Chapter 973
A startling announcement spread among the warriors of the Martial Soul Society.
The true Society Lord, who had been leading the Martial Soul Society from the shadows, had finally revealed himself.
And now, he declared that he would step into the light and personally oversee the Society's operations.
—"The founder of our Society is none other than the Special-Grade Wanderer of the Red Sky Curtain Branch, the disciple of the Bullet King, Seol-so—Lord Seol himself."
Surprisingly, the one who had barely made a name for himself in the martial world until recently—the Special-Grade Wanderer Seol-so—was the very founder of the Martial Soul Society.
—"In truth, even his identity as the Bullet King's disciple was merely a disguise."
The truth was that the Society Lord, fifteen hundred years ago...
Had obtained the legacy of the Earth Wandering Immortal, Cheonjo Yu-hwa—a celestial being who once descended briefly to the mortal realm—and had since been honing the Way of Nature.
Of course, this "Cheonjo Yu-hwa" was entirely fabricated by Bu Eun-seol.
There were no records anywhere of such a figure existing fifteen hundred years ago.
But the wandering warriors had long heard the legendary tales of the Red Sky Market's Special-Grade Wanderer, Seol-so.
And above all, it was said that a thousand years ago, there had indeed been a time when celestial beings roamed the earth...
So the wanderers believed his words, praising the Society Lord for possessing such extraordinary origins.
—"From now on, the warriors of our Society shall reduce their training and focus on rest."
And then, Bu Eun-seol, now stepping forward as the Society Lord, issued an unexpected command to the warriors of the Martial Soul Society.
In preparation for the battles to come...
He ordered each division to gradually decrease the intensity and frequency of their training.
This was a strategic measure—
To maximize stamina recovery and elevate their minds to peak condition for the impending conflict.
—"The relentless high-intensity training up until now has undoubtedly left your muscles, joints, and nervous systems heavily fatigued."
Now, they must take time to recover from that exhaustion and recharge both body and mind.
A sudden halt in training might stir unease.
So Bu Eun-seol deliberately reduced training frequency, giving them time to recuperate—
Ensuring they could unleash their full combat strength when the time came.
—"A large-scale battle will soon begin!"
Thanks to the rigorous training they had endured thus far, the morale of the Martial Soul Society's warriors soared to the heavens.
Far from fear, they spent their days in calm routine, using this period of rest to restore their stamina and willpower.
And so, ten days passed—like the eerie calm before a storm.
Thud!
A young man with a rugged, imposing physique burst into Bu Eun-seol's office.
It was none other than Dae Gu-hwi, leader of the Beast Division.
"Society Lord! It's begun."
His voice was urgent.
"An unknown force has breached our surveillance network and is already advancing—just thirty li away."
The intelligence network of the Martial Soul Society was linked with the Death Soul Squad and the Pinnacle Unit, making it arguably the finest in the Demonic Path.
Yet, this massive army had completely bypassed their surveillance and was now pressing in, right at their doorstep?
This was no ordinary assault—it was a full-scale surprise attack by a formidable faction, one that not only surpassed the Death Soul Squad's intelligence but also wielded overwhelming martial force.
"Prepare the troops."
Bu Eun-seol fastened the Ink Soul Sword to his waist and spoke calmly.
"I will scout the enemy forces and return shortly."
"Understood."
Fwip!
Before Dae Gu-hwi could even finish speaking, Bu Eun-seol vanished in an instant.
BOOM!
Using a movement technique as swift as Lightning Flash, Bu Eun-seol emerged outside the Martial Soul Society's grounds and then executed Qi-Piercing Ascent, soaring about a thousand feet into the air.
RUMBLE—
From above, he could see a massive army surging toward the Martial Soul Society like a tidal wave.
They were not human.
Their forms resembled enormous beasts, charging forward on all fours with frenzied speed.
'So this is how they evaded our intelligence network and moved such a large force so quickly.'
At a glance, it was clear—this was an army of demonic creatures, likely created through some special Great Art.
The fact that they were boldly charging straight for the Martial Soul Society's front lines suggested these were no ordinary fiends—they were beings capable of tremendous destruction.
