As Bu Eunseol savored the realization flashing through his mind, his eyes glinted sharply.
‘To defeat a seasoned opponent, it’s not enough to merely surpass them in martial prowess; I must also gain the upper hand in combat strategy.’ Of course, this was not something that could be achieved in a short time. If so, what must he do now?
‘Shift the fight to one where his experience cannot be utilized!’
Flash!
At that moment, the blade techniques erupting from the Butcher’s Blade changed. Suddenly, the blade’s light spread in all directions, slicing toward Bu Eunseol’s body.
Snap snap.
As the blade’s light grazed past his ear, it didn’t draw blood but severed a few strands of hair. Though he had dodged perfectly, Gongsun Guryeong had predicted his movements and altered his blade technique mid-strike.
“I almost made a mistake,” Gongsun Guryeong said, suddenly halting his assault and baring his yellowed teeth. “I nearly marred that beautiful skin.” From his enraptured expression, it seemed he could see Bu Eunseol’s true skin beneath the disguise of the Face and Bone Shifting Art.
Flash!
Before his muttering ended, another sharp blade aura grazed Bu Eunseol’s body. This time, unable to dodge in time, blood dripped from a cut on his forearm.
Hiss!
Simultaneously, three streams of sharp internal energy burrowed into Bu Eunseol’s meridians. Gongsun Guryeong had infused powerful internal energy to damage Bu Eunseol’s meridians. But the formidable Ban-geuk energy circulating within Bu Eunseol’s body effortlessly repelled the invading energy.
“Your internal energy is impressive, but that’s all you’ve got…” Gongsun Guryeong sneered, preparing to swing the Butcher’s Blade again, when his expression twisted grotesquely.
Despite being struck on the forearm, Bu Eunseol was smiling brightly.
“Madman, indeed a madman,” Bu Eunseol said, nodding with a delighted smile. “Then I’ll switch to a combat style befitting a madman.”
“What?” At that moment, with a sharp sound, the techniques of the black sword began to change.
Bu Eunseol neither infused sword aura nor employed the intricate Supreme Heavenly Flow or the powerful Seven Fist Demon Forms.
Flash flash!
It was pure intent to tear the enemy’s body apart—a primal struggle.
When Gongsun Guryeong dodged like a madman, Bu Eunseol struck like a madman. When Gongsun Guryeong attacked like a madman, Bu Eunseol defended like a madman. In truth, Gongsun Guryeong did not use conventional martial principles but instead employed the logic of reversal. Having seen through this, Bu Eunseol countered with the same logic of reversal.
Crack! Slash! Whoosh!
If the opponent rolled on the ground, Bu Eunseol rolled with him and struck. If the opponent swung his blade wildly, Bu Eunseol swung his sword without fixed forms to match.
‘This guy’s going to be trouble!’ Gongsun Guryeong’s heart grew cold as Bu Eunseol instantly mimicked his techniques.
The logic of reversal wasn’t simply about acting insane. Every strike was laced with feints, designed to lure out the opponent’s weaknesses with intricate principles. Yet Bu Eunseol was adapting his techniques to match his opponent’s—a combat style only grandmasters of martial arts could achieve!
Pop pop pop!
Finally, struck by Bu Eunseol’s black sword, Gongsun Guryeong’s face and body were covered in wounds, forcing him to leap back with all his strength.
Rip!
As he tore off the tattered human skin mask, the wrinkled face of a middle-aged man was revealed.
This was Gongsun Guryeong’s true appearance.
“A genius of martial arts among the demonic spawn?” Gongsun Guryeong said, letting out a sinister laugh despite his injuries. “But you don’t think the logic of reversal is my only trick, do you?”
“Is your trump card your blabbering mouth?” Bu Eunseol mocked.
Gongsun Guryeong gripped the Butcher’s Blade tightly, a menacing smile spreading across his face.
“I’ll show you the profound insights I gained from dissecting martial artists alive!”
Wooom!
This time, he summoned his internal energy to its fullest, and a blade aura about a foot long surged from the Butcher’s Blade.
Whoosh!
Gongsun Guryeong charged forward, swinging his blade. Bu Eunseol countered with his own sword techniques, but strangely, there was no clash. Gongsun Guryeong’s strikes weren’t aimed at Bu Eunseol but seemed to trace patterns in the air, as if drawing alone. Even while executing his techniques, he closely observed Bu Eunseol’s movements, nodding to himself.
“From your nerve reactions and muscle contraction speed, I can tell you’ve mastered various demonic sword techniques!”
Slash!
Suddenly, Gongsun Guryeong spun the Butcher’s Blade like a windmill, cutting through the net-like sword techniques Bu Eunseol had unleashed. He closed in, swinging his blade at close range.
