Chapter 547
Bu Eun-seol erased the countless thoughts rising in his mind and furrowed his brow as he spoke.
"So what, precisely, is your goal?"
"I told you. To ensure the Murim's survival."
"Are you saying Murim is facing destruction?"
"Something like that."
Hyeokryeon Eung replied calmly.
"The Main Realm seeks only to protect Murim from annihilation."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
Did this mean Hyeokryeon Eung—no, the Infinite Realm—was also engaged in something like the Absolute Demon Saber Project?
"From what, exactly? Who is going to destroy Murim?"
"You will hear that answer if you join the Main Realm."
Bu Eun-seol had no intention of joining the Infinite Realm.
But extracting information about them wouldn't be easy either.
'I need to draw out as much as I can.'
He took a deep breath and spoke.
"Give me a convincing answer. If it's reasonable, I might even consider joining."
Hyeokryeon Eung was no fool.
He knew Bu Eun-seol wasn't the type to abandon revenge. He had to realize those words were deliberate.
Yet, for some reason, he complied without resistance.
"You're already aware the Main Realm is divided into three factions."
"I am."
"One of them is deeply involved in Murim's annihilation."
Hyeokryeon Eung's voice remained steady.
"The Main Realm has long struggled to stop them."
"So... in the end, the Infinite Realm is committing these acts to oppose the faction within the Three Realms that is involved in Murim's annihilation."
A sharp glint flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Then is that faction... the Azure River Realm?"
For an instant, Hyeokryeon Eung's eyes narrowed.
He had just discerned that Bu Eun-seol had made contact with someone from the Azure River Realm.
"That, too, is something I can tell you if you join the Main Realm."
"Then let me ask one more thing. Who, exactly, is trying to annihilate Murim, and how?"
"Bu Eun-seol."
Hyeokryeon Eung's gaze was utterly grave.
"I'll say it again—every question weighing on you can be answered if you enter the Main Realm."
Then, in a low, earnest voice, he added:
"Come. Join us."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol wavered.
In the past, he wouldn't have even considered such an offer.
As the Martial Soul Lord, he couldn't possibly join the Three Realms.
The subordinates of Death Shadow War Unit—
His actions and stance would have a massive impact on the Demon Hall and the Demonic Path.
Bu Eun-seol had never wanted to drag others into his revenge.
But if he were to immerse himself in the Three Realms... not only those connected to him, but the entire Demonic Path could suffer.
'But...'
What if the Infinite Realm truly had a noble purpose?
What if their goal was genuinely to save Murim?
Would it really be so wrong to join them?
'Besides... I don't have much time.'
He couldn't keep exposing Seo Jin-ha to danger, torn between the Demon Hall and the Martial Alliance forever.
Wouldn't it be better to enter the Infinite Realm as soon as possible, uncover the structure of the Three Realms, and—
—avenge his grandfather?
But then Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
No.
Hadn't he sworn over So Ja-myeong's grave that he would take revenge?
If he devoted himself to the Infinite Realm, beheading Hyeokryeon Eung would become a distant prospect.
"So Ja-myeong's death still weighs on you, I see."
True to his mastery of the Mind-Seizing Secret Art, Hyeokryeon Eung had read Bu Eun-seol's thoughts just from his expression.
"Give the Main Realm ten—no, five years of loyalty."
Then he made a startling proposal.
"If you can do that, you may take my head after five years."
"What are you saying?"
"With you, the Main Realm's long-cherished wish will surely be fulfilled."
Hyeokryeon Eung's expression was solemn.
"In that case, my life would be no great loss."
"You'd throw away your life just to recruit me?"
"Heh. If sacrificing this old body ensures Murim's survival, I'd gladly do it."
Judging by his demeanor—
Hyeokryeon Eung genuinely believed he was engaged in a sacred cause.
"Look. If the Main Realm's work were for personal glory, I would never make you this offer."
"And the attacks on me until now? Weren't those just to reclaim your position?"
"Of course. There are things in the Main Realm only I can do."
Hyeokryeon Eung met Bu Eun-seol's gaze squarely.
"But you could take my place. In that case, I'd have no regrets."
It was a self-sacrificing attitude, but Bu Eun-seol felt nothing.
He had never intended to coexist with the Three Realms.
And he had no holy mission to save Murim.
"My only goal was to uncover the full truth behind the one who murdered my grandfather and execute every last person involved."
Yet listening to Hyeokryeon Eung's words, Bu Eun-seol realized that joining the Three Realms was indeed the only way to grasp their true nature.
"Then I'll start by severing your head and placing it before the memorial tablet of the Small Alliance Leader, after which I'll enter the Three Realms."
