Chapter 721
Splurt.
Blood sprayed from Wi Hyeok-gun's shoulder as he maintained his defensive stance.
Even the slightest deviation from his posture, the faintest disturbance in his Spirit and Mind...
And the Sword Qi of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan would instantly pierce through him.
Bu Eun-seol also remained motionless, his sword extended.
In truth, the current manifestation of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan was not fully unleashed.
Because the technique would only conclude once the enemy's breath was severed.
Bu Eun-seol continuously poured out his Internal Energy, maintaining the form of the Sword Qi enveloping Wi Hyeok-gun's body.
Meanwhile, Wi Hyeok-gun, while preserving his flawless defensive stance, sought a way to dismantle the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
—That is the Sword Technique of the Sword King, Seon-u Jin.
The gathered warriors watched in bated breath.
Though the Martial Arts of Murim were diverse...
To perfectly replicate an enemy's form with Sword Qi, unleashing a technique that could neither be dodged nor blocked?
Most martial artists, unaware of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan, mistakenly believed that Seon-u Jin had created an exceptionally unique and terrifying Sword Studies, one that shattered the conventional principles of sword arts scattered throughout Murim.
Skree— Skkreee— Skreeeech!
Suddenly, sparks erupted from Wi Hyeok-gun's Red Carp Sword, accompanied by the sound of friction.
Though he appeared to be standing calmly, he was responding to the shifting patterns of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan with imperceptibly minute adjustments of his blade.
One move, two moves, fifteen... thirty.
Slowly, he deciphered the one hundred and eighty variations of the sword forms encircling him.
And one by one, he shattered them.
SHWIIING—!
A sharp Sword Resonance suddenly erupted from the Red Carp Sword, reverberating across all of Poseok Island.
At the violently spinning tip of his blade, a circular Qi Wave formed, gradually expanding in size.
BOOM!
The enlarged Qi Wave erupted in a dazzling explosion, suddenly scattering into hundreds of fragments that dispersed with a gust of wind.
WHOOSH—!
A storm that seemed capable of sweeping away the world in an instant, and countless shattered points of light like grains of sand, filled the plains.
As millions of luminous specks saturated the air,
the warriors felt as though they were witnessing a breathtaking Fireworks Display woven from pure light.
—Ooooh!
Just as the martial artists, engrossed in the spectacle, unconsciously let out gasps of admiration—
SHWIIING—!
With an ear-splitting Sound of Breaking Air, the sword light that had filled the plains vanished.
Simultaneously, the figures of the two men reappeared.
Bu Eun-seol remained poised with his sword extended.
Wi Hyeok-gun, too, stood no differently from before, maintaining his defensive stance.
But the Sword Qi of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan that had coiled around Wi Hyeok-gun's body had disappeared without a trace.
—The technique has been broken!
The warriors' eyes widened as they inwardly roared in astonishment.
The intricate sword forms of Seon-u Jin had ultimately been shattered by Wi Hyeok-gun's hand.
"A pity."
Wi Hyeok-gun smiled faintly.
"Had it been a complete technique, this strike would have taken my head."
The Sword Demon, Wi Hyeok-gun.
He, who was said to wield the finest blade in the Demonic Path,
had discerned that Bu Eun-seol's Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan, with its one hundred and eighty variations, was not fully realized—
but an Incomplete technique.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Yet, beneath Wi Hyeok-gun's legs, Bloodstained droplets fell to the ground.
Though he had identified the minute flaws in the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan and shattered each variation one by one,
having broken the technique while still enveloped in Sword Qi, his body was now littered with wounds both large and small.
Even so, the smile of victory lingered at the corners of his lips.
"If you cannot unleash a technique stronger than this single strike..."
Wi Hyeok-gun's coldly gleaming eyes fixed on Bu Eun-seol's face.
"You will die."
BOOOM—!
At the same moment, a low vibration resonated from somewhere.
It was akin to the sound that echoes in one's heart when struck by profound shock.
The warriors exchanged bewildered glances, scanning their surroundings.
Where had this sudden tremor come from?
PAK!
But then, Bu Eun-seol abruptly leaped nearly fifty feet into the air,
executed a fierce somersault, and landed back on the ground.
—Is he suddenly showing off hisLightness Art?
The warriors tilted their heads in confusion—
then, as if by some unspoken agreement, gasped in unison.
