Chapter 587
Whoosh!
Bu Eun-seol, who had been pushed back by the clash of forces, was struck by Seo Muk's sword aura and sent flying over 300 feet away in an instant.
But that was precisely the opportunity he needed.
Deploying the Willful True Binding, he intercepted the sword aura with his bare body while simultaneously using the counterforce to escape the domain of Baekri Mu-jo's power.
Zzzzzzt!
As he soared hundreds of feet away, Bu Eun-seol twisted his body midair and immediately unleashed Ultimate Speed Shadowless.
Now that Seo Muk had arrived, the elite soldiers of the Star Guard Corps were surely nearby as well.
A direct confrontation with Baekri Mu-jo would have to wait.
"Hmph!"
At that moment, Baekri Mu-jo's derisive snort echoed through the air, and a surge of pure white energy cascaded toward Bu Eun-seol as he executed his movement technique.
Holy Sword.
At last, Baekri Mu-jo unleashed his Ultimate Art upon Bu Eun-seol, who was desperately evading.
It was a white hue of death—something that could neither be dodged nor blocked.
KWA-RUNG!
Just then, a violet thunder qi erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body, propelling him thousands of feet forward in an instant.
The moment the Holy Sword, a manifestation of despair itself, coiled around him, his instincts screamed of danger, and he instinctively activated Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
KWA-AAH!
Bu Eun-seol had become a streak of lightning itself, vanishing from the area in the blink of an eye.
"We will pursue him immediately."
"No need."
Click.
Baekri Mu-jo sheathed his rapier and shook his head.
"He is beyond the level where pursuit would be effective."
Seo Muk nodded in understanding.
Though not widely known in the martial world, Baekri Mu-jo was a terrifying master who had accumulated unfathomable martial achievements.
Not only had Bu Eun-seol engaged in an earth-shaking battle with such a leader, but he had also intercepted a sword aura with his bare body...
This was not an opponent the warriors of the Star Guard Corps could handle.
"Fascinating."
Baekri Mu-jo narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the spot where Bu Eun-seol had disappeared.
The power he had just witnessed...
He realized that its underlying principle bore an uncanny resemblance to the martial secret he himself had devised.
"He aligned multiple forces, you say?"
Creating a technique that aligned internal energies to amplify power was nothing new.
But the force Bu Eun-seol had displayed—its very essence was strikingly similar to his own creation, was it not?
"And familiar."
Though he had never met the man before.
Something about his gaze and aura felt oddly recognizable.
"Leader."
Seo Muk cautiously broke the silence.
"Was that man from the Yangseol Clan?"
He was certain.
If someone young enough could clash head-on with Baekri Mu-jo, they had to be one of the Yangseol Clan's agents the leader had been pursuing.
"No."
Baekri Mu-jo replied calmly.
"He is the Heir of the Demon Hall—the Martial Soul Lord."
Seo Muk's eyes widened.
"Him?!"
"Indeed. And he wasn't even fighting at full strength."
A faint smile played on Baekri Mu-jo's lips.
"Thanks to him, this has been a rather entertaining excursion into the martial world."
Seo Muk's mouth hung open.
The skill he had just witnessed surpassed even the highest echelons of the younger generation.
And he hadn't been going all out?
"A pity, but I suppose I'll have to hear her answer another time."
As Seo Muk's lips twitched, Baekri Mu-jo turned away indifferently.
"We return."
His gaze sharpened as he looked toward the distant sky.
There was no need for regret.
Once he became the alliance leader, he would uncover all truths. Every ounce of power concentrated within the Martial Alliance would fall into his grasp.
Yang Seol-rin bit her lip as she fled at full speed using her movement technique.
'Next time, I'm never coming out alone.'
Beyond her clan's rules, she had believed that with her abilities...
No matter who she faced, she could always escape unscathed.
But the current level of martial arts in the martial world far exceeded her imagination.
'The Martial Soul Lord.'
She had assumed he was just another successor groomed by the Demon Hall.
Yet his true strength was terrifying enough to make even past masters raise their hands in surrender.
'And Baekri Mu-jo.'
