Chapter 762
Inside the secret chamber, only a bean-sized candlelight struggled feebly to push back the darkness.
Dust had accumulated on the desk, and a faint sound of wind seemed to whisper from somewhere.
Swish.
At the center of the chamber, a human silhouette gradually began to take shape.
Its outline was indistinct and blurred, giving the eerie impression of a ghost materializing.
"Hmm."
As a sigh escaped from the shadows, it felt as though all the air in the chamber had evaporated, replaced by an ominous aura spreading outward.
Fwoosh.
At the same time, the bean-sized candlelight flared with a brilliant radiance, and the hazy silhouette gradually sharpened into the clear form of a person—
Until it fully manifested as an elderly man with eyes honed like blades and a body crisscrossed with spiderweb-like scars.
It was none other than the Martial Venerable.
"There is no more time to waste."
Long ago, he had found the Baekri Clan Secret Vaults hidden throughout the Martial World.
What made this possible was his mastery—learned through Wooden Buddha—of distinguishing the Absolute Boundaries the Baekri Clan had laid down.
These Absolute Boundaries, capable of partitioning or overlaying additional spaces within reality,
Not only ensured that the Baekri Clan's true stronghold would never be revealed to the world,
But also served as the ultimate safeguard, preventing just anyone from accessing the legacy they had left behind in Murim.
—I must find it.
The Baekri Clan was said to have a history spanning three hundred years, but in truth, their origins stretched back to the very dawn of Murim's history.
After learning this, the Martial Venerable had strained every effort to locate the Secret Caves they had left behind.
—Now, it's done.
Having finally discovered one of the Baekri Clan's Secret Caves, the Martial Venerable could not contain his elation.
The Baekri Clan was known to wield a power that surpassed even the highest principles of Martial Arts, something beyond comparison with any known Martial Arts or Esoteric Ritual Arts in Murim.
If he could obtain their power—
Not only would he dominate the entire Martial World, but ascending to the Heavenly Will Realm would no longer be just a dream.
—There's nothing here.
Yet, inside the Secret Cave, he could find no trace of the Baekri Clan's Secret Arts or hidden treasures.
The only thing within was a small, murky pond floating in the air.
However, what filled it was no ordinary water.
For just like the Boundary-Prosperity Jade, which reacted to the One Hundred and Eight Stars, it emitted a different hue each time a person approached.
—The secret lies in this pond.
The Martial Venerable surmised that this pond was either the key to unlocking the Baekri Clan's Secret Vault hidden in this cave—or the Secret Art itself.
Formation Study, Esoteric Ritual Arts, Martial Arts, Poison Studies, Astronomy and Geography, Mechanisms and Civil Engineering...
He employed every branch of knowledge scattered across the world to examine the pond, but to no avail.
It merely displayed different colors for different people, with no further reaction.
Frustrated, the Martial Venerable attempted to shatter the cave's interior with his Limitless Power, but ultimately gave up.
Forcing the issue risked collapsing the entire cave.
—So it responds to people, after all.
After much deliberation, he gathered individuals of various conditions and sent them inside,
Even attempting to harness the power of the Boundary-Prosperity Jade, infused with the might of the One Hundred and Eight Stars—
Yet all that changed was the color.
—Does it react only to the bloodline of the Baekri Clan?
For reasons unknown, the Secret Vaults the Baekri Clan had left in Murim were not just one or two, and their locations varied widely.
Some were guarded by Absolute Boundaries from the very entrance, while others were concealed so thoroughly that not even a trace of such boundaries could be detected.
With no immediate way to perfectly breach these boundaries, the only place the Martial Venerable could enter was—
This cave, where, by sheer chance, the power of the Absolute Boundary had weakened.
—Yet I cannot simply bring a descendant of the Baekri Clan here.
The Martial Venerable knew that Bu Eun-seol, who had risen to fame as the Ten Demonic Heir of Langya Pavilion, was a descendant of Baekri Mu-ha, raised by Bu Jan-yang.
But he could not easily lay hands on someone under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's grasp.
Then, by divine providence, an opportunity arose entirely by chance.
He learned that Bu Eun-seol had emerged into the Martial World to avenge the brutal death of Bu Jan-yang,
And that he sought to obtain a Gratitude Coin to track down the murderer.
From that day forth, the Martial Venerable began constructing a Gate within Blood Shaolin, using the Boundary-Prosperity Jade.
On the surface, it was to test whether Bu Eun-seol, as a member of the Demonic Path, truly possessed the Heavenly Darkness Star's potential to bring ruin upon Murim—
But in truth, it was to confirm whether he was indeed of the Baekri Clan's bloodline.
The terrifying abilities of the Baengni Clan were rooted in an immensely powerful Mental World, with unique Aura Pathways,
And it was said that when they suffered attacks on their Spirit and Mind, they emitted an exceptionally distinct Qi Wave.
