Chapter 475
'Good.'
As Bu Eun-seol witnessed the mystical might of the 108 Arhat Formation, a competitive fire ignited within him instead.
'Then let's see if this can be blocked too.'
While clashing with the Heir of the Blade Emperor, Bu Eun-seol had realized one fact he had forgotten.
The Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
Four hundred years ago, the Grandmaster of Martial Arts—who had come closest to being the Number One of the Righteous Path and was one of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—had been an Absolute Master.
A martial art imbued with a mysterious power that transcended the limits of martial realms—and he, too, had mastered it.
Swish! Swish!
The moment he unleashed the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, seven streams of internal power surged violently through his body.
Thanks to his steadily growing internal power and deepening martial arts, he had already cultivated seven streams.
Swish!
As Bu Eun-seol released the Thirteenfold Qi Induction in a single breath—
Whoosh!
The colossal illusion of the warrior monks, which had appeared as one, vanished instantly, revealing the true form of the 108 Arhat Formation.
"This can't be..."
From a distance, Gonggong's eyes widened in shock.
The 108 Arhat Formation, refined through endless development, had finally reached a realm where the strength of the warrior monks within the formation could be perfectly unified.
Yet this young masked man had shattered the formation's essence in a single strike?
"A martial art with mystical power indeed."
The improved 108 Arhat Formation was more profound and unshakable than any other battle formation—even the greatest masters would struggle to dismantle it.
Yet this man had disrupted its function merely by releasing a few streams of internal power?
'No...?'
Gonggong's astonishment soon twisted into disbelief.
The masked man, having shattered the formation's essence, was effortlessly deflecting the attacks of the 108 Shaolin disciples.
But his movements weren't those of a proper martial art—they seemed improvised, lacking any semblance of laws or discipline.
'This is someone who must never be allowed to leave the temple!'
Not only had he shattered the meticulously refined formation in an instant—
But even without displaying any notable martial techniques, he was casually blocking the warrior monks' attacks on the fly.
"Kneel!"
Finally, Gonggong stepped into the formation himself to take command.
Shaolin's eminent monks rarely ventured into the martial world unless for extraordinary reasons.
Thus, their martial prowess and strength were measured by their standing within Shaolin.
And the martial might of the monks overseeing each hall or courtyard was on par with—if not surpassing—that of the most renowned masters in the murim.
Whoosh! Crack-crack-crack!
Under Gonggong's command, the warrior monks' attacks grew more intricate, their power amplified.
'Impressive.'
Bu Eun-seol inwardly marveled.
Gonggong hadn't even attacked directly—he had merely directed the faltering formation.
Yet that alone had restored its stability, elevating its profundity and might severalfold.
'Just this one move alone makes Shaolin's true strength undeniable.'
But admiration was just that.
The attacks still posed no real threat to Bu Eun-seol.
If he wished, he could shatter the formation immediately and escape through the passage.
Yet he lingered, enduring within the formation for one reason alone.
From the depths of the darkened passageway far ahead, an icy gaze prickled against his senses.
Blood Shaolin.
Within this underground Scripture Pavilion—
It wasn't just Gonggong and the 108 warrior monks. The Blood Shaolin monks were undoubtedly crouched in the shadows, watching.
'The fact that Shaolin imprisons Great Demons is unknown to the martial world. That means it must be handled with utmost secrecy—likely by the Blood Shaolin.'
Finishing his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol moved his hands in a flurry.
Swish! Swish!
"Guh—!"
"Ugh—!"
Then, he began unleashing the Thirteenfold Qi Induction in earnest.
"Kgh—!"
"Ack—!"
With each razor-sharp gust of internal power, warrior monks collapsed like falling leaves, their cries filling the air.
"Hold formation!"
Gonggong shouted, but once over a third of the monks had fallen, the 108 Arhat Formation finally crumbled completely.
'This man...'
Only then did Gonggong realize the terrifying extent of the masked man's martial prowess—that even 108 warrior monks could never subdue him.
