Chapter 691
A frigid glint erupted from the sharp contours of Jeok Bung's eyes.
"You've come to serve me?"
"That is correct."
For a moment, he fell silent, as if puzzled by the absurdity of the statement.
"Hohoho."
With a low chuckle, he picked up his teacup.
"I've heard the tales. That you took on simultaneous missions against the Yin-Knot Demon Grounds and the Blood Cult, barely managing to complete them."
Astonishingly, despite residing in this remote mountain village's modest manor,
Jeok Bung had been scrutinizing the Demon Hall's affairs as clearly as if reading the lines of his own palm.
"You rode high on the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's backing, but now that it seems you can't go any further..."
Clink.
Lightly brushing the lid of his teacup aside, Jeok Bung curled the corner of his lips.
"...you intend to use this old man as your shield. Is that not what you're saying?"
"Is that how it sounded to you?"
"Is it not?"
"No."
Bu Eun-seol met Jeok Bung's gaze unflinchingly.
"Originally, the Elders' Hall was one of the three great pillars supporting the Demon Hall, alongside the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Demonic Path Ten Gates."
He continued calmly.
"Yet, since my arrival, the Elders' Hall's authority has weakened. Initially, the Elders' Hall served as the balancing force between the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Ten Gates as they vied for power..."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened with regret.
"...but instead, I clashed with the Ten Gates, and in the end, their influence diminished."
"From what you've said so far, it almost sounds as though this old man has been profiting by playing both sides against each other."
A flicker of offense seemed to pass through Jeok Bung's eyes, now burning like embers.
"Did I truly appear so to you?"
"Did you not?"
Kwoong.
A tremor, brief yet earth-shattering, reverberated through the air.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming surge of energy erupted from Jeok Bung's body, soaring to the heavens.
"It seems I've lived too long."
His form expanded monstrously, towering over Bu Eun-seol as though gazing down from the sky itself.
"I didn't endure this long just to witness such filthy sights."
In an instant, the ground beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet began to split apart.
The Blood Demon Jeok Bung's signature art—
The Sky Shattering Extreme Wheel was said to reduce a man to a mere handful of blood and pulp without so much as lifting a finger.
And after reaching the Martial Extreme Realm, Jeok Bung no longer needed to unleash it—
He had gained the power to crush all things in this world into bloody pulp by will alone.
Kukukuku...
As the earth itself convulsed, Bu Eun-seol's body began sinking slowly into the ground.
An unfathomable, invisible force bound him in place, pressing him deeper with inexorable weight.
Crk—crkk—
Bu Eun-seol remained motionless as he was gradually buried alive.
Before Jeok Bung's monstrous power, no martial art or technique held any meaning.
Only raw force mattered.
The Great Demonic Person who had slaughtered more righteous faction warriors than any other in the current era, who had bathed in the most blood—
Jeok Bung, the cruelest of the Three Demons—
would not hesitate to crush anyone who provoked his wrath, be they the Demon Hall's successor or a disciple of Langya Pavilion.
He would bury them alive without a second thought.
Thud.
Yet, just as Bu Eun-seol was about to be fully submerged—
his descent halted.
Whoooosh—
He was channeling an immense surge of internal energy to resist Jeok Bung's power.
Flash!
In response, the light in Jeok Bung's eyes intensified.
His gaze alone seemed to summon an invisible, colossal giant pressing down on Bu Eun-seol's body.
Creak—
Once more, Bu Eun-seol's body began sinking into the earth.
Even his vast reserves of internal energy could not withstand Jeok Bung's might indefinitely.
But Bu Eun-seol had not summoned his power merely to resist.
Zzzzzzzziiing—
Before anyone realized, a dark haze began rising from his body.
The wavering form of black true qi now stretched straight toward the heavens,
while his eyes darkened as though dripping with inky liquid.
Willful True Binding.
A True Energy Martial Art derived from the Emotion Severing Secret Art, one of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's profound techniques—
Bu Eun-seol was using it to oppose Jeok Bung's power.
'This brat...'
As he observed Bu Eun-seol's pitch-black pupils, a glint of intrigue flashed in Jeok Bung's eyes.
Though he was the lowest-ranked of the Three Demons, he was still a peerless grandmaster who had reached the Martial Extreme Realm.
In an instant, he grasped the martial intent behind Bu Eun-seol's Willful True Binding—
and the realm it had attained.
'So that's how it is.'
Despite employing the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's profound arts, not a trace of the Demonic Path lingered in him.
Yet neither was he indirectly utilizing the Righteous Path's secrets.
...while unleashing the Demonic Path's highest mind-art, which allows immediate entry into the Supreme Demon Path.
Yet Bu Eun-seol was walking down an entirely different path—one no sane person would choose.
