Bu Eunseol murmured softly.
“When villains are born, virtuous people inevitably born alongside them are bound together… creating dual personalities?”
“You grasp the essence well.” The middle-aged man nodded. “It is called dual personality, but in reality, it is the work of perfecting an imperfect human. Imagine it.”
He smiled brightly.
“If one absorbs a disposition completely opposite to one’s own into the mind, and that personality serves as an advisor…”
Dual personality.
In short, the Clear River Realm was forcibly granting dual personalities to create unparalleled supreme experts.
‘…They were madmen.’
Bu Eunseol wore a hollow expression.
Among the Three Realms, he had harbored the least ill will toward the Clear River Realm.
To be honest, he had thought they were relatively moderate and perhaps the ones maintaining balance among the Three Realms.
But reality was different.
If the Returning to One Realm, reputed as the worst of the Three Realms, committed atrocities using the corpses of past supreme experts, the Clear River Realm was committing atrocities on living people.
“Do you believe that is possible?”
“Of course—you know it in your heart,” The middle-aged man spoke calmly. “That it is possible.”
Bu Eunseol unwittingly nodded.
The Infinite Realm used human transformation and body modification.
The Returning to One Realm used mysterious great methods.
And the Clear River Realm… was creating dual personalities through unique brainwashing techniques.
From the beginning, the Three Realms were dens of irredeemable demons.
“The Infinite Realm’s body modification is too dangerous and has low success rates. The great methods used by the Returning to One Realm come with too many restrictions and requirements.”
The middle-aged man spoke indifferently.
“But our realm’s brainwashing is different. Though it takes much time, the success rate is very high, and the risk of failure is low.”
“How do you find virtuous people corresponding to great villains?” Bu Eunseol asked with sharp eyes. “With so many people in the world, how do you find those who match them?”
“That I cannot tell you. However…” The middle-aged man pointed to the sky. “Let us say the heavens know.”
‘So it is the One Hundred and Eight Stars Stars after all.’
Bu Eunseol frowned.
Perhaps all Three Realms were searching for the One Hundred and Eight Stars Stars and knew how to distinguish them through heavenly signs.
“Is it because of the Righteous and Demonic Twin Heavenly Emperors or the Three Demons and Three Venerables?”
Bu Eunseol frowned.
“Are you repeating cruel experiments to defeat them?”
“Three Demons and Three Venerables? Hahaha.” The middle-aged man shook his head with a hollow expression.
“Are you still only scratching the surface?”
“What?”
“Our realm is actually protecting the martial world.”
Like Hyeok Ryeon-eung, the middle-aged man claimed it was to protect the martial world.
‘But the bead that brought me here came from the fake Chae Ju-heung.’
Recalling one fact, flames sparked in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
That he possessed a bead allowing entry into the Clear River Realm’s secret facility.
Rather than having stolen it from a hostile force, it was far more likely they were in cooperation.
‘The Clear River Realm is highly likely allied with the forces in the abyss.’
That meant there were forces opposing the Three Realms and forces joining them. It was highly probable that the latter was a force like the Three Families, which had not yet revealed itself in the martial world.
Yet Bu Eunseol did not voice this and pretended ignorance as he asked,
“Protecting from what?”
“Find the truth yourself.”
The middle-aged man curled his lips.
“That cruel truth.”
“…”
“Then you will know. That our realm is different from the Infinite Realm or Returning to One Realm.”
Bu Eunseol could intuit it.
Unlike the Infinite Realm and Returning to One Realms, the Clear River Realm did not walk an independent path.
It had one foot in the unrevealed abyssal forces as well.
Otherwise, he could never have said such things.
“No matter what the truth is, it does not matter.” Bu Eunseol spoke calmly. “Whether villain or demon, release them.”
His expression grew increasingly solemn as he continued.
“No one in this world may arbitrarily control the fate of another.”
“Are you still failing to grasp the situation?” The middle-aged man wore a hollow expression. “Do you not yet understand why I explained our realm’s affairs in such detail?”
He shook his head and continued, “You have continually received our realm’s favor. By relentlessly attacking the Infinite Realm and weakening their power.”
The middle-aged man’s voice grew colder.
“But now opinions within our realm are divided. Because you show unpredictable behavior—neither fully demonic nor orthodox.”
In an extremely low voice, he said, “Do not interfere in our realm’s affairs any longer. If you destroy everything because it displeases you, you will no longer receive our realm’s favor.”
“You were favorably disposed toward this Command Lord, but because my actions are unpredictable… opinions are divided?”
