Chapter 859
KWA-WOONG!
With a thunderous roar, blades of True Qi—streaks of light—
began shooting forth, carving silver trajectories through the void like falling meteors.
The Art of Sword Command was on an entirely different level from ordinary Sword Control by Qi.
It read the caster's spirit and mind,
responding to their will as it unleashed sword qi so intricate it moved like a living creature.
PA-PA-PA-PA!
The True Qi blades danced through the air, sealing off Bu Eun-seol's avenues of evasion, not even granting him room to breathe.
SHWAK!
At that moment, a pitch-black hand stretched out from behind Bu Eun-seol.
He had instantly deployed the Willful True Binding.
ZZZIIING!
The dozens of commanded swords, which had been arcing toward him with the fluidity of living beings, froze midair.
In the current Murim, few could rival Bu Eun-seol in their mastery of martial principles.
In a single motion, he deciphered the swords' trajectories and effortlessly seized them with hands of True Qi.
THUD-THUD.
As Bu Eun-seol channeled another surge of intense internal energy, the blades of the captured swords dissipated like mist.
"So you're the Heir of the Demon Hall."
The old man's clouded eyes studied Bu Eun-seol's face before slowly nodding.
"You deliberately unleashed the martial arts of the Sacred Realm first."
"What in the world is this Sacred Realm?"
"Hmph. If you've inherited that bastard's legacy, of course you'd resort to such underhanded schemes."
'Is that so?'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize the old man was so deeply fixated on something that rational conversation was impossible.
He wasn't completely insane or devoid of reason—
but like a wounded beast,
he had zero willingness to engage in dialogue.
'Even if I explained, he wouldn't believe me.'
Besides, no matter what anyone said, the Willful True Binding was undeniably the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's secret martial art.
Even if they could converse calmly, the old man would never accept the truth.
"I'll kill you within a quarter of an hour."
The old man let out a sinister chuckle.
Because Bu Eun-seol was young,
he assumed that, barring some mysterious power, he could easily crush him with martial prowess alone.
"Old man, you can't defeat me."
But the opposite was true.
Bu Eun-seol possessed no such "mysterious power"—his martial skill was simply far superior.
No matter how desperately the old man struggled, victory was impossible.
'Even if I asked, I wouldn't get a single answer out of him.'
Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh as he studied the old man's stubborn expression.
"We have no grudge between us. I'll just take my leave."
"Leave?"
"I came here for Wang Su and ended up in this place by accident."
Bu Eun-seol spoke as though reasoning with him.
"If you think about it, isn't this just me intruding into some secret treasure vault? It's my fault, so I'll go quietly."
He didn't want to kill the old man.
There was something about that obstinate, bullheaded demeanor that didn't sit unpleasantly with him.
In fact, that stubbornness felt oddly familiar.
ZZZIIING.
But then something strange happened.
Just as Bu Eun-seol tried to leave, he found himself unable to take even a single step.
It was as though he'd been trapped inside an invisible, transparent wall.
"An Inviolable Space."
The old man grinned darkly.
"Without my permission, you'll never escape."
Incredibly, the old man had—
though unseen—completely encased Bu Eun-seol's body within an intangible barrier.
BOOM!
Bu Eun-seol immediately summoned the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon and struck forward with full force.
But all that echoed was the sound of impact—no sensation of shattering, no forward movement.
WHOOOOSH!
For an instant, a storm-like energy surged around his fists.
The Last Three Styles of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—power beyond imagination.
Formless End, Deflecting Flow Eternal Return, and Discard the Old and Spread the New—all unleashed simultaneously.
GRRRRUMBLE!
A tremor as if heaven and earth were collapsing shook the stone chamber.
But it was useless.
Even after pouring forth enough force to crumble the earth, he couldn't break free.
The Inviolable Space still surrounded him—from the ground to the walls, even beneath his feet—holding him captive.
"So you stole and learned the Fist Adept's fist techniques."
The old man watched with a triumphant smirk.
"But it's pointless. No matter how impressive your martial arts are, you can't escape—not to the sky, not to the earth. And you can't break it either."
If the old man's claim held true—
then Bu Eun-seol was trapped here, sealed in place, left to await death.
"I'm bored. Let's move up your execution."
A strange light flickered in the old man's eyes.
Immediately, the space surrounding Bu Eun-seol's body began to shrink.
The Inviolable Domain was tightening—crushing inward to squeeze the life from him.
Srrring.
Drawing the Ink Soul Sword, Bu Eun-seol channeled his Internal Power with all his might.
