Chapter 898
Whoooooosh—
Hae-yeon's divine form shot out of Chengdu in an instant, becoming a meteor that etched the sign of the cross across the night sky.
'It was only meant to be the last fleeting breeze.'
A lonely expression crossed Hae-yeon's face.
Having been in a vegetative state for over a century, she had few joyful memories thereafter.
No—there was one.
When she met Bu Eun-seol, crushed the faction that sought to devour the Wind God Palace,
and won the hearts of his acquaintances to secure the Grand Duke's oath.
In her dull, monotonous life—like a canvas devoid of color—
that had been the sole moment when vibrant hues burst forth.
Until then, it had been half in jest, but afterward, she genuinely grew to like Bu Eun-seol.
His striking beauty and captivating presence.
He possessed every perfect trait needed to ensnare any woman's heart in an instant.
Like a girl feverishly trapped in the throes of first love, Hae-yeon's interest in him deepened over time.
But the reason she truly came to adore him wasn't
just his exceptional looks, his aura, his astonishing martial arts, or his dazzling background.
It was when she realized that beneath his outwardly cold demeanor,
he was an unexpectedly warm and deeply sensitive person.
From that moment on... she began opening her heart to him.
'All I wished for was just one more day where my life could be filled with those vivid colors, like back then.'
Hae-yeon had resolved to sever the karmic bond of the Wind Human Heaven within her generation, even at the cost of her life.
All she wanted was to spend one last, joyful moment with him.
And so she had raced to the Central Plains in a single breath.
Yet, for some reason,
he treated her coldly, unlike before,
and she came to realize he held no emotions for her whatsoever.
'How desolate.'
As she unleashed her movement technique, Hae-yeon closed her eyes.
'Like being poisoned and sinking into a long, endless slumber.'
After all, she was already a body that had once met death within the Wind God's Path.
The time she had now was like an unexpected bonus—a life fate had gifted her, unasked for.
Lonely and desolate as it was, she felt neither regret nor resentment.
"It was my fate to have died a hundred years ago anyway."
Hae-yeon unleashed the Wind and Cloud Divine Energy with all her might.
The Wind God Palace would soon vanish.
She, too, would soon perish... but Bu Eun-seol would carry on the Wind God's legacy.
Though cold and aloof, he was a man of strong responsibility.
'Perhaps his inner warmth was just my delusion after all.'
Kwaaaah—!
After three relentless days and nights of pushing her movement technique to the limit,
she arrived not at Haba Snow Mountain, where the Wind God Palace stood,
but at the opposing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
This was also where Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin had once waited to see the Wind God Tower.
Whoooosh—
Standing tall at the summit amidst the raging snowstorm, she settled into meditation and closed her eyes.
Her body gradually turned translucent, then began floating about thirty feet into the air.
She had begun circulating the immense true qi flowing through her body.
Swoosh. Whooooosh.
Through the Wind God Palace's unique circulation art, she converted the poison she had absorbed in the Wind God's Path into internal energy.
Its severity spanned over five hundred years—
a level of internal energy nearly unrivaled in the martial world.
Yet even this was insufficient to attain the perfect physical form of the Wind God.
Wind & Cloud Divine Qi was the power to achieve perfect harmony between nature and the human body.
If spread throughout the body, one could pass through even a space as narrow as a needle's eye in an instant,
or deflect even the mightiest attacks with ease.
The problem was that the human body, made of flesh and blood,
was never structured to wield such power.
If one wished to live normally while harboring Wind & Cloud Divine Qi within their body,
they would either need to neutralize it with an equally formidable force,
using the principle of poison against poison,
or reach the realm of the Wind God—where one could naturally generate and command the wind
without absorbing Wind & Cloud Divine Qi into their body.
But with the true lineage of the Wind God severed
and all methods of obtaining comparable power lost,
there was nothing Hae-yeon could do.
Rumble—
How many days had passed?
Avalanches erupted as if earthquakes were shaking the land,
and then—
Whoosh.
A strange, transparent shadow revealed itself.
In that instant, Hae-yeon's breath caught.
Not because of the overwhelming pressure, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.
All living beings possessed a survival instinct, allowing them to instinctively sense their nemesis.
She knew, with absolute certainty, that the shadow before her was hers.
Shooo—
The transparent shadow soon revealed itself under the bright solar radiance.
He was clad in sinister armor that resembled living metal, a swirling amalgam of silver and black, draped with a cloak patterned after storm clouds.
Though his face was concealed by a mask, the triangular, serpentine pupils of his eyes were visible—
—evoking a grotesque sense of terror.
