Step. Step.
The Demon Emperor approached at a leisurely pace.
His eyes were utterly calm, as if he were simply out for a stroll.
However, Heo Mu was struck as if by lightning from a clear sky, seized by uncontrollable trembling. It was a primal fear that surpassed reason.
It was the absolute helplessness a herbivore feels when standing before a predator.
‘He has encountered the Demon Emperor before.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as he watched Heo Mu.
A Ten Great Immortal possessing the polar opposite power of the Demonic Path was terrified of the Demon Emperor to this extent. Something must have happened between them in the past.
—The Ten Great Immortals are also targets that must be killed. You will understand the truth once you meet them.
In the past, the Demon Emperor had assured Bu Eunseol.
—If you have any doubts, report the whereabouts of a Ten Great Immortal to me immediately after discovering them.
Through Heo Mu’s appearance, Bu Eunseol realized that the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals shared some kind of relationship. Even if he captured Heo Mu, the chances of obtaining the information he wanted were extremely low.
—This is a good opportunity to understand the Demonic Path leader’s true intentions.
Bu Eunseol had sent a message via the messenger hawk to summon the Demon Emperor and chose the method of thoroughly uncovering the truth.
“As expected, you appeared to save the Demon Ancestor.”
The Demon Emperor said while looking at Heo Mu.
“While cowering like a rat in hiding.”
“Sado Muryeong.”
As if mustering courage and raising his energy, blue light flashed in Heo Mu’s eyes.
“You must have quite the gall.”
The Ten Great Immortals, who carried on the origin of orthodox martial arts, possessed Immortal Energy—the polar opposite of all Demonic Path martial arts. Strictly speaking, there was no need for them to fear any Demonic Path expert, including the Demon Emperor.
“Did you think this poor Taoist was still the same as before?”
Woong.
Heo Mu raised his Pure Spirit Energy.
Simply by wrapping it around his body, no demonic arts could invade him. As if to prove it, the moment he raised the Pure Spirit Energy, the mysterious light flowing from the Demon Emperor’s eyes vanished instantly.
“Demon Emperor, Majeon’s—”
His words did not continue.
The Pure Spirit Energy that should have flowed smoothly was blocked, and spiderweb-like cracks began spreading across his skin.
“How…?”
“You’re quite the flawed product, perhaps because you’re from a later generation.”
The Demon Emperor snorted.
“No wonder you carry such a stupid principle called ‘Void’ in your body.”
Crack.
Cracks spread across Heo Mu’s right arm, and it instantly turned to powder and scattered. With his terrifying boundless power, the Demon Emperor had perfectly analyzed the nature of the Pure Spirit Energy and immediately reversed it, shattering Heo Mu’s right arm.
Heo Mu was overwhelmed by extreme rage and emptiness rather than pain.
A power that could destroy the origin of the orthodox path without lifting a single finger?
Just how far had the martial arts of the current martial world developed?
“You talk big.”
A clear, transparent blue energy surged like a spring from Heo Mu’s body.
Shaaaa!
It poured toward the Demon Emperor, carrying pure and intense waves like the first rays of dawn purifying a turbid world, or the clear purity of a mountain spring.
The Pure Spirit Energy was the culmination of his lifelong training and an exorcising force that repelled evil. No matter how powerful the Demon Emperor was, he should not have been able to receive it so easily. He should not have.
At that moment, a faint yet extremely cold smile appeared on the Demon Emperor’s lips.
It was the sneer of a demon king that brought despair to all living beings.
Hiss.
The Pure Spirit Energy touching the Demon Emperor’s body vanished instantly like morning dew before fiercely burning black flames.
Whoosh.
At the same time, a mysterious energy enveloped Heo Mu’s body. It was not any kind of force, but absolute emptiness that erased existence itself.
Heo Mu stood frozen like a plaster statue with his mouth open.
Simultaneously, his remaining limbs turned to powder and disappeared.
Heo Mu collapsed without even leaving a scream. The severed arms and legs had perfectly healed surfaces, as if they had never existed in the first place.
“Now you will be able to learn the truth.”
The Demon Emperor snorted while looking at Bu Eunseol.
“As promised, make sure to kill the Seven Great Demon Ancestors.”
Bu Eunseol always kept his word once spoken. Strangely, however, by saying “as promised,” the Demon Emperor seemed to be making him swear once more.
“Of course.”
When Bu Eunseol answered, the Demon Emperor looked down at the limbless Vajra Demon Ancestor and Heo Mu, then slowly turned his body. His entire form became transparent and vanished in an instant.
—I have shown you as well.
The Demon Emperor had instantly understood Bu Eunseol’s intentions.
To walk toward the same destination, a minimum of trust was necessary. Bu Eunseol had proven it by tracking the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and destroying the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship.
The Demon Emperor had responded to his call and confirmed it in return.
“Something unimaginable in the past.”
There was no one in the martial world who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Demon Emperor.
Calling him to test him was nearly impossible.
Yet the Demon Emperor had willingly stepped forward.
That meant Bu Eunseol’s existence was absolutely necessary.
‘He cannot kill them himself.’
Considering the Demon Emperor’s personality, he had only severed Heo Mu’s limbs and not finished him off.
He probably had a reason he could not kill the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and Ten Great Immortals himself. That must be why he joined hands with Bu Eunseol.
At that moment, the limbless Heo Mu let out a groan.
Splash!
Blood began flowing from the perfectly sealed wounds. The severed surfaces had not truly healed perfectly.
‘The Demon Emperor’s martial arts are not yet complete.’
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
If the Demon Emperor’s martial arts had reached a flawless realm, blood would not have flowed from the wounds.
In other words, he had not reached the divine realm and was still in the process of completing his martial arts.
Heo Mu groaned once more in pain.
‘He cannot be called an evil person, even if he is an enemy.’
Heo Mu had not caused chaos among people like the Vajra Demon Ancestor, nor had he committed evil deeds. Seeing him suffer so miserably, it was impossible not to feel pity.
“Why did you try to save such an evil person?”
Bu Eunseol, who had taken Heo Mu’s pulse, tore his clothes and wrapped the severed areas. Then, to ease his pain, he gently inserted energy into the Gokjil and Gyeonjeong points on his forearms and the Gokcheon point behind his knees.
“Do you think I will speak just because of this?”
At Heo Mu’s words, Bu Eunseol snorted.
“It’s noisy, so be quiet.”
“What?”
“What would I gain by killing a crazy Taoist?”
Bu Eunseol looked down at the Vajra Demon Ancestor and said, “I only wanted to kill the Demon Ancestor who threw the martial world into chaos.”
After a brief silence, Heo Mu spoke with a miserable expression.
“If you kill him, this poor Taoist must commit suicide as well.”
“Suicide? Why?”
“Are you truly asking because you do not know?”
“Yes.”
Heo Mu groaned.
He had thought Bu Eunseol was the disciple of the greatest evil under heaven when he boldly summoned the Demon Emperor, yet Bu Eunseol’s eyes were filled with clear light, and his entire being radiated a clear aura without a single cloud.
“I see…”
Only then did Heo Mu fully understand what kind of person Bu Eunseol was.
After hesitating for a long time, he calmly opened his mouth.
“If the Vajra Demon Ancestor is an existence that disturbs the world with the power of greed, then this old man is the existence that can stop that greed.”
He continued with unfocused eyes.
“If only the Vajra Demon Ancestor, who possesses the power of greed, dies, then most people will eventually feel only extreme emptiness.”
Bu Eunseol found the story absurd.
“So you are saying that the Vajra Demon Ancestor is in charge of greed, and the Void Taoist is in charge of nothingness—a god?”
It was a story that even a three-year-old child would scoff at.
