By now, Nangyang Pavilion had transformed into one of the three most powerful factions among the Ten Demonic Sects.
This was because the most talented individuals of the demonic path were lining up to join Nangyang Pavilion.
Bu Eunseol, a Ten Demon Warrior from Nangyang Pavilion, had remained undefeated since entering the martial world, ultimately becoming the successor of Majeon. Even after becoming the successor, he defeated numerous factions disrupting the martial world and subdued the Ten Demonic Sects, known as the sanctuaries of the demonic path, multiple times.
This was possible because of the martial arts of Nangyang Pavilion, which had produced the greatest warriors in the world for generations. Their extreme combat-oriented martial arts, honed through life-and-death battles, were so dangerous that many lost their lives while learning them. Techniques deemed too perilous to even attempt were mastered through Bu Eunseol’s burning martial spirit.
The young warriors of the demonic path yearned to follow in Bu Eunseol’s footsteps.
‘The martial world is a place where you stake your life, isn’t it?’ they thought.
‘It’s said that the Martial Soul Command Lord always trained with his life on the line, displaying an attitude that transcended life and death.’
In the past, Nangyang Pavilion’s martial arts were considered too dangerous to learn. But now, for the young warriors of the demonic path, they symbolized the fiery martial spirit.
***
At Clear Breeze Pavilion, in the office of Deputy Pavilion Master Dan Cheong.
Dan Cheong took Bu Eunseol’s pulse as they sat across from each other, then nodded.
“The time has come already,” he said, grasping Bu Eunseol’s condition in an instant without needing to ask further.
“Even the most magnificent paintings drawn by a master artist become meaningless if you cram them all onto a single canvas,” Dan Cheong said with a smile, letting out a deep sigh. “But don’t worry too much. Every master who has dominated this pavilion has gone through this at least once.”
“Is that so?” Bu Eunseol asked.
“Yes. Our pavilion’s martial arts are perfected by encountering various techniques, extracting their strengths, and integrating them,” Dan Cheong explained.
To master Nangyang Pavilion’s martial arts was to fight formidable opponents, comprehend their principles, and fuse them with one’s own techniques. Thus, the disciples of Nangyang Pavilion grew stronger with every battle against powerful foes. Without such opponents, their martial arts could not evolve.
Bu Eunseol had faced some of the strongest masters of the era, indirectly experiencing their power. The Demon Emperor had seized and peered into Bu Eunseol’s mind. Ak Muryeong had struck his spirit directly with just a glance and a voice. The Buddha Venerable had revealed a transcendent level of martial prowess with a single lesson. Sword Venerable had displayed the profound mysteries of nature in a single sword strike with his Myriad Phenomena Sword Style.
Bu Eunseol had also sparred with Yeop Hyocheon, the Dark King, and fought bloody battles against the Bullet King, the Phantom King, and Thunder God, one of the Four Gods.
Few at such a young age had encountered so many supreme masters without respite. Consequently, the martial arts Bu Eunseol had mastered were extraordinarily complex.
He had built his inner energy with the premier technique of the righteous sects’ — the Muscle-Changing Sutra, and mastered the Ban-Geuk Method, the top demonic sect technique. He had simultaneously learned the techniques of the Demon Emperor, the greatest demonic master of the era, and the Martial Emperor, who was unrivaled four hundred years ago.
His body also contained the power of Prajna Great Power, infused by the Sahyang Clan masters, a force from the Shaolin Temple. Furthermore, he had mastered Heavenly Glacial Secret, the essence of extreme yin techniques, and Yeolha Great True Energy, the technique of the Yeolha Holy Saint that could burn everything.
In short, Bu Eunseol had mastered the pinnacle techniques of the righteous, demonic, and Buddhist paths.
The problem was that these magnificent paintings were all drawn on a single canvas. Individually, each was a masterpiece, but together, they could not be called a work of art.
“So, what should I do?” Bu Eunseol asked.
“Wait a moment,” Dan Cheong replied with a gentle smile, sitting at his desk to write a letter.
He called for a disciple waiting outside and said, “Deliver this letter to the General Affairs Bureau Leader.”
“Yes, sir,” the disciple replied and left.
Dan Cheong looked at Bu Eunseol, who sat in a daze, and said, “In my case, this phase didn’t come until I was well into my forties. But for you, it’s come far too soon.”
He shook his head with a chuckle. “Of course, you probably don’t think it’s too soon.”
