Chapter 1117
Recently, in the Martial World that had been peaceful until now,
An absurd rumor began to spread.
—Martial artists losing their memories are increasing.
At first, it was dismissed as mere baseless gossip.
But soon, the rumor became reality and began spreading throughout the entire Martial World.
Famous escorts transporting goods stood blankly in the middle of bustling markets, having forgotten who they were or where they were supposed to go.
The prized disciple of a renowned martial school, who had set out on a journey through the Martial World with the hopes of his sect resting on his shoulders,
Entered an inn only to forget why he had come there in the first place.
The incidents multiplied like a chain reaction.
Those who sought vengeance forgot the faces of their enemies. Those who wished to repay kindness forgot the names of their benefactors.
Messenger birds flew incessantly into the Death Shadow War Unit without rest, and letters from all over piled up like mountains in the office.
Yu Un-ryong, his face stiff, meticulously examined each of those letters.
—Only martial artists with weak martial arts are losing their memories......
Having instinctively grasped the reason behind this calamity, he immediately reported the matter to Bu Eun-seol.
And so, the Lord's Meeting was convened.
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors."
As the meeting began, Yu Un-ryong explained his suspicions to Bu Eun-seol and the lords.
"It seems they have appeared again."
He spoke with conviction.
"The only ones losing their memories are martial artists whose mental and spiritual defenses are nearly nonexistent."
There was only one reason such a bizarre phenomenon could occur in the Martial World.
It was certain that the Seven Great Demon Ancestors—beings who inherently influenced martial artists—had emerged once more.
'Has the effect of the Immortal's self-sacrifice finally worn off?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he listened to Yu Un-ryong's explanation.
In the past, the Scarlet Flame Immortal had said that by taking her own life through Bu Eun-seol's hands, she could suppress the resurgence of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors for a certain period.
If that was the case, then now, after so much time had passed—
Had that effect faded, allowing the Seven Great Demon Ancestors to reappear?
"If that's certain, then we must resolve this quickly."
Having finished his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
"Because I'm the one who brought the Seven Great Demon Ancestors into this world."
After all, it was none other than himself who had destroyed the Fire Rain Sword Sect—
The last bastion that could have held back their resurgence.
Moreover, he had made a promise to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor that he would eliminate the Seven Great Demon Ancestors without fail, leaving him no room for hesitation.
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors are the very root of the chaos plaguing the Martial World."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze swept across the assembled lords as he spoke.
"If we continue investigating, we'll eventually catch their trail."
Several days passed.
Yet, finding a lead on the Seven Great Demon Ancestors proved far from easy.
—Why aren't they showing themselves?
The Golden Vajra Demon Ancestor had immediately caused massive upheaval in the Martial World by creating the Ten Thousand Li Treasure Ship upon her emergence.
But this incident was different.
Though martial artists were losing their memories, there was no trace of the Demon Ancestor responsible for inciting it.
After much deliberation, Yu Un-ryong visited Bu Eun-seol's office and said:
"It seems we'll have to rely on the Elders' Hall Master's power."
The Elders' Hall Master—the Blood Demon Jeok Bung.
Long before Bu Eun-seol had destroyed the Fire Rain Sword Sect, he had warned of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors' return.
That meant he must either have connections to them or possess deep knowledge about them.
Perhaps he even knew the location or identity of the Demon Ancestor behind this chaos.
"It's useless."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head after hearing the suggestion.
"He's someone who has been striving to defeat Hall Master Sado. There's no way he would do anything that might please him."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor desperately desired the death of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors.
Jeok Bung, who knew this fact all too well, would never act in a way that could benefit him.
"I see."
Yu Un-ryong took a deep breath.
"Then I'll conduct another investigation for now."
Though he said so, his expression remained grim.
The Seven Great Demon Ancestors were akin to an abyss that had never fully surfaced in the Martial World.
Unless they deliberately revealed themselves, no amount of intelligence-gathering would make finding them possible.
