Chapter 219
"You said you learned from that old man Raging Flame Great Fiend how to generate Scorching Sun Force to push the wine cup away, didn't you?"
At the time, Yin Monster Demon Scythe had chuckled while speaking.
"Though rarely used nowadays, the Demonic Path Martial Arts of the past included techniques of Gain an Axe and Lose an Axe—methods that brought neither clear benefit nor loss. Like the Borrowed Force Redirecting Power that Raging Flame Great Fiend favored using."
Raging Flame Great Fiend had once taught Bu Eun-seol the secret technique of Borrowed Force Redirecting Power, which neutralized an enemy's internal energy while simultaneously redirecting it elsewhere.
"Using Borrowed Force Redirecting Power allows you to divert an opponent's internal energy in another direction, but in turn prevents you from channeling your own internal power into them."
Yin Monster Demon Scythe, squatting in front of Bu Eun-seol as he assembled the coffin, grinned like a child as he spoke.
"But this utterly useless technique, long buried and forgotten, happens to shine brilliantly against Shaolin's Heart-Knocking Bell technique!"
Borrowed Force Redirecting Power didn't oppose the pouring force of an enemy's energy—instead, it gathered and seized that energy before pulling it downward.
Though normally worthless, this method proved exceptionally effective against the Heart-Knocking Bell technique of the Eighteen Arhats, who each poured forth their own distinct internal energies. Yin Monster Demon Scythe had once escaped encirclement by the Eighteen Arhats using this very technique. And now, he had passed it on to Bu Eun-seol.
'Draw the pouring energy down through the Bubbling Spring acupoint.'
Ooom—!
Bu Eun-seol shifted the Reverse Polarity True Qi that had been resisting the flood of energy and instead wrapped it around the Eighteen Arhats' True Qi.
Just as he attempted to channel it downward through the Bubbling Spring acupoint—an acupoint near the sole of his foot—
'What in the world...?'
Something strange happened.
The moment he tried to guide the Arhats' internal energy toward the Bubbling Spring acupoint, the energy he had pulled in began flowing naturally into Bu Eun-seol's meridians instead.
"...!"
The anomaly wasn't lost on Bu Eun-seol alone.
The Eighteen Arhats, who had been exerting their full power to maintain the Heart-Knocking Bell technique, widened their eyes in shock as they exchanged glances.
'How is this possible?!'
The internal energy that had been relentlessly pressing down on Bu Eun-seol had suddenly been absorbed into his meridians.
'Is this man a ghost?!'
Gong-myeong's eyes bulged in disbelief.
Each of the Eighteen Arhats possessed internal energy far exceeding sixty years of cultivation. Yet this man was not only withstanding their combined output—he was circulating it back into his own body?
Such a thing should be impossible unless one was a supernatural being.
'No—he must have mastered Hell Blood Citadel's Power-Transforming Great Method or Ghost Gate's Plain-Expanse Power-Dissolving Art!'
As Bu Eun-seol absorbed their True Qi into his body, Gong-myeong concluded he must have learned one of those demonic arts capable of instantly draining or extinguishing internal power.
Ooom.
Meanwhile, a faint golden light began shimmering around Bu Eun-seol's body, accompanied by a low vibration.
He was continuously circulating the vast internal energy of the Eighteen Arhats through his own meridians. Bathed in that golden radiance, he resembled nothing less than an enlightened Buddha in his solemn majesty.
Only when Bu Eun-seol saw this light flowing through him did he understand why this phenomenon was occurring.
'The origin of my True Qi... truly was Shaolin's after all.'
Blood Vajra had once told him that the breathing technique he'd practiced since childhood was derived from the Life Nourishing Secret, an excerpt from Shaolin's Tendon Transformation Sutra.
And that had been the truth.
Because their internal energies shared the same origin, the Arhats' power had naturally merged with his own meridians.
'...Refreshing.'
The pure, orthodox energy of the Eighteen Arhats circulated smoothly through Bu Eun-seol's meridians, cleansing and clearing his qi vessels as it flowed.
"Ugh..."
Just then, Gong-myeong let out a pained groan as his body trembled slightly.
