Crimson Blossom Pavilion.
In the past, beauties from both orthodox and demonic factions flocked to the Suppressed Demon Pavilion to meet Bu Eunseol.
The warriors of the Death Shadow Corps had built a separate pavilion entirely so he could comfortably receive the women.
The Crimson Blossom Pavilion, erected in such a way, became a beautiful and quiet place for secret meetings.
The pavilion, built over a pond where crimson flowers bloomed in abundance, had floral patterns carved into its jade pillars, surrounded by a harmony of plum blossoms and peonies.
However, no beauties had come looking for Bu Eunseol since that day.
The Crimson Blossom Pavilion eventually came to be used as a place for the families of the Death Shadow Corps warriors to quietly chat when they visited.
But then Gongsun Dana, one of the Three Beauties of the World, paid a rare visit.
Won Semun and the others rushed to thoroughly clean the Crimson Blossom Pavilion and had her wait there.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol arrived at the Crimson Blossom Pavilion.
A peerless beauty, whose appearance defied description by mundane words, was staring into the void.
Wearing a martial uniform that sparkled with the unique water-light of the Divine Water Palace, she evoked the beauty of a moonlight spirit settling upon a clear lake.
Her long hair, cascading down to her waist, rippled like water waves, and her eyes, seemingly twice as large as an ordinary person's, held nothing but purity.
She was truly a beauty possessing a magical charm that took one's breath away and made it impossible to look away, as if a heavenly craftsman had painstakingly sculpted her thousands of times.
It was none other than Gongsun Dana, known as the Flower of Eloquence.
"Young lady Gongsun."
Bu Eunseol offered a glad greeting.
He had a connection with her, having coincidentally encountered her in the past when he went to resolve the incident that had occurred at Mosan.
At that time, they had fought a life-and-death battle together against formidable foes.
In the process, she was also a benefactor who had passed down to Bu Eunseol the secret to nurturing a Taoist inner core.
Moreover, she was the biological younger sister of Gongsun Dankyung, who now had ties with Bu Eunseol.
If one were to consider connections alone, their relationship was deeper and more special than with any other woman he had met thus far.
"Command Lord."
As Bu Eunseol approached, Gongsun Dana skipped the greetings and spoke pleadingly.
"Please help me."
"What happened?"
Noticing that her expression was extremely poor, Bu Eunseol asked urgently.
"Is everything alright with the Chief Steward?"
If she had business with him, she could have contacted the Death Spirit Corps at any time through Gongsun Dankyung.
But for her to come directly to Majeon so suddenly, he worried that something might have happened to Gongsun Dankyung.
"Nothing is wrong with Unnie."
Upon seeing Bu Eunseol's stiff expression, Gongsun Dana instead showed a smile mixed with relief.
"Thank you for your concern."
Bu Eunseol was known to always be cold and aloof, and in reality, he was a person who did not easily reveal his inner thoughts.
The Gongsun family had transcended orthodox and demonic divisions.
They considered Bu Eunseol a prospective son-in-law and treated him with the utmost devotion.
However, since there was still no talk of marriage, they were in a situation where they were secretly burning with anxiety.
―'She is already of marriageable age, so how long will he make her wait? Could he perhaps be harboring other thoughts?'
Gongsun Hwa-uk asked as much every time, out of frustration.
―'The Command Lord is a warm-hearted and meticulous person.'
Gongsun Dankyung merely laid out praises for Bu Eunseol, as if talking about someone else.
That point had always weighed on Gongsun Dana's mind as well.
But seeing Bu Eunseol pay attention to Gongsun Dankyung's safety and worry about her first like this brought her great relief.
"Then what is the matter?"
"Our Palace Master has contracted an unknown, bizarre illness and is dying."
Gongsun Dana calmly began her explanation.
According to her, the Divine Water Palace Master was suffering from a lingering illness.
However, the source of the illness was unknown, and even renowned doctors and precious spiritual medicines were completely useless.
"To think such a thing happened."
Muttering in a low voice, Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow in incomprehension.
"But I do not understand why such news was not passed onto the Death Spirit Corps."
