Chapter 701
But then, something unexpected happened.
At the very moment Mu-gyeol unleashed the supreme martial art of Jeong Cheon-je—which he had hidden and now used to avoid a fatal injury—
Whoooosh.
With the sound of scattering sand, the crushing pressure of the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm against his chest vanished in an instant.
Baek Mu-seong had withdrawn his palm energy in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps he had judged that inflicting a fatal wound in such a public duel was unacceptable.
'Well, there's no helping it.'
Mu-gyeol, too, had no choice but to swiftly retract the martial power he had been gathering.
If he were to unleash his technique in this state,
it would amount to a treacherous ambush against Baek Mu-seong, who had already shown restraint.
Whoosh.
But then—
Baek Mu-seong's hand, swift as lightning, returned to Mu-gyeol's chest.
It was so natural, so effortless,
that even a master like Mu-gyeol could only stare blankly at that palm resting against him.
"What are you doing?" Mu-gyeol asked.
Baek Mu-seong replied coldly,
"Shall we continue? Or will you concede?"
Mu-gyeol glanced down at his own chest.
Had Baek Mu-seong merely channeled a sliver of internal power, his ribs would have caved in, leaving him with a fatal wound.
"Isn't this a trick?"
Mu-gyeol scowled in protest, but Baek Mu-seong's voice remained icy.
"What exactly did I trick you with?"
For a moment, Mu-gyeol was at a loss for words.
If I had been certain of victory and not slowed my attack...
Even if he had ultimately lost, it wouldn't have been in such a humiliating manner.
But Baek Mu-seong had perfectly grasped Mu-gyeol's temperament and exploited it, striking at his blind spot with a masterful move to claim victory.
'Had I fought with true intent to kill, perhaps the outcome would have been different.'
Mu-gyeol reminded himself that this was merely a duel—
not a life-or-death battle.
Yet Baek Mu-seong, in pursuit of victory, had maintained perfect stillness, pouring his full strength into every strike.
And in the final moment, he feigned mercy, luring Mu-gyeol into complacency—
only to seize victory with absurd ease.
In the end, Mu-gyeol had been outmatched in both martial arts and mind games.
'To lose without even drawing out Baek Mu-seong's signature martial art...'
Swallowing his bitterness, Mu-gyeol calmly clasped his hands and admitted defeat.
"I've lost."
—Cheeeers!
A roar of excitement erupted from all directions.
Mu-gyeol had used the Shadowless Sword, revealing himself as the Alliance Leader's disciple.
Yet Baek Mu-seong had claimed victory with nothing but the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm.
Though there had been some deception involved,
the very fact that he had employed such tactics was proof that his martial prowess and mental acuity surpassed Mu-gyeol's.
"The winner—Baek Mu-seong, Leader of the Baek Faction!"
At Paeng Jong-heon's declaration, Mu-gyeol clasped his hands toward Baek Mu-seong and turned away.
'This should be a defeat convincing enough for the senior members.'
Mu-gyeol's expression was one of relief.
In truth, he too had received orders from the Martial Venerable to lose.
He had prepared an elaborate way to feign defeat, but in the end, Baek Mu-seong had laid the groundwork for him.
'What exactly is he thinking?'
Originally, the Martial Venerable had intended to bypass Bu Eun-seol and appoint Mu-gyeol as the leader of the Martial Heaven Unit.
But the plan had abruptly changed.
Now, Baek Mu-seong was to be made unit leader, while Bu Eun-seol would take the position of Secret Intelligence Bureau Chief.
Mu-gyeol couldn't understand it, but he faithfully carried out the Martial Venerable's orders.
For now... he had to maintain the appearance of a loyal disciple.
'Now it's Bu Eun-seol's turn.'
Losing to Baek Mu-seong had been easy.
But Bu Eun-seol was different.
Even in defeat, he had to ascend to the position of Bureau Chief—making how he lost critically important.
If he failed to demonstrate sufficient martial prowess?
He would face fierce opposition from the senior members.
Thud. Thud.
Having lost to Baek Mu-seong, Mu-gyeol deliberately descended from the martial stage with an air of exhaustion.
