At that moment, a realization struck Bukgung Ryeong.
‘Could it be that only one person can enter that place too?’ This vault was designed for a single chosen individual to enter.
What would happen if two people entered the vault again? The thought crossed his mind that traps might activate once more inside.
“Hup!” Bukgung Ryeong’s heart raced.
With a powerful shout, he sprinted forward with all his might. Fortunately, Bu Eunseol’s mysterious sword technique had burned away the poison mist in the direction of the entrance, clearing a path ahead.
“Hah!” Dodging all obstacles, Bukgung Ryeong reached the entrance first, hurriedly opening the door and stepping inside.
“Come quickly!” he shouted.
But Bu Eunseol, trapped in the poison mist after unleashing Ashes of Body and Mind, gave no response.
“Is he dead?” Bukgung Ryeong muttered.
There was no sign of movement within the mist.
It seemed Bu Eunseol had exhausted his final strength to unleash radiant sword energy in that moment.
“I should at least recover his body…” As Bukgung Ryeong prepared to rush back out, he froze.
Hiss…
Poisonous mist poured through the open iron door.
The mist filling the great hall surged toward the door as if being sucked in. At this rate, the interior would soon be filled with poison mist. Bukgung Ryeong had no choice but to close the iron door.
Rumble.
“Huff, huff,” he panted, catching his breath after shutting the door.
With a tense expression, he scanned his surroundings. In truth, he had little interest in the Martial Emperor’s secret manuals.
The traps in this place…
Even he, the Bullet King who had shaken the martial world, couldn’t easily overcome them. After a full day without a sip of water, navigating those traps had left him physically and mentally exhausted.
“Did it not activate because I entered alone?” he wondered, breathing a sigh of relief.
Recalling Bu Eunseol’s face, he sighed again. “At least… it’s less painful than dying by my hand.”
Once he left this place, Bukgung Ryeong would have to kill Bu Eunseol. Leaving him to be buried in the collapsing great hall would, in a way, ease his conscience.
“It’s a pity,” he murmured.
Not only was Bu Eunseol strikingly handsome, but he also possessed martial prowess, wisdom, composure, and agility—lacking in nothing.
He was a perfect prodigy.
“If he hadn’t killed that old man with cowardly methods… I would’ve risked my life to save him.”
Unaware of Bu Eunseol’s terrifying inner energy reserves and his mastery of the Subtle True Technique, Bukgung Ryeong still believed he had assassinated the Beggar King through dishonorable means, as he hadn’t heard recent martial world rumors.
“…!” Something felt off.
With each step forward, he felt himself sinking downward. Sensing something strange, he tried to use his qinggong, but his legs wouldn’t budge, as if rooted to the ground.
“What’s this?” he exclaimed.
Whoosh.
Upon closer inspection, the floor was made of golden sand, constantly flowing downward.
Quicksand. The solid floor had somehow turned into flowing quicksand.
“Tch,” Bukgung Ryeong clicked his tongue, attempting to leap upward.
But the quicksand’s suction force was beyond imagination.
“This…” Normally, he could have soared upward despite any pressure.
But now, having exhausted his energy until his core felt torn, no amount of effort could free him.
“With this flow rate, it shouldn’t be a problem,” he said, regaining his composure as he observed the quicksand.
Fortunately, the sinking speed wasn’t too fast. By circulating his energy lightly, he could escape without much difficulty.
Ping!
But then, something astonishing happened. With a sharp sound, steel wires shot out from the quicksand, tightly binding his legs.
“What?!” Bukgung Ryeong exclaimed, channeling his energy, but his bound legs wouldn’t move.
“Haha,” he laughed bitterly, realizing something. “I’m not quick enough.”
He had always destroyed everything with a single finger.
He never needed to be faster or more agile than others to gain the upper hand.
But the traps here permitted no moment of carelessness.
His ingrained arrogance had ensnared him once again.
Ching!
At that moment, a metallic sound rang out, and a dark sword pierced through the gap in the iron door.
Crackle!
Sparks flew as the gap was sliced vertically. The door opened, revealing a tall figure—Bu Eunseol.
“How?!” Bukgung Ryeong couldn’t hide his shock.