As time passed, the number of martial artists losing their memories increased, and the chaos only intensified.
A few individuals losing their memories wouldn't have been a major issue.
But if large numbers of people began losing their memories all at once, it could become a catastrophe that would shake the entire Martial World.
Fortunately, since their memories were only partially lost or cut off at a certain point, most could eventually return to their daily lives.
But what if the number of affected people kept growing? The chaos would inevitably worsen.
Rustle—
Late into the night, Bu Eun-seol remained in his office, ceaselessly reviewing letters.
To quell the chaos in the Martial World, the intelligence network of the Death Soul Squad alone would never be enough.
Thankfully, through the Azure Heaven Alliance, they could monitor the movements of the Righteous Faction, and through the Martial Soul Society, they could gather information on the Black Path and the Unorthodox Faction.
At the very least, they were slowly piecing together the outline of the situation.
Whoosh—
But then, something strange happened.
An eerie sound of displaced air was detected just outside the office.
'Here?'
The Hidden Demon Pavilion was so heavily fortified that even high-ranking members of the Demon Hall couldn't enter recklessly.
Especially since ancient formation techniques had been layered throughout the area.
Within the Demon Hall, only a handful of masters—fewer than ten—could stealthily approach his quarters.
'This means they're not from the Demon Hall.'
If they were, they could simply request an audience—there'd be no need to infiltrate the Hidden Demon Pavilion like this.
Zzzing.
As Bu Eun-seol expanded his Extrasensory Perception,
Whoosh.
The intruder, as if waiting for this exact moment, began slipping away from the pavilion in secret.
'They were luring me out.'
Despite possessing skills formidable enough to deceive even the watchful eyes of the Death Shadow War Unit's chiefs,
the intruder had deliberately emitted a tearing sound in front of his office—proof this was all a ploy to draw him out.
Tsk-tsk-tsk.
Emerging outside, Bu Eun-seol unleashed Swift Shadowless and instantly pursued the retreating silhouette.
Ssshhhk!
The intruder's Movement Technique was extraordinary.
Even when he closed the gap to mere inches,
they vanished like a shooting star, disappearing into the distant sky in an instant.
It was a unique Movement Technique—one even Bu Eun-seol, who had faced countless formidable opponents, had never encountered before.
KWAOOOOM!
As they swiftly left Changsha Prefecture behind, the shadow accelerated further.
'No choice, then.'
Just as Bu Eun-seol bit his lip and prepared to activate Heavenly Light Endless Art,
Tap.
The shadow abruptly alighted upon a sheer cliff in the distance.
Their true form was that of a white silhouette wreathed in flames.
"Martial Soul Lord, Bu Eun-seol."
The shadow took the shape of a woman clad in white robes,
yet only the outlines of her eyes and nose were visible—grotesquely incomplete, as if carved by a mad sculptor.
She studied Bu Eun-seol's entire body as though appraising a work of art, then nodded in approval.
"Indeed, you live up to your reputation as the most handsome man in the world."
Then, she extended a pale hand.
"They say your martial arts are extraordinary. Shall we see just how far you've reached?"
KWAANG!
In an instant, a terrifying Palm Energy, as though she had uprooted and hurled Mount Tai itself, came crashing toward Bu Eun-seol's face.
Zzzing.
He swiftly conjured Protective Astral Energy.
The mountain-like force grazed past his defenses—
KWAANG!
—and obliterated the cliff of a distant mountain.
Rumble...
Glancing at the collapsing cliffside, Bu Eun-seol finally recognized the identity of the woman shrouded in eerie radiance.
"Pale-Handed Demon Empress."
A woman capable of leveling an entire cliff with a single strike.
"So, you are one of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors sowing chaos in the current martial world."
The origin of Demonic Path's Palm Studies,
and wielder of the "hands that can break anything under heaven"—the most formidable hand techniques in existence.
Only one person could topple a cliff with such a casual strike: the Pale-Handed Demon Empress, master of the Blood Shadow Pale Hands.
