Bu Eunseol shook his head.
Now was not the time for despairing thoughts.
The most important thing was Blood Vajra’s safety.
‘If these are enemies I cannot defeat, I must at least ensure the Elder escapes safely.’
Blood Vajra was in a state of severe injury, with no part of his body unscathed.
“The Elder is leaving the martial world to return to his rightful place,” Bu Eunseol said, concealing his complex and anguished emotions as he clasped his hands together. “For a moment, this disciple will handle these troublesome matters, so please retreat first.”
Without further words, he drew his Ice Soul Sword in a single motion.
The Ice Soul Sword, repaired by Wang Geol, resembled a dark iron blade. Yet it was sturdy enough to withstand Bu Eunseol’s full swings, and when infused with his energy, it naturally emitted a white sword aura.
Swish.
As Bu Eunseol calmly stepped into the center of the clearing, the assassins surrounded him as if they had been waiting for this moment.
With over a hundred assassins forming a circular formation, it felt as though a black wall had been erected around him.
Flash!
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s Ice Soul Sword, infused with his inner energy, unleashed a massive cross-shaped sword aura.
Slash!
With the sound of rushing water, giant trees fell, cutting down assassins in their path.
Clang! Clang!
But these were no ordinary assassins—they were elite killers sent by the Three Realms with the sole purpose of eliminating Bu Eunseol. Moving with mechanical precision and discipline, they swiftly swung their swords, effortlessly deflecting the unpredictable cross-shaped sword aura.
Bu Eunseol unleashed the Meteor Chasing the Moon Technique and the Caged Bird Yearning for Clouds Technique in rapid succession, cutting down assassins. Yet they advanced and retreated in perfect coordination, flawlessly defending against his sword techniques.
‘Has the Elder safely escaped?’ Bu Eunseol wondered as the relentless exchange continued, his heart growing anxious.
The assassins’ tight encirclement and the strange aura they emitted made it impossible to sense Blood Vajra’s location.
‘They might target the Elder. I need to escape first.’ If he continued to be stalled like this, the assassins might change their target to Blood Vajra.
‘Could it be… was this all your plan?’
Feeling his focus waver, Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
When wielding martial arts, the body and weapon must become one, and the mind must be focused to overpower the enemy. But worrying about Blood Vajra’s safety caused his mind to split, scattering his focus.
Someone who understood Bu Eunseol’s personality and fighting style so well could only be among the captains of Death Shadow Pavilion.
‘I’ll end this quickly!’
Whoosh!
A strange sonic boom erupted from Bu Eunseol’s left hand as he unleashed his technique. A red aura swirled fiercely from his shoulder to his fist, like a raging whirlwind.
Boom!
Hundreds of red rays spread out like the ribs of a fan, unleashing a force as mighty as Mount Tai.
He had poured his full power into the Seven Fist Demon Forms.
Boom! Crash!
The unleashed force became a storm that devoured everything, yet also flowed like a dragon weaving through the air, piercing the assassins’ bodies.
Crack! Snap!
Thick trees snapped endlessly, turning the dense forest into a clearing.
Until now, Bu Eunseol had never used the Seven Fist Demon Forms consecutively.
Its power was so immense, and its variations so intricate, that no formidable opponent could easily withstand it.
Hiss.
White smoke rose from Bu Eunseol’s heated left fist as he paused his attack.
But his expression was far from bright.
‘Only nine.’
Despite unleashing the Seven Fist Demon Forms with full force, he had only managed to take down nine assassins.
And those were the ones moving independently, not part of the main battle formation. The assassins in the formation moved as one, perfectly blocking the force of the Seven Fist Demon Forms.
‘They’ve studied my martial techniques.’
Until he mastered the Heavenly Glacial Secret, Bu Eunseol hadn’t been able to completely erase the traces of his techniques from the wounds of his enemies during his travels in the martial world.
In particular, he had used the Seven Fist Demon Forms casually multiple times, leaving many traces.
The Three Realms had evidently analyzed every variation and technique of the Seven Fist Demon Forms he had left behind, developing a perfect counter. Otherwise, the assassins wouldn’t have been able to combine their energy to create such flawless defenses.
