Chapter 238
"Where is this place?"
As the succession of trap mechanisms defied all common sense, Bukgung Ryeong found himself asking once more.
"Just where could this be, to have such mechanisms installed?"
"The Martial Emperor's Secret Vault."
"What did you say?"
"It was written above the iron gate we entered."
"The Martial Emperor... You mean the Martial Emperor from four hundred years ago?"
Bukgung Ryeong's heart pounded.
Though his later years ended tragically, the Martial Emperor had been one of the greatest orthodox masters of his era.
To think this bizarre trap-filled place was the secret vault containing the Martial Emperor's profound martial insights?
"Which way will you go?"
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol spoke to Bukgung Ryeong, who stood dumbfounded.
"If you won't choose, I'll decide first."
"Do as you please."
"Very well."
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol stepped toward the left passageway.
After brief hesitation, Bukgung Ryeong followed behind him.
"Why are you following me?"
As Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow, Bukgung Ryeong replied with unshaken confidence:
"Who knows what traps lie ahead? Two are better than one."
"I refuse."
"Refuse?"
"Could you travel alongside someone who might be waiting to take your life at any moment?"
"You—"
Flames seemed to leap from Bukgung Ryeong's eyes.
An ordinary martial artist would have been frozen breathless under that pressure, but unfortunately, his opponent was Bu Eun-seol.
"These traps only activated because you forced your way through the gate."
"Nonsense! Are you claiming the mechanisms didn't trigger when you entered alone?"
"That's correct."
Left speechless, Bukgung Ryeong raised a finger with murderous intent.
"This old man could sever your throat right now."
"Are you afraid?"
"What did you say?"
"I asked if you're afraid to go alone."
"Hmph! You think I'd fear these petty traps?"
"So that's a no."
"Obviously."
Bu Eun-seol met his gaze with icy eyes.
"Then break through alone. Don't follow me any further."
With utter indifference, he walked past Bukgung Ryeong and entered the right fork.
"I'll take this path. Don't follow."
And without hesitation, he disappeared inside.
"Fine! This old man will smash through every last one of these traps!"
His pride deeply wounded, Bukgung Ryeong shouted at Bu Eun-seol's retreating back.
"And then I'll kill you on the spot!"
Bu Eun-seol didn't bother responding as he slowly vanished down the passage.
"Hmph."
Snorting in contempt, Bukgung Ryeong slowly turned toward the left passage.
Yet despite his confident stride, his expression was noticeably tense.
This was the secret vault personally constructed by the Martial Emperor—a man who four hundred years ago had reached the pinnacle of orthodox martial arts.
The traps here were anything but ordinary. One wrong judgment, and he might join the white bones guarding this place.
'How absurd. That I should be wary of mere mechanisms.'
For Bukgung Ryeong, whose Inner Energy Bullet Art could shatter iron gates, traps and mechanism formations were usually worthless.
But the mechanisms and traps in the Martial Emperor's vault were unparalleled in martial history. Not even the man called Bullet King could guarantee safe passage.
"I'll just destroy the mechanisms in advance like before."
Taking a deep breath, he stepped resolutely into the left passage.
"Huff... huff..."
Bukgung Ryeong struggled to steady his ragged breathing.
He had roamed the murim alone for years, overcoming countless crises and defeating powerful foes. Never once had he been left gasping for air.
Yet now, to evade the countless traps installed throughout the vault, he was exhausting himself to the point his tongue nearly touched his chin.
"This is beyond words."
The endless passage contained virtually every known battle formation and mechanism from across the martial world.
And these weren't obstacles that could be overcome through martial prowess alone.
They required wisdom, composure, broad perspective, insight—the ability to analyze and understand each situation.
"Moreover... it's impossible to break through alone."
Bukgung Ryeong bit his lip.
Even possessing all those abilities wouldn't be enough, because these traps were designed with one critical feature:
They couldn't be solved by a single person.
"I don't understand. Why would—"
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Bukgung Ryeong's mind.
—These traps only activated because you forced your way through the gate.
According to Bu Eun-seol's words, when he had entered alone originally, none of the mechanisms had activated.
That implied one thing—if one of them died, the mechanisms might cease functioning.
"No, that can't be right."
