Chapter 763
The stories flowing from the pond seeped once more into Bu Eun-seol's mind.
―The Servants of the True Demon have long secretly dominated the murim, suppressing the development of martial arts among martial artists.
After much deliberation, the Main House gave rise to the Three Realms—a faction capable of inheriting the Main House's power.
The Infinite Realm inherited the Main House's physical form.
The Azure River Realm inherited the Main House's spirit.
The Return to Unity Realm inherited the Main House's profound Great Art.
And through them, they protected the murim.
Moreover, to allow martial arts to flourish brilliantly once more, they divided the Manifestation Art Energy—something ordinary martial artists could not wield—into eleven parts and taught them.
Through this, the Three Realms nurtured outstanding grandmasters known as the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes dimmed as he digested the information flowing into his mind.
Because an unexpected statement followed.
―But was it fate?
Or was it simply that their reign over the murim had lasted too long?
In the end, the Three Realms betrayed them and turned their blades against the Main House.
'Betrayal...'
Just as Bu Eun-seol mulled over the thought, another voice echoed in his mind.
―Just how many times has this happened now?
The Main House was deeply disheartened.
This was not the first time a faction they had created had fallen to corruption—just like the Three Realms.
Having repeatedly witnessed how power and greed led to ruin and corruption, the Main House was greatly disappointed.
They reclaimed all eleven powers they had bestowed and quietly departed.
To a place untouched by martial artists... where foolish humans could never reach...
After all, the only remaining Servant of the True Demon in the current murim was the Human Heaven.
'The Baekri Clan...'
At last, Bu Eun-seol realized.
The "Main House" they spoke of—
It was none other than the Baekri Clan, which had vanished completely from the murim three hundred years ago.
Unlike the Yangseol Clan or the Jungson Clan,
The Baekri Clan had disappeared in an instant, as if evaporated.
―But as time passed, they learned one unexpected truth.
The Three Realms, which they had assumed had fallen entirely to corruption, had split into two.
The righteous among them had preserved their legacy, silently restoring the Manifestation Art Energy the Main House had once taught them, and now sought to oppose the Human Heaven.
The voice flowing from the pond gradually faded.
Perhaps the tale was nearing its end.
―Soon, the world will plunge into chaos and ruin. For they have long since reached the limits of the Law.
Huuuk.
Suddenly, the arm he had placed against the pond's surface began to burn.
At the same time, something indescribable crawled up his forearm, forcing its way into his body.
And in place of the voice in his mind, moving images abruptly appeared before his eyes, vivid and clear.
'What in the world is this?'
The lights within the pond gathered, forming the shape of a key, and he could see it seeping into his left arm.
Watching the shifting images unfold before him felt like gazing upon a living picture book—both wondrous and strikingly clear in his mind.
―Before crossing the Absolute Boundary, we sought to find you, but ultimately failed to make contact.
With no other choice, we leave this message through the Bakyeon Legacy Site...
The Human Heaven is merely the beginning. You must perfectly restore the eleven powers the Main House once taught you, maintain your forces, and wait.
This is the final Divine Message the Main House leaves for you.
Oooong...
The pouring light vanished, and with it, the voices flowing from the pond into his mind disappeared entirely.
For a long while, Bu Eun-seol stood frozen like a stone statue.
"There exists a righteous Three Realms... and they have preserved their lineage?"
As it turned out, this Secret Cave was—
Though meant to be the murim's Last Bastion—
A message left by the Baekri Clan, who had been disappointed by the Three Realms turning their blades against one another in self-destruction...
Only to later discover the righteous among them.
"The Baekri Clan... created the Three Realms."
What he had always considered a mere possibility had now been confirmed as fact.
"Then the original Three Realms truly were meant to protect the murim."
According to the message from the Bakyeon Legacy Site,
The Three Realms inherited the Baekri Clan's power and guarded the murim in their stead.
Only, corruption took root among them.
Their banner was twisted, leaving behind evil men who trampled upon the people.
"The fact that the righteous Three Realms, discovered belatedly by the Baekri Clan, are restoring the eleven powers..."
Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted into one of bitter resignation.
"Means the corrupted Three Realms abandoned that power and became obsessed with something else. If so... then..."
He took a deep breath, then his eyes flashed.
The voice from the pond had mentioned the term "True Demon" multiple times.
In other words, the demon that Yo-hui, the Founder of the Divine Maiden Palace, had spoken of—the one who retained its memories and cycled endlessly through reincarnation.
The probability was high... that it was the True Demon.
"Perhaps the Three Realms have been corrupted by them?" That was the thought that crossed his mind.
"At any rate, the Baekri Clan were righteous people."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
It was a relief.
Just as the Jungson Clan had fallen, he had long worried whether the Baekri Clan might have also succumbed to corruption—whether they might have been an evil faction.
