Realizing his mask had shattered, Baek Museong appeared greatly flustered, fumbling with the remaining half with both hands.
“Brother Baek. What on earth has happened?”
Bu Eunseol tried speaking to him, but the masked man’s eyes were unfocused.
He seemed confused, touching the mask while looking around in all directions.
“Brother Baek.”
As Bu Eunseol approached closer,
Whoosh!
The man suddenly swung his greatsword, unleashing blade energies like a storm toward Bu Eunseol.
Boom!
Trapped in the swirling vortex of blade energies, Bu Eunseol unleashed Heon Won Bright Sword once more.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
As endlessly changing blade forms poured into the air, the energies that seemed capable of blowing away the world vanished.
“Brother Baek!”
Escaping the blade energies, Bu Eunseol looked around, but the man had already vanished without a trace.
“Brother Baek…”
Bu Eunseol shook his head in disbelief.
“This cannot be.”
How could Baek Museong use Seven Blood Tear Forms? Why had he not recognized him?
Was it merely someone with a similar face and aura?
‘No, perhaps…’
A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
‘Has Brother Baek been recruited by the Three Realms?’
After pondering deeply, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
Of course, Baek Museong was someone who could certainly be recruited by the Three Realms.
But why him?
He had no reason to join the Three Realms.
With outstanding talent and appearance, rich emotions, and a generous personality without flaw—why would he…?
‘No, there is one.’
What Baek Museong desired was solely Gongsun Dankyung’s heart.
But after losing an arm in the battle with the Earth-Killing Star and becoming a cripple, he had left the Martial Alliance in despair.
In such a situation, if the Three Realms had promised to restore his body completely?
There would be ample reason for recruitment.
‘He is too soft-hearted.’
Baek Museong had always maintained a confident and gentle demeanor.
In truth, that composure stemmed merely from the superiority of possessing higher martial arts and status than others.
After realizing that the man named Seon Woojin was stronger than he had anticipated…
He had crumbled uncontrollably, even feeling pathetic.
“He definitely had his arm restored…”
Though wearing a bizarre mask, he was freely using the arm that had been immobile.
If the masked man was indeed Baek Museong, he had surely thrown himself into the Three Realms to heal his arm.
“But why did he emerge from the stone hut?”
Shaking his head, Bu Eunseol entered the open doorway of the stone hut.
A long passageway led underground, littered with gruesomely scattered corpses.
“He killed them all.”
The bodies all appeared to have fallen to Seven Blood Tear Forms.
Life force had drained from their skin and eyes, and their bodies bore nearly invisible thin wounds.
Rumble.
Finally reaching the end of the long passage, Bu Eunseol opened a thick iron door.
His eyes flashed as he entered.
Surprisingly, beneath this place…
Unlike the Infinite Realm, there was no experimental facility or building.
Instead, a massive underground prison had been constructed, capable of holding large numbers of people.
Iron doors were installed everywhere, and inside them lay martial artists of all kinds, dead in wretched states.
“Demonic swords.”
The corpses of the deceased martial artists had only empty scabbards hanging from them.
They had clearly recovered all the demonic swords worn by them.
“They abandoned the plan.”
Likely after the Cold Moon Island incident, the Returning to One Realm had completely halted their plan to gather the One Hundred and Eight Stars through demonic swords.
“They lured demonic sword users here, executed them all, and recovered the demonic swords.”
Thoroughly searching the prison interior, Bu Eunseol confirmed that every deceased martial artist without exception, had an empty scabbard.
“But this is strange.”
Gang Okji could not have been built solely as a prison to kill demonic sword users.
Why had so many demonic sword users met their end here?
“Hmm.”
After a moment of thought, Bu Eunseol lightly stamped his foot.
Buzz.
A low vibration accompanied the activation of Void Heart Command. But there were no hidden spaces or structures.
‘This is the Realm of Returning to One.’
Recalling the Cold Moon Island incident, Bu Eunseol raised Crystal Divine Energy instead of Nangyang Heart Eye.
Whoosh.
As he spread Crystal Divine Energy in all directions, a faint form that had been invisible gradually came into view.
It was a new prison door that had not been visible until now.
“As expected.”
Like Cold Moon Island, this Gang Okji had also concealed another door with a mystical great method.
Creak.
Opening the new door revealed another prison.
But strangely, all the cells here were completely empty.
