Chapter 332
The dantian is also called the Qi Sea Acupoint.
It is both the gathering place and the storage warehouse for the qi within the body.
However, Seo Jin-ha, who had learned the Myriad Transformations Dharma Wheel from the Splendid Beauty Palace Master, was now able to gradually generate true qi within his body—not through the lower dantian, but through the upper dantian.
Moreover, having been taught the Cinnabar Cloud Spirit-Opening Art, the ultimate mind method of the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace, he could now accumulate immense true qi using his upper dantian.
"Haa..."
After an hour of inner training, Seo Jin-ha exhaled the turbid qi from his body and slowly opened his eyes.
His pupils shimmered with divine light, just like those of someone possessing formidable internal power.
Drip. Drip.
Black liquid fell from his fingertips as he concluded his training.
Each time he finished his inner cultivation, he would employ the Qi Poison Gathering technique to gradually expel the lingering remnants of the poison arts that had been injected into him in the past.
For now, it wasn't a problem—but poison was still poison.
Unless he attained the Poison Saint Body, the toxins absorbed into his system could cause trouble at any moment.
"Remarkable. To master both the Myriad Transformations Dharma Wheel and the Cinnabar Cloud Spirit-Opening Art in just half a month..."
The Splendid Beauty Palace Master, who had been instructing him in the mind method, nodded in admiration at Seo Jin-ha's extraordinary talent.
"It seems this palace master has nothing left to teach you."
"All of this is thanks to your teachings and care."
While Seo Jin-ha had been refining his mind method, Bu Eun-seol had been the busiest of all.
He immediately sent word to Langya Pavilion, requesting that outstanding young disciples be stationed at the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace.
Not only that, he was meticulously preparing to formally incorporate the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace into the Demon Hall's faction.
And when this news reached the Demon Hall, astonishment spread like wildfire.
—The Martial Soul Lord has incorporated that mysterious sect from Tibet, which had remained hidden for so long, into the Demon Hall?
—They say that place possesses an abundance of spiritual herbs and spirit pills.
—Thanks to that, the Medicine King Faction can resume production of the Dormant Demon Spirit Pills, which they had halted...
Even as everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place, there was one person who wore a deeply troubled expression.
That person was So Ok-rim.
'That brat... was the Martial Soul Lord all along?'
Bu Eun-seol was the successor of the Demon Hall and the rightful heir of Langya Pavilion. So how could he also be the Martial Emperor's inheritor?
'If that's the case...'
After remaining secluded in her quarters all this time, she finally stepped outside, as if she had made up her mind about something.
Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace — Small Training Ground
Having finished all his urgent tasks, Bu Eun-seol sat face-to-face with Seo Jin-ha in the training ground, studying the secrets of internal energy.
Soon, Bu Eun-seol would have to leave this place.
But Seo Jin-ha had decided to remain at the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace for over a year to refine his internal power and achieve the Grand Duke realm.
Rather than hastily learning and wasting time, he intended to recover his strength here as quickly as possible so he could become a true asset to Bu Eun-seol.
And before departing, Bu Eun-seol was carefully examining Seo Jin-ha's energy circulation to ensure there were no side effects from opening his upper dantian.
"By the way," Seo Jin-ha suddenly spoke up in the middle of their discussion.
"The palace master mentioned the Wall of the Heart Sect, which you shattered in a single move. So... does that mean you've reached the Martial Extreme Realm?"
His face was slightly flushed.
It was the kind of thought that made one's heart race.
In the history of the martial world, no master had ever reached the Martial Extreme Realm at such a young age. If true, Bu Eun-seol might soon surpass even the Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic and become a peerless Grandmaster of Martial Arts.
"Impossible."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head calmly.
"As I've said before, the Martial Extreme Realm manifests as a phenomenon. It's not something you achieve just by doing this or that."
"A phenomenon...?" "That's right. It isn't as clear-cut as the Extreme Heaven Realm."
Seeing Seo Jin-ha's puzzled expression, Bu Eun-seol explained patiently.
"When one reaches the Extreme Heaven Realm through enlightenment, they can push their body's potential to the absolute limit and perceive time in far finer increments than ordinary martial artists."
"Mm. That much is true."
