Chapter 396
Chapter 396
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 396
Chapter Title: The Divine Oracle's Trials
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“What a peculiar technique.”
But Bu Eun-seol didn’t look particularly surprised. Instead, he nodded as if it were only natural.
“Is that why you’re lined up like skewers—to unify your internal energy?”
Astonishingly, the martial monks Bu Eun-seol faced were three men of identical height and build, standing in a perfect single file line.
“Wouldn't it be better to attack all at once rather than standing in a line like that?”
“Ughh.”
When Bu Eun-seol spoke, the three martial monks could only let out strange noises, their tongues having been cut out.
“Uwoah!”
With a roar, the martial monks rushed at Bu Eun-seol, their ten fingers moving in a blur.
Sharp streams of finger wind drew long lines as they tore toward Bu Eun-seol’s body.
The Finger Flicking Arts. A signature technique of Shaolin, now being used by the martial monks of Blood Shaolin.
*Thwang! Thwang! Thwang!*
With a sound like bent bamboo snapping straight, Bu Eun-seol’s body shuddered violently.
He had clearly dodged the Finger Flicking Arts perfectly.
And yet, the powerful streams of finger wind that grazed past him were rattling his internal organs.
‘So that’s why they were layered.’
Bu Eun-seol finally understood why these martial monks attacked while standing in a perfectly straight line.
They weren’t overlapping their bodies to unleash their internal energy all at once.
‘It was a superposition of internal energy.’
The moment the first martial monk unleashed his energy, the second followed suit. And right after, the third martial monk unleashed his.
The Finger Flicking Arts, performed in such rapid succession, surpassed the limits of internal energy levels and martial principles, displaying a power so immense it was beyond words.
*Thwang! Thwang! Thwang!*
By releasing their internal energy in succession, the monks’ triple-layered Finger Flicking Arts were dozens of times more powerful.
Not only that, but even if he dodged perfectly, the resulting shockwaves and air currents alone were enough to inflict internal injuries on Bu Eun-seol.
*Swish!*
Bu Eun-seol broke through the arrow-like barrage of the Finger Flicking Arts and unleashed the First Form of the Fist Demon in succession.
*Kwoong!*
A tremendous fist energy curved, striking the gap between the three overlapping martial monks.
*Woong woong woong!*
But as soon as the fist energy touched their bodies, golden ripples of force spread out in all directions.
The Indestructible Diamond Body.
Shaolin’s ultimate secret art, said to be impervious to any external force once deployed, had been unleashed.
‘They even layered the Indestructible Diamond Body?’
Bu Eun-seol finally understood why the three martial monks had their eyes sewn shut and their tongues cut out.
‘They deliberately sacrificed their sight and tongues to master such a martial art.’
The three Tian brothers of the past, who were said to have bound their minds and bodies as one, had in reality only shared their physical senses.
This was because they spoke aloud and were individuals with their own distinct personalities.
But these martial monks of Blood Shaolin had cut out their eyes and tongues to perfectly bind not only their bodies but their very souls…
They had communicated solely through physical senses and mental connection.
“This is excessive, even for Blood Shaolin. Was there truly a need to go this far?”
“Uwoah!”
Sensing the pity in Bu Eun-seol’s voice, the martial monks grew even more furious, unleashing a torrent of finger wind.
Monsters who constantly maintained the Indestructible Diamond Body and could triple-layer their internal energy.
Bu Eun-seol had to defeat these terrifying martial monks of Blood Shaolin without a weapon.
*Thwang!*
In that moment, a stream of finger wind grazed Bu Eun-seol’s body, jolting his organs.
In this confined space, the Finger Flicking Arts, with its power amplified dozens of times, was truly an invincible technique.
Moreover, since they were clad in the Indestructible Diamond Body, a reckless close-quarters approach carried a high risk of a counterattack.
*Thwang! Thwang!*
More streams of finger wind grazed past, shaking Bu Eun-seol’s body violently.
This time, not only his organs but his entire body was shaken so hard that his vision blurred.
“Uwoah!”
The martial monks closed the distance, unleashing the Finger Flicking Arts with their left hands.
And with their right, the Arhat Divine Fist.
*Tzzt-tzzt-tzzt!*
Instead of retreating, Bu Eun-seol shifted his position dozens of times on the spot to evade the attacks.
It was a life-risking evasive maneuver meant to identify the monks’ weakness.
*Thwang! Kwa-wooo!*
After dodging the Finger Flicking Arts and Arhat Divine Fist fired from point-blank range,
*Chiiiik.*
Bu Eun-seol was pushed back three yards, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He had already sustained a minor internal injury.
‘So that’s how it is.’
