Chapter 1054
The words were utterly shocking.
'So that's what the origin of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths meant.'
The Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals.
The fact that they held the foundational power of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths—that they sowed emotions like greed and emptiness into the martial world—was itself hard to believe.
But now, if they all vanished, every power rooted in the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths would disappear?
"How is such a thing even possible?"
The Scarlet Flame Immortal spoke.
"For concepts like justice, order, and harmony—the Orthodox Path—or chaos, destruction, and desire—the Demonic Path—to manifest as power... there must be a vessel capable of fully containing those concepts."
Her explanation was calm, detached.
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals are precisely those vessels—those Divine Bodies—of such concepts."
"How can a person become a vessel?"
"Perhaps the terms 'concept' or 'vessel' sound unfamiliar to you."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal smiled faintly.
"Since ancient times, the martial world has always had those who possess mysterious powers. Those with the Heavenly Mystery Divine Eye... or the One Hundred and Eight Stars, beings endowed with supernatural abilities."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol nod in understanding.
In the martial world, there were those born with eyes capable of reading the will of heaven, just as there were those who wielded supernatural powers—able to shatter miles of earth with a single finger.
From that perspective, the idea that individuals embodying the foundational powers of the Demonic Path or the Orthodox Path were constantly being born and existing... wasn't so strange after all.
"Then who created such laws?"
"We merely drink the water from the cup. The hands and will of the one who shaped that cup remain forever beyond our perception."
In this world, there were clear phenomena whose underlying principles remained unknowable.
Yet people rarely pondered the essence of such things.
Martial artists mastered methods to cultivate their Internal Energy but never questioned why such power existed in the first place.
Masters of battle formations devised countless formations imbued with profound functions, yet they could only explain their workings within the framework of Formation Study—nothing more.
Even the Scarlet Flame Immortal knew only fragments of the truth about the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals.
Who created these laws? Why were such beings born?
She did not know.
"So you're saying I am an empty vessel, meant to contain those powers."
"Correct."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal's voice remained steady.
"In this era... not only will the inheritors of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths vanish, but the long struggle between the Baekri Clan and the True Demon will also come to an end."
Since this was something he had heard before, it wasn't as shocking.
"Are you truly not the disciple of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor?"
But the words that followed struck Bu Eun-seol like a blow to the back of the head.
"From this Lady's perspective, you and the Demonic Heavenly Emperor feel strikingly similar."
"What do you mean?"
A mysterious glint flashed in the Scarlet Flame Immortal's eyes.
"An unapproachable majesty, an aura that looks down upon the world. A presence as though cleaving heaven and earth. A demeanor utterly detached from life and death..."
Her gaze pierced through him.
"To think there exists another with a temperament so closely resembling his—it's nothing short of extraordinary."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize that the focus of her pupils was slightly off.
'Has she lost her sight?'
When they first met, her gaze had been sharp and clear—yet now, her focus was gone?
'If so, then the Immortal has been blind all along... but opened her Mind's Eye, perceiving everything through her heart instead.'
Collecting his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol asked again.
"If our temperaments are the same, shouldn't the next question be whether we share blood?"
"For one to inherit the secret arts of a figure like him, it is not blood but temperament and spiritual foundation that must align."
In other words, even if one were the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's own son—
Unless they were a being akin to his avatar, they could not inherit the essence of his martial arts.
"I did receive one of his secret techniques, but I never turned to the Demonic Path."
Bu Eun-seol met the Scarlet Flame Immortal's gaze squarely as he spoke with finality.
"And soon, I will face Hall Master Sado in a fight to the death. Because he seeks to exterminate the martial world."
"Extermination."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal murmured the word softly before shaking her head.
"Perhaps his goal is not extermination."
"Why do you say that?"
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors are the origin of the Demonic Path—thus, they share a connection with the True Demon, the primordial and purest form of 'demon.'"
Her next words were unexpected.
"Killing the Seven Great Demon Ancestors... may instead unify the concept of 'demon,' making the True Demon even stronger."
"Then are you saying the existence of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors weakens the True Demon's power?"
"Nothing is certain."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal shook her head again.
"It is merely this Lady's speculation."
A foreboding thought struck Bu Eun-seol.
If the concept of 'demon' was an entirely natural birth—something akin to the flow or laws of the greater cosmos—
If 'demon' was, from the very beginning, meant to be a unified whole—
Then could it be that the Ten Great Immortals, too, were beings who fragmented the power of 'righteousness'?
...What an absurd thought.
"I too had an absurd thought."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"That the Baekri Clan gave birth to a pure demon identical to the True Demon—an opposing existence that would divide the demonic power... and..."
