Chapter 1292
Screech—Clank—
Having melted the metal seams with the Hot River Great Essence True Qi and disassembled the joints using his Internal Energy, Bu Eun-seol
stood the detached metal pieces back into their humanoid shapes before stealthily slipping out of the hidden chamber.
'This Ancient Sword Forest is enormous.'
The Ancient Sword Forest he had visited in the past had been about the size of an ordinary temple, while the one at Mount Heng Sect had been comparable to a small village.
But the scale of the Ancient Sword Forest here on this volcanic mountain rivaled that of an entire city like Chengdu.
Even the trees planted within were significantly larger than those he had seen before.
Perhaps the reason the Infinite Realm had stationed the Forbidden Evil Gods here was
because among the countless Ancient Sword Forests, this one held an exceptionally crucial role—or guarded a facility that absolutely had to be protected.
'There's nothing here?'
Yet no matter how thoroughly he searched, he found nothing.
He had combed through every inch of the interior, using not only the Empty Mind Spirit Communion but also the Three Divine Powers.
But aside from its vastness, there was no special location, nor even any hidden mechanisms.
'How foolish of me.'
After pondering for a while, Bu Eun-seol soon found the solution and smacked his forehead.
'I am, after all, the successor of this generation's Ancient Sword Forest.'
The power passed down to him by the Founder of the Ancient Sword Forest
was the ability to pierce through the essence of anything.
However, he still couldn't wield it freely—it only activated when he became aware of it or consciously willed it.
Because of that, he sometimes forgot he even possessed such power.
'With this, I'll definitely find it.'
Bu Eun-seol focused his mind, but the power of the Ancient Sword Forest didn't activate easily.
'Usually, it manifests in moments of crisis.'
The power had always surged forth instinctively, either in life-or-death situations
or when he was cornered without knowing his enemy's capabilities.
'I can't say my life is in danger right now, but...'
He bit his lip.
'There's no time.'
What if the middle-aged woman—the Forest Lord—woke up earlier than expected? Or if she suddenly checked on his condition?
She would sense that his body was empty.
Before he could uncover the secrets here, the Bell Striking might sound, sealing off the interior.
Or worse, a battle could break out, forcing him to return without ever learning the Ancient Sword Forest's secrets.
Zzzzzzzz—
Perhaps it was thanks to the sense of urgency.
A searing heat began rising from his right pupil.
'Got it.'
A haze of white energy spread from his eye, and the power to pierce through the essence of things with just a glance began to manifest.
'This...'
As Bu Eun-seol surveyed his surroundings, his jaw dropped in shock without him even realizing it.
The scenery seen through the activated eyes of the Ancient Sword Forest
was nothing like the mystical, serene otherworldly landscape he had always perceived.
'So this is what it really was.'
The lush forest was nowhere to be seen.
The towering trees adorned with silver leaves were, in truth, pitch-black iron pillars.
The dreamlike, diffused light was actually the eerie flames billowing from a furnace.
The ancient, vine-covered trees of the forest were, in reality, massive smelting furnaces cast from black iron.
The mushroom-like houses were crucibles filled with molten metal.
And the tower standing tall at the center—the very symbol of the Ancient Sword Forest—
was a colossal smokestack fused with a structure, spewing black smoke.
'They were a type of Forbidden Evil God too.'
Within the Ancient Sword Forest, humanoid metal figures moved ceaselessly, repeating their tasks.
'That's why they looked like they were wearing iron masks.'
During his previous visit to the Ancient Sword Forest,
every being inside had worn large, hemispherical iron masks.
Those masks contained the power to control Spirit and Mind, as well as the ability to distinguish friend from foe.
But seen through the eyes of the Ancient Sword Forest—eyes that pierced through essence—they were no different from the Forbidden Evil Gods, mindlessly carrying out their assigned tasks.
Yet something even more shocking came into view.
A black liquid flowed through grooved iron channels,
and at their ends, small amounts of unknown metallic masses were being forged.
Chains linked to each workshop moved endlessly in rotation,
carrying the still-hot masses in rows, only to be melted back into ingots again and again.
