Chapter 753
Bu Eun-seol spoke.
"It makes no sense to suddenly entrust the formidable position of Blood Secret Command Lord—which has long been vacant—to someone affiliated with a secret organization. Moreover, the fact that they explicitly labeled them as a 'candidate' means..."
"That they're a disposable piece, to be discarded anytime?"
At Yu Un-ryong's words, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Exactly."
In the past, during the examination to determine the next Heavenly Martial Brigade leader, the Martial Venerable had once summoned Mu-gyeol—a figure from a covert organization—into the open to prevent Bu Eun-seol from taking the position.
In other words, abruptly recruiting personnel from a secret organization like this implied an ulterior motive beneath the surface.
"But if the aftermath is mishandled... My Lord, you would end up pointing your blade not just at the Supreme Cult Commander, but at the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself."
"It doesn't matter."
A bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's target was never me—it has always been all of you."
"..."
"If this incident is also part of his scheme to lay hands on you, then I can no longer remain in the Demon Hall."
Bu Eun-seol intended to cut down the Blood Secret Command Lord—
To discern clearly whether the Demonic Heavenly Emperor sought to provoke him or to target his subordinates.
Because the safety of his Death Shadow War Unit family mattered more than his own.
If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor intended to touch his people, then there was no longer any reason to stay in the Demon Hall.
"And what if he isn't targeting the Death Shadow War Unit?"
At Jo Nam-cheon's question, Bu Eun-seol replied,
"Then I'll have to cling to survival in the Demon Hall by any means necessary. Otherwise, I won't be able to grow the Martial Soul Society."
"Striking first is good. But what if your identity is exposed?"
Then, cautiously, Myo Cheon-u spoke up.
"This is the Demon Hall. Everything lies within the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's grasp."
"Don't worry. I won't be acting under my own identity."
"Ah."
Only then did all the unit commanders, including Myo Cheon-u, nod in understanding.
Bu Eun-seol had multiple identities—each one flawless enough that even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor could find no fault.
Especially since he possessed a status that could be considered one of the Martial Alliance's highest-ranking members... If he used that, there would be absolutely no risk of exposure.
"The exact identity is my last bastion."
As if reading the unit commanders' thoughts, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"Given the choice, it's best to pierce the enemy's shield with their own blade."
Seeming to have already planned this, a faint smile touched his lips. Yu Un-ryong, who had been listening silently, let out a soft chuckle.
He had finally grasped Bu Eun-seol's scheme.
"Well, with your martial prowess, all you'd need is that shiny mask of yours."
Yu Un-ryong smirked.
"Since the Demonic Heavenly Emperor once drove us into the land of death... As you said, this might be our chance to strike first and catch him off guard."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Anything related to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor must be intercepted in advance. Otherwise, we'll never be able to stop him."
Then he added one last remark.
"That's why we must grow the Martial Soul Society as quickly as possible."
All the unit commanders nodded in agreement.
The Martial Soul Society had not been created out of Bu Eun-seol's personal ambition—
It existed to protect his subordinates.
And even now—
He was preparing to quietly eliminate a figure the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had nurtured in utmost secrecy—all to shield his people.
—The Supreme Cult Commander summoned the Chief of the Nine Demons Heaven to the Demon Hall as a candidate for the Blood Secret Command Lord position.
As Yu Un-ryong had said, the appointment of the Chief of the Nine Demons Heaven was officially carried out.
Covert organizations rarely, if ever, surfaced into the open.
Even the Nine Killers Corps, with its long and storied history, had never once been exposed to the light—had it not?
Yet the Supreme Cult Commander had summoned Yu Baek, the leader of the secretive Nine Demons Heaven organization operating in Hainan—
And had begun the vetting process to install them as the Blood Secret Command Lord?
—Just who is this Yu Baek?
Upon hearing this news, martial artists across the Demon Hall tilted their heads in confusion.
No one knew anything about the Nine Demons Heaven organization or its leader, Yu Baek.
The only clues were the presence of the character for "Heaven" in the name—implying it was an organization directly under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
And the vague assumption that its leader must possess extraordinary abilities.
Whoosh.
A shadowy figure, clad in a black mask, dashed swiftly through the Xing'an region.
Their movement technique was exceptionally stealthy, and their entire body was draped in a concealment garment favored by special-grade assassins—
Not only was their form indistinct, but even at such high speeds, not a single rustle of fabric could be heard.