He pressed his fingers to his forehead as he continued.
"...that the enraged True Demon, in turn, created the Ten Great Immortals—beings who would disperse the Baekri Clan's power. Such was my wild imagination."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal offered a dry smile and shook her head.
"The True Demon and the Baekri Clan are not gods. They too are merely beings bound by the Laws."
After a brief silence, she spoke in a low voice.
"Yet... that thought doesn't sound entirely far-fetched."
Bu Eun-seol also let out a sigh.
In the end, even the Scarlet Flame Immortal—no, even the Ten Great Immortals—were merely those who obeyed the Laws. They did not understand their true nature.
"Correct."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal spoke in a self-deprecating tone, as if she had discerned Bu Eun-seol's thoughts.
"Despite the grand and noble title of inheriting the orthodox martial arts' origins..."
Her expression turned desolate.
"...when we die, new inheritors will be born in our place. Created out of necessity, we will disappear when necessity demands it."
'So that was it.'
According to Gongson Dan-gyeong, Chu-so's goal had been to "dominate the Laws."
The deeper Bu Eun-seol ventured into the murim's Abyss...
The more naturally he found himself accepting the concept of "Laws."
Everything could only be explained through them now.
"Throughout my travels in the martial world, I've heard countless powerful figures speak strange words."
Bu Eun-seol murmured as if talking to himself.
"They say everything in this era will reach Final Extinction—that it is fate."
Originally, he had never believed in fate.
But as he journeyed through the martial world, each time he faced an unstoppable tide beyond human power...
He found himself uttering the word "fate" without realizing it.
"Fate may seem like a massive chain binding mankind... but in truth, it is more like a silk ribbon that unravels with the slightest touch."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal spoke in a gentle voice.
"Do not resign yourself by calling it fate. Another name for fate is 'choice.'"
Bu Eun-seol wore a dazed expression for a moment.
Her words carried profound mystery, but they also felt like solace—a comfort to his weary heart, exhausted by the weight of fate.
"I will engrave those words in my bones. Thank you."
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors will soon emerge in the martial world, one after another."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened at her words.
—You will witness it firsthand soon enough.
Back then, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had spoken with a meaningful expression.
—The Ten Great Immortals, too, are beings who must die.
'If that happens, the Ten Great Immortals will either perish or be forced to take their own lives.'
The two existences complemented each other like the principles of yin and yang.
If the Seven Great Demon Ancestors were eradicated...
The Ten Great Immortals would have no choice but to die—either by their own hand or inevitably.
'No. I will change it.'
He had no intention of killing the blameless Ten Great Immortals, nor would he obediently follow the so-called Laws.
He no longer relied on fate.
Just as he had once vowed—just as he had once resolved.
From now on, he would carve his own path.
"You are the primordial vessel capable of containing all things. And to hold something new, you must first be emptied."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal spoke another shocking truth.
"That is likely why the Demonic Heavenly Emperor has placed you at the forefront."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Each time you eliminate one of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, you must shoulder the karma of their origins... and thus, you will lose something."
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol recalled the moment the Golden Vajra Demon Ancestor had breathed its last.
His vision had blurred momentarily, as if wandering through a fog.
Like waking from a deep slumber.
Could it be that he had lost something back then?
'So that's why Hall Master Sado didn't strike them down himself.'
Now he understood.
Had it been the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, he would have found a way to annihilate the Seven Great Demon Ancestors even without being the "primordial vessel."
But if he had eradicated them...
He would have had to empty himself to bear the karma of their origins—which was why he couldn't act directly.
But then—
Crack.
A strange sound suddenly came from the Scarlet Flame Immortal's body.
At the same time, the flesh near her cheek began to peel away like hardened bark.
"Immortal."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists, his face twisted in anguish as he bowed his head.
At last, he understood the full truth.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
When she had merely said she had something to ask...
The reason her disciples from Phoenix Valley had desperately tried to stop her...
It was because the Scarlet Flame Immortal, too—
Like Man-wol and the Great Master Wooden Buddha—possessed the mystical power to read the heavens' secrets and glimpse the flow of the future...
And had resolved to endure Heavenly Punishment, imparting all the answers she knew to him.
"It seems I have said all that this lady could say."
Even as the flesh of her cheek fell away, the Scarlet Flame Immortal smiled softly.
"I sincerely hope this has been of help to you."
She had just conveyed to Bu Eun-seol all the information about the "Laws" that he had not known until now.
And it had been an immeasurably enormous help—one that could not be put into words.
"How can I repay this debt?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, the Scarlet Flame Immortal smiled faintly, as if she had been waiting for this very question.
"There is a way."
"Command me to do anything."
