Chapter 439
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Of course, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor might be a descendant of the Black Star.
But the probability of that was slim.
What if the Demonic Heavenly Emperor truly was a descendant of the Black Star?
Then there was absolutely no way he would have taught Bu Eun-seol the Willful True Binding while Bu Eun-seol was traveling the Martial World and facing countless enemies.
Doing so would be tantamount to announcing to the entire murim that he himself was a descendant of the Black Star.
The Willful True Binding was an original secret technique that fused True Qi with the Spirit and Mind to create a Heart Formula, allowing the practitioner to freely transform its shape at will.
If it had been based on the Black Star's martial arts? Its foundation would have already been exposed by countless masters of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
'Perhaps the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was inspired after fighting someone who used Convergent Demon Qi and created a similar ultimate technique. Or maybe he coincidentally discovered a martial arts manual left behind by the Black Star.'
"I won't ask you to believe me. I have my own circumstances."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled a sigh and shook his head sideways.
"But I, too, lost a precious family to the Three Realms. How could I possibly be in league with them?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes were filled with excruciating anguish and loneliness.
"Whether you believe me or not makes no difference. Think whatever you wish."
Seeing that look in his eyes, Noe Bi-hon shouted in apparent confusion.
"Don't make me laugh. Are you saying what you unleashed wasn't Convergent Demon Qi?"
'I need to make this absolutely clear.'
Bu Eun-seol gathered his Internal Power as he faced Noe Bi-hon.
"Look closely."
Zzzing—
When Bu Eun-seol activated the Willful True Binding, True Qi resembling spiderwebs spread out in all directions behind his back.
Then, in an instant, it transformed—sometimes into the shape of a blade or sword, other times into a massive shield.
For a brief moment, Noe Bi-hon's gaze wavered uncertainly.
He realized that while the martial art Bu Eun-seol was displaying bore an uncanny resemblance to Convergent Demon Qi, there were subtle differences.
"I can demonstrate this hundreds of times if you wish. Are you still certain this is Convergent Demon Qi?"
Noe Bi-hon couldn't give a definitive answer and instead deflected.
"If you're not a messenger of the Three Realms, then what about the Righteous Faction's martial arts? Why did you learn those as well?"
Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
"It wasn't my intention. It just happened that way."
"That's all I can tell you. Once again, believe it or not—that's up to you."
As Bu Eun-seol finished speaking, a strange light flickered in Noe Bi-hon's pupils.
A deceiver would try desperately to explain and persuade.
But someone speaking the truth wouldn't bother with lengthy justifications.
"I... lost my beloved wife and child to the Three Realms."
Noe Bi-hon gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"I won't be fooled by you people again! I refuse to fall for another one of your vile schemes!"
The Thunder God lost his reason once more, lashing out at Bu Eun-seol with his Thunderbolt Qi.
But against Bu Eun-seol, who could now freely wield the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, the power of Thunderbolt Qi was no longer effective.
BAM!
Struck by Bu Eun-seol's One Fist, Noe Bi-hon crumpled to the ground in a wretched heap.
"Die!"
Yet again, he howled and poured out his Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
'Hmm.'
Watching Noe Bi-hon charge at him like a madman tormented by madness, Bu Eun-seol hesitated for a moment.
It was clear that he was consumed by rage, his mind no longer whole.
But he wasn't evil—just a man who had lost his family to the Three Realms.
Bu Eun-seol had no desire to kill him.
'I have no choice.'
In the end, he raised the Hot River Great Essence True Qi beyond the Sixth Level and unleashed the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
SHIIING—BOOM!
From Bu Eun-seol's right hand erupted the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi, accompanied by the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy.
His intent was to inflict enough pain to knock Noe Bi-hon unconscious, if only briefly.
BAM!BAM!
Noe Bi-hon was pummeled by Bu Eun-seol's fists, sent flying back again and again.
But he neither lost consciousness nor gave up.
Even as blood burst from his body, even as cracks formed in his arms and legs—he stubbornly kept attacking, over and over.
