Chapter 468
Chapter 468
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 468
Chapter Title: The Modified Warrior
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"Lord of Martial Souls."
Just then, Gongson Dan-a looked at Bu Eun-seol and spoke.
"You're the successor to the Demonic Palace, right?"
Bu Eun-seol touched his face.
Only then did he realize the cloth mask he had been wearing had flown off somewhere.
"Who said I knew from seeing your face? I knew from your martial arts."
Gongson Dan-a said with a prim expression.
"What's so special about your identity that you have to hide it?"
"Our paths are different, so I had no choice but to conceal it."
It was a poor excuse, unbecoming of the successor to the Demonic Palace.
As Bu Eun-seol fumbled to tear his sleeve and cover his face, Gongson Dan-a burst into laughter.
"My lord, you are far too wary of others."
"..."
"Haven't you done righteous deeds, enough to be called 'a man of justice within the demonic path'? There's no need to be so guarded."
"To be guarded in advance... is that a statement based on your own experience?"
"What did you say?"
Gongson Dan-a mumbled for a moment before bursting into laughter again.
"They say the successor to the Demonic Palace, the Lord of Martial Souls, has a cold personality. But I see you're quite good at joking."
She laughed cheerfully.
She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so heartily.
"How is your body now?"
Bu Eun-seol circulated his internal energy.
Unlike before, the dizziness and the sensation of his blood and qi being twisted had largely disappeared.
And within his body, a foreign yet very small energy was circulating.
It was the Water Spirit Ki that Gongson Dan-a had infused into him.
"This Water Spirit Ki... does it remain in the body without dissipating?"
"The human body is mostly made of water. As such, Water Spirit Ki is an energy that naturally melts into the body, so it will take a long time to be expelled."
In truth, this was a kind lie from Gongson Dan-a, meant to reassure Bu Eun-seol.
"Thank you."
But Bu Eun-seol, unaware of the truth, calmly cupped his hands.
Gongson Dan-a waved her hands dismissively.
"You saved me too, my lord. We're even now."
Though she said that, a deep affection flowed in her eyes.
When she saw Bu Eun-seol collapse, bleeding, tears had welled up in her eyes.
And when his blood and qi became twisted, she had unsparingly infused him with her Water Spirit Ki to heal his body.
She wasn't aware of it herself, but she felt a great fondness for Bu Eun-seol.
Of course, the same was true for Bu Eun-seol.
‘She’s very different from the women I’ve met so far.’
Until now, there hadn't been a single woman who didn't blush or act surprised upon seeing his face.
But despite seeing his features, she wasn't particularly shocked. Instead, she looked at him as comfortably as an old friend, didn't she?
In other words, Gongson Dan-a, like Bu Eun-seol, was someone who didn't much care for the beauty or ugliness of others.
"Oh, and when we get out of here, you must seek guidance from our Palace Lord."
Gongson Dan-a said calmly.
"You won't be able to eliminate or expel the four energies in your body on your own."
"What do you mean?"
"Perhaps... you will need the power of all Four Gods to suppress or harmonize the energies in your body."
Having checked Bu Eun-seol's pulse, Gongson Dan-a had discerned that the mixed energies in his body were the powers of justice, evil, demonic, and Buddhist arts.
And she had judged that the power of the Four Gods was needed to suppress them.
"The Ki of all Four Gods, you say?"
"Yes. The powers infused in your body are each so potent that they cannot be harmonized."
Gongson Dan-a shook her head.
"But I think it might be possible if you master the powers of all Four Gods. Of course, that's just my prediction."
She then held out a piece of paper with a scripture written on it.
"What is this?"
"It's a secret art created by combining the strengths of the Five-Animal Frolics by Hua Tuo, known as the 'Saint of Medicine', and the secret Daoist techniques of the Quanzhen School, the heartland of Daoism."
Gongson Dan-a spoke calmly.
"Since it was actually created by a Daoist of the Quanzhen School, it would be more accurate to call it a secret Daoist art of the Quanzhen School."
"You're giving this to me?"
"It may sound grand, but it's really just a secret art for making the body healthier and controlling the true qi within. It's not some incredible technique for martial artists. However..."
Pausing for a moment, she whispered.
"If fate allows it and our Palace Lord one day infuses you with the Crystal Water Ki... this art will allow you to completely master the ultimate yin energy."
Bu Eun-seol was slightly moved.
She had realized all along that something was wrong with his body and had been thinking of a way to treat it.
"Thank you. I will keep it in mind."
Coming from her, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the most famous divine physicians of the martial world, it was surely a trustworthy prescription.
