Chapter 442
For a long while, a silence as profound as death flowed over Iron Palm Peak.
Sssssssss—
As the energy currents completely dissipated, Ak Mu-ryeong's figure came into view.
'Was it an illusion?'
Bu Eun-seol had clearly seen Ak Mu-ryeong being blown away by the full force of his unleashed energy.
Yet before he knew it, the man stood before him, gazing down with indifferent eyes.
Despite pouring everything into that strike, achieved through a momentary enlightenment, he had failed to inflict even the slightest damage.
'No... that wasn't it.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he realized something.
Ak Mu-ryeong remained exactly where he was.
But every tree and boulder around him had vanished.
It was as though someone had cleanly erased a beautiful landscape from a painted scroll.
Moreover, the positions where Bu Eun-seol and Ak Mu-ryeong had been standing were completely reversed.
Essence Gathering Spirit Transformation: Illusory Exchange.
Ak Mu-ryeong, sensing the danger in the power Bu Eun-seol had unleashed, had attempted to seize control of his spirit and mind in that brief instant.
But finding Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind utterly untouchable, he instead employed an esoteric martial technique—
Switching their positions and redirecting that overwhelming attack into empty space.
'The Pavilion Lord must have subdued my physical body in that moment.'
Ak Mu-ryeong had already transcended even the restrictions of Demonic Path Martial Arts, entering a state of Peerless Demonic Dao.
Though he couldn't dominate Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind,
He possessed more than enough ability to forcibly alter the very space they occupied.
'Magnificent. Truly.'
A renewed sense of reverence for Ak Mu-ryeong welled up in Bu Eun-seol.
The martial prowess Ak Mu-ryeong had attained was still beyond Bu Eun-seol's ability to predict or even imagine—
A realm that had reached the pinnacle of supremacy.
Yet even here, there was a twist.
Though Ak Mu-ryeong wore an indifferent expression...
In truth, he was so shocked he could have fainted.
—This brat?
Unless one stood at the same level as him, it should have been impossible to resist the power of Essence Gathering Spirit Transformation: Illusory Exchange.
But Bu Eun-seol, despite not having reached the Martial Extreme Realm, remained completely unaffected by the technique's influence.
'What in the world has he done?'
Ak Mu-ryeong already knew Bu Eun-seol's internal energy was abnormally potent.
But he had no way of knowing that Bu Eun-seol had undergone Metamorphosis and Bone Renewal twice, broken through the sixth layer of the Reverse Extremity Heart Method, and achieved Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough.
[Hmm.]
As Bu Eun-seol's internal power and martial prowess far surpassed his expectations, Ak Mu-ryeong seemed to make a decision.
Suddenly, he spread his arms wide.
Ssshak!
Then, something bizarre occurred.
Even though Bu Eun-seol hadn't been eroded by the power of Phantom Restoration, a strange illusion abruptly unfolded before his eyes.
It was a desolate world devoid of anything, the sky stained a dull gray.
The entire universe seemed to have perished, leaving Bu Eun-seol standing alone in the emptiness.
In that instant, he understood why this phenomenon had manifested.
'The Pavilion Lord has devised a method to synchronize spirit and mind.'
—Shin Do-mu-bi. That raccoon-like bastard invented some absurd technique to synchronize internal energy, and it made me furious.
These were words Dan Cheong had once shared with Bu Eun-seol.
After clashing with Jeong Cheon-je, Ak Mu-ryeong had reportedly grown enraged upon comprehending the Heavenly Robe Mind Art that Shin Do-mu-bi employed.
But Ak Mu-ryeong didn't stop at mere anger—
He studied that technique and began developing his own unique martial secret.
If Jeong Cheon-je synchronized the flow of internal energy...
Then Ak Mu-ryeong would refine the power of Phantom Restoration, creating a method to harmonize an opponent's spirit and mind with his own.
'Is this the Pavilion Lord's mental imagery?'
