunged deep into his chest.
FSSH—
However, the branch, now exposed alternately to the opposing forces of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang contained within the Two Spirit Energies,
could not withstand the strain.
The moment it touched Bu Eun-seol's body,
it crumbled into dust in an instant.
'This is not dismantling his sword technique.'
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
He had failed to block even a single Martial Form—a mere thrust aimed at his chest—and had only managed to halt the attack by destroying the branch itself.
Had he not reached the Extreme Heaven Realm, where he could stretch time to his advantage?
Had he not possessed the Two Spirit Energies and the power of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang?
Before he could even attempt multiple counters,
that branch would have already pierced deep through his heart.
—Silence.
Heonwon Dam-cheong's expression shifted subtly as he stared at the branch reduced to dust.
Never in his long history within the Martial World had anyone forced him to release something he held.
Yet this greenhorn, this unknown youth, had unleashed an alternating torrent of bizarre, unheard-of energies—
and shattered a wooden branch clad in Myriad Phenomena True Energy, a force said to be indestructible by any means.
—Glimmer.
A light entirely different from before flickered in Heonwon Dam-cheong's eyes.
'This brat... is dangerous.'
The reason Heonwon Dam-cheong had been able to leave the Murim without worry was
his confidence that the Orthodox Murim far surpassed the Demonic Path.
But if this boy were left unchecked?
An intuition struck him—that the Demonic Martial World would soon become reality.
'That must not come to pass.'
If such a rapidly growing monster were left alive, the balance of power that had long favored the righteous factions would soon collapse.
And so, he resolved to kill Bu Eun-seol.
"You merely shattered the branch in my hand using bizarre Internal Power. You did not dismantle the first form of my Nature Sword."
"I am aware."
Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully as he spoke.
"I humbly request another attempt."
Heonwon Dam-cheong narrowed his eyes at him.
"From now on, I will not wield a branch. Instead, I shall manifest the Myriad Phenomena True Energy itself to execute the Nature Sword. Do not resent me when you die."
In his prime, Heonwon Dam-cheong had created the Nature Sword, and through it, achieved Limitless Equal Enlightenment.
Then, delving deeper and deeper into the Sword Path, he finally reached the Martial Extreme Realm.
Now, standing firmly within that perfected realm—
even if his sword technique was incomplete, if he unleashed the Nature Sword with his finger as the blade?
Bu Eun-seol's death would be all but assured.
—WHOOSH.
As he extended a finger, the world darkened, and an eerie pressure surged from all directions.
That pressure did not merely bind Bu Eun-seol's Physical Body like ropes, rendering him immobile—
it also shattered the fortitude of his Spirit and Mind, flooding him with unease.
'He's gone.'
Not only that, but Heonwon Dam-cheong's figure before him had vanished entirely.
For a swordsman of terrifying skill to disappear from sight was akin to an unseen terror veiling Bu Eun-seol's vision.
And that terror pierced through his unshakable spirit,
bringing with it a suffocating dread—the fear that a razor-sharp blade might sever his throat at any moment, from any direction.
Had he not achieved Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough, he would have thrown down his sword and dropped to his knees instantly.
'He has resolved to kill me.'
Though his sword technique was incomplete, the one wielding it was none other than the Sword Sovereign, Heonwon Dam-cheong.
Now that he had summoned the Myriad Phenomena True Energy, even a careless swing of his sword could send Bu Eun-seol's head flying.
'I discarded my life the moment I stepped into the Martial World anyway.'
As death loomed closer, Bu Eun-seol felt, paradoxically, a profound tranquility.
All the turbulent emotions within him faded away, and his spirit became unshakably firm.
For the first time in this extreme battle, he entered a state of perfect Zen Concentration—something he had never before attained.
—SLASH!
Then, from somewhere, the sound of water echoed.
It was the sound of razor-sharp Sword Qi pouring toward Bu Eun-seol's body.
Heonwon Dam-cheong's sword technique had not yet fully unfolded. Yet, how could such a crisp, cleaving sound already be heard?
—RIIING.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's vision blurred—
The world appeared as though it had been split in half and then haphazardly stitched back together.
Ptui.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol spat out a single mouthful of blood.
'A Mind Sword, was it?'
Heonwon Dam-cheong had shaped his Nature Sword Form into the form of a Mind Sword, striking directly at Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind.
'I almost died.'
Fortunately, Bu Eun-seol had not only achieved the Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough, but his state of mind had also been at its absolute peak just moments before.
That was why he had been able to endure even after being struck by Heonwon Dam-cheong's Mind Sword.
But Heonwon Dam-cheong, unaware of this fact, looked as though he had seen a ghost.
