Chapter 548
Hyeokryeon Eung unleashed a barrage of palm strikes like a raging storm.
Bu Eun-seol countered by rapidly deploying the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, striking Hyeokryeon Eung's body repeatedly—
Yet his body remained utterly unmoved, as if forged from Vajra Indestructibility.
"Die!"
Not only that, Hyeokryeon Eung's palm energy contained a flawless fusion of the Flame Emperor and Blood Emperor's martial arts.
Because of this, not only did it neutralize the fist energy of Bu Eun-seol's Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, but it even canceled out his superiority in internal energy.
'I can't use the Two Spirit Energies.'
Earlier, when Bu Eun-seol had unleashed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, he had deliberately refrained from combining his Water Essence Divine Qi and Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
It was to gauge just how formidable the martial prowess of Hyeokryeon Eung—a high-ranking Special Divine Rank member of the Three Realms—truly was.
"Pathetic composure."
Hyeokryeon Eung bared a murderous grin, as if seeing through Bu Eun-seol's thoughts.
"Do you really think you can survive here?"
Suddenly, he shifted tactics and began charging forward recklessly.
Bu Eun-seol remained unshaken, rapidly striking with the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—
But Hyeokryeon Eung's body, reinforced by a technique akin to the Vajra Indestructible Body Art, remained unscathed, suffering no damage whatsoever.
"Before we fight, tell me why you changed your mind."
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Hyeokryeon Eung replied coldly:
"There's nothing to know. You just need to die."
His voice and gaze were resolute, making it clear that no words would sway him.
'Suppression... is impossible.'
Hyeokryeon Eung was a master who had honed the Mind Seizing Secret Art to perfection, a veteran of Practical Combat Martial Arts who had roamed the murim for decades under the epithet Golden Arm Blood Eye.
On top of that, he was now simultaneously wielding two martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—
While cloaking his body in an external martial art rivaling Shaolin's Vajra Indestructible Body Art.
This wasn't a fight where Bu Eun-seol could hold back.
If he carelessly attempted suppression, he would only invite a devastating counterattack.
'No choice.'
Shring!
Drawing Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol immediately unleashed the Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form.
For an instant, time itself seemed to freeze—
And Ink Soul Sword, seizing an opening, slashed upward across Hyeokryeon Eung's body.
Ssskree!
Yet Hyeokryeon Eung's body remained unharmed—instead, Ink Soul Sword's blade glowed red-hot.
Could it be that his flesh was even harder than Ink Soul Sword, a Black Divine Artifact?
'No... he's adapted the Flame Emperor's martial arts.'
Astonishingly, Hyeokryeon Eung had merged the Flame Emperor's Qi—which could evaporate anything—into his external martial art, cloaking his body with it.
In other words, his Vajra-like physique—
Was first erasing most external forces with the Flame Emperor's Qi, allowing him to withstand even the Meteor Chasing Moon Form.
This was an attempt that defied martial logic, showcasing just how advanced the Infinite Realm's martial arts truly were.
'This is absurd.'
Even without infusing the Two Spirit Energies, how could a human body possibly be this durable?
The external martial art Hyeokryeon Eung had wrapped around himself—
Like the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—transcended the boundaries of conventional martial mastery.
Skree! Skree!
Bu Eun-seol rapidly unleashed the Formless Heavenly Flow, yet it failed to pierce Hyeokryeon Eung's external martial art, fused with the Flame Emperor's Qi.
Shwaak!
This time, he deployed the Willful True Binding—but even that was instantly annihilated by the Flame Emperor's Qi.
"Nothing you do will work!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Hyeokryeon Eung rendered every one of Bu Eun-seol's attacks futile—
Protecting only his eyes as he relentlessly hammered Bu Eun-seol with the Tyrant Emperor Golden-Wall Fist.
As he charged forward like an enraged bull, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to retreat step by step.
The problem was—this cave wasn't very spacious.
CRASH!