Before they knew it, a sharp Sword Qi had shot up into the sky from where Bu Eun-seol had stood.
However, the Sword Qi was so transparent that it had been nearly invisible.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
But something was strange.
Even though Bu Eun-seol had perfectly evaded the technique with his somersault, wasn't blood now trickling down his back?
—It's above too!
Someone shouted.
Upon closer inspection, the Sword Qi hadn't just surged from the ground—it had also poured down from above.
It was the subtle artistry of the Fire Rain Sword Technique, Second Form: High and Low Incline Toward Each Other.
"Hmph."
Wi Hyeok-gun's gaze turned icy when Bu Eun-seol failed to counterattack immediately after barely evading the High and Low Incline Toward Each Other.
"Don't tell me that Single Stroke Form earlier was the extent of your technique."
The single strike of the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan that Bu Eun-seol had just displayed possessed such an Abyssal power that even Wi Hyeok-gun could not guarantee his survival against it.
But because it wasn't a perfect Sword Stroke, he had been able to dismantle its variations and immediately launch a counterattack.
Yet Bu Eun-seol—even after sensing the initial movements of High and Low Incline Toward Each Other—
hadn't countered with sword techniques but stubbornly evaded using a Movement Technique.
That could only mean one thing: he lacked the Sword Form necessary to deflect the Fire Rain Sword and retaliate.
The Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form he had displayed earlier was Seon-u Jin's entire foundation—his complete arsenal.
"Huhuhu."
Having grasped the entire situation, Wi Hyeok-gun burst into laughter as if he found it absurd.
"Hahahaha!"
After cackling for a long while, he shook his head in disbelief.
"You were just a madman."
Contempt dripped from Wi Hyeok-gun's eyes.
With such an extravagant epithet like Sword King attached to his name, he had expected some grand sword technique to be unveiled—
only to find that this fool had dared face him with nothing but a single, incomplete Sword Form.
"Did you think this was some duel where victory comes from being half a step ahead?"
Wi Hyeok-gun muttered under his breath.
"This is a Fight to the Death—where you cut the enemy's throat, pierce their heart, and cleanly sever every limb."
Flash!
The Red Carp Sword erupted with light once more.
No more words were needed.
There was no need to pause and let him catch his breath.
From now on, until that bastard's head rolled and his heart was carved to pieces—
the attacks would never cease.
KWA-U!
In the time it took to flick a finger, Wi Hyeok-gun unleashed seventy-two sword strikes.
Though each seemed to pour forth with a different Sword Stroke, they were in truth executed in a single motion—
the fourth technique of the Fire Rain Sword Art, Unfathomable and Unpredictable.
FWOOOSH!
The Sword Strokes cascaded in all directions, merging with Sword Qi that surged like a tidal wave,
swallowing even the space to evade as they coiled around Bu Eun-seol's body.
'He has no sword technique to counter this.'
Wi Hyeok-gun curled his lips into a vicious smirk.
He had already discerned that Seon-u Jin, beyond the single-stroke Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Form,
had not mastered any orthodox sword art of comparable level.
Shhk-shhk-shhk!
Then, Bu Eun-seol swung the Ink Soul Sword, smoothly unfolding a sword technique.
It was a passably refined but ultimately feeble orthodox second-rate sword art—
the Vast Heaven Sword Art.
Sssk—
But with the sound of paper being sliced apart,
the Vast Heaven Sword Art Bu Eun-seol unleashed was completely erased by the Sword Qi Wi Hyeok-gun had created.
Now, he was moments away from having his head severed.
Sssshhk!
Yet something strange happened.
A sharp surge of force suddenly clashed against the descending Sword Qi—
not from the Ink Soul Sword wielding the Vast Heaven Sword Art, but from his left hand.
It was the Empty Fist Form, learned from the Martial Emperor Secret Repository, unleashing the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
The Empty Fist Form was a single fist strike, light as a cloud—
but the accompanying force of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction carried terrifying destructive power, enough to topple Mount Tai.
Shhk! Shhk!
The Thirteenfold Qi Induction instantly pierced through Wi Hyeok-gun's Sword Qi, creating a narrow gap.
Bu Eun-seol seized the opportunity without hesitation, throwing his body toward the opening.
KWAANG!
The spot where Bu Eun-seol had stood exploded with a deafening roar.
