Chapter 541
Hyeokryeon Eung smiled coldly as he observed Bu Eun-seol's rigid, frozen expression.
"You always pretend to be cold, but in truth, you're weak to sentiment."
He knew it well.
Though Bu Eun-seol always maintained an indifferent demeanor, in reality, he meticulously watched over and cherished those around him.
And it was precisely that weakness Hyeokryeon Eung had exploited to complete his cruel trap.
By infiltrating the Demon Hall in secret, slipping into the Death Shadow War Unit.
By unleashing the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice upon the martial artists of the Death Shadow War Unit, turning them into puppets.
The final act? To make Bu Eun-seol and his subordinates destroy each other. To ensure Bu Eun-seol could never rise again.
He had devised a plan to shatter his spirit and mind into pieces.
Thud. Thud.
The martial artists of the Death Shadow War Unit, who had surrounded the Reed Field, now approached Bu Eun-seol with vacant expressions.
"Do you wish to fight me?"
Hyeokryeon Eung curled his lips at Bu Eun-seol, who stood motionless.
"Then first, you'll have to cut down every last one of the subordinates you hold dear."
Before anyone realized it, the martial artists of the Death Shadow War Unit had closed in behind Hyeokryeon Eung.
Shhk.
As if resigned, Bu Eun-seol gripped his sword in a reverse grip.
It was an aggressive stance—one that would slash down the moment they came within reach.
"So you've made your decision."
Hyeokryeon Eung nodded with a satisfied smile.
"Well, you can always find new subordinates later... It might not be a bad choice."
But even as he said those words.
Hyeokryeon Eung could say with absolute certainty.
That Bu Eun-seol would never be able to cut them down so easily.
If he were truly that ruthless?
Then he would have already stepped into the Supreme Demon Path and become the Greatest Demon Under Heaven.
Thud. Thud.
Just as the martial artists of the Death Shadow War Unit were about to move past Hyeokryeon Eung—
Fwip!
Something astonishing happened.
Won Se-mun, Jo Nam-cheon, and Wi Cheon-gyeong—the three leading the advance—suddenly pivoted with movements swift as lightning and attacked Hyeokryeon Eung simultaneously.
Slash!
But their strikes cut only empty air.
With terrifying extrasensory perception, he had sensed the intent behind their attacks and leaped into the air, narrowly evading.
"What is this?"
Though he dodged effortlessly, Hyeokryeon Eung's expression hardened.
These men, who should have lost their minds to the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice and obeyed only his commands.
How had they suddenly regained their senses and turned against him?
"Did you break the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Bu Eun-seol smirked as he watched Hyeokryeon Eung's bewildered face.
"With a master of the Mind-Seizing Art targeting me all this time, of course I prepared countermeasures."
Bu Eun-seol, who had regained his memories and returned from his life as Beggar Mumu.
From the day he learned that Hyeokryeon Eung had mastered Mind-Seizing Secret Art surpassing even the Illusion King.
He had been researching ways to defend against Hyeokryeon Eung's attacks.
If someone like him, skilled in Mind-Seizing Arts, infiltrated the Demon Hall?
He hadn't overlooked the possibility that not just key figures, but even his subordinates in the Death Shadow War Unit could be turned into puppets.
"Though it wasn't easy."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, the squad leaders surrounding Hyeokryeon Eung trembled slightly as they exchanged glances.
—Not easy was an understatement...
And at the same time, they began recalling the past.
Hidden Demon Pavilion, Conference Hall.
Bu Eun-seol and the squad leaders continued their meeting with grave expressions.
"...In other words, given Hyeokryeon Eung's abilities, he could infiltrate the Death Shadow War Unit at any time and turn all unit members into puppets."
Bu Eun-seol, who had barely regained his memories after living as Beggar Mumu.
Even though his martial prowess had reached the Extreme Heaven Realm, Bu Eun-seol was still powerless to block Hyeokryeon Eung's Mind-Seizing Secret Art.
Fortunately, with the help of Fatty and Bu Bok-un, he had recovered his memories—but that had been pure luck.
Had that series of events not occurred to awaken his memories? Bu Eun-seol would have lived out the rest of his days as Beggar Mumu.
