Feeling the strange phenomenon rising in his body, a spark lit in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
How could he anticipate the power and profundity of Pang Ryun’s yet-unleashed final blade move?
‘I’ve grown again.’
A peculiar exhilaration coursed through his entire body.
Through this fight, he had elevated his martial prowess another step.
Twinkle.
Mysterious radiance soon flowed from Bu Eunseol’s body.
He resembled a seeker walking a path no one else tread, alone.
The path he chose—
Whether orthodox, demonic, black, or evil, he did not know.
He merely wished to make all these powers within his body truly his own.
“Die!” Spotting a weakness in Bu Eunseol’s stance, Pang Ryun unleashed the Blade Deep Extreme Demon move.
It completely transcended martial arts’ framework, a powerful blade study capable of obliterating not just the underground Tai Shang Hall but the entire area. But to Bu Eunseol’s eyes, where Nangyang Heart Eye had briefly manifested, it was merely a motion riddled with weaknesses.
‘Grandfather, someday I’ll stand beside you.’ As blade energy spread to engulf the world, Bu Eunseol smiled brightly instead.
It was the pure smile young Bu Eunseol once gave Bu Zhanyang.
‘In my own way.’
My own Supreme Heavenly Flow, my own swordsmanship.
Having mastered the true Life Lodges, Death Returns form Form, Bu Eunseol was evolving his sword arts again in this extreme battle, achieving a new leap.
Sizzle.
Gripping the Ice Soul Sword’s hilt, its sheath glowed red-hot.
Time in the world seemed frozen;, and a crimson storm raged around him.
Finally, the world turned to flames, and Bu Eunseol’s eyes captured Pang Ryun’s arm pouring blade energy.
‘Escape, Meteor Chasing the Moon!’
Flash!
The Ice Soul Sword extended like lightning, a crimson streak sucked into a round point.
“Argh!” With a short scream, blood sprayed as Pang Ryun’s right arm fell to the ground.
Instantly created from insights gained so far.
The Supreme Heavenly Flow first form: Meteor Chasing the Moon’s Escape Form.
‘Though I borrowed grandfather’s blade secrets.’
Using Bu Zhanyang’s the Seven Blood Tear Forms blade secrets, hailed as the world’s premier blade art, Bu Eunseol had improvised an Escape Supreme Heavenly Flow sword secret on the spot.
“Ugh.” Pang Ryun, arm severed, immediately sealed blood points. “How do you know such swordsmanship?”
His face twisted as he glared at trembling Bu Eunseol.
“Is this the real Seven Blood Tear Forms?”
“The Seven Blood Tear Forms?” Bu Eunseol snorted coldly. “If I used the Seven Blood Tear Forms, it wouldn’t be your arm—your head would have fallen.”
“That move just now wasn’t the Seven Blood Tear Forms?”
“I’ll show you directly.”
Shing.
Bu Eunseol slowly drew the Ice Soul Sword.
He looked down at Pang Ryun with burning red eyes.
“Your pathetic blade arts don’t even reach grandfather’s toes.”
“Grandfather?” Pang Ryun couldn’t gather his wits.
What on earth was this guy saying?
Flash!
Bu Eunseol unleashed Life Lodges, Death Returns Form.
But instead of sword rings, dark red mist like black death flowed out.
Seeing the mist, Pang Ryun felt fear.
For the first time, he intuitively sensed his own death.
“The Blade Emperor’s blade arts are invincible!” With a desperate shout, Pang Ryun gripped the wando with his left hand, unleashing Blade Deep Extreme Demon like lightning.
The Blade Emperor, pursuing the Blade Path, created truly perfect blade arts.
Blade power, profundity, timing.
All martial arts were useless before the emperor’s blade arts; nothing could evade them. Pang Ryun converted the Blade Deep Extreme Demon into a swift blade form to sever only Bu Eunseol’s neck.
Flash!
Pang Ryun’s extended light slit Bu Eunseol’s throat.
At the same time, the mist around Bu Eunseol vanished.
Plop, plop, plop.
Something fell from Bu Eunseol’s Ice Soul Sword.
It was crimson blood.
“This… was the real the Seven Blood Tear Forms.”
Pang Ryun stared emptily into the void.
What poured on him wasn’t blade art.
It was the death god’s tears.
Why would a death god shedding death on humans cry?
Because with each life extinguished, he felt his own aspired life dim—an absolute blade master’s bloody tears.
“To create such a death blade art… yet why carry such lonely emotion?”
Clang.
Dropping the wando, Pang Ryun muttered in a trembling voice.
“Death is this terrifying… Bu Zhanyang, why…”
The Seven Blood Tear Forms.
