Seven Severing Sword Form.
One of the sword techniques devised by the elder masters of the Martial Alliance for the eighteen great masters. A practical adaptation of the righteous sects’ sword forms, characterized by an unrelenting barrage of lethal strikes.
Flash!
Bu Eunseol’s robe was sliced by Young Jiwi’s cascading sword strikes.
No matter how swiftly he moved with his Swift Beyond Shadow technique, the Seven Severing Sword Form’s strikes clung to him like leeches.
Flash! Flash!
The Seven Severing Sword Form shifted again in midair, scattering Bu Eunseol’s hair. At that moment, his eyes gleamed.
‘The Seven Severing Sword Form… so that’s what it is.’
By heightening his senses with the Beast Way, Bu Eunseol grasped the principles of the Seven Severing Sword Form.
‘It’s like when I first learned swordsmanship.’
Back in the days of Hell Island, when Bu Eunseol had learned his first sword techniques.
Even the ordinary Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms became unpredictable lethal strikes when he performed them. This was because, having just mastered the Beast Way, his heart was filled with uncontrollable killing intent.
Due to his inability to suppress this killing intent and his rapid mastery of the Beast Way—which defied the natural principles of martial arts—every sword strike he unleashed turned into an erratic, lethal blow.
‘The key lies in movements and lethal strikes that break the principles of martial arts!’ Having pierced the logic of the Seven Severing Sword Form, Bu Eunseol swung his longsword behind his back.
Zing.
A tremendous pressure erupted, distorting the paths of Young Jiwi’s cascading sword strikes.
He had unleashed the pinnacle of the Heavenly Tyrant Sword Momentum.
“Sword momentum?” Young Jiwi exclaimed, visibly shaken as Bu Eunseol performed a technique only grandmasters could wield. “Aren’t you just a swift swordsman?”
Raising his inner energy to counter the pressure of the sword momentum, Young Jiwi swung his sword rapidly.
Swish! Swish!
Breaking free from the sword momentum’s pressure, Young Jiwi enveloped Bu Eunseol’s surroundings with the Seven Severing Sword Form once more.
“The sword momentum can’t block the Seven Severing Sword Form!” Young Jiwi’s technique dominated the entire space around Bu Eunseol.
Spotting a minute gap in the sword momentum, Young Jiwi let out a triumphant cry.
‘He lacks real combat experience!’ Seeing Bu Eunseol maintain the sword momentum unaware of the exposed flaw, Young Jiwi swiftly thrust his longsword forward.
Swish.
As Bu Eunseol finally moved to defend, ‘Hmph! You think such a move can block the Seven Severing Sword?’ With a mocking sneer, Young Jiwi, infused with full power, struck at Bu Eunseol’s sword.
Boom!
An explosive sound rang out, and Young Jiwi was flung backward as if repelled.
—Waaa!
Cheers erupted from the spectators in the plaza. To push back a great master representing the righteous sects in a single move! Bu Eunseol’s strike was as exhilarating as a refreshing gulp of liquor.
“Urgh.” As Young Jiwi tried to regain his stance, he spat out blood.
The clash with Bu Eunseol’s sword sent a powerful force surging through his body.
“Heavy sword…” Young Jiwi muttered, his expression hollow.
He realized Bu Eunseol had used the Heavy Sword, the most forceful and domineering technique among the world’s sword arts.
“And this level of inner energy…” Kneeling, Young Jiwi’s eyes lost focus. Not only was his swordsmanship outmatched, but his inner energy couldn’t compare to Bu Eunseol’s.
Never since he began wielding a sword had he been so thoroughly cornered.
“Ugh…” Young Jiwi looked down at the sword in his hand.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t find a way to counter Bu Eunseol’s Heavy Sword and sword momentum. Was it because he had always walked a smooth path without a single setback? As his swordsmanship was repeatedly broken, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he panicked.
“Ah, what a pity. I should’ve trained harder,” Young Jiwi said, forcing a bitter smile as he looked at Bu Eunseol, trying to steady himself. “I haven’t been in the martial world long. Compared to other great masters, I haven’t honed my skills…”
Whoosh!
His excuses were cut off. Bu Eunseol closed the distance in an instant and aimed a strike to split Young Jiwi’s head.