Bu Eunseol had clearly been trapped in the poison mist, motionless. How had he entered this place unscathed?
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol approached slowly, coldly looking down at Bukgung Ryeong, trapped in the quicksand with his legs bound by steel wires.
“Your legs are caught below,” he said, as if seeing through the quicksand, instantly grasping Bukgung Ryeong’s situation.
“Wait!” Bukgung Ryeong shouted in a near-scream.
If Bu Eunseol attacked now, he’d be cut down without a chance to resist.
“Are you going to kill me?” he asked.
“…” Bu Eunseol didn’t answer. After staring at him for a moment, he leaped with his qinggong, effortlessly crossing the quicksand.
Swish. Thud.
He continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.
“Why didn’t you attack?” Bukgung Ryeong asked, unable to comprehend Bu Eunseol’s actions. “In this state, you could easily cut my throat.”
If he struck now, he’d not only eliminate a threat but also gain immense fame for killing two of the Seven Kings of Death. Such glory would be the dream of any martial artist. Why would he pass it up?
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol kept walking inward without responding.
“You think I won’t kill you for this?” Bukgung Ryeong shouted. “Do you think I’ll forgive you?”
“Who’s forgiving whom?” Bu Eunseol retorted.
“You killed Gu Hongcheong, that old man, with dirty methods, didn’t you?” Bukgung Ryeong accused.
Bu Eunseol’s expression turned scornful. “I know righteous folks often don’t act their age, but keep your mouth shut.”
“What? You…” Bukgung Ryeong began.
“Not only blind and deaf, but you haven’t even met the man?” Bu Eunseol said.
Though deeply insulting, the words made Bukgung Ryeong pause, puzzled.
—Now I see you’re not only blind but deaf too.
Bu Eunseol had said that when mistakenly accused of being a villain. Now, saying he hadn’t even met the man—could he be mistaken again?
‘This guy…’ Reflecting on it, from their first meeting, Bu Eunseol had fearlessly challenged him despite knowing his identity.
‘He’s not the type to use dirty tricks.’ Throughout their struggle against the traps, Bukgung Ryeong had sensed it. Though cold and unyielding, Bu Eunseol wasn’t someone who’d assassinate the Beggar King with underhanded methods.
“Fine. Why didn’t you kill me?” Bukgung Ryeong shouted desperately.
Bu Eunseol snorted softly. “You thought I was trapped in the poison mist and tried to come back to save me.”
“What?” Bukgung Ryeong said.
“Blind, deaf, and ill-tempered, but at least you know how to act human. That’s the only reason I didn’t kill you,” Bu Eunseol explained.
Bukgung Ryeong’s eyes widened.
So, this young man had not only survived the poison mist unscathed but had been observing his actions all along?
“Then why not help me?” Bukgung Ryeong asked.
“My kindness ends at not killing you. Don’t expect any loyalty,” Bu Eunseol said, turning away.
Whoosh.
Bukgung Ryeong, half-buried in the quicksand, burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
Snap! Ping!
With the sound of snapping steel wires, he broke free from the quicksand in an instant.
“You’re a real oddball!” Bukgung Ryeong said, standing beside Bu Eunseol, his eyes blazing with intensity. “And definitely not the type to kill with malicious tricks.”
In truth, he had recovered some energy while talking.
If Bu Eunseol had shown any sign of attacking during his vulnerable state, Bukgung Ryeong would have unleashed his bullet energy to crush his skull.
But Bu Eunseol was neither evil nor cowardly.
In his eighty years, Bukgung Ryeong had never met a man so resolute and stubborn. Such a man would never resort to ambush or deceit.
“I finally see your true nature,” Bukgung Ryeong exclaimed.
Martial spirit.
This young prodigy of the demonic path, though arrogant, was the epitome of martial spirit.
“Let me ask one thing,” Bukgung Ryeong said, voicing the doubt in his heart. “I know you’re not the type for dirty deeds. But… your skill doesn’t seem enough to defeat that old man.” He had sensed that Bu Eunseol had just stepped into the Supreme Heaven Realm.
At that level, defeating Gu Hongcheong was impossible.
“How did you beat him?” Bukgung Ryeong asked sincerely.
Bu Eunseol sighed. “His ambition was too great.”
