Clang!
Attempting the Meteor Chasing the Moon technique, which shifted through three stages, Bu Eunseol was forced to halt mid-move as King Jo’s Imperial Dragon Sword intervened.
‘Tch.’
A sweet, metallic taste of blood rose from his stomach to his throat. When executing a sword technique, one must fully channel internal energy and complete the move. But with King Jo interrupting mid-technique, the energy Bu Eunseol meant to release reversed, flowing back into his body and causing internal injuries.
“Nothing special,” King Jo said, a faint smile on his lips after repeatedly disrupting Bu Eunseol’s techniques, injuring him. It was the smile of a victor certain of Bu Eunseol’s demise.
‘A life-or-death duel isn’t won by superior swordsmanship alone.’
King Jo, having refined his swordsmanship to the extreme, possessed a unique ability: by observing an opponent’s stance, he could predict their next move. All sword techniques, whether righteous or demonic, were ultimately performed by humans wielding a blade. Through countless battles, King Jo had honed the ability to instantly discern an opponent’s intended technique from their posture alone.
Clang!
Another interrupted technique caused more blood to rise in Bu Eunseol’s throat.
Swish!
Undeterred, Bu Eunseol shifted his technique mid-move, attacking King Jo again.
Clang!
But once more, his technique was blocked with a sharp metallic sound.
Whoosh!
The interruption exposed a flaw. Seizing the moment, King Jo swung his Imperial Dragon Sword, slicing toward Bu Eunseol’s forearm.
Rip!
Bu Eunseol barely evaded with Swift Beyond Shadow, but his sleeve was torn by the sword energy.
‘He even anticipated my movements?’
Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide his shock. Even if King Jo had fully grasped the variations of Supreme Heavenly Flow, predicting how Bu Eunseol would execute them should have been impossible. Yet, King Jo seemed to read his mind, preemptively blocking every variation.
‘Let’s try again.’ Twisting his grip on the black sword, Bu Eunseol aimed for King Jo’s neck. But as expected, the technique was interrupted mid-move.
‘Incredible. Truly incredible.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He now understood the extent of King Jo’s sword mastery and how he predicted his techniques.
‘After countless battles with formidable swordsmen, he can predict techniques just by observing posture.’
It was a terrifying ability that would intimidate any ordinary martial artist. Yet Bu Eunseol smiled with exhilaration. King Jo’s swordsmanship was formidable, but not unattainable. In fact, such techniques expanded Bu Eunseol’s perspective, for which he felt grateful.
‘I’m confident in predicting movements from posture too.’
Since his days as a mortician, Bu Eunseol had been adept at reading human movements. Raising his Beast Way to its peak, he began to anticipate King Jo’s techniques to some extent. He then unleashed a new variation of Supreme Heavenly Flow.
Hum!
A low sword hum resonated from his black sword as sharp techniques poured forth.
‘It looks like he’s aiming for my abdomen, but he’s actually targeting my neck.’ Predicting Bu Eunseol’s technique, King Jo leisurely raised his Imperial Dragon Sword to guard his neck.
Shudder.
But something strange happened. As King Jo predicted the technique, Bu Eunseol’s sword shifted again, precisely targeting his abdomen.
‘What?’ Slightly startled, King Jo quickly raised his sword to block. ‘How did this happen?’
His predictions had never been wrong before. Why were they failing now?
‘A coincidence.’
Swish!
Bu Eunseol unleashed the Waning Moon, Dawn Star technique, sending a sharp cross-shaped sword energy toward King Jo’s side.
‘He’s using the sword light to amplify the cross-shaped energy, but he’s actually aiming for my side.’ King Jo, having fully sensed the variations of the Waning Moon, Dawn Star, calmly moved to parry the black sword.
‘What?’ But another anomaly occurred. As he swung to block the side attack, Bu Eunseol’s technique shifted, sending sharp sword energy toward his back.
Clang!
Barely blocking the black sword, King Jo narrowed his eyes.
‘It was his exquisite footwork.’
He realized Bu Eunseol hadn’t altered his technique but had used intricate footwork to subtly shift the direction of his attack.
‘His adaptability is remarkable. He’s already mastered the essence of Nangyang’s practical martial arts.’
Nangyang’s combat techniques evolved and adapted to the opponent’s attacks. Having deeply internalized these principles, Bu Eunseol was adjusting his swordsmanship to counter King Jo’s abilities.
‘Truly the heir of Majeon.’
King Jo nodded in admiration. There was no need for further probing or sword techniques. If he didn’t strike Bu Eunseol down now, he’d end up merely teaching him.
Click.
Widening the distance and halting his movements, King Jo smiled faintly.
“Now I’ll show you what the Imperial Dragon Sword truly is.”
Unfazed, Bu Eunseol unleashed the Waning Moon, Dawn Star again, aiming for King Jo’s vital points.
But something strange happened.
Zing!
Bu Eunseol felt a low vibration and a sensation as if wind passed through his body—a combat instinct honed through countless battles.
Swirl!
