“Tsk.”
Bu Eunseol clicked his tongue, lightly wetting lips before speaking.
“Having fun in the Martial God Heaven domain, do you think you’ve become a god or something?”
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the body of the Martial God Heaven Lord flew in a straight line and slammed into the wall.
Rustle.
From within the rising dust, the Martial God Heaven Lord stood up with a calm expression and tilted his head.
“Hmm.”
He hadn’t even been able to sense how Bu Eunseol had attacked.
Crunch.
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol crushed the chains that had fallen to the floor and slowly approached the Martial God Heaven Lord.
His figure was majestic and terrifying, like a Demon King dragging an enormous darkness behind him.
“What the hell are you?”
The Martial God Heaven Lord instinctively realized it.
The one walking toward him now was a completely different existence from the one he had been facing just moments ago.
“What else?”
Bu Eunseol said with a smile on his lips.
“I’m the one who came to beat an arrogant old man to death.”
Boom!
The Martial God Heaven Lord was slammed into the wall once again.
He couldn’t even detect how the attack had been delivered.
“How dare you use sorcery in front of this Heavenly Lord!”
Rip.
In his rage, the Martial God Heaven Lord tore off his upper garment, revealing a sculpted upper body that looked as if it had been twisted from steel.
He had lived nearly two hundred years, comparable to the Buddha Venerable, and during that time he had defeated countless strong figures of the martial world.
Even though he had lost most of his power, he could not allow himself to be humiliated by such a green-blooded youngster.
Boom!
Yet, contrary to his will, his body was once again slammed into the wall.
“Fine.”
The Martial God Heaven Lord’s eyes flashed as if he had made a decision.
Float.
The shattered pieces of chain on the floor rose into the air, and
Thud, thud, thud.
They pierced into his thirty-six major acupoints.
He was deliberately destroying his own acupoints to instantly trigger the remaining Mixed Demonic Magic Energy with the Blood Fire Annihilation Art.
Clack.
However, the Martial God Heaven Lord ultimately failed to drive the final chain fragment into his acupoint.
At some point, Bu Eunseol had closed the distance and snatched away the chain fragment flying toward his Baihui acupoint.
“If you’re going to do something like that, you should do it secretly. Why shove it in right in front of the enemy?”
Smack.
The Martial God Heaven Lord’s face twisted to one side.
It was because Bu Eunseol had slapped his cheek with full force using his palm.
It wasn’t martial arts.
It was literally just a slap to the cheek.
Tremble.
He shook lightly.
In all his life, he had never suffered such humiliation.
No, he had never even imagined he would ever suffer such humiliation.
“How dare you insult this Heavenly Lord…”
Smack.
But his face turned once again.
Bu Eunseol had slapped his cheek once more.
“You bastard!”
The Martial God Heaven Lord unleashed all the remaining power he had.
It was a secret technique that would explode the domain within Martial God Heaven and annihilate the enemy in an instant.
But Bu Eunseol’s hand was faster.
Slice.
With a strange cutting sound, a black blade sank into the Martial God Heaven Lord’s lower abdomen.
It was neither the Wishful True Binding nor true energy martial arts.
It was a unique blade created by generating power within the body.
“This is…”
The moment the blade embedded itself in his lower abdomen, the entire stone chamber was dyed black.
At the same time, the power of the Martial God Heaven Lord, who dominated the overlapping domains, began to slowly crumble.
“Surely not.”
The Martial God Heaven domain was even created with Mixed Demonic Magic Energy.
No power could dare invade it.
So how could another person interfere with the Martial God Heaven domain?
“How can you destroy Mixed Demonic Magic Energy?”
The Martial God Heaven Lord’s eyes widened for a moment.
“You… you are the Heaven-Dark Star!”
“I…”
Smack!
“Will ask.”
Smack!
“The questions…”
Smack! Thud.
In the end, the Martial God Heaven Lord collapsed against the wall with his face battered into a bloody mess.
Though it seemed like a simple touch, Bu Eunseol’s palm contained the power of ten jia.
The Martial God Heaven Lord’s face was so caved in that his features could no longer be recognized.
“It feels good to hit as I please.”
Bu Eunseol said coldly.
