Chapter 626
The Great Yin-Yang Art
The Great Yin-Yang Art was a profound method with various functions—igniting latent energy through the union of man and woman, healing a body on the brink of death, and more.
The problem was that to perform the Great Yin-Yang Art, both man and woman had to be virgins.
"Are you serious?"
"Half and half?"
As Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow, Bi-yeon laughed as if she had expected that reaction.
"It's a joke. How could this old woman dare to covet a young hero like you?"
Giggling, she composed herself and spoke solemnly.
"Stay here with me and train. Then you'll be able to ascend the tower."
"For a hundred days, you mean?"
"Yes."
"What kind of training do you mean?"
"First, you must purify your body and mind."
Bi-yeon took a deep breath.
"All the gates inside the tower belong to the realm of enlightenment—they cannot be broken through by force alone."
"So it's not a battle formation but an esoteric ritual art?"
"It's a little different from that. Think of it as harnessing the power of nature."
Then she added one more thing.
"And just so you know, even if you've erected mental barriers, they won't help. This isn't an illusion."
Surprisingly, Bi-yeon seemed to have guessed that Bu Eun-seol had reached the Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough, making him immune to illusions or the Mind-Seizing Art.
"Your martial arts are formidable enough to subdue Seok Chi-haeng, so if you delve a little deeper into the principles of martial arts for enlightenment, you'll succeed."
"I have no intention of studying martial arts here. Nor do I have the time for it."
"To ascend the tower, you must possess martial skills and a spirit capable of overcoming the Black Divine Artifact's power. Otherwise, you won't even be able to approach it."
Bi-yeon spoke calmly.
"I only said a hundred days because I recognize your exceptional talent. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to climb that tower even if they trained for a hundred years."
At first glance, her words were hard to grasp.
The Black Divine Artifact possessed abilities that transcended the boundaries of martial arts.
Yet she claimed one needed martial skills and a spirit capable of surpassing them?
"Is the Forest Lord truly in that tower?"
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol grew suspicious.
"If he's such a remarkable figure, why would he need to layer so many traps?"
"Does it sound like a lie?"
"If that were the case, the Forest Lord would have to disable the mechanisms every time he ascended. Wouldn't that be bothersome?"
"There's an easy way to disable them all at once."
"Regardless, I refuse."
Bu Eun-seol spoke flatly.
"I'm well-versed in Mechanism Formations. I can disable traps without needing to break through them, so let's skip the training."
"Hmm, I'm afraid that won't work."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
He sensed that Bi-yeon was hiding something from him.
"Then negotiations have broken down."
He turned away coldly.
"I'll find my own way to ascend the tower. Don't interfere further."
"Fine. Do as you please."
Bi-yeon watched him turn with a mischievous smile.
"That is, if you never want to remove the Mind-Forgetting Mask."
Bu Eun-seol turned around.
He had guessed that "Mind-Forgetting Mask" referred to the rounded iron mask he wore.
"Without my help, you won't be able to take it off."
Bu Eun-seol gripped the mask and pulled.
Immediately, a pain as if his skull were being torn apart shot through him.
It felt as though transparent needles had sprung from the mask, stitching themselves into his flesh and veins.
"Did you really think I put that mask on you out of pure goodwill?"
"So there's no way to remove it?"
"Don't worry."
Bi-yeon spoke leisurely.
"If you train with me for a hundred days, I'll release it immediately."
"I don't have that kind of time."
"That's not my concern."
"I loathe repeating myself."
"Are you going to use force?"
Bi-yeon flicked her fingers with a snap.
Instantly, his throat tightened, making it hard to breathe.
Like the golden headband used by the Tang Monk to control Sun Wukong, the Mind-Forgetting Mask responded to her will, constricting Bu Eun-seol's windpipe.
"Just because I seek death doesn't mean you should assume I'm weaker than you."
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Even as an unknown force choked him, Bu Eun-seol spoke coldly.
"You've made the worst possible choice."
Crack.
In an instant, he unleashed a Finger Wind, striking her Demon Blood Point, then injected sharp Reverse Polarity True Qi into her Life Gate Acupoint.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
As the True Qi surged in, scalding tears poured from Bi-yeon's eyes.
The Life Gate Acupoint was the nerve center—
The master of vitality, a point where pure True Qi could be infused to save a life.
Conversely, injecting sharp True Qi here triggered agony as if the spine were being severed.
And with even the slightest misapplication of force, it could instantly become a Death Point, cutting off breath entirely.
"Tell me how to remove the mask."
Yet her expression remained unchanged.
