Chapter 976
KWAOOOONG!
The collision between Gang Qi and the meteor created a distortion that seemed to twist space itself.
Finally, from the epicenter, a tremendous shockwave rippled outward, in widening circles.
At that moment, the sky cracked like glass, and the clouds vanished without a trace.
PAAAAH!
The meteor-like radiance did not dissipate—instead, it bore down on Bu Eun-seol's head as he continued pouring out Gang Qi.
CHICHICHIK—BANG!
In the end, he employed Neither Above Nor Below and the Move Heaven Exchange Force, materializing the force of the light into a tangible form.
Then, with Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade, he molded that radiance into a massive sphere and deflected it at an angle.
KURURURU—
The sphere, now off its original trajectory, swallowed an entire distant mountain peak whole, collapsing it in an instant.
The earth screamed as if vomiting out its agony from the tremendous impact, while shattered rocks and clouds of dust spread outward.
FLASH.
At that moment, a single strand of dazzling light seeped from the distant sky.
A shadow imbued with a gentle yet mysterious energy slowly descended to the ground.
A young man draped in a pristine white robe, untouched by even a speck of dust, with long silver hair shimmering faintly, descended as if his feet would finally touch the earth—yet not a single sound accompanied his landing.
Bu Eun-seol's sharp eyes discerned it immediately.
The young man's feet did not touch the ground. Instead, they hovered in the air, maintaining a hair-thin gap between himself and the earth.
His features glowed like pale moonlight, and his deep, translucent gaze sparkled like the stars of the night sky as he regarded Bu Eun-seol.
Step. Step.
The White-Robed Man walked toward Bu Eun-seol with slow, deliberate strides.
With every step he took upon the empty air, it was as though invisible lotuses bloomed beneath him, spreading a sacred and serene energy in tranquil waves.
He carried an air of mystery and transcendence—like a sage who knew all things in the world.
[You've kept me waiting for a long time.]
Surprisingly, the White-Robed Man had already discerned that Bu Eun-seol had been stalling for time, waiting for him.
[I never expected you to take down a Servant of the True Demon in a single strike.]
The young man's voice resonated strangely, filled with an eerie reverberation akin to the Six-Harmony Voice Transmission.
'The Baekri Clan.'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath as he met the young man's profound gaze.
'It's certain.'
When he had met the Wooden Buddha before, the man had been unable to speak of the Murim's secrets—including the murder of his grandfather—due to the constraints of Heaven's Will.
But the Baekri Clan was Heaven's Will itself.
Perhaps they could tell him—
About his grandfather's murder.
About the factions behind the Saha Manor Blood Tragedy.
About the killers who had slain his parents.
'If I can unravel all these secrets, I would gladly abandon everything I have.'
If so, then he would no longer have to—
Operate intelligence networks to hunt down his grandfather's killer.
Risk his subordinates' lives to uncover the truth behind the Saha Manor Blood Calamity.
"You're from the Baekri Clan, aren't you?"
[That is correct.]
"Why did you attack me?"
Truthfully, Bu Eun-seol already had a vague idea of the reason.
The intense probing battle from earlier—
It had been an attempt to discern in a single moment whether he himself was a Servant of the True Demon, what path he walked, what realm he had reached, and what martial arts he practiced.
But to Bu Eun-seol's question—
[...]
The White-Robed Man merely narrowed his crescent-moon eyes and smiled faintly.
No answer came.
'I see.'
Reading that expression and gaze, Bu Eun-seol could not conceal his deep disappointment.
Having spent so long observing Hyeon-in's physiological reactions to gauge his psychological state, his insight and intuition were now at their peak.
Because of that, he could instantly pierce through the essence of the White-Robed Man's demeanor.
'He's looking down on me.'
The White-Robed Man's attitude was impeccably courteous, his gaze and tone refined.
But he—
Was looking down on Bu Eun-seol.
On all of humanity.
As if they were mere pets to be cared for or fragile beings to be protected.
[You deliberately leaked information about traces of the New Bloodline being left at the Muhon Society, didn't you?]
The White-Robed Man spoke calmly, still smiling.
[Moreover, though you are unrelated to the Covenant, you are exceedingly well-informed about our Baekri Clan and the True Demon.]
"..."
[I've heard that there have been many in the past. Martial artists with outstanding intellect and martial prowess who sought to uncover the secrets of our clan or the True Demon.]
Having said that much, the White-Robed Man suddenly closed his mouth and smirked.
Bu Eun-seol immediately understood the meaning behind that smile.
—No matter how much you struggle, it's futile. Whatever schemes you devise... in the end, you'll change nothing.
