Chapter 999
The Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
This terrifying sword art that delivers death to all things—
was the sublimation of martial arts born from the desperate struggle of Bu Jan-yang, a peerless grandmaster of martial arts who had fallen into despair and sorrow, as he sought to sever an inescapable fate.
The sword qi that bloomed amidst frustration and pain spread outward, becoming that very embodiment of violent grief.
Paa! Zzzt!
With each surge of violet sword qi accompanied by Thunder Essence Divine Qi,
the blood spirits that swarmed like ghosts scattered into black dust, unable to regenerate even under the influence of Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
'So, in the end, even Soul-Demon Magic Energy—like the Baekri Clan's Manifestation Art Energy—originates from human emotions.'
In the past, the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars were expressed through human emotions.
And Soul-Demon Magic Energy was no different.
It was not divine power but...
an intensely human ability, shaped from the primal emotions of people.
Paa! Zzzzt!
As all the blood spirits turned to dust and scattered into the sky under the Bloody Tears Seven Forms,
Drip... drip...
Once again, crimson veins—like spiderwebs—began spreading across the ground.
And at their ends, a reddened liquid pooled.
Bu Eun-seol instinctively knew—that was the true body of Ga Gyeong, the one wielding Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
"I'll ask you this."
Bu Eun-seol spoke in an impossibly low voice.
"What is your purpose in targeting the successors of the Three Realms of Purification?"
—Go to hell.
Ga Gyeong spat out a single curse.
As if sensing death,
only a heartbeat-like vibration pulsed from the red liquid.
"Fine. I'll uncover it myself."
Kwaaang! Zzzzt!
Bu Eun-seol unleashed pure Thunder Essence Divine Qi, instantly incinerating the pooled liquid.
—Kyaaaah!
A piercing scream echoed for a long moment.
And just like that, Ga Gyeong—the figure of Blood God Heaven who had lured the young into Immortal Valley—evaporated, meeting her death.
"I'll need to investigate quickly."
Though he had disguised himself using the Darkness Secret Arts, the icy glint in Bu Eun-seol's eyes could not be concealed.
But then—
Swish!
A sharp sound split the air as a brilliant flash of light shot from somewhere.
Whirr!
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol twisted his body violently.
The razor-sharp gleam grazed his cheek before soaring back into the distant sky.
Fwoosh.
At the same time, a figure clad in red slowly approached him.
A mask—bearing only the outlines of eyes and a mouth—covered the blood-drenched shadow's face,
as if embodying a ghost painted in blood.
'The Blood God Heaven Lord? No.'
Though the presence was formidable,
the aura was too light and sharp to belong to the Heaven Lord of the Four Divine Heavens.
The masked man stared at Bu Eun-seol's face before speaking in a low voice.
"So, the successor of the Three Realms of Purification who slithered in this time..."
Then, glancing around, he shrugged.
"...is strong. Very promising."
Perhaps because it was imbued with sorrow, this time, the Bloody Tears Seven Forms left no trace.
Moreover, the masked man had arrived too late—he couldn't even begin to guess Bu Eun-seol's true identity.
"Who are you?"
When Bu Eun-seol asked, the masked man replied in that same low voice.
"The master of Immortal Valley—Muk-hyeol. My duty is to collect blood like yours."
"Then, are you the Blood God Heaven Lord?"
"Heaven Lord?"
The Valley Master chuckled darkly before shaking his head.
"How could a mere valley master dare claim such a title?"
'So Blood God Heaven is a vast coalition.'
The Martial God Heaven Lord had been waiting for death alone on Ghost Island.
And the Black Divine Heavenly Lord he had once seen also only commanded familiars created by his own power—
neither had built any particular faction or organization.
But Blood God Heaven seemed different—it had numerous subordinates and a clearly defined hierarchy.
"Let's see."
The man who called himself Muk-hyeol raised his left palm to his chest.
Flick.
The same flash of light that had grazed Bu Eun-seol's cheek earlier now hovered in his palm.
It took the form of a blade seemingly forged from blood.
And on its edge—a faint smear of blood from Bu Eun-seol's cheek.
Lick.
The Valley Master ran his tongue along the blood on the blade.
