Kwaaang!
Exposed to the Fist Man’s power, Bu Eunseol was launched dozens of zhang into the air before crashing back to the ground.
Even though he was wrapped in Harmony, he could not fully block that terrifying fist art.
Boom.
Blood clots bubbled continuously from Bu Eunseol’s mouth as he hit the ground.
That single move was nothing less than a calamity beyond human capacity to withstand.
Its power was on a level comparable to the Infinite Reversal Power itself.
“The brat is really making me work.”
Boom. Boom.
As the Fist Man approached the fallen Bu Eunseol, pure white light burst from his entire body.
He looked like a divine envoy coming to punish foolish mortals.
‘So this is the Heavenly Fist Man.’
Stagger.
Squeezing out every last ounce of strength, Bu Eunseol struggled to his feet and looked at the Fist Man.
To think that among the True Demon’s kin—whom only direct intervention from the Baekri Clan’s people could barely sever from existence—even one of the lowest-ranked Human Heavens possessed this level of power?
Without even using the Infinite Reversal Power, his fist art still split the heavens and shook the earth…
If the Prajna Great Power had not fused and allowed him to wrap himself in Harmony?
Bu Eunseol’s body would have exploded and died from that single move.
“You must be ready by now.”
Wherever the Fist Man’s gaze fell, the earth seemed to tremble, and every living thing there appeared to wither and twist.
Yet under that terrifying presence, Bu Eunseol instead wore a faint smile.
“Impressive.”
He let out an exclamation of genuine admiration.
Among all the opponents he had faced so far, the Fist Man was not only the strongest but also a supreme expert who had mastered a fist art that Bu Eunseol could barely hope to emulate.
“Now I can finally unleash everything I’ve got.”
His heart pounded fiercely.
This place was far from the Martial Alliance, and the Life-and-Death Combat Formation prevented anyone from entering.
No matter how great a master, none could intrude at will, and no one could observe the fight.
Therefore, he could truly fight with his full power without restraint.
“All your power? Quite the bravado.”
The Fist Man sneered.
“With internal injuries that severe, you’ll die soon even if I do nothing.”
It was true.
Bu Eunseol’s internal injuries were vicious; without treatment, he would not last more than a few hours.
“Don’t worry about others. Just do your best.”
Even so, Bu Eunseol smiled.
“Because now I will unleash the power I’ve been suppressing all this time.”
Shuuuk.
At the same time, the transparent aura around Bu Eunseol’s body began to fade slowly.
Having suffered extreme internal damage and with the incense stick time nearly up, the Harmony wrapped around him was weakening.
“Now I can finally shatter your body.”
“Show me.”
Radiant light bloomed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Unleash the maximum Infinite Reversal Power you are capable of.”
Srrrng.
He drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword once more.
“Now let us fight with our true strength.”
Shuuu. Zzzt zzt zzt!
Transparent and violet energies began swirling alternately around him.
He still had one final technique he had not yet used.
A technique so powerful he had kept it sealed—the indestructible Silent Tiger Soul Sword infused with every ounce of his power and the Two Divine Energies, unleashing in one instant a Heaven-Breaking Desolation form of Harmony.
“Haaap!”
With a battle cry, Bu Eunseol transformed into a streak of violet lightning and charged toward the Fist Man.
This was not merely unleashing the Heaven-Breaking Desolation Harmony that included the Two Divine Energies.
It was a new supreme Seven Fist Demon Forms, incorporating the Transcendent Supreme Heavenly Flow and a newly created fist technique.
Combined with the Wishful True Binding and the Thirteen Guiding Energies.
The Heavenly Glacial Secret fused with the Ice Crystal Snow Flower Energy. And even the Yeolha Great True Energy…
He unfolded every martial art he had mastered in sequence, then wrapped them in the form of Harmony around the Silent Tiger Soul Sword, merging them with the Two Divine Energies—the ultimate power Bu Eunseol was capable of unleashing.
Flash! Kwaaang!
As sword qi and power poured forth, light and explosions erupted continuously around the Fist Man’s body.
Until now, none of Bu Eunseol’s attacks had been able to pierce the Fist Man’s protective energy—they had merely scattered into countless points of light.
But this attack was different.
The technique Bu Eunseol now unleashed possessed a terrifying power that rivaled—even matched—the Infinite Reversal Power the Fist Man had poured out earlier.
Kwaaa!
The brilliant light bursting from the Silent Tiger Soul Sword spread outward, shaking even the Life-and-Death Combat Formation itself.
With all his power concentrated, even the secret formation art of Nangyang Pavilion was on the verge of destruction.
