Chapter 1250
Could it be that even the Buddhist Venerable I'd encountered throughout the Martial World had been a fake all along?
'Uncertain speculation is nothing but a waste of time.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
The one who held the answers to the countless questions swirling in his mind was standing right before him.
Even the most trivial remark could carry information the speaker themselves might not be aware of.
Though a figure like the Buddhist Venerable would never carelessly let his tongue slip, prolonged conversation naturally dulled one's guard.
'I'll buy as much time as possible and draw out the conversation.'
If he persisted in keeping the exchange going—
Perhaps, in the gaps between words, he might seize an unexpected clue.
"Have you refined your sinister Internal Power further in the meantime? You grow younger by the day."
At Bu Eun-seol's sharp-edged greeting,
"This humble monk cannot help but marvel at the patron's boldness."
The Buddhist Venerable chuckled lightly and replied with indifference.
"Though you should have not a shred of strength left in your body, to stand so unflinching before this empty monk—truly remarkable."
"Not a shred of strength, you say?"
"You may deceive others, but not this old monk's eyes."
The Buddhist Venerable clicked his tongue.
"Your Internal Power has diminished drastically. A single misplaced breath from me could damage your body."
His words brimmed with such Killing Intent that one could scarcely imagine them coming from a Holy Monk of the Buddhist Order.
But since Bu Eun-seol already knew everything, the old monk saw no need to conceal his wicked nature.
"Buddhist Venerable."
Even knowing the man before him was false, Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but ask.
"What was it that drove you to become a Demon Monk? What is it you truly desire?"
"A Demon Monk, you say?"
The Buddhist Venerable shook his head.
"The pursuit of truth is the fundamental duty of a disciple of the Buddhist Order."
"So slaughtering lives as a specter of knowledge and coveting the True Demon's Corpse—that is your idea of cultivation?"
"The patron never ceases to surprise this old monk."
The Buddhist Venerable's pupils narrowed to sinister slits.
"I heard you visited Blood Shaolin several times. Dam-jeung—that child must have left something behind."
"Do you truly believe Great Master Dam-jeung was the only one to recognize your wickedness?"
Bu Eun-seol's voice was icy as he continued.
"They merely lacked the means to prove your atrocities, so they kept silent."
The Buddhist Venerable ignored his words and shifted the topic.
"Since the True Demon's Corpse has been brought up... I shall tell you what this old monk desires."
His demeanor was utterly relaxed, like a beast that had already cornered its prey.
"I intend to unify the chaotic energies dwelling within the patron's body into one."
"How elegantly you phrase the act of stealing another's power."
"What use are they to you in their current state?"
The Buddhist Venerable's gaze was fathomlessly calm.
"The only one who could wield such power properly is none other than the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang."
Bu Eun-seol suppressed a sneer, recognizing the attempt to unsettle his Spirit and Mind by invoking his grandfather.
"You still haven't learned how to properly utilize the True Demon's Corpse?"
His low voice carried a taunt as he scrutinized the monk.
"The corpse you stole from the former Alliance Leader, Cheol Mu-heun?"
"Bu Jan-yang was no different."
The Buddhist Venerable smirked repulsively, dragging Bu Jan-yang into the conversation again.
"He mastered it without being taught and uncovered truths others could never fathom."
Had this been in the past, even if Bu Eun-seol hadn't been shaken by the words, he would have seized any opportunity to extract information about his grandfather.
But now, he felt nothing.
'After all, no truth would ever come from that Demon Monk's mouth.'
This wicked monk's shell—
There was no chance it would ever utter words that could benefit him.
"We've spoken long enough."
The Buddhist Venerable's expression was unnervingly serene.
"If you relinquish everything now, I shall not harm you."
Witnessing such hypocrisy to the very end, Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but sigh.
Of course, even a figure of the Buddhist Order could fall to corruption.
But for one who had been called a Holy Monk—
To become a Demon Monk, tainted by evil and sowing chaos in the Martial World—it was a tragedy that transcended the divide between Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths, leaving only lamentation.
Zzzing—
Then, the sky for dozens of jang around them began to tinge with gray.