He had escaped the fourth technique of the Fire Rain Sword Art—
Unfathomable and Unpredictable.
Pshht!
Even though he had moved thirty feet outside the sword's range, blood spurted from Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
Had the overwhelming force of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction not created that gap? His body would have been carved into dozens of pieces.
Flash!
Wi Hyeok-gun didn't even allow him a moment to breathe.
Closing the distance like a ghost, he unleashed a relentless barrage of Killing Moves.
Ssss-ssss-ssss!
With every sharp line drawn through the air, nearby trees and stones were pulverized into dust,
and gales whipped in all directions.
The warlords closest to the duel began retreating step by step.
Even though they were hundreds of feet away,
their skin burned as if being torn apart by the sword winds.
—This is the Sword Demon...
Sword Demon. This term, referring to the foremost swordmaster of the Demonic Path,
had long since become an epithet inherited by the swordsmen of the Fire Rain Sword Sect, who dominated the Demonic Path Murim.
Because of this, the Fire Rain Sword Sect had faced criticism—accused of preserving the title through the sect's influence rather than merit.
But that was a false rumor.
The Demonic Path was scrupulously fair—
precisely distinguishing those Masters who qualified as the Foremost Demonic Sword before bestowing the title.
It was just that the disciples of the Fire Rain Sword Sect were overwhelmingly strong.
Because those who truly met the qualifications were, without exception, their disciples—
they had been misunderstood.
FWOOOSH! FAA!
Before anyone realized, Wi Hyeok-gun's Sword Qi wasn't just erupting from the Red Carp Sword—it surged from his entire body.
The boundary between weapon and flesh had completely vanished, surpassing even Body-Sword Unity—
reaching the realm where the sword exists within the heart and moves with the heart—Sword Within the Heart, Sword Moves with the Heart.
KWA-UUU!
That overwhelming Sword Qi became a whirlwind, sending dust and powdered stone chaotically scattering in all directions.
Trapped within the storm of sword qi, Bu Eun-seol stood motionless at the center of the clearing.
Unable to move freely, he could only raise a single arm, swinging his sword in a desperate, erratic defense.
Swish! Swish!
Though his swordplay lacked refinement, he somehow managed to deflect Wi Hyeok-gun's relentless attacks.
This was only possible because of the mysterious function of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction—despite being battered by the onslaught of sword energy, his internal power refused to dissipate.
"To think they called you the Sword King—what a waste of a title."
Wi Hyeok-gun let out a derisive laugh, incredulous.
"Might as well call you the Mixed-Arts King."
Even as he mocked, his offensive never slowed.
Though it lacked the overwhelming force of the Fire Rain Sword Art, the Thirteenfold Qi Induction continuously surged forth from unpredictable angles, disrupting Wi Hyeok-gun's seamless sword strokes and carving out just enough space for Bu Eun-seol to evade.
"Hmph!"
Annoyed by Bu Eun-seol's stubborn resilience, Wi Hyeok-gun slashed his Red Carp Sword in a cross-shaped motion.
The seventh stroke of the Fire Rain Sword Art—Clear Breeze and Bright Moon.
Sssss—!
In an instant, the previously unyielding Thirteenfold Qi Induction evaporated like mist.
Seizing the opportunity, Wi Hyeok-gun conjured countless new strands of sword qi, encircling Bu Eun-seol completely.
This was a variation of the Fire Rain Sword Art's first stroke—Mystery Upon Mystery.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
The razor-sharp sword qi left afterimages in its wake as it bored into Bu Eun-seol's body.
Had this been the real Bu Eun-seol, he could have activated Swift Shadowless, shifting his position mid-air to redirect the attacks.
But now, as Seon-u Jin—
Instead of relying on that mysterious ability, he employed the Illusory Ring and Confusing Principle Steps, a footwork technique he had glimpsed in the Martial Emperor Secret Repository.
At the same time, he chaotically unleashed the Dragon Tiger Sword of the Dragon Tiger Sect and the Celestial Immortal Sword Art of the White Moon Sect.
Boom! Boom!
As sword qi clashed against sword qi, compressed air detonated, sending shockwaves of true qi rippling outward.
Tsk—!
Bu Eun-seol, seemingly overpowered in both internal power and technique, was forced back three steps.
Drip.
