Chapter 1014
Bu Eun-seol's gaze turned icy and still.
'If they deliberately chose the White Sword Sect for this, they must have needed to utilize some geographical advantage.'
The White Sword Sect had always installed special gates to prevent outsiders from entering all at once.
They allowed entry only by passing through each gate one by one.
Even the forest at the entrance had trees that moved on their own to block intruders.
Hadn't the terrain itself shifted alive, sealing off exits?
This wasn't just an ordinary gate—it was an organic battle formation fused with the land itself.
'The fact that they can detect outsiders from the start...'
No matter how intricate a battle formation was, the formation itself had no means to filter out intruders.
Yet, when entering this place,
it was as if the formation automatically identified trespassers, generating a function to do so.
The assassins hidden within then used the power of the formation to eliminate enemies.
'Then... could it be that the land or terrain has the ability to distinguish the qi waves of outsiders?'
The idea that the land or terrain itself could detect an outsider's qi was somewhat absurd.
But Bu Eun-seol had none of the common prejudices held by martial artists and possessed an unusually broad way of thinking.
'In that case...'
Whenever he needed to detect something,
he usually relied on his extrasensory perception and the Empty Mind Spirit Communion, which could easily pick up even the faintest traces from long ago.
But this time, without warning, he placed his hand on the ground and activated the Heavenly Robe Mind Art instead.
If this terrain or the land itself was imbued with some kind of power, as if alive,
he thought the Heavenly Robe Mind Art—which could peer into another's True Qi Circulation—would be more suitable.
'What is this?'
After scanning the surrounding terrain for a while, Bu Eun-seol tilted his head in puzzlement.
Using the Heavenly Robe Mind Art to sense the land around him,
he realized that the pavilions erected here didn't feel like ordinary buildings but rather like a maze or a formation designed to block entry.
'In the end, it's meant to hide something.'
Maintaining his sensory perception through the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, Bu Eun-seol moved between the pavilions.
Then, as if alive, the pavilions stretched like twisted ropes, blocking his path and radiating an eerie energy.
A sinister force spread, one that felt as though it would melt flesh and bone if he forced his way through.
'Demon-Sealing Fragments?'
The energy emanating from the land and pavilions was none other than
something strikingly similar to the Demon-Sealing Fragments that the True Demon had deliberately scattered across the world.
'If one doesn't share the same energy, they can't enter...'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol grasp the secret of the pavilions built within the White Sword Sect.
These structures were emitting the Demon-Sealing Fragments in the form of shockwaves to detect outsiders.
In other words, to pass through this place,
one had to emit an energy similar to that of the Demon-Sealing Fragments.
"If this is a place that can only be found with Demon-Sealing Fragments... then it must be a secret vault related to the True Demon."
At last, the mystery unraveled.
The reason massive funds and manpower had been poured into the White Sword Sect was
to create a secret vault—like the Baekri Clan Secret Vault—
one that only the True Demon's bloodline or its servants could enter.
Kuuuuu...
Bu Eun-seol did not resist the Demon-Sealing Fragments flowing from all directions, instead accepting them naturally.
Having absorbed the fragments multiple times before, he still retained some of their energy within his body,
making it not too difficult to synchronize with the energy radiating from the pavilions.
Krrrung...
Finally, the pavilions, which had been emitting strange energy, twisted and moved aside, opening a path.
Following it slowly, he came upon a pitch-black door.
Opening it revealed an endlessly long passage.
Inside, a bloody glow mingled with darkness, making it look like the throat of a monster.
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol stepped inside.
The moment his foot touched the ground, a bizarre sensation washed over him, as if he had plunged underwater.
'Even this is a gate.'
As he ventured endlessly inward, the passage gradually widened.
Then, on the opposite side, he saw a dark shadow crouching.
Bu Eun-seol approached the hunched shadow with cautious movements.
Swish.
The shadow, as if sensing his presence, slowly raised its head and stood up.
But when it did, an astonishing sight unfolded.
The shadow's form was an exact replica of Bu Eun-seol himself.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol let out a soft snort as he observed the black shadow wearing his own face.
"A cliché trick."
When facing the One Hundred and Eight Stars,
he had encountered enemies who not only mimicked his appearance but perfectly replicated his martial arts as well.
