Baekri Mujo spoke with calm composure.
“It looks as though you’ve mixed some other sword form into the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms.”
Bu Eunseol gave a small nod, feigning mild surprise.
“That is correct.”
“Could it be… you learned martial arts from the Hidden Forest Pavilion Lord?”
Admiration flickered in Baekri Mujo’s eyes.
“If not from the man who taught demonic sword arts to the great masters of the previous generation, no one could possibly twist orthodox swordsmanship into something this viciously murderous.”
‘He doesn’t know the Heon Won Bright Sword forms?’
If Baekri Mujo were the culprit who killed Grandfather, there is no way he would be ignorant of them.
A flash passed through Bu Eunseol’s eyes, but he answered calmly.
“No, my lord.”
“That cannot be.” Baekri Mujo furrowed his brow.
“If not from Mok Do-in, the very man who taught demonic swordsmanship to the supreme experts of the past… then who on earth taught you such an eccentric sword art?”
Bu Eunseol was inwardly shocked.
He had long heard rumors that a supreme master versed in demonic sword arts existed within the Martial Alliance and had always wondered about his identity.
To think it was none other than the Hidden Forest Pavilion Lord, Mok Do-in.
‘Then was the Divine Mountain Sage wrong?’
Bu Eunseol had always believed the culprit either mastered the Heon Won Bright Sword or had stolen its manual. The demonic sword art used to strike Grandfather had been a grotesque perversion of those very forms.
Yet the Divine Mountain Sage had insisted the murderer was one of the Seven Commanders.
That was why Bu Eunseol had focused solely on them.
‘But if it’s Mok Do-in… that is entirely possible.’
As the keeper of Solitary Enlightenment Hall, Mok Do-in would have had ample opportunity to see the Heon Won Bright Sword manual.
Moreover, he was proficient in countless orthodox sword arts and, according to Baekri Mujo, had even taught demonic swordsmanship to the supreme experts of the previous generation.
He possessed more than enough qualifications to be the culprit.
‘Then the elder who fled the Southern Palace long ago… could that have been Mok Do-in?’
The elder who had infiltrated the Southern Palace as a spy had also used swordsmanship strikingly similar to the wounds left on Grandfather’s body.
‘Every possibility remains open.’
Having organized his thoughts, Bu Eunseol answered.
“In truth, while wandering the martial world I happened upon an old manual by chance. From it I gained some insight and created a new version of the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms myself.”
“You created it anew? By yourself?”
“Yes.”
“If you can already unleash sword forms of that caliber with a single strike, then any instruction from this Commander would be meaningless.”
Baekri Mujo nodded.
“Within ten years, you will surely become a grandmaster of the sword who dominates the entire martial world.”
His expression looked genuinely pleased, as though he were delighted that Seon Woojin possessed such outstanding ability.
It perfectly matched the image of the Star Guard Division Commander known as the “Sacred Sword,” so gentle and warm, making it almost impossible to believe that mere moments ago he had radiated killing intent.
“I shall look forward to your future exploits.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Baekri Mujo inclined his head.
“You may go.”
“Then.” Bu Eunseol politely cupped his hands, turned, and left.
Click.
The moment the door closed behind him, the faint smile on Baekri Mujo’s face froze into ice.
“The Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra…”
A thin smile curved his lips.
“I wonder just how many hidden disciples that old monster has.”
The gamble Bu Eunseol had thrown was none other than the exclusive secret art of the Martial Alliance Leader, the Heavenly Emperor—the Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra.
In their final exchange of blows, Bu Eunseol had circulated it to synchronize with Baekri Mujo’s inner energy flow.
Of course, considering Seon Woojin’s supposed level, he had deliberately lowered the attainment to the bare minimum, syncing only a fraction of the energy circulation.
“What a pity. If only I had captured that Yangseol Clan wench, I could have ripped every last suspicious mask off her face.”
Shaking his head, Baekri Mujo murmured in an infinitely low voice.
“I’m sorry, but things will not go as you wish… Alliance Leader.”
As the face of the Heavenly Emperor surfaced in his mind, a confident, bloodthirsty smile spread across Baekri Mujo’s lips.
Step, step.
Cold sweat trickled down Bu Eunseol’s spine as he stepped out of Thousand Arms Pavilion.
‘That was close.’
From the arrangement of the office alone, Bu Eunseol had realized Baekri Mujo found the existence called “Seon Woojin” extremely unsettling.
Even if all doubts were dispelled, the man had clearly intended to eliminate him.
The Martial Alliance was a demonic den far worse than Majeon.
