Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky with hollow eyes.
With convictions like that, what exactly had they been protecting all this time?
“If that is your logic, then I should have spent my entire life quietly washing corpses, never stepping foot into the heartless martial world.”
[…]
“So the Infinite Realm was nothing more than a gathering of madmen after all.” Bu Eunseol murmured with a nihilistic expression. “If I had known the Infinite Realm was a den of lunatics, I would not have wondered what they were trying to do or what purpose they held.”
[Bu Eunseol.]
At that moment, the Heavenly Deity spoke in a low voice.
[You do not know.]
“No, I know enough.”
[Do you also know that the martial world has already been annihilated multiple times?]
Unexpected words emerged from the Heavenly Deity’s shadow.
[This is not the first time. The martial world has repeatedly undergone annihilation until now.]
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
The martial world had undergone annihilation multiple times?
[Those descendants who survived those annihilations rebuilt the martial world and formed forces like this realm.]
Beyond the Three Realms, the martial world held mysterious forces like the Yangseol Family and the Ancient Sword Forest. They all uniformly warned of the martial world’s annihilation.
Then truly, as the Heavenly Deity said, the martial world had already experienced annihilation multiple times, and the descendants who survived had created these forces?
[This realm strives to prevent that repeating, tragic history.]
“What does it matter?”
Intense light gleamed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“If it is a world where survival is possible only through someone’s sacrifice, then even if it perishes hundreds of times, that is only natural.”
[A truly dangerous thought.]
The Heavenly Deity shook his head.
[I thought you would understand by now.]
The Heavenly Deity clicked his tongue in regret.
In his view, Bu Eunseol was also a chosen individual, one who, like them, could sufficiently rewrite the history of the martial world.
Yet to choose the path of annihilation out of mere compassion?
The Heavenly Deity genuinely could not hide his disappointment.
“The Infinite Realm ends completely today.”
[Heh heh heh. As if.] The Heavenly Deity laughed lowly. [If it could collapse from external force, this realm would have perished long ago.]
As Bu Eunseol prepared to launch an immediate attack, the Heavenly Deity spoke to the standing Special Divine Rank, the Spirit-Sensing Master.
[Immediately kill all the patients in the main facility connected to the martial world, the merchant world, and the court officials. In the name of Bu Eunseol.]
The Heavenly Deity’s black shadow rippled.
[From the moment you attacked this realm, you must have anticipated it—the patients in the main facility are all hostages.]
A crescent-shaped eye formed in the Heavenly Deity’s shadow.
[I am curious about how you gathered the information for this attack. After all, those past the age of maturity are not accepted as patients in the main facility.]
Most patients at the Heavenly Blessing Medicine Forest were youths or boys before coming of age; adults were not accepted.
Even the adults inside were only a very few, like the chief steward or administrators.
Thus, it was impossible to infiltrate outstanding experts in disguise.
“Heavenly Deity.”
At that moment, the Spirit-Sensing Master, head bowed, spoke in a low voice.
“It appears they infiltrated highly skilled youths as patients.”
As he raised his head, his eyes were revealed to be completely white.
He was likely blind.
[As soon as you departed, they immediately began operations, destroying the mechanisms remaining in the main facility and exposing hidden locations.]
Hearing this, Bu Eunseol felt a strange thought arise.
This place and the Heavenly Blessing Medicine Forest were at least thousands of li apart. How could they instantly know the internal situation at the Heavenly Blessing Medicine Forest?
“That one with the milky eyes must possess clairvoyance that can see and hear from afar.”
Realizing something, Bu Eunseol exclaimed in admiration.
“So that is why the Three Realms’ intelligence network surpassed Majeon’s.”
Despite Bu Eunseol’s murmur, the Heavenly Deity did not respond and stared intently at the Spirit-Sensing Master.
He was likely issuing orders through voice transmission.
[Youth experts.] Turning his gaze back to Bu Eunseol, the Heavenly Deity muttered. [The boys from Nangyang Pavilion could not yet have been raised to expert level… so he must have deployed those children brought from Sahyang.]
Surprisingly, he knew the circumstances of Nangyang Pavilion perfectly as well.
That meant… even in Nangyang Pavilion, the Three Realms had ears and eyes.
[But the countless patients admitted to the main facility have long been ingesting Human Flowers.]
A white mouth formed in the Heavenly Deity’s shadow as he gazed at Bu Eunseol.
[They are the descendants of key figures from the martial world, merchant world, and government. They are not at a level where you can simply rescue them and deal with the consequences.]
The Heavenly Deity said coldly.
[If you give up now, I will spare their lives. But if you continue opposing this realm, they will soon die from poisoning.]