'Though in the end, it was a blessing in disguise.'
When Bu Eun-seol, who had completely lost his memories, regained them.
The internal power within his emptied body erupted, granting him effects akin to undergoing artificial Marrow Cleansing.
Ultimately, Metamorphosis and Bone Renewal took place, and his internal power surged dramatically, allowing him to reach the Sixth Layer of the Reverse Extreme Inner Method.
Thanks to that, he even achieved Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough.
He no longer had to fear Hyeokryeon Eung's Mind-Seizing Secret Art...
But the problem was that his subordinates in the Death Shadow War Unit were not so fortunate.
"If he decides to attack me, he will undoubtedly target the Death Shadow War Unit first."
Just as Hyeokryeon Eung knew Bu Eun-seol well.
Bu Eun-seol also knew Hyeokryeon Eung well.
Hyeokryeon Eung would have already discerned all his tendencies. Any assault would begin by extending its claws to his subordinates first.
"The Mind-Seizing Art, the Mind-Seizing Art..."
"This is troubling."
Murmur, murmur.
All the squad leaders, including Yu Un-ryong, wore grave expressions and muttered among themselves upon hearing this.
But no matter how much they racked their brains, there was no way to defend against a Mind-Seizing Art attack from someone of Hyeokryeon Eung's caliber.
After an excruciatingly long meeting that yielded no answers, the leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit sought counsel from the Medicine King Faction Lord Gyo Jung-hak and other renowned medical experts within the Demon Hall, as well as masters of the Mind-Seizing Secret Art.
But if someone capable of wielding Mind-Seizing Secret Art at Hyeokryeon Eung's level were to infiltrate the Demon Hall with malicious intent?
They reached the inevitable conclusion—defending against such an attack was fundamentally impossible.
—There was no answer.
As days passed with no solution in sight, the commanders grew increasingly grim.
There were plenty of ways to kill Hyeokryeon Eung, but what if he slipped in unnoticed and unleashed his Mind-Seizing Secret Art?
In that case, the only one who could possibly resist would be Bu Eun-seol.
"Damn it all," Won Se-mun muttered, scratching his head vigorously.
"If guarding against it is meaningless, shouldn't we instead find a way to wake up if we do get hit? Like biting our tongues or something?"
At his words, the eyes of every commander in the meeting room flashed.
—Not defense, but a way to regain consciousness?
Finding an unexpected clue in Won Se-mun's grumbling, the leaders nodded in reluctant approval.
"Why?"
Noticing the strange looks directed at him, Won Se-mun blinked.
"Is my idea that weird?"
"It's not that," Jo Nam-cheon sighed, voicing the collective thoughts of the room.
"It's just that even a rice-bucket like you can be useful sometimes. Truly a tear-jerkingly moving occasion."
"You little—! You're seriously saying that to my face?!"
Just as Won Se-mun was about to explode, Yu Un-ryong nodded.
"Won Se-mun, you're absolutely right."
Then, in a calm tone, he continued,
"Unless one possesses exceptional mastery of Mind-Seizing Secret Art or formidable mental barriers, the only thing that can break the Mind-Seizing Art's hold is pain."
At that, Wi Cheon-gyeong interjected,
"But we can't just expect pain when we don't know where or when he'll strike like a ghost and take control of our subordinates. We can't just prepare to suffer."
"Hmm."
Then, Bu Eun-seol proposed a solution.
"What if we develop a device that inflicts pain the moment someone falls under the Mind-Seizing Secret Art?"
—Ooh!
Taking Won Se-mun's clue and Bu Eun-seol's method, the meeting room buzzed with renewed energy.
And so, they began developing a device that could wake someone from the Mind-Seizing Art's grasp.
But even that was no easy task.
The moment the Mind-Seizing Art took hold, the victim would lose all reason—there was no way for them to voluntarily feel pain.
—Then what if they're tortured every hour?
At Won Se-mun's seemingly nonsensical muttering—
—Ooh!
—Right! That could work!
—This guy... Is he actually a genius pretending to be an idiot?
The commanders rushed to Won Se-mun in excitement, shaking his shoulders, ruffling his hair, and pinching his cheeks.
