Chapter 741
Just before the darkness could claim him—
—Seol-a.
The low voice of Grandfather Bu Jan-yang resonated in Bu Eun-seol's mind.
—How was your day today?
Before sleep, Bu Jan-yang would always ask Bu Eun-seol about his day.
How it had been, what thoughts he'd had, what emotions he'd felt.
—I was angry.
In the early days of helping with the undertaker's work, Bu Eun-seol had always answered like this.
—I wish everyone in the world would disappear.
People either scorned or ignored Grandfather for no reason, or they took advantage of his kindness, working him to the bone without paying a single coin.
—I see.
Grandfather would gaze at the furious child with a benevolent smile.
Even after that, no kind words came, but he diligently asked about Bu Eun-seol's thoughts and feelings each day.
And so that those negative emotions could change—so that he could learn to see the world with a broader perspective—
Grandfather offered affectionate touches and gazes, taught him various kinds of knowledge, and let him experience new things.
How much time had passed like that?
—I was happy.
The answer changed.
Bu Eun-seol, who had always been filled with dark, negative emotions, now wore hopeful, bright expressions and eyes without realizing it.
—Today, I was happy.
From that day on, Bu Eun-seol always answered the same way. That he had always been happy.
—Grandfather.
Emerging from the memory, Bu Eun-seol, even as his consciousness dimmed, wore a radiant smile.
—I was happy. Always.
Ever since entering the martial world, Bu Eun-seol's mind had been filled with nothing but vengeance.
Not once had he ever forgotten his revenge.
But just by recalling the days he had spent with Grandfather like this—
Happy emotions revived in his heart.
'Happiness.'
After Grandfather's brutal death,
the word happiness had become something that no longer suited Bu Eun-seol.
But only now did he realize—
that not everything since entering the martial world had been bad.
Even while living each day for revenge, he had formed bonds with good people, bid them farewell,
felt many things, and grown bit by bit.
Though it had seemed so far away—
happiness had always been within reach.
And the great teachings and knowledge Grandfather had passed down... had been quietly handed to him all along.
Zzzing.
Then, something strange happened.
As the resentment and vengeance in his heart faded, the mind-training formula left behind by the Martial Emperor surfaced.
Martial Emperor's Enlightenment.
It was a mind-training formula that used the intense emotions drawn from happy memories to amplify the might of martial arts.
But its essence lay elsewhere.
The tangled, chaotic threads of human emotions—impossible to neatly arrange or organize—
were guided toward an extraordinarily firm and lofty realm, using emotions like happiness as a compass.
It was a secret method to brave the stormy seas, overcome countless obstacles, and reach the pinnacle of the spirit and mind.
—What? To think you could stretch time this far.
Then, from the shadows where a hand had been reaching out, a delighted voice echoed.
—My power. You're using it properly, aren't you?
The shadow continued to speak after that.
But Bu Eun-seol's consciousness had reached Ultimate Emptiness, maintaining a state of boundless Utmost Void,
and so he could no longer hear the voice of the dark shadow.
'When worn out, it becomes new.'
A brilliant flash flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as they opened again.
Instead of resisting the internal energy pouring from the Star Guard Corps martial artists, he began to naturally harmonize with it.
'When lacking, one shall gain...'
Oooong!
As Bu Eun-seol regained consciousness in the abyss and opened his eyes,
Krrrrumble!
the internal energies unleashed by the Star Guard Corps martial artists began naturally storing within his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
It was absorbing the external force pouring into him, dispersing it into a form that could generate Counterforce.
'Do not insist on filling.'
Zzzzang!
In that instant, the internal energies of thirty-one martial artists, absorbed through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians, exploded outward as if scattering.
Utmost Void Rebound.
Among the secrets of the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment,
he had awakened the counterforce secret—absorbing immense external power and reflecting it back.
Kwaang!
The thirty-one unit members sent flying in all directions collided with tree trunks, vomiting crimson blood.
"Ghk."
Not only that, due to the anti-elastic force, they suffered not just severe internal injuries—
"Uaaagh! My leg!"
"Khhh—my arm!"
but their entire bodies were shattered, with not a single bone left intact.
Thud. Thud.
In the end, all the squad members had collapsed unconscious from their severe injuries.
"You vile bastard!"
But Seo Muk, with his deep internal energy, had fortunately managed to escape the explosive backlash quickly enough to avoid fatal wounds.
"You deliberately pretended to have no internal energy!"