Having evaded the monks’ attacks at such close range, Bu Eun-seol had finally spotted their flaw.
In truth, if he had simply wanted to kill the monks, he could have used the Thirteenth Night Arts, the As-You-Will True Arts, or the Glacier River Arts to shatter their formation in an instant.
But the martial monks used a unique style of tactics and techniques that Bu Eun-seol had never seen before.
And whenever Bu Eun-seol encountered a new technique, he would risk his life to unravel it.
For that was how he would grow one step stronger.
‘No matter how powerful, they can’t escape the limits of their martial realm.’
The three monks’ minds were one, and their attacks displayed a power so immense that even Bu Eun-seol dared not face them head-on.
But their martial prowess had not reached the Extreme Heavenly Realm.
It was because they had sealed their perfectly good eyes and tongues.
They had sacrificed their senses to combine their souls and enhance their martial power, but in doing so, they had lost the ability to perceive the most fleeting of moments.
In other words, the price for sacrificing their senses was being unable to reach the Extreme Heavenly Realm, where one could slice time into fragments.
‘In the end, it’s a difference in martial attainment.’
To break the monks’ defense, he had to aim for the precise instant they unleashed the Finger Flicking Arts and the Arhat Divine Fist.
No matter how formidable their internal energy, they couldn't maintain the Indestructible Diamond Body while simultaneously attacking.
‘I’ll do it.’
However, this method of overcoming them was a dangerous gamble that required him to risk his own life.
If he failed to seize the precise moment, the enemy’s attacks would all land squarely on his body.
*Shhhiik! Shhhiik!*
As he drew upon the Thirteenth Night Arts, two sharp strands of energy wrapped around Bu Eun-seol’s body.
An ordinary martial artist would have retreated or sought another way… but Bu Eun-seol stood his ground, waiting for the right moment.
He was about to risk his life in a gamble to seize the perfect timing.
It was a method very similar to the "precise moment" that King Jo-cheon had once used.
*Thwang! Kwa-wooo!*
The Finger Flicking Arts and the Arhat Divine Fist struck Bu Eun-seol’s body at the same time.
But simultaneously, two strands of energy erupted from Bu Eun-seol’s body as well.
*Hwiiik!*
As the two sharp strands of energy collided with the Finger Flicking Arts and the Arhat Divine Fist, both Bu Eun-seol and the monks’ bodies shuddered violently.
The clash of energies sent a massive shockwave through them.
“Ughh.”
The martial monks groaned, but Bu Eun-seol’s eyes remained fixed on them until the very end.
‘Now!’
Bu Eun-seol’s senses split time again and again.
And at last, at the very instant the monks’ internal energy began to rise anew, he seized the precise moment.
*Hwiiik!*
Then, the two strands of energy hidden within Bu Eun-seol’s body shot forth.
*Pararak!*
With a sound like the wind, the sharp energy of the Thirteenth Night Arts swiftly passed between the overlapping bodies of the monks… and with immense force, pushed them apart.
“……”
The martial monks froze as if turned to ice.
*Thud.*
Then, they collapsed to the floor in unison.
Simply separating their overlapping bodies had caused a physical and spiritual disconnection.
Just by forcing their closely-pressed bodies apart, their minds and spirits perceived it as if their single body had been split into three pieces.
Because until now, they had lived as one…
*Rumble.*
But as the martial monks fell, a low vibration sounded, and not the library passage that Monk Gonggong had entered, but…
A secret door on one of the bookshelves opened, revealing another passage.
“A rather lengthy test.”
Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath, stepped past the fallen monks, and entered the passage.
*Kooong.*
As he stepped inside, the heavy wall sealed shut behind him once more.
And again, a long, seemingly endless corridor stretched before him.
It seemed this underground mechanism was a passage that passed through Mount Soshi and led elsewhere.
“They must have made a secret passage to exit Shaolin undetected.”
This long corridor likely led out of the Shaolin grounds to some other location.
“Of course, a passage like this would be necessary.”
Shaolin had faced many calamities throughout its history.
Before the formation of the Martial Alliance, Shaolin was the leader and head of the Orthodox Faction.
All Orthodox Faction sects rallied around Shaolin, and it was Shaolin that stepped in to mediate disputes between clans.
In short, Shaolin was doing everything the current Martial Alliance did.
Therefore, forces seeking to dominate the martial world always attacked Shaolin first.
Because as long as Shaolin stood, the Orthodox martial world would not fall.
But Shaolin had withstood every invasion and battle with dignity.
And based on those experiences, they had created a secret passage to escape in times of crisis.
*Grind.*
Finally, upon reaching the end of the passage, he saw an iron door engraved with the words, *Sever the Nail, Cut the Iron*.
