Chapter 866
As the shockwave capable of destroying the entire world spread outward—
Creeaak.
The Boundary of Time tore apart as if being rent asunder, and fissures split open within the formation.
What appeared was a swirling vortex of distortion—a place where neither past nor future existed, only endless undulation.
Sssssss.
Simultaneously, a mist began to rise.
Like brilliant sunlight shimmering over a lakeshore, countless points of light scattered outward.
It was the Natural Qi of the Ninth Form of the Formless Heavenly Flow—Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes, unfurling in succession.
Zzzziiing. Zzzziiing.
The mist and points of light, carrying the Power of Harmony, surged toward the fissures in the formation.
Fwoooosh!
The moment they touched the rifts, a dazzling burst of light erupted.
By layering Harmonization atop the Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes—a technique that returned all things to their natural state—
It surpassed mere physical explosions or shockwaves, collapsing time and space itself.
A force capable of reducing everything to nothingness spread outward.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
In that instant, the flow of time halted, and the formation's spatial expanse stretched infinitely before beginning to contract.
Snap. Snap.
Finally, space itself began to tear apart with an eerie, shrieking sound, as if screaming in agony.
Shudder. Shudder.
Bu Eun-seol's body, pouring out an unrelenting torrent of power, trembled like an aspen leaf.
The backlash of unleashing two Supreme Martial Techniques simultaneously—
Transcended mere physical pain, melting his spirit and soul, and was now eroding his very existence.
'I must stay conscious.'
If he lost focus even for an instant—
His body would shatter into fragments, and his soul would scatter into ten million motes of light, vanishing without a trace.
Drip. Drip.
Thick veins of blood spread across his face.
He wanted to scream, but no sound escaped.
His Spirit and Mind shattered like glass, his skin burned as if engulfed in flames, and his bones felt as though they were being stretched beyond their limits.
Screeeeech.
Then, a vast expanse of space began to appear.
The formation was finally collapsing.
Creeeaaak.
Gradually, the rift widened—
Whoooosh.
—and the surrounding light transformed into azure flames before vanishing in an instant.
At last, an opening large enough to escape through had formed.
"Ghhh—!"
Staggering, Bu Eun-seol dropped to one knee.
The price of unifying two martial techniques—each difficult to execute even once—was devastating.
His skin was flayed, his organs seared as if burning from within, and the agony was unrelenting.
'No time.'
But there was no time to dwell on the pain.
Even a moment's delay could mean danger for Han Sang-ja and the Evil Soul Squad.
BOOOOM!
With an explosive roar, Bu Eun-seol burst through the formation and shot upward about a thousand feet into the air.
Then, pouring every last ounce of his strength, he unleashed—
Swift Shadowless.
FWOOOOOM!
A trail of white vapor formed in front of him as he surged forward.
This kind of extreme movement technique was something to never use before a battle against a supreme expert—it exhausted both the Three Divine Powers and his Internal Energy completely.
But he couldn't stand by and let Han Sang-ja or the unit members be sacrificed for this plan.
KABOOOM!
Bu Eun-seol became a streaking meteor, shooting into the heavens.
Han Sang-ja stood alone in the dimly lit darkness.
Around him, thirty-two members of the Evil Soul Squad stood like statues, unwavering.
The Ghostly Limitless Formation, woven by martial artists each possessing at least sixty years of Internal Energy,
Not only recreated the interior space as a perfect replica of nature—
But also heightened their senses thousands of times, allowing them to detect even the movement of an ant dozens of li away.
If anyone approached this area? They would detect them faster than any Murim Master could.
'First... the Executioner will come.'
Though his expression remained calm, a thrill of excitement flickered in Han Sang-ja's eyes.
'But if the formation remains unbroken... then the one who stands above the Executioner will appear.'
A searing heat radiated from his gaze.
'To eliminate me—the one who dares defy and manipulate the Laws.'
The martial world held incomprehensible Laws, and he had spent his life in the Sage Forest studying them.
Among them, the Executioner fascinated him the most.
A mysterious entity that only appeared to Superlative Martial Experts, imposing restrictions upon them.
No one had ever seen its true form, yet it possessed transcendent power—capable of turning humans into monsters in an instant.
But texts that detailed this being were exceedingly rare.
