Chapter 716
—The Sword Demon and the Sword King. Two swordsmen clash to determine supremacy!
An unexpected piece of news shook the martial world.
The Sword Demon, Wi Hyeok-gun—who earned the title "Sword Demon," meaning the foremost swordsman of the demonic path, at a young age and rose to the position of Chief Instructor of the Fire Rain Sword Sect by his thirties—
And Seon-u Jin, the Sword King, who ascended to the Seat of the Four Gods and Seven Kings at the age of twenty, a title reserved for those who have reached the pinnacle in every field of martial arts.
These two masters had agreed to a duel.
—At the hour when the sun is highest in the sky, a fortnight from now. On Poseok Island.
Moreover, to everyone's astonishment, the two peerless swordsmen would face each other in an open, public battle.
Generally, the more exceptional a martial artist's skills, the more they avoid public duels.
Because doing so would be no different from exposing all their secret techniques—along with the strengths and weaknesses of their martial arts—to the entire martial world.
Yet Wi Hyeok-gun did not secretly send a challenge to Seon-u Jin.
Instead, he formally delivered a letter to the Martial Alliance, proposing an open duel.
His intention was to utterly crush Seon-u Jin in full view of the world, thereby elevating the name of the Fire Rain Sword Sect once more.
—If he's a coward, he won't even dare to accept the challenge.
In truth, Wi Hyeok-gun was well aware that the likelihood of Seon-u Jin accepting the challenge was almost nonexistent.
He believed that Seon-u Jin had spread those rumors solely to gain unearned fame.
—Very well.
Contrary to expectations, however, Seon-u Jin accepted the duel without hesitation.
By this point, what had begun as a clash between the old and new generations of peerless swordsmen had escalated into a battle where the pride of both the orthodox and unorthodox paths was at stake.
—I can't miss this duel!
Upon hearing the news, martial artists dropped everything—some even abandoning their meals mid-bite—and rushed toward Poseok Island in a frenzy.
For warriors, witnessing a battle between masters alone could grant them immense insight.
Every martial artist in the world who wielded a weapon was now flocking to Poseok Island in droves.
Martial Alliance, Pinnacle Pavilion. Seon-u Jin's office.
Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seon-u Jin, was diligently working through his duties.
Soon, he would have to venture into the martial world to attend to several matters.
Which was why he was swiftly clearing the backlog of tasks before him.
"Haa..."
With a deep sigh, Bu Eun-seol set down the brush he had been holding.
He had reviewed and completed every single piece of pending work.
Meeting the Demonic Heavenly Emperor wasn't entirely a bad thing.
Though this encounter had been part of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's scheme to place the persona of Seon-u Jin on the board he had crafted...
At the very least, through this meeting,
He had extracted an apology from the Demon Hall, earning the trust of the Martial Alliance's key figures in the process.
Now, it's time to step back into the martial world.
Bu Eun-seol would soon have to go to Poseok Island and face the Sword Demon.
Of course, part of it was to demonstrate the Sword King Seon-u Jin's prowess and fulfill his promise to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
But he had another reason.
The Sword Demon...
Bu Eun-seol's pupils burned like molten iron, glowing crimson.
I won't let him walk away unharmed.
Knock, knock.
"Pavilion Master, it's Tae Mu-ryong."
At the sound of knocking, Tae Mu-ryong's voice came through the door.
"Enter."
The expression on Tae Mu-ryong's face as he stepped into the office was grim.
"As expected, we found no trace of Yang Seol's faction."
After bowing respectfully, he continued.
"Despite mobilizing the Death Soul Squad and every information network at our disposal, we couldn't locate any individuals or factions resembling Yang Seol's group."
"I see."
Perhaps it was only natural.
Yang Seol's faction was closer to an abyssal force—one that had never before revealed itself in the martial world.
No matter how extensively they mobilized the intelligence networks of both the orthodox and unorthodox paths, uncovering them in such a short time was impossible.
I must find a new Boundary-Prosperity Jade.
Bu Eun-seol touched the Boundary-Prosperity Jade hidden in his robes.
After his meeting with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, its light had completely vanished, and its ability to alter one's aura or presence had disappeared as well.
If he were to fight the Sword Demon in this state?
Not only the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, but even the sharp-eyed masters of the world might see through his disguise.
"Pavilion Master."
Tae Mu-ryong spoke up then.
"Are you truly all right with this?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Sword Demon is no ordinary master. It's said that within the Fire Rain Sword Sect, aside from the Sect Leader and the elders, no one can stand against him."
