As the Death Shadow Corps entered the Black Lion Palace, the guarding Black Alliance swordsmen poured out like a flood.
“Won Semun! We must send the captain ahead first!” At that moment, Wi Cheongyeong stepped forward and unleashed a barrage of hidden weapons.
The Blood Martial Corps would arrive soon.
Before they did, Bu Eunseol absolutely had to sever the Black Alliance Lord's head.
“Shut it! I know!” Won Semun, generating a powerful sword wind to push back the Black Alliance swordsmen, replied. “Jo Namcheon! What the hell is the Third Squad doing!”
No sooner had he spoken than the Third Squad members, who had mastered the Black Poison Demon Art, charged with full force from behind, shoving the Black Alliance swordsmen aside.
With Jo Namcheon and the Third Squad unfolding the Black Poison Demon Art to clear the path ahead, Wi Cheongyeong and the Second Squad members scattered left and right to shatter the enemy's front line.
Won Semun and the First Squad broke through the center, followed by the Fourth and Fifth Squads, led by Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong, pouring on the assault. Any remnants fell to the Seven Sword Sect heirs at the rear.
“Captain! We'll handle this!” As Won Semun shouted, Bu Eunseol nodded and darted forward past the squad members with an arrow-like body technique.
Then, Jo Namcheon called out in succession.
“Myo-hyung, Yoo-hyung, follow the captain too!”
Excluding Bu Eunseol, the strongest in martial arts were Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong.
“We'll take this side!”
“Don't get cocky. This side's hanging by a thread right now!” As Myo Cheonwoo, unleashing palm strikes, shouted, Jo Namcheon bellowed.
“You think the bandit chief's alone? Hurry up and go!”
At the shout, Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong exchanged glances. The Death Shadow Corps members prioritized Bu Eunseol's safety over their own peril. If something happened to him, they would resent themselves forever.
“Alright!” Yoo Unryong first broke from the front line and pursued Bu Eunseol. Myo Cheonwoo immediately followed with his body technique.
Shwaak!
Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong plunged deep into the Black Lion Palace with full speed.
Upon reaching the entrance to the grand hall, five Black Alliance swordsmen wielding different weapons blocked their path.
They were the five division lords of the Black Alliance, known as the Five Generations of Slayer Gods.
“The defensive line hasn't even broken. How did Majeon scum crawl this far?”
The leader of the Five Generations, the Evil Sword —Nu Gon—flashed his eyes and said.
“Did they come by boat, perhaps?”
“Bu Eunseol.” At that, Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong stepped forward. “We'll handle these. Go ahead.”
Bu Eunseol hesitated briefly.
The Five Generations were transcendent-realm experts who had long made their name in the martial world. Even with Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong's recent rapid progress, it would be a perilous fight.
“No time to hesitate!” Then Yoo Unryong shouted. “That bastard Do Cheonlin will barge in soon. You gonna make all the squad's hard work for nothing!”
Hearing that, Bu Eunseol nodded.
Zing!
Bu Eunseol raised his energy and thrust out his left hand in an instant.
Spiderweb-like strands of inner energy poured forth, shoving the Five Generations blocking the grand hall to left and right.
“What is this!” The startled ones drew their weapons to counter.
But Bu Eunseol had already slipped through the gap with a lightning body technique.
Clang.
He vanished into the grand hall in a flash,
“Chase him!” As the Five Generations hurriedly tried to enter the grand hall,
Thud.
Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong blocked the door and roared.
“You won't advance another step!”
***
Shwaak!
Bu Eunseol, plunging deep into the grand hall in one go, felt an eerie sensation.
Entering the grand hall, Bu Eunseol sensed a strange atmosphere, along with an odd fragrance tickling his nose.
‘Human Flower?’ The interior of the grand hall wafted with the peculiar scent from the secret underground facility he had infiltrated earlier with Yoo Hwaryeong. Why would such a fragrance emanate from the dwelling of the alliance lord who ruled the Black Alliance?
Thud, thud.
Feeling the abnormality, Bu Eunseol slowly walked deeper into the grand hall.
At the center stood a shield-shaped statue symbolizing the Black Alliance, and beside it leaned a shadowy figure in black robes. His disheveled hair hung wildly in all directions, and a long sword hung at his waist.
It was Dong Ri-cheok, once called the Black Death, the leader of the bandit group that had terrorized the great barrier in the past, now the Black Alliance Lord.
“Unexpected.” Dong Ri-cheok, leaning against the statue, tilted his head as he regarded Bu Eunseol. “I thought a horde of Majeon troops would come charging. To think you'd come alone.”
Bu Eunseol was staring not at Dong Ri-cheok's face, but at his fingers.
His fingers were pitch black, due to cultivating the unique finger art known as Black Blood Finger Force. The Black Blood Finger Force could be used like a claw technique or to launch finger winds.
It was said that upon reaching the Supreme Heavenly realm, one could wield fingers like swords.
