Chapter 785
In truth, Bu Eun-seol had known this fact for a long time.
That his grandfather had been the Peerless Saber Master—a man who even surpassed the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Had it not been so,
the Demonic Heavenly Emperor would never have allowed his grandfather to live.
And yet, that grandfather of his—
that grandfather who had never lost to anyone—
had willingly offered his body to the Executioner... all to protect him.
And the Executioner had used that opportunity to gouge out his grandfather's eyes, sever his arms, and pour poison into him.
What Bu Eun-seol couldn't bear was the guilt.
The guilt that the reason the Executioner had come,
the reason his grandfather's true identity had been exposed,
was because of him.
But Ak Mu-ryeong pointed out that Bu Eun-seol's guilt
was, in fact, an insult to Bu Jan-yang, who had once been the greatest under heaven.
Because it was no different from daring to claim that the Peerless Grandmaster's own deliberate choice had been a mistake.
'So... it wasn't just because of me.'
Through Ak Mu-ryeong's words, Bu Eun-seol realized one more crucial truth.
—I always thought this old man could just take it all in stride...
But his grandfather hadn't simply offered his life to the Executioner just to protect him.
There must have been some deeper reason.
Otherwise...
his grandfather, who wouldn't have batted an eye even if the Eight Heavenly Servants and the Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic had attacked him all at once,
would never have surrendered his life just because of the Executioner's threats.
'But still...'
Even in the midst of agony that would make anyone beg for death,
even in that wretched state...
—Seol-a. This old man has one last request for you.
Until the very moment he died,
his grandfather had only wished for his happiness.
And for him to live an ordinary life.
Which meant that even if there were complicated circumstances behind his grandfather's choice...
the fact remained that he had died to protect him.
'But... I must no longer insult his death.'
"This disciple realizes his mistake."
Bu Eun-seol bowed his head.
Though Ak Mu-ryeong's words and demeanor were harsh, every action and word had ultimately been meant to console him.
As he had said, he should never have insulted his grandfather's death.
"Pavilion Lord. There is one more thing I wish to ask."
Bu Eun-seol raised his head and spoke again.
"The Heavenly Venerable of the Infinite Realm called me the Heavenly Darkness Star. And once, I entered the Secret Palace of the Divine Maiden Palace—a place only those born under the constellation of the Heavenly Might Star could enter."
Bu Eun-seol met Ak Mu-ryeong's gaze.
"For a long time, I've tried to understand why these things happened, but I couldn't fathom the reason."
Ak Mu-ryeong remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"The Baekri Clan is a mysterious lineage that has existed since the dawn of time. Perhaps they deliberately infused you with such energy."
"To make me appear as if I were truly of the Baekri bloodline... Is that what you mean?"
Ak Mu-ryeong didn't answer.
He, too, knew little about the Baekri Clan—and truthfully, he had no interest in them.
But if the child Bu Jan-yang had raised hadn't become the Ten Demonic Heir and chosen Langya Pavilion,
given his temperament, he would never have involved himself in such matters in the first place.
"I see."
Seeing Ak Mu-ryeong's indifferent attitude toward his origins, Bu Eun-seol actually felt relieved.
What did it matter now? Even if he had been bait, what significance did that hold at this point?
"Perhaps Baekri Mu-ha already knew that I could accept such energy."
Baekri Mu-ha—the descendant of the Baekri Clan, who had sealed the True Demon and founded the Three Realms.
For someone like him,
considering innate abilities or even latent potential,
finding the perfect bait to revive the Baekri bloodline... wouldn't have been all that difficult.
"To revive the true bloodline, they would have needed a thorough plan."
As all the pieces fell into place, Bu Eun-seol's expression grew calm.
After all, the only thing he truly wanted was revenge for his grandfather.
The fact that Baekri Mu-ha and his wife had been his parents was merely a stroke of fortune—
a treasure-like blessing he had stumbled upon during his journey through the martial world.
'A treasure-like blessing...'
What others took for granted—memories with their parents—
had been nothing more than a fleeting, beautiful dream for him.
And Deputy Pavilion Master Dan Cheong had known this well, which was why he had tried to stop Bu Eun-seol from meeting Ak Mu-ryeong.
'But what does it matter?'
So what if his parents weren't Baekri Mu-ha and his wife?
The world was full of beggars and orphans.
If anything, he had been the luckiest orphan of all.
Because he had been raised by the strongest...
and the kindest man in the world.
"It seems you've finally realized."
As Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind gradually settled, Ak Mu-ryeong gave a slow nod.
"Whose blood runs in your veins is irrelevant."
