Chapter 396
"What an unusual technique."
Yet Bu Eun-seol didn't seem particularly surprised. Instead, he nodded as if it were only natural and remarked,
"So the reason you're lined up like skewered meat is to unify your Internal Power?"
Astonishingly, the warrior monk Bu Eun-seol was facing wasn't a single person—it was three monks of identical height and build standing in perfect alignment.
"Wouldn't it be better to attack me all at once rather than standing in a line like that?"
Even as Bu Eun-seol spoke, the three monks, their tongues severed, could only emit eerie groans in response.
"Uuugh!"
With a roar, the monks wildly waved all ten fingers and lunged at him.
Sharp Finger Winds traced long arcs as they pierced toward Bu Eun-seol's body.
Divine Finger Flick.
A supreme art representative of Shaolin, now unleashed by the warrior monks of Blood Shaolin.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The Sound of Breaking Air reverberated like bamboo straightening after being bent, and Bu Eun-seol's body swayed violently.
He had clearly dodged the Divine Finger Flick perfectly.
Yet even the mere graze of that overwhelming Finger Wind was enough to churn his insides.
'So that's why they were overlapping.'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize why these monks had attacked while aligned in perfect unison.
They weren't stacking their bodies to unleash their Internal Power all at once.
'It was the stacking of Internal Power.'
The first monk released his Internal Power, and in that very instant, the second monk discharged his. Then, immediately after, the third monk unleashed his.
This rapid succession of Divine Finger Flicks transcended the limits of Internal Power intensity and the principles of Martial Arts, manifesting a might beyond description.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
By consecutively discharging their Internal Power and stacking it threefold, the monks' Divine Finger Flick had grown dozens of times more powerful.
Not only that—even if one dodged perfectly, the sheer shockwaves and energy currents alone were enough to inflict Internal Injuries on Bu Eun-seol.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol tore through the barrage of Divine Finger Flicks like an arrow and unleashed the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation in rapid succession.
KWA-BOOM!
An overwhelming Fist Energy curved through the air, piercing the gap between the three overlapping monks.
Whoom! Whoom! Whoom!
But the moment his Fist Energy touched their bodies, golden ripples surged outward like shockwaves.
Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art.
The supreme art of Shaolin, said to render the practitioner impervious to all external force once activated, had been deployed.
'They even stacked the Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art?'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol understand why the three monks had sewn their eyes shut and severed their tongues.
'They deliberately cut off their sight and speech to master martial arts like this.'
The Cheon Brothers of the past were said to have unified their Spirit and Mind with their Physical Bodies, but in truth, they only shared physical sensations.
Because they were still individuals who spoke aloud and possessed their own personalities.
But these warrior monks of Blood Shaolin had gone further—they severed their eyes and tongues to perfectly bind not just their Physical Bodies, but even their Spirit and Mind into one.
And so, they had communicated solely through bodily sensations and shared consciousness.
"Even for Blood Shaolin, this is excessive. Was this truly necessary?"
"Uuugh!"
Hearing the faint pity in Bu Eun-seol's voice, the monks grew even more enraged and unleashed another storm of Finger Winds.
Monsters who could maintain the Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art at all times and stack their Internal Power output threefold.
And Bu Eun-seol had to defeat these terrifying Blood Shaolin monks—without a single weapon.
Thunk!
Another Finger Wind grazed his body, violently shaking his internal organs.
In this confined space, the Divine Finger Flick, amplified dozens of times in power, was nothing short of an invincible technique.
Moreover, with the Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art shielding them, recklessly engaging in close combat would only result in a counterattack.
Thunk! Thunk!
Another pair of Divine Finger Flicks swept past him, jolting his body so violently that his vision blurred.
"UOOOH!"
In that moment, one of the monks closed the distance, unleashing a Divine Finger Flick with his left hand—
And an Arhat Divine Fist with his right.
Tzzt-tzzt-tzzt-tzzt!
Rather than dodging, Bu Eun-seol shifted his stance dozens of times in place, narrowly evading the attacks.
It was a life-risking evasion—all to pinpoint the monks' weakness.
Thunk! KWA-BOOM!
Dodging the Divine Finger Flick and Arhat Divine Fist fired point-blank—
Skreee!
Bu Eun-seol was sent flying back thirty feet, blood trickling from his lips. He had already sustained minor Internal Injuries.
'So that's how it is.'
After narrowly avoiding the monks' attacks at extreme close range, he finally spotted their flaw.
Truthfully, if his goal had simply been to kill them, he could have shattered their bond in an instant with the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, the Wish-Fulfilling Qi Formula, or even the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
But these monks employed tactics and techniques unlike anything Bu Eun-seol had ever seen before.
