Chapter 571
Paaah!
Baek Mu-seong's expression grew increasingly grim as he rode the qi and ascended the wind, leading his injured unit members.
Though he had sealed their acupoints, blood continued to seep relentlessly from their wounds, and their skin gradually darkened to an inky black.
At this rate, they wouldn't last much longer before drawing their final breaths.
Oooom!
Pausing his Lightness Skill for a moment, he channeled Prajna Zen Energy and infused True Qi into his men.
Yet while their blackened skin briefly returned to its normal hue, the bleeding did not stop.
'Is there truly no way to block this demonic energy?'
Baek Mu-seong bit his lip.
Throughout his years wandering the martial world, he had faced countless formidable foes—but never once had he failed to overcome them.
Yet this Killing Ghost not only possessed regenerative abilities that transcended human limits—
But also wielded bizarre sorcery that could not be broken through martial arts alone.
BOOM!
At that moment, a faint explosion and vibration rippled through the air.
It seemed Seon-u Jin and the Killing Ghost had begun their battle.
'Come to think of it...'
Looking back, it was strange.
The Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy—something even the Shaolin Seventy-Two Supreme Arts could neither dispel nor block—had been severed effortlessly by him.
'Does that mean he has reached a higher realm than me?'
Baek Mu-seong shook his head.
He had mastered not only the Seventy-Two Supreme Arts but also the secret techniques of Blood Shaolin.
Even if Seon-u Jin had attained the state of Returning to Plainness, he should still be able to gauge his martial prowess at a glance.
'Could he have reached the realm of Tranquil Stillness?'
When both internal and external cultivation reached the Extreme Realm, and the physical body achieved the Harmonized Golden Source—
One entered the state of Tranquil Stillness, where no energy was emitted until power was unleashed.
Was it possible that Seon-u Jin had surpassed his own martial studies to the point where his strength could no longer be measured?
BOOM! BOOM!
Meanwhile, explosions continued to erupt one after another.
Baek Mu-seong's heart grew restless.
'I've been too arrogant.'
The reason he had always maintained such a composed demeanor until now—
Was because he had always held the advantage and initiative over anyone he faced.
After all, humans could not help but be lenient toward those beneath them.
Among the younger generation, no one possessed talent comparable to his. And after becoming a disciple of the Buddha Honored One, his status had risen immeasurably.
The only time he had ever lost the initiative was in front of the woman he admired—Gongson Dan-gyeong.
But if Seon-u Jin was truly a person who surpassed him—
If he alone defeated the Killing Ghost, whom Baek Mu-seong had failed to eliminate—
What would come after... was something he didn't even want to imagine.
Paaah!
Continuously propelling himself with Harnessing Qi and Rising on the Wind, Baek Mu-seong soon arrived at a small village near Daeryun Mountain.
But the fatally wounded unit members had already breathed their last.
Baek Mu-seong lowered his head.
These were men he had personally trained—warriors who had left the Martial Alliance with high spirits, tasked with exterminating the Killing Ghost.
Yet they had been unable to withstand the terrifying power of the Earthly Killing Star, ultimately becoming guests who would never return.
'This cannot stand.'
The focus in Baek Mu-seong's pupils vanished.
He had come to the Martial Alliance, defying fierce opposition from the factions behind him—all to stand tall by his own strength and win Gongson Dan-gyeong.
But if he returned now, having lost all his subordinates? His entire plan would crumble to nothing.
"..."
Staring blankly at the fallen unit members—
KWAOOOOM!
—he unleashed the Nine Grades of the Lotus Platform with all his might and shot back toward the village where the Earthly Killing Star waited.
KWAAAAH!
Streaking through the air like a meteor, Baek Mu-seong roared inwardly:
'I absolutely cannot allow it!'
[I see.]
Shrouded in a transparent energy—
The Earthly Killing Star sneered as he observed Bu Eun-seol blocking the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy.
[So you're from the Moon Shadow Unit.]
Within the Martial Alliance, there existed the Demon-Banishing War Unit—specialists who studied sorcery and Esoteric Ritual Arts.
