Paaaaang!
The Profound Sound Elder unleashed an explosive movement technique, rapidly closing in on the retreating Bu Eunseol.
Swish, swish.
In response, Bu Eunseol was executing a bizarre movement technique—retreating while maintaining a fixed gaze on the Profound Sound Elder’s face. In an instant, their close-quarters combat had transitioned into a battle of footwork.
“Hyaaaaaa!”
Bu Eunseol’s polite words reached him as nothing but mockery and contempt; every single word acted as a detonator for the old man’s explosive temper.
The Profound Sound Elder’s veil had already been torn to shreds by his own hands and lay discarded at his feet. His eyes had rolled back, leaving only the eerie white sclera flashing, his pupils long vanished into the depths of his fury.
From his constantly flaring nostrils came the heavy, rhythmic sound of a blacksmith’s bellows.
“Die!”
With a thunderous roar that seemed impossible for a human, the Profound Sound Elder’s form shot forward like an arrow.
He no longer resembled a venerable elder of the martial world or a high-ranking official of the Martial Alliance.
He was simply a mad rhinoceros, blood rushing to his head, charging blindly toward his target with the intent to crush everything in his path.
Thump, thump.
The sound of his footsteps shaking the earth echoed like the sound of his reason collapsing one step at a time.
“You truly live up to your reputation as a master of the previous generation.”
Watching this absurd yet terrifying spectacle, Bu Eunseol sent constant looks of admiration and gave a thumbs-up even while maintaining his high-speed movement technique.
“Your internal power is magnificent!”
It was a sincere sentiment. Because Jwa Jacheong had remained secluded within the Martial Alliance for fifty years, he simply hadn’t gained great fame; in terms of sheer skill, he had long ago reached a level that surpassed the martial prowess of the Seven Kings of the Death Gods.
Zip.
Conversely, the speed of Bu Eunseol’s movement technique was suddenly slowing down.
Bu Eunseol’s specialized technique was the Swift Beyond Shadow, but he had only learned a few orthodox techniques for the sake of general knowledge. Using orthodox footwork, he couldn’t outrun the Profound Sound Elder; using Swift Beyond Shadow, the technique wouldn’t function at full capacity due to his current state.
Consequently, the distance between him and the Profound Sound Elder was gradually closing.
‘Hall Master Jwa’s mastery of footwork is remarkable.’
Furthermore, due to being struck by the Primordial Void Light Blade, his killing intent had diminished significantly, and his spirit had become infinitely upright. Because of this, even within his mind, the mannerisms of a renowned orthodox hero were flowing out rather than his original speech patterns.
Grin.
Though the Profound Sound Elder charged with murderous intent, a warm and gentle smile remained fixed on Bu Eunseol’s lips. That smile possessed enough destructive power to completely upend the inner peace of the Profound Sound Elder, who had maintained solemnity for a hundred years while tempering his power.
“How dare you act so relaxed before this old man!”
Soaring with a ferocity never seen before, the Profound Sound Elder seized the opportunity as Bu Eunseol’s speed slowed.
Swoosh!
He closed the distance and poured out an assault. Yet, even if his speed had decreased, the profound logic of the Swift Beyond Shadow—which allowed one to change directions ninety-nine times in a single breath—had not vanished.
Flick, flick, flick.
As Bu Eunseol avoided the attacks by creating dozens of afterimages in the air, the Profound Sound Elder finally recognized the nature of his movement technique.
“You… that is Gowol’s Swift Beyond Shadow!”
Gowol was a grandmaster of movement arts.
During the time Jwa Jacheong was active, Gowol was working as a fresh, young ‘God of Thieves.’
To catch Gowol, who made a habit of stealing only the treasures of orthodox sects, the Profound Sound Elder had set traps and tracked him multiple times back then.
However, every time, he failed to keep up with Gowol’s miraculous footwork and eventually lost him.
To think this bland, infuriating brat had mastered that very technique!
“Fine! Today I shall strike you dead, and then I will find and kill that rogue Gowol who fled to the Nangyang Pavilion!”
“My, how can an elder of the martial world speak such harsh words?”
Bu Eunseol never stopped moving, and he never let his mouth rest for a single second.
“Furthermore, Master Gowol no longer concerns himself with the affairs of the secular world. Even if your paths differ… are you truly announcing an intent to murder a retired martial artist? Is that truly the code of the Martial Alliance, which raises the banner of protecting the martial world and the weak…?”
