Chapter 24 - Refining (3)

A new world appears before my eyes.

Though I have not yet fully entered that world, I sense that once I do—

I would become entirely different from before.

The purple intent.

Familiarizing myself with the direction this new path points to, I recall the formula of Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.

Up to now, I memorized the formula but couldn't understand a single word.

That's why, even possessing this divine technique, understanding it was impossible.

Now, however.

The moment I saw the path of purple, somehow, I felt like I could understand the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.

'Only now do I understand why every single person who read the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts called it an absurd martial art.'

Yes, this is a martial doctrine that could completely overturn the history of martial arts in Yanguo.

Its basis might be for escaping and ambushing cultivators.

But if used properly, this could be.

―Undoubtedly a martial art meant to capture and kill those cultivators!

A long time ago, this was Kim Young-hoon's assessment of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts after mastering it.

Yes, if used properly, it's indeed a martial art capable of killing cultivators!

The formula of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts flashes past my mind.

[In the contest of martial arts, if the clashing of colors represents the essence of martial arts… can't we attack the colors themselves?]

A phrase incomprehensible before stepping into the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

But now, I understand.

'Colors are intent. And attacking the colors themselves means…'

Attacking the opponent's intent directly!

Going beyond exchanging trajectories through intent, attacking the intent itself, and going deeper, cutting through the opponent's very consciousness. That is the basis of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.

And with that as the foundation, those who use the Record of Surpassing Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts can also sever a cultivator's perception, and enter the cultivator's blind spot!

The divine technique Kim Young-hoon showed, which made him disappear like a phantom, wasn't his movement technique but the secret move that quickly sliced through my consciousness, making me unable to perceive him momentarily!

Shuk!

My sword dives into the flow of the Crown Prince's perception.

Even in human perception, there are layers of fibers.

Aiming for the gaps in the fibers through the purple thread, I concentrate my intent following the formula of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts and slice into his perception.

Paat!

The corner of his consciousness split.

Though I stand before him, in his eyes, I must appear to have vanished like a phantom.

I've entered the cultivator's blind spot.

Ordinary martial artists can't perceive intent due to the space being completely dominated by a cultivator's consciousness domain.

Conversely, a cultivator can detect every movement of a martial artist who enters their realm of consciousness.

But the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts allows one to penetrate the cultivator's blind spot, rendering even cultivators unable to track a martial artist's actions.

A martial art that momentarily equalizes martial artists with cultivators!

This is.

'The martial doctrine created by mortals to surpass the heavens!'

Quickly slicing through the fibers of the Crown Prince's consciousness, I approach him closely and raise my sword.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

First move.

Transcending Peaks!

Paat!

My sword, covered in sword silk, precisely targets the Crown Prince's neck.

Then, the sound of clashing metal resounds.

Kaang!

A translucent defensive spell suddenly covers him.

"Huh, huhuk…! You, what trick did you play?"

Perhaps surprised by my sudden disappearance and close-range attack, he forms a spell seal.

Kwaang!

Energy writhes, changing the flow of the surrounding air.

Purung!

I'm thrown backwards by a strong rebound force, and a small whirlwind starts rising around the Crown Prince.

"The trick was amusing, but I'll show you that it's useless against a true cultivator!"

Piyung!

Several wind blades shoot out from the whirlwind covering him.

I hastily retreat, dodging outside the Crown Prince's consciousness domain.

From outside his consciousness domain, the flow of intent becomes clear.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Bouldered Cliff.

Boom, boom, boom!

In a defensive and offensive stance, I deflect all the incoming wind blades along the optimal path and prepare to re-enter his domain.

However, as the Crown Prince forms another spell seal, a wind bomb the size of my upper body shoots towards me from the whirlwind.

'I need to dodge for now.'

Frowning, I use my movement technique and escape deeper into the village within the Makli Clan's territory.

Kwaang, Kwaang, Kwaang!

Several straw-thatched houses collapse under the wind bomb attack, and corpses and streams of blood from mortals spill out.

'I need to approach the whirlwind.'

But as I observe the Crown Prince's whirlwind more closely, I click my tongue.