The Buddhist Venerable had activated the Absolute Boundary, a technique wielded by the True Demon Palace's masters.
"A disciple of Shaolin, deploying the True Demon Palace's Absolute Boundary?"
"Amitabha."
Disgustingly, the Buddhist Venerable uttered the Buddhist invocation before speaking solemnly, palms pressed together.
"When a cow drinks water, it produces milk; when a snake drinks water, it produces venom."
Slowly, he continued, "Even wicked methods, if wielded with a righteous heart, become shields to protect all living beings. But even righteous power, tainted by malice, becomes poison that ravages the world."
Bu Eun-seol felt sick to his stomach.
"No wonder you became a Demon Monk, justifying your evil like this your whole life."
"To a pig's eyes, only pigs are visible."
The Buddhist Venerable spread his hands wide.
"All is but a reflection of what lies in your own heart."
The moment his words ended, his pressed palms snapped open—
And a dazzling golden radiance erupted outward.
Even though Bu Eun-seol had seemingly lost all his strength, the Buddhist Venerable remained absolutely vigilant.
In an instant, he unleashed his Limitless Power—the Vajra Annihilation Wave—a force capable of erasing an enemy's very existence.
Whoooosh!
The Buddhist Venerable was the first among the current generation of masters to reach the Martial Extreme Realm.
And once the Vajra Annihilation Wave was unleashed,
it was said that no martial art in the world could break through it.
One either had to flee until their feet bled—or immediately counter it with equal force.
Yet Bu Eun-seol stood motionless, as if he felt nothing at all.
Whoooosh!
Just as the golden radiance was about to engulf his body, something astonishing happened.
The Vajra Annihilation Wave pouring down upon Bu Eun-seol vanished in an instant.
The Buddhist Venerable, who had been standing with a hardened expression, narrowed his eyes sharply.
Only now did he notice it—an extremely faint, transparent energy swirling around Bu Eun-seol's body.
"It wasn't that you were struck by the Body-Seizing Great Art."
Having grasped the situation, the Buddhist Venerable let out an impressed sigh.
"You wrapped yourself in a domain of emptiness, pretending to have lost your strength."
In the past, Bu Eun-seol might have offered a word or two about the martial principles of the Void Extreme Realm.
But now, he kept his lips tightly sealed.
Because the Buddhist Venerable was the kind of man who could deduce much from even a single word.
"Did you truly believe I wouldn't detect anything amiss after such a farce?"
Bu Eun-seol had sensed something wrong from the moment the Four Gates Battle champions requested an inner-force contest.
And when the contest began,
he had drastically narrowed the Domain of World and Realm Annihilation, neutralizing only the power they unleashed.
—If they think I've lost my strength, they'll come closer.
The fact that he had laid such a trap meant
he had already grasped not just his opponent's personality, but their very nature.
After sending countless points of light—crafted from the Three Divine Powers—into the sky to draw everyone's gaze,
he simultaneously used the Domain of World and Realm Annihilation to neutralize their inner force
and unleashed the Discard the Old and Spread the New technique—formless and soundless—directly striking the champions' internal organs,
making it appear as though he had won the inner-force contest.
"Hoh."
The Buddhist Venerable, who had not the slightest inkling of the Void Extreme Realm, furrowed his brow.
"So it's not just Soul-Demon Magic Energy you neutralize—you can even erase the energy of a Great Art?"
'He has ties to the Empress Dowager and the True Demon Palace.'
Up until now, the only ones who had roughly grasped the power of World and Realm Annihilation were the Empress Dowager and the masters of the True Demon Palace.
The fact that the Buddhist Venerable knew of this was proof of his close connection to them.
"A power that can instantly block both Soul-Demon Magic Energy and Great Arts..."
The Buddhist Venerable tilted his head as if unable to comprehend it.
The Body-Seizing Great Art unleashed by the Four Gates Battle champions contained the True Demon's Secret Arts—
once activated, no defense could stop it.
"Ah, I see."
As if realizing something, the Buddhist Venerable narrowed his eyes.
"You've created a new technique, one never before seen in the martial world. That's why it didn't work."
"It's not too late even now."
