It was the path of the demonic.
If he was destined to regret, to feel lingering attachment… he chose the fastest path to achieve his goal, the path for vengeance.
Humm!
A powerful surge of energy emanated from the black-robed figure, beginning to attack the white-robed figure. For a while, the white-robed figure resisted fiercely, but since Bu Eunseol had chosen the demonic path, the boundless power was concentrated in the black-robed figure.
Eventually, the white-robed figure began to be drenched in blood.
"Grandfather." As a pained light flickered in the movements of the attacked white-robed figure, the kind face of Bu Zhanyang, dying in a wretched state, flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
Bu Zhanyang, who taught him the principles of the world and the beauty of nature.
He wished for Bu Eunseol to soften his cold disposition, to become a warm and compassionate person, helping many others.
He fervently hoped for Bu Eunseol to live happily for a long time.
He would never want Bu Eunseol to choose the demonic path or become a grand demon consumed by vengeance.
"Ughhh." A groan escaped Bu Eunseol as he gazed at the Heart Sect Gate.
Feeling the anguish, his spirit re-entered a neutral state.
Then, the white-robed figure gained strength and began to counter the black-robed figure.
The battle continued endlessly, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
Pop.
As the fight dragged on, Bu Eunseol’s blood vessels swelled, and the colors of his left and right eyes changed.
His pained expression returned to calm.
But his eyes lacked focus.
Unable to decisively choose one side, the endless struggle…
Ultimately plunged him into an irreversible, deep demonic state.
Clang.
At that moment, the iron door opened, and a white-robed figure entered.
It was Palace Lord Hwa Mi.
She looked at the crouching Bu Eunseol and let out a heavy sigh.
"To think his martial arts were this formidable."
Fear filled Hwa Mi’s eyes.
Through a hidden mechanism, she had confirmed that Bu Eunseol maintained a clear mind in the Heart Sect Gate for four days.
If time continued like this?
It seemed he might truly shatter the Heart Sect Gate. Unable to wait, she forcibly opened the gate’s wall.
"That must not happen." A sinister light glinted in the eyes of Hwa Mi, disguised as a young girl.
In truth, she never wanted the Heart Sect Gate broken. If the Azure Cloud Sea Palace stepped into the world?
She realized it would meet a tragic end due to foreign invasions.
"Numerous spirit herbs grow around our palace. Having consumed them since childhood, we maintain this youthful appearance."
The secret of the Azure Cloud Sea Palace.
It’s not that they don’t age like immortals because their internal energy is deep…
But because they consumed the mystical spirit herbs growing nearby, retaining the appearance of children.
"If this fact were known, our palace would surely be destroyed." Looking down at the staggering Bu Eunseol, lost in a demonic state, Hwa Mi said. "That’s why our founder created the unbreakable Heart Sect Gate to suppress the desires of disciples wanting to venture into the world."
Such was the hidden history of the Azure Cloud Sea Palace?
This was a secret unknown to the martial world.
Hwa Mi’s tone, once like a girl’s, gradually turned into that of an elder.
"Thus, you must never break this wall." Taking a deep breath, Hwa Mi glared.
In truth, Bu Eunseol was already lost in a demonic state, his spirit shattered. But to her eyes, he appeared to be steadfastly enduring the Heart Sect Gate’s gate, reciting its methods.
"I’m sorry."
Zing!
Her index finger began to glow with a dark sunset hue.
She unleashed the palace’s supreme technique, the Crimson Fire Finger.
Flash!
The sunset-colored lightning shot from her fingertip, turning the world red. It pierced through Bu Eunseol’s vital points in an instant.
Or rather, it should have.
Thud!
But as the finger strike hit, Bu Eunseol’s body shimmered with golden light, repelling the Crimson Fire Finger.
It was as if he had activated Shaolin’s Diamond Invulnerability Technique.
"Was he conscious?"
Startled, Hwa Mi hesitated.
But something was off.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes lacked focus, and a strange pulsation rippled around his body. Upon closer inspection, he wasn’t reciting the method to counter the Heart Sect Gate’s energy but seemed to have lost his soul.
"Is he in a demonic state? That can’t be."
Puzzled, she shot another finger strike.
Flash!
Again, his body glowed with majestic golden light, repelling the strike.
Her expression turned as if she were seeing a monstrous creature. How could someone standing so limply unleash such powerful energy unconsciously?
Flash! Flash!
She fired the Crimson Fire Finger repeatedly.
Each time, his body glowed golden, repelling the strikes.
"It’s not that he’s repelling the finger strikes."
On her nineteenth strike, Hwa Mi’s eyes widened.
It wasn’t Bu Eunseol repelling the strikes; the radiant light enveloping him and the mysterious energy spreading outward were altering the nature of her finger strikes.
