‘What is this?’
Bu Eunseol’s sword moves poured out so fast they fused into one mass, leaving Pang Ryun greatly flustered as he wildly swung the Black Blood Demon Saber.
But Bu Eunseol’s sword moves surpassed the speed of Pang Ryun’s Gale Swift Blade Form.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
His pride wounded, Pang Ryun refused to dodge the mad onslaught, countering with the ultimate speed profundity of Gale Swift Blade Form.
Yet Bu Eunseol’s sword, cloaked in purple Thunder Spirit Energy, was faster.
Flash!
The frenzied blade finally grazed Pang Ryun’s cheek, leaving a small scratch.
“You bastard!”
BOOM!
Infuriated, Pang Ryun doubled his internal energy and began unleashing the true essence of Black Blood Blade Art.
ROOOAR!
A sound like a waterfall crashing from nowhere accompanied a colossal blade energy pouring over Bu Eunseol’s head.
It was three or four times wider in scope than the Seven Blood Tear Forms Southern Sky Great Hero Gwanhai Geum had etched on a frozen lakeside.
‘To widen the range, water energy would be good.’
Inspiration flashed in Bu Eunseol’s mind, and the Ice Soul Sword turned blue once more.
He combined the Heavenly Glacial Secret with Crystal Water Energy.
Slash!
At the same time, he unleashed Supreme Heavenly Flow sixth form, Lament of the River, which defended against intangible energies like poison arts.
Plop-plop-plop-plop!
Hundreds of ice crystals naturally poured from Bu Eunseol’s extended sword move.
Heavenly Glacial Secret fused with Crystal Water Energy reinforced Lament of the River Form into an entirely different shape.
BOOM! BOOM!
But something strange happened.
Pang Ryun did not nullify the ice crystals with Black Blood Blade Energy—instead, he shattered them directly with the Black Blood Demon Saber?
‘True energy martial arts like Crystal Water Energy or Heavenly Glacial Secret should instantly vanish upon touching Black Blood Blade Energy.’
A curious thought sparked in Bu Eunseol’s mind.
‘So that’s it.’
He realized Black Blood Blade Energy could nullify only one attribute at a time. When yielding three moves, he had unleashed single powers one by one, easily nullified.
But now, with extreme yin martial art and Crystal Water Energy overlapping and combining, it couldn’t nullify them all at once.
‘Black Blood Blade Energy isn’t an invincible secret. Then…’
FWOOOSH!
Bu Eunseol combined Ban-Geuk Method’s Great Sun True Energy with Thunder Spirit Energy.
The Ice Soul Sword instantly wrapped in purple thunder and flames.
“Haaap!” With a resounding shout, Bu Eunseol unleashed Meteor Chasing the Moon Form.
Rumble! Crackle!
Instead of sharp light points, sword energies accompanied by lightning and fire poured like bullets.
“Hmph! You’re getting cocky just because Black Blood Blade Energy doesn’t work.” Pang Ryun snorted, instantly repelling Meteor Chasing the Moon Form’s sword energies.
Then something bizarre happened.
When the Black Blood Demon Saber touched the sword energies, a massive explosion erupted.
BOOOOM!
As hazy smoke cleared, Pang Ryun’s hair was frizzled, white steam rising.
He nullified the sword energies with Black Blood Blade Energy and blade art, but couldn’t block the spreading flames.
“What kind of swordsmanship is this?” As Pang Ryun opened his mouth, white smoke from Thunder Spirit Energy billowed from it too.
Seeing this, Bu Eunseol struggled to suppress a laugh.
“Is exhaling smoke from the mouth part of the Blade Emperor’s martial arts?”
“Do you… truly wish to die?” Until now, he had only cornered Bu Eunseol to force the Seven Blood Tear Forms.
But now he realized.
This young punk had used that to buy time, endlessly advancing and transforming his martial arts.
“If you don’t use the Seven Blood Tear Forms, I’ll kill you right now.”
“Fine. If you exhale white smoke from your mouth three more times like now, I’ll teach you all of the Seven Blood Tear Forms.”
Pang Ryun’s white eyebrows twitched.
That meant clashing three more times with Meteor Chasing the Moon Form accompanied by Thunder Spirit Energy.
“Nonsense!”
BOOM!
Infuriated, Pang Ryun raised internal energy and a thunderous roar erupted from him.
“Die!”
In that instant, the high hall ceiling seemed to collapse. No—it was an illusion.
Countless black blade energies poured like stars over Bu Eunseol’s head.
But Bu Eunseol did not dodge, madly unleashing Supreme Heavenly Flow Form moves consecutively.
He infused Meteor Chasing the Moon Form and Waning Moon, Dawn Star with Thunder Spirit Energy and Yeolha Great True Energy; Caged Bird Yearning for Clouds and Lament of the River Form with Heavenly Glacial Secret and Crystal Water Energy.
