Even though he unleashed the Swift Beyond Shadow, the attack was so swift that he couldn’t have raised his sword to block it in time.
Yet there was just enough time left to twist his neck.
Snap.
Bu Eunseol’s biting strength was extraordinary; in a single instant, he snapped off the tip of the iron sword.
[Grrraaah.]
A strange groan escaped from the shadow’s mouth.
The Quick Sword Style was a one-strike kill technique, a method that moved toward its target by the shortest possible distance. The principle of latecomers gaining the upper hand simply did not apply.
But Bu Eunseol was unprecedented.
He had blocked it with the bizarre technique of catching the sword technique between his teeth.
There was no need to be faster than the enemy.
He only needed to survive.
This was thanks to the instincts of the Beast Way, combined with a rebellious and unbound spirit that refused to be chained by the laws of any martial art.
[Grrraaah.]
The shadow let out another eerie groan.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, its form scattered in all directions like mist.
It seemed the trial had ended the moment he blocked the swift killing sword.
Drip, drip.
Blood trickled from Bu Eunseol’s mouth.
Catching a sword technique with one’s teeth was an incredibly perilous act.
Even though he had bitten the iron sword with perfect precision, wounds remained on his tongue and the inside of his mouth.
If he had failed to seize that fleeting instant, or if his bite had been even slightly slower?
The iron sword would have pierced through his mouth, or his tongue would have been severed.
“You have defined the ultimate realm of martial arts in your own way.” Bu Eunseol exclaimed in admiration, having gained enlightenment from the sword move the shadow had unleashed.
Combat was not merely a comparison of whose martial arts were superior.
One could lose even with stronger techniques, yet by perfectly seizing the right moment, a simple move could defeat a master.
The battlefield itself mattered as well.
The leaping power differed subtly between solid ground and muddy terrain.
The techniques and movements used when fighting in an empty clearing differed from those in a crowded inn filled with people and furniture, or in a bustling marketplace.
Time was no different.
Vision varied when fighting with the sun at one’s back versus under moonlight.
And what of emotions?
The speed of unleashing the Quick Sword differed between rage and calm composure. Whether one instantly parried an enemy attack or lightly deflected it could change the follow-up move entirely.
Thus, one had to account for every factor—the opponent’s skill and martial arts, the place and time of battle, emotions, and more…
The tiniest differences decided life and death.
Adapting to the moment.
Many martial manuals likened the ultimate realm of martial arts to adaptation to the moment.
The one who considered more factors than the enemy—time, place, emotion, everything—and responded appropriately to each situation would emerge victorious.
The shadow’s sword style had embodied not only the rigidity of fixed timing, but the profound principle of adaptation to the moment.
“I have learned much.”
Clank.
Bu Eunseol sheathed the Silent Tiger Soul Sword and passed through the door once more.
Though he moved calmly, cold sweat soaked his back.
The Quick Sword had been like a flash of lightning.
The moment it was unleashed was flawless… impossible to evade or counter.
Yet Bu Eunseol had somehow chosen a way to survive.
It was the best possible solution—a move worthy of the meaning of adaptation to the moment, one of the ultimate realms of martial arts.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol passed through the Gate of Martial Arts and reached another passage.
This time, the character for “Heart” was inscribed.
‘The Gate of the Heart.’
His mental fortitude yielded to no one. A trial concerning the heart should pose no difficulty for him.
Yet Bu Eunseol’s expression was grim.
‘Even with a firm mental barrier, it was said one cannot pass.’
Biyeon knew the strength of Bu Eunseol’s spirit yet had declared he could not pass this place.
That meant the realm of Spirit Regulation Harmony would offer no advantage here.
Creak.
Opening the door revealed stairs leading upward.
The interior was dimly lit, and each footstep echoed loudly.
Bu Eunseol paid it no mind and ascended with dignified posture.
But something felt wrong.
With every step upward, piercing regret burrowed into his mind. It was not a mental attack or soul manipulation technique; it arose from the combination of the dark scenery, the texture of the stairs, the echoing sounds around him…
Everything harmonized to create this effect.
‘Looking back, I should have shaken off Grandfather’s hand.’
If he had not followed his grandfather… if he had not lived in seclusion…
Grandfather would never have died at the hands of that villain.
He would have lived peacefully in seclusion for many long years.
‘Going to Majeon was also a wrong choice.’