'Each and every strand of that wind is a wind blade. If I go in, I'll be shredded.'

Even if I cut through his perception to approach, I can't land a hit if I can't penetrate the whirlwind.

'No, that's not all.'

Even if I penetrate the whirlwind, the Crown Prince's defensive spell remains.

My sword silk can't penetrate his spell.

'How can I break through all of it?'

Kwaang, kwaang, kwaang!

I dodge through the alleys of the village, using the houses of cultivators as a shield against the Crown Prince's attacks.

Dodging isn't a problem.

As long as I stay outside the Crown Prince's consciousness domain and carefully observe the intent where the wind blades would appear.

However, fundamentally, the internal energy of a martial artist is more impure compared to a cultivator's spiritual power, so no matter how much internal energy a martial artist has, they will tire much quicker than a cultivator.

'I can't drag this out.'

I need to finish this quickly.

And to do that.

'Now, right now. I must rise to Three Flowers Gather at the Summit!'

I must not lose this clue and ascend right away.

With the resolve to die!

Taat!

Climbing onto the roof of a house with my Transcending Peaks Step, I slash my sword at the wind bomb the Crown Prince shoots.

Boo-woong!

Kwaang!

Cutting upwards with Ascending Vein, the wind bomb splits in half and flies off in different directions.

Jing, jing, jing!

'My hand is trembling.'

Indeed, the power contained in the wind bomb was formidable.

The hand holding my sword hurts like mad.

'I'll keep receiving those attacks.'

But I abandon all thoughts of dodging and continue thrusting my sword at the wind bombs and wind blades.

The intent of the wind bomb and wind blade is directed at me.

I observe the attacks coming from both sides and prepare my stance.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Landscape Painting!

A diagonal slash extends left and right, cutting through the approaching wind blade and wind bomb.

But beyond, even more endless wind blades rush in.

'I won't stop.'

I keep wielding my sword and unfold sword techniques.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Joy of Mountains and Peaks.

Flowing Ridge.

Strange Stone.

Bouldered Cliff.

Moving freely in all directions without limit, I cut the wind.

Thrusting, I explode the wind bomb.

I attack and block in a defensive and offensive stance.

And while doing so, I begin to approach step by step again.

Shuk! Shuk!

Even as I move, some wind blades, shooting too quickly to even avoid, slash through various parts of my body.

Shoulder, waist, cheek, thigh.

The flesh grazed by the wind blades turn to tatters.

"Hmph, how dare you approach! Die!"

As the Crown Prince forms a spell seal, the whirlwind writhes, and numerous wind blades begin to merge.

The wind blades soon take the form of a single peng.

A deep red intent aims at me.

A terrifying killing intent descends upon the entire space I stand in.

I can't block it.

I can't dodge it.

The moment it flies at me, I'll die.

I can feel it instinctively.

But for some reason, I'm not worried.

I simply, aimlessly, chase the faint purple thread trailing between the red intent.

'What does purple mean?'

Blue is the intent of self-protection.

Thus, it extends from me.

Red is the intent of killing.

Thus, it extends from the enemy.

Then what is purple?

Purple is...

Suddenly, as the red and blue intent intertwine, for some reason, it feels like it is drawing a Taiji.

Though the blue is far weaker than the red, it mixes into it.

And between red and blue.

The intent of purple opens a path.

'Purple is the color born from the mix of blue and red.'

Hostility and self-will.

The will to protect oneself and the will to kill.

Why can these two intents mix?

Suddenly, looking at the stance I've taken, I'm speechless.

Facing such a terrifying attack, I have assumed the stance for the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's first move, Transcending Peaks.

'Do I no longer want to live?'

No, that's not it.

I've always wanted to live.

Then, the current stance means my will to live has guided me towards it.

'Ah, right.'

This isn't simply Transcending Peaks.

Transcending Peaks is both the beginning and the end of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Therefore, it can also serve as the opening form for the ultimate move, Severing Mountain.

Kieeek!

The peng flies towards me.

Toward the peng, I begin unfolding the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's twenty-second move, Severing Mountain.

Transcending Peaks (越岳).