The Infinite Realm’s second trump card.
It was the lives of the countless patients they had treated.
Even if rescued from the Heavenly Blessing Medicine Forest, without Human Flowers, they could not survive and since they were children of high officials, they could never be touched recklessly.
“Surely you did not think I would overlook that.”
When Bu Eunseol spoke leisurely, the Heavenly Deity turned his head.
The white light flowing from the Spirit-Sensing Master’s eyes grew even denser.
“They all appear to have escaped Human Flowers poisoning.”
[What?]
For the first time, the Heavenly Deity reacted strongly.
[Did Majeon develop an antidote to Human Flowers poisoning? Impossible.]
Because he had ears open in the Martial Alliance, he knew that the Jongri family had somehow created an antidote to Human Flowers.
But the Jongri family deeply despised the demonic path.
Jongri Sahyeon was absolutely not the type to give his lifelong masterpiece to Majeon’s successor.
How on earth had this fellow obtained an antidote to Human Flowers in the meantime?
“You should cure yourself of that habit of speaking with certainty.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew cold as he looked at the Heavenly Deity.
“You will suffer in hell for the same habit.”
[Heh heh heh.]
The Heavenly Deity laughed lowly and nodded to the surrounding Special Divine Ranks.
[Secure this lord’s dharma body safely in the secret ground. I will deal with this one myself.]
The Special Divine Ranks bowed and attempted to carry the glass tube into the secret passage.
Slash!
But before them, black true qi whipped out like a lash.
Bu Eunseol had already unleashed the Wishful True Binding to block them.
[You truly came alone.] Sharp eyes formed in the Heavenly Deity’s shadow facing Bu Eunseol. [Otherwise, you could not have slipped out of this realm’s sight and arrived here secretly.]
“This one is enough to take your head.”
Bu Eunseol beckoned toward the Heavenly Deity’s shadow.
“Come. Without regrets.”
What made the Heavenly Blessing Medicine Forest—no, the Infinite Realm—terrifying was not only their immense martial prowess and power, but that they were entities that could never be touched in the first place.
Yet Bu Eunseol had neutralized all their trump cards so what remained was only the Heavenly Deity and Bu Eunseol.
Nothing but a one-on-one duel.
[Indeed, killing you would end everything.]
Even if all the Infinite Realm’s trump cards were broken, if Bu Eunseol died, it would all be over.
The Heavenly Deity intended to resolve everything in the simplest way.
[Shall we begin slowly?]
The Heavenly Deity smiled faintly.
[There is still plenty of time to kill you.]
Shing.
Bu Eunseol immediately drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
In the past, during his first encounter with the Heavenly Deity on the plains of Joyang, he had nearly been defeated without moving a single finger. If the Buddha Venerable had not appeared midway, he would have been swallowed by death instantly.
Since that day, Bu Eunseol had prepared for a fight against the Heavenly Deity, clashing with him hundreds of times in his mind.
And those battles always ended in Bu Eunseol’s defeat.
Because he did not fully know the Heavenly Deity’s abilities.
But after meeting Biyeon and fighting the Baekri Mujo lingering in his mind, Bu Eunseol realized one truth.
He had already experienced the Heavenly Deity’s terrifying techniques once, and they were deeply engraved in his spirit.
If he calmly reflected, he could surely find a way to counter them.
Entering meditation once more, Bu Eunseol calmly recalled the situation on the Joyang plains.
At that time, the Heavenly Deity had resolved to kill him, deploying a vacuum to drag Bu Eunseol into a mysterious domain of death. But that technique had been easily broken by the Buddha Venerable’s dharma power and Buddhist light.
Bu Eunseol realized belatedly that it was not true death.
[Quite confident. It seems you have found a way to break this lord’s techniques.]
Sensing Bu Eunseol’s calm vital reactions, he let out an exclamation of admiration.
[Let us see, then.]
Slash.
At the same moment, Bu Eunseol’s vision went completely dark.
Once again, the inescapable domain of death enveloped his body.
‘It is the same situation.’
Just like when he faced this attack on the Joyang plains, an overwhelming force gripped Bu Eunseol and dragged him into the domain of death.
His vision was pitch black, his spirit filled with despair, and only whooshing sounds reached his ears.
At first, he had thought the destination was death.
But after continually studying the Heavenly Deity’s technique, he realized it was not complete death.
‘Something like the Seven Blood Tear Forms.’
Facing the Heavenly Deity’s technique once more, Bu Eunseol perfectly grasped its secret.
Unless one was a god of death governing mortality, to inflict death upon an opponent, one must also enter the realm of death.
But the Heavenly Deity did not enter death.
Because he had created his own new concept of death.
