Chapter 883
Bu Eun-seol's gaze and thoughts had reached deep into the hearts of the two individuals before him.
There, countless streams of emotion swirled like waves, taking the form of colors and light.
And in the even deeper abyss, something long hidden seemed to be revealing itself, piece by piece.
"So that's how it is."
Bu Eun-seol's pupils, as if containing the universe itself, expanded endlessly within the dark abyss, the patterns of starlight within them swirling vividly.
"Come to think of it, if even an ordinary person could obtain an ancient secret manual when fate wills it, there's no way an organization like the Same Heart Society wouldn't have gotten their hands on one."
"What do you mean?"
When the woman asked, Bu Eun-seol let out a faint scoff.
"Limitless Power is the highest realm of the current Murim, the ultimate form of martial arts possessed only by the superlative martial experts of this era. There's no way one could obtain such a power—manifested through enlightenment—in the form of a dharma scripture."
"And?"
"Yet they're guiding me to use Limitless Power... which means they must have some hidden motive."
Their goal wasn't simply to steal Bu Eun-seol's martial arts—they desired the very essence of it.
"You've turned yourselves into test subjects, sacrificing your life force to elevate your martial arts to this realm."
"..."
"Then the best research method would be to defeat and capture me."
Bu Eun-seol swept his sharp gaze over the two and spoke coldly.
"Most likely, you intend to deploy some secret method that can reverse a supreme technique like Limitless Power to defeat me... or you possess a force comparable to it."
Just as Yu Un-ryong had once attempted to reverse the supreme Limitless Power through the Mind's Eye Mirror to defeat the Spear Master.
These two probably had the ability to reverse Limitless Power at least once—or some secret technique that allowed them to counter with equivalent force.
After all, the only way to defeat a master of the Martial Extreme Realm was with the same level of power—Limitless Power.
They had been guiding Bu Eun-seol to use his supreme secret technique so they could defeat him in one decisive strike.
'The Mind's Eye Mirror was useful after all.'
Had he not encountered the ancient Formation Study of the Mind's Eye Mirror?
Bu Eun-seol would never have been able to predict their methods.
"So...?"
At that moment, the woman curled her lips into a cold smile.
"What exactly can you do about it?"
Her eyes, shimmering with a mysterious light, gazed up at Bu Eun-seol as she spoke.
"It's not like you can stop us—we can reverse any attack."
"Good."
Bu Eun-seol, instead, nodded.
"Then I'll show you the pinnacle of the martial arts I possess."
Clack.
He sheathed his sword.
"This is something I recently devised—it contains every insight I've gained so far."
Then, just as if he were executing the Quick Sword Form, he lowered his stance.
"Whether you take its dharma scripture, replicate it, or reverse it... do as you please."
"..."
"If you can, then victory is yours."
For a moment, the man and woman wore blank expressions before sneering.
They thought Bu Eun-seol was bluffing.
Wooong—
But when an indescribable energy—both overwhelmingly powerful and eerily hollow—spread from Bu Eun-seol's body, their expressions stiffened, and they reformed their sword-finger seals again.
They realized he truly intended to unleash his supreme martial art.
Zzziiing—
As the two merged their energies, a subtle pulse of power began spreading like mist from their bodies.
Even someone with a hundred times more extrasensory perception than Bu Eun-seol wouldn't have been able to detect it—the flow was too faint, too chaotic.
Yet paradoxically, Bu Eun-seol could perceive it with perfect clarity.
Because he knew those who wielded such energy—and had even absorbed it into his own body.
"Now I understand everything."
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue as he distinctly sensed their energy.
Had they deployed a Formation Study or Dharma Art crafted from ancient knowledge, like the Mind's Eye Mirror?
At the very least, there would have been some foreign constructs in the surroundings.
Moreover, the abilities these two possessed were excessive even for ancient Arts of Spells.
Even the One Hundred and Eight Stars could only exhibit such powers within a certain domain.
Yet they could steal or reflect an opponent's martial dharma scripture simply by deploying a Great Art or Art of Spells?
That was a power so excessive it defied all natural order.