And most of those that mentioned the Executioner were incomplete—
As if someone had deliberately mutilated them.
Even the Scripture of All Methods, disseminated throughout the Martial World,
Had been heavily damaged from the start. The Sage Forest had copied it in that state and spread it deliberately—
To confirm whether someone was truly preventing any mention of the Executioner.
'They couldn't possibly overlook the fact that I artificially manipulated the Heart Fragrance to lure the Executioner.'
Han Sang-ja took a deep breath as he surveyed the formation.
'They'll have no choice but to reveal themselves.'
In truth, the formation he had laid out for Bu Eun-seol and Geuk Hye-bin wasn't meant to perfectly conceal them from the Executioner—
But to trap them inside, preventing interference, while sending the Heart Fragrance toward this Ghostly Limitless Formation.
It was a Strange Formation designed for exactly that purpose.
—Sending puppets won't work. Even the Executioner won't be enough to deal with this... So what will you do?
Han Sang-ja had provoked the one who guarded the Laws and commanded the Executioner, ensuring they would have no choice but to come here.
'The Lord must never learn of this plan.'
Not just because he valued the lives of his allies—
But because there was more at stake.
"Whether the Executioner is a transcendent being or not remains unknown, but it must at least possess an extraordinary information network."
After all, it had accurately assessed the Martial Soul Lord's martial prowess—despite his covert activities in the Martial World—and proposed the Covenant.
"If I had revealed everything in advance, the plan might have been exposed."
'I've longed for this for so long.'
Even if he had wished to study the Executioner, there had been no records, no means to confront it.
But by heaven's grace—
A target of the Executioner had sought out the Sage Forest, pleading for help.
As Bu Eun-seol spoke amidst the gathered senior brothers at the entrance, Han Sang-ja's heart pounded.
At last, an opportunity to unravel the Executioner's secrets had come.
'And he was a good man.'
Within the Martial World, the Martial Soul Lord's reputation was surprisingly favorable—uncharacteristic for one of the Demonic Path.
But Han Sang-ja did not trust rumors. After all, renowned figures often wore masks when facing the world.
Yet when Bu Eun-seol imparted the Heart-Seal Method to Geuk Hye-bin, he had understood.
This was a man so virtuous and upright that he could move even that pure-hearted woman to tears.
'This matter will also be a fine gift for the senior brothers of the Sage Forest.'
Knowing that Bu Eun-seol was a man of worth—
And that this was a chance to uncover a long-hidden truth—
He had committed himself to this plan without hesitation, staking his very life on it.
'Sacrifice is inevitable when pursuing truth.'
If they encountered the Executioner?
Not only he, but even the martial artists maintaining the formation might be slaughtered.
But that was unavoidable.
Since ancient times, death in the pursuit of truth had been a common fate.
Kiiiiing—
A strange resonance vibrated against Han Sang-ja's eardrums.
It was an ominous sound, as though an unknown entity had manifested in the world for the first time.
'It's here.'
He could sense it.
The Executioner—a mysterious existence that had constrained the Martial World's superlative experts for generations—had finally arrived.
Kiiiiiiiing—
The eerie sound grew louder.
In that moment, the faces of the Evil Soul Squad warriors standing at their posts twisted in agony.
The bizarre noise seeping into their ears inflicted excruciating pain.
Yet, in contrast, Han Sang-ja's expression remained serene.
Every member of the Evil Soul Squad was a master with over a hundred and twenty years (120 years) of internal energy.
If even they could not endure this torment, how could he remain so composed?
'As expected, it uses sound.'
The Executioner could detect Heart Scent to identify its target.
But what if it could sense the scent yet not locate the hidden prey?
What method would it employ then?
His hypothesis had been sound.
No matter how profound one's formation mastery or concealment techniques, completely blocking sound was nearly impossible.
He had anticipated that it would employ a method akin to Sound Arts to draw out its quarry.
His prediction had been correct.
Strange noises now seeped incessantly into the Ghostly Limitless Formation—a barrier said to block all intrusions.
Yet he stood unfazed.
For at the celestial pivot of the formation, he had embedded Harmonization—a force capable of neutralizing sound waves like those of Sound Arts.
Grrrrrr—
The Evil Soul Squad warriors bled ceaselessly from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.
