Chapter 441
Chapter 441
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 441
Chapter Title: Harmony in Chaos
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The Wolf Fang Pavilion had, at some point, transformed into a formidable power, ranking among the top three of the Ten Demonic Sects.
This was because the most brilliant talents of the Demonic Path were all lining up to join the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
Bu Eun-seol, one of the Ten Demonic Successors from the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
A new-generation grandmaster who had remained undefeated since his debut in the martial world, eventually becoming the successor to the Demonic Palace.
Even after becoming the successor, he had defeated various factions that disturbed the peace of the martial world and had even subdued the Ten Demonic Sects, known as the sacred ground of the Demonic Path, on several occasions.
This was possible because he was backed by the martial arts of the Wolf Fang Pavilion, which had produced the world's greatest masters for generations.
An extreme form of practical martial arts, where one's skills were developed amidst life-or-death battles.
The Beast Arts, an art so dangerous that practitioners frequently lost their lives in the process of learning it.
With a blazing martial spirit, he had mastered the arts that others dared not even attempt to learn due to their inherent danger.
The young members of the Demonic Path wished to follow in Bu Eun-seol's footsteps.
—Isn't the martial world a place where one stakes their life anyway?
—I heard the Lord of the Martial Soul also always risked his life to master his arts, showing an attitude that transcended life and death.
In the past, the martial arts of the Wolf Fang Pavilion were considered too dangerous for anyone to dare learn.
But now, to the young demonic practitioners, they had become a symbol of a fiery martial spirit.
Clear Wind Hall, the office of Vice-Lord Dan Cheong.
Dan Cheong took Bu Eun-seol's pulse, who was sitting across from him, and then nodded.
"So, the time has already come."
He grasped the state of Bu Eun-seol's body in an instant, no questions needed.
"No matter how magnificent a painting is, drawn by the greatest of masters, if you try to cram them all onto a single canvas… it becomes worthless."
Sighing deeply, Dan Cheong said with a smile.
"No need to worry too much. It's something every master who has made a name for themselves in this Pavilion goes through."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed. The martial arts of our Pavilion are perfected by encountering various other arts and extracting their strengths, after all."
To learn the martial arts of the Wolf Fang Pavilion was, in essence, a process of fighting powerful adversaries…
…and mastering their martial principles, integrating them into one's own techniques.
Therefore, the disciples of the Wolf Fang Pavilion grow stronger the more they fight powerful enemies.
If there were no strong enemies, the arts of the Wolf Fang Pavilion could not evolve.
Bu Eun-seol had encountered the strongest masters of his time and had indirectly experienced their power.
The Heavenly Demon Emperor had seized and peered into Bu Eun-seol's soul, while Ak Mu-ryeong had directly struck his spirit with just his gaze and voice.
The Buddha, with a single lesson, had revealed a level of martial prowess that far transcended the boundaries of conventional arts.
The Sword Master had demonstrated the All-Encompassing Single Form, a strike that contained the mysteries of nature itself.
He had also sparred with Yeop Hyo-cheon, known as the head of the Seven Kings of the Four Gods.
He had fought bloody battles against the Charcoal King, the Illusion King, and even the Thunder God among the Four Gods.
It was rare for someone as young as Bu Eun-seol to have encountered such supreme masters so relentlessly.
Consequently, the martial arts he had mastered were incredibly complex.
He had built his internal energy with the life-nurturing secrets of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, considered the greatest orthodox internal art, and had also mastered the Reverse Polarity Divine Art, its equal in the Demonic Path.
Furthermore, he had simultaneously learned the mental arts of the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the greatest demonic practitioner of the current era, and the Martial Emperor, who had reigned supreme four hundred years ago.
His body also contained the Prajna Great Power, a Buddhist force injected into him by Sa Hyang-ju.
On top of that, he had mastered the Glacier Heavenly Flow Art, the essence of extreme yin arts, and the Scorching River Great True Energy of the Scorching River Holy Master, which was said to burn everything…
In short, Bu Eun-seol had mastered the pinnacle arts of the Orthodox, Evil, Demonic, and Buddhist paths.
The problem was that all these magnificent paintings were crammed onto a single canvas.
