Chapter 839
Ziiing.
The transparent wall that had been blocking his entry melted away as if dissolving, disappearing gradually.
Simultaneously, the emblem engraved on the blade of the Ink Soul Sword vanished without a trace in an instant.
"What the—? Wasn't this just an ordinary iron sword?"
So Ok-rim gaped at the Ink Soul Sword.
No matter how closely she examined it, it looked like a plain longsword—yet it had contained such power?
"This is..."
After hesitating briefly, Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
"A type of God-Slaying Weapon. Judging by how the Ink Soul Sword reacted... it seems something was unfolding not through the Absolute Boundary, but through the power of a Black Divine Artifact."
"A God-Slaying Weapon? Such a thing exists?"
"I gave it that name myself. This sword can destroy Black Divine Artifacts."
"And what's a Black Divine Artifact?"
"You don't know?"
"Nope."
So Ok-rim blinked with such innocent nonchalance that Bu Eun-seol rubbed his temples.
She was the successor of the Three Pure Realms from Beyond the Frontier.
Though she had trained in martial arts without knowing the origins of her sect, there were still far too many things she remained ignorant of.
"This is beyond comprehension."
That was his honest sentiment.
No matter how much the Three Pure Realms had inherited the will of the Baekri Clan and focused on restoring the power passed down by them...
How could they have neglected to explain something as world-shaking as the Black Divine Artifacts?
"I told you. The youngest grandfather died before he could pass on everything he knew."
So Ok-rim lowered her head with a gloomy expression.
"The grandfathers wanted me to focus solely on training in martial arts without distractions. Perhaps... they thought it would be best if I never had to learn about such things."
A shadow of sorrow fell over her large, bright eyes.
"After all, our sect's sole purpose was to restore the original lineage of those martial arts."
In a way, her circumstances were similar to Bu Eun-seol's.
The elders of the Three Pure Realms had given So Ok-rim nothing but love, wishing to shield her from the dirty affairs of the martial world as much as possible.
Yet fate had ultimately led her down a harsh path of vengeance.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol wore an apologetic expression.
"I spoke out of turn. My apologies."
"It's fine. Honestly, I still can't believe our sect was a branch of the Three Realms."
So Ok-rim had fought alongside Bu Eun-seol to dismantle the Three Realms' schemes.
Yet to learn that the sanctuary she had always considered part of the Mystic Sects had actually sprouted from the roots of the Three Realms...
It must have been indescribably bewildering.
As the mood grew heavy, Bu Eun-seol swiftly changed the subject.
"Ah, right—about the Black Divine Artifacts."
He calmly began explaining them to her.
"Really? There's actually something like that in the world?"
After hearing everything, she sniffled and laughed brightly.
"Honestly, the grandfathers were so careless. They should've told me about something like that sooner."
Though their situations were similar, their mindsets couldn't have been more different.
Bu Eun-seol pursued the Martial Way fueled by sorrow and indignation.
In contrast, So Ok-rim built her formidable martial prowess through unfettered freedom.
One was like the moon, radiating a mysterious glow in the depths of night; the other, like the blazing sun at high noon.
Despite possessing such utterly distinct traits and inner worlds, they complemented each other perfectly... no ordinary bond, that.
"Anyway, having a weapon that counters Black Divine Artifacts is reassuring."
So Ok-rim waved her hand dismissively and stepped inside.
"Let's go see what's in here now."
The two entered the circular building.
The interior of the massive, dome-less structure was completely empty.
At its center, however, grew an enormous tree, drinking in the light pouring down from the sky.
"It's as if this place was designed solely to nurture that tree by channeling life energy into it."
So Ok-rim gasped like a child, her mouth hanging open.
The tree, brimming with the life force bestowed by the heavens, bore a mystically beautiful appearance, as if ready to bear fruit at any moment.
Hwoong.
But then, the Ink Soul Sword resonated once more.
At the same time, chaotic patterns formed again along its scabbard.
"Huh? So this tree is a Black Divine Artifact too?"
At So Ok-rim's question, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"I don't know."
Though an eerie energy flowed through the entire tree, it felt distinctly different from the power emitted by Black Divine Artifacts.
Moreover, despite the glow fading from the Ink Soul Sword, there was no further reaction.
"Hmm..."
After standing there blankly with her arms crossed for a while, So Ok-rim eyed the Ink Soul Sword and spoke.
"How about testing it out a little? On one of those branches, say."
At her suggestion, Bu Eun-seol pondered briefly before nodding.
"Very well."
The Ink Soul Sword had clearly reacted, and the tree still monopolized the heavenly light.
To unravel its secret, trying the sword on it wasn't a bad idea.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol channeled his internal power and slashed at the tip of the tree like lightning.