Bu Eunseol trained his martial arts even while eating and studied scriptures even while sleeping. Never missing a single day, he had relentlessly advanced his skills. Dan Cheong knew well that Bu Eunseol felt frustrated by his own progress.
“How can I resolve this?” Bu Eunseol asked.
Dan Cheong took a deep breath. “To be honest, your condition is beyond my ability to handle.”
“Then…” Bu Eunseol began.
“Go to the Pavilion Master,” Dan Cheong said, exhaling. “Only the Pavilion Master has the ability to address the conflicting energies in your body.”
Bu Eunseol wasn’t surprised. He had already anticipated this.
“Has the Pavilion Master ended his seclusion?” he asked.
“Of course not,” Dan Cheong snorted. “The Demon Emperor hasn’t emerged, so why would the Pavilion Master come out first?”
“Is it alright to disturb the Pavilion Master’s seclusion?” Bu Eunseol asked, his lips twitching as he recalled Ak Muryeong’s terrifying presence.
Dan Cheong smiled. “Of course. When the legitimate heir, responsible for the pavilion’s future, faces a crisis, what could be more important?”
Though he spoke confidently, the worry in his brow suggested uncertainty.
“Let’s wait and see,” Dan Cheong added. “Baek Yeon is a smooth talker. He’ll surely persuade the Pavilion Master.”
Bu Eunseol nearly burst into laughter. It turned out that even the relaxed Deputy Pavilion Master found dealing with Ak Muryeong daunting and had delegated this critical task to Baek Yeon, the Peongan Corps Leader.
‘The ever-calm Deputy Pavilion Master fears the Pavilion Master too…’ Bu Eunseol thought, shaking his head inwardly.
Step, step.
Footsteps approached, and a Nangyang Pavilion disciple entered, bowing. “The Peongan Corps Leader says the Pavilion Master is at Iron Staff peak. You’re to go there immediately.”
“Good,” Dan Cheong said with a sigh of relief. “Go up.”
“Yes, sir,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“This might be a fortunate turn of events,” Dan Cheong said with a cryptic smile. “You’ve probably been thinking about it, but now you might be ready to inherit the Pavilion Master’s techniques.”
Bu Eunseol ascended Iron Staff peak without delay. As the desolate autumn wind blew, memories of his first encounter with the Pavilion Master at this very peak resurfaced.
Ak Muryeong.
A master of the Limitless Realm, one of the Three Demons’, the Human Demon, possessing overwhelming dominance and presence that could shatter heaven and earth. He was also the great demonic master who had attacked Bu Eunseol’s spirit without hesitation.
Had Bu Eunseol not possessed an exceptionally strong mental barrier, he would have become a mindless wanderer, unable to withstand the power of Illusion Upon Illusion, let alone become Majeon’s successor.
‘But it wasn’t mere malice,’ Bu Eunseol thought. Though incomprehensible to ordinary people, Bu Eunseol could faintly grasp Ak Muryeong’s intentions.
Leading Nangyang Pavilion, home to the strongest warriors of the Ten Demonic Sects, required more than martial prowess, intelligence, or cunning ambition. Above all, it demanded an indomitable spirit that would not falter under any circumstance.
Though the Demon Emperor had provoked a contest through Bu Eunseol’s body, Ak Muryeong had needed to test his successor regardless. Thus, he had conducted the trial without hesitation, regardless of whether Bu Eunseol’s life hung in the balance.
Fortunately, Bu Eunseol had passed the test and was recognized as the true successor of Nangyang Pavilion. Upon reaching the top of Iron Staff peak, he saw a colossal figure reminiscent of a mountain.
“Disciple Bu Eunseol pays his respects to the Pavilion Master,” he said, bowing deeply.
Ak Muryeong, who had been facing away, slowly turned. Unlike before, he did not exude a terrifying aura or a domineering presence that could rend the heavens. What remained unchanged were his tattered martial robe and immense musculature.
His lion-like eyes fixed on Bu Eunseol, but the overwhelming pressure from before was absent—perhaps because Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess had grown incomparably since their last meeting.
[Come closer.]
The mystical voice that could shake one’s soul remained unchanged.
“Yes,” Bu Eunseol replied, stepping forward.
A flash of lightning glinted in Ak Muryeong’s eyes, fierce as a roaring beast, but Bu Eunseol met his gaze calmly.
[I sent you into the martial world to face various martial arts,] Ak Muryeong said, his terrifying aura enveloping Iron Staff peak. [And you stuffed everything you came across into your mouth!]
Boom!