And for Bu Eun-seol, whenever he encountered a new martial technique, he would stake his very life to dismantle it.
Only then could he ascend to the next level.
'No matter how powerful, martial arts cannot transcend the limits of their realm.'
The three warrior monks moved as one, their attacks so overwhelmingly potent that even Bu Eun-seol dared not face them head-on.
Yet their martial prowess had not reached the Extreme Heaven Realm.
Because they had sealed away their perfectly functional eyes and tongues.
They had sacrificed their senses to unite their Spirit and Mind and amplify their martial might—but in doing so, they had lost the ability to perceive the Moment.
In other words, by forfeiting their senses, they could never attain the Extreme Heaven Realm, where time is fractured into infinitesimal fragments.
'In the end, it comes down to a difference in martial prowess.'
To break through the monks' defense, he had to strike at the precise Moment when they unleashed the Finger Flick Divine Art and the Arhat Divine Fist.
No matter how formidable their Internal Power, they couldn't simultaneously execute the Vajra Indestructible Body Art while attacking.
'I'll do it.'
But this method of dismantling their technique was a gamble with his life on the line.
If he failed to seize the exact Moment, every single one of their attacks would land squarely on his body.
Shhhk! Shhhk!
As he drew upon the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, two razor-sharp streams of force coiled around Bu Eun-seol's body.
An ordinary martial artist would have retreated or sought another approach—but Bu Eun-seol stood firm, waiting to seize the moment.
He was staking his life to seize the precise Moment and turn the tide.
It was a method strikingly similar to the Fixed Moment Jo Cheon-wang had once employed.
Thud! Kwa-ooom!
In an instant, the Finger Flick Divine Art and Arhat Divine Fist pierced into Bu Eun-seol simultaneously.
But at the same time, two streams of force erupted from his own body.
Whoosh!
When the two razor-sharp forces clashed with the monks' techniques, both Bu Eun-seol and the warrior monks were violently jolted.
The collision of forces sent a massive Shockwave rippling through them.
Though the monks groaned in pain, Bu Eun-seol's gaze remained locked onto their bodies.
'Now!'
His senses fractured time—again and again.
And at the exact Moment their Internal Power surged anew, he seized the Fixed Moment.
Whoosh!
Two hidden streams of force burst forth from Bu Eun-seol's body.
Sssshhhk!
With a sound like slicing wind, the razor-sharp Thirteenfold Qi Induction flashed between the overlapping bodies of the monks—then tore them apart with tremendous force.
The warrior monks froze as if turned to ice.
Thump.
Then, in unison, they collapsed to the ground.
Merely separating their intertwined bodies had severed both their Physical Bodies and their Spirit and Mind.
Though all he had done was force them apart, their flesh and spirit reacted as if they had been split into three pieces.
Because until now, they had lived as one...
Grrrrumble.
But as the monks fell, a low vibration echoed—not from the passage where Master Gonggong had entered the Scripture Pavilion, but from a hidden door beside the bookshelves, revealing yet another passageway.
"Quite the lengthy trial."
Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath, stepping over the fallen monks and into the newly opened passage.
Krrrunk.
The moment he entered, a massive stone wall sealed shut behind him.
Before him stretched an endless corridor.
Now it was clear—this underground Mechanism was a passage leading through Mount Shaoshi to another location.
"So they built a secret escape route from Shaolin."
Following this long passage would likely take him beyond Shaolin's borders to another place entirely.
"Of course they'd have something like this."
Since ancient times, Shaolin had faced countless calamities.
Before the Martial Alliance was formed, Shaolin had been the Righteous Path's vanguard and leader.
All orthodox factions rallied around Shaolin, and even inter-sect disputes were mediated by them.
In short, Shaolin had once fulfilled every role the Martial Alliance now held.
Thus, any force seeking dominance over Murim would always strike at Shaolin first.
Because if Shaolin did not fall, the righteous martial world would never crumble.
Yet Shaolin had withstood every invasion and battle with unshaken dignity.
And drawing from that Experience, they had prepared secret escape routes to flee calamity whenever necessary.
Grrr-grind.
Finally, at the corridor's end, an iron gate came into view, inscribed with the words "Cut Through Nails and Iron".
With the sound of mechanisms shifting, the thick iron door began to rise slowly.
Step. Step.
Inside, a vast space unfolded, with another exit visible on the opposite side.
And a little over two hundred feet ahead, behind opaque glass on either side, the silhouettes of imprisoned figures could be seen.
On one side was the shadow of a child.
On the other, an old man bound in chains.