"Hohoho."
The white silhouette—the Pale-Handed Demon Empress—laughed softly.
"Martial Soul Lord. Do you have the courage to face this one in a contest of pure palm energy?"
Though the Blood Shadow Pale Hands were legendary even among the Demonic Path's Palm Techniques,
their true nature and power remained shrouded in mystery.
With that single strike moments ago,
she had demonstrated overwhelming speed—surpassing even the lightning-fast reflexes of the Beast Path—
and terrifying destructive force capable of annihilating a mountain cliff in an instant.
Its power eclipsed any martial art Bu Eun-seol had encountered before—even surpassing the Limitless Power.
'She's testing me.'
Though the outcome was obvious—he would lose if restricted to palm techniques alone—she was deliberately provoking him.
"They say you possess unyielding spirit and genius-level strategy."
Upon the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's face—a white flame with only the barest outlines of eyes and nose—
a mocking mouth briefly manifested.
"Are you afraid?"
Her voice carried a sneer.
"Of a battle restricted to palm techniques?"
Bu Eun-seol had never once avoided a direct confrontation in his life—
though he had occasionally withdrawn mid-battle, he had never outright refused a challenge.
Yet his response was unexpected.
"I decline."
"Is that so?"
She shook her head in disappointment.
"A wise choice... though it seems the rumors were exaggerated."
"I care little for rumors."
Bu Eun-seol offered a faint smile.
"This Lord has no interest in trading palm strikes with a veiled woman whose face is obscured by eerie light."
For an instant, the flames around the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's face flickered violently.
As the grandmaster of Palm Studies and one whose power influenced the memories of martial artists,
she had lived with the arrogance befitting her title—Demon Empress.
Yet now, she was being insulted and dismissed as a mere "foolish girl"?
"Hohoho!"
Just when it seemed she would explode in fury, the Pale-Handed Demon Empress instead burst into laughter and nodded.
"Well said! With that single remark, you've preserved your pride while flaunting your peerless cunning!"
She had provoked him, aiming to exploit his pride and force him into a losing battle.
But Bu Eun-seol had seen through her arrogance—
and countered by wounding her pride, shattering the challenge itself.
"You must be itching to kill this Empress, aren't you?"
She made an unexpected offer.
"I'll give you the chance."
"......"
"Now that this Empress has revealed herself to the world, countless martial artists will lose their memories henceforth."
She spoke in a delighted voice.
"But they aren't losing their memories. They're merely being severed."
Flicker.
The moment she caught the flash in Bu Eun-seol's pupils, she let out a satisfied hum.
"Seems you've understood."
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress slowly turned her body.
"Come find me where I reside. Then I'll gladly fight you."
"You think I'll just let you leave?"
"Why not? A petty woman like me has mustered the courage to make such a disadvantageous offer... Surely the illustrious Martial Soul Lord, hero of the realm, wouldn't strike me down without consideration?"
Pale flames erupted from her entire body.
"You have ten days. Fail to find me in that time, and the martial world will plunge into chaos."
Whoosh—!
With those final words, her figure vanished into the distant sky in an instant.
"Not losing memories."
Bu Eun-seol stared at the spot where she had disappeared, ruminating on her words.
"Severed..."
If his deduction was correct—
This was a crucial clue, one that could unravel the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's secret.
"She's confident she can win."
Why would she stake her life on such a fatal gamble?
Did she find life so trivial that she'd risk death for amusement?
"No matter."
Even without his promise to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, the Seven Great Demon Ancestors had to be eradicated.
But doing so would mean killing the Ten Great Immortals—those who balanced the scales against the demonic factions.
"I've already prepared for that."
Yet after the Scarlet Flame Immortal's death—
Bu Eun-seol had vowed to prevent such a thing from happening again.
And not long ago, he had found the key to it. Now, all that remained was to eliminate the witch sowing chaos in the world.
Upon returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol summoned the Chiefs.
