Chapter 847
Swish.
Stepping inside revealed a landscape utterly different from the forest.
The sky was tinged gray, and the interior was filled with buildings painted pitch black.
The moment he entered, the metallic stench of blood assaulted his nostrils.
Bu Eun-seol surveyed the silent, darkened building before pushing open an iron gate.
What unfolded before him was a scene straight out of hell.
The hollow space within was littered with limbs, eyeballs, and entrails of beasts—
Even byproducts unmistakably torn from human bodies were mixed among them.
'Don't tell me...'
He stepped out and inspected the interior of another building.
That, too, was packed with what appeared to be byproducts harvested from both beasts and humans.
As Bu Eun-seol meticulously examined the interior,
'That—'
He spotted something resembling human skin among the remains.
And branded upon that skin was a Fire Brand—a flame-shaped mark symbolizing the Extinction Palace.
'They experimented on members of the Extinction Palace?'
A sense of unease creeping over him, Bu Eun-seol expanded his Empty Mind Spirit Perception through Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
Almost immediately, he detected traces of human presence within the blackened buildings.
The source was a structure three or four times larger than the storage facilities for the remains.
Stepping inside, he found a wide corridor lined with tightly sealed iron doors on either side.
'So that's how it is.'
Silently peering deeper, he saw a broad bed drenched in blood.
And atop it lay a figure so mutilated it was unbearable to look upon.
The shape was undeniably human.
Yet one had a beast's eyeball and right leg grafted onto their body.
Another had their bones and entrails torn open and exposed.
And along one wall were shelves packed with Spirit Pills and Spirit Beasts—items so rare no amount of money could buy them.
Physical Reconstruction.
They had been conducting experiments—using Spirit Pills, Spirit Beasts, and animals to reconstruct human muscles, bones, and more.
'So that's why they changed like that.'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol understand.
The eerie, alien glint in Sindo Un-hwi's eyes when he had briefly seen him at the Red Emperor Cult and the unsettling bearing—
Why they had felt so grotesquely unnatural.
His rapid growth in martial prowess had been achieved through physical reconstruction.
The uncanny, foreign sensation came from most of his body being replaced with parts from beasts.
'Then... this isn't a facility experimenting on the One Hundred and Eight Stars, but a successor to the Infinite Realm's legacy?'
Until now, such grotesque physical reconstruction had been the exclusive hallmark of the Infinite Realm.
But they had vanished—a fact even acknowledged by figures within the Three Realms.
So who, then, was conducting these cruel experiments anew?
Twitch.
Just then, the figure lying on the bed shifted slightly.
Astonishingly, they were still clinging to life in that state.
For a long while, Bu Eun-seol stood deep in thought, his pupils flickering with a sharp, intermittent light.
No ordinary human could endure such experiments, even with the aid of miraculous Spirit Pills.
But in the Murim,
There existed those who could hardly be called human—beings with supernatural abilities and bodies so unique they defied reason.
The One Hundred and Eight Stars.
Only they could withstand such torment.
Creeeak.
At that moment, the building's door swung open.
A Black Shadow emerged into the corridor where Bu Eun-seol was concealed.
With every step, the ground trembled, and a dark heat haze emanated from its entire body.
It was none other than the Young Palace Lord of the Extinction Palace—Sindo Un-hwi.
"Enjoying the show?"
Baring his elongated, beast-like fangs, Sindo Un-hwi stared directly at Bu Eun-seol's hiding spot.
"I wonder... if this little spectacle meets the refined tastes of the Martial Soul Lord, who meddles in every affair under heaven."
That Sindo Un-hwi had detected his concealment was no great surprise.
If physical reconstruction had granted him senses as keen as a beast's, such a feat was hardly impossible.
"Why."
Bu Eun-seol uttered only that single word.
Why.
That question carried within it—
The bafflement and sorrow over why a Young Palace Lord of the Extinction Palace, with a future so bright, would ruin his own life.
Why he would become a test subject, severing even the lineage of his descendants.
"Shouldn't you save that question for after you've struck me down?"
Sindo Un-hwi grinned and turned his body.
"Step outside."
As Bu Eun-seol emerged, the surrounding buildings began crumbling slowly.
It seemed they had detected his intrusion and were erasing all traces within.
"A shame."
Watching the structures collapse as if sinking into the earth, Sindo Un-hwi shrugged and glanced at Bu Eun-seol.
"Guess I grew attached after spending so long here."
Then he added one last remark.
"Even though it was a place that brought me suffering worse than death."
Hearing those words, Bu Eun-seol understood.
There was only one thing Sindo Un-hwi desired.
'The purpose... was me.'
He had sacrificed his entire existence—just for the chance to fight Bu Eun-seol.
Even if it meant abandoning his path to becoming the Palace Lord of the Extinction Palace—
Or the Sect Leader who would lead the Demonic Path.
