Chapter 1299
As the dazzling golden radiance of the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifact erupted—
Dust rained down from the secret chamber's ceiling, stone slabs split apart, and fragments burst upward.
Crack, crack, crack.
Before long, fissures spread across the floor like spiderwebs, eventually encroaching upon the spot where Baekri Mu-jo stood.
"Hmph."
With a derisive snort, Baekri Mu-jo lightly stamped his foot.
Flash!
A light that bleached the entire world white unfurled, and in an instant, the golden glow and fissures that had filled the chamber vanished without a trace.
Harmonization.
A technique that blended and unleashed all the energies within one's body.
He had manifested the very foundational power that had once inspired Bu Eun-seol.
Whoooosh.
As the aftermath of the collision settled as though it had never happened, an oppressive silence descended upon the chamber.
The lingering energy in the air still rippled like waves.
Dust, risen from the cracked floor, hovered midair, unable to settle back down.
Neither of the two had retreated even a single step as they locked eyes.
"Na Baek-hu."
It was then that Baekri Mu-jo spoke coldly.
"No—should I address you as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
The moment the Masked Man's eyes narrowed, the surrounding temperature plummeted sharply.
Swish.
The distance between them closed to ten paces, their gazes clashing like sparks in the darkness.
"Will you continue?"
Though his voice was stripped of all emotion, Baekri Mu-jo's hand slid smoothly out from his sleeve—a silent declaration that any further nonsense would result in an immediate strike to the throat.
"With just the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifact, you're already a match for me."
"No need to bare your fangs so eagerly, Baekri Mu-jo."
"If you're not here to fight, state your business."
As the hem of Baekri Mu-jo's black robe fluttered—
The glow of the phosphorescent stones flickered, and the surrounding air began to distort faintly.
A terrifying display of internal energy.
"If another word of nonsense leaves your lips, your chin will meet the floor."
A threat to sever his neck.
The Masked Man let out a leisurely chuckle before speaking succinctly.
"We've found the Celestial Jade left behind by Saintess Sa Ah."
Thud.
The air in the chamber grew heavy in an instant.
The Masked Man took several more steps forward.
The distance between him and Baekri Mu-jo narrowed to barely three paces. The tension between them stretched taut as a steel wire.
"Where?"
"The Gongson Clan."
A thrill seeped into the Masked Man's voice.
"It's being kept in a place called the Heavenly Star Retreat. The Clan Head has been secretly researching it."
Upon hearing this, Baekri Mu-jo immediately grasped the situation.
"You deliberately left it buried within the Gongson Clan."
"......"
"If you know where it is, you could've just taken it."
Baekri Mu-jo's voice grew even colder.
"Why risk death crawling to me to report this?"
"Hahaha."
The Masked Man's laughter boomed, reverberating in layers against the chamber walls.
The phosphorescent stones flickered in response to the vibrations, and the ornaments adorning his body swayed gently.
"You already know."
The Masked Man's eyes gleamed sharply.
"What happens when someone carelessly touches the Celestial Jade in its unpurified state."
His voice remained unhurried.
"Since you dislike roundabout talk, I'll be brief. There's no need for a struggle—I'll simply hand it to you."
"Why?"
"Because what I desire is..."
The Masked Man's voice lowered.
"...for that man to turn his back on the world and vanish, just as the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade once did."
"The Martial Soul Lord?"
For the first time, the Masked Man showed a flicker of unease at Baekri Mu-jo's words.
"Correct."
"Since you can't kill him, you'll force him to leave the Martial World."
"Well, that's one way to put it."
After a brief pause, he spoke in an utterly grave tone.
"The fact that he is a Great Demon will never change."
A cold smirk crept across Baekri Mu-jo's lips beneath his iron mask.
He had finally realized what the Masked Man truly desired.
"Non-owners who lay hands on Saintess Sa Ah's relic will meet ruin."
Mockery laced Baekri Mu-jo's voice.
"You intend to purify it."
"Precisely."
The Masked Man responded leisurely.
