Chapter 800
Gurgle. Crrrack.
As Bu Eun-seol reached the Poison Saint Body, his bones creaked incessantly while his skin and muscles undulated like waves.
Having attained a realm where he could absorb and neutralize any poison, every component of his physical form—bones, muscles, nerves—was gradually transforming.
Ssssshhh—
Finally, Bu Eun-seol opened his eyes, his skin now translucent and lustrous.
And there it remained—a strange, transparent radiance.
The Poison-Subduing Saint Eye had opened, announcing his attainment of the Poison Saint Body.
But that wasn't all.
Though he lacked the Wind Spirit Constitution, his body had undergone a metamorphosis, becoming capable of wielding the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi—the most enigmatic of the Four Divine Energies. Yet... he remained unaware of this for now.
"Ah."
Bu Eun-seol let out a soft exclamation.
He could feel the mysterious glow flowing from his pupils.
'This is inconvenient.'
He suppressed the energy of the Poison-Subduing Saint Eye.
There was no need to reveal to others that he had fully mastered the Poison Saint Body.
Whoosh.
Once the glow in his eyes faded, Bu Eun-seol turned his gaze back to the unconscious woman.
"Even with the poison removed, there's no reaction... Rather, her pulse grows even fainter."
His eyes narrowed.
Contrary to expectations, her vitality was dwindling even more rapidly than before the poison had been purged.
"So it was the poison that sustained her until now."
The woman had relied on the potent toxins accumulated in her body to maintain her life.
But the moment Bu Eun-seol eradicated them in one sweep, the very wellspring preserving her existence vanished.
"Gather your strength."
Life force could not be injected from the outside—it had to emerge from within.
The will to live, the desperate yearning.
The fierce passion and struggle to survive even in despair...
Without these, a human body could never recover.
But the woman showed no sign of such resolve.
Hnngh.
Carefully, Bu Eun-seol sat her up and placed his hand on her Life Gate Acupoint.
Though barely any internal energy remained within him,
he poured it into her without pause, giving it his all.
"Open your eyes."
Yet despite his efforts, the last embers of her vitality faded entirely.
Thud.
Her arm fell limply.
In the end, she had become nothing more than a cold corpse.
"My apologies."
Gently, Bu Eun-seol laid her back inside the Crystal Coffin.
"It seems my inadequacy has only led to a futile endeavor."
Bowing solemnly to the slumbering woman, he spoke in a low voice.
"You must have been a disciple of the Wind God Palace as well. I will ensure they are informed so your remains can be retrieved."
Then he removed his outer robe and draped it over her.
Though soiled, it would suffice to cover her body for the time being.
As he surveyed his surroundings, Bu Eun-seol noticed another door-shaped engraving on the opposite wall—one that could not be opened again.
Whoosh.
Once more, he brushed past it using the Dharma Gate that spoke of the wind's principles,
and finally, a passage leading upward came into view, bathed in bright light.
Bound within the training ground, Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un had their stored Wind and Cloud Energy completely drained by the Golden Furnace's function.
"Now, it is time for you to die."
Elder Hyang smiled in satisfaction as she observed the glow flowing through the Golden Furnace.
Then she barked at her disciples:
"Sever the necks of these rebel intruders at once!"
At her command, a woman wielding a massive great blade ascended the Grand Martial Training Ground.
The fact that she carried the sharply honed blade without a scabbard suggested she was a professional executioner, specialized in beheading criminals.
"Wait!"
Hyeok So-jin bellowed.
"Even criminals deserve last words! Has the Wind God Palace no respect for law?"
As he scanned the surroundings with a grave expression, Elder Hyang reluctantly nodded.
"Speak your final words if you must."
Hyeok So-jin hesitated, then pleaded with desperate sincerity.
"...Spare me."
Elder Hyang's face went blank.
But soon, realizing he was stalling for time,
she snapped irritably.
"Behead them now."
Swish!
Just as the woman raised the great blade to cleave through Hyeok So-jin's neck—
Zzzzzt!
A violet radiance erupted from his body upon impact, followed by a series of sharp cracks.
He had released the suppressed Blood Circuits.
Clang!
