Chapter 757
Yu Baek was that pure of a person.
Had she not been abandoned by Hyeokryeon Eung, had she not become an assassin of the Heartless Blood—
She would undoubtedly have lived a good life.
"Even if she was fated to cross paths with Hyeokryeon Eung, it's bitter that she must kill even his blood relative."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's gloomy expression, Yu Un-ryong bit his lip.
Indeed, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's scheme had struck true.
Not only had it tangled Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind in turmoil, but it was also forcing him to embrace a heart of ruthlessness.
"The martial world is a merciless place anyway."
Yu Un-ryong spoke as if to console her.
"In the martial world, those who hold sentiment are always the ones who end up wounded."
Then, Myo Cheon-u chimed in.
"This time, you must finish it for certain. If you fail to kill her, not only you but all of us will be in danger."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had not truly dispelled his suspicions.
What if, under the guise of Seon-u Jin, he failed to kill Yu Baek? The Demonic Heavenly Emperor would immediately see through the hidden identity.
"I know."
Bu Eun-seol spoke while looking at the gathered leaders.
"That's why I've prepared a plan. Even if I kill Yu Baek, this matter won't end here."
A fierce light blazed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he gazed at the unit commanders.
If everything flowed according to plan, if all his predictions were correct—
From then on, within the Demon Hall,
the Demonic Heavenly Emperor would never be able to manipulate him again.
Bu Eun-seol immediately switched identities with Seo Jin-ha and returned to the Martial Alliance.
Entering the Peak Realm, he meticulously coordinated with the Peak Realm Members and the Death Soul Squad, preparing many things.
Not only did Yu Baek's existence need to be completely erased from this world,
but the aftermath had to be handled flawlessly as well.
Thus, compared to all the plans he had poured out until now,
this one had to be even more meticulous, perfected to the utmost degree.
―She has moved.
Finally, the intelligence network of the Peak Realm detected Yu Baek's movements.
What the Secret Intelligence Bureau alone could never uncover, the combined intelligence networks of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths achieved.
Not only her location after secretly leaving the Demon Hall, but even her route—
They could now predict it perfectly.
―Let us begin.
Bu Eun-seol was now about to execute a plan that would not only eliminate Yu Baek completely
but also free him from the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's pressure.
As dusk fell,
a desolate wind blew through the dense Reed Field.
Step. Step.
And toward that Reed Field, a figure walked indifferently.
A tall, slender man in white robes.
His features were somewhat plain,
but his gaze was so clear that even from afar, his still, unblinking pupils were distinctly visible.
It was Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seon-u Jin.
Upon receiving intel that Yu Baek had left the Demon Hall, he deliberately departed from the Martial Alliance, pretending to wander the martial world alone while gathering information.
Before long, he could sense a tail attached to him.
He had detected that Yu Baek was watching for an opportunity to assassinate him.
Once she began following him, Bu Eun-seol intentionally left Chengdu behind and walked into this Reed Field.
His aim was to lure Yu Baek into a one-on-one confrontation.
After walking around the dense Reed Field for a long time, Bu Eun-seol abruptly halted.
Surveying his surroundings, he spoke coldly.
"Show yourself."
There was no response to his clear voice.
"You didn't actually think I wouldn't notice a tail clinging to me, did you?"
As Bu Eun-seol stared into the empty air with absolute certainty—
Sssshhhhk!
Countless thin, razor-sharp threads formed around the Reed Field, then immediately burrowed into his body.
Yu Baek was an orthodox assassin of the Heartless Blood.
Realizing that Bu Eun-seol had not only detected her but also chosen this place as a battleground,
she had used that brief time to secretly set up multiple traps around the Reed Field.
"To think assassins like this still exist these days."
Bu Eun-seol smirked.
"Classic methods."
He wrapped his index and middle fingers around the Steel Threads slicing through the reeds and flicked them away.
He had mimicked the Spirit Immortal Two-Finger Art of Heaven-Piercing Unit Leader Yang Dae-ryang.
Fwoosh!
At that moment, sharp hidden weapons shot up from the Reed Field into the sky.
