Chapter 599
Four days later.
As Bu Eun-seol was handling paperwork in the Peak Hall's office, a covert summons arrived from Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"It happened just as Commander Seon-u predicted."
The moment he entered the Hidden Moon Hall, Gongson Dan-gyeong immediately briefed him on what had transpired in the meantime.
"The investigation team we sent was completely annihilated. According to the secret language left behind, it seems to be a research facility belonging to a massive secret organization."
Just as Bu Eun-seol had anticipated.
The investigation team Gongson Dan-gyeong had dispatched had been wiped out, and the only information they had managed to uncover was that the place was a research facility of a secret organization.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol spoke as if he had made up his mind about something.
"Then I'll take the Peak Realm Members and conduct another investigation."
"That won't do."
Gongson Dan-gyeong shook her head firmly.
"If that place truly is a research facility of the Infinite Realm, they'll have formidable security measures in place. Commander Seon-u and the Peak Realm Members alone won't be enough."
Surprisingly, she seemed to have some knowledge about the Infinite Realm's facilities.
"Then I'll infiltrate it alone."
Bu Eun-seol deliberately said this, knowing full well that Gongson Dan-gyeong wouldn't allow it.
"If I mobilize troops without solid intelligence, the Chief Strategist might suffer a humiliating defeat."
Even as the Chief Strategist, she couldn't recklessly deploy the full might of the Martial Alliance.
Just like with the Sword Tomb incident involving the Heavenly Human Cult in the past.
Gongson Dan-gyeong had first sent an investigation team to secure evidence.
Without a clear justification, she couldn't mobilize the entire Martial Alliance.
"No. I won't be requesting the full force."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes gleamed.
"I'll assign Commander Seon-u a secret unit of ten."
"Ten... you say?"
As Bu Eun-seol made a bewildered expression, Gongson Dan-gyeong smirked confidently.
"They are masters secretly raised by our alliance, each capable of taking on a hundred. With just these ten, they could topple an entire faction in an instant."
Her sharp eyes narrowed further as she continued.
"Moreover, none of them officially exist. They are masters trained solely for special missions."
'So she has them too.'
Just like the blue-eyed blond youth who had tried to assassinate him during his fight with Jo Cheon-wang in the past.
They held no official standing within the Martial Alliance, their very existence unacknowledged.
It seemed that Gongson Dan-gyeong, as the Chief Strategist, also had the authority to command such individuals.
'This might be a good opportunity to dig into the Martial Alliance's secret organizations.'
Just as Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed with intent—
"If you're thinking of extracting information about them, give up. It's pointless."
Gongson Dan-gyeong seemed to have read his mind, speaking in a firm tone.
"They obey only battle commands. They won't answer any questions beyond that."
'Meticulous to the core.'
"Why would I do such a thing?"
Bu Eun-seol deliberately feigned a hurt expression.
"It seems the Chief Strategist still suspects I might be an external spy."
"Whether Commander Seon-u is a spy or not doesn't matter."
"What do you mean?"
"Just because we're on the same ship doesn't mean we're comrades."
"So you're saying... sharing the same vessel doesn't guarantee trust."
"Exactly. Commander Seon-u must have his own destination, and I, as the Chief Strategist, will advance only toward my own goals."
'What a terrifying woman.'
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had accomplished many tasks for Gongson Dan-gyeong, successfully completing every mission.
Yet she still had no intention of trusting him, stating that their relationship was merely one of continued cooperation.
'So that's why she said it doesn't matter if I'm a spy or not.'
Gongson Dan-gyeong had said that whether Bu Eun-seol was a spy or not made no difference to her.
He had thought it meant she was confident that even if he wanted to jump off the ship they were on... she could ensure he would never be able to.
But the "same ship" Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke of wasn't one of mutual trust and reliance.
It was merely a merchant-passenger vessel they had coincidentally boarded, heading toward the same destination.
Her goal was solely the Infinite Realm.
If she could destroy them,
she was willing to cooperate with anyone and hesitate at nothing.
'Just what kind of circumstances does she have?'
For the first time, Bu Eun-seol found himself curious about Gongson Dan-gyeong's past.
Just why did she despise the Infinite Realm so much?
"I understand what you mean."
Deliberately swallowing his feigned disappointment, Bu Eun-seol watched as Gongson Dan-gyeong formed a faint smile.
"It's not just Commander Seon-u. I don't trust anyone in this world."
"Why... is that?"
"Because that way, even if someone betrays me, it won't affect me in the slightest."
