Chapter 974
"So you're the Martial Soul Society Leader."
As Bu Eun-seol appeared, the Man in Black immediately recognized him as the leader and smiled faintly.
Shwook.
At the same time, the Man in Black, standing at the center, absorbed the remaining seven shadows back into his own body.
Even as Bu Eun-seol watched with his own eyes, it was an unbelievably grotesque technique.
"You're quite young."
The Man in Black tilted his head slightly as he scrutinized Bu Eun-seol from head to toe.
"I'd have guessed you were at least in your forties or fifties. To think you founded the Martial Soul Society..."
"Judging by your skill, you're not one of the Three Attendants, who are scattered about searching for the True Demon."
Bu Eun-seol stared straight at the Man in Black and muttered under his breath.
"Too strong to be one of the Eight Heavenly Servants, yet too weak to be one of the Four Divine Heavens... Hmm."
In that instant, the Man in Black's eyes flashed.
In the martial world, those who knew of the existence of the Four Divine Heavens and the Eight Heavenly Servants were exceedingly rare.
Moreover, the fact that the Three Attendants were searching for the True Demon was a secret among secrets.
How could someone who had seemingly fallen from the sky, leaving no trace in the martial world, possibly know the power levels of the True Demon's followers—and even its deepest secrets?
"I truly cannot fathom your identity."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, the Man in Black's eyes narrowed.
"The Heaven Lord of the Profound Human Heaven..."
Bu Eun-seol's own eyes narrowed slightly in response.
Generally, the word hyeon referred to the color black, but in the martial world, it denoted occult arts (hyeonsul), mystical techniques (hyeonbeop), or any profound and mysterious power.
Wasn't Wi Ji-mua himself called the Profound Demon because his sword techniques were so unfathomably deep and enigmatic?
"So, you're one of the Eight Heavenly Servants who specializes in spellcraft."
To Bu Eun-seol, who had been defeating Heaven Lords of the Eight Heavenly Servants one after another, they were hardly a threat—except for Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
But the next words made his eyes flash.
"...And soon, the new master of the Destroyer of Gods."
The Profound Human Heaven Lord—now unmasked—curled the corner of his lips.
Beneath the mask was the face of a middle-aged man, sinister beyond measure.
"Long ago, with the help of three elders, I gained power that transcended the limits of the Human Heaven."
It was a shocking revelation.
The Three Attendants were known as the True Demon's most loyal servants.
They possessed the ability to amplify the power of their followers...
'So, he's a candidate for Heaven Lord.'
Even the Martial God Heaven Lord on Ghost Island was said to have welcomed a new successor.
And now, it seemed the Destroyer of Gods was undergoing a generational shift as well.
The power of the Four Divine Heavens surpassed even the limits of martial arts...
The Profound Human Heaven Lord, who primarily wielded spellcraft and stood on the verge of ascending to the Divine Heavens, must possess strength incomparable to the Eight Heavenly Servants who had appeared before.
"And you are?"
"The Martial Soul Society Leader."
Bu Eun-seol answered calmly.
"Seol-so."
"Seol-so?"
The Profound Human Heaven Lord rolled the name around in his head for a long moment.
In the martial world, the only known figure by that name was the wandering martial artist Seol-so, rumored to be a disciple of the Bullet King.
But the Bullet King had established the Azure Heaven Alliance and become its leader.
How could his disciple—a mere wanderer of the Central Plains—possibly be the Martial Soul Society Leader?
"What an absurd claim."
The Profound Human Heaven Lord glanced around skeptically.
"You're telling me you're the real Seol-so?"
"That's right."
The Profound Human Heaven Lord tilted his head.
"Well, whatever... If you listen well to the words of this Heavenly Lord, you might just survive."
"You want us to bring you the New Bloodline."
Bu Eun-seol spoke as if it were nothing.
"Because it's the first successful one."
The Profound Human Heaven Lord wasn't particularly surprised.
Someone who knew the top-secret fact that the Three Attendants were searching for the True Demon would surely know about the New Bloodline as well.
"Unfortunately, there's no New Bloodline here. You're mistaken."
"What?"
"Didn't you confirm before attacking our Society? That there's nothing here?"
"If there were nothing, would I have come here?"
"You couldn't find it, so you resorted to raiding us."
Bu Eun-seol shrugged.
"You were planning to force us to reveal where we hid it."
That was exactly it.
The Profound Human Heaven Lord had already infiltrated the Martial Soul Society and conducted a thorough investigation.
