Chapter 592
"The Moon Shadow Demon Venerable?"
Bu Eun-seol, currently disguised as So Jin-cheon, showed genuine shock on his face.
"You're saying that corpse is the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable?"
"That's correct."
"Hahaha. That's ridiculous."
Bu Eun-seol frowned with an arrogant expression.
"The Moon Shadow Demon Venerable was chased by masters of both orthodox and unorthodox factions before taking his own life at the Cliff of Severed Souls. And yet, you're telling me his corpse remains perfectly intact like that?"
"No one actually saw the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable fall from the Cliff of Severed Souls."
Dae-bo let out a faint smile.
"Rumors in the martial world are hardly ever trustworthy, my lord."
When Bu Eun-seol blinked and fell silent, Dae-bo continued.
"We've been conducting research for a long time."
He then pointed a finger toward the glass tube.
"Why do those who shake the world become so powerful? What kind of physical constitution do they possess, and what circumstances allow them to reach such heights... That is what we sought to uncover."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered.
Dae-bo's words ultimately aligned with the thoughts of the Saber Enlightenment Adepts of the Infinite Realm—Paeng Ak and Paeng Ryun—who had once conducted various human experiments in the past.
"So?"
"Look closely. Observe how the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable was able to execute sword techniques that border on the impossible."
Bu Eun-seol carefully examined the glass tube Dae-bo had indicated.
The Moon Shadow Demon Venerable's muscles were as dense and thick as a tiger's, his tendons as tough as a whale's.
Not only that, but his blood vessels also appeared several times larger than those of an ordinary person.
'With a body like that...'
Recalling the secret manual of the Moonshadow Sword Manual, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
'Executing those sword strokes wouldn't be impossible after all.'
Despite possessing muscle mass that seemed to transcend human limits,
his body was unimaginably flexible, with ligaments and tendons of incredible durability. It was even possible to twist his joints like taffy.
"In the end, the Moonshadow Sword Manual can only be mastered by those with a body like his."
When Bu Eun-seol muttered this under his breath, Dae-bo chuckled.
"Precisely."
"I see. It was a sword technique I could never have learned anyway."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head with a defeated expression.
"That kind of physique is something you're born with. No amount of effort can replicate it."
But then, Dae-bo's eyes gleamed as he spoke.
"There is a way."
"What?"
"You could transform into the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable's body."
Dae-bo's voice was low.
"For a long time, we have dissected and studied the corpses of past masters who once dominated the martial world. And we came to a realization."
His eyes curved into crescents.
"Only by recreating their exact muscles, tendons, ligaments... and constitution can one unleash the same martial prowess."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol truly sense it.
Dae-bo was no mere boy.
That manner of speech and expression was something no youth of his age could possibly mimic.
Bu Eun-seol stared at So-dong with a look of eerie disbelief.
"Who are you people? What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Who we are and what our purpose is doesn't matter. All you need to do, my lord, is make a decision."
Dae-bo's voice was crisp.
"Will you become the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable, or will you give up here?"
"The Moon Shadow Demon Venerable."
Bu Eun-seol's voice turned icy, as though he had realized something.
"Even if you modify the body, you can't become him. Superior Martial Arts require a corresponding Mind-Training Formula—both must align."
"As expected, your judgment is exceptional, befitting an Empty-Spirit Body."
Dae-bo smiled.
"But you need not worry about that. You, my lord, already share the same temperament as the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable."
"What?"
"Modifying the body is something only the lowly Infinite Realm would do. In our realm, we use the Great Art to completely alter both body and spirit."
Bu Eun-seol felt as though he had been struck over the head.
'This is the goal of the Three Realms.'
The reason the Return-to-One Realm had scattered demonic swords.
It must have been to find individuals whose temperaments matched those of past supreme masters and perform the Great Art on them.
'No wonder the other factions shunned them—they're engaged in this kind of madness.'
"This is nonsense."
