Chapter 1253
They say a person's fate is determined by their name, don't they?
Yu Un-ryong was born as a lofty figure who rides the clouds like a dragon, knowing when to strike.
Myo Cheon-u lived up to his name, "Heaven's Wings," with a free-spirited nature.
And Seok U-haeng...
The name "U-haeng", meaning "Fool's Path," carried the intent of humbly reflecting on and guarding against one's own foolish actions.
He was likely born into a prestigious, influential family.
Such deliberately self-deprecating names—rooted in humility—were usually given by highly educated families or scholars.
But Bu Eun-seol thought the name Seok U-haeng didn't suit him at all.
Even when there was no need for it.
Even when better paths existed.
He always chose the foolish one.
'So that's how it was.'
Bu Eun-seol grasped the situation instantly.
'He wasn't just watching the Great Righteous Experts—he had his eyes on the Ten Demonic Heirs too, planning to turn them all into puppets.'
In the past, Seok U-haeng had detonated explosives in the underground waterways, bringing about his own demise.
The Buddhist Venerable, who had been tracking and observing him all along, seized this opportunity.
Leaving behind a decoy corpse to deceive the Extreme Killing Secret Pavilion, he took the dying man here.
Using the True Demon's medical arts, he revived him—only to remodel him into a loyal killing machine.
"You were alive. U-haeng."
Though Bu Eun-seol spoke warmly, Seok U-haeng's eyes held no focus—only hostility and murderous intent.
Swoosh!
Unable to wield his full strength within the Domain of World and Realm Annihilation, he charged forward as if resolved for mutual destruction.
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, dazzling points of light scattered before Bu Eun-seol's eyes, and Seok U-haeng's figure split into eight.
This was the pinnacle of the Art of Killing, devised by the Extreme Killing Secret Pavilion—an absolute, unerring mutual-destruction technique.
The Eight-Image Flash.
Thud!
A dull sound reverberated through the stone chamber.
Seok U-haeng's sharp hand had already pierced deep into Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
Crimson blood spilled out, muscles and veins torn apart, yet Bu Eun-seol did not retaliate—only gazed at him with calm eyes.
"Just being alive is enough."
In response, Seok U-haeng only let out a beastly growl from his throat.
"No matter what, I'll... return you to how you were."
"Ghh—kgh!"
Seok U-haeng twisted the hand embedded in Bu Eun-seol's shoulder with all his might.
But Bu Eun-seol's body was like steel—no matter how much he tried to ravage it from within, it wouldn't yield.
Tap-tap-tap!
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol struck Seok U-haeng's pressure points.
Yet it felt like hitting solid iron—his fingertips stung, and he couldn't sense the flow of blood.
The Buddhist Venerable had remodeled his body to render pressure points ineffective.
That left only one method.
"Endure it just a little longer."
Light flashed once more in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"I'll get you out of here quickly."
Gripping Seok U-haeng's embedded arm, he drew upon his Internal Power at full strength.
Fwoooosh!
In an instant, millions of lights burst forth within the stone chamber, flooding the world with radiance.
Not a sword—but his own body as the weapon, spreading the energy of life through Baekri-muha's Heaven-Severing Sword Art.
He had unleashed the Ink Soul First Form.
Fwoooosh!
Countless points of light swirled around Seok U-haeng's body.
"Uuuugh!"
Seok U-haeng resisted with all his might, but—
Sssssk.
As an immense surge of life force poured into his body, his strength gradually waned, and his gaze began to clear.
Thud.
Finally, as all the light vanished, Seok U-haeng's body slowly slumped.
Unable to withstand the pure, overwhelming life energy continuously absorbed into his body—
The Great Art had shattered, and he lost consciousness.
Ssssk.
Bu Eun-seol's hair briefly turned white before reverting to black.
Having grasped the mystery of perfect circulation, his life force no longer drained.
"Seok U-haeng."
The Ink Soul First Form was a Sword Form of life itself.
Capable of severing all Great Arts and even inborn karma scattered throughout the world.
But something unexpected happened.
"Snap out of it."
Though the Ink Soul First Form had broken his brainwashing, it seemed even the Great Art sustaining his life had unraveled.
White smoke now rose from his unconscious body.
'Something's wrong.'
CRACK!
Bu Eun-seol instantly activated his Movement Technique at full power, bursting out of the Secluded Valley in a flash, and sent a Thousand-Li Voice Transmission to the waiting Death Soul Squad members.