"Correct. He is exceedingly strong."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed faintly.
"I've felt the weight of his strength firsthand."
In the past, on Hell Island, Bu Eun-seol had refused to become the Fire Rain Sword Sect's Ten Demonic Heir.
Enraged, Wi Hyeok-gun had immediately unleashed his formless qi.
Had Dan Cheong not intervened at that moment? Bu Eun-seol would have suffered irreversible, fatal internal injuries.
"Then why deliberately provoke him into this duel?"
Using the Death Soul Squad's intelligence network, Bu Eun-seol had predicted Wi Hyeok-gun's movements.
Then, he hired members of the Black Syndicate to spread rumors incessantly provoking Wi Hyeok-gun.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had demanded proof that his ascension to the Seat of the Four Gods and Seven Kings within a month was no coincidence.
In essence, it was no different from ordering him to defeat one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
But currently, the only active member among them was Bukgung Ryeong—and fighting him was out of the question.
Even if he sought out masters comparable to the Four Gods and Seven Kings, they had no reason to accept Seon-u Jin's challenge.
If they had desired fame, they would have claimed a seat among the Four Gods and Seven Kings long ago.
But Wi Hyeok-gun was different.
Not only was he fiercely prideful, but he revered the Fire Rain Sword Sect as though it were his very life.
Hadn't he, solely because Bu Eun-seol chose Langya Pavilion, deemed it an insult to the Fire Rain Sword Sect and unleashed his Formless Qi?
Bu Eun-seol had calculated that, by exploiting that arrogant and unrestrained temperament, Wi Hyeok-gun would undoubtedly challenge Seon-u Jin.
"Among those who rival the Four Gods and Seven Kings, he was the only one who would accept a duel without hesitation. That's all."
"Lord Commander. I'm disappointed."
Tae Mu-ryong smiled bitterly.
"Do you still think of us as members of the Righteous Faction?"
"..."
"We heard everything through the Death Soul Squad's intelligence network not long ago. That Wi Hyeok-gun, the Chief Instructor of the Fire Rain Sword Sect, crippled the arm of Jin Gak—the former instructor of the Fire Rain Sword Sect's Beginner Hall on Hell Island."
Tae Mu-ryong's gaze darkened.
"All because he taught the basics of the Fire Rain Sword to the Ten Demonic Heir—the one who made the young sect leader cower and shattered the Fire Rain Sword Sect's finances."
The reason Bu Eun-seol had deliberately provoked the Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun into this confrontation was simple.
Through the Death Soul Squad's intelligence network, he had learned that Wi Hyeok-gun had crippled Jin Gak's right arm—solely because Jin Gak had recognized Bu Eun-seol's talent on Hell Island and painstakingly taught him the fundamentals of swordsmanship.
"As the Martial Soul Lord, I couldn't strike him down myself. That's why I did this."
A fierce light erupted from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"It was the perfect opportunity to cut down that Sword Ghost—that fanatic who worships the Fire Rain Sword Sect like a madman."
"I see."
Tae Mu-ryong took a deep breath.
Bu Eun-seol was the kind of man who repaid kindness tenfold.
And yet, simply because Jin Gak had taught him, Wi Hyeok-gun had crippled the man's arm.
His rage had soared to the heavens.
In the end, under the pretext of his deal with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, he had mobilized every intelligence organization to provoke the Sword Demon.
All for the sake of fighting him.
"But this will be an extremely difficult battle."
Tae Mu-ryong's expression grew uneasy.
"You can't kill him, nor can you achieve an overwhelming victory."
Bu Eun-seol, who had suppressed his fury all this time, was now boiling with wrath.
The Sword Demon should not expect to leave Poseok Island with all his limbs intact.
The problem was that Seon-u Jin's martial prowess could not surpass Wi Hyeok-gun's.
If that happened, the carefully constructed persona of Seon-u Jin would collapse entirely.
Yet he couldn't let the man walk away unscathed either... For Bu Eun-seol, this was an excruciatingly difficult fight.
"I've prepared countermeasures of my own."
"That's a relief."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry for not telling you beforehand. This felt too much like a personal matter."
"Not at all."
Tae Mu-ryong clasped his hands together.
"I only wished to remind you, Lord Commander, that every action you take is one that we, the Peak Realm Members, stake our lives on."
"I'll keep that in mind from now on."
"Thank you."
Tae Mu-ryong smiled.
