'It's done.'
A faint smile drew across Bu Eunseol's lips as he looked at the glaring Martial Venerable.
From the moment he heard everything from Yeom-wi, he could anticipate that the experts of the Baekri Family would track his traces.
Yeom-wi was a servant of the Baekri Family, wandering the martial world to dig up information regarding Baekri Geomha and determine its authenticity.
He was entrusted with an extremely important task.
Although he had achieved many merits and devoted his loyalty, it was said he was merely stripped of his martial arts and expelled...
They would never leave someone who knew so much to roam freely.
It was all too obvious that they were secretly monitoring him, and they would surely try to dispose of anyone who made contact with him.
'If it's the Martial Venerable, he should be able to fend them off.'
The Martial Venerable was not only a figure who could see through every situation and scheme, but also an expert who had cultivated transcendent martial arts.
He was strong enough to preserve his own life even if he fought the Heavenly Demon Emperor...
So even if the experts of the Baekri Family stormed in, he would certainly be able to hold out.
'It would be even better if he died.'
If he died while fighting the people of the Baekri Family, that in itself would be an acceptable conclusion.
"They are people from the Baekri Family."
Bu Eunseol, having already changed his face to that of a bright young man, shouted to the Martial Venerable.
"Take what I gave you earlier and escape. I will hold them off!"
The Martial Venerable's face contorted.
Only then did he realize that all of this was an elaborate trap dug by Bu Eunseol.
"Did you think things would go your way!"
Glaring at Bu Eunseol with bloodshot eyes, he let out a thunderous roar.
"I will kill you next time!"
With those words, the Martial Venerable rotated his body, twisting space.
Ziiiing.
At the same time, a black sphere formed at the Martial Venerable's back, and his figure instantly vanished into it.
No, he should have vanished.
Ziiiing.
But with only black sparks flying, the Martial Venerable stood blankly in place.
The pursuers of the Baekri Family, looking down at him as they floated in the air, had already deployed a perfect barrier in the space around him.
"You think I can't break a mere barrier!"
With a loud shout, the Martial Venerable waved his hands chaotically.
Then, his hands multiplied into hundreds like the Thousand-Armed Buddha, and soon his body blurred like an illusion, passing through the barrier.
Clack.
However, with the sound of something breaking, the Martial Venerable's body bounced right back out.
Since each of the Baekri Family's figures could deploy a barrier individually, the barrier was also superimposed in three layers.
"These bastards!"
The Martial Venerable did not give up and began to fold space once more.
Because he could also deploy a barrier, he could somehow shatter it even if it was superimposed.
However, the figures of the Baekri Family instantly re-established the barrier, and the Martial Venerable's escape was blocked once again.
Whoosh!
The pursuers of the Baekri Family drew their fingers in the air. Then, sharp rays of light dug into the Martial Venerable's vital points like living creatures.
"Please be careful. Their skills are truly incredible."
They were opponents he might not even defeat if he focused his mind entirely.
Because of Bu Eunseol clinging persistently to his back like a specter, the Martial Venerable was on the verge of going mad.
"Get lost!"
The Martial Venerable unleashed a palm force, but...
Ssk!
Bu Eunseol expertly deflected that palm force toward the Baekri Family experts in the air and shouted loudly.
"Martial arts don't work on them! Elder, you must show them your true power!"
His movement technique alone had already reached the absolute pinnacle under heaven.
Bu Eunseol intentionally circled around the Martial Venerable, not only dizzying his mind...
But also provoking the attacks of the Baekri Family experts, using his body as a shield.
'This bastard!'
The Martial Venerable was practically jumping out of his skin with rage.
Wasn't that cunning snake-like bastard shaking up the battlefield so that the attacks were concentrated on him?
'This is troublesome.'
Conflict clouded the Martial Venerable's face.
He knew the abilities of the Baekri Family assassins better than anyone.
If they were to unleash their power in earnest? He would be forced to reveal all of his hidden cards.
Vwooong.
Having ended his agonizing, a pitch-black radiance bloomed over the Martial Venerable's entire body.
Until now, to thoroughly hide the fact that he possessed the power of the Martial God Heaven, he had trained in various methods.
One of them was mixing the pure Golden Immortal True Qi stolen from the Heavenly Emperor with the sorcery brought over from Pasa.
