The man’s eyes flew open in shock.
Not only had the young man broken the Shadowless Grand Expansion Technique in a single blow, but he had even countered the Earth Escape Technique? Could it be that this youngster had surpassed the limits of the Supreme Heavenly Realm, just as he had?
‘I cannot believe this!’
Swa-swa-shwa!
The man moved his hands in a dizzying blur once more, unleashing his palm force. Skeletal shapes bloomed erratically in the air, coiling around Bu Eunseol’s body. It was the Ghost Bone Blood Hand, one of the ultimate techniques of the Yin-Dark Blood Staff.
Tremble.
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s fists quivered fine, scattering cloud-like shockwaves in all directions.
Shoosh! Shoosh!
Countless pure white meteors erupted from within the shockwaves, beginning to erase the shadows of the Ghost Bone Blood Hand. It was the secret technique of the Second Form of the Seven Heavenly Light Forms: Meteor Falling Through Clouds.
Kwarung, kwajijijik!
As the Seven Heavenly Light Forms and the Ghost Bone Blood Hand clashed incessantly, waves of true qi spread outward, and the shadows of the two men flickered within the chaos.
The man utilized the martial arts of the unorthodox Factions with total freedom, while Bu Eunseol unleashed a fist technique that was natural and unhindered, unbound by the formal forms of the Seven Heavenly Light Forms.
From a distance, it looked like a battle between a celestial god descended from the heavens and a demon erupting from the earth.
However, an anomaly occurred.
The momentum of Bu Eunseol, who had been pressing the man until just moments ago, began to weaken noticeably.
The Seven Heavenly Light Forms had been created only recently; this was the first time they were being used in actual combat. Consequently, he could not keep up with the martial maneuvers of the man, who had spent a lifetime freely wielding the techniques of various sects.
—Grrrr! Ka-at!
A thunderous roar echoed continuously from afar. Meanwhile, the clash between the Martial Soul Society forces and the fake Demonic Calamity Beasts was growing fierce. The warriors of the Martial Soul Society fought them in perfect formation, but the demonic creatures were regenerating endlessly, just as the man had boasted.
‘So, was that initial momentum all he had?’
Watching the tide of battle, the man curled his lips into a smirk.
‘They will be annihilated soon.’
Bu Eunseol’s fist technique was strange and powerful, but his execution of the movements was clumsy at best. In contrast, the man was the strongest Heavenly Lord of the Eight Human Heavens, having reached the pinnacle of both martial arts and sorcery. Even those called grandmasters or powerhouses who supposedly held the world in their palms had always ended up decapitated by his hand.
Even if this fellow, Seolso, used the martial arts of Great Natural Qi, he would ultimately suffer the same fate as those who had fallen beneath the man’s feet.
“Aside from using Great Natural Qi, you are nothing special.”
The man had no idea that Bu Eunseol had created the Seven Heavenly Light Forms and was performing them for the first time. He simply thought the man was using a martial art full of openings despite its imposing aura.
“I shall take your head within three moves.”
The man unleashed the Eight Directions of Blood War, a movement from the Ghost Bone Blood Hand. Instantly, a streak of red radiance swept through the space of ten zhang around Bu Eunseol, and sharp hand-astral energy began to swirl chaotically.
But how could he have known? Bu Eunseol was maintaining a leisurely and stable posture… because he was using the man as practice for the Seven Heavenly Light Forms.
Pat!
Before long, a sharp fist force began to graze the man’s face. Clearly, it hadn’t been a threat just a moment ago, yet in that short span, it had become far more sophisticated and powerful.
‘This brat?’
The man was greatly shocked. Led by the Nangyang Pavilion, the progenitor of practical martial arts, a few sects possessed the secret to absorbing the subtle principles of an opponent’s martial arts during combat. However, he had never seen anyone who increased their martial prowess during a fight like this.
“So, your martial arts are a step above, then.”
Pat.
Retreating, the man looked down at his hands. He had no choice but to admit it: this man’s martial arts surpassed his own.
“In the end, you force me to use even my own ultimate reserves.”
