Chapter 933
A peculiar thought flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind in that instant.
"Then, perhaps that person possesses an ability that can alter not only their outward appearance... but also their inner memories, or even their inherent traits?"
In the past, he would have dismissed such an assumption as utterly absurd.
But now that he had gained a mysterious power capable of instantly transforming his body and appearance through sheer thought alone—
He could sense that this assumption was no longer mere idle speculation.
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol recalled the Martial Venerable.
"Then, could it be that the Martial Venerable has also obtained such a power?"
In the past, the Martial Venerable had shown no fear whatsoever when Bu Eun-seol publicly exposed him as being in disguise.
Perhaps it was precisely because he, too, had acquired such a power that he could afford to act so boldly.
"In a way, it might be inevitable."
The Martial Alliance, despite its outward appearance, was a place where deep-rooted Abyssal Forces had entrenched themselves over generations.
To brazenly assume the role of Martial Alliance Chief while disguised within the Demon-Subduing Palace...
Undoubtedly, such audacity was only possible because he possessed power commensurate with the act.
"The martial world is still teeming with mysterious powers and martial arts I have yet to comprehend."
The forces of the Sacred Realm could turn ordinary civilians into puppets in the blink of an eye.
The Three Clans wielded the absurd power of the Absolute Boundary, capable of severing space itself.
And the One Hundred and Eight Stars employed abilities bordering on the supernatural—powers so bizarre they could almost be called yokai-like.
In the end, the martial world of today...
Had become an abnormal landscape where factions and masters wielding unknown powers continued to emerge, each with their own hidden agendas.
The era when the ideologies of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths divided the martial world, and blood was spilled in brutal clashes of martial arts and weaponry—that very era now felt almost romantic by comparison.
"From my perspective, this has ironically turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
Regardless of the reasons, he had essentially mastered a disguise technique that no one could detect.
This power would prove immensely useful in his future endeavors.
"Moreover..."
Bu Eun-seol had come to realize an unexpected, monumental secret through the appearance of the Flower-Dancing Demon.
"That there might be an immense power lying dormant within me—one I remain unaware of."
He had already ascended to the realm of a Grandmaster.
To the point where he could even alter the inherited martial doctrines passed down through generations according to his own will.
And yet, despite that, there was still a power within him that he couldn't perceive?
"Perhaps it's precisely because it isn't a power of martial arts."
An ordinary martial artist might have rejoiced, but Bu Eun-seol shook his head instead.
"If it's a power I can neither comprehend nor explain... then it would be better to consider it nonexistent."
Martial arts were a journey from imperfection toward perfection, and that perfection itself was the attainment of a stable realm.
"In the heat of battle, even the smallest flaw or mistake can mean the difference between life and death."
There was no need to abandon the martial arts he had painstakingly built up until now in pursuit of some inexplicable power.
Having settled his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol turned away without hesitation.
Beneath the Singular Light Pavilion in the Demon Hall, within a hidden chamber.
Only those who had mastered the Darkness Secret Arts could enter this secret room, where a masked man stood tall, his body riddled with wounds.
Sssssss...
As a thick black fog gradually spread across his entire body—
Crack.
A fine fissure formed beneath his fingernails, and from it, his fingers began to slide out.
Soon, like peeling off an old glove, his skin flipped and began to shed—until, in an instant, the skin covering his entire body, including his face, was completely stripped away.
Now a crimson figure, he reached into a nearby coffin and retrieved another person's skin.
Wrapping the supple, cold leather around himself from the toes up—as smooth and damp as wet silk—the skin quickly adhered, becoming one with his body.
Sssssss...
Once again, the black fog billowed forth, and from within it, the face of a refined elderly man with neatly combed hair slowly emerged.
It was none other than Yeop Hyo-cheon, who had been impersonating the Flower-Dancing Demon.
Plop.
The shed skin of the Flower-Dancing Demon lay in tatters.
