At that moment, Jeong Jongdo and the other corps members poured out of the tavern. They too had heard the explosive sound echoing from afar.
"Vice-Captain."
Seo Jinha spoke to Tae Muryong with a grave expression.
"Take the members and return immediately. Right now."
The enemy was clearly targeting him. He intended to buy time during the fight so that the members could at least retreat safely.
Then Jeong Jongdo spoke up.
"Don't we have the Heart Mirror Technique?"
The Supreme Corps members had undergone relentless, grueling training, causing their martial prowess to rise sharply. Having all mastered the improved Heart Mirror Technique to at least the eighth level, they had reached a point where they could protect themselves no matter what expert appeared.
"It's already too late anyway." Jeong Jongdo continued, "With killing intent this intense, the expert approaching must be on an unimaginable level. It would be better for us to gather together and deploy the Heart Mirror Technique."
Seo Jinha nodded and pulled out a signal tube from his bosom.
It was a flare for alerting others in emergencies.
Piii—! Boom!
The firework shot high into the distant sky, exploding with a massive roar and emitting a brilliant light. Even if the nearby branches had been wiped out, other branches should be able to receive this signal.
"Follow me."
Bang!
Seo Jinha unleashed his movement technique in a single breath.
If they stayed here, the tavern and the surrounding area would suffer enormous damage.
Whoosh!
Having fled dozens of li in an instant, Seo Jinha landed on a visible plain in the distance.
"Deploy the Heart Mirror Technique immediately."
At Seo Jinha’s command, the members quickly formed a precise formation and took out their treasures. Their expressions were extremely serious, and tension filled the air.
There was only one reason such an expert was rushing here. It was blatantly obvious that the target was him, disguised as Bu Eunseol.
"Let’s hide our bodies as much as possible without revealing ourselves and buy time."
The Heart Mirror Technique was extremely difficult to deploy because all casters had to become components of the array and unite their wills.
"Begin."
From the Heavenly Origin position, Seo Jinha began directing the members. In just ten breaths, the Heart Mirror Technique started to unfold. Once the formation was fully deployed, the surrounding scenery flowed away, and the figures of Seo Jinha and the members completely vanished.
But at that moment, the ground began to boil.
Boom!
With a tremendous explosion, the interior of the Heart Mirror Technique shook violently.
At the same time, a shadow instantly appeared inside the formation.
Crackle.
The figure that entered while emitting black flames was a massive man wearing a bamboo hat.
The bamboo hat was pressed deeply over his head, and his face was tightly wrapped in bandages, making it impossible to discern his features.
However, his eyes were utterly lifeless, like those of a dead man. There was no joy, sorrow, anger, or any emotion at all.
He seemed to be the very embodiment of a tool existing solely to carry out slaughter.
With just one step, the earth shook.
The man with a solidly muscled body began meticulously searching the interior of the Heart Mirror Technique with emotionless eyes. But Seo Jinha and the others had completely hidden themselves within the formation and were using the Breath-Holding Technique, so no biological reaction or presence could be detected anywhere.
After looking around, the bamboo hat man suddenly radiated cold killing intent from his empty eyes like a flash of light.
Then—
Boom!
He began slamming the ground with his enormous fist.
Each strike carried power reminiscent of a siege ram capable of smashing castle walls. Every time he struck the ground, the space inside the Heart Mirror Technique shook violently, and the air screamed.
At this rate, the formation itself seemed likely to collapse soon.
At that moment, a giant greatsword stealthily emerged from the darkness behind the bamboo hat man.
This was the space of the Mind's Eye, where the casters’ will became reality.
Seo Jinha and the members had combined their mental power to create a massive blade of will capable of cleaving even Mount Tai in two. Without hesitation, it slashed down toward the bamboo hat man’s spine.
Clang!
But the bamboo hat man instantly spun around like lightning to defend, and crimson flames erupted. His forearms were like diamond, completely unharmed even by the blade created with the power of the Heart Mirror Technique.
Then something unexpected happened.
The bamboo hat man thrust both hands into the hole that had formed where the blade had manifested.
As he exerted force, the pitch-black space split open, creating a large gap. With white light flashing in his eyes, he applied even greater strength and began forcibly widening the gap.
Crackle.
The very space where the greatsword had been created started to tear slowly like a tough piece of cloth. Inside the torn gap, a dark red inner wall writhed as if alive.
