Chapter 958
'The places I once thought were local scenic spots...'
Even the undertakers of Peaceful Burial House, who worked until their bones ached, had days of rest.
On such days, Bu Jan-yang would take his young grandson out to admire the beauty of nature, calling them "local scenic spots."
But Bu Eun-seol had always been frail, and they couldn't afford a carriage.
So without fail, he would ride on his grandfather's back as they set out.
Cradled against that warm back, he would inevitably doze off—only to wake up amidst scenery so mysteriously, breathtakingly beautiful that it felt like a dream.
But now, to think that those very places...
Were not local at all, but landscapes from the distant Beyond the Frontier?
'He put me to sleep and traveled not just across the Central Plains, but even to the Beyond the Frontier and back.'
Even with his own Lightness Art, which he prided as being among the finest in the world, a round trip from the Central Plains to India would take at least four days.
If he were to disregard terrain entirely and soar through the air with the Land-Flying Technique, he might reach it in three double-hours—
But that was realistically impossible.
There was simply no way to maintain the Land-Flying Technique at the maximum speed of his Light Body Art for that long.
'But for Grandfather... it was possible.'
In the mere one or two double-hours he had been asleep—
His grandfather had casually accomplished something that defied human limits.
—This pond is called the "Mirror of the Moon."
And he would always share the legends and stories woven into those places.
—When night falls, the pond fills with moonlight, as if the moon itself has descended here to gaze upon its reflection.
Though the tales were fascinating and delightful—
Bu Eun-seol simply cherished being with his grandfather.
—Grandfather, how do you know so much?
Blinking his eyes, the adorable grandson had asked. In response, Bu Jan-yang let out a hearty laugh and shook his head.
—Because this old man has learned many things from nature.
—From nature?
Patting his grandson's head, Bu Jan-yang spoke in a low voice.
—Just imagine.
Choosing a mere human as your teacher... and choosing nature as your teacher.
'Choosing nature as your teacher.'
At the time, he hadn't understood those words.
But now, he could vaguely grasp their meaning.
The reason his grandfather had reached an unfathomably high realm, one no one else could follow—
Was because he had taken the heavens and earth, nature itself, as his teacher.
'Lately, I've found myself unintentionally focusing on the realm of martial arts.'
Martial arts, in the end, was a process of understanding the principles and phenomena of nature.
He had come to realize anew that one shouldn't force anything, but instead move as if flowing with all things.
"There's a legend about these trees."
Just then, A-wan's voice came from behind him.
"They say the souls of countless sages who cultivated here for ages, and pilgrims who came bearing earnest wishes, linger in the wind here."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's vision blurred—
The wisdom of their realizations, their yearnings for peace, their personal anguish and fervent prayers...
All those countless thoughts seemed to drift through the wind, floating above the sea of trees like an illusion.
At the same time, the dharma phrases that had surged and receded like waves in his mind suddenly crystallized with clarity.
Contact with things opens the apertures; harmony with heaven and earth brings awakening.
'Awaken the senses through all things in nature, and broaden perception within nature's harmony.'
Oooooom—
Then, the extrasensory perception of the Beast Path expanded—
Just over a thousand feet, then two thousand... until it finally reached more than three thousand feet.
"Young Master."
At the sound of A-wan's pained voice, Bu Eun-seol snapped out of his thoughts.
When he turned, her face had gone pale, and blood had gathered at the corner of her lips.
By expanding his extrasensory perception with his internal energy, immense ripples had continuously radiated outward—
And the meridians of A-wan, who had an ordinary body, had been violently shaken.
'Expanding extrasensory perception is no different from amplifying the ripples of True Qi.'
Bu Eun-seol's internal energy surpassed ten sixty-year cycles.
The sheer force of that True Qi's ripples had vibrated through her body—inevitably causing severe internal injuries.
Uuuung—
Immediately, Bu Eun-seol channeled Reverse Polarity True Qi into her.
'What is this energy?'
A strange light flickered in his eyes as he infused her with his internal energy.
Though she clearly had never trained in martial arts—
Wasn't there an energy lying dormant within her body, vast as the sea?
Moreover, that energy bore an uncanny resemblance to Water Essence Divine Qi.
'Is this the innate power of the Yona Tribe?'
