The Blood Demons cried out in shock as their own hidden weapons returned to them with precision.
“What kind of sword technique is that?!” Yang Myeong’s eyes widened in disbelief.
In his twenty years roaming the martial world, he had never seen a sword technique that could redirect hidden weapons.
“Dodge!” he shouted. The Blood Demons hidden in the forest swiftly moved to evade.
Thud, thud, thud!
The redirected weapons embedded themselves into the giant trees where they had been hiding. The fact that their own weapons came back to them was as if they had marked their own hiding spots.
“There you are,” Bu Eunseol muttered.
Unleashing Swift Beyond Shadow, he moved like a phantom, cutting down the hidden Blood Demons one by one.
“Argh!”
“Urk!” Each time his sword flashed through the forest, the Blood Demons’ screams echoed without fail.
In moments, five of them fell, prompting Yang Myeong to shout, “Form the array!”
Whoosh.
A fierce wind swept through the forest, the sound of rustling leaves filling the air. The Hell’s Blood Fortress’s vaunted attack formation, the Black Death Descending Chain Array, began to take shape.
“Young Master, be careful!” Black Leopard, hidden in a nearby tree, shouted urgently. “It’s the Black Death Descending Chain Array—it completely blinds its target!”
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly at the warning.
An attack formation was like multiple individuals painting a coordinated picture. But each person had different builds, strides, temperaments, and levels of martial prowess.
Having mastered the extreme Beast Way, Bu Eunseol could unfailingly detect the subtle flaws in the array’s harmony.
Shhh. As the array activated, Bu Eunseol’s vision went black.
The Black Death Descending Chain Array’s ability was to block the target’s sight and senses, neutralizing counterattacks.
“Blocking sight and senses, huh?” Bu Eunseol sneered, then began unleashing both his movement and sword techniques simultaneously.
Slash, slash, slash! He swung his sword wildly, ignoring formal techniques, as if attacking recklessly.
“Argh!” Screams erupted from all directions once more.
Yang Myeong was stunned as Bu Eunseol cut down the Blood Demons despite his seemingly haphazard swordplay.
Was his swordsmanship so extraordinary that even erratic swings held devastating power?
“You’ve never faced a true master with this, have you?” Bu Eunseol scoffed.
He was already alone within the array. Surrounded by enemies, he could swing his sword freely without hesitation. But the Blood Demons, wary of injuring their allies, couldn’t unleash their weapons or techniques freely and were limited to coordinated attacks.
“Break the array!” Yang Myeong shouted, finally realizing the formation’s weakness.
Those trapped in the Black Death Descending Chain Array should panic, yet this guy saw through its flaws instantly!
Though Yang Myeong was a skilled master, he had never commanded the entire Hell’s Blood Fortress in such a way.
Since Hell’s Blood Fortress’s rise in the martial world, had they ever deployed so many Blood Demons against a single foe? Backed by the prestige of the Ten Demonic Sects, they had never needed such tactics in their twenty years of dominance.
“Argh!” The screams continued.
Finally, as the array was dismantled, a gruesome scene came into view. Blood flowed from the spots where the Blood Demons had hidden, and their bodies littered the ground.
Over fourteen corpses in total.
In less than half a ge (about fifteen minutes), a third of the Blood Demons had fallen.
“You bastard…” Yang Myeong growled, grinding his teeth.
“Kill him!” he roared. The remaining Blood Demons, eyes gleaming, surrounded Bu Eunseol.
Each had been personally trained by Yang Myeong, mastering the Venomous Strength Demon Binding to at least the third level, making their bodies as tough as steel.
But this was Yang Myeong’s mistake.
He should have ambushed Bu Eunseol before he acquired the Black Blade.
Hum.
As Bu Eunseol infused Ban-geuk Energy into the Black Blade, a low hum accompanied a dark radiance that soared into the air. When he unleashed his sword technique, the Blood Demons were pushed back by an invisible force before the blade even touched them.
Slash, slash.
As the dark-tinted blade danced through the air, dozens—hundreds—of sword energies rained down on the Blood Demons charging forward.
“Argh!” The front-line fighters collapsed like straw, and those in the rear and flanks surrounded Bu Eunseol, unleashing their poison techniques.
As their poisonous palm strikes poured forth, a foul stench spread, and a black mist seemed to envelop the area.
“Got you!” Yang Myeong smirked triumphantly.
No matter how skilled a master, being surrounded by poisonous mist made poisoning inevitable.
Slash, slash. Whoosh! But Bu Eunseol’s sword strikes grew sharper, and his movements remained as agile as ever.
“Why… isn’t he showing signs of poisoning?” Yang Myeong muttered in disbelief.
Bu Eunseol inwardly scoffed.
Even before mastering proper internal energy techniques, he could hold his breath for over a quarter-hour while playing dead. Now, having reached the third layer of the Ban-geuk Method, he could, if he wished, fight for over an hour with a single breath.
“He’s holding his breath,” Yang Myeong realized, chuckling darkly. “Don’t bother with tricks. Our castle’s poison techniques can be absorbed through the skin.”
At that, Bu Eunseol doubled the energy he infused into the Black Blade.
“Hah!” Releasing his breath, he unleashed a powerful strike, cutting down the surrounding Blood Demons.
Then, instead of channeling his internal energy into the sword, he spread it through his body’s meridians.
Boom!
As his internal energy surged inward, a fierce gust erupted, his hair whipping in the wind.
Seeing a flash in Bu Eunseol’s eyes, Yang Myeong sensed danger and shouted, “Retreat!”
Until now, Bu Eunseol’s sword techniques had been like devastating lightning. Yang Myeong assumed that unleashing such immense internal energy would lead to an attack of tremendous power.