The facility appeared very old, with traces of people having been imprisoned inside.
“They hastily disposed of the prisoners here while withdrawing the plan.”
The Returning to One Realm had likely executed even the prisoners held here when fully abandoning the demonic sword plan to gather the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
In the end, there was no information to gain from this place.
Swish.
As Bu Eunseol turned to leave the prison, he felt a strange sensation.
No sound could be detected. Yet faint breathing seemed to come from the far end of the prison.
‘Someone remains.’
Bu Eunseol hurriedly moved to the far end of the long prison.
There, a disheveled middle-aged man sat gasping for breath.
Despite no visible external wounds, his breathing suggested his organs or meridians had been damaged by internal palm force.
Clank.
Bu Eunseol immediately unlocked the iron door and entered.
He could now clearly see the disheveled middle-aged man’s face—and it was strikingly familiar.
“Dragon Coiling Hall Master?”
Shockingly, the middle-aged man dying in the prison was none other than Yong Myeong, the Dragon Coiling Hall Master who had met his end at Bu Eunseol’s hands.
“Huh?”
Yong Myeong blinked upon meeting Bu Eunseol’s gaze.
“Who…?”
But something was odd.
The Dragon Coiling Hall Master, well over fifty, was speaking and looking at him with the childish manner and eyes of a five- or six-year-old?
“Dragon Coiling Hall Master.”
As Bu Eunseol spoke in surprise, Yong Myeong asked fearfully while blood trickled from his mouth,
“You know me?”
Bu Eunseol’s mind was in turmoil. But he soon clasped his hands politely.
“I am Seon Woojin, Leader of the Supreme Branch.”
“Supreme Branch?”
“It is a recently established intelligence division.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Yong Myeong pouted while breathing heavily.
“I don’t know about that stuff. I don’t know anything.”
His eyes were clouded, as if he had become an idiot.
‘Extreme torture has left his mind unhinged.’
Quickly assessing the situation, Bu Eunseol placed his palm on Yong Myeong’s Myeongmun acupoint and infused Ban-Geuk Energy.
“How is your body?”
“It hurts. It hurts so much.”
Yong Myeong, sensing Bu Eunseol’s kindness, relaxed his guard and whimpered.
“My stomach feels all twisted—it hurts too much.”
While infusing inner energy and examining closely, Bu Eunseol let out a deep sigh.
Clearly imprinted in the center of Yong Myeong’s abdomen was a purple palm mark.
He had been struck by a poisonous palm containing extreme yin energy, similar to Mysterious Nether Poison Palm.
All his internal organs were damaged.
‘He won’t last long anyway.’
To at least ease Yong Myeong’s pain, Bu Eunseol continuously infused powerful Ban-Geuk Method energy.
“How long have you been here, Hall Leader?”
“I don’t know. But a long time.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol notice Yong Myeong’s face was covered in thick beard.
Then the Dragon Coiling Hall Master who had died at his hands in the Martial Alliance—was truly an external spy?
‘In that case…’
An ominous thought arose, and Bu Eunseol spoke softly.
“Were you alone in this prison?”
“No? There were lots of others, but they all disappeared.”
Chills ran down Bu Eunseol’s spine.
Now he knew: the Returning to One Realm was not only creating past experts through corpses.
They had clearly kidnapped and replaced the leaders of various martial sects with their own people.
“How did you end up here, Hall Leader?”
“How… did I end up here?”
After briefly searching his memory, Yong Myeong smiled brightly as if remembering.
“I came after fighting over a secret manual in the Solitary Enlightenment Hall.”
Bu Eunseol felt as though struck on the back of the head again.
Then Yong Myeong was one of the people who had split the Heon Won Bright Sword manual in half?
“Who did you fight?”
“I don’t remember.”
Yong Myeong smiled brightly and said something even more shocking.
“And under the Solitary Enlightenment Hall… there was the real Alliance Leader.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“The Alliance Leader is under the Solitary Enlightenment Hall.”
‘Is Heavenly Emperor in seclusion there?’
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
Yong Myeong was not in a clear state of mind and possessed childlike intelligence. He might simply be stringing together strange words.
“You mean the Alliance Leader is staying beneath the Solitary Enlightenment Hall?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me more?”
“But he’s so pitiful. Right? So very pitiful.”
Yong Myeong’s speech and behavior were incoherent like a three- or four-year-old, saying only what he wanted.
