Meanwhile, bizarre events were happening one after another in the Death Shadow Corps.
An incident occurred where a highly toxic poison, secretly stored deep in the warehouse, suddenly leaked out, and people almost died from poisoning.
Even up until then, everyone thought it was a coincidence.
The next day, after finishing their training, the martial artists of the Soul-Pursuit Corps led by Wi Cheongyeong were arranging their weapons in the armory.
After the arrangement was over and everyone had left their seats,
Swoosh…… clang.
A heavy crescent blade weighing one hundred and eighty jin tilted, then fell to the floor.
Sizzle.
As the crescent blade touched the floor, white smoke and an acrid smell began to spread.
At the bottom of the armory, beneath the bluestone slabs, a large amount of ghost-fire powder used for manufacturing 'Heaven-Shattering Explosive Pills' or 'Blast-Wheels' was stored.
And the falling impact of the crescent blade ignited that powder.
Kwang!
Along with a roaring sound that shook heaven and earth, the armory exploded as if it was torn entirely apart, and.
Dirt, dust, and flames swallowed the area.
Fortunately, because it exploded when no one was there, there were no casualties, but.
It was a terrible disaster where the members of the Soul-Pursuit Corps were almost annihilated.
―Did Pamyeong's attack begin?
The martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps, being on extreme alert, began to examine the situation.
But the results of the investigation were bewildering.
The reason the armory exploded.
It was revealed to be because Eom Pung, who was called 'the Exploding Scale Asura' three hundred years ago, had stolen ghost-fire powder from Majeon and.
Secretly hid it underground in the armory, which no one used at the time.
He had gone out into the martial world and died after a dispute with an Orthodox faction expert called the Waning Star Wanderer.
Because of that, this dangerous ghost-fire powder had been buried here up until now without anyone knowing.
―For a coincidence, it's too exquisite.
The Captains felt an uneasy feeling.
The public declaration Pamyeong spat out to Bu Eunseol.
Just like an Executioner carrying out the Covenant.
He said that if he didn't kill the targeted person, he would slowly kill the people around them.
Also, since he said he had the power to twist fate, literally the power of Pamyeong (destruction of fate)……
They had the thought, 'Could it be that he wove coincidences to create inevitable death?'.
Around the time when such a peculiar tension began to tighten around the neck of the Death Shadow Corps,
―The Death Shadow Corps has only been repeating training all this time, hasn't it?
During the Majeon meeting, the story of the Death Shadow Corps coincidentally came up.
And when it became known that those astonishing elites were still leisurely undergoing training and such,
―Since the Martial Soul Command Lord has entered closed-door training, it can't be helped, I suppose…… but leaving such forces idle would be a great loss from the perspective of this Hall.
Make them handle even trivial missions.
During the Majeon meeting, the upper echelons.
Ordered the Death Shadow Corps to handle various missions rather than simply staying in Majeon.
After that day.
The shadow of death was cast over the martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps.
It was absolutely not that Majeon gave them difficult missions. Rather, thanks to their status as the direct corps of the Martial Soul Command Lord.
They were merely given easy missions that they could handle lightly.
But no matter how easy the mission.
When the Death Shadow Corps was deployed, it became a mission of death.
It was merely a matter of eliminating some insignificant bandit stronghold of the Greenwood, but.
A landslide occurred, and the martial artists were almost buried.
In a mission to simply deliver a letter.
The old shrine where they were briefly staying collapsed, and highly toxic creatures that were hundreds of years old came pouring out.
―Is it a coincidence?
When such things repeated, the Death Shadow Corps had no choice but to be tense.
Could it be that the person named Pamyeong really possessed a transcendental power?
―There is a possibility that it is Pamyeong's power.
Yoo Unryong shook his head.
Not only does Pamyeong show transcendental martial prowess that surpasses Bu Eunseol, he can also manipulate people of specific conditions like his own body.
Depending on the terrain, he could easily cause something like a landslide, and it wouldn't be difficult to obtain poisonous snakes or poisonous insects that were hundreds of years old.
―Like the covenant, he must intentionally be applying pressure to induce us to give up in despair or make self-destructive judgments.