The overwhelming sword technique Bu Eun-seol had unleashed at the end had ultimately damaged the leather beyond repair.
Swish.
Using Void Object Retrieval, he flung the Flower-Dancing Demon's skin back to its original place, his eyes gleaming with a dark light.
Ssssss...
In an instant, the Flower-Dancing Demon's skin began to melt away.
The Darkness Secret Arts possessed numerous functions.
Among them was the ability to naturally mimic a person's habits, movements, and posture—
Everything engraved upon their body—by utilizing their skin.
Even though the Darkness Secret Arts could perfectly alter one's appearance and physique...
The reason he had donned the Flower-Dancing Demon's skin once more to meet Bu Eun-seol...
Was because it had been far too long since he had killed him, and he needed to reabsorb the habits and movements engraved upon his flesh through his skin.
"This is impossible."
Staring into the void, he muttered with an expression of utter disbelief.
"Don't tell me he saw through everything and laid a trap using the Boundary-Prosperity Jade."
As Yeop Hyo-cheon made his way back to the Demon Hall...
The energy absorbed from Bu Eun-seol's body...
He had already discerned that it was the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars—specifically, a single-use force contained within the Boundary-Prosperity Jade.
Could it be that he had predicted Yeop Hyo-cheon would absorb the Heavenly Might Star's power in advance?
Had he deliberately saturated himself with the accumulated might of countless stars through the Boundary-Prosperity Jade before coming to Crimson Serpent Gorge... all to make the Sacred Heaven Jade absorb it?
"No, that's impossible."
Such foresight would be unthinkable even for the Heavenly Mechanism Star.
"And how?"
Even if one were born bearing the destiny of the stars...
Absorbing that vast quantity of stellar energy through the Boundary-Prosperity Jade should be impossible.
Moreover, he wasn't even one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars—how could such a feat be possible?
"Unless... everything he's done until now was possible precisely because he absorbed the Boundary-Prosperity Jade's power?"
After a long moment of contemplation, a glint flashed in Yeop Hyo-cheon's eyes.
"Was the reason he displayed mysterious power during critical moments because he obtained numerous Boundary-Prosperity Jades... and tapped into their energy each time?"
Of course, it was theoretically possible.
But he knew Bu Eun-seol's personality well.
Had he been the type to resort to such underhanded tricks, he would never have reached such extraordinary martial heights.
"So in the end, the heavens refuse to grant me power."
A blaze of mingled fury and despair erupted in Yeop Hyo-cheon's pupils.
What infuriated him even more...
Perhaps due to using the Sacred Heaven Jade...
The reserves of his Darkness Secret Arts had drastically diminished.
In this state, he could no longer employ techniques like mimicking the habits and movements of the deceased through their skins.
CRACK.
Unable to restrain his power, the marble floor instantly turned to dust.
Tremble. Tremble.
The face that had always maintained perfect calm now twisted grotesquely, fingertips shaking violently.
"After suppressing myself for decades just for this moment!"
The reason he could endure decades of patience...
The reason he could play the role of cleaning up after the Demonic Heavenly Emperor all this time...
Was for the sake of obtaining the Heavenly Might Star—the Infinite Heavens-Annihilation and Transcendent Fate Path-Severing arts that Bu Jan-yang had possessed, capable of annihilating even celestial will and transcending the paths of fate.
But destiny denied him.
Instead, he lost nearly one-third of the Darkness Secret Arts he'd honed over decades.
"Why does heaven deny me this opportunity!"
Yeop Hyo-cheon raged.
His talent was the Greatest of All Time.
Yet the Murim wasn't a place where talent alone could achieve Great Completion—one needed power bestowed only upon those chosen by heaven.
With that power, he could have ascended to the pinnacle of history.
Why must heaven be so cruel only to him?
Flash.
Then, abruptly, a realization struck him.
If Bu Eun-seol had absorbed that vast stellar energy... it wasn't merely inheriting the Heavenly Might Star's power.
"Then..."
Yeop Hyo-cheon's expression twisted with something akin to dread.