Because of this, the Willful True Binding he wielded was unlike that of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
It was shrouded in mist, filled with an unfathomable energy no one could decipher.
Precisely because he walked a road no one in this world had ever taken—
No one, not even a Master like Jeok Bung, could guess where that path led.
Or how far he had already come.
Crack.
A faint ripple of disturbance spread through Jeok Bung's spirit and mind, creating a hairline fracture in the torrent of his power.
Whooom!
Bu Eun-seol didn't miss the opening. The surging Willful True Binding shifted into a spherical Protective Aura.
And just like that, Jeok Bung's unpredictable force transformed into tangible martial forms.
An intangible power took shape—just like the crushing weight of Sim Wol's Sky Shattering Extreme Wheel.
'He may not compare to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, but he is still a formidable Master.'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had attacked with an indefinable, formless power.
Bu Eun-seol had found no way to convert that force into tangible martial forms. Only after desperate contemplation had he managed—
Using the Langya Mind's Eye as an alternative—
To shift the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's assault into a battle of physical techniques.
Even then, he had nearly lost his head with a single move of his.
But fortunately, Jeok Bung's power was far easier to materialize. The reason was simple.
Master and disciple shared the same martial lineage.
Since Bu Eun-seol had already faced Sim Wol's Sky Shattering Extreme Wheel before...
He could reshape Jeok Bung's power into the same form.
Crack—crack.
As the untraceable, invisible force morphed into a visible, tangible power—
Bu Eun-seol easily blocked it with his overwhelming internal energy.
Right now, he could have countered with fist techniques or swordplay.
He could have pushed back with sheer internal force.
But instead, Bu Eun-seol simply stared at Jeok Bung in silence.
As if waiting for the elder to withdraw his power.
Whoosh.
Just as he predicted, Jeok Bung soon retracted his energy.
After all, Jeok Bung was one of the Three Demons.
If a greenhorn like Bu Eun-seol had blocked one of his moves, that was that.
He would never deign to follow up with a second strike.
"It reminds me of the first time I met you."
Jeok Bung spoke as if he were only now truly seeing Bu Eun-seol for the first time.
"Even back then, I coveted your skills. I wanted to make you mine by any means necessary."
"Though I cannot become your man, Elder..."
Bu Eun-seol paused briefly, radiant Body Light streaming from his eyes.
"I can help you shake the Demon Hall once more."
A strange silence lingered between them.
After staring at the distant sky for a long moment, Jeok Bung finally spoke.
"And what do you gain from this?"
"Nothing."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
"Watching you overturn the Demon Hall with your own power is satisfaction enough."
"So you want me to stop Hall Master Sado's tyranny."
"The Demon Hall is the sacred ground of all demonic factions, is it not?"
Bu Eun-seol continued calmly.
"If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor could rule it single-handedly, it wouldn't be called the Demon Hall."
"Well said."
Jeok Bung nodded in approval, smacking his knee.
"The Hall was created as an alliance by the Demonic Path Ten Gates—the so-called Sky of the Demonic Path. Yet Hall Master Sado has always treated it as his personal property."
Then he shook his head.
"Though I suppose this entire situation was also part of his scheme."
Originally, power within the Demon Hall had been divided three ways—
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
The Demonic Path Ten Gates.
And the Elders' Hall.
But then the Demonic Heavenly Emperor named Bu Eun-seol—the Ten Demonic Heir—as the Demon Hall's successor.
Though the selection had been fair...
The Demonic Path Ten Gates still rebelled.
And when they targeted Bu Eun-seol, he retaliated in kind—
Until finally, the balance between the three factions collapsed entirely.
Only now, after all this time, had Jeok Bung realized...
That all of it had been the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's design from the start.
"Do you accept my proposal?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Jeok Bung fell silent before speaking again.
"Let me ask you one thing."
"Go ahead."
"Did you come here just to stop Hall Master Sado's rampage?"
Jeok Bung seemed to have already guessed that Bu Eun-seol's heart no longer belonged to the Demonic Path.
After a brief hesitation, Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
"I am still the Demon Hall's heir."
Then he answered plainly.
"Restoring the Hall's former glory now will make things easier for me when I become its Master."
"'The Demon Hall's heir,' you say."
Jeok Bung seemed to ponder something for a moment before faintly nodding his head.
"Hall Master Sado must be pounding the ground in regret by now."
"..."
"He believed he held dominion over the fates of all demonic practitioners, only for an unexpected figure to appear. Huhuhu."
After a long while of low laughter, Jeok Bung finally spoke.
"Even just to see the wretched look on Hall Master Sado's face, I suppose I must return to the Demon Hall."
Turning his head, Jeok Bung spoke in a quiet voice.
