Chapter 69
Seven Severance Sword Form.
One of the sword techniques devised by the Martial Alliance's elder masters for their eighteen Great Righteous Experts.
A practical adaptation of the Righteous Faction's sword forms—normally restrained in killing intent—characterized by an endless cascade of lethal strikes.
Swish!
The hem of Bu Eun-seol's robe was sliced by Yeong Ji-wi's descending blade.
No matter how swiftly he shifted positions using Swift Shadowless, the sword strokes of the Seven Severance Sword Form clung to him like leeches.
Swish! Swish!
The form transformed mid-air once more, scattering Bu Eun-seol's hair.
At that moment, his eyes flashed.
'So this is the Seven Severance Sword Form...'
Heightening his senses through the Way of the Beast, Bu Eun-seol grasped the sword principle (the underlying logic of sword techniques) behind the form.
'Just like when I first learned sword techniques.'
Back then, he had first studied swordplay on Hell Island.
Even the most ordinary Thirteen Fire Rain Sword Strikes—when executed by him—transformed into unpredictable killing moves.
This was because he had only just awakened to the Way of the Beast, and at the time, his heart brimmed with uncontrollable bloodlust.
The unrestrained killing intent, combined with mastering the Way of the Beast at a speed that defied martial logic, twisted every sword stroke into a bizarre killing technique.
'The essence lies in movements and killing strikes that defy martial principles!'
Having pierced through the sword principle of the Seven Severance Sword Form, Bu Eun-seol swept his longsword behind his back.
Zing!
An overwhelming pressure erupted, distorting the trajectories of all the sword strokes Yeong Ji-wi unleashed.
He had executed the Heavenly Domination Sword Extreme Force—at the Peak Realm.
"Sword Extreme Force?!"
Yeong Ji-wi stiffened in shock as Bu Eun-seol deployed a technique only sword masters could wield.
"I thought you were just a fast swordsman."
Channeling his internal energy to resist the pressure, Yeong Ji-wi swung his sword rapidly.
Clang! Clang!
Breaking free, he once again enveloped Bu Eun-seol's surroundings with the Seven Severance Sword Form.
"Sword Extreme Force can't stop the Seven Severance Sword Form!"
Yeong Ji-wi's technique dominated even the space around Bu Eun-seol.
The moment a faint gap in the Sword Extreme Force appeared, Yeong Ji-wi exulted.
'He must lack real combat experience!'
Seeing Bu Eun-seol maintaining the stance without realizing his vulnerability, Yeong Ji-wi thrust his sword forward.
Swift!
When Bu Eun-seol finally raised his guard belatedly—
'Hah! As if such a basic stance could block the Seven Severance Sword!'
—Yeong Ji-wi smirked and knocked Bu Eun-seol's sword aside with full force.
KABOOM!
The explosive impact sent Yeong Ji-wi flying backward as if hurled by a giant's hand.
—"WOOOOAH!"
Cheers erupted from the martial artists in the grandstands.
To repel a Great Righteous Expert representing the orthodox faction in a single move! Bu Eun-seol's strike delivered a satisfaction as refreshing as downing a cold drink.
"Guh—!"
As Yeong Ji-wi tried to steady himself, blood gushed from his mouth.
The moment their blades clashed, an overwhelming force had surged through his body like a tidal wave.
"Heavy Sword Art...!"
His face twisted in dismay.
He realized Bu Eun-seol had wielded the Heavy Sword Art—a technique renowned as the most brutal and domineering among all sword styles.
"And this level of internal energy...!"
Kneeling, Yeong Ji-wi's unfocused eyes betrayed his despair. Not only in swordplay, but even in internal energy, he couldn't match Bu Eun-seol.
Never in his years of training had he been so thoroughly outclassed.
"Ugh..."
He stared at the sword in his hand.
No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't devise a way to break through Bu Eun-seol's Heavy Sword Art and Sword Extreme Force.
Had his unbroken streak of success left him unprepared for defeat? With his techniques shattered one after another, sweat beaded on his forehead as panic set in.
"Ah... what a pity. I should've trained harder."
Mustering his composure, Yeong Ji-wi forced a bitter smile at Bu Eun-seol.
"I haven't been in the martial world long. That's why my skills lag behind the other Great Righteous Experts—"
Whish!
His excuse was cut short.
Bu Eun-seol closed the distance in an instant, his blade aimed to split Yeong Ji-wi's skull.
"Tch!"
