Chapter 635
Boom!
In that brief moment, Bu Eun-seol was struck by another surge of palm energy.
Shiiing!
Bu Eun-seol staggered back about three meters, his body wreathed in pale smoke. The terrifying force of the Demon-Subduing Coiling Dragon Palm had shattered his Body Protection True Qi, and razor-sharp strands of internal energy bored into his meridians.
Whoosh!
But the Counter-Polar Internal Art activated immediately, expelling the vicious true qi that had seeped into his meridians.
The Heavenly Venerable, watching this, gave a slow nod.
[His internal energy is truly remarkable.]
The Heavenly Venerable shifted his stance once more.
This time, nine streaks of palm energy—so fast they were nearly imperceptible—lanced toward Bu Eun-seol.
It was the Nine Dragons Demon-Subduing Guide, a technique created by the Heavenly Thunder Divine Lord, who had dominated the martial world three hundred years ago.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bu Eun-seol pivoted ninety-nine times in place, evading all nine strikes.
Yet the glancing force of the palm energy suddenly detonated like explosives, and the shockwaves tore fresh wounds through his meridians.
The Heavenly Venerable seized the opening, unleashing a torrent of long-lost martial arts—Extinction Demon Arts, Otherworldly Peerless Arts—techniques so profound that Bu Eun-seol could neither grasp their principles nor block them.
'He knows me far too well.'
Because Bu Eun-seol had deeply mastered the martial arts of Langya Pavilion, his instincts compelled him to analyze and dissect any new technique he encountered.
As the Heavenly Venerable bombarded him with esoteric martial arts unknown to the wider world, Bu Eun-seol unconsciously began deciphering their underlying principles.
For a disciple of Langya Pavilion, this was second nature—but in a life-or-death battle against a supreme master like the Heavenly Venerable, it was a fatal mistake.
[You've realized it now, I see.]
The Heavenly Venerable's lips curled in a sneer.
[But it won't be as easy as you think. For someone like you—who has engraved martial arts so deeply into both mind and body—it will be even harder to resist.]
He was right.
Bu Eun-seol had tried to ignore the Heavenly Venerable's techniques and focus solely on countering him—but with every move, dazzling martial principles cascaded forth, and his senses instinctively latched onto them.
This created the slightest distraction, and inevitably, an opening appeared.
It was a brilliantly devised strategy, tailored specifically to exploit Bu Eun-seol's nature as a martial fanatic.
[Death is beginning to creep into view, I see.]
"Hahaha."
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol burst into laughter.
His expression was so filled with joy and exhilaration that the Heavenly Venerable's mood soured.
[Why are you laughing?]
"Not only did you grasp the heights and depths of martial arts, but you also analyzed the nature and temperament of your enemy's techniques... and turned their strengths into weaknesses instead."
Bu Eun-seol raised a thumb in admiration.
"As expected of the Heavenly Venerable. I've learned something today."
He even clapped before smiling at the Heavenly Venerable.
"In return for teaching me the principles of martial arts... I'll now use those very principles against you."
[Madman.]
The Heavenly Venerable sneered.
In his pursuit of the secret to immortality, he had mastered countless demonic and hidden arts beyond measure.
By the logic of martial arts, mastering a diverse array of supreme techniques could never be a weakness.
Whoooosh—
Bu Eun-seol's hair turned silver, and a swirling white energy gathered around his fists.
He had once again drawn upon the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
[Futile.]
Fwap!
The Heavenly Venerable unleashed Red-Blue Demonic Energy, shrouding Bu Eun-seol in a mist-like force.
Shwaaak!
But Bu Eun-seol endured it with the Great Spirit Ice Body, closing the distance once more.
Kwa-rung!
In that instant, white lightning crackled, and Bu Eun-seol's hands seemed to multiply into dozens.
It was the fist art of the Fist King, Seok Chi-haeng—an adaptation of the Cloud Motion and Flowing Water Form from the Azure Heaven Seven Forms.
Paaat! Paaaah!
With every strike, dozens of fist shadows rained down.
The Heavenly Venerable blended Reversed Heaven and Earth with the Demon-Subduing Coiling Dragon Palm, effortlessly deflecting the onslaught.
The moment an attack is deflected, the attacker must inevitably reveal an opening.
With flawless martial logic, the Heavenly Venerable prepared a perfect counter to strike back at Bu Eun-seol.
Kwa-rung! Rumble!
But Bu Eun-seol's Cloud Motion and Flowing Water Form abruptly shifted into the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation.
Though it was called a "shift," in truth, he had altered the martial art mid-execution.
