Chapter 1203
[No.]
At last, enlightenment dawned upon him.
The man who had been watching Bu Eun-seol—now enveloped in a mysterious radiance—parted his lips.
[That is not it.]
Then, he tilted his head slightly.
[Martial arts... are nothing....]
As his voice resonated, a massive ripple surged through Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind, which had been on the verge of ascending to a new realm.
Swish.
Slowly, as if swimming through water, the man extended his hand with deliberate slowness.
And from his fingertips, something invisible began to flow forth.
Heavier than air, stickier than water—an undulating energy, writhing like a living creature, stretched toward Bu Eun-seol.
In that moment, a silence akin to death swept through.
The abrupt stillness was so profound it felt as if his ears had been stuffed with cotton.
Simultaneously, strange thoughts began flooding Bu Eun-seol's mind.
―Humans are destined to fall.
They are inherently weak beings, and as time passes, unnecessary thoughts only multiply.
Because they are creatures who inevitably tremble and sway under the weight of the suffering they themselves create.
Rustle—
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and countless human figures flashed before his eyes all at once.
Those blinded by greed, killing one another. Those drunk on authority, trampling the innocent. Those trembling in fear, kneeling in cowardice.
―If only there were an unshakable spirit and an indestructible body...
There was a clear solution.
The answer humans had wandered in search of for ages.
―What if you could forge an indestructible, mighty body and a spirit unshaken by anything?
As he envisioned himself becoming a flawless existence, Bu Eun-seol was engulfed in a euphoria so intense it felt as though his body might melt away.
What if he possessed a body like tempered steel, impervious to any force, and a mind like an iron fortress, unmoved by pain or temptation?
There would be no need to forcibly calm his spirit, nor to erect barriers.
No more agonizing training—sitting in meditation every morning to suppress stray thoughts.
No more ascetic torment, grinding down his body and mind to forcibly suppress surging emotions.
―No more agonizing over trivial martial arts techniques, racking his brains over a single movement or subtle principle.
Years of swinging a sword tens of thousands of times to master a single technique. The tedious repetition of correcting his stance, tolerating not even an inch of deviation.
Reading martial arts manuals to grasp their secrets, burning the midnight oil to research superior methods—all of it would become meaningless.
―Sorrow and joy, grief and ecstasy.
Not only that.
There would be no need to govern his heart against the endless torrent of emotions life demanded he endure.
Nor would he ever be swept away by those emotions.
"Haa..."
A rapturous sigh escaped Bu Eun-seol's lips.
From his dilated pupils, a light of ecstasy spilled forth.
If such a secret existed...
Even a hundred years of life would yield greater progress than a thousand.
Step. Step.
Bu Eun-seol slowly walked forward.
His eyes had lost focus, and the Mourning Blade in his hand hung limply, dragging across the ground.
Before he knew it, a warm and benevolent hand stretched out before him.
That hand emitted light.
Soft and gentle—a comforting radiance like a mother's embrace.
Every crease in its palm seemed to contain all the truths of the world.
Above all... that hand showed him the path humans ought to take.
It held the power to save humanity from its weak and suffering existence.
And yet, it asked for nothing in return.
No price, no loyalty, no submission.
It was a hand that desired only human happiness.
Swoosh—
Like a pilgrim who had found a sacred land, Bu Eun-seol approached beneath that hand and knelt on one knee.
Then, the benevolent hand slowly descended toward his wrist.
As if a god were bestowing a blessing—slowly, majestically.
Once that hand touched his...
He would be freed from all suffering and torment, becoming... a perfect being imbued with infinite power.
―Seol-a.
But from the depths of an endless darkness, the voice of a kind grandfather reached him.
At the same time, an old memory surfaced.
A childhood memory—of himself as a child, carried on his grandfather's back as he fell asleep, his knees aching and his head burning with fever through the night.
―It was only after meeting you... that this old man realized just how lonely and desolate his life had been.
His grandfather let out a deep sigh.
―In the past, this old man lived his entire life with his soul stolen away by the darkness.