“Up until now, you must have restricted the martial arts and energy of countless enemies with the Martial God Heaven domain and taken their lives.”
“……”
Drip.
At that moment, blood flowed from Bu Eunseol’s forehead again.
He wiped the blood with his finger, and a terrifying killing intent rose from his eyes.
“My soup is leaking, but yours isn't?”
Bu Eunseol cracked his knuckles, and a bloody red light floated in his eyes.
Thud. Thud.
Having driven the Martial God Heaven Lord into a corner, Bu Eunseol swung his fists mercilessly.
It was a one-sided beating.
Power surpassing ten jia.
The terrifying power of the Righteous-Demonic-Buddhist trinity, along with the Three Divine Arts.
The power of extreme Yin and extreme Yang.
In a situation where the Martial God Heaven domain could not activate, the Martial God Heaven Lord, with only one-tenth of his power remaining, was nothing more than an ordinary old man.
“Ugh… ughhh.”
In the end, the Martial God Heaven Lord let out a groan.
“Kill me. Quickly.”
As a great master of the world, no matter how painful it was, he would never show such an attitude.
But Bu Eunseol’s fists contained pain far more vicious than death.
If this pain continued, it felt as if he would fall into an eternal hell where he could neither die nor live.
“Don’t insult me.”
Drag.
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol grabbed the Martial God Heaven Lord by the hair and dragged him out of the stone chamber.
Crunch.
Then, he broke off half of the true energy blade embedded in the lower abdomen.
Humm.
The crumbling Martial God Heaven domain faintly maintained itself once again.
“Where is Grandfather’s great sword?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, really? I’ll make you know.”
Bu Eunseol grabbed the Martial God Heaven Lord’s hair once more and began mercilessly beating him.
“How dare you try to split my head open with chains?”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The beating continued for a full fifteen minutes.
No matter what, because the Martial God Heaven domain had not completely broken, the Martial God Heaven Lord’s breath did not stop.
But every time he was hit by Bu Eunseol’s fist, his Mixed Demonic Magic Energy disappeared, and all the pain a human body could feel became vividly clear.
Tremble.
The Martial God Heaven Lord trembled violently while lying on the ground.
Even his crotch had become wet, as if he had lost control of his bladder.
If only the Martial God Heaven domain had completely collapsed, his breath would have stopped.
However, because the domain was precariously maintained, he could neither die nor live.
“Kill me.”
“You still haven’t come to your senses. What did I say?”
Crack.
With a dull cracking sound, the Martial God Heaven Lord’s eyes rolled back white. Bu Eunseol had instantly broken his ankle.
“Who was the one who took Grandfather’s great sword?”
When there was no answer,
Crack.
This time he stepped on and shattered the right ankle.
A person of the Martial God Heaven Lord’s caliber would not scream from pain even if turned into an ordinary body.
“UGHHHH.”
But he could not help but scream. If he didn’t open his mouth, the pain would continue endlessly.
“…I’ll tell you. So please kill me.”
The Martial God Heaven Lord spoke while trembling.
“It was someone who uses the Nangyang Heart Eye.”
“Nonsense.”
Bu Eunseol said coldly.
“You’re saying a mere disciple of the insignificant Nangyang Pavilion stole the great sword from here?”
“It’s true. That person could perfectly hide his presence. He had mastered the Great Natural Qi.”
Bu Eunseol could not understand.
Nangyang Pavilion was an orthodox demonic sect.
Moreover, someone who had mastered the pinnacle of orthodox martial arts like the Great Natural Qi was…
Only himself and Ak Muryeong, the Pavilion Master of Nangyang Pavilion, who had recently comprehended the principles of the Natural Sword of the Sword Venerable.
So, did that mean Ak Muryeong had taken the great path?
Humm.
Bu Eunseol created a black true energy blade and placed it against the Martial God Heaven Lord’s neck.
“Stop talking nonsense. The timing doesn’t match, does it?”
“No, perhaps it was someone who had mastered sensory martial arts instead of the Great Natural Qi.”
The Martial God Heaven Lord spat out a clot of blood and said.
“This Heavenly Lord has spoken honestly. So please refrain from further humiliation.”
The Martial God Heaven Lord straightened his body and showed eyes that had transcended everything.
At that moment.
“Ugh.”