Betraying the True Demon, he cannot proudly reveal himself in the martial world and is operating secretly.
Perhaps, as he publicly declared, like a god who destroys fate.
He was trying to pressure Bu Eunseol by endlessly repeating coincidental accidents.
Since he cannot operate publicly.
He was trying to draw Bu Eunseol to where he was.
―You must hold out until the Lord finishes his closed-door training without fail!
Yoo Unryong commanded the martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps in Bu Eunseol's stead, encouraging them.
Until now, repeating arduous training over and over again, they had come this far while overcoming all sorts of trials and crises.
Yet they couldn't be played by the trickery of a mere attendant of the True Demon talking about destroying fate or whatever.
―The Death Shadow Corps is to destroy a Blood Cult branch.
At that time, another mission was handed down from Majeon.
―A Blood Cult branch has been detected at a certain location Beyond the Pass.
Yoo Unryong took a deep breath.
He could intuit it.
That this mission was Pamyeong's trap that would drive the martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps to their deaths.
―Even so, there is no choice but to go.
With the current combat power of the Death Shadow Corps, destroying a single Blood Cult branch is an overwhelmingly easy task.
But surely, in that Blood Cult branch, a mighty expert or trap would be lying in wait.
If Bu Eunseol doesn't break his closed-door training and deal with Pamyeong in the meantime?
The Death Shadow Corps could be annihilated on this mission.
―There is no choice but to follow the order.
Eventually, Yoo Unryong prepared for the expedition.
Even during that time, Bu Eunseol didn't come out of closed-door training.
Unless Bu Eunseol kills Pamyeong, the crises of death will continue from now on.
They absolutely couldn't collapse at this level of crisis.
* * *
Destruction, destruction, destruction.
Extinction, extinction, extinction.
In Bu Eunseol's head, only the instinct for destruction and extinction spread out.
'This is…… the Heaven-Dark Star.'
A being possessing the will desiring everything to become nothingness (無).
A demon-god of destruction that extinguishes all things in the world.
That was precisely the Heaven-Dark Star.
T-t-t-t.
Bu Eunseol's pupils were dyed black. At this rate, he would become the demon-god of destruction driving the entire world to its doom.
"Uuugh. Huuuugh!"
No matter how hard he tried, the runaway didn't stop.
Around the time Bu Eunseol's physical body, whose pupils had become completely black, was being dyed black,
Vwooong! Sa-a-a-a-a!
Along with intense pain near the Naohu acupoint, a cold chill spread out.
Due to that, Bu Eunseol was able to recover his clear mind for a brief moment.
Kwang!
At that time, his body suddenly shot up a zhang into the air from where he stood, then fell to the ground disgracefully.
The moment he regained his clear mind.
To stop the runaway of the Heaven-Dark Star, he reversed all energies and inflicted an internal injury upon himself.
With a Pfft sound, Bu Eunseol vomited a clump of blood.
Sizzle.
Just drawing up that destructive and extinguishing energy made the blood a poison that melted everything.
"Huuu, huuu."
Bu Eunseol was huddled up, dripping with cold sweat.
"This won't do."
Using the dharma gate Baekri Geomha left him, he attempted Transcendental Unity on his own but ultimately failed.
As long as his personality was divided in two.
It was an impossible task for the Heaven-Dark Star dwelling in his physical body to absorb the power.
"Because my body and his are completely different."
Thanks to his grandfather, he had become an extremely ordinary physical body, and.
Without obsessing over Orthodox and Demonic martial arts, not to mention the Profound Divine Technique Qi or the Soul Demon Dharma Energy, he had become able to mix all powers in his physical body.
In other words, a situation where he captured the disorder known as chaos into order.
Yet anew, unifying only the physical power contained in Baekri Geomha's personality.
Was no different from burning his body using his own personality and power as fuel.
Crack.
As Transcendental Unity failed, the sound of everything inside his body breaking rang out.
His meridians were torn to shreds, his dantian cracked, and his internal organs lost their positions and twisted.
Pouring blood simultaneously from his mouth and nose, eyes and ears, Bu Eunseol tumbled forward.