But according to the words that flowed from the pool...
The Baekri Clan was a family where divine beings, who had walked alongside the history of the murim, had gathered.
They were noble figures who had created guardians to protect the world in their stead.
"But who could it be?"
This Secret Cave had, in the end, revealed to Bu Eun-seol the origins of the Three Realms—something he had been so desperately curious about.
Almost as if it had deliberately led him here.
As if the Martial Emperor's power held the key to this place.
'The Demonic Heavenly Emperor... the Martial Venerable.'
The only ones who knew the exact circumstances of his life and possessed an intelligence network surpassing even the Death Soul Squad...
Were those two alone.
'But they have no reason to show me such kindness.'
Even if they revealed the history of the Three Realms—something he had been so desperate to know—there was no benefit for them in doing so.
'If one of them orchestrated this...'
Was it the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, trying to sow chaos within him?
Or was the Martial Venerable, contrary to expectations, actually a righteous figure connected to the Baekri Clan, secretly aiding him?
"First, I should return."
No answers would come from dwelling on it here.
Moreover, ever since the energy from the pool had embedded itself in his arm, he had grown rapidly exhausted.
A gnawing hunger, as if he hadn't eaten for three days, weighed on him.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol turned around.
And immediately unleashed his Movement Technique, swiftly departing from Cloud Gate Mountain.
Whoosh—
As Bu Eun-seol left, a white shadow materialized before the Secret Cave.
It was none other than the Martial Venerable.
"How could this be...?"
Using his techniques—Body Escape and Absolute Concealment—he had perfectly hidden his presence, lurking within this cave.
Because of that, just like Bu Eun-seol, he had heard the divine message conveyed by the pool.
"So this wasn't a Secret Vault containing the power of the Baekri Clan, but merely a place storing a message left for a descendant of the Three Realms?"
Even he, who knew the Three Realms better than anyone, had been unaware that they were a faction born from the hands of the Baekri Clan.
"And to think the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars were built upon the power the Baekri Clan passed down to the Three Realms..."
The Martial Venerable gritted his teeth.
What he truly desired wasn't information about the Three Realms—it was the power of the Baekri Clan.
But all he had gained here was the connection between the Baekri Clan and the Three Realms...
And the knowledge that Bu Eun-seol had fully inherited the Martial Emperor's martial arts.
Even the most crucial question—
Whether Bu Eun-seol was truly of the Baekri Clan's bloodline—remained unverified.
"It's too early to despair."
The Martial Venerable bit his lip.
"There are still many Secret Vaults left behind by the Baekri Clan in the murim."
He simply hadn't yet found a way to break the Absolute Boundary they had created.
Thanks to the Wooden Buddha, he had already located several places suspected to be their hidden vaults.
"I will obtain it."
The Martial Venerable clenched his fist tightly.
He wouldn't give up.
No—he couldn't give up.
If he failed to acquire the Baekri Clan's power, everything he had planned until now would crumble to ashes.
"First, I must deal with this place."
Huuuung—
The Martial Venerable's eyes darkened, and a low vibration emanated from his left hand.
In an instant, silence engulfed the surroundings.
Zzziiing—
A tremendous Shockwave erupted from his palm, and a flash like lightning began to swirl violently.
"For now, I'll seal this place and search for another Secret Vault."
As he extended his left hand, an energy of mingled darkness and light surged outward.
The cave trembled and collapsed, the ground splitting apart.
Unleashing his Limitless Power, he reduced the cave to rubble in an instant.
"Just wait... I will..."
His final words were so quiet no one could hear them.
With that faint murmur, the Martial Venerable's form, standing amidst the collapsing cave, dissipated like mist.
The Grand Hall was shrouded in darkness.
The ceiling was so high its shape was indiscernible, swallowed by an abyss of black.
The darkened floor exhaled a faint mist, writhing like a living creature.
At the center of the hall stood a towering stone altar, surrounded by densely packed flickering candles.
Upon the candlelit altar rested a rectangular coffin, its surface gleaming with an endless black luster.
From its seams, crimson mist seeped out, accompanied by droplets of fresh blood.
Drip... drip...
The flow of blood gradually intensified.
Screeeech— Kuuuuung—
With a deafening Metallic Sound, scarlet mist billowed outward, and the coffin lid slowly creaked open.
Squelch.
Blood gushed in all directions as a dark shadow slowly rose from the opened coffin.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The shadow took the form of a man with muscles honed sharp as a blade's edge.
An unfathomable energy radiated from his entire body, and between his tangled locks of hair, two crimson eyes flashed like embers.
As the shadow stood—
The candles illuminating the grand hall extinguished all at once, and a sinister, boundless darkness spread outward.
