Chapter 1131
The air of the Myriad Learning Society was always thick with the scent of aged paper and deeply steeped tea.
In the secluded depths where scholars gathered,
all the rumors and secrets of the world flowed in, recorded onto letters, then stored away in the darkness of the archives—a cycle endlessly repeated.
Bu Eun-seol passed through that stifling yet silent interior and finally stepped into an archive with wide-open windows that offered a clear view of the outside.
There stood a middle-aged man gazing out the window with eyes so profound they seemed to pierce through all things in the world.
It was Baek Jeon-cheon.
"It's been a while."
His voice was low and smooth.
With a gesture, he offered the seat opposite him and poured steaming tea into a cup.
The clear, fragrant aroma of white tea spread subtly through the room.
Without a word, Bu Eun-seol took his seat and accepted the offered teacup.
Just as the warmth of the cup seeped into his fingertips, Baek Jeon-cheon spoke.
"There are nine embers scattered across the world. And one of them has begun to smoke."
A somewhat poetic and ambiguous statement.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"I assumed the Lord would have some knowledge of the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl as well."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol immediately realize what those nine embers referred to.
"Are you saying you've found its whereabouts?"
"It would be more accurate to call it someone's scheme."
Baek Jeon-cheon shook his head.
"The Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl does not emit energy on its own. But right now, it's radiating energy as if deliberately calling upon those who can read the heavenly mysteries."
"So it's highly likely a trap."
"Indeed."
Sending someone into a death trap despite knowing it was one.
An ordinary martial artist would have jumped in shock, but Bu Eun-seol calmly asked in return,
"Where is it?"
"The Tomb of Myriad Phenomena that has recently manifested."
The Tomb of Myriad Phenomena.
A place called the tomb where the principles of all things lie dormant—
a mysterious space said to be accessible only to those who have reached the Martial Extreme Realm and can unleash Limitless Power.
However, much like the Land of the Ultimate Void, its appearances are unpredictable in time and place,
so it is said that only sages capable of reading the heavenly mysteries can enter.
Yet Baek Jeon-cheon had predicted the location of the Tomb's manifestation in advance?
'Then wouldn't he also know where the Yona Tribe's Sacred Artifact is kept?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
If Baek Jeon-cheon was a sage capable of detecting the Tomb of Myriad Phenomena, he should naturally be able to determine where the Land of the Ultimate Void would appear as well.
If he could be persuaded to help—
it would become a powerful bargaining chip in negotiations with Baek Jeon-cheon.
"So you're saying I'm the qualified candidate to enter that trap."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Baek Jeon-cheon answered frankly.
"That is correct."
Then he bowed respectfully.
"Please investigate it, Lord, and retrieve it if possible."
Bu Eun-seol took a small sip of tea.
He had sensed that this mission was far from simple—too much so to merely demand the Land of the Ultimate Void as a condition.
"Is the search for the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl—"
After a long silence, he slowly spoke again.
"—a matter of the Sacred Realm, or of the Myriad Learning Society's leader under the Demon Hall?"
His tone was indifferent, but beneath it lay a sharp certainty.
Baek Jeon-cheon raised his eyebrows slightly, as if surprised.
"You knew."
It was only natural.
Mok Do-in, the chief of the Forest Pavilion, had been a pillar of the Martial Alliance for decades—and yet he was a man of the Sacred Realm.
If there were people of the Sacred Realm within the Martial Alliance, then surely there would be some within the Demon Hall as well.
For a long time afterward, Bu Eun-seol had suspected that Baek Jeon-cheon might be one of them.
—After all, he was the only one who remained neutral, unswayed by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, and even aided me.
"If there was anyone on the filthy chessboard of the Demon Hall who maintained the perspective of an outsider... it could only be you, Society Leader Baek."
"If that's the case—"
Baek Jeon-cheon wore an enigmatic smile.
"—then you must have made contact with the Sacred Realm's agents in each faction. Naturally, you would have deduced that there must be one in the Demon Hall as well."
Bu Eun-seol did not answer, but his silence was affirmation.
"Truly, the Lord's integrity is admirable."
Baek Jeon-cheon bowed his head slightly in gratitude.
"For keeping this secret."
Bu Eun-seol's wisdom was considerable.
Merely suspecting Baek Jeon-cheon's ties to the Sacred Realm could have been exploited in countless ways.
Yet he had remained silent.
"I had at least enough faith that you wouldn't stab me in the back."
When Bu Eun-seol had sought his help, Baek Jeon-cheon had not turned him away.
Moreover, if he truly was an agent of the Sacred Realm... he was an observer, not a cunning schemer.
At the very least, he wouldn't set up despicable traps like the factions of the martial world.
There were ample reasons to trust him.
"Will you accept this mission?"
Baek Jeon-cheon asked cautiously.
"Of course, it's an extremely dangerous task—but one that will never bring harm to you, Lord."
"If it brings no harm."
"According to the divination, should you go there, the gains will far outweigh the losses."
Then he added:
"Because for everyone except you, Lord, the hexagram shows loss."
"I wasn't aware the Society Head practiced divination."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze flickered toward the celestial plate in the office as he continued.
"Then couldn't you divine whether this is a trap or not?"
"Divination isn't about seeing the future."
Baek Jeon-cheon spoke calmly.
"It merely calculates probabilities by tracing the flow of heavenly mechanisms."
Then he added:
"The harder part is deciding how much to trust the hexagram."
"So trusting the divination is the true challenge."
"Precisely."
Baek Jeon-cheon smiled faintly.
"Anyone can read a hexagram, but determining how much to believe... even the act of belief itself is difficult."
There was an arcane weight to his words.
One thing was certain: Baek Jeon-cheon was neither like Wooden Buddha, who could glimpse the future, nor like Heavenly Mechanism Star, who deciphered celestial patterns.
He was a man who cast star charts to predict the flow of fate—a stark contrast to the image of Baek Jeon-cheon, who had always resolved everything through peerless stratagems and wisdom.
"Then am I to trust this divination as well?"
"Not at all."
Baek Jeon-cheon replied:
"You, Lord, are one who exists outside that flow... In truth, such divinations mean nothing to you."
A self-deprecating smile surfaced.
"That's precisely why I'm entrusting this to you."
"Wouldn't it be better to dispatch the secret forces you've cultivated or elite troops from the Sacred Realm?"
Baek Jeon-cheon had the Sacred Realm behind him—a place where Executioners, masters wielding mysterious powers, resided.
Moreover, having held the position of Myriad Learning Society Head for so long...
He must have nurtured exceptional subordinates and forces rivaling even the secret organizations under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's command.
Even if Bu Eun-seol was someone who defied celestial mechanisms, why send him alone on such a critical mission?
"The Tomb of Myriad Phenomena changes its entry qualifications each time it appears."
Baek Jeon-cheon, intuiting his skepticism, explained:
"That's why it's also called a nexus of heavenly mechanisms."
"I don't quite follow."
"It's said only those at the Martial Extreme Realm can enter, but in truth, the conditions vary with each appearance."
Baek Jeon-cheon elaborated patiently:
"This time, only those who have 'embodied the principles of Harmonization and Chaos'—like you, Lord—may enter. Of course, these conditions are ever-shifting."
He continued:
"In the past, it required 'one who has embodied the Primordial Life'... or 'one who has grasped Pure Principle.'"
"'Embodied the Primordial Life'...?"
"Those who ingested the Internal Cores of Spirit Beasts over a millennium old and assimilated their power."
Baek Jeon-cheon smiled.
"'Pure Principle' referred to those unbound by martial forms or fixed movements—like the Formless Sword—masters of esoteric martial studies."
Then he shook his head.
"Back then, too many qualified... It devolved into pure slaughter."
"But how could I possibly be the only one in the world today who's awakened to Harmonization and Chaos?"
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened with disbelief.
"If you can foresee the conditions, Society Head, you could forcibly create someone who meets them—"
Then came the incisive point:
"More importantly, the strong would choose easier methods than entering directly."
Even if one couldn't enter the treasure's location, it didn't matter.
All they had to do was guard the entrance and ambush whoever emerged with it.
"Correct."
Baek Jeon-cheon nodded.
"That's precisely why we need your power, Lord."
"You want me to mobilize the Death Shadow War Unit's forces?"
"Of course not."
Baek Jeon-cheon laughed.
"Only that no matter what forces or experts lie in wait, I trust you alone possess the ability and wisdom to retrieve it safely."
"Even the Sacred Realm's masters couldn't manage it?"
"Blindly deploying troops might succeed, yes. But countless disciples would be injured in the process."
Baek Jeon-cheon spoke with conviction.
"You, Lord, are the only one who can resolve this alone."
In that single statement, he subtly revealed this wasn't the Sacred Realm's affair.
'Perhaps Baek Society Head is as fearsome as Heavenly Mechanism Star.'
The more Bu Eun-seol spoke with him, the more it felt like staring into an unfathomable abyss.
Before being a figure of the Sacred Realm with mysterious powers, Baek Jeon-cheon had concealed his abilities for years, biding his time in silence.
Yet now, he suddenly revealed divination skills to read heavenly mechanisms—
And entrusted this mission to him?
"In that case—"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
So Baek Jeon-cheon was, after all, much like himself—
A man who had set a single Grand Design in motion and was steadily bringing it to completion.
"Naturally, if the Lord agrees to my request, I would be able to demand a corresponding price."
Baek Jeon-cheon spoke as if he already knew Bu Eun-seol was about to ask about the Land of the Ultimate Void.
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol answered smoothly.
"I shall enter the Tomb of Myriad Phenomena and retrieve the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl for you."
"My gratitude."
Baek Jeon-cheon bowed slightly, but his expression remained troubled.
"However... it will not be easy."
He swallowed thickly before continuing.
"There are rumors that to enter the Tomb of Myriad Phenomena, one must sacrifice a mastered martial art."
"You mean a martial technique?"
"Indeed."
Baek Jeon-cheon rubbed his temple.
"That place has been the destination of countless martial elites for thousands of years. Yet most never emerge, and those who survive claim to have lost one of their true martial arts."
Bu Eun-seol was well-versed in the hidden histories of the martial world, but he knew little of the Tomb of Myriad Phenomena.
Because of that, Baek Jeon-cheon's words sounded almost like an exaggerated folktale.
"Of course, this is not certain. But neither is it a tale to be dismissed lightly."
"That doesn't concern me."
Bu Eun-seol spoke plainly.
"But may I ask what you intend to use the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl for?"
"Naturally, I cannot tell you. However—"
Baek Jeon-cheon smiled.
"I can assure you it will never fall into Hall Master Sado's hands."
The Creation Sun and Moon and the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl were treasures even someone like the Demonic Heavenly Emperor would desperately covet.
Bu Eun-seol had feared that Baek Jeon-cheon might be planning to use them as bargaining chips in negotiations with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
And yet, Baek Jeon-cheon had pierced through his thoughts and delivered a clear answer.
'Truly a terrifying man.'
Baek Jeon-cheon's wisdom and martial prowess were undoubtedly not beneath his own.
Moreover, in a situation like this—
To subtly reveal that he, too, had a grand scheme in motion?
'It means his Grand Design is nearing its conclusion.'
"I do not know what plans the Hall Master holds, but I must hope you are not my enemy."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Baek Jeon-cheon smiled.
"I feel the same."
In that smile, there flickered a trace of something—a flawlessly pure demon.
Baek Jeon-cheon, who sought to perfect the Demonic Path.
Whether he was an enemy or an ally...
That much remained unclear.
At the deepest, most twisted heart of the Holy Demon Pavilion, there existed an extremely secretive and mystical space.
A place untouched by the flow of time, it was the Grand Hall where the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, the absolute pinnacle of the Demonic Path, commanded his covert forces.
The air inside was cool and heavy.
The dizzyingly high ceiling bore swirling nebulae, as if a piece of the night sky had been transplanted within, drifting in slow, hypnotic spirals.
Beneath it stood an altar shimmering with an eerie luster, and a throne overlooking the world.
Leaning lazily against the armrest, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor gazed with languid eyes at a single point in the empty space.
At the end of his vision, within the pitch-black darkness, stood a towering black silhouette.
Its presence was honed like a sharp blade, merging seamlessly with the shadows.
It was Im Mu-jeong, the Mad Blood Lord, who had returned from Ghost Capture Island.
"How swift."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor murmured softly.
"I had thought it would take at least a decade to suppress the madness devouring your mind."
His voice was quiet, yet it resonated through the hall as if filling every crevice.
"It seems you've encountered an unexpected opportunity."
There was an undercurrent of amusement, as if admiring a finely forged sword.
As expected, he had not abandoned Im Mu-jeong.
He had merely sheathed an uncontrollable blade wreathed in madness, waiting for it to tame itself and return.
"Im Mu-jeong, the Mad Blood Lord."
Im Mu-jeong bowed respectfully.
"I pay my respects to the Supreme One."
Then, straightening, he spoke firmly.
"And—"
His voice was hoarse, but resolute.
"I challenge you."
In an instant, the air in the hall froze solid.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who had been silently reclining in his seat, allowed a faint smirk to touch his lips.
Then, with a pair of unfathomably deep eyes, he scrutinized Im Mu-jeong from head to toe.
"At least bring me the head of the one who broke you before making such declarations."
He had already deduced everything.
That Im Mu-jeong had been defeated by someone—and that it was through that defeat he had gained control over the Mad Demon's Demonic Energy.
That this challenge, too—
Was merely the thrashing of a man trying to reclaim a shattered sense of self.
"I may have lost to another, but I will not lose to you."
A flash of madness flickered in Im Mu-jeong's eyes.
"Because I know a weakness of yours—one that no one else does."
Silence stretched between them.
Not a single tremor crossed the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's expression.
No—what surfaced on his face was a faint, almost weary smile.
"If you are so certain—"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor gave a slight tilt of his head.
That minuscule movement alone sent a crushing pressure distorting the surrounding space.
"Why do you refrain from acting and merely observe?"
For a moment, Im Mu-jeong's gaze flickered with complexity.
A doubt arose—had he been deliberately allowed to uncover the Emperor's weakness?
For decades, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had ruled the martial world without ever fully revealing his movements.
Would such a man have carelessly exposed his fatal weakness to a subordinate of a secret organization by accident?
No... That's impossible.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was no god.
The series of coincidences that had led Im Mu-jeong to this knowledge had been beyond the Emperor's control or interference.
But... I've already lost.
He had sought to unsettle the Emperor with unexpected information, yet it was his own mind that had been shaken instead.
Whether he challenged him or not, the outcome was already decided.
"I'll grant you an opportunity."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, having read his turmoil, let out a languid laugh.
Whoosh.
In an instant, a scroll of parchment silently materialized from the ink-black darkness and flew toward Im Mu-jeong.
As he unfurled it and read the inscribed words, his brow twitched.
"An affair of the Sacred Realm?"
There was only one matter the Demonic Heavenly Emperor hesitated to involve himself in directly.
And that was anything related to the Sacred Realm.
"The choice is yours."
Im Mu-jeong spoke after finishing the scroll.
"You ask this knowing it's a trap?"
"Do I seem like a man who delights in failure?"
The Emperor snorted.
"It is merely part of the plan."
The words carried two meanings.
First, that he was sending him knowingly into a doomed mission.
And second... that Im Mu-jeong was nothing more than a disposable pawn.
"Identify who is behind this, what they seek... and kill them if you can."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor added,
"If... you bring me the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl, not only will I grant you the power to challenge me, but I will also absolve all your debts."
Crunch.
Im Mu-jeong clenched his fist.
There was no choice.
His debts remained unpaid.
And until they were settled...
He was nothing but a cold blade, wielded by his master's hand to cut down whatever stood in his path.
The Tomb of Myriad Phenomena did not manifest in some distant, mythical land beyond the edges of the world.
Paradoxically, it appeared in bustling cities like Chengdu or the village wells of remote hamlets—places where the mingling energies of people created fissures in reality.
Yet it was said that only those who had perfected their lifelong ultimate technique as Masters of the Martial Extreme Realm could enter.
For only the Limitless Power that transcended martial study could perceive the flow and gaps of that space.
[So-yo.]
Bu Eun-seol had left So-yo waiting here.
For a long while, he conversed with her through Voice Transmission.
[Understood. I'll remain here for now.]
After finishing his exchange with So-yo, Bu Eun-seol stepped into the Tomb of Myriad Phenomena—located in a secluded mountain village, just as Baek Jeon-cheon had instructed.
Thud.
The moment he entered, all sound and color vanished.
The ground beneath him seemed to give way, and he felt as though he were plummeting into an abyss.
'Is the space fracturing downward?'
Though he stood perfectly still, the sensation of endless falling persisted.
'Perhaps the Absolute Boundary technique uses this principle.'
Tap.
Finally, the sensation of landing returned, and the scenery shifted.
The sky and earth were both ashen, devoid of sun or moon, illuminated only by a dim, ambient glow.
An oppressive force unlike anything in the Land of the Ultimate Void pressed down—not physical gravity, but the crushing weight of spiritual and mental refinement.
'Poison?'
Moreover, the air was thick, and with every breath, it felt as though jagged stones were clogging his airways.
Crunch. Crunch.
After walking for some time, Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow. The bizarre rock formations filling the plains were uncannily distinct.
'Martial stances?'
Upon closer inspection, each jagged stone resembled a martial artist mid-technique.
Fossilized martial arts.
Every stance and discipline that had existed in the martial world for millennia had petrified into statuesque forms scattered across the landscape.
'The Bloody Tears Seven Forms?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes sharpened.
Etched into the rocks were unmistakable, razor-sharp blade marks.
The traces of his grandfather's signature technique.
'They're recent.'
Though the age of the rocks themselves was indeterminable, the cuts were fresh—less than an hour old.
'A great saber.'
Analyzing the depth, width, smoothness of the cuts, and the angle of the fractures, Bu Eun-seol deduced:
The weapon that left these marks was a massive great saber weighing over a hundred geun...
'With an elongated hilt.'
The wrist rotation angles were abnormal, indicating an unusually long grip.
'Journey.'
Countless greatswords existed in the world, but only one had such an extended hilt—
The unique weapon forged by his grandfather, combining a dagger and blade: Journey.