Earth-Killing Star.
This grotesque being, one who grew stronger with every life he took, seemed to possess the ability to heal any wound instantly by drinking human blood.
“Get off him!” Baek Museong’s palm force flashed like lightning toward the old man still latched to the warrior’s throat.
[Heh heh.]
But the demon had already anticipated it. He yanked the now-lifeless body into the path of the strike.
‘Damn.’
Fearing harm to his subordinate’s corpse, Baek Museong forcibly recalled the palm force in shock.
“Kugh.”
Only a master of his caliber could pull back energy already unleashed, but the sudden reversal left a gaping opening.
[Kaaah!]
The old man instantly slammed a mountain-crushing palm into Baek Museong’s flank, the exact same Lion Roar Seal that had caved in the demon’s own chest moments ago.
BOOM!
Dust exploded in every direction.
Yet Baek Museong stood unmoved, his body radiating a faint golden glow.
Rather than dodge and risk his men, he had raised the Indestructible Diamond Body to take the blow head-on.
[Kaah!
Undeterred, the old man rained Shaolin Hundred Step Divine Fists onto Baek Museong’s frame.
Humm! Humm!
Each impact rang out like a temple bell accompanied by golden radiance.
BOOM!
The demon himself was flung backward.
The stronger the enemy’s force, the greater the rebound of the Indestructible Diamond Body, so no matter what trick the old man tried, he could not fatally injure Baek Museong.
[Keh!]
Finding no other way, the demon bared razor fangs and began biting.
“Hmph.” Baek Museong snorted.
At its zenith, the Indestructible Diamond Body could repel even divine weapons.
The bites felt no worse than an itch.
[Kaa ha ha ha!]
Yet after gnawing and slavering for a long while, the old man threw his head back and laughed as though he had won.
“Lost your mind, have you?” Baek Museong once again unleashed Dragon Claw Hand, viciously striking pressure points to subdue him.
Because the demon moved so swiftly, he intended to seize and immobilize him with grappling arts.
Humm! Humm!
But something shocking occurred.
Every time Baek Museong’s claws grazed the old man’s body, golden light flared from the demon’s flesh.
Indestructible Diamond Body.
One of Shaolin’s supreme arts had, in an instant, manifested perfectly on the demon’s body.
Humm! Humm!
Baek Museong poured everything into his Dragon Claw, yet the old man now blocked the peerless strikes as easily as if he himself had mastered the art to its peak.
‘Impossible.’
Even among the countless eccentrics of the martial world, instantly and perfectly copying another’s martial arts was unheard of.
If Baek Museong had been an ordinary warrior, he would have thrown up his hands and fled from such an absurd ability. But he was the disciple of the Buddha Venerable, and he knew the profundity of Shaolin martial arts too well.
“That can’t be.” Baek Museong nodded as though he finally understood. “No master, no matter how great, could perfectly replicate Shaolin arts on the spot.”
He noticed the scratches on his own body were soaked with the demon’s thick saliva.
“So you inject venom through wounds to seize the mind and create illusions.”
Hummm.
He immediately surged his internal energy; white vapor began rising from his body.
Sizzle, sizzle.
He was pushing his true qi to its maximum to expel any poison or evil qi that might have entered through the saliva.
[Kah!] The demon did not miss the opening.
With a guttural roar he closed the distance in a flash and drove razor claws straight toward Baek Museong’s heart.
‘Shit!’ Baek Museong possessed profound skill and vast battle experience, but he had never faced an opponent with such bizarre powers.
Clack.
Lightning-fast, he executed Tiger Fang Captures Tiger of the Dragon Claw and seized the demon’s wrist.
“Ku!”
Yet the old man’s strength defied imagination.
[Ku ku ku.]
With a grotesque chuckle, the demon slowly forced his arm forward, breaking the iron grip of the grappling technique.
Even though Baek Museong’s fingers could pierce steel, not a scratch appeared on the demon’s skin. Instead, the claws inched ever closer to his heart.
Rip.
Just as those claws tore through Baek Museong’s robes and were about to rip out his heart,
Screeech!
