Chapter 334
Bu Eun-seol returned to the Demon Hall with So Ok-rim.
Seo Jin-ha decided to stay at the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace for a year as planned.
The spiritual herbs of the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace would open his Upper Dantian even faster.
Moreover, he would train in martial arts alongside the young warriors of Langya Pavilion who would be stationed there in the future.
After about a year, Seo Jin-ha would not only fully recover his Internal Power and stamina but also leap to the next level.
"Bu Eun-seol."
The moment Bu Eun-seol entered the Hidden Demon Pavilion, Yu Un-ryong rushed over as if he had been waiting.
He must have heard the news of his return and had been standing by the entrance the whole time.
"Is something the matter?"
Yu Un-ryong's expression wasn't good. Clearly, something had happened.
"The Supreme Cult Commander has ordered you to go to the Singular Light Pavilion immediately."
"I'll go later."
"No, you must go now."
Yu Un-ryong spoke with a grave expression.
"The Demonic Path Ten Gates have requested an emergency Demonic Governance Council meeting."
"A Demonic Governance Council meeting?"
A glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Originally, the Demonic Governance Council was a periodic gathering where the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates discussed major issues concerning the Demon Hall and the demonic political landscape.
But now was not the time for such a meeting. Moreover, how could the council convene without the Demonic Heavenly Emperor present?
As if guessing Bu Eun-seol's thoughts, Yu Un-ryong calmly explained.
"I heard that if a majority of the Demonic Path Ten Gates—meaning five sects or more—request it, the council can be convened."
"Five sects, you say?"
"White Horse Monastery, Death Command Gate, Hell-Blood Citadel, Extinction Palace, and the Extreme Killing Secret Pavilion."
"Even the Ultimate Assassin Pavilion, which was sealed?"
Yu Un-ryong made a bitter expression.
"Rumor has it that White Horse Monastery persuaded the other four sects to join them. The rest probably just tagged along."
"So, in the absence of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, the Supreme Cult Commander is presiding over an emergency meeting."
"That must be it."
"Emergency, huh..."
Bu Eun-seol nodded thoughtfully.
"Understood. I'll stop by the Hidden Demon Pavilion briefly before going."
"Why?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol gestured behind him.
There stood the towering woman, So Ok-rim, whose massive frame evoked the image of a great tree.
The training grounds within the Hidden Demon Pavilion.
So Ok-rim loomed over the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit gathered below.
Before leaving for the meeting, Bu Eun-seol had summoned all the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit to the training grounds.
—"This is So Ok-rim, the temporary martial arts instructor of the Death Shadow War Unit from now on."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, the squad leaders and unit members all wore puzzled expressions.
The Death Shadow War Unit had squad leaders with extensive battlefield experience and exceptional skills.
The unit members underwent rigorous training under their squad leaders' orders and never neglected their martial arts practice.
So why suddenly bring in an outside instructor?
Wouldn't it be better if Bu Eun-seol trained them himself?
—"This lord must attend the meeting now. In the meantime, explain the hall's situation to her and arrange her quarters."
With that brief instruction, Bu Eun-seol headed straight for the Singular Light Pavilion.
The unit members, including Myo Cheon-u, stared blankly at Bu Eun-seol's retreating figure.
—"Just who is she?"
Every warrior in the Death Shadow War Unit gaped with wide eyes.
She stood over seven feet tall, her eyes flashing with a stark white glow.
Her shoulders were broader than those of two grown men combined, and her solid muscles strained against her plain martial uniform.
She looked less like a woman and more like the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King of the Buddhist Order.
—"At a glance, she doesn't seem ordinary."
The title of martial arts instructor wasn't given lightly.
All the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit stared awkwardly at So Ok-rim.
"What's this? Why is everyone gathered here?"
Just then, a man with bleary eyes wandered into the training grounds.
It was Won Se-mun.
After drinking himself into a stupor the night before, he had spent the entire morning secretly napping.
Still half-asleep, he had stumbled out when he couldn't find the unit members and was drawn to the training grounds.
"What are you all doing...?"
Won Se-mun pushed through the crowd and walked to the center of the training arena.
There, he saw the towering seven-foot silhouette standing with its back to the sun.
Her massive frame, like a towering mountain, stood solemnly with tree-trunk arms crossed and long hair fluttering.
