Step. Step.
At that moment, a woman in white robes with large eyes stared intently at Bu Eunseol through her face veil, her eyes sparkling.
“Our valley does not interfere in the affairs of the mundane world,” she said calmly. “Turn around and leave immediately.”
It was a somewhat awkward command. Moreover, the woman’s eyes were constantly shifting with different colors.
Bu Eunseol stared at her for a moment before speaking again.
“Please at least deliver a message to the Immortal.”
Flinch.
At the calm reply, the woman showed a greatly surprised expression, as if she had discovered an incomprehensible unknown creature.
‘Why is she so startled?’
While Bu Eunseol was thinking this strange,
“Go back.”
The woman in white focused strength in her eyes once more, causing the colors in her pupils to change even faster.
“Our valley does not interfere in the affairs of the mundane world.”
The sparkling eyes behind the veil were extremely sharp, but Bu Eunseol once again politely paid his respects.
“I beg you.”
“Go back.”
Her eyes were full of hostility. It seemed that if he took even one more step closer, she would attack immediately.
‘This is not good.’
From his experiences in the martial world so far, people who had cut ties with the mundane world were all difficult and eccentric in temperament. Moreover, this Phoenix Valley was a forbidden area for men, a place where one could not expect any hospitality from the start.
If it had not been an extremely critical matter, Bu Eunseol would not have insisted and would have quietly turned away.
“I did not come here for personal business.” Bu Eunseol spoke earnestly once more. “It is an important issue concerning the safety of countless people.”
“I have made myself clear.”
The woman in white said firmly.
“Our valley absolutely does not allow outsiders in.”
“I understand.”
Bu Eunseol let out a heavy breath.
“My apologies.”
‘If they will not let me in, I have no choice but to infiltrate secretly.’
Given the situation, whether it was a female sect or a Buddhist faction detached from the mundane world, he was in no position to be picky about methods.
“You plan to sneak in?”
At that moment, something astonishing happened.
Among the group of women, a young girl in red robes pointed at Bu Eunseol’s face and shouted.
“He said that since we won’t let him in, he will sneak in!”
For a moment, Bu Eunseol was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out. Even those who could clearly read the heavens could not instantly see into another person’s mind.
Yet this young woman had immediately read his thoughts as if peering into his head?
“Why are you trying to invade our valley?”
At the woman in white’s rebuke, Bu Eunseol was greatly surprised, but, “I don’t know what strange things you are saying.”
He decided to play dumb for now.
“Why would I do such a thing?”
“How dare you try to trespass into our valley without permission!”
But the women did not believe him and burst into anger.
“That is absolutely unforgivable!”
“Look. I have not even entered the Phoenix Valley yet.”
Bu Eunseol frowned.
“Why are you framing me for something I have not done?”
However, the women were resolute.
“You can only say that because you do not know the ability of the Little Phoenix.”
“Little Phoenix?”
At those words, Bu Eunseol stared intently at the girl in red. With her large, long eyes and colorful ornaments placed all over, she really did look like a small phoenix, just as her name suggested.
‘She really does look like a little phoenix.’
“You are an unforgivable scoundrel.”
At that moment, the girl in red, the Little Phoenix, spoke coldly.
“He is even making fun of my name.”
For a moment, Bu Eunseol realized what she meant and showed an embarrassed expression.
“You can read other people’s minds?”
At that moment, the woman in white shouted at Bu Eunseol.
“Invading our valley is absolutely unforgivable. I do not know how you got here, but please leave immediately!”
She added firmly, “Otherwise, we will have no choice but to use force.”
“I must meet the Immortal.”
“Why?”
“Since you can apparently read everything in my mind anyway, there is no point in hiding it.”
Bu Eunseol looked at the Little Phoenix and said, “The Vajra Demon Ancestor sent me.”
“Vajra Demon Ancestor?”
The women’s eyes widened.
To so boldly utter the name of a great demonic figure who wielded the power of a different kind of flow in the valley where one of the Ten Great Immortals resided?
“He has come to insult our valley.”
At the woman in white’s cry, Bu Eunseol showed a dumbfounded expression.
“Since you can read other people’s thoughts, you should naturally know the inside story, shouldn’t you?”
Rustle.
When the woman in white raised her hand, the surrounding women quickly surrounded Bu Eunseol.
Looking at the Little Phoenix who was staring at him intently, Bu Eunseol finally understood the situation.
‘She can only read the words I repeat in my mind.’
In short, the Little Phoenix could not clearly see into the mind itself, but could only instantly hear the words he mentally repeated.
“Evil one, kneel!”
A strange wave spread from the bodies of the women.
It was a mysterious power that ordinary martial world people could never produce, one that manipulated internal energy within the body, but from Bu Eunseol’s perspective, it was no more threatening than the ability-type powers he had constantly faced until now.