His thunderous roar became a sharp force, piercing Bu Eunseol’s chest.
“Ugh,” Bu Eunseol groaned, stepping back as a burning pain, like a branding iron, seared his chest.
[Show me,] Ak Muryeong commanded, his eyes gleaming with mystical light. [What you’ve crammed in there.]
Rumble.
A sharp force, shaking the heavens, surged into Bu Eunseol’s body.
‘I have to dodge,’ he thought.
Having mastered the Beast Way and reached the highest level of the Supreme Heavenly Realm, Bu Eunseol’s reflexes were dozens of times sharper than an ordinary person’s. Yet, even moving at full speed and shifting positions with Swift Beyond Shadow, he couldn’t evade Ak Muryeong’s force.
Zing.
As the force struck his abdomen, golden waves rippled across Bu Eunseol’s body. The energy in Ak Muryeong’s demonic aura triggered Prajna Great Power, which had been dormant in his meridians, as a counterforce.
[Hmph!]
But with a scoff from Ak Muryeong, Prajna Great Power was instantly breached.
Boom!
With an explosion, Bu Eunseol was hurled five zhang away, stopping only when he crashed into a large tree stump.
To push Bu Eunseol, with five hundred years of inner energy, five zhang back with just a flicker of his finger?
[Pathetic,] Ak Muryeong said, his voice dripping with disdain as a sun-like light glowed in his eyes. [Is this the state of Nangyang Pavilion’s successor?]
Rumble!
Another massive, sharp force surged from Ak Muryeong’s body.
But Bu Eunseol, as if anticipating it, unleashed the Seven Fist Demon forms with full power.
Boom!
Yet, with another explosion, he was thrown five zhang back again.
[If you’ve gathered scraps like a beggar, shouldn’t you have the skill to blend them together?] Ak Muryeong roared.
A flash sparked in Bu Eunseol’s eyes. “Understood.”
This time, Bu Eunseol struck first. The ferocious fist wind of Self-Obliterating Unity swirled, aiming for Ak Muryeong’s face.
Crackle.
Simultaneously, the trees and rocks around Ak Muryeong frosted over as Bu Eunseol blended Heavenly Glacial Secret with the Seven Fist Demon forms, just as Ak Muryeong had suggested—skillfully.
[Hmph.]
Despite the chilling aura that could freeze the heavens, Ak Muryeong was unaffected. But Bu Eunseol’s attack didn’t end there.
Sizzle!
The cold aura suddenly turned to mist, melting away. The surrounding trees withered like deadwood, and rocks crumbled like biscuits. Bu Eunseol had alternated between Heavenly Glacial Secret, which could freeze everything, and Yeolha Great True Energy, which could melt everything.
Zing!
The overwhelming yang energy of Yeolha Great True Energy began to pierce Ak Muryeong’s formidable aura.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The yang energy burrowed into his body, causing intense vibrations and heat, roiling his organs and qi channels.
[Using the yin-yang principles of Ban-Geuk Energy to wield both extreme yin and yang energies,] Ak Muryeong observed.
With a casual wave of his hand, the Yeolha Great True Energy energy invading his meridians vanished like melting snow.
Swish! Swish!
Six streams of energy swirled from Bu Eunseol’s body—Thirteen Guiding Energies, a technique he had never used against demonic masters, as it was a supreme righteous sect technique forbidden to demonic practitioners. Yet, he unleashed it openly against Ak Muryeong.
Slash!
Six sharp streams of energy, like whips, tore through the earth, burrowing into Ak Muryeong’s body.
[Even a righteous sect technique,] Ak Muryeong remarked.
Thud.
With a light stomp, a circular shockwave spread, dispersing Thirteen Guiding Energies’ energy like mist.
Whoosh!
In that moment, Bu Eunseol soared into the sky, hovering above Ak Muryeong’s head. A blade of black true energy, stretching to the heavens, struck at his Baihui acupoint.
It was Wishful True Binding.
Boom!
The black true energy sword, soaring to the sky, should have cleaved Ak Muryeong in two.
But with a flick of his index and middle fingers, Ak Muryeong blocked the Heaven-and-Earth Shattering Strike of Wishful True Binding.
Boom!
Bu Eunseol was hurled five zhang back once more.
Despite pouring out every ounce of his ability, he couldn’t even scratch Ak Muryeong’s skin—a mere ordinary strike to him.
“Haa, haa,” Bu Eunseol panted, overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness and frustration for the first time.
‘Is this all I amount to…?’ he thought.