“But you haven’t trained in chaotic sword techniques!” Gongsun Guryeong employed bizarre techniques, closely observing Bu Eunseol’s movements. In the process, he deduced the true sword arts Bu Eunseol had mastered. “If you haven’t trained in chaotic sword techniques, you’ll struggle to counter attacks at point-blank range!”
Pop pop!
Several red streaks of blood appeared on Bu Eunseol’s body.
The chaotic sword, designed for cutting down enemies at close range. Unless one had trained in chaotic sword techniques, allowing a master of such techniques to close the distance was tantamount to defeat.
‘He predicts the sword techniques I’ve mastered by observing muscle movements…’ Having discerned Gongsun Guryeong’s abilities, Bu Eunseol nodded faintly.
For example, the muscles developed by a practitioner of swift sword techniques differ entirely from those of a heavy sword practitioner. Having dissected countless human bodies, Gongsun Guryeong could predict the sword techniques an opponent had mastered by observing muscle movements.
‘So that’s why he dissected martial artists.’ Gongsun Guryeong possessed an ability strikingly similar to Bu Eunseol’s, who could predict technique variations by studying the scars left on corpses.
“What a pity,” Bu Eunseol said, deflecting the Butcher’s Blade that had cut his skin, his face showing disappointment. “All that just to figure out your opponent’s martial techniques?”
In truth, Bu Eunseol had held expectations for the deranged doctor.
His grandfather, Bu Zhanyang, had deciphered the ultimate techniques of the deceased by preparing and honoring their bodies. Yet Gongsun Guryeong, despite dissecting living humans, had only reached the level of predicting an opponent’s primary martial techniques?
“Hmph, focus on blocking my attacks before you act so smug!” Gongsun Guryeong sneered.
Bu Eunseol slowly raised his blood-soaked arm. Holding the black sword horizontally, he gave a faint smile.
“Very well.” With a brief reply, Bu Eunseol condensed the energy in his black sword.
Then, he closed in at point-blank range.
Flash!
The black sword unleashed a torrent of dark light. The radiance filled the surroundings with darkness before transforming into fine beams that poured toward Gongsun Guryeong’s body.
It was a combination of the fourth form of the Supreme Heavenly Flow, Caged Bird Yearning for Clouds, which freely manipulated sword energy, and the fifth form, Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin, which used the beastly instincts of the Wild Beast Way to instantly mimic an opponent’s sword techniques.
“What?” As the black sword’s blade condensed and unleashed an unexpected technique to counter the chaotic sword, Gongsun Guryeong quickly retreated.
But Bu Eunseol’s black sword followed like a ghost, slicing his retreating ankle.
Slash.
With a strange cutting sound, a deep wound appeared on Gongsun Guryeong’s calf.
“How can such a sword technique exist?” Gongsun Guryeong exclaimed in panic.
Bu Eunseol sighed. “Isn’t this etched into my muscles?”
“What?”
“The sword techniques I’ve faced until now.”
Bu Eunseol had already crossed blades with Jeong Cheon, a supreme master of chaotic sword techniques. Though he hadn’t trained in chaotic sword techniques himself, he could easily create techniques to counter Gongsun Guryeong’s chaotic sword.
“You tried to cover your inadequacy with killing techniques,” Bu Eunseol said, looking at him with pity.
Gongsun Guryeong’s face flushed with thick veins.
“You brat!”
“Or was it an excuse to collect human skins? To avoid being killed by your pursuers?” Gongsun Guryeong was originally a man obsessed with martial arts.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t progress, so he captured and dissected weaker martial artists, finally managing to break through the peak-level barrier. In the process, he also acquired human skins to conceal his grotesque appearance. And yet, this young upstart dared to belittle his blood-and-sweat efforts?
“You think you know anything about me?!” Gongsun Guryeong roared.
Infusing his internal energy to its maximum, the blade aura on the Butcher’s Blade stretched even longer.
“You think you’ve won just because you cut one leg?!” Abandoning the precision of his Bone-Piercing Blade Technique, he unleashed it recklessly. No longer caring about obtaining Bu Eunseol’s pristine skin, he attacked with the sole intent of killing.
“I don’t need your skin anymore!” With a surge of murderous intent, the sharp techniques of the Butcher’s Blade poured forth. Bu Eunseol, watching this, smiled brightly, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Now you’re showing your true killing intent.” At that moment, the black sword began to leap like a lively carp.
Bu Eunseol’s body was enveloped in a circular light, blocking the incoming blade techniques one by one. Gongsun Guryeong had restrained his killing intent, aiming to capture Bu Eunseol alive to skin him, so his strikes lacked true lethality.
But as he unleashed killing techniques in a rage, Bu Eunseol activated the Absolute Defense Form, the Fish-Shaped Sword, to counter the murderous intent.
Clang clang clang!
The sound of wind chimes hanging under eaves, swaying in the breeze, rang out in succession. As the Fish-Shaped Sword Form shattered the incoming blade techniques, fragmented specks of light lingered vainly in the air.