Then, in a voice filled with unbearable pain, he repeated:
―The cycle of life and death, grief and suffering... How could one ever escape that endless wheel?
His grandfather had regretted the past endlessly, living in the torment of remorse.
Yet it was by sublimating that resentment and sorrow into strength that he had reached a realm surpassing all ages.
Once more, the voice in his mind shifted.
Now it belonged to a kind yet powerful middle-aged man.
―The reason weak, suffering humans have continuously advanced...
Is not because of someone's salvation, but because they sublimated their regrets and pain through their own strength.
The rear garden of Saha Manor.
White petals scattered upon the frozen pond and the tranquil corridors, carried by a gentle breeze.
Between the neatly trimmed pine forest and stone steps, sunlight poured in diagonally, breathing color into each drifting petal.
With that scenery behind him, his father, Baekri Mu-ha, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the distant sky as he spoke.
―If the day comes when you learn the truth of our family... I hope you remember these words of mine.
Zing.
A splitting pain shot through Bu Eun-seol's head.
It was as though two forces were pulling his soul in opposite directions.
At the same time, two diverging paths unfolded before his eyes.
One was a radiant road promising salvation and peace. The other was a thorny path paved with nothing but blood and suffering.
One was the way to inherit the transcendent power of an ancient being.
The other was the path of martial arts—where the end was unseen, where he couldn't even glimpse what awaited him.
No one in their right mind would choose the path of thorns.
Yet Bu Eun-seol hesitated not a second before making his choice.
Shing!
A low sword cry, like the roar of a dragon roused from slumber, filled the air, resonating in all directions.
Flash!
Light exploded outward.
Waves of radiance spread, tearing through the darkness.
The darkness writhed like a living thing, resisting—but the relentless tide of brilliance mercilessly shredded it apart.
As the dazzling light slowly faded,
[.......]
The figure of a man reaching out his hand came into view before Bu Eun-seol.
But unlike before—
That once-kind and warm hand had turned pale and bloodless, like the hand of a corpse.
The nails had blackened, and strange patterns were carved into every knuckle.
Bu Eun-seol—
Had chosen not to inherit the power of the True Demon, but to walk the path of martial arts he had forged himself.
Pshht!
A thin red bloodline traced across his wrist as dark crimson blood gushed forth like a fountain.
With a single slash, he had severed the man's wrist—the same wrist that even the Sacred Flower Secret Manual, when So Ok-rim and he used it together had barely managed to cut.
Crack.
With the sound of grinding vertebrae, the man tilted his head slightly.
By all rights, it should have been Bu Eun-seol's wrist that was severed, replaced by his own.
So why had this happened?
Then, as if sensing something, the man's gaze dropped downward.
Only then did he notice—
A pitch-black bracelet pulsating with a fierce, living energy, wrapped around Bu Eun-seol's wrist.
Sssssss...
The scenery, once corroded by gray, began to peel away like a fading illusion, and the colors of the surrounding dozens of jang slowly returned.
Strangely, though the hues had returned, they were all muted and washed-out, as if seen through a haze.
The moment the authority of World and Realm Annihilation manifested—
The vast Absolute Boundary that had stretched across dozens of li, even the shadow wielding that mysterious martial art—
All vanished like evaporating mist.
Sssssss...
As Bu Eun-seol gradually unleashed the power of the Void Extreme Scripture, something astonishing occurred.
The robes shrouding the man's body dissolved, revealing the figure hidden within the darkness.
A face carved from stone, unyielding, with a pair of amber eyes flashing with ruthless light.
"Grandfather."
The man hidden beneath the robes—
Was none other than his grandfather in his youth.
'Was Grandfather... the True Demon?'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Impossible.
If his grandfather had been the True Demon, cycling through reincarnations for generations—he wouldn't have lived such a life of regret while working as an undertaker.
Thud. Thud.
Yet the one walking toward him was unmistakably his grandfather.
Not the benevolent figure he knew—
But the visage of the Great Killing Star, the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, who had once plunged the world into terror.
Whoosh.
Drawing a massive greatsword from his back, Bu Jan-yang lowered his stance.
Due to the World and Realm Annihilation's influence spreading across dozens of jang—
The Three Divine Powers within Bu Eun-seol's body had vanished, leaving his internal energy at about two sixty-year cycles.
Having only just reached the threshold of the Utmost Void realm, he hadn't been able to fully eliminate his remaining power.
Rumble.
A dark miasma rose from Bu Jan-yang's greatsword, soaring to the heavens.
Like Bu Eun-seol, he had only two sixty-year cycles of internal energy remaining, but the difference in its purity was like heaven and earth.
'I have to strike first.'
If he let that momentum build, his head would roll before he could even lift a finger.
Pat!
Closing the distance in an instant, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Fire Rain Thirteen Forms with all his might.
Since overwhelming his opponent in one strike was impossible, he would instead rely on flawless, impenetrable swordsmanship to sustain the battle.
Clang!
Bu Jan-yang remained rooted in place, deflecting every strike with only the slightest movement of his greatsword.
The more Bu Eun-seol pressed his assault, the more his own energy condensed, transforming into a force that sought to dominate the surrounding Domain.
Whoosh!
Then—Bu Jan-yang swung his greatsword.
In that instant, the sword energy Bu Eun-seol had woven like a spider's web evaporated without a trace.
Shhk!
The razor-sharp edge of the greatsword pierced toward Bu Eun-seol's Heavenly Prominence Acupoint.
'Kh—!'
Bu Eun-seol retreated three jang in a flash, but the blade pursued him like a black specter, relentless, aiming for his throat.
Sssk.
Bu Jan-yang's body had become one with the greatsword.
As the bone-carving sharpness of the blade expanded, Bu Eun-seol's skin split open even where the steel hadn't touched him.
'I can't match him.'
Was it the gap in Internal Power, purity, or swordsmanship?
After just a few exchanges, his body felt like it was drowning in deep water, limbs sluggish, unresponsive.
The suffocating pressure closing in from all sides made it feel as though his head would be lopped off any second.
At this rate, his neck would be severed within three forms.
'This is a Domain of Void and Nothingness.'
In that moment, another realization pierced Bu Eun-seol's mind.
'I was still clinging to the superiority of Internal Power.'
The reason he had sought to reach the realm of Utmost Void was solely to fight using only the strength of his physical body.
If he could do that—
He believed he could stand toe-to-toe even with the one hailed as the greatest of this era, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
And now, though imperfect, he had created a Domain capable of nullifying both his enemy's and his own Supernatural Power.
If so, all that remained was to fight with everything he had.
Swish!
As pride and conviction in the Utmost Void realm arose, Bu Eun-seol's swordplay began to change.
He gradually started parrying the blade techniques of Bu Jan-yang—techniques he had once been unable to oppose.
Slash-slash-slash!
Before he knew it, Bu Jan-yang's sleeves were being sliced apart by Bu Eun-seol's sword.
Whoosh!
Bu Jan-yang, in turn, slashed Bu Eun-seol's cheek and shoulder, piercing vital pressure points.
Despite the glaring disparity in their skill—
Bu Eun-seol advanced fearlessly, closing the distance between them.
As his lethal strikes repeatedly missed their mark, Bu Jan-yang—
Whoosh!
—spun the great saber in a full midair rotation before—
Swish!
—unleashing a crescent-moon-like slash of overwhelming blade energy, aiming to cleave Bu Eun-seol's torso in half.
This strike was tyrannical beyond description, and with all escape routes sealed—
There was no way to evade it from any angle.
Whirr!
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's Ink Soul Sword also spun through the air, thrusting toward Bu Jan-yang's throat.
Though his movement was half a beat slower—
His swordplay was swifter than Bu Jan-yang's blade, unfolding almost simultaneously.
Clang!
A metallic resonance, closer to an explosion, erupted, followed by white flames scattering like forked lightning.
