Blood Chain Sword Gu Juhon.
A warrior renowned for wielding the Blood Chain Sword, a unique weapon derived from the chain sickle of Dongying. Its techniques were notoriously underhanded and unpredictable. Gu Juhon had defeated many formidable foes across the martial world, yet his peers refused to acknowledge his skill.
‘Isn’t the Blood Chain Sword just a deceitful technique that bewilders opponents with its bizarre moves?’
Despite his victories, the martial world openly scorned him. Tormented for years, he vanished from the martial world over a decade ago.
Yet here he was, appearing in this grotesque underground cave in such a wretched state?
“Huuh…” Gu Juhon’s gaze fixed on the sword at Yoo Hwaryeong’s waist, his body trembling.
A white, murderous aura began to emanate from his eyes like mist.
“Grr…” Clutching his head, he let out a beastly groan.
Shwaak!
Suddenly, a lightning-like flash shot toward Yoo Hwaryeong’s face. Gu Juhon had struck with the Blood Chain Sword in an instant.
“Hah!” Yoo Hwaryeong, startled, threw himself to the ground.
Though he had been on guard, knowing Gu Juhon’s condition was abnormal, he hadn’t anticipated such a swift attack.
Slash!
A sharp sword aura sliced through the wall where Yoo Hwaryeong had stood.
Whoosh!
The Blood Chain Sword, grazing the wall, abruptly changed direction in mid-air, aiming for Yoo Hwaryeong’s throat as he lay on the ground.
Pop, pop, pop!
As Yoo Hwaryeong rolled desperately, the Blood Chain Sword pursued him like a living creature.
“Why are you attacking out of nowhere?!” Springing to his feet, Yoo Hwaryeong drew his longsword and deflected the onslaught of shadowy strikes from the Blood Chain Sword.
Clang!
With a clear metallic ring, Yoo Hwaryeong let out a groan as he was pushed back. His hands were torn by the immense force of the Blood Chain Sword. Moreover, a needle-like internal energy pierced his meridians through the sword’s hilt.
‘This much damage from a single clash… Is his internal energy this profound?’
It was widely known that Gu Juhon’s Blood Chain Sword techniques were unpredictable.
But his internal energy was supposedly mediocre.
Yet, after this single exchange, his power seemed deep enough to rival the Seven Kings. His eyes, devoid of whites, exuded a chilling, murderous intent.
“He seems to be steeped in all sorts of drugs,” Jongri Sayu observed, her medical expertise allowing her to assess Gu Juhon’s condition instantly.
She drew a slender golden needle from her robes and launched it toward Gu Juhon.
Pop, pop, pop!
The golden needles rained down, forming a large circle in the air before shooting in different directions with ferocious speed.
It was the Golden Flow Origin, a secret technique of her grandfather, the Needle King Jongri Sahyeon.
Flash!
A streak of light burst from Gu Juhon’s hand as he faced the onslaught of needles. The needles, as if hitting an invisible wall, fell to the ground.
“How is this possible?” Jongri Sayu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The Golden Flow Origin sent over a hundred needles at varying angles, ensuring even the greatest masters would be hit by at least one or two. Yet Gu Juhon had deflected them all with a single move, too fast for the eye to follow.
‘His martial prowess is this formidable?’ Despair clouded Jongri Sayu’s eyes.
Gu Juhon’s skill was beyond imagination. Even with Bu Eunseol’s exceptional fist techniques and Yoo Hwaryeong’s aid, defeating him seemed impossible.
Shwaak!
Having deflected the needles, Gu Juhon’s Blood Chain Sword shot toward Jongri Sayu’s forehead. No one could have predicted the sword would target her, the farthest away. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Jongri Sayu was defenseless.
Flash!
Just as the Blood Chain Sword was about to pierce her forehead,
Clang!
A tremendous metallic clash sent shockwaves through the air.
Bu Eunseol had appeared at her side, deflecting the Blood Chain Sword.
“How…?” Jongri Sayu blinked in shock, her mouth agape.
The Blood Chain Sword’s speed was so fast it was invisible. How could Bu Eunseol move faster than that?
“Step back,” Bu Eunseol said, glaring at the Blood Chain Sword. “He wields a unique weapon.”
“Huhehe.” A strange sound, neither a laugh nor a cry, escaped Gu Juhon’s lips.
Then, the Blood Chain Sword in his hand vanished.
Clang!
Though the attack was invisible, Bu Eunseol deflected it effortlessly.
