Chapter 586
Langya Mind's Eye
Stimulated by Baekri Mu-jo's overwhelming martial prowess, the Langya Mind's Eye—the highest realm of Practical Combat Martial Arts—unconsciously manifested within Bu Eun-seol.
KWA-RUNG!
In that instant, Baekri Mu-jo's sword strike once again cleaved toward Bu Eun-seol's body.
It carried the weight of the entire world's strength, as swift as lightning striking the earth.
Yet, with the senses granted by the Langya Mind's Eye, Bu Eun-seol's eyes could clearly trace its trajectory.
'I'll shatter it!'
FLASH!
At the same time, a violet thunderbolt erupted from the Ink Soul Sword, carving a zigzag path through the air.
The killing sword of extreme speed—the Peerless Thunderbolt—unleashed.
SHIIING!
But Baekri Mu-jo reacted as if he had predicted the sword's path.
He immediately released a surge of immense energy, twisting the trajectory of his lightning-fast killing sword technique.
Yet, Bu Eun-seol had already anticipated that movement.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The Peerless Thunderbolt, deviating from its original path, changed direction midair four times, each strike aiming for Baekri Mu-jo's throat.
In an instant, the Peerless Thunderbolt transformed into the Nine Dragons Flashing Thunder, a new killing sword technique designed to split Baekri Mu-jo's body in half.
CLANG!
With an eerie metallic resonance, the Ink Soul Sword and the white treasured sword froze in midair.
To be precise—the Ink Soul Sword.
Like a salmon leaping upstream, it pierced through the flaw in Baekri Mu-jo's sword strokes, striking precisely at the weakest point of the blade—the center of the sword's body.
"Hmm."
In that moment, Baekri Mu-jo's gaze shifted.
"Interesting."
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Bu Eun-seol.
At a glance, it seemed like an elegant smile—but within those narrowed pupils, a white killing intent flickered.
It was as if a demon with white irises was grinning.
"To conceal your strength and stake everything on martial arts alone... Admirable."
Baekri Mu-jo had discerned that Bu Eun-seol had sealed away his trump cards, choosing to fight solely with martial skill.
"So it wasn't mere luck that you ascended to the Seat of the Four Gods and Seven Kings..."
As Baekri Mu-jo spoke, black smoke seemed to spread in all directions.
"...was it?"
BOOM!
The moment his words ended, a tremor shook the very earth.
Simultaneously, a torrent of sword qi cascaded down upon Bu Eun-seol's head.
'I can't grasp its trajectory.'
Though the sword strike clearly descended from above, its path was imperceptible.
No—it was impossible to even tell whether Baekri Mu-jo had executed a sword technique at all.
BOOM!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol immediately retreated backward.
Then, Baekri Mu-jo took another step forward.
BOOM!
Another massive tremor followed, and once again, sword qi rained down upon Bu Eun-seol's body.
But it was invisible—its trajectory impossible to predict.
Realizing he couldn't block this attack either, Bu Eun-seol retreated again.
"Heh."
Baekri Mu-jo chuckled lowly, continuing to advance step by step.
BOOM! BOOM!
With each step he took, unseen lethal strikes flew toward Bu Eun-seol, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.
The sword qi was invisible. Its target, its strokes—none of it could be sensed.
Of course, given the distance, he could theoretically retreat endlessly—but what if he kept falling back?
Not only would his spirit wither, but he would also be forced to acknowledge the insurmountable gap in their martial prowess.
'Despair.'
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol recalled Master Blacksmith Wang Geol, who had been defeated by Paeng Ak after the latter mastered the Blade Emperor's Ultimate Art.
When fighting Wang Geol, Paeng Ak had deliberately exaggerated the disparity in their martial arts, using it as a psychological tactic.
In the end, Wang Geol spent the rest of his life in despondency, crushed by the despair of never being able to defeat Paeng Ak.
And now, Baekri Mu-jo was doing the same.
He was employing that very strategy—to ensure Bu Eun-seol would never dare oppose him for the rest of his life.
'Petty tricks.'
SHIIING—
For a moment, the world seemed to freeze—then the Ink Soul Sword's blade began to glow crimson.
A demonic sword technique capable of showing death before the eyes—the One-Strike Kill.
The Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form was unleashed.
"Hmph."
Baekri Mu-jo scoffed, releasing another invisible sword strike.
But Bu Eun-seol's target wasn't Baekri Mu-jo's neck.
CLANG!
With a clear metallic ring, a massive shockwave erupted in all directions.
Once again, Bu Eun-seol had struck Baekri Mu-jo's sword with the Ink Soul Sword.
KWA-UU!
At the same time, a barrier of black true qi enveloped Bu Eun-seol's body.
Having chosen to strike Baekri Mu-jo's sword instead of defending himself, he now had no means of protection.
