Bu Eunseol merely glared coldly at Chae Ju-heung.
‘He possesses a sword that surpasses the capabilities of the Divine Treasure Blade.’
Suddenly, the contents of the book containing the secret reports left by Gongsun Dankyung’s subordinates came to mind.
What they had risked their lives to uncover was that Chae Ju-heung possessed a very special weapon. Bu Eunseol was deliberately buying time, intending to observe what kind of weapon the man would use.
“Fine, very well.” Chae Ju-heung’s expression hardened as he rolled up his wide sleeve. From within it emerged a sharp dagger. It looked exceedingly keen, yet nothing particularly unusual stood out.
“Let’s have a proper fight this time.”
As Chae Ju-heung prepared to charge again, Bu Eunseol tilted his head as if surprised.
“You won’t ring the bell or call for others’ help?”
“Heh heh heh. There’s no need for that.”
Experts can roughly gauge an opponent’s martial prowess from a single exchange. Even if this fake Chae Ju-heung had mastered some unique demonic art, he should know he was no match for Bu Eunseol. Yet he still intended to fight alone?
What could possibly give him such confidence?
“As expected, the Three Realms.”
Bu Eunseol spoke coldly.
“Is it the Realm of Returning to One? Or perhaps the Infinite Realm?”
“What are you talking about?”
When Chae Ju-heung frowned, Bu Eunseol felt inwardly shocked.
‘So it wasn’t the Three Realms.’
People from the Three Realms might conceal their identity, but they never hid their affiliation. Yet Chae Ju-heung wore an expression of complete unfamiliarity with the term “Three Realms.”
Judging by his physical reactions, it was no act.
Then the force replacing the leaders of various sects… must be the abyss that had yet to reveal itself.
‘I need only capture and interrogate him.’
Having reached that conclusion, Bu Eunseol pulled out the hairpin that held his hair in place. Though smaller than a short sword and seemingly fragile, the moment he grasped it, it became a weapon far more terrifying than the Divine Treasure Blade.
Flash!
Bu Eunseol immediately unleashed Cloudy Layers of Mist, sending two strands of sword qi left and right. The sword qi, released with a slight time difference, struck at mysterious angles and precise instants that Chae Ju-heung’s martial level could never hope to evade, burrowing toward his body.
Yet something was strange.
The sword qi of Cloudy Layers of Mist should have instantly pierced his flank and throat, yet it suddenly moved far too slowly—as if time itself had slowed.
Snap!
The slowing of time seemed to affect only Bu Eunseol. Chae Ju-heung moved like lightning, effortlessly dodging the Cloudy Layers of Mist.
‘Truly demonic sorcery.’
Amazingly, Chae Ju-heung had slowed Bu Eunseol’s movements without even lifting a finger.
“Impressive. I didn’t expect an expert of this caliber.” Perhaps sensing danger in Bu Eunseol’s agility, Chae Ju-heung stepped back again and looked down at his dagger.
“This won’t do.”
Thick smoke suddenly rose from all directions. The instant Chae Ju-heung caressed the dagger, Bu Eunseol spotted an opening and immediately executed the Meteor Chasing the Moon Technique.
There was no need to confirm the weapon and risk complications. He would end the fight in one strike by severing the man’s throat.
Shwick!
Yet the same phenomenon occurred again. Chae Ju-heung moved normally, while Bu Eunseol alone felt excruciatingly slow. Because of this, his sword moves were even slower than when he had used Cloudy Layers of Mist.
Slash!
Thanks to that, Chae Ju-heung avoided the Meteor Chasing the Moon Technique with only the hem of his robe sliced.
“What a remarkable fellow!” Chae Ju-heung let out a loud exclamation of surprise when Bu Eunseol still managed to cut his clothing despite the slowed movements.
“To achieve this speed at the third stage?”
‘Stage?’
Bu Eunseol frowned.
This fake Mount Hua elder—had he truly slowed time itself?
“I absolutely cannot let you live.”
Murderous light flashed in Chae Ju-heung’s eyes.
