Clench.
As Bu Eunseol tightened his grip, Pahon snorted.
"Are you perhaps thinking of subjugating me by force? It's useless."
Pahon spoke forcefully once again.
"If your strength were intact, it might be a different story, but right now, you cannot face me."
He spoke playfully, as if playing a fun game.
"Even if you take me down and threaten me, it's the same. There is nothing other than those two choices."
In truth, countless secret methods capable of breaking Pahon's proposal were floating in Bu Eunseol's mind.
But he soon shook his head.
If Pahon was a person who was that evil and played with the lives of others?
Even if he said he would cure his body, those words couldn't be trusted.
Rather, it would be more likely that he would use a secret scheme to purposely ruin his body, or wouldn't keep the promise in the first place.
"I see."
Ssk.
Releasing the strength in his hand, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
And without hesitation, he turned around and exited the underground cavern.
"Are you leaving?"
Pahon said toward Bu Eunseol as he turned away.
"Because you lack the confidence to make a choice? Or because you don't want to become an evil human?"
Halt.
Bu Eunseol, stopping his steps for a moment,
"As if creating a forest of spirit creatures and watching the lives and deaths of humans like a god wasn't enough..."
He sighed and spoke in a low voice.
"You expect me to believe the proposal of a person who wagers the lives of others and thinks of them as amusement?"
Turning his head, a cold light of disdain appeared in his eyes.
"Since you haven't touched me yet and haven't caused harm to the other wanderers, I won't kill you."
And he warned in a stern voice.
"But if you cause harm from now on, I will absolutely not let you off."
"Are you going to give up treatment just to protect something like your pride?"
Pahon wore a leisurely expression.
"No matter how many eccentric extraordinary people there are under heaven, I am the only one in the world who can cure your body."
Those words were by no means nonsense.
If an outstanding physician or expert could cure Bu Eunseol's body?
It would have ended at Dali's level.
She absolutely wouldn't have recommended he seek out Pahon, who was thousands of miles away.
"Does it seem like a lie?"
"No, I believe you."
Bu Eunseol turned his body again.
"It's just that I won't make a deal with someone who makes a dirty proposal."
Leaving that single sentence behind, Bu Eunseol.
Left the underground cavern without looking back.
If he had let himself be dragged around by someone who thought of human lives as amusement? He would have become a cold corpse buried in the ground long ago.
Exiting the great cavern, Bu Eunseol eventually reached the place where the spirit creatures had established their territory.
However, the spirit creatures that had been here were already all gone.
But right then,
Rumble.
Suddenly, the underground cavern vibrated, and
The king of spirit creatures, who had not revealed its appearance until now.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede revealed its massive body and blocked Bu Eunseol's path.
"Step aside. I don't want to kill you."
The Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede was the dream and hope of these Jiaozhi wanderers.
If he were to cut it down?
The dreams of countless wanderers would disappear.
Rumble.
But it was strange.
The massive Black Centipede, reaching dozens of jang in length, was merely standing still blocking the path as if attending him, wasn't it?
[Only I can cure your body.]
Then, astonishingly, the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede spoke like a human.
With Pahon's voice, that is.
"Are you surprised?"
At that moment, Pahon walked over soundlessly from behind.
When he tilted his head, the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede also tilted its head in tandem with his movement.
"Could it be."
"That's right."
Pahon, looking at Bu Eunseol whose eyes were wide with surprise, spoke in a low voice.
"The Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede is connected to me."
The king of spirit creatures that had made this barren Jiaozhi abundant, the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede.
It was none other than Pahon's avatar.
"Is it because of the Secret Art of the True Demon."
"You could say that."
Pahon changed the subject as if he didn't want to go into a deep conversation about it.
"And your body can only be cured with this Black Centipede's inner core."
Bu Eunseol wore a surprised expression.
Didn't this mean that only by Pahon dying could his body be restored?
"And you described me as a god who plays with the lives of wanderers and watches from the sidelines, but..."
Pahon wore a lonely expression.
"It's actually the opposite. Under the grand pretext of being the king of spirit creatures, I have been chased and chased by people my entire life."
He continued speaking calmly.
"The forest of spirit creatures isn't made, but rather, because the Black Centipede is there, it becomes a territory where spirit creatures can live."
When the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede appeared, spirit creatures gathered around it.