This rendered the Heavenly Venerable's flawless counter utterly meaningless.
It was as if a master of the flute and a master of the zither had met for an impromptu duet—only for the flutist to suddenly ruin the melody in chaos.
[Such tricks won't work.]
Realizing Bu Eun-seol's intent, the Heavenly Venerable ignored whatever technique he used and instead unleashed a barrage of overwhelming martial arts.
But this was his second mistake.
Paaat!
Bu Eun-seol, as if he had been waiting for this, closed the distance and began exchanging wild, reckless blows with the Heavenly Venerable.
Boom! Boom!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol was struck by the Hand Steel the Heavenly Venerable conjured and was forced back several steps.
The power of the Hand Steel was no less than that of a peerless divine sword—yet, astonishingly, Bu Eun-seol merely spat blood, suffering no significant damage.
[You—!]
Irritated, the Heavenly Venerable unleashed the Demon-Subduing Coiling Dragon Palm once more.
Not only did the technique shift mid-execution, but its force accelerated, reaching a might capable of shattering mountains and splitting rivers.
Yet Bu Eun-seol did not retreat. Instead, he unleashed hundreds of fist phantoms.
This was the Transcendent Fist Demon Seven Forms—a technique born from unconsciously merging the fist arts of the Fist King, Seok Chi-haeng with his own, achieving yet another breakthrough in the midst of battle.
Kwa-rung! Kwaaaang!
The Demon-Subduing Coiling Dragon Palm clashed with the Transcendent Fist Demon Seven Forms.
As the two supreme fist arts—one representing the Righteous Path, the other the Demonic Path—collided, shockwaves of true qi rippled out for dozens of yards, and an earth-splitting explosion tore through heaven and earth.
Crrrrack.
Each time the Heavenly Venerable drove a strike into Bu Eun-seol's body, a strange shockwave rippled outward from his flesh.
'Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang.'
The Heavenly Venerable narrowed his eyes.
Now he saw it—Bu Eun-seol was unleashing his fist techniques while simultaneously channeling the energies of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang.
It was an application of the profound principle of Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang, derived from the Azure Heaven Seven Forms, capable of nullifying all martial arts.
By harboring two opposing energies within himself simultaneously, Bu Eun-seol could endure the Heavenly Venerable's relentless assaults while protecting his meridians and mitigating their destructive force.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol continued to pour forth his modified Transcendent Fist Demon Seven Forms, fueled by Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang.
Though the power of his strikes was diminished—since he couldn't fully channel his internal energy while circulating the opposing forces—his intricate techniques allowed him to unleash dozens of fist phantoms in rapid succession.
The Heavenly Venerable relentlessly struck back with his Ultimate Arts, battering Bu Eun-seol's body, but even as blood drenched him, Bu Eun-seol refused to relent.
[Hmph!]
The Heavenly Venerable snorted in irritation.
Bu Eun-seol's relentless fist techniques, delivered at close range, were gradually landing on his body.
Though they lacked internal energy, the sheer physical force behind each punch was enough to shatter boulders.
It wasn't life-threatening, but the constant, annoying impacts were grating on his nerves.
[So this is how you plan to stall for time!]
As the Heavenly Venerable's roar erupted, Bu Eun-seol curled his lips into a faint smile.
"I have no intention of gambling my life against a half-rotten corpse."
[You little—]
The Heavenly Venerable's face twisted in decay.
Only now did he realize that Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess had not reached the Extreme Heaven Realm, but instead a uniquely refined state.
Yet the Heavenly Venerable remained composed, carefully observing Bu Eun-seol's martial arts.
Because even against a Master of the Martial Extreme Realm, he still had one trump card left—a surefire counter.
'He refuses to unleash the True Void and insists on this brawl instead...'
The Heavenly Venerable had been confident of victory precisely because he had anticipated that Bu Eun-seol's True Void was an Otherworldly Peerless Art of unimaginable power.
After all, Bu Eun-seol had single-handedly eliminated the Dharma Demon Master, Hyeokryeon Eung, without leaving a trace—an impossible feat unless he had unleashed martial arts rivaling the Martial Extreme Realm.
But now, Bu Eun-seol was suddenly risking fatal injuries to engage in close combat, clinging to him like a third-rate martial artist in a street brawl.
'This bastard must have guessed my trump card.'
Even the Heavenly Venerable's deployment of secret arts long lost to Murim had been a ploy to force Bu Eun-seol into using a transcendent technique.
But that had been a mistake.