CRASH!
Finally, after being struck repeatedly by the Forgetting Self and Shattering Together form,
"Guh—"
Noe Bi-hon let out a groan and dropped to one knee.
Since Bu Eun-seol had deliberately held back his Internal Power, separate from the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, the injuries weren't life-threatening.
But with his Thunder Essence Divine Qi rendered useless and being beaten down so helplessly, Noe Bi-hon seemed to suffer an extreme psychological shock, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
From the moment he was born until now, had he ever been struck like this before?
Death God.
That name was like an untouchable Sacred Realm.
Especially when it came to the most tyrannical of the Death God's powers—who could have imagined someone completely immune to Thunder Essence Divine Qi?
"Hwan-ah. My Hwan-ah... I will avenge you."
His body trembling, his eyes unfocused, he muttered under his breath.
"Those who pumped you full of all kinds of medicine just because you were born with pure Thunderbolt Qi... who eventually cut open your head and ripped out your spinal cord..."
Bu Eun-seol watched Noe Bi-hon muttering like a madman and finally understood why rumors spread of his insanity.
Most likely, his son had also been born with extraordinary power—power that led to his abduction by the Three Realms and subjected him to cruel experiments.
Unable to endure the shock, Noe Bi-hon had abandoned everything and wandered the Martial World alone, hunting the Three Realms.
"Haa."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled a deep sigh.
His own grandfather had lost his eyes and arms to a master presumably affiliated with the Three Realms.
His back had been riddled with poisoned hidden weapons.
He no longer had the heart to strike down someone who shared his pain.
"Go back."
As Bu Eun-seol turned away, the Thunder God once again summoned his Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Bzzzt.
"How can I leave when the vile scum of the Three Realms stands before me?!"
"Vile scum of the Three Realms, you say?"
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
Right now, the Martial Alliance had dispatched an investigation team to hunt him down. And the chances were extremely high that they were already under the Three Realms' influence.
And wasn't Noe Bi-hon suffering from madness?
"Do you truly wish to kill someone from the Three Realms?"
"What?"
"Soon, masters from the Three Realms—disguised as the Martial Alliance—will descend upon this area. If you want to kill, kill them."
Whoosh.
At that moment, a faint Sound of Breaking Air echoed from afar.
It was so subtle that only masters of Bu Eun-seol and the Thunder God's caliber could detect it.
"Huuu... I see."
Madness once again flickered in Noe Bi-hon's eyes.
"That movement technique—it's the Sound of Breaking Air produced when those Three Realms bastards use their Flying Current Body Projection."
'If he recognizes the Three Realms' martial arts... He must have slaughtered quite a few of them by now.'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol fully grasp the situation and nod.
The reason he had pursued Xiao Yao—
It was because Xiao Yao had employed a Concealment Infiltration Art so refined that even Bu Eun-seol struggled to detect it.
And it bore an uncanny resemblance to the movement techniques used by the Three Realms' Messengers.
Moreover, a real Messenger of the Three Realms had been repelled by Bu Eun-seol's strategy.
Since they had retreated toward Yunnan from the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, their path had overlapped with Xiao Yao's.
Crackle.
As Noe Bi-hon unleashed his Killing Intent once more, violent surges of Thunder Essence Divine Qi radiated from his entire body.
Zzt. Zzzzt!
White lightning coiled around him, and in an instant, the cracks in his legs and arms fused back together.
In less than half a ke, hadn't he completely healed the internal and external injuries Bu Eun-seol had inflicted?
'A monster.'
Watching this, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
'Just like the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.'
The Thunder God was truly the Thunder God.
The mystical power passed down through the generations of the Martial World—the Thunder Essence Divine Qi—was akin to the martial techniques wielded by the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
It possessed capabilities that far surpassed the boundaries of ordinary Martial Arts True Scriptures.
'How many masters could endure a life-and-death duel against Noe Bi-hon, who can recover his body in an instant like that?'
