Chapter 683
If He and Father Were Sworn Brothers.
If they had been so close in his childhood that they took care of him...
Then upon seeing the grown Bu Eun-seol, he would have been moved to tears, not shown such a detached reaction.
'Perhaps even the terrain was also...'
The battle formation that entered the Secluded Valley had changed not because the terrain had shifted.
But because someone had destroyed that place and recreated an entirely new formation in its stead.
'To know even the entirety of my background and name. And that Father's sworn brother was a Lama Monk?'
If that man was a fake Lama Monk—
How could he possibly know all of that?
'I'll verify it!'
Bang!
Bu Eun-seol spun around in an instant and rushed back toward Heartless Valley.
Flash!
High above the deep valley of Sera Utse Mountain.
A great light descended from the distant sky to the earth below.
That light was vast and warm, like the compassionate radiance of the Buddha illuminating the entire world.
Whoosh.
The light descended to the ground and soon took the form of a shadow.
An elderly monk with a somewhat large frame and phoenix-like elongated eyes revealed himself.
He was the very same man Bu Eun-seol had just met.
Didn't he bear the exact same face and build as Takma, the sect leader of the Mu Sect embedded in the boulder?
Moreover, this newly appeared Takma's eyes were not blind.
"I'm late."
Rumble.
As the real Takma appeared, the fake Takma embedded in the massive boulder emerged once more with a loud sound.
The real Takma let out a deep sigh as he gazed at the figure bound to the boulder—someone who had perfectly disguised themselves as him.
"Patron of the Evil Path."
Takma spoke with an expression of profound loneliness.
"Have you now learned to divine the will of heaven as well?"
"There's no need to read the will of heaven."
The Takma embedded in the boulder replied indifferently.
"Everything is already within Bon-jwa's grasp."
Sssk—
Not only the iron chains but even the massive boulder dissipated like mist, and in an instant, the fake Takma's appearance transformed into that of an ordinary old man.
His features were utterly plain, his gaze equally calm.
But to Takma's eyes, it was as if a demon that should never have appeared in this world had revealed itself.
That unremarkable old man was the Number One of the Demonic Path, the master of Demon Hall.
The true form of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, Sado Mu-myeong.
"It's been a while, Bald Monk."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor shook his head as he looked at Takma.
"You slipped from Bon-jwa's grasp and endured well, only to train in the Transformation Divine Record."
His voice was supremely tranquil.
Yet with every word he spoke, Takma felt as though an invisible hammer was striking his skull.
"Just a hundred more days of training, and I would have completed the Eighth Heaven."
Not only that—the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had already discerned the full extent of Takma's internal power.
"Why have you come here to die?"
"Why ask when you already know?"
Takma's willow-branch-like eyebrows trembled as he met the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's placid gaze.
"This humble monk completing the Transformation Divine Record is a trivial matter. Finding that child and healing him perfectly is what will safeguard the peace of the world..."
"A pity, but that won't happen."
"Don't tell me—Sword River. Have you already met that child?"
"Who knows."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor narrowed his slender eyes as he regarded Takma.
"He managed to slip away back then, but it won't be so easy now."
"Evil Path Benefactor. Why are you so fixated on this humble monk?"
Takma's voice was laced with frustration, as though he couldn't comprehend it.
"If you wish for something, you can achieve anything. Why are you so desperate to kill this monk that you can't rest?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor waved his hand lightly.
"That's a question you can ask the King of Hell."
Boom.
In that instant, all light vanished from Takma's pupils.
Simultaneously, an overwhelmingly sinister and dark energy seeped into his tranquil spirit and mind.
That energy was endlessly negative and filled with suffering.
—Life is meaningless and painful. Why must we be born only to endure such torment?
—Why must humans suffer birth, aging, sickness, and death? It would have been better never to have been born.
—If, as a Buddhist, one could sever the Chain of Reincarnation, nothing would be better. Wouldn't it be best to end one's life swiftly and merge with nature?
Drip, drip, drip.
Eventually, crimson blood trickled from Takma's lips.
He had mastered the Primordial Chaos Essentials, hailed as the most perfect internal secret art in martial history.
The supreme divine study of the Mu Sect.