“Tch!” Caught off guard, Young Jiwi hastily raised his sword.
Clang!
A clear sound rang out, and Young Jiwi’s treasured sword shattered into two pieces.
“How is this possible?” Damaging a weapon in a clash of swords was a scene typical of third-rate warriors.
Moreover, Bu Eunseol had cleaved Young Jiwi’s prized sword with a worn iron blade. This proved that the inner energy Bu Eunseol infused into his iron sword was more than double that of Young Jiwi’s.
“If you don’t want to die, return to Jeomchang Mountain,” Bu Eunseol said coldly, having broken Young Jiwi’s sword. “And train your sword and inner energy for three years. Then come back to the martial world.”
“W-What…?” Young Jiwi bit his lip at Bu Eunseol’s humiliating advice.
Young and talented though he was, compared to Bu Eunseol, he was a mere novice.
‘Ugh…’ Only now did Young Jiwi realize it painfully. The reason he had survived thus far was that he had never faced a true master in the martial world.
“You spared me… because I’m a great master?” he asked.
In the martial world, great masters were always given deference. That had always been the case, making today’s events feel even more humiliating.
But Bu Eunseol replied coldly, “I spared your life not because you’re a great master, but because you’re from Jeomchang.” Without lingering, he turned and left.
As Bu Eunseol exited the arena, Cho Mucheon shouted loudly, “The victor is Young Master Bu!”
But an eerie silence swept through the plaza. A great master, a rising star of the martial world and a pillar of the righteous sects, defeated by an unknown youth?
“Any who wish to challenge Young Master Bu, step onto the arena now!” Yet only a long silence followed.
Bu Eunseol’s movements and sword strikes surpassed those of renowned masters. There was no need to challenge a warrior radiating such overwhelming presence.
“Young Master Bu has passed the preliminaries!” At Cho Mucheon’s shout, Bu Eunseol calmly turned and left the plaza.
“Remarkable,” a shadow muttered in a low voice from a tall pavilion overlooking the arena. “Even with mastery of the Heavy Sword and sword momentum, to defeat Young Jiwi, who wields the Sun-Shooting Sword Art and Seven Severing Sword Form, in a single exchange…” The shadow’s eyes glinted in the darkness as they continued.
“Moreover, his sword strikes suggest he’s isolated and mastered martial techniques alone. That implies a separate foundation of inner energy…” An old man standing before the shadow bowed.
“Shall this old servant investigate?” The shadow shook their head. “No need. Everything will be revealed during the tournament. For now, just keep an eye on him.”
“Understood.” At the old man’s response, the shadow vanished into the darkness.
***
Bu Eunseol rested for half a day at the inn.
Not out of fatigue or exhaustion, but because he spent the entire time pondering whether to continue in the Jeongmu Tournament.
‘Too much of a coincidence.’ It wasn’t surprising that the Martial Alliance had sent a great master. A sharp blade requires a sturdy scabbard, after all. The issue was that a great master had confronted him the moment he entered the tournament, as if someone had tracked his movements.
‘Have my actions already been exposed?’ The likelihood was low.
For a year, he had operated under a false identity with the Nine Deaths Squad, and only a select few in the Demonic Sect’s leadership knew the name Bu Eunseol. Even Baek Yeon, the Peongan Corps Leader, was actively muddying information about him.
If assassination was the goal, there had been plenty of opportunities on the way to Dongpyoseorang.
‘So it’s just a string of coincidences.’ Bu Eunseol stood and shook his head. ‘I haven’t shaken off the habits of the Nine Deaths Squad.’ He had set out on this martial journey to face unexpected trials and dangers. Yet he hadn’t shed the Nine Deaths Squad’s habit of analyzing every situation and predicting risks.
“I’ll think it over after the tournament.” Leaving the inn, Bu Eunseol headed to the plaza where the Jeongmu Tournament was held.
The preliminaries were over, and a bracket of thirty-six masters had been finalized. After tomorrow’s matches, sixteen would remain.
“My next opponent…” Checking the bracket, Bu Eunseol turned without hesitation.
Late at night.
Swish.
A faint sound of footsteps came from outside the door of Bu Eunseol’s room. It was a sound even a master with keen hearing might overlook, but to Bu Eunseol, trained in the Beast Way, it was as blatant as a knock.
