"Cap, Captain!" The two boys, who had been fleeing, opened their mouths with shocked expressions. "Listen, that guy… he suddenly got way stronger."
"Yeah, yeah. We should’ve used the Golden Serpent Array from the start…"
Paang!
The boys’ words were cut short. A hulking boy had swung his White Horse Whip like a swift sword, severing both of their necks in an instant.
“Tch, I shouldn’t have been dragging around these losers who couldn’t even make it to the upper ranks.” Clicking his tongue, the hulking boy wore an expression as if he had just swatted two flies. “They were so busy swearing loyalty, calling me ‘Captain’ this and ‘Captain’ that.” Shaking his head, the hulking boy grinned at Bu Eunseol.
“Anyway, with just the two remaining, they can’t pull off the Golden Serpent Array… so they’re useless now.” Killing his own comrades because the remaining two couldn’t execute the formation?
The cruelty was beyond imagination.
Step, step.
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol, who had risen to his feet, strode toward the hulking boy.
“Are you their captain?” he asked.
The hulking boy gave an unexpected response.
“Not bad. To block the techniques of the White Snake Spirit God in mid-air… Have you mastered the Hwa Wu Sword?” With a confident smirk, he continued, “My name is Woo Muncheon. And you are?” When Bu Eunseol silently glared at him, the hulking boy, Woo Muncheon, let out a booming laugh that exposed his throat.
“Hahaha! Don’t you think you should at least tell the King of Hell who killed you?” As soon as he finished speaking, the White Horse Whip wrapped around the iron sword Bu Eunseol was holding.
It was a strike as swift as lightning, matching the speed of Bu Eunseol’s own quick sword.
Crack.
The hulking boy split the iron sword in two with a single motion and swung his White Horse Whip as he shouted, “They say the swordsmanship taught by the Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s upper ranks is all about defensive techniques, right?” Shockingly, Woo Muncheon seemed to know the intricacies of Formless Mystery, the first technique of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.
‘There was another group.’ Bu Eunseol recalled the mysterious shadows that had visited the cave. They operated as a group, sharing the insights they gained from various martial sects. This boy, Woo Muncheon, clearly belonged to another faction beyond the group he led.
“What are you thinking about?!” There was no time for leisurely contemplation.
Woo Muncheon swung his whip like a windmill, pressing Bu Eunseol with relentless force.
Swish! Rumble!
Each time the White Horse Whip sliced through the air, the sound of wind and thunder echoed. From the sound alone, Bu Eunseol could gauge the fierce and ferocious power contained within the whip.
Tssst!
Moreover, whenever Bu Eunseol tried to counterattack, the White Horse Whip left faint afterimages, shifting directions in mid-air.
‘So this is the White Horse Whip!’ Bu Eunseol managed to predict and dodge Woo Muncheon’s unpredictable techniques. Thanks to closely observing the whip’s movements and paths within the Golden Serpent Array, he was able to keep up.
“Not bad!” Woo Muncheon exclaimed.
But just after half a moment of continuous exchanges, his eyes betrayed a hint of impatience.
“Then try blocking this!” With a thunderous shout, the whip’s movements, slicing through the air, suddenly accelerated.
Paahhh!
Countless whip shadows, extending like waves, began to coil around Woo Muncheon’s body.
Papapapapa!
As the barrage of whip shadows poured forth, Woo Muncheon’s figure vanished, leaving only a massive whirlwind in its place.
Shing.
Bu Eunseol, unfazed, unleashed a series of sword techniques.
Clang! Ting!
But each time, his black sword bounced off Woo Muncheon’s body, which was enveloped in the spinning White Horse Whip.
‘It’s not working.’
Bu Eunseol had been using the Hwa Wu Thunder Sword and the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms, techniques deemed unusable in real combat. By channeling the ferocity of the Beast Blade and overwhelming killing intent, he had transformed these techniques into lethal strikes. But Woo Muncheon had fully mastered the essence of the White Horse Whip. Such improvised techniques couldn’t possibly match him.
Tiing!
Bu Eunseol deflected a whip strike that came from an unavoidable angle.
Skrrrt.
But the immense force behind the whip sent his body sliding back to the end of the passage. He couldn’t withstand the overwhelming power contained in the White Horse Whip.
“With such shoddy swordsmanship, you can’t handle the Nine Wandering White Horse Technique!” Woo Muncheon taunted.
‘A true contest!’ Now, it was a battle of pure skill. But the first technique of the Hwa Wu Sword, Formless Mystery, was entirely defensive. No matter how he adapted it into a killing strike, it was unusable in a direct contest, leaving Bu Eunseol with no true counter.
“Hup.” Gripping his black sword in a reverse hold, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and lowered his stance.
His pupils dilated, and a fierce light began to pour from his eyes.
“Die!” Woo Muncheon’s thunderous roar echoed through the passage.
As if it were his final, all-out strike, the furiously spinning whip filled the passage.
Bum Bum Bum!
As the Nine Wandering White Horse Technique surged toward Bu Eunseol like a tidal wave,
Crunch.
The sound of bones twisting came from the five fingers gripping his black sword.
Swish.
A dark haze seemed to rise from the black sword, and a chilling glint burst from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Flash!
A streak of light cut through the wind, slicing through the spinning White Horse Whip.
Swack!
With the sound of water splitting, the furiously rotating whip was cleaved apart.
“…!” Woo Muncheon’s shocked face emerged.
Shwaaaa!
With an ear-piercing screech, the black sword unleashed a cascade of light, like a galaxy etched in the night sky.
“….” A deathly silence fell over the training chamber’s passage.