It was to make the very foundation of his martial arts ambiguous.
Paaat!
With a flash that seemed to dye the world black, an explosion that tore through space rang out.
Rumble!
Everything in the surroundings, be it rocks, trees, or dirt, turned into a handful of dust and vanished.
Based on the Soul Demon Dharma Energy that distorted the rules of the world and reduced everything to nothingness.
Combined with the pure true qi of the orthodox martial world of the Central Plains, and the Pasa sorcery possessing divine power.
He had caused a massive explosion by colliding three mutually incompatible forces.
Vwoom.
The surrounding energy, heat, light, and sound gradually disappeared, and even the forms of objects and the energy of life blurred and collapsed.
Ultimately, all that remained was an empty darkness.
Flash!
At that moment, a white light flowed out from the spot where the Baekri Family experts had been floating.
In the landscape filled with silence, the white light spread out softly, and then...
Ziiiing.
A bizarre vibration and a shockwave of light spread out in all directions.
At the same time, the assassins of the Baekri Family, surrounded by pure white light, slowly revealed themselves.
They held blood in their mouths, and their complexions were deathly pale, but their eyes alone were as cold as blades.
However, the place their gazes reached was completely empty.
The Martial Venerable, who had already been at the center of the explosion...
And Bu Eunseol, who had hovered by his side, had vanished without a trace.
"..."
After scanning their surroundings for a long time with icy gazes...
Ssk.
They vanished into the distant sky in an instant.
Whoosh.
Only a desolate wind blew lonely over the ruined site.
Where the fierce battle had taken place, only dirt, dust, and debris scattered back and forth on the wind.
In the air, the aura of the vibration spread by the Baekri Family pursuers still lingered faintly.
How much time had passed?
Rumble.
A pure white mist began to spread from a certain spot on the ground.
As the mist, which spread gently like the clouds in a mountain valley at dawn, slowly disappeared...
Ssk.
A faint figure slowly revealed its outline from the ground.
The blurry and transparent shadow soon revealed itself completely from the ground.
It was a man wearing white clothes that formed a stark contrast with the ruined landscape.
It was none other than Bu Eunseol.
'He used that technique after all.'
Against the assassins of the Baekri Family.
It was already expected that the Martial Venerable would use an explosion of power to shake off the assassins.
Through the desperate struggle he had fought with him before, he had not only grasped his tendencies and tactics...
But had also seen through his reluctance to reveal his true power.
Right before the explosion occurred, Bu Eunseol...
Unleashed the profound principle of the Fusion of Object and Self, which he had obtained when researching the mysteries of the Natural Sword with Ak Muryeong in the past, and hid his body in the flow of Mother Nature.
Becoming one with the wind, dirt, and air, he deployed the Earth Concealment Art in a state of assimilation with nature.
He had hidden his body deep underground.
'Soul Demon Dharma Energy.'
And through this incident.
Bu Eunseol was finally able to realize why the Martial Venerable had become so powerful.
'To think the one acting as the Martial Alliance Leader had become a kin of the True Demon.'
The Martial Venerable perfectly hid his source energy with the explosion of various forces...
But unfortunately, his opponent was Bu Eunseol, who had fought countless kin of the True Demon, including the Four Divine Heavens Lords.
Moreover, because the Soul Demon Dharma Energy was also inherent in his own body, he was able to see through the faint power contained within that explosion.
'Then he is...'
One of the powers the Martial Venerable used...
Contained a Soul Demon Dharma Energy so vicious and powerful that it rivaled the Three Attendants.
But there was no way he was one of the Three Attendants.
Tracing back the source of that power, a single name remained in Bu Eunseol's mind.
'The Martial God Heavenly Lord.'
The previous Martial God Heavenly Lord was dying, having had nine-tenths of his power stolen by his new successor.
The successor the previous Martial God Heavenly Lord had secretly designated. That was none other than the Martial Venerable.
'So that was it.'
As all the pieces fell into place, a chilling light surged from Bu Eunseol's eyes.
'No wonder he was so strong.'
The Martial Venerable was the head of the Three Demons and Three Venerables, surpassing even the Human Demon Ak Muryeong and the Profound Demon Weiji Mu-a.
Since he, who had mastered all sorts of esoteric arts, had even obtained the authority of the True Demon, his martial prowess had no choice but to rise exponentially.
