Jingle, jingle.
The masked old man pulled a small bell from his robes and gently shook it.
Jingle.
As the bell’s sound echoed in all directions, the sky darkened, and an eerie wail, like that of a ghost, seemed to emanate from somewhere.
It appeared that this old man was controlling all the puppets in the Heavenly Mountains.
“After all, you’re the primary enemy of the Three Realms. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for this old man to deal with you now.”
“To call this Martial Soul Command Lord the primary enemy suggests you’re a figure from the Infinite Realm.”
As Bu Eunseol made his guess, the old man gave a faint smile.
“What does it matter if you know? You’ll die anyway.”
Jingle, jingle.
With the sound of the bell, a dark wave began to envelop the lake’s surroundings once more.
It was an army of puppets, incomparable to the earlier group.
Swish, swish, swish.
Rather than attacking Bu Eunseol, they surrounded the lake, forming a massive wall of flesh. A strange aura flowed, and the air around the lake sank heavily.
It seemed they were deploying a unique formation to prevent Bu Eunseol from escaping.
Hummm.
Moreover, a dark radiance began to emanate from the old man’s body.
“A descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, are you?”
If he was from the Three Realms, he should know of Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess. Yet, instead of retreating, he had trapped the surroundings with the puppets’ formation.
This meant he was confident of victory.
Only a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars could display such confidence before Bu Eunseol.
“Youngster, you’re drunk on your own excitement.”
Whoosh.
Suddenly, a tremendous wave of energy surged from the old man’s body, and dark streams of qi began to extend from his hand.
Hummm.
They soon formed the shape of a massive black saber.
Even before he unleashed his saber techniques, an unstoppable aura of the Blade Emperor flowed from the dark blade.
“The Black Blood Demon Saber. So, you’re a descendant of the Blade Emperor.”
A martial art that creates a saber from tangible energy.
It could only be the Black Blood Demon Saber, the exclusive secret technique of the Blade Emperor among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
“Since you recognize the Black Blood Demon Saber, you must be ready to die.”
The Blade Emperor was known for the most domineering martial prowess among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, with his ultimate techniques surpassing the pinnacle of martial arts. Moreover, if he regretted not having faced the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, one could imagine the level of his saber mastery.
“As you can see, this formation is designed to prevent escape. No matter how much you attack from within, it cannot be broken.” The old man smirked sinisterly. “Don’t even dream of escaping. The moment you turn, your head will roll.”
“Is that so?” Bu Eunseol crossed his arms and gave a faint smile.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out, and the wall of flesh formed by the puppets around the lake began to collapse. At the same time, two figures appeared, mercilessly cutting down the puppets.
It was So Okrim and Soyo.
“Wow, there’s so many of them!” Seeing the horde of puppets, So Okrim seemed thrilled, unleashing tremendous fist techniques. “These meat sacks are pretty tough!”
With every punch So Okrim threw, the barrier of puppets crumbled like falling leaves.
Before embarking on this mission, Bu Eunseol had made two predictions.
First, even if he left traces, there was no guarantee the outcast would find him first.
Second, if someone from the Three Realms found him first, they would block his escape routes before attacking.
Thus, Bu Eunseol had instructed So Okrim and Soyo to roam the Heavenly Mountains, leaving two sets of traces. They were to monitor the movements of the puppets and, if they converged on one location, to follow immediately. Surely, where the puppets gathered, is where Bu Eunseol would be, and they would be blocking his escape routes.
“It’s a formation that absolutely cannot be broken unless attacked from the outside!”
Creating such a formation with puppets was not something that could be done in a day or two.
It seemed the old man, a descendant of the Blade Emperor, had devised this formation in advance to trap the outcast, who had learned the Seven Blood Tear Forms, upon his arrival in the Heavenly Mountains.
However, this formation had a flaw.
While it was excellent at containing enemies from within, it was extremely vulnerable to attacks from the outside. Thus, under So Okrim’s punches, the puppets’ formation was helplessly collapsing.
“Heh heh heh. You called for reinforcements in advance, did you?” But the old man wore a relaxed expression.
He seemed unconcerned whether the puppets’ wall collapsed or their controller died.
Whistle.
