Chapter 1015
Bu Eun-seol picked up the command plaque with trembling hands.
"How could this happen?"
Then, did this mean the Human Demon Ak Mu-ryeong...
Was he not the real Ak Mu-ryeong, but rather a servant of the True Demon?
"That can't be."
Bu Eun-seol could stake his life on it.
Ak Mu-ryeong could never be a servant of the True Demon.
Langya Pavilion had figures like Baek Yeon, the Wind Cloud Brigade leader with extraordinary insight and wisdom, and Master Cheol.
They resided permanently at Sword Tail Mountain.
If the Pavilion Lord had been replaced?
Even if he himself hadn't noticed, there was no way they wouldn't have.
"Besides, if that were the case, this command plaque wouldn't be stored here."
If an impostor had begun acting, they would have naturally taken the plaque. There was no reason for it to remain safely stored here.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol, having elevated his mind to the Empty Mind Spirit Communion, examined the plaque once more.
"It's definitely genuine."
Truthfully, he hadn't even needed to enter the Empty Mind Spirit Communion.
Because inscribed on the back of the Wolf Token was the secret formula of the Concealment Secret Art—
A technique only the successive Pavilion Lords of Langya Pavilion could master.
"Now that I think about it, the Pavilion Lord never once used the Wolf Token."
In truth, Langya Pavilion was a sect that had no need for sacred relics or command plaques.
To become the Pavilion Lord, one had to be the greatest master of Langya Pavilion, and their authority and dignity stemmed purely from their strength.
Above all, the disciples of Langya Pavilion shared bonds of brotherhood and solidarity as strong as family.
There was no need for the Pavilion Lord to issue orders through tokens.
"Could they have forged a fake plaque?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Sword Tail Mountain yielded a mysterious ore called Crimson Iron in small quantities, and the Wolf Token was forged from its refined essence.
Unless someone secretly scoured the mountain for Crimson Iron, crafting a plaque would be impossible.
But if someone had tried such a thing?
They would have been detected immediately by Langya Pavilion's masters.
Krrrrumble. BOOM! BOOM!
At that moment, a massive tremor shook the warehouse from above.
'They've arrived.'
By now, Seo Jin-ha would have finished his revenge, and Yu Un-ryong and the others would have dealt with the swordsmen of the White Sword Sect.
They had likely waited after completing their tasks, but when he still hadn't returned, they must have followed his trail here.
'Were they fighting the shadows?'
Yu Un-ryong and the others couldn't synchronize with the Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
So they must have fought fiercely against the shadows mimicking their forms.
Click.
Bu Eun-seol tucked the Wolf Token into his robes.
No matter what, he couldn't leave Langya Pavilion's sacred relic here.
'If I take this, they'll undoubtedly pursue me.'
Then, he drew the Extreme Swift Sword from the altar and slipped it into his waistband.
Since the Extreme Swift Sword was little more than a hilt now, it was easy to carry.
He intended to take it with him—if only to unravel the secrets of the Heavenly Emperor in the future.
Sshhk.
Drawing the Ink-Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol—
Shhick.
Left behind a trace of the Formless Heavenly Flow on the ground.
He deliberately left this mark so that whoever managed this secret vault would know to pursue him.
Krrrrumble.
Stepping outside the vault once more,
"Huff... Huff..."
He found Seo Jin-ha and the others leaning against the walls of the wide passageway, panting heavily.
And the black shadow meant to guard the passage had melted into a shapeless mass, flattened against the floor.
"You took that thing down?"
Bu Eun-seol's lips parted slightly.
Shadows like that couldn't be defeated or subdued without the Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
Yet they had pooled their strength and somehow destroyed it.
"That damn shadow kept mocking us by mimicking our movements, so we got pissed and went all out to erase it."
Myo Cheon-u irritably pointed at the melted shadow.
"What the hell was that thing, anyway? It just wouldn't stop attacking."
"Likely a spell created from Soul-Demon Magic Energy."
"Soul-Demon Magic Energy?"
"This place seems to be a secret vault made by the servants of the True Demon."
Bu Eun-seol calmly recounted what he had seen inside the warehouse.
After hearing everything, Myo Cheon-u and the others wore dazed expressions.
If that were true...
Didn't it mean most of the martial world's prominent figures and leaders had likely been replaced by impostors?
"I thought most of it was the work of the Three Realms..."
Myo Cheon-u muttered blankly.
"So in the end... it was the True Demon's faction, who barely interacted with the martial world, behind all this?"
