Chapter 1234
Whoosh!
Bu Eun-seol shot into the sky and landed amidst the assassins gathered below.
Zzzing.
The assassins had formed an intricate battle formation, erecting a massive Astral Energy Barrier as if preparing for an attack—
Crack-crack-crack-CRACK!
But the moment Bu Eun-seol swung his sword,
their formation shattered, and blood and flesh began to spray into the air.
The instant he unleashed his Void Extreme Realm, their battle formation collapsed in a single stroke, and he began cutting them down without hesitation.
The Empress Dowager had likely prepared for the power of the World and Realm Annihilation Domain, gathering assassins who had honed exceptional martial arts and energy manipulation—
"Agh!"
"Ghk—!"
Yet not a single one could withstand even one of Bu Eun-seol's strikes before falling helplessly.
No—they couldn't even move their bodies properly.
The moment they faced him, his golden eyes flashing as he swung his sword,
their bodies stiffened as if invisible hands had seized their limbs in an iron grip.
Splurt!
Limbs were torn clean off. Some had their heads ripped away. Others spilled their entrails in one grotesque burst.
The assassins were swept aside like dead leaves rolling across the ground, powerless as they were slaughtered.
Schlick! Splat!
Flesh was carved apart, blood splattering in all directions.
With each strike, Bu Eun-seol's movements grew more brutal.
This wasn't just about severing life.
It was like a butcher dressing meat—separating bone from flesh, tearing limbs apart, spilling organs onto the ground.
"Grandfather..."
With every assassin he killed,
the image of his grandfather surfaced in his mind—drenched in blood, saving people, only to be met with scorn and pointing fingers.
"Why... did you spend your life saving fools?"
A flame surged in his chest.
"Why did you live your whole life bearing such a filthy disgrace?!"
It felt as if all the blood in his body had evaporated, replaced by something black and seething.
Splaaash!
With every spray of blood, his joints felt lighter, a euphoric heat rising within him.
Before he knew it, he wasn't slaughtering these assassins for the sake of the innocent—he was simply craving blood.
Thud.
In less than a quarter of an hour, every last assassin had been exterminated.
Drip. Drip.
Blood trickled from his crimson-soaked robes.
Had anyone who knew him seen him like this, they would never have believed it.
No matter how enraged he might be—
for someone as coldly rational as him to resort to such cruelty was unthinkable.
"Hah..."
He nearly burst into laughter.
It felt good.
He had been suppressing this for so long.
Perhaps ever since the Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament.
From the moment he was ordered to kill strangers for no reason.
From the moment he watched boys—complete strangers—stab and slash at each other with sharpened weapons.
The killing intent that threatened to explode, the demonic energy that begged to be unleashed, the desire to drown in blood—
he had always held it back.
But now, having tasted blood to his heart's content,
it felt like soaring above the clouds, like blocked meridians bursting open in euphoric release.
In fact, the energy that had been stagnant due to the Damro Sword had finally broken free, and even his wounds had partially healed.
Haa...
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the demonic energy and killing intent threatening to erupt.
'The Empress Dowager's schemes? I'll just wipe them all away.'
When he thought about it, it didn't matter what intricate plots the Empress Dowager had woven.
He could simply erase them all.
Crunch.
The ground beneath his feet caved in, massive fissures radiating outward like cracks in glass.
BOOM!
Bu Eun-seol activated Qi-Piercing Ascent, channeling his internal power to soar even higher—a black comet streaking through the sky.
Breaking through the clouds, a vast expanse of sky unfolded before him.
The cold wind whipped violently at his robes, and as his killing intent gradually settled, clarity returned to his mind.
But the demonic energy and madness boiling inside him still hadn't subsided.
In one swift motion, he changed direction, heading straight for the Demon Hall.
Pushing his movement technique to its limits, he shot forward like an arrow, and soon, the outline of the Demon Hall emerged from the darkness in the distance.
Gradually descending, he streaked past the outer perimeter of the Demon Hall.
His speed was so great that even the guards stationed there, watching intently, failed to notice him.
Zzzzt.
The Demon Hall was protected by countless battle formations designed to prevent intruders from entering via Land-Flying Technique—
but none could block Bu Eun-seol's path.
Whoosh.
As he neared the Hidden Demon Pavilion, he paused briefly atop a roof.
The moment his foot lightly touched down—
"...!"
As if reacting to that faint sound, the martial artists of the Death Shadow War Unit all raised their heads in unison.
But by then, Bu Eun-seol had already stepped inside the building.
'They're well-trained.'
Even in the Demon Hall, masters capable of detecting his faint presence were rare.
But the martial artists of the Death Shadow War Unit—
they kept their extrasensory perception active at all times, never lowering their guard.
As he passed through the familiar corridor and reached the office, hurried footsteps echoed from within.
The door burst open as Yu Un-ryong stumbled out in a fluster.
"Are you alright? You're later than expected."
His face was filled with both relief and concern.
