Chapter 315
As Bukgung Ryeong made a face that showed he couldn't comprehend it, Bu Eun-seol—as if guessing his inner thoughts—spoke indifferently.
"You'll understand if you watch."
"...Understood."
Bukgung Ryeong nodded with a deep sigh and stepped back.
Bu Eun-seol calmly stepped forward.
In truth, he had just gained a profound realization upon seeing Bukgung Ryeong fall into an inner demon.
Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art was an orthodox martial art of the Righteous Path, maximizing qi to create explosive force.
And qi originates from the heart.
Even someone hailed as a Grandmaster of the Righteous Path—the moment his spirit and mind were disturbed, the qi circulating within his body immediately weakened. Bu Eun-seol had discerned this.
'The distinction between the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path is ultimately meaningless.'
If the heart wavers, qi scatters. If spiritual energy is not abundant, the heart, too, becomes unstable.
The Demonic Path and the Righteous Path.
These two diverging roads are ultimately one and the same in the end.
It's merely a matter of what takes precedence—what becomes the master, and what becomes the follower. Only the order differs.
'Until now, I've been too fixated solely on the might of martial arts.'
Looking back, everything stemmed from what happened when he shattered Wicked Incense.
In that state where his spirit and mind had fused with the Emotion Severing Secret Art due to rage, the moment he truly stepped onto the Demonic Path...
Bu Eun-seol had displayed martial prowess that was, without exaggeration, peerless in the world.
But that was a martial art only a Great Demon—one whose humanity and emotions had been obliterated by the Emotion Severing Secret Art at its peak—could wield.
Though he was fortunate enough for his heart to return to the Middle Path, ever since that day, he had become obsessed with the might of the Willful True Binding.
That intense, destructive power—incomparable to what he could unleash while maintaining the Middle Path's spirit and mind.
He had fallen into an unending state of craving, desperate to reclaim that power once more.
'But the true might of martial arts arises from refinement.'
To awaken Bukgung Ryeong from his inner demon, Bu Eun-seol had unleashed the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon with all his strength.
With every martial form executed, he focused his mind. To subdue Bukgung Ryeong, he employed fist techniques at an extremely close range—the polar opposite of the Inner Energy Bullet Art.
He made the profundity of martial arts his priority, coldly analyzing his opponent's techniques.
And so, even if Bukgung Ryeong had fallen into an inner demon, he had managed to knock down the Bullet King of the world with bare fists.
'The paths of the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path no longer matter.'
Unlike ordinary people, Bu Eun-seol had both the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path coexisting within his spirit and mind.
Moreover, they could mix or even reverse at any time.
There was no need to choose one yet. No—this wasn't the time to choose.
There was no need to force them into one, nor was there any reason to reject both.
Because Bu Eun-seol had yet to fully grasp the profundity of the martial arts of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
Step. Step.
Bu Eun-seol turned and immediately strode toward the Shandong Five Heroes.
"You truly intend to face us alone?"
"Are you afraid?"
"Hmph."
Gu Yeong-hwa snorted as he looked at Bu Eun-seol, whose body was covered in wounds.
"If you wish to die, so be it."
Hwoom!
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew upon the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment.
In that instant, the black true qi flowing through his body transformed into golden ripples.
Swiish! Swiish!
At the same time, a single sharp strand of refined force began circling around him.
He didn't force himself to extend it into five strands—instead, he lightly wielded orthodox martial arts.
What mattered wasn't sheer might, but utilizing the profundity of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction to execute the right martial forms at the right moment to bring down his enemy.
"What bizarre martial arts. Crush him in one strike!"
—Pii!
With the sound of the Azure Heaven Flute as the signal, a powerful force erupted from the four weapons.
It was as if Bukgung Ryeong had fired four strands of his Inner Energy Bullet Art with all his might.
Whoosh!
As their onslaught poured forth, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Southern Shadow Sect's hand technique, the Fierce Hand Blade Line, with his left hand.
Simultaneously, a sharp strand of refined force surged from his wrist.
Crrackle!
"What the hell is that?!"
The Shandong Five Heroes recoiled in shock.
A crescent-shaped wave of refined force poured down as though it would slice through their bodies.
Clang!
They combined the power of the Ten Weapons of the World to block the massive force. But something bizarre happened.
Swiish!
The refined force that collided with their weapons split into five strands—and in an instant, burrowed into their wrists.
Slash.
As crimson blood lines were drawn across their wrists—
Thud!
The right hands of all five Shandong Five Heroes, still gripping their weapons, fell to the ground in unison, blood gushing forth.
"Agh!"
Each let out a short scream as they swiftly sealed the acupoints on their right wrists.
Even in that state, they quickly retrieved their weapons with their left hands.
"Ugh..."
