Chapter 1282
Bu Eun-seol repeated in a voice as cold as winter wind:
"So the reason you were so obsessed with that immense power... was to merge all the Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts into one."
"Heh heh heh heh."
The Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, who had been letting out a low chuckle, raised his head.
"Correct."
Swoosh.
At the same moment, all the young men and women in the village turned their heads toward Bu Eun-seol.
And their faces—
Had already transformed into the aged, grotesque visage of the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
"Didn't I tell you? This old man is a savior, one who seeks a way to preserve the world without defying His will."
Bu Eun-seol was so dumbfounded he nearly burst into laughter.
"And your idea of saving the world is turning everyone into your clones?"
"Not clones. Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts."
The Neither-Human-Nor-Beast smiled.
"Knowledge and experience accumulating without generational disconnect... If everything becomes one, even He would be satisfied."
If one gains insight, all gain it.
No need for secret transmissions or messenger birds. No misunderstandings, no betrayals.
When martial arts advance, all reach the same heights. Even if one dies, the legacy of memories and enlightenment remains unbroken.
From the perspective of nurturing the strong, this was nothing short of the perfect utopian method.
In short, unlike the Buddhist Venerable—who relied on the True Demon's Corpse—
He had created something akin to the Overlapping Pupils People, a collective lifeform.
"Hoh hoh hoh."
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol lowered his head and began to laugh.
"Ha ha ha!"
The Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's expression twisted in bewilderment.
To laugh mockingly at him in this situation?
"What's so amusing?"
"Are you lying out of fear?"
A scornful light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's sharp gaze as he stared at the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
"No... You've gone mad, unable to admit your failure."
He could be certain of it.
The Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's plan had not succeeded.
If such an experiment had truly worked? There would be no room for an outlier like Deung-gwang to exist independently.
"In the end, you were so afraid of death that you mass-produced countless versions of yourself."
With a look of utter disdain, Bu Eun-seol raised the Ink Soul Sword high into the sky.
"A wretch who kneels before power, clinging to life and trembling at death—when do you suppose such a creature could ever reach the pinnacle?"
Clang.
As Bu Eun-seol lowered the sword back to mid-stance, an energy transcending all limits erupted from his body.
"Now, I shall shatter your delusional dream."
"Heh heh heh."
The corners of the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's lips curled upward, his smile growing even more sinister.
Swoooosh.
At the same time, all the young men surrounding them began advancing toward Bu Eun-seol.
Their once-radiant faces had twisted into the same grotesque visage as the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, their torn lips stretching into grins—
It was like watching a nightmare where monsters endlessly poured forth.
"Then let us see you try."
With those final words—
Crash!
All the Neither-Human-Nor-Beasts charged at Bu Eun-seol once more.
Flash! Flash!
Blade energy vast enough to split the heavens poured endlessly from the Ink Soul Sword, yet—
Squelch. Squish.
Their severed flesh morphed like sticky rubber.
Then, like living creatures, they began clinging to Bu Eun-seol's body.
Gurgle.
Before long, Bu Eun-seol's entire form—save for his face—was engulfed in grotesque lumps of flesh.
Gurgle, gurgle.
The flesh writhed again, then began coiling into a spherical mass before his eyes.
Squelch.
The mass of flesh parted its lips, forming the grinning face of the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
[Why so troubled?]
The sight of the clinging flesh taking shape into a massive, speaking face—
Even the bravest soul would have foamed at the mouth and fainted from sheer horror.
[Shall we swallow your face next?]
Gurgle.
The flesh adhered to his body began creeping upward,
Slowly submerging his mouth, then his eyes—
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol's vision plunged into darkness as his face was consumed.
'Death.'
A sensation of his body endlessly plummeting into blackness, and the descent of an abyssal Death looming over him.
Like sinking into deep waters, Bu Eun-seol's body fell, and fell, and fell without end.
And when he finally reached the bottom?
Death would be complete, and the existence known as Bu Eun-seol would vanish.
