Chapter 1190
By the time spring had passed and the moon had waned about three times, strange patterns began etching themselves across the ashen desert.
At first, they were dismissed as mere coincidental marks shaped by the wind.
Yet before long, they surpassed mere intricacy—stretching outward like living creatures, writhing and expanding.
Sometimes they took the form of spirals, as if a colossal serpent had coiled through the sand.
Other times, they resembled complex star charts, as though tracing the trajectories of celestial bodies, or even shapes akin to indecipherable ancient script......
The phenomenon, originating from one corner of the ashen desert, spread relentlessly across every stretch of the barren land.
Then, as the sun rose again and noon approached,
Thud. Thud.
A man walked barefoot across the scorching desert, his feet treading upon sand as hot as searing iron.
His skin was cracked like the parched earth, scabs and raw flesh tangled together.
His unfocused eyes occasionally betrayed nothing but unbearable thirst and seething hatred for the blazing sun.
That was when it happened.
Beyond the horizon, the color of the air began to shift—
A sinister, murky violet, like blackened ash clumped together, slowly encroached upon the sky.
Huuuuuuu—!
The sound of the wind changed.
The gusts that had once swept over the dunes
transformed into a deafening roar, as though thousands—no, tens of thousands of vengeful spirits had all shrieked at once, tearing through eardrums.
Hiss... hiss...
Gradually, the sands twisted and coiled, forming the shape of a massive, distorted demon—
Hollowed-out eye sockets, a mouth torn open as if to devour all living things.
Thud.
The man, unable to endure any longer,
buckled at the knees and finally collapsed onto the ground.
Scorching sand flooded his mouth and nose, choking his last breath.
His vision blurred—the moment his pain-filled life was finally ending.
Sssssss...
Before his eyes, from deep within the sand, a ghastly light seeped forth.
A devil's hand, sharp as if carved from the abyss itself.
Drip... drip...
Like a living serpent, the hand pierced through the sand and surged upward, then was violently sucked into his limp right hand as if by a storm.
"Ughhh— Aaahhh!"
A scream, something no human could produce, burst from his lips.
Crunch. Crack.
Amid the agony of melting flesh and twisting bones, blackened veins spread like wildfire through his body, following the paths of his blood vessels.
Simultaneously, visions of countless people dying in torment unfolded all around him.
"......."
Before long, the man vanished into the sand, and the storm quieted.
How much time had passed?
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a single hand erupted from the sand.
It was no longer a wounded, battered hand.
Now flawless and smooth, its nails gleamed black and sharp as obsidian.
Just as the blackened hand fully emerged from the sand,
a shadowed figure appeared in the sky, gazing down upon the scene.
"At last."
Like mist dispersing at dawn, the figure whispered in a low voice.
"His vessel has reappeared."
Despite the midday sun, the figure remained shrouded in darkness.
"Now, one by one... it is nearing completion."
The voice trembled like that of an old man, yet carried a sinister resonance that could make every grain of desert sand quiver.
—Ooooo... OOOOOOO!
Suddenly, a monstrous howl, as though tens of thousands of people were screaming in unison, echoed across the desert.
Hssssss...
The black figure observing the scene began to scatter fragments of darkness around itself—
Flash!
Then, in an instant, vanished in a fleeting burst of light.
Having returned to the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol went about his duties with an uncharacteristically refreshed expression.
The doubts that had tormented him—about the atrocities committed by his grandfather in the Masked Man's memories—had finally been resolved.
'I can hold my head a little higher now.'
Though he had never shown it, Bu Eun-seol had always been afraid.
His grandfather had endlessly regretted his past.
What if there had been unspeakable acts of cruelty?
What if there had been a past too unbearable for him to face?
Such worries had been inevitable.
And the Masked Man's memories, along with the term "Eighteen Radiant Souls"... had made those vague fears a reality.
But now, he knew for certain.
That a figure like the Great Killing Star, whom martial artists had once pointed fingers at, had never truly existed.
That there had only ever been—
A solitary guardian of the shadows, who shouldered all the slander and misunderstanding...
All to save others.
'And the Sage was the same.'
The Fire Soul Land, severed from its spirit veins, and its master, the One-Eyed Immortal Maiden—
They had concealed their true nature, much like Grandfather, whose full story remained unknown to the world.
To the public, the Fire Soul Land was merely regarded as a once-prosperous martial faction of the past.