Yet, even the armor could not hide the voluptuous curves of his body and the slender legs beneath.
This was none other than the Wind Person, one of the Eight Heavenly Servants, who, like the Wind God, had wielded the power of wind for generations.
"If you had truly become the palace lord, you would know."
The Wind Person's voice carried an eerie, rasping quality, as if a serpent were speaking.
"Why have you not offered the Grand Duke?"
"He failed to obtain the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi."
At Hae-yeon's lie, the Wind Person stared intently into her eyes and said:
"Did you not know that, through Sun and Moon Uniting, you could have shared the divine energy with him?"
"It was impossible."
Hae-yeon replied calmly.
"He renounced his position as Grand Duke."
"Ah, I see now."
Meeting Hae-yeon's sharp gaze, the Wind Person seemed to grasp the situation instantly, his eyes curving into crescent moons as he smiled.
"Such things happen often in the Wind God Palace."
As he continued speaking, a crimson energy swirled within his large, reptilian pupils.
"A single night of shared passion, and they willingly offer their lives in sacrifice."
"..."
"Or, drunk on confidence, they even dare to challenge the Lord of Heaven Himself."
The Wind Person shook his head.
"No matter what choice they make, it changes nothing. If they do not surrender the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi to me, they will eventually go mad—either taking their own lives or being slain by the disciples of the Wind God Palace."
Instead of answering, Hae-yeon smiled.
Her resolution was already set.
All that remained now... was to quietly fade into the annals of the Wind God Palace's history.
"That is no concern of yours."
Hae-yeon spoke firmly.
"There is no divine energy to be given in this generation. Leave."
"Haha."
The Wind Person let out a low chuckle.
"The Lord of Heaven would prefer that as well, but the currents of fate do not permit it."
With that, the Wind Person spun in place.
In an instant, the armor encasing his body vanished, and the form-fitting robes loosened into flowing garments.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Suddenly, his slender frame bulged with muscle, and when he removed his mask, the face of an exceedingly sinister man was revealed.
Dark shadows pooled beneath his eyes, and his lips were as red as a woman's.
In the blink of an eye, the lithe woman had transformed into the figure of a man.
"So you are an Androgynous Person."
At Hae-yeon's words, the Wind Person flicked out a crimson tongue.
"Indeed."
His languid voice dripped with amusement as his gaze roamed over Hae-yeon's body.
"How unfortunate."
"What do you mean?"
"The tides of the martial world have shifted beyond control. And with the emergence of the Wind God, the Restrictive Seal of Heaven has been completely shattered."
Hae-yeon's eyes narrowed.
So, until now, the Wind Person had been bound by some form of restriction, limiting his activities in the martial world.
And likely, only by obtaining the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi could he finally act freely.
"All this time, you've been stealing the divine energy through the Yin-Yang Grand Ritual."
At Hae-yeon's murmur, the Wind Person laughed.
"Hehehe. Do you know of any other method to absorb the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi?"
He tilted his head mockingly.
"When you offer the Grand Duke, I become a woman and absorb it. When the Wind God comes, I become a man. Just like this."
Hae-yeon exhaled deeply.
When she had read the records in the texts, she had doubted—refused to believe.
But now, she saw that everything was true.
"So that's how it was."
Her expression twisted in unbearable anguish.
Now she understood why the Wind God Palace had never fully revealed itself to the martial world, why it had operated in such secrecy.
Why the palace lords and Grand Dukes had never lived long.
Why the legends of the Wind God Tower had been fabricated.
Why men of exceptional martial prowess had been lured to Haba Snow Mountain—to be made into Grand Dukes.
"The moment the Wind God's lineage was severed... the moment we extended our hand to the Wind Person..."
Hae-yeon's smile was one of utter devastation.
"...this palace ceased to be the Wind God Palace."
If they could not uphold the legacy of the Wind God—
—then they should have faded quietly into the forgotten corners of history.
But the moment they clasped hands with the Demon to preserve it, the Wind God Palace could no longer be the Wind God Palace.
"At least you've realized it now. That's fortunate."
The Wind Person licked his lips.
"Surrender the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi willingly. Then the Wind God Palace may yet continue its lineage smoothly."
"Nonsense."
"Enough of this defiance."
The Wind Person extended his hand.
"Come here."
Whoosh.
As the Wind Person reached out, Hae-yeon felt her consciousness grow hazy.
The power he wielded seemed to be none other than the Grand Perfection of the Wind God Palace's Martial Arts.
"Not a chance."
Hae-yeon summoned the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi with all her might.
KRRRUMBLE.
