Chapter 792
KWAANG!
Exposed to the Fist Adept's fist energy, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying hundreds of feet into the air before crashing back down to the ground.
Even wrapped in Harmonization, he had been unable to block that terrifying might of the fist technique.
KOOONG.
A thick glob of blood bubbled up from Bu Eun-seol's mouth as he hit the ground.
That single strike had been nothing short of a calamity beyond human endurance.
Its power was on par with Limitless Power itself.
"This brat is proving troublesome."
KOONG. KOONG.
As the Fist Adept approached the fallen Bu Eun-seol, a blinding white light erupted from his entire body.
He looked like nothing less than an executor of divine punishment, come to chastise foolish mortals.
'So this is the Fist Adept.'
Twitch.
Bu Eun-seol mustered every ounce of strength he had left, struggling to rise as he fixed his gaze on the Fist Adept.
The Baekri Clan's elites had to personally intervene—
Just to barely sever the lifeline of the True Demon's servants.
And this was the strength of just one among the lowest-ranked of the Human Heavens?
Even without using Limitless Power, his fist techniques alone carried the majesty to split the heavens and shake the earth...
Had Bu Eun-seol not maintained Harmonization by unifying Prajna Great Power—
His body would have exploded on the spot.
"I trust you're prepared."
Where the Fist Adept's gaze fell, the earth itself seemed to tremble, and all living things withered as if scorched.
Faced with such terrifying majesty, Bu Eun-seol instead curled his lips into a faint smile.
"Incredible."
And let out an awed sigh.
The Fist Adept wasn't just the strongest opponent he had ever faced—
He was a superlative martial expert who had refined fist techniques Bu Eun-seol wouldn't dare claim to follow.
"Now I can finally use everything I have."
His heart pounded.
Not only was this place far removed from Chengdu, but it was also sealed within the Life-and-Death Combat Formation—
A barrier none could breach.
No matter how powerful a master might be, none could intrude here, and none could observe the battle.
Which meant, for the first time, he could fight without holding back.
"Everything you have? That's quite the bluff."
The Fist Adept sneered.
"Your internal injuries are so severe, you'd die soon even if I left you alone."
It was true.
Bu Eun-seol's injuries were dire—without treatment, he wouldn't last more than a few hours.
"Worry about yourself. Give it your all."
Yet Bu Eun-seol kept smiling.
"I'll show you the power I've been suppressing all this time."
SHWOOK.
At the same moment, the transparent energy enveloping his body began to fade.
With his injuries worsening and the quarter-hour mark nearing, the Harmonization shrouding him was growing dim.
"Now I can finally shatter that body of yours."
"Try it."
A brilliant light ignited in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Show me the absolute peak of Limitless Power you can unleash."
SRRING.
He drew Ink Soul Sword once more.
"Let's fight for real this time."
SHHOOO—ZZZTTT!
Transparent and violet energies began swirling violently around him.
He still had one final technique he hadn't yet unleashed.
A form of Harmonization too destructive to use freely—
One that poured all his strength and the Two Spirit Energies into Ink Soul Sword, the unbreakable blade, in a single overwhelming strike.
The Heaven-Shattering Form.
"HAAAP!"
With a battle cry, Bu Eun-seol transformed into a streak of violet lightning, charging straight at the Fist Adept.
This wasn't just a release of Harmonization fused with the Two Spirit Energies in the Heaven-Shattering Form—
It was the Transcendent Formless Heavenly Flow Form combined with a new fist stance, elevating the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon to a new level.
The Willful True Binding and Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
The Glacier Thousand Streams Art fused with Ice Essence Snow Blossom Energy.
Even the Hot River Great Essence True Qi—
He unleashed every martial art he had mastered, one after another.
Then wrapped them all in Harmonization, fused them with the Two Spirit Energies—
And channeled them through Ink Soul Sword.
This was the ultimate form of power Bu Eun-seol could wield.
FLASH! KWAANG!
As sword qi and fist energy erupted, explosions of light and sound engulfed the Fist Adept's body.
Every attack Bu Eun-seol had launched until now had failed to pierce the Protective Astral Energy shrouding the Fist Adept—
Scattering into countless points of light.
But this time was different.
The martial forms Bu Eun-seol unleashed now—
Rivaled even the Limitless Power the Fist Adept had displayed.
No, they stood equal to the might of the Hardening Force itself.
KWAAA!
As the dazzling light from Ink Soul Sword expanded, even the Life-and-Death Combat Formation trembled.
The sheer concentration of his power threatened to destroy even Langya Pavilion's Secret Formation Arts.
"So that's your true strength. Good!"
A blinding white energy began radiating from Fist Adept's body.
His Limitless Power—the Hardening Force that annihilated everything it touched—was manifesting once more.
