Chapter 1162
"Miss."
Having finished his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol asked with a composed expression.
"What happens if one refuses to be offered as a sacrifice?"
Originally, his foremost intention had been to probe whether the Baekri Clan knew the location of Bonji.
But for now, he had set such thoughts aside and was solely devising a way to save the White-clad Woman.
"That's an absurd question."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because such a thing would never happen."
"Are you saying you feel no resistance at all to being sacrificed?"
At Bu Eun-seol's bold question,
the White-clad Woman lowered her eyes briefly before speaking with a solemn expression.
"It's not a sacrifice. I am becoming a vessel for the ritual that protects the sanctity of the main family."
"You call killing people 'sanctity'?"
A sharp glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Carelessly taking precious lives is a sin that can never be forgiven, no matter the reason."
"You're still too young to understand."
The White-clad Woman sighed.
She regarded Bu Eun-seol as ignorant of the ritual's significance, spouting nonsense.
"Since the dawn of time, humans have offered rites to heaven, earth, and unseen beings. And they have always presented what was most valuable and noble."
"......"
"By offering sacred blood and souls, we avert impending calamities so that those left behind may live in peace."
She added calmly,
"Such rituals are not sins but expedient means that have protected the world for generations."
"If you justify taking lives under the pretense of averting calamity, then isn't that so-called sanctity merely a hollow facade built upon blood?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Bu Eun-seol pressed on.
"If heaven truly pities humanity, why would it demand the sacrifice of the innocent?"
When the White-clad Woman did not answer, he spoke again with earnestness.
"If the Creator demands blood, then it is no god—only a tyrant."
"Are you saying you would defy the traditions passed down through generations in our main family?"
"Just because something unjust has become tradition, just because it has been codified as family law... that does not make the unjust just."
'This child is truly stubborn.'
The White-clad Woman exhaled a long sigh.
Even if everything he said was right,
defying the established rules and laws of a family one belonged to was, in practice, an impossibility.
"What good does debating right and wrong do in this situation?"
After walking ahead in silence for a while, the White-clad Woman smiled bitterly and retrieved something from her robes.
"Keep this with you."
What she held out was a small orb.
However, it was tinged with a murky luster, and its interior seemed to contain a dark liquid,
making it appear far from some extraordinary treasure.
"What is this?"
"A treasure that can forcibly open the entrance to Ten Thousand Dragons Cave."
She offered a faint smile.
"Did you really think I brought you here without any plan?"
Her compliance with the Masked Men's demands had been because she, in her own way, had a means to save Bu Eun-seol.
"No, thank you."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with a grave expression.
"If that truly is an object that can provide a way to survive here, then you should keep it, Miss."
The White-clad Woman narrowed her large eyes.
Only now did she realize that Bu Eun-seol had not followed her out of mere reckless curiosity—
he had come prepared to die alongside her.
"You..."
The White-clad Woman asked with a bewildered expression.
"Do you belong to the Seven Courts? Or are you affiliated with the Three Gates or Four Palaces?"
'Belong...?'
He had assumed the Baekri Clan was merely a small village inhabited by a handful of transcendent beings,
but from what he was hearing, it seemed there was not only a complex web of branch and separate families but also a convoluted organizational structure.
'So that's why they treated me like a distant relative.'
No wonder they had treated him as if he were a disciple of a branch family being addressed by a member of the main lineage.
There had been such circumstances at play.
"What does my affiliation matter in this situation?"
Bu Eun-seol deflected the question by echoing her earlier words.
"If anything, I find the Masked Men suspicious."
Then, with unwavering certainty, he continued.
"I've never once seen people dressed in such distinctive attire before."
He could say with confidence
that those Masked Men were not members of the Baekri Clan.
They had shown no reaction when the White-clad Woman introduced him as her attendant,
and above all, while they had treated her with utmost courtesy, there had been an inexplicable distance in their demeanor.
'Even if they are part of the Baekri Clan, they must belong to some secretive organization that normally remains hidden.'
"Then why would they?"
There would be no reason to wear those bizarre masks covering their entire faces, leaving only their eyes exposed.
"Because they are members of the Sungra Family."
The white-clad woman said something unexpected.