After chanting a bizarre mantra, he suddenly spoke in a low voice.
“From now on, every attack you unleash shall return to your own body.”
Something unbelievable happened right before his eyes.
Kwa-ung, pu-puk!
Indeed, every fist strike Bu Eunseol poured out returned to strike his own body.
‘This shouldn’t be possible.’
Bu Eunseol used his movement technique to soar into the air in an instant. He then unleashed the Meteor Falling Through Clouds form once more, firing a massive fist force at the man.
Kwang.
But with a booming sound, it was Bu Eunseol himself who crashed to the ground. Just as the man had said, every attack was returning to him.
“It is too early to be surprised.”
The man chanted another mantra and smirked.
“From now on, you shall be unable to use internal energy when performing movement techniques.”
Whoosh.
As soon as those words were spoken, the strength in Bu Eunseol’s legs gave way. His internal power was not flowing properly to his lower body.
To be able to restrict an enemy’s martial arts and strength with a single word? Such an ability was a god-like power that no human should be able to exert.
“Do you sense the greatness of this Heavenly Lord now?”
The man wore a look of ridicule.
Step.
He pointed a finger at Bu Eunseol, who was breathing heavily.
“It was quite enjoyable, but let us end this now.”
Giiiing.
A massive power, seemingly capable of snuffing out any living thing in an instant, gathered at his fingertip.
“The supreme ability of this Heavenly Lord is to bestow absolute death upon the enemy.”
“…….”
“My words become law, and they can never be avoided.”
Flash!
Suddenly, Bu Eunseol’s eyes glowed with a yellowish light.
He had simultaneously activated the Nangyang Heart Eye, which could analyze any martial principle in an instant, and the Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra, which allowed him to grasp the flow of an enemy’s true qi.
Giiiing.
However, an unexpected situation occurred. It wasn’t just the Nangyang Heart Eye or the Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra; his right eye began to grow hot, and the mysterious energy he had obtained previously in the Ancient Sword Forest began to manifest.
Kooo-ong, kung-kung-kung-kung.
At that moment, Bu Eunseol felt the man’s heartbeat slow down extremely before accelerating explosively.
Zing.
Due to the heat rising from his eye, Bu Eunseol not only captured how the man’s pupils became transparent like glass and his gaze sank into darkness, but he also perceived how the man’s blood vessels abnormally contracted and expanded repeatedly, and how his skin texture became as smooth as glass.
‘As I thought.’
The corners of Bu Eunseol’s mouth turned up. He had seen through the trick the man was using.
“Now, the power from my fingertip shall pierce the space between your brows.”
The man spoke solemnly, as if pronouncing a verdict.
“If you attack, you die. If you give up the fight, you die. If you flee in fear… you die.”
He was boasting as if he were a prophet. Whether Bu Eunseol counterattacked, fled, or struggled in any way, the power condensed at his fingertip would pierce his brow.
Yet, Bu Eunseol looked down at him with an unbothered expression. Having already seen through the man’s method, he didn’t care what the man babbled.
‘There was a reason he was so talkative.’
Zing.
A mysterious light spread from Bu Eunseol’s body, and a transparent mist flowed out. He had exerted all his internal power to create a massive astral barrier in all directions.
“A futile trick.”
The man immediately flicked his finger. But then, something strange happened. Cracks appeared on the finger that held the power destined to pierce Bu Eunseol’s brow.
Pushoot.
The fingernail popped off, and blood began to spray out.
“What happened?!”
At the man’s words, Bu Eunseol replied calmly.
“In the end, the difference between the Divine Heavens and the Human Heavens was ‘Dominance.’”
Instantly, the man’s face turned ashen. He couldn’t understand it. He had merely stated the law that ‘whether you act or do not act, you die.’ How could this man have grasped his power, which no one else knew, and found the clue to destroy it?
“You shouldn’t have spewed that nonsense about creating the Demonic Calamity Beasts.”
Bu Eunseol said calmly.
“Whether those things are illusions or something else, if you could truly create and command an infinite number of demonic creatures of that scale, you could have swallowed this Society alone without lifting a finger.”