“So that is your true power. Excellent!”
White energy began radiating from the Fist Man’s body.
His Infinite Reversal Power—the Light Binding, which destroyed anything it touched—was unleashed once again.
Kwaaang!
The maximum power Bu Eunseol had poured out collided with the fully maximized Light Binding the Fist Man unleashed, spreading a blinding light that threatened to sear the eyes.
Shiiik!
At that moment, a point of Light Binding light finally pierced through Bu Eunseol’s power and burrowed into his body.
When comparing pure Infinite Reversal Power, the power Bu Eunseol had only just begun to unleash could not yet match the Fist Man’s, who had long reached the Limitless Realm.
‘I knew it would be like this.’
Yet Bu Eunseol had no intention of meekly accepting the Light Binding, and this was not his final strike either.
Therefore, even while unleashing that terrifying blow, he had preemptively unfolded Swift Beyond Shadow, slipping out of the Light Binding’s range.
“No chance!”
Kwaaang!
The Fist Man suddenly slammed his right fist into the ground.
The earth shook violently, then began splitting open as though the gates of hell were opening.
Hwaaaaak!
At the same time, from the fissures, pitch-black ink-dragon forms soared into the sky.
From the moment they rose from the earth, they had already begun wrapping around Bu Eunseol.
Those that ascended now descended toward him once more.
He had transformed the intangible Light Binding—a form of Infinite Reversal Power—into a tangible technique that Bu Eunseol could not possibly evade.
Tzz tzz tzz! Zzzt zzzt zzzt!
Floating in midair, Bu Eunseol scattered hundreds of afterimages.
Originally, the Swift Beyond Shadow could only produce ninety-nine directional changes, but with the Thunder Spirit Energy fused into it, he had broken through that limit.
Bang!
Yet unable to block several of the ink-dragons, Bu Eunseol was once again hurled dozens of zhang away.
In that instant, white lightning flashed in the Fist Man’s eyes.
“Die.”
Boom.
With that single word, the sky turned pitch black, and a mountain-like Light Binding poured down toward Bu Eunseol’s face.
Had he given up everything?
Bu Eunseol stood motionless and accepted the Light Binding head-on.
Kwaaaaa!
The area around Bu Eunseol, enveloped in light, began to distort instantly.
Whoooosh.
As though resisting, the Harmony within his body flared outward in five-colored radiance.
“No chance!”
Seeing that Bu Eunseol’s body was not instantly destroyed, the Fist Man overlapped the Light Binding multiple times, gathering maximum power, and unleashed it once more.
‘Caught you.’
In that moment, five-colored radiance bloomed from Bu Eunseol’s Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
From the beginning, Bu Eunseol could only unleash one true decisive strike against the Fist Man.
Therefore, to capture that absolutely unavoidable, perfect instant, he had deliberately allowed himself to be hit by the Light Binding twice.
When a master of the Fist Man’s caliber exposed an opening, it could only be the moment he was utterly convinced of victory and repeatedly overlapped the Infinite Reversal Power.
And when he finally did so, Bu Eunseol seized that opening and unleashed his ultimate power.
The power of orthodox, demonic, and unorthodox forces combined with more than six hundred years of inner force, fused with the Two Divine Energies, poured into the Silent Tiger Soul Sword—hundreds of mysterious patterns engraved themselves onto the scabbard.
“You—!”
The Fist Man was no ordinary man.
Realizing Bu Eunseol was about to unleash an enormous counterattack, he simultaneously unfolded the Heavenly Fist Man fist art—capable of halting the enemy’s movements and techniques—along with the Light Binding.
Flash!
When the rising power of Bu Eunseol collided with the Light Binding, the sky split in two.
Five-colored radiance and a devouring darkness spread at the same time.
Paaaa!
In the end, the five-colored light swallowed the darkness and began distorting space itself.
The black flames of the darkness flared violently as though trying to escape the void.
Hwaaaaak.
How much time passed?
When all the light vanished, Bu Eunseol and the Fist Man stood facing each other.
Who had won?
“What is that?”
The Fist Man wore an expression of incomprehension.
“That is not the Infinite Reversal Power.”
Bu Eunseol gazed at the faint patterns engraved on the Silent Tiger Soul Sword’s scabbard and shook his head.
“This is…”
He had intended to say, “This is the power my mother gave me.”
A weapon capable of withstanding the combined force of orthodox, demonic, and unorthodox energies, sixty jiazi of inner force, and the Two Divine Energies existed only in this world as the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
But now, suspecting he might not truly be of the Baekri Clan’s bloodline, Bu Eunseol shook his head bitterly.
