Bu Eunseol spoke.
“Handing over the immensely powerful position of Blood Secret Command Lord—which has been vacant all this time—to someone from a secret organization makes no sense at all. Moreover, the fact that they’ve publicly nailed him down as the candidate means…”
“That he’s a disposable card that can be thrown away at any time?”
At Yoo Unryong’s words, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Exactly.”
In the past, when the Martial Venerable was deciding the candidate for the Martial Heaven Corps Leader, he had once dragged Mu Gyeol—who was hidden in a secret organization—out into the open in order to prevent Bu Eunseol from becoming the Martial Heaven Corps Leader during the selection test.
In other words, suddenly recruiting someone from a secret organization like this meant there was another intention lurking beneath the surface.
“But if the cleanup is mishandled even slightly… My Lord, you would end up pointing your sword not only at the Chief Instructor but at the Demon Emperor himself.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
A bloody gleam rose in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“The Demon Emperor’s goal has never been me. It has always been all of you.”
“…”
“If this incident is also part of a plan to target you all, then I can no longer remain in Majeon.”
By cutting down the Blood Secret Command Lord, Bu Eunseol intended to clearly determine whether the Demon Emperor was trying to provoke him personally or whether he truly intended to touch his subordinates.
Because the safety of the Death Shadow Corps family was more important to him than his own.
If the Demon Emperor planned to lay hands on his subordinates, then he could no longer stay in Majeon.
“What if he isn’t targeting the Death Shadow Corps?”
At Jo Namcheon’s question, Bu Eunseol answered, “Then I’ll have to cling desperately to life in Majeon for as long as possible. Otherwise, I won’t be able to grow the Martial Soul Society.”
“Striking first is fine. But what if your identity is exposed?” At that moment, Myo Cheonwoo spoke cautiously. “This is Majeon. Everything is within the Demon Emperor’s grasp.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not handling this with my own identity.”
“Ah.”
Only then did all the captains—including Myo Cheonwoo—nod in understanding.
Bu Eunseol possessed multiple identities, and every single one of them was flawless enough that even the Demon Emperor could find no fault.
In particular, he held an identity as one of the highest-ranking figures in the Martial Alliance…
If he used that, there was absolutely no chance of being discovered.
“Your true identity is the final fortress.”
Having read the captains’ thoughts, Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“It would be best to stab the enemy’s shield with the enemy’s own sword.”
As though he had already thought this through, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Yoo Unryong, who had been listening silently, let out a soft chuckle.
He had finally grasped Bu Eunseol’s scheme.
“Well, with your martial prowess, all you really need is that shiny mask.”
Yoo Unryong smiled wryly.
“The Demon Emperor once drove us all into a corner. So, as you said, this time it might be good for us to strike from an unexpected angle.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Anything related to the Demon Emperor must be cut off in advance as much as possible. Otherwise, it will be impossible to stop him later.”
And he added one more thing.
“That is precisely why the Martial Soul Society must grow as quickly as possible.”
The captains all nodded.
The reason he had created the Martial Soul Society was not out of personal ambition, but to protect his subordinates.
And even now, he was quietly preparing to eliminate a person secretly raised by the Demon Emperor in order to protect his subordinates.
***
—The Chief Instructor has summoned Nine Demon Heaven Lord to Majeon in order to put him forward as the Blood Secret Command Lord candidate.
As Yoo Unryong had said, the personnel decision regarding Nine Demon Heaven Lord was officially carried out.
Secret organizations generally never come out into the open.
Even the ancient and storied Nine Deaths Squad had never once appeared in the light, had it?
Yet now the Chief Instructor was calling in Yu Baek—the leader of Nine Demon Heaven, a secret organization active in Hainan—to Majeon to begin the verification process for appointing him as Blood Secret Command Lord?
—Just who is this Yu Baek?
Upon hearing the news, the warriors of Majeon each tilted their heads in puzzlement.
No one knew what kind of organization Nine Demon Heaven was, nor what kind of person its leader Yu Baek might be.
The only faint guess they could make was that, since the character “Heaven” was in the name, it was probably an organization directly under the Demon Emperor, and that its leader must possess extraordinary ability.
***
Shuuu—
A figure wearing a pitch-black mask was swiftly racing through the Heungan region.
His movement technique was extremely stealthy, and his entire body was clad in the Silver Concealment Robe favored by top-grade assassins.
