Majeon, Suppressed Demon Pavilion, Grand Conference Room.
All personnel, including Bu Eunseol, were conducting a meeting with serious expressions.
A report on the moving Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship had arrived.
They knew that this was, without a doubt, the work of the Vajra Demon Ancestor.
"It is truly moving."
These were the first words spoken by Tak Ilhon, who had returned after pursuing Nahu of the Heavenly Scribe for an entire month.
"I am referring to the secret treasury."
After frantically deploying his movement techniques to escape the residence with his arm severed, Nahu had arrived at a specific location: a forest deep in a mountain located in Shaanxi.
Tak Ilhon, who had secretly pursued him to the mountain, soon witnessed an unbelievable sight.
It was clearly an ordinary forest. However, upon actually entering, didn't a tall mountain with a massive gate appear before him?
—If that is the case, then this place is not a mountain, but rather the main base where the Vajra Demon Sect resides.
The moment Tak Ilhon thought so, the towering mountain suddenly looked like an artificial structure, and a separate entrance to enter it was formed. Feeling the strangeness of it, he boldly entered to investigate.
"As I stepped inside, clear traces of herbs and spiritual creatures were left behind from the very entrance. Massive grand halls and stone chambers were situated throughout the passages that were intertwined like a maze."
Tak Ilhon's eyes deepened, as if trying to imprint the memory of that time.
"And there were boxes placed there, inside of which were secret martial arts manuals, or spiritual creatures and herbs."
Tak Ilhon continued his explanation. The interior of the massive structure was a single secret treasury, and inside it, countless medicinal pills and secret martial arts manuals were stored.
"However, inside the stone chambers or grand halls where the spiritual creatures or secret martial arts manuals were stored, a formation or an immense grand technique was deployed."
Tak Ilhon shook his head.
"In the midst of that, the martial artists were waging a slaughterous war resembling a starving ghost hell to seize the treasures."
Taking a deep breath, he continued speaking.
"Feeling that something was amiss, I tried to avoid the martial artists and further investigate deep into the interior..."
A deep wrinkle formed between Tak Ilhon's eyebrows.
"The further I went inside, the more an unbearable, ominous energy spread out. I came to realize that it was an endless maze, which could never be solved with my own abilities."
In the end, he gave up the investigation and tried to escape the secret treasury.
"But perhaps because I had gone too deep, the maze had already become uncontrollably complex. The formations had also multiplied to the extent that my aging mind could not handle them."
After many twists and turns, he barely managed to escape, but by the time he returned, a month had already passed.
"What was even more shocking was that when I came outside, it was not the land of Shaanxi, but a small village on the outskirts."
Tak Ilhon continued speaking in a trembling voice, as if the shock of that moment was being revived.
"While returning, I heard the martial artists whispering about the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship and found out that the mountain I had been investigating had suddenly become a massive ship."
The gathered crowd assumed serious expressions. Originally, no name had been attached to the moving secret treasury. However, once the martial artists arbitrarily created and attached the name of the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship, it truly took the form of a massive ship.
"It is a Phase."
Yoo Unryong assumed a serious expression as he looked at Bu Eunseol.
"If it can dominate the martial world, it is the manifestation of a Mind World at the level deployed by the bloodline of the True Demon..."
In the past, Weiji Hun, a member of the True Demon bloodline who had seized the body of Weiji Hyesang, had deployed a Mind World of the sixth tier of Phase Essence, which influenced reality by concentrating intent.
"Once the martial artists attached a name to the secret treasury, their will and beliefs bestowed concrete concepts and attributes to it, ultimately materializing the massive ship."
If this were not something Bu Eunseol had experienced firsthand, it was content that would have made one snort and dismiss it as a wild story.
However, having heard the entire story, the captains nodded their heads, their eyes sparkling at Yoo Unryong's explanation.
Every time the strong experts of the abyss faction appeared, they exerted transcendental authority that seemed not to belong to this world. However, if one peeled back a single layer of the skin of that bizarre phenomenon, its root touched upon martial arts principles.
"Protector, you managed to escape such a place anyway."
At that moment, Jo Namcheon spoke with a smile.
"If anyone were in such a place, they would surely covet the secret manuals and spiritual medicines."
"In the past, I would have absolutely been unable to give it up."
Tak Ilhon looked toward Bu Eunseol.
"However, now the Command Lord personally bestows teachings upon us."
