Chapter 498

The twelve needles form a single formation.

Each needle was not an independent attack. The twelve created a single structure designed to imprison the target.

A fusion of formations and needle arts.

It was exactly the kind of idea Cheon Saeum would devise.

Heo Jinsa closed his eyes.

Then opened them.

“Here I come.”

He moved.

Fast.

The full power of late Unity of Heaven and Man.

Heo Jinsa’s body blurred as he charged toward Unhwi, leaving afterimages behind him.

His right hand opened first.

Whssht—

Six silver needles flew at once.

But they did not fly toward Unhwi.

They flew around him.

Above. Below. Left. Right. Front. Back.

Six directions.

The silver needles formed a hexagon around Unhwi and stopped in midair.

They had been fixed in place with internal energy.

Poisonous energy linked one needle to the next.

Like black threads.

The sides of the hexagon took shape.

A net.

A net that imprisoned Unhwi.

The essence of the Heavenly Serpent Poison Needle Art.

Poison Net Heavenly Serpent Formation.

Once trapped within the formation created by those six needles, poisonous energy invaded from every direction.

Through the skin.

Through the vital points.

Through the breath.

There was no escape.

The martial artists watching from the courtyard swallowed hard.

Yang Uiji’s eyes widened.

Was he capable of this much?

She had not known Heo Jinsa could wield Cheon Saeum’s martial art to such a level.

Then Heo Jinsa’s left hand moved.

The remaining six needles.

These were not part of the formation.

They were the attack.

Heo Jinsa leaped into the formation.

Into his own formation.

Into the same enclosed space as Unhwi.

His left hand opened.

Six silver needles shot toward Unhwi.

As poisonous energy closed in from all sides, the six needles simultaneously targeted his vital points.

Throat.

Chest.

Abdomen.

Both shoulders.

The point between his brows.

There was no room to evade.

The formation had imprisoned him.

An unavoidable attack.

The final legacy created by his master, Cheon Saeum.

A formula flowed from Heo Jinsa’s lips.

“Heavenly Serpent’s Single Needle, Poison Pierces the Meridians.”

One move containing everything he possessed.

Directed at Unhwi.

Unhwi watched.

He watched the six needles form the formation.

He watched poisonous energy fill the space from every direction.

He watched the remaining six needles fly toward his vital points.

He saw all of it.

Not a bad martial art.

He meant it.

Cheon Saeum had been a madman, but when it came to martial arts, he had been a genius.

And if the disciple of that genius had reached this level—

It was not bad at all.

One move from a martial artist facing death.

It deserved to be received.

Unhwi’s sword rose.

Slowly.

Poisonous energy touched his skin.

Cold energy drove it back.

The cold energy coating the surface of his body prevented the poison from seeping in.

The six silver needles reached the space directly before his eyes.

Unhwi spoke.

Heavenly Origin’s single sword opens chaos;

before all things are born, light exists first.

The formula resounded.

Unhwi’s sword moved.

First Form of the Heavenly Origin Boundless Sword.

Heavenly Origin Opens Creation.

Everyone in the courtyard saw the sword rise.

It appeared slow.

It was not that their eyes could not follow it.

Their eyes followed, but their minds could not comprehend the movement.

The sword rose.

Toward the sky.

Then descended.

Once.

A single stroke.

KRRRRAAANG—!

A sound erupted.

It was not the sound of a sword cutting through the air.

It was the sound of space splitting apart.

The instant Unhwi’s sword descended, light burst from its tip.

White light.

No.

It was too cold to be called light.

It was not cold energy.

It was something beyond cold energy.

Void-Origin Energy.

Energy refined through the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Energy beyond the Heaven-Defying Vast Azure Sword.

The light spread.

The formation split apart.

The Poison Net Heavenly Serpent Formation created by the six needles was torn open.

The poisonous energy connecting one needle to another evaporated.

The instant the black threads touched the white light, they ceased to exist.

Six silver needles were hurled away.

The six used to attack.

The six forming the formation.

All twelve.

They fell to the ground.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The light sound rang out twelve times.

Then the light reached Heo Jinsa.

A white line created by the path of the sword.