So the fact that the black shadow bore his exact form was hardly surprising.
Tsk tsk.
When Bu Eun-seol shook his head, the black shadow mirrored the motion.
Yet Bu Eun-seol's expression remained utterly composed, his vital reactions unchanged—
Creeeak.
A strange sound leaked from the shadow's mouth.
Then, abruptly, it jerked its head and extended a hand.
As if to say that taking its hand was the only way to proceed further.
Creeeak.
When Bu Eun-seol still showed no reaction, the shadow stretched its hand out even more desperately.
It seemed to be pleading—Trust me, I won't harm you.
'Hmm.'
Now, only two choices remained.
Take the shadow's hand, offered in apparent goodwill.
Or draw his sword and strike without hesitation.
His deliberation didn't last long.
Shiiing.
The moment Bu Eun-seol unsheathed Ink Soul Sword—
—KIIIIEEEE!
The black shadow suddenly let out a monstrous roar.
As if enraged by the rejection of its supposed kindness.
"Revealing your true colors now."
Flash!
A terrifyingly swift Quick Sword Form severed the shadow's neck.
Drip, drip.
Black blood spilled as its head toppled—
Sploosh.
Then, its body melted into liquid before reforming, this time clad in the same robes as Bu Eun-seol.
Haaa...
A sacred energy radiated from Ink Soul Sword, and in an instant, mist-like white sword energy engulfed the black shadow.
The ninth form of Formless Heavenly Flow—
Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes, infused with Natural Qi, unfolded.
Hiiisss.
Exposed to the profound principles of Nature Sword within the technique, the shadow writhed in agony, its form flickering through shifting colors.
Whoosh... Whoosh...
But as time passed—
Was it not absorbing the sword energy greedily?
Ziiing.
Now, the shadow clutched a sword identical to Ink Soul Sword.
It seemed that with every attack Bu Eun-seol launched,
It absorbed the power, refining itself into an even closer replica of him.
"The more you're struck, the more you resemble your foe... I see."
A faint smile curled at Bu Eun-seol's lips as he observed the shadow now wielding his own blade.
"A psychological ploy to unsettle the enemy's Spirit and Mind."
A mysterious glint flashed in his all-seeing eyes.
"You could've mimicked me perfectly from the start, but you deliberately altered your form bit by bit with each attack."
The shadow tilted its head.
Almost as if saying, So what if you know?
"The True Demon enjoys psychological warfare as much as the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, it seems."
The terrifying aspect of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor lay in his ability to perfectly dissect an enemy's psyche and pierce the essence of their techniques.
And this shadow, too—rather than inflicting immediate harm—
Employed a meticulous, cunning method to shake its opponent's mind.
"A trap that pulls you deeper the more you struggle."
Click.
Sheathing his sword, Bu Eun-seol strode forward indifferently.
"But it won't work on me."
—KIIIIEEEE!
The shadow roared again.
Yet Bu Eun-seol advanced without hesitation.
After all, the more he attacked, the more it would simply mirror him.
To truly erase it, he'd have to expend every last drop of his Mental Power and true energy.
So he chose to do nothing—and walk past it.
WHOOSH!
Realizing its tactic had been exposed, the shadow suddenly spewed forth black flames.
CRACKLE.
The inferno engulfed Bu Eun-seol's body in an instant, searing flesh and bone alike.
No ordinary warrior would endure such agony without resistance.
Yet Bu Eun-seol walked on, unflinching.
"As I thought."
Because he had already discerned the nature of the shadow's power.
"Soul-Demon Magic Energy."
Those black flames were a test—
A means to identify those who wielded Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
"Impressive tricks, Servants of the True Demon."
Having unraveled the shadow's essence, Bu Eun-seol approached it without the slightest hesitation, utterly unguarded.
Step... step...
The shadow faltered, retreating slightly as he advanced with such ease.
Finally, as he loomed over it with unwavering authority—
It slowly knelt...
WHOOSH!
The figure bowed its head, then dissolved into black smoke and vanished.
'This is undoubtedly the True Demon's Secret Vault.'
The black shadow had been a gatekeeper, ensuring that only those carrying Soul-Demon Magic Energy could enter.
With the shadow gone, a passage illuminated by Night Shining Pearls came into view.
The corridor seemed haunted by vengeful spirits.