'It's done now.'
Regardless, through this incident, he had finally caught the Martial Venerable's tail.
'Dan Mok-gi, your miserable end is finally in sight.'
Thanks to the trap he had made to shake off the Baekri Family's assassins.
He had gained an entirely unexpected card that could uproot the Martial Venerable's foundation completely.
Now, it was time to execute one of the grand schemes he had been planning all along.
The time had come to execute the plan to bring down the Martial Venerable from the Martial Alliance.
* * *
Majeon, Suppressed Demon Pavilion. Bu Eunseol's office.
"The Martial Venerable was the Martial God Heavenly Lord."
At Bu Eunseol's words, Yoo Unryong's eyes widened as if they would tear.
The Martial God Heavenly Lord who had never appeared until now. To think he was none other than the Martial Venerable?
"Does that mean he even abandoned the pride of the orthodox faction?"
Whether the Martial Venerable committed evil deeds or betrayed the Heavenly Emperor, he thought he would at least uphold his duty as a member of the orthodox faction.
But to think he had become a kin of the True Demon?
"Besides, doesn't it make no sense?"
Yoo Unryong made a sharp analysis.
"I heard the kin of the True Demon cannot act against the True Demon's will. So how could he become the Martial God Heavenly Lord?"
Until now, the Martial Venerable had only moved for his own prosperity and was showing behavior completely unsuited for the position of the Martial God Heavenly Lord.
"It is certain. Because he was using Soul Demon Dharma Energy."
"Mmm."
"And if we can prove to the entire world that he is the Martial God Heavenly Lord."
A flash of light passed through Bu Eunseol's eyes.
"We can make him step down from the position of Martial Alliance Leader."
The Martial Venerable. Because he had controlled the Martial Alliance while wearing the mask of the Heavenly Emperor for a long time.
Even if they knew he was fake, there was no way to prove it.
But what if they could reveal the decisive proof that he was a kin of the True Demon to the martial artists of the Martial Alliance?
They could bring him down in the main camp where he believed he was safest.
"Perhaps he is aware that there's a chance his identity was exposed through this incident."
Yoo Unryong stroked his chin.
"Meaning he might be cleaning up his tracks himself before getting stabbed in the back."
The Martial Venerable is a remarkably shrewd individual.
Since he secretly used Soul Demon Dharma Energy while clashing with the Baekri Family assassins this time.
He might predict that his internal energy had been fully exposed, and step down from the position of Martial Alliance Leader in advance to avoid that danger.
"Not a chance."
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
"He will hold on to the position of Alliance Leader no matter what method he has to use."
"Why?"
"Because he even personally killed someone from the Sacred Domain to maintain the power of the Alliance Leader."
"What are you saying. He killed someone from the Sacred Domain?"
"I went to the Martial Alliance a while ago."
Bu Eunseol calmly explained what happened at the Martial Alliance to Yoo Unryong.
That there was an extremely high probability that the Martial Venerable was involved in Mok Do-in's disappearance.
And that by manipulating that incident, he not only continued the cooperation with the Sacred Domain, but also solidified his position as the Alliance Leader.
"But I just can't understand it."
Yoo Unryong said with a serious expression.
"Why a figure like the Martial Venerable betrayed the Heavenly Emperor. Why he held on while acting as the Martial Alliance Leader until the end... why he killed Mok Do-in, who managed the Solitary Enlightenment Hall."
Motive.
Why he caused such incidents, and what exactly his purpose was.
Unless they figured that out.
The things Bu Eunseol said were nothing more than simple deduction.
"When untangling a complicated matter, you just have to think simply."
Bu Eunseol spoke after a moment of silence.
"He absolutely had to become the Martial Alliance Leader, and he wants to continue maintaining the power of the Martial Alliance Leader."
Yoo Unryong stroked his chin with his arms crossed.
"As expected, the same question remains. Why go out of his way to protect the position of Martial Alliance Leader? He has no greed for power in the first place, does he?"
The Martial Venerable didn't want honor, money, or power, and only wandered around his whole life polishing his martial arts.
For someone like him to cling to the position of Alliance Leader didn't make any logical sense.
"What if what he wants is in the Martial Alliance, and he can only find it if he becomes the Alliance Leader?"