But in truth, it was one of the foremost sacred lands of the murim, possessing martial arts and mystical arts akin to those of immortals.
And the One-Eyed Immortal Maiden, Yang Young—
Even in her youth, she had already been consulting with Grandfather about the affairs of the Baekri Clan and standing against the True Demon Palace.
'The energy radiating from the Immortal Maiden was extraordinary.'
Though the One-Eyed Immortal Maiden concealed her true appearance, Bu Eun-seol had immediately discerned her nature.
Not only did she carry a divine aura throughout her body, as if she had cultivated the Secrets of Immortal Dao, but she had also deliberately taken on an unsightly visage.
'That must be why Grandfather entrusted her with even the matters of the Palace Lord Neung-gyeong.'
The One-Eyed Immortal Maiden's personality seemed eccentric, but in truth, she was not only profoundly virtuous but also deeply considerate.
Had it not been so, Grandfather would never have entrusted her with the affairs of the Palace Lord Neung-gyeong—someone who could be considered a romantic rival.
—"You must build a family."
Yet, the One-Eyed Immortal Maiden's words lingered in his mind.
Just like the Palace Lord Neung-gyeong—
Every person connected to Grandfather had, without exception,
wished for Bu Eun-seol to establish a family of his own.
'Lady Gongson.'
Suddenly, the image of the beautiful Gongson Dan-a in her wedding robes flashed through his mind.
Even the memory of her, intoxicated by the Candlelit Passion Flower, breathing her breath into him with those bewitching, provocative eyes—
'What am I thinking?'
Bu Eun-seol's face flushed for no reason.
—"Since we're formally wed, what does it matter if we burn Candlelit Passion Flower or Desire-Flame Heart-Burning Grass?"
Then, as if the One-Eyed Immortal Maiden's sharp retort echoed in his ears, his expression turned grave.
Though it had been a forced arrangement, the wedding ceremony had followed all proper procedures.
What if Gongson Dan-a were to hold that against him? He would have no defense.
'It should be fine.'
After reading Grandfather's letter—
He had treated her coldly enough to make her burst into tears from betrayal and humiliation.
In the end, she had left, resenting him... so nothing more would come of it.
"Lord, all the unit chiefs have gathered in the conference hall."
Awoken from his thoughts by Wi Cheon-gyeong's voice, he responded quietly.
"I'll be there shortly."
And so, Bu Eun-seol—
Unaware that the seemingly innocent Gongson Dan-a possessed remarkable insight,
Unaware of her unwavering resolve—
Shook off his thoughts and strode into the conference hall in good spirits.
"This is an extremely unusual matter."
The meeting began with the voice of No Trace, leader of the Death Soul Squad.
The intelligence network of the Death Shadow War Unit stretched across the Central Plains like a vast spiderweb, missing not even the slightest incident.
And now, ominous and bizarre news had arrived.
Beyond the Jade Gate Pass, in the endless waves of sand that made up the Ancient Wall Desert, the nomadic tribes surrounding it had been annihilated overnight.
Had it been a simple massacre, it might have been dismissed as the work of the Killing Ghost's Blood Calamity—but strange rumors had begun to spread.
—"When night falls, the dead walk upon the sands."
At first, it was dismissed as absurd nonsense.
But when elite intelligence operatives and veteran martial forces sent by various intelligence organizations vanished without a trace—
Only then did they become certain it was no mere rumor.
The Death Shadow War Unit had also conducted a thorough investigation,
Yet the only thing confirmed was the disappearance of the intelligence operatives who had ventured into the desert.
No Trace spoke cautiously.
"Should we recall Vice Chief So or Protector Tak from their Demon Leaves and send them?"
Recently, with the help of the Wind Cloud Brigade of Langya Pavilion, their intelligence network had grown even tighter.
Bu Eun-seol had forcibly granted Demon Leaves to Tak Il-hon and So-yo, who had been working tirelessly day and night.
"No, I'll go myself."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"This isn't a matter worth recalling two people on leave for."
A place where countless intelligence operatives and martial artists had vanished—
No matter how capable the operatives sent were, the danger would remain the same.
Moreover, considering the distance, his personal investigation would be the fastest and safest way to resolve it.
"Understood."
As No Trace acknowledged, Won Se-mun suddenly asked,
"Lord... by the way, did something good happen?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's just... you seem to be in a better mood than usual."