The barren landscape, untouched by human hands—
This must be the scenery unfolding within Ak Mu-ryeong's mind.
As Bu Eun-seol gazed upon this world of nothingness, everything felt overwhelmingly chaotic.
He wanted to discard all the martial doctrines he knew and simply lie down here in silence.
To erase every secret filling his mind in a single stroke.
—Aaaagh!
But then, a scream echoed from somewhere.
Turning his head, he saw a burning manor and the wretched figures of people dying in agony.
Bu Eun-seol's pupils trembled as he beheld this hellish tableau.
'That dream again.'
The scene before him was the same dream he had during his time as Mumu, when he had lost his memories.
Perhaps, as his spirit and mind synchronized with Ak Mu-ryeong's desolate and lonely psyche, those sorrowful and desperate memories resurfaced.
Kuuung—
Then, a plaque engulfed in flames crashed to the ground.
And as Bu Eun-seol stared at it, his eyes widened.
Ha.
Astonishingly, he could now clearly make out a single character on the manor's plaque—one he hadn't been able to see in the dream.
Bu Eun-seol's heart pounded violently.
Found it. Finally.
At long last, he had discovered a single clue that could unravel the mystery of his origins.
Then, synchronized with Ak Mu-ryeong's mental imagery, a surge of scorching emotion began rising from the desolate, lonely depths of Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind.
Crack. Crick—Shing!
In that instant, the scenery Bu Eun-seol had been observing shattered like glass, gradually revealing the actual landscape of Iron Palm Peak.
And there stood Ak Mu-ryeong, towering before him.
Judging by the flow of time, the illusions he had just witnessed must have lasted merely a fleeting moment in reality.
[Hmm.]
For the first time, a flicker of emotion colored Ak Mu-ryeong's gaze as he observed Bu Eun-seol.
But it vanished without a trace almost immediately.
[What was your intent behind that earlier attack?]
Since Phantom Restoration had no effect whatsoever on Bu Eun-seol, Ak Mu-ryeong had failed to seize control of his spirit and mind.
In the end, he had resorted to synchronizing their consciousness instead.
Consequently, he remained entirely unaware of the illusions Bu Eun-seol had just witnessed.
"Disciple.../"
Regaining his senses, Bu Eun-seol couldn't bring himself to admit he'd mimicked Baekri Mu-jo, leader of the Star Guard Division, and instead deflected.
"Upon witnessing the power Pavilion Lord displayed, I had a momentary epiphany... and attempted to harmonize the energies within me."
[Hmph. A reckless epiphany indeed, but what you've chosen is merely temporary.]
Ak Mu-ryeong stared down at Bu Eun-seol's dazed expression before slowly turning away.
[Especially that Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang. Avoid wielding those two forces if possible.]
"Understood."
[If you fail to purge all unnecessary elements from your being and return wholly to the Demonic Path...]
His voice carried the finality of the King of Hell pronouncing judgment.
[...the same tragedy will repeat itself someday, and no power will be able to prevent it then.]
Ultimately, Ak Mu-ryeong's pronouncement was clear: unless Bu Eun-seol dismantled all mental disciplines and martial arts except those of the Demonic Path...
He would inevitably meet his end one day.
[Go.]
"My gratitude, Pavilion Lord."
Bu Eun-seol bowed deeply at the waist in solemn reverence toward Ak Mu-ryeong.
Then he carefully descended Iron Palm Peak.
This incident had revealed two truths to Bu Eun-seol.
'The Pavilion Lord is no ordinary Great Demon.'
Ak Mu-ryeong was neither a madman obsessed with martial arts nor a Great Demon whose emotions had been utterly erased.
He simply sought to transcend his limits again and again—to reach the pinnacle of the world.
'Since he healed me...'
Nor was he someone who, despite disregarding conventional morality, would abandon the master-disciple relationship.
The energy Ak Mu-ryeong had poured forth held no intent to attack.
Within that energy, he had infused formidable True Qi to completely restore Bu Eun-seol's tangled and knotted qi vessels.
The internal energy he cultivated aligned almost perfectly with Bu Eun-seol's Reverse Extreme Inner Method and contained the pure essence of Great Nature's energy.
Had Ak Mu-ryeong not initially poured forth that energy to heal Bu Eun-seol's body?
He wouldn't have dared attempt simultaneously deploying four martial disciplines.
'I feel nothing but remorse toward the Pavilion Lord.'
According to Ak Mu-ryeong, to prevent the inherent mental disciplines and energies within Bu Eun-seol's body from clashing...
He must personally dismantle everything except the Demonic Path Martial Arts.
But mastered martial arts cannot be deliberately discarded or shaken off.
His only path was to devote himself entirely to cultivating Demonic Path Martial Arts until he attained the Supreme Demon Path like Ak Mu-ryeong.
'This amounts to refusing his martial transmission.'
Rather than striving to reach the Supreme Demon Path, Bu Eun-seol chose a new road.
A method to harmoniously wield the energies inherent within his body.
Perhaps witnessing Baekri Mu-jo—a man who had artificially achieved perfect harmonization—had planted this idea.
And the Lord of Langya Pavilion, having discerned this resolve in Bu Eun-seol's single move...
Had healed only his body without imparting the power of Phantom Restoration.
'If the Star Guard Division's leader can do it, so can I.'
Even if it ends in failure.
Even if it leads him to embrace death.
Bu Eun-seol would unhesitatingly choose the path no one else walks.
'That man.'
A golden glint flashed in Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes as he turned away.
No matter what enlightenment he gained, simultaneously deploying four martial disciplines—blending orthodox and unorthodox arts—remained impossible.
'So that's how it was.'
As Ak Mu-ryeong gazed at the distant sky, blazing heat flowed from his eyes.
Originally, he had intended to use Essence Gathering Spirit Transformation: Illusory Exchange to erase all miscellaneous martial fragments engraved in Bu Eun-seol's mind...
And impart the true essence of the martial arts he himself had mastered thus far.
But Bu Eun-seol's mental barrier was far too solid—even the power of Phantom Restoration couldn't break through it.
When he had no choice but to fight the Heavenly Emperor, he had gained inspiration through the Heavenly Thread of Fate.
He had intended to use his newly conceived power to synchronize with Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind, guiding him toward the Supreme Demon Path.
Yet in that fleeting moment, Bu Eun-seol's gaze wavered violently, severing even the synchronization of their spirits.
At that instant, Ak Mu-ryeong realized it.
From the very beginning, Bu Eun-seol had been walking a new path. He intended to harmonize the Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist martial arts he had learned thus far.
'To think such a thing was possible for someone other than him.'
To wield the Orthodox and Unorthodox martial arts simultaneously within a human body of flesh and blood—
The only one who had ever been capable of such a feat was that peerless grandmaster, the one who had vanished.
Of course, Bu Eun-seol hadn't unleashed all four simultaneously—only two at a time, switching rapidly—but the fact that his body remained intact despite such a thing...
It meant he, too, was a once-in-an-era prodigy comparable to that man.
'Is this also what they call fate?'
The moment he became aware that he had even thought of the word "fate"—a term his rival, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, clung to—
[Hmph.]
Ak Mu-ryeong let out a low scoff.
[It seems I chose my successor poorly.]
Muttering under his breath, he slowly faded into the depths of Sword Brow Mountain.
When Bu Eun-seol descended from Iron Palm Peak and returned to Dan Cheong's office, he found not only Dan Cheong but also Baek Yeon, So-jeon, and even Master Cheol gathered in a tight cluster.
They all knew.
Though the Pavilion Lord of Langya Pavilion, Ak Mu-ryeong, was a terrifying Great Demon, he was also someone who loved Langya Pavilion more than anyone else.
That was why he wouldn't simply stand by and watch his successor's ideals unfold without interference.
In fact, they had even held onto the hope that this incident might lead to him imparting Langya Pavilion's supreme secret martial arts to Bu Eun-seol.
"He didn't teach you any martial arts?"
But contrary to their expectations, Bu Eun-seol had only been harshly reprimanded by the Pavilion Lord—he hadn't received the power of Phantom Restoration.
"That's correct. The Pavilion Lord only used his power to realign the disordered energy in my body. He did not impart any martial arts to me separately."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Dan Cheong, Baek Yeon, and So-jeon exchanged puzzled glances.
Bu Eun-seol had already reached the Extreme Heaven Realm, making him fully prepared to cultivate Langya Pavilion's supreme secret arts.
So why hadn't he been taught?
"The truth is, the state of my body is..."
Bu Eun-seol honestly explained his condition.
He had learned the Martial Emperor's martial arts in the Secret Vault, absorbed the energy of Prajna Great Power when executing the Fragrant Mist Lord, and even mastered the secret techniques of the North Sea Ice Palace and the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace—twin pinnacle arts representing Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang.
—Hah!
Dan Cheong and the others wore grave expressions upon hearing this.
In the history of the martial world, no one had ever mastered the pinnacle martial arts of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist paths all at once.
Only then did they realize that the anomaly in Bu Eun-seol's body was far more severe than they had thought.
"You have no intention of discarding them, do you?"
Dan Cheong, who had been listening silently, nodded.
"The Pavilion Lord must have known that as well—which is why he didn't impart any martial arts to you."
At those words, the others nodded in agreement.
Bu Eun-seol was someone who never avoided any trial, walking his own path where others would not tread.
Ak Mu-ryeong understood that well—rather than forcing him into becoming the second Human Demon, he had chosen to watch as Bu Eun-seol forged a new path.
"That does seem to be the case."
As Bu Eun-seol answered, Baek Yeon nodded.
"Well, that too is a way befitting a disciple of Langya Pavilion."
This time, So-jeon snorted.
"Damn it. I thought the Pavilion Lord would teach you something and was ready to challenge you to a match... Once your body's fully recovered, we'll have to settle things."
Afterward, Bu Eun-seol exchanged many more words with them there.
Truthfully, until now, apart from Baek Yeon, the members of Langya Pavilion had paid little attention to the martial world's affairs or the Three Realms.
But because of Bu Eun-seol, everything had changed.
They sharpened their awareness of the martial world's movements and, in unison, pledged their support for the path Bu Eun-seol sought to walk—
They would lend him their strength.
After leaving Langya Pavilion once more, Bu Eun-seol summoned So-yo to return to his identity as Seon-u Jin.
—Contact the Death Soul Squad and mobilize the entire information network. Search for any manors annihilated twenty to thirty years ago that contain the character 'Ha' in their name.
If the memories from the dreamworld were accurate—
Though the exact age and timing were uncertain, judging by his own age, it would have been between twenty and thirty years ago.
The manor from his dream must have existed, and Bu Eun-seol must have lived there happily once.
—Understood. I'll make the call and return.
As So-yo departed, Bu Eun-seol switched places with Seo Jin-ha, who had been maintaining Seon-u Jin's trail.
Seo Jin-ha had been relentlessly pursuing the Blood-Heat Lust Demon, finally reaching Iron Tranquility Valley.
Now that Bu Eun-seol had returned, the two had to swap identities once again.
"Quite the preparations."
Seon-u Jin—now Bu Eun-seol—clicked his tongue at the various Strange Formations laid out around Iron Tranquility Valley.
"Since he couldn't shake pursuit, he must have decided to make his last stand here."
This was likely one of the hideouts the Blood-Heat Lust Demon had prepared in advance.
There was no way he could have set up such intricate battle formations while on the run.
Calmly dismantling the formations, Bu Eun-seol stepped into the valley and immediately located the hiding fugitive.
With the chaotic energy in his body completely gone, he could have easily beheaded the Blood-Heat Lust Demon even from beyond one thousand feet with a single sword stroke.
But Seon-u Jin couldn't do that.
He had to use techniques befitting his assumed martial prowess.
"You were quite diligent in preparing your escape routes."
Frowning as he stood before the Blood-Heat Lust Demon, Bu Eun-seol remarked dryly,
"If only you'd put this much effort into mastering martial arts."
The demon gritted his teeth, his face twisted in frustration.
"Tch. I knew someone was chasing me all this time!"
Dark circles hung under his eyes, a testament to the relentless pursuit, and his expression was filled with malice.
Bu Eun-seol sighed and glanced around.
"Were you counting on the explosives and poisons you set up here?"
At that moment, So-yo murmured quietly,
"I already took care of them."
"You bastard!"
Hearing their exchange, the Blood-Heat Lust Demon gnashed his teeth.
He had finally realized—no matter what he tried, he couldn't shake off this water ghost of a pursuer.
"DIE!"
As the demon lunged, Bu Eun-seol flicked his sleeve slightly.
Flash!
A streak of light cut through the air, and the Blood-Heat Lust Demon collapsed backward.
A single throwing dagger had pierced his throat.
"Hm."
Bu Eun-seol stared at the lifeless body.
'Hm.'
Then he looked down at his own hand.
Fortunately, since meeting Ak Mu-ryeong, he hadn't suffered any qi vessel disruptions or pain from Hot River Great Essence True Qi or Ice River Thousand Flows Formula.
But he couldn't let his guard down.
His body wasn't fully recovered, and if he unconsciously unleashed those ultimate arts while in Seon-u Jin's guise, his true identity could be exposed.
'I need to delve deeper into the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment.'
The Martial Emperor's Enlightenment, the supreme mind-training formula of the Martial Emperor, amplified martial prowess by harnessing overwhelming emotions.
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had avoided mastering the Sakjeong Secret Formula and the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment too deeply, adhering to the Middle Path.
But to maintain his dual identity as Seon-u Jin, he had to master it—to minimize mistakes.
"Are you hurt?"
Whoosh.
So-yo, who had been hiding in the distance, approached when she saw Bu Eun-seol staring blankly at his hand.
She sounded concerned.
"No, I was just lost in thought for a moment."
"Mmm."
Her gaze, as quiet as a whisper, shifted to the Blood-Heat Lust Demon's corpse, the dagger still embedded in his throat.
To claim the bounty, they needed to sever the head and deliver it to the Martial Alliance.
"I'll handle this."
So-yo calmly drew a short blade.
She looked like an attentive older sister taking care of her younger sibling.
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"So-yo. From now on, unless absolutely necessary, you shouldn't reveal yourself."
"It's fine. There's no one here."
Click.
At that moment, a metallic sound came from the Blood-Heat Lust Demon's cincture, followed by a puff! as invisible powder scattered in all directions.
Swish!
So-yo dodged like lightning, but she still inhaled a trace of the scent.
"Even in death, he acts like the lustful demon he was."
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
The Blood-Heat Lust Demon had known a massive bounty was on his head.
Anticipating that someone would claim it by severing his head, he had installed a cunning hidden weapon device on his body as a final act of revenge.
"It's fine. It's nothing serious."
So-yo spoke flatly.
"I have resistance to most poisons."
Assassins frequently dealt with toxins, so while she wasn't a Poison Person, she had built up considerable immunity.
"So the Wicked Incense's hidden weapons are still circulating."
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue as he examined the device on the cincture.
A slightly protruding button, when pressed, would release the hidden weapon after a delay—
A sophisticated mechanism crafted with springs and cogwheels.
"Huh?"
Then So-yo made a strange noise.
Sniffing the powder that had touched her, her face suddenly flushed bright red.
"Joyous Pleasure Powder."
What the Blood-Heat Lust Demon had released wasn't poison—
But the most notorious aphrodisiac in the murim, one with no antidote...
Joyous Pleasure Powder.