Mu Gyeol, despite risking his master's dishonor, trusted him and followed his plan.
Because of this, Bu Eunseol too had promised that he would see this through, staking his life on it if need be, so that the matter would not fail.
However, in the process of visiting the Nangyang Pavilion and asking Ak Muryeong to unleash Illusion Upon Illusion on the Heavenly Emperor.
He discovered that there was a major flaw in his plan.
Thus, he sought out Han Sangja to discuss and review his plan.
Although, even so, the Martial Venerable would only be forced to step down as Martial Alliance Leader, his lifeline left uncut.
The Heavenly Emperor absolutely had to regain his clear mind.
And that was something absolutely necessary for Bu Eunseol as well.
Because his grandfather had given the Chains of Samsara to the Heavenly Emperor. He must have had a deep connection with his grandfather.
* * *
"I possess a unique sword form deployed based on life force."
Upon meeting Han Sangja, Bu Eunseol explained the Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse.
"If even the Pavilion Lord's Illusion Upon Illusion cannot return him to an intact spirit state... do you think this sword form would work?"
"It is impossible."
Having heard the entire story, Han Sangja spoke firmly.
"A sword form utilizing life force like that might be able to sever unnaturally injected external power, or innately inherent energy, but..."
Pausing for a moment, Han Sangja shook his head.
"It will not be able to restore a madman whose spirit has been destroyed to his original state."
Han Sangja's judgment was identical to Ak Muryeong's.
The Silent Tiger Soul Eclipse was a sword art of life that severed karma. It did not possess the efficacy to restore a completely collapsed spirit.
"Then is there no way to completely subdue a master like him?"
"The martial prowess of the Heavenly Emperor, which can be surmised from the information provided by the Command Lord, is truly incomprehensible. There is no secret method to capture such a master."
The martial prowess of the Heavenly Emperor, who had become a madman, had truly reached Heaven Beyond Heaven.
It was nearly impossible for any master of the current martial world to subdue him without injuring him.
"Of course, I assumed there would naturally be none if it were an ordinary method."
Bu Eunseol wore an expression full of conviction.
"But if it is you, Brother Han, I believe you surely have a hidden trump card."
Even back when he had no martial arts, Han Sangja had boasted that he could definitely kill the Heavenly Mechanism Star if he found him.
In other words, regardless of the principles of martial arts, he possessed a secret method that could absolutely strike down an enemy.
"Must you truly go that far?"
Han Sangja wore a regretful expression.
"Was the figure known as the Heavenly Emperor not originally absent from the Command Lord's plan?"
"I promised his disciple, Brother Mu."
"A promise."
Han Sangja took a deep breath.
Countless people used the word promise commonly.
But a promise coming from Bu Eunseol's mouth carried a completely different meaning.
It was like an oath etched into the heavens, one that absolutely had to be kept as long as he lived and breathed.
"Even without that promise, there is a reason I absolutely must do this."
"Why is that?"
"Perhaps the Heavenly Emperor..."
Bu Eunseol spoke of the terrifying assumption he had been anticipating all along.
"Indeed, that could be the case."
Han Sangja nodded heavily.
Bu Eunseol's intellect was so extraordinary that even Han Sangja marveled at it.
Without missing even the slightest possibility that could become a threat, he was meticulously calculating all variables.
"Since ancient times, the secret art of mutual destruction has been steadily researched."
With a helpless expression, Han Sangja took out a brush and a book, and began to write something down.
"Among them, the one that yields the greatest effect is using life force. Because no matter how great a martial art is, it cannot be stronger than the power of life."
At those words, Bu Eunseol nodded.
Because most of the methods of mutual destruction are scattereddestruction scattered throughout the martial world.
Used Circular True Energy or treated one's own body as a weapon.
"But that is not the method that has reached the absolute peak."
"Then what is?"
"The extreme point of mutual destruction is fusing into one with the opponent and perishing together. It is not simple self-destruction, but a form that completely combines one's energy, consciousness, and existence with the enemy before collapsing."
"Becoming one with the opponent."
Muttering lowly, Bu Eunseol nodded.
If such a thing were possible, he could definitely subdue the enemy.
Click.
Setting down the brush, Han Sangja handed him the book. Written there was a dharma text of about a thousand characters.
The means of mutual destruction Han Sangja had intended to deploy if he found the Heavenly Mechanism Star, Chu So.