'Must we resort to that method?'
Gonggong's eyes flashed as he bellowed:
"Deploy the Suchness Path-Travel Formation!"
At his command, the chaotic movements of the Shaolin monks shifted entirely.
No longer a circular formation meant to exhaust the enemy through relentless pressure—
Instead, they arranged themselves like the edge of a colossal spear, forcing Bu Eun-seol into constant retreat.
Moreover, as the formation changed, Bu Eun-seol's acute senses dulled momentarily.
An illusion of hazy fog seemed to rise from all directions.
'So they're finally making their move.'
Shaolin, which imprisoned Great Demons whose mere existence threatened the world.
That meant they possessed a method to capture even demonic masters of extraordinary martial arts.
And... a space where they could be confined, never to be revealed to the outside world.
'This secret passage must be part of it.'
The hidden mechanism within Shaolin's grounds—connecting the Scripture Pavilion and the Blood Shaolin—was unique to this place alone.
Moreover, both spaces were abnormally vast for locations meant to secretly store martial arts manuals.
Which meant...
The Repentance Cave, where the Great Demons were imprisoned, had to be nearby—and it was being managed by Blood Shaolin.
'Changing the battle formation must be a signal to summon Blood Shaolin's members.'
Shiiiik—
At that moment, the transformed formation pressed down on Bu Eun-seol like the edge of a blade.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As the overwhelming pressure and razor-sharp attacks forced Bu Eun-seol to stagger back—
Rustle—
A sensation like mist dispersing washed over him, followed by a silent surge of palm energy crashing against his back.
It was the palm force unleashed by a hidden Blood Shaolin master, precisely timed with Gonggong's signal.
Just as Bu Eun-seol had anticipated.
The shift to the Suchness Path-Travel Formation was a signal for Blood Shaolin to suppress the intruder.
'Good.'
The moment the Blood Shaolin warrior monks released their palm energy, Bu Eun-seol channeled his immense internal energy into his Hidden Acupoints and his minor meridians.
Instantly, his internal energy level dropped by half.
Bam!
At the same time, the palm force struck his back, sending him flying like a severed kite.
Pfft—
Deliberately biting his lip, Bu Eun-seol spat out a few drops of blood and staggered.
Swish!
Seizing the opportunity, Gonggong unleashed a rapid succession of Hundred-Step Divine Fists.
Knowing the opponent's formidable martial prowess, he showed absolutely no mercy.
BOOM!
With each explosive impact, Bu Eun-seol's body was sent reeling backward—
Thud!
A low reverberation echoed as another devastating palm force crashed into his back.
The hidden Blood Shaolin warrior monk had struck again.
Thump.
Pummeled by Shaolin Supreme Arts from both front and back, Bu Eun-seol shot into the air before collapsing.
'So this is how it works.'
The Suchness Path-Travel Formation, a variation of the 108 Arhat Formation, completely concealed the Blood Shaolin monks before delivering unseen strikes to subdue powerful enemies.
Most likely, Shaolin had used this very method to suppress Great Demons who either infiltrated the temple or wreaked havoc in the martial world.
"Tch."
Bu Eun-seol let out a pained groan.
The palm force unleashed by the Blood Shaolin master contained the Heaven-Collapsing Force—enough to bring down the sky and earth.
At half his internal energy, there was no way he could withstand it.
"Ugh..."
Gritting his teeth, Bu Eun-seol forced himself back up.
Then, deliberately playing the part of a Demonic Path master, he amplified the Emotion Severing Secret Art within the Willful True Binding.
Zzzzzzzziiing!
A strange Demon Cry reverberated as a violent surge of Demonic Energy erupted from his body.
CRASH!
Yet another invisible palm force slammed into his back.
Thud.
This time, he crumpled to the ground, unable to rise.
"As expected, you're from the Demonic Path."
Gonggong's gaze turned icy.
"Who are you?"
"..."