It had stopped directly before his body.

It did not touch him.

Unhwi had stopped it.

The tip of his sword was suspended an inch before Heo Jinsa’s chest.

But even though the sword had not touched him, its energy had.

Heo Jinsa’s clothes split apart.

Straight down the center of his chest.

Blood welled from the wound.

A shallow cut.

But Heo Jinsa knew.

This is mercy.

Had that sword advanced a single inch farther, his body would have been split in two.

Along with the formation.

Along with the poison.

Along with everything else.

Heo Jinsa’s knees gave way.

Thud.

He collapsed onto the ground.

The courtyard was silent.

Utterly silent.

Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

What the more than one hundred martial artists had witnessed was this.

Heo Jinsa unleashed a move containing everything he possessed.

The Poison Net Heavenly Serpent Formation.

Twelve needles.

Poisonous energy closing in from every direction.

A formation from which there was no escape.

Within it, Unhwi swung his sword once.

Once.

Everything ended with that single stroke.

The formation shattered.

The poisonous energy vanished.

All twelve needles fell to the ground.

And the sword did not kill Heo Jinsa.

It could have killed him.

But it did not.

Yang Uiji stood there.

She could do nothing but stand.

Her mouth hung open.

Is this the martial art of the Blood Heaven Arbiter?

There had been rumors that he had exchanged moves with Gongsun Jinhae of the Supreme Void Realm.

Absurd rumors that Gongsun Jinhae had been deeply astonished and had gone beyond acknowledging Unhwi as a martial artist to feeling reverence for him.

They had not been rumors.

They were true.

No.

They were beyond truth.

I can see why the Heavenly Wayfarer treasures him.

She had no choice but to acknowledge it.

The other martial artists of Viper Valley were no different.

Some stood with their mouths open.

Some had lost the strength in their knees and collapsed.

Some held swords in trembling hands.

They all felt the same thing.

This man was different.

A sword that rendered the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man meaningless.

Heo Jinsa raised his head.

He looked up at Unhwi.

A smile spread across Heo Jinsa’s lips.

“......You are extraordinary.”

“Your move was good as well.”

Unhwi answered sincerely.

“It could not have been easy to wield Cheon Saeum’s martial art to that degree.”

“If it was a move that did not shame my master, I am satisfied.”

Even if Cheon Saeum had been a madman, blood naturally ran inward.

Heo Jinsa had sincerely respected him as his master.

It was understandable that he would say such a thing.

Heo Jinsa closed his eyes and spoke.

“Please kill me.”

Unhwi looked down at him and asked quietly.

“Do you have any final words?”

Heo Jinsa thought for a moment.

“For the Valley Master.”

Yang Uiji flinched faintly.

“The people imprisoned in the abandoned mine. The ones I experimented on.”

“......”

“There is an antidote formula in a drawer in my laboratory. If it is administered within three days, they can be saved.”

Yang Uiji’s eyes shook.

“......Why would you have that?”

“Poison is medicine, and medicine is poison.”

Heo Jinsa smiled.

A lonely smile.

“I experimented on them, but I did not intend to kill them. I was studying the antidote at the same time.”

“......”

“I thought that was the difference between my master and me.”

Heo Jinsa lowered his head.

“But in the end, I walked the same path.”

Unhwi raised his sword.

“I will send you off as a martial artist.”

“Thank you.”

Heo Jinsa raised his head.

He did not close his eyes.

He looked at Unhwi.

Until the end.

Unhwi’s sword moved.

Swiftly.

Silently.

Blood flowed from Heo Jinsa’s throat.

A thin line.

Heo Jinsa’s eyes went still.

His pupils lost focus.

But the smile remained on his lips.

His body tilted forward.

He fell.

Without a sound.

Wind blew across the courtyard.

Unhwi sheathed his sword.

He did not wipe away the blood.

He turned.

He looked across the courtyard.

More than one hundred martial artists were staring at him.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

It was silent.

Only the wind could be heard.

Unhwi spoke.

“Valley Master.”

Yang Uiji stepped forward.

“I leave the rest to you.”

Yang Uiji looked at Unhwi.

