The earth screamed and overturned.
Everywhere the black spheres fell, the ground collapsed, and trees and rocks shattered into pieces like dust scattering in the wind, disappearing into the void.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
The black spheres, exploding and falling like thunderbolts, seemed to possess life.
They collided with each other, spewing forth even greater waves of destruction, entangling as if to swallow the entire world.
Rumble.
The spheres that fell to the ground did not dissipate, still embedded in the earth, as if they wouldn't be satisfied until they had erased everything.
Even within that thick dust, there was a shadow that shone vividly. A figure standing tall like a being that had transcended destruction.
It was exactly Baekri Geomha.
"Hehehe…… hahaha!"
The moment he had been bursting into loud laughter for a long while,
Stop.
Baekri Geomha withdrew his laughter and widened his eyes.
Because an unbelievable event had occurred.
The spheres of death that were burning with fierce momentum had disappeared like a lie. The roaring sound that tore through the space was sucked into a perfect silence.
As if the things that had happened up until now had never happened.
Whoosh.
Then, as the dirt and dust cleared, Pamyeong revealed his figure again.
"How noisy."
It was a supremely languid voice.
Baekri Geomha bit his lip.
To think the power of destruction he created by squeezing out his life's strength was completely cleared away like fog by a single hand gesture from Pamyeong?
"On top of that, you haven't properly awakened it yet."
Pamyeong looked at the dispersing black smoke with a boring expression as if he would even yawn.
"The true power of the Heaven-Dark Star is not something like this."
Then, he slowly turned his head and opened his mouth toward the frozen Baekri Geomha.
"If you have more to try, try it."
His voice contained not a shred of inspiration or surprise. Only a terrible languor and arrogance seeped out.
Tremble.
Baekri Geomha trembled and clenched his fists tightly.
He absolutely could not accept that Pamyeong's power overwhelmed him.
Kwang!
Having created dozens of fist-sized black spheres, he charged forward while letting out a thunderous shout.
"Shut up!"
Kwang-kwang-kwang!
Baekri Geomha, having narrowed the distance, poured the black spheres onto Pamyeong from close range.
It was an absolute power that could neither be dodged nor blocked, but.
Pamyeong spread both hands and incessantly absorbed that power in the form of waves, and,
Kwang!
With extremely light movements, he returned them to Baekri Geomha.
Kwang! Kwang!
Every time the black spheres went back and forth, the ground split and dirt and dust rose.
Baekri Geomha was overwhelmingly pouring out the attacks, but he was rather the one being continuously pushed back.
"Ooooh――!"
Baekri Geomha suddenly let out a long howl, and,
Kwang!
He struck the ground with both hands.
At that, the Golden Lock Formation that blocked the rocky terrain was broken in a single breath.
Kwa-wooo!
As the Golden Lock Formation broke, Baekri Geomha deployed a movement technique and escaped the rocky terrain in a single breath.
'Damn it, damn it!'
Baekri Geomha bit his teeth.
The moment he received the attack according to Bu Eunseol's proposal, he should have immediately counterattacked with all his strength.
He had shown unnecessary leisure, only having the Heaven-Dark Star's power exposed, and was now fleeing in defeat.
"Hehehe."
Pamyeong let out a low laugh while looking in the direction Baekri Geomha disappeared.
"I won't lose you."
Kwa-a!
As a crack spread across the ground, Pamyeong also became a meteor cleaving the sky, and,
Gooooo!
Began to rapidly chase the fleeing Baekri Geomha in an instant.
The movement technique Baekri Geomha used was also of a considerable level, but.
It seemed to fall short of Bu Eunseol's original movement speed.
'If I don't shake him off, I die.'
Baekri Geomha bit his lip.
To shake off Pamyeong, he had to deploy Swift Beyond Shadow accompanied by the Endless Heavenly Light Art.
In other words, he had to change bodies himself.
"Damn it all!"
Baekri Geomha, who was traversing the sky, spun his body one full revolution in the void.
Pride was not more important than his life.
Whirl.
As he spun, the red lips instantly began to regain their original color.
He had entered the abyss of the soul again and handed the physical body over to Bu Eunseol.
'What a great job you're doing!'
Bu Eunseol, who firmly suppressed the urge to pour curses at Baekri Geomha, deployed Swift Beyond Shadow.
Whirl, flash!
In an instant, a bizarre light flashed in his pupils, and,
Kwang!
Along with an explosion, he began to run forward at a speed over three times faster than before.
He had drawn upon the Endless Heavenly Light Art in a single breath.
Kwa-wooong!
Even so, he couldn't easily shake off Pamyeong's pursuit.
Because Baekri Geomha had suffered a terrible internal injury, his inner force was not circulating properly.