[Hm.]
The shadow let out a short hum.
His voice carried a deep, resonant timbre, yet it also held the thunderous impact of a lightning strike.
"The intervals grow shorter each time."
Below the grand hall, a masked man had already fallen to his knees without anyone noticing.
"It seems full recovery is imminent."
The masked man kept his head bowed so low that even the slightest lift would surely cost him his neck.
"Traces of them have been detected. Soon, we will pinpoint their exact locations one by—"
The shadow listened in silence before—
[Ghh—!]
He suddenly clutched his head with a pained groan.
The bloody light in his eyes deepened, and the relentless crack-crack-crack of bones echoed from his body.
[Ghhh—!]
After a prolonged struggle against the agony, he finally—
Thud.
Heavily waved his hand.
The masked men prostrating below seemed accustomed to this, as they bowed respectfully before swiftly retreating backward out of the grand hall.
Crack. Crack-crack-crack.
The bone-splintering sounds from the shadow's body intensified until his facial bones began protruding unnaturally.
Eventually, he clutched his face with both hands, trembling uncontrollably.
Thump.
When the bone-cracking finally ceased, the extinguished candles relit one by one, casting a brilliant glow.
Simultaneously, the shadow's form shifted—revealing a middle-aged man with perfectly symmetrical features and eyes of unfathomable violet depth.
Jeong Cheon-je. Shin Do-mu-bi.
The black shadow was none other than the Heaven of the Righteous Path—the Number One of the Orthodox Faction, Jeong Cheon-je, Shin Do-mu-bi.
[This...]
As he touched his own face, another pained groan escaped him.
[Ugh—!]
Creek. Crack-crack.
Once again, the sound of bones shifting echoed throughout his entire body.
Within the darkness-drenched grand hall—
For a long time, the tormented groans continued to reverberate without end.
Regardless of the truth, the martial world had been unusually peaceful lately.
Neither the Ghost Child nor Ghost Spirits had appeared, and the Orthodox Faction, Demonic Path, Unorthodox Faction, and Black Path sects remained eerily quiet, devoid of conflict.
Then, suddenly, an unbelievable, earth-shaking rumor began spreading through the martial world.
—The Sword Sage has challenged the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Heonwon Dam-cheong, the Sword Sovereign.
The creator of the Myriad Forms One Style, hailed as the greatest sword technique in a century.
The Foremost Sword of the Righteous Faction and a Grandmaster of Sword Studies—
Had openly challenged the Number One of the Demonic Path, the Sky of the Demonic Path—the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
—And he declared it a Fight to the Death.
Martial Grandmasters who have reached such heights rarely clash unless they stake their lives on the line.
Because their realms are so unfathomably high—
Even if one were to emerge victorious—
The cost would most often be fatal wounds or irreversible damage.
Especially in a public duel, where both reputations are on the line—
And where observers are granted the perfect opportunity to analyze weaknesses and flaws in their martial arts—
They would only fight if it were a battle of life and death.
A Fight to the Death.
A similar example was Bu Eun-seol's battle against the Sword Demon.
Had it not been for the sudden earthquake—
One of them would have already become a Wandering Spirit.
—It seems the Sword Sage has made a great breakthrough in his later years.
The Sword Sage had already entered the Supreme Sword Path in his youth and, upon reaching the Martial Extreme Realm, completely transcended worldly fame and profit.
In fact, he despised the martial world's turbulence so much—
That he chose seclusion at the peak of his prime, abandoning all involvement in the Rivers and Lakes.
For such a man to suddenly challenge the Demonic Heavenly Emperor could only mean one of two things:
Either he was nearing death and sought to fulfill an unattained goal—
Or, in his twilight years, he had attained a sudden enlightenment—
And his martial prowess had advanced so greatly that he was certain he could defeat the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Given that the Sword Sage was still in robust health and his Internal Power had only deepened, the reason was undoubtedly the latter.
—The Demonic Heavenly Emperor has accepted the challenge!
The martial world trembled once more.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had accepted the Sword Sage's public challenge.
Yet, neither the date nor the location of the duel was revealed.
Though the challenge was public—
The battle itself would not be.
—Just where will they fight?!
Countless martial artists burned with anticipation, scouring for any hint of when and where these two Absolute Grandmasters would clash.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor, said to have reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
The Sword Sage, said to have reached the extreme realm of sword studies.
To witness their battle with one's own eyes?
One could die without regret.
Moreover, if one could witness that decisive battle? Truly, it would yield immeasurable, monumental insights.
Demon Hall, Hidden Demon Pavilion. Bu Eun-seol's office.
Seated in his chair, Bu Eun-seol was deep in thought.
Upon hearing news of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and Sword Sage's duel, he had mobilized his entire intelligence network at full strength—yet ultimately failed to uncover the battle's location.