A pitch-black sword shot through the air with a shrill whistle and buried itself in the demon’s flank.
Thwack.
The old man twisted away, but the Silent Tiger Soul Sword moved like a living creature, pursuing and attacking again.
“Sword flight through qi?”
Baek Museong’s eyes widened in shock.
Whoosh.
A figure in white descended from the sky beside him.
Bu Eunseol.
“Brother Baek.”
“How are you—”
“It’s not poison or saliva,” Bu Eunseol said calmly while controlling the sword with internal energy.
“What?”
“This entire village is his domain.” Bu Eunseol pointed at the ground.
Baek Museong tilted his head.
“Domain?”
It was an unfamiliar term.
But Bu Eunseol would not speak nonsense.
Baek Museong activated the Buddha-Seeing Mantra of Prajna Power to sharpen his vision.
Only then did he sense faint black mist rising from the earth—from the corpses of the villagers.
‘Such an ability…’ He could not hide his astonishment.
He had thought it poison, never imagining that unknown power flowed from the dead and formed a vast domain.
“Demonic arts?”
“I don’t know if it’s demonic arts or something else, but it seems he uses those he kills as offerings… and within a certain area he can wield special power.”
“Domain…”
The word felt alien on a martial world warrior’s tongue. Baek Museong stared at the demon, a mix of awe and dread in his eyes.
“If we fail to kill this slaughter demon here and now, countless innocents will die.”
By using the corpses of his victims, or perhaps within the area where he committed slaughter, he gained unnatural powers.
The more he killed, the stronger he became.
If they let him escape this time, later even the Martial Alliance’s Seven Great Divisions might have to mobilize to hunt him down.
Clang!
The demon swatted aside the Silent Tiger Soul Sword with his claws.
Whirr—clack.
The rebounding sword flew back into Bu Eunseol’s waiting hand.
“Hm.” Bu Eunseol glanced at the faint glow of true qi enveloping the blade and nodded.
Unlike Baek Museong’s attacks, the Silent Tiger Soul Sword was completely unaffected by the demon’s energy. Not because the sword itself was extraordinary, but because Bu Eunseol had coated the entire blade in a layer of true qi for sword-flight control.
“Brother Baek, spread a thin layer of true qi over your whole body. That should protect you from his strange power.”
Baek Museong saw the glow on the Silent Tiger Soul Sword and immediately understood.
Hummm.
He activated Prajna Great Power and spread his true qi outward. A soft golden sphere enveloped him and his body felt light.
Instantly the demon’s movements became clear.
“Leave him to me.”
“I’ll help.”
“I’m not trying to monopolize the merit—just watch for a moment.”
With those brief words, Baek Museong shot forward, unleashing a torrent of palm strikes.
BOOM!
When a master of Baek Museong’s level chained techniques like a waterfall, the power was terrifying.
Humm!
The demon tried to manipulate him with the energy rising from the ground, but the protective qi layer rendered it useless. Unable to mimic arts or wield his mysterious powers as before, the demon was struck three times in succession.
Bam-bam-bam!
He was hurled dozens of zhang away.
[Heh heh heh. Impressive.]
Rising again, the demon suddenly spoke in a deep, youthful male voice.
Crack-crack-crack.
Bones cracked and shifted; the emaciated frame filled out into powerful, muscular flesh.
Rip.
Loose skin tightened and in moments, the withered old man had become a muscular man with snow-white hair and glowing violet eyes—like a white ghost descended in human form.
“So that’s the true form of the Earth-Killing Star,” Bu Eunseol murmured.
Baek Museong cracked a wry joke. “Much better. When he looked like an old man, I felt a little bad hitting him.”
[Hm.]
Now fully transformed, the Earth-Killing Star spoke in a low, resonant voice.
[One is a Shaolin disciple, the other uses some mongrel martial arts… Sent by the Martial Alliance, I presume.]
“They say you spent your life imprisoned in the Yangseol Clan’s dungeon,” Bu Eunseol said, stroking his chin with interest.
“Did you learn sorcery there?”
[So you met that vicious little bitch Yangseol Rin.]
The demon smiled coldly.