'The Martial Soul Society has trained just as rigorously as the Death Shadow War Unit and the Pinnacle Unit.'
Bu Eun-seol had faith.
If anyone could hold back this monstrous tide, it was the elite warriors of the Martial Soul Society.
And now, that faith would be put to the test.
CRACKLE—
As Bu Eun-seol channeled his internal energy to its limits, a mysterious radiance erupted into the sky.
Whoosh!
Leaping even higher into the air, he summoned the Heavenly Light Endless Art—
RUMBLE— KABOOM!
—and descended upon the charging army, unleashing the gathered energy in a devastating wave.
CRACK! BOOM!
Dozens of the black demonic creatures exploded like firecrackers.
Until now, the Three Divine Powers had always manifested with a single attribute, making their nature immediately apparent.
But during his ten days at the Martial Soul Society, Bu Eun-seol had devoted himself to research—
Not only integrating the Heavenly Light Endless Art into his movement techniques but also merging it seamlessly with his martial arts.
And now, he had succeeded.
From this moment on, he could wield the full might of the Three Divine Powers—completely concealed.
In other words, the martial world would now bear witness to the rise of a new Superlative Martial Expert—
Seol-so.
BOOM! CRACKLE!
With movements as fluid and unhindered as nature itself, Bu Eun-seol began pouring forth the Three Divine Powers.
With movements utterly unconstrained by set forms—merely extending his hand with perfect naturalness—
a torrent of Fist Palm Finger Art erupted forth, rivaling the might of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon when fully unleashed.
'Seol-so must be a figure who belongs nowhere.'
The Martial Soul Society Leader, Seol-so.
Just as he had abruptly birthed a coalition force between the Orthodox and Heterodox factions, his martial lineage too had to be that of a mysterious figure unbound by either the Orthodox or Unorthodox Paths.
Thus, Seol-so's martial path—
was deliberately crafted to be that of a superlative martial expert wielding an unfettered, unrestrained martial art.
BOOM! CRACK!
With every flash of white light, the bodies of the charging demonic beings burst apart.
Before the tide of monsters surging forward like a black wave—
Bu Eun-seol unfolded his fist techniques with the leisurely grace of a lone practitioner performing a martial dance.
And with each motion, explosive echoes resounded as the demonic beings collapsed.
'The commander still hasn't arrived, has he?'
The endless horde of monsters was beyond counting, advancing without maintaining any formation.
A glance around revealed—
no commander directing the demonic forces, nor any reinforcements waiting in the rear.
Which meant these creatures were likely the vanguard, the first wave sent to gauge the Martial Soul Society's strength.
'Good.'
No matter what, all he had to do was mobilize the Society's divisions and crush them with full force.
CRASH!
He unfurled his movement technique once more, returning to the Martial Soul Society.
By then, the Society's combat troops had received their orders and stood in solemn formation—
ten li away from the Society's headquarters, behind the earthen ramparts they had prepared in advance, their defensive line already established.
"We begin the battle!"
Bu Eun-seol was a born strategist—
a genius tactician and commander who had led countless battles to victory.
Now, he wielded his massive forces like extensions of his own limbs against the unexpected demonic onslaught.
"Beast Division—deploy the Dragon-Tiger Defense Formation!"
Following his command, the Beast Division—led by Dae Gu-hwi, wielder of Innate Divine Strength—
began constructing an immense defensive formation at the Society's forefront.
The martial artists of the Beast Division, practitioners of Beast Martial Arts—
possessed extraordinary physiques, capable of recovering from most wounds in an instant.
Had this been an ordinary enemy force?
Bu Eun-seol would have sent the Beast Division charging ahead to shatter their momentum first.
But now, the Martial Soul Society was under attack not by ordinary martial artists—
but by bizarre, four-legged demonic beings that knew neither fear nor terror.
Meaning, psychological suppression was meaningless.
So instead, he had the Beast Division erect the Dragon-Tiger Defense Formation—
a formation that would never break unless every last practitioner maintaining it perished.
The toughest, most unyielding defensive line in the world, shielding the Society's headquarters.