Within it, pillars of light stood in a circle, and inside those light pillars were the Supreme Corps members, who served as the power source of the Heart Mirror Technique.
This was the deepest sanctuary, the safest area within the formation.
The space had been slightly exposed while creating the giant greatsword.
The bamboo hat man had seized that instant, thrust his hands inside, and torn the space apart with raw strength.
Step by step.
Once inside the space, the bamboo hat man walked straight toward the members wrapped in the light pillars without hesitation.
Bang!
He struck one with his fist.
The bodies of the members inside the light pillar shook violently.
The light pillar, concentrated with the power of the Heart Mirror Technique, would not budge against ordinary attacks, but the bamboo hat man’s strength transcended imagination. Each punch caused the light pillar to shake violently.
When the light pillar did not break easily, the bamboo hat man began tearing at it with brute force.
If this continued, the members inside would eventually be torn to pieces by his hands.
At that moment, a bright light burst from the darkness, and a figure in blue clothes descended in front of the bamboo hat man.
It was Seo Jinha, disguised as Seon Woojin.
"Haaap!"
He deployed the Heon Won Bright Sword that he had learned from Bu Eunseol.
Dozens of sword energies poured down like rain, slashing at the bamboo hat man’s body.
Clang! Crackle!
Flames erupted from the bamboo hat man’s forearms once again.
He had perfectly defended the attack with just his two forearms. Moreover, his forearm skin had surpassed the level of being impervious to blades and swords.
Even when struck by sword energy, he did not flinch.
"Stronger."
This time, hundreds of needle-like sword energies shot toward the bamboo hat man.
Thanks to planning revenge against the Hundred Swords Sect Leader, Seo Jinha had received training from Bu Eunseol and reached the peak of the Supreme Heavenly Realm. Afterward, to properly fulfill the role of Seon Woojin, he had elevated the core techniques of Seon Woojin—Thirteen Guiding Energies and Heon Won Bright Sword—to the eighth level.
Moreover, this was the Mind's World, a place where one could exert superhuman power beyond the limits of reality.
The level of sword arts Seo Jinha was displaying now surpassed even the power Bu Eunseol could unleash in the real world.
Clang! Crackle!
Crimson flames sparked on the reinforced forearms, but that was all.
"It doesn't work."
To think that after taking hundreds of sword energies, he only suffered minor scratches on his skin?
'This is impossible.'
Seo Jinha realized that the power of the Heart Mirror Technique was not working properly against this bamboo hat man.
Swish!
He retreated instantly, then carefully observed the bamboo hat man again.
"This..."
There was no emotion whatsoever in the bamboo hat man’s eyes.
‘A puppet?’
The bamboo hat man was not a master who had reached the realm of emotionlessness, but rather a being whose emotions had been completely erased, like a puppet. In other words, because he was a puppet with no emotions at all, he had been able to easily break through the Heart Mirror Technique created by the combined power of the Supreme Corps members.
In the meantime, the bamboo hat man began launching attacks.
Despite his extremely simple appearance, the martial arts he unleashed were truly profound and mysterious, containing unfathomable principles capable of reducing mountains to dust.
'This doesn't make sense.'
Seo Jinha wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Those who had their emotions or intellect artificially controlled through special techniques like puppets possessed overwhelming combat ability because they felt no fear, terror, or hesitation.
However, they inevitably had limitations.
Because they could not think freely, there were clear limits to how they could utilize martial arts.
'He seems to have lost intellect as well, but...'
The bamboo hat man was attacking like a master skilled in improvisation, instantly spotting Seo Jinha’s openings and striking at the perfect moments.
‘Should I reveal my full power…?’
He could use not only Seon Woojin’s martial arts, but also the true martial arts of his identity as Bu Eunseol’s shadow, as well as the poison arts from his time in Majeon and Hell Island.
If he used all his hidden trump cards, he might be able to contend with this bamboo hat man.
'No, I can't.'
A puppet acting alone could not have wiped out the nearby information network and then tracked down Seon Woojin’s traces.
There was surely someone controlling the puppet somewhere, and they might be watching inside the Heart Mirror Technique.
‘Even if I die, I cannot expose that Seon Woojin is a fake.’
Meanwhile, the bamboo hat man began charging recklessly toward Seo Jinha.
