Chapter 1158
"Pavilion Lord?"
The Night Watch Pavilion Lord, who had been directing the spy investigation, spotted him and rushed over with a startled expression.
"When did you return? I didn't receive any notice of your arrival."
"Not long ago. I wanted to check whether my disciples were handling their duties properly in my absence."
Bu Eun-seol curled his lips into Daoist Mok's signature languid, inscrutable smile.
"I see."
It was common knowledge that Daoist Mok prioritized the security of the Pratyekabuddha Hall above all else, whether awake or asleep.
"But what's all this commotion about?"
At Bu Eun-seol's composed demeanor and imposing aura, the Night Watch Pavilion Lord hastily bowed and explained the situation from start to finish.
"We received intelligence that someone had secretly infiltrated the alliance. So we activated the Heavenly Net Formation to root out any hidden individuals."
"Is that so? The Heavenly Net Formation, you say..."
Bu Eun-seol murmured softly before nodding lightly.
"You've worked hard."
Then, as if nothing were amiss, he headed toward the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
Having observed Daoist Mok for a long time, Bu Eun-seol had perfectly replicated his expressions, speech, and even his gait.
The Night Watch Pavilion Lord was a man of sharp discernment—yet precisely because of that, he had been completely fooled.
There wasn't a single detail that could have aroused suspicion.
Tap, tap.
Upon arriving at the Pratyekabuddha Hall,
Bu Eun-seol acknowledged the martial artists bowing to him with an indifferent nod before making his way to the third floor.
Just as he reached the midpoint of the corridor leading to the office, walking at a leisurely pace—
BOOM!
A deafening roar erupted as massive steel gates descended from both ends of the passage.
Simultaneously, every entrance to the third floor was sealed, the candles extinguished all at once, plunging the space into darkness.
Swoosh.
From within the thick darkness ahead, something rose like a heat haze.
It had no discernible form or presence, yet its sheer existence alone overwhelmed the entire space.
Clap, clap, clap.
Amid the silence-breaking applause, the haze gradually took shape, soon solidifying into the figure of a middle-aged man who resembled an immortal.
Jeong Cheon-je, the Martial Alliance Chief.
No—it was the Martial Venerable, disguised as him.
"As expected, the Sacred Realm's secret arts are astonishing. Truly flawless."
The Martial Venerable approached Bu Eun-seol with a spinning grin.
"At first, I really thought Daoist Mok had returned, you know?"
Bu Eun-seol's heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
The Darkness Secret Arts were perfect, and through the Cock-Crowing and Dog-Stealing Art, his gaze, gait, demeanor, and speech... every single detail was indistinguishable from Daoist Mok's.
Even the suspicious, sharp-eyed Night Watch Pavilion Lord had been fooled in an instant.
So how had this man seen through his identity at a glance?
When Bu Eun-seol didn't respond, the Martial Venerable chuckled.
"No need to be so tense."
Then, in an uncharacteristically warm voice, he added,
"After all, our cooperative relationship with the Sacred Realm will continue unchanged."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol nearly let out the breath he'd been holding.
'So that's it.'
Daoist Mok had left the Martial Alliance for some reason, and the Sacred Realm had sent a replacement in his stead.
The Martial Venerable had mistaken him for an envoy from the Sacred Realm and had been waiting here.
'Then Daoist Mok didn't leave for an external mission...'
A cold sweat trickled down his spine, chilling him to the bone.
'Something has gone wrong.'
If the Sacred Realm had planned to systematically replace Daoist Mok with another person,
they wouldn't have created a two-week gap under the pretext of an external mission.
They could have seamlessly replaced him when the new envoy arrived.
Yet Daoist Mok had deliberately filed an official notice of departure, creating a formal two-week vacancy.
This was anything but normal.
"But you're much faster than expected. Astonishingly so."
Just as Bu Eun-seol was lost in deep thought, the Martial Venerable took another step forward, tilting his head.
"To perfectly mimic the Forest Pavilion Lord's gaze, speech, and mannerisms in such a short time..."
Though his tone was calm, his eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if trying to pierce through something.
As though verifying whether Bu Eun-seol was truly using the Darkness Secret Arts.
"Even if this old man's skills are exceptional, they could never rival the Martial Venerable's."
Bu Eun-seol replied flatly.
Daoist Mok had known the Martial Venerable's true identity. If so, the Sacred Realm would undoubtedly know as well—hence his response.
"Seems you haven't heard the warning yet."
The Martial Venerable clicked his tongue.
"You must never utter that title in front of me."
Behind him, the faint silhouette of an unknown creature coiled like a serpent before—
A blinding radiance erupted, intense enough to melt both flesh and spirit.
'This is the Martial Venerable?'
It felt as though all the blood in his body had turned to ice.
During his time as Seon-u Jin, he had faced the man multiple times and had some grasp of his martial prowess.
But in the time since Bu Eun-seol had left the Martial Alliance,
the Martial Venerable had transformed into something entirely different.
'He's grown this much in that span?'
The transcendent power once exhibited by the maddened Jeong Cheon-je and the Return to Unity Realm Lord was now emanating from him.
"Well, we'll just have to be careful around each other."
As Bu Eun-seol appeared greatly startled,
The Martial Venerable, looking satisfied, suppressed a smile and immediately withdrew his aura.
"Let's continue not encroaching on each other's domains like this."
Through that single remark,
Bu Eun-seol intuitively realized the Martial Venerable had long maintained contact with the Sacred Realm.
"Naturally."
When Bu Eun-seol nodded indifferently,
"Is our deal still valid?"
The Martial Venerable abruptly posed an unexpected question.
'Deal?'
Bu Eun-seol kept his mouth shut.
When the situation wasn't fully clear, silence was always the best policy.
Yet the Martial Venerable persisted, fixing him with an unrelenting gaze as he waited for an answer.
"Of course."
After careful consideration, Bu Eun-seol finally responded.
"As always, this one merely observes."
They were the exact words Daoist Mok had once spoken to Bu Eun-seol.
"Is that so."
The Martial Venerable showed a subtle smile, as if pleased by the answer.
"What a pity that star has fallen. Don't you agree?"
Clicking his tongue, the Martial Venerable turned his head.
"Just which faction's master infiltrated our alliance to commit such atrocities..."
Then he shrugged.
"Though thanks to that, I could activate the Twin-Winged Phoenix Command to stabilize the chaotic situation within the alliance."
For an instant, a flash of light passed through Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
'So that's how it was.'
Now he understood why the Night Watch Commander had led secret operatives while sealing off the Martial Alliance to root out spies.
It was because the Martial Venerable had activated the Twin-Winged Phoenix Command to seize control of the alliance's real authority once more.
'Martial Venerable.'
Bu Eun-seol inwardly cried out.
'You killed Daoist Mok.'
He could sense it.
That the Martial Venerable was the one who killed Daoist Mok.
He was in a position where he'd soon have to relinquish the alliance leader position to Baek Mu-seong.
But doing so would leave him with no influence in the Martial Alliance, only retirement from the martial world remaining.
Yet if a figure connected to the Sacred Realm within the alliance had mysteriously disappeared without their whereabouts being properly investigated?
As alliance leader, he'd be responsible for investigating the truth... So he used that as pretext to activate the Twin-Winged Phoenix Command.
Thus maintaining his grip on power.
'Until proper investigation results emerge, he'll have no choice but to keep the Twin-Winged Phoenix Command active.'
Cold sweat trickled down Bu Eun-seol's back.
The Martial Venerable had executed a truly vicious scheme, deliberately murdering Daoist Mok.
Through this incident, he was openly forming cooperative ties with the Sacred Realm while plotting some grand design.
'Why is he so obsessed with the Martial Alliance?'
During his decade as alliance leader, the Martial Venerable had acquired vast information and nurtured numerous secret factions.
He no longer needed to cling to the position of leader. So why this obsession?
"The Hour of the Goat has arrived."
Erasing his rising thoughts, Bu Eun-seol murmured in a leisurely tone.
"Time to inspect the mechanisms."
Daoist Mok had always checked the Pratyekabuddha Hall's internal mechanisms at this hour.
At those words, the Martial Venerable's dulled eyes suddenly gleamed.
He was meticulous by nature and suspicious of everything.
Yet Bu Eun-seol perfectly knew not just Daoist Mok's appearance and mannerisms, but his daily routines.
Finally convinced this was truly a Sacred Realm operative.
"By all means."
The Martial Venerable's voice softened considerably as he turned.
"Then."
Krrrung.
With those final words,
The sealed corridor's iron gates rose on both sides, and lanterns on the walls automatically lit.
The blocked passage had returned to normal.
'Whew.'
As the Martial Venerable disappeared, the oppressive atmosphere lightened and the surroundings seemed to brighten.
'Martial Venerable.'
Bu Eun-seol quietly exhaled the breath he'd been holding.
'Just what are you aiming for?'
With Wooden Buddha's past assistance, he'd operated as the Divine Calculator, grasping the martial world's secrets in his palm.
Thus employing Mystic Calculation Strategy to manipulate the Martial Alliance was no surprise.
Nor was having connections to the mysterious Sacred Realm sect.
But that overwhelming presence.
How had he achieved such transcendent martial advancement in such short time?
By what means had he killed the Sacred Realm operative, and how had he concealed it?
'Thinking can wait.'
For now, he needed to leave the Martial Alliance quickly.
Yet instead of exiting immediately, Bu Eun-seol headed toward the office instead.
One never knew where watching eyes might lurk.
He intended to perfectly recreate Daoist Mok's daily routine before making his escape.
Clank. Rumble.
Opening the office door brought a heavy sensation and the sound of massive mechanisms.
Though bearing vivid wood-grain patterns, it wasn't a wooden door but an iron one over four feet thick.
'This is...'
Entering, Bu Eun-seol was astonished.
Contrary to expectations of shelves overflowing with books, the office interior was completely empty save for a desk and a few furnishings.
It looked like a place long abandoned.
'Someone tampered with it.'
Inside, he spotted a star chart extremely similar to the one in Myriad Learning Society head Baek Jeon-cheon's office.