“This is a matter of Viper Valley. It is right that the master of Viper Valley deal with it.”

Yang Uiji understood.

Heo Jinsa had been executed in the name of the Blood Heaven Arbiter.

That had been an order of the Blood Heaven Sect.

But the remaining accomplices had to be dealt with by the master of Viper Valley.

Only then would order be restored.

Only then would the Valley Master’s authority be upheld.

Unhwi had returned that authority to Yang Uiji.

Yang Uiji nodded.

“......Understood.”

“And the position of vice master is now vacant. Find someone suitable.”

“Yes.”

“And.”

Unhwi paused briefly.

“Burn the abandoned mine. Burn all of Cheon Saeum’s research records with it.”

“All of them?”

“All of them.”

Yang Uiji nodded.

Unhwi turned away.

He began walking toward Poison Fragrance Pavilion.

Yang Uiji’s voice came from behind him.

“Blood Heaven Arbiter.”

He stopped.

He did not turn.

“......Thank you.”

Unhwi gave no answer and resumed walking.

Yang Uiji watched his retreating back.

A black robe.

A single sword at his waist.

Blood stained the blade.

Yang Uiji thought.

When she first met this man on Snow Mountain, she had not acknowledged him.

Even after he became the Blood Heaven Arbiter, she had not acknowledged him.

Even sending him the letter had wounded her pride.

But now—

Why the Heavenly Wayfarer treasures this man...

Yang Uiji lowered her head.

I think I understand a little now.

Wind swept across the courtyard.

Heo Jinsa’s blood spread over the stone slabs.

The sun was setting.

***

Three days later.

It was just before sunset.

The western sky was stained red.

Upon reaching the Blood Heaven Sect, Unhwi went directly to Blood Spirit Hall.

Chief Seong was waiting outside Unhwi’s residence within the hall.

“Young Master. You have returned.”

Chief Seong’s expression was dark.

Unhwi’s brow immediately furrowed slightly.

It was not only Chief Seong’s expression.

There was a wound beside his face.

“What happened?”

It was not a question.

It was a confirmation.

“......I will explain inside.”

They entered Blood Spirit Hall.

Ju Soa and Namgung Wonyang were seated inside.

Both rose when Unhwi entered.

“My lord.”

“Blood Heaven Arbiter.”

Unhwi looked at all three of them.

Chief Seong.

Namgung Wonyang.

Ju Soa.

Each wore a different expression.

Chief Seong looked grim.

Namgung Wonyang was rigid.

Ju Soa—

Unhwi’s gaze stopped on Ju Soa.

Her eyes were red.

She had not been crying.

But it was clear that she had not slept properly.

And something about her neck caught his attention.

Her collar was raised higher than usual.

Unhwi sat down in silence and spoke briefly.

“Sit.”

At his words, the three of them took their seats.

Unhwi studied them for a while.

Then he spoke again, just as briefly.

“Tell me.”

It was obvious to anyone that something had happened.

Chief Seong explained everything that had occurred during Unhwi’s absence.

From beginning to end.

In detail.

How Baek Ryeon, Seventh Seat of the Heaven-Law Platform, had appeared at the guest quarters.

How he had seized Chief Seong’s wrist and forced him to his knees.

And how he had declared that the Heaven-Law Platform could enter Blood Spirit Hall whenever it wished.

Namgung Wonyang continued.

She explained how Seop Gyeong, Ninth Seat of the Heaven-Law Platform, had blocked the way before Blood Spirit Hall.

How he had caught her sword between two fingers.

How he had driven her back against the wall.

And how he had declared that Blood Spirit Hall was already within the reach of the Heaven-Law Platform.

Unhwi shifted his gaze and looked at Wonyang’s arm.

It was swollen.

Chief Seong’s arm.

Wonyang’s arm.

Neither was remotely unharmed.

Then Ju Soa spoke.

Her voice was lower than usual.

She explained how Han Soyeong, Twelfth Seat of the Heaven-Law Platform, had appeared behind the guest quarters.

How Han Soyeong’s finger had touched her throat.

And how she had said that if the Heaven-Law Platform wished it, Ju Soa would already be dead.

The three finished their accounts.