It was an incomparably transcendent Golden Needle Secret Art created by ancient sages.
The Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needle Art.
"Indeed."
Reading down the dharma text, Bu Eunseol let out an exclamation of awe.
Han Sangja possessed knowledge truly comparable to the Heavenly Mechanism Star, presenting an astonishing method he had never even imagined.
"With this method, even if I cannot clear the Heavenly Emperor's mind... I will be able to draw the power possessed by the Heavenly Emperor over to this side, and safely capture such a master."
Han Sangja spoke with a somewhat heavy expression.
"However, if you deploy this method, not only will your life force be greatly exhausted, but your physical body might also burst."
"Since I will be entering the boundary where the enemy and I become one."
"That is exactly right."
"It does not matter."
"Command Lord."
"It is something someone must absolutely do."
Replying calmly, Bu Eunseol brought his hands together to express his courtesy.
"You have been a great help, Brother Han. I sincerely thank you."
What if even the Pavilion Lord's Illusion Upon Illusion could not subdue the Heavenly Emperor or return his clear mind?
He intended to keep his promise with Mu Gyeol, using whatever method necessary.
Parting ways with Han Sangja.
He went to the Nangyang Pavilion again and met Ak Muryeong.
And he informed him in advance that he had obtained a secret art from Han Sangja that could absolutely subdue the Heavenly Emperor.
And he declared that he would deploy this in the worst-case scenario.
Ak Muryeong too.
Even though he guessed it was a self-destructive secret art based on life force, he did not say anything else.
Because if Illusion Upon Illusion did not work... he could just beat him to death.
* * *
"Do not step forward."
Ak Muryeong spoke in a solemn voice.
"Because whatever method you use, it will not work on that raccoon."
From the moment Illusion Upon Illusion did not work.
Ak Muryeong knew.
That no matter what means were used, there was no way to subdue the Heavenly Emperor.
That was why he made up his mind to kill him.
Regardless of the Heavenly Emperor's condition.
Because he could not lose the next Pavilion Lord, who would lead the future of the Nangyang Pavilion.
"Pavilion Lord. This is a promise this disciple must keep even at the risk of his life."
Bu Eunseol bowed his head and pleaded.
"How could a disciple of the Nangyang Pavilion speak with two words from one mouth?"
A long silence flowed for a moment.
Eventually, Ak Muryeong dissipated the inner energy he had drawn up.
It was not that he permitted the use of a life-risking method, but because he trusted Bu Eunseol.
Because up until now, he had accomplished everything considered impossible.
Whoooosh.
As permission was granted, Bu Eunseol drew up his true qi once more and made the golden rope restraining the Heavenly Emperor even thicker.
"Kaaah!"
The Heavenly Emperor exerted his strength, but unable to unravel the clinging true qi rope wrapped around his body, he only let out roars.
Until now, Bu Eunseol had rarely used all of his inner energy, nor had he ever fully melted the power of his inner core.
Because the enemies he usually faced used transcendent supernatural power or powers like Infinite Reversal Power.
So he thought a superiority in inner energy was not that great of an advantage.
However, that was him looking down on his own power too much.
Bu Eunseol's level of inner energy transcended even the principles of martial arts and the power of supernatural power, reaching an immeasurable level.
As he drew up his inner energy with all his might and deployed the ancient secret art.
Even an absolute master like the Heavenly Emperor.
Became unable to move his body for an instant.
Ziiiing.
Meanwhile, a bizarre light surged from Bu Eunseol's eyes.
Float.
At the same time, extremely sharp golden needle forms, created by true qi, were formed around his body.
The number was exactly three hundred and sixty-five.
He had deployed the secret art of Blood-Restricting Heaven-Sealing he had learned from Han Sangja, the Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needle Art.
'There is only one chance.'
Paaat!
As Bu Eunseol's eyes flashed, the golden needles floating in the air began to fly toward the Heavenly Emperor's acupoints.
Ziiiing.
A faint golden light arose from the Heavenly Emperor's body.
Although he could not move his body, he could circulate his inner power.
Using the Golden Immortal True Qi, he made his skin as hard as if he had deployed the Diamond Invincible Body Technique.
Swoooosh.
As Bu Eunseol's gaze grew intense, the golden needles rotated even more fiercely and began to dig into his skin.
"Kaha!"
As if feeling a sense of crisis, the Heavenly Emperor.
With a beast-like roar, he slowly approached Bu Eunseol with the golden needles embedded in him.
