At that time, Bu Eunseol was at a level equivalent to only one-hundredth of the Heavenly Deity's power.
But since then, he had achieved dazzling progress and attained much.
What if the Heavenly Deity were to appear again now? He could guarantee that he would absolutely not be pushed back.
Yet, to think that the Buddha Venerable, who had looked down upon the martial world for that long, long time, was still remaining in the same place?
Such a thing was nonsensical from the start.
"Now that I think about it."
Bu Eunseol spoke with a sneer.
"I find it strange anew."
"……."
"To think that among the Three Venerables, only the Buddha Venerable's martial prowess was not properly evaluated?"
Bu Eunseol snorted and said,
"Even though you, Great Monk, clashed so often with the Three Demons, including the Elder Hall Leader of this palace."
The Buddha Venerable had continuously clashed with the Three Demons, including the Blood Demon.
Other than that, his movements and tracks were far too uncertain for a high monk of Shaolin.
At first, Bu Eunseol thought he hid his tracks extremely well because he was proceeding with various matters.
But if that were the case? He should have perfectly hidden his tracks.
However, there was a time when he uniquely left distinct tracks as the Buddha Venerable.
That was precisely when he competed with the Three Demons.
As if to announce that he was still going strong.
"That means there are multiple Buddha Venerables, and only the Buddha Venerable who competed with the Three Demons and Three Venerables is the real Buddha Venerable."
"……."
"Perhaps the Abbot who showed a wicked attitude just now might not be the real one either."
The Buddha Venerable, who had remained silent all along, showed a faint smile.
"An interesting story."
Crack.
The Buddha Venerable tilted his head diagonally.
"If this temple could continuously produce masters of the Limitless Realm comparable to the Venerable's skill… would I have gone through the trouble of trying to protect the martial world through various means?"
"Does Shaolin not possess all sorts of secret texts that wandered the martial world, as well as bizarre demonic arts?"
Bu Eunseol gave a cold snort.
"You formed ties with all sorts of factions, including the United Heart Society, and laid hands on the sacred object… You must have certainly raised your martial prowess temporarily using a grand method that took life force as collateral."
Chu So had also used the life force of young martial artists as a sacrifice to temporarily wield the power of the Baekri Family or the True Demon.
However, there was no way Shaolin, which had preserved the secret texts of the martial world for generations, could not use a secret art of that level.
"You cannot remain the Buddha Venerable continuously, but couldn't you temporarily become the Buddha Venerable for a certain moment?"
The Buddha Venerable, who had been silent,
Craaack.
Suddenly used his internal energy, and his face and body twisted slightly. At the same time, a somewhat burly, middle-aged warrior monk revealed his appearance.
He was precisely the Head Seat of the Arhat Hall… Gonghye.
Bu Eunseol clicked his tongue pitifully.
"To think the Head Seat of the Arhat Hall is acting as the shadow of the Buddha Venerable."
Along with the Scripture Pavilion Master Gongun and the Discipline Hall Master Gongseong, the Arhat Hall Master Gonghye, who was called one of the Three Divine Monks of Shaolin, had been playing the role of the Buddha Venerable.
"Indeed, they said your wisdom surpassed your martial arts, and you truly live up to your reputation."
"Are you not ashamed?"
Bu Eunseol let out a sincere sigh that burst from his lungs.
"Is this truly what Shaolin is?"
Along with Wudang, Shaolin was a pillar of the orthodox martial world, and he had believed it was led by righteous people.
But the current Shaolin was nothing more than a puppet controlled by the Buddha Venerable's grasp.
"Nothing changes."
Gonghye, having revealed his true form, stared at Bu Eunseol with glaring eyes.
"Since you will die here anyway."
A bizarre radiance was flowing from his body.
Just by seeing that single foreign energy, one could guess that he had mastered a grand method that took life force as collateral, rather than a Shaolin martial art.
"Why do you not call for backup?"
Since the fact that he was the Buddha Venerable's shadow, not the Buddha Venerable himself, had already been revealed,
He could have called the remaining Divine Monks,
Or he could have gathered all at once the warrior monks of Shaolin who had been continuously cultivating formidable martial arts while hiding themselves in patience.