BOOM!
The collision between Bu Eun-seol's unleashed maximum strength and Fist Adept's fully deployed Hardening Force erupted into a light so intense it threatened to sear away vision itself.
Hiss—!
Then, a pinpoint of Hardening Force's radiance—
—finally pierced through Bu Eun-seol's power and tore into his body.
If one were to compare the sheer force of pure Limitless Power—
Bu Eun-seol, who had only just begun channeling his newfound strength, stood no chance against Fist Adept, who had long since reached the Martial Extreme Realm.
'I knew it would come to this.'
But Bu Eun-seol had no intention of taking the Hardening Force head-on without resistance—nor was this his final strike.
Even as he unleashed that terrifying attack—
—he had simultaneously preemptively activated Swift Shadowless,
already maneuvering to escape the Hardening Force's range.
"Not a chance!"
BOOM!
Fist Adept suddenly slammed his right fist into the ground.
The earth trembled violently before splitting apart like the gates of hell swinging open.
WHOOSH—!
Simultaneously, from the fissures, a swarm of pitch-black ink dragons surged skyward.
They coiled around Bu Eun-seol the moment they erupted from the earth—
—and those that had ascended now rained back down upon him.
Fist Adept had transformed his formless Hardening Force—Limitless Power—
—into tangible martial forms, attacks Bu Eun-seol could never evade.
Zzt—! Crackle—!
Bu Eun-seol hovered midair, scattering hundreds of afterimages.
Originally, Swift Shadowless could only produce ninety-nine directional shifts—
—but fused with Thunder Essence Divine Qi, he shattered that limit.
CRASH!
Yet, unable to block every ink dragon, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying dozens of yards back once more.
At that moment—white lightning flashed in Fist Adept's eyes.
"Die."
RUMBLE.
With that single word, the sky turned pitch-black, and a mountainous wave of Hardening Force crashed down toward Bu Eun-seol's face.
Had he resigned himself to fate?
Bu Eun-seol didn't so much as flinch—taking the Hardening Force head-on.
KWA—AAAAH!
The space around Bu Eun-seol, engulfed in light, instantly warped.
Whoosh—
Then, as if resisting the Hardening Force, the Harmonization wrapped around his body began radiating a five-colored radiance.
"Impossible!"
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's physical form not instantly obliterated, Fist Adept layered multiple waves of Hardening Force, condensing them into an even more devastating strike before unleashing it again.
'Got you.'
At that exact moment, five-colored radiance blossomed from Bu Eun-seol's Ink Soul Sword.
From the very beginning, Bu Eun-seol had only one true strike he could launch at Fist Adept.
And for that—
—to seize that flawless, infinitesimal moment where evasion was impossible—
—he had no choice but to deliberately take the Hardening Force head-on.
A Master of Fist Adept's caliber would only reveal an opening when utterly convinced of victory—
—and that moment came precisely when he repeatedly layered his Limitless Power.
And now, as Fist Adept unleashed wave after wave of Hardening Force—
Bu Eun-seol, having pinpointed that vulnerability, poured forth his final strength.
The combined might of Orthodox Unorthodox Demonic and Buddhist Arts, six hundred years of Internal Power,
—and the fusion of his Two Spirit Energies—all condensed into the Ink Soul Sword, engraving hundreds of mystical emblems onto its scabbard.
"You—!"
Fist Adept was no ordinary personage either.
The moment he realized Bu Eun-seol was preparing a devastating counter—
—he simultaneously unleashed both the Hardening Force and the Fist Demon's Fist Arts, a technique that disrupted an enemy's movements and martial forms.
FLASH!
When Bu Eun-seol's burgeoning power clashed with the Hardening Force—
—the sky split in two.
A five-colored brilliance and an all-consuming Dark Shadow spread simultaneously.
FWOOOOSH—!
In the end, the five-colored radiance devoured the light and began distorting space itself.
The Dark Shadow, as if struggling to escape the darkness, violently erupted into Black Flames.
WHOOSH—
How much time had passed?
When all light vanished, Bu Eun-seol and Fist Adept stood facing each other.
Who had truly claimed victory?
"What... was that?"
Fist Adept's expression twisted with incomprehension.
"That wasn't Limitless Power."
Bu Eun-seol stared at the faint emblems now etched onto the Ink Soul Sword's scabbard—then shook his head.
"This..."
Originally, he had intended to say, "This is the power my mother left me."
The Orthodox Unorthodox Demonic and Buddhist Arts, internal power equal to ten sixty-year cycles, and the fusion of his Two Spirit Energies—
—there was only one weapon in this world capable of withstanding such power: the Ink Soul Sword.
But now, with the thought that he might not be of the Baekri Clan's bloodline after all—
Bu Eun-seol shook his head bitterly.
