Chapter 834
Bu Eun-seol was startled by the sudden visitor who appeared at the Death Shadow War Unit.
One Hand Crushing Heaven, So Ok-rim.
After crushing the conspiracy of the Ghostly Eclipse Faction—who had taken in children abandoned by the Infinite Realm and subjected them to cruel experiments—she had left with Yu Cheong-rim to train in martial arts. Now, she had finally returned to the Death Shadow War Unit.
And she had returned as an overwhelmingly powerful master.
"Instructor So."
Bu Eun-seol rose from his seat and welcomed her warmly.
"It's been a long time."
Then, with a tone of genuine admiration, he added,
"What kind of training could possibly make someone grow so strong in such a short time?"
Those words held sincere praise.
Though barely a few months had passed since they last parted, So Ok-rim had achieved an astonishing level of growth—as if she had trained for years.
"It's nothing special."
Uncharacteristically, So Ok-rim responded with humility.
"This much is still..."
Her expression darkened as she trailed off.
"Is something the matter?"
"Yes, I have something to tell you."
Sensing the gravity in her expression, Bu Eun-seol immediately moved to a more private space.
Once they entered the inner chamber of the office and took their seats, So Ok-rim spoke with an infinitely solemn expression.
"Actually... I am not a descendant of the Star Emperor."
Though unexpected, Bu Eun-seol nodded casually.
After all, the revelation that she wasn't of the Star Emperor's bloodline wasn't particularly shocking.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I was chosen as the successor to restore and complete the Star Emperor's martial legacy, so when I entered the martial world, I introduced myself as his descendant."
"I see."
"I am the successor of the Quiet Zen Affinity Sect."
Bu Eun-seol tilted his head in confusion.
The name sounded more like a sacred Buddhist site or an obscure sect—was it related to the Buddhist Order?
"From the name, it sounds like a Buddhist sect. Did they teach you the Star Emperor's martial arts there?"
"It's not a Buddhist sect..."
So Ok-rim took a deep breath before speaking with an unbearably heavy expression.
"It's the True Three Realms—what some call the Three Pure Realms."
Thud.
The shocking answer struck Bu Eun-seol like a physical blow, and his face stiffened.
Since entering the martial world, So Ok-rim had always claimed ignorance about the Three Realms.
Hadn't she only begun investigating them after he had shared information with her?
Did that mean everything had been an act from the start?
"To be precise... it's a new Three Realms created by righteous people who were disillusioned with the corrupted Three Realms."
"A righteous Three Realms."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol recall what he had heard at the Bakyeon Legacy Site's pond.
Originally, the Three Realms had been established to protect the martial world in place of the Baekri Clan, but they had fallen into corruption.
Instead, they had turned their blades against the Baekri Clan.
However, righteous individuals could not tolerate this and created a new Three Realms, carrying on the Baekri Clan's will.
After that, the shocking confrontation between the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Sword Sovereign had pushed the matter to the back of his mind.
But now, So Ok-rim was the successor of that righteous Three Realms?
"Have you been deceiving me all this time?"
"How could that be? I only learned of it recently myself."
So Ok-rim lowered her head with a gloomy expression.
"The my youngest great-uncle, the sole survivor of the massacre, told me as he lay dying."
She briefly explained her circumstances.
After teaching Yu Cheong-rim martial arts, she had been training in a secret cave that the Quiet Zen Affinity Sect had covertly established in the Central Plains martial world.
There, the last elder, Jeong Cheong-ja, had come to her on the verge of death.
Using methods like the Spirit-Sealing Heart-Seal Method, he had imparted knowledge he had never shared before.
But his life had faded too quickly, leaving her with only fragmented pieces of the truth.
After finishing her story, So Ok-rim wore an expression of profound loneliness.
"Until now... I truly believed my sect was merely researching and restoring the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—including the Star Emperor—and that we were a faction dedicated to protecting the martial world."
"I see."
Finally, one of Bu Eun-seol's long-standing questions was answered.