Just like the Ten Demonic Heir from the Extreme Killing Secret Pavilion, Seok U-haeng, who had chosen a decisive battle with him even in the face of death.
'Why?'
True to his name, Seok U-haeng (Stone-Foolish-Act)—
Had committed a foolish act, staking his entire life on a single battle against him.
And now, Sindo Un-hwi had made the same... foolish choice.
Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh with a devastated expression.
"Am I truly worth that much to you?"
"Isn't that how all martial artists are?"
Sindo Un-hwi exhaled a long breath as he gazed at the distant sky.
"Staking their entire lives on a single decisive battle..."
Martial artists, by their very nature,
Were people who spent their entire lives honing their skills, grinding their teeth in bitter resolve, all for the sake of defeating someone.
There were even those who would expend their Primordial Essence True Qi for a single victory, abandoning the rest of their lives.
A single victory. A single battle.
Perhaps that was the inevitable choice of those who lived by the sword in the Martial World.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Because he was not a martial artist,
He could not understand staking one's entire life on a single battle.
But now, he realized.
That martial artists would rather—
Emit a single, blinding flash of light capable of illuminating the world for but a moment,
Than spend their lives as a dim, flickering glow.
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
This was the battle Sindo Un-hwi had yearned for, enduring the agony of his flesh being torn apart and his bones ground to dust.
There was no stopping it now.
"Let's begin!"
Pah!
With a movement swift as lightning, Sindo Un-hwi closed the distance in an instant—
And unleashed a surge of palm energy from a hand as large as a cauldron lid.
Bu Eun-seol had no time to even draw his sword before the layers of palm energy struck him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Amid the explosions, Bu Eun-seol's body was sent flying back six paces.
CRACK!
With a thunderclap that shook heaven and earth, Sindo Un-hwi relentlessly pressed forward, unleashing another wave of palm energy.
His palm energy was at times like mist, at others as sharp as sword qi.
No matter how Bu Eun-seol dodged or countered,
Sindo Un-hwi had reached a realm where he could instantly adapt his palm techniques.
'Does he understand Harmonization?'
Moreover, Sindo Un-hwi seemed wary—
As if anticipating Bu Eun-seol's use of Harmonization, he poured out palm energy at close range without pause.
To manifest Harmonization, one needed at least a brief moment to align their energy—
And a somewhat grand, forceful stance was required.
BOOM!
Another palm strike landed on Bu Eun-seol's shoulder, sending him flying back another ten feet with a deafening explosion.
Sindo Un-hwi, wearing a triumphant smile—
Fwah!
Burst through the rising dust, preparing to deliver a decisive blow.
"...!"
But he had no choice but to halt mid-motion.
Because Bu Eun-seol, who had taken over a dozen strikes from the Annihilation Palm—
Was staring back at him with an utterly unfazed expression, as if completely unharmed.
Though he had not attained a body like the Dharma Heaven Golden Immortal, as those in the Martial Extreme Realm had—
Bu Eun-seol's physique, having reached the Extreme Realm in both internal and external martial arts, surpassed even the state of being Impervious to Blades without any conscious effort.
"Impressive."
Sindo Un-hwi nodded.
Upon realizing that Bu Eun-seol had reached a level of martial prowess far beyond his expectations—
He actually looked pleased.
—As expected, my judgment wasn't wrong.
His eyes seemed to say.
The young Grandmaster before him—
Was worth staking his entire life upon.
Thud. Grrrr—
As Sindo Un-hwi channeled his full internal power, his body began to warp grotesquely.
Long, beast-like fur sprouted across his skin, and half his face turned a deep violet.
His entire body swelled as if burned, and one of his pupils narrowed into a reptilian slit.
He looked as though human and beast had been forcibly fused together.
"Haa..."
A deep sigh escaped Bu Eun-seol's lips.
The grotesque transformation of Sindo Un-hwi—
Was eerily reminiscent of Seok U-haeng, who had embraced the Heavenly Evil Sect's Unorthodox Arts, the Phantom Demon Art, and turned into a monster—
All for the sake of facing him in battle.
"What's with that look?!"
Now in a half-human, half-beast form, Sindo Un-hwi roared upon seeing Bu Eun-seol's expression.
Because the gaze directed at him was filled with boundless pity.
"You dare look at me with pity?!"
BOOM!
A circular, transparent energy erupted around Bu Eun-seol's body.
Sindo Un-hwi had unleashed an invisible force—
And in response, Bu Eun-seol's body reflexively activated his Protective Aura.
Sssss—
Even so, Bu Eun-seol was sent flying back about fifty feet.
Considering Sindo Un-hwi's internal power, which had reached the level of ten sixty-year cycles—
This seemingly light strike contained a force beyond imagination.
'Strong.'