"Ice River Vanguard—split in half! One group will take the ramparts and unleash Ice Arts to attack, the other will advance and annihilate the enemy head-on!"
His orders continued without pause.
"Rogue Vanguard—flank and strike from the sides! Swift Thunder Corps—hold the rear!"
For now, only the demonic horde had appeared.
The true scale of the enemy's forces, how many more would come—none of that was known.
Thus, the Swift Thunder Corps—the Society's most formidable combat unit—was held back strategically.
If enemy reinforcements appeared, they would be deployed to reinforce the lines.
ROOOAR!
By now, the demonic horde had reached the Society's doorstep.
CRACKLE—ZZZT!
As the monsters crashed against the still-incomplete defensive formation, sparks flew—
revealing glimpses of translucent barriers flickering into existence.
—"As the Society Leader commanded, push them back and complete the formation!"
At Dae Gu-hwi's roar—
the vanguard of the Beast Division, armed with razor claws and steel-like muscles, stepped forward—
meeting the first frenzied charge of the demonic beings head-on.
—"URGH—HAAAH!"
Finally forcing the monsters back, the Beast Division's vanguard warriors let out guttural roars.
The moment the Dragon-Tiger Defense Formation was completed—
ZZZIIING!
A bestial radiance surged outward hundreds of feet, forming an impenetrable barrier of hardened qi.
SHIIING! CRACK!
With the defensive formation now fully erected around the Society—
the Ice River Vanguard split into two and launched their assault.
One group froze the ground, slowing the enemy before raining down attacks—
while the other half, stationed atop the ramparts, hurled ice spears to further cripple the monsters' movements.
CRUNCH! SHATTER!
As frigid energy spread, the demons' feet froze solid—
and in that opening, the Rogue Vanguard struck from the flanks like a storm.
The Rogue Vanguard were warriors who fought with unpredictable, unrestrained tactics—
masters of ambushes using terrain to their advantage.
While the demonic forces were distracted by the Ice River and Beast Divisions—
they darted in, carving through the enemy's sides.
SWISH! FLASH!
Razor-sharp sword qi flickered through the air, severing monster heads in clean strokes.
ROOOAR!
As the first wave of demons fell in moments—
reinforcements finally emerged from the rear.
Clad in crimson, they bore elongated, dagger-like claws.
SHWIP! SHWIP!
Like arrows loosed, they weaved through the horde—
They began attacking the Ice River Vanguard and Rogue Vanguard warriors.
They moved like phantoms, their feet never touching the ground, weaving through the battlefield as they unleashed gales of wind.
They bore an uncanny resemblance to the Spectral Beings he had once seen in Ghost King Valley.
'They're not human either.'
From a distance, Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes. He had discerned that even those clad in red were not human—they were demonic beings created through the Great Art.
'And now, they're attacking with flawless coordination under someone's command.'
With the phantom-like warriors joining the fray, the once-chaotic onslaught of the demonic horde grew more refined.
The formations of the Ice River Vanguard and Rogue Vanguard began to falter.
In other words—a skilled commander had begun directing these creatures.
"Swift Thunder Corps, advance!"
In the end, Bu Eun-seol deployed the Swift Thunder Corps, led by Noe Bi-hon.
Though none of the Thunder God Palace disciples—aside from Noe Bi-hon himself—could wield Thunder Essence Divine Qi, they had deeply mastered the Storm Thunder Dance Scripture, passed down through generations of their sect.
Through it, they could unleash the Storm Thunder Mist, a technique nearly as devastating as the true Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Not only that—they had also trained in the Thunderbolt Spirit Spear, a secret art exclusive to their sect.
CRACKLE! FLASH!
As they raised their razor-sharp pikes skyward, a blue-white light crackled through the air.
Every time those gleaming spearheads slashed through the void, they pierced the foreheads of the phantom-like demons darting across the battlefield.
And with each strike, the creatures convulsed as if electrocuted, their skin burning away in wisps of white smoke.
RUMBLE.
The enemy ranks finally began to crumble helplessly.
Though the demonic beings charged without fear, they were swept away like leaves in a storm under the combined assault of the Ice River Vanguard, Swift Thunder Corps, and Rogue Vanguard.