Swallowing his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol shouted with a face full of suspicion.
"You're saying I share his temperament? How could you possibly know that?"
"If your temperament did not resonate with the demonic sword, you could never have obtained it in the first place."
"Bullshit. I've already acquired several demonic swords and wielded them—what are you talking about?"
"I'm referring to the first demonic sword you obtained. Once you master your own demonic sword, of course you can wield the others to some degree."
In short, Dae-bo's words meant that everyone—including Do Cheon-rin—
had obtained their demonic swords not by coincidence, but because their energy resonated with them.
"You're saying this Great Art can alter both body and spirit? Where does such a ritual even exist?"
"That, I cannot disclose at this time."
"Then why perform it on complete strangers? There's no benefit in it for you."
Bu Eun-seol deliberately twisted his face into a vicious expression.
"If I become the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable, I could slaughter every last one of you."
"That would be fine as well."
As Dae-bo smiled faintly, Bu Eun-seol's eyes sharpened in realization as he snapped,
"That ritual must include a method to turn its subjects into puppets, doesn't it?"
"Who knows? The decision is yours, my lord."
His eyes curved like crescents again.
"We would never force you. Whether you become the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable or walk away now—the choice is entirely yours."
Dae-bo was confident.
Someone like So Jin-cheon would never abandon the Moonshadow Sword Manual.
Through the Demon Sword Contest and countless battles against martial artists, he must have continuously felt and yearned for it.
To keep winning.
To grow stronger.
Winner takes all.
That is the law of the martial world.
And the exhilaration of clashing with the strong and seizing victory—nothing in this world could compare to it.
To never fall by another's hand.
To keep living as the victor.
The desperate longing to make that a reality had finally arrived before his eyes.
As long as moonlight existed, the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable's Moonshadow Sword was invincible. Even without moonlight, his Sword Studies were so peerless that no one in the martial world could stand against him.
There was no way So Jin-cheon could ever pass up such an opportunity.
"Fine, I'll do it!"
Bu Eun-seol gritted his teeth, panting like a beast as he shouted.
"But if you're thinking of using me, you'd better quit now! No matter how powerful your faction is, no matter how much strength you wield—I will never submit!"
"Of course."
Dae-bo lowered his head, his expression faintly mocking.
'Even knowing the truth, he can't help but say it.'
They had maintained this research facility hidden on Cold Moon Island for so long.
They had scattered Demon Swords throughout the martial world without hesitation, fishing out those they desired.
If they were a faction capable of freely handing out secret manuals containing the martial arts of past demonic masters—
Even if the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable himself were to return alive, he would stand no chance against them.
This was merely the stubborn pride of a man struggling to hold onto his dignity until the very end.
Just like all the others who had crawled their way here before him.
'A child's body really is the best.'
Dae-bo concealed the sinister smile threatening to spill from his lips.
In truth, the most crucial aspect of this Great Art was the voluntary attitude of the recipient.
If coercion were possible, they wouldn't have needed such a convoluted process—they could have simply abducted him and performed the ritual immediately.
But the problem was that martial artists were more prideful than anyone.
At first, the messengers and Special Divine Rank members with great presence had initially recommended this Great Art... but the results had been poor.
No matter how sweetly they coaxed, when a stronger party made the offer, it inevitably felt like submission.
But when it was someone like him—wearing the guise of a mere boy—who spoke?
Strangely enough, no matter the danger or fear involved, their pride flared up as if they could overcome anything.
"Shall we go, then?"
"Wait."
As Dae-bo moved to step forward, Bu Eun-seol stopped him.
"Has anyone succeeded before?"
"Of course."
"The way you say it makes it sound like the probability isn't very high."
Dae-bo shrugged, as if deliberately provoking his competitive spirit.
"Of course. It's by no means an easy task. That's why I warned you beforehand—you must stake your life on it."
"Judging by what you've said so far, it's not just the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable—there must be others, right?"