If Bu Eun-seol continued draining their energy like a water ghost, channeling it endlessly through his meridians, they would eventually be exhausted—meeting a miserable end.
'Hmm.'
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching them contemplatively, soon furrowed his brow.
Even if their energies shared the same origin, the combined power of the Eighteen Arhats far surpassed six hundred years of cultivation. Though he was distributing their energy evenly through his bloodline, the sheer volume was overwhelming. Any ordinary martial artist would have had their meridians torn apart by now.
'I can't keep this up.'
A dull ache had begun pulsing in his dantian.
Instead of retreating, however, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he shouted:
"Prepare yourselves! After I extinguish every last drop of your internal energy, I'll take your heads."
Speaking during a battle of internal energy was tantamount to suicide—opening one's mouth to exhale would cause an immediate loss of power.
Yet when Gong-myeong heard Bu Eun-seol's voice ring out mid-struggle, he jolted in shock.
"Ghk—!"
An undignified grunt escaped him, and the energy he had been pouring forth wavered instantly.
As the flow from Gong-myeong—the strongest among them—faltered, the rest of the Eighteen Arhats panicked.
"Urk—!"
The Heart-Knocking Bell technique required a steady, unwavering stream of pure True Qi.
But with all of them thrown into disarray, their energies began tangling chaotically.
'Now!'
Seizing the opportunity, Bu Eun-seol swiftly expelled the energy flowing through his meridians—straight into the ground.
"Ugh—"
As the true qi coursing through Bu Eun-seol's body abruptly vanished without a trace, the Eighteen Arhats let out startled cries and stumbled backward.
"My internal energy! All of my internal energy has disappeared!"
When Gong Hak, the youngest of the Eighteen Arhats, panicked in terror, Bu Eun-seol seized the opportunity and broke through the barrier of true qi, stepping free.
At last, he had escaped the Heart-Knocking Bell technique.
"Hahk— Hahk—"
The Eighteen Arhats all hung their heads, gasping for breath.
Having rapidly depleted their internal power while their spirit and mind were still unstable, they had fallen into the Collapse State.
Shring.
In that moment, Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Sword.
If he attacked now, he could behead the Eighteen Arhats in a single stroke.
"..."
But he did not.
Had he shattered the Heart-Knocking Bell technique through sheer force, he would have immediately taken their heads.
But this victory had come too easily—only because he had mastered Shaolin's Life Nourishing Secret.
If he used Shaolin's own internal energy techniques to slay the Arhats, it would leave nothing but a bitter aftertaste.
"Why did you not kill us?"
As Bu Eun-seol stood motionless with his sword drawn, Gong-myeong spoke in a low voice.
"Had you struck immediately, even Gwang-yeon would not have had time to intervene... You could have severed this monk's head."
Bu Eun-seol regarded Gong-myeong's bloodless face and replied coldly.
"None of your concern."
Sheathing the Ink Sword, he turned away.
"Leave."
Staring at Bu Eun-seol's retreating figure, Gong-myeong finally realized something.
'Come to think of it...'
The internal energy Bu Eun-seol had wielded against the Heart-Knocking Bell was vast yet pure—a true qi that was untainted and profound.
Upon reflection, such a mental cultivation method could never belong to a demonic fiend of the most depraved kind.
Moreover, if he truly were a bloodthirsty demonkin... would he have let slip the chance to behead the Eighteen Arhats in a single stroke?
'I see. So that's why Wudang stopped pursuing him.'
The Wudang Sect had ordered Song-ak, one of the Great Righteous Experts, to kill Bu Eun-seol without fail.
Yet in the end, Song-ak had returned empty-handed.
And despite that, Wudang had shown no further reaction—no renewed pursuit.
Perhaps it was because Song-ak had glimpsed Bu Eun-seol's true nature.
"The rumors of Murim are not to be trusted."
Gong-myeong let out a deep sigh.
The orthodox factions had long spread word that the Ten Demonic Heir from Langya Pavilion, steeped in demonic nature, had slaughtered the Great Righteous Experts...
But in truth, he was merely a ruthless martial artist—nothing more.
"May this monk ask one more question?"
"..."
"Why does someone like you harbor such enmity toward the Beggars' Sect?"