He had received information that the New Bloodline had come here—yet no matter how much he searched, he couldn't sense anyone who resembled it.
'You could search for a lifetime and never find it.'
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
Seong-a had drunk his blood and awakened from the Soul Return Summoning, reverting to her original body.
Unless she drank his blood again, there was absolutely no chance of her ever becoming the New Bloodline once more.
"So you deliberately lured our Heaven Lord here."
The Profound Human Heaven Lord's eyes flashed.
"Did you think you could negotiate with him?"
"Not at all."
Bu Eun-seol waved his hand dismissively.
"Enough talk. Make your move."
"You called us here just to ask us to kill you...?"
The Profound Human Heaven Lord stared at Bu Eun-seol for a long moment before tilting his head in confusion.
"You're not in disguise."
"..."
"How is it possible for someone to appear out of nowhere like this?"
"..."
"A mere wanderer who not only knows about our Heaven but also the New Bloodline?"
He stroked his chin as if solving a riddle, muttering to himself.
"And that Earth Wandering Immortal Art—Cheonjoyuhwa? Since when do immortals with such absurd techniques exist?"
"There are many reclusive masters in the martial world unknown to most, and few would falsely claim a lineage that isn't theirs."
Even if one encounters an unfamiliar name, none would immediately assume it to be a fabrication.
Yet Hyeon-in was absolutely certain that no celestial being named Cheonjo Yu-hwa existed.
Which meant—
The Servants of the True Demon, generation after generation—
must possess knowledge of every hidden master and powerhouse in the martial world, down to their personal details.
"So if your kind doesn't know them, they simply don't exist?"
When Bu Eun-seol feigned ignorance, Hyeon-in scoffed.
"Of course. If one had truly cultivated the Dao to the point of ascension, the Three Elders would have undoubtedly discovered them."
'He means the Three Attendants.'
Though spoken casually, this was significant information.
The True Demon's three attendants—the Three Attendants—
possessed the ability to track down the martial world's hidden supreme experts or those wielding immense power.
"Like a frog at the bottom of a well, croaking that it knows the entire world."
Uncharacteristically, Bu Eun-seol's words flowed more freely than usual.
The persona of Seol-so had been crafted as an unfathomable grandmaster who walked the line between orthodoxy and heterodoxy.
Moreover, through vocal pitch, speech patterns, gaze, and expression, he could discern an opponent's psychological state and inherent traits.
And above all—
before engaging in battle,
there was crucial information he had to extract.
"Are you planning to slaughter all of the Muhonhui's warriors based on a flawed judgment?"
Hyeon-in's pitch-black pupils flashed.
"Bring forth the woman you've hidden, obediently. Do that, and I'll spare half of the Muhonhui's forces."
Hyeon-in, too, was unusually talkative.
Whether it was the thrill of stepping into the martial world in earnest or his penchant for spellcraft—
it was hard to believe this was the man destined to become the Destroyer of Gods, given how excessively verbose he was.
"Half? How generous."
When Bu Eun-seol sneered, Hyeon-in's expression darkened.
"The principle of Heaven's descent is the complete annihilation of all who stand before it. Sparing even half is an unprecedented act in our history."
"How touching. I might weep from gratitude."
"As expected, martial world fools are impossible to reason with."
Hyeon-in's lips curled into a murderous smile.
"You always refuse the offer of mercy and choose punishment instead."
As he raised his hand—
Grrrrrl—
The ranks of demonic beasts growled in unison.
It seemed Hyeon-in alone was controlling every last one of them.
"To face the Demonic Calamity Beasts summoned once more by our Lord of Heaven, you'll need to mobilize even the Muhonhui's cooks and attendants."
Demonic Calamity Beasts—
Demonic beasts forged through ancient forbidden arts,
undying creatures with the eyes of dragons, the hide of river horses, and the claws of lions.
They feed on the fear of those around them, regenerating endlessly, making them virtually unkillable.
'Hm.'
Bu Eun-seol glanced back at the Muhonhui warriors standing in formation behind him.
Though they had achieved flawless victory against nearly thirty thousand demonic beasts, exhaustion weighed heavily on them.
If another force of equal strength attacked in an instant—suppressing the fear spreading through their hearts would be impossible.
And the Demonic Calamity Beasts would regenerate infinitely by feeding on that very fear...
As Hyeon-in said, even the attendants residing in the Muhonhui would have to take up arms.
"Demonic Calamity Beasts, you say?"
Yet Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a derisive smirk.