Surprisingly, Won Se-mun had somehow sensed the lightness in Bu Eun-seol's heart—a burden he had long suppressed now eased.
"Well..."
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to speak, Won Se-mun frowned deeply and added,
"Must you really go this time?"
"Hmm?"
"It's a matter beyond the Pass anyway... Something about it feels unsettling, incredibly dangerous."
Won Se-mun continued in a grim voice.
"It almost feels like there's a pitch-black scythe hovering behind you, Lord."
The squad leaders widened their eyes and stared at Bu Eun-seol.
And indeed—wasn't there something resembling the scythe of a Death God cast over the nape of his neck?
"Ow!"
Jo Nam-cheon smacked the back of Won Se-mun's head and snapped.
"That's just the shadow of a tree branch outside!"
Unless it was an extremely confidential meeting requiring security measures, they rarely activated the mechanisms to seal the chamber.
But the interior wasn't particularly bright, and shadows stretched across the space—
The silhouette of a tree branch, projected onto the paper doors, swayed and curved like a black scythe.
"Ah, right."
As Won Se-mun muttered sheepishly, Myo Cheon-u drawled in a bored tone.
"Hey, maybe cut back on the drinking."
Wi Cheon-gyeong also grumbled.
"No wonder you see things—chugging alcohol every day and reading weird books like The Classic of Divine Wonders and other occult nonsense."
"No, I—"
As Won Se-mun scratched his head in embarrassment, Bu Eun-seol rose from his seat and spoke.
"This concludes the meeting."
At his words, the squad leaders stood up with irritated expressions, muttering under their breaths.
"Someone ought to enforce a drinking ban on these squad leaders."
"Every time he opens his mouth, it's nothing but bad omens."
But for a moment, they had forgotten.
Despite his boisterous appearance, Won Se-mun had an uncanny intuition—like a mystic Taoist—and even dreamed prophetic dreams.
And they had no way of knowing yet.
That through this mission, Bu Eun-seol would not only tread the threshold of death multiple times—
But in the process, he would uncover the secret hidden within the ancient treasure he possessed.
And ultimately...
A new realm of martial arts, the very path he had longed for.
Skipping past the Martial Extreme Realm, he would forge an entirely new martial frontier—
The Emptiness Extreme Realm.
Beneath the scorching sun, a tribal village in the Ancient Wall Desert was peaceful.
Children's laughter wove between the tents.
Women ground spices as they chatted, and men tended to livestock, sweat beading on their brows.
Bu Eun-seol, who had arrived here in an instant from the Demon Hall, drifted among them like a ghost.
The people before his eyes were so vibrant, brimming with life, that the eerie rumors felt like distant folktales from another land.
As he wandered the village, Bu Eun-seol casually asked an elderly woman milking a sheep.
"Has anything strange happened lately?"
The old woman creased her wrinkled eyes and shook her head.
"The desert nights are always cold and dangerous, but with the gods' protection, nothing unusual happens here."
"I see."
Though he found nothing out of the ordinary in the village, Bu Eun-seol felt an inexplicable sense of dissonance.
'I'll check elsewhere.'
He immediately investigated other villages, but again, nothing stood out.
'Should I return to that first village one last time?'
After two days of searching, Bu Eun-seol finally turned back toward the first village he had visited.
Just as before, the village overflowed with vitality, its scenery tranquil.
But the moment the sun dipped below the horizon and stars emerged in the night sky—
"......"
The laughter ceased abruptly.
The lively chatter cut off.
The lanterns illuminating the tents extinguished all at once, as if on cue.
The warmth that had enveloped the village vanished, replaced by a bone-chilling cold that seeped into Bu Eun-seol's clothes.
Then, breaking the silence, came a sound no human could make.
Crack—Skreeeech.
The noise of vertebrae twisting unnaturally and dry flesh tearing apart.
When he turned his head—
The old woman, who had been smiling kindly moments ago, was now approaching him, her neck bent at a grotesque angle.
Her once-warm eyes were dyed a hollow crimson, and thick saliva dripped from her lips.
"Uuugh—!"
Starting with the old woman, the villagers were transforming into bloodthirsty monsters.
Bu Eun-seol was the only one untouched. The rest had become creatures that craved the blood of the living.
They surged toward him, standing motionless at the village's center.
They weren't just running—they shattered rocks bare-handed, sprinted across the sand like the wind.
Ordinary villagers, who had never practiced martial arts, had suddenly become superhumans surpassing even martial artists.
