Chapter 837
'This is dangerous.'
She immediately scanned her surroundings to shatter the battle formation.
But the Absolute Boundary was akin to dozens—no, over a hundred—layered formations stacked together.
There was no way to unravel it in such a short time.
Even if she set off the signal flare tucked in her robes, it would be useless due to the spatial partitioning effect.
"I won't just keep taking hits."
Flash!
At that moment, an arrow of light pierced through the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man's head.
She had fired it using the power of the Heavenly Hero Star.
Thud. Thud.
But the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man continued walking forward, unfazed.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Yet that didn't last long.
As countless arrows of light rained down, its body crumbled into fragments in an instant.
Thud.
But the shattered pieces of the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man gathered back together, reforming into a humanoid shape.
Only this time, the fragments reassembled in a different configuration.
Given that its body seemed to reassemble randomly, conventional attacks appeared futile.
Whoosh!
She relentlessly fired arrows, reducing the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man to dust.
This time, it could no longer rise again.
Thump. Thump.
Yet the heavy footsteps echoing through the fog never ceased.
Now she realized—there wasn't just one Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man.
They filled the mist in overwhelming numbers, each varying in size and form.
Whoosh!
Gongson Dan-gyeong unleashed hundreds of arrows.
But their sheer numbers and ability to regenerate made it impossible to halt their advance.
"They've already analyzed my abilities and prepared these demonic beings accordingly."
The power of the Heavenly Hero Star.
Arrows of light traveling at lightspeed were more than enough to contend with the greatest masters of the martial world.
But against demonic beings that endlessly regenerated even after their bodies were destroyed, they were practically useless.
Chu-so had dissected Gongson Dan-gyeong's abilities and laid out this meticulous trap.
'But something's off.'
If Chu-so had intended to use her as bait to kill Seon-u Jin completely...
No matter how formidable the martial arts of the one controlling the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Men were, they wouldn't have set up such a sloppy trap.
It would have been far more effective to restrain or abduct her, then lure Seon-u Jin to a place where escape was impossible.
'A pawn.'
Gongson Dan-gyeong bit her lip as she grasped Chu-so's intent.
'He's trying to use Seon-u Jin as a pawn on the board he's created.'
This incident wasn't about killing Seon-u Jin outright.
It was clearly a test—to see if he was a pawn worth using.
Back when she had been abducted by the Jungson Clan...
Hadn't Chu-so also tested her abilities under the guise of helping her?
'I have to handle this myself.'
Thanks to surviving the near-fatal poison of the Venomous Star, Gongson Dan-gyeong had awakened the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
But since it hadn't fully bloomed yet, she could only fire arrows of light.
She knew all too well that this ability alone wouldn't be enough to survive against the world's strongest.
So she had devised one more method to save her life in dire situations.
Swish.
From her robes, she retrieved a small lantern.
The Shadow-Reflection Magic Lantern.
A mysterious precious artifact said to ensnare souls with just its glow.
It was also a Dharma Instrument meant to deploy the Dao Image formation against the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
After the Blood Fate Corps' deaths, to ensure no one would sacrifice themselves for her again—to ensure she could withstand any powerhouse—
Through relentless research, she had devised a formation, albeit extremely short-lived, that could either perfectly shield her body or completely trap her enemies using the Shadow-Reflection Magic Lantern.
"Even if I couldn't trap Chu-so, you won't escape!"
Oooom.
As radiant light spilled from the Shadow-Reflection Magic Lantern, a crimson mist began spreading around her.
And just as she was about to unleash the formation with that power—
Flash!
A bolt of lightning struck from the distant sky.
Zzzzt.
Slowly, cracks began forming in the Absolute Boundary, composed of over a hundred layered Ancient Formations.
Crrack! Kaboom!
Finally, a section of the transparent space shattered, revealing a man bathed in violet flames.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
"You."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes widened.
Bu Eun-seol had left to meet the Dark King, Yeop Hyo-cheon, to minimize the collateral damage from the clash between the Azure Heaven Alliance and the Demon Hall.