The Demon Emperor had held the Ten Demon Warriors Plan without achieving perfect consensus with the Ten Demonic Sects.
Whether intentional or not, it led the successors of the Ten Demon Warriors Plan and the Ten Demonic Sects into pointless secret strife. In the end, the atmosphere prioritized each sect’s profit, becoming the catalyst for weakened loyalty and cohesion toward Majeon.
In such circumstances, the Demon Emperor remained in constant seclusion, the Chief Instructor was tied to the Three Realms, and his loyalty lay not with Majeon but elsewhere.
If he had chosen the Martial Alliance instead?
Without all these complicated processes…
He would have steadily risen in rank, perhaps long ago attained high status and found Grandfather’s killer.
Step, step.
As negative thoughts continued relentlessly, his steps slowed.
The body is governed by the spirit.
The more regret persisted, the heavier his limbs became, as though the tower’s darkness wrapped around and crushed him.
As his body grew heavy, his mind sank deeper into a dark abyss.
―Eunseol.
Then a warm voice rang in Bu Eunseol’s ears.
It was the voice of his grandfather, Bu Zhanyang—the voice that had always become a ray of light in times of suffering.
‘Grandfather.’
When he nearly froze to death, when he struggled, when frustration struck because things did not go well…
Grandfather Bu Zhanyang had always watched over him.
And he had always looked upon him with the same unchanging smile.
Grandfather had said that one does not smile because life is happy and joyful.
Rather, by smiling, one can lead a happy life.
Indeed, Grandfather had lived each moment with gratitude.
―We are all imperfect beings. That is why, no matter what choice we make, we are bound to feel regret.
Bu Zhanyang had emphasized that regretting the past was perfectly natural.
―There is no need to view regret only negatively. It exists so that humans may grow.
Bu Zhanyang advised remembering and acknowledging past mistakes, yet using them as opportunities for further growth.
―Feel regret if you must, but do not dwell in remorse. The past cannot be undone.
Bu Zhanyang stressed that even human imperfection was a chance for growth.
And those great teachings…
Now lived vividly in Bu Eunseol’s heart, supporting him.
‘Because I went to Majeon, I was able to grow strong quickly.’
Going to Majeon had not been a wrong choice.
Secret Head Sa Woo recognized Bu Eunseol’s talent and fed him spirit medicines, helping him rapidly build the foundation of the Beast Way.
Thanks to the teachings of Cheon Ungwang and Dan Cheonyang, Bu Eunseol gained the framework to master ascending martial arts.
His family at Nangyang Pavilion also passed down outstanding martial techniques so he could stand tall in the martial world.
‘I met true friends as well.’
Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo, and Seo Jinha.
Those who had once been rivals now guarded his life like their own—true friends and comrades.
Through his adventures in the martial world with Hyeok Sojin, he even gained supporting forces to become Majeon’s successor.
“Regrets may exist.”
Bu Eunseol opened his eyes again and resolutely pushed through the dark passage.
Because he was human.
An imperfect being—of course there would be regrets about the past.
“But I have no remorse.”
He would no longer dwell in remorse.
What was done could not be undone, and remorse only gnawed at one’s heart.
He needed only to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
To turn memories of the past into opportunities for growth—that was enough.
Tap.
The moment he shook off the rising regrets in his mind, his steps halted of their own accord.
He had climbed exactly one hundred and eight stairs.
Rumble.
Far ahead, the closed passage door opened.
‘It seems I was meant to stop precisely here.’
If he had failed to cast aside the regrets blooming in his heart, these stairs would have continued endlessly.
But because Bu Eunseol instantly banished the heart demon, he could stop at the one hundred and eighth step.
At last, he had passed not only the Gate of Martial Arts, but the Gate of the Heart as well.
Rumble.
Reaching the final stair, he saw another small door.
Click.
Opening it, he entered a room containing a large hemispherical vessel filled with sloshing black liquid.
Hummm.
As Bu Eunseol approached, the black liquid churned and formed the shape of a human face.
[You are suitable.]
The black face floated in the air, gazing at Bu Eunseol as it spoke.
[You could unite us all into one.]
Drip, drip.
Without hesitation, the black liquid floating in the void enveloped Bu Eunseol’s face.
[At the end of a long, long journey, at last the Black Divine Energy…]
Various memories began pouring into his mind. They belonged to the countless people who had entered this tower.
‘This cannot be.’
