Yangseol Rin had followed the aura of the Heaven-Killer Star all the way to Yangzhou in an instant, only to wear a hollow expression of defeat.
“It wasn’t the aura of the Earth-Killer Star after all.”
The one she had pursued this entire time, believing him to be the Earth-Killer Star, had turned out to be someone entirely unrelated.
He had swallowed a massive dose of the pills known as Demonic Spirit Pills, which drove men into a frenzy of slaughter, and massacred countless innocents in a single frenzy.
“Even if he swallowed Demonic Spirit Pills and committed such a massacre, there’s no way he could emit the true aura of the Earth-Killer Star.”
Yangseol Rin shook her head.
No matter how perfectly someone imitated the Earth-Killer Star, the genuine aura could never be replicated.
Which meant…
She did not yet know the exact reason, but there existed some secret technique capable of mimicking the aura of the Earth-Killer Star.
“A secret art that deliberately scatters and falsifies the threads of heaven’s will…”
Her eyes narrowed to slits.
From childhood, every member of the Yangseol Clan was trained without rest to read the heavens’ intent. Only those who could interpret the celestial qi were permitted to step into the martial world.
Yet she had never once heard of a method that could deliberately deceive or conceal the qi within one’s own body.
If such a technique truly existed, everything she had learned until now would become worthless.
‘No helping it now.’
Having come up empty, Yangseol Rin was about to activate her information network once more to hunt the true Earth-Killer Star when shocking news reached her.
The murderous demon who had crossed over from the Qinghai region was not in Nanzhou at all—he was in Sichuan.
And two of the Martial Alliance’s first-grade crops, the Supreme Corps and the Heavenly Order Corps, had reportedly slain him.
“Impossible.” Yangseol Rin shook her head.
The Earth-Killer Star possessed a bizarre power that could never be destroyed by mere martial arts.
She had to confirm with her own eyes whether the severed head truly belonged to the Earth-Killer Star.
Until she did, her mission could not end.
Paaah—
She immediately unfolded her movement art.
Unlike ordinary qinggong that started with kick off the ground, she floated roughly three feet above the earth and shot forward like an arrow.
Shuuuuuk—
Running without rest day and night, she soon discovered a wide field below, with a cool stream flowing beside it.
“Shall I rest a moment?”
Stopping her technique, she sat for a while in the thatched hut built at the edge of the field.
Looking up at the clear blue sky, Yangseol Rin shook her head again.
‘It can’t be that the day has already come… can it?’
Her expression darkened.
When the Heavenly Dark Star appears, the heavens are shrouded in chaos and celestial qi can no longer be read.
When all One Hundred and Eight Stars descend into the world… the realm will finally meet its doom.
‘I feel uneasy.’
Ever since leaving the Yangseol Clan, the celestial qi had been changing at a terrifying pace.
Something catastrophic was clearly happening somewhere.
‘What in the world is the reason…?’
Her eyes grew even darker.
There were still many hidden powers in the martial world that had yet to reveal themselves.
If they all emerged at once… it would be no different from the end of the world.
Because they would never acknowledge one another’s existence. Rather than coexist, they would choose mutual annihilation.
Kwa-ruuung!
At that moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the distant sky. A bolt of lightning tore through the firmament and descended right beside Yangseol Rin.
The newcomer wore black martial robes embroidered with gorgeous patterns and an ordinary-looking sword at his waist.
It was none other than Bu Eunseol.
“Oh? What brings you here?” Yangseol Rin looked at Bu Eunseol and smiled brightly. “Did you come because you missed me?”
“Your whereabouts have been exposed.”
“What?”
“The Alliance’s upper echelons have turned their intelligence network toward you. Leave this place at once.”
Bu Eunseol had asked Yangseol Rin countless questions, and she had answered him sincerely in her own way. In return, she had asked him to increase the number of favors he owed her, yet all he had provided was information and troops.
That had always bothered him.
He had just received word that the affair with the Red Sky Veil had been perfectly resolved and was about to return to Majeon with peace of mind, when he learned that someone among the Alliance leadership had secretly mobilized the Mankyeong Hall and a hidden organization to track Yangseol Rin’s movements.
Sensing danger, Bu Eunseol had tried to warn her through the Death Spirit Corps, but since she had slipped away from their network after losing the Earth-Killer Star and was acting alone, there was no way to reach her.
In the end, he had no choice but to track her himself and deliver the warning in person.
“The Martial Alliance is hunting me?”
“They are.”
“What does it matter? I’ve never even crossed paths with them.”
“That is simply how the Martial Alliance operates.” Bu Eunseol spoke with utmost gravity. “If someone in the upper echelons has secretly sent pursuers, it is never a friendly situation.”