With a thunderous roar, a blade of razor-sharp wind slashed through the Wind Person's body in an instant.
She had unleashed the Wind-Thunder Slash, one of the Wind God Palace's Ultimate Arts.
Sssshhk!
But the slash passed harmlessly through empty air.
It wasn't that he had merged with nature like the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi—
Rather, he had moved at blinding speed, only to reappear in the exact same spot.
"Just seeing that single slash tells me you've cultivated an exceptionally pure Wind & Cloud Divine Qi."
The Wind Person nodded with a pleased expression.
"With that level of power, I could become the strongest among all the Wind Persons in history. Perhaps even reach the level of the Divine Heavens."
"Shut up!"
Hae-yeon extended all ten fingers, moving them through the air as if plucking strings.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
Invisible, ultra-high-speed Finger Flick Arts poured forth, accompanied by a deafening roar.
This was the Shadowless Windless Finger—a technique that bombarded the enemy with sound, neutralizing their hearing and senses while striking their vital points.
Swish!
Yet the Wind Person dodged every single one with fluid, effortless movements, as if water flowing downstream.
Unlike Hae-yeon, he did not possess the mystical power of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi—
But in terms of detecting and manipulating the wind, he surpassed her entirely.
'Something's wrong.'
Even as she continued her assault, Hae-yeon's body trembled.
The more she used the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, the more it felt like her strength was draining from her fingertips.
"HYAAH!"
With a battle cry, she unleashed the full force of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, displaying the essence of the Wind God Palace's Martial Arts.
Wreathed in a Blade Wind that could annihilate all things and a wall of wind that deflected all attacks, her form was nothing less than the Wind God descended from the heavens.
In contrast, the Wind Person was like a small boat tossed about by violent waves—
Unable to counterattack, he could only sway and dodge her relentless onslaught.
But something was off.
Hae-yeon's expression grew increasingly rigid as she rained down attacks,
While the Wind Person, barely evading with precarious movements, wore a smirk.
'This isn't right.'
With each passing moment, Hae-yeon felt as if all the blood in her body was draining to her feet, her Internal Energy and Wind & Cloud Divine Qi scattering uncontrollably.
It was as though a massive gap had opened in her body.
"The purer the energy, the faster it's absorbed."
The Wind Person clicked his tongue, leisurely stepping closer.
"Poison and wind have always been inseparable. After all, the very principle of Poison Technique is to use the direction of the wind."
Only now did she realize—he had been continuously dispersing a unique poison toward her.
"But poison doesn't work on me."
Hae-yeon had already absorbed countless toxins within the Wind God's Path, using them to build an immense Internal Energy.
How could she possibly be poisoned by something as trivial as the Wind Person's toxins?
"Call it a poison that only reacts to the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi."
"No such poison exists."
"Tsk, you should've thought of this sooner."
The Wind Person clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"How do you think the Wind God's Path—a trial that uses all manner of poisons to elevate one's Internal Power—was created by the Wind God Palace in the first place...?"
Hae-yeon's eyes widened.
"Are you saying you made it?"
"Did you really think the Wind God Palace, with no knowledge of Poison Technique or the methods to wield toxins, could have prepared all those poisons on its own?"
The Wind Person's lips curled into a sneer.
"From the very beginning, the Wind God Palace was nothing more than a breeding ground created by the Heaven to obtain the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi. For the past four hundred years."
At those words, Hae-yeon's hands fell limp.
Even the will to fight vanished entirely.
For four hundred years, the Wind God Palace had been nothing but a farm—raised by the Wind Person Heaven?
"No need to feel wronged."
The Wind Person approached her dazed form and spoke.
"Soon, the Wind God Palace will disappear as well."
"..."
"Heaven has already dispatched all its troops. From now on, the Wind God Palace will be managed by Heaven itself."
"Why?"
At her question, the Wind Person grinned, baring white teeth.
"I already told you—the Restrictive Seal has been broken. Heaven is now free to fully emerge into the Murim."
Then he added one last thing.
"Fortunately, you lot already drove out that troublesome enemy—the Three Realms—on your own."
'So that's how it was.'
At last, Hae-yeon understood everything.
Why Elder Hyang, who had never shown any ambition, had brought in external forces.
Why she had tried to station them within the Wind God Palace.
Why, even when punished with the Wall Gazing Penalty, she had declared herself righteous.
'Elder Hyang knew all along.'
As the highest-ranking elder of the Wind God Palace, Elder Hyang was over a hundred years old.
So, compared to Hae-yeon—who had fallen into a coma at twenty—she must have known far more about the palace's secrets and the true state of affairs.
Perhaps she had even known that the lineage of the Wind God had been completely severed.
That the Wind God had been born only with the help of the Wind Person, and that even the Wind God's Path had been created by him.
And when she realized that the Wind God Palace itself—
was nothing more than a breeding ground the Wind Person had established—
Elder Hyang must have sought an external force capable of opposing them, reaching out to the Three Realms to form an alliance.
"Heh heh heh."
The Wind Person chuckled darkly.
"The truth is cruel, isn't it?"
Hae-yeon's pupils darkened like an endless abyss.
If the world she had known—
turned out to be nothing more than a plaything someone had created—
who wouldn't react the same way she did?
"I've talked too much."
Whoosh.
As the Wind Person exerted his power, snowflakes instantly gathered, forming a square ice bed.
"The scenery here isn't bad either. Let's absorb the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi in a... unique way."
Fwoom.
When the Wind Person stretched out his hand, Hae-yeon's body was laid down upon the ice bed.
Yet her eyes remained unfocused.
Resistance was futile, after all.
The Wind & Cloud Divine Qi she had obtained came from the Wind and Cloud Trial Path.
No matter how much poison she had expelled, as long as she had cultivated her Internal Energy through their poisonous techniques—
there was no way to stop the Wind Person's touch.
"How beautiful."
The Wind Person approached the bed,
stroking Hae-yeon's face as she lay with her hair spread out like flower petals.
"It would be a waste to just take the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi and kill you."
He licked his lips.
"I'll make an exception—I'll spare you and keep you as my concubine."
CRACK!
At that moment, Hae-yeon thrust out both hands.
A sharp surge of Palm Energy shot through the Wind Person's body, soaring straight into the heavens.
Pretending to have given up, Hae-yeon had seized the opportunity—not to use the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi,
but to unleash one of the Wind God Palace's secret techniques: the Ironwood Palm Art.
Hiss—
But the Ironwood Palm Energy did not shatter the Wind Person's body—only pale smoke rose from him.
The Wind Person possessed a power that surpassed even the profound secret of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi—Wind Dispels Clouds—
allowing him to absorb any external force and scatter it away as wind in an instant.
"How vicious."
Rip.
When the Wind Person reached out, the fabric near her shoulder tore, revealing her pale arm.
"I'll personally suck out every last drop of your Wind & Cloud Divine Qi."
Snap.
As the Wind Person suppressed her pressure points, he flicked his tongue.
"Our Wind Person Heaven will once again shake the Rivers and Lakes."
"Ugh..."
Hae-yeon strained with all her might.
If she still had the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi within her, mere pressure points wouldn't hold her.
But the method the Wind Person used to seal them was so unusual that even the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi couldn't break free.
"Now then, shall we become clouds and rain?"
Just as the Wind Person, his face flushed with excitement, was about to lay hands on Hae-yeon—
Sshhk!
A sharp, piercing wind tore into the Wind Person's back.
"Hmph."
The Wind Person snorted, deliberately taking the hit.
After all, he could simply use the secret of Wind Dispels Clouds to scatter any external force as wind.
Hiss—
But something unexpected happened.
The energy piercing his back didn't vanish—instead, it relentlessly burrowed deeper into his body.
"Who's there?!"
Finally, the Wind Person twisted slightly, using the principle of Scattering Clouds and Mist to deflect the energy far into the sky.
Ssshhhk! Shhk!
Yet another sharp surge of energy pierced his left and right sides.
And from the ground, a blade of True Qi shot up, stabbing into his Bubbling Spring acupoint.
"Hmm."
The Wind Person, hovering in midair, swiftly retreated, narrowly avoiding the blade of True Qi.
Sshhk.
Then, before anyone realized, a faint black shadow materialized, slowly descending toward the Wind Person.
A peerlessly handsome man, his eyes brimming with the majesty of a dragon.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
Snap. Snap.
With a flick of his fingers, Bu Eun-seol released the Demon Blood Point sealing Hae-yeon.
"You—!"
Just as the Wind Person's eyes flashed—
Hae-yeon stepped forward first, speaking to Bu Eun-seol.
"How... how are you—?"
"I already know the situation. We'll talk later."
Seeing Hae-yeon's torn clothes and haggard face, flames of rage burned in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"This isn't your fight."
Hae-yeon's voice trembled as she spoke.
"So don't interfere—just leave."
Even when suppressed by the Wind Person—
her eyes had remained composed, waiting for a chance to counterattack.
But now, they were filled with fear.
Fear that because of her—
Bu Eun-seol, too, might become a sacrifice.