A short answer.
But it was enough for Bukgung Ryeong to understand how he had faced Gu Hongcheong.
“I see,” he said.
Gu Hongcheong’s ambition must have been exploited, provoked to destabilize his ironclad spirit. With his vast capacity and wisdom, Bu Eunseol likely prepared a counter to neutralize Gu Hongcheong’s Nine Severing Flash Hand.
“At my age, one usually lets go of fame and glory,” Bukgung Ryeong muttered with a sigh. “But Gu Hongcheong never once abandoned his ambition to become sect leader.”
He knew Gu Hongcheong better than anyone, making the realization all the more poignant.
“But it was for the revival of his sect, not personal glory,” he added.
“That’s just another form of ambition,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“What?” Bukgung Ryeong said.
Leaving that remark, Bu Eunseol walked inward.
Step, step.
Having discerned no further traps, his steps were unhesitant.
“Just another form of ambition…” Bukgung Ryeong repeated, giving a wry smile.
He realized Bu Eunseol’s words weren’t mocking Gu Hongcheong but stemmed from deep experience and insight.
“What an old soul,” Bukgung Ryeong chuckled, quickening his pace to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Bu Eunseol.
With that, he signaled he had let go of his hostility toward Bu Eunseol.
“Is this the Martial Emperor’s Hidden Vault?” he said.
Passing through the door at the passage’s end, they entered a wide space.
It resembled a library, with rows of bookshelves densely packed.
On one side was a clear underground stream and a storage area filled with wall-grain pills.
Bu Eunseol and Bukgung Ryeong drank deeply from the cool, clear water. Most of the wall-grain pills had rotted, leaving few edible.
Bukgung Ryeong rummaged through the storage and found glass jars filled with honey.
“This looks edible,” he said.
Unlike other foods, properly stored honey could remain edible for centuries. They carefully selected intact jars and slowly consumed the honey. As the water and honey entered their bodies, their minds sharpened, and vitality surged through them.
Moreover, their wounds healed rapidly, and a thread of heat rose from their cores.
“This… isn’t ordinary honey,” Bukgung Ryeong said, examining a jar of clear honey. “It’s definitely the honey of the Jade Bee, known only in legends.”
“Jade Bee honey…” Bu Eunseol murmured.
He recalled reading about the properties of spiritual creatures in a book from the Nine Deaths Squad’s library. Thinking of something, he tucked an intact jar of honey into his robes.
“But the manuals here are rather ordinary,” Bukgung Ryeong said, shaking his head with disappointment as he browsed the shelves.
The shelves held advanced righteous martial arts manuals, but to him, they were unremarkable.
“Hm,” Bu Eunseol let out a low hum, inspecting the shelves.
Though he had entered the Supreme Heaven Realm, he had transcended techniques and forms.
He had little interest in righteous martial arts.
“It seems true,” Bukgung Ryeong muttered, recalling something. “The Martial Emperor said even ordinary martial arts, when mastered perfectly, could unleash tremendous power.”
The Martial Emperor, Seop Muhun, always defeated strong foes with ordinary techniques, claiming the secret was “perfect mastery.” Seop Muhun was a martial genius who could learn any technique instantly. Because he could master even the most difficult arts with ease, he could speak of “perfect mastery.”
He could even write a manual from memory after seeing a technique once. Legend has it that Go Tae-un, the leader of the Hainan Sect, once challenged him to write a manual for the Hainan Sword Technique after a demonstration.
Seop Muhun immediately penned the entire manual.
Shocked, Go Tae-un apologized and burned the manual, a tale that became legendary.
“Ridiculous. So we’re supposed to master these manuals perfectly to become the Martial Emperor?” Bukgung Ryeong said, shaking his head incredulously. “His genius talent must have kept him from learning how to teach others.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol pulled a large book from the end of a shelf.
The Martial Emperor’s Secret Record.
Its pristine condition suggested it had never been touched.
—I am wronged and resentful!
The opening pages were filled with words of injustice and indignation.
—I struggled to eradicate the forces disrupting the martial world, but no matter how much I uprooted, they wouldn’t vanish… I was framed and hunted.
The book detailed the forces that had plagued the martial world four hundred years ago.
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