The end of the chain connected to his hand was broken, and its length was also very short.
Sssk.
Moreover, its ghost-like, shimmering form was constantly changing shapes depending on the angle.
'This is.'
In that instant, a bizarre thought flashed through Bu Eunseol's mind.
Because the movement of that constantly shape-shifting chain seemed somewhat similar to the trajectory of the Wishful True Binding manifested by the Emotion-Severing Secret.
'Could it be.'
After pondering for a moment, Bu Eunseol drew upon the dharma method of the Emotion-Severing Secret. Then, his spirit instantly became desolate, and his emotions disappeared.
He had entered the Demonic Path where there was neither joy nor sorrow.
Trickle.
Suddenly, a cold and refined energy seemed to flow along his arm.
Just as if unfolding the Wishful True Binding.
As Bu Eunseol tried to control that energy with the Emotion-Severing Secret,
Clink!
The illusion-like chain let out a clear and crisp sound, just like a real chain.
Squeeze.
As he stroked the chain connected to his palm, a cool sensation was felt.
A cold and hard texture, a heavy sense of weight.
It had perfectly materialized, just like a chain made of real iron.
"This can't be."
When the Emotion-Severing Secret was halted, the chain became a transparent thread again and disappeared into his palm.
"This is not a coincidence."
Bu Eunseol felt dizzy.
The Emotion-Severing Secret.
The true purpose of the secret technique that he had considered merely the exclusive secret art of the Heavenly Demon Emperor... was actually the key to manifesting the divine authority of the True Demon, the Chains of Samsara, into reality.
"Let's calm down."
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
"Does this mean Sado Muryeong is the True Demon?"
It was no exaggeration to say that what defines the existence known as the True Demon is the Chains of Samsara.
The two are an inseparable single origin that define each other.
What if the Heavenly Demon Emperor was the True Demon?
There would be no need for him to go out of his way to create a secret technique to manifest the Chains of Samsara.
"Then is Sado Muryeong aiming for the Chains of Samsara?"
However, there is a contradiction in this assumption as well.
If he desperately desired the Chains of Samsara?
He absolutely must not pass on the secret technique that allows one to materialize and possess the chain to others.
Then, the third assumption.
The Heavenly Demon Emperor intentionally passed on the Emotion-Severing Secret to outstanding individuals, and once those chains gathered, he might be planning to absorb them all at once.
"This is the most reasonable deduction at present. However."
For this deduction to hold up, the chain would have had to be separated from the True Demon's body and divided long ago.
And the secret technique to materialize it would have been researched for a long time.
But if that was the case, the timeline would not align at all with the True Demon's memories he had seen within Naria's spirit.
"However, the Absolute Demonic Blade project is established just by the existence of a dharma method that materializes the chain."
The ultimate goal of the Absolute Demonic Blade project was research on whether an ordinary human could use the chain.
In other words, this Emotion-Severing Secret was not created by the Heavenly Demon Emperor, but was already completed a long time ago.
"If so..."
The Chains of Samsara were an intangible force and divine authority.
Since it had been materialized through the Emotion-Severing Secret, it could be severed, and the one who carried that out...
"Grandfather."
As far as he knew, the last person to possess the chain was his grandfather Bu Zhanyang, who had been selected for the Absolute Demonic Blade project.
"If so, was Mok Do-in also someone who knew Grandfather?"
To personally store a ghost-artifact that would be unsettling even if stored directly in the Sacred Domain?
If this was truly the Chains of Samsara?
It was something that should absolutely never be stored in Mok Do-in's office. Could he perhaps have been asked by Grandfather?
Rumble.
Bu Eunseol tried to close the heavy iron coffin door again.
But at that moment, he discovered something attached to the inside of the door.
It was a small letter.
―'I will definitely return as the successor of the Sacred Domain.'
"Successor of the Sacred Domain."
He had been Ji Shuryeon's lover, and was expected to be Jin Seol's father.
But to think he and Mok Do-in had been keeping in touch with each other?
Perhaps the successor of the Sacred Domain had also been storing a part of the fragmented chain.
And he might have asked Mok Do-in to store it for him again.
For no one would ever be able to imagine that, in the office within the Solitary Enlightenment Hall, the most heavily guarded place in the Martial Alliance, there was a barrier that only those who could use the Secret Art of Darkness could enter.
