Bu Eunseol, who had thought he found a method, soon shook his head.
‘No, I was thinking too simply.’
Improving a technique is easier than creating one from scratch.
But for Bu Eunseol, improving the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms was still too much.
First, orthodox sect swordsmanship has deep origins.
As ultimate techniques researched with great effort by outstanding martial masters, they are not easily tampered with. If that were the only issue, Bu Eunseol might have managed somehow, but the second reason held him back.
It was the fact that he, a true demonic practitioner, had always trained in demonic path martial arts.
‘If it were demonic swordsmanship, maybe, but orthodox sword arts are impossible.’
No matter how exceptional his talent, for Bu Eunseol—who focused on demonic martial arts—to alter a centuries-old orthodox absolute art to his taste was, for now, impossible.
‘From that perspective, the Divine Mountain Sage is highly likely to be the Martial Alliance Leader.’
The Boundless Master was an outsider, and his absolute arts differ slightly from Central Plains martial studies.
They were extremely high-level outsider ascension arts.
Yet the Divine Mountain Sage took even the Boundless Master’s martial arts and easily improved them as if they were Central Plains techniques, creating a defensive form that repels any external force.
That proves that the Divine Mountain Sage could freely improve not only Central Plains martial arts but also outsider arts.
He was a grand master of orthodox martial studies.
‘However, the improved Thirteen Iron Sword Forms lean toward counterattacks… so I’ll have to revise it again eventually.’
Until now, Bu Eunseol had learned demonic sword arts that treat attacks as defense and prioritize power. But orthodox martial arts prioritize defense and suppress lethal killing moves as much as possible.
Moreover, the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms specialize only in counterattacks, so it was inevitably lacking.
‘Even if it’s difficult, it’s worth trying.’
After much deliberation, Bu Eunseol decided to follow his initial idea.
He would use the manuals here to improve the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms.
Swish-swish.
Bu Eunseol quickly scanned the manuals on the shelves marked with the character for “sword”.
‘It’s certainly different from the Martial Emperor’s Vault.’
The manuals in the Martial Emperor’s Vault were all foundational arts designed to maximize the Thirteen Guiding Energies through the Martial Emperor’s Tranquil Awakening.
In particular, since the Thirteen Guiding Energies could generate power bare-handed, palm and finger arts were the focus.
As a result, Bu Eunseol knew far less about orthodox sword arts than he expected.
‘I see. So the Divine Mountain Sage referenced the Wudang swordsmanship for the improvement.’
Wudang sword arts, which subdue hardness with softness, resembled the improved Thirteen Iron Sword Forms in many ways. If Bu Eunseol wanted to strengthen the principle of “softness overcomes hardness,” studying Wudang-related manuals again would be right.
But now, to address the lacking killing intent and insufficient sharpness… he needed different manuals.
‘Too many.’
Despite being only the second floor of the Solitary Enlightenment Hall, the number of manuals displayed inside was enough to make one’s eyes spin.
Bu Eunseol searched the shelves until dawn but still found no manual that could serve as a clue for improvement.
“My stomach’s growling.”
Using the mind consumes more stamina than moving the body.
Bu Eunseol poured clear water from the large kettle in one corner of the Solitary Enlightenment Hall and drank it.
Then he chewed a wall-grain pill from the nearby shelf, rich with grain scent, and rested for a short while.
That alone restored enough stamina to last four days without a sip of water or a wink of sleep.
Flip-flip.
Bu Eunseol resumed quickly flipping through manuals.
But the Solitary Enlightenment Hall’s scale and manuals were three or four times larger than the Myriad Demon Scripture Vault. It was no easy task.
‘Hmm.’ Pausing his search, Bu Eunseol turned his thoughts.
At this rate, even staying up four nights wouldn’t yield a satisfactory manual.
‘I need a faster method.’
Three days remained.
Within that time, Bu Eunseol had to find a clue in this Solitary Enlightenment Hall to improve the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms.
And improvement wasn’t just tweaking the sword’s power.
He needed to insert fierce killing moves to transform the counterattack-focused Thirteen Iron Sword Forms into a ferocious offensive sword style. The problem was that orthodox sword arts prefer suppressing killing moves from the start.
In the end, improving the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms without mixing demonic sword arts was difficult.
‘No, there is a way.’
Bu Eunseol recalled the manuals he had already checked.
Even orthodox swordsmanship includes vicious killing moves.
However, sword arts containing such moves are all non-mainstream, created by sects or individuals outside the norm.
‘Outside the mainstream.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes sparkled.
He finally realized the fastest way to find a manual useful for improving the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms.
‘Manuals that orthodox practitioners avoid or refuse to touch.’
As someone well-versed in demonic sword arts, Bu Eunseol knew their characteristics well. Conversely, orthodox practitioners, familiar with their own sword arts, would know at a glance and likely never even pick up such manuals.
“Hoo.”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol focused his mind.
Bzzz.
A faint haze began rising from his eyes.
He activated the ultimate sense of the Beast Way, the Void Heart Command.
In that state, Bu Eunseol began selecting manuals with little human touch.