Suddenly, a strange flute sound echoed from somewhere. Then, more puppets appeared from the distance.
“Aha, there’s another one controlling them over there!” Having destroyed the wall of puppets around the lake, So Okrim spoke. “Let’s take that one out first!”
With her extraordinary senses, So Okrim had detected someone controlling the puppets from over a hundred yards away.
[Soyo, help her.] As Bu Eunseol sent a telepathic message, Soyo followed So Okrim without a word.
“Even without the puppets, you wouldn’t have escaped my grasp.” The old man looked at Bu Eunseol, casually beckoning with his hand. “Shall we see the skills of the so-called heir of Majeon who’s shaken the martial world?”
Shing.
As Bu Eunseol drew his Ice Soul Sword without hesitation, the old man gave a faint smile.
“A fine sword.” With a relaxed expression, the old man raised the saber he had formed above his head.
Eeeeek!
A bizarre sound spread in all directions.
It wasn’t the sound of a saber but rather the collective wail of countless ghosts. The sound was so eerie and grotesque that the sky seemed to darken, and illusions of ghosts rising into the heavens appeared.
Swish!
As the old man aimed his saber at Bu Eunseol’s neck, a dark mist extended outward. It looked as if the black souls trapped in the saber were being released, scattering in all directions.
Bu Eunseol raised one eyebrow.
To cause such a bizarre phenomenon with just a preparatory stance?
“I never got to cross blades with that man in the end.” The old man narrowed his eyes and looked at Bu Eunseol.
“The saber techniques of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade that shook the world.”
The reason the old man could pursue the outcast, who had mastered the Seven Blood Tear Forms in the Heavenly Mountains, wasn’t because he relied on the puppets.
Even if the Seven-Finger Demon Blade himself appeared, he was confident he could cut him down in a single stroke.
The Blade Emperor.
He was a descendant of the Blade Emperor, known for possessing the most domineering martial arts among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
“Now that I’ve taken my stance…” The old man, holding the saber in his right hand, extended his left hand with a relaxed expression.
He was waiting for Bu Eunseol’s first move.
“Hmm.” Bu Eunseol didn’t hesitate and unleashed his sword techniques.
Flash!
A sharp beam of light burst from the Ice Soul Sword, splitting into two and aiming for the old man’s forehead.
Swish!
At the same time, a single point of light became a massive cross-shaped sword energy, raining down on the old man’s head. In a single stroke, he had layered the Meteor Chasing the Moon Form and the Waning Moon, Dawn Star Form.
“That’s not his technique.”
Slash!
As the old man lightly swung his saber in the air, the sword energies of the Supreme Heavenly Flow dissipated instantly.
Hiss!
The black saber energy that had nullified the sword energies lunged at Bu Eunseol’s body like a living creature.
Swish, swish, swish!
Bu Eunseol didn’t dodge but frantically moved his Ice Soul Sword, cutting through the dark saber energy.
“…!” Bu Eunseol’s expression changed as he swiftly used Swift Beyond Shadow to retreat.
Astonishingly, the sharp saber energy unleashed by the old man couldn’t be parried like intangible mist and had the power to instantly nullify all external forces.
Eeeeek!
As the ear-piercing wail of ghosts spread in all directions, more dark saber energy lunged at Bu Eunseol’s body.
Bu Eunseol continuously unleashed sword techniques to counter the saber energy, but it was futile.
Hiss.
The dark saber energy he unleashed couldn’t be blocked by any martial art and nullified all forces. The saber techniques of the Blade Emperor, known for the most domineering and powerful martial arts among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars…
Could block any martial art in a single stroke and unleashed powerful saber energy that pursued enemies like a living creature.
Buzz.
As the saber energy relentlessly pursued, Bu Eunseol stopped dodging and swung his sword.
‘Let’s try again!’
Swish!
A white flash burst from the Ice Soul Sword, and sword energy like a white dragon spread in all directions, countering the black saber energies.
Using the Myriad Phenomena Sword Style, he materialized the Blade Emperor’s saber energy. Then, he unleashed the fourth form of the Supreme Heavenly Flow, Caged Bird Yearning for Clouds, allowing the sword energy to move freely.
Clash, clash, clash!
