Chapter 76
Poison-Strengthened Body Art. A secret art that enhances physical capabilities using poison, one that can only be practiced by Poison People—those whose blood contains Extreme Poison.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's sword transformed into a streak of light, plunging toward Yangmyeong's throat.
Clang!
Yet with a sharp metallic ring, the longsword was deflected instead. As if he had struck solid steel.
Vrrrm.
Staring at the faintly trembling blade, Bu Eun-seol suddenly recalled the words Seo Jin-ha had spoken the night before.
"The Poison Arts of the Hell Blood Citadel number over tens of thousands in variety alone. That's because they combine thousands of Extreme Poisons to create their own unique Poison Techniques."
Seo Jin-ha, who had been studying Bu Eun-seol's profile, continued.
"Moreover, while Yangmyeong's true martial art is known as the Poison Demon Soul-Chasing Finger, his actual signature secret technique is something else entirely. It's the Poison Demon Body Art."
Poison Demon Body Art.
One of the strongest Poison-Strengthened Body Arts of the Hell Blood Citadel. Despite its formidable power, the only ones who have mastered it are Yangmyeong and the Blood Fiends under his command.
To learn the Poison Demon Body Art, one must endure a long and excruciating training process—and in doing so, forfeit the ability to wield weapons.
Not only does the body harden like steel, but even the limbs lose their sensitivity.
"So that's why he only used Finger Wind."
Only now did Bu Eun-seol understand why Yangmyeong had stubbornly relied solely on the Poison Demon Soul-Chasing Finger instead of the sword strapped to his back.
"You know of our sect's Poison Demon Body Art?"
"Only that it leaves one crippled for life, unable to wield weapons."
"Heh heh heh. It merely dulls the sensitivity of one's fingertips."
Yangmyeong bared his yellowed teeth in a grin.
"In exchange, it forges an indestructible body capable of withstanding any attack."
Thud!
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol sprang into the air with startling agility, slashing at Yangmyeong's ear.
Clang!
Despite saturating his blade with True Qi, he failed to even nick the ear—only another metallic clang reverberated through the air.
"That tickles."
Yangmyeong flicked his finger, and a cannonball-like force drilled into Bu Eun-seol's chest.
Clang!
With another metallic ring, Bu Eun-seol was sent skidding toward the edge of the Martial Arts Stage.
Even though he had blocked the Finger Wind with his sword, he couldn't negate the sheer pressure behind it.
"Running out of strength already?"
Yangmyeong spread both arms wide and lunged at Bu Eun-seol.
Clang! Clang!
Bu Eun-seol unleashed a rapid succession of sword techniques, but they only sliced through fabric—not a single scratch marred Yangmyeong's body.
"Heh heh heh."
Though Yangmyeong had grown monstrous in size, his movements had become even more agile.
The Poison Demon Body Art didn't just harden the entire body—it multiplied physical strength several times over.
Now, with a Vajra Indestructibility-like body that spewed poison and pursued relentlessly, he had become a true nightmare.
Boom!
Sword and fist collided, and once again, Bu Eun-seol was forced back.
"Take this!"
Kwa-oooh!
At a distance, cannon-like Finger Winds rained down.
At close range, Yangmyeong—with his indestructible body—attacked with razor-sharp nails bared.
Wham!
This time, Bu Eun-seol was blasted to the very edge of the stage by a direct hit from Finger Wind.
He tried to rise quickly, but his limbs felt leaden, as if paralyzed.
"Hmm."
The poisonous aura around Yangmyeong's body grew denser by the second.
Bu Eun-seol had used his Internal Energy to suppress the poison temporarily, but if this continued, he'd collapse before he could even employ Qi Gathering Poison.
Heh heh heh. So this is the level of Langya Pavilion's Ten Demonic Heir.
Yangmyeong paused his assault momentarily, sending a Voice Transmission.
The price for interfering with our sect's affairs is death.
Thud. Thud.
Slowly, Yangmyeong strode toward Bu Eun-seol, who knelt on one knee. From his ten fingers, a dark poison mist seeped out.
"Die."