"The Same Heart Society can mobilize over a hundred thousand civilians if needed... With a method that neither the Orthodox nor Unorthodox Paths can interfere with, we can draw the Martial Soul Lord out, no?"
"Why not use the imperial name instead?"
Baekri Mu-jo took a step forward.
"Na Baek-hu."
"Baekri Mu-jo."
Even the sound of their breaths rang as sharply as the edge of a blade.
An invisible pressure bore down from all sides, warping the very space around them.
"Stop calling me that name."
After a prolonged silence, the Masked Man spoke again.
"I could have killed you long ago."
"Then why didn't you?"
Baekri Mu-jo lightly traced the hilt of the treasured sword at his waist.
It was an unmistakable provocation.
Swish.
The Masked Man removed his mask and cast it aside.
A face with phoenix-like elongated eyes and an unfathomably deep gaze was revealed.
Though somewhat haggard, it bore both the bright vitality of youth and the solemnity of middle age, making his true age impossible to discern.
The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—Na Baek-hu.
He was a disciple of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
"Why shouldn't I?"
A murderous smile curled at the corners of Na Baek-hu's lips.
"You and I are the same."
He slipped a hand into his robes and withdrew a book exuding an eerie energy.
"Even if our paths diverge in the end."
Na Baek-hu extended it toward him.
The book floated into the air, then drifted toward Baekri Mu-jo's chest as if it were a living creature.
Baekri Mu-jo silently took the book and—
Flick-flick-flick.
His eyes raced across the pages at an inhuman speed.
"Hmm."
After closing the book, Baekri Mu-jo slowly nodded.
"So the Demon-Summoning Island is just the beginning..."
Though his iron mask concealed his expression,
the aura radiating from his eyes alone made it clear he was satisfied.
"Not bad."
At Baekri Mu-jo's low mutter, Na Baek-hu smiled.
"This deal brings you nothing but profit—no loss whatsoever."
"Fine."
Baekri Mu-jo shut the book.
"I'll draw out the Martial Soul Lord."
"Good choice."
Na Baek-hu turned away.
"After this, he'll leave the Martial World of his own accord."
"And if it fails?"
"Well, then they will crawl out. Either way, it's no loss for the Same Heart Society."
Rumble—!
The ground once again began to shimmer with golden light.
Intricate golden patterns spread from beneath Na Baek-hu's feet, rapidly expanding until they covered the entire chamber.
From the ceiling to the walls, the entire secret room was engulfed in dazzling golden glyphs.
"Until next time."
The golden patterns flared like an explosion—then dispersed like smoke.
Na Baek-hu had vanished in an instant.
Only the lingering golden shockwave of the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifact remained in the air, proof that he had ever been there at all.
"......"
Baekri Mu-jo stared fixedly at the spot where Na Baek-hu had disappeared.
Though his iron mask hid his expression,
his exposed eyes betrayed emotions never before seen in him—
and the most dominant among them was unmistakably rage.
The Gongson Clan's roots lay in a military lineage that once guarded the northern borders.
A family that had weathered the harsh northern winds, built upon the twin pillars of strategy and martial arts.
But four hundred years ago, with the emergence of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, the Martial World's martial studies advanced by leaps and bounds—and the study of battle formations, which governed the tides of war, ascended to new heights.
Amidst that upheaval, the Gongson Clan delved deep into the principles of celestial alignment, the interplay of the Five Elements, and their cycles of generation and overcoming.
In time, they established themselves as a clan renowned for their mastery of battle formations.
Later, seeking broader connections and talent, they relocated to the Central Plains.
Though not formally classified as a Martial Clan, they rose to prominence as the foremost lineage of Formation Study, wielding influence befitting their prestige.
True to their reputation, the Gongson estate—
with its mountains, waterways, and even the flow of wind meticulously calculated—breathed like a single, colossal battle formation.
The reason the current Family Head, Gongson Hwa-uk, was hailed as the Supreme Grandmaster of Battle Formations was simple:
He had elevated the clan's inherited formations to such heights that they moved like living beings.
