Chapter 640
Whoosh!
The faint sound of tearing air reached his ears, snapping Seok Chi-haeng out of his reverie.
While lost in thought, someone had spotted an opening—leaping into the air and thrusting a pike straight toward his Hundred Meetings Acupoint.
Boom!
Yet the pike that sought to pierce him, along with the hidden assailant who had launched the ambush, exploded midair with a deafening blast.
Plop, plop, plop.
As droplets of blood and viscera rained down, Seok Chi-haeng closed his eyes.
The heat of fresh blood. The scent of iron.
Only these two things could momentarily quell the fury boiling inside his chest.
"Haa..."
He let out a low chuckle and resumed walking.
Before he knew it, the moon had set, and the morning sun had risen once more.
The Fist King had reappeared, and rumors that he was slaughtering young martial artists had spread throughout the Martial World.
And so, ambitious youths seeking fame emerged endlessly from every corner, throwing themselves at him.
With bloodshot eyes, Seok Chi-haeng unerringly turned them all into pulped flesh.
Because only then did the rage and anguish seething in his chest subside, even if just a little.
But it was strange.
Just when he thought the torment might ease with each kill, it only deepened further.
The fleeting relief he once felt from slaughter had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a suffocating thirst.
Step. Step.
He walked slowly.
Before he knew it, the sun had climbed high into the sky. Its radiant, shimmering light was dazzling—so much like her.
He would find and kill that brat who had destroyed the Ancient Sword Forest, then return to the forest where she now slept.
"There he is!"
Before he realized it, hundreds of martial artists had surrounded him.
All were young warriors hungry for the glory that came with the title of Fist King.
Among them were some fairly renowned figures, as well as rising Masters who had only recently emerged in the Martial World.
Yet in their eyes burned the same blazing ambition.
—If I kill him...
The Seat of the Four Gods and Seven Kings was no mere ranking of martial prowess.
Excluding the Three Demons and Three Venerables, it represented those who had not only mastered their respective martial disciplines but also wielded immense influence over the Martial World.
Conversely, this meant—
Killing a Master belonging to the Four Gods and Seven Kings would instantly grant one unimaginable glory.
Gulp.
When their gazes met Seok Chi-haeng's bloodshot eyes, some of the young martial artists flinched.
His presence was far more overwhelming than they had anticipated—so murderous that no matter how many attacked together, victory seemed impossible.
—No. We can do this.
But soon, that blazing ambition flared anew in their chests.
The Four Gods and Seven Kings—it was a seat every martial artist dreamed of. Who could resist such temptation?
"Moths to a flame."
A fiery blaze burned in Seok Chi-haeng's eyes.
That bastard had likely been the same.
No doubt he had entered the Ancient Sword Forest—a place that shunned the Martial World—just to make a name for himself.
All those who sought such hollow glory deserved to be erased.
CRACK!
Seok Chi-haeng unleashed the Azure Heaven Seven Forms once more.
With every stance he took, an overwhelming force like a collapsing mountain surged forth without end.
"Scatter!"
The young martial artists panicked, fleeing in all directions.
Normally, fear faded when surrounded by numbers.
The more allies there were, the bolder one became.
They had believed that with this many, they could surely stand against the Fist King.
But the moment Seok Chi-haeng's fist descended, they realized—
Everything had been an illusion.
—We were wrong.
The eyes of those sent flying as pulped flesh were filled with regret.
Only in death did they finally grasp the weight behind the title of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
Those who ascended to that seat possessed innate talent and genius beyond measure.
They had reached unfathomable martial heights, surviving life-and-death battles time and again—Seasoned Heroes battle-hardened veterans.
Even if their numbers several times greater, they could never topple such a figure.
Splat! Thud!
Blood sprayed in all directions.
Before long, the three hundred martial artists had dwindled to barely a hundred.
And even those who remained might as well have been corpses already.
Paralyzed by terror, they couldn't even lift a finger.
Step. Step.