And with the sound of machinery, the thick iron door began to slowly rise.
*Thump, thump.*
Stepping inside, he saw a wide space with a door leading out on the opposite side.
About twenty yards ahead, he could see the shadows of people trapped inside opaque glass on the left and right.
On one side was the shadow of a child, and on the other, an old man was tied up.
Though their faces were not visible through the opaque glass, they appeared to be begging for their lives.
*Clank.*
Suddenly, with the sound of a mechanism, large, sharp spikes protruded from above the heads of the two people trapped inside the opaque glass.
*Clank.*
At the same time, two large spikes shot up from the ground in front of where Bu Eun-seol stood.
“Just like the name.”
*Sever the Nail, Cut the Iron*.
It meant to break the nail and cut the iron.
It originally meant to handle matters decisively, but here, it seemed to be a literal instruction to break the nail and cut the iron…
A demand to make a decisive choice about whom to save.
*Thud.*
At that moment, a low mechanical sound came from the ceiling inside the opaque glass.
What if Bu Eun-seol tried to use his martial arts to break the wall and save them in one go?
The large nails aimed at the two people’s heads were a warning that they would immediately pierce their skulls.
‘Hmm.’
Bu Eun-seol was lost in thought for a moment.
The distance to the opaque walls was about twenty-five yards.
If he put his mind to it, he could break the walls and save both people before the nails fell.
The problem, however, was that he didn’t know what the opaque walls were made of.
Perhaps they were special walls that could only be broken with a sword, not fist energy.
‘So they even know I left my sword behind.’
The moment Bu Eun-seol took a step, the iron nails would fall instantly.
What if the opaque glass walls were harder than he thought and didn’t break in one strike?
—Choose one of the two. Otherwise, both will die.
That is what this mechanism was telling Bu Eun-seol.
*Crack!*
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol struck the large nail on the left, where the child was.
In response, the large nail on the ceiling aimed at the child’s head inside the opaque wall also disappeared.
*Puk.*
But at the same time, the large nail immediately pierced the head of the old man on the right.
*Pshhh!*
The opaque wall began to turn red with the gushing blood.
But Bu Eun-seol walked forward with an indifferent expression.
*Grind.*
The door opened, and as Bu Eun-seol stepped outside, his eyebrows shot up.
*Clank.*
Once again, two nails shot up from the floor, and two opaque walls appeared on the opposite side.
This time, there was the figure of a child on the left.
And on the right, the shadow of what appeared to be a pregnant woman.
“……”
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
Life was never something to be compared, and there was no such thing as priority.
But the mechanism was forcing his hand.
Forcing Bu Eun-seol to choose.
And if he didn't choose, large nails would pierce both of their heads.
Should he save the child with a bright future ahead?
Or should he save the pregnant woman carrying a new life?
Bu Eun-seol looked at the two figures with a blank expression.
And without hesitation, he broke the long nail standing on the right.
He had chosen the pregnant woman, who carried two lives, over the single life of the child.
*Thump, thump.*
As the door opened, Bu Eun-seol walked out with a detached expression.
*Grrrrind.*
This time, there was a single wide passage.
*Chiii.*
The iron floor began to glow red-hot.
*Clank, clank.*
With the sound of machinery, footprint shapes appeared on the iron plates. And in the opaque walls, the shadows of numerous people appeared.
*Wheeeing.*
Simultaneously, the iron plates in the passage marked with footprints began to glow searingly red.
Even without getting close, he could feel the intense heat.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
And inside the transparent walls in the distance, numerous people were frantically pounding on the glass.
It was clear that the ground they stood on was also being heated.
“Hmph.”
Bu Eun-seol stared intently at the footprints and his eyes flashed.
This was a mechanism where the people inside the wall would die if he didn't step on the footprints in the passage in the correct order.
“This time, it’s real.”
Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath.
In truth, the shadows inside the opaque walls until now had not been real, living people.
Because he had seen through that, he had been able to advance without hesitation, breaking the nails.
But now was different.
The numerous people inside were all real, living human beings, and they were in pain.
What if he failed to step on the footprints correctly? They would eventually be burned to death like charcoal.
*Ssk.*
Bu Eun-seol finally began to step on the footprints etched into the iron plates.
*Chiii.*
Smoke rose, and his shoes melted in an instant, followed by an excruciating pain.
The flesh on the soles of his feet was slowly melting away, the agony turning his vision dark.
But Bu Eun-seol began to walk calmly, as if his sense of pain were paralyzed.
The footprints were etched very precisely.
If the weight was not applied correctly, the footprint shape would not disappear.
Therefore, despite the mind-numbing pain, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to walk leisurely across the heated iron plates as if taking a stroll.
