Spiritual lands are naturally formed or artificially created.
Naturally formed spiritual lands emerge in places imbued with strong vitality—like mountain peaks where the energy of heaven and earth converges, deep valleys where water pools, or underground caves. They also arise in places where one must endure extreme environments, such as volcanic zones, high mountains covered in perennial snow, or lands thick with poisonous herbs.
In contrast, artificially created spiritual lands utilize the energy of places overflowing with corpse energy or demonic energy. They are made by performing Great Law to transform the land's energy or by artificially imbuing vitality through the scattering of human blood or essence.
Daephunghyeop.
It is a place where sheer, bizarre cliffs stretch endlessly, housing thousands of limestone peaks and deep canyons.
Due to its rugged terrain, which is difficult for humans to reach, and its abundance of deep caves and lush forests, ancient martial world sects once settled here.
Until a thousand years ago, it was a place where martial arts secret manuals were frequently discovered.
In the present era, it was revealed to be a mysterious land where spiritual herbs, which had vanished from the martial world, were growing once again.
Wheeeeee.
A chilly wind blows.
If the wind blowing from the heavens looked down upon Daephunghyeop, the canyon, of unfathomable depth, would appear like a mouth gaping toward the sky, as if an ancient god had swung a sword to cleave the earth.
Thud.
At the entrance of the canyon, where bizarre rocks stood like folding screens, a group of troops was stationed. They all wore armor engraved with unique patterns on their shoulders and carried white precious swords at their waists.
They were the Heaven’s Will Corps.
A special frontline unit of the Martial Alliance organized specifically for this discovery of spiritual herbs. They were composed of powerful warriors whose caliber was on a different level from ordinary Martial Alliance members. They stood in solemn formation, not even blinking, like dolls cast from steel.
This was because they had received information that the forces of Majeon would soon attack this place.
The Golden Kyong Divine Grass is a spiritual herb said to condense the essence of heaven and earth's energy, and its efficacy is known to be comparable to the Golden Spirit Immortal Fruit. Unlike the Golden Spirit Immortal Fruit, which barely bears a single fruit after two hundred to a thousand years, the Golden Kyong Divine Grass takes only sixty years to fully grow while providing similar effects.
Information had been received that the Martial Soul Command Lord, the successor of Majeon, and the warriors of the Death Shadow Corps under his command had immediately set out to seize this mysterious herb and the spiritual land secured by the Martial Alliance. Consequently, the Heaven’s Will Corps was waiting here to defend the spiritual land.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
At that moment, the sound of warhorses' hooves, vibrating through heaven and earth, echoed and spread through the canyon. About three hundred cavalrymen were galloping toward the entrance of Daephunghyeop.
They were dressed in black robes that seemed to harbor the darkness, with armor layered like scales over their shoulders and chests. Furthermore, every single one of them wore a red cloak; from afar, it looked as if a blood-red wave was surging forward.
The horses they rode were Blood-Sweating Horses, said to run a thousand miles in a day. Sleek, elegant muscles twitched beneath their hides, and thick veins stood out with every stride. Their eyes seemed to burn red, and with every breath of steam they exhaled, blood-colored sweat dripped down. Solid iron horse armor was fitted over the horses' heads, and the emblem of 'Martial Soul' was clearly stamped upon it.
They were the forces of the Martial Soul Command Lord and the Death Shadow Corps, who had come to reclaim the spiritual land occupied by the Martial Alliance under the orders of the Demon Emperor.
Rumble!
The three hundred cavalrymen, kicking up clouds of dust as they rode, charged fiercely toward the canyon entrance where a force of eight thousand stood their ground.
Whoosh!
The wind blew violently, raising dust, and an aura sharp as a blade sliced through the air and collided.
“Their momentum is quite fierce,” Jin Baekhon, the Captain of the Heaven’s Will Corps, snorted.
He was originally the head of the Thousand Heaven Spring, a secret unit of the Martial Alliance, but he had taken charge of the newly organized Heaven’s Will Corps upon receiving the order to defend this spiritual land.
“They are just fellows who came here to die anyway.”
Jin Baekhon also guessed the reason why the Death Shadow Corps were attacking this place. He had heard from Mankyeong Hall, the Martial Alliance's intelligence organization, that the Demon Emperor had given the Martial Soul Command Lord—who had failed his previous mission—another task that was tantamount to death, intending to use his failure as a pretext to broadcast the majesty of Majeon.
“Open the formation!”
At Jin Baekhon’s shout, the eight thousand troops moved in perfect order and began to take up their battle formation. The information obtained from Mankyeong Hall was not limited to that.
