Chapter 1112
—The Death Shadow War Unit Annihilates the Blood Cult's Twin Guardians and the Blood Demon Corps!
A shocking rumor reverberated through the martial world.
The Death Shadow War Unit—a force of three hundred warriors directly under the Martial Soul Lord's command—had wiped out the Blood Demon Corps, one of the Blood Cult's most elite units, along with the Twin Drunk Shadows, the two infamous guardians who had terrorized the martial world beyond the frontier.
—Ah, so the Martial Soul Lord has wrought another miracle, it seems.
Though the Martial Soul Lord's martial prowess had never been fully revealed to the martial world at large, the leaders of the murim were well aware that he had long surpassed the realm of the Four Gods Seven Kings and was approaching the level of the Three Demons and Three Venerables.
—The Martial Soul Lord was not even present in that battle!
But then came an even more astonishing revelation.
At the time, the Martial Soul Lord had been in secluded training. The Death Shadow War Unit had carried out the operation to destroy a Blood Cult branch under orders from the Demonic Governance Council. However, the Blood Cult had obtained prior intelligence about the Corps' mobilization and had lain in wait at Shanhaiguan with the Twin Drunk Shadows and the Blood Demon Corps.
Yet, even after falling into the trap, the Death Shadow War Unit neither fled nor evaded. Instead, they faced their enemies head-on—and emerged victorious.
Three hundred against three thousand.
Moreover, the Twin Drunk Shadows were renowned masters whose martial prowess had long been said to rival that of the Four Gods Seven Kings. The fact that the Death Shadow War Unit' commanders—all of them Second-grade Commanders—had eliminated such foes...
Proved that they possessed martial might surpassing even the elite commanders of the Demon Hall's Special-Class Elite Units.
—The Blood Cult continues to provoke us.
Upon receiving this report, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor dispatched the Demon Hall's main combat force, the Blood Mist Corps, to thoroughly exterminate the remaining Blood Cult remnants around Shanhaiguan. He also ordered the Secret Shadow Pavilion to establish a dedicated intelligence network to ensure the Blood Cult could never again invade the Central Plains so easily.
Furthermore, he bestowed great rewards upon the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit for defeating the Blood Cult's elite forces.
Yu Un-ryong and Myo Cheon-u were granted Hall Master Rank privileges, while Won Se-mun, Wi Cheon-gyeong, and Jo Nam-cheon were elevated to the status of Special-Class Elite Unit commanders.
Even considering that their ranks had been deliberately suppressed until now, this was an unprecedented promotion.
—The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's trust is extraordinary.
The fact that the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who had long remained uninvolved in the Demon Hall's affairs, had taken a personal interest in the Death Shadow War Unit' matters not only elevated the Corps' standing within the Demon Hall but also further solidified the Martial Soul Lord's authority.
Somewhere hidden deep within the Central Plains...
A place where even breathing properly was a luxury occasionally emerged through spatial rifts.
The Land of the Ultimate Void.
A land where gravity crushed all living things dozens of times over, where the air was so thin it felt like scaling a snow-capped mountain—so thin that even breathing was a struggle. A place that rejected life itself, no different from a land of death.
At the heart of this desolate wasteland, where the scenery resembled the end of the world, two figures stood facing each other, radiating intense waves of True Qi.
One was a towering shadow clad in a black mask that concealed even his face and armor that gleamed like polished ink. From his body bloomed crimson flames—bloodfire—as if he were the human incarnation of a blazing inferno.
His gaze could melt iron, and with every exhale, the earth beneath him seemed to wither.
The Return-to-One Realm Lord.
An Absolute Master whom the world's strongest pointed at and called a madman had appeared here.
"......."
Facing him was another shadow.
A woman dressed in ornate robes, her face hidden behind a crude, featureless mask. She stood atop a jagged, spire-like rock as lightly as a butterfly, defying the crushing gravity.
Behind the blank white mask—pierced only by eyeholes—her pupils were deep and tranquil, as if absorbing all the light in the world.
"Pa Sun."
KRRRUMBLE!
As he drew his great saber, a thunderous roar erupted in all directions.
The voice of the Return-to-One Realm Lord—now reduced to nothing but the instinct for destruction—echoed across the void.
"You will die today."
Was this slender woman in the featureless mask truly Pa Sun, one of the True Demon's attendants—the Breaker of Order, said to destroy all natural laws of the world?
SWOOSH!
The great saber split the air, unleashing a colossal blade aura that seemed capable of rending the heavens.
CRACK!
In an instant, the earth around where Pa Sun stood fractured like a spider's web, and the ashen sky darkened into pitch black.
Swoosh.
As she slowly raised her pale hand...