When Bu Eunseol himself had returned from the Yeolha Holy Palace, the Alliance’s intelligence network had tracked him as well.
In truth, they had been an assassination squad.
Had Nae Bihon not appeared at that exact moment… Bu Eunseol would have had to discard the identity of Seon Woojin far earlier than planned.
“So the heir of Majeon knows the inner workings of the Martial Alliance quite well, does he?”
When Yangseol Rin shot him a sharp glance, Bu Eunseol changed the subject.
“In any case, it would be best to avoid them.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I’ll pass. I want to see what those kids are planning to do.”
Bu Eunseol felt his strength drain away.
He had mobilized every intelligence resource of the Death Spirit Corps to keep her safe, had worn through iron shoes searching for her, and yet…
Yangseol Rin treated the Alliance’s pursuit as casually as if a blackroom society had stopped by to pay respects.
“Very well. Then do as you please.”
As he turned to leave, Bu Eunseol let out a soft “Ah.”
“There is one thing I wish to ask.”
“Something you want to ask?” Yangseol Rin gave a wry smile. “Every time you see me, questions just pop into your head? Why is it always questions with you? You’ve never even done anything proper for me.”
“That is exactly why I came all this way myself. To repay the debt.”
“…Fine. What is it?”
“The Earth-Killer Star claimed that the Yangseol Clan captures the One Hundred and Eight Stars and uses them for experiments.”
“Experiments?”
“Yes. Is it true?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with deadly seriousness.
“Spare me the talk of protecting the martial world. I only wish to know the truth.”
“What’s this? So you do have ties to the Martial Alliance?”
“What nonsense is that?”
Yangseol Rin’s eyes sparkled.“You were just talking about how the Alliance works, and now this—rumor says an honored disciple of the Buddha Venerable killed the Earth-Killer Star, yet you speak as if you saw it yourself.”
‘Have I underestimated her?’
Until now, Yangseol Rin had only ever shown unpredictable sides; she had never appeared particularly clever or observant.
But now he realized she had been deliberately hiding that sharpness.
“Of course I would know,” Bu Eunseol answered calmly, without a trace of panic.
“From my position, I must always monitor the Alliance’s movements closely. Even the upper echelons of our sect keep hidden ears inside the Alliance.”
“Ah, sure, sure.”
Yangseol Rin waved her hand dismissively, showing no intention of answering.
Bu Eunseol pressed on stubbornly.
“Answer me. Is it true?”
“Are you insane?”
Yangseol Rin scratched the scar on her neck.
“How could anyone capture all One Hundred and Eight Stars? And what experiments are you even talking about?”
Her eyes were clear and unwavering.
Bu Eunseol, who had reached the extreme of the Beast Way, possessed exceptionally keen instincts.
‘She doesn’t seem to be lying.’
It made no sense.
Of course, just because the Earth-Killer Star had lied did not mean Yangseol Rin was telling the truth.
Yet what if neither of them had lied?
‘She is young. It’s possible she truly does not know the inner workings of her clan.’
“Very well.”
Having organized his thoughts, Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“Then tell me the location of the Yangseol Clan’s main house.”
“Why?”
“I need to confirm the truth with my own eyes.”
“Hahaha.” Yangseol Rin laughed hollowly. “Are you trying to play Martial Sovereign in front of me right now? You want me to break a rule our main house has guarded perfectly for hundreds of years?”
She flared her eyes.
“Is this how you repay favors? By doing ‘a few things’ for me?”
When Bu Eunseol remained silent, her expression turned icy. “Give it up. If anyone could find the main house by tracking me, its location would have been exposed long ago.”
“…”
“I simply haven’t bothered erasing my tracks this time, that’s all.”
“You’re working very hard to say what you want to say.”
“What?”
“If I captured you, finding the Yangseol Clan’s stronghold would become far easier, wouldn’t it?”
For a moment, her eyes widened as realization struck.
“Don’t tell me the Martial Alliance is after me to discover the main house’s location?”
“Most likely. Why else would they mobilize such an enormous intelligence network?”
Bu Eunseol folded his arms.
“A figure from the legendary Yangseol Clan has appeared in the world. If I were them, I would have sent every expert in the sect to capture her too.”
“No way…”
Shaking her head to push away the ominous premonition, Yangseol Rin muttered, “Why would they do something like that?”
“The Martial Alliance is—”
Just as Bu Eunseol opened his mouth to answer,
Guooooooo—
Suddenly, it felt as though all the air in the world was being sucked upward, and time itself slowed to a crawl.
At the same moment, every hair on Bu Eunseol’s body stood on end.
Instinct. An overwhelmingly powerful enemy had appeared.
‘I have to escape now—’
The instant Bu Eunseol turned to Yangseol Rin to speak,
“One more pest to catch.”
