Chapter 595
"Hahaha!"
The man burst into mad laughter, thoroughly amused by how Bu Eun-seol dared not confront him head-on, instead dodging left and right.
Yet Bu Eun-seol's eyes, even as he weaved through the attacks, remained eerily calm.
He had already discerned the weakness in the man's relentless barrage of the Red Blood Demon Finger Art.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Bu Eun-seol's movement technique grew swifter with each evasion, his form blurring into fleeting afterimages.
Swish—!
Before long, even those afterimages vanished as he accelerated to blinding speeds.
As a result, the Red Blood Demon Finger Art slashed uselessly through empty air, unable to find its mark.
Bu Eun-seol's movement technique had surpassed the speed of the onslaught.
Whoosh.
Circling the battlefield, Bu Eun-seol suddenly stood firm behind the man, raising the Moon Shadow Demonic Sword high.
"Kaaah!"
But the man, sensing the shift, whirled like lightning and unleashed another torrent of the Red Blood Demon Finger Art.
Srrring.
Yet the crimson gleam erupting from the Moon Shadow Demonic Sword was several times faster.
The Ultra Fast Killing Sword—Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form—had been unleashed, delivering death before the eyes could even perceive it.
Goooooo.
To the man, the world seemed to freeze.
He watched, in slow motion, as the Red Blood Demon Finger Art pouring from his fingers was outpaced by the radiant point of light streaking from the sword's tip.
"...!"
His eyes bulged wide.
The crimson flash from Bu Eun-seol's blade... was it not twice as fast as his own technique?
Flicker!
The moment the red light vanished, the man's movements ceased.
"Had you been in full possession of your mind, this would not have been an easy fight."
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the man, now standing dazed, with a hint of pity.
"You failed to unleash the true profundity of the Red Blood Demon Finger Art, relying instead on brute force. That was your downfall."
Click.
Sheathing the demon sword, he turned away.
"May you find peaceful rest."
Splurt!
A fountain of blood erupted from the man's throat.
The Red Blood Demon Finger Art was not merely a technique of overwhelming power—enough to shatter even a demon sword.
Its strange and unique functions could have sealed off Bu Eun-seol's retreat, leaving him no path to evade.
Had the man been in full control of his faculties?
He might have wielded the art's intricacies, weaving an exquisite series of attacks, prolonging the battle into a grueling exchange.
But with his mind lost, he had mindlessly poured Red Blood Demon Finger Art into Bu Eun-seol's body.
Thus, Bu Eun-seol had simply lured out his openings with swift footwork and severed his head in an instant with the Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form.
Rumble...
Then, a low vibration echoed from outside.
The tremors of something collapsing.
'A self-destruct mechanism has been triggered.'
Now that outsiders had infiltrated, Cold Moon Island's facilities could no longer remain intact.
It seemed they had activated a failsafe to obliterate everything without hesitation upon departure.
Rrrrr...
The tremors intensified, shaking the ground beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet as sections of the Underground Castle crumbled one after another.
'They must have sealed the exit already.'
Realizing escape was cut off, Bu Eun-seol used falling debris as stepping stones, leaping upward toward the ceiling.
Whoosh!
Emerging atop the collapsing ruins of the Underground Castle, he landed once more on the cliffside where the stone chamber had stood.
Crrrr...
Much of the cliff had already collapsed like a landslide, the destruction spreading rapidly.
In a single breath, he unleashed the Ultimate Speed Shadowless and raced toward the village.
"Fast indeed."
By then, the village stood empty as a ghost town, and many of the boats once anchored along the shore had vanished.
'Their true resource here... was people.'
The Return-to-One Realm's operations revolved around the Great Art, requiring nothing else.
Only human lives held value as resources.
Having demolished the Underground Castle, they had abandoned Cold Moon Island without a second thought.
'The one wearing that boy's face must be a Special Divine Rank of the Return-to-One Realm—or higher.'
Likely, the boy's body was merely a shell. The true entity lay elsewhere, its martial arts undoubtedly formidable.
But with just a shell, it stood no chance against Bu Eun-seol... hence the immediate retreat.
Rustle...
Yet not all had fled.
Before Bu Eun-seol even realized it, hundreds of villagers—their faces grotesquely disfigured—emerged, encircling him.
"Right. Of course."
Bu Eun-seol muttered coldly.
To them, he was the bedbug that had burned down their thatched hut. They would never let such a pest live.
"Because of you—!"
The youngest-looking among the hundreds of villagers screamed at him.
"An entire base that had been entrenched in this realm for so long has been wiped out!"
"This is only the beginning."
As Bu Eun-seol flung the Moon Shadow Demonic Sword aside, crimson and white True Qi surged from both his hands.
Simultaneously, violet Thunder Qi and a transparent energy intertwined, rising like mist.
"From now on, I will track down every last hidden base of the Return-to-One Realm scattered across the Central Plains and crush them all."
As he spoke, a radiant five-colored light began to bloom from Bu Eun-seol's body.
These people had been ruined by the Return-to-One Realm's experiments, reduced to flesh-eating monsters before they even realized it.
To ensure not even a trace of their existence remained in this world—
He was pouring every ounce of his power into manifesting Harmonization.
"That bastard is up to something!"
The villagers shouted in alarm as the five-colored radiance emanating from Bu Eun-seol intensified.
"Kill him, all of you!"
Just as they surged forward to attack—
Flash!
A brilliant light erupted, swallowing the villagers in its five-colored radiance before the entire world was drowned in blinding white.
Having escaped Cold Moon Island, Bu Eun-seol immediately mobilized the Death Soul Squad to search for any trace of the Bullet King, Bukgung Ryeong.
But there was no sign of him.
Perhaps that was to be expected.
Bukgung Ryeong had always roamed the Murim alone, evading the eyes of intelligence organizations—even mocking the pursuit of the Three Realms as he slipped away.
No matter how many intelligence networks of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths Bu Eun-seol commanded, finding him on such short notice was impossible.
'I have to find him faster.'
Bu Eun-seol's heart grew restless.
Though their paths, ages, and personalities were complete opposites—
Fate had intertwined them again and again, until they had become comrades who shared their very livers and gallbladders—trusting each other with their lives.
There was no way he could stand by and watch that man fall into the clutches of the Return-to-One Realm, only to be reduced to a mutilated corpse.
Whoosh—
With the Sound of Breaking Air, So-yo descended beside him and shook her head.
"The Martial Alliance is the same."
Bu Eun-seol had even used the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall's intelligence network through the Peak Squad, but Bukgung Ryeong's whereabouts remained unknown.
"I even considered using Gongson Dan-gyeong to find a way... but I couldn't."
If she discovered Bu Eun-seol was searching for Bukgung Ryeong?
Gongson Dan-gyeong would undoubtedly investigate their relationship—and that could deal a fatal blow to Bukgung Ryeong.
"You did the right thing. Even if she had an impressive intelligence network, it wouldn't have mattered. Not even the Return-to-One Realm has been able to find him."
Though his words were calm, his eyes burned with urgency.
Realizing how deeply worried Bu Eun-seol was, So-yo spoke carefully.
"Don't worry too much. If we can't find him, neither can the Three Realms."
"Right. I know."
Bu Eun-seol forced a smile, but his expression remained dark.
The Three Realms' intelligence network was stronger than the combined forces of the Demonic Path and the Righteous Faction.
For all he knew, they might have already located Bukgung Ryeong and launched an attack.
But because he understood So-yo was trying to console him, Bu Eun-seol smiled brightly.
"I'll keep watching. And I'll keep searching as I move through the Martial World."
"Mm."
Then, as if struck by a thought, So-yo spoke again.
"What if he's preparing for a fresh start?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Bullet King once wandered the Murim aimlessly because of complicated emotions, didn't he? But after meeting you at Jongriga's back mountain, he regained his spirit and returned to action."
"A fresh start..."
A flash of realization ignited in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
When they had reunited at the back mountain of Jongriga, Bukgung Ryeong had been disheartened by past events.
But after breaking free from his Inner Demon with Bu Eun-seol's help, he had regained his vigor and returned to the Murim—
Before that, he would have wanted to shake off the weight of those bitter memories.
And there was only one place tied to such memories.
"Ghost Island."
The place where he had witnessed the horrific truth of the Righteous Faction.
Where countless Renowned Heroes had lost their lives in an instant, consumed by their own greed.
If Bukgung Ryeong had resolved to return to the Murim—
Then surely, he would have gone back there.
To console the spirits of the dead and cast off the remnants of his past.
"He must be on Ghost Island."
Bu Eun-seol shot to his feet and rushed outside.
"No need to follow me."
"I'll send troops from the Death Shadow War Unit just in case."
"Understood."
The moment he left the Safe House, Bu Eun-seol unleashed his Movement Technique, racing toward Ghost Island.
'Please be safe.'
As he tore through the mid-air at blinding speed, desperation flickered in his eyes.
A gut feeling told him—
What if the Return-to-One Realm had also thought of Ghost Island?
Bukgung Ryeong had stood unrivaled in the martial world throughout his life precisely because his skills were that extraordinary.
But what if the Return-to-One Realm was truly determined to capture him alive?
They would have sent masters or troops that even the heavens and earth collapsing couldn't stop—forces Bukgung Ryeong could never withstand alone.
Moreover, what the Return-to-One Realm needed was Bukgung Ryeong's corpse. They wouldn't hesitate to employ any cruel method necessary.
'Just hold on a little longer, old man!'
Madly unleashing his movement technique, he arrived near Dongting Lake.
Upon reaching the docks, he outright chartered an entire ship operated by the Water Serpent Gang, the dominant force on Dongting Lake.
This massive vessel, equipped with sixteen masts, was more than twice the size of an ordinary ship, with hull sides towering much higher.
With all sails raised and moving at full speed, the ship soon reached a point where Ghost Island was visible in the distance.
"Wait here by the shore!"
Leaping from the stern into the air, Bu Eun-seol shot toward Ghost Island in an instant.
Just as he was about to descend after soaring over 300 feet in a flash—
Boom!
He unleashed a powerful surge of palm energy onto the water's surface.
Then, he soared back into the air, propelling himself forward once more.
Whoooosh!
As if unsatisfied with his speed alone, a transparent stream of energy erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body,
forming a massive whirlpool behind him before surging forward like a storm.
He was using Water Essence Divine Qi to materialize the seawater and gain propulsion.
—Waaah...
The martial artists of the Water Serpent Gang on deck gasped in awe.
Bu Eun-seol, soaring toward the distant Ghost Island like a bird while unleashing transparent streams of energy,
looked nothing short of a heavenly deity descending from the skies.
Thud.
Arriving at Ghost Island's shore in a single breath, Bu Eun-seol spotted several massive, unidentified ships anchored there.
Their lack of markings made it clear—these were forces sent by the Return-to-One Realm.
'Please, don't let me be too late!'
Leaping into the air once more, Bu Eun-seol unleashed a barrage of Heavenly Hand Empty Waves toward the ships.
KWAANG! CRACK!
The Heavenly Hand Empty Waves, the strongest of the first four forms of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon,
reduced the roughly eighty-foot-long, fourteen-foot-wide ships to splinters in an instant.
He had made a loud disturbance in advance, fearing Bukgung Ryeong might already be in mortal peril.
KWAOOO!
After annihilating the ships, Bu Eun-seol executed Qi-Piercing Ascent once more.
'There.'