They were none other than the Moon Shadow Unit.
Trained in techniques to repel corrupt energies—
The Earthly Killing Star assumed the energy flowing through Bu Eun-seol's body was the Demon-Banishing Formation Technique mastered by Moon Shadow operatives.
[But blocking it won't do you any good.]
His expression remained composed.
The Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy possessed many mystical functions.
It could cling to an enemy's body, allowing its wielder to replicate similar martial techniques—or unleash razor-sharp energy.
Moreover—
By sensing the counterforce upon contact with the skin, it could instantly gauge the level of one's martial arts.
'Three hundred years of internal energy, martial prowess just beyond the threshold of the Transcendent Realm.'
The Earthly Killing Star smirked.
Aside from the power that blocked the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy—this brat was far inferior to that other youngster who had unleashed Shaolin martial arts earlier.
'Then this will do just fine.'
The Earthly Killing Star curled his lips into a cruel smile.
He had just thought of a way to quickly dispose of that troublesome pest.
KWAH—AAAH!
But then, the Sound of Breaking Air roared from the distant sky.
In that brief moment, Baek Mu-seong had already arrived.
KWANG!
The instant he landed, Baek Mu-seong executed the Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere stance, spreading his Palm Energy in a wide arc.
BOOM!
A massive hand-shadow left a colossal handprint nearly four feet wide near where the Earthly Killing Star had been standing.
"Brother Baek."
Bu Eun-seol regarded Baek Mu-seong, who had landed beside him, and asked calmly:
"Are the Unit Members unharmed?"
Baek Mu-seong flinched slightly.
Instead of answering, his body trembled faintly.
WHOOSH—
At the same time, a swirling Micro-wind surged from his tightly clenched fist, rushing toward the Earthly Killing Star.
BOOM!
The Earthly Killing Star swiftly sidestepped.
The boulder behind where he had stood shattered into fragments.
This was the subtlety of Shaolin's secret art, the Hundred-Step Divine Fist—a technique that allowed one to unleash Fist Energy from any stance upon reaching Grand Perfection.
"I must kill that bastard to appease the vengeful spirits of our fallen comrades."
Baek Mu-seong's eyes were bloodshot.
"So stay out of this."
TAT!
Like a madman, Baek Mu-seong charged at the Earthly Killing Star.
His shadow vanished entirely in his blinding speed, only the occasional flicker of his dark hair dancing chaotically in the air.
The Shaolin secret techniques he unleashed at full force became a raging storm, threatening to tear the world apart.
The aftermath was overwhelming.
Even Bu Eun-seol, standing far from the epicenter, felt an enormous pressure crushing his chest.
[How spirited.]
The Earthly Killing Star, evading attacks with lightning-quick movements, bared his teeth in a grin.
WHOOSH— FWOOOOSH!
Then, the corpses of the Unit Members who had perished in the village shot forward like arrows.
"Brother Baek!"
Bu Eun-seol immediately stepped forward, using the subtle principles of Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade to safely catch each flying corpse.
Meanwhile, Baek Mu-seong seized an opening in the Earthly Killing Star's movements and closed the distance.
SHWAK!
In response, the Earthly Killing Star encased himself in a wall of Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy.
"Brother Baek! It's a trap!"
Bu Eun-seol shouted as he caught the corpses one by one.
But Baek Mu-seong ignored him and plunged straight through the barrier.
SHWAK!
The moment he entered, as if lying in wait—
Hundreds of Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy spikes sprouted like cactus needles.
PSSHT!
Finally, impaled by the energy, Baek Mu-seong froze in place.
[Now I've got you.]
The Earthly Killing Star let out a gleeful, sinister laugh.
Killing this Shaolin disciple would yield far greater power than slaughtering thousands of ordinary men.
[Once fully pierced by the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy, the body can no longer move.]
SWOOSH!
The Earthly Killing Star reached for Baek Mu-seong's head.
[Now die.]
SHWAK!
Just as the razor-sharp energy coiled around Baek Mu-seong's neck—
"I was wondering when you'd take the bait."