Bu Eun-seol, whose insight and analytical prowess ranked among the greatest in Langya Pavilion's history, had discerned his methods—and even his ultimate secret art—after just a few exchanges.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Moreover, the Fist Demon Seven Forms, refined through his battle with Seok Chi-haeng, had been optimized for close-quarters combat.
The Heavenly Venerable's momentum was being stripped away, and before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol was unleashing an unrelenting chain of attacks, denying him any opening to retaliate.
Boom! Boom!
By now, Bu Eun-seol had landed eighty-eight fist strikes on the Heavenly Venerable's body.
Crackle.
The Heavenly Venerable's skin began splitting like dried pastry.
The stolen vitality from the Special Divine Rank was fading, and his flesh was collapsing.
[Very well.]
As if making a decision, the Heavenly Venerable unwrapped the Hero's Headwrap from his brow.
Instantly, the sky darkened, and a faint, black mist began swirling around him.
'So he did have it.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he fixed his gaze on the jewel embedded in the headwrap.
'The Black Divine Artifact.'
The reason the Heavenly Venerable had been able to wield those absurd, sorcery-like Great Arts was because his headwrap was the Black Divine Artifact itself.
"Not a chance."
Bu Eun-seol halted the circulation of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang and instead channeled his internal power into the Fist Demon Seven Forms.
Whoosh!
But his fist passed straight through the Heavenly Venerable's body.
Wisp—
At the same time, the Heavenly Venerable's flesh dissolved into black fog, rising into the sky before morphing into a demonic form.
He was using the Black Divine Artifact's power to obliterate Bu Eun-seol—and everything in the vicinity—in one strike.
Oooom—
A colossal wall materialized around Bu Eun-seol.
It was the same mysterious spell-like force that had once sealed off Chaoyang, a barrier even the Power of Harmony had failed to breach.
Originally, the Black Divine Artifact's function was to instantly reflect an opponent's martial arts, annihilating them the moment they unleashed their ultimate technique.
But sensing that Bu Eun-seol had seen through this, the Heavenly Venerable changed tactics—erecting an impenetrable barrier with the fully unleashed Black Divine Artifact, intending to erase everything inside.
[I'll wipe you from existence.]
Whoooosh—
The Heavenly Venerable's demonic visage, staining the heavens, began spewing black flames toward Bu Eun-seol.
To any observer, he might have seemed like a god—but in Bu Eun-seol's eyes, he was nothing more than a man consumed by the Black Divine Artifact's corruption.
[Turn to dust and vanish!]
In that instant, the ground within a 300-foot radius turned pitch-black.
The Black Divine Artifact was about to annihilate all life within its domain.
Tap!
Bu Eun-seol activated Qi-Piercing Ascent.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't stop—leaping straight toward the Heavenly Venerable's face, which was reshaping the sky itself.
Hwiiing—
At that moment, a mysterious emblem shimmered from Bu Eun-seol's scabbard as golden and crimson light erupted simultaneously.
He had drawn forth every ounce of his strength—and the full might of the Two Spirit Energies.
"If this sword was forged by my mother for my sake!"
Bu Eun-seol's body, now transformed into a streak of crimson, burst into a radiant, multicolored glow as he plunged into the black fog.
"Take in all of my power!"
Crackle—!
A sound like shattering glass rang out as the Ink Soul Sword groaned under the strain, fissures spiderwebbing across its surface. It was being flooded with the full force of his Two Spirit Energies and the combined might of his Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist martial arts—power capable of annihilating everything.
Hwoom—!
The blade flashed with dazzling brilliance, resonating with a deep, thunderous hum—as if declaring it could endure.
"HAAAH!"
Bu Eun-seol soared through the clouds and swung.
In that instant, countless days of clashing against the Infinite Realm unfolded before him.
Those memories took the form of sharp, jagged thorns.
The past was already fixed in shape—no force in existence could alter it.
But the future yet to come...
That could still be changed through sheer effort.
What Bu Eun-seol sought to sever was not the Heavenly Venerable, nor the Black Divine Artifact—but the unending present, this moment that stretched on as if it would last forever.
"HEAVENLY VENERABLE—!"
And with every ounce of his strength, he brought the Ink Soul Sword down.
Then, something miraculous happened.
Before him stood an old man in ordinary garb.
It was the Heavenly Venerable—as he had appeared before succumbing to Qi Deviation.
Somehow, the entity that had blotted out the sky had reverted to a physical form.
Tzzzt—!
And then, the Heavenly Venerable's appearance began shifting further.
Not into a rotting corpse, but into the unblemished visage of his past self—the Dreaming One.