Seo Muk's body trembled violently.
Even though this man possessed terrifying internal energy capable of repelling the combined force of thirty-one martial artists in an instant—
He had feigned weakness first, only to unleash it all at once?
Could it be that at such a young age, he had fully inherited the Divine Skill Essence of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor?
"Vile bastard, you say?"
Bu Eun-seol looked down at Seo Muk with a contemptuous smile.
"You assumed my internal energy was gone, called your subordinates to ambush me in numbers... and now you dare call me the vile bastard?"
"You demonic bastards are always the ones playing dirty tricks!"
Seo Muk wore an aggrieved expression.
"Why did you deliberately pretend to have no internal energy, luring us into complacency?!"
He was under the mistaken belief that Bu Eun-seol had intentionally concealed his power, feigning weakness to bait them into lowering their guard—
Only to deliver a fatal strike.
"Is this a trait of the Righteous Faction? Such shameless excuses?"
Bu Eun-seol gazed down at Seo Muk with eyes full of disdain.
"Even if I had pretended to lack internal energy, you could have simply refrained from attacking."
"..."
"You launched an ambush for the sake of merit, yet now you blame me?"
Seo Muk's face burned crimson.
No matter how thick-skinned he was, faced with such an accusation, he had no retort.
"I fear no one like you!"
Swoosh!
As if to shake off his shame, Seo Muk immediately drew his sword and roared.
"Die!"
And in the next instant, he unleashed a lethal killing move.
It was the No Success Without Sweat sword form, taught to him by Baekri Mu-jo.
Bu Eun-seol found the suddenness of Seo Muk's attack too abrupt, with no discernible openings—
So he immediately thrust the Ink Soul Sword toward Seo Muk's eyes.
"Ghk—!"
Seo Muk, startled, aborted his sword stroke.
No Success Without Sweat was a ruthless technique designed to exploit an opponent's defenselessness at close range—
Simultaneously piercing the throat, chest, and lower abdomen.
Because it targeted three vital points at once in close quarters,
Even the most skilled swordsmen would have no choice but to retreat before countering.
But Bu Eun-seol, like a man possessed by death itself,
Did not evade—instead, he thrust straight for Seo Muk's eyes, forcing him to recoil in shock.
"What kind of swordsmanship is this?!"
As Bu Eun-seol shattered the No Success Without Sweat with an absurd move,
Seo Muk let out a furious cry and unleashed a flurry of Seven Strikes.
Boom!
Seo Muk's sword, infused with formidable internal energy, resonated with a faint thunderous roar.
Swish.
Rather than blocking the onslaught head-on,
Bu Eun-seol extended the Ink Soul Sword, preemptively intercepting the points where Seo Muk's strikes would shift.
As a result, Seo Muk's attacks were constantly disrupted before he could fully execute them.
"You've studied our division's sword techniques!"
Believing Bu Eun-seol had already deciphered his swordsmanship, Seo Muk began chaotically altering the sequence of his forms.
"Try disrupting this!"
While Seo Muk seethed with rage, Bu Eun-seol's expression remained utterly impassive.
In truth, he knew nothing of the Star Guard Corps' sword techniques.
It was simply that his physical condition was too poor—
Leaving him no choice but to rely on reading the sword path's flow and disrupting attacks mid-execution.
Slash. Slash.
Because Bu Eun-seol's Ink Soul Sword severed the flow midway through the move,
Seo Muk was forced to halt his strokes prematurely, unable to complete them.
'I shouldn't have closed the distance!'
Seo Muk gritted his teeth.
He wanted to regain his range—
But Bu Eun-seol kept sealing his retreat, refusing to let him disengage.
Whish!
In desperation, Seo Muk tried to force a weapon clash to create distance.
Yet no matter how he swung his sword, it never met Bu Eun-seol's longsword—only cutting through empty air.
"Tch!"
The more Seo Muk struggled to execute his techniques, the more he felt as if he were trapped in a dream.
'Is this bastard's swordsmanship truly this high?'
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
'The martial world's understanding of his prowess is completely wrong.'
Since the Thousand Swords Incident, Bu Eun-seol had never publicly fought, so I had thought he barely ranked above the lowest of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
Yet here he was, toying with Seo Muk—the deputy commander of the Star Guard Corps—
Simply by reading the sword path and severing its flow?
'He hasn't even drawn upon his internal energy.'
Seo Muk was under the mistaken belief that Bu Eun-seol was deliberately toying with him—purposely withholding his internal energy and engaging him with sword strokes alone.
