Chapter 798
Yong Hoe curled his lips into a cold smile.
"They say you're the greatest prodigy of the Demonic Path, but honestly, you don't seem like much."
Then he adopted an utterly mischievous expression.
"Shall I share a little secret? Our realm has a method to gauge another's internal energy level just by sight."
Flash!
Yong Hoe unleashed a lightning-fast sword stroke. The attack was utterly abrupt, devoid of any preparatory movements.
An ordinary martial artist would have had their throat pierced before realizing what happened.
Swish.
But even stripped of his extrasensory perception, Bu Eun-seol was a sword master.
Yong Hoe's pupils had already dilated sharply,
and the tendons on the back of his hand stood taut—Bu Eun-seol had already prepared himself.
Swish, swish.
Though his internal energy was currently depleted and his extrasensory abilities gone, Bu Eun-seol drew his sword and aimed for Yong Hoe's throat with equal precision.
"Your sword technique is impressive."
Shink!
In an instant, Yong Hoe transformed his rapid swordplay into the Chaotic Sword style, weaving a net of sword qi that engulfed the entire stone chamber.
"The Martial Soul Lord of the realm, with such meager internal energy... Judging by your consistently poor complexion, you must be gravely ill or mortally wounded."
Yong Hoe continued teasingly.
"And since you failed to detect my approach, I see your senses are gone too."
Swish—shaa!
Spiderweb-like sword qi spread through the stone chamber's confines.
He'd unleashed sword strokes impossible to evade in such cramped quarters.
Yet something utterly unpredictable occurred.
Despite the inescapable barrage of sword qi flooding the narrow chamber,
it wasn't being dodged—it was dissolving against Bu Eun-seol's seemingly effortless swordplay.
'What?'
Yong Hoe's eyes bulged.
Only then did he comprehend what Bu Eun-seol was orchestrating.
'He's preemptively occupying the sword qi's emergence points?'
Common knowledge held that sword qi involved condensing internal energy into a sharp, tangible form,
or transforming it into sword aura or rings based on the wielder's technique and energy level.
But upon closer examination, sword qi was far more complex.
Qi served as a conduit linking the infinite cosmos to humanity—
formless, ever-shifting, reflecting human will.
Even when materialized,
it remained in constant flux between creation and dissipation.
Bu Eun-seol, comprehending this profound sword principle,
exploited the transient nature of sword qi—its fleeting existence under specific conditions—
seizing each emergence point to drastically shorten its duration.
In simpler terms,
using exquisite sword theory, he altered the properties of Yong Hoe's sword qi,
causing it to vanish before making contact.
'This bastard—'
Only now did Yong Hoe realize
Bu Eun-seol had honed a monstrous sword art beyond his capacity to counter.
Thud. Thud.
As Bu Eun-seol advanced step by step, erasing the chamber's sword qi,
Yong Hoe felt an oppressive grip tightening around his throat.
'This confined space has become my constraint.'
Swish!
Madly unleashing sword qi, Yong Hoe shouted loudly, as if to mask his unease.
"You're finished!"
Ignoring him, Bu Eun-seol closed within six paces.
'He really has lost his senses.'
Yong Hoe bared his teeth in a grin.
Crunch.
A powerful stomp—and suddenly the ground beneath Bu Eun-seol gave way.
Deprived of his Beast Path abilities, he'd failed to detect the hidden mechanism.
Whoooosh.
An endlessly deep black void swallowed Bu Eun-seol whole.
"Haah... haah..."
Wiping cold sweat, Yong Hoe panted heavily.
"What the hell is he?"
The image of Bu Eun-seol steadily advancing, relentlessly nullifying his sword qi,
those crimson eyes drawing nearer—cold sweat streamed down Yong Hoe's forehead.
Without Limitless Power,
merely unraveling the principles of martial arts,
yet demonstrating such might?
This was strength on an entirely different level from any opponent he'd faced.