Entering Mountain (入山).

Ascending Vein (登脈).

Flowing Ridge (流陵).

Bouldered Cliff (塊巖).

Strange Stone (奇石).

Deep Mountain (深山).

Secluded Valley (幽谷).

Landscape Painting (山水畵).

Dragon Vein (龍脈).

Cliff Edge (斷崖).

Twelve Lights Emerging Peak (十二光日出峰).

I slash horizontally, followed by a downward vertical cut, then an upward slash, a crooked thrust forward, then change forms with a spin in a defensive and offensive stance, charging forth and slashing upward.

I twist and redirect the opponent's power, nullifying it, and wildly slash diagonally several times.

Momentarily reinforcing sword energy to deliver a fast vertical strike,

Then varying the tempo again to slash upward and fire twelve strands of sword energy beyond.

All of this happens in an instant.

I madly unleash the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, relentlessly chasing the purple trajectory.

The power of the peng intensifies.

The wind blades emitting from its body leave cuts and wounds all over my body.

Perhaps due to losing too much blood, my vision blurs.

'A little more, just a little more!'

Keep moving the sword.

Even if it's just one step more, get closer to that color!

Even if I die the next moment!

'If I lack talent.'

Joy of Mountains and Peaks (樂山樂岳).

Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven (氣山心天).

Layered Mountain (疊疊山中).

Mountain Tiger (山中豪傑).

Mountain and Valley Transformation (陵谷之變).

Echoing Valley (空谷傳聲).

'I must go crazy!!!'

It's okay to die now.

So please, show me the way!

At that moment.

I stare at the massive red intent being fired toward me and think.

'Maybe in the contest of martial arts, there is no me or others.'

Until now, I've always thought the intents of others were invariably red.

But if I change the perspective, from the other's point of view, their own intent is blue, and mine is red.

I used to think the world of peak martial artists only consisted of others' intents and mine.

But maybe that's a mistaken thought.

Others' intent.

And my intent.

Perhaps it's just a matter of perspective and they're all the same color.

I close and then open my eyes.

Changing perspectives, my intent appears red and the peng's intent blue.

When I blink again, the colors return to normal, but I understand.

'If intent is essentially the same, what remains is only my martial arts.'

The boundaries between my color and the Crown Prince's color of intent start to fade.

Red and blue melt into each other, and before me, the world in all directions seems to be drenched in purple.

My body is turning into tatters in real-time, but concurrently, I enter a strange state of ecstasy.

Martial Arts are never complete on their own.

For me who wields this Martial Arts, there needs to be a partner to dance with.

'Ah, I see.'

I finally understand the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

A realm of communion with the opponent!

A realm where the boundary between the opponent's intent and mine disappears, allowing me to read their intention more directly, more delicately!

A realm where, by understanding the opponent's intent, one gains awareness of their own actions, and so all flaws in one's techniques and movements vanish.

Reflecting every one of my forms in the Crown Prince's intent like a mirror, I come to realize just how much energy I have wasted until now.

How many unnecessary movements I made while executing techniques.

Huuuuh―

I take a deep breath.

All the internal energy I've carelessly scattered while executing my techniques, I gather them back!

The Shadow Guards, paralyzed by paralyzing powder, watched the duel between Seo Eun-hyun and the Crown Prince from the ground.

A veteran of a hundred battles with overwhelming practical experience despite his young age!

That was the assessment Seo Eun-hyun had received since he joined the Shadow Guard.

Such an experienced master had been refining his skills for decades.

Yet none of the Shadow Guards believed he could defeat the Crown Prince.

Because the Crown Prince was a cultivator.

A being of a different class from martial artists.

Indeed, Seo Eun-hyun was becoming tattered in real-time while fighting the Crown Prince.

Wind holes opened in his body, his entire body was covered in wounds, and he was vomiting blood from his mouth.

Yet, he did not give up and steadily moved forward, step by step.

But everyone knew.

This desperate struggle was futile.

It was then.

Shock filled the eyes of the Shadow Guards.

Seo Eun-hyun began to unfold his swordsmanship.

It rather looked more like a sword dance.