"But the masters I've seen who've reached the Martial Extreme Realm cannot be measured by conventional martial standards. Instead, each possesses unique abilities, and their very existence creates a phenomenon unto itself."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes grew distant, as if sifting through memories.
"The Demonic Heavenly Emperor stood at the boundary of the Absolute Division, a line that cannot be crossed through enlightenment alone. The moment you face him, you either feel uncontrollable chaos or lose your sense of self, descending into erratic thoughts."
Then, in a low voice, he added:
"Perhaps... that's why he named himself Mu-myeong (Ignorance). Life may seem eternal, but it changes in an instant—and vanishes in an instant."
Seo Jin-ha swallowed hard.
Bu Eun-seol's words were profound, carrying an inexplicable mystery within them.
Because of that, they couldn't be understood immediately, nor could their meaning be unraveled on one's own.
"Of course, whether demonic or orthodox, the ultimate goal is the same—to elevate humanity to a realm akin to the universe, transcending existence and non-existence, life and death."
Only then did Seo Jin-ha realize one thing.
The reason why Bu Eun-seol's martial progress advanced so rapidly.
'He wasn't just training in martial arts alone.'
He wasn't merely diligently refining his martial techniques—like a high monk well-versed in Zen, he was also exploring questions beyond life and death itself.
"And if I were to describe the phenomenon I witnessed when facing the Human Demon, the Pavilion Lord of our sect—"
"Ah, no."
Seo Jin-ha waved his hand.
"You don't need to explain any further."
The masters of the Martial Extreme Realm that Bu Eun-seol spoke of—each one was a transcendent being who had shattered the mold of what it meant to be human.
And to Seo Jin-ha's eyes, Bu Eun-seol—who was observing and analyzing those mysterious masters of the Martial Extreme Realm—felt no different from them.
"Then in any case, you haven't actually reached the Martial Extreme Realm, right?"
When Seo Jin-ha summarized it succinctly, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Correct. To describe my realm precisely, I've merely set foot into the Extreme Heaven Realm."
Then he added with a sigh,
"Let alone the Bullet King or the Supreme Cult Commander, I still can't divide time into finer fragments than even the Needle King, who is said to be of middling skill among the Four Gods Seven Kings."
But in truth, Bu Eun-seol wasn't fully aware of his own capabilities.
He had mastered the supreme martial arts of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths in parallel, possessed formidable internal energy, and had exceptional combat instincts and enlightenment.
Moreover, like a high monk who contemplates matters beyond life and death, he constantly measured and observed all things outside himself, yearning for realization—merging emptiness and the Way into one...
All of which meant he was unleashing power several times greater than his original martial realm would suggest.
"Then how the hell did you break the Wall of the Heart Sect?"
Seo Jin-ha tilted his head and asked.
"The pavilion master said the Wall of the Heart Sect can only be broken by reaching the Martial Extreme Realm. Was that a lie?"
"It wasn't a lie. The gate of the Wall of the Heart Sect indeed unleashed power comparable to an attack from a Martial Extreme Realm master."
"Then it's true, isn't it? If you could block it, doesn't that mean you've reached the Martial Extreme Realm?"
Bu Eun-seol gave a bitter smile.
Even before simultaneously mastering the supreme mind-training formulas of both paths, his spirit and mind had always been split into two distinct streams.
Because of this, even if one side collapsed, he could recover with ease.
Moreover, his body housed not one but two essences of the Shaolin Ultimate Arts—the Prajna Great Power and the Tendon Transformation Sutra.
The ruthless first-ranked mental cultivation method of the demonic path, the Counter-Polar Internal Art, had merged with the mysterious energy of the Shaolin Ultimate Arts, resulting in his current state... but explaining this in detail to Seo Jin-ha would be difficult.
"Blocking and unleashing are fundamentally different. It's just that my spirit and mind are slightly different from others, allowing me to defend to some extent."
When he gave a vague answer, Seo Jin-ha, still unconvinced, pressed further.
"But you shattered the Wall of the Heart Sect. Couldn't that be considered a phenomenon of reaching the Martial Extreme Realm?"
"That was merely a fortunate coincidence—the fractured mind-training formula and internal power harmonized at the gate, causing my internal power to surge greatly."
Bu Eun-seol shrugged as he met Seo Jin-ha's gaze.
"To put it simply, I broke the Wall of the Heart Sect through brute force."