Chiiing!
Yet, all that echoed was a clear, metallic ring.
The branch didn't even flinch.
"It's this hard?"
He had drawn upon the internal power of the Fourth Star—his strike alone carried the force of two hundred and forty years of cultivation.
Moreover, the sharpness of the Ink Soul Sword surpassed even the finest divine blades in the world.
And yet, a mere tree branch had blocked it?
Kwoong. Kwoong.
But the reaction came from an unexpected place.
A deep, earth-shaking vibration suddenly rumbled through the ground.
The tremors, rising from deep underground, grew louder—as if something were surging upward.
"What's that? Did the tree get angry?"
"No. It's coming from beneath the ground."
As Bu Eun-seol said, the vibrations spread outward from the base of the colossal tree.
Kwoong. Kwoong.
The tremors intensified until—
Crack!
Without warning, the massive tree split in two, and from within, a dark shadow slowly emerged.
At that moment, the light descending from the heavens seemed to vanish.
Bu Eun-seol and So Ok-rim's eyes widened. What stood before them was too grotesque to comprehend.
"That's..."
The one who had split the tree and risen from the earth was, quite literally, a black shadow.
No clothes, no face—just a formless darkness.
The energy radiating from its entire body was so overwhelming it seemed to evaporate the air itself, pressing down with terrifying force.
"Uuuugh."
The shadowy oddity—
—locked eyes with Bu Eun-seol, then suddenly clutched its head and let out a pained groan.
As it did, its indistinct black form sharpened, morphing into something resembling a human drenched in ink.
"What the—is that actually a person?"
So Ok-rim took a step forward, but—
"Don't get closer."
Bu Eun-seol immediately grabbed her arm.
Ssskkt!
At the same time, a crimson light split the earth in front of her feet like a boundary line.
Had she recklessly approached the oddity?
She would've been cleaved in two from head to toe in an instant.
"Are you insane?!"
So Ok-rim glared furiously at the creature and shouted.
"I was trying to help you, and you try to kill me?!"
When the oddity didn't respond, she amplified her internal energy and roared.
"ANSWER ME!"
"Grrruuuuh!"
The oddity writhed in agony, gripping its own head harder.
Though she had simply yelled, her voice carried the same purifying force as the Buddhist Lion's Roar—a strike meant to shatter evil.
Kwoong!
Unable to endure the pain, the oddity slammed its fists into the ground.
Craaack!
Like an earthquake, fissures hundreds of feet long spiderwebbed outward.
"Uuuugh."
After a long moment of suffering, the oddity glared at So Ok-rim, its eyes staining crimson.
Its killing intent flared—as if it would slaughter her where she stood.
"Haha."
Facing that murderous gaze, So Ok-rim wiped sweat from her brow and glanced at Bu Eun-seol.
"Seems like I made things worse."
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out as a transparent Astral Energy Barrier enveloped So Ok-rim's body.
The oddity had unleashed a lightning-fast strike, but she had sensed it and instantly deployed her Protective Aura.
Skkt!
Sent skidding back three steps, So Ok-rim grimaced as if she'd swallowed bitter liquor.
Despite her Protective Aura, the sheer force of the oddity's fist energy had inflicted minor internal injuries.
"The Mysterious Sound Mind-Cleansing Laugh didn't work?"
What she had used was the Daoist technique known as the Lion's Roar—a sound said to dispel all delusions the moment it was heard.
But instead, it had backfired, worsening the oddity's madness.
"KAAH!"
With a battle cry, the oddity launched another fist at So Ok-rim.
But anticipating the attack, she instantly activated her footwork technique and dodged.
"Hey! You started this—don't regret it now!"
Completely forgetting that she had provoked it first, So Ok-rim retaliated with a devastating punch of her own.
Whoosh!
But her strike passed harmlessly through empty air.
BOOM!
Another explosion sent her flying back fifty feet.
The oddity had countered with another lightning-fast strike.
"It's ridiculously strong."
So Ok-rim's jaw dropped.
She hadn't even been able to see the attack properly.
"Stop fighting."
Bu Eun-seol stepped in front of her.
"We have no intention of battling you."
The oddity's mind was clearly unstable, yet it had entered the Baekri Clan's Secret Vault—a place no ordinary person could access.
The massive tree that even the Ink Soul Sword couldn't scratch had been shattered in a single strike.
This meant the figure possessed tremendous Internal Energy.
Perhaps they were one of those from the Baekri Clan, who had vanished completely from the world.
Swish.
As Bu Eun-seol stepped forward, the oddity's gaze grew unfocused.
But soon, a blazing crimson light began to flicker in their eyes—
And with just a look, they unleashed a pressure that seemed capable of crushing the entire world.
