Chapter 1172
From the center of Bukri Seung's palm, the Great Sea Divine Palm unfurled like a whirlpool.
Radiating a deep, indigo light, it surged toward the Martial Venerable like a furious tidal wave.
"Hmph."
Despite sensing the terrifying palm energy rushing toward his back, the Martial Venerable didn't even glance behind him—only smiled.
BOOM!
The moment the palm energy struck, his body shot upward even faster.
He had turned the force of the Great Sea Divine Palm against itself, using it to propel himself to the boundary of the Chaotic Heaven Forbidden Gate Sky Chain Formation in a single breath.
Kiiiiing—
A transparent light instantly spread across the sky as the Chaotic Heaven Forbidden Gate Sky Chain Formation snapped shut.
Gongson Dan-gyeong, who had been secretly controlling the formation, had closed it again to prevent the Martial Venerable's escape.
But then, something unbelievable happened.
The moment the Martial Venerable's body collided with the formation—
It pierced through as if breaking a transparent bubble, slipping past the formation's barrier in an instant.
'I already laid the groundwork.'
The Martial Venerable's cunning and prearranged schemes were not to be underestimated.
He had prepared for the worst-case scenario.
The Binding Formation Arts—an unbreakable technique that had never once been shattered—
He had already tampered with the Chaotic Heaven Forbidden Gate Sky Chain Formation, ensuring he could slip through with ease whenever he pleased.
"Capture that impostor! Do not let him escape under any circumstances!"
The martial artists of the Martial Alliance roared in unison, launching into pursuit.
But now that the Martial Venerable had become the Martial God Heaven Lord, none within the Martial Alliance could stop him once he resolved to flee.
KWA-WOONG!
The Martial Venerable's figure vanished in an instant, reduced to a speck of light.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze deepened as he watched.
'So far, everything is going according to plan.'
The Martial Venerable had acted as the Alliance Chief for a long time.
Naturally, he would know methods to neutralize the Chaotic Heaven Forbidden Gate Sky Chain Formation deployed across the Martial Alliance.
And Bu Eun-seol had predicted that, if cornered, he would flee without hesitation.
The true victor of this battle was Bu Eun-seol.
'Martial Venerable... I'll postpone your death for a little longer.'
The Martial Alliance was the foundation the man had built over all these years.
Now that it had been toppled—
The true objective of this plan had to be executed and secured.
"UOOOOOH!"
At that moment, Jeong Cheon-je unleashed a Lion's Roar.
With the Martial Venerable gone in an instant, his fury erupted, threatening to spill over onto the martial artists gathered around him.
—This is bad!
The Martial Alliance's elite officers widened their eyes in alarm.
If Jeong Cheon-je's madness turned inward toward the Martial Alliance—
Even if they could suppress him, the casualties would be catastrophic.
Sssss—
Amid the chaos, someone stealthily approached Bu Eun-seol and slipped something into his hand.
It was none other than Yu Cheong-rim, who had taken advantage of the confusion to place a portion of the Spring and Autumn Annals at the Martial Venerable's feet before vanishing.
Swish.
From his robes, Yu Cheong-rim handed over the remaining portion of the Spring and Autumn Annals—received from Mu-gyeol—back to Bu Eun-seol.
Nod.
Their eyes met briefly, and Yu Cheong-rim gave a faint nod before disappearing into the crowd once more.
'Most of it has already burned away.'
The Spring and Autumn Annals he had been given was nearly all charred—after today, summoning Jeong Cheon-je again would be impossible.
Which meant this was the last chance.
"Jeong Cheon-je! Follow me!"
Deliberately raising his voice, Bu Eun-seol—
PA-ANG!
—unleashed the Qi-Piercing Ascent toward the gap the Martial Venerable had torn open, soaring into the sky in an instant.
—UOOOOOH!
With a pained, guttural roar, Jeong Cheon-je abruptly began pursuing Bu Eun-seol.
As Bu Eun-seol activated his movement technique, he ignited the remaining portion of the Spring and Autumn Annals with Extreme Yang Qi.
"All of you—pursue the fake Alliance Chief, the Martial Venerable, who disguised himself as Jeong Cheon-je!"
Infusing his voice with internal energy, Bu Eun-seol shouted to Bukri Seung—
KWA-RUNG!
—before vanishing into the distant sky like a shooting star. Jeong Cheon-je swiftly followed in his wake.
"The Martial Venerable... He was the fake Alliance Chief?"
Deputy Alliance Chief Bukri Seung, the Martial Alliance's elite officers, and the leaders of the Six Great Halls stood frozen in shock.
They couldn't comprehend the sudden turn of events.
"What are you all standing around for?!"
At that moment, a man clad in resplendent martial robes embroidered with phoenix patterns appeared.
It was Baek Mu-seong—the next in line to become Alliance Chief.
"Leaders of the Six Great Halls—immediately pursue the Martial Venerable's trail! And the heads of the Five Palaces and Eight Pavilions—follow the Martial Soul Lord and assist him!"
At his command, the officers snapped back to their senses and swiftly activated their movement techniques, scattering in pursuit.
Deputy Alliance Chief Bukri Seung also attempted to chase after Bu Eun-seol's direction—
But the two had already vanished without a trace.
"What should we do?"
Cheoljeong Hall Leader Gwak Mu-su spoke as Bukri Seung hovered in midair, hesitating.
"Their movement techniques are too advanced—there's no way we can catch up."
"We wait."
Bukri Seung's expression twisted in anguish as he stared at the distant sky.
As the Deputy Alliance Chief of the Martial Alliance—
He had managed the Alliance in place of Jeong Cheon-je, who had repeatedly secluded himself, and he knew to some extent about the dark underbelly of the Martial Alliance and their atrocities.
Yet he had endured without showing it—
Because he believed that Jeong Cheon-je, the most righteous and powerful figure in the world, would one day return to his duties.
And restore the Martial Alliance to its transparent, pristine state.
But only now did he realize—
The Martial Alliance could never be restored to normal.
From the very beginning, its true nature had been nothing but endless, pitch-black darkness.
Two streaks of light ceaselessly split the mid-air.
They were Bu Eun-seol and Jeong Cheon-je.
Kwa-woo-woo!
Jeong Cheon-je's madness-filled eyes remained fixed on the retreating figure of Bu Eun-seol, who had become a streak of light.
To tear apart and kill the one holding the object that caused him pain—
Like a beast lunging for its prey, he poured all his strength into the chase.
Kwa-woong!
Before long, they had left Henan behind and reached the borders of Shaanxi.
Bu Eun-seol circled in wide arcs around a distant forest, spinning round and round.
He wasn't trying to shake off Jeong Cheon-je—he was deliberately buying time.
Tak.
After tracing circles for a long while, Bu Eun-seol finally landed in a vast clearing deep within the forest.
With a deafening roar, Jeong Cheon-je descended to the ground right after.
The moment his feet touched the earth—
Ziiiiing.
The intricate patterns carved into the surrounding trees and the ground suddenly blazed with light.
A massive hemispherical dome of radiance poured forth, turning the sky within the forest stark white.
He had prepared a battle formation here in advance.
"Grrrrrrr."
Realizing he had fallen into a trap, Jeong Cheon-je bared his teeth like a beast.
Kwa-woong!
A shockwave reverberated through the formation, shaking its confines.
Shuuuu.
In that instant, the Spring and Autumn Annals hidden in Bu Eun-seol's robes were completely incinerated.
Crack.
As soon as they burned away, Jeong Cheon-je's slightly bloated body returned to its original size.
The agony of his soul burning had ceased the moment the Annals were destroyed.
With his body no longer swollen, the energy surging through Jeong Cheon-je's entire being grew even sharper.
The savagery blazing in his eyes also reached its peak.
Grrrrrr.
The shockwaves radiating from his body alone made the forest tremble as if on the verge of collapse.
Had he fought the Martial Venerable in this state?
Not a single strike of martial arts without Soul-Demon Magic Energy would have succeeded.
"Chief Shin Do."
Bu Eun-seol, far from being intimidated by Jeong Cheon-je's terrifying aura, instead wore a faint smile.
"To display such martial prowess even without a clear mind... Truly, you have reached an unfathomable realm."
His eyes held genuine admiration.
Jeong Cheon-je, Shin Do-mu-bi.
The man hailed as the heavens of the Righteous Faction—even in this state of lost consciousness, he revealed the bearing of a grandmaster who stood above the world.
Facing such majesty, akin to towering mountains, admiration welled up unbidden.
"Chief Shin Do."
Bu Eun-seol extended a hand.
"Now, you must regain your senses and see your beloved disciple."
At those words, thick killing intent seeped from Jeong Cheon-je's white, upturned eyes.
