Chapter 713
Murmurs and clamor.
At the foot of the mountain, the White Horse Monastery's Special-Class Elite Unit, the Soul-Seizing Unit, was stationed.
It was a precaution—just in case someone might attempt to disrupt the duel.
"Wait here. Until the victor descends."
At the Soul-Seizing Unit leader's words, Tang Gon let out a soft chuckle and glanced at Bu Eun-seol.
"Seeing them go this far, it seems they won't resort to any dirty tricks."
"Do well."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Tang Gon nodded and immediately activated his Movement Technique.
Whoosh.
As he stepped onto the mountain path, a thick fog began to rise.
'A Boundary Formation.'
With an indifferent expression, Tang Gon unfolded his Movement Technique and soon arrived at the pavilion, where Hyeok Sa-gang stood with his arms crossed.
Just as before, instead of the pure white whip used by the White Horse Monastery's martial artists, a transparent, gleaming White Horse Whip was fastened at his waist.
It was likely a whip imbued with special abilities.
"You're late."
At Hyeok Sa-gang's words, Tang Gon replied flatly.
"Were you afraid? Enough to deploy a Boundary Formation in advance?"
Hyeok Sa-gang curled his lips into a cruel smile.
"I had to cage the rat first."
Thud.
As Hyeok Sa-gang stomped his foot, the fog began to surge in all directions.
Simultaneously, enormous, transparent walls slowly materialized around them.
"No need to be alarmed. This is merely to prevent any escape."
"If I had intended to flee, I would have exposed your true nature before ever stepping foot in the White Horse Monastery."
"Whatever. One of us must die today."
Sssk.
Hyeok Sa-gang gripped the White Horse Whip at his waist.
The coiled whip, when fully extended, appeared to be at least thirty feet long.
Considering the principles of Martial Arts, when facing an opponent wielding such a long weapon, the optimal strategy would be to close the distance with a short weapon.
Yet Tang Gon drew a single dagger from his robes.
It was an ordinary dagger, the kind Tang Pae often used.
"Heh. So that's your plan."
Hyeok Sa-gang chuckled calmly.
His White Horse Whip, which could be swung at blinding speeds and stretched over fifty feet in length, was capable of creating a barrier of True Qi around his body—akin to a Protective Aura—that could repel any weapon before it even reached him.
And yet, this fool thought he could win with just a single dagger?
'Not even the Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation, hailed as the pinnacle of Hidden Weapon Arts, can breach the White Horse Whip Art.'
Hyeok Sa-gang smirked.
He didn't even need to use the Martial Arts he had learned from the Azure River Realm. The White Horse Whip Art alone would be enough to sever this man's head.
"Hyeok Sa-gang."
Tang Gon gazed at the dagger in his hand and spoke.
"If you can dodge this, victory is yours."
"Hahaha."
Hyeok Sa-gang burst into laughter the moment he sensed Tang Gon preparing a One-Strike Kill technique with his Hidden Weapon Arts.
A One-Strike Kill technique, if missed, leaves a massive opening.
In other words, if he could just withstand this single strike... victory would be his in an instant.
Whooosh.
Tang Gon's pupils dilated sharply, emitting a mysterious glow.
At the same time, the pores on the back of his dagger-holding hand contracted, and his blood vessels pulsed with repeated expansions and contractions.
Channeling his Internal Power to its limits, his blood circulation accelerated rapidly.
"Hmph."
Snorting, Hyeok Sa-gang struck first before Tang Gon could attack.
Swish!
Suddenly, the White Horse Whip at his waist shot upward like a serpent, undulating like a wave.
He had unleashed the Fluttering Shadow-Cutting Form—a technique capable of deflecting any hidden weapon in an instant.
Sssk! Sssk! Sssk!
With the sound of sharp wind slicing through the air, the transparent White Horse Whip coiled around his body like a protective storm.
The essence of the Flying Dagger Art lies in seizing the opening revealed when an enemy attacks or moves—and severing their lifeline in a single stroke.
Knowing this, Hyeok Sa-gang had preemptively activated a defensive stance to ensure no opening was exposed.
"Hehehe."
With the whip's energy forming a colossal wall around him, Hyeok Sa-gang sneered.
Even if Tang Cheon-gun—renowned as the Tang Clan's greatest prodigy—were to return from the dead, not a single hidden weapon could pierce through this Fluttering Shadow-Cutting Form.
Whoosh.
At that moment, Tang Gon's dagger finally tore through the air.
Swoooosh.
The dagger Tang Gon unleashed emitted an enormous Sound of Breaking Air as it shot straight toward Hyeok Sa-gang's forehead.