An ordinary man would have thrashed desperately to rise back up, but—
Splash!
Instead, Bu Eun-seol twisted his body and accelerated his descent.
Before long, the abyssal Death revealed itself before him.
'So this is how you depict death.'
Arrival here didn't mean the cessation of breath—but the slow severing of thought.
If one could no longer think...
Then they would cease to be human in any meaningful sense.
'Then this is, without a doubt, a manifestation of the death I envision.'
Ever since the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast began effortlessly reading his mind,
Bu Eun-seol had faintly grasped the nature of this ability.
That was why he had stalled, pretending to resist.
Even when he could have prevented the flesh from clinging to him, he deliberately feigned helplessness.
All to witness the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's true, unblemished form—
And to annihilate that existence utterly.
Fwoosh!
Without fear, Bu Eun-seol plunged into the embodiment of Death itself.
In that black, lightless void where no thought could exist—
He raged with thought. He remembered.
Consciousness grew faint, the very meaning of existence began to fade.
Death, by its nature, cannot be stopped.
No matter how desperately one clings to existence, everything gradually slips away.
Flicker!
Yet at that moment, a faint light ignited from Bu Eun-seol's body.
The glow slowly began to revolve around him.
'Nothing in this world can sever the natural principle of circulation.'
Circulation.
Having grasped the profound mystery of circulation through the Ink Soul First Form, he could perpetuate the endless cycle of all things—
Thought, life force—everything.
Whoosh, whoosh. Swish-swish-swish-swish!
The luminous particles swirling around his body accelerated, their trajectories gradually forming a perfect circle.
Whirrrrrrrr!
Finally, as his entire form became enveloped in a radiant, pure-white sphere of light—
Ssssshhh.
A clear sound resonated, and the darkness before his eyes brightened.
What unfolded next was a sight beyond belief.
"......!"
A grotesque tree, its trunk embedded with a massive, hollowed-out skull, stood before him.
Countless branches, writhing like living creatures, coiled tightly around Bu Eun-seol's body.
He had not been fighting In Bi-in all this time.
Instead, he had been cradled within the embrace of this monstrous tree—its crowned skull looming—becoming one with it.
"So this is In Bi-in's true form."
Thick, viscous sap oozed from the cracks of the exposed skull, trickling down Bu Eun-seol's skin.
The branches constricted his flesh while simultaneously burrowing inward, taking root between muscle and bone.
With every breath In Bi-in took, the tendrils contracted faintly, compressing his lungs.
When he tried to lift his head, fibrous roots anchored to the back of his skull seized his spine.
The great skull's jaw slowly creaked open and shut, exhaling faint reverberations from the abyss within.
In short—
In Bi-in had become this colossal tree, its trunk embedded with a hollowed skull, its limbs coiled mercilessly around Bu Eun-seol.
"So passing through the Gate of Death meant entering the embrace of this tree—of you."
Even the vast illusion of the living forest had been part of In Bi-in's meticulous trap.
He had made even Bu Eun-seol—a man whose martial insight, intellect, and mastery stood unrivaled in the martial world—believe without question that the Gate of Death was the true exit.
And thus, he had willingly stepped into the arms of the tree that was In Bi-in.
[How is this possible?]
The voice of In Bi-in—embedded within the tree—murmured in disbelief.
[Once trapped here, none should awaken on their own.]
For ages, he had toyed with humanity, crafting false bodies to prolong his wretched existence.
Yet when he realized his attempt to bring In Bi-in into existence had failed, he had merged with the Samana Forest of Amara Fortress.
A soul-sucking demon that hung a skull on a tree and drained human brain fluid—
This was the hidden truth of In Bi-in.
"In your own way, you've achieved harmony with nature."
Bu Eun-seol let out an involuntary, wry sigh.
The branches extending from In Bi-in had sharpened into needle-like thorns, piercing his temples and pressure points.
At a distance so close their noses nearly touched—
In Bi-in pressed a single eye, large as a human skull, against him, channeling energy into him.