Beyond the gates of the estate, nestled far from Chengdu's bustle,
strange flowers and peach trees bloomed in abundance, their branches swaying without wind—parting or closing paths of their own accord.
Every tree and rock within the estate, touched by Gongson Hwa-uk's hand,
was a living part of the grand formation. Any intruder who dared enter would lose all sense of direction, doomed to wander in circles.
Even the estate's workers were extraordinary.
A single sweep of a broom, a single step carrying tea—each movement carried disciplined energy.
They were not mere servants but guardians who maintained and operated the vast formation.
And then, one day, disaster struck the Gongson Clan.
—BOOM!
—KABOOM!
Day after day,
vagrants carrying explosives rushed toward the estate.
Some at the gates, others scaling the walls—
yesterday a young ruffian, today an old man leaning on a cane—
they flung themselves at the Gongson walls like moths to flame, explosives strapped to their chests.
—What in the world is this madness?
Gongson Hwa-uk was baffled.
But before the smoke could clear, another wave would come, and then another.
For a time, this bizarre phenomenon repeated endlessly.
—Expand the formation beyond the estate. Let no one approach.
As the self-detonations continued,
Gongson Hwa-uk extended the formation's reach, sealing off all access.
Yet the moment anyone from the estate stepped outside,
vagrants would swarm like vultures, detonating their payloads anew.
In the end, Gongson Hwa-uk widened the formation's perimeter even further and strictly screened all who entered.
Just as it seemed they could finally breathe—
the next morning revealed an entirely different horror.
The boundaries of the formation were now littered with mountains of filth.
Since the vagrants couldn't enter the premises, they had resorted to endlessly dumping excrement and urine along the perimeter of the battle formation.
—Someone is orchestrating this.
This wasn't just some crude prank.
As the filth seeped into the ground, it gradually weakened the meticulously arranged energy of the formation.
—An inexplicable, bizarre calamity has befallen the Gongson Clan!
The news quickly spread through the intelligence networks of both the orthodox and unorthodox factions.
Spies from various sects covertly monitored the situation, while rumors trickling in through merchant caravans and relay stations were meticulously gathered.
Even the government office grew suspicious and launched its own investigation.
Though the Gongson Clan wasn't a martial clan, they were renowned in the Central Plains as a prestigious family of formation studies.
If they were caught in such a strange disturbance and their influence wavered, the regional order would inevitably be shaken.
Yet, strangely, no clear leads emerged. Nothing could be definitively confirmed.
And so, the gates of the Gongson Clan remained tightly shut, becoming a place where not even an ant dared to scurry past.
Demon Hall, Hidden Demon Pavilion. Bu Eun-seol's office.
Having received this intelligence from the Death Soul Squad, Bu Eun-seol stroked his chin.
'This is a sudden calamity.'
Though he had countless tasks piling up, there was no helping it.
Considering his ties to the Gongson Clan, he couldn't possibly turn a blind eye to this matter.
'I'll have to investigate personally.'
Even if this was clearly the work of an external force,
the fact that neither the Death Soul Squad nor any other intelligence organization could uncover anything meant
not only were they operating an intelligence network capable of perfectly concealing their actions,
but they were also employing the Mind Seizing Secret Art to completely suppress the vagrants' spirit and mind.
In that case, rather than searching for clues outside,
he needed to find out why this was happening—
what the orchestrators were after—from within the Gongson Clan itself.
Bu Eun-seol intended to meet Gongson Hwa-uk directly and resolve this matter.
'This is severe.'
The moment he arrived at the Gongson estate, Bu Eun-seol frowned.
Despite the servants constantly cleaning the surroundings, the stench still stung his nose.
The villagers nearby avoided even approaching the area.
"Young Master!"
The gatekeeper recognized Bu Eun-seol and immediately guided him to the guest hall.
Not long after a servant brought tea,
a middle-aged man in a crimson robe, his bearing refined yet imposing, entered.
It was Gongson Hwa-uk.
"......I didn't expect you to come."