Then, his gaze met Bu Eun-seol's, who stood waiting on the opposite side.
Hmph.
Mu-gyeol offered a faint smirk.
—Good luck.
As if he hadn't noticed that playful glint, Bu Eun-seol maintained an indifferent expression.
Mu-gyeol clicked his tongue before finally leaving the stage.
'So far, everything is proceeding according to the Martial Venerable's plan.'
Watching Mu-gyeol shamble away, feigning weakness, Bu Eun-seol's eyes darkened.
'Could it be... the Martial Venerable has the same plan as me?'
In his own scheme, Baek Mu-seong had to become the unit leader.
Only then could the Martial Alliance's authority be split three ways.
But from the Martial Venerable's perspective, a fractured Alliance was hardly desirable.
So why was he trying to hand the unit leadership to Baek Mu-seong—a man suspected of being a pawn of the Three Realms?
"Yuk Jang-cheon, Hall Master of the Hall of Ascending Martial! Seon-u Jin of the Supreme Peak! Step onto the stage!"
Just then, Paeng Jong-heon's voice rang out.
The duels would resume immediately.
Whoosh.
At his call, two figures materialized atop the martial stage once more.
Gulp.
The martial artists watching the martial stage swallowed their saliva in unison, as if they had made a pact.
The Palm King, Yuk Jang-cheon.
Even before joining the Martial Alliance, he had been a master of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, dominating the murim.
Alongside the Fist King, he stood at the pinnacle of Fist Palm Finger Art.
And what of Peak Leader Seon-u Jin?
After appearing like a comet in the Martial Alliance as the successor of the Seonhwa Merchant House, he had achieved merit after merit, rising through the ranks relentlessly.
He had even obtained the fortuitous opportunity to enter the Martial Emperor's Secret Vault, and ultimately defeated the Fist King, Seok Chi-haeng, securing a Seat of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
What made it even more intriguing was the fact that—
The two had once shared a pot of rice as superior and subordinate within the same organization.
Yet now, not only had they both ascended to the same Seat of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, but they were also competing for the position of Leader...
There could be no more thrilling duel than this.
—Isn't this too predictable?
But the perspective of the Martial Alliance's elite was slightly different.
Yuk Jang-cheon was a Grandmaster of Martial Arts who had long since entered the ranks of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
Even back then, his strength had placed him among the upper echelons of that group.
No matter how much of a rising star Seon-u Jin was, the idea of defeating him was absurd.
"So it's come to this."
Yuk Jang-cheon sneered as he looked at Bu Eun-seol.
"Why not forfeit now? That way, you won't have to suffer an ugly defeat."
"My apologies."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands respectfully.
"I dare to challenge the fate that has been set before me."
Fate.
It was a word Bu Eun-seol despised. But he had deliberately used it in front of Yuk Jang-cheon's face.
—I am fated to become the Leader of the Heavenly Martial Brigade.
By invoking the word fate, he had subtly needled Yuk Jang-cheon's nerves.
"Unfortunately, most youthful challenges end in failure."
Yuk Jang-cheon smiled faintly and extended his hand.
"Let's see the skill that brought down the Fist King."
"Begin!"
At Paeng Jong-heon's shout, Bu Eun-seol immediately drew Ink Soul Sword.
Like a swallow skimming low over water, he closed the distance in an instant, thrusting toward Yuk Jang-cheon's throat.
This was not a sword form of the Righteous Faction or the Demonic Path—it was a Quick Sword Form Bu Eun-seol had improvised on the spot.
Yuk Jang-cheon was taken aback.
Who would have thought he would open with a killing move right from the start?
And not just any strike—a Quick Sword Form launched from an unavoidable angle.
"You must be desperate for victory."
With a cold sneer, Yuk Jang-cheon unleashed his signature technique.
"KWAANG!"
His Cloudfire Palm—formally known as the Cloudfire Sword-Seal Palm—erupted.
