Chapter 1189
"Advance!"
The leader among the hundred or so masked men roared like a vengeful spirit as they charged forward.
The elders and elite disciples of the Divine Beast Palace fought back with combined strength, but they were helplessly pushed back by the bizarre martial arts of their enemies.
The masked men dodged attacks as if brushing them aside, their joints bending unnaturally like specters from a nightmare as they unleashed their assaults.
Whenever the Divine Beast Palace disciples attempted to use Water Spirit Energy, the masked men poured forth a power akin to black mist, neutralizing their efforts.
Crack!
Finally, a fissure appeared in part of the Crystal Heaven Wall.
As the masked men relentlessly hammered at the cracked section, trying to breach the Divine Beast Palace's defenses—
The disciples, overwhelmed by the terrifying momentum, either collapsed in terror or floundered in confusion.
"Haaap!"
Watching this unfold, Gongson Dan-a—
Mustered the Water Essence Divine Qi at full strength and unleashed the Crystal Blossom Field upon the surging enemies.
Bubble, bubble.
In an instant, transparent water droplets bloomed around the masked men, condensing in midair.
Whoosh!
The droplets abruptly expanded with terrifying speed, swallowing their bodies whole.
The pressure inside was beyond imagination—so horrifying it felt as though bones and flesh would burst—and not a single breath could be properly drawn within.
Gurgle, gurgle.
But then, at some point, the water droplets began to seethe violently—
Crash!
With a deafening explosion, the Crystal Blossom Field shattered into fragments.
'How...?'
Gongson Dan-a's eyes widened in disbelief.
The Water Essence Divine Qi was not only inherently viscous but also carried an aura of evil-dispelling power.
Since it could break through wicked martial arts and the Art of Spells, those who wielded such sinister energies should never have been able to withstand it head-on.
Yet, despite clearly radiating an intensely malevolent energy—
How had they managed to escape the Crystal Blossom Field, infused with the power of the Water Essence Divine Qi?
Rumble, rumble.
Meanwhile, the fissures in the Crystal Heaven Wall spread further, and the masked men swarmed toward the cracks like a horde of wasps.
Soon, the disciples began collapsing helplessly, blood spilling from their wounds.
"Halt!"
Then, a voice as cold as ice and sharp as a blade split the battlefield.
Every gaze turned skyward.
There, floating in midair with an unyielding posture, was none other than the Divine Beast Palace Lord, Neung-gyeong—who should have been confined to her sickbed.
Hearing the wretched screams of her disciples, she had erupted in fury and stormed outside at once.
"How dare you."
Her pupils blazed with blue killing intent, flaring like flames as she took in the sight of her disciples bleeding and collapsing.
Simultaneously, a transparent energy vast enough to fill the entire Divine Beast Palace surged from the ground.
Hum, hum, hum.
Neung-gyeong stretched her hand toward the sky.
In response, the radiant lights erupting from the earth swiftly gathered into her palm.
The authority of the Divine Beast Palace Lord—
Not only did she wield the Water Essence Divine Qi within her body, but she also concentrated the immense Water Spirit Energy flowing through the Divine Beast Palace's surroundings.
Huuuum!
Finally, as she thrust her hand forward—
Whoooosh!
Hundreds of translucent hands erupted toward the masked men.
—Guhk!
—Ugh!
The masked men struck by the translucent hands began vomiting blood, their screams tearing through the air.
Though the hand-shaped shadows appeared illusory—
They carried a force powerful enough to pulverize even a mountain.
"Stop the Divine Beast Palace Lord!"
From the heart of the masked men's formation, an explosion of pitch-black radiance burst forth.
It twisted like a living creature, forming black shields that clashed violently with the hundreds of translucent hands in midair.
Grrrrr.
As the spirit energy imbued with the power of water collided with the malevolent force, the space at the point of impact warped, and an ear-splitting roar reverberated.
Neung-gyeong, who could control the Water Spirit Energy flowing through the Divine Beast Palace, was invincible within its domain.
As a blue mist-like radiance rose from her entire body—
The translucent hands that had been shattered against the black shields instantly regenerated.
Moreover, their numbers began multiplying exponentially.
