Chapter 652
"Hmm."
The Man in Black gazed at the fresh blood clinging to his sword's tip, then nodded as if impressed.
"Swift. And your senses are sharp."
He had aimed precisely for Do Cheon-rin's heart, but the man twisted his body like lightning, leaving only a gash across the fabric of his chest. Yet the wound was so wide that blood now streamed freely from Do Cheon-rin's breast.
"Huh."
Do Cheon-rin sighed as he examined the wound on his chest.
"You must be a master of the Mount Heng Sect."
Once, the Mount Heng Sect had proudly held a place among the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
But two hundred years ago, the Twin Absolutes of the Mount Heng Sect—the Lute Sword and the Flower Line Secret—were lost, and the sect had been in decline ever since. By now, their headquarters had vanished entirely, and its disciples barely scraped by, taking on escort missions like common mercenaries.
"The Mount Heng Sect?"
As the Man in Black furrowed his brow, Do Cheon-rin spoke with composure.
"Surely you recognized the technique you just displayed—wasn't that a Sword Stroke adapted from the Mount Heng Sect's Flower Line Secret?"
Those who mastered the Flower Line Secret could unleash Sword Qi or manifest Sword Aura without revealing its form.
Do Cheon-rin had instantly deduced that the black-clad man's swordplay was derived from the lost Flower Line Secret of the Mount Heng Sect.
"You seem to have some history with them."
Do Cheon-rin studied the flicker in the Man in Black's eyes.
"Why not leave the Return-to-One Realm now, while you still can?"
The Man in Black did not answer.
Instead, he gripped his longsword with both hands and leveled it horizontally, pointing directly at Do Cheon-rin's brow.
"If you don't take my head within ten strokes, you're the one who dies."
Flash!
In that instant, the Man in Black became a streak of light, slicing past Do Cheon-rin's body.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed from Do Cheon-rin's thigh.
"Second stroke."
Flash!
Again, the Man in Black transformed into a blur of light, streaking past.
This time, a wound opened on the right thigh.
His movements had reached Extreme Speed, and his swordplay remained invisible.
With every streak of light, blood erupted from Do Cheon-rin's body without fail.
The Sword Strokes were too fast to count, making counterattacks impossible.
Drip, drip, drip.
Before he knew it, Do Cheon-rin had become a Blood Person, drenched in his own gore.
The Man in Black observed him coldly.
"Three more strokes, and your head will roll."
His pupils shimmered with a glacial light.
"Take your own life. That way, your corpse can remain intact."
"The fact that you want me to kill myself suggests even the Return-to-One Realm avoids messy affairs."
If he severed his own Heart Meridian, no one would suspect murder.
People might mourn, but none would question his death.
The Man in Black would only need to retrieve his sword.
But if he cut Do Cheon-rin down, traces would remain—forcing him to dissolve the body with Bone-Melting Powder.
Hence, his suggestion of suicide.
"So the Return-to-One Realm doesn't act recklessly. Just like the Infinite Realm, are you disguised as some ordinary faction elsewhere?"
The Man in Black ignored him and raised his sword again.
Originally, the Mount Heng Sect's swordplay was ever-changing, filled with dazzling technique.
But the Man in Black had reinvented the sect's Sword Studies through the Flower Line Secret—
unleashing a swordsmanship closer to the Demon Sword Forms.
Clang.
He settled into stance once more.
"You won't even need ten strokes."
Do Cheon-rin, already a Blood Person from multiple strikes, had suffered deep wounds to both thigh muscles.
No longer able to move swiftly, the next attack would surely sever his neck.
Flash!
The Man in Black's sword became a ray of light, thrusting toward Do Cheon-rin's throat.
But something strange happened.
Zzzzing.
Though Do Cheon-rin merely held his sword in stance, it was as if an invisible, impenetrable wall surrounded him.
The blade stopped dead—about three feet from his neck.
"Hmph."
Unfazed, the Man in Black altered his technique, unleashing wave after wave of Sword Qi like cascading tides.
Zzzzing.
Yet his Sword Qi struck the unseen barrier, scattering in all directions.
Jolt.