"The principles of martial arts..."
Yong Hoe had vaulted into the ranks of superlative experts through the Return to Unity Realm's grand ritual.
Thus, he'd never understood why the martial grandmasters of Murim
endured endless cycles of closed-door training,
obsessively refining their arts.
But experiencing firsthand, through Bu Eun-seol,
the profundity and terror of true martial mastery,
he finally grasped:
Those who master martial arts possess mystical means to neutralize any force.
"I'll never underestimate Murim masters again."
Creak.
Exiting the reopened door, he froze.
Before him stood a wizened old man—
Elder Hyang, overseeing the Groom Selection Tournament.
"Did you dispose of him properly?"
At Elder Hyang's words, Yong Hoe nodded.
"I pushed him into the passageway leading downward, just as you desired."
"Impressive. It's no easy feat to maneuver a Master of his caliber into a trap mechanism."
She had been a traitor who allied with the Return to Unity Realm from the start.
But not for personal glory.
This was revenge for the previous palace lord and Grand Duke, who had been slain by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
And to restore the Wind God Palace's former prestige.
—That bastard barging into the Groom Selection Tournament?
When the uninvited Martial Soul Lord Bu Eun-seol appeared at the tournament, she had been overjoyed.
Because this was her chance for vengeance against the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Together with the other elders, she devised a plan to push Bu Eun-seol into the underground trap installed in the Secret Cave.
But the Martial Soul Lord's martial arts were extraordinary—they concluded there was almost no chance he'd fall into the pitfall leading downward.
—Allow me to handle it.
That was when Yong Hoe confidently stepped forward.
Though he couldn't guarantee victory against Bu Eun-seol, he was certain he could match him long enough to push him into the trap.
And Yong Hoe kept his promise.
He truly had shoved Bu Eun-seol into the trap.
"Remarkable. The Martial Soul Lord was said to have surpassed even the Extreme Heaven Realm in martial prowess. How did you manage to push him in?"
Yong Hoe answered honestly.
"His body wasn't in normal condition. Likely, his injuries were the reason he came here in the first place."
"I see."
"But even if we've thrown him down there, can we truly consider him dealt with?"
Elder Hyang nodded firmly.
"Of course. The Wind God's Path isn't a place one can survive through martial arts alone."
"The Wind God's Path?"
"It's where every past palace lord, renowned for their excellence across generations, met their end."
Elder Hyang wore a grotesque smile.
"A hundred years ago, when they tried to forcibly open the mechanism to rescue a trapped Young Palace Lord, the exit itself collapsed. Once you enter, there's no escape."
Yong Hoe nodded.
"Given the state of his body... Even if he possesses flight techniques, survival is impossible."
The two shared a satisfied laugh.
Yong Hoe would receive unimaginable rewards for eliminating the Three Realms' greatest enemy.
And Elder Hyang had exacted some measure of vengeance against the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who had murdered the previous palace lord.
"It's about time we wrapped things up."
Yong Hoe's smile turned cruel.
"We must secure the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi quickly."
"I've already subdued all the participants."
"You killed them all?"
"Naturally."
Elder Hyang bared her yellowed teeth in a grin.
"But Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un—those two brats absorbed an absurd amount of Wind and Cloud Energy due to their exceptional talent. We can't waste them."
"Heh. You plan to use the Golden Furnace, then."
"Obviously. If we extract the Wind and Cloud Energy and internal energy from vessels like them, we can obtain power nearing that of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi."
Only prodigies who harbored Five-Elements Qi could store Wind and Cloud Energy within their bodies.
But absorbing it internally was a grueling process, taking an excruciatingly long time.
And the amount one could absorb was limited by their innate aptitude.
Since the absorbed Wind and Cloud Energy was stored as True Qi, if another person absorbed it, they would gain immense power.
The Wind God Palace possessed a furnace capable of drawing out the Wind and Cloud Energy from living bodies—and they intended to use it on the two.