He then spoke in a solemn voice toward the captains.
"Each time, my martial arts advance by leaps and bounds, and my entire body grows hot, as if I am gaining decades of internal energy all at once."
From Tak Ilhon's eyes, a heat capable of melting even iron was flowing out.
"Furthermore, every time I behold the Command Lord's countenance, my vitality is greatly enhanced and I overflow with strength. Would I lose to the mere temptation of secret manuals or spiritual medicines?"
The captains all nodded with expressions of admiration. Watching that sight, the focus was slowly disappearing from Bu Eunseol's eyes.
The elderly and battle-hardened Tak Ilhon was the only person who had not been dyed by the madness of the Death Shadow Corps's martial artists. Yet, before he knew it, even he had been swept up in this absurd atmosphere.
At that moment, Yoo Unryong spoke.
"Hearing Protector Tak's explanation, I think I understand why the lackey of the Vajra Demon Ancestor said we would have to deal with the aftermath."
He looked at Tak Ilhon and continued speaking.
"Because of that Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship, not only our martial artists but also the orthodox factions, unorthodox factions, and even those unrelated to the martial world have formed groups and are thoroughly searching the Demonic Path's sphere of influence."
During the month Tak Ilhon was pursuing Nahu, the martial world had fallen into uncontrollable chaos due to the people searching for the moving treasury.
Yoo Unryong caressed the wall with a serious expression.
"Not to mention the martial artists of our own hall, the martial artists of the Martial Alliance and the Azure Heaven Alliance are also deserting to find the moving treasury. The Black Path has formed a fleet with the explicit intention of seizing the moving treasury."
Tak Ilhon nodded his head.
"We cannot blame them for that situation either. There truly are spiritual creatures and secret martial arts manuals there."
Spiritual medicines and secret martial arts manuals existed within it. A moving treasury, the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship, which no one knew when or where it would appear. With such a thing appearing in the martial world, there was no martial artist seeking treasures who would not go wild.
At that moment, Wi Cheongyeong spoke.
"Even if it is anywhere else, I do not think the Martial Alliance will sit idly by."
In any case, the banner of the Martial Alliance was to maintain the peace and order of the martial world. A moving treasury causing great chaos throughout the entire martial world had appeared, so they had undoubtedly stepped forward to control it.
"They have already moved."
At that moment, the Death Spirit Corps Captain, Mu Heon, spoke.
"The Vice Alliance Leader, along with the leaders of the Seven Great Divisions, have each moved out and are pursuing the moving treasury with all their might."
He shook his head and added.
"However, they say that the moment they step forward, the treasury that clearly existed disappears in an instant. Ultimately, this means they are moving according to the will of the Vajra Demon Ancestor."
The mere fact that it evaded the pursuit of the Martial Alliance Division Commanders, including the Vice Alliance Leader, made it certain that the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship was not appearing randomly, but was moving according to the will of the Vajra Demon Ancestor.
"You mean it prevents powerful experts from even entering the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship itself."
Around the time Myo Cheonwoo's murmur echoed through the conference room, a low voice was heard in front of the Grand Conference Room, accompanied by the sound of someone running at a fast pace.
"It is Mu Gwang."
It was none other than the vice-captain of the Death Shadow Corps and Yoo Unryong's subordinate commander.
"Command Lord."
After bowing to Bu Eunseol, he spoke quickly.
"The Martial Alliance Leader has made an announcement invoking the Twin Phoenix Command."
In an instant, the eyes of Bu Eunseol and the captains changed.
From the very beginning, the Martial Alliance had taken two phoenixes as its symbol. This was because the Martial Alliance was divided into the leadership of the sunny side and the leadership of the shady side.
The Twin Phoenix Command was a proclamation that, when a great chaos or large-scale disaster occurred that could not be stopped by the power of the sunny side's Martial Alliance alone, they would forcibly integrate and command the forces of both the sunny side and the shady side.
"This means the Martial Venerable intends to give up the position of Alliance Leader."
The captains nodded at Wi Cheongyeong's words.
If the Twin Phoenix Command was invoked, after achieving the objective, one had to step down from the position of Alliance Leader and receive a vote of confidence again. However, the Martial Venerable, who held the role of Martial Alliance Leader, left most of the duties to the Vice Alliance Leader and repeatedly entered secluded meditation. Consequently, his support base had completely shrunken, and the anxiety of the elders within the Alliance had reached a peak. If he were to face a vote of confidence, he would inevitably be forced to step down from his position.