Anticipating that Bu Eun-seol would easily deflect the Steel Threads, she had buried hundreds of hidden weapon devices underground.
Swish.
But Bu Eun-seol's extrasensory perception had already detected every hidden weapon device in the Reed Field—
and predicted her techniques as well.
'In the end, she won't rely on Assassin Secret Arts but the Willful True Binding to decide the fight.'
No matter how formidable the Heartless Blood's Hundred-Kill Secret Techniques were, Seon-u Jin was already known as a master who had entered the Extreme Heaven Realm.
In other words, he could perceive time five times slower than ordinary martial artists, making ambushes and hidden weapons largely ineffective.
Yu Baek couldn't possibly be unaware of this, so she must have planned to use the hidden weapons to divert his attention—
then, once close-quarters combat began, unleash the Willful True Binding to deliver an unavoidable, fatal strike.
'I'll show her Seon-u Jin's true strength.'
Bu Eun-seol had already disguised himself as the Messenger of the Three Realms and fought her fiercely once before.
Thus, he knew exactly what martial arts she employed and how to counter them—
having meticulously laid out every detail of the plan.
'With the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.'
And to execute this plan perfectly,
he had to defeat her with the ultimate technique of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, which he had recently mastered.
Click. Click. Click.
Bu Eun-seol deliberately unfolded the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms to lure her in.
Rather than intentionally using a sword form full of openings to give her the perfect opportunity,
it was better to employ a flawless defensive sword form—then reveal the slightest gap.
Because it would make the enemy's approach appear far more natural.
Whoosh!
Her ghostly movement technique unfolded, and in her hands now rested daggers dripping with Extreme Poison.
Swish-swish-swish-swish!
As she madly swung the daggers at close range, blade lights exploded forth,
and in a single breath, over forty slashes rained down toward Bu Eun-seol's face.
Clang-clang-clang!
Bu Eun-seol swiftly swung the Ink Soul Sword to block her attacks.
Clang-clang-clang!
As their close-quarters battle continued, Yu Baek, seizing the opportunity, closed the distance even further.
The true strength of short weapons shines brightest at the closest range.
Though Bu Eun-seol desperately tried to create distance, Yu Baek charged forward relentlessly,
until she was so close their faces nearly touched.
Chik!
With their noses almost brushing, Yu Baek activated the Qi Absorption Art, deliberately clashing their weapons.
Shwak!
Simultaneously, dozens of black blades surged from behind her, slithering toward Bu Eun-seol like vipers lunging for prey.
It was the Willful True Binding.
'This is a feint.'
Swish!
As the Ink Soul Sword swung at blinding speed, a sword net thirty feet wide materialized in an instant.
The dazzling, net-like sword qi collided with the blades of the Willful True Binding, sparking flames before dissipating.
Flash!
At the same time, a sharp glint erupted from Bu Eun-seol's left hand.
He had thrown a flying dagger straight at Yu Baek's brow.
Swoosh!
But the dagger merely grazed past her temple, striking nothing.
Yu Baek, too, possessed razor-sharp extrasensory perception and had predicted his Flying Dagger Art, tilting her head just in time to evade.
Slash-slash-slash!
Having dodged the dagger, she retaliated with a lightning-fast strike, closing the gap even further.
Clang-clang-clang!
As the two peerless masters clashed at extreme close range, waves of true qi and flashing sword energy radiated in all directions.
Their battle flowed like water, unbroken, and before long,
they stood rooted in place, unleashing attacks as swift as lightning.
Their weapons clashed so rapidly that it seemed as if a colossal wall had formed between them.
Crack!
But then, something astonishing happened.
Piercing through the storm of sword qi—so dense not even a speck of dust could pass—
Yu Baek accelerated her movement technique and suddenly lunged into Bu Eun-seol's embrace.
Fwip!
Startled by the abrupt assault, Bu Eun-seol instinctively retreated a step.
Zzzing!
Yet behind him, a flower bud brimming with countless blades lay in wait.
Her Willful True Binding had reached the realm of Following the Heart's Desires and Unrestrained Flow,
allowing her to disperse formless true qi like mist,
and even pre-shape it into specific forms lying in ambush.
