On the third day, Bu Eunseol finally emerged from the space of the Absolute Domain.
It was a success.
The Absolute Domain perfectly mimicked Bu Eunseol’s waves and was transforming itself in response to any attack.
Moreover, for anyone who opposed Bu Eunseol’s will?
No matter how great their martial arts or power, they could not even enter inside.
“My Lord.”
As soon as he stepped outside, Yoo Hwaryeong was waiting with a serious expression.
“The Deputy Corps Leader has sent an emergency signal.”
The Martial Soul Society members were all engaged in life-risking activities to gather information. That was why Bu Eunseol had distributed emergency signal tubes to all members.
The signal from these tubes was transmitted to every branch across the Central Plains and to the sects following Bu Eunseol, allowing them to provide immediate assistance.
“Soyo…”
Bu Eunseol’s complexion changed.
Soyo’s movement technique was on par with his own. If she was in such urgency, it was clear that either an extremely powerful expert or a formidable force had appeared.
“It is at Gukjuk Ridge in Jeokha Mountain.”
“Understood.”
Boom!
A brilliant light erupted from Bu Eunseol’s body, and in an instant, his figure shot across the distant sky.
Rumble!
As he spread the Endless Heavenly Light Art, a massive shockwave formed in front of Bu Eunseol. If he ran at full speed close to the ground, he would sweep across the surface and send trees and houses flying. Therefore, he chose to use the Land-Flight Technique and soared high into the sky.
Whoosh!
Until now, although Bu Eunseol had exerted full power in invasions, he had never pushed the Land-Flight Technique to its maximum like this.
Whiiiing.
As he raised his inner energy and the Endless Heavenly Light Art to their limits, his entire body emitted light like a shining star.
It was as if a bright meteor was streaking across the daytime sky.
He continued increasing his speed.
Crackle!
Before long, a sharp shockwave formed in front of Bu Eunseol, generating extreme heat. At this rate, his clothes would melt away in an instant.
Whoong!
At that moment, a transparent energy began to envelop his entire body. He created a streamlined barrier that fundamentally eliminated the causes of air friction and heat generation.
‘I’ll have to wear clothes made from Heavenly Silk from now on.’
Even though he had formed strong energy, the sleeves and hems of his limbs were nearly torn apart.
Before he knew it, his field of vision had extremely narrowed to a single point ahead, while the periphery appeared as long streaks of light or blurry masses of color. Due to the tremendous speed, even the scenery ahead was distorted and warped, as if viewed through a haze.
‘I must adapt to this.’
Bu Eunseol clenched his teeth as he spread his super senses to the maximum. He had no idea when such an urgent situation would arise again, requiring him to use the Land-Flight Technique at full power.
Roooar!
With his superhuman senses and vision heightened, he accurately pinpointed the direction of Jeokha Mountain and advanced.
***
Gukjuk Ridge’s mountain pass was spread out like a sea of green bamboo. Tall, straight stalks densely packed the area, forming an endless blue curtain. Whenever the wind blew, the sound of rustling bamboo leaves echoed coolly.
Deep within Gukjuk Ridge, where even sunlight lost its way in the shadows, a massive rock wall stood like a folding screen. Covered in blue moss and thick vines that testified to the passage of many years, a large cave gaped open with a pitch-black mouth.
From within the cave’s darkness, reminiscent of an abyss, emanated a cold energy different from the coolness of the bamboo forest.
At the cave entrance stood a massive gate engraved with ancient patterns. The glossy gate appeared incredibly sturdy at first glance, seemingly impossible to break with human strength.
A mysterious power also flowed from the cave. The energy pulsed like a heartbeat, spreading across the entire land of Gukjuk Ridge and casting a faint glow upon the ground. It resembled the flow of an invisible great river, infusing the entire ridge with a strange vitality.
Thanks to this, the soil had become rich dark red earth, and the rock surfaces gleamed with a subtle luster. Each stalk of bamboo in the forest shone with a clear, jade-like green light.
Near the cave, the guards of the Baekri Family and the warriors led by Jeong Yeong stood tall, holding swords that emitted a cold light like moonlight. Their faces were pale, and bloodstains marked their clothes. Though they looked somewhat disheveled, they all stared straight ahead with resolute expressions.
Hundreds of troops capable of filling the area surrounded them. They all had their eyes closed like blind men and held treasured swords against their chests. Though their heights and builds differed, they wore old face cloths and held nearly identical postures, making them look like duplicates created through cloning techniques.
Inbiin.
The leader of the Eight Human Heavens, who had endlessly researched the bodies of martial artists to prepare for the descent of the True Demon. Using ancient secret arts, he bestowed upon his subordinates a unique power called the Mind World, like granting them personal domains.
The unit he led had now revealed itself at Jeokha Mountain.
Step. Step.
At that moment, a dark shadow appeared among the Inbiin troops. For an instant, it felt as though all the surrounding light was being sucked toward her.
Her jet-black clothing, as if carved from the night sky itself, was embroidered with silver threads depicting intersecting moon shapes. Because of this embroidery, every step she took created an illusion of silver moons being swallowed into the darkness.
She possessed snow-white skin, a straight nose, and lips as red as cherries—extremely beautiful features. However, her eyes were dyed a vivid blood-red, as if containing a drop of congealed blood, giving her the impression of a monster rather than a human.
It was Nariya.
The woman who had previously met Chu So had now appeared here, leading the Inbiin.
“Fourth Sister.”
The woman in black, Nariya, rounded her red lips and smiled while looking at Jeong Yeong.
“It’s been a while.”
Staring at Nariya with an icy gaze, Jeong Yeong coldly shouted.
“I have no memory of taking a wicked witch like you as my junior sister.”
“Don’t be so harsh. When you think about it, our connection isn’t ordinary.”
“Yes, precisely because it isn’t ordinary.”
Flames of fury blazed in Jeong Yeong’s eyes.
“You joined hands with the Inbiin and launched a vicious attack, harming the disciples of our main family.”
“There was no other choice.”
Nariya shrugged her shoulders.
“I only came to meet that child, Manwol. They wouldn’t let me through, would they?”
“Manwol is unwell and in closed-door training. No one can meet her.”
“I know.”
Nariya smiled sweetly.
“Because she lost all the power of the Star God, she’s been struggling in a difficult fight here.”
“How did you—”
Jeong Yeong, who had been making a sick expression, suddenly widened her eyes.
“Don’t tell me, it was you?”
“That’s right.”
Nariya showed a wicked smile.
“I have finally taken back the power that Manwol stole from me.”
“Shut up.”
Nariya maintained an innocent expression.
“Is it so wrong for me to take back my own power?”
“You were never worthy of receiving the power of the Star God in the first place.”
Jeong Yeong spoke coldly.
“However, even after gaining that power, Manwol endured the pain of death to maintain her dharma power and used that strength only for righteous purposes.”
“You’re missing the important part.”
Nariya shook her head, forming a cup shape with her hands.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know that she betrayed the Baekri family’s fierce loyalty and is now constantly being chased by those filthy men?”
“She is still better than you, who offered the Star God to those dirty ones in order to gain power.”
“Haa.”
Suddenly, Nariya’s eyes narrowed into triangular shapes, and a blood-red killing intent spread out.
“It seems Fourth Sister has forgotten that the mouth is the source of all misfortune."
“Call them out immediately. If not, I will take you down.”
“If Fourth Sister displays the Manifestation Divine Technique, I suppose I’ll have to run until my shoes catch fire.”
Nariya spoke coldly.
“But since you’ve been using it to help Manwol, you can no longer use the Manifestation Divine Technique. What are you going to do about it?”
Jeong Yeong’s eyes widened.
No one in the world knew about that matter—only Manwol and herself. The fact that Nariya knew…
“So you’ve managed to find the Harmony of Sun and Moon.”
Harmony of Sun and Moon.
Along with the Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor, it was considered one of the greatest treasures in the mortal world. It was also one of the treasures that the reincarnating True Demon had endlessly sought to perfectly acquire the knowledge of his previous lives.
However, having reached a realm where he no longer needed the memories of reincarnation, he stopped searching for it at some point, and its whereabouts became eternally unknown.
Nevertheless, because it was a mystical treasure capable of bringing about future results—enough to be called ‘Precedence of Causality’—it was an invaluable item for humans living finite lives.
“You came here to pay the price for stealing Manwol’s power.”
“That’s right.”
Nariya smiled with her eyes curved like crescent moons.
“If you know that, then you also know you can’t stop me, right?”
Jeong Yeong gritted her teeth.
Using the Harmony of Sun and Moon allowed one to immediately obtain power that should be gained in the future, but a price had to be paid, which activated the future vision.
Nariya had used the Harmony of Sun and Moon to regain all her dharma power and located Manwol’s hiding place in one go with the power of future vision. Now, she intended to kill her and pay the price.
“Originally, weren’t you a person of the Baekri main family? I hope you won’t throw away your life in vain for the sake of the leftover scum of the branch family who carry the dirty blood of the Holy Maiden.”
Jeong Yeong spoke solemnly.
“You will absolutely not pass through here.”
“How unfortunate.”
Nariya clicked her tongue.
“If you had just thrown away things like loyalty and duty for a moment, you could’ve lived.”
Nod.
As she nodded, the surrounding Inbiin began walking forward again.
Not only did they possess great martial prowess, but every one of them could use the Mind World. The disciples of the Secret Guard had been injured in a single attack. If they launched a full assault, they would inevitably be annihilated.
“Could it be that Manwol cannot escape because she could not foresee this?”
Nariya laughed coldly.
“Or is it that without the Manifestation Divine Technique, she cannot do anything?”
“Ten Thousand Soul Scarlet Body, Blood Ignition Grand Transformation”
At Jeong Yeong’s shout, the Secret Guard warriors began forming a circular formation centered around her.
Thick smoke.
Red mist rose from their bodies.
Saaaaah.
Soon their figures disappeared, and Jeong Yeong in the center transformed into a giant emitting massive flames.
This was the secret art of the Baekri Family, which transcended the limits of ordinary joint techniques used in the martial world by completely fusing body and soul to create the Fire Soul Giant Body.
Whoosh!
As the six-zhang-tall Fire Soul Giant was completed, the surrounding bamboo began melting away instantly.
The Inbiin charged forward swiftly without any sign of fear, clutching their swords.
Originally, the Inbiin’s specialty was the Mind World—Phases. Yet now they charged boldly as if they did not even need to use it.
Boom!
With a single strike from the Fire Soul Giant, over a dozen Inbiin turned into flames and were reduced to ashes in an instant.
But without fear, they continued throwing themselves at the Fire Soul Giant, not with sword strikes but with their very bodies.
Flutter!
Were they committing suicide?
The Inbiin burned endlessly like moths to a flame.
Yet before long, something strange happened.
The flames of the Fire Soul Giant gradually began to extinguish, and its massive body slowly shrank.
Flash!
As it grew endlessly smaller, the Fire Soul Giant’s form eventually reverted to that of Jeong Yeong and her disciples.
“How…?”
Jeong Yeong shouted, unable to hide her bewilderment.
“You’re using Human Body Offering without hesitation?”
Nariya, who knew well that the Baekri family’s techniques were unbreakable and far surpassed existing systems in power, had nullified the technique by making the Inbiin sacrifice themselves through acts like Human Body Offering, pouring out their life force.
“A wounded beast is fiercer, and a cornered rat will bite a cat. How else could I catch the Fourth Sister if not with such methods?”
Watching the scene, Nariya burst into laughter.
“With over a hundred Inbiin, I’ve blocked the Fourth Sister’s technique. What a profitable deal.”
Then she shouted briefly.
“Hurry and sweep them away!”
Thud, thud, thud.
At that moment, the Inbiin began charging again. Without the slightest fear or hesitation, the Inbiin unleashed storm-like energy.
Jeong Yeong and the warriors fought with all their might to block them, but they were outnumbered.
“Aaack!”
Eventually, several disciples fell after receiving fatal wounds.
“Haaap!”
Unable to watch any longer, Jeong Yeong stepped forward and created a massive sword aura.
However, such tactics rapidly consumed inner energy and stamina. Moreover, the Inbiin’s sword strikes contained power capable of collapsing mountains.
Even if they held out a little longer, only death awaited them in the end.
Jeong Yeong gritted her teeth.
Due to the endless attacks from the charging Inbiin, her defensive sword screen began collapsing in less than half an hour.
Step. Step.
As the Inbiin, holding sharp swords, slowly walked forward, a black line was drawn in the sky.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a shadow descended to the ground and began cutting down the charging Inbiin.
After swiftly dealing with the Inbiin at ultra-high speed, the shadow landed beside Jeong Yeong.
It was a woman wearing a sleek assassin outfit with an unusual gloss.
Though small in stature, her eyes sparkled noticeably even from a distance.
It was Soyo.
[Reinforcements will arrive soon.]
Soyo sent a sound transmission while standing next to Jeong Yeong.
[So hold on just a little longer.]
“Who are you?”
[I am a subordinate of the Martial Soul Command Lord.]
Soyo asked again with a serious expression.
[Is the lady named Manwol inside the cave?]
