Chapter 110
At that moment, not only Bu Eun-seol's party but even Namgung Se-a had their gazes fixed as if entranced by a pair of beautiful eyes.
"Then let us proceed."
Only when the Young Palace Lord's voice reached them did Namgung Se-a snap out of her daze and nod.
Divine Maiden Palace — Purple Haze Secret Cave
A massive underground cavern located within the Divine Maiden Palace's main palace, originally used to store the sect's inherited martial arts manuals.
However, as moisture increasingly seeped in, the cave was eventually sealed off—until the Divine Maiden Palace's master reinstalled the Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation here.
Thud. Thud.
After descending the underground passage for a considerable time, they finally arrived before a towering iron gate.
Namgung Se-a touched several of the carvings engraved on the gate, and with a heavy clang, the door slowly swung open.
"This place..."
Namgung Un's eyes widened as he took in the sight beyond the gate.
The stone chamber, illuminated by torches lining the walls, had a floor densely crisscrossed with lines, resembling an enormous chessboard.
And standing within were twenty-four colossal statues, each over eight feet tall.
"What is all this?"
At Namgung Un's question, Namgung Se-a answered in a low voice,
"This is the Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation. If you can break through these twenty-four Heavenly Generals and reach the opposite stone chamber, you will pass the trial."
Namgung Un, too, was a prodigy of the Namgung Family, having achieved considerable mastery not only in sword techniques but also in battle formations.
Yet as he observed the positions of the Heavenly Generals, his expression darkened.
Traces of traps were visible, along with Bewildering Formations designed to unsettle the human spirit and mind.
"This... is a formation that truly demands risking one's life."
"You may still withdraw now."
The veiled Young Palace Lord spoke then.
"This formation cannot be broken alone. At minimum, two adepts thoroughly versed in formations are required to dismantle it."
"Even so, I'll give it a try."
Namgung Un took a deep breath.
Lacking experience in the martial world didn't mean he was deficient in swordplay or formation study.
"Mind if I go first?"
He grinned at Bu Eun-seol.
Even if he failed, observing the formation's mechanics firsthand would still be useful.
'So he's not just a simple brat.'
Recognizing Namgung Un's consideration, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Then here I go!"
Drawing the Golden Needle Sword from his waist, Namgung Un stepped slowly into the Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation.
"Hmm."
The moment he entered, his face twisted in discomfort.
An unsettling something began clawing relentlessly at his mind, as if burrowing deep into his thoughts.
Whoosh!
In that instant, one of the nearby Heavenly Generals swung its massive greatsword in a wide arc.
These were no mere statues—they were mechanized constructs capable of moving like living warriors.
"Tch!"
But with his focus disrupted, his evasion was slightly delayed.
Sshhk!
The blade grazed perilously close, scraping along his back.
'That nearly killed me.'
Inwardly sighing in relief, he surveyed the Heavenly Generals positioned around him.
'The Young Palace Lord spoke the truth.'
Dozens of overlapping formations, with the Life Gate fiercely guarded by the Heavenly Generals. Worse, their battle formations shifted chaotically like constellations with every move.
'Impossible.'
Finding no way to dismantle the formation no matter how hard he looked, he channeled all his internal power into the Golden Needle Sword.
'If it's come to this, I'll just smash through all the Heavenly Generals with sheer swordplay!'
Huum!
As his True Qi flowed to the blade's edge, a low Sword Resonance hummed through the air.
"Haaap!"
With a shout, Namgung Un slashed with all his might at the Heavenly General looming before him.
Crunch!
But the impact felt dull, as if striking solid rock, and the statue merely staggered back a single step.
"What?"
He had used a martial form capable of shattering even a Diamond Bronze Man in one strike. Yet all it did was force the statue back a step?
'It withstood our family's sword technique?'
In truth, the statue remained unharmed because the formation's illusions had caused his blade to glance off its surface.
Unaware of this, Namgung Un's face flushed with humiliation as he roared,
"The Namgung Family's sword can destroy anything!"
Doubling down on his internal power, he unleashed the Azure Sky Flying Swallow Sword once more.