Heavy wear meant they were refined sword arts preferred by orthodox practitioners. But what Bu Eunseol wanted was not refinement but sword arts containing powerful might like demonic swordsmanship.
Definite orthodox sword arts, yet so cruel and powerful that orthodox practitioners would wave them away.
If such existed, it could elevate the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms further.
‘Hmm.’ Using the Void Heart Command to sort the shelf manuals, Bu Eunseol brought about thirty barely touched sword art manuals to the table.
Sitting neatly, he began quickly scanning them.
‘Not enough.’
The sword arts in these manuals indeed prioritized power over refinement.
Yet they still fell short of application to the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms.
That also meant the improved Thirteen Iron Sword Forms were that advanced.
‘Is it impossible?’
Closing the last manual, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
In the end, no sword art applicable to the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms was found on the second floor of the Solitary Enlightenment Hall.
Perhaps it was natural.
Even as an outsider martial arts, the Boundless Master’s swordsmanship was an absolute art capable of dominating the martial world and with the Divine Mountain Sage’s improvements, considering that level, one would need the third floor.
The second-floor manuals, provided to family-head-level figures, couldn’t match the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms.
“Hoo.” Sighing deeply, Bu Eunseol stood and began reshelving the manuals.
‘A waste of time.’
Two days still remained.
But with no satisfactory manual, there was no need to linger here.
Thud.
Perhaps from frustration, while shelving a book, Bu Eunseol lightly kicked the bottom of the heavy shelf.
Hum.
A faint vibration spread in circles from the impact point.
The shock triggered the Mind’s Eye.
‘Hm?’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
He sensed a thin manual placed atop the shelf where he stood.
‘Strange. Why place a manual on top of a shelf where it can’t be seen?’
The shelf was quite tall, about one zhang.
After brief thought, Bu Eunseol lightly leaped to retrieve the manual from above.
Then, a faint gaze prickled from somewhere.
‘As expected.’
He had been absorbed in the books.
Yet the surveillant possessed martial arts skilled enough to evade his detection.
‘Caretaker Mok is personally watching.’
To deceive his senses despite his focus, it had to be Mok Do-in.
‘Strange. The Solitary Enlightenment Hall shouldn’t have surveillants.’
Unlike Majeon, the Solitary Enlightenment Hall has no surveillance. But Mok Do-in secretly watching Bu Eunseol meant… either the Solitary Enlightenment Hall’s policy changed.
‘Or some incident happened recently.’
In Bu Eunseol’s view, it was just an ordinary library.
But to ordinary martial artists, the second floor of the Solitary Enlightenment Hall was filled with priceless martial manuals.
Someone might have tried copying or damaging them.
If not that…
‘They’re watching me, not the manuals.’
After brief thought, Bu Eunseol quickly scanned the manual before him again.
Then, pulling another book from the shelf with excessive force,
Crash.
All the shelved books poured to the floor.
In that instant, he felt the watching gaze fix on the scattered books.
Whoosh.
In that split second, Bu Eunseol used Void Grasp to attach the top-shelf book to his back.
Then, naturally crouching before the piled books, the back-attached book blended in.
“Umm.”
Groaning, he looked at the pile as if pleased, then carried them all to the table at once.
Sitting, he began reading.
The surveillant’s gaze refocused on Bu Eunseol quietly reading at the table. But the manual Bu Eunseol opened was not from the shelf but the one from the top.
‘Old, yet barely touched…’ The manual’s cover was quite worn, suggesting age, yet it had almost no hand stains.
That meant this manual was clearly a recent improvement of an ancient one.
Heon Won Bright Sword.
Opening the pages, the title that should be on the cover was written on the first page.
‘Heon Won Bright Sword? Could it be that Heon Won Bright Sword?’
An ancient-era immortal.
A single-stroke sword form said to have been created by Gwang Seongja to teach the Yellow Emperor, Heon Won, who sought the Dao.
Why was this eternal secret art hidden on the second floor’s shelf top in the Solitary Enlightenment Hall?
Moreover, judging by the manual’s condition, it wasn’t passed down from the past. It was a newly created sword treasure.
‘This is…’ As Bu Eunseol read through the manual, his eyes trembled lightly.
The sword art written in the treasure was… more cruel than any sword style Bu Eunseol had seen, thick with killing intent.
More vicious and fatal than any sword art.
Wasn’t it very similar to the demonic sword art that had sliced his grandfather’s arms smoothly like glass, without a single chi of error?
Tremble-tremble.
Bu Eunseol’s fingertips holding the manual shook.
Why was this devil-like sword art on the Martial Alliance’s Solitary Enlightenment Hall shelf?
‘Moreover, the moves are vicious, yet it’s fundamentally orthodox swordsmanship.’
The sword art carved into Grandfather Bu Zhanyang’s body was demonic, mixed with dragging and twisting techniques. But this Heon Won Bright Sword, while showing nearly identical move variations, had a root in orthodox swordsmanship.
‘Then, the culprit who killed Grandfather deliberately performed this Heon Won Bright Sword as a demonic variant?’