With just a single fist, Bu Eun-seol instantly grasped the full extent of Sindo Un-hwi's martial prowess and abilities.
Especially that beast-like physique of his.
It resembled the body of Langya Pavilion's supreme master, Ak Mu-ryeong—a physique honed through Practical Combat Martial Arts.
To amplify his martial power in a short time,
To unleash faster, mightier strength,
To maintain unyielding vitality against any attack—
Sindo Un-hwi had completely altered his skeletal and bodily structure into that of a beast.
With such a body,
Even without special insights or an elevation in martial prowess,
He could wield not only acute senses and tenacious vitality,
But also unleash martial arts several times more powerful.
"Try countering this!"
BOOM!
Sindo Un-hwi swung his beast-like arm and charged again.
He didn't even employ any particular martial technique, yet a force capable of cleaving mountains poured forth.
"Have you broken through the Extreme Heaven Realm? Then show me your Limitless Power!"
He didn't bother using the Annihilation Palm.
From his pitch-black, razor-sharp claws—crafted as if carved from darkness—
A force faster than lightning, sharp enough to split the heavens, surged forth.
Even if a master of the Martial Extreme Realm unleashed Limitless Power,
Against this mad torrent of strength,
Against this unbreakable body,
Against these beast-like, razor-sharp senses—
If he kept relentlessly attacking at point-blank range,
Bu Eun-seol's body would be crushed before he could even manifest Limitless Power.
'He's definitely prepared for Limitless Power. But...'
The one who manipulated Sindo Un-hwi,
The one who orchestrated all of this,
Had overlooked one crucial thing.
The reason Bu Eun-seol had survived countless battles against formidable opponents thus far
Was not because he wielded overwhelming power like Limitless Power,
But because he had ceaselessly studied the Principles of Martial Arts—
The means to oppose transcendent strength.
And not long ago...
Hadn't he even found a clue, through the Sword Sage's Nature Sword,
A way to neutralize the might of superlative martial experts?
SHAA-SHAA-SHAA-SHAA!
Millions of sharp forces swirled like a storm, attempting to trap Bu Eun-seol's body.
Yet, with an expression of utter serenity,
He activated Ultimate Speed Shadowless, evading every single attack.
Drip.
Click.
Then, stepping back, he sheathed his Ink Soul Sword once more.
"Have you given up?"
Sindo Un-hwi, who had been pouring forth a frenzied offensive,
Looked at Bu Eun-seol—now drenched in his own blood—and smirked.
"..."
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol silently gazed at him.
His eyes brimmed with boundless pity.
"Still acting composed, are you?!"
Swish.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol lowered his stance.
A strange energy began to spread around his body.
Seeing this, Sindo Un-hwi faintly smiled.
He thought Bu Eun-seol was finally unleashing his supreme martial art.
"I know you may have surpassed Limitless Equal Enlightenment...
That you might have even reached the Martial Extreme Realm."
A black fog began to rise from Sindo Un-hwi's body as well.
"But I can defeat you!"
His physique wasn't merely enhanced in strength, reflexes, and vitality.
Embedded within it was a unique and formidable Harmonization—
A power capable of blocking even transcendent forces like Limitless Power.
It was Bu Eun-seol's final trump card—
A force close to Harmony, unifying all the energies within his body.
FWOOSH!
But then, something strange happened.
The currents of energy flowing from Bu Eun-seol's body
Had, before anyone realized, begun to envelop Sindo Un-hwi.
"Ridiculous—!"
As he roared and prepared to attack,
An inexplicable sensation washed over him.
Like sinking into warm water.
Comforting, soothing, gentle—
A feeling akin to the ultimate tranquility of a fetus nestled in its mother's womb.
'Why...?'
Sindo Un-hwi was bewildered.
Whether it was Limitless Power or any other force,
His Beast Power Surpassing Man physique could defend against any energy an enemy unleashed.
Even the barriers of his Spirit and Mind had become sturdier than ever, even surpassing the level of Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough.
So why did this warmth envelop him?
How could Bu Eun-seol's energy merge so seamlessly with his own?
Had he truly surpassed Limitless Power and entered the Heavenly Will Realm?
Sssss...
As the fog finally cleared,
Sindo Un-hwi felt a drowsiness, as if waking from a dream.
And then, he realized the truth.
That sensation of being submerged in warm water—
Was the searing blood gushing from his neck,
Drenching his entire body.
The one who had spread the fog,
Bu Eun-seol,
Had shattered Sindo Un-hwi's Beast Power Surpassing Man physique in an instant—
And nearly severed his head.
"So that's how it is."
Sindo Un-hwi murmured with a desolate expression.
A martial artist could convey more meaning in a single stance
Than in a hundred words.
As he looked down at his own body drenched in crimson blood,
he could comprehend in an instant the realm Bu Eun-seol had achieved—and the goal he pursued.