Dae-bo only smiled faintly, offering no answer.
"Then you could make me into someone even stronger?"
"I won't deny it."
"Then I'll choose someone stronger than the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable."
It was, perhaps, the obvious choice.
Though the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable was a formidable figure, if one looked back through martial arts history—
There were countless individuals who could rival or even surpass him.
"That won't be possible."
"Why not?"
Dae-bo smiled faintly.
"You were selected as someone with a high probability of becoming the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable through the Demon Sword. Other figures wouldn't be compatible."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's gaze darkened.
In truth, the reason he had kept questioning was because of the ominous thought flickering through his mind.
"If there are figures from hundreds of years ago, then not just the past—what about the strongest martial artists who shook the world in the last century?"
As if suddenly remembering, Bu Eun-seol blinked and added:
"Surely you don't have missing figures like the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade?"
"Hahaha."
Dae-bo chuckled faintly.
"Who can say?"
"So you do."
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow, and Dae-bo gave a slight nod.
"Of course."
Thud.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's vision blurred, and his heart pounded as if it would burst.
He had finally found it.
The corpse of his grandfather, who had vanished.
The Return-to-One Realm had taken it.
Which meant that the remains he had so carefully prepared—
Just like the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable before him, they must have dissected and unraveled them piece by piece.
—Use the Bone-Melting Powder. Leave not a single trace of my existence in this world.
His grandfather must have known.
That if his remains were left behind, they would be used by them.
But Bu Eun-seol had not been able to bring himself to desecrate the body of his beloved grandfather.
In the end, he had carefully prepared the remains and buried them in a sunny spot—but that had been the wrong choice.
'Ghost... ly... Underworld... Realm.'
If that was the case, then among the Three Realms, the one who had killed his grandfather was most likely a member of the Return-to-One Realm.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head and muttered weakly.
"So that's how it was."
Drip... drip...
As he whispered, blood-tears streamed from his lowered eyes.
"You were the ones who took Grandfather's body."
"Grandfather?"
"...That's why he told me to use the Bone-Melting Powder."
Only now did Bu Eun-seol understand.
Why his grandfather had prepared an iron coffin in advance—so that no matter how he died, even if not by an assassin's hand, his body could be dissolved with the Bone-Melting Powder inside it.
'He knew everything.'
That the Return-to-One Realm of the Three Realms could use corpses for their Great Art.
That as long as his body remained, they would inevitably find it and exploit it.
"I will never forgive you."
Thump.
As Bu Eun-seol raised his head to glare at Dae-bo, his pupils had turned blood-red, and a dark radiance shimmered across his entire body.
"What is this?"
Bu Eun-seol's entire body was now shrouded in darkness.
The killing intent and demonic energy radiating from him were so dense that his form had dissolved into a shapeless black fog.
Whoosh!
Blades of black energy coiled around Dae-bo's body.
"Hmph. A futile effort."
Dae-bo recognized it as materialized True Qi and immediately unleashed his power to dispel it.
But something was wrong.
No matter how formidable the technique, his Vibration-Severing Dispersal Art should have shattered it in an instant.
Yet instead of dispersing, the black energy clung to him, wrapping around his body like an unbreakable net.
The True Qi flowed endlessly, like an unbroken river—no matter how many times he severed it, it reformed without pause.
This was the Willful True Binding, fused with Water Essence Divine Qi.
Only then did Dae-bo realize—Bu Eun-seol was not So Jin-cheon.
"Who... are you?"
"From now on," Bu Eun-seol's lips parted slowly, white killing intent seeping from his mouth like frost, "you will answer only what I ask."
"What—?"
Thud.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's left hand plunged into Dae-bo's side—
Crack!
With the sound of snapping bone, a rib was ripped clean from his body.
"Agh! AAAAAH!"
Dae-bo screamed in agony.
But a faint Astral Energy Barrier surrounded Bu Eun-seol, preventing the sound from escaping.