Simultaneously, not only were the Mysterious Iron chains shattered, but the Golden Furnace beneath them was also destroyed.
Hwooom.
At the same time, steam as white as a boiling pot billowed from Hyeok So-jin's head.
Long ago, he had reached the Five Qi Returning to Origin state.
During his time at the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, he had even mastered the method of storing internal energy separately, thanks to the cultivation secrets Bu Eun-seol had recited.
Yet he had deliberately feigned suppression at the hands of the Wind God Palace disciples.
Because Bu Eun-seol would surely return.
Until his fate was confirmed,
Hyeok So-jin had pretended to be in agony, acting as though he were truly restrained.
But when Bu Eun-seol failed to return and they moved to execute them, he had no choice but to reveal his true strength.
Flash!
An indescribably divine radiance burst forth as Hyeok So-jin reopened his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, his internal power had fully recovered.
"How?"
When Elder Hyang questioned him, Hyeok So-jin replied boldly.
"Oh, just this and that little secret."
And just as he was about to free Jegal Seo-un's sealed acupoints—
Crack.
A dull impact sound began resonating from Jegal Seo-un's body.
At the same time, with a metallic clank, the iron chains binding him loosened effortlessly.
He, too, had long since unsealed his acupoints and even loosened the chains restraining him.
"My family also has a secret technique that divides the flow of true qi into two, rendering any restrictive seal ineffective."
Surprisingly, Jegal Seo-un had also been pretending to be subdued—just like Hyeok So-jin.
All to see what they truly wanted. To observe how the situation would unfold.
"Hmm."
Elder Hyang wore a troubled expression.
Jegal Seo-un was, needless to say, the young clan head of the Jegal Family.
And Hyeok So-jin was already one of the leading grandmasters representing the new generation of the Demonic Path.
If those two seriously decided to resist? The Wind God Palace's forces would suffer significant losses.
"No need to worry."
Just then, a clear, resonant voice rang out—
Rumble—
Hundreds of black shadows began encircling the Grand Martial Training Ground.
Whoosh—! KWAANG!
At the same time, a figure shot up from the distant sky and landed on the ground at tremendous speed.
The impact was so great that fissures split the earth, yet the figure's legs remained unharmed.
The moment he landed, he exerted an enormous force to lightly rebound upward—the fissures were merely from the pressure of that motion.
It was none other than Yong Hoe, the Heartless Shadow of the Return to Unity Realm.
"Your patience is remarkable. Staying bound all this time despite being perfectly fine."
Yong Hoe's appearance and aura had subtly changed.
A faint breeze continuously swirled around him, and an effortless, unbound energy naturally radiated outward.
"Don't tell me—"
Jegal Seo-un's eyes flashed.
"You've already received the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi?"
Yong Hoe chuckled.
"Thanks to you all, I obtained it quite easily."
Then, he curled the corner of his lips.
"With two Demonic Path spawns intruding and committing evil deeds, the Young Palace Lord couldn't help but grow impatient, no?"
Yong Hoe, in collaboration with Elder Hyang,
had pinned the deaths of the participants in the Secret Cave on Bu Eun-seol.
And he had spread the word that Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un had confessed to being accomplices in the conspiracy.
With the palace lord absent and such a mishap occurring... the Young Palace Lord must have felt a great sense of crisis.
In the end, bypassing formal procedures, she had conducted the Sun and Moon Uniting with Yong Hoe, manifesting and sharing the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
"Let's see for ourselves!"
Jegal Seo-un unleashed the Rescue Zhao by Besieging Wei stance, pouring lightning-like palm energy toward Yong Hoe's head.
The only way to break through the encirclement of so many troops and survive was to take him hostage.
HWAK!
But before Jegal Seo-un could even subdue Yong Hoe, he was flung hundreds of feet backward.
As if struck by an invisible fist.
"I told you, I've already received the transmission."
Yong Hoe smiled, hands clasped behind his back.
Without making a single movement, he had sent Jegal Seo-un flying using the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
Considering Jegal Seo-un's level of martial prowess, tossing him aside like a child should have been nearly impossible.
He had truly obtained Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, said to be the most mysterious power among the Four Divine Energies.
