Venomous Strength Body Art. A secret technique that enhances physical abilities using poison, only usable by Poison Men who carry extreme toxins in their blood. At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s sword transformed into a streak of light, slicing toward Yang Myeong’s throat.
Clang!
But with a loud metallic clash, the longsword was repelled, as if it had struck a solid iron block.
Hum, hum, hum.
As Bu Eunseol gazed at the faintly trembling sword, he recalled the words Seo Jinha had spoken the previous night.
—“The venom arts of Hell's Blood Fortress number in the tens of thousands. By combining thousands of extreme poisons, they create their own unique venom techniques.”
Seo Jinha, looking at Bu Eunseol’s profile, continued.
—“Moreover, while Yang Myeong is known for his Venomous Demon Soul-Chasing Finger, his true ultimate technique is something else. It’s the Venomous Strength Demon Binding.”
Venomous Strength Demon Binding.
One of the most powerful Venomous Strength Body Arts of Hell's Blood Fortress. Despite its extraordinary capabilities, only Yang Myeong and his Blood Ghost subordinates have mastered it.
To learn the Venomous Strength Demon Binding, one must endure a long and excruciating training process, and weapons cannot be used. This is because the body, including the hands and feet, becomes as hard as steel, dulling all sensation.
“So that’s why he only used finger winds.” Bu Eunseol finally understood why Yang Myeong, despite carrying a sword on his back, insisted on using only the Venomous Demon Soul-Chasing Finger.
“You know of our fortress’s Venomous Strength Demon Binding?”
“I know it renders you unable to use weapons for life.”
“Heh, heh, heh. It merely dulls the sensation in the fingertips.” Yang Myeong bared his yellowed teeth in a grin. “In return, it creates an indestructible body capable of withstanding any attack.”
Thud.
Suddenly, Bu Eunseol leaped agilely into the air, slashing at Yang Myeong’s ear.
Clang!
Despite infusing the strike with immense internal energy, it failed to cut even a single ear, producing only a metallic ring.
“It tickles.” Yang Myeong flicked his finger, and a cannonball-like force shot toward Bu Eunseol’s chest.
Clang!
With a metallic sound, Bu Eunseol was pushed back to the edge of the arena. Even though he blocked the finger wind with his sword, he couldn’t neutralize its pressure.
“Running out of strength?” Yang Myeong charged at Bu Eunseol with both arms spread wide.
Ching, ching!
Bu Eunseol unleashed a flurry of sword techniques, but they only tore Yang Myeong’s clothing, leaving not a scratch on his body.
“Heh, heh, heh.” Despite becoming a giant, Yang Myeong’s movements were even more agile.
The Venomous Strength Demon Binding not only hardened the entire body but also amplified physical strength several times over. A body like adamantine, exuding poison and relentlessly pursuing its target—a true nightmare.
Boom!
As sword and fist collided, Bu Eunseol was pushed back further.
“Take this!”
Boom!
At a distance, cannon-like finger winds poured forth. Up close, Yang Myeong, with his indestructible body, attacked with sharpened black nails.
Bang!
Struck by a finger wind, Bu Eunseol was forced to the very edge of the arena. He tried to rise quickly, but his limbs felt heavy, as if paralyzed.
“Hmm.” The poisonous aura emanating from Yang Myeong’s body, enhanced by the Venomous Strength Demon Binding, grew thicker.
Though Bu Eunseol had temporarily suppressed the poison with internal energy, continuing like this would lead to collapse before he could even use Gather Qi Flame.
“Heh, heh, heh. Is this the extent of a Nangyang Ten Demon Warrior?” Yang Myeong, pausing his attack, sent a telepathic message. “The price for interfering with our fortress’s affairs is death.”
Step, step.
As Yang Myeong slowly approached Bu Eunseol, who was on one knee, black poisonous mist flowed from all ten of his fingers.
“Die.”
Thud, thud.
Ten black finger winds shot forth with a heavy sound. Instead of flying straight, they formed a massive bud-like shape, curving gently before raining down on Bu Eunseol like a storm.
It was the ultimate technique of the Venomous Demon Soul-Chasing Finger, the Ten Finger Venomous Demon Strands.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!
The cascading black finger winds enveloped Bu Eunseol, shattering the arena’s stone tiles.
Whoosh.
As dust and debris scattered in the wind, a gray figure stood amidst it. It was Bu Eunseol.
“…” His clothes were mostly torn, with bloodstains visible, but fortunately, he had no major injuries.
Even with his body slowed by poisoning, he had maximized his Beast Way senses, using Swift Beyond Shadow to deflect the finger winds.
“Well, you dodged that.” Yang Myeong nodded, as if impressed. “Then I’ll tear you apart myself.”
He approached, black nails gleaming. Bu Eunseol gazed at him silently. The poisoning had worsened, and his internal energy was nearly depleted. Moreover, no matter how much he struck, Yang Myeong remained unscathed.
“…” As if resolving himself, Bu Eunseol sheathed his sword.
Click.
Seeing this, Yang Myeong smirked.
“Surrendering?” He wanted to tear Bu Eunseol apart, but as a Nangyang Ten Demon Warrior, killing someone who surrendered would provoke Nangyang, even if he claimed ignorance of Bu Eunseol’s identity.
“Not at all.” Wiping the blood from his forehead, Bu Eunseol spoke calmly. “Let’s continue.”
“Heh, heh, heh.” Yang Myeong’s smile turned cruel. “Fine. This hall leader gave you a chance.”