Hyeok Sa-gang's eyes bulged as he stared at the flying dagger.
Not because he couldn't avoid it—but because the dagger's speed was unimaginably slow.
Twitch. Twitch.
The dagger crept toward Hyeok Sa-gang's glabella even slower than a slug inching along.
Watching this, Hyeok Sa-gang's pupils flashed.
'Is this what they call the Tang Clan's supreme hidden weapon art?'
The crawling dagger would take at least half a quarter—no, a full quarter—to reach him.
Moreover, sensing no ripple of True Qi from the dagger, it was clearly thrown with negligible force.
'Should I just swat it away?'
At that speed, he could easily bat it aside right now.
'No... This might be a feint within a feint.'
Perhaps they wanted him to expose an opening by carelessly deflecting it.
Hyeok Sa-gang tightly gathered his Internal Power, maintaining the Fluttering Shadow-Cutting Form without pause.
Yet that dagger would still take another quarter to reach him.
'Surely he hasn't unleashed the Ganges Advancing Leaf...'
There existed one legendary hidden weapon technique in Murim—
The mythical art said to compress all of one's Internal Power and surrounding natural energy into a single weapon:
The Ganges Advancing Leaf.
By condensing monstrous kinetic force, it allowed a hidden weapon to be launched with agonizing slowness.
But that was only theoretical. No one had ever witnessed it in Murim.
Could Tang Gon have mastered it?
Squirm. Squirm.
The dagger still crawled straight toward his forehead.
Whatever this technique was...
The mere fact that he'd employed such sluggish dagger-throwing proved he wielded extraordinary Secret Arts.
'Hmm...'
Too much knowledge could be a curse.
Seeing this lethargic dagger art, every martial principle Hyeok Sa-gang knew surfaced at once—
Leaving him utterly unable to discern what technique Tang Gon had employed.
Divided Mind.
To subdue an enemy, one must maintain composure and unify body and spirit.
—"If you can evade this dagger, victory is yours."
Moreover, just before combat began...
Tang Gon's words had seared into his mind like a Fire Brand.
That claim of using only the Single Stroke Form's dagger technique.
Hyeok Sa-gang had fixated on a single-stroke duel—and was now exhausting his Mental Power to its limits because of it.
'This bastard manipulated me with mere words?!'
Only now did Hyeok Sa-gang realize Tang Gon's words had fractured his Spirit and Mind, creating mental division.
In this state... no martial form could be executed stably.
"Preposterous!"
Ultimately abandoning the Fluttering Shadow-Cutting Form, Hyeok Sa-gang swung his White Horse Whip with full force.
If the dagger was thrown that slowly, it must contain tremendous power—
Thud!
But the unexpected happened.
The dagger he'd struck with full-powered White Horse Whip contained no more force than a toddler's throw...
"Even Azure River Realm's Special Divine Rank has such pitiful patience."
Unnoticed, a black gleam had condensed at Tang Gon's fingertip.
Flash!
A single line bisected heaven and earth.
Simultaneously, Hyeok Sa-gang's body froze like petrified wood.
This was the final secret Tang Pae had imparted to Tang Gon before death—
The Tang Clan's ultimate secret technique, releasing an inescapable line of death.
"With just... talk of a single stroke..."
Gurgling blood bubbled as the death line pierced Hyeok Sa-gang's throat.
"...you toppled this Pavilion Lord."
Though inheriting Tang Pae's secret arts, Tang Gon had lacked confidence to overpower Hyeok Sa-gang outright.
The man would surely counter hidden weapons with full-powered whip energy.
—"To topple a stronger foe, turn their strength into weakness."
Suddenly, Tang Pae's admonishing teachings resurfaced.
—"If you must land a hidden weapon, first shatter their Spirit and Mind to expose an opening."
Remembering this—
Tang Gon deliberately used a flying-dagger technique that mimicked the legendary Ganges Advancing Leaf to destabilize Hyeok Sa-gang's mind.
Then seized that fleeting opening to release the death line.
Tang Pae's Death Line.
Tang Gon had named the clan's ultimate secret technique after his father.
"You too."
At that moment, Hyeok Sa-gang, his eyes wide with fury, spat out the words through gritted teeth.
"You'll be dead soon!"
Thud.
In the end, he collapsed backward and breathed his last.
It was a somewhat pitiful death for the master of the White Lotus Pavilion at White Horse Monastery.
"Father."
Tang Gon gazed up at the distant sky.
Though he had achieved his revenge, he felt neither joy nor pride.
His heart was simply filled with a deep, aching longing for his father.
"I will make sure our clan stands tall in the Murim."