Though the opaque glass obscured their faces, their figures appeared to be desperately pleading for their lives.
Clank.
Suddenly, with the sound of a mechanism, massive nails abruptly protruded from above the heads of the two people trapped behind the opaque glass.
Clank.
Simultaneously, two enormous nails rose from the floor in front of Bu Eun-seol.
"So it really is as the name suggests."
Break Nails and Cut Iron.
Literally, it meant to break nails and sever iron.
Originally, it signified acting decisively—but here, it demanded that one truly break nails and cut iron...
It seemed to be a test forcing him to make a ruthless choice: Who will you save?
Thud.
Then, a low mechanical sound echoed from near the ceiling behind the opaque glass.
A warning—if Bu Eun-seol recklessly attempted to use his martial arts to shatter the wall and rescue them, the nails poised above their heads would instantly pierce their skulls.
'Hm.'
Bu Eun-seol fell into brief contemplation.
The distance to that opaque wall was roughly two hundred and fifty feet.
If he willed it, he could cover that distance before the nails fell—shattering the wall and saving both in one swift motion.
But the problem was that he didn't know what material the opaque wall was made of.
It might not be something that could be broken with brute strength alone—perhaps only a blade could cleave through it.
'They even knew I left my sword behind.'
The moment Bu Eun-seol took a step, the iron nails would drop instantly.
What if that opaque glass wall was far sturdier than expected and didn't break in a single strike?
—Choose one. Otherwise, both will die.
That was what this mechanism was telling him.
Crash!
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol struck the nail above the child on the left.
Immediately, the massive nail poised above the child's head inside the opaque wall vanished.
Squelch.
But at the same time, the nail above the old man on the right plunged down instantly.
Splurt!
The opaque glass was dyed crimson as blood gushed forth.
Yet Bu Eun-seol stepped forward with an indifferent expression.
Grind.
As the door opened and he walked out, his eyebrows arched slightly.
Clank.
Two more nails sprang up from the floor, and this time, two new opaque walls stood before him.
On the left—the silhouette of a child.
On the right—the shadow of a pregnant woman, heavy with child.
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
Life was not something to be weighed against another—there was no hierarchy of value.
Yet the mechanism was forcing him.
To make a choice.
And if he refused, nails would pierce both their skulls.
Should he save the child, with a future full of promise?
Or the pregnant woman, carrying another life within her?
Bu Eun-seol gazed at them with cold detachment.
Then, without hesitation, he shattered the long nail on the right.
He had chosen the pregnant woman bearing two lives over the single life of the child.
Step. Step.
As the door opened, he walked out expressionlessly.
Grind.
This time, a single wide passage stretched before him.
Hiss.
The iron floor gradually turned scorching red, flames licking at its surface.
Clank. Clank.
With the sound of mechanisms, footprints appeared on the steel plates. And behind the opaque walls, countless silhouettes of people flickered into view.
Screech.
At the same time, the steel plates bearing the footprints began glowing red-hot.
Even from a distance, the searing heat was unbearable.
Boom. Boom. Boom!
And beyond, behind a transparent wall, countless people were pounding against the barrier like madmen.
No doubt the floor beneath them was also heating unbearably.
"Hm."
Bu Eun-seol stared intently at the footprints, then his eyes flashed.
This time, if he didn't step on the footprints in the correct order, the people inside the walls would die.
"Now it's real."
He muttered under his breath.
Until now, the figures behind the opaque walls had not been real, living people.
He had discerned that—which was why he could shatter the nails without hesitation and press forward.
But this was different.
The countless people inside now were all real, living humans, writhing in agony.
If he failed to step on the footprints correctly?
They would burn to death like kindling.
Swish.
Bu Eun-seol finally began stepping on the footprints engraved on the steel plates.
Hiss.
Smoke rose as his shoes melted instantly, followed by excruciating pain.
The flesh of his soles slowly seared away, his vision darkening from the torment.
Yet, like a man numbed to pain, Bu Eun-seol continued forward impassively.
The footprints were intricately designed—
Unless his weight was distributed precisely, their shape would not disappear.
Because of this, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to walk leisurely across the scorching iron plate as if taking a stroll, even as the excruciating pain made his mind grow distant.
Sssss—
Before he knew it, the skin on the soles of his feet had completely melted away, the sticky remnants of flesh dangling grotesquely.
The greatest pain a human can experience is the agony of burning—the torment of being consumed by flames.
That is why, throughout the long annals of history, the most frequently employed method of torturing prisoners was the branding punishment.
No matter how formidable a master one might be—faced with pain of this magnitude, most would lose consciousness or abandon the trial midway, resorting to their movement techniques.