As the memories flowed in, Bu Eunseol could not hide his shock.
The countless limbs and eyeballs in the Ancient Sword Forest—they had not come from innocent victims murdered.
Those people had severed their own limbs.
All to create the Black Divine Energy.
They had tried to exchange their bodies for the mystical divine energy that could overturn the world.
‘This tower.’
Bu Eunseol finally understood the tower’s true nature.
The tower itself was like a forge that produced Black Divine Energy.
Everyone who entered became part of that energy.
And now that a person capable of uniting them had appeared, they sought to use Bu Eunseol as a vessel to birth a new Black Divine Energy.
Crack.
Before he knew it, Bu Eunseol’s body had turned pitch black.
It was the power of a new Black Divine Artifact created in the Ancient Sword Forest—one capable of overturning the world.
‘If I myself become the Black Divine Artifact… that would not be so bad.’
Bu Eunseol closed his eyes.
If he accepted the Black Divine Energy into his flesh… he would no longer need to shuttle between Majeon and the Martial Alliance.
He would no longer need to painstakingly chase the tails of the Three Realms.
With this power, he could simply destroy and dominate everything.
‘This is the Black Divine Artifact.’
The liquid had already been absorbed into his body, dyeing his skin black.
But then—
―My dear.
A faint light emanated from Bu Eunseol’s celestial spirit cover, and a longed-for voice reached his ears.
It was his father’s voice.
―Why did you not seal them all back then? It was a chance to deal with them decisively.
Then a beautiful voice, like jade beads rolling, rang out.
―Because I learned it then.
It was his mother’s voice.
―If we sealed all the Black Divine Energy now… a future filled with darkness would unfold.
―How strange. That does not add up, does it?
His father asked, puzzled.
―Then why give me the Black Divine Artifact containing such tremendous power? The power was too much to bear, so I even used the Sealing Extinction Style you taught me.
―Oh my, did you think that was meant for you?
His mother laughed softly and said,
―In the future, it will return to its true owner. And when that time comes, every Black Divine Artifact in the martial world will vanish…
Flash!
Bu Eunseol’s eyes snapped open from the memory, crimson light shooting into the void.
At the same moment, the liquid blackening his skin began writhing as though alive.
‘Mother.’
Bu Eunseol was overwhelmed with shock.
‘Mother knew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword would come into my hands?’
His mother’s calm voice had carried the certainty of someone foreseeing the future.
And Bu Eunseol’s Silent Tiger Soul Sword was undoubtedly a God-Killing Artifact capable of destroying Black Divine Energy.
―Kiiiiiieeee!
Screams poured from the black liquid surrounding Bu Eunseol’s body. They were the grudges of countless souls who had lost their lives here.
When Bu Eunseol suddenly regained clarity and refused to accept them, they shrieked in rage.
“Be quiet.”
Shing.
As Bu Eunseol drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword from his waist, mystical patterns and light began rising from the scabbard.
He was furious.
They had dared disturb the lingering echo of the precious memory of his mother he had finally recovered.
Shing!
Wielding the drawn Silent Tiger Soul Sword, Bu Eunseol began slashing apart the liquid enveloping him.
Slash, slash, slash!
Yet no matter how many times he cut it, the liquid endlessly reformed.
Hummm!
Then mystical patterns began etching themselves not only on the scabbard but on the blade itself.
Bu Eunseol had poured his Divine Energies into it with full force.
Splaaash!
Sensing danger, the liquid clung even tighter to his body.
“No one—” In that instant, brilliant radiance bloomed from the light gathered in the Silent Tiger Soul Sword. “—can control me!”
Booooom!
The light condensed with Divine Energies spread in all directions in an instant, dyeing the entire world in multicolored brilliance.
Hiss…
The black liquid clinging to Bu Eunseol’s body began evaporating under the light.
Gradually, the darkened interior brightened, revealing the surroundings.
‘The Silent Tiger Soul Sword was a gift from Mother.’
Recalling his mother’s voice, Bu Eunseol embraced the sword.
If his guess was correct… his mother had foreseen the future and passed this sword to him.
And the meaning of her final words was clear.
‘She wanted me to destroy the Black Divine Energy.’
Yet he could not understand.
How had his mother possessed Black Divine Energy? How had she spoken as though peering into the future?
Could she, like the ancient lawgiver Moryun, have seen the future?
If so, why had the manor burned, and why had both his parents been killed? Who on earth had murdered them?