Renowned as the greatest palm technique of the past century, Yuk Jang-cheon's Palm Learning was so formidable that it was often compared to the Demon-Subduing Coiling Dragon Palm of the Palm Emperor, one of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars who stood at the pinnacle four hundred years ago.
The Cloudfire Palm, infused with Extreme Yang energy like roaring flames, was in truth a technique that maximized the principle of acceleration.
No one could evade it—because it adapted to the opponent's movements and speed.
"SHWIK!"
The palm grazed past Bu Eun-seol's cheek.
But Bu Eun-seol had refined the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon further after his battle with the Fist King, Seok Chi-haeng, and had even faced the Demon-Subduing Coiling Dragon Palm firsthand in his fight against the Heavenly Venerable.
To him, the principle of acceleration meant nothing.
"As expected."
Yuk Jang-cheon nodded.
Bu Eun-seol had exploited the flaw in the principle of acceleration.
By altering his movements and strikes in response to the Cloudfire Palm, which adjusted to the enemy's actions, he had executed a perfect evasion.
"Such a feat is only possible for one who has reached the pinnacle—theExtreme Heaven Realm—by slicing time itself into fragments."
Yuk Jang-cheon exhaled in admiration.
"So it wasn't that you defeated a master of theFour Gods and Seven Kingsin a short time."
A radiant body light shimmered in his piercing eyes.
"You had already entered the ranks of the supreme masters long ago."
"I'm honored."
"But be careful."
Despite his gentle tone, a sinister energy surged from his twin palms.
"The hands have no eyes!"
"KWA-RUNG!"
The palm force Yuk Jang-cheon unleashed was slower than before—so slow it didn't even produce the Sound of Breaking Air.
Bu Eun-seol effortlessly split the energy with Ink Soul Sword and immediately slashed toward Yuk Jang-cheon's shoulder.
"BOOM!"
But with a deafening explosion, Bu Eun-seol's body was flung back five steps.
'I didn't even see his left hand move.'
Yuk Jang-cheon had seemingly released an ordinary palm force with his right hand—but at the same time, his left hand had executed an exquisite maneuver.
As if commanding a living creature, he had unleashed a unique palm force that charged straight into Bu Eun-seol's opening.
—Palm King Yuk has reached theTwo Spirit Realm.
The Two Spirit Realm.
It was said that when one refined palm techniques to their absolute limit, the release and retraction of palm energy became so free that it was as if two spirits resided in the arms.
Each moved with its own will—pouring out and withdrawing palm force against the enemy as if acting independently.
Yuk Jang-cheon had astonishingly refined his palm energy to the realm of the Two Spirit Realm.
Both arms were independently releasing palm energy in response to Bu Eun-seol's movements.
Putting this into words might make it sound simple,
but in reality, it required internal power beyond imagination and a mastery of palm techniques that had reached the level of Entering Divinity.
"It's too early to be surprised."
Yuk Jang-cheon swung his right hand.
As he moved, faint shadows trailed from his left hand, weaving through the air.
Swish.
And those afterimages each transformed into distinct palm techniques, pouring down upon Bu Eun-seol's body.
Some were as heavy and imposing as Shaolin's palm energy, while others were as sharp and venomous as the Unorthodox Faction's palm techniques.
The Palm King.
The reason he bore such a title was not only because he had honed his palm techniques to their utmost limits—
but because he was the grandmaster of palm arts, capable of wielding every palm technique and its subtleties in the world.
Pah!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol failed to deflect the relentless barrage of palm energy and leaped into the air.
And then, he unleashed a downpour of sword techniques.
The twelfth form of the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms—Leaping Flood Dragon and Rising Phoenix.
True to its name, sword energy surged like a leaping flood dragon and a soaring phoenix,
tangling chaotically as it rained down.
This was a preemptive strike to block Yuk Jang-cheon from attacking him mid-air.
"Hmph."
Yet, as if he had predicted such a move, Yuk Jang-cheon erased each sword energy strike one by one with the Golden Dragon Clawing technique.
To disperse solidified sword energy like mist—
such a feat was only possible for one who had refined their palm techniques to the realm of Transcendent Mastery.
