Book 7 Chapter 23

The confrontation between Bilryeon and Cheonsal

Unlike Yeomdo and Jisal, who fought ferociously,

The duel between Bilryeon and Cheonsal was quiet.

The characteristic of these two was that they would first engage in a verbal exchange,

Unlike Yeomdo and Jisal, who immediately drew their swords.

"Oh! Then let's see where your confidence truly stems from!"

Bilryeon replied without hesitation. He was in a position with nothing to lose. He was someone who harbored the unashamed thought of looking up at the sky with no shame.

"Of course, it's skill."

"A young pup, how arrogant!"

The more he faced him, the more unpleasant the guy became.

"It's not arrogance, it's the truth! A clear and obvious truth! An unshakeable fact!"

From the moment the kid before him declared his sincerity, Cheonsal suddenly found himself unable to move his body freely. His reason was fine. The problem was his instinct.

Jolt!

Cheonsal was unable to move his body freely due to an unknown aura that suddenly emanated. It was because of the smell. The aura was imbued with the scent of death. Cheonsal's instincts clearly warned him.

Cheonsal also had a trump card. That was his Guiyao Eye (Ghostly Demon Eye). However, Cheonsal, mindful of his reputation, did not casually use this technique on subordinates. It wasn't due to some useless sentiment like playing fair. It was because he had no problem killing without using it. It was also a technique that consumed a lot of internal energy and mental strength, so it wasn't something to be used carelessly. Furthermore, he didn't want to use it carelessly due to a past experience where he was defeated after secretly using it on Nayelin. However, the moment Bilryeon removed the Black Dragon Bracelet from his hand, Cheonsal knew it was time to use his Guiyao Eye.

He quietly gathered his internal energy throughout his body and began to focus all the nerves in his eyes. When casting such a technique, the key was how secretly and discreetly it was performed, without the opponent knowing. If the opponent detected it in advance and prepared a defense, it would be problematic.

Cheonsal had no intention of sparing the brat who had instilled an unknown fear in him, simply because he was young.

"See!"

Cheonsal's eyes glowed with malevolent intent. Even under the sinister gaze of Cheonsal, Bilryeon did not turn his face away or avert his eyes.

"See what?"

Bilryeon spat out a single word. His gaze was as if he were looking at an idiot.

"H-how can he be unharmed?"

Cheonsal's voice trembled with disbelief and an unacknowledgeable fear. Two people had already rendered his Guiyao Eye, activated by his Soul-Absorbing Spirit Summoning Grand Technique, useless. It was a major blow to his pride, a deep wound.

Cheonsal absolutely refused to accept the reality unfolding before his eyes. Thus far, no one who had been caught in his Guiyao Eye's spirit summoning had maintained such unwavering resolve.

"Impossible!"

Once again, Cheonsal gathered his mental energy throughout his body and attempted to activate the Guiyao Eye, a secret technique of the Soul Summoning Art.

"Wouldn't it be better to stop?"

Bilryeon said as if coaxing him. But Cheonsal was not the type to stop just because he was told to. Had they ever listened to anyone's words? He could state with certainty that they never had.

He once again amplified the Soul-Absorbing Spirit Summoning Grand Technique to its extreme. Bilryeon did not avoid his gaze. Was it his imagination, or did Cheonsal feel Bilryeon's eyes flash like a golden light for a moment?

"Kaaaaaaargh!"

A desperate scream echoed throughout the entire mountain. Cheonsal clutched his own eyes. The demonic power of the Guiyao Eye had been reflected and bounced back. This was an unimaginable event.

Blind, Cheonsal began to thrash about. Unprecedented fear and terror seized his heart.

"What kind of technique is this?"

"The secret technique of the Spirit Projection Mind Art, Absolute Mental Defense, Path of Emptiness!"

Thus, Cheonsal's Soul-Severing Sword lost the demonic power of its boasted Guiyao Eye. And along with it, his haughty confidence was also broken. He would never again use his spirit summoning techniques.

For the first time in 30 years, Cheonsal felt true fear. It was a chilling fear that devoured his heart.

Bilryeon's right hand, naturally raised, aimed for Cheonsal's neck.

'Gulp!'

Just that alone gave Cheonsal a chilling sensation as if an invisible dart had pierced his Adam's apple.

He was as helpless as a fly caught in a spider's web. He struggled, but the net of killing intent that constricted him only tightened.

Bilryeon's pupils were devoid of any emotion. A heart as cold as ten thousand years of ice, as hard as steel, a wall of iron! A supreme mind, as firm as can be, without the slightest ripple.

Absolute Immovable Mind!

It was impossible for any variable to shake his pupils or create a ripple.

"Clack!"

Bilryeon released the Black Dragon Bracelet on his right hand, and with a thud, it fell to the ground. The ground caved in under the weight of the Black Dragon Bracelet.

"Swoosh!"

Bilryeon extended his right hand forward. His outstretched right hand contained infinite power. It was power and fear.

'Gasp!'

Cheonsal involuntarily drew a breath of air. For some reason, he couldn't move rashly. He knew that if he moved, he would die instantly. Had instinct surpassed reason?

He tried to move, but his feet wouldn't lift from the ground. The fear of death, knowing he would die if he took even one step, overwhelmed him. It was a feeling he had never experienced before in his life.

"Could it be… the Path of the Mind Sword? To seal my movements with just a mere shadow of a hand!"

For a moment, Bilryeon's face looked demonic. A nervous, desperate fear surged from the unconscious depths of his heart. He was powerless to stop this eruption.

"Have you finally gained the capacity to believe what others say?"

The smile on Bilryeon's lips was like the smile of Death. The guy was playing with him right now.

"Grrr!"

He struggled to break free from the restraint of his hand, but like an insect caught in an invisible web, he could only squirm, unable to escape.

"Oh my, oh my! Wouldn't it be better to stop this foolishness?"

Swoosh!

"Gulp!"

His hand was extended forward once more. He was suffocated by the terrifying pressure and oppression. It seemed it would be impossible to shake it off easily.

The match seemed to have already been decided.

Bilryeon's hand was ruthless. His heart was not so broad as to show mercy to those who harbored malice towards him.

When inflicting wounds on others, one must be prepared to be wounded themselves. Even more so if it is murder! It is karma that must be endured according to the law of cause and effect, no matter the outcome.

"Swoosh!"

Bilryeon's fingers moved slightly.

"Argh!"

Cheonsal's precious possessions, the foundations of his being, fell one by one with Bilryeon's finger movements.

He was helpless, even with his eyes wide open. Despite using all his strength to move his body and thinking he had dodged to the side, Bilryeon's fingers were still pointing at the edge of his forehead.

"Clang!"

First, the bell on his left wrist, the Soul-Calling Spirit that controlled people's minds, shattered into pieces. The Soul-Calling Spirit would never ring on his wrist again.

"Kaaaaaaargh!"

Next, the price Bilryeon demanded was too great. Cheonsal's beloved sword, the Ghost Soul, would never again be held in his right hand. Because his right arm was no longer a part of his body. His right arm, which could never again hold a wine glass or a sword, fell to the ground.

Cheonsal, with his eyes wide open, blankly watched this nightmarish scene. He couldn't understand why he couldn't avoid it. He couldn't even see it. Caught by the illusion of the hand, he merely flailed like a hanged man! Just like Sun Wukong in the palm of Buddha!

The outcome had already been decided. All Cheonsal could do now was beg for the opponent's mercy.

Those who fall from a great height to the bottom suffer immense psychological shock proportional to their height. The Twin Killers of Heaven and Earth were once at the pinnacle of martial arts. They were always revered and feared by those around them because of their martial prowess.

And, in an instant, their glory ended.

It was a humiliation worse than death. It was a chain and karma that would follow them for the rest of their lives. Today's defeat and the desperate fear he felt would be etched into his heart and could never be erased. No matter how much time passed.

Nothing in this world is eternal. For the Twin Killers of Heaven and Earth today, it was merely the end of their brilliant glory. The sound of the end of glory faintly echoed around them.

'What is that?'

Jisal, in the midst of a fierce battle with Yeomdo, blankly gazed at a scene from a nightmare.

'Am I dreaming now?'

It felt as if the intense heat that had suddenly enveloped his entire body was cooling down.

'Unbelievable! Impossible!'

His close associate, Cheonsal, had lost his right arm, the lifeblood of a swordsman, to a mere brat without offering any resistance.

Without any struggle, the Soul-Calling Spirit shattered, the Ghost Spirit was cut in half, and finally, his right arm was severed. It was an unreal, dreamlike scene. The screams of his associate, distant from his ears, echoed in a dreamlike manner.

However, the fact that his friend Cheonsal's right arm was severed was true, and the fact that he was currently in a situation where he could be roasted like a pig under Yeomdo's True Red Seventeen Flames Sword Flame Qi was also true.

"Grrr!"

The intense heat that had been burning his entire body returned to his cold skin and mind. Thirst tormented him more severely than before.

The intense battle continued. Until just now, the situation was too close to call, but after being shocked by what happened to Cheonsal, Jisal seemed to be very emotionally disturbed.

Now, anyone could see that Yeomdo was cornering Jisal. Jisal's defeat was imminent. It was no exaggeration to say it was almost certain.

The hall was somewhat tidied up.

"Are you thirsty?"

Yeomdo asked, still powerfully wielding his great sword without tiring.

