Chapter 963
"Young Master of Wind and Cloud."
The chieftains and key figures of the Four Sacred Tribes bowed their heads with worried expressions.
"Young Master, there is no need for you to take such risks on our behalf..."
"This is not solely for your sake. In any case, he and I have already become sworn enemies—bound by a grudge that cannot coexist under the same sky."
Given the Iron Elephant King's temperament—one who considered even the humiliation of his subordinates as a personal disgrace—there was no way he would let the killer of his son go unpunished.
"However, even if I deal with the Iron Elephant King, the situation remains unchanged."
Bu Eun-seol continued calmly.
"If you do not quickly strengthen yourselves, another powerful figure will come seeking the Sacred Artifact."
The tribespeople bowed their heads once more.
They had finally understood the true intentions behind Bu Eun-seol's arrival.
—The Young Master of Wind and Cloud is a Divine Being who has come to protect our tribe.
Since the rise of the Eight Overlords of India,
the people of India had lost their altruism and compassion, and the strong trampling upon the weak had become the norm.
But the Young Master of Wind and Cloud was different.
He upheld the long-held belief of the Four Sacred Tribes—one that valued protecting the weak.
Perhaps, two hundred years ago, the priestess... had foreseen all of this and left behind the prophecy regarding the Young Master of Wind and Cloud.
With a solemn expression, Bu Eun-seol swept his gaze across the assembly and spoke.
"I will take responsibility for the Iron Elephant King. You must grow stronger. Protect and aid the weak. If you do not... the Four Sacred Tribes, too, will fade into the forgotten corners of history."
The tribespeople all bowed their heads in acknowledgment.
They were inherently kind-hearted, incapable of trampling upon others. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that they had been deemed worthy of Bu Eun-seol's aid.
"Then, until we meet again."
As Bu Eun-seol turned to leave, A-wan made to follow him in quick, hurried steps.
But Anan-geuk, noticing this, swiftly caught her sleeve.
He shook his head firmly.
"The Young Master of Wind and Cloud now faces a grave task. We must not disturb his focus."
A-wan opened her mouth to protest, but Anan-geuk's gaze was too solemn.
And his words were undeniably true.
For the Young Master of Wind and Cloud was now on his way to behead an Absolute One—the ruler of Nashik City—to protect the Four Sacred Tribes.
Grip.
Clenching her sleeve tightly, A-wan nodded.
Now was not the time to shake his resolve.
Northern edge of Nashik City.
Atop a vast plateau that seemed to touch the heavens stood a palace as grand and resplendent as any royal residence.
This was the Iron Elephant Sect—led by one of the Eight Overlords of India, the Iron Elephant King, who had refined the greatest External Arts in all of India.
The palace, rising like a colossal lotus bud from the earth, dominated the plateau like the abode of gods.
Walls and pavilions, built from golden sandstone and dazzling white marble, shimmered brilliantly beneath the sun.
Beneath countless spires and domed roofs that stretched toward the sky,
the walls and pillars were intricately and lavishly carved with sacred elephants, lotuses, and celestial dancers.
Whoosh.
Unfolding the Heavenly Light Endless Art, Bu Eun-seol advanced toward the Iron Elephant Sect without hesitation.
Before the massive gates stood enormous elephant statues on either side,
The guards stood solemnly before them, but they could not detect Bu Eun-seol as he moved stealthily using his movement technique.
Whoosh.
Leaping over the gate in a single bound, Bu Eun-seol entered and saw a large pond.
Water lilies of many colors bloomed beautifully on its surface.
The scent of incense and the clear, gentle chime of wind bells drifted on the breeze.
'It looks just like a temple.'
The Iron Elephant King was known as a greedy and cruel overlord.
Yet, paradoxically, the sect he led boasted scenery as beautiful and majestic as a temple of India.
'I'll quietly cut off his head.'
The Iron Elephant Sect had over a hundred thousand troops, and formations and defensive mechanisms within its grounds to guard against powerful intruders.
But Bu Eun-seol could not harm all the innocent disciples as well, so he decided to target just one man.
The Iron Elephant King alone—the sect leader who coveted the sacred relics of the Four Sacred Tribes and tormented common people.