The violent blade aura that had been eroding the surroundings collided with an invisible barrier and silently dispersed.
Her movements were not those of someone deploying martial arts to resist destruction—but rather, as if she were performing an elegant dance.
KRRRUMBLE!
Unfazed, the Return-to-One Realm Lord swung his great saber at her once more.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Each time the inky blade aura spread, the very fabric of space itself seemed to scream, rupturing with explosive cracks.
The sheer force of it tore through the swirling black clouds overhead, and azure lightning lashed down upon the earth.
Yet, Pa Sun remained utterly unmoved before this overwhelming might.
Behind her mask, her pupils were as tranquil as the eye of a storm.
Every time the Return-to-One Realm Lord's devastating slash descended upon her, she merely lifted a hand.
Swish.
Like flowing river water, like a gentle breeze through the forest.
Effortlessly, gracefully.
She deflected the Return-to-One Realm Lord's blade aura that seemed to contain the flames of hell itself—with nothing more than a light flick of her wrist.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the Return-to-One Realm Lord hurled his massive saber into the air.
Crack.
In an instant, the ground beneath Pa Sun's feet caved in, and an unimaginable pressure crushed down upon her, leaving her unable to move even a finger.
Snap!
Seizing the opportunity, the Return-to-One Realm Lord closed the distance in an instant and began attacking her barehanded.
Fist, palm, finger, claw, foot, leg.
He turned his entire body into a weapon, relentlessly pressing his assault.
Every single one of his martial forms carried the power to topple mountains and split seas.
The profound principles embedded within them transcended the very limits of martial arts in the martial world.
Yet, Pa Sun's response was eerily composed.
Like a shadow dancing before a colossal wave, she neutralized every attack with the barest minimum of movement.
She did not block—she twisted.
She did not deflect—she redirected.
The Return-to-One Realm Lord's destructive strikes lost their way before the infinite space she had created, scattering into nothingness.
Crack! Boom! Crack!
With each clash, lightning rained down like a storm, battering the Land of the Ultimate Void.
The more intense the battle grew, the starker the contrast between the two became.
If the Return-to-One Realm Lord, spewing crimson flames and seeking to annihilate everything, was a monstrous demon king clad in a hideous mask—
Then Pa Sun, enveloping his frenzied attacks within a transparent barrier, was the very embodiment of formless, soundless Emptiness.
"......."
Finally, the Return-to-One Realm Lord halted his movements.
Only now did he realize—
She was not merely redirecting his attacks.
She was severing them at their very Middle Path, cutting them off before they could complete.
"So, the one who shatters the natural order..."
The Return-to-One Realm Lord's chilling voice echoed through the Land of the Ultimate Void from behind his iron mask.
"...was real after all."
If Pa-myeong possessed the ability to dominate an opponent's body through extrasensory perception honed to divine levels—
Then Pa Sun—
She had the power to perceive all the flows of the world and nullify any predetermined outcome.
Flicker.
Behind her featureless mask, Pa Sun's eyes gleamed.
She began unleashing a mysterious force, attempting to halt even the overwhelming shockwave emanating from the Return-to-One Realm Lord's body.
"'Order'—like the flow of water—means neither resisting nor opposing the natural course."
The Return-to-One Realm Lord's low voice spread outward.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
At the same time, the black blade aura swirling around his body began a fierce struggle against the power Pa Sun was pouring forth.
Crrrrack.
The earth split, and the entire landscape of the Land of the Ultimate Void distorted.
But because their strengths were so evenly matched, neither could easily claim victory.
"The power of 'Pa Sun'—'Breaker of Order'—must ultimately mean severing the flow and destroying perfection."
The Return-to-One Realm Lord continued speaking, relentlessly pushing back against Pa Sun's power.
Thud, thud, thud.
Pa Sun intensified her efforts, trying to silence his words.
Before her, nothing could reach completion.
Yet, in defiance, the Return-to-One Realm Lord steadily completed his sentence, word by word.
"Then, if something were to achieve completion before you... that would mean your power has been broken."
Ziiing.
At last, the Return-to-One Realm Lord finished speaking.
Pa Sun's gaze wavered like rippling water.
The one who forbade completion had failed to stop his words—
This fact alone meant that, in essence, she had already lost this battle.
Screeeech.
A sharp, grating sound shattered the silence, like claws scraping against the earth.
At the same time, the energy saturating the Land of the Ultimate Void began to twist.
Crack.
A hairline fissure, thin as a brook, appeared beneath Pa Sun's feet—
And from within that gap, dark crimson mist and pale flames erupted forth.
Pa Sun had severed the power enveloping the entire Land of the Ultimate Void at its Middle Path.
Rumble, rumble.