It was said that the Four Sacred Tribes—excluding the Yona Tribe—all manifested mystical abilities through their sacred artifacts.
Since A-wan was a descendant of the Yona Tribe, she must have been born with such power.
'This is not a force I should meddle with.'
Bu Eun-seol simply used Reverse Polarity True Qi to clear her acupoints and realign her displaced organs.
"Thank you, Young Master."
As her body recovered in an instant, A-wan bowed her head.
"I'm sorry."
Bu Eun-seol waved his hand with a remorseful expression.
"I lost myself in the State of Selflessness and forgot you were beside me."
"It's all right, Young Master."
Once she had fully recovered, Bu Eun-seol resumed his investigation.
But even here—
He still couldn't find the Absolute Boundary or the hiding place of the sacred artifact.
"Only Mount Sugapara remains now."
When A-wan spoke with a worried expression, deep furrows formed between Bu Eun-seol's brows.
Now, only Mount Sugapara was left.
What if neither the Absolute Boundary nor the sacred artifact was there either?
"We'd have to wander endlessly through Nashik City without any leads."
An ordinary person might have despaired greatly at this, but he merely shook his head impassively.
"Not wasted steps."
"Huh?"
"By touring one beautiful landmark after another, I coincidentally discovered a method to expand my extrasensory perception. That alone was worth the journey."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes, having grasped this method of expanding his extrasensory perception, had grown deeper somehow.
Instead of emanating a faintly spreading divine majesty, his aura had instead transformed into something ordinary and comfortable.
The deeper his martial arts became, the deeper his realizations grew.
One by one, he was internalizing the great teachings his grandfather had passed down in his childhood.
Because of this, he was suppressing the various energies he'd accumulated during his travels through the martial world, becoming increasingly ordinary instead.
Just like the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang.
The more ordinary he became... the closer Bu Eun-seol grew to perfection.
"I see."
Perhaps it was due to Bu Eun-seol's aura having softened further?
A-wan smiled with unparalleled ease.
"Then I'll guide you to Sughaparva Mountain!"
Though called a "mountain," Sughaparva was only formally named as such.
The moment one passed the mountain's entrance route, the terrain transformed into something resembling a massive labyrinth.
It felt like some enormous structure deliberately created by someone.
"Sughaparva Mountain has a hidden sacred land—a place called Fantasy Pond."
"Fantasy Pond."
"Yes. They say the path to Fantasy Pond changes with shifting wind directions, weather, or time. That's why those without fate cannot enter."
A-wan's large eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"Somehow, I feel that with the Wind Cloud Prince by my side, we might be able to enter that Fantasy Pond."
Bu Eun-seol nodded indifferently.
The previous two locations had also been said to contain secret sacred lands, yet nothing had been discovered.
"I'll lead the way."
A-wan passed through valleys and hidden forests multiple times.
Each time, the end of the forest would abruptly cut off as if at the edge of the world.
By the time they reached such a point, the wind would shift direction, and massive boulders would move on their own to form a bridge.
"How mysterious. This doesn't usually happen."
A-wan exclaimed, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"It really seems like Fantasy Pond is about to appear."
"Hmm."
Sensing something unusual, Bu Eun-seol stepped in front of A-wan.
"I'll take the lead from here."
"No, it's fine. I can—"
As A-wan waved her hand and moved ahead,
Whoosh.
The scenery before their eyes suddenly changed.
A field in full bloom stretched out before them.
But the moment they took another step forward, an endless sea of fog, obscuring even an inch ahead, unfurled.
"Y-Young Master!"
A-wan turned back in fear.
Before she knew it, a pitch-black monster with crimson eyes stood behind her, mouth agape.
"A-ah..."
As A-wan trembled in fear, the darkened monster slowly approached, reaching out toward her.
"Close your eyes. It's all an illusion."
The black monster was none other than Bu Eun-seol.
This place was layered with an Illusion Formation that showed visions to those who entered.
"Hold my hand and walk slowly."
Bu Eun-seol took A-wan's hand and strode forward without hesitation.
But strangely, they couldn't pass through the formation.
'Peculiar.'
Not only had he broken through numerous formations scattered across the Central Plains, but having also mastered the Gongson Clan's formations from Gongson Dan-gyeong,
He was practically one of the foremost experts in formation-breaking in the Central Plains.