The Death Spirit Corps closely grasped the internal situations of major sects throughout the Central Plains.
And a mysterious sect like the Divine Water Palace, which did not engage in martial world activities, was no exception.
Especially since the Divine Water Palace Master, Neung Gyeong, had not only shown goodwill to Nae Bihon but also had a special relationship with his grandfather.
It was a place Bu Eunseol always watched carefully.
Yet for them to fail to detect the major news that the Palace Master had taken to her bed?
"The only ones who know the Palace Master has fallen ill are myself and a few elders of the Palace."
Gongsun Dana spoke with a gloomy expression.
"Because if such a rumor were to spread, the Palace could be in danger."
A powerful Water God Energy flowed around the Divine Water Palace, and the experts of the Divine Water Palace used it to fend off external enemies or unfold mysterious formations.
However, perfectly activating those formations required the presence of the Divine Water Palace Master, who possessed mighty Crystal Divine Energy.
If something were to happen to the Palace Master's person, the Divine Water Palace would essentially be in a perilous situation.
"If that is the case."
Bu Eunseol wore a troubled expression.
"How about I send the Medicine King Hall Master along with spiritual medicines from this Corps?"
"No."
Gongsun Dana shook her head.
"Only the Command Lord can cure the Palace Master's illness."
"I am not very knowledgeable in the medical arts."
"Elder Seven-Finger Demon Blade said there was a secret prescription he left behind for the frail Palace Master."
As his grandfather's byname came from Gongsun Dana's mouth, Bu Eunseol's heart sank.
The shock from what he had seen in the memories of the masked man belonging to the Eighteen Souls of Light had yet to fade.
And now his grandfather's byname had come from someone else's mouth once again.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Actually......"
Bowing her head, Gongsun Dana continued her explanation.
Because she was the Young Palace Master of the Divine Water Palace, she had the authority to enter the Divine Water Palace's secret vault as the next Palace Master.
And whenever she had time, she would read various secret manuals there.
But she had coincidentally discovered an old letter there.
It was written personally by the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, Bu Zhanyang, in the past.
He had intuited that the frail Neung Gyeong would one day contract a severe illness or grow weak.
The letter said he had prepared a special medicine to cure it in a certain location.
At this, Gongsun Dana sought out the bedridden Divine Water Palace Master and informed her of this news.
But Neung Gyeong gave a strict order never to go there and collapsed again.
After much agonizing, Gongsun Dana finally made up her mind.
She would go to the place written in the letter, where the medicine hidden by the Seven-Finger Demon Blade lay.
"Then shouldn't you just go?"
"It would be useless even if I went. Only the Command Lord would be able to obtain that medicine."
Gongsun Dana spoke with a depressed expression.
"Because that special medicine is said to be in the Fire Soul Land."
Bu Eunseol opened his mouth.
Fire Soul Land.
It was called the land imbued with the spirit of fire.
In the past, it was a beautiful place in the martial world scattered with the most spirit beasts and spirit grasses.
But it was said to have become a ruins now.
Because the Seven-Finger Demon Blade had severed the spirit vein flowing there.
Even so, the master of the Fire Soul Land, the One-Eyed Immortal, loved the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.
And it was told that whenever he visited the Fire Soul Land, she would throw the doors wide open to welcome him.
"I see."
Only then could Bu Eunseol realize why Gongsun Dana had sought him out.
Bu Eunseol was the grandson of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, Bu Zhanyang, and he bore a striking resemblance to the melancholic aura of his youth.
Hadn't even the Divine Water Palace Master, Neung Gyeong, momentarily mistaken him for Bu Zhanyang?
Moreover, since the Divine Water Palace Master, Neung Gyeong, and the One-Eyed Immortal were romantic rivals who fought over one man, their relationship was not good.
If she, Neung Gyeong's disciple, were to visit, she would be lucky not to be turned away at the door.
But what if it were Bu Eunseol?
She thought he could obtain the medicine from the One-Eyed Immortal in the Fire Soul Land.
"Besides, the One-Eyed Immortal is known to have an extremely eccentric personality and hates orthodox faction members."
To be sure, the Fire Soul Land had maintained the orthodox faction's path for generations.
