Clang clang clang clang!
When the Heavenly Sword unleashed the Myriad Phenomena Sword Style with the finesse of a swift blade, Bu Eunseol countered with the same style, matching its speed and precision.
Half Above, Half Below, Shifting Heaven’s Force.
This technique bore a resemblance to the unorthodox swordsmanship’s Unified Heart Strike, a supreme principle of orthodox swordsmanship that altered the very source of power channeled through the sword’s tip.
‘This guy!’ The Heavenly Sword bit his lip, belatedly grasping the situation.
All of this had been a setup to steal the essence of the Myriad Phenomena Sword Style?
‘I should’ve killed him in one strike.’
He shouldn’t have entertained thoughts of a draw or prolonged the fight.
The moment he had the chance, he should have ended it swiftly.
“Hahaha!” Fueled by rage, the Heavenly Sword let out a mad laugh. “Real martial arts? All you do is steal others’ techniques and strut around—a fitting trick for someone from Nangyang Pavilion!”
He summoned all his energy with full force.
‘I’ll cut you down before you can steal more of my swordsmanship.’ He instinctively knew that if he didn’t kill Bu Eunseol today, he’d never get another chance.
You thought you had nothing left to lose, didn’t you? That just holding on would let you reclaim everything, Bu Eunseol said, looking down at him through a secret transmission. Far from it. Just being the Sword Venerable’s disciple means you still have plenty.
He curled his lips coldly.
And I, the Martial Soul Command Lord, have taken it all.
Crack.
Realizing his plans had been seen through and his swordsmanship’s essence stolen, the Heavenly Sword’s rage surged to the point of bursting.
But feeling the gazes around him, he sneered.
You said you don’t talk to the dead, yet you’ve been chatting away just fine.
If it riles you up, I’ll say anything, Bu Eunseol replied with a relaxed smile through the transmission. Anyway, thanks for playing along so well with my plans.
Crunch.
The Heavenly Sword ground his teeth so hard they might shatter.
If eyes could create something, millions of blades would have poured from his gaze.
Break my swordsmanship first, then talk!
Crack.
His already imposing frame grew larger. With his innate divine strength and unleashed potential, his body transformed to exert maximum power.
Whoosh.
White energy began to emanate from him, and his stature grew by a head, his body becoming even more robust.
He no longer looked human, yet he wasn’t a monster either.
A mix of greed, cruelty, malice, and killing intent—an entity resembling an unknown lifeform.
“I’ll end this in one strike!”
With his natural divine strength, immense internal energy, and murderous intent combined, he prepared to unleash the full force of the Myriad Phenomena Sword Style.
Whoosh!
From Bu Eunseol’s Ice Soul Sword, a pale mist spread, enveloping dozens of yards in fog.
“Don’t pull any tricks!” The now-giant Heavenly Sword closed the distance in an instant, aiming to sever Bu Eunseol’s head.
But as his greatsword neared Bu Eunseol’s neck, an unsettling sensation clung to the back of his own neck.
‘Something’s off.’
As a master who had stepped into the ultimate realm, the Heavenly Sword could perceive time far slower than ordinary martial artists. He split his full-force attack into two, preparing for a sudden counter.
‘No matter what trick you pull, I can block it with the greatsword in my left hand!’
Boom!
At that moment, a whirlwind-like gust roared, and a vortex of sharp energy swirled from Bu Eunseol’s sword.
Whoosh!
Countless glowing orbs erupted, raining down on both Bu Eunseol and the Heavenly Sword.
‘What kind of swordsmanship is this?’
The orbs were sword spheres, capable of piercing even iron with ease.
Even a graze tore his clothes and gouged his flesh.
As the Heavenly Sword closed in to strike, Bu Eunseol unleashed a bizarre sword technique, raining sword spheres on both of them.
“Madman! Is mutual destruction all you could come up with?” The Heavenly Sword halted his attack on Bu Eunseol’s neck and swung his greatsword like a whip, annihilating the glowing orbs.
But Bu Eunseol was different.
Ignoring the sword spheres tearing into his body, he charged at the Heavenly Sword.
Whoosh!
Piercing through the rain of sword spheres, Bu Eunseol became a blood-soaked figure in an instant.
Tap.
Yet, heedless of his wounds, he condensed a single sword sphere, like a dewdrop, at the tip of his blade.
With a grand swing of the Ice Soul Sword, he sent it hurtling toward the Heavenly Sword.
In that moment, all the raining sword spheres vanished.
Whoosh!
The mist surrounding Bu Eunseol and the Heavenly Sword evaporated in an instant.
For a moment, silence blanketed Seokgwang Plain.
What just happened?
Due to the strange mist from the Ice Soul Sword, even masters with keen eyesight couldn’t discern the precise exchange of techniques.
Drip, drip, drip.
Bu Eunseol’s body was torn and drenched in blood, yet he stood tall and unwavering.
The Heavenly Sword, however, bore no wounds and gazed at Bu Eunseol with a calm expression.