“Hm.” Instead of heading to the door, Bu Eunseol walked toward the window.
“Ah!” There, a black shadow was already hiding in the darkness. “Your senses are impressive,” the shadow said, rising from the darkness as Bu Eunseol spotted them instantly.
“Just that one move shows remarkable skill…” The shadow’s confident voice trailed off as Bu Eunseol drew his sword in a flash, pressing it against their throat.
“Indian Yogic Martial Arts?” Bu Eunseol asked, his eyes burning like embers.
He had clearly seen the shadow shrink their body to slip through the narrow window.
“What are you talking about?” the shadow replied.
“Answer.” A blazing light, like the sun, poured from Bu Eunseol’s eyes. “If your next words aren’t an answer but nonsense, you die.” The killing intent radiating from Bu Eunseol seemed to pierce the ceiling.
Overwhelmed by the terrifying aura, the shadow spoke in a trembling voice.
“How could someone like me learn an otherworldly technique like the Yogic Martial Arts? It’s just Muscle-Shrinking Bone-Contracting Technique.”
Staring intently at the shadow, Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“Who are you?”
“A mercenary under Dongpyoseorang.”
“I asked who you are.”
“Black… Black Leopard.”
“Black Leopard?”
“Most mercenaries under Dongpyoseorang hide their pasts and use aliases.” Bu Eunseol’s eyes glinted coldly in the darkness.
“What’s your business?”
“I… I have a request.”
Slowly lowering his sword, Bu Eunseol said in a chilling tone, “If you don’t want to die, don’t use such petty tricks again.”
Clink. As his longsword slid back into its sheath, Black Leopard felt as though his throat had been cut again. ‘I’ve never been caught before.’ Black Leopard had relied on his Muscle-Shrinking Bone-Contracting Technique, but today he painfully realized it was mere parlor tricks to a true master.
“I’ll remember that,” he said, bowing respectfully before speaking in a low voice. “I have a request. Of course, I’ll offer appropriate payment.”
“I’m not a mercenary,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“It shouldn’t be difficult for someone like you, young master.” As Black Leopard stepped closer, his face, hidden in the darkness, was revealed.
He looked about thirteen or fourteen years old. Dressed in black martial robes, he was a handsome boy whose youthful innocence hadn’t yet faded.
Staring at him, Bu Eunseol said curtly, “Speak.”
“Thank you,” Black Leopard said in a low voice. “Please kill Yeop Hwa, your opponent tomorrow.”
“What?” Bu Eunseol asked, his expression incredulous. “Do you even know who Yeop Hwa is?”
Yeop Hwa, Bu Eunseol’s opponent tomorrow, was known as the Hero Among Mercenaries. To ask him to kill a man with a title as the foremost chivalrous mercenary in the tournament?
“Of course I know. He’s been in the martial world for years and is one of the top mercenaries dominating Dongpyoseorang.”
“Why do you want him dead?”
“He’s done countless evil deeds,” Black Leopard said, clenching his fists. “Every time he ventures into the martial world, he secretly commits depraved acts, especially targeting children, without restraint.”
Bu Eunseol frowned. Though a mercenary, Yeop Hwa was treated as equal to the righteous sects’ renowned heroes. To think he was a vile predator?
“Proof?”
“There is none,” Black Leopard said, grinding his teeth. “He’s too experienced in the martial world to leave any traces. And his martial prowess is so great that no one dares investigate him.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice, “So you want me to kill someone without proof in the tournament?” Instead of answering, Black Leopard placed a small wooden box on the table and slowly opened it.
Inside were three round stones gleaming like cat’s eyes—Myoan Stones, each worth a thousand gold taels.
“This should suffice in place of proof, no?” Black Leopard said.
The old Bu Eunseol might have scoffed. But having gained experience in the martial world with the Nine Deaths Squad, he knew the immense power of money.
Money can command even spirits.
This saying held true in the martial world as well.
“With that kind of money, you could have someone killed without proof,” Bu Eunseol said.
Black Leopard’s face lit up.
“Thank you!”
“But you’ve miscalculated,” Bu Eunseol said, a cold smile on his lips as he looked at the Myoan Stones.
“To buy a person, you don’t start by offering money.”
