Chapter 624
'This time, I was the arrogant one.'
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to admit it.
Had he stubbornly insisted on continuing to learn fist techniques—had he provoked Seok Chi-haeng into unleashing the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon in succession—he would have either died instantly from the first stance of Unrivaled Heaven and Earth or suffered grievous injuries.
He had foolishly tried to maintain composure against a Master like the Fist King, and his body had nearly been shattered into pieces.
"You weren't using fist techniques—you were pouring out True Qi."
Seok Chi-haeng, observing the energy flowing from Bu Eun-seol's body, had discerned that he wasn't wielding Fist Energy but rather expelling True Qi.
"That's why you're still standing."
"Correct."
"You got lucky surviving once. There won't be a second time."
Seok Chi-haeng sneered and raised both palms again.
Just as he prepared to execute Unrivaled Heaven and Earth once more—
Whoooosh—
A crimson energy surged from Bu Eun-seol's body. At the same time, an overwhelming pressure erupted before him.
It bore an uncanny resemblance to the opening stance of Seok Chi-haeng's Unrivaled Heaven and Earth.
"Hahaha. You're completely insane."
Seok Chi-haeng let out a hoarse laugh.
"If you could mimic Unrivaled Heaven and Earth in an instant, then this old man..."
His words trailed off.
Because right before his eyes, within the space between Bu Eun-seol's raised palms, the same energy flow as his own was taking shape.
'He executed Unrivaled Heaven and Earth in a single breath?'
Seok Chi-haeng's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull in shock, but soon, a vicious smile curled on his lips.
'Hmph. Even if you copied it, it's useless.'
The true terror of Unrivaled Heaven and Earth lay in its ability to absorb any martial technique into the swirling currents of Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang energy between the arms—then counterattack with that accumulated force.
Even if this brat had replicated the form, he couldn't possibly grasp the profound intricacies of Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang in an instant.
"I'll kill you!"
Seok Chi-haeng unleashed the first stance of Spirit-Shaped Hand with all his might.
CRACKLE—!
Azure energy surged forth, transforming into dozens of dragons that tore toward Bu Eun-seol's body.
SHOOOOOM—!
But then, something bizarre happened.
A violent torrent of energy erupted from Bu Eun-seol's arms—reflecting the Fist Energy of Seok Chi-haeng's Spirit-Shaped Hand back at him.
"Guh—!"
Seok Chi-haeng recoiled in shock and instinctively activated Unrivaled Heaven and Earth.
"I'll send it right back at you!"
Using the energy flow of Unrivaled Heaven and Earth, he attempted to absorb the rebounding Fist Energy with the profound principles of Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang.
'...Huh?'
But something was wrong.
The Fist Energy that should have been trapped within the swirling Yin-Yang currents between his arms was instead slowly creeping toward his own body.
BOOM—!
In the end, Seok Chi-haeng's body was sent flying over thirty yards away.
'What just happened?'
He couldn't comprehend this situation.
How had this occurred? Why hadn't the energy flow of Unrivaled Heaven and Earth been able to envelop that Fist Energy?
"What the hell did you do?"
Seok Chi-haeng's eyes widened as he roared.
"How did you steal my fist techniques?!"
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Seok Chi-haeng bellowed again and relentlessly repeated the four foundational stances of his fist techniques.
But the more he did so, the more refined and powerful Bu Eun-seol's techniques became in response.
It was as if a Master were demonstrating a technique—
And a disciple who surpassed the teacher was now internalizing and refining it further.
SWOOSH—!
Bu Eun-seol closed the distance in an instant and unleashed a barrage of fist techniques upon Seok Chi-haeng.
BAM! BAAAAAM—!
Though his fist was singular, dozens of afterimages rained down in succession.
He was employing the profound intricacies of Spirit-Shaped Hand from the Azure Light First Form.
"No chance!"
Seok Chi-haeng blocked with the same stance.
But unlike the Azure Light First Form, where the afterimages lacked real force—
The Spirit-Shaped Hand stance fused with the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon carried full power in every shadow, with no feints whatsoever.
CRASH—!
Unable to block the onslaught, Seok Chi-haeng took a direct hit to his lower abdomen and staggered back.