Yet he couldn't grasp the operational intricacies of this mere Illusion Formation laid out in the forest?
'There seems to be a somewhat spell-like energy mixed in.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
Suddenly, the method of expanding his extrasensory perception came to mind.
If he couldn't unravel the formation's secrets at once, why not solve it through heightened senses?
Zing.
As his extrasensory perception expanded using the natural energy around them, something astonishing happened.
'It feels almost alive.'
The Illusion Formation spread here wasn't crafted through the usual principles of formation study.
Instead, it was constantly shifting forms, as if alive.
'I can feel its operational principles with my body.'
In the past, at full strength,
He could detect even the movement of a single ant within about a thousand feet.
But now, not only had his extrasensory perception expanded to an astonishing about three thousand feet,
He could directly perceive the structure and arrangement of formations—things he had never been able to sense or see before.
'The formation-breaking art lies in a tranquil state of mind.'
The method to break this formation was somewhat unconventional. All one had to do was remain calm and walk forward without panic.
'Indian formations are quite different from those of the Central Plains.'
That the formation could be broken depending on the intruder's spirit and mind?
This approach was a distinctly unique function, quite unlike the formations of the Central Plains.
Step, step.
Finally, after piercing through the Illusion Formation, a vast forest revealed itself.
"You can open your eyes now."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, A-wan slowly opened her eyes.
But an even more bizarre sight than within the Illusion Formation unfolded before them.
This forest had no shadows.
The trees, the rocks—even Bu Eun-seol and A-wan had lost their shadows.
Moreover, though sunlight poured down, its source was impossible to discern.
A bizarre phenomenon was unfolding before them.
"Young Master. There are no shadows."
A-wan spoke fearfully as she searched for her shadow.
But as she looked around, the forest had already shifted its scenery once more.
The longer she scanned their surroundings, the more she felt as though she was forgetting who she was—even where she was supposed to go.
"Young Master. Is this... hell?"
"Impossible."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was as indifferent as if he were observing the bustle of a marketplace.
"They've simply overlaid the Bewildering-Soul Formation atop the illusion formation."
Then, he extended his hand toward her.
"Take my hand. I'll teach you a method to steady your mind."
Without hesitation, A-wan grasped his hand, and as Bu Eun-seol channeled Reverse Polarity True Qi into her once more,
he simultaneously imparted the Clear Heart Preservation Art, a technique to calm and stabilize the mind.
In an instant, clarity returned to A-wan's eyes.
'She grasps it quickly.'
The Clear Heart Preservation Art only required recitation to take effect.
Yet A-wan hadn't even chanted it—she had comprehended its essence after hearing it just once.
'Her talent is extraordinary.'
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"There's a unique energy within your body. If you can master this technique, you may be able to draw upon that power as if it were Internal Energy."
Then, from the teachings of the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment Art, he separately explained the principles of Hidden Blade, Drawn Sword and Internal Force Surging Like a Torrent,
imparting them to her in a simplified form, like a Mind-Training Formula, so she could easily refine them.
Huuuung—
At once, A-wan recited the teachings without hesitation, and soon, a mysterious energy radiated from her entire body.
'She surpasses even my expectations.'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
A-wan had an innate talent for comprehending mind-cultivation martial arts.
'And the location is ideal, too.'
The Bewildering-Soul Formation spread across this place had the effect of greatly amplifying the fears within one's heart.
But as Bu Eun-seol channeled his Internal Energy into her and calmly transmitted the teachings,
it instead became a space that accelerated her mastery of the Heart-Seal Method.
Moreover, A-wan's nature was pure and untainted, and her martial talent was exceptional—
like parched earth absorbing a sudden downpour, she grasped the mind-cultivation martial arts in an instant.
"Thank you, Young Master."
Having mastered the teachings in mere moments, A-wan knelt and bowed deeply to Bu Eun-seol.
"Thanks to the method you've imparted, I can now cleanse the fears and afflictions in my heart."
Bu Eun-seol let out a soft snort.
"With that level of talent, you must hold considerable status among the Yona Tribe."
If A-wan had merely been a simple guide?
No matter how simplified the teachings, she shouldn't have been able to grasp the mind-cultivation method this quickly.