'This man... cannot be matched by anyone below the rank of division leader.'
Having reached this conclusion, Seo Muk gritted his teeth.
Crrrrack!
At the same time, he channeled his full combat power, surging his internal energy as he swung his sword.
With each slash through the air, Seo Muk's sword strokes grew faster, and the sword winds howling in every direction were sharp enough to slice skin on mere contact.
Bu Eun-seol, standing at the center of the storm of sword strokes, resembled a lone boat adrift on a tempestuous sea.
Clack.
Then, something astonishing happened.
Even though Seo Muk had sheathed his sword, the sword strokes coiled around Bu Eun-seol like a living creature, relentlessly seeking to sever his vital points.
Raging Tide First Form.
This was Seo Muk's Life-Saving Ultimate Technique, where the unleashed sword forms behaved as if alive, shifting through eighty-one variations midair to ensnare his opponent.
Whoosh! Slash!
Though his body swayed violently under the assault of the sword winds, Bu Eun-seol paid no heed, continuously dismantling the strokes one by one.
"Retreat with the wounded!"
Seo Muk seized the moment, leaping back and shouting.
Fwoosh!
From somewhere unseen, the remaining warriors of the Star Guard Corps emerged, scooping up their severely injured or broken-boned comrades before vanishing in an instant.
Fwah!
Bu Eun-seol shattered the Raging Tide First Form, but by then, Seo Muk and the Star Guard Corps warriors had already disappeared without a trace.
Thud.
Plunging the Ink Soul Sword into the ground, Bu Eun-seol finally gasped for breath.
"Haa... Haa..."
Then, with a gag, thick streams of blood spilled from the corners of his mouth.
"Haa... Haa..."
Leaning on the buried sword like a staff, Bu Eun-seol lowered his head.
At the brink of death, he had grasped the profound intricacies of the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art, unlocking a new rebound technique—a fortunate breakthrough.
But wielding it in his already crippled state had inflicted yet another severe internal injury.
Drip... Drip...
Blood poured ceaselessly.
His organs twisted, his qi and blood tangled, his flesh tore, and his stamina bottomed out.
He had endured injury after injury to come this far... but now, it seemed he could endure no more.
Grit.
Yet, like a man forged of steel, Bu Eun-seol slowly straightened himself once more.
Unless his breath stopped entirely—
No pain, no trial,
could ever bend his body again.
"It's fortunate it was the Star Guard Corps."
Bu Eun-seol inhaled deeply, staring at the spot where Seo Muk had fled.
Baekri Mu-jo was not the kind of subordinate who would report this incident to the Martial Venerable, the Alliance Chief.
Meaning the Martial Venerable would never learn that Bu Eun-seol had clashed with Seo Muk here.
"I must enter quickly."
Forcing his fading consciousness to hold on, Bu Eun-seol stepped into the forest.
Since Seo Muk had retreated, he would undoubtedly summon Baekri Mu-jo immediately.
With the latter's movement technique, he could reach this place from the Martial Alliance within two days.
Bu Eun-seol had to hurry into the Martial Venerable's Treasury before then.
Swish. Thud.
Arriving before a massive tree in the forest, Bu Eun-seol repeated a series of seemingly meaningless motions.
Then, at last—
Zzziiing!
A white energy current shimmered, revealing a new space within the woods.
The gate to the Martial Venerable's Treasury had opened.
'Good.'
Fortunately, the method to enter the Secluded Valley had not changed.
This was because Baekri Mu-jo, despite having obtained the White Lightning Golden Mouse, had stationed Star Guard Corps warriors here to thoroughly investigate the lingering suspicions.
In short, it was Baekri Mu-jo's perfectionist nature that had allowed Bu Eun-seol to re-enter this place.
Stagger.
Bu Eun-seol stepped inside with unsteady footing.
His vision blurred, but his superhuman willpower kept him upright.
Finally entering the cave where the Martial Venerable's Treasury lay, he began rearranging the massive library's books in precise order.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
With his body drained of strength and his injuries excruciating,
it took far longer than before to organize the countless books.
But Bu Eun-seol moved without pause.
'There's... no time.'
Even if Baekri Mu-jo didn't arrive, the Martial Venerable himself might enter at any moment.
After all, the Star Guard Corps warriors stationed here had all withdrawn.
If the Martial Venerable learned of this?
He would seize the opportunity and immediately alter the method to access the Secret Vault.
Click.