“Huh? It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
By now, Yong Myeong’s eyes were growing dim.
“But I’m sleepy.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze turned somber.
No matter how much Ban-Geuk Method energy he infused, he could not revive a fading life.
“So sleepy.”
Yong Myeong’s breathing had become the gentle rhythm of a child’s.
Death.
The deep, dark presence had already enveloped his body.
“Hall Leader.”
With a grave expression, Bu Eunseol infused Ban-Geuk Method energy with all his might.
They had no prior connection or grudge.
But seeing a martial artist who had proudly roamed the martial world reduced to an idiot dying like a child…
Evoked pity greater than watching an actual child die.
“Rest your eyes for a moment.” Bu Eunseol said as gently as possible. “After a short nap, the pain will lessen.”
To Yong Myeong, returned to a childlike state, death was merely a deep, endless sleep.
“Thank you…” Yong Myeong murmured softly with clouded eyes.
Then he quietly closed his eyes as if falling asleep. He had finally passed.
“Rest in peace.”
Bu Eunseol carefully laid Yong Myeong on the floor.
As Dragon Coiling Hall Master Yong Myeong, a key figure in the Martial Alliance, he had already died once.
There was no need to announce his death twice.
“They kidnapped the Martial Alliance’s pavilion master and replaced him with another.”
Bu Eunseol’s face paled from the immense shock.
Planting spies in the Martial Alliance was not difficult for the Three Realms.
But kidnapping a key Martial Alliance figure and replacing him… was no easy feat.
“Why on earth.”
They already held the martial world in their grasp.
Why were the Three Realms doing this? What exactly did they want?
“The Solitary Enlightenment Hall.”
Suddenly recalling Yong Myeong’s words, Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.
If that was true?
Was the Martial Alliance Leader also replaced with a fake?
Or was the real Alliance Leader imprisoned beneath the Solitary Enlightenment Hall?
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
What he needed to do now was return to the Martial Alliance and confirm beneath the Solitary Enlightenment Hall at all costs.
***
Silver Moon Pavilion—Gongsun Dankyung’s office.
Upon returning to the Martial Alliance, Bu Eunseol first visited her and detailed the events at Gang Okji.
He omitted Baek Museong’s involvement.
It was not certain, and mentioning that the masked man was Baek Museong would only complicate her heart.
“I cannot believe it.”
Gongsun Dankyung’s expression was extremely dark.
“A masked man of unknown identity possessed such incredible martial arts.”
She shook her head.
The elite agents she had assigned to Bu Eunseol were truly worth a hundred each.
Even against a formidable foe, they should have escaped.
Yet not one survived, and even Seon Woojin, the most prominent in the Martial Alliance, had barely returned alive?
“When the investigation team reports… he is likely a disciple of Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
“Seven-Finger Demon Blade?”
“Yes. The masked man’s blade arts closely resembled the legendary Seven Blood Tear Forms.”
Gongsun Dankyung blinked her large eyes.
Seven Blood Tear Forms was the exclusive blade art of the legendary demonic blade master and former Majeon Vice Master, Seven-Finger Demon Blade Bu Zhanyang.
Yet the masked man had used it to slaughter all ten agents?
“If that is true… it means the missing Seven-Finger Demon Blade Bu Zhanyang is alive and has taken a disciple.”
“That is possible.”
Gongsun Dankyung was thorough.
She could not have sent only combat agents.
Perhaps even before Bu Eunseol’s report, she had already dispatched an investigation team to scour Gang Okji.
“That is not the only problem.”
Bu Eunseol detailed finding Dragon Coiling Hall Master Yong Myeong imprisoned there in an idiot state.
The Gang Okji investigation had begun under Gongsun Dankyung’s command, not independently.
He reported everything found there without hiding.
Gongsun Dankyung was even more thorough than he.
If she discovered anything concealed, continuing on the same ship would become impossible.
He omitted only the Solitary Enlightenment Hall and Alliance Leader matter.
That was something Bu Eunseol had to confirm personally.
“Dragon Coiling Hall Master was imprisoned there. I cannot believe it.”
Watching Gongsun Dankyung closely, Bu Eunseol had a strange thought.
She appeared greatly shocked, but her physical reactions were utterly calm.
‘Because she knows the extent of the Three Realms’ power?’