"Unless one participates in a special ceremony, one would never have occasion to meet the Heavenly Secret Dharma Lord or the Heavenly Secrets Decrees in their lifetime."
'The Sungra Family... So they're from the Sacred Realm?'
He had guessed they were outsiders, but—
Who would have imagined they were from the Sacred Realm?
"But it's truly strange,"
Bu Eun-seol pressed further.
"Whether it's human sacrifice or an offering, isn't this a ceremony upon which the fate of your clan hinges?"
"......."
"For such a crucial ceremony, held once every sixty years, to have only three masked outsiders show up—doesn't that strike you as odd?"
It was a sharp observation.
If the contract with the Primordial Dragon was truly sacred,
then at the very least, instead of masked men, the Baekri Clan's core members should have been present, treating her with the utmost reverence and conducting the ceremony properly.
Yet the current situation felt more like—
a heartless father, unable to repay his gambling debts,
having his daughter forcibly sold to a brothel by three Black Gang thugs.
Considering the Baekri Clan's long-standing opposition to the True Demon, this made no sense whatsoever.
"You're right. This isn't a proper ceremony."
The white-clad woman's expression darkened again.
"But there are circumstances here that I cannot speak of."
"What kind of circumstances?"
She smiled bitterly and cut him off.
"What does any of that matter in our current situation?"
Bu Eun-seol had nothing to say.
She would soon be dead, after all.
There was no point in interrogating her about the Baekri Clan's circumstances or why such a shabby ceremony was being held.
'I won't let her die. No matter what.'
Though he burned with questions, he had no idea what might happen next.
Now was not the time to unsettle her further.
"My apologies for speaking out of turn."
When Bu Eun-seol bowed politely, the white-clad woman gave a faint smile before resuming her steps.
The cave was steeped in ancient mystery, and with every step, strange afterimages flickered across his vision.
As the visions persisted, Bu Eun-seol grew restless. But the white-clad woman walked with perfect posture, her strides measured and steady.
At last, they reached the heart of Ten Thousand Dragons Cave.
'The scale is staggering.'
A space wider than dozens of palaces combined unfolded before them.
At the end of this narrow cave lay a vast panorama rivaling the Demon Hall in grandeur.
The ceiling shimmered with star-like luminous pearls, forming a celestial river,
and the air was purer than the surface, as if it could cleanse one down to the bones.
"That is the Dragon Soul Altar."
The white-clad woman murmured softly.
At the center of the space stood an enormous altar, dozens of zhang in diameter.
The altar gleamed black like obsidian, yet beneath its surface, a faint iridescence pulsed.
Carved upon it with lifelike intricacy were the form of the Primordial Dragon, the process of creation, and the history of the Baekri Clan—as though they were alive and moving.
At the base of the altar, beneath the massive stone platform, lay a circular pool resembling a dragon's pupil.
It was not filled with clear water but with a golden, undulating liquid.
The light seeped upward along the altar's patterns, as if breathing life into the structure itself.
"That pool is called Dragon's Tear Pool. It is said to be condensed from the tears and essence of the Primordial Dragon."
The white-clad woman spoke calmly.
"Dragon's Tear Pool is the origin of all life—and the medium that connects the sacrifice to the Primordial Dragon."
Bu Eun-seol understood her meaning instantly, his eyes flashing.
"So entering that pool means death."
When he repeatedly framed the sacred ceremony as "dying," she gave a dry smile.
"It is not death, but unification with the Primordial Dragon."
Her voice was serene.
"I have purified my body every single day for years in preparation for this moment."
"Years."
A spark flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Normally, sacrificial offerings were chosen at birth. But the Baekri Clan had only decided on her a few years ago.
"What happens... if you don't enter Dragon's Tear Pool?"
"The clan's contract is not a tragic sacrifice, but a sacred covenant—a ceremony."
She spoke decisively.
"Such a thing could never happen."
She turned her head to look at him.
"Even after this ceremony ends, the entrance to Ten Thousand Dragons Cave will not open. It can only be unlocked from the outside."
The woman in white gazed at Bu Eun-seol with a faint smile.
"If you use the bead I gave you earlier, you should be able to escape."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been endlessly devising schemes, suddenly asked an unexpected question.
"Come to think of it, I don't even know your name, my lady."