"Merely a will that someone passed down to me."
"A will, you say."
Fist Adept faintly gazed at the distant sky.
"In this short span, the martial world has progressed yet again. To produce someone like you..."
"..."
"But don't rest easy. The Lord of Heaven is one of the weakest among the Incheon."
Fist Adept spoke impassively.
"Whether through Limitless Power or Martial Arts."
"Is that so."
"You seem to have mastered all of the Lord of Heaven's fist techniques?"
Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
"That is correct."
"So you stalled for time by fighting with your fists."
Fist Adept smiled faintly.
"This old man may perish, but the Heaven remains eternal, it seems."
"..."
"The Heaven's fist techniques will be passed down through generations, eventually taking deep root in the martial world."
Crack. Creaaak.
Spiderweb-like fissures continuously spread across Fist Adept's entire body.
Whoooosh.
Amidst a blinding white light, his form completely vanished.
Just as with Hyeokryeon Eung in the past.
Exposed to the full-force emission of Harmonization, even the traces of his existence were utterly erased.
"This is Incheon."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
He had long believed one could oppose Masters of the Martial Extreme Realm without reaching it himself.
And finally—
By slaying Fist Adept, one of the Incheon who had looked down on the martial world, he had proven it.
Though this outcome deserved at least a faint smile, Bu Eun-seol's expression remained dissatisfied.
To deal with the remaining powerhouses, he needed to climb higher still.
And this wasn't a complete victory.
"Pfft—"
Another bloody arrow sprayed from Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Though he'd seized victory in the life-and-death duel against Fist Adept, he too had sustained fatal internal injuries.
Clatter.
He dumped all his elixirs into his mouth, including the Jamma Divine Pills, but to no avail.
To ensure his Heaven-Shattering Form's Harmonization wouldn't miss—
He'd deliberately taken two direct hits from Fist Adept's Hardening Force to create that decisive moment.
Fortunately, the faint remnants of his Power of Harmony had spared him from instant death, but the wounds he'd sustained were beyond recovery.
'Two Spirit Energies, the senses of the Way of the Beast, and roughly 120 years worth of Internal Power...'
The duel with Fist Adept had reduced Bu Eun-seol's energy to one-fifth of its peak.
Even his last bastion—the heightened senses of the Way of the Beast—had vanished.
Despite losing most of his power and every heightened sense, Bu Eun-seol's expression remained tranquil.
Slowly, he turned and departed from that place.
A gray-clad shadow arrived deep within a mystical forest.
When he extended his palm, a faint luminous aura unfolded before his eyes, soon condensing into a small gate.
Upon entering, the wondrous scenery of the enchanted woods revealed itself.
Not only did the tree leaves shimmer with blue light, but they also radiated a dazzling spectrum of colors.
Each leaf scattered by the wind morphed upon touching the ground—
Transforming into fragments of light that dispersed in all directions.
Deeper into the forest lay a small pond, beside which stood an enormous tree that seemed to pierce the heavens.
"Wooden Buddha."
The shadowy figure murmured lowly.
Receiving no response, he extended his palm again.
"I fail to comprehend why you insist on suffering like this."
Ziiing—
As his hand opened, a translucent force rippled outward, disturbing the pond's tranquil surface.
Creeaak.
The bark of the colossal ancient tree split, and dark crimson blood began seeping out.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
As the bloody flow intensified, another creaking sound echoed from the tree—
And a wooden Buddha statue stepped forward.
None other than the disciple of Mo-ryun the Dharma Seeker—
The era's prophesier who could read Heaven's Will: Wooden Buddha.
"It's been a while."
Despite Martial Venerable's words, Wooden Buddha kept his bloodstained lips tightly sealed, head bowed low.
Martial Venerable's gaze turned sharper than ever as he spoke coldly:
"That place wasn't the Baekri Clan's Secret Cave after all. In the end, the Human Celestials have appeared in the martial world."
His voice grew frigid as he continued:
"Bu Eun-seol. Is he truly Baekri Geom-ha?"
Wooden Buddha remained silent, staring intently at Martial Venerable.
As if awaiting what would come next.
"If he were truly of the Baekri bloodline—no matter how much memory or power he'd lost... Fist Adept would have recognized him."
Wooden Buddha faintly shook his head.
A silent admission that he couldn't answer.
"Now that the Human Celestials have appeared, your consent means nothing."
Martial Venerable flipped his left hand over.
Then his palm began to glow, and the trees of the forest trembled as an eerie sound reverberated through the air.
Kiiii—
At the same time, the leaves turned brown, the branches split apart, and their insides blackened as if scorched.
The earth cracked under an unknown force, deep fissures forming as blades of grass melted away.