Bukgung Ryeong shook his head.
The Martial Emperor, no matter what, had been a dignified Renowned Chivalrous Hero of the orthodox faction. Such a man would never have created such vicious and treacherous traps.
"Perhaps it was meant to prevent two people from entering and slaughtering each other in a bloodbath over the treasure..."
It was possible the Martial Emperor had designed the mechanisms so that if two people entered, they would have to cooperate rather than kill each other to escape.
"I don't know. Given the miserable end he met in his later years, maybe his temperament had changed."
There was no way to know what the Martial Emperor had been thinking when he created these traps.
One thing was certain—the traps in this passage could never be overcome unless the two of them combined their strength.
Grind.
Bukgung Ryeong clenched his teeth.
In the end, he would have to join forces with that brat who played freeze tag like a child.
Thud. Thud.
After hesitating several times, he had no choice but to retrace his steps.
When he returned to the fork in the path, Bukgung Ryeong's eyes widened.
Bu Eun-seol, who had taken the right corridor, had also returned.
He, too, seemed to have suffered greatly—his entire body was drenched in sweat, his clothes covered in dust.
"..."
As if by some unspoken agreement, the two of them stared intently at each other.
Without exchanging a single word, they communicated through their gazes.
Until we escape this place, let's not fight and work together.
After locking eyes, the two of them nodded slightly, as if sealing the pact.
BOOM! CRASH!
Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art was truly unparalleled in the world. Unlike ordinary qi bullet-type martial arts, its power did not diminish even at long range.
Swiish!
Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword might have looked dull, but it was a rare divine blade in the murim.
Not only could it effortlessly unleash sword qi without the infusion of internal energy, but its edge remained undamaged even after enduring hundreds of impacts.
Bukgung Ryeong destroyed the long-range mechanisms, while Bu Eun-seol sliced through close-range traps and battle formations.
In this way, the two of them advanced step by step, cooperating.
By the time they had broken through all the traps and reached the end of the corridor, Bukgung Ryeong let out a sigh.
"It was my doing that ruined them."
Normally, mechanisms were not activated all at once—they followed a set sequence.
But the mechanisms in this passage had triggered almost simultaneously, and the battle formations were also in complete disarray.
The mechanisms and formations inside the Martial Emperor Secret Vault had all been thrown into chaos, activating at once.
That was likely because Bukgung Ryeong had destroyed the iron gate, damaging the internal mechanisms in the process.
"Originally, this place was designed for only one person to enter."
"There's no need to blame yourself."
Bu Eun-seol walked past Bukgung Ryeong toward the sturdy iron gate ahead.
"Think about it—these mechanisms were built over four hundred years ago. There's no way they could still function with perfect precision."
"Hmph, are you trying to console me?"
"I'm not consoling you. I'm stating a fact."
Bukgung Ryeong gave a bitter smile.
Truthfully, most of the mechanisms had been overcome thanks to Bu Eun-seol.
By manifesting Empty Mind Spirit Communion, he had detected traces of mechanisms so subtle that even Bukgung Ryeong had missed them.
Not only that, he had predicted the mechanisms' activation patterns and prepared for the onslaught of traps.
If not for Bu Eun-seol's help?
Even if Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art had been several times stronger than it was now, he would never have made it through.
"There are no signs of mechanisms installed on this gate."
After examining the iron gate at the end of the passage, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Now the Martial Emperor's true Secret Vault will finally reveal itself."
Bukgung Ryeong stretched out his hand and pushed open the iron gate with all his might.
Creeeak.
Beyond the wide-open gate stretched an expansive great hall.
Beneath a ceiling that seemed over three hundred feet high, towering statues and structures stood scattered throughout the vast space.
The interior was impossibly large, with everything constructed on an abnormally massive scale—as if recreating the world of ancient giants.
"This is strange."
Bukgung Ryeong frowned as he surveyed the surroundings.
"After setting up all those traps, why would he build such a vast great hall again?"
Bu Eun-seol silently scrutinized the area.
Despite the hall's immense size, the number of Night Luminous Pearls embedded in the walls and ceiling was surprisingly few.
The dim light inside was barely enough to distinguish objects.
"Once we reach the far end, there should be an exit."
