Time stretched into an agonizing eternity, yet Bu Eunseol remained frozen, unable to unleash his sword technique.
Yeop Hyo-cheon stood before him, a singular presence whose posture seemed to support the heavens and suppress the earth—the All-Encompassing Force. It was a stance of absolute perfection, a terrifying void capable of responding flawlessly to any movement. To initiate an attack now would be to expose his own fatal flaws instantly.
Suffocation gripped Bu Eunseol’s chest. Every time his muscles tensed to deploy a technique, a vivid illusion bloomed in his mind: his own neck, severed and spraying blood.
At this rate, I will suffer internal injuries from the pressure alone and be forced to admit defeat before even drawing my sword.
No matter how deeply he inhaled, the air refused to enter his lungs. The pressure pouring from Yeop Hyo-cheon’s body had transformed the space around them into a breathless vacuum.
Shiing.
Fighting the paralysis, Bu Eunseol finally drew his blade. Yet, just as he prepared to unleash the Supreme Heavenly Flow…
“…”
A strange, sickening sense of déjà vu washed over him.
He felt with absolute certainty that if he completed the motion, an invisible blade wind would carve a semicircle through the air and slice his throat. Worse, he could physically feel the phantom sensation of a palm strike following in its wake to crush his chest.
Is it an illusion? No.
His thoughts were long, but his actions struck like lightning.
Bu Eunseol aborted the sword technique mid-motion and instead unleashed five forward fist strikes—the Thunderflash Disorientation Strike of the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist. Simultaneously, he launched himself into mid-air, pouring out ninety sword moves in a single, devastating cascade. He did not ignore the premonition; he countered it.
A cataclysmic roar shook the training ground as Bu Eunseol’s fist force and sword moves merged into a single mass of destruction, engulfing the space where Yeop Hyo-cheon stood.
“Hoh.”
A short exclamation of surprise rang out, followed immediately by a sharp hiss.
Yeop Hyo-cheon’s figure evaporated from the training ground without a trace. The great hall was bathed in unforgiving sunlight, offering no shadows in which to hide, yet the instructor was gone.
Bu Eunseol touched down on the pavement and immediately strained the senses of the Way of the Beast to their limit.
He isn’t here.
It was impossible. Yeop Hyo-cheon had vanished as completely as smoke in a gale.
Not in darkness… but I can’t find him even under the sunlight.
Shock rippled through Bu Eunseol. Yeop Hyo-cheon was known as the Darkness King, a title implying his martial arts reached their zenith only when night fell. Yet here, under the bright noon sun, Bu Eunseol’s heightened perception couldn’t locate even a wisp of his presence.
Rustle.
Before the thought could finish, Yeop Hyo-cheon reappeared directly in front of Bu Eunseol’s eyes, standing tall in a posture unchanged from moments before. His stance and position were so perfectly identical it was as if he had never moved at all.
“Hmm. Indeed, you have stepped into the early stages of the Supreme Heavenly Realm.”
Groaning thoughtfully, the instructor wore a strange smile.
“You anticipated this Instructor’s move in advance and deployed martial arts to counter it.”
Bu Eunseol wore a dazed expression, feeling as though he had been struck on the back of the head. Did that mean Yeop Hyo-cheon had truly intended to slice his throat and crush his chest?
“You have broken free from the mold of traditional techniques and are pursuing extreme practicality.” Yeop Hyo-cheon tilted his head, indifferent to his student’s shock. “But this level is not enough to face Bukgung Ryeong.”
He seemed to have dissected the entirety of Bu Eunseol’s current martial capability in a single exchange.
“No. Shall I draw out a little more?”
The air crackled. Before he could finish speaking, Yeop Hyo-cheon’s figure vanished again.
Simultaneously, Bu Eunseol felt the visceral illusion of his body being split in two. Sharp energy, condensed like a blade tip, dug into the air right before his nose.
Super-speed movement.
Yeop Hyo-cheon was moving faster than the eye could follow, completely masking his presence while firing sharp force energy.
The Projectile King’s Internal Style Projectile Qi?
Bu Eunseol was startled. The instructor had perfectly reproduced the signature technique of Bukgung Ryeong.
As he deployed Shadowless Supreme Speed with full force, Bu Eunseol’s body blurred like fog, barely evading the invisible assault. Yet, despite the perfect dodge, sharp force energy capable of slicing through cast iron grazed his forehead.
Blood sprayed from the split skin.