Though he knew the man was a fraud, Bu Eun-seol spoke again.
"Correct your mistakes. Protect Shaolin's honor."
With just these few words—
there was no way a Demon Monk who had lived for over two centuries would suddenly repent.
But Bu Eun-seol had genuinely urged him.
Shaolin was the greatest pillar of the Righteous Faction, and the Buddhist Venerable was its most revered elder—
a man who, though not part of the Abyssal Forces, knew more of the martial world's secrets than anyone.
If he were to repent and aid Bu Eun-seol? Things once thought impossible could be achieved in an instant.
"Hahahaha."
The Buddhist Venerable let out a laugh that sounded almost like a sigh.
"The benefactor still hasn't broken free of his shell."
"......"
"You must believe everything you think is right, that it is justice."
He shook his head with a deep sigh.
"But once you've lived long enough for your hair to turn white, you'll realize—the world is not just what you see."
The Buddhist Venerable spoke with a meaningful expression.
"And in the end, you too will have to choose one of two paths. Either, like Hall Master Sado, you will try to seize everything... or, like Bu Jan-yang, you will let go of everything."
Bu Eun-seol's face twisted in disgust.
The Buddhist Venerable's words seemed profound, laden with hidden meaning... but in truth, he was merely wagging his tongue cunningly to unsettle his opponent's spirit and mind.
"Is that all you have to say?"
Bu Eun-seol's voice was low as he drew the Ink Soul Sword.
"Then let us now decide life and death."
This action wasn't truly meant to end the conversation.
He deliberately exuded an air of assured victory, provoking the Buddhist Venerable's temper—
whether through scorn or mockery, he sought to draw out another response.
Sssshhh—
As Bu Eun-seol expanded the previously restricted Domain of World and Realm Annihilation around him,
the colors of the surrounding scenery blurred.
At the very least, one thing was fortunate—
"At least the Twin-Domain Annihilation phenomenon isn't occurring within the Buddhist Venerable's Absolute Boundary."
In truth, this was because the barriers of the Baekri Clan and the True Demon Palace operated on entirely different principles.
Above all, it was because Baekri Ja-ha and Bu Eun-seol's fates were intertwined that such a phenomenon had manifested.
But the current Bu Eun-seol was unaware of that fact.
"Restricting each other's power, leaving only internal energy equivalent to 120 years of cultivation..."
As Bu Eun-seol had intended, the Buddhist Venerable sneered and spoke again.
"Did you think you could win by limiting this to a contest of pure martial arts?"
He seemed to have sensed the power emanating from Bu Eun-seol's Martial Extremity Realm, his lips curling into a confident smile.
"Let's test it, then. Let's see just what level the benefactor has reached."
The lifespan of those in the Martial World typically extended well beyond a hundred years, and those with profound internal power usually lived to a hundred and fifty.
But to enjoy such longevity in the martial world, one either had to accumulate great virtue and retire early from the Martial World—
Or remain affiliated with a powerful faction, maintaining authority.
Having deep internal power meant being deeply entangled in the Martial World's grudges and power struggles. For such a figure to live out their full lifespan was nearly impossible.
Yet the Buddhist Venerable had endured for a full two hundred years—
Maintaining a robust body and overwhelming internal power, leading Shaolin and numerous factions, surviving battles against the strongest.
The reason he had accomplished such an impossibility...
Was because, like a blacksmith forging a blade, he had repeatedly reforged himself, birthing a new "Buddhist Venerable" each time.
"A fake dares to speak so boldly?"
"A fake?"
"When I visited Shaolin not long ago, one of the Shaolin's Three Divine Monks was impersonating you."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled in derision.
"With such pitifully shoddy skill."
Had he said, "I know you've been endlessly producing fakes for generations,"
The Buddhist Venerable would never have broached the subject.
But because Bu Eun-seol deliberately mocked him—"You made such a laughable fake"—
A sinister light flickered in the Buddhist Venerable's eyes.
"The benefactor seems to be under a misconception."
The Buddhist Venerable, his pupils gleaming eerily, spoke in a chilling voice.
"This old monk exists everywhere... yet nowhere at all."