Bu Zhanyang, who created this death-like blade art, must have long broken through Heavenly Human Realm to become a death god.
If he willed it, no one was unkillable.
Yet why…
Plop.
A blood drop fell from his heart,
Thud.
Pang Ryun collapsed to the floor.
“Was everything… just a dream?”
His last words.
Even the Blade Emperor’s martial arts, most domineering and powerful among Eight Emperors Three Stars, couldn’t oppose Bu Zhanyang’s the Seven Blood Tear Forms.
“Gwanhai Great Hero.”
Bu Eunseol’s mind recalled Gwanhai Geum dying lonely in Cheonsan’s cave.
With revenge complete, could he rest in peace?
Bu Eunseol closed his eyes, praying for his repose.
***
Nae Bihon and Pang Yeok’s fight was fierce.
Pang Yeok’s pure blade skill fell slightly short of his brother Pang Ryun, but he studied diverse martial arts and powerfully modified his body.
His martial power surpassed Pang Ryun’s.
Crackle!
Recovering his body, Nae Bihon reached Thunder Spirit Energy’s pinnacle.
He could now freely wield all Thunder Spirit Sect martial arts.
But Black Blood Blade Energy, which nullified true energy martial arts, was nearly perfect against Nae Bihon. No matter how powerful Thunder Spirit Energy he poured, Black Blood Blade Energy blocked it.
Thunder Spirit Sect martial arts without Thunder Spirit Energy threatened Pang Yeok but couldn’t inflict fatal wounds.
Slash!
Ultimately struck by sharp blade energy again, Nae Bihon was pushed six zhang back.
Powerful Thunder Spirit Energy protected and healed his body, preventing dismemberment. But each hit from Black Blood Blade Energy diminished Thunder Spirit Energy and shook mental fortitude.
“Mistakes repeat, they say.” Pang Yeok sheathed the Black Blood Demon Saber, wearing a relaxed expression. “Back then, you raged wildly but saved no one.”
Pang Yeok deliberately provoked Nae Bihon.
He no longer raged, but he had long been mad.
Even regaining clear sanity, he remained obsessed with revenge.
Blaming himself for lacking power to lose son and wife.
Slash!
Nae Bihon was cut countless times by the Black Blood Demon Saber, Thunder Spirit Energy massively depleting each time.
Pang Yeok, mastering Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade to pinnacle and absorbing Blade Emperor blade studies, surpassed Nae Bihon’s martial arts. With Black Blood Blade Energy rendering Thunder Spirit Energy useless… no Thunder Spirit Sect martial art worked.
Plop, plop, plop.
Blood finally flowed from Nae Bihon’s body.
Had Thunder Spirit Energy depleted so much from Black Blood Blade Energy that wounds no longer healed?
“Why isn’t it healing?” Pang Yeok frowned strangely as Nae Bihon’s chest stained red. “Thunder Spirit Energy hasn’t depleted enough to prevent recovery.”
He sensed Nae Bihon still had over eighty percent Thunder Spirit Energy.
Yet not healing wounds was odd.
“To cut you down… I had to cut down the past me first.”
Regaining all memories, Nae Bihon realized
What tormented his mind wasn’t just son and wife’s deaths, but his despise and hate for his powerless self, unable to protect family.
Then the first to cut wasn’t Pang Yeok, but himself.
Unable to shed self-loathing and contempt, he could never properly wield Thunder God power.
Hum. Rumble.
Then the hall shook like an earthquake and tremendous true waves spread.
Pang Yeok sensed faint shockwaves from afar, shaking his head.
“That young one’s skill seems formidable.”
The vibration just now was the true waves from Pang Ryun raising full internal energy, unleashing Black Blood Blade Art. Meaning the young punk was an expert Black Blood Blade Energy didn’t affect.
He must quickly finish Nae Bihon and join to kill him.
“Heh heh heh. Feel wronged?” Pang Yeok smiled faintly at Nae Bihon.
Must be maddeningly frustrating.
Thunder Spirit Energy and Thunder Spirit Sect martial arts couldn’t touch a hair on him.
History repeated and family revenge impossible.
“Your body will be useful in our realm. To unlock the Thunder Spirit Body’s secrets.”
Extending his hand, the hall darkened, and black storms blew from all sides, unleashing Black Wind White Rain Form to block Nae Bihon’s resistance, martial arts, and Thunder Spirit Energy.
To sever his neck instantly.
“Farewell.”
As sharp blade energy crossed Nae Bihon’s neck,
Thoom!
Nae Bihon suddenly fired a finger wind. A perfectly round bead.
“Imitating the Bullet King?” Pang Yeok scoffed, striking it with the Black Blood Demon Saber.
