The masked figures moved in perfect unison, swiftly changing their formation.
“This isn’t a formation created by our sect, so you couldn’t possibly know it!”
The leader of the masked figures, wearing a triumphant smile, saw his face turn pale in less than a moment. It was futile. No matter what formation they used, Bu Eunseol swung his sword at their vulnerabilities with uncanny precision.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!” Each time Bu Eunseol swung his sword, the masked figures fell like autumn leaves.
“That guy… a master of formations at such a young age?!” The leader was mistaken.
Bu Eunseol had never studied formations and didn’t even realize they were using one. However, after mastering the secret techniques of Nangyang Pavilion, he had combined them with his internal energy cultivation, expanding his senses. This allowed him to preemptively target their weak points, breaking their formations regardless of how they were deployed.
“Guh!” With a single swing of Bu Eunseol’s sword, three masked figures clutched their necks, spitting blood.
He had merely struck at the exposed flaws, yet the masked figures in those positions collapsed in droves. Watching this, the leader shouted urgently, “Disperse!”
The masked figures hurriedly abandoned their formation. But the fifteen comrades they had started with were now reduced by ten.
“Is the dance over?” At Bu Eunseol’s low, mocking voice, the masked leader clenched his fists and ground his teeth.
‘To think this guy is a master of formations.’
Formations amplify the power of individuals beyond their personal strength. But when a formation collapses, the damage snowballs catastrophically. Having set up a formation to kill a formidable foe like the Ten Demonic Sects’ chosen one, they had instead suffered a devastating counterattack because of it.
‘If we had fought without a formation, we could’ve dealt with him easily!’ But it was too late for regrets.
Swallowing his remorse, the leader gritted his teeth and shouted, “Attack!”
Numbers were absolute. No matter how strong Bu Eunseol was, he couldn’t possibly defeat five elite fighters. But that was the leader’s second mistake.
“Argh!” Another scream echoed.
Without the formation, Bu Eunseol’s swordsmanship became even more refined and sharper. In truth, the masked figures’ swordsmanship was also highly sophisticated, backed by ample combat experience.
Each of them could have made a name for themselves in the martial world, but against Bu Eunseol, they couldn’t display their skills.
‘How is this possible…’ The leader’s eyes trembled as he watched his subordinates fall futilely. It wasn’t that Bu Eunseol used extraordinary sword techniques or astonishing moves. Yet, every time he swung his sword, a mist of blood sprayed into the air.
Thud.
As another masked figure collapsed, the battle entered a brief lull.
‘Did Majeon deliberately spread false information?’
The leader shouted at Bu Eunseol, “They said you hadn’t learned the Void Sword Technique!”
“It’s not martial arts.”
“What?”
“It’s just a will to survive.” Until now, Bu Eunseol had always faced opponents stronger than himself. He never calculated his odds of survival. He simply gave his all to fend off the shadow of death.
“Stop spouting nonsense! How can you fight without martial arts?!”
“You can kill an enemy without martial arts.” During the Ten Demonic Sects Tournament, Bu Eunseol, without any martial arts training, had killed the strongest contender, Neung Ungang. “What determines life and death isn’t martial prowess but who lands the fatal blow.”
Gazing briefly at the distant sky, Bu Eunseol turned to the leader and said, “You lost because you were certain of your absolute advantage in a life-or-death battle.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“You were convinced from the start that you could kill me.” As Bu Eunseol looked at the masked figures, a chilling aura, like a bitter north wind, seemed to emanate from him.
“You thought you’d never die.”
Splatter.
Shaking off the blood from his rusted iron sword, Bu Eunseol muttered lowly, “The moment you raise your sword against an enemy, you must first see your own death.”
His words rang in their ears like the whisper of a devil.
—To kill an enemy, you must first be prepared for your own death.
That’s what Bu Eunseol was saying.
‘Were we the ones mistaken?’ They had all seen themselves as hunters. Their enemies were always prey, and they were confident they could kill once they struck.
“Let’s start again.” Sweeping his gaze over the masked figures, Bu Eunseol calmly raised his sword.
Some of the masked figures’ eyes shrank in fear as they met his cold, still gaze. The terror that they might be the prey was creeping in.
“L-lord, my l-lord.” One of the frightened masked figures cautiously approached the leader. “We can’t win with our current strength. We need to retreat.”
“Retreat?”
“Yes. We should fall back, report to the Commander, reinforce our forces, and wait for another chance…”
Splatter!
A thick spray of blood erupted as the masked figure’s neck gushed. The leader had abruptly decapitated his subordinate.
Splatter.
Shaking off the blood, the leader shouted at his men with furious eyes, “There’s no retreat in our sect! If you turn your back and get killed, you’ll carry dishonor even in death!”
“Is honor more important than life?” Bu Eunseol asked.
The leader sneered, “For demonic fiends like you, life is everything. But we’re different.”
“How so?”
“We don’t wield our swords for personal glory.” The leader’s eyes burned with blind loyalty. “Even if we fail, we can die honorably.”
“Not at all.”
Clank.
As Bu Eunseol twisted his grip on the iron sword, a blue flash glinted in his eyes.
“There’s no honor in a coffin!”
Unmatched Thunderbolt.
The deadly sword technique of Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s prodigy, Cheon Un-gwang, was about to be unleashed by Bu Eunseol’s hand once more.
“Attack!” Sensing the danger, the leader shouted to his men.
Whoosh!
With a sound like air escaping, the masked figures’ movements halted.
“…”
As if by agreement, they clutched their necks, staring at each other. Bu Eunseol’s iron sword, cold as a devil’s claw, had sliced through their carotid arteries like lightning.
Thud. Thud.
With the dull sound of blood dripping, three masked figures collapsed to the ground like logs. The leader stood before them, unable to even see how the sword technique was executed.