Since all of Dong Ri-cheok's fingers were blackened… he had clearly attained the Supreme Heavenly realm, using finger swords.
“So that's how it is.” Dong Ri-cheok, gazing at Bu Eunseol, nodded as if realizing something. “One of Majeon's successor candidates, I presume.”
As if grasping the full situation, he chuckled lowly and said.
“With the successor position hanging on my head, after all.” Bu Eunseol wore an expression of surprise.
It wasn't because Dong Ri-cheok knew Majeon's internal affairs in detail. Spies were embedded everywhere, after all.
Simply, the Black Alliance Lord Dong Ri-cheok was known as an extremely cruel killer. Yet now, his eyes held a solemn dignity, emanating an aura like that of a righteous faction expert?
“You've reached the pinnacle of demonic arts.” Bu Eunseol, staring piercingly at Dong Ri-cheok, opened his mouth calmly. “That's why the killing intent has faded.”
“Hahaha. Around sixty, and suddenly the killing aura in my body vanished.” Dong Ri-cheok grinned and spoke. “After that, I lost interest in killing people directly and focused on building power.”
“Was it frustrating?” Bu Eunseol clicked his tongue with a contemptuous gaze. “To maintain your life by pickling your entire body in drugs.”
“Oh, quick on the uptake.” Dong Ri-cheok maintained the appearance of someone just over thirty.
He couldn't have reached the Infinite Realm to reverse aging.
Moreover, his features were youthful, yet the scent wafting from his body was that of a place cultivating Human Flowers…
Clearly, he was clinging to youth through some grotesque method.
“This alliance lord united the bandit hordes into the Black Alliance, surpassing any martial sect.” Dong Ri-cheok did not deny it, merely smiling. “Having just achieved my great undertaking, wouldn't it be frustrating to merely watch in my dotage?”
“Then, was it you who backed the Black Alliance to expand its forces?”
“Backed? Hahaha.” Dong Ri-cheok burst into laughter, shaking his head.
“Now I see—you know nothing at all.” He stared fixedly at Bu Eunseol and slowly approached.
Then, he spoke meaningfully.
“Well, a Majeon successor might not know.”
“What do you mean?”
“You'll find out soon enough.” Dong Ri-cheok raised a finger from which black fumes arose and said. “The rest of the tale, King Yama will tell you all about it.”
Thud, thud.
Dong Ri-cheok's presence differed slightly from the demonic experts Bu Eunseol had fought until now. He didn't exude overt killing intent; instead, he emitted a gentle aura, as if teaching a single move.
‘A situation similar to the Bound Asura.’
In truth, the Black Alliance Lord Dong Ri-cheok's martial arts couldn't dare oppose Bu Eunseol, who had stepped into the Supreme Heaven Realm. But the bizarre and unique drug produced through Human Flowers instantly elevated both body and martial attainment.
For a moment, Bu Eunseol had an absurd thought.
What if an absolute powerhouse like the Demon Emperor drank that drug?
‘It would probably work up to the transcendent realm.’
Having stepped into the Supreme Heaven Realm meant reaching the body's limit. Thus, without profound enlightenment, chugging drugs or elixirs yielded no progress whatsoever.
Chik!
In the meantime, a sharp energy pierced toward Bu Eunseol's brow.
It was a stealthy finger force without form or sound.
Yet he could hear the faint noise because his Beast Way allowed him to grasp even the flow of air.
Tsk tsk tsk.
As Bu Eunseol unfolded Swift Beyond Shadow, his form blurred.
Simultaneously, he unhesitatingly deployed Supreme Heavenly Flow.
Flash!
With brilliant light, a keen swift sword thrust toward Dong Ri-cheok's brow. Or rather, it should have.
Chiiik!
Somehow, he had anticipated the Supreme Heavenly Flow's sword path and halted its deployment with Black Blood Finger Force.
‘No Sword, Yet Better Than a Sword?’ Dong Ri-cheok had executed the principle of swordless victory over armed sword using Black Blood Finger Force, without a weapon.
‘Interesting.’ Back on Hell Island, upon reaching the upper echelons of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, Bu Eunseol had been ordered by Dan Cheonyang to demonstrate No Sword, Yet Better Than a Sword.
But at the time, he lacked deep insight into sword arts.
In the end, he had expressed it by using the Beast Way to seize Dan Cheonyang's sword.
‘But now it's different.’ Bu Eunseol rotated his dark sword and gripped it in reverse. Then, raising force in his index and middle fingers, he targeted Dong Ri-cheok's throat and lower abdomen simultaneously.
Shiiik!
As blade-like sharp energy poured forth, exploiting the gap, Dong Ri-cheok had no choice but to halt his attack and retreat several steps.
“Your martial arts are considerable.” Dong Ri-cheok let out a gasp of admiration.
The highest realm of No Sword, Yet Better Than a Sword was unfolding sword arts without restraint, armed or not. Bu Eunseol, using bare fingers to execute sword arts, not only matched the power of using a sword but… the timing and direction were exquisite.