"...Indeed."
Realizing words were useless, Bu Eun-seol extended his hand.
"Regrettably, today your opponent is not me."
Kwoong, kwoong.
No sooner had he spoken than heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the darkened forest.
The ground trembled faintly, and with the oppressive presence of a moving mountain—
A massive shadow slowly emerged from the abyssal darkness.
It was human in form, yet radiated a presence that defied humanity.
Its body was encased in steel-like muscles, and its eyes burned with the madness of one who sought only the pinnacle of martial arts.
The Human Demon.
The foremost martial fanatic of the world, the only superlative martial expert capable of matching Jeong Cheon-je in his rampage.
Ak Mu-ryeong had arrived.
Sword Tail Mountain, with its blade-like ridges.
Among them, Iron Palm Peak was the most treacherous—a place none but martial artists dared to tread.
At its summit, only a few stubborn pines clung to the cracks in the rocks, while eternal snow blanketed it year-round.
But now, what covered Iron Palm Peak was not snow, but a glacial aura of hostility.
Because standing at its center was the foremost martial fanatic of the world, the current Pavilion Lord of Langya Pavilion—the Human Demon, Ak Mu-ryeong.
Simply by standing there—
As if dominating the entirety of Sword Tail Mountain beneath him—
He exuded an arrogant, tyrannical energy that seemed to place heaven and earth under his feet.
"Pavilion Lord."
Bu Eun-seol approached Ak Mu-ryeong without warning.
"Disciple requires your assistance to overcome the worst possible situation."
Whoosh.
Instantly, flames flickered to life in Ak Mu-ryeong's crimson eyes.
'This brat...'
He had acknowledged him as the next Pavilion Lord, given that he was his sole successor and had retrieved the Wolf Token.
But ever since then—
Hadn't this bastard kept showing up unannounced, treating him like an errand boy and dumping troublesome requests on him?
He had endured it once, suppressed it twice.
By the third time, he had scraped the bottom of his patience.
"Has your Bu-family guts finally spilled out of your belly now?!"
Ak Mu-ryeong's voice shook Iron Palm Peak.
Crack.
The rocks beneath his feet splintered, and a pressure sharp enough to split the atmosphere crushed down on Bu Eun-seol.
"How long do you think the Wolf Token will guarantee your life?"
Kwaaaaang!
A single roar alone sent tremors through Iron Palm Peak.
Behind Ak Mu-ryeong, a crimson aura rose like a heat haze, staining the sky.
Crack.
A destructive force capable of shaking the world with a single strike began condensing in his grasp.
Bu Eun-seol's flesh and bones scattering like dust was only a matter of time.
Yet even within the storm of killing intent,
Bu Eun-seol remained as unshaken as still water reflecting a clear mirror.
Rather, as if waiting for the perfect moment—
just as Ak Mu-ryeong's aura reached its peak, he swiftly stated his purpose.
"I intend to restore the Heavenly Emperor of Righteousness to his senses."
Whoosh.
The raging inferno of Ak Mu-ryeong's energy, which had seemed ready to set the entire world ablaze, ceased as though it had been a lie.
"What did you say?"
"The Alliance Leader, Shin Do."
For an instant, the image of a certain man flashed through Ak Mu-ryeong's mind.
The only one in the world qualified to stand as an equal rival alongside the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
The heavens of the orthodox faction, a peerless grandmaster who had effortlessly blocked his bare fists with his bare body.
And now, to suddenly restore him to sanity?
"Are you saying you intend to fight him?"
Not only had the Heavenly Emperor of Righteousness gone mad, ransacking the Baekri Clan's Secret Vault—
but the fact that his fake corpse was at the Martial Alliance was something Ak Mu-ryeong had already been informed of through the Death Soul Squad under Bu Eun-seol's command.
"Well, about that..."
After listening to Bu Eun-seol's lengthy explanation, Ak Mu-ryeong's brow furrowed savagely.
"You're not asking me to fight him—but to heal him?"
He was the world's foremost battle maniac, a martial arts fanatic.
And now, facing the Heavenly Emperor of Righteousness—who had grown even stronger than before, who had lost his reason and become even more unpredictable—
even if he were to stake his life on the fight, victory or defeat would be impossible to predict.
And yet, instead of battle, this boy was proposing treatment?
"Not so much treatment as restoring his spirit and mind to their original state."
Ak Mu-ryeong snorted derisively and spoke with finality.