That was what the White-Robed Man was telling him.
["...Now, won't you tell me?"]
He spoke again.
His tone remained impeccably courteous.
[Where is the New Bloodline?]
Bu Eun-seol tightly shut his eyes.
It didn't matter even if he didn't know the truth about his grandfather's enemy or the Blood Incident of Saha Manor.
Just meeting someone from a clan that shared his bloodline—that alone would have been enough to satisfy him.
For so many years, that great clan had fought against pure evil.
He had wanted to see for himself the radiant visage of those guardians.
But that had been nothing but his own futile expectation.
The Baekri Clan, who had supposedly fought pure evil for so long... were ultimately no different from another True Demon.
[Of course, the main house will offer appropriate compensation. Unlike the Servants of the True Demon, we don't recklessly take what belongs to others.]
The white-robed man smirked.
[You deliberately leaked that information through the Muhanhoe precisely to negotiate with the main house, didn't you?]
His analysis was precise.
Though he couldn't reveal his true identity.
Bu Eun-seol had intended to obtain much information through dialogue with the Baekri Clan's representative.
His grandfather's enemy. The truth behind Saha Manor. And information about his grandfather's bloodline...
There had been too much he needed to uncover.
Even if the white-robed man had been arrogant, even if he had postured like the spoiled scion of some high-ranking official—
He would have engaged in frank conversation and exchanged information without hesitation.
But he gave up.
With those who considered everyone beneath them as insignificant beings—
No meaningful exchange was possible.
'Perhaps Father...'
Grit.
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist with a pained expression.
'...left the Baekri Clan precisely because they were doing something wrong.'
[May I have your answer?]
Then, the white-robed man smiled as brightly as the morning sun.
[If you truly know the True Demon well enough to oppose them... then you must know even more about our main house, no?]
He continued.
[In the past, the True Demon was truly dangerous. And if people with similar abilities were to keep being born... all of humanity would be annihilated.]
'I know.'
The white-robed man—no, the Baekri Clan—also knew.
That the Chain of Reincarnation binding the True Demon had been severed.
And that, because of this, they now saw the New Bloodline—the woman who could bear his body—as their sole hope.
'Is that why they were so relaxed?'
Once they knew the Chain of Reincarnation had been broken, from the Baekri Clan's perspective, it was like catching a rat in a jar.
They could kill him the moment he was found.
Before the Three Attendants located the True Demon... they just had to find him first.
The fact that he had lost his memories and abandoned the New Bloodline meant they had already won.
"There is no such person in our society. You must have already confirmed that."
Finally organizing his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol spoke firmly.
"I merely learned of the New Bloodline by chance while visiting the Ajanta Caves in India, and later clashed with Dokjon."
He then provided a detailed account of how he had discovered the "New Bloodline" in the Ajanta Caves and his subsequent confrontation with Dokjon.
He always prepared for the worst.
In case this plan endangered Seong-a and the members of the Muhanhoe...
He had long ago fabricated false information, traces, and evidence about the New Bloodline in India.
"...If you go there, you'll be able to verify the truth of my words."
The white-robed man's eyes gleamed.
[How unfortunate.]
After staring at Bu Eun-seol intently for a long moment, the man finally let out a deep sigh and spoke.
[To deliberately leak information about the New Bloodline to lure both the Servants of the True Demon and our Baekri Clan... And then attempt negotiations in this manner—that was a mistake.]
He shook his head.
[Since you leaked information without being certain of the New Bloodline's whereabouts... I have no choice but to purge every place where suspicion remains, don't I?]
In a way, this was the inevitable conclusion.
The New Bloodline was an uncontrollable spark that could set the entire world aflame.
Any place with even the slightest possibility of harboring that spark had to be eradicated.
—"Negotiation was never going to happen in the first place."
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol recalled the words he had spoken to Bing Han-pung during their meeting.
—"If a newborn clutches a lump of gold in its hand, you simply take it. There's no reason to bother with negotiations."
His prediction had been correct after all.
The Baekri Clan had never intended to negotiate with him from the beginning.
"Is that the kind of talk befitting the Baekri Clan, who claim to have protected the Murim for generations?"
When Bu Eun-seol shot back with a scornful glare, the white-robed man clasped his hands together apologetically.
[It is precisely because we are a clan that must protect the Murim and the world that we have no choice but to make this grievous decision. Even the smallest mistake or moment of carelessness could bring about irreversible catastrophe.]
When he had criticized the evil deeds of the Three Realms in the past, Hyeokryeon Eung had used similar logic.
And Bu Eun-seol had retorted thus:
"If this is a world that can only be protected by sacrificing others, then it would be better off destroyed."
