Chapter 910
Tsk.
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue, lightly moistened his crimson lips with saliva, and spoke.
"Did you start thinking you're some kind of god just because you had a bit of fun in Martial God Heaven's Domain?"
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, Martial God Heaven Lord's body shot backward in a straight line and crashed into the wall.
Rustle.
Emerging unfazed from the cloud of dust, Martial God Heaven Lord tilted his head in confusion.
Hmm.
He hadn't even been able to perceive how Bu Eun-seol had attacked him.
Crunch.
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol—who had just crushed the fallen chains underfoot—slowly advanced toward him.
His presence was as solemn as it was terrifying, like a Demon King dragging an immense darkness in his wake.
"Just what the hell are you?"
Martial God Heaven Lord instinctively realized it.
The one walking toward him now...
Was an entirely different existence from the man he had been facing mere moments ago.
"What am I?"
Bu Eun-seol replied with a faint smile.
"Just a guy here to beat an old man to death who got too cocky."
BOOM!
Martial God Heaven Lord was sent flying into the wall again.
He still couldn't even detect how the attack had landed.
"Using sorcery before this Heaven Lord?!"
Riiip.
Enraged, Martial God Heaven Lord tore off his upper robes, revealing a torso sculpted like twisted steel.
He had lived nearly two hundred years—comparable to the Buddhist Venerable—and had defeated countless martial masters throughout the Murim.
Even if he had lost most of his power, he couldn't possibly endure such humiliation from some green-blooded brat.
BOOM!
Yet, despite his defiance, his body was slammed into the wall once more.
"Fine."
Martial God Heaven Lord's eyes flashed as if he had made up his mind.
Fwoosh.
Suddenly, the shattered fragments of chains scattered across the floor rose into the air and—
Stab-stab-stab!
—pierced through his thirty-six major acupoints.
He was attempting to unleash the Blood Fire Annihilation Art, deliberately destroying his own acupoints to explosively ignite the remaining Soul-Demon Magic Energy in one go.
Whoosh.
But in the end, he failed to drive the last chain fragment into his acupoint.
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol had closed the distance and snatched the piece midair—just as it was about to strike his Hundred Meetings Acupoint.
"If you're gonna pull that kind of stunt, you should at least be subtle about it. Did you really think I'd just let you stab yourself right in front of me?"
WHACK!
Martial God Heaven Lord's face snapped to the side.
Bu Eun-seol had just slapped him across the cheek with full force.
It wasn't a martial technique.
Just a plain, brutal slap.
Shudder.
His body trembled lightly.
Never in his long life had he suffered such humiliation.
No—he had never even imagined such disgrace was possible.
"How dare you insult this Heaven Lord—!"
WHACK!
But his face was wrenched to the side again.
Bu Eun-seol had slapped him once more.
"You little—!"
Martial God Heaven Lord ignited every last ounce of his remaining power.
It was a Secret Art designed to detonate the Domain of Martial God Heaven and annihilate his foe in an instant.
But Bu Eun-seol's hand was faster.
Shink.
With an eerie slicing sound, a Black Blade plunged into Martial God Heaven Lord's lower abdomen.
It wasn't the Willful True Binding, nor was it True Qi Martial Arts.
It was a unique blade forged from the power within his own body.
"This...?"
The moment that blade pierced his abdomen, the entire stone chamber darkened.
At the same time, Martial God Heaven Lord's power over the layered Domains began to crumble.
"Impossible."
The Domain of Martial God Heaven was crafted from Soul-Demon Magic Energy itself.
No force in existence should have been able to violate it.
So how could someone else disrupt Martial God Heaven's Domain?
"How... how are you dismantling the Soul-Demon Magic Energy?!"
Martial God Heaven Lord's eyes widened in realization.
"You... you're the Heavenly Darkness Star!"
"The one asking questions..."
WHACK!
"...is me."
WHACK!
"Got it?"
WHACK! THUD.
Finally, Martial God Heaven Lord collapsed against the wall, his face reduced to a bloody pulp.
Though it seemed like nothing more than a simple slap, Bu Eun-seol's palm carried the force of ten cycles of Internal Power.
Martial God Heaven Lord's face was so caved in that his features were no longer recognizable.
"Feels good to hit you as much as I want, doesn't it?"