A thin trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth—evidence of minor internal injuries.
Wi Hyeok-gun paused, narrowing his long, sharp eyes as he observed the scene.
Something felt off.
'Why is he deliberately using mediocre orthodox sword techniques, putting himself at a disadvantage?'
Even if he hadn't mastered Advanced Sword Studies like Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan, as the chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau, he should have unrestricted access to the second floor of the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
He could have learned any number of superior sword arts—so why stubbornly stick to unremarkable techniques?
'Is he so eager to die?'
Even if he was barely holding his own against the Fire Rain Sword Art using the Martial Emperor's secret techniques, there was no need to recklessly employ inferior swordplay, deliberately putting himself in such a precarious situation.
'Unless... he's hiding something.'
No matter how much he supplemented his defense with the Martial Emperor's secret arts, blocking the Fire Rain Sword Art with such crude swordplay?
That would mean his martial prowess was far beyond ordinary—his swordsmanship had reached a terrifying level.
So why was he toying with his own life?
'No need to overthink it. I'll just cut him down in one strike!'
Swish!
Wi Hyeok-gun unleashed another technique.
This was the Fire Rain Sword Art's most refined killing stroke—Proceed Along the Great Path.
Slash! Slash!
Under normal circumstances, even a glancing blow from this technique should have stripped flesh from bone.
Yet all it did was tear Bu Eun-seol's robes and draw a few splashes of blood.
Thanks to the Thirteenfold Qi Induction's function, he stubbornly endured, avoiding fatal wounds.
—This is... strange.
As time passed, even the gathered warriors began to wear puzzled expressions.
Wi Hyeok-gun was demonstrating overwhelming martial prowess, fully deserving of his title as the Sword Demon.
And yet, Bu Eun-seol—standing precariously at the heart of that storm—was somehow holding his ground despite using unremarkable techniques.
—His moves don't seem particularly impressive.
Occasionally, bursts of sharp internal power erupted from his limbs, but even to their eyes, it wasn't enough to perfectly counter the Fire Rain Sword Art.
His movement and footwork techniques were agile, yes—but not enough to evade Wi Hyeok-gun's strikes.
In fact, it was painfully obvious that he had only recently mastered them, proving the rumors true—that he had only recently obtained the Martial Emperor Secret Repository's legacy.
And yet, he refused to fall, continuing to trade blows without end.
What in the world was happening?
—Wait, isn't Commander Seon-u using orthodox faction's second-rate sword techniques?
The techniques Seon-u Jin employed were all well-known, mediocre sword arts from the orthodox faction—moves so common that even a blind man could predict their trajectories.
And yet, somehow, he was blocking the Fire Rain Sword Art, a technique renowned throughout the martial world?
—Could it be that the Fire Rain Sword Art is all flash and no substance?
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Wi Hyeok-gun's brows shot upward as he caught the hushed whispers of the gathered warriors.
The reason Bu Eun-seol could persist while wielding such sloppy sword techniques—
It was because he was employing the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, a technique that appeared unremarkable to the eye but concealed a bizarre and terrifying might,
using it to neutralize the destructive force of the Fire Rain Sword.
Those with profound martial insight could discern that the Thirteenfold Qi Induction Bu Eun-seol wielded was exquisitely refined and immensely powerful,
and that it was what allowed him to counter the Fire Rain Sword.
But the majority of martial artists lacked the ability to appreciate such subtleties, so to them, it merely looked as though Bu Eun-seol was blocking the renowned Fire Rain Sword Technique with nothing more than a second-rate sword art.
Splat! Splat! Splat!
As Wi Hyeok-gun's relentless assault continued, fresh blood sprayed from Bu Eun-seol's body once more.
Yet, even as he teetered on the brink of collapse within the unavoidable storm of sword qi, he stubbornly poured forth his unremarkable techniques and force,
somehow enduring the Fire Rain Sword—a technique said to shatter the heavens and split the earth.
'So this was his plan from the start.'
A crimson blaze flared in Wi Hyeok-gun's pupils.
'He intended to pull this rat-like trick all along.'
At last, the tranquil lake of Wi Hyeok-gun's spirit and mind was disturbed by ripples of fury.
The Fire Rain Sword Technique was peerless in the world, each stroke condensed with the might of dozens of principles from the Advanced Sword Studies.
