Chapter 985
Sararak.
The glass-like leaves shimmered ominously, turning black and spewing toxic fumes at the slightest brush against them.
With every gust of wind, golden powder scattered from somewhere, carrying a poisonous fragrance that spread through the air, enough to make one's mind grow hazy.
'At least I haven't learned the Poison Art—that's fortunate.'
Poison, by its very nature, was a vile and impure energy, akin to something that harmed life and corrupted the body.
Moreover, the Poison Art—which involved absorbing toxins into the body to accumulate internal energy or strengthen the physique—stood in complete opposition to the fundamental principles of orthodox martial arts.
The Righteous Faction pursued pure and untainted qi, considering the purification and expulsion of external poisons and evil qi as the correct path.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had achieved an unprecedented realm—ascending to the status of Sage Among Poisons without ever practicing the Poison Art.
Because of this, he could accumulate formidable toxins as internal energy without even needing to employ the Poison Art.
'It's potent enough, but not a poison worth absorbing.'
From Bu Eun-seol's perspective—having already absorbed the Three Great Poisons of the World and the Poison Qi of India—even the toxic energy of this Toxic Land, capable of annihilating tens of thousands of troops, felt no more threatening than the aphrodisiacs used by third-rate bandits.
After observing his surroundings for a long while, he tilted his head in thought.
'But why would the Martial Alliance announce such a Toxic Land as a spiritual territory?'
It made no sense at all.
Declaring a Toxic Land as a spiritual territory?
If they had wanted to conduct secret experiments or operations here, they could have easily done so discreetly.
If the goal had been to move eight thousand troops into Great Wind Gorge, they could have simply called it training.
Yet they deliberately announced this Toxic Land as a spiritual territory and spread the rumors openly—why?
'Luring them in.'
The only conclusion was that the Martial Alliance already knew Great Wind Gorge was a Toxic Land and was using it to their advantage.
'They must have anticipated that spies from the Demonic Path would take the bait...'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
'Did they intentionally spread false information about discovering a spiritual territory to lure the Demonic Path forces into this dangerous Toxic Land as a trap?'
After pondering deeply, he soon shook his head.
If that had been their intention, leaking the information covertly would have been far more effective.
'Or perhaps... an internal power struggle within the Martial Alliance.'
The Martial Alliance was entangled with numerous factions and forces.
Maybe this rumor of discovering a spiritual territory was a scheme by one faction to lure in rival factions and inflict damage.
'But the likelihood of that is slim.'
While possible, if that had been their goal, it would have been far better to employ a Borrowed Knife Murder strategy—provoking an external force into a direct confrontation.
'Then...'
Bu Eun-seol steadied his breath and considered another possibility.
'Could they be deliberately luring external forces here to use them as sacrificial offerings to purify the toxic energy?'
From another perspective, calling this place a spiritual territory wasn't entirely wrong.
If properly refined and utilized, the poison here could yield effects no less potent than those of spiritual herbs.
And the easiest way to purify toxic energy was through human essence blood.
Perhaps the Martial Alliance had intentionally drawn the Demonic Path forces here, planning to drive them to their deaths and use their essence blood to cleanse the Toxic Land.
'Or maybe this is a desperate measure—a bitter flesh strategy—to draw attention to this place while they carry out some other covert operation.'
Given the circumstances, the last possibility seemed the most plausible.
After all, the Martial Alliance was an organization that upheld justice.
They wouldn't openly employ such a cruel method—sacrificing human lives—to purify toxic energy.
Whoooosh—
Just then, a desolate wind blew past.
Bu Eun-seol spotted something glinting in the distance along the cliffs and moved toward it.
Thin vines hung from the crevices of the cliff, writhing as if alive, sensing his presence.
Some flowers held transparent liquid like dewdrops, but the moment the liquid dripped, it melted the rocks, leaving behind blackened scars.
'Unless one has achieved the Poison Saint Body or surpassed six sixty-year cycle's worth of internal energy to completely block out poison, even entering this place would be impossible.'
Here, even the wind dared not linger carelessly—only the breath of the poisonous plants spread quietly.
It was an extreme environment where not only humans but even venomous insects would struggle to survive.
'Just what is their goal?'
As he stood at the cliff's edge, lost in thought while gazing at the rising toxic fumes—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out, and Bu Eun-seol's transparent form was sent flying off the cliff.
