“Didn’t that kid just arrive?”
When Cheon Un-gwang frowned, Byeok Hanseong curled his lips into a smirk.
“Didn’t you say we could pick anyone, Instructor?”
‘What a brazen little bastard.’ As Byeok Hanseong twisted his words, a murderous glint appeared in Cheon Un-gwang’s eyes.
Bringing the ten candidates for the Ten Demon Successors Tournament to this hellish place wasn’t to leisurely teach them martial arts, but unlike Bu Eunseol, the other trainees treated this place as if it were just another martial arts hall and went about things with a casual air, having passed the entry evaluation and boarded the ship without issue.
‘I must endure it. For now.’ Suppressing the anger rising within him, Cheon Un-gwang spoke flatly.
“What could possibly be shown about sword control by fighting someone fresh from the beginner hall? Pick someone else.”
“Understood.” Byeok Hanseong winked at Bu Eunseol, then rubbed his neck— as if to say, “You got lucky today.”
From Bu Eunseol’s perspective, this wasn’t just arrogance. It was utter mockery, beyond contempt.
“Then, I’ll choose—”
“I’ll do it.” At that moment, Bu Eunseol stepped forward. “I’ll spar with him.”
“What?” Murderous intent flashed in Cheon Un-gwang’s eyes.
While Instructor Jingak of the beginner hall had a calm, almost pacifistic temperament unbecoming of a martial artist from the Demon Sect…
Cheon Un-gwang was different. He was the real thing—impatient, violent, and brutal. ‘These kids really think they’re on a picnic in hell.’
Sweeping Bu Eunseol with his sharp gaze, he asked again,
“Have you trained with a sword before?”
“No. I first learned how to hold a sword from Instructor Jin in the beginner hall.”
“A kid from the beginner hall wants to spar against those ready to advance to the higher level?”
“I believe crossing swords will help me learn faster.” At Bu Eunseol’s words, a sharp glint passed through Cheon Un-gwang’s eyes.
‘Trying hard to protect that pathetic pride.’
Cheon Un-gwang smirked. He assumed Bu Eunseol, unaware of his own lack of skill, was recklessly challenging others out of wounded pride.
And he wasn’t entirely wrong. Bu Eunseol truly was hurt.
‘There’s no reason to endure it anymore.’ Back when he lived happily with his grandfather Bu Zhanyang, he could bear the ridicule and scorn. But now that his grandfather was gone, he had no intention of living like an insect—mocked and looked down on without cause.
“Being aware of your own limits and acting accordingly is a basic virtue of any warrior.” Cheon Un-gwang nodded, the sarcasm clear in his expression.
“You’ll serve as a fine example. I’ll allow it.” He pointed toward the wooden swords stacked to the side of the training hall.
“I do hope you’re at least close to the level of someone fit for the advanced hall.” Without saying a word, Bu Eunseol grasped a wooden sword.
As Bu Eunseol raised his wooden sword, Byeok Hanseong gave a triumphant smile.
‘Jackpot.’
This place was filled with top-tier prodigies. Byeok Hanseong, who was determined to rise beyond the advanced hall and become a true disciple of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, saw this as the perfect chance to make a strong impression.
“You’ve got guts.”
Approaching with his wooden sword, he whispered:
“But in the martial world, you won’t survive on guts and bravado alone.”
“Begin.” The moment Cheon Un-gwang finished speaking—
Swish!
A wooden sword shot straight for Bu Eunseol’s forehead like a flash. It was one of the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword techniques, executed as a rapid thrust.
Whoosh.
But Bu Eunseol tilted his body slightly to the side. The strike whiffed past, cutting only empty air.
“Not bad.”
Byeok Hanseong didn’t seem particularly surprised and swung his sword again. In response, Bu Eunseol used one of the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms he had learned and aimed a thrust at Byeok Hanseong’s flank.
Clang!
But unexpectedly, Bu Eunseol’s sword clashed against Byeok Hanseong’s. Byeok Hanseong had cleverly redirected the strike, guiding Bu Eunseol’s blade into a collision.
Tremble.
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s fingers began to tremble slightly. Having trained for only a short while—and with no internal energy to speak of—he couldn’t withstand Byeok Hanseong’s strength and internal power.
‘So he really is a beginner.’
Feeling the tremble through the blade, Byeok Hanseong sneered. ‘The way he kept such a calm face, I thought he might have something special.’ Scoffing, Byeok Hanseong swung his wooden sword again.
“Let’s see how well you can handle on the Hwa Wu Lightning Sword techniques.”
Fwoosh.