When So Ok-rim first saw him, she had immediately recognized the Martial Emperor's martial arts.
At the time, she had claimed it was because the Martial Emperor and the Star Emperor had studied and exchanged their secret arts.
But in truth, she was already deeply versed in the martial arts of all Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
"Still, I find it hard to understand."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath before asking.
"If your faction was truly restoring the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, shouldn't you have sought me out as well?"
Bu Eun-seol was the sole inheritor of the Martial Emperor's martial arts—something no one else had ever obtained.
If she had known from the beginning, she would have naturally tried to acquire those teachings.
"Actually, the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars aren't just ordinary techniques. They're expressions of a mystical power passed down through the martial world, transformed into martial arts."
So Ok-rim explained.
"In other words, the true origin of their martial arts lies elsewhere. What we're searching for is that very source."
—The martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars are the conversion of the power of the main family, split into eleven branches, into martial forms.
Her explanation aligned perfectly with what Bu Eun-seol had learned at the Bakyeon Legacy Site.
"Then what is the origin of that martial art?"
"It's not a martial art, but rather a type of supernatural power. Like the True Demon's Soul-Demon Magic Energy, it's said to be capable of destroying all things in this world."
So Ok-rim spoke.
"And within the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars lies the secret to reclaiming that power. Our grandfathers were in the process of restoring them."
"A secret."
So Ok-rim nodded.
"Yes, you could call it a kind of mind-training formula."
"A mind-training formula."
Bu Eun-seol repeated quietly.
The mind-training formula of the Martial Emperor's martial arts—the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art—could be summarized in a single word: 'joy.'
By recalling joyful memories of the past and letting them swell in one's chest, it amplified the might of the martial arts.
"Then the true power of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars... might be the embodiment of different human emotions."
So Ok-rim nodded with an admiring expression.
"Exactly. According to my youngest grandfather, the original power transforms the innate emotions of humans into strength."
Then she added something unexpected.
"Perhaps that's why the might of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction you displayed was weak. Because you didn't align your mind-training formula with your martial art."
Bu Eun-seol was taken aback.
He had already mastered the Martial Emperor's mind-training formula—the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art—perfectly.
However, when he first met So Ok-rim, his proficiency with the Thirteenfold Qi Induction had been abysmal.
That was why he hadn't been able to demonstrate the same might as now.
Yet So Ok-rim was under the impression that he hadn't properly learned the mind-training formula.
Or... could it be that I still misunderstand the Martial Emperor's martial arts?
No, that couldn't be.
Hadn't he even mastered the counterforce technique of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction—the Utmost Void Rebound?
Moreover... why isn't she questioning my identity as Seon-u Jin?
So Ok-rim was the only person who knew he had inherited the Martial Emperor's legacy.
Because in the current murim, the Martial Emperor's successor was known as Seon-u Jin.
But since he trusted So Ok-rim, he hadn't been particularly concerned about that.
Then, So Ok-rim said something unexpected again.
"Considering that even a man from the Righteous Faction named Seon-u Jin learned the Martial Emperor's martial arts, it seems the roots must run deep."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You didn't know? That young man from the Martial Alliance, the one they call the Sword King, also sought the Martial Emperor's Secret Vault to inherit his legacy—"
So Ok-rim cut herself off with a gasp when she saw the bewildered look in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Wait—was that you?"
"You didn't know?"
"Of course not! How could I have known?"
So Ok-rim's mouth fell open in disbelief.
"But he was a confirmed figure from the Righteous Faction!"
"Yet we share the commonality of having learned the Martial Emperor's martial arts, no?"
At that, So Ok-rim shook her head as if it were absurd.
"I thought you had each found different Secret Vaults."
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned as if he'd been struck in the back of the head.
"You mean there are multiple Martial Emperor Secret Vaults?"
"You didn't know?"
So Ok-rim's counter-question was followed by an even more shocking statement.
"The Baekri Clan stored the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars in multiple locations. And only those chosen among the One Hundred and Eight Stars were permitted to learn them."
"Only the One Hundred and Eight Stars? What do you mean?"
"Obviously. If ordinary people learned martial arts containing mind-training formulas that recklessly stir human emotions, their very humanity would be shattered."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
He was no so-called One Hundred and Eight Star. Hadn't the Boundary-Prosperity Jade shown no reaction to him either?
Yet the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars could only be learned by the One Hundred and Eight Stars?
"Fortunately, the Baekri Clan took measures to prevent that from ever happening."
She grinned.
"Unless you're born as one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars, you can't even enter the Secret Vault."
Bu Eun-seol realized something and asked,
"What happens if someone forces their way in?"
"It collapses. Instantly."
At So Ok-rim's words, Bu Eun-seol's expression turned hollow.
Only now did he understand why the Martial Emperor Secret Vault he had entered with the Bullet King had been filled with such terrifying death traps.
Why it had crumbled away in an instant.
That place was never meant to be entered by anyone but the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
Come to think of it, the traps inside had been far too extreme and deadly to simply serve as a test for selecting outstanding martial successors.
If someone had reached a level of martial prowess high enough to break through, they wouldn't have needed the Martial Emperor's martial arts in the first place.
At the time, Bu Eun-seol had already entered the Extreme Heaven Realm.
He had been capable of wielding the Formless Heavenly Flow with stability.
Thus, even after obtaining the Martial Emperor's martial arts, it had only been an additional weapon—nothing more.
He hadn't been desperate for them.
Yet now he learned that the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars could only be mastered by those born as One Hundred and Eight Stars.
And that the Secret Vault was designed to collapse if anyone else entered?
Bu Eun-seol had forced his way in with the Bullet King without knowing any of this.
"So that's how it was."
He had always found it strange.
"Why didn't the Three Realms, who so desperately desired the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, ever approach Seon-u Jin?"
From the beginning, the secret vaults of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars were scattered in various places.
And those places were only accessible to those born under specific stars of the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
'Then, perhaps I can't fully unleash the might of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction because I'm not one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars...'
"It's alright. I won't tell anyone."
So Ok-rim didn't even consider the possibility that Bu Eun-seol wasn't one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
Instead, she assumed he was worried about his identity as Seon-u Jin being exposed.
"There's no need to worry about that. I trust you, Instructor So."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head and shifted the topic.
"But who was it that destroyed your sect?"
"They didn't tell me."
So Ok-rim lowered her head.
"Probably because they were afraid I'd seek revenge."
"Then that means—"
"Right. It must be either a foe too strong for my current strength or a faction too powerful to overthrow."
Suppressing her grief, she calmly recounted the circumstances of her youngest grandfather, Jeong Cheong-ja's death.
"Then why didn't the Three Pure Realms establish a massive faction like the Three Realms, who currently dominate the murim?"
No matter how scattered they were, they were still a Three Realms faction.
Why didn't they unite into a single, formidable force instead of remaining fragmented—
Inviting their own defeat in detail?
"Wait, how did you know there were others?"
Despite her rough exterior,
So Ok-rim possessed keener intuition and sharper insight than anyone.
With that single remark, she had discerned that Bu Eun-seol already knew the Three Pure Realms weren't a unified faction.
"Actually, I received such knowledge from a mysterious pond called the Bakyeon Legacy Site."
Bu Eun-seol recounted the story of the mystical cave the Muhan Society had once discovered.
"A divine message left by the Baekri Clan?"
"Correct."
Instead, Bu Eun-seol crossed his arms and eyed her skeptically.
"If you're truly from the Three Pure Realms, shouldn't you already know that the Baekri Clan left such a message?"
"I don't know either."
So Ok-rim raked her hands through her hair as if gripping it in frustration.
"My grandfathers never spoke of such things. If my youngest grandfather hadn't passed on that knowledge before his death, I'd still be in the dark."