'An intelligence organization really is important.'
According to his original plan, he would have used an intelligence network to learn the sect's layout and terrain in advance, then beheaded the Iron Elephant King flawlessly without leaving a trace.
But by infiltrating without preparation, he had wasted a day and a half merely learning the internal layout and circumstances.
In the end, he had no choice but to devise a plan on the spot.
'I feel as though I'm back in the Kill-Seeking Unit.'
In the past, the Kill-Seeking Unit had often received nearly impossible missions to eliminate a target without a single piece of intelligence.
Most had ended in failure, and countless members had lost their lives in vain.
Bu Eun-seol alone had been the exception.
Whatever the mission, however unfavorable or harsh the circumstances, he had always completed it.
Now, he was about to prove that ability once again.
'Is that the Iron Elephant King's residence?'
Bu Eun-seol, who had been stealthily infiltrating deeper into the compound, halted his steps before an opulent building nestled in the heart of the estate.
The palace was a sight to behold—its roof gilded in gold, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight, while its walls were adorned with gemstones that seemed to devour the light. The massive doors were cast in silver, their centers engraved with intricate emblems.
Using the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi to slip inside undetected, he found himself in a labyrinth of twisting corridors.
The walls were decorated with murals depicting a figure—presumably the Iron Elephant King—dressed in lavish robes, conjuring the form of an elephant in midair while countless people bowed in worship around him. The paintings were a clear testament to the Iron Elephant King's towering pride and self-aggrandizing nature.
'Strange.'
Even after infiltrating this deep, there was no sign of life.
'A palace of this scale would require at least ten attendants or servants to maintain it.'
Inside, the furnishings were crafted from the finest purple sandalwood and ebony, while golden scrolls inscribed with ancient script and crystal tablets were displayed like treasures. Yet not a single soul—not even an ant—could be seen.
'There's only one scenario where a residence would be this empty.'
Closed-door cultivation.
He must be in seclusion, meditating within a hidden chamber or secret mechanism.
To prevent even the slightest disturbance from the outside world, no servants—let alone disciples or family members—were permitted near the premises during such training.
And if he wasn't in seclusion?
Then there was no way a palace this grand and lavish would be completely devoid of people.
'This makes things easier.'
The perfect conditions for an assassination had presented themselves naturally.
As Bu Eun-seol surveyed the interior, his gaze drifted upward to the ceiling, painted a deep, night-sky blue. Embedded within it were countless diamonds, arranged like constellations, casting a faint, ethereal glow.
'Celestial movement.'
The motion of the heavens followed a fixed cycle, but some cycles were so long or overlapping that they created incredibly complex patterns.
Because of this, many in the martial world modeled their formations and mechanisms after the movement of the stars.
'This is easy.'
Realizing that the gemstones in the ceiling were part of a hidden mechanism, Bu Eun-seol reached out—
Whoosh.
—and with Void Object Retrieval, he shifted the positions of the embedded diamonds.
Rumble...
The wall beside the bed split open, revealing a descending staircase.
Shhht—
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated his movement technique and descended.
At the bottom of the stairs, a vast cavern stretched before him. Towering stalactites and stalagmites formed natural pillars, while veins of unknown ores embedded in the walls emitted a faint, multicolored glow, illuminating the darkness.
After walking deeper inside, the space abruptly widened into a vast clearing.
Night Shining Pearls dotted the ceiling like stars, while veins of blue phosphorescent ore snaked along the walls like bloodlines, bathing the entire cavern in a dreamlike azure glow mingled with soft white light.
At the center of the clearing was a small pond, shimmering with a mysterious radiance.
And at its far end, a smooth, unyielding rock face stood—carved with martial scriptures in the language of India.
Before it, a massive figure sat hunched, his silhouette as imposing as a sheer cliff.
Clad in resplendent silk robes, his shoulders and chest were draped with heavy gem-studded ornaments.
"The Iron Elephant King, I presume?"
Bu Eun-seol made no effort to conceal his presence as he stepped forward and spoke.
This underground cavern was so isolated from the Iron Elephant Sect that even if a battle capable of shaking heaven and earth broke out here, no one would ever notice.