'Endure just a little longer. It will soon be over.'
In truth, he had not deployed only the Ghostly Limitless Formation.
Layered beneath it was the Thousand Calamities Tempering Formation—imbued with the principles of Heaven-Defying Return and Counterattack Return to Origin.
The more its human materials were attacked, the more flawless it became.
This was a technique surpassing the limits of Formation Study—one only the Sage Forest's Forest Lord, Gwi-jin-ja, and its highest elder, Master Red Essence, could wield.
The calculations required were even more complex than tracking the movements of thousands of constellations.
Yet Han Sang-ja, having learned it by observation, had executed it flawlessly in his very first attempt.
'Will it break the formation? Or fail?'
A peculiar heat flickered in Han Sang-ja's pupils.
'If the Executioner is truly a transcendent being, it will shatter the formation. If it is merely a master wielding mysterious power, it won't even breach it.'
Kiiiiiiing—
The dissonant noise swelled louder.
With each screech, the warriors staggered.
Whoosh—
But then, a mystical light surged beneath their feet, and gradually, their expressions calmed.
As the external assaults continued, the formation grew even more unyielding.
'I still can't sense its presence...'
Even with his senses stretched to their limits—
He could not perceive the form of the one unleashing Sound Arts outside.
'Then perhaps this is merely a puppet sent for reconnaissance.'
Crack—
Meanwhile, the bodies of the Evil Soul Squad members began hardening like stone.
They were transforming—becoming living materials of the formation.
Soon—
Unless one defied the laws of nature itself—this would become an indestructible, flawless formation.
'The Executioner said it assigns one agent per target.'
Questions bloomed endlessly in Han Sang-ja's mind.
If it failed to break the formation—
Would it summon another ally?
Would it spawn endless puppets to dismantle it?
Or was this agent itself a puppet, with the true transcendent being yet to appear?
If it could not break the formation—would it linger nearby before vanishing?
"Just wait a little longer."
A faint smile curled at Han Sang-ja's lips.
Whether it's a puppet or the Executioner itself, there's no way they can break this formation.
If that were the case, then eventually, a higher existence would reveal itself—and before long, Bu Eun-seol would arrive here as well.
Even if he's a master capable of wielding Limitless Power, he won't be able to emerge within an hour. Not with this absolute formation I've set up.
KWA-RUNG!
But then, from outside, an earth-shaking, deafening roar erupted.
It was the Sound of Breaking Air—the explosive resonance that spreads when a supreme master exerts their full Lightness Skill at maximum combat power.
"This... can't be."
Han Sang-ja couldn't hide his shock.
"He shattered the Limitless Heaven Lock Formation in less than a single horn's time?"
It was utterly impossible.
Never once had his calculations and predictions been wrong before.
The Limitless Heaven Lock Formation, reinforced by eighty-one overlapping formations—
Even if a Martial Extreme Realm master poured all their Limitless Power into it, it should withstand at least an hour effortlessly.
A formation so sturdy that not even tens of thousands of pounds of gunpowder detonated continuously for a meal's time could destroy it—yet he shattered it in less than a single horn's time?
"Don't tell me... he's reached the stage of Heaven's Will Annihilation?"
Within the Sage Forest, there were records detailing even the Heavenly Will Realm—a state martial artists dismissed as mere fantasy.
And it was said that upon reaching the initial stage of the Heavenly Will Realm, one would manifest signs of absolute power, much like Martial Extremity Equal Enlightenment—
Gaining the ability to comprehend the Natural Order of all things, to control or annihilate any force with the power of Heaven's Will Annihilation.
"No... That can't be."
To reach the Heavenly Will Realm, one must inevitably surpass the Martial Extreme Realm in power.
If Bu Eun-seol were capable of that, he would already be seated as the undisputed strongest under heaven.
"There must be something I don't know."
KWA-RUNG!
Another thunderous roar echoed from the distant sky.
Given how much closer it sounded than before, it was certain he would arrive here in less than half a quarter.
"I was wrong."
Han Sang-ja clenched his eyes shut.
The Executioner's higher existence still hadn't revealed itself.
But contrary to his predictions, Bu Eun-seol was already making his appearance... which meant the entire plan had unraveled.
KWA-RUNG.