***
Lost in a demonic state, Bu Eunseol couldn’t move a finger.
His spirit, split in two, was attacking itself. The battle reached a point where even he couldn’t stop it.
He couldn’t decisively choose anything.
Neither vengeance nor the warm memories and emotions from his grandfather. He couldn’t abandon either.
Thus, his divided spirit fought until his mind collapsed.
But then, something unexpected happened.
A powerful finger strike from outside pierced his body.
Humm!
This stimulated the mysterious energy dormant in his meridians, activating it. It was the essence of Shaolin’s supreme technique, injected into his meridians during his fight with Master Mun Dae—the Great Prajna Power.
Zing!
As the Great Prajna Power, capable of transforming all forces freely, spread through his body, a miracle occurred. An incomparably pure and lofty energy altered its properties, seeping into Bu Eunseol’s spirit… forming a bridge between the demonic and orthodox paths.
The Great Prajna Power.
This mystical supreme Buddhist technique not only repaired Bu Eunseol’s shattered spirit but also built a sturdy golden bridge, allowing him to traverse freely between demonic and orthodox.
"How can this be!" Panicked, Hwa Mi fired a barrage of Crimson Fire Finger strikes with all ten fingers.
Each strike further stimulated the Great Prajna Power in his meridians, rapidly sealing his demonic state.
Hummm!
As the Great Prajna Power reached its peak, immense energy erupted from Bu Eunseol’s body.
Rumble.
The stone chamber shook as if an earthquake had struck, and the floor began to rise.
Crack.
Suddenly, Bu Eunseol’s skin split, and faint light seeped from within.
His spirit and internal energy, lingering between demonic and orthodox, fused with the Great Prajna Power dispersed in his meridians, triggering another transformation.
Whoosh.
Millions of light particles rose into the air beneath Bu Eunseol’s feet.
He had finally surpassed the fifth level of the Ban-geuk Method, a realm even the Blood Vajra couldn’t reach.
Hummm.
As the low hum faded and the majestic light particles enveloping him dissipated, Bu Eunseol slowly opened his eyes.
"…"
The first thing he saw was his face reflected in the glass-like wall.
With his disguise removed, Bu Eunseol’s face was far more strikingly beautiful than before. His spirit was so serene it felt as if he were gazing down at the world from the highest heavens.
The Heart Sect Gate, meant to destroy human spirits, had instead become a blessing in disguise. However, having just awakened from a demonic state, he still felt dreamlike.
He didn’t even notice his enhanced energy.
"A disguise?" Hwa Mi, standing behind him, widened her eyes upon seeing his true face, freed from the disguise technique.
But then, "This demonic thing must be destroyed."
Bu Eunseol, staring at the Heart Sect Gate, flicked his finger.
Flash!
Dark and golden energies swirled like a whirlwind, passing through the Heart Sect Gate. Unconsciously, he had unleashed the combined power of both orthodox and demonic forces.
"No!" Hwa Mi shouted, stepping in front of the Heart Sect Gate. "The Heart Sect Gate must not be broken!"
But the whirlwind of energy had already passed through.
"…" Yet, there was no reaction.
Even that immense power couldn’t shatter the Heart Sect Gate.
"Thank goodness." As Hwa Mi sighed in relief, slumping down,
Rumble.
Dozens of people rushed through the open iron door.
Feeling the earth-shaking vibration, Supreme Palace Lord A-Min, Seo Jinha, So Okrim, and numerous disciples of the Cloud Sea Palace entered, realizing something was wrong.
"Your face changed?" So Okrim pointed at Bu Eunseol’s unveiled face, her mouth agape, when—
Crack.
Cracks began to form on the transparent Heart Sect Gate.
Boom.
With a deafening roar, it collapsed entirely.
The Heart Sect Gate had finally been shattered by the powerful finger strike infused with the combined orthodox and demonic forces.
A deathly silence fell over the scene.
"The Heart Sect Gate…" A disciple spoke.
"Our palace’s prohibition is finally broken!" The disciples of the Cloud Sea Palace cheered, raising their hands.
"We can now step into the world!"
"No!" Hwa Mi let out a shrill cry.
And shouted something incomprehensible.
"Even if the Heart Sect Gate is broken, our palace must never step into the world!" At her outcry, a disciple stepped forward, clasping their hands. "But Palace Lord, didn’t our founder say that if the Heart Sect Gate is broken, our palace can enter the world?"
"The Heart Sect Gate was created to keep us from the world! It was never meant to be broken!" At Hwa Mi’s shout, Supreme Palace Lord A-Min stepped forward with a pained expression.
"Palace Lord, the Heart Sect Gate is already broken."
"Do you not know what happens if our palace is exposed to the world?" She shouted loudly. "If our palace is known, the spirit herbs around it, the elixirs, and treasures accumulated over generations will be stolen by outsiders."
"Palace Lord."
"You know how greedy Central Plains people are! They’ll take our secret to eternal youth in an instant."
"That won’t happen. Haven’t I always said?" A-Min said with a sorrowful expression. "While no one wants to grow old… few would want to remain in a child’s form forever."
The Azure Cloud Sea Palace recruits disciples by traveling the world to find exceptional children.
They feed them the spirit herbs from Mount Golab early on, allowing all disciples to maintain a youthful appearance. But Central Plains people wouldn’t consume these herbs from childhood to stay young, nor would many want to live forever as immature youths.
"Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that our palace will be invaded." Hwa Mi said solemnly. "Our palace has always stayed hidden. No matter how great our martial prowess, we can’t fend off hordes of bandits."
Some disciples nodded, convinced by her words.
In a way, the Azure Cloud Sea Palace was like an orphan carrying vast treasures. Even if attacked, no one would help a sect long isolated from the world.
"That won’t happen." Bu Eunseol stepped forward and said. "Even if the Azure Cloud Sea Palace reveals itself to the world, no force will dare invade it."
At his bold words, Hwa Mi looked incredulous.
"How can you guarantee that?"
"Because I, the heir of Majeon, say so."
"What?" Hwa Mi’s expression changed drastically at Bu Eunseol’s words.
This refined young man, who had hidden his identity, was the legitimate heir of Nangyang Pavilion, one of the ten demonic sects… and the designated Martial Soul Command Lord, the next Demonic Sect leader?
"You’re the heir of Majeon?"
Even the secluded Azure Cloud Sea Palace had heard of Bu Eunseol, the Martial Soul Command Lord, whose fame had shaken the martial world multiple times.
"Yes." As Bu Eunseol calmly affirmed, Hwa Mi’s brow rose.
"Even so, how will you prevent invasions?"
"Form an alliance with my pavilion." Bu Eunseol said calmly. "Currently, my pavilion is flooded with young, talented masters. We’re expanding our influence and prowess through exchanges with various sects."
The Heaven and Earth Severing Sect, the Affectionate Blossom Sect, and Nangyang Pavilion.
Three of the ten demonic sects, once insignificant, now held the greatest influence among them.
"If you ally with my pavilion, no sect will dare covet the Azure Cloud Sea Palace. And…" Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile.
"As long as I’m here, you’ll have Majeon’s support."
The hearts of all the palace disciples pounded.
An alliance with Nangyang Pavilion and Majeon. If Bu Eunseol’s words held true… no sect would dare touch the Azure Cloud Sea Palace.
"I cannot accept such terms." Hwa Mi said coldly. "Support from Nangyang Pavilion and Majeon would require us to reveal everything about our palace."
Even small underworld factions joining an alliance pay protection fees. Joining Majeon would mean offering up everything they had.
"The Ten Thousand Transformations Wheel." Bu Eunseol shook his head. "Just impart it to Seo Jinha."
Hwa Mi couldn’t hide her shock.
"Just by imparting our palace’s internal energy method, you’ll do that?"
"However, if you join Majeon, you’ll need to provide about one-tenth of the spirit herbs and elixirs cultivated here."
"One-tenth?" Hwa Mi’s mouth fell open.
To take only one-tenth of the spirit herbs in exchange for Majeon’s protection was practically nothing.
"But won’t one-tenth become two-tenths, snowballing later?"
Bu Eunseol said solemnly. "That will never happen. Nor will anyone from my pavilion or Majeon covet what’s in the Cloud Sea Palace."
"How can I trust that?"
"When we form an alliance with Majeon, we’ll publicly declare that these terms are immutable."
Hwa Mi widened her eyes in disbelief. Bu Eunseol’s terms were so generous they were hard to believe.
Swish.
After deep thought, Hwa Mi suddenly bowed deeply to Bu Eunseol.
"Our founder prophesied that the one who breaks the Heart Sect Gate’s prohibition will bring a thousand years of glory to our palace." Still bowing, she said respectfully. "Please protect our palace’s peace. That’s all I desire."
Bu Eunseol also bowed deeply, clasping his hands.
"Do not worry. The promise will be kept." As Bu Eunseol returned the courtesy, Hwa Mi was overjoyed.
Demonic figures pursue dominance, and someone of Bu Eunseol’s status would naturally be arrogant. Yet, by returning the bow, he acknowledged her as an equal.
"He will surely bring peace and a thousand years of glory to our palace, as prophesied." Hwa Mi’s heart swelled.
The Azure Cloud Sea Palace no longer needed to hide from the world in fear.
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