A blazing fire ignited in Baek Mu-seong's eyes as he seized his moment of triumph.
He had knowingly walked into the trap—deliberately breaking through the barrier.
Because only then could he create the perfect opportunity to kill the Earthly Killing Star. Only then could he secure Gongson Dan-gyeong.
OOOONG—
A majestic aura erupted from Baek Mu-seong's body, accompanied by a golden radiance.
GRAB!
At the same time, his hand clamped around the Earthly Killing Star's throat.
Using the Prajna Great Power he had concealed all along, he expelled the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy from his body and moved in an instant.
"This is a power that cannot exist without Divine Power."
Golden energy surged violently in Baek Mu-seong's eyes.
"Evil belongs in Hell."
CRACK!
Channeling every last drop of Prajna Great Power, he snapped the Earthly Killing Star's neck.
THUD.
Without even a final scream, the Earthly Killing Star collapsed, his neck twisted grotesquely, now a lifeless corpse.
His vital signs had vanished completely—instant death.
"Hah... hah..."
Having slain the Earthly Killing Star, Baek Mu-seong staggered, gasping for breath.
"Sacrificed flesh to claim the bone."
He looked down at the corpse and smiled brightly.
He had won a high-stakes gamble, and in the end, he had personally executed that vile Killing Ghost.
"I owe you an apology."
After taking a deep breath, Baek Mu-seong met Bu Eun-seol's gaze and spoke honestly.
"I thought you were beneath me—that's why I could so boldly tell you we should compete."
The composure that had always lingered on his face was now completely gone, replaced by the realization that Seon-u Jin was every bit as strong as he was.
"Everything about me until now has been a lie."
Perhaps the mere thought that Seon-u Jin might surpass him and ascend to the position of Leader had already planted fear in his heart.
If he lost his merits in this state, he might never regain his confidence again.
Once momentum was lost, the trigger to reclaim it rarely came easily.
That was why he had pushed himself to the limit—just to ensure he was the one to eliminate the Killing Ghost.
"Brother Baek."
As Bu Eun-seol approached, Baek Mu-seong forced a bitter smile and muttered,
"Asking you to understand me on a day like this is..."
Swish!
Then, something astonishing happened.
The Earthly Killing Star—whose neck had been snapped, whose breath had ceased—suddenly widened his eyes and unleashed a torrent of overwhelming energy straight at Baek Mu-seong.
How could a man whose heart had stopped, whose life had been completely extinguished, possibly return to life?
"Look out!"
Bu Eun-seol was the first to sense the Earthly Killing Star's reaction.
Instinctively, he threw himself forward, intercepting the surge of energy meant for Baek Mu-seong.
Boom!
The moment the devastating palm energy struck him—
Bu Eun-seol was sent flying hundreds of feet away, as if he had been hit by a boulder.
This was a bizarre force entirely different from the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy.
"Commander Seon-u!"
Baek Mu-seong, shocked, twisted his body to rush to Bu Eun-seol's aid.
Swish!
But the Earthly Killing Star had already anticipated his reaction.
The instant Baek Mu-seong turned, a razor-sharp Gang Qi sliced through the air in a crescent arc—aimed straight for his throat.
"Ghk—!"
Baek Mu-seong barely managed to block it with his right forearm.
Sssk—!
Yet the Gang Qi pierced through, unleashing a vicious energy into his flesh.
"Kuh—!"
As the malicious force burrowed into his body, Baek Mu-seong threw his head back with a pained groan.
Gong—!
At the same time, a deep, bell-like vibration resonated from his body.
Unbeknownst to him, the Earthly Killing Star had already unleashed another wave of Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy—slamming it into his back.
Pfft—!
Finally, Baek Mu-seong vomited a thick mouthful of blood.
Though his Vajra Indestructible Body had instinctively activated, the suddenness of the assault had prevented him from fully defending against it.
"Ugh—Haaap!"
As darkness encroached on his vision and his consciousness wavered, Baek Mu-seong roared and thrust both palms forward.