After running for some time, the masked figure eventually reached the outskirts of a vast bamboo forest—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Razor-sharp throwing knives rained down like a storm toward the sprinting figure, accompanied by the sound of breaking air.
Fwoosh!
As the blades poured forth, the masked figure doubled the speed of their movement technique, swiftly maneuvering to escape the bamboo forest.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Before long, the throwing knives were no longer aimed solely at the masked figure—they were saturating the entire bamboo grove.
Weaving between the densely planted bamboo stalks, the masked figure dodged the blades with agile precision, continuing their forward dash.
Far from decreasing, the number of knives only grew—
And soon, they were being fired ahead, as if predicting the masked figure's path.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yet the blades never struck their target. Instead, they clattered to the ground with a metallic ring before making contact.
A powerful protective aura had been unleashed around the figure's body, deflecting the onslaught of knives.
Snap!
But the bamboo forest wasn't equipped with just throwing daggers.
Suddenly, saw-like hidden weapons began erupting from the ground toward the sky, then curved along uncanny trajectories to target the Masked Man.
These were specialized trap mechanisms designed to shatter protective auras—the Fox-Badger Saw Blades.
Forced to evade, the Masked Man had no choice but to change direction, circling endlessly through the bamboo forest.
Whooosh!
As if waiting for this moment, transparent walls began forming throughout the entire forest.
The hidden weapon devices hadn't been meant to strike him—they were meant to trap him in the bamboo grove, where an Ancient Formation lay in wait.
Sssssss—
A strange sound reverberated in all directions as a mystical energy spread through the surroundings like mist.
The Masked Man instinctively sensed the activation of the formation and attempted a swift escape—
But the formation's expansion outpaced him.
Shhhk—
Realizing he was trapped, the Masked Man halted his Movement Technique and surveyed the bamboo forest.
The moment the formation sealed him, he detected a faint but unmistakable Killing Intent emanating from somewhere.
Crunch. Crunch.
As he stepped into a clearing, sunlight revealed his attire in stark clarity.
He wore plain martial robes, but his face was concealed behind a peculiar mask that shimmered with an eerie luster.
It was the same uncanny mask consistently used by Messengers of the Three Realms.
Shhhk—
Merely by revealing himself, an overwhelming Momentum radiated from his entire body.
[You.]
The Messenger of the Three Realms observed the Masked Man clad in Concealment Garments and sent a bizarre Voice Transmission.
[You are the Chief of the Nine Demons Heaven—one of the candidates for Blood Secret Command Lord, correct?]
The Masked Man's eyes flashed.
The Nine Demons Heaven was a secret organization directly under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, its name never disclosed to outsiders.
Yet not only had this person identified "Nine Demons Heaven," but they'd also pinpointed his identity in an instant?
[That answers it.]
The Messenger nodded slowly, reading the gaze of the Masked Man—Yu Baek, Chief of the Nine Demons Heaven.
[No need for surprise. Detecting one of the Demon Hall's covert factions is trivial for our Three Realms.]
It was astonishing.
A Messenger of the Three Realms had laid this trap in advance, lying in wait to capture the leader of the Demon Hall's secret organization?
Swiish.
Yu Baek raised the twin daggers in his hands.
His stance made his will clear: if blocked, he would cut his way through.
[Good posture.]
Shiiing.
The Messenger drew an Old Iron Sword from their waist.
In truth, it wasn't an iron sword—it was a God-Slaying Weapon capable of destroying Black Divine Artifacts.
And this wasn't a Messenger of the Three Realms—it was Bu Eun-seol in disguise.
Having intercepted intelligence on Yu Baek's movements as a Blood Secret Command Lord candidate en route to the Demon Hall under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's orders,
Bu Eun-seol had prepared this ambush in advance.
All to dismantle the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's schemes from the outset—and protect his subordinates.
Clack.
Bu Eun-seol leveled the Ink Soul Sword in a middle stance,
studying Yu Baek's motionless form with unwavering focus before nodding slightly.
'He's reticent.'
The man was preternaturally silent—not a single word escaped him despite the ambush.
His entire being was honed solely to eliminate the enemy before him.
Willpower, Internal Energy, physical body, and weapons—all fused into a single entity.
