A sharp energy soared from Bu Eunseol's body as he floated in the empty air.
Clack.
As he drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword and held it vertically at the middle level, the energy of his entire body transformed like the tip of a spear.
Swaaaaek!
At the same time, becoming one with the sword, he shot out like lightning toward the strange figure on the ground.
At a glance it looked like a sword-body unity technique, but in reality it was something the Martial Venerable had used in the past.
It layered two or more profound martial principles onto a single ordinary form.
He had unleashed the Supreme Heavenly Flow through the principle of the Single Form Twin Profundities.
"..."
The strange figure stood where he was.
He stared intently at the incoming Bu Eunseol without so much as a twitch.
When the tip of the Silent Tiger Soul Sword finally flew right up to his nose, he raised a black finger in front of his eyes.
Clang!
Sparks flew as Bu Eunseol's sword-body unity was halted mid-way.
As if swatting away a flying mosquito, he had easily deflected the attack with a single fingertip.
'To this extent.'
Whirl! Tap.
Bu Eunseol's eyes deepened as he performed a few somersaults in the air and landed on the ground.
Until now, there had been only a handful of beings who could force such an overwhelming gap on him, a powerlessness that felt like the distance between heaven and earth.
They were the absolute masters standing at the pinnacle of the world, like the Returning to One Realm Lord or the Twin Heavenly Emperors.
But for this unidentified existence he was seeing for the first time in his life to make him feel such a wall?
'I will fight him with the sword.'
A sense of obstinacy welled up within Bu Eunseol.
In the past, when he met a formidable enemy, he would unleash the Seven Blood Tear Forms, Harmony, or the Seven Heavenly Light Forms based on the Three Divine Energies.
But at some point, for reasons he did not understand, that had changed.
When fighting enemies he would unleash sword arts whenever he could, inventing and unraveling the principles of martial arts as he went.
Whirl!
Spinning the Silent Tiger Soul Sword once, Bu Eunseol immediately unfolded the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms.
Clang, clang, clang!
The strange figure was still blocking Bu Eunseol's sword arts with a single finger.
Ziiiing.
But what Bu Eunseol was aiming for lay elsewhere.
It was not simply to slash and stab, but to dismantle or thwart the core of the power the strange figure possessed.
Perhaps the strange figure also noticed something,
"Huuu!"
He suddenly opened his mouth wide and forcefully spat out a mouthful of sharp energy.
Ssshk!
An ordinary martial warrior would have suffered a fatal injury from that sudden move.
But Bu Eunseol was different, and had been since his early days in the martial world.
He was a master of real-combat martial arts who had once thwarted an enemy's attack by spitting from his own mouth.
Having anticipated a bizarre attack from the moment the strange figure opened his mouth, he quickly leaned back and let it pass.
Then he stabbed at the lower abdomen like lightning.
The strange figure tried to block the sword again with his finger.
Whirl!
But Bu Eunseol had already altered the sword move midway, slashing toward the flank.
It was a truly exquisite shift in offense, so the strange figure could not defend immediately.
Ssshhk.
The attack landed, but the sensation transmitted to his hand was incredibly bizarre.
It was because it did not feel like he had cut something, but rather as if he had slashed through empty air.
'Damn it.'
Bu Eunseol was greatly shocked inwardly.
The strange figure had not dodged the attack.
He had shifted the very space the Silent Tiger Soul Sword was stabbing by half a chi to the side.
'Has this person reached a level of martial prowess similar to Sect Leader Weiji?'
The Profound Demon Weiji Mu-a had transcended the boundaries of the Limitless Realm and mastered a secret art to freely shift space.
Even when serving a cup of tea, he would bring tea from elsewhere right in front of one's eyes in an instant, as if performing magic.
And the strange figure before his eyes had done the same.
He had shifted space in an instant to dodge the fatal sword move.
'Am I still far from it?'
Bu Eunseol felt a chill in his chest.
His martial prowess had steadily risen over time.
He now prided himself on having reached a level where, even if he fought the Three Demons, the outcome could not be guaranteed.
However, there was still an aspect he could not catch up to.
It was precisely the depth of martial arts.
The Three Demons and Three Venerables possessed innate talent comparable to Bu Eunseol.
And long before him, they had observed the flow of the martial world while agonizingly refining their martial arts.
As a result, they had all stepped into a new realm, transcending the framework of the Limitless Realm.
Judging solely on pure martial arts achievement, Bu Eunseol had not yet reached the ranks of the Three Demons and Three Venerables.