Bu Eun-seol's voice was icy.
"All this time, you've been using Martial God Heaven's Domain to restrict countless enemies' martial arts, restrict their Internal Power, and take their lives."
"..."
Drip-drip.
At that moment, fresh blood trickled down Bu Eun-seol's forehead again.
As he wiped it with his finger, a terrifying Killing Intent bloomed in his eyes.
"I'm bleeding, but you're still intact, huh?"
A crimson Blood Light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils as he clenched his fist.
THUD. THUD.
Having cornered Martial God Heaven Lord, Bu Eun-seol began mercilessly pummeling him.
It was a one-sided beating.
With Internal Power surpassing ten cycles,
The fearsome might of the Orthodox Unorthodox Demonic and Buddhist Arts, the Three Divine Powers, and the forces of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang—
Against a Martial God Heaven Lord reduced to only one-tenth of his strength, unable to activate his Domain...
He was nothing more than an ordinary old man.
"Ghk... ghh..."
Martial God Heaven Lord finally let out a groan.
"Just kill me already."
As a peerless Grandmaster, he would never have shown such weakness no matter the pain.
But Bu Eun-seol's fists carried agony worse than death itself.
The agony felt endless—as if he were trapped in an eternal hell where he could neither die nor live.
"Don't bother with humiliation."
Scrrrtch.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol grabbed the Martial God Heaven Lord by the hair and dragged him out of the stone chamber.
Crunch.
Then, snapping off half of the True Qi blade embedded in his lower abdomen—
Whumph.
—the crumbling Domain of Martial God Heaven flickered faintly, barely holding on.
"Where is my grandfather's great saber?"
"I don't know."
"Oh? Then I'll make you remember."
Bu Eun-seol seized the Martial God Heaven Lord's hair again and began beating him mercilessly.
"You dared try to split my skull with chains?"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The beating lasted for a full single horn (a quarter of an hour).
The Martial God Heaven Lord, at the very least, wasn't completely dead—his Domain hadn't fully shattered, so his breath remained unbroken.
But with every strike from Bu Eun-seol's fists, the Soul-Demon Magic Energy faded, and every conceivable pain a human body could endure surged through him with excruciating clarity.
Shudder. Shudder.
The Martial God Heaven Lord trembled violently where he lay.
Even worse—his pants were soaking wet, as if he had lost control of his bladder.
If only the Domain had collapsed entirely, his breath would have been cut off.
But because it lingered in this half-broken state, he was trapped—unable to die, yet unable to truly live.
"Kill me."
"You still haven't come to your senses. What did I say?"
CRACK.
A dull, wet snap—and the Martial God Heaven Lord's eyes rolled white as Bu Eun-seol shattered his ankle in one swift motion.
"Who took my grandfather's great saber?"
When no answer came—
CRACK.
—this time, his right ankle was stomped and crushed.
A figure like the Martial God Heaven Lord—
No matter how much his body had been reduced to that of an ordinary man, he would never scream from mere pain.
"Ghhh—!"
But he couldn't stop himself from screaming. Because if he didn't open his mouth, the pain would stretch on endlessly.
"...I'll tell you. So kill me."
The Martial God Heaven Lord spoke through trembling lips.
"It was someone who used the Langya Mind's Eye."
"Nonsense."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was ice.
"You expect me to believe some random disciple of Langya Pavilion stole the great saber from here?"
"It's the truth. That person could completely conceal their presence. They had mastered the Way of Nature."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't comprehend it.
Langya Pavilion was an orthodox Demonic Path Sect.
And the only ones who could have mastered the Way of Nature, a pinnacle of the Righteous Faction's martial studies—
—were the current lord of Langya Pavilion, Ak Mu-ryeong (who had recently grasped the principles of the Nature Sword from the Sword Sovereign), and himself.
So was he saying Ak Mu-ryeong had taken the great saber?
Zzzzzzzz—
Bu Eun-seol formed a blade of black True Qi and pressed it against the Martial God Heaven Lord's throat.
"Stop lying. The timing doesn't add up."
"No—perhaps it wasn't the Way of Nature, but someone who had reached Great Completion in Sensory Martial Arts."
The Martial God Heaven Lord spat out a mouthful of blood as he spoke.
"I have spoken honestly. Now spare me further humiliation."