"Then we'll continue tracking Yang Seol's movements."
"Don't push yourselves."
Bu Eun-seol returned the smile.
"I only asked because there's something I need to confirm."
"Understood."
Tae Mu-ryong bowed respectfully before turning to leave.
As he watched the door close, the faint smile on Bu Eun-seol's lips faded, his eyes darkening.
Before heading to Poseok Island, he absolutely had to find Yang Seol.
Without the Boundary-Prosperity Jade, he wouldn't even be able to fight the Sword Demon in the first place.
But if he revealed all of this, the Peak Realm Members would push themselves beyond their limits.
Bu Eun-seol would rather die than let any harm come to his subordinates.
"Ah."
A sudden thought struck him.
"She said she could read Heaven's Will and foresee the appearance of the Heavenly Darkness Star."
Back then, Yang Seol had claimed she entered the martial world because she had read the celestial signs of the Heavenly Darkness Star's manifestation.
"Does that mean... it might be connected to me?"
The Heavenly Venerable had called him the Heavenly Darkness Star.
And Yang Seol had said the conditions for the Heavenly Darkness Star's radiance were—
Either realizing one's own fate, or unleashing its power.
If he truly was the Heavenly Darkness Star, and Yang Seol's words were correct... then the reason for the shift in Heaven's Will could only be one thing.
"Memories."
During his travels in the martial world, whenever Bu Eun-seol suffered severe trauma to his brain's meridians, fragments of his lost memories would resurface.
Could it be that every time his memories returned, the Heavenly Darkness Star had shone?
"Am I being too self-important?"
Bu Eun-seol let out a bitter laugh and shook his head.
Only the Heavenly Venerable had ever called him the Heavenly Darkness Star. No one else had recognized it.
Not even Yang Seol, who claimed to read Heaven's Will, had seen it in him.
Deep down, Bu Eun-seol believed the probability of him being the Heavenly Darkness Star was slim—that the Heavenly Venerable must have been mistaken about something.
"But recovering my lost memories is something I must do."
Whether he was the Heavenly Darkness Star or not, he needed to reclaim the memories locked away in his mind.
And that was also Bu Eun-seol's small, personal wish.
If he could just see his mother's face one more time—if he could remember it—
He felt as though all the suffering and loneliness of his vagabond days would be washed away in an instant.
"Lord Commander, it's Jeong Jong-do."
At that moment, Jeong Jong-do, the group leader, visited the office this time.
"Lord, we have finally located that dharma treasure you've been searching for all this time."
His voice was tinged with excitement.
"The sacred relic of the Divine Maiden Palace."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. A former member of the Kill-Seeking Unit, now in the Death Soul Squad, reportedly found it in the ravines of the Flaming Mountains in Turpan."
"Well done."
Bu Eun-seol faintly smiled.
In the past, when Yeon So-ha had visited the Demon Hall, she had stayed at the Hidden Demon Pavilion for quite a long time.
And whenever she had free time, she would often come to chat with Bu Eun-seol.
Among their conversations were secret histories about the Divine Maiden Palace.
It was said that the Divine Maiden Palace had a mysterious secret cave called the Immortal Crane Hidden Estate, left behind by its founder.
However, because the palace's sacred relic—the Demon-Summoning Banner—had been lost,
they had been unable to enter it all this time.
—"Are you saying that Demon-Summoning Banner is the legendary one?"
The Demon-Summoning Banner was known as a dharma treasure of the legendary goddess Nüwa.
Normally kept inside a glass bottle,
it was said to unleash mysterious power when taken out.
—"That's right. Though I don't know if it truly is the goddess's treasure."
The Demon-Summoning Banner was described as a small flag emitting multicolored light, said to be hidden somewhere in the Xinjiang region.
—"Then why hasn't the Divine Maiden Palace sent anyone to retrieve it?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Yeon So-ha had answered like this:
—"We searched for a long time. But in the end, we gave up. Even if we found the Demon-Summoning Banner, there's no one in the main palace who can open the Immortal Crane Hidden Estate."
—"What do you mean?"
—"They say you need five hundred years of internal power to wield its power. And if you use it to open the Immortal Crane Hidden Estate, about thirty percent of your energy will be consumed."
Yeon So-ha had smiled faintly.
—"How could a human possess over five hundred years of internal energy? And why would such a divine being sacrifice their power just to open our palace's secret cave?"