“If it had been in the past, I would have struggled quite a bit.”
Raising the Endless Heavenly Light Art, Bu Eunseol muttered calmly.
“But to me now, these things are not very threatening.”
When he stretched out his palm,
Ziiiing.
All the white-robed beauties in the surroundings were pushed back twenty steps at once.
“As expected, you have the skill to come to our valley alone.”
“I do not wish to use force.”
With a long sigh, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“I only need to ask the Immortal a few questions. Please just deliver my message.”
“No chance!”
When the woman in white tried to use her power again,
‘It seems words won’t work.’
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol raised the Endless Heavenly Light Art to full power.
Boom!
Along with a sound that shook heaven and earth,
The shockwave spreading from behind him soared all the way to the end of the sky, as if painting the floating clouds.
At that terrifying yet majestic sight, the dozen or so women froze stiffly.
—It is not a simple release of momentum.
The internal energy that had reached the extreme became a physical pressure that crushed the atmosphere, and the steel-like trained mental power became an intangible blade that cut through the opponent’s will. Added to this were his overwhelmingly high martial prowess, battlefield experience crossing life and death, and a powerful will that overwhelmed enemies—all contained within the Endless Heavenly Light Art.
The women lost their fighting spirit, and their thoughts completely stopped.
Step. Step.
Bu Eunseol walked alone and looked at the trembling Little Phoenix standing there dazedly.
“What do you see now?”
The Little Phoenix could not dare look into Bu Eunseol’s eyes and lowered her head.
“Can you still read what is inside my head?”
Bu Eunseol’s mental barrier was something even the Demon Emperor could not penetrate. No matter how simple the repetition, when the small girl read his inner thoughts, it sparked his competitive spirit, causing him to create a powerful mental barrier once more.
Gulp.
The Little Phoenix raised her head and looked at Bu Eunseol.
But no sound came from within his mind, and his body seemed to emit a light as hot as the sun, burning everything.
“Demon Emperor.”
At that moment, the Little Phoenix uttered a shocking word.
“This person is the Demon Emperor.”
Having left those words, she instantly lost consciousness.
Bu Eunseol could not hide his bewilderment.
He had only confirmed whether she could read his inner thoughts or not, yet she had fainted after leaving behind the absurd statement that he was the Demon Emperor?
He had received all kinds of false accusations and insults during his journey in the martial world, but this was the first time he had been misunderstood as the Demon Emperor.
“As expected, he really is someone who came to kill the Immortal!”
‘As expected?’
In the end, the dozen or so women suppressed their spreading fear and drew their swords.
Judging from the woman behind them hurriedly running off, she probably intended to sound some kind of alarm.
‘There is no choice.’
If it were a normal situation, he would have quietly turned away, but this time he could not. He absolutely had to meet the Red Flame Immortal and hear the truth about the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals.
‘But I must not harm them.’
If he injured her disciples, the Red Flame Immortal would never tell him anything.
Having finished his thoughts, Bu Eunseol slowly walked forward.
The women let out cries of shock and drew their swords, launching unique attacks.
‘So this is the origin of orthodox martial arts.’
When they unfolded their sword arts, the Ban-Geuk Method energy cultivated through Demonic Path mental techniques clumped together and shrank, and a strange sensation spread like waves, making it impossible to unfold Demonic Path martial arts.
‘It is similar in nature to the Amitabha Sect’s Golden Spirit Art.’
The Amitabha Sect’s Golden Spirit Art contained a demon-breaking energy and had properties polar opposite to Demonic Path martial arts. That was why, during the time when the Amitabha Sect was prominent, it was said that the experts most feared and disciplined by Demonic Path masters were those from the Amitabha Sect.
Moreover, the experts of the Phoenix Valley were using the martial arts that served as their origin. No matter how great a master Bu Eunseol was, it would be difficult for him to unfold Demonic Path martial arts.
‘It does not matter.’
Bu Eunseol had learned the polar martial arts of both the Righteous and Demonic Paths. Since he could not use Demonic Path martial arts, he unhesitatingly unfolded the Martial Emperor’s secret art, the Thirteen Guiding Lights.
Swish! Swish!
Intense energy surged.
Clang!
All of the women’s weapons were sent flying more than ten zhang away.
“Do not block my path any further.”
“No chance!”
When the women took stances to block Bu Eunseol with their bare hands,
Hwaaa.
The distant sky began to be dyed with red light.
Whoooosh.
The red sky gradually turned into swirling red clouds.
Suddenly, the clouds fell toward a cliff overlooking the entire Phoenix Valley.
As they descended, the red clouds suddenly took on a soft form like butterflies. Right before touching the ground, the clouds disappeared, and in their place landed a mysterious and beautiful bird.
The disciples adjusted their clothes and paid respects toward the bird.
“Immortal.”
“Stop the fight.”