[Since you're resolved, let us begin.]
Huuuum.
As Internal Energy channeled into the Ink Soul Sword, a low Sword Resonance reverberated.
There was no need to prolong this.
He would unleash the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan in one stroke and sever Yu Baek's head.
Disguised as a Messenger of the Three Realms, Bu Eun-seol naturally couldn't use his own Martial Arts.
Yet he employed the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan style deliberately—even if the corpse were later examined, his true identity would remain hidden.
'I'm not the only one who's mastered this.'
The Martial Alliance's elite, as well as certain Masters of the Three Realms, had also learned the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
During his clash with the Sword Demon, the Alliance's veterans had immediately recognized it.
More crucially, hadn't traces of this very style been left on the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin preserving Jeong Cheon-je's remains?
In short, the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan was an exceedingly rare and lethal Sword Form,
known only to a select few—including the Martial Alliance's elites (like Seon-u Jin, famed as the Sword King) and certain individuals within the Three Realms.
Yet its practitioners couldn't be easily pinpointed.
Thus, by mimicking a Messenger of the Three Realms while wielding this style,
Bu Eun-seol ensured his guise as an ambusher would be untraceable—the perfect Martial Arts cover.
Rippple.
Ink-colored light unfurled, coalescing into Sword Qi that mirrored Yu Baek's own stance.
Swish!
But Yu Baek ignored the encroaching energy, instantly closing the distance to unleash a rapid barrage of Killing Sword strokes at Bu Eun-seol.
The Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan was interrupted mid-formation.
'He knew its weakness?'
Startled, Bu Eun-seol analyzed Yu Baek's Sword Strokes and shook his head.
'No—he instantly discerned its slow activation speed.'
The Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan had multiple variation techniques.
Here, Bu Eun-seol had used it to manifest the enemy's form through Sword Qi, aiming for a decisive first-strike kill.
The flaw lay in its execution speed.
In the past, the Fist King Seok Chi-haeng had been arrogant, seeking Mutual Destruction with Bu Eun-seol.
The Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun had yielded the first move, giving Bu Eun-seol ample opportunity to employ this lethal variation of Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
But Yu Baek, noticing that the inky radiance did not immediately transform into aggressive sword qi,
instantly discerned the flaw in its delayed activation speed. With movements swift as Lightning Flash, she interwove diverse techniques, launching relentless assaults.
As a result, Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan could not complete its form, its structure immediately disrupted.
'An assassin by origin.'
Moreover, the techniques and martial forms Yu Baek employed were not limited to orthodox demonic path martial arts—they also included the close-quarters hand techniques favored by assassins.
'Even her dagger techniques are fundamentally closer to assassination arts.'
Unlike martial artists, assassins
repeatedly train in techniques that layer killing moves, solely for severing lives in an instant.
In short, they employ ruthlessly concise and aggressive methods, with no regard for defense or follow-up techniques.
And the methods Yu Baek was using now were precisely those assassination arts.
'Good.'
Bu Eun-seol accelerated Ink Soul Sword even further.
While neutralizing Yu Baek's attacks, he swiftly maneuvered his blade, striving to complete Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan at breakneck speed.
Shwa-shwa-shwa-shwa!
As Ink Soul Sword moved at hypervelocity, sword qi began taking shape once more—this time nearly identical to Yu Baek's form.
Sensing danger, Yu Baek rapidly pressed her assault with a dagger, but Bu Eun-seol's sword forms were Unbroken Flow—
uninterrupted and seamless, like an endless river.
Zzziiing.
At last, sword qi perfectly mirroring Yu Baek's body materialized.
Thud.
In that instant, Yu Baek halted mid-attack.
She had sensed it—a sword form that seized the perfect moment had been completed. The slightest opening would mean her body being cut to pieces in a flash.
Sssuuuu...
A transparent energy current seeped from Yu Baek's motionless body, and abruptly, her very silhouette began to blur.
Emptiness.
She had ceased all movement, entering a state of Emptiness to counter the opening strike of Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
Easier said than done—this was a feat achievable only by those whose internal and external cultivation had reached the Extreme Realm.
'So it's not just the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's favor that made her a Lord.'
From her immediate recognition of Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan's slow activation to this single countermeasure against the manifested sword qi—
it was clear she was an extraordinary prodigy of peerless martial arts.
Tsk-tsk-tsk.
