Chapter 926
"Great Hero!"
As the startled Myeong-un rushed toward Heuk-pyo, the Metal Monster prepared to unleash another invisible slash.
Judging by its slightly slowed movements—
The attached bracelet had merely been a device to enhance agility, not a Black Divine Artifact.
Flash!
In that instant, a brilliant crimson light bloomed into the heavens.
Simultaneously, the entire world seemed to slow—
Schlick. Thud.
The Metal Monster's head plummeted to the ground in the blink of an eye.
A killing technique of Extreme Speed so transcendent it distorted time itself.
The Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form had been unleashed.
Kwaang!
With a thunderous explosion, two boulders behind Myeong-un crumbled to dust.
The Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form had cleaved the invisible slash aimed at Myeong-un in two.
The bisected slashes had simultaneously obliterated the two boulders behind him.
Kwoong! Kwoong!
Yet despite losing its head, the Metal Monster showed no signs of stopping. Instead of blood, only metallic fracture marks marred its severed neck as it continued moving and exerting force without hesitation.
Oong! Oong!
At that moment, a resonant Sword Resonance erupted from the Ink Soul Sword.
Likely detecting the true form of the Black Divine Artifact, it sought to destroy it.
Zzzing!
Before anyone realized, the Ink Soul Sword had conjured a terrifying Sword Aura spanning about thirty feet in length.
'Good.'
Bu Eun-seol synchronized with the sword's seemingly autonomous movements and began slicing through the Metal Monster's body.
Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa!
A storm of sword energy, powerful enough to shake trees more than a hundred feet away, surged forth—
Thud-thud-thud.
The Metal Monster's body shattered into hundreds of fragments, scattering across the ground.
A faint glow emanated from the fallen metal pieces.
It was unmistakably the same radiance that spread when a Black Divine Artifact was destroyed.
'So it wasn't housing a core—its entire body was the Black Divine Artifact?'
The reason its form had been entirely composed of shimmering metal from the start.
Shockingly, the monster's very body was the Black Divine Artifact.
'Did we succeed?'
A flash of recollection passed through Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he remembered his past encounter in the Ancient Sword Forest.
Back then, he had stumbled into the forest by chance and met a mysterious woman named Bi-yeon.
Through her, he learned that the Ancient Sword Forest was a secret organization bent on transmuting human bodies into Black Divine Artifacts.
—Turning humans into Black Divine Artifacts.
Bi-yeon had clearly spoken of human-shaped Black Divine Artifacts—ordinary humans wielding the power of such artifacts.
But the Metal Monster before him now—
Wasn't it closer to a demonic being like the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man, controlled by the Heavenly Secret Star Chu-so?
'Was their goal not to create humans who wield Black Divine Artifacts, but to forge human-shaped artifacts themselves?'
Another question arose.
If the Ancient Sword Forest had stationed such humanoid Black Divine Artifacts to guard its entrance, how had the Absolute Boundary been forcibly torn open?
Kwoong.
At that moment, dust billowed from the rubble as Heuk-pyo slowly pushed himself up.
Though covered in grime, he seemed otherwise unharmed, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth as he walked forward.
"Great Hero Heuk-pyo!"
Myeong-un sprinted toward him as if screaming.
But Heuk-pyo raised a hand to stop him, waving dismissively.
"I'm fine."
"How could you be after taking that—?!"
Myeong-un's eyes widened in shock.
The Metal Monster's slash had been powerful enough to topple Mount Mount Tai itself.
How could anyone withstand it barehanded?
"The Body-Locomotion Martial Art isn't merely about agility and exceptional Lightness Skill..."
Heuk-pyo calmly explained as he peeled off the cloth covering his face.
"It encompasses footwork techniques to redirect attacks and methods to control the flow of external force."
Heuk-pyo's Body-Locomotion Martial Art rivaled that of the era's Superlative Martial Experts.
