Chapter 585
Yang Seol-rin, who had immediately followed the energy of the Heavenly Killing Star to Yangju, wore a hollow expression.
"So it wasn't the Earthly Killing Star's energy after all."
The person she had been relentlessly pursuing, believing it to be the Earthly Killing Star's energy, had turned out to be entirely the wrong target.
Under the influence of a massive dose of the Demon Spirit Pill—which induces Slaughter Frenzy—they had massacred countless innocent civilians all at once.
"No matter how much of the Demon Spirit Pill they consumed or how large the scale of the slaughter, there's no way they could have emitted the Earthly Killing Star's energy."
Yang Seol-rin shook her head.
Mimicking the Earthly Killing Star wouldn't produce its actual energy.
Which meant—
Though the exact reason remained unclear, there existed some secret method that allowed one to perfectly imitate the Earthly Killing Star's energy.
"A technique to deliberately distort the will of heaven..."
Yang Seol-rin's eyes narrowed to slits.
From childhood, the Yang Family trained its members ceaselessly to read the will of heaven.
And only those capable of discerning heavenly intent were permitted to step into the martial world.
Yet she had never heard of any method that could deliberately falsify or conceal one's internal energy.
If such a technique truly existed, wouldn't it render everything she had learned utterly meaningless?
'Nothing to be done about it now.'
Having ultimately come up empty-handed, Yang Seol-rin was about to reactivate her information network to resume tracking the Earthly Killing Star when shocking news reached her.
The Killing Ghost that had crossed over from Qinghai wasn't in Lanzhou—but in Sichuan.
And the Martial Alliance's elite units, the Pinnacle Unit and the Heavenly Severance Unit, had reportedly exterminated him.
"Impossible."
Yang Seol-rin shook her head again.
The Earthly Killing Star possessed an otherworldly power that could never be extinguished through martial arts alone.
She needed to verify whether it was truly the Earthly Killing Star who had died—to see the severed head with her own eyes.
Otherwise, she couldn't consider her mission complete.
Whoosh—
She immediately unleashed her movement technique.
Unlike conventional movement techniques of the martial world, she didn't kick off the ground to sprint. Instead, she hovered about three feet above the earth, shooting forward like an arrow.
Swoosh—
Running tirelessly day and night, she eventually spotted a vast field below with a refreshing stream flowing beside it.
"Perhaps a brief rest."
Halting her movement technique, she settled for a moment in a small hut built at the edge of the field.
Gazing up at the blue sky, Yang Seol-rin shook her head once more.
"Surely that day hasn't come already."
Her expression darkened.
It was said that when the Heavenly Darkness Star appeared, the skies would be shrouded in chaos, rendering the will of heaven unreadable.
And when all One Hundred and Eight Stars manifested in the world... it would ultimately lead to the Final Extinction.
"I'm uneasy."
Unlike when she had left the Yang Family, the will of heaven was now shifting rapidly.
Clearly, some calamity had occurred somewhere.
"Just what could be the reason...?"
The shadows in her eyes deepened.
There were still many factions in the martial world that remained hidden.
And if they were to emerge all at once... it would be no different from the coming of the world's end.
Because they would never acknowledge each other's existence. Rather than coexist, they would choose mutual destruction.
KABOOM!
Just then, a thunderous explosion echoed from the distant sky, and a bolt of lightning—Lightning Flash—split the air before landing beside Yang Seol-rin.
Clad in an embroidered black martial uniform with an ordinary sword at his waist—
It was Bu Eun-seol.
"Oh? What brings you here?"
Yang Seol-rin smiled warmly at Bu Eun-seol.
"Did you come because you missed me?"
"Your tracks have been exposed."
"What?"
"The information network operated by the Martial Alliance's upper echelons is targeting you. You need to leave this place immediately."
Bu Eun-seol had asked Yang Seol-rin many things before, and she had answered him with all sincerity.