As Seok Chi-haeng, drenched in blood, slowly approached—
The remaining hundred martial artists either pissed themselves in fear or collapsed to their knees, sobbing.
"Hah."
The Fist King let out a derisive laugh.
There was no need to waste martial arts on these maggots. He could simply tear them apart one by one.
Whoosh.
Just as he reached out with a hand like a cauldron lid to seize one of the young warriors—
Whoosh—
A strange Sound of Breaking Air rippled through the distant sky like a tidal wave, and then—
Swish.
Before anyone realized it, a shadowy figure had landed opposite Seok Chi-haeng, having executed the Cloud Dragon Flip maneuver.
Slender in build and unremarkable in appearance, the figure had one striking feature—eyes so unnaturally clear they seemed capable of piercing through flesh to observe the very essence within.
It was Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seon-u Jin.
"Tch."
Bu Eun-seol's brows furrowed as he surveyed the surroundings.
A literal Hell Island had unfolded before him.
He had anticipated that the Fist King might have turned into a Killing Ghost, but he never imagined the man would be so consumed by Slaughter Frenzy that he would tear apart young martial artists who weren't even worthy of half a move against him.
'He's already become a figure close to the Great Killing Star.'
"You."
The Fist King trembled as he glared at Bu Eun-seol.
He didn't need to scrutinize the man's face to recognize him.
That unique bearing, those eyes—cold as ice yet burning like wildfire.
It was undoubtedly the same young bastard who had subdued him back in the Ancient Sword Forest.
"It's YOU—!"
With a thunderous roar, Seok Chi-haeng unleashed his Fist Techniques.
The Azure Heaven Seven Forms, now steeped in Killing Intent, had lost all their former subtlety—but their Might had multiplied several times over.
Whoosh—!
A tempest of Fist Wind erupted, obliterating the towering trees and boulders where Bu Eun-seol had stood moments before.
The sheer destructive force was something even eyewitnesses would struggle to believe.
Flick.
In that same instant, Bu Eun-seol had already leapt into the air, drawing Ink Soul Sword.
As the pitch-black Sword Blade revealed itself, a chilling energy radiated outward.
Shiiing!
Bu Eun-seol unleashed three streaks of Sword Qi.
His Sword Techniques were deceptively simple—ordinary Sword Strokes devoid of any flourish—yet, astonishingly, they completely nullified Seok Chi-haeng's Fist Energy and pierced straight toward his vital acupoints.
"You bastard—!"
Blinded by Killing Intent, Seok Chi-haeng poured his full Combat Power into the Water Flows and Clouds Fill the Sky Form.
Whoooosh—!
Infused with Internal Power and the aura of a Killing Ghost, the technique conjured dozens of Fist Shadows.
As Seok Chi-haeng relentlessly unleashed his Fist Techniques, the surrounding area—spanning dozens of feet—was completely engulfed in a storm of his Fist Shadows.
Crack!Boom!
Yet, despite there being no visible space to evade—
Bu Eun-seol effortlessly dodged every single Fist Shadow, as if he had turned his body transparent, allowing the Fist Energy to pass through him like wind through empty air.
—How is this possible?!
The relentless clash between the two Masters left the surviving martial artists frozen in place, jaws slack, forgetting even to flee as they watched the battle unfold.
With every strike Seok Chi-haeng unleashed, the terrain warped, and gale-force winds capable of tearing the world apart followed in their wake.
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol—sword in hand—moved like a leaf caught in the wind, concealing himself within the tempest.
One moment, he released needle-thin Sword Qi; the next, he conjured broad, fan-like Light Barriers in rapid succession.
The Fist King'sFist Techniques, having reached the pinnacle of Overbearing Saber.
Bu Eun-seol's Sword Techniques, a perfect Harmonization of fluid grace and razor-sharp precision.
Were these not the very pinnacles of Martial Arts that young warriors could only dream of witnessing?
Crack!BOOM!