Upon entering the state of Emptiness, Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan was instantly halted.
As time passed, Yu Baek's body grew increasingly indistinct, as though she were fading into transparency.
The two masters stood frozen, locked in a silent stare, while only a desolate wind swept through the Bamboo Forest.
From afar, it might have seemed like a peaceful standoff.
But this confrontation was fiercer than a duel with blades pressed to each other's throats.
The moment one's mental power wavered, their head would roll without warning.
Whoooosh.
Another bleak wind rustled through the bamboo.
Then—
a single small leaf, carried by the wind, fluttered past Yu Baek's eyes.
In that instant—
Zzziiing!
Bu Eun-seol seized the opportunity, transforming the halted Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan once more.
Slash-slash-slash!
Yu Baek unleashed a rapid series of razor-sharp saber techniques in a desperate attempt to evade the encroaching sword qi—
but no matter how she moved or what forms she employed, the sword qi clung to her like a Water Ghost.
Shoooom!
Finally, the inevitable sword qi engulfed Yu Baek's body.
All that remained was to wait for her head to be severed.
Schliiick!
But then—
with a sound like parting waters,
a surge of black energy erupted from behind Yu Baek, spreading outward and smothering the invasive sword qi of Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan.
Zzziiing! Zzziiing!
The energies pouring from Yu Baek's body
writhed like living creatures, constantly shifting forms as they dissolved the sword qi enveloping her.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he watched.
Willful True Binding.
That black energy Yu Baek wielded—
wasn't it the true qi manipulation method from the Emotion Severing Secret Art, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's signature secret art?
'She's learned the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's martial arts?'
Bu Eun-seol's pupils trembled like disturbed water.
Did that mean Yu Baek was the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's disciple?
Sssaaaah!
But then, the black fog emanating from Yu Baek thickened—
Crrrackle!
—and abruptly morphed into sharp crescent-shaped blades, scattering in all directions and erasing the sword qi of Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan Bu Eun-seol had manifested.
Not only could she shape true qi into varied forms, but she could also materialize and launch them independently, like hidden weapons.
The Supreme Demon Path variation of Willful True Binding—
she had unleashed Thunderclap Moon Blades.
Shoooom.
Having completely erased Bu Eun-seol's sword qi, Yu Baek now hovered midair.
Shwa-shwa-shwa-shwa!
Simultaneously, hundreds of black crescents burst forth from her body.
Not only had she shattered Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan with Thunderclap Moon Blades—
she now sought to obliterate the boundary formation concealed within the Bamboo Forest.
'No escape.'
CRACK!
Bu Eun-seol, having grasped Yu Baek's intent, leaped into the air once more and unleashed his sword technique.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
As Bu Eun-seol struck down the cascading Thunderclap Moon Blades and closed the distance—
SWOOSH!
A crescent-shaped Sword Qi suddenly phased through the Ink Soul Sword in an instant and—
SHWING!
—pierced toward Bu Eun-seol's body with terrifying sharpness, as if intending to cleave him in two.
Yu Baek, having entered the Supreme Demon Path, wielded the Willful True Binding—
A technique that allowed her to scatter the Thunderclap Moon Blades like mist at will, then reform them into tangible blades again.
BOOOOM!
Countless crescent-shaped streams of True Qi pierced through Bu Eun-seol's sword strokes and rained down upon his body.
When deflected, they dispersed like vapor. When they touched flesh, they became terrifying blades.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol landed back on the ground and unleashed three sword strikes in succession.
Some were fierce and direct, while others traced soft, circular arcs.
Then, the crescent-shaped True Qi that had been pouring down like rain began bouncing away with sharp CLANG! sounds.
By utilizing the Sword Sovereign's principle of Neither Above Nor Below and the Move Heaven Exchange Force, Bu Eun-seol had forcibly materialized Yu Baek's Willful True Binding.
CRACK!
Confirming that the principle worked, Bu Eun-seol unleashed another flurry of sword strokes toward Yu Baek, who had once again risen into the air.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
With metallic clashes ringing out, the two exchanged over forty blows in a single breath at close range.
But then, something astonishing happened.
The deeper Bu Eun-seol pressed, the more wounds appeared on his body—not Yu Baek's.
'This...'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol witness the true utility of the Willful True Binding.