How had he arrived here so quickly?
"I'm glad I'm not too late."
Bu Eun-seol examined Gongson Dan-gyeong and let out a sigh of relief.
While returning from the Demon Hall to the Azure Heaven Alliance, he had received a report that Gongson Dan-gyeong had left for Chengdu, Sichuan, with Seon-u Jin.
The moment he heard it, Bu Eun-seol leaped from his carriage and pushed his movement technique to its limits.
The one targeting Gongson Dan-gyeong still hadn't been caught.
If she was wandering around alone—they would never miss this opportunity.
'Why would she go out alone with Seon-u Jin, knowing that?'
As he madly propelled himself forward, Bu Eun-seol finally realized.
The Heavenly Mechanism Star, who saw through everything.
The one he had been targeting all along—was Bu Eun-seol.
And Gongson Dan-gyeong couldn't possibly have been unaware of that.
Though she had moved from the Martial Alliance to the Azure Heaven Alliance...
Heavenly Mechanism Star would never give up—he would surely bring calamity upon Bu Eun-seol again someday.
Gongson Dan-gyeong had resolved that even if it cost her life, she would face him and undo what she had tied.
'All this time, I failed to understand her heart.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
Gongson Dan-gyeong was a woman of extraordinary talent, more composed and rational than anyone else.
In the past, she wouldn't have batted an eye even if countless warriors of the Martial Alliance perished.
But she had changed.
She had come to genuinely love a man.
And in her desperate attempt to protect that deep affection, she had lost the Blood Heaven Blood Fate Corps, which she had painstakingly nurtured for years.
After that, she must have made up her mind.
Even if it meant her death, she would never again allow those around her to suffer harm.
Just like Bu Eun-seol himself had once done.
BOOM!
Drawing Thunder Essence Divine Qi to its peak, Bu Eun-seol unleashed Swift Shadowless.
A shockwave that shook heaven and earth erupted, tearing through the air with a deafening roar.
'That way of thinking is wrong.'
By now, Bu Eun-seol had neared Sichuan, his lips pressed tight.
'Because I was like that in the past too.'
There had been times when Bu Eun-seol acted alone to protect others.
But that had been the wrong way.
To truly protect people, one must face trials together with them.
Yet Gongson Dan-gyeong, who had only just begun to live for others, had not yet realized this.
KWAOOO—!
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol shot through the air like a meteor.
And within two hours of receiving the news, he arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan.
—She disappeared.
But Gongson Dan-gyeong had vanished without a trace in an alleyway, they said.
Neither the Peak Realm Members nor the intelligence networks spread across Sichuan could find her.
Not only her guards but even the Death Soul Squad had swarmed the area, yet they still wandered in confusion, unable to locate her.
Bu Eun-seol expanded his Empty Mind Spirit Perception, combing through the surroundings meticulously—but not a trace of Gongson Dan-gyeong remained.
Then, suddenly, an idea struck him.
Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
Could he use it to track her?
Could he expand his senses and detect even the faintest hint of her presence?
WHOOSH—!
Drawing upon the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, Bu Eun-seol rose into the air.
A white light flickered in his eyes, and then—
Sssssssss...
A mystical wind spread outward in all directions.
Normally, his extrasensory perception reached only about a thousand feet.
But by channeling the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi to its limit, his sensory domain began expanding endlessly.
'This—'
Then, near the alley where she had last vanished, Bu Eun-seol detected something.
A peculiar energy lingered there—one eerily similar to what he had felt in the Martial Venerable's Treasury, yet far more formidable.
'No choice.'
Last time, when he had tried to shatter the mysterious barrier the Martial Venerable created using the Three Divine Powers, his spirit had nearly shattered instead.
Unlike Harmonization, simultaneously drawing upon all three powers was akin to gambling with his life.
Huuung...
Yet without hesitation, he began summoning them all at once.
Because if he didn't, he couldn't save Gongson Dan-gyeong. She wouldn't be able to break this on her own.