Kidnapping and replacing leaders of various sects…
That was shocking news no one could react to normally.
Even Bu Eunseol had been unable to recover from the shock for some time upon learning it.
How could she remain so composed?
“I think it is time to tell Captain Seon as well.” At that moment, Gongsun Dankyung brought up something unexpected.
“What do you mean?”
“As Captain Seon has surely sensed all along… the forces now emerging may not be the Infinite Realm.”
“Then…”
“From investigations, they are divided into three forces. The Infinite Realm was merely one of them.”
For the first time, Gongsun Dankyung spoke of the Three Realms, not just the Infinite Realm.
Not because she trusted Bu Eunseol, but because it could no longer be hidden.
“I see.”
After listening to Gongsun Dankyung’s explanation for a long while, Bu Eunseol nodded as if surprised.
“In truth, I had faintly sensed that besides the Infinite Realm, other secret organizations existed in the martial world.”
“Very few in the alliance know well of the Three Realms. And among the key figures, not a few have ties to them.”
Gongsun Dankyung said gravely, “That is why we know of their existence but cannot speak of it.”
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol made a shocked expression.
That was the appropriate reaction in this situation.
“Then regarding the Three Realms…”
As Bu Eunseol regained composure and tried to probe further, Gongsun Dankyung waved her hand.
“We will discuss that part later.”
“…Understood.”
“You have worked hard. You must be exhausted, so rest comfortably for a while.”
“Thank you. Then.”
Bu Eunseol clasped his hands and turned to leave the office.
Click.
As the door closed, Gongsun Dankyung’s expression turned extremely cold.
“All combat agents who mastered Heavenly Reversal Great Demonic Power were killed, yet he returned unscathed…”
A northern blizzard raged in Gongsun Dankyung’s eyes.
In truth, there was something she had not told Seon Woojin.
The great method mastered by the ten combat agents was not ordinary Latent Power Eruption.
What they practiced was Heavenly Reversal Great Demonic Power, forbidden even among demonic practitioners.
As long as the head was not severed, life force would not cease with ordinary martial arts.
When erupting latent power, they exerted near-invincible prowess for a short time.
Yet the ten who mastered Heavenly Reversal Great Demonic Power had become guests of no return, while Seon Woojin returned without a scratch?
“Then… one of two possibilities.”
Her gaze sharpened endlessly as she murmured lowly.
“He is a supreme expert at least twice as strong as I thought.”
Exhaling heavily, she whispered,
“Or he is a hidden spy of the Three Realms who cooperated with the masked man to kill the agents together.”
Gongsun Dankyung’s eyes grew endlessly cold.
“Either way… it is not the situation I desire.”
If Seon Woojin possessed martial prowess overlooking the world?
He would have no need to board the same dangerous ship with her to climb to Martial Heaven Division Commander.
In that case, the man Seon Woojin…
Was very likely a spy of the Three Realms.
***
The Solitary Enlightenment Hall.
The Martial Alliance’s library, said to house the essence of all righteous martial arts.
The three-story Solitary Enlightenment Hall was rumored to hold stronger and more profound secret manuals the higher one went.
Bu Eunseol investigated the Solitary Enlightenment Hall through every channel available.
‘The Solitary Enlightenment Hall has no basement.’
But no matter how much he investigated, there was no basement designed in the Solitary Enlightenment Hall.
That meant Yong Myeong had either spouted nonsense at the end…
‘Or a secret passage unknown to anyone is installed inside.’
Bu Eunseol did not think Yong Myeong had spoken nonsense.
Though reduced to a childlike state, he had accurately remembered the Heon Won Bright Sword manual contest.
Clearly, before being kidnapped by the Returning to One Realm…
He had been in the Solitary Enlightenment Hall and discovered its undisclosed secret.
‘In the end, the only option is to investigate directly.’
Bu Eunseol fell into thought.
‘But how do I enter?’
The Solitary Enlightenment Hall was opposite Heaven and Earth Pavilion, where the Martial Alliance Leader resided.
In other words, the most heavily guarded place in the Martial Alliance.
Various mechanisms were installed inside, and the fearsome expert known as Mok Do-in frequently came and went.
Infiltrating without a plan could trap him in a dead end with no escape.
‘No choice.’
In the end, Bu Eunseol chose a slightly easier method.
He decided to provoke Ascendant Martial Hall Leader, Yuk Jangcheon.
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