A surprising piece of news was delivered to the warriors of the Martial Soul Society.
The true Society Lord, who had been leading the Martial Soul Society from the shadows until now, had finally revealed himself. He declared that from this moment onward, he would step into the light and personally manage the Martial Soul Society.
“The founder of this society is none other than Seolso, the great mercenary of the Red Sky Veil and the disciple of the Bullet King, known as Society Lord Seol.”
Shockingly, the great mercenary Seolso—who had barely revealed his name in the martial world until recently—was the one who had established the Martial Soul Society.
“In truth, the identity of being the Bullet King’s disciple was also a kind of disguise.”
In reality, the Society Lord had obtained the legacy of the Wise Wandering Immortal, Cheonjo Yuhwa, a transcendent who had briefly descended to the mortal realm fifteen hundred years ago. He had been training in using the Great Natural Qi ever since.
Of course, the figure known as Cheonjo Yuhwa was something Bu Eunseol had made up on the spot. There was no record anywhere of such a person existing fifteen hundred years ago.
However, the mercenaries had already heard the legendary tales of Seolso, the great mercenary of the Red Sky Veil. Moreover, it was said that a thousand years ago, there had been a time when immortals briefly walked the earth…
Believing those words, the mercenaries praised the Society Lord, saying he truly possessed an extraordinary background.
“From now on, the warriors of this society shall reduce their training and focus on rest.”
Having stepped forward as Society Lord, Bu Eunseol gave an unexpected order to the warriors of the Martial Soul Society.
In preparation for the battles to come, he commanded each combat unit to gradually reduce both the intensity and frequency of their training.
It was a measure to maximize physical recovery and bring their minds and bodies to peak condition in anticipation of the upcoming battles.
“Due to the high-intensity training repeated until now, considerable fatigue must have accumulated in your muscles, joints, and nervous systems. From now on, you must take time to recover that fatigue and fully recharge your bodies and minds.”
Sudden cessation of training could cause anxiety, so Bu Eunseol strategically reduced training frequency while giving them time to recover, ensuring the warriors could display their full strength.
“Soon, a large-scale battle will begin!”
Until now, the warriors of the Martial Soul Society had undergone strict training, so their morale reached the heavens. Rather than feeling fear, they calmly carried out their daily routines and began recovering their physical strength and mental energy through rest.
Ten days passed like the calm before a storm.
Crash!
A sturdy young man burst into the office where Bu Eunseol was staying. It was Dae Guhwi, the leader of the Beast Corps.
“Society Lord! It has begun!”
He spoke urgently.
“Unknown forces have broken through our surveillance network and are advancing to within thirty li of us.”
The Martial Soul Society’s intelligence network was connected to the Death Spirit Corps and the Supreme Corps, making it arguably the best in the demonic path. Yet an enormous army had completely bypassed the surveillance net and pushed right up to their doorstep?
This meant a colossal force possessing not only intelligence capabilities surpassing the Death Spirit Corps but also overwhelming martial power was launching a surprise attack.
“Prepare yourselves.”
Bu Eunseol calmly spoke as he fastened the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, which hung on the wall, to his waist.
“I will briefly assess the enemy’s forces and return.”
“Understood.”
Swish!
Before Dae Guhwi could even finish speaking, Bu Eunseol had already vanished.
Boom!
Using lightning-like movement, Bu Eunseol shot out of the Martial Soul Society and soared a hundred zhang into the air with the Land-Flight Leap.
Rumble.
From that height, he saw a massive army surging like a tidal wave toward the Martial Soul Society. They were not human; they had the shapes of enormous beasts and were racing forward madly on all fours.
‘So that’s how they moved such a large force so quickly without being caught by the intelligence network.’
At a glance, it was clear they were demonic creatures created through special grand techniques. Their bold frontal assault on the Martial Soul Society made it obvious they possessed tremendous power.
‘During this time, I trained the Martial Soul Society’s warriors the same way as the Death Shadow Corps and the Supreme Squad.’
