Chapter 943
Bu Eun-seol, who had been lost in thought, soon shook his head.
"I refuse."
[If you enter, you might recover the memories you've longed for so desperately, no?]
Even at Baekri Geom-ha's insinuating words, Bu Eun-seol's expression remained unchanged.
If he ventured into that deep abyss, the personality calling itself Baekri Geom-ha might seize his body forever.
[Then there's no more room for choice.]
"I agree."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze, looking down at Baekri Geom-ha, grew infinitely solemn.
That existence, that personality—
If he continued to harbor it within his spirit and mind... it would surely steal his body someday.
[What's with that confident look of yours?]
Baekri Geom-ha snorted.
[You seem to think you can erase me.]
"That's right."
[You're dreaming.]
Whoosh.
Baekri Geom-ha stretched out his hand.
Then, light began gathering in his palm, and soon, a pure white treasured sword started taking form.
[Go ahead and try.]
The attack he unleashed couldn't possibly be a sword technique.
Yet Baekri Geom-ha deliberately forged a sword dyed white, as if opposing the very existence of the Ink Soul Sword.
Sssss—
From the white treasured sword formed in Baekri Geom-ha's hand, a radiance that shook the spirit and mind unfurled.
Sshhk.
Bu Eun-seol, too, drew the Ink Soul Sword.
And with the Formless Heavenly Flow included—
He confronted Baekri Geom-ha by unleashing every ability he possessed.
This was a space within the mind, and their attacks were merely a clash of wills.
The profundity of martial arts or the swiftness of techniques held little significance here.
But that was Bu Eun-seol's misconception.
Pat! Pat!
The attacks Baekri Geom-ha unleashed—
Effortlessly blocked every sword technique Bu Eun-seol deployed, and as time passed, blood splattered from his body.
As if they were fighting in reality—
The clear superiority of power was being reflected.
[Is that all you've got?]
Baekri Geom-ha sneered.
None of Bu Eun-seol's attacks had even reached him.
No, from the very beginning, the power Baekri Geom-ha wielded had completely transcended the boundaries of martial arts.
An absolute, innate power—it contained a formidable divine authority that no human body could contain.
[You must have realized it by now.]
Baekri Geom-ha looked down at the bloodied Bu Eun-seol with a cold smile.
[That the time has come when your abilities can no longer handle what lies ahead.]
His words weren't unfounded.
The enemies that would approach from now on—
Could not be decisively overcome with the martial arts Bu Eun-seol had mastered so far.
The subordinates of the Black Divine Heavenly Lord he had once encountered—
Hadn't even the Black God and the Black Wave Army possessed tremendous abilities?
Though the Harmonization comparable to Limitless Power might work, the problem was that they wielded dharma arts unaffected by ordinary martial techniques.
What if Seo-ryeong hadn't helped him?
Or if the Black Divine Heavenly Lord had broken the Restrictive Seal and appeared before him?
By now, he might have been buried deep in the cold earth.
[You're not denying it.]
When Bu Eun-seol still didn't respond,
Baekri Geom-ha halted his attacks and spoke coldly.
[So you do know they can't be stopped by martial arts alone.]
"What makes you any different?"
[You've seen it. The power I once held. The power that felled even the Martial God Heaven Lord in a single strike.]
"The Martial God Heaven Lord had only one-tenth of his power left."
[And you couldn't even withstand that fraction.]
Baekri Geom-ha crossed his arms.
[But I could defeat the Martial God Heaven Lord even at his full strength. So useless trash like you should just step aside quietly.]
"No, you wouldn't win."
[What did you say?]
"Power easily gained is just as easily shattered."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"Power you cannot perfectly control will inevitably reveal its weaknesses."
If it wasn't strength and ability honed through relentless training and study—
But something like an innate talent, like the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars bestowed by heaven—
There was always a fatal flaw that could bring it down.
And Bu Eun-seol had always seized upon that flaw to claim victory.