A faint voice rang clearly in his ear, sending chills down his spine.
He had not detected any presence—only raw instinct had warned him of a powerful foe.
The distance had to have been at least three hundred zhang.
Yet in the span of a single blink, someone had slipped past his senses and approached this close?
Bu Eunseol turned with a tense expression.
There, atop a nearby hill, stood a solitary shadow.
‘Baekri Mujo!’
Bu Eunseol’s heart pounded as if it would burst.
The man who had deceived his senses and appeared without warning was none other than the Commander of the Star Guard Division, Baekri Mujo.
“Our paths differ, so greetings are unnecessary.”
Baekri Mujo glanced between Bu Eunseol and Yangseol Rin, then nodded as if he understood.
“So you were accomplices. Well, hardly surprising.”
Bu Eunseol clenched his fists.
Though the man spoke leisurely, pure white qi was already billowing from his body.
There was no mistaking it—he intended to subdue both of them here and now.
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
Baekri Mujo was known for the stately swordsmanship that had earned him the title “Sacred Sword.”
Yet the killing intent radiating from him now was terrifying enough to remind one of a malicious spirit.
‘And even this is not his true face.’
Bu Eunseol could tell that Baekri Mujo was hiding countless facets, and that his latent power and martial prowess were utterly bottomless.
‘This fight cannot be avoided.’
“Go.”
Bu Eunseol whispered low to Yangseol Rin as he drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
“I will hold him off.”
It was not because he found her pretty.
If she died here by Baekri Mujo’s hand, every clue leading to the Yangseol Clan would vanish forever.
He was prepared to stake his life so she could escape.
“Fine.” Yangseol Rin, having seen through his intent, nodded.
She too could feel it—the overwhelming strength of Baekri Mujo, and the fact that Bu Eunseol was risking his life.
“Let’s call it even with this.”
Paaat!
She instantly shot away.
Wuuung!
Yet something strange happened.
The moment she unfolded her movement art to flee, white currents of qi suddenly erupted in a radius of seventy zhang.
“Keuk.”
She tried to break through, but they were as unyielding as iron.
Paaat!
Spinning her body, she poured energy into the ground, creating a huge crater—she intended to escape using an earth-escape technique.
Pat!
She dove into the hole, only to reappear on the surface moments later.
Not only the surface but even the earth below was sealed solid.
“If I can’t slip through, I’ll just smash it.”
Yangseol Rin extended her hand.
A mountain-crushing palm force poured forth, tearing at the formation—or it should have.
Despite unleashing power that could rip steel apart, the white currents did not yield an inch.
“The Firmament White Star Guard Formation?”
Orthodox sword formations were meant to surround and subdue the enemy by combining the internal energy of multiple practitioners or by occupying key positions to block all retreat.
But such formations required practitioners of roughly equal power to function properly.
The Seven Great Divisions, however, employed unique formations free of such limitations.
In particular, the Star Guard Division’s Firmament White Star Guard Formation did not exist to easily attack or fell the enemy.
Its sole purpose was to trap the opponent inside.
Because Baekri Mujo was inside.
Since Baekri Mujo could handle any foe alone, they had created a formation exclusively for him.
“Tch.”
As Yangseol Rin bit her lip,
Sleung.
Baekri Mujo drew his sword.
In an instant, the air within the formation seemed to evaporate, replaced by suffocating tension.
“If you cannot break it, stay far back.”
Attempting to shatter the formation clumsily now would only invite Baekri Mujo’s blade to her throat in an instant.
Clack.
Bu Eunseol stepped in front of Yangseol Rin and raised the Silent Tiger Soul Sword high.
“And no matter what, do not interfere in this fight.”
“Don’t worry. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”
Bu Eunseol and Baekri Mujo had already become living swords, their sharp auras piercing the heavens.
If Yangseol Rin clumsily intervened within this formation that locked down dozens of zhang, that terrifying energy would descend upon her like divine retribution before she could even react.
“Hmm.” Baekri Mujo looked at Bu Eunseol and smiled.
He merely lifted the corners of his mouth—no other movement.
Yet in that instant, mountain-like sword pressure crashed down upon Bu Eunseol’s head like lightning.
KWAAANG!
Raising the Silent Tiger Soul Sword on pure instinct to block, an explosive boom rang out as waves of qi spread like a storm.
Ziiizik.
At the same time, Thunder Spirit Energy activated spontaneously throughout Bu Eunseol’s body.
It was not because he was pushed back in internal energy.
A mysterious power extending from Baekri Mujo’s sword had invaded his meridians, triggering the Thunder Spirit Energy within him.
“So you trained in a mind method containing the energy of wind and thunder.”