In return, she had requested he increase the number of favors owed—but all he had provided was access to intelligence networks and troops.
The imbalance had weighed on her mind ever since.
Just as she was about to return to the Demon Hall, having heard that matters with the Red Sky Curtain Branch were fully resolved—
She received word that someone among the Martial Alliance's high command had mobilized the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall and covert operatives to track her movements.
Sensing imminent danger, Bu Eun-seol had tried to warn her through the Evil Soul Squad's network.
But having lost track of the Earthly Killing Star, Yang Seol-rin had strayed from the squad's intelligence web, acting independently—making it impossible to relay the message.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to personally track her down to deliver the news.
"The Martial Alliance is pursuing me?"
"Correct."
"What does it matter? I've never even clashed with them."
"That's simply how the Martial Alliance operates."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with utmost gravity.
"If someone among their leadership has secretly dispatched pursuers, the situation is anything but friendly."
When Bu Eun-seol himself had returned from the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, the Martial Alliance's intelligence apparatus had moved to track him.
And in truth, they had been an assassination squad.
Had Noe Bi-hon not arrived at that very moment... Bu Eun-seol would have been forced to abandon his identity as Seon-u Jin long ago.
"My, the Heir of the Demon Hall knows the inner workings of the Martial Alliance's organization quite well, doesn't he?"
Yang Seol-rin shot him a sharp glance, and Bu Eun-seol changed the subject.
"Regardless, it would be wise to avoid them."
"I appreciate the concern, but no thanks. I'd rather see what they're up to first."
Bu Eun-seol felt drained.
Even mobilizing the entire intelligence network of the Evil Soul Squad wasn't enough to keep her out of danger.
He had worn down his iron shoes searching tirelessly before finally finding her.
And yet, Yang Seol-rin treated the Martial Alliance's pursuit as casually as if the Black Room Syndicate had dropped by for a friendly visit.
"Fine. Do as you please."
Just as Bu Eun-seol turned to leave, he made an “Ah” sound.
"There's one thing I want to ask you."
"Something you want to ask?"
Yang Seol-rin suppressed a laugh.
"Do questions just pop into your head whenever you see me? Why is it always questions? You haven't even done anything for me."
"And that's exactly why I came looking for you in person. To repay the debt."
"...Alright. What is it?"
"The Earthly Killing Star said that the Yang Seol family captures members of the One Hundred and Eight Stars and conducts experiments on them."
"Experiments?"
"Yes. Is it true?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke with utmost gravity.
"Spare me the talk of protecting the Murim or whatever. I'm only interested in whether it's true or not."
"What's this? You've got ties to the Martial Alliance now?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Yang Seol-rin's eyes gleamed.
"First, you go on about the Martial Alliance's inner workings, and now this... Rumor has it that the Earthly Killing Star was killed by a disciple of the Buddhist Venerable. You're talking as if you saw it yourself."
'Did I underestimate her too much?'
Until now, Yang Seol-rin had only shown unpredictable behavior.
She hadn't seemed particularly sharp or observant. But now, it appeared she had been deliberately hiding those traits.
"Isn't it only natural?"
Bu Eun-seol answered calmly, unfazed.
"From my position, I must always keep a close eye on the Martial Alliance's movements. Even the High Command of the main house has secret ears within the Alliance."
"Ah, sure, sure."
Yang Seol-rin waved her hand dismissively, showing no intention of answering.
Bu Eun-seol pressed on relentlessly.
"Answer me. Is it true?"
"Are you insane?"
Yang Seol-rin scratched the scar on her neck as she spoke.
"How the hell would we capture all the One Hundred and Eight Stars? And what kind of experiments are you even talking about?"
Her gaze was direct and unwavering.
Bu Eun-seol, who had reached the Grand Perfection of the Way of the Beast, had an exceptionally sharp instinct.
'She doesn't seem to be lying.'
It didn't make sense.
Of course, just because the Earthly Killing Star lied didn't mean Yang Seol-rin was telling the truth.
