Chapter 746
"Snap out of it."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Song-ak glared at him with eyes brimming with killing intent.
"Snap out of it? Have you not seen the atrocities those bastards have committed until now?"
"Song-ak."
"Just stand back and watch. I'll cut them down right here and now to end this horrific incident."
His momentum was fierce, but the number of Ghost Spirits emerging from the graves alone was well over five hundred.
Even if Song-ak died and came back to life, he would never be able to handle such numbers.
Yet, consumed by bloodlust, he clicked his tongue at Bu Eun-seol.
"If you're scared, tuck your head in like a turtle and hide. I'll behead every last one of these bastards."
Just then, the Daoist sensed their presence and shouted toward the spot where the two were hiding.
"Who goes there?!"
"Who do you think—"
Tap.
Bu Eun-seol swiftly pressed the Demon Blood Point and Dumb Point on Song-ak as he tried to rise.
His condition was far from normal.
"I'll handle this. Stay here."
Whispering low, Bu Eun-seol placed a hand on his back.
Zzzing.
For a brief moment, his pupils flashed white—he had activated the Heavenly Robe Mind Art.
"Wait until Wudang Sect's reinforcements arrive."
Song-ak could only glare wide-eyed, unable to speak due to the Dumb Point.
"I know. I've been aware that Wudang's masters have been secretly following you."
Whoosh.
With that, Bu Eun-seol immediately stood up.
Then, he strode confidently toward the Daoist standing among the graves.
"Are you with the Skeleton Cult?"
Deliberately feigning ignorance, he amplified his voice with internal energy.
"Practicing some bizarre spell in a graveyard, are you?"
The Daoist couldn't hide his surprise at the sudden appearance of a young man dressed as a wanderer.
"You—"
The Daoist frowned as he studied Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seol-so.
"You must be the Bullet King's disciple."
"What kind of experiment requires such a convoluted method? If you wanted to kill civilians, why not just slaughter them yourselves?"
Had this been before meeting Man-wol, it would have been a genuine question.
The Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts each possessed tremendous power—if they wanted to kill civilians, they could do so at any time.
But now, he knew.
That the Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts were conducting some kind of experiment. And that it was nearing its end.
"Seems you've been hired by those vermin from the Martial Soul Society."
"Judging by your silence, you must be similar to that bastard Yeon-wol."
Bu Eun-seol curled his lips into a sneer.
"A low-ranking grunt who knows nothing, huh?"
Suddenly, the Daoist's gaze turned strange.
No one in the Martial World knew the true nature of the Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts.
Because the moment they learned, they were inevitably killed.
Yet this man before him knew Yeon-wol was a Neither-Human-Nor-Beast—and was still alive.
Which meant... Yeon-wol had died by his hand instead?
"Hohoho. How surprising."
But the reaction he got was unexpected.
Even knowing Yeon-wol had been killed, the Daoist burst into laughter.
"A mere martial artist could defeat us!"
Though each Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had different abilities and goals, they seemed to refer to themselves collectively as "us."
"The Bullet King's disciple wouldn't have that kind of power."
"Why do you think you can't be killed?"
"Because you can't kill us with mere martial arts."
The Daoist's eyes flashed with a sickly yellow glow.
"Which means you're either a Martial Extreme Realm master capable of resisting our Phase... or a member of the Baekri Clan."
Surprisingly, his words echoed Yeon-wol's.
Bu Eun-seol pondered deeply for a moment before nodding lightly.
"You're well-informed. I'm from the Baekri Clan."
The Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts had repeatedly mentioned the Baekri Clan.
Bu Eun-seol was testing whether the clan truly operated in secret within the Rivers and Lakes.
"You came from the Baekri Clan?"
The Daoist stroked his chin, studying Bu Eun-seol for a long moment before his eyes flashed again.
"You madman. You're impersonating them?"
'Can they visually identify a Baekri Clan member?'
"Why would you think that?"
Instead of answering, the Daoist suddenly stomped his foot.
Boom.
A sickly yellow light spread outward, forming a circular barrier within a thousand feet radius.