He immediately halted his technique and spun his body diagonally. A sharp sword aura appeared in the air, narrowly grazing his abdomen.
“Hoh.” King Jo exclaimed as Bu Eunseol evaded the strike. “You dodged that?”
His voice carried profound emotion. In his youth, King Jo had been a wandering swordsman. By chance, he obtained the ancient Shock Heaven Sword Manual and created the Imperial Dragon Sword technique. By maximizing the principles of Shock Void Shadow Capture, his technique exerted immense pressure and terrifying power, like a dragon descending from the heavens. Moreover, he could seize the perfect moment to deceive an opponent’s senses.
King Jo called this moment the “Fixed Time.” When he executed a technique precisely at this moment, it created an unavoidable strike, even for a god. He had used this Fixed Time only six times against formidable foes who threatened his life, securing his position as the Martial Heaven Corps Leader.
To think that such a young man could evade a sword strike executed at the Fixed Time, even if used lightly?
“Until now, my heart was heavy,” King Jo said with a peculiar expression. “No matter that it’s revenge for my only son, it felt like cutting down an unripe child.”
His usual composed demeanor shifted. His eyes, now serious and cautious, held the sword with intent.
“But from now on, I acknowledge you as a worthy opponent. I will wield my swordsmanship in earnest.”
Bu Eunseol gripped his black sword tightly. King Jo’s words were no bluff. Having dominated the martial world for decades, surviving countless life-or-death battles, he was a veteran warrior. Bu Eunseol couldn’t afford a moment’s carelessness, and even giving his all, his survival wasn’t guaranteed.
‘I can’t use the Seven Blood Tear Forms.’
Bu Eunseol’s ultimate trump card was the Seven Blood Tear Forms of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, said to be unstoppable. But their full power required perfectly executed techniques.
King Jo, however, could seize a fleeting moment to deliver a critical strike. The Imperial Dragon Sword was undoubtedly faster than the Seven Blood Tear Forms.
‘In that case…’ Bu Eunseol realized this duel wasn’t about swordsmanship. It was a battle of moments, of fleeting instants.
Whoosh.
A powerful current of energy surged from King Jo, enveloping the space behind Bu Eunseol, creating a barrier of intense sword energy spanning ten yards. He was ensuring Bu Eunseol couldn’t retreat, forcing a decisive confrontation.
Hum!
As a tremendous wave of energy spread from King Jo, he lunged forward, slicing through space toward Bu Eunseol.
Fixed Time.
An impeccable moment where no counterattack was possible. If timed perfectly, any opponent would fall, no matter how powerful their swordsmanship. Even if Bu Eunseol’s techniques surpassed his, they would be rendered hollow before this Fixed Time.
Swoosh.
A white aura erupted from Bu Eunseol, and an intense chill enveloped King Jo, as if his teeth were chattering. It was the Heavenly Glacial Secret, the ultimate technique of the Great Glacier Emperor.
‘This guy!’ King Jo was caught off guard. Bu Eunseol was using ice techniques? This disrupted the perfect Fixed Time he had calculated. ‘To think he’d mastered ice techniques.’
Having reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, King Jo could read an opponent’s physical flow, sensing when new strength emerged. By striking at that moment—the Fixed Time—he ensured an unavoidable blow. But Bu Eunseol’s powerful ice technique threw off that timing.
Swish!
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s black sword exploded forward, piercing through space toward King Jo. King Jo had seized the perfect Fixed Time, but Bu Eunseol’s counterattack, slowing that flow, began. Who had truly grasped the precise moment was now known only to the heavens.
But then—
Whoosh!
A sharp sound cut through the air as a blade emerged from the ground beneath Bu Eunseol’s feet. Even a ghost couldn’t have predicted it.
‘An assassin?’
It seemed someone had been hiding underground, using the Great Earth Concealment Technique, waiting for the moment Bu Eunseol and King Jo clashed in a life-or-death duel to launch a perfect ambush. From a swordsmanship perspective, it was another Fixed Time.
‘I can’t get hit by this.’
Swish!
Bu Eunseol’s body turned translucent, and the sword rising from the ground grazed past his foot. At its peak, Swift Beyond Shadow allowed ninety-nine directional shifts in midair, and he had unleashed it to its limit.
Pop! Pop!
But this slowed his sword technique by half a beat.
Splatter!
Blood sprayed from Bu Eunseol’s body as King Jo’s Imperial Dragon Sword sliced diagonally across his chest and shoulder, leaving a deep wound.
Flash!
King Jo’s eyes gleamed with brilliance.
‘Now!’ He sensed it instinctively. This was the moment—an impeccable Fixed Time that even a martial god couldn’t evade.
‘But…’
Countless thoughts raced through his mind in that brief instant. As the leader of the Martial Alliance’s Martial Heaven Corps, he had always upheld justice and never committed an unrighteous act. But if he killed Bu Eunseol due to this masked assassin’s ambush, it would be an dishonorable revenge.