He had heard that the warriors of the Death Shadow Corps had set out fully armored on Blood-Sweating Horses.
‘They must be planning to use the Demonic Fire Hegemony Array.’
Being heavily armored significantly increases survival against enemy arrows, javelins, and initial spear and sword attacks, but it reduces mobility. However, what if they rode horses with lightning speed and terrifying endurance like the Blood-Sweating Horses?
Instead of slow and heavy cavalry, an extremely fast and destructive shock unit is born. If they used the Demonic Fire Hegemony Array on top of that... it would essentially produce the effect of a living battering ram moving at high speed.
‘Instead of charging in a dense formation, they will use a tactic of constantly changing shape and stirring up the enemy lines.’
Jin Baekhon was also a master of military tactics. He saw through the fact that the Martial Soul Command Lord, to avoid being overwhelmed by numbers, would choose a method of moving constantly on horseback to dig into the enemy's gaps or attack the flanks and rear.
‘I have made a move so they can never break or disperse the formation of this squad.’
He wore a confident smile.
the Martial Soul Command Lord would surely divide the three hundred troops into small groups to attack multiple points simultaneously, and it was obvious he would use the speed of the Blood-Sweating Horses to immediately disengage when an attempt was made to counterattack or form an encirclement.
Therefore, Jin Baekhon had prepared a countermeasure in advance.
To prevent the cavalry from penetrating at all, he used the geography of Daephunghyeop to arrange the eight thousand troops in a single line, forming a solid defensive wall.
Neigh!
At that moment, along with the cries of the horses, the three hundred warhorses stopped all at once in front of the entrance to Daephunghyeop. Even on horseback, they maintained their formation in an orderly fashion without any disarray. At their head was a man well over six feet tall, wearing a veil that seemed woven from Thousand-Year Silk.
Between his loose hair, eyes as dignified as a dragon's were glimpsed, and a dark iron sword hung at his waist.
Jin Baekhon recognized him as the Martial Soul Command Lord at once and said, “What brings the busy successor of Majeon to such a humble place?”
The distance between the two sides was about thirty yards. Nevertheless, Jin Baekhon’s voice, infused with internal energy, echoed clearly throughout the canyon as well as in the ears of the Death Shadow Corps warriors.
“Surely you haven't come to make some... childish, stubborn claim that the entirety of Daephunghyeop belongs to your alliance?”
As a veteran who had led organizations for a long time, Jin Baekhon was skilled not only in martial arts but also in eloquence. The Martial Soul Command Lord merely remained silent without a reply.
Then, Jin Baekhon’s eyes flashed. “I warn you in advance. The moment you step within ten yards of the entrance of Daephunghyeop, which this squad guards...”
Boom!
He slammed the giant Demon-Cutting Saber he was holding into the ground and made a threat. “The name of the Death Shadow Corps will be permanently erased from the history of Majeon!”
It was a truly insulting threat. However, the Martial Soul Command Lord stared intently at Jin Baekhon with piercing eyes, and then...
Step.
He moved his horse one step forward. Then, the warriors of the Death Shadow Corps following him also moved their horses one step forward in unison.
“Do you mean to fight?”
Jin Baekhon clicked his tongue. He had set up a formation that the Death Shadow Corps could never destroy, no matter what they did.
The Crescent Power-Breaking Array.
The Heaven’s Will Corps had already established an impregnable fortress formation that, once formed, could never have its cohesion broken. Because it defended by consolidating the eight thousand troops as if they were one giant body, it would be difficult to break the formation even if the Demon Emperor himself came.
Of course, it had the disadvantage of being unable to change direction or move troops quickly, but in a limited and narrow space like this, where the two sides faced each other head-on, it could be called the best choice.
‘Even if the Martial Soul Command Lord’s individual martial arts are outstanding and he avoids death, his subordinates will not escape total annihilation.’
But it was strange. Although nearly fifteen minutes had already passed, weren't the warriors of the Death Shadow Corps on their horses remaining perfectly still?
‘Is he planning to stall for time?’
Jin Baekhon furrowed his brows. Since the Crescent Power-Breaking Array had the function of making the eight thousand troops like the body of one person, maintaining the formation required a state of extreme tension, like holding a drawn bowstring. Standing still in that state for over fifteen minutes meant the fatigue of the warriors maintaining the array was bound to be severe.
“What is it? Have you been seized by fear?”
Jin Baekhon, wearing a sneer, was just about to give the order to dissolve the formation. But at that very moment...
Step.
Once again, the Martial Soul Command Lord moved his horse one step forward. Then, the warriors of the Death Shadow Corps also stepped forward one more step.
Twitch!