For a moment, Seo Jin-ha couldn't hide his astonishment.
Bu Eun-seol's internal power had already surpassed even the Heavenly Slaughter Unit Commander, whose name shook the world. And now it had "greatly" increased again?
"Your internal power rose again? By how much?"
"A little over six cycles."
Thud.
Seo Jin-ha's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Six cycles?!"
"That's right."
Seo Jin-ha's jaw dropped in disbelief.
Bu Eun-seol was the type to downplay his abilities by a fair margin. Judging by that, his internal power was likely close to the four-hundred-year mark.
"Who in this world has ever accumulated that much internal power at your age?"
"Internal power isn't the sole measure of martial prowess. Though... it's not like having more will ever be a disadvantage."
Seo Jin-ha was beyond bewildered—he was on the verge of bursting into hollow laughter.
If his internal energy truly reached the four-hundred-year level, he could engage in internal power clashes with masters who stood above the world and never be at a disadvantage.
Yet Bu Eun-seol dismissed it as merely "not being a disadvantage."
"It's true that martial prowess isn't solely determined by internal power, but..."
Just as Seo Jin-ha was about to continue—
Crunch, crunch.
Under the pouring midday sunlight, So Ok-rim appeared at the Small Martial Training Ground where Bu Eun-seol and Seo Jin-ha stood.
She immediately strode up to Bu Eun-seol and crossed her arms.
"Got a minute to talk?"
Despite her confident tone, her gaze couldn't settle on Bu Eun-seol, flickering restlessly instead.
'Damn. That bastard's unfairly handsome.'
Even Seo Jin-ha beside him was no slouch in looks.
But under the sunlight, Bu Eun-seol's long lashes cast shadows over his profound gaze—standing there like a painting of nature's mysterious harmony, it shook the soul just to look at him.
"What is it you wish to discuss?"
Bu Eun-seol's pupils shimmered like sunlight reflected on river water as he looked at her.
In response, she widened her eyes and flared her nostrils, as if refusing to back down.
"Something serious."
Noticing the complex emotions swirling in So Ok-rim's gaze, Bu Eun-seol turned to Seo Jin-ha.
"We'll continue this later."
Then he turned back to her.
"Speak."
"Here?"
"Is there a reason not to?"
"Fine."
Still with her arms crossed, So Ok-rim spoke with the gravest expression.
"How the hell can the Martial Emperor's inheritor become a disciple of the Demon Hall?"
"I don't see the need to explain."
"You'd better."
Clenching her fists, So Ok-rim's expression turned fierce.
"If you can't give a proper explanation, I might have to kill you."
A sharp aura erupted from her entire body, and a piercing light spread from her pupils.
Whoooosh—
As she gathered her internal power, the colors of the sky and earth shifted as if a storm were imminent.
If she struck, it would undoubtedly be faster and more threatening than lightning falling from the heavens.
"You're serious."
A crimson glow spread through Bu Eun-seol's pupils as well.
Once internal power was summoned, even if her attitude had been a joke or a prank, he had no intention of holding back.
"Wait."
As tensions reached a breaking point, Seo Jin-ha stepped forward, unable to stand by any longer.
"Lady So. If you properly explain what this is about, he might give you an answer, no?"
After all, So Ok-rim had consistently helped both him and Bu Eun-seol.
Moreover, he knew Bu Eun-seol's temperament all too well.
If she tried to intimidate him with force, even if the opponent were the Demonic Heavenly Emperor or the Righteous Heavenly Emperor, he wasn't the type to so much as blink.
'Her martial arts are far too formidable.'
So Ok-rim's martial prowess was so exceptional that even Bu Eun-seol wouldn't underestimate her lightly.
And since neither of them was the type to bend, even a simple argument could escalate into mutual destruction.
"Fine."
So Ok-rim reluctantly opened her mouth.
"Someone who has mastered the supreme martial arts of the Demonic Path wouldn't recklessly risk everything to learn the Martial Emperor's techniques."
The supreme martial arts of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths inevitably include mind-training formulas that amplify their power.
The problem is that the mind-training formulas of the two paths cannot be mixed.
If one attempts to master both supreme mind formulas simultaneously, the likelihood of martial regression only increases.
"Just because others can't do it doesn't mean he can't."
Seo Jin-ha shook his head indifferently.
