Chapter 1039
Ja Su-ryeon gazed at Bu Eun-seol, whose eyes burned with determination as he stared at the sky, then quietly shook her head after a long moment.
"You have no right to step forward while I, your mother, still stand here."
"So now that you've found your real daughter, you plan to turn your back on this new one?"
"What did you say?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol directed his gaze toward So-yo.
Ja Su-ryeon wore a dazed expression for a moment before shaking her head again.
Thanks to So-yo's utmost devotion, she had regained her clarity of mind.
The girl's pure and warm nature—
Had thoroughly washed away the loneliness and sorrow that had weighed on Ja Su-ryeon's heart for so long.
Just as Bu Eun-seol had said.
So-yo was like a new daughter she had embraced in her heart.
Even if her lost child had returned as a corpse, she couldn't turn her back on this girl now.
"The same goes for you."
Ja Su-ryeon shook her head once more.
"Do you plan to ruin your life over something like guilt?"
"It's not because of guilt."
Jin Seol had been prepared to die to deliver her message, and even in her final moments, she had cherished him.
If he didn't resolve her lingering resentment, who else would?
"I slaughtered the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's secret organization without hesitation. That means my subordinates could be targeted by his retaliation at any moment."
While demanding an explanation from the Demonic Heavenly Emperor for his attack on Jin Seol—
Bu Eun-seol was also going to settle the matter of the Demon Hall's unstable situation.
He couldn't leave his people in such a perilous place indefinitely.
Grit.
So-yo, who had been silently listening to their exchange, bit her lip hard.
Though couched in indirect terms, this was ultimately a life-risking challenge.
To demand accountability from the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was nothing short of an open act of defiance.
"Very well."
Ja Su-ryeon took a deep breath and nodded.
"I will hold the funeral, then go to the Demon Hall with So-yo."
She had wandered for so long searching for her daughter, only to find her a cold corpse.
Still, since her child had returned to her mother's embrace, she would hold a proper funeral, cradle all those lost years—
And then she, too, would go to the Demon Hall.
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully to Ja Su-ryeon.
Then, after giving So-yo a nod, he immediately shot into the sky and vanished.
Upon returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol's gaze lingered on its majestic gates.
The towering iron doors, forged from a mysterious alloy of Mysterious Iron and Dark Gold, seemed to pierce the heavens.
Not only did they emanate an eerie luster that weighed heavily on the heart, but they also carried an inexplicably sinister aura.
The golden relief carvings covering their surfaces shimmered with a blinding radiance under the sunlight, as if writhing with life.
With just these gates alone—
The Demon Hall displayed the majesty of the demonic path's pinnacle, exuding a dread that stole the breath of all who beheld them.
"Arrogant."
A fierce glint flashed from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
This was the Demon-Subduing Palace, where fetid schemes and betrayals lurked around every corner.
Figures like the inscrutable Demonic Heavenly Emperor or the Dark King Yeop Hyo-cheon—
Demons who would seize the slightest opening to sink their fangs into one's throat or dispose of them without mercy.
"Never once have I considered this place a home."
Yet he had remained in this dangerous den—
For his grandfather's missing remains, and to pursue the assassin.
To obtain a formidable intelligence network.
Because he needed a sanctuary offering complete protection from the surveillance and threats of the Abyssal Forces.
But unexpectedly, he had gained true comrades and loyal followers here.
That was why he had strived to comply with the Demon Hall's laws and avoid defying the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's authority.
Now, however, was different.
If his subordinates' safety couldn't be guaranteed, he could never allow them to stay here any longer.
Flash!
Bu Eun-seol glared up at the Demon Hall with icy eyes.
Now he had to confront the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
Who stood at the heart of that arrogant power, capable of threatening his people at any moment.
Whoosh.
But just then, a black shadow descended from above and landed on the ground behind him.
It was a dazzlingly handsome man in scholar's robes, though his eyes were sunken with exhaustion. It was Yu Un-ryong.
"This was it."
He held out a letter.
It had been hidden in the flower vase from Jin Seol's quarters.
—"Investigate the vase in Jin Seol's room."
Having received Bu Eun-seol's order in advance through the Death Soul Squad, Yu Un-ryong had immediately dispatched a trusted attendant to retrieve the letter.
And now he delivered it to Bu Eun-seol.
"I see."
Though the contents were shocking, Bu Eun-seol showed little surprise.
A letter was just a letter.
Even if it bore the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's handwriting, there was no guarantee it couldn't be forged.
Even if it had truly been written by him, it might have been deliberately crafted to sow confusion.