However, Bu Eun-seol had no intention of obtaining the Crystal Water Ki of the Divine Maiden Palace.
Acquiring the martial arts of all Four Gods at once was not only impossible, but he also had neither the time nor the luxury for it.
"You must visit our palace. The Palace Lord will find a way for you, somehow."
"I understand. I will try to visit later."
"Promise me."
Gongson Dan-a, sensing his insincerity, furrowed her brows and spoke firmly.
"That you will definitely gather the powers of the Four Gods."
She looked just like a wife nagging her husband.
Was the power of fate piercing through so sharply? Bu Eun-seol flinched and nodded before he knew it.
"Alright. I promise."
Having finally escaped the underground cave, Bu Eun-seol opened the iron door leading outside.
*Creeak.*
As the old iron door opened, both of them widened their eyes in unison.
A scene like a small village unfolded, with square-shaped buildings erected here and there.
They were not of the common Central Plains architectural style, nor did they have any visible windows or doors for entry.
In the center was a wide, open space, where a building dyed in black towered.
Judging by its color and size, it seemed not only connected to the exit but also held some great secret.
Bu Eun-seol and Gongson Dan-a carefully walked toward the black building.
"......!"
Upon entering the black building, both of their eyes widened once more.
Human Flowers.
Remnants of burnt Human Flowers were left here, along with shattered glass cases scattered about.
And inside them, the byproducts of bizarrely shaped Soulless Beings were burning.
In some places, only body parts like arms or legs were contained... and their size was abnormally large.
'Modification.'
A glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he walked through the interior.
Judging by the burn marks of the Human Flowers, they were incomparably larger than the ones he had seen in the past.
Not only that, but the byproducts of the Soulless Beings burning in the glass cases were also larger than any he had seen before.
"It's an laboratory."
Gongson Dan-a also grasped the situation at once.
They had been cultivating Human Flowers and modifying Soulless Beings here.
"It seems so."
"What on earth is their goal? Why are they cultivating Human Flowers and... the bodies of Soulless Beings?"
"An organization called the Three Realms."
Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
"They have already taken control of the martial world and are carrying out various schemes. Things like the Soulless Beings and artificial inner cores are just one of them."
"The Three Realms?"
"That's right. The Palace Lord probably knows about them."
Most of the leaders in the martial world were aware of the Three Realms' existence.
They simply kept silent, either because they couldn't even begin to guess the extent of their roots and power, or because they were cooperating with them, knowingly or not.
And in the martial world, only Bu Eun-seol...
He alone paid them no mind and was destroying their forces one by one.
"Compared to you, I feel like a novice who's just entered the martial world."
Gongson Dan-a let out a bitter smile.
In truth, that wasn't far from wrong.
Bu Eun-seol was the successor to the Demonic Palace, and at a young age, he had already risen to the position of advisor to the Seven Kings of the Four Gods.
He was already a powerhouse who wielded great influence in the martial world, and his martial prowess had reached the level of a grandmaster.
"They must have withdrawn in a hurry. Seeing as these things were destroyed not long ago."
"They probably left after activating the final mechanism."
"This seems to be the way out."
After passing through the massive laboratory, they finally saw a wide door that looked like an exit.
A vast, open space, enclosed on all sides, came into view.
The floor was caked with dried blood and various remains, making it look as if a massacre had occurred here.
*Thump. Thump.*
Just then, a monstrous sound that shook the earth echoed from all around.
Simultaneously, a bizarre shadow slowly approached from the opposite side.
It was a grotesque man over eight feet tall, his entire body clad not in clothes but in pieces of black metal.
His skin was a deathly gray, like that of a long-dead person, and his eyes were completely white.
He looked less like a person and more like a colossal weapon made of skin and muscle.
"Step back."
A black, death-like haze rose from the grotesque man's body.
It seemed to be a ploy to stall for time until the very end or to eliminate any intruders by intentionally leaving a Soulless Being behind.
"You've only just recovered. Let's fight together."
Gongson Dan-a wore a worried expression.
Bu Eun-seol's blood and qi had only just returned to normal.
With his skin and muscles ruptured all over, moving would cause him considerable pain.
"I'm fine."
When Bu Eun-seol spoke with a gentle yet firm expression, Gongson Dan-a nodded as if she had no choice.
"Then please be careful."
Bu Eun-seol nodded, drew his Ice Soul Sword, and walked forward.
*Thump, thump. Thumpthumpthump!*
But as Bu Eun-seol drew his sword, the grotesque man's eyes suddenly contorted, and he began to charge, shaking the very earth.
*Swish!*
Bu Eun-seol also dashed forward, unleashing the Meteor Chase Style.
*Phat!*
Instantly slitting its throat, Bu Eun-seol stood diagonally from the grotesque man.
*Drip.*
But then, something astonishing happened.
Despite his attack, only the skin had been cut, and... not even a few drops of blood emerged.
Furthermore, the few drops that did fall were clumped together, as if they had coagulated.
'A Demonic Purgatory Being.'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize that this grotesque man was an improved version of the Demonic Purgatory Being he had seen in the underground city of Sichuan in the past, like Gu Ju-hon.
After all, the blood of a living creature could not possibly form clumps.
*Swish.*
The grotesque man looked down at the blood dripping from his neck and slowly turned around.
*Clank.*
Simultaneously, a metallic sound rang from the metal pieces covering him, and a large saber appeared from his back.
The grotesque man instantly gripped the great saber and approached cautiously.
It was as if he had realized he couldn't face Bu Eun-seol empty-handed.
'No consciousness, I see.'
Not only were the man's pupils completely white, but he hadn't uttered a single word.
He felt less like a human and more like a metal weapon moving according to a pre-programmed set of actions.
*Phat!*
The great saber in the man's hand vanished.
It had instantly dug into Bu Eun-seol's side.
*Clang!*
Bu Eun-seol stood firm and deflected the saber.
Due to the vast difference in their power, the huge man was pushed back three steps.
But he immediately turned his body and went to split Bu Eun-seol's head.
The great saber flickered continuously, splitting into three paths of attack as it descended upon him.
"A saber art that uses the principles of the Scattering Sword."
Bu Eun-seol stood his ground and swiftly, powerfully, cut through the three sword shadows.
He believed that, just like with Gu Ju-hon in the past, the great saber was where the vital blood needed to sustain life was stored.
*Slice.*
The tip of the great saber was slightly chipped by the Ice Soul Sword, which was imbued with fierce energy.
But there was nothing inside.
*Swish!*
As the saber was chipped, the grotesque man changed his technique again, instantly creating twelve saber images.
From his appearance, one would think he would crush his enemies with overwhelming power, but surprisingly, he was using the subtleties of martial arts.
'Interesting.'
*Clang!*
The fiercely swung great saber clashed with Bu Eun-seol's sword.
*Whirl!*
It spun wildly before hurtling back toward the grotesque man.
As the man used a subtle saber art, Bu Eun-seol had unleashed the principles of the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword to instantly return the attack.
*Kwaang!*
The eight-foot-tall man was sent flying in a straight line, instantly shattering a square glass case.
*Rumble.*
From within the collapsing glass shards, the grotesque man slowly stood up.
Considering the speed and rotation, his body should have been shattered.
But the man stood up nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
*Thud. Thud.*
As the grotesque man stood up again, a white energy flowed from his eyes.
He swung the great saber high into the air.
*Swish-swish-swish!*
Moving like lightning, Bu Eun-seol swung his Ice Soul Sword like a windmill, blocking the downpour of saber qi.
In that instant, the man closed in on Bu Eun-seol and threw a lightning-fast punch.
Bu Eun-seol immediately executed the First Form of the Demonic Fist to counter the man's punch.
*BOOM!*
As fist met fist, a world-shattering sound erupted, and a shockwave of true qi spread in all directions.
*Chiii.*
The grotesque man was pushed back again, sliding about eight steps.
But he seemed to have taken no damage, and white smoke rose from his fist.
Amazingly, the man's fist contained a faint trace of power similar to the Power of the Flame Emperor.
'So that's what it was.'
Bu Eun-seol could now clearly feel what they had been experimenting with here.
'I'll confirm it one more time.'
*Woong.*
Bu Eun-seol lightly executed the Extreme Speed Shadowless Step and instantly closed the distance to the man.
*Swish!*
The blade of Bu Eun-seol's Ice Soul Sword instantly condensed, and a flurry of techniques, like a chaotic sword dance, began to unfold.
The grotesque man also condensed his great saber and began to pour out an incredible amount of saber qi.
But because he was executing a saber art of such immense power, he was completely unable to respond to the close-range attacks.
'Scattering Blood Death Saber... so it was that after all.'
The saber art the man was unleashing was the Scattering Blood Death Saber Art of Yeo Bul-heum, who was once called a master of the Scattering Saber Style.
He was a saber wielder with a freakishly large right arm, and he used that arm, which contained innate divine strength, to completely overcome the limitation of the scattering saber technique—the weakness that while the moves could be perfectly divided, their power was also divided.
'Improvisation is impossible for him.'
What if the grotesque man were a normal martial artist?
Even if he hadn't learned a chaotic sword technique, he should have naturally condensed his saber and moves to suit close-quarters combat.