The worst aftereffect was that a problem occurred with his super-senses.
Over ordinary objects, the faint flow of qi forming their essence could be seen overlapping, and.
In his ears, along with meaningless noise, the minute vibrations of all creation were heard together.
'I will recover my body.'
Closing his eyes, Bu Eunseol entered Zen meditation.
And began treating injuries by circulating qi to manage his internal injuries and recover his original senses.
That time took a whopping two days.
"There is no time."
The eyes of Bu Eunseol, who had been staring into the void, darkened.
By now, Pamyeong would be touching the Death Shadow Corps in some way.
"There's no choice but to settle it with the principles of martial arts as I've always done."
Ultimately, he continuously reviewed the battle with Pamyeong. And entering absolute stillness.
He continued a mental sparring with Pamyeong in his head.
But the result of the sparring was always Bu Eunseol's defeat.
He couldn't figure out Pamyeong's technique that blocked and returned everything, and he couldn't find out how to defeat him.
'Does he really twist fate?'
Pamyeong guaranteed that he twisted fate to turn all attacks into nothingness.
Unless he broke that power, not only the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse but no attack could be made successful.
Perfect failure.
Ultimately, in the current situation, the probability of defeating him was nonexistent.
Three more days passed.
Wiping his sweat, Bu Eunseol stared into the void while keeping his body upright.
He was intuiting it.
That there was no more time.
That if he didn't set out to find Pamyeong quickly, all the martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps would die miserably.
Bu Eunseol, who had been looking down at the blade of the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, took a deep breath.
The victory or defeat would be decided depending on whether he could pierce Pamyeong's defense and deploy the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse.
Ultimately, there was no choice but to pour out everything he had unsparingly.
"I have no regrets."
Bu Eunseol muttered lowly.
Because he had done his best, he had no regrets.
Drop.
At that time, a drop of sweat fell to the floor.
The moment he stared at the sweat drop that fell on the floor, Bu Eunseol's eyes began to blur.
Had he really done his best?
Did he really have not a single lingering attachment, having no regrets?
Actually, he knew.
That this wasn't his best.
That there was another path.
Swoooosh.
That moment, a boy wearing white clothes was seen before his eyes.
Though he was beyond in the abyss.
The personality named Baekri Geomha was not a completely independent existence.
And that was……
Also the reason Baekri Geomha had no choice but to reach his hand out to Bu Eunseol.
[Do you get it now?]
Baekri Geomha snorted as if he had been waiting.
[Why I didn't use the power of the Heaven-Dark Star in earnest.]
Bu Eunseol merely looked at him without saying a word.
[Damn it. Can't you beg a little?]
Baekri Geomha ground his teeth and said.
[You just have to unify, right? Do you want to die a dog's death?]
"When we can't trust each other, how could we achieve unity."
There are only two methods for unity.
To perfectly trust each other, or.
To create a clear superior-subordinate relationship where one becomes the master and one becomes the servant.
But since Bu Eunseol and Baekri Geomha couldn't trust each other, and couldn't accept the method of becoming master and servant either……
Unity was like an unachievable dream.
[I will properly tell you the dharma gate.]
Baekri Geomha spoke as if it couldn't be helped.
[The dharma gate to newly create a personality.]
Bu Eunseol's eyes shone.
Unifying personalities was practically impossible.
But to merge the two personalities into one.
And completely create a third personality? It was well possible.
"Was there such a thing."
[Unfortunately, it's an incomplete dharma gate.]
Baekri Geomha bit his lip.
[The moment you attempt this, you and I might completely disappear, and.]
Bu Eunseol pondered for a moment, then nodded his head.
"Recite it."
And spoke resolutely.
"We just have to supplement it."
[Do you think you're the only genius?]
Baekri Geomha held out both hands.
[I also relentlessly researched and researched again in the abyss. But I couldn't create a dharma gate to supplement this.]
The reason he hadn't shown his figure even once, despite being able to appear before Bu Eunseol's eyes.
It was because he had been searching for a way to unify their power through a new personality in his own way.