Even the heavens seemed to yield to this power.
Clouds gathered swiftly, lightning flashed, and the air grew heavy with the promise of rain.
Yet not a single drop fell—only the forest continued to die.
[I said he was a figure who emerged from Saha Manor—not that he was Baekri Geom-ha.]
"That doesn't even sound like an excuse."
The light streaming from the Martial Venerable's palm grew even brighter.
"Are you telling me you've been toying with me all this time with such words?"
[The shadows Baek-ri Mu-ha created were not just one.]
As the forest withered, the Wooden Buddha urgently transmitted his words through Wisdom-Light Mind Speech.
[Baek Mu-seong—he too is a shadow.]
"Baek Mu-seong?"
That the Blood Calamity of Saha Manor had already been foretold was something he had heard from his sworn brother, Jeong Cheon-je.
But to think there had been more than one decoy to save Baekri Geom-ha...
"Then give me a reason."
The Martial Venerable's gaze turned icy.
"If you cannot provide justification for this excuse of misreading Heaven's Will... I will not let this matter slide."
[The Heavenly Mechanism Star.]
Slowly, blood began to trickle from the Wooden Buddha's left ear.
Yet he remained composed as he sent his mind-speech.
[He has appeared in this era.]
Thud.
For a moment, the Martial Venerable's expression twisted as if he had been struck from behind.
The Heavenly Mechanism Star.
A being whose intellect surpassed imagination, displaying genius in all fields.
One who could instantly comprehend any new information and possessed transcendent learning abilities.
One of the legendary One Hundred and Eight Stars, said to be capable of solving any enigma in the world?
And not just intellect and knowledge—he could even predict the future.
That such a being, who could manipulate the great affairs of the world at will, had appeared...
Meant that the carefully laid plans until now could be completely overturned.
"That... certainly makes for an excuse. If it's the Heavenly Mechanism Star..."
The Wooden Buddha remained silent, blood still dripping from his ear.
"Then does that mean there could be other shadows besides Bu Eun-seol and Baek Mu-seong?"
[From what I have seen... no.]
Thick clots of blood now rolled down the Wooden Buddha's left ear.
The Martial Venerable paid no heed, his gaze lifting to the distant sky.
"Then there are two shadows."
Baek Mu-seong.
A disciple of the Buddhist Venerable, a figure who had risen to lead the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Martial Brigade.
So that was why he had joined the Three Realms.
So that was how his martial prowess had soared so rapidly.
As it turned out, he too was a shadow created by Saha Manor.
"No—then he might be the real Baekri Geom-ha."
A sharp light flickered in the Martial Venerable's eyes.
"The Buddhist Venerable—that old monster wouldn't have taken on a disciple without reason."
A cold smile touched his lips.
Overshadowed only slightly by the majesty of Jeong Cheon-je, the Number One of the Righteous Path.
He too had long ago ascended to the Martial Extreme Realm, and now, after continuous refinement, he wielded martial prowess that could trample the world beneath his feet.
If he wished, even the Buddhist Venerable—that old man—could be erased in an instant.
Whoosh—
As the Martial Venerable withdrew his palm, the crumbling forest began to regain its original vitality.
He spoke to the Wooden Buddha, whose head remained bowed.
"If you ever hide or obscure Heaven's Will from me again, there will be no more mercy."
His gaze was stern.
"You've surely witnessed it yourself—the Servants of the True Demon are emerging one after another."
Then he turned and vanished beyond the forest.
The Wooden Buddha dared not look up at the sky, his head still lowered.
Yet his expression was not one of suffering under Heavenly Punishment for revealing Heaven's Will.
Instead, his eyes were filled with the solemnity of noble sacrifice.
[With the Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi and their power engraved upon it... until the treasures of the Creation Sun and Moon and the Nine Heavens Radiant Cloud appear simultaneously... none shall know his true identity.]
The Wooden Buddha's murmur was so faint and thin that not even the heavens could hear it.
***
Bu Eun-seol had originally intended to return to the Demon Hall.
The Human Heaven, the Divine Heavens, the Three Attendants, the True Demon...
He needed to inform all his subordinates of these beings, whose existence seemed like ancient myth, and prepare accordingly.
But he couldn't.
There was something far more urgent.
'To restore this body, shattered by the Hardening Force...'
Bu Eun-seol had emerged victorious in his battle against the Fist Adept, a being who dominated the world, but he too had suffered grave injuries.
Though he hadn't lost all his strength as he had in the past,
Without the senses of the Way of the Beast and with his Internal Power blocked, he could not face the coming Superlative Martial Experts.
'I must go there.'
And to recover, he needed another power.
The Four Divine Figures.
To restore his strength,
Bu Eun-seol would visit one of the resting places of Murim's legends.