Chapter 986
Whoosh!
The Profound Yin Ancestor unleashed an explosive movement technique, rapidly closing in on Bu Eun-seol as he retreated.
Swish, swish, swish.
In response, Bu Eun-seol maintained his retreat while fixing his gaze on the Profound Yin Ancestor's face, executing a bizarre movement technique of his own.
Before they knew it, their close-quarters combat had transformed into a battle of movement techniques.
"Huaaaaah!"
Bu Eun-seol's polite words had struck the old master as nothing but mockery and contempt—each syllable acting like a detonator for explosives.
The Profound Yin Ancestor's veil had long since been torn to shreds in his own hands, now lying crumpled at his feet.
His eyes had rolled back, leaving only the ghastly whites flickering with madness, his pupils already vanished in the throes of rage.
From his flaring nostrils, which never seemed to still, came the sound of a blacksmith's bellows working furiously.
"Die!"
With a thunderous roar that seemed inhuman, the Profound Yin Ancestor shot forward like an arrow.
He no longer resembled an elder of the Murim or a pillar of the Martial Alliance.
He was nothing more than a frenzied rhinoceros, blood rushing to his head, blind to all but his target—charging forward as if to trample everything in his path.
Thud. Thud.
The sound of his footsteps shaking the earth echoed like the crumbling of his reason, step by step.
"Truly, you live up to the reputation of a master from two generations past."
Bu Eun-seol, observing this absurd yet terrifying spectacle, continued to weave his movement technique while never ceasing to send admiring glances and even raising a thumb in approval.
"Your Internal Power is truly remarkable!"
He meant it sincerely.
Jwa Ja-cheong had secluded himself within the Martial Alliance for over fifty years, never attaining widespread fame—but in terms of pure skill, he had long surpassed the martial prowess of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
Swish.
In contrast, Bu Eun-seol's movement technique began to slow.
His signature movement art was the Swift Shadowless, while the orthodox faction's techniques were something he had only dabbled in as part of his general education.
Using the orthodox techniques wouldn't allow him to shake off the Profound Yin Ancestor, and the Swift Shadowless wasn't being fully utilized in this situation.
Gradually, the distance between them was closing.
'Elder Jwa's movement technique, his skill with movement techniques, is truly extraordinary.'
Moreover, having been struck by the Void Light Blade, his killing intent had greatly diminished, and his spirit and mind had become infinitely righteous.
Because of this, even his speech had shifted—no longer his usual tone, but that of a chivalrous hero from the orthodox path.
Heh.
Though the Profound Yin Ancestor charged at him with murderous intent, Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into an unceasingly warm and gentle smile.
That smile carried enough destructive power to thoroughly infuriate an old master who had spent a century solemnly honing his Internal Power.
"How dare you act so composed before me?!"
The Profound Yin Ancestor, radiating a ferocious killing intent unlike anything before, seized the moment as Bu Eun-seol's movement technique slowed.
Swish!
He closed the distance and unleashed a barrage of attacks.
But even if his speed had decreased—
The profound essence of the Swift Shadowless, capable of shifting direction ninety-nine times in a single breath, had not vanished.
Swish, swish, swish.
As Bu Eun-seol evaded the attacks by creating dozens of afterimages in midair, the Profound Yin Ancestor finally grasped the depth of his movement technique.
"This bastard has mastered Go Wol's Swift Shadowless?!"
Go Wol was a grandmaster of Body-Locomotion Martial Arts.
During Jwa Ja-cheong's active years, he had been nothing more than a fledgling Divine Thief, notorious for stealing treasures exclusively from orthodox sects.
Back then, the Profound Yin Ancestor had laid traps time and again to capture him—but each time, he had failed to keep up with Go Wol's mystifying movement techniques.
And now, this infuriating, smooth-faced brat had mastered that very technique?
"Fine! Today, I'll kill you—then hunt down that bastard Go Wol who fled to the Langya Pavilion and slaughter him too!"
"My, my, how could an elder of Murim speak so crudely?"
Even as he continuously executed his movement technique, Bu Eun-seol never stopped talking.
"Besides, Master Go Wol no longer involves himself in worldly affairs. Even if our paths differ... To issue a death threat to a retired martial artist? Is that truly the righteous law of the Martial Alliance, which claims to uphold justice and protect the weak—"
"Guh—!"