The Martial Venerable was a figure versed in every Martial Art and Esoteric Ritual Art scattered across Murim.
After much deliberation, he crafted a Mechanism capable of pressuring Bu Eun-seol's psyche,
To test whether an energy entirely unlike conventional Martial Arts principles would radiate from his body.
"—A bit ambiguous, I see."
Certainly, Bu Eun-seol possessed a type of qi that vibrated with an entirely unfamiliar wavelength, completely different from the energy waves emitted by ordinary martial artists.
But it wasn't because he was of the Baekri Clan's bloodline.
—Was it due to that strange energy embedded in his body?
The Martial Venerable was not only a master who had reached a realm of martial attainment rivaling that of Jeong Cheon-je, but he was also deeply versed in the fundamental nature of qi, the very essence of orthodox martial arts.
He sensed that a peculiar power had been infused into Bu Eun-seol's Brain Gate Acupoint.
Moreover, he discerned that it was a force akin to the Great Primordial Qi—something that could not be removed or extinguished by external means.
—Or was it because he had mastered a mind-training formula that stood at the pinnacle of both the righteous and demonic paths?
Bu Eun-seol had mastered supreme inner techniques from both the righteous and demonic paths, despite their completely different approaches.
A legitimate successor of Langya Pavilion, a true demonic practitioner, and the heir of the Demon Hall—
Yet here he was, doing the kind of work reserved for spies who risked their lives navigating between the two factions.
Not only that, but when the Martial Venerable activated the mechanism to observe him with the Heavenly Robe Mind Art,
he discovered that Bu Eun-seol's energy was an incomprehensibly tangled mess—like millions of threads knotted together in chaos.
—In the end, the only solution is to either let the energy in his Brain Gate Acupoint dissipate naturally or forcibly harmonize the conflicting forces by elevating his martial attainment.
After much deliberation, the Martial Venerable devised a way to rapidly enhance Bu Eun-seol's martial arts.
If he could quickly raise his martial attainment, he would be able to control the chaotic energies within his body—
and perhaps even unleash the Baekri Clan's unique energy waves.
That was why he frequently assigned Bu Eun-seol perilous, life-threatening missions.
Even sending him to the Snow Blossom Gate—
He had known Bu Eun-seol had trained in Ice Arts,
and he hoped that by obtaining the Ice Essence Snow Blossom Energy there, Bu Eun-seol could further stabilize the energies within his body.
As expected, Bu Eun-seol had acquired the Ice Essence Snow Blossom Energy and requested a private meeting under the pretext of offering the Ice Essence Jade.
—Let's see what we have here.
As he received the Ice Essence Jade, the Martial Venerable once again probed Bu Eun-seol's energy waves and the state of his internal energy.
—What is this now?
In the meantime, the energies within Bu Eun-seol's body had grown even more chaotic, his body now a complete wreck—
To the point where it was a miracle he hadn't exploded yet.
—And you can only barely sense it when he uses his internal energy?
Moreover, he had far surpassed the realm of Tranquil Stillness—
Unless he deliberately exerted his martial power, even the Heavenly Robe Mind Art could no longer perceive the circulation of his true qi.
Because of this, the energy in his Brain Gate Acupoint had become completely undetectable.
—A monster.
Though the Martial Venerable couldn't be certain that Bu Eun-seol was of the Baekri Clan's bloodline,
—If this bastard isn't of the Baekri Clan's blood, then who else could be?
Seeing the absurd speed at which Bu Eun-seol's martial attainment was rising,
he became even more convinced that Bu Eun-seol was indeed a descendant of the Baekri Clan.
—I can't wait any longer. Let's do it.
From that day on, the Martial Venerable had been biding his time.
And finally, he infiltrated Bu Eun-seol's intelligence network and spread word that the secret vaults of the Three Clans had appeared.
By now, enough time had passed that Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess must have risen even further.
At this level, even if he couldn't unleash the Baekri Clan's shockwave, the Martial Venerable was certain he could open the secret vault.
[He has made his move.]
Snapped out of his deep contemplation by the telepathic transmission from his subordinate, the Martial Venerable's eyes refocused.
"It's about time I made my move."
A faint smile curled on his lips.
By now, under the guise of Seon-u Jin, Bu Eun-seol had thoroughly stirred up the Martial Alliance, drawing the attention of every faction lurking in its abyss.
"He's done enough. His usefulness has been fully exhausted..."
Now, all that remained was to open the Baekri Clan's secret vault—
and then quietly dispose of him.
Cloud Gate Mountain was renowned for its mystifying terrain, crystal-clear waters, and sheer cliffs that formed breathtaking scenery.