Someone had struck him with an invisible burst of palm energy, ambushing him abruptly.
Splaaash—
His translucent shadow rippled like water as he fell to the base of the cliff.
Fortunately, his Body Protection True Qi had protected him, but the disturbance in his internal energy briefly dispelled his invisibility, revealing his form.
Zzziiing—
Regaining his senses, Bu Eun-seol quickly dispersed Wind & Cloud Divine Qi and concealed himself behind a nearby boulder.
Crunch... crunch...
Then, a figure slowly approached the area where Bu Eun-seol had hidden.
An old man wearing a wide bamboo hat, his face veiled by a long cotton cloth.
His body was gaunt to the extreme, his skin dark and withered, making him look like a grotesque wooden puppet draped in cloth, walking forward.
"A big fish has taken the bait, I see."
The Bamboo Hat Man stared at Bu Eun-seol, who had half-revealed himself, and let out a low chuckle.
His voice was so hoarse and his eyes so dried-out that it truly seemed as though a wooden puppet had begun to speak.
"Martial Soul Lord."
The Bamboo Hat Man saw right through Bu Eun-seol's identity and exhaled a raspy laugh.
"You sent your subordinates to stall the Heaven's Will Unit at the front while you slipped in here to uncover the truth, didn't you?"
He had seen through Bu Eun-seol's scheme with perfect clarity.
'An unavoidable situation, then.'
Bu Eun-seol sighed inwardly.
He had become far too righteous, weakening the senses granted by the Way of the Beast and making it difficult to unleash the true essence of Demonic Path Martial Arts.
On top of that, his mind and body were in disarray—so it had only been a matter of time before a master like this would detect him.
"Pointless to keep hiding like a rat. I've already sensed your presence."
Though the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi could allow for flawless concealment,
once his presence had been detected, it would be imprinted upon the heightened senses of a master, making further hiding impossible.
Rustle.
Bu Eun-seol finally withdrew the divine energy and slowly revealed himself.
"How did you know?"
"Watching the Death Shadow War Unit drag their feet in front of the Heaven's Will Unit made it obvious."
Shockingly, the Bamboo Hat Man had seen through the strange stalling tactics of the Death Shadow War Unit and,
in a single breath, infiltrated the Secluded Valley of Great Wind Gorge to ambush Bu Eun-seol.
'An incredible master.'
Though he had faced countless formidable opponents before, this Bamboo Hat Man carried an exceptionally unique energy.
It felt eerily similar to when he had first met the Buddhist Venerable in the past.
'First, gather information.'
Having made his decision internally, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"Do not misunderstand."
He clasped his hands together.
"I merely came to quietly assess the situation after hearing the Martial Alliance had seized a territory."
Contrary to his thoughts, his tone was unexpectedly mild, and an air of solemnity radiated from him.
'Here I go again.'
Swallowing a bitter laugh, Bu Eun-seol found himself instinctively pressing his palms together.
"You seem to be a prominent figure of the Martial Alliance. If it is not too presumptuous, may I ask for your esteemed name?"
The Bamboo Hat Man silently observed Bu Eun-seol, who was now bowing with the courtesy of a Righteous Path figure,
then abruptly raised his Internal Power and flexed his fingers.
Huuung.
In an instant, a sharp Sword Aura dyed in blue light formed at his fingertips.
He had extended his materialized True Qi into a long, tangible blade of light.
Tzzzt.
When the Sword Aura barely grazed a pebble at the Bamboo Hat Man's feet, white smoke erupted as the stone was instantly pierced.
And this was without him exerting any noticeable force—just a mere touch.
Seeing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Bu Eun-seol's expression.
"Profound Yin Ancestor?"
One who could forge the Void Light Blade—a blade of True Qi capable of severing anything with five strands of finger force—
and scatter the Space-Separating Palm, the Sky Palm Force, which even the most skilled masters could not detect.
There was only one person who fit that description:
a peerless master of the Righteous Path who had shaken the Murim world over a century ago, now the presiding elder of the Martial Alliance's Elders' Hall—
the Profound Yin Ancestor, Jwa Ja-cheong.
"Not bad."
The Profound Yin Ancestor twisted his lips into a prideful smirk.
"To recognize this venerable one's martial arts."
He had become the presiding elder of the Martial Alliance's Elders' Hall over fifty years ago and had since vanished from the public eye.