“…….”
“But you went out of your way to appear and show that you could create such an army.”
—Grrrr! Ka-at!
From afar, the roars of the demonic creatures echoed once more. Turning his head to look at the battlefield where the Martial Soul Society and the Demonic Calamity Beasts clashed, Bu Eunseol clicked his tongue.
“And those Demonic Calamity Beasts are constantly letting out roars.”
He smiled and continued.
“Those roars are a type of Sound Technique intended to confuse the listener’s brain… In reality, there aren’t tens of thousands of them; there are probably only about a hundred.”
Glancing at the distant sky, Bu Eunseol continued to intentionally stall for time.
“The second thing is that you defeated the Four Great Corps Leaders of this Society with a single Shadowless Grand Expansion Technique.”
The Four Great Corps Leaders, including Nae Bihon, had undergone breakthrough after breakthrough, and their martial arts level had risen far beyond what was known in the martial world.
To face them all at once and strike them down with a mere Shadowless Grand Expansion Technique?
Even if the Demon Emperor himself had performed it, it could never show such power.
In other words, Bu Eunseol guessed that the man had secretly unleashed a supernatural power to bind their minds or bodies.
Tremble.
The man’s eyes were full of disbelief. Of course, even for one of the Eight Human Heavens, it was impossible to solely create and command tens of thousands of demonic creatures that resurrected through fear. However, because the transcendental title of ‘True Demon kin’ was always attached to them, no one in the martial world ever doubted these abilities.
But how could he have grasped everything through a single statement and the flaws of the Demonic Calamity Beasts? How could he have seen through the power of the Divine Heaven, ‘Dominance,’ which no martial artist until now had ever identified?
Looking at the frozen man, Bu Eunseol smirked.
‘He’s surprised.’
Actually, even he couldn’t have grasped the power of the Divine Heaven fully. However, a certain fact had suddenly occurred to him.
‘The Dark God Heavenly Lord. He also possessed the Black Gods, which regenerated infinitely.’
The crows that not only regenerated infinitely but also absorbed the enemy’s power. By maintaining a certain formation, they exerted a function similar to a formation, and by stimulating the brain with the flapping of their wings and their cries, they showed illusions no less than a mental world.
Because of that, Bu Eunseol had almost died, unable to even resist the Black Gods commanded by the Dark God Heavenly Lord.
And yet, the man was also commanding creatures called Demonic Calamity Beasts that roared incessantly and regenerated infinitely? And he led an even larger army than the Black Gods? From the start, it didn’t make sense. It would have been hard to figure out if he hadn’t unleashed that Lion’s Roar.
The most decisive clue was his own Lion’s Roar.
—Command the corps leaders in my stead and stop those monsters!
To give orders to Dam Yuyeon, Bu Eunseol had infused his internal energy to spread his voice loudly. Because his internal power was so great, his voice shook this entire area, and even the bizarre roars of the Demonic Calamity Beasts were momentarily drowned out. At that moment, Bu Eunseol saw an illusion where their forms seemed to change faintly… and he realized everything.
‘Dominance.’
The Martial God Heavenly Lord dominated a ‘Phase’ to completely nullify the enemy’s pouring attacks. The Dark God Heavenly Lord used the ‘Black Gods’ to dominate the enemy’s brain through the vibrations of the crows’ wings. And the man, who claimed he would become the Destruction God Heavenly Lord, was dominating the enemy’s ‘Body’ through the roars of those fake Demonic Calamity Beasts and his own voice—his Spirit Words.
“In the end, it means that without the roars of those Demonic Calamity Beasts, you cannot exert the ability to interfere with the body.”
As expected, his theory was correct. When the sound was blocked, the man’s mysterious ability vanished, and the Seven Heavenly Light Forms immediately struck his body.
“…….”
The man, who had been talkative all along, fell silent for the first time. He had defeated many powerful enemies, but never had his abilities been seen through so easily.
“Star-Breaker.”
Finally, as if realizing something, the man spoke.
