Chapter 946
Swish!
Once again, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's sword unleashed a storm of sword qi like a raging tempest upon Bu Eun-seol.
Pat! Pat! Pat!
As the battle raged on, both Bu Eun-seol and Neither-Human-Nor-Beast were drenched in blood, becoming crimson figures drenched in gore.
Neither hesitated for even an inch—they closed the distance in an instant, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks upon each other.
Unlike Bu Eun-seol, who maintained a strict defense,
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast treated defense as nothing more than a luxury, wielding his sword solely for the purpose of cutting and tearing his enemy apart.
Every time their blades flashed through the air, sprays of blood scattered like mist, and chunks of flesh were ripped away.
Clang!
Once more, the Iron Pellet Sword and the divine sword clashed midair.
Though Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's eyes were closed, madness radiated from the space around them.
His sword techniques were utterly brutal—
Wherever he could tear flesh—be it Bu Eun-seol's nape, shoulder, abdomen—he relentlessly swung his blade.
'It's not perfect from the start... but it becomes more perfect as it goes.'
Before he knew it, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's sword strokes had grown so intricate that their trajectories were impossible to predict, and so fast that evasion was nearly unthinkable.
A truly flawless offense.
Far from finding an opening to counterattack, Bu Eun-seol couldn't even evade properly—
All he could do was barely maneuver the iron pellets to avoid fatal blows, over and over.
'Which means...'
A faint light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as realization dawned upon him.
Drip... drip...
Meanwhile, the blood pouring from his body had begun forming a small pool beneath him.
Sssk—
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast paused his assault for a moment, staring intently at Bu Eun-seol, who was disguised as Seol-so.
Even after shifting to a flawless offensive,
he found it unexpectedly difficult to bring his opponent down in a single strike.
"The student surpasses the master."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast tilted his head slightly.
"I'll have to revise my evaluation of the Bullet King. If he could produce a disciple like this... then his own level must be far greater than what's known."
Shhk—
Shaking the blood off his blade, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast nodded.
"Your body, too, is certainly worth researching."
"Save that talk for after you've taken my head."
"Do you really believe in it?"
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast said something unexpected.
"That power—the fluctuation that can annihilate or neutralize any force in an instant?"
Bu Eun-seol's expression remained calm, but inwardly, he was deeply shaken.
Harmonization.
His secret technique, one he had never once revealed to the outside world.
So how did Neither-Human-Nor-Beast know about it?
"You left traces when you dealt with the Black Wave Army. Beneath the earth."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast continued.
"A profound combination of forces, forged not through fake Manifestation Art Energy, but through the principles of martial arts."
Until now, Harmonization had erased everything—enemies included—leaving no trace behind.
But Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had meticulously observed the state of the earth and soil when Bu Eun-seol had dealt with the Black Wave Army,
and had detected the faint remnants of Harmonization.
"A mysterious wanderer, known only as the Bullet King's disciple, turns out to be a master capable of unleashing Limitless Power...?"
The only saving grace was that Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had judged Bu Eun-seol's Harmonization
not as the alignment and simultaneous release of all the chaotic forces within his body,
but simply as Limitless Power—a force transcending the limits of martial arts.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
There was no other way to explain such power outside the concept of Limitless Power.
"And what does that matter?"
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast shrugged.
"The first wanderer in history to reach the Martial Extreme Realm in his thirties—that alone makes you worthy of research."
Just as Bu Eun-seol had expected,
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast wasn't just here to kill Seol-so under the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's orders—he had research in mind.
"So you've been holding back, using only martial arts until now to gauge my strength?"
"Heh. The fact that you're so sure I have other powers means you truly know much about Heaven."
"I also know you're skilled in sorcery."
"Sorcery?"
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast chuckled lowly.
"Murim people always think of Heaven as some kind of yokai that casts dark arts. They don't even know where the roots of martial auxiliary studies lie."
Fist Adept wielded fist techniques, Spear Master spear techniques.
Deathly One mastered burial secrets, and Wind Person used wind techniques surpassing even the Wind God's.
In other words, the Lords of the Eight Heavenly Servants
could be said to have reached the pinnacle of their respective martial disciplines.
Implied in Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's words was that the martial arts of Murim had flourished brilliantly under the influence of the Eight Heavenly Servants.