As the battle raged on, the Tide of Battle began to shift.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been evading like a ghost while steadfastly maintaining his Defense, suddenly began counterattacking with his sword.
Shiing! Shiing!
Every slash landed unerringly on Seok Chi-haeng's body.
Though none were strong enough to breach his Body Protection True Qi, they still left shallow Scratches on his flesh.
But if this continued, it was only a matter of time before the battle turned completely against him.
"Heh heh heh..."
Despite Bu Eun-seol's relentless strikes, Seok Chi-haeng burst into laughter.
"I always knew you were formidable."
Even back then, when he had fought with everything he had using the Azure Heaven Seven Forms, he had still lost—his Blood Circuits sealed.
Though consumed by Slaughter Frenzy and the madness of vengeance, Seok Chi-haeng was still a Grandmaster of Martial Arts.
He knew full well that, even if they fought again, the Probability of his defeat was high.
—If I can't kill him, then mutual destruction will have to suffice.
After swearing revenge, Seok Chi-haeng hadn't immediately returned to the Martial World. Instead, he scoured the ruins of the Ancient Sword Forest.
There, he found a small amount of the black liquid that had once healed his arm.
This substance was a crucial ingredient in forging a Black Divine Artifact—a material that, when fused with the human body, could turn flesh as hard as steel.
It possessed a Mysterious Power.
Carefully, he stored the liquid in a vial, sealing it inside a sturdy iron case.
Ready to drink it the moment that bastard showed his face.
Gulp.
Seok Chi-haeng retrieved the hidden iron case and downed the liquid in one go.
Normally, this substance was meant to be consumed alongside various Spirit Medicines and Spiritual Herbs refined by the Ancient Sword Forest.
Drinking it raw risked transforming the body into a monster—erasing one's very humanity.
But those Side Effects were exactly what Seok Chi-haeng desperately desired right now.
"That way, the probability of tearing that bastard to death will be higher."
Crunch.
Suddenly, the sound of bones cracking came from his body as his skin gradually began to darken.
It was as if his human form was transforming into a dull, blackened metal.
Sssk! Sssk!
Bu Eun-seol relentlessly struck with his sword techniques, but his opponent's body, now like a lump of iron, didn't even show a scratch.
'He's transformed his body into something like a Black Divine Artifact.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip as he instantly grasped the situation.
'But I can't use the Two Spirit Energies or the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.'
What if I awakened the Ink Soul Sword with the Two Spirit Energies or used the Bloody Tears Seven Forms?
Even if Seok Chi-haeng had achieved the Heavenly Dipper Body, he could be brought down instantly.
But countless martial artists were watching this fight. And hadn't he come here under the identity of Seon-u Jin?
He absolutely could not use the True Void.
Grip.
Bu Eun-seol tightened his hold on the sword hilt.
From the start, he hadn't expected to easily defeat Seok Chi-haeng while posing as Seon-u Jin.
'Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.'
In his mind, the changes of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan—engraved on the surface of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin where Jeong Cheon-je had once slept—began to surface.
Though it wasn't a complete sword stroke, merely one hundred and eighty variations were recorded.
Even that was an unfathomably profound sword form—one he couldn't guarantee he could execute flawlessly.
'By utilizing endlessly shifting sword strokes, the accumulated force builds.'
Whooosh.
As Bu Eun-seol channeled his internal power, a fierce wind began swirling around the Ink Soul Sword.
Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
A legendary sword stroke said to have been created by Master Gwangseong for the Yellow Emperor.
It was said that mastering its perfect sword formula could unleash three hundred and ninety-five variations in a single stroke.
It encapsulated the profound mysteries of nature within a single sword.
Bu Eun-seol had grasped half of those variations from the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin. And now, for the first time, he was about to unleash them.
Swoooosh.
With a sound like crashing waves,
sword qi, resembling a misty fog, spread from the Ink Soul Sword.
The sword qi took the form of geometric shapes, then transformed like a watercolor painting capturing the essence of nature.