"The Empress Dowager kept interfering so much that we couldn't track your movements."
The Empress Dowager had anticipated Bu Eun-seol's route in advance and stationed elite intelligence operatives—
ensuring the Evil Soul Squad couldn't trace his whereabouts.
"There were... complications."
Though his entire body was drenched in exhaustion,
Bu Eun-seol didn't bother explaining the situation in detail.
Yu Un-ryong wanted to press for specifics, but seeing the severity in his expression, he quickly changed the subject.
"The Empress Dowager took the bait, just as planned."
Yu Un-ryong continued with a confident expression.
"We trained Won Se-mun and Jo Nam-cheon's entire unit rigorously in Sukju... Then, suddenly, rumors spread that a treasure map left by the Absolute Demon Saber had been discovered near the Yangguan branch."
Ever since the Empress Dowager targeted not just Princess Hui-jeong but also Yeon So-ha—
Yu Un-ryong had anticipated that she would systematically go after not only the women connected to Bu Eun-seol but also his subordinates and allies.
That's why, when they entered the Divine Maiden Palace,
they had deliberately stationed Won Se-mun and Jo Nam-cheon near Yangguan for training.
If it was that tenacious Empress Dowager—
she would never miss an opportunity to strike at the Martial Soul Lord's right-hand men.
"The Absolute Demon Saber's treasure map..."
Bu Eun-seol's brow twitched.
For generations, treasure maps had been the spark of conflict.
Martial arts manuals and spirit medicines—
these were things martial artists would stake their lives to obtain.
However, the current martial world was so entrenched in information warfare that every faction operated elite intelligence networks.
A treasure map suddenly appearing out of nowhere was nearly impossible.
Yet now, the long-lost treasure map of the Absolute Demon Saber—whose whereabouts had been shrouded in mystery for centuries—
had surfaced near the desolate Jade Gate Pass?
"It's undoubtedly the Empress Dowager's doing."
"Exactly. But contrary to expectations, thousands of martial artists swarmed in instantly, making it difficult to defend."
Yu Un-ryong shook his head.
"I never imagined she could mobilize so many martial artists in such a short time. At this point, calling her the Empress Dowager is an understatement—she might as well be the Supreme Martial Lord."
Then, with a self-assured expression, he added,
"For now, I've urgently dispatched Wi Cheon-gyeong and the Soul-Chasing Squad to assist them. Meanwhile, we just need to gather evidence that the Empress Dowager manipulated the martial artists."
"No. That won't work."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"We've misjudged the Empress Dowager's capabilities."
During his return to the Demon Hall,
he had come to fully understand what kind of person she was—and how she operated.
Even if it meant slaughtering everyone involved—
the Empress Dowager would never leave behind evidence.
"What do you mean?"
"No matter how much we investigate, we'll never find proof that she incited the martial artists."
Only then did Yu Un-ryong realize that Bu Eun-seol's gaze had turned sharper than ever before.
"What the hell happened?"
"Explanations can wait."
Bu Eun-seol turned away as he spoke.
"One thing is certain—Won Se-mun and Jo Nam-cheon alone won't survive the Empress Dowager's scheme."
Crk.
The moment he recalled the Empress Dowager's face, the killing intent he had barely suppressed surged forth like a tidal wave.
Crack—
The surrounding air instantly froze, and Yu Un-ryong, standing close by, felt suffocated by the overwhelming pressure.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"Kill them all. That's all."
"...What?"
A cold, twisted smile curled at the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
"That way, she'll never dare touch those around me again."
The Empress Dowager was like a one bound by an oath of the Sacred Realm—
relentlessly tormenting the people around those who defied her to make the defiers submit.
The surest way to counter such tactics was to slaughter every last one of them without exception.
If the damage kept rebounding onto them, they would have no choice but to withdraw.
"Wait—"
Yu Un-ryong hastily blocked Bu Eun-seol's path.
"That's not entirely wrong, but if you massacre them all, the reputation you've built until now—"
"Then I'll truly become the Heir of the Demon Hall."
Bu Eun-seol cut him off with finality.
"Until now, I've acted not as the Heir of the Demon Hall but as a Renowned Hero of the Righteous Faction. And to someone like the Empress Dowager, that behavior must have seemed like an obvious weakness."
"......"
"I am the Heir of the Demon Hall. If martial artists, blinded by greed for a treasure map, swarm our branch to attack—what's so concerning about slaughtering them all?"
Yu Un-ryong had nothing to say.
Because it was true.
Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess had risen boundlessly, but as he became more active in the martial world, a fatal flaw had gradually surfaced.
Chivalry and sentiment.
Despite being a demonic practitioner, he had acted like a renowned hero—helping the weak and eliminating evil factions.
Moreover, he would rather suffer injuries himself than allow those around him to come to harm.
Such conduct might earn the respect and awe of martial artists from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths, but for the Heir of the Demon Hall, it was a contradictory way of acting.
Ultimately, his own convictions had shackled him with numerous constraints.