"A bluff worthy of the Eight Heavenly Servants."
"A bluff?"
"Like the clone technique you deployed earlier, what you've conjured now is nothing but the Shadowless Great Derivation Art, isn't it? You expect me to believe these are Demonic Calamity Beasts?"
Hyeon-in's face stiffened instantly.
The Shadowless Great Derivation Art—
A secret technique originating from the Demonic Path's Empress, Mae So-bong,
combining the Worship Sect's Fluid Light-Splitting Art and the Great Method of Heteromorphic Unity—
was a form of Shadow Qi Transference.
Simply put, this technique—
manipulates light and shadows through the Light Body Technique and footwork,
while employing specialized Sound Arts to generate noises from multiple directions simultaneously.
Coupled with formidable internal energy and spellcraft, it creates minute distortions in space,
giving the illusion of endlessly multiplying clones.
"Then... you're saying he faced us alone all this time?"
Noe Bi-hon's face twisted in disbelief upon hearing this.
"The four of us, the Leaders..."
They had been clashing with Hyeon-in, unaware that even his clones were mere illusions.
For Noe Bi-hon, who prided himself as a grandmaster of the Central Plains' martial arts, this was nothing short of humiliating.
'There's more to this.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
Even if Hyeon-in was a candidate for Destroyer of Gods—
he couldn't have effortlessly repelled the combined assault of the Four Great Leaders with just the Shadowless Great Derivation Art.
"The martial prowess of the Eight Heavenly Servants rivals the Martial Extreme Realm."
Yet he deliberately addressed Noe Bi-hon with these words.
"Moreover, this Hyeon-in has augmented his strength through the Three Attendants' influence. There's no need for shame."
"Curious. Even if you saw through the Shadowless Great Derivation Art—"
Hyeon-in, unable to contain his puzzlement, asked—
"How did you know the Demonic Calamity Beasts that I conjured were fakes?"
"Because if they were real, they couldn't have appeared so abruptly."
No matter how extensive the intelligence network of the Eight Heavenly Servants, dropping an entire army from the sky was impossible.
"And—"
Bu Eun-seol spoke with a leisurely expression.
"If someone could drop those demonic beings directly into the headquarters of the Martial Soul Society, they would've already suppressed the entire organization from within in an instant."
"..."
"But what this Society Leader is curious about... is why it wasn't the Deathly Hall's Lord who came, but rather some leftover trash from the Eight Heavenly Servants."
If he had been one of the Divine Heavens—or a Familiar of even higher rank?
He wouldn't have needed to spar with the Four Great Leaders and their martial arts. He would've suppressed them in a single breath.
And destroyed the Martial Soul Society alone.
"You're stalling for time."
Hyeon-in let out a derisive snort, realizing Bu Eun-seol was deliberately dragging things out.
"It can't be reinforcements you're waiting for... So you must be anticipating something else."
"The only certainty is..."
Bu Eun-seol curled the corner of his lips, needling Hyeon-in relentlessly.
"That the demonic beings that appeared here are no different from the miscellaneous junk the Lord of the Dead once created."
"How impressive."
Hyeon-in didn't react to the insult. Instead, he let out an admiring exclamation.
"So that means you were the one who killed the Deathly One, who vanished without a trace... And judging by how you speak of the Divine Heavens, you must've already fought one of the Lords of the Deathly Hall."
"Who knows?"
Bu Eun-seol scoffed coldly.
"Judging by the name 'Hyeon-in,' I assume you're quite skilled in miscellaneous occult arts."
Then, stepping forward slowly, he added:
"Since killing you will make those demonic beings disappear anyway... Why don't we skip the sloppy brawl and settle this one-on-one?"
"What?"
Hyeon-in let out a disbelieving laugh.
"You think you're in any position to demand a duel with this Heaven Lord?"
"What's so great about the Eight Heavenly Servants?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke with open disdain.
"Aren't they just rats who've been hiding in the martial world under the excuse of restrictive seals? If they faced things head-on, they'd be beaten to death in an instant."
"Keheheheh."
As if seeing through Bu Eun-seol's intentions, Hyeon-in let out a sinister chuckle.
"No need for provocation tactics. Crushing you is no different from squashing a bug."
He nodded at Bu Eun-seol.
"At this point, no matter how I think about it, you must be some leftover trash the Baekri Clan produced."
A sharp glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
He had deliberately stirred up talk about the True Demon's information, needling Hyeon-in incessantly.
All for the sake of one crucial piece of intel.