But Bu Eun-seol, like a man who knew no pain, steadfastly continued to trace the footprints engraved into the iron.
Crunch. Crunch.
Finally, as he reached the end of the passage, the figures that had been watching from the opaque wall vanished.
Even after stepping off the searing iron plate, the soles of Bu Eun-seol's feet were so fused to the metal with blood and melted flesh that he could barely move.
Ssshhhk—
As the door opened, an empty stone chamber greeted him.
The floor was covered in white powder, scattered like sand, and in the center stood a single, solitary table.
And the wall opposite him was stained pitch black.
Thud. Thud.
When Bu Eun-seol walked toward the table—
Sssss—
To his astonishment, the white sand began clinging to the raw flesh of his feet, instantly stopping the bleeding and erasing the pain.
At last, as he approached the table, he saw a small coin box placed upon it.
It seemed this was where he was meant to deposit the Gratitude Coin.
Zzzzzzz—
The moment Bu Eun-seol lowered his gaze to the box, the blackened wall across from him suddenly turned opaque—
Just like the walls he had seen in all the previous trials.
Huuuung—
As the black wall became translucent, the faint silhouette of a figure appeared within.
At a glance, it resembled an old man—yet at another glance, it could have been the form of a young martial artist.
[You've made it all the way.]
A mysterious voice flowed from the wall.
[I must admit, I didn't expect much from you.]
The voice sounded as if it belonged simultaneously to a refined elder and a Demon King lurking in darkness.
"Are you the Divine Calculator?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, the wall answered.
[Indeed.]
The Divine Calculator.
The foremost sage and diviner of the martial world.
A man said to know all things in this world—so boundless in knowledge that he was also called the Immeasurable One.
At last, Bu Eun-seol had met him.
"Does this mean all the trials are now over?"
Bu Eun-seol had already surmised that everything up to this point had been the Divine Calculator's test.
[Hoho.]
The eerie sound of the Divine Calculator's laughter echoed through the chamber.
[Character, martial arts, observational prowess, and intellect—not a single aspect of you is lacking.]
The reason he had led Bu Eun-seol to Shaolin was to observe and test every facet of his being—his character, his martial arts, everything.
Through his treatment of Tang Cheong, he had tested his sense of duty.
Through the secret manuals of the Scripture Pavilion, his conscience.
Through his duel with the warrior monk, his martial arts.
Through the gate of false people, his insight.
And through the gate containing a real person... he had confirmed Bu Eun-seol's convictions.
"Why go through all this trouble?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, the Divine Calculator's voice responded.
[Because I never once anticipated that the Namgung Family would give you a Gratitude Coin.]
A self-deprecating laugh laced his bizarre tone.
[The Gratitude Coin you possess was never meant to exist in this world in the first place.]
In other words, he had never predicted that Bu Eun-seol would receive a Gratitude Coin from the Namgung Family.
Hearing this, Bu Eun-seol actually felt relief.
This was the Divine Calculator—a man who had foreseen and orchestrated everything up to now.
If he had predicted that Bu Eun-seol would receive a Gratitude Coin from the Namgung Family?
Then he would not be human—but a god, a being capable of foreseeing and controlling all things.
'A relief.'
If he had predicted every possible scenario and laid out these trials accordingly?
Bu Eun-seol would have had no choice but to shatter that wall and kill the Divine Calculator where he stood.
A god who could predict everything.
If such a being existed—he would either be the mastermind behind the shadow force responsible for all the bizarre events in the martial world thus far...
Or a wicked man who had knowingly allowed it all to happen.
[Rumors in the world rarely reflect a person's true nature. That is why I had to confirm for myself what kind of man you are.]
"You knew I was aware this was all a test?"
[Of course. Even accounting for that, a man can never fully conceal his true self.]
The Divine Calculator's voice carried absolute conviction.
Through these trials, he had scrutinized every aspect of Bu Eun-seol—and seemed largely satisfied with what he had seen.
Had he not been, they would not even be having this conversation through the wall.
[Now then, let us retrieve the Gratitude Coin.]
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol picked up the coin and dropped it into the box on the table.
Clink.
As the Gratitude Coin fell into the box, the Divine Calculator spoke.
[Ask what you wish to know.]
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
There were two questions he had carried with him all this time.
—Who was the one who killed his grandfather?
—Were Bu Jan-yang, his grandfather, and the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang the same person?
But since he possessed only one Gratitude Coin, the Divine Calculator would not answer both.
After a moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his mouth.
"Who was the undertaker of the Hwangju Prefecture Police Office who killed Bu Jan-yang?"