"It was the Pale-Handed Demon Empress."
His gaze, unlike before, was cold and resolute, brimming with certainty.
"And while it's known that she erases memories, our approach so far has been wrong."
Before the Great Masters could voice their questions, he swiftly continued.
"The martial artists believed their memories were 'erased,' but that was a misunderstanding of the phenomenon. Her ability isn't the 'destruction' of memories—it's closer to 'severing.'"
He pointed to a teacup on the table.
"Shatter a teacup, and fragments remain. Toss it into the air, and it vanishes from sight for a moment. Her power works the same way."
Yu Un-ryong's eyes gleamed as he grasped the meaning.
"So from a certain moment, in a certain place, fragments of memory simply... evaporate?"
"Exactly."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"That's why the victims don't even know what they've forgotten. It only feels as if their memories were deleted at some point."
Finally, the Great Masters nodded in understanding.
"Then the clue is clear."
No Trace, the Death Soul Squad's master, who had been listening silently, spoke up.
"The last place and time the victims remember—that must be the 'boundary' where they stepped into the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's sphere of influence."
"Precisely."
Bu Eun-seol turned his gaze to the massive map dominating one side of the chamber.
"Mobilize all members of the Death Soul Squad. Track down every martial artist whose memories were severed."
"If we mark every location they last clearly recall on this map..."
A flash of light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"We'll find where the Pale-Handed Demon Empress resides."
"I was on my way to Mount Tai."
"I remember drinking a cup of wine at the tavern, stepping outside—then nothing."
"I was waiting at the pier under my sect leader's orders. That's the last thing I recall."
"I was chasing suspicious herb gatherers. Saw them turn into the mountain path and followed. My memory ends there."
The Death Soul Squad mobilized informants, scouring the martial world for those who had lost their memories.
One by one, they marked the last known locations of the victims on the map.
At first, the points seemed random.
But as hundreds, then thousands of marks accumulated—
They scattered along a distinct boundary, leaving the interior a perfect void, untouched by a single dot.
It was as if a gaping black hole had been punched into the map—an absolute domain of nothingness.
Undoubtedly, this was the space where the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's power reigned. Anyone who stepped inside would lose their memories.
"Here it is."
She wasn't residing on a mist-shrouded island or within a grand fortress.
Kitten Alley.
A den of criminals and outcasts.
Dongting Lake. Moon-Gazing Island.
A graveyard of abandoned ships.
Dozens, hundreds of rotting vessels leaned against one another, precariously lashed together by rusted chains and decaying planks.
Between the ships, makeshift wooden houses sprouted like mold.
And atop them, more structures were stacked, forming a grotesque, teetering tower.
From the sky, it resembled a colossal spiderweb—or perhaps the skeletal remains of a drowned monster.
And this place, Moon-Gazing Island, had another name: Kitten Alley.
A lawless land untouched by the Orthodox or the Demonic, by justice or madness.
Criminals fleeing their sins, sailors and fishermen scraping by day to day.
Merchants and courtesans who sucked the blood and sweat from their backs—all mingled together.
The air reeked of fishy water, damp rotting wood, cheap liquor, and spices.
And above all, the nauseating stench of human sweat clung thickly to everything.
Thud. Thud.
Under the bright moonlight,
a shadow was surveying the interior of Kitten Alley.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he strolled as if on a leisurely tour, observing his surroundings.
From an old ship hung with red lanterns, the drunken wails of patrons spilled out all night.
In gambling dens set up in ship cabins, the screams of losers tangled with the cheers of victors.
On the narrow walkways, blades were drawn over petty disputes—an everyday occurrence.
'To think she established her base in a place like this.'
He was none other than Bu Eun-seol.
Through the Death Soul Squad, he had combed every corner of Kitten Alley and confirmed that the Pale-Handed Demon Empress resided at the heart of this chaos—
aboard the colossal derelict ship, the Moon-Gazing, jutting abruptly atop the hill of Kitten Alley.