“Exactly.” The middle-aged man spoke confidently. “As much as possible, do not make an enemy of our realm. If you do, you will have nowhere left to stand in the world.”
“Heh heh heh.”
Bu Eunseol let out a laugh of disbelief.
“Hahaha!”
“What is so funny?”
Stop.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes, having ceased laughing, burned like the sun.
“Did you think this Command Lord clashed with the Infinite Realm to gain your favor?”
“…”
“You said it yourself. Because my actions are unpredictable, opinions are divided.” Bu Eunseol smiled with utmost contempt. “You speak boldly of turning against me the moment I no longer suit your taste.”
If Bu Eunseol no longer pleased the Clear River Realm?
They would not hesitate to drive a dagger into his back.
“Martial Soul Command Lord. Think carefully once more. If you cling to that shallow pride, in the end no one will remain on your side.”
“My side?” Bu Eunseol sneered. “From the beginning, who in the martial world is on my side?”
The martial world operated solely on the law of the strong. A place with no eternal friends or enemies. Even if they were the Heaven itself rather than the Three Realms, Bu Eunseol had no intention of currying favor.
“So it comes to this.”
The middle-aged man spoke solemnly.
“Martial Soul Command Lord. You are now an enemy of our realm.”
Boom!
At that moment, terrifying palm force exploded toward Bu Eunseol’s face.
The middle-aged man, whose pressure points had been sealed, had immediately struck.
Whoosh.
But Bu Eunseol casually employed his movement technique and evaded the palm force.
Rumble.
The palm force grazed past Bu Eunseol and completely collapsed a stone wall. Truly terrifying power.
“Oh.” The middle-aged man who unleashed the fearsome palm force rounded his lips. “This move of Evil Death Secret Chaos is absolutely unpredictable. So you anticipated that I would release my pressure points and attack.”
“You said talent and body are strengthened through two personalities, so there must be a secret to prevent pressure points from being sealed.”
Bu Eunseol had guessed that the middle-aged man had also undergone the great method of creating dual personalities.
“As expected, sharp as rumored.”
“From the palm force, it is not merely Emissary-level martial arts.” Walking back toward the middle-aged man, Bu Eunseol’s eyes burned like charcoal.
“A Special Divine Rank of the Clear River Realm?”
“Now you have roughly grasped our realm’s ranks as well.”
The middle-aged man drew the treasured sword at his waist and spoke calmly.
“I am the Crimson River Trader, Si Gyeongrim.”
The former envoy had now become a Special Divine Rank of the Clear River Realm.
That meant promotions and demotions occurred rapidly based on ability or martial prowess.
Considering that secret organizations rarely changed rank systems quickly, the Three Realms, including the Clear River Realm, had not completely hidden themselves.
Like transparent air, they existed everywhere yet simply went unnoticed.
Ding ding ding!
Then, faint bell sounds rang from somewhere.
Likely, when the stone wall collapsed, an installed mechanism had triggered an intruder alarm.
“This is not a contest to gauge martial prowess.” Bu Eunseol spoke coldly. “Come at me without holding back any means.”
“Good.”
Crack.
Si Gyeongrim did not refuse and immediately raised his power.
His neck twisted strangely, and soon his skin tone and eyes changed as well.
He appeared as if transformed into an entirely new person.
“Having won every battle without a single setback, ordinary opponents must seem insignificant?” Si Gyeongrim’s eyes, changed from an ordinary middle-aged man to a cold warrior, emitted blade-like brilliance.
Swish-swish!
Si Gyeongrim immediately thrust his sword forward.
It seemed like a simple initial move of White Rainbow Piercing the Sun, but Bu Eunseol was forced to step back.
This single sword move was so perfect that it could not possibly be blocked.
Whoosh.
Employing his movement technique to deflect the sword move, Bu Eunseol’s eyes sharpened.
‘He has reason to be proud.’
Considering his own martial level, being forced back by a simple initial move like White Rainbow Piercing the Sun was unthinkable.
In other words, Si Gyeongrim’s sword move was flawless to the point of having no openings.
Whoosh!
Si Gyeongrim twisted his sword tip sharply and unleashed another sword move toward Bu Eunseol.
It was a move from the Surpassing the Wise Technique of the Jeomchang Sect.
Normally, it would cause no harm to Bu Eunseol, but when executed by Si Gyeongrim, it became an unavoidable fatal sword move.
Flash!
With brilliant radiance, a few strands of Bu Eunseol’s side hair were cut.
Not only the timing but the perfection of the move meant that even employing Swift Beyond Shadow, he could not fully escape the sword’s range.