"So you operate under the assumption that someone might betray you."
"Well."
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke as if soothing him.
"At the very least, I meant that you don't need to feel so disappointed."
'Hmm.'
Bu Eun-seol swallowed a sigh inwardly.
People often said that by the time a woman turned thirty, she would have at least one or two men she wanted to kill.
By that age, most had experienced betrayal by a man at least once.
But Gongson Dan-gyeong acted as if she had been betrayed by the entire world—trusting no one.
That meant she must have suffered memories too wretched to speak of.
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol dismissed his rising thoughts, clasped his hands together, and spoke respectfully.
"I bear no disappointment, so I hope the Chief Strategist harbors no misunderstandings either."
"Good."
Gongson Dan-gyeong continued in a gentle voice.
"The moment you leave the alliance, they will follow you."
A cold glint surfaced in her eyes.
"Find out what lies there—what they're doing... You must uncover it."
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol pressed his hands together.
At that moment, he still didn't know.
That this mission would expose one of the Martial Alliance's deepest secrets.
Gangok District
A den where even the back-alley thugs of the Black Syndicates shook their heads in dismay. A gathering place for the worst of criminals, those who had committed every imaginable atrocity.
Here, a human life wasn't even worth a single copper coin.
Because only the most depraved, those who had already discarded their lives, congregated here.
And since the Black Market—where anything could be bought for the right price—operated here, countless criminals flowed in and out without end.
Whoosh—
A dozen martial artists sped toward Gangok District using Lightness Skill.
At the forefront was a man clad in white.
Behind him followed warriors wrapped head to toe in black cloth, as if swathed in shadows.
They were none other than Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seon-u Jin, and the covert unit members assigned by Gongson Dan-gyeong.
'Perhaps my earlier confidence was misplaced.'
For two days straight, from the Martial Alliance to Gangok District, Bu Eun-seol had not rested, maintaining Lightness Skill the entire time.
Yet these men showed no sign of exhaustion, following him with unwavering composure.
Gongson Dan-gyeong's claim that ten of them could wipe out an entire sect didn't seem like an exaggeration.
Tap.
Finally arriving at the entrance of Gangok District, Bu Eun-seol descended from the air and scanned his surroundings.
"Strange. By dusk, the Black Market should be bustling with people."
At night, the Black Market opened at the district's center, drawing all manner of criminals.
But despite the sun setting, not a single soul was in sight—not even an ant.
"..."
Even after his remark, the unit members remained silent, standing motionless.
It seemed true that they would not respond to anything outside of combat orders.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol withdrew his gaze from them, swallowed a bitter smile, and stepped into Gangok District.
As he reached the center, he spotted a crumbling stone house.
At a glance, it looked like any other abandoned building—nothing out of the ordinary.
But having seen the mechanical devices of the Return-to-One Realm on Cold Moon Island, Bu Eun-seol immediately recognized it as the entrance to an underground facility.
"This is it."
He moved to step inside—
Clank...!
—when suddenly, the sound of grinding metal echoed, and the stone house's door swung open.
A towering figure clad in black emerged.
His face was entirely concealed behind an iron mask, and a massive great blade was strapped to his back.
The eyes visible through the mask were bloodshot, as if ready to unleash a Killing Move at any moment.
Thud. Thud.
The man strode toward Bu Eun-seol and abruptly gripped the hilt of the great blade on his back.
Bzzzt—
In that instant, circular Blade Rings rose from the ground, floating midair before encircling Bu Eun-seol and the unit members like a cage.
The rings seemed to flicker with flames, numbering in the hundreds.
The masked man had executed a variant technique—the first form of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, "Life Returns to Death."
'The Bloody Tears Seven Forms?!'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't comprehend what was happening.
Who was this masked man?
How could he wield a technique only those whose spirit and mind aligned with Bu Jan-yang's could perform?
And not just perform—but adapt it naturally to amplify the lethality of his blade energy?
But Bu Eun-seol had no time to dwell on it.
"Evade!"
Swish—!
He shouted and immediately unleashed the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms, deflecting the Blade Rings surging toward him.
The covert unit members, far from ordinary masters, scattered instantly, dodging the rings with practiced ease.
Flash—!Boom—!
But the Blade Rings transformed into razor-sharp sword qi, exploding outward in all directions.
At that moment, the entire Gangok District, bathed in twilight, was instantly swallowed by pitch-black darkness.