If Bu Eun-seol was a Hidden Dragon, then Baekri Mu-jo was akin to a Heavenly Dragon that had already swallowed a dragon pearl.
His martial prowess had reached such heights that she couldn't even begin to gauge its level.
That meant he had already forged his own unique martial lineage.
Individuals like him, who had transcended conventional martial stages, stood in absolute opposition to the Yangseol Clan's power.
'I need to reassess my analysis of the current martial world and its figures.'
Yang Seol-rin's heart pounded.
'At this rate, even the main house is in danger.'
The Yangseol Clan had prided itself on its martial arts' ability to destroy any force.
But if the martial world's level had reached this point, the rule of sending only one member into the martial world had to be abolished.
The martial world's political landscape and its key figures needed to be thoroughly re-examined.
But in truth, this was her misconception...
Bu Eun-seol and Baekri Mu-jo.
These two had long since transcended conventional martial realms, walking their own unique paths.
They had remained hidden, their true martial prowess never fully revealed.
Yet unaware of this fact...
Yang Seol-rin assumed that if the Demon Hall's heir and the leader were at such a level, then surely those of similar standing must be as well.
She had jumped to the terrifying conclusion all on her own.
Thud.
She halted her movement technique near a riverside.
At this distance, even if Baekri Mu-jo could fly through the skies, he wouldn't be able to find her.
"Haa..."
After taking a deep breath, she stared for a long while in the direction Bu Eun-seol had left.
"He'll be fine."
Yang Seol-rin's eyes grew misty.
Originally, she had not the slightest interest in matters of the heart. All she cared about was tracking down the One Hundred and Eight Stars that posed a threat to the world and eliminating them.
As long as she could prevent the Heavenly Darkness Star's rampage, that was enough.
'He tried to protect me.'
But no matter how cold-hearted a woman might be, witnessing a man risk his life to shield her would move anyone deeply.
And Yang Seol-rin was, after all, a maiden in the bloom of youth...
How could she not have her heart stolen by the sight of Bu Eun-seol standing unshaken before her, shielding her even in the face of a formidable foe?
'If anything happens to him...'
A pure white energy began radiating from Yang Seol-rin's eyes.
'I won't just wipe out Baekri Mu-jo—I'll raze the entire Martial Alliance to the ground.'
Just as she muttered these words under her breath and turned to leave—
CRACK!
The earth suddenly split open, and from within the fissure, a faint light seeped out.
"A battle formation?"
Yang Seol-rin immediately channeled her internal power, attempting to escape the formation's range.
But the light spilling from the cracks soon coalesced into towering monuments that seemed to scrape the heavens.
"Layered formations... An ancient formation."
Her eyes gleamed as she watched a hazy mist spread between the monuments arranged like a labyrinth.
"The Corpse Handling Sect's Myriad Tribulations Reincarnation Formation and the Eight Ghost Gate Formation, was it?"
As she deciphered the overlapping formations, an intense wind surged from her body.
Whoooosh—!
The wind instantly transformed into a gale, toppling the monuments one after another.
CRASH! CRASH!
With each massive monument that fell, the mist dissipated, revealing patches of clear sky.
BOOM.
Finally, after shattering every last monument and breaking free from the formation, Yang Seol-rin arched a single eyebrow.
Before she knew it, over a hundred martial artists had encircled her, their gleaming swords drawn.
Their momentum was overwhelming—comparable to the pressure Baekri Mu-jo had exuded just moments ago.
'As I thought... The Main House has severely underestimated them.'
In truth, these martial artists were also masters who had been secretly trained, never revealing themselves in the Martial World.
But once again, she had misjudged the martial prowess of the Martial World's people.
"You are the envoy from the Yangseol Clan, correct?"
Suddenly, the ranks of martial artists parted, and a beautiful woman stepped forward.
Her face was as lovely as an angel's, yet her eyes were sharp and folded like blades, and an aura of solemn dignity enveloped her entire being.
It was none other than the Chief Strategist, Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"I... don't have any particular bad blood with the Martial Alliance."
Yang Seol-rin, recognizing Gongson Dan-gyeong, wore an expression of utter confusion.
"Why are you attacking me?"