'There's no way he didn't investigate this.'
If the Martial Venerable had killed Daoist Mok—
He would have rolled up his sleeves and thoroughly examined this peculiar star chart first.
Yet the fact that it remained untouched here suggested there was nothing particularly unusual about it.
Zzzing.
But a strange resonance prickled at his senses.
'The star chart is resonating?'
The closer he stepped toward the star chart, the more his skin prickled, as if the Darkness Secret Arts within him were stirring violently.
After a brief hesitation, Bu Eun-seol slowly moved forward and placed his hand on the star chart.
Tap. Ssshhhk—
The moment his hand made contact, the Darkness Secret Arts were drawn into it, and—
Rrrrumble. Zzzing.
A section of the office space distorted, warping into the shape of a door.
"A door."
As he reached out toward it—
Crackle. Sparks flared, and his arm slipped right through.
'The Sacred Realm's Absolute Boundary.'
Daoist Mok had used the star chart to—
Create an Absolute Boundary that only those possessing the Darkness Secret Arts could pass through.
'That's why neither the Martial Venerable nor anyone else could ever find this door.'
Swish.
Carefully stepping through the boundary, he found himself in a long, descending passageway leading underground.
After descending for what felt like an eternity—
A vast, brick-walled space sprawled before him, resembling a massive underground prison.
And there, resting within it—
Was an iron coffin, stained with ink-black hues.
Identical to the one that had once lain in Peaceful Burial House.
'Grandfather!'
Bu Eun-seol sprinted toward the coffin.
Could it be? Had the Return to Unity Realm taken his grandfather's remains and hidden them here?
"No... no."
Standing before the coffin, Bu Eun-seol exhaled a sigh, unsure whether this was fortunate or unfortunate.
Though the material was similar, the engraved patterns and dimensions were subtly different.
"To think another object like this existed in the Martial World."
Unless one was an undertaker—
Only sects like the Corpse Handling Sect or the Ancient Corpse Gate—
Those who manipulated jiangshi or wielded necromantic arts—
Would craft such iron coffins.
But both sects had long since vanished. He had believed the coffin in Peaceful Burial House was the only one of its kind.
Yet here, hidden beneath Daoist Mok's office, lay an iron coffin with eerily similar material and energy?
Swish.
Bu Eun-seol slowly placed his hand on the tightly sealed lid.
A heavy, icy sensation seeped through his palm, spreading through his entire body.
Screeeech—
With a sound like nails on stone, he pried the lid open—
"......?"
Contrary to expectations, there was no corpse inside.
Only a single, luminous fragment of a chain, glowing faintly within the darkness.
As if compressing the Milky Way itself, it radiated a mysterious light, shimmering even in the absence of any external illumination.
"What is this?"
Stunned by the unexpected sight, Bu Eun-seol stood frozen for a moment before reaching out as if entranced.
The instant his fingertip touched the radiant chain fragment—
Sssss—
Like searing his hand on white-hot metal, a horrific hissing sound erupted as white smoke billowed from his body.
'Grrrr—'
He gritted his teeth.
Beyond the pain of burning flesh—
An agony that felt as though his very soul were being branded tore through every nerve in his body.
'I can't let go.'
The chain clung to his hand like a magnet, refusing to release no matter how hard he struggled.
Sssss—
Before he knew it, his eyes turned white, his consciousness fading.
'I mustn't lose consciousness here.'
Just as he clenched his jaw to endure—
Flash!
An explosive burst of light erupted from the chain fragment.
The radiance pierced straight through him, and before he could even scream—
Darkness swallowed him whole.
——
How much time had passed?
When he slowly opened his eyes, the lingering pain throbbed through every inch of his body.
Reflexively, he checked his left hand.
The luminous chain fragment was gone—vanished without a trace.
'What just happened?'
His palm bore no burns, no wounds, no evidence of what had transpired.
'Did I dream it?'
Then—a faint, foreign sensation prickled against his skin.
Focusing his internal vision, he peered closely.
There, etched into his palm, was a single, barely visible thread of light.
As if a strand of luminous silk had been embedded into his flesh.
So fine and faint that even a master like him had to strain to perceive it.
'Did that chain fragment fuse into me?'
A bizarre feeling settled over him.
He tried scraping at it with his nail.
But his nail merely brushed over his skin—no resistance, no tangible presence.
Like chasing a transparent illusion.
'I don't see illusions.'
A low hum.
Channeling his internal energy, he attempted to force the luminous thread out of his palm.
Still, no reaction.
'Fine.'
Bang!
This time, he gathered not just his internal energy but every ounce of strength in his body—
And unleashed Harmonization into his palm, trying to expel the transparent thread with overwhelming force.
Vvvrrrm!
The moment all his power condensed into a swirling sphere in his palm—
A low hum.
The faint, transparent thread suddenly expanded, gradually taking shape—
Into the form of a chain.
One strikingly similar to the one embedded in Dal-ri's chest, from Baekri Geom-ha's memories.
"The Chain of Reincarnation."
What had been inside that coffin—
Was the divine authority of the primordial being, the True Demon.
The Chain of Reincarnation.