'After taking my Mind Sword, he only spat out a single mouthful of blood?'
He had already known that Bu Eun-seol's internal energy and martial prowess were extraordinary, surpassing even those of past generations.
The Nature Sword was still an incomplete sword form—one he had not yet perfected. He had thought that, just maybe, Bu Eun-seol might be able to break it.
So he had transformed the Nature Sword into a Mind Sword, intending to cleave through Bu Eun-seol's spirit first—
And yet, all the boy had done was cough up a single mouthful of blood?
"Then try taking this!"
Sshhhk—!
At last, Heonwon Dam-cheong fully unleashed the Nature Sword Form, pouring it down upon Bu Eun-seol.
Tzzzt—!
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated his movement technique, attempting to escape the domain of Heonwon Dam-cheong's sword strokes.
'Damn.'
But it was only after retreating that he realized—
The range of the sword momentum within Heonwon Dam-cheong's sword form wasn't limited to just Bu Eun-seol.
It enveloped the entire hillside.
'If I can't dismantle it, then I'll clash with it head-on!'
Hwoom—!
In that instant, a five-colored radiance surged from Bu Eun-seol's body.
From the moment he had resolved to dismantle Heonwon Dam-cheong's sword techniques directly, he had already drawn upon every ounce of power within him.
If an absolute swordsman like the Sword Sovereign was attacking in earnest, there was no way to withstand it.
His original plan had been to invoke Harmonization and dismantle the Nature Sword Form.
Sssshhhhaaa—!
The unstoppable sword strokes of the Great Nature cascaded down upon Bu Eun-seol.
Hwoom—!
As overwhelming pressure coiled around his entire body, the Prajna Great Power manifested instinctively.
Time seemed to freeze.
Every force within his body aligned in perfect stability, and the five-colored radiance flowing from him grew even more intense.
'No.'
In that moment, a single realization flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
'I can't push outward.'
Back when he had escaped the underground mechanism of the Sword Tomb—
To survive the inescapable collapse, Bu Eun-seol had not expelled the Power of Harmony outward.
Instead, he had spread it in a circular motion, wrapping it around his body like hard qi, allowing him to escape the brink of death.
Heonwon Dam-cheong's Nature Sword was the same—
Neither evadable nor blockable, it would continue unfolding endlessly until it severed the enemy's breath.
Even if he wrapped himself in hard qi formed from Harmonization, he wouldn't be able to withstand it indefinitely.
Fwoooosh—!
Meanwhile, the swirling sword qi had engulfed the entire hillside.
The Nature Sword Form would not dissipate until every life in this place had been extinguished.
But perhaps because his Two Spirit Energies and martial arts had deepened further—
The moment he contained Harmonization within his body, time began to flow infinitely slower.
'If life and death are an endlessly turning wheel...'
A lightning-like realization flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
'Doesn't the Buddhist Order call liberation the act of breaking free from the bondage of that cycle?'
—The sea of suffering has no end, but if you turn your head, the other shore is right there...
For an instant, the image of Blood Vajra surfaced in his mind—smiling before Great Master Jeong-yeong as he breathed his last.
Favors and grudges, blood debts, vengeance.
Blood Vajra had sought to sever that vicious cycle, and at the brink of death—
He had achieved it by asking his master for forgiveness.
'Then all I need to do is take a single step outside the wheel of reincarnation, don't I?'
No matter how formidable the Nature Sword Form was—
No matter how incredible its techniques—
If he simply stepped outside the "phenomenon" created by the Sword Sovereign Heonwon Dam-cheong, wouldn't that be enough?
Ssshaaa...
As this realization settled in, the five-colored radiance glowing from Bu Eun-seol's body transformed into wind—
Sweeping through the space between Heonwon Dam-cheong and himself.
Ssshaaaaa...
Then, a vast space opened between the two of them, and the five-colored radiance filling that space began to illuminate the entire world in dazzling light.
Hwaak—!
Finally, as the radiance faded—
The world, once bleached white, regained its original colors, and Heonwon Dam-cheong's figure appeared before Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"How?"
Heonwon Dam-cheong was utterly stunned.
Through the Nature Sword, he had witnessed Limitless Equal Enlightenment occurring repeatedly, allowing him to grasp the clue to the Supreme Sword Path—
And immediately enter the Martial Extreme Realm.
From that day onward, he had transcended the framework of martial arts.
Whether it was the Nature Sword Art, the Myriad Forms One Style, the Three Calamities Sword Technique, or the Eight-Flow Sword Art—
No matter what he unleashed, he could cut down any living being—human or animal—without so much as lifting a finger.
And yet, the moment light flashed from Bu Eun-seol's body—
The Nature Sword Form he had poured forth had completely vanished.