The man on the verge of completing the Transformation Divine Record had sustained internal injuries in an instant.
"Tsk, impressive. As expected of the Mu Sect."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor clicked his tongue.
"That child's abnormally high internal energy must also be due to inheriting the Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi."
The martial world held countless internal secret arts beyond reckoning.
But among them, there was one that allowed the fastest and most stable accumulation of internal energy.
The Mu Sect's Primordial Chaos Secret Art.
The reason Bu Eun-seol had amassed terrifying internal energy in such a short time.
The convergence of three factors—the internal energy legacy of Bu Jan-yang, a peerless master; the peerless secret art of the Sinew Reforging Sutra; and Takma infusing the Primordial Chaos Secret Art into his body, allowing him to reach the limits of human potential.
A once-in-an-era fortuitous encounter.
"Sword River. You've seen that child."
Takma muttered in a trembling voice.
"So that's why... you were fixated on this monk."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor spoke with an expressionless face.
"I told you. Everything is already within my grasp."
In that moment, an intense light flickered in Takma's eyes.
If that was the case, then even if it cost him his life, he had to eliminate this terrifying being first.
Kaboom!
Majestic Buddha radiance erupted from his entire body, and in an instant, the gloomy dark energy that had shrouded his spirit and mind vanished without a trace.
"Be careful!"
Whoosh.
As Takma stretched both palms outward, a massive hand descended from the heavens.
"Converting the Martial Arts of the mind into a physical attack, I see."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor flicked his sleeve lightly—
—and the colossal palm that had been falling from the sky abruptly reversed course, now hurtling toward Takma.
BOOM.
But as if he had anticipated it,
golden palms, each spanning at least 30 feet in length and width, began manifesting above Takma's head.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Like the thousand hands of a Guanyin statue, they bloomed around his body like flower buds before—
—raining down upon the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, one after another.
This was an attack only Takma could unleash—having mastered the Primordial Chaos Secret Art to the Twelve Stars Realm, allowing him to wield his Internal Energy without limit.
"Endlessly cycling and recirculating your Internal Power until even the boundaries collapse..."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor let out an intrigued hum as he, too, began rotating his hand in a slow, circular motion.
Instantly, the hundreds of descending palms melted away like snow under sunlight.
The sheer magnitude of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's Martial Arts meant he could kill Takma without even lifting a finger.
Yet, when Takma shifted the battle into the physical realm, the Emperor's interest seemed piqued, nodding slightly.
"Occasionally, moving one's body has its merits."
RUMBLE—
A surge of black energy erupted from the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's body, coalescing into dozens of colossal blade-like forms.
It was as if ancient artifacts buried deep underground had awakened, transforming into the blades of the Giantfolk and surging forth.
This was True Qi, materialized through the Emotion Severing Secret Art—the very same technique he had passed down to Bu Eun-seol.
WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH.
As the dozens of massive black blades rippled like waves,
it was as though a black god of destruction, heralding the World's End, had manifested in the sky.
Takma bit his lip.
Even if human potential was said to be limitless—
how could flesh and blood possibly wield such Martial Arts?
"Let's see if you can break this too."
CRACK—
With a low vibration, a massive blade cleaved toward Takma's body.
SWISH.
Takma swiftly dodged, retaliating with a barrage of golden palms.
KWA-AAAAH!
With each wave of hundreds of golden palms, the colossal blades shattered one after another.
BOOM. BOOM.
Yet, the enormous black blades continued spawning endlessly in the void.
As the golden palms and black blades clashed and tangled,
the heavens and earth trembled, and parts of Sera Utse Mountain's peak began to crumble.
SHWAK!
Unable to fully repel the blades, Takma's body was gradually forced back.
ZZZING. ZZZING.
Every time the colossal blades grazed him, a majestic golden light flickered across his body—
—the Other Shore Solitary Cultivation Divine Art of the Mu Sect, said to rival Shaolin's Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art.
FLASH!
Bathed in golden radiance, Takma unleashed a torrent of Buddhist light toward the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
This was the Mu Sect's centuries-old Buddhist Martial Arts, each strike carrying enough force to pulverize mountains.
BOOM! BOOM!