And everyone flocked to the territory to hunt the spirit creatures, ultimately desiring the blood and flesh of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede.
In the end, Pahon wasn't playing with people.
Rather, he was in a position where he had to evade their attacks to survive.
"Why are you telling me this."
"Because in all my life, I have never seen a person like you."
He had made Bu Eunseol choose whether to recover his martial arts, which were like his life.
Or to save the lives of the wanderers.
But he chose neither.
Because it was an unjust proposal.
"Humans always only weigh their gains and losses. They don't weigh whether it's right or wrong."
Pahon said.
"And people with outstanding wisdom formulate new plans to break those disadvantageous proposals."
"..."
"In the end, humans try not to take a loss. Always."
Rejecting another's proposal is not difficult.
But what if it concerned one's own life? What if it was a very grave matter?
No one would reject a proposal just because it was unreasonable or because it was wrong.
But Bu Eunseol, heedless even of his own life, had rejected a proposal he deemed unjust.
"You certainly possess the qualifications to have the inner core."
Pahon put his hand into his own chest.
Drip, drip.
Red, fresh blood was gushing out from the pierced area.
Crack, crack.
At the same time, the center of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede's body split open, and blood began to flow.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Before long, a fist-sized orb resembling a beating heart, glowing with an orange light, was seen there.
It was the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede.
"This inner core, formed over ten thousand years, possesses the power of Primal Chaos, so not only can it annihilate the clashing forces... but in the distant future, it will become the foundation allowing you to use the Two Great Powers intermingled in your body."
Bu Eunseol's eyes wavered.
It wasn't because he had sensed the Profound Divine Technique Qi and the Soul Demon Dharma Energy inherent in his body just by grasping his pulse.
He had realized that in the end, to cure his body, he had to cut off his life.
"I don't need it."
Bu Eunseol, having grasped the entire situation.
Corrected his cold tone and expression, and stopped Pahon with a polite motion.
"Please don't do this."
Even if he were to die right now.
He had no intention of continuing his life based on another's life.
"There is no need to refuse."
Pahon spoke calmly.
"It's a life that didn't have much time left anyway. I'm repaying the debt I owe Dali."
"What do you mean, you didn't have much time left?"
"Originally, the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede absolutely never appears in front of people."
Pahon smiled.
"However, it appears when it is time to die. To choose the person who will bring death to it."
Dali had sent Bu Eunseol knowing that Pahon didn't have much time left...
Because she knew he was a suitable person to decorate his final moments.
"Please give my flesh and blood to the people of the Thunder Strike Team first."
Pahon smiled.
"Because they are all good people, unlike Jiaozhi wanderers."
The reason he joined the Thunder Strike Team too.
It was because, unlike the fierce wanderers of Jiaozhi, they were affectionate and good people.
"I see."
Bu Eunseol finally realized why Pahon had refused to rise to the Three Attendants.
He had seen the ugly sides of people more than anyone else.
But on the other hand, he deeply understood the good sides of humans just as much.
'Rather than living a life assisting the True Demon, reigning over humans and presiding over everything... you chose your own life.'
Bu Eunseol wore a solemn expression.
Only now did he realize what a noble character Pahon possessed.
"You probably think all the vassals of the True Demon are evil beings, but."
Pahon showed a self-deprecating smile.
"There are also pitiful souls like me who couldn't defy the torrent of fate."
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Even Dali couldn't coldly kill him and was defying the fate of being Pasun, wasn't she?
In the end, the view that all the vassals of the True Demon were evil was a prejudice built up through traveling the martial world.
"Where is Dali?"
Bu Eunseol spoke with a pained expression.
"She used her power to cure me and suddenly left."
"Dali is the Master of the Underworld. But if she leaves the Underworld, she becomes one who must be chased by them."
Pahon's eyes grew dim.
"Look for the pursuers of the Underworld. Then you will be able to see her someday."
"Pursuers of the Underworld."
It was his first time hearing of the place called the Underworld itself.
But Bu Eunseol memorized that name. And he made up his mind that he would absolutely find that place.
Drip, drip.
At that moment, blood flowed from the corner of Pahon's mouth.
"Hurry and take it."
Since he had taken out the inner core, his life force was slowly fading away.
"If you don't, my death will be in vain."
"Thank you."
Bu Eunseol politely expressed his respects and offered a sincere apology.
"I sincerely apologize for speaking so harshly to you without knowing the circumstances."
Even so, he couldn't bring himself to readily snatch the inner core, which could be called Pahon's life.
"It's alright."
Pahon laughed.
"Receiving your command and charging together, breaking through the encirclement of the spirit creatures, was very enjoyable."
He beamed.
"I too had days when I was a powerless wanderer. And back then, we joined forces, helping each other to survive."
A joyful smile hung on the corners of Pahon's mouth.
"And I wanted to see the wanderers of Jiaozhi gathering their strength like that at least once."
Pahon, when Bu Eunseol didn't recklessly use his power.
But commanded and encouraged them like an ordinary wanderer, joining forces to overcome the crisis together...
He grasped what path he pursued.
And what kind of nature he possessed, and willingly revealed himself.
"Thanks to you, I'm making one good memory at the end before I go."
Before he knew it, Pahon's eyes were twinkling like a shattered jewel.
"In return, I will help you find what you lost."
"What I lost."
"I mean the vanished personality."
Pahon, one who looked into and destroyed souls.
He had seen through at a glance into Bu Eunseol's abyss.
That the personality of Baekri Geomha had disappeared without a trace.
'Did the words about recovering what was lost mean the personality of Baekri Geomha.'
Just as Bu Eunseol was deep in thought,
"That personality hasn't been annihilated, but is trapped in a maze he created himself."
Pahon said in a calm voice.
"A personality is like a craftsman who is constantly making something. And sometimes, without even realizing it, they build a wall that traps themselves."
He told him the solution to recover Baekri Geomha.
"Return to the place the lost personality considers most precious. And if you recreate the emotions and experiences of that time... you will be able to tear down the wall the personality created."
'Saha Manor.'
Hearing those words, Bu Eunseol was immediately able to figure out how to bring back the personality of Baekri Geomha.
'The memories of practicing the Emperor's Step were shared with Baekri Geomha.'
Recently, Bu Eunseol was able to recover the memory of practicing martial arts with his father from Baekri Geomha's memories.
What if he returned to the place where Saha Manor was? And recreated the emotions and experiences of that time?
He could summon Baekri Geomha, who was trapped in the wall he created himself.
"I have no time now."
In the meantime, Pahon's complexion had grown pale, and blood was flowing from his mouth.
"Please hurry and take it."
He held out the inner core he was holding and cracked a joke.
"I think my arm is going to fall off."
Even words of gratitude were insufficient.
Bu Eunseol expressed a deep bow and carefully received it.
Srrrr.
At that, the inner core was slowly absorbed through the center of his palm.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
At the same time, the underground cavern began to shake violently.
As Pahon's life force ran out, the underground cavern itself, which had been created by his power, was about to collapse.
"You absolutely don't need to feel sorry."
Pahon shook his head as if he had read Bu Eunseol's pained heart.
"It was a life that would end in ten years at most. Or as early as three years, anyway."
Pahon had long transcended life and death, and was looking for a place to die.
To die while saving a person like Bu Eunseol was good fortune for him too.
Bow.
Bu Eunseol once again bent his waist and expressed deep respect.
If it were an ordinary person, even if it were three days instead of three years, they would try to prolong their life further.
But Pahon unsparingly gave his remaining life force, his flesh and blood.
That was absolutely not an easy feat even for an enlightened high monk.
"I hope you achieve your intended purpose."
Pahon turned his body without hesitation.
That figure resembled the retreating figure of Dali, who had saved him and suddenly left the other day.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The underground cavern was not collapsing, but rather rising to the surface.
That was the last consideration for the wanderers.
Pahon's final consideration to give them his flesh and blood.
"What kind of debt did you owe Dali?"
Bu Eunseol threw the question he hadn't managed to ask.
"That is..."
Like that, Pahon and Bu Eunseol conversed for a while before going up to the surface.
Vrrrrrr.
At that time, a great vibration occurred in Bu Eunseol's body.
'The shedding of the mortal body and exchanging of bones is...'
Due to the absorbed spiritual energy of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede, the shedding of the mortal body and exchanging of bones was about to begin once again.
'No, I can't.'
Bu Eunseol had already gone through the shedding of the mortal body and exchanging of bones twice.
And if he were to undergo the shedding of the mortal body and exchanging of bones a third time?
His body would be completely purified.
Becoming like a Taoist who had long cut off grain and cultivated the Taoist Secret Arts.
If that happened, even though he might build up immense martial prowess, his thirst for revenge might fade, and he might lose his purpose.
Zing, zing.
In the end, Bu Eunseol didn't accept the power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede, but began to accumulate it.
With the secret method he obtained from Gongsun Dan-a, he was making that spiritual energy into a tangible inner core.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The moment Pahon's back completely disappeared into the darkness, Bu Eunseol staggered from a heavy vibration rising from under his feet.
It wasn't a simple shake.
As if a massive creature was waking up from beneath the earth, the entire underground cavern became a single massive plate and began moving upward.
Rumble, rumble!
Dust and pebbles poured down from the ceiling.
Cutting through the damp and fishy air unique to a cave, the unpleasant friction sound of rock beds grinding against each other echoed everywhere.
The walls of the underground cavern, which had been submerged in darkness, were slowly being pushed up.
Crack, crash!
Spiderweb-like cracks spread out in various places on the rock walls that couldn't withstand the pressure of rising.
Presently, the weakest part of the ceiling cracked open with a pop, and a single thin ray of light cut through the darkness.
Before long, the dust powder disappeared, and a single ray of light shone upon the corpse of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede.
The red bodily fluid smeared on the black, hard carapace gleamed as it caught the light.
The ray of light soon increased to dozens, hundreds.
The sound of the ceiling splitting gradually turned into a massive roar.
And finally,
Booooooom!
The final stratum blocking overhead opened like a massive lid and shattered.
Blinding white light poured down like a waterfall.
Bu Eunseol unknowingly covered his face with his arm.
Because his eyes, which had been accustomed to the darkness for a long time, hurt as if they were tearing.
Instead of the musty dust and the smell of blood, the fresh scent of grass and a clear breeze pierced his lungs.
The cold air of the underground instantly disappeared, and the warmth of the bright sunlight touched his skin.
When the vibration stopped and everything became quiet, Bu Eunseol slowly lowered his arm.
He had come back up to the forest of spirit creatures where the wanderers were.
Trickle.
Bu Eunseol, unfurling the Secret Art of Darkness, once again disguised his face as an ordinary wanderer.
―'What is that sound?'
Rumble, rumble.
Meanwhile, the wanderers at the center heard the sound and began running over.
―'Ugh.'
Seeing the massive majesty of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede fully revealed under the sunlight, they let out exclamations of shock.
The appearance of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede fully revealed under the sun was much more massive and overwhelming than what they had seen before.
Pahon's final gift.
He had made it so the Jiaozhi wanderers could take the blood and flesh they so desperately desired.
"It is a gift from Wolyeong."
Bu Eunseol handed them three bundles with a pained expression.
It was the spirit medicine of flesh and blood Pahon had yielded himself to give to them.
"Wolyeong?"
"He fought the Black Centipede with me until the very end. Because of him, all the spirit creatures here have disappeared."
Jeong Jinbang, Beonrang, and Geumhwa all wore dazed expressions.
"Are you saying Wolyeong died?"
Bu Eunseol nodded with a pained expression.
They had the bundles containing the blood and flesh of the Ten-Thousand-Year Black Centipede, said to be more precious than a thousand pieces of gold, right in front of their eyes, but.
No one showed a happy expression, and no one thought of taking it.
―'What kind of debt do you owe Dali?'
The moment the underground cavern collapsed, Bu Eunseol recalled the conversation he had had with Pahon via telepathy.
―'Actually, the one Pamyeong tried to kill wasn't the Venerable Lord, but me first.'
Pahon laughed.
―'But she put her life on the line and blocked him for me. And allowed me to escape the shackles of the Three Attendants.'
―'What on earth is the entity known as the Three Attendants?'
Pahon said in a low voice.
―'From the very beginning, they were the people who underwent reincarnation alongside the Venerable Lord.'
Although we have no memories of it, of course.
And he left his final words.
―'But that deep connection will also end in this generation, it seems.'
Bu Eunseol had a strange thought.
Pahon seemed to have reached enlightenment about everything.
Was he seeing a different world in his eyes? Or did he hear something from the True Demon?
One thing was certain.
That the conclusion was not far off now.
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