Chapter 1160
The Profound Energy Great Art
This was a sinister technique devised by the fallen Taoist Hwamyeong—once a disciple of the orthodox Taoist sects, but who later mastered the wicked arts of the Extreme Blood Sect and became a Great Demon.
Under the guise of righteous swordplay,
it secretly injected Evil Qi through the tip of the blade—a truly vile and treacherous method.
In other words, Bu Eun-seol had not suffered internal injuries.
Instead, like a single drop of ink tainting a clear spring, an intense surge of Evil Qi was spreading uncontrollably through his entire body.
"For a man hailed as the Martial Venerable to resort to the wicked arts of a Great Demon..."
As Bu Eun-seol continued speaking with an indifferent expression, the Martial Venerable's face twisted in bewilderment.
Those struck by the Profound Energy Great Art could hope for no lucky break—so how could this man remain so utterly composed?
"Who the hell are you?"
The Martial Venerable's gaze turned icy.
Only now did he realize that the man before him was not merely a martial prodigy—he possessed an unfathomable, bizarre power.
'He must be panicking.'
Bu Eun-seol's cold eyes gleamed as he observed the Martial Venerable's rigid expression.
He had once made a promise to Seon-u Jin.
To eliminate the Martial Venerable within five years.
And to hasten that end, he had relentlessly mobilized the Death Soul Squad's intelligence network to investigate the Martial Venerable's past.
"No matter what martial art you use, I'll shatter it."
"I know."
As the Martial Venerable steadied his stance once more, Bu Eun-seol curled his lips into a peculiar smile.
"You wandered the world studying martial arts—all to seek the Grand Perfection of every martial discipline under heaven."
At those words, the Martial Venerable's gaze darkened.
A sudden flood of memories surged forth.
From his youth, he had roamed not only the Central Plains but also the lands Beyond the Frontier, studying martial arts.
At first, his goal had been to create the greatest martial art in the world—but soon, he had been forced to revise that ambition.
—I will never become the world's greatest.
The Martial Venerable could grasp any martial technique with frightening speed and ease. Even techniques he had only seen once, he could replicate almost perfectly.
But paradoxically,
precisely because he could master martial arts so effortlessly, he could never reach the pinnacle.
—Because I have no wall to break through.
To refine one's martial arts was, in essence, to collide with one's limits—with walls.
And it was through the suffering, frustration, and enlightenment gained in breaking past those barriers
that one shattered their limits and achieved a true Breakthrough.
But because the Martial Venerable could so easily mimic and grasp the essence of any martial art,
there was no wall—no obstacle—to serve as a foothold for transcendence.
It was as if one could effortlessly climb to a mountain's summit,
yet never glimpse the hidden secret realm that held the mountain's true essence.
—Is the ability to mimic martial arts so easily... a curse in disguise?
For years, he had flawlessly copied and executed the principles and forms of countless martial arts.
In the end, he could perfectly replicate another's answers—but he could never write his own.
Breadth without depth... Though he could reach the Martial Extreme Realm,
he could never become the unrivaled master who would create a martial art that stood alone under heaven.
—In the end, isn't the so-called 'pinnacle of the world' just a state where no one can defeat you?
From that moment, the Martial Venerable changed his approach.
Instead of creating the greatest martial art, he would master every martial art under heaven.
No matter what technique his opponent used, he would counter it with the perfect martial art—achieving invincibility without defeat.
From that day on,
he traveled to Tibet, Japan, the North Sea, the Great Desert, India, Persia... wherever martial arts existed, he went and learned them.
When he faced a strong opponent, he would select the martial art that had reached Grand Perfection against theirs—and emerge victorious.
That is, until he met Jeong Cheon-je.
—Elder Danmok, please go easy.
Around the time he shattered the shinbones of the Qinghai Three Ghosts—who had ambushed him for the Tianshan Sword Manual—
a man as elegant as polished jade descended from the sky.
It was Shin Do-mu-bi, the peerless grandmaster who alone dominated the martial world with a single sword—the Golden Thread Sword.
—I was just about to seek you out. How convenient.
Though Shin Do-mu-bi was middle-aged, none in the martial world doubted that he would soon become the next leader of the orthodox factions.
He was, without question, a genius among geniuses—a man of overwhelming talent.
—Let's have a match.
The Martial Venerable bared his teeth in a sharp grin.
—Don't you know the ironclad rule of the martial world? If you want to lecture others, you must first prove you have the right.
Shin Do-mu-bi only smiled faintly and did not respond.
Enraged, the Martial Venerable unleashed the countless martial arts he had honed over decades.
Yet Shin Do-mu-bi evaded them all effortlessly—without even drawing his sword.
