Bu Eunseol brushed away the countless thoughts surging in his mind, furrowed his brow, and spoke.
“So what exactly is your true purpose?”
“I already told you. It is to ensure the continued existence of the martial world.”
“Are you saying the martial world will be destroyed?”
“Something very close to that.” Hyeok Ryeon-eung replied calmly. “This faction exists solely to protect the martial world from total annihilation.”
A sharp glint flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
In the end, Hyeok Ryeon-eung—no, the Infinite Realm itself—was carrying out something no different from the Absolute Demonic Blade Project.
“Protect it from what, exactly? Who is going to destroy the martial world?”
“You will hear the answer once you join this faction.”
He had no intention of joining the Infinite Realm. Yet obtaining information about it was no easy task either.
‘I must draw out as much information as possible.’
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and said, “Give me an answer that makes sense. If it is reasonable, I might consider joining the Infinite Realm.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung was a man of profound schemes.
He could not possibly be unaware that Bu Eunseol was not the kind of person to abandon revenge, and that these words were deliberate bait.
Yet for some reason, he willingly opened his mouth.
“You already know that this Realm is divided into three branches.”
“I do.”
“One of those realms is deeply involved in the annihilation of the martial world.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung continued calmly.
“This Realm has long struggled to stop them.”
“So in the end… the Infinite Realm is doing all this to prevent the branch that seeks the destruction of the martial world.” A flash of lightning crossed Bu Eunseol’s pupils.
“Then that branch must be the Clear River Realm?”
In that instant, Hyeok Ryeon-eung narrowed his eyes.
He had instantly realized that Bu Eunseol had made contact with someone from the Clear River Realm.
“That, too, is something I can tell you only if you join this faction.”
“Then let me ask one more thing. Who exactly, and how, plans to annihilate the martial world?”
“Bu Eunseol.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s gaze became deadly serious.
“I will say it once more: every question you have can be answered the moment you join this faction.”
Then, in a low and earnest voice, he added, “Come. Join this faction.”
For a single moment, Bu Eunseol’s heart wavered.
In the past, he would not have even considered the offer.
As the Martial Soul Command Lord, he could not enter any of the three realms.
But his subordinates in the Death Shadow Corps.
His actions and demeanor would exert enormous influence over both Majeon and the demonic path.
For the sake of his revenge, Bu Eunseol did not wish to drag the fates of many others into the storm.
Yet if he were to immerse himself in the Three Realms… not only those connected to him, but the entire demonic path could suffer harm.
‘But…’
What if the Infinite Realm truly pursued a noble purpose?
What if their true goal was indeed to save the martial world?
Would it not be acceptable to join them?
‘Besides, I do not have much time left.’
He could not keep Seo Jinha exposed to danger forever while shuttling between Majeon and the Martial Alliance. In that case, would it not be the wiser choice to enter the Infinite Realm as quickly as possible, grasp the full structure of the three factions…
…and then find and exact revenge upon his grandfather’s killer?
Bu Eunseol soon shook his head.
He could not do that.
Had he not sworn upon So Jamyeong’s grave that he would have his revenge?
If he devoted himself to the Infinite Realm, cutting off Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s head would become a distant dream.
“It seems the matter of So Jamyeong still weighs on your mind.”
As expected of a master of Mind-Reading Arts, Hyeok Ryeon-eung had read Bu Eunseol’s thoughts from his expression alone.
“Serve this faction loyally for ten years—no, five years will suffice.”
Then he made an astonishing proposal.
“If you do, then five years from now, you may take my head without any objection from me.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Because if it is you, you will surely fulfill this faction’s long-cherished wish.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung spoke with solemn gravity.
“In that case, my own head is a small price to pay.”
“Are you saying you would throw away your life just to recruit me?”
“Heh heh heh. If sacrificing this one body can ensure the survival of the martial world, I would do so gladly.”
From Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s demeanor, it was clear.
He truly believed he was carrying out a sacred mission.
“Look at it this way. If this faction’s actions were for personal gain, I could never make you such an offer.”
“Everything you did to attack me until now—wasn’t it to regain your former position?”
“Of course. There are things within this faction that only I can do.” Hyeok Ryeon-eung stared straight at Bu Eunseol. “But if it is you who takes my place… I would have no regrets.”