"Not necessarily all of it."
Yu Un-ryong shook his head.
"We still don't know how they obtained these weapons or what they plan to do with them."
Then Myo Cheon-u brightened as he looked at Bu Eun-seol.
"But isn't this good news? It means no one in Langya Pavilion has been replaced."
The fact that the Wolf Token was still here meant
No one had yet used it to impersonate someone.
"Don't be so quick to assume."
But Yu Un-ryong shook his head with a grim expression.
"That's the sacred relic of Langya Pavilion's Lord. The fact that it's here at all means something has already gone wrong."
The successive Pavilion Lords of Langya Pavilion had always dominated the martial world, and the sect had never once suffered an external invasion.
Yet the genuine Wolf Token being here meant that, at some point, something had happened to one of the past Pavilion Lords.
Moreover, given the temperament of the current Pavilion Lord, Ak Mu-ryeong?
There was no way he would have remained silent if he had lost the token.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
"So... does that mean Lord Ak is a fake?"
Myo Cheon-u's eyes widened.
The Human Demon Ak Mu-ryeong was a martial arts madman, and his strength was said to rival even that of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Even if Bu Eun-seol's martial arts had advanced significantly, achieving a complete victory against him would be an extremely difficult feat.
"No, it can't be the Pavilion Lord. If that were the case, the members of Langya Pavilion wouldn't be unaware."
Bu Eun-seol spoke decisively.
"Above all, someone as deeply devoted to the Martial Way as the Pavilion Lord could never become another's servant."
Myo Cheon-u and the others all nodded in agreement.
Those who pursued the Martial Way like Ak Mu-ryeong could never be subdued by any force.
Moreover, if someone like Ak Mu-ryeong could be replaced by a Servant of the True Demon—
The martial world would already be in the True Demon's grasp.
"The Death Soul Squad must have erased all traces, but return carefully."
Bu Eun-seol instructed.
"If word gets out that you're involved, it'll cause considerable trouble."
He concealed the fact that he had secretly left traces of the Formless Heavenly Flow, lest they worry.
If they knew pursuers managing this Secret Vault would come, they would undoubtedly insist on staying by his side.
"Understood."
"Then we'll take our leave first."
"Are you heading to Langya Pavilion?"
At Yu Un-ryong's question, Bu Eun-seol nodded before activating his movement technique and vanishing into the distant sky.
First, he would go straight to Ak Mu-ryeong.
He needed to verify the authenticity of this Wolf Token.
—The Pavilion Lord is currently in seclusion.
By the time Bu Eun-seol arrived at Langya Pavilion, a message from the Death Soul Squad had reached him.
Pavilion Lord Ak Mu-ryeong had been in closed-door training at Iron Palm Peak for some time.
However, as Langya Pavilion had grown in size and its disciples had multiplied—
And since Iron Palm Peak was the optimal place for quiet meditation and seated cultivation—
It had eventually become a training ground where disciples focused on honing their internal energy.
Thus, Ak Mu-ryeong had left Langya Pavilion abruptly, as he often did, to train in secret elsewhere.
—Fortunately, he left a trail this time.
But knowing the martial world was in turmoil and that Bu Eun-seol was battling multiple factions—
Unlike before, Ak Mu-ryeong had not completely erased his tracks and had secretly left his whereabouts with Dan Cheong.
—The Pavilion Lord is on Ghost Island.
Bu Eun-seol was startled.
That was where Martial God Heaven Lord had secluded himself and where his grandfather's cherished short sword, Journey, had been kept.
So why was the Pavilion Lord there?
—Understood.
Upon hearing the news, Bu Eun-seol immediately set off for Ghost Island.
When he finally arrived, the island's atmosphere had completely transformed.
During Martial God Heaven Lord's time, Ghost Island had been desolate and eerie, exuding a hellish aura.
But with Ak Mu-ryeong's presence, the atmosphere had shifted entirely.
Simply by being there—
Ghost Island had turned into an arena of extreme martial training, thick with the scent of blood and battle.
Thud.
Bu Eun-seol stomped forcefully, sending vibrations through the entire island.
He intended to use the Void-Breaking Mind's Eye.
Rumble. Rumble.
As faint tremors spread—
He soon detected the source of an overwhelming power, pulsing as if resonating with the island itself.
Whoosh.
Activating his movement technique, he dashed toward the coastal cliffs.
There, a massive figure stood imposingly, gazing at the sea.
His bare shoulders were draped in martial robes, his unruly hair roughly tied back.