Bu Eun-seol had discerned that not only did she possess a mysterious power within her, but her scholarly understanding had also reached a considerable level.
"Actually... my tribe once sought to raise me as their Saintess. They said my body was filled with sacred power."
A-wan spoke as if embarrassed.
"But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break the curse. Eventually, even my tribespeople gave up on me."
Though A-wan had been born with immense power among the descendants of the Yona Tribe, she had failed to lift the curse.
In the end, she abandoned the path of becoming a Saintess and instead lived day by day as a mere guide.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
"If you can achieve Great Completion in that mind-cultivation method, you may yet be able to wield that power."
"Yes."
A-wan smiled brightly and clasped her hands together in a Central Plains martial salute.
"From now on, I'll call you Master."
"No need. I merely imparted it on a passing whim."
"But—"
"Let's keep moving."
Waving her off, Bu Eun-seol urged them forward once more.
Finally, after passing through the forest shrouded in the Bewildering-Soul Formation,
they came upon a body of water—too large to be called a pond, yet too small to be a lake.
Its surface shimmered with a sky-blue hue, and translucent halos of light spread across it, exuding an almost enchanting mystique.
"The Fantasy Pond?"
A-wan gasped aloud.
"Young Master! This must be the legendary Fantasy Pond from the stories!"
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol surveyed the surroundings.
But aside from the mystical scenery, there was no particularly unusual energy—nothing hidden, either.
"They say the Fantasy Pond was created by the Divine Maiden herself, to stop those who sought the sacred artifacts of the Four Sacred Tribes."
A-wan gazed at the pond as she spoke.
"If you look into its waters, the past and future unfold endlessly... but they say those who gaze upon it with desire will die."
"I see. So it's about looking into the pond."
Without fear, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward to peer into its depths.
"Young Master—"
"It's fine. I just want to see what's inside."
With a reassuringly gentle smile, he slowly approached the pond.
Splash—
At that moment, a mysterious light rippled across the water's surface,
Ziiiiing—!
And an overwhelming suction force erupted from the entire pond, greedily drawing in the energy from his body.
'This—'
Bu Eun-seol was inwardly stunned.
The absorption force radiating from the pond was on an entirely different level from something like the Qi Absorption Art used by martial Masters.
It was like the wrath of Great Nature itself—
as if it would mercilessly devour everything, refusing to tolerate even the feeble resistance of a mere human.
Zing, zing—!
And this was only the beginning.
After voraciously draining his Water Essence Divine Qi, the pond gradually began to siphon away his Thunder Essence Divine Qi—and even his Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
"Does it perceive me as an outsider coveting the Sacred Artifact?"
Bu Eun-seol gritted his teeth.
They had said this was a pond that peered into one's desires, so he'd assumed it was a gate testing one's Spirit and Mind.
Yet now it recognized him as an enemy, relentlessly absorbing the Three Divine Powers with terrifying pressure.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
As if even the Three Divine Powers weren't enough, it began voraciously draining every last trace of energy from his body.
Whoooosh—
The light rippling across the pond intensified, and finally, it started pulling at the very core of his Internal Energy.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Veins bulged across Bu Eun-seol's skin.
He struggled against the suction, but resistance was futile—his body only stiffened further, locking him in place.
'Does one need all Four Divine Energies to pass through?'
Faintly, he could sense it.
What the pond desired.
The one thing Bu Eun-seol lacked.
The fourth and final Divine Energy.
The priestess of the Four Sacred Tribes...
She must have restricted passage through this lake to only those who possessed all Four Divine Energies.
'But the Four Sacred Tribes couldn't have been the origin of the Divine Energies.'
Amidst the agony, fragmented thoughts flashed through his mind.
Regardless, Bu Eun-seol only had three of the four.
And so, the pond continued to demand something from within him, its suction unrelenting.
'This is bad.'
Thump. Thump.
His protruding veins darkened to an ominous hue.
Sssssss—
Moisture began evaporating from his body.
'It's trying to erase the incomplete Water Essence Divine Qi first.'
In truth, the Water Essence Divine Qi Bu Eun-seol possessed was incomplete.
He hadn't obtained it directly from nature.
Instead, he had absorbed only about half of the Water Essence Divine Qi that Sa Cheong-ha, the deputy palace master of the Divine Water Palace, had possessed.