This was a paradox of time.
Bu Eun-seol had not cut down the Heavenly Venerable—he had severed the Dreaming One, who still possessed his intact body in the past.
Thud.
Landing back on the ground, Bu Eun-seol found himself face-to-face with the Heavenly Venerable—now restored to his former, unharmed state.
"Hoh."
The Heavenly Venerable exhaled, sensing his own existence fading.
Even now, decades later, standing here in his past body was unbelievable.
And yet, was it not equally strange that this very act had brought about his death?
"You reversed the flow of time in my flesh... and killed my true self?"
The Heavenly Venerable—no, the Dreaming One—let out a hollow chuckle before nodding.
"Then... it was you who was real, after all."
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
He had expected the Heavenly Venerable, like Hyeokryeon Eung, to declare him the son of Baekri Mu-ha.
But instead—real?
What did that even mean?
"You still fail to grasp your fate."
The Dreaming One cackled, his laughter grating.
"You... are the Heavenly Darkness Star."
"What are you talking about?"
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed deeper.
Him, the Heavenly Darkness Star? The entity said to bring about the world's destruction?
"Keheheh. Hahahaha!"
The Dreaming One threw his head back, laughing wildly as if savoring some grand irony.
"All your plans have gone awry! How splendid!"
The Heavenly Venerable's mad cackles tore through the air.
"Every last one of your calculations was wrong!"
Pffft—
At the same time, his body crumbled into dust, scattering in all directions.
The power Bu Eun-seol had unleashed had reduced his flesh to particles beyond any hope of repair.
"My arrogance... has doomed our realm to ruin..."
He had been certain that no matter what Bu Eun-seol attempted, he could never topple the Infinite Realm.
And in a one-on-one battle, he had believed victory was assured—so much so that he had not even sought aid from the Three Realms or the Supreme Emperor.
Because of that, the Infinite Realm's headquarters and its hidden branches had all collapsed.
"But I do not regret it."
As he turned to ash, the Heavenly Venerable smiled faintly.
"I shall watch from hell... as the world meets its end."
Whoosh.
With those final words, the Dreaming One—the Heavenly Venerable of the Infinite Realm, once revered as the Medical Immortal—dissolved completely into the wind.
"That I... am the Heavenly Darkness Star..."
Bu Eun-seol stared down at his own hands.
He had no desire to annihilate the Murim, nor to trample upon the innocent. So why had he been called the Heavenly Darkness Star?
—The Baekri Clan possessed the mysterious power to manifest their Mindscape into reality. And that...
...is the Heavenly Darkness Star.
Recalling Yang Seol-rin's words, Bu Eun-seol—
Thud.
—dropped to his knees, the Ink Sword planted in the earth.
"I was the one... who would bring about the Murim's destruction."
His eyes were unfocused.
He had never cared for the Murim's politics or its survival.
All he had wanted was revenge for his grandfather and family.
But looking back, he had always muttered the same refrain:
—A world that sacrifices the many to protect the few... doesn't deserve to exist.
"I..."
He pressed a hand to his forehead.
Unconsciously, he had always been like this.
The Martial Alliance, the Demon Hall, the Three Realms, even the Three Clans—he had seen them all as things that needed to be torn down.
If the world could only endure by sacrificing others, then it should be destroyed.
"Could it be... that everything I've done has been leading the world to ruin?"
Nausea rose in his throat.
The Three Realms had justified their atrocities under the banner of protecting the Murim.
Under the belief that the few must suffer so the many may live.
Was their delusion the righteous one?
Had his choices been hastening Murim's extinction instead?
"No."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist and glared at the distant sky.
"There is no such thing as fate."
That was his grandfather's teaching.
—If one strives endlessly, humanity knows no limits. We forge our own paths.
"And I do not believe in truths handed down by others."
That was the lesson the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had imparted.
The most crucial truths must never be accepted on another's word alone.
Rising to his feet, Bu Eun-seol gripped the hilt of the Ink Soul Sword.
Even if he was the Heavenly Darkness Star...
Even if he had been born under such a destiny...
He had the confidence to change it.
"I will never bow to something as meaningless as fate."
Clack.
Bu Eun-seol sheathed the Ink Soul Sword into its scabbard and took a deep breath as he gazed at the distant sky.
There wasn't even time to dwell on talk of being the Heavenly Darkness Star or the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
Because there was still work left to do.
"Now, it's time to finish this."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes remained fixed on the far horizon.
Now that the Heavenly Venerable was dead, all that remained was the final act.