A vile malice, mingled with black mist, began to pollute the Land of the Ultimate Void.
The fissures spread like spiderwebs in all directions, and the ground swelled with unstable energy—as if it would explode at any moment.
Kururururung!
Finally, the earth, having reached its limit, erupted as though screaming.
With a deafening roar that seemed to collapse the boundary between heaven and earth, the very axis of the world trembled.
The distant mountains crumbled into nothingness, and from the jagged cracks in the ground, black abysses yawned open.
Kwarurung! Kwagwang!
From the blood-stained sky, boulders the size of houses poured down like rain.
The world crumbled wretchedly, as if meeting its end.
Hummm.
The Return-to-One Realm Lord clenched the great saber with all his might.
Sssik.
At that moment, the eyes behind Pa Sun's featureless mask narrowed slightly.
A look almost like mockery.
Hwaruruk.
Suddenly, the eyes within the Return-to-One Realm Lord's mask blazed fiercely—
Flash!
—and he unleashed a colossal slash that seemed capable of filling the entire sky.
Paaaaaaah!
A saber light, over forty zhang wide, soared majestically in a grand arc, reaching the very edge of the heavens.
Then, the crumbling landscape vanished, replaced by an open plain stretching in all directions.
In an instant, the Land of the Ultimate Void evaporated as if it had never existed.
And the figure of Pa Sun, who had stood before the Return-to-One Realm Lord, disappeared without a trace.
"......."
The Return-to-One Realm Lord narrowed his eyes, gazing at the spot where Pa Sun had vanished.
"You've been wounded."
Clank.
As he sheathed the great saber and fixed his gaze on the distant sky—
Flash!
—a devastating light, capable of annihilating the world, erupted from his iron-masked eyes.
"Since I have already obtained the method of the hunt,"
Kuuung.
The heavens and earth trembled violently as he turned.
"The day of your kind's demise has come!"
His crimson cloak billowed like clouds—
Shuuk.
—and the colossal shadow, now dyed black, vanished in an instant.
Upon returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol commended the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit for their great victory.
To the wounded, he distributed spirit medicine to aid their recovery.
For those who had lost arms or fingers, he imparted martial arts techniques to compensate for their missing limbs.
And to any who might wish to retire to their hometowns, he offered wealth enough to last a lifetime—
Yet not a single warrior chose to leave the Death Shadow War Unit.
—We must analyze Pa-myeong's power.
Once the warriors had regained stability, Bu Eun-seol immediately convened a Lord's Meeting.
By sheer fortune, he had succeeded in defeating Pa-myeong—
No, rather, he had defeated Wi Cheong-un, whose body had been usurped by Pa-myeong.
But that was only half a victory.
Because Pa-myeong was still alive.
If he were to reclaim his full Soul-Demon Magic Energy, he might even restore his primordial spirit and return.
Moreover, there was the possibility he could possess another body and weave new schemes...
To truly sever Pa-myeong's lifeline, they had to uncover not only the nature and whereabouts of his power—
But also the enigmatic force that had ensnared the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit in his trap.
Fortunately, Bu Eun-seol was not alone. Alongside Yu Un-ryong, he had the aid of exceptional talents like Gongson Dan-gyeong and Han Sang-ja.
And after lengthy deliberation, they had finally arrived at a precise definition of Pa-myeong's power.
Hidden Demon Pavilion, Bu Eun-seol's Office
Yu Un-ryong set down the large metal case he had been carrying and delivered his report to Bu Eun-seol.
"Pa-myeong not only controls the bodies of others but also manipulates all things with an extrasensory perception that borders on the divine..."
This conclusion had been drawn by compiling investigations and discussions from the Martial Soul Society, the Supreme Summit, and the Death Shadow War Unit.
"The verdict was that he can see the invisible threads of causality."
The reason Pa-myeong could boast of twisting the Flow of Fate was simple—
Because he could use the most trivial of things—a speck of dust, a drop of water, a single pebble—to ignite the spark of a great calamity.
"A pebble on the roadside, a mote of dust in the air. He sees through the consequences of even the tiniest difference as clearly as if reading his own palm."
Bu Eun-seol had described Pa-myeong's ability as "extrasensory perception approaching the divine."
But that was only because, after attaining Transcendent Unity, he had briefly reached Pa-myeong's level, where he could barely sense it.
Thus, he had been unable to explain how Pa-myeong could disguise coincidence—
Triggering catastrophes like the explosion of the Death Shadow War Unit's Weapon Warehouse or the landslides.
But if Yu Un-ryong's words held true—
Then the origin of such a power could finally be explained.
"In the end, he perceives—with supernatural precision—the exact moment and manner in which balance fractures and collapses."
Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh.