Not only Jin Baekhon, who was about to give the order to dissolve the formation, but even the Heaven’s Will Corps warriors who were tensely maintaining the array were momentarily startled and froze.
“...”
However, as if nothing had happened, the Martial Soul Command Lord and the Death Shadow Corps stood tall and still like stone statues once again. Since their faces were hidden by helmets and masks, their expressions could not be read, but their motionless figures standing in the distance looked like statues stained in black and red.
“How dare these bastards play games!”
A furious Jin Baekhon shouted. “Heaven’s Will Corps, listen!”
And just as he was about to give the order for an all-out attack...
“Captain!”
Hwang Ilchung, the adjutant and strategist standing beside him, urgently shouted. “You mustn't!”
Jin Baekhon frowned and said, “What is it?”
“What that Martial Soul Command Lord wants is precisely a preemptive strike from our squad.”
Jin Baekhon snorted. “What does it matter? No matter what tricks they try...”
“That's not it,” Hwang Ilchung spoke quickly. “What did you just say, Captain? Didn't you assert that you would attack the moment they came within ten yards?”
“And?”
“The Martial Soul Command Lord is no fool. There's no way he doesn't know that clashing with our squad means annihilation. That's why he's deliberately walking only one step at a time to provoke our squad.”
For a moment, Jin Baekhon had a blank expression, then said as if he had realized something, “So? Are you saying he's intentionally provoking us without even entering within ten yards... and then plans to claim that our squad attacked them without cause?”
“The probability of that is not low.”
“No way. There's no way that the Martial Soul Command Lord would devise such a petty scheme.”
The Martial Soul Command Lord had been known as an undefeated commander who had led every battle to victory using brilliant strategies. Such a person wouldn't pull such a petty trick.
“Currently, he is in a situation where he has been driven into a corner by the Demon Emperor,” Hwang Ilchung said with a meaningful expression. “In fact, he was forced out on a suicide mission. So, whether it's a petty act or anything else... if he can just save his life, wouldn't he have to try every trick in the book?”
Jin Baekhon stroked his chin.
No matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem like the great Martial Soul Command Lord would use such a tactic. However, Hwang Ilchung’s words also had merit.
When a person is cornered, they might throw away their pride or anything else and engage in crude behavior.
“No matter what he does, only attack if he comes within ten yards,” Hwang Ilchung said earnestly. “No matter how much he bluffs or stalls for time, there's no way our squad will lose.”
Jin Baekhon, who was lost in deep thought, soon nodded. And he said in a loud voice, “Maintain the formation and prepare for an attack!”
No matter how much they provoked and stalled for time like that, they could not enter Daephunghyeop. Even if the warriors felt fatigue, it would be better than actual combat. Whether they attacked after bluffing like that or retreated... the Heaven’s Will Corps had nothing to lose.
***
While the Martial Alliance squad and the warriors of the Death Shadow Corps continued their confrontation, shhh, a faint shadow seeped silently into Daephunghyeop. It was a perfect stealth technique that even a master with an extraordinary sixth sense would not be able to detect.
It was Bu Eunseol.
‘He’s doing well.’
From the beginning, he had no intention whatsoever of facing the eight thousand troops of the Martial Alliance head-on.
The Demon Emperor was no fool. Furthermore, he was a person who could pack hundreds or thousands of meanings into a single word.
Even if he gave a suicide mission, he wouldn't simply give an order like ‘Go die.’
Also, the very fact that the Martial Alliance announced to the martial world that they had found a spiritual land was strange. The Martial Alliance was an association of orthodox factions on the surface, but in reality, it was a place where secret powers that had influenced the martial world for generations were crouched.
Why would they, who had always carried out secret tasks and numerous conspiracies under the pretext of managing the martial world, move a squad-level force and draw public attention by grandly announcing the discovery of a spiritual land? It didn't make sense.
Bu Eunseol, who was performing his movement technique, briefly recalled the events of the past.
It was a conversation with Yoo Unryong that took place while he was sitting in his office lost in thought for a while after finishing the meeting for the subjugation of the Heaven’s Will Corps in Daephunghyeop.
***
“It’s Yoo Unryong.”
Click.
The door opened, and Yoo Unryong entered. “Now, tell me the real plan.”
Yoo Unryong had guessed everything. That there was something hidden in this order from the Demon Emperor, and that there was no way Bu Eunseol wouldn't have seen through it.
“I don't know the Demon Emperor’s exact intentions, but it's not simply to bring back the Golden Kyong Divine Grass...” Bu Eunseol confessed honestly. “It's probably to investigate the inner workings and this incomprehensible move by the Martial Alliance. Not only that...”