Were the Baekri Clan still active in the martial world?
Would they intervene in this battle?
'He called me a leftover of the Baekri Clan.'
That meant not only were the Baekri Clan's members operating covertly in the martial world—
They also had Familiars handling their affairs in their stead.
'Then they will definitely appear.'
The Servants of the True Demon had noticed traces of the New Bloodline in India leading back to the Martial Soul Society.
And immediately sent the Eight Heavenly Servants.
Then the Baekri Clan would likely send their own Familiars as well.
'And the fact that they only sent a single member of the Eight Heavenly Servants for such an important task as retrieving the New Bloodline...'
Thanks to Hyeon-in's appearance, Bu Eun-seol could now confirm what he had only speculated before.
'The Eight Heavenly Servants are the ones handling affairs in the martial world.'
The New Bloodline was an invaluable treasure the True Demon could never afford to lose.
Even if the Three Attendants themselves had appeared, it wouldn't have been excessive—yet they sent only one member of the Eight Heavenly Servants, not even one of the Deathly Hall's Lords?
Looking back, among the Servants of the True Demon, only the Eight Heavenly Servants had ever openly revealed themselves in the martial world to handle various matters.
Yet the Martial God Heaven Lord, whose power was incomparable to theirs, never interfered in martial world affairs or acted directly.
The Black Divine Heavenly Lord also never showed himself, manipulating the Black God instead.
Even though he must have wanted to track Bu Eun-seol down and kill him, he still left the task to Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, didn't he?
In other words—
Among the Servants of the True Demon, the only ones permitted to openly reveal themselves in the martial world were strictly limited to the Eight Heavenly Servants.
"This Society Leader, a member of the Baekri Clan?"
Finally having extracted all the information he wanted, Bu Eun-seol shrugged with satisfaction.
"I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting."
"It doesn't matter if you deny it. I'll just sweep this place clean and dig up your backers myself."
Then, his eyes flashed—
He clasped his hands together, forming a seal, and recited a low incantation.
—Kurururur, roooar!
Tens of thousands of demonic beings roared once more, charging toward the Martial Soul Society.
In the end, he intended to unleash the demonic horde to raze the Society—while killing Bu Eun-seol at the same time.
"Military Advisor Dam!"
Bu Eun-seol unleashed a Lion's Roar.
"In this Society Leader's stead, take command of the Leaders and hold back those demonic beings!"
His voice, infused with internal energy, reverberated in all directions.
But at that moment, as if detecting something, his gaze shifted strangely.
Yet he quickly resumed a solemn expression and declared:
"I will strike this bastard down within a quarter of an hour—just hold out until then!"
A single horn's time.
Bu Eun-seol had declared he would kill Hyeon-in—who had surpassed the limits of the human realm—within that brief span.
"Understood!"
Dam Yu-yeon and the Four Great Leaders saluted solemnly before immediately leading the martial artists to deal with the so-called Demonic Calamity Beasts.
"Let's change locations."
Bu Eun-seol spread his arms wide.
—Kuuuung!
With a tremor that shook heaven and earth, Hyeon-in's massive body was suddenly flung more than a thousand feet away—straight into a rocky wasteland.
Swish.
Hyeon-in, who had been flung into the rocky terrain, straightened himself perfectly once more.
Thud.
His gaze, now fixed on Bu Eun-seol standing opposite him, had completely transformed.
"So, you can wield Natural Qi."
Had it been an ordinary attack, Hyeon-in would have deflected it before it even touched him.
But Bu Eun-seol had unleashed Natural Qi with such seamless fluidity that Hyeon-in had no time to defend, sending his body flying more than a thousand feet in an instant.
Natural Qi.
The ultimate power coveted by every martial artist.
Within it lay the unadulterated principles and cycles of all creation—unpredictable transformations and an undying vitality that surged endlessly.
But to obtain this power, one had to:
Yet, being a force intertwined with the very essence of life, it was a paradox for martial artists who walked the path of slaughter.
Thus, only the highest monks of the Buddhist Order, reclusive Daoist sages who had abandoned the secular world, or grandmasters who had comprehended the Dao of all things could—
—barely glimpse its fragments at the very end of their lives.
And yet, this young man wielded such power with such ease?
"Unbelievable."
Hyeon-in's face hardened like stone as he finally realized that Bu Eun-seol was not his inferior.
"Unless one has reversed the aging process, such a thing should be impossible."
A faint radiance shimmered around Hyeon-in's body as his eyes flashed.