"There is no way that is the case."
Shaking his head, Bu Eunseol stared into space.
"He is invoking the Twin Phoenix Command under the pretext of suppression. Once the chaos calms down, he intends to immediately select the next Alliance Leader."
He then added.
"There is no way he does not know that the Seven Great Demonic Sects have appeared. Rather, it is clear that he intends to use this incident as an opportunity to thoroughly identify the shady forces of the Martial Alliance."
Invoking the Twin Phoenix Command would merely be an excuse.
He was not a person who would care whether the Seven Great Demonic Sects threw the martial world into disorder or not. If the Twin Phoenix Command was invoked, he would be able to employ the shady forces under his command during that period.
He would likely use the emergence of the Seven Great Demonic Sects to identify the shady forces of the Martial Alliance. Once things quieted down, he would abandon the position of Alliance Leader without hesitation and select a successor.
Selecting a successor was the unique authority of the Martial Alliance Leader.
"Perhaps he plans to install a successor who suits his tastes to rule from behind the scenes, or he might have a plan to control the Martial Alliance in some other manner."
At Yoo Unryong's words, the gathered crowd all nodded their heads.
"Then what do you plan to do about the matter of the Vajra Demon Ancestor?"
At Wi Cheongyeong's question, Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
"The Demon Emperor wishes for me to resolve this matter. He has no intention of coexisting with the Seven Great Demonic Sects."
In any case, the Demon Emperor was hostile toward the Seven Great Demonic Sects and had chosen him as the tool to handle them. He would absolutely not tolerate the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, including the Vajra Demon Ancestor, stirring up the martial world.
"Then he must be wishing for you to handle this matter after waiting for the emergence of the Vajra Demon Sect to escalate into an incident that shakes the martial world."
The emergence of the Vajra Demon Sect was merely the beginning. With this incident leading the way, it was clear as daylight that all of the Seven Great Demonic Sects would appear.
"That is correct. And initially, I intended to do just that."
Bu Eunseol spoke as he took a deep breath.
"But now, I have no intention of moving according to his wishes."
If the matter of the Vajra Demon Sect was left alone, uncontrollable chaos would erupt in the martial world.
From the beginning, Bu Eunseol also wished for all the shady forces to be revealed. Under circumstances where all the martial artists were dyed in madness, though, they must not be allowed to be revealed all at once in this manner.
"However, the fact that the Vajra Demon Ancestor created the secret treasury is proof that he admitted he cannot face the contemporary strong experts of the martial world."
Mu Heon spoke.
"Seeing that his subordinate could not even block a single strike of yours and allowed the elders to get entangled."
The captains all nodded their heads.
The subordinate of the Great Demonic Sect had appeared in the world as if boasting, so they wondered what kind of grand ability he possessed, but his martial arts were incapable of even blocking a single strike from Bu Eunseol.
Of course, Bu Eunseol was at a level where he stood shoulder to shoulder with the strong experts of the world, but compared to the reputation of the Great Demonic Sects, the subordinate's skill was utterly wretched.
"That may be why he created the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship."
Originally, the purpose of a whip developed through its use as a tool to handle livestock or as a punishment tool to govern criminals. However, the whip techniques within the martial arts of the Demonic Path had a different history. It originated from a dharma tool made by braiding the hair of the deceased to cast deep and evil sorcery.
In other words, the Vajra Demon Ancestor could be considered a master of whip techniques and a grand master of sorcery.
"I will settle this before this chaos grows larger."
"By settling it you mean..."
"I will destroy the moving secret treasury."
Bu Eunseol let out a cold smile.
"They do not even know that this chaos currently shaking the martial world is the doing of the Vajra Demon Sect."
The one who had caused the abyss forces of the current martial world to slowly reveal themselves was not the board set up by the Demon Emperor, but rather something designed by Bu Eunseol.
He intended to quickly settle the chaos caused by the Vajra Demon Ancestor this time, organize the disordered martial world, and make a preemptive move so that the Demon Emperor could not hatch another plot.
***
At the southern end of Suzhou, at the end of a leisurely flowing waterway, a stone bridge was situated.