As the sword and saber energies collided repeatedly, a sound like tearing silk accompanied a dazzling wave of energy spreading in all directions.
Swish!
But in the midst of it, more black saber energy poured toward Bu Eunseol’s face.
The Supreme Heavenly Flow couldn’t possibly counter the Blade Emperor’s saber energy. As time passed, the black saber energy suppressed Bu Eunseol’s white sword energy, displaying overwhelming dominance.
“You’ll lose your head if you keep holding back the Seven Blood Tear Forms.” The old man chuckled and swung his saber frantically.
Hiss!
The saber energy flowing from the saber grew even denser.
Roar!
Moreover, the number of black saber energies increased, resembling hundreds of giant snakes writhing in the air.
‘No choice, then.’ Retreating from the onslaught of saber energies, Bu Eunseol spun his Ice Soul Sword in the air, aligning it horizontally with his face.
The old man, a descendant of the Blade Emperor, had likely used a saber his entire life.
To cut through the saber energy that nullified all forces in a single stroke, not only immense power but also a profound technique to dry up the relentless flow of saber energy was needed.
Hummm!
At the same time, hundreds of sword energies rose around Bu Eunseol’s body.
He was unleashing the fourth form of the Seven Blood Tear Forms, Desiring Death, No Place Found, to cut off the old man’s head in one stroke.
“Good. Very good.” Seeing the sword energy rising from Bu Eunseol’s body, the old man laughed heartily, as if delighted.
Swish! Hiss, hiss, hiss!
The old man spread his saber energy, nullifying the sword energy Bu Eunseol had created. But the old man’s actions and movements were no different from being controlled by Bu Eunseol’s sword energy.
The Desiring Death, No Place Found Form Bu Eunseol unleashed, modeled after the outcast’s interpretation, scattered immense saber energy in a specific space while freely controlling the movements of all enemies within it.
Hiss!
But the old man, unaware of this, continued spreading his saber energy, nullifying Bu Eunseol’s sword energies. Finally, as they closed the distance enough to face each other and cross weapons, Bu Eunseol managed to create a movement that exposed a flaw in the old man’s stance.
‘First, the left hand.’
Unfortunately, Bu Eunseol couldn’t create a flaw to cut off the old man’s head in one stroke. Instead, he seized the opportunity to cut off the left hand, which the old man had kept lowered.
The old man’s saber techniques were nearly perfect, but his left arm, as if cumbersome, was consistently held still.
If he could cut off that left arm?
Bu Eunseol could seize the advantage in an instant.
Swish!
As the Ice Soul Sword finally cut through the wave of saber energy, aiming for the old man’s left arm,
Hiss!
A sharp saber energy simultaneously lunged at Bu Eunseol’s neck.It turned out the old man had deliberately left his left arm vulnerable.
He intended to sacrifice his left arm to cut off Bu Eunseol’s head.
‘He doesn’t care about losing his left arm?’ Bu Eunseol inwardly gasped in shock.
For a master like the Blade Emperor’s descendant to prepare a critical strike by sacrificing an arm?
It was something even he couldn’t predict, leaving him defenseless.
Clang!
But at that moment, a saber energy from somewhere grazed the Ice Soul Sword and lunged at the old man’s neck.
“Hmph.”
Pop!
The old man had no choice but to retreat.
Then, a ghost-like shadow approached Bu Eunseol. It was a tall, sturdy middle-aged man with blazing eyes, clad in black.
Though his face was veiled, he seemed to be in his fifties.
“Get lost!”
Whoosh!
As the outcast swung his saber, the old man’s body was pushed back seven or eight yards.
It wasn’t the power of the strike but the profound intricacy of the saber technique that forced the old man to leap back. The old man, who hadn’t budged under Bu Eunseol’s full-powered Supreme Heavenly Flow, retreated in a hurry.
“You got lucky, gaining reinforcements.” Chuckling, the old man alternated his gaze between Bu Eunseol and the middle-aged man, letting out a hum. “I might get hit in my left arm, inner thigh, and a slash to the spine, perhaps.”
The old man grinned wickedly.
“But I’ll survive, and you two will die.”
This descendant of the Blade Emperor now seemed utterly mad.