"Binding two lives together through the intricacies of the Great Yin-Yang Art must be the work of the Mount Mao Sect's Arts of Spells."
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue in lament.
"But even if the two of you combined your strength, there's no Great Art or Dharma Art that allows you to replicate an enemy's power, steal their dharma scripture, or reflect it."
Shaking his head, he spoke with the gravest expression.
"It was a Demon-Sealing Fragment."
For an instant, the eyes of the two trembled.
A Demon-Sealing Fragment.
The shattered soul of the True Demon, said to contain the Absolute Knowledge accumulated through countless cycles of reincarnation.
It was said that if an ordinary person obtained it, they could wield mysterious powers beyond the bounds of martial principles.
Bu Eun-seol had sensed that the energy these two radiated in their final moments...
Was strikingly similar to the vile energy once possessed by the Ghost King.
"Martial Soul Lord. Do you also possess a Demon-Sealing Fragment?"
The man, instead, sneered.
"Given that I don't sense any unusual energy from you, you must have obtained it only recently—or perhaps you can't even use it properly?"
"Who knows?"
"A shame. Our society assumed your strength came from being Bu Jan-yang's grandson... or from inheriting something special."
The man clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"So you grew stronger by obtaining a Demon-Sealing Fragment."
As if believing he had unraveled the secret behind Bu Eun-seol's power, the man wore an expression of both resignation and overflowing confidence.
"Even if you possess a Demon-Sealing Fragment, you still can't defeat us."
At his words, a faint smile curved at the corners of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
"Do I need to?"
Srrrk—
Slowly drawing the sheathed Ink Soul Sword, a hazy, mist-like energy spread from his entire body.
It resembled the mystical fog that drifts across a lakeshore.
In the blink of an eye, it expanded across dozens of yards.
"If it's a power with form... then it's even easier to counter!"
Mistaking it for a supernatural ability derived from the Demon-Sealing Fragment, the two figures—
—swung their swords and merged their bodies once more.
Using the True Demon Knowledge they had absorbed into their bodies, along with the Demon-Sealing Fragments,
they possessed a secret technique that could absorb and reflect any enemy's power.
Flash!
As their bodies overlapped, another brilliant light erupted.
And once again, they attempted to redirect it toward Bu Eun-seol.
—Huh?
At that moment, the two blinked in unison, exchanging bewildered glances.
Though they should have absorbed all the power released with that radiant burst and gauged it—
nothing happened.
"This is...?"
Only then did they realize that what Bu Eun-seol had unleashed was not a supernatural ability, but an extremely natural and serene principle of martial arts.
A power imbued with the Way of Nature —
one that effortlessly restored all things to their original, intact forms.
Ninth Form of the Formless Heavenly Flow.
Neither artificial nor forced.
Preserving innate nature, maintaining existence in its truest state.
A supreme sword art containing the mysteries of the Nature Sword.
The Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes had unfolded.
Crack.
Under the embrace of this technique, the skin of the two figures split like a dried-up well.
Having absorbed Demon-Sealing Fragments,
their bodies harbored an endlessly alien yet overwhelmingly potent energy.
Yet the moment a stable, natural force surged in like a tidal wave, that mysterious energy dissipated like mist.
Clang!
Finally, as even the Grand Art of Yin-Yang Union they had mastered shattered—
Splurt!
—a spray of blood erupted from their throats.
Seizing the instant their life-linked technique was severed, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Meteor Chasing Moon in rapid succession.
Thud.
The two collapsed, eyes wide open, unable to even scream.
So swift was his strike that only a crimson line marked their necks—
they had drawn their last breath without even realizing their life threads had been cut.
Click.
Sheathing the Ink Soul Sword once more, Bu Eun-seol gazed at the distant sky.
"So this is why the martial world values experience."
He sighed deeply as he observed the Same Heart Society members who had died with their eyes still open.
"Had I not properly understood the One Hundred and Eight Stars, the Mindscape, and the Demon-Sealing Fragments... today's battle would not have been so easy."
