Chapter 987
Swoosh!
In that brief moment, the Void Light Blade that had erupted from the ground took the form of sharp thorns, rapidly burrowing toward Bu Eun-seol's legs.
Its speed was truly lightning-fast—to the point where any movement technique or evasive maneuver would have been utterly futile.
Thud.
Yet Bu Eun-seol, as if oblivious to what was happening, took a leisurely step forward with an unhurried expression.
In that instant, the radiant glow of the Void Light Blade passed harmlessly by his legs.
Simply by walking with his hands clasped behind his back, he had effortlessly avoided the Severing Light.
Swish! Swoosh-swoosh!
But the Profound Yin Ancestor's perfected Ultimate Art was not something to be taken lightly.
The moment he resolved to sever Bu Eun-seol's legs with the Severing Light,
the Void Light Blade projected his will, writhing like a living creature, ceaselessly striking and burrowing toward Bu Eun-seol's legs.
Thud-thud.
Unfazed, Bu Eun-seol continued walking naturally.
With each step, his figure grew indistinct, and a divine energy radiated from his body.
"More sorcery!"
As Bu Eun-seol casually evaded the decisive strike,
the Profound Yin Ancestor, as if his pride had been wounded, intensified the might of the Severing Light.
Yet the more he did so, the more dignified Bu Eun-seol's footsteps became, his momentum soaring majestically as if to split the heavens.
"You brat!"
The Profound Yin Ancestor, channeling his Internal Power to close the distance,
Shudder.
found himself trembling uncontrollably the moment his eyes met Bu Eun-seol's.
The Righteous Grandeur reflected in those pupils was as clear and transparent as a cloudless sky,
and the depth of that pure radiance exerted a pressure strong enough to shake one's very Spirit and Mind.
Grit!
Clenching his teeth, the Profound Yin Ancestor doubled his Internal Power, and razor-sharp energy erupted from his entire body.
Slash-slash-slash!
Like flashes of lightning, the energy grazed Bu Eun-seol's legs, drawing blood.
But it was merely a shallow cut—far from a fatal wound.
Thud.
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol had stepped right up to the Profound Yin Ancestor's face.
A distance so perilous that a single outstretched hand could sever his breath.
Yet Bu Eun-seol merely stood with his hands behind his back, showing no intention of attacking.
"Hohoho."
A bitter smile twisted the Profound Yin Ancestor's lips.
"While I've been holed up in the alliance, has the Martial World's martial arts advanced to such dazzling heights?"
His expression was filled with emptiness and desolation.
The perfected Ultimate Art he had devoted his life to mastering... had been reduced to nothing more than a pitiful technique that barely grazed the skin of a mere junior?
"You could have killed me with a single finger."
The Profound Yin Ancestor was deeply mistaken.
He believed that since Bu Eun-seol could effortlessly evade the pinnacle of his lifelong martial refinement—the first strike of the Severing Light—without even lifting a finger,
he must possess the skill to kill him in an instant if he so desired.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
"I lack the ability to slay Hall Master Jwa with a single strike."
Though it was an honest answer, the Profound Yin Ancestor shook his head, assuming Bu Eun-seol was merely being modest.
"Speak plainly."
Bu Eun-seol scratched his cheek.
"If I must give a reason... it's because you seem like a true member of the Righteous Path."
"A true member of the Righteous Path."
Only then did the Profound Yin Ancestor realize what kind of person Bu Eun-seol was, and he spoke in a low voice.
"It's been a long time since I've heard such words."
In truth, he was one of the few genuine Righteous Path members remaining in the Martial Alliance,
and he took pride in that fact.
"To tell you the truth..."
And with his next words, the reason for the Profound Yin Ancestor's contempt toward the Demonic Path became clear.
"I believed the alliance leader's current state was the work of those vile Demonic Path bastards."
"What do you mean?"
"The alliance leader's Internal Power has greatly diminished."
The Profound Yin Ancestor sighed as he spoke.
"And the fact that he has completely changed."
This was information considered top-secret even within the Martial Alliance.