‘At the very least, it is certain Mother was no ordinary person.’
His father had said he learned the Sealing Extinction Style from her. That meant Mother was an extraordinary figure comparable to Father.
Step, step.
Then the door on the opposite side opened, and a small shadow approached.
It was a frail, sickly-looking girl.
Biyeon.
“You did not assimilate in the end.” Biyeon looked with proud eyes at the now-empty hemispherical vessel.
Originally, it had contained living black liquid.
But Bu Eunseol’s power had caused it to evaporate completely.
“Most died at the Gate of Martial Arts, or at the Gate of the Heart. Even those who reached this place were eventually devoured by the grudges and became yet another vessel.”
Her words were cryptic, but having touched the grudges’ memories, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“So it was.”
Then, as though having realized everything, he looked at Biyeon and asked, “Were you the Lord of the Ancient Sword Forest?”
“There is no forest lord here.” Biyeon gazed around the tower with lonely eyes. “Only lingering souls who cannot die guard this place.”
Her eyes were dim and dark, like an old person watching the twilight.
Her once-elastic skin was gradually wrinkling. Her youth was fading.
“What exactly were you doing here?”
“Black Divine Energy is something humans should never use. Yet the forces of the martial world actively seek to wield it.” Biyeon spoke calmly. “They fight to possess more of it.”
Hearing this, Bu Eunseol entertained a strange thought.
The reason the abyss forces, which had maintained their lineage in secret without revealing themselves, had emerged—
Perhaps it was not to secretly dominate or manipulate the martial world.
Perhaps it was simply to hoard as much Black Divine Energy as possible.
‘It is entirely possible.’
A single Black Divine Artifact could dominate countless people and rival numerous martial artists.
Possessing one alone granted power that transcended the bounds of martial arts.
Rather than painstakingly recruiting people or manipulating factions to rule the world with difficulty…
Simply owning many Black Divine Artifacts would be a far easier and more convenient way to become a shadowy ruler.
“The problem is that the more Black Divine Energy is used, the closer the world’s annihilation draws.”
“Annihilation.”
A strange thought struck Bu Eunseol.
Both the Absolute Demonic Blade Project and Yangseol Rin had used the word annihilation.
And now Biyeon too spoke of annihilation.
And for the utterly novel reason that it stemmed from using Black Divine Energy.
“That is why we tried to create new Black Divine Artifacts based on life force. But it failed… and in the end, we all ended up living alongside the grudges of the dead.”
She spoke softly with a lonely expression.
“Neither dead nor alive.”
“What do you mean?”
“You saw it yourself—the liquid in the vessel.” Biyeon said calmly. “That is our grudges as well. We tried for so long to create Black Divine Energy, but ultimately failed.”
“Our grudges.” Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened. “No… surely not…”
From the memories in the hemispherical liquid, Bu Eunseol already knew.
The human remains stuffed into the forest trees had not been torn from victims murdered by the Hidden Abyss People.
They had severed them themselves to create Black Divine Energy and the great ritual they performed to transform their flesh into Black Divine Artifacts… had utterly altered their lives.
“Yes. Each of us tried to become a Black Divine Artifact. But we all failed.”
Goosebumps rose on Bu Eunseol’s skin.
They had died at least a hundred years ago. Yet Biyeon retained the appearance of a young girl.
Did that mean they were all ghosts?
“We are not ghosts. Just…”
Biyeon pointed to her arms, legs, and eyes.
They were exquisitely crafted prosthetic limbs and eyes.
“To create Black Divine Energy, we all became vessels… and thus stopped aging.” As she continued speaking, Biyeon’s expression gradually brightened. “In the end, we could not die even if we wished to, because we could not break the vessel. There was no one capable of breaking it.”
It was astonishing.
They had been unable to break the vessel until now, leaving them unable to die even when they desired death?
If they could employ a master like Seok Chi-haeng as a mere gatekeeper, even if they could not summon the Righteous and Demonic Twin Heavenly Emperors…
They should at least have been able to invite experts of the Three Demons and Three Venerables or Four Gods and Seven Kings level.
“It was not a matter of martial prowess. To break that vessel, one must possess perfect emptiness of mind and a constitution capable of accepting natural energy.” Biyeon shook her head. “But we could not find such a person. Because that lineage had been severed.”
“Lineage?”
“Only those of the Baekri family… can accept natural energy.”
Comments