Finally, a single fist struck Bu Eun-seol's shoulder, sending him stumbling back once more.
It was as if, trapped in this narrow, confined space—
An indestructible monster was bearing down on him, no matter how much he fought back.
"Even if you could fly, you wouldn't escape my grasp."
Hyeokryeon Eung wore a self-assured smirk.
With a Vajra-like body blocking the cave entrance and the martial arts of the Flame and Blood Emperors cloaking him—
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to face death, with nowhere left to run.
Sss... Sss...
With every step he took, the ground melted, leaving thick footprints behind.
Hyeokryeon Eung, his skin gleaming like polished metal, advanced like an unknown entity heralding calamity.
CLANG!
Even when Ink Soul Sword struck, all that echoed was a dull metallic sound.
From his left hand poured the Flame Emperor's ultimate technique, rivaling the Hot River Great Essence True Qi—
From his right, the Blood Emperor's ultimate technique, capable of evaporating blood itself.
An indestructible body, paired with the supreme arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—capable of melting and obliterating anything.
Within this narrow, confined cave—Hyeokryeon Eung had become a truly invincible existence.
"Are you ready to die now?"
"An excellent strategy."
"I've learned something valuable today."
Indeed, the realm of martial arts was not absolute.
Hyeokryeon Eung, who had been confident of total victory, was now wielding two of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars' martial arts—combining them with external martial arts to unleash a unique and overwhelming power.
Even with its immense strength and influence, the Infinite Realm had never ceased its relentless attempts to transcend the very boundaries of martial mastery.
Bu Eun-seol muttered bitterly, his expression grim.
"In the end, it was I who remained shackled by the principles of martial arts."
"Hmph. You grew arrogant, thinking you could master every martial art under heaven."
Hyeokryeon Eung let out a savage laugh.
"But our sect has long been researching methods to shatter the limits of martial prowess."
"One last question."
Bu Eun-seol pressed earnestly.
"Why have you suddenly changed your mind and decided to kill me?"
Because now, he truly had to kill Hyeokryeon Eung.
And before that, he wanted an answer.
"Hahaha."
As if seeing through his thoughts, Hyeokryeon Eung smirked, his smile hollow.
"You still believe you can defeat me."
"Frankly, yes."
Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
"I may not be confident in subduing you, but I am confident in killing you. So answer me now."
"Hahahaha!"
Hyeokryeon Eung roared with laughter.
"Fine. If you can kill me, I'll tell you why I'm trying to kill you."
"Good."
Crackle—
Once again, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
"Nothing new."
Hyeokryeon Eung snorted, blocking it effortlessly with the Flame Emperor's Qi.
"...?"
But something felt off.
This wasn't just a wave of freezing cold—it was as if ice-clad hands were seizing and sealing his meridians.
Bu Eun-seol had fused the Glacier Thousand Streams Art with Water Essence Divine Qi.
Hiss—
In an instant, the Flame Emperor's Qi gathered in Hyeokryeon Eung's palm vanished.
"You—!"
Shocked, Hyeokryeon Eung immediately retaliated with the Blood Emperor's Qi.
Crackle—WHOOSH!
But this time, Bu Eun-seol countered with the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, infused with Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
The Blood Emperor's Qi melted away like snow under fire.
And beyond the flames—
A surge of Thunderbolt Qi, capable of incinerating the world itself, was now piercing through his bloodline.
"How?!"
Hyeokryeon Eung's eyes flashed.
This was the same Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang Martial Arts as before—so how could it nullify both the Flame Emperor Qi and Blood Emperor Qi?!
"Impossible!"
Shaking his head in disbelief, Hyeokryeon Eung bellowed and unleashed the Tyrant Emperor Golden-Wall Fist at full power.
Even if his Flame Emperor and Blood Emperor techniques were useless against Bu Eun-seol's strange energy—
His body, tempered by Horizontal Training Martial Arts, remained unbreakable.
"Show me that bizarre power again!"
With a body as indestructible as Vajra, he charged at Bu Eun-seol once more.
