Chapter 545
Mount Nine Palaces earned its name from the nine palaces built by the Taoist priest Jang Do-cheong of the past, who sought to cultivate the Way upon its slopes.
The overlapping mountain peaks stretched over a hundred li, boasting scenic wonders such as Tiger Crouches at Heaven's Gate and Spring Cliff Sprays Snow.
Lush forests, breathtaking ravines, caves, and waterfalls adorned the landscape.
Whoosh—
Dozens of shadows flitted stealthily through the towering forests of Mount Nine Palaces, so high they seemed to scrape the azure sky.
Their movement techniques were extraordinary.
Even as they traversed the dense woods, not a single sound—neither the Sound of Breaking Air nor the rustling of branches—betrayed their presence.
These were the elite assassins of the Flying Killing Faction, renowned even within the Demon Hall for their mastery of Lightness Body Art.
—I'm giving you the chance to achieve a great merit.
The voice of a certain figure echoed in the mind of Geum Jang-cheon, the Flying Killing Faction Master, as he led his subordinates.
Not long ago, he had met with Hwa-uk, a loyal subordinate of Hyeokryeon Eung, the former Guardians' Faction Master of the Demon Hall who had now been branded a traitor.
It was Hwa-uk who had secretly contacted him, delivering crucial information.
—I've uncovered the location and time where the Martial Soul Lord is meeting with one of the Martial Alliance's high command.
Hwa-uk had whispered the intelligence discreetly.
—If you expose this, you won't remain a mere Hall Master—you'll rise to the rank of a Lord-level figure.
Geum Jang-cheon had hesitated briefly.
At some point, an unspoken rule had taken root within the Demon Hall: You could pluck the beard of the Grim Reaper himself, but you must never cross the Martial Soul Lord.
Not only was Bu Eun-seol known for his ruthless temperament, but it was also said that he repaid defiance with tenfold retribution.
Had anyone else made such an offer, Geum Jang-cheon would have refused without a second thought.
But Hyeokryeon Eung was no ordinary figure.
Though his true influence remained hidden, was he not a core figure of the faction that secretly dominated the Murim?
Had Geum Jang-cheon not maintained good relations with him precisely because he had keenly felt the extent of Hyeokryeon Eung's power and ability?
'I must choose one side.'
The gravest crime in the Demon Hall was treason.
Even if the offender were the Martial Soul Lord, if it became known that he had secretly met with the Righteous Faction's leadership—
There would be no way for him to retain his position.
'The Martial Soul Lord may be formidable, but Hyeokryeon Eung is on another level. He is beyond comparison.'
No matter how extraordinary Bu Eun-seol was, he was still young and inexperienced.
In contrast, Hyeokryeon Eung was a master who had reigned over the Demonic Path for decades, the former Guardians' Faction Master of the Demon Hall.
Moreover, Geum Jang-cheon knew firsthand just how terrifying and formidable Hyeokryeon Eung truly was.
If he vouched for the accuracy of this information—how could Geum Jang-cheon possibly lose?
"We wait here."
Having finished his contemplation, Geum Jang-cheon sent a Telepathic Transmission to his subordinates.
The target he was to surveil was none other than—
Bu Eun-seol, the most influential successor in the Demon Hall, a young Grandmaster of the Demonic Path.
And his counterpart—undoubtedly a high-ranking figure of the Martial Alliance.
This was not a situation to be approached recklessly.
In the silent forest, only the occasional rustle of leaves and chirping of insects could be heard.
The assassins employed the Black Ghost Ninja Illusionary Stealth Pursuit Art, also known as the Turtle Breath Grand Art.
This technique was said to render its practitioners as silent as breathing corpses—
So flawless that even the most skilled masters would fail to detect them.
Swoosh—
As they activated the technique, the presence of every assassin in the Flying Killing Faction vanished completely.
Then, after about half a two-hour period—
Swish.
Two masked figures emerged from a distant cave.
Both stood over six feet tall, their faces concealed, making their features impossible to discern.
But when Geum Jang-cheon spotted the Ice Soul Sword—bestowed by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—strapped to the left figure's back, his eyes flashed.
'Then the one on the right must be the Martial Alliance's representative.'