When the monster's slash tore into him, he had instantly executed movements akin to the Mud Loach Art,
diverting most of the force outward.
"...I see."
Drip-drip.
Yet the slash's sharpness had been impossible to fully negate, leaving longsword wounds across his chest and shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Great Hero."
Myeong-un's voice trembled as he stared at the blood staining Heuk-pyo's chest.
"Don't mention it."
Heuk-pyo offered a relaxed smile, unfazed.
"It's common in one's first real battle."
Then he clapped Myeong-un on the shoulder.
"Worrying for your comrades is good—but save it for after the enemy is defeated."
"Forgive me, I let my emotions—"
"How many people stay perfectly composed in a life-or-death fight from the start? It's only natural."
Whoosh.
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol reached toward the faintly glowing fragments of the shattered Metal Monster.
A single glittering stone floated into the air.
It was the Metal Monster's gleaming eyeball.
"So this is the source of their power."
Crunch.
As the glittering stone shattered between his fingers, the radiant glow from the shattered metal monsters faded entirely.
"Not human bodies reforged into Black Divine Weapons—but Black Divine Weapons merely shaped into human forms."
At Bu Eun-seol's murmur, Heuk-pyo spoke up.
"The flashing left eyeball was the core of the Black Divine Weapon."
Clank. Clank.
Then, from deeper within, another metallic sound echoed.
And before long, a horde of one-eyed, gleaming metal monsters marched forward.
Their number was exactly thirteen.
Rather than alarmed, Bu Eun-seol's face brightened, and he nodded at Heuk-pyo.
Gulp.
Understanding the unspoken command, Heuk-pyo swallowed hard.
"This time, we'll really have to stake our lives."
"But now that we know their weakness, we won't be helpless like before, right?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Heuk-pyo answered confidently.
"Of course not."
"I'll help too."
As Myeong-un stepped closer,
Heuk-pyo pulled the cloth back over his face and nodded.
"I'll disrupt their formation first. Sect Leader Myeong, make sure to target their eyes."
Then, turning back to Bu Eun-seol, he added:
"Lord. Please don't help us unless we're on the verge of death."
"Don't worry."
Bu Eun-seol grinned.
"I won't."
Realizing he meant it, beads of sweat rolled down Heuk-pyo's forehead.
"...If I fall, take care of the Ronin Corps for me."
"The Shadow Spirit Hall already has the Rogue Vanguard."
"Then I'm going!"
Whoosh—
In that instant, a strange sound reverberated from Heuk-pyo's left shoulder.
He was finally unleashing the Black Wing.
Flash!
With a streak of light, one of the advancing metal monsters crashed to the ground with a clatter.
Heuk-pyo had severed its eye in the blink of an eye.
Shiiing!
Not only did the Black Wing double his speed with Lightness Skill,
but in such a confined space, it allowed him to vanish completely—as if wielding a legendary Concealment Art.
"Haahp!"
With a clear battle cry, Myeong-un charged fearlessly at the metal monsters.
Now that he knew their weakness, he no longer hesitated to attack head-on.
Swish! Thud!
Having survived a brush with death, Myeong-un's swordplay had grown sharper, his tactics bolder.
Crash. Boom.
By the time they had felled seven of the metal monsters,
Clang. Clatter.
another wave surged from the distant passageway—this time numbering over forty.
"These must be late reinforcements. They shouldn't count toward the original number."
Bu Eun-seol sighed and shook his head.
When he said he "wouldn't help," he had meant against the initial thirteen.
Moreover, given the metal monsters' ability to unleash invisible slashes,
each additional comrade would only multiply the danger exponentially.
So the extra forty—those were his to handle.
Shiing.
Finally drawing the Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol declared:
"I'll shatter the vanguard. You two handle the remaining thirteen."
BOOM!
In that moment, an unseen force erupted.
The invisible slashes unleashed by over fifty metal monsters at once were like the wrath of Great Nature itself.