—If you keep dodging like a rat, this fight will never end!
At Martial Venerable's venomous shout, Shin Do-mu-bi sighed and extended his hand, manifesting a finger-sword.
That finger-sword had already stopped a hair's breadth from Martial Venerable's glabella.
It had shattered—in mere one move—the storm of techniques Martial Venerable had unleashed, pouring forth every martial art scattered across the world.
"So that's how it was."
In that single exchange, Martial Venerable instinctively realized that ten years of his training had been broken.
He had meticulously mastered the art of instantly identifying and countering opposing martial techniques, confident that this method would make him invincible under heaven.
But Shin Do-mu-bi's Sword Studies belonged to no martial art ever seen in the murim.
It was a technique freshly conceived in the moment—one that could not be dismantled by any martial art he knew.
The path he had been certain would lead him to the pinnacle... had become nothing but delusion upon encountering a true master of martial arts.
From that day onward,
Martial Venerable abandoned his pursuit of mastering all martial arts scattered across the world.
Instead, he began researching Great Arts and Esoteric Ritual Arts.
If he could not reach Great Completion through martial arts, then he would shatter martial arts through other means.
And so, he mastered even the Great Arts and Esoteric Ritual Arts—techniques denounced as heretical arts.
"You've investigated me in detail, I see."
Emerging from his reminiscence, Martial Venerable gazed down at Bu Eun-seol and spoke coldly.
"You must belong to a faction with an impressive intelligence network."
A peculiar glint flickered in his eyes.
"But judging by your slip of the tongue, you're no leader—just a mere underling."
A cautious man would never reveal what he knew.
The fact that Bu Eun-seol had been investigating Martial Venerable for so long was significant intelligence.
If the man before him had truly been that young man he suspected...
He would never have made such a mistake.
'Good. Let him misunderstand.'
Bu Eun-seol swallowed a knowing smile.
Aware that Martial Venerable doubted him, he had deliberately spoken as if he had thoroughly researched the man.
Speech patterns may seem trivial, but they are habits not easily changed—and a single word carries volumes of information.
Veterans like Martial Venerable, steeped in cunning, scrutinized even the slightest words and attitudes to draw conclusions.
Bu Eun-seol had cleverly exploited this, intentionally leaking information about him.
And now, Martial Venerable had unconsciously convinced himself that Bu Eun-seol was nothing more than a careless subordinate of some faction.
Whoosh—
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol had completely eradicated the energy of the Profound Energy Great Art.
His prolonged speech had also bought him the time needed to thoroughly purge this vile energy.
"Indeed, your martial arts are impressive."
Martial Venerable smiled faintly.
"But don't assume the Profound Energy Great Art was all I prepared."
Creeeak—
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol's body began to twist unnaturally.
As if invisible threads were slowly tightening around him.
"The Shadowless Adamantine Chains?"
Not only had Martial Venerable embedded the Profound Energy Great Art within ordinary Body-Sword Unity—
He had also layered it with Jeong Cheon-je's Secret Arts.
"As expected, you stole all of the Demon Lord Shin's Secret Arts."
It had been rumored that Martial Venerable only absorbed Jeong Cheon-je's Golden Cicada True Qi.
But now, it was clear he had also stolen his diverse martial techniques.
"Nonsense."
Martial Venerable's lips curled coldly.
"Most of my younger brother's exclusive techniques were built upon the martial arts I provided—those of the True Demon of Orthodoxy. The Shadowless Adamantine Chains are merely one of them."
"The audacity. Even now, you dare call Shin Do-mu-bi your younger brother?"
Bu Eun-seol was spouting anything to buy time.
"Wasn't it you who killed the Demon Lord Shin?!"
Zzziiing—
In that moment, he unleashed formidable Internal Energy, instantly dispelling the Shadowless Adamantine Chains.
But that was a grave mistake.
Martial Venerable had long held the highest seat among the Three Demons and Three Venerables.
Had Bu Eun-seol remembered how Ak Mu-ryeong's martial arts had ascended to unfathomable heights—
Had he reconsidered how flawlessly Martial Venerable had played Jeong Cheon-je's role for so long—
Had he recalled how the man had consistently mixed unknown forces into his attacks—
Even at the cost of revealing his true self, he should have immediately employed the Void-Piercing Secret Art to evade and bide his time for another opportunity.
"Now it's over."
Suddenly, Martial Venerable's lips curled as he looked at Bu Eun-seol.
"Even my younger brother couldn't have executed the Fourfold Overlay of martial arts back then."
'What?!'
Crackle—
Now, white flames of True Qi flickered in Martial Venerable's palms.
"In the end, you were deceived, fixated on the technique of Body-Sword Unity."
