Chapter 622
Bu Eun-seol and Bukgung Ryeong headed down Wudang Mountain.
The first-generation disciples and elders of the Wudang Sect bowed deeply in farewell to the departing pair.
It was undoubtedly an expression of gratitude toward Bukgung Ryeong and Bu Eun-seol, who had rushed to their aid in resolving the Wudang Sect's crisis.
Song-ak escorted them all the way to the foot of the mountain where a carriage awaited, his face tinged with regret.
"Honorary Guardian, Benefactor Bu. I will surely repay this debt someday."
Bu Eun-seol and Bukgung Ryeong exchanged glances and shared a wry smile.
Song-ak still didn't know the full truth of the incident—he simply believed everything had been resolved thanks to Bukgung Ryeong and Bu Eun-seol.
"We merely helped each other. There's no debt between us."
As Bu Eun-seol smiled, Song-ak's expression also brightened with a clear, warm smile.
The two were of different paths and generations.
Yet, before they knew it, a bond of friendship had blossomed between them.
"Take care, Honorary Guardian."
Bukgung Ryeong nodded lightly, then boarded the carriage with Bu Eun-seol and departed.
"It seems we'll have much to do from now on."
Bukgung Ryeong, who had been silently gazing out the window, spoke to Bu Eun-seol.
"We'll need to solidify a firm faction within the Martial Alliance."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a faint smile.
He could guess that Bukgung Ryeong's intentions were to support him.
"Is that truly necessary?"
"My old bones haven't rusted over yet, you know."
Bukgung Ryeong smirked self-deprecatingly.
"It's not just for you—it's for the sake of the Murim. Since my name's been carved into things like the Hero Stele, I ought to earn my keep."
His generation had already passed.
Now, it was up to the younger generation, like Bu Eun-seol, to move forward.
So what he needed to do now was gather trustworthy figures and consolidate their strength.
That way, they could act immediately when the time came.
"I see."
As Bu Eun-seol smiled, Bukgung Ryeong continued.
"Where are you headed next? You don't seem like you're returning to the Martial Alliance."
"Ah."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol seem to remember something and asked:
"That fake Song-ok—when I killed him, he mentioned a place called Mountain Beneath the Earth."
"Mountain Beneath the Earth?"
"Yes. As far as I know, no such mountain exists. Have you heard of it?"
Bukgung Ryeong pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"Even I've never heard of a mountain by that name."
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol stroked his chin.
"Regardless, I'll investigate Mountain Beneath the Earth a bit more before leaving."
"You can't just keep your seat empty forever. This is the Martial Alliance, not the Demon Hall."
"Don't worry. I have my shadow."
"Your shadow?"
Bu Eun-seol briefly explained about Seo Jin-ha, who acted as his shadow.
It wasn't just because he trusted Bukgung Ryeong—it was also to prevent any confusion or disruption in case Bukgung Ryeong encountered Seo Jin-ha while he was posing as Seon-u Jin.
"Thorough as always."
Bukgung Ryeong clicked his tongue.
"Well, with preparations like that, no wonder you're playing the role of the Alliance's Chief."
"I've already told him all about you. If you ever meet him instead of me, treat him well."
"Don't worry. I won't be the one to ruin the plan."
Uncharacteristically, Bukgung Ryeong smiled.
In response, a smile also bloomed on Bu Eun-seol's lips.
"Then, until we meet again."
Bu Eun-seol stepped off the moving carriage and immediately headed for the safe house in Xi'an Prefecture, where the Death Soul Squad's covert branch was located.
As expected, there was no such place as Mountain Beneath the Earth.
The Death Soul Squad had spent three days and nights investigating at full strength, scouring not only the Central Plains but also all the Outer Regions.
Yet, despite their efforts, they found no mountain bearing that name.
Mountains cannot hide their locations or flee on their own feet.
Despite mobilizing the full intelligence network of the Death Soul Squad—the Demonic Path's foremost information warfare division—they couldn't locate even a single ordinary mountain.
In the end, it seemed Mountain Beneath the Earth simply didn't exist.
"Beneath the earth..."
Bu Eun-seol sat in the secret chamber of the safe house, lost in deep thought.
Had the old man disguised as Song-ok deliberately lied?
'No, that can't be.'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Even if he couldn't trust the old man's words, he could trust A-yeon's.
Yet Mountain Beneath the Earth was nowhere to be found.
That could only mean it wasn't a simple place name but perhaps a secret code or an esoteric term known only to them.
"How can there be a mountain beneath the earth?"
As he pondered, Bu Eun-seol's eyes suddenly flashed with realization.
"Mountain Beneath the Earth... A mountain in the middle of the ground."
Until now, he had discovered numerous underground fortresses belonging to the Three Realms.
If that were the case, then it would naturally be referred to as underground.
But if there were a mountain in the middle of the ground—wouldn't that take the form of a massive well?
"Could they possibly mean a volcanic lake?"
There was no such thing as a mountain-shaped well.
In that case, perhaps it referred to a crater lake—a body of water formed in the caldera of a volcano?
"If it's a volcanic lake..."
Bu Eun-seol stroked his chin.
"Then the most likely candidate would be Hogwangam in Guangdong."
Of course, if he considered locations beyond the Central Plains, there were several volcanic lakes.
But if he limited his search to within the Central Plains, the only one that came to mind was Hogwangam in Guangdong.
"I'll go there first."
Leaving the safe house, Bu Eun-seol immediately headed for Guangdong.
After several days of continuous Lightness Art travel, he soon arrived in Leizhou Prefecture.
Without delay, he made his way to the Hogwangam area and began scouring every inch of the place.
'This isn't it either.'
But he couldn't find anything particularly noteworthy.
Thinking back, a volcanic lake was, by definition, still a volcano. It couldn't truly be called a mountain in the middle of the ground.
'A wasted effort.'
A bitter expression crossed Bu Eun-seol's face.
Looking back, the clue had been far too flimsy.
Trying to locate a secretive faction's hideout based solely on the term Mountain Beneath the Earth had been unreasonable from the start.
Bu Eun-seol turned and left Hogwangam behind.
But not long after, he came across a crystal-clear lake that seemed to open up his chest with its vastness.
For a moment, he paused and gazed at the lake.
Just as he was about to resume his Lightness Art, a sudden glimmer caught his eye—a single blue mountain reflected in the water.
"Mountain Beneath the Earth."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
The mountain in the reflection wasn't one that rose from the ground, nor was it an underground formation.
It was, quite literally, a mountain within the earth—formed in its very center.
'So, Mountain Beneath the Earth refers to the reflection of a mountain in the lake.'
Having grasped the meaning, Bu Eun-seol headed toward the mountain within the reflection.
"Hmm."
As he ventured deeper into the endlessly dense forest, an eerie energy brushed against his senses.
The once-clear sky had darkened without warning, and a thick fog now shrouded the woods.
The further he went, the more his True Qi seemed to drain away, his meridians loosening unnaturally.
'Imperial Court Martial Arts.'
Imperial Court Martial Arts specialized in sealing the Internal Energy of martial artists.
Moreover, they could confine its effects to a specific area, much like a Boundary Formation.
Everything unfolding here seemed to stem from those very techniques.
'I hope this works.'
Most martial artists knew nothing of the origins of Imperial Court Martial Arts or the principles behind their techniques.
But Bu Eun-seol, having wandered the martial world and faced the Three Realms, had encountered countless bizarre martial arts.
That was why he could guess that the power permeating this forest was akin to Esoteric Ritual Arts.
Zing.
The moment Water Essence Divine Qi enveloped his body, the loosening of his meridians gradually ceased.
The Two Spirit Energies were effective even against the power of Imperial Court Martial Arts.
'No wonder the Infinite Realm covets this kind of strength.'
Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply as he observed the transparent energy lingering in his palm.
The Infinite Realm's human experimentation had multiple purposes—strengthening the physical body, yes, but ultimately, it was to artificially replicate the Four Spirit Energies.
Which meant, perhaps...
Had the Infinite Realm been locked in a long-standing conflict with those who wielded such bizarre powers?
After all, no matter how alien the opposing force, the Four Spirit Energies could counter them all.
Crunch, crunch.
As Bu Eun-seol walked along the path, he stretched out his hand.
Though the way ahead appeared unobstructed, he could go no further.
It was as if an invisible, transparent wall had been erected before him.
Whoosh!
The moment he unleashed the Water Essence Divine Qi gathered in his left hand, a surge of transparent force expanded outward.
But the result was unexpected.
Until now, any Art of Spells would collapse the instant they came into contact with Water Essence Divine Qi.
Yet now, no matter how long he poured it forth, the space only rippled like disturbed water—
Still, he couldn't break through whatever was blocking his path.
Hummm!
After channeling the energy for over seven and a half minutes, his breathing grew labored.
'It's still an external force, then.'
The Four Spirit Energies were the power of nature, circulating and regenerating within the body with perfect harmony.
But Bu Eun-seol, having received Water Essence Divine Qi from an external source, couldn't endlessly expend it yet.
"If I had to choose, the Thunder Essence Divine Qi feels more natural to me."
Whenever Bu Eun-seol wielded the power of the Two Spirit Energies, he habitually drew upon the Water Essence Divine Qi first.
The reason was simple—unlike the Thunder Essence Divine Qi, which emitted a vivid violet radiance the moment it was activated, the Water Essence Divine Qi left no outward trace no matter how much he used it.
Yet, upon reflection, the energy that had truly taken root within his body was the Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
The power he had gained in the lightning-stricken plains of All Swords Land was nearly on par with that of the Thunder God, Noe Bi-hon.
In other words, between the Two Spirit Energies, the one Bu Eun-seol could wield more powerfully and naturally was, without a doubt, the Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Crackle! Fzzzt!
As he summoned the Thunder Essence Divine Qi, violet flames surged across his body before erupting outward in violent arcs of lightning.
BOOM!
When Bu Eun-seol thrust his right hand forward, purple lightning crashed relentlessly against the transparent barrier blocking his path.
CRACKLE! RUMBLE!
With each surge of Thunder Essence Divine Qi, the sound of something shattering and collapsing echoed endlessly.
How much time had passed?
Piiiiiii—
A strange, high-pitched noise rang out as the transparent wall before him gradually dissolved.
It was as if the Thunder Essence Divine Qi had melted the invisible glass barrier in an instant.
"Fascinating."
Bu Eun-seol let out a soft exclamation as he ran his fingers over the space where the wall had been.
He couldn't tell whether the transparent barrier had been an Art of Spells or an Imperial Court Martial Arts technique.
But the fact that such an intangible force could be erected like a physical object—
It was akin to a phenomenon that transcended the very principles of martial arts.
Swish.
As he stepped through the breached space, another forest stretched out before him.
But though it was daytime, this place was shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
Even more unsettling—a blood-red moon hung in the sky.
"Is this even possible?"
The martial world had Boundary Formations and Esoteric Ritual Arts capable of dividing space.
But for a place to be split into a completely different time frame, as if by some unfathomable mystic art—
He had never even heard of such a thing, not even in jest.
After a brief moment of contemplation,
Crk—
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated the Face Changing and Bone Shifting Art, transforming Seol-so's face into Seon-u Jin's.
Bu Eun-seol had far too many enemies.
While Seol-so was his most covert identity, that of a wandering martial artist held little weight in negotiations with established sects.
If this place belonged to a large and mysterious faction—
Then Seon-u Jin, a member of the Martial Alliance, would be the most useful identity here.
After walking for some time, an unfamiliar landscape unfolded before Bu Eun-seol.
Though it was still a forest,
The trees were three or four times taller and thicker than before, their leaves broad as umbrellas.
From a distance, it looked like a forest where the Giantfolk might dwell.
'There's the entrance.'
A massive fortress loomed halfway up the mountain. It was likely the stronghold of Mountain Beneath the Earth.
Thud. Thud.
As he finally approached the fortress gates, a figure emerged, walking toward him with slow, deliberate steps.
An elderly man with a massive, muscular frame.
His face, neck, and arms were covered in countless tiny scars, giving the impression from afar that he was wrapped in a web of violet threads.
But Bu Eun-seol's gaze wasn't fixed on the man's skin—it was locked onto his right arm.
His right arm was swollen to nearly three or four times the size of his normal left arm.
It looked as though the limb of a giant had been grafted onto the body of an ordinary man.
"Could it be—?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
In the martial world, there was only one master known for having a grotesquely enlarged right arm.
Alongside the Palm King, Yuk Jang-cheon, he was one of the few said to have reached the pinnacle of Fist, Palm, Finger, and Foot Arts—
The Fist King, Seok Chi-haeng.
"Are you the Fist King himself?"
"I am."
Seok Chi-haeng's eyes burned like an active volcano.
"How did you get in here?"
Bu Eun-seol's pupils flickered with confusion at the question.
The Fist King was known to wander the Rivers and Lakes aimlessly, like a drifting cloud, devoted solely to the Martial Way.
But now, his tone and demeanor made him seem like nothing more than a gatekeeper standing guard over this fortress.
"I... ended up here by chance," Bu Eun-seol replied, feigning ignorance.
"And what brings you here, honored elder?"
Seok Chi-haeng was a long-reigning master among the Four Gods and Seven Kings, a true martial artist who had once roamed the martial world alone, seeking duels to hone his skills.
Currently, Bu Eun-seol was maintaining the identity of Seon-u Jin, hence he was being treated as a senior.
"You came in by coincidence?"