A bizarre and terrifying statement.
If those words were true—
Then there was no such thing as a "fake," and every shadow was, in fact, a True Body.
'If that's true...'
A flash of insight crossed Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
If that was true—
Then it explained why the aura of the "real" Buddhist Venerable, whom he had encountered throughout the Martial World, had also been present in this "fake."
The Buddhist Venerable wasn't creating mere imitations...
He was continuously forging new versions of himself, each with identical abilities.
'It can't just be empty boasting.'
Thanks to relentlessly steering the conversation—
He had uncovered a clue to the Buddhist Venerable's long-concealed secret.
"If the benefactor does not believe this old monk's words—"
Then, the Buddhist Venerable spoke leisurely.
"Then why not unleash that power and see for yourself?"
If this "fake" Buddhist Venerable truly possessed the same abilities as the real one—
Then unleashing the power of World and Realm Annihilation would be a mistake.
He was a living compendium of martial arts, having mastered not only the orthodox factions but all manner of martial disciplines.
Against such an existence, victory through pure martial skill alone was impossible.
"However, I must advise... it would be wiser to fight with every ounce of strength you possess."
The Buddhist Venerable's expression hardened abruptly—
Because Bu Eun-seol's lips had curled into a smile brimming with confidence.
To his knowledge, this young Grandmaster of the Demonic Path was neither arrogant nor the type to underestimate his foes.
So why was he smiling?
"I fail to see what's so amusing."
"It's funny that you think life and death are determined solely by superiority in martial arts."
The Martial Extremity Realm Bu Eun-seol had achieved was a state born from countless battles, accumulated experience, and enlightenment—
A new realm of power that transcended the principles of existing martial arts.
He had always fought opponents a step above him, yet survived and seized victory.
Not because his martial arts were superior—
But because, in a contest of pure martial skill—
The factors and variables that determined the outcome were beyond counting.
As if to prove it—
From the moment he had encountered the Buddhist Venerable, he had been analyzing him, scrutinizing his surroundings.
The Buddhist Venerable's psychology, physical condition, stance and balance, the terrain, temperature, humidity, the angle of sunlight, the firmness and softness of the ground beneath his feet—
His fighting spirit, his mindset, even his convictions—
All these conditions intertwined to determine the life and death of a martial artist.
Bu Eun-seol had always accounted for every factor, read the battlefield, controlled the flow, calculated the variables—
And thus survived, stacking victory upon victory.
It didn't matter how profound or overwhelming the Buddhist Venerable's martial arts were.
Even if it cost him his life—
I will definitely pierce through his throat.
"Hohoho, so that's how it is."
The Buddhist Venerable shook his head with a benevolent smile.
"If you're that confident, then strike first. Otherwise, you won't get another chance."
Swish!
Without another word, Bu Eun-seol immediately thrust his Ink Soul Sword toward the Venerable's neck.
There wasn't the slightest gap in his Sword Stroke.
The Buddhist Venerable had to lean back to evade.
Ssshk—
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's Sword Stroke shifted midair and slashed downward toward the Venerable's shoulder.
The moment the Venerable perceived the opening in the Martial Forms and dodged, Bu Eun-seol altered his Sword Stroke accordingly.
"You've truly mastered the Sword Studies of the Fire Rain Sword."
Having discerned that Bu Eun-seol was unfolding the Fire Rain Sword Technique, the Buddhist Venerable—
Instead of deploying his signature Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm—
Unleashed Shaolin's foundational Palm Studies, the Demon-Subduing Palm Method.
Whoosh! CRACK!
The Demon-Subduing Palm Method was deceptively simple, yet its nature was as unyielding as steel hidden within cotton.
It was a plain, water-like Palm Technique, capable of countering the Fire Rain Sword Technique, which was serene yet capable of sudden, unpredictable shifts.
Whish! Swish! Crack-crack-crack!
In mere moments, the two had exchanged over forty moves, yet not once did palm and sword clash.
The Sword Technique was endlessly complex in its variations, while the Palm Technique relentlessly exploited the gaps in the Martial Forms to counter.
No matter what Sword Technique Bu Eun-seol deployed, the Buddhist Venerable matched it perfectly in defense.