Trailing off, she shook her head.
"They only ever researched martial arts and taught me. They never even spoke of the Three Realms."
Her eyes were deeply subdued, as if she were suppressing anguish.
The sect she had always believed to be a simple Mystic Sect turned out to be a branch of the Three Realms, responsible for countless atrocities.
And then, without warning, they were annihilated by an unknown, monstrous hand.
"Anyway, based on the knowledge my grandfather left behind, I trained in martial arts at a hidden location and then searched for the Baekri Clan's Secret Vault."
"And you found it?"
"Not yet. But I'll find it soon—I've already uncovered some clues."
"So what you want to ask of me is..."
"Right. I think you might be the person my grandfather mentioned... someone connected to the Baekri Clan."
So Ok-rim stared intently into Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Am I wrong?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't answer immediately.
In the past, he had believed himself to be a descendant of the Baekri Clan—of Baekri Mu-ha's bloodline.
But Ak Mu-ryeong had flatly denied it.
And unlike the words of Baekri Mu-ha that lingered in his mind, despite achieving great martial prowess, no memories had returned.
Of course, if Baekri Mu-ha's martial arts had reached the Heaven-and-Human Realm,
then his own current level might be insignificant in comparison—but that was beside the point.
"I'm not."
"You're not?"
"No."
Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
"Once, I too was under that illusion. But I was wrong."
He briefly recounted his past memories.
So Ok-rim, who had been listening silently, instead brightened.
"That's perfect!"
"What do you mean?"
"The one thing that's certain is that whether you're one of the Shadows or not, you're connected to Baekri Mu-ha, who was a descendant of the Baekri Clan, right?"
"If you insist on phrasing it that way... I suppose so."
"Then I'll hurry and find it—let's go together."
So Ok-rim grinned, flashing her teeth.
"Who knows? Maybe when we get there, you'll turn out to be a descendant after all."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
So Ok-rim had her rough edges, but she remained relentlessly positive, never losing hope.
And her bright personality acted like a refreshing tonic on Bu Eun-seol's somewhat darker disposition.
"So?"
She beamed at him.
"Even if you're not, it doesn't matter. I just want to confirm the possibility."
Seeing her radiant smile, Bu Eun-seol found himself unconsciously mirroring a faint smile of his own.
"Alright."
If they went to the Secret Vault, he would learn whether or not he was of the Baekri Clan's bloodline.
There was no reason to refuse visiting a place that could confirm that for him.
"But I have a request of my own."
"A request?"
"Indeed."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed as he recalled Yeop Hyo-cheon's scheme.
Not only was So Ok-rim originally well-versed in the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, but thanks to her time spent in the Secret Vault of the Three Realms, her martial prowess had risen dramatically.
If it were her, she could perfectly impersonate Seon-u Jin, fooling even Yeop Hyo-cheon's discerning eyes.
Having finished his recollection, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Ultimate Speed Shadowless, evading the onslaught of the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
What the Supreme Cult Commander truly cared about was not the outcome of the fight, but the truth of whether these two were truly Bu Eun-seol and Seon-u Jin.
Therefore, all he needed to do was demonstrate his True Void to prove his identity.
Swish!
So Ok-rim did not cease her Thirteenfold Qi Induction, pressing Bu Eun-seol with all her might.
'Tch.'
The Thirteenfold Qi Induction struck from unpredictable angles, ruthlessly exploiting the slightest openings.
Unable to block them head-on, Bu Eun-seol twisted his body at an oblique angle, barely dodging the attack.
Heh.
Seeing this, Seon-u Jin—no, So Ok-rim—smiled faintly.
She was someone who reveled in battle even more than Bu Eun-seol.
No, she was a battle maniac who craved the pleasure of combat, a warrior dancing on the battlefield, driven by instinct.
She wasn't interested in a perfunctory duel—she wanted a real fight with Bu Eun-seol.
Huuung.