"Only the Three Demons and Three Venerables and the Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic reached the Martial Extreme Realm by their thirties. But researching their physical bodies ended in failure..."
Footsteps.
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast walked toward Bu Eun-seol once more, his eyes closed.
"What truly disappoints me is that I never got to study the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade. I couldn't approach him in life... and after death, the Return to Unity Realm Lord took him first."
At those mocking words, Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists.
Though he suppressed his physiological reactions to the extreme, his heart felt as though it were being torn apart.
'This is all because of my foolishness.'
His grandfather had long peered into the abyss of the martial world. He must have known that his corpse could never remain intact.
'That's why he insisted I use the Bone-Melting Powder.'
But Bu Eun-seol had ignored that final wish. Instead, he had carefully prepared the body for burial and laid it to rest in a sunny grave.
Because of that, his grandfather had found no peace—even now, his remains were suffering in the hands of vile men.
"Once I capture you, I can finally unravel the secret behind that dazzling evolution."
The reason he had sought to capture the wandering martial artist Seol-so on behalf of the Black Divine Heavenly Lord...
...was because he had recognized in him a substitute subject for the unresolved research on the bodies of the Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic and the Three Demons and Three Venerables.
And the fact that he had only attacked with martial techniques until now...
...was to determine whether this wanderer, Seol-so, had reached a realm where he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the grandmasters of the martial world—not through supernatural abilities or the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars, but through pure martial skill alone.
Gnash.
Bu Eun-seol gritted his teeth.
'If the Return to Unity Realm hadn't taken Grandfather's body... this bastard would have.'
—"You really lose your mind the moment the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade is mentioned!"
At that moment, the Human Demon Ak Mu-ryeong's sharp reprimand echoed in his mind.
Longing for his grandfather. Guilt. The desire for vengeance against the vile hands that defiled his remains—these were emotions he must never show in front of an enemy.
'Do not reveal your emotions.'
Seeing Neither-Human-Nor-Beast lament over his grandfather's corpse as if it were some mere object made Bu Eun-seol's uncontrollable rage flare.
But he could not afford to show any more emotion.
Taking a deep breath, he transformed his fury—into killing intent as cold as ice and sharper than a blade's edge.
Shiiing!
As he drew upon his internal energy, the iron pellets reassembled into the shape of a sword.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
At the same time, he unleashed a barrage of attacks toward Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
This was no refined sword technique—it was closer to the instinctive assault of a starving beast, its fangs and claws tearing its prey apart.
"How bizarre."
As Neither-Human-Nor-Beast retreated slightly—
Whoosh!
Like a ravenous wolf, Bu Eun-seol lunged forward explosively.
His speed was like light, splitting the air in an instant. With a sharp metallic screech, the Iron Pellet Sword plunged toward the nape of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's neck.
Even though he had struck the softest flesh—where tendons and veins lay closest to the surface—
...he did not slash deeply. Instead, he violently twisted the Iron Pellet Sword, shredding the flesh apart.
Splurt!
A gruesome tearing sound followed as crimson blood erupted like a fountain, forming a mist of red.
Unsatisfied, Bu Eun-seol flicked the Iron Pellet Sword—now writhing like a living serpent—past the nape and redirected it toward the shoulder, then the abdomen, raining down a relentless assault.
Like a beast refusing to release its prey's throat, he did not pause for even an instant—
—instead, he viciously tore through flesh and gouged into vulnerable joints with brutal precision.
Crunch!
With a dull sound of bone and tendon colliding, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's shoulder twisted at an unnatural angle, white bone fragments peeking through the mangled flesh.
Thud!
Finally, for the first time, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast activated his movement technique and retreated.
"Your swordplay has suddenly intensified?"
Though his body was torn like ragged cloth, he showed no sign of pain.
Instead, he nodded approvingly, as if pleased.
"Indeed, this body was worth my personal intervention."
Flicking his tongue, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast began walking toward Bu Eun-seol once more—slowly.
His posture and gait were flawless, and even his slow advance exuded an overwhelming pressure, as if Mount Tai itself were bearing down.
Though his body was riddled with wounds and his stamina depleted—conditions under which any ordinary martial artist would have collapsed—
...Neither-Human-Nor-Beast only grew more formidable, his aura intensifying as he approached.
Swoosh!
The assault began anew.
His sword strokes were incomparably faster than before, each strike a fatal thrust with an unfathomable trajectory.