"Not strength... but an endless yearning for weakness."
Sindo Un-hwi let out a hollow laugh.
"How absurd."
"Humans are like that by nature," Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
"Flying through the skies and splitting mountains—that is not what defines normality for mankind."
"Hahaha..."
Sindo Un-hwi shook his head with a low chuckle.
"So the reason you were so strong... was because you sought weakness instead..."
Gurgle.
Blood spilled from his lips as he spoke in a faint voice.
"...The name of that technique?"
"Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes."
"Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes..."
His murmur was soft as he gazed at the distant sky.
"Truly... a sword stroke as gentle and warm as nature itself."
Thud.
Sindo Un-hwi collapsed onto his back.
Drip, drip, drip.
Blood poured endlessly from his severed throat.
An ordinary man would have already perished—
but his body, reforged with the essence of beasts, clung stubbornly to life despite losing more than half his blood.
"You didn't fully sever my neck... because you wanted to know who was behind this, didn't you?"
Lying motionless, Sindo Un-hwi stared emptily at Bu Eun-seol.
"But even I don't know. Only that he was a young man."
"A young man?"
"Yes."
His fading gaze flickered.
"He was... extraordinary. Knew every thought in my head, every desire in my heart."
A weak sigh escaped him as he continued.
"So I couldn't refuse. If someone understood me so completely... surely they could make my aspirations reality."
'Heavenly Mechanism Star.'
Bu Eun-seol knew instantly.
No—he had anticipated this all along.
The one who had manipulated Sindo Un-hwi into this scheme.
It was none other than him—Chu-so, the Heavenly Mechanism Star, who had been targeting him from the shadows.
Even knowing it was a trap, Bu Eun-seol had come here.
To witness firsthand how this man orchestrated his schemes, how he bent others to his will.
"Did the Palace Lord approve these plans, knowing full well what they entailed?"
"The Palace Lord... doesn't care."
A flicker of anguish passed through Sindo Un-hwi's eyes before his expression settled into indifference.
"And that man... he bestowed upon my half-brother a secret so profound it would allow him to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the era's greatest masters. Within a few years... the Palace will birth a martial expert capable of surpassing even you."
He drew a shuddering breath.
"His words... always come to pass."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol grasp the full picture.
Sindo Un-hwi.
In the end, he had been abandoned by a heartless father.
Desperate, he had placed his faith in the one who promised him boundless strength—and allowed his body to be remade.
"Don't look at me with those eyes."
When pity surfaced in Bu Eun-seol's gaze, Sindo Un-hwi responded with a wry smile.
"The Demonic Path is the Demonic Path. A useless body... deserves to be discarded. That's only natural."
Sindo Un-hwi.
He had been the Young Palace Lord of the Extinction Palace, blessed with exceptional talent.
But in this era of murim, even his gifts paled against the peerless prodigies who dominated the martial world.
Realizing that effort alone could never make him a master who commanded the Rivers and Lakes—
he had sought to prove his worth by reforging his flesh.
And the reason he had made that choice without hesitation...
It wasn't the Heavenly Mechanism Star's temptation.
No—it was the disappointment and scorn of his own father, the Palace Lord.
"You're a strange one."
Sindo Un-hwi studied Bu Eun-seol's pitying expression and chuckled weakly.
"With the talent and power to conquer the Demonic Path... why do you walk such a foolish road?"
For the first time, his face relaxed.
A shy, almost boyish smile appeared.
"If things were different... I might've called you a friend."
Gurgle.
Dark blood and fragments of viscera spilled from his lips.
Though the Beast Power Surpassing Man had delayed his death, his vision blurred, his breath grew ragged.
His body convulsed violently—proof of the agony he could no longer voice.
Hmmmm.
A low vibration hummed through the air, and suddenly, warmth radiated from behind him.
Gradually, his sight sharpened once more.
And there—those eyes brimming with compassion.
Eyes so cold, so merciless.
Yet they would never turn away from someone in need.
The same hands that could snatch life in an instant—the hands of a Death God—were also the hands of a merciful bodhisattva, reaching out to save the weak.
For the first time, Sindo Un-hwi felt something hot surge in his chest.
He wanted to say thank you.
"Don't pity me."
But pride twisted his words.
"Do I look that pathetic?"
"Not pathetic."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was calm.
"Rather... you shine brilliantly."
For a fleeting moment, a radiant smile touched Sindo Un-hwi's lips.
Like an old friend who understood him completely.
Because he realized—Bu Eun-seol saw him.
All of him.
—As I thought. My judgment wasn't wrong.
Once again, he felt it.
The young man before him—this peerless Grandmaster—
was someone worth dedicating his entire life to.
"Since I've burned everything away... it can't be helped."
His lips curled into a smile—proud, at peace.
And that...
was Sindo Un-hwi's final expression.