Not only was his form indistinct, but even while moving at ultra-high speed, not a single rustle of clothing could be heard.
After running like that for a while, just as the masked figure reached a certain bamboo grove,
Shushushushuk!
With sharp tearing sounds through the air, razor-sharp flying daggers poured down like rain toward the running masked man.
Paaah!
As soon as the daggers rained down, the masked figure doubled his movement technique and began escaping the bamboo grove at even greater speed.
Shushushushuk!
Before long, the daggers were no longer aimed solely at the masked figure but were showering across the entire bamboo grove.
Using the bamboo planted everywhere, the masked figure dodged and weaved through the blades while continuing forward.
Far from decreasing, the number of daggers seemed to increase; now they were being launched ahead of him, as though predicting his path.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yet the daggers did not even reach the masked figure’s body—they rang with metallic clangs and fell to the ground.
He had raised a powerful protective qi around himself to block the pouring blades.
But traps set in the bamboo grove were not limited to flying daggers.
Suddenly, saw-toothed hidden weapons shot up from the ground toward the sky, then curved in mysterious trajectories to target the masked figure.
They were Fox-Saw Blades, specialized qi-destroying mechanism weapons designed to break through protective strong qi.
The masked figure was forced to change direction repeatedly, circling the bamboo grove to avoid the mechanisms.
Woooong!
As though waiting for exactly that moment, a transparent wall began to form throughout the entire bamboo grove.
The hidden weapon mechanisms had never been meant to hit him directly—they were designed to trap him inside a bamboo grove already prepared with the Sanggo Formation.
Saaaaah—
A strange sound echoed in all directions, and at the same time, a mysterious energy spread like mist around the bamboo grove.
The masked figure instinctively realized the formation had activated and tried to flee at full speed, but the formation unfolded even faster.
Thud.
Finally realizing he had been trapped inside the formation, the masked figure halted his movement technique and looked around the bamboo grove.
The moment he was caught in the formation, he sensed faint killing intent spreading from somewhere.
Thud. Thud.
As he stepped out into a clearing in the bamboo grove, his appearance became clear under the sunlight.
He wore ordinary martial robes, but his face was covered by a peculiar mask that gleamed with an eerie luster.
It was the bizarre mask that the emissaries of the Three Realms had always used.
Thud.
Merely by revealing his form, an overwhelming aura burst forth from his entire body.
[You.]
The Three Realms emissary looked at the masked figure clad in Silver Concealment Robe and sent a strange transmission.
[Are you the Nine Demon Heaven Lord, the one who has become the Blood Secret Command Lord candidate?]
Instantly, the masked figure’s eyes flashed.
The Nine Demon Heaven was a secret organization directly under the Demon Emperor, and its name had never been revealed to the outside world.
Yet not only had the name “Nine Demon Heaven” been identified, but even his own identity had been pinpointed instantly?
[That look in your eyes is answer enough.]
The Three Realms emissary nodded while gazing into the eyes of the masked man, Nine Demon Heaven Lord Yu Baek.
[No need to be surprised. Detecting one of Majeon’s secret organizations is nothing special for our side.]
It was astonishing.
An emissary of the Three Realms had set a trap in advance and was waiting to capture the leader of a Majeon secret organization?
Swiik.
Yu Baek raised the short swords he held in both hands.
It was a clear display of intent: if you block my path, I will cut you down and pass.
[Good stance.]
Srrrng.
The Emissary drew the old iron sword at his waist.
In truth, it was not an iron sword but a Demon-Killer Sword capable of breaking Black Divine Artifacts.
And he was not an emissary of the Three Realms at all—he was Bu Eunseol in disguise.
He had already detected the travel route of Yu Baek, the Blood Secret Command Lord candidate heading to Majeon on the Demon Emperor’s orders, and had prepared this trap accordingly.
All to eliminate the Demon Emperor’s schemes from the very beginning and protect his subordinates.
Click.
Holding the Silent Tiger Soul Sword horizontally at mid-level, Bu Eunseol looked into Yu Baek’s unwavering eyes and nodded.
‘He’s extremely taciturn.’
The man was so silent that, even when an ambusher appeared, he did not utter a single word.
He was solely focused on defeating the enemy before him, fusing his mental power, inner energy, physical body, and weapon into one.
[Since you seem prepared, let us begin.]
Woooong.
As inner energy poured into the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, a low sword hum rang out.
There was no need to prolong the fight.