Bu Eun-seol had long faced opponents who wielded absolute power within their Domains—the inheritors of the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
He was also familiar with the Mindscape Phase known as a Phase, a realm where one could perceive things more vividly than reality by drawing an enemy's Spirit and Mind into their own mental world.
And thanks to Han Sang-ja, he had grasped the nature of the Demon-Sealing Fragments—fragments of the True Demon's very soul.
Had he been ignorant of all this... victory would not have come so easily.
"Because I understood those concepts precisely, I knew to use the Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes."
In the past, Un Hak-bi, a master of the Jungson Clan and one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars,
had not only instantly absorbed martial techniques but replicated them flawlessly.
Likewise, these two with their Demon-Sealing Fragments
had perfected the ability to absorb martial arts, grasp their essence, and reflect them.
The two methods were nearly identical—
except the Same Heart Society masters lacked the restriction of a Domain.
One might suspect all of this was merely the Mindscape at work,
but Bu Eun-seol sensed not the Mindscape—but the presence of Demon-Sealing Fragments within their bodies.
And so, he unleashed the Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes once more,
shattering the balance of their power before capitalizing on that instant to strike with Meteor Chasing Moon.
"To the Abyssal Forces, the Demon-Sealing Fragments must no longer be a new concept."
The fragments were the True Demon's Knowledge, and the more one possessed, the greater the power they could attain.
Yet here were mere young members of the Same Heart Society, having absorbed the fragments and wielding them like supernatural abilities?
"Do they not covet the fragments?"
The more one gathered, the closer they drew to the True Demon's power.
So why had these fragments been implanted into nameless youths?
At the moment of death, such precious power would be seized by their enemies.
'Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man.'
A single term flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
A combat construct crafted from inanimate matter.
Its true horror lay not in its fearsome strength—but in its function as a living vessel capable of arbitrarily storing Demon-Sealing Fragments.
Whoosh—
Just then, black smoke began rising from the woman's body before being rapidly absorbed into the earth.
It seemed they were controlling the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man from underground to retrieve the Demon-Sealing Fragment.
"Around there?"
Just as Bu Eun-seol sensed something underground and prepared to unleash his Sword-Flight Art—
Thunk.
A longsword suddenly plunged deep into his back.
"Hehehe."
A man whose neck had already been severed, wearing a sinister smile, had driven the blade into Bu Eun-seol's back.
Whoosh.
Meanwhile, the Demon-Sealing Fragment that had escaped the woman's body vanished in an instant.
"You should always be wary of the final move."
Using the Maoshan Sect's bizarre Art of Spells,
he had executed a secret technique—one that allowed him to unleash a last attack in the moment of Terminal Lucidity.
"A fair point."
As Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath,
Drip, drip.
The longsword embedded in his back melted away in an instant, flowing to the ground like water.
"How—?"
"Because even though the one holding the Demon-Sealing Fragment died, it didn't spill out."
Bu Eun-seol had been mentally prepared, noticing that even after the man's death, the fragment hadn't emerged.
And when the man stabbed him from behind, he had concentrated his Hot River Great Essence True Qi into the point of impact, instantly melting the longsword.
"Terrifying... bastard."
Whether the man had truly exhausted his life force or not, his face slowly withered into a skeletal grin.
"Strange. Why couldn't I detect a Demon-Sealing Fragment in you?"
Bu Eun-seol lied smoothly.
"Because there isn't one."
"None?"
"That's right."
At that, the man suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hehehe. Hahaha! Well, good! Then my death wasn't in vain!"
He cackled madly as he spoke.
"Though you were just a backup plan."
"What?"
"Did you really think we wouldn't anticipate the possibility of failing to kill you and instead being killed ourselves?"
He grinned at Bu Eun-seol, chuckling darkly.
"Now that my Demon-Sealing Fragment will be embedded in your body... you've officially entered this Succession Battle!"
The Demon-Sealing Fragment.
Absorbing it granted immense power, but those who carried fragments could sense each other in battle.
Even if they lost, the Same Heart Society had deliberately implanted a fragment into Bu Eun-seol—
forcing him into this bloody struggle.
"Wasn't the Demon-Sealing Fragment too precious to waste?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, the man curled his lips.