WHOOSH—
But Bu Eun-seol's left fist was already wreathed in a crimson storm.
He had drawn upon the Heavenly Hand Empty Wave—the most devastating of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
Crackle—
A blue light surged alongside the storm, forming a gauntlet studded with razor-sharp spikes.
The Heavenly Hand Empty Wave now carried Water Essence Divine Qi—and was further reinforced by the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
BOOM!
A single punch sent Hyeokryeon Eung flying 30 feet backward.
Struck by this fusion of forces, his entire body was drenched as if dragged from an icy river, pale frost rising from his skin.
"Don't mock me!"
Yet Hyeokryeon Eung ignored the damage and forced his fist energy outward again.
CRACKLE—
But this time, Bu Eun-seol's right hand was clenched around a violet fireball.
The Forgetting Self and Shattering Together technique—imbued with Thunder Essence Divine Qi and the Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
KABOOM!
Hyeokryeon Eung was blasted back another 30 feet.
"Guh—!"
Stagger—
He let out an agonized groan, struggling to rise.
'...Was I wrong?'
His pupils were unfocused.
He had believed that by infusing his body with martial arts beyond the limits of the martial arts realm, Bu Eun-seol would be nothing more than an easy kill.
Even luring him into the Stone Mountain's cave under the pretense of a trial—
Had been part of his plan to trap and execute Bu Eun-seol if the "divine trial" went awry.
But the outcome was the opposite.
Bu Eun-seol's martial arts had also surpassed reason—layered with an unfathomable energy that effortlessly dismantled everything Hyeokryeon Eung had mastered.
"You'll die soon. Answer me."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Hyeokryeon Eung's eyes burned with malice as he snarled—
"Hmph! A mere disciple of Langya Pavilion dares claim victory after gaining a slight advantage?!"
Hyeokryeon Eung was also a Master of Practical Combat Martial Arts, having weathered countless life-and-death battles.
Just because his martial arts had been broken did not mean he was defeated. Even in crisis, he was prepared to exploit his enemy's opening and deliver a decisive strike.
"Hahp!"
Hyeokryeon Eung unleashed the Tyrant Emperor Golden-Wall Fist once more.
The once-mysterious fist technique had now transformed into a ruthless, battle-hardened form, steeped in the instinct for slaughter.
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol countered with successive strikes of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, clashing against Hyeokryeon Eung's technique.
BOOM!
After around forty exchanges, Hyeokryeon Eung's body was sent flying in a straight line, crashing outside the cave.
Thud. Thud.
As Bu Eun-seol stepped out, Hyeokryeon Eung was struggling to rise.
The power of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang, combined with the force of the Two Spirit Energies infused into the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, had shattered Hyeokryeon Eung's Horizontal Training Martial Arts—which had been said to withstand any force.
"Guh—!"
His body, battered by dozens of blows capable of splitting Mount Tai, was broken. His eyes had lost focus.
Yet, the instinct of a martial artist remained unbroken.
"Come at me again."
Though his eyes were unfocused and his mouth filled with blood, Hyeokryeon Eung glared at Bu Eun-seol, still poised to attack.
"...So you haven't forgotten your Warrior Spirit."
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned solemn.
Even as an enemy—
Hyeokryeon Eung was a Master of Practical Combat Martial Arts, a man who had survived countless battles throughout his life.
Even on the brink of death, he readied himself for a final counterattack.
For such a man, only a fitting end would suffice.
Whoooosh—
Bu Eun-seol began gathering every ounce of his power at once.
His body trembled violently as conflicting forces clashed within him.
Whoooosh—
Then, the Prajna Great Power manifested.
The chaotic energies aligned into a single force, and a radiant, multicolored light bloomed.
Harmonization.
Bu Eun-seol prepared to unleash his final Secret Art—the Heavenly Outer Absolute Art, which he could not yet use in actual combat—upon Hyeokryeon Eung.
