Gongsun Dana’s beauty rivaled that of Yeon Soha, known as the Thousand-Gold Glance, without losing an inch.
She was also renowned as a talented woman with medical skills comparable to the divine physicians of the martial world.
“So, you’re the renowned talent of the Divine Water Palace, The Flower of Eloquence,” Bu Eunseol said, nodding.
To think he had mistaken one of the martial world’s most beautiful women for an eccentric with a beggar disguise fetish—her outburst was understandable.
“But why dress like a beggar?” he asked.
“Well…” Gongsun Dana regretted impulsively revealing her face.
Men were predictable, after all.
When they saw a beautiful face, they either lost their senses or harbored lewd thoughts.
“…!” But her regret turned to surprise.
His masked eyes, gazing at her, were unchanged from when she was disguised as a grotesque old woman.
“I see. No need to explain,” he said.
Her expression darkened again.
What was in this masked man’s head?
When she didn’t respond, his eyes filled with pity, as if he were indulging her strange whims.
“Since I was young, I was recognized for my talent in academics and martial arts,” Gongsun Dana began, feeling compelled to explain. “Even though I wasn’t born with a Water Spirit Body…”
She continued, “The Divine Water Palace Master personally sought me out to become her disciple, saying I had the potential to master their martial arts.”
“…”
“I became her final disciple and diligently trained. I achieved many feats and eventually became a candidate for the Young Palace Master.” Once she started, her words flowed quickly. “The Palace Master’s trust in me grew, and I was even given command of an elite unit that answers only to me.”
Her expression turned forlorn as she lowered her head. “But do you know what they say about me behind my back?”
Before Bu Eunseol could respond, she pressed on. “In the palace, they whisper that I used my looks to charm the Palace Master and the elders to reach this position. And men, wherever I go, leer at me or endlessly court me.”
Her emotions poured out as she shared a story she had never told anyone. “If I don’t disguise myself, I can’t rest or eat in peace. But you know what’s funny?”
Her eyes widened, waiting for his response.
“…I don’t know,” Bu Eunseol said reluctantly.
“My older sister is also beautiful and brilliant. She rose to the position of Chief Strategist in the Martial Alliance. But no such gossip follows her!”
Gongsun Dana cried out in frustration. “Yet because I’m one of the Three Beauties—or Three Uglies, whatever they call it—I’m always subjected to prejudice and jealousy!”
“Lady Gongsun,” Bu Eunseol said.
“Do you understand my struggles? And you still say those things? I got here solely through my skill!”
Bu Eunseol looked stunned.
He had heard of discrimination due to unattractive appearances.
But to suffer because of beauty was something new to him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, apologizing sincerely.
He had wrongly assumed her disguise was a hobby without understanding her struggles.
“Most beautiful women are celebrated for their looks, but yours have caused you deep wounds,” he said warmly.
Sniffling, Gongsun Dana said, “I hate this old woman disguise. I want to dress beautifully like other women.”
“Then do it,” he replied.
“Whenever I do anything in my true form, they say it’s because of my looks, that I benefited from them. Even a brief conversation with a man sparks rumors.” Burying her face in her hands, she sobbed, “But when I dress like a beggar, at least people don’t gossip about me. What other choice do I have?”
“I see,” Bu Eunseol said.
His careless comment had provoked a storm.
Seeing her finish her outpouring, he quickly changed the subject. “So, this journey to the martial world wasn’t on the Palace Master’s orders.”
“I always travel like this,” she said. “I came to Gukok Mountain to make a name for myself, hearing it was overrun with puppets.”
Bu Eunseol nodded, understanding.
The Divine Water Palace was currently selecting its next Young Palace Master, and candidates were traveling the martial world to prove themselves.
“When I go around looking like this, no one—old or young—gives me a second glance,” Gongsun Dana said, smiling innocently as she recalled Bu Eunseol’s respectful demeanor. “But you treated me with such courtesy, always calling me ‘old woman.’”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s when I knew you were a true gentleman.” Relieved after sharing her story, she smiled brightly. “Now it’s your turn.”
“What do you mean?”
“I introduced myself, so now it’s your turn, isn’t it?” Gongsun Dana’s bold and cheerful personality shone through, despite her appearance. “Come on, take off your mask and tell me your name. Your skills suggest you’re no ordinary nobody. Which sect’s master are you?”
She had never had a good experience revealing her face to men.
After a moment’s hesitation, Bu Eunseol averted his gaze and said, “I’m Seolso, a mercenary of the Red Sky Veil. Just a wandering mercenary.”
The Divine Water Palace was a righteous sect.
Revealing his identity as the Martial Soul Command Lord would bring no benefit. Since they’d likely part ways after leaving Gukok Mountain, he lied freely.
“A mercenary? With that skill?”
“There are many mercenaries who don’t care for fame. I’m one of them,” he said.
“Why keep the mask on, then?”
“When a mercenary's face becomes too known, it limits their missions. So I cover my face while traveling the martial world.”
“Hmm. A mercenary, huh? That’s perfect,” Gongsun Dana said, grinning playfully and pointing to her leg. “I’m injured and need an escort. How much will it cost?”
***
Bu Eunseol lightly treated Gongsun Dana’s injuries and resumed walking.
Surprisingly, her inner energy was quite robust.
With a little assistance in circulating her energy, her internal injuries healed quickly.
However, her sprained leg couldn’t be fixed, so she limped along.
Bu Eunseol walked slowly, keeping her behind him as they navigated the cave.
She quickly noticed why he held his sword ready and moved cautiously—to protect her from sudden mechanisms or enemies.
Feeling his consideration, Gongsun Dana nodded.
‘His speech is stiff, but his heart is warm.’
Though they were in a dangerous underground cave where puppets were created, she felt at ease. Not just because of his strong martial arts, but because he was the first man unaffected by her beauty.
‘It’s comforting,’ she thought.
All the men she’d met had either been smitten or leered at her. But this stoic mercenary maintained a detached gaze, like a monk in meditation.
It was incredibly comforting and reassuring.
‘If only all men were like him,’ she mused, following him.
As they passed another fork, a large door appeared.
“Hmm,” Bu Eunseol muttered, eyeing it.
It was clear they needed to pass through to reach the exit.
The problem was that the cave was designed to stop intruders, meaning a dangerous trap likely awaited on the other side.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have claimed to be a mercenary,’ he thought.
With his techniques, he was confident he could handle any danger. But having claimed to be a mercenary, he might have to suppress it.
“It’s alright,” Gongsun Dana said, flashing a bright smile and winking. “My leg’s just a bit off, but I can lend a hand.”
Her cheerful and perceptive nature had caught on to his concern for her, reassuring him.
“Good,” he said.
Clank.
He opened the iron door.
A vast space appeared, with a ceiling stretching endlessly upward and smooth metallic walls.
No exit was visible on the opposite side, and the walls looked incredibly sturdy.
“What is this place?” Gongsun Dana asked, gazing at the towering ceiling.
It was at least a hundred paces high, like standing at the bottom of a volcanic crater with an open top.
“Are we supposed to climb up there?”
She touched the smooth metallic walls and shook her head. “The walls are too slick to use the Wall-Crawling Technique. And the space is too wide to leap across.”
Rumble.
A low, ominous sound echoed, followed by an unexpected sight.
A massive black object slowly emerged from the ceiling.
It was a giant boulder, large enough to crush the entire ten-pace-wide chamber.
“No way,” Gongsun Dana gasped, staring at it.
“They’re going to drop that on us,” she said, her eyes widening as she looked up.
The boulder’s weight seemed to be tens of thousands of pounds. Dropping a rock that perfectly filled the chamber from over a hundred paces high?
No human strength could stop it.
“Are we going to die here?” she said, her voice trembling as she stared at the boulder slowly covering the ceiling.
“No matter how great one’s martial arts, there’s no way to stop a boulder that size falling from that height, perfectly matching the floor.”
She trembled with fear.
This place was designed with a deadly trap to eliminate any intruder.
“I shouldn’t have come to Gukok Mountain,” she said, her voice shaking. “If I’d known, I would’ve lived more normally, dressed beautifully, met more people.”
Facing death, she regretted her past choices, reflecting on her foolish actions and trembling with fear.
“Aren’t you afraid?” she asked, seeking the warmth of another person for comfort. “Say something, please.”
But Bu Eunseol was different.
Facing death, the world around him grew silent, his mind and body merging as one. His spirit reached an unparalleled state, entering deep meditation.
‘Pure strength,’ he thought, gazing at the metal boulder above.
It was as if absolute ‘death’ had taken physical form.
No martial art could destroy it.
Only destructive power.
A transcendent force beyond human capability was needed, something surpassing all the strength in the world.
‘How can I achieve that?’
A faint word surfaced in his mind: ‘Phenomenon.’
Martial artists who reached the Limitless Realm each manifested a unique ‘phenomenon.’
Bu Eunseol had coined the term himself, as these were powers beyond human capability, creating things that shouldn’t exist in this world.
Looking back, they were all forces that didn’t belong in this world.
—“If you’ve gathered scraps like a beggar, shouldn’t you have the skill to blend them together?”
The voice of Ak Muryeong echoed in his ears.
Bu Eunseol’s body, containing the conflicting forces of righteous, unorthodox, demonic, and Buddhist powers, had been slowly breaking down.
If Ak Muryeong hadn’t tested him and healed his body with her energy, he wouldn’t have survived.
—”If you don’t rid your body of unnecessary elements and fully embrace the demonic path…This will happen again someday, and no power will be able to stop it.”
That’s what Ak Muryeong had said.
But Bu Eunseol had chosen a different path, forcibly harmonizing the conflicting forces and using Ak Muryeong’s immense power to bind them together.
Harmony.
By unleashing this harmony, he had forced even Ak Muryeong to redirect his power through his Illusion Upon Illusion technique.
Thud!
The boulder began to fall from the air.
“Argh!” At the moment of death, Gongsun Dana curled up, letting out a short scream.
But Bu Eunseol stood tall, staring at the falling boulder.
Time seemed to stop.
His spirit reached a state of infinite calm, entering a world of nothingness.
‘I can’t counter it with the forces in my body… so I’ll use the external pressure to achieve harmony again!’
Whooosh.
The powerful forces of righteous, unorthodox, demonic, and Buddhist energies surged from his body, swirling around him like a whirlwind.
Boom!
The massive boulder fell toward him.
It was like a phenomenon unleashed by a master of the Limitless Realm.
No force or martial art could stop it.
As the boulder closed in, a golden light shimmered around Bu Eunseol’s body.
The immense pressure triggered his Great Prajna Power instinctively.
‘Now!’
He aligned the four forces in harmony and thrust them outward.
But in that moment, a stray thought crossed his mind: ‘What if I could erase everything? Even phenomena…’
With all his strength, he extended his hand.
Boom!
A thunderous shock and pressure hit him.
The world spun, and his meridians felt like they were tearing apart.
Gush.
Blood surged from his abdomen, spilling from his mouth.
And finally, Bu Eunseol began to lose consciousness.
Drip, drip, drip.
Was it raining?
Cold droplets fell on his cheeks and forehead.
Bu Eunseol slowly opened his eyes.
A beautiful woman with flowing hair appeared—Gongsun Dana.
“Are you… okay?”
Her face was streaked with tears, her body trembling slightly.
As he came to, Bu Eunseol realized he was lying on her lap, blood dripping from his mouth.
“What happened?”
He tried to sit up.
Collapse.
But the pain of his body breaking down forced him back onto her lap.
“S-Sorry,” he stammered, flustered, struggling to move. “This wasn’t intentional.”
“It’s okay. Stay still,” Gongsun Dana said, wiping her tears and smiling as he regained consciousness. “The Water God Energy hasn’t fully integrated into your body yet.”
“What do you mean, Water God Energy?” he asked, frowning.
“You were bleeding from your ears and nose when you collapsed,” she explained. “When I checked your pulse, I found four conflicting energies in your body.”
The human body is mostly water.
Disciples of the Divine Water Palace, trained to manipulate water’s properties, could assess a person’s condition better than any physician.
Gongsun Dana, with medical skills rivaling divine physicians, had immediately understood his state.
“After you destroyed that thing, the four energies were clashing, damaging your body,” she said.
“That thing?”
She pointed to the ceiling. “That boulder.”
Bu Eunseol glanced up faintly.
The boulder, which had fallen with terrifying force, was gone.
“If I hadn’t infused you with Water God Energy, your body would’ve been torn apart,” she said.
“What happened?” He forced himself to sit up. “Are you saying I destroyed that boulder?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see it clearly,” Gongsun Dana said, shaking her head and lowering her hands. “I was so scared when the boulder fell that I ducked my head. But after a while, nothing happened.”
Her expression showed she didn’t understand either. “When I looked up, you were standing, glowing with light, and the boulder was gone.”
—“What if I could erase everything? Even phenomena…”
Bu Eunseol recalled his last thought.
‘Did I manifest a phenomenon?’
He checked his body.
A gentle, warm energy flowed within, healing the torn meridians.
It was likely the Water God Energy Gongsun Dana had infused.
“You can transfer this energy to others?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Transferring a sect’s martial arts or energy without permission was strictly forbidden.
“What else could I do? You would’ve died otherwise,” she said softly. “I saved the life of my benefactor, so the Palace Master will understand.”
“That’s a relief,” he said, nodding.
Checking his body again, he found no internal injuries, and his energy was intact, though his external wounds were severe.
Unable to withstand the energy he’d unleashed, his skin had split, and blood was flowing.
‘It’s gone… it’s gone,’ he realized, nodding faintly.
The Demon Emperor, Ak Muryeong, Weiji Mu-a, and even the Divine Mountain Sage.
He had wanted to erase the phenomena of all the Limitless Realm masters he’d encountered. And unconsciously, he seemed to have used a technique reflecting that desire.
‘But I haven’t reached the Limitless Realm,’ he thought.
The Limitless Realm required reaching the pinnacle of martial arts and consciously manifesting a phenomenon.
Moreover, manifesting one shouldn’t damage the body.
Thus, Bu Eunseol hadn’t reached the Limitless Realm but had harmonized the four conflicting energies to unleash a force comparable to a phenomenon.
‘Does it matter?’
Instead, he found hope.
He had found a clue to counter Limitless Realm masters without reaching their level.
If he could wield this power freely, he could rival them.
‘I’ll make it happen.’
This incident was a sign that Bu Eunseol’s body and spirit were breaking free from the bounds of the Supreme Realm, approaching a state of absolute freedom—the Limitless Realm.
It was a glimpse of Limitless Awakening.
But having fought countless enemies, he rarely had such prolonged moments to refine his spirit and unleash such power.
His realization of this would come much later.
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