Bu Eun-seol refined the Reverse Polarity True Qi into something finer and sharper than a needle.
The pain was beyond what any human could endure.
But she didn't let out a single scream, enduring it all in silence.
"What's inside that tower? What do you want from me?"
Despite his continued questioning, Bi-yeon only shed tears, her gaze calm as she stared back at Bu Eun-seol.
'Has her pain sensation been removed?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he observed Bi-yeon's physiological reactions.
Far from being removed, upon closer inspection, her meridians and internal organs had lost their elasticity like those of an old woman.
Though her outward appearance was that of an eighteen-year-old maiden, her internal organs seemed to have aged completely.
'So it was true.'
Bi-yeon had earlier referred to herself as an old woman. Had that not been a joke after all?
'And these scars...'
Upon closer inspection, countless scars marred the nape of her neck.
Though the exact circumstances were unclear,
it seemed that, contrary to her appearance, she was over a hundred years old and had endured countless tortures in the past—which was why she could withstand such pain with such composure.
Swoosh.
Finally, Bu Eun-seol ceased the infusion of his energy.
Snap.
And immediately released the Demon Blood Point.
"Why did you stop?"
"I lost. So let's end this."
"It's pointless. I'll never remove the Mind-Forgetting Mask."
"What will it take for you to take it off?"
Bi-yeon replied,
"Swear it. Swear you'll train with me for a hundred days. Then I'll remove it."
"I don't have the leisure to stay here for a hundred days."
"Then negotiations have broken down."
After a moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol reached for the Ink Soul Sword at his waist, intending to slice off the Mind-Forgetting Mask.
But then—
As if it were a living creature, the mask read his intent and
tightened its grip on the nerves below his neck, rendering him immobile.
"Trying to break it with a sword is useless."
Bi-yeon spoke with a relaxed expression.
"The moment it senses your intent to remove it, your body won't be able to move."
"..."
"Even if you possessed the greatest martial arts in the Murim, you couldn't take it off. So listen to me."
So this was what they meant by researching Black Divine Artifacts.
It seemed the Ancient Sword Forest had created something bizarre—an object capable of restraining a person without even being touched.
'A mere object dares to bind me?'
Rage surged in Bu Eun-seol's eyes, a bloody light flaring within them.
Whoosh.
The fury in his chest manifested as violet lightning, spreading across his entire body.
Zzzt. Zzzzt.
The lightning coiled around the Mind-Forgetting Mask, taking on a spherical shape as it triggered an intense reaction.
ZZZZT! KWAZZZT!
The mask began glowing red-hot under the Thunder Essence Divine Qi, as if it could incinerate the entire world.
Fortunately, since Bu Eun-seol's body was suffused with the same energy, the heat couldn't penetrate his skin.
Hiiiiisss.
Finally, when the mask turned from crimson to a dull, smoldering red, white smoke began rising from it—
Snap.
And Bu Eun-seol immediately tore it off.
The Mind-Forgetting Mask, which had been so confidently declared impossible to remove even by the greatest martial artist in the Murim, had been cast aside by his own hand.
Hiiisss.
Staring at the mask melting the floor beneath it, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
A stifling sensation remained, as if something was still attached to his head.
Even after discarding the mask, he couldn't remove whatever was clinging to his skull.
"I told you. No matter what martial arts you've mastered, you can't remove the Mind-Forgetting Mask."
At Bi-yeon's words, something flickered through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
Generally, most man-made tools are named after their utility or defining characteristics.
'Mind-Forgetting. Mind-Forgetting.'
The term "Mind-Forgetting" didn't exist in the world.
Which meant he had to interpret it literally.
The character "forgetting" was a combination of "heart/mind " and "to vanish."
'Does it signify perfect mindlessness?'
The moment Bu Eun-seol resolved to tear it off again,
the mask immediately constricted his throat.
At first, he thought Bi-yeon was controlling it, but looking back, it had discerned his intent and acted on its own.
'Then—'
Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes and focused his mind at once.
But maintaining perfect mindlessness in such a situation was an extremely difficult feat.
"What? Giving up?"
Bi-yeon teased, but Bu Eun-seol kept his eyes shut, concentrating deeply.
Yet unlike usual, he couldn't steady his mind. Chaotic thoughts flooded in uncontrollably.
'Unless—'
Suddenly struck by realization, Bu Eun-seol picked up the discarded mask and put it back on.
And the moment he focused his mind again—
Faster than he could achieve meditative stillness in the quietest of Zen chambers,
he slipped into a state of deep tranquility.
Was it due to the mask's function?
The world gradually fell into silence.
And in an instant, Bu Eun-seol descended into the deepest reaches of his subconscious.
—What the—?
There, in the deepest abyss, crouched a small black-clad boy.
The child who had once resembled Bu Eun-seol from the past had now grown into a boy.
—"Have you grown enough to seek me out on your own?"
The boy beamed brightly at Bu Eun-seol.
—"You came faster than I expected."
His eyes sparkled with innocence, and his expression brimmed with warmth.
Bu Eun-seol remained still, watching without resistance as the boy approached.
—"I'm glad to see you."
Riiip.
Suddenly, the boy's mouth began to stretch, widening until it could swallow Bu Eun-seol whole.
The inside of his mouth was darker than the deepest abyss, blacker than the void itself.
—"Don't be afraid. Accept me."
Bu Eun-seol stared blankly into the monstrous, gaping maw—
Whoosh!
—then shoved the boy away with all his strength.
Clang!
With a sound like shattering glass, he tore himself free from the depths of his unconscious mind.
Gasping, Bu Eun-seol frantically ripped off the Mind-Forgetting Mask.
"Hah... hah..."
His breath came ragged, as though he had just sprinted for his life.
He had ventured too deep—so deep that the unknown presence lurking there had nearly devoured him.
"You."
Bi-yeon's eyes widened as she watched Bu Eun-seol remove the mask himself.
"Were you... from the Baekri Clan?"
"What are you talking about?" Bu Eun-seol asked, startled.
"This mask—it's a Baekri artifact," Bi-yeon said, tilting her head curiously. "They crafted it to either awaken or suppress their abilities."
Her voice carried disbelief.
"Only those born with an open Hundred Meetings Acupoint—only the Baekri people—can wear and remove this mask on their own."
She bent down and picked up something from the floor.
It was a needle—so thin and transparent it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The lingering heaviness in Bu Eun-seol's head, even after removing the mask, had been because this needle remained embedded in his acupoint.
Yet he had donned the mask again, entered the Realm of No-Mind, and—
—pulled the needle free himself.
"I see."
Had Bi-yeon not explained, Bu Eun-seol would have assumed some mystical Art of Spells was at work.
But instead, it had been this hair-thin needle, secretly lodged in his acupoint.
"Then, contrary to legend... the Baekri Clan wasn't annihilated? Their lineage still exists?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
The Baekri Clan had supposedly vanished three hundred years ago, as if wiped from existence.
According to Yang Seol-rin, they had been exterminated by martial artists who feared their power.
But if their artifacts still survived...
Did that mean they, like the Yang Family, had continued operating in the shadows of the Murim?
"I wouldn't know."
"There must have been people who gave the Ancient Sword Forest an artifact of the Baekri Clan."
"It was already here when I arrived."
Bu Eun-seol immediately summoned his Empty Mind Spirit Perception, scrutinizing the mask.
But whether due to its fusion with his Thunder Essence Divine Qi, he couldn't determine its age.
'The Baekri Clan wore this to control their abilities...'
Bu Eun-seol's pupils trembled.
If Bi-yeon's words were true—
—did that mean he might be one of the legendary Baekri?
"But my Hundred Meetings Acupoint isn't open."
Newborns had a tiny opening at the crown of their heads—a breathing hole of sorts.
But as they aged, it sealed shut.
If the acupoint remained open...
Not only could one naturally absorb Natural Qi, but the brain would remain hyperactive—
—granting extraordinary intelligence and genius-level talent across multiple disciplines.
Yet Bu Eun-seol's acupoint was firmly closed, just like any ordinary person's. There wasn't even a trace of it ever having been open.
"Who can say? Maybe you mastered the Way of No-Mind, allowing you to remove the mask."
Bu Eun-seol stroked his chin at Bi-yeon's words.
Perhaps his Thunder Essence Divine Qi had briefly forced the acupoint open.
After all, Thunder Essence Divine Qi was itself a form of Natural Qi.
'Either way... I'll have to meet the Forest Lord.'
Whatever the Ancient Sword Forest's goals were—
—he needed to confront its leader, not just about their purpose, but about the Baekri Clan.
"Since you can remove the mask on your own, you don't need the hundred-day training."
As if reading his mind, Bi-yeon nodded.
"You can ascend the tower immediately."
Her gaze softened—
—like an elderly traveler finally glimpsing the end of a long, arduous journey.
"Good."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply, his eyes fixed on the distant tower beyond the window.
"We'll discuss the rest... when I return."
Without another word, he set off toward the Black Tower at the heart of the Ancient Sword Forest.
Thanks to the Mind-Forgetting Mask, no one stopped him on his way to the tower.