CRACK!
Bu Eun-seol deflected them one by one with lightning-fast strikes of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon,
Slash! Thud!
severing the monsters' glowing eyes with each step.
Every time his foot landed, another thud echoed as a metal monster collapsed.
Rumble.
When the remaining foes spread out to encircle him,
Swish! Clang!
Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un began cutting down those who strayed from the formation.
'Their strength multiplies with each additional comrade.'
Watching Bu Eun-seol lead the way, cutting down the Metal Monsters, Heuk-pyo smirked.
'But when the Lord and I fight together, we grow dozens of times stronger.'
Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo had traveled the martial world for years. A single glance was enough to convey their thoughts.
If the two of them combined their strength,
even an army of thousands would fall in an instant.
BOOM!
While Bu Eun-seol suppressed or deflected slashes with the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon,
Swish!
Heuk-pyo darted through the fray like a streak of black lightning.
Hummm!
The monsters attempted to slow them by unleashing another power of the Black Divine Weapon,
Clang! Thump!
but Myeong-un's razor-sharp Mount Heng Sect swordplay pierced through their openings, reducing them to scrap before they could act.
Screech!
Now, instead of invisible slashes,
the metal monsters spewed Extreme Poison to corrupt the very air—or unleashed armor-piercing metallic projectiles.
Each time, Bu Eun-seol purified the poison in an instant, and conjured a Colossal Wall with the Willful True Binding.
In truth, he had no need to wage battle like this.
Had he unleashed Harmonization in a single stroke or executed the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, even these Metal Monsters wielding the Black Divine Artifact's power would have been felled instantly.
Yet—
To allow Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un another chance at Breakthrough.
To forge an extreme combat environment where they could leap forward once more.
He was deliberately employing this very strategy.
"Haaap!"
As if recognizing his intent, Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un poured out every last ounce of strength, down to the very vigor they'd nursed as babes, to face their enemies.
When the monsters exerted pressure to slow their movements, Heuk-pyo used Black Wing to escape the crisis.
Meanwhile, Myeong-un grasped the subtle principle of Motion in Stillness mid-battle, confronting the enemy's blistering speed without even moving.
Moreover, as Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un fought side by side at the utmost limit, their minds began to synchronize.
When Myeong-un found himself unable to block an attack, Heuk-pyo would flash like lightning to intercept it.
And rather than simply cutting down foes, Myeong-un deliberately created openings so Heuk-pyo could easily strike at the monsters' eyes.
KWA-WOONG!
Before they knew it, only one monster remained.
But unlike the others, this one possessed an indestructible body that could not be cleaved.
It unleashed a force so overwhelming that not even their Movement Techniques could evade it.
Likely, this was the leader of the Metal Monsters that had attacked them thus far.
"Heuk-pyo, Sect Leader Myeong."
Understanding Bu Eun-seol's implication, Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un—
"HAAAP!"
"UAAAAH!"
—roared as they charged the monster with everything they had.
PAAH!
The moment the Metal Monster unleashed its power, Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un's flesh split open, sending a spray of blood mist into the air.
An invisible shockwave had sliced through their bodies with razor-sharp precision.
Yet heedless of their wounds, they pressed on, attacking relentlessly.
Their combined assault was so flawlessly synchronized—
The speed of their strikes, the rhythm of their withdrawals—it was as if they were a single entity.
And the range of their attacks? Not a single misalignment. Perfectly identical.
Tzzek. Tzzzjek.
Finally, cracks began to form across the monster's supposedly invincible body.
KWA-RUNG!
As the two became a tempest of fierce gale-force strikes once more—
CRUNCH.
—the fractures spread, centering around its neck.
"Now!"
The instant Heuk-pyo, now a streak of black lightning, severed the monster's head in one stroke—
Pew-pew-pew-pew!
—Myeong-un executed the Mount Heng Sword Art, precisely shattering its eyeballs.