“Ugh!”
The Profound Sound Elder cast aside his dignity and let out a groan. He felt an excruciating pain as if blood were about to pour from his ears.
“Shut that mouth!” the Profound Sound Elder bellowed. “Stop wagging that tongue!”
Bu Eunseol’s incessant chattering was not mere noise. Every single word tore Jwa Jacheong’s composure to shreds and tossed his spirit like a stormy wave.
Unlike the Demon Emperor who pierced and destroyed everything with a single word, Bu Eunseol was shattering the enemy’s spirit and paralyzing their body with an endless stream of chatter.
Gag.
While pouring out his attacks, the Profound Sound Elder eventually spat out a clump of blood.
‘Has this brat reached a realm where he can attack the spirit with his tongue?’
Terror flickered in the Profound Sound Elder’s eyes. Only then did his vanished reason return, and a chill ran down his spine.
‘If so, he is a genius who surpasses the Righteous and Demonic Twin Emperors.’
Back when he was active, there was no martial artist who surpassed the Supreme Heavenly Realm at such a young age.
Even the Twin Emperors, who shocked the world, only manifested the Limitless Realm once they reached their thirties.
But this green youth had transcended generations, not only competing with him on equal footing but reaching a realm where he could damage the spirit with mere words?
The Profound Sound Elder came to a halt.
“Is your master Ak Muryeong, the Human Demon?”
“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”
“Answer me!”
As if he had no choice, Bu Eunseol clasped his hands, looked at the distant sky, and spoke clearly.
“The Pavilion Lord and several seniors of my sect looked upon me with favor, allowing me to master various martial arts.”
“You have mastered diverse arts?”
“That is correct.”
“What did you learn?”
“That would be a very long story.”
Sizzle.
The Profound Sound Elder felt like he was going to lose his mind, but he barely suppressed his anger and shouted, “Then tell it briefly!”
“There were many masters and many enlightenments.”
“Do you dare mock this Hall Master?”
“Hall Master Jwa, you are pushing this Command Lord into a corner too much.”
Bu Eunseol said leisurely, “Even if there is a difference in our seniority, we are currently confronting each other at the crossroads of demonic and orthodox. How can you ask me to reveal my entire foundation in a few words?”
He then clasped his hands and gave a polite bow.
“Surely, that would be a difficult request to grant.”
It was infuriating, but it was logical. Having nothing to say, the Profound Sound Elder fell silent.
‘Though his personality is eccentric, he is not stained by evil.’
Watching him, Bu Eunseol sighed inwardly.
‘He doesn’t belong to the abyss forces after all.’
It was clear that the Profound Sound Elder was not part of the Abyss; he had truly lived in pure seclusion within the Martial Alliance and had come out for some specific matter. If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t be so ignorant of Bu Eunseol’s martial level, nor would he behave this way.
“Since entering the martial world, this Command Lord has only seen hypocritical orthodox men who have taken refuge in the arms of all sorts of hideous forces.”
Words that Bu Eunseol would never normally say flowed from his mouth.
“But seeing Hall Master Jwa’s actions—which retain the typical stubbornness of the previous generation of orthodox masters—it makes my heart feel warm.”
Those were Bu Eunseol’s sincere feelings, but…
Tremble.
The Profound Sound Elder felt a surge of uncontrollable rage so intense he even felt dizzy.
Had he ever been this angry in his life? No, had there ever been such a loathsome and talkative demonic practitioner in the world?
To be mocked in every possible way by such a young brat…
“I see.”
As his reason snapped completely, a corner of his mind actually seemed to find peace. Taking a deep breath, the Profound Sound Elder suddenly manifested a Primordial Void Light Blade in his right hand as well.
The Light Blades on both hands merged.
Zing!
The sharp light transformed into a circular shape and began to gather as if to swallow all the light in the world.
Vroooom.
Dark blue veins of qi were sucked into the center of the circular Light Blade. Before long, a sphere was created in his hands, glowing with a deep blue light and containing a world-shattering energy capable of destroying everything.
He was about to unleash the supreme ultimate technique of the Primordial Void Light Blade: The Single Cycle of Striking Light.
“This old man has lived too long.”
The Profound Sound Elder stared at Bu Eunseol with blue light flashing in his eyes. “I have lived far too long to witness such a foul sight.”