Squelch— Crrk—
Simultaneously, before Bu Eun-seol's sternum—
A translucent sword of True Qi had formed, slowly piercing into his body.
Severing Shadow Strike.
A hidden blade technique that implants an invisible sword of True Qi into the enemy using the Golden Cicada True Qi.
Yet another layer of Jeong Cheon-je's secret martial art had been stacked upon it.
Though Martial Venerable had feigned an attack with the lightning-fast Body-Sword Unity,
in truth, he had layered Profound Energy Great Art, Diamond Shadowless Chains, and even Severing Shadow Strike together.
"Ugh..."
As the sword of True Qi dug into his flesh, a pained groan escaped Bu Eun-seol's lips.
A man who wouldn't make a sound even if his limbs were severed—yet here he was, letting out such an agonized moan?
"This is your last chance."
A white radiance bloomed in Martial Venerable's eyes as he unleashed the Severing Shadow Strike.
"Reveal your true identity. Do that, and I'll spare your life."
Zzzzzt—
But Bu Eun-seol remained silent.
With his overwhelming internal energy, he endured the torment of his meridians being severed, he struggled to push back against the Severing Shadow Strike.
"Your internal energy is impressive."
As Martial Venerable intensified the Golden Cicada True Qi,
Zzzzzt—
The sword of True Qi had already pierced an inch into Bu Eun-seol'scentral meridian point.
It was moments away from impaling him in a single strike.
"Let's see if the Sacred Realm's secret technique persists even after you stop breathing."
Drip.
A thin trail of crimson blood trickled from Bu Eun-seol's lips.
'I was arrogant.'
Concealing his true nature against an opponent like Martial Venerable had been a fatal mistake.
He should have immediately unleashed the Void-Piercing Secret Art for a decisive clash—or simply fled.
But his half-hearted counterattack had only left him vulnerable to a fatal opening.
CRACK!
Just as Martial Venerable's Severing Shadow Strike was about to pierce his chest—
Clink.
Amidst the silence of death, a clear, resonant sound echoed.
It originated from Bu Eun-seol's limp left hand.
A single, dazzling golden thread, coiled around his wrist, suddenly unfurled into the air—
SHWAK!
Then, like a living dragon, it writhed and coiled around the sword of True Qi, forcefully pushing it back.
"You—?!"
As Bu Eun-seol repelled the sword, Martial Venerable's eyes widened.
Once the Severing Shadow Strike made contact, all its force should have dispersed.
So how had a new surge of power erupted from him?
"You cannot be allowed to live!"
Martial Venerable raised his left hand toward the sky.
BOOM.
A colossal sword materialized above him.
Supreme Heart Sword.
The absolute pinnacle of sword arts, capable of splitting Bu Eun-seol'scrown meridian point in a single strike.
SHIIING—!
As the razor-sharp sound of breaking air heralded the descent of the Supreme Heart Sword,
Clink.
The sound of transparent rings colliding resonated once more from Bu Eun-seol's palm—
KRUUUMBLE—!
And in the next instant, a thunderous, overwhelming resonance shook the world.
At the same time, a single point of blinding light bloomed above Bu Eun-seol's hand.
The light scattered into countless motes, etching a strange sigil into the void—
A sigil with neither beginning nor end, twisting like the threads of fate weaving all causality together.
With a sound like space itself tearing apart, it gradually took form.
Each ring seemed to contain the endless cycles of time, the birth and death of countless souls.
A chain—glowing with a piercing, silvery-white radiance.
Even though a portion of it was severed, its mere presence exuded a pressure capable of crushing heaven and earth.
This was the Chain of Reincarnation.
CLANG—!
As Bu Eun-seol swung his left hand with unyielding will,
the Chain of Reincarnation surged into the sky like a divine dragon, transforming into a force capable of overturning the very laws of the world.
BOOOOOOM—!
When the Supreme Heart Sword clashed against it, a shockwave erupted—blinding the world in white as if everything had returned to nothingness.
The battle formation Martial Venerable had erected across dozens of yards crumpled like paper,
RUMBLE—
And as the space within his vision lost all color, a colossal storm swallowed everything.
The earth turned to dust, scattering in the wind. The sky emptied, drained of all hue.
How much time had passed?
As the apocalyptic storm slowly receded, Martial Venerable stood at its center.
"......"
He slowly raised his right hand.
The palm that had unleashed the Supreme Heart Sword was half-melted, revealing white bone beneath.
"This is..."
The pinnacle of sword studies—the Supreme Heart Sword, capable of piercing all things—had been annihilated.
And in its place, a calamity had befallen his hand.
A power that devoured all, an absolute authority cycling through the endless wheel of reincarnation—with the will to destroy everything.