His colossal frame seemed to prop up the heavens, his arms layered with muscles like forged metal.
An oppressive aura radiated from his entire being.
His piercing eyes, burning with a fierce yellow light, seemed capable of shattering the very principles of existence.
It was the Human Demon—Ak Mu-ryeong.
Tap.
As Bu Eun-seol arrived, Ak Mu-ryeong turned his head slightly without shifting his stance.
A mere tilt of his head—
Rumble. CRASH!
The earth trembled, and a storm capable of annihilating the world began to howl.
'Thank goodness.'
Seeing Ak Mu-ryeong's overwhelming presence, a smile of joy and relief spread across Bu Eun-seol's face.
Ak Mu-ryeong was still Ak Mu-ryeong.
That incarnation of martial prowess would never kneel before the True Demon.
No one who had submitted to another could exude such majesty.
Until now, factions across the martial world had been ensnared in the Abyssal Forces' schemes or covertly pressured.
But Langya Pavilion had remained untouched.
All because of the terrifying might of Ak Mu-ryeong.
Bu Eun-seol swelled with pride.
"Pavilion Lord."
Bowing respectfully, he approached Ak Mu-ryeong with a bright smile.
"Your aura has grown even more formidable. It seems your True Martial Scripture has greatly advanced."
Was it relief? Joy?
Unlike usual, Bu Eun-seol didn't hesitate to show his happiness.
It was the same expression he had worn as a child—
When greeting his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
"......"
Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes widened slightly, his expression turning odd.
Normally as cold and composed as himself—
A man who never showed emotion unless speaking of vengeance—
Now suddenly grinning like a child, bounding over with a radiant expression?
And that aura, that martial presence...
'This brat.'
Ak Mu-ryeong, who had long since transcended the Martial Extreme Realm and entered a new stage, narrowed his eyes.
For someone who had already reached such unfathomable heights of martial prowess, advancing yet again at this staggering pace was unprecedented.
Had things continued this way, he'd been confident that even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor could be surpassed in a single breath.
But now, this utterly unremarkable brat...
Wasn't he already hot on his heels at a terrifying speed?
With one unexpected situation after another unfolding like this—
Even Ak Mu-ryeong, who wouldn't bat an eye if the heavens collapsed, couldn't help but be taken aback.
'It seems I'm not the only one progressing.'
If that were the case, then not only Sado Mu-myeong but every member of the Three Demons and Three Venerables must have achieved equally monstrous advancements.
"The successor of our pavilion, who should be the most solemn of all..."
Having regained his composure, Ak Mu-ryeong—
Upon seeing Bu Eun-seol's unbearably frivolous demeanor—was about to rebuke him sternly.
But then—
"I believe you should see this first."
Bu Eun-seol's expression dimmed, and he pulled out an Odd-shaped Sword from his robes.
Instantly, Ak Mu-ryeong's eyebrows shot up.
Wasn't that Extreme Swiftness, the treasured blade of the Righteous Heavenly Emperor?
Wearing a somber expression, Bu Eun-seol continued,
"It seems the Servants of the True Demon have been killing martial world experts and replacing them with puppets."
He recounted in detail everything he had witnessed and heard during his encounter with the White Sword Sect.
Ak Mu-ryeong's expression remained unchanged as he listened for a long while.
The current martial world was one where forces and masters long hidden in the Abyss were gradually raising their heads.
Because of this, not only was conventional knowledge being overturned—even the balance of power itself was crumbling.
Whether the True Demon was turning martial artists into puppets or figures from the Baekri Clan descended like immortals riding cranes—
None of it was particularly surprising.
"And what of it?"
A sinister, eerie light flickered in Ak Mu-ryeong's pupils.
He had never involved himself in the affairs of the world—had never even spared them a thought.
Yet now, just because he had humored his successor a few times—
Did this brat think he could come scurrying to him like some information broker whenever he had questions?
"You—!"
Just as Ak Mu-ryeong was about to unleash another earth-shaking roar in his fury—
"The Wolf Token of our pavilion was also there."
At Bu Eun-seol's next words—
Ak Mu-ryeong had no choice but to suppress the rage threatening to erupt once more.
"The Wolf Token?"
"Yes. To my eyes, it was unmistakably genuine."
A flicker of emotion flashed through Ak Mu-ryeong's gaze upon hearing this.
It was—embarrassment.
That a man like him—a peerless grandmaster of the Demonic Path, a Great Demon who feared nothing under heaven—would show such an expression on his face?