"I have questions for you."
"How strange."
Yang Seol-rin glanced around and cracked a joke.
"Why is it that everyone from the Martial World wants to interrogate me the moment they see me?"
"Judging by your expression, it seems you've already given someone a proper answer."
"Hmm."
Yang Seol-rin narrowed her eyes.
"From the looks of it, you deliberately sent Baekri Mu-jo after me and waited for me near the escape route."
"Correct."
Gongson Dan-gyeong nodded.
"How else could we possibly capture a figure from the Yangseol Clan?"
"Dreaming big, aren't you? You haven't caught me yet."
"Don't worry. If you answer properly, I won't restrain you at all."
Taking a deep breath, Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke.
"The Jungson Clan. Where is their main base?"
"The Jungson Clan?"
"Yes. The Jungson Clan—always mentioned alongside your Yangseol Clan."
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Because you would know where the Jungson Clan is."
"I don't."
Gongson Dan-gyeong stared intently into Yang Seol-rin's eyes, as if trying to discern the truth.
Then, sensing something, she shook her head.
"So you'd rather drink punishment wine than accept the toast."
"When did you even offer me a toast?"
"Do I look like I'm joking to you?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong's voice was laced with frost.
"Or do you think you can toy with ordinary civilians as you please?"
"Ordinary civilians? Who? You?"
"Shut your mouth."
Killing intent surged in Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes.
"Countless lives have been ruined and sacrificed because of the Jungson Clan and the Infinite Realm's evil deeds."
"Hey. I really don't know. What's with this sudden talk of the Jungson Clan...?"
"You'd better think carefully before answering."
A sharp divine light erupted from Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes.
"If you don't answer truthfully, I'll have no choice but to consider the Yangseol Clan no different from those demons."
Yang Seol-rin let out a hollow laugh as she gazed at the distant sky.
"The Main House has safeguarded the Martial World by reading Heaven's Will all this time. But we've always refrained from intervening, wary of becoming consumed by our own power..."
Her laughter cut off abruptly, and an icy light spilled from her eyes.
"Yet you treat the main house's members as mere scarecrows."
"Further conversation is pointless."
Gongson Dan-gyeong flicked her eyebrows as she spoke.
"Restrain her."
The moment the command fell, the hundred or so martial artists surrounding them began moving chaotically.
A violent wind surged from Yang Seol-rin's body.
Then, the martial artists exposed to the wind toppled like logs onto the floor.
It was a secret technique unique to the Yang Clan—using the enemy's own True Qi to attack them.
"She's manipulating the root energy without even lifting a hand, disrupting True Qi Circulation."
But unfortunately for her, her opponent was Gongson Dan-gyeong—a woman hailed as the most outstanding prodigy in the Murim.
"Deploy Stillness Within Motion around the Ten Lords."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's mastery of battle formations was unmatched.
Moreover, using the mysterious arts she had learned from the Jungson Clan in her youth, she had pioneered a new Formation Study that transcended the limits of martial arts.
And these hundred martial artists were elites she had secretly trained—each capable of fighting a thousand.
"Hmph!"
Yang Seol-rin scoffed as she faced them.
She possessed power great enough to have toppled the Profound Heaven Sword Gate without lifting a finger.
But Gongson Dan-gyeong, who had long dedicated herself to destroying the Infinite Realm and the Jungson Clan, had already devised a mystical battle formation capable of countering not just martial arts, but also Esoteric Ritual Arts and Great Arts.
"Tch."
Eventually, Yang Seol-rin was being gradually pushed back by the formation's power.
BAM!
Finally, unable to block the Palm Energy unleashed by the martial artists within the formation, she was struck in the back.
"You bastards!"
She strained with all her might—
But what they had deployed was the Annihilation Formation, a technique devised by Gongson Dan-gyeong—the Star of Great Wisdom—for the sake of the vengeance she had harbored since childhood.
A formation capable of eradicating any foe, no matter how powerful.
All her mystical abilities were sealed, and injuries began piling up on her body.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Before she knew it, a martial artist had found an opening and struck her leg's pressure point with Finger Wind.
Thud.