[There is no danger inside. Have the Unit Members enter and thoroughly investigate all retrievable information. Treat the remains of the deceased with utmost respect and cremate them properly.]
With those final words, he vanished into the distant sky in an instant.
Demon Hall, Medicine King Faction.
Gyo Jung-hak, the Medicine King Faction Lord, furrowed his brow as he examined Seok U-haeng, whose body was covered in crisscrossing sutures and gruesome wounds.
"Why have you brought a corpse to this old man?"
"He still breathes."
"Breathe he may."
Gyo Jung-hak narrowed his eyes.
"But it's only because his reactions have been suppressed with the right drugs. Forget regaining consciousness—his body will rot over the next few months before he finally dies."
"Drugs, you say?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Gyo Jung-hak gestured to Seok U-haeng's body.
"This man is only alive because someone grafted another's flesh and skin onto him."
The explosion had stripped Seok U-haeng of most of his skin.
So the Buddhist Venerable had replaced the lost flesh with that of others.
"In essence, they took a dead man and forced him to keep breathing."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"But he wielded immense Internal Power and fought me for over a hundred exchanges."
"He fought you??"
"Yes."
Gyo Jung-hak, looking as though he couldn't believe it, checked Seok U-haeng's pulse once more.
After a long examination, he let out an incredulous sigh.
"This makes no sense."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at these."
Gyo Jung-hak pointed to the sutures covering Seok U-haeng's body.
"They didn't just replace his skin—they removed and replaced his internal organs as well."
Then, shaking his head in disbelief, he added:
"But before the treatment could be completed, he was forced to fight you, Lord, aggravating his wounds... and now he's dying because of it."
"Is that even possible?"
"From this old man's perspective, of course not."
"Then—"
"If you find the one who performed this organ and skin graft, they might be able to finish the treatment and save him."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
The Buddhist Venerable, now aware he was being hunted, had vanished back into the shadows.
Finding him again within a few months was practically impossible.
"Are you saying even you cannot do it, Hall Lord?"
"Sewing organs, reconnecting blood vessels, grafting skin and flesh—that is not this old man's expertise."
Gyo Jung-hak was a master of acupuncture and pharmacology.
He had never attempted such a procedure.
"Moreover, this level of treatment far surpasses the medical knowledge of this era."
Bu Eun-seol's face twisted in despair.
"Then there's no one in the martial world who can heal him."
Gyo Jung-hak was the Medicine King Faction Lord of the Demon Hall, one of the Divine Hands of this generation.
If even he couldn't do it, then naturally, no other Divine Hand could.
"As I said, that is this old man's perspective. Strictly speaking, there are those who could treat him."
"The first would be the one who treated him before... Is there a second?"
"There is."
Gyo Jung-hak's answer was unexpected.
"There is one whose skill transcends even the so-called renowned physicians of this era. If anyone could heal him, it would be that man."
"Who?"
"The Mad Doctor."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
The Divine Hand who had once healed his grievous wounds in an instant during the Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament?
Once known as the Divine Hand, he had gone mad after failing to save his beloved—yet his medical skills remained unparalleled.
If anyone could heal Seok U-haeng, it was him.
"The Mad Doctor treated me during the Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament."
Bu Eun-seol asked with renewed hope.
"Is he in the Demon Hall?"
"Of course not. He was only summoned temporarily by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor during the tournament."
"You mean the former Lord?"
"Indeed. In all the world, only the Demonic Heavenly Emperor can call upon that deranged Mad Doctor."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath as he gazed in the direction of the Holy Demon Pavilion.
In the end... he would have to plead with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Holy Demon Pavilion, Grand Hall.
Twelve towering pillars, each carved with intertwined dragons and demonic beasts ascending to the heavens, supported the vaulted ceiling.
Ancient Demonic Sect sigils writhed across their surfaces, pulsing with a bloody glow.
The black marble floor swallowed all light, reflecting nothing—a yawning abyss that refused to show even the silhouette of those who tread upon it.
At the center of the Grand Hall, atop a high dais where the crimson carpet ended, sat a massive obsidian throne radiating icy energy.
Upon it sat the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, his appearance that of an ordinary old man one might see anywhere.
Yet within his eyes swirled the cycle of cosmic Life and Death, an unfathomable abyss unfolding—a mysterious radiance that defied comprehension.
An aura of serene yet world-shaking absolute majesty enveloped him.