After half a two-hour period of effort, the final book slid into place.
Creak.
The bookshelf shifted, unveiling yet another hidden space.
Stepping inside, the two doors he had seen before came into view.
"Please let this be the right one."
Staggering, Bu Eun-seol forced open the left door with great effort and entered.
Click.
As the door closed behind him, he collapsed onto the floor.
He could no longer stand.
The metal floor was bitterly cold.
As the chill seeped into his bones, Bu Eun-seol managed to regain a sliver of awareness.
Slowly opening his eyes, he was met with endless darkness.
But unlike before, the countless stars were nowhere to be seen.
The vast, cosmic landscape that had once stretched before him had completely vanished.
"Was it all for nothing?"
No matter how long he lay there, he felt no return of strength.
Just as despair threatened to consume him—
Zzzzzing.
A strange vibration resonated from within his robes.
It was coming from the Boundary-Prosperity Jade he carried.
At the same time, a single transparent star flickered faintly in the darkness.
Strangely, its size closely matched that of the jade in his possession.
'Does it want me to place it there?'
Bu Eun-seol retrieved the Boundary-Prosperity Jade.
But something was odd.
Unlike when Yang Seol-rin had replenished its power—
Now, half of the jade was filled with black light, and the other half with blue.
'Did its nature change from the shock?'
Swoosh.
Summoning all his remaining strength, Bu Eun-seol forced himself up.
Then, he reached out toward the blinking constellation.
Click.
Though the distance had seemed infinite—
Miraculously, as soon as he extended his hand, the jade soared through the void and settled perfectly into place.
Flicker, flicker.
Gradually, the star began to glow brighter—
Ssssshhh—
Before erupting in an overwhelming radiance.
And in response, the countless stars that had slumbered in the darkness—
Suddenly ignited with light.
Flash! Flash!
Blinded by the brilliance, Bu Eun-seol could barely keep his eyes open.
Zzzzing. Zzzzing.
As the stars pulsed, a faint energy began seeping from his body.
Clank. Creak.
Then, with the sound of grinding metal—
The hundreds of flickering stars in the darkness began merging into one hundred and eight.
Whoosh!
From those one hundred and eight stars, an eerie mist-like energy unfurled—
FLASH!
Before a blinding light poured forth.
It was as if the star-filled universe had suddenly exploded.
"Ugh—!"
Bu Eun-seol let out a pained groan.
Where the light touched him, his entire body felt as though it were melting.
He had thought it would restore him—but instead, it was burning away even the faintest traces of energy left in his body.
Could that mysterious monk have...
Led me into a trap on purpose?
Whoooooosh.
His body felt as though it had been plunged into hellfire.
Zzzzing. Zzzzing.
Yet, the light emanating from him only grew more intense.
His flesh and blood—
Began flickering like a star in the night sky.
Sssssss.
As Bu Eun-seol's body radiated light, a black mist began rising from him.
Gurgle. Groooowl.
Instead of dispersing, it was reabsorbed into his skin, staining his entire body pitch black.
Hiiiiisss.
From his blackened form, white smoke billowed out.
Crack. Snap.
Amidst the sound of bones shifting, a dark gleam manifested near his brow.
Huuuum.
In response, a surge of heat pulsed from his dantian, followed by a golden current of energy.
The dormant power of the Tendon Transformation Sutra within him began merging with the Prajna Great Power.
Oooooom.
As the Prajna Great Power activated—
An immense heat coiled through his body, centered around the Brain Gate Acupoint.
Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi.
The mystical force said to encompass all things in existence began enveloping him.
Shooooo.
Then, his blackened skin turned white once more, and the searing pain gradually subsided.
'It's draining away.'
Regaining his senses, Bu Eun-seol blinked.
Something inside him was continuously being expelled—yet his body felt lighter.
An inexplicable euphoria was rising within him.
'The things blocking my power... they're being purged.'
After a moment of contemplation, he finally understood.
What was leaving him now was the mass of energy that had been suppressing all his strength—
The very essence of Harmonization.
'So my own power was the cause.'
In his desperate attempt to reconstruct Yeon-wol's collapsing Mindscape—
Bu Eun-seol had poured out every ounce of his strength, creating a form of Harmonization.
But when Yeon-wol died, that released power had nowhere to go—so it flooded back into him.
In short, the reversed flow of energy had clogged his pathways.
But now, the energy radiating from this place was slowly expelling those blockages—
And all his strength and Internal Energy were returning.