On top of that, Pamyeong hadn't simply deployed a fast movement technique, but as if he was using a supernatural secret art.
He was running while folding space.
'There's no choice but to hide.'
Vwoom, pa-pa-pa-pat!
Having circled widely in the void for a moment, he checked a small cave visible far away.
Pa-pak.
Coming down to the ground, he installed a directional formation along with the maximum formation he could deploy.
And he entered the cave in a single breath and deployed the Return Breath Great Law using the qi of nature.
'No, this isn't it.'
Bu Eunseol soon shook his head.
Pamyeong's martial arts could destroy this whole area in a single breath. If he figured out that his traces cut off near here?
He would surely find him and kill him even if it meant destroying dozens of ri of land in the vicinity.
―Don't worry.
In an instant, the story Pamyeong had told came to mind again.
―Because I don't touch the likes of commoners.
It couldn't be known if those words were true.
'This is a gamble.'
The words Pamyeong had spoken came to mind once again in Bu Eunseol's head.
―If you left not even a trace of disguise despite doing so, there is only one in the world. Only the magic arts of the Sacred Domain.
These words ultimately meant.
That there was no method to see through the secret art of darkness at once.
'In that case, this is the only way.'
Bu Eunseol deployed his movement technique swiftly and headed toward the city.
Pamyeong was chasing him.
Meaning all his senses and consciousness would be focused on finding the energy scattered ahead and in the surroundings.
Bu Eunseol intended to deploy a bold method that reverse-engineered this psychology of a pursuer.
'There it is.'
Bu Eunseol headed toward the bustling market visible far away.
And entering inside it, he instantly deployed the secret art of darkness, changing into an ordinary peddler.
And changing his fleeing direction, he walked calmly in the direction Pamyeong was rather coming from.
He would never think 'Would the guy being chased dare to walk right in front of me?'.
And since he would only be looking for energy moving rapidly away, there was a high probability he would ignore faint energy brushing past him.
Koo-roong!
At that time, a bizarre explosion was heard from the sky, and a shadow wearing luxurious clothes appeared in the vicinity far away.
It was precisely Pamyeong, who had disguised himself as Wi Cheongun.
Step, step.
When he couldn't find Bu Eunseol's presence.
Instead of spreading his super-senses, he came down to the ground himself and was observing the people one by one.
'This is an adventure.'
Bu Eunseol glanced at Wi Cheongun, whom he was facing, and soon moved his steps calmly.
The moment he brushed past, he absolutely must not be conscious of him.
But he shouldn't completely ignore him either.
He had to show the extremely ordinary expression and atmosphere of an herb gatherer that could be seen anywhere.
'If I fail, instant death.'
Brushing past Pamyeong's body in a defenseless state was an extremely dangerous method.
But if successful, he could most safely escape the pursuit.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol painstakingly fixed his gaze on the dirt and dust on the ground and the feet of the people.
Conversely, Pamyeong in Wi Cheongun's appearance wasn't simply walking.
Among the numerous crowd.
Like a beast, he was searching for that single person who possessed an alien energy.
His gaze was flashing as if to pierce through everything alive.
Even the most bold figure, if placed in this situation?
Their heart would beat so crazily that it would be on the verge of breaking their ribs and popping out.
But Bu Eunseol moved his steps more peacefully than ever.
The grime-streaked clothes, the rough hands, the weight of the herb bundle carried on his back, and even the fishy smell of fish wafting from the market stalls.
Bu Eunseol, in this short time.
Erased his existence using everything felt by his five senses.
Right now, he was merely an exhausted herb gatherer living hand to mouth.
Ten steps.
Five steps.
Three steps.
As the distance narrowed, the overwhelming aura emanating from Pamyeong pierced his skin like ice.
A pressure so great he couldn't even breathe properly. It felt as if the flow of time was slowing down like thick honey.
Finally, as the fleeting moment their shoulders would brush past approached, it seemed as if all the noise in the world had stopped for an instant.
At that time, Pamyeong's gaze was.
Not aimed at Bu Eunseol's face, but at the void over his shoulder.
Even just the passing glance seemed to freeze one's soul.
Bu Eunseol felt the muscles of his entire body stiffen.
The moment he showed even a fleeting agitation like this, everything was over.
He, who spun his brain like light, rather reverse-engineered the stiffening of his muscles and,
"Ugh."
With a low groan, he adjusted the bundle on his shoulder with an exhausted look.
He didn't forget to even faintly furrow his brow, as if crushed by the weight of the herbs.
That was not an expression of fear, but a perfect act permeated with the exhaustion of life.
Pamyeong's gaze returned straight ahead.
Two steps.
One step.
Bu Eunseol completely crossed paths with Pamyeong and headed behind his back.
Pamyeong's presence completely moved away behind his back.
If Bu Eunseol were an ordinary figure, he would have exhaled the breath he had held back roughly from the depths of his lungs.
But Bu Eunseol instead tilted his head askew and looked back toward where Pamyeong was walking.
"Lord."
Bu Eunseol called out in a low voice.
"Did you perhaps call for this lowly one?"
Pamyeong clearly sent a bizarre gaze toward him.
What if an herb gatherer ignored such a gaze? It would mean he was deliberately pretending not to know.
Therefore, Bu Eunseol boldly struck up a conversation with him.
"No."
Pamyeong, wearing Wi Cheongun's face, showed a calm smile.
"It is nothing."
He walked leisurely and slowly disappeared into the crowd.
Bu Eunseol felt cold sweat flowing down his spine.
He had finally shaken off Pamyeong's pursuit.
Drip, drip.
At that time, clotted fresh blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.
Due to Pamyeong's attack that returned Baekri Geomha's power, his body was in a state of deep internal injury.
'Pamyeong.'
Bu Eunseol let out a deep sigh.
Pamyeong still hasn't recovered his original physical body and is manipulating another's body.
Even so, to show such martial prowess meant…… his original power was at an unimaginable level.
'I will definitely show that I can surpass him.'
Drip, drip.
Red fresh blood flowed out once again.
Stagger.
His legs gave out powerlessly.
The internal injuries Baekri Geomha suffered when fighting were far too deep.
'Quickly, treatment.'
Because he had reached the very end of the Ban-Geuk Method's sixth tier, the Ban-Geuk Method was always circulating even without deliberately revolving his qi, and.
Considerable internal and external injuries healed on their own.
But upon suffering internal injuries from the power of the Heaven-Dark Star, neither his mighty inner force nor the astonishing function of the Endless Heavenly Light Art had any efficacy.
'Mmm.'
Bu Eunseol swallowed a groan.
Though he was someone who wouldn't feel pain even if his limbs were blown off, he felt an indescribable agony.
'I must not panic and move slowly.'
Pat.
Even amidst his clouded mind, Bu Eunseol moved his steps calmly.
And he climbed the mountain with an extremely natural gait as if he was going to gather herbs.
Pamyeong could still be in this vicinity. He absolutely couldn't act rashly.
'Haa, haa.'
Bu Eunseol, having laboriously climbed the mountain, pretended to gather herbs before entering a cave visible far away.
Thump.
Sitting while leaning against the wall of the cave, Bu Eunseol closed his eyes.
'It's not a simple internal injury.'
The power of Baekri Geomha destroys and extinguishes everything.
Due to the repulsive force of that returning, the balance of the powers circulating within his body had been broken.
Vwooong.
Bu Eunseol instinctively deployed not his mental method or the Endless Heavenly Light Art, but the Cheonui Heart Secret.
Because his qi and blood were tangled like a skein of thread.
The state of his true qi circulation couldn't be grasped, as if it were another person's body.
'At this rate, my body will explode.'
The moment he deployed the Cheonui Heart Secret with all his might to check the flow of qi and blood,
Vwoom.
Suddenly, an extremely mysterious power began to flow from the Naohu acupoint.
It was very alien yet comfortable, as if it was carefully caressing the wounds of his entire body.
'So it wasn't just a bad energy.'
Having a power that seemed to block the Naohu acupoint was always a burdensome and agonizing thing.
Because it felt like a wall preventing him from recalling memories of the past, and a curse blocking the power he originally possessed.
But when the energies within his body were ruined, making all his powers run wild like wild horses, it became the only reliable power protecting him.
Thud.
As the pain slowly disappeared, Bu Eunseol softly closed his eyes.
And fell into a deep sleep.
Drip.
How much time had passed?
At the sound of water drops falling in the cave, Bu Eunseol slowly regained his senses.
[You seemed to have fallen quite deeply asleep, but in reality, only about the time it takes to eat a meal has passed.]
At the voice he heard, Bu Eunseol turned his head.
When he did, didn't he see Baekri Geomha's figure right before his eyes?
"I didn't call you."
[I don't know either.]
Baekri Geomha crumpled his face in a deep frown.
[I just naturally came out like this.]
It was an absurd thing.
To freely interact with another personality in a clear state of mind without deploying a Mind-Seizing Secret Art.
Was something only possible if one perfectly mastered the Baekri Family's spirit secret art, which could perfectly control separated personalities.
But why did such a phenomenon suddenly occur?
'Is it because I was exposed to Pamyeong's power?'
Bu Eunseol stroked his chin.
'Or is it because I felt despair upon facing too powerful an enemy?'
What was still fortunate was that the dominance over the physical body lay with Bu Eunseol.
[Don't think in your head.]