“A mysterious and insane sword technique,” he remarked.
As a master of the Myriad Phenomena Sword Style, the Heavenly Sword was a sword demon in his own right. He realized that the technique Bu Eunseol had just unleashed could only be performed by a madman who embraced death without fear.
The sword spheres carried tremendous destructive power.
Any hesitation or fear would have left his body riddled with hundreds of holes.
Yet Bu Eunseol had charged into them without a shred of doubt, unleashing a bizarre technique that severed the Heavenly Sword’s carotid artery.
“If you had used this technique from the start, you could have defeated me in a single move,” the Heavenly Sword said.
He had overestimated Bu Eunseol’s skill.
The Seven Blood Forms could only be unleashed when the practitioner’s spirit and resolve were perfectly aligned. Because the Heavenly Sword had unleashed a technique capable of taking Bu Eunseol’s life, Bu Eunseol was able to wield the Seven Blood Forms in return.
“If you were a true madman, unconcerned with life or death, you could have blocked this technique,” Bu Eunseol said coldly.
“But your madness was a false one, born of arrogance.”
The Heavenly Sword had always won every fight.
He believed he could survive any battle.
I am strong. I can survive any fight!
That confidence allowed him to challenge even Yeop Hyocheon, the Dark King, leader of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, when he joined Majeon.
But if he had truly believed he could die, he would never have dared.
“I have no choice but to admit it,” the Heavenly Sword said, lowering his head with a desolate expression.
“The real madman wasn’t me—it was you.” Taking a deep breath, he asked, “So, you’re not afraid of death?”
“This world is just a temporary stay,” Bu Eunseol replied calmly, sheathing the Ice Soul Sword. “To die is to return to one’s original place…”
Life Lodges, Death Returns—the first form of the Seven Blood Forms.
This technique scattered sword spheres at both the enemy and oneself, then risked life to strike the foe—a truly mad, destructive art.
“To die… is to return to one’s original place,” the Heavenly Sword echoed with a faint smile.
Spurt!
Blood gushed from his neck.
His eyes dimming, he stood tall and reached out to Bu Eunseol.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his trembling hand extended.
“For brutally killing your friend, the Ten Demon Warrior… Can you forgive me?”
Was it the realization of his wrongful life as death approached?
The Heavenly Sword reached out with a desperate expression.
“…” Bu Eunseol approached slowly, standing before him and grasping his hand.
It was the final farewell of a martial artist from both the orthodox and unorthodox paths who had fought without regrets.
Or so it would have been, normally.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a flash erupted from the Heavenly Sword’s body.
In a life-or-death moment, he unleashed a desperate technique meant to ensure mutual destruction—Heaven-Defying Flash.
Swish!
But Bu Eunseol calmly twisted his body, dodging the attack.
Drip, drip.
The Heaven-Defying Flash left a light wound on Bu Eunseol’s left shoulder as it soared into the sky.
He had anticipated this final act of desperation.
Someone who cared nothing for others’ feelings wouldn’t beg for forgiveness.
Murmur, murmur.
Sighs poured from the watching martial artists.
Is that… the act of the Sword Venerable’s disciple?
Even facing death, the Heavenly Sword had tried to take Bu Eunseol down with a cowardly trick.
Didn’t that prove all the rumors about him were true?
“The madness of the weak is always this pathetic,” Bu Eunseol muttered softly.
“Damn it,” the Heavenly Sword said, clutching his neck as blood poured from his mouth.
Most of his blood had already drained from his body. Yet his right hand still gripped the greatsword tightly, and his dimming eyes still searched for Bu Eunseol’s openings.
It was the instinct of a martial artist and his tenacious resilience.
“Damn,” he said, his face twisting with regret. “I’ve thoroughly disgraced my master.”
Boom!
Suddenly, with a sound like bursting leather, the Heavenly Sword’s head shot into the air. Bu Eunseol had swung the Ice Soul Sword like lightning, sending his head flying.
Thud.
The severed head rolled to the ground.
For a moment, a deathly silence enveloped Seokgwang Plain.
Drip, drip, drip.
The head rolled like a ball, stopping at Bu Eunseol’s feet.
The watching martial artists were speechless.
If it had been a fair duel, the orthodox martial artists would have protested or drawn their weapons in fury.
Killing someone like the Heavenly Sword as if slaughtering a bandit was an insult to them.
But having witnessed his despicable and cruel nature, none could blame Bu Eunseol.
“…” Bu Eunseol looked down at the Heavenly Sword’s head.
To completely kill this madman, he had executed elaborate plans and advanced his martial arts to a new level.
Yet he felt no satisfaction.
Only the memory of Yeong Munho’s bloodied smile lingered.
Don’t blame yourself.
Even in his final moments, Yeong Munho had hoped Bu Eunseol wouldn’t suffer.
He knew Bu Eunseol would seek revenge for him.
‘Yeong Munho.’ Bu Eunseol turned his gaze to the distant sky.