And at the very end of it all was none other than—
"The Creation Sun and Moon."
Too stunned to speak aloud, Bu Eun-seol muttered at the Sixth Level.
The treasure known as the Preemption of Causality—
the greatest treasure in the martial world, capable of absorbing future outcomes in advance.
It always maintained the form of a living, pitch-black liquid.
And this was the very material used to forge the Black Divine Artifacts.
"A living Black Divine Artifact."
The Ancient Sword Forest was a living Black Divine Artifact.
In other words, it had always sought a state where humans and Black Divine Artifacts were perpetually fused.
And if the fundamental material of it all was the Creation Sun and Moon...
Just as a new True Demon could be created through the Creation Sun and Moon and the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud—
They, too, had sought to implant a Black Divine Artifact—something that defied the natural order—into the body of a living human.
In short, it was clear they were attempting another method of creating a True Demon.
"The Baekri Clan, the Infinite Realm, and the Ancient Sword Forest."
The Infinite Realm, which he had believed to be the most heinous faction corrupting the martial world and a traitor opposing the Baekri Clan—
Contrary to expectations, they were guarding the Ancient Sword Forest alongside the Baekri Side Family.
Considering this...
It was more likely that the Azure River Realm or the Return to Unity Realm had fallen to corruption, rather than the Infinite Realm being the ones who had turned.
"Was the existence of the Ancient Sword Forest meant to forge a weapon against the True Demon?"
Just as one could artificially create someone with power akin to the True Demon through the Creation Sun and Moon and the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud—
Perhaps the Ancient Sword Forest sought to create a transcendent being by merging humans with Black Divine Artifacts, all to oppose the True Demon.
"But."
Even so, doubts remained.
The Ancient Sword Forest was scattered throughout the Central Plains, meaning their numbers couldn't be small.
So why had the Baekri Clan entrusted them with the grave task of processing the Creation Sun and Moon, rather than overseeing it directly?
The Ancient Sword Forest had repeatedly faced annihilation at the hands of various factions—so why had the Baekri Clan never intervened in earnest?
'Is it because of a Restrictive Seal?'
Lost in thought, Bu Eun-seol soon shook his head.
Even if the Baekri Clan couldn't act due to a seal, their Side Family existed—those who carried out all manner of missions in the martial world under the clan's orders.
So why had they left the protection of the Ancient Sword Forest—who were engaged in the critical work of creating human Black Divine Artifacts—to the Three Realms, rather than the Side Family?
'Ah—'
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's extrasensory perception sent him a faint warning.
'I've been too distracted.'
Too much time had passed.
He still hadn't fully grasped the nature of the Ancient Sword Forest.
If the woman discovered him now, he would lose any chance to investigate further.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Concealed once more, Bu Eun-seol swiftly returned to the tower.
Ascending rapidly to the top floor, he slipped into the hidden chamber and began attaching the shell of the Forbidden Evil God to his body, piece by piece.
Having already worn and removed it once before—
His speed was incomparable to the first time.
Whirr— Creak.
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol had fully donned the Forbidden Evil God's form and stood back in his original position.
Creeeak.
Not long after, the hidden chamber's door opened, and the middle-aged woman stepped inside once more.
'This can't be.'
Watching her sidelong as she entered, Bu Eun-seol doubted his eyes for a moment.
The middle-aged woman, who had possessed a face as lovely as a flower—was in truth a withered crone, her body shriveled like a mummy.
The Ancient Sword Forest's energy had concealed her true form, making her appear as a beautiful middle-aged woman all this time.
'Just how long has she lived?'
Her skin, rotting in places and cracked a dark crimson, was parched and twisted like gnarled branches, the sharp outlines of her bones pressing against the thin layer of flesh.
Her eyes were sunken deep, only the whites faintly visible, the edges of her eyelids crumbling like necrotic flesh.
Her hair clung in thin, brittle strands, breaking off one by one.
Each breath made her chest rattle like an empty husk, and her joints creaked like old wood.