—Hesitation.
At last, the demonic onslaught faltered.
No matter how fearless they were, being cut down relentlessly with every charge had instilled an instinctive hesitation in them.
Which meant—unlike the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man, they were not pure constructs.
They were demonic beings created through a Great Art rooted in life force.
"Not a single one escapes!"
In that moment, the Ice River Vanguard erected walls of ice to block the fleeing enemies' retreat, while the Swift Thunder Corps delivered a devastating strike.
The scattered demonic forces were then encircled and eliminated by the Rogue Vanguard.
In the end, both the charging horde and the eerie, phantom-like warriors lay defeated.
Their numbers—easily thirty thousand.
In just half a day of battle, they had annihilated an army of this scale without heavy losses.
"VICTORY!"
The warriors of the Martial Soul Society roared in triumph.
Their training had not been in vain.
These demonic beings were stronger than the elite forces of even the most renowned sects in Murim, and their numbers rivaled that of a small alliance.
Yet, with fewer than ten thousand warriors, they had crushed them with minimal casualties.
This alone proved that they were now among the strongest combat forces in Murim.
RUMBLE.
But then—something astonishing happened.
The supposedly annihilated forces were slowly reforming before their very eyes.
"Those demonic beings... were they phantoms all along?"
The warriors of the Martial Soul Society stared in disbelief.
If these creatures could simply disperse like mist and reform so easily—
Then no matter how many times they fought, the only possible outcome was total annihilation.
SHWIIK.
But at that moment, the assembled demonic forces parted, clearing a wide path.
THUD. THUD.
And from the distance, a Man in Black slowly strode forward.
A crimson-black mist seemed to rise from his entire body, and his face was concealed behind a veil inscribed with talismanic characters.
At a glance, he resembled a dark sorcerer wielding sinister Dharma Arts.
"These insects are putting up quite the fight."
As the veiled man muttered under his breath—
"HAAAP!"
One of the Ice River Vanguard warriors surged forward, unleashing a torrent of Ice Energy.
A dozen others at the front joined the assault, launching a combined attack against the Man in Black.
"Pathetic fools."
With a low click of his tongue—
BOOOOM!
A black radiance erupted, swallowing the warriors whole.
"GYAAAAAH!"
Those touched by the light writhed in agony, their skin melting and bones exposed from mere contact.
"The Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm?"
Noe Bi-hon's eyes flashed as he observed the wounds of the fallen warriors.
WHOOSH.
Meanwhile, the Man in Black rose about three hundred feet into the air, black radiance pouring from his entire body.
He was preparing to rain down the Bone-Eroding Palm Force from above, aiming to annihilate the warriors of the Martial Soul Society in one strike.
BOOOOM!
In an instant, a black fog erupted from his body.
It spanned more than three hundred feet, instantly engulfing the warriors at the front under the Bone-Eroding Palm Force.
"Hahp!"
At that moment, Bing Han-pung, who had been commanding the Ice River Vanguard, unleashed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art at the Extreme Realm, clashing head-on against the Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm.
Whoooosh!
A blinding white Cold Energy erupted skyward, swiftly intercepting the Palm Energy of the Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm that had been spreading across the vanguard.
"Hmph."
The Man in Black snorted in derision before expanding the range of his Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm, doubling its destructive force.
KWAOOOOH! WHOOOOSH!
As the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and the Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm collided mid-air, the heavens seemed to shift in color, and the earth trembled as if splitting apart.
CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACK!
From Bing Han-pung's body, now encased in white ice, an unending sound of something shattering reverberated.
"Kgh—!"
Finally, a choked grunt escaped his lips.
The Glacier Thousand Streams Art and the Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm were both Heavenly Outer Absolute Arts, impossible to clearly rank above or below one another.
But the Man in Black's Internal Power was at least twice as formidable as Bing Han-pung's.
In the end, he was simply overpowered.
CRACK-CRACK!
The ground beneath Bing Han-pung's feet split apart.
The crushing pressure of the Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm was like an entire mountain collapsing upon him.
"Leader Bing!"
Dae Gu-hwi, who had been maintaining the Defensive Formation, lunged forward like a beast on all fours before leaping toward the Man in Black hovering in mid-air.