Simultaneously, the eyes of the five hundred Ghost Spirits emerging from the ground began oozing a sinister blue glow.
"I don't know how you learned about us..."
The Daoist's pupils burned with killing intent as he spoke incomprehensible words.
"But you will die here."
As the Daoist prepared to attack, Bu Eun-seol mimicked the envoy of the Azure River Realm, sending a telepathic transmission in a bizarre voice.
"I am a Special Divine Rank of the Azure River Realm."
He was improvising, trying to extract more information from the Daoist.
"Are we not on the same side? There's no need to fight."
The Daoist stared at Bu Eun-seol for a long moment before furrowing his brow.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
'So the Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts have no connection to the Azure River Realm.'
"Why won't you believe me?"
In response, the Daoist suddenly extended his hand.
"Hmph. If that's true, then show me your Command Plaque first."
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol realized two things:
—Neither-Human-Nor-Beast and the Azure River Realm were not allies. Yet their relationship was close enough—or at least had enough overlap—for the Daoist to demand proof of affiliation.
"Circumstances prevent me from showing it now."
"What a rat-like bastard."
The Daoist's eyes flashed as he finally grasped that Bu Eun-seol had been toying with him.
"First, you impersonate a member of the Baekri Clan, and now a Special Divine Rank of the Azure River Realm?"
"You sent Ghost Child," Bu Eun-seol said swiftly, "and through him, the Infinite Realm mastered the method of physical evolution."
His words came faster.
"Then you dispatched Ghost Spirits, allowing our realm to grasp the art of manipulating Spirit and Mind. Isn't that right?"
As the Daoist furrowed his brows, Bu Eun-seol pressed on.
"You're assisting reincarnation—disposing of those born weak so they may return as the strong. Am I wrong?"
"Madman. So you've just been regurgitating rumors you picked up here and there."
The Daoist's tone was final. Recognizing he could no longer deceive him, Bu Eun-seol's face twisted in faint regret.
"A mere grunt with no real knowledge, yet perceptive enough."
"You die here."
The Daoist extended his hand.
"Let me show you how pitiful the martial arts of Murim truly are."
Zzzzt—
A strange sound hissed from Bu Eun-seol's body as his Internal Energy began draining away.
A signature technique of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast—
A secret art that annihilated all power within the body.
But it didn't matter.
Bu Eun-seol had already placed a hand on Song-ak's back earlier, synchronizing with his Internal Energy Method using the Heavenly Robe Mind Art.
He had transformed the Reverse Polarity True Qi into Taoist Energy Art and dispersed it through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
Ziiing—
When Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Soul Sword, a faint frost-like aura shimmered around it.
He would face the Daoist using the Taoist Energy Art distributed across his meridians.
"Reduce him to dust."
Rumble—
At the Daoist's command, the Ghost Spirits' azure eyes flared as they encircled Bu Eun-seol.
Fwoosh!
As the Ghost Spirits stretched out their hands, a vile stench filled the air, and crimson emblems materialized in the void.
Hiss—
Just grazing the emblems melted cloth and tore open skin.
It was as though an unending Sword Aura was being carved into the air itself.
Crack!
When the Ink Soul Sword, infused with Taoist Energy Art, slashed through the void, the blood-red emblems ignited like flames.
This was no easy battle.
A mysterious energy rising from the underground suppressed even the extrasensory perception of the Beast Path.
With every Ghost Spirit attack, Corpse Poison was inhaled through his nose.
Worse, the enemies numbered in the hundreds, and the space was confined to roughly a thousand feet.
It felt like fending off assassins in a single-room dwelling.
"Keheheh. No matter how impressive your martial arts are, soon—"
The Daoist, watching from afar, broke off his sinister laughter, eyes bulging.
"What is that?"
Despite suppressing all physical sensation—
Despite the relentless onslaught of Corpse Poison—
Despite the cramped space hindering movement—
Shwaaak! Splat!
Bu Eun-seol was cutting down Ghost Spirits like stalks of wheat, utterly unfazed.
One against many was his specialty.