“Were you the disciple of the Demon Emperor?”
The power to pierce the enemy’s soul and instantly grasp all attributes and flaws of a technique—that could only be the Infinite Reversal Power of the Demon Emperor: Star-Breaker.
“What do you mean, Star-Breaker?”
When Bu Eunseol snorted, the man said something strange.
“So the hidden disciple was you.”
‘Hidden disciple?’
As Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed, the man smirked.
“Star-Breaker pretends to be an Infinite Reversal Power, but in reality, it is a completely different power.”
It was a strange thing to say. Star-Breaker was widely known in the martial world as the Infinite Reversal Power of the Demon Emperor. To say it was a completely different power…
‘The Star-Breaker known as the Demon Emperor’s Infinite Reversal Power is actually a supernatural power, and he has a hidden disciple?’
Bu Eunseol felt confused by this sudden information. And the man did not miss that opening.
“Regardless, the fact that you will die remains unchanged!”
With that shout, a pitch-black light flowed from the man’s body.
Kwa-ooo!
As the black radiance spread in all directions, the sky began to darken. Simultaneously, from the distant sky, a black dragon began to slowly descend toward the earth.
“The Soul Demon Dharma Treasure cannot be blocked by any martial art!”
The man’s voice echoed, distorted as if time had slowed down. Because the Soul Demon Dharma Treasure also possessed transcendental destructive power like an Infinite Reversal Power, it was affecting space and time.
Tremble.
The space around them, including Bu Eunseol, began to waver as if they were underwater. Just as he had boasted, no one could resist that force once exposed to the Soul Demon Dharma Treasure.
“Die…!”
Thud.
The man, who was about to unleash a decisive strike with a shout, suddenly fell to his knees.
Pshhhh.
Starting from the index finger where the nail had shattered, spider-web-like cracks were slowly spreading across his body.
“How?”
The man could not understand this situation. How could the man move his body even while covered by the binding force created by the Soul Demon Dharma Treasure?
“I didn’t just break your fingernail.”
Only then did the realization hit the man, and he bit his lip.
“You already destroyed my body with Great Natural Qi.”
Pshhhh.
His body collapsed instantly, crumbling like sand. The reason the man’s fingernail had shattered earlier was that he had been struck by the Sixth Movement of the Seven Heavenly Light Forms: Infinite Light Extension.
Like light spreading endlessly, the Crystal Divine Qi had sliced his skin, the Wind-Cloud Divine Qi had torn his muscles, and finally, the Thunder Spirit Energy had crushed his bones. However, because the energy was so natural, he hadn’t properly felt that catastrophic power destroying his body until it was too late.
“You monster….”
Thump.
Kneeling, the man breathed his last.
‘It all feels like destiny.’
Even though his prowess had increased recently, he couldn’t have defeated a master like the man—a candidate for the Destruction God Heavenly Lord—this easily.
‘As if it were someone’s arrangement.’
He had fought fiercely with the Dark God Heavenly Lord, who had appeared somewhat out of the blue before. Because of that, he was able to easily grasp the man’s power and weaknesses. If that battle hadn’t happened? He certainly wouldn’t have defeated the man so easily. In other words, the events he thought were random were actually all tightly connected like a spiderweb.
Srrr.
Suddenly, the man’s corpse turned to powder.
Fwoosh.
It scattered in all directions on the wind, as if leaving the world without any lingering regrets.
Simultaneously, the Demonic Calamity Beasts that had surrounded the Martial Soul Society also turned to powder and scattered. Since they were beings created by the man’s ‘Dominance,’ they vanished along with his death.
Zing.
As even the Demonic Calamity Beasts disappeared, the heavy air grew light, and the world appeared more vivid.
“In the end, have even the True Demon kin become buried in a single power, just like Infinite Reversal Power?”
Infinite Reversal Power.
It was something only a master who had reached the peak of martial arts could unleash, allowing them to exert transcendental power beyond human physical limits.
However, Bu Eunseol had sensed from the start that the Limitless Realm and Infinite Reversal Power could become shackles to progress. He simply couldn’t understand why someone who had reached the peak of martial arts would gain enlightenment only to become buried in a single type of power.