Bu Eunseol believed that the experts of the Martial Soul Society would definitely be able to stop that army.
And now that belief was being put to the test.
Boom!
As Bu Eunseol poured all his inner energy into his technique, a mysterious radiance shot up into the sky.
Whoosh!
He leaped even higher into the air and activated the Endless Heavenly Light Art.
Rumble! Bang!
He descended toward the charging army and released the inner energy he had gathered.
Crack! Crackle!
Dozens of black demonic creatures exploded like fireworks.
Until now, the Three Divine Energies had always been used with a single attribute, so their form and characteristics were immediately revealed. However, during the ten days he stayed at the Martial Soul Society, Bu Eunseol had researched ways to incorporate the Endless Heavenly Light Art into martial techniques beyond just movement arts, and he had finally succeeded.
Thanks to this, he could now unleash the full power of the Three Divine Energies while perfectly concealing them.
In other words, a new supreme expert named Seolso had now appeared in the martial world.
Boom! Crackle!
Bu Eunseol began pouring out the Three Divine Energies with completely natural, unhindered movements. He simply extended his hand naturally, without being bound by any specific forms, yet the power that surged forth rivaled the might of the fully executed Seven Fist Demon Forms.
‘Seolso must be a figure who belongs to neither side.’
As the Martial Soul Society Lord, Seolso had suddenly created an alliance between the righteous and demonic factions. Therefore, his martial origins also had to be mysterious and unbound by either side.
That was why he had set Seolso’s martial path as that of a supreme expert who used extremely free and unrestricted martial arts.
Boom! Bang!
Every time a white flash flickered, the bodies of the charging demonic creatures burst apart.
Before the black wave of demonic creatures, Bu Eunseol moved as if he were leisurely practicing alone in a training ground. He executed his fist techniques with perfect ease and composure, and each time, explosions rang out as more creatures fell.
‘The commander hasn’t arrived yet, has he?’
The demonic creatures charged endlessly; there were so many that their numbers could not even be counted, and they did not maintain any orderly formation. No matter where he looked, he could not see any commander directing the creatures, nor any additional forces in the rear.
This meant these creatures were most likely the vanguard meant to gauge the Martial Soul Society’s strength.
‘Good.’
No matter what, it would be enough to mobilize the Martial Soul Society’s units and crush them with full force.
Bang!
He activated his movement technique once more and returned to the Martial Soul Society.
By then, the combat units that had received his orders were already arrayed solemnly in a defensive formation behind the earthen walls they had previously built, about ten li away from the Martial Soul Society.
“I will now commence battle!”
Bu Eunseol was a born strategist and a genius commander who had led countless battles to victory. He was directing the large army as skillfully as if they were his own limbs, even against these unexpected demonic creatures.
“Beast Corps! Deploy the Dragon-Tiger Defensive Force Array!”
At his command, Dae Guhwi’s Beast Corps, which possessed innate divine strength, began constructing a massive defensive formation at the front of the Martial Soul Society.
The warriors of the Beast Corps practiced beast martial arts and possessed special physiques that allowed them to recover from most injuries almost instantly.
If ordinary troops had attacked, Bu Eunseol would have sent the Beast Corps forward first to break the enemy’s momentum. However, the ones attacking the Martial Soul Society now were not ordinary warriors but bizarre demonic creatures that ran on four legs. Since they felt neither fear nor terror, breaking their momentum would be meaningless.
Instead, he had the Beast Corps deploy the Dragon-Tiger Defensive Force Array—an formation that would never collapse unless every single person maintaining it died—thereby creating the toughest and most resilient defensive line in the world to protect the main forces of the Martial Soul Society.
“Glacial Vanguard! Split into two halves. One half will attack the enemy from atop the walls using ice techniques, while the other half will advance and annihilate the enemy from the front!”
His commands continued without pause.
“Mercenary Corps, circle around and strike their flanks! Swift Thunder Corps, stand by in the rear!”