Why on earth was he trying to fight alone?
"This poor monk alone is enough to face you."
"The faction is divided."
At Gonghye's words, Bu Eunseol instantly grasped the situation.
"Just as the Buddha Venerable failed to seize the Blood Shaolin, factions have also split within Shaolin into those who follow him and those who do not."
Seeing Bu Eunseol withstand his strike just now, Gonghye must have already seen through that he was an opponent against whom a complete victory could never be achieved.
Yet, to not mobilize all the disciples and dare to face him secretly alone…
It was ultimately because they had not completely seized Shaolin.
"So you intended to resolve this within this Bodhi Cave."
"You talk too much."
Gonghye spread both hands.
"Let us begin."
Vwooom.
At that moment, the interior of the Bodhi Cave darkened, and Gonghye's figure vanished. Then, hundreds of millions of eyes formed in the darkness.
"Thousand-Armed Buddha Boundless Eyes. If you can block this poor monk's Infinite Power, the victory is yours."
Surprisingly, Gonghye could also unfold Infinite Power, which transcended the martial principles.
Gurgle. Gurgle.
Hundreds of millions of eyes holding no emotion uniformly stared at Bu Eunseol.
"The Boundless Eyes do not give the enemy an instant to unfold Infinite Power."
As if proving Gonghye's words, the Three Divine Energies instantly evaporated from Bu Eunseol's body.
Tremble.
However, Bu Eunseol did not panic and continuously shook the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
Pababababak!
Soon, sword aura resembling hundreds of sharp short needles spread out in all directions.
Applying the Phantom Ghost Origin Form, which could deflect all hidden weapons, he had stabbed the eyeballs all at once.
Swoosh.
But the eyeballs were not destroyed.
Instead, as the tip of the sword touched an eye, thoughts that felt as if they would burst his brain began to pour out.
What if he had drawn his sword a little faster?
What if he had managed his true energy differently?
What if he had twisted his waist half an inch more?
Would a more perfect sword form have unfolded?
Thousands, tens of thousands of thoughts poured out in an instant, and as a result, the previously perfect sword form completely went awry.
'It isn't attacking my spirit, but rather accelerating my thoughts?'
The Infinite Power unfolded by the master of Shaolin was incredibly extraordinary.
It was not attacking Bu Eunseol's physical body or spirit.
Instead, it accelerated his thoughts, causing him to continuously correct and agonize over the flaws in the forms he deployed.
Slash, slash, slash!
Having grasped the function of the Boundless Eyes, Bu Eunseol cut off his thoughts and unfolded the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms.
Because he had trained the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms to the Realm of Utmost Transcendence by receiving Jingak's teachings,
He could unfold it comfortably without having to think about stances or flaws.
"Did you think the Boundless Eyes were that sloppy?"
As soon as Gonghye's words ended,
Whoooosh.
A mysterious wind blew in from somewhere.
What Bu Eunseol held in his hand as he unfolded the Thirteen Hwa Wu Forms was no longer the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, but a brush.
"……."
Looking down at the brush, he could face his peaceful self, turned into a scholar reciting poetry.
Just as a satisfied smile naturally hung on his lips,
Whish.
This time, the brush he held became a plow.
The life of a farmer sweating while tilling the field.
Along with the smell of dirt, the laughter of a wife and children could be heard. A corner of his heart felt warmly numb.
It was also the ordinary life his grandfather had always wished for.
Vwooom.
Meanwhile, the internal energy and all the power within his body began to leak out instantly, like a gourd with a hole in it.
Bu Eunseol could be free from any Mind-Seizing Secret Art, having reached the state of Opening the Spirit Orifices.
However, the Boundless Eyes unfolded by Gonghye did not simply stimulate the spirit to show illusions.
It was maximizing the worldly desires latent within the human mind.
'This is not my life.'
Regaining his senses, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
But regardless of his will,
The Silent Tiger Soul Sword transformed into a teacup again.
Ting, ting-tong.
Drinking a cup of liquor while listening to the beautiful gisaeng's lute playing, a decadent pleasure he had never felt before wrapped his entire body.