“It's not about investigating calmly, but finding out while clashing? While showing the world that you are carrying out the order at the risk of your life.” At Yoo Unryong’s words, Bu Eunseol wore a strange smile.
“That's right. So I’m only going to create the appearance of risking my life.”
“How?”
“I was a spy in the Martial Alliance for a long time, wasn't I?”
Fortunately, Bu Eunseol had been active in the Martial Alliance for a long time under the name Seon Woojin. Thanks to that, he knew the characteristics of key figures in the Martial Alliance, as well as the structure and operation of the organization.
“If the Heaven’s Will Corps was organized, they would have surely made the heads of secret organizations the captains.” Bu Eunseol continued calmly. “The entrance to Daephunghyeop is narrow like a gourd. On top of that, if our Death Shadow Corps warriors, who are numerically inferior, charge head-on... they will ten to one try to unfold the Crescent Power-Breaking Array.”
The Crescent Power-Breaking Array.
It was a formation used to annihilate an enemy who charged in based on powerful force and numerical superiority. It had the disadvantage of being excessively domineering and murderous for a formation used by orthodox martial artists, but the heads of the Martial Alliance's secret organizations would have no qualms about using such a formation.
“If it's the Crescent Power-Breaking Array...” Yoo Unryong, who heard those words, wore a smile. “They must be condensing explosive power like a drawn bowstring to pour in all eight thousand troops.”
“That's right.” Bu Eunseol also smiled. “Until the battle breaks out, they will be in a state where they can't relax for even a moment, as if a spring has been tightly compressed.”
Hearing those words, Yoo Unryong smiled again. He had finally guessed what kind of scheme Bu Eunseol was planning. “Turning strength into weakness. You mean to turn the enemy's strength into a weakness.”
“That's why I had Seo Jinha return.”
When Bu Eunseol nodded, Yoo Unryong wore a look of incomprehension.
“If you're going to investigate alone, is there a need for that?”
Although he couldn't fathom Bu Eunseol’s level of martial arts, he knew well that he had mastered a miraculous stealth technique. Even if eighty thousand troops, let alone eight thousand, were guarding it, it was not difficult for him to secretly infiltrate Daephunghyeop alone.
But when Bu Eunseol’s answer came, Yoo Unryong doubted his ears. “It has become difficult to perform demonic martial arts.”
“What?”
“The mental cultivation method I learned as a child came to mind... and perhaps because it's not perfect, something seems to have gone wrong.”
Bu Eunseol explained in detail the situation at the time when he was ambushed by the man in white and briefly lost consciousness. In fact, he had lost all his memories at that time, but after receiving the Demon Emperor’s Life-and-Death Single Palm Decree, he had remembered all the dreams he had while unconscious.
“So what you're saying is,” Yoo Unryong took a deep breath, “The Baekri family members are all born with dual personalities, and your late father taught you a mental cultivation method when you were a child that allows you to create and interact with a new personality?”
Nod.
When Bu Eunseol nodded calmly, Yoo Unryong couldn't close his mouth.
Even though people had been making a fuss about the Baekri family and the True Demon family, he hadn't realized how great they actually were. But thinking about it carefully, a blood relative who hadn't inherited that god-like power but had inherited that unbelievable talent and quality was right in front of him, continuing his legendary journey.
“Is that... possible?”
“Probably, but because the formula is incomplete, the personalities seem to have mixed awkwardly.” Bu Eunseol smiled bitterly. “Because of that, I can't properly perform demonic martial arts or mental cultivation.”
Only now did Yoo Unryong realize that Bu Eunseol’s way of speaking was so soft and his gaze seemed so upright. “Can you not use demonic martial arts at all?”
“It's not that... but the power is greatly weakened whenever I use them.” Bu Eunseol showed a shy smile. “And as you can see... the way of speaking and the expression I want don't come out.”
Slap.
Yoo Unryong grabbed his forehead with an expression as if he were possessed by a ghost. If someone like Myo Cheonwoo or Wi Cheongyeong had said these words instead of Bu Eunseol... he would have burst into laughter or slapped them for talking nonsense.
“Right, I see.”
“It’s true.”
“Right, right.”
Yoo Unryong nodded like an enlightened taoist.
“That's usually how things go with you.”
Among his friends, he was the only one who knew that Bu Eunseol was a half-blood of the Baekri and True Demon families. After hearing that story, he had completely given up on trying to understand Bu Eunseol’s martial arts level or physical condition.
“Anyway, that's why Seo Jinha is needed for this task.” Bu Eunseol said with a deep sigh. “Only if he leads the Death Shadow Corps in my stead and draws attention... will I at least be able to slip into Daephunghyeop.”