'In other words, the Chains of Samsara are scattered, and someone is individually storing each piece.'
This was the final conclusion he could make right now.
"Too much time has been delayed."
Coming back outside, he checked the Solitary Enlightenment Hall by imitating Mok Do-in, and quickly slipped out of the Martial Alliance.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Martial Venerable, who had returned from the Solitary Enlightenment Hall to his office in the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, sat at the table.
After reading down the piled-up letters for a long time, as if something crossed his mind, he stared into empty space and shook his head side to side.
"What a strange matter. No matter how much it is the Sacred Domain..."
Although the Sacred Domain was said to have eyes and ears all over the martial world, to send a figure to replace the Hidden Forest Pavilion Lord this quickly?
"Moreover, the investigation into the truth hasn't even concluded yet."
Sitting at the table, the Martial Venerable nodded his head faintly and muttered.
"I absolutely must not underestimate the Sacred Domain."
In order to perfectly imitate that person, one must observe them for a long time and converse with them face-to-face.
No matter if one had the Secret Art of Darkness... to create, in such a short time, someone with the exact same habits, presence, manner of speech, and atmosphere as Mok Do-in?
That was definitely not something that could be done in a short period.
"I will have to manipulate this figure from the Sacred Domain well."
Shaking his head, the Martial Venerable began to read down the piled-up letters one by one.
Since he too was planning and carrying out various grand schemes, he was operating various secret intelligence organizations.
The current martial world could truly be called an intelligence war.
If one was not well-versed in the news of all walks of life, it was a situation where one did not know when or where they might stumble.
Knock, knock.
At that time, along with the sound of knocking on the door, the voice of a member of the Azure Thunder Department, the intelligence unit directly under the Alliance Leader, was heard.
"Alliance Leader. It is Hwigyeom."
"What is the matter."
"The investigation team dispatched from the Sacred Domain has just arrived."
'What?'
Jolt.
The Martial Venerable sprang up from his seat as if bouncing, his eyes going wide.
He only realized now that he had been tricked.
Bang!
The Martial Venerable, who left the Martial Alliance with his movement technique, soared to the ends of the sky with the Land Flight Technique.
He soared up to where the clouds could be seen, but the escaping person was not visible.
'Have they already escaped Henan?'
Hesitating for a moment, he bit his lip.
'Mix the Golden Immortal True Qi, so that the Soul Demon Dharma Energy cannot be tracked.'
Billow, billow.
In an instant, black mist spread from the Martial Venerable's entire body, and a black-stained demon-god idol rose in the sky.
In order to catch the escaping person, he had opened the power of the Martial God Heaven, and even the power he had stolen from the Heavenly Emperor.
Whoooosh.
Then, he could capture a faint sound of tearing air spreading from hundreds of li away.
'They only crawled out now after doing whatever they did at the Solitary Enlightenment Hall.'
To not have escaped the Henan border yet despite such a fast speed meant that it hadn't been long since the person pretending to be Mok Do-in left the Martial Alliance.
From his perspective, it was an extreme stroke of luck.
'I got you!'
Ruuumble.
At that moment, the demon-god idol floating in the sky was instantly absorbed into the Martial Venerable's body.
It was impossible to catch up to a supreme master of movement techniques of that level from this distance.
He intended to use the power of the Martial God Heaven, which freely dominated space, to pursue.
C-c-craaack.
As he absorbed the demon-god idol, red cracks occurred on the Martial Venerable's skin.
At the same time, black energy surged from his pupils,
Swaaaa.
The sky was being dyed pitch-black.
* * *
Whoooosh.
Bu Eunseol, who was escaping Henan with all his power by unfolding his movement technique,
Ruuumble.
Discovered the sky suddenly being dyed pitch-black like ink along with the sound of thunder.
'Could it be.'
Flash!
From the pitch-black sky, a single streak of sharp qi abruptly poured toward the point between his brows.
Paaat!
As he quickly twisted his body to dodge,
Rumble, rumble.
The grazing qi completely destroyed a mountain ridge far away. It was a terrifying power that was hard to believe even after seeing it with his own eyes.
Bzzzt.