―Let us slowly enjoy good songs and good liquor. How many times does one have such a gathering in life?
Becoming bold as he got drunk, Bu Eunseol tapped the table and sang.
―Tomorrow the drinking party will disperse. But today's song shall remain in our dreams.
All the lives he had not chosen.
The happiness, peace, and pleasure those lives gave spread out like a dream.
Everything he had to give up in the name of revenge.
They were shaking his heart.
Before he knew it, all the mighty powers circulating within Bu Eunseol's body had drained away, and his limbs drooped limply.
The hand holding the sword, the hand curled into a fist, all dropped powerlessly.
Like a person who had given up on everything.
"Unless one is a disciple of Buddhism, one cannot break the worldly desires given by these Boundless Eyes."
Gonghye, unfolding his Infinite Power in the darkness, muttered with a confident voice.
"Ultimately, humans cannot help but crave what they do not have……."
Slump.
Bu Eunseol lowered his head.
Had he lost, unable to overcome the Boundless Eyes?
No.
A regretful yet longing light was flowing from his eyes.
Me, who became a scholar.
Me, who became a farmer.
Me, who became a playboy.
Bu Eunseol had not given up.
He honestly accepted, envied, and felt regretful for all those lives.
However, after agonizing at countless crossroads, he ultimately chose the path of a martial artist walking while shedding blood, the life of revenge.
And this was.
Not because it was the best path, but because it was the path he chose, that it held meaning.
―Because it is the path I chose.
When Bu Eunseol opened his eyes again,
His eyes held a deeper and calmer light than the Boundless Eyes.
He no longer unfolded any forms. He simply walked forward.
And slowly swung his sword.
It was neither fast nor strong, just an incredibly ordinary slash.
But that sword contained only a single will.
'What?'
Panicking, Gonghye exerted the Boundless Eyes even more powerfully to ensnare Bu Eunseol.
'His Infinite Power was blocked?'
It is known that the best way to oppose Infinite Power is solely with Infinite Power of the same strength.
And the Boundless Eyes take over the enemy's spirit, rendering them unable to unfold Infinite Power.
However, Bu Eunseol, without even needing to unfold Infinite Power,
Was enduring the power of the Boundless Eyes while launching an attack against him?
"Absurd!"
As he fully activated the Boundless Eyes,
In the sword path where the Silent Tiger Soul Sword advanced,
Once again, thousands and tens of thousands of possibilities bloomed in Bu Eunseol's mind like a haze.
The illusion of a happy farmer blocked Bu Eunseol's path, but,
The sword calmly cleaved it.
The illusion of a great scholar asked him to step aside, but,
The Silent Tiger Soul Sword cut it down.
In truth, Bu Eunseol had not broken the Boundless Eyes.
He simply honestly accepted the pouring regrets and worldly desires, and silently advanced, step by step.
When he finally reached the end of it…… massive eyes appeared.
Bu Eunseol cut them down without hesitation.
Craaaack―!
A faint cracking sound like glass shattering spread out.
Even though he swung his sword, the eyeballs were not cut.
Instead, as if shedding a single tear, they lost their light from the center and slowly began to close.
Gonghye's Infinite Power, the Boundless Eyes, which had shown infinite possibilities and plunged the enemy into worldly desires,
Collapsed before Bu Eunseol's firm will.
The darkness lifted, and the world regained its original colors.
Bu Eunseol stood panting, and a single drop of blood dripped from the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
And opposite him.
From the closed eyes of Gonghye, who stood in his exact posture with clasped hands, a streak of blood was quietly flowing down.
He had been struck by the sword form Bu Eunseol unfolded, and both his eyes had gone blind.
"I wondered how you could reach such martial prowess at such a young age."
Gonghye, with both eyes closed, repeated in a low voice.
"This poor monk's Boundlessness (無量) could not overcome your One Mind (一心)."
Gonghye thought that only boundless worldly desires and endless asceticism could lead to nirvana.
But Bu Eunseol had continuously devoted himself with an upright heart.
Ultimately, the power with no boundaries (無邊) that measured everything.