He intended to unfold the Heon Won Bright Sword in one breath and sever Yu Baek’s head.
Since he was disguised as a Three Realms emissary, he naturally could not use his own martial arts. Nevertheless, the reason he chose to unfold the Heon Won Bright Sword was so that even if an autopsy were performed later, his true identity would never be revealed.
‘The Heon Won Bright Sword is not a technique only I have learned.’
High-ranking figures in the Martial Alliance and certain masters of the Three Realms had also mastered the Heon Won Bright Sword.
When fighting the Sword Demon, the Martial Alliance’s high ranks had immediately recognized the technique.
Moreover, traces of the Heon Won Bright Sword had been left on the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin where the Orthodox Heaven Sovereign’s corpse was stored, hadn’t they?
In other words, the Heon Won Bright Sword was an extremely rare yet powerful sword form known only to a select few in the Martial Alliance—including the Sword King Seon Woojin—and certain individuals in the Three Realms.
It was impossible to pinpoint exactly who had learned it.
Therefore, by imitating a Three Realms emissary while using the Heon Won Bright Sword, it became the optimal martial art, one whose user’s identity would be nearly impossible to deduce.
Murmur.
A jet-black radiance spread, and soon a sword qi almost identical to Yu Baek’s current stance began to form.
Shaaak!
Yet Yu Baek paid no heed to being enveloped by the sword qi; instead, he instantly closed the distance and unleashed a rapid barrage of lethal sword forms toward Bu Eunseol.
As a result, the Heon Won Bright Sword was interrupted before it could be completed.
‘He knew the weakness of the Heon Won Bright Sword?’
Bu Eunseol felt inner surprise, but after watching the sword techniques Yu Baek poured out, he shook his head.
‘No—he simply noticed the slow activation speed immediately.’
The Heon Won Bright Sword had various derivative forms and right now, Bu Eunseol had drawn the enemy’s shape with sword qi to use it as a decisive killing form for a single decisive exchange.
The problem was the activation speed.
In the past, when facing the Fist King Seok Chi-haeng—who had sought mutual destruction—and the Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun—who had yielded the first move—there had been time to leisurely unfold this decisive form of the Heon Won Bright Sword.
But the moment Yu Baek saw that the jet-black radiance did not immediately turn into aggressive sword qi, he instantly grasped the weakness of slow activation and unleashed a continuous storm of varied techniques with lightning-like movements.
As a result, the Heon Won Bright Sword failed to complete, and its form collapsed immediately.
‘An assassin by origin.’
Moreover, the techniques and forms Yu Baek used were not only demonic martial arts but also the close-quarters, stealthy killing methods favored by assassins.
‘Even the dagger techniques are fundamentally closer to assassination arts.’
Unlike ordinary martial artists, assassins repeatedly drilled killing forms designed solely to end life in a single decisive moment.
In short, they used extremely concise yet ferocious techniques without considering defense or follow-up moves.
And the methods Yu Baek was using right now were exactly that kind of assassination art.
‘Good.’
Bu Eunseol moved the Silent Tiger Soul Sword even faster.
While neutralizing Yu Baek’s attacks, he rapidly maneuvered his sword to complete the Heon Won Bright Sword quickly.
Shashashasha!
As the Silent Tiger Soul Sword moved at ultra-high speed, once again a sword qi almost identical to Yu Baek’s form began to take shape.
Sensing the crisis, Yu Baek swiftly continued his dagger assault, but Bu Eunseol’s sword form was Endless Continuity, flowing like water, uninterrupted and unblocked.
Jiiiing.
Finally, a sword qi identical to Yu Baek’s body was completed.
Thud.
In that instant, Yu Baek—who had been attacking—froze in place.
He had instinctively realized that the perfect decisive moment-capturing sword form was complete, and that the slightest opening would result in his body being shredded in an instant.
Ssssss—
A transparent airflow began to flow from Yu Baek’s motionless body, and suddenly even his physical form started to blur.
Emptiness.
He had stopped all movement and entered a perfect state of emptiness to counter the decisive move of the Heon Won Bright Sword.
Easy to say, but this was a technique that could only be executed when both internal and external cultivation had reached the extreme limit.
‘So he isn’t becoming a Command Lord purely through the Demon Emperor’s favor.’
Just from his sharp eye that instantly recognized the slow activation of the Heon Won Bright Sword,
and the single move he used to counter the formed sword qi, it was clear that he was an outstanding genius of peerless martial arts.