A man who had effectively retired from the martial world—why would he suddenly appear in this Toxic Land?
'First, the Heaven's Will Unit at the front, and now the presiding elder emerges from behind...'
The Profound Yin Ancestor's appearance signaled to Bu Eun-seol that yet another unexpected event was unfolding.
If the Martial Alliance had truly discovered a spiritual land—
or if they intended to make use of this Toxic Land—
why would they bring out a figure like the Profound Yin Ancestor,
a man who had secluded himself for over fifty years, not even showing his face in the Elders' Hall?
'Something is happening within the Martial Alliance.'
"To see the esteemed Elder Jwa grace this place with his presence, it seems certain that some mishap has befallen the Martial Alliance."
He hadn't intended to speak so deferentially.
Yet, contrary to his intentions, his tone and demeanor naturally flowed into one of utmost courtesy.
"No need for curiosity."
The Profound Yin Ancestor replied with an icy expression.
"You'll be dead soon anyway."
Swish!
Before he knew it, the pale-blue edge of the Void Light Blade was already plunging toward Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
Tap.
Dodging by tilting his head back, Bu Eun-seol instantly retreated.
The Void Light Blade forged by the Profound Yin Ancestor could slice through anything with the slightest touch.
Engaging at close range was absolutely out of the question.
Whisk!
Before he could react, the invisible force of the Space-Separating Palm—the Sky Palm Force—stabbed toward him from both sides.
Not only was the Sky Palm Force devastating in power,
but it also struck at the fleeting moment where evasion was impossible—
a unique palm technique of the Cloud Heart Transformation Gate, which adhered strictly to the One-Person Succession tradition.
'My senses are too weakened.'
No matter how legendary the palm technique, no matter how formidable the Profound Yin Ancestor was,
it shouldn't have been possible to completely deceive the extrasensory perception of the Way of the Beast.
But with the dissonance between mind and body, compounded by the lingering influence of his father's merged personality,
even the ingrained senses of the Way of the Beast had dulled, making it difficult to evade the attacks.
CRACK!
Another explosive sound erupted, shaking Bu Eun-seol's body.
Ziiing—
Amid the billowing dust, his figure flickered like a spark.
Unable to evade, he had condensed his formidable internal energy to forge a body as unyielding as the Inner and Outer Vajra Body.
Even if he couldn't fully unleash the Demonic Path Martial Arts, his internal power hadn't vanished entirely.
"Do not lose your composure."
He had endured countless baseless attacks.
In the past, he would have retaliated with brutal force before even opening his mouth.
But the current Bu Eun-seol remained calm, his voice steady.
"Let us first converse. Is there anything in this world that cannot be resolved through—"
BOOM! CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
Yet again, the Sky Palm Force slammed into him, hurling him backward about a hundred and thirty feet.
"Elder Jwa!"
Internally, Bu Eun-seol seethed.
The Profound Yin Ancestor was over a hundred and thirty years old, yet—
His actions were more reckless than a mountain bandit ambushing travelers on a treacherous pass!
As the elder unleashed a lethal sword stance without warning, Bu Eun-seol nearly shouted:
"At your age, you still use deadly techniques without thinking things through?!"
But what left his lips instead was:
"Truly, your vigor remains undiminished despite your venerable years!"
...An impeccably refined response.
"You've been mocking this elder from the start, haven't you?"
The Profound Yin Ancestor's eyes flashed with icy light, interpreting Bu Eun-seol's excessively polite words as sarcasm.
"Then try blocking this!"
With that, he swung the Void Light Blade even faster.
Swish-swish-swish!
With each slash, the eerie Sound of Breaking Air echoed, and the surrounding trees and boulders were sliced apart like tofu.
Bu Eun-seol retreated repeatedly, but the elder pursued relentlessly, alternating between the Void Light Blade and Sky Palm Force.
'No more dodging.'
Srrring—
With a sword resonance like the tolling of a death bell, the Ink Soul Sword finally revealed itself.
Shhk-shhk-shhk!
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol closed the distance and clashed with the elder's Void Light Blade.
Ziiing!
Sparks erupted in midair as the two blades met.
Flash—
For a brief moment, the Profound Yin Ancestor's eyes widened behind his veil.
The Void Light Blade could cut through anything—akin to a Divine Sword or Treasured Saber.
But there was one thing it could not sever: a weapon infused with internal energy surpassing eight Cycles.