—We've done it!
And finally, they succeeded.
With the help of the Medicine King Faction Lord Gyo Jung-hak, the Master Blacksmith of Langya Pavilion, and Master Blacksmith Wang Geol, they developed a unique mechanical device capable of waking someone from the Mind-Seizing Secret Art.
It resembled a metal bracer worn on the wrist at all times.
But inside, it housed an intricate mechanism—every hour, a button would pop out.
And if the wearer failed to press the button within seven and a half minutes?
A specially crafted Scorpion-Tail Needle, jointly developed by Master Blacksmith Wang Geol and Medicine King Faction Lord Gyo Jung-hak, would spring forth—delivering excruciating pain.
"Under the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice, one wouldn't even think to press this device," Yu Un-ryong said, smiling proudly at the battalion leaders.
"But at worst, within an hour, they'd snap back to their senses."
As Yu Un-ryong continued explaining while gesturing at the wrist bracer, Won Se-mun blinked skeptically.
"You really think a measly Scorpion-Tail Needle popping out can break something as formidable as the Mind-Seizing Art?"
"Excellent question."
Yu Un-ryong approached Won Se-mun with an admiring expression.
Click.
And in one swift motion, he strapped the bracer onto Won Se-mun's wrist.
"What the hell is this?!"
As Won Se-mun recoiled, Yu Un-ryong, instead of answering, pulled out a pill from his robes and held it out.
"Swallow it."
"What is this?"
"The Hundred-Knot Bear-Gall Pill. A spirit medicine."
The Hundred-Knot Bear-Gall Pill was a miraculous elixir that enhanced internal power—but it had two major flaws.
Despite its grandiose name, its power-boosting effect was pitifully small.
And its medicinal properties were so potent that once the effects spread, the user would fall unconscious for four hourss (4 hours) as if dead.
In short, it was a spirit medicine in name only.
In reality, it was closer to a knockout drug—a bizarre concoction.
That was the true nature of the Hundred-Knot Bear-Gall Pill.
"Leader Yu. Are you testing me right now?"
"It's not a test."
Yu Un-ryong clapped Won Se-mun's shoulder and declared firmly,
"You're about to become the hero who saves the Death Shadow War Unit."
The hero who saves the Death Shadow War Unit.
Hearing those words, Won Se-mun flashed a bright smile.
And then, without hesitation, he shook his head.
"No thanks. I refuse."
Rustle—
In the end, all the Death Shadow War Unit leaders rushed him, forcing his mouth open.
For a while, Won Se-mun made gagging sounds as he was forced to swallow the Hundred-Knot Bear-Gall Pill.
Before long, his head lolled to the side, and he slumped into unconsciousness.
The squad leaders watched the scene with tense expressions.
Finally, after an hour had passed—
Click.
When the button remained unpressed, the mechanism embedded in his wrist guard quietly activated.
Swish!
The Scorpion-Tail Needle plunged deep into his wrist, dispersing its fine needles.
Jolt!
Won Se-mun, who had been lying limp, suddenly sprang upright in an instant.
Like a freshly reanimated jiangshi, he bounced up as if propelled by springs.
"He's up?"
Jo Nam-cheon approached as Won Se-mun opened his eyes wide with an eerily serene expression.
"You alright? Does it hurt?"
Won Se-mun calmly glanced down at his wrist.
"Nah, I'm fine."
Bubble, bubble.
But contrary to his composed reply, white foam began frothing from his mouth.
"Lord. This thing works. Doesn't even hurt."
Froth, froth.
As he spoke nonchalantly, foam continued to spew uncontrollably from his lips.
"Ah, but this is weird. Why am I floating in midair?"
The squad leaders' eyes bulged at the sight.
Won Se-mun wasn't unharmed—
His soul had momentarily left his body from the sheer agony.
"Whoa? This is amazing? You guys seeing this? I'm floating in the air!"
Gulp.
The squad leaders swallowed nervously as they watched Won Se-mun babble with a blissful smile.
The effect was undeniable.