Whoooosh—
Perhaps due to his unwavering resolve to save her, merging the Three Divine Powers went smoother than expected.
FLASH!
The instant he unleashed the combined force, a radiant five-colored brilliance erupted, colliding against an invisible barrier before him.
Drip.
At the same time, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
This time, the recoil hadn't struck his spirit—it had ravaged his physical body instead.
'It didn't break?'
He stared in disbelief at the scene before him.
The Boundary Formation laid here was so indestructible that even the Three Divine Powers couldn't shatter it.
All he had managed was to carve out a narrow passage—just enough for his body to slip through.
'Heavenly Mechanism Star. This must be his doing.'
No time to dwell on it now.
Fwip!
In one swift motion, Bu Eun-seol crossed the threshold and stepped inside the formation.
"You..."
Only then did Gongson Dan-gyeong notice the blood at the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
It was the mark of someone who had poured every ounce of their being into the perilous fusion of the Three Divine Powers.
In that instant, she realized three things.
First—that she had made the wrong choice.
Second—that loving someone meant embracing not just joy, but also anguish and sorrow.
And third—the final, most undeniable truth.
Even if her breath stopped, even if her heart beat its last, even if her body turned to ash and her soul scattered to the winds...
She would have no choice but to love him.
"Never again," Bu Eun-seol said firmly, wiping the blood from his lips as he faced the approaching Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Men.
"Don't try to shoulder everything alone."
CRACKLE—!
At the same moment, five razor-sharp streams of Fist Energy erupted endlessly from his left hand.
He had unleashed the second form of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—Extreme Thunder Blend—in rapid succession.
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, the horde of Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Men charging forward like a storm cloud disintegrated into dust.
[How frail these bodies are. Perhaps because they're unfinished.]
Then, from within the mist, a masked figure clad in gray robes slowly emerged.
His emaciated frame was so gaunt that he resembled a scarecrow draped in gray cloth.
"Let me make one thing clear—even if you gathered every martial artist in Chengdu... you still wouldn't be able to handle him, the one controlling the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Men."
Recalling Chu-so's words, Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke.
"Let's fight together."
She said,
"This is his trap."
"A trap?"
"He doesn't want to kill you—he wants to test your abilities."
In that instant, an enigmatic light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
A subordinate of Heavenly Mechanism Star.
What kind of martial arts does he use? How formidable is his prowess?
A thrilling curiosity surged within him.
"Now that sounds fun."
"Huh?"
"Trap or not, it doesn't matter."
Bu Eun-seol warned Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"Step back. And don't interfere."
As he turned, a sharp, sulfurous gleam flashed in his eyes.
It was as if he had transformed into a battle-crazed demon.
'He...'
Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes widened.
Disguised as Seon-u Jin, Bu Eun-seol had always exuded a gentle, composed aura.
But the real Bu Eun-seol was—
A Grandmaster of the Demonic Path who reveled in the carnage of battle, flesh tearing and blood spraying.
A warrior who felt most alive on the battlefield, where life and death were decided in an instant.
"So, you're Heavenly Mechanism Star's subordinate."
[……]
"Pointless words."
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Heavenly Hand Empty Wave.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion followed as a crimson radiance morphed into a blood dragon, swallowing the gray-robed Masked Man whole.
Tap. Tap.
Amidst the shockwave of True Qi and swirling dust, the Masked Man merely brushed off his robes.
Only a slight tear near his chest—otherwise, completely unharmed.
Click. Click.
The Masked Man stared at Bu Eun-seol, then wagged a single finger.
A blatant provocation.
"Good."
Bu Eun-seol let out an impressed murmur.
The Heavenly Hand Empty Wave could reduce even a man of solid steel to dust in an instant.
Yet this man hadn't even flinched.
Not only that—he hadn't even drawn upon his Internal Power.
Had he surpassed the Vajra Indestructible Body and reached the legendary Heavenly Dipper Body?
"Then Use every skill you have."
Shhhhk—
Drawing Ink Soul Sword in a flash, Bu Eun-seol kicked off the ground and slashed at the Masked Man's throat.