Reacting instinctively, Yeong Ji-wi raised his sword.
Shiiing!
A clear ring echoed as his treasured blade shattered into two pieces.
"Impossible..."
Weapons breaking upon clashing was a sight only seen in brawls between third-rate martial artists.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol had shattered Yeong Ji-wi's treasured sword with nothing but an old iron blade.
This proved one thing—the internal energy Bu Eun-seol had poured into that crude weapon was at least twice as potent as what Yeong Ji-wi had mustered.
"If you value your life, return to Mount Diancang."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was icy as he spoke over the fragments of the shattered sword.
"And train your blade and internal energy for three years. Only then should you step back into the martial world."
"Wh-what did you just—?"
Yeong Ji-wi bit his lip hard at the humiliating advice.
He was young. Talented with the sword.
But compared to Bu Eun-seol, he was nothing more than a fledgling.
Ugh...
Only now did the reality strike him to the bone.
The sole reason he'd survived this long was sheer luck—never having crossed paths with a true master until today.
"Did you... spare me because I'm one of the Great Righteous Experts?"
In the martial world, the title alone had always earned him deference. Always. That was why today's disgrace cut deeper than any blade.
But Bu Eun-seol's reply was merciless.
"What saved your life wasn't that title. It was Mount Diancang."
Without another glance, he turned away.
As Bu Eun-seol stepped off the dueling stage, Cho Mun-cheon's booming voice rang out.
"The victor is Young Hero Bu!"
Yet an eerie silence blanketed the grand plaza.
The Great Righteous Experts were the rising suns of Murim—the ones destined to shoulder the orthodox faction's future.
How could one of those illustrious figures fall to a nameless youth?
"Let any challenger step forward now!"
But only a heavy stillness answered.
Bu Eun-seol's movements, his sword strokes—they surpassed even the most renowned masters. There was no need to test oneself against a force so clearly dominant.
"Young Hero Bu advances to the next round!"
At Cho Mun-cheon's declaration, Bu Eun-seol strode from the plaza without a backward glance.
"Fascinating."
From a high pavilion overlooking the Wandering Drifters' grounds, a shadow murmured as it watched the distant stage.
"Even accounting for mastery of the Heavy Sword Art and Sword Pinnacle Stance... to defeat Yeong Ji-wi—who wielded both the Sun-Shooting Sword Art and Seven Extremes Sword Form—in a single stroke?"
Eyes glinted in the darkness before the voice continued, low and pensive.
"Moreover, his sword strokes suggest he's mastered techniques stripped of their foundational schools. If so, that implies a separate True Power cultivation method..."
Before the shadow, an old man bowed deeply.
"Shall this humble servant investigate?"
The shadow shook its head.
"Unnecessary. The Martial Refinement Tournament will reveal all in due time. For now, observe closely."
"Understood."
With that, the shadow melted back into the gloom as though it had never been there.
Bu Eun-seol spent half a day resting at the guest inn.
Not out of fatigue—but because he'd spent the day deliberating whether to continue in the tournament.
Too many coincidences.
The Martial Alliance dispatching a Master of Great Righteousness wasn't surprising. A sharp blade needed a sturdy scabbard, after all.
The problem was how swiftly one had tailed him—as if they'd anticipated his arrival at the tournament.
Has my trail already been exposed?
Unlikely.
For a year in the Slaughter-Seeking Squad, he'd operated under false identities. The name "Bu Eun-seol" was known only to the Demon Hall's highest echelons.
Even Baek Yeon, commander of the Wind and Cloud Corps, was actively distorting intelligence about him.
If assassination were the goal, there'd been countless opportunities en route to the Wandering Drifters.
Which means this is just a twist of fate upon fate.
Rising from his seat, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Old habits die hard.
He'd ventured into the martial world precisely to face unforeseen trials and dangers.
Yet the instincts of a Slaughter-Seeking Squad operative—analyzing every variable, anticipating every threat—still clung to him.
"I'll finish the tournament first. Then reconsider."
Stepping outside, he made his way back to the grand plaza.
The preliminaries had concluded, and the bracket now listed thirty-six remaining masters. By tomorrow's end, only sixteen would remain.
"My next opponent..."
After scanning the bracket, Bu Eun-seol turned away without hesitation.
Late night.
Sssk—
Outside Bu Eun-seol's inn room, the faintest whisper of footsteps brushed the floorboards.
To most masters, it would've been imperceptible.