[Isn't that the same with martial arts?]
Baekri Geom-ha scoffed.
[Martial arts also involve finding gaps, exploiting weaknesses, and attacking vulnerabilities.]
"..."
[Yet you consider all power outside martial arts to be sorcery—evil arts you must never accept, don't you?]
Baekri Geom-ha curled his lips.
[Like a child who can't handle spicy food claiming they've always hated spice.]
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol froze.
'Considering all power outside martial arts as sorcery...'
That was a biased preconception he had never consciously acknowledged—one deeply rooted in his heart.
Perhaps it was a fixed mindset that had unconsciously formed—
Because he had developed his foundation on the martial arts of Langya Pavilion, which valued martial techniques above all else.
A sect that sought to perfect the ultimate Martial Way through Practical Combat Martial Arts.
Especially since Langya Pavilion acquired, interpreted, and studied all martial techniques and principles through real battle.
From the very beginning, anything outside martial arts was considered the Heterodox Side Path—
Unjust and improper means that strayed from orthodoxy.
Supernatural abilities and the Art of Spells were branded as Evil Demonic Heresies—
Forces that deviated from the righteous way, marked as utterly depraved.
"Looking back, even supernatural powers have been passed down through generations in the murim."
The so-called Esoteric Ritual Arts and sorcery were, in the end, products of relentless research and evolution.
The Death Gods' power, too, were heavenly-granted forces, yet through the ceaseless efforts of the Death Gods, they were refined into martial arts.
Even the Baekri Clan and the True Demon, who could be called the origins of the murim, wielded supernatural powers from the very beginning—whether as divine instruments or mystical techniques.
[That's a damn fine observation.]
Baekri Geom-ha clapped his hands and pointed at Bu Eun-seol.
[I was getting sick of watching you flail around with those rotten martial arts. It's about time you changed.]
"I'm merely acknowledging that it was a fixed mindset."
A brilliant white light erupted from Bu Eun-seol's pupils as he gradually drew up his internal energy.
"But the fact remains—these are forces that cannot be perfectly controlled."
This wasn't about blindly embracing supernatural power to unleash overwhelming strength or seek an easier path.
If it was a force already existing within him—
Then he would simply find a way to control it and use it when necessary.
A broad perspective.
A willingness to accept all things.
That was the mindset a disciple of Langya Pavilion ought to have.
"And as it happens, I, too, possess supernatural power."
[What?]
"I acquired it during my visit to the Ancient Sword Forest."
Zzzing—
The light bursting from his pupils soon began radiating from his entire body.
At the same time, a black fog started forming in his palm.
Though this was merely a manifestation within his spirit and mind—
The moment he resolved to accept the foreign power within him, the emblem appeared instantly.
Kururur—
As the emblem revealed itself, something other than his internal energy and the Three Divine Powers began swirling violently within him—
A force so destructive, so despairing, so desolate...
An endlessly ruinous and perilous energy.
Hwiiing—
Simultaneously, an unfathomably dark and viscous light began surging around Bu Eun-seol's fist.
In that moment, he felt an unprecedented force capable of annihilating the world in an instant gathering in his grasp.
With this power—
There was no need to seek out an enemy's weaknesses.
No need to decipher the intricate principles of martial arts.
All he needed was killing intent—
And he could obliterate his foe in an instant.
'But this isn't the way.'
Yet Bu Eun-seol did not unleash that power recklessly.
If he abused such overwhelming strength without restraint—
Everything he had built in his martial attainment would crumble, and he would become a slave to supernatural power.
Duk— duk— duk—
Merely holding that intense force in his hand—
Sent agony searing through his nerves as though they were being torn apart, his skin burning as if set aflame.
Still, he resisted the urge to release it, struggling to control it instead.
'Has there ever been a single time I took the easy way up?'
Never once had he sought a shortcut.
Only in life-or-death battles where blood evaporated and flesh was pulverized—
Only in trials where he brushed against death itself—
Had he staked his life in pursuit of victory.