Crackle! Fwoosh! Rumble! BOOM!
Black Blood Blade Art’s fourth and fifth forms—Dark Fragrance Bloodless and Dark Radiance Penetration—that had blackened the ceiling vanished in an instant.
‘Th-this swordsmanship…’
For the first time in eighty years, Pang Ryun couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
Even without Black Blood Blade Energy, Black Blood Blade Art was invincible blade study.
It couldn’t be countered or dismantled in any way.
Yet this brat alternated unheard-of powers, overlapping them, pouring them like a madman, and nullified the Black Blood Demon Saber’s energies?
‘I must not panic.’
Pang Ryun was a veteran who had faced countless experts.
To seize victory, he knew never to show panic or lose momentum.
“Miscellaneous trash moves!” Despite Pang Ryun’s sneer, Bu Eunseol paid no heed, continuously pouring web-like forms.
“Hmph!” Pang Ryun snorted, slashing the Wishful True Binding.
The Black Blood Demon Saber bearing Black Blood Blade Energy nullified all true energy martial arts.
Clang! Clang-clang!
But despite pouring blade energies, only friction sparks flew. Wishful True Binding did not vanish.
He had infused sticky Crystal Water Energy into Wishful True Binding, increasing toughness.
“You!” Pang Ryun had no choice but to double internal energy, barely severing Wishful True Binding’s net.
But Bu Eunseol consecutively unleashed Wishful True Binding, draping true energy nets over him.
Slash! Slash!
Originally, Wishful True Binding was nearly a one-shot move for Bu Eunseol. Consecutive use burdened the body, no matter how deep internal energy.
But gaining five hundred years’ worth and the Dual Divine Energies, he could unleash Wishful True Binding continuously without strain.
Draping like nets, they sometimes poured hundreds like hidden weapons and sometimes formed long swords to clash with blade energies.
“Huff, huff.” Pang Ryun, who had wildly swung the Black Blood Demon Saber, finally breathed roughly.
He had never used overwhelming internal energy in battle before.
Black Blood Blade Energy easily nullified all true energy martial arts, diminishing enemy fighting spirit and energy.
Victory was always effortless.
But Bu Eunseol suddenly overlapped tremendous powers and poured them, forcing him to raise internal energy greatly to counter.
“Good!” Black true energy gushed from infuriated Pang Ryun’s body.
Rumble. Hummm.
At the same time, another Black Blood Demon Saber extended from his left hand.
Two arms meant he could manifest two Black Blood Demon Sabers.
Slash!
Wielding two, the struggling Wishful True Binding vanished like mist.
Not just doubling the blades—he overlapped Black Blood Blade Energy’s power like Bu Eunseol.
“Did you think only you could overlap powers?”
The Blade Emperor.
The great master four hundred years ago realized Black Blood Blade Energy’s flaw of nullifying only one power.
He pre-invented a secret to compensate by overlapping powers.
“Martial principles allow at most three overlapping powers… your method ends there.”
True.
Bu Eunseol’s Ban-Geuk Method handled yin-yang energies, naturally overlapping two powers into sword arts without special secrets.
But that was the limit.
Pouring two or more different powers simultaneously was closer to ‘Harmony,’ aligning and unleashing full body power.
“Now I’ll truly cut you down!” Pang Ryun glared with bloodshot eyes, unleashing Black Blood Blade Art.
Whoosh!
Blade moves incomparable to before poured forth.
Martial arts seem diverse and original.
But from martial studies’ broad view, they share many common categories and don’t deviate from principles.
But the Eight Emperors Three Stars martial arts differ.
Their arts possess power and function transcending martial arts’ limits.
Moves that were bizarre, unique, and vicious.
Pang Ryun had systematically learned blade arts from childhood, mastering the righteous ultimate Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade to pinnacle—a blade art master, with decades of combat experience roaming the martial world.
Normally, Bu Eunseol couldn’t match this level.
Crackle! Rumble! Shhh!
As the two masters clashed head-on, the hall roared as if collapsing, true energy waves spreading everywhere.
“Ugh.” Bu Eunseol groaned.
Even boosting power with Dual Divine Energies and extreme yin-yang ultimate arts, in pure martial arts, the Supreme Heavenly Flow Form couldn’t match Black Blood Blade Energy. Especially as the Supreme Heavenly Flow Form synthesized Nangyang Pavilion sword studies for advancing against strong foes.
It couldn’t overcome the already perfected Black Blood Blade Art.
Sizzle! Slash!
Wounds increased across Bu Eunseol’s body.
Pang Ryun abandoned thoughts of obtaining the Seven Blood Tear Forms.
In this short battle, Bu Eunseol terrifyingly advanced and grew his martial arts.
Prolonging it further was unpredictable.