"I said we'll supplement it, I didn't say I would do it alone."
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
"We will do it together."
[Together?]
Baekri Geomha shook his head.
[Even so, completion is impossible. Because it's an incomplete dharma gate from the start.]
"Who said we would complete it."
Bu Eunseol spoke while looking at another himself standing before his eyes, Baekri Geomha.
"Even if it's an incomplete dharma gate, we should be able to hold out to some extent."
[Hold out?]
Grasping the situation, Baekri Geomha nodded his head.
[Are you saying you'll just create a brief moment to deploy the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse using an incomplete dharma gate?]
"That's right."
Bu Eunseol's eyes flashed.
"The time it takes to eat a meal, no, even a quarter of an hour is fine. If we can break Pamyeong's bizarre defense……."
Looking down at the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, he said resolutely.
"We can defeat him with the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse."
It absolutely didn't need to be perfect and complete.
In the first place, humans are incomplete, and.
Merely beings endlessly advancing toward perfection and completion.
Bu Eunseol intended to, with incomplete power.
Defeat Pamyeong, who possessed perfect power.
* * *
It was exactly as Yoo Unryong expected.
The Death Shadow Corps, which had passed Sanhae Pass and gone to secretly exterminate the Blood Cult branch, encountered terrifyingly strong enemies.
Even though they moved their intelligence network to make every preparation, even though they moved so cautiously and secretly.
Along with the elite forces of the Blood Cult, the Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows.
The Protectors of the Blood Cult, called the two shadows drunk on the smell of blood.
The Ghost-Slaying Spirit, Pung Jilseong, and the Red-Handed, Gubira had appeared.
―You guys have constantly touched our Cult!
Upon seeing the experts of the Death Shadow Corps, the Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows began to pour out attacks crazily.
Their martial arts were incredible, and the difference in forces was more than eight times.
But the martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps had crossed the boundary of life and death countless times, and.
Were hundred-battle veterans who overturned the tide of battle with indomitable will even amidst desperate situations and ultimately seized victory.
Realizing they had fallen into a trap, they immediately deployed the Mind's Eye, blocking the Blood Cult's attacks and maintaining their defense.
"Hmph, showing off your meager skills before experts."
Though greatly surprised when the Death Shadow Corps joined forces and deployed a mental world, the Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows soon snorted.
"Our Cult's magic arts can shatter even a mental world in a single breath!"
When they nodded their heads, numerous martial artists drew their swords and cut their own forearms to draw blood.
Paa.
At that, a red mist spread out, then became a single bird and began to wander inside the Mind's Eye.
Flash!
But a sharp sword light flashed from the inside, and the red birds began to fall to the ground one by one.
The martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps who deployed the Mind's Eye had countered their magic arts.
"You mean it's not an ordinary mental world."
The Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows' eyes flashed.
"They're probably not experts of the Limitless Realm, yet just by joining forces and deploying a formation art…… they can counter magic arts?"
Yoo Unryong had restored the Mind's Eye obtained from an ancient secret text, and.
Later, Han Sangja, who was second only to the Heavenly Mechanism Star, supplemented its deficiencies.
It was solid enough that even if experts of the Limitless Realm flocked in, they couldn't crumble it in a single breath, and.
Even if an expert capable of deploying a mental world came, there were secret arts prepared to respond to it.
But the Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows, who didn't know this fact.
Had no choice but to feel the Death Shadow Corps experts' Mind's Eye was bizarre.
"Very well."
After much deliberation, the Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows took out two beads from their bosoms.
They were precious beads dyed red and pulsating as if they were living hearts.
Sa-a-a-a.
The precious beads ravenously began to suck in the blood mist. At that, the cultists' bodies twisted terribly.
"Keeuugh…… kheeegh!"
Along with screams that couldn't even form shrieks, the sound of flesh tearing and skeletons elongating rang out.
Through the torn skin, muscles expanded, and dark red blood flowed down from their eyes and noses.
In the pupils of those who had instantly become giants seemingly three times the size of a human, not a trace of reason could be found.
"Kill."
At the Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows' low command, the giants threw their bodies toward their target, the mental world, in unison.
