Chapter 136

Something is there.

Sensing something strange, Yeo Hwan-jin stopped his attack and distanced himself for a moment.

Drip.

In that brief respite, blood trickled from Bu Eunseol’s body, which had been slashed all over by the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword. Since mastering Shadowless Supreme Speed, this was the first time he had failed to dodge an attack completely. Despite this setback, Bu Eunseol’s eyes burned with an intensity that rivaled an active volcano.

Yeo Hwan-jin noticed the fiery fighting spirit burning in Bu Eunseol’s eyes and smiled. “You seem quite composed,” Yeo Hwan-jin said. “Is it because you didn’t suffer a fatal wound?”

At that, Bu Eunseol, who had been glaring at Yeo Hwan-jin with blazing eyes, grinned.

“Then let’s begin.”

Those were the words Yeo Hwan-jin had spoken before unleashing the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword. Until now, Bu Eunseol had intentionally taken a defensive stance to observe the sword art.

“Heh heh heh. So the one being observed was me?”

Even realizing this fact, Yeo Hwan-jin maintained his smile.

“It’s useless. Even if you look a hundred times, it will be the same.”

From the start, the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword he wielded had no fixed moves; it was a sword art unravelled by the principle of No Form Wins Over Form. Even if Bu Eunseol studied his sword art for three days and nights, there would be nothing to gain.

“The Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword is a sword like a streak of wind.”

Swish!

Thrusting his sword again, Yeo Hwan-jin stabbed toward Bu Eunseol’s neck like lightning.

Clang!

However, accompanied by a metallic sound, his long sword was blocked by the Dark Sword, sparking flames.

No?

In an instant, Yeo Hwan-jin could not hide his surprise.

How did it clash?

The principle of the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword is like a single leaf swaying in the wind. In other words, it is the ultimate Flowing Sword that flows away as the enemy attacks, digging into openings. Even if the enemy unleashed a hundred strong attacks, it would only be pushed back, never clashing directly.

“You were lucky!”

Yeo Hwan-jin once again unleashed the profound Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword, utilizing the principle of Floating Shadow, Transferred Form.

Clang! Clatter!

But Bu Eunseol’s Dark Sword, like a bee seeking the scent of a flower, was striking Yeo Hwan-jin’s long sword precisely.

Am I fighting a ghost right now?

Flustered, Yeo Hwan-jin withdrew his sword for a moment and retreated. Although he had seized a golden opportunity for victory, Bu Eunseol merely grinned and did not pursue him.

“Just what is happening?”

Yeo Hwan-jin furrowed his brow with an expression of utter incomprehension.

“The Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword, which is pushed away even by a light breeze…”

At that, Bu Eunseol pointed to Yeo Hwan-jin’s hand holding the sword. “A sword used for a long time has its owner’s habits engraved upon it.” Exhaling deeply for a moment, Bu Eunseol continued, “And I merely listened to it.”

“Hahaha.”

Yeo Hwan-jin, who had been wearing a blank expression, burst into laughter as if it were absurd.

“You speak nonsense. Habits remain on a sword? Does a sword have a mouth?”

Such a reaction was perhaps natural. If one could examine a swordsman’s habits and quirks just by looking at their sword, there wouldn’t be a single martial artist in the entire Murim who would entrust their sword repair to another.

“You don’t believe me.”

At Yeo Hwan-jin’s reaction, Bu Eunseol smiled as if it were expected.

Minute traces left on the long sword that could neither be seen with eyes nor touched with hands… Only Bu Eunseol, who had synchronized the extreme senses of the Way of the Beast with his spirit, could see them.

“When using the sword with the principle of Floating Shadow, Transferred Form, you raise your thumb and index fingernails to inject True Energy. It must be to grip the sword a little lighter,” Bu Eunseol explained with a relaxed expression. “And when switching sword moves, you form the Sword Secret Finger with your left hand like a habit. It must be to guard against openings in that brief moment.”

Yeo Hwan-jin stared at Bu Eunseol with a face as if seeing a ghost.