A colossal Sword Aura, towering about a hundred feet high, surged toward the heavens.
Or at least—it should have.
Zzzing.
The Sword Aura struck the impenetrable space and halted, unable to advance further.
CRACK!
Refusing to yield, Bu Eun-seol poured his Internal Energy into the blade at full force.
Finally, as his power reached the six-century mark, golden light flashed from his body, and a storm of energy raged around him.
FLASH!
At the same moment, a massive cross-shaped sword energy erupted from the Ink Soul Sword in all directions—
He had unleashed the Transcendent Waning Moon and Morning Star, the most devastating technique of the Formless Heavenly Flow.
BOOM! BOOM!
Despite the deafening explosions and the world-shattering sword energy pouring forth, the barrier remained unbroken.
'This is all it can do?'
Bu Eun-seol, who rarely showed surprise, was now deeply shaken.
The Formless Heavenly Flow, powered by ten cycles of Internal Energy, had few peers in sheer destructive force.
Yet this transparent space couldn't even be cracked?
"A dangerous one, indeed. If I'm not careful, I might even suffer a counterattack."
The Old Man shook his head slowly as he watched Bu Eun-seol, trapped behind the transparent wall, unleash the Heaven-Shattering Form, an Ultimate Art.
"Just die as you are."
The transparent wall gradually tightened, as if crushing Bu Eun-seol within its grasp.
He tried to repel it with his Internal Energy, but there was no reaction.
Now, only three methods remained:
However, none of these three Ultimate Arts could be executed quickly enough.
Given the speed at which the wall was closing in, he wouldn't have time to use all three.
He would have to choose between the Bloody Tears Seven Forms or Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes.
And if those failed, Harmonization would be his last resort.
'This impenetrable space... It's akin to the Domain of the 108 Stars, a Supernatural Power. Then...'
Having made his decision, Bu Eun-seol lowered his sword gently.
Ssshh—
At that moment, a faint mist began to spread around his body.
The Ninth Form of the Formless Heavenly Flow—Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes—a technique that returned all things to their natural state before cutting down the enemy.
He had chosen to deploy it first.
Fwooosh—
A subtle breeze and a hazy mist dispersed in all directions.
Yet the transparent wall remained unbroken. Instead, it continued to narrow the space, pressing in even further.
"No martial art you use will work."
The Old Man's voice was icy.
"You'll die flailing like this."
A strange thought flickered through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
'If he can truly create such a wall... why bother making the space wide at first, only to slowly crush it inward?'
If this was truly an impenetrable space, why not collapse it instantly and burst his body in one move?
Yet the Old Man had gone out of his way to explain his power as an "impenetrable space," then deliberately took his time tightening it.
This wasn't just to instill fear.
—Every power of the 108 Stars has a restriction.
This was a truth Bu Eun-seol had learned after defeating many of them.
They wielded Supernatural Powers so potent they might as well be called Yokai, yet each had a weakness or limitation.
If they didn't?
The 108 Stars would have already conquered the entire martial world.
'Like the Earth Water Star.'
Un Hak-bi of the Earth Water Star.
Within his Domain, he could instantly steal his opponent's martial arts and abilities—a power akin to a Martial God's.
But he had a severe restriction:
No living beings other than himself and his enemy could enter his Domain.
If the Old Man truly had the ability to create an impenetrable space, he could have twisted it instantly and killed Bu Eun-seol like snapping a chicken's neck.
Yet he was dragging it out...
Which meant there was a restriction—one he was desperately hiding.
"Have you given up?"
Seeing Bu Eun-seol standing motionless, the Old Man allowed a faint smile to surface.
It looked triumphant—
But to Bu Eun-seol's eyes, it seemed like the Old Man was struggling to suppress extreme unease.
Like a child terrified of being caught in a lie.
'So that's it.'
At last, Bu Eun-seol deciphered the secret behind this so-called "impenetrable space" just from the Old Man's tone and gaze.
Clack.
Suddenly, he released his Internal Power and sheathed his sword.
But the crushing wall did not vanish.
"This much isn't enough, huh?"
Muttering softly, Bu Eun-seol extended his index finger—
And began rapidly sealing his own acupoints.
Crack-crack-crack.
As the final acupoint was sealed, his face turned deathly pale, and the intense energy flowing through his entire body vanished completely.
He had deliberately pressed his own pressure points, forcibly sealing away all his internal energy within his body.
Huuuung.
The transparent walls that had been gradually closing in began to dissipate.
"So much for an 'inviolable space.'"
Bu Eun-seol stared fixedly at the old man as the walls vanished, then shook his head.