Yet, whether it was due to Bu Eun-seol's righteous gaze or his unassuming demeanor, the elder spoke without hesitation.
"Did you ask what the alliance is doing here?"
When Bu Eun-seol nodded, the Profound Yin Ancestor continued.
"The alliance leader changed long ago. He's been secretly raising troops and carrying out bizarre operations."
"..."
"Like pouring vast resources into creating a Toxic Land in a place like this."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened in realization.
That meant—
the Martial Venerable, who had been acting as the alliance leader, was the one who had turned the once-pristine Great Wind Gorge into a Toxic Land.
"That doesn't make sense."
Bu Eun-seol pressed further.
"The alliance leader isn't a fool. If he had ulterior motives, wouldn't he have carried them out in secret?"
"You're asking why he would spread rumors across the Martial World, deceiving everyone into believing this was a spiritual land instead of a Toxic Land?"
"Exactly."
The Profound Yin Ancestor smiled coldly.
"It wasn't the alliance leader who spread those rumors—it was me."
Then he continued calmly.
"Because that way, he wouldn't be able to carry out whatever schemes he had in mind."
Bu Eun-seol's mind spun like lightning.
Only now, having grasped the full situation, did he finally speak.
"Then, Elder Zuo deliberately spread the rumor that Great Wind Gorge was a spiritual land—so that the Martial Alliance Chief and his faction couldn't act openly. Is that it?"
"Precisely."
The Profound Yin Ancestor let out a sigh.
"He recently spent an enormous sum to turn Great Wind Gorge into a toxic land. And because he was keeping it hidden in secret, I sought to uncover the truth."
Within the Martial Alliance, the true members of the Righteous Faction were already brimming with dissatisfaction toward the Martial Venerable, who was acting as the chief.
And when the Profound Yin Ancestor happened to discover that the Martial Venerable was scheming something here—
He deliberately spread the rumor of a spiritual land and stationed people here, ensuring the chief could no longer interfere.
'Then...'
At last, Bu Eun-seol understood the secret of Great Wind Gorge.
'Elder Zuo and the other Martial Alliance figures—they were all deceived by the Martial Venerable.'
Someone of the Martial Venerable's caliber couldn't possibly be unaware of the growing discontent within the Martial Alliance.
No, he must have known they would detect it—
And intentionally leaked information, wanting them to occupy this place.
But... why?
After a long moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol finally found the answer.
'The Absolute Boundary.'
This mysterious battle formation, capable of perfectly dividing space, could only be maintained in a place where people came and went regularly.
Meaning—the Martial Venerable had deployed the Absolute Boundary here.
And to sustain its function, he had deliberately fed the Martial Alliance false intelligence.
That way, countless martial artists would inevitably be dispatched here.
With that, he had devised an effortless plan—
To maintain the newly established Absolute Boundary in this location.
'Then...'
Bu Eun-seol's expression brightened.
This place was where the Martial Venerable had set up the Absolute Boundary, and...
'Wooden Buddha is here.'
His heart pounded.
He could say it with certainty—
Wooden Buddha was undoubtedly hiding in this place.
'But does that mean even he is trapped, unable to break the Absolute Boundary?'
One thing was clear—this incident forced him to reevaluate the Martial Venerable.
The man was far more cunning and brilliant than he had imagined, possessing not only extraordinary foresight—
But also the ability to deploy the Absolute Boundary.
"I see you've found your answer."
The Profound Yin Ancestor nodded as he watched Bu Eun-seol lost in thought, his expression one of sudden realization.
"Do you have any more questions?"
"No. You've been of great help."
As Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully, the elder asked,
"From the looks of it, you've pieced together most of it, haven't you?"
At those words, Bu Eun-seol's expression turned subtly complicated.
Only now did he realize—the Profound Yin Ancestor, too, had discerned that the current Martial Alliance Chief, Shin Do-mu-bi, was an imposter.
And that was why he stood in opposition to him.
"Why haven't you exposed this truth to the martial world?"
The elder pressed.
"Knowing that alone would have given you a far greater advantage in shaping the martial world's affairs."
Simply revealing that the current Martial Alliance Chief was a fake would have sent shockwaves through the orthodox factions, throwing them into chaos.
Even without malicious intent, that knowledge alone could have secured him numerous benefits.
Yet he had never done so.
Because shaking the foundations of the orthodox martial world was not his way.
"Perhaps... because I knew that even if I spoke, it wouldn't be enough to expose the truth."
The Martial Venerable was meticulous in all things—and now, it was clear he had mastered not only the Great Art but even the Absolute Boundary of the Three Clans.
No matter what evidence was presented, no matter if his disguise was pointed out—
He would have prepared countermeasures for everything.
"...I see."
The Profound Yin Ancestor's expression softened completely.
At last, he fully understood the kind of person Bu Eun-seol was.
'The chivalry of the Demonic Path...'
In the history of Murim, no figure standing at the pinnacle of the Demonic Path had ever possessed such righteous spirit and heroic bones.
And wasn't this young man already marked as the next Number One of the Demonic Path?
"A toxic land can still be called a spiritual land."
Now fully open to Bu Eun-seol, the Profound Yin Ancestor spoke in a low, gravelly voice.
"And though the rumor of Golden Jade Divine Grass here is false... there is a spiritual herb of comparable value. One that will soon bear fruit."
He pointed toward the swamp deep within the Secluded Valley.
"If you take the fruits of the Silver Spirit Mushroom growing there, even the Hall Master Sado won't have anything to say against you."
The elder was well aware of Bu Eun-seol's circumstances.
And this was his way of freeing him from the pressure of the task imposed by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
"Why go so far for me?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, the Profound Yin Ancestor wore a faint smile.
"Because this old man is a true orthodox martial artist."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol stood dumbfounded—
Then, slowly, a bright smile spread across his lips as well.
Heroes understand each other without words.
In this moment, the two of them—transcending the divide of orthodox and unorthodox, of age—had opened their hearts to one another without reservation.
'Father would have done the same.'
Boundless Righteous Grandeur and genuine chivalry could make even an opponent's heart bloom wide open.
Just as Baekri Mu-ha had earned the title of the Martial World's First Beauty after only a brief time wandering the rivers and lakes.
Surely, it was because of such a temperament.
"Endure well."
Having pointed out the location of the Silver Spirit Mushroom, the Profound Yin Ancestor left quietly, leaving only those words behind.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze, fixed on the retreating figure, grew complicated.
Through this incident, he had come to realize that the internal affairs of the Martial Alliance were far more convoluted than he had known, and that even those among its core members—who did not belong to the Abyssal Forces—had long harbored suspicions about the Alliance Chief's true identity.
'And yet, Elder Jwa remains unaware of the forces lurking within the Martial Alliance.'
Had the Profound Yin Ancestor known the exact circumstances within the Martial Alliance, he would have dug into the numerous hidden factions rather than merely suspecting the Martial Venerable's movements.
'Perhaps the shadowy forces entrenched in the Martial Alliance already know the Martial Venerable's true identity—and deliberately leave him unchecked.'
The Martial Venerable had long played the role of the Righteous Heavenly Emperor while brazenly continuing incomprehensible and suspicious actions.
If even those unaware of the truth had grown doubtful of him,
then what of the hidden forces within the Martial Alliance? It was highly likely they had sensed something amiss long before and uncovered his true nature.
And yet, they had imposed no sanctions.
Perhaps because allowing the Martial Venerable to recklessly stir chaos within the Martial Alliance—drawing all suspicion and scrutiny onto himself—was more advantageous to them.
Drip, drip.
Blood trickled from the wound on his leg, torn by the blade of the Void Light Blade that the Profound Yin Ancestor had unleashed.
Had his spirit been perfectly dyed in Righteous Grandeur, he would not have suffered even a scratch when executing the Imperial Step.
But because traces of his original nature still mingled within, he had sustained such minor injuries.
Pressing the acupoint to swiftly stop the bleeding, Bu Eun-seol sighed as he studied the remnants of the Void Light Blade.
"So this is why they say the roots of the Righteous Path are fearsome."
Those of the Demonic Path never relinquish power as long as they possess strength.
In contrast, those of the Righteous Path generally withdraw from the affairs of the martial world in their later years, choosing seclusion.
Though the power balance between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Martial World appeared equal on the surface, the reason the Righteous Path was considered dominant was simple:
Countless reclusive masters and superlative martial experts, who no longer stepped forward, were still scattered throughout the orthodox factions.
The Profound Yin Ancestor was one such figure.
The Void Light Blade—a blade of True Qi capable of severing anything—and the Sky Palm Force, which even his extrasensory perception struggled to detect.
These two martial arts were so profound that even Bu Eun-seol, who had felled countless experts, could not easily find a counter—despite the elder's body not being in peak condition.
'Even if it wasn't a flawless execution, to wound me while I was executing the Imperial Step...'
The Profound Yin Ancestor's Severing Light technique, which overturned opponents from their lower bodies upward with a blade of light erupting from the ground—
Had he not deployed the Imperial Step, which could repel any force?
Had the elder not deliberately aimed only for his leg?
Even if he had survived, he would have suffered grave injuries.
'I must rid myself of this personality embedded in my mind as soon as possible.'
Despite his thoughts, words of righteousness continued to spill unbidden from his lips, and the internal power of the Demonic Path Martial Arts stored within his body was draining away like water from a broken jar.
'Moreover, if I return to the Demon Hall like this, I'll be exposed sooner or later.'
Back then, he had avoided suspicion because he hadn't spoken much with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor or the core members.
But if he returned to the Demon Hall in this state?
Even if the core members remained oblivious, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor would undoubtedly detect his abnormality in an instant.
He had to completely purge this personality consuming his mind.
'Fortunately, the Wooden Buddha is here.'
Surely, the Martial Venerable had prepared a hiding place for him in this area.
If he found the Wooden Buddha, he could certainly resolve this condition.
'Wait.'
A sudden, unsettling thought struck him.
The Wooden Buddha could perfectly read Heaven's Will.
Moreover, he was someone who had treated Bu Eun-seol with considerable favor.
And yet, despite his arrival here, the monk had not shown himself?
That made no sense.
'In that case, the Wooden Buddha must either be imprisoned by the Martial Venerable—'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
'—or he has already left this place.'
The former was the more likely possibility.
Because while the Martial Venerable had outwardly claimed to be protecting the Wooden Buddha,
his true intention had been to restrain him and keep him as his own possession.
'Then I must quickly locate where the Wooden Buddha is imprisoned and free him.'
Even if the monk did not wish to leave, he could at least seek advice on how to fix the chaos in his mind.
'Though he hid the Wooden Buddha here, he spread false information about this being a territory to draw attention.'
The Wooden Buddha was, without exaggeration, the most precious living treasure in the world.
"Even if he had to maintain the Absolute Boundary, he still revealed his hiding place to countless people?"
His mind, which had been scanning the surroundings, spun rapidly like lightning.
'Then it must be because he was confident that even if Wooden Buddha were here, no one could find him.'
Bu Eun-seol sank into deep contemplation for a moment.
Great Wind Gorge had transformed into a Toxic Land where even breathing would shatter one's Immunity to All Poisons.
Thus, the only ones who could enter this place were either Superlative Martial Experts who had accumulated Internal Power strong enough to fear no poison—
or Poison People, who had no reason to fear poison in the first place.
In other words, the Martial Venerable was confident that not even Superlative Martial Experts or Poison People could detect Wooden Buddha's presence here.
'The only clue to solving this enigma is that he artificially turned this place into a Toxic Land.'
The reason was likely connected to how he had transformed the once-intact Great Wind Gorge into a Toxic Land.
By deliberately creating a Toxic Land, he had perfectly concealed Wooden Buddha within it—meaning the key to finding the Martial Venerable must also lie in 'poison.'