What if Bu Eun-seol had never learned the Hot River Great Essence True Qi?
The outcome of that battle would have been impossible to predict.
'Thank you, Holy Venerable.'
Bu Eun-seol felt a renewed gratitude toward the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable.
What if he had never obtained the Hot River Great Essence True Qi?
He might have been defeated by the Thunder God—or forced into a humiliating retreat.
Zzzzt.
But then, Noe Bi-hon's expression—now fully healed by the Thunder Essence Divine Qi—was strange.
Like a newborn child stepping outside for the first time, he blinked as he looked around in confusion.
"Brother Noe. Are you alright?"
"Hm?"
Noe Bi-hon stared at Bu Eun-seol with clear eyes.
"What do you mean?"
'I see.'
Instantly grasping Noe Bi-hon's condition, Bu Eun-seol asked again.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Who are you?"
"I just told you where the Three Realms' masters are heading."
After a moment of thought, Noe Bi-hon muttered with unfocused eyes.
"So... you're the good guy who told me where the Three Realms are?"
For better or worse—
Noe Bi-hon's madness was far more severe than Bu Eun-seol had anticipated.
It seemed his mind wavered every time he pushed his Thunder Essence Divine Qi to its limits.
"That's right. Brother Noe, don't forget my face when you see me again."
"Brother?"
"Yes. You and I share the same enemy, don't we?"
"We do?"
Noe Bi-hon's gaze grew increasingly vacant.
With no other choice, Bu Eun-seol pointed toward the direction of the faint Sound of Breaking Air and shouted.
"For now, go and crush those treacherous Three Realms bastards!"
"Three Realms... Three Realms!"
Noe Bi-hon trembled violently—
"I'll slaughter them all in one breath——!"
Enveloped in madness, he let out a thunderous roar.
Then, in an instant, he unleashed his Movement Technique, darting toward the direction of the approaching crowd.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching the scene, heaved a deep sigh.
Seeing Noe Bi-hon, consumed by vengeance and no longer whole, weighed heavily on his chest.
"His appearance was nothing short of fortune for me."
There was no way the Three Realms wouldn't know that the Thunder God, mad with revenge, was hunting them down.
Moreover, given his mastery of the Three Realms' martial arts, it was clear that the Thunder God had remained hidden from the Martial World for a long time.
He must have been fighting the Three Realms' operatives all this while.
So even if he suddenly appeared and slaughtered the Three Realms' agents who had taken root in the Martial Alliance, it wouldn't be strange at all.
'Then why hasn't word of the Thunder God's actions spread?'
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol nodded to himself.
'The Three Realms must have deliberately suppressed the rumors.'
The Three Realms likely only allowed the story that the Thunder God had gone mad and was roaming the Rivers and Lakes to circulate.
After all, he truly was gripped by madness, wandering the Martial World like a deranged beast, hunting down only the Three Realms' people.
'I will tear you all down.'
Recalling the anguish-laden voice of Noe Bi-hon, Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists.
'Every last one of you.'
Whoosh.
Just then, another Sound of Breaking Air echoed, followed by a soft voice from above.
"You weren't a bad person."
A small shadow descended from the air—it was So-yo.
She had pretended to flee but had remained near Bu Eun-seol the entire time.
"Why didn't you leave?"
"Because you were going to win."
Though she said that, if Bu Eun-seol had seemed in danger, she would have joined the fight without hesitation.
She was always prepared to throw her life away for him.
"Don't do that. Not anymore."
Bu Eun-seol spoke sternly.
"When it's dangerous, you must retreat. That's an order."
"Understood."
But So-yo's large, unshaken eyes betrayed her true resolve.
Her expression made it clear—she would never abandon Bu Eun-seol to danger.
"So-yo. In an emergency, at least one person must survive to report the situation to the Death Soul Squad. That's why we need a Deputy Unit Leader. Do you understand?"
Mm.
Though he warned her again, her expression remained unchanged.
'This is worrying.'
Bu Eun-seol rubbed his forehead.