Which meant—he had no intention of assassinating him.
He would bring him down fairly.
"A member of the Vayura Tribe?"
The voice that answered was thunderous, carrying such tyrannical force that it seemed to reverberate through the very air.
As the hunched figure lifted his head, a face of overwhelming intimidation was revealed—one that could steal the breath from any who beheld it.
Deep-set eyes brimmed with ruthlessness, and a fierce, glowing light emanated from them.
The Iron Elephant King—Sang Do-gang-cheon.
The ruler of Nashik City and one of the Eight Overlords of India had been in the midst of closed-door cultivation in this underground cavern.
"No... a man of the Central Plains."
Sang Do-gang-cheon studied the disguised features of Bu Eun-seol—who had registered under the alias "Seol-so"—with sharp scrutiny. A blade-like aura radiated outward from him.
"Who are you?"
Though he spoke in Chinese, Bu Eun-seol remained deep in thought.
'If he was in seclusion, then did he send his son in his stead?'
Closed-door cultivation was not something one undertook on a whim.
Which meant that even while secluded, he must have been receiving reports and issuing commands to his subordinates.
Or perhaps the order to attack the Four Sacred Tribes and retrieve the Sacred Artifact had come from someone else entirely.
"I asked who you are."
Sang Do-gang-cheon, who was said to be a hundred years old this year, maintained the appearance of a man in his fifties. Not only that—
His voice was remarkably youthful as well.
"Martial Soul Society. Seol-so."
"The Martial Soul Society?"
"Correct."
The Iron Elephant King's eyes flashed.
"So you're the Martial Soul Society Leader who's never revealed himself until now."
Not only did he command a formidable intelligence network, but he was also deeply versed in the affairs of the Central Plains martial world.
Moreover, true to his status as the Dominator of India,
despite his unremarkable appearance, he had immediately discerned that Bu Eun-seol's aura was anything but ordinary.
And so, in an instant, he had deduced that Bu Eun-seol was the Martial Soul Society Leader.
"Correct."
Bu Eun-seol replied coldly.
"If you restrain your disciples now, cease your atrocities against the people of Nashik City, and refrain from provoking the Four Sacred Tribes, I will spare your life."
"The Four Sacred Tribes?"
Only then did the Iron Elephant King nod slowly, as if everything had finally become clear.
"So you are the Wind Cloud Prince from the Central Plains."
The Wind Cloud Prince was a name that appeared in the Divine Maiden's prophecy.
Given that the Iron Elephant King was well-informed about the Sacred Artifacts, it was no surprise he knew of it.
Yet Bu Eun-seol felt an inexplicable unease.
Could the Iron Elephant King, so brimming with confidence, truly have coveted the Sacred Artifacts of the Four Sacred Tribes so desperately? The doubt rose in his mind.
"You must be the one who turned my son into a frozen corpse."
'Then that means he was still commanding his sect even while in Closed Door Training.'
Not only had the Iron Elephant King been receiving reports and issuing orders to his subordinates during his seclusion,
but as the ruler who held Nashik City firmly in his grasp, he clearly possessed an intelligence network that allowed him to read the city's affairs as easily as one reads palm lines.
Bu Eun-seol had killed Sang Do-yu-mong and arrived at the Iron Elephant Sect in just a day, spending only another day to survey the terrain and interior.
Yet if the Iron Elephant King knew the outcome of the battle between Sang Do-yu-mong and the Four Sacred Tribes, he must have received the report through a messenger hawk.
"You must avenge your son, so there's no room for negotiation."
"Avenge your son?"
The Iron Elephant King, wearing a cruel smile, said something unexpected.
"I have plenty of sons. That one just happened to be particularly shrewd at navigating the world and skilled at handling people, which is why he became the Little Sect Leader."
Those who are cruel and obsessed with power often dote excessively on their blood kin.
Thus, Bu Eun-seol had naturally assumed the Iron Elephant King would be furious over Sang Do-yu-mong's death.
Yet this was a ruthless father like Sin Do-jang-cheon, who had once watched his own son, the Young Palace Lord Sindo Un-hwi, spiral toward ruin without lifting a finger to stop him—
a man no different from Sindo Jang-cheong, the master of the Extinction Palace.