But it was said that after meeting the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, the One-Eyed Immortal came to despise orthodox faction members.
It was just as Gongsun Dana had said.
This was a matter that could not be resolved by anyone but him.
'Can it not be helped.'
Bu Eunseol owed a debt to the Divine Water Palace Master, Neung Gyeong.
If not for her, he would not have been able to save Nae Bihon, nor would he have been able to obtain the Thunder Spirit Energy.
'Also, the Palace Master has a deep connection with Grandfather.'
Neung Gyeong had loved the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, Bu Zhanyang, and because of that, she had lived in pain and remorse for decades.
Looking at that connection alone, he could not turn a blind eye to this matter.
'However.'
Bu Eunseol bit his lip gently.
The grandfather in the masked man's memories was extremely cold-hearted and cruel.
He had murdered the woman he had a relationship with and even abandoned his own flesh and blood.
His original personality was two-faced, discriminating against people based on profit.
He would tenderly cherish an elegant woman who had high status, outstanding martial arts, scholarship, and vast wealth like the Palace Master of the Divine Water Palace.
But a woman from a fallen family, he would consider lowly and turn a blind eye to.
Of course, if it were in the past, he would have been certain that could not be true.
But now, he could not guarantee it.
That was how shocking the image of his grandfather he had seen in the masked man's memories was.
"Command Lord."
At that moment, Gongsun Dana knelt down.
"I know well that the Command Lord is busy with various matters without even a moment to catch your breath."
She pleaded, thinking that Bu Eunseol was hesitating to help her.
"But please, just this once......"
"I apologize, young lady."
Bu Eunseol hurriedly raised her up.
"I was thinking of something else for a moment. Of course I will help."
He had never once discriminated against people.
Not just Gongsun Dana.
Even if an unknown beggar had come, if it was a matter of saving a person, he would have helped without hesitation.
Because his grandfather had taught him so.
While carefully guiding the final path of the dead, Bu Zhanyang had naturally awakened Bu Eunseol to the preciousness of life.
'What am I thinking.'
Even if the tens of thousands of people in the world do not believe in his grandfather, he must believe.
'Have I not constantly vowed to bear all of Grandfather's karma as his grandson?'
Besides, what he had seen were merely fragments of a story the masked man had heard from a comrade.
There was no concrete evidence that his grandfather had done it.
No, even if there was evidence, it didn't matter.
'If he is a reputable and great person, is he my grandfather...... and if he is a villain who committed evil deeds in the past, does he cease to be my grandfather?'
Even if the figure known as the Seven-Finger Demon Blade had been a person with a human face and a beast's heart in the past......
To Bu Eunseol, he is just a kind grandfather who taught him everything in the world.
He was Bu Zhanyang's grandson.
If his grandfather had committed a sin, he had made up his mind to willingly bear even that.
"Let us go at once."
At Bu Eunseol's words, having erased his idle thoughts, Gongsun Dana showed the brightest smile and nodded her head.
"Yes."
* * *
Leading Gongsun Dana, Bu Eunseol immediately unfolded the sky-treading flight art and left Majeon.
She could also unfold the sky-treading flight art, but after a quarter of an hour, she had to descend back to the ground to rest.
Bu Eunseol continuously floated her body by circulating his internal energy.
Gongsun Dana also had deep martial arts and knew how to handle Crystal Divine Energy.
Just by lightly helping her without needing to use much strength, he was able to maintain the sky-treading flight art.
They neared the Fire Soul Land.
The dense forest gradually grew shorter, and bizarre rocks with a dark red hue revealed themselves instead of green leaves.
The air was parched, and with every breath, a scorching heat seemed to seep deep into their lungs.
Shoooosh.
When they descended to the ground, it was covered in finely shattered obsidian and volcanic ash, making a crunching sound with every step they took.
"That is the place."
Gongsun Dana pointed ahead.
The land, hollowed out like a massive crater, was engulfed in a shimmering heat haze rising like a curtain.
It was once a beautiful space fully packed with spiritual energy.
But now, it looked like a mirage mixed with the remnants of the past and the resentment of faded lives.