"That's acceptable—but joining our realm must come first."
"Afraid I won't keep my promise?"
"I know full well you honor your word once given. But the process of entering our realm is not so simple."
Hyeokryeon Eung spoke decisively.
"First, if you pass all the procedures to join our realm, I will immediately resolve every last one of your lingering questions."
"Lingering questions?"
"Indeed. If you pass the trials to enter our realm... I will tell you everything you've ever wanted to know."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't comprehend it.
Why was the Infinite Realm so desperately trying to recruit him?
Why would a figure like Hyeokryeon Eung go to such lengths, weaving elaborate words to persuade him?
How could a Great Demon, who had once exuded overwhelming might capable of propping up the heavens, suddenly shift his demeanor to that of a scheming strategist?
"It must seem strange to you."
As if reading Bu Eun-seol's thoughts, Hyeokryeon Eung let out a soft chuckle.
"But even that is something you'll understand once you join the Infinite Realm."
"Fine."
Bu Eun-seol nodded as if resolved.
"If the Infinite Realm's purpose is truly to save the Murim as you claim, and if it harbors no ulterior motives beyond that—"
His voice dropped to an icy murmur.
"—then I will enter."
"Truly?"
"Of course. But as promised, five years from now, I will place your head before the Small Alliance Leader's memorial tablet."
Hyeokryeon Eung was inwardly elated.
Killing Bu Eun-seol was far from easy—but recruiting him had once seemed utterly impossible.
Yet if he could bring him into the Infinite Realm?
Not only would he avoid the immense risk of trying to kill him, but he would also achieve an incomparable merit.
"However, I have one condition."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"If the Infinite Realm is driven by selfish ambition—if it pursues any goal beyond annihilating the factions you claim seek the Murim's destruction—"
His voice turned frigid.
"—I will leave immediately and devote all my strength to eradicating the Infinite Realm first."
Had it been anyone else, Hyeokryeon Eung would have scoffed.
Threatening the Three Realms was unthinkable.
But coming from Bu Eun-seol, it didn't sound the least bit absurd.
"Agreed."
Hyeokryeon Eung nodded.
"I swear to you—our realm is not the Absolute Evil you imagine. It is merely a means to protect the Murim."
The answer was startling.
Bu Eun-seol had expected Hyeokryeon Eung to evade the question skillfully or tell him to confirm the truth himself after joining.
Yet here he was, confidently declaring that the Infinite Realm was not Absolute Evil.
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol nodded without hesitation.
"I will enter the Infinite Realm."
Hyeokryeon Eung was practically bursting with joy.
Even the highest authority within the Three Realms paled in comparison to the position of the Demon Hall's Successor.
And now, the heir destined to dominate the next generation of the Demon Hall was joining the Infinite Realm?
Moreover, if that heir was Bu Eun-seol—a man who combined the foremost talent of the Demonic Path with exceptional strategic acumen?
They could drastically accelerate the Infinite Realm's ultimate goal.
"You've made a wise decision."
Suppressing his delight, Hyeokryeon Eung spoke in a measured tone.
"However, joining our realm requires certain sacrifices."
"Name them."
"You must undergo several Great Arts to enter."
"Great Arts?"
"Correct. You could call them trials."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Human loyalty was ever-fickle.
Historically, secret societies had only two means of safeguarding their secrets: strict rules and Restrictive Seals.
Compared to that, undergoing a few Great Arts was nothing.
"I'll endure it."
"Straightforward as ever. Good."
Hyeokryeon Eung took a deep breath.
"Truthfully, there are two methods to join our realm. The first is—"
"—imposing a Restrictive Seal using the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice, I assume."
Bu Eun-seol recalled the final moments of the blue-eyed man who had once belonged to the Martial Alliance.
The moment he tried to reveal the Infinite Realm's secrets, his heart stopped as if struck dead.
Having witnessed that, Bu Eun-seol had already guessed:
The Infinite Realm used the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice as a means to guard its secrets.
"Correct. But you've become a state where the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice no longer works."
Hyeokryeon Eung wore an expression of incomprehension.
"If you haven't reached the Martial Extreme Realm, then you must have either erected a flawless barrier of Spirit and Mind or completed the Mind-Training Formula."
Bu Eun-seol swiftly redirected the topic.
"Then what is the second method?"
"The Infinite Realm possesses a secret method that examines all Three Treasures. Through this method, one is thoroughly scrutinized, and if deemed worthy, they are recognized as a member of the Infinite Realm."
The Three Treasures referred to Essence, Qi, and Spirit—the fundamental components that constituted a human being.