Though they were now mortal enemies, Hyeokryeon Eung had once saved him. He had been a Grandmaster of the Demonic Path.
Crack.
But then—something astonishing happened.
Hyeokryeon Eung, who had been standing with his head bowed and eyes unfocused—
Darted forward like lightning, appearing right before Bu Eun-seol.
Crunch.
A momentary lapse in vigilance led to an unforeseen outcome.
In an instant, Hyeokryeon Eung's thick hand clamped around Bu Eun-seol's throat.
"Finally caught you! Hahaha!"
Hyeokryeon Eung burst into mad laughter, filled with triumph.
Among the Masters of Murim, there were those who could unleash a decisive strike even at death's door—
Or temporarily restore their bodies using the Heaven-Restoring Great Method.
And Hyeokryeon Eung had mastered the Black Jade Secret Technique—a method within the Heaven-Restoring Great Method that explosively unleashed all latent power and vitality in an instant.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
With all his strength, Hyeokryeon Eung twisted Bu Eun-seol's throat, his face contorted in ecstasy.
"No matter how strong you are, you can't bridge the gap in experience."
His face was now veined with black blood vessels, the result of the Black Jade Secret Technique igniting his latent power and life force.
"A pity. Had you joined the Main Realm, our Grand Endeavor would have been realized sooner."
CRACK!
Even then, Bu Eun-seol struck back with a single fist.
But with his throat restrained, his Internal Power couldn't flow properly.
And above all—Hyeokryeon Eung's body, now fueled by his latent power, had become even harder than before.
"Let me tell you why you must die."
Crunch. Crunch.
Hyeokryeon Eung, gripping Bu Eun-seol's neck with both hands, curled his lips into a grin.
And then—he uttered the most shocking words.
"You are Baekri Mu-ha's child."
"...!"
"That is why you must die."
A venomous aura flickered in Hyeokryeon Eung's eyes—and in the next instant, he snapped Bu Eun-seol's neck.
Snap.
But the neck did not break.
Instead, Bu Eun-seol's eyes blazed as he looked down at Hyeokryeon Eung.
"I am... Baekri Mu-ha's child?"
Bu Eun-seol had already guessed that even if Hyeokryeon Eung lost, he would never reveal the reason.
He also suspected that Hyeokryeon Eung had a final trump card.
Moreover, the man had once shamelessly lied, claiming that the Illusion King Sa Ok-cheong was his disciple.
Even if he gave a reason now—there was a chance it wasn't the truth.
But if he were truly on the verge of death—
Wouldn't he reveal the truth then?
That was the gamble Bu Eun-seol had taken.
So he deliberately pushed Hyeokryeon Eung to the brink, forcing him to resort to his final means.
He deliberately gathered his Internal Power, luring him into a counterattack.
And Hyeokryeon Eung—had swallowed the bait without hesitation.
"Answer me, Hyeokryeon Eung."
Bu Eun-seol's pupils burned like embers, his voice frozen like a glacier.
"On what basis do you claim I am Baekri Mu-ha's child?"
"You... terrifying bastard."
Hyeokryeon Eung gritted his teeth as he realized this had all been a trap.
Looking back, what made Bu Eun-seol truly fearsome wasn't his extraordinary martial arts—
—but the mind that predicted and dominated every situation.
"Do you want to hear the answer?"
Snap.
A faint glow began to seep from Hyeokryeon Eung's body as he wrapped his arms around Bu Eun-seol's waist.
"But you'll die with me."
His body, having drawn out all latent potential through the Black Jade Essential Formula, had surpassed even the Vajra Indestructible Body—
—reaching the legendary level of Heavenly Dipper Body.
Though it would cost him his life within a quarter hour,
it was more than enough time to unleash the Dragon-Subduing Soul-Expelling Blast.
"Don't mistake this for an ordinary Dragon-Subduing Soul-Expelling Blast."
Hyeokryeon Eung, his entire body gleaming with a sinister black sheen, let out a ghastly laugh.