The Diamond Prajna Palm—a technique infused with his lifelong cultivation.
Thud.
But before the force of his palms could even reach the Earthly Killing Star—
He collapsed, unconscious.
Crack.
The Earthly Killing Star straightened his twisted neck and slowly rose to his feet.
[To think I was forced to use my trump card...]
He strode toward the unconscious Baek Mu-seong.
Swish!
From behind him, dozens of tendrils of Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy surged forth.
He intended to sever Baek Mu-seong's head right then and there.
"If I kill you, I'll ascend to the Extreme Realm in an instant."
Swish—!
Just as the razor-sharp energy coalesced into a single blade poised to split Baek Mu-seong's neck—
Halt.
The gleaming black energy suddenly froze midair.
[Since when—?]
The Earthly Killing Star's eyes flashed.
Bu Eun-seol—who had been sent flying—had returned without notice.
Transparent blue energy radiated from him, forming a massive circular barrier.
Crunch.
The moment the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy touched the Water Essence Divine Qi, its nature hardened—as if turned to solid stone.
Crack—!
Shattering the petrified energy like glass, Bu Eun-seol didn't even glance at the Earthly Killing Star—instead checking Baek Mu-seong's condition.
'Damn it.'
His expression darkened as he assessed the damage.
Baek Mu-seong's life wasn't in danger—but the problem was the malicious energy that had pierced his right forearm.
The razor-sharp force had torn through every nerve and muscle in his arm.
Even if Hua Tuo himself were resurrected, restoring that arm to its original state would be impossible.
"Brother Baek."
A flicker of pain crossed Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he pressed the Demon Blood Point on the unconscious man's body.
All Baek Mu-seong had ever wanted was Gongson Dan-gyeong's love.
Yet to someone who had felt genuine friendship for him—
He had revealed the wretched, petty face hidden beneath the title of the Golden Upright Divine Dragon.
And now, his arm was crippled... He might very well plunge into an abyss of despair from which there was no return.
Crack.
As Bu Eun-seol turned, his pupils blazed with the bloody light of an erupting volcano.
Step. Step.
Walking straight toward the Earthly Killing Star, he spoke in a low, icy voice.
"You don't deserve to live."
It was King Enma's ultimatum.
[Ghk... Hahahaha!]
The Earthly Killing Star burst into laughter instead.
As long as the corpses of those he had slaughtered littered the ground around him, he was akin to a god reigning over this land.
Moreover, through the energy rising from the earth, he had instantly discerned that Baek Mu-seong possessed extraordinary skill and internal energy.
Of course, Earthly Killing Star had also discerned that Bu Eun-seol possessed formidable internal energy—enough to wield sword-flight techniques.
But beyond that, he seemed nothing more than an ordinary master without any particularly remarkable traits.
[With what confidence...]
Earthly Killing Star's eyes widened as he stared at Bu Eun-seol, a sneer curling his lips.
Whoosh.
From the body of the young man he had dismissed as insignificant, an overwhelming surge of energy—one he hadn't sensed until now—was spreading outward.
[Who are you?]
BOOM!
With an explosive sound, Earthly Killing Star's body was sent flying over two hundred feet backward.
CRASH! THUD!
Like a cannonball, he smashed through a massive boulder before crashing unceremoniously onto the ground.
Thud. Thud.
Through the dust, a shadow with gleaming crimson eyes gazed down at him.
[Heh heh heh...]
Yet Earthly Killing Star didn't seem to feel pain—instead, he let out a sinister chuckle as he pushed himself back up.
[With mere fist techniques like this...]
Swoosh!
Before he could finish speaking, the sheathed Ink Soul Sword erupted in a flash of light.
Whoosh.
In that instant, a crimson energy spread in all directions, freezing time itself.
A killing sword technique that seized the fleeting moment of stillness to deliver instant death—the pinnacle of extreme speed.
The Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form had been unleashed.
Schlick.
Earthly Killing Star stood frozen, his body tilted at an unnatural angle.
SPURT!