“Then, to avoid any accidents, I’ll advance to the fourth stage in advance.”
He glanced at his dagger once more. But his left hand was twisted strangely and hidden behind his back.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol felt a stifling pressure in his chest and noticed the surrounding air change.
‘That was it.’
Through a distant bronze mirror, Bu Eunseol spotted something gleaming on the left wrist Chae Ju-heung had concealed.
‘A bracer.’
On his left wrist was a bracer emitting a strange radiance.
‘The power came from that bracer.’
His subordinates had clearly reported that the sword Chae Ju-heung used possessed abnormal capabilities. But in reality, it wasn’t the sword at all—it was the power emanating from the bracer secretly worn on his left wrist.
‘If it has this kind of ability, it can only be a Black Divine Artifact.’
Black Divine Artifact.
A divine object capable of exerting transcendent power, yet in the end devouring even its wielder—it had appeared once more.
“Die!”
Snap!
At that moment, a scratch appeared on Bu Eunseol’s cheek. His body had become so slow that he could not perfectly evade Chae Ju-heung’s sword strikes.
“Was it to use that Black Divine Artifact that you gathered women’s yin energy?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Chae Ju-heung’s eyes widened. “How do you know of the Black Divine Artifact?”
“I also know that you’re about to die!”
Crackle!
Purple lightning began surging fiercely from Bu Eunseol’s body. Having been repeatedly slowed, he had drawn upon his Thunder Spirit Energy.
“That is…”
Chae Ju-heung showed surprise.
Slash!
When Bu Eunseol unleashed his sword technique, Chae Ju-heung dodged in panic. He had slowed Bu Eunseol fourfold, yet the man was now unleashing sword strikes far faster than before.
“Are you saying you’re a Thunder God?”
Chae Ju-heung frantically waved his sword. But the sword qi of the Supreme Heavenly Flow Technique infused with Thunder Spirit Energy sharply grazed his body.
“Ugh.”
He avoided a fatal wound, but Chae Ju-heung suffered a sword cut on his shoulder.
“Not yet!”
His martial arts were exceptionally high, and the strange demonic art he practiced kept him from dying easily.
Slash! Flash!
As Bu Eunseol blocked his retreat and unleashed lightning-fast sword techniques, Chae Ju-heung began to falter once more.
“Fine!” Chae Ju-heung shouted a battle cry. Strong light burst from his left hand, and Bu Eunseol’s body began to slow even further.
“Let’s see if you can withstand the fifth stage!”
Flash!
Ignoring it, Bu Eunseol used Thunder Spirit Energy to execute the Nine Dragons Flashing Thunder. When the extreme-speed killing sword technique combined with Thunder Spirit Energy, it shot forth at the speed of lightning.
It was already closing in, poised to slash Chae Ju-heung’s throat.
“This bastard!”
Chae Ju-heung could not believe it.
He had faced countless experts, including renowned masters of the martial world. But he could confidently say that no one had ever displayed this level of speed under the pressure of the fifth stage.
“Has the Thunder God taken a disciple?” Greatly flustered, Chae Ju-heung subtly tried to move toward the door. But Bu Eunseol noticed and stood in front of it, sealing his escape.
“If you can break through an iron wall with your bare body, I won’t stop you.”
At Bu Eunseol’s sneer, Chae Ju-heung bit his lip.
Until now, this iron-sealed chamber had been his hunting ground, a sanctuary no one could disturb. But now that a stronger enemy had entered, it had become a trap from which he could not escape.
“You seem to think the outcome is decided.”
Chae Ju-heung gathered all his internal energy with full force and began pouring it into the bracer on his left hand.
―Kiiii!
Mist rose in all directions, accompanied by eerie wailing cries. At the same time, Bu Eunseol’s vision grew blurry as the surrounding scenery appeared excruciatingly slow.
“Try blocking this!”
Snap!
In an instant, Chae Ju-heung’s figure vanished. He had once again activated the Black Divine Artifact’s power, slowing Bu Eunseol’s movements more than fivefold.
“Hahaha!”
Seeing Bu Eunseol unable to respond, he moved madly fast and unleashed a torrent of sword techniques.
The Mount Hua swordsmanship was, among the Nine Great Sects, the most graceful and exquisite, with every move containing the wonder of speed. Unleashing such swordsmanship five times faster made it difficult to block even if Bu Eunseol used Swift Beyond Shadow while channeling Thunder Spirit Energy.
Snap! Snap!
Blood gradually began to spray from Bu Eunseol’s body.
Yet his mind grew calmer instead.
‘This is the Black Divine Artifact.’
The ultimate divine object that could plunge not only its owner but the entire world into chaos. Only now did he truly understand why the Demonic Sword Master had warned him about it.
‘And this is an incomplete one.’
If the Black Divine Artifact were complete, he would not have needed to steal women’s yin energy. In the end, the artifact itself possessed power and abilities that surpassed the boundaries of martial arts—the very thing the Three Realms so desperately sought.
“I can see your death!” Chae Ju-heung swung his sword like a madman.
Since Bu Eunseol’s movements were extremely slow, he could immediately break through any technique. No matter how powerful the attack, he could easily evade it. Moreover, since he could predict every evasive movement, he could land strikes with perfect accuracy.
Shwick!
Spotting a flawless opening, Chae Ju-heung’s sword thrust toward Bu Eunseol’s throat.
This was an unavoidable situation.
Bzzz!
But at that moment, a wall of black true qi slowly formed in front of Bu Eunseol’s neck.
He had executed the Wishful True Binding.
‘It’s possible even if it's slow.’
Though Wishful True Binding formed slowly, emerging gradually from sluggish points of light, it was sufficient to block the sharp sword tip.
“What bizarre martial arts!”
Chae Ju-heung stabbed the light points with all his strength, but they did not yield.
Panicking, he changed his sword technique again. The moment he tried once more to sever Bu Eunseol’s throat—Crack.
A strange sound suddenly came from his body.
At the same time, thick veins like earthworms began spreading across his skin.
“Ughhh.” Chae Ju-heung let out a grotesque groan and looked down at himself.
From his left hand to his chest, red blood vessels had swollen and protruded like writhing worms.
“So now you want to devour me?”
In exchange for exerting greater power, the wrist bracer was greedily drinking Chae Ju-heung’s blood.
“Uuu… Aaaargh!” Screaming, Chae Ju-heung tried to tear the bracer off. But it clung to his wrist, its surface turning crimson as it absorbed blood voraciously.
“Let go! I said let go!”
He struggled desperately to remove it. But the more he thrashed, the more blood flowed into the bracer.
“Fine!” Chae Ju-heung made a final desperate gamble. “Fine! Take my blood and my life. In return, show me even greater power!”
Boom.
Bu Eunseol’s vision went dark. Suddenly, time in the entire world stopped—so completely that he could see individual dust particles floating in the air.
“Die!”
Chae Ju-heung, covered in blood, charged with his dagger. With blood streaming from his face, he looked like a demon straight from hell.
‘It won’t move.’
Bu Eunseol could not move his body at all.
‘I should have brought the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.’
The Silent Tiger Soul Sword was also a Black Divine Artifact. Even sealed, it would have had enough power to partially counter the bracer.
Shwick!
Chae Ju-heung’s dagger pierced Bu Eunseol’s chest.
‘Not yet!’
In that instant, Bu Eunseol detonated all the power within his body at once.
It was not a “Harmony” of forces, but an “explosion.”
Drip.
The dagger touching Bu Eunseol’s body instantly melted like water.
Chae Ju-heung recoiled in shock.
Splash!
With a sound like water poured from a bucket, Chae Ju-heung vomited blood.
Boom!
His body exploded, leaving only nauseating fluids and remains.
Unable to withstand the power of the Black Divine Artifact that exceeded his own limits, Chae Ju-heung had burst apart.
Drip.
Amid the bloody remnants, something glimmered.
‘A bead?’
It was a very small, transparent bead.
Bu Eunseol carefully picked it up.
‘What on earth is this?’