Though it was only half the knowledge—merely one hundred and eighty variations—he had finally forged the sword strokes into a single, seamless whole.
"Hah!"
Seok Chi-haeng, realizing Bu Eun-seol had played his trump card, instantly conjured forty-nine fist shadows.
It was the pinnacle of his martial prowess—the Azure Heaven Seven Forms, executed seven times over, honed to the level of the Transformation Realm.
Swoooosh—CRACK!
When the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form and the Azure Heaven Seven Forms collided head-on, shockwaves erupted from both sides, soaring to the heavens.
All trees within a roughly 300-foot radius toppled as if struck by a storm.
BOOOOM!
In the wake of the gale, Seok Chi-haeng stood with both arms replaced, hunched slightly.
"Hahaha!"
Straightening up, Seok Chi-haeng burst into mad laughter, confident in his victory.
Though his body was covered in spiderweb-like wounds, none were fatal.
The Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form, with its one hundred and eighty variations,
had ultimately failed to pierce through the forty-nine fist shadows—seven repetitions of the Water Flows and Clouds Fill the Sky Form.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
The reason he had confidently come here as Seon-u Jin—
was precisely because of this trump card, the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form.
But with only half of it, he couldn't bring Seok Chi-haeng down.
"Did you take me lightly?"
Seok Chi-haeng's killing intent flared as he let out a sinister laugh.
"To dare wield an incomplete sword form as if it were whole."
A flash crossed Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Upon hearing those words, he realized why the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form had failed.
—Because he had wielded it pretending it was complete.
'What I unleashed was the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form as it was engraved on the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin.'
The greatness of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form lay in its ability to encapsulate the transformations of the Great Nature in a single stroke.
The remnants of the sword technique left on the coffin were likely meant to kill Jeong Cheon-je.
In other words, it was a sword form designed to pierce Jeong Cheon-je's defenses,
to oppose Jeong Cheon-je's martial arts,
to sever Jeong Cheon-je's life.
Naturally, using it against Seok Chi-haeng had been ineffective.
'I need to reconsider.'
Thud. Thud.
Just then, Seok Chi-haeng, black mist seeping from his fists, approached with a murderous grin.
"I'll tear you apart and avenge her."
"Are you talking about Bi-yeon?"
"Don't you dare sully her name with your filthy mouth!"
Seok Chi-haeng trembled, tears of blood streaming down his face.
"I swear! I'll tear you apart and avenge her!"
"I didn't kill her!"
"Liar!"
White killing intent billowed from Seok Chi-haeng's mouth like fog.
The slaughter frenzy had progressed to the point where he could no longer control his innate killing intent.
"Fine. What more is there to say?"
Even if Bu Eun-seol explained for three days and nights, Seok Chi-haeng would never understand.
Moreover, Seok Chi-haeng had succumbed to his slaughter frenzy and brutally murdered countless people. Even if Bu Eun-seol weren't the one to do it, he would still have to pay for those karmic debts—those rivers of blood.
Clack.
Finally comprehending the true intent of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan technique, Bu Eun-seol sheathed Ink Soul Sword and stared straight at Seok Chi-haeng.
"Let us fight without regrets."
When Bu Eun-seol assumed a stance resembling the Quick Sword Form, Seok Chi-haeng let out a deranged laugh.
"I can already see your death."
BOOM!
Seok Chi-haeng unleashed the First Azure Heaven Form in rapid succession.
It wasn't an unavoidable fist technique.
But Bu Eun-seol needed to reassess all one hundred and eighty Sword Strokes to find the precise counter that would bring Seok Chi-haeng down.
It was still too early to attempt a counterattack.
CRASH!
Bu Eun-seol staggered as Seok Chi-haeng's fist energy slammed into his shoulder and leg.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing his fist techniques land, Seok Chi-haeng cackled wildly, never letting up his relentless assault.
Bu Eun-seol, unable to even draw his sword, was forced to retreat again and again.
To Seok Chi-haeng, it looked as though he was cowering in fear, overwhelmed by his momentum.