Bu Eun-seol meticulously surveyed the surroundings of the Secluded Valley once more.
Before he knew it, the sky had taken on a hazy purplish hue, thick with murky clouds that barely let any sunlight through.
Poisonous grasses and vines grew rampant, interspersed with eerie-looking flowers in full bloom.
Though they appeared vividly beautiful, they harbored lethal toxins.
'How vile.'
Every time the wind blew, the swaying grass released a uniquely dreadful stench, making it difficult to even breathe.
Purple-hued fluids oozing from the roots of the poisonous plants pooled on the ground, resembling spilled blood.
Squirming.
In the distance, between withered and twisted trees, peculiarly shaped poisonous insects crawled about.
Unfazed by the rising miasma, the insects moved about vigorously.
Yet there were places where even these insects dared not tread—where Extreme Poison spread beyond their tolerance.
'I see.'
Wooden Buddha possessed the ability to blend so perfectly into nature that no one could detect him.
That ability extended to poison as well.
He would have become one with the Extreme Poison, seamlessly merging into the toxic air, marshes, and plants.
'A trap that exploits the blind spots of human psychology.'
For instance, if someone were hiding in this Secluded Valley and a tracker came searching for them?
Naturally, the tracker would seek out places free of poison.
Because they would assume the target had hidden somewhere safe from this deadly toxicity.
But Wooden Buddha was one who could achieve unity with nature in any environment.
He would have concealed himself precisely in the most poisonous, most dangerous place.
Even if someone searched this area, they wouldn't risk their life to comb through such a lethal zone thoroughly.
'I just need to find the place with the most extreme poison.'
Unleashing his Movement Technique, he swiftly located a cave emitting the most noxious miasma in the Secluded Valley.
Even before stepping inside, the poison was so intense it felt as though his flesh would melt and bones be exposed.
'Let's go.'
Bu Eun-seol pressed forward, slowly advancing through the suffocating miasma pouring from the cave.
A bluish mist crept along the ground, and with every breath, acrid poison dust spread, making his lungs burn.
If even Bu Eun-seol, who had reached the Sage Among Poisons realm, felt this much pain—
then a Master with Immunity to All Poisons would have already been reduced to a handful of blood and pulp.
Tap.
Placing his hand against the cave wall, he felt as though invisible ants were gnawing at his flesh, crawling upward.
But he paid them no mind, instead feeling along the walls and floor—or unleashing shockwaves of True Qi—
as he took step after unrelenting step forward.
But something was strange.
Though he remained unaffected by the poison,
the deeper he went, the heavier his body grew, and his mind became increasingly clouded, as if filled with vexations.
'Heart Poison.'
This cave contained not just toxins that corroded the body—but also Heart Poison that eroded the Spirit and Mind.
'Even so, poison shouldn't affect me.'
The Sage Among Poisons realm wasn't merely about detoxifying or creating poison.
It meant being able to alter the nature and attributes of poison, using it to further strengthen both body and mind—
becoming the very progenitor of poison, controlling all through its power.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol, who had absorbed the Poison Venerable's Four Deadly Poisons, had surpassed even the limits of the Sage Among Poisons.
No Extreme Poison should have been able to penetrate his Spirit and Mind or his body.
Yet this level of miasma...?
'Poison and Supernatural Ability.'
Bu Eun-seol, who had been absorbing the flowing poison to accumulate it as True Qi, quickly grasped the situation.
'A trap, then.'
Given the deadly miasma pouring from the cave's entrance,
anyone would naturally assume the interior held even more extreme poison—
and would prepare accordingly.
But this was a trap that exploited human psychology.
What seemed like poison was, in truth, the power of an entirely different Supernatural Ability...
And because of that, those who ventured deep inside
would be unable to properly resist the energy emanating from this place, meeting death without recourse.
'If it's not poison, even better.'
A crimson glow—one unseen until now—rose in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
The malevolent power of the Supernatural Ability.
It was reigniting the competitive drive and Killing Intent buried deep within his heart.