He straightened his posture, his eyes reflecting complete detachment from everything.
And in that instant—
"Ugh—!"
Bu Eun-seol clutched his forehead.
Amidst the agony worse than death, the image of his grandfather—gentle even in suffering—flashed before him.
"Uuuuugh—KAAAAH!"
FWOOOOOOSH—!
A radiant light erupted from his body.
KWA-BOOOOOM!
The Radiance pierced through the stone chamber's ceiling and shot straight into the heavens.
For a moment, all color vanished from the world—as if only Bu Eun-seol's existence remained.
"That is—!"
The Martial God Heaven Lord gaped at the light that silenced the sky and shook the earth.
"The Heavenly Darkness Star... was the Heavenly Might Star all along?"
Only now did he finally understand.
Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang.
What that peerless Grandmaster had accomplished. What terrifying, absurd feat he had pulled off.
"Heh... hahaha—HAHAHAHA!"
He burst into Mad Laughter.
RUMBLE—!
The moment the Radiance radiating from Bu Eun-seol's body engulfed him—
SPLURT.
His chest burst open, and a waterfall of blood gushed forth.
Exposed to that divine light, a fragment of the Martial God Heaven's power returned—and without hesitation, he severed his own Heart Meridian, committing suicide.
"In the end... He will come for you."
Leaning against the wall in a gruesome state—
Thud.
—the Martial God Heaven Lord breathed his last.
"Uuuugh..."
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol, wreathed in the Radiance, bared his teeth as his body convulsed.
Blood poured ceaselessly from his wounded Hundred Meetings Acupoint, and a burning pain emanated from his Brain Gate Acupoint burned as though aflame.
"Ghhh—!"
He clutched his head.
This pain was beyond what any human body could endure.
"GRAAAAAH—!"
With a piercing scream—
Wisp... wisp...
—the black smoke swirling from his body slowly dissipated.
Along with it, his once-sharpened gaze gradually returned to normal.
But his now-pale skin and crimson lips did not revert.
Drip. Drip.
Blood flowed once more from Bu Eun-seol's head.
At the same time, something writhed within his Brain Gate Acupoint.
"Ah, damn it... My body can't take it after all."
With an irritated mutter,
"...This is going to get all mixed up."
Thud.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol lost consciousness.
How much time had passed?
Plip.
The sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling reached his ears.
Plip. Plip.
As the sound continued without pause, Bu Eun-seol gradually regained his senses.
Lying sprawled on his back, he blinked his eyes. Then, he abruptly sat up and surveyed his surroundings.
"He's dead?"
Discovering the lifeless body of the Martial God Heaven Lord, Bu Eun-seol tilted his head in confusion.
"Why is he dead?"
He distinctly remembered being unable to break the Martial God Heaven Lord's domain, helplessly enduring the attacks.
So how could the man be dead now?
"Suicide."
Upon examining the cause of death in detail, he saw that the Martial God Heaven Lord had severed his own heart meridian.
Moreover, his once-solid body had shriveled like a deflated balloon, as if all the energy within him had completely drained away.
Zzzzt.
At that moment, a dark energy surged again from Bu Eun-seol's pupils, and his mind grew feverish.
―The one who took the great saber...
The words the Martial God Heaven Lord had spoken earlier faintly resurfaced in his memory.
But that was all. Nothing beyond that came to mind.
"Ah."
Bu Eun-seol let out a heavy sigh.
Thanks to Wooden Buddha, he had learned the location of the Deathly Heaven's stronghold and thought he had found some kind of lead.
But now, he had lost all memory of what had happened here?
"First, I should return."
Bu Eun-seol was always meticulous, never overlooking even the smallest clue.
Moreover, returning empty-handed after coming all this way made no sense.
Yet, right now—
He was making a hasty decision, something he would never normally do, and preparing to leave this place without a shred of doubt.
"I'll find it soon enough."
Though he sensed something was clearly wrong, his mind overflowed with excessive confidence and optimism.
Once my head injury heals... Once I rest a little... My memories will return in no time...
Making judgments he would never usually make.
Rumble.
Stepping outside and breathing in the fresh air, his body felt lighter.
"Something feels different."
Not only that, but an inexplicable power surged endlessly within him, as if his chest were burning.
CRACK!
Activating his movement technique, Bu Eun-seol's body shot up into the distant sky.
At the same time, he transformed into a streak of black lightning and vanished in an instant.
Bu Eun-seol immediately returned to the Demon Hall.
The moment he arrived, he washed himself thoroughly and donned the formal robes symbolizing his status as the Martial Soul Lord.
"What's going on?"
Yu Un-ryong, who spotted him upon his return to the Hidden Demon Pavilion, was stunned.
Even during ceremonies or special events, Bu Eun-seol refused to wear formal robes, citing discomfort.
Yet now, he was wearing them like everyday attire?
"What do you mean, 'what's going on'?"
"That."
Yu Un-ryong stared at Bu Eun-seol for a long while.
He had always been handsome, but now there was an eerie, almost bewitching beauty about him.
Moreover, he exuded an indescribable, unique aura.
"That."
But Yu Un-ryong couldn't find the right words to express it.
He shook his head and said,
"No, it's nothing."
Then, he continued,
"Anyway, you're back just in time. We need to convene the Lord's Meeting as soon as possible."
"Why?"
"The atmosphere is unusual."
"Atmosphere?"
Yu Un-ryong's expression turned grave.
"Let's hold the Lord's Meeting first. It'd be better to explain with the other lords present."
"No, if it's urgent, there's no need for a meeting."
Bu Eun-seol dismissed it casually.
"Just tell me. I'll take care of everything."
"What?"
"There's no need to trouble ourselves by summoning all those rice containers."
Yu Un-ryong found this odd but nodded anyway.
"Actually, within the Demon Hall—"
But then, with a click, the office door opened.
At the same time, an indescribably beautiful woman stepped inside.
It was none other than the Secret Order Lord, Dan So-ok.
"My Lord."
With an urgent expression, she addressed Bu Eun-seol.
"Quickly, gather your supporters at the main hall. Hostile factions are rallying their forces."
She was cutting things so abruptly that it was hard to follow.
Regardless, she pressed on without even a greeting.
"Before they convene the Demon Governance Council, we must summon your supporters and stop them."
"Why is the Demon Governance Council being convened?"
When Bu Eun-seol asked, Yu Un-ryong interjected,
"The Lord has just returned and isn't aware of the situation yet."
Only then did Dan So-ok realize she had been speaking too hastily.
"Forgive me. To put it simply... Right now, key figures from the Secret Shadow Pavilion are making moves to demand a reevaluation of your legitimacy as the Heir of the Demon Hall."
She explained calmly.
The Heir of the Demon Hall must inherit the legitimacy of the Demonic Path and prove his qualifications to unify the Demonic Martial World.
Not only that, he must resolve conflicts with the Righteous Path sects and lay out the future direction of the Demonic Path—
Earning the trust of the Demon Hall's inner circle is his duty.
So far, Bu Eun-seol had proven both his martial prowess and strategic genius.
Yet unfortunately, he had failed to suppress the momentum of the Righteous Path sects and had not demonstrated the qualifications to unify the Demonic Martial World as the heir of the Demonic Path.
Especially with the emergence of a new orthodox faction alliance—the Azure Heaven Alliance.
The fact that he had failed to detect it in advance and formulate countermeasures...
Was being evaluated as deeply disappointing conduct for the next Demon Hall Lord.
"The Demon Hall has always appointed successors early in each generation precisely to thoroughly verify their capabilities," Dan So-ok explained.
"But Lord, you've only emphasized your martial prowess and achievements. The prevailing opinion is that you've failed to present a clear vision for suppressing the orthodox factions."
"Hmm."
"Moreover, your betrothal to the Young Palace Lord of the Divine Maiden Palace—a sect that has long adhered to orthodox principles despite straddling the line between orthodox and heterodox—is also being criticized."
In truth, this wasn't the first time the issue of reevaluating the successor had been raised.
However, Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess was overwhelmingly formidable, and those who had previously attempted to slander him had only ended up decapitated.
Thus, even if dissatisfaction existed, none dared voice it openly.
But the formation and growth of the Azure Heaven Alliance had become a significant problem.
While it was understandable that the Demonic Heavenly Emperor remained silent...
The fact that the orthodox factions were expanding so aggressively and the tides were shifting, yet the Demon Hall's heir showed no reaction—this was a serious issue.
And an even greater problem was this:
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had not devoted his efforts to managing the Demon Hall as its successor.
Instead, he had spent most of his time shuttling between the martial world and the Hidden Demon Pavilion, focusing solely on the Death Shadow War Unit.
For a high-ranking member of the Demon Hall to abstain from participating in its governance...
Was undeniably negligent behavior.
This had led to mounting dissatisfaction among the senior members, yet none could easily impose sanctions on someone of his status.
Ultimately, some of these members, seeing no alternative outside the Demon Governance Council, sought to leverage the Secret Shadow Pavilion's authority to convene a meeting.
"I see."
After listening silently for a long while, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Then, with deep, unfathomable eyes, he gazed at Dan So-ok.
"So you rushed here in such a fluster over this?"
"Of course."
"And why is that 'of course'?"
Before she knew it, Bu Eun-seol had closed the distance between them until they were nearly nose-to-nose, looking down at her.
Dan So-ok's face flushed as she lowered her head, his breath close enough to feel.
"Because... it concerns you, Lord."
Her heart pounded wildly.
If before, he had always exuded an air of endless loneliness...
Now, for some reason, it was as though millions of dazzling light points and alluring radiance had spread around him.
And wasn't there a strange fragrance tickling her nose every time he exhaled?
"Un-ryong."
Bu Eun-seol turned to Yu Un-ryong.
"Are the meeting topics you mentioned earlier the same as what Lord Dan just described?"
"They are."
As Yu Un-ryong nodded, Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"Nothing to worry about, then."
"What?"
"Don't fret, Lord Dan."
Bu Eun-seol took Dan So-ok's hand.
Then, with an enigmatic expression, he slowly raised it.
"Nothing will happen, I assure you."
"My Lord..."
"And thank you."
Holding the back of her hand up to eye level, Bu Eun-seol whispered in a low voice.
"For prioritizing my affairs above all else."
Then, staring straight into her face... he pressed his lips to the back of her hand.
"Ah!"
Dan So-ok gasped in shock, letting out a small cry.
Though it was merely the soft touch of lips against her skin...
It felt as though something sweet and tender had pierced straight through her bones.
"I-It was only natural, my Lord."
As she hastily withdrew her trembling hand, Bu Eun-seol shook his head and whispered sweetly.
"No one would consider such a thing 'natural,' Lord Dan."
His white teeth glinted slightly as he smiled.
"Return ahead of me. Once I resolve this matter, I'll visit the Secret Order."
"Huh?"
"Why? Do you dislike the idea?"
"Not at all!"
Her cheeks burning crimson, Dan So-ok turned away with jerky, mechanical movements and hurried out of the Hidden Demon Pavilion.
"Was that really necessary?"
Yu Un-ryong, who had been staring blankly at the scene, asked in disbelief.
"Lord Dan already adores you."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm saying there was no need to use something like the Heavenly Heart Demon's Smile—a bewitching secret technique."
"A bewitching secret technique?"
"You just poured alluring energy into her while kissing her hand."
Bu Eun-seol let out a soft chuckle through his nose.
"I did no such thing."
"You didn't?"
Bu Eun-seol bared his white teeth at Yu Un-ryong.
"Do I seem so lacking in charm that I'd resort to cheap tricks?"
Yu Un-ryong's expression went blank at that smile.
It was just a simple flash of white teeth.
And yet...
It carried a destructive power far greater than the Heavenly Heart Demon's Smile—a smile said to ensnare souls in an instant and bind them in eternal devotion.
"I... see."
Yu Un-ryong forced an awkward smile.
"Well, you are handsome... Your face alone is a bewitching technique."
"If we're judging by appearances..."
Bu Eun-seol studied Yu Un-ryong's face intently before quirking his lips.
"Aren't you a peerless pretty boy yourself, Un-ryong?"
Thump-thump.
At the sight of Bu Eun-seol's red lips, Yu Un-ryong's heart began to race inexplicably.
This isn't right.
Truthfully, Bu Eun-seol's beauty had always been striking.
But his usual stern expression and air of melancholy had kept it from standing out too vividly.
Now, however, with his gentle gaze and that flash of white teeth...
Alongside an aura more captivating than any soul-snaring technique...
Wasn't there also a freshness spreading through the air, like biting into just-picked fruit?