He had convened countless Lord's Meetings, repeatedly attempting to predict its whereabouts, and leveraged every connection to track the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's movements.
But it proved impossible.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was not one to bring subordinates along or consult advisors about such matters.
He must have arranged the location with the Sword Sage in advance and would undoubtedly travel there alone without fanfare.
"I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity to witness the duel."
As Bu Eun-seol wrestled with these thoughts—
Knock knock.
A rapping at the door, followed by Wi Cheon-gyeong's low voice.
"My Lord. It's Wi Cheon-gyeong."
"Enter."
The door opened, and Wi Cheon-gyeong handed Bu Eun-seol a small envelope.
"A letter addressed to you, my Lord."
"Who sent it?"
"That... I don't know."
Wi Cheon-gyeong's expression darkened.
"Even after activating our intelligence network, we couldn't trace its origin."
"If it wasn't detected, how did you obtain the letter?"
"It was placed on my office desk with instructions to deliver it to you in absolute secrecy."
"Your office?"
Bu Eun-seol's face grew grave.
The Death Shadow War Unit was the brain of his operations—its lax exterior belied extremely stringent internal security.
Yet some unknown figure had waltzed in undetected?
"No matter how skilled the master, infiltrating the Death Shadow War Unit this covertly is impossible. It must be the work of someone already stationed within our ranks."
Wi Cheon-gyeong spoke cautiously.
"The envelope's exterior shows no abnormalities... but given the gravity, I thought to consult you first, my Lord."
Bu Eun-seol immediately opened the envelope and extracted the paper inside.
But the sheet was blank—pristine, without a single mark.
"Empty paper?"
Wi Cheon-gyeong blinked in shock.
"Could they have laced it with poison?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol summoned Empty Mind Spirit Perception. The texture against his fingertips felt subtly unusual against the ostensibly blank page.
'So it's him.'
At last discerning the sender's identity, Bu Eun-seol allowed a faint smile.
'Of all subordinates, Wi Cheon-gyeong is the most discreet and tight-lipped—so he was chosen as the courier.'
The letter's originator was none other than Baek Jeon-cheon.
Bu Eun-seol had mastered the Way of the Beast—the pinnacle of sensory martial arts in the demonic path.
Baek Jeon-cheon, well aware of this, had imprinted the paper with characters invisible to ordinary sight—detectable only by those who had refined extrasensory perception to its limits, using threads of internal energy.
"My Lord—"
"It's fine."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"You may find similar letters on your desk occasionally from now on."
If their alliance with Baek Jeon-cheon became known within the Demon Hall, it would spell trouble—so future communications would likely follow this method.
"Should more arrive, bring them to me immediately. Never open them yourself."
"An intelligence contact linked to you, my Lord?"
"Correct."
"Understood."
An ordinary subordinate might have pressed for details or at least shown curiosity.
But Wi Cheon-gyeong obeyed without question—for to him, Bu Eun-seol was no less than a living guardian deity.
"Then—"
As Wi Cheon-gyeong bowed and departed, Bu Eun-seol ran his fingers over the letter again.
Thud-thud.
His chest burned as if about to burst.
'Four days hence, at the sun's zenith—Conquering Evil Island.'
These words were etched into the page.
The very location of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and Sword Sovereign's duel.
—Wouldn't it be wise to observe the terrifying abilities of foes you must eventually overcome?
Baek Jeon-cheon's smiling face seemed to materialize from the letter.
This invaluable intelligence wasn't given out of fondness—it was because Bu Eun-seol had sworn to overthrow the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and establish a new Demonic Martial World.
By revealing where these two would clash, Baek Jeon-cheon was granting Bu Eun-seol a chance to gauge the might of future adversaries—and evolve further.
'I must go.'
Bu Eun-seol was already wandering a path none had tread—an infinitely dark and perilous road to transcend martial limits.
If he could witness these two absolute masters battle firsthand?
Not only might he find clues to advance his prowess—he would gain incomparable, monumental insights.
'The odds of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor detecting me exceed ninety percent...'
In all the martial world, only the Three Demons and Three Honored Ones were qualified to observe such a duel.
If an unworthy interloper like himself ventured to Conquering Evil Island and was discovered?
Survival would be impossible.
'No—it can be done.'
Once, he had hidden from the Martial Venerable's sight.
Though the Martial Venerable's terrifying intuition sensed a presence, he never pinpointed Bu Eun-seol's location.
'I'll reach Conquering Evil Island early and perfect a method to erase all traces of my presence.'
Grip.
Volcanic light erupted from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Within these four days—
He would accomplish the impossible: devise a technique to deceive the senses of the Three Demons and Three Honored Ones—including the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself.