It was an incredibly shocking statement.
‘So that was what the origins of the Righteous and Demonic Paths meant.’
The Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals.
The fact that they possessed the power of the origins of the Righteous and Demonic Paths and spread emotions such as greed or emptiness among martial world people was already difficult to believe.
Yet if they all disappeared, all powers based on the Righteous and Demonic Paths would vanish as well?
“How is something like that possible?”
The Red Flame Immortal said, “For concepts of the Righteous Path such as justice, order, and harmony, and concepts of the Demonic Path such as chaos, destruction, and desire to possess power… a vessel capable of fully containing those concepts is necessary.”
She explained calmly.
“The Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals can be said to be precisely those conceptual vessels and incarnations.”
“How can a person become a vessel?”
“You probably found the words ‘concept’ and ‘vessel’ somewhat unfamiliar.”
The Red Flame Immortal smiled faintly.
“Originally, mysterious beings with special powers have existed in the martial world for generations. There are those with the Heavenly Secrets Divine Eyes… and also the Hundred and Eight Stars who possess mysterious ability powers.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol nod.
In the martial world, there were people born with eyes that could read the heavens, and others who could shatter the earth with a single finger using named powers.
From that perspective, it was not so strange that beings possessing the power of the origins of the Demonic and Righteous Paths were constantly born and existed.
“Then who created such laws?”
“We only drink the water contained in the cup. We can never feel the touch and will of the one who shaped the cup.”
There were clear phenomena in the world, yet their principles remained unknowable.
People did not often think deeply about the essence behind things.
Martial world people learned how to cultivate internal energy but did not know why the power called internal energy existed.
Masters of arrays created formations containing numerous functions but could only explain their operating principles within the concept of array studies.
Even the Red Flame Immortal only knew a portion of the truth about what kind of beings the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and Ten Great Immortals were.
She did not know who created the laws or why such beings were born.
“Then I am an empty vessel. And I am to contain them.”
“That is correct.”
The Red Flame Immortal said calmly.
“By this generation, not only will those who carry on the origins of the Righteous and Demonic Paths disappear, but the long struggle between the Baekri Family and the True Demon will also end.”
That was something he had heard repeatedly, so it was not shocking.
“Are you truly not the Demon Emperor’s disciple?”
However, at the words she spoke next, Bu Eunseol’s expression became as if he had been struck on the back of the head.
“From my perspective, you and the Demon Emperor feel like similar beings.”
“What do you mean?”
A mysterious light flickered in the Red Flame Immortal’s eyes.
“Unapproachable dignity, spirit that looks down upon the world, momentum that seems to split heaven and earth, and an attitude that transcends life and death.”
She stared piercingly at Bu Eunseol.
“It is truly mysterious that there is another person who possesses a temperament so similar to his.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol realize that the focus in the Red Flame Immortal’s eyes was somewhat strange.
‘Has she invoked her divine sight?’
She had clear vision when he first saw her, yet her focus had suddenly disappeared?
‘Then the Immortal has been blind all along, but with her divine eyes open, she has been seeing everything until now.’
Having organized his thoughts, Bu Eunseol spoke again.
“If our temperaments are the same, would it not be logical to ask if we are blood-related?”
“To inherit his unique demonic secret arts, one must match in temperament and spiritual platform rather than bloodline.”
In short, even if one were the Demon Emperor’s son, unless one was an existence like his alter ego, one could not inherit the essence of his martial arts.
“I did receive one of his unique secret arts, but I have not turned to the Demonic Path.”
Bu Eunseol looked straight into the Red Flame Immortal’s gaze and said firmly.
“And soon I will have a life-and-death duel with the Demonic Path leader. He intends to annihilate the martial world.”
Muttering lowly, the Red Flame Immortal shook her head.
“Perhaps his goal is not annihilation.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because the Seven Great Demon Ancestors carry the lineage of the Demonic, they share the same vein as the pure ancient demon, the True Demon.”
The Red Flame Immortal said something unexpected.
“Killing the Seven Great Demon Ancestors might instead unify the concept of the Demonic and make the True Demon even stronger.”
“Then does the existence of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors weaken the power of the True Demon?”
“It is not certain.”
The Red Flame Immortal shook her head.
“It is merely my speculation.”
Bu Eunseol felt an ominous thought.
If the Demonic was an extremely natural birth and something like the flow or law of great nature, and if the Demonic was originally a unified concept?
Then perhaps the Ten Great Immortals were also beings that dispersed the power of the Righteous.
Such an absurd thought came to mind.
“I had a similar thought.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“The Baekri Family created a pure Demon identical to the True Demon, a being that confronts the True Demon and shares the power of the Demonic.”
He pressed his forehead and continued.
“And in anger, the True Demon created the Ten Great Immortals to disperse the power of the Baekri Family.”
The Red Flame Immortal showed a dry smile and shook her head.
“Neither the True Demon nor the Baekri Family are gods. They too are merely beings existing within the law.”
After a brief silence, she spoke in a low voice.
“But such thoughts do not sound entirely absurd.”
Bu Eunseol also let out a sigh.
In the end, the Red Flame Immortal—No. The Ten Great Immortals too were merely beings who complied with the law and did not know its true essence.
“That is correct.”
The Red Flame Immortal spoke in a self-mocking voice as if she had read Bu Eunseol’s inner thoughts.
“They are merely given the grand and empty title of carrying on the lineage of orthodox origin martial arts.”
She spoke with a lonely expression.
“When we die, new beings to carry on the origin will be born again. Since they were created out of necessity, they will disappear out of necessity as well.”
So that was why.
According to Gongsun Dankyung, the goal of the Sacred Domain was to ‘dominate the law.’
As Bu Eunseol drew closer to the abyss of the martial world, he had come to naturally accept the word “law,” and everything could only be explained through the law.
“While traveling the martial world, I have heard many strange stories from countless people.”
Bu Eunseol spoke as if talking to himself.
“They say that everything in this generation will reach its end, and that it is fate.”
Originally, he did not believe in fate, but as he traveled the martial world and faced great currents that human power could not resist, he unknowingly began to mention the word “fate” more often.
“Fate may look like a massive iron chain that binds people, but in reality, it is like a silk string that can be lifted lightly with a fingertip.”
The Red Flame Immortal spoke in a kind voice.
“Do not call it annihilation and fall into despair. Another name for fate is ‘choice.’”
Bu Eunseol wore a dazed expression for a moment.
The Red Flame Immortal’s words contained deep wisdom, and they felt like comfort to him, who had grown tired of the word “fate.”
“I will keep it in mind. Thank you.”
“The Seven Great Demon Ancestors will now appear one after another in the martial world.”
At those words, Bu Eunseol’s expression darkened.
—You will witness it yourself soon.
The Demon Emperor had said with a meaningful expression at the time.
The Demon Ancestors and the Immortals existed in a complementary relationship like yin and yang.
If the Seven Great Demon Ancestors were eliminated, the Ten Great Immortals would have no choice but to commit suicide or inevitably die.
‘No. I will change it.’
He had no intention of killing the innocent Ten Great Immortals, nor did he intend to obediently follow something just because it was called a law.
He no longer relied on fate.
Following his old conviction and resolve, from now on, he would pioneer his own path.
“You are the primordial vessel capable of embracing everything, and to contain something, you must first be empty.”
The Red Flame Immortal spoke another shocking statement.
“That is probably why the Demon Emperor put you forward.”
“What do you mean?”
“Every time you deal with a member of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, you must bear the karma of the origin. You will lose something.”
For a moment, Bu Eunseol recalled the time when the Vajra Demon Ancestor drew his last breath.
His vision had blurred for a moment, and he felt as if he were wandering in a fog.
As if he had briefly fallen into a deep sleep and then awakened.
Could it be that he had lost something at that time?
So that was why the Majeon Lord had not dealt with them himself.
Now he understood.
If it were the Demon Emperor, even without being the ‘primordial vessel,’ he would have found a way to annihilate the Seven Great Demon Ancestors.
But if he annihilated them, he would have to empty himself and accept the karma of the origin, which was why he could not do it himself.
But at that moment—
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the Red Flame Immortal’s body. At the same time, the flesh around her cheeks began to fall off like hard shells.
“Immortal.”
Bu Eunseol clenched his fists and lowered his head with a pained expression.
Only now did he fully realize the truth.
“Why did you not tell me?”
Even though he only wanted to ask a simple question…
The reason the Phoenix Valley disciples had desperately blocked him was because the Red Flame Immortal too possessed a mysterious power like Manwol that could read the heavens or see the flow of the future. She had resolved herself and conveyed every answer she knew to him.
“It seems I have said everything I can for you now.”
Even as the flesh on her cheeks fell away, the Red Flame Immortal smiled gently.
“I hope it was helpful.”
She had conveyed everything about the ‘law’ that Bu Eunseol had not known until now, and it had been an immeasurably great help.