Bu Eun-seol could execute the Life Returns to Death form even with his eyes closed, allowing him to effortlessly evade the razor-sharp sword qi.
But for the secret unit members trailing behind him, it was no easy feat.
Fwshh!
One member, unable to dodge in time, had his head severed, crashing to the ground as a fountain of blood gushed forth.
Clank.
The masked man sheathed his great blade once more and gazed down at Bu Eun-seol and the remaining unit members.
His presence was so solemn—
It was as if the King of Hell himself had descended to the mortal realm, observing the foolishness of mere humans.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol felt an eerie sense of déjà vu.
The murderous glint in the masked man's eyes, hidden behind that visage, was strangely familiar.
Sshhling!
Then, the masked man drew his great blade again.
A ghostly wail, like the howl of a vengeful spirit, echoed from nowhere, and—
Invisible blades of sword qi rained down upon Bu Eun-seol and the unit members.
The Bloody Tears Seven Forms, Third Move—a variation of the Half Living Half Dead form—was a technique designed to sever foes in a single motion, perfectly synchronized with their movements.
Pah-pah-pak!
The unit members unsheathed their swords, each attempting to break through the storm of sword qi and counterattack.
But the masked man's saber technique was too swift, too intricate—impossible to evade.
Shwaak!
Three charging members were shredded to pieces, swept away by the relentless blades.
"Deploy the Dragon-Encircling Heavenly Horn Formation!"
At the shout of one member, the survivors moved chaotically, unfolding their battle formation.
Yet against the masked man's Bloody Tears Seven Forms, no formation could hold.
Zzziiii!
Then, black smoke began to rise from the unit members' bodies, and suddenly, an overwhelming surge of power erupted from them.
Realizing the masked man's technique was beyond their ability to withstand, they had resorted to their trump card.
Crrrk.
Their bodies doubled in size, their internal power and agility multiplying several times over.
Grrrl.
A crimson glow burned in the eyes of the now-gigantic unit members—
Like wolves that had taken human form.
'The Martial Alliance knows such a Great Art?'
Bu Eun-seol, still countering with the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms, couldn't help but feel not just shock, but utter disbelief.
Even if they weren't officially recognized, these men were still warriors of the Martial Alliance.
Yet they had mastered such a bizarre, grotesque technique—one that would make any onlooker's jaw drop?
"What in the world...?"
"It's a variation of the Latent Power Burst Technique."
The apparent leader of the unit members bared his wolf-like fangs as he looked down at Bu Eun-seol.
"This is classified. You must never speak of it."
Bu Eun-seol knew it was a lie, but he nodded anyway.
"Understood."
As he gripped his Ink Soul Sword and prepared to rejoin the assault, the unit member shook his head.
"The Great Leader should stay back."
Fwaaah!
In that instant, the remaining six members lunged at the masked man like streaks of lightning.
Their movements were blindingly fast, their sword techniques as sharp as the claws of a beast.
From a distance, it looked as though—
Dark shadows, like black boats, were slicing through the air around the masked man.
'Is this the true face of the Martial Alliance?'
The sight of the Martial Alliance warriors, their latent power unleashed, was grotesque beyond words.
Their swordplay resembled the brutal techniques of the Unorthodox Faction, and even when exposed to the sword qi of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, they refused to fall, enduring the aura of death itself.
Their eerie coordination was so tight that Bu Eun-seol couldn't even find an opening to intervene.
Tahk.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to retreat from the combat zone using his movement technique.
'They're almost like...'
Frowning, Bu Eun-seol observed the battle.
Their methods weren't designed to fight martial artists—
But rather, to eliminate those who wielded supernatural powers, like the Earthly Killing Star.
"Hmph."
The masked man, annoyed by the relentless assault, swung his great blade like a storm.
But before his Bloody Tears Seven Forms could fully manifest, the unit members moved like madmen, unleashing a unified barrage of sword techniques—
Neutralizing its full might.
Zzziiing!
As the stalemate dragged on, the masked man suddenly gathered an immense surge of internal power, his pupils flashing with an eerie emerald light.
Simultaneously, green flames—like sparks—ignited along his great blade.
Fwshh!
In an instant, he swung, executing the most basic of martial forms—one any trained fighter would know.
Sweeping a Thousand Armies.
The unit members sneered at such a basic martial form and attempted to continue their counterattack.
Yet something truly astonishing occurred.
Boom! Boom!
Consecutive explosions erupted—
And from the simple Sweeping a Thousand Armies stance, countless streams of sword qi surged forth, coiling around the unit members' bodies.