"We have a guest. Why are you standing there blankly without even serving tea?"
At his words, a deferential reply came from somewhere—likely from an attendant who had mastered exceptional martial arts.
In less than eight minutes, a young woman in blue robes arrived before Bu Eun-seol, presenting a steaming cup of warm tea.
Her fair, delicate skin and long, narrow eyes bore an uncanny resemblance to Jin Seol.
"Speak," Jeok Bung said as the tea was set down.
"What is your plan?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
At first glance, Jeok Bung appeared to be a straightforward and impatient man.
But in truth, he had long held the position of Elders' Hall Lord, mediating the balance of power between the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
A figure of remarkable wisdom.
If Bu Eun-seol's plan failed to satisfy him?
All the goodwill shown thus far would vanish, replaced by cold indifference.
"I will present you with a new Elders' Hall," Bu Eun-seol said after leisurely sipping his tea.
"One that need not rely on the power struggle between the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Demonic Path Ten Gates. A hall that can impose restrictions—boldly and without hesitation."
"So you have a clever scheme in mind."
"Isn't strength the foremost principle of the Demonic Path?"
For an instant, Jeok Bung's gaze—which had been fixed on the distant sky—narrowed.
"Do you take me for a mere puppet in your hands?"
"On the contrary," Bu Eun-seol replied flatly, "I only wish for you to wield your power unrestrained. To the point where not even I, nor the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, nor the Demonic Path Ten Gates would dare to act presumptuously before you."
A flash passed through Jeok Bung's eyes after a brief silence.
"Let us hear the details, then."
Elders' Hall Lord Jeok Bung returned to the Demon Hall.
Shockingly, the Elders' Hall had been ineffective all this time, and now he completely reorganized the Elders' Hall, which had previously been a hollow institution operating independently.
First, he recruited a host of former masters renowned in the Demonic Path into the Elders' Hall.
Their number? A full hundred.
Even considering the scale of the Demon Hall, this was an excessive figure.
Moreover, given that each of them had once dominated an era and led their own factions—
Their collective influence and power grew uncontrollably.
—Over half of them were said to be demonkin from the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary.
Their identities soon came to light: most were Great Demons who had been in seclusion at the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary.
—Strange. Wasn't the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary a place for those whose Internal Power had waned, whose bodies had grown feeble?
The Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary was where demonkin went after relinquishing their glorious fame—those who had aged, fallen ill, or become physically impaired.
Yet, astonishingly, they returned with bodies and Internal Power fully intact.
Furthermore, appointing members to the Elders' Hall was the exclusive privilege of the Elders' Hall Lord, Jeok Bung.
From the Demon Hall's perspective, this was somewhat perplexing, but they had no grounds to oppose his actions.
And with such formidable Great Demons becoming Elders of the Demon Hall, they had no choice but to welcome them with open arms.
—The Elders' Hall Lord convened the Demon Governance Council.
Having reorganized the Elders' Hall, Jeok Bung suddenly—
Summoned the Demon Hall Supreme Council, the Demon Governance Council, attended by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
While the Elders' Hall Lord technically held the authority to convene such a meeting, it had never been done before.
—What a nuisance.
The leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates cared little whether the Elders' Hall was reorganized or what schemes Jeok Bung was plotting.
Especially since his past role of mediating between the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Demonic Path Ten Gates—wielding power as he pleased—had left a sour impression.
—The authority of certain positions, including that of the Martial Soul Lord, has grown excessive. We shall discuss reducing their power.
This was astounding.
Given that Jeok Bung had recruited former masters from the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary, it was clear he and Bu Eun-seol, the Martial Soul Lord, were allies.
Yet now, out of nowhere, he proposed reducing the authority of key positions in the Demon Hall—including the Martial Soul Lord?
—We have no choice.
If they did not attend, not only would they fail to discern Jeok Bung's true intentions—
But he might also exploit his authority to act unilaterally, citing their absence from the council as justification.
In the end, the Demonic Path Ten Gates had no choice but to attend.
Around noon, at the Hidden Demon Pavilion—Yu Un-ryong's office.
Having forgotten even to eat, his weary eyes remained fixed as he continuously penned letters. Before him—
Crash!
The door burst open as the captains of the Death Shadow War Unit poured inside like a flood.
"Captain Yu! We have a serious problem!"
Won Se-mun was the first to thrust his face forward, his voice booming.
"The Elders' Hall Master has called a meeting to reorganize the power structure within the Demon Hall—including our Lord's authority!"
Yu Un-ryong didn't even lift his head.
"So?"
"So? That ungrateful old bastard is stabbing our Lord in the back!"
The moment Bu Eun-seol returned, Jeok Bung had restructured the Elders' Hall.
The captains could all see it—this was a scheme orchestrated by Bu Eun-seol himself.
Hyeok So-jin had once been the deputy leader of the Death Shadow Squad.
And the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sect was nothing short of a faction that lived and died by Bu Eun-seol's will.
Yet now, the moment Jeok Bung regained power and reshaped the Elders' Hall, he had suddenly plunged a knife into Bu Eun-seol's back.
"Frankly, isn't this for the best?"
Yu Un-ryong's indifferent reply made Won Se-mun's eyes bulge.
"What kind of nonsense is that, Captain Yu?"
"What exactly does our Lord usually do?"
"Well... he manages the Death Shadow War Unit or carries out orders from above."
"Exactly."
Yu Un-ryong set down his brush and looked at Won Se-mun.
"And when does our Lord unleash that fearsome Martial Soul Order?"
"Only when... the Demonic Path Ten Gates or some outside trash dare to provoke him."
Won Se-mun let out a small gasp as realization struck.
"Wait—so there's no real justification for reducing his authority?"
"None."
Yu Un-ryong resumed writing his letter.
"That old man, Jeok Bung, must have struck some kind of deal with our Lord. If he truly intended to strip the Lord of his power, he would have had to compensate him with equivalent authority—or else..."
He swallowed hard before shaking his head.
"...he'd have to drastically weaken even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's power."
"Ah."
Not just Won Se-mun, but all the captains of the Death Shadow War Unit gaped before nodding in understanding.
Only now did they grasp why Jeok Bung had called such a meeting.
"So the Elders' Hall Master is trying to prevent our Lord from interfering with the Death Shadow War Unit by setting up countermeasures."
At Wi Cheon-gyeong's words, Yu Un-ryong shook his head.
"However, that old man isn't the type to act out of goodwill toward our Lord."
A sharp glint flashed in Yu Un-ryong's eyes.
"More likely, he intends to strip power from all the key figures in the Demon Hall."
The captains all nodded with grave expressions.
They could sense it—a storm was coming, one that would overturn the very foundations of the Demon Hall.
The outcome of the Demonic Governance Council was decided.
The meeting proceeded without a hitch.
Jeok Bung, the Elders' Hall Master, had made a dazzling return.
And the Elders' Hall, which had once been a hollow shell, was now restructured into the most influential organization within the Demon Hall.
Moreover, let it not be forgotten—Jeok Bung was one of the Three Demons.
Excluding the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself, he was effectively the second most powerful figure in the Demon Hall.
Now that he had taken command of such a formidable organization, his influence was bound to rival even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's.
"The Demon Hall prioritizes the logic of power, but it is still a coalition with clear ranks and systems."
"Power concentrated in a single individual not only disrupts the organization's balance but also breeds discord among factions."
Jeok Bung immediately disseminated the council's decisions to every organization.
1.The Martial Soul Lord shall continue managing the Death Shadow War Unit as before. However, if he must exercise his authority as an inspector, he can no longer act arbitrarily—he must convene the Demonic Governance Council to activate the Martial Soul Order.
2.Under no other circumstances may the Martial Soul Order be invoked independently.
And then came the second, even more shocking announcement:
3.The independent missions of Lord-rank personnel shall also be restricted. Their tasks must likewise be approved through the Demonic Governance Council.
Upon hearing this, the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit finally allowed themselves a faint smile.
"Restricting the independent missions of Lord-rank personnel."
In other words, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor could no longer unilaterally assign life-threatening missions to Bu Eun-seol.
In a pavilion overlooking the Elders' Hall's garden, Bu Eun-seol and Jeok Bung sat facing each other, sipping tea.
Jeok Bung seemed slightly surprised to see Bu Eun-seol drinking so naturally.
"You've learned to enjoy tea, it seems."
"To be honest,"
Bu Eun-seol replied bitterly,
"I can appreciate its taste, but I doubt I'll ever truly enjoy it."
"That's not so bad either."
Jeok Bung's voice was low.
"At your age, simply being able to savor its flavor is impressive enough."
It sounded like a Zen riddle.
Bu Eun-seol rose calmly from his seat.
"Thank you for the tea."
"Remember this."
Jeok Bung spoke to Bu Eun-seol's retreating back.
"With this, I've repaid the favor you showed me back then. From now on, you'd best tread carefully."
A crimson light flickered in Jeok Bung's eyes.
"This Hall Master no longer seeks power alone."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"I hope you achieve what you desire."
He clasped his hands together.
In the past, Jeok Bung had indeed been a man obsessed with power. But now, he had found something else to covet.
"The power structure of the Demon Hall has returned to a tripod balance."
Having divided the Demon Hall's authority into three... it was now time to split the Martial Alliance's power as well.
Was it fate?
The opportunity had presented itself on its own.