But if neither of them was lying...
'She's still young. It's possible she genuinely doesn't know the inner workings of the Yang Seol family.'
"Fine."
Having sorted his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"Then tell me the location of the Yang Seol family."
"Why?"
"Wouldn't I need to see for myself to confirm the truth?"
"Hahaha."
Yang Seol-rin let out a hollow laugh.
"Are you seriously trying to play Supreme Martial Lord in front of me right now? You expect me to break the family rules that have been strictly upheld for centuries?"
Her temper flared as she spoke.
"Is this how you repay a debt? By doing a few things for me?"
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Yang Seol-rin's expression turned icy.
"Give it up. If you could track my movements and find the main house, its location would've been exposed long ago."
"..."
"I'm just not bothering to hide my tracks right now."
"You're doing a fine job saying exactly what I wanted to hear."
"What?"
"If I capture you, wouldn't it be easier to find the Yang Seol family's headquarters?"
For a moment, her eyes flickered as if she had realized something.
"Don't tell me the Martial Alliance is after me to find the main house?"
"Most likely. Otherwise, why would they mobilize such an extensive intelligence network?"
Bu Eun-seol crossed his arms.
"If a figure from the legendary Yang Seol family suddenly appeared, even I would've sent the main house's masters to capture them."
"No way."
Yang Seol-rin shook her head, refusing to acknowledge the ominous premonition.
"Why would they do that?"
"The Martial Alliance is—"
Just as Bu Eun-seol opened his mouth to answer—
Goooooo.
Suddenly, it felt as if all the air in the world was being sucked into the sky, and time, which had been flowing swiftly, now crawled at an excruciatingly slow pace.
At the same time, every hair on Bu Eun-seol's body stood on end.
Intuition. He sensed it—an overwhelmingly powerful enemy had arrived.
'I need to retreat. Now.'
Just as Bu Eun-seol turned to Yang Seol-rin to speak—
"One more prey to capture, I see."
A faint yet eerily clear voice echoed in his ears, sending a chill down his spine.
He hadn't detected their presence—only sensed them through sheer instinct.
The distance must have been at least nine hundred meters.
Yet in the blink of an eye, someone had concealed their presence and closed the gap so effortlessly?
Bu Eun-seol turned his body with a tense expression.
And there, standing tall near the hill, was a shadow.
Baekri Mu-jo!
Bu Eun-seol's heart pounded as if it would burst.
The one who had masked his presence and appeared so abruptly—
—was none other than the leader of the Star Guard Corps, Baekri Mu-jo.
"Since our paths diverge, there's no need for pleasantries."
Baekri Mu-jo glanced alternately between Bu Eun-seol and Yang Seol-rin before nodding in understanding.
"Ah, so you're accomplices. Well, that's hardly surprising."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists.
Though his tone was leisurely, a pure white energy had already begun surging violently from Baekri Mu-jo's body.
There was no need for further words—it was clear he had resolved to subdue both of them.
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Baekri Mu-jo was renowned for his majestic swordplay, so much so that he bore the epithet "Sacred Sword."
But the aura he exuded now was terrifying, steeped in such overwhelming killing intent that it reminded Bu Eun-seol of Ak Mu-ryeong.
And this isn't even his true form.
Bu Eun-seol could sense that Baekri Mu-jo concealed countless facets of himself—
—and that his potential and martial prowess were boundless.
There's no avoiding this battle.
"Go."
Bu Eun-seol whispered softly to Yang Seol-rin as he drew Ink Soul Sword.
"I'll hold him off."
It wasn't out of affection for her.
If she died by Baekri Mu-jo's hand, all leads to tracking down the Yang Family would vanish forever.
He was staking his life to let her escape.
"Fine."
Yang Seol-rin nodded, having read his intentions.
She, too, could feel it—
—that Baekri Mu-jo was an overwhelming force, and that Bu Eun-seol was prepared to die here.
"Consider this debt settled between us."