Seok Chi-haeng let out a derisive snort.
"Do you have any idea how many stragglers from the Infinite Realm I've disposed of—rats like you, sneaking in here with their identities hidden?"
"The Infinite Realm?"
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow and shook his head.
"I am a Chief of the Martial Alliance."
"Hahaha. Ridiculous."
Seok Chi-haeng glared at him, his voice icy.
"So, these days, the Great Lords of the Martial Alliance possess over six cycles of internal energy and can unleash the Evil-Breaking Divine Energy capable of shattering the Eight Essence Black Jade Art, is that it?"
'So it was an Art of Spells.'
Judging by Seok Chi-haeng's words, the transparent barrier earlier had been one.
Even if it could be broken with the power of Evil-Breaking, the spell itself required internal energy surpassing six cycles to bypass.
It seemed he had witnessed Bu Eun-seol breaking through the barrier from somewhere.
"See? You lot always come crawling like cockroaches toward our sect, making up excuses one after another."
"The True Forest?"
Bu Eun-seol tilted his head in confusion.
From the Fist King's response, it appeared he was referring to the sect within the fortress as the True Forest in some way.
"What sect exactly does the True Forest refer to?"
Seok Chi-haeng ignored the question.
"I don't know what kind of act you're putting on, but it's useless."
Before anyone realized, a tempest-like surge of internal power had begun swirling in Seok Chi-haeng's left hand.
"Once you've entered this place, the only way out is to become a Wandering Spirit."
Even before he unleashed his fist technique, the ground beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
"Fine."
Realizing further conversation was pointless, Bu Eun-seol raised his internal energy.
'Actually, this is a good opportunity.'
The Fist King, Seok Chi-haeng.
He was known to possess strength nearly on par with the Palm King, Yuk Jang-cheon.
After all, for Bu Eun-seol to eventually become the Leader, he would have to defeat his rival, Yuk Jang-cheon.
Facing Seok Chi-haeng, who was of similar caliber, would allow him to gauge the Palm King's true strength.
Ooom—
As Bu Eun-seol's internal energy surged, Seok Chi-haeng's eyes widened.
The rippling waves of true qi were beyond imagination—both in purity and depth.
"The Three Realms' trash has spawned another monster."
"You strike first."
The moment Bu Eun-seol reverted to his original voice and speech,
"You've got guts."
Seok Chi-haeng, sneering, immediately made his move.
Swish—
A faint breeze brushed past Bu Eun-seol's cheek.
BOOM!
At the same time, a massive great tree beside him exploded into splinters as if obliterated.
"You dare tell me to strike first?"
Seok Chi-haeng spoke as if disgusted.
"Go ahead. That will be the last martial art you ever perform in this life."
'Incredible might.'
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol glanced at the shattered remnants of the tree.
The Four Gods and Seven Kings.
They were masters who not only excelled in their respective martial disciplines but also wielded immense influence over the martial world.
However, until now, Bu Eun-seol had not held them in particularly high regard.
After slaying the Beggar King, his martial prowess had advanced significantly, and he had already matched Bukgung Ryeong, the Bullet King, who ranked mid-tier among the Seven Kings.
Thus, he had only been wary of the Four Divine Figures—each possessing mysterious powers—and Yeop Hyo-cheon, the Dark King, who was said to have reached the pinnacle of the Seven Kings.
The rest of the Seven Kings? He had considered them nothing special.
But seeing the Fist King now completely overturned that assumption.
'This man is the real deal.'
With just a casual strike,
the Fist King demonstrated might surpassing even the Bullet King, Bukgung Ryeong, unleashing his Inner Energy Bullet Art.
Not only that, but within a single fist, he had woven together the intricacies of multiple martial arts.
"What a waste of time."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol standing motionless, Seok Chi-haeng assumed he had frozen in fear and shook his head dismissively.
"Just die."
His killing intent flared as he thrust out another fist.
BOOM! BOOM!
A single martial form unleashed, yet two explosive impacts resounded.
Simultaneously, terrifying fist energy surged toward Bu Eun-seol from both sides.
'Strong.'
Tap!
Bu Eun-seol leaped upward in an instant, evading the fist energy.
BOOM!
Another explosion erupted as he landed back on the ground.
Now it was clear—the fist energy from both sides had been a feint, while the invisible fist energy flying toward his back was the real attack.
"Monstrous bastard."
Seok Chi-haeng's pupils trembled like waves.
His casual fist strike could pulverize mountains.
Yet Bu Eun-seol, struck squarely in the back, stood firm, dispersing a radiant stream of internal energy.