"Exceedingly efficient."
As Yong Hoe laughed, Elder Hyang nodded.
"Now, this palace must prepare to welcome its new Grand Duke."
Whoosh.
Fierce winds howled past Bu Eun-seol's ears as he plummeted endlessly into the trap's depths.
The bottom wasn't even visible yet—just how deep was this?
Given his falling speed and the time elapsed, the drop had to be at least a thousand feet.
Had his body been intact, he could have used the Land-Flying Technique or levitated with the Two Spirit Energies.
But in his current state, such feats were impossible.
Moreover, the recent battle had nearly depleted his century's worth of internal energy.
'Only Swift Shadowless remains.'
Whoosh.
Swift Shadowless allowed one to shift direction ninety-nine times in a single step.
Like the Kunlun Sect's Cloud Dragon Great Eight Forms, it could alter trajectories midair.
Bu Eun-seol channeled his remaining internal energy into the technique, desperately slowing his descent.
'Too late.'
Despite his efforts, his speed remained dangerously high—until the ground finally came into view.
'No!'
With no other options, Bu Eun-seol twisted midair and unleashed his full combat power into a palm strike downward.
BANG!
A pressure that threatened to shatter his palms further reduced his acceleration.
The moment Bu Eun-seol felt that counterforce, he curled his body with all his might and rolled.
CRASH!
Amidst a cloud of dust, Bu Eun-seol tumbled uncontrollably for fifty or sixty feet.
Fortunately, a long passageway lay ahead, allowing him to roll and roll until he finally slammed into one of the rocky walls.
THUD.
Collapsed on the ground, Bu Eun-seol was a complete wreck.
Miraculously, none of his bones were broken.
But his limbs felt paralyzed.
And with every breath, excruciating pain seared through his chest.
"This is no easy task," he muttered.
Lying flat on his back, Bu Eun-seol exhaled a sigh as he stared up at the dizzyingly high ceiling.
He had endured all sorts of hardships before—this wasn't even his first life-threatening injury.
But being in an unfamiliar place like the Wind God Palace, drained of most of his energy, made the ordeal feel all the more grueling.
"Haa..."
Feeling the waves of pain closing in, Bu Eun-seol shut his eyes for a moment.
At times like this, forcing himself to move would only make things worse. Rest was the better option.
"I pushed myself too hard."
Yong Hoe's sword techniques were extraordinarily advanced—his swordsmanship ranked among the highest even within the Demonic Path.
No matter how skilled Bu Eun-seol was with the sword, facing him had been no simple feat.
In the end, to disrupt Yong Hoe's technique, Bu Eun-seol had performed an unprecedented divine skill, severing the flow of sword qi midair—
But his internal energy, which had barely amounted to a hundred and fifty years, had dwindled once more, leaving him with only about a century's worth of power remaining.
"Just... a little rest."
Closing his eyes, Bu Eun-seol fell asleep before he even realized it.
How much time had passed?
Tug. Tug.
But then—
At some point, he began to feel something pinching him.
At first, he thought it was just his imagination and remained still, but the sensation grew increasingly intense.
"..."
Slowly opening his eyes, Bu Eun-seol was left speechless.
Hundreds of snakes had swarmed around him, their fangs tearing into his flesh.
Drip. Drip.
Blood oozed from the bite marks—but it wasn't red. It was pitch black, like spilled ink.
"Seven-Step Soul-Severing Snakes?"
The snakes gnawing at him were none other than the Seven-Step Soul-Severing Snakes, notorious for killing their victims before they could take seven steps after being bitten.
"These damn things—"
Bu Eun-seol wanted to shake them off, but whether it was due to the spreading venom—
His limbs remained paralyzed, refusing to move.
Yet, strangely enough—
Each time the venomous snakes bit him, all he felt was a pinching sensation. No unbearable pain.