"So you're saying it can peer into a person's mind, body, and even the flow of their Qi in minute detail?"
"Indeed. After examining all three—Essence, Qi, and Spirit—if it is confirmed that the person will never betray, they become a member of the Infinite Realm."
Bu Eun-seol was genuinely astonished.
A miraculous secret method that could perfectly scrutinize the body, mind, and even the flow of Qi?
Wasn't that something even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, the Number One of the Demonic Path, couldn't accomplish?
"Hohoho. The Infinite Realm has dominated the Murim for generations."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's stunned expression, Hyeokryeon Eung flashed a proud smile.
"If not for this Grand Art that allows us to peer into the essence of humanity, the Infinite Realm's existence and true nature would have been exposed long ago."
'Impossible.'
Bu Eun-seol faintly shook his head.
'As expected, taking this man's words at face value is difficult.'
This was the same man who had shamelessly lied in the past, claiming that the Illusion King was his disciple—even in the presence of Prince Wei's Residence.
Even if such a Grand Art existed, the claim that it could examine all three—Essence, Qi, and Spirit—was most likely an exaggeration.
"Then, in essence, the Three Realms must be structured in a way that makes betrayal impossible."
"That was the case..."
"'Was'? What do you mean?"
Hyeokryeon Eung, who had been deep in thought, shook his head.
"Then shall we begin the examination immediately?"
"Right now?"
"Indeed."
Hyeokryeon Eung spoke as if it were nothing significant.
"Of course, the real examination will take place in the Infinite Realm. What we're doing now is more of a preliminary test."
A violet glow shimmered in his pupils.
"This is merely to determine whether you sincerely wish to enter the Infinite Realm—or if you're a spy sent to disrupt our Grand Design."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol readily nodded.
"Very well."
There had been no lies in his words so far.
Even if this were not a preliminary test but a full examination of his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, there was nothing to fear.
"Step inside there."
Hyeokryeon Eung pointed toward Stone Mountain.
"To perform this Grand Art, a place devoid of light is preferable."
Bu Eun-seol followed him into a massive cave carved within Stone Mountain.
Once they reached the deepest part, Hyeokryeon Eung extended something to him.
"Take this."
It was a transparent glass vial containing a single golden pill.
"What is this?"
"An Essence-Gathering Pill, crafted through the Infinite Realm's secret methods. It was made for those like you, whom the Mind-Seizing Secret Art cannot affect."
Gulp.
Without further questions, Bu Eun-seol swallowed the pill without hesitation.
As long as Reverse Polarity True Qi circulated through his body, he was impervious to all poisons.
Moreover, Hyeokryeon Eung currently had no reason to harm him, so he ingested it with confidence.
"Hmm."
Yet, no matter how much time passed, he felt nothing unusual.
"Is it normal to have no reaction at all?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Hyeokryeon Eung was taken aback.
Upon consuming the Essence-Gathering Pill, one's mind should be consumed by a single, overwhelming thought.
In such a state, even the greatest Master would inevitably fall under the influence of the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice.
But despite nearly a quarter of an hour passing, Bu Eun-seol stood there with clear, unclouded eyes.
"Hmm."
Hyeokryeon Eung stroked his chin, then gestured toward Bu Eun-seol's Pulse Gate.
"I think I'll need to check your pulse briefly."
For a martial artist, exposing one's Pulse Gate was akin to handing over their lifeline.
Yet Bu Eun-seol extended his hand without hesitation.
"Do you trust me that much?"
"I trust my own abilities, that's all."
"That's good enough."
Smiling, Hyeokryeon Eung firmly grasped Bu Eun-seol's Pulse Gate.
And then—
He prepared to directly inject the Soul-Damaging Spirit Art, a technique he had devised alongside Do Song-baek of the Absorbing Heaven Sect, capable of replicating the effects of the Spirit Summoning Secret Voice.
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol felt his Pulse Gate burn as if set ablaze, a searing heat forcing its way into his mind.
"Do not resist. This is merely the activation of a Grand Art that briefly peers into your Spirit."
As Hyeokryeon Eung's voice echoed like a distant reverberation, Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes as if sinking into a deep slumber.
Bubbling, bubbling.
The sensation was like plunging into deep water.
'Father?'
To his astonishment, his father's face began to emerge faintly before him.
He was as tall as Bu Eun-seol was now, with phoenix-like, elongated eyes brimming with dragon-like majesty. He often wore fine robes, and a noble smile always lingered at the corners of his lips.
'My eyes resemble his.'
In his mind's eye, Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
He was overjoyed.