Only through tempering his physical body and spirit and mind had he pursued the Martial Dao—
To reach an endless realm.
Zzing— zzing—
The power gathered in Bu Eun-seol's fist gradually merged with his Original True Qi, transforming into an energy he could control.
KWA-RUNG!
And in that state, when he drew upon the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—
Kurururung—
The surroundings distorted, and the world of the Abyss began trembling around his fist.
At the same time, a demonic figure began taking shape behind him.
Eyes like fathomless black holes that seemed to devour all emotion in the world.
And jagged teeth bared within a torn mouth—enough to shake the soul of any who beheld them.
[Huh?]
Baekri Geom-ha's face twisted in bewilderment as he gaped and pointed.
[That's my power!]
KWAANG!
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol threw his fist forward.
WHOOSH!
Jet-black wings unfurled from his shoulders, and a vortex capable of swallowing everything erupted outward.
KWARURURURU!
Engulfed in the black storm, Baekri Geom-ha's body stretched and shrank repeatedly.
[You thieving little bastard!]
Baekri Geom-ha roared in fury.
[That's my power!]
But trapped in the pitch-black tempest, his body warping in and out of shape—
His words were barely intelligible.
SHWOOK!
In an instant, the black storm compressed Baekri Geom-ha into a single distorted point. The winds ceased, and the world fell silent.
[...I'll be back for sure!]
A final, enraged scream echoed—
PAA!
Before the point shattered into hundreds of luminous fragments, scattering like dust.
As Baekri Geom-ha's form vanished completely, the space within the Abyss began melting away.
Flash!
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyes—seated in the lotus position, deep in meditation—snapped open in the real world.
With Baekri Geom-ha defeated, the consciousness that had been submerged in the Abyss had finally returned.
"That was dangerous."
Without realizing it, Bu Eun-seol wiped his chest in relief.
To push one's consciousness into the Abyss—
It was far more perilous than walking blindfolded across a single-plank bridge over a cliff.
What if he hadn't been fortunate enough to gain enlightenment and defeat Baekri Geom-ha?
He would have been trapped forever in that endless darkness of the Abyss.
"No wonder the Philosophers of the Whale warned against looking into and controlling one's own mind."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Hiss—
Then, white smoke began to rise.
Looking down, he saw that the steel floor of the sealed chamber was melting under the energy radiating from his left hand.
While exerting force within the realm of his meditative spirit, he had unconsciously manifested power in the real world as well.
"..."
Gazing indifferently at the glow gathered at his fingertips, Bu Eun-seol pressed his finger firmly into the floor.
Ooom—
In an instant, a black flash erupted, leaving behind a finger-sized hole several meters deep.
As if he had fired the Power of Harmony from his fingertip without any preparatory motion.
"This isn't the power the Ancient Sword Forest Lord gave me."
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned hollow.
"It was Baekri Geom-ha's power all along..."
After hearing Baekri Geom-ha's story,
he realized that he had harbored extreme Sense of Rejection and prejudice toward what he had always dismissed as mere Supernatural Ability.
But now, he resolved not to reject that power any longer—instead, he would slowly integrate it with his Martial Arts and make it his own.
"I assumed it was the Ancient Sword Forest Lord's power because the Supernatural Ability surged so abruptly..."
Yet absurdly, the moment he decided to accept that power, he had somehow temporarily stolen Baekri Geom-ha's strength instead.
"Is that bastard really... me?"
He had suspected it to some degree.
A separate personality couldn't just suddenly emerge within his spirit without reason.
But to confirm that Baekri Geom-ha was truly a Destiny Bond sharing his fate—
and that he, too, could wield the Supernatural Ability exclusive to that personality—
left him utterly bewildered and drained.
"Does this even make sense?"
The mere fact that a single body could house two completely distinct personalities was shocking enough.
But for each personality to wield its own unique abilities?
Wasn't that simply absurd?
"Still, this power..."