Believing that Bu Eunseol was mocking him to the very end, he was unable to suppress his fury and intended to fight a life-or-death duel using his supreme technique.
‘I cannot avoid it.’
Seeing the shape of the sphere, Bu Eunseol realized that the logic of the Hand-Controlled Sword was embedded in the Single Cycle of Striking Light, meaning it was a technique that would pursue the enemy to the end.
‘It is a form that can never be blocked unless destroyed with equal force.’
In that moment, a deep green light reflected in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
‘I must stop it before it is unleashed.’
Until now, at least in battle, Bu Eunseol had completely discarded Orthodox, Demonic, purpose, and revenge. He simply did his best without calculating gains or losses. But now was different.
‘This rage-filled old man has not joined hands with the abyss forces…’
Looking at the long term, it would be advantageous for such a person to remain alive. Due to the change in his upright spirit, he sought to avoid a life-or-death struggle with the Profound Sound Elder.
‘I will turn that move into nothingness.’
What made that possible was poison. The Profound Sound Elder had profound internal strength and could withstand the toxins of the poisonous land, but he had not reached the realm of the Poison Pinnacle Master like Bu Eunseol, who could absorb ten thousand poisons or create new ones.
Whirrrr.
As he began to suck in the surrounding toxic qi, the green light in Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew even deeper.
“Futile tricks!”
Feeling the crisis as the color of Bu Eunseol’s eyes changed and a mysterious wind began to blow from his body, the Profound Sound Elder immediately deployed the Single Cycle of Striking Light.
Kwooom!
The sphere, launched at the speed of light, dug toward Bu Eunseol’s face in an instant.
Flash!
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s body turned into a black mist and vanished.
What the Profound Sound Elder had attacked was an illusion created by the toxins Bu Eunseol had been absorbing.
Whish!
Simultaneously, a black shadow appeared behind the Profound Sound Elder’s back.
“Hmph.”
But as if expecting such a move, the Profound Sound Elder gave a snort and—
Kwooom!
He unleashed the Single Cycle of Striking Light behind him once more. Sensing that Bu Eunseol was playing bizarre tricks, he had divided the power of the Single Cycle into each hand.
However, the unexpected happened.
Whish!
The Bu Eunseol that appeared behind him also became an illusion and dispersed into mist!
Thwack!
At the same moment, Bu Eunseol’s shadow suddenly appeared from the side and delivered a light palm strike to the Profound Sound Elder.
Pow!
The Profound Sound Elder turned his body quickly, but he ended up taking the palm force to his shoulder. Yet, like a veteran of a hundred battles, the moment he was hit, he also struck Bu Eunseol’s shoulder with the Heavenly Universe Palm Force.
Bang!
Bu Eunseol and the Profound Sound Elder were simultaneously pushed back a step.
Twitch.
The corner of the Profound Sound Elder’s mouth twisted as he stared silently at Bu Eunseol. The left palm he had used to strike Bu Eunseol’s shoulder was stained black.
“This old man is immune to ten thousand poisons…”
“Doesn’t ‘immune’ simply mean that if one is eventually invaded, one becomes poisoned?”
If internal strength is profound, poison cannot invade.
This is called ‘Immunity to Ten Thousand Poisons’ for convenience, but it doesn’t mean that if poison is actually injected, it cannot harm the body.
In the past, even Bu Eunseol, whose internal power exceeded nine jia, was eventually unable to detoxify the poison of the Obsidian Flood Dragon and became infected. If he hadn’t drunk the dragon’s essence blood, he too would have become a handful of bloody water.
‘Immunity to Ten Thousand Poisons’ was also a term born from martial artists looking down on the toxins of those who practiced poison arts.
“Poison Pinnacle Master…”
The Profound Sound Elder’s mouth hung open.
Only then did he realize that Bu Eunseol had reached the highest realm of a poison practitioner.
Trickle.
Eventually, a thread of blood leaked from his lips. No matter how much he surged his power, the poison would not be neutralized; on the contrary, his power was being lost due to the lethal toxin.
If time continued like this? No matter how profound his internal strength, he would not escape being poisoned. If that happened, he would be left with nothing but death at Bu Eunseol’s hands.
“Surely this much fighting is enough?”
Whish.