Bu Eun-seol pointed toward the opposite side, so distant its end wasn't even visible.
"And this will be the final trap."
"A trap?"
"Indeed."
Bu Eun-seol gestured at the statues and structures filling the vast space.
"Everything here consists of constructed objects—meaning they're assembled and can be collapsed at any moment."
"You're saying they'll collapse?"
"Most likely. All the way to the ceiling."
"A simple trap, then. Nothing special, is it?"
In response, Bu Eun-seol pointed downward.
"Among the murim's battle formations, some exert strange suction forces from below or bind one's feet."
As if to prove his words, the floor was paved with Silver Reflection Stones—materials used in setting up formations.
Bukgung Ryeong let out a low hum.
The traps they had broken through so far were bizarre and terrifying enough to be recorded in murim history.
But now, even that wasn't enough? This entire colossal Grand Hall itself was a collapsing trap?
Rumble...
A low vibration began resonating from beneath the floor, as if signaling the start.
This vast Grand Hall was both the final gate of the Martial Emperor Secret Repository and a death trap.
"Are you prepared?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Bukgung Ryeong scoffed.
"Brat. Who do you think you're saying that to?"
A fierce whirlwind began swirling around his body.
"This old man is the Bullet King."
Those words carried boundless pride.
The Bullet King—the only one among the Four Gods and Seven Kings who stood alone, unaffiliated, safeguarding the murim's righteous energy.
"If I were to kneel before a trap like this, my name would have vanished from the murim long ago."
CRASH!
Just then, the head of a distant statue began to fall.
Simultaneously, the massive ceiling of the Grand Hall started breaking apart like brittle pastry.
"Run!"
At Bu Eun-seol's shout, the Bullet King surged forward like an arrow, a whirlwind trailing behind him.
Zzzzt!
But then, light flashed from the Silver Reflection Stones on the floor, instantly slowing his movement technique.
CRACKLE!
Even so, the Bullet King shot forward at an astonishing speed, cutting through the air like a bullet.
BOOM! BOOM!
Transformed into a streak of lightning, he dodged falling debris, sometimes even using them as footholds to propel himself forward.
"Ghhh..."
Yet his speed gradually waned, his face twisting in exertion.
Despite pouring every ounce of his strength into his Lightness Art, the overwhelming suction force clung to his ankles like shackles.
Swoosh—!
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol moved with calm precision, shifting directions with Swift Shadowless.
He didn't rush forward recklessly.
The Grand Hall was vast, and the collapsing structures had their limits.
Instead, he conserved his energy, deftly navigating around falling rocks and debris.
Hiss—!
But even his method soon met its limit.
Now, a bluish poisonous mist began rising from the Silver Reflection Stones.
"Poison too?!"
Bukgung Ryeong roared in outrage.
He was already pushing his internal energy to its limits to maintain his movement technique—and now poison?
"Cough!"
Though he was resistant to most toxins, this poison was so virulent it made him nauseous even without breathing it in.
And burning it away with internal energy wasn't feasible in this situation.
"Fine!"
Bukgung Ryeong pulled Iron Galls from his pouch, fitting them onto his five fingers.
"HYAH!"
With a battle cry, he unleashed them, sending them spinning through the air until they formed a massive whirlwind.
This was one of his three supreme techniques—the Five-Finger Heroic Thread Art.
WHOOSH!
The whirlwind instantly dispersed the poison mist, clearing a path.
As he dashed forward again, he realized Bu Eun-seol was nowhere to be seen—trapped within the mist.
'Nothing to be done.'
Even if they survived, they could never coexist.
Just as he clicked his tongue inwardly and prepared to advance—
Flash!
A streak of light erupted through the mist.
BOOM!
A massive sphere of layered sword qi formed, annihilating the poison in its wake.
The Seventh Form of the Formless Heavenly Flow.
Strange Sword Study—Returning God Destroying Earth—unleashed, its sword qi infused with Extreme Yang True Qi to incinerate the poison.
FWOOSH!
Bu Eun-seol didn't envelop himself in the blazing sphere—he hurled it forward instead.
Sizzle—!
As the sphere surged ahead, a small gate finally came into view, five hundred feet away.
Martial Emperor.
And there, inscribed in the same calligraphy as the entrance, was that name once more.