Could that seed of the Demonic Path truly have the ability to communicate with swords?

“How did you… know those habits?”

“I told you. The sword told me.”

He felt somewhat mocked. Yeo Hwan-jin, lost in deep thought for a moment, laughed boisterously as if realizing something.

“Foolish.”

“……”

“Even if those words are true, didn’t you just babble all the cards you found out right in front of the person concerned?”

Looking at Bu Eunseol, Yeo Hwan-jin smirked.

“At my level, habits like that can be changed in an instant. In other words, you threw away the only card you had.”

Masters who have reached the Transcendence Realm like Yeo Hwan-jin have their bodies under the control of their spirit. In other words, they can fix trivial habits immediately.

“Heh heh heh.”

Bu Eunseol laughed low instead.

“Hahahaha!”

“What is so funny?”

“Do you mistake what I just said for all of your habits?”

“What?”

“You don’t think the habits you haven’t realized for twenty years… are limited to the few I just mentioned, do you?”

In that instant, the smile spreading on Yeo Hwan-jin’s lips froze coldly.

So that was it.

A meticulous master like Bu Eunseol would never show all his cards. There must be countless habits of his own that he still hadn’t realized. And those could become a noose tightening around Yeo Hwan-jin’s neck at any time.

I can’t believe it!

Gripping his sword, Yeo Hwan-jin drew it again and poured out the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword.

Clang! Clang!

But every time he unleashed the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword, the move was interrupted by the Dark Sword. It was because Bu Eunseol, having grasped Yeo Hwan-jin’s habits in advance, had preempted the sword path.

As the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword, unleashed haphazardly, was blocked entirely, Yeo Hwan-jin felt a chill down his spine.

This man truly knows habits I am unaware of.

Because his habits and quirks had been seen through, his specialty, honed for twenty years, was effectively sealed.

Clang! Thwang!

In the meantime, the Dark Sword and Yeo Hwan-jin’s long sword clashed incessantly in the air. Each strike chipped away at the edge of Yeo Hwan-jin’s long sword. Without the profound internal energy he had infused into the entire sword, it would have already been shattered by the sharp Dark Sword.

Clang!

As the Dark Sword and long sword clashed heavily once more, the two men retreated simultaneously.

Yeo Hwan-jin’s expression, which had maintained a relaxed smile all along, had become serious before he knew it. It looked as if he had finally acknowledged that Bu Eunseol was an opponent who could threaten his life.

I’ve bridged the one-year gap to some extent. Because he had found the traces and habits contained in the sword, Bu Eunseol was able to seal the Ever-Flowing Cloud Sword and fight on equal terms. Now, the real battle begins.

Click.

Sharp flashes of light poured from the eyes of Yeo Hwan-jin, who held his long sword upright.

“Ten Demonic Successor. You are a demonic seed that absolutely cannot be allowed to live.”

From his body as he raised the sword, a mighty energy soared, unlike anything seen until now. As the energy soared, his height seemed to grow, gradually looking like a giant touching the sky.

This is his true power.

Just by standing there, Bu Eunseol felt a crushing pressure on his body. Due to the swirling energy, Yeo Hwan-jin seemed to have transformed into a completely different figure.

“Interesting. To think a successor of Taoist swordsmanship emits killing intent.”

At Bu Eunseol’s mutter, Yeo Hwan-jin’s eyes flashed.

“To kill one great villain is to save ten thousand innocent civilians.”

A faint light rose from the long sword he held.

“Die!”

Closing the distance in an instant, Yeo Hwan-jin launched his body into the air and cleaved toward Bu Eunseol’s head.

Zing!

Suddenly, time seemed to stop, and Yeo Hwan-jin’s body floating in mid-air multiplied into dozens. Because such a sudden and rapid attack came in, the Way of the Beast activated automatically. In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s blood circulated several times faster, and kinetic vision and neural responses expanded dozens of times. This was an extreme sense that hadn’t even been displayed until now.

Is this also because the spirit of the Way of the Beast and the Polarity Reversal Divine Art are connected…

Leaving his surprise behind, Bu Eunseol looked into Yeo Hwan-jin’s sword within the situation where time seemed to have stopped. Those dozens of Yeo Hwan-jin’s bodies were taking different actions. This was more like bizarre Demonic Sword Arts than Orthodox Sword Arts.

Even if I use Shadowless Supreme Speed, I can’t dodge perfectly.

Swooooosh!

In the meantime, stopped time flowed again, and Yeo Hwan-jin’s sword energy, taking dozens of different postures, swallowed Bu Eunseol’s body.

“It’s over.”

Just as Yeo Hwan-jin smiled after delivering a decisive blow—

Clatter-clatter-clang!

Accompanied by the sound of ceaselessly clashing metal, a round light flowed from Bu Eunseol’s body, which had been swallowed by sword energy.

“No!”

Yeo Hwan-jin opened his eyes wide.

Wasn’t Bu Eunseol, crouching low, striking away all hundreds of pouring sword energies?

This is impossible.

The moves of sword energy poured out at once with different actions could not be counted or grasped in this short time. However Bu Eunseol was striking them away perfectly as if he had grasped hundreds of sword moves long ago.

The Absolute Defense Form of the Thousand Sword Society, capable of defending against all sword forms reacting to killing intent. The Mastery Radiance Sword Control had been unleashed.

Clang-clang-clang-clang.

Finally escaping the storm of sword energy, Bu Eunseol rushed toward Yeo Hwan-jin like a shot arrow.

Yeo Hwan-jin had been certain of perfect victory. Since he hadn’t expected a counterattack at all, he was in a completely defenseless state.

“Ugh!”

Yeo Hwan-jin hurriedly tried to swing his long sword to take a defensive stance.

Flash!

But the lightning-like radiance extending from the Dark Sword was faster. The Peerless Thunderbolt Form had been deployed. To not miss this fleeting opportunity, the Peerless Thunderbolt Form, an extremely fast killing sword, was a more appropriate move than the Supreme Heavenly Flow.

Slash!

With the sound of flesh splitting, the Dark Sword, like a devil’s tongue, pierced the exact center of Yeo Hwan-jin’s chest.

Click.

As Bu Eunseol retrieved the Dark Sword—

Gush.

A stream of fresh blood flowed from the corner of Yeo Hwan-jin’s mouth.

“Ugh.”

As if having no strength to stand, the staggering Yeo Hwan-jin collapsed, leaning against a tree stump standing next to him.

“Haa. Haa.”

Because of the blood flowing out with every breath, his complexion was pale.

“A single streak… of lightning-like swordsmanship.”

Yeo Hwan-jin did not lose his smile even though he felt death was imminent.

“But the sword art that blocked my Hundred-Bends Linked-Chain Form is more surprising. Is it a sword art of the Wolf Fang Pavilion?”

Looking at Yeo Hwan-jin’s blurring eyes, Bu Eunseol spoke low.

“Mastery Radiance Sword Control.”

“Mastery Radiance Sword Control? It’s a name I hear for the first time.”

“It is a defensive sword form created by the Thousand Sword Society. Capable of striking away sword moves by reacting to killing intent.”

“Reacting to killing intent… Ah, I see.”

Yeo Hwan-jin shook his head as if deeply regretful.

“In the final moment, it was my fault for abandoning our sect’s sword art and using the Hundred-Bends Linked-Chain Form he taught me.”

“Hundred-Bends Linked-Chain Form?”

It was an unfamiliar name for a sword art.

Bu Eunseol scanned Yeo Hwan-jin with sharp eyes. “Is that the sword art you just unfolded?”

“That is correct.” Gasping for breath with blood flowing from his mouth, Yeo Hwan-jin continued, “All Masters of Great Righteousness were taught one sword form each capable of destroying Demonic Martial Arts. The one I was taught was…”

Yeo Hwan-jin’s words did not continue.

Having lost too much blood, he died with his eyes wide open.