As Bu Eunseol extended his left hand, the lethal poison in the Profound Sound Elder’s body vanished instantly.
“They are quite vicious toxins, so even if the main poison is removed, lingering effects will remain.”
Words completely different from his inner thoughts flowed from Bu Eunseol’s mouth.
“If you do not detoxify quickly, the internal power you have built over a lifetime will collapse.”
Spreading his arms, he said politely, “How about we end it here for today?”
“Smooth-tongued, aren’t you.”
Zing.
Blue light flowed from the Profound Sound Elder’s eyes beneath the bamboo hat. “Does this Hall Master have to end it just because you say so?”
Thud.
The Profound Sound Elder suddenly opened his right palm and gripped the two acupoints—the Waiguan and Neiguan—on his left wrist.
Paaaa!
At that moment, blue energy flowed from his entire body. Since he couldn’t immediately burn away the lingering toxins even with his profound internal strength, he had forced the Primordial Void Light Blade into his own body.
Ssssss!
As the energy of the Light Blade, which cuts through everything, pierced through all his acupoints, the toxic qi that had seeped into his body vanished instantly. This was the ultimate technique that achieved extreme radiance by accepting the power of the Light Blade into the body: Spirit Gathering, Body Incineration.
“Must you go this far?”
Bu Eunseol wore a look of pity. Such a technique was only possible by using one’s primordial true qi.
“If I don’t do this, you won’t die, will you!”
Bellowing a roar, the Profound Sound Elder thrust his hands forward.
Flash!
From his palms, a sphere that seemed to condense light was formed, and soon intense waves and sword qi covered Bu Eunseol’s body. He had unleashed the final ultimate move of the Namhwa Cloud Sword: Condensed Radiance Shaking the Heavens.
‘This is…’
A flash glinted in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
The brilliant waves and sword qi were feints; the true strike was the sharp sword qi piercing toward the space between his eyebrows.
Bu Eunseol tried to unfold the Swift Beyond Shadow to avoid the blue radiance, but he couldn’t move his body. The power of the Light Blade that had seeped into his body earlier had once again made his movements sluggish.
Like a master of the previous generation, the Profound Sound Elder had unleashed an extremely meticulous and unavoidable ultimate move.
Trickle.
Even before the sword qi reached him, red blood flowed from the bridge of Bu Eunseol’s nose due to the pressure. And just as his forehead was about to be pierced—
Vrooom.
Suddenly, the sword qi that was piercing sharply stopped in mid-air. No, it seemed to stop in mid-air. Simultaneously, a pure white energy flowed from Bu Eunseol’s body, making the speed of the sword qi extremely slow, as if time had stopped.
Rattle.
In that instant, countless memories flashed rapidly through Bu Eunseol’s mind. Among them, he clearly saw the figure of his father, Baekri Muha.
—Geomha.
His father’s kind voice could be heard from somewhere.
—You must always be careful when drawing upon the power of a personality stored in your subconscious.
Before he knew it, that voice became a massive resonance piercing through his mind.
—If you cannot control it, you will eventually lose your sense of self.
Boom!
The attacking the Profound Sound Elder eventually passed through Bu Eunseol’s body and collided with a giant tree on the opposite side.
When he briefly recalled the memory of his father, his body had turned transparent for a moment, and the Profound Sound Elder’s sword qi had passed through him as if passing through a ghost.
Crumble.
From between the fallen trees, the Profound Sound Elder slowly picked himself up. “You must have learned sorcery, as expected of a seed of the Demonic Path.”
When one’s martial level rises, the rotation of the brain becomes several times faster than that of a normal human, allowing one to use time more extensively.
But to control the flow of time and power at will like this was not only against the logic of martial arts but also against the laws of nature.
The Profound Sound Elder was convinced that Bu Eunseol had performed a bizarre sorcery.
‘Is this a side effect gained in exchange for recovering new memories?’
Bu Eunseol’s mind became complicated.
Even he himself didn’t realize how he had avoided the attack just now. Furthermore, his spirit was becoming infinitely upright. If the battle continued like this, his personality might change completely.
“It doesn’t matter what sorcery you use.”
The radiance in the Profound Sound Elder’s eyes began to rise like mist. He was still hiding a secret technique.
“Hall Master Jwa.” Bu Eunseol sighed. “Must we truly fight to the death?”
“What nonsense is this?”