A series of movements that flow cleanly and precisely, without any excess.

But what astounded them was what happened next.

Seo Eun-hyun's flow of intent became refined.

At the same time, it connected so endlessly to the point that the early and mid stage peak-masters couldn't comprehend it.

Then, the intent that had spread outward around Seo Eun-hyun converged at a single point—no, three points.

"Th-Three..."

Above his head, as he danced his sword dance, three blossoms bloomed.

"Three Flowers… Gather at the Summit!"

The three flowers that momentarily lingered above his head were soon sucked into his nose and mouth.

Huuuuup!

All the wasted energy returns at once.

The internal energy consumed while executing the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship is instantly replenished.

I felt like I could understand why Leader said that Echoing Valley was linked to Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

'A technique that receives and counters the opponent's power.'

In a way, it was practice in exchanging intent with the opponent until eventually reaching communion.

'... Thank you, Hyung-nim.'

I express deep gratitude within my heart to Kim Young-hoon from my past life and continue to swing my sword.

There is no you nor me.

In this place, only Martial Arts exist.

Only now do I understand why the masters of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit told me to enter a state of selflessness.

It was not a metaphysical answer, but advice to reach a state where neither your intent nor my intent exists.

Mountain Echoes, Valley Respond (山鳴谷應).

Nine Mountains Eight Seas (九山八海).

In a state of no-self, I unleash my sword.

In executing swordplay, there is not even a single bit of wasted movement.

In the realm of purple, beyond blue and red, I continue to infuse my sword intent.

'If there is neither you nor me, and only Martial Arts exists, then there is neither your intent nor mine.'

If sword energy is becoming one with the blade and breathing energy into it.

And if sword silk is realizing and infusing intent—

Then the next step is…

'Sword intent should commune with the intent flowing through the world.'

Paaat!

The sword silk evolves.

The thin veil of sword silk enveloping around the blade thickens and begins radiating a shimmering glow.

It looks as if the sword was adorned with starlight.

Sword Gang!

Why I couldn't sustain the Sword Gang for more than a second with my strength alone, even when pouring all my internal energy into it, became clear in the realm of Three Flowers.

It is because Martial Arts are not unfolded just with one's own strength.

The opponent's intent.

And the world's intent. Only when all of it communes can martial arts be truly completed.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Heavenly Lake!

I become like a clear lake, sweeping through the 'flow' of the peng with my sword.

Though it was a spell body without meridians and channels, I felt like I could understand the peng's structure.

The flow of intent inside the peng was clear to see.

The power of the peng was sucked into my sword in an instant, and I executed the ultimate technique of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship while sheathing my sword.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Ultimate Move.

"Severing Mountain."

Chaaaak!

Unsheathing the sword again, I unleash it towards the peng.

My sword was clearly adorned with bright Sword Gang.

Chung!

The Sword Gang shatters the peng.

"Huuu..."

I catch my breath.

I look at the Crown Prince, grinding his teeth within the whirlwind, with clear eyes.

"Ha, you. Don't be happy just because you broke one spell. Take this!"

Numerous wind blades merge, transforming into a giant dragon this time.

But I no longer felt that these would kill me.

Tadat!

I charge at him with the Transcending Peaks Step.

Koooong!

The wind dragon roars and flies towards me.

In the midst of executing the foot technique, I realized something more.

'Mountain Lord Martial Arts and Transcending Peaks Step were one technique all along.'

Until now, I didn't realize it due to my lack of talent.

It was only after reaching the state of Three Flowers that I finally understood.

The intention Kim Young-hoon had left in this foot technique when he created it.

Mountain Lord (山君) transcends Great Peaks(越岳)!

'And then, it soars.'

Mountain Lord's Soaring Flight (山君越岳飛).

I leaped up, avoiding the wind dragon, and entered the Crown Prince's domain.

''Be nervous, Your Highness.''

Now, there were no more constraints in executing the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.

The moment I entered his domain, I felt the flow of his consciousness sweeping over my entire body.

Using Secrets of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts, I sharply honed my intent and cut through his consciousness directly.

Just moments ago, I was cutting unconsciously in ecstasy, but now I was fully aware and executing in single form!