The image of Yeong Munho dying in agony seemed to transform into one of him smiling.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a sharp whistle of air accompanied dozens of sword auras raining down on Bu Eunseol like a storm.
Shing!
Though his mind had briefly wandered, his body, ingrained with the Storm Harmony Secret, reacted instantly to the killing intent. The Ice Soul Sword sprang from its sheath, leaping and forming a circular barrier.
The Radiant Sword Control unfolded.
Clang clang clang clang!
As he blocked the chaotic sword auras, Bu Eunseol’s body was forced back. The power in the strikes surpassed even the Heavenly Sword’s divine strength.
Thud.
A massive figure descended from the air.
His eyes gleamed like a tiger’s, and behind him, a mirage-like form of a giant sword seemed to shimmer.
“Jo Cheonwang.”
He was the leader of the Martial Heaven Corps and the father of Jo Bi-un, the Flawless Sword, whom Bu Eunseol had beheaded in a single strike.
The Imperial Dragon Sword, Jo Cheonwang.
“Honestly, I hoped you’d die with one strike… but part of me didn’t,” Jo Cheonwang said, approaching the fallen Heavenly Sword with a deep sigh.
“You need to suffer more and face my sword properly in the future.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Avenging a child’s death was a father’s natural duty. Thus, he didn’t blame Jo Cheonwang for the sudden ambush.
“Call me anytime,” Bu Eunseol said confidently.
Jo Cheonwang nodded calmly. “When you’re ready to face me properly.”
Astonishingly, Jo Cheonwang viewed Bu Eunseol as beneath him, waiting for him to grow stronger before killing him.
‘A leader would think that way,’ Bu Eunseol thought.
If Majeon had the Ten Demonic Sects, the Martial Alliance had the Seven Great Leaders.
Their prowess could annihilate entire sects single-handedly, and they wielded immense authority, commanding their own forces independently. The true strength upholding the Martial Alliance wasn’t the Nine Great Sects or the Eight Great Families—it was the Seven Great Division Captains.
“Retrieve his body,” Jo Cheonwang ordered.
He seemed to be the only leader from the Martial Alliance present.
At his command, martial artists, likely from the Alliance, respectfully collected the Heavenly Sword’s body. Once the duel ended, Majeon and Martial Alliance dispersed the gathered martial artists at Seokgwang Plain.
With so many masters from both sides gathered, trouble could arise.
“…” As the duel concluded, Bu Eunseol briefly locked eyes with the leaders of the Death Shadow Corps watching from afar.
Understanding his intent, they nodded in unison.
Go.
Safe travels.
Leaving Seokgwang Plain, Bu Eunseol employed his movement technique at full speed.
His destination wasn’t Majeon but Seven Swords Ridge, where Yeong Munho’s humble cottage stood.
The ownerless cottage stood forlornly, with only the desolate wind brushing past his ears.
Bu Eunseol ascended to Yeong Munho’s grave atop Seven Swords Ridge.
“The sunlight is warm, yet the wind feels so cold,” he said, pouring a cup of strong, fine liquor over the grave.
“I didn’t bring his head.”
He spoke in a low voice. “He was too big a figure for that.”
Bu Eunseol had avenged Yeong Munho’s brutal death.
Had the Heavenly Sword not come, Yeong Munho would have lived quietly, gathering herbs in the martial world. He might have met a kind woman, raised children, and lived happily.
‘Grandfather.’
A pang of longing flickered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
If the villain who killed his grandfather hadn’t appeared, he would still be with Bu Zhanyang, performing rites for the dead, eating noodles with pickled radish…
And at night, he’d talk with his grandfather in their single-room home before falling asleep.
A happy life.
‘I hope you find happiness there.’ As he gazed at the grave, recalling Yeong Munho, Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew misty.
The night deepened, and a bright moon rose. He turned to descend Seven Swords Ridge.
Step, step.
But in the distance, a shadow appeared.
Despite the moonlight illuminating the earth, the approaching figure’s face was blurred. The powerful energy fluctuations obscured their features.
“Are you done mourning?” the shadow asked in a hoarse voice.
Bu Eunseol hadn’t sensed the old man’s presence while climbing the ridge. Even straining his vision, he couldn’t see the face within the shadow.
The figure before him possessed unimaginable martial prowess.
“You waited for me?” Bu Eunseol asked calmly, unshaken. “There was no need for that.”
“Heh heh heh,” the shadow chuckled softly, stepping forward.
An old man appeared, his face and forearms covered in countless deep scars. He looked almost reptilian, yet his clear, upright eyes left no ill impression.
But Bu Eunseol’s expression grew grave. Taking a deep breath, he drew the Ice Soul Sword.
“Indeed,” the old man said, nodding as Bu Eunseol drew his sword. “That single move shows what a prodigy you are.”
“Are you here to avenge him?”
“Yes,” the old man replied.
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath, recognizing from his aura and stance alone that this was Heonwon Damcheong, the Sword Venerable, creator of the Myriad Phenomena Sword Style, the pinnacle of orthodox swordsmanship.
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