"Do you truly believe this Pavilion Lord would agree?"
"If the Heavenly Emperor regains his clarity, the one opponent capable of furthering the Pavilion Lord's martial prowess will return to you."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor no longer engaged in battles with Ak Mu-ryeong, and even among the Three Demons and Three Venerables, none dared to challenge him—leaving him to train in solitude.
This infuriating brat had a way of saying exactly what would hook his interest.
"Impossible."
Yet Ak Mu-ryeong found himself unable to end the conversation.
"If a master of his caliber has gone mad, there is no way to bring him back."
"This disciple has a method."
Bu Eun-seol began explaining the Ink Soul First Form, a technique created by his father, Baekri Mu-ha.
How it could delve deep into the recesses of a person's mind, untangling the distortions in their soul—the possibility of it.
"It is a sword technique that restores all things to wholeness—the sword of life itself. If executed properly, it may be possible to return the Alliance Leader Shin Do's mental foundation to its original state."
After listening for a long while, Ak Mu-ryeong let out a disdainful snort.
"Impossible."
"Pardon?"
"Such a technique is only useful for blocking external energy intrusions. It won't work on someone whose spirit and mind have already collapsed into madness."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol nodded as if he had expected this.
"That's precisely why I sought out the Pavilion Lord."
"What?"
"If combined with the Pavilion Lord's Phantom Restoration... I believe the Ink Soul First Form could succeed."
There was unwavering conviction in Bu Eun-seol's voice.
But Ak Mu-ryeong's gaze turned icy.
"Not interested."
"Pavilion Lord."
"Get lost."
Ak Mu-ryeong's voice was like frozen steel.
"If you make this Pavilion Lord repeat himself again, I will rip out your spine."
Killing intent once again enveloped Iron Palm Peak.
Ak Mu-ryeong never spoke idly. If forced to repeat himself, he would truly tear out Bu Eun-seol's spine.
Shhhk.
Yet Bu Eun-seol slowly drew something from his robes.
A pitch-black jade token resembling a wolf's fang—the Wolf Token.
The moment the Wolf Token was revealed, Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes narrowed to slits.
Of course.
This brat came here to pull this stunt again.
"This disciple has not come to make a request."
Pop.
A thick vein, like a coiled serpent, bulged at Ak Mu-ryeong's temple.
"Have you truly come here to die?"
"Is the Pavilion Lord not also a disciple of Langya Pavilion?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke with shameless audacity.
"If you deny that and disregard the authority of the Wolf Token... then this disciple has nothing more to say, even if I die here."
Shudder.
Ak Mu-ryeong's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his eyes rolling back in fury.
The Wolf Token.
It was the sole sacred relic of Langya Pavilion, a sect that had always been wretchedly poor.
The absolute symbol of succession as Pavilion Lord, an unbreakable oath that could not be defied.
To deny the authority of the Wolf Token was to deny Langya Pavilion itself.
In other words, it meant renouncing his status as a disciple of Langya Pavilion.
Huff... Huff...
A bestial growl escaped through Ak Mu-ryeong's tightly clenched teeth.
In his mind now—
floated the smirking face of Dan Cheong, who had once led a young Bu Eun-seol by the hand to Sword Tail Mountain.
I should have broken both his legs back then.
Then this damnable situation would never have happened.
"......"
Regardless, Bu Eun-seol silently held out the Wolf Token.
And that sight—
was more oppressive to Ak Mu-ryeong than any martial technique in existence.
Crrrrk.
Iron Palm Peak trembled as scorching heat radiated from Ak Mu-ryeong's hands.
Sssss.
Then, the Wolf Token in Bu Eun-seol's outstretched hand began to emit heat.
'He's determined to melt the Wolf Token.'
Once before, Bu Eun-seol—
had come to Langya Pavilion with the Wolf Token in hand, seeking treatment for Sulgwae, who had been brainwashed by the Jungson Clan.
In the end, Ak Mu-ryeong had complied without protest.
But according to Dan Cheong afterward—
Ak Mu-ryeong had regretted giving Bu Eun-seol the Wolf Token for three days and nights straight.
And as a result, he had relentlessly tormented the Langya Pavilion elders, leaving them unable to breathe easy.
And now, waving the Wolf Token in his face again—
—Wouldn't it be simpler to just destroy it and forge a new one?
Ak Mu-ryeong, utterly enraged, was now melting the Wolf Token with his Internal Power.