It was impossible to understand.
No matter how the three treasures had combined, how could they have transported him from the Western Regions to Cheonchuk in a single breath?
"Wait."
After looking around for a long time, Bu Eunseol opened his eyes wide.
Only now did he realize that the scenery was somewhat different.
"This is not the Napsageukseong of the present."
The city walls had just finished their foundation work, and the ground, which should have been worn smooth by the footsteps of pilgrims, was a rough mound of dirt.
"To think the city is just being built."
Holding his forehead, he fell deep into thought.
It was one thousand years ago that Napsageukseong truly began to be built.
If so, did that mean this place was the Napsageukseong of a thousand years ago?
"Could it be."
With a sense of possibility, he bent down and touched the dirt on the ground.
The vivid sensation of a single grain of sand could be felt.
He also spread out his super senses but found absolutely nothing strange.
After pondering for a moment, he closed his eyes and recited the method for Illusion Upon Illusion.
He thought he might be caught in a Mind-Seizing Secret Art seeing illusions, or it could be a Mind World.
'No.'
But it was not.
It was neither an illusion nor was he caught in a Mind-Seizing Secret Art.
"It might be a rank of Mind World I haven't experienced before."
A Mind World had stages, and from the sixth level, it could even affect reality.
He thought that if it was at a higher level than that... couldn't it create an illusion like this?
"I can't be certain, but..."
Looking down at his wrist, the Dragon-Phoenix Ring was still fastened there.
Sensing something, Bu Eunseol unfastened it.
Click.
And he turned it over, but surprisingly, the Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor Pearl was not inside.
"Something has gone wrong."
Such a sense of futility and absurdity rushed in that he wanted to collapse.
Until now, he had experienced all sorts of bizarre things while traversing the martial world, but there had never been anything as absurd as this.
"First, I'll verify it."
Bu Eunseol immediately tried to use his movement technique to soar into the sky.
Hop.
However, he merely hopped lightly before landing back on the ground.
'I have no internal energy.'
His internal energy had completely vanished from his body.
Only then detecting the abnormality, Bu Eunseol calmly inspected his body.
All his power had vanished, but fortunately, the Three Divine Energies were still perfectly maintained.
"That's fortunate."
If he didn't even have the Three Divine Energies, he would have had to walk across this vast land of Cheonchuk.
"It's full of incomprehensible things."
Float.
Raising his Wind-Cloud Divine Qi, he instantly floated his body into the empty air.
Then he headed toward Samana Valley in the Anirasan mountain range, where the Four Holy Clans were located.
'Once this matter is resolved, I'll need to study the Three Divine Energies a bit more.'
The extreme of the martial arts he pursued was nothingness and emptiness.
Ever since he set his goal of fighting by returning every opponent to an ordinary state.
He hadn't even thought about raising his accomplishment in the Three Divine Energies.
However, when only the Three Divine Energies remained in his body in such a bleak situation, he keenly felt that there was no need to deliberately reject the power of nature.
'Anyway, once I obtain all Four Divine Energies, I will enter the Path of Nature and cast everything off.'
His pursuit of all Four Divine Energies had a purpose.
Ultimately, it was to make everything into a natural form.
So even if he emptied them all someday.
Until then, raising his proficiency to use them against powerful enemies wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Swoosh.
Before long, he arrived at Samana Valley.
However, only a dense forest spread out here, and as expected, there were no traces of the Four Holy Clans.
"Is it before the Four Holy Clans appeared?"
The history of the Four Holy Clans wasn't that long; it's said they put down roots here eight hundred years ago.
What if this really was a thousand years ago?
Naturally, the Four Holy Clans wouldn't exist.
Screee. Brrrt.
The masters of this forest, where even the midday sunlight was filtered hundreds of times through deep green leaves, were something else entirely.
A giant python with a blood-red horn growing on its forehead could be seen.
The sticky threads tangled like red veins between the branches were the traces of a Spider Blood Snake.
Numerous spirit creatures, not found in the Central Plains, filled the forest.
Not only that, but the pitch-black petals of the Jade Dew Ocean Flower could be seen between the rocks.
Not far away, the Nine Spirit Grass, emitting a light like the Milky Way, was growing.
Far away in a tree, the Dragon Blood Pomegranate, red and hard like drops of blood, could be seen.
"It's similar to Jiaozhi."
Bu Eunseol unknowingly showed a bitter yet nostalgic smile.
The forest of Jiaozhi where Pahon had been in the past.
It had been filled with spirit creatures and spirit grasses just like this.
"Just how am I supposed to return?"
Bu Eunseol used the Wind-Cloud Divine Qi again to leave the forest. After traveling north for a long time, the Nasumina Forest came into view.
'As expected, it's nothing but spirit creatures.'
Moving quickly again, he arrived at Bisuta Valley.