"I'll tear you apart!"
The Azure Heaven Seven Forms, now saturated with killing intent, grew increasingly devastating—
Its nature shifting closer and closer to the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
BOOM!
Three more strikes landed, sending Bu Eun-seol flying back another fifty feet.
No matter how well he dodged, every time the fist energy grazed him—
A terrifying force coiled around his body, vibrating through his very bones.
And Seok Chi-haeng's fist techniques, steeped in killing intent, only grew more destructive with each attack.
Hiss...
Before Bu Eun-seol realized it, pale smoke began rising from his body.
Seok Chi-haeng's fist energy had transformed, resembling the Seven Wounds Fist of the Kongtong Sect—its sharp streams of internal energy relentlessly drilling into his meridians.
Bu Eun-seol resisted with Reverse Polarity True Qi, clashing repeatedly against the invading energy inside him—
Generating that faint, hazy smoke in the process.
CRACK!
Seok Chi-haeng's assault resumed.
Even as he dodged frantically, Bu Eun-seol never stopped analyzing Seok Chi-haeng's movements.
I must create a new variation of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan technique—one that can disrupt Seok Chi-haeng's fist techniques and defeat him in a single strike.
"Heh. So that's it."
Seeing the fighting spirit still burning in Bu Eun-seol's eyes, Seok Chi-haeng realized—
He wasn't afraid.
He was studying his fist techniques, preparing to unleash a Sword Form tailored to counter them.
"You won't get the chance!"
Whoosh!
With a roar, Seok Chi-haeng vanished.
At the same time, an overwhelming tide of fist energy—each wave the size of a palace—crashed down upon Bu Eun-seol from all directions.
This wasn't the First Azure Heaven Form.
It was a Killing Move forged purely for vengeance—
Infused with Primordial Essence True Qi, executed at a speed that defied martial logic, with every escape route sealed.
An unpredictable, sudden killing technique no one could have anticipated.
RUMBLE—!
As the colossal storm of force bore down on Bu Eun-seol—
Flash!
A brilliant light erupted from his eyes.
Shing!
At the same moment, Ink Soul Sword slid free from its scabbard once more.
Its Sword Resonance pierced through Seok Chi-haeng's fist energy, ringing out clear and resonant, lingering in the air like an echo.
Clatter—!
Simultaneously, countless geometric patterns—too many to count—manifested around Bu Eun-seol.
Hiss...
And just like that, Seok Chi-haeng's desperate killing technique began melting away like snow.
"What—?"
Seok Chi-haeng's eyes bulged.
What kind of sword technique had this bastard used to dissolve his killing move—even one reinforced with Primordial Essence True Qi—as effortlessly as melting ice?
Rustle—
But his shock came too soon.
The layered geometric patterns, having nullified all his fist energy, now shifted—
Transforming into a perfect replica of Seok Chi-haeng himself.
It was as though his form had been traced with transparent ink.
Every stance, every movement—it mirrored him flawlessly.
Whoosh—!
In an instant, those black lines, now shaped like his own silhouette, surged toward him.
"Impossible!"
Panicking, Seok Chi-haeng roared with a Great Roar, spinning violently as he unleashed his self-created ultimate technique—
The Great Way of Life and Death, his Life-Saving Ultimate Move.
ROAR—!
A tidal wave of fist energy erupted from his body, swelling into a monstrous force that threatened to swallow the world whole.
Snap.
Then—Seok Chi-haeng froze.
The shadowy replica of himself, perfectly synchronized with his movements, had locked onto him.
And just like that, the technique he had been channeling—
Snuffed out completely.
The one hundred and eighty Sword Strokes of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan that Bu Eun-seol had finally mastered—
Were like a master painter wielding a brush, perfectly replicating the enemy's form.
No matter what technique the opponent used, Bu Eun-seol had already mirrored their movements in advance.
An Absolute Sword Stroke—one that could instantly neutralize any attack.