"The true fragment was with my junior sister. I couldn't use any power at all."
His expression turned sly.
"From now on, you too will kill and be killed endlessly for the sake of obtaining more fragments. Hehehe."
After laughing lowly for a while, he suddenly grinned wide, taunting.
"Just like the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang..."
Thud.
As his life finally faded, a black mist began to rise from the man's body—
Whoosh!
—and in an instant, it was absorbed into Bu Eun-seol's left arm.
But he had no time to dwell on the fragment.
"Grandfather fought in a Succession Battle to obtain a Demon-Sealing Fragment?"
Bu Eun-seol pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"No, that can't be."
His grandfather was already the undisputed strongest of his era. A mere fragment would have been meaningless to him.
"The Absolute Demon Saber?"
A strange thought flashed through his mind.
What if the final stage of the Absolute Demon Saber Project—
was to complete the Absolute Demon Saber by gathering fragments, or perhaps by killing each other to perfect the martial art?
"It's possible."
When he had once peered into the mind of the Jade Scale Hall's Sect Leader—also known as the Saintess Sect—
his grandfather had been shown suffering, consumed by black energy.
Could that have been the influence of a Demon-Sealing Fragment?
"I need to find out for sure."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist.
He didn't know whether it was truly a fragment or not.
But one thing was certain—his grandfather had known the Murim's secrets. And perhaps he had been deeply involved.
What if the Absolute Demon Saber Project was connected to the Demon-Sealing Fragments?
If so, even his grandfather might not have escaped their shackles.
The Evil Soul Squad continued tirelessly investigating the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's past.
Though Bu Jan-yang's life had become a legend in Murim, his actual movements remained largely unknown.
And for good reason.
Before becoming the Demon Hall's Deputy Hall Lord, he had roamed the martial world alone, slaughtering countless masters.
Even after assuming the position, he had rarely stayed within the Demon Hall.
Moreover, he had many shadows—
making his movements erratic, with truths and falsehoods tangled together.
Hidden Demon Pavilion, Bu Eun-seol's office.
Yu Un-ryong was delivering a mid-investigation report.
"The Deputy Hall Lord's movements were irregular, and his objectives remain unclear."
He continued with a grave expression.
"However, based on the remaining records, it seems he may have been targeting specific factions or organizations."
"Specific organizations?"
"Correct. The Deputy Hall Lord primarily annihilated obscure sects and clans unknown to Murim."
After relentless investigation,
they found that the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang had not only slain renowned masters—
but also countless secretive sects and clans that had never surfaced in the martial world.
"The reason these actions remained unknown is that these sects, councils, and clans had never revealed themselves to the world in the first place."
"No witnesses could have survived."
Bu Eun-seol sighed deeply.
"So the commonality among those grandfather killed was that they were sects or clans secretly hidden from the Murim."
"Correct."
Was it actually a relief?
Though grandfather was known to have slaughtered indiscriminately, in truth, he had systematically targeted members of sects and clans that remained concealed from the martial world.
In other words, it was clear he had eliminated them not out of personal emotion, but for a specific purpose.
And as a result—
The actual number and scale of those he had slaughtered had been drastically underreported.
According to the investigation thus far, there had never been a figure in martial history who had killed so many.
"Why?"
"I still don't know."
Yu Un-ryong spoke with a troubled expression.
"But I'm worried. If intelligence organizations mobilize on this scale, it'll eventually expose to the world that you are the grandson of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang."
The superlative martial experts and members of the Abyssal Forces already knew Bu Eun-seol was Bu Jan-yang's grandson.
But the majority of the martial world and intelligence agencies remained unaware.
What if Bu Eun-seol continued his investigation like this?
No matter how covertly the Evil Soul Squad operated, these facts would inevitably leak out.
"Since he ultimately slaughtered countless people without distinction between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths... there must be innumerable descendants who hold grudges against the Deputy Hall Lord."
"Hm."
"If this truth spreads..."
"It's fine."
Bu Eun-seol spoke decisively.
"If there's responsibility to bear, I'll bear it. So don't worry—just keep investigating."
