After receiving the bead from Tang Pae, Bu Eunseol mobilized every available resource.
The Death Spirit Corps and various other intelligence organizations, along with every possible channel he could access.
He tried every means to uncover the bead’s identity, yet all efforts failed.
No one could determine what the bead Tang Pae had given him truly was.
Given how desperately the Clear River Realm had sought it, it had to be an extraordinary treasure.
‘As expected, only the Demonic Sword Master can know.’
If anyone in the martial world could identify it, it would be the Demonic Sword Master alone—the greatest night-walker alive, capable of repairing ancient divine weapons and crafting new demonic swords, and someone who had read the secret records of the Three Families, able to distinguish the rarely known Black Divine Artifact.
Iron Staff Mountain, Nangyang Pavilion.
“A bead that absorbs light, you say.”
After staring at the bead for a long while in his personal quarters, the Demonic Sword Master opened his mouth in astonishment.
“If my guess is correct, this is none other than Boundary Prosperity Jade.”
“Boundary Prosperity Jade.”
Bu Eunseol murmured the name softly.
Boundary Prosperity Jade. Wasn’t that exactly what Yangseol Rin of the Yangseol Family had once spoken of in the past?
“What is it used for?”
“According to the secret records of the Three Families, it is said to be used for altering heavenly fate.”
“Heavenly fate?”
“Indeed.” The Demonic Sword Master narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the transparent bead. “It can store the forces of nature, and thereby change the inherent properties of all things under heaven.”
“The inherent properties of all things under heaven…”
“Precisely.”
In that moment, Bu Eunseol recalled what Tang Gon had said.
After carrying the bead on his person, Tang Gon had remarked that Bu Eunseol felt strangely unfamiliar.
—Bu Eunseol… is that really you?
He had asked it with such earnest doubt.
And the reason had been precisely because of this Boundary Prosperity Jade.
“Thank you.”
After leaving Nangyang Pavilion, Bu Eunseol conducted every conceivable test on the Boundary Prosperity Jade at the Death Shadow Corps.
Astonishingly, even the subordinates of the Death Shadow Corps—who knew Bu Eunseol better than anyone—said that his “aura” was completely different when he carried the Boundary Prosperity Jade and when he did not.
It was as though he had become an entirely different person.
‘What a mysterious object.’
Having confirmed the Boundary Prosperity Jade’s efficacy, Bu Eunseol returned to the Martial Alliance and handled affairs as Seon Woojin.
With the help of the Northern Palace Spirit, he conducted various experiments and discovered that the Boundary Prosperity Jade could completely alter even a person’s innate temperament.
Not long after, news arrived that the Demon Emperor had summoned him.
—I will test it with the Boundary Prosperity Jade.
Since the situation was unavoidable anyway, he staked everything on this slim chance of complete survival.
And in the end, that gamble succeeded.
* * *
Snapping out of his recollection, Bu Eunseol spoke with a composed expression.
“If you find it hard to believe, feel free to trace my movements from that time.”
“Hmm.”
Though the sensation of his skin peeling away persisted every time the Demon Emperor spoke, Bu Eunseol no longer feared being seen through.
He could clearly feel that the Boundary Prosperity Jade was not only perfectly concealing his true temperament, but also blocking the mysterious power the Demon Emperor was pouring forth.
“Very well.”
After a long moment of deep contemplation, the Demon Emperor nodded.
“In my own name, I promise an official apology and a vow to prevent recurrence.”
“Thank you.”
Ziiing.
Perhaps because the tension had finally eased?
The strange heat emanating from the Boundary Prosperity Jade in his chest seemed to weaken slightly.
“Then I will take my leave.”
As Bu Eunseol rose from his seat, the Demon Emperor’s gaze shifted.
“But there is one condition.”
“A condition?”
When Bu Eunseol turned, the Demon Emperor continued.
“You must prove to me whether you are truly worthy of such value.”
Was it an illusion?
It felt as though the Demon Emperor’s gaze was fixed squarely on Bu Eunseol’s chest.
“Prove…?”
“Prove once more before the entire world that you possess the ability worthy of becoming an aide among the Seven Kings and Four Gods.”