Clenching his fist, Bu Eun-seol remembered something he had forgotten.
Baekri Geom-ha.
He possessed strength formidable enough to defeat the Martial God Heaven Lord, whom Bu Eun-seol himself had failed to overcome.
Back on Ghost Island, when Baekri Geom-ha had clashed with the Martial God Heaven Lord, their fierce battle had ended with him losing consciousness.
Yet when he awoke, the Black Divine Heavenly Lord lay dead in a gruesome state.
Even if the Martial God Heaven Lord had only wielded one-tenth of his true power, there was no denying that he had been stronger than Bu Eun-seol.
"Then what about that Emblem engraved in my spirit...?"
The Ancient Sword Forest Lord had undoubtedly granted him power.
And the light he had glimpsed at the edge of the Abyss bore a striking resemblance to the pattern etched into the Ink Soul Sword.
But what he had encountered there wasn't the source of the power bestowed by the Ancient Sword Forest Lord—it was Baekri Geom-ha.
In the end, he had learned that he and Baekri Geom-ha weren't separate personalities, but two souls bound by the same fate.
And that Baekri Geom-ha possessed an innate, destructive Supernatural Ability.
"The Ancient Sword Forest Lord's power is different."
The ability he had manifested while fighting the Black Divine Heavenly Lord had flowed from his eyeball—
a power that detected and shattered the Attributes of an enemy's energy.
Which meant—
"There must be another sealed power within me."
The power granted by the Founder of the Ancient Sword Forest was undoubtedly something entirely different from what Baekri Geom-ha possessed.
And he had to uncover it.
"Could it be the power my mother left me?"
Bu Eun-seol recalled his mother's face with longing.
Then that face shifted—first into the Ancient Sword Forest Lord's, then into Man-wol's.
The emblem of the Ancient Sword Forest and the pattern on the Ink Soul Sword, gifted by his mother, were strikingly similar.
Perhaps the Ancient Sword Forest's arrangement... was the power his mother had left behind.
"My parents must have known about my condition."
His father, Baekri Mu-ha, was of the Baekri Clan's Blood Kin, and his mother was the Saintess of the True Demon Family.
There was no way those two wouldn't have recognized the state of his spirit.
Perhaps, to control the split personalities... they had sealed his Brain Gate Acupoint with an immense surge of energy.
"Then how do I unleash that power?"
Bu Eun-seol attempted to recreate the emblem in his palm once more.
But no matter what he tried, the pattern refused to form, and he felt nothing emanating from his eyeball either.
The same went for Baekri Geom-ha's power.
He had absorbed it by chance within his spirit—it wasn't yet a power truly bound to him.
"I will find it."
A way to manifest the emblem on his palm. If he could discover that method...
Then he would be able to wield the power of Baekri Geom-ha within the Abyss freely.
"Without fail."
There was no need to be impatient.
As the young lord of Ancient Sword Forest had said, everything would unfold naturally, one step at a time.
His mother must have arranged it that way.
"Besides, there's no need to obsess over that power right now."
The power of the Supernatural Ability was immensely convenient and possessed overwhelming might in itself.
But it also had clear drawbacks.
The more he used it, the more it drained his stamina and mental power to an extreme degree, making prolonged battles difficult.
And if the power misfired, it could leave him vulnerable to a fatal counterattack.
Moreover, while it was overwhelming in specific situations, outside those conditions—or against incompatible opponents—it could become utterly useless.
Above all, such immense power...
Inevitably carried an equally formidable backlash.
If used unprepared, it could lead to the collapse of his physical body.
Just like the recoil of Harmonization.
"That's why it must be combined with martial arts."
Normally, merging the power of a Supernatural Ability with martial arts was impossible.
But Bu Eun-seol had accomplished it within the Abyss.
And in truth, he could do it.
After all, his body was already an amalgamation of multiple forces.
"Not just releasing the power raw, but refining it into the form of a martial technique."
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the fading light at his fingertips.