Drip, drip, drip. Black liquid dripped from Bu Eunseol’s left hand.
Realizing the poison had been absorbed through his skin, he immediately used his poison-neutralizing technique.
“You’d do well to speak less, Lord Yang,” Bu Eunseol said with a faint smile.
Yang Myeong’s eyes flared with venom. “Use the poison mist again!”
At his command, the Blood Demons unleashed another wave of poison techniques.
Slash!
But Bu Eunseol’s swordplay was faster. As they extended their arms, his Black Blade met them.
“Argh!” Cutting off the arms of the Blood Demons unleashing their poison, Bu Eunseol charged forward, swinging his sword at a massive tree twice the size of a man’s torso.
Slice.
With a sound like cutting through air, the tree was split horizontally, and the Blood Demons hiding within were cleaved in two.
Formless Silence
The more Bu Eunseol swung his sword with full force, the less the expected sound of slicing air emanated.
Truly worthy of being called a divine sword, he thought, marveling inwardly.
The Black Blade, forged from Supreme Dark Iron, could cut through steel like tofu. Even a light infusion of energy produced sword energy as if fully charged.
Slash, slash.
With the divine sword’s precision and his masterful technique, the Blood Demons were powerless. Veterans of the martial world fell like leaves under Bu Eunseol’s blade.
“Urk!” Some Blood Demons who barely blocked his strikes collapsed, vomiting blood, their insides shattered by the sword’s overwhelming force.
Thud, thud.
In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, all the Blood Demons hidden in the forest became ghosts.
Only then did Yang Myeong realize his grave mistake. He had underestimated Bu Eunseol’s true strength.
It’s different from the tournament.
In a life-or-death battle, Bu Eunseol unleashed ruthless killing techniques without hesitation. As he grew accustomed to countering poison techniques and poisoned warriors, his prowess surged further. Such a sudden spike in skill was unpredictable, even for Bu Eunseol himself.
“You dare!” Yang Myeong roared, his eyes bloodshot.
His decades of fame, status, and followers were shattered.
“I’ll tear you apart!” he bellowed.
Bu Eunseol silently raised the Black Blade diagonally, facing the charging Yang Myeong. He was about to unleash a sword technique befitting a master of the Ten Demonic Sects.
Seeing his bold, domineering stance, Yang Myeong felt the warrior’s spirit buried deep within him stir.
“No need for petty tricks!” he shouted.
Boom!
Unleashing the full force of his Venomous Strength Demon Binding, a dark aura surged from Yang Myeong’s body into the sky.
“Face me head-on!” With a battle cry, he leaped forward, unleashing a fierce palm wind.
His body, transformed into the embodiment of the Venomous Strength Demon Binding, barreled toward Bu Eunseol.
This was his final, ultimate technique. Staring at the incoming palm wind, Bu Eunseol swung the Black Blade in a cross shape with full force.
Supreme Heavenly Flow, Third Form.
Waning Moon, Dawn Star.
Flash!
In that moment, Yang Myeong saw countless rays of light pouring toward him. It wasn’t just a sword technique—it was a sorrowful, radiant display, like starlight fading at dawn.
“Such an unpredictable sword technique,” Yang Myeong muttered, blood trickling from his lips.
“This was my fate.” He let out a laugh.
Though ruthless by nature, he was still a master of the Ten Demonic Sects who had defined an era. Sensing his final moment, his cruelty faded, replaced by a dignified bearing.
“I didn’t misjudge your skill. I simply didn’t see the heaven-sent talent.” He walked toward Bu Eunseol, step by step.
Gush.
Dark blood poured from his mouth. Though no external wounds were visible, the immense pressure from the sword had ruptured his organs.
Yang Myeong gave a hollow smile. “Even if I had forsaken ambition and devoted myself to martial arts, I couldn’t have blocked this technique.” His expression turned oddly relieved. “I roamed the martial world for decades and, in the end, faced the greatest sword technique. I have no regrets.”
Thud.
With those words, he collapsed.
Yang Myeong, the Venomous Hand Flying Demon of Hell’s Blood Fortress, renowned for years, was no more.
Yet he, too, had lived with deep regrets. His starting point was strong, but he never reached the pinnacle. In his struggle to climb higher, he volunteered to retrieve the Yeongsasin Sword, only to meet his end at Bu Eunseol’s hands.
“Young Master,” Black Leopard said, descending from the giant tree where he had hidden. “I’ll handle the aftermath.”
“No need,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“If we leave it like this, Hell’s Blood Fortress will become your enemy,” Black Leopard warned.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed. “Hell’s Blood Fortress isn’t some third-rate faction. They struck first out of greed, so while they may hold a grudge, they won’t make an official complaint.”
“Will they really?” Black Leopard asked.
Bu Eunseol nodded. “Poisoned corpses can’t be buried carelessly anyway.”
“I have Fire Essence Stones,” Black Leopard offered. “They were sent on a mission, so Hell’s Blood Fortress is likely tracking them. They’ll find the bodies before they’re too damaged.”
Clank.
Sheathing his sword, Bu Eunseol said in a low voice, “If we burn the bodies ourselves, we might invite their blame instead.”
Black Leopard nodded in understanding but couldn’t hide his worried expression. The Lord of Hell’s Blood Fortress was the most ruthless demon in the martial world. He feared an irreconcilable feud might arise.
“Understood,” Black Leopard said, nodding.
But Bu Eunseol stood motionless, staring into the distance. Puzzled, Black Leopard opened his mouth to speak when—
“Come out,” Bu Eunseol said in a low voice, gazing into the dark void.
“Keep hiding, and I’ll consider you an enemy.”
Another third rate villain