Holding their weapons in their left hands, the Shandong Five Heroes stared at Bu Eun-seol with faces twisted in terror.
'This is the essence of martial arts.'
In the past, he would have unleashed five strands of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction from the very beginning.
But Bu Eun-seol had deliberately lured them into complacency with a single strand of force.
The moment they carelessly attempted to counter his attack, he seized the opportunity and unleashed five strands of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction in an instant, severing their wrists in a single stroke.
"Ugh..."
The Shandong Five Heroes staggered back with terrified expressions.
Their wrists—which had endured forty exchanges with Bukgung Ryeong—had been severed in a single move?
Had this youth truly reached the Martial Extreme Realm at such an age?
"How pathetic."
Bu Eun-seol's voice dripped with disdain.
"Did you truly believe you fought the old man on equal footing?"
His gaze was filled with contempt.
"Even after witnessing him falling prey to an inner demon just to spare your lives?"
The Five Heroes lowered their heads, unable to refute such a scathing rebuke.
Then, Bukgung Ryeong stepped forward from behind.
"Drop your weapons."
Though their faces were twisted with fear, the Five Heroes shook their heads.
Trembling yet defiant, they clung to their weapons with desperate grips.
"We cannot."
Gu Yeong-hwa mustered his courage and spoke.
"With these weapons, we can stride proudly through the Martial World."
His expression was one of bloodied resolve.
"How could we abandon what we sacrificed everything to obtain?"
"Disgraceful."
Bukgung Ryeong's voice was low and heavy.
"You couldn't even defeat this boy with those weapons, yet you speak of striding through the Rivers and Lakes?"
"How many in the Murim possess martial prowess like his?"
"Hahaha."
A hollow, disbelieving laugh escaped Bukgung Ryeong.
Only now did he realize—these men were beyond redemption, their natures too thoroughly rotten.
"You slaughtered members of the Righteous Faction with cruel methods here... and still dream of roaming the Martial World? Hiding from the strong while preying on the weak?"
"..."
"Now I understand why your martial arts could never advance."
Bukgung Ryeong's face darkened with fury.
"Because you are not warriors—you are empty husks, devoid of even the most basic conviction."
Whoosh!
As Bukgung Ryeong splayed his fingers, a violent light erupted, and the weapons in their hands floated into the air.
Whoosh—!
An unprecedented storm of qi surged around Bukgung Ryeong's body like a tempest.
Clang! Thud.
The moment a cold blue light flashed in his eyes, the five weapons hovering in midair shattered into pieces and rained to the ground.
He had annihilated them—colliding the Ten Weapons of the World against each other with the force of his Inner Energy Bullet Art.
Thud.
The Shandong Five Heroes knelt simultaneously, their hollow gazes fixed on the shattered remnants of their treasures.
Only now did they grasp the true depth of the Bullet King's power.
"Without our weapons... and our arms rendered useless..."
Gu Yeong-hwa spoke to Bukgung Ryeong.
"Kill us. Cleanly."
Just as Bukgung Ryeong scoffed and raised a finger—
"Does losing an arm mean you can no wield a sword?"
Bu Eun-seol stepped forward.
"Had I lost my right arm, I would have honed my swordplay with my left. Had I lost both, I would have mastered Leg Techniques instead."
Many of Langya Pavilion's masters were, in fact, cripples.
They had suffered grievous wounds in their pursuit of martial perfection.
Yet they did not despair—instead, they refined their arts further, overcoming their disabilities to become peerless masters.
If one refuses surrender and dedicates themselves wholly to martial training, they can grow stronger still.
That is the greatness of humanity.
With an unbreakable will... whether the obstacle is flesh or spirit, it can be overcome.
"Such words... only those like you, heaven-blessed prodigies, can speak them—"
Splat!
A sudden gush of blood erupted from Gu Yeong-hwa's mouth as he muttered.
Already crippled, and with if this matter became known—there was no place for them in the Murim anymore.
Having lost all hope to live, he had taken his own life.
Then, blood sprayed from the mouths of the remaining four heroes in unison.
Thump.
The corpses of the Shandong Five Heroes collapsed, their eyes wide and lifeless.
Bukgung Ryeong observed them with a cold gaze before shaking his head.
"True. Losing an arm doesn't make one a Cripple."
Had he lost his right arm, he would have continued refining his Inner Energy Bullet Art with his left.
Even without both arms, he would have found another way.
"But these wretches... gave up their lives over a single lost limb."
A bitter mutter escaped Bukgung Ryeong as countless emotions warred across his face.
"The reason I've guarded the Orthodox Murim for so long... was because I believed in their righteousness."
"You needn't despair so deeply."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"How many in this world can claim righteousness like yours, old man?"
Bukgung Ryeong shook his head.