If they were god-like beings in charge of greed or non-desire from the beginning, there was no way the Demon Emperor—or even Bu Eunseol—would have been able to make them flee in defeat.
“It is not divinity, but a power passed down through generations.”
Heo Mu spoke with a lonely expression.
“We simply inherit that power generation after generation under the name of ‘law’.”
Law.
The word Bu Eunseol had heard so often from the mouths of abyssal forces in the past flowed from Heo Mu’s lips as well.
“However, that law only applies to powerless martial world people. If it were an absolute law created by gods, both ordinary people and you would have fallen into that greed without exception.”
Heo Mu explained calmly.
“But only martial world people who have not trained their minds are affected by the Vajra Demon Ancestor’s power.”
“Now that you mention it...”
Not only the warriors of the Death Shadow Corps, but also the leaders of the Martial Soul Society and the Azure Heaven Alliance, as well as Tang Gon and Zhuge Seoun—martial artists who had trained their spirits—had remained extremely calm even with the appearance of the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship.
“Is it the power of ability?”
“It’s similar.”
“Then who created such a law?”
Heo Mu spoke in a low voice.
“You will learn everything soon enough.”
Gurgle.
Blood flowed from Heo Mu’s mouth.
He had used his remaining strength to sever his own heart veins and commit suicide.
“Great Monk—”
“I did not say I would not kill the Vajra Demon Ancestor.”
Heo Mu smiled weakly.
“If he dies and only this poor Taoist survives, chaos will come to the world again. This was the only way.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand the Demon Emperor’s words.
The Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals were opposing existences like yin and yang, yet they coexisted in balance.
“But there are ten Immortals and only seven Demon Ancestors?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Heo Mu smiled faintly and looked at the collapsed Vajra Demon Ancestor.
“When close to death, anyone can display abilities like divine power.”
Heo Mu spoke as if making a request to Bu Eunseol.
“Be sure to deal with the Vajra Demon Ancestor. Then everything will follow its natural course.”
Those were his last words in life.
Heo Mu passed away without even closing his eyes.
Knowing that Bu Eunseol would definitely kill the Vajra Demon Ancestor, he had committed suicide without hesitation to restore the balance.
“Is this the ‘law’ you have been speaking of?”
A few figures had constantly mentioned the “law.” Now, the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and Ten Great Immortals were also beings bound by the law that Bu Eunseol could not handle.
‘He was not an evil existence after all.’
Bu Eunseol paid his respects to Heo Mu, who had ended his life as emptily as his name suggested.
“May you rest in eternal peace.”
He closed Heo Mu’s eyes for him.
He did not perform separate funeral rites or cremation. Most Taoist figures preferred wind burial.
Bu Eunseol stood up and approached the collapsed Vajra Demon Ancestor. Though his limbs were severed, his complexion was as pale as wax, yet his eyes were still clearly shining.
“Keep your promise.”
The Vajra Demon Ancestor said to Bu Eunseol.
“I kept my promise with you.”
In truth, Bu Eunseol had not instantly discovered this place and brought the Demon Emperor. He had already confirmed that Heo Mu was hiding here with the Vajra Demon Ancestor, replenishing his energy, and had been researching a way to enter.
—If the Demon Emperor comes, the truth you can learn will only be a very small fragment.
It would definitely increase the chaos.
After much deliberation, before the Demon Emperor arrived, Bu Eunseol had secretly infiltrated the valley by raising the Endless Heavenly Light Art and had approached the limbless Vajra Demon Ancestor in secret.
—At this rate, you will have to stay in this valley for decades with your limbs severed.
At Bu Eunseol’s transmission, the Vajra Demon Ancestor was greatly shocked.
No matter how focused Heo Mu was on circulating his energy, Bu Eunseol had approached without being noticed?
—I have a proposal.
The Vajra Demon Ancestor readily sent a reply. It was because she had realized she was a frog in a well and could not defeat the young man.
—The truth.
Bu Eunseol answered calmly.
—I will soon call the Demon Emperor here. He promised to tell me the truth if I find a Ten Great Immortal.
—Wouldn’t it be over if you just call him? The truth he shows is always mixed with chaos, or only a part of it.
The Vajra Demon Ancestor’s eyes gleamed.
Not only did the successor of Majeon casually refer to the Demon Emperor as “him,” but his voice also carried clear hostility.
—I refuse.
—It doesn’t matter. Ending my insignificant life at the Demon Emperor’s hands wouldn’t be so bad.
Bu Eunseol added.
—However, do not think you will die comfortably. I will make sure you taste all the pain and suffering in this world before you die.
When he tried to leave,
—Wait.
The Vajra Demon Ancestor urgently sent a transmission.
—Fine. I will tell you the truth.
—Speak.
—Instead, take me to the vault. And place my head on the altar on a good night.
The Vajra Demon Ancestor seemed to have realized he was destined to die and sent the transmission with intense eyes.
—Then I will be able to pass away while dreaming an eternal happy dream. Is that possible? Because one moment there becomes about sixty years inside the obsession.
He sent confidently.
—This is the greatness of the origin you all speak of.
The Vajra Demon Ancestor intended to live in the world she had created using the accumulated obsession in the vault with only her severed head. Even if it was only a brief dream in reality, time inside the obsession would allow her to live pleasantly for a lifetime.
When a positive answer came, the Vajra Demon Ancestor nodded.
—You are a trustworthy person.
—How do you know?
The Vajra Demon Ancestor answered.
—The substances released from the brain differ when telling lies and the truth.
She continued in a low voice.
—Good. If you take my head to the blood cave where the altar is, I will tell you then.
Bu Eunseol, awakened from the recollection, lifted the Vajra Demon Ancestor’s body, which had become a bloody mass. Though her limbs were severed, she was still very much alive.
“Now let’s go.”
Without another word, Bu Eunseol unfolded his movement technique and instantly moved to the vault the Vajra Demon Ancestor had created.
The place had already become a ruin, but it still flowed with thick obsessive energy.
“You keep your promises well.”
Finally, when he entered the area with the altar made of overlapping eyeballs, the Vajra Demon Ancestor opened her pale eyes.
“Place my head on top of the altar.”
Without a word, Bu Eunseol placed the head on top of the altar.
The Vajra Demon Ancestor nodded.
“You truly have honor.”
“Speak quickly.”
“Go to the Phoenix Valley and find the Red Flame Immortal. You will be able to hear the entire truth about the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals from her.”
“Red Flame Immortal.”
“Yes. The way to enter the Phoenix Valley is…”
After listening for a long time, deep furrows formed on Bu Eunseol’s forehead.
The method to enter the Phoenix Valley, a place that did not exist in the world, was mysterious, and moreover… the Red Flame Immortal was one of the Ten Great Immortals.
So how did the Vajra Demon Ancestor know the location of the Phoenix Valley and confidently claim he could hear the entire truth from her?
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.
“So the Demon Ancestors and Immortals have been in contact?”
Heo Mu had sensed the danger to the Vajra Demon Ancestor and immediately came here. In other words, there was close friendship between the Demon Ancestors and Immortals, or some kind of power was at work between the two.
“You don’t need to know that much.”
The Vajra Demon Ancestor spoke in a low voice as if feeling the obsession pouring in from all directions.
“Now go. This one must now dream a long dream.”
“Fine.”
Bu Eunseol looked into the Vajra Demon Ancestor’s eyes.
“Have a good dream.”
Before long, her pupils were dyed with a pitch-black light.
Illusion Upon Illusion.
The unique secret art of the Human Demon was unfolding in her closed eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“You killed innocent people and now plan to die enjoying a pleasant dream?”
The light flowing from Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew even darker.