"You just hid the truth behind grandiose words."
The transparent walls the old man had conjured were not some absolute, unbreakable barrier.
They were merely a construct that absorbed the energy and strength of whoever was trapped within the domain, using that very power to form the walls themselves.
In other words, the walls were made from Bu Eun-seol's own energy—which was why no amount of overwhelming martial force could shatter them.
Even if he had used Harmonization, the result would have been the same.
Since the walls were formed from the captive's own power, had he employed Harmonization, the barrier would have simply been reforged from that same energy.
"You—how did you—?!"
For a brief moment, the old man seemed startled that Bu Eun-seol had instantly discerned the true nature of the "inviolable space."
But then, as if realizing it was inevitable, he nodded.
"...No, of course you'd figure it out."
"You are Sado Mu-myeong's disciple, after all."
"Disciple?"
"You think I wouldn't recognize Nature Shattering when I see it?"
The old man's lips curled.
"Don't bother pretending. Sado Mu-myeong's techniques were deciphered long ago."
Then came the shocking revelation.
"Nature Shattering doesn't destroy everything—it's a technique that pierces the enemy's spirit and mind."
Nature Shattering.
It was known as the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's Limitless Power, a force said to annihilate all things.
Yet in truth, it was a technique that elevated perception and insight to their absolute limits—allowing one to see through an opponent's very soul?
"You didn't think I'd notice you observing my physiological reactions, just like that little rat, did you?"
No matter how perfectly martial masters control their bodies,
there are muscles they cannot consciously command.
Heart rate, breathing speed, vascular dilation, the pitch and tremor of a voice—
even body temperature, sweat, and movement reveal psychological states and countless variables.
Nature Shattering.
It was Limitless Power that wielded godlike perception and insight,
piercing an enemy's techniques and shattering their methods and strength.
No wonder he misunderstood.
Looking back, there had been a point when—
without realizing it—he had begun emulating the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's methods.
Reading his enemies' psychology, dismantling their techniques,
using words to collapse their spirit and mind—this had become his primary combat style.
This time, too, he had instantly discerned and neutralized the flaw in the so-called "inviolable space"
just from the old man's expression and a single remark...
Naturally, he'd assume I was taught this by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
"But you're mistaken about one thing."
Despite his secret art being unraveled, the old man smirked, his expression still triumphant.
"Even if you know the truth—what power will you use to block my attacks?"
If Bu Eun-seol used internal energy, the inviolable space would reform.
And the old man could still wield the full force of his martial arts.
Without even internal energy, let alone the Three Divine Powers—
how could he possibly defend against the assaults of such a master?
Shhk.
Yet Bu Eun-seol calmly drew Ink Soul Sword.
He had crossed the Death Line in countless battles before.
In some of them, just like now, he had faced formidable foes
with neither the Three Divine Powers nor a shred of internal energy—
only the principles of martial arts and his blade.
"Lacking internal energy doesn't mean I cannot fight."
The old man snorted at his words.
"Ridiculous!"
KWA-RUNG!
With a thunderous roar, palm energy like lightning erupted from the old man's hands.
Swish-swish-swish!
Bu Eun-seol swung Ink Soul Sword, dispersing each surge of palm energy one by one.
What could be unraveled through the profound principles of Sword Studies, he unraveled.
What couldn't, he dodged with footwork or by rolling aside.
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
No matter how powerful a palm technique, it was useless if it didn't land.
Though the old man's palm strikes were formidable,
to Bu Eun-seol—who had ceaselessly studied the mysteries of Ten Thousand Martial Arts—
their sophistication was nothing extraordinary.
Which means this old man specializes in the Art of Spells.
Even Incheon's martial prowess had reached the stable Martial Extreme Realm.
But if the old man primarily wielded mystical dharma arts, his methods of deploying martial techniques were far from refined.
Whoosh!
As Bu Eun-seol continued evading the palm strikes with nothing but martial principles and footwork,
the old man's face twisted in irritation.
"Let's see you block this!"
He shifted tactics—
abandoning the Sky-Splitting Palm, which carried destructive force from the moment of release,
for the Space-Separating Palm, which detonated its power at will, rendering defense impossible.
The moment he unleashed the Space-Separating Palm,
no matter how exquisitely one wielded their sword in intricate arcs, it became nearly impossible to disperse the palm energy.
With no way left to evade the barrage,
a sudden realization flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind instead.
'Why haven't I been using this until now?'
Whoosh!Thud!
At the same time, Bu Eun-seol began moving with beast-like speed.