As Bu Eun-seol bowed his head, the Scarlet Flame Immortal spoke in a low voice.
"Someone like you could end this lady's life in a single stroke."
"What—?"
"This lady has cultivated a portion of the secret Daoist techniques passed down through generations, making it impossible for me to take my own life."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal gazed at the distant sky.
"This lady must die now. Only then... can many lives be saved."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol wore a dazed expression.
"Didn't you tell me to defy fate?"
"This is not fate."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal's voice remained quiet.
"Soon, another demonic master will emerge. But if this lady dies first, he will lose his power."
A faint, dignified smile graced her lips.
"Moreover, by dying first, I can suppress the rise of the demonic factions for a time. In doing so, the Martial World will be able to catch its breath from the clutches of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors."
"......"
"It will be an act of saving countless lives—those who would otherwise perish at the hands of the demonic path."
"I see."
Having grasped the full situation, Bu Eun-seol spoke resolutely.
"I refuse."
"What—?"
The Scarlet Flame Immortal asked in surprise.
"Are you saying you will turn a blind eye to a world in turmoil, to the innocent commoners who will die in droves?"
"That is not it."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"If peace can only be achieved by killing someone, then that world is better off destroyed."
"This is not a matter to be taken so lightly."
"I am not taking it lightly."
A pained expression crossed Bu Eun-seol's face.
"Until now, I have fought to prevent innocent commoners from suffering harm. But..."
He continued, voice firm.
"I have always opposed the idea of killing someone to protect another."
"It is for the greater good."
"That is precisely what is wrong."
Bu Eun-seol's words were unwavering.
"If you kill an innocent child to save thousands of commoners... would that be the right thing to do?"
"Martial Soul Lord."
"Do you not have someone precious to you, Immortal?"
At Bu Eun-seol's persuasion,
"Of course I do."
Her voice was filled with sorrow.
"All the disciples of this valley are orphans. And I raised and taught each of them with my own hands."
The Scarlet Flame Immortal spoke softly.
"But if it means saving many lives, then naturally, I must set aside my personal feelings."
"That is arrogance."
Bu Eun-seol's tone was calm.
"No matter what demonic master appears, I will do my utmost to stop them. And I will have no regrets."
His expression hardened with resolve.
"And if Heaven's will demands the sacrifice of the Immortal to save thousands, tens of thousands of lives—then I will tear down Heaven itself."
Since stepping into the Martial World, he had never once held back his full effort.
Even his desire to protect the Martial World was not born of grand ambition or chivalry.
It was simply for the sake of the precious people around him.
And yet, to save many lives—
He could never sacrifice someone else's precious people.
"Then I shall take my leave."
"Martial Soul Lord."
"I will repay today's debt without fail."
Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully and turned to leave Phoenix Valley.
As he walked toward the valley's entrance,
Countless disciples stood watching him.
From the Scarlet Flame Immortal's perspective,
Her disciples must have been more precious to her than her own eyes.
She had taken in orphans who had struggled to survive and raised them as her own children.
And she must have wished to see each of them grow into their own.
'I, too, only wish to protect the people around me.'
Even Bu Eun-seol held no regard for his own life. He simply wanted to protect those dear to him.
But if the world could only be saved by killing them—
What meaning would that hold?
Far better to fight to the end, refusing to surrender.
And if he failed? Then he would die without regrets.
Step. Step.
As Bu Eun-seol walked forward calmly, the disciples watched him with strange expressions.
According to prophecy, he was the one who should have surely killed the valley's master, the Scarlet Flame Immortal.
Yet here he was, stepping out with composed eyes, offering a faint smile whenever their gazes met.
"Are you saying you will defy fate?"
Little Phoenix stepped forward, blocking Bu Eun-seol's path.
"Why won't you kill the Immortal?"
"You threw yourselves at me with everything you had to stop me, and now you complain that I won't kill her?"
"Because the Immortal is suffering."
A strange ripple spread throughout Phoenix Valley.
The Scarlet Flame Immortal's Scarlet Persuasion Art had reached its peak, and her Spirit and Mind were deeply influencing all her disciples.
"Cast aside such weakness."
Bu Eun-seol cut her off sharply.
"There is no such thing as a noble death. If you don't want to die, then struggle—even if it's just flailing in desperation."
"......"
"That is what the Scarlet Flame Immortal did."
Bu Eun-seol gestured around them.
Not just outside Phoenix Valley—
but within its very grounds, a unique Art of Spells had been laid out.
The Scarlet Flame Immortal, preparing for the worst,
had set up a Defensive Formation in advance, all to save even one more disciple.