This was no ordinary Sweeping a Thousand Armies.
It was the fifth variation of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, Death Without Closing the Eyes—a technique even Bu Eun-seol had yet to unleash.
"Evade!"
The unit members immediately retreated to escape the cascading sword qi—but their efforts were futile.
The torrent of qi from the great blade twisted into miniature whirlpools, ensnaring their fleeing bodies—
And dragging them into a deadly undercurrent.
Shwaaak!
In an instant, three or four unit members struck by the qi vomited blood and collapsed, lifeless.
Even those not directly hit screamed in agony.
"Gaaah!"
"Ghk—eugh!"
Their shrieks were so harrowing they could freeze one's bones—yet the masked man paid no heed, seamlessly transitioning into another saber technique.
No sooner had Half Living Half Dead unfolded than Death-Seeking Form followed.
By the time he unraveled the variation of Life Returns to Death, Seeking Life Amidst Death was already in motion.
With every pass of his blade qi, heads flew without fail.
In just four forms.
Unable to withstand the lightning-swift whirlpool of qi, every last unit member met their end.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
As the qi dissipated into the distant sky, severed heads rolled to the ground.
Whoooosh—
A dry wind swept through, leaving behind a silence as deep as death itself.
Ten elite masters, who had boasted they could wipe out an entire sect—
Had been reduced to gruesome lumps of flesh in less than seven and a half minutes.
The masked man's saber techniques were too swift, too unpredictable—
And because the unit members had maintained their circular encirclement, Bu Eun-seol had no chance to intervene.
Swoosh.
Now that Bu Eun-seol stood alone, the masked man's eyes flashed—
Screeeech—
Dragging his great blade across the ground, he advanced straight toward him.
Bu Eun-seol immediately heightened his senses to their utmost through the Way of the Beast.
The masked man's saber techniques required no preparatory movements—they were so fast that ordinary perception could barely track them.
Fwoosh!
When had he even executed his technique?
A black fog suddenly spread before Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
The fourth variation of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms—Death Without Place—had been unleashed once more.
'No choice.'
As Bu Eun-seol detected the qi surging through the black fog, a radiant body light erupted from his eyes.
'Right now, I am Seon-u Jin.'
His current identity was Seon-u Jin, and this was the Ghost Day Faction's base.
Even if no one was watching, he absolutely could not use his true martial arts.
'I'll stake everything on this one move.'
Though the masked man's Bloody Tears Seven Forms lacked the original Blade Essence, its power surpassed Bu Eun-seol's own execution.
As Seon-u Jin, there was only one way to block such techniques.
Flash!
A faint light began to emanate from Bu Eun-seol's Ink Soul Sword.
Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
An Otherworldly Peerless Art that contained every conceivable variation of martial forms—something no human body should be capable of wielding.
'It doesn't have to be perfect.'
Regrettably, he had yet to obtain the final principle needed to execute Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan flawlessly.
Even so, he was confident he could completely neutralize the masked man's saber techniques.
Because Bu Eun-seol had mastered both the forms and the essence of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
No matter how the masked man unleashed them, he could perfectly predict their variations and sword trajectories.
Even an incomplete Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan would suffice to block them.
Zzzzing—
At last, the light gathered at the tip of Bu Eun-seol's sword erupted in a dazzling brilliance.
Simultaneously, countless ever-shifting sword forms merged midair before crashing down upon the masked man.
The sheer force of unleashing a sword art rivaling the Bloody Tears Seven Forms at full power was beyond description.
"Hmph."
The masked man, too, swung his great blade with blinding speed to counter Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The black torrent of saber qi collided with the white radiance, erupting into sparks.
As the pinnacle of orthodox and unorthodox sword studies and saber techniques clashed head-on, the world itself seemed to lose its light—
And a shockwave, as if splitting heaven and earth, rippled outward.
Screeeech—
In the end, Bu Eun-seol managed to block the masked man's Bloody Tears Seven Forms—but the backlash forced him three steps back.
In contrast, the masked man stood firm, staring at him.
Crack.
Then, something unexpected happened.
A fissure began to spread across the iron mask.
The impact of Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan and the Bloody Tears Seven Forms had split the sturdy mask clean in half.
"...!"
The moment Bu Eun-seol saw the face beneath the shattered mask, his eyes widened in shock.
'Brother Baek?'
The man revealed behind the broken mask—
Was none other than Baek Mu-seong, who had temporarily left the Martial Alliance.