Thanks to the Primordial Chaos Secret Art, Takma's Internal Energy had reached the very limits of human potential.
Yet, as the materialized Martial Forms relentlessly assailed him—
"Good."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, visibly invigorated, shifted his stance and began executing his own Martial Forms.
His movements were slow, almost like the flow of Taiji Fist, yet—
—he effortlessly deflected Takma's techniques, each unleashing dozens of afterimages.
BOOM-BOOM!
Finally, the palms of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and Takma collided.
A Shockwave of Internal Energy erupted skyward, invisible Gang Qi rippling outward in concentric circles.
In a battle of materialized Martial Forms, the two were evenly matched.
"Hmm."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor retreated slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Truly, I made the right choice in preserving the roots of the Mu Sect."
His expression was one of genuine pleasure as he spoke calmly.
"In such a short time, you've devised such an entertaining method—blossoming a new Martial Art."
WHOOSH.
At the Emperor's low murmur, Takma momentarily stepped back.
Though his Martial Arts had broken through to the Heavenly Human Domain and reached the Martial Extreme Realm, the depths of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's Martial Prowess remained unfathomable.
'Could he have... reached the Heavenly Will Realm?'
Takma shook his head.
'No. Impossible.'
If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had truly attained the Heavenly Will Realm—
no matter how hard he fought, he wouldn't have been able to convert spiritual assaults into physical exchanges.
He would have been annihilated instantly, without even the chance to wield Limitless Power.
"Amitabha."
Takma pressed his palms together.
Once more, a sacred radiance began rising from his body—
—and before long, the light transformed into the blazing Calamity Flames of Burn the Body and Return to Faith, engulfing him in fire.
"Have you given up on meeting that child?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's voice was indifferent.
"Using Burn the Body and Return to Faith means walking a path from which you cannot return for countless ages."
"If I cannot even slay the Demon before me, how could I ever save that child?"
The flames pouring from Takma's body grew even more intense.
This was fire forged from Limitless Power—something only those who had reached the Martial Extreme Realm could wield.
Even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who rarely witnessed such a sight, immediately raised his hand.
WHOOSH.
Yet, even his power could not extinguish the flames of Burn the Body and Return to Faith.
"AMITABHA!"
With a thunderous roar, hundreds of fiery dragons erupted from the earth around the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, soaring to the heavens—
—before instantly engulfing his body in an inferno.
CRACKLE. ROAR.
The fire dragons, filling the air for hundreds of feet in every direction, raged between heaven and earth, spreading endless flames.
Crrrrrumble.
The sky darkened, and the earth shook as if struck by an earthquake.
All the surrounding vegetation melted like candle wax, and before long, even the ground itself had softened into a simmering heat.
Whoosh.
Yet amidst the chaos, a gray shadow emerged.
It was the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Swoosh.
As he stretched out his arm, the flames that had spread across dozens of yards were all sucked into his palm.
"Not Burn the Body and Return to Faith, but the Three-Flower Radiant Flame, was it?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor gazed at the scorch marks left in his hand.
"Well, given how shameless that monk is, it's no surprise he managed to slip from my grasp for so long."
Takma hadn't used Burn the Body and Return to Faith—instead, he had employed the power of the Three-Flower Radiant Flame, a technique similar in nature, to create an opening.
And in that brief moment, he had fled with everything he had.
"Hmm."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who had been staring at the distant sky, suddenly noticed the footprints left where Takma had stood and spoke in a detached tone.
"As expected."
Takma's footprints were clearly imprinted on the right side, but the left was slightly blurred.
Masters who had reached the Martial Extreme Realm possessed superhuman balance and perfect control over their bodies.
For such a master to execute a Movement Technique without maintaining perfect equilibrium—
That was undeniable proof that he had suffered an irreparable, fatal internal injury.
"Though, it has been a long time."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had tracked Takma down long ago and inflicted a grievous wound upon him.
Yet when he appeared now, seemingly unharmed, he had assumed the injury had been fully healed...
But in truth, Takma had never recovered—he had been slowly withering away all this time.
"I must commend him."
There had never been someone he intended to kill who escaped death.
But Takma was an exception—not only had he reached the Martial Extreme Realm, but unlike most masters of the Buddhist Order, he hesitated at nothing, employing any means necessary without reservation.
