Thump, thump.
His heart pounded wildly.
Bu Eunseol clenched his fists tightly and bit his lip. The overwhelming desire to draw his black sword and fight surged within him.
[…] As Ak Muryeong gazed into Bu Eunseol’s blazing eyes, a sudden smile spread across his face.
[You’ve stepped into the threshold of the Supreme Heaven Realm.] Though he stood right before him, Ak Muryeong’s voice still reverberated through the heavens and earth. [And there are traces of your spirit being tempered as well…]
As he smiled, the otherworldly presence of a demonic ruler transformed, as if he had donned a human guise. The terrifying gleam in his eyes softened like sunlight, and the beastly ferocity shifted into a majestic aura, like a towering mountain. If anyone were to meet the gaze of the Nangyang Pavilion Leader at this moment, they would never forget it for the rest of their life.
“Bu Eunseol, disciple of the Nangyang Pavilion…” As Bu Eunseol bowed to pay his respects,
Rumble.
A low thunder echoed, and the ground began to tremble as if struck by an earthquake.
[A disciple of the Nangyang Pavilion?]
“…”
[A disciple of the Nangyang Pavilion dares to seek the position of Majeon’s Leader without the Pavilion Leader’s permission?!]
His aura shifted once more.
The majestic martial arts master, like a great mountain, transformed back into the great demon king of a dark realm.
[Answer me. Why did you seek the position of Majeon’s Leader?] Ak Muryeong’s voice was low, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
It was as Dan Cheong had warned.
Not only was Ak Muryeong in a foul mood, but he seemed furious that Bu Eunseol had taken the role of Majeon’s Leader without permission.
Bu Eunseol hesitated.
He realized the Pavilion Leader was not someone who tolerated defiance.
‘A true demon.’ The Human Demon, Ak Muryeong.
As the leader of the Nangyang Pavilion, he was a great demon who cared little even for the lives of his sect’s disciples.
“I had to become the Leader,” Bu Eunseol said after deep thought. “For a disciple of this Pavilion, there is only victory, never defeat.”
To seize the advantage in Majeon’s successor race, he needed loyal followers.
For victory.
That was what Bu Eunseol was saying. Ak Muryeong fixed his mystically gleaming eyes on Bu Eunseol’s face.
[You have no intention of giving it up.] Had he deduced it from Bu Eunseol’s resolute expression, or could he, like the Demon Emperor, peer into another’s spirit?
He saw through Bu Eunseol’s heart instantly.
[The position of Majeon’s successor.]
“That’s correct.”
[Do you think you’ve gained the upper hand?] Ak Muryeong looked down at Bu Eunseol with cold eyes. [With your pitiful martial arts, just because you killed an old man bloated with false fame?]
Though he held the lowest rank among them, Geul Wang was one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
Yet Ak Muryeong called him a “pitifully weak old man.”
[With your current skill, you cannot withstand those who aim for the title of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.]
“I am a disciple of the Nangyang Pavilion,” Bu Eunseol said firmly. “I will not shy away from any fight.”
Rumble.
A thunderous voice shook the clear sky once more.
[You’re delusional.] Ak Muryeong looked at Bu Eunseol with a mocking curl of his lips.
[Do you think this Pavilion Leader summoned you out of fondness?]
“…”
[Sado Muryeong. That man seeks to control everything with the word ‘fate.’]
Bu Eunseol’s eyes wavered.
It was a doubt he had briefly felt during his duel with Geul Wang.
Could it be that the Demon Emperor deliberately made him learn the Emotion Severing Secret to render him emotionless, to control him more easily?
[This Pavilion will no longer allow its disciples to be his puppets.]
An unexpected statement.
Did it imply that some Nangyang Pavilion disciples had their fates altered by the Demon Emperor?
“I…” Bu Eunseol started to speak but closed his mouth.
He recalled the advice of Dan Cheong, the Vice-Sect Leader.
—Never argue with the Pavilion Leader. I’ll handle the rest.
“I understand,” Bu Eunseol said, reluctantly bowing with clasped hands.
Dan Cheong had promised to take responsibility, so he would. For now, he had to escape the gaze of this great demon who tolerated no defiance.
But something was off.