He didn't need earth-shattering Internal Energy.
He didn't need Super Extreme Martial Arts capable of leveling mountains and reshaping terrain.
The profound sword forms he had developed through mastering and refining countless martial principles—each precise, each lethal—were severing lives with certainty.
'Strange.'
Zing. Zing.
And now, a faint light was radiating from his body.
It resembled the phenomenon that had occurred when his body recovered within the Martial Venerable's Treasury.
With every pulse of light, the energy sealing his strength dissipated on its own.
Rumble—
Before he knew it, all blockages were gone. Every ounce of his power had returned, perfectly restored.
'So this is the change.'
Ever since entering the Martial Venerable's Treasury—
His body seemed altered, resistant to all but the most formidable Arts of Spells.
'Then—'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
There was no need to drag this out.
In one decisive motion, he would unleash Harmonization—
Erasing the Ghost Spirits and the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast Daoist from existence, leaving no trace behind.
Grrrroooowl—
As he detonated all energy within him, the entire graveyard began to quake.
"That bastard—his Internal Energy?!"
Sensing Bu Eun-seol had recovered his Internal Energy and senses, the Daoist scattered yellow talismans from his sleeve.
Instantly, the sickly glow in the Ghost Spirits' eyes intensified.
"You die here!"
As the Daoist roared, the Ghost Spirits lunged at Bu Eun-seol en masse—
Ziiing—
A majestic golden light enveloped Bu Eun-seol's body.
Prajna Great Power unfolded, perfectly aligning every force within him.
And in that final moment—as he prepared to unleash Harmonization at full strength—
"Kyaaah!"
With a piercing shriek like a crow's cry, a crimson glow shot up into the sky from the grass behind Bu Eun-seol.
Simultaneously, a shadowy figure wreathed in flickering flames emerged—like a vengeful ghost.
His blue Daoist robes were soiled, the white sash around his waist stained blood-red.
His pupils gleamed with madness.
Muttering incomprehensible words in a low, continuous voice, he advanced.
It was Song-ak, who had collapsed earlier after Bu Eun-seol struck his Demon Blood Point and Dumb Point.
"Hmm?"
The Neither-Human-Nor-Beast Daoist frowned as he observed Song-ak.
Though he wore the same Wudang Sect robes...
Why was he approaching, humming like a man possessed by an evil spirit?
"Who are you?"
"Song-ak of the Wudang Sect."
The humming Song-ak suddenly roared with a devastated expression.
"Was it... so satisfying to slaughter innocent civilians?!"
"How noisy."
"Now, this humble Daoist shall punish you in Heaven's stead—accept it gladly."
Instead of answering, the Daoist burned another talisman.
The Ghost Spirits' eyes now glowed like sickly yellow orbs.
"Kill them all in one strike!"
Fwoosh.
Hundreds of Ghost Spirits floated up like specters and lunged at Song-ak.
Their bodies were harder than steel, exuding Corpse Poison more virulent than that of the Poison People.
Those farther away unleashed swarms of black, wasp-like sigils endlessly.
A single missed strike meant—
Flesh torn by poison-laced claws.
Every breath seared his lungs as if the vile Corpse Poison were burning them alive.
Yet Song-ak merely flicked his sword with an expression of extreme annoyance.
And yet—weren't the Ghost Spirits' bodies bursting apart lightly, even disintegrating into dust?
Consumed by rage and Killing Intent, Song-ak was unleashing the Wudang Sword Method like Demon Sword Forms.
'Not an Inner Demon... but crossing into the Demonic Path?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyebrows rose as he watched.
Had the Spirit and Mind of Song-ak—a candidate for Wudang's next sect leader—truly fallen to the Demonic Path?
'No. He stands at the crossroads.'
To slay ghosts, one must become a ghost.
The once-childishly pure Song-ak,
while executing the Killing Ghosts who massacred endlessly, had absorbed their Killing Intent.
And now, facing this Ghost Spirit-summoning Daoist, the pent-up Killing Intent within him had exploded.
Now, he would either descend into the Demonic Path—
or remain a Wudang Daoist.