Even the Buddhist Venerable, the oldest known figure in the martial world, would seem youthful in comparison.
'Wait.'
Had Bu Eun-seol possessed only ordinary insight—
He might have assumed she was an ancient being who had lived for centuries, sustained by the Ancient Sword Forest's energy.
'No, she hasn't even reached a hundred.'
Having grasped the mysteries of circulation, Bu Eun-seol could roughly gauge the innate lifespan of a human.
'At most, eighty.'
Had she maintained her youth through the Ancient Sword Forest's power, her vitality should have been exhausted by now.
Yet the natural life force within her remained plentiful.
'And yet, she is dying.'
The reason was obvious to him.
'Because she has lost herself in a single task—so utterly that her very self has eroded.'
Without tempering body or spirit—
To devote decades to a single task to the point of self-obliteration—
Was akin to a cultivation method that burned the mind itself as fuel.
Even if the essence of life remained, the spirit had turned to ashes.
But this woman—no, this crone—had sustained herself solely on the Ancient Sword Forest's energy, forsaking food and drink entirely.
She had focused with extreme intensity on a single purpose, a single task, until all the energy within her ceased to flow.
In other words, though the total quantity of her life force was vast, it had stagnated completely—leaving her to slowly wither away.
"How strange."
At that moment, as if sensing something, the woman approached Bu Eun-seol and peered into his eyes.
"Your Demonic Energy feels weaker than before."
Bu Eun-seol's heart lurched.
In his haste to return—still reeling from the shock of learning the Black Divine Artifact's material was the Creation Sun and Moon—
He had failed to properly raise his Demonic Energy.
Ssssh—
Drawing it forth stealthily once more, his pupils darkened to crimson as killing intent seeped outward.
"What does it matter?"
The middle-aged beauty—no, the crone—smiled dryly.
"Our lives are all bound by something."
Then, turning her body, she spoke again.
"Follow me."
Clank, clank.
Bu Eun-seol imitated the movements of the Forbidden Evil God and trailed behind the old woman.
"Move this over there."
The old woman began assigning him various menial tasks.
Originally, Forbidden Evil Gods were bio-weapons—alive, yet not truly alive—stripped of all intellect and even pain receptors to maximize their combat potential.
Beings that existed solely to obey commands and destroy anything in their path.
Yet this old woman, who studied ancient forbidden arts, had begun using the Forbidden Evil God like a servant.
"Bring that here."
Whenever an order was given, the Forbidden Evil God—no, Bu Eun-seol—moved without a word.
He lifted massive chunks of metal and set them down beside the workbench, carefully carried boxes filled with aged books, and all the while, he never forgot to continuously exude Demonic Energy and Killing Intent to maintain his disguise.
"You must not break it. Lift it with both hands."
"Place this over there."
"That hasn't cooled yet—don't touch it."
The old woman's tone was less like giving orders and more like calmly, affectionately instructing a grandson on household chores.
Bu Eun-seol couldn't respond, but the moment her words ended, he moved diligently.
"You're quite skilled. The Baekri Side Family has made something remarkable."
Seeing how well he followed instructions, the old woman began assigning him more intricate tasks—polishing metal plates engraved with ancient forbidden symbols, pouring mysterious liquids onto metal, and more.
"You shouldn't rush like that."
She approached slowly and corrected his movements.
"Rubbing too hard will damage the grain. Think of it as pressing lightly with the back of your hand."
'Has she seen through me?'
Bu Eun-seol grew suspicious.
No matter how well a Forbidden Evil God obeyed human commands, its purpose was slaughter and destruction.
Using such a terrifying weapon as a lab assistant?
'No... that's not it.'
The old woman's gaze was gentle, yet slightly unfocused.
After observing her for a while, Bu Eun-seol could discern the state of her body and mind.
'She's been so deeply immersed in this work for so long that she pays no attention to anything else.'
To her, it didn't matter whether Bu Eun-seol was a Forbidden Evil God or someone hiding inside one.
As long as he could serve as her hands and feet to assist in her experiments, that was enough.