At that moment, his eyes locked with Do Cheon-rin's.
The man's icy, piercing gaze seemed to penetrate every inch of his body.
"The Mount Heng Sect's swordplay is only at this level?"
At the mention of the sect again, a flash of lightning flickered in the Man in Black's eyes.
Flash! Flash!
In an instant, he closed the distance, bombarding Do Cheon-rin with a relentless barrage of sword techniques.
No longer the Extreme Speed Sword Studies from before—
this was a dazzling, mountain-shattering display of the Annihilation Sword Studies, brimming with overwhelming force.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
But the impossible happened.
As the Man in Black closed in and unleashed his assault, his movements slowed—
as if he had plunged into deep water.
As the Man in Black closed in on Do Cheon-rin, an overwhelming pressure began crushing his body.
"Blade Extremity Stance?"
Only now did the Man in Black realize Do Cheon-rin was standing firm in place, employing the Blade Extremity Stance.
"So, with your legs useless, you plan to endure using the Blade Extremity Stance?"
The Man in Black smirked coldly as he observed the blood-soaked muscles of Do Cheon-rin's thigh.
"How long do you think you can hold out?"
Whoosh!
Closing the distance to point-blank range, the Man in Black unleashed a torrent of razor-sharp sword qi, falling like raindrops.
Each strike varied in speed, yet all carried enough might to shatter Mount Tai in a single blow.
Paaah!
The rain-like sword qi pierced toward Do Cheon-rin's vital points without a single deviation.
Yet Do Cheon-rin's Blade Extremity Stance was no ordinary technique—it deflected them outward instantly.
But in doing so, his posture crumbled, and the powerful blade aura surrounding his body dissipated like mist.
Kwa-oo!
Seizing the opening, the Man in Black merged with his sword,
lunging forward as if sucked toward Do Cheon-rin, thrusting with his Odd-shaped Sword.
Crash!
But just as he delivered what should have been a decisive strike, the Man in Black suddenly veered past Do Cheon-rin, tumbling gracelessly to the ground.
"How—?"
Blood gushed from the Man in Black's side as he swiftly rose.
At the very moment he should have pierced Do Cheon-rin's throat, a flaw in his own stance had been exposed instead.
Do Cheon-rin had seized the opportunity without hesitation, landing a single, flawless strike.
That sword stroke was exquisitely precise, its might so overwhelming
that it pierced straight through the Man in Black's Body-Protecting Profound Energy, deeply carving into his flank.
"..."
Shock flickered in the Man in Black's eyes.
The Blade Extremity Stance—a technique that used only the flow of qi and posture to deflect an enemy's attacks—
was undeniably convenient, but it rapidly drained internal power and stamina, making it unusable in close-quarters melee.
Moreover, while it could redirect attacks, combining it with counterattacks was supposed to be impossible.
So how had Do Cheon-rin countered while maintaining the stance?
Swish-swish-swish!
The Man in Black lashed out wildly once more, striking at Do Cheon-rin.
Knowing he wasn't in the Blade Extremity Stance posture, he attacked in a single breath.
Zing. Zing.
But the moment his sword neared Do Cheon-rin's body, that strange counterforce surged again,
Gooo—
and suddenly, a transparent heat haze began rising from Do Cheon-rin's form.
Splat!
In the next instant, blood erupted from the Man in Black's shoulder.
His eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
Even though Do Cheon-rin wasn't in the distinctive Blade Extremity Stance posture,
with every attack, an anomalous current of energy poured forth, unleashing counter-strikes.
No such technique existed in the martial world.
"What kind of sword art is this?"
Do Cheon-rin answered flatly.
"Blood Flame Blade Extremity Stance."
The Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance.
A newly forged blade philosophy, combining the strengths of the Bloodflame Blade Art and the Illusory Demon Venerable's sword studies.
Unlike the conventional Blade Extremity Stance, it wasn't bound by posture—and it allowed counterattacks.
"No, since I'm using a sword, perhaps it should be called the Sword Extremity Stance."
In the past, lamenting his own martial shortcomings when he failed to protect his beloved Dam Yu-yeon in a moment of crisis,
he had devised a technique that could retaliate against enemy attacks in any situation.