It was an impressively self-sacrificial attitude, yet Bu Eunseol felt no emotion whatsoever.
From the beginning, he had no intention of coexisting with the Three Realms, nor did he harbor any noble calling to save the martial world.
His only goal was to uncover the full truth behind the murderer who killed his grandfather and eliminate every last person connected to that crime.
Still, listening to Hyeok Ryeon-eung, he realized one thing clearly: only by entering the Three Realms could he learn their true nature.
“Then I will first cut off your head, offer it before Lord So’s spirit tablet, and only afterward join the Three Realms.”
“That would be acceptable, but joining this faction comes first.”
“Are you afraid I will break my word?”
“I know well that you keep the words you speak. However, the process of entering this faction is not so simple.” Hyeok Ryeon-eung declared firmly. “Once you complete all the required procedures to join, I will immediately answer every question you have.”
“Questions?”
“Yes. If you pass the trial required to enter this faction… I will tell you everything you have ever wished to know.”
Bu Eunseol could not understand it at all.
Why was he so desperate to recruit him into the Infinite Realm?
Why was a man like Hyeok Ryeon-eung explaining things in such exhaustive detail, trying to win him over?
How had the great demonic sovereign who once radiated power enough to hold up the heavens suddenly turned into a scheming strategist lowering his head?
“You must find it strange.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung gave a faint smile, as if he had seen straight through Bu Eunseol’s heart.
“But that, too, is something you will understand once you join the Infinite Realm.”
“Very well.” Bu Eunseol nodded, as though he had made up his mind. “If the Infinite Realm’s purpose is truly—as you say—to save the martial world, and it harbors no selfish motives whatsoever…”
He spoke in the lowest possible voice.
“Then I will join it.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course. However, as promised, five years from now I will place your head before Lord So’s spirit tablet.”
Inside, Hyeok Ryeon-eung was leaping with joy.
Killing Bu Eunseol would never be easy, but recruiting him had seemed utterly impossible.
Yet if he could bring him into the Infinite Realm?
There would be no need to risk everything trying to kill him, and he himself would earn an unimaginable merit.
“But I have one condition.”
Bu Eunseol continued calmly.
“If the Infinite Realm is acting out of private greed—if it has any purpose beyond eliminating the force that would destroy the martial world as you claim…”
His voice turned ice-cold.
“I will leave the Infinite Realm at once and mobilize every ounce of my power to annihilate it first.”
If anyone else had said such a thing, Hyeok Ryeon-eung would have laughed in scorn.
Threatening the three factions was unthinkable.
Yet when Bu Eunseol said it, it did not sound funny in the slightest.
“Very well.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung nodded.
“I swear to you: this faction is not the absolute evil you imagine. It has merely been a means to protect the martial world.”
It was a startling answer.
Bu Eunseol had expected him to dodge the question cleverly or insist he confirm it himself after joining.
Yet he confidently declared that the Infinite Realm was not “absolute evil.”
“Good.”
Bu Eunseol nodded without hesitation.
“I will join the Infinite Realm.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung was practically dancing inside.
Even if they offered any position of power within the Three Realms, the seat of successor to Majeon was one most people would only accept with indifference.
Yet the future ruler of Majeon—the next master of the demonic path—was coming to them?
And it was Bu Eunseol, who possessed both the greatest talent and intellect in the demonic path?
He would drastically shorten the time needed to achieve the Infinite Realm’s goals.
“You have chosen wisely.” Hyeok Ryeon-eung hid his delight and spoke calmly. “However, there are things you must endure to enter this faction.”
“Speak.”
“To join, one must receive several great laws.”
“Great laws?”
“Yes. You could call them a kind of trial.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Human loyalty can change at any moment.
Throughout history, the only way secret societies kept their secrets was through strict discipline and prohibitions.
Compared to that, enduring a few great laws was nothing.
“I will endure them.”
“How refreshing. Good.” Hyeok Ryeon-eung took a deep breath.
“In truth, there are two ways to enter this faction. One is…”
“To place a prohibition using the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words, I presume.”
Bu Eunseol recalled the final moments of the blue-eyed man who had once belonged to the Martial Alliance. The moment he tried to reveal secrets about the Infinite Realm, his heart had stopped as though struck by sudden death.