Byeok Hanseong’s sword tore through the air, sharp and agile like a seasoned martial artist’s blade technique.
“…?”
But as time passed, Byeok Hanseong began to notice something strange. Because Bu Eunseol dodged so easily, his own sword forms were starting to look clumsy.
‘This brat…!’
Even though he had executed the techniques perfectly, Bu Eunseol moved as though he had already predicted the trajectory of each strike. It was due to the Beast Way’s ability, which granted him senses so sharp, he could even detect changes in air flow.
“Hmph.” Just then, Cheon Un-gwang’s low grunt reached Byeok Hanseong’s ears.
Disappointment was unmistakable in his voice.
‘And that brat…’ Watching Bu Eunseol’s movements, Cheon Un-gwang furrowed his brows. Although it looked like Bu Eunseol was simply moving quickly to avoid the sword techniques, in truth, he was observing Byeok Hanseong’s movements and dodging as if he were predicting the strikes.
‘Don’t tell me… he’s learned the Way of the Beast?’ Cheon Un-gwang quickly shook his head. At Nangyang Pavilion, the Beast Way was labeled as basic martial training, but in reality, it was the highest-tier martial art—one that only battle-hardened veterans who had survived countless life-or-death encounters could learn. No one could possibly master such an art in just two weeks.
“If you only dodge, it won’t be considered in the evaluation.”
Having watched the duel for a while, Cheon Un-gwang spoke to Bu Eunseol.
“I told you to engage in a sword match, not to show off keen eyesight and quick reflexes.”
At the sharp criticism, Bu Eunseol stopped moving and raised his wooden sword upright at the center of his body.
“…”
At last, he was about to demonstrate actual swordsmanship.
Swish!
As he began executing his sword technique, not only Cheon Un-gwang, but also the observing students around them, widened their eyes.
“The Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms?”
The sword moves Bu Eunseol displayed were none other than the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms he had learned in the beginner’s hall. The problem was, those forms were designed to teach the basics of swordsmanship. In other words, they were made up of light, slow movements that had no place in actual combat.
“This lunatic…”
When he saw the sluggish execution of Wind and Lightning Across the Sky, Byeok Hanseong was dumbfounded.
“That’s a move I could dodge with my eyes closed.”
He casually turned his body and evaded the attack. But then, something strange happened.
Though it was clearly the standard form of the move—
The sword in Bu Eunseol’s hand suddenly trembled mid-air, and the strike grazed Byeok Hanseong’s head.
Swish.
As the tip of the wooden sword brushed his hair, a chill ran down Byeok Hanseong’s spine.
‘What was that…?’
Whoosh.
Again, Bu Eunseol’s wrist flicked, and just when the previous move should have ended, a new form—Wind Splitting the Sky —came raining down from above.
‘He’s saying this is part of the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms?’
Unable to dodge in time, Byeok Hanseong had no choice but to raise his wooden sword to block.
Clack!
The wooden swords clashed with a sharp sound, and a moment later, he could hear the sighs of the other trainees behind him.
— He couldn’t even block a basic form without clashing swords…
‘Don’t give me that!’ Byeok Hanseong gritted his teeth. ‘That’s not the Thirteen Flame Rain Forms!’
To the eye, it looked unmistakably like a beginner’s sword form. But the trajectory was subtly different—and more importantly, each and every motion carried a hidden sharpness and lethal intent. It was like thinking you were petting a dog, only to be bitten in the throat by a wolf hiding its fangs.
Whack!
This time, Bu Eunseol’s sword thrust toward Byeok Hanseong’s chest. It was a simple form called Dark Moon of a Lone Wheel.
‘This bastard…!’ As Byeok Hanseong tried to block with his wooden sword, the technique shifted ever so slightly again—this time stabbing him in the lower abdomen. ‘This punk is toying with me!’
Byeok Hanseong trembled with fury. He thought Bu Eunseol was deliberately hiding his true skills, using a subtly altered version of the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms to humiliate him in front of everyone.
‘He cooked up this stunt just to stand out before entering the advanced class!’ Byeok Hanseong had assumed Bu Eunseol was a prey caught in his own trap, but reality was the opposite. It was clear now—Bu Eunseol had purposely shown up late to Hwa Wu Sword Pavilion with the intent of jumping straight into the advanced level and making a strong impression.
‘Damn it.’ Feeling the sharp gazes of Cheon Un-gwang and the other trainees, Byeok Hanseong bit his lip. ‘Fine. In that case, I’ll beat you to a pulp and move up to the advanced class myself!’
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the flow of Byeok Hanseong’s sword strikes changed.
Pa-pa-pa-pa!