He considered the destruction of his own body trivial, smiling broadly at the thought of cutting their throats.
“Dream on.”
The outcast planted his saber into the ground.
At that moment, with a slash! sound, faint lines began to spread chaotically across the vast lake. Simultaneously, ice fragments and tens of thousands of saber rings rose into the air.
It turned out the middle-aged man hadn’t carved saber techniques into the lake out of inspiration.
He had used the lake’s ice to set a trap for escape.
Pop, pop, pop!
The shattered ice began to engulf the old man instantly.
“Hmph.” The old man frantically swung his saber, nullifying the saber rings, but the ice fragments clung to his body.
Thud, thud, thud.
In no time, the old man’s form vanished, and a massive ice tower stood in its place. Knowing he couldn’t defeat the Blade Emperor’s descendant, the outcast had created a trap just to buy time for escape.
“Follow me.” Muttering softly to Bu Eunseol, the outcast shot into the air.
Swish!
Bu Eunseol immediately followed, deploying his movement technique.
Crack, crack.
At that moment, cracks formed in the massive ice tower.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, ice fragments scattered in all directions, revealing the old man.
“So, the strange traces on the lake were for this trick.” The old man smacked his lips, wearing a murderous smile as he narrowed his eyes.
“But you can’t escape forever.”
***
Bu Eunseol was deploying Swift Beyond Shadow with all his might.
Yet, he couldn’t catch up to the outcast speeding ahead.
It wasn’t a matter of internal energy or movement technique.
The man seemed intimately familiar with the Heavenly Mountains’ terrain, moving in unpredictable patterns. Since Bu Eunseol followed his movements, he was always a step behind.
‘Fine.’ As the distance grew, Bu Eunseol drew up all his internal energy.
Swish!
Ignoring obstacles, he shot straight toward the middle-aged man.
Swish!
Bu Eunseol’s body became a sharp sword, slicing through trees and rocks.
Boom!
As his speed increased, a sonic boom erupted, and his body became a streak of white energy. Finally, as he caught up to the outcast,
Tap.
The man stopped atop a sheer cliff.
“…” After gazing at the distant sky for a while, the outcast muttered.
“You’re not a spy of the Three Realms.”
“You were watching?”
“Yes.” The outcast had seen Bu Eunseol entranced by the saber technique traces he left by the lake.
However, suspecting him to be a Three Realms spy, he had observed silently. But seeing him fight for his life against the Blade Emperor’s descendant, he immediately dispelled his doubts and saved him.
‘He’s the one.’
Though they hadn’t yet spoken, Bu Eunseol instinctively knew. This was the outcast who had taught Jeong Cheon the manual of the Seven Blood Tear Forms.
“I came to find the whereabouts of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
“If you’ve inherited his techniques, that should suffice. Why seek him?” The outcast seemed to have already discerned that Bu Eunseol had mastered the Seven Blood Tear Forms.
“Because he might be my grandfather.”
“What does that mean?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with utmost sincerity. “My grandfather was brutally killed by a sword master who reached the Limitless Realm.”
Bu Eunseol recounted everything—his circumstances, his meeting with Jeong Cheon, and his tragic death. Listening silently, the outcast sighed.
“To think you believed I was the shadow of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
“Yes.”
In the past, Hwa Jung-cheon, the lord of the Shadow Pavilion, had shown a portrait of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, rampant in the martial world.
It depicted a middle-aged man with a fierce spirit.
Perhaps the Seven-Finger Demon Blade had a sturdy build in his youth. Bu Eunseol had thought the outcast might still retain that appearance.
“Hmm.” The outcast sighed.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes were steady but carried a desperate sincerity.
He could feel that Bu Eunseol wasn’t lying.
“While being pursued by that mad old man, I’ve experienced all sorts of things. Some sought revenge against the Three Realms with their limbs torn off, others begged for help avenging their parents.”
“…”
“If I were to recount all I’ve been through, no one would believe it.”
Bu Eunseol could somewhat understand his words.
He was someone who survived relentless pursuit by a descendant of the Blade Emperor, a Three Realms figure. The conspiracies and schemes he’d faced were likely beyond words.
“But this time, I’ll choose to believe you.”
“Why?”