And when countering, his movements aligned with such precision, it was as if they were performing a prearranged dance.
This was a feat impossible without flawlessly anticipating Bu Eun-seol's Sword Technique.
"Amitabha."
The Buddhist Venerable uttered a Buddhist invocation, smiling as he shifted his Palm Technique once more.
Screeee— Crack-crack!
With his left hand, he extended Palm Energy like stretched taffy, while his right hand unfolded a Palm Technique sharp as a spear.
Bu Eun-seol attempted to counter, but there was no opening in the Palm Technique to exploit.
Tremble.
Yet as time passed, his body swayed violently.
Though the Palm Energy had not struck directly, a searing heat had invaded his body.
Soon, an unbearable pain surged through his chest, suffocating him.
'The Yin-Yang Twin Palms.'
The Buddhist Venerable had used the Yin-Softness of his left hand to create the perfect path for the strike to land on Bu Eun-seol's body.
Then, with a Palm Technique imbued with Yang Force, he disrupted Bu Eun-seol's Meridians.
This technique not only required the simultaneous use of Yin-Yang Dual Qi but also demanded an extremely delicate control of Internal Energy.
Above all, it could only be executed by perfectly predicting the enemy's movements—making it a method rarely used in actual combat.
Yet the Buddhist Venerable had deployed this One Yin, One Yang technique as effortlessly as if Bu Eun-seol were standing still.
"If a proper technique does not emerge within three moves—"
Shhhhk—
Pausing briefly, the Buddhist Venerable spoke with the finality of a judge passing sentence.
"—This benefactor will not escape Death."
There was no denying it.
With just this single move of the Yin-Yang Twin Palms, the Buddhist Venerable had demonstrated not only a mastery of Martial Arts so profound that Bu Eun-seol could never hope to match—
But also an insight into anticipating his opponent's movements that existed on an entirely higher plane.
"Even with 120 Years of cultivation, you should be able to deploy various Martial Arts, no?"
Seeing Bu Eun-seol make no move, the Venerable chuckled lightly.
"There must be Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang techniques, or perhaps something like the Bloody Tears Seven Forms or the Martial Emperor's Martial Arts. Why not use them?"
The Buddhist Venerable was subtly revealing that he had already analyzed and studied every Martial Art Bu Eun-seol had learned—
All to unsettle his mind once more.
Clank.
Slowly, Bu Eun-seol raised his sword to a high stance.
"So it's the Martial Arts of Langya Pavilion, after all."
Recognizing it as the stance of Langya Pavilion's Practical Sword Study, the Buddhist Venerable clicked his tongue.
"It wouldn't be bad to unleash the martial arts of your own sect to your heart's content one last time."
Sssssss—
The Venerable's hands trembled rapidly, conjuring hundreds of shadows.
Even before fully deploying his Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm—now at Grand Perfection—
The palm shadows multiplied endlessly.
"It's been a rare pleasure, as if I've returned to the past."
As he lightly extended both palms—
Hundreds, then thousands of palm shadows cascaded toward Bu Eun-seol.
A massive halo rippled behind the Buddhist Venerable, and from within it, countless palms poured forth, blotting out the sky.
These were not illusions—each was real, and every single palm contained the essence of all Shaolin's Martial Arts.
With Bu Eun-seol's current abilities, there was no way to block them using the Martial Arts he had mastered.
FWOOOOOSH—!
The thousands of Palm Energies filling his vision surged like a colossal tidal wave, threatening to swallow him whole.
There was nowhere to evade.
Yet—
Sssk.
With an utterly calm expression—
Bu Eun-seol brought down his raised Ink Soul Sword with all his might.
CRACK—!
In that instant, the thousands of descending palm shadows coalesced into a single palm—
Shhk.
Only to be cleanly split in two by the Ink Soul Sword.
The Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm—which no one had ever broken through, not even once—
Had been shattered by a single stroke of his sword.
Drip... drip...
From both powerless, fallen palms, crimson blood flowed ceaselessly.
The razor-sharp sword energy emitted from the Ink Soul Sword had pierced straight through them.