Blinking his bleary eyes, Won Se-mun mumbled as he approached the giant figure.
"Lord Guan?"
THUD.
In that instant, a fist as thick as a log buried itself deep into Won Se-mun's left cheek.
Struck abruptly in the face, Won Se-mun tumbled across the ground.
"Ugh—!"
"What the hell is wrong with this lunatic?"
So Ok-rim pointed at Won Se-mun rolling on the ground and shouted.
"Calling this peerless beauty 'Lord Guan'?!"
"Peerless beauty?"
At those words, Won Se-mun scrambled up and rubbed his eyes.
Only then could he clearly see So Ok-rim's face, which had been silhouetted against the sun.
Despite her enormous body, her face was cute, with slightly chubby cheeks.
She had quite a charming appearance, but the contrast with her muscular, exposed physique created a bizarre atmosphere.
"A female Lord Guan?"
SMACK.
Another fist sank deep into Won Se-mun's right cheek.
"You crazy bitch!"
Won Se-mun sprang up from the ground and launched a punch straight at So Ok-rim's face.
It was the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying fist technique—the Great Bright Jade Fist—that Bu Eun-seol had once taught his subordinates.
SWISH!
He hadn't infused it with Internal Power,
but even so, his fist drew swift, shadowy afterimages as it relentlessly drove toward So Ok-rim's face.
"Oho? What's this now?"
Crunch.
So Ok-rim seized Won Se-mun's fist in one hand, baring her large teeth.
"You dare lay hands on this exquisite, jade-like body?"
Wham!
This time, Won Se-mun took a direct hit to the stomach and crumpled onto the training ground.
"T-this is..."
Only then did Won Se-mun realize that the woman standing before him possessed martial prowess so immense, he could never hope to oppose her.
"Who are you?"
Even if Won Se-mun was a reckless ruffian who couldn't tell heaven from earth, he could still distinguish high from low.
Realizing that So Ok-rim was no ordinary figure, he asked with genuine seriousness.
"If you don't answer properly... I won't hold back just because you're a woman."
"Hold back? Who do you think you're sparing?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
As Won Se-mun reached for the twin swords strapped to his back, So Ok-rim snorted, crossed her arms, and declared boldly:
"Ever heard of the Silver River Goddess?"
"Silver River Goddess?"
"That's right. I, your instructor, am the Silver River Goddess."
"Silver River Goddess...?"
Won Se-mun blinked rapidly.
Then, as if recalling something, his mouth formed a perfect circle.
"Wait... you mean that Heaven-Crashing Hand who turned the Liangguang Murim into a wasteland a few years back—?"
Thud!
This time, a fist slammed directly into the crown of Won Se-mun's skull.
"Guhk!"
His neck retracting like a turtle's, Won Se-mun clutched his head and rolled on the ground.
"I said Silver River Goddess!"
So Ok-rim flew into a rage and began kicking the fallen Won Se-mun.
"Who the hell said 'Heaven-Crashing Hand'? You got a death wish? Huh?"
Her kicks were cunningly precise, ruthlessly targeting only his vital pressure points.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
With every strike, Won Se-mun's vision swam with the image of a gleeful Grim Reaper rowing him across the River of Three Crossings.
"Ghk... ghh..."
He wanted to scream, but the pain was so overwhelming that not even a whimper escaped.
The onlookers paled as they watched Won Se-mun's eyes roll back, his body convulsing.
His personality might be simple, but his martial arts were anything but.
Thanks to the training he received from Bu Eun-seol and his extensive combat experience, he had become an exceptional swordsman nearing the Transcendence Realm.
Yet he couldn't even dodge simple fists and kicks?
—Just where the hell did the Lord find such a monster?
The unit members gathered in the training ground trembled in fear as they witnessed So Ok-rim's merciless assault.
Singular Light Pavilion, Grand Conference Hall
At the center of the spacious chamber stood a large table, surrounded by five partitions veiled in black curtains.
These were the Hidden Demon Partitions—special screens designed to preserve the dignity of the Ten Demon Gate leaders when they wished to conceal their appearances during official gatherings.
'They were summoned to attend the meeting, yet refuse to show themselves...'
Even if this was only a provisional council, the Demonic Governance Council was an assembly where only the highest echelons of the Demonic Path were permitted to attend.
Yet they insisted on using the Hidden Demon Partitions here.