“It is merely the will someone once passed on to me.”
“Will, you say.”
The Fist Man gazed faintly at the distant sky.
“In such a short time, the martial world has advanced once again—by producing someone like you.”
“……”
“But do not rest easy. Among the Human Heavens, this Lord was one of the weakest.”
The Fist Man spoke calmly.
“Whether in terms of Infinite Reversal Power or martial arts.”
“I see.”
“It seems you have learned all of this Heavenly Lord’s fist learning?”
Bu Eunseol answered honestly. “Yes.”
“So that’s why you dragged things out with fists.”
The Fist Man gave a faint smile.
“This old man disappears, but this Heavenly Lord will live on forever.”
“……”
"My fist learning will be passed down through generations and eventually take deep root in the martial world.”
Crack. Crack crack.
Spiderweb-like fissures spread continuously across the Fist Man’s entire body.
Hwaaaaak.
With a burst of white light, his form vanished completely.
Just as with Hyeok Ryeon-eung in the past, once exposed to the full force of Harmony, not even a trace of his existence remained.
“So this is the Human Heavens.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
He had long believed it possible to face a Limitless Realm master without reaching that realm himself.
And now, at last, he had proven it by killing the Fist Man—one of the Human Heavens who had dominated the martial world.
It was a result worth at least a small smile, yet Bu Eunseol’s expression remained dissatisfied.
To deal with the remaining powerhouses, he needed to climb even higher.
And this had not been a complete victory.
“Pfft.”
Bu Eunseol spat out another pebble of blood.
Though he had seized victory in the life-and-death duel with the Fist Man, he too had suffered fatal internal injuries.
Click.
He poured every last spiritual medicine—including the Sleep Demon Divine Pill—into his mouth, but it was useless.
To ensure the Heaven-Breaking Desolation Harmony never missed, he had deliberately taken the Fist Man’s Light Binding twice in order to create that perfect, decisive instant.
Fortunately, the faint layer of Harmony had prevented instant death, but the injuries were beyond recovery.
‘The Two Divine Energies, the Beast Way, and roughly two jiazi of inner force.’
In the duel with the Fist Man, Bu Eunseol’s inner force had plummeted to one-fifth its original amount, and even the last bastion—the Beast Way—had vanished.
Despite losing most of his power and all his heightened senses, Bu Eunseol’s expression remained calm.
Slowly, he turned and left the area.
***
A figure in gray robes arrived at a certain mysterious forest.
When he extended his palm, a faint band of light unfolded before him and transformed into a small door.
Stepping through, the scenery of the mystical forest appeared.
The leaves of the trees not only glowed with verdant light but radiated five-colored brilliance.
Whenever wind-blown leaves fell to the ground, they changed shape before transforming into fragments of light that scattered in all directions.
Deep within the forest lay a small pond, and beside it stood an enormous tree that seemed to pierce the heavens.
"Wood Buddha.”
The gray-robed figure murmured lowly.
When no response came, he extended his palm again.
“I cannot understand why you insist on bringing suffering upon yourself.”
Ziiing.
As he opened his palm, a translucent form spread outward and gently rippled the calm pond water.
Crack.
The bark of the massive ancient tree split open, and dark crimson blood began to flow.
Drip, drip, drip.
As the flow of blood grew thicker, a cracking sound came from the tree, and a wooden Buddha statue stepped forward.
It was none other than Wood Buddha—disciple of the Old Dharma Seeker Moryun and the current era’s prophet said to be able to read the heavenly secrets.
“It has been a long time.”
Even at the words of the gray-robed figure—the Martial Venerable—Wood Buddha merely kept his blood-clotted mouth tightly shut and bowed his head.
The Martial Venerable narrowed his eyes sharply and spoke coldly.
“That place was not the Baekri Clan’s hidden vault after all. In the end, the Human Heavens have appeared in the martial world.”
In an utterly frigid tone, he continued, “Bu Eunseol. Is he truly Baekri Geomha?”
The Wood Buddha did not answer; he simply stared straight at the Martial Venerable, as though waiting for the words that would follow.
“If he truly is of the Baekri Clan’s bloodline—no matter how much he has lost his memories and power—the Fist Man would have recognized him.”
Wood Buddha gave a faint shake of his head.
It meant he could not answer.
“Now that the Human Heavens have appeared, your consent is no longer necessary.”
The Martial Venerable flipped his left palm upward.
His palm began to glow, and the trees of the forest trembled as grotesque sounds echoed through the air.
Kiiii.
At the same time, the leaves turned brown, branches split open, and their insides blackened and burned.