“Struggle in hellish agony for the rest of your life and die reflecting on your sins.”
The Vajra Demon Ancestor had killed and experimented on countless people. That was why Bu Eunseol intended to plunge her into a hellish dream through Illusion Upon Illusion.
“I kept my promise to bring your head in front of the blood cave.”
“Ugh… Aaaaah!”
A desperate scream rang out from the Vajra Demon Ancestor’s head placed on the altar.
She would stop breathing within half a moment, but inside the dream created through obsession, roughly decades would pass.
She would suffer hellish pain before finally dying.
***
“Majeon Lord.”
Bu Eunseol, who had come out of the vault, looked up at the distant sky.
“From now on, no matter what you try to hide, it will be useless.”
He knew well that the Demon Emperor did not simply desire the destruction of the Righteous and Demonic Paths. He had already seen through all the secrets deep within the current martial world. Therefore, he had to start by confirming what the Demon Emperor truly wanted.
Only then could he obtain clues to uncover the truth he was hiding.
A moment later, the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship floating above the mountain completely disappeared.
The Vajra Demon Ancestor had drawn her last breath.
But something was strange.
His vision blurred for a moment, and he felt as if he were wandering in a fog. It was as if he had briefly fallen into a deep sleep and then awakened.
“Was I tired?”
He rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath. Then he unfolded his movement technique and disappeared into the distant sky.
***
The moment one enters the Phoenix Valley, all the noise of the world feels infinitely distant.
Ancient trees thousands of years old formed a dense forest. Sunlight breaking through them scattered like golden powder, shedding a brilliant light. Red flowers resembling blood droplets bloomed everywhere on the ground, emitting a rich fragrance. The stream crossing the valley was as clear and transparent as dew, and every movement of the colorful fish swimming in the water was vividly visible.
Phoenix Valley.
It was a mysterious secret land unknown to the martial world.
Yet by following the method the Vajra Demon Ancestor had told him, he was truly able to enter this mysterious valley.
The occasionally heard mysterious bird cries purified the mind with peace. Maple trees resembling phoenix feathers were dyed red and gold, making the entire valley look as if it were burning in a spectacular sight.
‘Phoenix Valley…’
Few people in the world even knew of a place called Phoenix Valley.
Even if one entered by chance, almost no one could proceed further inside. This was because the gateway to enter the Phoenix Valley could not be passed unless one could freely use land-flying techniques.
Steep cliffs, bottomless gorges, fog that obscured paths, and dense jungles teeming with poisonous insects blocked the way in layers.
Even after entering, one had to walk along winding cliffs where dragons seemed to writhe.
The problem was that a single misstep would lead to a thousand-zhang cliff from which there was no survival, and ancient arrays created living fog-like mists that hid paths and paralyzed one’s sense of direction. Therefore, even if one entered by chance, one would either fall to their death from a cliff or be forever lost inside.
“This is the Phoenix Valley.”
The moment he finally entered deeper into the Phoenix Valley, a strange resonance arose in his mind. It felt as if a mysterious Immortal Energy spread everywhere, preventing evil people from even approaching.
Bu Eunseol deeply inhaled that energy.
His mind was neither good nor evil. Therefore, the Immortal Energy could neither benefit him nor harm him.
Shaaaa.
Suddenly, women wearing all kinds of colorful clothes descended slowly from the sky like flower petals.
‘How mysterious.’
Usually, people from the same sect wore unified clothing and colors, but the women descending from the sky were dressed in rainbow-like varied colors and different styles.
Thud.
A dozen or so women who had descended from the sky now stood blocking his path. They all wore face veils, but their skin was white as snow and their eyebrows were very dark.
They glared at Bu Eunseol with eyes full of hostility.
“Excuse me.”
Bu Eunseol politely paid his respects and said, “Please tell the Immortal that Nangyang Pavilion disciple Bu Eunseol has come to see her.”
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