‘He transforms the despair he experienced into death and pours it onto the enemy.’
In the past, the Heavenly Deity, who suffered energy deviation, had most of his bodily functions halted.
He pitifully prolonged his life by controlling shadows using externally infused life force.
In other words, through energy deviation, he had tasted a form of bodily death.
He had turned the pain and despair he experienced into a domain of death, drawing his opponent into it.
Hiss.
Upon entering the domain of death created by the Heavenly Deity, Bu Eunseol felt a suffocating agony.
The death the Heavenly Deity created was perfect bodily cessation.
His body felt as if sinking endlessly into black water, unable to breathe.
Though he could not move a finger, his mind remained clear.
In such a situation, anyone would go mad.
As he fell into the endless abyss with blocked breath, Bu Eunseol’s spirit finally began preparing to face death.
No matter how he struggled, his body would not move. For a living person, there was no greater terror.
His spirit, too, could not endure and began preparing for death.
Tremble.
His breath gradually choked.
Though his eyes were open, complete darkness covered his vision.
These were not illusions but actual occurrences.
In perfect darkness, he could not breathe, nor move fingers or toes.
It felt like being trapped in a narrow coffin.
Anyone in this situation would think of death.
Thump thump. Thump thump.
But as his mind entered death, conversely, his body—his heart—began beating vigorously.
Even as his spirit perfectly prepared for death…
Even as he was unable to move a finger…
Even as his breath quickened and the terror of darkness seized his mind and a feeling of agony as if his breath would stop grew…
Bu Eunseol did not fall into despair and death and instead, cherished memories began flooding his mind.
—Eunseol, I knew you would do that!
The end of a situation where he could not move a finger, in perfect darkness with quickening breath…
‘Playing dead.’
It was none other than the game he had always played with Bu Zhanyang since childhood.
For a ten-year-old child, the time one could breathe inside a sealed coffin was roughly four sichen (8 hours).
Theoretically, survival inside a coffin was possible for half a day but with no air circulation, you would gradually feel suffocated, and feel a pitch-black darkness pressed directly upon your body.
Being trapped in an immovable narrow space inflicted unbearable pain and terror, even on those with great courage.
Bu Eunseol had been the same.
But after learning breathing techniques from his grandfather and mastering how to control negative emotions like fear, he could naturally play dead.
Crack.
Endless terror, suffocating narrowness, and despair assailed his body.
Yet Bu Eunseol calmly began enduring them.
How much time had passed?
His breathing that had been lethally blocked gradually opened, and the despair and terror dominating his spirit faded.
Death.
At last, he had overcome the “death” the Heavenly Deity had poured upon him.
Flash!
As Bu Eunseol opened his eyes, bloody light soared from him.
Shing.
A sword cry like a dragon’s roar resounded, and a sensation spread as if time in the world had stopped.
The moment he escaped death, he spotted the Heavenly Deity’s vulnerability and immediately unleashed the Meteor Chasing the Moon Form.
Whoosh!
The Heavenly Deity’s shadow, struck by the Meteor Chasing the Moon Form, scattered in all directions.
After all, the Heavenly Deity’s shadow was merely a concentration of life force.
He could not actually cut it.
Yet the Heavenly Deity’s shadow staggered as if mortally wounded.
His ultimate martial technique, which he had been certain none could escape, had been broken… causing a subtle fracture in his spirit.
Moreover, as the Heavenly Deity was a bodiless shadow, he had no further means of attack.
[Hmm.]
A strange exclamation emerged from the rippling shadow of the Heavenly Deity.
[Truly a worthy adversary of this realm.]
The Heavenly Deity’s shadow rippled endlessly, revealing his unsettled spirit.
“Is your game finally over?”
Discovering Bu Eunseol’s relaxed expression, the Heavenly Deity glared at him for a long while.
[…No choice.]
The Heavenly Deity raised his hand.
The numerous Special Divine Ranks and Emissaries who had entered the secret ground began reappearing outside.
Rumble.
Their numbers were roughly a hundred.
Even the mere Emissaries possessed skill to dominate the martial world, while the Special Divine Rank could unleash martial arts beyond human limits.
Facing them all at once was by no means easy.
[Bu Eunseol, I will definitely kill you.]
Slaaash!
At the same moment, the Heavenly Deity’s shadow spread out like an unfolding spiderweb.
Boom. Boom.
Simultaneously, the hundred Special Divine Rank and Emissaries collapsed as if by agreement.
Trickle.
Suddenly, black liquid began filling the hemispherical metal part inside the glass tube,
Gush gush gush.
Quickly filling the entire tube.
“Did you think I would just watch quietly?”
Bu Eunseol immediately swung the Silent Tiger Soul Sword toward the glass tube.
