Chapter 1286
The old man wore an expression of utter disbelief.
"This isn't the Heavenly Will Realm..."
He had sensed it—not only his own power but even Bu Eun-seol's strength had vanished.
"You've gone mad! You've restricted not just your enemy's power but your own as well?"
"I have no interest in the Gate of Primordial Beginning or the Creation-Era Martial Artists."
Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"I must enter the Baekri Clan without fail."
"You still haven't come to your senses."
Snap!
As if offended, the old man's eyes flashed, and he extended a finger.
"You brought this upon yourself—don't blame this old man for it."
A single point of light shot from his fingertip like lightning, streaking toward Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
It was a force that completely transcended distance—not any kind of technique or method, but... perfected power.
Sssshhk!
With a sharp Sound of Breaking Air, the fierce point of light grazed past where Bu Eun-seol had been standing.
'It resembles the Buddhist Venerable's technique.'
The finger technique the old man had unleashed was akin to the Buddhist Venerable's Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm from the past.
Not a technique that formed through movement, but one that was already complete the moment it was unleashed—an unavoidable method, much like Limitless Power.
Swoosh—Crack!
Like a hawk snatching its prey, Bu Eun-seol shot upward into the air and unleashed thirty-seven sword strikes in a single breath.
Slash-slash-slash-slash!
The sword energy trembled endlessly, its trajectory impossible to predict, each strike alive like a living creature as it wildly pierced toward the old man's body.
"You're a dangerous one."
Mistaking Bu Eun-seol for having instantly replicated his technique, the old man wildly swung both hands, cleanly erasing the encroaching sword energy.
BOOM!
In that moment, Bu Eun-seol unleashed a massive surge of sword energy—enough to make the old man's body disappear.
He had executed Waning Moon Morning Star, silently cleaving through the old man's chest without a sound.
"Hah!"
Stunned beyond belief, the old man poured all his internal power into his palms and split the sword energy apart.
Then, as if the sword energy were a tangible object, it shattered into dust with a crunching sound, scattering into the wind.
"You little—!"
Just as the old man was about to exhale in relief, his eyes widened again.
A pitch-black sword was already piercing toward his throat.
Swish!
So startled that his mouth hung open, the old man spun violently midair, tilting his body sideways to evade.
Fwip!
Even though he had dodged the attack—
The hem of his robes was torn to shreds, scattering in the wind.
His body shuddered as if struck by Yin-Cold Palm Force.
Even though it had only grazed him, thirteen streams of internal power had been injected in that single sword strike, nearly tearing his meridians apart.
"How?! I clearly foresaw everything!"
At the old man's outcry, Bu Eun-seol inwardly scoffed.
'Showing me the landscape of the Saha Manor was your mistake.'
The old man had shown Bu Eun-seol the scenery of the Saha Manor to shake his spirit and mind.
But in doing so—
Bu Eun-seol had realized that this place itself was a trap designed to lay bare his innermost thoughts.
'Neither-Human-Nor-Beast's Evil Spirit Art was also called an ancient forbidden technique.'
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, who had pierced through skulls and merged with the forest itself to read his enemies' minds.
Perhaps he had once made contact with the Creation-Era Martial Artists and tried to imitate their methods.
Having already experienced a similar situation when defeating Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, Bu Eun-seol—
At the critical moment, focused his mind into a single point, inducing a cessation of thought—
And thus rendered useless the old man's mind-piercing forbidden technique.
Drip.
A single drop of sweat trickled down Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
Though the attack had seemed effortless—
The precise timing and internal power control had been nothing short of an all-out strike.
He had exhausted every last bit of his strength in that instant.
In contrast, the old man, having seemingly shaken off his internal injuries, soon approached with a calm expression and nodded.
"Since the Heavenly Cloud Swordsman Hwa Myeong, I've never heard of anyone with a spirit and mind as unshakable and swordplay as exceptional as yours."
The Heavenly Cloud Swordsman was a figure from three hundred years ago. Did that mean this old man was over three hundred years of age?
'Impossible.'
Bu Eun-seol immediately shook his head.
The old man was undeniably flesh and blood—no human could live for three hundred years.
Especially since he had said, "I've never heard of."
Meaning he hadn't seen it himself.
Most likely, there had been those who guarded this trial gate through the generations, and the Old Man had heard the stories passed down from them.
"Though you haven't ascended to the Heavenly Will Realm, you've pioneered a new realm we didn't create... That should qualify you."
But then, the Old Man said something unexpected.
"Go inside."
A flash of light streaked through Bu Eun-seol's pupils in that instant.
Did that mean—if one either reached the Heavenly Will Realm or attained a Divine Realm that had never existed before—
They would be qualified to pass through this gate?
"You're the kind of man who dissects every word, endlessly thinking and grasping at countless pieces of information."
The Old Man watched the flickering light in Bu Eun-seol's eyes before shaking his head.
"Then again, with a mind like that, it's no surprise you could pioneer a new realm."
"......"
"There's no time. Aren't you going in?"
At the Old Man's urging,
"My thanks."
Bu Eun-seol bowed slightly before stepping slowly toward the distant gate.
With each step, a faint sound whispered in his ears.
A quiet, rustling noise—like sand being poured from an hourglass turned upside down.
The closer he got to the gate, the more the space twisted, and his footsteps faded before even touching the ground.
Past and future overlapped like thin veils, the scenery before him folding into multiple layers.
The birth and fall of a single figure, the rise and decline of a nameless kingdom, the enlightenment of an unknown martial artist... Countless things flashed past in an instant.
And just as he was about to reach the gate—
Clank.
A dull sound, and Bu Eun-seol's steps halted.
When he turned his head, he was stunned to see—
The Chain of Reincarnation had extended from his left arm on its own, embedding itself deep into the ground.
Why?
Though startled, he forced himself to take another step forward.
Clank.
This time, a chain burst from his right arm, piercing through the floor.
"Gh—"
Creak.
He strained with all his might to wrench his arms free, but the chains didn't budge.
No matter how much strength he exerted, the chains embedded in the ground refused to let him advance.
"Hoh."
The Old Man, watching this, clicked his tongue before stepping forward.
"You're a greedy one."
"......"
"You've already obtained a fragment of the chain. Why do you still seek to enter the Primordial Gate?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't fully grasp the intent behind the question, but his answer was firm.
"I didn't obtain this because I wanted it."
"What?"
The Old Man, who had been staring blankly, suddenly let out a dry chuckle, his eyes filling with cold disdain.
"Then I suppose I may reclaim this chain."
"By all means."
The moment Bu Eun-seol answered without hesitation, the Old Man's eyes flashed.
"Good."
Hiiing—
Hazy points of light gathered behind his back, forming a circular halo before twisting into an arcane sigil.
The patterns carved into the air writhed as if alive, stretching toward the chains embedded in Bu Eun-seol's arms.
Skreeeech—
The air distorted, and invisible sawblades seemed to grind against the chains, sparks flying.
The chains buried deep in the ground trembled violently before, at the Old Man's gesture, beginning to transform into threads of light.
"Return."
With a low incantation, the threads of light rippled—
But then, the unexpected happened.
CRACK!
The ground split, flames erupting—
And the chains, which had turned into threads of light, were now reforged into links of crimson steel, their surfaces etched with dark, searing patterns.
"What—?"
The Old Man's brow twisted in shock.
BOOM!
Clasping his hands together, an even greater radiance burst forth, more sigils blooming into existence.
Space warped, the ground undulating like liquid.
Yet the chains didn't move an inch.
Instead, a strange force welled up from the depths—
And began reflecting the Old Man's own power back at him.
BANG!
Struck by the Counterforce, the Old Man was flung backward, the sigils he had conjured scattering like shattered glass.
"This is...?"
Dazed, the Old Man scanned his surroundings before fixing his gaze on Bu Eun-seol, who stood there calmly.
Far from resisting, he had remained still the entire time, as if perfectly willing to let the chains be taken. So why had this happened?
"Heh heh heh..."
Suddenly, the Old Man began to laugh—a strange, unsettling sound.
"Kehahahaha!"
After laughing heartily for a long while, the old man shook his head.
"You cannot enter. Turn back."
"What do you mean?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, the old man raised his eyebrows as high as they would go.
"Didn't you see it with your own eyes? You cannot enter."
"Is it because of the Chain of Reincarnation?"
"That is merely one reason among many."