At Bu Eunseol's words, Yoo Unryong's eyes sparkled as if he had gained an epiphany.
"He has something he wants in the Martial Alliance, and he tenaciously maintains the position of Alliance Leader to find it... huh."
Along with the danger of being a fake Alliance Leader.
Considering the worsening public opinion within the alliance and the dissatisfaction of the core members as time went on.
The Martial Venerable should have left the Martial Alliance in the first place.
However, while taking all those risks, he was tenaciously holding on in the Martial Alliance.
"It's certainly a deduction that makes sense."
Nodding his head, he spoke with a bright expression.
"Then we just need to figure out what that is now."
"It is probably the chain."
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
"The reason he betrayed the Heavenly Emperor, and the reason he craved power so much, his true goal was... ultimately because of the chain hidden in the Martial Alliance."
It was said the Chains of Samsara that his grandfather owned during his lifetime were passed to the Heavenly Emperor.
But what if the Martial Venerable figured out that the Heavenly Emperor possessed the Chains of Samsara.
And that they were still secretly stored deep within the Martial Alliance even now, and only the one with the authority of the Alliance Leader could track their whereabouts?
The reason he had obsessively held onto the position of Martial Alliance Leader for a long time fell into place.
"Chain? What chain?"
"I'm talking about the Chains of Samsara."
Bu Eunseol once again told Yoo Unryong all the information about the Chains of Samsara.
"Mok Do-in was storing the Chains of Samsara in his office."
"That person from the Sacred Domain had the Chains of Samsara?"
Only then did Yoo Unryong feel something and opened his eyes wide.
"Don't tell me, you obtained those chains?"
"That's right."
Clack.
As he channeled the Emotion-Severing Secret, a single short chain popped out of Bu Eunseol's left hand.
"This is the Chains of Samsara."
Yoo Unryong opened his eyes wide in dizziness.
The information and exploits Bu Eunseol had uncovered so far were full of wonders that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the hidden myths of the martial world.
Therefore, no matter how detailed the story he heard through his mouth, it was difficult to easily believe.
And at the apex of it all was the Chains of Samsara.
Like a divine authority, it was what allowed the True Demon to exist, reincarnating while retaining memories of antiquity.
Rather than being a physical object, it was something closer to an abstract concept whose very existence couldn't be proven.
But that incomprehensible thing.
Was now existing in the shape of a chain right before his eyes.
"Is this, really the Chains of Samsara?"
"My guess is yes. Because I almost died accidentally using it."
"You used it? How?"
"It's a long story."
"You can stay up all night, so tell me without leaving anything out. Right now!"
As Yoo Unryong glared with eyes wide enough to pop out.
Bu Eunseol let out a deep sigh and told him everything he had experienced at the Martial Alliance.
How he accidentally discovered Mok Do-in's office and obtained the chain inside the iron coffin.
How he was discovered by the Martial Venerable because of it and engaged in a fight, swinging the chain to save his life at a desperate moment.
And how his body had nearly shattered into pieces from the recoil.
And the things he experienced in the Ten Thousand Dragons Cave with Baekri Yeha,
And even the story about the old man Yeom-wi who worked as a servant for the Baekri Family.
"Right, I see."
Yoo Unryong looked at him with an unfocused expression, and then muttered softly.
"It's a story I hear all the time but... as expected, it's unbelievable this time too."
Compared to the absurd folktales passed down in the martial world.
The stories of what Bu Eunseol saw, heard, and experienced whenever he went out into the martial world were... far more dramatic, magnificent, and shocking.
"Are you saying this is really that chain that preserves memories even through eons of reincarnation?"
Until now, he had thought the Chains of Samsara was just a vague expression.
But to think it really took the form of a chain.
"It probably is."
Bu Eunseol, who had answered, soon shook his head.
"No, honestly I don't know either."
"Hmm."
Swallowing a groan, Yoo Unryong looked down at the chain connected to Bu Eunseol's hand.
"I shouldn't touch it, right?"
"Probably not."
Bu Eunseol also nodded his head.
The reason the Martial Venerable wanted power so much might be because he tried to find this chain and keep it on his body.
Although he was said to possess peerless talent, touching the chain while still remaining in the Heavenly Realm was a huge risk.
"Even so, I have to touch it."