However, its landscape was so treacherous that it was said only fugitives fleeing government officials or those escaping vengeance dared to take refuge here.
Jagged rocks jutted out menacingly, and the winding mountain paths were narrow and steep.
In the depths of the ravine, the roar of rushing rapids echoed loudly.
Even the blazing sunlight could not fully penetrate the deep, shadowed forest.
Whoosh—
Following the map provided by Dam Yu-yeon, Bu Eun-seol swiftly navigated through the dense woods of Cloud Gate Mountain.
Thousands of limestone pillars and peaks were faintly obscured by thick gray mist,
creating a desolate landscape as if all life had withered away.
"This must be the place."
Having climbed near the cliffs, Bu Eun-seol finally discovered a well-hidden cave.
It was strange.
This was a place rumored to conceal the treasures or sacred artifacts of the Three Clans, detected by countless intelligence networks.
By all logic, hordes of martial artists should have swarmed here.
Yet there wasn't a single trace of martial artists near the cave's entrance.
Had all the martial artists already come here, confirmed there was nothing of value, and left?
'They deliberately leaked the information only to our intelligence network.'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize—a faction with an extensive intelligence apparatus had intentionally fed this information to the organization he operated.
In other words, the reports of countless people coming and going were likely fabricated.
After spreading such information, they must have disguised numerous subordinates as ordinary martial artists and sent them here to create the illusion of activity.
'If martial artists had truly swarmed this place, there should be chaotic traces everywhere.'
As if confirming his deduction—
Despite claims of countless martial artists passing through, only the area near the cave's entrance bore any signs of disturbance.
The deeper trails were sparse.
'This is definitely not good.'
The fact that the Death Soul Squad's intelligence network had been covertly and precisely targeted meant only one thing—
Whoever orchestrated this possessed an intelligence and influence rivaling the Death Soul Squad.
And they had deliberately lured him here.
'Not that I wasn't prepared for this.'
They had leaked information about the Three Clans' Secret Cave.
And given the high probability that he carried the bloodline of the Baekri Clan...
The mere mention of the Three Clans was enough to ensure he would investigate.
"Strange."
Standing before the cave's entrance, Bu Eun-seol felt something peculiar.
Just by being here, it was as if he had crossed the boundary of time and space.
The past that had slipped away, the present—
And the future yet to come all flashed before his eyes like fleeting shadows.
Thud. Thud.
He stepped slowly into the cave.
Immediately, an overwhelming, solemn silence enveloped him, so profound it seemed to deafen his ears.
Huuuung...
As he ventured deeper, a faint resonance echoed from somewhere, like the heartbeat of the universe—
A vibration rising from the depths of an unfathomable abyss.
'What is this now?'
The cave walls bore strange patterns carved by millennia of time.
Symbolic and deliberate, these markings seemed to writhe like living things the moment his gaze touched them.
Staring at them—
A sense of déjà vu flickered through his mind, as if he had been here long ago.
'This is definitely a trap.'
The mere discovery of such a cave deep within Cloud Gate Mountain would have drawn countless martial artists out of sheer curiosity.
Even if it held no secrets of the Three Clans, this place could have been used for elaborate schemes.
Yet they had only lured him here...
'A trap set by someone who knows me well.'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Whoever summoned him here must know of his connection to the Three Clans.
If so, the possibilities were extremely limited.
'Even so... I have no choice but to proceed.'
Instead of stalactites, the ceiling was studded with translucent crystals emitting a soft glow.
They resembled stars in the night sky, and when he gazed at them, faint whispers seemed to reach his ears.
"A place like this..."
After walking deeper, he found a small pond.
Scattered points of light shimmered upon its surface, as if diving in could transport him to another world.
'Is this the end?'
He scanned his surroundings, but there was no further passage.
This was unmistakably the cave's terminus.
'This makes no sense.'
After leaving behind such mysterious symbols and clues, was a mere pond all there was?
'There must be more.'
Drawing upon his Empty Mind Spirit Perception, Bu Eun-seol meticulously examined the cave again.
Martial artists trained in various Tracking Arts, capable of deducing information from the slightest clues.
His Empty Mind Spirit Perception allowed him to see traces invisible to ordinary people—
And intuitively sense things beyond the reach of physical perception.
'Nothing.'
But there was nothing.
No matter how much he sharpened his senses, the cave revealed no further secrets.
No hidden mechanisms, no concealed trails.
'Is something blocking me?'
He pondered briefly.
Only once before had he failed to detect a hidden Mechanism Formation—
Beneath the Pratyekabuddha Hall, where a mysterious mechanism created by the Martial Venerable had responded only to Limitless Power.
Back then, neither his Empty Mind Spirit Perception nor his Extrasensory Perception had been of any use.
Had his Harmonization not shared similarities with Limitless Power, he would never have found the exit.