Thus, he immediately activated the Willful True Binding, preparing to endure Baekri Mu-jo's unseen sword strike with his own body.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying sideways, skidding back about ten meters.
"Tch."
Yet almost immediately, he emerged from the swirling dust, spitting out a mouthful of blood with an eerily composed gaze.
"Let's try again."
His warrior spirit was bone-chilling, but Baekri Mu-jo merely smiled faintly and swung his sword once more.
Clang! Clang!
This time was different.
Bu Eun-seol stood his ground, instantly deflecting the invisible slashes of Baekri Mu-jo's blade.
"...I see."
Baekri Mu-jo lowered his treasured sword, inspecting it.
"Quite a sturdy blade."
Since Bu Eun-seol couldn't perceive Baekri Mu-jo's sword strikes, he had deliberately clashed his Ink Soul Sword against the white treasured sword.
After two consecutive collisions, an imperceptibly fine crack had formed along the blade—so minute it was invisible to the naked eye.
And from that crack seeped an almost inaudible Sound of Breaking Air.
It was through this that Bu Eun-seol could finally detect the sword qi he had been unable to see or sense until now.
"A bit disappointing."
Baekri Mu-jo clicked his tongue, eyeing Bu Eun-seol.
"Of all people, a prodigy like you had to stray onto the Demonic Path."
"Why are you stalling?"
Bu Eun-seol realized Baekri Mu-jo was deliberately prolonging the fight and questioned him.
"Wouldn't it be better to unleash your Sacred Sword and settle this quickly?"
"Because it's enjoyable."
Baekri Mu-jo's lips curled into a wide, leisurely smile.
"When else would I get the chance to face martial talent like yours?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered.
Baekri Mu-jo was a man far more obsessed with martial arts—and life-or-death duels—than even he was.
"Come to think of it, I don't understand."
Baekri Mu-jo tilted his head slightly.
"Why you're avoiding a decisive battle, looking for a chance to escape. Killing me would earn you greater fame and authority."
In the past, Bu Eun-seol would have ended the fight without hesitation.
But not now.
If he lost here, Yang Seol-rin would be captured.
She might be tortured horribly—or even killed.
"Ah."
Finally grasping Bu Eun-seol's thoughts, Baekri Mu-jo shook his head.
"I didn't realize you were so devoted to her."
His gaze shifted toward Yang Seol-rin, standing about ninety meters away, and he nodded.
"I'll let her go."
Whoosh.
The moment he spoke, the invisible currents sealing the area dissipated entirely.
"Didn't the Martial Alliance order her capture?"
Bu Eun-seol asked, puzzled, but Baekri Mu-jo only smiled faintly.
"It's a shame to waste such a rare opportunity... but what can I do? A greater pleasure awaits."
'Opportunity?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
Baekri Mu-jo's answer was cryptic.
There was no way to guess whose orders he was following—or why he had been sent to capture Yang Seol-rin.
"Leave. Now."
With the Boundary Formation gone, Bu Eun-seol spoke to Yang Seol-rin.
"That way, this Lord can fight without restraint."
His tone was indifferent, but the words were meant to reassure her—so she could depart without worry.
Yang Seol-rin, who had been glaring fiercely at Baekri Mu-jo, nodded at Bu Eun-seol.
"Next time..."
She whispered softly, tenderly.
"...I'll take you with me. To my home."
She knew.
The odds of Bu Eun-seol winning were slim.
But at the same time, she believed.
That he wouldn't fall.
So she told him—next time, she would take him home.
"Very well."
At his indifferent reply, Yang Seol-rin giggled.
Her smile was dazzling, like morning sunlight banishing the dark—beautiful beyond words.
Fwip!
In an instant, she activated her Movement Technique and vanished into the sky.
"Now then, shall we truly begin?"
The moment Yang Seol-rin left, Baekri Mu-jo tilted his head.
He was undeniably the strongest among the Seven Great Leaders, a man who never revealed joy or anger.
The depths of his martial arts were unfathomable.
'Then...'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize—the probability that this man was the murderer who had killed his grandfather was extremely high.
"I have a question."
"Your last words?"
"Think what you will."
"Ask away."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath, locking eyes with Baekri Mu-jo.
Then, in a voice both heavy and razor-sharp, he spoke aloud:
"Did you... kill the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
A flicker of confusion surfaced in Baekri Mu-jo's pupils.
"The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang has been missing for thirty years. Why would you claim that I killed him?"
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
No matter how closely he scrutinized him—
He couldn't discern whether Pavilion Lord Baekri was lying or telling the truth.
'To begin with, it was unreasonable to expect a single question to expose the murderer.'
Though it hadn't been a fair fight, the killer was a master capable of crossing blades with his grandfather, the once-invincible Saber Master.
A few probing words wouldn't shake his spirit or leave any trace on his body.
"It was a pointless question."
Bu Eun-seol raised the Mourning Soul Sword.
He hadn't yet forged his own martial realm.
He hadn't uncovered the killer's traces, nor his own origins.
And Baekri Mu-jo was a master concealing his true strength—one he couldn't guarantee defeating.
But so what?
He had given his all, day after day.
Even if he lost this battle, he would feel no regret.
Oom—
As he drew his Internal Energy to its limits, the power of the Two Spirit Energies faintly surged through him.
Faced with an overwhelming foe, his energy instinctively awakened.
"You've hidden far too much."
"The same could be said of you."
"Perhaps."
KWAANG!
A deafening explosion tore through the air, leaving a gaping black void where Bu Eun-seol had stood moments before.
The hole was so deep the bottom couldn't be seen.
"As fast as ever."
Baekri Mu-jo nodded slightly as he observed Bu Eun-seol, who had already shifted 30 feet to the side.
"I'll drag out every last bit of it."
"With that sword?"
Tzzk—
A crack had already formed along Baekri Mu-jo's blade.
When the Pavilion Lord unleashed an invisible sword strike—
Bu Eun-seol had dodged the attack and, in the same imperceptible motion, struck his treasured sword again.
"Hoho."
Baekri Mu-jo lifted his sword with an indifferent expression.
"Did you think shattering my blade would give you the upper hand?"
KWAJIJIK—
As he channeled his Internal Power, the outer layer of the treasured sword crumbled away—
Revealing an impossibly slender blade hidden within.
Thinner than even the Namgung Clan's Golden Needle Sword, it resembled nothing so much as a single skewer—a rapier.
'Like Grandfather, he forged a sword within a sword.'
His grandfather's beloved weapon, Journey, combined a dagger with the saber's blade.
But that had been to keep anyone from wielding the great saber that held the saber manual—
A concealed mechanism in the hilt, designed for both secrecy and close-quarters versatility.
Yet why had Baekri Mu-jo hidden a rapier, differing only in thickness, inside his treasured sword?
After a moment's contemplation, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"The outer sword was merely a tool for deploying a boundary formation."
At this deduction, Baekri Mu-jo's lips curled slightly.
"Most try to flee. I had to keep them in place."
A short answer—but chilling in its implications.
Because his enemies always attempted escape, he had crafted a treasured sword that doubled as a Dharma Instrument—
A weapon capable of single-handedly activating a boundary formation to trap them.
"You'd best not run either."
SHIIK!
As Baekri Mu-jo thrust the rapier forward, a faint Sound of Breaking Air accompanied the sudden exposure of a vital point on Bu Eun-seol's chest.
There was no time to analyze the sword technique or shift to defense.
Moreover, the sword strokes were so swift that before the thrust could pierce his chest, identical strikes had already targeted his lower abdomen and throat.
SWISH!
Bu Eun-seol instantly unleashed the Waning Moon Morning Star in rapid succession, carving massive cruciform sword energies in all directions.
It was a desperate defense against the unpredictable, lightning-fast slashes.
SHIIK! CHICHIK!
As Bu Eun-seol continued generating sword energy, Baekri Mu-jo's techniques accelerated further.
His rapier moved faster than even Bu Eun-seol's quickest Peerless Thunderbolt—
And defied the limitations of its form.
He wielded the slender blade like a whip, fluid and unpredictable, then shifted to the brute force of a Long Staff.
'His swordsmanship is this advanced?'
Transcendent Swordsmanship.
Baekri Mu-jo's skill had not only surpassed the Summit of Mastery but broken through the extremes of the Extreme Realm—
A level where counterattacks were impossible unless one had reached the same pinnacle.
'Is Baekri's leader on par with the Pavilion Lord [Ak Mu-ryeong]?'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't suppress his astonishment.
And Baekri Mu-jo hadn't even unveiled his Sacred Sword yet.
Even so, like the Langya Pavilion's Human Demon Ak Mu-ryeong—who had mastered the very principles of martial arts—
He fought as though he had wielded them freely.
Countless martial principles were being unleashed with effortless mastery—no, this was beyond mere mastery.
'There's no other choice.'
Bu Eun-seol immediately abandoned the idea of countering through the Langya Mind's Eye and the natural order of martial arts.
Baekri Mu-jo's Sword Studies had reached such a unique realm that it couldn't be grasped in an instant.
It was as if, through sheer profundity in martial arts alone, he had attained the Martial Extreme Realm and was now manifesting its phenomena.
In other words, Baekri Mu-jo's martial arts were still beyond Bu Eun-seol's reach.
His martial prowess, too, clearly wasn't something achieved through conventional progression—it had ascended to a singular, unparalleled state.