As she dropped to her knees, they targeted her Shoulder Well acupoint, paralyzing both arms.
Step. Step.
Gongson Dan-gyeong walked straight toward her and spoke solemnly.
"Where is the Jungson Clan?"
"I can't understand. What crime has the Jungson Clan committed against the Martial Alliance?"
"What crime?"
A black light of grudge flickered in Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes.
"To obtain the One Hundred and Eight Stars they desired, they kidnapped innocent people and slaughtered them cruelly. If that isn't a crime, then what is?"
"You must've heard bad rumors. That the Jungson Clan kidnapped and killed commoners?"
Yang Seol-rin let out a hollow laugh.
"Even the Earthly Killing Star, who became the Killing Ghost, claimed the main house captured and killed the One Hundred and Eight Stars. You've just listened to baseless gossip."
"Gossip?"
A fire hot enough to melt iron blazed in Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes.
"You call what I personally experienced gossip?"
Yang Seol-rin was stunned.
Did that mean the Martial Alliance's chief strategist had been kidnapped by the main house?
"You were kidnapped?"
"No more words."
Gongson Dan-gyeong turned to her subordinates.
"Take her to Avici Cave."
"Avici Cave?"
Yang Seol-rin blinked.
Did the Martial Alliance really have a place with such an ominous name?
"A prison of my own making."
Gongson Dan-gyeong curled the corner of her lips.
"As long as you're alive, you'll get to taste every kind of hell imaginable. You can look forward to it."
"You're going to torture me?"
"Until you reveal the Jungson Clan's location—"
Screeeeech!
Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the air.
It sounded like the forceful blast of a flute—or perhaps the shriek of a hawk.
Whoooosh—
A sandstorm abruptly rose around Yang Seol-rin and Gongson Dan-gyeong, and crimson shadows began materializing one by one.
They wore red robes, red shoes, and red masks.
They were the Yang Clan's elite masters.
"Young Mistress."
A young woman at the forefront of the masked figures bowed toward Yang Seol-rin.
She wore no mask, and from her left eye down to her jawline, red dots were densely clustered.
Upon closer inspection, the dots formed the shape of the character "Seize", giving off an eerie impression.
She was Yang Seol-ok, the leader of the Yang Clan'sBlood Forest Unit.
Snap.
As Yang Seol-ok stretched out her hand, the pressure points that had restrained Yang Seol-rin were instantly released.
"Hah."
Yang Seol-rin took a deep breath and glared at Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"The situation has changed now, hasn't it?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong said nothing.
Though the hundred martial artists she had brought were exceptional masters, the masked figures before her now radiated aura no less formidable.
"We will slaughter them all first, then escort you."
"No need to kill them."
Yang Seol-rin stared coldly at Gongson Dan-gyeong and spoke.
"Then the main house will start spreading rumors again, claiming we're up to something strange."
"..."
"The main house and I... we're not the kind of villains you think we are. But if you keep provoking us without reason like this... next time, I'll wipe you all out. Every last one of you."
Yang Seol-rin then turned to Yang Seol-ok and said,
"Don't bother with them. I'm leaving now."
Her voice lacked some of its usual strength.
This journey into the martial world had been far more perilous and exhausting than she had anticipated.
Pat!
With a swift movement technique, Yang Seol-rin vanished into the distant sky in an instant.
Step. Step.
Yang Seol-ok approached Gongson Dan-gyeong and spoke coldly.
"If you lay hands on someone from the main house again, I won't just destroy you—I'll wipe out the entire Martial Alliance."
"Yeon-hwa."
But then, Gongson Dan-gyeong called out to Yang Seol-ok in a trembling voice.
Only now, as Yang Seol-ok drew closer, did she notice the pattern of acupoints on her body—shaped like the character for "seize".
"How did you become a member of the Yangseol Clan?"
"..."
"You clearly died during the fourth trial... I even counted the graves myself."
Yang Seol-ok. She had once been one of the children abducted by the Jungson Clan alongside Gongson Dan-gyeong.
Before becoming close with Chu-so, she had been Yeon-hwa—Gongson Dan-gyeong's dearest friend.
Though the face she remembered was only that of a seven-year-old child, Gongson Dan-gyeong knew.