Meanwhile, a black whirlpool began spreading around the ground where Bu Eunseol was running.
'What is this now.'
A bizarre energy was felt from the black whirlpool.
It was a strange property, different from the supernatural powers or dharma arts he had encountered so far.
'What is certain is that this is not martial arts.'
The black whirlwind rising from the ground had not only suddenly reduced Bu Eunseol's qinggong speed by half, but was making his movements endlessly slow, as if he were underwater.
Swaaaesh!
Meanwhile, along with the sound of the sky tearing from behind his back, a pure white shadow appeared head-on.
It was precisely the Martial Venerable.
"You were here."
The Martial Venerable's skin was cracked, and a bizarre power was undulating across his entire body.
'The Martial Venerable, he unfolded a dharma art.'
He was known to be the most well-versed in the martial arts of all sects under heaven.
Moreover, since he had even hidden his own secret treasury using a barrier... it was perhaps a matter of course that he was well-versed in dharma arts.
"To dare deceive this Alliance Leader."
From the entire body of the Martial Venerable glaring at Bu Eunseol, pure white killing intent was spreading out like a haze.
"Who on earth are you!"
Paaat!
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol exploded his internal energy and shot up into the sky like a bullet.
Vwooom.
However, before he knew it, a massive wall was blocking his front.
The Martial Venerable had not only pursued him by unfolding a dharma art, but had also unfolded the Golden Lock Formation Studies, which was similar to a life-and-death battle formation, in the meantime.
"Seeing that you are not thoroughly grasping the affairs of the Sacred Domain... you are not a figure from there."
The Martial Venerable said while looking down at Bu Eunseol as if he could not understand.
"How did you learn the secret art of the Sacred Domain?"
'It seems a figure from the Sacred Domain has come to the Martial Alliance.'
Bu Eunseol was able to grasp that shortly after he left, a figure from the Sacred Domain had arrived at the Martial Alliance.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have said the words 'not thoroughly grasping the affairs of the Sacred Domain'.
"This Domain has complicated circumstances."
Having grasped the situation, Bu Eunseol bluffed with a calm expression.
"This old man merely came to the Solitary Enlightenment Hall for a brief investigation. I had no intention of deceiving you."
"Hehehehe. Nonsense."
The Martial Venerable harbored a cold sneer.
"Do I look like a petty soldier?"
"..."
"Right. What use are such questions."
A mysterious radiance was flowing on the face of the Martial Venerable floating in empty space.
"I can just kill you immediately and fillet you to find out."
"Are you saying you will make an enemy of this Domain?"
"You really have a lot of nerve. To still try acting as a disciple of the Sacred Domain in front of me."
"Are you truly saying you will engage in a life-and-death duel?"
At Bu Eunseol's words, a blade-like radiance shot up from the Martial Venerable's pupils.
"You should have been prepared for that much when you deceived me!"
As he extended his hand, not a martial art, nor a dharma art, nor a supernatural power.
An extremely heterogeneous and overwhelming wave, as if twisting the logic of the world, poured out.
'I absolutely must not reveal my identity.'
Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
What if he happened to use true martial arts?
Not only would his identity be exposed immediately, but it would also be known that he possessed the Secret Art of Darkness.
If that happened, not only would he be unable to grasp the future trends of the Martial Alliance, it would also cause a huge disruption to the grand scheme he was completing step by step.
Such a thing absolutely must not happen.
'But I cannot pierce through this at once.'
The Golden Lock Formation Studies spread in all directions was far more complicated and precise than even the life-and-death battle formation, at a level that could not be escaped without unleashing Harmony.
"There is no need to rack your brain from now on."
Pure white energy surged from the Martial Venerable's body, and soon began gathering in his fist.
"Because when it's time to die, you will smoothly blab everything on your own."
Boooom!
That energy transformed into a streak of lightning and dug into Bu Eunseol's heart.
One of the Martial Venerable's specialties, the Dividing Thunder Hand, had been unfolded.
Ziiiing.
The moment the sharp hand aura touched his body,
Whirl. Fwip-fwip!
Bu Eunseol began shaking his body dizzyingly like a madman.
The Martial Venerable was the figure who had learned and mastered the most extensive martial arts under heaven.