As martial artists grew in skill and prestige, their pride and self-respect swelled.
But Takma, despite wielding martial prowess that could dominate the world,
Had no qualms about resorting to the lowest of tactics—nor did he hesitate even a fraction when it came to fleeing.
Goooooo.
Just then, the distant sound of a violent Sound of Breaking Air reached the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's ears, and he shook his head.
"How swift."
His sharp eyes narrowed as they gazed at the far horizon.
"I just need to read the heavenly signs carefully and ensure we don't meet."
Muttering under his breath, his eyes flashed with light as he surveyed his surroundings.
In an instant, all traces of the martial arts used here vanished, and the ruined land transformed into a smooth, pristine surface, as if it had never been disturbed.
"However..."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor whispered in a voice so soft it was nearly inaudible—
Fwaaah!
—before dissolving into countless motes of light, disappearing as though he had never been there at all.
KWA-RUMBLE!
Not long after, a figure wreathed in violet lightning descended from the sky and landed on the ground.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
"This..."
His brow furrowed as he took in the scene.
This deep Secluded Valley had turned into flatland in an instant? How was such a thing even possible?
"I must find a clue."
Ziiing.
Bu Eun-seol's pupils turned white.
He was summoning Empty Mind Spirit Communion, combing through every last remnant of energy left in this place.
"Just who...?"
His eyes trembled as he scanned the scorched earth.
"Could have caused destruction on this scale...?"
The overlapping remnants of Limitless Power.
Two masters who had reached the Martial Extreme Realm had clashed here—and in the end, one had been defeated and fled.
'At this level of martial prowess...'
Bu Eun-seol had met all of the Three Demons and Three Venerables, including the Martial Venerable, and had received instruction from Ak Mu-ryeong on multiple occasions.
Because of this, he had some understanding of the Martial Extreme Realm—
But the traces left here...
Belonged to fighters whose martial arts were at least on par with Ak Mu-ryeong's...
The transcendent force Bu Eun-seol referred to as "the phenomenon"—
It was something that could only be created by repeatedly unleashing Limitless Power.
'It can't be one of the Three Demons.'
Ak Mu-ryeong and Wi Ji-mua were in seclusion—there was no reason for them to come to this remote place beyond the frontier.
And Jeok Bung had temporarily relinquished his position as head of the Elders' Hall and was in hiding...
Then did that mean it was a battle between two of the Three Venerables—the Sword Sovereign and the Buddhist Venerable?
'The Buddhist Venerable? No, that can't be.'
Among the remnants here were traces of the sticky, distinctive energy unique to Buddhist martial arts.
But this was Tibet.
It was far more likely that the Buddhist techniques had been used by Great Master Takma—or the fake Great Master Takma.
"Just who was it?"
Bu Eun-seol's hollow eyes swept the area.
One thing was certain—the Takma who had been here was a fake, and someone had undoubtedly clashed with him.
"Someone who knows my circumstances..."
His lips moved as he stared at the distant sky.
"Someone who could perfectly track my movements and lay a trap for me..."
In the current martial world, there was only one person capable of such a thing.
"The Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
No intelligence organization could perfectly track his movements—
Yet the fake Takma had predicted his destination and actions, laying a trap in advance.
And in this world, only one person could do such a thing...
Only the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
"There's a possibility."
The Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi lay dormant within Bu Eun-seol's body—
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't consciously control it.
But the fake Takma had claimed to sense the Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi—meaning he knew Bu Eun-seol's full background.
As far as Bu Eun-seol knew, only two people were aware of his past—
The Divine Calculator...
And the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
And if he even knew his birth name, Baekri Geom-ha...
Then that person was either connected to his father's death—or involved in it.
"Even if I seek him out, he won't give me answers."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had always said that the most important truths were not to be spoken by others—but discovered by oneself.
And that reasoning was sound.
Besides, even if the Demonic Heavenly Emperor were to claim he was telling the truth now, there was no way Bu Eun-seol could believe him.
"This time, I won't ask through conversation."
Yet despite that.
Bu Eun-seol intended to seek out the Demonic Heavenly Emperor immediately for a private audience.