Intense killing intent exploded from the Profound Sound Elder’s eyes. “Are you still thinking of wagging your tongue even now?”
In contrast to the quiet and calm Bu Eunseol, sharp killing intent soared from the Profound Sound Elder’s body. That intent was so intense it could shatter a falling leaf just by it passing by. It was as if the roles of Demonic and Orthodox had been reversed.
“I shall cut you down in a single stroke.”
Despite believing that Bu Eunseol had mastered sorcery that surpassed martial logic, he showed confidence that he could crush it. He was clearly hiding a trump card.
“Wait.” Bu Eunseol extended a hand and spoke clearly. “Then let us do this.”
Contrary to his complicated thoughts, his expression was infinitely upright and relaxed. “If that is Hall Master Jwa’s wish, then show me your secret technique. I shall not resist at all.”
“What?”
‘What?’
In that moment, the Profound Sound Elder’s answer and Bu Eunseol’s inner thought were identical. Originally, he had intended to say, ‘Fine. Let’s see who’s better.’ But didn’t completely different words flow out?
“In exchange, if I take that secret technique with my bare body… tell me exactly what you were doing here.”
“Heh… Hahahaha!”
The Profound Sound Elder burst into a mad laugh. He had lived for over a hundred years, but he had never seen anyone utter such crazy words to his face.
“You’ll take my ultimate technique with your bare body?”
“Do you lack confidence?”
As words came out of his mouth at will, Bu Eunseol wore a look of resignation. But contrary to his heart, the tongue in his mouth continued to move smoothly.
“I say this because I believe Hall Master Jwa, though somewhat hasty in personality, is still a master of the orthodox faction who is not stained by evil.”
Was it because his righteousness had reached its peak? Bu Eunseol, whose heart had become firm in not wanting to kill the Profound Sound Elder, was attempting a life-or-death gamble by trusting in his own infinite internal power.
“…”
Suddenly, Jwa Jacheong wore a strange expression.
From the body of this loathsome brat making such a provocative proposal, the majestic righteousness of a world-renowned hero who worried for his enemy’s well-being was spreading!
Furthermore, though he didn’t know the reason, he could even feel that such a proposal was for his own sake.
“Fine.”
After thinking deeply, Jwa Jacheong nodded. “If you can withstand my ultimate technique, I shall tell you.”
“How refreshing. Excellent.”
Bu Eunseol placed his left hand behind his back and politely extended his right. “Now, begin.”
That appearance was not that of a demonic master, but the behavior of a dignified orthodox knight. For a moment, the Profound Sound Elder almost burst into a dry laugh.
‘They say he’s an orthodox man within the demonic path, but isn’t he just a pure orthodox man?’
Recalling the rumors floating in the martial world, he wore a subtle expression. ‘Is he truly not someone I should kill?’
Because he used an infuriating tone, he thought he was being mocked. But seeing him risk his life to avoid a fight, he could feel that he had been sincere all along.
‘It cannot be helped.’
Considering the Profound Sound Elder’s status and position, he could never take back his words. ‘I’ll forget about his life and settle for taking one leg.’
The secret technique he was about to unleash could never be taken with a bare body; its nature required it to be neutralized only by a counterstrike of equal force. The Profound Sound Elder didn’t take Bu Eunseol’s reckless bet literally and intended to show mercy by only cutting off one leg.
Float.
Having settled his thoughts, he rose into the air and let out a thunderous shout.
“Take this!”
Zing.
As the Profound Sound Elder spread his hands, hundreds of lights surged from beneath Bu Eunseol’s feet. It was the discharge of his secret technique, Severing Flame—a technique that fired the Primordial Void Light Blade, which can slice through everything, in a form that cannot be avoided.
‘Infinite Reversal Power?’
The Profound Sound Elder’s Severing Flame was not a martial move, but a manifestation of will, similar to the Power of the Limitless.
‘It is not something that can be blocked with thick internal power alone.’
To destroy such a move, one had to pour out even greater power or immediately end his life with the power of the Poison Pinnacle Master.
‘How could I break a promise once uttered?’
Bu Eunseol closed his eyes and tried to pull up his internal power to its full extent.
But then—
Vroooom.
A divine energy spread through his entire body, and his legs began to move on their own. When his upright heart combined with that mercy even in a moment of desperate crisis, the Emperor’s Step was finally unleashed.