"I hadn't yet reached the point where I could use it in real combat..."
Do Cheon-rin's lips curled.
"But thanks to the swaying, dance-like sword studies of the Mount Heng Sect, I've perfected it."
Flames erupted in the Man in Black's pupils.
No wonder Do Cheon-rin had seemed to take hits helplessly without countering—
he had been staking his life to complete the Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance in live combat.
"You thought you could insult our sect and still die cleanly?"
"Ridiculous. To speak of 'our sect' while serving the Ghost Veil Faction. Don't tell me the Mount Heng Sect is the root of the Ghost Veil Faction?"
"Enough of your nonsense!"
In an instant, the Man in Black's voice changed.
At the same time, a bizarre light spilled from his eyes.
Do Cheon-rin felt a strange thought cross his mind.
Though the Man in Black's face and appearance hadn't changed, it was as if he had become an entirely different person.
Flash!
Suddenly, a dazzling radiance burst forth.
The Lute Sword.
The supreme ultimate art of the Mount Heng Sect, lost two hundred years ago, was finally unleashed from the Man in Black's hands.
'No, this isn't the Lute Sword.'
The Mount Heng Sect's Lute Sword was peerless in its brilliance and variability, but it didn't possess this kind of unending, embroidering secret.
Yet the Man in Black seemed to be endlessly emitting an undying radiance.
Do Cheon-rin tried to disperse the sword light with his Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance,
but like a swarm of bees clinging to a hive, it refused to fade, relentlessly sticking to his body.
'A sorcerous sword art.'
Before he knew it, Do Cheon-rin's body was surrounded by dazzling sword light.
Though he activated the Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance, the radiance lingered around him, shimmering incessantly.
Even the Blade Extremity Stance couldn't deflect them.
This was truly the radiance of a demon.
'Did the Infinite Realm anticipate that I would create the Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance?'
Do Cheon-rin bit his lip.
Though he had devised a technique unparalleled in the world, it wasn't yet perfected.
But he had discerned that the masked man's sword techniques belonged to the Mount Heng Sect, and if he could provoke his temper to create openings in his swordsmanship, he believed he could cut him down with the Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance.
However, the new sword studies the masked man had just unveiled—
Were they not deliberately crafted to counter Do Cheon-rin's Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance, possessing a nature that was its complete opposite?
In the end, the Infinite Realm had predicted every aspect of Do Cheon-rin's martial synthesis and sent this young masked assassin.
'What a pity.'
With Bu Eun-seol's help, he had only just begun his breakthrough.
Had he trained for a few more years, he might have perfected the Bloodflame Blade Extremity Stance and left behind a technique unmatched in the martial world.
But now, he would have to meet his end at the hands of a formidable enemy sent by the Infinite Realm.
'Forgive me, Young Lady Dam.'
As dazzling light gradually seeped into Do Cheon-rin's body—
Flash!
Suddenly, a radiant glow poured from the sky, and in an instant, a violet light cascaded over Do Cheon-rin's body.
'Tch—!'
Unconsciously, Do Cheon-rin let out a stifled groan.
The violet radiance carried a terrifying heat—though it hadn't touched him, it felt as though his skin was melting.
Whoooosh—
The light that had been piercing Do Cheon-rin's body vanished, and at the same time, a black shadow landed on the ground from midair.
The figure, its dark hair whipping like a black dragon manifesting in human form, was none other than—
"Bu Eun-seol."
Do Cheon-rin exclaimed in shock.
It was unmistakably Bu Eun-seol.
"How did you—?"
"Why didn't you activate the emergency signal?"
A trace of anger flickered in Bu Eun-seol's sharp gaze.
"Have you already forgotten our agreement?"
He had explicitly instructed Do Cheon-rin to activate the emergency signal and flee if he was ever in danger.
But Do Cheon-rin hadn't kept his promise.
Because he had been confident he could win. Because he had wanted to refine his martial arts through real combat.
"How did you know to come?"
"You've been struggling lately, haven't you?"
Leading the Rogue Vanguard, Do Cheon-rin had been overwhelmed with endless hard work alongside Dam Yu-yeon, the strategist.