Individually, they were masterpieces.
But drawn all at once… they could hardly be called a work of art.
"Then what should I do?"
"Wait a moment."
Dan Cheong smiled faintly, sat at his desk, and began to write a letter.
He then called for a disciple waiting outside.
"Deliver this letter to the Lord of the General Affairs Hall."
"Understood."
After the disciple left, Dan Cheong looked at the blankly seated Bu Eun-seol and said.
"In my case, a period like this came well after I turned forty. But you… you're far too quick."
Dan Cheong shook his head and chuckled.
"Of course, I'm sure you don't think it's quick at all."
Bu Eun-seol practiced his martial arts even while eating and studied their principles even while sleeping.
He had relentlessly developed his skills without missing a single day.
Dan Cheong knew all too well that Bu Eun-seol was, in fact, the one feeling frustrated.
"How can this be resolved?"
As Bu Eun-seol asked, Dan Cheong took a deep breath.
"To be honest, the abnormal symptoms you're experiencing are beyond my ability to handle."
"In that case…"
"Go to the Pavilion Lord."
Dan Cheong said, taking another deep breath.
"The only person with the ability to resolve the conflicting energies in your body is the Pavilion Lord."
Bu Eun-seol wasn't particularly surprised.
He had already expected as much.
"Has the Pavilion Lord finished his seclusion?"
"Not a chance."
Dan Cheong snorted.
"The Heavenly Demon Emperor hasn't emerged yet. Do you think our Pavilion Lord would come out first?"
"Will it be alright to disturb the Pavilion Lord's seclusion?"
Recalling the terrifying presence of the Wolf Fang Pavilion's Lord, Ak Mu-ryeong, Bu Eun-seol's lips tightened. Dan Cheong smiled.
"Of course. A problem has arisen concerning the well-being of the official successor who will be responsible for this Pavilion's future. What could be more important than that?"
Though his words were confident, his brow was furrowed with worry, suggesting the outcome was not guaranteed.
"Let's wait and see. That fellow, Baek Yeon, is a smooth talker. He should have been able to persuade the Pavilion Lord."
Bu Eun-seol almost let out a hollow laugh.
It turned out that even Dan Cheong found dealing with Ak Mu-ryeong difficult…
…and had passed this crucial task entirely to Baek Yeon, the Lord of the Wind and Cloud Division.
‘Even the ever-leisurely Vice-Lord is afraid of the Pavilion Lord…’
As Bu Eun-seol was inwardly shaking his head,
*Thump, thump.*
Footsteps were heard from outside, and a Wolf Fang Pavilion disciple entered, bowed his head, and spoke.
"The Lord of the Wind and Cloud Division reports that the Pavilion Lord is on Iron Peak and has summoned you to ascend immediately."
"Excellent."
Dan Cheong let out a sigh of relief.
"Go on up."
"Understood."
"This might have turned out for the best."
Dan Cheong then said with a mysterious smile.
"I'm sure you've thought about it as well… The time may have come for you to receive the Pavilion Lord's teachings."
Bu Eun-seol immediately ascended Iron Peak.
As a desolate autumn wind blew, he was suddenly reminded of his first meeting with the Pavilion Lord on this very peak.
Ak Mu-ryeong.
A master of the Limitless Realm, the Human Demon of the Three Demons, and a great demonic grandmaster possessing a dominance and presence capable of shattering heaven and earth.
He was also the great demon who had unhesitatingly attacked the soul of Bu Eun-seol, a disciple of the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
What if Bu Eun-seol hadn't possessed a spiritual barrier far stronger than expected?
He would have never become the successor to the Demonic Palace; instead, unable to withstand the power of the Illusory Return, he would have become a mindless fool wandering the martial world.
‘But it wasn't simple anger.’
It was an act that an ordinary person could never comprehend, but Bu Eun-seol could faintly grasp Ak Mu-ryeong's thoughts.
The Wolf Fang Pavilion. To lead the place where the strongest warriors of the Ten Demonic Sects gathered, martial skill alone was not enough.
Strategic intellect alone was not enough.
Greed and cunning were not enough.
Above all, an indomitable spirit that could not be broken by anything was necessary.