The woman in white found it hard to suppress her laughter when Bu Eun-seol, like a typical man of the martial world, asked for her name.
"You know nothing of the ways of the world, yet your speech is unmistakably that of an old soul."
She shook her head and left behind a brief smile.
"I no longer wish to linger in anyone's memories. So let's leave it at not knowing each other's names."
Then she turned and walked toward the altar.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes darkened.
That woman in white had come here from the very beginning, having abandoned all lingering attachments.
"Still, thank you."
The woman in white paused briefly and spoke in a low voice.
"For not being afraid and coming this far with me."
Even to him, who had done nothing but pester her with bothersome questions, she had answered with patience until the very end.
That wasn't simply because she was kind by nature.
The long path through the Ten Thousand Dragons Cave—where she had to face death alone—must have been unbearably lonely and terrifying.
So that's how it was.
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist.
All this time, the woman in white had suppressed her loneliness and fear, acting as if nothing was wrong.
It was likely her tender consideration, meant to reassure him—a mere boy.
"Well then."
Her eyes were filled not with sorrow, but with solemnity and pride.
Gathering the hem of her snow-white robes, she approached the golden pond at the base of the altar—the Dragon's Tear Pool.
The pond, as if filled with molten sunlight, emitted a soft glow, its surface shimmering with a haze of divine energy.
The moment she stopped right before the pond, the entire space began to resonate.
Oooooom—
A deafening roar, as if rising from the deepest depths of the earth, shook the cavern as the golden pond bubbled violently.
Soon, a blinding pillar of light surged upward, slowly taking shape.
Its pristine scales shimmered like captured moonlight, and its massive horns stretched majestically toward the heavens.
It was the form of a legendary being said to have witnessed the dawn of creation—the Primordial Dragon.
Ruuuuuumble.
The dragon, woven of light, gazed down at her with benevolent eyes.
But then—
Screeeech.
Slowly, it opened its maw, wide enough to swallow the entire world.
She smiled faintly, as if accepting everything.
Step.
Without hesitation, she walked slowly into the gaping maw of light.
Though it seemed as though she was entering the dragon's mouth, in truth, she was stepping into the fathomless depths of the pond.
"Wait!"
A thunderous shout tore through the silence.
Bu Eun-seol rushed forward, blocking her path.
"You can't."
Gripping her slender wrist tightly, he repeated firmly:
"You must not enter there."
At his resolute voice, the woman in white's gaze turned as cold as a blade's edge.
"If you interfere with this sacred rite, you will become a traitor who has ruined the fate of the Baekri Clan!"
Not a single flicker of hesitation remained in her eyes.
But Bu Eun-seol did not back down.
Still holding her wrist, he raised his head and glared at the dragon of light.
"Look again."
He pointed at the Primordial Dragon with his left hand.
"Does that truly look like the form of a sacred being to you?"
The woman in white frowned and turned her head.
Yet the divine visage of the Primordial Dragon floating above the Dragon's Tear Pool remained unchanged.
"What in the world are you talking about?"
Seeing her bewildered expression, Bu Eun-seol understood the situation.
She can't see it.
He had never intended to stand by and watch this ritual unfold.
Still, simply throwing oneself into the Dragon's Tear Pool shouldn't be enough to kill a figure of the Baekri Clan.
He had been quietly observing the true nature of the rite.
But the moment the Primordial Dragon revealed itself—
A dark violet ripple had surged from his body, sweeping over the entire altar.
Then, the sacred radiance of the Primordial Dragon's form twisted.
Its luminous white scales melted into a black, viscous substance.
Its once-benevolent eyes now seethed with hatred and greed, bubbling like molten lava.
And instead of a sacred roar—
Krrrrrrrr.
The dragon let out a horrific cry, like the scream of the damned.
Bu Eun-seol was certain of it.
What had risen from the Dragon's Tear Pool was not the form of the Primordial Dragon.
It was an Evil Dragon, twisted and corrupted by malevolent energy.
But the White-clad Woman, unaware of the truth, could only assume that Bu Eun-seol was acting recklessly, ignorant of the proper way.
"If you interfere one more time, I will have no choice but to subdue you myself."
"Please believe me."
Bu Eun-seol spoke earnestly.
"That is not the Primordial Dragon."