Simultaneously, a fountain of blood gushed three feet high from his throat.
He hadn't anticipated that an unavoidable killing sword technique of such extreme speed would be unleashed at close range.
His eyes bulged wide, his movements locked in shock.
Thud.
Finally, his body collapsed like a bundle of straw.
In a single move, Bu Eun-seol had delivered a fatal blow.
"Get up."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was low, his crimson-burning eyes fixed on Earthly Killing Star.
"I know you're not dead."
Twitch.
At those words, Earthly Killing Star's body arched like a drawn bow before slowly rising.
[An impressive sword technique.]
His eyes flashed with something like admiration.
[And an extreme killing sword technique at that. Does the Martial Alliance teach such things these days?]
"I won't kill you in one strike."
The flames of calamity burning in Bu Eun-seol's pupils were hotter than the fires of hell.
"I'll make you feel despair and terror first—then I'll kill you."
[Heh heh heh...]
Even after witnessing Bu Eun-seol's terrifying martial prowess, Earthly Killing Star smirked with eerie composure.
[In all my years in the martial world, I've never seen someone as exceptional as you.]
His crimson tongue flicked out as he nodded at Bu Eun-seol.
[If I kill you, this old man will ascend to the Extreme Realm—and master the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy in its perfect form.]
SHWOOOSH!
At the same time, dozens of black tendrils of Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy erupted from the ground within roughly a 100-foot radius, shooting skyward before plunging back down at terrifying speed.
But instead of targeting Bu Eun-seol, they were aimed at Baek Mu-seong, who lay motionless in the distance.
Realizing Bu Eun-seol's martial arts were far superior, Earthly Killing Star had deliberately struck at his weakness—Baek Mu-seong.
TSCHK!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol lunged into the storm of black energy to save him.
Seizing the opportunity, Earthly Killing Star drove a vicious force into Bu Eun-seol's pressure points.
But in truth, it wasn't Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy—it was hand steel unleashed through the Demon-Sealing Soul-Summoning Hand, a forbidden technique capable of splitting even a treasured sword in two.
Shockingly, Earthly Killing Star wasn't just wielding bizarre power—he was also using the Extinction Demon Arts, a demonic martial tradition long thought extinct in the martial world.
[HAHAHA! You never expected this kind of technique, did you?]
Struck by the torrent of hand steel, Bu Eun-seol looked as though he had been impaled by dozens of black spears.
[This is orthodox demonic martial arts—your Demon-Banishing Formation Technique won't stop it.]
Drip.
But then, the mocking laughter died in Earthly Killing Star's throat.
Disbelief flickered in his eyes.
The Demon-Sealing Soul-Summoning Hand, which could pierce even iron-hard boulders... had failed to penetrate Bu Eun-seol's skin, stopping dead in its tracks.
[How?]
"The Demon-Sealing Soul-Summoning Hand."
Bu Eun-seol smiled coldly as he observed the hand steel embedded in his body.
"It's like a cheap imitation of the Willful True Binding."
Zzzzt.
Upon closer inspection, black true qi was rising from Bu Eun-seol's body, repelling the hand steel with identical force.
It was none other than the Willful True Binding—a secret technique from the Emotion Severing Secret Art, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's forbidden legacy.
[You—who the hell are you?!]
As Earthly Killing Star roared, Bu Eun-seol raised the Ink Soul Sword and spoke icily.
"Ask King Enma yourself."
Grrind.
For the first time, fury seeped into Earthly Killing Star's eyes—emotion he had never shown before.
He had always reigned above humans, reaping lives as easily as the Death God himself.
But now, this brat possessed power surpassing his own. Humiliation and rage consumed him.
[You arrogant bastard.]
WHOOSH—!
Earthly Killing Star summoned the Hundred-Spirit Earthly Killing Energy at full strength.
Black smoke rose from the corpses scattered throughout the village, staining the entire sky in darkness.
SHWOOOOO—!
The blackened energy, now as unavoidable as a natural calamity, transformed into a torrential downpour—
And rained down endlessly upon Bu Eun-seol's head.