His appearance was haggard.
Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, and his cheeks were sunken.
After the calamity struck the Gongson Clan, he had been working day and night, reinforcing the estate's formations again and again.
Given that, his current state wasn't entirely surprising.
'But it's not just exhaustion.'
Bu Eun-seol, too, had spent countless nights immersed in research and investigations for the Grand Design,
so he knew exactly how a person looked when consumed by a single task.
Gongson Hwa-uk's condition went beyond mere fatigue—his spirit and mind seemed unbalanced, as if something had fractured within him.
'Then—'
Feigning ignorance of Gongson Hwa-uk's unfocused gaze, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
"I heard the situation was unusual, so I came to see if I could assist the Family Head."
"It's nothing serious."
Gongson Hwa-uk shook his head.
"Our family has faced many trials simply for being known as the foremost authority on formations."
His voice was calm.
"Someone must be using vagrants to unsettle us. But I can handle it."
"Family Head."
"My apologies. I'm not in a state to entertain guests right now."
Though he wore an apologetic expression, the dismissal was unmistakable.
Bu Eun-seol, sensing the firmness in his tone, paused in deep thought before bowing slightly.
"If that is your wish... I shall take my leave."
After a respectful farewell, he turned to go.
He could feel Gongson Hwa-uk's gaze clinging stickily to his back, but Bu Eun-seol ignored it and departed unhurriedly.
That night.
Whoosh.
A shadow slipped over the walls of the Gongson estate, shrouded in layers of formations.
Shh—shh—
Moving like a blur through the overlapping ancient formations within the manor,
the shadow soon reached the heart of the Inner Court.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
'He's hiding something.'
Gongson Hwa-uk was an exceptional man, always maintaining not only his surroundings but also his appearance with immaculate care.
No matter how exhausted or distracted, he would never receive a guest in such a disheveled state.
Especially since he regarded Bu Eun-seol as a prospective son-in-law and treated him with utmost courtesy.
Even if the clan was in turmoil, he wouldn't have dismissed him so coldly.
'It's as if something has consumed him so deeply he can't maintain a clear mind.'
For now, rather than dwelling on Gongson Hwa-uk's condition,
Bu Eun-seol began meticulously scouring the estate for anything unusual.
The interior was even more heavily guarded than the outside, with intricate mechanism formations installed throughout.
A single misstep—or entering without the Formation-Breaking Art—
would trap the intruder or trigger an alarm, ringing the warning bell.
But to Bu Eun-seol, they were all meaningless obstacles.
Shh—shh—
Moving like the wind, sometimes like a shadow,
he deciphered the flow of the formations,
and found the Life Gate.
Piercing through dozens of battle formations in a single breath as he inspected the interior,
he suddenly arrived at the most secluded part of the estate—the sealed-off Heavenly Star Retreat.
It was, in a way, a place of memories for him.
In the past, under the pretext of testing a prospective son-in-law, Gongson Hwa-uk had pushed him inside—only for him to unknowingly risk his life traversing the perilous Heavenly Round Earth passage.
'For something so eerie...'
Now, the place lay sealed, enveloped in an uncanny silence.
'There are traces of someone repeatedly coming and going here.'
A flash flickered through Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he expanded his Empty Mind Spirit Communion.
The Heavenly Star Retreat was already sealed shut, blocked by battle formations and arcane arts.
And yet, unmistakable signs remained—someone had been coming and going incessantly.
Tssk.
In an instant, he unraveled the overlapping formations and stepped inside the sealed door.
Unlike before, the interior now revealed an enormous stone gate of a size he had never seen.
Srrrk.
When he opened it, a long passage leading downward came into view.
'Was there an underground space here before?'
He immediately descended, but below lay only a vast empty clearing—nothing particularly suspicious.
'Another gate.'
Discovering a cleverly concealed door, he was met with yet another deep, dark passage yawning open.
'This isn't natural—it's a man-made tunnel.'
The walls were smoothly polished, and intricate patterns were carved into the floor.