In the end, the only way to uncover the clear truth—
Was to hear it from his own mouth.
"You shouldn't return now."
"......"
"Go back. There's still room to salvage this."
Yu Un-ryong had already received reports from the Death Soul Squad—
That Bu Eun-seol had annihilated the secret organization the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had intended to punish Jin Seol with.
And that he had gone to Mount Jangbai, where Ja Su-ryeon resided.
He could also guess that Bu Eun-seol had returned to the Demon Hall—
Unable to conceal his desolation and indignation, intent on confronting the Demonic Heavenly Emperor about this matter.
"Upper Blossom Jin was not only deeply connected to you but also someone the Demonic Heavenly Emperor cherished."
Yu Un-ryong spoke with utmost urgency.
"That's why there's still room for the Demon Hall's elders to show leniency for your actions."
"Leniency?"
A bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"Who would show leniency to whom?"
"Bu Eun-seol."
"Ever since you attacked the Fire Rain Sword Sect and Extinction Palace, you've lost all support from the demonic path."
Yu Un-ryong was well aware of that fact.
Yet to stop Bu Eun-seol from spiraling out of control, he had to say something—anything.
"You were planning to regain the Demonic Path's support by dealing with the Golden Vajra Demon Ancestor anyway, weren't you?"
"......"
"What are we supposed to do if you act like this now?"
"No. This is for you."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was resolute.
"I can't keep endangering everyone just to adjust the timing."
To match the timing—
He could no longer stay in the Demon Hall while embracing a bomb that might explode at any moment.
"Do you remember what the former lord said not long ago? When I asked how long I could remain in the Demon Hall."
"......"
"He answered that the passage of time held no meaning... that even the current Demon Hall was but a fleeting moment in history."
Yu Un-ryong nodded slowly.
That answer had meant that the Demon Hall would not hesitate to discard or abandon anyone if necessary.
"Back then, I made a decision. If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor laid a hand on my people even once more, I would settle this matter decisively."
Yu Un-ryong spoke desperately.
"Demanding justice for Jin Seol's death is fine. Ensuring the safety of your subordinates is fine too. But right now, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor is in seclusion."
Then, urgently, he added:
"Even if your relationship with the Supreme Cult Commander isn't the best, he'll give you an answer regarding this matter. Let's go to him first and talk."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor would never tolerate anyone disturbing his seclusion.
The sole exception was the Supreme Cult Commander, Yeop Hyo-cheon—only he could summon the Emperor in dire circumstances.
"If I can't demand answers or guarantee my subordinates' safety—"
A bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"—then why should I bow my head to him in the Demon Hall?"
The Demonic Path revered strength.
Prostrating oneself before the strong was only natural.
But Bu Eun-seol was not of the Demonic Path.
Until now, he had endured because he could somewhat understand the circumstances.
And above all, he needed a place where he and his people could remain safe from the Abyssal Forces.
But witnessing the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's tyranny—issuing an Extermination Order against Jin Seol without hesitation—
He realized the Demon Hall was no longer a safe haven.
It was the most dangerous place for his subordinates to remain.
"Moreover, if I can't demand justice for Lady Jin's death, then even if my subordinates are killed, I won't be able to demand justice for them either."
Yu Un-ryong, left with nothing to say, let out a deep sigh.
All this time, Bu Eun-seol had been shouldering an unbearable burden alone.
And the only reason he could endure such pressure was because he had set this very standard for himself.
'If this is fate, then so be it.'
Yu Un-ryong clenched his fists.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was a merciless man who tolerated no challenge to his authority.
Not only that, but he must have already received reports of Bu Eun-seol eliminating the secret organization.
What was done could not be undone.
"Understood."
Having made up his mind, Yu Un-ryong nodded.
"Then I'll prepare the subordinates."
Realistically, Bu Eun-seol stood no chance against the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Yet Yu Un-ryong spoke as if he believed in victory, declaring he would prepare to evacuate the Death Shadow War Unit's forces from the Demon Hall.
"No need."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was low.
"If the battle begins, none will survive."
Even if the heavens split, he could not defeat the Demonic Heavenly Emperor as things stood.
He was resolved to Mutual Destruction—and now strode toward the Holy Demon Pavilion.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was deep in secluded training within the innermost chamber of the Holy Demon Pavilion.
And while his seclusion lasted,
No one, save those explicitly permitted, could so much as approach this place.
This was an absolute law, surpassing even the Demon Hall's official statutes.
Yet Bu Eun-seol ignored all such taboos, walking as casually as if out for a stroll.
With an unhurried expression, he arrived at the pavilion's entrance.