And then—
Clang!
The Sword Stroke that should have spread like a storm was abruptly halted in an instant.
Buzz.
A pitch-black iron sphere clung stubbornly to the tip of the extended longsword.
"How."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast froze mid-motion, too stunned to even retract his blade.
How could this be? Not only had this boy perfectly grasped the intricacies of a Sword Stroke executed with flawless perfection—
But he had also unleashed the Inner Energy Bullet Art through formless, soundless means... adhering the iron sphere to the Sword Blade to interrupt the technique?
Flick.
Bu Eun-seol retrieved the iron sphere clinging to the blade, his expression indifferent as he spoke.
"Perfection doesn't exist. That's why I blocked it."
"What did you say?"
"If absolute perfection truly existed, why didn't you sever my neck in the first move?"
Eun-seol stared straight into the tightly shut eyes of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
"And why did you divide your so-called 'perfect defense' and 'perfect offense' into two separate things?"
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast laughed as if the very idea was absurd.
"Are you suggesting the profound this Lord's martial principles are imperfect?"
"Then let me ask you this."
"..."
"What exactly is perfection?"
When no answer came, Eun-seol curled his lips into a smirk.
"If something were truly perfect, you wouldn't need to label it as such. It would simply be—effortlessly controlling all things as it wills."
"..."
"But the fact that you deliberately named it 'perfection' means it isn't. Perfection is nothing more than a means to describe the pinnacle of martial arts—an ideal, not reality."
No matter how exceptional a martial grandmaster may be, true perfection is impossible.
One would need to predict and control an infinite number of variables.
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had merely appeared to achieve it through his terrifyingly acute physical senses and the creation of new martial principles.
But that was inherently contradictory.
If he could truly foresee and dominate every possible situation? He wouldn't be human—he'd be a god.
'Heavenly Mechanism Star was the same.'
Heavenly Mechanism Star, too—
Was said to possess the ability to predict the flow of the present and foresee the future.
Yet even he couldn't anticipate everything.
True omniscience belongs only to the God's Domain.
In the end, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had deliberately repeated the word "perfection"—
To sow confusion in his enemies and make them overestimate his abilities.
And the reason Eun-seol could see through this deception?
Because he had transformed his boiling rage for his grandfather into ice-cold, razor-sharp Killing Intent.
"So this is what it means to be Neither-Human-Nor-Beast."
Eun-seol's voice dripped with scorn.
"A title for those who hone the art of ensnaring opponents with wordplay?"
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast didn't rise to the provocation, remaining silent.
He had dissected countless human bodies, mastered every discipline and knowledge scattered across the world.
In truth, he was a genius on par with Heavenly Mechanism Star—
A martial sovereign who had personally felled innumerable strong opponents for experimentation, deeply versed in the principles of martial arts and peerless in combat.
Yet now, a wandering swordsman barely past thirty not only possessed abilities beyond predictable limits—
But could also analyze and dismantle the martial arts he had created?
"I don't know whether to rejoice at obtaining such an extraordinary test subject... or despair at the impossibility of controlling you."
Regaining his composure, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast resumed his leisurely smile.
"Besides, I foresaw even this situation... So perfection remains unbroken, does it not?"
"What?"
Zzzing—
Then, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's closed eyes began to slowly open.
Yeon-wol, the wandering physician who had once slaughtered people with cruelty—
Had never truly been blind. He had merely kept his eyes shut to conceal the power of his Mindscape, the Phase.
And Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had been hiding his strength the same way.
"I did anticipate that you might shatter the principles of perfection."
Gleam.
As his eyelids lifted, thick Black Fog began seething from within.
"That's why I sought out the Black Divine Heavenly Lord."
Gurgle. Groan.
In an instant, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's body twisted grotesquely, spewing even more fog.
CRACK!
Eun-seol immediately unleashed the Inner Energy Bullet Art—
But Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's form had become like the Black Fog itself, letting the attack pass through effortlessly.
SCREEEECH—
Simultaneously, a deafening, tearing sound erupted from nowhere as a swarm of ravens descended.
The Black Divine Heavenly Lord.
He had not only unfolded his Mindscape—
But was also commanding the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's Black Divine Army.
Gurgle.
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's pitch-black pupils had transformed into something eerily similar to the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's.
Zzzziiing.