Only now did Tang Gon truly realize it—
That his father had always loved him.
It was just that, due to his gruff nature—
And his desire to forge the Tang Clan into a formidable force—
He had never been able to properly express that love.
Creak.
Tang Gon turned away weakly.
For this single exchange of martial forms, he had spent days and nights calculating every possible outcome in his mind.
By pure martial skill alone, he could never have defeated Hyeok Sa-gang, a Special Divine Rank of the Azure River Realm.
That was why he had staked everything—every trick, every ounce of his Mental Power and Internal Power—on this gamble.
And it had succeeded.
Crunch, crunch.
As Tang Gon made his way out of Red Pavilion Grove, he suddenly tilted his head in confusion.
Despite Hyeok Sa-gang's death, the Boundary Formation surrounding them had not dissipated.
'No way.'
A foreboding premonition struck him. He drew his throwing daggers and slashed with all his might at the transparent wall where mist was rising.
Zzzt!
But only blue flames sparked—the wall showed no sign of breaking.
Worse, a strange scent reached his nose.
It was the smell of gunpowder—something only a master artisan who had crafted countless hidden weapons could recognize.
"No way."
Only then did Tang Gon realize the truth—
A death trap had been laid across this entire area.
Hyeok Sa-gang, anticipating the possibility of his own defeat, had buried an enormous amount of explosives throughout the surroundings.
Hssss—
From somewhere, acrid smoke and the stench of gunpowder began to rise.
It seemed the buried explosives would detonate at any moment.
And the Boundary Formation enclosing this place—
Was of a sturdiness that could not be broken in such a short time.
Zzzziiing—
Taking a deep breath, Tang Gon summoned the Heaven-and-Earth Shared Intent, one of the Eight Great Secret Arts.
'I'll give it my all.'
The probability of surviving this was slim. But he felt no fear, not even a glimmer of worry.
Because he had fought without regret, just as his father had taught him.
'If you attain enlightenment in the morning, you may die in the evening without regret.'
CRACK!
But suddenly, a violet bolt of lightning descended from the sky—
Zzzt!
—and in an instant, the unbreakable circular wall of the Boundary Formation shattered.
Crackle.
Amidst the violet flames, a figure emerged.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
"You."
Tang Gon's lips parted in surprise.
Bu Eun-seol's plain gray martial uniform was drenched in crimson blood.
He must have dealt with all of White Horse Monastery's forces waiting at the foot of the mountain.
"How did you get here?"
"A man who was from White Horse Monastery and rose to the Special Divine Rank of the Azure River Realm—do you really think he'd handle things so simply?"
"Well—"
As Tang Gon tried to speak, a sudden dizziness overtook him.
It felt as if all the blood in his head had rushed to his feet.
CRACK!
With a thunderous roar, Tang Gon opened his eyes—only to find the scenery around him as if he had soared over three hundred feet into the air.
Bu Eun-seol had grabbed him—
And with Qi Ride to the Heavens, amplified by Thunder Essence Divine Qi, he had pierced through the Boundary Formation and shot into the sky in a single breath.
BOOM!
At that moment, an earth-shaking explosion erupted from below.
The buried explosives had finally detonated.
"Ah—"
Tang Gon, startled, looked down—
Flash!
—only to feel his body being violently pulled somewhere, his mouth tearing open in excruciating pain.
Bu Eun-seol, holding him tightly, had unleashed Ultimate Speed Shadowless at full power, forcing the rushing air to fill his mouth completely.
CRACK!
Another thunderclap roared—and before he knew it, they had already left White Horse Monastery's territory and entered the Seohwa region.
Thud.
As Bu Eun-seol landed on the ground—
"Ugh..."
Tang Gon let out a pained groan.
Bu Eun-seol's Movement Technique had been unbearably fast, and the residual effects of the Thunder Essence Divine Qi left his entire body tingling.
"My apologies. There was no time to spare."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Tang Gon weakly waved his hand.
"Apologies my foot. Thanks to you, I'm still alive."
"Now that everything's concluded, ascend to the position of Family Head."
"The Lotus Merchant was acting under orders from the Azure River Realm to steal your martial arts. Do you not intend to capture the other rats connected to him?"
"Whether they're Special Divine Rank or whatever, from the Azure River Realm's perspective, they're all just expendable tools. And..."
A flash of bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"Ultimately, I must seize their headquarters and crush them entirely. I have no interest in mere underlings."
Tang Gon swallowed hard.
Even the Special Divine Rank of the Azure River Realm, who had once toyed with the Tang Clan, was nothing more than small fry in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
After all, he intended to annihilate not just the Azure River Realm, but the entire Three Realms.