''Ha, resorting to tricks again. But do you really think you can penetrate this whirlwind?''

The whirlwind surrounding the Crown Prince.

It was the culmination of a spell made of thousands, even tens of thousands of wind blades.

Yet, I feel a newfound confidence.

'I can cut through it.'

The weakest point of the spell.

The spot where the rotation of the wind blades was weakest.

I shot towards that spot.

Kaang!

Dozens, hundreds of wind blades seemed to shoot towards me.

But I did not flinch, sensing their intent.

I felt it.

Kaang, kang, kang!

Landscape Painting (山水畵)!

Dozens of slashes extended in all directions, shedding the wind blades, and I successfully penetrated the inside of the whirlwind.

Inside, the Crown Prince's consciousness was denser and harder to cut.

'No matter.'

At this distance, my sword can reach him.

I infused my sword with Sword Gang.

Paat!

A bright white light burst from my sword, shocking the Crown Prince who just noticed me.

'Before, I couldn't pierce the defensive spell with sword silk.'

But Sword Gang would be different!

Kwaang!

My single sword stroke shattered the Crown Prince's defensive spell like glass.

"Kreuaak!"

Chaaak!

My sword tore a part of his neck.

Paaat!

The Crown Prince hurriedly executed a wind spell to dodge my sword.

For the first time, fear seemed to surface in his eyes.

"He, heek. Don't come. Stay away!"

Paat!

I lunged at him with the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, cutting through his consciousness again.

As I disappeared from his sight, his complexion turned deathly pale.

"G-go away! Get away, get away from me!"

Kwaaaa!

A gust of wind howled.

He blindly scattered wind in all directions due to not seeing me, but I quickly sliced through the wind and approached him again.

Chaaak!

Using Sword Gang, I aimed at him once more.

The Crown Prince screamed and used another spell, narrowly surviving once more.

"Die! Just die!"

Paat!

As he chanted a spell, forming another incantation, once again, spells in the forms of peng, wind dragon, phoenix, and qilin burst forth.

Now fully grounded in Three Flowers Gather at the Summit and using Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, they were useless against me.

Shuk!

I rushed towards the peng with Deep Mountain, slicing it, then pierced the wind dragon with Flowing Ridge. Dodging other spells with Mountain Lord's Soaring Flight, I chase after the prince.

Once again, he uses powerful spells to escape from me.

The situation had reversed.

"Hu, huk! Huoooork!"

The Crown Prince miserably ran away, continuously forming incantations.

Compared to me, who uses my internal energy without any waste, the Crown Prince, who had kept casting large-scale spells that never hit, now turned pale.

"Ju, just die! Please, just die! Huaaaa!"

'With the next strike, I'll end it.'

I took the stance of Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven and took a breath.

"Ha, ha! Krk!"

While fleeing, the Crown Prince suddenly changes direction, leaping with a spell.

'Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven!'

Shuk!

My Sword Gang extends and aims at his legs, severing them.

"Kraaak! Damn, damn it! A mere martial artist, why a martial artist!!"

In agony from his severed legs, he grits his teeth at me.

"You! Do you think what you're doing is right? Do you think the Jin Clan you're with is any different?"

I silently raise my sword towards him.

"Hahaha! That's right, you received the Void Building Pill from father years ago! The Void Building Pill is made of the same material as the Qi Building Pill.

And you know what the Qi Building Pill is, the one that Qi Refining cultivators eat to ascend to Qi Building right?"

I raise my sword towards the babbling prince.

"The Qi Building Pill is made using a hundred years of human vital energy and blood as one of its ingredients! Do you think there's a Qi Building cultivator who ascended without eating a Qi Building Pill?

Over 99% of Qi Building cultivators ascend by consuming Qi Building Pills! The Jin Clan you follow is no different in the end! They all consume human lives!

Since you've eaten the Void Building Pill, you're no different..."

Puk!

I kick the Crown Prince in the chest. He coughed up blood, struggling to breathe.

But I, too, had to gasp for air.

I had lost too much blood.

There were places where flesh had been completely torn away, and I was losing sensation in my thigh.