At that time, Baekri Geomha spoke in annoyance.
[Since I can hear everything anyway.]
"Shut up."
[What?]
Bu Eunseol spoke coldly.
"Despite fleeing after suffering a deep internal injury while acting arrogant, what makes you think you're so great?"
And he let out a deep sigh.
"If I knew this would happen, I should have just seen through a proper showdown."
Actually, there was a critical secret art to defeat Pamyeong.
The Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse.
If it was this sword form his father passed down.
If it was the sword form of life that instantly extinguished the Soul Demon Dharma Energy from Sa Woo's body.
He definitely would have been able to shatter Pamyeong's physical body.
[Don't make me laugh. Didn't you call me because the calculation came out that you couldn't land the sword form?]
No matter how great a sword form, it is useless if it cannot be landed.
Baekri Geomha had already been reading all of Bu Eunseol's inner thoughts.
[You're the one who shouldn't act arrogant when you saved a life because of me. Do you think you could have taken Pamyeong's attack with your miserable and trivial body?]
Bu Eunseol and Baekri Geomha argued for a long while.
As they poured out blame on each other like that, their minds paradoxically cleared up, and they could calmly grasp the situation.
"Right. Honestly speaking, it would have been the same even if I was in perfect condition."
In the end, Bu Eunseol was the first to admit it.
That with his current skills, he couldn't land the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse.
That he couldn't even defeat the Wi Cheongun manipulated by Pamyeong.
[It's the same.]
Baekri Geomha also spoke as if spitting it out.
[With my sealed power, I can't beat that guy.]
"Sealed?"
[Give me back my body perfectly.]
Baekri Geomha said.
[If I get my body back, I can use my power perfectly…….]
"Nonsense."
Bu Eunseol cut those words off like a knife.
"Even if you can shoot out power that would annihilate the world, it won't touch his body anyway."
Pamyeong used a bizarre power that seemed to suck in the energies of heaven and earth with both hands.
All pouring powers were absorbed exactly as they were into his meridians, and he returned all external powers or strengthened his physical body with them, so……
No matter what power was poured, it couldn't touch him.
[Normally, accepting foreign true energy means death right away.]
Baekri Geomha furrowed his brow.
[I don't know how he absorbs power and deflects it.]
The Great Grandmasters of martial arts had continuously attempted to absorb or transform external power since long ago.
But what if one forcefully accepted a different energy? Eventually, a clash would occur, the meridians would snap, and the dantian would be destroyed.
But Pamyeong deviated from this law.
He was like an endless abyss that sucked in everything.
Through meridians that spread out like a spider web, he circulated all power. Or he returned it.
[Even using such power with a merchant's physical body he's manipulating, not even his own body.]
"It might not be that he absorbs power and deflects it, but that it doesn't touch him in the first place."
[Anyway.]
Baekri Geomha spoke in annoyance.
[It's a mess. The world is just doing whatever it wants.]
Pamyeong possesses a great art that instantly encroaches on another's physical body.
If he makes up his mind, he can become anyone, he can escape any pursuit, and.
He uses a bizarre martial art that can return everything.
[Does it make sense that such nonsensical power exists?]
But Bu Eunseol couldn't agree with Baekri Geomha's words.
He himself possesses an out-of-common-sense power called the secret art of darkness.
And Baekri Geomha possesses an absolute power that destroys all supernatural abilities.
Though they might not realize it.
Bizarre powers and secret arts that transcend common sense are running rampant in the current martial world.
"Can't be helped, I suppose."
[Can't be helped, I suppose.]
As if their minds connected, the two looked at each other.
"Let's combine our strength."
[Let's combine our strength.]
And spoke simultaneously.
"Don't stab me in the back."
[Don't stab me in the back.]
Baekri Geomha nodded his head and said.
[Then let's evade this place first.]
"We cannot."
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
"Pamyeong will still be in this area."
[Why.]
"Because he lost us in this area."
An expert like Pamyeong trusts his own judgment and never thinks it is wrong.
[So, you're saying let's keep staying here?]
"We have to perfectly recover our body anyway. During that time, let's try to research a dharma gate that can unify our powers here."
Bu Eunseol and Baekri Geomha's personalities are like water and oil and can never harmonize.
But having met an absolute strongman named Pamyeong, and being in a situation where they could suffer a vain death if they made a mistake……
They were trying to combine their strength for the first time.
Bu Eunseol, who relentlessly pursued martial arts to the point that even the Human Demon, Ak Muryeong of the world, threw up his hands, and who pierced through the profound mysteries of the world's martial arts.
Baekri Geomha, who internalized the power of the Heaven-Dark Star, treated as a disaster that brought extinction in the past.
If these two people combined their strength?
A result that transcended imagination could be produced.
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