The Profound Yin Ancestor let out a pained groan, discarding all decorum.
He felt an excruciating agony, as if blood would soon pour from his ears.
"Shut your mouth!" he bellowed.
"Stop wagging that tongue of yours!"
Bu Eun-seol's incessant chatter was no mere noise.
Every word tore apart the Profound Yin Ancestor's composure, battering his spirit and mind like turbulent waves.
Unlike the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, whose single phrase could pierce and destroy all things—
Bu Eun-seol shattered his enemy's spirit and paralyzed their body with an unrelenting torrent of words.
"Ghk—!"
Finally, the Profound Yin Ancestor coughed up a mouthful of blood.
'Has this brat reached a realm where he can attack the spirit and mind with mere words?!'
Fear flickered in the old master's eyes.
Only now did his scattered reason return, sending a chill down his spine.
'If so... then he is a prodigy surpassing even the Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic.'
During his own prime—
There had never been a martial artist who broke through to the Extreme Heaven Realm at such a tender age.
Even the Twin Celestial Emperors of Righteousness and Demon, who once shook the world, only manifested the Martial Extremity Equal Enlightenment in their thirties.
Yet here was this green youth, surpassing generations, not only fighting him on equal footing—
but also reaching a realm where mere words could strike at the spirit and mind?
Thud.
The Profound Yin Ancestor halted his assault and spoke.
"Your master—is it the Human Demon, Ak Mu-ryeong?"
"Why do you ask that so suddenly?"
"Answer me!"
Bu Eun-seol sighed as if he had no choice.
Clasping his hands together, he gazed at the distant sky and spoke in a clear, resonant voice.
"It was thanks to the benevolence of many late seniors of our faction, including the Pavilion Lord, that I was able to learn various martial arts."
"So you've mastered diverse martial techniques?"
"Correct."
"What have you learned?"
"To speak of that would take a very long time."
Bubble, bubble.
The Profound Yin Ancestor looked as if he were about to lose his mind, but with great effort, he suppressed his fury and shouted.
"Then keep it brief!"
"There were many masters, and many realizations."
"You dare mock this old master?!"
"Honorable Ancestor, you press this lord too hard into a corner."
Bu Eun-seol spoke leisurely.
"However great the difference in our standing, we stand at the crossroads of the Demonic Path and the Righteous Faction. Yet you demand I divulge every secret of my training with just a few words?"
Then, with his hands still clasped, he bowed respectfully.
"That, I'm afraid, would be rather difficult."
Infuriating—but not unreasonable.
The Profound Yin Ancestor had no retort and fell silent.
'His temper is eccentric, but he isn't tainted by evil.'
Watching him, Bu Eun-seol sighed inwardly.
'So he isn't affiliated with the Abyssal Forces after all.'
The Profound Yin Ancestor was not one of them.
He had truly secluded himself within the Martial Alliance and only emerged now due to some unknown matter.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so ignorant of Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess, nor would he act this way.
"Since entering the martial world, this lord has seen nothing but hypocrites of the Righteous Faction, clinging to the bosom of vile factions."
Words that Bu Eun-seol would never normally utter spilled from his lips.
"But seeing the Ancestor's stubbornness, so typical of past Righteous Faction masters... warms a corner of this one's heart."
It was sincere—
Tremble, tremble.
But the Profound Yin Ancestor, his fury boiling beyond control, felt dizzy with rage.
Had he ever been this angry in his life?
No—had there ever been a demonic practitioner so infuriatingly smug and talkative?
And to be toyed with by someone so young—
"I see."
As his rationality snapped entirely, an eerie calm settled in his heart.
Taking a deep breath, the Profound Yin Ancestor—
—suddenly conjured another Void Light Blade in his right hand.
The two blades merged—
Zzziiing!
The sharp light warped into a sphere, gathering as if to devour all light in the world.
Goooooo—
Blue veins of blood were sucked into the core of the spherical Void Light Blade.
Crackle, crackle.
Now, cradled between his hands, was a sphere brimming with the Heaven-Shattering Form's energy—enough to annihilate all creation.
He was preparing to unleash the ultimate technique of the Void Light Blade—
Striking Light Flash.
"This old man has lived too long."
The Profound Yin Ancestor glared at Bu Eun-seol with piercing blue eyes.
"Lived so long that he must witness such filthy disgrace."
He believed Bu Eun-seol had been toying with him all along.