CRASH! BOOM!
In an instant, stone dust and dirt erupted from the floor of the stone chamber.
Yet despite his full-force strike, the Heavenly General statues stood unmoving, utterly unshaken.
"Snap out of it! Your sword isn't even touching them!"
Heuk-pyo, watching from a distance, shouted, but Namgung Se-a shook her head.
"It's useless. Once trapped in the formation, he can't hear anything."
"Damn it!"
Namgung Un drove his Golden Needle Sword into the stone floor and bit his lip.
'There's no way this Golden Needle Sword can't even break a single iron statue. I must be under the formation's influence.'
After a moment of hesitation, he abandoned the Azure Sky Flying Swallow Sword and struck the Heavenly General with a basic sword technique instead.
THUD!
Yet the statue remained standing, unmoved.
'A light strike shouldn't make a dull sound like that...'
Only then did Namgung Un realize—his sword hadn't even made contact. His eyes flashed with understanding.
'Come to think of it, I don't need to fight these statues at all. I just need to push past them.'
Regaining his composure, he felt strength surge through his body once more.
Changing tactics, he activated his footwork technique and began weaving through the Heavenly Generals' attacks.
SWISH!
But this method wasn't easy either.
The twenty-four Heavenly Generals' strikes were flawlessly precise, and the shifting formations beneath his feet never ceased.
If he had focused solely on defense, perhaps—but dodging while advancing? Each step took longer than a quarter of an hour.
'Damn it! Damn it!'
Even after burning through more than a meal's time had passed, Namgung Un hadn't even crossed halfway through the Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation.
The bigger problem was his steadily draining stamina and internal power.
'The hallucinations make it impossible to predict where those greatswords will strike.'
As he continued maneuvering, he felt his once razor-sharp instincts dulling.
Worse, the floor kept shifting chaotically—even standing still was a struggle.
Greatswords striking unpredictably. The stone floor spinning endlessly. Just standing made him dizzy enough to retch.
WHOOSH! SLASH!
He barely dodged a downward slash, only for another massive blade to graze his shoulder in the opening.
"Tch!"
Once his stance faltered, his footwork began to unravel.
By the time it would take to sip a cup of tea, his body was drenched in blood.
"Enough!"
At that moment, the Young Palace Lord pulled out the Young Palace Lord's Token and spoke in a pained voice.
"Stop it. Halt the formation."
"Understood."
Namgung Se-a took the token and hastily planted it into the chamber wall.
RUMBLE—
The spinning floor ground to a halt, and the Heavenly Generals gradually ceased their movements.
"Hah... Hah..."
Namgung Un stood in the center of the chamber, gasping for breath.
Had the formation not been stopped, his body would have been reduced to mincemeat within a quarter of an hour.
"My lord, are you alright?"
Heuk-pyo, who had been standing beside Bu Eun-seol, rushed over to support him, but Namgung Un waved him off.
"I'm fine. No need to worry."
Despite his words, his steps were unsteady, and his face was deathly pale.
As he staggered out, Namgung Se-a spoke in a cold voice.
"You reckless fool."
Glancing at the embedded token, she lowered her voice.
"Remember—you owe your life to the Young Palace Lord's mercy."
Hearing this, Namgung Un pushed away from Heuk-pyo's support and clasped his hands with difficulty.
"I am grateful for your consideration. Heh."
"Think nothing of it."
The Young Palace Lord gave a slight nod, and Namgung Un swayed again.
Namgung Se-a turned to the attendants behind her.
"Escort him to the Medicine God Hall."
"Understood."
When Heuk-pyo moved to help again, Namgung Un waved him off.
"Don't mind me—stay by Young Hero Seol's side."
Then, looking at Bu Eun-seol, he forced an embarrassed smile.
"I failed miserably, but I hope you'll succeed where I couldn't."
Though his tone and actions seemed frivolous, Namgung Un was a man of deep affection and burning passion.
Bu Eun-seol, who also seemed to recognize Namgung Un's true nature, gave a slight nod.
"Rest well."