Then, after tilting his head for a long moment, he spoke in a disappointed voice.
"Not one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars. Nothing at all."
"The One Hundred and Eight Stars?"
"You're not the successor of the Three Realms of Purification."
With that single remark, Bu Eun-seol understood everything.
'They wanted the blood of the Three Realms' successors.'
To master the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, one had to be born under the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
Thus, all successors of the Three Realms of Purification were figures belonging to that constellation.
In the end, Blood God Heaven had used the name of the Three Realms to lure the young—
to find those stars and obtain their blood.
"Why do you need the blood of the Three Realms' successors?"
The Valley Master answered as if it were obvious.
"Because it's material for the New Bloodline."
"I see."
At last, all the secrets of Immortal Valley unraveled.
They had scattered fragments of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars' martial arts—
to capture those born under the One Hundred and Eight Stars and turn them into material for the New Bloodline.
'Wait.'
Bu Eun-seol sensed something odd.
He already knew—from India—how the New Bloodline was created and what facilities were needed for it.
Moreover, if Blood God Heaven was making the New Bloodline, they should have been acting under the command of the Three Attendants.
To create the New Bloodline, they should have constructed the necessary facilities.
There was absolutely no need for Blood God Heaven to boil Murim practitioners alive or lure them in using their secret techniques.
'Was this betrayal?'
Even Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, who enjoyed the True Demon's trust, was not fully loyal to him.
Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but find that strange.
From the very beginning, the True Demon was an Absolute One—an existence against whom rebellion was impossible. One who could never harbor disloyal thoughts.
Yet it was only after going to India that he realized the truth.
'He lost his memories.'
That was why, apart from the Three Attendants, the other Servants of the True Demon were scheming with their own hidden motives.
"Boiling people whole under the pretense of creating the New Bloodline... It seems more like they're lining their own pockets."
"Hmm."
The Lord of Immortal Valley's eyes flashed sharply behind his mask.
"Just who are you?"
"That's none of your business."
"Shouldn't we at least carve your name on a tombstone?"
"Do I look like someone who'd die at the hands of Blood God Heaven's lackeys?"
The Lord of Immortal Valley's brow furrowed, his gaze narrowing to slits.
Only now did he realize that Bu Eun-seol was no ordinary figure—that he had reached a profound level of martial attainment, one that could not be ignored.
"Those like you—young, yet having mastered exceptional martial arts—still have their uses."
The Lord's voice now carried an eerie resonance, unlike before.
Just hearing those words alone made Bu Eun-seol feel as though his Internal Power was scattering, his Fighting Spirit dissipating.
He was likely employing Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
"Even if they're not of the One Hundred and Eight Stars, those who've learned the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars still make excellent tools."
"Tools?"
The Lord didn't answer Bu Eun-seol's question, his masked eyes gleaming as he spoke again.
"You seem capable enough yourself. I'll have to boil you thoroughly."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been staring straight into the Lord's eyes, let out a deep sigh.
"Even if the True Demon doesn't reveal himself, his harm upon the Murim has never ceased."
Compared to the Three Realms or the Three Clans,
the Servants of the True Demon had remained largely hidden.
But in truth, they had been lurking in the Abyss, continuously inflicting harm upon the martial world.
"Is it because the True Demon lost his memories?"
Bu Eun-seol deliberately leaked information.
"So you're lining your own pockets in the meantime?"
The Lord's expression twisted instantly.
The fact that the True Demon had lost his memories and was wandering aimlessly,
that the Three Attendants were searching for him while also researching the New Bloodline—
these were secrets the Murim should never have known.
Moreover, among the Servants of the True Demon,
while some were striving to track his whereabouts and restore him,
others were seizing the opportunity of his absence to reveal their own dark ambitions.
Just like the Three Realms.
Rebellion among the Servants was hardly uncommon.
"You—just what are you?"
Bu Eun-seol didn't even bother answering.
He no longer saw any value in continuing this conversation.
Whatever the True Demon or his Servants intended,
in the end, all they did was bring harm to innocent civilians and martial artists.
Such evil deeds could never be tolerated.
"Before I boil you alive, I'll make sure you suffer every kind of pain imaginable."