Unable to suppress his wrath any longer, he readied his supreme technique—
—for a fight to the death.
'No escape.'
Seeing the sphere's form, Bu Eun-seol instantly discerned its nature.
The first strike of Striking Light Flash contained the essence of the Hand-Controlled Sword Art—a technique that would pursue its target relentlessly.
'It's a form that cannot be blocked unless destroyed with equal force.'
For a moment, a deep emerald light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
'I must stop it before it's unleashed.'
Until now, in battle, Bu Eun-seol had cast aside all thoughts of faction, purpose, or vengeance.
He fought with his utmost, never calculating gains or losses.
But this time was different.
'That murderous old man, whatever his faults, hasn't joined hands with the Abyssal Forces...'
In the long run, keeping such a man alive would be more advantageous.
His spirit and mind, now purified, urged him—
—to avoid this deadly duel.
'I'll nullify that first strike.'
And the key to that was poison.
The Profound Yin Ancestor's profound internal energy allowed him to endure even the Toxic Land's miasma—
—but he was no Sage Among Poisons, incapable of absorbing all toxins or creating new ones like Bu Eun-seol.
Whoooosh—
As Bu Eun-seol began absorbing the surrounding poison, the emerald light in his pupils deepened.
"Futile trickery!"
The moment Bu Eun-seol's eyes changed hue and a mysterious wind arose from his body—
—the Profound Yin Ancestor sensed danger and unleashed the first strike of Striking Light Flash.
KWA-BOOM!
The sphere shot forth at the speed of light, piercing toward Bu Eun-seol's face in an instant—
WHOOSH!
—only for his body to dissolve into black mist and vanish.
What the Profound Yin Ancestor had struck—
—was an illusion Bu Eun-seol had crafted by absorbing the surrounding poison from the very beginning.
Whoosh!
At the same moment, a black shadow materialized behind the Profound Yin Ancestor.
"Hmph."
But as if he had already anticipated such an opening move, the Profound Yin Ancestor let out a derisive snort—
BOOM!
—and unleashed another Striking Light Flash toward his back.
He had sensed Bu Eun-seol's bizarre trick and had divided the power of Striking Light Flash between both hands in preparation.
Yet something unexpected happened.
Swish!
The Bu Eun-seol who had appeared behind him also dissolved into mist—another illusion!
Thud!
At the same time, a shadow of Bu Eun-seol abruptly emerged from the side and delivered a light palm strike toward the Profound Yin Ancestor.
Crack!
The elder twisted his body swiftly, but the blow still landed squarely on his shoulder.
However, true to his reputation as a battle-hardened veteran, the moment he was struck, he retaliated with a Sky Palm Force strike of his own, slamming it into Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
Bang!
Both Bu Eun-seol and the Profound Yin Ancestor were simultaneously forced back a step.
Gulp.
The Profound Yin Ancestor, who had been silently observing Bu Eun-seol, twisted his lips into a grimace.
His left palm—the one that had struck Bu Eun-seol's shoulder—was now stained black.
"This old man is immune to all poisons."
"Immunity merely means that if poison does breach your defenses, you will be poisoned, does it not?"
If one's Internal Energy was profound enough, poison could not invade.
That was merely called Immunity to All Poisons for convenience—it did not mean one's body would remain unharmed if poison truly entered.
Even Bu Eun-seol, whose Internal Energy had once surpassed nine Cycles, had failed to neutralize the venom of the One-Horned Flood Dragon—had he not drunk its Essence Blood alongside it, he too would have been reduced to a puddle of blood.
The term Immunity to All Poisons was born from the Murim's underestimation of the Poison Art wielded by Poison People.
"...Saint Among Poisons."
The Profound Yin Ancestor's lips parted.
Only now did he realize—Bu Eun-seol had ascended to the highest realm of poison mastery, the Saint Among Poisons.
Drip.
A thread of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
No matter how much Internal Power he summoned, the poison refused to be neutralized—instead, his very energy was being eroded by the venom's relentless corrosion.
If this continued—
No matter how profound his Internal Energy, he would not escape poisoning.
And once that happened, the only thing left would be death at Bu Eun-seol's hands.
"Isn't this enough fighting?"
Swish.
As Bu Eun-seol extended his left hand, the Extreme Poison within the Profound Yin Ancestor's body vanished in an instant.
"They are particularly vicious poisons. Even if the Poison Qi is removed, lingering toxicity will remain."
Words entirely contrary to his true thoughts flowed from Bu Eun-seol's lips.
"If you do not detoxify soon, the Internal Power you've spent a lifetime accumulating will collapse."
Spreading his arms, he spoke with utmost courtesy.
"Shall we end things here for today?"
"How eloquent."
Zzzzt.
But from beneath the bamboo hat, a cold blue light flickered in the Profound Yin Ancestor's eyes.
"Since when does your desire to end things dictate this old master's actions?"
Whoosh!
Abruptly, the Profound Yin Ancestor splayed his right palm wide and clenched the Outer Gate and Inner Gate acupoints on his left wrist.
Fwoom!
In that instant, a surge of blue energy erupted from his entire body.
Even his profound Internal Energy could not instantly burn away the residual poison—so he forced the Void Light Blade into his own body.
Hiss!
As the energy of the Void Light Blade—capable of severing all things—pierced through every acupoint, the venom permeating his body vanished in an instant.
A desperate technique that absorbed the power of the Void Light Blade to create an extreme radiance within oneself—
The Soul Gathering Body Burn had been unleashed.
"Was this truly necessary?"
Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted with pity.
Such a technique could only be executed by expending Primordial Essence True Qi.
"If I didn't do this, how else would I ensure your death?!"
Roaring, the Profound Yin Ancestor thrust both palms forward.
Boom!
A sphere of condensed light formed at the center of his palms, and in the next moment, a violent shockwave and Sword Qi engulfed Bu Eun-seol's body.
He had unleashed the final technique of the Southern Cloud Sword Art—
Concentrated Brilliance Shaking Heaven.
'This—'
A flash of light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
The dazzling shockwave and Sword Qi were a feint—the True Body of the attack was a razor-sharp Sword Qi aimed straight for his brow.
Bu Eun-seol attempted to evade the piercing blue radiance with Swift Shadowless, but his body refused to move.
The lingering power of the Void Light Blade within him had once again slowed his movements.
True to his status as a master of the previous generation, the Profound Yin Ancestor had unleashed an intricately calculated, inescapable final strike.
Drip.
The Sword Qi had not even touched him yet, but the sheer pressure alone caused a crimson line of blood to trickle from Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
And just as it was about to pierce through—
Hum.
The razor-sharp Sword Qi abruptly halted midair.
No—it appeared to halt midair.
At the same time, a pure white energy surged from Bu Eun-seol's body, slowing the Sword Qi to an almost frozen crawl, as though time itself had stopped.
Rustle—
In that instant, countless memories flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind at blinding speed.
Among them, the figure of his father, Baekri Mu-ha, stood out vividly.
—Sword River.
His father's gentle voice echoed from somewhere.
—When drawing upon the power of a personality stored in your subconscious, you must always be cautious.
Before he knew it, that voice had transformed into a colossal resonance reverberating through his mind.
"If you cannot control it, you will ultimately lose yourself."
CRASH!
At that moment, the Profound Yin Ancestor, who had been launching his attack, ended up sweeping past Bu Eun-seol's body and collided with the great tree behind him.
For a brief moment, as Bu Eun-seol recalled the memory of his father, his body turned translucent—
And the Profound Yin Ancestor's sword qi passed through him as if grazing thin air.
Thud.
From the wreckage of the shattered great tree, the Profound Yin Ancestor slowly rose to his feet.
"As expected of a spawn of the Demonic Path—you've learned sorcery, I see."
When martial prowess increases, the mind operates several times faster than that of an ordinary human, allowing one to perceive time as if stretched.
But to manipulate the flow of time and power at will—
That defied not only the principles of martial arts but the very laws of nature itself.
The Profound Yin Ancestor was convinced that Bu Eun-seol had employed some bizarre sorcery.
'Is this a side effect of regaining those lost memories?'
Bu Eun-seol's heart grew heavy.
Even he, a master of his caliber, could not comprehend how he had evaded the attack just moments ago.
Moreover, his spirit and mind were becoming infinitely more righteous—more grand.
If this battle continued, his very personality might be completely overwritten.
"It matters not what sorcery you wield."
The brilliance gathered in the Profound Yin Ancestor's pupils began to rise like mist.
He had been concealing his ultimate secret art all this time.
"Elder Jwa."
Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh.
"Must we truly fight to the death?"
"What nonsense are you spouting now?"
A violent surge of killing intent erupted from the Profound Yin Ancestor's eyes.
"You dare flap your lips even at this hour?"
In stark contrast to Bu Eun-seol's calm and composed demeanor, razor-sharp killing intent radiated from the elder's body—so intense that even a passing leaf would be shredded to pieces.
It was as though the roles of the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path had been reversed.
"I'll carve you apart in a single stroke."
Even if Bu Eun-seol had mastered sorcery that transcended martial principles—
The Profound Yin Ancestor exuded absolute confidence in shattering it.
Clearly, he still held a trump card in reserve.
"Wait."
Bu Eun-seol raised a hand, his voice clear and unhurried.
"Then let us do this."
Despite the turmoil in his heart, his expression remained perfectly composed and unshaken.
"If that is Elder Jwa's will, then unleash your secret art just once. I will not resist in the slightest."
"What?"
'What?'
For a moment, the Profound Yin Ancestor's response and Bu Eun-seol's own thoughts aligned in disbelief.
Originally, he had meant to say, "Very well. Let us see who lasts longer."
Yet an entirely different set of words had spilled from his lips instead.
"But in exchange, if I withstand your secret art with my bare body... you must tell me what you were truly doing here."
"Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"
The Profound Yin Ancestor burst into mad laughter.
In his century-long life, never had he encountered someone so audacious as to make such a deranged proposal to his face.
"You think you can withstand my ultimate art with your bare body?"
"Do you lack confidence?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted into resignation.
Yet, contrary to his thoughts, his tongue continued moving smoothly.
"Though Elder Jwa is somewhat quick-tempered, I believe you remain an untainted elder of the Righteous Faction—one who has not succumbed to wickedness. That is why I make this offer."
Was it because his righteousness had reached its zenith?
Bu Eun-seol, now firmly resolved not to kill the Profound Yin Ancestor, was prepared to stake his life on this gamble—trusting in his boundless internal energy.
"..."
For a moment, Jwa Ja-cheong's expression turned strange.
From this infuriating brat who dared provoke him with such an outrageous challenge—
He could sense the solemn, righteous aura of a renowned chivalrous hero, one who still cared for the well-being of his enemy.
And for reasons unknown—
He could even feel that this proposal was, in some way, made for his sake.
"Very well."
After a deep pause, Jwa Ja-cheong nodded.
"If you can endure my ultimate art, I will tell you."
"How refreshing. Excellent."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his left hand behind his back and respectfully extended his right.
"Then, begin."
His bearing was not that of a Demonic Path master, but of a dignified hero of the orthodox sects.
For a moment, the Profound Yin Ancestor nearly let out a disbelieving laugh.
'They say he is a righteous man within the Demonic Path... but this is simply a righteous man, no?'
Recalling the rumors that circulated in the martial world, he wore a complicated expression.
'Is he truly someone I must kill?'
At first, he had assumed Bu Eun-seol was mocking him with that fiery tone.
But seeing him now, staking his life to avoid further conflict, he could sense the sincerity behind his words.
'Well, no helping it.'
Given his status and position, the Profound Yin Ancestor could not take back his word.
'I'll spare his life and settle for severing just one leg.'
The secret art he was about to unleash could never be withstood barehanded—it could only be neutralized by an equal force.
Rather than taking Bu Eun-seol's reckless gamble at face value, he chose to show mercy—intending only to sever a single leg.
Whoosh.
Having made up his mind, he floated into the air and roared like thunder.
"Then take this!"
Zzzzing—!
As the Profound Yin Ancestor spread his hands, hundreds of blades of light erupted beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet.
This was his secret art—not the Void Light Blade that could cleave through all things, but a technique that manifested it in an unavoidable form.
Severing Light.
'Limitless Power?'
The Profound Yin Ancestor's Severing Light was—
Not a martial technique, but a manifestation of will, akin to the Limitless Power itself.
'No amount of internal energy alone can block this.'
To destroy such a technique, one must either unleash a greater force—or wield the power of a Sage Among Poisons to instantly end his life.
'How could I break a promise once made?'
Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes, gathering his internal energy with all his might.
But then—
Zzzziiing—!
A sacred energy spread throughout his body, and his legs began moving on their own.
At this life-or-death moment, his righteous heart and mercy merged—
And at last, the Imperial Step unfolded.