Then he slowly stepped into the stone chamber.
"Young Master, please don't push yourself too hard."
When Heuk-pyo spoke with concern, Bu Eun-seol nodded again.
"Understood."
Whoosh.
Finally, Bu Eun-seol entered the stone chamber where the Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation was set.
The moment he stepped into the formation, a flood of unpleasant emotions surged into his mind—anger and regret he had long forgotten.
'This feels vile.'
The spirit and mind of a Murim Master were typically unshakable, barely swayed by ordinary matters.
Yet merely stepping into the formation had already provoked such discomfort... The Divine Maiden Palace's formation was indeed extraordinary.
Whoosh.
As Bu Eun-seol steadied himself and took a step, a sharp greatsword whistled past his cheek.
This situation was eerily similar to what Namgung Un had experienced upon entering.
'So that's how it is.'
Recalling everything Namgung Un had endured, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
'A Master who trained in the Sky Vault Flying Swallow Sword couldn't properly evade the Heavenly Generals' attacks. Then... this can't be mere illusion.'
The greatswords wielded by the Heavenly Generals were over two feet in width alone.
If such massive blades were swung as swiftly as chopsticks, the Sound of Breaking Air and the resulting wind pressure should have been overwhelming.
Yet the only sound accompanying the thrusting greatswords was a faint whoosh. That meant even his current perceptions were undoubtedly being influenced by the formation.
'The Way of the Beast...'
He heightened the senses of the Way of the Beast, which he usually kept finely restrained, and his pupils dilated sharply.
Hwaak!
Simultaneously, the effects of the Resonance Mind Eye activated, allowing him to clearly perceive the movements of the Heavenly Generals and the shifting floor within the stone chamber.
'The Heavenly Generals aren't the ones attacking.'
According to the senses of the Way of the Beast, the floor was moving chaotically, but the positions of the greatsword-wielding Heavenly Generals remained firmly fixed to the ground.
However, the formation distorted his sense of direction, compelling him to walk straight toward where the Heavenly Generals stood.
'Then all I need to do is break through.'
Thud.
As he took another step, three greatswords sliced toward him with a whoosh, piercing through his body.
'I can't rely on sight.'
The Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation continuously projected subtle illusions, disrupting not just his sense of direction but even his perception of distance.
Closing his eyes completely, Bu Eun-seol relied on the senses of the Way of the Beast to evade the greatswords.
Pat! Pat!
Even so, shallow scratches formed on his body.
"So this is what a proper formation is like."
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had faced countless formations and dismantled them effortlessly.
That was because those formations were executed by humans—each with varying martial prowess, physique, and individuality.
But the Heavenly Generals before him were identical in movement, form, and even the distribution of their strength.
On top of that, the floor itself was moving unpredictably. For the first time, Bu Eun-seol found no exploitable flaws in the formation.
Whoosh!
Taking another step forward, six greatswords this time blocked his retreat, aiming for the vital points on his chest and back.
Pat! Pat!
Every time he dodged, fresh scratches inevitably appeared on his body.
"To evade properly, I'd need to completely decipher the formation and adjust my movements to its shifts."
Though he avoided the greatswords using the Way of the Beast's senses, the erratic movement of the floor made perfect evasion impossible.
"Interesting."
A faint smile touched Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Facing an unknown enemy was, to him, a joy.
Even if he could dismantle the formation, he would have still chosen to advance while engaging the Heavenly Generals.
"I should learn formations later."
He had once dismissed formations as mere meaningless tricks.
But the Twenty-Four Heavenly Generals Formation shattered that prejudice entirely.
'To think that automatons moving within a formation could employ such bizarre techniques...'
His interest surging, Bu Eun-seol drew upon his internal energy and extended both palms, unleashing a fierce strike.
Oooom—!
Then, something strange happened.
The moment his palms thrust forward, the iron bodies of the Heavenly Generals were forcefully pushed back.
'What was that?'
Namgung Se-a, who had been watching, widened her eyes in shock.
Bu Eun-seol hadn't executed a palm technique—he had released pure internal energy, using the Repelling Character Formula.