Of course, the Heavenly Demon Emperor had provoked the confrontation through Bu Eun-seol's body, but…
…from Ak Mu-ryeong's perspective, it was a situation where he had to test his successor anyway.
That was why he had tested Bu Eun-seol without hesitation, regardless of whether he lived or died.
And thankfully, Bu Eun-seol had passed that test, and was afterward acknowledged as the true successor of the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
When he finally reached the summit of Iron Peak, he saw the silhouette of a colossal figure reminiscent of a mountain.
"Disciple Bu Eun-seol pays his respects to the Pavilion Lord."
As Bu Eun-seol bowed deeply, Ak Mu-ryeong, who had his back turned, slowly pivoted.
Unlike before, he did not unleash a terrifying aura, nor did he exude the domineering presence that seemed capable of tearing the sky apart.
What remained unchanged were his wild, torn martial robes and his incredible musculature.
Ak Mu-ryeong stared intently at Bu Eun-seol with eyes like a lion's, but the suffocating pressure from before was absent.
Perhaps it was because Bu Eun-seol's own martial prowess had grown incomparably stronger.
[Come closer.]
But the mysterious voice that shook the soul was still the same.
"Yes."
As Bu Eun-seol stepped forward, lightning flashed in Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes.
They were the eyes of a roaring beast, but Bu Eun-seol met his gaze calmly.
[I sent you out into the world to face a variety of martial arts.]
A fearsome energy flowed from Ak Mu-ryeong's body, blanketing Iron Peak.
[So you just stuffed your mouth with whatever you could get your hands on, is that it?]
*Kwang!*
The thunderous roar became a sharp force that pierced Bu Eun-seol's chest.
‘Ugh.’
Bu Eun-seol swallowed a groan and staggered back.
A pain as if branded by a hot iron seared his chest.
[Show me.]
A mystical light glinted in Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes.
[Show me what you've stuffed yourself with.]
*Rumble.*
With a vibration that shook the heavens, a sharp force pierced Bu Eun-seol's body.
‘I have to dodge.’
Having mastered the Beast Arts and reached the Extreme Heaven Realm, Bu Eun-seol's reflexes were dozens of times faster than an ordinary person's.
But even moving with all his might, even using the Extreme Speed Shadowless Step to change his position,
He could not evade the force Ak Mu-ryeong unleashed.
*Zing.*
As the fist reached his abdomen, a golden ripple emanated from Bu Eun-seol's body.
As Ak Mu-ryeong's demonic energy and its force penetrated his body, the Prajna Great Power flowing through his meridians manifested in reaction.
[Hmph!]
But when Ak Mu-ryeong snorted, the power of the Prajna Great Power was instantly pierced, and,
*Boom!*
With an explosion, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying five yards away.
*Screech.*
He only managed to stop his body after crashing into a large tree stump.
To send Bu Eun-seol, with his five hundred years of internal energy, flying five yards with just a wave of force, without so much as lifting a finger?
[Pathetic.]
Along with the contemptuous tone, a light like the sun dawned in Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes.
[Is this what the successor of the Wolf Fang Pavilion looks like?]
*Rumble!*
Once again, a massive and sharp force erupted from Ak Mu-ryeong's body.
But Bu Eun-seol, as if he had anticipated it, unleashed the First Form of the Fist Demon with all his might.
*Boom!*
But with another explosion, he was once again sent flying five yards back.
[If you're going to pick up scraps like a beggar, shouldn't you at least have the skill to mix them properly before eating!]
At Ak Mu-ryeong's roar, a glint appeared in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as well.
"Understood."
And this time, it was Bu Eun-seol who attacked first.
The mighty fist wind of Oblivion's Chain whirled and surged towards Ak Mu-ryeong's face.
*Crackle.*
Simultaneously, the trees and rocks around Ak Mu-ryeong were all coated in a white frost.
He had mixed the Glacier Heavenly Flow Art into the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
Skillfully, just as Ak Mu-ryeong had said.
[Hmph.]
Despite the bone-chilling cold that seemed capable of freezing the sky itself, Ak Mu-ryeong was completely unaffected.
But Bu Eun-seol's attack wasn't over.