Fortunately, the formation Bu Eun-seol had preemptively deployed prevented the ravens from entering.
Flap-flap.
The swarm of ravens beat their wings violently, exerting crushing pressure in an attempt to pierce through the formation's barrier.
Zzzziiing. Zzzziiing.
The Life-and-Death Combat Formation, refined by incorporating the intricacies of the Gongson Clan's formations, was so sturdy that not even the Black Divine beings could break through.
As if enraged, the ravens screeched incessantly—kkaaak!—their cries vibrating through the enclosed space.
"So, it's the Gongson Clan's formation."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast let out an impressed exclamation as he discerned the traces of the Gongson Clan's formation study woven into the barrier.
"A formation even the Black Divine's power can't breach? Unexpected."
"You begged the Black Divine Heavenly Lord for strength, but it didn't quite work out, did it?"
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled as he assessed the situation. Neither-Human-Nor-Beast snorted in response.
"Far from it. I anticipated this scenario the moment you deployed the formation."
Zzzziiing.
A dark radiance began seeping from Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's body.
"The Black Divine is merely an accessory that manifests when using the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's Soul-Severing Art."
His inky eyes swept over the formation surrounding them.
"Had you not deployed this, I would have cast one instead."
KRRRUMBLE.
As their exchange dragged on, Bu Eun-seol fired an iron sphere infused with the Inner Energy Bullet Art at full force.
SPLATTER.
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's body exploded into chunks of flesh and bone, scattering in all directions.
Squirm. Squirm.
But from the splattered remains, leech-like bugs began wriggling out—
Sluuuurp.
—and in an instant, his body started reforming.
"This Heaven has long studied the human body. Perfecting a method to restore flesh was achieved ages ago."
His shattered jaw and teeth regenerated as he spoke, his visage a nightmare incarnate—pure terror given form.
Crunch. Crack.
Even the shattered divine sword began regaining its shape—because it was no true sword, but a blade forged from Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's own flesh.
KRAAAK!
Sensing the urgency, Bu Eun-seol hurled three iron spheres—aiming for his head, abdomen, and lower body—intending to reduce him to dust before he could fully regenerate.
Fwoosh.
Suddenly, three black voids opened in Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's body.
Slurp.
In an instant, the iron spheres—packed with Inner Energy Bullet Art potent enough to level mountains with a mere graze—were swallowed whole.
SPLAT!
The next moment, Bu Eun-seol's body was drenched in blood.
The spheres he had fired had transcended time and space—returning to strike him instead.
Drip. Drip.
Fresh blood spilled from his wounds.
Had his internal energy not been profound enough to cloak himself in thick Body-Protecting Profound Energy—
—that single move would have reduced his entire body to pulp.
"Your internal energy is truly remarkable. Far beyond what someone your age should possess... I'm growing desperate to dissect that body of yours."
Float.
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast drifted upward like a specter before lunging at Bu Eun-seol in a flash.
A body that could endure any attack.
A martial art that absorbed and reflected any assault—no matter how powerful the technique, it was useless.
KRAAAK-BOOM!
Bu Eun-seol fired the remaining iron spheres one by one, unleashing the Inner Energy Bullet Art—
—but each was swallowed by those black voids.
'So that's how it is.'
A flash of insight crossed Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
He had deliberately fired the spheres one at a time—to analyze Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's peculiar technique.
'It doesn't absorb and return everything. It reverses the point of impact before the attack lands.'
Bu Eun-seol's extraordinary extrasensory perception discerned the truth—
Those black voids weren't some supernatural ability that defied natural laws.
They were a martial technique, maximizing the principle of rebound—
—creating the illusion of absorption before reversing the attack at the moment of impact.
'Destroy those black voids first.'
KRAAAK!
Meanwhile, the swallowed iron spheres returned, raining down on Bu Eun-seol.
Anticipating this, he propelled himself into the air with a rapid movement technique.
Crackle-crackle.
Simultaneously, orange flames erupted from his body.
Drawing upon the Thunder Essence Divine Qi as Seol-so, he summoned not violet lightning—but the energy of Red Dawn Flashing Thunder.
'In one move.'
The iron spheres hovering near his hands began spinning violently.
The single most devastating martial form within the Inner Energy Bullet Art—
The Bullet King Bukgung Ryeong's heaven-shattering ultimate technique:
Scorching Heaven Strike.