At the same time, blue electricity burst from both weapons, sweeping through the surroundings.
The tips of the Ink Soul Sword and the great saber had collided precisely in midair.
Whiiine...
As the desolate wind carried away the flames and light—
[Seol-a.]
The grandfather before him was no longer the ruthless figure of his prime but had returned to the benevolent elder of his twilight years.
[You've done well.]
Bu Jan-yang smiled.
[Through martial arts, you pursued nothingness, perfected emptiness, and achieved the Way.]
His praise continued.
[Like the protagonist of a legend... as if struck by lightning to attain sword enlightenment, or gaining insight from the rising and setting sun.]
Thud.
Lowering the Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol stepped toward his grandfather.
The old man gazed back at him with proud warmth.
"Grandfather."
This was the face he had longed to see even in dreams.
As he drew closer, the familiar, rough yet comforting scent he had always known filled his senses.
"I was happy too... being with you."
It was his answer to his grandfather's final words.
Bu Eun-seol looked at him and spoke as if making an oath.
"And I swear... I will find the murderer and take revenge."
Thunk.
Then he drove the Ink Soul Sword deep into his grandfather's gaunt chest.
Squelch.
At that moment, Bu Jan-yang's wrist stiffened into an ashen gray, like a corpse drained of vitality.
A moment later—
With a snapping sound, something fell to the ground.
It was the wrist of the True Demon's Corpse, an entity that had endured since ancient times.
[Why do you reject me?]
The man, now restored to his original form, asked.
[You, too, are of my bloodline.]
"I am... the grandson of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang."
Flash!
Light flared—and the man's head was severed, tumbling to the ground.
Drip... drip...
Not from the body, but from the severed head.
More precisely, from the left eye socket, where crimson blood began gushing forth.
As the blood seeped into the cracks in the ground, a mysterious radiance surged from the earth.
Fwoosh...
Where the light faded, a single, beautifully colored orb lay neatly placed.
The Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl.
Embedded deep within the man's left eye had been the very pearl that had vanished from the Dragon-Phoenix Ring.
"As I thought."
Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh.
"The True Demon who was in India a thousand years ago... couldn't possibly appear before me now."
The Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl, capable of inheriting ancestral power with just a single drop of blood.
The True Demon's Corpse, said to have been born in antiquity.
And the imperial treasure, the Dragon-Phoenix Ring.
When these three converged—
Not only could he vividly experience the memories embedded in the True Demon's wrist—
Memories intertwined with Pa Hon—
But he was also granted the chance to inherit a fragment of the True Demon's power.
After all, half the blood flowing in his veins belonged to the True Demon.
Yet Bu Eun-seol chose the path of martial arts he had always pursued—over inheriting the True Demon's power.
When he rejected the bloodline, the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl—
Shifting forms endlessly—the man, the shadow of light, the image of his grandfather—
Imparted fragments of enlightenment embedded in the blood as profound martial principles.
Through this, he could confirm and define the new realm he had reached.
And finally, complete the Utmost Void Path.
"The road ahead is still long."
Having only just entered the Utmost Void Path, fighting purely with an ordinary body remained impossible.
With only about 120 years of Internal Power remaining, the range of his World and Realm Annihilation extended no more than dozens of jang.
Moreover, upon entering the Utmost Void Path—
He realized the realm attainable through the Death God's Art and the Utmost Void Path were entirely different.
If, in the future, he obtained the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifactifact?
Upon reaching Natural Harmony with the Dao—
He would ascend to a transcendent realm beyond prediction, where the phenomena and power he might wield were unimaginable.
"But even so."
Bu Eun-seol felt a surge of proud satisfaction.
He had faced countless wielders of Supernatural Power until now.
And in the end, even transcendent forces like Soul-Demon Magic Energy and Manifestation Art Energy had emerged.
Yet he had walked his own path.
Yet despite those disadvantages, he had persevered steadfastly, pursuing nothing but martial arts.
And now...
The time had come for those who wielded supernatural powers to be at a disadvantage.