'For now, I'll do my best to help.'
The old woman's soul was like a candle that had long burned out—a body that should have been buried years ago.
But due to the Ancient Sword Forest's curse, she had become a lingering spirit, clinging to life only to forge new Black Divine Artifacts...
Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but feel pity for her.
Sssk—
The sight of the old woman ceaselessly weaving Great Arts and forbidden techniques into the metal seemed as though she was pouring what little remained of her life force into the Black Divine Artifact.
The scene was so solemn that Bu Eun-seol held his breath and simply watched.
"......"
The old woman sat at the table, while Bu Eun-seol stood respectfully beside her.
Their arrangement was strangely peculiar.
Despite the gloomy energy filling the room, from a distance, the sight appeared utterly ordinary—even quaint.
Like a grandmother baking pancakes by the hearth while her grandson waited quietly beside her.
Had it not been for the bloodless faces and the thick metallic scent of the workshop, one might have mistaken it for such a peaceful scene, if only for a moment.
Between the two of them flowed a peculiar silence, mingled with the rhythms of daily life.
And so, Bu Eun-seol spent the entire day by the old woman's side.
'Forging a Black Divine Artifact isn't so different from Metallurgy.'
He realized that the way she handled metal and moved her hands was strikingly similar to that of the Demon Swordsmith, Master Cheol, and other master blacksmiths.
"As expected, it's not easy."
At that moment, the old woman let out a sigh.
She had tried a new method of experimentation, but once again, there was no significant result.
'I wish I could offer her some comfort.'
Seeing her exhausted, her very spirit dimming from repeated failures, Bu Eun-seol felt a pang of sorrow.
KOOOOM—
Suddenly, the entire earth of the Ancient Sword Forest trembled violently.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A deafening Bell Striking echoed through the air.
Even without checking outside, it was clear—enemies had invaded.
"Those pests never end."
As if accustomed to this, the old woman muttered under her breath and tried to resume her work.
THUD— KOOOM—
But the tremors didn't stop. Instead, they grew closer.
CRASH— CLANG!
Before long, the heavy, cacophonous Metallic Sound of destruction rang out—as if the Ancient Sword Forest's very structures were being torn apart.
"Those things... they can't be destroyed."
Listening to the spreading noise, the old woman paused briefly, tilting her head in thought.
All structures within the Ancient Sword Forest were protected by mystical forces akin to the Absolute Boundary.
Since their True Bodies were never revealed in the first place, they couldn't be destroyed at all.
"Hmm."
Finally sensing something amiss, the old woman slowly rose to her feet.
"Follow me."
After giving Bu Eun-seol the order, she opened the door of the secret chamber and stepped outside.
The sky of the Ancient Sword Forest, once dyed in a mystical silver hue, was now tangled with flames and screams.
With the mysterious energy flowing through the earth severed, the primordial forest's once-beautiful scenery had instantly revealed its grotesque, naked form.
Into the Ancient Sword Forest's interior—now resembling a colossal forge where waves of fire and molten steel clashed—
Rumble...
Black-clad martial artists poured in endlessly.
A haze of killing intent shrouded their entire bodies, and behind them loomed a form resembling a Demon God Statue.
The White Annihilation Warriors.
Elite warriors trained by the True Demon Palace across the Martial World had appeared—for the sole purpose of slaughtering the masters of the Baekri Side Family.
Whoooom!
The charging White Annihilation Warriors soon merged with the Demon God Statues floating in the air.
The pure, destructive power forged by the True Demon—Soul-Demon Magic Energy—now encased their bodies like armor.
Crunch! KWA-BOOM!
As the White Annihilation Warriors began tearing through the Ancient Sword Forest's interior,
Clank, clank.
From hidden positions all around, the Forbidden Evil Gods emerged in unison.
Their numbers easily surpassed eight hundred—no, a thousand.
The battle between the Forbidden Evil Gods—their tattered rags draped over pitch-black metallic bodies—and the White Annihilation Warriors had begun.