Whoosh!
She immediately launched herself into motion.
Bzzzt—!
But then, something strange happened.
The moment she activated her movement technique to flee, a surge of white energy erupted around her, sealing off a radius of roughly two hundred meters.
"Tch."
She tried to force her way through, but the barrier was as unyielding as forged steel.
Whoosh!
Spinning midair, she unleashed her internal power downward, blasting a massive crater into the ground.
She intended to bypass the barrier using the Earth Escape Art.
Thud!
But the moment she dove into the hole, she was forced back to the surface.
Not only was the space above sealed—even the earth beneath was completely blocked.
"If I can't go through, I'll just break it."
Yang Seol-rin stretched out her hand.
A torrent of power, vast as Mount Tai, surged forth to tear through the formation—or at least, it should have.
Yet despite unleashing enough force to rend iron, the white energy barrier remained intact.
"The Firm White Star Guard Formation?"
The Sword Formations of the orthodox factions were designed to encircle and suppress enemies, either by combining the internal power of the martial artists maintaining the formation—
—or by cutting off escape routes through strategic positioning.
But for such formations to work effectively, the martial artists involved needed to be of comparable strength.
The Seven Great Battle Corps, however, employed unique formations that defied this limitation.
In particular, the Star Guard Corps' Firm White Star Guard Formation wasn't meant to attack or defeat enemies—
—but solely to trap them inside.
Because within the formation stood Baekri Mu-jo.
Since he could handle any foe, they had crafted a formation tailored exclusively for him.
"Damn it."
As Yang Seol-rin bit her lip—
Shiiing!
Baekri Mu-jo drew his sword.
Instantly, the air within the formation evaporated, replaced by a suffocating tension that made breathing impossible.
"If you can't break it, then just stay back."
If she recklessly tried to shatter the formation now, Baekri Mu-jo's blade would sever her neck in an instant.
Clang.
Bu Eun-seol stepped forward, raising Ink Soul Sword.
"And don't you dare interfere in this fight."
"Relax. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."
Bu Eun-seol and Baekri Mu-jo had already become like twin blades, their sharpened auras clashing violently, their energy reaching to the heavens.
If Yang Seol-rin carelessly stepped into this battle within the formation's sealed space?
Before she could even react, that terrifying energy would rain catastrophe upon her.
"Hmm."
Baekri Mu-jo, observing Bu Eun-seol, allowed a faint smile to surface.
It was nothing more than the slightest upturn of his lips—no other movement.
Yet suddenly, a mountainous wave of sword qi crashed down upon Bu Eun-seol like a thunderbolt.
BOOM!
Instinctively raising Ink Soul Sword to block, the shockwave of true qi exploded outward like a storm.
Crackle.
At the same moment, the Thunder Essence Divine Qi within Bu Eun-seol's body activated on its own.
It wasn't because his Internal Power had been overwhelmed.
Rather, when the mysterious force from Baekri Mu-jo's sword extended and pierced through his meridians, the Thunder Essence Divine Qi inside him instinctively reacted.
"So, you've trained in a mental cultivation method imbued with the energy of wind and thunder."
Fortunately, the Thunder Essence Divine Qi hadn't fully activated yet.
Baekri Mu-jo simply assumed Bu Eun-seol had mastered an Internal Energy Method infused with storm-like power—something common enough in the Demonic Path.
'Good.'
Through countless battles, Bu Eun-seol had learned one thing: the Two Spirit Energies within him were his final trump card.
If he couldn't kill Baekri Mu-jo and all his subordinates here, he had to conceal their power at all costs.
"Then, try receiving this."
Shiiing!
With a light push, Baekri Mu-jo disengaged their locked blades and swung his sword in a fluid motion.
BOOM! CRACK!
Though his movements were graceful, the might contained within his blade was enough to split the heavens and sunder the earth.
The two clashed at a distance so close their noses nearly touched, their swords ringing in a relentless exchange.