Slash!
Unfazed, Bu Eunseol unleashed over a dozen more sword techniques.
Meteor Chasing the Moon, Waning Moon, Dawn Star, and Caged Bird Yearning for Clouds Techniques…
He layered techniques to amplify their power and mixed in variations to make them unpredictable.
But it was futile.
The assassins perfectly countered the three sword techniques of the Supreme Heavenly Flow, which Bu Eunseol frequently used, and even launched counterattacks at times.
‘They’re telling me to use new techniques.’
So far, the assassins had focused solely on defense, not actively attacking. They were waiting for Bu Eunseol to unleash new martial techniques.
‘It’s as if they’re saying I must reveal all my cards to protect the Elder.’ Bu Eunseol’s eyebrows twitched upward.
He still had the Wishful True Binding and the Thirteen Guiding Energies, which could be considered his trump cards.
He also had the Heavenly Glacial Secret, the Great Yeolha Technique, and the fearsome Seven Blood Tear Forms of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, all backed by his immense inner energy.
But if he used these trump cards?
It would be like handing over the essence of his martial arts to the Three Realms.
Yet if he didn’t defeat the assassins quickly, Blood Vajra could be in danger.
‘Fine.’ As Bu Eunseol made his decision, a five-colored aura emanated from his body.
Instead of laboriously using multiple martial techniques, he would sweep away the assassins in one fell swoop.
By blending extreme yin and extreme yang martial arts, he would unleash the unparalleled power of “Harmony,” a technique that could shatter the heavens.
Crack.
Forcing an incomplete technique caused his energy channels to twist, and he felt excruciating pain as his muscles and bones contorted.
Such a reckless attempt would further damage his already battered body.
But it didn’t matter.
Bu Eunseol had come here to safely escort his master, Blood Vajra, to Tianlong Temple. To think that his presence might put him in danger?
That was something he could not tolerate.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a sound like a raging storm erupted.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, one of the assassins’ human walls collapsed. Turning around, Bu Eunseol saw Blood Vajra unleashing palm energy with his severed left hand.
“Elder.”
“It seems… they didn’t consider this humble monk a threat.”
With their superior intelligence, the Three Realms knew Blood Vajra’s body was in tatters, half-dead. Thus, they hadn’t accounted for him as a combatant, instead treating him as a burden to Bu Eunseol.
But that was a grave miscalculation.
Boom! Crash!
Each time Blood Vajra unleashed his palm energy, assassins flew back without even a chance to scream.
Though he refrained from lethal techniques, his immense inner energy crushed bones in an instant.
Despite his compromised physical state, Blood Vajra’s inner energy, honed through years of practicing the Ban-Geuk Method, was thick enough to split the heavens and earth.
His mastery of energy manipulation and subtlety was at a level even Bu Eunseol couldn’t hope to match.
‘To think the Elder could wield such martial arts in that condition?’
Bu Eunseol couldn’t believe it.
Blood Vajra, who could barely walk due to his near-death state, was unleashing such formidable martial prowess?
Boom! Crash!
Blood Vajra poured his true energy into his palm techniques without restraint.
He had entered the martial world to settle all his grudges and had no intention of using martial arts. But to save Bu Eunseol from danger, he was now unleashing his inner energy without hesitation.
‘To think the Elder’s prowess was this great.’
Bu Eunseol was once again astonished by Blood Vajra’s martial ability.
He knew the Elder’s inner energy was profound, but he hadn’t anticipated that his martial arts had reached such a lofty realm.
‘If the Elder hadn’t chosen to live in seclusion, the martial world’s balance of power would have shifted once more.’
Having immersed himself in martial arts his entire life and preserved his vital essence as a monk, Blood Vajra’s pure inner energy displayed the might of a thunderbolt. In particular, his use of Tianlong Temple’s palm technique, the Great Heavenly Dragon Seal, was one of the most powerful in the martial world.
When unleashed through the formidable Ban-Geuk Energy, it was as if an entire mountain was being hurled, exuding fierce and ferocious power.