Crack! Stab!
But it pierced the Black Blood Blade Energy-formed blade, embedding in his right shoulder.
“Urk.” Pang Yeok groaned loudly, trying to remove the bead.
Crackle!
Touching it felt like burning; pure white radiance burst.
“What is this?”
“Hundreds of lightning bolts, extreme yang energy, the Field of Divine Spirits, and Profound Hunt Stone combined.” Nae Bihon approached slowly, speaking low.
“I named it Heavenly Punishment Jade. A bead containing heaven’s punishment.”
It was the Field of Divine Spirits and Profound Hunt Stone Nae Bihon held in the Pool of Demon Swords.
Hundreds of heavenly lightning bolts melted the two divine items into one, forming two beads and Nae Bihon had unconsciously picked and kept them.
The beads contained not only hundreds of thunderbolts’ energy but Bu Eunseol’s pinnacle extreme yang martial art, Yeolha Great True Energy, plus the Field of Divine Spirits and Profound Hunt Stone energies.
Moreover, the beads’ hardness defied imagination; no power could shatter them.
―It’s to aid my revenge.
Discovering the immense power in the beads, Nae Bihon trembled.
These two beads were sent by his son and wife in heaven…
Heavenly punishment tools to kill the demon who repeated slaughter through cruel experiments.
Nae Bihon deliberately took hits from the fight’s start, helplessly enduring would make Pang Yeok confident for a finishing blow.
Seizing the chance, Nae Bihon fired Heavenly Punishment Jade at Pang Yeok.
“Heh heh heh.” But Pang Yeok cackled.
Looking at the Heavenly Punishment Jade in his shoulder, he extended his left hand.
Hummm.
Black true energy generated from his left hand, forming a massive blade.
“Did you think I could only generate Black Blood Demon Saber with my right hand?” Pang Yeok smiled confidently. “Regrettably, your plan…”
His eyes widened mid-sentence.
BOOM!
Pure white lightning streaked the air,
Crackle. BOOM.
The Black Blood Demon Saber forming in his left hand vanished instantly.
Nae Bihon unleashed pinnacle Divine Thunder Annihilation, embedding Heavenly Punishment Jade in his shoulder at unavoidable speed.
“Two… of them.” Pang Yeok wore a dumbfounded expression.
“I can’t understand.”
Only now did Pang Yeok feel everything went wrong.
“Such energy-imbued beads exist? How can something nullify Black Blood Blade Energy!”
“Sent by my wife and son.”
Crackle.
Nae Bihon’s approaching eyes turned white; pure white lightning wrapped his body.
Crackle!
A large circle soon drew around Pang Yeok and pure white lightning wrapped and struck him.
Nae Bihon was pouring pinnacle Thunder Spirit Energy into Pang Yeok’s body.
“You bastard!” Pang Yeok’s eyes filled with despair and terror.
Even if Nae Bihon’s Thunder Spirit Energy grew several times stronger, defeat was impossible. Any form of Thunder Spirit Energy could be nullified by Black Blood Blade Energy. Victory would be decided by martial profundity. A madman like Nae Bihon for over a decade had no chance against him.
But the unexpected happened.
Nae Bihon brought a non-existent rare artifact, nullifying Black Blood Demon Saber and Black Blood Blade Energy, subduing him.
“No way!” Raising internal energy, he forcibly drew the wando at his waist.
But Thunder Spirit Energy’s power far exceeded expectations. Before this mighty thunder energy, no martial ultimate was useful.
Crackle! Woooong!
Pure white lightning wrapped Pang Yeok’s body.
He seemed like a god controlling lightning, but in reality, Nae Bihon’s Thunder Spirit Energy was melting his body.
Swish-swish-swish-swish!
Pang Yeok swung the blade madly, but endless Thunder Spirit Energy passed through his body.
Clang.
Dropping the wando, Pang Yeok shouted loudly.
“Wait! I’ll tell you Infinite Realm’s secrets.”
“…”
“Heavenly Deity! I’ll tell where Heavenly Deity is. If you find him… ugh. Aaaah!”
Pitiful screams finally echoed in the hall.
Pang Yeok writhed in agony, clawing his chest.
Sticky melted skin clung to his fingers.
Crackle!
Too painful to roll on the floor, his body felt like rigid wood.
“Uwaaa!” Soon, all skin melted and he screamed in red muscle form.
“Kill me… please kill me!”
Pang Yeok, who cultivated mighty internal energy and martial arts, as a Three Realms’ special divine rank, didn’t die even with all skin melted.
Crackle!
When Nae Bihon stopped Thunder Spirit Energy, Pang Yeok crawled in red muscle, begging.