With hawk-like vision, he discerned the movement of troops deep within the northwestern forests of Ghost Island.
KWA-RUNG!
With a deafening roar that seemed to tear the heavens, he transformed into a streak of light and charged toward them.
'Old man!'
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a joyous smile.
Far in the distance, within the forest, he spotted Bukgung Ryeong—holding his ground against countless troops while maintaining a battle formation.
"STOOOOOP—!"
Bu Eun-seol unleashed a Lion's Roar, wrapped himself in the utmost limit of Thunder Essence Divine Qi, and landed.
KWAOOO!
In that instant, a deafening explosion erupted as violet Thunder Essence Divine Qi radiated outward,
sending the martial artists charging toward Bukgung Ryeong flying back over 300 feet.
"Old man!"
Bu Eun-seol immediately rushed to Bukgung Ryeong, who stood at the center of the enemy forces.
His appearance was beyond haggard, as if he had endured all manner of torment, his body covered in wounds both large and small.
"How did you—"
Just as Bukgung Ryeong blinked in shock—
FWOOSH!
A strange surge of energy poured toward Bu Eun-seol's face.
The Return-to-One Realm's troops, having already regrouped, had deployed an eerie boundary formation.
"It's useless. Once that formation is activated, internal energy techniques can't be—"
But Bukgung Ryeong's shout was cut short.
WHEEEEEENG!
A transparent stream of energy erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body, soaring to the heavens before
suddenly pushing back the encroaching energy currents from all directions.
He was using Water Essence Divine Qi, infused with the power of destruction, to nullify this bizarre energy.
"What is this?"
Bukgung Ryeong's jaw dropped.
He had long known Bu Eun-seol's martial arts were extraordinary.
But to dispel an energy even his full-powered Inner Energy Bullet Art couldn't erase—in a single breath?
Just what was this transparent, viscous force?
"You...!"
Unable to hide his astonishment, Bukgung Ryeong gaped.
"Have you learned Esoteric Ritual Arts like those bastards...?"
Muttering, his eyes widened further.
He had realized—the transparent energy flowing from Bu Eun-seol's body bore an uncanny resemblance to the Water God's Energy of the Divine Water Palace.
"Did you learn martial arts from Neng, the Palace Lord?"
"We'll talk later."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was icy.
"This isn't a power I can use indefinitely."
Though his body was brimming with Water Essence Divine Qi,
he had never formally trained in the Divine Water Palace's martial arts.
Continuously expelling this energy placed an immense strain on him.
"Very well."
Bukgung Ryeong took a deep breath.
At once, the shattered fragments of stone scattered across the ground began floating into the air.
'It's working.'
Until now, Bukgung Ryeong had been enveloped in that transparent energy current, rendering him unable to use his internal energy.
The signature technique of the Bullet King, renowned throughout the martial world—his Inner Energy Bullet Art—had been sealed away.
But the moment Bu Eun-seol pushed back the energy current with his Water Essence Divine Qi, his powerful internal energy surged through his meridians once more.
BOOM! BOOM!
The stones he deflected with his Inner Energy Bullet Art transformed into cannonballs, hurtling toward the surrounding troops.
Had his martial prowess grown even further?
The force behind them was far greater than before.
A direct hit would burst a man's body like a balloon, and even a glancing blow tore flesh from bone.
Bukgung Ryeong's Inner Energy Bullet Art was a martial technique that shone brightest in battles against overwhelming numbers.
The moment the energy current vanished, he unleashed a relentless barrage of bullets, felling over a hundred soldiers in an instant.
"You there—try firing them even bigger!"
Though he had repelled the nearby enemies, the encircling forces showed no sign of thinning.
Worse, the vanished energy currents were slowly creeping back, gnawing away at his internal energy.
"I'll try."
Bu Eun-seol poured out his Water Essence Divine Qi with everything he had.
As he did, most of the energy currents lingering in the forest dissipated, revealing the full extent of the surrounding troops.
HUM—
Then, golden pellets began rising around Bukgung Ryeong's body, shimmering brilliantly.
The secret weapon that had earned him his seat among the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
The Purple Lightning Golden Pellets had finally revealed themselves.
CRACK!
A sound as sharp as the world splitting apart echoed through the air.
At the same time, the golden pellets shot forward, piercing through the encircling martial artists in an instant.
'So that's why they're called Purple Lightning.'
The Purple Lightning Golden Pellets fired by Bukgung Ryeong contained Purple Dawn Shaking Thunder Energy, eerily similar to the Thunder Essence Divine Qi Bu Eun-seol wielded.
Not only did they unleash terrifying destructive power, but they moved freely according to Bukgung Ryeong's will.
Sizzle—
When the pellets returned to his hand, they were drenched in thick blood and bodily fluids.
SWISH!
Spinning them in midair, Bukgung Ryeong shook off the clinging remnants before tucking them back into his robes.
Watching this, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"It's not over yet."
[What an interesting fellow.]
At that moment, three masked figures descended from the sky, landing soundlessly.
All three wore identical robes, stood with identical postures, and bore identical expressions.
Bu Eun-seol stared at them for a long moment before speaking coldly.
"None of you were skilled enough to master a single martial art, so you split it among the three of you."
The masked men stiffened, then nodded in surprise.
"Correct. We have all trained in the martial arts of the Three-Absolute Demon Lord."
Bukgung Ryeong frowned in confusion.
The Three-Absolute Demon Lord was a Great Demon who had terrorized the murim forty years ago—wasn't he the one who had challenged the Heavenly Emperor of Righteousness in his youth and been slain?
"These men have inherited the martial techniques and physiques of past masters through some bizarre Great Art," Bu Eun-seol explained.
Not only Bukgung Ryeong, but even the masked men looked startled.
"Impressive. To think someone knows of our sect's Great Art."
"I also know you belong to the Return-to-One Realm."
Bu Eun-seol drew his Ink Soul Sword.
Having repeatedly used his Purple Lightning Golden Pellets, Bukgung Ryeong was severely drained—so Bu Eun-seol intended to face them alone.
"Since you're not wearing lion robes, you must be roughly Special Divine Rank in the Return-to-One Realm."
"I'll handle this."
Bukgung Ryeong stepped forward.
"If these lunatics claim to be successors of the Three-Absolute Demon Lord, I should test their skills myself."
"Enough. Just stand back and watch."
"Watch? What nonsense."
Bukgung Ryeong's voice was solemn.
"Won't you be fighting countless men like them in the future?"
"What are you talking about?"
"These bastards have been hounding me to death, forcing me to deal with nothing but small fry. Now that we've finally met some real opponents, shouldn't I have a proper fight?"
"You've already used up all your energy, down to the last dregs you'd need for your coffin. What 'proper fight' are you talking about? Stay put and don't interfere."
"What did you say? Coffin? Have you lost your mind?"
As Bukgung Ryeong roared, Bu Eun-seol shot back just as fiercely.
"I'm not finished. I dropped everything—every single task piling up—to chase after you until my hair started falling out, all to save one stubborn old man."
"So?"
"So? After all that, you can't even yield on this one thing?"
"Who asked for your help?"
As Bu Eun-seol and Bukgung Ryeong bickered, the masked men's eyes widened in disbelief.
Their behavior was like—
Children squabbling over a tasty treat.
Even if the Three-Absolute Demon Lord had faced the Heavenly Emperor of Righteousness before reaching the Martial Extreme Realm, the level of the Emperor's martial arts at that time was beyond anything the Four Gods and Seven Kings could compare to.
And yet, here they were, acting like this in front of the Return-to-One Realm's Special Divine Rank—men who had fully mastered the Three Absolute Arts of the Three-Absolute Demon Lord, which could contend with the Emperor alone?