As Bu Eun-seol stood silently, the old man snorted and stretched out his hand.
"You don't believe me, do you? Then try entering again."
Clang.
With a metallic sound, the chain that had burst from Bu Eun-seol's arm retreated back into his body.
"......"
After a brief silence, Bu Eun-seol strode forward without hesitation toward the black gate.
But the further he walked, the more the gate receded into the distance.
Even without the chain manifesting, he couldn't approach it.
"Is it because I carry the bloodline of the True Demon?"
"What did you say?"
The old man scrutinized Bu Eun-seol from head to toe before erupting into another bout of wild laughter.
"The True Demon's bloodline? What significance does that hold?"
His laughter carried an undercurrent of something almost gleeful.
"Aside from those fools in the True Demon Palace, the seeds the True Demon has sown are scattered across the world."
Bu Eun-seol sensed it.
The old man harbored no hostility toward him—if anything, he seemed favorably disposed.
After laughing for a while longer, the old man posed a question.
"You said you wish to enter the Primordial Gate to renew your contract so you can join the Baekri Clan, correct?"
"That's right."
"Then it's simple."
The old man shook his head.
"In that case, retrieve both the Creation Sun and Moon and the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud. Then you'll get your wish."
"The Creation Sun and Moon, the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud."
"Indeed. Since you've forged a new realm of martial arts that we did not create... obtaining them would be the faster path."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
"That's impossible. They've been destroyed."
The old man's eyes widened.
"What did you say?"
"One of the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearls exhausted its power, its celestial clouds dissipated, and it ultimately turned to dust."
The Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl Bu Eun-seol had used had expended its power—stronger even than the burden of blood—until its celestial clouds vanished.
Thus, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had crushed it into dust in an instant.
"So it's true that both treasures are fading from this world."
"What do you mean?"
"Those treasures are derived from the very forces that sustain the world."
The old man's expression darkened.
"If they are crumbling, it means someone wielding the power to unravel the world's very existence is returning."
'In the end, the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud Pearl was destroyed because of me.'
For a moment, the echoes of Deung-gwang's cries seemed to reverberate in Bu Eun-seol's mind.
'Am I truly the harbinger of destruction?'
It didn't matter.
Even if such a fate was predestined, he would change it without fail.
"Why do you wish to enter the Baekri Clan?"
"There is an imposter claiming to be me."
"To kill him?"
"Not just that. The Baekri Clan has enslaved itself to knowledge, recklessly wielding the True Demon's Knowledge."
"Hmm."
The old man fell deep into thought before nodding.
"If you insist on entering only the Baekri Clan, it's not entirely impossible."
Then he extended his palm again.
Whoosh!
A pure white energy began surging from Bu Eun-seol's body. The Manifestation Art Energy lying dormant within him slowly awakened.
Crackle.
As the Manifestation Art Energy spread, his skin turned snow-white, and a golden gleam flashed in his pupils.
Sssss.
Faint dragon-shaped scars formed near both his wrists.
"With this, you become a criminal acknowledged by the Baekri Clan."
Hummm.
The scars pulsed with a faint, flickering light, emitting the barest traces of Manifestation Art Energy.
"That is the brand—the mark—used by the Baekri Clan to send sinners to their branch families."
"A brand, you say."
"It is carved into those who have committed crimes, those forced to leave the clan, those burdened with the weight of blood."
The old man continued.
"And only with this scar can one pass through the Absolute Boundary surrounding the branch families."
In other words, with just this scar—
Couldn't he enter the branch families as a criminal of the Baekri Clan?
"Do they distinguish people based solely on a single brand?"
"Do you think such a process is necessary?"
After a moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol understood.
"I see."
The bloodline of the Baekri Clan carries Manifestation Art Energy.
It was an irrefutable certificate—one that could never be forged or counterfeited, far more definitive than any identity plaque or document.
"The scar will last roughly seven days. That should be enough time for you to investigate inside."
"Even if my identity is proven, shouldn't I know the procedure for entering the Side Family?"
Normally, when transporting or transferring criminals between clans, strict procedures accompanied the documentation.
But given that the Baekri Clan had never once revealed itself in the martial world across generations—
Even if one bore the mark symbolizing a criminal, they wouldn't be able to simply walk into the Side Family on their own.