After hearing that story,
Bu Eun-seol had placed a hefty bounty and tasked members of the Death Soul Squad and the Kill-Seeking Unit with finding the Demon-Summoning Banner.
Because a deep sense of debt toward the Divine Maiden Palace remained within him.
Though, strictly speaking, that hadn't been his original intention.
Regardless, Yeon So-ha had run away from the Divine Maiden Palace because of him, and to shield him from romantic entanglements, she had announced their engagement without the palace lord's permission.
Even if they were of similar age, Bu Eun-seol was, after all, a grandmaster of the Demonic Path.
He bore some responsibility for failing to stop Yeon So-ha's reckless actions.
'From the Divine Maiden Palace Lord's perspective, she must have exercised tremendous restraint.'
The palace lord must have been furious beyond words.
Yet she neither condemned Bu Eun-seol nor retaliated on a sect level.
For that alone, Bu Eun-seol felt indebted to her,
and after much deliberation, he had decided to repay that debt by retrieving the Demon-Summoning Banner.
And now, at last, that plan had borne fruit.
The intelligence organizations had been consolidated, and one member of the Death Soul Squad, who had tirelessly pursued the legend of the banner,
had finally found the sacred relic.
"Have it delivered to me immediately. I will head straight to the Divine Maiden Palace."
If the legends passed down by the Divine Maiden Palace were true,
opening the Immortal Crane Hidden Estate with it would drain a significant portion of his internal power.
Yet Bu Eun-seol was prepared to do so without hesitation to settle his moral debt.
Even with his impending duel against the Sword Demon.
"Understood. I will arrange for it to be delivered as soon as you depart for the alliance."
"Good."
As Jeong Jong-do left, Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
The Divine Maiden Palace had long been renowned for its inherited boundary formations and esoteric ritual arts, but its martial arts were somewhat lacking.
If he were to open the Immortal Crane Hidden Estate for them,
the palace would undoubtedly rise as an even stronger sect.
It would wash away his lingering guilt toward the palace lord and Yeon So-ha in one stroke.
"I should leave soon."
As Bu Eun-seol rose from his seat, a single word flashed through his mind.
'Esoteric ritual arts.'
Yang Seol-rin could read the will of heaven.
She had said she descended into the martial world after seeing the Heavenly Darkness Star shimmer in the sky.
Then, upon detecting the sect leader of the Qinghai Seven Sword Gates using the Child Body White Bones ritual, she had intervened—leading her to cross paths with him.
'Perhaps... the Divine Maiden Palace...'
Currently, it was believed that mystical esoteric arts and grand rituals had vanished from Murim.
Yet the leaders of the Three Realms who had appeared so far had continuously employed such methods.
Of course, there was no way a member of the Three Realms would help him.
But aside from them, there was one sect in Murim that not only researched ancient, mysterious boundary formations
but was also known among the Seven Great Female Palaces for wielding the most profound formations and esoteric arts.
Namely, the Divine Maiden Palace of Mount Wu, where Yeon So-ha resided.
'Perhaps they possess esoteric arts or secret techniques capable of altering the flow of heavenly will.'
If the heavenly will changed, the Yang Family might detect it and come searching.
Bu Eun-seol had found a glimmer of hope.
'Of course, the Yang Family can't be trusted.'
Though the Yang Family was thought to have disappeared,
in truth, they were closely monitoring the affairs of Murim, deeply involved in many events.
The martial world was already engulfed in such chaos that it had become impossible to distinguish good from evil.
The Yang Family was likewise one of the untrustworthy factions.
'Miss But Yangseol...'
The Yang Seol-rin that Bu Eun-seol had seen undoubtedly possessed the will to protect the martial world and remained untainted by evil.
Of course, whether she could be trusted or not was another matter entirely.
"It was inevitable, I suppose."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Through the Demon-Summoning Banner, he would open the Immortal Crane Hidden Estate while simultaneously seeking a method to alter the flow of Heaven's Will from the Divine Maiden Palace.
Mount Wu
Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River,
this was a place shrouded in mystical and auspicious energy, where the most enigmatic sect of women in the world resided.
Having left the Martial Alliance, Bu Eun-seol employed his Lightness Skill and arrived at Mount Wu in a single breath.
But when he finally stood before the great gate of the Divine Maiden Palace, veiled in mist, he found himself hesitating.
The palace lord, Yeon Ja-mi, regarded him with displeasure,
while her daughter, Yeon So-ha, harbored deep affection for him—so much so that she had defied her mother's wishes and entered a betrothal with him.