“Indeed. With movement techniques of this level, you can dodge a move from Bukgung Ryeong.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon reappeared, smiling broadly. He had mimicked the Internal Style Projectile Qi simply to test Bu Eunseol’s evasion.
“Then now, I should examine the card you used against the Beggar King in earnest.”
In an instant, light poured from Yeop Hyo-cheon’s eyes. He waved his arms in a dizzying pattern, and powerful palm force poured out endlessly, filling the vast training ground without a single gap.
Shoo-shoo-shoo!
The energy hung in the air, suspended in a stopped state like transparent paint sprayed in all directions. He had even mimicked the Beggar King’s unique ultimate art, the Nine Transformations Flash Hand.
Has he mastered all martial art techniques?
Yeop Hyo-cheon, the Darkness King, was reproducing the signature arts of the greatest masters in the Murim with terrifying fidelity.
Or did he fight them?
Just as the thought flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind, the suspended palm force collapsed into a massive tsunami, crashing down to swallow him whole. Its speed was deceptive—not fast, but far more precise than the technique unleashed by Gu Hong-cheong, and carrying a weight of force that dwarfed the original.
I cannot dodge.
Brilliant light bloomed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Simultaneously, ink-black materialized true energy erupted, creating powerful ripples that crashed against the sharp energy. With no avenue for evasion, he was forced to utilize the True Knot of Will Manifestation.
A storm erupted as the materialized true energy and the sharp palm force collided, sending tremendous shockwaves rippling in all directions. When the whirlwind passed, Bu Eunseol and Yeop Hyo-cheon stood facing each other across the scarred training ground.
Thick white steam rose from Bu Eunseol’s body like smoke from a steamer—the cost of the True Knot of Will Manifestation. Since Ak Mu-ryeong’s Illusion Upon Illusion power had pierced his meridians, the backlash of boiling blood and qi had diminished, but Yeop Hyo-cheon’s palm force was so overwhelming that Bu Eunseol’s internal energies were shaken violently after a single use.
“So that was it.”
Staring at his student, Yeop Hyo-cheon nodded. He had finally grasped the nature of the card used against the Beggar King.
“The secret taught by the Divine Demonic Emperor must have been the decisive move. However…”
An unknown light burned in the instructor’s eyes.
“This cannot be all…”
Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed in confusion.
A faint, chilling killing intent had begun to bleed into the presence Yeop Hyo-cheon exuded. The friendly smile and gaze he habitually wore had vanished, washed away by something primal.
With a short, sharp leap, Yeop Hyo-cheon disappeared. Simultaneously, blood sprayed from Bu Eunseol’s neck. Had he not reflexively jerked his head to the side, his carotid artery would have been severed instantly.
“If this is all…”
Before Bu Eunseol could react, Yeop Hyo-cheon had returned to his original position, his eyes glistening with pure white killing intent.
“It would be better to die now.”
His voice was deep and low, the verdict of a Grim Reaper.
He is serious.
Bu Eunseol felt it in his marrow. Yeop Hyo-cheon was not merely projecting intimidation; he was pouring genuine, lethal intent into every movement.
Blood spurted from Bu Eunseol’s shoulder. There was no sound of tearing air, no warning presence. This could no longer be called training. Yeop Hyo-cheon was targeting vital points where a single error meant death. He was using killing moves to genuinely slaughter his student.
Invisible light poured down in a consecutive barrage, attacking at speeds and angles that were physically impossible to dodge.
Tremble.
In that moment of desperate crisis, the Dark Sword began to vibrate. A thin, round aura of sword energy rose around Bu Eunseol’s body, the blade moving on its own accord to deflect the pouring formless power.
Clang-clang-clang!
As Yeop Hyo-cheon poured out sincerity in his killing moves, the Mastery Radiance Sword Control awakened to meet him.
“This is not a martial art of the Wolf Fang Pavilion.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon’s voice echoed low from the air.
“It did not react to the move… it reacted to the presence.”
To be precise, the Mastery Radiance Sword Control reacted to killing intent. Regardless of the mechanics, Yeop Hyo-cheon had grasped the profound meaning of the technique at a glance.
“Interesting.”
With a low voice, Yeop Hyo-cheon revealed himself again.
He closed the distance at tremendous speed, finally materializing the formless move into a physical strike.
If I retreat, I die!
If he failed to block the materialized attack, his life would end instantly. Bu Eunseol held his ground, fighting head-on against the super-speed assaults of the Darkness King.
Two figures clashed and separated repeatedly, a blur of motion and violence. But Bu Eunseol could not fully block the rapid attacks; fresh wounds blossomed across his body with every exchange.