Fortunately, since the Thunder Spirit Energy had not fully activated, Baekri Mujo merely assumed Bu Eunseol had cultivated an internal art infused with wind-thunder qi.
Such arts were common in the Demonic Path, after all.
‘Good.’
Through countless battles, Bu Eunseol had realized that the Divine Energies within him must remain his final trump card.
Unless he could kill Baekri Mujo and all his subordinates, he had to keep the power of the Divine Energies concealed.
“Then receive this.”
Chiiing!
Lightly pushing aside the crossed blades, Baekri Mujo swung his sword in a gentle arc.
KWAAANG! PAAANG!
The motion was soft, yet the power contained within could collapse the heavens and split the earth.
The two exchanged blows at point-blank range, their swords clashing relentlessly.
KWAAAAANG!
Once more their blades met, producing a detonation that seemed to tear the world asunder, sending shockwaves of internal force in all directions.
Baekri Mujo’s strikes were as heavy as Mount Tai, layered with incomprehensible stacked power.
Every clash sent ripples dozens of zhang outward, whipping up storms that threatened to blow the world away.
‘He’s strong.’
Cold sweat ran down Bu Eunseol’s spine.
Never before had he been forced to use his full internal power against anyone.
Yet Baekri Mujo’s sword grew heavier with each strike, the layered force intensifying.
Hwiiling.
Before he knew it, Bu Eunseol was already wielding eighty percent of his power.
At this rate, he would soon have to unleash one hundred and twenty percent.
Yet Baekri Mujo maintained a perfectly serene expression, as if expending only thirty or forty percent of his strength.
‘His internal foundation surpasses mine?’
Unable to comprehend the situation, just as Bu Eunseol prepared to double his power once more—
Chiiiiiik!
Baekri Mujo’s treasured sword slipped through his guard and grazed his cheek.
Looking at the blade enveloped in white radiance, realization dawned on Bu Eunseol.
‘So that’s it.’
From the moment Baekri Mujo appeared, the Firmament White Star Guard Formation had already been active in the area.
Yet Bu Eunseol had only sensed Baekri Mujo’s presence—he had detected none of his subordinates.
In other words, Baekri Mujo had not brought his unit to deploy the formation together.
He had come here alone and single-handedly recreated the effects of the Firmament White Star Guard Formation.
‘He rushed here alone with the intention of capturing Yangseol Rin quickly, without waiting for his men to match positions.’
Bu Eunseol’s gaze briefly flicked to the white treasure sword in Baekri Mujo’s hand.
‘Then that sword must be a dharma artifact.’
The martial world contained many dharma treasures imbued with various functions.
Without doubt, Baekri Mujo had sealed the power of the formation inside that white blade.
Sasak!
In that interval, Baekri Mujo’s strikes exploited every opening.
Kwang!
Bu Eunseol blocked with the Silent Tiger Soul Sword but was pushed back three zhang.
Baekri Mujo’s expression remained relaxed, yet the power in his strikes only grew stronger.
He was like a monster whose strength increased without limit.
‘This might actually work in my favor.’
Bu Eunseol flashed his true energy.
His plan: destroy the white sword that contained the formation’s effects, shatter the formation itself, and allow Yangseol Rin to escape.
KWAA! PAAA!
Mountain-like strikes poured down relentlessly at close range.
Yet their weapons never once directly clashed.
A strange power emanated from Baekri Mujo’s white sword, deflecting all contact.
‘Is the absence of the Divine Energies this crippling?’
Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
Lately, he had relied heavily on the Divine Energies in battle.
Whether facing arcane techniques, formations, or any martial art—when he combined Crystal Divine Energy and Thunder Spirit Energy, he could generate power enough to shatter anything.
But now, facing a monster like Baekri Mujo while sealing the Divine Energies, his martial prowess felt diminished.
‘Since when have I depended on power like the Divine Energies?’
Bu Eunseol had trained his martial arts staking his life so that he would never lose to anyone.
To walk a path no one else had trodden, he had even suppressed the manifestation of the Limitless Realm.
‘I will not lose.’
If he were an ordinary man, he would have unhesitatingly unleashed the immense power flowing within him against Baekri Mujo.
But Bu Eunseol was different.
He was wary of convenience.
He did not follow paths others had walked.
He pursued the ultimate martial way.
And he refused to be consumed by power.
These choices would one day upend both his own life and the balance of the entire martial world… though he did not know it yet.
‘I will decide this with pure martial learning.’
As Bu Eunseol roared inwardly—
Crack.
The sound of something hard shattering rang out.
Jiiing.
A reddish-gold light surged in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Drawing forth the culmination of every martial art he had ever mastered, his gaze now resembled that of the strongest of the Three Demons—the Human Demon Ak Muryeong—at its most extreme.
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