To the question that was out of place for the situation, Jisal unintentionally nodded. It was an unconscious action. The desire for relief was that desperate. His throat felt parched and burning. Jisal's already flushed face turned even redder with shame.

A flash like it could pierce the soul gleamed from Yeomdo's red eyes.

"Then I'll quench your thirst! But with your blood!"

Yeomdo's saber turned into a single red line and cut through the air.

"Thump!"

A moment later, a heavy object fell to the ground. It was an arm. The owner of the excessively plump arm was clearly Jisal. Yeomdo's beloved saber, Hongyeom, was identified as the prime suspect for dismemberment.

"Puuuaaaat!"

"Kaaaaaaargh!"

Blood gushed from Jisal's shoulder like a fountain.

"How was that? I kept my promise, right?"

Covered in blood, Yeomdo looked like a demon. The match was decided this way.

No one had expected the Twin Killers of Heaven and Earth, infamous even in the dark martial arts world, to be defeated so easily. The notorious reputation they had built for decades became meaningless in an instant. The name of the Twin Killers of Heaven and Earth would no longer be mentioned as a symbol of evil. Fame, even if it was a notorious reputation, was like bubbles!

Their names were erased from the illustrious history of the martial arts world, and their era came to an end today.

"He will not forgive you."

Such a cliché line! Leaving this one sentence behind, the twins fled like beaten dogs. It was a shame that they hadn't been completely finished off.

"They've lost their touch!"

Bilryeon's assessment after hearing their parting words. Yeomdo, standing beside him, nodded in full agreement. It was unbecoming of the Twin Killers of Heaven and Earth, who had once brought a storm of blood in the name of fear, to threaten someone by shamelessly borrowing another's strength.

"He… who is it?"

Bilryeon pondered for a moment, then turned his head towards Namgung Sang.

"No!"

Namgung Sang shook his head vigorously.

"It's too vague."

It was understandable that a complaint escaped his lips.

Why didn't they speak more clearly! They had very little consideration for others.

Now, only Galhyobong, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Cheongheun, remained.

"Is it just this one person left now?"

Bilryeon said, glancing away. The two fighting noisily came into his view. Cheongheun and Galhyobong! Their martial arts were so outstanding that he wondered if there were any others their age with such skill. Meanwhile, Moyonghwi, despite receiving emergency treatment, was still lingering between life and death.

Cheongheun and Galhyobong were now fighting with all their might against lifelong rivals. However, despite the battle having started a long time ago, no conclusion had been reached yet. They seemed to still have reserves of strength even after expending so much vital energy fighting Moyonghwi.

"How should we handle him?"

With their leader having fled and the enemies scattered, only Galhyobong remained. His twin sabers were much duller compared to their initial explosive power. This was proof that he was nearing his limit of stamina.

"Do we have to kill him after all?"

No other effective method came to mind. The most urgent task now was to finish things as quickly as possible.

Snap!

As Bilryeon was contemplating how to deal with Galhyobong, someone grabbed his shoulder.

"Why?"

Bilryeon turned around with a puzzled expression.

"Please don't kill him!"

Hyoryong's face, as he pleaded, was incredibly serious.

"Why?"

"……."

Hyoryong couldn't readily answer Bilryeon's question. Bilryeon hadn't expected an answer easily either. But he wanted to hear it. In situations like this, though he felt sorry for his friend, a little coercion could have quite a good effect.

"Hyoryong! As you know, he has lost his reason! He cannot be subdued by ordinary means. Even if he is subdued, there's no guarantee that his lost reason will return! So, the easiest method is to kill him! You know that well."

"That won't do! Absolutely not!"

Hyoryong cried out as if in agony, his face pale.

"The reason?"

Bilryeon asked, his gaze still fixed on Galhyobong.

"He… he…"

Hyoryong squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. He was in a desperate state, grasping at straws. A vague hope that Bilryeon, standing before him, might do something seized him. Even if that hope was an illusion, it was fine. He had to do something now.

Finally, Hyoryong gritted his teeth.

"He… he is my own brother!"

The crowd looked at Hyoryong with astonished faces.

Their gazes were filled with disbelief. The warmth from before was nowhere to be found in those eyes. Only coldness greeted him.

"Oh!"

The condemnation Bilryeon had expected did not come. Bilryeon briefly turned his head to glance at Hyoryong, then looked forward again.

"You have a face that says, 'Don't ask anything!'"

"Stomp, stomp!"

Bilryeon walked towards the two engaged in battle, as if nothing had happened. There was no hesitation in his steps. His steps were as leisurely and relaxed as if he were on a stroll.

"Where are you going?"

Hyoryong asked with a bewildered expression.

"A stroll!"

This was Bilryeon's casual reply.