“From now on, strive diligently here as well.”
“Thank you.”
“Starting tomorrow, you will learn the first form of the Hwa Wu Sword, Formless Mystery, so come to the training ground by dawn.”
Bu Eunseol bowed his head and turned around. As he slowly made his way out of the training ground, his eyes met those of five trainees waiting nearby.
“…” A chilling coldness emanated from the five pairs of eyes.
Bu Eunseol knew what those gazes meant but said nothing and returned to his quarters. The entrance to the cave where he stayed was extremely narrow and low. Because of this, he had to practically crawl on the ground to barely get inside. Once inside, there was a damp, musty-smelling area, but beyond it lay a wide, flat space.
Thud.
Bu Eunseol lay down on a makeshift bed made of piled grass.
How much time had passed? Lying there with his eyes tightly closed, he suddenly opened them wide and let out a sigh.
‘So it’s come to this.’ Slowly rising, Bu Eunseol picked up the iron sword he had placed beside him. He ventured deeper into the dark cave and pushed a large boulder in the corner.
Rumble.
The massive boulder, which seemed immovable, slid easily under Bu Eunseol’s touch. Upon closer inspection, it was not a real boulder but a meticulously crafted fake one.
Click.
With a hollow sound, as he set the boulder down, a space wide enough for a person to lie in was revealed beneath the floor. ‘Who would’ve thought that playing with my grandfather while making coffins would come in handy here?’ To craft a coffin, wood is cut into various shapes to form curves.
Bu Eunseol had found carved wood throughout Hell Island and curved them into various shapes to create the fake boulder, slathering it with layers of mud. Of course, in bright light, it would look crude, but in the dim cave, it was nearly indistinguishable.
“Hmm.” Bu Eunseol lowered himself into the space beneath the floor and slid the fake boulder back into place.
Not long after,
Rustle.
With a faint sound, five dark shadows began to slither into the cave.
“…He’s not here?” One of the shadows, carefully scanning the dark cave, spoke in an irritated voice. “Didn’t you say you saw him come in?”
Another shadow across from him shook his head.
“Byeok Yeonha said she definitely saw that scrawny kid enter this place.”
“But he’s not here.”
“Exactly. Damn it.” Bu Eunseol, listening from beneath the boulder, felt his eyebrow twitch.
One of their voices was strikingly familiar.
—Isn’t it similar to the concept of ‘Sword hand Unity’ or ‘Sword and Spirit As One’?
It was the voice of one of the five trainees who had taken the test with him at the training ground.
“That guy. I really wanted to teach him a lesson!”
“Exactly. From the moment he showed up in that weird robe, I had a bad feeling.”
“He hid his skills from the mid-level gate and even committed murder.”
“And because he suddenly showed off, we ended up failing at the advanced gate!”
‘So it was you guys.’ The five shadows infiltrating the cave were the trainees who had taken the test with him at the advanced gate. They had all failed the test set by Dan Cheonyang and harbored unwarranted resentment toward Bu Eunseol.
‘Perhaps it was better when they just looked at me with contempt.’ Hiding beneath the boulder, Bu Eunseol gave a bitter smile. When he left the training ground earlier, he had sensed something unusual in the gazes of the five trainees. Sure enough, they had come to his cave to ambush him.
‘No need to kill them.’ From their tone, it seemed they hadn’t come to kill him but to beat him up to vent their frustrations.
‘And there’s no guarantee I’d win.’ Though they failed at the advanced gate, these were disciples of a demonic sect who had trained in swordsmanship for a long time. Despite having mastered the Beast Way, Bu Eunseol lacked experience in fighting multiple opponents, so victory was uncertain.
“Tch, let’s go.” Fortunately, they left the cave shortly after.
Feeling their presence completely vanish, Bu Eunseol moved the fake boulder again and emerged from the ground. ‘For now, I’ll have to stay at the advanced gate.’ Luckily, the advanced gate had a training hall where trainees could practice martial arts day and night.
“…!” At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyes glinted in the darkness.
A dark shadow stood tall at the cave’s entrance, where all signs of presence had vanished.
“You’ve truly mastered the Beast Way.” The shadow wore the loose training robes issued for Hell Island.
But with black cloth tightly wrapped around their face and androgynous eyes, it was hard to tell if they were male or female.
Clank.
As Bu Eunseol instinctively reached for his iron sword, the shadow shook their head.
“No need to draw your sword. I’m not here to fight.”
“…”
“You’re the quiet type. I like that.” The shadow’s voice, deliberately altered, sounded low and grating like metal scraping.
Bu Eunseol, gripping the sword hilt, waited for the shadow to continue, and the shadow nodded again.
“As you might have guessed, a bloody storm is about to sweep through Hell Island.” Bu Eunseol showed a surprised expression.
The trainees here were unaware of the Second Trial, so most spent their days leisurely and comfortably. How did this person know such a thing?
“Hmph, until now, you’ve just been mingling with riffraff.” The shadow sneered, reading Bu Eunseol’s expression.
“There are plenty of peerless talents here with insight and skill equal to yours.”
“What do you want to say?” At Bu Eunseol’s question, the shadow spoke in a low voice.
“Join our group.”
“Group?”
“From the start, the plan of the Demon War was for the ‘Ten Demon Warriors.’ In other words, only ten out of all these applicants need to make it.” As the shadow’s voice echoed through the cave, it felt as if ominous dark clouds were rolling in.
“Why make such an offer to me?” Bu Eunseol asked calmly, his expression unchanged. “Didn’t you just say there are many talents greater than me?”
“And yet, you’re the only one who’s mastered the Beast Way of Nangyang.”
‘So that’s it.’ Bu Eunseol narrowed his eyes. The shadow before him was likely one of the trainees from the intermediate gate of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.
“Moreover, if you could kill Byeok Hanseong in a single strike despite wielding a sword for the first time… your chances of becoming one of the Ten Demon Warriors are not small.” A strange fervor rose in the shadow’s voice. “Our group consists of exceptional prodigies. We share the insights gained from each gate’s martial arts and discuss future plans.”
“And?”
“If we join forces, no matter what happens, we can become the Ten Demon Warriors.” Bu Eunseol nodded inwardly.
In a situation where the future was uncertain, it wasn’t a bad idea for prodigies from various fields to band together.
“Are you accepting?” At the shadow’s question, Bu Eunseol firmly shook his head.
“I decline.”
“Why?”
“First, there’s no guarantee that exactly ten will be chosen as the Ten Demon Warriors.”
“Hmm.”
“If fewer are selected, it only increases the number of people who know my weaknesses.” Bu Eunseol’s voice was dry. “Nine enemies who know me well are far more dangerous than a hundred strangers who don’t.”
“Heh heh heh. Bu Eunseol, you’re truly cautious.” The shadow let out a mocking laugh and nodded. “You’ll regret rejecting my offer with tears later.” And with that, the shadow vanished into the darkness without lingering.
“Hmm.” Once the shadow’s presence was completely gone, Bu Eunseol lay back down on the grass pile. “It’s going to get tough from now on.”
Bu Eunseol had survived the Second Trial because he was despised and underestimated.
Being noticed as a strong contender by so many was far from a good thing.
***
“The reason our sect’s swordsmanship is recognized as the best in the demonic path is that it opens up various paths to mastery.” Inside the training ground of the advanced gate of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.
There, trainees sat at tables, and Dan Cheonyang taught them in a low voice.
“To reach the Hwa Wu Sword, there are many paths. In this advanced gate, you must transform the first form of Formless Mystery, which has been taught to you, into your own sword technique to create a rain of fire.” Holding a tree branch, Dan Cheonyang lightly extended his hand.
In that moment, the light illuminating the world vanished, and a suffocating darkness seemed to descend upon the earth.
Swish.
As the branch danced in the air, a fierce energy brushed past the trainees’ cheeks.
‘This is the Hwa Wu Sword.’ Watching Dan Cheonyang’s demonstration, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath. All he saw in the blink of an eye was a single streak of light. Even with the heightened senses gained from mastering the Beast Way, Bu Eunseol struggled to predict the trajectory of the Hwa Wu Sword.
‘If it weren’t for Instructor Cheon’s teachings, I wouldn’t have grasped the profundity of the Hwa Wu Sword.’
Advanced swordsmanship is akin to scholarship. Without understanding and interpreting the sword principles, no amount of practicing forms will lead to mastery. While learning the Unmatched Thunderbolt, Bu Eunseol tirelessly memorized the subtleties and essentials of advanced swordsmanship. Thanks to this, he could, to some extent, appreciate and understand Dan Cheonyang’s lectures and demonstrations.
Rustle.
Having completed the sword form, Dan Cheonyang calmly tucked the branch into his waistband. A suffocating silence filled the training ground, the fleeting swordsmanship Dan Cheonyang displayed leaving a lasting impression.
“I, too, have merely shown one of the many paths derived from countless branches.” Looking at the trainees’ awe-filled gazes, Dan Cheonyang smiled.
“As you know, if you can perfectly execute Formless Mystery, you can break the edge of any sword technique in the world.” The first form of Formless Mystery, imbued with the mystery of the Scattered Sword, is most suited for defending against sudden attacks.
However, due to Dan Cheonyang’s majestic sword aura and swift techniques, it appeared as an almost mystical sword form, invisible to the eye.
“Now it’s time to see the Rain of Fire you’ve created.” And his gaze settled on the boy whose eyes were as still as ice among the trainees.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“Yes.”
“Perform Formless Mystery.” Meeting Dan Cheonyang’s gaze, Bu Eunseol sighed inwardly.
It had been half a month since he’d begun training in swordsmanship at the advanced gate. Every time Dan Cheonyang taught the law or techniques, he asked Bu Eunseol more questions than anyone else. And now, he was making him the first to demonstrate the Hwa Wu Sword Form.
‘No choice.’ As a student, he couldn’t get upset about receiving attention. Swallowing a bitter smile, Bu Eunseol walked to the center of the arena and gripped the hilt of his sword.
Shring.
As he drew his iron sword, the expressions of Dan Cheonyang and the other trainees turned peculiar. Like the rising sun in the morning sky, Bu Eunseol held the iron sword with both hands, raising it high above his head.
“…”
A taut tension, like a drawn bowstring, filled the air.
Whoosh!
A sudden, fierce gust of wind blew. At the same moment, Bu Eunseol’s iron sword, which had shown no sign of movement, began to slice through the air.
Whirlwind.
With the sound of rushing wind, radiant sword shadows scattered above Bu Eunseol’s head. As the sword shadows filling the sky descended to the ground, they burst outward like fireworks in all directions.
Chik-chik-chik.
At the same time, sharp marks were etched into the ground around where Bu Eunseol stood. They were sword scars, as if dozens of massive beasts had clawed the earth. The first form of the Hwa Wu Sword, Formless Mystery, was executed by scattering downward from above, shredding everything within three to four paces.
Clank.
As Bu Eunseol sheathed his iron sword, a heavy silence descended upon the training ground once more.