*Sizzle!*
The cold air suddenly turned to mist and instantly melted away. The surrounding trees withered like ancient husks, and the rocks began to crumble like crackers.
He had alternated between the Glacier Heavenly Flow Art, which could freeze anything, and the Scorching River Great True Energy, which could melt everything.
*Zing!*
The immense, extreme yang power of the Scorching River Great True Energy began to penetrate the powerful aura surrounding Ak Mu-ryeong's body.
*Sizzle! Sizzzle!*
The extreme yang power that entered his body generated tremendous vibrations and intense heat, causing Ak Mu-ryeong's internal organs and blood to boil.
[Using the yin and yang of the Reverse Polarity True Energy, you've managed to contain both extreme yin and extreme yang.]
Ak Mu-ryeong casually waved his palm.
The energy of Bu Eun-seol's Scorching River Great True Energy that had penetrated his meridians vanished like melting snow.
*Swoosh! Swoosh!*
In an instant, six streams of force were swirling around Bu Eun-seol's body.
It was the Thirteen Night Arts.
He was now unleashing the ultimate orthodox technique, something he had never shown to the masters of the Demonic Path.
Something a demonic practitioner should never display, he was now revealing it all to Ak Mu-ryeong.
*Chwaaaak!*
Six whip-like, sharp streams of force scraped the ground and surged toward Ak Mu-ryeong's body.
[Even the mental arts of the Orthodox Path.]
*Thud.*
Ak Mu-ryeong lightly stomped his foot, and a circular shockwave spread out in all directions, scattering the force of the Thirteen Night Arts like mist.
*Thwip!*
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol shot up into the sky, hovering above Ak Mu-ryeong's head.
Simultaneously, a blade of black true energy that soared to the heavens plunged toward his crown.
It was the As-You-Will True Art.
*Kwaaaaaa!*
The sword of black true energy that reached the heavens split Ak Mu-ryeong in two.
Or rather, it should have split him in two.
*Zing! Zing!*
But in an instant, Ak Mu-ryeong had extended his index and middle fingers, blocking the Heaven and Earth Sundering Strike unleashed by the As-You-Will True Art.
*Boom!*
Simultaneously, Bu Eun-seol was once again flung five yards away.
He had unleashed every ability he possessed, yet it was nothing more than an ordinary strike before Ak Mu-ryeong.
"Hah, hah."
Bu Eun-seol gasped for breath.
Despite pouring out all his internal energy and ultimate techniques, he couldn't even graze Ak Mu-ryeong's skin.
For the first time, he felt a sense of powerlessness and despair.
‘Is this all I amount to…?’
The realms of martial arts were merely boundaries created for the convenience of martial artists.
But from the Limitless Realm onwards, it was different.
Upon reaching such a state, nature and man harmonize, entering the same plane of existence.
Thus, one could cause 'phenomena' that were impossible for a human body to create.
In other words, between the words 'Extreme Heaven Realm' and 'Limitless Realm' lay a gap as wide as that between heaven and earth.
‘Ughhh.’
Bu Eun-seol clenched his teeth.
He felt a surge of anger at the gap that remained unbridgeable, even after coming so far.
But that was a hasty thought.
He was not yet even thirty years old.
It was only natural that he could not stand against Ak Mu-ryeong, who had reigned at the pinnacle of the martial world for decades.
There was no need to feel frustrated over such a thing.
‘I must ascend. I must.’
The feeling of despair was fleeting.
As his fiery martial spirit rekindled his will, a light like the sun shone in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Watching him, a hint of admiration flickered in Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes.
[And you dared to call yourself the successor of this Pavilion with skills like these?]
But the words that came from his mouth were as sharp and pointed as a blade.
[Where in anything you've shown is the martial art of this Pavilion?!]
*Rumble.*
At his shout, the rocks on the opposite cliff began to crumble and fall.
As Ak Mu-ryeong's world-shaking voice echoed,
"…!"
Bu Eun-seol felt an enlightenment, as if a bolt of lightning had shot through his entire body.
‘I see now.’
Bu Eun-seol had learned the pinnacle arts of the Orthodox, Evil, Demonic, and Buddhist paths.