But despite having learned a supreme saber art like the Scattering Blood Death Saber Art, the man was completely unable to apply it.
He was just mechanically repeating the moves.
'They didn't increase his body size for no reason.'
Bu Eun-seol once again changed his sword form, using a powerful heavy sword technique to pressure the man's arms holding the great saber.
*Pak!*
The man suddenly created a huge shadow with his foot, trying to break Bu Eun-seol's neck.
It was the Iron Peak Flying Kick Arts of Yeon So-geol, who was once called a master of kicking techniques.
*Boom-boom-boom!*
Bu Eun-seol lightly executed a footwork technique, dodging the kicks that filled the air.
'He's definitely just repeating the martial arts that were infused into him.'
What the Three Realms had attempted in this secret place...
It was research into implanting the skills of outstanding masters into the body of a Demonic Purgatory Being.
A Demonic Purgatory Being does not die unless its head is severed, and its power increases several times over compared to normal.
In the past, Gu Ju-hon had used this characteristic to his advantage by employing martial arts that disregarded his own life.
But this current Demonic Purgatory Being...
It was using the martial arts of several masters at once.
His left arm held a supreme yang fist art like the Power of the Flame Emperor, his right arm the Scattering Blood Death Saber, and his legs the Iron Peak Flying Kick.
These were supreme arts that even a martial genius couldn't master in a short time.
They must have been forcibly inscribed into him, using the characteristics of a Demonic Purgatory Being.
*Taat.*
Bu Eun-seol briefly retreated, putting some distance between himself and the man, and let out a sigh.
"Why on earth does the Three Realms do such things, even after dominating the martial world?"
He couldn't understand it at all.
The Three Realms was the shadowy force that controlled the martial world.
What more could they possibly want or lack that they would repeat experiments like this?
[Hooo!]
Unable to kill Bu Eun-seol in one go, a pure white light erupted from the grotesque man's eyes.
*Woong.*
A tremendous vibration came from the great saber, and it began to create faint afterimages.
Upon reaching the highest realm of the Scattering Sword, one could create endless afterimages in the air with just a light movement.
The man was about to unleash the ultimate technique of the Scattering Blood Death Saber to cut down Bu Eun-seol in a single blow.
*Click.*
Bu Eun-seol sheathed his Ice Soul Sword.
It was the opening stance of a killing sword, meant to end things quickly and painlessly.
While the man's abilities were formidable, he was no match for Bu Eun-seol to begin with.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol was incomparably stronger than when he had fought Gu Ju-hon...
Even if this was an improved Demonic Purgatory Being, to him, it was nothing more than a Soulless Being with a tenacious hold on life.
*Rumble-rumble-rumble!*
At that moment, with a sound like a tidal wave, the man began to unleash hundreds of sword shadows.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching calmly, drew his sword again.
*Flash!*
With a brilliant flash of light, a violet thunderbolt began to erase all of the saber images the man had unleashed.
*Swish! Swish! Swiiish!*
Simultaneously, the thunderbolt, which had been drawing a zigzag pattern in the air, bent strangely three times.
Nine Dragons Flash Lightning.
The pinnacle of the killing sword art created by Cheon Un-gwang was once again unleashed by Bu Eun-seol's hand.
*Slice. Thud.*
In the end, the grotesque man dropped the great saber he was holding.
And like a machine that had stopped working, he froze without a single twitch.
The Extreme Speed Killing Sword had been so fast that no external wound was visible.
*Click.*
Bu Eun-seol sheathed his Ice Soul Sword and turned away.
*Ssssk.*
At the same time, a red line of blood appeared on the man's neck, and with a thud, he collapsed like a falling log.
Gongson Dan-a, who had been watching from a distance, blinked her eyes.
"It's over, right?"
"Yes."
She tilted her head with a somewhat puzzled expression.
"He wasn't much, despite his appearance."
Gongson Dan-a was a talented woman with excellent medical skills, but her knowledge and insight into martial arts were not yet profound.
To her eyes, it looked as if Bu Eun-seol had effortlessly dodged the attacks and finished the man in an instant with a fast sword... so the man's martial arts didn't seem all that impressive.
"Let's go."
Regardless of her misunderstanding, Bu Eun-seol passed through the area without delay.
Finally, the door leading outside came into view.
"This seems to be the last place."
Bu Eun-seol took a breath and opened the door.
Another massive stone chamber, enclosed on all sides, appeared.
The interior was enormous, about thirty yards wide, and it was as bright as day.
The two who entered the stone chamber had to stop in their tracks.
Because they saw a man in black, bound in iron chains, embedded into the wall on one side of the chamber.