“How can I repay this grace?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, the Red Flame Immortal showed a calm smile as if she had been waiting.
“There is a way to repay it.”
“Give me any command.”
When Bu Eunseol bowed his head, the Red Flame Immortal spoke in a low voice.
“You should be able to take my life in a single strike.”
“What do you…”
“I have trained in some of the immortal laws passed down through generations, so I cannot end my own life.”
The Red Flame Immortal looked at the distant sky.
“I must die now. Only then can many people be saved.”
Bu Eunseol wore a blank expression for a moment.
“Did you not tell me not to follow fate?”
“This is not fate.”
The Red Flame Immortal spoke in a low voice.
“Soon another Demon Ancestor will appear. But if I die first, he will learn of that power.”
She showed a faint smile.
“Also, by dying first, I can delay the descent of the demons for a while. That way, the martial world can catch its breath from the clutches of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors. It will become a matter of saving the lives of countless people who would have to die at the hands of the Demon Ancestors.”
“I see.”
Having grasped the entire situation, Bu Eunseol spoke firmly.
“I refuse.”
“What…?”
The Red Flame Immortal asked in surprise.
“Are you saying you will turn your back on a world fallen into suffering and the ordinary people who will die in the future?”
“That is not it.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“If this is a world where one can gain salvation by killing someone, then that world deserves to be destroyed.”
“That is not something to think of so simply.”
“I did not think of it simply.”
Bu Eunseol wore a pained expression.
“Until now, I have fought to prevent innocent ordinary people from suffering. However—”
He continued.
“I have always opposed killing someone in order to protect someone else.”
“It is for the greater number.”
“That is what is wrong.”
Bu Eunseol said, “If one kills an innocent child to save thousands of civilians, is that the right thing?”
“Martial Soul Command Lord.”
“Do you not have precious people, Immortal?”
At Bu Eunseol’s persuasion…
“Of course I do.”
She spoke earnestly.
“All the disciples of this valley are orphans. I personally took them in and raised and taught them.”
The Red Flame Immortal said, “But if it is to save many people, I must naturally set aside my personal feelings.”
“That is a mistake.”
Bu Eunseol said calmly.
“No matter which Demon Ancestor appears, I will do my best to stop them. And I will have no regrets.”
He showed a resolute expression.
“And if sacrificing the Immortal to save thousands or tens of thousands of lives is the will of heaven, then I will bring down heaven itself.”
Since coming out to the martial world, he had never once failed to do his best.
It was not because he had some grand ambition to protect the martial world.
It was simply for the precious people around him.
Yet to save many people by sacrificing someone else’s precious people…
That was something he could not do.
“Then I will take my leave.”
“Martial Soul Command Lord.”
“I will definitely repay today’s kindness.”
After politely paying his respects, Bu Eunseol left the Phoenix Valley.
As he walked toward the entrance of the Phoenix Valley, numerous disciples had come out and were watching him.
From the Red Flame Immortal’s perspective, the disciples were precious people she cherished more than her own eyes. She had taken in children born as orphans who had lived difficult lives and raised them like her own.
She must have wanted to watch each of them grow up.
I only want to save the people around me.
Bu Eunseol too did not care about his own life. He only wanted to save his precious people.
But if killing them could save the world?
What meaning would that have?
It was better to not give up and fight against them to the end.
If he failed? He could simply die without regrets.
Step. Step.
As Bu Eunseol walked calmly, the disciples looked at him with strange eyes.
According to the prophecy, he was supposed to be the one who would definitely kill the Red Flame Immortal. Yet he was walking out with calm eyes, and when their gazes met, he showed a gentle smile.
“Are you going to defy fate?”
The Little Phoenix stepped forward and asked, “Why are you not killing the Immortal?”
“You all risked your lives to stop me, and now you are telling me to kill her?”
“The Immortal is suffering.”
A strange wave was spreading throughout the entire Phoenix Valley.
The Red Flame Immortal’s Red Flame Art had reached its peak, and her mind was deeply influencing all the disciples.
“Discard such weak hearts.”
Bu Eunseol said sharply.
“There is no such thing as a noble death. Struggle at least to not die.”
“The Immortal did that.”
Bu Eunseol pointed around.
Not only outside the Phoenix Valley, but unique defensive formations had been set up throughout the interior. They were defensive arrays the Red Flame Immortal had prepared in advance to save even one more disciple in case of emergency.
“Even if you do not achieve the desired result, if you did your best, there will be no regrets.”
Bu Eunseol said calmly.
“If the Immortal taught you to follow fate, then the time has come for you disciples to awaken her.”
Leaving those words, Bu Eunseol exited the Phoenix Valley.
The Little Phoenix blankly watched his retreating figure.
On the path he walked, a cruel and bloody road appeared like an illusion.
It seemed to show his lonely, solitary, and endlessly desolate life path.
Yet he was advancing steadfastly.
Not for anyone’s recognition. It was simply a path he had to walk.
That was his destiny.
“Will there be no regrets if I do my best?”
The Little Phoenix muttered lowly.
She and everyone in the Phoenix Valley had believed without doubt in the absoluteness of fate.
It was a yoke that had never once changed, a shackle that human power could never escape.
But now, there was a martial artist before them who denied that fate and followed his own conviction.
What he wanted was only one thing.
The heart without regrets that he had done his best until the very last moment.
“Effort.”
Suddenly, a mysterious treasure of the Phoenix Valley came to the Little Phoenix’s mind.
‘Perhaps with that…’
Even if it could not change fate, at least it might leave no regrets.
***
Bu Eunseol, having left the Phoenix Valley, was returning to the headquarters of Majeon by unfolding his movement technique.
‘It was good that I came.’
If the Vajra Demon Ancestor had not spoken about the Red Flame Immortal?
He would not have known the secrets of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors and the Ten Great Immortals at all and would have been chasing them meaninglessly.
‘The cracks have begun.’
The Demon Emperor had been reigning like a god who presided over everything under heaven.
Perhaps he had foreseen that Bu Eunseol would uncover even the secrets of the Ten Great Immortals through the Vajra Demon Ancestor.
He knew well Bu Eunseol’s outstanding insight and his personality that would definitely track down and reveal the source if he sensed anything suspicious.
‘He probably even predicted that I would meet the Red Flame Immortal.’
The fact that the Demon Emperor had visited the Red Flame Immortal was likely a precautionary move to prevent any variables.
However, the Demon Emperor’s calculations had gone awry.
The Red Flame Immortal had revealed all the truths she knew.
If he had wanted to prevent this meeting at all costs?
He would have stopped Bu Eunseol from setting foot in the Phoenix Valley even if it meant beating the Red Flame Immortal to death.
The Demon Emperor, who had prepared everything perfectly…
Cracks were now appearing in his plan.
‘Let’s rest for a while.’
Feeling fatigue for the first time in a while, he entered a city and rented a separate courtyard at an inn. It was not because he wanted to indulge in luxury, but to prepare for the battles or techniques that would unfold.
Bu Eunseol poured himself a cup of alcohol and drank it after a long time.
There were many breweries in this area that made good alcohol because clear water flowed nearby.
Since coming out to the martial world, he had always wandered alone, not mixing with people, and handled countless matters by himself.
Bu Eunseol was also human, so he felt loneliness and silence.
If he had been an ordinary martial world person, he would not have been able to endure that solitude and pain.
But he had things he had to do.
Because he ran toward his goal without distraction and without pause, he did not even have time to feel those emotions.
—They say the Martial Soul Command Lord monopolized the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship!
Thanks to his outstanding hearing, even while in the separate courtyard, the voices of martial world people in the inn could be heard intermittently.
—He’s a real bastard, isn’t he?
—Cowardly monopolizing the treasures by himself.
—We have to take him down before that greedy bastard devours everything!
At Bu Eunseol’s command, the Death Shadow Corps had quickly announced the destruction of the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship.
As expected, the martial world people were bitterly resenting him.
‘They will hate and resent me even more in the future.’
As the grand plan progressed, the martial world would come to resent him.
“It does not matter.”
Gurgle.
He poured alcohol into the cup and held it in his mouth for a long time.
The stronger the alcohol, the harder it was to savor in the mouth. But he enjoyed the burning sensation as if his mouth and insides were on fire.
Because he did not have many opportunities to enjoy alcohol, even when drinking one cup, he tried to savor the taste as long as possible.
Vrrr.
But the table shook lightly.
It was because a very faint vibration spread from the ground.
It was a minute shockwave that ordinary people would not feel at all.
However, Bu Eunseol’s expression hardened rigidly.
It was like a kind of intuition that transcended the limits of human senses.
‘Don’t tell me.’
That intuition changed into an ominous premonition once more.
‘Red Flame Immortal!’
Sensing something, Bu Eunseol raised his energy.
Boom!
Then he unfolded his movement technique with all his strength and soared into the distant sky.
The direction he was running toward was the Phoenix Valley.
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