At this level, even if Hyeokryeon Eung—no, even Hyeokryeon Eung's grandfather—tried to cast the Mind-Seizing Art on him, he'd snap right out of it.
—Please, just don't let Hyeokryeon Eung show up.
The squad leaders clasped their hands together, staring desperately at their wrist guards.
And prayed fervently that Hyeokryeon Eung wouldn't come for them and subject them to the Mind-Seizing Art.
That they wouldn't have to experience firsthand just how agonizing the Scorpion-Tail Needle truly was.
—But in the end, we did get a taste of that Scorpion-Tail Needle!
Emerging from their memories, the squad leaders' eyes burned with hellish flames of calamity.
Thanks to the mechanisms in their wrist guards—
They had awoken an hour after falling victim to Hyeokryeon Eung's Mind-Seizing Art.
But the pain.
The pain was indescribably excruciating.
If they had to put it into words, it was as if hundreds of invisible needles had splintered inside their wrists, worming through their meridians, searing—
Transforming every blood vessel in their bodies into molten fire.
They would've preferred being burned alive—it would've been less torturous.
Drip, drip.
Wiping away their surging tears, the squad leaders could confidently declare:
If this Scorpion-Tail Needle were used—
Even corpses would writhe in agony and leap out of their graves.
To break the overpowering Spirit Summoning Secret Voice—
A master blacksmith like Master Cheol and a physician like Gyo Jung-hak had spent three months researching with one singular goal: "Pure. Pain."
"H-How is this—"
While Hyeokryeon Eung stood dumbfounded—
—Kill him!
—Take down that damned old man first!
—Let's strap one of those things on him too!
The squad leaders, now consumed by madness, lunged at Hyeokryeon Eung.
"You lunatics!"
Hyeokryeon Eung was a peerless master—
But even he couldn't help the chill that ran down his spine at the sight of these warriors charging at him with foaming mouths and frenzied eyes.
"Don't make me laugh. Did you really think I'd trust only you fools?"
Though known as a grandmaster of Practical Combat Martial Arts, that was merely a facade—
In truth, he was a strategist who wielded the Mind-Seizing Art and commanded his forces using excellent strategies and tactics.
He had prepared another pawn in case the squad leaders broke free.
Piiii!
A sharp whistle from his lips summoned dark shadows rising from the Reed Field's floor.
They were the Soulless Ones he had buried underground long ago.
"These aren't ordinary Soulless Ones—they're near Demon-Binding Jade Men. I've infused them with formidable martial arts—"
Hyeokryeon Eung's words cut off.
Crash! Splatter!
The squad leaders, engulfed in rage and killing intent—
They looked more like Soulless Ones than the actual Soulless Ones.
Slash! Swish! Crunch!
As they rampaged, the Flesh Wall of Soulless Ones hidden in the Reed Field crumbled in seconds.
"Keheheheh! You think you know the Scorpion-Tail Needle's bite?"
The squad leaders, having snapped the last threads of reason, didn't just use martial arts—
They bit the Soulless Ones, spat at them—
Even the fearless Soulless Ones faltered under this relentless frenzy, unable to fight at full strength.
"Who are you looking at?"
Slash!
In that moment, a colossal Sword Qi coiled around Hyeokryeon Eung's throat.
Before anyone realized it, Bu Eun-seol had closed the distance and unleashed the Caged Bird Longing for Clouds technique.
"Futile."
Whoosh—
Hyeokryeon Eung wildly swung both arms.
In an instant, the razor-sharp sword qi of Caged Bird Longing for Clouds melted away like snow—neutralized by the overwhelming power of Hyeokryeon Eung's True Body Secret Studies: Tyrant Emperor Golden-Wall Fist.
'There's no need to face this bastard head-on.'
Bu Eun-seol not only possessed immeasurable martial prowess but had also fully inherited the martial enlightenment of Langya Pavilion.
There was no reason to stake his life against someone who grew stronger mid-battle.
"We'll settle this another time."
Snap!
As Hyeokryeon Eung raised his hand, black shadows emerged once more from the surrounding Reed Field.
These were Demon-Binding Jade Men—towering figures over seven feet tall, their massive frames like Mount Tai itself.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol instantly severed their necks—
Clang!