In fact, with every bite—
A cooling sensation seeped into his bones, and the throbbing aches throughout his body gradually faded.
Not only that—even the dantian area, which had felt like it was tearing apart whenever he used his internal energy, began to feel refreshingly cool.
'The One-Horned Flood Dragon's Core.'
Bu Eun-seol had forgotten until now.
That he had absorbed the internal core of the One-Horned Flood Dragon, a creature containing the most lethal poison in the world.
And that he had converted that core into Reverse Polarity True Qi, storing it within his body—laying the foundation for his status as the Saint Among Poisons.
Tug. Tug.
With every bite, Bu Eun-seol felt his mind sharpen and his energy surge.
The incoming venom was being instantly converted into Reverse Polarity True Qi.
"Good."
Bu Eun-seol shut his eyes again.
The more the Seven-Step Soul-Severing Snakes bit him, the more his body would recover.
How much time had passed?
Thud. Thud.
One by one, the venomous snakes that had been gnawing at him collapsed—until hundreds of them lay scattered around.
"Mmm."
Now, Bu Eun-seol wanted to move.
But the process of storing the venomous energy in his dantian was still ongoing—
The paralysis hadn't lifted, and his True Qi continued circulating on its own.
Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.
Then, another eerie sound reached his ears.
Shifting his gaze slightly, he saw a swarm of pitch-black scorpions approaching this time.
Among them were the Red-Faced Black Scorpions, known for harboring the most vicious poison of all scorpions.
"Again?"
Bu Eun-seol was somewhat dumbfounded.
Just where were all these venomous creatures pouring out from?
Stab. Stab. Stab.
But he had no time to ponder.
The deadly scorpions began stinging his body one after another.
At first, it was agonizing—his body burned with a numbing pain. But as time passed, his body grew cold, as if lying on ice.
"Their venom has different properties."
Unlike the Soul-Severing Snakes, the scorpions' poison carried an icy, freezing attribute.
Clatter. Clatter.
As the extreme cold seeped in, his teeth began chattering uncontrollably.
Bu Eun-seol gritted his teeth and channeled all his remaining strength to circulate the Reverse Extremity Heart Method, fighting against the cold.
"Ugh—!"
The clash between the snake's venom and the scorpion's poison inside his body sent waves of torment through him.
His body trembled as alternating waves of scorching heat and icy cold began to rise from his dantian.
'Is it as potent as the One-Horned Flood Dragon Core?'
Having obtained the Flood Dragon's core, Bu Eun-seol had not only gained immunity to all poisons but also the ability to store toxins within his body as True Qi.
However, in his current weakened state, being injected with both the venom of the Seven-Step Soul-Severing Snake and the venom of the Red-Faced Black Scorpion in rapid succession—
It felt like being trapped in an ice cave one moment and submerged in molten lava the next.
'The two poisons have combined to create a new toxin.'
The Seven-Step Soul-Severing Snake and the Red-Faced Black Scorpion are not particularly rare venomous creatures.
But the sheer volume was overwhelming, and with the two toxins alternating in his bloodstream—
It seemed they had transformed into a new, unbearable Extreme Poison that his injured body could no longer endure.
Even breathing was difficult, and he felt on the verge of losing consciousness.
'I must not lose consciousness.'
If he lost consciousness, the Reverse Extreme Inner Method could cease.
If that happened, the precarious balance of the poisons would collapse, and his body would instantly turn into a lump of pure toxin.
"Ugh..."
Before he knew it, one half of Bu Eun-seol's body had turned ice-cold while the other burned like lava.
Even as his body felt like it was being torn in half from the agony, he continued circulating the Reverse Extreme Inner Method without pause.
Wind God Palace, Grand Training Ground.
This was where the disciples of the Wind God Palace honed their martial arts, a space ten times larger than the training grounds of ordinary sects.
Given that the Wind God Palace's martial techniques were not only immensely powerful but also covered vast areas—
Their training arena had no choice but to be equally expansive.