"Good. I was already curious about who had helped the Four Sacred Tribes."
As the Iron Elephant King, who had been crouching, rose to his full height, the vast clearing seemed to shrink under his presence.
Behind him, the distinct form of an elephant began to materialize.
"You've made progress in the Eight Elephant Art."
Seeing the eight elephant apparitions looming behind the Iron Elephant King,
Bu Eun-seol realized he was on the verge of reaching the Eighth Layer of the Eight Elephant Art.
"Let's end the conversation here."
"You must have many questions."
Bu Eun-seol tilted his head slightly.
"Such as why this Society Leader is aiding the Four Sacred Tribes."
"Once I tear you limb from limb and interrogate you, you'll spill everything on your own."
The Iron Elephant King, as if annoyed, threw a punch toward Bu Eun-seol.
Bu Eun-seol did not dodge—instead, he met it with his own fist.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the hollow chamber.
Screech—
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol was forced back a step.
Could it be that even with his peerless Internal Energy, his Internal Power was inferior to the Iron Elephant King's?
'As expected.'
In fact, Bu Eun-seol had foreseen this outcome.
At the pinnacle of External Arts, the loss of force becomes negligible, and the might of martial techniques reaches its peak.
To put it simply, even if two fighters execute the same technique,
the difference is like striking a wall with a soft rubber ball versus a solid iron one.
Swish!
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol's arm began rotating at high speed—
Splurt!
Blood sprayed abruptly.
The Eight Elephant Art could absorb or deflect any force directed at it.
The Iron Elephant King had redirected the power behind Bu Eun-seol's punch straight back into his body,
and Bu Eun-seol, in response, twisted his arm to neutralize the rebound.
In that brief exchange, the two grandmasters had not only gauged each other's skill but also proven their Fist Techniques to be evenly matched.
"The Martial Soul Society Leader isn't so impressive after all."
If their strength was truly equal,
then the Iron Elephant King, with his indestructible physique and the ability to reflect all external force through the Eight Elephant Art, would inevitably hold the advantage.
"Now, fall."
BOOM!
Deafening explosions shook heaven and earth as Bu Eun-seol's body was forced backward again and again.
"How long can you last?"
A mocking grin curled the Iron Elephant King's lips as a blue heat haze began to rise from his pupils.
CRACK-BOOM!
With every punch he threw, the massive elephant apparitions behind him surged forth like waves of heat haze.
The faint illusions soon transformed into an overwhelming pressure, as if they had gained physical form.
And then, with a brutality separate from mere Fist Techniques, the crushing momentum—as if it could trample the world into dust—began shattering Bu Eun-seol's body piece by piece.
Limitless Power.
The Iron Elephant King unleashed the Limitless Power, transcending the limits of martial arts—
Each fist strike seemed to summon a divine elephant from myth, borrowing the Iron Elephant King's flesh as its vessel.
A force both sacred and terrifying poured forth, relentlessly dismantling Bu Eun-seol's physical body.
Zing, zing.
With every blow that landed, faint light rippled across Bu Eun-seol's skin—the combined forces within him manifesting as Limitless Astral Energy, wrapping around his body like armor.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Like the moon crashing from the heavens, waves of absolute, unavoidable power tore through space, striking Bu Eun-seol head-on.
Wherever the Iron Elephant King's fists passed, space distorted, leaving behind the afterimage of a colossal elephant's charge gouged into the earth.
Chiii—
Then, something strange happened.
White steam began rising from the Iron Elephant King's body—his left side burning crimson, his right freezing a sickly blue.
Even while enduring the assault, Bu Eun-seol had been channeling Hot River Great Essence True Qi in one hand and Glacier Thousand Streams Art in the other, corroding the Iron Elephant King's body from within.
"The power of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang."
Pausing his assault, the Iron Elephant King glanced down at himself and snorted.
"The Eight Elephant Art repels all external forces!"
With that, he unleashed the Indestructible Rebounding Force of the Eight Elephant Art, violently expelling the opposing energies in a single motion.
BOOM!