Having fully entered the Demonic Path, the Willful True Binding transcended even the limitations of the physical body, becoming completely synchronized with the user's Spirit and Mind.
It was, in essence, a secret art that could be unleashed at the speed of light.
'The Demonic Heavenly Emperor...'
Watching Yu Baek's flawless execution of the Willful True Binding, a sudden realization struck Bu Eun-seol.
'Did he impose the Emotion Severing Secret Art as a restriction... to drive me to seek even greater power?'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor knew that Bu Eun-seol had been raised under Bu Jan-yang's teachings—
Meaning he had a temperament that should have made it impossible for him to enter the Supreme Demon Path.
Perhaps even before Bu Eun-seol entered the Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament—
The Emperor had already known he had mastered the Righteous Faction's supreme internal art, the Tendon Transformation Sutra.
In other words, the Emperor was fully aware that Bu Eun-seol would never naturally enter the Supreme Demon Path—
And yet, he deliberately left behind the Willful True Binding, a technique that would ruin the body if one did not embrace the Supreme Demon Path.
'He must have anticipated that multiple forces would eventually clash within my body.'
Since Bu Eun-seol had mastered the Righteous Faction's supreme internal art—
Perhaps the Emperor assumed he would also learn their secret techniques—or would in the future.
That was why he intentionally left the Emotion Severing Secret Art, ensuring the forces within Bu Eun-seol's body would lose balance and collapse.
To force them to intertwine and merge chaotically.
To ensure Bu Eun-seol would have no choice but to seek a higher realm—greater power—just to survive.
'But... why?'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't understand.
Why was the Emperor trying to make him stronger? What kind of hidden motive did he have?
SHWING!
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol's body was gradually transforming into a Blood Person.
The moment he grasped the Emperor's intentions, his Spirit and Mind became unsettled.
Now, his half-hearted imitation of a Messenger of the Three Realms was no match for the Willful True Binding, wielded by someone who had entered the Supreme Demon Path.
SHWIIING!
Worse, Yu Baek's Willful True Binding grew stronger with time.
A mere moment of distraction—
And the speed of her technique had already surpassed what even the Beast Path's heightened senses could track. The trajectories of her blades were now impossible to discern.
CRACK!
Faced with imminent dismemberment, Bu Eun-seol did the opposite—he charged at Yu Baek.
It was a move akin to a suicidal attack.
WHOOSH!
At that moment, hundreds of crescent-shaped True Qi blades materialized around Yu Baek's body.
Even now, they moved at speeds too fast to see.
If those tangible blades pierced Bu Eun-seol again—
His body would be utterly annihilated, leaving not even dust behind.
But then, something bizarre happened.
The Willful True Binding, which should have completely impaled Bu Eun-seol—was shattered instead.
Utmost Void Rebound.
It absorbed external force and instantly reversed any martial art, unleashing the Thirteenfold Qi Induction's retaliatory form.
CRASH!
Having obliterated all of the Willful True Binding, Bu Eun-seol tore through the storm of True Qi and closed in on Yu Baek.
But Yu Baek, unfazed, waited as if expecting this—gripping her dagger, ready for close combat.
Against the Willful True Binding and her extreme close-quarters dagger skills—
She was confident she could finish off any opponent in an instant, no matter what tricks they tried.
But that confidence was her mistake.
SWOOSH!
Nine streams of force erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body and coiled around Yu Baek.
Feigning desperation to lure her into carelessness—
He had closed the distance in an instant and unleashed the Martial Emperor's supreme secret art, the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, at point-blank range.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Yu Baek frantically swung her dagger, but in the end—
Her Concealment Garment and even her mask were split in two.
—CLINK.
In that moment, an indifferent youthful face was revealed.
Skin as white as snow, eyes large and elongated—
A peerless beauty who could rival even Bu Eun-seol.
'This woman...'
But what shocked Bu Eun-seol wasn't her face.
Her stubbornly pursed lips. Her sharp, piercing gaze.
That face... resembled someone unmistakably.
'Hyeokryeon Eung?!'
Bu Eun-seol felt dizzy.
Blood Wheel Demon Eye.
Yu Baek's pupils—not only did they resemble Hyeokryeon Eung's—
But throughout the history of the murim,
They bore the very same Blood Wheel Demon Eye—a trait said to have manifested in Hyeokryeon Eung alone.