Chapter 1010
Shouting aloud brought a slight sense of relief.
Just as Do Cheon-rin was regaining his composure and about to turn away—
"What are you doing?"
A clear voice rang out from behind him.
When he turned his head again, a stunningly beautiful woman in yellow robes stood blinking at him, holding a large basket.
Wasn't this none other than his fiancée, the strategist of the Martial Soul Society—Dam Yu-yeon?
'Such a blunder.'
Do Cheon-rin's face flushed red.
He had been so consumed by rage, bellowing at the top of his lungs, that he hadn't even noticed her approach.
"Yeon-mae."
As if nothing had happened, he schooled his expression into seriousness and approached her.
"What brings you here?"
"Is something... wrong?"
At her worried look, Do Cheon-rin shrugged his shoulders.
"What could possibly be wrong?"
"Your furious cursing could be heard from three hundred zhang away."
The composed expression he had been forcing faltered, and his face reddened again.
Truthfully, he had never once in his life acted frivolously or uttered profanities.
But thanks to Bu Eun-seol's absurd training proposal—
No, because of those bastards who wouldn't even lend half an ear to his words, he had been overcome by an unprecedented surge of frustration and fury.
"If those insufferable brats had listened to me even a little, none of this would have happened."
"Huh?"
"Let's just say it was something like that."
Seeing his troubled expression, she didn't press further.
"At least have a meal first."
She opened the basket she had brought and began taking out its contents one by one.
Inside were various homemade dishes, along with snacks like fruits and rice cakes.
"Why would you go through the trouble of bringing all this here?"
Judging by the quantity, it was clear she had packed enough for Bu Eun-seol and the others to share.
But sensing that something unpleasant had happened between Do Cheon-rin and them, she set the food out only for him.
"Looking after you is my duty."
At her meticulous care, Do Cheon-rin rubbed his nose awkwardly.
"You expect me to eat all this alone?"
"Haven't you been training with the Rogue Vanguard in harsh conditions without proper meals?"
She placed each dish before him, arranging them so he could eat comfortably.
"You can take your time. It's fine if there's some left."
With no choice, Do Cheon-rin began eating the food she had brought.
Meanwhile, Dam Yu-yeon silently served him, refilling his plate and pouring wine without a word.
'What a wise woman.'
She always prioritized his emotions and attended to every detail with thoughtful consideration.
'It feels like my heart is being soothed.'
With delicious food and her attentive gaze, Do Cheon-rin gradually regained his clarity.
And for the first time in a while, Dam Yu-yeon seemed truly endearing to him.
She was wise and gentle, softening his sharp edges.
The reason he, who had always been cynical and relied solely on his keenness, could now manage the Rogue Vanguard with ease—
Was because he had met a woman like Dam Yu-yeon, who had smoothed his temperament and broadened his perspective.
"To be honest..."
Eventually, Do Cheon-rin began confiding in her about his situation.
"That bastard made this ridiculous suggestion."
He vented about how Seo Jin-ha and the others had disregarded him.
And how they were nothing but cold-blooded brats without even a speck of camaraderie, punctuating his words with spittle.
"I see. That must have been upsetting. Especially after all the effort you've put in without rest."
At her consolation, Do Cheon-rin was suddenly struck by deep emotion.
"Honestly, everything felt effortless when I was younger."
Gazing at the distant sky, he unwittingly recalled memories of the past.
"Back then, I comprehended everything on my own... By the age of ten, I could vaguely devise the principles of any martial art I needed."
He wore an embarrassed expression.
"But after losing to him, I felt an immense emptiness."
After his defeat at Bu Eun-seol's hands—
He had become someone unacknowledged, not just by his father but within his own family.
Realizing that the training methods of the Bloodflame Blade Family were insufficient, he had ventured into the martial world.
During that journey, he had obtained the demonic sword scattered by the Ghostly Return Sect.
That encounter had led him to clash with Bu Eun-seol, which ironically became the catalyst for their friendship.
And ultimately, it had brought him to where he stood now.