"It's more than enough to drag you down to hell."
Crackle—WHOOSH!
The moment Bu Eun-seol realized Hyeokryeon Eung intended to self-detonate in a mutual destruction gambit,
he unleashed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and Great Stillness Heat River True Qi in rapid succession.
But his attacks didn't destroy the body—
—instead, the torrents of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang forces were absorbed into it.
"Heh heh heh. Strike harder. The more power you pour in, the stronger the Demon-Mixing Explosive Dragon becomes."
Thump. Thump.
Before he knew it, Hyeokryeon Eung's body began to swell like a balloon, his eyeballs bulging as if about to burst.
If a body as hard as diamond detonated using the Demon-Mixing Explosive Dragon technique—
—the resulting shards would tear through Bu Eun-seol like shrapnel.
There would be no room for luck.
"You'll vanish without a trace, just like your father, Bu Eun-seol!"
The instant Hyeokryeon Eung let out a thunderous roar—
WHOOSH.
Flames ignited in Bu Eun-seol's pupils, and a translucent light began to rise from his entire body.
—You'll vanish without a trace, just like your father!
The moment he heard those words, Bu Eun-seol's reason shattered.
Simultaneously, he detonated all of his power—
—the combined forces of the Orthodox Unorthodox Demonic and Buddhist Arts and the Two Spirit Energies.
WHOOSH!
A light so bright it bleached the world white blinded Bu Eun-seol momentarily.
When his vision returned, he found himself staring at a shadow crouching in a black void.
It was Bu Eun-seol himself.
[Why did you call me?]
The other Bu Eun-seol, still hunched over, smirked coldly at the standing one.
[You buried me in the dark and forgot about me until now.]
Bu Eun-seol didn't answer.
He just wanted to erase everything.
All of it.
Every last trace.
That was all he could think.
[That's the easiest thing in the world.]
The crouching Bu Eun-seol grinned eerily, as if reading his mind.
At the same time, a mysterious radiance began to spread from Bu Eun-seol's body—
—a brilliance of power so overwhelming it dwarfed even the Power of Harmony he had unleashed earlier.
Whoosh!
Just as the light surging from his body intensified—
SPLATTER!
His skin suddenly split apart, blood misting out like fog.
Thud.
As Bu Eun-seol collapsed limply, the other him laughed.
[You're not ready to find me yet, are you?]
The crouching Bu Eun-seol approached, baring white teeth in a mocking grin.
[You don't even know who you are. What power you hold... What a fitting end for a fool like you.]
Shut up.
Bu Eun-seol forced himself back up.
Then, slowly, he reached out.
To erase even that chattering version of himself first.
WHOOSH!
The moment he summoned the Power of Harmony again, the crouching figure vanished.
His consciousness snapped back to reality—
—just in time to see Hyeokryeon Eung's body, swollen like a balloon.
BOOM!
An explosion tore through the air as Hyeokryeon Eung's body shattered into thousands—
—no, tens of thousands of fragments.
It happened faster than the blink of an eye.
'This is bad.'
Bu Eun-seol thought grimly.
A diamond-hard body exploding like that would reduce the surroundings to scorched earth.
A crater roughly a hundred feet wide would form, flattening everything within a thousand feet.
That was the kind of technique someone of Hyeokryeon Eung's caliber would pride himself on.
—But...
Without realizing it, Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes and muttered under his breath.
—I just want to erase it all.
Zzzziiing.
At that moment, an endless darkness radiated from his body.
It was the Power of Harmony he had been channeling—
—but something else had mingled into it.
WHOOSH!
The darkness coiled around the exploding fragments of Hyeokryeon Eung's body—
—then spread outward, swallowing the world in black.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol opened his eyes again.
No trace remained.
Not a single sign that Hyeokryeon Eung had ever fought here.
Even the massive Stone Mountain that had stood before him was gone—
—as if it had never existed in the first place.
Every trace of what had happened here had been completely erased.