Chapter 917
"Ugh..."
Bu Eun-seol clutched his head as agony began wracking his body.
The pain felt as though half his skull was being torn away.
[So get out of my body already.]
When the voice echoed through his mind once more,
"Shut up. This body was originally mine."
Bu Eun-seol now gripped his head with both hands, writhing in torment.
The grotesque voice resonating within his psyche was unbearable.
Something that had been clinging to his crown chakra now tangled and slowly slithered down to his face, as if strangling his breath.
"Just tear this tangled mess apart already!"
Crrack.
The moment that thought formed, the sound of cracking bones emanated from Bu Eun-seol's body.
An endless black radiance bloomed in his pupils, while his hair turned white as snowflowers.
"Ah..."
Then, Bu Eun-seol released a sigh mingled with euphoric laughter.
"Actually, this works out perfectly. A blessing in disguise."
[...]
"It was suffocating, being tangled together all this time."
That smile and those eyes—
Were they not the exact same visage of Bu Eun-seol from when he had brutally beaten the Martial God Heaven Lord to death? That utterly depraved and cruel expression?
"Let's forget about the name Bu Eun-seol now."
Turning his head to gaze at the copper mirror, Bu Eun-seol wore an exhilarated smile.
"I'm not Bu Eun-seol—I'm Baekri Geom-ha."
Baekri Geom-ha.
The existence that had been lurking within Bu Eun-seol's psyche now declared itself as Baekri Geom-ha.
"From now on, I will live as Baekri Geom-ha."
Bu Eun-seol—no, Baekri Geom-ha—bared his fangs in a grin, and at that very moment, another bizarre phenomenon occurred.
Swirl... swirl...
Suddenly, a white fog began rising before Baekri Geom-ha's eyes.
And within it, a faint illusion gradually took shape.
It was a peerlessly handsome man with crimson-glowing eyes and an unbearably desolate gaze.
The original Bu Eun-seol.
Step... step...
With a ghostly, translucent body, Bu Eun-seol slowly approached and stared at Baekri Geom-ha before asking,
[How did you steal my body?]
Baekri Geom-ha scoffed coldly.
"Spouting nonsense again. This was always my body."
[Your body?]
"You really don't know, do you?"
A sneer curled on Baekri Geom-ha's lips.
"Well, not that a parasitic ghost like you needs to."
Then, he spread one arm wide.
"No need for lengthy explanations. Just die."
Flash!
From Baekri Geom-ha's body erupted an all-consuming black radiance.
It carried the power of apocalypse—capable of burning away the traces of time and warping the boundaries of space.
Flash!
At that instant, a dazzling brilliance also burst forth from Bu Eun-seol's spectral form.
It was the Power of Harmony, manifested through the profound principles of martial arts.
Whoosh!
If Harmony was a blazing torch, the black fog was an endlessly expanding sea.
The light that had filled heaven and earth vanished in an instant, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness.
And the Power of Harmony could not withstand the black radiance unleashed by Baekri Geom-ha.
Fzzzt!
But then, the black light split into two, and between them, Bu Eun-seol lunged forward, swinging his Ink Soul Sword.
In truth, neither his sword nor his body physically existed.
Because right now—
He was a personality residing within the psyche of Baekri Geom-ha, who had seized control of the physical form.
In other words, their battle...
Was not taking place in the physical world, but within the realm of the spirit.
Kwaaooong!
Before they knew it, the surroundings had transformed into an endlessly vast universe.
The clash of these two distinct personalities seemed to embody the very creation and destruction of the cosmos.
Bu Eun-seol wielded the power of Pure White.
With every motion of his hand, radiant vitality bloomed, and a warm, searing light gently caressed the world.
In contrast, Baekri Geom-ha ceaselessly unleashed blade-like crimson flames and razor-sharp swords of fire.
His power withered all life, spreading infinite hatred, longing, and ominous fear.
This battle was a struggle between two personalities within a single body, fighting for dominance over the physical form.
Thus, it was more brutal than any other conflict, and with every collision of their powers, the shockwaves violently shook the physical body.
"I don't understand."
Pausing briefly, Baekri Geom-ha let out a derisive snort.
"This body will resolve everything that your weakness couldn't handle so easily."
Forming another black sphere in one hand, he spoke.
"You should've just stayed back and watched. Why interfere?"
[Nonsense.]
Bu Eun-seol's voice was icy.
[Even if it's for Grandfather's revenge, what's the point if everyone I care about ends up dead?]
"What did you say?"
[If they all leave me, what's the point?]
"Hahahaha!"
Baekri Geom-ha let out a scornful laugh.
"You're still just like a child."
[……]
"Still afraid of being left alone?"
[Still?]
Instead of answering, Baekri Geom-ha shook his head—
Whoom.
—and formed another black sphere in his remaining hand.
"Stop being a nuisance and just curl up in the dark."
His voice was resolute.
"I'll take care of everything."
[You can't take care of anything.]
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
[Nothing.]
"Shut up."
KWA-WOONG!
The moment the black sphere was hurled, a massive shockwave erupted, its light dissolving all form.
Srrrk.
Bu Eun-seol vanished—only to rematerialize like a ghost moments later.
"I can erase you as many times as I want."
KWA-WOONG!
The second shockwave was even more violent.
The black light, saturated with icy despair, transcended the boundaries of space, carrying the power to alter the very fabric of existence.
[Useless.]
Bu Eun-seol reformed once more, his voice cold.
[This is just a space of Spirit and Mind. None of it is real.]
"Oh, is that so?"
Baekri Geom-ha flashed a wicked grin.
"But whether it's Spirit and Mind or reality, I can wield this power infinitely."
KWA-WOONG!
And then, in rapid succession, he unleashed a torrent of radiance.
It was a force capable of unraveling the very Essence that composed the world.
Engulfed in the light, Bu Eun-seol forgot even who he was.
His identity was erased, the core of his heart and mind dissolving without a trace.
[I...]
"Right, who are you?"
At Baekri Geom-ha's words, Bu Eun-seol pressed a hand to his forehead and shook his head.
He could no longer remember.
"Good. That's how it should be."
Baekri Geom-ha smiled brightly.
"Ignorance is bliss, after all."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
[There's one thing I do know.]
"And what's that?"
[You're about to die.]
"What?"
With a dazed expression, Bu Eun-seol raised a finger and pointed behind Baekri Geom-ha.
[That gap... How do you plan to close it?]
When Baekri Geom-ha turned, he saw it—a small hole, formed alongside a crack that hadn't been there before.
It was a hole in his heart, left behind by his grandfather's death.
And within that gap in his Spirit and Mind—
—lay infinite Potential and Possibility, yet it was also filled with endless Emptiness.
"Why would I need to close it?"
Baekri Geom-ha scoffed.
"Whether it tears open or collapses into nothingness, why should I care?"
[Ah.]
At that answer, the dullness in Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered back to life.
[Right. That's why you'll never succeed.]
Tzzk.
Suddenly, the tiny crack behind Baekri Geom-ha's back expanded—
—and in an instant, it became a gaping maw, like the mouth of a monster ready to devour the world.
The edges of the hole crumbled endlessly as it grew, its depth unfathomable.
Krrrrrrr.
At the same time, from the deepest Abyss, a tremendous suction force erupted.
A gale-like Wind swept through, pulling everything within the Spirit and Mind into its grasp.
"Hmph."
Baekri Geom-ha poured forth his dark energy, attempting to fill the hole.
"I can't forget—this is my Spirit and Mind."
But the screams from the hole became Thunderous Sound, and the swirling suction distorted space itself.
No matter how much power Baekri Geom-ha exerted—
—the hole refused to close.
[If you could have filled it, none of this would have happened.]
"What?"
[That hole... It just kept growing. Endlessly.]
True to Bu Eun-seol's words, the hole continued to expand—
—and soon, even the surrounding darkness was being dragged into that vast Emptiness.
An absolute Abyss where not even light could escape.
And now, it was pulling Baekri Geom-ha in.
"Ghk—!"
He strained with all his might.
Space twisted, forming strange patterns around the hole.
Thud. Thud.
But like the heartbeat of the Universe, the hole pulsed—contracting and expanding rhythmically.
Each time, the suction grew stronger, and slowly, inevitably, he was dragged toward the Abyss.
"You—!"
Baekri Geom-ha shouted in frustration.
"Why aren't you being pulled in?!"
[I can't go.]
Bu Eun-seol glanced behind himself.
[I'm carrying too much.]
Baekri Geom-ha's eyes widened.
Only now did he see them—the enormous weights tethered to Bu Eun-seol's back.
Countless invisible threads, binding him, preventing him from being swallowed by the dark.
The weight of countless responsibilities, bonds, and entangled favors and grudges.
The promise to the grandfather who had died because of him, and the vengeance.
The boundless trust and hearts of his sworn friends and subordinates.
And the resentment and wills of the countless people who had perished by his hand until now...
All of it pressed down upon Bu Eun-seol, anchoring him so he wouldn't be dragged into the abyss.
"You madman!"
Baekri Geom-ha shouted with an aggrieved expression.
"Are you saying you don't get sucked into this void just because you've piled up a lot of grudges and favors?"
[Is that all you see?]
"What?"
[I've never fought alone.]
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
[They've always been with me.]
He had never fought alone.
The grandfather watching over him from beyond the heavens.
Seok U-haeng, who had chosen death after yearning for even a single day of the same talent he possessed.
So Ja-myeong, the leader of the Kill-Seeking Unit, and the countless martial artists who had willingly died for him...
Not once had Bu Eun-seol forgotten their lives.
He had carried each of their wills and hearts upon his back all this time.
"Don't make me laugh."
Baekri Geom-ha gritted his teeth.
"You're not even the real one, are you?"
Then he roared.
"You'll end up too... Ugh! Aaah!"
But his words did not continue.
Slowly, he was sucked into the black void, his form dissolving into dark dust.
"You think you've won? But I won't die! In the end, victory will be mine!"
Even as half of Baekri Mu-ha's face crumbled into black powder, he bellowed furiously.
"I am the real Baekri Geom-ha! They were the ones who sealed me away!"
He screamed like a cornered beast.
"You think you'll recover your memories? You, a mere illusion of a personality someone else fabricated?"
Baekri Geom-ha's mouth stretched wide.
"Everything in your head belongs to me! You'll never reclaim any of it!"
CRACK!
At the same moment, Baekri Geom-ha's shadow—
—shattered into hundreds of black fragments, sucked into the abyss.
FLASH!
Everything vanished.
Nothing remained within the spirit and mind.
No trace of Baekri Geom-ha, nor Bu Eun-seol. No voices, no remnants.
Only an endless expanse of vast emptiness stretched before him.
FLASH.
At the same time, in reality, Bu Eun-seol opened his eyes.
His pupils held an indescribable loneliness, and his gaze was as deep as if he were staring into the boundary at the edge of the universe.
Bu Eun-seol.
At last, he had pushed the personality that had plunged his spirit into chaos into the abyss—and returned to his original self.
"So that's how it was."
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize a hidden truth.
"It wasn't that my memories weren't returning. My other personality... was holding onto them."
All this time, he had thought his martial prowess was lacking compared to his father—
—compared to the superlative martial experts of Murim, and that was why his memories hadn't returned.
But now he understood.
Another personality had existed within his mind, and that cruel bastard had been keeping everything locked away.
"So I can't retrieve them now."
Unless the self-proclaimed Baekri Geom-ha willingly revealed them, his past memories would remain forever out of reach.
"No, perhaps..."
A thought occurred to him—if he fused with Baekri Geom-ha, wouldn't he be able to reclaim all his memories?
CRACKLE—
Then, the ceiling began to fracture. A faint light seeped through the cracks.
"I put you through a lot."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"All of you."
RUMBLE—DRIP.
In an instant, the ceiling collapsed entirely, and soon the entire hall melted away like water.
At the same time, an astonishing sight unfolded.
Bu Eun-seol still stood in the Grand Martial Training Ground of the Hidden Demon Pavilion.
The martial artists of the Death Shadow War Unit stood frozen, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, their eyes wide.
At the four corners of the training ground, Myo Cheon-u, Jo Nam-cheon, Wi Cheon-gyeong, and Won Se-mun trembled violently.
Behind Bu Eun-seol stood Yu Un-ryong.
And before him—Yeon So-ha, gripping a mystically glowing treasure, stood bleeding yet unwavering.
"I'm sorry."
When Bu Eun-seol murmured the words to her, she responded not with words but with a radiant smile.
She had realized—he had finally reclaimed his complete self.
THUD.
But the moment she collapsed, her face drained of color, she finally lost consciousness.
"Young Palace Lord!"
Startled, Bu Eun-seol swiftly caught her in his arms.
HUMMM.
He channeled pure Reverse Polarity True Qi into her, but she showed no signs of waking.
"Un-ryong. Bring the Azure Spirit Stone Fluid."
At Bu Eun-seol's command, Yu Un-ryong shook his head.
"It's fine. She's just exhausted."
Then, calmly, he continued.
"She overlaid the Mind's Eye Mirror."
"Overlaid... I see."
The stacking of mindscapes.
This was something he had never attempted before.
No—it was an act so perilous that attempting it had been unthinkable.
But he knew that if he didn't do this, Bu Eun-seol would realize the truth immediately.
So he had staked his life on stacking the Mind's Eye Mirror.
"The Young Palace Lord knew. She knew that you hadn't willingly changed into this cruel person."
Yu Un-ryong explained again.
"So, after much deliberation, she stacked the Mind's Eye Mirror and gathered all the Immortal Artifacts from the Divine Maiden Palace... to draw out the essence of your spirit and mind."
Immortal Artifacts were treasures used by immortals, possessing immense power—
But it was known that for a human to wield them, they had to expend either their life force or their Essence Blood.
And in order to restore Bu Eun-seol, who was burning away—
At the heart of the Mind's Eye Mirror, she had taken on the role of controlling these treasures to their final limit.
"All for you."
Originally, the stacking of a Mindscape was something only those who specialized in manipulating Phases—or perhaps Masters of the Martial Extreme Realm—could achieve.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol had not only reached the Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough but also possessed the power to instantly escape any Mindscape.
Knowing this all too well, Yu Un-ryong, after much deliberation—
Had stacked the Mind's Eye Mirror by sacrificing the mysterious treasures and Dharma Instruments of the Divine Maiden Palace, the lives of all the warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit,
And Yeon So-ha herself.
All so that Bu Eun-seol could choose his true heart for himself.
He had shown him a Mindscape where everyone—except for a few like Seo Jin-ha, So-yo, and Tak Il-hon—had abandoned him.
If his cruelty had been genuine, he would not have batted an eye even if everyone left.
But if it hadn't been his true self... then he would surely return to his original form.
And in the end, that gamble had succeeded.
By combining Yeon So-ha's life force with that of the Death Shadow War Unit warriors—
Through an unprecedented method of stacking Mind's Eye Mirror upon Mind's Eye Mirror.
"And even if... your cruelty had been real, we would have followed you into hell."
Yu Un-ryong wiped the blood trickling from his lips as he spoke.
"Whether we struck down the Martial Alliance, the Martial Soul Society, or dyed the world in blood... we would have done it with you—"
Thud.
Unable to continue, Yu Un-ryong finally dropped to one knee.
"Why didn't you stop her?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his disbelief as he shouted.
"You're the strategist of this hall! How could you stake the Young Palace Lord's life and the lives of our battalion members on such a reckless gamble—?"
Yu Un-ryong, still wiping blood from his mouth, smiled faintly.
"If she hadn't done it... I would have."
Thud.
At that moment, Yeon So-ha collapsed completely, her body going limp.
"Young Palace Lord!"
Bu Eun-seol called her name again and poured Reverse Polarity True Qi into her.
But no matter how much True Qi he infused, there was no sign of her regaining consciousness.
'This isn't just exhaustion.'
Her body was as cold as ice, her lips turning a deep shade of violet.
'And unintentionally... I've caused her great pain.'
Yeon So-ha's unconscious form looked as though she had fallen into a deep slumber.
Her complexion was deathly pale, and her long, dark lashes cast shadows over her cheeks like black butterflies.
Though her eyes were tightly shut, her refined and peerless beauty remained unchanged.
'A woman who could be loved by anyone... Why has she devoted herself to me so utterly?'
His chest ached.
Until now, because his personality had been tangled with Baekri Geom-ha's—
He had become someone cold, ruthless, and tyrannical beyond his own control.
And to Yeon So-ha, he had left deep wounds with his cruel words and actions.
'She must have severely damaged her True Origin by using the Immortal Artifacts.'
Fortunately, Bu Eun-seol had a Spirit Pill—the Slumbering Demon Divine Pill—that could replenish a damaged True Origin.
Quickly retrieving the medicine bottle from his pocket, he placed the pill in Yeon So-ha's mouth.
But she was unconscious and couldn't swallow it.
Bu Eun-seol tried melting it with Water Essence Divine Qi.
However, the Slumbering Demon Divine Pill only dissolved in saliva, so no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her to ingest it.
"Use your... mouth."
At that moment, Myo Cheon-u, his forehead still dripping blood, approached.
"Haven't you read Romance of the Fated Encounter? When someone can't swallow a pill, the hero always chews it and passes it mouth-to-mouth."
"No, it's not that serious."
Bu Eun-seol forced the pill into Yeon So-ha's mouth again, spreading Water Essence Divine Qi.
But since her saliva had completely dried up, the pill wouldn't dissolve.
—Lord... isn't that too much?
The warriors of the Death Shadow War Unit, still bleeding, watched with darkened expressions.
—Just chew it and pass it to her with your mouth!
But when Bu Eun-seol ignored their heated gazes—
The squad leaders, including Won Se-mun, began swarming forward like jiangshi spotting prey.
"The Young Palace Lord risked her life for you, Lord. Is giving her medicine mouth-to-mouth really that difficult?"
"Why do you keep conjuring water in your palm?"
"I told you—the Slumbering Demon Divine Pill only dissolves in saliva!"
Yu Un-ryong, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up.
"The squad leaders have a point."
He, too, pleaded with Bu Eun-seol.
"Just... put it in her mouth."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head firmly.
"Just because she's unconscious, how can I defile her pure body so carelessly?"
—For heaven's sake, just defile her already!
Protests rained down from Myo Cheon-u and the warriors, their voices united in frustration.