The more terrifying the internal power, the more violent the resulting shockwaves.
And those shockwaves could disrupt the Void Light Blade's most lethal aspect—its Shattering Radiance, capable of reducing anything to fragments.
"You've cultivated nearly five hundred years' worth of internal energy?!"
At Jwa Ja-cheong's outburst, Bu Eun-seol smirked inwardly.
—It's not that my power is extraordinary. It's that yours, after decades of stagnation in the Martial Alliance's backrooms, has decayed, old man.
He shouted sharply. But—
"Perhaps it's simply that a young man's strength is more vigorous than that of an elder like yourself?"
—his voice remained impeccably courteous.
"Rather than suffering in your twilight years amid the Martial World's storms, why not retire to your homeland and enjoy a peaceful life?"
The Profound Yin Ancestor's eyes rolled white with fury.
The words were too polite to rebuke, yet they scraped at his nerves like sandpaper.
"You have time to wag that tongue, I see."
"It seems Elder Jwa is graciously allowing me the opportunity."
"I heard your nature was ruthlessly cold—clearly, false rumors."
"To think you've even discerned my temperament..."
Bu Eun-seol feigned bashfulness.
"It appears I've been blessed with Elder Jwa's excessive attention and affection."
"Silence!"
Infuriated by his ceaseless chatter, the elder doubled his internal energy output.
Ziiing. Ziiing. Ziiing.
The Ink Soul Sword and Void Light Blade clashed relentlessly, sparks flying as their close-quarters battle raged.
Jwa Ja-cheong wielded the Void Light Blade with the legendary orthodox sword art—Southern Cloud Sword Art.
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol swung his sword wildly, without any fixed form.
But this wasn't out of restraint or reluctance to harm the elder.
'The Formless Heavenly Flow won't manifest.'
The warm, gentle energy within him was suppressing the activation of the Demonic Sword Arts.
Frustration gnawed at him, but—
He had no choice but to dismantle the Southern Cloud Sword Art's stances using the principle of Formlessness Defeats Form.
Worse, influenced by his disturbed Spirit and Mind, even the subtleties of Formlessness Defeats Form were manifesting in a manner eerily similar to orthodox sword studies.
"You dare belittle this elder?!"
The Profound Yin Ancestor clutched the back of his neck in rage, convinced Bu Eun-seol was mocking him by mimicking orthodox techniques.
"You think the orthodox sword arts are so easily replicated?!"
"It's not that they're easy—it's that Elder Jwa's sword strokes are so dignified and elegant..."
"..."
"Unconsciously, I must have admired and emulated their refinement, hence the resemblance."
"Enough!"
Swish!
To prevent Bu Eun-seol from blocking, the elder chaotically unleashed the Southern Cloud Sword Art's deadliest strokes.
Yet that pitch-black iron sword—
Wasn't it precisely intercepting each cascade of strikes, severing their flow without fail?
Hiss-hiss-hiss!
Seeing Bu Eun-seol anticipate his techniques, the Profound Yin Ancestor whirled the Void Light Blade condensed on his fingertips like a windmill.
Zzzreng!
The Mournful Soul Sword clashed against the Void Light Blade, releasing an eerie Sound of Breaking Air that reverberated through the space.
The two continued their deadly dance at such close quarters that their hands nearly grazed each other's faces.
"You still think you can keep up?!"
"Thanks to Your Excellency's consideration, I've gained some composure..."
The corners of his lips curled naturally into a leisurely smile.
"It almost feels like we're engaged in a friendly spar."
Without realizing it, Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes.
If this were truly the speech of my father, Baekri Mu-ha...
The Murim would have been littered with countless who died of sheer indignation.
"Fine! Have it your way!"
The Profound Yin Ancestor, thoroughly provoked, lashed out like a madman, whipping the Void Light Blade in a frenzy to cleave Bu Eun-seol apart.
Yet the Mournful Soul Sword shrank to dagger-length, its edge deftly parrying every vicious slash.
Hiss-hiss-hiss!
Though the Void Light Blade could supposedly cut through anything,
when pitted against the Mournful Soul Sword and Bu Eun-seol's Internal Energy,
it became nothing more than a common finger sword—no better, no worse.
'This brat doesn't have profound Internal Power—he just got his hands on a good sword.'
But the Profound Yin Ancestor refused to believe Bu Eun-seol's Internal Energy was truly that formidable, so he sneered mockingly.