"Even if you don't achieve the result you desire, if you've done your utmost, there will be no regrets left."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"If the Scarlet Flame Immortal had taught you to submit to fate, then now is the time for you, her disciple, to awaken her."
With those words, Bu Eun-seol turned and left Phoenix Valley.
Little Phoenix stood blankly, staring at his retreating back.
The path he walked was overlaid with a phantom of a brutal, blood-soaked trail.
It was as if she could see his life's journey—lonely, solitary, and endlessly desolate.
Yet he walked forward unshaken.
Not for anyone's approval. Simply because it was a path he had to walk.
Because it was his fate.
"If I do my best... will there really be no regrets?"
Little Phoenix murmured softly.
She, and everyone in Phoenix Valley, had never doubted the absoluteness of fate.
It was an unbreakable yoke—
something that had never once changed, something no human strength could escape.
But now, before her eyes, was a martial artist who denied that fate and followed his own convictions.
What he desired was just one thing:
A heart free of regret, knowing he had done his best until the very end.
"Effort."
Suddenly, a mystical treasure of Phoenix Valley surfaced in Little Phoenix's mind.
'Perhaps, with that...'
Even if fate couldn't be changed, at the very least, regrets might be avoided.
Kwa-rung!
Having left Phoenix Valley, Bu Eun-seol activated his Movement Technique and began his return to the Demon Hall.
'I was lucky.'
What if the Golden Vajra Demon Ancestor had never spoken of the Scarlet Flame Immortal's affairs?
He would have known nothing of the secrets between the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals, blindly chasing the Seven Great Demon Ancestors to no purpose.
'The cracks have already begun.'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor reigned like a god presiding over all under heaven.
Perhaps he had foreseen that, through the Golden Vajra Demon Ancestor, even the secrets of the Ten Great Immortals could be unraveled.
He knew the man's nature well—not only was his insight extraordinary, but if even the slightest suspicious sign appeared, he would trace it to its source without fail.
'He might have even predicted that the Scarlet Flame Immortal and I would meet.'
The fact that the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had sought out the Scarlet Flame Immortal—
that must have been a preemptive move to eliminate variables.
Yet the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's calculations had gone awry.
The Scarlet Flame Immortal had revealed everything she knew.
Had he truly wished to prevent this meeting at all costs?
Even if it meant beating the Scarlet Flame Immortal to death, he would have ensured Bu Eun-seol never set foot in Phoenix Valley.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who had always pursued perfection—
his plans were now fracturing, one crack at a time.
'I'll rest for a while.'
Feeling unusually fatigued, he entered Chengdu and rented an entire Separate Garden within an inn.
Not out of extravagance, but in preparation for any potential battles or ambushes.
Glug-glug.
Bu Eun-seol poured himself a rare drink.
The area around this lake was abundant with clear waters, home to many skilled brewers who made fine liquor.
Since entering the Martial World,
he had wandered alone, never mingling with others, handling countless matters by himself.
Bu Eun-seol, too, was human—he felt loneliness and desolation.
Had he been an ordinary martial artist, he might not have endured that solitude and suffering.
But he had something he must do.
Because he ran relentlessly toward his goal without distraction, he had no time to dwell on such emotions.
—I heard the Martial Soul Lord monopolized the Ten Thousand Li Treasure Ship!
Thanks to his keen hearing, even within the Separate Garden, the voices of the martial artists in the inn occasionally reached him.
—What a greedy bastard!
—Coward, hoarding all the treasures for himself.
—We should kill him before that bastard devours everything!
On Bu Eun-seol's orders, the Death Shadow War Unit had swiftly spread word of the Ten Thousand Li Treasure Ship's destruction.
And as expected, the martial artists now despised him bitterly.
'They'll come to hate and resent me even more.'
As the Grand Design progressed—
the Martial World, the world itself, would come to loathe him.
"It doesn't matter."
Glug-glug.
After pouring another drink, he held it in his mouth for a long time.
The stronger the liquor, the harder it was to savor. But he enjoyed the scorching burn, as if his mouth and insides were aflame.
Opportunities to indulge in drink were rare.
So even a single cup, he wanted to savor for as long as possible.
Bbrrrr.
But then, the table trembled faintly.
A minuscule Shockwave, so faint that ordinary people wouldn't even notice, rippled through the ground.
Yet Bu Eun-seol's expression hardened instantly.
It was akin to an intuition surpassing human sensory limits.
'No way—'
That intuition twisted into a foreboding premonition.
'The Scarlet Flame Immortal!'
Sensing something amiss, Bu Eun-seol surged his Internal Power.
Kwa-rung!
With his full strength, he unleashed his Movement Technique and shot into the distant sky.
The direction he raced toward—was none other than Phoenix Valley.