“So this is it.”
Only now could he understand.
Why the Clear River Realm conducted such brainwashing.
The most difficult thing for a martial artist who has learned martial arts is self-observation—viewing oneself objectively.
But if there exists a being with completely opposite disposition in one’s mind?
One could naturally execute moves resembling the harmony of nature—truly perfect techniques.
Swish! Slash!
Si Gyeongrim continuously unleashed sword moves.
They were insignificant techniques even among the Nine Great Sect’s sword arts, yet they had no openings and possessed tremendous power.
‘I will first test his inner power.’
White cold energy swirled in Bu Eunseol’s left hand.
When Si Gyeongrim closed in, he instantly unleashed the Heavenly Glacial Secret.
Hiss!
At extreme close range, terrifying cold energy poured like a gale, forcing Si Gyeongrim to spin his treasured sword furiously.
It was the life-saving ultimate move of the second-rate Whirlwind Sect, yet its power surpassed any Sect’s sword display, creating a storm-like wall of sword energy.
Whoosh!
The pouring cold energy of the Heavenly Glacial Secret changed direction and shot upward into the sky.
With a second-rate sword technique from the Whirlwind Sect, he had blocked the Heavenly Glacial Secret infused with three hundred years of cultivation.
Ping-ping-ping!
But Bu Eunseol showed no surprise and fired dozens of crystal projectiles combined with crystal divine energy.
Clang-clang-clang!
Si Gyeongrim lightly deflected them with the sword technique of the Changcheon Sword Sect.
Yet that was Bu Eunseol’s ploy.
“You should not think I rely on only one technique.”
Roar! Blaze.
An invisible transparent airflow gathered in Bu Eunseol’s right hand.
While unleashing the Heavenly Glacial Secret, he had raised the Thunder Spirit Energy and continuously struck Si Gyeongrim’s internals with Yeolha Great True Energy.
“Keugh.”
As if suffering a fatal internal injury, Si Gyeongrim groaned in pain and retreated.
Crack.
Soon, Si Gyeongrim’s skin turned pale again, and his eyes returned to normal.
As Bu Eunseol’s attacks intensified, it appeared as though the hidden personality switched, readjusting the body.
“Good!”
Boom! Clank.
When Si Gyeongrim stomped his foot, mysterious patterns appeared in the wide corridor.
At the same time, the Yeolha Great True Energy Bu Eunseol was unleashing gradually faded.
Like the Infinite Realm or the Returning to One Realm, the Clear River Realm had also installed formations or techniques to nullify the power of true energy arts in preparation for strong enemies.
“The only things you boast are your inner power and the Nangyang Pavilion’s skill at stealing others’ martial arts!”
Si Gyeongrim’s face twisted grotesquely as he madly unleashed sword techniques.
With inner power advantage unusable, he naturally displayed confidence that he could overwhelm Bu Eunseol with the profundity of his martial arts alone.
Slash-slash-slash!
Each time Si Gyeongrim executed a sword technique, skin-searing sword winds caused painful sensations.
Bu Eunseol attempted to use the Supreme Heavenly Flow Form, but each time Si Gyeongrim preempted and halted his technique.
As if he had studied the counter to the Supreme Heavenly Flow Form.
‘He probably did.’
The Clear River Realm had recognized that Bu Eunseol could become an enemy at any time and researched ways to counter him.
‘In the end, all Three Realms were lairs of madmen.’
The Clear River Realm had seemed to do the right thing, but they too were ultimately cultivating experts through another method for hegemony.
‘Their pursued methods differ as well.’
The Infinite Realm, where Hyeok Ryeon-eung belonged, sought to create transcendent martial arts.
The Returning to One Realm seen at Cold Moon Island aimed to recreate the martial arts of past supreme experts.
And the Clear River Realm was amplifying the profundity of existing martial arts through unique brainwashing.
‘With this method, though time-consuming, they can cultivate extraordinary experts.’
Boom!
When move clashed against move, shockwaves spread in all directions.
Si Gyeongrim’s sword techniques were polar opposites to Bu Eunseol’s Supreme Heavenly Flow Form and contained tremendous power. Moreover, whenever even a slight opening appeared, he exploited it with profound sword techniques.
“Quite underwhelming for all your confidence!”
Seeing Bu Eunseol unable to counter and continuously retreating, Si Gyeongrim let out a vicious laugh.
“Indeed impressive.”
If a former Emissary’s martial arts had grown to this extent, when existing Special Divine Ranks succeeded in the Clear River Realm’s great method, they could reach astonishing martial prowess.