“Bu Eunseol.” Looking at him, the leader spoke in a low voice. “You… you’ve already become a Demon Sovereign.”
Spurt!
Blood sprayed from the leader’s neck as well.
“Even as a ghost, I’ll curse you.” Glaring at Bu Eunseol with resentful eyes, he collapsed to the ground like a log.
Clank.
As the last masked figure fell, Bu Eunseol sheathed his rusted sword.
A sea of blood and corpses.
Gazing at the bodies strewn around, Bu Eunseol’s eyes darkened, deeper than the shadows. This was a scene he had witnessed countless times in the hellish abyss. He had thought he’d never see such a sight again.
But now he realized.
He was already standing in the midst of a hell filled with blood and slaughter, unable to escape the chains of vengeance and grudges.
Clop, clop.
The sound of hooves approached as a carriage sped toward the reed field.
Neigh!
With a snort, the carriage stopped right in front of Bu Eunseol.
Click.
The carriage door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with a face as stern as stone.
It was Baek Yeon, the Leader of the Peongan Corps also known as the Storm Sect.
“You made quite a spectacle.” Glancing at the scattered corpses, Baek Yeon spoke calmly. “Well, it must’ve been a good experience.”
“Corps Leader.” Bu Eunseol bowed lightly and asked, “How did you know to come here?”
“Tracking your movements is nothing.” Chuckling, Baek Yeon looked at Bu Eunseol’s disheveled appearance and said, “As expected, you got rough treatment on your detour? That’s what narrow-minded folks do.”
From his tone, it seemed he had anticipated Bu Eunseol refusing the carriage and being ambushed on his way.
“Who are they?” Baek Yeon didn’t answer, stepping down from the carriage to closely inspect the masked figures.
He examined not only their faces but also their weapons, clothing, and even the items hidden in their garments.
‘As I suspected.’ Having inspected all the masked figures, Baek Yeon’s eyes glinted. ‘This is troublesome.’
“My lord.” As Bu Eunseol asked again, Baek Yeon waved his hand.
“We’ll talk on the way.” He pointed to the carriage he had arrived in.
***
Qingfeng Pavilion.
The residence of Deputy Sect Leader Dan Cheong.
Arriving at Nangyang with Baek Yeon, Bu Eunseol sat side by side at a table in the guest hall of Qingfeng Pavilion.
“Have some.” Dan Cheong, seated across from them, extended his hand.
Click.
Opening the teacup lid, white steam rose, and a clear fragrance seemed to cleanse the lungs.
Looking at the dark brown tea, Bu Eunseol asked, “Is this Wulong tea?”
“Have you tried it before?” When Dan Cheong looked surprised, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“I’ve only heard of it.”
“Heard of it?” Bu Eunseol recounted in detail his meeting with Elder Lord Jeok Bung.
“To think that old man, who loves crushing people, is still alive and well.” After hearing the full story, Dan Cheong let out a long sigh. “I wondered why the Hwa Wu Sword Sect and the White Horse Temple, who were so hell-bent on you, backed off so easily… so that’s what happened.”
“Since he’s one of the Three Demons, he must be remarkable, right?” At Bu Eunseol’s words, Dan Cheong’s eyes opened slightly.
“Of course. Why else would he be called the ‘Blood Demon’? In the past, he took boundless pleasure in smashing the heads of anyone who annoyed him.”
Baek Yeon furrowed his brow slightly and said, “Seeing that old man take an interest in this kid, it’s clear he’s got his own schemes.”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Bu Eunseol asked, “Can the position of the Elder Sect Leader defy the Sect Leader of Majeon?”
Dan Cheong gave a wry smile.
Bu Eunseol had exceptional talent in martial arts, but he knew nothing about the martial world’s politics or sects.
“In a coalition as large as Majeon, position isn’t that important.” Dan Cheong began explaining in detail.
“Majeon’s power is divided into three: the Sect Leader of Majeon’s faction, the Elder Council’s faction, and the Ten Demonic Sects’ faction. The Elder Council, filled with masters from the previous generation, holds significant influence.” Pausing briefly, he continued. “Especially Elder Lord Jeok Bung, who’s secretly building his own faction. It’s like he’s quietly trying to seize another purse while avoiding the Sect Leader of Majeon’s notice.”
“Majeon is a complicated place,” Bu Eunseol said.
Dan Cheong smiled.
“It’s a chronic issue for a coalition, not a sect bound by master-disciple ties. With power fragmented, all sorts of schemes and covert struggles arise to grab more of it.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
“It must be difficult to lead a place filled with martial artists from all sorts of sects.”
“In terms of power alone, sects bound by master-disciple ties are no different. You need strength to control those below you.” Dan Cheong continued. “That’s why the highest martial arts are taught only to the sect leader, with first and second-generation disciples receiving lesser techniques. You need to hold power to keep the underlings in line.”
“Is it the same in our sect?” At Bu Eunseol’s bold question, Dan Cheong burst into laughter.
“Hahaha. Of course, we’re different. As long as you master the martial arts, that’s what counts. Our rules are the loosest in the world.”
Grinning, Dan Cheong asked Bu Eunseol, “So, what happened after you entered Majeon?” Bu Eunseol recounted meeting the Lord of Manbak Hall and going to the Myriad Demon Scripture Vault.
He explained in detail how he faced Neung Gak and Corps Leader Go, and how he passed the five-move test. However, he omitted details about Hyeok Ryeon-eung and the words Baek Jeoncheon had shared with him. When he reached the part about being ambushed by masked figures on his way back, a spark flashed in Dan Cheong’s eyes.
“An ambush?” A chilling coldness seeped into Dan Cheong’s usually calm voice.
“Who dares ambush a disciple of our sect?”