He had always wondered what his father looked like—never imagining he would suddenly appear like this.
'Aside from the eyes, I don't resemble him much. The rest must be from Mother.'
Just as Bu Eun-seol was savoring this pleasant thought in his imagination—
CRACK!
His father's face shattered like glass—
BOOM!
The heavens and earth trembled as Bu Eun-seol's body was sent flying dozens of yards backward.
Hyeokryeon Eung had abruptly struck his chest with a vicious burst of Palm Energy.
THUD!
Sent hurtling in a straight line, Bu Eun-seol crashed into the ground—
"Guh—!"
Immediately, a thick gush of blood erupted from his mouth.
Hyeokryeon Eung's Palm Energy was far stronger than he had imagined, instantly wounding his internal organs.
"You wretch!"
With another roar, Hyeokryeon Eung unleashed a lightning-like Palm Energy straight at Bu Eun-seol's face.
The strike hadn't even landed yet, but his skin already felt like it was tearing apart.
That was how terrifying the force behind it was.
Whoosh!
Bu Eun-seol barely managed to evade it by deploying Ultimate Speed Shadowless.
"Changed your mind about offering your neck?"
"Silence!"
Hyeokryeon Eung's eyes, once calm, now blazed with a maddened light.
"You must die!"
Snap!
As he extended his left hand, Bu Eun-seol's blood instantly began to boil.
He was using the Martial Arts of the Blood Emperor, one of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
"Die now!"
When Hyeokryeon Eung thrust out his right hand this time, a scorching heat capable of melting the entire world poured forth.
The Flame Emperor's Qi of the Flame Emperor.
Astonishingly, he was simultaneously wielding the Martial Arts of both the Blood Emperor and the Flame Emperor with each hand.
Fwoosh!
Bu Eun-seol countered by unleashing a surge of frigid energy from his own palm.
The advancing Flame Emperor's Qi and Blood Emperor's Qi faltered.
He had activated the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
"Why are you trying to kill me?!"
Bu Eun-seol shouted as he poured out Extreme Yin Force.
But Hyeokryeon Eung only widened his eyes and continued relentlessly unleashing his Martial Arts.
'Hyeokryeon Eung—what exactly did he see?'
As someone who had reached the pinnacle of the Mind-Seizing Secret Art, Hyeokryeon Eung's Spirit and Mind should have been unshakable under any external influence.
Yet now, he was visibly shaken—his pupils reflecting unmistakable fear.
Bu Eun-seol could sense it.
Hyeokryeon Eung had seen something within his memories during the Great Art—
And whatever it was had driven him into this frenzied assault.
"If you won't answer, I will retaliate."
Even Bu Eun-seol's ultimatum elicited no reaction.
'I'll suppress him first and ask questions later.'
RUMBLE—!
A violent surge of energy erupted from Bu Eun-seol's right hand.
He was simultaneously unleashing both the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and the Great Stillness Heat River True Qi.
FWOOOOSH—!
The distance between them was too close—Hyeokryeon Eung wielding the Martial Arts of the Flame Emperor and Blood Emperor,
While Bu Eun-seol poured out both Extreme Yang Force and Extreme Yin Force.
Their forms blurred within the swirling Qi Wave, and the ground within a roughly 100-yard radius began to split apart as if struck by an earthquake.
'There's no need to prolong this contest of strength.'
Bu Eun-seol instantly leaped into the air and thrust out his left hand.
Two streams of refined energy shot from his shoulders, piercing into Hyeokryeon Eung's arms.
He had activated the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
SCREECH—!
But when the Thirteenfold Qi Induction struck, a metallic grating noise erupted from Hyeokryeon Eung's body—as if steel were being torn apart.
"So you've trained in Orthodox Martial Arts."
Despite being struck by the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, not a single wound appeared on Hyeokryeon Eung's body.
Clank. Clank.
At the same time, his skin began to change color.
His entire body took on a metallic sheen, as if his flesh had transformed into metal.
Seeing this, Bu Eun-seol realized something.
"So this is why you've been creating Demon-Binding Jade Men."
Hyeokryeon Eung's body had become so durable that even the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, capable of slicing through iron, could not leave a mark.
Not only that—from both arms, the Martial Arts of the Blood Emperor and Flame Emperor continued to pour forth.
Physical reconstruction and Martial Arts infusion.
The very abilities seen in the Demon-Binding Jade Men were now being reproduced—
Not in a Soulless One, but in Hyeokryeon Eung's perfectly intact body.
In other words—the Three Realms had been researching how to implant both an indestructible physique and multiple Martial Arts into a single human body.
Just like the Demon-Binding Jade Men.