“Please kill me, kill me.” Nae Bihon originally planned to inject Thunder Spirit Energy to prolong his life…
So he could taste this hellish pain longer.
But Pang Yeok’s writhing in agony recalled his son’s tragic death.
His beloved son must have felt such pain dying.
Drip.
Shedding a tear, Nae Bihon bit his lip.
Stab.
A large hole pierced Pang Yeok’s heart.
Using Divine Thunder Annihilation he had ended his life.
“Th-thank…”
Pang Yeok left those words and died.
Drip.
Nae Bihon stared emptily into the void.
Closing eyes, he saw his son and wife dying tragically.
Not a single day of peaceful sleep or painless day had passed since then.
And finally… he had his avenged son and wife.
Plop. Roll-roll.
The pair of Heavenly Punishment Jades embedded in Pang Yeok fell, rolling to his feet.
The blood-soaked Heavenly Punishment Jades lost shape with each roll.
Plop.
Only small fragments remained of the two beads, stopping at Nae Bihon’s feet.
Dissipate.
Slowly evaporating like mist.
As if his wife and son in heaven bid final farewell.
Nae Bihon embraced the vanishing smoke with trembling hands.
“Heuk. Heuk heuk heuk.” Collapsing on the spot, he sobbed.
“Son, my son! Darling…!”
Trembling with bursting sorrow and pain, he wailed.
“Heuk heuk heuk. Heuk heuk.”
Nae Bihon couldn’t end his life due to guilt and self-blame toward son and wife. Meeting them in the afterlife without revenge—he’d have no face.
Enduring harsh life as a revenge demon, wandering the martial world.
Now that his revenge was complete…
He could meet them honorably in the afterlife.
“Darling, wait. I’ll join you soon.” Nae Bihon closed his eyes.
No more regrets.
No—from the moment his beloved two left, his soul wasn’t here.
Crackle!
Raising internal energy to maximum, his body turned white.
Capable of instant recovery with Thunder Spirit Energy, the only way to die was severing his own heart meridians.
“Brother Nae!” Then the opposite hall door burst open and a gray shadow rushed in hurriedly.
Covered in blood but eyes full of worry and concern.
Bu Eunseol.
“Brother.” Turning to Bu Eunseol, Nae Bihon smiled faintly.
“Thank you all this time. Thanks to you, I avenged them.”
“Brother Nae! No!”
“Sorry. I decided long ago… After revenge, to join my family.”
“Brother Nae.”
Desperate light flowed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Please reconsider for this little brother. I… need help.”
Nae Bihon smiled dryly. This young divine newcomer needed no help, nor wanted it.
He was lying for his sake.
“I’ll repay your grace even as a ghost.” As he prepared to sever heart meridians,
Crash!
The outer hall door burst open again and another black shadow rushed in.
Dae Guhwi.
“Master Nae!” Seeing Bu Eunseol and Nae Bihon, he ran joyfully, covered in wounds and blood-soaked robes.
Injured but victorious over the Pang Clan experts, he had rushed here immediately.
“What… are you doing now?” Dae Guhwi instantly grasped the situation seeing tearful Nae Bihon and sorrowful Bu Eunseol.
“No! Master Nae!”
Dae Guhwi approached, grabbing Nae Bihon’s arms.
“No! Absolutely not!”
“Guhwi-ya.”
“Master Nae is my master, isn’t he?”
“Sorry, Guhwi-ya.”
Dae Guhwi knelt with a desperate expression.
“Don’t leave me. Master Nae!”
Clear tears flowed from Dae Guhwi’s eyes.
“Don’t leave me behind.”
The youth who shed no tear through all trials trembled, begging.
But seeing Nae Bihon try to die without attachment, the buried sorrow and grief burst like a dam.
Drip.
Tears flowed from Nae Bihon’s eyes too.
Dae Guhwi’s wounds were graver than thought, with no spot unharmed.
But he had run here excitedly to show victory.
“Guhwi-ya.” Nae Bihon looked at Dae Guhwi with trembling eyes.
If he died, this poor child would fall into irretrievable sorrow again.
The poor child was still unable to shake his mother’s death.
“Brother Nae.”
Turning his head, deep, long eyes gazed at him.
A man unfazed even if the world attacked.
Yet full of worry and fear he might choose wrong.
“I…”
Nae Bihon released his raised internal energy. Smiled at Bu Eunseol.
“Sorry, brother.”
Embraced crying Dae Guhwi.
“Sorry, Guhwi.”
Drip.
Thick teardrops flowed from his eyes.
Meeting family in the afterlife would have to wait.
He had a reason to live once more.
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