Whoosh!
The Blood Chain Sword, sparking as it was repelled, changed direction in mid-air, aiming for Bu Eunseol’s back. Gu Juhon’s Blood Chain Sword transcended the limitations of its weapon, striking at vulnerabilities from every angle.
Yet Bu Eunseol, unfazed, precisely countered the lightning-fast strikes.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
As Bu Eunseol closed in for close combat, the number of shadowy strikes from the Blood Chain Sword multiplied rapidly.
‘Blocking invisible strikes… so effortlessly.’ Jongri Sayu rubbed her eyes, watching in awe.
The movements of Bu Eunseol and Gu Juhon were so fast that they appeared as fleeting shadows to her. At times, their pauses in combat resembled a celestial being battling a demon.
‘Is he really a disciple of the Thousand Swords Society?’
The Blood Chain Sword was not only swift but carried the power to cleave mountains in a single strike. To deflect such attacks without retreating an inch?
Bu Eunseol’s internal energy, swordsmanship, and composure were at a level believable of a legendary master.
‘Could he have undergone rejuvenation?’ Having wandered the martial world for years, Jongri Sayu could estimate age from skin and eyes alone.
‘No, that’s impossible.’ Judging by Bu Eunseol’s skin and eyes, he was, at most, in his mid-twenties. Even if he had undergone rejuvenation, her eyes couldn’t be deceived.
“I’ll help!” Yoo Hwaryeong shouted, bravely drawing his sword to join Bu Eunseol.
Slash!
But the moment he entered the Blood Chain Sword’s range, blood sprayed from his body.
“Stay back,” Bu Eunseol said without turning. “With your skills, you’d die the moment you step in.”
Realizing Gu Juhon’s true strength, Yoo Hwaryeong retreated, his face pale with shock.
‘Gu Juhon. To think he possessed such skill.’ Yoo Hwaryeong finally understood. With his current abilities, he couldn’t assist Bu Eunseol—he couldn’t even evade Gu Juhon’s attacks.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the dark sword and Blood Chain Sword clashed again. Bu Eunseol stepped back from the recoil.
“Not only is your internal energy impressive, but you lack any fear,” he remarked.
The Blood Chain Sword required spinning the chain at high speed, risking self-injury. Typically, it was wielded with precision and caution. But Gu Juhon swung it with reckless abandon, devoid of fear or hesitation.
“Is that why they drugged you? To eliminate fear and unleash the Blood Chain Sword’s full potential?”
“Huuh.” At those words, a ferocious glint flashed in Gu Juhon’s eyes.
“Hraaaah!” With a roar, the Blood Chain Sword vanished from his hand once more.
Shwaak! Shwaak!
Sharp sounds echoed as thin streaks of light flashed around Bu Eunseol. The Blood Chain Sword, moving at extreme speed, appeared and disappeared around him.
Tststst.
Instead of drawing his sword, Bu Eunseol unleashed the Swift Beyond Shadow. His form blurred, shifting through dozens of positions, yet—
Pop, pop!
Blood began to spray from his body.
The Blood Chain Sword was gradually catching up to the speed of his Swift Beyond Shadow.
“Heh heh heh.” Seeing blood spray from Bu Eunseol, Gu Juhon began to laugh.
Growl!
With a beastly snarl, a yellowish glint shone in his eyes.
He was preparing his final strike.
Whooosh!
A silver light began to spread from his body. The rapidly spinning chain started to envelop him.
Shwaaaak!
Four sharp sword auras shot toward Bu Eunseol.
The Extreme Flash Blood Chain Void Rending Technique.
Gu Juhon’s ultimate technique, the pinnacle of the Blood Chain Sword’s martial arts.
Pop, pop, pop, pop!
As the four sword auras swirled chaotically, more blood sprayed from Bu Eunseol’s body. Undeterred, Bu Eunseol targeted the fleeting vulnerabilities exposed each time Gu Juhon unleashed the Blood Chain Sword. But the high-speed chain orbiting Gu Juhon’s body blocked every attempt.
The Extreme Flash Blood Chain Void Rending Technique.
A deadly secret technique that protected the user with a spinning chain while relentlessly cutting down the enemy’s lifeline. In this confined space, the Blood Chain Sword was invincible, displaying the unstoppable might of a thunderbolt.
Shwaak!