"Well then—"
At that moment, the Martial Soul Lord bowed deeply to his counterpart in a respectful salute.
'To show such deference to a Martial Alliance member...'
Watching covertly, Geum Jang-cheon found the sight strange.
Given his status as the future ruler of the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol had no need to bow to anyone short of the highest authority.
Yet here he was, lowering his waist so humbly before a member of the Righteous Faction—no, the Martial Alliance itself?
Fwoosh—
Then, in an instant, Bu Eun-seol vanished, employing his Movement Technique.
But the masked figure standing before the cave remained, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the distant sky.
[Hmm.]
A low hum escaped him—yet the sound resonated not in Geum Jang-cheon's ears, but directly within his mind.
'Incredible internal energy.'
Geum Jang-cheon took a deep breath.
He instantly realized that this masked figure was a master far beyond his ability to contend with.
[Show yourself.]
Whoosh.
With that low command, Geum Jang-cheon's concealed body was lifted into the air as if weightless.
The sheer magnitude of the internal energy at work was staggering.
'Danger!'
He immediately unleashed the Three Annihilation Forms, striking at the masked man.
But before he could fully execute his Sword Strokes, his body went numb, stiff as a log.
"Save the Hall Leader!"
As the panicked assassins of the Flying Killing Faction tried to release their concealment and rise—
Whoosh.
They tumbled back to the ground once more.
Without anyone noticing when he had struck, all thirty masters lay dead, their hearts pierced.
"Ugh..."
Geum Jang-cheon, still floating midair, wore an expression of sheer terror at the sight. Yet no matter how he struggled, he couldn't move an inch.
Drift.
Before he knew it, his body was being pulled through the air like a puppet on strings, directly in front of the Masked Man.
When their eyes met—those unfathomably deep, abyssal pupils—Geum Jang-cheon could only tremble, unable to utter a word.
Hmm.
Then, suddenly, a chilling energy seeped into his Pulse Gate.
It felt like icy needles threading through his meridians, circulating with deliberate precision.
[How peculiar... So a practitioner of the Demonic Sword Arts has mastered the Nabu Sect's Great Art of Qi Refinement.]
In that instant, Geum Jang-cheon's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
The Great Art of Qi Refinement.
It was an arcane technique of the now-defunct Nabu Sect—a method to amplify one's Internal Power severalfold.
Back when he was just a lowly assassin in the Flying Killing Faction, he had stumbled upon a Secret Manual in a graveyard by West Lake.
A demonic practitioner could never master the orthodox Mind-Training Formulas of the Righteous Faction.
Fortunately, the Nabu Sect's Great Art of Qi Refinement wasn't a Mind-Training Formula in the strictest sense—it was, as its name suggested, a Great Art.
Beyond temporarily amplifying Internal Power, it had no singularities, no side effects.
In the end, he had secretly trained in this art, never revealing it to a soul.
Thanks to it, he had risen through the ranks of the Flying Killing Faction, eventually seizing the position of Hall Leader.
And until now, not once had he ever let slip that he knew this technique.
So how had this Masked Man seen through him so effortlessly?
[A demonic practitioner wielding an orthodox Great Art to amplify wicked power... Such a thing cannot be allowed.]
Hearing the Masked Man's cold voice, a single name flashed through Geum Jang-cheon's mind.
A man whose abilities were so transcendent, ordinary martial artists couldn't even fathom them—an unbound superhuman.
The one who had devised a Mind-Training Formula allowing him to instantly discern an opponent's Qi Circulation with just a touch.
The Number One of the Righteous Path—Jeong Cheon-je, Shin Do-mu-bi.
[This meeting must remain secret... So I cannot let you live.]
The Masked Man murmured softly and reached out.
Crack.
In that moment, the sound of twisting bones echoed from Geum Jang-cheon's body.
The Masked Man had reversed the flow of his True Qi.
"Ugh—Aaaagh!"
Geum Jang-cheon screamed in agony.
Having spent his life executing covert missions, he had been trained not just in assassination techniques but in enduring torture.
But the pain of True Qi reversal was something no flesh-and-blood human could withstand.
Hiss.