'I can't afford to drag this out.'
Baekri Mu-jo, like the Lord of Langya Pavilion, had mastered the principles of martial arts.
Meaning, if the fight prolonged, he might even absorb the subtleties of Bu Eun-seol's martial techniques.
Sssss—
In an instant, black fog began seeping from the Ink Soul Sword.
Simultaneously, hundreds of Sword Rings materialized around Bu Eun-seol and Baekri Mu-jo.
Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
The supreme saber art, one that wielded the purest realm of death, was now being unleashed.
Whoosh! Whooooosh—
As the first stance unfolded, Bu Eun-seol's body began to darken, as if dyed in shadow.
It resembled the scythe of the Grim Reaper, presiding over death—but in truth, it was the Absolute Demonic Path, a technique that craved death.
Through the Bloody Tears Seven Forms,
Bu Eun-seol could feel the transcendent heights his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, had once reached—along with boundless solitude. And a yearning for death.
Sssssss—
In that moment, the sword techniques Baekri Mu-jo had been employing melted away like snow, ensnared instead by the Blade Stance of Bu Eun-seol's Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
True Bloody Tears Seven Forms, First Form: Life is a Sojourn, Death is a Return.
This life is but a fleeting stay.
To die is to return to one's origin.
Bu Eun-seol's saber technique was dragging Baekri Mu-jo into an endless abyss.
Flicker.
Then, from within that darkness, a white light flashed.
And that light began pushing back the darkness Bu Eun-seol had poured forth, bit by bit.
Eventually, Baekri Mu-jo was gradually breaking free from the death woven by the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
'I expected this.'
Bu Eun-seol had only fully mastered the first form of the ultimate art—Life is a Sojourn, Death is a Return.
But strictly speaking, this form wasn't an offensive technique—it was a defensive stance meant to neutralize countless enemy attacks.
It wasn't suited to defeating a master like Baekri Mu-jo.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had still unleashed it.
Because a Sword Ghost like him would savor every nuance of the True Bloody Tears Seven Forms before escaping its saber pressure—
And in doing so, buy Bu Eun-seol some time.
Whoooosh—
At the same time, an arcane radiance began flowing from Bu Eun-seol's body.
The moment he activated Life is a Sojourn, Death is a Return, he had drawn forth every last shred of the disparate forces within him.
But those forces weren't aligned—instead, they were tearing his body apart.
Flash!
Yet at that very moment, the brilliance Baekri Mu-jo unleashed enveloped Bu Eun-seol.
Having broken free from Life is a Sojourn, Death is a Return, he was now delivering a decisive strike.
'No—!'
Bu Eun-seol screamed inwardly.
The forces within him still weren't harmonized.
Like this, he wouldn't even be able to use Harmonization—his body would explode from Baekri Mu-jo's strike.
Wheeeeng—
Then, five-colored radiance spilled from Bu Eun-seol's body.
As the moment of crisis arrived, the Prajna Great Power briefly manifested, allowing him to produce—however faintly—the Power of Harmony.
'Now!'
Fwoooosh—!
Bu Eun-seol poured every last ounce of the Power of Harmony into his strike.
Crack.
Wrapped in light, the Harmony he unleashed warped the world itself, as if reality had fractured.
This was the same power even Ak Mu-ryeong had been forced to evade rather than block.
Even if imperfectly unleashed, Baekri Mu-jo wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Fwoooosh—!
But at that moment, five-colored radiance also surged from Baekri Mu-jo's sword.
Harmonization.
Just like Bu Eun-seol,
Baekri Mu-jo also harbored multiple conflicting forces within his body—and the power to unify them.
Fwoooosh—!
When the two forces collided, five-colored radiance exploded outward.
In an instant, the surrounding 1,000 feet of land were flattened into barren earth.
Bathed in the radiance, Bu Eun-seol and Baekri Mu-jo locked eyes.
Their powers clashed endlessly.
Fwoooosh—
But slowly, the scales began to tip.
Bu Eun-seol's imperfectly aligned power was gradually being overwhelmed by Baekri Mu-jo's.
"Ugh—!"
Thick veins bulged across Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
He couldn't afford to lose here.
He hadn't even poured out all his strength yet. The battle wasn't over.
'Then—'
"Leader!"
At that moment, a gray-clad figure descended from the distant sky, landing beside Bu Eun-seol and Baekri Mu-jo.
It was Deputy Commander Seo Muk.
"That bastard—"
Seo Muk's face twisted in shock.
To think there was a young man in Murim who could face Baekri Mu-jo alone?
"HAH—!"
Assessing the situation instantly, Seo Muk drew his sword like lightning and unleashed a Sword Aura toward Bu Eun-seol.
His signature technique—the Heavenly Lord Great Luo Sword Aura.