'That must be it.'
Spotting the massive vessel at the hill's peak, Bu Eun-seol quickened his steps.
'It's enormous.'
A quiet exclamation escaped him as he gazed at the distant Moon-Gazing.
Once a grand ship that had carried silks and tea up and down the Yangtze, it had now become a monstrous wreck.
The people of Kitten Alley avoided the Moon-Gazing entirely.
Rumors spread that anyone who ventured near would inevitably be found as a corpse.
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol headed up the hill toward the ship.
"Is that the Martial Soul Lord?"
"Handsome, isn't he? Though his aura's downright murderous."
"If he's come to Kitten Alley, he must've heard the rumors about Yingying."
Occasionally, information brokers of Kitten Alley muttered as they caught sight of Bu Eun-seol's face.
Though they knew he was the heir of the Demon Hall that held sway over the world, they showed no fear.
Instead, they looked at him like he was just another greenhorn setting foot in the martial world for the first time.
And why wouldn't they?
Those who lived hand-to-mouth or were lost in addiction feared nothing.
To them, those bound by society's rules were nothing but pitiful.
Thud. Thud.
Ignoring their stares, Bu Eun-seol silently made his way to the Moon-Gazing.
Surprisingly, even as he ascended the hill, no one blocked his path or stood guard.
Thunk.
The moment he stepped onto the deck, he felt not old wood beneath his feet but smooth metal.
Though carved with wood grain, the floor emitted an eerie sheen.
'Not wood.'
From the sensation beneath his soles, he instinctively knew—
this was metal of incredible thickness, impervious even to a treasured blade.
Moreover, contrary to appearances,
once inside the Moon-Gazing, the noise and stench of the outside world vanished as if they had never existed, replaced by absolute silence and cleanliness.
The ship's interior was immaculate, and a soft glow spilled from the cabins as if lit by unseen flames.
Being a super-sized vessel positioned at the highest point,
the Moon-Gazing offered a clear, sweeping view of all of Kitten Alley.
As Bu Eun-seol admired the scenery, the cool breeze brushing against him—
Creeak.
A hunched old man emerged from a cabin door.
"Welcome, young master."
The old man bowed deeply, then headed toward the bow of the ship.
"Please follow me."
The area he led Bu Eun-seol to was originally a workspace for sailors,
but now, chairs and furnishings were neatly arranged for relaxation while enjoying the view.
"The ship's owner will be out shortly."
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol nodded, then stepped forward again to gaze down at Kitten Alley.
Like silence amidst chaos.
Like a space of purity amidst decay.
'So this ship, the Moon-Gazing, is where the Pale-Handed Demon Empress creates voids in memory.'
"You've found your way well."
Just then, the door to the inner cabin slid open, and a figure with a languid voice stepped out slowly.
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress.
Her appearance, unadorned by white flames, was somewhat shocking.
Strikingly beautiful,
her features were a bizarre equilibrium of youth and age, masculinity and femininity, warmth and cold—all opposing concepts blended into one.
A grotesque beauty born from the pinnacle of dissonance.
Anyone who saw her even once
would never erase that image from their mind.
"Hohoho."
And when her drowsy, honeyed voice layered over it, her unique presence became like a spell—
radiating a fatal allure that even the greatest heroes of the world could not resist.
"Come one step closer."
Moreover, Moon-Gazing Island held many secrets,
one of which was that it amplified her innate soul-siphoning demonic power to its extreme.
No matter how unshakable one's will...
the moment they met her gaze here, their very soul would be stripped away.
Indeed, the moment her eyes fell upon him,
Bu Eun-seol was ensnared by an irresistible, abyssal demonic power that gripped his heart and paralyzed his reason.
Thud.
As Bu Eun-seol took a step forward, his eyes unfocused, the Pale-Handed Demon Empress smiled in satisfaction.
Thud.
Then, in an instant, her brows twitched upward.
She had told him to take one step.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had taken another.