Under normal circumstances, Bu Eun-seol would not have answered.
But sensing the faint goodwill laced within Gong-myeong's voice, he turned his head slightly.
"I seek the Beggar King."
"The Beggar King..."
As if finally piecing everything together, Gong-myeong nodded slowly.
"So that's why the Beggars' Sect revealed your location."
"The Beggars' Sect?"
"Indeed."
A faint smile touched Gong-myeong's lips.
"Though Gu Hong-cheong is the Supreme Elder of the Beggars' Sect, in truth, he is not on good terms with its high command. You must already know this."
Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
The Beggar King, Gu Hong-cheong, had been a prodigious martial talent since youth, inheriting the essence of the Beggars' Sect's martial arts in one fell swoop.
Eventually, he rose to become a candidate for the position of Young Beggars' Sect Leader.
His ambition was to systematically elevate the Beggars' Sect—a den of beggars—into the foremost faction of the world, surpassing even Shaolin.
But the former Sect Chief, Sanggwan-un, believed his ambitions would ruin the sect and ultimately passed the leadership to Gu Hong-cheong's junior fellow disciple, Yeon Wi-seong.
Greatly disheartened by this, Gu Hong-cheong left the sect and wandered aimlessly—until Yeon Wi-seong suddenly died.
Believing his chance had finally come, Gu Hong-cheong returned to the Beggars' Sect.
Yet the elders of the Eight Routes chose the mild-mannered No Bong over him as the next Sect Chief.
Then, as if by heaven's will, No Bong too fell gravely ill, losing his strength, and the Sect Council's duties fell to the Deputy Sect Master, Hae-pung.
So Gu Hong-cheong changed his plans.
He intended to install Seong-ryun, one of the Great Righteous Experts, as Sect Chief while he ruled from the shadows.
But when Bu Eun-seol killed Seong-ryun, thwarting even that scheme, Gu Hong-cheong resolved to seize power himself and began gathering forces.
"You seek his whereabouts?"
"Do you know where he is?"
"I do not. Even the Beggars' Sect's intelligence network cannot track him."
Then why bother with this convoluted explanation?
As Bu Eun-seol raised an eyebrow in disbelief, Gong-myeong smiled faintly.
"But I do know how to make him come to you."
Taking a deep breath, he gazed past Bu Eun-seol at the clear sky beyond.
"Go to Seonhwa Peak on Wonun Mountain."
"Seonhwa Peak?"
"Yes. There, you will find a way to draw Gu Hong-cheong to you."
A riddle of an answer.
Yet Bu Eun-seol nodded lightly. The leader of the Eighteen Arhats would not speak idly.
"Amitabha."
Clasping his hands in prayer, Gong-myeong turned away.
"May this be of help to you."
A truly strange encounter.
"Why would Gong-myeong, the chief seat of the Eighteen Arhats and a revered monk of Shaolin, provide such information?"
'Even Buddhist monks calculate their gains, it seems.'
After deep contemplation, Bu Eun-seol saw through Gong-myeong's hidden intentions.
No matter how formidable Bu Eun-seol's skills were, he could never defeat Gu Hong-cheong, who had reached the Extreme Heaven Realm.
If Bu Eun-seol sought out Gu Hong-cheong and fought him, the Eighteen Arhats could maintain peace in the murim without staining their own hands.
"Very well."
As Gong-myeong turned away, the Eighteen Arhats followed.
But Gwang-yeon remained, gazing at Bu Eun-seol as though he had something more to say.
"You have something to add?"
Gwang-yeon pressed his palms together and bowed slightly.
"Seeing Lord Bu makes this humble monk feel ashamed."
"..."
"Even as a disciple of the Buddhist School, one cannot help but act in the temple's interests. In truth, the chief seat of the Arhat Hall... borrowed the Beggar King's hand."
"I know."
Bu Eun-seol answered indifferently.
"My goal was to face him anyway."
"I see."
Gwang-yeon smiled faintly.
"Are you aware, by any chance? Among Shaolin's Seventy-Two Supreme Arts, mastering the Prajna Great Power grants abilities akin to the Mind-Reading Technique."
"..."
"Of course, it doesn't truly allow one to read minds... but through the flow of true qi, one can sense another's emotions or predict their movements to some degree."