Tsztsztsz.
Once he entered the state of emptiness, the Heon Won Bright Sword was immediately halted.
As time passed, even Yu Baek’s body grew fainter, as though he were slowly vanishing into transparency.
The two masters stared at each other without moving and only the desolate wind swept through the bamboo grove.
From a distance, it might have looked like they were peacefully gazing at one another.
But this kind of confrontation was fiercer than pressing blades to each other’s throats.
The moment one’s concentration wavered, one’s head would fall without even knowing why.
Whoooosh.
Once again, a bleak wind swept through the bamboo grove.
Then a single small leaf drifted from the bamboo and passed in front of Yu Baek’s eyes.
In that instant—
Jiiiing!
Bu Eunseol, who never missed an opportunity, transformed the halted the Heon Won Bright Sword once more.
Pat! Pat! Pat!
Yu Baek desperately unleashed sharp dagger techniques in succession to escape the boundary of that sword qi, yet no matter what movements he made or what forms he executed, the sword qi clung to him like a water ghost.
Shuuuk!
Finally, the unavoidable sword qi completely enveloped Yu Baek’s body.
Now all that remained was to wait for his head to fall.
Slash!
But at that moment, with a sound like water being parted, a pitch-black energy erupted from behind Yu Baek and began to overlay and erase the encroaching sword qi of the Heon Won Bright Sword.
Jiiiing! Jiiiing!
The energy pouring from Yu Baek’s body changed form endlessly like a living creature, annihilating the sword qi that covered his body.
Watching this, Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.
Wishful True Binding.
The black energy Yu Baek was using… was it not the true qi manipulation method of the Demon Emperor’s exclusive secret art, the Emotion-Severing Secret?
‘He learned the Demon Emperor’s martial arts?’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes rippled like water.
Did that mean Yu Baek was a disciple of the Demon Emperor?
Saaaaah!
Yet the black mist flowing from Yu Baek grew even denser, and suddenly transformed into razor-sharp crescent-moon blades that poured in all directions, beginning to erase the sword qi of the Heon Won Bright Sword that Bu Eunseol had created.
Not only could he transform materialized true qi into various shapes, but he could also independently materialize it and launch it like hidden weapons.
This was the Formless Demonic Path form of the Wishful True Binding—Thunderclap Crescent Blade.
Shuuuk.
Finally, having completely erased Bu Eunseol’s the Heon Won Bright Sword sword qi, Yu Baek rose into the air.
Shashashasha!
At the same time, hundreds of black crescent moons began to spread from Yu Baek’s body.
Not only had he unfolded Thunderclap Crescent Blade to collapse the Heon Won Bright Sword, but he now intended to completely destroy even the formation set in the bamboo grove.
‘He cannot escape.’
Paaht!
Having read Yu Baek’s intention, Bu Eunseol leaped into the air and unfolded his sword technique once more.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As Bu Eunseol struck away the pouring Thunderclap Crescent Blades while closing in,
Shuuk.
Suddenly, a crescent-moon sword qi passed straight through the Silent Tiger Soul Sword that was about to clash with it, and sliced toward Bu Eunseol’s body with terrifying sharpness.
Once having entered the Formless Demonic Path, Yu Baek’s Wishful True Binding could scatter Thunderclap Crescent Blade back into mist at will and then rematerialize it again.
Kwaaaaaang!
Countless crescent-moon true qi poured through the sword forms and flooded toward Bu Eunseol’s body.
When struck, they dispersed and when they touched the body, they became terrifying blades.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
In the end, Bu Eunseol landed back on the ground and unleashed three sword strikes.
Some were fierce and powerful initial moves while others drew soft, circular arcs. As a result, the rain of crescent-moon true qi began to bounce away with metallic clangs.
Using the Sword Venerable’s Half Above, Half Below and Shifting Heaven’s Force, he forcibly materialized Yu Baek’s Wishful True Binding.
Paaht!
Confirming that the mystery worked, Bu Eunseol once again poured sword forms toward Yu Baek, who was floating in the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With metallic sounds, the two exchanged more than forty moves in close combat within a single breath.
But something astonishing happened.
Only Bu Eunseol’s body was steadily accumulating gashes.
‘This is…’
Only then did Bu Eunseol truly see the real power of the Wishful True Binding.