He was applying the Beast Martial Arts of the Beast Palace—exploding the latent power within his physical body.
Thud, thud.
Once he employed Beast Martial Arts, each leap propelled him about thirty feet into the air, even without relying on internal energy.
Closing the distance in an instant, he unfolded his sword techniques once more.
The stone chamber wasn't spacious enough to retreat indefinitely.
The old man attempted to evade in wide arcs, trying to maximize the limited space,
but Bu Eun-seol matched his movements, doggedly pursuing him.
"Futile effort!"
The old man, visibly irritated,
began releasing dozens of palm energy strikes at once, blocking any approach.
Against a master of such caliber fully committed to defense, even Bu Eun-seol couldn't easily bring him down.
Swoosh!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol altered his sword technique yet again.
He timed his strikes to the exact moment the old man unleashed his palm energy.
Anticipating an opponent's movements to seize the initiative was the essence of all martial arts.
Though the power of Bu Eun-seol's sword techniques wasn't overwhelming,
by reading the old man's palm techniques in advance and disrupting them before they fully manifested,
the palm techniques couldn't chain together, drastically diminishing their force.
'This brat...'
The old man couldn't hide his astonishment as Bu Eun-seol resisted him
using nothing but martial arts, devoid of any extraordinary power.
'To think he was capable of this...'
Sensing Bu Eun-seol's potential and martial prowess, the old man clenched his fist.
'This brat will grow into a formidable adversary.'
If he couldn't kill him here, all his carefully laid plans would come to nothing.
'Very well.'
Having resolved himself, the old man gathered the last remnants of his spellcraft.
A dark light began to saturate the stone chamber.
He was invoking a technique that would transform the entire space into a Realm of Death—
through his own demise.
'Death.'
The moment the old man shattered the inviolable space and unleashed his spell,
a series of crackling sounds erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body.
The Three Divine Powers, long suppressed, had returned.
It seemed the force restraining them had been either the power within this Secret Vault or the old man's spellcraft.
Rumble...
Grrroowl...
Strange energies rising from the old man's body gradually coalesced, taking shape before morphing into the form of a black Grim Reaper.
Haaaaah.
The Grim Reaper opened its dark maw wide and advanced toward Bu Eun-seol.
It was death itself—unstoppable by any force.
Yet Bu Eun-seol felt no fear.
Death had always been by his side, and now, he could even express it through martial philosophy.
"Death must be met with death."
Screeeech.
A thirty-foot-long blade of ink-black sword qi erupted from Bu Eun-seol's Ink Soul Sword,
slashing through the Grim Reaper's shadow as it lunged.
The Bloody Tears Seven Forms—
a flawless martial philosophy of death that none but the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang could execute—
had revealed itself once more.
Fwoooosh!
The Bloody Tears Seven Forms, which brought an end to all things,
was not merely a force that delivered death—it became death itself.
Though the Domain in its essence couldn't be destroyed, the old man had materialized it into the form of the Grim Reaper.
Paradoxically, this meant the Bloody Tears Seven Forms now had a tangible existence to sever.
Screeeech.
The fog dissipated entirely.
Before Bu Eun-seol's eyes lay the old man, now reduced to a withering skeleton on the brink of death.
Having cast his final spell by offering his life force as collateral, his body was slowly desiccating.
"I can't understand,"
Bu Eun-seol murmured, gazing at him.
"If you had wrapped that inviolable space around yourself, you would have been untouchable."
The inviolable Domain the old man had deployed
was closer to a technique that perfectly blocked attacks rather than killing the enemy.
Had he not been so fixated on killing Bu Eun-seol,
Bu Eun-seol could never have defeated him.
But in his determination to kill, the old man had staked even his own life to forge the Realm of Death—
and thus, had walked the path of self-destruction.
Zzziiing.
Then, the ceiling, which had been bathed in light, began to darken.
As the old man was dying, the spells woven throughout the chamber were likely unraveling.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's body began to glow faintly once more.
The shattered remnants of the eyeball-shaped orb emitted streams of light from the powder that had been stuck to it—
but soon, they darkened endlessly, swallowed by blackness.
"So... that was it."
The old man, his eyes barely open as he lay dying, spoke in a low voice.
"...You were of his bloodline."
His expression was steeped in bitter regret.
The remorse of bygone days, the missed opportunities,
and the irreversible choices were etched into his gaze like scars carved into his very pupils.
"'Him'?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyelids trembled faintly.
Wasn't that the term the Servants of the True Demon used most often when referring to the True Demon?