Bu Eun-seol smiled.
But then, his eyelid twitched at Ak Mu-ryeong's next words.
"All you need to remember is that you are this pavilion's disciple."
—All you need to remember is that you are this pavilion's disciple.
Plink.
Before he knew it, a single tear rolled down Bu Eun-seol's cheek.
Because those calm words overlapped with something his grandfather had always told him:
—Seol-a. No matter what anyone says, you'll always be this old man's grandson.
That one sentence from Ak Mu-ryeong
pierced deeper into Bu Eun-seol's heart than hundreds of words of consolation.
"Pathetic."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol shed tears, Ak Mu-ryeong's eyes blazed with fury.
But unlike before, he did not strike him down harshly.
"You've wallowed in self-pity long enough. That should suffice."
KOOOOM—
In an instant, the interior of Iron Palm Peak trembled.
"Now show this Pavilion Lord the skills you used against the Fist Adept."
It was the first time.
The first time Ak Mu-ryeong had ever gathered his momentum before attacking.
Which meant he was serious.
He intended to attack Bu Eun-seol using Limitless Power.
KWAOOONG—
As another thunderous roar erupted,
Bu Eun-seol felt as though his skull were splitting apart, watching the entire world tremble faintly before his eyes.
"Survive."
Ak Mu-ryeong bared his long fangs in a grin.
"As this Pavilion Lord's successor."
—Survive.
That was no casually thrown remark.
Ak Mu-ryeong knew Bu Eun-seol had fought the Fist Adept.
He intended to measure the strength of the Eight Heavenly Servants through him once more.
In other words, since he would be fighting seriously, Bu Eun-seol could very well die.
RRRUMBLE—
Suddenly, the world darkened as though the sun had set.
By the time Bu Eun-seol's eyes adjusted to the darkness, towering shadows had already taken the form of demons before him.
KOOOM—
As Ak Mu-ryeong took a single step, the earth split open, and the demons rose into the sky.
KRRRK—
A crimson mist seeped from the bodies of the demons floating in the air, and viscous drool dripped from their razor-sharp fangs.
'I see.'
Witnessing these impossible, demonic forms, Bu Eun-seol understood.
Ak Mu-ryeong had already clashed with the Fist Adept.
He knew the Fist Adept employed a method of unfolding a Mindscape to first shatter his opponent's Spirit and Mind.
That was why he had unleashed a similar technique against Bu Eun-seol.
By employing a comparable method,
he could more accurately gauge their martial prowess.
'I was being too sentimental.'
Even Ak Mu-ryeong's earlier act of stimulating Bu Eun-seol's Hidden Acupoint containing his dormant Prajna Great Power to fully restore his body with Prajna Great Power—
It hadn't been out of concern for his well-being.
It was solely to ensure an accurate comparison of his strength against the Fist Adept.
FLASH!
At that moment, the countless crimson eyes of the demons hovering in the sky locked onto Bu Eun-seol standing below.
Simultaneously, millions of unavoidable points of light rained down upon him.
SHWIIK! SHWIIK!
In response, nine razor-sharp currents of energy surged violently around Bu Eun-seol's body.
Having discerned Ak Mu-ryeong's intent, he raised the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art to its peak, attempting to defend against the Mindscape's assault.
'I have to endure.'
Bu Eun-seol poured everything into elevating the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art.
Ak Mu-ryeong would undoubtedly hold nothing back, unleashing Phantom Restoration at full power.
WHOOSH—
As the crimson light fired by the demons in the sky cascaded down, Bu Eun-seol felt as though his very soul were melting away in agony.
UUUOOON—
Yet he stood firm, constructing a barrier of Spirit and Mind to withstand it.
His Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art was far more powerful and resilient than when he had last used it.
Precisely because of his conversation with Ak Mu-ryeong.
The guilt he had carried over his grandfather's death had somewhat faded,
and the memories of the joyful times they had shared resurfaced more vividly than ever.
KOOOOM—
Finally realizing he could not shatter Bu Eun-seol's Spirit and Mind, Ak Mu-ryeong withdrew Phantom Restoration.
In the next moment, Ak Mu-ryeong's figure reappeared, standing imposingly atop Iron Palm Peak.
"HAAAP!"
Bu Eun-seol seized the opportunity, releasing a fierce battle cry.
It was the fifth form of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—Endless Cycle—whose principles he had grasped from the Fist Adept's fist techniques.
KWAUUUUU—
Around Bu Eun-seol's body,
hundreds of terrifying fist phantoms capable of annihilating mountains in an instant materialized.
Whoosh!