'At this scale... It would take at least hundreds of people working for months.'
Frowning, Bu Eun-seol descended further.
The passage gradually widened until it opened into a massive chamber.
And there, at the bottom, an eerie sight awaited him.
At the center of the space stood an enormous boulder.
Eight jang in height and roughly three jang in width, it emitted a faint, pulsating glow.
A deep, abyssal blue radiance spread outward—
as if something lurked within, writhing, alive, undulating like a living form.
'It looks just like a Key, dyed blue.'
Though different in size, its shape was strikingly similar to the Key embedded at the heart of the Ancient Sword Forest.
'But there's no Spirit Vein here.'
A Key was meant to suppress Spirit Veins—it didn't emit energy on its own.
Yet this stone pulsed like a colossal heart, expanding and contracting as if breathing.
Unconsciously, Bu Eun-seol took a step closer.
Oom.
A deep, resonant hum reverberated from the stone.
'Dangerous.'
His instincts screamed a warning.
He must not approach further—must not touch it.
Narrowing his eyes, he scrutinized the stone's surface.
Faint engravings, visible only with enhanced vision, covered it.
Ancient script? Battle formation diagrams? The intricate patterns shifted endlessly, flickering with the pulsating light.
"So you've seen it after all."
A cold voice made Bu Eun-seol whirl around.
Standing directly behind him was Gongson Hwa-uk—
'No presence?'
No matter how focused he had been on the stone, how could he have missed the approach of the Family Head?
That should have been impossible for Gongson Hwa-uk's martial prowess.
"What is going on?"
Suppressing his shock, Bu Eun-seol demanded,
"What is that stone? What are you doing, Family Head?"
"So you, too, intend to interfere with my work."
Gongson Hwa-uk's pupils had already turned the same deep blue as the stone.
His remaining rationality seemed utterly lost.
Pah.
The Sound of Breaking Air reached his ears belatedly.
Gongson Hwa-uk's hand shot toward Bu Eun-seol's throat—faster than sound itself.
A simple motion, yet compressed speed and pressure turned it into a force capable of piercing space like an awl.
Whoosh.
Without even time to activate movement techniques, Bu Eun-seol twisted aside—
A razor-sharp edge grazed past, slicing the air where he had stood.
Fsssh.
The stone wall behind him split open as smoothly as paper under a blade—
before crumbling into a cascade of dust.
'The Family Head?'
Gongson Hwa-uk was a master of battle formations, not a martial artist renowned for combat.
Yet now, with mere gestures, he was tearing through space itself.
Pah!
Gongson Hwa-uk vanished again, reappearing in Bu Eun-seol's blind spot—
His fingertips raked toward the temple like lightning.
Sskk.
The sheer force was enough to flay skin and expose bone from a mere graze.
'Let's confirm his methods.'
Deliberately, Bu Eun-seol raised an arm to block.
Kooong.
The collision sent Gongson Hwa-uk skidding back two ja across the stone floor from the recoil.
'This strength—'
"Grahh!"
With a beast-like roar, Gongson Hwa-uk lunged again.
Zzzing.
Bu Eun-seol instantly deployed the Domain of World and Realm Annihilation.
Yet Gongson Hwa-uk's speed and martial power remained undiminished.
'Pure physical strength.'
Astonishingly, Gongson Hwa-uk wasn't using martial arts, Supernatural Power, or even some unnatural Great Art—
It was sheer, unadulterated physical might.
As if his natural strength had multiplied hundreds of times over, it sent a jolting numbness through Bu Eun-seol's Body Protection True Qi-reinforced arms.
Simply by amplifying his innate physical power dozens, hundreds of times—
He could fight Bu Eun-seol on equal footing even within the Domain of World and Realm Annihilation.
"You should have left when I asked nicely!"
Gongson Hwa-uk, seemingly bereft of reason, bellowed in fury.
"Why do you keep coming back—interfering with this Family Head's research?!"
'Research?'
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed.
Had he lost his mind and unleashed such vicious brutality—
just because someone interfered with his research?