Chapter 611
Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath.
"Are you saying they forcibly bind the good people who are inevitably born alongside evil people... to create split personalities?"
"You grasp the essence well."
The middle-aged man nodded.
"Though we call it split personality, in truth, it's the work of perfecting an incomplete human. Imagine this."
He smiled brightly.
"If you could absorb a temperament within your mind that is the complete opposite of yourself, and have that personality as your advisor... that's the idea."
Split personality.
In short, the Azure River Realm was forcibly imposing split personalities, transforming ordinary humans into unprecedented superlative martial experts.
'...They're insane.'
Bu Eun-seol wore a hollow expression.
Among the Three Realms, he hadn't harbored much ill will toward the Azure River Realm.
To be even more honest, he had thought of them as relatively moderate—perhaps the ones maintaining balance within the Three Realms.
But the reality was different.
If the Return to Unity Realm, the worst of the Three Realms, committed atrocities using the corpses of past masters...
Then the Azure River Realm was committing atrocities against living people.
"Do you really think that's possible?"
"Far from it—don't you already know?"
The middle-aged man spoke calmly.
"Deep down, you know it's possible."
Bu Eun-seol found himself nodding unconsciously.
The Infinite Realm had the Human Blossoms and body modification.
The Return to Unity Realm had its mysterious Great Art.
And the Azure River Realm...
Through its unique brainwashing methods, it was creating split personalities.
From the very beginning, the Three Realms had been a den of irredeemable evil spirits.
"The Infinite Realm's body modification is too dangerous and has a low success rate. The Great Art used by the Return to Unity Realm has far too many restrictions and prerequisites."
The middle-aged man spoke indifferently.
"But our brainwashing is different. Though it may take time, the probability of success is extremely high, and the risk of failure is minimal."
"How do you find the virtuous counterparts to match the great evil ones?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes sharpened as he spoke.
"There are countless people in the world. How do you find the ones who perfectly match them?"
"That, I cannot tell you. However."
The middle-aged man pointed to the sky.
"Let's just say... Heaven knows."
'So it's the One Hundred and Eight Stars after all.'
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
Perhaps all factions of the Three Realms were searching for the One Hundred and Eight Stars, using Heaven's Will to distinguish them.
"Is this because of the Twin Celestial Emperors of Righteousness and Demon? Or the Three Demons and Three Honored Ones?"
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
"Are you repeating these cruel experiments just to surpass them?"
"The Three Demons and Three Honored Ones? Hahaha."
The middle-aged man shook his head with a hollow expression.
"You're still only skimming the surface."
"What?"
"Our realm is actually protecting the Murim."
The middle-aged man's words echoed Hyeokryeon Eung's claim—that he was acting to safeguard the Murim.
'But the orb that led me here came from the fake Chae Ju-hong.'
A realization flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind, sparks of fury flickering in his eyes.
The fact that he had possessed an orb granting access to the Azure River Realm's secret facility...
This suggested not that he had stolen it from an opposing faction, but rather that there was a high probability of collaboration.
'The Azure River Realm is likely allied with the Abyssal Forces.'
If so, it meant there were factions both opposing and allying with the Three Realms.
Perhaps they were forces like the Three Clans, who had yet to reveal themselves in the Murim.
But Bu Eun-seol kept these thoughts to himself and feigned ignorance as he asked:
"Protecting them from what?"
"The truth is something you must discover for yourself."
The middle-aged man curled his lips.
"That cruel truth."
"..."
"When the time comes, you'll understand. That our realm is different from the Infinite Realm and the Return to Unity Realm."
Bu Eun-seol could sense it.
Unlike the Infinite Realm and the Return to Unity Realm, the Azure River Realm was not following an independent path.
It had also stepped into the Abyssal Forces—those hidden powers that had never revealed themselves in the Murim.
Otherwise, such words would never have been spoken.
"Whatever the truth may be, it doesn't matter."
Bu Eun-seol spoke flatly.
"Whether they're evil people or demonkin, I'll set them free."
His expression grew increasingly solemn as he continued.
"No one in this world has the right to arbitrarily control another's fate."
"You still don't grasp the situation, do you?"
The middle-aged man wore a hollow expression.
"Do you still not understand why I've been explaining our realm's affairs so thoroughly?"
He shook his head and went on.
"You've been receiving our goodwill all this time. You've consistently attacked the Infinite Realm, weakening their power."
The middle-aged man's voice grew colder.
"But now, even within our realm, opinions are divided. You walk a path that's neither the Demonic Path nor the Righteous Path—one that's impossible to pin down."
He spoke in an utterly low voice.
"Do not interfere in our realm's affairs any longer. If you keep destroying everything that displeases you, you will no longer receive our favor."
"So you're saying opinions are divided... because despite having always been favorable toward this Martial Soul Lord, my recent actions have become unpredictable."
"Precisely."
The middle-aged man spoke with confidence.
"Avoid making enemies with our realm if possible. If you do, there will be no place left in this world for you to stand."
"Huhuhu."
Bu Eun-seol burst into laughter as if finding the situation absurd.
"Hahahaha!"
"What's so amusing?"
Snap.
The laughter ceased, and Bu Eun-seol's pupils blazed like the sun.
"Do you think this Martial Soul Lord clashed with the Infinite Realm to curry your favor?"
"..."
"You said it yourself. Opinions are divided because my actions are unpredictable."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a smile brimming with contempt.
"How eloquently you declare that your realm can turn its back on me at any moment if I no longer suit its tastes."
And what of the Azure River Realm?
If Bu Eun-seol displeased them, they too would not hesitate to drive a dagger into his back.
"Martial Soul Lord. Think carefully. If you cling to that shallow pride, you'll eventually find yourself with no allies left."
"My allies?"
Bu Eun-seol sneered.
"Since when did I ever have allies in Murim?"
Murim operates solely on the principle of Might Makes Right. A place where there are neither eternal friends nor eternal enemies.
Even if they were the Heavenly Realm rather than the Three Realms, Bu Eun-seol had no intention of catering to their whims.
"So it comes to this."
The middle-aged man spoke solemnly.
"Martial Soul Lord. From this moment, you are an enemy of our realm."
Boom!
At the same instant, a terrifying surge of palm energy blasted toward Bu Eun-seol's face.
The middle-aged man, who had been subdued by sealed acupoints moments ago, had instantly immediately attacked.
Swish.
Yet Bu Eun-seol casually evaded the attack with effortless footwork.
Crrrrck.
The palm energy grazed past him, obliterating an entire stone wall in its wake. A truly fearsome display of might.
"Oh-ho."
The middle-aged man, having unleashed that devastating palm strike, pursed his lips in surprise.
"That first move of Evil Death Secret Confusion is supposed to be utterly unpredictable. Which means... you already knew I'd release my acupoints and attack."
"You boasted about enhancing your talent and physique through dual personalities. Naturally, you'd have a way to prevent your acupoints from being sealed."
Bu Eun-seol had deduced that the middle-aged man had also undergone the Great Art to create a split personality.
"Just as they say—your mind is sharp indeed."
"Given that palm energy, your martial prowess clearly surpasses that of a mere envoy."
Bu Eun-seol stepped forward again, his pupils burning like charcoal embers.
"You must be a Special Divine Rank of the Azure River Realm."
"So you've roughly grasped the hierarchy of our realm now."
The middle-aged man drew the treasured sword at his waist and spoke calmly.
"Heaven-Severing Venerable, Si Gyeong-rim."
The former envoy had, before one knew it, ascended to become a Special Divine Rank of the Azure River Realm.
This implied that promotions and demotions within their ranks occurred rapidly based on ability and martial prowess.
Considering how secret organizations typically maintain rigid hierarchies...
It suggested the Three Realms—including the Azure River Realm—hadn't completely vanished from sight.
Rather, they existed everywhere like transparent air, simply remaining unseen.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Just then, faint bell-striking echoes rang from somewhere.
Likely triggered by the collapsed stone wall, some hidden mechanism had sounded an intrusion alarm.
"This is no martial contest to measure skill levels."
Bu Eun-seol spoke coldly.
"Come at me without holding back."
"Gladly."
Crack.
Si Gyeong-rim wasted no time, immediately channeling his internal power.
His neck twisted unnaturally, followed by his skin tone and even the glint in his eyes changing—as though he had transformed into an entirely different person.
"Having never tasted defeat even once, I imagine ordinary opponents hardly merit your attention, no?"
The eyes of Si Gyeong-rim—now bearing the cold visage of a warrior rather than an unremarkable middle-aged man—emitted a blade-like radiance.
Shink!
Si Gyeong-rim's sword shot forward instantly.
Though it appeared to be a simple opening move of White Rainbow Pierces the Sun, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to retreat a step.
That single sword stroke.
It was so flawless that blocking it proved utterly impossible.
Swish.
Having evaded the attack with fluid footwork, Bu Eun-seol's gaze sharpened.
'He has every right to his pride.'
Considering his own martial prowess, retreating from a basic opening move like White Rainbow Pierces the Sun should have been unthinkable.
Which meant Si Gyeong-rim's sword stroke had been perfection itself—flawless beyond reproach.
Swish!
Si Gyeong-rim twisted the tip of his treasured sword sharply, unleashing another barrage of Sword Strokes toward Bu Eun-seol.
It was the First Appearance of the Sun Wheel, a foundational technique from the Diancang Sect's Sun-Shooting Sword Art.
Under normal circumstances, such a sword technique would have been incapable of harming Bu Eun-seol.
Yet when Si Gyeong-rim executed it, it became an unavoidable, lethal Sword Stroke.
Flash!
A brilliant gleam of light severed several strands of hair from the side of Bu Eun-seol's head.
Even after deploying Ultimate Speed Shadowless—not just relying on timing but executing a flawless martial form—he still couldn't completely evade the technique's range.
"So this is how it is."
Only now did he understand.
Why the Azure River Realm had subjected its disciples to such brainwashing.
For a martial artist, the most difficult thing was gwan a-chal—observing oneself objectively.
But what if there existed, within one's mind, a presence completely opposite to one's own temperament?
Then one could execute martial forms that mirrored the harmony of nature—utterly perfect.
Swish! Crrrack!
Si Gyeong-rim continued unleashing Sword Strokes.
They were derived from unremarkable techniques among the orthodox sword schools.
Yet they contained no openings, and their might was extraordinary.
'First, I'll test his Internal Power.'
A swirling blizzard of pale cold energy gathered in Bu Eun-seol's left hand.
The moment Si Gyeong-rim closed the distance, he unleashed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art at point-blank range.
Hwoooosh!
A terrifying surge of cold energy erupted like a storm wind, forcing Si Gyeong-rim to abandon evasion and instead spin his treasured sword violently.
It was the Life-Saving Ultimate Technique of the Whirlwind Sect—a second-rate sword school.
Yet its power surpassed even the finest swordplay of any major sect, forming an impenetrable wall of Sword Qi that roared like a tempest.
Whirr!
The raging cold energy of the Glacier Thousand Streams Art was deflected, scattering uselessly into the sky.
A second-rate sword technique from the Whirlwind Sect—
Had blocked the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, a technique refined through three centuries of accumulated Internal Power.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
But Bu Eun-seol didn't falter. Instead, he fused Water Essence Divine Qi with Ice Crystals, firing dozens of ice projectiles in rapid succession.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Si Gyeong-rim countered with the Azure Heaven Sword Sect's techniques, deflecting them effortlessly.
But that had been Bu Eun-seol's trap all along.
"Did you think I'd rely on just one method?"
Whoosh—Hwarrr!
An invisible, transparent current of energy had condensed in Bu Eun-seol's right hand.
While pouring out the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, he had also been channeling the Great Stillness Heat River True Qi—
Continuously scorching Si Gyeong-rim's internal organs with the penetrating force of Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy.
"Ghhhk—!"
As if struck by a fatal internal injury, Si Gyeong-rim staggered back in agony.
Crack.
His skin had already turned deathly pale again, his eyes reverting to a mundane appearance.
As Bu Eun-seol's assault intensified—
The hidden personality resurfaced, and his body seemed to reconfigure itself in response.
"Good!"
Boom! Clang!
Si Gyeong-rim stomped the ground, and a mysterious emblem flared to life across the wide passageway.
Simultaneously, the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy Bu Eun-seol had been unleashing gradually weakened.
Like the Infinite Realm and Yang Seol's faction, the Azure River Realm—
Had prepared formations and Esoteric Ritual Arts designed to neutralize the power of True Qi Martial Arts, anticipating formidable enemies.
"The only things you can rely on are your Internal Energy and Langya Pavilion's talent for stealing others' martial arts!"
Si Gyeong-rim's face twisted grotesquely as he unleashed a frenzied storm of sword techniques.
With the advantage of Internal Energy nullified—
He was clearly confident that the sheer profundity of his martial arts alone could overwhelm Bu Eun-seol.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
With every Sword Stroke Si Gyeong-rim unleashed, razor winds howled, threatening to flay Bu Eun-seol's skin with searing pain.
Each time Bu Eun-seol attempted to execute a move from the Formless Heavenly Flow, Si Gyeong-rim preemptively disrupted it.
It was as if he had studied a dismantling technique specifically for Bu Eun-seol's sword art.
'Of course he would have.'
The Azure River Realm had long recognized Bu Eun-seol as a potential enemy and researched countermeasures.
'In the end, all Three Realms are dens of madmen.'
The Azure River Realm had seemed like the most righteous of them.
Yet even they were merely cultivating powerhouses through twisted means—all for the sake of dominance.
'Their methods differ, though.'
The Infinite Realm, where Hyeokryeon Eung and the Heavenly Venerable resided, sought to create transcendent martial arts.
The Ghost Unity Realm he had witnessed on Cold Moon Island aimed to resurrect the martial arts of past superlative experts.
And the Azure River Realm amplified the profundity of existing martial arts through their unique brainwashing.
'With this method, given enough time, they could produce truly monstrous masters.'
BOOM!
As foundational forms clashed, shockwaves erupted in all directions.
Si Gyeong-rim's sword techniques were diametrically opposed to Bu Eun-seol's Formless Heavenly Flow, and carried tremendous destructive force.
Moreover, the moment even the slightest opening appeared, he seized it without fail, unleashing an intricate swordplay.
"For all your confidence, you're nothing special!"
Si Gyeong-rim let out a scornful laugh as Bu Eun-seol staggered back, unable to counter.
"Impressive."
If his martial arts, when he was a messenger, had been enhanced to this degree—
What if the existing Special Divine Rank figures succeeded in the Great Art of the Azure River Realm? They could reach unfathomable heights of martial prowess.
"And to think they can pursue perfection like this..."
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had mainly relied on identifying flaws in martial techniques and shattering them to secure victory.
But Si Gyeong-rim, despite possessing martial prowess far inferior to his own—
Was he not countering purely through the profundity of his martial forms, pressing him relentlessly?
He had only ever been wary of the Infinite Realm.
Yet the Azure River Realm, which had remained hidden, was also manipulating the Murim with its own formidable methods.
"This is the end!"
Spotting an opening in Bu Eun-seol's stance, Si Gyeong-rim unleashed his decisive sword stroke.
Flash!
His treasured sword flashed with a cold glint, and savage sword qi surged forward and backward, cutting off Bu Eun-seol's retreat.
'Sevenfold Path of Enlightenment.'