Just as he reached for the doors—
Shwuk!
A streak of light—followed by a black shadow—shot up from the ground.
In an instant, figures clad in black robes and veils bowed their heads to either side of Bu Eun-seol.
They were the Divine Guardians—the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's personal guards, tasked with protecting the Holy Demon Pavilion.
"His Majesty is in seclusion."
"I know."
Bu Eun-seol stepped forward calmly, entering the pavilion.
The Divine Guardians' expressions froze over in an instant.
Though they held the rank of mere "Guards," their status surpassed that of most high-ranking officers.
Normally, they remained unseen.
Only when the Emperor entered seclusion would they emerge—his closest, most elite protectors.
Thus, during this period, the Divine Guardians' orders were no different from the Emperor's own will.
No one could defy them, and to resist... was to challenge the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself.
Yet this man had ignored their words and walked right past them?
"You may not enter."
Two Guardians moved to block him, but Bu Eun-seol unfurled his Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, passing through them as if they were air.
Thud. Thud.
The moment he stepped inside—
Shwuk!
Two more Divine Guardians materialized, barring his path left and right.
"Martial Soul Lord."
A terrifying Killing Intent seeped from the eyes behind their veils.
"Do you mistake this Guardian's words for a request?"
"What a mess."
"What did you say?"
Bu Eun-seol's gaze was icy.
"Instead of being content with leeching off the lord's authority, you should visit the Secret Shadow Pavilion once in a while... and learn how the world actually works."
The Divine Guardians were shadows who guarded the Emperor in darkness, indifferent to the workings of the martial world.
Yet Bu Eun-seol was mocking them—
Implying they were nothing but parasites clinging to the Emperor's prestige, ignorant of reality.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Bu Eun-seol did not answer, striding deeper into the pavilion.
The Divine Guardian shook his head, eyes flashing.
"This is treason."
THUD.
The Divine Guardian standing to the left stomped his foot.
CLANK. GRRRRR—
With the deafening sound of mechanisms, a low vibration rumbled through the air as the windows and all passageways inside the Holy Demon Pavilion began sealing shut.
GRRRRR—
In an instant, the interior was completely cut off from the outside, thick darkness settling in from all directions.
The Divine Guardians, having marked Bu Eun-seol as an enemy, had activated the defensive mechanisms within the Holy Demon Pavilion.
SWISH!
At the same time, invisible, razor-sharp sword energies rained down violently before Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Strangely, the sound of the slashes came from the front—but the actual sword energies poured in from both flanks.
HALT.
Bu Eun-seol paused his steps as if merely out for a stroll, allowing the sword energies to pass by before resuming his advance.
SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!
Then, a chaotic flurry of blade sounds erupted, saturating the very space around him with hundreds of deadly sword energies.
Yet not a single one touched his body.
[Hmph.]
A Divine Guardian's cold snort echoed from the void.
Simultaneously—
CREAAAK—
A twisted, unnatural sound suddenly tore through the darkness—
GRRRRRR—
And a massive spider, its crimson eyes flashing, emerged with a human face.
They were raising a Human-Faced Spider inside the Holy Demon Pavilion?
SHWIIICK!
From the spider's maw, an enormous web unfurled, blanketing the entire interior space.
The threads sliced through the air like blades, shredding everything they touched into hundreds of pieces—
—before coiling around Bu Eun-seol in an inescapable embrace.
SPLURT!
But the spray of blood erupted from behind him.
One of the Divine Guardians was trembling, his neck slashed diagonally, body trembling violently.
"How—?"
"Mindscapes don't work on this Lord."
The defensive formation activated inside was built upon a mindscape similar to the Mind's Eye Mirror—
—and the Human-Faced Spider had been an illusion. The real attacker was the Divine Guardian behind him, unleashing sword energies.
Outwardly, it appeared to be a trap utilizing a mindscape, but in truth, it was an attack even the greatest master could never evade.
From the moment the mechanical sounds had rung out, anyone would have assumed the Holy Demon Pavilion's mechanisms were at work.
And given the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's usual eccentricities, it wouldn't be strange for even a Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede to be lurking inside—let alone a Human-Faced Spider.
Detecting that this was a mindscape was nearly impossible.
Moreover, the mindscape here didn't merely distort perception—
—it delivered real, tangible damage, making it effectively undetectable.
But to Bu Eun-seol, who had spent years shattering mindscapes—
—even this intricate Phase was nothing more than a yawn-inducing trap.
SPLURT!
The Ink Soul Sword flashed in the darkness, and another spray of blood erupted as another Divine Guardian fell.