Finally, the backlash shattered his Great Art of Qi Refinement, and all the Internal Power he had cultivated over the years vanished in an instant.
Thud.
Geum Jang-cheon fell from the air, collapsing limply to the ground.
By reversing his Qi Circulation and severing his Eight Extraordinary Meridians—Meridian-Severing Pulse Rupture—the Masked Man had taken his life in a single stroke.
Thump.
The corpse of Geum Jang-cheon hit the floor.
Confirming the extinction of his Vitality, the Masked Man immediately activated his Movement Technique, vanishing like a ghost.
A heavy silence settled over the Stalactite Cave.
Swish.
Then, from the darkness, a black shadow surged up from the ground as if emerging from the earth itself.
It was Hwa-uk, adjutant to Hyeokryeon Eung.
From the moment he had gathered intel on the rendezvous point, he had dug deep into the earth here, concealing himself with the Turtle Breath Grand Art.
"Killed in an instant. Impressive skill."
Hwa-uk examined Geum Jang-cheon's body, then his eyes sharpened.
"These wounds..."
There were no external injuries—only the aftermath of forcibly reversed True Qi.
Someone who could analyze another's Qi Circulation and reverse it in an instant...
There was only one person in all of Murim capable of such a feat.
"Guh..."
Just then, an extremely faint groan reached Hwa-uk's ears.
"He's still breathing."
His face lit up with excitement.
"He must have trained in something like the Life-Restoring Heaven-Reversal Art."
He hurriedly lifted Geum Jang-cheon onto his back.
If he could revive him—if he could get him to testify while still alive—
Then no matter how high Bu Eun-seol flew, the Martial Soul Lord would never escape his downfall.
End of the memory.
Bu Eun-seol scanned the chamber.
Most of the Hall Leaders couldn't meet his gaze and lowered their heads.
"Hmph."
Then Yang Gu-eung snorted derisively.
"What a pitiful excuse."
His expression twisted in disbelief as he continued.
"You're claiming the one who attacked Hall Leader Geum was you, my lord? Then why did you attack him in the first place?"
"This lord was in contact with the Pavilion Lord of the Blood Dragon Pavilion—an intelligence organization that has been expanding its operations while keeping its headquarters hidden."
"The Blood Dragon Pavilion? He was the Pavilion Lord of the Blood Dragon Pavilion?"
"Correct. However, there were those who secretly tracked and investigated my movements."
Bu Eun-seol spoke impassively.
"Then they must have been spies from the Righteous Faction. Did you expect me to simply let such individuals go?"
"Let them go? The Flying Killing Faction belongs to our own alliance!"
"They wore strange disguises and even concealed their true forms. How was I supposed to recognize them?"
Yang Gu-eung was momentarily speechless, his expression blank.
But soon, he let out a hollow laugh.
"Then are you saying you're a disciple of the Heavenly Emperor or something?"
Yang Gu-eung smirked sinisterly, his gaze boring into Bu Eun-seol.
"If not, then how else could you have discerned Geum Jang-cheon's True Qi Circulation and reversed his Internal Power?"
He fell silent, staring intently at Bu Eun-seol—waiting for an answer.
"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't even bother explaining, but I suppose I have no choice now."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with deliberate calm.
"Phantom Restoration Return."
His icy eyes locked onto Yang Gu-eung.
"Our Pavilion Lord once clashed with the Heavenly Emperor and learned that he possessed a method to peer into others' True Qi Circulation."
"..."
"And the Pavilion Lord combined that insight with Phantom Restoration Return, refining a technique that exploits gaps in the Spirit and Mind to achieve a similar effect."
The Human Demon, Ak Mu-ryeong.
The entire Murim knew of his obsession with martial arts.
Not only that—it was common knowledge that he had fought against the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, the Three Demons, and even the Three Venerables.
But to think he had also battled the Heavenly Emperor... and further developed Phantom Restoration Return by incorporating the mysteries of the Heavenly Robe Mind Art?
"Preposterous!"
Yang Gu-eung roared in fury.
"Can you even prove such a claim?"
"Easily. Though, someone of your level wouldn't be able to discern it."
Bu Eun-seol turned his gaze toward Supreme Cult Commander Yeop Hyo-cheon.
"I shall request the Supreme Cult Commander to verify its authenticity."
Yang Gu-eung's mouth snapped shut.
Yeop Hyo-cheon was the second-in-command of the Demon Hall and the foremost of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
To boldly ask him to judge the legitimacy of a martial technique?
Even if it couldn't be confirmed whether the Langya Pavilion Lord had truly created such a technique...
At the very least, Bu Eun-seol was confident he could convince Yeop Hyo-cheon that such power existed.
"I don't believe it. Forget the Supreme Cult Commander—convince me, the Hall Leader!"
Bu Eun-seol let out a derisive snort.
Then, he addressed Yeop Hyo-cheon.
"Supreme Cult Commander, do I have your permission?"
Yeop Hyo-cheon gave a slight nod.
"Granted."
The moment the answer came, a bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he turned.
Whoosh.
At the same time, Yang Gu-eung's body floated into the air.
It was an unfathomable display of Internal Energy.
"You've trained in the Blood Sand Escaping Qi Art of the Blood-Draining Eccentric."
"How—?"
Yang Gu-eung's eyes bulged.
He was known as a martial artist of Ghostfire Palace, having spent his life mastering the Blood-Sealed Ghostfire Art.
But seven years ago, in secret repayment for aiding Guardians' Faction Master Hyeokryeon Eung in a personal matter...
He had obtained the secret manual of the Blood-Draining Eccentric's exclusive technique, the Blood Sand Escaping Qi Art, and had been training in it with all his might.
"So it's true... Such a technique really exists in Langya Pavilion."
Yang Gu-eung couldn't continue.
This meant Bu Eun-seol had not only perfectly mastered the Langya Pavilion Lord's Phantom Restoration Return...
But had also grasped a method to infiltrate an enemy's Spirit and Mind and discern exactly which martial arts they had trained in.
"I—I...!"
As Yang Gu-eung stammered, Bu Eun-seol flung him to the ground as if disgusted by the very sound of his voice.
Thud.
He collapsed in an undignified heap, unable to rise—too shocked to even muster the strength.
"Now then, it's my turn."
Bu Eun-seol swept his cold gaze across the conference room, a frigid smile playing on his lips.
"No matter how bold Hall Leader Yang may be, it makes no sense for him to try imprisoning me and stripping me of my position over something like this."
His voice turned icy as he scanned the room once more.
"So I conducted an investigation."
This time, he didn't just single out Yang Gu-eung.
One by one, he called out the names of every Hall Leader who had supported or contributed to his downfall in this disciplinary meeting.
"Hall Leader Jeok Yang, you've been receiving thirty thousand taels annually from untraceable sources. Hall Leader Hyul Pung is no different, and the Black Heaven Hall... has openly been in contact with the Martial Alliance."
Bu Eun-seol relentlessly listed the names.
Finally, his solemn voice settled on Punishment Hall Master Yang Gu-eung.
"And Hall Leader Yang. You've had contact with Hyeokryeon Eung."
"Lies!"
Yang Gu-eung, still sprawled on the ground with unfocused eyes, shrieked in desperation.
"Don't slander others with baseless accusations!"
If even that were exposed, not only would he lose his position as Hall Leader—his very neck wouldn't remain intact.
"Fabrication?"
Bu Eun-seol drew a thin booklet from his robes.
And placed it before Yeop Hyo-cheon.
"All evidence regarding the suspicions I've named thus far is contained within this."
Bu Eun-seol smiled coldly as he looked at Yang Gu-eung.
"Including proof that Hall Leader Yang made contact with the traitor Hyeokryeon Eung."
Yeop Hyo-cheon flipped through the pages with an indifferent expression.
With each turn, his pupils grew more solemn.
And at some point, he began glaring terrifyingly at Yang Gu-eung with every page he turned.
Because the evidence left behind was utterly irrefutable.
"Supreme Cult Commander, this is slander—"
Yang Gu-eung, who had been about to plead one last time, clamped his mouth shut.
Yeop Hyo-cheon's eyes had frozen over like a glacial abyss, cold as an executioner's.
And a dark heat haze had begun rising from his entire body.
"You fucking bastards! I told you it wasn't me!"