Because of this, to jackals like them, he had exposed a glaring weakness just waiting to be exploited...
This outcome was inevitable.
-
"Or do you hate the idea of me becoming a true demonic practitioner?"
Under Bu Eun-seol's piercing gaze, Yu Un-ryong said something unexpected.
"No. Quite the opposite."
For the first time, he spoke honestly.
"I've always wanted you to do exactly that."
"What?"
"Truthfully, back when you briefly turned ruthless, I was secretly pleased. If you showed that kind of mercilessness, your enemies wouldn't dare set traps exploiting your emotions."
Yu Un-ryong smiled faintly as he looked at Bu Eun-seol.
"And indeed, after that, the Blood Cult never dared provoke or antagonize you again."
At the time, the Blood Cult—much like the Empress Dowager—
had attempted to exact revenge by attacking the Divine Maiden Palace to abduct the Young Palace Lord.
But that just so happened to coincide with the first emergence of Baekri Geom-ha's personality.
As a result, three thousand of the Blood Cult's elite forces were reduced to blood and pulp in an instant.
From that day onward, the Blood Cult never dared provoke Bu Eun-seol again, nor did they attempt any underhanded schemes.
They had witnessed firsthand what happened to those who targeted the people around him.
"I don't care if they point fingers and call you the Great Demon Head or curse you as the Great Killing Star."
Yu Un-ryong took a deep breath before continuing.
"Aren't we all just people running toward the goals we wish to achieve?"
"...Are you serious?"
"Of course."
Yu Un-ryong grinned.
"Go wild."
A true friend is like a clear mirror that reflects one's true self.
No matter what form it takes—even when reflecting you in a fallen, shabby state—it never turns away, always gazing back.
And if one can carry that mirror with them for a lifetime without ever breaking it,
then that life will be more successful and precious than anyone else's.
"Fine."
Bu Eun-seol mirrored Yu Un-ryong's smile.
Then, he unleashed the killing intent he had suppressed all this time.
Crackle—
The air inside the room seemed to freeze and condense, and an indescribable sensation tightened around their throats.
"Might as well rewrite the records while I'm at it."
As Bu Eun-seol bared his sharp fangs in a grin, Yu Un-ryong's eyes widened in shock.
"Rewrite what?"
"The bloody battle records set by that old bastard Jeok Bung and Hall Master Sado."
Instantly, two numbers flashed through Yu Un-ryong's mind.
Three thousand. Eight thousand.
The Blood Demon Jeok Bung had once crushed three thousand orthodox practitioners to death for insulting him.
And the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had once single-handedly annihilated an entire Martial Alliance vanguard unit of eight thousand elite soldiers.
"This time, I'll make sure no one dares touch me again."
At that low, blood-dripping murmur, Yu Un-ryong's face paled.
Just standing beside him made it hard to breathe.
The demonic energy and killing intent radiating from Bu Eun-seol's body... were dozens, no, hundreds of times stronger than he had anticipated.
"W-Wait—"
Yu Un-ryong reached out.
If this madness-inducing power were unleashed upon countless martial artists—
Wouldn't he instantly earn the title of the worst Great Demon Head in martial history?
"Bu Eun-seol, on second thought—"
CRASH!
Before Yu Un-ryong could finish, Bu Eun-seol had already shattered the window and soared into the sky.
"At least hear me out!"
Yu Un-ryong shouted desperately.
"Don't kill them all! Just a few! Just enough to make your point—!"
BOOM!
But with a deafening blast, Bu Eun-seol vanished like a streak of light.
"Why are you trying to break the records of that old man Jeok Bung and Hall Master Sado?!"
He yelled after him, but no answer came.
"Damn it all!"
Yu Un-ryong clutched his head.
Only now did he realize the true nature of the Empress Dowager's final trap.
"If he becomes the Great Killing Star, he can no longer stand alongside the Emperor."
Under normal circumstances, Yu Un-ryong would have been overjoyed to sever ties with the Emperor.
But because of the Dragon-Phoenix Ring, part of the Grand Design had changed.
And for a certain period, they still needed to maintain their connection with the Emperor.
"When she summoned him to the Imperial Palace, the Empress Dowager must have discerned his nature."
She had undoubtedly realized—
That not only was demonic energy and killing intent latent within Bu Eun-seol's body, but that it was potent enough to overturn the world itself.
And to fully unleash it this time—
She had mobilized countless martial artists to attack the Yangguan Branch.
"Protector Tak! Vice Chief So!"
Yu Un-ryong shouted urgently—
But the only one who came running was his adjutant, Wu Guang.
"Both of them are still on Demon Leave and have not yet returned."
"No—we have to stop him!"
Realizing his mistake, Yu Un-ryong threw the letter and his outer robe at Wu Guang.
"Wait for me, Bu Eun-seol!"
He unleashed his movement technique at full power and shot into the distant sky.
"......"
Wu Guang stood frozen, the robe draped over his head and the letter clutched in both arms, mouth agape as he watched.