With a series of dull thumps, ten black Finger Winds erupted from his fingertips.
Instead of shooting straight at Bu Eun-seol, they arced gracefully through the air like the petals of a massive flower bud before pouring down like rain over his head.
The ultimate technique of the Poison Demon Soul-Chasing Finger—Ten Fingers Poison Demon Lines.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The cascading black winds coiled around Bu Eun-seol's body, shattering the blue stone tiles of the Martial Arts Stage.
Whoosh.
As the swirling dust and debris were swept away by the wind, a gray silhouette stood within. Bu Eun-seol.
"..."
Though most of his robes were torn and bloodstains were visible all over, fortunately, he had no major injuries.
Even in his poisoned, barely mobile state, he had maximized the senses of the Way of the Beast and executed Swift Shadowless, letting the Finger Winds slip past him.
"Oh? You dodged it."
Yangmyeong nodded, as if impressed.
"Then I'll just tear you apart myself."
Baring his blackened nails, he trudged forward step by step.
Bu Eun-seol watched him silently.
The poisoning symptoms had worsened, and his Internal Energy was nearly depleted.
On top of that, no matter how many times he struck, Yangmyeong remained unscathed.
"..."
As if reaching a decision, Bu Eun-seol sheathed his sword.
Click.
Yangmyeong smirked at the sight.
"Surrendering, are you?"
As much as he wanted to tear him apart, Bu Eun-seol's status was that of Langya Pavilion's Ten Demonic Heir.
Killing someone who had yielded—even if he feigned ignorance of his identity—would not go unanswered by Langya Pavilion.
"Not at all."
Bu Eun-seol wiped the blood trickling down his forehead and replied flatly.
"Let's continue."
"Heh heh heh."
Yangmyeong's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"Good. This Hall Leader has clearly given you a chance."
Having gone this far, even if the Langya Pavilion Master were to intervene, he'd have no grounds for complaint.
Yang Myeong channeled an overwhelming surge of internal power into his fingernails.
"Be careful!"
Even as he spoke these words, he unleashed the pinnacle technique of the Poison Demon Soul-Chasing Finger—Single Leaf Wave Mountain.
Pah-pah-pah-pah!
A net-like web of black threads coiled around Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
The moment those spiderweb-like afterimages touched him, his body would be torn to shreds.
'With this old iron sword, I can only execute a single stance.'
Srrrung—
As Bu Eun-seol drew his sword once more, countless faint points of light shimmered beneath his feet, as if millions of stars had risen from the ground.
The first form of Supreme Heavenly Flow—
Meteor Chasing Moon was unleashed.
Flash!
A brilliant, yet fleeting, radiance erupted.
CRACK!
That light tore through the enormous web Yang Myeong had woven in an instant. At the same time, the same luminous specks that had covered Bu Eun-seol's body now rose from Yang Myeong's own.
Fwoooosh—!
The millions of light points blazed like fireworks, illuminating the entire world for a brief moment—before being sucked into Yang Myeong's right hand, the very hand that had been pouring forth the Single Leaf Wave Mountain.
"..."
Silence fell over the martial stage.
Bu Eun-seol's sword was already pointed toward the ground. And Yang Myeong stood frozen in the exact stance he had taken to execute his technique.
—Ah!
As the sword light vanished, the martial artists in the audience blinked as if waking from a dream.
The moment they had witnessed Bu Eun-seol's bizarre sword technique and those strange points of light, their memories had briefly vanished, leaving only a hazy impression lingering in their minds.
—What in the world just happened?
—What kind of sword technique was that?
—Did he even do anything just now?
The spectators exchanged bewildered glances.
It seemed Bu Eun-seol had executed some kind of sword technique—but none could fathom what it had been.
Only a handful of the most exceptional masters in the audience could vaguely grasp that, in the span of a single moment, Bu Eun-seol had unleashed dozens of sword strokes at once.
Clink-clink-clink—
Then came the sound of metal fragments hitting the ground.
Bu Eun-seol's sword had shattered into pieces like a spiderweb, scattering across the stage.
—Bu Eun-seol has been defeated!
A collective gasp rose from the spectators.