Whoooosh!
Before long, above the masked men's heads—
An uncountable legion of translucent hands had formed, enough to blot out the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As they rained down, agonized groans burst from the masked men's lips.
They pushed their malevolent energy to the limit, thickening their black shields—
But they could not withstand the crushing pressure from all sides or the relentless onslaught of translucent hands.
"How dare you lay hands on my disciples!"
Neung-gyeong's power stretched forth as if infinite.
She alone was holding back the masked men—whom even a thousand disciples had failed to stop.
Crack, crack, crack!
Fissures began spreading across the black shields, and the once-impenetrable formation crumbled uncontrollably, forced into retreat.
Using the translucent hands formed from the endlessly surging Water Essence Divine Qi—
Neung-gyeong wasn't merely attacking the masked men but seizing control of the very space where they maintained their formation.
"Retreat!"
Finally, the leader gave the order to withdraw.
Hearing this, Neung-gyeong roared—
"Do you think you can leave as you please?!"
WHOOSH!
As she stretched both hands toward the sky,
the countless transparent hands scattered around her shot upward in unison.
They transformed into soaring streams of water,
KWAOOO—!
then cascaded down like a waterfall, forming an unbreakable Binding Formation Arts that completely sealed the surrounding area.
"Not a single one of you will escape!"
WHOOSH—!
The walls of transparent water pouring from the sky were impossibly dense and sticky—nothing could cut through them.
"Break it!"
The masked men tried to shatter the barrier of Water Essence Divine Qi,
but its fluid nature made it impossible to destroy, no matter how fiercely they struck.
And when they attempted to slip through its soft surface, it would suddenly harden, trapping them in its viscous grip.
Click.
With another flick of Neung-gyeong's fingers,
the moisture in the air condensed, transforming into thousands of crystalline shards—
SHATTER—!
—that rained down like deadly hidden blades upon the masked men.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
They swiftly swung their swords to deflect the projectiles,
but the terrifying force behind each shard sent them stumbling back, unable to fully block the onslaught.
"Scatter!"
The masked leader suddenly—
WHOOM WHOOM WHOOM!
—pulled out a strange banner from his robes and violently swung it through the air.
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
At his command, his subordinates moved in unison, forming an unusual battle formation.
ZZZIIING—
A bizarre radiance erupted from their bodies, spreading outward in all directions.
"Merge!"
The moment the leader slammed the banner into the ground—
FLASH—!
—a blinding light exploded outward as if to swallow the entire world,
WHOOSH—!
followed by a concentric Shockwave that expanded hundreds of feet in every direction.
RUMBLE... OOOOOM...
As the earth-shaking tremors subsided and the light and shockwave vanished,
so too did the hundred masked men who had been trapped within the watery Binding Formation Arts.
"A Mindscape..."
Neung-gyeong stared at the empty space where they had stood, exhaling deeply.
"So it was the Three Realms after all."
They hadn't just employed ordinary Martial Arts.
They had interwoven Formation Study capable of manifesting a Mindscape, and when they realized they couldn't withstand the Water Essence Divine Qi head-on,
they shattered their own Mindscape to escape in an instant.
Floating...
Neung-gyeong, who had been hovering in the air like an immortal, slowly descended back to the ground.
GAG—
Then, she vomited a thick, black mass of blood.
Forcing herself out of her sickbed and overexerting herself had twisted her qi and blood, inflicting severe internal injuries.
'I don't even have time to collapse.'
She gritted her teeth.
If she remained bedridden, the Divine Beast Palace would be in danger again.
They would return.
'Then I have no choice but to unveil the palace's Secret Arts.'
While anyone could absorb and wield the Water Spirit Energy that flowed from the Divine Beast Palace,
only those born with the right constitution could harness Water Essence Divine Qi.
For that reason, the palace had developed Secret Arts—alongside supplementary Martial Arts—
to allow even ordinary disciples to wield Water Essence Divine Qi.
But the training process was so grueling and life-threatening
that they had refrained from passing it down.
Yet now, the martial world had already plunged into an abnormal upheaval,
and the Divine Beast Palace could no longer avoid being swept into the coming calamity.
There was no more time to hesitate.