Shockingly, he had executed the highest sword art of the Sword Pavilion—
The Elegant Dream Sword's opening form, unleashed upon Bu Eun-seol.
Swish! Whooooosh!
Unpredictable sword qi fluttered like butterflies, pressing down on Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
It was even more exquisite than when the Sword Pavilion's highest elder had wielded it.
"Hahaha!"
Si Gyeong-rim, having poured out his swordplay, wore a smile of triumph.
It seemed impossible to escape—
Because Bu Eun-seol had stopped moving, standing rigidly in place.
Just as the Sevenfold Path of Enlightenment' opening form was about to pierce Bu Eun-seol's throat—
Srrring.
A low sword resonance hummed, and the Ink Soul Sword twisted at an uncanny angle—
Swish!
In an instant, it obliterated the sword qi of the Sevenfold Path of Enlightenment that sought his throat.
Fwooosh!
At the same time, like a salmon surging upstream, the Ink Soul Sword weaved through the cascading sword qi—
Thud.
With a dull sound, it pierced straight through Si Gyeong-rim's chest in one motion.
"How...?"
Si Gyeong-rim's face twisted in disbelief.
He had suppressed Bu Eun-seol's internal energy—
So how had the man, who had been helplessly retreating against his swordplay, turned the tables so effortlessly?
Could it be... that Bu Eun-seol had been holding back all this time?
"The Sword Pavilion's sword techniques have never been exposed to outsiders—they should be impossible to dismantle."
Si Gyeong-rim muttered with incomprehension.
"How did you break the finest stroke of the Elegant Dream Sword with mere basic forms?"
"Because I learned it."
Before leaving the Sword Pavilion in the past—
Bu Eun-seol had received instruction in the Sword Pavilion's supreme sword art, the Elegant Dream Sword, from A-yeon.
It had been under the pretext of a duel, a gesture of gratitude for saving the Sword Pavilion from crisis.
Afterward, Bu Eun-seol had studied the dismantling technique of the Elegant Dream Sword and realized a fundamental flaw in its forms.
The Elegant Dream Sword was a Daoist sword art that suppressed killing intent to the extreme—
The moment the opponent stopped moving, the technique halted, unable to progress further.
"Then A-yeon... she must have taught you."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
Si Gyeong-rim's tone and expression carried an ominous implication.
"Where is she?"
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's expression darken, Si Gyeong-rim chuckled as if amused.
"In the end, you too will be put to the test."
"What do you mean?"
"That girl is already being remade into the our realm's Jade Clarity Superior."
'Remade?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
"The Azure River Realm kidnapped the Sword Pavilion's successor?"
"Who knows?"
Si Gyeong-rim smirked sinisterly.
"No—by now, she should already be complete."
Bu Eun-seol moved frantically, striking Si Gyeong-rim's body with successive Finger Winds to staunch the bleeding from his chest wound.
Then, immediately infusing him with Reverse Polarity True Qi, he demanded:
"Where is she?"
"Heh heh heh..."
Si Gyeong-rim wore a cruel smile.
As if glimpsing the future.
"You will never be able to save her."
Splurt.
A fountain of blood erupted three feet high from Si Gyeong-rim's torn chest.
Using the power of the Reverse Polarity True Qi Bu Eun-seol had injected, he had instead severed his own heart meridian—committing suicide.
Thud.
Bu Eun-seol stared down at Si Gyeong-rim, his head lolling lifelessly to the side, his own gaze trembling violently.
"They kidnapped her."
Not content with subjecting both the wicked and the virtuous to their grotesque brainwashing—
Now they were kidnapping successors of the Righteous Sects to carry out their atrocities?
Until now, the Azure River Realm could not have been considered Bu Eun-seol's enemy.
But the moment they kidnapped and brainwashed the Sword Pavilion's successor—
They, too, became a malicious faction that recklessly disrupted the Murim, just like the Infinite Realm and the Return-to-One Realm.
They had become Bu Eun-seol's enemies.