Wasn't this a blatant refusal to even show their faces to Bu Eun-seol?
After a brief glance at the partitions, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands toward the Supreme Cult Commander.
"Supreme Cult Commander."
"Martial Soul Lord."
A sharp glint flickered in Yeop Hyo-cheon's eyes.
Bu Eun-seol stood before him, devoid of any detectable True Qi fluctuations—like someone who had never practiced martial arts at all.
Yet within those calm, tranquil eyes shimmered a brilliance of profound depth, incomparable to before.
'His internal power has grown even deeper, yet his presence has become more ordinary...'
The martial world was no stranger to inexplicable, miraculous occurrences.
But witnessing Bu Eun-seol return from each journey with drastically heightened martial prowess filled Yeop Hyo-cheon not just with wonder, but with an eerie sense of dissonance.
'Advancing another step from his level of internal energy is not something one can achieve alone.'
Yeop Hyo-cheon knew full well that Bu Eun-seol's internal power had already reached a level rivaling even the masters of previous generations.
Yet to leap beyond that and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the strongest in the martial world?
'Could a master who reached the Martial Extreme Realm have used the Soul Transmission Great Art to infuse him with their essence in its entirety?'
Yeop Hyo-cheon shook his head.
Even if such a Great Art had been performed, the human body had limits in assimilating another's energy.
Moreover, the Twelve Main Meridians of a master whose internal energy had reached five sixty-year cycles would reach a state of Ultimate Stillness, making it nearly impossible to absorb external essence.
'That bastard... he's going to cause trouble.'
Yeop Hyo-cheon wasn't the only one astonished.
The Ten Demon Gate leaders hidden behind the Hidden Demon Partitions had also sensed that Bu Eun-seol's internal power had grown exponentially compared to his inauguration.
'Though human potential is limitless, its development follows order and stages...'
Just as murmurs of disbelief began to rise—
"Hmm."
Yeop Hyo-cheon narrowed his long, sharp eyes and swept his gaze across the partitions.
"Now that the Martial Soul Lord has arrived, let us begin."
A brief silence followed before a low voice emerged from the first partition.
"First, you slew the Sword Sovereign's disciple, the Heavenly Sword... and now, you've established the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace in Tibet as part of the Demon Hall's forces."
The voice resonated like a downpour of razor-sharp hidden weapons.
A master whose mere tone exuded killing intent. Bu Eun-seol instantly recognized him as Gang Yang-cheon, the leader of the White Horse Monastery.
"Because of this, the sects beyond the frontier who have long opposed us are now voicing blatant discontent."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been listening silently, finally spoke in a measured tone.
"Discontent, you say? What kind of discontent?"
"Because of that incident, rumors have spread that the Demon Hall intends to gradually annex the sects beyond the frontier one by one."
Gang Yang-cheon's argument boiled down to the claim that Bu Eun-seol's actions had provoked discontent among the frontier sects.
"And thanks to these rumors, our own sect's influence has been shaken as well."
The White Horse Monastery, which held sway over regions like Jade Gate Pass and Lanzhou, was particularly sensitive to the movements of external factions.
In short, he was blaming Bu Eun-seol for recklessly absorbing frontier sects without prior consultation, thus causing this turmoil.
What a pointless provocation.
Still, none of the frontier sects would dare provoke the White Horse Monastery, one of the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
Ultimately, Gang Yang-cheon was just picking a fight with Bu Eun-seol for no good reason.
"So," Bu Eun-seol asked flatly,
"What exactly do you expect this Lord to do about it?"
In the past, Gang Yang-cheon would have immediately lashed out at Bu Eun-seol's indifferent attitude and blunt tone, either with a sharp rebuke or a furious reprimand.
But now, Bu Eun-seol had grown strong enough to calmly withstand the oppressive aura radiating from him.
Moreover, by asking "What should I do?" he was subtly asserting his equal standing.
In this atmosphere, rashly criticizing his tone or demeanor could easily backfire.
"Let me be direct, then."
Gang Yang-cheon's voice, forcibly suppressing his anger, was like scattering blades of ice in all directions.
"We should take this opportunity to formally incorporate the frontier sects that have not opposed the Demon Hall."
"Incorporate?"
"Call it a peaceful alliance if you prefer."
Gang Yang-cheon added coldly,
"To ensure no further discontent arises. Perhaps forging an alliance with a major sect—say, one as formidable as the Potala Palace—would suffice."