To withstand the impending disaster, they had to train their disciples and strengthen their power.
"Palace Master..."
Gongson Dan-a approached cautiously, her face etched with worry.
"I'm fine."
Neung-gyeong exuded an overwhelming aura, as if she had never been bedridden at all.
"The martial world stands on the brink of chaos—who knows which faction will strike our palace next?"
Though she usually spoke to her disciples with gentle and refined words,
her tone now was unyielding and fierce.
"From this moment on, we begin ruthless training!"
They would forge a stronger Divine Beast Palace.
There was no longer room for a weak, sentimental palace master.
Hundreds of miles from the Divine Beast Palace...
Deep within the mountain range, in a small cave beneath a sunless cliff,
the world seemed utterly severed—silent, suffocated by a damp, oppressive energy.
From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than a natural crevice in the rocks,
but inside, the hollowed space was large enough to hold dozens.
THUD. THUD.
Footsteps echoed through the darkness as shadowy figures, their faces concealed behind masks,
filed into the cave one by one.
Their steps were unsteady,
and blood dripped from their robes, staining the cold, damp ground with crimson streaks.
"Haaah..."
The moment they entered, they dropped to their knees, gasping for breath.
"Huff... Ghk—Khh..."
Those who followed trembled violently as they staggered inside.
"Damn it... That was too close."
At the deepest part of the cave, where no light reached,
a shadow darker than the abyss itself loomed.
It was as if it devoured all light around it.
The shadow, whose form could barely be discerned, stood as motionless as an ancient tree.
It was none other than Bu Eun-seol.
"Lord."
The masked men simultaneously knelt before him.
"All units have returned safely."
The voices of the unit members echoed through the cavern.
"The Divine Beast Palace disciples were severely injured, but not a single life was lost."
The masked assailants who had raided the Divine Beast Palace—
were none other than the three elite squads of the Death Shadow War Unit, led by Won Se-mun, Jo Nam-cheon, and Wi Cheon-gyeong.
The warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit—
had once felled three thousand elite soldiers of the Blood Cult with just three hundred troops, proving themselves the strongest among small-scale armed brigades.
And as if to reaffirm that reputation—
they had stormed the Divine Beast Palace with barely a hundred members and driven them to the brink.
"We nearly died when the Divine Beast Palace Lord appeared, but fortunately, the Mind's Eye Mirror's function allowed us to retreat safely."
Despite their words, the state of the unit members was wretched.
Those who had been directly struck by the Divine Beast Palace Lord's Water Essence Divine Qi had faint wisps of cold vapor rising from their bodies, their skin tinged bluish.
"You've endured well."
Bu Eun-seol nodded slightly and summoned the Heavenly Light Endless Art.
As he slowly raised his hand, the air within the cavern trembled, emitting a low, resonant hum.
Simultaneously, a shimmering yet dark,
warm yet chilling energy gradually seeped into the meridians of the Death Shadow War Unit warriors.
Huuuung—
In an instant, their bluish skin regained its normal hue, and the stagnant Water Essence Divine Qi within their bodies was expelled in the blink of an eye.
'The applications of Water Essence Divine Qi are truly endless.'
Bu Eun-seol, pouring forth the Heavenly Light Endless Art, couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Since creating the Heavenly Light Endless Art—
he had never deployed Water Essence Divine Qi as a single attribute.
Though it possessed various functions alongside its destructive power—
he had judged it too weak for use in combat.
But upon witnessing Neung-gyeong's Water Essence Divine Qi, Bu Eun-seol realized how gravely mistaken he had been.
Water Essence Divine Qi wasn't weak in power—
it simply required a different method of application.
'Had the Divine Beast Palace Lord been ruthless enough to sever meridians with that translucent Water Essence Divine Qi, not a single unit member would have survived intact.'
"Thank you, Lord."
As the Water Essence Divine Qi that had infiltrated their meridians was completely expelled, the unit members bowed once more.
"But... is this truly alright?"
At that moment, Wi Cheon-gyeong spoke up.
"If we don't properly reveal our identities, the Divine Beast Palace will remain on constant guard against the Three Realms, consumed by anxiety."