The backlash of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang surged into Bu Eun-seol, sending him hurtling backward behind a stone wall before he could block it.
Rumble.
Wiping blood from his lips, Bu Eun-seol rose again, his figure caked in dust.
The Iron Elephant King erupted into Mad Laughter at the sight.
"With just that much skill—"
But his words cut off abruptly.
Crack, crack.
His palms suddenly split apart like brittle cookies.
Reverse Flow Rebound Strike.
Bu Eun-seol had not been helplessly enduring the Iron Elephant King's attacks all this time.
He had been analyzing the Principles of Martial Arts behind the Eight Elephant Art, realizing he couldn't shatter the Iron Elephant King's body outright.
Instead, he had been subtly reflecting the force back while layering it with Glacier Thousand Streams Art and Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
Easier said than done—to accomplish this required:
In other words, Bu Eun-seol was demonstrating abilities befitting a Martial Extreme Realm master.
"This bastard..."
For the first time, the Iron Elephant King's expression shifted.
Only now did he realize—Bu Eun-seol was a master who surpassed him.
"Martial Soul Society Leader... Are you saying you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Three Demons and Three Venerables?"
"You still don't understand the martial arts of the Central Plains."
Bu Eun-seol smirked.
"Compared to them, this Society Leader is but a toddler taking his first steps."
An exaggeration, perhaps—but not entirely false when considering recent power surges like Ak Mu-ryeong, the Human Demon, or Jeok Bung, the Blood Demon.
The grandmasters of the Central Plains had already transcended the boundaries of the Martial Extreme Realm.
"You've only just reached Martial Extremity Equal Enlightenment, wielding a crude imitation of Limitless Power."
Step. Step.
Exuding an aura like the Death God, Bu Eun-seol slowly advanced, raising a hand.
"May you be reborn as a kinder soul."
ROAR—
Simultaneously, crimson energy swirled around his left fist.
He had elevated the Heavenly Hand Empty Wave—the strongest single-strike technique—with Internal Energy refined over ten cycles (600 years).
KWA-AAAAH!
The spiraling Fist Qi morphed into a blood-red dragon, pulverizing the cavern around them.
If that strike landed, not even the Iron Elephant King's ancestors would survive.
"Wait!"
The Iron Elephant King shouted desperately.
"Kill me, and the Four Sacred Tribes perish!"
"..."
"Will you slaughter all my disciples? Even if you kill me, the Ten Great Elephant Generators will execute the Four Sacred Tribes first!"
It wasn't a lie.
Even if the Iron Elephant King died, his 90,000 subordinates remained—including the Ten Great Elephant Generators, who had mastered the Eight Elephant Art to the Sixth Layer.
Unless Bu Eun-seol exterminated them all, the threat would persist.
"You don't strike me as ruthless enough to slaughter every last one of them."
"Are you begging for your life?"
"Far from it."
The Iron Elephant King spoke firmly.
"I've only just breached the threshold of the Eighth Layer of the Eight Elephant Art. Grant me 300 days of refinement, and I will achieve Great Perfection—a realm none in India's history have reached."
His voice carried unwavering pride.
"I will not touch the Four Sacred Tribes. Instead, face me again after 300 days, once I've perfected the Eighth Layer."
Bu Eun-seol stared into his eyes.
This wasn't fear—only the genuine anguish of a martial artist facing death before reaching his art's pinnacle.
"If you take such pride in your martial arts, why covet the Four Sacred Tribes' relics?"
"Their power is India's greatest. Naturally—"
"Then the other Eight Overlords of India wouldn't have stayed idle."
Light pulsed from Bu Eun-seol's fist.
"You lied. Negotiations are over."
The Iron Elephant King spoke swiftly.
"The Great One commanded it."
"The Great One?"
"Yes. It was he who ordered me to cede the Nakgi Lake region to Poison Sovereign Garama. He who demanded the relics' retrieval."
Bu Eun-seol took a Deep Breath.
Even as the lowest-ranked of the Eight Overlords, for the Iron Elephant King to tremble and refer to someone as "The Great One"—
The answer was obvious.
'The True Demon.'
Shockingly, the True Demon had been devouring India from the shadows for far longer than anyone realized.