"He's the greatest prodigy of the Demonic Path. Whether he learns orthodox martial arts or not—what business is it of yours?"
"It is my business. There's only one type of person who simultaneously masters the supreme martial arts of both paths."
"And what would that be?"
At Seo Jin-ha's question, a white flame flickered in So Ok-rim's eyes.
"A double spy."
She spoke solemnly to Bu Eun-seol.
"Only a double spy would endure martial regression and fractures of the spirit and mind to master the supreme mind formulas of both paths."
Seo Jin-ha was incredulous.
"The orthodox successor of Langya Pavilion and the heir of the Demon Hall—what could possibly drive him to become a spy?"
"You truly know nothing."
So Ok-rim's voice was icy.
"Double spies always hold high status. Just because he's the Demon Hall's heir doesn't mean he can't be a spy."
"A spy?"
At that moment, the glint in Bu Eun-seol's eyes shifted as he unleashed his energy.
He found So Ok-rim's words intriguing.
"Even if this lord were a spy—why would you care?"
"One of the reasons I entered the martial world was to eliminate the spies entrenched in both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths."
"Eliminate spies? What do you mean?"
This time, when Seo Jin-ha asked, So Ok-rim exhaled briefly before answering.
"For four hundred years, there's been a group manipulating the factions of both paths as they please, dominating the martial world. And—"
She stared straight at Bu Eun-seol, her voice low.
"That faction includes descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars. Their leader is undoubtedly one of them."
Bu Eun-seol's eyebrows rose at this unexpected revelation.
According to records in the Martial Emperor Secret Record, the Martial Emperor, Seop Mu-heun, was framed as a double spy by a shadow force and forced to leave the martial world.
But to think that one of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars orchestrated it?
"How could that be possible?"
Seo Jin-ha shook his head in disbelief.
"I've heard that the Eight Emperors and Three Stars transcended factional divides and imparted countless teachings to martial artists."
Four hundred years ago, martial arts had reached an unparalleled zenith, with no decline compared to the present.
Many renowned masters emerged, marking a golden age of martial development.
The Eight Emperors and Three Stars, in particular, were all grandmasters who had forged their own supreme martial arts, wandering the martial world and generously imparting their knowledge to those they encountered.
And among them was the hidden mastermind of the martial world?
"Does teaching a few techniques make them saints? They already had the martial world in their grasp."
"There's a flaw in your logic."
Bu Eun-seol's sharp interjection cut in.
"Even if everything you say is true, the Star Emperor was only considered mid-tier among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars."
His suspicious gaze bore into So Ok-rim.
"And yet, a descendant of the Star Emperor claims she'll eliminate the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars who dominate the martial world? With what power?"
Despite the piercing question, So Ok-rim let out a soft laugh.
"The Galaxy Severance technique I use was refined by my ancestor in his later years. For the sole purpose of opposing them."
She tilted her neck slightly before continuing.
"That's why he left a final decree—never enter the martial world until our family's martial arts are perfected. Without completing the refined Galaxy Severance, we'd stand no chance against those entrenched in the martial world."
"So your ancestor's decree was to eliminate the leader among the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars who's disrupting the martial world?"
Bu Eun-seol's voice was frigid.
"Even if they are the hidden masterminds, why is that wrong? The only one who suffered unjustly was the Martial Emperor."
"You truly understand nothing."
So Ok-rim let out a deep sigh, hesitating briefly.
But under the sharp gazes of Bu Eun-seol and Seo Jin-ha, she reluctantly continued.
"They're using that power to commit atrocities. Kidnapping people to create spirit herbs, manufacturing grotesque Soulless Ones—"
Bu Eun-seol and Seo Jin-ha exchanged glances.
Were the Human Blossoms and Soulless Ones they'd encountered all created by some of the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars?
"Hmph. You seem to recognize it now."
So Ok-rim smirked.
"Does that explanation satisfy you?"
Bu Eun-seol replied flatly.
"So the hidden masterminds ruling the martial world are just kidnapping people and cultivating Human Blossoms?"
"Don't be absurd. Their history of cultivating Human Blossoms isn't even that long."
"Then what is their goal?"
"How should I know? But—"
So Ok-rim crossed her arms, her expression grave.
"Every bloody calamity (Blood Calamity) recorded in history was their doing."