Yet the sound of colliding steel echoed as deep sword marks remained on their necks.
It seemed they had mastered an external martial art as formidable as Iron Cloth Stance.
'Worst-case scenario, these were prepared as sacrificial pawns to buy time for escape.'
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue at Hyeokryeon Eung's meticulousness.
'Fine!'
Channeling his internal energy, Bu Eun-seol swung his sword again.
Slice.
Another slash cut halfway through a Demon-Binding Jade Man's neck—yet they charged forward relentlessly, as if intent on crushing him.
A bright glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Hummm!
As he poured immense internal energy into Ink Soul Sword, a pure white sword light surged forth.
Zzzzt!
Simultaneously, razor-sharp sword aura spread outward in all directions.
He fused the lethal sword aura with Willful True Binding, aiming to shred their bodies in a single strike.
Whoooosh!
Like the roar of a waterfall, the sword aura enveloped the Demon-bound Dry Prison Humans in a net of destruction.
Thud. Thud-thud-thud.
Though they resisted with their martial arts, they were ultimately reduced to neatly diced chunks of flesh.
But in that brief moment, Hyeokryeon Eung had vanished without a trace.
"Truly thorough."
Click.
Sheathing Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol wore a bitter expression.
Despite appearances, Hyeokryeon Eung was a cunning strategist who prepared meticulously for every contingency.
Moreover, his escape skills seemed no less formidable than the Mind-Seizing Secret Art.
"Time truly is impermanent."
Just then, Yu Un-ryong approached.
"Back on Hell Island, he seemed like an absolute master second only to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
Shaking his head, he sighed and muttered:
"Now he's just a rat scurrying away, unworthy of his reputation. Don't you agree?"
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Hyeokryeon Eung—once the Guardians' Faction Master of the Demon Hall and a renowned authority in Practical Combat Martial Arts.
In the past, Bu Eun-seol had seen him as a supreme master dominating the Demonic Path.
But now, only his Mind-Seizing Art and scheming nature stood out more starkly.
It was also proof of how much stronger Bu Eun-seol had become.
"But he is strong."
Yu Un-ryong scoffed at Bu Eun-seol's words.
"A strong man flees like that?"
"Perhaps because he has too much to lose."
Wi Cheon-gyeong, wiping blood from his face with his sleeve, spoke calmly.
"That old man holds a high position in the Three Realms, doesn't he? There's no need to stake his life in a direct confrontation with you, Lord."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been listening silently, finally spoke.
"No. The opposite, in fact."
His gaze fixed in the direction Hyeokryeon Eung had fled, he declared firmly:
"His standing in the Three Realms has likely fallen."
"Huh? Surely not!"
"If he still wielded the Power of the Three Realms, he could've attacked me in countless ways. Yet he resorted to eavesdropping on the Death Soul Squad's intelligence network and setting a trap."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was resolute.
"He knows the Demon Hall's systems inside out. The Three Realms' intelligence network surpasses ours—so why go through such convoluted steps to lure me? The answer is obvious."
"That... makes sense."
Yu Un-ryong nodded.
"If he still held a key position in the Three Realms, he'd have brought at least a Messenger of the Three Realms. No way he'd rely on those Soulless Ones."
"Exactly."
"But something's off."
Yu Un-ryong frowned in confusion.
"When he infiltrated the main hall and began dominating the chiefs one by one with Mind-Seizing Art—why not just take us hostage to immobilize you?"
Had he subdued all of the Death Shadow War Unit's warriors with Mind Seizing Great Art, he could've used them as leverage to threaten Bu Eun-seol.
Or mobilized a full-scale force to eliminate him decisively.
Yet he chose to let Bu Eun-seol and his warriors tear each other apart?
While satisfying, it was a pitifully crude plan for an organization as vast as the Infinite Realm.
Yu Un-ryong tilted his head, baffled.
"Why go through the trouble of luring you here using the emergency signal system?"
"Elder So..."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as realization struck.
He had assumed only So Yo could've sent that signal.
'He's in danger!'
But there was one other person—
The creator of this emergency contact system...
The Kill-Seeking Unit leader, So Ja-myeong.