Yet the mindscape remained unbroken.
WRITHING—WRITHING—
Instead, a black mist swirled before Bu Eun-seol, coalescing into a new Divine Guardian—this one with eyes bleached white.
As it turned out, countless Divine Guardians had been lying in wait inside.
[Martial Soul Lord.]
The newly emerged Guardian spoke in a voice like scraping metal—low and sinister.
[Turn back now and await the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's judgment. That is the only way you live.]
STEP. STEP.
Bu Eun-seol didn't stop walking.
WHOOSH—
The Guardian before him vanished.
HMMMMMMMM—
And in the next instant, a bizarre wave of energy surged forth—
—one that no weapon, no internal energy, nothing could block.
The wave spread rapidly, scorching Bu Eun-seol's organs as if it would melt his body in an instant.
It was the same power as the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy of the Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
"How persistent."
Using this kind of attack against Bu Eun-seol, who had mastered Extreme Yang Martial Arts to Great Completion—
—was like lighting a campfire three hundred paces away and expecting him to burn to death.
With a bored expression, he strode forward, cutting through the waves of energy.
Before long, the massive doors leading to the Grand Hall came into view.
CREEEAK—
Stepping inside revealed a sight beyond grotesque.
The walls and floor of the distant black void pulsed like the innards of some colossal living creature—
—as if he had stepped into the maw of a giant.
STEP. STEP.
Bu Eun-seol advanced without concern.
But then—
His feet stuck fast to the viscous mucus coating the floor, immobilizing him.
HMMMMMMMM—
As he channeled Hot River Great Essence True Qi to burn away the mucus—
SQUELCH—
Instead, the mucus absorbed his energy—
—and began climbing his body, spreading like wildfire.
'Ten-Thousand-Year Spider Mucus.'
If Wang Su's liquid was the most expensive in the world, then Ten-Thousand-Year Spider Mucus was the most precious.
A secretion from the mystical Ten-Thousand-Year Spider, a creature that dwelled deep underground, absorbing earth energy for millennia—
—its adhesive strength normally trapped victims, sealing their movements.
But when struck by external energy like internal power, it fed on it—
—multiplying explosively, slithering up the body like a living thing, binding tighter and tighter.
Moreover, infused with the spider's essence, no divine blade or treasure could sever it.
Once caught in this trap, death was all but assured.
THUD-THUD-THUD—
At the same time, forty masked figures descended from above, encircling Bu Eun-seol.
Every last Divine Guardian guarding the Holy Demon Pavilion's entrance had emerged.
"You've caused us quite the trouble, Martial Soul Lord."
Their eyes gleamed as they observed Bu Eun-seol, now encased in the spider's mucus.
"You must have assumed this was a perfect mindscape because of the Human-Faced Spider, no?"
In truth, what unfolded here was not just a mindscape—
—but something that functioned exactly like one.
It was the Dark Soul Silent Sight Great Art.
By deliberately showing the illusion of the Face-Possessing Spider beforehand, they had made him mistakenly believe that the viscous substance covering the floor was also fake.
But in reality, what coated the ground was the Spider's Binding Fluid—
Meaning that the moment he stepped inside, he had already fallen into a trap that would render his body completely immobile.
"The crime of trespassing into the Holy Demon Pavilion shall be repaid with death."
Shwaak!
From the back of the leading Divine Guardian's hand, a razor-sharp blade emerged.
It was the Sword Concealment Art, a long-extinct technique of the Unorthodox Faction.
A specially forged, lethally sharp blade was embedded between the bones and flesh of the hand,
Controlled through internal energy—this was the Wrist-Bone Sword.
To implant such a weapon, one had to endure pain and risk beyond imagination.
Failure meant death.
But once mastered?
One could draw the blade at any moment, anywhere, striking when the enemy least expected—
A weapon sturdier and sharper than even the Divine Swords and Treasured Sabers, always at the wielder's disposal.
Shwaak!
The Divine Guardian's Wrist-Bone Sword carved a brilliant arc through the air.
Plip.
A single drop of blood fell to the ground.
But it did not come from Bu Eun-seol, still encased in the Spider's Binding Fluid—
Instead, it dripped from the Divine Guardian's forehead.
Bu Eun-seol had used the Willful True Binding through his fingertip, piercing a minuscule hole into the man's brow.
Zzziiing...
A low hum resonated as a translucent glow began to rise from Bu Eun-seol's body, still shrouded in the viscous fluid.
He had wrapped himself in a thin layer of Harmonization, preventing the Spider's Binding Fluid from fully immobilizing him.