Only demonic creatures had appeared so far. They still did not know the exact scale of the enemy forces or how many more would arrive. Therefore, he strategically kept the Swift Thunder Corps—the one with the greatest martial power—in the rear, planning to deploy them to reinforce the lines once the enemy’s main force appeared.
Rumble!
Meanwhile, the demonic creatures charged right up to the Martial Soul Society’s doorstep.
Crackle!
As the creatures slammed into the still-incomplete defensive formation, sparks flew and transparent walls began to appear.
“Following the Society Lord’s command, push those bastards back and complete the formation!”
At Dae Guhwi’s roar, the first line of the Beast Corps—armed with razor-sharp claws and steel-like muscles—stepped forward and received the first wave of the demonic creatures charging like malevolent spirits.
“Uaaaah!”
Finally pushing the creatures back, the warriors of the Beast Corps’s first line let out fierce roars. At that moment, the Dragon-Tiger Defensive Force Array was completed.
Whiiiing!
A radiance shaped like a beast spread dozens of zhang outward, creating a transparent barrier of strong energy.
Crack!
Once the defensive formation around the Martial Soul Society was complete, the Glacial Vanguard’s attack division split into two and began their operation. One half froze the ground to slow the enemy’s movements before unleashing attacks, while the other half fired ice spears from atop the walls to further hinder the creatures’ actions.
Crunch! Clang!
Cold energy spread, freezing the demonic creatures’ feet. Taking advantage of that opening, the Mercenary Corps fiercely struck the enemy’s flank.
The Mercenary Corps consisted of warriors who used free and unpredictable combat styles, excelling especially at terrain-based ambushes. While the demonic creatures were distracted by the Glacial Vanguard and Beast Corps, they quickly maneuvered and pierced the enemy’s side.
Slash! Flash!
Fast and sharp sword energy flickered through the air, severing the demonic creatures’ necks.
Rumble!
The moment the charging creatures were wiped out, additional forces finally appeared from the rear.
They wore red clothes and possessed long, razor-sharp claws like daggers.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
They slipped through the gaps between the demonic creatures like arrows and began attacking the warriors of the Glacial Vanguard and the Mercenary Corps.
They moved like ghosts, their feet barely touching the ground, pouring out phantom-like movement techniques. They looked strikingly similar to the ghost people Bu Eunseol had seen in the Ghost King Valley.
‘Those are not human either.’
Watching from afar, Bu Eunseol narrowed his eyes. He instantly saw through the fact that even these red-clad figures were not human but demonic creatures created through grand techniques.
‘From now on, they are attacking in a coordinated, disciplined manner under someone’s command.’
Once the ghost-like warriors were deployed, the previously simple charging attacks of the demonic creatures became far more refined, and the formations of the Glacial Vanguard and Mercenary Corps began to waver.
In other words, an outstanding commander had begun directing these creatures.
“Swift Thunder Corps, move out!”
Bu Eunseol finally deployed the Swift Thunder Corps led by Nae Bihon.
The disciples of the Thunder God Palace, excluding the Thunder God Nae Bihon himself, could not handle Thunder Spirit Energy. However, they had deeply trained in the Wind-Thunder Dance Scripture passed down through the generations of the Thunder God Palace, allowing them to unleash Wind-Thunder Mist with similar power. Moreover, they had also mastered the palace’s exclusive supreme art, the Thunder Spirit Divine Spear.
Boom! Flash!
As they raised their sharp long spears toward the sky, a blue light flickered with a crackling sound. Every time the gleaming spear tips swept through the air, they pierced the foreheads of the ghost-like creatures traversing the battlefield. Each strike caused the creatures’ skin to burn away in white smoke as if struck by lightning.
Rumble.
Eventually, the enemy lines began to collapse helplessly.
The demonic creatures charged without fear, yet they were swept away and fell under the combined assault of the Glacial Vanguard, Swift Thunder Corps, and Mercenary Corps.
Halt.
Finally, the demonic creatures’ attack faltered.
No matter how fearless they were, repeatedly charging only to be cut down without resistance eventually created instinctive hesitation.