Woo Muncheon, lowering his White Horse Whip, asked calmly, “What sword technique is this?” Bu Eunseol, sheathing his black sword, replied just as calmly, “Unmatched Thunderbolt”
“Unmatched Thunderbolt…” Woo Muncheon narrowed his eyes and nodded. “It really felt like thunder and lightning crashing down.”
Thud.
Woo Muncheon’s body collapsed as if crumbling.
The Unmatched Thunderbolt Form, a unique killing sword technique devised by Cheon Un-gwang in his later years. It rivaled the Hwa Wu Sword in power but was so complex it could shatter the user’s fingers. If not executed perfectly, it would even inflict internal injuries on the wielder.
“Unmatched Thunderbolt…” Bu Eunseol shook his head.
At his current level, it was an advanced sword technique far too exquisite to wield freely.
Swish.
Wiping the blood from his sword, Bu Eunseol stood tall once more. No trial could bend his resolve.
Step, step.
As he prepared to leave the training chamber,
Ziiing! Hiii!
A low hum accompanied by an eerie, ear-splitting sound rang out.
‘Oh no.’ Only then did Bu Eunseol realize he had lingered in this place far too long.
Tap.
Quickly exiting the training chamber and heading outside the martial hall,
Freeze.
He suddenly stopped, as if turned to stone. At the entrance stood a man in an assassin’s garb, adorned with a grotesque reptilian pattern. A killer who, under the orders of Chief Instructor Hyeok Ryeon-eung, restricted areas and mercilessly slaughtered those who remained.
A Death Wraith.
“….” Meeting his gaze, Bu Eunseol couldn’t move a finger.
One careless move, and something lightning-fast would slice his throat in an instant.
“This is a restricted area,” the Death Wraith said, his voice like a reaper fresh from the underworld.
“I understand,” Bu Eunseol replied, slowly nodding. “I’ll leave immediately.” He took a cautious step forward.
But the Death Wraith merely stared, unmoving.
“….” Silence lingered once more.
The pressure felt like a thousand-ton boulder pressing down on his head. This opponent was an absolute powerhouse, beyond even being called an enemy. His empty gaze, visible outside his mask, was like that of a dead fish on display.
‘Is he letting me go?’ No matter how he observed, the Death Wraith didn’t seem poised for a surprise attack. After much deliberation, Bu Eunseol cautiously took another step.
One step, two steps… Even as he approached, the Death Wraith remained still as a rock.
‘Is he not going to attack?’ Just as Bu Eunseol was about to pass by him carefully,
Swish.
A sinister aura flashed through his head like a bolt of lightning. Without time to think, Bu Eunseol instinctively dove, spinning like a top.
Flash!
At that moment, something unidentifiable grazed past the back of his head.
Rustle.
Despite dodging with the lightning-fast reflexes of the Beast Way, a handful of his hair fell to the ground. Bu Eunseol had fought countless life-or-death battles, but never had he come so close to death as now.
Clang.
Landing on the ground, Bu Eunseol swiftly drew his black sword. An attack without any warning had nearly taken his life, and the next strike was sure to carry earth-shattering power.
“….” But the Death Wraith merely stared, making no move.
‘I can’t fall for that stance.’ From what had just happened, it was clear the Death Wraith could unleash a lightning-fast strike without adopting an aggressive posture. Like a fish gliding silently through water, his movements were utterly undetectable.
‘No, it’s impossible.’ Human movement, simply put, relies on the contraction of muscles connected to bones In other words, humans can adopt various stances because of their bones and muscles. ‘To think I couldn’t sense the Death Wraith’s movements at this close range—it’s unthinkable.’ With the heightened senses of the Beast Way, he could detect movements from dozens of yards away.
No matter how skilled a master, failing to sense sound or presence at this distance was absurd.
—Have you ever seen a predator hunt a herbivore?
Suddenly, a memory of Master Sa Woo’s words flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
—Predators may be faster, but fleeing herbivores aren’t easily caught. Do you know why?
Pondering Sa Woo’s question, Bu Eunseol had answered, “The faster you run, the harder it is to change direction, so fleeing herbivores often zigzag in a ‘Z’ pattern.”
Sa Woo had nodded at his unhesitating response.
—Correct. Yet predators still succeed in hunting herbivores. Why is that?
Back then, Bu Eunseol couldn’t answer. But now, he understood the secret behind a predator’s successful hunt.
‘They strike in sync with the movements of their fleeing prey!’
Only now did Bu Eunseol realize how the Death Wraith had ambushed him like lightning without a trace. ‘He masked his presence and struck in time with my movements and sounds.’ Bu Eunseol took a deep breath. He was about to execute a plan to escape the Death Wraith’s lightning-fast reactions and attacks.
‘Hup.’
With a loud inhale, Bu Eunseol suddenly looked to the sky and let out a loud “Wah!”
Flinch.
The Death Wraith’s body reacted faintly to the sudden shout. Seizing the moment, Bu Eunseol sprinted forward without looking back.
Tap tap tap tap.
Caught off guard by his sudden movement, the Death Wraith couldn’t execute his lightning-fast ambush. ‘It’s not over!’ With his back to the Death Wraith, Bu Eunseol ran out of the martial hall, wildly shaking his body and zigzagging left and right.
Tap. Tap.
Like a madman, he darted left, then right, sometimes feinting left only to veer right. ‘I can’t let him predict my movements!’ The Death Wraith’s pursuit speed could overtake him before he could catch his breath. If he ran in a predictable pattern, he’d be struck down in an instant, just like in a close-range ambush.
Step, step.
As Bu Eunseol ran, the Death Wraith, watching him, began to take one step, then two.
Step. Step. Step.
His pace quickened.
Tap tap tap tap tap.
Finally, he chased after him at a speed so fast his legs became a blur.
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