Clang!
The glass tube shattered into pieces.
Yet the black liquid inside remained rigidly fixed in the shape of the tube.
Hiss.
Soon the black liquid completely vanished, and between them, Ilmongja’s seated body suddenly stood upright.
Using a bizarre great method, he had instantly absorbed the life force of a hundred men, using it to move his body.
[The method to move my flesh was nearly complete.]
As the completely desiccated Heavenly Deity moved and opened his mouth, it was indescribably grotesque.
[Only, without obtaining life force from those on the level of Special Divine Rank as now… I could not move my body.]
By now, his voice was no longer echoing ghost-like from all directions but had become a human vocal sound from his throat.
“Why not use your subordinates to attack instead? Their chances of survival would have been higher.” Bu Eunseol sneered. “Do you think you can face me with that creaking body?”
The Heavenly Deity’s parched lips moved as he stared intently at Bu Eunseol.
[One gak (15 minutes) would be enough time to kill you.]
“Then that means you can move for more than one sichen (two hours).”
[Heh heh heh. Think whatever you wish.]
Crack.
As the Heavenly Deity, with skin stiff like jerky, moved and stepped forward, a profound aura emanated.
The martial prowess of the Heavenly Deity, returned to flesh through the great method, surpassed that of his shadow state, which had dragged Bu Eunseol to death without lifting a finger.
Slash!
Sharp blades of true qi soared from Bu Eunseol’s body and poured toward the Heavenly Deity.
It was the Wishful True Binding.
[The Demon Emperor’s martial art.]
The Heavenly Deity swung his left hand, as if grasping a large sphere, and the materialized Wishful True Binding instantly scattered like mist.
Whooosh!
As if anticipating such a technique, Bu Eunseol began unleashing the Heavenly Glacial Secret.
“Miscellaneous martial arts.”
The chill of the Heavenly Glacial Secret veered away before touching the Heavenly Deity’s body, pouring toward his left flank.
It was the Heaven’s Reversal technique which could freely redirect the flow of all forces.
Shing!
Spotting a vulnerability in the redirecting posture, Bu Eunseol instantly closed the distance and thrust the Silent Tiger Soul Sword toward his throat.
Bzzz!
Yet the Silent Tiger Soul Sword could not advance further, as if blocked by an invisible wall, even before reaching the Heavenly Deity’s throat.
[Did you expect an easy victory because the flesh is completely decayed?]
The corners of the Heavenly Deity’s fully dried mouth curled upward.
[You’re weaker than I thought. Maybe I overestimated you.]
Whirl!
In that instant, the blade of the Silent Tiger Soul Sword condensed rapidly, unleashing dozens of sword qi.
Though the Heaven's Reversal Technique that redirects all forces seemed omnipotent, in reality, it could only redirect force in one direction to another.
Grasping that, Bu Eunseol had unleashed the Cloudy Layers of Mist Technique in a chaotic swordplay.
Crash! Crash crash crash!
As Bu Eunseol poured sword qi in all directions, the Heavenly Deity extended both palms widely.
At first, a light breeze emerged, unable to affect the sword qi.
Swish. Swish. Whooosh!
But gradually, speed built in the palm force, soon becoming a storm-like pressure that blew away Bu Eunseol’s sword qi.
‘Unique martial art.’
Bu Eunseol once again unleashed chaotic swordplay to induce the Heavenly Deity’s palm technique.
[What a comical fellow.]
Realizing Bu Eunseol was observing his martial arts, the Heavenly Deity sneered.
[Not knowing your life hangs by a thread, yet trying to spectate this lord’s martial arts?]
Moving both palms chaotically to form a flower bud shape, the Heavenly Deity instantly unleashed over thirty palm strikes.
Some were slow, some heavy.
Moreover, when Bu Eunseol began parrying with sword moves, the palm force suddenly accelerated, burrowing toward vital points in an instant.
Boom boom boom!
In the end, Bu Eunseol, struck by three palms, retreated backward.
“Ptoo.”
Spitting out a clot of blood, Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
‘Acceleration?’
Martial arts prioritize stability above all; every move must maintain consistency from start to finish.
Yet the Heavenly Deity’s palm technique not only changed with each moment but accelerated, gaining speed with every stage.
“Demon-Subduing Dragon-Trapping Palm?”
At Bu Eunseol’s murmur, the Heavenly Deity smiled faintly.
“You know quite a bit.”
Shockingly, the martial art the Heavenly Deity wielded was the ultimate secret art of the Palm Emperor among the Eight Emperors and Three Saints, said to have reached the pinnacle four hundred years ago—the Demon-Subduing Dragon-Trapping Palm.
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