Rather than clumsily hiding his true martial arts, unfolding unpredictable techniques that used only instincts and senses created on the spot could hide his identity more safely.
Pat-pat-pat-pat!
Every time he shook his body dizzyingly with movements akin to a desperate struggle, the hand aura of the Dividing Thunder Hand sliced empty air in vain.
"Hmph."
The Martial Venerable snorted.
"Doing useless tricks."
He had already seen through Bu Eunseol's inner thoughts of holding out by deliberately not unfolding true martial arts.
"Let's see how long you can go without using true martial arts."
The Martial Venerable was a great grandmaster proficient in all martial arts under heaven.
No matter how much one hid their true martial arts and moved irregularly, seeing through the Origin Path of the martial arts embedded within it was only a matter of time.
Swish! Swish, swish, swish!
However, Bu Eunseol was also at a level where no one could match the depth of his true martial arts among the younger generation.
So that his internal energy could absolutely not be grasped, he threw away the logic of all the martial arts he possessed and dodged the attacks while shaking his body madly.
"You bastard!"
When the greatly enraged Martial Venerable shot out hand aura matching those movements,
Ziiiing!
Bu Eunseol, who had created a sword of energy by drawing up his internal energy, poured out a massive sword aura like an arrow with immense internal energy, along with the profound principle of Formless Defeating Form, to block the Dividing Thunder Hand's aura.
"You are not a figure from the Sacred Domain."
The Martial Venerable not only saw that Bu Eunseol's martial arts were very high, but realized that the arts he was using had no relation whatsoever to the Sacred Domain, and his eyes flashed.
"You dare try to conceal your martial arts while knowing who I am?"
Unable to grasp the origin of the martial arts at all, the Martial Venerable rather raised the corners of his mouth as if he was interested.
"Good. I will properly figure you out once."
In an instant, the world reflected in Bu Eunseol's eyes twisted.
As his gaze met the Martial Venerable's, the surrounding scenery began to faintly disappear.
The secret art of the Originless Returning Sect, which had been called a holy land of the martial world in the past... Mind Observation, Spiritual Mind Silent Manifestation, had been unfolded.
Because this secret art does not invade the spirit, but sees through what constitutes the form of the spirit.
No matter how great a barrier of spirit a person has, the origin of whether they are orthodox or demonic is bound to be exposed immediately.
"Even a figure from the Sacred Domain cannot block this."
Around the time the Martial Venerable harbored a confident smile,
Swaaa.
In Bu Eunseol's consciousness, a bottomlessly deep abyssal hole instantly swallowed the power of the secret art.
Baekri Geomha had disappeared into the abyss, but to prepare for when Bu Eunseol could not block spiritual attacks in his absence, he had created an endlessly deep hole in that spot.
Thanks to that, the secret art of the Originless Returning Sect was helplessly sucked into the hole in an instant, leaving not even a trace to be found.
"Spiritual Mind Silent Manifestation does not work?"
The Martial Venerable's eyes went wide.
No matter how great he was, he could not have even imagined that Bu Eunseol's other personality would have created a massive hole in his spirit.
As the secret art that not even the Heavenly Demon Emperor could defend against disappeared, his expression hardened stiffly.
"Alright."
The flash of surprise lasted only a moment.
A brutal killing intent flowed out from the Martial Venerable's entire body.
"You need at least that much skill for this to be entertaining."
Along with a low muttering, a booming explosion spread out, the sky disappeared, and the world was submerged in pitch-black darkness.
In that darkness, ominous sounds like the wailing of vengeful spirits echoed from all directions.
"If you block this, you will be able to return alive."
As the Martial Venerable lightly extended his hand toward empty space,
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
A cluster of light from qi arts, where heterogeneous power and internal true qi were mixed, was generated.
Ziiiing.
Finally, as it condensed into a small spherical shape,
Screee!
Along with a bizarre sound of tearing air, it split into dozens of strands like a swarm of living venomous snakes and shot explosively toward Bu Eunseol.
'This is.'
What the Martial Venerable shot out was not a simple qi art.
It was as if each and every strand was an avatar harboring the Martial Venerable's will.
Some tried to pierce like a spear, some tried to slice like a saber, and another tried to crush like a fist.
Each containing different profound martial principles, they achieved perfect harmony with each other, completely blocking all of Bu Eunseol's retreat paths.