Seo Jinha circled around him using movement techniques, but for some reason the distance kept narrowing. The bamboo hat man was not simply charging; he was using a method similar to the Zhuge family’s directional formation to cleverly restrict Seo Jinha’s path and draw him closer.
‘A puppet can do even this?’
Deploying a directional formation while executing martial arts was not too difficult for someone with a reasonably sharp mind.
But that was only when the caster was ‘attacking.’
To restrict the movements of an enemy who was freely moving and ‘evading’ required more than just intelligence. It demanded insight to read the opponent’s psychology and the ability to calculate numerous variables simultaneously, because the formation had to be adjusted according to the ever-changing situation.
In short, the bamboo hat man’s ability could be described as a puppet that feels no emotions, follows only commands, yet possesses a genius intellect and is capable of improvisation.
It was horrifying.
If such puppets existed in the world, the entire landscape of the current martial world would change completely.
In the end, caught in the directional formation, Seo Jinha could not completely avoid the bamboo hat man’s strike. He crossed his arms to block it. Even though he had deployed his protective energy and deflected the power, he was still pushed back nearly twenty steps.
Moreover, he felt pain as if all the bones in his body had been shattered.
Seo Jinha quickly stabilized his stance and tried to counterattack, but the bamboo hat man was faster.
Whoosh!
With a powerful sonic boom, a giant fist flew toward his face.
For a moment, the whole world seemed to stop.
‘I can’t dodge it.’
Just as he was about to deploy his protective energy again to deflect the attack—
Boom!
With a vibration like the tolling of a giant bell, the massive bamboo hat man was sent flying dozens of meters back.
Thud.
At the same time, several figures descended beside Seo Jinha.
They were the Supreme Corps members who had been hiding in the light pillars.
"It looks like you can’t handle him alone, Captain."
Tae Muryong drew his sword and spoke resolutely.
"We will fight together."
Seo Jinha did not refuse and nodded.
From the beginning, the Heart Mirror Technique did not work on this bamboo hat man. There was no choice but to confront him head-on with everything they had.
"Disband the Heart Mirror Technique."
At Seo Jinha’s command, the members immediately dispelled the formation.
The previously dark surroundings gradually regained their original colors.
"United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation!"
At Seo Jinha’s shout, Tae Muryong and Jeong Jongdo positioned themselves diagonally behind him, while the rest of the members lined up in a single file behind them.
From above, their formation looked like a giant arrow.
Whoosh!
Meanwhile, the bamboo hat man moved at extreme speed and charged at Seo Jinha.
Seo Jinha lightly blocked the fist and struck the bamboo hat man’s face.
The bamboo hat man was sent flying into a rock wall dozens of meters away.
Rumble.
He stood up from the collapsed rocks completely unharmed and charged again, unleashing fist strikes far more powerful than before.
Seo Jinha snorted and raised his sword diagonally.
Boom!
A strike powerful enough to pulverize mountains brushed past his body.
United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation.
This formation explosively concentrated the power and internal energy of all rear comrades into the single person standing at the very front, allowing that person to wield power as if they had reached the Infinite Extreme Realm.
It was easy to say, but it required the hearts and wills of everyone to become completely one. If even the slightest discord existed among the formation members, the formation would collapse before completion.
Because of the absolute trust and bond between Seo Jinha and the Supreme Corps members, this mysterious formation was completed as naturally as breathing.
Having received the full power of all twenty Supreme Corps members,
"Come at me again."
Seo Jinha beckoned with a confident expression.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bamboo hat man charged straight forward, shaking the earth, and unleashed another powerful strike.
Slash!
As if waiting for it, Seo Jinha swung his sword down powerfully against the incoming fist.
The blade sank halfway into the bamboo hat man’s fist, which had previously been unharmed by any attack.
Blood flowed out like a long thread, but it was still not a deep wound.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, pure white light exploded from the bamboo hat man’s two fists, and he began swinging both arms like giant fans.
A storm of power poured forth, enough to split mountains with just a graze.
Seo Jinha stood motionless at the center of the storm, holding his sword.
He leisurely applied the Heon Won Bright Sword and fired dozens of sword energies.
Every time sword energy clashed with the power, a bizarre tearing sound rang out, and the bamboo hat man’s massive body was pushed back step by step.
‘Even with the United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation, that’s it?’