U-RU-RU-RU-RU. THUD.
With a deafening crash, the leader monster shattered into dozens of pieces, scattering across the ground.
"Haa... Haa..."
Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un, now victorious, stood battered and drenched in sweat.
Considering their stamina—capable of deploying Movement Techniques at full power all day without shedding a single drop—
The sheer intensity of their battle was evident.
"You've fought well."
Despite Bu Eun-seol's praise, neither Heuk-pyo nor Myeong-un relaxed their stances, their eyes still locked forward.
In battle, complacency was forbidden.
Rest could only come once they were clear of the battlefield.
"No more are coming."
Bu Eun-seol, having spread his Extrasensory Perception, gave a slight nod.
"You may rest now."
Only then did Heuk-pyo and Myeong-un exhale ragged breaths, leaning against the wall to recover.
"Seems you've loosened up quite a bit."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Heuk-pyo nodded with a refreshed expression.
"This battle granted me several Insights."
For the first time in a while, Heuk-pyo had fought alongside a brilliant young swordsman like Myeong-un, their forces merging seamlessly.
And through this battle—through Myeong-un—he had come to recognize his own shortcomings and the path for his growth.
"I think I've been too fixated on rogue martial arts alone."
Heuk-pyo sighed, glancing at Myeong-un.
"Sect Leader Myeong wielded the Mount Heng Sword Art with both discipline and freedom, despite being bound by its forms and shapes."
"Hmm."
"Yet despite mastering practical martial arts, I've stubbornly clung only to techniques that suit me."
He shook his head with another sigh.
"Of course, realizing one's flaws doesn't mean they can be corrected immediately."
For someone of Heuk-pyo's caliber—
Even when a clue was found, surpassing it was often elusive.
But thanks to Bu Eun-seol's guidance—
He had grasped those truths in an instant and discovered the means to overcome them.
"Merely awakening to the clue for Breakthrough is achievement enough."
Bu Eun-seol turned to Myeong-un.
"Sect Leader Myeong. It would be wise to return to Mount Heng now."
Myeong-un nodded without protest.
"Understood."
Groaning, he pushed himself up, his entire body drenched.
Unlike Heuk-pyo, tempered by countless battles, he had neither the stamina nor the Fighting Spirit left to continue.
"Thanks to both of you, I've gained many Insights."
He bowed deeply to Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo.
"I'll await your safe return."
"Sect Leader Myeong."
At that moment, Heuk-pyo removed his Wind-breaking Robe and draped it over Myeong-un's shoulders.
"Why are you...?"
"The night wind is cold. Wear this."
"No, I'm fine."
When Myeong-un refused, Heuk-pyo shook his head with utmost seriousness.
"Just put it on. Consider it my gift to commemorate your first battle."
As a grave expression settled into Heuk-pyo's eyes, Myeong-un flushed and reluctantly bowed his head.
"I will treasure it for the rest of my life."
Then, with an expression of humble gratitude, he donned the Wind-breaking Robe handed to him.
Thanks to that, the slightly yellowed and dampened part of his rear was concealed, but...
Unaware of it, Myeong-un was still savoring the lingering thrill of his first battle—where blood had flowed and flesh had torn.
Once Myeong-un departed for the Mount Heng Sect, Bu Eun-seol gave Heuk-pyo a nod.
"Let's go back in."
Finally, as they pushed through the fog and advanced deeper inside, a familiar landscape came into view.
Countless towering Great Trees grew in abundance, and around them, circular-shaped structures revealed themselves.
Ancient Sword Forest.
The scenery before them was an exact imprint of the mysterious sect where they had once met Bi-yeon.
"So it really was the Ancient Sword Forest."
—This forest is not the only one.
That was what Bi-yeon had told them back then.
True to her words, the Ancient Sword Forest was not confined to a single location—it was scattered in multiple places, its legacy continuing unbroken.
"Do you know this place?"