CLANG! BANG-BANG-BANG! SCRREEEECH!
A deafening metallic clamor, as if tearing through the heavens, reverberated.
With every swing of the Demon God Statue's arms, the Forbidden Evil Gods were sent flying, clattering violently.
Fortunately, the metal encasing their bodies was infused with Manifestation Art Energy and spiritual essence.
Thus, they did not shatter easily under the White Annihilation Warriors' assaults, managing to hold their ground—barely.
'So this is why they extracted Manifestation Art Energy from the Side Family members to create these things.'
Bu Eun-seol, observing the battle, gave a slow nod.
The reason for forging the Forbidden Evil Gods with full-body metal plating wasn't to combat ordinary martial artists—
It was to counter the White Annihilation Warriors, wielders of Soul-Demon Magic Energy.
—Bwoooom!
As the battle raged on, a horn-like vibration spread through the air.
The Soul-Demon Magic Energy radiating from the White Annihilation Warriors was growing stronger.
Though the Forbidden Evil Gods endured the attacks with their sturdy armor,
The White Annihilation Warriors' Soul-Demon Magic Energy was gradually overwhelming the Manifestation Art Energy embedded in that armor.
Shhk.
With every swing of the Demon God Statue's overlapping arms, blades condensed from demonic energy pierced through the gaps in the metal.
Blood began gushing from the bodies of the Soulless Ones.
Gurgle.
But the Forbidden Evil Gods were equipped with various mechanisms allowing them to fight on even as their muscles tore and bones shattered.
Creak! Clank!
Even when bones or muscles were cut, the devices attached to their armor kept them standing, relentless.
CRUNCH!
Frustrated, the White Annihilation Warriors began ripping off the Forbidden Evil Gods' heads and limbs outright—
Or conjuring black flames to melt their exposed bodies.
Of the thousand Forbidden Evil Gods that had stood moments ago, barely three hundred remained intact.
KABOOM! RUMBLE...
Meanwhile, the White Annihilation Warriors were demolishing the Ancient Sword Forest's structures.
Their goal wasn't to destroy the Forbidden Evil Gods—it was the annihilation of the Ancient Sword Forest itself.
Thud.
Giant iron pillars disguised as trees toppled, black liquid oozing from their leaves.
The furnaces hidden beneath mushroom-shaped houses collapsed one by one.
Even the illusory power that had once made the Ancient Sword Forest appear beautiful now vanished amid the flames.
Skree! CRACKLE!
The remaining Forbidden Evil Gods fought on desperately.
Even with arms torn off and legs shattered, they clung to the True Demon Palace's forces, enduring, resisting—
"Enough."
The old woman, who had been silently watching the battle, finally spoke.
"That's enough!"
Her voice echoed in all directions like a reverberation—
—Enough... enough... ENOUGH!
—until it became a thunderous roar.
As both the White Annihilation Warriors and the Forbidden Evil Gods halted their struggle,
"You had already won this battle anyway!"
The old woman's voice boomed through the Ancient Sword Forest.
"Take the Creation Sun and Moon and leave."
Thud.
At that moment, accompanied by a low vibration, a masked man in bizarre attire slowly stepped forward from among the True Demon Palace's masters.
He seemed to be the leader who had brought the White Annihilation Warriors here.
"The Creation Sun and Moon? Have you lived in this forest so long you've become a senile ghost with no memory?"
The masked man spoke to the old woman as if she were absurd.
"That thing's power has long been exhausted. What use is a dreg only fit to be reforged into a weapon?"
"A dreg?"
"The Creation Sun and Moon has lost all function."
"Lost all function?"
The old woman's expression went blank.
"Then... it was never refined?"
"Oh dear, you really don't remember, do you?"
The masked man chuckled darkly.
"Though I suppose even the memories you had left were erased by the Baekri Clan."
The words were shocking.
KRA-KOOM!
Just then, a thunderous roar erupted from the entrance—
Whoosh!
—and a group of masked martial artists in flowing black robes swiftly infiltrated.
They were none other than the envoys of the Infinite Realm.