From afar, it spread out a sad and faint wave of light, like the lingering afterimage left behind after tens of thousands of candles were extinguished all at once.
Fire Soul Land.
They had finally arrived at that place.
"This seems to be the entrance."
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Fire Soul Land, a massive curved cave could be seen.
The entrance of the cave was as if a tear shed by a giant had hardened as it was.
It was blocked by a massive oil essence crystal that was transparent yet held a red hue.
This crystal was harder than steel, to the point where no divine weapon could leave a scratch on it.
'This is?'
In that instant, Bu Eunseol's eyes flashed.
Looking closely at its surface, microscopic cracks were spreading out like capillaries.
'Grandfather.'
That was none other than the trace of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade Bu Zhanyang's exclusive blade art, the Seven Blood Tear Forms.
'Did he fight differently from what is known to the martial world?'
According to the transmitted stories, the Seven-Finger Demon Blade had once visited the Fire Soul Land.
The One-Eyed Immortal was said to have moved the power of the Fire Soul Land, making the red crystal melt down on its own to open the path.
But at the actual entrance, rather than opening on its own, traces of the fiercely unfolded Seven Blood Tear Forms remained.
'It is not a trace of battle.'
Upon closer inspection, it was not unfolded during a battle with someone, but rather unfolded entirely alone, as if dancing a solo dance.
"Command Lord."
At Gongsun Dana's words, Bu Eunseol snapped back to reality and nodded.
"Let us go in."
Passing through there and entering the interior of the Fire Soul Land, a massive basin stretching for a hundred li could be seen.
At its center, there was a massive lake.
But perhaps because the spirit vein had dried up, now only an appearance like a cracked tortoise shell remained.
From the crevices of the cracked earth, it was no longer the warmth of life, but only the cold smell of sulfur seeping up from deep within the earth vein that faintly rose.
"There is poison."
Bu Eunseol had almost exhausted the power of the Poison Saint previously to pierce the psyche of the masked man belonging to the Eighteen Souls of Light.
Of course, because his poison-resistant body had not been broken, he was not invaded by poison.
But he could no longer freely create poison infinitely or detoxify others as he could before.
"It is fine."
Before long, a thin membrane sparkling like water-light was surrounding Gongsun Dana.
As the surrounding poison spread, the Crystal Divine Energy was naturally blocking it.
'So the Crystal Divine Energy possesses such a wondrous use.'
He had seen Gongsun Dana's Crystal Divine Energy.
He newly realized that the Endless Heavenly Light Art was merely an integration of power, and not a perfect fusion of attributes.
'Only when all the attributes are unified can it be called true integration.'
"It's wondrous."
At that moment, Gongsun Dana exclaimed while looking at the surrounding scenery.
"This place must have truly been an incredible spirit land."
It was said that this place once had spirit beasts resembling phoenixes flying in the sky, and spirit grasses that bloomed once in a thousand years spread out like a red carpet on the ground.
Even though spirit beasts or spirit grasses no longer lived there now, the scenery of the Fire Soul Land was still mysterious.
The trees that died while harboring spiritual energy were hard as stone.
And when struck by light, a brilliant radiance floated up on their surfaces like illusions.
Scattered on the ground in places were things sparkling like shards of glass.
The spirit grasses, which had rapidly lost their life force from the shock the moment the spirit vein was severed, had hardened like fossils.
They still retained the shapes of beautiful petals and leaves.
But they were empty crystals with not a single speck of life force remaining inside them.
'As expected.'
Stopping his steps, Bu Eunseol examined a large bone visible amidst the ash and dust, and nodded.
The bone was as white and hard as ivory, but looking closely, a dark energy was spreading like capillaries all the way into the core of the bone.
The trace of the Seven Blood Tear Forms left by his grandfather remained yet again.
'Grandfather eradicated all the spirit beasts in this place.'
But it was strange.
The master of the Fire Soul Land would have had to be mad.
She would never have stood by and let his grandfather kill the spirit beasts.
There definitely should have been a fierce battle between the two sides, so why were there no such traces?
'Putting that aside.'
Bu Eunseol could not hide his marvel.