"That is an object unworthy of mention."
Ak Mu-ryeong spoke coldly.
"It was stolen by the traitor who harmed the previous Pavilion Lord and fled."
Shockingly, even Bu Eun-seol—the current successor—had been unaware of this secret history, unrecorded in the annals of Langya Pavilion.
"But doesn't it still bear our pavilion's secret arts?"
"That Hidden Stealth Secret Art was recorded centuries ago. It can no longer be considered one of our pavilion's secrets."
Ak Mu-ryeong's tone was indifferent.
"It is nothing more than a dead martial art from the past."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Before Practical Combat Martial Arts had been fully established, mastering the Hidden Stealth Secret Art had been essential.
At the time, Langya Pavilion neither exerted great influence in the martial world nor had its strength recognized—survival itself was the only way to advance their martial studies.
Thus, the Hidden Stealth Secret Art had been a fundamental skill every disciple of Langya Pavilion was required to learn.
And successive Pavilion Lords had refined this art, engraving it upon the Wolf Token.
But once Langya Pavilion's Practical Combat Martial Arts had been perfected, the Hidden Stealth Secret Art had lost its significance.
There was no longer any need to hide or flee, no matter how many enemies appeared.
"I understand that, Master."
Bu Eun-seol bowed his head slightly.
"But I cannot fathom why the Wolf Token would be in a warehouse controlled by the Servants of the True Demon."
"Hmph."
Under normal circumstances, Ak Mu-ryeong would never have spoken of this—not even to Bu Eun-seol, the rightful successor.
But since the boy had already seen the Wolf Token with his own eyes...
With a low sigh, Ak Mu-ryeong reluctantly began to speak.
The Pavilion Lord of two generations past—Yong Mun-gyeok—had agonized over selecting the next leader of Langya Pavilion.
In terms of martial skill, his first disciple, Jong Baek, was undoubtedly the most outstanding—and for a long time, he had been the one destined to inherit the position.
But Yong Mun-gyeok's mind had changed.
Because he, too, had finally glimpsed the true depths of the martial world's Abyss.
And so, he realized what qualities the next Pavilion Lord would need in an era of such rapid upheaval.
Could they remain unshaken no matter what forces or masters emerged?
Could they walk Langya Pavilion's path without wavering?
Above all else—could they devote themselves wholly to the Martial Way?
—"The martial world will soon undergo a cataclysmic shift. The masters lurking in the shadows will reveal themselves."
At the time, Langya Pavilion was a den of wolves—where martial supremacy was the only law.
But Yong Mun-gyeok did not choose Jong Baek, the strongest in martial arts, as his successor.
Instead, he selected Sanggwan So-hong—a man of unshakable resolve and unparalleled skill in guiding disciples.
—"Understood."
Jong Baek neither raged nor questioned his master's decision.
And when Yong Mun-gyeok eventually passed from old age, and Sanggwan So-hong ascended to the position of Pavilion Lord—
Jong Baek left Langya Pavilion in silence.
Watching him go, Sanggwan So-hong was heartbroken.
"To be precise, in terms of martial arts..."
He had known all along that he could never ascend to the position of Pavilion Lord.
Yet the reason his master had passed the title to him—
—was because he had recognized that the disciple he was training, Ak Mu-ryeong,
would become one of the most peerless masters in Langya Pavilion's history.
"Besides, didn't Senior Brother cherish me more than anyone?"
Jong Baek had treated Sanggwan So-hong like a younger brother since childhood, always yielding the best things to him.
That was why, even in the face of their master's unprecedented decision, he had not questioned it—merely left the martial world in silence.
"My duty is to nurture a disciple who will lead Langya Pavilion to its golden age amidst the turbulent currents of murim."
Sanggwan So-hong steeled his resolve.
There were many roles a leader could take.
Among them, rather than striving to become an outstanding leader himself, he chose to dedicate himself to raising one.
Once more, he reflected on why his master had entrusted the position to someone as lacking as himself—
—and instead of honing his own martial skills,
he poured all his strength into nurturing exceptional disciples, including Ak Mu-ryeong.
And thus, the foundation was laid for the birth of the Human Demon—
—the Demon Sect Sovereign who would lead Langya Pavilion to its greatest golden age,
a figure whose name would be etched into the annals of murim history.
"Is it time now?"
Time flowed relentlessly.
By the time Sanggwan So-hong passed the title of Pavilion Lord to Ak Mu-ryeong,
the hair at his temples had already turned white.