"Then, will you return to the Demon Hall now?"
"That's right."
"I see."
Tang Gon briefly wore a regretful expression before pulling Bu Eun-seol into a tight embrace.
"Thank you."
Suppressing the surge of emotion in his chest, Tang Gon spoke softly.
"If you ever need the strength of our clan, contact me anytime."
Bu Eun-seol was systematically dismantling the Three Realms, which had been uprooted from the Murim, along with various other factions.
And the Tang Clan was prepared to lend their full strength to aid him whenever necessary.
"Understood."
Knowing Tang Gon's sincerity, Bu Eun-seol patted his back.
"You will do well."
After giving his shoulder another firm pat, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Let's meet again."
KRA-BOOM!
Before Tang Gon could respond, Bu Eun-seol vanished into the distant sky.
Watching his retreating figure, Tang Gon clenched his fists tightly.
"Just wait a little longer."
He made a vow.
To ensure Bu Eun-seol wouldn't have to bear everything alone. To become a true ally in his endeavors.
He would strengthen the Tang Clan into an even greater force.
The death of the White Lotus Pavilion Master of the White Horse Temple was quietly dealt with, never reaching the ears of the Murim.
Hyeok Sa-gang, the White Lotus Pavilion Master.
The White Horse Temple itself had discovered that he was a spy colluding with an external faction.
And that was also the Azure River Realm's method of cutting loose ends.
They would recruit individuals of high status and exceptional martial prowess into the Special Divine Rank, and once their usefulness expired—
They would discreetly leak information to the organization the individual belonged to, letting them handle the matter quietly on their own.
Meanwhile, the confrontation between the Demon Hall and the Martial Alliance grew increasingly severe.
The catalyst had been the assassination attempt on Seon-u Jin, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.
Under the identity of Seon-u Jin, Bu Eun-seol had eradicated the Blood Enemy, a covert organization under the Supreme Cult Commander.
Enraged, Yeop Hyo-cheon mobilized the Dark Soul Unit, a Special-Class Elite Unit of the Demon Hall.
But Bu Eun-seol deliberately feigned severe injury at their hands—
Unearthing even the most deeply embedded spy within the Martial Alliance:
Sagong Won, Chief of the East Grove Bureau.
From the Martial Alliance's perspective, not only had a key figure been attacked, but an assassin from the Demon Hall had attempted murder—
An absolutely unforgivable transgression.
Meanwhile, the Demon Hall was equally incensed.
Their Top-Secret Battle Unit, which had never once been defeated, had been abruptly crushed, and a spy they had cultivated for years had been eliminated.
In the end, it became a battle of pride, with neither side willing to yield.
But as the standoff escalated to near-war footing—
Both factions wasted enormous resources, and clashes, large and small, erupted across their branches.
Finally, after much deliberation, the Martial Alliance issued an order to Seon-u Jin:
—Chief Seon-u. Would you negotiate with the Demon Hall and secure a satisfactory resolution?
A high-ranking position came with immense authority—and equally immense responsibility.
Thus, the Martial Alliance commanded Seon-u Jin, the root cause of this entire situation, to negotiate with the Demon Hall.
—Understood.
Having secured full authority to handle the matter, Bu Eun-seol immediately sent a formal letter to the Demon Hall:
—This entire affair began because the Demon Hall dispatched assassins. If the Demon Hall offers an official apology, we will consider the matter resolved.
From the start, Bu Eun-seol had no intention of diffusing the standoff between the Demon Hall and the Martial Alliance.
That was why he demanded an apology from the one responsible for the blatant assassination attempt—the Supreme Cult Commander himself.
Whether the East Grove Pavilion Chief had been a spy or not could no longer be proven.
But the fact that the Dark Soul Unit had attempted to assassinate him was undeniable.
'There's no way they'll accept this.'
Bu Eun-seol was certain.
The Supreme Cult Commander would never apologize.
Especially since the Demon Hall's current state was one where the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had emerged from seclusion and returned to power.
Even if the Supreme Cult Commander wanted to apologize—
Now that the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had returned, any official apology would require the highest authority of the Demon Hall to issue it.
—The Demonic Heavenly Emperor requests Chief Seon-u's presence regarding this matter.
But then, an unbelievable reply came from the Demon Hall.
—The Demonic Heavenly Emperor wishes to meet you personally to discuss apologies and reparations for the harm done.
Not the Supreme Cult Commander—
But the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself had invited Seon-u Jin to the Demon Hall to resolve the matter.
Moreover, this was an official proposal.
From Bu Eun-seol's perspective—
There was absolutely no way to refuse. No way to escape it.