Even now, that conviction remained unchanged.
"I see."
A flame began to ignite in Bu Eun-seol's pupils—a mingling of glacial cold and furnace-like heat.
"Enough talk. Make your move."
[Are you certain you won't reconsider?]
The white-robed man spoke with a bitter expression.
[Surely, you must have hidden some clue.]
"This Council Master does not repeat himself."
[...How unfortunate.]
KWA-WOONG!
At that moment, from behind the white-robed man—
A pure white dragon surged into the heavens.
Its towering form stretched thousands of feet high, and with every movement, the earth beneath it split apart with a deafening crack.
If such power were unleashed, it would be akin to the wrath of the Great Nature itself—unstoppable, inevitable.
[I pray you will forgive me.]
Without hesitation, the white-robed man extended his hand.
In an instant, the dragon that adorned the sky swallowed Bu Eun-seol whole.
[……]
The world fell into utter silence.
Bu Eun-seol, who had stood across from him, vanished without a trace—as though even the fact of his existence had been erased.
[I truly cannot fathom why you forced this outcome.]
He shook his head with feigned regret, but his eyes and expression were as indifferent as brushing a speck of dust from his sleeve.
Then, he gazed beyond the Absolute Boundary.
Now, the Murim would no longer harbor the Muhonhoe—it would evaporate into nothingness, just as the Baekri Clan's branch family had three hundred years prior.
Thud.
But then—something strange occurred.
A single lock of hair at the white-robed man's temple abruptly severed and fell.
WHOOSH!
A gale, violent as a storm, swept past him.
THUD.
Simultaneously, a figure clad in gray martial robes landed upon the earth.
Bu Eun-seol.
His body was cracked like parched ground, yet scattered fragments of flesh gradually began reattaching themselves to him.
He was reconstructing his physical form—destroyed in the Mindscape by the white-robed man's attack.
'The Heavenly Light Endless Art serves me well.'
Bu Eun-seol possessed the power to manipulate the Mindscape.
But while he could restore a shattered body, mitigating the actual damage inflicted upon his flesh was far more difficult.
However, the Heavenly Light Endless Art was the unification of the Three Divine Powers.
Merely cloaking himself in it severed the connection between the Mindscape and his physical body for an instant—
Shielding his flesh from the white-robed man's assault.
[Remarkable.]
The white-robed man exhaled a genuine sigh of admiration.
He had undoubtedly thrust Bu Eun-seol into the Mindscape and obliterated his body in an instant.
Yet here he stood—restored?
[Only those of the Main House should be capable of such a feat.]
A divine radiance shimmered in the white-robed man's gaze as he scrutinized Bu Eun-seol.
But nowhere—
Could he detect the unique traits or techniques exclusive to the Baekri Clan. Nor was there any trace of a Disguise.
[You've tempered your Phase upon reaching the Martial Extreme Realm.]
Retracting his gaze, the white-robed man nodded with reluctant approval.
[And if you've grasped the Way of Nature—a path scarcely mastered even in the Murim—then... I suppose it's possible.]
Yet even that admiration carried the air of—
Not one human regarding another—
But a child marveling at a clever monkey performing tricks.
"Finished your monologue?"
A crimson glow flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
He did not believe this man's words reflected the will of the entire Baekri Clan.
But if one ventured into the Martial World under the banner of their name, their actions represented the clan itself.
And this white-robed man—who sought to crush the Muhonhoe without hesitation under the flimsy pretext of extinguishing a dangerous spark—
Would not be forgiven.
[As I thought...]
The white-robed man observed the light spreading through Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
[Do you know what the Main House fears most?]
"..."
[The Shell of the True Demon.]
His eyes gleamed as he revealed an unexpected truth.
[He possesses the ability to seize another's body and dwell within it for a time. And the vessels he leaves behind—we call them Shells.]
Bu Eun-seol was unmoved.
For the True Demon—an ancient entity wielding forgotten arts—such a feat was trivial.
[Those Shells inherit intelligence and strength beyond imagination, all thanks to him.]
The shocking revelations continued.
[As though descended from the heavens, they rise abruptly to the ranks of Superlative Martial Experts—or display transcendent abilities despite their youth...]
The white-robed man's smile vanished.
[Just like you.]
Though it was merely the fading of a smile,
it was as if an immortal had transformed into a demon—his eerie, grotesque gaze spreading outward.
'So that's how it was.'
Bu Eun-seol realized one more astonishing fact.
The Baekri Clan's long-hidden purpose in secretly manipulating the Martial World—
was to seek out and exterminate those suspected of being Shells of the True Demon.