At that moment, Won Se-mun roared indignantly.
"These sons of bitches conspired to stab the Lord in the back at the first opportunity!"
Instantly, the complexions of the hall leaders shifted.
Of course, the "sons of bitches" he referred to were naturally Yang Gu-eung and his faction.
But since Yeop Hyo-cheon had also verified Yang Gu-eung's evidence and authorized his detention...
Technically, he too fell under the category of "these sons of bitches."
"So this is the disgraceful spectacle you dragged me into, Hall Leader Yang."
"Ch-Chief Doctrine Commander..."
Yeop Hyo-cheon sighed, then stood and addressed the assembly.
"By my authority as Supreme Cult Commander, this disciplinary hearing regarding the Martial Soul Lord's punishment is hereby nullified."
Then he strode out of the conference hall without a backward glance.
Whoooosh.
The atmosphere in the chamber froze over completely.
The expressions of those who had come to witness Bu Eun-seol's downfall were especially twisted in despair.
"Release the battalion leaders of my hall."
At Bu Eun-seol's command—
Shudder.
The guards trembled as if struck by lightning, then scrambled to undo the restraints.
Unlike Bu Eun-seol, their Internal Power had been fully suppressed.
Pop! Crack!
Then Yu Un-ryong forcibly unsealed his own pressure points.
Following his lead, the battalion leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit also circulated their Internal Power to break free.
"Did you really think such methods could keep us subdued?"
Astonishingly, despite being capable of summoning their power at any time—
Yu Un-ryong and the battalion leaders had endured interrogation and torture in silence.
Faith.
It was only possible because they believed.
Believed without doubt that Bu Eun-seol would resolve everything.
Shiver.
By this point, not just Yang Gu-eung but every hall leader who had supported this scheme began trembling.
They had accepted Hyeokryeon Eung's proposal so readily because they were certain of victory.
Only now did they realize they hadn't won—they had reached the brink of losing everything.
"Lord! This hall leader was a fool!"
Finally, Yang Gu-eung let out a shriek-like cry, prostrating himself before Bu Eun-seol and smashing his forehead against the floor.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Spare me, Lord!"
Blood streamed down his face as he wailed.
"I had no ulterior motive! We only acted because we had irrefutable proof—proof that you were colluding with the Martial Alliance's inner circle! We couldn't ignore it!"
At this, the other conspiring hall leaders scrambled forward to kneel.
"It's true! We were deceived by that dog Hyeokryeon Eung!"
Seeing no visible rage in Bu Eun-seol's expression, a spark of hope flickered in their eyes.
The Martial Soul Lord's authority combined the power of the Law Enforcement Hall, Disciplinary Hall, and Hall of Protectors.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had never wielded that authority beyond overseeing the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
Remembering this, hope overflowed in the hall leaders' eyes.
Perhaps they could still be forgiven.
"Sanghak Unit Commander."
Bu Eun-seol spoke impassively to Yu Un-ryong.
"Arrest everyone connected to the traitor Hyeokryeon Eung."
Relief briefly flashed across the faces of Yang Gu-eung and the others.
Arrest meant there was still a chance to survive—if they confessed fully.
But their faces drained of color at his next words.
"And behead them and publicly display their heads immediately once guilt is confirmed. Let the entire martial world see what happens to those who betray this hall."
Then, sweeping his gaze over Yang Gu-eung, he added:
"For this case, all cumbersome procedures may be omitted."
"Understood."
Thud.
As Yu Un-ryong bowed, the hall leaders collapsed where they stood.
The gravest crime in the Demon Hall was treason.
They had conspired with the traitor Hyeokryeon Eung to overthrow the Hall's successor.
Having betrayed the Demon Hall to depose its heir—
Their deaths alone wouldn't atone for this sin. Their families, relatives, close friends—
Every last person connected to them would lose their heads.
Rumble.
Simultaneously, two figures scrambled frantically out of the conference hall.
Gongya Geuk and Gang Yang-cheon.
The two had arrived at the Singular Light Pavilion brimming with confidence to witness Bu Eun-seol's downfall.
Instead, they had only further alienated themselves from him.
From now on, their sects would face nothing but Bu Eun-seol's relentless retribution.