Despite being a sect of women, the Divine Beast Palace had never once suffered an external invasion.
Moreover, thanks to the intelligence Bu Eun-seol had provided—
even without active involvement in the Martial World, they had grasped the current state of the martial world more accurately than anyone else.
The fact that the Divine Beast Palace, which had always maintained tranquility, had been ambushed by an unknown force—
was in itself an unbearable shock.
"Correct."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"The Divine Beast Palace must remain anxious for the rest of their lives."
"...What?"
"The Divine Beast Palace has lived for generations on fertile land, free from worry."
His low voice resonated faintly through the cavern.
"But in the current state of the Martial World, maintaining such complacency will only leave them vulnerable to collapse under attacks from Abyssal Forces like the Three Realms."
Though the present Martial World appeared peaceful, it was a powder keg on the verge of explosion.
The Three Realms, in particular, had long coveted the Four Divine Energies and had been weaving countless schemes.
Now, the Divine Beast Palace too had to change.
"Through this incident, Palace Lord Neung will reorganize the Divine Beast Palace's defenses and train her disciples to prepare for the next attack."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands behind his back, his expression solemn.
And this was the true intent behind the letter his grandfather had left behind.
To sever the longing and affection that had weakened her—igniting the Divine Beast Palace Lord's fury and will to live.
That was the miracle cure that would allow the frail Palace Lord Neung to regain her health and live long—and the very essence of his grandfather's heart.
A scorching wind blew against Gongson Dan-a's cheeks as she stood at the entrance to the Fire Soul Land.
Bizarrely shaped volcanic rocks jutted from the crimson mist-shrouded earth,
and between them bloomed red flowers like undying flames.
Amidst a landscape that seemed to burn with the condensed sorrow and resentment of the world—
Gongson Dan-a closed her eyes briefly, recalling the nightmarish bloodshed that had unfolded at the Divine Beast Palace not long ago.
A strange sense of déjà vu flickered through her mind.
It was due to the bizarre Formation Study the masked men had deployed—completed through their ranks.
'A technique that blurs the boundary between reality and illusion, plunging the opponent into confusion before vanishing in an instant.'
Gongson Dan-a bit her lip.
'It was too similar to that ancient Secret Art my sister once used.'
Gongson Dan-gyeong, the chief strategist of the Azure Heaven Alliance and her elder sister, had recently—
fused an ancient Secret Art provided by the Martial Soul Lord with her clan's secret battle formations,
further strengthening the formations surrounding the Gongson Clan.
The ancient Secret Art used then—
bore an uncanny resemblance to the Mindscape technique employed by the masked assailants who had raided the Divine Beast Palace.
'Of course, it could be a coincidence. But—'
When the Divine Beast Palace was ambushed, something miraculous had occurred.
Her master Neung-gyeong, who had been as precarious as a guttering candle, had risen from her sickbed like a phoenix.
'Master's recovery was no coincidence.'
Through this incident, the sorrow and helplessness that had always filled her master's eyes had vanished without a trace.
Instead, an overwhelming Water Essence Divine Qi, powerful enough to swallow the world whole, was now surging through her.
She had recovered so completely it was as if she had never been gravely ill, personally training her disciples with renewed vigor.
In that moment, Gongson Dan-a realized—
Her master's illness had never been one of the body.
'It was a sickness rooted deep in the heart.'
A lifetime of yearning for someone she loved, the crushing grief of losing him in the end.
The helplessness of knowing nothing could be done unless time itself reversed.
It had been slowly eating away at the very flame of her life.
But then—
An external enemy had appeared.
A lethal poison so dangerous there was no room left for longing.
The responsibility of protecting her disciples as the palace master, mingled with fury toward their foes, had reignited her spirit.
In an instant, she had recovered and risen again.
'What Master needed wasn't medicine—it was a reason to live.'
At last, Gongson Dan-a understood.
Why Bu Eun-seol had hidden the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's letter.
Why his tone and demeanor had turned so cold and ruthless.
'To give Master the strength to go on.'
At the time, her mind had been clouded with rage, consumed by the desperate need to save her master.
But now, thinking calmly—
Everything about that situation had been suspicious and unnatural.
"Haa..."