"There's no need for the Wind God Palace to deal with such small fry."
As Yong Hoe raised his hand, dark shadows descended behind him.
Masked, their eyes gleaming sharply. They looked less like martial artists and more like highly trained assassins.
"I'll have the troops I brought handle them."
They were the Three Realms' forces, infiltrated into the Wind God Palace in preparation for unforeseen circumstances.
Having received the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi and become the Young Palace Lord's Grand Duke, Yong Hoe no longer hesitated to reveal his true colors.
"Play with them a bit!"
Hiss—
At his command, the Three Realms' masters encircled Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un.
Judging by the energy flowing through their bodies,
each one possessed martial prowess formidable enough to be a challenging opponent.
BOOM!
From Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un's bodies, shockwaves of internal energy erupted simultaneously.
KWAH!
As Hyeok So-jin spread both hands, violet radiance burst forth behind him in multiple streaks.
The supreme ultimate art of the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying lineage—the Ultimate Heaven Demon Art.
He was using the Divine-Rending Demonic Qi.
But before the Divine-Rending Demonic Qi could fully extend, the ranks of the masked attackers collapsed in an instant.
Jegal Seo-un had already unleashed the Jegal Family's pinnacle secret art—the Star Positions Heavenly Path.
Rumble—
The Jegal Family's martial arts, whether fist techniques or sword techniques, contained profound formations within their movements.
Because of this, the masked fighters found themselves moving in erratic directions, colliding with each other.
"Scatter and strike!"
The masked men, in defense against the Jegal Family's secret art,
spread out chaotically in all directions, launching disordered attacks.
"Tough. To take no real damage even against the Star Positions Heavenly Path's techniques."
CRACK!
But then, a violet net-like radiance spread outward, and sharp beams of light pierced the masked men's pressure points.
Hyeok So-jin had discerned that their bodies were unnaturally tough, impervious to weapons.
So, he fired his Divine-Rending Demonic Qi in the form of sharp spears, aiming to shatter that thick, reinforced flesh.
CRUNCH—CRACK!
As the masked men collapsed, Jegal Seo-un once again unleashed a wide surge of palm energy.
Though their paths were entirely different...
The two were now moving in perfect, spontaneous harmony, compensating for each other's martial shortcomings.
Hyeok So-jin's Divine-Rending Demonic Qi, though limited in the forms it could take, was far stickier and longer-lasting than Bu Eun-seol's Willful True Binding.
Meanwhile, Jegal Seo-un not only embedded the subtleties of the Star Positions Heavenly Path into every movement—
He also freely wielded Reversing Stars and Confusing Heaven, a technique so advanced that even the most brilliant masters of the Jegal Clan struggled to execute it—
A method that memorized an enemy's movements in reverse to dismantle them.
RUMBLE—
With their backs pressed together, the two unleashed their full combat power, and the masked men staggered, disoriented—
Struck in their pressure points, they fell helplessly one after another.
As the Jegal Clan's unique Principles of Martial Arts and the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying sect's supreme demonic techniques unfolded—
Their attacks became truly seamless as a heavenly robe, unstoppable.
WHOOSH—
Yet, despite this, wounds continued to multiply on Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un's bodies.
Their opponents were none other than the Return to Unity Realm's elite masters—
A faction that had restored and possessed the greatest martial arts of the world.
Against such forces, the two alone could not prevail.
After about a quarter of an hour—
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, the two were sent flying, crashing into the wall at the far end of the Wind God Palace's training grounds.
"Haa..."
Hyeok So-jin had pushed his Divine-Rending Demonic Qi to its limit—he no longer had the strength to even twitch a finger.
Death did not frighten him.
But in his final moments, the only regret was not seeing Bu Eun-seol again.
Jegal Seo-un, too, had exhausted his internal energy, his dantian tearing apart in agony.
Yet he had fought with everything he had—no regrets, no lingering desires.
"Heh heh heh... Are you ready to die?"
At Yong Hoe's icy taunt, Jegal Seo-un straightened his chest and laughed brightly.
"In this world, if you've had your fill of excitement, what more could you ask for?"