In other words, because he hadn't received it from its original source—only diluted through the medium of Sa Cheong-ha—it couldn't regenerate infinitely like the Thunderstorm and Wind and Cloud Divine Energies.
That was why, when he had once used the Water Essence Divine Qi to heal Seo-ryeong as she lay dying at the hands of the Black Divine Heavenly Lord...
He, too, had nearly lost his life.
Sssssssss—
The Water Essence Divine Qi was being ripped from his body at an even faster rate now.
Soon, there would be almost none left to wield.
"Young Master."
A-wan, noticing Bu Eun-seol's swollen body and bulging veins, realized something was wrong and rushed to his side.
"Are you all right?"
Clack.
But the moment she reached out, her hand stuck to his back as if magnetized.
Zzzzzzzzz—
A light began emanating from A-wan's body as well.
Simultaneously, an incredibly pure energy spread from Bu Eun-seol's form.
The Yona Tribe.
This tribe, whose name meant "the gathering of the luminous ones," possessed an innate ability to pierce through falsehoods.
Their power—to repel all things malevolent—was strikingly similar to that of the Water Essence Divine Qi.
But after the Yona Tribe had stolen and hidden the Sacred Artifact...
The other tribes had sealed the Yona people's abilities, cursed them, and exiled them from the Sacred Land.
A-wan, however, had been born with the full might of the Yona Tribe's power.
And during their journey here, Bu Eun-seol had taught her the Heart-Seal Method, allowing her to partially awaken the energy dormant within her.
Now, with her hand pressed against him, the Fantasy Pond's suction force invaded her body as well.
And in doing so, it shattered the seal restraining her innate power.
Oooooom—
A mysterious radiance spilled from A-wan's body as she pulled her hand away.
But as the long-suppressed energy surged forth, her limbs grew numb.
Thud.
She collapsed helplessly to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Young Master... All my strength is gone... I can't move."
Boom. Boom.
Meanwhile, a faint mist rose from the pond's surface, coalescing into a massive, translucent wave that hovered midair.
Whoooooosh—!
It spun violently before sharpening into a spear-like formation—then plunged straight toward A-wan's crown of her head!
Zzzzzzzz—!
Bu Eun-seol thrust out his hand, summoning his Protective Astral Energy at full power to block the watery lance.
But the pond's suction was draining not just his Three Divine Powers, but his Internal Energy as well.
His Protective Astral Energy weakened by the second, and the watery spear exploited the gap, driving forward relentlessly.
'Ghk—!'
Bu Eun-seol strained with everything he had, but the pond's hunger was merciless.
It wasn't satisfied with just his Internal Energy.
Even the power that altered his appearance...
And the mysterious energy embedded in his palm—the one he'd obtained from the Ancient Sword Forest—was being slowly siphoned away.
Gluuuurg.
Finally, the face he had assumed as Seol-so began to twist and distort.
"Eek—!"
A-wan covered her mouth.
The sight before her was like something out of a myth—a rakshasa.
In the Central Plains, these demonic beings were known as "nācha", creatures hostile to the gods who devoured humans.
But while the Central Plains' legends didn't emphasize their shapeshifting abilities...
In India, rakshasas were infamous for disguising themselves as humans to infiltrate and harm their prey.
Plop.
At that moment, the mysterious power flowing through Bu Eun-seol's body—
The Darkness Secret Arts he had obtained from Yeop Hyo-cheon, the Night-Dancing Heavenly Lord—vanished as well.
Yet this, at least, dispelled A-wan's misunderstanding.
"A disguise...?"
India was the birthplace of Yoga Art, a discipline that allowed practitioners to manipulate their bones and muscles with extreme flexibility.
Hearing the shifting of bones and sinews beneath Bu Eun-seol's rippling face, she realized this was a mysterious disguise technique.
Swish.
The ribbon tying back Bu Eun-seol's hair came undone.
And in an instant, his true visage was revealed—as if sculpted by the gods themselves.
Moonlit, melancholic, and breathtakingly beautiful.
An unapproachable nobility, as though born of exalted bloodline.
A restrained elegance woven into his otherworldly features.
More than merely handsome—he was the very image of the peerless, beautiful nobleman that every woman had once dreamed of.