Martial arts realms were arbitrary divisions created for convenience. But the Limitless Realm was different. Upon reaching it, one harmonized with nature, entering the same boundary and capable of manifesting phenomena beyond human limits. The gap between the highest level of the Supreme Heavenly Realm and the Limitless Realm was as vast as heaven and earth.
“Ugh,” Bu Eunseol gritted his teeth, furious at the unbridgeable gap despite his progress.
But his frustration was premature. Still in his twenties, it was only natural that he couldn’t match Ak Muryeong, who had dominated the martial world for decades. There was no need to feel despair over this.
‘I must rise. No matter what,’ he resolved.
The fleeting despair gave way to a burning martial spirit, and a sun-like light shone in his eyes.
Ak Muryeong’s eyes gleamed with admiration as he watched.
[To claim the title of Nangyang Pavilion’s successor with such skill?] he said, his voice sharp as a blade. [Where in your techniques is the martial art of this pavilion?!]
Rumble!
His shout caused the rocks on the opposite cliff to crumble. As his earth-shaking voice resounded, Bu Eunseol felt a lightning bolt of realization pierce his body.
‘That’s it,’ he thought.
He had mastered the pinnacle techniques of the righteous, demonic, and Buddhist paths, using them as they were because they were supreme, untouchable arts of peerless masters. But as a disciple of Nangyang Pavilion, that was unacceptable.
One must absorb the principles of an opponent’s techniques and advance them into one’s own unique art.
‘This happened because I mixed such extraordinary martial arts together,’ he realized.
Bu Eunseol bowed deeply. “This disciple has only now awakened from his foolishness.”
[Hmph.]
A demonic aura, as if it could pierce the heavens, flared in Ak Muryeong’s eyes.
[Don’t tell me you think a single excuse will justify disturbing my seclusion.]
A heaven-splitting energy surged behind him. As the Human Demon, Ak Muryeong was unbound by worldly laws or master-disciple relationships.
“I’ll show you,” Bu Eunseol said, a brilliant light flashing in his eyes as he gazed at the energy surging from Ak Muryeong. “That this was worth interrupting your seclusion.”
Whoosh.
A multicolored energy flowed from Bu Eunseol’s body—neither Heavenly Glacial Secret, Yeolha Great True Energy, Ban-Geuk Method, Thirteen Guiding Energies, nor Wishful True Binding.
Ak Muryeong had consistently shown him that overwhelming power could destroy any technique or skill in an instant—a power unique to him, forged through refining Nangyang Pavilion’s martial arts.
Bu Eunseol, too, needed to create his own unique technique.
‘I can’t yet create a technique on the level of the Pavilion Master,’ he thought.
He hadn’t reached the realm of purely creating martial arts. Even his self-created Supreme Heavenly Flow was merely a reinterpretation of Dan Cheong’s swordsmanship and Nangyang Pavilion’s sword techniques.
‘In that case…’
Bu Eunseol recalled the one person he had met with the greatest sense of harmony—the Sacred Sword, Baekri Mujo. With mere furniture arrangement, Baekri had created perfect harmony. Though Bu Eunseol couldn’t yet achieve such harmony, he could at least harmonize what he had learned.
Zing! Rumble!
The multicolored true energy flowing from his body grew denser.
Swish! Swish!
A white whirlwind swirled in his left hand, while a dark red flame roared in his right. He unleashed Thirteen Guiding Energies with the extreme yin energy of Heavenly Glacial Secret and created Wishful True Binding with Yeolha Great True Energy.
Drip, drip.
His qi channels churned, and a thin stream of blood trickled from his lips. What he was attempting was akin to tearing his body in two and splitting his mind into four.
[Who in a real battle waits for you to gather your strength?] Ak Muryeong scoffed, unleashing a mountain-like force toward Bu Eunseol, who was combining various energies.
If struck in this state, Bu Eunseol’s body would shatter.
Zing.
But something strange happened. As Ak Muryeong’s force aimed to destroy him, a golden radiance blocked it.
‘This is what I was waiting for,’ Bu Eunseol thought.
He had anticipated everything—Ak Muryeong wouldn’t wait for him to prepare, and in a crisis, Prajna Great Power would activate automatically.
‘Now!’
Prajna Great Power had always seamlessly embraced any force. As it activated while wielding four different energies, they aligned harmoniously within him.
He didn’t know what this power was or how to define it. But he was confident it was his best effort, harmonizing the energies within his body.
Roar!
The energy enveloped Ak Muryeong and shot into the distant sky.