Beside him, Hyeok So-jin chuckled hoarsely and added,
"Brother Jegal... So this is our grave, hm?"
Then, gazing up at the distant sky, he sighed deeply.
"Though we were not born on the same day... To die together—that in itself is no ordinary bond."
Hyeok So-jin had already transcended life and death, cracking jokes even in the face of annihilation.
Hearing this, Jegal Seo-un's chest tightened, his fighting spirit surging to its peak.
"I've been meaning to say this for a while..."
He pulled out the words he had buried in his heart.
"Ever since we dealt with the Suspicious Madman, I've admired you and Lord Bu. But our paths were different, so I never spoke up."
"Brother Jegal."
"If we meet again in the Underworld... Let's share a drink."
The two exchanged a firm, spirited gaze, smiling.
"Agreed."
BANG!
Hyeok So-jin gathered the last dregs of his depleted internal energy, unleashing his Divine-Rending Demonic Qi at maximum intensity.
His body became engulfed in such violent violet light that he was nearly invisible.
SWOOSH!
Jegal Seo-un, too, summoned every last ounce of his strength—dozens of afterimages flickering around him.
He was preparing to execute the Jegal Clan's forbidden art—Heavenly Mechanism Radiant Migration Art.
"HAAAH!"
And just as their final strike, infused with the last of their life force, was about to crash down upon the masked men—
SCREEEECH—
A strange metallic screech suddenly echoed from one side of the Grand Martial Training Ground.
"..."
THUD.
Silence lingered for a long moment—until, at last, the floor at the center of the training grounds split open.
SWOOSH.
And from within, a gray-clad shadow, gripping a rusted iron sword, slowly emerged—head first.
His clothes were caked in dust and blood, his entire body riddled with wounds.
But the mysterious eyes visible through his long hair were so piercing they could be seen clearly even from ten li away.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
"...Brother Bu?"
In that instant, Hyeok So-jin withdrew his Divine-Rending Demonic Qi and shouted.
"BROTHER BU!"
He rushed forward, embracing Bu Eun-seol.
"What the hell happened?!"
Bu Eun-seol exhaled slowly, taking in the battered forms of Hyeok So-jin and Jegal Seo-un—
Then the masked men surrounding them.
"You've suffered."
"What in the world happened?!"
Bu Eun-seol pointed at Yong Hoe, who stood with his arms crossed behind the masked men.
"That bastard pushed me into a trap below. So I dug my way out."
From afar, Yong Hoe and Elder Hyang stared in shock at Bu Eun-seol's unharmed return.
—How is he alive?!
The Wind God's Path they had thrown him into—
Was a death trap so perilous that even past palace lords had never dared attempt to break through.
"Even the World's Greatest Martial Artist wouldn't be able to escape alive from this Land of the Dead now that the exit is completely sealed."
So how had this man, who wasn't even in peak condition, emerged unscathed?
Moreover, how could there be a hidden mechanism in the training grounds that even the disciples of the Wind God Palace didn't know about?
"Elder Hyang. What in the world is going on?"
When Yong Hoe asked, Elder Hyang pondered for a long moment before nodding in understanding.
"Perhaps... he found a hidden mechanism connected to the Wind God's Path—one unknown even to our own disciples. Grand Duke."
"Hmm."
Yong Hoe let out a snort, his gaze fixed on Bu Eun-seol's battered figure.
'Still not fully recovered.'
He had mastered a secret art that allowed him to gauge an opponent's internal energy fluctuations just by looking at them—without even needing to make physical contact.
That was how he could tell that Bu Eun-seol's internal energy was still at rock bottom.
"What a pity. You crawled your way out of the trap, only to plunge straight back into hell."
"Grand Duke."
Bu Eun-seol sighed deeply as he looked at Yong Hoe.
"So you've obtained the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, I see."
"That's why you shouldn't barge into someone else's banquet uninvited."
Yong Hoe clicked his tongue.
"If you'd just stayed put, you wouldn't have had to die in a place like this."
Whoosh.
As Yong Hoe raised his hand, the masked men standing in formation once again took combat stances.
But then, Elder Hyang spoke in a low voice.