[She probably fed you that righteous nonsense about “protecting the martial world” while keeping this old man caged.]
“You slaughter common folk too. Doesn’t that make her words true?”
[Don’t make me laugh. That insolent wench lied.]
The demon’s eyes flashed.
[The Yangseol Clan are the children of devils. They don’t just imprison this old man—they capture and experiment on the other Hundred-and-Eight Stars as well.]
Despite his youthful body, he still referred to himself as “this old man.” He must truly be ancient.
“Experiment?”
[Exactly. They want to possess all our powers for themselves.]
The revelation was so unexpected that Bu Eunseol frowned.
The Yangseol Clan claimed they stayed hidden to avoid repeating the Baekri Clan’s mistake. Yet they were secretly capturing the Hundred-and-Eight Stars and experimenting on them?
[I will destroy that vile Yangseol Clan. That is why I grow stronger, even if I must.]
“Sophistry. You claim you have no choice but to murder?”
[Call it what you will. I will become a devil myself and slaughter every last one of them.]
Furious, violet light exploded from the demon’s body, soaring into the sky.
‘He must have a technique to conceal the Earth-Killing Star aura.’ Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as he watched the violet column pierce the heavens.
‘Did she really misread the heavens?’
Because of the demon’s words, doubt now gnawed at Bu Eunseol regarding Yangseol Rin’s motives.
“No more talk.” Baek Museong’s voice was ice as he glared at the demon. “He is a fiend who murdered not only martial artists but every innocent in this village. Let his silver tongue sway you and your heart will waver.”
For a moment Bu Eunseol had a strange thought.
The Yangseol Clan and the Hundred-and-Eight Stars were secrets unknown to most, certainly not to Yong Myeong or Baek Museong.
Yet Baek Museong showed no surprise, only intent to kill.
‘…No, as the disciple of the Buddha Venerable, he might already know.’
Bu Eunseol shook the thought away.
[Heh heh. A Shaolin disciple, yet so good at empty words.] The demon sneered. [I’ll kill every last one of you and vent my grudge!]
He raised a hand.
The black energy that had been seeping from the scattered corpses was suddenly sucked back into the earth.
Then—
Whoosh! Slash!
It erupted as black whips and blades, lashing toward Baek Museong, Bu Eunseol, and the encircled warriors.
The Earth-Killing Star could not only disrupt movement or mimic techniques with the energy of his victims—he could also turn the ground itself into lethal weapons.
“Scatter!” At Baek Museong’s shout, the men desperately used movement arts to evade the black mist.
But the energy pursued them like living creatures.
“Argh!”
“Guh!”
Bu Eunseol and Baek Museong dodged with supreme qinggong, but slower warriors lost limbs.
“Ha!” Baek Museong unleashed Shaolin ultimate techniques in rapid succession, trying to annihilate the black blades.
[Useless.]
The demon laughed low.
[The Hundred-Spirit Earth-Killing Qi cannot be destroyed by any force.]
When struck, it scattered like mist only to reform as razor-sharp blades.
The demon wielded power that transcended martial arts entirely.
Whoosh!
The Hundred-Spirit Earth-Killing Qi writhed like living beings, attacking without cease.
Baek Museong tried everything, but pure martial force could not erase it.
“Urgh!”
“Argh!”
Two more warriors were skewered through shoulder and arm.
No matter how powerful the technique, the black qi passed through as though intangible.
“Everyone, leave the village!” Baek Museong finally roared at his men. “You’ll only die if you stay. That is an order!”
Their martial arts could not help—only hinder. Understanding, the warriors nodded and tried to flee.
[You’re not going anywhere.] The demon sealed every exit, spreading the black qi into a massive cage.
The fleeing men were trapped inside a colossal prison of Hundred-Spirit Earth-Killing Qi.
[I had some expectations of a Shaolin disciple.] The demon clicked his tongue at Baek Museong. [But your martial arts contain almost no Buddhist power.]
All Shaolin arts naturally carried Buddhist force.
The Seventy-Two Arts were no exception.
Yet the techniques Baek Museong displayed contained only the faintest trace of it.