‘This is enough.’ Bu Eunseol gripped his Ice Soul Sword tightly.
The assassins had trained mechanically to counter Bu Eunseol alone. But with Blood Vajra, a supreme master, entering the fray, they were utterly unprepared.
Boom! Crash!
As Blood Vajra’s palm energy pushed back the assassins,
Flash!
Bu Eunseol unleashed the Supreme Heavenly Flow Technique with full force.
The martial arts of the master and disciple perfectly harmonized offense and defense, backed by the unparalleled inner energy of the Ban-Geuk Method…
Truly demonstrating the power of the ultimate martial extreme.
‘I’ve relied too much on inner energy.’
Blood Vajra could strike thirty paces with a single breath of true energy, targeting vital points with precision.
‘Until now, I’ve focused only on powerful martial arts, putting too much strain on my body. Doesn’t my body feel stiffer than the Elder’s?’
Moreover, through Blood Vajra’s intricate palm techniques and vast combat experience, Bu Eunseol indirectly learned his masterful tactics and recognized his own shortcomings.
‘I’ve been acting like a spoiled rich heir, throwing gold at a cup of tea.’
Bu Eunseol had reached the pinnacle of inner energy too quickly and mastered too many powerful martial arts. As a result, he could defeat enemies effortlessly without intricate techniques or tactics.
But Blood Vajra, despite his immense inner energy, used it with precision and subtlety. Even when wielding martial arts, he enhanced their power through intricate variations.
It was the wisdom of a magnate who could enjoy a splendid feast with minimal expense.
“Huff, huff.” Bu Eunseol and Blood Vajra stood back-to-back, breathing heavily.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the forest was littered with fallen assassins.
With Blood Vajra’s help, Bu Eunseol had defeated formidable enemies with ordinary martial arts and simple techniques. Moreover, to honor Blood Vajra’s Penance Journey, he had rendered the assassins combat-incapable without taking their lives.
“The stench is foul.” Blood Vajra frowned as he looked at the fallen assassins.
Instead of artificial inner elixirs, they had been fed some kind of poison, and their blood emitted a noxious odor.
Had the two not mastered the Ban-geuk Method, which protected against poisonous energy, they would have succumbed to the toxin even after winning.
“Quite the scheme!” Regaining his breath, Blood Vajra glared at Bu Eunseol. “You’ve given this humble monk, who sought to settle all grudges and return, quite the experience!”
His expression was one of utter fury.
“What kind of escort is this?”
“Your title is Blood Vajra, is it not?” Bu Eunseol replied with a brazen expression. “Since it’s a path to repay blood debts, shouldn’t the return path naturally be paved with blood?”
Blood Vajra, momentarily stunned, burst into laughter.
“Hohohoho! Hahaha!” Nodding, he looked to the distant sky, laughing heartily for a while. “Of course, as Blood Vajra, my path could only be one of blood! Wahahaha!”
As he laughed boisterously, thick blood oozed from his chest and back.
He had sustained countless wounds during his Penance Journey.
Moreover, the assassins sent by the Three Realms were skilled enough to take down any master.
For his battered body to face them, it was inevitable he’d be in such a state.
“Elder.”
“It’s fine. As you said, isn’t this humble monk Blood Vajra?” Blood Vajra smiled.
With difficulty, he stood and began walking.
“I’ll escort you to Tianlong Temple immediately.”
“No need.” Blood Vajra spoke calmly.
“If I use qinggong, how can I wash away this blood?”
“Elder…” As Bu Eunseol’s eyes darkened, Blood Vajra forced a smile.
“Only by shedding all the blood in my body can Blood Vajra become Iron Vajra again, can he not?” He continued walking, blood trailing behind him.
Bu Eunseol’s expression was pained, but he dared not stop him.
Blood Vajra had entered Dali already gravely wounded, risking his life to wash away his blood debts.
How could he interfere?
With a tormented expression, Bu Eunseol followed behind.
Step, step.
The sun set, night fell, and dawn broke again.
As Blood Vajra and Bu Eunseol walked endlessly, a grand temple came into view.
Tianlong Temple.
At last, Blood Vajra had returned to the sanctuary he so longed for.
“Hmm.” Blood Vajra hesitated, looking at the stone steps.
Did he, soaked in blood, have the right to ascend to Tianlong Temple? Was he worthy of returning?
Creak.
At that moment, the closed gates of Tianlong Temple opened.
As if aware of Blood Vajra’s anguish and hesitation.
Step, step.
Seeing this, Blood Vajra summoned his courage and began ascending the stone steps.
Drip, drip.
His body was so drained of blood it had turned pale, his eyes clouded.
Yet he could reach Tianlong Temple only because of his desperate wish to die there.
At the top of the steps, before the main hall, stood an elderly monk with white eyebrows.
It was Master Jeong Yeong, Blood Vajra’s master and the abbot of Tianlong Temple.
Step, step.
With trembling steps, Blood Vajra stood before Master Jeong Yeong.
He knelt.
“This… this humble monk…” Unable to call himself a disciple before Jeong Yeong, Blood Vajra bowed his head to the ground and spoke.
“I have committed countless sins. I came to atone for them with my death.”
Blood Vajra spoke with all his strength.
“Though I can never again be a disciple of Tianlong Temple, though I cannot wash away my sins…”
“…”
“I beg you, Master, to judge me…” Choked with emotion, Blood Vajra could not continue.
He was ashamed and filled with regret.
Even shedding blood like this, how could he wash away past mistakes?
Had he needlessly caused his master more pain with this futile act?
But Blood Vajra summoned his courage once more.
“I earnestly beg you to judge me.”
Master Jeong Yeong let out a deep sigh and looked at Blood Vajra.
“Hongdeok.” Placing a frail hand on Blood Vajra’s shoulder, Master Jeong Yeong smiled kindly.
“You are already a disciple of this temple.”
Tear.
At those words, clear tears streamed from Blood Vajra’s eyes.
Master Jeong Yeong had already forgiven Blood Vajra—no, his disciple Hongdeok.
“Master… Master!” Hongdeok wept tears of blood at Master Jeong Yeong’s feet.
Images of his foolish past flashed through his mind. And in those memories, his master’s kind gaze was always etched.
“Master! Master!” Seeing Hongdeok’s wails, Master Jeong Yeong clasped his hands.
“Amitabha.” With a compassionate expression, he placed a hand on Hongdeok’s back. “The sea of suffering is endless, but turn your head, and there is the other shore…”
Hearing his words, Hongdeok seemed to gain great enlightenment, a radiant smile spreading across his face.
Then, as if all life had left him, he collapsed backward.
“Elder!” Bu Eunseol, standing outside the gate, rushed to support him.
He immediately infused Ban-Geuk Energy into him.
With a whoosh, Hongdeok opened his eyes again, looking at Bu Eunseol with a kind smile.
“It’s so hard to sever ties with the martial world.”
“Elder. Elder.” Tears streamed from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Blood Vajra’s serene and compassionate smile reminded him of his grandfather, Bu Zhanyang’s death.
“Poor child. You’ve always hidden your tender heart behind a cold facade, living stoically.” Seeing this, Hongdeok reached out to wipe Bu Eunseol’s tears.
“I hope you achieve your goals and reach the realm of great fulfillment.”
“Elder.”
“…And if, one day, you can return the complete Ban-Geuk Method to this temple, this humble monk will be grateful to you even from the depths of hell…”
With those words, he closed his eyes, leaving a gentle smile.
Ding, ding, ding.
The bell signaling a monk’s passing echoed through Tianlong Temple.
Bu Eunseol, holding Hongdeok tightly, wept silently.
After a long time, the senior monks of Tianlong Temple approached and carefully lifted Hongdeok’s body. Though he had accumulated many grudges in his youth, Hongdeok had finally resolved them all.
And he had become a disciple of Tianlong Temple once more.
What regrets could remain?
A smile, like that of an enlightened Buddha, adorned the face of the departed Blood Vajra.
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