Even as the glow nearly vanished, the moment he consciously recognized the power, he felt another chunk of his mental and physical strength being drained away.
"This must be happening because I haven't grasped its foundation."
Without understanding the exact principles behind the power's manifestation, it was inevitable that he would struggle to control or apply it.
"But if I can consciously draw that power and fuse it with martial arts..."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist.
If he could freely summon that power at will, and if he could merge it with martial arts...
Then he could defeat any formidable enemy in the world.
And he would finally attain the heights he so desperately sought.
Meanwhile, unsettling rumors had begun to spread through the Martial World, which had been quiet until now.
—A Killing Ghost had appeared, specializing in the assassination of Special-Grade Wanderers.
Special-Grade Wanderers were the strongest warriors endorsed by every Wanderers' Market.
In other words, they were masters who had survived countless life-and-death battles, each possessing their own combat philosophy and strategic insight.
Not only that, Special-Grade Wanderers boasted top-tier skills in all fields—bodyguarding, intelligence gathering, assassination—and were known for their near-unbreakable survival instincts, ensuring they always made it out alive, no matter how dangerous the mission.
And yet, there was a Killing Ghost who hunted them down?
—How could a mere Killing Ghost assassinate a Special-Grade Wanderer?
Martial artists who heard the rumors were baffled.
A Killing Ghost was someone lost to Slaughter Frenzy—
A madman who derived endless pleasure from maiming and killing.
So how could one selectively target and eliminate Special-Grade Wanderers, who excelled in every conceivable field?
—The only possibility was that a Master of extraordinary martial prowess had succumbed to becoming a Killing Ghost.
Special-Grade Wanderers were, by definition, those who had reached the pinnacle of survival.
For someone to hunt them down meant...
Either they were a figure of overwhelming martial might, or a Superlative Martial Expert had taken up the mantle of a Killing Ghost.
—Why would a warrior of that caliber become a Killing Ghost? And why target only Special-Grade Wanderers?
The more one thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
As the inexplicable situation unfolded, several Wanderers' Markets and intelligence organizations began investigating the case.
Particularly because the emergence of this Killing Ghost had dealt severe damage to the Muhon Association, which still operated Wanderers' Markets.
They, too, launched a meticulous pursuit of the newly appeared killer.
But they found no traces, no leads—the investigation was at a standstill.
—This Killing Ghost possessed martial prowess beyond anyone's ability to stop.
However, as investigations and pursuits continued, a new fact came to light.
The Killing Ghost slaughtering Special-Grade Wanderers wasn't just a highly skilled martial artist—it was a Master who had reached the Supreme Origin Realm, a level beyond what ordinary warriors could ever hope to oppose.
The Cheon-Gung Sect, which had taken a contract to eliminate the killer, had encountered the Ghost by chance.
They immediately surrounded it, intending to execute it on the spot—but not a single one survived. Instead, they were annihilated.
As casualties from the mysterious Killing Ghost mounted, the Muhon Association relayed this information to Bu Eun-seol.
'Have I been drawn in?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he read through the dossier Wi Cheon-gyeong had handed him in the office.
It was packed with details about the newly emerged Killing Ghost targeting wanderers.
'To lure out Wanderer Seol-so.'
He grasped the situation immediately.
Previously, after uncovering Heavenly Mechanism Star's evil deeds, Bu Eun-seol had annihilated Grace House and all other orphanages alongside the Muhon Association's wanderers—
And left traces of Wanderer Seol-so behind.
Undoubtedly, Heavenly Mechanism Star had orchestrated this to draw him out.
"It's said to be... a raven."
But then, Wi Cheon-gyeong said something unexpected.
"If you look at the last page... There's information that the Killing Ghost slaughtering Special-Grade Wanderers takes the form of a humanoid raven."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
'The Black Divine Heavenly Lord?'
Shockingly, this incident wasn't Heavenly Mechanism Star's doing—
It was the work of the Black Divine Heavenly Lord.