"Grand Duke. Wouldn't it be better to deal with him one-on-one?"
Though Yong Hoe held the position of Heartless Shadow under the Return to Unity Realm, he was virtually unknown in the Martial World.
Elder Hyang wanted him to seize this opportunity to display his majesty as the Grand Duke of the Wind God Palace before all the disciples.
"A fine suggestion."
Nodding, Yong Hoe stepped forward with a smile.
"Martial Soul Lord. You're hailed as the foremost rising grandmaster of the Demonic Path."
"..."
"Do you have the courage to face me in single combat?"
He was still certain that Bu Eun-seol hadn't fully recovered.
Now was his chance to eliminate Bu Eun-seol alone and steal away his dazzling reputation.
"Brother Bu wouldn't waste his time on trash like you."
At that moment, Hyuk So-jin stepped forward, wreathed in violet Gang Qi.
"Brother Bu. Let me turn that bastard into mincemeat in one strike."
Hyuk So-jin also knew.
That Bu Eun-seol hadn't yet recovered.
But Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"I'll handle it."
"But Brother Bu—"
"It's fine."
Bu Eun-seol spoke firmly.
"I still have enough strength left to cut off that bastard's head."
Then, glancing at Jegal Seo-un, he nodded.
"You've worked hard. Stay back and rest with him for a while."
Jegal Seo-un wore a puzzled expression.
Even if Bu Eun-seol defeated Yong Hoe, there was no way those countless troops would just stand by and watch.
A full-scale war was inevitable, but...
Wasn't Bu Eun-seol acting as if he could settle everything alone?
"Understood."
Hyuk So-jin then broke into a bright smile.
"Brother Jegal. Let's just sit back and enjoy the show."
Bu Eun-seol never spoke idly or acted recklessly.
If he said he would cut off Yong Hoe's head, then it would be done—and they wouldn't need to intervene.
"Very well."
Though he didn't understand, Jegal Seo-un nodded.
It wasn't because he believed in Bu Eun-seol as some kind of Divine Being.
But because he and Hyuk So-jin had already become close friends who transcended the Orthodox and Unorthodox divide.
If Hyuk So-jin trusted him, then he would too.
Sshhling.
Drawing the Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward slowly.
In response, Yong Hoe also advanced at a measured pace.
The two stopped about three jang apart.
Whooosh.
The wind swirling around Yong Hoe gradually intensified.
It was as if the gusts reflected the state of his mind.
"Let me show you why the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi is invincible."
Splat!
Without even making a move, a thin line of blood suddenly trickled down Bu Eun-seol's cheek.
A blade-like current of wind had grazed him.
"Hmm."
Though blood dripped steadily from his cheek, Bu Eun-seol remained expressionless.
Then, gripping the Ink Soul Sword, he unleashed his sword technique.
With almost no internal energy left, he couldn't use the Formless Heavenly Flow style, and his Sword Qi could barely extend about three meters.
Yet he didn't hesitate to attack. It was enough strength to strike at Yong Hoe.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Three consecutive sword strikes lashed out—
—not just at Yong Hoe's lower body, but his torso and head in a single, seamless motion.
"Impressive swordsmanship."
Without moving from his spot, Yong Hoe simply spread his palm.
A tremendous surge of energy erupted, sending Bu Eun-seol's Sword Qi scattering into the sky.
Flash.
At the same time, a brilliant light burst from Yong Hoe's right hand.
In that split-second opening, he unleashed a razor-sharp current of Wind & Cloud Divine Qi—swift as a Fast Sword.
Fwip.
But Bu Eun-seol had already predicted such a move and dodged swiftly.
Yet what happened next was astonishing.
Before anyone realized, Yong Hoe had appeared behind Bu Eun-seol, both hands raised high.
He had used the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi to move at blinding speed and circle behind him.
"Die."
Yong Hoe poured all his strength into releasing a lethal current.
Sssshhk!
But his strike only sparked against the training ground's floor, missing entirely.
"What kind of sorcery is this?!"
Yong Hoe couldn't contain his disbelief and roared in frustration.
He had definitely cut through Bu Eun-seol—yet the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi had passed harmlessly through his body.