Wreathed in these fist phantoms like the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, Bu Eun-seol charged at Ak Mu-ryeong.
In that same instant, Ak Mu-ryeong casually extended a single fist.
KWAANG!
With an earth-shaking explosion, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying dozens of feet away.
Yet the hundreds of fist phantoms he had unleashed had already latched onto Ak Mu-ryeong's body.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
While Ak Mu-ryeong dealt with the phantoms, Bu Eun-seol closed the distance again and launched another fist strike.
Through the fifth form of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—Endless Cycle—he forced Ak Mu-ryeong into a relentless exchange of martial forms, leaving him no room to maneuver.
FLASH!
Amidst a dazzling radiance, blades of black True Qi, each embodying distinct martial principles, rained down upon Ak Mu-ryeong.
He had learned the Thunderclap Moon Blades, a Supreme Demon Path form of the Willful True Binding,
from Yu Baek, a descendant of Hyeokryeon Eung’s bloodline,
who now served the Martial Soul Society under the name Yu Seol.
By applying the subtleties he had gleaned from Tang Pae's Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation,
Bu Eun-seol unleashed them as individual martial techniques.
SWOOSH!
Simultaneously, he drew the Ink Soul Sword and unleashed a barrage of massive cruciform Sword Qi slashes at Ak Mu-ryeong.
Stacking and layering the Transcendent Waning Moon and Morning Star technique.
"Hmph."
Ak Mu-ryeong snorted as he watched Bu Eun-seol unleash three distinct Super Extreme Martial Arts in a single breath.
FLASH!
As a sickly yellow light flickered in his pupils,
KWAUUU—
A sudden gust erupted, scattering the Willful True Binding's blades and Sword Qi into nothingness.
SHWIIK! SHWIIK!
But Bu Eun-seol had already anticipated such a situation.
In one breath, he unleashed nine streams of martial force, scattering them toward Ak Mu-ryeong.
He had activated the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
KWA-RUNG!
At the same time, a violet thunderbolt burrowed into Ak Mu-ryeong's chest.
He had executed the Peerless Thunderbolt, infused with Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
PAAH!
Then, with the sound of crashing waves, a tidal surge of martial force erupted from behind Ak Mu-ryeong—
—and in an instant, it obliterated both the sword technique and the Thirteenfold Qi Induction that Bu Eun-seol had unleashed.
ZIIING.
In that brief moment, a translucent hand extended from Bu Eun-seol's arm and pierced into Ak Mu-ryeong's body.
He had used Water Essence Divine Qi to block the flow of power Ak Mu-ryeong was exerting.
KWAANG! KURRRUNG.
As their battle raged on, Iron Palm Peak trembled as if on the verge of collapse,
and the figures of Bu Eun-seol and Ak Mu-ryeong were swallowed by a storm of dust.
Only a pair of eerie, yellow and red glowing eyes remained, locked onto each other in mutual defiance.
'This is the end.'
He had blocked Phantom Restoration and shifted the battle from the intangible to the tangible,
but unfortunately, Ak Mu-ryeong had not taken a single wound from any of his attacks.
Having reached Grand Perfection in the Langya Mind's Eye, he could instantly perceive and dismantle the underlying Principles of Martial Arts of any technique in the world.
In other words, no matter what martial art Bu Eun-seol employed, Ak Mu-ryeong could immediately devise and counter with a technique of equal Grand Perfection.
"You must still have some tricks left!"
"HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH!"
With a roar, Ak Mu-ryeong's fist spun like a windmill, drilling toward Bu Eun-seol's vital points.
WRRRUM! FLASH!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to draw upon his Two Spirit Energies,
alternating between the Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic, and Buddhist Arts as he desperately focused on defense.
From the perspective of martial principles,
there was no way Bu Eun-seol could withstand Ak Mu-ryeong's attacks, which unraveled the very secrets of all martial arts under heaven.
Yet, through sheer brute Internal Energy and the chaotic fusion of powers within his body, he somehow managed to hold on.
"HAHAHA!"
Suddenly, Ak Mu-ryeong burst into Mad Laughter.
The moment Bu Eun-seol heard it, nausea surged through him, and his mind grew hazy.
Ak Mu-ryeong's Phantom Restoration had already reached the Entering Divinity realm—it could now be unleashed even through Sound Arts.
WHOOSH! SWISH!
Amid the sound of wind tearing through the void, Bu Eun-seol found himself engulfed by the force Ak Mu-ryeong had unleashed.
It carried a superhuman power capable of annihilating all matter in existence.
'This is the Pavilion Lord's true strength.'