Along with a damp, dark shadow, a bizarre smell of blood mixed with greed seeped deep into his lungs.
'A Mercenary Market?'
Surprisingly, there was a village in Bisuta Valley, and a fairly large-scale Mercenary Market was established there.
In one corner of an alley, a wanderer from Dongying, wearing a bamboo hat pressed down and a long blade at his waist, stood silently leaning against a wall.
A blue-eyed Westerner was browsing a shop displaying animal bones.
There were those who looked like martial artists of the Central Plains, and there were also those who looked like ascetic monks of Cheonchuk.
Most of the shops, with carpets or coarse hemp cloth laid on the ground, sold items related to spirit creatures.
"Hmm."
Unknowingly, Bu Eunseol was walking deep into the familiar-looking scenery of the Mercenary Market.
After walking for a long time, he came upon the Mercenary Market of Jiaozhi again.
An inn very similar to the Black Snake Pavilion came into view.
When he went inside, wanderers formed groups of three or five, eating food, drinking alcohol, and chatting.
'Just what are they talking about?'
As Bu Eunseol frowned in frustration,
Vwoom, vwoom.
Light flowed from the Dragon-Phoenix Ring fastened on his wrist.
At the same time, Bu Eunseol's form became clearer, and surprisingly, he could understand all of their words.
'To think the Dragon-Phoenix Ring had such an ability?'
If the Dragon-Phoenix Ring had the ability to understand foreign languages?
The imperial family would never have bestowed it upon the princess.
"That's right."
"It was like that back then."
Then, amidst the thick accents of the wanderers and the clinking of glasses,
"Hahaha."
A familiar laughter dug into his ears.
An unpretentiously clear, ringing laughter tinged with youthfulness.
Without realizing it, Bu Eunseol turned his head toward the source of the sound.
And at that moment, his breath caught, and he fell into a shock as if the blood in his entire body had frozen.
In the corner of the inn, at a shabby table, a young man was exchanging idle jokes with a few wanderers.
An innocent, youthful face, a smile full of mischief.
Those perfectly clear eyes without a single speck of shadow or stray thought.
It was none other than Pahon.
'Is this the Pahon of a thousand years ago?'
Pahon's appearance was that of a pure young man who had just taken his first steps into the world.
However, perhaps because his gaze lingered too long and too deeply.
"What are you looking at?"
A large wanderer who was talking to Pahon stood up, frowning.
A blatant wariness was etched in his eyes.
"Why do you keep staring over here?"
The conversations of wanderers sometimes carried a great deal.
They involved information as vital as their lifelines.
Therefore, unless they had business with one another.
It was an unwritten rule among wanderers not to stare at or observe each other.
Because unnecessary gazes bred misunderstandings, and misunderstandings easily led to bloodshed.
"Excuse me."
Bu Eunseol apologized briefly, turned around, and walked out of the inn.
'Come to think of it.'
Standing with a blank expression for a moment, Bu Eunseol belatedly slapped his forehead.
He hadn't checked what he looked like or what kind of face he had.
Going back out into the city, he found a bronze mirror at a street stall.
'It's different.'
Bu Eunseol opened his eyes wide.
It was not his own face.
He had the face of a person he had never seen before.
'What in the world is going on.'
It was confusing.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol calmed his mind for a moment.
As the cold night air seeped deep into his lungs, he finally felt like he was coming to his senses.
He climbed up a tall tree and leaned his back against it for a moment.
One thing was certain: this was not a dream.
'So the Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor, the Dragon-Phoenix Ring, and the True Demon's remains combined to cause this.'
The Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor Pearl, an ancient treasure said to inherit the karma contained in one's bloodline.
The imperial family's treasure, the Dragon-Phoenix Ring.
And the beginning of Demons, the first remains of the True Demon.
These three artifacts resonated to produce this phenomenon.
"If so, this shouldn't be a simple illusion."
It was clear that an unimaginably bizarre event was taking place.
"What is certain is that I haven't returned to the past."
If his appearance were the same, the deduction that he had returned to the past could hold.
But his current appearance belonged to a complete stranger.
"Then am I vividly experiencing someone's memories?"
He might have entered the life of someone who once existed.
However, considering this was set in Cheonchuk a thousand years ago, it was too unrealistic and impossible.
"Hmm."
Besides, he had clearly looked at Pahon in the inn of his own volition, and hadn't a dispute broken out because of that unwavering gaze?
"If this is someone's memory, did I unconsciously copy their actions?"
After thinking for a long time, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
Because he had clearly reacted after hearing Pahon's laughter.
Ssk.
Bu Eunseol touched the Dragon-Phoenix Ring worn on his wrist.
The Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor Pearl, which should have been kept safely inside, was still missing.
"The answer is the Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor Pearl."
He had a gut feeling that he had to put the missing Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor Pearl back into the Dragon-Phoenix Ring to escape this place.
"If this place isn't an illusion but truly a thousand years ago... would the Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor Pearl exist at this time too?"
Because this was the distant land of Cheonchuk, not the Central Plains.
Murmur, murmur.
Then the inn's door opened, and a group of five or six people came outside.
It was Pahon and his companions.
'I have no choice but to start here.'
Bu Eunseol's eyes shone in the darkness.
He had no information about this place.
So he had made up his mind to investigate Pahon first.
Afterward, Bu Eunseol secretly followed Pahon like a shadow, observing how he and his companions lived.
'Their skills are...'
They were a small group of five or six people, calling each other brother and sister instead of names, living like blood siblings.
They lived together in a dilapidated thatched hut, and when they went into the forest, they caught wild boars to eat as meals rather than spirit creatures, barely eking out a living.
'...terrible.'
Their skills were so pitiful they could hardly be called wanderers.
Whenever they hunted spirit creatures, they would often misstep and fall, or their attacks would get tangled up, frequently resulting in injuries.
Pahon was just as unskilled, so he was often scolded by his companions for running wild with only enthusiasm.
Nevertheless, the smiles never left their faces.
On days they failed a hunt, they all sat together, sharing dry rations and strengthening their resolve to catch a bigger one tomorrow.
And on days they caught even a small spirit creature, they would laugh, chatter, and throw a feast loud enough to shake the whole forest.
They were poor and weak, but they were a family who cared for each other more than anyone else in the world.
―'We have to do real work now, right?'
However, there were more days they went hungry, and their injuries increased.
Since they couldn't even dream of hunting independently with their meager skills...
They eventually threw away their pride and chose a different path.
They became odd-job workers who cleaned up after highly skilled wanderer teams.
They carried luggage, kept watch all night, and when a prey fell, they rushed in to handle the blood and entrails.
Every day, they were met with contempt and mockery.
As the tyranny grew worse, they were soon treated not as fellow wanderers but as servants.
But they never expressed any dissatisfaction.
They merely lowered their heads in silence and handled the tasks assigned to them.
Even though they were despised, they were happy just to be together with people tighter than blood relations.
Then one day, an incident occurred.
A massive wanderer alliance was formed to raid the nest of the Blood Birds, legendary spirit creatures said to form colonies of dozens.
The Blood Bird, shaped like a giant wingless bird, was a treasure trove with nothing to throw away from a single feather to its claws.
Pahon and his companions went as well.
They were hired as porters at the very back of the massive procession heading to the cave.
However, a problem arose.
The information was completely wrong.
The number of Blood Birds was much higher than expected, and they were cunning enough to set traps and wait due to their high intelligence.
―'Argh! Aaaargh!'
―'Save me! My arm!'
The cave turned into a slaughterhouse in an instant.
Every time the sharp beaks of the Blood Birds dug into flesh, blood sprayed like fountains, and bodies were torn apart like pieces of paper.
Whenever the sharp claws containing monstrous strength moved, the wanderers fell like autumn leaves.
As the tide turned and total annihilation loomed, the leader of the vanguard wanderer team shouted as if vomiting blood.
―'Retreat! Everyone retreat!'
But the movements of the Blood Birds were faster than their movement techniques.
The starving Blood Birds never let go of the prey they bit, and the escape routes began to be blocked one by one.
Crunch.
The horrifying sounds of flesh tearing and bones crushing echoed from all directions.
Every time the hook-like claws of the Blood Birds dug into bodies, hot blood spilled down.
A companion's neck was bitten by a Blood Bird's beak, lifted into the air, and slammed against the ground.
With a dull sound of bones breaking, the wanderers' bodies went limp.
―'We'll all die at this rate!'
―'We need, we need bait!'
The gaze of the wanderers, their eyes rolled back in terror, focused on one place.
It was Pahon and his companions, who had been carrying luggage in the rear.
―'Let's throw those porters to them and buy some time!'
Faced with the fear of death, they ended up doing what they should never have chosen.
The fleeing wanderers swung their swords toward Pahon's companions.
Not to kill them, but to prevent them from running away.
Slice!
With an eerie tearing sound, the leg tendons of the companions were severed.
Leaving them writhing in pain on the ground behind, the wanderers quickly sprinted toward the exit.
―'Grrr!'
Smelling blood, the flock of Blood Birds changed direction.
Instead of the fleeing ones, they headed for the fresh prey rolling on the ground right now.
In that moment, they all looked at one person.
Fortunately, it was the youngest, Pahon, who only had one leg injured.
"Run away."
"Brother, Sister!"
When Pahon shed tears of blood and shook his head,
"I told you to run!"
With a face covered in blood, he squeezed out his last bit of strength to shout.
"Don't come this way!"
He waved his bloody arms and screamed.
Crack!
In the meantime, a Blood Bird began tearing at his lower body. Amidst the agonizing pain as if he were dying, he hugged the Blood Bird's head and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Run to where the inner crossroad is!"
"Brother!"
"Even these guys instinctively avoid that place! Whatever is there will be better than getting torn to death, so hurry!"
The inner crossroad was a place even Blood Birds wouldn't approach, as if other spirit creatures were gathered or traps were there.
Rather than being torn to death and eaten by the Blood Birds, it was better to go there.
"No! Let's go together!"
"We'll hold these guys back, so hurry!"
The other companions also looked at Pahon and smiled.
"Live... for our share too."
To save the youngest, the brothers and sister who were like family threw their own bodies into the maws of the Blood Birds to become human shields.
"If you don't go, we die in vain!"
At the desperate last words, Pahon held back his bursting sobs and turned around.
He ran like a madman.
He started limping into the darkness, toward the deepest abyss of the cave where even Blood Birds hesitated to go.
How much time had passed?
Plink.
At the sensation of a cold drop of water striking his forehead, Pahon gasped and opened his eyes.
All that entered his vision was a suffocating, pitch-black darkness.
He instinctively shrank his body and swallowed a rough breath.
'Where am I.'
He had run like crazy through the crevices of the cave, crawling repeatedly until he lost consciousness.
Pahon fumbled with trembling hands to inspect his surroundings. What his fingertips touched was a damp, rough rock wall.
The place he had collapsed was a narrow crevice formed by collapsed giant boulders, barely enough for a single person to cram their body into.
"Brothers!"
Rather than the fear that Blood Birds might still be nearby, the hope that his companions might be alive dominated his mind.
He crawled on all fours like a beast, back out of the place he had fled to.
His fingernails were all flipped backwards from scratching against sharp rock fragments, and his palms were tattered like rags.
But he moved frantically without caring.
Then, he was able to come back out to the wide cavern where the battle with the flock of Blood Birds had taken place.
Trickle.
In that moment, a cold liquid flowed down his cheeks.
It was because a miserable scene too gruesome to look at with open eyes had unfolded.
The hands that always warmly stroked his head, the lips that offered affectionate words, the encouraging gazes.
All of that was torn and crushed beyond recognition.
Crying did not come out.
He merely sobbed silently like a mute.
―'Live for our share too.'
From somewhere, the voices of his companions echoed in his ears.
It was the only will of the brothers and sister who had sacrificed their lives to protect him.
Wiping his tears, he struggled to walk outside.
However, the entrance was already firmly blocked.
"I have to find a way out."
Whether his leg was broken, it was too painful to move, and his head was dizzy.
In the end, he collapsed amidst the pile of corpses and lost consciousness.
How much time had passed?
A burning thirst rushed over him.
His leg still would not move, so Pahon had to spend yet more time in that spot.
Fortunately, the flock of Blood Birds or other spirit creatures no longer appeared.
Even so, the thirst could not be stopped, and all he could see were streams of blood flowing everywhere.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh."
After countless moments of hesitation,
"Gulp."
He brought his mouth to the stream of blood forming a brook on the floor.
The hot tears of the living.
Mixed with the cold blood of the dead and went down his throat.
"Uuuh, uuuuuh!"
Having drank the blood, he wailed.
To live, he had given up even human dignity. Now, he had become a beast.
Scrrritch.
He dug the ground with his torn-off fingernails, heading into the crevice of the crossroad once again.
How long had he crawled like that?
When he finally reached the deepest part of the nest filled with blood and stench, an unexpected scene unfolded.
There, an emaciated man with an old piece of cloth wrapped around his head sat quietly in the lotus position.
Sitting in that hellish space full of corpses and blood.
His appearance was so bizarrely peaceful that he looked like a Buddha in asceticism.
Glint.
Then, the man in the lotus position slowly opened his eyes.
The eyes shining in the darkness were like looking at black stars fallen into an abyss.
Looking at Pahon covered in blood and dirt, he faintly raised the corners of his mouth as if satisfied.
[Do you want revenge?]
His voice resonated lowly throughout the entire cave. The man reached out a bony hand toward Pahon.
[If so, I will give you power.]
The whisper of the one sitting like a shadow was an irresistible temptation for Pahon, who desperately wanted revenge.
[Instead, you must become the king of spirit creatures.]
"The king of spirit creatures..."
As Pahon muttered in incomprehension, the man spoke again.
[To stand at the apex of all creation with a human body. Instead, it means it will be your destiny to be chased by people your whole life, and to live by tearing them apart and eating them.]
In that moment, Pahon opened his eyes wide.
He did not know the reason.
But that emaciated and quiet being, wearing the very form of a Buddha.
He could intuit that he was the beginning and end of all this tragedy.
That bizarre man.
Wished to take in Pahon, who had once been exceptionally pure but was now left with only deep resentment.
As one of his kin.
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