Sssss—
But all that sparked from the blade were embers—not a single scratch. The sword simply slid off as if repelled.
[……]
The Masked Man's eyes widened slightly.
He realized something—
Not only was Bu Eun-seol an overwhelming powerhouse, but he had deliberately held back from beheading him in that single stroke.
"I told you."
Bu Eun-seol looked down at him with a faint smile.
"To pour everything into this."
In that instant, the Masked Man's pupils dilated unnaturally.
His irises darted rapidly, scrutinizing Bu Eun-seol's body with unsettling precision.
[Injured, yet still playing around. How amusing.]
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted, forcing Bu Eun-seol a step back.
The Masked Man had struck him with an invisible force.
"Hm."
A thin trickle of blood escaped the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
His body, containing ten sixty-year cycles of internal power, surpassed even the Dharma Heaven Golden Immortal's physique—capable of instantly recovering from most attacks.
But after breaking the Absolute Boundary using the Three Divine Powers, the backlash had inflicted severe internal injuries, slowing his recovery.
Shhhhk—
The Masked Man drew his sword but did not attack.
Instead, his eerie gaze continued dissecting Bu Eun-seol's body, pupils flickering as if processing countless calculations.
'Heavenly Extremity Returning to Origin.'
Bu Eun-seol's expression tensed.
This was a legendary martial form—one that accounted for everything: movement, weather, humidity, terrain hardness, even the enemy's Spirit and Mind.
It unleashed the absolute countermove.
'A fitting martial art for Heavenly Mechanism Star's subordinate.'
Mastering Heavenly Extremity Returning to Origin required a genius intellect and lightning-fast calculations.
If the renowned How Is Mount Tai interpreted every motion through martial principles—
Then Heavenly Extremity Returning to Origin went beyond martial arts.
It encompassed astronomy, geography, Yin-Yang and Five Elements, even divination—
A Secret Art that assimilated all fields of knowledge to suppress the enemy with flawless technique.
'Truly unique.'
For the first time in a while, genuine excitement shimmered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Truthfully, he could have ended the Masked Man from the start.
But he had stalled—just to witness the martial arts of Heavenly Mechanism Star's subordinate.
And it had been worth it.
Clank.
Raising Ink Soul Sword to mid-guard, Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
'Let's see which is more profound—Heavenly Extremity Returning to Origin, or my Langya Mind's Eye.'
Of course, as Seon-u Jin, he couldn't voice such thoughts.
In that instant, the sulfurous light in his pupils intensified—
And every piece of information his Beast Path senses could perceive transformed into martial principles, flooding his mind.
Against the masked man's Heavenly Extremity Returning to Origin, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Langya Mind's Eye.
Ziiing.
The pair of eyes locked in mutual glare flickered incessantly.
Gongson Dan-gyeong, standing at a distance, had initially intended to fire the Heavenly Hero Star's arrow to secure Bu Eun-seol's victory.
But only after seeing the faint thread of a smile curling at the corner of his lips did she realize—
He was simply enjoying this fight.
From the very beginning, he had no need for her help.
Clank.
As if finishing his calculations first, the masked man twisted his sword and began drawing a massive circle in the air.
Whoooom.
The moment the circle was completed, an overwhelming pressure descended.
Anticipating that Bu Eun-seol might finish his own calculations faster—
The masked man unleashed a force unlike any martial principle, something closer to a Supernatural Ability, sealing his opponent's movements outright.
'So he can wield powers akin to the One Hundred and Eight Stars, not just martial arts...'
Flash!
In that instant, a streak of light erupted from the masked man's blade.
Seizing the moment when Bu Eun-seol's body was immobilized, he immediately executed the Quick Sword Killing Form.
Thud.
With a dull sound, the sharp blade pierced through Bu Eun-seol's body.
But upon closer inspection, it wasn't his heart—the sword had lodged itself into his armpit.
"Until now, you've only fought with your head."
Bu Eun-seol smiled coldly.
"Unfortunately for you—"
[Imposs—!]