In short, Pa-myeong had been like a mystical Taoist priest—
capable of sensing the Harmonization of Heaven and Earth, then toppling its energy and balance with the slightest force.
"So that's how it was."
Yu Un-ryong's eyes hardened.
"In the end, the Three Attendants were never godlike beings."
His voice lowered as he continued.
"With superhuman insight and the power to grasp the finest balances, they merely posed as gods manipulating the principles and fate of the world."
At last, the secret behind the unfathomable power of Pa-myeong, one of the Three Attendants, had been revealed.
Yet Yu Un-ryong's expression remained unsatisfied.
"Even so, he's a formidable opponent."
Though they had dealt him a blow, Pa-myeong was still alive.
And the extent of his true power remained beyond estimation.
What if Pa-myeong recovered and returned? The Martial World could be overturned once again.
"Track Pa-myeong once more through Wi Cheong-un's past movements."
If Pa-myeong were an ordinary martial artist, he would have killed Wi Cheong-un—whose trail could expose him.
But he had claimed he would not harm innocent civilians.
And true to that principle,
Wi Cheong-un, now freed from Domination, remained unharmed.
However, his memories from when he was possessed by Pa-myeong were nearly gone, making it difficult to uncover decisive clues.
Yu Un-ryong, aware of this, still spoke firmly.
"Of course. Just wait a little longer. I'll definitely catch Pa-myeong's tail."
"Take your time."
"Ah, and this."
Yu Un-ryong held out a metal box he had brought in earlier.
"A treasure I stumbled upon while returning from a Blood Cult branch."
Click.
Inside the box lay a set of Protective Clothing in the form of a plain robe.
A black so deep it seemed to swallow even light itself,
with intricate golden embroidery along the cuffs and hem, and a bloody hue lingering where the light touched.
Though dyed entirely in ink-black,
the vivid contrast of gold and crimson exuded a fierce yet mesmerizing beauty.
"Suddenly, a surge of auspicious energy shot up into the sky, so I went to check—and found this box hidden beneath shattered rocks."
Yu Un-ryong spoke excitedly.
"No idea what it's made of, but even a treasured blade couldn't cut it. Judging by the box's condition, it's at least three hundred years old, but no matter how much I investigated, I couldn't trace its origins."
"I don't need it."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"Give it to the unit chiefs or weaker Unit Members instead."
"This is the first treasure we've obtained after a major victory."
Yu Un-ryong's expression turned serious.
"All the Unit Members want you to have it. Here, look."
He held the Protective Clothing against Bu Eun-seol's frame like a tailor checking a fit.
"Doesn't it suit you perfectly?"
"It's a bit too eye-catching for everyday wear."
The Protective Clothing was far too extravagant—something more suited for ceremonies or formal events.
"Heh heh heh, I knew you'd say that."
Yu Un-ryong flipped the garment inside out, and in an instant, it transformed into an ordinary, unremarkable robe.
A single flip had turned it into plain attire.
"I've never heard of such Protective Clothing existing in the Martial World."
Yu Un-ryong spoke proudly.
"Go on, try it on."
"I really don't need it."
"The warriors of Death Shadow War Unit prioritize your safety over their own lives."
Yu Un-ryong's gaze burned.
"Will you ignore their devotion?"
"That's not—"
"Just put it on once."
With words like that, there was no refusing.
"...Fine."
Reluctantly, Bu Eun-seol draped the Protective Clothing over himself.
"There, that suits you too."
The reversed side, though not as ornate, had a subtle sheen that complemented him well.
"It's incredibly durable, so now you can unleash your Movement Technique without worrying about shredding your clothes to rags."
Watching Yu Un-ryong beam like a child, Bu Eun-seol could only offer a faint, resigned smile.
Rumble—whoooosh!
The September monsoon poured ceaselessly, unleashing torrential rain.
As relentless downpours triggered floods,
Bu Eun-seol led the warriors of Death Shadow War Unit toward the stricken villages.
Since entering the Martial World,
he had remained indifferent to its grand affairs—but never to the suffering of powerless civilians.
Back in his days as an Undertaker, whenever disaster struck a village, it would miraculously recover by the next day.
The villagers would always say—
"It must've been those mighty martial artists helping us!"
—praising nameless heroes.
After all, no ordinary civilians could restore a village in a single day.
Young Bu Eun-seol had simply accepted it at the time, but...
Looking back now, it had all been his grandfather's quiet acts of kindness.
No matter how renowned a hero of the Martial World, none would visit remote villages in Hwangju Province year after year to secretly aid them.
And so, inheriting his grandfather's will,
Bu Eun-seol continued to watch over and assist civilians in their hardships.
With quiet pride, he surveyed the surroundings.
Unaware of what was yet to come.