And he had been using the techniques he learned exactly as they were.
Because they were all supreme, ultimate arts that had reached the apex.
Because they were the arts of such unparalleled grandmasters.
He had not dared to even touch them.
But a disciple of the Wolf Fang Pavilion should not do that.
One must acquire the martial principles of an adversary, but then develop them further into one's own unique techniques.
‘This happened because I learned too many outstanding arts all mixed together.’
Bu Eun-seol bent at the waist and lowered his head.
"This disciple has only now realized his foolishness."
[Hmph.]
A demonic energy that seemed to soar to the heavens rose in Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes.
[Don't think you can excuse breaking my seclusion with a few trivial words.]
A sky-splitting energy erupted from behind Ak Mu-ryeong.
The Human Demon was the Human Demon. Ak Mu-ryeong was Ak Mu-ryeong.
The most terrifying demon in the mortal world was not bound by secular laws or the relationship between master and disciple.
"I will show you."
Watching the energy erupting from Ak Mu-ryeong's body, a brilliant light flared in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"That this was a matter worthy of breaking your seclusion."
*Whoosh.*
A five-colored energy began to flow from Bu Eun-seol's body.
It was not the Glacier Heavenly Flow Art, nor the Scorching River Great True Energy. Not the Reverse Polarity Divine Art, nor the Thirteen Night Arts or the As-You-Will True Art.
Ak Mu-ryeong had consistently shown Bu Eun-seol one thing.
That overwhelming power could instantly destroy any technique or artifice.
That was a power only Ak Mu-ryeong could unleash in this world, his own true ultimate technique forged through practicing the arts of the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
And Bu Eun-seol, too, had to create his own ultimate technique.
‘As I am now, I cannot yet create an ultimate technique like the Pavilion Lord's.’
Bu Eun-seol had not yet reached the stage where he could purely create a martial art.
Even the Formless Heavenly Flow, which he had created himself, was merely his own interpretation of Dan Cheong's swordsmanship and the sword techniques of the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
‘In that case.’
Bu Eun-seol had once seen the person with the most outstanding sense of harmony in the martial world.
The Holy Sword, Baek Ri-mu-jo.
He had created a perfect 'harmony' just by arranging furniture in a small space.
Bu Eun-seol was not yet capable of creating such harmony, but…
‘Arranging what I've learned harmoniously… that, I can do!’
*Zing! Rumble!*
The five-colored true energy flowing from Bu Eun-seol's body gradually intensified.
*Swoosh! Swoosh!*
Simultaneously, a swirling white tempest appeared in his left hand,
*Fwoosh!*
And a crimson flame began to rage in his right.
He was unleashing the Thirteen Night Arts with the extreme yin energy of the Glacier Heavenly Flow Art, and had generated the As-You-Will True Art with the Scorching River Great True Energy.
*Drip, drip, drip.*
His blood and energy were completely overturned, and a thin line of blood began to trickle from the corner of Bu Eun-seol's mouth.
What Bu Eun-seol was attempting now was akin to tearing his body in two and splitting his mind into four.
[In a real fight, who's going to wait for you to gather your power?]
Ak Mu-ryeong scoffed and, watching Bu Eun-seol gather various energies together, unleashed a force as heavy as a mountain.
If Bu Eun-seol were to be struck by such a force in this state?
His entire body would explode into pieces.
*Zing!*
But then, something strange happened.
As Ak Mu-ryeong's unleashed force tried to destroy Bu Eun-seol's body, a golden radiance blocked it.
‘I was waiting for this.’
Bu Eun-seol had anticipated everything.
He knew that Ak Mu-ryeong would not wait leisurely for him to unleash his technique.
And he knew that whenever a crisis arose, the Prajna Great Power would manifest on its own.
‘Now!’
The Prajna Great Power had, until now, naturally embraced any and all forces.
And as the Prajna Great Power activated while he was unleashing four different energies, all those forces were harmoniously aligned within him.
He did not know what this power was.
He could not define it.
But he could confidently say that this one move was his absolute best, and that it had harmonized the energies within his body.
*Gwooooooo!*
The current of energy wrapped around Ak Mu-ryeong's body and, in an instant, flew off into the distant sky.