The Lord of Immortal Valley glared at Bu Eun-seol and roared.
"You'll spill everything in that head of yours. By then, begging for your life will be pointless!"
In an instant, his eyes cast a deep shadow,
and from his skeletal fingers, a phosphorescent blue light stretched outward.
Kukukuku.
At the same time, the earth began to tremble.
At first, it was a faint tremor,
but soon, something massive writhed violently from deep underground.
Kurururu.
The dry soil at the valley's bottom quivered slightly before small pebbles began rolling wildly on their own.
As if something enormous were stirring beneath the surface, the entire earth began breathing shallowly.
Crk—CRACK—BOOM!
Horrifying sounds spread in all directions.
Simultaneously, fissures began splitting the rocky surfaces within Immortal Valley.
With the sound of splitting stone, moss-covered surfaces crumbled away, revealing gaping red fissures like raw flesh.
Creak.
As the fissures opened, crimson-robed martial artists poured out.
It turned out that hidden chambers had been concealed throughout Immortal Valley using the Art of Spells,
where Blood God Heaven's troops had been lying in wait.
Grrrk.
Strangely, the martial artists' bodies began forming masses of rock as they emerged.
Some had fists swelling into massive boulders, while others sprouted spear-like protrusions.
They were transforming, as if clad in armor and weapons forged from stone.
Thud. Thud.
Their movements were sluggish,
but with each step, the earth shook as if about to collapse.
The only difference from ordinary people was that their skin had turned blood-red.
"An interesting Art of Spells," Bu Eun-seol remarked.
The Lord of Immortal Valley curled his lips.
"Just 'interesting'?"
Crrk.
This time, the branches of the ancient trees stretching toward the sky began writhing like living tentacles.
Thick roots tore through the soil, surging upward before latching onto the martial artists' bodies.
Squelch.
Their hardened outer shells split apart, oozing a bluish fluid—whether sap or some other bodily secretion, it was impossible to tell.
The twisted stems began hardening into bizarre armor or sprouting sharp spear-like protrusions.
Before anyone realized, some of Blood God Heaven's warriors had transformed into troops clad in wooden armor.
Drip, drip.
This time, even the dirt and dust on the ground clumped together, writhing as they took on humanoid shapes.
Like the earth's innards bursting forth, they too became warriors armored in earthen plates.
Plip, plip, plip.
Blood continuously seeped from the bodies of the fully armed warriors.
The reason they could merge with stone, wood, and earth was precisely because of the power of blood.
"Blood God Heaven..."
Bu Eun-seol finally understood.
"So Immortal Valley itself... was Blood God Heaven all along."
Thud, thud.
The warriors clad in stone, wood, earth, and vines marched toward Bu Eun-seol.
Their numbers—ten thousand.
A sight so vast that the sheer volume of troops seemed to fill the entire expanse of Immortal Valley, beyond what the eyes could count.
Grrrrrl.
They let out bestial growls.
"The Blood Gods are harder than diamond and as agile as tigers."
The Lord of Immortal Valley, floating in midair, curled his lips.
"Even if you've reached the Supreme Origin Realm, you won't survive this."
Martial grandmasters who had attained the True Martial Scripture and reached the Extreme Realm, or Absolute Demonic Lords could annihilate a sect single-handedly.
But against a sect with a standing army and proper defenses, the story changed.
Martial artists didn't just rely on brute strength—they combined their power systematically through Combined Attack Arts and battle formations, creating an impenetrable defense.
That was why the strongest didn't stubbornly walk the path of solitary supremacy but instead built sects to expand their forces and armies.
In the Martial World, numerical superiority directly translated to overwhelming might.
"This'll be fun."
A solar radiance ignited in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
Until now, he had always traveled the Martial World alone, even felling thousands of soldiers by himself.
But could he truly bring down ten thousand elite troops of Blood God Heaven—alone?
"Attack!"
With a thunderous command, the Blood Gods moved in flawless unison.
THUD, THUD!
As if deploying a battle formation and esoteric ritual arts—
Four colossal armored monstrosities, gleaming crimson, emerged.
BOOM!
These were no mere illusions.
Each one wielded a monstrous strength that could rival the Martial World's superlative experts.
SHIIING! CRACKLE-CRACKLE!
Bu Eun-seol tore through space like a flash of light, swinging the Ink Soul Sword toward the Blood Gods.
With every slash, warriors fell like wheat before a scythe—
ZIIING!
But in an instant, they erected a barrier of light, conjured through their formation.
Meanwhile, the armored monstrosities surrounded Bu Eun-seol completely, unleashing a furious onslaught.
BOOM! BOOM!
Each collision between their strikes and his defenses split the air with deafening explosions, shaking the earth.
To make matters worse, a strange crimson mist rose from the ground, draining the chaotic energies within his body.
ROOOAR!
From above, an endless cascade of soldiers poured down like a waterfall, burying Bu Eun-seol beneath them.
The Flesh Wall built by the Blood Gods—
Became a colossal labyrinth in itself, distorting his sense of direction and amplifying the chaos.
SHWING! FLASH!
The Ink Soul Sword unleashed rapid sword qi without pause.
But the armored monstrosities clung to him like leeches, pressing their assault relentlessly.
And before the Blood Gods, a barrier reinforced by the Art of Spells stood firm, rendering most of his attacks futile.
CRASH!
Finally, Bu Eun-seol invoked the Heavenly Light Endless Art, shattering the barrier before the Blood Gods in a single strike.
WHIIIRL!
But as if waiting for this moment—
The Blood Gods behind the barrier hurled their own bodies at him like hidden projectiles.
CRACKLE-CRACKLE!
Though said to be harder than diamond—
The moment they met the Ink Soul Sword infused with the Heavenly Light Endless Art, they crumbled into dust.
Even those who somehow evaded his strikes—
Were helplessly repelled by the Protective Astral Energy shrouding his body.
CRACKLE-THOOM! HOWL! ROAR!
The Ink Soul Sword, imbued with the energy of the Three Divine Powers, exploded like thunder at times, howled like a blade wind, or roared like a raging current.
'So this is the warfare of the Martial World...'
Until now, most of his battles had been swift duels—
Decisive clashes where he dismantled his opponents' martial arts in an instant.
But now, deep within Blood God Heaven's headquarters—
He was embroiled in a brutal war of attrition, something he had never experienced before.
'Hah... hah...'
Ragged breaths tore from Bu Eun-seol's lips.
In a battle against overwhelming numbers, a single lapse in stamina or focus meant instant death.
The formations and esoteric ritual arts unleashed by ten thousand soldiers were like facing an infinite tide of enemies.
Fighting like this, defeat was inevitable for Bu Eun-seol.
'I need to take out their leader first.'
While continuously unleashing massive cruciform sword qi to thin the Blood Gods' ranks, Bu Eun-seol locked eyes with the floating Lord of Immortal Valley.
But with the armored monstrosities and Blood Gods swarming him endlessly, he couldn't find an opening to strike.
Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish!
Once more, Bu Eun-seol channeled his True Qi into the Ink Soul Sword, spinning it at blinding speed. The Blood Gods shattered into dust, scattering like ashes in the wind.
After a prolonged, relentless clash—
'Now.'
Finally, he seized the fleeting moment to strike at the Immortal Valley Lord hovering in the sky.
Crack!
Leaping high into the air, he aimed to sever the Immortal Valley Lord's head in a single slash.
Swish-swish-swish!
But the battle formation's mechanisms had already anticipated his movement.
Thousands of troops surged upward before he could reach his target, filling the sky like a storm of locusts.
Shhhhk—shhk—shhk!
Their endless descent resembled a downpour of crimson rain, an unyielding tide of monstrous bodies.
Ting-ting-ting-ting!
As Bu Eun-seol cleaved through them relentlessly, the Ink Soul Sword's blade gradually began to glow red-hot.
Though they fell like insects, their bodies were harder than diamond. Even the sturdy Ink Soul Sword was heating up like charcoal in a forge.
'Even if my true power is exposed, so be it.'
Zzzzzzt—!
A radiant, multicolored light erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body.
He was aligning the forces within him, preparing to unleash the Power of Harmony in a single devastating strike.
'I must hit him directly.'
"Preparing your final blow, are you?"
The Immortal Valley Lord laughed as he sensed the energy radiating from Bu Eun-seol.
"No matter what you try, you cannot reach me."
Whoosh.
The armored monstrosities that had been on the ground now surrounded the Immortal Valley Lord, forming an impenetrable guard.
'Perfect.'
Those armored fiends had been evading his attacks with terrifying speed, making them difficult to eliminate.
Crack!
Bu Eun-seol launched himself skyward again, only for another torrent of Blood God puppets to rain down upon him.
Thud-thud-thud!
But this time, the Power of Harmony enveloped him, allowing him to pierce through the storm of bodies.
At last, the Immortal Valley Lord came into view, shielded by his armored guardians.
Zzzzzzt—!
A million points of light bloomed from the Ink Soul Sword.
He was manifesting the Heaven-Shattering Form—Harmony Light given shape.
"HAAAH!"
With a battle cry—
FLASH!
A blinding radiance swallowed the sky.
The Harmony Light annihilated everything it touched. The crimson sea of Blood God puppets, the armored monstrosities—all vanished in an instant.
Ssssss...
Yet the Immortal Valley Lord remained.
White smoke billowed from his body—he had endured the Harmony Light's destruction.
"What kind of martial art is this?"
But his mask had disintegrated, revealing his grotesque, lumpy face.
Thud.
He landed on the ground, staring at his own hands in disbelief.
"How... has my Soul-Demon Magic Energy been sealed?"
'It only shattered the Soul-Demon Magic Energy?'
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened with frustration.
In the past, Yuk Jang-cheon—empowered by the White Li Clan—had withstood the Power of Harmony, as had the white-robed man, one of their servants.
But afterward, neither could wield their Manifestation Art Energy again.
And now, the Immortal Valley Lord—
Exposed to Harmony, the demonic energy within him had been locked away.
Zzzzt... Groan...
The Blood God puppets' movements grew erratic, their formation collapsing into chaos.
They had only moved in perfect unison because of the Immortal Valley Lord's Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
Flash! Swish-swish-swish!
Seizing the moment, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Formless Heavenly Flow toward the Immortal Valley Lord.
Though the Blood God puppets tried to block him, without their battle formation, they were no longer a threat.
Splatter! Crrrrrack!
The puppets fell like wheat before a scythe.
Bu Eun-seol moved like lightning, executing the Waning Moon Morning Star, sending colossal cross-shaped sword waves in all directions.
Shhhhk—BOOM!
The sickening sounds of cleaving flesh and bursting bodies echoed for a quarter of an hour.
Corpses piled into mountains. Blood pooled into seas.
One against ten thousand.
He had overcome that impossible gap and slaughtered them all.
"You..."
The Immortal Valley Lord's face twisted in horror as he recognized the Formless Heavenly Flow.
This so-called Martial Soul Lord—
Who could have imagined he possessed the strength to annihilate Blood God Heaven's entire army alone?
Moreover, a human's killing intent was not infinite. No matter how maddened, even a berserker would eventually reach their limit and stop.
Yet this man had butchered ten thousand Blood God soldiers without the slightest hesitation.
Death God.
He was no longer within the realm of humanity—he was the incarnation of death itself.
"Now it's my turn to ask questions."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was ice.
"Explain clearly—what were you doing here?"
Schlick.
Suddenly, the Immortal Valley Lord's head tumbled from his shoulders.
Splaaaaash!
A fountain of blood erupted about an inch into the air.
But it wasn't Bu Eun-seol's doing.
Thud. Thud.
From behind him came the sound of slow, heavy footsteps.
Turning, Bu Eun-seol saw the face of an old man—taller than eight feet, his body wrapped only in white cloth over his head and loins.
His face was grotesquely large, with bulging eyes, a massive nose, and a mouth stretched into a wide, eerie grin.
He looked like a naked demon from a nightmare.
"That fool has thoroughly disgraced our Heaven."
"Are you the Blood God Heaven Lord?"
"This old man is called Myeong-myeol."
"Myeong-myeol?"
As Bu Eun-seol questioned him, the old man bared teeth as large as door panels and laughed.
"There is no Heaven Lord in our Heaven."
"Because... I killed him."