Zzzing—
Pushed back by the relentless Cloudfire Palm, Bu Eun-seol's Ink Soul Sword resonated with a sharp hum.
He had drawn upon all three hundred years of internal power he had assigned to his Seon-u Jin persona and poured it into his blade.
"You're impatient."
Yuk Jang-cheon closed the distance, stepping into close range.
Then, as if executing a Close Combat Technique, he extended his hand and began releasing palm energy.
Such close-quarters tactics were typically used by second-rate martial artists skilled in Fist Palm Finger Art,
who pressed their hands directly against their opponent's body to amplify the force of their palm energy.
Though Yuk Jang-cheon had no need for such crude methods, he still engaged in close combat,
releasing palm energy so close it nearly grazed Bu Eun-seol's body, occasionally switching to Claw Art to rake at his neck and shoulders.
Bu Eun-seol barely managed to block the strikes, but his body was already covered in numerous scratches.
Drip. Drip.
As blood trickled from Bu Eun-seol's wounds, Yuk Jang-cheon momentarily withdrew his hand and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Will you continue?"
Despite his benevolent expression, internal power surged in Yuk Jang-cheon's hands.
Though he had absolutely no intention of stopping, he deliberately maintained a magnanimous demeanor—
if only to leave a favorable impression on the Martial Alliance's senior members observing the duel.
"Of course."
Clack.
Instead of pressing forward, Bu Eun-seol sheathed his Ink Soul Sword back into its scabbard.
"Hm."
Yuk Jang-cheon's eyes narrowed.
Seeing Bu Eun-seol return his sword, he immediately discerned that his opponent was switching tactics.
"Good. Be careful."
And without hesitation, he unleashed the Cloudfire Palm.
With its eighteen forms, the Cloudfire Palm had once chilled the hearts of heroes across the land.
Now, it had reached a level where its traces were undetectable—impossible to see where or how it would strike.
Moreover, the palm technique he was currently employing seemed like a fusion of Shaolin's Diamond Prajna Palm and the Mysterious Dark Gate'sProfound Yin Divine Palm—
releasing palm energy so sharp and dense that it rendered Bu Eun-seol's swift Movement Technique useless.
'I'll shatter any martial art in an instant.'
Yuk Jang-cheon's eyes flashed.
Whenever he encountered a master skilled in palm techniques, he immediately challenged them to a duel. If none were to be found, he would roam in search of secret manuals.
In his travels, he had mastered lost palm techniques from Western Shaolin and even grasped the Esoteric School'sGreat Hand Seal.
Thus, his Cloudfire Palm, a fusion of countless techniques, possessed power that could astonish heaven and earth.
"Hoh."
Yuk Jang-cheon waved both hands toward Bu Eun-seol, who was moving swiftly.
"Too many openings."
Even as he released palm energy, no sound followed.
He had executed the Shocking Conquest of the World—a formless, shapeless technique designed to leave no room for defense.
Shhk.
But then, something astonishing happened.
Bu Eun-seol, who should have been struck down by the invisible palm force, stood perfectly unharmed.
"You dodged it."
Swallowing his shock, Yuk Jang-cheon muttered calmly.
How could he have perfectly evaded a formless, shapeless palm technique?
Even he himself couldn't predict how his own technique would shift.
"Thank you for holding back."
At Bu Eun-seol's indifferent words, Yuk Jang-cheon's insides twisted, but he nodded his head with composure.
"The palm energy will only grow fiercer from here. I advise you to quit while you can."
"As I've said before, I intend to challenge the fate I've been given."
"Good."
Yuk Jang-cheon spread both arms wide.
Most assume palm techniques merely involve channeling energy through the palms to strike down foes.
But the true profundity of palm arts lies elsewhere.
It is the ability to wield the most freely and precisely movable part of the human body as a weapon.
Mastery of palm techniques allows one to unleash attacks that combine the strengths of all weapons under heaven.
No matter what method the enemy employs, one can always counter.
KWA—AAAAH!
A tidal wave of palm energy began crashing down upon Bu Eun-seol's body.
It was a martial form akin to the wrath of nature itself—impossible to evade or block.