He hadn't chosen So-yo as his Deputy Unit Leader because he wanted a subordinate who would die for him.
But Seo Jin-ha, So-yo, and many others... they were all willing to risk their lives to protect him.
For their sake, Bu Eun-seol had to grow stronger.
Strong enough to ensure their safety in any situation.
So they wouldn't have to throw their lives away on reckless adventures.
"Go back."
Fwoosh.
So-yo vanished into the air once more.
Bu Eun-seol watched her disappear before slowly turning away.
Now, he had to return to the Martial Alliance—and climb one step higher.
The Martial Alliance was in an uproar.
The Blazing Flame Sacred Palace—a secluded sect long rooted in the Southern Barbarian Region—had suddenly requested a peace agreement with the Martial Alliance.
"State your conditions. We are considering making peace with the Martial Alliance."
The new palace mistress, Jeok Mu-mi, had uncovered the long-lost Hidden Palace, a place considered mere legend until now.
There, she had reportedly found the martial arts and Sacred Relics of the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable, the founder of the sect.
Using them, she had forged a thousand-strong martial force capable of wielding the Blazing Flame Divine Qi, allowing her to dominate not just the Southern Barbarian Region but also the lands Beyond the Frontier.
And yet, this same Blazing Flame Sacred Palace Mistress had suddenly demanded an unconditional peace agreement with the Martial Alliance?
"It is because of Commander Seon-u."
At the end of her letter, Jeok Mu-mi revealed the reason.
The reason for making peace was none other than the Peak Leader Seon-u Jin.
With his help, she had executed the traitors who sought to overthrow the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace and recovered the Sacred Relics.
Now, the Martial Alliance had no choice.
They had to elevate Seon-u Jin's rank—without question.
If any opposition arose within the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace regarding the peace agreement, he would at least need to be a Second-tier Commander to step forward.
Martial Alliance, Hall of Martial Ascension. Inside the grand conference room.
A towering middle-aged man and a slender man clad in white robes sat facing each other, sipping tea.
They were Yuk Jang-cheon and Bu Eun-seol.
"Unbelievable."
Yuk Jang-cheon's eyes widened as he set down his cup.
"How in the world did this happen?"
"What exactly are you referring to?"
"Merely opening the door for peace with the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace would have been achievement enough. But to actually secure it?"
Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
"By sheer luck, when I arrived at the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, I happened to uncover that Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong was colluding with an outside faction."
"I happened to discover it."
Bu Eun-seol calmly explained the prearranged sequence of events.
Before entering the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, he had coincidentally spotted individuals colluding with an external faction.
Upon tracking them, he discovered it was none other than the Palace Lord Hwa-jeong.
"They say you even recovered the sacred relic thanks to your efforts?"
"Once Palace Lord Hwa-jeong realized I knew everything, she secretly tried to kill me by summoning me to the Secret Cave within the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace."
"The Secret Cave? Why there?"
"To avoid direct conflict with our alliance, she deliberately lured me into a trap—a place designed to make it seem like I had perished through my own recklessness."
Bu Eun-seol recounted the thrilling circumstances of how he had retrieved the Fire Wheel Divine Medicine.
Though not particularly eloquent, his composed retelling of the perilous situation left Yuk Jang-cheon gripping his seat in suspense.
"I see."
Having heard the full account, Yuk Jang-cheon smiled with satisfaction.
"The Hall Master also verified the contents of the official letter... Hard to believe, but it's true."
Then, he clapped Bu Eun-seol on the shoulder.
"You've truly endured much hardship."
"I merely did what was required of me."
"Your promotion to Second-grade Commander has been approved. And not just any promotion—you single-handedly secured an immediate peace agreement with the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace."
Wearing a proud smile, he continued,
"Tomorrow, the appointment ceremony will take place at the Star Guard Pavilion. Naturally, given your affiliation... However, since the unit leader is currently away, the deputy leader will oversee the formal appointment."
"Understood."