The invisible Blood Chain Sword tore through space, striking Bu Eunseol’s body repeatedly. Each time, he identified multiple vulnerabilities in Gu Juhon’s stance, but his sword couldn’t reach. To strike him down, Bu Eunseol would have to risk injury and engage in ultra-close combat with a devastating blow.
‘I see.’ Following the trajectory of the Blood Chain Sword, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed. ‘A mutual destruction technique.’
He had finally grasped the essence of the Extreme Flash Blood Chain Void Rending Technique. The chain spinning around Gu Juhon wasn’t for protection. If Bu Eunseol tried to cut through the chain’s shadow to strike Gu Juhon, the chain would instantly entangle both their bodies.
‘Impossible to defeat…’ Bu Eunseol now understood why the masked figure claimed victory was impossible.
Gu Juhon wielded a mutual destruction technique as his trump card.
To kill him in this grim cave, one would have to perish alongside him.
‘No, there’s a way.’ Bu Eunseol gripped the hilt of his dark sword tightly.
A method to not only end Gu Juhon’s life but also halt the water-ghost-like Extreme Flash Blood Chain Void Rending Technique. Like his battle with Geul Wang, the Beggar Sect elder, he would use Radiant Sword Control to neutralize the enemy’s moves, then…
Unleash the Lament of the River to shatter the mutual destruction technique.
Charaaang.
A brilliant light burst from Bu Eunseol’s dark sword.
Simultaneously, invisible sword strikes began to counter the Blood Chain Sword’s onslaught.
Radiant Sword Control was unleashed.
Clang, clang, clang!
Metallic clashes rang out as sparks flew with each collision of the dark sword and Blood Chain Sword. Yet, despite his attacks being repelled, Gu Juhon pressed closer to Bu Eunseol.
As if he welcomed death.
‘Something’s wrong.’ As Bu Eunseol prepared the Lament of the River with Radiant Sword Control, his heightened senses sounded an alarm.
Something was subtly off.
Blood Chain Sword Gu Juhon.
He was famous not for exceptional martial arts but for wielding the unique Blood Chain Sword. To transform such a man into this formidable force would have required immense wealth, elixirs, and manpower.
Yet, his ultimate trump card was a mutual destruction technique?
Shwaak!
As Gu Juhon closed in at point-blank range, he wrapped the spinning chain—not the sword—around Bu Eunseol’s body.
Flash!
A streak of light shot toward the ceiling.
The chain aiming for his neck was deflected, followed by a brilliant light piercing Gu Juhon’s chest.
The eighth technique of the Supreme Heavenly Flow, Lament of the River.
The ultimate counterattack technique was unleashed.
Thud!
The dark sword pierced Gu Juhon’s heart accurately. By instantly killing him, Bu Eunseol prevented the mutual destruction attempt.
But something strange happened.
Despite the dark sword piercing his heart, Gu Juhon, unfazed, swung the Blood Chain Sword at Bu Eunseol’s heart with lightning speed.
“Watch out!” Yoo Hwaryeong shouted in alarm.
Shwaak!
With a sharp sound, the Blood Chain Sword pierced Bu Eunseol’s chest area.
Pop!
Blood sprayed from Bu Eunseol’s shoulder. At the moment the Blood Chain Sword aimed for his heart, he had lowered and twisted his body to evade the blow.
‘The same situation.’ Bu Eunseol had narrowly predicted Gu Juhon’s strategy.
The entire scenario mirrored his battle with Geul Wang.
Even after unleashing the Lament of the River, Gu Juhon attacked without hesitation, just as Geul Wang had, unafraid of death due to his mastery of the Death-Defying Technique.
‘If he truly intended a mutual destruction technique, he would have acted covertly.’ Bu Eunseol had felt unease at Gu Juhon’s blatant display of a mutual destruction strategy. He deduced that Gu Juhon was confident in surviving, which is why he openly revealed his technique.
“Grrrr!” Enraged that Bu Eunseol evaded his strike, Gu Juhon let out a beastly roar.
Shwaak!
Gripping the chain tightly, he swung it wildly at Bu Eunseol, intent on killing him regardless of defense.
Pop!
Evading the attack, Bu Eunseol unleashed the Meteor Chasing the Moon Technique. A sharp sword aura sliced Gu Juhon’s carotid artery, but only a trickle of blood emerged.
Gu Juhon continued to press Bu Eunseol with roars.
‘A walking corpse?’ A severed carotid artery should spurt bright blood.
But from Gu Juhon’s neck, dark, viscous blood dripped slowly.
It was the blood of a corpse, long dead.