"Some whelp who lucked into a divine blade."
Bang!
Before Bu Eun-seol could retort,
the Profound Yin Ancestor launched another surprise attack, sending his body hurtling backward.
In truth, Bu Eun-seol's swordsmanship far surpassed the old man's.
But without the Way of the Beast fully manifesting, he couldn't sense the Sky Palm Force, leaving him repeatedly battered.
Whoooom!
Seizing the moment Bu Eun-seol's stance faltered, the Profound Yin Ancestor unleashed his ghostly Movement Technique once more, closing the distance in an instant to resume the Southern Cloud Sword Art.
Swaaak!
Bu Eun-seol deployed the Willful True Binding,
but—
Thud.
The moment it met the Void Light Blade, the Willful True Binding scattered like dust.
And that proved a fatal mistake.
"Caught you."
A hoarse voice leaked from beneath the Profound Yin Ancestor's bamboo hat.
"The Void Light Blade has a unique property—when it clashes with the True Qi Martial Arts of the Demonic Path, it scatters the opponent's Internal Power."
Then, triumphantly, he roared:
"You won't be able to wield your Internal Power properly now!"
'So that's how it works.'
Though not directly struck,
the Willful True Binding was an extension of his True Qi externalized from his body.
Meaning, through that tangible path of True Qi, the Void Light Blade's effect had infiltrated him all the same.
Zzziiing.
In an instant, he felt the Reverse Polarity True Qi, Extreme Yin, and Extreme Yang energies pooled within him shrink drastically.
Not wasting the opportunity, the Profound Yin Ancestor swung the Void Light Blade with renewed frenzy.
Crash-crash-crash!
With his bamboo hat casting eerie shadows, his eyes gleaming coldly as he wielded his sword like a specter—
he might as well have been the Grim Reaper himself, hellbent on dragging Bu Eun-seol to the underworld.
'Hm?'
But something was strange.
Even though his energy reserves had plummeted, his swordsmanship flowed as naturally as before.
'Does this only negate Demonic Sword Arts?'
Martial arts were divided between Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
Their methods of cultivation, body refinement, and Spirit and Mind discipline were fundamentally different.
Bu Eun-seol's roots lay in the Langya Pavilion's martial arts—unmistakably part of the Demonic Path.
But now, his body and mind brimmed with righteous energy,
greatly diminishing the might of his Demonic Path Martial Arts while amplifying the power of Righteous Faction techniques.
Swish! Swish!
Now, no matter how he moved or struck, only Righteous Faction martial arts unfolded.
His swordplay, evasion footwork, even the way he formed a sword-finger seal—
even his expression and gaze had transformed into something unmistakably orthodox.
"You—!"
Jwa Ja-cheong was livid.
"Dare you mock this Pavilion Master?!"
His fury had been simmering since Bu Eun-seol's earlier polite yet taunting remarks.
Now, mistaking Bu Eun-seol's orthodox movements as deliberate mockery of the Void Light Blade's suppression,
he completely lost his grip on reason.
"I won't let you die easily!"
"Is there truly a method to kill someone with difficulty?"
Bu Eun-seol inquired courteously.
"To think Your Excellency has cultivated such Internal Power... Truly a marvel of the Murim."
"Grrraaah!"
Unable to contain his rage, the Profound Yin Ancestor charged like a frenzied rhinoceros, disregarding his wounds for a head-on clash.
"If you're a man, don't scurry away like a rat—face me!"
Bu Eun-seol was never one to refuse such a challenge.
"Very well!"
Hop!
But despite his resolute expression,
his body began retreating hundreds of feet backward while still facing the old man.
As Jwa Ja-cheong's Killing Intent intensified,
Bu Eun-seol's flesh instinctively rejected a frontal confrontation, retreating on its own.
"Don't you dare run!"
"I'm not running!"
"Then what do you call this?!"
Even as he backpedaled rapidly, Bu Eun-seol kept talking without pause.
"At your age, you still can't tell the difference between fleeing and retreating?"
Somehow,
every word and action of Bu Eun-seol's had become a provocation.
'This will only make things worse.'
At this rate, the old man would undoubtedly fly into a berserk rage.
"You little—!"
True to expectations, the Profound Yin Ancestor's face flushed crimson, veins bulging as his eyes rolled back in fury, charging like a mad beast.