He had sought to use this duel to showcase the terror of the Fire Rain Sword, to once again elevate the prestige of the Fire Rain Sword Sect throughout the martial world.
But because Bu Eun-seol was countering him with such an unorthodox fighting style,
the majority of these foolish martial artists had begun to sneer at the Fire Rain Sword—the absolute sword art of the Demonic Path.
"Let's see how long you can keep up this farce!"
With a roar, Wi Hyeok-gun unleashed a rapid succession of the Fire Rain Sword's hidden killing strokes.
He revered the Fire Rain Sword Sect as dearly as his own life—his loyalty towering higher than Mount Tai and deeper than the ocean.
Yet as Bu Eun-seol deliberately dragged out the fight with his wretched swordplay,
the composure that a swordsman must uphold above all else—the principle of Stillness—was gradually crumbling within him.
Whoosh!
Wi Hyeok-gun's swordplay grew fiercer, his strikes more violent.
But Bu Eun-seol remained unyielding,
steadfastly blending the Thirteenfold Qi Induction with orthodox sword principles to maintain his defensive strategy.
In truth, the reason he could endure such an onslaught was simple:
On Hell Island, he had mastered the foundations of the Fire Rain Sword more thoroughly than anyone else.
—It seems the Fire Rain Sword has been overestimated all this time.
As this scenario repeated itself again and again,
the majesty of the Fire Rain Sword—once said to dominate the world—began to plummet into the abyss.
'Must I truly unveil my own Fire Rain Sword?'
Wi Hyeok-gun bit his lip.
The techniques he had displayed thus far were all from the ancient manuscripts of the Fire Rain Sword Sect—
the original, unrefined versions of the sword art.
'I had hoped to avoid using my personal variation!'
The reason swordsmen of the Fire Rain Sword Sect were so formidable was not just because of the generations of refinement,
but because each practitioner adapted the technique to their own unique traits and temperament, forging their own personalized Fire Rain Sword.
Wi Hyeok-gun had never intended to reveal his own version before so many martial artists,
believing the orthodox Fire Rain Sword would suffice for victory.
But the bizarre effects of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction had forced his hand.
—The sword strokes are flashy, but they lack substance, don't they?
—Exactly. Haven't people been saying Langya Pavilion is the strongest among the Demonic Path these days?
—Seems the Fire Rain Sword Sect is a setting sun now.
The ignorant chatter of low-grade martial artists—those incapable of even perceiving the intricacies of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction—
finally pushed Wi Hyeok-gun's patience past its limit.
'What nonsense are you spouting?!'
But bound by his dignity, he couldn't shout at the crowd.
"What a waste of the title 'Sword King'!"
Instead, he lashed out at Bu Eun-seol as he unleashed another flurry of Fire Rain Sword strikes.
"A duel between swordsmen should be decided by the superiority of their sword arts!"
He had assumed that one bearing the epithet "Sword King"
would naturally face him with the Advanced Sword Studies befitting such a title.
Yet this rat-like bastard was humiliating the Fire Rain Sword Sect by pretending to use second-rate techniques while relying on his strange tricks.
"If you are truly the Sword King, then wield a proper sword art!"
Wi Hyeok-gun executed the fifth stroke of the Fire Rain Sword Technique—Opening and Closing the Heavenly Gate—sealing off Bu Eun-seol's retreat.
"Does what I wield look like a saber technique to you?"
Bu Eun-seol smoothly dispersed the sword qi of Opening and Closing the Heavenly Gate with the Thirteenfold Qi Induction before retorting boldly.
"I have been wielding sword techniques all along. Your words are strange."
Even as he stood drenched in blood, Bu Eun-seol kept running his mouth, fueling the rage blazing in Wi Hyeok-gun's eyes.
"Enough of your nonsense!"
"Nonsense? Hardly."
With a solemn expression, Bu Eun-seol raised his sword.
"I shall now unveil a new sword technique. Brace yourself."
Then, with a grand flourish, he initiated his stance.
Wi Hyeok-gun, suspecting he might finally witness a proper technique, prepared to defend—
"You bastard!"
—only to roar in fury the next instant.
The "majestic" sword art Bu Eun-seol had just displayed
was none other than the Eight-rate Sword Study—the Fifteen Yellow River Swords—
a technique so disgraceful even the thugs of the Black Syndicates would hesitate to use it.