“I understand.” Yoo Unryong, who had regained his senses, nodded. “Then leave the rest to me.”
***
Having finished his recollection, Bu Eunseol, shrouded in the Wind-Cloud Divine Qi, secretly performed his movement technique and entered deep into Daephunghyeop. And when he performed the Swift Beyond Shadow technique again...
Droom, Droom, Droom.
A strange resonance spread through his head. At the same time, his movement technique became noticeably slower, and even his internal breathing became unstable.
‘I need to reverse this state quickly.’
Previously, after being ambushed by the man claiming to be a subordinate of the Baekri family, he had regained one memory that Baekri Geomha had.
Thanks to that, he was able to perform the Emperor's Step—the ultimate of orthodox martial arts, which could be called the Way of Nature itself—that he had learned as a child while imitating his father's personality, and withstand the Demon Emperor’s Life-and-Death Single Palm Decree.
However, an unexpected side effect occurred. His heart was filled with nothing but righteousness, and all his inherent murderous intent had vanished.
‘To think that a mere fragmentary formula obtained from a memory could change my nature.’
Because he had changed to pursuing only the infinite Righteous Path, he felt strong guilt whenever he used demonic martial arts and was unconsciously suppressing the operation of demonic martial arts.
Furthermore, because of his excessively peaceful mindset, even his battle instincts, which were inherent deep in his heart, were disappearing.
‘But I can't even perform the Emperor's Step as I please.’
When the Demon Emperor was pouring out pressure that overwhelmed all things, the Emperor's Step was naturally performed to counter it. But after that, he couldn't perform it even if he consciously tried.
‘The Emperor's Step is neither a footwork nor a martial art.’
The Emperor's Step is the Way of Nature itself, which can only be used when one has reached the level of being the best in the world or can handle perfect Great Natural Qi.
When he first woke up, he was almost perfectly unified with his father's personality, and its mystery could be naturally exerted by the Demon Emperor’s Absolute Demonic Art... but now that he had somewhat regained his senses, he could no longer perform it.
‘Above all, it's frustrating that words come out on their own.’
In this situation, his mind and body were out of sync, so not only could he not properly perform demonic martial arts, but even the words he spoke changed to be upright. This was the reason why he had used a strange way of speaking at Majeon earlier.
‘The Demon Emperor must be seeing through the whole situation.’
At that time, the Demon Emperor showed no reaction, not even a hint of agitation. But Bu Eunseol had an intuition that he had accurately recognized his father's footwork.
‘And he changed the plan.’
He had known for a long time that the Demon Emperor was plotting something using him as a stepping stone.
No, he hadn't even tried to hide it.
At some point, he had blatantly revealed his inner thoughts.
However, what was certain was that the moment he witnessed his father's footwork, a change had occurred in his plan. This mission he received now was evidence of that change.
Because only this way could he maintain his authority and majesty as the Martial Soul Command Lord, just as he had before the Life-and-Death Single Palm Decree was given.
‘Surely all these actions aren't an arrangement for me...’
Suddenly, Bu Eunseol’s expression became serious. As he came to pursue infinite righteousness, his soul became infinitely peaceful, and wasn't he even making optimistic observations about the Demon Emperor that he would never have made normally?
‘I need to fix this quickly.’
This kind of righteousness only becomes meaningful when one reaches the level of being the best in the world and can handle the entire Martial Alone. Righteousness presented without such capability is merely arrogant tolerance and bluffing.
‘For now, let's solve the task at hand.’
Shaking his head, Bu Eunseol once again developed his movement technique.
As he passed through the canyon like a streak of wind, a gloomy valley surrounded by blade-like cliffs like a folding screen revealed itself.
In the interior, where not even a single ray of sunlight could properly enter, only a strange silence lingered.
It seemed to have kept its natural appearance as if not a single person had been allowed to step there until now, but that silence was not the peace of a vibrant forest, but like the held breath of a venomous beast harboring poison.
‘Oh no.’
Bu Eunseol, who was carefully observing his surroundings, swallowed a deep breath inwardly.
‘It’s not a spiritual land...’
The valley floor was covered with soft moss, but dark red petals, appearing as if they were dotted here and there, created a bizarre contrast. And vines stained red as if they had sucked blood climbed the rocks, and colorful poisonous mushrooms covered the ground.
‘It’s a poisonous land...’
Surprisingly, the interior of the Daephunghyeop valley, which the Martial Alliance had announced as a spiritual land and was mobilizing troops to protect, was a poisonous land teeming with deadly poison that even a poison master who had practiced poison arts all his life would not dare to approach.
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