“I’ll kill you instantly!” This mindset was reflected in Pang Ryun’s blade arts.
‘It’s becoming visible.’
Impatience, fear.
Brilliant light spread from Bu Eunseol’s blood-soaked eyes swinging the Ice Soul Sword.
He sensed fracture energy in Pang Ryun’s blade arts.
‘Finally broken.’
Until now, Pang Ryun unleashed flawless, perfect blade arts. Not just due to blade excellence, but rock-solid, firm mindset.
But as Bu Eunseol advanced martial arts terrifyingly during the fight, sensing his unknowable potential and superior martial talent…
Deep in Pang Ryun’s heart, fear and impatience arose.
Mindset shaken, his once-perfect blade arts began wavering.
And finally.
Bu Eunseol began seeing weaknesses in Pang Ryun’s pouring blade arts.
Clang! Sizzle! Clang-clang-clang.
Bu Eunseol and Pang Ryun continued close-range move exchanges endlessly.
In truth, even briefly enhancing the Supreme Heavenly Flow Form’s power couldn’t oppose Black Blood Blade Art. But with a fracture in Pang Ryun’s mindset, Bu Eunseol could engage in equal exchanges.
BOOM!
Then Pang Ryun’s Black Blood Blade Art, thirtieth form: Conceal Light Nurture Obscurity burrowed into Bu Eunseol’s side.
A bizarre move mixing blade and leg arts.
Bu Eunseol barely defended but was pushed five zhang back with a boom from the leg art graze.
Sizzle.
Barely halting, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
‘I’m not losing yet. We’re about even now.’
Regulating breath briefly, he analyzed the battle.
Continuously combating Pang Ryun, he inspected martial arts and mastered overlapping Dual Divine Energies to boost power, thus fracturing Pang Ryun’s mindset, reaching a state for continued move exchanges…
Yet he still hadn’t found a way to completely shatter that formidable, mysterious blade art and win.
‘Only the Seven Blood Tear Forms and Thirteen Guiding Energies remain.’
But both had issues.
He had only demonstrated the Seven Blood Tear Forms in real combat up to the fourth form.
The latter three forms—he had never unleashed even once.
Avoiding using the full Seven Blood Tear Forms until now was partly to deny Pang Ryun insights, but against an expert like Pang Ryun, clumsy attacks could instantly cost his head.
The Thirteen Guiding Energies were similar.
They were the least used among Bu Eunseol’s martial arts, with low proficiency.
Using unpolished arts against a foe like Pang Ryun was suicidal.
As Bu Eunseol hesitated,
“Caught you!” Spotting a weakness, Pang Ryun cheered, unleashing blade arts with full power.
Shhhh!
A bizarre wind howl like pouring rain blackened Bu Eunseol’s vision.
Black blade energies surged from all directions.
Black Blood Blade Art’s thirty-first form: Black Wind White Rain’s ultimate move.
‘I can’t evade.’
Facing the worst foe Pang Ryun, he had unraveled and researched too many thoughts.
It was an attempt to advance martial arts mid-intense battle.
But it also meant divided focus, unable to concentrate.
In this life-or-death moment, time seemed to stop; faint memories surfaced in Bu Eunseol’s mind.
***
―I guess I can’t do it.
Young Bu Eunseol puffed his cheeks, head drooping gloomily.
He had read countless medical texts grandfather brought until tattered, endlessly learned to discern causes of death.
But still, when cleaning corpses or restoring them to their usual appearance, he sometimes damaged or ruined the bodies.
Visible or relatively intact damage was confirmable.
But decayed or severely mangled corpses easily broke despite care.
―Seol-ah. You hold on to too much, tending to calculate only with your head.
Grandfather Bu Zhanyang gently stroked his beloved grandson’s head.
―That’s a trait of smart people, but some things can never be understood or calculated with the head.
Young Bu Eunseol pouted grumpily.
―Then how do I master those?
―No need to master. Because you already know, see, and do them.
Bu Zhanyang looked at Bu Eunseol with wise eyes.
―Everyone breathes, feels, thinks, moves, lives. But we don’t calculate those natural functions with the head.
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
―I don’t understand.
Bu Zhanyang explained calmly.
―If you seek to explore or improve what the head can’t understand, wipe the dust from the mirror of the mind.
Bu Zhanyang smiled, showing white teeth.
―Dust gathers on the human mind anytime.
And advised Bu Eunseol.
Simply observe naturally when cleaning corpses, without head judgment or interpretation.
Just feel what passes through the mind.
Young Bu Eunseol didn’t understand but followed.
Naturally seeing, hearing, observing without head calculation.
Then something amazing happened.
Things that were impossible despite effort. Corpses that broke feebly despite care.
He could not only cleanly embalm but perfectly restore them to their living appearance.
As grandfather said, Bu Eunseol already knew.