The ground cracked under an unknown force, forming deep fissures, and blades of grass melted away.
Even the sky seemed to submit to this power—clouds gathered rapidly, lightning flashed, and the air grew heavy with the threat of rain.
Yet not a single drop fell…
Only the forest was dying.
[The poor monk said he came from the Lower Realm. He never said he was Baekri Geomha.]
“What a pathetic excuse.”
The light flowing from the Martial Venerable’s palm grew even stronger.
“So that is how you have toyed with me all this time.”
[Baekri Muha created more than one shadow.]
As the forest began to vanish, Wood Buddha hurriedly transmitted through enlightened mind speech.
[Baek Museong. He too is a shadow.]
“Baek Museong?”
He had already heard from his sworn brother the Heavenly Emperor that the blood calamity in the Lower Realm had been foreseen.
Yet to think there had been more than one decoy created to revive Baekri Geomha.
“Then give me a reason.”
The Martial Venerable’s gaze turned icy.
“If you cannot provide a reason to back up the excuse that you misread the heavenly secrets… this matter will not be overlooked.”
[The Heavenly Mechanism Star.]
Blood slowly began to flow from Wood Buddha’s left ear.
Yet he transmitted calmly through enlightened mind speech.
[He has appeared in this generation.]
Thud.
In that instant, the Martial Venerable wore the expression of someone struck in the back of the head.
The Heavenly Mechanism Star.
A being who possessed intelligence beyond imagination, genius-level talent in every field, instant comprehension and transcendent learning ability upon encountering new information, capable of solving every problem in the world—one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars had appeared?
Moreover, transcending mere intellect and knowledge, he could even foresee the future.
A being said to be able to grasp and manipulate every major and minor affair of the world had appeared…
The entire board that had been carefully laid out until now could completely change.
“That is indeed a valid excuse. If it is the Heavenly Mechanism Star…”
The Wood Buddha merely bled from his ear and said nothing more.
“Then does that mean there could be yet another shadow besides Bu Eunseol and Baek Museong?”
[From what this poor monk has seen… no.]
Thick blood clots bubbled from Wood Buddha’s left ear.
The Martial Venerable paid it no mind and gazed at the distant sky.
“Then there are two shadows.”
Baek Museong.
Disciple of the Buddha Venerable and now the Martial Heaven Division Leader of the Martial Alliance.
Why had he thrown himself into the Three Realms?
How had his martial prowess risen so sharply?
Now it was clear—he too was a shadow created by the Lower Realm.
“No—then perhaps he really is Baekri Geomha.”
Sharp light gleamed in the Martial Venerable’s eyes.
“The Buddha Venerable would not have taken a disciple without reason.”
A cold smile curved his lips.
Though somewhat overshadowed by the might of the righteous path’s foremost figure, the Heavenly Emperor, he too was a supreme expert who had reached the Limitless Realm long ago and had continued to advance until he stood above the world.
If he wished, he could dispose of the Buddha Venerable—that old monster—in a single move.
Shuuu.
When the Martial Venerable withdrew his palm, the collapsing forest began to regain its original light.
He spoke to Wood Buddha, who still bowed his head.
“If you ever hide or conceal heavenly secrets from me again, there will be no more mercy.”
His gaze was stern.
“You must have clearly seen that the True Demon’s kin are appearing one after another.”
Then he turned and vanished from the forest.
The Wood Buddha kept his head bowed, not daring to look at the sky.
Yet the look in his eyes was not one of agony from heavenly punishment for leaking secrets—it was filled with the noble sacrifice he carried in both eyes.
[With the Primordial Hidden Qi engraved upon it… until the Harmony of Sun and Moon, and the Nine Heavens Cloud Splendor appear together… no one will know his true identity.]
The softly murmured voice of Wood Buddha was so faint and thin that even the heavens could not hear it.
***
Bu Eunseol had originally intended to return to Majeon.
The Human Heavens, Divine Heavens, Three Attendants, the True Demon…
He needed to inform all his subordinates of the existence of beings straight out of ancient legends and prepare countermeasures.
But he could not.
There was something far more urgent.
‘To restore a body shattered by the Light Binding…’
Though he had won the duel against the Fist Man—who had once dominated the martial world—he too had suffered grave injuries.
Though not as depleted as before, with the Beast Way gone and his inner force blocked, he could not face the supreme experts who would appear in the future.
‘I must go there.’
And to recover, he needed yet another power.
The Four Divine Energies.
To regain his strength, Bu Eunseol was heading toward one of the places where the legends of the martial world lay dormant.
Comments