Crraack!
The hardened mass of binding fluid split in two as Bu Eun-seol reappeared.
"Deploy the Phantom White Return to the Path Formation!"
Fwat!
With that curt command, the Divine Guardians dissolved into black mist and vanished.
Drip... drip...
At the same time, the entire corridor where Bu Eun-seol stood began to etch itself with the faces of humans screaming in agony.
—Kyaaaaaaah!
And then, as if alive, those faces began to shriek.
Their screams did more than just block the flow of all internal energy—
Half-burned figures, faces twisted in torment, lunged from the darkness, trying to seize him.
This was no mere mental assault.
These were illusions fused with real enemies.
Srrring!
Drawing Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol unleashed his swordplay.
Though he wielded not a shred of internal energy, with each flash of his blade, the phantom humans conjured by the formation crumbled into dust.
Sshhk!
But in the gaps between strikes, the Divine Guardians—now flickering like specters—swung their Wrist-Bone Swords toward his body.
Swish! Crack-crack-crack-crack!
Every clash of blades sent razor-sharp currents rippling through the air.
The Divine Guardians were formidable.
Even seasoned Masters would struggle to block a single strike from Bu Eun-seol—
Yet they countered his attacks, while in black mist form, unleashing a storm of sword techniques.
"Khaaah!"
Like monstrous beasts, they slashed through the air with their Wrist-Bone Swords, blades so sharp they could sever light itself.
They tore through the space around Bu Eun-seol as if rending reality apart.
Clang!
Sparks erupted as their strikes met the intricate sword trajectories he had woven.
Thud! Clang!
Each collision shattered their Wrist-Bone Swords, sending bloodied shards of metal crashing to the ground.
"Graaah!"
Undeterred, they charged again and again, their roars filled with madness, leaping from the ground without hesitation.
Their attacks came from all directions—unpredictable, relentless.
Snap! Schlick!
Every time Ink Soul Sword met bone-forged steel, the air split with the sickening sound of rending metal.
Yet even as their limbs were severed, their bodies carved open, they threw themselves at Bu Eun-seol without pause.
Swish—Thud!
Sensing something, Bu Eun-seol stretched his left palm sideways.
Void Object Retrieval activated—
And the broken Wrist-Bone Swords scattered across the floor flew into his grasp.
Thunk.
He drove them into the joints of the charging Divine Guardians.
Crunch.
As the blades sank in, he twisted his wrist—
And with a series of wet snaps, their bones shattered, joints dislocating grotesquely.
Squelch.
A few of their blades found their mark in Bu Eun-seol's body, but he tore them free without hesitation, using them to break more bones.
Thud. Thud.
Before long, around forty Divine Guardians lay sprawled across the cold floor of the Grand Hall, their bodies broken.
"Heh... heh heh..."
Even in defeat, they laughed.
They had been nothing more than fuel for the Great Art woven into this place.
Their desperate assault—merely the prelude to the true technique.
Crackle-crackle...
The shattered remnants of their Wrist-Bone Swords, sharper than any divine blade, splintered into countless fragments—
Whoooosh!
—and then erupted into a storm of black steel, swallowing Bu Eun-seol whole.
Sssshhk! Shatter-shatter-shatter!
In that instant, Ink Soul Sword floated into the air as if guided by Sword Control by Qi, spinning like a windmill.
Sssss...
A swirling barrier of sword-light coiled around him—
Spiral Heavenly Wall.
The Fluorescent Sword Control, reacting to killing intent, had reached the cusp of the Great Origin realm.
This was the pinnacle of the Scattered Sword principle—the manifestation of the Spiral Heavenly Wall.
Step. Step.
Bu Eun-seol advanced slowly, encased in the vortex of blades.
The Divine Guardians' eyes widened in disbelief.
Jeok Hwa-un, the Great Ancestor of the Sword who, seven hundred years prior, had systematized all Demonic Sword Arts across the martial world—
The realm of Spiral Heavenly Barrier was said to have manifested when he unleashed Scattered Sword.
To think Bu Eun-seol, not yet thirty, was displaying that very same realm...
Thud.
The moment he took a single step forward, the fabric of space itself seemed to distort, creating the illusion that all the power between heaven and earth was converging toward him.
And when they glimpsed the pair of crimson eyes hidden within that vortex—
The Divine Guardians felt an overwhelming terror, as though they had peered into the primordial Abyss.
The authority of a transcendent.
That absolute pressure and majesty—something they had only ever sensed from a single being, the Sky of the Demonic Path—
Was now radiating from someone they had never even dared to imagine.