The procedure would be exceedingly complex.
"Not at all. They all walk in on their own."
The old man delivered an unexpected revelation.
"Because if they don't enter the nearest Baekri Side Family within a day of receiving this scar, their entire body will melt away."
Bu Eun-seol inwardly let out a sigh of astonishment.
The passage to the Baekri Clan, he was told, wasn't fixed in one place like the Land of the Ultimate Void—instead, it randomly appeared in various locations across the Central Plains.
By exploiting the nature of that passage—
They had devised an ingenious method to ensure that criminals would willingly walk into the Side Family themselves.
'Is this why the Creation-Era Martial Artists made their pact?'
The Creation-Era Martial Artists had birthed the Baekri Clan, and through periodic contracts, they continued to meet its members.
If so, then by following this path, one could clearly understand how the Baekri Clan and its Side Families had operated—and what the current state of the martial world truly was.
Zing.
The old man opened his palm once more.
A shimmering orb materialized before floating in front of Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Go to the Side Family yourself and investigate. If fortune favors you, you may find a way to reach the main clan."
"There's one more thing I must ask of you."
"And that is?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke with solemn sincerity.
"I entered the martial world to avenge my grandfather."
"Go on."
"My grandfather... was the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang."
"The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade...."
The old man's gaze deepened.
It was clear—he knew of Bu Jan-yang.
"The ones who killed him are presumed to be members of the Eighteen Radiant Souls. But beyond that, I've found no further leads."
Bu Eun-seol cautiously pressed further.
"Do you know anything about the murderer?"
"I do not."
"Then what are the Eighteen Radiant Souls? What is the Martial Alliance, that it harbors such people?"
"The Martial Alliance?"
The old man furrowed his brow before letting out a deep sigh.
"If you truly seek vengeance, you must not chase after factions—you must follow the trail of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang."
"My grandfather's trail."
"Yes. Trace the path he left in the martial world, walk the same road he walked... and you will naturally come to understand."
"If I follow his footsteps... if I walk the same path he did..."
As Bu Eun-seol murmured under his breath, the old man nodded.
"He was, in essence, an enemy to every existing power in this world."
"Why do you say that?"
"Why, you ask?"
The old man fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Because he wished for every person to have the right to choose their own fate."
—Human dignity begins with the freedom to decide one's own path. To strip that choice away is no different from erasing humanity itself.
It was a truth Bu Jan-yang had often imparted to the young Bu Eun-seol as well.
"He believed a person's worth lies not in what they possess, but in what they choose for themselves."
Bu Eun-seol's pupils trembled.
"You knew my grandfather?"
"He, too, reached the Primordial Gate."
"Then...."
The old man shook his head firmly.
"I can say no more. Rules are rules."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Judging by the old man's demeanor, he couldn't help but wonder—
Had his grandfather considered even the Creation-Era Martial Artists within the Primordial Gate enemies?
"Why are you helping me?"
Truthfully, Bu Eun-seol had never believed the Creation-Era Martial Artists were purely righteous beings.
No, to be blunt—just as the Baekri Clan had fallen—
He was certain that they, too, had succumbed to corruption, embracing the True Demon's knowledge and retreating behind the Absolute Boundary.
For advanced knowledge was something no human could resist... a temptation akin to the whispers of a devil.
"I am merely a gatekeeper—one who selects those worthy of entering the Primordial Gate."
"So you are not a Creation-Era Martial Artist?"
"Think what you will."
A strange thought crossed Bu Eun-seol's mind.
Perhaps his suspicions were correct—that even among the Creation-Era Martial Artists dwelling within the Primordial Gate, some had fallen to corruption.
But surely, there were still those who lived upholding justice.
Like his father, Baekri Mu-ha.
Like the current Baekri Ye-ha.
"Thank you."
Bu Eun-seol understood that there was nothing more to gain from the old man.
A gatekeeper was just that—a gatekeeper.
He could offer no aid beyond the limits of his authority.
"This place will now close."
The old man turned away, shaking his head.
Then, under his breath, he muttered something ominous.
"We will meet again soon."
A peculiar sensation prickled at Bu Eun-seol's senses. But when he turned back—
The door had already vanished without a trace.