Not even when he stepped inside the first floor.
'Just as I thought.'
No matter how formidable the mechanisms installed here might be, if a Forest Lord truly resided within, there should at least be guards pretending to stand watch at the entrance.
Yet there was no one—not at the entrance, nor even inside.
Which meant... there was no Forest Lord here.
'There must be a reason.'
Bu Eun-seol had already anticipated everything.
The reason he had come to the tower despite that was simple:
Bi-yeon, who had some measure of his martial prowess and abilities, had said it would take a hundred days of training before one could ascend this tower.
'Perhaps it has something to do with the Baekri Clan.'
The Mind-Forgetting Mask was said to belong to them.
Of course, there was a chance he had happened to acquire a Baekri Clan artifact in the Ancient Sword Forest.
Which meant this place might be deeply connected to them.
'This could be my chance to uncover another secret of the Three Clans.'
Clank.
When he pushed open the massive door of the first floor, he saw a steeply inclined passage leading upward.
Not a single speck of light illuminated the interior—only pitch-black darkness.
No signs of life. No traces of traps or mechanisms either.
But Bu Eun-seol didn't let his guard down as he stepped inside.
Thud. Thud.
As he advanced through the darkness, a colossal iron gate loomed at the end—so tall it seemed at least 30 feet high.
A gate so enormous it looked fit for legendary giants.
Creeeak.
The moment he approached, the massive iron door swung open on its own.
Inside, a vast great hall stretched before him, its ceiling embedded densely with Night Shining Pearls that cast a soft glow.
Azure pillars stood at intervals, and the floor was paved with bluish-green stone.
'Something's here.'
Though the hall was brightly lit, he couldn't shake the feeling that some monstrous presence lurked in the darkness, coiled like a predator.
After walking for some time, he spotted another door at the far end, engraved with the character for Martial—Martial.
Likely a gate testing one's martial skill.
'She said I'd need martial arts surpassing even the Black Divine Artifact.'
Bu Eun-seol stroked his chin in thought.
'Then no matter what comes out of this gate, I'll have to pour everything into a single stroke.'
Battles between masters were often decided in an instant.
Since Black Divine Artifacts possessed power transcending martial arts, he'd have to match that might in a single strike.
Shhhhk.
Drawing Ink Soul Sword, he stepped forward—and from the opposite side, a black shadow slowly materialized.
Clad in dark robes, its eyes burned crimson.
At its waist hung a single rusted iron sword—its shape eerily similar to the one Bu Eun-seol carried.
[Haa...]
The shadow lowered its stance, gripping the hilt of its sword.
Its posture was uncannily similar to the Starting Stance of the Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form.
Had Bu Eun-seol not known about the Black Divine Artifact, he might have dismissed it as mere illusion.
But this thing was undeniably real—and fully capable of cutting him down in an instant.
Fixed Moment.
Moreover, just like Jo Cheon-wang's swordplay, this shadow sought to seize that infinitesimal instant—the moment to kill Bu Eun-seol in a single stroke.
Bu Eun-seol didn't so much as blink as he stared it down.
If he revealed even the slightest opening?
The shadow would unleash a Killing Move he could never evade.
How much time had passed?
Drip. Drip.
Sweat trickled down Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
For someone of his caliber to sweat was nearly unheard of.
'Fast and agile.'
But the truth was different.
The shadow sought to exploit his weakness—
While Bu Eun-seol, in turn, subtly adjusted his stance to defend against the shadow's attempt to seize the Fixed Moment.
Though his movements appeared minimal—
In truth, he had already exchanged over a hundred clashes with the shadow.
Plink.
Then, a drop of sweat from Bu Eun-seol's brow struck the blade of Ink Soul Sword.
A microscopic shift in his posture.
A movement as slight as a strand of hair—but the shadow didn't miss it.
SHWING!
A flash erupted from the shadow's right hand.
It had seized the Fixed Moment and unleashed a Swift Sword Killing Form, akin to the Meteor Chasing Moon Form—
Only this was several times more refined and precise than anything Jo Cheon-wang had ever displayed.
In that instant, the specter of death flickered before Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
No matter what move he made, no matter what technique he deployed—there was no breaking this strike.
'No chance.'
Bu Eun-seol had become a martial artist for revenge.
To survive, again and again, until he could drive his sword through the throat of the murderer.
The heights of martial arts, victory or defeat—none of it mattered.
'I will survive!'
No time to dodge. No time to block.
Grind.
In that moment, Bu Eun-seol's teeth clamped onto the rusted tip of the iron sword.
Twisting his head, he bit down on the blade hurtling toward him at blinding speed.