Lost its meaning in front of a single will (一念) that dedicated everything toward a single path.
"However, you infiltrated Shaolin and killed this poor monk, and this is sufficient grounds for you to become the public enemy of the martial world."
Gonghye wore a strange smile.
"Because of you, the Great War of Orthodox and Demonic will ultimately break out."
Thump.
Leaving behind that one sentence, he breathed his last.
In any case, Bu Eunseol had entered Shaolin alone and ultimately murdered the Arhat Hall Master.
This was an act that could never be overlooked.
And as a result, it had become the spark for a full-scale clash between Majeon and Shaolin, and furthermore, between the orthodox faction and the demonic path.
Ruuuumble.
With Gonghye's death, the closed doors of the Bodhi Cave opened on their own.
Clang, clang, clang, clang.
At the same time, as if they had been waiting, Shaolin's masters began to swarm around the Bodhi Cave along with the sound of tolling bells.
The Shaolin disciples who followed the Buddha Venerable had already made perfect preparations, laying a trap to kill him regardless of victory or defeat.
"Martial Soul Command Lord. Mildly accept your arrest!"
Then, a Lion's Roar was heard from outside the Bodhi Cave.
Ruuuumble.
At the same time, over three hundred disciples were surrounding the bottom of the Bodhi Cave, and in front of them stood a warrior monk with eyes bulging like bells.
It was none other than Shaolin's Protector, Gongmyeong.
"If you resist, you will become the public enemy of the martial world!"
Bu Eunseol was wearing a veil, but he had already visited as the Martial Soul Command Lord and handed over his calling card.
Even if he escaped this place safely, the fact that he killed the Head Seat of the Arhat Hall could not be erased as if it never happened.
A confident trap.
The insidious Buddha Venerable, in time with Bu Eunseol's visit,
Had created a fatal trap regardless of the fight's outcome.
"If you have the skill, you may escape!"
Gongmyeong had already had over three hundred disciples block not only the surroundings of the Bodhi Cave but even the sky.
Even if he unfolded the sky-treading flight art, he could not escape Shaolin without striking them down.
"What will you do!"
Gongmyeong put on a triumphant expression.
Upon driving the young Great Grandmaster, who was said to be the greatest in the demonic path, the Martial Soul Command Lord, into a checkmate, a thrill so strong it made his body tingle spread out.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
But a strange thing happened.
Suddenly, the sound of tolling bells began to ring again from within the Shaolin temple grounds.
"What is it."
Just as Gongmyeong furrowed his brow,
Dash.
A swift-footed warrior monk was running toward the front of the Bodhi Cave like lightning.
"Please stop!"
At the warrior monk's cry, Gongmyeong glared.
"What does that mean?"
The panting warrior monk showed his courtesy and then pointed at Bu Eunseol standing in the distance.
"That man is not the Martial Soul Command Lord."
"What does that mean?"
"The real Martial Soul Command Lord has visited Shaolin leading a large army."
The warrior monk spoke as if he couldn't understand.
"He says there is someone who used his identity to borrow a palanquin from the Majeon branch and infiltrated Shaolin."
"What?"
Gongmyeong was momentarily surprised, then shook his head.
"Tell the Abbot Senior Brother. That person who visited Shaolin right now is someone disguised as the Martial Soul Command Lord."
He knew well about Gonghye's martial level and the Boundless Eyes.
If that man wasn't the real Martial Soul Command Lord, he could absolutely never defeat Gonghye.
"He has already confirmed it."
The warrior monk lowered his head and said.
"He says the one leading a large army to our temple right now is definitely the Martial Soul Command Lord."
And he added.
"The Abbot personally confirmed it by using his internal energy."
No matter how great an art of disguise it was, if one blocked the flow of internal energy, their appearance would revert to normal.
When the sudden visitor insisted he was the Martial Soul Command Lord, the Abbot tested him using his internal energy,
And confirmed that he was the real Martial Soul Command Lord who had not used a disguise.
"How……."
Gongmyeong opened his eyes wide while looking at Bu Eunseol standing far away at the Bodhi Cave.
How on earth could such a thing be possible?