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Gonggong tore off his mask.
Beneath it was the unremarkable face of Seol-so, an ordinary man one might see anywhere.
"If you refuse to answer, I will cripple your martial arts."
Gonggong's voice was solemn as he pressed again.
"Who are you? How did you find our temple's secret passage?"
"I was searching for the Shaolin Scripture Pavilion... and stumbled upon it by chance."
Bu Eun-seol feigned fear as he spoke, but Gonggong's eyes narrowed.
Shaolin's Divine Arts and Supreme Techniques were the foundation of Orthodox Martial Arts—mastering even one could let one look down on the martial world.
Countless individuals had attempted to steal its secret manuals.
'I can't trust his words.'
But Gonggong wasn't convinced.
Given the terrifying Demonic Energy and formidable martial prowess Bu Eun-seol had displayed, he suspected ulterior motives beyond mere theft.
'The Abbot is too merciful. If we merely suppress him, he'll just report it to the sect and release him later.'
Currently, Shaolin was in chaos due to external invasions, and the Abbot—who should be commanding all disciples—had been ambushed and incapacitated.
In this situation, subduing and interrogating an unknown disciple of the Demonic Path, then notifying their sect, would only add unnecessary complications.
'We can uncover his identity later.'
Having made up his mind, Gonggong didn't hesitate—he immediately unleashed the Divine Finger Flick.
Crack!
A barrage of Finger Wind, sharp enough to pierce stone, sealed Bu Eun-seol's dantian.
Considering Gonggong's Internal Power and the precision of the Divine Finger Flick, unless an external master with at least four centuries of cultivation intervened,
There was no way Bu Eun-seol could break the seal.
"Confine this man in the Repentance Cave. Once the temple's chaos subsides, the Abbot will personally interrogate him."
'Perfect.'
Bu Eun-seol inwardly rejoiced.
Though he had planned this, he hadn't expected to enter the Repentance Cave so easily.
Swoosh.
At Gonggong's command, the Blood Shaolin warrior monks silently lifted Bu Eun-seol and carried him away,
Slowly disappearing into the dark passage where Blood Shaolin lurked.
"Haa..."
Gonggong let out a sigh.
He was someone who never quite approved of Blood Shaolin's existence.
Blood Shaolin, under the pretense of protecting Shaolin, not only dabbles in all manner of heterodox martial arts—
They are those who commit slaughter without hesitation.
To the formal disciples, they are nothing more than murderers clad in monastic robes.
"So in the end, even Blood Shaolin has found justification to move."
Gonggong let out a deep sigh.
Because of this ambush incident, Blood Shaolin was now operating openly.
There was a rule that if Shaolin faced danger, they could act on their own without the abbot's command.
"Amitabha."
A Buddhist invocation burst involuntarily from his lips as he sensed dark clouds gathering over Shaolin's future.
Until now, Shaolin had weathered every crisis and survived to the end.
Surely, this time too, they would overcome everything without fail.
Thud. Thud.
The warrior monks of Blood Shaolin, carrying Bu Eun-seol on their backs, walked endlessly through the deep, dark passageway.
Finally, they reached a certain point and halted.
It was a vast space where not a single ray of light entered, and on one side, there was a square hole about five chi wide.
Whoosh.
Without hesitation, the Blood Shaolin monks threw Bu Eun-seol into the square hole.
Sssssss—
Bu Eun-seol's body plummeted helplessly downward.
Flash!
As he fell rapidly, Bu Eun-seol finally opened his eyes.
Below him was an endless abyss of darkness. If he continued falling like this, it was only a matter of time before his entire body shattered.
'I must recover my Internal Energy quickly.'
Vwoooom!
Bu Eun-seol forcibly drew up the Internal Power he had concealed in his Hidden Acupoints and minor meridians.
Slowly, his completely blocked Qi Sea Acupoint began to loosen, and his Internal Power started trickling back.
But the ground was already in sight.
CRASH!
Bu Eun-seol slammed into the floor.
Crackle, crackle—
Black flames of True Qi erupted from his body as he hit the ground.
With no other options, he had curled up at the moment of impact and used the Willful True Binding to form a massive shield-like shape around his shoulders.
"Guh—"
Bu Eun-seol groaned.
He had recklessly deployed the Willful True Binding before his Internal Power had fully recovered.
Even with the shield of True Qi, he couldn't completely absorb the force of the fall.
"Quite the resourceful one, aren't you?"
Since he was already down—
With a grunt, Bu Eun-seol sprawled out spread-eagle.
He intended to lie still, circulate his qi to recover somewhat, and then move.
Thud. Thud.
But then, footsteps echoed, and from the darkness, numerous shadows emerged one by one.
The eye glows of those approaching him flickered ominously even in the pitch black.
They were grotesque figures—wild-haired, with savage eyes and eerie glints in their pupils.
"Heh heh heh."
Their eyes gleamed with killing intent, and white drool dripped from their mouths.
"How long has it been?"
They encircled Bu Eun-seol, swallowing their saliva as each of them muttered something.
"When was the last time we had fresh meat like this?"
"Right. Usually, they're already smashed to pieces by the time they fall."
"Finally, we get to eat something alive."
These were the Great Demons imprisoned in the Repentance Cave.
And to them, Bu Eun-seol was nothing more than fresh, living meat.
'They said these were Great Demons who would wreak havoc on the martial world if released.'
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
It was said that even the most wicked men in the world would repent somewhat in their old age.
But these Demons, who had lived here until their hair turned white, their Internal Energy long gone—their vicious aura hadn't softened in the slightest.
"No need to drag this out. Let's carve him up right away."
"Agreed. When was the last time someone fell down here so fresh? Was it that 'Frenzied Blood-Drinking Demon'?"
"No, that guy died the moment he hit the ground, limbs shattered."
"But what's with this one? Why does he look so young?"
Amid the clamor, a grotesque man with deep pockmarks on his face pointed at Bu Eun-seol and spoke.
"Maybe this brat ate something like the Youthful-Complexion Fruit."
"Nah, look at him. He's not someone who ate the fruit—he's genuinely young. Look at that skin elasticity."
Murmur, murmur.
They chattered on for a while, treating Bu Eun-seol like meat waiting to be butchered.
Then, one of them pulled out a stone-carved dagger, baring his yellowed teeth as he spoke.
"Can't be the Youthful-Complexion Fruit. That old hag Enchanting Demoness over there—her face is all plump from eating that stuff, but her eyes are dull."
"Anyway, once we finish off the ones over there, we'll drag that old woman here soon enough."
At that moment, a bloody light ignited in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
He had never spared the lives of lecherous villains before.
The pockmarked old man spun his stone dagger idly and asked Bu Eun-seol:
"Hey, let me ask you one last thing."
He licked his lips before continuing.
"Why the hell did a young brat like you end up here?"
"..."
"To be thrown in here at such a young age—you must be quite the troublemaker. What did you do to end up here? Don't tell me you killed the Shaolin abbot?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol slowly rose to his feet.
"I don't know if Shaolin was merciful enough to spare demonic filth like you," he said in a solemn voice, his cold gaze sweeping over the surrounding old men.
"But this lord has no intention of letting vermin like you live."
"Kehahahaha!"
Not just the pockmarked old man, but all the surrounding oddities burst into raucous laughter.
"This brat's got jokes!"
"You think just because our internal power was sealed, we're nothing but feeble old men?"
Thud.
At that moment, the pockmarked old man—still gripping his knife—stabbed the cave wall with his left finger.
Like a hot knife through tofu, his finger sank effortlessly into the stone.
"The old men here have been shaking the martial world since before your parents were even born—"
The pockmarked old man abruptly stopped mid-sentence, tilting his head in confusion.
His voice had suddenly cut off, and an odd itch crept up his throat.
"Huh?"
He looked down—and his expression twisted in shock.
Without realizing it, he felt his neck slowly detaching from his body.
Squelch!
As his head toppled from his shoulders, a fountain of crimson sprayed across the cave walls.
At the same time, Bu Eun-seol straightened fully.
Crack.
His bones groaned as the internal power suppressed to the very depths of his dantian surged back in full force.
Whoooom!
A devastating shockwave of true qi erupted, threatening to tear through the cave itself.
Simultaneously, a black tide of qi unfurled behind Bu Eun-seol, spreading outward in all directions.
In a single motion, he had unleashed the Willful True Binding, severing the heads of every surrounding oddity.
Splat! Splaaat!
The cave was instantly painted red as dozens of headless bodies crumpled to the ground.
Squirm. Squirm.
From the darkness, more shadows began crawling forth.
These were the demonic beings who had been too weak to fight until now—starving, lurking in the abyss.
The scent of blood—blood fragrance—wafting from the fresh corpses made their mouths water.
Slowly, they crept forward, licking their lips.
"This truly is hell," Bu Eun-seol muttered, inhaling deeply as he gazed up at where he had fallen.
Shaolin, in its so-called mercy, had imprisoned these Great Demons in this abyss—without even the decency to feed them properly.
—Grrrrrl.
They trembled in fear of Bu Eun-seol, yet their hunger drove them closer, eyeing the corpses warily.
Drool dripped from their lips.
The thought of fresh meat made their bodies quiver with anticipation.
Bu Eun-seol watched them for a moment before exhaling a long sigh.
"May you be reborn as good people in your next life."
Swiish!
The razor-sharp edge of the Willful True Binding swept through the cave once more.
The heads of the approaching oddities rolled across the ground.
Step. Step.
Surveying the now blood-soaked surroundings, Bu Eun-seol strode forward expressionlessly into the darkness.
The cave system was vast.
He knew what he could see wasn't all there was—and so he sharpened his senses, probing deeper.
Shoooosh.
As he walked, the sound of flowing water reached his ears.
If there was water in the cave, there had to be an exit somewhere, didn't there?
"Hmm."
Continuing inward, he soon reached a branching path—multiple tunnels leading in different directions.
Beyond them, unlike before, a faint light seeped through.
And there, scattered about, were old men dressed in tattered but clean robes, quietly living their lives.
'So that's how it is.'
The monstrous beings near the pit where he had fallen must have been the ones who refused to abandon their savagery—preying on newcomers.
But here?
Those who had lost their internal power, their strength, even their demonic aura—
They had resigned themselves to living like ordinary old men, peacefully.
"Who are you?"
A kindly-faced elder tilted his head at Bu Eun-seol.
"How did you get here? The abyss up ahead is crawling with madmen who eat people."
Bu Eun-seol answered flatly.
"I walked."
"You walked?"
"You didn't ask how I came. You asked how I got here."
The old man questioning him had once been a high-ranking Greatest Demon Under Heaven—someone who would never let those who annoyed him live.
But now, his temperament had completely changed. He didn't even bat an eye at Bu Eun-seol's bluntness.
"Well, at least there seem to be some sane old men here."
The elder studied Bu Eun-seol's composed expression before his dim eyes flickered with realization.
"You're no ordinary man. Then again, you couldn't have fallen into the Repentance Cave at your age if you were."
"Is that a question you're asking yourself?"
"Hohohoho. I suppose it is."
The elder chuckled, curiosity gleaming in his gaze.
"This old man is Tak Il-hon."
"Tak Il-hon."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
There was only one person in the martial world known by that name.
"The Flying Demon Tak Il-hon?"
Flying Demon Tak Il-hon.
The grandmaster of Lightness Body Art, creator of the Ghostly Shadow Moonlit Night Movement—one of the Eight Great Divine Movement Arts of the martial world.
The legendary Great Thief Under Heaven, who would go to any lengths to steal martial arts manuals. Wasn't he?