Only that choice remained.
'For now, I must focus solely on protecting him.'
If he stopped Song-ak now?
The overflowing Killing Intent would overwhelm him—high probability he'd become a Great Killing Star.
Better to let him fight unrestrained, buying time until he could choose at the crossroads of Orthodox and Unorthodox.
Swish!
Song-ak wielded his sword as if divinely possessed.
The Wudang Sect stood alongside Shaolin as one of the twin pillars of the Orthodox Martial World, its sword arts hailed as the foremost among righteous sects.
Song-ak was both a first-generation disciple of Wudang and a former Great Righteous Expert versed in orthodox sword studies.
With Bu Eun-seol subtly shielding him from the Ghost Spirits' attacks instead of intervening directly, he fought like a dragon granted wings.
Now, he unleashed supreme sword techniques he'd never before displayed.
'He was never meant to become Daoist Master Jang Gyo.'
Having followed Bu Eun-seol and abandoned his non-lethal swordplay, Song-ak had waded through blood and carnage.
Experiencing unprecedented combat, he broke through his limits—
rapidly advancing toward a new martial attainment.
Such swift progress was unheard of in Wudang's history.
'His martial talent is too exceptional for sect leader duties.'
Like Bu Eun-seol, Song-ak refined his swordplay mid-battle at terrifying speed.
And such martial geniuses never became sect leaders.
For generations, the Nine Great Sects and One Gang never burdened prodigies with leadership.
Instead, they were honed into figures who pushed their sect's arts to the extreme.
'Let him advance. To the utmost limit.'
Bu Eun-seol stopped shielding Song-ak and moved to stand back-to-back with him.
"Let's fight together."
"Heh heh heh... gladly!"
As their sword techniques intertwined, something miraculous happened.
The Essence of Sword Study—Langya Pavilion's peerless Practical Combat Martial Arts—merged with Wudang's all-encompassing swordplay.
Transcending martial limits, they formed a flawless Nature Sword Form.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As Song-ak's Accumulated Goodness Brings Blessings Form generated endless circular Sword Qi—
Flash! Flash!
Bu Eun-seol's Meteor Chasing Moon Form severed enemy throats in rapid succession.
Shink!
When the Waning Moon at Dawn Form's massive cross-shaped Sword Qi diced charging Ghost Spirits,
Song-ak's Live Without Possessing Form's foundational stance...
The sword strokes unfurled like a protective curtain of light, shielding Bu Eun-seol.
Flash!
With every flicker of the two longswords, the Ghost Spirits fell like bundles of straw.
Bu Eun-seol deliberately employed the principles of Using Strength to Mend Weakness and Adapt to Change and Harness Ability, guiding Song-ak's swordplay to an even higher realm.
Thud.
After roughly the time it takes to eat a meal, only a single Daoist remained, standing tall upon the stone altar.
Having exhausted his talismans, he stared at his empty hands, trembling uncontrollably.
Hummm.
The mysterious barriers that had once covered over a thousand feet had all vanished.
With the Deathly Energy harbored by the Ghost Spirits completely dissipated, the Boundary Formation had naturally collapsed.
"These bastards... my Ghost Spirits, the result of ten years of toil—!"
Heh heh heh.
Song-ak, his face streaked with blood as if he had washed it in gore, bared his white teeth in a grin.
"Even if you'd spent a hundred years, it would've been useless."
Having cut down the terrifying number of five hundred, Song-ak had now tasted blood.
His pupils seethed with Killing Intent, the corners of his eyes slanted sharply upward.
His expression was utterly ferocious, his tone as coarse as a Black Syndicate thug's.
"This penniless Daoist will slaughter you all!"
Swish!
Song-ak began a deadly dance toward the Daoist on the altar.
Having slain hundreds of Ghost Spirits,
his flesh had already become Killing Intent incarnate.
"You're the one responsible for butchering countless innocent commoners!"
The Daoist's Martial Arts were pitiful—he repeatedly pressed his fingers to his forehead, as if trying to activate something.
But each time, Bu Eun-seol fired a streak of Sword Qi, rendering his efforts futile.