Craaack.
With every step he took, Bu Eunseol's body shook, and the ground he stepped on began to split.
The golden rope wrapped around the Heavenly Emperor was also created through his Circular True Energy.
Since he had to pour out even more immense inner energy every time he resisted, Bu Eunseol was unwittingly pouring out his life force.
Boom, boom.
Every time the Heavenly Emperor walked over, explosive sounds rang out, and the surrounding trees and walls began to shatter into pieces.
Whirrrrr.
Meanwhile, as Bu Eunseol poured out his power with all his might once more.
The Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needles rotated even faster and began to pierce the Heavenly Emperor's skin.
Boom, boom.
With explosive sounds that shook heaven and earth, the Heavenly Emperor was slowly walking over.
Whirl!
Endlessly pouring out Circular True Energy, Bu Eunseol tried to embed hundreds of Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needles into his body.
Craaack.
As the standoff prolonged, thick blood veins gradually began to stand out all over Bu Eunseol's skin.
'Can it not be helped?'
The Heavenly Emperor before his eyes was truly an incarnation of power.
The more he used his power, and the more he was attacked, the stronger he became.
To subdue him, in the end.
There was no choice but to use purely unadulterated life force rather than Circular True Energy.
Vwooong.
The moment Bu Eunseol's skin cracked and a mysterious light flowed out from there.
The Heavenly Emperor's movements, taking slow steps one by one, completely stopped.
"Kuuuuuh."
At the same time, a groan flowed from his mouth.
The fiercely rotating Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needles had finally pierced his skin and slowly began to embed into his acupoints.
The Heavenly Emperor trembled violently and struggled, but the more he struggled, the golden needles embedded deeper.
Swoooosh.
Before long, white smoke began to rise from the places where the golden needles were embedded.
Finally, the three hundred and sixty-five acupoints of the Heavenly Emperor were slowly being sealed.
What if the Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needles were completely embedded in his acupoints?
His power would be sealed so perfectly that even a commoner who knew no martial arts could easily subdue him.
However, an unexpected thing happened.
Whoooosh.
As a bizarre power, a mixture of madness and demonic energy, was unleashed from the Heavenly Emperor's body.
The golden needles, which had only half a cun left, slowly began to pop out again.
Even though Bu Eunseol was deploying the golden needle art based on intact life force, he could not withstand the Heavenly Emperor's power.
Rumble.
A new power was springing up from the Heavenly Emperor's body once again.
It was not Bu Eunseol, but akin to a disaster of Mother Nature that humans could never stop.
'This is impossible.'
Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
The reason the Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needle was evaluated as the extreme point of mutual destruction was.
Because no matter what power the enemy used to counterattack, it could instead absorb that power and powerfully seal the acupoints.
If the Heavenly Emperor possessed infinite power.
The Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needle should also become stronger, yet how could he push it out?
Jangle.
At that moment, with a bizarre sound, a faint golden line began to be seen near the Heavenly Emperor's chest.
Although it was a line so thin that ordinary people could not see it.
Bu Eunseol could definitely see it.
'The Chains of Samsara.'
Surprisingly, the Heavenly Emperor was carrying the Chains of Samsara on his body.
Clink.
The more he unleashed powerful strength.
The golden line embedded in his chest gradually became clearer, changing into the shape of a chain.
Due to the absolute authority possessed by the Chains of Samsara.
He was able to push out the ancient secret art that Bu Eunseol had deployed even at the cost of sacrificing his Circular True Energy and life force.
Clench.
Bu Eunseol clenched his left fist tightly.
The Chains of Samsara were deeply embedded in his palm as well.
Although he could temporarily materialize its form through the Emotion-Severing Secret,
The problem was that the chain itself was close to the authority of a god that humans dared not handle.
Unless he found a way to control that power.
If he wielded it even once, even Bu Eunseol, who had mixed all kinds of powers, would suffer a fatal injury.
Hadn't even the Martial Venerable.
Guaranteed that Bu Eunseol could not wield it?
'It cannot be helped.'
Jangle.
Faint golden lines began to gather in Bu Eunseol's hand as well.
He intended to materialize the chain through the Emotion-Severing Secret to counter the Heavenly Emperor's power.
'I just hope this method will definitely work.'
"Step aside."
Watching the situation at that moment, Ak Muryeong shouted to Bu Eunseol.