"Moreover, a large army?"
Shaolin's intelligence network was not inferior to the Martial Alliance's Mankyeong Hall.
Yet how could they have failed to detect the Martial Soul Command Lord entering the Henan region leading a large army?
Soon shaking his head, Gongmyeong cleared his mind and shouted.
"Capture that man first. We will capture him and interrogate him."
Ruuuumble.
At Gongmyeong's shout, the disciples solidified their formation even more.
Flash!
At that moment, the entire world was dyed with brilliant light, and three flashes of light were continuously emitted.
Bu Eunseol had continuously unfolded Harmony, breaking the formation spread around the Bodhi Cave.
"Block him!"
Gongmyeong shouted urgently, but Bu Eunseol's figure had already vanished without a trace.
"Who on earth is that man."
The light that poured down just now was clearly Infinite Power, not martial arts.
To think there was someone who not only disguised himself as the Martial Soul Command Lord but could also perfectly mimic his martial prowess?
Who on earth could it be?
"Confusing."
Gongmyeong shook his head.
It felt as if he had just had a terrible nightmare.
"He won't be able to escape anyway."
Shaolin had suffered countless foreign invasions over generations, and based on that experience, they had built a perfect siege network and formations around the Mount Song area.
From the moment the Martial Soul Command Lord appeared, an absolute formation and a heavy siege network from which not even a single ant could escape were activated across the entire mountain.
Even if he were an immortal flying through the sky, escaping this place was absolutely impossible.
* * *
Swish.
On a night where darkness had fallen, there was a shadow swiftly moving through the Shaolin temple grounds.
Inside, warrior monks were standing strict guard, but the shadow moved like a phantom, traversing here and there.
It was none other than Bu Eunseol.
'Fortunately, I arrived right on time.'
He had not left Shaolin.
Instead, he had used the chaos to penetrate into the temple grounds.
The visit of the new Martial Soul Command Lord. And the chaos.
Because that was part of the plan he had designed in advance.
'Not just the Shaolin Abbot, but even if the Heavenly Demon Emperor came, they wouldn't find traces of a disguise.'
Bu Eunseol smiled triumphantly.
'Because Hall Master Baek is also a figure of the Sacred Domain. He would be able to use the secret art of darkness.'
From the start, Bu Eunseol had.
Ever since he heard there was a sacred object in Shaolin, he had foreseen a situation like this.
'Until now, Shaolin has maintained tracks that are too strange to be called the Mount Tai and the Big Dipper of the martial world.'
Shaolin had consistently failed to step forward during the mishaps of the martial world.
And practically, its head, the Buddha Venerable, was instead raising troops in the shadows using bizarre grand methods just like the abyssal forces.
Also, the current Shaolin was said to be transformed into a den of demons where dragons and tigers crouched, to the point it could be called a miniature Martial Alliance.
If he clumsily attempted to infiltrate, he would instead be discovered or face a backlash.
―I have one more favor to ask.
From the moment Bu Eunseol heard there was a sacred object in Shaolin, he had formed a plan to enter the place.
And in preparation for when Shaolin used wicked tricks, he had asked Baek Jeoncheon for one favor.
―I want you to visit Shaolin leading troops, taking on my appearance.
If Baek Jeoncheon determinedly played the role of Bu Eunseol? Even the Shaolin Abbot could not figure out his true identity.
And Bu Eunseol had deeply infiltrated the Shaolin grounds using the chaos of the time he visited.
'From Shaolin's perspective, they must be jumping mad.'
They had clearly confirmed that the Bu Eunseol who came to the Bodhi Cave was the real one and had dug a confident trap.
But for the real Martial Soul Command Lord to come leading a large army, demanding they hand over the person impersonating him?
'This brilliant scheme was the only way to infiltrate Shaolin.'
Right now, Shaolin was facing a formidable enemy: the Martial Soul Command Lord who had come leading a large army.
Also, because the intruder who killed Gonghye at the Bodhi Cave had fled and they were tracking him down.
There were almost no powerful masters within the grounds.
Thanks to that, Bu Eunseol was able to safely infiltrate deep into the heart of Shaolin.
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