Yet, in the middle of the training ground stood two massive wooden posts, each with a young man tightly bound to them.
Beneath them, a golden furnace flickered with an unceasing, sacred glow.
The two bound men were none other than Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un.
"Ugh..."
Tied to the posts, they groaned in continuous pain.
From the golden furnace beneath their feet, a mysterious force flowed upward—
Relentlessly siphoning away the Wind and Cloud Energy and internal power they had absorbed.
This was the Golden Furnace, a treasure of the Wind and Cloud Divine Palace, capable of absorbing or transferring the True Qi and strength within a person's body.
Originally, the Palace Lord, the Wind God, used this artifact to bestow Wind & Cloud Divine Qi upon his disciples.
But now, they were using it to drain Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un of their Wind and Cloud Energy, Essence Blood, and even their internal power.
"If you're going to kill us, stop dragging it out and just do it already!"
Jegal Seo-un shouted, prompting Elder Hyang, standing opposite him, to reply coldly:
"Don't worry. It'll be over when the time comes."
"After you've sucked us dry, you mean?"
"Heh. As if you have anything left to take."
Elder Hyang spoke indifferently.
"The Wind and Cloud Energy you possess was ours to begin with. What's wrong with reclaiming what's rightfully ours?"
Jegal Seo-un retorted angrily:
"Is this what the Wind God Palace calls a Groom Selection Tournament? Do you think our family will just sit back and do nothing?"
"You trespassed into our secret grounds and got caught."
Elder Hyang smirked shamelessly.
"Even the Jegal Family can't interfere when we're exercising our rights."
Then she added one more thing:
"We've already dealt with the Martial Soul Lord. What do we have to fear from small fry like you?"
"You're not afraid of the Demon Hall? Do you have some powerful backer now?"
"Of course."
In an instant, Jegal Seo-un's expression froze.
It seemed the Wind and Cloud Divine Palace had already fallen into the hands of sinister forces—
And there was nothing they could do about it now.
"Stay quiet. Unless you want me to seal your Dumb Point as well."
Her words were a threat, but she didn't actually touch his pressure point.
Blocking an acupoint would disrupt the flow of energy, after all.
As Elder Hyang walked away, Jegal Seo-un glanced silently at Hyeok So-jin, still bound beside him.
The man was calm—no, he was even smiling faintly, as if enjoying the situation.
Jegal Seo-un couldn't help but ask in disbelief:
"You're not even angry? How can you be so composed?"
"What's there to be angry about?"
Hyeok So-jin chuckled lowly.
"They're all going to die anyway."
Jegal Seo-un's eyes flashed.
Right—this man was not only the Martial Soul Lord's younger brother but also the successor of one of the Demonic Path Ten Gates. He must have some incredible secret technique hidden up his sleeve.
"You have a way to break through this crisis, don't you?"
Jegal Seo-un's voice was tinged with hope.
"Tell me. I can help."
"There's no such thing."
"Come on. If you tell me, I can assist you, can't I?"
Hyeok So-jin replied calmly:
"Didn't you hear what they said earlier? That they 'dealt with' Brother Bu."
He snorted.
"If they'd actually killed Brother Bu themselves, they wouldn't have phrased it like that. At best, they didn't confirm his death properly—or maybe they just trapped him somewhere."
"That may be true, but what does that—"
"Brother Bu is a Divine Being."
"A Divine Being?"
"Exactly. In other words, there's no way he'd fall for their trap, let alone die."
Hyeok So-jin grinned, baring his teeth in a dazzling smile.
"He'll show up any moment now and start lopping off their heads one by one. All we have to do is wait."
"All we have to do... is wait?"
"Precisely."
Smirk.
His smile was so pure and radiant it was almost blinding.
"..."
Jegal Seo-un turned his head away, his pupils losing focus.
At this point...
He really needed to mentally prepare himself.