Whether it was the coiled forces of the Three Realms or the schemes of the leadership clinging to power, the moment a rising star from below displeased them, they cut him down without hesitation.
And sure enough, Baekri Mujo had tried to dispose of him under the pretext of a friendly spar, unleashing killing intent.
Bu Eunseol had predicted all of this before coming.
The instant Baekri Mujo’s sword momentum shifted, he had immediately employed the Heavenly Emperor’s Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra.
The Alliance Leader was the Divine Mountain Sage, a man who rarely showed himself except on extraordinary occasions.
Yet in truth he moved secretly through the martial world and possessed a disciple named Mu Gyeol whose identity was hidden from the world.
There was no way Baekri Mujo, Commander of the Star Guard Division, would be ignorant of these facts.
If Bu Eunseol used the Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra in a moment of crisis, Baekri Mujo would mistake him for the Alliance Leader’s hidden disciple.
Even if Baekri Mujo were close enough to the Alliance Leader to report it, the Heavenly Emperor would only marvel at the technique; he would never expose Bu Eunseol’s true identity.
After all, the identity of “Seon Woojin” had been created by the Heavenly Emperor himself.
‘But all of this was merely my prediction.’
The greatest risk was that Baekri Mujo might not recognize the Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra at all.
They had clashed alone once before, but because his martial attainment had already transcended ordinary realms, Bu Eunseol could not guess exactly how high he had reached.
No—he would recognize it.
In the end, Bu Eunseol had trusted his instincts and thrown the gamble.
And the gamble had paid off.
Bu Eunseol bit his lip hard.
Baekri Mujo.
At first impression he had been exactly as his title “Sacred Sword” suggested—gentle, warm, and inexplicably likable.
But it was all a mask.
Rather than leave an unsettling individual alive, he would eliminate him under the guise of a spar.
That was no different from the actions of a demonic cultivator who walked the path of the tyrant.
‘I must investigate the Hidden Forest Pavilion Lord Mok Do-in as well…’
If, as the Divine Mountain Sage claimed, the culprit who harmed Grandfather was among the Seven Commanders, then for now Baekri Mujo was by far the most suspicious.
‘I will find definite proof, and I must become stronger.’
Cold light glinted in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Though he had not fought with full power, the sword Baekri Mujo had unleashed at the very end had been absolute swordsmanship that, for the first time, made Bu Eunseol taste true despair.
***
Having finished all duties in the Martial Alliance, Bu Eunseol left once more, swapped identities with Seo Jinha, and hurried into the martial world.
An urgent message had arrived that required him to move immediately.
—The Death Spirit Corps has made contact.
Tae Muryong had secretly relayed information from the Death Spirit Corps.
Now every member of the Supreme Branch knew Bu Eunseol’s true identity, so instead of easily discovered letters, they communicated instantly through coded signals.
—Lord Do Cheonlin seems to have discovered the gathering place of those who spread the demonic swords. He is summoning the Captain.
Shockingly, Do Cheonlin had located the rendezvous point of those who possessed demonic swords.
Seom-An Prefecture, a secret safe house of Majeon.
“To think the Three Realms truly gather such monstrous talents.”
Facing Bu Eunseol in the hidden chamber, Do Cheonlin wore an expression of genuine admiration as he drew the sword at his waist and placed it on the table.
It was the demonic sword he wielded: the Dreaming Illusory Demon Sword.
Perhaps because it had drunk the blood of countless enemies during the battle at Red Sky Veil, the blade now radiated an eerie, bewitching gleam.
“I still can’t understand how they made letters appear like this.”
“Letters?”
“Infuse it with inner energy.”
Feeling something strange, Bu Eunseol channeled his qi into the sword.
Faint characters immediately began to surface on the blade:
Supreme Martial Warrior,
If you so desire to be,
Come to the land of Gang Okji.
The letters were extremely faint and written in a script that seemed to flutter in the wind; one had to strain one’s eyesight for a long while to read them.
“They’re telling us to come to Gang Okji.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.
Gang Okji—the lawless den where vagrants and criminals gathered.
“Yes.”
Do Cheonlin folded his arms, stroked his chin, and stared down at the Dreaming Illusory Demon Sword.
“But no matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?”
“If these are genuine demonic swords, that means someone collected countless demonic blades scattered across the martial world and performed this bizarre trick.” He frowned. “A force with this much power… why go through the complicated process of scattering demonic swords? They could instantly locate anyone they wanted.”
“We’ll only know once we investigate.”
“Investigate.”
Do Cheonlin murmured darkly, then his eyes gleamed.
“Why not just lead Majeon’s grand army there and uproot them? We could eradicate one of the factions toying with the martial world in a single stroke.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“This place is almost certainly not the main base of Returning to One.”