For a swordsman, there was only one reason their blade would shatter—when they could no longer withstand the force of their opponent's attack.
"Hmm."
Yang Myeong, who had just retracted his outstretched hand, slowly opened his mouth.
"What kind of sword technique was that?"
"A sword technique that embodies all the insights I've gained until now."
"Insights?"
"Indeed."
Insight was a term only peerless grandmasters of martial arts would dare mention.
Yang Myeong opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. He had failed to find the right words.
Crunch.
Then, from somewhere, came the sound of bones dislocating.
Crack-crack.
The noise grew louder, reverberating through the air.
At the same time, spiderweb-like fissures began creeping across Yang Myeong's fingers—once as hard as steel—and up the back of his hand.
Drip. Drip.
Thick, crimson blood dripped from Yang Myeong's fingers and the back of his hand onto the martial stage.
—Yang Myeong is wounded too!
Someone shouted, but most of the martial artists shook their heads in disbelief.
For Yang Myeong, who had mastered the Poison Demon Body Art, bleeding from his hand was nothing more than a superficial wound. It was clear that Bu Eun-seol, whose sword had been destroyed, was the one who had lost.
"Hmm."
Yet Yang Myeong's gaze wavered like unsettled waves.
In truth, the bleeding wound on his hand was insignificant.
What truly mattered was that the two streams of internal power unleashed from Bu Eun-seol's sword had shattered the bones in his right fingers to pieces.
In other words, half of the internal power he had painstakingly cultivated over decades for the Poison Demon Soul-Chasing Finger had been obliterated.
"Young Hero Bu, Great Hero Yang."
As the silent standoff continued, Cho Mun-cheon, standing at the edge of the martial stage, cautiously called out.
"Shall we proceed with the tournament?"
Bu Eun-seol replied coldly.
"That is for him to decide."
Yang Myeong's eyebrows shot up.
There was no way Bu Eun-seol didn't know the state of his shattered hand. Why would he say such a thing?
'Does he not want to make an enemy of my faction?'
Then, Bu Eun-seol's icy voice transmission pierced his mind.
"The reason I'm ending this now isn't because you belong to the Demonic Path Ten Gates."
Recalling the words Seo Jin-ha had left him with before they parted, Bu Eun-seol sent another cold transmission.
"He told me that, if possible, I shouldn't kill you during the Martial Arts Tournament. That's the only reason."
—"Let me say one last thing."
Back then, just before they separated, Seo Jin-ha had given Bu Eun-seol a final request.
"If at all possible... don't kill Yang Myeong during the tournament."
'You damn rats...!'
Fury burned in Yang Myeong's eyes as he stared down at his right arm.
The spiderweb-like sword strokes and internal power Bu Eun-seol had unleashed had severed his nerves and muscles, shattering his bones beyond repair.
Even if Mad Doctor Cheok San-rim—renowned as the greatest physician in the world—were to treat him, it would be impossible to restore it to its original state.
Crack.
He was a master who understood the flow of battle. Even if he gritted his teeth and fought now, he instinctively knew the only outcome would be defeat.
"Let's end this."
With those curt words, Yang Myeong activated his movement technique and vanished from the martial stage, disappearing beyond the grand plaza.
"..."
Silence descended once more.
Yang Myeong, the leader of the Blood Ghost Society, had always been a figure who rampaged through the martial world with ruthless cruelty. For such a man to display such unexpected magnanimity?
"W-well..."
Flustered by the unexpected turn of events, Cho Mun-cheon stammered.
Regardless, since Yang Myeong had conceded, the outcome was clear.
"The winner of the Martial Arts Tournament is Bu Eun-seol, Young Hero Bu!"
—WAAAAAH!
In that instant, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the audience.
Until now, the Martial Arts Tournament had always been won by renowned masters. This year, in particular, an unprecedented number of famed experts had gathered.
Yet an unknown newcomer, Bu Eun-seol, had defeated Yang Myeong—a master of the Hell Blood Citadel—and claimed victory!
But the martial artists had no idea—
That this unknown rookie who began in the harsh lands of Guizhou would soon have his name resound across the entire martial world.