With a cold expression, Weiji Hyesang spoke.
"If that happens, won’t even Captain Myo face punishment?"
"Do you think he’s afraid of punishment?" Bu Eunseol snorted mockingly"A guy who came here prepared to die?"
For the first time, Weiji Hyesang’s eyes, which had always been curved like crescent moons, straightened into a sharp line.
Myo Cheonwoo, whom he had always regarded as insignificant, had dealt an unexpected blow.
If he hadn’t used Myo Cheonwoo as a spy, the secretly managed Seven Immortals Teahouse would never have been exposed. But because he had brought Myo Cheonwoo in as a spy, the clandestine funding network and intelligence organization, which had remained hidden until now, had been laid bare.
"Martial Soul Command Lord," Weiji Hyesang said, his face as if layered with frost. "Until now, I’ve treated you with goodwill."
A chilling murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
"But you repay kindness with betrayal."
"Kindness?" Bu Eunseol looked down at Weiji Hyesang with eyes brimming with killing intent. "From the moment you used my friend as a spy in the Hwa Wu Sword Sect… you and I became enemies."
"Hahaha," Weiji Hyesang laughed sinisterly. "This ‘friend’ you speak of… are you referring to the one who killed another friend?"
In that moment, Myo Cheonwoo’s face turned pale.
If Bu Eunseol learned that he was the one who had exposed Yeong Munho’s actions to the Heavenly Sword, he would never forgive him.
Trembling, Myo Cheonwoo, head bowed, spoke up.
He had to tell the truth.
Even if his sins couldn’t be forgiven, Bu Eunseol deserved to know the truth.
"It’s true. I… I was the one who revealed Yeong Munho’s actions to the Heavenly Sword…"
"Don’t say a word," Bu Eunseol interrupted.
In truth, he hadn’t heard anything from the assassin. The moment they met, the assassin had taken his own life.
But upon hearing that Myo Cheonwoo had gone to the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, Bu Eunseol had pieced together the entire situation: that the assassin was part of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect; that Myo Cheonwoo hadn’t become a spy for personal gain; that he hadn’t willingly leaked information to the Heavenly Sword but had been forced by unavoidable circumstances; and that he had been willing to sacrifice his life to sever that connection.
If Bu Eunseol hadn’t believed this, he wouldn’t have gone to the Hwa Wu Sword Sect to save Myo Cheonwoo.
"Myo Cheonwoo," he said, helping Myo Cheonwoo to his feet and turning away. "You were just used. Both you and I."
Weiji Hyesang had always subjected him to deliberate trials. Whether they had been helpful or not, Bu Eunseol had, to some extent, lived like Weiji Hyesang’s puppet.
"Let’s go."
As Bu Eunseol supported Myo Cheonwoo and turned to leave, Weiji Hyesang shouted, "You think you can meddle in someone else’s domain without consequences?"
His eyes, now filled with venom, were so dark that the whites were barely visible. Even for someone with his immense power and influence, losing his covert foundation was a significant blow.
"Consequences?" Bu Eunseol smirked coldly. "If you feel wronged, call a Demonic Assembly. Tell them a teahouse leaking information to the Martial Alliance was destroyed."
"…"
"Persuade the Chief Instructor or the Demon Emperor. Or perhaps ask Lord Weiji to resolve it for you."
His words mocked Weiji Hyesang’s earlier provocation to fight by any means.
Step, step.
As Bu Eunseol walked away with Myo Cheonwoo, Weiji Hyesang called out, "Planning to run?"
Shing.
Weiji Hyesang drew his sword.
"Since we’re here, how about showing me a move or two?"
Bu Eunseol was not one to shy away from a fight. And Weiji Hyesang was confident that, if a duel began, he could send Bu Eunseol to his doom.
"Oh? You need a justification?" Weiji Hyesang said with a smile. "Martial Soul Command Lord, I challenge you."
Bu Eunseol stopped in his tracks.