Bu Eunseol answered calmly.
“If it were their headquarters, they would never engrave its location on demonic swords that could fall into anyone’s hands.”
“If it isn’t the headquarters…”
“It’s probably a testing ground. A place to verify whether those who meet their conditions truly qualify.”
“Hmm. That does make sense.”
Do Cheonlin clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“I’ve always prided myself on never losing to anyone in cunning, yet whenever I’m with you I feel like a fool.”
“There’s no need to blame yourself. I’ve simply clashed with the Three Realms many times, so I understand their patterns and methods better—that is all.”
“Hmph.” Do Cheonlin let out a long sigh.
The Three Realms had always manipulated the sects of the martial world from the shadows like puppets.
Even his own father, the unrivaled swordsman Do Mu-cheok who feared nothing under heaven, had deliberately turned a blind eye to them.
As a child, Do Cheonlin had once asked why he didn’t eliminate them.
—They are like the air. You cannot destroy them, and even if you do, they are an inevitable existence that will simply form again.
Do Mu-cheok’s face that day had looked deeply troubled and conflicted.
After that, Do Cheonlin never questioned their existence again.
If even the family head said so, nothing would ever change.
But Bu Eunseol was different.
He was confronting head-on the very force that even his father, the peerless Do Mu-cheok, had chosen to ignore, and bit by bit… he was trying to destroy them.
‘I have no choice but to see this through to the end.’ Do Cheonlin silently resolved.
He did not know how Bu Eunseol’s journey would conclude, but until that day he would remain at his side.
“So what will you do?”
“I will go to Gang Okji myself.”
“Then you’ll have to take my sword.”
“That was my original plan.”
“What do you mean?”
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath. “I don’t believe they scattered the swords completely at random. They have surely identified, at least roughly, who possesses them.”
“Even if they have, you can just use disguise.”
“Disguise is not omnipotent. If I take the Dreaming Illusory Demon Sword and unavoidable combat breaks out there, and even one of their informants survives?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with utmost gravity.
“Returning to One will immediately suspect you and hunt you down.”
Returning to One was known as the most terrifying of the Three Realms.
In the end, Bu Eunseol was worried that Do Cheonlin might fall into danger.
“Enough.” Do Cheonlin snorted and waved the concern away. “Do you think I joined hands with you that lightly?”
“This is my affair. I’m merely asking for your help. If someone were to be sacrificed in the process… I would rather give up entirely.”
Do Cheonlin’s expression turned complicated.
He had heard much about Bu Eunseol’s actions and had witnessed them himself.
When Red Sky Veil was in peril, Bu Eunseol had pretended to turn his back, yet in truth had protected them with meticulous care.
‘His heart is too soft.’
Bu Eunseol was now one of the core figures moving the entire demonic martial world.
Those who govern the world must inevitably abandon the small to seize the great.
Yet he still cherished those around him more than his own life and ran solely toward revenge.
‘I have no choice.’
Yoo Unryong and Seo Jinha followed him blindly and loyally, but they lacked the ability to temper Bu Eunseol’s tender heart.
In the end, only Do Cheonlin could change him.
‘I will have to help him.’
Having made up his mind, Do Cheonlin nodded.
“Fine. Suppose you go yourself. What then?”
“Do you remember the men you fought before?”
Understanding dawned on Do Cheonlin’s face; he gave a faint smile.
“Ah. They all fell from the cliff.”
“Exactly. That place was secluded and rarely visited… the fallen swords are probably still there.”
Do Cheonlin listened intently, then shook his head.
“But the location written on each sword might be different.”
The number of demonic swords the Three Realms had scattered was by no means small. There was always the chance the writing could be exposed.
For that very reason, Returning to One would not have designated only Gang Okji.
“If they had unified every sword to one location, anyone who learned the information could swarm there at once.”
“True.”
“Moreover, even if we obtain another demonic sword, preparatory work will be required.”
The reason letters had appeared on Do Cheonlin’s Dreaming Illusory Demon Sword was because it had slain countless enemies at Red Sky Veil.
That meant any other demonic sword would require the same degree of slaughter.
“No—there must be another method.”
Certainty filled Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“I kept thinking after you told me. Would Returning to One really make the letters appear only through massacring countless people?”
“What are you saying?”
“They wanted the demonic sword wielders to fight among themselves, didn’t they?”
“That’s true.”
“If the letters only awakened after large-scale slaughter, the possessors could be branded public enemies of the martial world.”
Do Cheonlin nodded.
This battle had been a sect war between Red Sky Veil and the Black Flag Society.