Even though he gave the desired answer, a pair of icy eyes sharply scanned his entire body.
A displeased, uncomfortable gaze.
[You’re not pursuing the path of martial arts.] Ak Muryeong, his eyes now blazing like a demon’s, stared intently at Bu Eunseol.
[You merely seek to become stronger.]
Bu Eunseol flinched inwardly.
Like the Demon Emperor, the Nangyang Pavilion Leader seemed to possess the ability to see through not just physical prowess but the heart itself.
“Isn’t pursuing martial arts also about becoming stronger?” Bu Eunseol countered.
Ak Muryeong spoke in a solemn voice.
[Pursuing martial arts is about realizing the ultimate truth of martial arts and reaching an absolute realm.] Pausing briefly, he continued. [It’s different from merely becoming stronger.]
Ak Muryeong’s suspicion was spot-on.
Bu Eunseol didn’t aim to see the end of martial arts or reach an absolute realm. His goal was to become strong enough to defeat formidable foes.
[I command…] As if sensing something, Ak Muryeong’s sharp gaze swept over Bu Eunseol’s body.
[You will undergo five years of secluded training in this Pavilion.]
Bu Eunseol’s eyes wavered like ripples.
If he agreed to this, even if Dan Cheong smoothed things over, he could not return to Majeon with honor. Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol realized an unavoidable moment had come.
“I cannot do that.”
Boom.
At that moment, a massive explosion erupted in Bu Eunseol’s mind. Ak Muryeong hadn’t attacked his body but struck directly at his formless spirit.
‘Ugh.’ As Bu Eunseol staggered,
Boom.
Another strange explosion echoed in his mind.
‘Ugh.’ Finally, Bu Eunseol stumbled back a step, as if drunk on strong liquor.
[Did this Pavilion Leader permit you to talk back?] His voice, resounding from all directions, weighed down on Bu Eunseol like thousands of pounds of iron.
‘This is the Pavilion Leader’s power…’
The Human Demon, Ak Muryeong.
He was materializing the formless power of the spirit, striking Bu Eunseol’s mind. This was possible not merely because of high inner energy but because his martial arts had reached a mystical, profound realm.
‘An intangible attack that cannot be cut with a sword or blocked with inner energy…’
[Hmph.] Ak Muryeong sneered as Bu Eunseol staggered instantly.
Martial artists were accustomed to physical pain but often vulnerable to mental anguish. Especially peerless prodigies who easily reached high realms with exceptional talent and physique.
Yet, a glint appeared in Ak Muryeong’s eyes.
Bu Eunseol, who had been staggering, quickly regained a calm expression, standing composed.
[Not bad.]
‘Ugh.’ As Ak Muryeong’s voice echoed again, Bu Eunseol’s body trembled. The low, eerie sound alone caused a pain as if his brain were melting.
‘I must endure.’ Frowning, Bu Eunseol focused his mind. Soon, his expression returned to calm.
Ak Muryeong’s eyebrows twitched. He realized Bu Eunseol’s spirit was unimaginably resilient.
[Interesting. Very interesting.] His echoing voice became a spinning blade, piercing Bu Eunseol’s steely spirit.
Whoosh!
An indescribable force crushed Bu Eunseol’s mind.
For an ordinary person, this strike would have shattered their mind or turned them into an idiot. But Bu Eunseol only briefly furrowed his brow.
His spirit was innately strong.
Moreover, since meeting Bu Zhanyang, he had trained under the guise of “corpse play,” locked in a coffin, overcoming distractions and fear while cultivating inner energy. His spirit’s resilience rivaled that of a high monk who had practiced mysterious arts for decades.
[Heh heh heh.] As Bu Eunseol calmly withstood his mental attack, Ak Muryeong let out a low laugh. His eyes flashed, and he began to amplify the force several times over.
Chirp, chirp.
In this serene place, only the occasional bird calls echoed.
Iron Staff Peak was filled with a peaceful atmosphere, with warm spring breezes blowing.
But in reality, a cataclysmic battle was unfolding. Ak Muryeong poured out intangible, immense power to destroy Bu Eunseol’s mind, while Bu Eunseol, with a fortified spirit, resisted with all his might.