The masked man, attempting to channel his Internal Power to continue the exchange, found that brief cry becoming his final words.
Splurt.
The moment his mouth opened, Bu Eun-seol's blade, swift as lightning flame, pierced straight through it.
"Even if you've attained the Heavenly Gang Body, the inside of your mouth wouldn't be invulnerable."
Clank.
"You lack real combat experience."
Retrieving his sword, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"There are things you can only learn through repeated battles, and actions you must never take."
The masked man had sought to execute a flawless opening move.
But when that failed, he resorted to sealing Bu Eun-seol's movements and delivering a single Killing Move in desperation.
Yet that very act was a fatal mistake born of impatience.
Because in battle, perfection does not exist.
Circumstances always shift, demanding adaptability.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol possessed a power surpassing the masked man's Supernatural Ability—Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
In an instant, he dispelled the paralysis in his body and deliberately took the barrage of sword strokes in his armpit.
This was only possible because, through countless battles, he had learned to deflect blades with his shoulders and arms—a feat of sheer combat instinct.
In contrast, the masked man had always relied on perfect techniques to eliminate foes in a single stroke, leaving him utterly unprepared for Bu Eun-seol's improvisation.
Worse still—
At close range, he had made the fatal error of opening his mouth to speak, as if still in control.
For an expert of external martial arts, this was no different from revealing one's vital weakness.
Gurgle.
As the bloody froth from his mouth ceased, the masked man breathed his last.
"You—"
Gongson Dan-gyeong rushed forward.
Though he had blocked the sword with his armpit, the razor-sharp Sword Qi had left the area drenched in blood.
Rip.
Tearing her sleeve, she tightly bound the wound.
"I'm sorry."
Once again, she apologized sincerely.
"Because of me, you had to go through this again."
"Don't apologize."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"Everything you did was for my sake, wasn't it?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong had lost a thousand subordinates trying to save him.
And when that wasn't enough, she had attempted Mutual Destruction with the Heavenly Mechanism Star. He could never blame her for this.
"From now on, consult those you trust before acting."
Bu Eun-seol comforted her gently.
"That's how you protect those around you."
"I understand. Thank you."
He smiled.
As long as Gongson Dan-gyeong was alive, that was enough.
They just had to ensure this never happened again.
"You met the Heavenly Mechanism Star?"
At his question, she gave a desolate smile.
"All this time, my life was nothing more than a puppet dancing in his hands."
"What do you mean?"
Taking a deep breath, she recounted everything Chu-so had told her.
Listening silently, Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply and nodded.
"We're alike."
"In what way?"
"Both you and I."
Bu Eun-seol smiled bitterly.
"When I first entered the Murim, I too was nothing more than a puppet—manipulated by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the other Strongest of the martial world."
"..."
"I grew stronger by their design, and the trials I faced were theirs to give."
He shared his own experiences since stepping into the Rivers and Lakes.
Gongson Dan-gyeong was stunned.
That someone as wise and sharp as him—
Had his fate controlled by the martial world's Strongest for so long.
Even his tendency to make unilateral decisions for the sake of those he cherished—
They were exactly the same.
"Even now, I'm not entirely free. They'll seize any chance to leash me again."
"I see."
"But there's one thing I still can't comprehend."
Bu Eun-seol questioned her about the Laws Chu-so had spoken of.
"I too have heard the word Laws before. Each time, I assumed it referred to the overwhelming power the Superlative Martial Experts wield over the martial world."
He spoke calmly.
"But if dominating the Laws means erasing the Baekri Clan and the True Demon... Does that mean they are the gods who created this world?"
"I don't know either. If there truly are Laws that can enforce themselves upon the martial world... It might be because they're connected to them."
Gongson Dan-gyeong took a deep breath, her mind now fully clear.
"And his words aren't absolute truth."
"What do you mean?"
"I was mistaken. He can't predict the future perfectly."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's expression turned utterly resolute.
"His calculations were always precise, but..."
Then, with a face full of confidence, she said:
"You were the exception."