The bead appeared artificially carved from jade, its surface covered in extremely fine, intricate protrusions. Its texture was strange—hard like a bead, yet soft to the touch, and so transparent it seemed ready to emit mysterious light at any moment.
“Was the power of the Black Divine Artifact coming from this bead?”
After a moment of thought, Bu Eunseol tucked it into his robes. He instinctively knew it contained some unknowable power.
“I’ll have to be more careful from now on.”
Looking at the spot where Chae Ju-heung had stood, Bu Eunseol let out a long sigh.
Even assuming the fake Chae Ju-heung used a Black Divine Artifact, he had thought it would not be a difficult mission. But the artifact’s capabilities far exceeded his expectations.
“If he hadn’t overestimated the Black Divine Artifact and had called for help… I might have lost.”
Only now did Bu Eunseol understand why the Three Realms obsessed over powers beyond martial arts, and why countless martial experts, including the Martial Venerable, continually secluded themselves for training.
In the martial world, far more means to surpass martial realms existed than he had imagined.
Hummm.
The bracer lying on the floor emitted an ominous light.
―If you take me, you will become dozens of times stronger.
It was a temptation no martial artist could resist.
But Bu Eunseol was different.
“If I rely on such power, there will be no further growth.”
Using a Black Divine Artifact might allow him to kill easily. But in that moment, his martial progress would stagnate, and he would either endlessly crave its power or become obsessed with obtaining another Black Divine Artifact.
“A demonic object no different from opium.”
Bu Eunseol placed the bracer in his robes without wearing it.
Such a demonic thing should not exist in the world. After recovering the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, he had intended to destroy it.
With the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, which could shatter demonic artifacts as if they were snacks, he was certain it could destroy another Black Divine Artifact.
“It can plunge not only its user but the entire world into darkness…”
Recalling the Demonic Sword Master’s words, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
He had not fully believed them at the time. But now he knew for certain—the legends of the Black Divine Artifact were not exaggerated in the slightest.
“Hm.”
Bu Eunseol looked at Jo Yak-bing, still unconscious from mixed blood poisoning.
Was her younger sibling still alive in this place? He could only hope so.
“I will handle this dangerous demonic object.”
Bu Eunseol picked up the Heaven-Collapsing Explosion Pellets on the table. Then, channeling Void Heart Command, he located and disabled the mechanism that sealed the room.
Click.
Emerging outside, bright moonlight illuminated the night sky, and the manor was silent.
“These scum do not deserve to live.”
He did not know which faction they belonged to or whether they were truly from the Mount Hua Sect. What was certain was that they had known of Chae Ju-heung’s evil deeds and aided him.
“Spare the women and eliminate the rest.”
Sssst!
Bu Eunseol unleashed Swift Beyond Shadow and ghosted through the manor.
Whoosh! Stab!
Wherever he passed like a phantom, large holes appeared in the foreheads or hearts of the manor’s martial artists.
But the manor was larger than expected, with many hidden mechanisms.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Having found all those in hiding, Bu Eunseol discovered the emergency bell tower in the north. Using Void Grasp, he tore the bell free and shook it relentlessly.
Rumble.
Warriors hidden in secret passages and concealed places rushed out all at once.
“What’s going on?!”
But those were their brief final words.
Slash! Whoooosh!
Each time warriors poured out like cockroaches at the sound of the bell, black, razor-sharp sword qi pierced through them.
“Who are you?!”
A few exceptionally skilled fighters charged at Bu Eunseol soaked in blood, but it was merely a futile struggle to reach hell faster.
Slash!
Black true qi continuously spread in all directions from Bu Eunseol’s body. The Wishful True Binding, now combined with Crystal Divine Energy, had grown far stronger, and its killing range had doubled.
Thud. Thud.
Inside the once-quiet manor, blood flowed like streams, and hundreds of corpses piled like mountains.
Sweeping away every hidden warrior in the manor took less than half an hour.
Whirl!
At that moment, a group clad in black rushed into the manor.
They were the experts of the Secret Demon Palace who had directly transported the women.
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