Jeong Yeong nodded with a pained expression.
“A master with truly remarkable movement skills.”
At that moment, Nariya looked at Soyo and nodded.
“As expected, my brother is thoroughly prepared.”
Chu So was not someone who foresaw the future, but rather a person who prepared countermeasures for every possible situation so he could respond no matter what occurred.
Just like now.
When Nariya raised her hand, a metallic mechanical sound suddenly rang out from around the bamboo forest.
Invisible, thin, yet stronger than steel wires were spread out like a spider web in all directions.
Before long, countless wires intricately entangled throughout the bamboo forest and even in the space a short distance above the ground.
This was a ‘tool’ that Chu So had prepared in advance.
The fine wires formed an invisible net that protected the Inbiin and Nariya while also exerting the ability to slightly disrupt the leg strength of those with fast movement techniques whenever they stepped on them.
Anticipating interference from someone with rapid movement skills, Chu So had prepared this unique weapon to neutralize high-speed techniques.
“Sweep them away!”
At Nariya’s shout, the Inbiin formed ranks and charged once more.
Swish!
Soyo drew her dagger and attacked again at ultra-high speed.
Thud!
However, every time she unintentionally stepped on the wires, her posture and strength twisted slightly, causing her movement speed to gradually decrease.
Papapat!
As the fight continued, hundreds of wounds appeared on Soyo’s body. The Inbiin maintained their special formation and were unaffected by the laid wires. With Soyo’s movement technique slowing down more and more, she could no longer handle the Inbiin. In the end, her specialty was sealed.
“Haa… haa…”
Soyo eventually stopped her movement technique and landed back on the ground.
In the meantime, five of the Secret Guard members led by Jeong Yeong had lost their lives.
“No matter who comes, it’s the same.”
Nariya laughed coldly.
“Manwol, if you don’t come out after disabling the formation, they will all die in the end.”
But there was still no response from the cave.
Nariya, smiling coldly, raised her hand.
The Inbiin slowly stepped forward one by one.
Not only Jeong Yeong and the warriors, but Soyo as well had suffered fatal wounds in various places. There was no longer any way.
Just as an Inbiin was about to cut the throats of Jeong Yeong and the warriors—
Rumble.
A low vibration flowed out from the cave.
“Please come in.”
At the same time, a bright yet low voice was heard.
It was Manwol’s voice.
“Manwol…”
Nariya took a deep breath.
“The end is finally in sight.”
She wore an expression full of deep emotion.
“It really has been a very long time.”
Born as the collateral of the True Demon family and with the fate of a shrine maiden like Manwol, she had ironically had all her power stolen by Manwol. Because of that, she had lived as a shadow rather than a shrine maiden. To regain her power, she had searched for and obtained the Harmony of Sun and Moon.
After countless hardships, she found a part of the Harmony of Sun and Moon and perfectly restored the power of the Star God.
Now, all that remained was to offer her as a sacrifice in exchange.
At that moment, purple lightning struck from the distant sky, and a man possessing a divine aura appeared in an instant.
It was Bu Eunseol.
But something strange happened.
The energy flowing from the cave where Manwol resided began mixing with the mysterious energy enveloping all of Gukjuk Ridge and spreading outward. This constantly drew out the Thunder Spirit Energy circulating within Bu Eunseol’s body to the outside.
As a result, not only his appearance but even the shape of his body was completely obscured by purple flames.
‘It seems Lady Manwol intended this.’
Bu Eunseol looked down at his own body. He realized that the mysterious energy flowing from the cave had perfectly concealed his appearance, exactly as Manwol had planned.
In the meantime, blood flowed from Jeong Yeong’s mouth. Her face was pale, suggesting severe internal injuries, and the remaining disciples staggered as if they would lose their breath at any moment.
In contrast, the Inbiin stood solemnly in formation with indifferent eyes.
[She doesn’t seem to be a subordinate of the True Demon, yet she commands the Inbiin.]
At that moment, Soyo sent a sound transmission.
[She is targeting the lady named Manwol inside the cave.]
“How interesting.”
Nariya stared intently at Bu Eunseol.
“Not only can he cover his entire body with light, but even my eyes cannot see through it.”
She had already regained all the power of the Star God and possessed the ability to see through everything. Yet she could not see the face of a person merely covered in light?
“Well, the future is already decided anyway.”
Nariya showed a confident smile.
The future vision shown by the Harmony of Sun and Moon did not include such a person… but it did not matter.
A mere minor variable could not defy the greater trend.
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