“If you were a Three Realms spy…” The outcast sighed. “You wouldn’t throw away your supreme status just to find the Seven-Finger Demon Blade’s whereabouts.”
Bu Eunseol was the legitimate heir of the Nangyang Pavilion and the successor of Majeon. To reveal everything to an unknown figure just to find the Seven-Finger Demon Blade was unthinkable.
“You knew who I was?”
“How many young men in the world could face that mad old man alone?”
“Hmm.”
“To evade the Three Realms’ pursuit, one must be well-versed in the martial world’s affairs. I may seem holed up in the Heavenly Mountains, but I’ve frequently roamed the martial world.” Glancing at Bu Eunseol’s face, the outcast sighed. “Of course, that’s not the only reason…”
The Seven Blood Tear Forms varied greatly in power and transformation depending on how one interpreted its essence and the mindset with which it was performed. Discovering the traces of Desiring Death, No Place Found on the lake, Bu Eunseol immediately mimicked the free-spirited interpretation left by the outcast.
Having also mastered the Seven Blood Tear Forms, he could instantly discern what kind of person Bu Eunseol was by observing his execution.
“To answer first, I am not the shadow of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, as you think.”
“Then…”
“I, too, was saved by a benefactor I met by chance and was taught a few forms of the Seven Blood Tear Forms.” Overwhelmed with emotion, the outcast sighed deeply. “In return, I agreed to complete one task… and because I fulfilled it, I’ve been pursued by that old man my entire life.”
In short, saved by a benefactor and taught the manual, he completed a task as a condition.
And because of it, he was pursued by a Three Realms figure for life.
“What was the task you completed?”
“I cannot say. I swore to never reveal it.”
“Then was the benefactor who saved you the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, Bu Zhanyang, himself?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, the outcast shook his head. “No.”
Bu Eunseol’s mind grew chaotic.
This meant the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, Bu Zhanyang, had fragmented his supreme saber techniques and passed them to various figures in the martial world.
“Who exactly are you, elder?”
Taking a deep breath, the outcast spoke.
“My name is Gwanhai Geum. In the past, I was called the Great Hero of the Southern Sky.”
“The Great Hero… of the Southern Sky.” Bu Eunseol blinked.
Gwanhai Geum, the Great Hero of the Southern Sky.
He was a renowned hero of the righteous faction, helping the needy and doing good deeds across the martial world.
To think Gwanhai Geum, a prominent hero of the martial world, had mastered the Seven-Finger Demon Blade’s techniques?
“Well, what’s the point of digging up the past?” With a heavy sigh, Gwanhai Geum gazed at the distant sky. “If you ask why a righteous figure learned the supreme techniques of the demonic path…”
Turning to Bu Eunseol, his eyes were filled with pain.
“I’d say it’s because righteousness and evil reside in the heart.”
Gwanhai Geum.
He seemed to carry a complex and tragic story that couldn’t be expressed in a few words. Bu Eunseol didn’t dare ask about it.
No, he couldn’t.
Everyone has a past they wish to forget. No one has the right to unearth it. As Bu Eunseol remained silent, Gwanhai Geum snorted.
“How can one distinguish between a righteous person and an evil one?”
“…”
“A man known as a brutal demon might turn out to be virtuous, while a renowned hero who performed good deeds all his life might be an evildoer.” Looking up at the distant sky, he spoke solemnly. “The martial world is a place shrouded in debts and grudges. Right and wrong don’t exist… Good and evil depend on the beholder’s perspective, don’t they?”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
It aligned with his grandfather Bu Zhanyang’s teaching that concepts of good and evil were defined by human convenience.
“Well said.” As Bu Eunseol agreed, Gwanhai Geum gave a wry smile.
“Words my benefactor used to say often.”
Thump, thump.
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s heart pounded.
‘Then my grandfather wasn’t the Seven-Finger Demon Blade but his shadow?’
Gwanhai Geum spoke again.
“The benefactor who saved me likely had a deep connection to the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
And he revealed a shocking fact to Bu Eunseol. “They said they passed the techniques to trustworthy and righteous individuals like me to accomplish certain tasks for the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
He added a crucial remark.
“Perhaps the benefactor who taught me served as the shadow of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade you speak of.”
Oh?