And yet that strange figure had used a martial principle much like Sect Leader Weiji's.
Moreover, was he using a principle even Bu Eunseol could not yet handle, and using it to dodge a fatal blow?
'Has that person reached the same martial prowess as the Pavilion Master...?'
At that moment, something surfaced in his mind.
It was the terrifying momentum of Ak Muryeong, which seemed capable of tearing the sky apart.
'No, that's not it.'
Upon recalling Ak Muryeong's figure, he could be certain.
It was absolutely impossible.
In the current martial world there was not a single person... who had reached a martial prowess equal to the Twin Heavenly Emperors and the Three Demons and Three Venerables.
'What that person used is not a martial principle.'
Just then, as if having seized the moment to pour out a decisive strike, the strange figure closed the distance and extended his finger.
'The Silent Tiger Soul Sword?'
Come to think of it, the strange figure could freely use long-range attacks powerful enough to blow away a village with a single glance.
Yet he was stubbornly fighting using only his fingers and continuously reaching his hand out.
It was as if he were trying to snatch the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
Ziiiing!
As the strange figure extended his finger, a bizarre force flowed into Bu Eunseol's body through the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
It was a disgusting yet chilling sensation, as if a living snake had entered his blood vessels.
'Fine!'
The bizarre force tried to encroach on his body.
Bu Eunseol answered with the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art, which he had mastered while escorting Princess Hwijeong in the past.
In an instant, the strange figure's clothes began to puff up tightly like a drum, then gradually returned to normal.
Astonishingly, he had even overcome the power of the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art.
'As expected, it is not a martial art.'
If the power that person used was a martial art?
Even if he ultimately shook off the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art, he would not have been able to offset it the moment it entered.
Flash!
At that moment, a pitch-black qi art shot out from the strange figure's hand.
Pshoosh!
A sharp light pierced through his sleeve and dug into Bu Eunseol's body.
Then, like mercury rolling on a tray, it burrowed into his right arm's meridians once again.
He was tenaciously using his power, aiming solely for Bu Eunseol to drop the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
Pat!
Deploying the Endless Heavenly Light Art to shake off that force, Bu Eunseol retreated a dozen jang back.
Ziiiing.
Suddenly, a bright blue energy began to bloom from his right pupil.
A force whose very nature he could not determine was infiltrating his meridians without pause.
At that, the power of the Ancient Sword Forest activated on its own.
'Soul Demon Dharma Energy?'
The power of the Ancient Sword Forest stirred.
Only then did he realize that the power the strange figure was using was the Soul Demon Dharma Energy.
'Something is different.'
The Soul Demon Dharma Energy he had encountered so far felt like the authority of a demon god, ever-changing and existing solely for destruction.
But the power that person was exerting right now was another thing entirely.
It was astonishingly pure, with an utterly unadulterated texture, as if not a single speck of selfish desire had been mixed into it.
Vwooong.
In an instant, a faint light began to flow from Bu Eunseol's body as well.
He had realized that the pouring force, whatever else it was, carried the attributes of the Soul Demon Dharma Energy.
At that, the faint Profound Divine Technique Qi lying dormant inside his body activated and began pushing that force away.
Ziiiing, ziiiing.
As the forces collided, the skin of Bu Eunseol and the strange figure began to blink repeatedly like twinkling stars.
However, Bu Eunseol's blinked more frequently.
The force flowing from that black-clothed man's body was far more pure and powerful.
'If so.'
A peculiar thought flashed through Bu Eunseol's mind.
'Is there a need to forcibly push it away?'
Although he could not use it freely, he also possessed the Soul Demon Dharma Energy.
So the thought occurred to him: rather than deflecting it, what if he absorbed it into his body using the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art?
'Since it has a pure and thick nature, it shouldn't cause much harm to my body.'
Ssshhk.
Having changed his mind, he stopped resisting the pouring force and turned the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art on it instead.
He began to draw that force into his body just as he would receive internal true energy.
Zzzzt, zzzzt, zzzzt.
Then, the speed at which his skin blinked grew faster and faster, and before he knew it, his body began to stiffen like a log.
'It was a power I shouldn't have absorbed.'
The strange figure's Soul Demon Dharma Energy was of another order.
It possessed an extreme purity that a human body could never contain.
'This is a disaster.'
Just as fish cannot live in water that is too clear, he had taken in a power that was flawless and pure.