Every time something sharp grazed his skin, blood spurted. Yeop Hyo-cheon expanded and contracted the distance at invisible speeds, digging ruthlessly into Bu Eunseol’s openings. Bu Eunseol was forced to deploy movement techniques to maintain distance while simultaneously launching attacks—a tactic usually reserved for one-versus-many battles.
Under the strain of this unfamiliar combat style, Bu Eunseol’s moves began to scatter, yet Yeop Hyo-cheon only became more precise. The instructor exerted power as if a dozen men were attacking at once, deploying movement techniques and martial arts simultaneously with perfect control.
Sharp force energy shot from the ether, digging toward Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
There was no room to dodge.
Golden air currents raged from Bu Eunseol’s face, creating a mask of light that deflected the lethal energy. With absolutely no other option, he was forced to trigger the True Knot of Will Manifestation again.
Ugh.
The repeated use of the technique caused his blood and qi to boil unexpectedly, and dark clouds of internal injury spread through his heart.
I must not rely on the True Knot of Will Manifestation.
Bu Eunseol bit his lip. The technique, unaccompanied by the Secret Art of Severing Emotions, risked damaging his spirit and leading to Qi Deviation. It was an outstanding power, but fundamentally incomplete and inherently dangerous.
As hesitation seeped into Bu Eunseol’s spirit, his Shadowless Supreme Speed slowed by a fraction of a second.
Yeop Hyo-cheon did not miss the opportunity. He poured out another barrage of super-speed attacks, refusing to treat this as a spar. If Bu Eunseol withstood one attack, a higher-level move followed. If he withstood that, the lethality only increased.
I must feel it!
Detecting the crisis, Bu Eunseol raised the Way of the Beast with all his heart and soul. Faintly, he sensed an attack devoid of form. Habit screamed at him to deploy the familiar Meteor Chasing the Moon.
Meteor Chasing the Moon won’t work.
There was no choice. He had to deploy the True Knot of Will Manifestation to materialize his true energy once more.
Ideally…
At that precise moment, the mental art of the Martial Emperor’s Silent Awakening flashed through his mind.
Thump!
As the two mental arts surfaced simultaneously due to his hesitation, a phenomenon occurred. Unknown force energy spread from the Dark Sword, pushing Yeop Hyo-cheon’s approaching body away with tremendous force.
What happened?
The true energy created by the True Knot was still wrapped around the blade, yet it had unleashed a power he hadn’t intended.
I see.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes sparkled like sunlight, struck by a massive realization. A moment’s hesitation had fused the True Knot of Will Manifestation and the Martial Emperor’s Silent Awakening.
Then there is no need to eliminate affection… nor a need to be affectionate, is there?
Human nature was often defined as a singular state, but this was a fallacy. A desolate, heartless man might extend a kind hand to a stranger; a gentle soul might show cold cynicism. The human mind was not fixed stone, but flowing water—ever-changing.
The Secret Art of Severing Emotions. The Martial Emperor’s Silent Awakening.
Both were mental arts created by outstanding Grandmasters of the Righteous and Demonic paths, yet for someone with a complex spirit like Bu Eunseol, they were ill-fitting garments.
As he shook off his anguish, Bu Eunseol’s mind accelerated, and the senses of the Way of the Beast sharpened into crystal clarity. He began to feel Yeop Hyo-cheon’s presence and movements—traces that had been invisible only moments before. The Spirit Communion of the Empty Mind, the highest realm of the Way of the Beast, was fully exerted.
This is?
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened as he finally grasped the mechanics of Yeop Hyo-cheon’s movement.
The instructor was deploying different martial arts with each individual part of his body.
His left leg deployed movement techniques, while his right leg unleashed the Heaven-Shattering Blood Jade Kick. His left hand executed the Thunderclap Heaven Shaking Hand, while his right hand utilized the Soulless Palm Technique.
Yeop Hyo-cheon’s method was almost identical to the Martial Emperor’s unique ultimate art, the Qi of Thirteen Provocations.
Bu Eunseol’s mind fell into turmoil. Had Yeop Hyo-cheon also entered the Martial Emperor’s Secret Vault? Or had he arrived at the same realization independently, creating this technique through sheer mastery of body control?
“It seems this is your full power.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon’s cold voice cut through the air. Seeing the confusion in his student’s eyes, he mistook it for despair.
“But it is a pity.”
His voice held not only regret but a bloody, final killing intent. He truly intended to pour out a final move to end Bu Eunseol’s life.