A sinister aura seeped through the murky darkness, as if someone—or something—was crouched there, breathing.
Finally, at the end of the passage, a massive stone gate appeared.
When Bu Eun-seol pushed it open—
"A weapon warehouse."
A vast armory, storing all manner of weapons, revealed itself.
The interior was so expansive that the end couldn't be seen, and a crimson mist coiled upward like living tendrils.
Grotesque weapon racks lined the walls, each holding blades that emitted a chilling, murderous glow.
Some weapons oozed a blood-like fluid, while others trembled faintly, as though alive.
Scattered throughout the warehouse were circular altars, piled high with countless bones.
It looked as if some bizarre ritual had been performed here—to trap souls.
"Too sinister to be called just a weapon warehouse."
Huuuuuu...
Not a single breeze stirred, yet faint, anguished screams continuously brushed against his ears.
CLANK.
Bu Eun-seol picked up a sword resting on one of the racks.
"This is no ordinary weapon."
Every weapon here was like a demonic blade—steeped in deep resentment, endlessly thirsting for blood.
"The space is divided."
Hidden within the warehouse was another door, leading to a separate chamber.
Inside—
This time, an array of utterly ordinary weapons was neatly displayed.
"These are the signature weapons of past martial masters."
A carelessly discarded sword turned out to be Gwak Do-yang's Poison Blade Demon Saber; he was called Red Slaughter Without Shadow.
A spiked hoop lying on the floor was the Moon Fang Heaven-Earth Ring of the Yin-Yang Twin Demons.
There was also the Stone Evil Saber of the Venomous Light True Man and the Silk Whip of the Heretic once used by Seok Oh-rang, who had been hailed as the greatest in the imperial court.
In short—
These were the signature weapons of renowned figures from all factions of the martial world.
Or rather, the unique arms of high-ranking masters from the Upper Realm and Government Office.
"Then that means..."
Bu Eun-seol reached a conclusion.
"The Servants of the True Demon have been killing martial artists from all factions and collecting their weapons."
Until now, he had assumed the Servants of the True Demon rarely revealed themselves in the martial world.
But in truth, they had been operating in the shadows, systematically eliminating past masters and prominent figures.
"But why would the Servants of the True Demon bother hoarding these trophies?"
Signature weapons were typically tailored to their owners.
Just because someone else took them didn't mean they could be freely wielded.
Of course, there were exceptions—Divine Weapons and Sharp Blades that displayed immense power regardless of the wielder.
But the weapons here weren't divine artifacts. They were all specialized, customized to their original owners.
Hardly worth collecting.
"Then there's only one reason."
A glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"To steal their identities."
A signature weapon was, in essence—
Proof of one's identity, like an Identity Plaque.
For martial artists, these were as precious as their own lives—never to be parted with.
"Don't tell me—"
Sensing something, he began frantically searching the area.
"There are weapons from current martial artists too."
This armory didn't just contain relics of past masters—it also held weapons belonging to famed figures of the present martial world.
Even those from the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, and the Eight Great Families.
'They're replacing the leadership.'
In the past, under Gongson Dan-gyeong's orders, Bu Eun-seol had eliminated an Elder from the Mount Hua Sect who had wielded a Black Divine Artifact.
At the time, he had assumed it was just the Three Realms playing tricks.
He hadn't realized there was a clear mastermind behind it.
But now—was it the Servants of the True Demon who had orchestrated it all?
'Then this isn't just a weapon warehouse.'
Growing impatient, Bu Eun-seol moved to the next chamber.
But this one was empty.
No weapons. Not even a speck of dust.
"They hid it."
Bu Eun-seol snorted.
This inner chamber was far larger than the others.
Meaning it was the perfect place to conceal something.
There was no way they'd leave such a vast space empty for no reason.
Zing.
As Bu Eun-seol spread his Empty Mind Spirit Communion, a white light radiated from his eyes.
Yet, he sensed nothing.
Even when he activated the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, the result was the same.
"Hmm."
His eyes flashed sharply.
Throughout his time wandering the martial world, he had dismantled countless Mechanism Formations, uncovered Secret Vaults, and found hidden caves.
No matter how cunningly something was concealed, it could never deceive his Dharma Eye.
"They already gave me the clue."
Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
The absolute mechanism hiding this Secret Vault was none other than Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
In other words, all secrets here had to be unraveled through it.