Like the name of the village, Stone Bridge Village, stone bridges that had endured silent years were laid across various parts of the village where a brook flowed. Along the slowly curving waterway, ancient trees that looked to be hundreds of years old hung their branches. On the earthen walls of old houses, moss left behind by the wind and rain showed the thickness of time.
It was a serene and peaceful landscape, as if even time had held its breath. It was a tranquil village, perfectly suited for forgetting the worries of the secular world and finding peace of mind.
As deep night settled, the lamps of the village seeped into the darkness one by one.
Around the time everything sank into silence, a faint shadow quietly rose at the entrance of the village.
It was an old man dressed in shabby clothing.
He moved his steps leisurely, like a person enjoying a late-night stroll, and silently entered a small house at the edge of the village.
Inside the room, a man and a boy were in a deep sleep. After looking at the deeply sleeping father and son, the old man shook his head as if it were absurd.
"No wonder we could not find you until now."
When the old man's lamentation was heard, the sleeping middle-aged man opened his eyes.
"Who are you?"
"Time is precious, so let us stop the foolish acting."
A mysterious brilliance spread from the old man's eyes.
"Because the position of the one calling himself this seat is the same."
The old man who possessed the most ordinary appearance in the world and referred to himself as this seat was only one person.
The Demon Emperor, Sado Muryeong.
The absolute ruler of the Demonic Path, who ought to be in Majeon, had appeared in this quiet countryside village without any warning.
After glaring at the Demon Emperor for a long time, the middle-aged man opened his mouth.
"What on earth do you want?"
"The escort should not interfere."
Crack.
The middle-aged man's neck twisted bizarrely.
The Demon Emperor had utilized his internal energy to snap his neck bone in an instant. The middle-aged man collapsed, becoming a cold corpse. Regardless of that, the Demon Emperor's gaze remained fixed on the deeply sleeping boy.
"Ending one's life peacefully without pain can be considered a great blessing."
"Sado Muryeong."
In the end, the young boy slowly opened his eyes.
When he did, the places where the whites of his eyes should have been were filled with a gray light, and his pupils were torn into the shape of a sharp bird's eye.
It was just like the pupils of a cat with gray eyes.
"Why are you doing such a thing?"
The boy spoke as if he could not understand.
"Since the Seven Great Demonic Sects have appeared, has it not turned out exactly as you wished?"
"Not at all."
The Demon Emperor spoke with a leisurely expression.
"If the Seven Great Demonic Sects appear, the Ten Great Immortals must naturally appear as well, would you not agree?"
The boy widened his eyes.
"Have you been tracking and killing us just to dismantle the restriction?"
"If not for that, why would I bother pursuing you guys, who offer no fun even when beaten to death?"
The boy shook his head.
"Do you truly not know what will happen if you do that?"
"There is no need to make such a fuss."
The Demon Emperor slowly extended his left hand.
"Because it is merely breaking the board that he set up."
He had merely extended his hand, yet, as if the boy were being strangled, his eyes began to pop out and his tongue began to protrude.
"Not a chance."
From behind the boy's back, a pure white light and black mist began to rise simultaneously.
"Sado Muryeong, do you think I do not know that you have not only broken out of the Limitless Realm but have also mastered Phase?"
Crash.
With the sound of something shattering, the surrounding scenery began to fall away piece by piece. Then, the interior scenery of the house suddenly transformed into a small valley where a fairyland-like peach blossom spring spread out in all directions. The child who had been suffering as if being strangled was suddenly standing tall, scattering a mysterious brilliance.
"No matter what attack you deploy, it is useless. Even if you mix Phase into the Infinite Reversal Power, I have already reached the sixth tier of Phase mastery."
"That resistance of yours is consistent."
With an extremely bored expression, the Demon Emperor raised a single finger.
"You guys still have not woken up from that numbers game."
He then brought his finger close to the boy's face. The boy's face began to distort bizarrely.
Finally, he realized what kind of ability the Demon Emperor possessed and what his true identity was.
"Could it be that you..."
Swish.
However, those words did not continue.
The boy's neck was completely snapped and separated from his torso. At the same time, the fairyland-like scenery changed once more. An ordinary house, an ordinary interior.
This place had truly been an extremely ordinary small house in Stone Bridge Village.
"It has been a long time."
Coming outside, the Demon Emperor gazed at the distant sky. Before long, the moment the curtain of time was hung, all the hidden threads of cause and effect would begin to untangle.
"When the abyss of chaos grows quiet, the fragments of truth that lay submerged at its bottom will float to the surface."
When all boundaries crumble, only then will one be able to distinguish what is true and what is false. Only then will the gears of the cycle of reincarnation engage.
That brief moment would reveal the scattered fragments and all the hidden dimensions behind them, and along with the scattered fragments, the true essence of the martial world would be exposed without exception.
"Soon, the wind of inevitability will blow over, and all the illusions drawn upon the sands of time will be erased. When time is up, the pieces containing light and darkness will shatter, and the truth inside them will flow out."
The low chanting of the Demon Emperor faded away into the darkness along with his form.
***
The scale of the manor was not very large. However, the blue waves of West Lake rippled within arm's reach, and it was situated in a place surrounded like a folding screen by low, mist-shrouded peaks.
Not far from the manor, a river stream as smooth as silk could be seen, and a tea garden was located nearby, so a savory fragrance was carried on the wind all year round.
Scritch, scratch.
Sitting at a table placed by a window where the moonlight shone, there was a beautiful woman writing characters. She had once been called the Flower of Majeon and was the number one beauty of the Demonic Path. However, having abandoned all status now, she was continuing a refined and quiet daily life like a monk in a small manor by West Lake.
She was none other than Jin Seol.
"Who on earth am I?"
Whenever her mind was disordered or she felt a sense of desolation, she wrote characters or painted pictures just as she was doing now. From the moment she learned that her memories had been manipulated and that it was the doing of the Demon Emperor, everything felt futile and meaningless.
"I tried hard to forget everything."
In the beginning, whether her memories were manipulated or whoever she was, she wanted to cleanly forget those facts.
It was because, in her heart, she had been relying on the Demon Emperor.
Even if the people of the world pointed fingers at him as a bloodless and tearless arch-demon, he had always shown a humane side to her. No matter how cold-blooded and merciless he was, he had given her affection.
"I thought that if I stayed secluded for this long, he would visit at least once."
However, even after several months passed and the year changed, the Demon Emperor did not come. When she moved the intelligence network of Majeon out of curiosity, she had instead received shocking news.
The Hwa Wu Sword Sect and Extinction Palace had collapsed, and the Seven Great Demonic Sects had appeared in the martial world. In accordance with that, it was said that after the Demon Emperor held a private conversation with the Martial Soul Command Lord, he entered secluded meditation once again.
Having heard such news, Jin Seol could instinctively sense it: her utility had come to an end, and she was no longer a necessary existence to the Demon Emperor. The reason he had treated her well was definitely because he had some purpose. However, for some reason, that plan had gone awry, and in the end, she had been abandoned as an existence without any meaning or use.
"It did not matter anyway."
Setting down her brush, Jin Seol stared out the window and spoke calmly.
"Because I am merely myself."
Jin Seol, who had realized such a truth through Bu Eunseol, no longer held any expectations. If expectations are great, disappointment is equally great.
Yet, a faint sound of breaking through the air could be heard outside the window. Not only had she directly learned the ultimate arts of the Demonic Path from the Demon Emperor, but her innate talent for martial arts was also exceptionally outstanding. However, as the Majeon Flower, she had focused solely on the duties of Majeon, so she had not put great effort into the cultivation of martial arts. If she had properly trained in martial arts, she would have made a name for herself as an outstanding female expert.
Nevertheless, thanks to secluding herself here and constantly immersing herself in meditation and circulating her energy, her internal energy had significantly augmented, and she had come to possess a sharp extrasensory perception that she had not obtained in the past.
'A formidable expert. To enter this place while evading their eyes.'
In truth, around this West Lake manor, there were strong experts whom the Demon Emperor had secretly deployed for her sake. Despite that, for someone to infiltrate this place meant they were an individual of sufficient skill to even elude the attention of those terrifying experts.
But for what reason? Why would such a person reveal their presence by making such a blatant sound of breaking through the air?
Thud.
In the end, the sound of breaking through the air drew closer, and soon, a dull thud echoed near the garden. Upon hearing that sound, Jin Seol immediately solved the mystery.
‘He’s injured.’
After contemplating for a moment, she stepped out of her chambers and walked towards the garden the noise had come from.
The sight of someone gasping for breath in the small pavilion in front of the pond caught Jin Seol’s attention.
The shadow was of an old lama, full of deep wrinkles that made it hard to guess his age.
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