This was the result of colliding with the Chain of Reincarnation.
"So, you were the successor of the Sungra Family."
Among those from the Sacred Realm, the one who carried a fragment of the Chain of Reincarnation—
It was said that, for some reason, they had left the Sacred Realm and wandered the Martial World in secret, searching for treasures.
There could be no one else but the successor of the Sacred Realm.
"No wonder you felt so young."
At first, he had assumed it was Bu Eun-seol, given the youthful impression the man gave off.
But his careless speech and demeanor made him think he was just another pawn of a different faction.
Yet to think the successor of the Sungra Family had abandoned his position and roamed the Martial World?
"A stray from the Sacred Realm nearly ruined the Grand Design."
Martial Venerable scoffed as he turned away.
"I will catch you."
No matter how much such a stray struggled, he could not disrupt the greater flow.
And now that his true identity had been fully uncovered... capturing him was only a matter of time.
Plip.
A crimson drop of blood fell onto the snow, blooming into a scarlet flower.
Bu Eun-seol dragged his shattered body through the endless expanse of a snowfield atop a towering mountain range.
With each step, the snow piled up to his ankles, cutting into his flesh like blades of ice.
But the pain that gnawed at his entire body was far worse.
Halt.
He paused briefly, looking down at his trembling left hand.
The Chain of Reincarnation.
It was a power that bordered on the divine—something no human should wield.
And yet, just from using a mere fragment of a broken chain, my body ends up like this.
The moment Martial Venerable's Supreme Heart Sword was about to pierce his skull, an eerie reaction surged through Bu Eun-seol's body.
As inevitable death loomed, an overwhelming force erupted from his palm, accompanied by the sensation of his entire body being torn apart.
The Chain of Reincarnation.
When its immense power manifested on its own, he immediately activated the Emotion Severing Secret Art to materialize and wield it.
But the price of using it was beyond imagination.
His once-torrential internal energy evaporated in an instant, leaving only hollow emptiness behind.
His veins and muscles twisted, his bones screaming as if in agony.
And then—the unbearable pain, as though an entire mountain had collapsed inside him.
Yet there was no time to suffer.
The moment the Supreme Heart Sword was nullified,
He had to gather every last shred of strength, push Swift Shadowless to its limit, and escape as fast as possible.
But in the end, his internal injuries worsened.
And now, he had plummeted into an unknown, desolate snowfield atop an unfathomably high mountain range.
—To dare wield divine power with a mortal body...
A solemn voice seemed to echo from the heavens.
Though he had not obtained the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifact,
The energy Bu Eun-seol had stored within his body could truly be called peerless in the world.
Yet even he, after using just one fragment of the chain, had suffered such devastating injuries.
If that was the case... did that mean the True Demon, who could wield the complete chain, had already reached the realm of the gods?
"Hah... hah..."
His ragged breaths scraped against his torn lungs, mingling with the metallic tang of blood.
His vision flickered—blackness swallowing him, then dim light returning, over and over.
Though he had reached martial prowess that could dominate the world, he was still a mortal man.
And the price of trespassing into the divine was the ruin of his flesh.
Stagger.
With every step, agony wracked his body as if it would burst apart, his strength ebbing away like a receding tide.
But he did not stop walking.
How long had he been moving?
A massive ancient tree, blanketed in white snow, came into view.
I can't stop.
But then—he felt a presence behind him.
Turning his head, he saw a faint silhouette.
Like a spirit woven from snowflakes, or perhaps the incarnation of a white dragon descended from the heavens.
"Who are you?"
Bu Eun-seol asked.
Crunch. Crunch.
The white figure approached without a word.
Shhk.
Bu Eun-seol swiftly gripped Ink Soul Sword and steadied his stance.
Sssss—
But the figure drifted closer as if floating... and then passed straight through him.
"...!"
He whipped his head around, but the white shadow had vanished.
"An illusion?"
Unaware that the illusion had been absorbed into his body, Bu Eun-seol shook his head with a hollow expression.
Zzzzzz—
Suddenly, an alien energy surged through him, spreading like wildfire.
"Ghk—!"
His jet-black hair turned stark white from the roots, as if frosted over.
His pale skin became translucent, like freshly fallen snow.
His bloodless lips, as if defying logic, bloomed vivid red, as though stained with fresh blood.
Thud.
Without realizing it, Bu Eun-seol leaned against the ancient tree and closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank deeper and deeper into the abyss of his spirit.
The Chain of Reincarnation was the True Demon itself.
As its overwhelming power seeped into Bu Eun-seol's body, ravaging his flesh,
The dormant power of the Baekri Clan, buried deep within his bloodline, awakened.