Vrrrm.
Matching his energy to the Soul-Demon Magic Energy he had sensed earlier, dark geometric patterns gradually began forming on the floor.
As expected, unless one was a Servant of the True Demon... the hidden things here were designed to remain forever out of reach.
'This is convenient in its own way.'
Bu Eun-seol belonged neither to the Baekri Clan nor the True Demon, and their power barely affected him.
Yet, because he could calmly absorb their energy, he could manipulate this place's mechanisms with ease.
Click. Click.
Before long, the patterns on the floor morphed into countless raised and sunken grooves.
Bu Eun-seol firmly pressed down on the largest protrusion at the center.
Rumble—
With a deep grinding sound, a massive altar suddenly began to rise from the ground.
Thud.
Atop the completed altar stood a uniquely shaped sword hilt, embedded firmly into the stone.
A blue energy seeped from the hilt, clashing against the black Soul-Demon Magic Energy, distorting the very space around it.
As if entranced, Bu Eun-seol approached and grasped the hilt.
Only a blade the length of a single finger segment was visible.
"The Extreme Swift Sword?"
To his astonishment, wasn't this the signature weapon of the Heavenly Emperor—the Extreme Swift Sword?
"A replica?"
He carefully channeled his internal energy into it.
Vrrrm.
Responding to his True Qi, a sharp blade began to form.
But even with his formidable internal energy, he couldn't fully manifest the blade.
The Extreme Swift Sword normally had a blade so short it couldn't kill a person.
Only when it detected an enemy's killing intent—or when infused with the Heavenly Emperor's exclusive Golden Cicada True Qi—would its true, razor-sharp edge emerge.
"It's genuine."
The weight, density, balance—
And the hilt bore marks of countless battles and the infusion of immense internal energy, proof that a superlative martial expert of the martial world had wielded it.
Having learned metallurgy from Master Blacksmith Wang Geol and inherited knowledge from the Demon Swordsmith,
Bu Eun-seol could distinguish Divine Swords and Treasured Sabers and verify their authenticity.
This was undoubtedly the Heavenly Emperor's beloved sword—the Extreme Swift Sword.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
"Then... was the Heavenly Emperor defeated by the Servants of the True Demon, left to wander the martial world in that wretched state?"
If they were Servants of the True Demon—
They had more than enough power to defeat even the Heavenly Emperor and drive him to madness.
Moreover, hadn't he already lost his Golden Cicada True Qi due to the Martial Venerable?
If he was attacked in his crippled state, he could have been easily subdued.
"But he mastered the Four Emperors' Martial Arts."
Shaking his head, his eyes suddenly gleamed.
"The Three Realms have fallen—perhaps among them, some factions have aligned with the Servants of the True Demon."
If not—
Had he been attacked by the True Demon or its servants, reduced to a pitiable state,
then coincidentally rescued by the Three Realms,
only to become their experimental subject... or puppet?
"No way."
Bu Eun-seol swiftly turned.
If the genuine Extreme Swift Sword used by the Heavenly Emperor was stored here—
Then there was a high probability that weapons belonging to other masters of comparable strength were also hidden in this place.
Click. Thud.
Bu Eun-seol stepped on all the remaining mechanisms, searching for more hidden weapons.
Thud.
With each activation, the concealed weapons revealed themselves one by one.
Just as he had predicted, these were no ordinary martial weapons—
Each one was the treasured armament of a master who had once dominated the martial world.
"As I thought."
His worst fears were being confirmed.
The fact that the weapons of past martial world masters were displayed here meant—
They had been killed by the Servants of the True Demon... and soon, someone else would likely take their place.
"Some are missing."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze darkened.
When the mechanisms activated,
not all spaces revealed weapons—some remained empty.
Meaning someone had already taken those weapons and was impersonating their original owners.
Click.
Then, a mechanism in the corner shifted. With a metallic clank, a small iron case emerged.
Snap.
Opening it, his eyes widened in disbelief.
A shock so intense it felt like his skull had been split open struck him.
Inside the case was none other than—
A Command Plaque engraved with the image of a wolf.
"The Wolf Token."
It was the sacred artifact of Langya Pavilion—the Wolf Token, an emblem only the Pavilion Lord was permitted to carry.