"Alright, understood."
Yu Un-ryong forced a bright expression and shifted the topic.
"The fortunate thing is, the deeper we dig, the more we uncover that most of those the Deputy Hall Lord eliminated were evil people."
Bu Eun-seol responded with only a bitter smile.
That fact meant nothing.
The martial world was fixated solely on the reality that his grandfather had killed countless people.
Blood debts—
Could only be repaid in blood.
The name Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang had become synonymous with the Great Killing Star, the one who had felled more lives than any other in martial history.
"Had all this been known, the Deputy Hall Lord would've been recorded as the worst Killing Star in martial history."
Yu Un-ryong spoke as if consoling him.
"In a way, it's a relief his deeds remained hidden."
"Perhaps..."
Bu Eun-seol muttered lowly.
"It was for the Great Cause."
Had his grandfather carried out the slaughter for a greater purpose?
If not... how could even a murderous monster, one who took boundless joy in killing, commit such endless, large-scale massacres?
"Right, there must've been a reason of that magnitude. But—"
Yu Un-ryong took a deep breath.
"Honestly, I can't fathom it. What kind of goal could possibly justify such a war of slaughter?"
Despite standing before Bu Eun-seol, Yu Un-ryong made no attempt to blindly defend the Demon Blade's actions.
And that, in itself, was consideration for Bu Eun-seol.
If he had glorified the slaughter, Bu Eun-seol would have suffered even more.
"You've worked hard."
Bu Eun-seol spoke apologetically.
"There's no need to understand or justify it. I'm only trying to trace the path grandfather walked."
"I know. But—"
Yu Un-ryong urged once more.
"Nothing good will come of this truth spreading. Why not stop now?"
"No."
Bu Eun-seol refused.
"To find grandfather's killer, I must uncover every step he took."
"That's exactly my point."
Yu Un-ryong's expression twisted with frustration.
"The families and close friends of those the Deputy Hall Lord killed must harbor the same thirst for vengeance as you."
"I am his grandson. If grandfather committed wrongs that demand retribution... then it's only right that I shoulder it."
He hadn't revered and loved his grandfather because he was a flawless superhuman.
Simply because he was his grandfather.
Because he had been the light that illuminated the endlessly dark world for him.
If his grandfather was evil?
Then he, as his grandson, had resolved to pay the price.
"Fine. If your resolve is that firm, then so be it."
Yu Un-ryong wore a strange smile.
"You're deliberately laying a trap, aren't you? If they can detect our investigation... they must have an intelligence network comparable to ours."
As the foremost strategist of the Demonic Path, possessing wisdom and insight beyond imagination, he had long supported Bu Eun-seol.
So he could guess what kind of plan, what kind of scheme, Bu Eun-seol was weaving.
"If they take the bait now, they'll undoubtedly have backing."
"Correct."
Bu Eun-seol admitted readily.
"We must find them as quickly as possible."
Even if it meant taking risks—
He would trace his grandfather's footsteps, the truth buried beneath history, as swiftly as he could.
"Alright."
Yu Un-ryong smoothed his darkened expression and smiled brightly—
As if to dispel the shadows gathering in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Then let's continue the investigation."
Days passed.
And eventually, the very situation Yu Un-ryong had feared came to pass.
As the Evil Soul Squad investigated Bu Jan-yang's past, some descendants of the sects and families he had slaughtered learned the truth.
The result—
Was a single letter placed upon Bu Eun-seol's desk.
"Just as expected."
Yu Un-ryong, who had received the letter from Bu Eun-seol, gritted his teeth.
According to its contents—
They were descendants of five sects annihilated by Bu Jan-yang in the past.
They had coincidentally discovered Bu Eun-seol was Bu Jan-yang's descendant.
And now, to settle old grudges, they demanded he come to a certain location.
If he refused?
They would expose to the entire martial world—
"...And they even had the audacity to include threats—promising to spread this information to all the descendants and successors who harbor bitter grudges against the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
"They took the bait."
Bu Eun-seol curled his lips into a faint smile.
In the end, they had swallowed the lure whole.