Every inch of the Grand Hall's space had merged with his presence.
From the moment one stepped inside, all senses vanished—even the act of walking or breathing required the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's permission.
Yet Bu Eun-seol walked forward calmly.
Because he had reached the Void-Piercing Realm.
Even in such circumstances, he remained largely unaffected.
Noticing this, a glimmer of interest flickered in the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's eyes.
"Cheong-i is here."
Bu Eun-seol abandoned his usual tone when addressing the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and instead bowed deeply, his voice reverent and respectful.
"Please inform me of the Mad Doctor's whereabouts."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor leaned back in his throne, studying Bu Eun-seol for a moment before speaking with an intrigued expression.
"The Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl."
His voice was low.
"Bring it to me."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had known all along that Bu Eun-seol possessed the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl.
A treasure of eternity.
Yet without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol retrieved it to save Seok U-haeng.
Clack.
Drawing the pearl from the Dragon-Phoenix Ring, he approached and offered it to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Swish.
In an instant, the pearl was already in the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's palm.
Not through Void Object Retrieval—but by displacing space itself to take it.
"As expected."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor examined the pearl closely before curling his lips into an enigmatic smile.
"You used it properly."
"What do you mean?"
"This is no longer the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl."
Pfft.
The pearl, an ancient treasure untouched by mortal power, crumbled into dust in his hand.
One of the nine Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearls had vanished from the martial world forever.
"When one inherits the Bloodline Karma surpassing the pearl's original power, it can only shatter like this."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze darkened.
So the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had even discerned that he had drawn power from the pearl.
'Only Ok Rim and Un-ryong knew of this.'
Not only had he traced the True Demon's memories through the pearl—
But he had rejected the True Demon's power and instead attained enlightenment in the Void-Piercing Realm. Only those two knew.
Yet the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had realized that, through the pearl, he had inherited the Bloodline Karma instead of the True Demon's strength?
"Do not be surprised."
As if reading his thoughts, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor shook his head.
"When the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl exhausts its purpose, the nebula within it disappears."
'I see.'
Bu Eun-seol had gained enlightenment through the pearl while with So Ok-rim.
But afterward, he had not paid close attention to its state before and after.
'Then the Demonic Heavenly Emperor must also possess one.'
Perhaps even his transcendent realm had been aided by such a treasure.
'In the end, I won't get my answer.'
Having brought a useless pearl, there was no reason for the Demonic Heavenly Emperor to answer him now.
Which meant his next task was clear—
He had to retrieve another Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl within three months.
"Martial artists say I've reached the Invincible Realm because I've grasped the martial arts realms of all my rivals."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor observed Bu Eun-seol with amusement.
"Tell me what you think of that."
"The Invincible Realm?"
"Indeed."
His expression was leisurely.
"Let that answer serve in place of the pearl."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes wavered.
Did this mean his single response would be valued as highly as a treasure of the heavens?
'Demonic Heavenly Emperor...'
An inexplicable emotion gripped him.
Though he knew they were irreconcilable enemies, he couldn't fathom why the man would show such magnanimity.
'I must shake this off.'
—Do not be surprised.
Just moments ago, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had pierced through his thoughts again.
Regardless of martial prowess, Bu Eun-seol still subconsciously regarded him as a superior.
Unless he cast aside this mindset—
He should never even dream of contending with him.
"Can you not answer?"
Wiping away his thoughts at the question, Bu Eun-seol steadied his mind.
'In truth, the Invincible Realm is nothing more than a theoretical concept.'
No matter how profound one's martial arts, could they truly perceive the depths of all potential rivals in a single glance?
And further, gauge how far those rivals might advance in the future?
It bordered on impossibility.
Yet the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
He treated the Invincible Realm as an inevitability and now asked Bu Eun-seol for his perspective on it.
"What the world calls the Invincible Realm in martial theory is merely a reversal of causality."
Having gathered his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol calmly opened his mouth.
"A flowing river cannot even begin to fathom the depth of the sea, yet the sea already knows where the river comes from and where it is bound—waiting all the while."
He met the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's gaze squarely.
"Understanding the martial prowess of one's opponent is not the cause of an invincible state—it is the result."
Then he continued.
"It is only because Your Majesty is invincible that the martial arts of the world's masters are inevitably laid bare before you."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor stroked his chin.
"Though I find it intriguing that you have attempted to measure the invincible state I embody..."