At Heuk-pyo's question, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"I had ties to it in the past."
After his brief reply, he slowly stepped forward again.
"This—"
Heuk-pyo, who had been examining the ground, spoke up, and Bu Eun-seol nodded in response.
"There are traces of an outsider moving back and forth multiple times."
From this path onward, there were signs of a single person repeatedly traveling between the interior and exterior.
Undoubtedly, the traces of an intruder.
"It's hard to believe it's just one person, though."
The Ancient Sword Forest was researching the Black Divine Weapons—the most enigmatic armaments in the Murim—while remaining isolated from the world behind an Absolute Boundary, its existence hidden.
Yet, in a place guarded by countless terrifying troops, there were traces of an outsider frequently coming and going—
And it was all the work of just one person?
[Heuk-pyo.]
Sensing something, Bu Eun-seol swiftly sent a Voice Transmission in a low voice.
[From now on, activate your Concealment Art and infiltrate ahead. And—]
After silently listening to the instructions for a while, Heuk-pyo gave a quiet nod.
Zzzing.
Deploying the pinnacle of the Hidden Stealth Secret Art, he rendered his entire body transparent and slipped inside first, undetected.
Thud. Thud.
At the same time, Bu Eun-seol slowly shifted his steps—each footfall causing the earth to tremble and the ground to sink as if collapsing.
He was deliberately using the Black Dragon Sky-Shattering Step to ensure Heuk-pyo's stealth remained flawless.
Finally, as Bu Eun-seol reached the central area, his eyes narrowed.
Originally, the Ancient Sword Forest had been a research facility for crafting Black Divine Weapons, bustling with masked individuals moving about.
But this Ancient Sword Forest was now in ruins, its inner structures mostly shattered.
Moreover, as if a band of raiders had ransacked the place, masked corpses lay strewn about—not just in the buildings, but throughout the forest, their forms gruesome.
'Then—'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize why the Metal Monsters had guarded the entrance, attacking any humans who approached without hesitation.
This Ancient Sword Forest had been seized long ago in an assault by an external force.
And those invaders must have given new orders to the Metal Monsters created by the Ancient Sword Forest—to kill anyone who entered.
'If they can control the Metal Monsters crafted by the Ancient Sword Forest... then perhaps the ones who invaded aren't outsiders at all.'
Lost in thought, Bu Eun-seol stroked his chin.
'Could it be that a traitor within sought to plunder the treasures of the Ancient Sword Forest—including the Metal Monsters?'
But then—
A silence, as if time had frozen, spread through the air.
Screeeech.
A deafening Metallic Sound roared in the distance.
The door of the Black Tower, standing tall within the forest, had opened.
Clank. Clank.
At the same time, a figure clad in black armor—adorned with blades and spikes, draped in a black Wind-breaking Robe—slowly emerged.
Their height was similar to Bu Eun-seol's, but the sheer weight of the armor encasing their body made them seem like a colossal statue.
The armor's design was unlike anything from the Central Plains—wing-like blade decorations protruded from the shoulders, and the chest bore an emblem of countless monstrous forms tangled together.
It was the very image of a Demon crawling out from the depths of the Abyss.
Crunch.
With just a single step, the earth screamed, and the sky seemed to darken.
From within the tower of the Ancient Sword Forest, a man clad in armor—surpassing even the power of the Metal Monsters—had appeared without warning.
"Impressive momentum."
Bu Eun-seol, observing the armored man, bared his fangs in a smile.
"I like it."
Even if hundreds—no, thousands—of Metal Monsters poured out here, to him, it would still be nothing more than a battle devoid of any Tension.
But now, with the appearance of this armored man exuding terrifying Majesty, his Fighting Spirit was instead blazing to life.
"The Same Heart Society's people—"
It was impossible not to recognize.
All over that armored man's body—
The unmistakable presence of Demon-Sealing Fragments, which he had sensed countless times before, was billowing out in thick waves.