Because of this, Bu Eun-seol had been deeply concerned that the Martial Alliance or the Black Path factions might try something reckless.
He had ordered the Death Soul Squad to monitor their movements every half-hour and report any anomalies immediately.
Moreover, he had been on his way to meet Do Cheon-rin to discuss something, tracking his location.
If not for that—
No matter how unparalleled Bu Eun-seol's Lightness Art was, he wouldn't have made it in time to save Do Cheon-rin.
"I thought I could win at first."
Do Cheon-rin knew exactly why Bu Eun-seol was angry.
He spoke with an apologetic expression.
"I saw it as a chance to perfect the saber technique I've been developing."
Flick.
Instead of responding, Bu Eun-seol tossed a small pill toward Do Cheon-rin.
It was a Soul-Numbing Divine Pill, crafted by the Medicine King Faction.
"Take it. It won't fully heal your external injuries, but it'll be enough for you to move."
Snap.
Do Cheon-rin caught the pill and swallowed it immediately.
"Go back and get treated. I'll handle this one."
"...Alright."
Without another word, Do Cheon-rin activated his Movement Technique and left.
The masked man had been tasked by the Infinite Realm to retrieve demonic swords from their wielders—
Meaning his skills were fearsome.
This fight was better left to Bu Eun-seol.
"Infinite Realm."
As Bu Eun-seol turned, a bloody light rose in his eyes.
"I was already looking for you."
After all, it was none other than the Infinite Realm that had desecrated his grandfather's grave and stolen the remains.
He had been searching relentlessly for their headquarters, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't find a single clue—
And it had tormented him.
But now, a messenger of the Infinite Realm had come to him of their own accord.
He couldn't help but feel a twisted joy.
"I have no need for words with the likes of you."
Dozens of streams of Internal Energy erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body, soaring into the heavens.
Messengers of the Three Realms and members of the Special Divine Rank—
They weren't the type to divulge information willingly, no matter how much you asked.
Then he would simply crush them in an instant.
Whether through torture or any other means—
Even if it wasn't the headquarters, he would tear through their subordinate organizations one by one.
Sssshhhhk—!
Dozens of blades formed from the Willful True Binding shot into the sky before raining down on the masked man like a torrential downpour.
Flash!
The masked man unleashed over thirty sword techniques in an instant, obliterating the Willful True Binding in moments.
Sssshhhhk—!
In response, Bu Eun-seol manifested the Willful True Binding again—this time stronger, reinforced with Water Essence Divine Qi to make it nearly unbreakable.
Zzzzziiing!
Though the Sword Qi struck, it couldn't sever the technique, only producing an eerie vibration.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
In the end, the masked man swung his demonic sword directly, blocking the onslaught of the Willful True Binding.
Thud-thud-thud!
Though he sliced through the Willful True Binding like straw,
each slash against the True Qi blades infused with Water Essence Divine Qi sent razor-sharp fragments flying in all directions.
Snap.
The black mask concealing the Man in Black's face split apart, slowly revealing his features.
"You—"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he recognized the face beneath.
Back when he had come to the shores of Dongting Lake to join the Kill-Seeking Unit,
hadn't this been Myeong-un, the youngest disciple of the Mount Heng Sect, who had wheedled him into sharing a jar of Yellow Rice Wine?
Their encounter had been brief,
and his physique had changed so drastically that even Bu Eun-seol—who could identify a person by the shape of their muscles alone—had failed to recognize him.
"You were of the Mount Heng Sect, were you not?"
Though the sect had fallen into ruin, reduced to taking odd jobs like common escorts for other factions,
he had lived happily alongside his sworn brothers, bound by deep camaraderie.
So why had Myeong-un become one of Return-to-One Realm's agents?
"Yet now you serve Return-to-One Realm—?"
Bu Eun-seol stared at him, uncomprehending. The Man in Black—Myeong-un—shook his head.
"What good is dredging up the past?"
Gripping his demonic blade, he continued,
"I've heard you're the Martial Soul Lord, the man who shook the world. Let's have a proper fight."