His physical body could not endure it, and was collapsing from the inside.
'How on earth is that person containing such power in his physical body?'
Bu Eunseol exerted the Endless Heavenly Light Art with all his might, resisting the Soul Demon Dharma Energy that had burrowed into his body.
Vwoom, vwoom, vwoom!
Due to the tense confrontation of forces, he ultimately ended up in a state where he couldn't even twitch a finger.
Step, step.
When Bu Eunseol was unable to move his body as if frozen, the strange figure slowly walked forward as if to savor his victory.
And the moment he slowly raised his hand,
Flash!
A radiant brilliance that would dye the whole world white burst forth from Bu Eunseol's entire body.
That light and wave were as intense and hot as an exploding sun.
Kwaaaaang!
At the same time, a massive explosion occurred with a blast that shook heaven and earth.
Sizzle.
White smoke spread upward.
From the strange figure's body came a sizzling sound, like water poured on hot iron.
Faint cracks, like those on pottery, were drawn all over his skin, and light leaked through the gaps.
He could not possibly accept the strange figure's Soul Demon Dharma Energy.
So he had used the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art to jumble that energy and the power within his body into a chaotic mix, then expelled it all back out of himself.
Tremble.
Bu Eunseol's fingertips trembled slightly.
Because he had exploded all the power within his body to expel it, he too had suffered profound internal injuries.
'He's fine?'
Crack.
Contrary to expectations, the strange figure calmly cracked his neck.
Despite receiving the full brunt of the Soul Demon Dharma Energy and the power Bu Eunseol had poured out, he did not have a single scratch.
Instead, narrowing his eyes sharply like blades, he was exuding massive killing intent.
Swish.
As the strange figure slowly raised his hand toward the sky,
Goooooo.
An ominous condensed energy began to swirl from his fingertips.
As the clouds surged, the atmosphere twisted, and all the darkness of the world gathered as if being sucked into his grasp.
A massive sphere of darkness was slowly forming in the center of the sky.
As if fighting any longer was a bother, he intended to blow away Bu Eunseol and this entire area all at once.
Kuuuung.
The giant sphere, which looked to be dozens of jang in size, did not fall immediately but remained firmly fixed in the empty air.
In that moment, Bu Eunseol instinctively realized.
The sphere would not simply fall straight down; it would track his movements and strike down precisely like a meteor the very instant he unleashed a movement art or shifted his body.
Normally, he could easily dodge it.
But he had taken profound internal injuries moments ago, in the aftermath of reversing the strange figure's power with the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art.
Right now he could not generate his full movement speed at all.
Vwooong.
A faint brilliance rose from the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
Rather than dying while trying to dodge clumsily, he intended to gather all his remaining power and face it head-on.
Shwaaaaaak!
From far away, an ear-splitting roar erupted.
At the same time, a single radiant streak of light dashed across the sky, carving a straight line, and then,
Kwaaaang!
It changed its trajectory in an instant and crashed down near where Bu Eunseol was standing.
Kuuuung.
The ground caved in deeply, and dirt and dust shot up as if exploding in all directions.
The dust had not even settled.
A silhouette with flowing hair slowly walked out from the center of it.
It was a beauty with a tall stature, round and firm shoulders and back, a prominent nose, and cute, chubby cheeks.
It was none other than So Okrim.
"I knew it!"
So Okrim walked toward Bu Eunseol, who stood rigid where he was, and smiled broadly, showing teeth as white as the inside of a gourd.
"I knew it would be your energy."
Bu Eunseol had mixed the Soul Demon Dharma Energy with the power inside his body using the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art and exploded it.
That energy and the vibration wave had spread for dozens of li.
So Okrim, who had been nearby, detected that energy and immediately rushed here.
"Under the heavens, the only person with such complex power is you..."
So Okrim, who had been speaking with a glad expression, only then frowned as she looked at the sphere floating in the air and the strange figure standing far away.
"What is that again?"
"Instructor So, dodge!"
As Bu Eunseol blocked So Okrim's front,
Kwang!
Matching his movement, the massive sphere dozens of jang wide fell down like a meteor.
Kuuung.
Bu Eunseol expelled a force that mixed thirteen martial principles with all his remaining energy, catching the falling sphere with both hands.
However, the sphere the strange figure created was not merely a massive force, but more like a curse that pierced through the flesh.
Sizzle.
The sphere gradually grew smaller, and a bizarre force began to burrow into Bu Eunseol's meridians.