Slash!
At the same time, Bu Eunseol’s black sword darted through the shattered specks of light. Seeing Bu Eunseol crouch low and close in with his sword techniques—
“Hah!” Gongsun Guryeong let out a fierce shout and swung the Butcher’s Blade like lightning.
He had anticipated that Bu Eunseol would seize the opportunity to unleash a flurry of techniques targeting his openings.
Slash slash slash!
The ultimate technique of the Bone-Piercing Blade Technique, the Path of Shared Evil, enveloped his body in a formidable sword aura.
“…?” But Bu Eunseol had already vanished from his sight.
At the same time, a faint breeze brushed past his neck.
Swish.
A thin line of blood was drawn on his throat.
Drip drip.
The black sword, now back in its original position, dripped with red blood.
“How…” Gongsun Guryeong asked with a vacant gaze.
Bu Eunseol looked at him with disdain. “You took others’ lives so easily, yet you feared your own death.”
Only then did Gongsun Guryeong realize his mistake.
As Bu Eunseol deflected all his blade techniques and closed in, Gongsun Guryeong, gripped by fear, had instinctively used his ultimate defensive technique. But Bu Eunseol hadn’t attacked immediately. He calmly observed, then unleashed a killing strike at the moment the technique paused.
It was the mistake of a murderer who believed he would never die, succumbing to fear.
“I…” Gongsun Guryeong tried to speak, but no voice came out.
Thud.
Suddenly, the sky flipped, and he saw Bu Eunseol’s feet.
That was the last sight the deranged doctor, Gongsun Guryeong, who had terrorized the martial world, saw in his lifetime.
***
“Urgh!” Hyeok Sojin let out a low groan.
Despite unleashing the ultimate technique of Divine Rift Demon Energy in succession, Black Impermanence’s Black Vigor Demon Claw pursued his face like a ghost.
Clang!
His hastily deployed Ice Soul Phantom Killing Sword clashed with Black Impermanence’s claws, sending a powerful shockwave in all directions with a metallic ring. As a cloud of dust rose, Hyeok Sojin seized the moment to retreat ten paces and regroup.
Thud.
But something heavy caught his heel. Turning, he saw a head with half-torn human skin, eyes wide open.
It was the head of the deranged doctor, Gongsun Guryeong.
“Argh!” Startled and momentarily distracted, Hyeok Sojin tried to pull his foot back—
Whoosh!
A dark figure, like a black cloud, extended sharp claws toward Hyeok Sojin’s throat.
It was Black Impermanence.
“Tch.” In a martial artist’s battle, a single moment of inattention could determine life or death.
By briefly glancing down, Hyeok Sojin lost his sense of balance, and in that state, he had to face Black Impermanence’s domineering assault.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a black sword appeared out of nowhere, deflecting Black Impermanence’s claws slicing through the air.
It was Bu Eunseol’s black sword.
Ching!
The Black Vigor Demon Claw was imbued with the Explosive Chaos Technique, which unleashed explosive energy with every strike. When it clashed with a weapon, it generated a powerful shockwave to push back the opponent. Yet, despite colliding with the black sword, no shockwave occurred, and Black Impermanence was forced back two steps. Bu Eunseol’s overwhelming internal energy had easily overpowered the Explosive Chaos Technique.
“Brother Bu!” Hyeok Sojin called out in relief.
Bu Eunseol spoke with a stern expression. “Do you not observe your surroundings while fighting an enemy?”
“Well… this guy was attacking so relentlessly, like a whirlwind.” Hyeok Sojin possessed sharp senses and had mastered the Earth-Sensing Technique, rivaling the Beast Way.
But with limited combat experience and facing a formidable enemy in a life-threatening situation for the first time, he had focused solely on tracking Black Impermanence’s movements, neglecting to spread his senses evenly.
“In a martial artist’s fight, there are no second chances. If you don’t prepare for every situation, your head will roll before you can show your skill.”
“Understood,” Hyeok Sojin said, clasping his hands together.
Bu Eunseol walked past him. “Where are you going?” Hyeok Sojin asked.
“They’re at their limit,” Bu Eunseol said, his gaze fixed on Zhuge Seoun and the others, who were frantically surrounding White Impermanence.
Overwhelmed by White Impermanence’s elusive movement techniques, they were constantly on the defensive, unable to mount a proper attack.
“I’m at my limit too!” Hyeok Sojin protested.
“Don’t so easily assume your limits,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“What?” Before Hyeok Sojin could say more, Bu Eunseol leaped toward Zhuge Seoun and the others.
“…” As Hyeok Sojin watched Bu Eunseol disappear with a vacant gaze, he turned to face—
Grind.
Black Impermanence, now thoroughly enraged, approached slowly with fury in his eyes.
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