Myo Cheonwoo looked at him with worry but could no longer intervene. He no longer had the right.
"I refuse," Bu Eunseol replied unexpectedly.
A man who would leap into a fight even in his sleep was avoiding a duel?
"Are you afraid?" Weiji Hyesang taunted.
"Not at all," Bu Eunseol said nonchalantly, as if uninterested. "Winning now wouldn’t bring me joy."
"Winning wouldn’t bring joy? What does that mean?"
"You must be too preoccupied with rebuilding your ruined teahouse…" Bu Eunseol said, wearing an uncharacteristically gentle smile. "With your stomach churning, do you think you could even wield your sword properly, Master of the Seven Immortals Teahouse?"
Weiji Hyesang, a disciple of the Profound Demon Weiji Mu-a and heir to the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, stood above all others. When had he ever been insulted by being called the master of a teahouse?
Myo Cheonwoo, standing nearby, flinched and stole a glance at Weiji Hyesang. He had to clench his fists and puff out his cheeks to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out.
Weiji Hyesang, who had always maintained an air of aloofness and transcendence, looked as if his face was melting like taffy under Bu Eunseol’s words.
"Well, then," Bu Eunseol said, leading Myo Cheonwoo away without looking back.
"Urgh!" Weiji Hyesang trembled, his body radiating a white glow as veins bulged across his form. His aura soared to the heavens, and a storm raged around him.
"You two are truly troublesome," he muttered.
Whoosh!
He lightly swung his sword.
Myo Cheonwoo, who had been walking with Bu Eunseol’s support, let out a pained scream and collapsed. An invisible sword qi had pierced his shoulder.
"Ugh…" Myo Cheonwoo gritted his teeth to endure the pain. The wound itself was minor, but the intangible sword qi had ravaged his meridians and disrupted his qi flow.
"Stop them. Don’t let them escape," Weiji Hyesang commanded coldly.
Swish.
Five black-clad swordsmen appeared before Bu Eunseol and Myo Cheonwoo as if rising from the earth—the Five Fire Rain Guests, who always guarded Weiji Hyesang.
"That’s what happens when you turn your back so carelessly…"
Boom!
Suddenly, an explosion rang out, and the head of one of the Five Fire Rain Guests shot into the sky.
Splatter.
Blood sprayed like a fountain from the severed neck.
Step, step.
Through the falling blood and the bodies of the slain, a figure with glowing red eyes approached Weiji Hyesang, wielding a dark iron sword.
It was Bu Eunseol.
Weiji Hyesang had made a mistake.
If he wanted to fight, he should have attacked Bu Eunseol directly. He should never have targeted the injured Myo Cheonwoo.
"You dare harm a swordsman of my sect…" Weiji Hyesang began to shout in anger but suddenly fell silent.
He had clearly seen Bu Eunseol walking slowly through the pouring blood, yet in the blink of an eye, Bu Eunseol was standing nose-to-nose, looking down at him.
"If you want a fight," Bu Eunseol said in a low voice, his eyes burning like embers. "Strike first."
Weiji Hyesang couldn’t hide his shock.
A typical martial artist’s defensive range was about one jang (roughly ten feet). Any closer, and they would instinctively attack to counter a surprise assault. Weiji Hyesang’s defensive range was two jang, as he had reached the Supreme Heavenly Realm, allowing him to split time finely, respond effortlessly to close-range ambushes, and unleash multiple techniques in a split second.
Yet Bu Eunseol had closed the distance in an instant, standing right before him. This alone revealed the extraordinary heights of Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess.
"Martial Soul Command Lord, I know your martial arts have reached an extraordinary level," Weiji Hyesang said, staring into Bu Eunseol’s blazing eyes with a faint smile. "To approach this close without striking first… you must be confident of victory."
His eyes curved into crescents again, and he smiled like an innocent child.
"Since it seems I can’t win unscathed, I’ll take the easier path."
Suddenly, a dark energy flowed from Weiji Hyesang’s eyes. At the same time, Bu Eunseol’s eyes lost focus as a shadowy cloud burrowed into his mind. His body began to slump slowly.
Could it be that Weiji Hyesang had reached the Limitless Realm, capable of directly attacking another’s psyche?
'Soul-Seizing Spirit Words.'
The bloodlust in Bu Eunseol’s eyes intensified.
Weiji Hyesang hadn’t reached the Limitless Realm. Instead, he had mastered the astonishing Soul-Seizing Spirit Words, capable of striking even the psyche of a Supreme Heavenly Realm master, much like Hyeok Ryeon-eung.
'So you, too, are part of the Three Realms.'
Bu Eunseol’s expression darkened.
The Hwa Wu Sword Sect, the premier demonic sword sect, and its heir was also part of the Three Realms? Just how far did their influence extend?
'No, didn’t I already expect this?'
The Three Realms had their hands in every corner of the martial world, with their leaders either aware of or directly or indirectly connected to them. That’s why Bu Eunseol had resolved to either build a force to crush the Three Realms in one fell swoop or defeat them one by one.
"In a duel between masters, victory is decided in a fleeting moment," Weiji Hyesang said, slowly approaching.
Stab.
Without hesitation, he thrust his sharp sword through Bu Eunseol’s heart.
"I really didn’t want to kill you," he said, his expression genuinely regretful, like a child mourning a broken toy.
But something strange happened.
Despite his heart being pierced, Bu Eunseol stood glaring at him with wide-open eyes.
Flash!
Weiji Hyesang swung his sword again like lightning, severing Bu Eunseol’s arms, legs, and neck in one stroke.
Yet it was futile.
Bu Eunseol stood unmoved, as if nothing had happened.
"What’s this? Have you become an immortal demon?" Weiji Hyesang exclaimed.
Slash!
With a sharp cry, a massive sword qi erupted from his blade, soaring into the sky. It cleaved Bu Eunseol in two, split the earth, and even parted the distant Cloud Dream Lake.
Whoosh!
The sword qi returned, slicing Bu Eunseol’s bisected body into further pieces—a masterful display of the Hwa Wu Sword’s fifth technique, Heart Light Protection.
Whirl.
But something bizarre occurred.
A gentle breeze emanated from Bu Eunseol’s fragmented body, quickly escalating into a tempest that seemed capable of sweeping away the world.
Rumble. Boom!
The sky darkened, and thick black clouds roiled. A chilling wail, like the cry of a vengeful spirit, echoed from all directions.
"Hmph, so the Martial Soul Command Lord of Majeon has mastered sorcery as well?" Weiji Hyesang sneered, unleashing his sword techniques again to shred Bu Eunseol’s body.
Hum.
But the more he attacked, the larger Bu Eunseol’s body grew, until it became a colossal shadow touching the heavens.
Boom.
The massive shadow transformed again. Now, a pair of glowing red eyes hovered in the sky, radiating an overwhelming pressure that seemed to crush the body and soul of anyone who met their gaze.
"Ugh," Weiji Hyesang groaned for the first time in his life.
Born invincible, he believed no one surpassed him. The only ones he considered rivals were the transcendent beings who overlooked the martial world, and even they, he was certain, would eventually bow before him.
But now, an unknown entity had emerged from an unexpected place.
"Why won’t you die?" Weiji Hyesang roared, channeling all his power. Waves of energy radiated outward, for he, too, had long surpassed the limits of inner strength achievable by a young grandmaster. His swordsmanship had transcended the Hwa Wu Sword’s boundaries, allowing him to freely manipulate techniques.
Yet, in this moment, he was but a small candle before a typhoon.
Rumble.
A thunderclap shook the heavens and earth.
Looking up, Weiji Hyesang saw a black storm erupting from the red eyes in the sky. It swallowed him in an instant, spinning chaotically.
At the same time, incomprehensible questions flooded his mind relentlessly:
—Why? What does he know, and how much? How is he peering into my mind? Could all of this have been his intention?