Bu Eun-seol nearly burst out laughing at the absurdity.
The Demon Hall had failed for years to bring frontier sects under its banner, and now they expected him to accomplish it?
"Is that really this Lord's responsibility?"
Gang Yang-cheon sneered at Bu Eun-seol's words.
"Shouldn't the successor of the Demon Hall anticipate the consequences of his own actions?"
"..."
"A successor's position entails not just authority but also great responsibility. As the one who will represent the future of the Demon Hall, you must bear the consequences of every action you take."
He's put some thought into this.
Bu Eun-seol gave a faint nod.
The argument wasn't entirely unreasonable.
As the successor, every move Bu Eun-seol made reflected upon the Demon Hall.
Especially when it came to alliances or annexations—such matters couldn't be handled recklessly.
A silence fell over the chamber, as if in reluctant agreement with Gang Yang-cheon's words.
"To attribute all of this solely to the Martial Soul Lord would be premature."
Then, a bizarrely low voice broke the prolonged silence.
"Thanks to the spiritual herbs promised by the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace, not only has the production of the Slumbering Demon Divine Pill resumed... but also the Brahma Healing Divine Pill."
It was the voice of Gongya Geuk, the Lord of the Hell Blood Citadel.
"In the end, the Martial Soul Lord has brought immense benefits to the Demon Hall. Must we view this solely through a negative lens?"
Gongya Geuk had promised Bu Eun-seol his support.
And whether because he still believed in Bu Eun-seol's formidable backing, he was faithfully keeping that promise.
"Castle Lord, isn't your shift in stance a bit too sudden?"
Gang Yang-cheon suddenly made an absurd remark.
"Perhaps we should remove the Hidden Demon Partition and confirm who's really speaking."
It was a jab at Gongya Geuk, who had always been hostile toward Bu Eun-seol but had now abruptly switched sides.
"Heh heh heh."
Instead of rising to the provocation, Gongya Geuk let out a leisurely laugh.
"Let's just call it a wise grasp of the shifting tides."
"Shifting tides, you say?"
"In the long run, it's not a bad thing to expand the Demon Hall's sphere of influence, is it?"
"Well said."
Gang Yang-cheon snorted as if he'd been waiting for those words.
"Then we should continue absorbing sects the Martial Soul Lord's way—with a staggering ten-percent rate and offers of equal standing."
His voice dripped with mockery.
Gang Yang-cheon believed Bu Eun-seol had secured the Cloud Sea Azure Spirit Palace's cooperation through absurdly favorable conditions.
So they were in cahoots after all.
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a cold smile.
Though Gongya Geuk had seemingly taken his side, he had actually reinforced Gang Yang-cheon's argument—
Making it seem natural for Bu Eun-seol to be tasked with bringing a major frontier sect under the Demon Hall's control.
"Very well."
After a moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"As the Monastery Head suggests, it wouldn't be bad for the Demon Hall to secure a powerful frontier sect."
He then continued firmly,
"However, since I've already been to Tibet, I won't be visiting the Potala Palace."
Gang Yang-cheon smirked.
He clearly assumed Bu Eun-seol was choosing an easier target among the frontier sects.
"If not the Potala Palace, then perhaps a major sect like the Wild Wind Temple would suffice."
Gang Yang-cheon emphasized the word major.
Because large frontier sects were more likely to oppose the Demon Hall than seek an alliance.
Joining the Demon Hall's sphere of influence required offering substantial tribute and disclosing martial arts manuals—
A pointless sacrifice for sects already strong enough to stand on their own.
"The North Sea Ice Palace."
Bu Eun-seol declared without hesitation.
"I will pursue an alliance between the Demon Hall and the North Sea Ice Palace."
"What?"
For a moment, Gang Yang-cheon raised his voice without thinking.
The North Sea Ice Palace, formed by the union of the North Sea's great clans, was not only vast in scale and military might—it had never allowed outsiders to enter.
Moreover, though it bore the label of a demonic sect due to its Ice Art, a demonic-path martial technique—
They do not pursue a domineering path and publicly maintain a position between the orthodox and unorthodox factions.
Yet here was Bu Eun-seol, boldly proposing peace with the most reclusive and haughty sect from Beyond the Frontier—one that could hardly even be called a Demonic Path faction?