His wooden sword sliced through the air in a semicircle, then split into multiple shadows, each one aiming precisely for Bu Eunseol’s vital points. The strikes varied in speed and followed an unusual rhythm.
Whoosh, thwack.
Thanks to the instincts he’d honed through the Beast’s Way training, Bu Eunseol barely managed to evade the attacks. But the swordsmanship was so fast that the tip of the wooden sword brushed his skin and muscles. If it had been a real sword, he’d have suffered numerous cuts and wounds by now.
‘He’s already forcing me to show my hand.’
“You brat!”
Byeok Hanseong swung his wooden sword with furious speed, pressing in on Bu Eunseol.
‘Was he a disciple of the Asura Sword Sect?’ Cheon Un-gwang narrowed his eyes as he observed their duel. The sword form Byeok Hanseong had just used was a lethal technique from the Asura Sword Sect—Bloody Wind Guarding the Moon.
‘Not that it matters.’ Cheon Un-gwang clicked his tongue. This sparring match was simply meant to evaluate how well one could wield a sword. Using techniques from another sword style wasn’t a violation in itself.
Clack!
Just then, the wooden swords clashed again. This time, Bu Eunseol couldn’t completely avoid the Moon Sign of Asura and was forced to block it.
Clack!
As the swords met, the difference in power became painfully clear. Lacking both internal energy and physical strength, Bu Eunseol was eventually driven back to the corner of the training arena.
‘Got him!’ Byeok Hanseong, closing the distance swiftly, gave a cry of triumph. After all, the specialty of the Asura Sword Sect was unleashing a storm of chaotic sword strikes at point-blank range.
‘You’re finished!’ Gripping his wooden sword shorter for tight maneuvering, Byeok Hanseong roared at the cornered Bu Eunseol with a thunderous shout.
“Haaaap!” The Asura Sword Sect’s signature move—Raging Lightning Whirlwind—came crashing down.
Whooosh!
The endlessly circling sword strikes swept through in arcs, completely cutting off Bu Eunseol’s path of retreat.
Pa-pa-pak!
With dull, crashing sounds, Bu Eunseol was engulfed and struck by the Raging Lightning Whirlwind technique.
—That’s insane!
Exclamations burst from the trainees inside the training hall. Byeok Hanseong’s execution of the Raging Lightning Whirlwind was so swift and fluid that even veteran martial artists would’ve struggled to defend against it.
‘That guy…’ But Cheon Un-gwang’s eyes gradually widened as he continued watching.
He had noticed something: despite being hit squarely by Byeok Hanseong’s attacks, Bu Eunseol’s balance had not faltered at all.
‘The Beast Way…’ Cheon Un-gwang’s expression hardened. At last, he realized that Bu Eunseol had in fact mastered the Beast Way—Nangyang Pavilion’s so-called basic martial art, and its ultimate body technique.
‘So it was intentional.’ The way Bu Eunseol barely dodged the strikes, sowing doubt in Byeok Hanseong’s mind… The way he lured Hanseong into overcommitting his strongest techniques and exhausting his energy…
Cheon Un-gwang now understood it had all been deliberately orchestrated by Bu Eunseol.
Rustle.
While cornered and seemingly battered, Bu Eunseol subtly shifted his feet and hands.
“Aaaargh!”
As the final strike came down, a piercing scream echoed through the hall. The trainees watching the match were frozen in shock.
The one who screamed… was none other than Byeok Hanseong, the attacker.
“Ughhh…”
With his wooden sword still raised over his head, the very center of Byeok Hanseong’s chest—his Jeonjun-hyeol pressure point—had been pierced by Bu Eunseol’s wooden sword. Right at the moment Byeok Hanseong believed he had secured the win and raised his sword to smash Bu Eunseol’s skull—
Bu Eunseol struck like lightning and drove his weapon directly into that fatal point.
Staring wide-eyed at Bu Eunseol, Byeok Hanseong gasped,
“That technique… what’s it called…?”
“Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms. Form thirteen: Limitless Infinity.”
“…You’re telling me that was the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms…?”
Eyes wide with disbelief and confusion, Byeok Hanseong—
Thud!
—collapsed like a broken structure onto the floor of the hall.
“Hmm.”
With a low murmur, Cheon Un-gwang checked Hanseong’s pulse. There was none.
His pupils were dilated, eyes still wide open—he had been struck dead by Bu Eunseol’s single blow to the Jeonjun-hyeol.
“……”
A silence as heavy as death settled over the training hall.
It was as if the devil’s hand had wrapped itself around the throats of everyone there—everyone, that is, except Bu Eunseol.