‘How can honor and revenge be the same?’ His thoughts were long, but his actions were lightning-fast. Recalling his son’s mangled corpse, King Jo swung the Imperial Dragon Sword toward Bu Eunseol’s neck.
Swish!
A steel arrow flew toward the Imperial Dragon Sword, startling King Jo. Another unexpected event had disrupted his perfect Fixed Time.
Clang!
The arrow clashed with his sword. From Bu Eunseol’s body, the power of the Wishful True Binding spread like a spiderweb, creating his own perfect Fixed Time. But instead of targeting King Jo, it enveloped the masked assassin underground, trapping them with the Wishful True Binding to prevent escape.
Flash! Flash!
Two rapid shifts occurred in Bu Eunseol’s black sword in midair.
Spurt!
As the black sword plunged deep into the ground, crimson blood sprayed. Despite seizing the perfect Fixed Time, Bu Eunseol had counterattacked the masked assassin, not King Jo.
Thud.
The gravely wounded assassin used an earth escape technique to flee.
Swirl!
Soyo, watching from afar, executed her movement technique to pursue the assassin. The assassin could return to attack Bu Eunseol at any moment. If not dealt with, Bu Eunseol’s focus would be divided, ensuring his defeat. Soyo, recognizing this, immediately gave chase.
‘Now…’ King Jo, seeing Bu Eunseol refrain from attacking him, seized another chance for a critical strike.
‘I must take revenge!’ Such a sneak attack was shameful, even for demonic martial artists. But he couldn’t let this opportunity slip. ‘With his current prowess, if I let him live a few more years, I’ll never defeat him!’
When he had observed Bu Eunseol’s duel with the Heavenly Sword, his skills were clearly inferior. But in this short time, Bu Eunseol had advanced tremendously. Even King Jo, praised as a genius since childhood, had never heard of someone progressing so rapidly.
“You must die!” With a shout, he drove the Imperial Dragon Sword into Bu Eunseol’s back without hesitation.
Clang!
But a strange impact sounded, and the sword penetrated only an inch. Bu Eunseol had anticipated the sneak attack and used the Great Still Ice technique.
Crack! Clang!
Yet King Jo’s power was beyond imagination. Despite the Great Still Ice, Bu Eunseol suffered severe internal injuries, and the sword tip pierced an inch deep.
Crash!
The force of the sneak attack sent Bu Eunseol flying back five yards, collapsing in a heap.
“Ptoo.” Having endured consecutive sneak attacks, Bu Eunseol spat out bright red blood, clearly suffering deep internal injuries.
Stand.
Yet he rose steadfastly, twisting his grip on the black sword.
“Let’s continue.”
Tremble.
King Jo’s eyes twitched at Bu Eunseol’s resolute, dignified stance. Driven by his desire for revenge, he had resorted to despicable sneak attacks even demonic martial artists would shun. Yet Bu Eunseol didn’t condemn him, instead preparing to resume the duel as if he had expected it.
“I…” King Jo’s voice, unlike before, lacked authority.
His energy and spirit had waned significantly after the sneak attacks. A martial artist must be honorable. An evildoer could commit evil freely, but a righteous person must act justly. King Jo had failed to do so.
By betraying his convictions, his spirit suffered irreparable damage.
“…I no longer have the right to seek revenge.”
Biting his lip, King Jo infused immense energy into the Imperial Dragon Sword.
Crack.
Cracks spread like a spiderweb across the blade, forged from dark iron.
Shatter.
It broke into dozens of pieces, crumbling to the ground.
“This is the end.”
King Jo had lost his son to Bu Eunseol. But blinded by revenge, he abandoned his pride and convictions, committing shameful acts he couldn’t forgive. His power and spirit had regressed, and he had lost the justification to face Bu Eunseol again.
“There is no longer any enmity between us.” With that, King Jo lowered his head in shame and slowly turned to leave.
“Huff, huff.” Breathing heavily, Bu Eunseol waited until King Jo was gone before sheathing his black sword and leaning against a rock.
Click.
Pressing the blood points on his shoulder and chest, he stopped the bleeding. He took a healing pellet from his robes and swallowed it.
‘Still a long way to go.’ King Jo, the Imperial Dragon Sword, one of the Martial Alliance’s seven commanders, wasn’t even the most prominent among them.
Yet his true skill surpassed Bu Eunseol’s. Had he not been consumed by revenge and lost his honor, Bu Eunseol might already be dead.
Clang! Crash!
The sound of clashing weapons echoed from the distant sky.
‘Soyo.’ Realizing Soyo was pursuing the assassin, Bu Eunseol launched into the air with his movement technique.
Clang! Clatter!
Covering two hundred yards in an instant, he saw two figures locked in combat in a forest clearing—Soyo and the masked assassin.
‘That man.’ As Bu Eunseol watched the masked figure fighting Soyo, who wielded a dagger, a spark of recognition flashed in his eyes.
‘It was him.’
The masked assassin was the swordsman from the underground city cultivating Human Flowers, a practitioner of foreign martial arts.