Buddhist martial arts require the mind to remain utterly calm and serene. Baek Museong had mastered Shaolin arts to a terrifying degree, yet he could not restrain his burning love for Gongsun Dankyung.
He was, in truth, lovesick—his heart ablaze with desperate longing.
Because of that turbulent passion, the innate Buddhist power of Shaolin arts could not fully manifest through him.
[Time to clean up.] The demon slowly clenched his raised hand.
The spread Hundred-Spirit Earth-Killing Qi began contracting.
“Arghhh!”
“Aaaargh!”
Warriors impaled by the black blades screamed in agony.
“Wait!” Baek Museong leaped toward his men to save them.
Slash! Whoosh!
Bu Eunseol drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword and blocked the converging black qi.
“Brother Baek, take the men and go. I’ll handle this.”
Bu Eunseol raised the sword, voice low.
“Don’t worry. I have a way to counter his sorcery.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Baek Museong saw his dying men and nodded gravely. “Understood.”
He bit his lip until it bled.
“Wait for me. I’ll be back!”
Whoosh!
Using Qi-Riding Wind he carried the wounded warriors and fled the village in an instant.
‘The Four Divine Energies work.’
Once Baek Museong and the men were gone, Bu Eunseol’s expression relaxed.
He had tested it with Crystal Divine Energy, and as expected—the Hundred-Spirit Earth-Killing Qi that scattered like mist when struck with force was sliced like paper by the divine energy.
‘So this is why the Infinite Realm coveted the Four Divine Energies.’
In the Infinite Realm they had tried to artificially create the Four Divine Energies, even kidnapping Nae Bihon’s son and performing cruel experiments.
Then was the Three Realms truly preparing for beings like the Earth-Killing Star by creating artificial inner cores?
If so, were they trying to protect the martial world from the Hundred-and-Eight Stars?
[Ho.]
The demon exclaimed, staring at Bu Eunseol.
[Even a mere Alliance dog has a hidden card, I see.]
Yet he seemed unable to sense the Crystal Divine Energy flowing through the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, only tilting his head curiously.
Watching him, Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.
‘I cannot let him discover I possess the Four Divine Energies yet.’
He could feel it instinctively.
The demon had not yet revealed his full power; he still hid trump cards.
Bu Eunseol had to conceal the divine energies until the perfect moment.
“Are there other Hundred-and-Eight Stars in the Yangseol Clan besides you?”
According to the demon, the Yangseol Clan imprisoned and experimented on the Stars to steal their powers. Contrary to legend, they were secretly active in the martial world.
Then perhaps they had already captured many of the Hundred-and-Eight Stars?
[Of course. They’re rounding up every Star strong enough to be useful.]
At the answer, Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
‘So she lied.’
His mind raced like light.
Normally one would assume that if one side lied, the other spoke the truth.
But Bu Eunseol saw differently.
Even if the demon spoke the truth, it did not make Yangseol Rin’s words false.
Both could be lying.
“Where is the Yangseol Clan?” Bu Eunseol asked. “Where are they hiding?”
Understanding the intent, the demon burst into cruel laughter.
[Ha ha ha! What a funny little pup.]
“Answer.”
Crimson light flared in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Tell me and I’ll send you to the Yangseol Clan instead of beheading you.”
[Ha ha ha ha!]
The demon nodded.
[Very well. I’ll tell you.]
As he spoke, he subtly circulated his qi.
Whoosh!
A pitch-black cannonball of energy shot forth, piercing toward Bu Eunseol’s body.
BOOM!
The explosion hurled Bu Eunseol six zhang backward.
Slash!
From behind him, black blades erupted like spears, swallowing his body whole.
In the settling dust, only Bu Eunseol’s silhouette remained—impaled countless times by the razor-sharp Hundred-Spirit Earth-Killing Qi.
[Ha ha ha!]
The demon threw his head back, fangs gleaming.
Whoosh.
But when the breeze cleared the dust, his triumphant expression froze solid.
The Hundred-Spirit Earth-Killing Qi could pierce a foot of solid steel like tofu.
Yet it had only torn Bu Eunseol’s robes… and stopped, unable to pierce even an inch deeper.
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