Fused with the tree, he had, in his own way, become one with nature.
"So this is how you read my thoughts."
[How can the vitality I absorbed be returning to you?]
The hollowed skull was not merely for reading the minds of those who entered his domain—
It was also a means to drain their life force, down to the very marrow.
Yet now, everything he had siphoned from Bu Eun-seol was flowing back out.
'He understands nothing of the mystery of circulation.'
Even with ancient knowledge—
Even as a monstrous forest fused with human intellect, manipulating minds and consuming marrow—
The natural harmony and cyclical profundity of the Ink Soul First Form remained beyond his grasp.
"This village was also an illusion."
Bu Eun-seol surveyed his surroundings.
The tranquil village, the beautiful youths and women—all had vanished without a trace.
They, too, had been mere phantoms conjured from In Bi-in's mind.
[Tell me—how did you awaken?]
His dark arts had already shattered.
He could no longer peer into Bu Eun-seol's thoughts.
"You will die without ever hearing the answer."
Like the Buddhist Venerable, In Bi-in had fallen into the trap of knowledge.
He had endlessly researched ancient wisdom, devising his own path to immortality—
Yet in the end, he had only damned himself.
"You'll writhe in hell, forever tormented by this unsolved mystery."
[Killing me matters little.]
In Bi-in pleaded desperately.
[Just tell me—how did you escape the Evil Spirit Art?]
'A man who relies on convenient spells could never comprehend the grandeur of martial principles.'
Bu Eun-seol was a grandmaster who had ceaselessly studied and innovated the truths of martial arts.
Thus, he had known from the start—
That In Bi-in's ability to perfectly read another's thoughts, a power akin to divine authority, was fundamentally impossible.
Which was why he had discerned the truth—
That even this vast illusion shrouding the forest was a trap, meticulously designed to deceive even the most brilliant minds, those versed in formations and martial strategy, into believing the Gate of Death was the true exit.
Moreover, when he deliberately allowed himself to be dragged down into the domain of death created by Neither-Human-Nor-Beast,
Bu Eun-seol realized that Neither-Human-Nor-Beast wasn't peering into his mind—
but rather forcibly connecting to his Spirit and Mind through some kind of power.
The essence of death wasn't the cessation of life, but the erasure of thought—
and that very concept of death was something he himself had been contemplating.
—Everything is an illusion.
At last, he recognized it.
Everything he had experienced from the moment he entered the forest until now—
wasn't something he had truly seen, heard, or felt with his own senses, but a mere fantasy.
"Answer me. What is the Primordial Dragon in the Imperial Palace?"
[That is all I can tell you.]
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast spoke in a low voice.
[That there is a gate leading to the Primordial Dragon within the Imperial Palace.]
"I see."
With a chilling tone,
Srrrk—
A sinister metallic sound accompanied the emergence of the Ink Soul Sword from Bu Eun-seol's hand.
The blade, dark as the abyss, swallowed light and pressed down on the surrounding air with crushing weight—
Flash!Shwa-shwa-shwa-shwak!
Innumerable sword energies wove through the void like a net, stitching the air itself.
[Ah, no—!]
Just as the grotesque head of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, tangled in tree bark, let out a scream,
his body began splitting into hundreds—no, thousands—of pieces, scattering in all directions.
—Uoooooooh.
A disturbing wail echoed from somewhere. The entire forest writhed in agony as the ground trembled.
From the smooth cross-sections oozed a revolting black ichor, reeking of decay.
Wherever the ichor touched, the earth warped, creating the illusion of the world twisting in on itself.
Sssssss—Crinkle.
Lifeless branches contorted grotesquely, withering into ashen husks.
The death of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast was the end of the forest.
With the severing of the life force that had sustained it,
the once-lush Samana Forest crumbled like a mirage, reduced to a handful of dust.
[As long as you exist, this world will inevitably face Final Extinction.]
The dying voice of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast spread in all directions.