I glanced down at the Crown Prince coughing on the ground, then took out a silk box from my pocket.

I looked at the Void Building Pill inside.

A lustrous pill with a hint of red.

A legendary elixir said to extend a person's life by ten years.

Today, I realized the true nature of the red hue in the Void Building Pill.

Tuk―

Crunch.

I throw the filthy pill beside the Crown Prince and crush it under my foot.

"Don't worry. I have no intention of ever consuming such filthy pills made by you cultivators."

Flames roared and raged.

The Makli Clan's base was now engulfed in flames by the fire spells of the Jin Clan cultivators.

Above, a battle was raging among Qi Building cultivators.

Kim Young-hoon was also engaged in that battle.

'I need to hurry... and help.'

Would I have been able to move a bit more if I had taken the Void Building Pill?

But I have no regrets.

I don't want to touch a filthy pill made at the expense of human lives.

Sleung―

I raise my sword.

"Farewell."

I struck down at the Crown Prince.

Shuk!

What's happening?

Why is my body upside down?

I suddenly realize that my neck felt empty.

'Ah, I see. My head has been cut off.'

It was due to a wind blade that suddenly shot from the necklace the Crown Prince was wearing.

A wind blade I couldn't possibly block or dodge.

'I need to... cut.'

Finally reaching that realm.

To be a little more helpful.

Is this how I die?

'No, it's not.'

Even if I die like this.

Let me be of some help.

Despite achieving the realm I longed for, to die without doing anything?

'I'll cut! I'll cut!'

Even if I die, I'll keep cutting!

"Huh...huk..."

Makli Hyun, the Crown Prince of Yanguo, gasped for breath upon witnessing the decapitated body of Seo Eun-hyun.

'I survived.'

The life-saving magical instrument given to the Crown Prince of Yanguo.

A one-time use magical instrument capable of delivering a blow equivalent to a Qi Building cultivator was activated.

"... Ha, hahaha!"

He laughed maniacally.

"I won! I beat this mortal! You can never challenge the authority of cultivators Ha, haha! Kuhk! Kuk!"

He coughed up blood.

He had used too many powerful spells excessively.

His spiritual power was depleted, and he couldn't move his legs.

'I need to recover my spiritual power with spirit stones.'

He looked up at the sky.

Among the martial artists who came with Seo Eun-hyun, there was a monster who was confronting Qi Building-level elders head-on.

'I shouldn't have come to gain merit. I need to escape before it's too late...'

Then, it happened.

Wriggle―

"..."

Seo Eun-hyun's decapitated body began to move.

"What?"

Makli Hyun dumbfoundedly watched the body.

A body without a head, now adopting a stance.

"What, what's going on! No, nooo!"

Without any spiritual power controlling its movements, it wasn't a Jiangshi.

"Why is he moving!"

He tried to stand and flee, but his legs wouldn't move.

Then, Seo Eun-hyun's intent captured his consciousness.

'This is...'

Obsession!

An overwhelming obsession to cut down the opponent in front of him, no matter what, was raging within Seo Eun-hyun's body.

'Nonsense! How can a mere mortal have such obsession!'

Seo Eun-hyun's corpse took on a sword stance.

Though his corpse could not gather energy into the sword, Makli Hyun was now powerless, unable to move, and had even used up his one-time life-saving magical device.

The sword began to move.

"This is nonsense! How can a mere mortal possess such tenacity? How can such a thing be possible! Why, why won't you give up even in death!"

It was Seo Eun-hyun's body.

The body he honed in martial arts all his life.

The hands that held the sword so tightly through decades of arduous training.

His lifelong dedication to refining his martial arts, even in death, moved his body on its own, performing its destined task.

"Why won't you give up! Why resist even in death!!!"

Swoosh!

Seo Eun-hyun's sword cleanly sliced off the upper part of Makli Hyun's mouth.

His mouth remained agape in disbelief until his death, and his eyes were filled with incredulity and fear until the end.

Seo Eun-hyun's head, even severed, bore a faint smile.

Thus ended the life of a man who had relentlessly refined himself.

This was Seo Eun-hyun's fifth return.