'Then should I try using Harmonization?'
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol summoned every ounce of power within him.
"Hmm?"
But something strange was happening.
Normally, when he unleashed Harmonization, all the power contained within his body would erupt at once as if to shatter his physical form, with the Prajna Great Power aligning it into order.
Yet here, when he drew forth all the power from his entire body, each force manifested one by one in a curiously deliberate manner.
First came the Reverse Polarity True Qi formed by the Reverse Extremity Heart Method, followed by the Willful True Binding from the Emotion Severing Secret Art.
After that, the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and the Hot River Great Essence True Qi bloomed in sequence, then the Water Essence Divine Qi and Thunder Essence Divine Qi...
They all began extending outward slowly.
Fortunately, they manifested as intangible forces, invisible to the eye.
If each of those powers had taken physical form?
Bu Eun-seol would have resembled a seven-tailed fox spirit, with strands of energy rippling outward from his entire body like waves.
Zzziiing.
And finally, when he attempted to manifest the Thirteenfold Qi Induction from the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment—
Crack!
With a sound like something shattering, light began flowing from the pond.
'It reacted to the Thirteenfold Qi Induction?'
Abandoning his attempt to unleash Harmonization, Bu Eun-seol walked back toward the pond.
But something was odd.
Was it because of the reaction to the Thirteenfold Qi Induction?
Unlike before, the cave's air seemed clearer, and he could sense an intense flow of qi waves from somewhere.
The closer he got to the pond, even the passage of time felt different from usual.
'There's something in that pond.'
As he approached and peered intently into it, the light had vanished again.
'Again—the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.'
Normally, sharp shwick-shwick sounds of breaking air would have echoed.
But now, even when he unleashed the Thirteenfold Qi Induction, no sound emerged, and no visible sharp energy manifested.
Clink!
This time, unlike before, when he unleashed the technique—
Instead of sporadic flickers, an unbroken stream of mysterious light swirled and spread violently from the pond.
"What is this?"
Bu Eun-seol exclaimed aloud in astonishment.
The mystical light swirling within the pond resembled a visual embodiment of the universe's secrets, churning like a vortex.
Mesmerized, he reached out toward the pond.
Suddenly, time slowed to a crawl.
Bu Eun-seol's finger maintained its shape, but the pond—like an abyss of the cosmos—made it vanish in an instant.
Some force was rejecting his touch.
'Martial Emperor's Enlightenment.'
It wasn't the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
The pond was demanding the Mind-Training Formula of the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment from him.
Realizing this, Bu Eun-seol immediately drew forth the Mind-Training Formula.
Memories of happiness flickered through his mind as an indescribable exhilaration and power surged through his body.
Swish.
This time, when he extended his finger toward the pond, its form did not disappear.
Zzziiing.
The moment his fingertip touched the water's surface, the surroundings distorted, light and darkness merging into a swirling vortex.
Simultaneously, a new world unfolded before his eyes.
Mountains rose, oceans flowed, and all living things began to breathe.
At the same time, his mind entered a state where it could comprehend and interpret everything.
—That power... was the Manifestation Art Energy, devised by the Main House to oppose the True Demon's Soul-Demon Magic Energy... divided into eleven branches.
The Three Realms, which now dominate the murim, failed to preserve the complete eleven lineages...
You must be an untainted Familiar of the Main House.
The wills flowing through the pond instantly transformed into knowledge, pouring into his mind through his fingertips.
—Had you not possessed the complete form of one of the eleven lineages, you would not have resonated with the Embracing the Myriad Currents and the power of Broad and Profound Wisdom contained here.
'Eleven.'
A single term flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
The Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
The martial arts of those peerless Grandmasters who had elevated murim martial arts to dazzling heights four hundred years ago.
'So that's why it reacted to the Thirteenfold Qi Induction?'
In short, this pond was designed to respond only to those who possessed the complete, original martial lineage of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
It was a medium created by a mysterious figure to transmit their thoughts to others.
'Does that mean the Three Realms lost the complete martial essence of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars?'
Some among the Three Realms' Special Divine Rank had trained in the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, and the Return to Unity Realm had sought to resurrect the Blood Emperor among them.
If so, the martial arts they wielded were incomplete—was their obsession with the Eight Emperors and Three Stars an attempt to reclaim that lost power?
—Originally, the Three Realms were created by the Main House, which had sealed the True Demon...
As the voice in his mind continued, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
—While the Main House recovered its severely damaged origin energy, they established this faction to protect the world and the "Laws" from the Servants of the True Demon, who spread havoc in the murim in their stead.
'They... created the Three Realms?'
As Bu Eun-seol absorbed the flood of information, a flash of light passed through his pupils.
The Three Realms—this deeply rooted faction.
They were made to safeguard the world in their stead?