This proved they were not completely inanimate like the Hundred Yin Killers, but living-based demonic creatures created through grand techniques that used life force as their foundation.
“Don’t let a single one escape!”
Meanwhile, the Glacial Vanguard created walls of ice to block the fleeing enemies’ retreat, while the Swift Thunder Corps delivered devastating blows. The scattered demonic creatures were surrounded and finished off by the Mercenary Corps.
In the end, all the charging demonic creatures and bizarre ghost-like warriors were defeated.
Their numbers reached at least thirty thousand.
In just half a day of battle, they had annihilated such a massive army with almost no damage.
“Waaaaah!”
The warriors of the Martial Soul Society who achieved this great victory all let out thunderous cheers.
The training up to now had not been in vain.
Those demonic creatures were stronger than the elite forces of even the most powerful factions in the martial world, and their numbers rivaled those of a small alliance. Yet fewer than ten thousand warriors had defeated them with almost no casualties.
This alone proved that the Martial Soul Society’s units were among the strongest in the martial world.
Rumble.
But then something astonishing happened.
The forces that had clearly been defeated and vanished were slowly reforming right before their eyes.
‘Were those demonic creatures like illusions?’
The warriors of the Martial Soul Society widened their eyes.
If such creatures could simply disappear like mist and be recreated so easily, then no matter how much they fought, they would eventually face total annihilation.
Slash.
At that moment, the arrayed demonic creatures split left and right, creating a wide path.
Step. Step.
From far away, a man in black slowly walked down that path.
A dark red mist-like energy rose from his entire body, and he wore a veil on his face inscribed with strange characters like talismans. At first glance, he looked like a sorcerer practicing wicked arts.
“These vermin are holding on longer than expected.”
As the black-clad man in the veil muttered quietly,
“Haaap!”
One warrior from the Glacial Vanguard in the front charged forward, unleashing ice energy. At the same time, over a dozen warriors from the front line joined the attack on the black-clad man.
“Insignificant fools.”
The moment the sorcerer clicked his tongue and spoke in a low voice—
Whoosh!
Black radiance poured down on the dozen warriors all at once.
“Kyaaaak!”
Those touched by the light screamed in agony and rolled on the ground. Their skin melted and bones were exposed from just a slight touch.
“Tyrant Fire Bone-Melting Palm?”
Nae Bihon’s eyes flashed as he looked at the wounds on the warriors and mercenaries.
Floating.
By then, the black-clad man had risen thirty zhang into the air and was pouring pitch-black radiance from his entire body. He was trying to annihilate the Martial Soul Society’s warriors in one go by raining down bone-melting palm force from above.
Whoosh!
In an instant, black mist poured out from the black-clad man’s body. Its range exceeded thirty zhang, instantly engulfing the warriors at the front with the bone-melting palm force.
“Haaap!”
At that moment, Bing Hanpung, who was commanding the Glacial Vanguard, unleashed the extreme-level Heavenly Glacial Secret to counter the Tyrant Fire Bone-Melting Palm.
Whoosh!
Pure white cold energy spread across the sky, beginning to block the bone-melting palm force spreading over the unit.
“Hmph.”
The black-clad man snorted and expanded the range of the Tyrant Fire Bone-Melting Palm while doubling its power.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
When the Heavenly Glacial Secret and the Tyrant Fire Bone-Melting Palm collided in mid-air, the sky seemed to change color and the ground looked as if it would split apart.
Crack! Crackle!
At that moment, a continuous shattering sound rang out from Bing Hanpung’s body, which had turned white as ice.
“Ugh.”
A groan finally escaped his lips.
The Heavenly Glacial Secret and the Tyrant Fire Bone-Melting Palm were both supreme arts from beyond the heavens between which it was difficult to determine superiority. However, the black-clad man’s internal energy was twice as high as Bing Hanpung’s, so he was ultimately overpowered.
Crack.
The ground beneath Bing Hanpung’s feet was splitting. The pressure from the pouring Tyrant Fire Bone-Melting Palm felt as if an entire mountain was pressing down on him.