Surprisingly, the bird spoke with the beautiful and mysterious voice of a middle-aged woman.
“He is not the Demon Emperor.”
‘She is controlling the bird.’
Bu Eunseol realized at a glance that the Red Flame Immortal, like the Dark God Heavenly Lord who had used crows in the past, was transmitting her power and voice through that mysterious bird.
“And you, follow me.”
After leaving those words while looking at Bu Eunseol, the bird turned into red clouds once more and shot off into the distant sky.
Hwa.
It had vanished in the blink of an eye right before his eyes.
‘I am confident in my movement technique.’
Feeling competitive spirit, Bu Eunseol unfolded his movement technique.
Boom!
With a roar that split the heavens, his figure instantly began chasing the red clouds that had disappeared into the distant sky.
“How mysterious.”
The speed of the red clouds was fast, but it was performing sharp direction changes that could never be achieved with human movement techniques.
‘It is not testing the level of my movement technique, but my senses.’
The red clouds flying ahead were a kind of profound illusionary secret art.
If one fixed their vision on the running red clouds and unfolded their movement technique at full power? Before long, only a single red point would be visible, and one would end up staring only at that.
As that point constantly made sharp turns, following it with one’s eyes would cause one to instantly lose their mind as if caught in a mental technique.
‘It is a clever technique.’
If he had not been exposed to the Human Demon’s Illusion Upon Illusion multiple times and transcended the limits of mental techniques, or if he had not built another mental barrier in reaction to the Little Phoenix’s astonishing power just before… He would have surely followed the clouds and suffered greatly under the Red Flame Immortal’s mind-stealing technique.
Whoosh!
The bird that had become red clouds could not shake off Bu Eunseol’s pursuit and was eventually caught. Realizing that she could not penetrate Bu Eunseol’s mind in any way, the Red Flame Immortal made a large turn once more and headed back toward the Phoenix Valley.
Finally, the clouds arrived at a steep cliff within the Phoenix Valley and slowly descended to the ground.
At that moment, the air subtly rippled and transformed into a human shape.
Hwaak.
The clouds disappeared, and in their place, a mysterious and beautiful woman gently landed.
Her attire was very splendid, but because of her natural and benevolent aura, it instead felt elegant. Every time her red-energy-infused robes and hair fluttered in the wind, a mysterious fragrance spread.
The owner of the Phoenix Valley and one of the ten origins of orthodox martial arts—a mysterious existence.
It was the Red Flame Immortal.
Her near-perfect features radiated a gentle yet unapproachable dignity, and her transparent skin emitted a soft glow.
“Your movement technique is impressive, but…”
She possessed the appearance of an elegant beauty, yet her beauty was on a different level from the freshness of a young woman. There were no traces of age, but what emanated from within was not simple youthful energy. Rather, it was depth, loftiness, and a profound charm that transcended time.
“Your mental barrier is even more impressive.”
The Red Flame Immortal nodded with an admiring expression.
“There is probably no one in the world who can seize your true name.”
“So this is also the origin of mind-stealing techniques.”
Bu Eunseol had thought it was the origin of orthodox martial arts since the Phoenix Valley women used something similar in nature to the Golden Spirit Art. But her eyes not only contained wisdom and serenity that seemed to see through all things, they also possessed a suction power that seemed to draw everything in.
Bu Eunseol realized that the source of that suction power was the origin of the mind-stealing techniques.
“So the root of the mind-stealing techniques was the righteous and profound path.”
Guessing that the Red Flame Immortal was not only noble but also very advanced in age, Bu Eunseol changed his tone to one of respect.
“I had thought until now that it was of Demonic Path origin.”
“If one must distinguish, it actually began with the gisaeng of the entertainment houses, not the orthodox path.”
Gisaeng, in other words, were professionals skilled in listening attentively to guests, empathizing with them, and providing emotional stability to those who were lonely.
“When a guest, under the influence of alcohol, revealed their inner thoughts, it was the gisaeng’s role to carefully discern them, encourage enjoyment, or offer comfort.”
The Red Flame Art, the root of mind-stealing techniques, began from gisaeng identifying the past wounds, hidden desires, anxieties, and obsessions toward certain targets they heard from guests, and then stimulating or comforting them to control the other party’s emotions.
“Can you guess how gisaeng were able to manipulate people’s hearts with the Red Flame Art?”
At the Red Flame Immortal’s question, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Because a skilled gisaeng can form a relationship of trust with a guest in a short time.”
At that single phrase that seemed to contain all the correct answers, she nodded as if impressed.
“That is correct. In that state, each soft word, glance, and small action from the gisaeng can act as powerful suggestions on the guest. Such techniques later developed into mind-stealing arts.”
The gisaeng’s Red Flame Art gradually combined with martial arts and evolved into mind-stealing techniques that could not only approach the deepest parts of another’s inner self but also subtly manipulate the flow of emotions.
“However, I do not understand why the girl called the Little Phoenix said I was the Demon Emperor.”
“Because we teach that the only person in the world upon whom our valley’s Red Flame Art does not work, and whose mind cannot be clearly seen into, is the Demon Emperor.”
It was a surprising statement.
That meant the Red Flame Immortal had not only seen the Demon Emperor directly but had also confronted him.
“We did not compete in martial arts. He visited our valley once in the past.”
“The Demonic Path leader.”
“He exchanged a few words with me and left.”
Bu Eunseol wanted to hear the detailed story, but the Red Flame Immortal’s expression was extremely poor.
He had no choice but to change the subject.
“So that is why the eyes of the women guarding the entrance were constantly changing colors.”
When he first arrived, the woman in white’s eyes had changed colors so drastically, and she had been greatly startled upon seeing him.
It was because she had used the Red Flame Art, but it had not worked at all.
“In truth, the foundation of the Red Flame Art is conversation. The eyes are merely a device to help focus the conversation.”
The Red Flame Immortal showed a benevolent smile.
“The terror of the Demonic Path leader lies not in his boundless power, but in the fact that he has elevated the Red Flame Art—which seizes people’s minds—to the realm of divine entry.”
The Demon Emperor had shaken the minds of enemies or made them reveal fatal flaws with just a single word.
To think that it was psychological tactics originating from the orthodox path’s Red Flame lineage, a study of the righteous path…
“It is said that if one listens to the stories of three thousand guests and communicates with three thousand guests, one will master the Red Flame Art.”
The Red Flame Immortal explained calmly.
“The Majeon Lord must have observed countless people and held that many conversations as well.”
Then she said something unexpected.
“Because he does not carry anything that displays the authority of the greatest person in the Demonic Path.”
As she said, the Demon Emperor enjoyed conversation. He also always insisted on ordinary clothing and never wore symbols or weapons of authority.
Who would have thought that was to make enemies forget his identity as the greatest in the Demonic Path and enable smooth conversation.
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol had met him since the time of the Ten Demon Warriors and had continued somewhat abrupt conversations.
At the time, he had simply thought he used mysterious speech techniques, but the Demon Emperor had been constantly observing and understanding him while conversing.
“Yet you have mastered the Red Flame Art at such a young age. It is unbelievable.”
“Me?”
“The foundation of the Red Flame Art is insight. And that insight is gained through clashing with and conversing with countless people.”
From childhood until now, Bu Eunseol had not met many people nor held particularly long conversations. Yet the reason his insight and wisdom were so deep and outstanding was…
‘Grandfather.’
Bu Zhanyang had not only taught him how to appreciate the beauty of nature but had also always told him many stories. Among them were the events he had experienced throughout his life and the wisdom he had gained. There were also stories he had heard from others and knowledge and wisdom he had received.
Moreover, even though he lived frugally, whenever there was a good book, he would always buy it and give it to Bu Eunseol.
Those processes had given him wisdom and insight equivalent to having traveled the entire world and met countless people.
“Those are Grandfather’s words.”
When a deep longing for his grandfather rose up, Bu Eunseol changed the subject.
“The Vajra Demon Ancestor said that if I find the Immortal, I would be able to learn the secrets of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals.”
“I see.”
“Can the Immortal also read the heavens or see the future?”
Bu Eunseol had already met prophets with supernatural abilities called Manwol and others, and the Red Flame Immortal gave off a similar atmosphere to them.
“This one does not possess such power.”
The Red Flame Immortal slowly shook her head.
“However, I can read other people’s energy. That is how I was able to instantly recognize your identity.”
Her red lips parted.
“That you are the ‘great vessel’—the only existence who can annihilate the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals.”
Deep furrows formed on Bu Eunseol’s forehead.
From the moment the Demon Emperor had not dealt with the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and Ten Great Immortals himself but had put him forward, he had vaguely guessed there must be some reason.
But a great vessel?
It was a term he had never even imagined.
“I do not understand what you mean.”
“You are the only one who can embrace all the powers of the world in one body and mix them.”
The Red Flame Immortal declared.
“That is why you can sever the origins of the two great flows—the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path.”
Upon realizing the meaning of those words, Bu Eunseol suddenly felt a strange intuition.
“Does that mean that only if I kill them will existences like the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals completely disappear from the world?”
“That is correct.”
There was not the slightest tremor in the Red Flame Immortal’s voice.
“If that happens, all the origins of the Righteous and Demonic will be extinguished. Consequently, all the laws of this world derived from them will also collapse.”
With an indifferent expression, she calmly continued words that shook the very foundation of the world.
“Arrays, internal energy, ability powers, sorcery, all powers rooted in the forces of the Righteous and Demonic will disappear entirely.”
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