"Where is the corpse of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang?"
"Bu Jan-yang?!"
"I said—answer only what I ask."
Crunch.
This time, another rib was torn from the opposite side.
"AAAHHH!"
Dae-bo's eyes rolled back in pain.
"I—I don't know! Heaven-Class bodies are all managed by the Lord of Heaven!"
"The Lord of Heaven? The leader of the Return-to-One Realm?"
"Yes!"
"What are you all doing here?"
"We—we just find those suited for demon swords... and confirm compatible bodies..."
Snap.
"AAH! It's true! We—we overlay them with preserved... warrior corpses..."
But something was strange.
As Dae-bo spoke, the pain and terror on his face gradually faded. His trembling body stilled, his gaze turning cold and steady.
It was as if his flesh were merely a shell—and something new was being born inside.
"Have you... finished your questions?"
Dae-bo's eyes were rolled back, yet his expression was eerily calm.
How could he remain composed while ribs were being torn from his body?
"Haaah..."
A guttural voice escaped him as his eyes refocused, pupils sharp once more.
Sssk!
In the same breath, Dae-bo suddenly thrust a hand toward Bu Eun-seol's heart—despite being suppressed by the Willful True Binding.
"Hmph."
But Bu Eun-seol, sensing the shift, instantly retreated.
Crrk—
A series of bone-cracking sounds erupted from Dae-bo's small frame as he severed the Willful True Binding in one motion.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
With each crack, his height surged—growing until he loomed over Bu Eun-seol. His muscles swelled grotesquely.
He had never been So-dong to begin with.
He had merely used the Bone Shrinking Art at its utmost limit to disguise himself.
"To shrink one's height by over three feet..."
Even at Grand Perfection, the Bone Shrinking Art could only reduce height by about a foot and a half.
Any further required physically cutting bones.
Yet Dae-bo had compressed himself by three feet.
"You've taken on the body of the Form-Condensing Demon Venerable."
"Sharp eyes."
Dae-bo chuckled lowly, his voice now deep and resonant.
"The Soft Body Shape-Storage Art of the Form-Condensing Demon Venerable allows bones and muscles to shrink to their limits—and prevents any pressure point from being subdued."
His hulking, muscular form was now completely different—his eyes, his voice, everything.
It was as if the Form-Condensing Demon Venerable himself had returned.
"Who are you? How did you disguise yourself as So Jin-cheon?"
Dae-bo's tone had shifted entirely.
"Are you a small fry, here to investigate our realm?"
Bu Eun-seol didn't answer, studying Dae-bo's grotesque transformation.
Then, realization struck.
"I see. This entire island is an experiment."
His gaze hardened with certainty.
"Every villager here was a test subject."
"Heh. You catch on quick."
Dae-bo admitted it freely.
"The early versions of the Great Art damaged the skin, regardless of success."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
So every villager had undergone the ritual—meant to turn them into martial masters?
"There couldn't have been more than a thousand true experts in Murim."
He scoffed.
"Meaning most failed. So they're trapped here?"
"Hah. Think what you want."
Dae-bo smirked, radiating confidence.
Strangely, he made no move to call for help or sound an alarm.
"Over the years, intruders like you have come—some investigating, others trying to take everything by force."
His lips curled as he looked down at Bu Eun-seol.
"Suppressing them—killing them—that was my role."
Dae-bo had been the one to manage—and eliminate—those who owned the demon swords on Cold Moon Island.
Whoosh!
Bu Eun-seol no longer cared for answers.
He lashed out with the Willful True Binding, slicing toward Dae-bo like a whip.
But something impossible happened.
Squelch.
The flesh around the wound, which had been cut down to the bone, bulged grotesquely before snapping back into place, as if made of rubber.
Three hundred years ago, he had been a legendary Great Demon, bearing the epithet "Undying and Invincible."
This was the Form-Condensing Demon Blood Energy of the Form-Condensing Demon Venerable.