Kwang! Kwang!
Kwang! Kwang!
The massive physical bodies themselves became single battering rams, and began to mercilessly batter the world of the Mind's Eye.
Every time they crashed, the space distorted as if screaming.
Every time they threw their bodies, they became lumps of blood, yet without caring.
They relentlessly threw their bodies toward the wall of the mental world.
"The number of the Blood-Demon War Host this Protector has brought is three thousand."
The Left Protector, Pung Jilseong the Ghost-Slaying Spirit, flashed his two eyes.
"Let's test whether your mental world breaks first, or if all the cultists of the Blood-Demon War Host die."
"Brother, isn't it obvious?"
The Right Protector, Gubira the Red-Handed, laughed boisterously and said.
"I guarantee those rats won't even last half a day."
* * *
Inside the Mind's Eye, which the enemies couldn't see, thick drops of sweat flowed from the forehead of Yoo Unryong, who was commanding the corps members.
Just as Pung Jilseong said, they would last a day at best, or else half a day.
'If the Mind's Eye breaks, there is only an all-out war.'
Leaving the martial artists of the Blood-Demon War Host aside.
It was uncertain whether the Blood-Drunk Twin Shadows could be defeated even if all the Captains rushed them.
'We can't do this forever.'
By now, Bu Eunseol would have also broken out of his closed-door training and be engaging in a life-and-death battle with Pamyeong.
They couldn't be a burden to him forever.
'If I think of him, I must protect the Death Shadow Corps guys.'
Originally, Yoo Unryong intended to wage an all-out war and fight a do-or-die battle with them.
But when he recalled that Bu Eunseol thought of every single martial artist of the Death Shadow Corps as his family.
He just couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Captain Yoo."
As if realizing his conflicted inner thoughts, Won Semun spoke in a loud voice.
"Do you not trust our efforts up until now?"
"It's not a matter like that."
Yoo Unryong took a deep breath.
"The Lord cherishes every single one of your lives. What if……."
"Where is there a person who doesn't get hurt and doesn't die during battle?"
Won Semun said, glaring his thick eyebrows.
"It is now time for us too to fight the powerhouses who cross the line of death, and win."
At that, Jo Namcheon, who was next to him, nodded his head.
"That glutton is saying the right thing for once."
Wi Cheongyeong also approached and spoke powerfully.
"Captain Yoo. The time has come for us too, to no longer be a burden to the Lord, but become his strength."
He spoke resolutely.
"Let us not turn the Mind's Eye purely to defense, but fight here."
"It is not a situation where it can be said so easily."
When Yoo Unryong shook his head,
"Unryong."
Myo Cheonwoo patted his shoulder and said.
"When those guys act like that, they're resolved in their own way."
And he grinned.
"When it's time to fight, you gotta fight."
Yoo Unryong closed his eyes for a moment.
Normally, he always pondered, 'What would Bu Eunseol have done?'
'How can I make a judgment like him?'
But he is not Bu Eunseol.
There are things he can do.
And there are things only he himself can do.
"Good."
Yoo Unryong, taking a deep breath, spoke in a loud voice.
"Death Shadow Corps, all members prepare for battle!"
Clack.
At that, all three hundred or so martial artists took their stances in perfect order.
"From now on…… we will drop the defense and attack the enemies with the formation arts we have polished."
A wonderful manifesto has the power to make martial artists' hearts hot and turn fear into fighting spirit.
But Yoo Unryong didn't say such things.
Because the Death Shadow Corps was already one.
"We have all already died once. We are merely living a second life thanks to the Lord."
Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo. And the martial artists from the Rootless Brigade who had been mistreated and despised…….
If they hadn't met Bu Eunseol, they would have died a vain death, or lived a life no different from being dead.
"There is nothing the enemies can take from us. Because we have already offered everything to the Lord!"
Yoo Unryong spoke with a solemn expression.
"If we return alive, let us clink our wine glasses…… and if we die, let us meet again in the underworld."
―Your――― command!
Hot heat flowed from the bodies of all the martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps.
Now, the final battle, where lives could not be guaranteed, had begun.
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