That character-shaped mark of blood spots on her face—it was from the time they had clashed in the Jungson Clan's Bone-Striking Acupoint Method trial.
Because Gongson Dan-gyeong herself had carved that character. The handwriting was unmistakably her own from childhood.
"You're talking nonsense."
"You have a burn scar below your right collarbone, don't you?"
At Gongson Dan-gyeong's words, Yang Seol-ok's gaze grew strange.
Because there really was a burn scar there.
"How do you know that?"
"Because you're Yeon-hwa."
"Ridiculous."
"Then how did you get that burn scar?"
Yang Seol-ok furrowed her brows and replied,
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I have no memories from my childhood."
"Think carefully."
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke calmly.
"The Jungson Clan forced us into a competition, remember? The penalty for losing was having boiling water poured over you—first the shoulders and arms, then the legs, and finally the head."
Yang Seol-ok only wore a blank expression.
Realizing that her eyes seemed disturbingly hollow, Gongson Dan-gyeong nodded slowly.
"They must have altered or erased your memories using the Spirit-Sealing Heart-Seal Method. They're more than capable of that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Unit Commander. She is the Martial Alliance's chief strategist. It seems she's trying to play some kind of trick."
At a subordinate's words, Yang Seol-ok nodded.
She had listened to Gongson Dan-gyeong's story only because her expression had seemed so desperate and urgent—and because that fiercely persistent gaze had felt strangely familiar.
But she had no intention of indulging any further chatter.
"Gongson Dan-gyeong. You attacked the main house's successor without reason."
Yang Seol-ok's eyes turned stern.
"By all rights, I should kill every last one of you, but the Young Clan Head intervened. That's the only reason I'm letting you go."
"Yeon-hwa."
"I am not Yeon-hwa."
Yang Seol-ok turned away as she spoke.
"Remember this. If something like this happens again, the consequences will be beyond your ability to bear."
Whoosh—
In the same instant, Yang Seol-ok vanished in a gust of wind.
Her subordinates disappeared just as swiftly.
"Did they only fake her death?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong blinked as she watched Yang Seol-ok disappear.
"Did they disguise her death and then turn her into a puppet for the Three Clans?"
Truthfully, Yeon-hwa hadn't been particularly outstanding among the children.
But before the trials, they had been close—and she was the child who had died alongside Gongson Dan-gyeong during the test.
She remembered her more vividly than even Chu-so, and the memory had pained her deeply.
And now, that same girl had become a warrior of the Yangseol Clan?
Had the Jungson Clan faked the deaths of all the children and given them new identities?
After a long moment of contemplation, she shook her head.
That probability was zero.
Gongson Dan-gyeong alone had been revived—thanks to Chu-so's help.
She had personally checked several of the burial mounds, and the children had truly been buried there.
Hadn't they even used oil-soaked hemp cloth for the burials?
If they had intended to fake the deaths, there would have been no need for such measures.
'Unless...'
Gongson Dan-gyeong recalled something Chu-so had once told her.
—Some of the One Hundred and Eight Stars only reveal their existence at the brink of death.
'The Sky Star.'
What if Yeon-hwa had been born with the Sky Star? What if her power had awakened in the moment her breath ceased?
Could the revived Yeon-hwa have wandered the world before being taken in by the Yangseol Clan?
"I don't know."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's pupils lost focus.
One thing was certain: Yeon-hwa, who had died in the Jungson Clan, had become a member of the Yangseol Clan.
Which meant her suspicions might be correct—the Yangseol and Jungson Clans could be closely connected.
'Perhaps all Three Clans are involved.'
Her eyes darkened.
She had thought it would end with dealing with the Infinite Realm and the Jungson Clan.
But now that she knew the Yangseol Clan was also involved...
'First, I'll dig deeper. Into everything. And then...'
After a long moment of contemplation, Gongson Dan-gyeong took a deep breath.
The face of a certain person surfaced in her mind—someone whose wisdom nearly matched her own, and whose martial prowess was formidable.
Seon-u Jin.
No matter how long it took.
She resolved to make that Hidden Dragon truly her own.