An ordinary martial artist would rarely experience large-scale combat.
“I see.”
Do Cheonlin nodded again.
An organization like the Three Realms would never overlook such a detail.
“Then the letters appearing on the demonic sword weren’t awakened because you killed a large number of enemies at the Red Sky Veil… but because you fulfilled some condition they set?”
“Exactly. That’s why they made the demonic sword wielders fight one another.”
“Hmm.”
Do Cheonlin fell into deep thought, desperately recalling the circumstances of that battle.
“Then…”
Something occurred to him.
“It feels like they want the blood of experts above a certain level.”
His eyes flashed as though he had finally realized it.
“When I cut down the entire Insect-Flight Sword Corps, the Dreaming Illusory Demon Sword reacted especially violently.”
“The blood of experts…”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
“That is quite possible.”
Having the possessors fight among themselves was also part of screening for experts.
The most rational condition would be to make the sword react to the blood of experts above a certain threshold.
“But that’s still only conjecture.”
Do Cheonlin shook his head, lacking confidence.
“The very concept of ‘expert’s blood’ is too vague. Being able to distinguish it at all is already absurd.”
“It may well be possible for them.”
Bu Eunseol answered calmly.
“Just look at the Infinite Realm—they turned the legendary tales of human transmutation into reality and achieved the impossible by remodeling the human body. Creating a condition for letters to appear on a sword would be child’s play by comparison.”
“Something like a great curse or arcane technique?”
“Most likely.”
“Hmm.”
Do Cheonlin let out a low groan.
As heir to one of the Ten Great Demonic Sects, he had read and learned many things.
He knew full well how utterly nonsensical the abilities of great curses and arcane arts could be.
“Fine.”
Shaking off his swirling thoughts, Do Cheonlin spoke with force.
“First, let us find another demonic sword.”
Together, Bu Eunseol and Do Cheonlin headed for the cliff where Do Cheonlin had previously slain three demonic sword wielders.
One of those swords had definitely fallen over the edge—if they were lucky, it would still be there.
“It’s here.”
Do Cheonlin, who had descended and searched every crevice, let out an excited shout of delight.
The demonic sword had not fallen all the way down; it was deeply wedged between protruding rocks.
The hilt was barely visible, but thanks to his innate spirit body he could easily sense its energy.
Crrrack.
Do Cheonlin retrieved the sword and climbed back up.
“Hmm.”
He examined the blade in the sunlight.
Despite being exposed to wind and rain for so long, it still gleamed with deadly sharpness.
“It’s the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable’s Moon Shadow Demonic Sword. No wonder it unleashed crescent-shaped sword qi that day.”
“Let us test it.”
Bu Eunseol took the sword from Do Cheonlin and, without hesitation, slashed his forearm.
Hiss.
The demonic sword instantly devoured the flowing blood as though evaporating it.
The blade trembled faintly and began emitting a mysterious glow.
“As expected.” Do Cheonlin exclaimed in admiration.
Just a cut on the forearm had produced that much light.
Buzzz.
Yet the sword only vibrated faintly—no letters appeared.
“Not enough, it seems.”
Bu Eunseol deepened the wound and let more blood flow.
The glow intensified, but still no letters.
“Hmm.”
In the end he drove the blade deep and drew clear, bright blood.
“Stop—that’s enough!” Do Cheonlin immediately restrained him.
Bu Eunseol had already lost at least a full bowl’s worth of blood.
Yet the sword continued its greedy demand, endlessly craving more.
“Why not have your subordinates collect the blood?”
“If we do that, every warrior of the Death Spirit Corps will learn of the demonic swords.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head firmly and spoke calmly.
“The glow is this strong now; the letters should appear soon. Let us try a little more.”
But no matter how much more blood he gave, only the light grew stronger—letters never emerged.
“It might require more than one person.”
Realization dawning, Do Cheonlin snatched the sword.
“I'm not quite at your level, but what if we add my blood?”
He immediately began feeding it his own blood.
Hiss…
The moment it drank Do Cheonlin’s blood, the glow deepened dramatically.
And at the same time, faint characters began to appear.
“It really needed two people’s blood.”
Do Cheonlin nodded in relief.
Apparently the condition the demonic sword sought was the blood of at least two experts of a certain level.
―Cold Moon Island.
When the letters finally surfaced, Bu Eunseol and Do Cheonlin locked eyes, both gleaming with sharp light.
As expected, each demonic sword pointed to a different location.
In the end, the Three Realms were not gathering all possessors in one place at once.
Whenever the condition was met, they were summoning them to different sites, screening them one by one.
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