Bu Eun-seol realized this was Ak Mu-ryeong's full power—
—a force meant to utterly destroy him.
'Harmonization won't work.'
The only way to block such an attack was to activate Harmonization,
but there was no time left... he had no choice.
'I must defend first, then unleash River Waves Spreading Across the Lake.'
Instead of evading, Bu Eun-seol absorbed the force with his body, then dispersed it outward in all directions.
CLANG.
At the same time, he held Ink Soul Sword upright at middle guard, and a white mist began rising from his body.
He had executed Utmost Void Rebound, a variation of the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment that absorbed and rebounded all force—
—and in that brief opening, he unleashed River Waves Spreading Across the Lake.
KWAANG!
A deafening explosion, as if heaven and earth were being torn asunder, resounded.
The sound was so immense that even commoners hundreds of li away would have heard it clearly.
KWA-UUU!
Bu Eun-seol's body was sent flying over a hundred feet into the air by the tremendous shockwave—
THUD.
—before crashing unceremoniously to the ground.
In the end, he had failed to completely block Ak Mu-ryeong's power.
CRASH!
To disperse the remaining force, Bu Eun-seol was forced to roll across the earth once more.
Considering his martial prowess,
being flung through the air like a powerless amateur should have been impossible.
This alone proved that Ak Mu-ryeong's Martial Prowess had reached an unfathomable level.
THUMP.
Only after rolling another hundred feet or so did Bu Eun-seol finally rise to his feet.
"Pfft."
A stream of blood—a Blood Arrow—spurted from his lips.
Though his face was deathly pale, his eyes gleamed with pride.
The Human Demon Ak Mu-ryeong—
—the man who had just crushed him so utterly was none other than the supreme elder of his own sect.
And through this battle, he had realized something:
—The Pavilion Lord is stronger than the Fist Adept.
Incomparably so.
Ak Mu-ryeong was far stronger than the Fist Adept.
No matter how formidable the Eight Heavenly Servants were, they could not even touch a single hair on Ak Mu-ryeong's head.
"Don't look so pleased."
Ak Mu-ryeong, having read his thoughts, spoke indifferently.
"Those wretches are nothing but the lowest dregs among the Servants of the True Demon."
Then, in a low voice, he issued a warning:
"Even among those of the same origin, the disparity in martial prowess is vast. The Fist Adept is only at the level of the Beggar King—the lowest-ranked of the Four Gods and Seven Kings."
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol let out a faint smile.
Though Ak Mu-ryeong called them "the lowest,"
they were still Masters of the Martial Extreme Realm, nearly on par with the Three Demons and Three Venerables of the past.
In other words, Ak Mu-ryeong had broken free from what the Fist Adept had called—
—the curse of the Martial Extreme Realm.
"But those fools will never realize it."
Ak Mu-ryeong bared his fangs in a grin.
"They believe they've been manipulating the Murim as they pleased all this time... but the superlative martial experts of this era have already surpassed their realm."
Bu Eun-seol nodded slowly.
The Eight Heavenly Servants were much like Un Hak-bi, who had once been among the One Hundred and Eight Stars of the Jungson Clan.
Born with overwhelmingly powerful innate strength, they had no need to labor through training. Nor did they need to learn anything.
Yet the superlative martial experts of this era had madly developed their martial arts and pushed their limits through relentless effort.
As a result, the Eight Heavenly Servants now possessed unimaginable, overwhelming power.
Pfft.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol spat out another mouthful of bloody mist.
Though he had survived, he had suffered yet another severe internal injury.
"This disciple has once again shown you a shameful display."
It was certainly good news that Ak Mu-ryeong, the elder of his sect, was stronger than Fist Adept.
Yet, at the same time, Bu Eun-seol's heart was somewhat wretched and ashamed.
He had wondered if he could hold his own against a master of the Martial Extreme Realm—
But in the meantime, Ak Mu-ryeong had achieved monstrous progress, and even now, Bu Eun-seol still couldn't withstand a single strike from him.
"It seems I've been far too arrogant in my thinking until now."
"Hmph, so you've finally realized it?"
As Ak Mu-ryeong snorted in derision, Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully.
"Your disciple will... strive even harder."
Bending at the waist, he bowed once more before—
"Then."
—turning away with the slumped posture of a failed scholar, he began descending Iron Staff Peak.
Ak Mu-ryeong watched his retreating figure and shook his head.
'There's simply nothing there.'
For the first time, a glimmer of emotion surfaced in his eyes.
It was an awkwardness unbefitting the name Human Demon.
'The boundaries of martial arts...'