Vwoom!
Bu Eunseol created a sword of energy once again and countered the raining beams of qi art.
Paaat! Paaaaat!
As the sword aura and qi art collided, along with a rupturing sound like light exploding, a wave that shook heaven and earth spread out like concentric circles.
'Kugh.'
Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow.
No matter how much he struck them with immense power, they were not extinguished.
Because they contained profound martial principles, even a moment of carelessness was leaving long wounds on his body.
'This is not the Martial Venerable's true skill.'
The qi martial arts he was unfolding went beyond the boundaries of martial arts, and were closer to an extremely ominous and heterogeneous supernatural power.
Slash!
As his defense crumbled slightly, dozens of beams of light that flew in before he could even dodge pierced Bu Eunseol's acupoints and dug into his flesh.
Ziiiing.
As he was struck as if grazed by light, Bu Eunseol's body shook slightly.
Like Jeong Myeong's Tathagata true energy in the past, each and every beam of light contained an energy that caused the power within the body to clash.
'He was already suspecting it was me.'
There was no way a figure like the Martial Venerable would coincidentally shoot out qi arts that caused a clash of power.
He had intentionally unfolded these martial arts, keeping in mind the possibility that the person in front of him might be Bu Eunseol.
'Unfolding the Martial Mist and Waves will not work either.'
Tremble, tremble.
At the moment when Bu Eunseol's body, which was uncontrollably shaking after being struck by the qi art, was about to burst,
Crack.
Suddenly, the sound of bones echoed, and soon his body returned to normal.
Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art.
He had neutralized the technique that caused the power within the body to clash, and unfolded the mind art that led chaos to order.
Flash! Swaaaesh!
In that instant, the Martial Venerable's body transformed into a single sword and rushed toward Bu Eunseol.
Not missing the microscopic flaw when the Inverse Phase Qi Fusion Art was unfolded, he had unfolded sword-body unity.
'Merely sword-body unity?'
Sword-body unity could be unfolded by any master who had entered the transcendent realm, and because it was a method of shooting out the physical body itself, it demonstrated tremendous power but revealed a massive flaw.
Of course, since an absolute master like the Martial Venerable had unfolded sword-body unity, its extreme speed was like a flash of lightning, making it an extremely difficult technique to evade... but that was still all it was.
―'If you block this, you will be able to return alive!'
For a figure like the Martial Venerable to make such a guarantee, it was a somewhat absurd move.
Whirl.
Bu Eunseol, who could not unfold Swift Beyond Shadow, unfolded the technique of Crazy Dragon Turning Body, violently spinning his body in midair like a top.
Flash!
The Martial Venerable, who became a streak of flash, brushed past as if passing through Bu Eunseol's body.
"I got you."
At that time, the Martial Venerable's low voice echoed.
Thump.
At the same time, Bu Eunseol, who had been floating in empty space, fell powerlessly to the ground.
Bu Eunseol, who landed on the ground, was like a puppet with cut strings.
It was as if the energy in his entire body had instantly drained out, and he couldn't put strength into his limbs.
It was a strange thing.
Clearly, the Martial Venerable's sword-body unity had been fast and incredible like lightning, but Bu Eunseol had let all the physical force flow away with the technique of Crazy Dragon Turning Body.
So why had he suffered deep internal injuries?
Swoosh.
At that time, the Martial Venerable with a cold gaze descended in front of Bu Eunseol.
"Incredible."
His face contained both the composure of a victor and a sneering gaze.
"If it were an ordinary martial artist, their entire body would have burned black on the spot and turned to ash."
Sizzle.
Along with white smoke, an indescribable severe pain was felt from the wound.
It was a pain like hundreds of needles traveling along his meridians.
Bu Eunseol tried to expel the power digging into his body, but the more he did, the worse the pain became.
"It is useless."
The Martial Venerable lifted his index finger and showed his fingertip.
"You must have thought it was simple sword-body unity."
At his fingertip, black and ominous energy rising like a haze was contained.
"What this body unfolded was..."
However, an unexpected event occurred.
"It must be the Mystic Qi Grand Method."
Bu Eunseol had suddenly cut off the Martial Venerable's words with a relaxed expression.
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