Thump-thump-thump.
His heart pounded as if to burst.
He had to use inner energy to calm it.
―And the one likely to have been recruited to carry out such an order is one of the Seven Great Masters. That’s all I know about the mortician Bu Zhanyang’s death.
Suddenly, the Divine Mountain Sage’s words from the Shaolin underground chamber flashed through his mind.
According to the Divine Sage, the killer of his grandfather was highly likely one of the Seven Commanders.
And proving those words…
A sword art that seemed to turn the technique that cut Grandfather’s arms into an orthodox secret… was stored in the Solitary Enlightenment Hall.
‘The one who killed Grandfather is in the Martial Alliance, as the Divine Mountain Sage said!’
Bu Eunseol silently swallowed his rage.
He wanted to destroy the Martial Alliance right now and root out the one who learned Heon Won Bright Sword.
But he couldn’t.
Bu Eunseol currently had neither the ability nor the authority.
Crack.
In Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he suppressed his anger, a desperate killing intent swirled.
He came to the Martial Alliance to find Grandfather’s killer, and after finally finding the killer’s trace, a desperate rage boiled beyond maintaining calm.
‘I must become a Commander.’
No time.
He had to accumulate merits faster, and become the Commander of the Martial Heaven Division even a day sooner.
Even if decided by merits, martial prowess would be verified.
Perhaps later, as an alliance leader candidate, he could fight all Seven Commanders and root out the one who learned Heon Won Bright Sword.
Grind.
Bu Eunseol clenched his teeth with all his might to suppress the erupting true energy waves.
If he burst inner energy vibrations here, his identity would be exposed.
Crumple.
Strength entered the hand holding the manual and bloodlight rose in Bu Eunseol’s pupils.
‘I’ll master it.’ Teeth clenched, he began reading the manual.
The killer who took Grandfather would likely use this sword art against him too.
He planned to perfectly master it and create a counter-form.
‘This is.’ As Bu Eunseol read, a glint appeared in his eyes.
At first glance, he thought it was merely named Heon Won Bright Sword, not believing it an improvement of Gwang Seongja’s sword art.
An immortal’s sword style couldn’t be so thick with killing intent and cruel.
But the more he read, the more certain he became.
This Heon Won Bright Sword… was truly an improvement of the sword art created by Gwang Seongja.
Because this sword style was impossible for a human body to perform.
‘Three hundred ninety-five variations in one stroke?’
Heon Won Bright Sword.
In a single sword stroke, it unleashes three hundred ninety-five variations while adapting to the enemy’s movements.
Then it became one sword form again to cut the enemy.
‘Impossible.’
Nangyang Pavilion’s finest swordsman, Vice-Lord Dan Cheong, gave one hundred eight variations in a single move.
That alone encompassed the pinnacle of all Nangyang Pavilion sword variations.
Bu Eunseol combined those variations with Nangyang Pavilion sword techniques to create the Supreme Heavenly Flow.
Yet this Heon Won Bright Sword showed three times more variations than Dan Cheong’s single stroke.
‘Is this a possible sword move?’
Bu Eunseol quickly read the manual, counting the variations.
‘Wait.’ Bu Eunseol’s movement stopped while reading.
To unleash three hundred ninety-five variations in one stroke, a general formula to connect those variations as one was needed.
But this manual lacked the essence of Heon Won Bright Sword, the general formula, containing only the move variations.
‘They split it.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as he touched the last page.
This wasn’t divided into upper and lower volumes; someone had cut a complete manual in half.
‘With a sword, no less.’
The one who halved the manual had unimaginably high and refined swordsmanship; the cut surface was smooth as glass.
Just like the skill of the one who cut Grandfather’s arms.
‘No one would cut a perfectly good manual with a sword.’
A flash crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he touched the cross-section.
‘A manual scramble?’
The manual wasn’t cut with a blade but with sword energy.
Two sword energies, at that.
Bu Eunseol closed his eyes and touched the cross-section again.
A past scene appeared in his mind.
Probably two outstanding masters coincidentally entered the Solitary Enlightenment Hall at the same time.
One discovered this manual, and they fought silently to seize it.
Shing!
As the manual floated in the air, the one trying to prevent seizure drew his sword like lightning and shot sword energy.
Shing!
The one aiming to seize it shot sword energy to prevent damage.
Clang.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
When the bell rang, the two eventually left, and the manual, torn, was placed on the shelf.
Opening his eyes, Bu Eunseol frowned.
‘Then, was the other half seized by someone? Or hidden elsewhere?’
No matter how he thought, no answer came.
And why this manual was on the shelf top wasn’t important.
What mattered now was memorizing at least this half-manual’s sword art.
‘Without the general formula, I can’t perform it.’
Unleashing three hundred ninety-five variations in one stroke was theoretically possible at best. In other words, Heon Won Bright Sword exceeded the limits of variations possible within swordsmanship.
Amazingly, its root was orthodox, yet it contained vicious techniques.
If he grafted these variations onto the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms?
It would birth a terrifying killing sword art that would make the Unmatched Thunderbolt Form seem ordinary.