Faster than sound itself, Bu Eun-seol raced forward until a desolate wasteland of jagged rocks sprawled before him.
His vision, transcending human limits, was several times sharper than even a hawk's—capable of spotting a mouse from over ten li away.
Thus, what would appear as a blurry expanse to ordinary people was crystal clear to him.
And what he saw was—
A dark, hemispherical space shrouded in shadows, and before it, a black silhouette unleashing eerie Sound Arts.
"A puppet."
He recognized it instantly.
This wasn't the Executioner itself—just a puppet it had created.
"Good."
Despite the higher existence's absence, Bu Eun-seol felt relief.
The formation was still intact.
That meant Han Sang-ja and the Evil Soul Squad members inside were unharmed.
As long as no one was hurt because of him, that was enough.
"So it's not a supernatural entity after all."
His only concern had been—
Whether the Executioner was truly an omnipotent being, as the name suggested.
If it were?
Not only would Han Sang-ja's plans be meaningless, but any resistance would be futile.
But the puppet in the distance—
Seemed to have only just detected Han Sang-ja's presence within the formation, relentlessly bombarding it with Sound Arts.
Which meant the Executioner controlling it... was not an all-knowing, supernatural entity.
"But this one's different from the previous puppets."
Though humanoid, it was enveloped in an eerie light.
That likely meant conventional martial arts wouldn't work on it.
KWA-RUNG. TAK.
Finally arriving before the formation where Han Sang-ja was, Bu Eun-seol stood before the black silhouette.
GIIING, GIIING.
The shadow, steeped in darkness, noticed Bu Eun-seol and unleashed another bizarre sound.
It was less like Sound Arts and more like a sinister Art of Spells—one that scattered the very essence of life in all directions.
"Haa... Haa."
Having pushed his Combat Power to the limit to get here, Bu Eun-seol was heavily fatigued.
"Then—"
ZZZZT!
Before he knew it, a violet energy surged through his pupils.
The Thunder Essence Divine Qi—which he had been channeling continuously while using Lightness Skill—
He released it all at once.
OOOORRRR—KWAANG!
With a deafening explosion, a violet shockwave erupted outward—
KWA-RU-RU-RUNG!
A roar several times louder than thunder ceaselessly reverberated, drowning out the black silhouette's sound.
SHHHH—
Unable to withstand the violent surge of Thunder Essence Divine Qi,
The shadow, dyed in darkness, twisted violently—its body flickering through multiple colors.
GLURGLE. GLURGLE.
Before long, its form rippled like water, then reshaped into—
An ordinary old man.
The very image of his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
The puppet had instantly analyzed Bu Eun-seol's Spirit and Mind, pinpointing his weakness in an instant.
"Of course."
The Executioner distinguished its targets not by appearance, but by their Heart Scent.
And the sixty-day grace period meant it had ample time to thoroughly analyze its target.
It was only natural that it would meticulously identify vulnerabilities and formulate an attack strategy during that time.
Swish!
The black shadow unleashed a blade-light of inky darkness that slashed across heaven and earth toward Bu Eun-seol.
Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
The black shadow, now wearing his grandfather's face, naturally executed his grandfather's sword techniques.
Swoosh!
Bu Eun-seol, unfazed, drew Ink Soul Sword and met it head-on.
The moment the shadow had taken his grandfather's form, he had already anticipated that the Bloody Tears Seven Forms would come flying at him.
Flash!
A dark radiance erupted from Ink Soul Sword, dyeing the world in black sword qi.
He had unleashed the form he was most confident in—Life Returns to Death.
'Tch.'
But the swordplay didn't flow properly.
He had pushed his Movement Technique to the limit, straining himself until stars danced in his vision just to arrive faster.
There was no way he could properly execute the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, a technique that consumed an immense amount of energy.
'I'll see it through to the end!'
Gritting his teeth, Bu Eun-seol forcibly connected the swordplay.
Crackle—
A deathly energy spread outward like black lightning.
When the two Bloody Tears Seven Forms clashed—
It was as if the Grim Reaper had exhaled—a black fog surged forth.
This wasn't just an obscuring mist—it writhed as if alive, greedily devouring the life force around it.
As the sword techniques collided again and again, a scream-like Sound of Breaking Air echoed, howling through the surroundings.