Swish! Swish!
Just as Dae Gu-hwi's Claw Art spread out like a dense spiderweb—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion resounded, and his body was sent crashing back to the ground.
The Man in Black, who had been floating mid-air, had suddenly split into two, and one of them struck Dae Gu-hwi's back as he soared upward.
"How dare you?!"
ZZZZT!
Seeing this, Noe Bi-hon's pupils ignited with azure flames before—
KWA-RUNG!
He unleashed a blinding white Lightning straight at the Man in Black.
"Hmph."
One of the two Men in Black dodged the lightning and descended to the ground.
"You—fight me!"
Without hesitation, Noe Bi-hon closed the distance and unleashed the Thunder God Sect's martial art—the Swift Thunder Seal Palm.
KWA-WHOOM! CRACKLE-ZZZT!
The range of Noe Bi-hon's Swift Thunder Seal Palm extended more than four hundred feet.
The surrounding martial artists, their hair standing on end, scrambled backward in panic.
KWA-WHOOM! ZZZT! BOOM-BOOM!
As the martial artists retreated, a circular battlefield naturally formed.
There, the Man in Black and Noe Bi-hon exchanged Palm Energy in rapid succession.
"The Four Divine Beasts have long since fallen from grace in the Murim."
The Man in Black, still pouring out the Dominating Fire Bone-Eroding Palm, curled his lips and twisted his fingers.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE!
Suddenly, the Swift Thunder Seal Palm that had dominated the surroundings transformed into dozens of skeletal forms, latching onto Noe Bi-hon.
"You dare act so arrogantly while using the martial arts of the Dark Howling Blood Demon?"
Noe Bi-hon sneered, having instantly recognized the technique as belonging to the Dark Howling Blood Demon—a master of sorcery and a Demon Sovereign from Beyond the Frontier, known as the Hell Demon King three hundred years ago.
KWA-WHOOM!
With the Five Thunder Seal Technique, he shattered the dozens of skeletons into dust in an instant.
KOOOOM!
But as the skeletons crumbled under the Thunder Essence Divine Qi, a massive vibration shook Noe Bi-hon's body violently.
Unbeknownst to him, the Man in Black had already split into three, and the moment Noe Bi-hon unleashed his Palm Energy, one of them struck him from behind.
"Leader Noe!"
Unable to stand by any longer, Do Cheon-rin joined the assault.
"I'll assist as well."
With Do Cheon-rin joining the fray, the three Men in Black suddenly became four.
CLANG! KWA-RUNG! WHOOOOSH!
As the four leaders clashed with the four Men in Black, the sky turned blood-red, and the earth split open like shattered glass.
Thunderous roars tore through the air, and the collision of light and darkness exploded violently, warping the very space around them.
—SPLURT!
But in the end, all four leaders coughed up blood and collapsed simultaneously.
The four Men in Black had multiplied into eight, striking them down from behind.
—This is sorcery.
The four leaders exchanged bewildered glances.
Noe Bi-hon, Bing Han-pung, Do Cheon-rin, and Dae Gu-hwi—each was a Grandmaster who had mastered their own pinnacle martial arts and had survived countless battles.
Even if the Man in Black's martial arts were extraordinary, they should not have been defeated so effortlessly in a single strike.
Yet the technique the Man in Black employed was truly bizarre—his numbers increased one by one, and each time, he executed an unpredictable move.
—Are we facing ghosts?
The four leaders stared wide-eyed at the eight Men in Black standing before them.
Their Extrasensory Perception was no less acute than that of any other Master in the Murim.
So how had they failed to sense the Man in Black's numbers increasing?
How had they not detected the attacks from behind?
"I can hear the gears turning in your heads."
All eight Men in Black spoke simultaneously, their voices laced with mockery.
"Come at me again. This time, I'll snap your spines for sure."
This was not mere confidence.
If he could multiply his clones even once more during battle—
Just as he said, they would suffer fatal injuries and collapse.
"Your confidence is excessive."
At that moment, a solemn voice rang out from the sky as a man clad in pristine White Garments descended like an immortal.
It was Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seol-so.