He overwhelmed Dong Ri-cheok in both energy depth and sword insight.
“Then let's get serious.” Realizing Bu Eunseol's prowess surpassed his own, a yellowish aura flowed from Dong Ri-cheok's eyes.
Clearly, he was enhancing his martial arts not just with Human Flowers but some great spell or drug.
‘Different from the Bound Asura, then.’
Unlike the Bound Asura, Dong Ri-cheok possessed a clear mind, and Bu Eunseol sensed no separate storage for essence blood or elixirs.
Kwarurung!
In the interim, Dong Ri-cheok used Black Blood Finger Force to slash at Bu Eunseol's neck. Unlike before, a subtle thunderous roar echoed, and the Black Blood Finger Force became visibly distinct.
‘Or perhaps the drug was refined in the meantime.’
If Dong Ri-cheok could move despite fatal wounds like the Bound Asura? This fight would prove far more difficult than anticipated.
Shwashwashwa!
Evading the Black Blood Finger Force, Bu Eunseol swiftly swung his dark sword, generating dozens of sword energies. And those sword energies pierced Dong Ri-cheok's body with timed intervals.
It was the exquisite technique of Caged Bird Yearning for Clouds.
“Hmph.” Dong Ri-cheok dodged the sword energies one by one and instead closed in tightly on Bu Eunseol.
Then, unleashing Black Blood Finger Force from all five fingers, he began deploying finger sword arts.
Chik chik!
The finger swords formed by Black Blood Finger Force could adjust their sharp energy at will, like famed blades. When Bu Eunseol tried to slash them with his dark sword, it instantly released the energy, then thrust again—a fluid counter technique.
Yet, unable to withstand Bu Eunseol's energy and sword arts, he was repeatedly pushed back.
‘Specialized in tactics against the strong.’ Bu Eunseol felt a peculiar sensation.
He had always faced superiors stronger than himself, overwhelming them with superior tactics and improvisation.
But now, the situation was reversed. In energy and martial arts, Bu Eunseol held the edge, while Dong Ri-cheok unraveled each attack with varied techniques and quick thinking.
‘So this is what it's like.’ As the fierce battle with Dong Ri-cheok raged, a sense of leisure arose in one corner of Bu Eunseol's mind.
It wasn't arrogance but a natural response.
Having reached the entry to the Supreme Heaven Realm, he could predict all of Dong Ri-cheok's movements and techniques. Thus, there was no need to attack with full force, and mentally, composure arose naturally.
‘I must stay vigilant.’
An ordinary warrior would deem it a sure victory and continue leisurely.
But Bu Eunseol had never once taken victory for granted. He always staked his life and gave his all.
Chiiing!
Seeing no gap or disruption in Bu Eunseol's sword art, Dong Ri-cheok's gaze changed.
“Your martial arts are extraordinary!” Exclaiming in admiration, Dong Ri-cheok,
Whiriric.
Retreated in one swift motion, then suddenly ground his teeth.
‘Poison? No.’ With a snap, he swallowed something, and his eyes turned sallow yellow.
Simultaneously, his pupils elongated into triangular reptilian shapes, and veins bulged across his body.
‘I see. It has stages.’ Only then did everything click for Bu Eunseol.
That drug, which abruptly enhanced physical abilities and energy using human essence blood and elixirs… Clearly varied in effect by dosage and frequency. And the denser it became, the more it eroded even the soul.
Paat!
Once more empowered, Dong Ri-cheok's Black Blood Finger Force pierced toward Bu Eunseol's body.
His original skill surpassed the Bound Asura, and his mind remained intact thus far. Thus, by successively ingesting the drug, he had become a warrior who could contend with Bu Eunseol.
‘Good.’ As Dong Ri-cheok grew stronger, Bu Eunseol's focus heightened instead. The more attacks he received, the more his body and spirit unified, and his sword art's power intensified.
The stronger the enemy, the stronger I become.
That was the essence of Nangyang Pavilion martial arts… and Bu Eunseol's specialty: advancing his arts through deadly clashes with foes.
“Die!” After over a quarter-hour of deadlock, sensing disadvantage, Dong Ri-cheok bellowed wildly and began moving with ferocious speed.
Chik chik chik chik!
Transforming into four shadowy afterimages like a cloning technique, he raised Black Blood Finger Force in all ten fingers and surrounded Bu Eunseol.
It was his signature ultimate and final killer move: Black Blood Heaven and Earth.
‘A trap?’ A glint rose in Bu Eunseol's eyes.
The two were still in the midst of fierce combat, not at the moment to seize for a decisive blow. Yet to deliberately raise full power for the final ultimate in this situation?
Shwaak!
As the Black Blood Heaven and Earth ultimate stirred a vortex and closed in on Bu Eunseol's body, something bizarre occurred.
Udeuk.
Suddenly, Bu Eunseol halted his movement, standing stock-still in place.
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