“To pursue such perfection.”
Until now, Bu Eunseol had mainly fought by finding flaws in martial arts and breaking them to achieve victory.
Yet despite Si Gyeongrim possessing far inferior martial prowess, was he not pressuring him solely through the profundity of his moves?
He had only been wary of the Returning to One Realm, but the Clear River Realm, which had not properly revealed itself, was also manipulating the martial world with extraordinary secrets.
“Now it ends!”
Spotting an opening in Bu Eunseol’s stance, he unleashed a decisive sword move.
Flash!
A single ray gleamed from his treasured sword, and ferocious sword energies poured forward and backward, surrounding Bu Eunseol’s retreat.
‘Seven Butterfly Sword Form.’
Shockingly, he was executing the highest sword art of the Sword Pavilion, the initial move of Dreamlike Enlightenment, against Bu Eunseol.
Whoosh! Shuuu!
Unpredictable sword energies fluttered like butterflies, pressuring Bu Eunseol’s entire body.
It was even more exquisite than when executed by the Sword Pavilion’s highest elder.
“Hehehe!” Si Gyeongrim, having unleashed the sword technique, wore a smile of ecstasy.
Perhaps because there seemed no escape, Bu Eunseol had stopped moving and stood still.
Just as the Seven Butterfly Sword Form’s move was about to pierce Bu Eunseol’s throat,
Shiiing.
With a low sword cry, the Silent Tiger Soul Sword bent at a mysterious angle and,
Slash!
Instantly dissipated the piercing Seven Butterfly Sword Form energy.
Whooosh!
At the same time, like a salmon swimming upstream, the Silent Tiger Soul Sword cleaved through the pouring sword energies and finally,
Stab.
With a dull sound, it pierced straight through Si Gyeongrim’s chest.
“How…” Si Gyeongrim wore a hollow expression.
With inner power exertion blocked, how could Bu Eunseol, who had been unable to counter his sword techniques and kept retreating, so easily score a hit?
Could it be that he had been toying with him all this time?
“The Sword Pavilion’s sword arts have never been exposed outside, making them difficult to counter.” Si Gyeongrim muttered with an expression of incomprehension. “How did you defeat the ultimate move of Dreamlike Enlightenment with a mere simple technique?”
“Because I learned it.”
Before leaving the Sword Pavilion in the past, Bu Eunseol had received instruction in the pavilion’s highest sword art, Dreamlike Enlightenment, from A-Yeon.
It was to express gratitude for saving the Sword Pavilion from crisis—under the pretext of a duel.
Afterward, Bu Eunseol studied the counter to Dreamlike Enlightenment and realized a flaw in the technique itself.
Dreamlike Enlightenment was a Taoist sword art that extremely suppressed killing intent. If the enemy stopped moving, the move would immediately halt and could no longer be continued.
“Then A-Yeon… you must have received it from her.”
In an instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.
He felt foreboding from Si Gyeongrim’s tone and expression.
“Where is she?” Seeing Bu Eunseol’s expression change, Si Gyeongrim chuckled as if an amusing thought had occurred.
“In the end, you too will step onto the testing ground.”
“What do you mean?”
“That child is already being made into our realm’s jade.”
‘Being made?’
Bu Eunseol widened his eyes.
“Have the Clear River Realm kidnapped the Sword Pavilion’s successor?”
“Who knows.”
Si Gyeongrim wore a sinister smile.
“No—by now, she must already be complete.”
Bu Eunseol urgently fired finger winds repeatedly at Si Gyeongrim’s body to staunch the chest wound.
Then, immediately infusing Ban-Geuk Method energy, he asked,
“Where is she?”
“Heh heh heh.” Si Gyeongrim wore a cruel smile.
As if peering into the future,
“You will never be able to save that child.”
Spurt.
Blood from Si Gyeongrim’s torn chest shot three feet into the air.
Using the power of the infused Ban-Geuk Energy, he had severed his own heart meridians and committed suicide.
Thud.
Looking down at Si Gyeongrim, whose head hung limply in death, Bu Eunseol’s eyes shook violently.
“They kidnapped her.”
Not only binding villains and virtuous people for bizarre brainwashing, but now kidnapping the successor of an orthodox great sect to commit cruel acts?
Until now, the Clear River Realm could not be called Bu Eunseol’s enemy.
But the moment they kidnapped the Sword Pavilion’s successor and applied brainwashing, they too became an evil force arbitrarily disrupting the martial world like the Infinite Realm and Returning to One Realms—and Bu Eunseol’s enemy.
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