A mysterious glint flashed in his eyes.
"...I asked you to speak of the invincible state you define and pursue."
"I have no such thing as an invincible state."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was low.
"Even if one glimpses their opponent's potential or surpasses their current martial prowess, that alone does not make one invincible."
As he spoke, his gaze burned with an intensity hot enough to melt steel.
"There is no fixed realm. If the enemy changes, so must you."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, as if intrigued, propped his chin on one hand and leaned forward.
"Then are you saying that invincibility is but an illusion—nothing more than empty words?"
"It may exist for some. If one were to define the word 'invincible' from such a perspective..."
Bu Eun-seol did not hesitate.
"...it would not be completion, but endless becoming."
"Not completion... but endless becoming."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's eyes narrowed.
"Truly... who at your age has ever reached such a realization?"
After a long silence, he nodded.
"You have my expectations."
For the first time, emotion colored his voice—something akin to scorching anticipation.
As if he were eagerly waiting for Bu Eun-seol to grow strong enough to threaten even him.
"A promise is a promise, so I shall teach you."
Then, in a low voice, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor uttered something shocking.
"Gwak Ji-san is dead."
Gwak Ji-san was the Mad Doctor's true name.
Bu Eun-seol's pupils trembled like rippling water once more.
If that was the case, then in all the world, the only ones capable of restoring Seok U-haeng to his original state were—
Either the Buddhist Venerable... or those under his command in the Xinglin.
But the Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke unexpected words.
"However... the Mad Doctor is not dead."
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed with understanding.
He grasped what the Demonic Heavenly Emperor meant.
'Gwak Ji-san is dead, but there is a successor who inherited his medical arts.'
"Then where is this person?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor smiled faintly.
"Cheonhye Yakrim."
Cheonhye Yakrim.
Once one of the Central Plains' Three Great Medical Communities, the headquarters of the Infinite Realm—
And the place Bu Eun-seol had annihilated, now vanished without a trace.
How could the Mad Doctor be in Cheonhye Yakrim, a place that had been utterly erased from the Central Plains?
"You may go now."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor issued his dismissal.
Without even a moment to think deeply, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands and stepped out of the Holy Demon Pavilion.
Cheonhye Yakrim.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist.
Now, he had to find the vanished headquarters of the Infinite Realm.
"No matter how much we investigate, Cheonhye Yakrim simply doesn't exist."
Under Bu Eun-seol's orders, Yu Un-ryong—
Leading the Death Soul Squad himself—had searched for the location of Cheonhye Yakrim, where the Mad Doctor supposedly resided.
But the result was the same.
Cheonhye Yakrim no longer existed in this world.
Even the Death Soul Squad could not locate a place that had ceased to be.
"The Mad Doctor is staying in a place that doesn't exist?"
Yu Un-ryong stroked his chin.
"But the Demonic Heavenly Emperor wouldn't lie..."
Though the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had a tendency to speak in riddles, he was not one to deceive.
"The only certainty is that no matter how thoroughly we scour the eighteen thousand leagues of the Central Plains, Cheonhye Yakrim is nowhere to be found."
Unless it had completely severed all access like the Abyssal Forces—or vanished into the heavens or sunk into the earth—
There was no way the Death Soul Squad, which could peer into every corner of the Central Plains, would fail to find it.
"Cheonhye Yakrim... Cheonhye Yakrim..."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he murmured the name.
Cheonhye Yakrim had long stood as one of the Central Plains' Three Great Medical Communities.
Yet no one truly knew its origins.
"Let us first trace the origins of Cheonhye Yakrim—how it came to be in the Central Plains."
"Its origins?"
"Does anyone truly know how Cheonhye Yakrim came into existence?"
"Well, it was said that renowned physicians of the martial world began treating the sick, cultivating their own medicinal herbs, and even distributing them..."
"But no one knows whether that is the truth or not."
Bu Eun-seol spoke impassively.
"Even things we take for granted as truth often turn out to be entirely different when examined closely."
This was a truth he had learned painfully through his wanderings in the Martial World.
In reality, very few of the so-called "known truths" in the martial world were actually accurate.
"I understand what you mean."
Yu Un-ryong nodded.
"We'll investigate the true origins of Cheonhye Yakrim, not the ones known to the martial world."
He, too, sensed it.
The Cheonhye Yakrim the Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke of—
Could not be the same Cheonhye Yakrim that had once been the headquarters of the Infinite Realm.