Swish-sh-sh-sh!
In desperation, Bu Eun-seol spun violently, whirling the Ink Soul Sword at high speed.
But the blades formed by the Willful True Binding only multiplied,
and soon, his clothes were torn, blood seeping through.
Halt.
But something was strange.
Having gained the upper hand, she should have pressed the attack—
yet Yu Baek had stopped, observing Bu Eun-seol instead.
'Is this a technique of the Heartless Blood assassins?'
Despite holding the advantage,
Yu Baek had abruptly severed her own momentum—an incomprehensible move.
Such a sudden shift in tactics
was akin to gambling with one's life in a battle between supreme masters.
Had Bu Eun-seol not been the type to analyze every action for meaning,
a single misstep would have sent his head flying.
Sssss...
But then, a black mist began seeping from Yu Baek's entire body.
Swirl-swirl-swirl...
The dark mist swiftly enveloped Bu Eun-seol completely.
'No way—'
In that instant, he found himself unable to move.
'She didn't sever her momentum—she was preparing to unleash the True Void.'
The black mist she had conjured
was no ordinary technique—it was a lethal stance that,
no matter what move Bu Eun-seol attempted, would instantly exploit his openings with blades.
'Did she replicate my sword form after seeing it just once?'
And this method—
it perfectly adapted the variant stance of Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan he had once used against her,
now manifested through the Willful True Binding.
'So this is the Willful True Binding.'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his astonishment.
Not only was Yu Baek's martial talent extraordinary,
but the profound application of the Emotion Severing Secret Art—
the ability to freely materialize true qi and instantly mimic any martial technique—
was nothing short of miraculous.
'So poisoning me wasn't her only goal.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
The final words the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had wanted to convey through Yu Baek—
they weren't about ruining him by leaving behind the Emotion Severing Secret Art.
No, it was already near-perfected, the supreme martial art of the Demonic Path,
and he had intended to pass it down to him all along.
'Demonic Heavenly Emperor...'
Bu Eun-seol's gaze wavered.
For a demonic martial artist resolved to reach the pinnacle through the Supreme Demon Path,
the Emotion Severing Secret Art was a priceless, ancient secret art.
The problem was that Bu Eun-seol had no intention of entering the Supreme Demon Path,
so instead of aiding his growth, it became an Extreme Poison—disrupting his internal energy and halting his progress.
In truth, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had already bestowed upon him the strongest martial art of the Demonic Path—without reservation.
Crackle!
As his spirit and mind shook uncontrollably, the hazy mist formed by the Willful True Binding seeped into Bu Eun-seol's body.
'Right now, I am Seon-u Jin.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lips until they bled.
If he lost focus here, every plan he had painstakingly built until now would dissolve into nothingness.
"Hahp!"
With a sharp exhale, he concentrated his mind—
Shhk! Shhk!
—and as the sound of breaking air tore through the space,
Nine streams of martial force erupted violently from his entire body, gradually pushing back Yu Baek's mist.
He had finally unleashed the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
Sssss—!
As the Thirteenfold Qi Induction spread, the mist of Yu Baek's Willful True Binding thickened in response.
She, too, amplified her technique, continuously erasing the Thirteenfold Qi Induction that coiled around Bu Eun-seol's body.
Oom! Oom!
When the pinnacle techniques of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths collided head-on, tremors shook the heavens and earth.
The expanding martial force and waves of true qi transformed into a storm that threatened to swallow the entire world.
Shhk! Shhk!
Yet, slowly, the tide began to turn.
Bu Eun-seol's Thirteenfold Qi Induction started erasing Yu Baek's Willful True Binding, which had spread like black mist.
No matter how formidable the Willful True Binding was,
Yu Baek's True Void and level of internal energy still couldn't match Bu Eun-seol's.
Shhk! Shhk!
Just as the razor-sharp martial force was about to slash Yu Baek's throat—
Fwoosh! Sssss—!
Another wave of inky mist clung to the axe-like edge of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
At the same time, Bu Eun-seol's body trembled as if struck by lightning.
'It has this kind of function too?'
This time, Bu Eun-seol was genuinely shocked to the point of nearly fainting.