Bu Eun-seol, like a lone leaf boat adrift in a storm-lashed river, teetered precariously as he dodged.
Yet with every movement, the palm energy relentlessly burrowed into his pressure points.
BOOM! BOOM!
Deafening impacts resounded.
Even if Bu Eun-seol deployed the Vajra Indestructibility Divine Art, continuing to endure these strikes would leave him far from unharmed.
'This brat...?'
But Yuk Jang-cheon's eyes widened mid-strike.
The number of palm strikes landing cleanly was decreasing.
Bu Eun-seol wasn't just evading with footwork—he was gradually dissolving the palm energy, one strike at a time, using fist techniques.
The opponents palm masters loathed most weren't those wielding divine weapons, but masters proficient in fist and palm arts.
Hands are freer and more precise than any weapon.
But when the enemy employs the same methods, that advantage vanishes.
Grind.
Yuk Jang-cheon gritted his teeth.
Seon-u Jin wasn't using his famed Sword Studies—instead, he stubbornly clung on like a water ghost, weathering the Cloudfire Palm with crude fist techniques.
It was... infuriating.
'He's stalling because he has no path to victory!'
Enraged, he doubled his internal power and unleashed the Cloudfire Palm in full force.
Yet Bu Eun-seol's fist techniques, though lacking overwhelming power, were unexpectedly stable—unyielding as bedrock.
Somehow, he endured.
'Then there's another way.'
Shwip!
Closing the distance with a burst of footwork, Yuk Jang-cheon deployed the Eighteen Garment-Pinning Strikes, sticking to Bu Eun-seol like glue.
From point-blank range, he rained down a relentless offensive.
A palm strike aimed at the face? A follow-up elbow sought to shatter the collarbone.
A shift in footwork? The Linked Ring Leg Technique locked down movement.
When hands clashed, the Grappling Hand Technique raked downward.
When bodies collided, the Outer Regions Throwing Technique tried to hurl him to the ground.
A single graze could be fatal—this was close combat at its deadliest.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Forty exchanges of frenzied exchange later, the arena fell silent.
—Since when did Lord Yuk's martial arts become so bloodthirsty?
Of course, close combat was inherently brutal—a dance of life and death at point-blank range.
But Yuk Jang-cheon fought as if this were a fight to the death, relentlessly pressuring Bu Eun-seol with lethal techniques.
This no longer felt like the Martial Alliance's dueling stage.
It was as if the arena had transformed into a battlefield of sworn enemies locked in mortal combat.
WHAM! CRACK! THUD!
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol's movements remained measured, never straying from the Righteous Path.
One might assume he was purely defensive—but his motions held precision, devoid of killing intent.
To onlookers, Yuk Jang-cheon alone appeared like a reckless ruffian dancing with blades.
'This cunning bastard!'
As the exchange dragged on, Yuk Jang-cheon seethed.
He had opted for close combat to end this quickly, avoiding drawn-out exchanges—
Only to realize this was exactly what Bu Eun-seol had wanted.
'He trained extensively in close combat for today's match.'
Bu Eun-seol, who had been helplessly battered moments ago, now mirrored the Eighteen Garment-Pinning Strikes, clinging like a water ghost and disrupting his palm sequences.
'He baited me into close combat on purpose!'
Yuk Jang-cheon bit his lip.
Close combat allowed for attacks using every part of the body—but its techniques were short, concise.
This completely sealed his Cloudfire Palm, which required broader movements.
'I'll kill him!'
Consumed by fury, he unleashed a barrage of killing moves, each capable of severing a neck in an instant.
Even if it made him look savage—
He would crush that sly face clinging to him like a leech and end this farce.
WHOOSH! CRACK!
But after another forty exchanges, realization struck.
'He was hiding his fist technique mastery!'
Now it was clear—Bu Eun-seol had lured him into close combat to seal the Cloudfire Palm.
'This won't do!'
Crack.
A bone-deep sound emanated from Yuk Jang-cheon's body.
He was about to unleash a trump card, fueled by a lifetime's worth of internal power.