Whoosh— Hiss—!
Before his eyes, black sword qi spread like fog—sometimes flashing like a Flash—unceasingly surging outward.
But due to his depleted energy, Bu Eun-seol's swordplay was inevitably weaker than the shadow's.
Sssk!
In the end, an unavoidable, inescapable blade of death grazed past his body.
Splat!
Blood sprayed as Bu Eun-seol staggered back.
But then, something astonishing happened.
Even after being struck by the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, his body remained unharmed—no shadow of death looming over him.
Thud.
As the shadow halted its movements, Bu Eun-seol curled his lips.
"Just as I thought."
Back at the Ancient Sword Forest's gate,
He had once fought against an illusion of Baekri Mu-jo, the strongest opponent he could imagine.
And that Baekri Mu-jo had been nothing more than a creation of his own mind.
Because he had believed his opponent to be unbeatable from the start, victory had been impossible.
But in the end, Bu Eun-seol had discerned the paradoxical weakness of that Absolute Phantom—
Namely, that its strength was limited to the level he believed it to possess.
"What you just executed wasn't my grandfather's true sword technique—it was just the version I imagined in my head."
The Holy Sword that Baekri Mu-jo had wielded at the Ancient Sword Forest's gate had merely been a construct of his imagination—
Not the real thing, not the flawless sword technique of the true Baekri Mu-jo.
Once he realized this,
Bu Eun-seol had instantly shattered the swordplay within his own mind.
Just like now.
"You're no ordinary puppet."
Drip—
As if realizing this method wouldn't work against Bu Eun-seol,
The shadow, still wearing his grandfather's face, melted back into a grotesque form shrouded in black light.
Clank.
Twisting Ink Soul Sword in his grip, Bu Eun-seol asked,
"Are you, by any chance, the Executioner itself?"
The shadow before him possessed Martial Prowess that didn't lose out to any of the formidable foes he had faced so far.
If so, was this not a puppet—but the Executioner itself?
What would happen if he killed it?
Would another Executioner keep coming endlessly? Or would something even higher appear?
Whoosh—
Then, the shadow stretched out its hand.
Zzzziiing—
An unbelievable phenomenon occurred—a low vibration hummed through the air.
The energy within Bu Eun-seol's body began draining away, and suddenly, his form reverted to that of a boy barely ten years old.
The shadow had reversed time—
Reducing him to his childhood self, back when he hadn't even learned basic breathing techniques.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
No matter how extraordinary its abilities were—how could it reverse time itself?
Did this mean the Executioner was truly a divine existence?
'No, that's impossible.'
If it really had that kind of power—
It wouldn't have struggled to break through a mere Battle Formation created by Han Sang-ja.
Flash!
Just then, the shadow's attack came surging again.
Bu Eun-seol tried to dodge swiftly, but his physical reaction speed had slowed far too much.
'Can't avoid it.'
With no other choice, he spun Ink Soul Sword in a circular motion, dispersing the incoming strikes.
'Tch.'
But in a child's body, he couldn't execute proper sword techniques—
Worse, his strength was so diminished that even swinging Ink Soul Sword, which weighed a mere four taels, was exhausting.
Stagger—
As Bu Eun-seol stepped back,
Thud. Thud.
The shadow advanced slowly, as if delivering a death sentence.
Though he had barely managed to block the attack—
If the Executioner unleashed another overwhelming strike—
There was no way a child's body could withstand it.
Fwoosh!
Just as the shadow poured down a relentless assault, poised to land a fatal blow—
Zzzziiing—
Suddenly, its movements began to appear sluggish.
At the brink of death,
His extreme focus made time itself seem to slow.
'So it wasn't true time reversal after all.'
If it could truly reverse time completely—
If it could reverse only a body's time without any warning or motion—
Then this phenomenon shouldn't be happening in the first place.
Moreover, there would be no need for an Executioner to exist—no need to create puppets from the people around its target.
It could simply reverse time from afar and deliver death.
"So it was nothing special."
His small, childlike hands tightened around Ink Soul Sword once more—
And in his pupils, a Flash detonated.
"It was a simple method after all."
He snorted.
Having discerned the hand technique the Shadow had employed, Bu Eun-seol curled the corner of his lips upward.