Yu Baek's Willful True Binding had altered its very attribute, coating the Thirteenfold Qi Induction in a viscous layer,
then using it as a conduit to force strands of internal energy into Bu Eun-seol's meridians, chaotically disrupting the flow of energy within his body.
'At this rate, I might have to use power beyond what Seon-u Jin should possess...'
Though he had grasped the True Qi Martial Art of the Willful True Binding through the Emotion Severing Secret Art,
he had never deeply studied or explored its principles and doctrines beyond that.
Yet, astonishingly, the Emotion Severing Secret Art contained a method to use an opponent's True Qi Martial Art as a medium,
to shake their physical body or exert influence over them.
Crack.
The destructive power of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction was several times greater than Yu Baek's Willful True Binding.
But when the sticky, tenacious force of the Willful True Binding infiltrated his body through the Emotion Severing Secret Art,
Bu Eun-seol's body stiffened instead.
It lasted no longer than the flick of a finger,
but for Yu Baek—who had spent her entire life honing the Heartless Blood's Killing Arts Secret Method in a dark cave—
it must have been a tedious, drawn-out moment.
Flash!
In an instant, Yu Baek closed the distance and thrust a dagger toward Bu Eun-seol's heart.
'No choice.'
Bu Eun-seol expelled the invasive force of the Willful True Binding by unleashing four centuries' worth of internal energy.
Flash!
At the same time, he drove the Ink Soul Sword toward Yu Baek's chest.
The speed was blistering,
but unfortunately, his momentary stiffness had reduced it to a mutual destruction gambit.
'Wrong.'
Realizing he couldn't evade Yu Baek's heart-piercing dagger, Bu Eun-seol prepared to release the Water Essence Divine Qi—
"..."
—when he froze.
His eyes widened as he stared down at his own body.
The Ink Soul Sword had pierced Yu Baek's chest,
but she had stopped her dagger just before it reached his heart.
'Why?'
As if reading his thoughts, Yu Baek blinked, then fixed her gaze on his shoulder.
Looking down, he saw a crimson wound peeking through his torn robes.
That stab wound—inflicted when he had reached out to detoxify her from Heaven's Joy and Earth's Delight,
only for her to counter and drive her dagger through his shoulder.
'So that's why she hesitated.'
Earlier, when the countless blades formed through the principles of Following the Heart's Desires and Unrestrained Flow had torn his robes,
Yu Baek had momentarily halted her attack.
It wasn't a life-risking prank.
From the moment she saw the wound on his shoulder... she had recognized Seon-u Jin as Bu Eun-seol.
[Farewell.]
Hyeokryeon Yu Baek conveyed her final goodbye with her eyes.
The few days she had spent with Bu Eun-seol had been the happiest and most joyful of her life.
Not only had he taught her about the ways of the martial world, but he had also taught her the kindness of lies.
Even with a fatal wound piercing his shoulder, Bu Eun-seol had lied, claiming he had melted the dagger with Extreme Yang Qi.
It had been a spur-of-the-moment falsehood,
but for her—who had spent her entire life training the Killing Arts Secret Method in a dark cave,
enduring a desolate existence—
it had been a kindness worth dying for.
Ssshh...
Yu Baek drew her last breath with a radiant smile.
As her Willful True Binding dissipated,
Shhk! Shhk!
the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, previously held back by her technique,
Fwooosh!
engulfed her body in an instant.
Crackle-crackle-crack!
The razor-sharp martial force swept past, mercilessly tearing through her entire form.
Thud. Splurt.
Blood gushed from Yu Baek's fallen body.
She had met a gruesome death, her body left covered in deep, cruel scars.
Perhaps from repeatedly unleashing the Martial Emperor's techniques,
the Ice Essence Snow Blossom Energy of the Snow Blossom Sect—not the Glacier Thousand Streams Art—activated, leaving a thin layer of frost over her wounds.
But even that cold energy soon faded into mist.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol's mind was numb.
She could only stare blankly at Yu Baek's mangled body, her expression numb.
The woman lay with her eyes peacefully closed, as if she had fallen into a deep slumber...
Yu Baek had finally drawn her last breath.