"...How?"
Seok Chi-haeng couldn't believe it.
His entire life had been built upon the pride of having reached the pinnacle of fist techniques.
Yet this young brat had instantly stolen the Azure Heaven Seven Forms?
Not only that—he was executing them even more masterfully than Seok Chi-haeng himself?
KWA-BOOOOOM—!
But there was no time to dwell on it. Bu Eun-seol was already launching another fist technique.
BAM! BAM!
As thunderous Fist Energy poured down, Seok Chi-haeng tried to steady his chaotic mind and counter with the Azure Heaven Seven Forms in rapid succession.
'How is this possible? HOW?'
But the shock refused to fade, and his mind was plagued by endless questions of why?
As his focus splintered, his stances grew unstable, and his movements became erratic.
THUD.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol closed the gap and drove his fist into Seok Chi-haeng's lower abdomen.
Seok Chi-haeng's eyes bulged.
The Fist King, struck in the gut?
Such crude stances were only seen in the brawls of third-rate martial artists, weren't they?
"I can't... believe this..."
Those were his last words before his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.
THUMP.
As Seok Chi-haeng hit the ground, Bu Eun-seol wiped the sweat from his brow.
In truth, this entire battle had been a fluke.
He had merely adapted the Azure Heaven Seven Forms, which shared similar principles, into the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
In terms of pure fist technique skill, even if Bu Eun-seol died and came back to life, he could never surpass Seok Chi-haeng.
But from Seok Chi-haeng's perspective—
A ghost had appeared before him, instantly replicating the fist techniques he had honed over a lifetime.
Faced with something utterly inconceivable, his Mental Power fractured, his stances destabilized—and in the end, he had taken a fist to the gut from Bu Eun-seol.
"Could he too have seen the same manual?"
Bu Eun-seol had discerned that Seok Chi-haeng's Azure Heaven Seven Forms was also limited to just four forms.
Which meant that neither the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon nor the Azure Heaven Seven Forms had been passed down in their complete, seven-form versions.
Most likely, both manuals had originally contained all seven forms, but only the first four had been extracted and preserved.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol looked down at the unconscious Seok Chi-haeng with an apologetic expression.
Had they fought with swords at full strength? It wouldn't have been this easy to win.
But by using the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, which was eerily similar to Seok Chi-haeng's own martial arts, he had absorbed and shattered the Azure Heaven Seven Forms—the very fist techniques that had earned Seok Chi-haeng the title of Fist King.
Faced with such an unbelievable turn of events, Seok Chi-haeng's normally composed Spirit and Mind had crumbled.
In the end, the Fist King had suffered a humiliating defeat, unworthy of his name.
"I don't know what you were doing here, but rest for now."
Bu Eun-seol sharply pressed Seok Chi-haeng's Demon Blood Point.
With this, he wouldn't be waking up for at least three days and nights.
"This place will do."
After surveying his surroundings, Bu Eun-seol spotted a small cave hidden among the shattered rocks.
He dragged Seok Chi-haeng's massive frame inside and sealed the entrance with a large boulder.
This way, he wouldn't be harmed by wild beasts and could recover safely.
Crack.
As he gazed at the fortress entrance, Bu Eun-seol activated the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art once more, transforming into Seok Chi-haeng's visage.
If the Fist King held a high position here, this disguise would make infiltration much easier.
'Perhaps...'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath as he looked up at the fortress gates.
According to Yang Seol-rin, there existed factions in Murim that operated in the shadows—forces that opposed the Three Realms.
Perhaps this place was one of them.
Creak.
Disguised as Seok Chi-haeng, Bu Eun-seol stepped through the towering fortress gates.
And what greeted him was a sight beyond imagination.
'What... is this place?'
The interior of the fortress was like something out of a myth—strange, surreal, and utterly alien.
Beyond the gates stretched an expansive forest, filled with trees and exotic flora unseen in the Central Plains.
Scattered among them were mushroom-shaped structures, their forms seamlessly blending into the trees as if grown from them.
'The material is unusual.'
The mushroom-shaped buildings weren't made of wood.
Instead, their surfaces were a deep green, as if crafted from the shed skin of some massive reptilian creature.
From a distance, they resembled houses carved from the hide of a colossal lesser dragon.
And at the heart of this forest stood a blackened tower, its surface gleaming like polished metal, etched with bizarre sigils.
'Fascinating.'
That such a vast forest existed within the fortress was astonishing enough.
But to have structures and plants unlike anything in the Central Plains?
'Moreover...'
The moment he entered, the Reverse Polarity True Qi flowing through Bu Eun-seol's body began to weaken.
A strange energy emanating from the ground was disrupting the circulation of his True Qi.
'If not the Art of Spells, then it must be Imperial Court Martial Arts.'
Creating a Domain that suppressed Internal Energy was a lost art in Murim—either a forgotten Art of Spells or a secret technique of the Imperial Court Martial Arts.
'But the Art of Spells was said to have died out long ago...'
Officially, the Art of Spells had vanished ages past.
Yet the Three Realms had repeatedly employed bizarre Great Arts and mystical techniques.
'So that's why they supported extinct sects.'
The Three Realms had been secretly reviving sects that had supposedly vanished.
Perhaps they had been working all along to restore lost Arts of Spells and other forgotten techniques.
Crunch. Crunch.
Just then, a figure clad in white robes emerged from the opposite direction.
Their face was concealed behind a hemispherical iron mask.
'Now that I think about it...'
The few figures scattered throughout the forest all wore iron masks—some square, some triangular, each unique in shape.
"Why have you entered this place?"
The masked man frowned at Bu Eun-seol, still disguised as Seok Chi-haeng.
"This isn't your time to be here."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his surprise.
He had assumed that someone of Seok Chi-haeng's caliber would at least be a core member of this organization.
But from the masked man's tone, the Fist King was treated as little more than a Gatekeeper.
"I just... had something to check."
Though he mimicked Seok Chi-haeng's voice, Bu Eun-seol let his words trail off uncertainly.
He had no way of knowing the masked man's rank—or how Seok Chi-haeng normally spoke.
"Hmph. You must have come drooling to see her, or to drink the Heavenly Peach Bay White Elixir."
'So the Fist King is either obsessed with a woman... or addicted to some drug?'
As Bu Eun-seol pieced together possible scenarios—
"Get lost. Don't wander around and get yourself beaten to death."
The masked man scoffed, sweeping a disdainful gaze over Bu Eun-seol before turning away.
'This place...'
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned blank.
A Domain that suppressed Internal Energy using techniques like the Imperial Court Martial Arts?
Treating someone like the Fist King as a mere Gatekeeper?
If that was the case...
'Then this must be one of the factions opposing the Three Realms.'
Bu Eun-seol's instincts screamed at him.
This was the very place Yang Seol-rin had spoken of—the hidden underbelly of Murim, the Abyss that had never once revealed itself in the light.
One of the shadow factions lurking beneath the surface.
'This is dangerous.'
If this truly was the place he suspected, infiltrating like this was reckless.
Without thorough investigation and absolute preparation, his true identity could be exposed—
In the worst-case scenario, he would be trapped with no way forward or back.
Whoosh.
Bu Eun-seol immediately turned his body.
Just as he was about to step back outside—
"Wait."
The masked man he had turned away from earlier was already blocking his path, as if he had appeared out of thin air. His movements were ghostly.
"No matter how I think about it, this is strange. Sneaking in at this hour..."
A sharp glint flashed in the eyes behind the mask. He was suspicious of Bu Eun-seol's identity.
'Should I kill him?'
Though he couldn't sense any aura, the man's lightning-fast movements alone suggested his martial arts were formidable. If Bu Eun-seol couldn't subdue him in a single move, he would be trapped here immediately.
However, as his internal energy continued to wane, Bu Eun-seol secretly gathered Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
"Speak."
"..."
"Why did you barge in when entry is forbidden at this hour?"
"That is—"
As Bu Eun-seol lowered his head, the Thunder Essence Divine Qi gathered in his fist transformed into the Wind-Coiling Flowing Clouds variation of the First Azure Heaven Form—ready to strike the white-robed man's heart in an instant.
"Ah, why are you only arriving now?"
Just then, a woman in loose robes and a round iron mask waved her hand from a distance.
"I called him here. There's something I want to try."
At her words, the masked man hesitated before replying, "That old man again?"
"Whether he's old or young, that's my business to decide."
"Tch."
The masked man scratched his head roughly. "It's useless anyway. No matter what you do, it won't make a difference."
"I'll handle it."
The masked man glanced between Bu Eun-seol and the woman, then sighed and shook his head.
"Do as you please."
In the next moment, he vanished into the depths of the forest.
'That masked woman holds a high position.'
Though the masked man spoke casually, he hadn't dared to provoke her, and his tone had softened. Clearly, the woman in the round mask held significant authority.
"Hmm."
The woman watched the masked man disappear before turning to Bu Eun-seol.
"Follow me."
When Bu Eun-seol hesitated, she added in a low voice, "With a very pleased expression."
Her gaze and tone seemed to say: I know you're not Seok Chi-haeng. If you don't want to die, come quickly.
Bu Eun-seol blinked. Without waiting for a response, the woman turned and walked away.
'No choice.'
With no other option, Bu Eun-seol adjusted his expression and followed her.
The woman strode briskly, leading him deeper into the forest until they reached a small, dilapidated house at the edge of the woods. Unlike the others, it was ancient, with smoke curling from somewhere inside.
"Come in."
As she opened the door, Bu Eun-seol saw an array of strange tools, liquids, and metal fragments. If not for the bottles of liquid, it could have been mistaken for a forge.
"Impressive," the woman remarked, eyeing Bu Eun-seol. "Even if he's someone of some standing in the martial world, subduing him? Just who are you?"
Bu Eun-seol was startled twice over—she had instantly discerned not only his youth but also that he hadn't killed Seok Chi-haeng.
"I am a wandering rogue of the Martial World."
Now that he knew this place was an undisclosed faction, Bu Eun-seol decided to use the identity of Seol-so rather than Seon-u Jin.
"Ah, a young rogue who defeated Seok Chi-haeng?" She laughed as if seeing through the lie—understandable, since no young rogue in the Martial World could overpower the Fist King.
"That is—"
Before Bu Eun-seol could respond, she waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind that. How did you get in here?"
She sat comfortably at the table and removed her mask, revealing delicate but weary features—pale, with dark circles under her eyes, like an exhausted scholar.
"No need to be tense," she said, smiling faintly. "If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have intervened."
"Just what is this place?" Bu Eun-seol asked.
Her mouth fell open in disbelief. "You came in without even knowing?"
"That's right."
"And you're not from the Infinite Realm?"
"The Infinite Realm?"
As Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed, she continued, "If you're not one of theirs, how did you bypass the Absolute Boundary surrounding this place?"
Bu Eun-seol's mind flashed with realization. Yang Seol-rin's words from the past resurfaced:
—Had I deployed the Absolute Boundary, the outcome would have been different.
Were these people from the Yang Seol family? Or did they share the same techniques?
One thing was certain: the term Absolute Boundary referred to a method of severing a space from the world.
Bu Eun-seol replied calmly, "A bolt of lightning struck from the sky. A large gap appeared, so I entered out of curiosity."
"Hmm."
There was no flaw in his words, yet the woman smiled faintly, as if sensing he was hiding much more.
"Fine. What does it matter? Whether you belong to some faction or not—who cares?" She grinned playfully. "As long as you bring this place down, that's enough."
"What do you mean?"
"Bring it down. This place."
Bu Eun-seol was bewildered. He had no idea where he was, who this woman was, or what her intentions might be.
"How can I destroy a place when I don't even know what it is?"
"Sharp tongue," she chuckled. "This place is called the Ancient Sword Forest."
Bu Eun-seol blinked. Though he prided himself on knowing Martial World history better than anyone, he had never heard that name before.
"What does the Ancient Sword Forest do?"
Without hesitation, she answered.
"A place where Black Divine Artifacts are forged."
Thud.
As if struck by a physical blow, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flew wide open.
Sacred Relics that surpass the limits of Martial Arts...
The Ancient Sword Forest was crafting Black Divine Artifacts?