Drip, drip.
Thick veins bulged on Bu Eunseol’s face.
As Ak Muryeong’s relentless mental assault continued, his mental strength began to reach its limit. Hallucinations flickered before his eyes, and his body’s strength began to drain.
It was a despair and emptiness incomparable to physical pain.
Then, Ak Muryeong’s low voice resounded.
[If this continues for another half-quarter, you’ll become an idiot or a cripple.] As the solemn words of the Nangyang Pavilion Leader, they could not be false.
But Bu Eunseol’s stubbornness flared.
“Even if you can destroy my body, Pavilion Leader…” Raising his head defiantly, he stared into Ak Muryeong’s blazing eyes. “You cannot destroy my spirit.”
[Hahaha!]
Boom!
As his sky-shattering laughter erupted, a powerful explosion rocked Bu Eunseol’s mind.
Splash.
Simultaneously, he felt as if he had fallen into an endlessly deep lake, his eyes losing focus. The immense force spreading from his spirit had pushed his ego into an inescapable abyss.
[How dare you defy this Pavilion Leader.]
Bu Eunseol, recognized by all of Nangyang Pavilion as a legitimate successor. Yet, even as he fell into the abyss, losing his ego, Ak Muryeong showed no regret.
—If you sharply sever the emotions in your heart, what could stand in your way?
As Bu Eunseol sank into the endless abyss, losing consciousness, a strange voice suddenly echoed in his ears.
“…?” Opening his eyes, he saw black flames burning. They were the teachings of the Emotion Severing Secret.
‘The Emotion Severing Secret…’
Mastering it would allow him to perfect the Wishful True Binding.
But Bu Eunseol, unwilling to erase his emotions, had deliberately purged it from his mind. Yet, whenever his spirit’s resilience faltered, those teachings were etched into his mind like a brand.
‘If you sharply sever the emotions in your heart…’ As he instinctively recited the Emotion Severing Secret’s teachings, his ego, sinking into the abyss, began to find its place again.
As hallucinations faded and distractions lessened, his body responded.
Simultaneously, the Wishful True Binding activated on its own, and black flames flickered around Bu Eunseol’s body.
These began to push back Ak Muryeong’s mental attacks.
[This is…] Seeing the black energy emanating from Bu Eunseol, Ak Muryeong’s eyes widened.
Rumble!
A vibration that shook the heavens and earth emanated from around Bu Eunseol.
Black energy coursed through his body, and his eyes turned pitch black. By unleashing the Wishful True Binding under Ak Muryeong’s attack, the Emotion Severing Secret’s power had once again deeply embedded itself in his spirit.
[Sado Muryeong. That man’s doing.] Ak Muryeong’s brow furrowed. [He’s created another bizarre teaching that defies martial principles.]
Instantly grasping Bu Eunseol’s state, a smile curled Ak Muryeong’s lips.
[Heh heh heh. Hahaha!] As his thunderous laughter echoed, the black energy emanating from Bu Eunseol grew denser.
[Sado Muryeong!] Realizing the Demon Emperor’s martial purification had taken root in Bu Eunseol’s spirit, Ak Muryeong roared skyward.
[Are you challenging me again with this Pavilion’s disciple?!] An immense force poured out, crushing Bu Eunseol’s body.
Illusion Upon Illusion. The power he unleashed was a peerless martial art that layered illusion upon illusion.
It materialized tangible force in the intangible spirit.
Hum!
The black energy enveloping Bu Eunseol spread like thousands of threads, counteracting the crushing pressure. Bu Eunseol had defended against an intangible force with materialized energy.
—This gem-like prodigy…
It was as if the Demon Emperor’s voice echoed in Ak Muryeong’s mind.
—Can you destroy him?
Bu Eunseol’s body harbored the heart method created by the Demon Emperor. It couldn’t be extracted or separated. In other words, the Demon Emperor was proposing another contest.
To eliminate that power, Bu Eunseol would have to be killed.
—By your own hand.
A normal martial artist might hesitate, even slightly, to kill their own disciple.
[I accept this challenge!]
But Ak Muryeong, without hesitation, poured intangible force into Bu Eunseol’s meridians.
Omd🔥