The Wishful True Binding that had fully entered the Demonic Path transcended even the constraints of the physical body and became completely linked to the caster’s spirit.
It was truly a secret art that could be unfolded at the speed of light.
‘Demon Emperor.’
Watching Yu Baek perfectly unfold the Wishful True Binding, a thought suddenly flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
‘Did he deliberately impose restrictions with the Emotion-Severing Secret to make me crave even greater power?’
Because the Demon Emperor had been raised and educated by his grandfather, Bu Zhanyang, he must have known from the beginning that Bu Eunseol’s constitution could never enter the Formless Demonic Path.
Perhaps even before entering the Ten Demon Successors competition, he had already known that Bu Eunseol had learned the orthodox faction’s supreme inner energy secret, Muscle-Changing Sutra.
In other words, while knowing full well that Bu Eunseol could never enter the Formless Demonic Path, he had deliberately left behind the Wishful True Binding—a technique that would ruin the body if one did not choose the Formless Demonic Path.
‘He must have even predicted that various powers would eventually mix chaotically inside my body.’
Since Bu Eunseol had mastered the orthodox faction’s supreme inner energy secret, he might have already learned—or would later learn—Orthodox secret arts as well.
So he deliberately left Emotion-Severing Secret behind to cause the powers contained in the body to lose balance and collapse.
To make the internal energies mix and become chaotic.
To force him into a situation where he could not survive unless he reached a higher realm and obtained even greater power.
‘Why on earth?’
Bu Eunseol could not understand.
Why was he trying to make him stronger? What exactly was his ulterior motive?
Slash!
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol’s body was steadily becoming covered in blood.
The moment he realized the Demon Emperor’s intention, a disturbance arose in his spirit.
As a result, this clumsy imitation of a Three Realms emissary could no longer withstand the power of the Wishful True Binding that had entered the Formless Demonic Path.
Shaaaaak!
Moreover, Yu Baek’s Wishful True Binding grew stronger as time passed.
It had been only a brief moment of distraction, yet in that short time, the speed of Yu Baek’s Wishful True Binding had become so fast that even beast-like senses could not track it—the trajectories of the blades could no longer be perceived.
Paaht!
As his entire body was about to be torn apart by the razor-sharp blades, Bu Eunseol instead charged straight toward Yu Baek.
It looked almost like a desperate, self-destructive attack.
Woooong!
In that instant, hundreds of different forms of crescent-moon true qi rose from Yu Baek’s body.
Even now they moved so fast they were invisible.
If that many materialized true qi struck Bu Eunseol’s body again?
His flesh would disintegrate in midair, leaving not even dust behind.
But something strange happened.
The Wishful True Binding that should have perfectly pierced Bu Eunseol’s body shattered completely.
Void Extreme Reflection Bullet.
It absorbed external force instead and returned any martial art instantly—the counter technique of the Thirteen Guiding Energies.
Crash!
Having shattered all of the Wishful True Binding, Bu Eunseol broke through the storm of true qi and closed in on Yu Baek.
But Yu Baek was not surprised and as though he had been waiting, he gripped his daggers tightly, preparing for ultra-close combat.
With Wishful True Binding combined with ultra-close dagger techniques, no matter what trick the enemy used, he was confident he could finish them in one go.
But that was Yu Baek’s mistake.
Shwaaaak!
Once again, nine strands of energy poured from Bu Eunseol’s body and coiled around Yu Baek.
He had been pretending to charge in desperation to induce carelessness, then—in ultra-close range—unleashing the supreme ultimate art of the Martial Emperor, the Thirteen Guiding Energies.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Yu Baek wildly swung his daggers, but in the end, both his Silver Concealment Robe and mask were torn in two.
Crack.
In that moment, the face of an indifferent young man was fully revealed.
His skin was white as snow, his eyes large and long—truly a peerless beauty comparable to Bu Eunseol himself.
‘This person is…’
But what shocked Bu Eunseol was not Yu Baek’s beauty itself.
The stubbornly closed lips. The eyes so large they almost seemed bulging.
That face bore an uncanny resemblance to someone.
‘Hyeok Ryeon-eung?’
Bu Eunseol felt dizzy.
Blood Ring Ghost Eyes.
Yu Baek’s eyes—not only were they exactly like Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s, but even the Blood Ring Ghost Eyes, which throughout the entire history of the martial world had appeared only in Hyeok Ryeon-eung, were perfectly innate in him as well?