Hummm.
With the Daoist's Boundary Formation dispelled, Song-ak's Internal Energy had fully returned,
and the Sword Aura condensed upon his Pine-Patterned Ancient Sword now soared nearly ten feet high.
When orthodox Righteous Path practitioners manifest Sword Aura, it usually shimmers white or blue.
But Song-ak's...
was dyed a deep, bloody crimson, like that of a Demonic Path assassin.
"Die!"
Unbeknownst to all, Song-ak's Taiji Wisdom Sword had edged closer to the Blood Dragon Demon Sword Form of the Demonic Path,
and his gaze radiated a venomous aura.
'This is the critical moment.'
Song-ak's Spirit and Mind stood at a crossroads.
The instant he executed the Daoist,
the Killing Intent within him could vanish completely, allowing him to step onto the flawless Righteous Path, untainted by evil—
or, by killing the Daoist, he could fully awaken to Killing Intent and enter the Supreme Demon Path.
Bu Eun-seol did not interfere, silently observing from behind.
The choice was Song-ak's alone.
"I said DIE!"
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Song-ak unleashed his Sword Strokes as if pouring out his fury.
With every swing, chunks of the Daoist's flesh were sent flying.
And with each strike, Song-ak's Killing Intent gradually diminished.
In the end, he overcame this trial and stepped fully onto the Righteous Path.
'Once that Neither-Human-Nor-Beast Daoist dies, he'll return to normal.'
Just as Bu Eun-seol gave a faint nod—
Rumble...
Over a hundred martial artists in Daoist robes emerged around the gravesite.
They were the Wudang swordsmen led by Yeongheo-ja, who had been secretly trailing Song-ak's movements in the Rivers and Lakes.
"What in the world—?"
Yeongheo-ja's jaw dropped as he took in the fallen Ghost Spirits scattered across the graves.
They had already followed Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak to the vicinity of the burial ground.
But due to the sudden appearance of the mysterious barriers, they had been unable to see inside until now.
And now that the barriers had abruptly vanished,
they were met with hundreds of corpses strewn about.
"E-Elder!"
At that moment, Song-un, a first-generation disciple standing beside Yeongheo-ja, pointed ahead.
"Song-ak... he seems to have gone mad."
"What do you—?"
A sense of foreboding gripped Yeongheo-ja as he looked forward—
"DIIIIIIE!"
—and saw Song-ak, now a demonic specter.
"Dodge it!"
He was shrieking like a madman, unleashing a torrent of Killing Sword Forms, while the Daoist frantically evaded.
"Benefactor!"
Yeongheo-ja stumbled toward Bu Eun-seol in a panic.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
Bu Eun-seol had already undone his Disguise the moment Yeongheo-ja appeared.
"What do you mean?"
"S-Song-ak, he's—!"
As he turned his head—
Slick. Lick.
Song-ak ran his tongue along the Pine-Patterned Ancient Sword, cleaning off the Daoist's blood, a murderous smile playing on his lips.
"Quite nimble for a fake Daoist."
"..."
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to explain truthfully.
"He hasn't killed that vile Daoist yet, so he can't control his Killing Intent."
"Can't control his Killing Intent? What are you saying?!"
When Yeongheo-ja demanded an answer, Bu Eun-seol fell silent.
He couldn't think of an excuse.
Should he say Song-ak had been enraged by the deaths of innocent commoners and realized the Wudang Sect's teachings were flawed?
Or that the Killing Intent the sect had long suppressed within him had finally exploded?
'No.'
If he said that,
Song-ak would either be subjected to Wall-Gazing Practice or an even harsher regimen of Wudang's spiritual discipline.
"He..."
After a long hesitation, Bu Eun-seol averted Yeongheo-ja's gaze and muttered under his breath.
"...has been corrupted by the Rivers and Lakes."
Thud.
Yeongheo-ja and the Daoists gaped, their jaws nearly hitting the ground.
Meanwhile, Song-ak, indifferent to their shock, had cornered the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast Daoist and was hacking him to pieces.