KWAANG!
Another collision of steel sent shockwaves of Internal Energy rippling outward, as if the world itself were being torn apart.
Baekri Mu-jo's strikes carried the weight of a mountain, layered with an unfathomable, compounding force.
Each clash sent shockwaves hundreds of feet outward, stirring a storm that threatened to sweep everything away.
'He's strong.'
Cold sweat trickled down Bu Eun-seol's spine.
Never before had he been forced to wield his Internal Power at full strength in battle.
Yet Baekri Mu-jo's sword grew heavier with every exchange, the layered force behind it surging like a tidal wave.
Whoosh—
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol was already channeling 80% of his Internal Power.
At this rate, he would soon have to push it to 120%.
But Baekri Mu-jo, who seemed to be using only 30-40%, maintained an expression of utter tranquility.
'Is his Internal Power level simply beyond mine?'
Just as Bu Eun-seol prepared to double his output in the face of this incomprehensible disparity—
Sschiik!
Baekri Mu-jo's treasured sword slipped past his guard and grazed his cheek.
As he glimpsed the radiant white blade, realization struck him.
'So that's it.'
From the moment Baekri Mu-jo appeared, the Firm White Star Guard Formation had been deployed across the battlefield.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had only sensed Baekri Mu-jo's presence—none of his subordinates.
Meaning, Baekri Mu-jo hadn't led his unit here to jointly activate the formation.
He had come alone and single-handedly manifested a formation identical to the Firm White Star Guard Formation.
'He must have rushed ahead of his unit to capture Yang Seol-rin.'
Bu Eun-seol's gaze flickered toward the treasured sword in Baekri Mu-jo's hand.
'Then that sword must be akin to a Dharma Instrument.'
The martial world was home to countless Dharma Instruments, each imbued with unique abilities.
Undoubtedly, Baekri Mu-jo's white blade housed the power to manifest formations.
Slash! Slash!
In that split second, Baekri Mu-jo's sword pierced through Bu Eun-seol's defenses.
BAM!
Though Bu Eun-seol blocked with the Ink Soul Sword, the impact sent him skidding back about nine meters.
Baekri Mu-jo's expression remained composed, but the power behind his strikes intensified further—as if he were a monster whose strength grew without limit.
'No—this is perfect.'
Bu Eun-seol gritted his teeth and greatly roused his strength.
His plan was simple: shatter the white treasured sword, destroy the formation, and free Yang Seol-rin.
KWA-BOOM!
Mountain-like slashes rained down in rapid succession, yet not a single direct clash of blades occurred.
A strange force emanated from Baekri Mu-jo's sword, evading direct contact every time.
'The absence of the Two Spirit Energies is more crippling than I thought.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
Lately, he had grown too reliant on them in battle.
Whether it was spells, formations, or martial techniques—when paired with Water Essence Divine Qi and Thunder Essence Divine Qi, any martial art could be shattered effortlessly.
But now, facing an opponent like Baekri Mu-jo while sealing those powers, even his martial prowess felt diminished.
'When did I start depending on such external forces?'
He had trained relentlessly, staking his life to ensure he would never lose to anyone.
He had even suppressed the manifestation of Limitless Equal Enlightenment to avoid walking the same path as others.
'I will not lose.'
Had he been an ordinary man, he would have unleashed the overwhelming power within him without hesitation.
But Bu Eun-seol was different.
He distrusted convenience.
He refused to follow the paths of others.
He pursued the Martial Way at its most extreme.
And above all—he would not be enslaved by power.
Though these choices would one day reshape not only his fate but the very balance of the martial world...
For now, he remained unaware.
'I'll win this with martial arts alone.'
As he roared inwardly—
Crack.
Something hard shattered.
Zzzzt—
A golden surge of energy flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
When he summoned the culmination of all the martial arts he had mastered, his gaze became eerily similar to that of the Human Demon Ak Mu-ryeong—the strongest of the Three Demons.