Yoo Unryong took a deep breath.
If that was the real Chains of Samsara?
He had to check what would happen if an ordinary person touched it.
Fortunately, this place was the Majeon, the Medicine King Hall Master Gyo Junghak who was called a divine physician was here, and peerless spirit medicines were piled up in the vault.
Also, since Bu Eunseol was in front of him, he could rest assured no matter what happened.
"If it were the Three Attendants, they probably would have made some other bastards do it. Right?"
Beads of sweat had formed on Yoo Unryong's forehead at some point. Even if he spoke leisurely, he couldn't help but be nervous.
"How about catching an evil person and testing it on them first."
At Bu Eunseol's words, Yoo Unryong shook his head.
"Ordinary martial artists won't do. At least a master of my level has to test it to obtain meaningful information."
If a master like him touched it and an accident occurred?
The deduction that the Martial Venerable enhanced his martial prowess to acquire this would be proven to some extent.
"Then, here I go."
Yoo Unryong carefully placed his hand lightly on the chain.
"Ugh."
At that moment, he clutched his left hand with a pained expression.
"Unryong."
"I'm, I'm fine."
Gritting his teeth, he looked down at his hand.
Like the traces of a passing meteor, a thin silver line flowed along his skin, and faint starlight seemed to blink at its end.
"It's a demonic item that ordinary people can't even touch."
Fortunately, it wasn't life-threatening.
Yoo Unryong raised his internal energy, trying to expel the bizarre force digging into his palm.
"Huh, what the."
However, the more he used his power, the more he felt an agonizing pain as if his meridians were burning.
"Are you okay."
Realizing something went wrong, Bu Eunseol grabbed Yoo Unryong's pulse point and injected pure Ban-Geuk true energy.
But the more true qi was injected, the fiercer the energy digging into his meridians became, and Yoo Unryong's face turned purple.
'Emotion-Severing Secret.'
Bu Eunseol realized immediately.
The only secret art that could control that chain was the Emotion-Severing Secret.
Grabbing Yoo Unryong's pulse point once again, he...
Using the dharma texts of the External Casting of Elixir Qi and the Manifestation of Internal Force, which gave physical form to true qi.
He slowly expelled the energy digging into his meridians out of his body.
Sssss.
But this alone was not enough.
'The Emotion-Severing Secret is a method to give physical form to the chain, not a dharma text to control the chain's energy.'
Dry.
As the energy could not be completely expelled, Yoo Unryong's lips dried up.
At this rate, his body would not only be severely damaged, but he would also suffer a decline in his internal energy.
Ziiiing.
In an instant, a mysterious radiance spread from Bu Eunseol's right eye.
As an urgent situation occurred, the power of the Ancient Sword Forest had activated.
'Pure Soul Demon Dharma Energy.'
The energy digging into Yoo Unryong's body was extremely pure Soul Demon Dharma Energy.
'The only thing that can offset the True Demon's Soul Demon Dharma Energy is naturally the Profound Divine Technique Qi.'
However, he didn't know how to wield the Profound Divine Technique Qi.
Chiiii.
In the end, Bu Eunseol began to pour all the energies inside his body into Yoo Unryong.
Because he had several different types of power in his body, this must absolutely never be attempted on an ordinary person.
But because he couldn't control the Profound Divine Technique Qi and Soul Demon Dharma Energy as he wished.
And because he trusted Yoo Unryong's healthy body, he used such a desperate measure.
Whoosh.
Fortunately, this method proved effective, and Yoo Unryong's complexion slowly returned to normal.
"Hooah."
Letting out a cloudy breath, Yoo Unryong shuddered.
"Damn it, I almost died."
He said with a startled expression.
"Why didn't you just give this piece of trash to the Martial Venerable? No matter how incredible his martial arts are, he wouldn't be able to relieve this kind of energy..."
Muttering, Yoo Unryong's eyes sparkled. In an instant, Bu Eunseol also opened his eyes wide.
"The Baekri Family's power."
"Profound Divine Technique Qi."
The two men spoke at the same time.
The only thing that could block the power of the chain digging into the body was ultimately the Baekri Family's Profound Divine Technique Qi.
They had finally figured out what the Martial Venerable was looking for in the Martial Alliance, and the reason he had pursued power so intensely.
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