"The righteousness I speak of... was merely the bare minimum of human decency."
And in a voice laced with pain, he muttered:
"Not killing or harming people recklessly for one's own gain... like those of the Demonic Path."
Bukgung Ryeong's pupils, which had been silent for a while, gradually lost their light.
"But now I no longer know. What is righteousness? And what is evil?"
At this, Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his mouth.
"It's a world where the victor becomes king and the defeated become traitors. Those who gain power are righteous, while those who lose it are merely wicked."
"..."
"When a Righteous Faction member kills someone, they call it upholding justice. But when a Demonic Path member kills, they point fingers and call them brutal."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Just that this is the way of the world."
Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh as he spoke.
"Martial artists are the kind of people who can kill others without hesitation simply because they walk different paths."
Bukgung Ryeong, who had been quietly pondering Bu Eun-seol's words, suddenly burst into laughter.
"Huhuhu. Hahaha."
Though he laughed heartily, his eyes instead carried a deep melancholy.
"How shameful."
Bukgung Ryeong realized that Bu Eun-seol had not only mended the fractures in his spirit and mind but had also ascended to a higher realm.
Yet he himself was still trapped in confusion, clinging to distinctions between the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path.
But Bu Eun-seol's single remark had instantly calmed the turbulence that had been engraved in his spirit.
"To think this old man would fall prey to an inner demon at my age."
"It was only natural under the circumstances. I too experienced something similar long ago."
Bu Eun-seol spoke impassively.
"Falling into an inner demon is an opportunity to advance your spirit and mind to the next level. From now on, when you encounter one, use it as a chance to seek enlightenment."
"Huhuhu. Thank you."
Bukgung Ryeong gazed at the distant sky and spoke despondently.
"I realized long ago. That even at this age, I still couldn't break through the barriers of my own heart."
What is the Righteous Path? And what is the Heretical Path?
Perhaps they are nothing more than... convenient concepts humans created to restrain themselves or others?
Countless realizations pierced through Bukgung Ryeong's mind.
Through this ordeal, he too had elevated his spirit and mind to a higher realm and reclaimed the convictions that had once wavered.
"Huuup."
Having organized his thoughts, Bukgung Ryeong drew a long breath.
Then, dozens of golden pellets rose into the air around him.
The Bullet King's signature weapon—Bukgung Ryeong's Purple Lightning Golden Pellets.
KWAANG!
As Bukgung Ryeong extended a finger, the golden pellets hovering in mid-air embedded themselves deep into the front of the secret cave.
"Bullet."
With his Purple Lightning Golden Pellets, he had carved the character for "Bullet" deeply into the cave's surface.
Dung-sil.
The pellets, buried deep in the cave's rock, were pulled back out into the air.
Simultaneously, they scattered in all directions and began raining down like a storm.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
The falling pellets severely damaged all the corpses strewn about—including those of the Shandong Five Heroes.
The Bullet King, Bukgung Ryeong.
This great grandmaster of the orthodox world intended to shoulder the blame for all the atrocities committed on Hell Island... as if he alone had done them.
"Was this truly necessary?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Bukgung Ryeong offered a dry smile.
"If word spreads that these men slaughtered each other out of greed for weapons... the very foundation of the Righteous Faction will be shaken beyond repair."
"I'll handle everything."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with an indifferent expression.
"After all, I'm the Demon Sovereign of the Demonic Path. Even if I massacred the orthodox warriors, it wouldn't cause any repercussions."
"That cannot be."
"And why not?"
With a faint smile, Bukgung Ryeong gazed at the distant sky and murmured.
"Because one day... you may become the sole hope to save a martial world plunged into chaos."
These were words the Bukgung Ryeong of the past—who had once believed only the Righteous Path was just—could never have spoken.
Only now had he realized:
The one who could save the martial world would not be chosen from the fork between the Righteous and Demonic Paths... but would instead be a person of upright thought and unshakable willpower.
"Old man."
"This old man will be leaving the martial world for some time."
"You promised me a duel, did you not?"
"Huhuhu."
Turning away, Bukgung Ryeong spoke in a low voice.
"Hasn't your spirit and martial arts already ascended to a higher realm? Let us postpone our duel, then."
For a moment, Bukgung Ryeong turned his head and muttered under his breath:
'Thank you.'
But those words were so quiet they remained only within the confines of his mind.
SWOOSH!
Unfolding his movement technique, he vanished into mid-air in an instant.
With many ships anchored along the shore, he intended to depart alone.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol watched Bukgung Ryeong's retreating figure and murmured softly.
"There's no need for such things to make you feel ashamed before me."
He thought Bukgung Ryeong had left in such a hurry because he couldn't bear the wretched, naked truth of the Righteous Faction.
Yet there was something even Bu Eun-seol couldn't comprehend.