Dizziness and nausea overwhelmed him. He wanted to vomit, but nothing came out. No matter how he shook his head, the black storm burrowed into his mind, sowing chaos.
Rumble.
Another thunderclap resounded.
The black storm gave way to a dark figure approaching him.
"Ugh!" Seeing the figure, Weiji Hyesang began to retch.
It was an unbearable despair, an invincible dominance. Merely looking at it felt like his psyche was being torn apart, and he could no longer stand.
"Ugh…" Finally, Weiji Hyesang fell to one knee. If he hadn’t, his body and soul would have been consumed by the despair and dominance of the shadow.
As he knelt, averted his gaze, and submitted to its power, the suffocating chaos and frustration began to fade.
'Illusion Upon Illusion?'
Only then did Weiji Hyesang realize the truth.
It wasn’t Bu Eunseol who had been ensnared by the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words—it was himself. Bu Eunseol had used a power akin to the Human Demon’s Illusion Upon Illusion to ravage his mind.
As he recognized the illusion, his vision cleared, and the world came into focus.
But then, his body froze like a statue.
He saw himself kneeling before Bu Eunseol, head bowed.
"How…" Weiji Hyesang muttered, his eyes unfocused.
How had this happened? His Soul-Seizing Spirit Words could subdue even a Supreme Heavenly Realm master instantly. Had Bu Eunseol reached the Infinite Realm, not only resisting it but turning the tables with Illusion Upon Illusion?
"I didn’t do anything," Bu Eunseol said calmly, as if reading his thoughts. "I merely showed you what I’ve experienced."
Having achieved the state of Spirit Regulation Harmony, Bu Eunseol was immune to psychic attacks. When Weiji Hyesang used the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words, Bu Eunseol recalled the Human Demon’s technique of projecting his mental state. Though he hadn’t mastered soul-capturing techniques, his Spirit Regulation Harmony rendered Weiji Hyesang’s art ineffective, reversing the roles of caster and target.
Moreover, Bu Eunseol had learned the Tranquil Awakening from the Heavenly Emperor, the foundation of the Human Demon’s technique. Mimicking the Human Demon, he projected his mental state onto Weiji Hyesang—the psychic shock and pain he had endured during his first encounter with the Demon Emperor and the Nangyang Pavilion Master, the Human Demon.
"You couldn’t withstand it," Bu Eunseol said impassively. "The chaos and despair I’ve endured."
Looking down at the kneeling Weiji Hyesang with contempt, he continued, "Since you’ve knelt, I’ll let you off this time."
With a scornful glance, Bu Eunseol supported Myo Cheonwoo and slowly vanished into the mist. Weiji Hyesang remained motionless, staring at the ground with unfocused eyes.
Without revealing any of the supreme techniques or inner strength he had mastered, Bu Eunseol had defeated him simply by sharing the pain of his past.
"Heh heh heh," Weiji Hyesang, frozen like a statue, suddenly looked up and burst into laughter. "Heh heh heh… Hahaha!"
His laughter was low and grim, like the mad cackle of a demon god descending to destroy the world.
"Hahahaha!"
Abruptly, he stopped laughing.
His face had changed entirely. His delicate, almost feminine features had transformed into a rugged, wild visage. His eyes narrowed further, his eyebrows thickened, and his pale skin seemed to take on a bronze hue.
"Kekeke! Hahaha!" Weiji Hyesang let out a strange laugh before stopping abruptly and shaking his head. "I told you… you weren’t ready."
His once clear and refined voice now resonated with a deep, gravelly tone.
"Since it’s come to this, I’ll let you rise higher, ripen fully…" He licked his lips, his eyes glinting with a dark radiance that spread in all directions. "And then… I’ll devour you in one bite."
The once serene and pure gaze of Weiji Hyesang had turned crystal-clear with an eerie light, and a sinister, otherworldly aura emanated from his body.
From a pure youth, he had transformed into a demon god descended to bring nightmares upon the martial world.
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