[His will was correct. No matter how many weaklings we cull, no matter how many strong remain... it's meaningless.]
His unfocused eyes stared into the void as he muttered.
[The moment an anomaly like you appears, the balance of the world will collapse once more.]
As the powdered remnants of the forest scattered in the wind, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's voice grew fainter.
[Even a world composed solely of the strong cannot escape annihilation the moment an absolute ruler rises above them.]
Though his voice diminished, it clung to Bu Eun-seol's ears, growing ever clearer.
[The legends of the Baekri Clan are nothing but lies they fabricated.]
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast let out a grotesque laugh, as if reciting a predetermined future.
[You know everything, yet you won't stop. Soon, you'll kill the Emperor. You'll kill them all.]
Baring his teeth, he began laughing like a madman.
[In the end, you will be both the spark and the fuse that brings ruin to everything!]
Crackle.
In that instant, all the trees turned to dust, withering away—and Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's voice was heard no more.
Thus, the leader of the Eight Heavenly Servants—
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, who had thrown the martial world into turmoil and sought to slaughter ordinary people and the weak with his grotesque doctrines—was no more.
"Kill the Emperor?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Long ago, the old man from the Sacred Domain had hinted that he and the Emperor would eventually oppose each other.
And now, Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had outright cursed him, declaring that he would kill the Emperor.
"The path to ruin..."
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, like Deung-gwang,
had proclaimed with certainty that he would be the beginning of destruction.
—If you go to Amara Fortress and see Neither-Human-Nor-Beast... once you unravel all the secrets, you'll understand why I'm doing this.
At last, Bu Eun-seol realized why Deung-gwang had said those words.
'Deung-gwang desired ruin.'
He had known that the beginning of destruction—
would start with Bu Eun-seol killing Neither-Human-Nor-Beast and obtaining information about the gate to the Primordial Dragon within the Imperial Palace.
"There is a gate to the Primordial Dragon in the Imperial Palace."
If true, there was no time to waste.
The Emperor sought to use him, and his position as Commander of the Dragon Scale Guard was temporary.
Moreover, once the Emperor learned of this, he would surely exploit it as leverage.
He had to reach the Imperial Palace as soon as possible—
and find the place where the Primordial Dragon resided.
Since the Empress Dowager's deposition, security in the Imperial Palace had tightened drastically.
Due to the treason incident,
some of the Masters under the Heavenly Emperor Command—who had remained hidden until now—began secretly stationed within the palace.
Originally, they, along with the Heavenly Might Secret Army, were to follow the orders of Bu Eun-seol, who possessed the Dragon-Phoenix Ring.
But the Emperor had not formally appointed Bu Eun-seol as Royal Consort, delaying his marriage to the princess.
Of course, that might have seemed favorable to Bu Eun-seol—
but perhaps the Emperor had long calculated his temperament, the Empress Dowager's treason, and more,
devising a plan to command the Heavenly Emperor Command without the Dragon-Phoenix Ring.
"Commander."
As Bu Eun-seol, clad in the official robes of the Dragon Scale Guard Commander, approached the Imperial Palace, the guards at the Meridian Gate lowered their heads in unison.
At his waist hung the Command Plaque, proof of his direct authority under the Emperor.
The bronze plaque, engraved with a dragon motif, wasn't merely an identification token—
but a symbol of the extent of power he could wield within the palace.
Ordinary military officers or eunuchs had to undergo
identity verification, state their purpose for entry, and record their accompanying personnel—
but most of those procedures were waived for Bu Eun-seol.
He was the head of the Dragon Scale Guard, the Emperor's personal force,
and had been granted the authority to prioritize the Emperor's safety and the palace's order above all else.
"Dragon Scale Guard Commander, entering the palace!"
As the guard's shout echoed, the scribe waiting atop the gate tower checked the register,
and with the loosening of golden chains, the side gate of the Meridian Gate swung open.
He had entered the Imperial Palace immediately in order to reach the gate where the Primordial Dragon resided.