He smiled in satisfaction.
His role was now complete.
He had fulfilled his late master's wishes... Now, he could retreat to Iron Palm Peak in peace.
CRACK!
On the day he moved his residence to Iron Palm Peak,
thunder roared and torrential rain poured from the heavens.
Sanggwan So-hong walked slowly toward the thatched cottage—
—only to find a shadow, drenched in darkness, standing imposingly before it.
It was his senior brother, Jong Baek, who had abruptly left Langya Pavilion long ago.
CRACK! FLASH!
A quarter hour later, thunder struck again.
And as the brilliant light faded—
—Sanggwan So-hong collapsed before the cottage, clutching his chest.
He had suffered a fatal wound.
CRACK!
With another flash of lightning, Jong Baek vanished.
When Ak Mu-ryeong belatedly witnessed the scene, he burned with fury and sought to pursue him—
"Mu-ryeong. Do not chase him!"
Though flames raged in Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes, he dared not defy his master's words.
For Sanggwan So-hong's life was already flickering away.
"You are now the Pavilion Lord of this sect."
Sanggwan So-hong gazed at Ak Mu-ryeong and smiled.
"This master is so very proud of you."
And then, quietly, he breathed his last.
"That was when the Wolf Token was lost."
As Ak Mu-ryeong finished his tale, his tiger-like eyes flickered with a sinister yellow lightning.
A man who could have rightfully claimed the position of Pavilion Lord had left in silence—
only to return abruptly and mercilessly slaughter his own junior brother?
In Langya Pavilion, where disciples staked their lives in pursuit of the Martial Way—
—and where the bonds between brothers were as strong as family—
this was a disgraceful incident that must never be revealed to the outside world.
"Our sect's history is short, and given our pursuit of strength, such things are perhaps inevitable."
Though Langya Pavilion's history spanned seven hundred years, the same as the Fire Rain Sword Sect, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
The Fire Rain Sword Sect had merely been renamed seven hundred years ago by its founder, Jeok Hwa-un, who synthesized the Demonic Sword Arts.
But in truth, the foremost sword sect of the demonic path had existed since ancient times—
only its name had changed once more under Jeok Hwa-un.
Langya Pavilion, however, was different.
Before it, no sect of the demonic path had ever focused on Practical Combat Martial Arts.
It was a new demonic sect, born seven hundred years ago, dedicated solely to the pursuit of martial strength.
From the perspective of the Demonic Path Murim's history, it was practically a newborn sect.
Yet it had earned its place among the Demonic Path Ten Gates—
—not only for producing several unrivaled masters despite its short history,
but also for pioneering a new era in demonic martial arts by assimilating the essence of its enemies' techniques.
"Now that you've heard everything..."
Ak Mu-ryeong gazed down at Bu Eun-seol with mysteriously gleaming eyes.
"Hand over the Command Plaque and leave."
"How did you know?"
Bu Eun-seol's expression flickered with surprise.
No matter how advanced one's martial arts, without clairvoyance, it should be impossible to detect the plaque hidden in his robes.
So how had Ak Mu-ryeong discerned it?
Had he truly peered into Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind—
—and deduced that he had risked pursuit by the Servants of the True Demon to retrieve it?
"The Wolf Token is forged from cast iron."
With those final words, Ak Mu-ryeong's lips sealed shut, his flashing gaze fixed on the sky.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol let out a small sound of realization.
"I see. If you carry something that reacts to cast iron, you would notice immediately."
The Wolf Token of Langya Pavilion was made from a special metal—cast iron—
and the Pavilion Lord always carried an object attuned to that ore, ensuring it could never be lost for long.
'Then the Pavilion Lord has been searching for the Wolf Token all along—but the mystical battle formation erected by the Servants of the True Demon prevented him from finding it.'
The weapon warehouse hidden within the White Sword Sect could not be discovered or entered without Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
No matter how much one wandered the land with a cast iron-reactive object, it would remain beyond reach.
"Here it is."
Drawing the Wolf Token from his robes, Bu Eun-seol presented it with both hands.
RUMBLE—
But then, a strange sound of breaking air echoed from the distant sky.
"Too late."
As Ak Mu-ryeong stared upward, eerie and razor-sharp points of light erupted from his entire body.
His instincts had detected the presence of a formidable master—
and his body reflexively unleashed explosive fighting spirit.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol understood.
"Anyone who knows the worth of the Wolf Token..."
"Would naturally, like the Pavilion Lord, possess ore that reacts to cast iron."