In that instant, an ink-black fog seemed to rise in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
To counter So Ok-rim's overwhelming Thirteenfold Qi Induction, he prepared to fully unleash the Willful True Binding.
Crack!
The dark true qi Bu Eun-seol released shattered into fragments, raining down upon So Ok-rim.
Though he hadn't fully immersed himself in the Demonic Path, preventing him from manifesting the Thunderclap Moon Blades like Hyeokryeon Yu-baek—no, Yu Seol—had, he adapted the principle of Rending True Energy and Returning It, scattering hundreds of true qi fragments like hidden weapons.
Shhhhk—!
Then, with a sound like eardrums tearing, a storm-like surge of energy erupted from So Ok-rim's body, swirling outward in a whirlwind.
She didn't dodge—she blasted Bu Eun-seol's attack head-on.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the fragments of the Willful True Binding, thick as a swarm of bees, were swept up into the storm and hurled skyward.
Zzzziiing.
While So Ok-rim effortlessly dispersed the hidden weapons of the Willful True Binding, Bu Eun-seol gathered darkness in both hands, conjuring another storm of true qi.
KWAH—!
As he thrust his hands forward, this time, the true qi took the form of writhing, plant-like tendrils of black energy.
Yet another variation of the Willful True Binding.
CRASH—!
With a sound like shattering glass, So Ok-rim's razor-sharp Thirteenfold Qi Induction sliced through Bu Eun-seol's black storm and the blades of true qi in an instant.
Fwip!
Closing the distance once more, she unleashed whip-like tendrils of pure white energy.
She had modified her Thirteenfold Qi Induction, shaping them into Pure White blades aimed at Bu Eun-seol's vital points.
SHWAK!
As close-quarters combat erupted, spiderweb-like patterns spread behind Bu Eun-seol's back.
He had waited for her to approach—
Then unleashed the ultimate form of the Willful True Binding, a net-like technique that sprayed countless blades.
"HAAAP!"
With a roar that shook the heavens,
thousands of black and white winds clashed between them, forming a visible Shockwave.
The expanding light made the sky flicker like the alternation of day and night, while the earth trembled as if splitting apart.
Creak. Craaack.
Finally, cracks began to form in the Gang Qi barrier Yeop Hyo-cheon had erected around the training grounds.
—ENOUGH!
At that moment, Yeop Hyo-cheon's voice boomed like a Lion's Roar, carrying overwhelming pressure and reverberation in all directions.
Whoosh.
Simultaneously, the storm of Shockwaves ceased, and the two combatants froze mid-strike.
Had the duel continued, it would have ended in mutual destruction—Yeop Hyo-cheon had intervened at precisely the right moment.
"That's far enough."
As Yeop Hyo-cheon strode forward, Bu Eun-seol and Seon-u Jin glared at each other before slowly stepping back.
Then, at the same time, they clasped their hands in salute.
"I learned much."
"As did I."
Like the exemplary new-generation Grandmasters representing the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths, they exchanged courtesies as if they hadn't just been trying to kill each other.
"Are you satisfied now?"
So Ok-rim, still playing the role of Seon-u Jin, turned her head to address Yeop Hyo-cheon.
"I'm asking if this fulfills the conditions set by the Supreme Cult Commander."
Yeop Hyo-cheon had nothing to say.
Their battle had been nothing short of a clash between a reborn Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the reincarnation of the Martial Emperor.
With every exchange, the heavens dimmed, and the earth crumbled.
It was a flawless duel, perfectly befitting their known martial prowess and identities.
Grip.
Yeop Hyo-cheon's fist clenched, his face flushing red and then paling.
'This was pointless...'
This intelligence had come directly from the powerful factions entrenched within the Martial Alliance.
Unlike the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, who no longer concerned himself with Bu Eun-seol's movements,
Yeop Hyo-cheon wanted even the slightest trace of Bu Eun-seol's actions within his grasp.
But this flawless battle—
It lay entirely outside his predictions.
If things continued like this... all the plans he had prepared would be completely overturned.