The White-clad Woman spread her hands as if she could no longer tolerate this.
"This has gone far enough."
Swish!
The moment she exerted her power, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying dozens of yards away, embedding himself deep into the cliff face.
She had unleashed her Manifestation Art Energy, turning the rock as soft as tofu before driving his body deep into it.
"Do not interfere again."
Just as she turned back toward the Dragon's Tear Pool—
Rumble—
Bu Eun-seol tore himself free from the shattered cliff and drew the Ink Soul Sword from his waist.
'There's no other way.'
What flowed within his body now was a mysterious power he had never once used before—Manifestation Art Energy.
Moreover, this power was not only incredibly weak but also did not follow the principles of martial arts.
Unlike Internal Energy, he couldn't wield it freely.
No, even if he could use it, he wouldn't stand a chance against her.
'Then—'
A faint glimmer rose in his eyes.
There was only one way to break through this situation.
Crack!
A strange force erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body, and soon, a sharp, sword-shaped radiance surged from his back.
Swish!
Then, in a single streak of light, it shot toward the Primordial Dragon.
Body-Sword Unity.
Though he couldn't control the Manifestation Art Energy within him, he could still release it forward.
He was pouring all his strength into this strike, hurtling toward the Evil Dragon.
"How dare you!"
Enraged, she flicked her sleeve.
Boom!
Once again, Bu Eun-seol's body was slammed into the distant cliff wall.
Swish!
But something unexpected happened.
Though his body was sent flying—
The Ink Soul Sword he had been gripping shot forth like light itself, piercing straight between the Primordial Dragon's brows.
It was the same technique the Martial Venerable had used—a feint of Body-Sword Unity, followed by layering another martial art atop it.
Crunch. Sizzle—
Black flames began to erupt endlessly from the Evil Dragon's forehead where the Ink Soul Sword had struck.
At the same time, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Instead of radiant scales, grotesque black and lumpy scabs of decay sprouted in revolting patches.
Its long, elegant neck twisted unnaturally, its vertebrae snapping and forcibly reattaching as they jutted out at bizarre angles.
The once-noble golden eyes now burned with greedy madness, their irises turning blood-red.
Muscles swelled and burst repeatedly, exposing sinew and raw, crimson flesh.
Struck by the Ink Soul Sword, the Evil Dragon—disguised in the guise of the Primordial Dragon—had finally revealed its true form.
—Groooaaar!
Having reverted to its original shape, the Evil Dragon let out a furious, otherworldly roar.
The illusionary, light-wrapped form gradually solidified into a true dragon.
Whoooosh—
The Evil Dragon fully emerged from the great pool, its body soaring dozens of yards into the air.
Whish! Thud.
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol, who had fallen from the shattered cliff once more, wiped the blood from his lips.
"How...?"
At that moment, the White-clad Woman approached him with an expression of both apology and bewilderment.
Having seen the grotesque reality of the Evil Dragon, wrapped layer upon layer in Manifestation Art Energy, she seemed deeply shaken.
"I don't know if it was originally like this or not, but one thing is certain—that thing must be destroyed."
No sooner had Bu Eun-seol's quiet murmur ended than—
—Screeeech!
The exposed Evil Dragon unleashed another roar of fury.
"Stay back."
The White-clad Woman immediately stretched out both hands, forming a sword of mystical light.
Tens of thousands of blades, forged from Manifestation Art Energy, rose into the sky in an instant.
But unfortunately, she had already expended much of her power just to enter this place.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Evil Dragon didn't even flinch under the assault of those blades—if anything, it only grew more ferocious, roaring violently before—
—Grooooooar!
—releasing a breath of foul, stinking air.
The moment that breath touched her, the White-clad Woman's power vanished in an instant.
"Soul-Demon Magic Energy?!"
She shook her head in disbelief.
The supposed form of the Primordial Dragon, said to dwell in the Dragon's Tear Pool and to be made from the source of Manifestation Art Energy—
Was, in truth, an Evil Dragon forged from Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
Swish—CRACK!
Before anyone could react, the Evil Dragon's massive claw descended toward the White-clad Woman.
In her dazed state, there was no way she could evade it.
Boom!
Then, like lightning, a shadow intercepted the colossal claw.
It was Bu Eun-seol.