*Chiii.*
By now, the skin on the soles of his feet had completely melted away, and sticky flesh dangled loosely.
The greatest pain a human can feel is the pain of being burned.
That is why, throughout history, branding torture was the most commonly used method for interrogating prisoners.
Even a great master would have lost consciousness or given up and used a movement technique by this point.
But Bu Eun-seol continued to press on, imprinting the footprints as if he were a man who knew no pain.
*Squish. Squish.*
When he finally reached the end of the passage, the people in the opaque walls had disappeared.
Even after stepping off the heated iron plates, the blood and flesh from his soles were stuck to the plates, making it almost impossible to take a step.
*Sliiide.*
As the door opened, an empty stone chamber greeted him.
The floor was covered in a white powder like sand, and in the center stood a single table.
The wall opposite him was stained black.
*Thump, thump.*
As Bu Eun-seol walked toward the table,
*Chiii.*
Amazingly, the white sand began to cling to the soles of his feet, and in an instant, the bleeding stopped and the pain vanished.
When he finally reached the table, a small money box sat upon it.
It seemed he was meant to place the Coin of Favor here.
*Zzzing.*
As Bu Eun-seol looked down at the money box, the opposite wall, which had been stained black, suddenly turned opaque.
Just like the walls he had seen in the trials he had passed through.
*Woong.*
As the black wall turned opaque, the faint shape of a person appeared inside.
At a glance, it looked like an old man, but at another, it resembled a young martial artist.
[You have come to the end.]
A mysterious voice flowed from the wall.
[I wasn't expecting much, to be honest.]
The voice sounded as if a dignified old man and a demon king living in darkness were speaking at the same time.
“Are you the Divine Oracle?”
The wall answered Bu Eun-seol’s question.
[I am.]
The Divine Oracle.
The greatest diviner and sage in the martial world.
A man said to know everything, to be aware of all things in the world, also known as the Immeasurable One.
He had finally met him.
“Are all the tests over now?”
Bu Eun-seol had guessed that everything up to this point had been a test by the Divine Oracle.
[Heh heh.]
The Divine Oracle’s strange voice echoed through the chamber.
[Your character, your martial arts, your powers of observation, and your insight. You lack nothing.]
He had led Bu Eun-seol to Shaolin to observe and test everything about him… his character, his martial arts, and more.
Through his attitude toward Dang Cheong, he tested his sense of duty.
Through the secret manuals in the library, his conscience.
Through the duel with the martial monks, his martial arts.
Through the trial with the fake people, his insight.
And through the trial with the real people… he had confirmed Bu Eun-seol’s conviction.
“Why go through all this trouble?”
The Divine Oracle’s voice answered Bu Eun-seol’s question.
[Because I never expected the Namgung family to give you the Coin of Favor.]
A self-mocking laugh was mixed in the Divine Oracle’s strange voice.
[The Coin of Favor meant for you was never supposed to exist in this world.]
In short, he had never expected Bu Eun-seol to become the owner of the Coin of Favor from the Namgung family.
Hearing this, Bu Eun-seol actually felt a sense of relief.
The Divine Oracle was a man who had predicted and arranged everything until now.
What if he had predicted that Bu Eun-seol would receive the Coin of Favor from the Namgung family?
Then he wouldn't be human, but a god, a being capable of predicting or controlling everything.
‘What a relief.’
If he had predicted every situation and set up a test like this?
Bu Eun-seol would have had to destroy that wall and kill the Divine Oracle.
A divine being who can predict everything.
If such a person existed? They would either be the mastermind behind the strange events plaguing the martial world.
Or an evil man who knew and condoned it.
[It is difficult to say that public rumors reflect a person's true nature. That is why I had to confirm what kind of person you are.]
“Even though I knew this was all a test?”
[Of course. Even taking that into account, a human can never hide their true nature.]
The Divine Oracle’s voice was filled with conviction.
Through the tests so far, he must have observed everything about Bu Eun-seol, and he seemed quite satisfied.
If he weren’t, they wouldn't even be having this conversation through a wall.
[Now, let's collect the Coin of Favor.]
“Very well.”
Bu Eun-seol placed the Coin of Favor into the box on the table.
*Click.*
As the Coin of Favor entered the box, the Divine Oracle spoke.
[Ask what you wish to know.]
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
There were two questions he had carried with him all this time.
—Who was the person that killed his grandfather?
—Were his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, and the Seven-Branched Demonic Sword, Bu Jan-yang, the same person?
But he only had one Coin of Favor.
Therefore, the Divine Oracle would not answer two questions.
After a moment of deliberation, Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his mouth.
“Who killed Bu Jan-yang, the investigator from the Hwangju Prefecture Police Bureau?”