—If one is proficient in one thing, they can see through the principles of other fields.
A skilled cook handles unfamiliar ingredients with ease. A great tailor works well with unfamiliar fabrics. One who is proficient in sword techniques handles all short weapons well, and a great archer quickly masters hidden weapon techniques. It made no sense that one could only handle a single Infinite Reversal Power even after reaching the peak of a martial field.
The man was a clear example of that weakness.
Sorcery, Dominance, Soul Demon Dharma Treasure.
He was so buried in his own mighty power that he failed to clearly perceive the enemy’s methods.
Of course, this was only possible for Bu Eunseol who possessed the outstanding insight to read a mind through subtle facial expressions and the ability to overturn a situation with a single flaw by endlessly studying the principles of martial arts.
Flutter.
Bu Eunseol used his movement technique to return to where the Four Great Corps were located. The warriors of the Martial Soul Society, seeing him return safely and the Demonic Calamity Beasts vanish, let out a cheer of victory.
—Waaaah!
However, the expressions of the Corps Leaders were not good.
—To think it was only one of the Eight Human Heavens.
A single Heavenly Lord of the Eight Human Heavens had been more than enough to face the entire Martial Soul Society. What if two of the Eight Human Heavens had come? Or what if a being with even greater power had arrived?
This battle would have been a loss.
“That is why the completion of the Heart Mirror Technique is necessary.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly to the Corps Leaders.
“If you complete it, you can at least defend against the attacks of the ultra-powerful.”
The Corps Leaders nodded with embarrassed expressions. They finally realized why Bu Eunseol had urged them so strongly to master the Heart Mirror Technique.
“I am sorry.”
The quick-witted Dae Guhwi apologized first on behalf of the Corps Leaders.
“If we had listened to the Society Leader’s words sooner, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“There is no need to apologize. That pride and passion for martial arts are what allowed the warriors to grow this much.”
He then added in a low voice.
“Furthermore, it only exerts a great effect when unleashed by a warrior trained to a certain level, so your training thus far cannot be called wasted.”
At those words, Dae Guhwi grinned widely.
“I will work really hard from now on.”
“From now on…”
Bu Eunseol looked at the distant sky with a look of regret.
“If such an opportunity comes, that is.”
“Pardon?”
He had created the Martial Soul Society, but he tried not to use his authority as the leader as much as possible. This was because he wanted the Martial Soul Society to be a home and, as much as possible, a place of rest for everyone. However, because of that, Bu Eunseol had made a small miscalculation. He had thought he could protect the Martial Soul Society even without the Heart Mirror Technique.
“I hoped their existence would be revealed to the whole world, but in the end, I will be the only one to see it again.”
“What does that mean…”
Just as Dae Guhwi was wearing a dazed expression,
Kwang!
Something like a meteor, accompanied by a pure white light from the distant sky, fell toward Bu Eunseol’s head.
Zing!
Unleashing the power of the Endless Heavenly Light Art, Bu Eunseol reached his hand above his head, and a large hemispherical astral barrier was created in the air.
Kukukuku.
As the astral barrier and the meteor collided, the ground vibrated, and stones lying on the floor began to rise slowly into the air.
It was a massive force, the likes of which had never been seen before.
Simultaneously, the Martial Soul Society troops that had been around Bu Eunseol had all disappeared.
Phase, and Absolute Boundary.
Before anyone knew it, a mental world and a transcendental formation had been deployed around Bu Eunseol at the same time.
Zing.
When the Absolute Boundary was finally complete, an auspicious light shone from the distant sky, and a man in white robes slowly descended. His aura and atmosphere were like those of an immortal descended from heaven. His features were as handsome as a sculpture, but his gaze was extremely arrogant, carrying an atmosphere that seemed to look down on everyone.
‘Baekri Family.’
His heart throbbed as if it would burst. The reason he had been stalling for time until he had a bitter taste in his mouth. Finally, the kin of the Baekri Family he had been waiting for had appeared.