Even if it had been a desperate measure to fend off the swarm of suitors vying for her hand...
Yeon So-ha's feelings were genuine.
And Bu Eun-seol, who knew this all too well, lacked the courage to step boldly into the Divine Maiden Palace.
'But I can't send someone else in my place, either.'
To wield the Demon-Summoning Banner required an unfathomable five centuries' worth of internal energy.
Moreover, the moment the banner was activated, thirty percent of one's internal power would be lost. There was no way he could entrust this task to another.
'What if I disguise myself as an attendant while someone else acts as the front?'
If he had someone else carry the banner while he, disguised as a servant, secretly employed the Body-Striking Transmission Art...
Wouldn't that allow him to repay his debt without having to face the palace lord's wrath or Yeon So-ha's ardent affection?
'Then should I send Seo Jin-ha?'
For a moment, the image of Seo Jin-ha's grinning face flashed through his mind.
—"Flowers grow more beautiful in clusters. A hero having three wives and four concubines is no flaw, Bu Eun-seol."
'Ah, no.'
Bu Eun-seol hastily covered his eyes.
Seo Jin-ha, who always patted his shoulder with a solemn expression while spouting such nonsense,
was dangerously steeped in such ideologies.
Sending him would only worsen the situation—that much was obvious.
'And brute force isn't an option here.'
In the end, he had no choice but to enter under his true identity.
The problem was, if he wasn't careful, he might get roped into something.
'Repaying a debt is harder than I thought.'
Receiving help from others was easy.
But repaying that debt was anything but.
This was why wise people feared receiving favors from others.
Yet Bu Eun-seol was the type to dig a well just to repay a single cup of water—he never hesitated to return a kindness.
Though perhaps it was precisely because of this trait...
That he had met good people in this ruthless martial world, tangled in favors and grudges.
And that he had found the strength to endure until now.
[Having trouble going in?]
As Bu Eun-seol stood frozen before the Divine Maiden Palace, So-yo sent him a low-pitched Voice Transmission.
[Should I go with you?]
Her Thousand-Li Voice Transmission was filled with worry and concern.
Hearing her voice gave Bu Eun-seol courage.
[No, it's fine. I'll be back soon.]
After taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol immediately approached the palace gate and knocked.
"Who goes there?"
The guard of the Divine Maiden Palace narrowed her eyes upon seeing him.
"This palace forbids men. You may not enter."
"My apologies, but I only ask that you relay a message to the palace lord."
Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"Langya Pavilion disciple Bu Eun-seol requests an audience with the palace lord."
"Bu Eun-seol."
The guard's eyes widened before she asked in a respectful tone,
"Are you the Heir of the Demon Hall, the Martial Soul Lord himself?"
"I am."
"Please wait a moment."
The guard hurried inside, and soon, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from within.
When the gate opened again, a beautiful woman clad in white robes rushed out in haste.
It was Yeon So-ha.
"My lord—"
She clapped a hand over her mouth mid-sentence.
Instead of addressing him as "Lord,"
she had unconsciously used the term reserved for a husband.
Strangely, whenever she stood before Bu Eun-seol,
her true feelings kept slipping out, no matter how hard she tried to hide them.
"Young Palace Lord."
Bu Eun-seol wasn't looking at her face—but at her feet.
In her haste, she had put her shoes on backward.
Given her normally composed nature, it was clear just how urgently she had rushed out.
"Oh—!"
Only then did she notice her mistake and quickly adjusted her shoes.
'She still cares for me.'
A pang of guilt struck Bu Eun-seol.
Despite having met him only once, her feelings for him remained unchanged.
But he couldn't accept her affection.
He was walking a razor's edge, embroiled in a perilous quest for vengeance where death could come at any moment.
Moreover, his known enemies alone included the Three Realms, who dominated the martial world.
Far from having the leisure to settle down or nurture love,
forming a romantic bond with someone would only endanger them.
"They say the ancients would wear their shoes backward to express great joy... It seems the Young Palace Lord welcomes this lord with exceptional warmth."
At Bu Eun-seol's teasing, Yeon So-ha's pale cheeks flushed crimson.
"Don't mock me."
She lowered her head in embarrassment before lifting it again, her face still flushed.
"What brings you here so suddenly?"
She seemed to think he had come specifically to see her.
"I've come to speak with the palace lord."
"With Mother? You don't mean—"
Yeon So-ha's face reddened all the way to her forehead.
She must have assumed he had come to formally propose.