Gongson Dan-a exhaled deeply and opened her eyes.
Emerging from her memories, she took a step forward.
To uncover the full truth—
She was heading back to the Fire Soul Land's master.
Unfolding her Movement Technique, she advanced deep into the Fire Soul Land, toward where the One-Eyed Immortal Maiden resided.
Her steps across the scorching earth did not falter for even an inch.
Finally, beyond the crimson mist, she saw the Immortal Maiden's back—sitting alone, gently stroking a flower blooming like flame.
'Her face...'
Gongson Dan-a was stunned.
Back then, she had been a grotesque, hideous crone.
But now, with her long hair covering one eye—
Her beauty was so striking it could stand unyielding on the same scale as her master's, a breathtakingly elegant middle-aged woman.
Gongson Dan-a approached and bowed deeply.
"Immortal Maiden."
"Why have you come?"
The Immortal Maiden's voice was icy.
"Have you returned because you truly wish to die?"
Though sharp, there was no hostility or killing intent in her tone.
Gongson Dan-a bowed again.
"Thanks to you, my master has overcome her illness and fully recovered."
"How is that my doing?"
"Because it is the truth."
Her voice was calm, but it carried an unshakable resolve.
"Now, please tell me the truth."
A brief silence passed.
The One-Eyed Immortal Maiden sighed deeply.
"You are quick-witted."
"Pardon?"
"In my youth, I lacked both your wisdom and insight. That's why I failed to recognize the sacrifices and consideration of the one I loved."
"......"
"Looking back now, the reason Neung-gyeong and I never ended up with him... was because neither of us truly understood his heart."
"Then the letter—"
The Immortal Maiden answered plainly.
"Yes. He wrote it because he wanted Neung-gyeong—fragile as she was—to live on strongly."
Bu Jan-yang had known all too well—
That Neung-gyeong lacked the courage to abandon everything and choose him.
And that this would leave a lifelong regret in her heart.
So he had made a request of the Immortal Maiden:
"Neung-gyeong... Her body and heart are both weak."
"As she ages, that frail body will fail her."
"When that time comes, you must give her a reason—any reason—to cling stubbornly to life."
The truth was, the Water Essence Divine Qi—
Though it appeared as Yin energy, actually contained the power of True Yang.
It was not a favorable energy for a woman's body.
That was why the Divine Beast Palace's masters had always suffered poor health, with many dying young.
And Neung-gyeong had been born with an inherently weak constitution.
Wanting her to live long, Bu Jan-yang had entrusted Yang Young with a request—
Leaving behind a letter stating that medicine had been left at the Divine Beast Palace.
But Neung-gyeong had abandoned even the will to live, and so her disciple Gongson Dan-a had come to the Fire Soul Land.
"But his grandson was far more considerate than he was."
After reading the letter and grasping the situation, Bu Eun-seol—
Disguised Death Shadow War Unit warriors as soldiers of the Three Realms and attacked the Divine Beast Palace in Yang Young's place.
Just in case things went awry—
He had made himself the villain in Gongson Dan-a's eyes.
"I see."
Finally, all her doubts resolved, Gongson Dan-a smiled faintly.
"Cold on the outside, but endlessly kind at heart—grandfather and grandson truly are alike."
Bu Jan-yang and Bu Eun-seol.
These two were cut from the same cloth—
Outwardly ruthless, yet infinitely tender beneath.
"Yes. Exactly."
The One-Eyed Immortal Maiden, who had been gazing at the distant sky, turned to Gongson Dan-a.
"So don't let him slip away."
It was also a message to her past self—
Who had failed to consider her loved one's feelings, prioritizing only her own.
Gongson Dan-a shook her head.
"I won't try to hold on to him."
"After seeing your master, you still cling to your pride?"
"No."
Gongson Dan-a beamed.
"We've already held our wedding, haven't we?"
For a moment, the Immortal Maiden looked stunned. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her lips.
"And that's enough for you?"
"Of course. He's not the type to deny the ceremony... so we're as good as officially married, aren't we?"
Gongson Dan-a flashed a bright grin, her teeth perfectly aligned.
The smile that played at the corners of her lips was indescribably beautiful.