"Let's see you try unleashing Natural Qi again!"
With that short cry, Hyeon-in's form multiplied into dozens of copies, coiling behind him like the body of a serpent.
This was not his signature Art of Spells—
—but the Shadowless Great Derivation Art, pushed to its limits, maximizing the mysteries of Shifting Forms and Exchanging Positions.
Whoosh!
As he unleashed his Palm Energy, dozens of shadows simultaneously unleashed crushing waves of force, each as immense as Mount Tai.
'With the aid of the Three Attendants, his martial prowess has surpassed even the Eight Heavenly Servants.'
These shadows were no mere illusions—each one released Palm Energy identical in power to Hyeon-in's own.
Such a technique could only be executed by one who had attained a physique rivaling the Dharma Heaven Golden Immortal.
'He certainly has the strength to dare invade the Martial Soul Society alone.'
Most of the Eight Heavenly Servants prioritized their Supernatural Powers over martial arts.
With the exception of the Fist Adept and the Spear Master, who could be considered orthodox martial artists—
—the leaders of the Eight Heavenly Servants relied on their unique Supernatural Powers, which ironically became their shackles, making them easier to defeat.
But for Hyeon-in, a master of the Art of Spells, to display martial prowess of this level?
'Very well. I'll unleash the True Void as you wish.'
BOOM.
As Bu Eun-seol drew upon the Heavenly Light Endless Art, a pure white light flowed from his fist.
He had long contemplated whether Seol-so's identity could truly become the Martial Soul Society Leader.
His experience using Seon-u Jin's identity had taught him that if the gap between his true martial prowess and his assumed identity was too great—
—he would be unable to fully unleash the True Void in critical moments, leading to fatal consequences.
And the only reason he had been able to maintain Seon-u Jin's identity to the end was that he rarely had to face true powerhouses under that guise.
But the Martial Soul Society Leader was different.
As the head of a coalition, he would have to clash with countless powerhouses in real combat—
—meaning he needed martial prowess that absolutely could not fall short of his true strength.
—Impossible.
When he first considered making Seol-so the Martial Soul Society Leader, he had deemed it unfeasible.
At the time, his ultimate martial arts were Harmonization and the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
But he could not make these two arts the foundation of Seol-so's identity.
He had used both techniques multiple times as the Martial Soul Lord, and there was always the risk of leaving unnoticed traces.
In fact, when facing the Poison King in India, he had gone so far as to overturn the entire plain just to erase any evidence of having used Harmonization.
A single oversight in a thousand considerations.
The Martial Soul Society Leader's identity had to be beyond all suspicion.
—But the Heavenly Light Endless Art could make it possible.
Originally, unifying the Divine Energies had been impossible before obtaining the Four Divine Powers.
But thanks to a fortuitous encounter in India, he had achieved the unification of the Three Divine Powers.
And during his time in the Martial Soul Society,
he had perfected a method to apply the Heavenly Light Endless Art—previously limited to Movement Techniques—to all martial arts.
Finally, he had completed one ultimate martial art that could rival the Formless Heavenly Flow, the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, and Harmonization—
—a perfected Fist Demon Seven Forms, wielded with both hands, stripped of any orthodox or unorthodox influences, and infused with the power of the Three Divine Powers.
The Heavenly Light Seven Forms.
BOOM!
As Bu Eun-seol thrust out a single fist—
—a pure white afterimage flashed, erasing not only the dozens of Palm Energies but also Hyeon-in's shadows in an instant.
First Form of the Heavenly Light Seven Forms.
A single streak of light, cleaving through darkness—One Light, Heaven's Radiance.
"...!"
Hyeon-in's eyes widened in an instant.
He realized—no matter what he did, he could not evade that brilliance.
Shwip!
In that moment, Hyeon-in conjured dozens of shadows once more—only to immediately burrow into the ground.
When unable to evade an enemy's attack—
—he left behind shadows on the surface while his true body escaped underground, executing the Earth-Escape Phantom.
"Ghk—!"
But with a choked cry, Hyeon-in—who had tried to dive underground—was instead launched into the air.
BOOM!
Struck by the razor-sharp radiance of Bu Eun-seol's fist, his shadows scattered into dozens of afterimages.
Thud.
Hyeon-in landed back on the ground, his face stiff as stone.
Sssss—
His hair curled as if singed by flames, and pale smoke rose from his entire body.
In the end, he had failed to evade the One Light, Heaven's Radiance—and now bore the wretched consequences of taking that fist's full force.