Even the Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic, or the Three Demons and Three Venerables, who had reached unparalleled heights in their youth—
the Baekri Clan must have undoubtedly verified their true nature.
'This, too, was fate.'
Even if he hadn't leaked information about the New Bloodline,
the Baekri Clan would have investigated whether Seol-so, now the Martial Soul Society Leader, was a Shell of the True Demon.
'I have no more information I wish to know.'
Now, only battle remained.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's gaze flickered toward the white-robed man's feet.
His feet still hovered an inch above the ground, and his pristine white robes bore not a speck of dust.
It was as if the mysterious shockwaves constantly emanating from his body prevented any impurity from touching him.
A faint, thread-like smile brushed his lips.
That faint smile was identical to the one the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had worn in the past—
when he pierced deep into the Sword Sovereign's heart and sought to dominate his spirit and mind.
"Since you've babbled this much..."
Bu Eun-seol, having gathered his internal power, extended his hand.
"Shall we begin?"
[Hahaha.]
The white-robed man burst into bright laughter, his expression like that of someone watching a rare and amusing Beijing Opera performance.
[You truly are—]
BOOM!
In that instant, a gale like a cannonball blasted past the white-robed man's face.
Simultaneously, a thin red line appeared on his cheek.
Heavenly Light Seven Forms, Sixth Form.
The pinnacle fist technique of Natural Qi—one so refined that even Hyeon-in had died without realizing he had been struck.
He had deliberately missed with Boundless Radiance.
Drip.
A drop of crimson blood finally trickled from the wound.
The white-robed man, with a stunned expression,
scooped the blood onto his finger and brought it before his eyes.
Watching this, a cold smile curled at the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
"Even the people of the Baekri Clan—who, under the pretense of protecting the Martial World, unhesitatingly bring about Blood Calamities—still bleed red, I see."
Tap. Tap.
The white-robed man's expression twisted into something bizarre as he turned his head.
It wasn't anger or shock—
but the look of a child who had tried to pet a cat with kindness, only to be bitten in return.
Unfazed, Bu Eun-seol snorted derisively.
"At first glance, you're not even a member of the Baekri Clan—just some lowly servant beneath them. And yet, you put on airs like some Agent of God, acting all dignified."
His mockery was as scathing as if So Ok-rim had possessed him.
"What, staring like that? Too scared to fight head-on, so you had to unfold your Mindscape before the battle even started? Pathetic rat."
The white-robed man looked dazed.
Since the Baekri Clan's emergence into the Martial World, even the greatest superlative martial experts had bowed their heads before them.
Yet this naked thunderbolt of a man dared to hurl insults without knowing the height of the heavens?
[You're using a rather clumsy Provocation Strategy. But even so—]
"Save your breath—if you can dodge this Society Leader's fist techniques first."
The white-robed man flinched.
Bu Eun-seol's Heavenly Light Seven Forms utilized Natural Qi fused with the Three Divine Powers, making its fist energy nearly impossible to detect.
Hadn't he just failed to sense it, leaving a scratch on his cheek?
"The Servants of the True Demon all train in martial arts and use martial arts—yet this rat of the Baekri Clan only knows how to flap his lips."
Bu Eun-seol had spent so long with So Ok-rim—whose mouth was second to none in vulgarity—
that spewing venom at someone was hardly difficult.
"I had hoped a true figure of the Baekri Clan would come."
Then, he unleashed his most scathing sneer yet.
"But if they're sending out lackeys like you, then the Baekri Clan must be no better than fools."
In truth, this was his genuine feeling.
If they were truly the Baekri Clan's servants—
even if they didn't appear righteous, he had at least expected them to be protectors of the weak.
But this white-robed man, though his actions and speech were polite—
under the justification of a noble cause,
was no different from the Three Realms, who would stop at nothing.
For Bu Eun-seol, who had long yearned to meet a true figure of the Baekri Clan,
this was beyond disappointment—it was outright contempt.
Huuung.
The white-robed man silently observed Bu Eun-seol before sweeping his hand through the air.
Whooosh.
Instantly, the scenery in all directions began to melt away like water.
He had completely withdrawn his Mindscape.
"The Phase was only used to bring about a tranquil death."
With the Mindscape retracted, the white-robed man's voice, which had resonated like the Six Harmonies Voice Transmission, now sounded at the Sixth Level.
"It was you who betrayed my goodwill..."
As he leisurely continued speaking, his words suddenly cut off—his mouth falling open in shock.
Before he knew it,
a colossal fist energy, vast enough to overturn the heavens, was hurtling straight toward his face.