But to Bu Eun-seol, trained in the Way of the Beast?
It might as well have been a knock on the door.
"Hmm."
But Bu Eun-seol didn't step outside the door—instead, he walked toward the window.
"Ah!"
There, a black shadow had already concealed itself in the darkness.
"Your senses are quite impressive."
As Bu Eun-seol immediately detected him, the black figure rose from the shadows.
"Just that one move alone shows you possess extraordinary—"
The shadow's confident voice didn't continue. Bu Eun-seol had drawn his sword in an instant, pressing it against the figure's throat.
"Indian Yoga Art, is it?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes burned like embers.
He had clearly seen the shadow shrink its body and slip through the narrow window in the darkness.
"What—what are you suddenly talking about?"
"Answer me."
A radiance as intense as the sun poured from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"If the words that come out of your mouth next aren't an answer but something irrelevant, you die."
The killing intent radiating from Bu Eun-seol's body felt like it could pierce through the ceiling.
Pressed by the terrifying momentum, the shadow spoke in a trembling voice.
"How could someone like me learn an exotic art like Yoga Art? It's merely the Tendon Shrinking Bone Art."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been staring intently at the shadow, spoke in a low voice.
"Who are you?"
"A wandering mercenary affiliated with the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers."
"I asked who you are."
"H-Heuk-pyo, they call me."
"Heuk-pyo?"
"Most drifters in Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers hide their pasts and use aliases."
Bu Eun-seol's pupils gleamed coldly in the dark.
"What do you want?"
"I-I came with a request."
Bu Eun-seol slowly sheathed his sword, his voice icy.
"If you don't want to die, don't use cheap tricks like that again."
Clack.
As the longsword slid back into its scabbard, Heuk-pyo felt as though his throat had been sliced open again.
'I've never been caught before.'
Heuk-pyo had always trusted in his Tendon Shrinking Bone Art. But today, he realized with painful clarity that to true masters, it was nothing more than a mere parlor trick.
"I'll remember that."
Bowing respectfully, he spoke in a hushed tone.
"I have a request. And—and of course, I'll provide appropriate compensation."
"I'm not a mercenary."
"It shouldn't be too difficult for someone like you, Young Master."
As Heuk-pyo took a step forward, his face, previously hidden in darkness, was revealed.
He couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen.
Though dressed in plain martial attire, he was still a boy whose youthful softness hadn't yet faded.
Bu Eun-seol stared at him for a moment before speaking curtly.
"Let's hear it."
"Thank you."
Heuk-pyo lowered his voice.
"Kill Yeop Hwa—your opponent tomorrow."
"...What?"
Bu Eun-seol asked with a hollow expression.
"Do you even know who Yeop Hwa is?"
Tomorrow's opponent was Yeop Hwa. His epithet was Wandering Chivalrous.
A man bearing such a title—one that marked him as the foremost chivalrous hero among drifters—and here this boy was asking for him to be killed in the tournament?
"Of course I know. He's lived in the martial world for a long time, one of the most influential drifters in the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers."
"Why do you want him dead?"
"He's done countless terrible things. That man."
Heuk-pyo clenched his fists.
"Every time he steps into the martial world, he secretly commits depraved acts. Especially targeting children. At every opportunity."
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
Though a drifter, Yeop Hwa was treated with the same respect as a renowned hero of the orthodox faction. And yet, this man was a vile predator?
"Proof?"
"There isn't any."
Heuk-pyo gritted his teeth.
"He's too experienced in the martial world to ever leave a trace. And his martial arts are so advanced that no one dares investigate his actions."
Bu Eun-seol spoke quietly.
"So. You want me to kill a man with no proof, in the middle of a martial tournament?"
Instead of answering, Heuk-pyo took out a small wooden case and slowly opened it.
Inside, three round stones resembling cat's eyes glimmered. Cat's Eye Stones—each worth a thousand gold taels.
"Surely this can stand in place of proof."
The Bu Eun-seol of the past might have scoffed.
But the Bu Eun-seol who had gained experience in the martial world as a member of the Slaughter-Seeking Squad knew exactly how powerful money could be.
Money can move even gods.
With enough money, even ghosts could be commanded. This was a saying that held true even in the martial world.
"With that much money, you could kill a man without proof."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, color returned to Heuk-pyo's face.
"Thank you!"
"But your calculations are off."
Bu Eun-seol gazed down at the Cat's Eye Stones, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"If you want to buy a person, you shouldn't show the money first."