“Glacial Vanguard Leader!”
Dae Guhwi, who had been maintaining the defensive formation, leaped forward on all fours like a beast and jumped toward the black-clad man floating in the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just as the claw techniques Dae Guhwi unleashed spread out like a dense spider web—
Boom!
With an explosion, his body crashed back to the ground. The black-clad man floating in the air had somehow split into two, and one had struck Dae Guhwi from behind as he rose.
“How dare you!”
Crackle!
Seeing this, blue flames rose in Nae Bihon’s eyes. He began pouring pure white lightning toward the black-clad man.
“Hmph.”
One of the two black-clad men dodging the lightning finally descended to the ground.
“You! Fight this corps leader!”
Without hesitation, Nae Bihon closed the distance and unleashed the Thunder God Palace’s Swift Thunder Seal Palm.
Boom! Crackle!
The palm force of the Swift Thunder Seal Palm Nae Bihon unleashed reached a full forty zhang. The surrounding warriors retreated in a hurry, their hair standing on end.
Boom! Crack! Bang! Bang!
As the warriors withdrew, a circular space naturally formed on the battlefield. There, the black-clad man and Nae Bihon exchanged palm strikes continuously.
“The Four Gods have already become outdated in the martial world, haven’t they?”
The black-clad man, who was pouring out the Tyrant Fire Bone-Melting Palm, smirked and twisted his fingers.
Rumble.
Suddenly, the Swift Thunder Seal Palm that had been dominating the area transformed into dozens of skull shapes and latched onto Nae Bihon.
“You dare show off with the mere martial arts of the Yin Ming Blood Kun?”
Nae Bihon instantly recognized that the technique the black-clad man used belonged to the foreign demonic sect master called the Hell Demon Lord, Ming Kun, a master of sorcery from three hundred years ago. He sneered.
Boom!
With the Five Thunder Seal technique, he instantly turned the dozens of skulls into powder.
Boom.
However, when the skulls shattered against the Thunder Spirit Energy, a massive vibration shook Nae Bihon’s body violently. Unbeknownst to him, the black-clad man had split into three once again and struck his back the moment he released the palm force.
“Thunder Corps Leader!”
Unable to watch any longer, Do Cheonlin began attacking the black-clad man.
“I will help as well.”
With Do Cheonlin joining, the black-clad men—who had been three—now became four.
Clang! Boom! Crash!
As the four corps leaders clashed with the four black-clad men, the sky turned blood-red as if vomiting blood, and the ground revealed enormous cracks like shattered glass.
Thunderous roars tore through the air, and collisions of light and darkness exploded, distorting the very space around them.
—Puuu!
But in the end, the four corps leaders simultaneously spat blood and collapsed. The four black-clad men had once again become eight and struck them from behind.
‘This is sorcery.’
The four corps leaders exchanged glances with shocked expressions.
Nae Bihon, Bing Hanpung, Do Cheonlin, and Dae Guhwi were all grandmasters who had mastered a supreme field of martial arts and were battle-hardened veterans who had survived countless fierce battles. Even if the black-clad man’s martial arts were incredible, they should not have been defeated so easily in a single strike.
Yet the techniques the black-clad man used truly started with one person, then increased in number one by one, each delivering unexpected moves.
‘Are we seeing ghosts?’
The four corps leaders stared wide-eyed at the eight black-clad men standing tall before them.
Their super senses were no less keen than those of any other martial world expert. So how could they not sense the black-clad man’s numbers increasing one by one? How could they not detect the strikes coming from behind?
“I can hear the sound of your brains working hard.”
The eight black-clad men spoke simultaneously, their voices filled with mockery.
“Come at me again. This time, I will definitely break your spines.”
It was not mere confidence. If he could increase his clones again during battle, they would indeed suffer fatal injuries and fall, just as he said.
“Your confidence is excessive.”
At that moment, a solemn voice rang out from the air, and a man dressed in pure white descended to the ground like an immortal.
It was Bu Eunseol, disguised as Seolso.