'Strong.'
Bu Eun-seol swallowed hard and clasped his hands together.
"I am Bu Eun-seol, a disciple of Langya Pavilion. You seem to be a senior master of the murim..."
BOOM!
His words were cut short.
An overwhelming force grazed past Bu Eun-seol's cheek.
Hiss—
White smoke curled from the oddity's left fist.
They had unleashed an unbelievably powerful, lightning-fast strike.
"...It seems your mind is not clear."
"Ugh..."
As the oddity clutched their head—
Zzzt— Zzzing—
A faint light flickered once more in their fist.
Their mind was unstable, repeatedly gathering and dispersing True Qi in their hand.
CRACK!
But in the end, the oddity unleashed their Fist Energy toward Bu Eun-seol.
'No choice, then.'
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to raise his own Internal Power.
Whether this person was sane or not—
If they showed hostility, the only option left was combat.
"I'll handle this. Do not interfere, Instructor So."
Though both Bu Eun-seol and So Ok-rim were young, they were Grandmasters of the murim.
No matter how extraordinary this oddity's martial arts were—
Ganging up on an unidentified, mentally unstable opponent would wound their pride.
"Ah, then I'll do it."
So Ok-rim cracked her knuckles and stepped forward.
"I was attacked first, so it's my turn."
"...Understood."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The battle between So Ok-rim and the oddity began.
CRASH!
But before even ten exchanges had passed, So Ok-rim was sent tumbling across the floor in an undignified heap.
The oddity's Martial Arts were extraordinary—even their haphazard, formless Fist Energy alone—
Was effortlessly handling So Ok-rim, one of the world's finest, as if she were a child.
"You damn bastard!"
So Ok-rim sprang to her feet, wiping the blood trickling down her forehead.
"You made me bleed!"
CRACK!
Her hair stood on end as her fury ignited.
"You wanna go for real now?!"
Finally tapping into her True Divine Power, So Ok-rim moved with lightning-like speed—unlike before.
Whoosh!
The oddity's attacks began to miss.
Now that she was using her True Divine Power—
She could evade the Fist Energy that had previously been impossible to see or sense.
Whoosh—
Meanwhile, an intense glow began to gather around So Ok-rim's fists.
She was preparing to unleash the full might of the Star Emperor's Martial Arts.
"Take this—!"
Just as she was about to pour everything into her strike, she froze mid-motion, eyes widening.
"Huh? Wha—what?!"
The Fist Energy she thought she had completely dodged—
Had, without her realizing, surrounded her body like an inescapable net.
'I'm dead!'
Feeling the threat to her life, she unleashed every ounce of the True Divine Secret Studies of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars she had mastered in the Secret Vault.
As one of the most exceptional among the young Grandmasters, when she poured all her combat power into her Martial Arts—
CRACK! RUMBLE!
The sky seemed to collapse, and the earth split apart from the sheer might.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion sent dust billowing in all directions.
"Ghk—!"
So Ok-rim let out a choked groan as she staggered back.
In the end, the oddity's single fist had pierced straight through all her defenses.
"Damn it all."
Her face twisted in frustration.
The oddity's Martial Prowess was so unfathomable—
Not only could they dissolve any attack in an instant, but they could also unleash unavoidable Fist Energy endlessly.
"Ughhh..."
So Ok-rim was furious to her core.
After training so hard to master Martial Arts for revenge—
She couldn't even block a single punch from some unknown freak?!
"What the hell is this?"
She shouted at Bu Eun-seol.
"Is that guy the Demonic Heavenly Emperor?!"
Given how overwhelming the oddity's Martial Prowess was, her outburst wasn't unreasonable.
"No."
"He could be hiding his identity! Check his eyes!"
Bu Eun-seol answered firmly.
"He is not the Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
Truthfully, Bu Eun-seol was just as stunned.
He had encountered the Three Demons and Three Venerables, who had long reached the Martial Extreme Realm—
And had even fought and defeated the Incheon masters alone who clashed with them.
But this oddity's Martial Prowess... surpassed even that of the Three Demons and Three Venerables.
Because the Fist Energy the oddity was unleashing now wasn't Martial Arts—
It was pure instinct, movements executed in a state of lost reason.
"What if he had unleashed proper martial arts with a clear mind?"
So Ok-rim would have been knocked to the ground before she could even exchange a few blows.
"I'll have to get serious, then."
In an instant, a white radiance surged from So Ok-rim's entire body, and her hair stood on end.
"Since you're not in your right mind... I won't kill you, but—!"
As the power to shatter the world gathered in her palms, her hands turned pure white.
Not the Galaxy Severance technique—
Something slightly weaker in raw force but capable of completely sealing the enemy's movements: the Star Emperor's secret art.