"If we leave that bastard be, the world will be destroyed."
Since Ak Muryeong did not have the Profound Divine Technique Qi or the Soul Demon Dharma Energy, he could not see the Chains of Samsara with his eyes.
Nevertheless, he sensed that there was something destructive that could exterminate the world in the Heavenly Emperor's body.
And immediately tried to cut off the Heavenly Emperor's life to prevent the danger.
"You must not, Pavilion Lord."
"It's extermination."
Ak Muryeong spoke coldly.
"If the power that raccoon has and the power you have clash, an area the size of Shaanxi will disappear in an instant."
Surprisingly, Ak Muryeong had even grasped what would happen if the two attributes flowing in Bu Eunseol and the Heavenly Emperor's bodies clashed.
Rummmmble.
Before long, two massive spheres were slowly formed in the sky.
They looked very similar to the destructive spheres the Heavenly Emperor had poured onto Bu Eunseol and So Okrim in the past.
Through Ak Muryeong's newly created Infinite Reversal Power, Illusionary Self Striking Body.
Pouring out all destructive power together with another self.
He had deployed the power of extermination capable of destroying everything, the Heaven and Earth World-Destroying Sphere.
"Pavilion Lord, I can do it."
Forcibly holding on, Bu Eunseol shouted.
"You must not kill Alliance Leader Shin Do."
Ak Muryeong let out a thunderous shout.
"Are you saying a guy who manages the world will be bound by one petty promise and let innocent people die!"
"The Heavenly Emperor does not realize he has such power. It only reacted because of his disciple's power."
If the Heavenly Emperor had been able to intentionally wield the Chains of Samsara?
There would have been no need to even squabble with the Martial Venerable; he would have taken out the chain and burst his head in a single breath.
"This disciple had already predicted that the Heavenly Emperor would have such power."
―'Even without that promise, there is a reason I absolutely must do this.'
―'Why is that?'
―'Perhaps the Heavenly Emperor...'
At the time, the terrifying assumption Bu Eunseol had been anticipating all along.
He had told Han Sangja.
―'...He might have the Chains of Samsara.'
His grandfather had handed the Chains of Samsara over to the Heavenly Emperor.
Of course, there was a probability that the chain inside the iron coffin stored in Mok Do-in's secret vault belonged to the Heavenly Emperor.
But the letter from the Sacred Domain's successor was left there... so there was a higher probability that it wasn't.
―'What is certain is that the chain was broken into pieces and scattered.'
Bu Eunseol, under the assumption that the Heavenly Emperor might have the Chains of Samsara.
Had asked Han Sangja to devise a way to stop it.
And that method was exactly the Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needle.
―'Usually, mutual destruction is dying together with the opponent... but the realm of the extreme point is fusing into one with the opponent and perishing together.'
In other words, it is not simple self-destruction, but a form that completely combines one's energy, consciousness, and even existence with the enemy before collapsing.
Recalling Han Sangja's words, Bu Eunseol closed his two eyes.
Soul Qi Fusion, Spirit and Flesh Unified Body.
Through the dharma text that completely combined energy and consciousness, and even existence with the enemy.
He intended to attempt unification between the Heavenly Emperor and himself.
Craaack.
At that moment, the chain that had been embedded in the Heavenly Emperor's chest.
Slowly moved into Bu Eunseol's body through the Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needles floating in the air.
Sizzle.
In an instant, smoke began to rise from Bu Eunseol's chest.
As if punching a hole in his chest to make room for the chain to enter.
"Kuuuuuh..."
A painful groan burst out involuntarily.
When the Chains of Samsara first embedded into his hand through Mok Do-in's iron coffin back then, he had lost consciousness entirely.
But to accept it in a state where his life force was exhausted...
He was experiencing a pain as if his soul was being burned and his whole body was shattering into pieces.
Tremble tremble.
Bu Eunseol's body shook like an aspen tree and his pupils turned white.
But even in the hellish pain.
Without losing consciousness, endlessly through the dharma text of the Heavenly Pivot Returning Sun Golden Needle Art.
He was pulling the chain into his body.
Clatterrr.
Eventually, the chain slowly moved and was finally transferred to his chest area.
Then, an unexpected situation unfolded.
Clank.
The chain that had been embedded in Bu Eunseol's left hand all along materialized and popped out.
Clinging like a magnet to the chain transferred from the Heavenly Emperor, didn't they connect into one in an instant?
Comments