He had already mastered Bu Zhanyang’s knowledge and skilled touch.
But head calculation and research… had prevented it.
***
Awakening from recollection, brilliant light flowed from Bu Eunseol’s body.
Pang Ryun’s pouring blade energies were already at his nose—now impossible to evade.
―Dust gathers on the human mind anytime.
Grandfather’s voice shook his mind again.
Bu Eunseol had perfectly memorized the Seven Blood Tear Forms blade secrets, the martial world’s pinnacle blade study. He had observed Gwanhai Geum and the nameless elder’s lifelong refined Seven Blood Tear Forms up close, and inherited Bu Zhanyang’s temperament, character, wisdom, insight.
Bu Eunseol was like Bu Zhanyang’s alter ego, capable of unleashing the perfect Seven Blood Tear Forms.
‘I already know.’
Focus vanished from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Gaining profound enlightenment from grandfather’s memory, he entered a state of no-self.
Shhhh!
In that instant, Pang Ryun’s blade move swallowed Bu Eunseol’s body.
At the same time, a black blade energy storm raged chaotically as if to flay his bones and flesh.
Flash!
Then a crimson-tinged radiance shot straight up.
Plop, plop.
Water droplets echoed through the hall; dark red smoke spread, nullifying Black Wind White Rain’s blade energies.
Sizzle.
Slowly revealed was Bu Eunseol, head drooped, pouring dark red energy.
“How.” Pang Ryun’s eyes bulged.
The guy clearly engulfed in Black Wind White Rain’s blade energies stood unharmed?
And the move just unleashed… wasn’t it the Seven Blood Tear Forms’ first form, Life Lodges, Death Returns form?
Crack.
Then cracks spread across the Black Blood Demon Saber in Pang Ryun’s hand,
Dissipate.
Vanishing like a wisp of mist.
Death.
Due to the Seven Blood Tear Forms’ function handling the perfect death realm, the Black Blood Demon Saber was completely nullified.
“How…” Pang Ryun’s eyes bulged.
This wasn’t the Seven-Finger Demon Blade he knew.
An ability impossible with the Seven-Finger Demon Blade secrets he knew.
“Then the Seven Blood Tear Forms I know is fake.”
As he knew, Life Lodges, Death Returns form Form had no such power. Thus, Bu Eunseol had learned the true the Seven Blood Tear Forms he didn’t know.
‘Grandfather.’ Awakening from no-self, Bu Eunseol saw not Pang Ryun but grandfather.
Bu Zhanyang.
The blade master who became demonic legend through the Absolute Demonic Blade Project.
The one who had transmitted boundless knowledge and enlightenments to Bu Eunseol.
Realizing he was Bu Zhanyang’s alter ego, he finally awakened the true the Seven Blood Tear Forms first form: Life Lodges, Death Returns form’s genuine move.
And unleashed it instantly.
‘So that’s why.’
Bu Zhanyang freely transmitted the Seven Blood Tear Forms, capable of reaching the Supreme Demonic Path realm.
To countless people, those blade secrets were merely means to enlightenment.
The true Seven Blood Tear Forms could only be unleashed by Bu Zhanyang himself.
“You learned a different Seven Blood Tear Forms?”
Click.
To Pang Ryun’s shout, Bu Eunseol wordlessly sheathed the Ice Soul Sword.
“Let’s end this now.”
“Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha ha!” Pang Ryun suddenly laughed heartily. “Yes, yes. Now we can truly clash with the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
Pang Ryun had poured all blade studies; only the thirty-second form remained: Blade Deep Extreme Demon.
And it couldn’t be called a single move—it contained the Blade Emperor’s entire blade art essence.
If Bu Eunseol completed the Seven Blood Tear Forms?
He could finally fulfill his lifelong wish: truly clash with Seven-Finger Demon Blade.
Shing.
Pang Ryun drew the blade at his waist.
The Pang Clan warriors’ blades were straight-backed, three chi long, over one chi wide.
But his was a crescent moon-curved wando.
After mastering Blade Emperor martial arts, he abandoned even the Pang Clan blade.
“I’ll make sure you have no regrets.” As Pang Ryun raised full internal energy, the hall began shaking.
Pouring Black Blood Blade Energy throughout his body to unleash Blade Deep Extreme Demon, he looked like the Blade Emperor reincarnated from four hundred years ago.
‘I already know.’ Bu Eunseol had already clashed with thirty-one of Black Blood Blade Art’s thirty-two forms.
Thus, he could somewhat predict Pang Ryun’s final move.
Nangyang Heart Eye.
The ultimate realm of Nangyang Pavilion martial techniques, opening only upon reaching pinnacle.
The extreme mind’s eye that could absorb another’s martial arts at a glance or foresee unfolding moves, finally showed signs of manifesting in Bu Eunseol.
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