"But sometimes, I've wondered..."
For the first time, Do Cheon-rin voiced a concern he had never shared with anyone.
"Whether staying by his side is just a way to rationalize my own failure."
"You..."
"Bu Eun-seol. Knowing I can never defeat him—isn't my friendship with him just an excuse?"
Do Cheon-rin lowered his head.
Bu Eun-seol had now become a Divine Being, so formidable that he could no longer even be considered an enemy.
And so, wasn't he merely hiding behind the pretense of friendship to enter his service? That self-loathing had been gnawing at him.
"Perhaps the Society Leader wanted you to take time to reflect on yourself?"
Dam Yu-yeon, who had been listening quietly, spoke carefully.
"Since childhood, you've prided yourself on excellence—and felt compelled to prove it to others."
Then, with tender eyes, she met his gaze.
"But because of that, you've never had the chance to look inward."
Inner Observation.
For martial artists who reach a certain level,
they must enter a state of meditation—completely severing external stimuli and turning their gaze inward.
This is the time for Inner Observation.
To transcend one's current stage, to advance,
they must clearly define where they stand and where the path ahead lies.
Yet, Do Cheon-rin had failed to recognize his own position.
His goal had always been to become the Number One of the Demonic Path, and he had believed with absolute certainty that he would reach it.
But with the emergence of Bu Eun-seol, that goal had vanished, and suddenly, the path before him was lost.
Though he had trained relentlessly, achieved multiple Breakthroughs, and continued to evolve—
he still could not grasp exactly where he stood or where he was meant to go.
"Moreover, the Hall Master walks his own path, unbound by conventional martial classifications... Those who witness it can't help but feel even more disoriented."
Do Cheon-rin wore a dazed expression.
Bu Eun-seol's appearance had erased the dream he had nurtured since childhood.
Unbeknownst to himself, he had been trapped in a constant state of instability because of it.
"I see."
Only now did Do Cheon-rin understand why Bu Eun-seol had made that absurd suggestion—telling him to take Seo Jin-ha and the others as his subordinates.
'Because they don't suffer the same doubts as I do.'
In the past, they too had aimed for the title of Number One of the Demonic Path, only to have their ambitions crushed by Bu Eun-seol.
Yet, they did not share his turmoil.
Because they had clashed directly with Bu Eun-seol, working closely alongside him in their missions.
But he—as the leader of the Rogue Vanguard—had spent far less time confronting him.
Thus, his confusion about his current position and the remnants of his past glory remained unresolved.
'I must redefine my lost goal. I must turn my gaze inward through Inner Observation.'
Only then... could he break past his current limits and move forward.
"You knew I wouldn't understand if you just told me outright..."
Finally comprehending everything, Do Cheon-rin shook his head with a hollow smile.
"So you devised a way to shake my Spirit and Mind."
For a person to realize something, they need a catalyst.
No matter how many times someone says, "Do it like this," or suggests, "Why not try this?"—
the heart does not move unless one becomes aware of it themselves.
Bu Eun-seol had used the guise of training to give Do Cheon-rin the opportunity to recognize his own shortcomings.
"Thank you, Yeon-mae."
Do Cheon-rin spoke to Dam Yu-yeon in a gentle voice.
"You've helped me resolve one of my troubles."
"I'm glad I could be of assistance."
Dam Yu-yeon gathered her basket and rose from her seat.
"You're leaving already?"
Seeing his slightly disappointed expression, she smiled prettily.
"They say that if you don't act immediately upon gaining Insight, its effect diminishes."
Then, in that same kind voice, she added:
"Take your time—don't rush, but move forward carefully."
Having observed Bu Eun-seol since his days as Seol-so, she knew exactly how extraordinary he was.
But Do Cheon-rin, too, was a once-in-a-century prodigy.
If given more time—
he could become a peerless grandmaster, no less formidable.
Yet his somewhat arrogant tendency to look down on others... made it difficult for him to calmly accept the widening gap between them.
Arrogance was a common trait among prodigies, and it could even fuel further growth.