In theory, the formation could combine the power of over a hundred people, but in practice, combining even ten was extremely difficult.
Uniting the hearts of many people into one was a near-miracle.
Yet Seo Jinha and the Supreme Corps members had gathered their spirits as one based on the absolute trust built over a long time together.
Even while perfectly concentrating the power of twenty people, they still could not defeat this single bamboo hat man.
Haa—
The bamboo hat man flashed his white eyes and let out a short, monstrous roar.
At the same time, his target changed.
Instead of Seo Jinha in front, it shifted to the side of the formation—the Supreme Corps members.
"No chance!"
Seo Jinha’s body once again blocked the bamboo hat man’s path.
The situation was similar to when Bu Eunseol had faced the Imperial Palace warriors using imperial martial arts. At that time, the Imperial Palace warriors had maintained a solid formation, and Bu Eunseol had persistently targeted the sides to break their coordination.
The bamboo hat man seemed to have judged that breaking through the front of the United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation was impossible.
He spread both arms wide to the sides and unleashed intense pressure.
The pressure curved greatly and struck the members behind Seo Jinha.
As pressure that felt like the sky was collapsing poured down, the members gritted their teeth. They knew that if they let out even a single groan, it would shake Seo Jinha’s heart.
The bamboo hat man fired sharp energy along with pressure like throwing Mount Tai.
Before they knew it, the members’ lower bodies were covered in blood, and the formation’s line was on the verge of breaking by a hair’s breadth.
The power of the formation weakened slightly for a moment.
The bamboo hat man did not miss the opening.
He dug into the gap in the formation and began swinging fists like meteors.
Crackle!
Even under the bamboo hat man’s fierce assault, the formation did not break. The members endured desperately despite the pain of torn muscles and twisted bones.
"Haaap!"
In the meantime, Seo Jinha poured out attacks again.
It was the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship, which he had glimpsed the essence of during extreme training with Bu Eunseol.
'This is the best I can do right now!'
As he unleashed it with the amplified power of the United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation, the Cloud-Gathering Sword unleashed power comparable to a storm of flames.
The bamboo hat man could not face it head-on and began retreating.
But something was strange.
Even though he had clearly found several openings, he did not counterattack. Instead, he focused solely on defense and began closely observing Seo Jinha’s sword technique.
And after half an hour, the bamboo hat man suddenly created a stance and unleashed sword moves extremely similar to the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship that Seo Jinha was using.
He had stolen the essence of the sword technique in the middle of combat.
‘Don’t tell me…’
Goosebumps rose.
The secret to comprehending the opponent’s profound principles while fighting and finding openings to counterattack.
Wasn’t that the martial transmission technique of the Nangyang Pavilion?
The bamboo hat man was creating stances and continuously imitating the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship.
He was even replicating it quite well.
At first it was clumsy, but as time passed, his movements became more precise.
Seo Jinha immediately sheathed his sword and,
Swish! Swish!
Created sharp sword energy around his body.
It was the Thirteen Guiding Energies, whose power and operation had become extremely refined thanks to the United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation.
Crackle!
The bamboo hat man, struck by the enhanced Thirteen Guiding Energies, sparked flames from his body as thick blood flowed.
No matter how impervious to blades his body was, he could not remain unscathed against the Thirteen Guiding Energies, which concentrated the essence of orthodox sword arts.
Every time Seo Jinha executed the Thirteen Guiding Energies, the bamboo hat man fell into a defensive posture and suppressed his counterattacks.
He was trying to observe more closely to steal the profound principles of the martial arts.
Seo Jinha was now certain.
This bamboo hat man was either a master from the Nangyang Pavilion or had deeply trained in their martial transmission techniques.
Crackle, crackle.
In the meantime, the force of the Thirteen Guiding Energies continued to pierce the bamboo hat man’s openings.
Any ordinary martial artist would have had their head severed dozens of times already, yet the bamboo hat man used a principle similar to turning fierce attacks into mist, letting the Thirteen Guiding Energies’s mountain-destroying strikes flow past him like the wind.
Critical wounds were blocked by his diamond-like forearms.
‘If this continues…’
Seo Jinha bit his lip.
‘Not only will he steal the principles of the Thirteen Guiding Energies, but the entire Supreme Corps will be annihilated.’
The bamboo hat man’s forearms were truly invincible.
They could block any attack, and his recovery ability transcended human limits.
With his current strength, Seo Jinha had no way to destroy even one of that monster’s forearms.
Boom! Whoosh!
Having now identified the weakness in the formation, the bamboo hat man spread his arms again and unleashed strange energy that disrupted the line.
By applying the principles of the Thirteen Guiding Energies, he had found an efficient way to destroy the formation by collapsing the side’s openings without directly attacking Seo Jinha.
The members’ formation finally began to collapse.
Just before the United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation broke—
"Haaaaap!"
Seo Jinha exploded all his energy and charged recklessly at the bamboo hat man.
If the formation broke, the members would never survive. He intended to sacrifice himself to buy time.
Grab!
As if reading his inner thoughts, the bamboo hat man caught Seo Jinha’s sword with his bare hand.
Then a giant fist sank deep into his abdomen.
Bang!
Seo Jinha was sent flying backward.
"No chance!"
Fearing the bamboo hat man would target the members again, he charged forward once more.
Crash!!
The bamboo hat man casually swatted Seo Jinha, who was entangling all his movements, as if playing with a toy.
His face was smashed and blood gushed from his mouth like a fountain, but he did not back down.
"Captain!"
"Release the formation!"
The members’ desperate cries erupted.
The United Heart, Combined Power, Infinite Extreme Formation could not be undone by the members themselves unless Seo Jinha, who commanded from the Heavenly Origin position, released it or died.
"No."
Seo Jinha muttered lowly with bloodshot, swollen eyes.
"Not yet."
At that moment, the bamboo hat man’s fist flew toward the now-exposed opening at Seo Jinha’s side.
It was difficult.
His body, holding out with both hands tightly clenched, was trembling violently like a temple bell. Even though he had strengthened his body with a grand technique, he could not hold out long like this.
Jiim.
As if annoyed by Seo Jinha's persistence, the bamboo-hat man opened his fist, which gleamed with a pitch-black luster.
Jiim!
Then, a sharp energy flared up like a blade.
The bamboo-hat man did not attack immediately but looked down at Seo Jinha.
It was as if he were saying, 'Let's see if you can survive even this.'
"Fine. Come on."
Seo Jinha, who was already prepared to die, let out a low, true sound.
[Gather your internal energy, I will break the formation soon.]
He twisted his grip on his sword.
[Scatter in all directions immediately. Only then can at least a few of you escape alive.]
Kiing!
A golden light flashed from Seo Jinha's body, and the corps members, wrapped in bright light, were flung out of the formation.
However, the corps members did not flee but ran to Seo Jinha to support him and block the bamboo-hat man.
"Fools, why did you not run away but come back instead?"
When Seo Jinha spoke with a blood-stained face, Tae Muyong answered earnestly.
"Did we not swear to die together on the same day at the same hour?"
"That was a vow made to him, not to me."
"No, it is not."
Jeong Jongdo countered.
"Do you not remember? We made that same vow in front of you as well, Captain."
In the past, back when he played the role of Seon Woojin instead of Bu Eunseol, the Supreme Corps members had tilted their wine glasses and vowed once more before him.
They swore they would die on the same day at the same hour.
"We knew your identity even back then, Captain."
The squad members shouted with one voice.
"That is why we made the vow to you as well, Captain!"
Seo Jinha sighed deeply at their shouts.
At first, the excessive loyalty of the Supreme Corps members seemed foolish.
'Is there a need to hang on with that much loyalty?'
But.
—Captain, the movements of the Three Realms are unusual.
Even though no one ordered them to, they compiled information all night for Bu Eunseol, tracked movements, and predicted dangers.
It was truly sincere devotion.
'Was it thanks to these guys?'
The fact that Bu Eunseol could perfectly hide Seon Woojin's traces until now.
The fact that the plans succeeded without going awry.
It was all because of the unseen efforts of the Supreme Corps members.
'They were family.'
At that moment, Seo Jinha could finally understand the hearts of the Supreme Corps.
They had not just offered loyalty to Bu Eunseol.
They simply thought of him and worried about him... like family.
'And me as well.'
A faint smile spread across Seo Jinha's lips.
The Supreme Corps members embraced not only Bu Eunseol, but also him, who was fighting alongside them at the risk of his life, as family.
If one is with family, death is not a parting, but merely the final journey taken together.
There was neither fear nor regret.
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