Bukgung Ryeong—just what debt did he owe to the Orthodox Murim that he would sacrifice so much?
Why had he devoted his entire life to protecting those of the Righteous Path?
Thud.
But then, something strange caught his attention.
From between the stones shattered by the Bullet King's Purple Lightning Golden Pellets, an eerie light seeped out.
Swish.
Without realizing it, Bu Eun-seol reached toward the glimmering light.
Zzziiing.
A low mechanical hum sounded, and a passageway leading underground opened before him.
Just from the way it descended deep within, he could tell this was a treasury where something precious must be stored.
"So this is what happens whenever that old man unleashes his Inner Energy Bullet Art."
Recalling how he had first discovered the Martial Emperor Secret Vault, Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly and stepped inside.
At the end of the passage, an empty stone chamber awaited.
Closing his eyes briefly, Bu Eun-seol activated Empty Mind Spirit Communion and began meticulously scanning the interior.
"An underground treasury built by the Spirit Sound Sect, who once settled on Ghost Island?"
When he opened his eyes again, he flicked a sharp Finger Wind toward the wall.
Clank! Clank!
The wall began to slide open like a drawer.
Astonishingly, the Spirit Sound Sect had sliced the wall perfectly smooth and concealed a hidden storage space within.
"Even the faction that spread the Treasure Map must not have known about this mechanism."
Judging by the thick layer of dust, it had clearly been sealed decades ago and never opened since.
The Spirit Sound Sect's treasury was hidden too cunningly—even those who had circulated the Treasure Map had failed to find it.
"Nothing but weapons, huh."
Inside the drawer lay Divine Weapons rivaling the Ten Weapons of the World.
Bu Eun-seol had no greed for armaments.
Yet as he gazed upon the razor-sharp daggers, armored gauntlets, and chains thin as threads, he thought of Myo Cheon-u, Yu Un-ryong, and Heuk-pyo.
They each deserve weapons suited to their hands.
Having surveyed the interior, Bu Eun-seol soon lost interest and turned to leave.
But then—
"...!"
The sensation beneath his feet felt odd.
Thud!
Drawing upon Void-Breaking Mind's Eye, he struck the floor—and detected intricate mechanisms hidden beneath.
There was yet another mechanical device concealed within this ground.
Groan.
When Bu Eun-seol unleashed Thousand Jin Drop, light spilled from the opposite side of the chamber as a large box slowly rose.
Click.
Opening it, he found a single sword, its blade darkened as if tarnished.
It was unusually small—barely larger than a dagger, closer to a short blade.
And its hilt was disproportionately large, clashing awkwardly with the blade's form.
"What is this?"
Running his fingers along the hilt, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered with puzzlement.
He could feel an intricately crafted mechanism inside the grip.
"What's this supposed to be?"
Gripping the hilt tightly, Bu Eun-seol twisted it—
Clank!
A solid metal block jutted out from the short blade's spine.
Its rounded indentation suggested it was meant to interlock with another piece of metal.
"I see."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize why the hilt was so large.
This short blade was designed to attach to the body of a massive great blade.
Likely, it was meant to be fitted into a hollowed-out great blade and used in tandem.
"And this?"
When he touched the sharp protrusion beneath the coupling mechanism—
Clank!
Another mechanical sound rang out, and a slender needle shot from the hilt.
"Tch."
The needle was so sharp that blood instantly welled from Bu Eun-seol's hand.
Clatter.
Dropping the short blade, he watched his hand turn an eerie blue. The needle had been coated with a vicious Extreme Poison.
Hmm!
Channeling his Internal Energy, Bu Eun-seol forced the poison out—
Hiss.
Dark blue venom dripped from the wound, filling the air with a pungent stench.
Unbelievably, the poison on that needle was none other than the dreaded Flesh-Rotting Blood-Ruining Poison.
"Flesh-Rotting Blood-Ruining Poison...?"
Bu Eun-seol stared fixedly at the discarded hilt.
But something was off.
The protruding needles were arranged in an unusual pattern—positioned in such a way that they could only be gripped by two fingers.
No way.
Immediately, Bu Eun-seol retrieved the gloves he had taken from Evil Fragrance's mechanism and slipped them on.
Then, carefully, he picked up the short blade again.
Hmm.
As if recognizing a long-lost master, the blade emitted a faint tremor.
"This sword—"
Bu Eun-seol's pupils trembled violently.
Was this bizarre short blade the beloved weapon of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang?
"Impossible."
He shook his head.
How could Bu Jan-yang's sword be stored in the treasury of the Spirit Sound Sect—the very sect he had annihilated?
"But..."
A blade that could only be gripped with two fingers.
In all the Murim, only one such weapon existed—the sword of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang.