Chapter 735
"Hahp!"
Bu Eun-seol deliberately let out a thunderous battle cry.
Seol-so was a wandering martial artist and the Bullet King's disciple.
If that was the role he had to play, then from head to toe—without the slightest slip—he had to become a completely different person.
Whoosh!
As Bu Eun-seol poured his Internal Power to its limit, Yeon-wol also unleashed his own.
But then, something miraculous happened.
Swoosh—!
The Internal Power Yeon-wol had gathered to its peak dispersed like mist in an instant.
BOOM!
A cannonball-like surge of energy drilled straight into Yeon-wol's forehead.
Astonishingly, Bu Eun-seol had completely nullified Yeon-wol's overwhelming Internal Power in a single stroke—
And then fired a devastating Inner Energy Bullet Art directly into his face.
KABOOM!
With a deafening explosion, Yeon-wol was sent flying backward in a straight line before crashing into a boulder about thirty yards away.
Rumble—
The rock shattered, sending plumes of dust and debris scattering in all directions.
Crunch, crunch.
From within the settling dust, Yeon-wol rose to his feet, gripping his twisted body as he forcibly realigned himself back to normal.
"So, 'Neither-Human-Nor-Beast' has a double meaning."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled faintly, as if he had just realized something.
"It doesn't just refer to factions—it also seems to describe humans with bodies like yours."
In the past, within the Return to Unity Realm, Bu Eun-seol had encountered a boy whose body was completely hollow inside.
No matter how deeply he cut or peeled back the skin, the boy remained empty, like a lifeless doll—
Impossible to kill, impossible to stop from escaping.
As if he wasn't human at all.
And now, Bu Eun-seol sensed that the term "Neither-Human-Nor-Beast" was not unrelated to that phenomenon.
"How strange."
Yeon-wol tilted his head, his eyes still closed.
"Even if you knew that, you shouldn't have been able to neutralize my Internal Power."
"There was no Internal Power to neutralize."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"This place is a Mindscape."
The moment those words left his lips—
Splash—
The scenery of the world suddenly rippled like water, and then a sharper, clearer world began to emerge.
At the same time, the true form of Yeon-wol standing opposite him came into view.
His eyes were no longer closed—instead, massive golden pupils flickered as they glared at Bu Eun-seol.
He was not blind.
By opening his eyes, he had constructed the Mindscape itself.
"Impressive. To escape the Phase so easily..."
"Is that what you call a Mindscape?"
At Bu Eun-seol's indifferent response, the light in Yeon-wol's eyes shifted.
Detecting and escaping a Phase was something only a Master who had broken through the Extreme Heaven Realm and entered the Martial Extreme Realm could accomplish.
Because no matter how unshakable one's Spirit and Mind might be—
A Phase completely overlays that firm consciousness with an entirely new perception.
"How did you know?"
Yeon-wol blinked his golden eyes, as if genuinely puzzled.
"Unless you were already aware of the Phase from the beginning... No matter how exceptional your Martial Arts are, you shouldn't have been able to detect it."
"If you were going to pretend to be a skilled physician, you should have at least performed a proper pulse diagnosis."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled slightly.
"I can overlook detecting health conditions through voice and footsteps—but diagnosing internal afflictions just by grabbing the Pulse Gate? That's going too far."
"..."
"At the very least, you should have checked the CV-17 acupoint or the tongue."
To diagnose an illness caused by internal afflictions, one must confirm the patient's condition through questioning.
At the bare minimum, pressing the Central Palace acupoint or examining the turbidity of the veins beneath the tongue is necessary—
But Yeon-wol had instantly assessed Bu Eun-seol's inner state with nothing more than a pulse diagnosis.
That was the moment Bu Eun-seol felt something bizarre.
The same eerie sensation he had experienced at Seolhwa Gate and the Martial Venerable's hideout.
A feeling strikingly similar to when he had first entered a Mindscape.
—What I see before me may not be reality at all.
The moment that doubt took root—
The trap of the Mindscape Yeon-wol had laid out no longer worked on him.
Even if it was a power that could overlay one's very Spirit and Mind, the instant one becomes aware of the overlay, everything shatters.
"Even if you became aware of it, you shouldn't have been able to escape on your own unless you've entered the Martial Extreme Realm."
The golden light in Yeon-wol's pupils deepened.
"In that case, you must either possess an ability rivaling the Martial Extreme Realm... or have birthed a new form of Martial Prowess..."
His gaze remained fixed on Bu Eun-seol as he continued.
"Or perhaps... you are a personage of the Baekri Clan."
For an instant, Bu Eun-seol's pupils rippled like disturbed water.
In the past, Yang Seol-rin had told him that the people of the Baekri Clan possessed the power to interfere with Mindscapes.
The Supreme Emperor, who had led a massive theatrical stage in his attack, had been astonished when Bu Eun-seol escaped the layered Mindscape he had created.
Moreover, according to Mu-gyeol's words—
Jeong Cheon-je had firmly declared that his father, Baekri Mu-ha, was of the Baekri bloodline.
'So I really am a descendant of the Baekri Clan.'
And now, even Yeon-wol—a Neither-Human-Nor-Beast—was saying this...
It seemed undeniable now.
"How unfortunate."
Golden currents began flowing from Yeon-wol's pupils.
"It would have been better for you to die peacefully within the Phase."
He spoke with a playful expression.
"What a pity."
As the golden currents pouring from Yeon-wol's eyes intensified, an unknown force began coiling around the bamboo forest.
"Did you truly believe escaping the Phase was the end of it?"
Yeon-wol let out a soft chuckle.
"All I have to do is overlay it again."
At that moment, every ounce of power within Bu Eun-seol's body began gradually fading away.
The Emotion Severing Secret Art and the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art.
The Bloody Tears Seven Forms and the Prajna Great Power—the combined forces of Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist Arts.
The Great Stillness Heat River True Qi and the Glacier Thousand Streams Art—the powers of extreme yang and yin.
Even the mysterious Water Essence Divine Qi and Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Even his internal energy had plummeted to the level of thirty or forty years of cultivation.
He had reverted to the state of his body when he first entered Langya Pavilion.
No—even further back, to when he had stepped onto Hell Island to become the Ten Demonic Heir.
"Martial artists often fall into delusions."
Yeon-wol gazed at Bu Eun-seol, who had widened his eyes, and curled his lips into a faint smile.
"They believe the martial arts scattered throughout the murim are orthodox, while everything else is sorcery."
For some reason, he seemed amused, his smile never fading.
"But from our perspective, the martial arts of the murim are the real sorcery."
As he continued speaking, Yeon-wol's pupils darkened.
"After all, none of them are powers innate to humanity in the first place."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize.
The mysterious factions had always used methods to reduce internal energy and restrict power.
All of it—every last one—originated from the techniques of the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
"We've talked long enough."
Kukuku.
An overwhelming force swirled violently around Yeon-wol's fingers.
It was as if countless powers had been condensed into one—much like the Harmonization Bu Eun-seol wielded.
"Now, let's finish this."
Bu Eun-seol sensed it instinctively.
If the power gathered in Yeon-wol's hand were unleashed—
Everything within this bamboo forest, including himself, would be obliterated completely.
Pahat!
There was no time to think.
Bu Eun-seol closed the distance between them like lightning and unleashed three sword strokes in rapid succession.
"Sharp perception."
Yeon-wol had been exerting a new force that restricted all latent powers within the body.
Unlike before, he could no longer manifest a body as unyielding as the Vajra Indestructible Body.
Bu Eun-seol had instantly discerned that weakness and thrust his iron sword toward Yeon-wol's vital points.
"Well, a minor injury is nothing."
Yeon-wol ignored Bu Eun-seol's sword strokes, intent on releasing his overwhelming power.
But Bu Eun-seol immediately altered his sword technique, simultaneously piercing Yeon-wol's glabella and lower abdomen—areas that, if struck, would disrupt the flow of his energy.
The strokes were too sharp to dismiss lightly. A direct hit would hinder his ability to exert his full strength.
"Hmph."
In the end, Yeon-wol halted his attempt to unleash his colossal power, sneering.
Instead, he extended his nails like claws and slashed relentlessly at Bu Eun-seol's face and neck.
'If he retreats, it's over.'
Yeon-wol smirked inwardly.
In truth, those claw strikes were all feints.
His real intention was to force Bu Eun-seol to step back, even if just slightly.
At such close range, it would be impossible to block every strike—he would have no choice but to retreat.
And the moment he did, Yeon-wol would blast both him and this forest into oblivion.
Pat!
But something bizarre happened.
Instead of evading, Bu Eun-seol lunged forward, disregarding the claw strikes entirely.
He had instantly grasped Yeon-wol's intent.
Ignoring the lacerations tearing across his skin, he closed the distance in an instant and pressed the assault.
"You cling like a leech!"
With Bu Eun-seol sticking to him like glue, relentlessly pouring out sword techniques, Yeon-wol could no longer maintain his leisurely demeanor.
Sssk—sssk—sssk!
Bu Eun-seol paid no heed, pressing in so close their noses nearly touched as he unleashed a barrage of sword strokes.
Yeon-wol, the Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, could sever any martial art cultivated by murim practitioners.
He possessed a decisive secret technique capable of shattering their physical bodies into pieces.
But there was one thing he had misjudged.
Even if Bu Eun-seol possessed internal energy and the Two Spirit Energies beyond anyone's reach—
Even if he wielded the combined might of Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist Arts—
He had never once relied on the superiority of such power to overwhelm his foes.
Only martial arts.
Bu Eun-seol had always valued the intricacies of martial arts, refining his techniques to elevate his realm.
Though his body had regressed to the state of his Ten Demonic Heir days—
His martial arts realm now rivaled that of Dan Cheong, the man who had once brought him to Langya Pavilion.
Thus, even if all his power had vanished, blocking Yeon-wol's movements with nothing but a sword was child's play.
"Like a damn bloodsucker!"
Yeon-wol, unable to shake off Bu Eun-seol's relentless attacks, could no longer hide his irritation.
Moreover, the intelligence networks knew Seol-so—Bu Eun-seol's alias—
As the disciple of the Bullet King, a man who relied on overwhelming internal energy to dominate through brute force.
So I had thought—if all the power within my body were sealed away, I'd be rendered utterly helpless, like a fool who couldn't lift a finger.
Yet here he was, wielding terrifying sword techniques with nothing but half a cycle's worth of internal energy and an old iron sword.
"Did you really believe I couldn't deploy the martial arts of the murim?"
Finally, Yeon-wol began lashing out with frenzied, overwhelming assaults.
The martial techniques he unleashed were the kind that had once shaken the heavens—blows capable of splitting the sky and cleaving the earth.
But it was useless.
Before he could even fully execute those techniques, Bu Eun-seol would dart in, striking his vital points with that rusted sword.
It was like watching a master painter, poised to capture inspiration on canvas—only for a mischievous child to dash in and wildly shake his brush.
"Tch."
Gradually, pained groans escaped Yeon-wol's lips.
The Heaven-Shattering Form he employed wasn't just a technique that demanded immense internal energy—it was an Otherworldly Peerless Art, requiring perfect unity of spirit and flesh.
But Bu Eun-seol repeatedly interrupted his moves midway through their execution.
His qi vessels twisted in rebellion, and indescribable agony followed.
'Could it be... I'm actually losing to him?'
At that moment, Yeon-wol felt fear.
From his perspective, martial artists were nothing more than flies—creatures whose power could be stolen at any moment, who would collapse and die the moment their strength was drained.
Yet this fly before him refused to die. Worse, it was launching attacks that threatened his very life.
'How is this possible?'
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
The man before him had barely half a cycle's worth of internal energy left—and yet, with unfathomably precise strikes, he was relentlessly targeting Yeon-wol's vital points in ways even a martial grandmaster would struggle to counter.
Swish! Crack-crack-crack!
In the end, Yeon-wol was forced to materialize his true qi like the Willful True Binding, forming tangible barriers to block Bu Eun-seol's sword strokes.
But the rusted longsword slipped through like a salmon fighting upstream, weaving past defenses and digging into his pressure points.
"Enough!"
Cornered, Yeon-wol roared in fury, spreading both hands wide.
WHOOSH—!
A colossal whirlwind erupted from his claws, swallowing Bu Eun-seol whole.
This was no ordinary technique—it was the Tyrant-Heaven Ghost Charm Sword, a long-lost Annihilation Sword Studies technique, unleashed through the Claw Art.
Fzzzt—CRACK!
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's body lifted slightly into the air—then shifted through forty-nine different angles in rapid succession.
He had executed the Ultimate Speed Shadowless, evading the Tyrant-Heaven Ghost Charm Sword's opening strikes in a single breath.
Snap!
Yeon-wol's technique had drained his internal energy, leaving Bu Eun-seol unable to execute it flawlessly.
Though countless shallow wounds littered Bu Eun-seol's body, none were fatal.
Shhk-shhk-shhk!
Instead of retreating, he closed the distance even further, forcing Yeon-wol into a desperate, chaotic defense.
Tremble.
Yeon-wol's pupils quivered into slits.
The battle had taken a bizarre turn.
Despite holding every conceivable advantage, Yeon-wol was the one on the defensive.
Bu Eun-seol, who possessed no advantage at all, was charging at him like a rabid dog.
Momentum.
It was one of the most critical factors in determining victory or defeat.
Lose momentum, and fear and hesitation would creep in—slowing the precision and speed of one's techniques.
Or worse, inviting unpredictable mistakes.
Combat, in the end, was about controlling the flow.
And Yeon-wol, having lost his momentum, might as well have already lost to Bu Eun-seol.
Slash-slash-slash!
Before long, their close-quarters exchange surpassed three hundred moves, and one by one, wounds began appearing on Yeon-wol's body.
Unlike a human's, his flesh didn't bleed—but with every injury, cracks formed in his rock-solid spirit and mind.
"Are you saying the Bullet King's disciple is stronger than the Bullet King himself?!"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed at Yeon-wol's outburst.
Did that mean he had faced the Bullet King before?
'Is Neither-Human-Nor-Beast connected to the Return-to-One Realm?'
In the past, the Return-to-One Realm had attempted to capture the Bullet King to claim his body.
Of course, that plan had been thwarted by Bu Eun-seol—but one oddity remained.
Among the troops that had surrounded the Bullet King on Ghost Island, there had been no true leader.
Though there were those who had inherited the power of the Three Severances' masters, they were mere test subjects—experiments who had undergone the Great Art, not the Return-to-One Realm's true high command.
So then—who had been the mastermind behind the Bullet King's capture?
Who had commanded them?
And now, observing Yeon-wol's behavior...
It was possible he had been the one leading the operation to capture the Bullet King.
Which meant Neither-Human-Nor-Beast and the Return-to-One Realm might be collaborators—or perhaps even one and the same.
"So that's why Lady Man-wol knew the Return to Unity Realm Lord."
Man-wol had said she had known the Return to Unity Realm Lord for a long time.
That meant the Return to Unity Realm Lord and Neither-Human-Nor-Beast had some kind of long-standing connection or bond.
Snap!
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's old iron sword sliced through Yeon-wol's neck.
Though no blood spilled, the fact that the blade had reached his throat was proof that all his defenses had been completely breached.
Yeon-wol had been pushed to a point where he could no longer resist.
"This can't be!"
Yeon-wol's furious voice roared through the night sky. At the same time, the golden light streaming from his pupils intensified—
Kwaaaah!
A massive storm erupted around his body, hurling Bu Eun-seol back thirty to forty feet.
Kwaang! Kwaang!
Every time Yeon-wol stretched out his hand, terrifying palm energy tore through the surroundings, reducing everything within thirty feet to ruins.
But it was useless.
No matter how powerful the force, it meant nothing if it didn't land.
Martial Grandmasters wielded immense internal power while weaving in profound techniques—
Whether the force was great or small, it was all part of the effort to ensure it struck the enemy.
Yeon-wol was a master who had mastered various Heavenly Outer Absolute Arts, but unfortunately, he had lost his composure.
No matter how many supreme arts he had learned—
He stood no chance against Bu Eun-seol, who had grasped the essence of Langya Pavilion's martial arts and matched even the most formidable masters.
The outcome was already decided.
"Fine."
Paaat!
Realizing there was no way out, Yeon-wol instantly levitated into the air.
At the same time, a sickly yellow light rose from his pupils.
"Then I'll just wipe out this entire area—"
But his words were cut short.
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol had used a bamboo stalk to propel himself high into the air, reaching Yeon-wol's position.
"I told you, you won't get time to gather your strength."
Flash!
A streak of light sliced through the air, grazing Yeon-wol's neck.
Though his internal energy had bottomed out, he had still floated up, thinking himself safe—
Yet that bastard had used the elasticity of bamboo and the subtleties of Body-Locomotion Martial Art to leap over a hundred feet high with just thirty to forty years' worth of internal energy.
Schlick.
Finally, Yeon-wol's body, still hovering in midair, crashed to the ground.
More than half of his neck had been severed, dangling loosely.
"You... you've reached the Martial Extreme Realm."
Yeon-wol's eyes were stained with rage and horror.
"To ascend to such a state at your age—"
"I don't know anything about the Martial Extreme Realm."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"I never sought to reach it."
"What?"
As if sensing something, Yeon-wol stared at Bu Eun-seol as if he were a monster.
"You mean you deliberately avoided reaching the Martial Extreme Realm?"
Only then did he realize the source of the inexplicable authority he had felt emanating from Bu Eun-seol earlier.
It was the fear of the unknown.
This young man was disregarding the established stages of martial arts in the Murim and walking his own path.
That was why his martial prowess couldn't be measured, and even the simplest techniques carried overwhelming might.
Clank.
Bu Eun-seol pointed his iron sword and spoke.
"If you tell me about Neither-Human-Nor-Beast and the faction you belong to, I'll kill you swiftly."
"Heh... kehkehkeh. Do you really think I'd talk?"
Yeon-wol burst into a hearty laugh.
"Even if I die here, I will be reborn in the future—far stronger than I am now."
A deep aspiration flowed from his eyes as he gazed at the distant sky.
"Just like him."
"Heavenly Darkness Star. Is that who you mean?"
"Heavenly Darkness Star?"
Yeon-wol's wrinkled face twisted in a frown before he suddenly pointed at Bu Eun-seol and erupted into mad laughter.
"You know nothing."
Yeon-wol cackled.
"How could the One Hundred and Eight Stars ever compare to him? And Heavenly Darkness Star—"
Then he said something utterly bizarre.
"—has died countless times by his hand."
"What?"
Just then, a presence approached from afar.
Because Yeon-wol had drastically drained the energy from Bu Eun-seol's body,
the range of the Beast Path had narrowed to the extreme, leaving Bu Eun-seol unaware that someone was coming.
"Huh?"
The one stumbling toward them was none other than Jang Sam, the caretaker of the abandoned manor.
"Doctor-nim!"
When Jang Sam saw Yeon-wol with half his neck severed and Bu Eun-seol holding an iron sword, he let out a scream-like cry.
"Warrior! Please spare him!"
Panting, Jang Sam knelt in front of Yeon-wol, shielding him.
"This man is a doctor who has traveled the Central Plains, saving countless lives!"
Bu Eun-seol sighed and said,
"That man is a murderer who pretends to heal patients only to slaughter them in horrific ways."
"How could that be? This humble servant has personally witnessed him treating patients every time."
Bu Eun-seol remained silent.
No matter how much he explained until his mouth ran dry, this man would never understand.
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to subdue Jang Sam with a flick of his Finger Wind without another word—
Crunch.
Suddenly, Yeon-wol—whose neck had been snapped—sank his teeth into Jang Sam's throat.
Gulp, gulp.
And in an instant, he drank the gushing blood.
Then, Yeon-wol's blurred pupils sharpened, and the wound on his neck healed in the blink of an eye.
Just like Earthly Killing Star in the past.
Yeon-wol, too, possessed the ability to restore his body by drinking blood.
"D-Doctor..."
Even as his throat was torn open and blood poured out, Jang Sam wore an expression of disbelief.
"Why...?"
Yeon-wol didn't even answer, continuing to drink his blood.
"Still... thank you."
Jang Sam smiled faintly, as if resigning himself to everything.
"For letting a wretch like me live like a human being all this time..."
Thud.
With those final words, Jang Sam collapsed, dead.
"Haaah."
Having drunk his fill, Yeon-wol restored his body and looked refreshed, his expression refreshed.
"Thanks to you, I survived."
He looked at Bu Eun-seol and let out a sigh of relief.
"From now on, I won't underestimate you murim bastards. And I'll never travel alone agai—"
Yeon-wol couldn't finish his sentence.
Because around Bu Eun-seol, who had lowered his head, a violet energy current had begun to surge.
The beggar Jang Sam...
Had expressed gratitude to the murderous fiend who had just brutally killed him—simply because he had given him a fleeting moment of happiness.
And witnessing that, Bu Eun-seol erupted with an unprecedented fury and Killing Intent.
"You don't deserve to live."
Crackle.
And that rage—
Shattered the Phase Yeon-wol had implanted, allowing the Thunder Essence Divine Qi to surge violently through his veins once more.
Crackle— KWAHAAAAA!
The uncontrollably spreading Thunder Essence Divine Qi emitted a blinding radiance—
And poured mercilessly into Yeon-wol's body.
"Ugh— AAAAAH!"
Trapped within the lightning, Yeon-wol screamed in agony.
The Thunder Essence Divine Qi, accompanied by extreme heat, began melting his body from the inside out in an instant.
"Ugh... ugh..."
Before long, Yeon-wol's flesh had turned sticky like glue, melting away.
Drip, drip.
All that remained where he had stood was a pool of thick, viscous liquid.
And Yeon-wol's face floated atop it.
"You're not the Bullet King's disciple."
A voice emerged from the face floating on the liquid.
"But you're not the Thunder God's disciple either. His Thunder Essence Divine Qi isn't this... emotional."
Bu Eun-seol only glared at him with contempt, and Yeon-wol's lips moved again.
"Don't delude yourself into thinking you've won. You're nothing."
His voice was eerie and low, as though cursing him.
"You'll all be trapped like rats, living in torment for the rest of your lives."
In the past, Bu Eun-seol might have tried to extract whatever information Yeon-wol had.
But now, none of that mattered. He could just kill them all anyway.
Thunk.
Bu Eun-seol drove his iron sword into the floating face.
"Heh... heh heh. That won't kill me."
Yet the face impaled on the sword only smiled wider.
"You think something like Thunder Essence Divine Qi can end me?"
"Ah—"
Whoosh.
Suddenly, a radiant five-colored light began to spill from Bu Eun-seol's body.
After Yeon-wol had turned into that viscous liquid—
The powers of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist Arts, as well as the Two Spirit Energies, had all returned to him.
And now, to annihilate this abomination, he was summoning the Power of Harmony, intending to erase it in one strike.
Rumble.
But then, something strange happened.
The moment Bu Eun-seol gathered all his inner energy to unleash Harmonization, Yeon-wol—who had been slowly closing his eyes as if unable to withstand the power—
Flash!
Suddenly erupted with an enormous light from his pupils.
In that instant, a dazzling five-colored brilliance exploded before Bu Eun-seol's eyes—
And his consciousness sank into endless darkness.
Whoooosh.
A beautiful manor was burning.
Pavilions collapsed, and agonized screams echoed in every direction.
Saha Manor.
Every time he recovered his lost memories, this was what he saw.
The beautiful manor where his father and mother had once lived—
Crumbling before his eyes once again.
How much time had passed?
The screams that had filled the air gradually faded, and the flames consuming the manor died down.
But something new was burning.
It was his mother.
"Mother!"
Bu Eun-seol shouted, but no sound escaped his lips.
No matter how desperately he called—
No matter how hard he tried to run toward her—his vision wouldn't shift, and he couldn't reach her.
Mumble, mumble, mumble.
Then, strange murmurs filled the air.
Startled, Bu Eun-seol looked around.
Around his burning mother, black-robed priests stood in a circle, chanting eerie True Words with their hands clasped in ritual gestures.
"Wait."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize something was wrong.
The way he was seeing his mother now—
Wasn't this the perspective of one of those figures standing in the circle, murmuring those incantations?
"This isn't... my memory."
What he was witnessing now... wasn't Bu Eun-seol's own memory at all.