'Even back then, Grandfather's fire mastery far surpassed my current self.'
When he entered this Fire Soul Land, his grandfather had been quite young. Yet to think the energy of death carved into the bone had not faded away over decades?
Even now, Bu Eunseol......
He had still not caught up to the Bu Zhanyang of his youth.
"Command Lord."
At that moment, Gongsun Dana pointed far away with her finger.
Before long, an old woman dressed in bizarre attire with a red hue was standing there.
Her face was exceptionally hideous, and her left eye was dyed white, as if looking at a deeply resentful spirit.
One-Eyed Immortal.
The master of the Fire Soul Land, the One-Eyed Immortal, had appeared.
'Why was the byname of Immortal attached to her?'
The byname of Immortal was generally attached to a woman whose character was noble and whose appearance was beautiful.
But the appearance of the woman before his eyes was so old and ugly that it was burdensome even to meet her gaze.
"I am a disciple of the Nangyang Pavilion, Bu Eunseol."
Bu Eunseol always had long thoughts but quick actions.
"Because of an extremely urgent matter, I have come to interrupt the Immortal's pure cultivation."
The One-Eyed Immortal was a figure who had a connection with his grandfather, and her seniority was high.
He expressed his courtesy with utmost politeness.
Gongsun Dana also quickly expressed her courtesy.
"I am a disciple of the Divine Water Palace, Gongsun Dana."
The One-Eyed Immortal was a romantic rival with the Divine Water Palace Master, Neung Gyeong, and it was known that their relationship was extremely poor.
Perhaps because of that, as Gongsun Dana expressed her courtesy, the One-Eyed Immortal's face contorted.
"Get out."
The One-Eyed Immortal looked back and forth between Bu Eunseol and Gongsun Dana with a gloomy expression.
"This land strictly forbids the entry of outsiders."
The Fire Soul Land had already become a ruin.
But the disciples were still alive and well, quietly continuing its lineage.
However, as they easily passed through the Fire Soul Land where powerful poison spewed forth, the One-Eyed Immortal had come to personally check the identity of the intruders.
"Immortal."
At that moment, Gongsun Dana opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.
"I heard that the spiritual medicine left by Elder Seven-Finger Demon Blade is here."
"What did you say?"
"Our Palace Master's illness has deepened, and her body has grown greatly frail."
Gongsun Dana prostrated herself and bowed her head.
"I beseech you to bestow your grace upon us."
"I distinctly told you to get out."
"Command Lord Bu here is the grandson of Elder Seven-Finger Demon Blade."
"What did you say?"
Gongsun Dana bowed her head once again.
"I beseech you to reconsider one more time, out of consideration for the Elder's face."
In an instant, the One-Eyed Immortal's face turned red and blue.
"You are saying you are the grandson of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, Bu Zhanyang."
The One-Eyed Immortal looked at Bu Eunseol's face.
The Seven-Finger Demon Blade of his youth possessed an extremely masculine appearance.
He did not resemble Bu Eunseol's face, which was elegant and beautiful like a peerless beauty.
But that aura.
As if standing tall all alone at the edge of a collapsed world.
That boundless melancholy and solitary aura...... Did it not exactly resemble him in his youth?
"It's true."
At the One-Eyed Immortal's words, Bu Eunseol nodded confidently.
"That is correct."
"Right, so you are Bu Zhanyang's grandson...... Hehehe."
The One-Eyed Immortal burst into a gloomy laugh.
Gongsun Dana failed to notice the change in her gaze and wore a hopeful expression.
"Then can we obtain the medicine?"
"Medicine? Hahaha!"
The One-Eyed Immortal cackled and laughed for a long time. That laughter was like a crow cawing, making their hair stand on end.
"This lady originally had no byname. Because I was living quietly, managing the Fire Soul Land filled with spirit beasts and spirit grasses."
She scanned Gongsun Dana's pretty appearance and snorted.
"But do you know why the byname of One-Eyed Immortal was attached to me?"
"I do not know."
"Seven-Finger Demon Blade, Bu Zhanyang."
A dark red murderous intent flowed out from the One-Eyed Immortal's entire body.
"It is because he plucked out my eye."
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