"Holy Light Meteor Form!"
So Ok-rim, hovering in midair, stretched both hands toward the oddity and unleashed a Great Roar.
"Take this!"
KWA-RUNG!
A blinding white storm engulfed the heavens and earth as countless meteors of light rained down upon the oddity's body.
KWA-UUUU!
The meteors transformed into white dragons, swallowing the oddity whole in an instant.
But then, something astonishing happened.
The oddity spread one arm—
SHUUUU—
And the force of the Holy Light Meteor Form halted before his palm.
However, as the overwhelming technique dug into his palm—
CRACKLE-CRACKLE—
Fissures spread across his black forearm, revealing a hidden, pale-white arm beneath.
But that was all.
Even the Star Emperor's martial art, capable of overturning the world, had only managed to peel away the darkness veiling the oddity's arm.
THUD.
So Ok-rim landed back on the ground, her mouth agape in disbelief.
"He blocked the Holy Light Meteor Form... with one hand? Is that even human?"
"I'll give it a try."
"Y-You're serious?"
As So Ok-rim swiftly retreated, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward, channeling his Internal Power.
"Be careful!"
A tempest of fierce True Qi erupted from his fist.
Since the oddity had been using fist techniques, Bu Eun-seol responded in kind—Fist Demon Seven Forms.
BOOM! BOOM!
But the result was the same.
Every time the oddity lightly flicked his hand, the force of the Fist Demon Seven Forms melted away like snow.
With each clash, Bu Eun-seol's body was gradually pushed back.
Though he hadn't poured out his full power—
Even the supreme fist art of Murim, capable of overwhelming the Fist Adept, was useless against this oddity.
'Unbelievable.'
Startled, Bu Eun-seol focused his mind again.
He activated the Langya Mind's Eye, attempting to discern how the oddity was deflecting his attacks—how the force dispersed with every movement of that arm.
'There's nothing?'
But it was futile.
This oddity was like a new lifeform descended from the heavens, employing no discernible martial principles whatsoever.
He couldn't even begin to guess what technique was being used.
KWA-RUNG! CRASH!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol was helplessly forced back another fifteen meters by the oddity's relentless assault.
"KAAH!"
Dissatisfied, the oddity let out a guttural cry and charged at Bu Eun-seol.
It was strange.
When So Ok-rim retreated, the oddity had stopped attacking.
But even though Bu Eun-seol had stepped back, the oddity continued pouring out fist energy without pause.
ZZZ-ZZ-ZT! CRACK!
Panicked, Bu Eun-seol unleashed Swift Shadowless at full power, and Thunder Essence Divine Qi instinctively activated, creating hundreds of clones.
The oddity paused briefly in surprise as Bu Eun-seol perfectly evaded—
SWISH!
Then, suddenly, a whip-like surge of energy lashed out at a sharp angle.
For the first time, it wasn't an instinctive attack.
The oddity was now employing martial principles to strike Bu Eun-seol.
"Good!"
Finally, as the oddity resorted to martial arts, Bu Eun-seol drew Ink Soul Sword.
SHLING!
A resonant Sword Resonance shook the heavens as an icy Sword Qi bloomed from the blade.
SHIIK! SHIIK!
With every swing, frigid sword energy hundreds of feet high wrapped around heaven and earth.
But the oddity showed no fear—instead, he tore through the sword energy with his bare hands and closed the distance.
The two clashed, sometimes so close their noses nearly touched, other times darting in opposite directions—
An endless exchange of offense and defense.
PA-THUD!
Eventually, Bu Eun-seol was forced to retreat, widening the gap between them.
The oddity's hands were sharper than any Divine Sword or Treasured Saber, and even his simplest attacks condensed dozens of martial principles.
In close combat, even Bu Eun-seol couldn't withstand the onslaught.
SHWAK!
At last, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Willful True Binding.
A net of razor-sharp sword energy, spanning dozens of feet, should have instantly ensnared the oddity—
THUD.
But something incredible happened.
The oddity instantly perceived the weakness of the Willful True Binding and emitted a strange pulse, preventing Bu Eun-seol from materializing his True Qi.
'This isn't just identifying a weakness.'
The pulse the oddity released wasn't improvised—
It was a newly devised martial art, crafted long ago by combining profound principles, specifically to counter the Willful True Binding.
'He fought the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.'
Bu Eun-seol was certain now.
This oddity had undoubtedly faced the Demonic Heavenly Emperor one-on-one—that was the only way he could have developed a counter to the Willful True Binding.
But aside from the Three Demons and Three Venerables, what kind of Absolute Master could survive against the Demonic Heavenly Emperor?
In all of Murim, there was only one such person... wasn't there?