"Kuuu."
As Bu Eunseol let out a low groan,
"How dare you!"
With a thunderous shout, So Okrim spread both her arms wide open.
Then, a silver brilliance shot out from her palms, forming an aura shield harboring a diamond-like luster.
Thoooooom!
Once she raised the aura shield, the sphere stopped shrinking.
Kuuung!
But it solidified like a hard object, and began to crush down fiercely on So Okrim and Bu Eunseol.
Crack.
As the tremendous pressure descended, the ground the two stood on became riddled with spiderweb-like cracks.
"Eeeek!"
In an instant, the muscles in So Okrim's arms swelled to twice their size, and her veins bulged clearly.
"Haaap!"
As she thrust her hands forward with a spirited shout, the aura shield wrapping around them burst out as if exploding, and then,
Kwang!
The round sphere shattered into black fragments and scattered in all directions.
"Are you alright?"
Only then did So Okrim sense Bu Eunseol's internal injuries, and she yelled furiously while glaring at the strange figure.
"Hey, what did you do to turn a person into a rag?"
Kwaang!
An intense vibration wave erupted from So Okrim's entire body, and the pebbles around them began to float into the air.
She was a master of fist arts and always struck down enemies directly with her fists.
However, she instinctively realized that the strange figure was a formidable master, strong enough to inflict internal injuries on Bu Eunseol.
So she meant to open carefully, with a long-range attack.
Zzzzt, zzzzt.
The light spreading from both her palms gradually compressed and shrank, and within it, lightning sparked and flames bloomed.
When the mass of light finally condensed into a pea-sized sphere,
"Eat this!"
Booooom!
A massive palm force blasted out from her hands like an explosion.
She had unleashed a wave clearly visible to the naked eye, similar to the Buddha Venerable's Infinite Reversal Power, the Vajra Extermination Wave.
Twitch.
The strange figure tilted his head at an angle and simply extended a single finger.
At that moment, the two forces clashed in the empty air.
Along with an explosion that seemed to tear heaven and earth apart, light and darkness swirled to swallow each other.
The erupting shockwave surged several li away, sweeping dirt and dust up into the sky.
Ssshhk.
So Okrim's body was pushed back a step, and red blood spread thinly at the corners of her mouth.
But the strange figure remained standing tall, looking down at So Okrim like a victor.
"Hey, you arrogant bastard!"
So Okrim shouted furiously.
"Don't just wag your finger, let's fight properly!"
"Instructor So."
"Don't interfere. I can handle this alone."
"That person's Soul Demon Dharma Energy is running wild uncontrollably."
"Soul Demon Dharma Energy?"
Bu Eunseol pointed at the sky instead of answering.
When So Okrim raised her head, floating in the distant sky was a demon-god idol with three heads, more massive than a mountain range.
Its pitch-black skin gleamed like metal, and blood was slowly flowing down its surface.
Above its heads floated a black sun that distorted the surrounding sky as if sucking it in.
At the sight of what truly embodied the apocalypse itself, even the bold So Okrim dropped her jaw with a stiff face.
"What... is that."
Vwooooong!
At that moment, as the three heads opened their mouths simultaneously, a deep and low wail shook the earth.
It was a bizarre sound that seemed to herald extinction.
At the same time, the demon-god idol's mouths opened wide, and pitch-black light, like a dark nebula, poured down like a waterfall.
So Okrim stood still, watching the pouring black radiance.
It was an aura of death that could not be dodged no matter what means were used, a power like the command of an absolute being.
Finally, right at the moment that waterfall of death was about to engulf So Okrim,
Flash!
Streaks of light spread from Bu Eunseol's pupils.
At the same time, waves of light began to swirl from his physical body, as if the breath of heaven and earth was awakening.
Rumble.
Along with the sound of thunder above his head, a massive air current began to condense into a single point.
The wind howled, and as the color of the sky changed, five streaks of light extended from the center.
The lights of blue, red, gold, white, and black intertwined, unraveled, and tangled together again, beginning to form something.
Rumble, rumble.
Each and every scale twinkled like starlight, and from the tip of its tail to the horns on its head, it held a brilliant five-colored radiance.
The form of a mysterious dragon began to swallow the pouring energy.
The pure force of the Soul Demon Dharma Energy, which martial arts could not possibly block, was pouring down.
Against it, the power of the Heavenly-Mandate Star, slumbering within Baekri Geomha's personality, had activated along with the Profound Divine Technique Qi.
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