Bu Eun-seol stared intently at Gwang-yeon's face.
"There's also a similar ultimate technique—the Sword Pavilion's Equal Enlightenment Shift."
Then, in a voice as soft as a whisper, Gwang-yeon added:
"I merely wished to inform you that, upon reaching the Extreme Heaven Realm, such feats become possible even without formal training."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's eyes rippled like disturbed water.
Only now did he grasp the full meaning behind Gwang-yeon's words.
'The Mind-Reading Technique, Equal Enlightenment Shift... So that's how it was.'
It was no coincidence that Gwang-yeon had seen through Lament by the River.
He, too, must have mastered the Prajna Great Power.
And by meticulously observing and analyzing the foundational forms of Bu Eun-seol's Formless Heavenly Flow...
He had been able to predict, to some extent, the execution of Lament by the River—the desperate final strike.
'Had I fought the Beggar King without knowing this...'
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
If he faced Gu Hong-cheong in his current state?
Even if he unleashed Lament by the River hundreds of times, he would lose.
'Small fragments coming together to form a complete picture.'
Though Gwang-yeon had not yet reached the Extreme Heaven Realm, his mastery of the Prajna Great Power allowed him to partially decipher Lament by the River after repeated clashes with the Formless Heavenly Flow.
Then the Beggar King, who had already ascended to the Extreme Heaven Realm, would naturally see through it entirely.
"Lord Bu, you have endured every trial and awakened much on your own."
Gwang-yeon's gaze deepened as he studied Bu Eun-seol.
"But whether in martial arts or Buddhist teachings... great achievements require a worthy master."
His words resonated as though he had peered directly into Bu Eun-seol's heart and circumstances.
'Hm.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes darkened.
The martial secrets of Langya Pavilion lay in the concept of enlightenment.
Having mastered countless techniques, he no longer sought teachers—instead, he evolved his martial arts through life-and-death battles.
While this method allowed rapid comprehension, it also carried the burden of having to grasp the profound principles of martial arts entirely alone.
"In the past, Langya Pavilion produced many peerless masters, yet it still lacks a systematic method of passing down its arts."
Gwang-yeon's voice was low.
"Ultimately, a disciple's achievements depend on their innate comprehension, which is why the sect struggles to produce exceptional talents now."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't fathom why Gwang-yeon was imparting such insights to him.
"Am I not your enemy?"
"I, too, am a disciple of Shaolin."
Gwang-yeon smiled.
"The Beggar King's ambitions are not confined to the Beggars' Sect. Rather than allowing someone who could plunge the murim into chaos to rise... wouldn't it be better for a man without such ambitions to prevail?"
Bu Eun-seol was speechless.
'Is Shaolin truly this terrifying?'
The chief seat of the Arhat Hall had set a Borrowed Knife Murder scheme in motion by revealing the Beggar King's whereabouts.
And now, the so-called Shaolin's Greatest Prodigy was saying he'd rather see a straightforward figure of the Demonic Path triumph over a Righteous Faction master who could upheave the martial world.
"Buddhist disciples seem to enjoy using others' hands for their own benefit."
Even in the face of Bu Eun-seol's sharp words, Gwang-yeon's smile remained unshaken.
"From a certain perspective, one might see it that way."
'He should have been a secular disciple.'
Gwang-yeon was a man who belonged more to the mortal world than to the Buddhist Order.
Perhaps Shaolin had recognized this, which was why they kept him in the lowly position of a Sweeping Monk.
"Then, if fate allows, we shall meet again."
Having fulfilled his purpose, Gwang-yeon pressed his palms together in farewell.
In an instant, he vanished, his movement technique carrying him away like the wind.
Bu Eun-seol inhaled deeply as he watched the space where Gwang-yeon had stood.
"So it begins now."
Regardless, Gwang-yeon's advice had revealed a critical flaw in his martial arts.
And at last, he had grasped a lead on the Beggar King.
"But..."
Now, Bu Eun-seol had to completely revise the plans he had laid out thus far.
More urgently, he needed to address the weaknesses in his martial arts.
Only then could he barely hope to face a foe as monstrous as the Beggar King.