From his tone, it was clear Myeong-un had been with Return-to-One Realm for a long time—
and had gathered enough intelligence about Bu Eun-seol.
"..."
Hands clasped behind his back, Bu Eun-seol gazed emptily at the distant sky.
Though their paths had diverged, his memories of Myeong-un—the cheeky youngest disciple who had coaxed him into sharing wine—had always been fond.
Yet now, he had joined Return-to-One Realm, a vile faction that dissected even the corpses of the dead to create masters comparable to martial artists of generations past?
"You can't afford to lose focus!"
Myeong-un swung his demonic blade at Bu Eun-seol's neck—
but Bu Eun-seol, still staring at the sky, deflected the strike effortlessly with his Earth Sword.
Clang-clang-clang!
Bu Eun-seol's internal energy and swordsmanship had already reached Reaching the Summit. No matter how mysterious Myeong-un's techniques were,
they posed no threat.
"Enough with this arrogance!"
Infuriated, Myeong-un twisted his grip on the demonic blade.
His skin turned deathly pale, and his pupils flashed with a dazzling light.
His appearance now mirrored that of Neung-ryeong—the most renowned master the Mount Heng Sect had produced,
who had vanished without a trace two hundred years ago.
'So that's how it is.'
That single transformation told Bu Eun-seol two things:
Return-to-One Realm had partially perfected their Great Art, allowing successors to fully inherit the abilities of past masters—
and Myeong-un had joined them to fulfill his long-cherished dream of rebuilding the Mount Heng Sect.
Otherwise, why would he have chosen Neung-ryeong's martial arts, of all things?
"In the end, Return-to-One Realm preys on desperate wishes."
Bu Eun-seol muttered bitterly.
Myeong-un had been a prodigy—a rare Martial Talent.
But as a disciple of a fallen sect, he had never been given the chance to bloom.
Return-to-One Realm must have recognized his potential, luring him in with promises of restoring the Mount Heng Sect.
Shing-shiiing!
The more sword techniques Myeong-un unleashed, the paler his skin became, his gaze and expression growing increasingly foreign.
Clang-clang-clang!
Bu Eun-seol deflected the strikes with his Earth Sword, but this time, it was futile.
Sssk—sssk!
Misty sword energy, like distorted air, pierced through the blade and burrowed into Bu Eun-seol's pressure points.
Two hundred years ago, Neung-ryeong had been the Mount Heng Sect's foremost master and stood at the pinnacle of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
Now, through Return-to-One Realm's ritual, Myeong-un wielded that same power—
making him an opponent even Bu Eun-seol couldn't easily suppress.
Shiiing!
The sword energy twisted freely, slipping past the Earth Sword's guard.
"How long do you think you can keep dodging?!"
Myeong-un's face had fully transformed into Neung-ryeong's.
His arms stretched like taffy, his elongated fingers manipulating the longsword with unnatural fluidity.
'So Neung-ryeong had hands like that.'
Not only were his fingers abnormally long, but his muscles were unnaturally supple—as if he had mastered Indian Yoga Art to Grand Perfection.
This unique physique had allowed him to perfect the Mount Heng Sect's lost Lute Sword,
a style no one else could replicate.
'There's no choice.'
The Earth Sword could no longer block Myeong-un's relentless, serpentine sword energy.
But he wasn't an opponent to be subdued lightly. The only option was to unleash True Void and crush him outright.
Whoosh.
As Bu Eun-seol gripped the Ink Soul Sword, the very air of the world seemed to be sucked into its blade.
Transcending time and space,
he prepared to unleash the Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form—
against the legendary Neung-ryeong of two centuries past.
Shriiiing!
But then, something unexpected happened.
A strange Metallic Sound reverberated—
as the tip of Bu Eun-seol's Ink Soul Sword
met the tip of Myeong-un's demonic blade with pinpoint precision.
He had blocked the Ultra Fast Killing Sword—
a technique that had never failed since Bu Eun-seol's ultimate evolution.
"Hahaha!"
Myeong-un burst into triumphant laughter.
Yet something was off.
Even though Bu Eun-seol's decisive strike had been countered—
Bu Eun-seol's gaze remained eerily calm, his eyes cold as he stared down at him.