"But... have you decided on your future assignment?"
Clearing his throat, Yuk Jang-cheon broached the main subject.
"Now that you're a Second-grade Commander, you can choose to remain with either our Hall of Ascending Martial or the Star Guard Corps."
As he spoke, his expression gradually darkened.
Even among Second-grade Commanders, the difference between being assigned to the Star Guard Corps and the Hall of Ascending Martial was like night and day.
Moreover, unit leaders held the authority to independently mobilize their forces for legitimate missions and controlled personnel appointments for all positions below Hall Master rank.
The bigger issue was... the Star Guard Corps leader happened to hold Seon-u Jin in extremely high regard.
If Bu Eun-seol were to join the Star Guard Corps?
Unlike remaining in the Hall of Ascending Martial, he could rise through the ranks swiftly and securely.
"Please don't worry."
Reading Yuk Jang-cheon's thoughts, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a calm yet firm voice.
"Hasn't the Hall Master always looked after me and entrusted me with missions? Without your support, I would never have achieved such merits."
Truthfully, all Yuk Jang-cheon had done was advocate for fairness during the commander selection process.
But Bu Eun-seol had already resolved to elevate Yuk Jang-cheon to the position of Heavenly Martial Brigade leader.
Thus, it was necessary to flatter him subtly, reinforcing the perception that he was a trustworthy subordinate.
"Hahaha. As expected, I didn't misjudge you."
In high spirits, Yuk Jang-cheon laughed heartily and clasped Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
From his current position, acquiring a capable and loyal subordinate was no easy feat.
After all, exceptional talents were already tied to influential connections and assigned to the Seven Great Battle Corps.
Bu Eun-seol was a prodigy who could rival them.
Moreover, as a commander of the Special Operations Unit and the Peak Division—capable of undertaking diverse missions—his promotion to Second-grade Commander would mean he could then take on high-stakes assignments that yielded significant achievements.
Securing such talent alone drastically increased Yuk Jang-cheon's chances of ascending to the Heavenly Martial Brigade leadership.
A subordinate's merits were, after all, his own merits.
"I'll make sure you never regret that choice."
Yuk Jang-cheon thumped his chest and declared in a resolute voice.
"From now on, this hall leader won't just sit idly by either."
"I will serve with unwavering loyalty."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Yuk Jang-cheon smiled contentedly and nodded.
"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow at the Star Guard Pavilion."
Once Bu Eun-seol left, the door behind Yuk Jang-cheon's study quietly opened.
A woman in white robes stepped out with graceful steps.
Yuk Cheong-a, the Hall Leader of Yeonseong Hall and Yuk Jang-cheon's only daughter.
"Truly unexpected."
She approached Yuk Jang-cheon and spoke in a low voice.
"To forsake the sturdy lifeline of the Star Guard Corps and choose our hall instead..."
Tilting her head slightly, she added,
"Especially when the Star Guard Corps leader held Young Hero Seon-u in such rare esteem. He couldn't possibly be unaware of that fact..."
"He's confident."
Cutting her off abruptly, Yuk Jang-cheon smirked faintly.
"Confident that he can elevate this old man to Heavenly Martial Brigade leader."
"Him?"
"His face may be gentle, but his heart burns with ambition. Had it not been so, he would never have chosen me."
Yuk Jang-cheon, too, was a man of ambition—which was precisely why he had seen through Bu Eun-seol's intentions.
That he desired a higher, more secure position. That he sought greater authority.
Of course, all of it was merely to obtain the power to thoroughly investigate the Seven Great Leaders and the Three Realms.
"From now on, ensure that any mission offering significant merit is assigned to the Peak Leader first."
Yuk Jang-cheon smiled faintly as he spoke.
"So he may quickly attain a high rank and participate in the Chief Department Heads Conference."
"Yes."
As Yuk Cheong-a bowed her head, Yuk Jang-cheon wore a rare, faint smile.
"I look forward to seeing the expression Deputy Commander Seo Muk will make tomorrow."