In short, he was to fight and defeat a formidable opponent, thereby reaffirming Seon Woojin’s martial prowess to the entire martial world.
“The deadline is one month.”
The Demon Emperor’s eyes gleamed with an uncanny hue.
“If you fail to prove it within that time…” Pausing briefly, the Demon Emperor’s pupils darkened blacker than darkness itself. “You will pay the price for daring to demand an apology before me without knowing your place.”
Demanding accountability meant he would immediately kill Bu Eunseol.
The moment the foremost of the demonic path spoke of death, the sky darkened, and it felt as though the entire world was shrouded in black air.
Yet Bu Eunseol merely wore a calm smile.
“Very well.” The Demon Emperor stared silently at Bu Eunseol, then nodded. “You may go.”
Leaving the Sacred Demon Hall, Bu Eunseol immediately boarded the carriage and departed Majeon.
Clop clop.
As the sound of hooves echoed, Bu Eunseol finally released the breath he had been holding.
“Demon Emperor.”
Drip drip.
His back was drenched in cold sweat.
This encounter had once again made it clear.
Until now, he had seen only the tiniest fragment of the being called the Demon Emperor.
What made the Demon Emperor truly terrifying was not merely his attainment of the supreme demonic martial scripture, nor even his ability to pierce into a person’s spirit.
“Authority of a transcendent?”
He reigned over everything as though he were not human, but a god.
He observed and manipulated all things besides himself.
Summoning the persona of Seon Woojin was neither merely to observe him nor to gauge what kind of person he was.
It was simply to place him as a chess piece on the board.
The moment one met the Demon Emperor, no matter how extraordinary one’s abilities, one could not help but step onto the board he had prepared and be manipulated and controlled regardless of one’s own will.
“He must think he can easily control me.”
The exact intention behind summoning him remained unclear.
But one thing was certain.
From the moment he met the Demon Emperor, in the end, even the identity of Seon Woojin had been forcibly placed upon the chessboard created by the Demon Emperor.
“In a life-or-death battle, one can never conceal their temperament or characteristics.”
He had been ordered to prove his abilities once more before the world, meaning he would have to fight a peerless master in open combat.
The problem was that in a life-or-death battle, it was impossible to hide one’s true temperament.
“Unless…”
Bu Eunseol took out the Boundary Prosperity Jade from his robes.
Unlike before, it no longer absorbed light and had taken on a faintly yellowish tint.
It had likely lost its radiance after failing to withstand the power the Demon Emperor had unleashed.
“If I can obtain the Boundary Prosperity Jade again, it might be possible.”
But that would not be easy.
Even the Clear River Realm had desperately sought the Boundary Prosperity Jade. Where could he possibly find another?
‘Perhaps…’
A method suddenly occurred to him, and Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
‘If I can find her as quickly as possible… it might be possible.’
Yet another obstacle remained.
No matter how much of a rising star Seon Woojin might be, as the heir of the Martial Emperor and an aide among the Seven Kings and Four Gods, only an absolute top-tier master would satisfy the Demon Emperor.
In the end, within the next month, Bu Eunseol had to locate another mysterious bead—the Boundary Prosperity Jade—while simultaneously challenging a supreme master whom even the Demon Emperor would acknowledge.
* * *
By the time Bu Eunseol returned to the Martial Alliance, rumors had already spread like wildfire across the martial world.
—Majeon has issued an official apology to the Martial Alliance.
The Demon Emperor had kept his word.
He had sent an official letter containing an apology for the attack on Seon Woojin and a promise to prevent recurrence.
—The Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division Lord personally met the Demon Emperor and secured the apology.
At this outcome, martial cultivators across the world—as well as high-ranking members of the Martial Alliance—could not hide their astonishment.
The Demon Emperor was an unfathomable great demon who had never once apologized to anyone.
Yet after a private audience with Division Lord Seon, Majeon had issued an official apology?
Was this not essentially the same as extracting an apology from the Demon Emperor himself?
—We accept the apology. We hope such incidents will not recur.
The Martial Alliance, exhausted from the long standoff, immediately sent a letter expressing willingness for reconciliation to Majeon.
With the atmosphere between righteous, demonic, and unorthodox factions easing, both coalitions withdrew from their confrontational stance.
The murderous tension that had gripped the martial world softened into peace once more, and sects across the land breathed sighs of relief.
The longer the standoff between the two alliances dragged on, the greater the damage suffered by the powerless minor sects caught in between.
—Truly a man worthy of rising to Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division Lord at such a young age.
Thanks to this incident, Seon Woojin’s name shook the martial world, and his standing within the Martial Alliance rose dramatically.
But that was not entirely good news.
—Seon Woojin. That man will one day need to be placed under an execution order.
From the demonic path’s perspective, Seon Woojin had destroyed one of Majeon’s secret organizations and, in this incident, greatly tarnished the prestige of the foremost of the demonic path.
For the future of demonic rule over the world, Seon Woojin was now recognized as a great enemy who must eventually be eliminated.
—In any case, it’s only temporary.
Yet Bu Eunseol was not concerned.
Righteous and demonic paths might appear to coexist, but they had always continued their endless conflict.
The moment any shift in the balance of power emerged, or any reason to fight arose, they would inevitably clash again.
Clack clack.
As the carriage rolled on, having left Majeon and arrived near the provincial capital of Henan, Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky through the window.
‘In the end, this is merely a brief moment of peace.’
A cold smile played on Bu Eunseol’s lips.
The more the demonic path viewed Seon Woojin as an enemy, the better.
The more they did, the more he could use the Martial Alliance’s power to strike at the demonic path.
In the end, Majeon and the Martial Alliance would continue to clash endlessly…
And as a result, the Martial Soul Society would only grow stronger.
* * *
Sword Demon.
Throughout generations in the demonic path, the greatest swordsman of the age was called the Sword Demon.
Thus, every demonic swordsman yearned desperately to earn that title.
And the current Sword Demon was Wi Hyeok-gun, who had comprehended the profound mysteries of the Hwa Wu Sword early on and risen to chief instructor of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect at the age of thirty.
Within the Hwa Wu Sword Sect—recognized as the foremost demonic sword sect and a power comparable to Majeon itself—there gathered clouds of peerless swordsmen who had honed the Hwa Wu Sword for years.
Moreover, within its walls, various sword arts comparable to the Hwa Wu Sword were constantly being created.
The disciples of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect did not temper their martial arts by wandering the martial world.
Instead, they endlessly sparred and compared sword techniques within the sect itself, establishing rankings among themselves to advance their martial prowess.
At first, the martial world scoffed.
—Internal sparring can never replace true journeys through the martial world.
But the Hwa Wu Sword Sect was different.
More than ten thousand disciples honed the sword art alone, and beyond the Hwa Wu Sword itself, depending on talent and disposition, there were over a hundred different sword arts that could be taken as one’s primary focus.
Contrary to outsiders’ expectations, simply fighting and re-fighting among sect members to establish hierarchy allowed them to gain insights surpassing those from ordinary life-and-death duels, and to master or even create a wide variety of martial arts.
Among those exceptional swordsmen, Wi Hyeok-gun stood clearly at the pinnacle and finally claimed the title of Sword Demon.
He had been selected among the sect’s top ten swordsmen at the tender age of twenty, and around thirty, he had fought the Fist King Seok Chi-haeng—who wandered the martial world—and fought him to a draw.
That alone had long since proven he possessed skill more than sufficient to become an aide among the Seven Kings and Four Gods.
Thus, in the demonic path, the title of Sword Demon carried meaning even greater than that of the Seven Kings.
Yet recently…
A strange rumor began to spread.
—Still, he cannot compare to the Sword King Seon Woojin.
The rumor claimed that Wi Hyeok-gun—who had earned the title of Sword Demon in his youth—could not match the rising master among the current Seven Kings and Four Gods, Seon Woojin.
‘That young brat is doing all sorts of things just to gain fame.’
Hearing the rumor, Wi Hyeok-gun laughed it off.
The intent behind the rumor was far too obvious. There was no way such talk would suddenly spread across the martial world without purpose.
‘Trying to inflate his status with baseless rumors.’
There were two ways for a martial cultivator to gain fame.
Defeat an outstanding master and prove one’s strength, or overturn a dominant evaluation already acknowledged by the majority of the martial world.
‘Having risen to an aide among the Seven Kings, he must now be trying to solidify his fame the easy way.’
Wi Hyeok-gun curled his lips coldly.
‘He’s clearly grasped the current situation of our sect.’
The Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s present condition was not good.
Moreover, though Wi Hyeok-gun held the position of chief instructor, he shouldered most of the sect’s affairs and thus refrained from involving himself in martial world matters.
That despicable fellow Seon Woojin had surely calculated that Wi Hyeok-gun could not respond even if rumors spread, and had therefore resorted to such petty tactics.
‘Pathetic.’
Gazing at the distant sky, Wi Hyeok-gun snorted.
Such rumors would not last long anyway.
Martial cultivators were not fools.
They were hardly idle enough to react to every baseless, groundless rumor.
A few days later.
After finishing business near Dongjeong Lake, Wi Hyeok-gun ascended to a private room in the famous Yueyang Tower.
Despite the scenic view and fine wine laid before him…
Flames blazed in his eyes.
The martial cultivators were far more idle and foolish than he had expected.
The rumor that the Sword Demon was inferior to the Sword King continued unabated.
No matter where he went, talk of Seon Woojin reached his ears.
Whether he ate or drank, wherever he went, whatever he did—
Whispers followed that the Sword Demon could not match the Sword King.
Even here in Yueyang Tower.
—Have you heard? They say the great master called the Sword Demon of our age tucked his tail like a turtle in fear of the rising new-generation Sword King.
—Quiet down. There are plenty of demonic cultivators around here.
—So what? Everyone in the demonic path already knows, don’t they?
“Chief Instructor, pay it no mind.”
Martial masters possessed hearing far beyond imagination.
Even seated in a sealed private room, the whispers from outside came clearly.
His youngest disciple, Bang Cheon-hoe—who always followed and handled affairs for Wi Hyeok-gun—spoke cautiously.
“Idle rumors like clouds always drift through the martial world, don’t they? They’ll die down soon enough.”
Though he spoke that way, Bang Cheon-hoe’s expression was also grim.
The rumors spread by Seon Woojin had grown increasingly extreme.
Of course, this was because Bu Eunseol—having thoroughly grasped Wi Hyeok-gun’s movements—had followed him and personally fanned the rumors…
But they had no idea of the truth.
“I pay it no mind.”
Wi Hyeok-gun downed the yellow wine in his cup and spoke calmly.
Having reached an exalted realm, his spirit was as firm as rock and unshaken by ordinary external provocations.
“As you said, rumors are bound to fade quickly.”
Setting down the cup, Wi Hyeok-gun waved his hand.
“Let us return now.”
But far from fading, the rumors only grew louder afterward.
Whether he went to eat or to drink, praise for the Sword King Seon Woojin, newly ascended among the Seven Kings and Four Gods, rang endlessly in his ears.
“Righteous dogs don’t know the meaning of moderation.” After about half a month of this, even Bang Cheon-hoe spoke as though fed up. “At this rate, the rumor has spread across the entire martial world.”
People are strange creatures.
When some story circulates around them, it feels as though the whole world is whispering about it.
“He’s so ecstatic about rising to the Seven Kings that he’s lost all restraint.”
Though martial cultivators revered the Seven Kings and Four Gods, high-ranking masters like Wi Hyeok-gun held a different view.
Just as with Nangyang Pavilion’s Dan Cheong, masters of such high status in the Ten Demonic Sects paid no regard to the position of aide among the Seven Kings.
Above all, the disparity in skill among those called the Seven Kings was far too vast.
There were those who had entered the early stage of the Supreme Heavenly Realm like the Beggar King, and there were masters on par with the Three Demons and Three Venerables, like the Dark King Yeop Hyocheon.
Especially for Wi Hyeok-gun, who was immensely proud and revering of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect above all, if he could not ascend to the position of sect leader, he believed belonging to any other group would diminish the sect’s prestige.
“This time we’ll take the carriage; at the next provincial capital, I’ll use qinggong and return directly to our sect.”
Having finished his duties, Wi Hyeok-gun had originally planned a leisurely return.
But with absurd rumors following him everywhere he went, he now intended to leave the provincial capital at once and hurry back to the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.
Finally arriving at the post station with Bang Cheon-hoe, “Have you heard?”
From the other side of the wall, coachmen whispered among themselves.
“They say the great master called the Sword Demon of our generation is running around in fear of the young new-generation Sword King.”
Another coachman snorted.
“No way. The chief instructor of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, afraid of some newly risen rookie?”
A smile played on Wi Hyeok-gun’s lips as he quietly listened from outside.
‘Hmph. At least the coachmen still have eyes and ears in the right places.’
Coachmen traveled everywhere and were therefore quite well-informed about martial world gossip.
“Ha, this old man still doesn’t know.”
But at the next coachman’s words, Wi Hyeok-gun’s expression hardened.
“Haven’t you heard? The title Sword Demon is now just a hand-me-down name among the experts of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.”
“What do you mean, hand-me-down?”
To his companion’s question, the coachman chuckled.
“After all, every decent sword user in the demonic path comes from the Hwa Wu Sword Sect… So it’s just a name they pass around inside, that sort of thing.”
BOOM!
In that instant, with a thunderous crack, the post station wall collapsed, and dust exploded outward in all directions.
Crackle crackle.
At the same time, blue flames rippled outward.
When the hazy dust cleared, a figure appeared with eyes burning red like demon lanterns.
In his rage, Wi Hyeok-gun had unleashed his internal energy, instantly shattering the wall.
“How dare this scum insult our sect…?”
He could endure insults directed at himself but insulting the Hwa Wu Sword Sect was something he could never tolerate.
“Hiiieee!”
Seeing Wi Hyeok-gun amid the collapsed wall, flames of true qi flickering around him, the coachmen fled in terror as though they had seen a demon in broad daylight.
“M-Master.”
“It seems I must thoroughly break his spirit.”
Understanding the implication, Bang Cheon-hoe shook his head.
“This is all a scheme by that Martial Alliance brat. Is there really any need to play along?”
“I was already searching for a way to revitalize our sect’s stagnant atmosphere recently.” Wi Hyeok-gun’s attitude was resolute. “Now that I think about it, the neck of a brat swaggering about as an aide among the Seven Kings seems just right.”
The sect leader Weiji Mu-a had long since withdrawn from sect affairs and lived idly.
Moreover, Weiji Hyesang—who had once shared all duties with him—had entered seclusion and sent no word.
‘Losing to Bu Eunseol must have been a great shock.’
Though unknown to the wider martial world, Weiji Hyesang had dueled Majeon’s successor Bu Eunseol and suffered a crushing defeat.
After that clash, he had even quietly abandoned management of the secret Seven Immortals Teahouse.
With both the sect leader and Weiji Hyesang in seclusion, the atmosphere within the sword gate had grown extremely gloomy, and the once-dominant prestige of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect had waned.
But if he were to defeat the newly risen Seon Woojin among the Seven Kings?
The Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s name would once again resound with awe across the martial world, and the sect’s internal spirit would revive.
“Ah.”
Bang Cheon-hoe looked at Wi Hyeok-gun with admiration.
Only now did he realize that Wi Hyeok-gun was not merely consumed by anger.
He had coldly assessed the situation and planned to turn Seon Woojin’s provocation against him to restore the Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s prestige.
“I failed to grasp my master’s deep intentions and spoke uselessly.”
At Bang Cheon-hoe’s words, Wi Hyeok-gun—his eyes still blazing with blue light—spoke.
“Immediately send a flying eagle dispatch to the Martial Alliance.”
Crackle.
Merely raising his internal energy once, flames of true qi still burst from his body.
“Tell them I will confirm whose sword stands above the other!”
At last, the duel between the Sword Demon and the Sword King—between two peerless swordsmen—had been decided.
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