At this point, even if Nangyang’s leader objected, Yang Myeong would have an excuse. He infused his nails with immense energy.
“Watch yourself!” Though he said this, he unleashed the ultimate technique of the Venomous Demon Soul-Chasing Finger, the Venomous Leaf Mountain Wave.
Crack, crack, crack!
A web-like network of black lines enveloped Bu Eunseol’s entire body. A single touch of those intricate afterimages would tear his body to pieces.
‘With this worn iron sword, there’s only one technique I can use.’
Shing.
As Bu Eunseol drew his sword, countless faint glimmers seemed to rise beneath his feet.
The first form of the Supreme Heavenly Flow, Meteor Chasing the Moon was unleashed.
Flash!
It was a brilliant yet fleeting radiance.
Crack!
The light tore through the massive web Yang Myeong had created in an instant. Simultaneously, the glimmers that had surrounded Bu Eunseol’s body appeared across Yang Myeong’s.
Boom!
Millions of light points illuminated the world like fireworks before being drawn into Yang Myeong’s right hand, which was unleashing the Venomous Leaf Mountain Wave.
“…” Silence fell over the arena.
Bu Eunseol’s sword was already lowered to the ground. Yang Myeong stood frozen in his attacking stance.
—Ah!
As the sword light faded, the spectators rubbed their eyes as if waking from a dream. The strange sword technique and glimmers Bu Eunseol had unleashed left only a fleeting sense of awe in their minds.
—What just happened?
—What kind of sword technique was that?
—What did he even do?
The spectators looked at one another. They knew Bu Eunseol had used some sword technique, but they couldn’t discern what it was.
Only a few exceptional masters in the stands could guess that Bu Eunseol had unleashed dozens of sword forms in an instant.
Clink, clink.
The sound of metal fragments falling echoed. Bu Eunseol’s sword shattered into pieces, like a spiderweb, and fell to the ground.
—Bu Eunseol has lost!
The spectators let out gasps. A swordsman’s blade breaking meant only one thing: it couldn’t withstand the force of the opponent’s attack.
“Hmph.” Yang Myeong, withdrawing his hand, slowly spoke. “What was that sword technique?”
“It’s a technique that encapsulates all my insights.”
“Insights?”
“Yes.” Insights were a term only grandmasters of supreme martial arts could claim.
Yang Myeong opened his mouth to speak but closed it, unable to find the right words.
Crack.
A sound like bones snapping rang out.
Crack, crunch.
The sound grew louder. Cracks, like spiderwebs, began to form on Yang Myeong’s steel-like fingers and the back of his hand.
Drip, drip.
Dark red blood dripped from Yang Myeong’s fingers and hand onto the arena floor.
—Yang Myeong is wounded!
Someone shouted, but most spectators shook their heads. For Yang Myeong, who had mastered the Venomous Strength Demon Binding, blood from his hand was a minor injury. With his sword broken, Bu Eunseol was clearly the loser.
“Hmph.” But Yang Myeong’s eyes wavered like rippling water.
The flesh wound on his hand was insignificant. However, the two streams of internal energy from Bu Eunseol’s sword had shattered the bones in his right fingers. In other words, half the power of his decades-honed Venomous Demon Soul-Chasing Finger was gone.
“Young Master Bu, Warrior Yang.” As the silent standoff continued, Cho Mucheon cautiously called out from the arena’s edge. “Will you continue the match?”
Bu Eunseol replied coldly. “That’s for him to decide.”
Yang Myeong raised an eyebrow. Bu Eunseol couldn’t possibly be unaware of the state of his shattered hand. Why was he saying this?
‘Is he saying he doesn’t want to make an enemy of our fortress?’ Then, Bu Eunseol’s icy telepathic message reached him.
“This isn’t ending because you’re a member of the Ten Demonic Sects.” Recalling his parting with Seo Jinha, Bu Eunseol sent a cold message. “He told me not to kill you in the tournament if possible. That’s the only reason.”
—Can I say one more thing?
At the time, just before parting, Seo Jinha had made a request of Bu Eunseol. It was to avoid killing Yang Myeong during the tournament if possible.
‘These rat-like bastards…’ Fuming, Yang Myeong looked down at his right arm.
The web-like sword forms and internal energy from Bu Eunseol had severed his nerves, muscles, and shattered his bones.
Even the legendary healer Cheoksanrim, said to possess the greatest medical skills, couldn’t fully restore it.
Grit.
As a master who could read the situation, Yang Myeong knew that fighting on would only lead to defeat.
“Let’s end this.” With a brief statement, Yang Myeong used his movement technique to leave the arena and disappear from the plaza.
“…” Silence fell over the arena again.
Yang Myeong, the Blood Ghost Hall Leader, had long roamed the martial world with a venomous reputation. For such a man to show such leniency?
“Well…” Caught off guard by the unexpected outcome, Cho Mucheon stammered.
Regardless, Yang Myeong had conceded, making the result clear.
“The winner of the Jeongmu Tournament is Bu Eunseol, Young Master Bu!”
—Waaaah!
At that moment, a tremendous roar erupted from the stands. Until now, the Jeongmu Tournament had always been won by renowned masters. This tournament, in particular, had drawn an unprecedented number of famous experts.
Yet, an unknown prodigy, Bu Eunseol, had defeated Yang Myeong, a master of Hell's Blood Fortress, to claim victory!
But the martial artists didn’t know.
The name of this young prodigy, starting in Guizhou, would soon spread across the entire martial world.
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