Bu Eunseol clutched his forehead.
Even while feeling pain like death, the image of his grandfather who had shown a benevolent appearance flashed before his eyes.
“Ughhh… Aaaargh!”
Flash—!
Brilliant light burst from his body.
Rumble!
The radiance that pierced through the ceiling of the stone chamber soared all the way to the end of the sky.
For a moment, all colors disappeared, and only Bu Eunseol’s existence seemed to remain in the world.
“That is…”
Seeing the light that silenced even the sky and shook the earth, the Martial God Heaven Lord opened his mouth.
“The Heaven-Dark Star… was the Heavenly-Mandate Star?”
Only then did he finally realize.
What the great master the Seven-Finger Demon Blade Bu Zhanyang had accomplished. How terrifying and absurd a thing he had done.
“Hehehehe… Uhahahahaha!”
He burst into mad laughter.
Rumble!
At that moment, the radiance spreading from Bu Eunseol’s body enveloped him, and
Splurt.
The flesh on his chest burst open, and fresh blood poured out like a waterfall.
Exposed to that mysterious radiance, part of the power of Martial God Heaven returned, and without hesitation he severed his own heart veins and committed suicide.
“In the end… that person will find you.”
The Martial God Heaven Lord, in his wretched state leaning against the wall,
Thud.
Breathed his last.
“Ughhhhh.”
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol, surrounded by the radiance, trembled with his gums exposed.
Blood continuously flowed from the injured Baihui acupoint, and a burning pain endlessly surged from the Noho acupoint.
“Ughhhh.”
Bu Eunseol clutched his head.
This pain was at a level that no one with a human body could possibly endure.
“Ughhh… Aaaargh!”
With a sharp scream,
Billow.
The black smoke that had been flowing from his body slowly disappeared.
At the same time, his somewhat sharpened eyes gradually returned to their original shape.
However, his whitened skin and red lips did not return.
Drip.
Blood flowed from Bu Eunseol’s head once again.
At the same time, he felt something wriggling in his Noho acupoint.
“Ah, damn… In the end, the body can’t hold on.”
With an annoyed mutter,
“…If this continues, they’ll mix together.”
Thump.
In the end, Bu Eunseol fainted.
How much time had passed?
Drip.
The sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling could be heard.
Drip. Drip.
As the sound continued endlessly, Bu Eunseol slowly regained consciousness.
Lying spread-eagled, he blinked. Then he abruptly stood up and looked around.
“He’s dead?”
Bu Eunseol tilted his head upon discovering the deceased Martial God Heaven Lord.
“Why is he dead?”
Clearly, he himself had been helplessly attacked without being able to break the Martial God Heaven domain.
So how could the Martial God Heaven Lord be dead?
“Suicide.”
Upon closer examination of the cause of death, the Martial God Heaven Lord had severed his own heart veins.
Moreover, as if all the energy in his body had been completely drained, his once solid body had shriveled like a deflated balloon.
Humm.
At that moment, black energy flowed from Bu Eunseol’s eyes again, and his mind grew hot.
—The person who took the great sword…
The story the Martial God Heaven Lord had told faintly resurfaced.
But that was all. He couldn’t remember what came after.
“Ah.”
Bu Eunseol let out a heavy sigh.
Thanks to the Wood Buddha, he had learned the location of the main base of one of the Four Divine Heavens and thought he had found a clue.
Yet he had lost the memories of what happened here?
“Let’s go back first.”
Bu Eunseol was always cautious and never missed even the smallest clue.
Moreover, coming all the way here and returning empty-handed made no sense.
And yet now, he was making a hasty judgment that he would never normally make, and was about to leave this place without any suspicion.
“I’ll be able to find it soon anyway.”
Even though he clearly felt that something was wrong, only excessive confidence and optimistic thoughts overflowed in his mind.
Once the head injury healed and he rested a little, the memories would return soon… making judgments he would never normally make.
Rumble.
When he went outside again and breathed in the clear air, his body felt lighter.
“Something feels different.”
Moreover, an unknown power continuously surged, and his chest felt hot.
Crash!
When he unfolded his movement technique, Bu Eunseol’s body soared high into the distant sky.
At the same time, he turned into a streak of black lightning and disappeared in an instant.
***
Bu Eunseol immediately returned to Majeon.
As soon as he returned, he washed his body clean and put on the uniform symbolizing the Martial Soul Command Lord.
“What’s going on?”
Yoo Unryong was surprised to see him return to his formal uniform.
Bu Eunseol usually refused to wear the uniform even during ceremonies or special events because it was uncomfortable.
Yet now he was wearing it like casual clothes?
“What do you mean?”
“That is…”
Yoo Unryong stared at Bu Eunseol for a long time.
He had always been handsome, but now he gave off a beauty that felt somehow bewitching.
Moreover, he was radiating an indescribable, unique aura.
“That is…”
But he couldn’t find the exact words to describe it.
Yoo Unryong shook his head and said, “No, it’s nothing.”
Then he continued, “Anyway, it’s good you’re back. We need to hold the Grand Assembly as soon as possible.”
“Why?”
“The atmosphere is unsettling.”
“What atmosphere?”
Yoo Unryong said with a serious expression,
“First, let’s hold the Grand Assembly. It would be better to explain together with the Captains.”
“No, if it’s urgent, there’s no need to hold a meeting.”
Bu Eunseol said casually.
“Just tell me. Then everything will be resolved.”
“What?”
“I mean there’s no need to go through the hassle of calling all those rice buckets.”
Yoo Unryong felt something was off but nodded.
“Actually, inside Majeon…”
But at that moment, with a click, the door to the office opened.
At the same time, an indescribably beautiful woman entered.
It was Dan So-ok, the Strategy Lord.
“My Lord.”
She spoke to Bu Eunseol with an urgent expression.
“Please quickly summon your supporting forces to the main hall. Unstable factions are gathering strength.”
She spoke so abruptly that it was hard to understand. Regardless, she continued speaking quickly without even greeting.
“Before they convene the Demon Soul Conference, we need to summon the Lord’s supporting forces and stop them.”
“Why is the Martial Soul Conference being convened?”
When Bu Eunseol asked, Yoo Unryong said to Dan So-ok, “The Lord has just returned and is not yet aware of the situation.”
Only then did Dan So-ok realize she had spoken too hastily.
“I’m sorry. So… right now, senior figures from the Shadow Pavilion are showing movements to request a re-evaluation of the Lord, who is the successor of Majeon.”
She explained calmly.
The successor of Majeon must inherit the legitimacy of the Demonic Path and prove his qualification to achieve the domination of the Demonic World.
In addition, he had the duty to resolve conflicts with the orthodox factions, design the future of the Demonic Path, and gain the trust of the senior figures within Majeon.
So far, Bu Eunseol had proven both his martial prowess and strategic ability, but unfortunately, he had not been able to suppress the momentum of the orthodox factions and had not proven his qualification as the successor of the Demonic Path to achieve domination of the Demonic World.
Especially even after the emergence of the new orthodox alliance called the Azure Heaven Alliance, failing to detect it in advance and not devising any solutions was being evaluated as an extremely disappointing move for the next Lord of Majeon.
“Throughout the generations, Majeon has appointed the successor early precisely to clearly prove various abilities,” Dan So-ok said. “However, the prevailing opinion is that the Lord only emphasizes his own martial strength and achievements, without showing a clear vision regarding the suppression of the orthodox factions.”
“Hmm.”
“Moreover, they are also criticizing the engagement with the Young Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace, who has consistently adhered to the orthodox path despite being in the boundary between righteous and demonic.”
In fact, this was not the first time the issue of re-evaluating the successor had been raised.
However, because Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess was overwhelmingly powerful, and those who had tried to frame him had instead been executed, no one dared to voice their dissatisfaction.
But the founding and growth of the Azure Heaven Alliance had become a rather big problem.
While it was understandable that the Demon Emperor remained silent, for the successor of Majeon to show no reaction even as the orthodox forces expanded like this and the times were changing was a significant issue.
An even bigger problem was that, up until now, Bu Eunseol, as the successor of Majeon, had not devoted his strength to the operation of Majeon.
Instead, he had spent most of his time traveling around the martial world and Suppressed Demon Pavilion, managing only the Death Shadow Corps.
For the senior figures of Majeon to not even express opinions on the operation of Majeon was an undeniable act of negligence.
Because of this, the dissatisfaction of the senior figures had accumulated, but they could not easily impose sanctions on him due to his status as Lord.
In the end, some of the senior figures, thinking that only a Martial Soul Conference was the answer, were trying to proceed with the meeting by borrowing the authority of the Shadow Pavilion Lord.
“So that’s how it is.”
After listening silently for a long time, Bu Eunseol nodded.
Then he looked at Dan So-ok with deep eyes.
“So you came rushing here in such a hurry because of that?”
“Obviously.”
“Why is that obvious?”
Before she knew it, Bu Eunseol had approached so close that their noses were almost touching and was looking down at her.
When Bu Eunseol came close enough for her to feel his breath, Dan So-ok blushed and lowered her head.
“Well… because it’s the Lord’s matter.”
Dan So-ok’s heart pounded wildly.
In the past, there had been an endlessly lonely atmosphere around him.
But now, for some reason, it felt as if millions of brilliant light particles and bewitching radiance were spreading around him.
Moreover, every time he exhaled, a mysterious fragrance tickled the tip of her nose.
“Unryong.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol asked Yoo Unryong.
“Was the agenda of the meeting you mentioned earlier the same as what Lord Dan said?”
“Yes.”
When Yoo Unryong nodded, Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile.
“It’s nothing serious.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry, Lord Dan.”
Bu Eunseol took Dan So-ok’s hand.
Then, with a deep expression, he slowly lifted it.
“Nothing will happen.”
“My Lord.”
“And thank you.”
Bu Eunseol raised the back of her hand to his eye level and whispered in a low voice.
“For putting aside everything else and prioritizing my matter.”
Then, while gazing intently at Dan So-ok’s face… he kissed the back of her hand.
“Ah.”
Dan So-ok let out a short exclamation in great surprise.
It was merely soft lips touching the back of her hand, yet she felt something sweet and soft piercing through her bones.
“I-It’s only natural.”
When Dan So-ok quickly withdrew her hand and spoke in a trembling voice, Bu Eunseol shook his head and whispered sweetly, “No one considers such a thing natural, Lord Dan.”
Bu Eunseol smiled, slightly revealing his white teeth.
“Go back first. After I resolve this matter, I will visit the Strategy Department.”
“Pardon?”
“Why, do you dislike it?”
“Not at all.”
With both cheeks flushed red, Dan So-ok turned around with creaky movements like a broken mechanical device and left the Suppressed Demon Pavilion.
“Was there really a need to do that?”
Yoo Unryong, who had been staring blankly, asked in surprise.
“Lord Dan already likes you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, was there a need to use something like the Heavenly Heart Demon Smile, a Yaoseon Secret Art?”
“Yaoseon Secret Art?”
“You just poured a bewitching energy into her while kissing her.”
Bu Eunseol let out a chuckle and made a nasal sound.
“I didn’t.”
“You didn’t?”
Bu Eunseol looked at Yoo Unryong and revealed his white teeth.
“Do I look like I lack charm enough to need to use such trivial tricks?”
Seeing that smile, Yoo Unryong made a dazed expression.
He had merely smiled while showing his white teeth.
Yet that single smile carried a destructive power even stronger than the Heavenly Heart Demon Smile, one that could instantly captivate a person’s soul and plunge them into eternal love.
“I-I see.”
Yoo Unryong gave an awkward smile.
“Well, you are handsome… Your face itself is a Yaoseon Secret Art.”
“If we’re talking about looks…”
Bu Eunseol, who had been staring intently at Yoo Unryong’s face, raised the corner of his mouth.
“Aren’t you also one of the greatest handsome men under heaven, Unryong?”
Thump, thump.
Seeing Bu Eunseol’s face, Yoo Unryong’s heart pounded for no reason.
‘This is not right.’
In truth, Bu Eunseol’s appearance had always been splendid, both in the past and now.
But because he always wore a stiff expression and a lonely atmosphere, his beauty had not stood out so prominently.
Yet now, with those gentle eyes and white teeth revealed, along with an even more captivating atmosphere than the Yaoseon Secret Art that was said to draw in souls, a refreshing freshness like biting into a freshly picked fruit was spreading.
Comments