Clatter, clatter.
The carriage racing along the main road had already entered Yeongnyeong Prefecture.
Inside the carriage, a man in white robes with a gentle demeanor sat gazing out the window. It was Bu Eunseol.
Having escaped from Namman, he was now passing through the outskirts of Yunnan, heading toward Sichuan.
‘Things worked out better than expected.’
A faint smile played on Bu Eunseol’s lips as he looked out the window.
Jeok Mumi, now the lord of Yeolha Holy Palace, had immediately sent an envoy to the Martial Alliance, expressing her intent to join. With this achievement, he would likely be promoted to the rank of second-grade leader in one fell swoop.
‘If that happens, I’ll need to decide on my affiliation.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
Should he join the Ascendant Martial Hall?
Or perhaps the Star Guard Division?
The seven great corps of the Martial Alliance were, in name and reality, the seven pillars supporting the alliance, wielding immense power. Moreover, Baekri Mujo, the leader of the Star Guard Division, held a considerable fondness for him. Bu Eunseol, too, felt an inexplicable affinity for the Star Guard Division leader.
If he joined under him, he could likely rise in rank stably without facing opposition from other factions.
‘But…’
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
His goal wasn’t promotion.
He needed to uncover the Three Realms organization infiltrating the Martial Alliance and identify the culprit among the seven corps leaders suspected of killing his grandfather.
Stable advancement in rank?
That was not what Bu Eunseol desired.
‘What if I join the Ascendant Martial Hall?’
Yuk Jangcheon was aiming for the vacant position of Martial Spring Corps leader, left open after Leader Jo’s retirement. To achieve this, he was desperate to accumulate merits. In the Martial Alliance, a subordinate’s achievements were credited to their commander. Thus, Yuk Jangcheon was constantly seeking talented subordinates, and he desperately needed someone like Seon Woojin—Bu Eunseol’s alias—more than anyone else.
If he chose the Ascendant Martial Hall?
Thanks to Yuk Jangcheon’s obsession with accumulating merits, Bu Eunseol could monopolize various missions. By continuously earning achievements, if Yuk Jangcheon eventually became the Martial Spring Corps leader?
‘I could become the right-hand man of one of the seven great corps leaders.’
From Yuk Jangcheon’s perspective, Bu Eunseol, who had risen from the bottom and achieved great merits, would be someone he could trust above all others. Moreover, Yuk Jangcheon had few exceptional subordinates aside from his only daughter, Yuk Cheongah, and a handful of others. He wouldn’t grant the deputy leader position to his daughter or the elderly faction leaders.
Perhaps Bu Eunseol could even rise to the prestigious position of deputy leader.
Go the stable route, or take a risk?
Having reached this conclusion, Bu Eunseol didn’t need to deliberate further. He had no intention of merely securing a stable position within the Martial Alliance.
‘More importantly, Yuk Jangcheon isn’t part of the Three Realms.’
If Baekri Mujo, the Star Guard Division leader, was a member of the Three Realms? He might, with luck, draw Bu Eunseol into their ranks. But when that would happen was uncertain, and the position offered might be insignificant. The Three Realms only recruited those they deemed necessary. If Bu Eunseol failed to secure a prominent role, even if recruited, he might end up as a mere pawn.
‘I’ll make Yuk Jangcheon the Martial Spring Corps leader!’
Bu Eunseol made his decision.
He would join the Ascendant Martial Hall, tirelessly earn merits, elevate Yuk Jangcheon to the Martial Spring Corps leader, and become his right-hand man. That would grant him far greater power than steadily rising under Baekri Mujo. And, with luck, it would provide a faster opportunity to connect with the Three Realms’ higher-ups.
‘It would be ideal if, before Yuk Jangcheon becomes corps leader, the Three Realms takes notice of me and offers to recruit me.’
As the heir to Majeon, Bu Eunseol was destined to bear the burden of Majeon and the Demonic Martial World, making it impossible to accept the Three Realms’ offer outright. But as Seon Woojin, it was different.
Accepting their recruitment would come with no restrictions.
Thus, Bu Eunseol desired not just to rise to a prominent position in the Martial Alliance but for a key figure in the Three Realms to recruit him into a high-ranking role.
“We’ve arrived.”
As the carriage reached the bustling city of Chengdu, it came to a stop, and the coachman’s voice rang out.
Bu Eunseol opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.
But then—
Flap, flap.
A strange sound echoed from the distant sky.
It resembled the flapping of a bird’s wings. But in reality, it was a signal used by the members of the Death Spirit Corps to announce their presence.
‘The Death Spirit Corps…’
“You’ve worked hard.”
After generously paying the coachman, Bu Eunseol left Chengdu and headed outside the city.
Immediately, he employed his qinggong, moving toward the source of the flapping sound. Upon reaching a clearing deep in the forest, the sound ceased.
Scanning the clearing, Bu Eunseol’s gaze settled on a rock naturally positioned beside a large tree.
“Long time no see.”
A faint, low voice emanated from the rock.
It was Soyo’s voice.
She had finally completed her training as the deputy leader of the Death Spirit Corps, mastering all martial arts and knowledge, and had ventured into the martial world.
“Have you finished your training?”
“Yes.” Her voice was so soft it was barely audible. If not for Bu Eunseol’s mastery of the Beast Way, he might not have heard her faint whisper.
“There’s no one within a hundred paces. There’s no need to hide and talk like this.”
“You must always be cautious. And…” Soyo’s voice was so faint it tickled Bu Eunseol’s ears.
“I’m your subordinate. Speak comfortably.”
“Hmm.”
She was right.
Though Soyo was older, she wasn’t someone he’d part ways with after a year or two, so establishing a hierarchy was wise.
“Very well.” Bu Eunseol nodded and spoke calmly. “But why are you here? There was no need to come all this way to join me.”
A voice emerged from the small rock.
“There’s urgent business, so I came here immediately.”
“Urgent business?”
“They say the Martial Alliance secretly sent an investigation team.”
“An investigation team?”
“Since you secured an alliance with Yeolha Holy Palace so quickly, they found the process suspiciously smooth… They sent a special investigation team from within.” Soyo’s voice was calm, but the content was chilling. “The special investigation team is likely a pretext. We believe it’s highly probable that someone among the higher-ups sent an assassination squad.”
“An assassination squad.”
“Yes. Our corps investigated and found that this special investigation team consists of individuals not officially registered with the Martial Alliance.”
A flash passed through Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
He recalled a blue-eyed man from his past, a member of the Martial Alliance. Despite his high rank and exceptional martial skills, he wasn’t officially registered and carried out assassination missions.
Yet, the Martial Alliance’s leadership sent an unregistered special investigation team?
“The Three Realms.”
Bu Eunseol nodded, realizing something.
Perhaps due to the Yeolha Holy Palace incident, the Three Realms suspected his alias, Seon Woojin. They might have mobilized their forces within the Martial Alliance to thoroughly investigate or even eliminate him.
“The Three Realms lurking within the Martial Alliance must have made a move.”
“Exactly. That’s our assessment. However, it might not necessarily be because of the Yeolha Holy Palace incident.”
“I see. Was I too complacent?” Bu Eunseol gave a bitter smile. “Even if it wasn’t about Yeolha Holy Palace, this was a hurdle I’d have to face eventually.”
It seemed he had underestimated the Martial Alliance as an organization.
The Three Realms had entrenched themselves at the alliance’s highest echelons. From their perspective, if they discovered a promising talent, they might nurture it. But conversely, they might see it as a threat.
“In a stable power structure, they wouldn’t want a new standout to emerge.”
Soyo nodded.
“Probably. The Three Realms likely wants to maintain their organization within the Martial Alliance as it is, stably.”
It seemed the Three Realms was greatly irritated by the emergence of a rising star.
The special investigation team might be a scheme to find any excuse to quietly eliminate Bu Eunseol. For a mere third-grade leader wandering the martial world alone, fabricating a reason and evidence would be easy.
“You need to avoid them.” Soyo said. “We don’t know what they’ll do.”
“No.” After a moment of thought, Bu Eunseol shook his head. “If I secretly return to the Martial Alliance while evading their pursuit, I’ll immediately arouse suspicion.”
The Three Realms likely had a complete grasp of Bu Eunseol’s movements and had sent the investigation team predicting his return route. If he suddenly altered his path to shake them off?
Not only the Three Realms but also the entire Martial Alliance leadership would grow suspicious. If that happened, his every move might be closely monitored thereafter.
“So you plan to confront them?”
“Well, I can only hope it’s just an ordinary investigation team.”
Bu Eunseol gave a wry smile.
In truth, that possibility was slim. If it were, the Death Spirit Corps’ surveillance network wouldn’t have caught it, and there’d be no need to investigate someone diligently returning to the Martial Alliance out in the martial world.
“Your dual identity is important, but not more than your life.”
At Soyo’s words, Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky.
He couldn’t deliberately shake off their pursuit, nor could he passively accept being framed or poisoned. There seemed no way to escape.
“What a pity. If I could just overcome this, I’d become a second-grade leader, make my mark in the Martial Alliance, and the Three Realms wouldn’t dare move against me lightly.”
Bu Eunseol had only been cautious of arousing the Martial Alliance’s suspicions, not considering the Three Realms entrenched within it. The position of a third-grade corps leader offered no protection whatsoever. He should have acted with this in mind, but it was too late now.
“Go to Seo Jinha first.” Bu Eunseol took a deep breath. “Tell him to stop fabricating my movements for now. I might not be able to use Seon Woojin’s identity anymore.”
Soyo nodded with a grave expression, realizing Bu Eunseol was preparing for the worst.
Rumble.
Suddenly, the clear sky seemed to turn gray.
At the same time, an indescribable energy began enveloping the forest.
“Get out of here now.” Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and said, “A formidable master has arrived. It’s probably them.”
He could sense it instinctively.
The unknown energy enveloping the sky and forest was caused by a master with immense killing intent detecting him.
“Okay.” Soyo vanished instantly with her response.
Even with his Beast Way mastery, Bu Eunseol could barely sense her disappearance.
‘With that level of movement skill, she can escape any situation.’
Soyo’s prolonged training was because Bu Eunseol prioritized her safety above all. He had instructed Mu Heon, the Death Spirit Corps leader, not to let her leave until her stealth and movement skills matched his own.
Traveling the martial world together meant they could encounter enemies stronger than themselves at any time. Thus, Soyo’s movement and stealth skills had to reach a comparable level so that, even if something happened to Bu Eunseol, she could escape safely.
“Hmm?” But something was off.
As Soyo left, the ominous energy in the forest seemed to follow her.
‘Could Soyo be their target?’
Flash!
Bu Eunseol immediately pushed his Beast Way to its limit. As his heightened senses covered over a hundred paces, a white light gleamed in his eyes.
Flash!
Detecting the energy pursuing Soyo in the distant sky, he instantly launched a throwing dagger.
Rumble!
As the dagger soared into the air, a thunderclap echoed in the clear sky.
Boom!
A white lightning bolt struck the rock beside where Bu Eunseol stood.
Crack!
The rock shattered beyond recognition under the lightning’s impact.
Boom!
Another bolt of lightning struck the ground, revealing a shadowy figure.
Flash!
Without hesitation, Bu Eunseol launched another dagger. Since the enemy had revealed hostility, there was no need to inquire about their identity.
Zzt.
But a white spark flashed, and the dagger stopped mid-air.
The space around the spark distorted, as if time itself had frozen.
Snap. Zzt.
The dagger broke, and the figure, surrounded by light and white sparks, slowly revealed itself.
It was a man with long, loose hair, clad in glossy black robes. Standing over seven feet tall, his limbs were unnaturally long, resembling a lanky wooden puppet. Yet, he gave no impression of weakness. His body seemed as sturdy as twisted metal.
Curiously, his eyes, which should have gleamed through his long hair, were tightly shut.
“There’s nowhere your hands haven’t reached.”
The man’s voice was so low and raspy it sounded like a snake hissing rather than a human speaking.
‘He’s incredibly strong.’
Bu Eunseol’s senses screamed a warning.
He couldn’t detect the level of the black-robed man’s inner energy or anything about him. That meant his skill was equal to or greater than Bu Eunseol’s.
Where had such a master come from?
“I’ll show mercy.”
The man spoke with his eyes closed.
“Tell me where the one who just fled went, and I’ll grant you a painless death.”
Shockingly, the man was clearly pursuing Soyo, not Bu Eunseol. To see through Soyo’s stealth, which even Bu Eunseol struggled to detect—what was this man’s identity?
“A painless death? That’s quite a generous offer.” As Seon Woojin, Bu Eunseol spoke in a clear voice.
“But it seems you’ve misunderstood something.”
Clasping his hands, he said with a respectful expression, “I am a leader of the Martial Alliance.”
“The Martial Alliance, huh.” The man smirked mockingly. “There are plenty in the Martial Alliance.”
Swish.
At the same time, he opened his eyes wide.
His pupils were clouded like white clouds, with blue lightning seemingly flashing within.
“Plenty of rats like you, hiding their true identities!”
With a thunderous shout, lightning-like energy flashed from the man’s body.
The radiance was blinding, and his white pupils were filled with a mix of killing intent and madness.
Rumble!
As thunder roared, the space around the man began to blacken.
The energy emanating from him charred the surrounding bushes and trees.
Watching this, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
‘Thunder Annihilation…’
He finally realized the man’s identity.
‘The Thunder God.’
Born with the Thunder Spirit Body, capable of wielding the Thunder Divine Energy, the most powerful force in the world. Able to unleash the devastating power of Thunder Annihilation endlessly.
The Thunder God, one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, had suddenly appeared.
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