But in times of confusion like this, it became an obstacle instead.
"Don't worry."
Sensing her concern, Do Cheon-rin nodded.
"I won't be so foolish as to wallow in self-reproach while clinging to my pride. Slow as it may be, I will reach my goal."
"Yes."
Dam Yu-yeon smiled beautifully.
"I believe in you."
After she left,
Do Cheon-rin sat in meditation, his expression more solemn than ever.
"I must redefine my goal and my position."
For the first time, he earnestly contemplated where he stood, what he desired, and what he must do moving forward.
And as he observed himself, he sought not only to pursue higher realms—
but to shed the arrogance and detachment he had carried until now, replacing them with deep insight and a broader perspective.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
Wooden puppets moved at imperceptible speeds, unleashing the most representative fist techniques and Hidden Weapon Arts of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
Whip! Crack!
By the fourth day, Yu Un-ryong had fully adapted to the Wooden Puppet Formation, reaching a level where he could dismantle the puppets even with his eyes closed.
When he first entered the formation,
the relentless onslaught of attacks had left him no room to breathe—forcing him into an endless cycle of defense and counterattack.
As always, he couldn't analyze his enemies or predict their movements, forced to rely purely on instinctive reactions.
Especially since the wooden puppets didn't just mimic the martial arts of past masters—
they also replicated fragments of Bu Eun-seol's Fist Demon Seven Forms.
At first, Yu Un-ryong had no choice but to evade on instinct,
while simultaneously analyzing their techniques to devise counters.
But by the time he identified openings and formulated counters, the puppets had already landed sharp strikes on him.
Had this been a real battle, he would have suffered fatal wounds before even mounting a defense.
—Am I overthinking this?
The duels of martial artists ultimately boiled down to one question: who could strike faster and inflict a fatal wound on their opponent?
But the more one overthought—
The more their focus scattered, slowing their movements.
At first, he had repeated the process of finding openings and creating counter-techniques.
But as one day passed, then two—
He stopped calculating with his head and began moving purely on instinct.
And finally, by the third day—
Yu Un-ryong, like the warriors of Langya Pavilion, could now instinctively deflect or neutralize the wooden puppets' attacks using extrasensory perception.
'What if I create a technique that uses this heightened perception to restrict an enemy's movements?'
He wasn't satisfied with merely facing the Wooden Puppet Formation.
Instead, he began researching ways to wield this extrasensory ability against real opponents.
Thanks to the Wooden Puppet Formation—
He had grasped the essence of Perception-Guided Strikes and Counter-Breaking Combat—moving instinctively yet retaining the ability to analyze, dismantle, and counter an opponent's martial techniques.
Myo Cheon-u sat cross-legged in deep meditation at the edge of a windswept cliff.
The lie had succeeded.
But he realized that Bu Eun-seol's goal wasn't just to make him lie convincingly.
That was why he had seated himself at this precipice, where the gales roared violently enough to shatter one's focus—
And immersed himself in Zen meditation, probing the deeper meaning behind it all.
'Physical honesty only reveals your weaknesses to the enemy.'
Having trained to control his physiological reactions while lying effortlessly, he finally understood why Bu Eun-seol had put him through this.
'To deceive, you must first grasp your opponent's mind and state.'
If you tried selling a delicious meal to someone suffering from stomach pains—
They wouldn't care in the slightest.
But if you spoke of a renowned physician skilled in curing abdominal agony?
They would listen without fail.
Thus, deception—
Required meticulous observation of an opponent's psychology and physical condition. And this principle was no different in martial arts.
"Now it's done."
Bu Eun-seol nodded after confirming each of them—
Yu Un-ryong, refining his martial arts within the Wooden Puppet Formation.
Myo Cheon-u, meditating at the cliff's edge.
And Do Cheon-rin, introspecting deep within the cave.
They had all recognized their own limiting flaws.
Possessing wisdom and talent worthy of becoming a Ten Demonic Heir, they would now break through on their own.
Only Seo Jin-ha remained.
"You fight like a Master of our sect."
Those were Bu Eun-seol's first words after their brief spar.
Seo Jin-ha was quick-witted, adaptable, and unshackled by rigid techniques—allowing him to assimilate unfamiliar martial arts in an instant.
"R-Really?"
Seo Jin-ha scratched his cheek, flustered.
"Comparing me to a Langya Pavilion Master sounds like high praise."
"Of course it is. The peerless Masters of the past always emphasized improvisation."
Bu Eun-seol continued, "Combat is an unbroken chain of unpredictable situations. Rigid forms are useless—only flexible, instantaneous adaptation can exploit an enemy's openings or catch them off guard."
Then he added, "And you excel at precisely that."
Seo Jin-ha's eyes sparkled, his grin stretching ear to ear.
"Hahaha, I wouldn't go that far."
Laughing, he clapped a hand on Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
"Talent-wise, I'm a step below you and just a notch above Do Cheon-rin."
"But you're too impulsive."
Bu Eun-seol brushed off his hand, his expression turning icy.
"Improvisation must be built upon a solid martial foundation. If you always rely on catching opponents off guard..."
His gaze sharpened like a blade.
"You'll eventually face an unexpected counterattack. And like always, you'll be left scrambling to dodge."
Seo Jin-ha's mouth fell open.
This guy was always buried in work, barely finding time to eat—so when had he analyzed his fighting style?
"How did you know?"
"It would be stranger if I didn't."
Bu Eun-seol replied flatly.
"You're another version of me."
For a moment, Seo Jin-ha's eyes wavered.
'...So that's it.'
Finally, he understood.
Bu Eun-seol had always acted indifferent—
But the one he cared for most was none other than him.
He had abandoned life in the light—
Postponed his own desperate vengeance, sacrificed everything—
And despite being constantly pressed for time, he had assigned Tak Il-hon—a man of endless utility—to him specifically.
All out of gratitude and guilt.
"Bu Eun-seol."
As Seo Jin-ha spread his arms to embrace him, Bu Eun-seol took a step back.
"You should solve the riddle I've given you first."
Avoiding Seo Jin-ha's burning gaze, he gestured toward the cave ahead.
"I've prepared it to minimize external distractions. It's the optimal place to contemplate your answer."
Not only had he deployed an isolation formation to sever all outside interference—
He had ensured Seo Jin-ha could meditate deeply and reach his conclusion swiftly.
He had even lit divine incense like Divine Radiance Incense inside to purify the mind and enhance internal power.
'He must have stayed up all night.'
Seo Jin-ha let out an inward sigh as he glanced around the cave.
What should have been a dust-covered, filthy cavern had been meticulously cleaned, as pristine as a private room in an inn.
Bu Eun-seol must have prepared this place, wearing down his own mental power solely out of a desire for Jin-ha's growth.
"This is only the beginning anyway. You have far too much to correct."
"Right. I understand."
Seo Jin-ha nodded and stepped inside.
Thud.
The moment he entered, the cave entrance sealed shut with a low vibration.
The profound workings of the battle formation ensured complete isolation—as if a door had closed behind him.
"Silent indeed."
The interior, illuminated only by faint light, was pleasantly dry and temperate.
Judging by the subtle fragrance lingering in the air—
It wasn't just any Shenxuanxiang, but the rarest and most expensive variant, Heavenly Heart Incense, renowned for its unparalleled ability to stabilize the heart and mind.
"Improvisation."
Seo Jin-ha flopped onto his back.
"It's not that adaptability itself is wrong."
Then he closed his eyes.
And endless thoughts surged through his mind.
"My martial foundation is solid enough."
Privately, he took pride in the fact that no one had built a martial foundation as unshakable as his own.
Though the Drunken Cloud Sword Art might have been considered second-rate, it was more than sufficient for establishing the fundamentals of sword studies and martial arts.
Moreover, he had never grown complacent—constantly refining and striving to elevate the Drunken Cloud Sword beyond its limits.
"Father was the same."
—In battle, variables aren't just the opponent's movements. Terrain, environment, weapon condition—all of it matters.
Seo Mu-woong had always reminded him.
—If you fight with rigid sword strokes, your enemy will predict your sword trajectories too easily. You'll struggle to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.
"But that was also the Drunken Cloud Sword Art's limitation."
The Drunken Cloud Sword Art lacked overwhelming power, and its strokes were monotonous—if executed conventionally, defeat was inevitable.
So instead of adhering to structured martial forms, he had chosen to rely on fluid improvisation and sudden, unpredictable attacks.
"And in doing so, its power grew."
The same had happened when he learned the Black Blood Gang's secret sword technique, the Blood Wheel Slash.
He never used its prescribed trajectories—always altering them.
The Gang's instructors, recognizing that this was the key to unleashing the Blood Wheel Slash's true might, had praised his approach.
"Because this was Father's way."
There was no single correct path on the Martial Way.
What Seo Jin-ha had always desired wasn't to become a superlative martial expert who dominated the world.
He had only ever wanted to walk the same path his father had—to carry on his legacy.
"That's why my mastery of martial arts remained shallow."
Thanks to Bu Eun-seol, he had learned countless advanced martial techniques over the years.
Yet rather than wielding the overwhelming power of the Willful True Binding or the Formless Heavenly Flow—
He had modified and enjoyed using the secret manuals and sword forms obtained from the Absolute Annihilation faction, deliberately avoiding deeper mastery.
Given his talent—
He should have reached at least the Eighth-Star Attainment in both the Formless Heavenly Flow and the Willful True Binding.
But instinctively, he had shunned powerful techniques, clinging only to improvisation.
And so, in the end, he had never truly mastered those advanced martial arts.
"But I'll do it my way."
If his goal had been revenge through the Demonic Path's supreme martial arts—
He would have long since devoted himself to mastering the Willful True Binding and the Formless Heavenly Flow.
With those peerless techniques—
No matter how formidable Yeop Jeokhwa was, he could have found a way to oppose him.
But his obsession with the Drunken Cloud Sword Art and mutual destruction tactics—
Ultimately, it was because he had wanted to win his father's way.
Through adaptability.
Rumble.
In the end, Seo Jin-ha emerged from the cave after just a single day.
His expression, rather than weary, was refreshed—his gaze deeper than before.
Though he hadn't achieved a breakthrough or profound enlightenment—
Merely confirming the path he must walk was enough to satisfy him.
"Huh?"
Seo Jin-ha let out a surprised sound.
Standing before him, as if waiting, was none other than Bu Eun-seol.
"You've been waiting here the whole time?"
"A day at most."
Bu Eun-seol replied indifferently.
"That's more than enough time to find conviction in your own path."
Seo Jin-ha's mouth fell open.
Now he realized—Bu Eun-seol had already known exactly what conclusion he would reach, what choice he would make.
"If you knew I'd choose this path, why bother sealing me in the cave?"
"Being told and realizing it yourself are entirely different things."
Seo Jin-ha shook his head in disbelief.
"How did you know I'd make this decision? Did you investigate my past that thoroughly?"
"I told you."
Bu Eun-seol spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"All this time, you were me."
The smile faded from Seo Jin-ha's face.
Because he understood what Bu Eun-seol meant.
Just as Seo Jin-ha had become Bu Eun-seol's shadow—
Bu Eun-seol, too, had strived to become his shadow.
So that if anything ever happened to Seo Jin-ha—who was willing to sacrifice himself—Bu Eun-seol could take his place.
A shadow.
Not someone who merely concealed and supplemented another's actions—
But another self.
"I lose."
Seo Jin-ha shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"From start to finish."
There was no keeping up with this guy.
And yet—he felt strangely happy.
Because Bu Eun-seol wasn't just sympathizing with him.
He was saying they were one and the same.
Just as Seo Jin-ha had willingly offered his life for Bu Eun-seol—
Bu Eun-seol, in turn, had overlapped his own life and fate atop Jin-ha's shadow.
Becoming one with him.
He had accepted every part of him.