Though he had never personally instructed Bu Eun-seol, every time they met, he had been able to gauge the boy's martial prowess and impart insights to him.
But now, there was nothing.
He could no longer discern how far Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess had advanced. In fact—
'Even his limits themselves...'
No matter how much of a genius one was, upon reaching a certain realm, a wall would inevitably form—one that had to be shattered.
Thus, martial artists who trained in the martial arts—
Dreamed of breaking past that wall and those confines to leap into a higher stage.
Even the Twin Demon Emperors of the Righteous and Demonic Paths had stages and limits...
Yet that brat had none of that.
He wasn't walking the path of martial arts—in a way, he was treading a path so pure it bordered on ruin, a Way of Nature.
Because of that, he had no restrictions or limits whatsoever.
'Before long, I had intended to raise him myself...'
Ak Mu-ryeong clenched his steel-like fist.
Though he had long ascended as the Pavilion Lord of Langya Pavilion, he had never taken on a personal disciple.
Because no prodigy worthy of inheriting his martial enlightenment had ever appeared.
But then, out of nowhere, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had launched the Ten Demonic Heirs Plan, and from it, they said he had brought back a single disciple.
—I have finally found the true successor to inherit this pavilion's legitimate lineage.
Even when Dan Cheong had excitedly reported this, Ak Mu-ryeong had felt no interest.
Even if the boy were the greatest martial talent in the world, if he lacked the disposition to grasp the essence of Practical Combat Martial Arts—
He would never achieve Great Completion in Langya Pavilion's martial arts.
Moreover, the boy Dan Cheong had brought had an even greater restriction—
Because he was the child raised by Bu Jan-yang.
A puppet candidate whom the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had his eye on—to use as a chess piece on the board, to manipulate for his schemes.
There was no way he could take such a person as his disciple.
—What a pity.
When Ak Mu-ryeong heard that the Ten Demonic Heir Dan Cheong had brought—
Had learned the Anti-Extremity Divine Art from Blood Vajra, he felt somewhat regretful.
To have caught Blood Vajra's eye—
That meant he was a prodigy capable of inheriting his own martial enlightenment.
Yet he had still severed his interest—because of Sado Mu-myeong.
Because he had discerned that the man was determined to use that child as a puppet.
Once the one called the Demonic Heavenly Emperor set his mind to something, there was no escaping that fate.
—A strange one.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The boy he had assumed would dance in the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's palm—
Had accomplished one unforeseen feat after another, gradually slipping from his grasp.
Moreover, when he personally tested the boy's martial arts, he proved himself not just a genius of his own martial arts—
But a once-in-a-generation prodigy capable of advancing Langya Pavilion itself.
And as time passed—
Before long, he had grown beyond being the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's chess piece—to the point of overturning the board the man had set up.
Now, he had reached a level where he could confidently withstand even a strike delivered with Ak Mu-ryeong's full sincerity.
'After shocking this Pavilion Lord so thoroughly... he still wears that disappointed expression, shoulders slumped?'
Ak Mu-ryeong was both furious and dumbfounded.
The reason he had effortlessly blocked every one of Bu Eun-seol's attacks—
Was not just because he had long sensed all the power within the boy's body—
But because, each time his martial prowess grew, Ak Mu-ryeong had clashed with him directly, instantly absorbing his martial arts in turn.
Just as master and disciple share the same origin of internal energy, they had both mastered Langya Mind's Eye—the very essence of Langya Pavilion.
Yet Bu Eun-seol, unaware of this, was only shocked by his own defeat.
"Bu Eun-seol."
In the end, Ak Mu-ryeong called out to the boy, who was turning away with a hunched back, drained of strength.
"Do you have further instructions for this disciple?"
When Bu Eun-seol asked with a listless expression—
"Ten years."
—Ten years. Within ten years, you will emerge as a Great Emperor capable of completely overturning the world's balance.
Originally, Ak Mu-ryeong had intended to say this.
But unable to bring himself to utter such an embarrassing declaration—
"Just survive for ten years."
He condensed it into these brief words.
"...!"
At that, Bu Eun-seol's complexion abruptly changed before he bowed his head once more.
"...Understood."
And now, with a back bent like an old man's, he continued his descent down Iron Palm Peak.
Ten years.
From Bu Eun-seol's perspective, the meaning behind survive for ten years—
Was that only after ten years of martial training—
Would he finally possess the ability to survive in the current Murim.
—I am still far too lacking.
Misinterpreting Ak Mu-ryeong's words—
Bu Eun-seol trudged down Iron Palm Peak, his lips twisted bitterly, drained of all vigor.