"Did Baekri Mu-ha and Sa Ah... ultimately succeed?"
Only then did he understand why the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had seemingly oppressed Bu Eun-seol while subtly shielding him all along.
"Sado Mu-myeong... Are you truly trying to summon the Demon Sovereigns of the Seven Demonic Sects?"
An odd statement.
The current Demon Hall was sustained by the Demonic Path Ten Gates—so why did he say Seven Demonic Sects?
"Then there is a way."
Having grasped the full picture, Yeop Hyo-cheon's hardened expression relaxed into a sinister smile.
"I'll simply wait a little longer."
He'd survived countless crises through sheer ingenuity.
This was nothing.
He would turn even this disaster into an opportunity.
Upon returning to the Demon Hall...
Bu Eun-seol activated the Death Soul Squad's information network to investigate the person who had lured him to Crimson Serpent Gorge with the letter left in his office.
The prime suspect: Supreme Cult Commander Yeop Hyo-cheon.
Yet despite exhaustive investigation, no leads emerged.
Naturally.
If Yeop Hyo-cheon were the type to leave traces detectable by such inquiries...
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor would have uncovered all his secrets long ago.
But Bu Eun-seol didn't despair, relentlessly directing intelligence operatives to continue the search.
It had always been this way.
If he persisted without surrender, clues would inevitably surface.
They always had, and always would.
"Strangely, Elder Jeok Bung's movements are peculiar."
Yu Un-ryong reported upon visiting the office.
While investigating Yeop Hyo-cheon...
The Death Soul Squad's intelligence network uncovered unexpected activity within the Demon Hall:
They'd detected covert movements by the Elders' Hall Master, the Blood Demon Jeok Bung.
"That old man has been tirelessly meeting and exchanging with the leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates—all except Langya Pavilion, Fleeting Moment Boat, Heaven-Severing Earth-Ending Sanctuary, and the Bloodflame Blade Family."
Yu Un-ryong continued speaking.
"Even the Demonic Path Ten Gates, who had been restraining their external activities and lying low, have recently become active again, expanding their spheres of influence."
"Hmm."
"Perhaps the proposal to deploy a direct combat unit under the Blood Demon's command during the recent Demon Governance Council... is also related to this."
Lately, an oddly unexpected motion had been raised during the council—a proposal to station a direct combat unit under the Elders' Hall.
Naturally, the motion had been postponed, as the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was in closed-door training, and the Supreme Cult Commander lacked the authority to approve it.
"They might be trying to exploit the decree that allows the deployment of a combat unit if a majority of the Ten Gates' Sect Leaders approve, even without the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's permission."
At Yu Un-ryong's words, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"If that were the case, they would've coordinated with the Sect Leaders before proposing the motion."
Just then, Wi Cheon-gyeong's voice came from outside.
"My Lord, it's Wi Cheon-gyeong."
"Enter."
Wi Cheon-gyeong stepped inside, bowed, and handed Bu Eun-seol a letter.
"A missive from the Elders' Hall Master."
"The Elders' Hall Master?"
Yu Un-ryong clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Speak of the devil—though that man could never be called a gentleman."
Bu Eun-seol unfolded the letter. Sharp, concise strokes formed a brief message:
—Sever all bonds, and only then may you ascend the summit.
"One must cut ties to reach the peak... is it?"
Bu Eun-seol passed the letter to Yu Un-ryong and sank into deep thought.
After his disciple Sim Wol's grave mistake, Jeok Bung had quietly secluded himself in a small manor in Hangzhou, taking responsibility.
But to ease the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's pressure, Bu Eun-seol had pushed for Jeok Bung's return—and greatly reinforced the Elders' Hall's authority in the process.
Yet the Jeok Bung who returned was no longer content with merely being the Hall Master.
The moment he agreed to Bu Eun-seol's request, he must have resolved to forge his own Demonic Hegemony.
And so, he had secretly expanded his personal influence. Now, by deploying his own direct combat unit, he was preparing in earnest to become the true master of the Demon Hall.
Then...
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
This letter could mean one of two things:
An offer of alliance—or a declaration of hostility.
"The Elders' Hall Master seems serious."
Yu Un-ryong, having read the letter, shook his head.
"One thing's certain—he doesn't plan to surpass the Demonic Heavenly Emperor through martial prowess alone."
He shrugged.
"If he intended to seize control of the Demon Hall by force and claim the title of Number One of the Demonic Path... he wouldn't need to curry favor with the Sect Leaders or send you this letter."
"After witnessing the Sword Sovereign's battle firsthand, he must have realized."
Bu Eun-seol nodded, staring into empty space.
"No matter how much he hones his skills until death, he will never catch up to the Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
Jeok Bung was already over a hundred years old.
He had reached the stable realm of the Martial Extreme Realm.
But the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had already transcended the boundaries of that realm, ascending to an indescribable state.
At his current rate of progress, even if Jeok Bung trained until his dying breath, he would never close that gap.
It seemed he had accepted that truth—and resolved to conquer the Demonic Martial World through other means.
"Regardless, I should meet him."
Bu Eun-seol stood up.
"It might be the last chance to see him with a smile."
Jeok Bung had set his mind on forging his own demonic dominion.
That meant the precarious balance of power within the Demon Hall would soon be overturned again.
The likelihood that they could no longer coexist was high.
Arriving at the Elders' Hall, Bu Eun-seol sat across from Jeok Bung, sharing tea over a single table.
Unlike before, Jeok Bung's aura had drastically changed.
The once-fearsome Blood Demon now exuded an almost serene presence, his eyes carrying only profound depth.
He had abandoned the tyrannical Internal Power of techniques like Sky Shattering Extreme Wheel and cultivated an entirely different martial art—a reckless challenge for one who had ascended to the rank of the Three Demons.
Yet he had succeeded.
Gulp.
But Bu Eun-seol offered no praise for Jeok Bung's martial prowess, silently sipping his tea instead.
The time for pleasantries had long passed.
"Do not underestimate the Ten Gates' potential."
Jeok Bung spoke calmly, opening the conversation.
"They grew complacent in selecting successors. But your appearance shocked them awake—they've replaced their heirs."
"I'm well aware."
Through Sindo Un-hwi of the Extinction Palace, Bu Eun-seol already knew the wretched fate of those cast aside in the succession struggle.
"The Sect Leaders are no different."
Jeok Bung continued.
"They've returned to the front lines after tempering their skills in bitter resolve. Their current prowess is beyond comparison to the past."
That, too, was undeniable.
The Demonic Path Ten Gates possess the supreme martial arts of the Demonic Path—they are the strongest faction.
For someone like Jeok Bung to describe them as having "grown stronger"... Their martial prowess must now far exceed all expectations.
'And the only reason that's possible is because of outside interference.'
Martial prowess does not grow simply through training.
Nor can innate talent be altered through effort alone.
This was precisely the blind spot Heavenly Mechanism Star had exploited when extending his influence into the Extinction Palace.
Even the Fire Rain Sword Sect had been infiltrated by external forces.
Perhaps the remaining Demonic Path Ten Gates had also... abandoned the idea of producing pure successors.
"You must be thinking this," Jeok Bung said, the corner of his lips curling as if he had read Bu Eun-seol's inner thoughts.
"That the Demonic Path Ten Gates have come to their senses and grown stronger through external influence... correct?"
"Is that not the case?"
"No."
Jeok Bung's expression turned deathly serious.
"What this Hall Master means to say is—none of the Demonic Path Ten Gates you know are the real ones."
A frigid wind seemed to blow straight into Bu Eun-seol's face.
This was a perspective he had never considered before—a colossal piece of information beyond anything he had imagined.
'The Demonic Path Ten Gates I know... are not the real Demonic Path Ten Gates.'
This revelation would later lead Bu Eun-seol to tear down the Fire Rain Sword Sect without hesitation, completely reshaping the peaceful landscape of the martial world.
But that was a story for another time.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"There are two reasons," Jeok Bung replied flatly to Bu Eun-seol's question.
"The first is because I do not wish for you to die prematurely."
—If you interfere with the Demonic Path Ten Gates from now on, you will likely perish.
That was what Jeok Bung was implying.
"And the second..."
Jeok Bung took a sip of tea before continuing.
"I no longer wish to see the Demon Hall and the Demonic Path weakened. Do you understand?"
—Since all of it will eventually become mine anyway, do not dare touch the Demon Hall or the Demonic Path's forces again.
That was the true meaning behind his words.
"The Demonic Path Ten Gates are not just the pillars of the Demon Hall, but of the entire Demonic Path. How could I possibly dare to challenge their might?"
Bu Eun-seol feigned innocence as he continued.
"I merely hope that the Hall Master, in his wisdom, will mediate well to prevent further infighting among the Demonic Path's followers."
Jeok Bung nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"Of course. However..."
A chilling voice escaped his lips, though his expression remained calm.
"I simply worry that despite this Hall Master's best efforts, an unfavorable outcome may still arise."
—Even if things go wrong, do not blame me.
Bu Eun-seol could almost hear Jeok Bung's unspoken thoughts ringing clearly in his ears.
"The Hall Master seems to have grown far more magnanimous and gentle."
"Is it not thanks to your efforts that this Hall Master was able to return so swiftly?"
Jeok Bung's expression turned peculiar.
"But in times like these, acting purely on impulse would only lead to ruin..."
His gaze locked onto Bu Eun-seol's.
"I intend to proceed carefully, considering and encompassing as much as possible."
Then, uncharacteristically, Jeok Bung offered a benevolent smile.
"Just like you."
The words carried a hidden edge.
Only then did Bu Eun-seol fully grasp the reason behind Jeok Bung's letter.
—It seems I must sever all ties with you completely if I am to rise higher.
From this moment on, Jeok Bung intended to cut all connections between them—to stand as his complete and utter enemy.
Perhaps he had already joined hands with the leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates...
No, it was entirely possible he had allied with the forces lurking behind them.
"I see."
Yet Bu Eun-seol showed no disappointment, merely shaking his head.
"If the Grandmaster is considering so many things, then perhaps he will look upon me with even greater favor."
"Heh heh heh."
Jeok Bung chuckled.
"Perhaps, if you were to become one of the Demonic Path."
He now understood.
That Bu Eun-seol had stepped into the martial world not to climb to unfathomable heights or become a grandmaster ruling over all under heaven.
That from the very beginning, he had never belonged to the Demonic Path, nor the Righteous Faction—that he was not even truly of the martial world at all.
"This old master's final words to you are these."
Jeok Bung smiled once more.
"You already operate an impressive information network, so you must have grasped everything... but do not dare stand in this old master's way."
Somehow, that smile carried the faint stench of blood.
The Blood Demon was still the Blood Demon.
A Great Demonic Person of the Demonic Path, with whom coexistence was impossible.
"Of course."
Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully.
"Then I shall take my leave."
Just as he turned—
"Ah, one more thing..."
Jeok Bung's benevolent smile still lingered.
"You likely seek to become the next Hall Master for various purposes, but..."
"..."
"You will never become the next Hall Master."
Jeok Bung set down his teacup.
"Because this old master will never allow it."
"I, too, have always thought so."
Bu Eun-seol bared his white teeth in a smile.
"But hearing the Grandmaster say it only strengthens my resolve to claim that position."
In an instant, Jeok Bung's smile froze over.
No matter how formidable Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess had become, he was still far from Jeok Bung's level.
Yet he dared to provoke him to his face like this?
Oooong—
A killing intent deeper and more viscous than blood itself bloomed in Jeok Bung's eyes.
His mind had changed—he would strike Bu Eun-seol down here and now.