Crrrack.
With a thunderous sound, Bu Eun-seol lightly extended a single fist.
The motion was impossibly smooth, yet it carried enough destructive force to easily topple a mountain.
BOOM!
The villagers struck by the force of his punch were sent flying in all directions.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
But in the next instant, weren't they already baring their teeth like beasts and charging back even faster?
'What the—?'
Just as Bu Eun-seol was struck with shock—
Sssshrrrk!
They lunged at him, extending claws as sharp as blades.
Whoosh.
Bu Eun-seol activated his Land-Flying Technique, soaring into the sky in an instant.
"What in the world—"
But it was too soon to be surprised.
The moment he floated into the air to evade, didn't they leap into the sky as well, swinging their claws wildly?
Sssshrrrk!
Before he knew it, razor-sharp Internal Power erupted from their nails like spiderwebs.
'Dangerous.'
Those thin, thread-like strands carried enough force to cleanly slice through even diamond.
'So this is why the intelligence operatives never returned—not even their corpses were found.'
Those who had arrived here unknowingly must have been lulled into a false sense of security by the peaceful atmosphere.
And when night fell—
The villagers transformed into terrifying monsters, ones that even seasoned martial artists would struggle to face.
In the end, they must have been torn apart and devoured.
Ssshh.
Landing back on the ground, he drew the Ink Soul Sword.
'Do I have to cut them down?'
As he watched the villagers charging from all directions, conflict flickered briefly in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Traces of the kind smiles they had worn during the day still lingered faintly on their faces.
Were they victims, corrupted by some unknown Great Art?
Or were they originally wicked souls, now irredeemably transformed into demons by the influence of darkness?
—Krrak!
Before he knew it, they were right in front of him, slashing with their claws and opening their jaws to tear into him.
'Come daylight, they'll likely return to normal.'
It was far more probable that the villagers weren't monsters but had been ensnared by some Great Art.
If so, killing them wasn't the answer—he had to restore them to their original state.
'Ink Soul First Form.'
The Absolute Sword Art, capable of severing all karmic bonds and manipulating life itself.
This was the only Sword Form with any chance of bringing them back.
Zzzzziiing.
A single streak of light unfurled through the pitch-black darkness—
FWOOOSH!
—then erupted with an unstoppable majesty, illuminating the desert night sky.
With every movement of the Ink Soul Sword, the ink-stained heavens turned white.
The villagers collapsed without even a scream as the unleashed sword energy struck them.
Clank.
Bu Eun-seol sheathed his blade, and the villagers fell in a circle around him.
Sssssss.
Black smoke continuously rose from their unconscious bodies.
Some had already reverted to their original appearances, while others remained in their grotesque forms.
"Huuu."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled sharply.
He had severed the karma binding them and restored their true forms—but the price had been paid.
A portion of his jet-black hair had turned as white as snow.
'Just what kind of vile Art of Spells is this?'
The Ink Soul First Form wielded absolute power in eradicating malevolent forces.
Yet some villagers still hadn't fully returned to normal?
As he steadied his ragged breath and prepared to examine the fallen—
GRRRROOOOOWL!
A world-shaking tremor roared through the air.
The stars and moon vanished from the sky as suffocating pressure crushed the earth.
At the same time, a shadow darker than the abyss rose into the heavens.
'A Master.'
Its shape resembled a human, but it was not human. It was a monstrosity, a condensed mass of pure darkness and malice.
The creature's gaze locked onto the faint remnants of the Ink Soul First Form lingering on Bu Eun-seol's blade.
'A Supernatural Power?'
The moment Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow—
The creature's greedy pupils suddenly flashed crimson.
FLASH!
With a light so blinding it seemed to bleach the world white, the entire village began to melt.
Tents turned to ash, scattering in the wind. Sand liquefied under scorching heat, flowing like molten glass.
With just a glance.
The village had been erased in an instant.
Fwoooosh.
Bu Eun-seol hovered alone above the hellish ruins.
The moment the creature's eyes flashed—
He had sensed the overwhelming force about to descend and leaped skyward.
"You slaughtered innocent villagers for no reason."
He had expected that power to be directed at him—never had he imagined the entire village would be wiped out.
His rage surging, Bu Eun-seol immediately gathered his Internal Power.
Who this monster was no longer mattered.
It had massacred the innocent—now, it would pay the price.