Having witnessed that, Bu Eunseol had already guessed that the Infinite Realm used the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words as a means of preserving secrecy.
“Correct. But that technique no longer works on you.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung wore an expression of incomprehension.
“Unless you have reached the Limitless Realm, you must have either created a perfect spiritual barrier or completed a heart mantra.”
Bu Eunseol immediately changed the subject. “Then what is the second method?”
“This faction possesses a secret art that allows one to peer into all Three Treasures. Through that art, we examine everything inside you, and if you are deemed worthy, you become a member of this faction.”
The Three Treasures referred to Essence, Energy, and Spirit—the totality of what constitutes a human being.
“You’re saying it can peer thoroughly into a person’s mind, body, and even the flow of their energy?”
“Exactly. Once Essence, Energy, and Spirit have all been examined and it is confirmed that you would never betray us, you become one of us.”
Bu Eunseol was genuinely astonished.
A miraculous secret art that could perfectly see into the body, mind, and the flow of energy?
Was that not something even the Demon Emperor, the greatest of the demonic path, could not do?
“Heh heh heh. This faction has ruled the martial world for generations.” Seeing Bu Eunseol’s shock, Hyeok Ryeon-eung smiled with pride. “Had we not possessed a great law capable of peering into the very essence of a human being, this faction’s existence and true nature would have been exposed long ago.”
‘Impossible.’
Bu Eunseol faintly shook his head.
‘As expected, this man’s words cannot be taken at face value.’
Even back at the Wei King’s residence, he had brazenly lied that the Illusion King was his disciple. Even if such a great art existed, claiming it could examine all of Essence, Energy, and Spirit was almost certainly an exaggeration.
“Then in practice, the three factions are structured so that betrayal is impossible.”
“That was true…”
“Was true? What do you mean?”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung, lost in deep thought, shook his head.
“Then shall we begin the trial at once?”
“Now?”
“Yes.” He spoke as though it were nothing. “Of course, the real trial will take place once we reach the Realm properly. What we do now is merely a preliminary examination.”
A violet gleam flowed from his eyes.
“I simply wish to determine whether you truly intend to join this faction… or whether you are a spy sent to ruin our grand design.”
After a brief moment of consideration, Bu Eunseol nodded readily.
“Very well.”
There had been no lie in anything he said so far.
Even if this were not a preliminary but the full examination of Essence, Energy, and Spirit, there was nothing that would trip him up.
“Let us go inside.” Hyeok Ryeon-eung pointed toward the stone mountain. “The examination is best performed where no light can enter.”
Bu Eunseol followed him into a massive cavern carved inside the mountain.
Deep within, Hyeok Ryeon-eung held something out to him.
“Swallow this.”
It was a transparent glass vial containing a single golden pill.
“What is it?”
“A secret pill of this faction called the Emotion-Gathering Pill. It was created for those immune to mind-reading arts, like yourself.”
Gulp.
Without asking further, Bu Eunseol swallowed the Emotion-Gathering Pill.
As long as the Ban-Geuk Method circulated through his body, he was impervious to all poisons.
Moreover, Hyeok Ryeon-eung currently had no reason to harm him, so he took the pill without worry.
“Hm.” Yet even after some time passed, he felt nothing unusual.
“Is it normal to feel no reaction at all?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Hyeok Ryeon-eung looked flustered.
Once the Emotion-Gathering Pill was ingested, only a single thought should violently dominate the mind. In that state, no matter how great the master, they would inevitably fall under the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words.
Yet nearly an entire ke (about 15 minutes) had passed, and Bu Eunseol still stood there with clear eyes, perfectly calm.
“Hmm.” Stroking his chin, Hyeok Ryeon-eung pointed to Bu Eunseol’s wrist. “I think I need to take your pulse for a moment.”
For a martial artist to offer his pulse point was the same as handing over his life.
Yet Bu Eunseol extended his hand without a second word.
“You trust me?”
“I trust my own ability, that is all.”
“That works too.”
Smiling faintly, Hyeok Ryeon-eung grasped Bu Eunseol’s pulse without hesitation.
And then he began directly injecting the Soul-Wounding Spirit-Damaging Art—a technique he had co-created long ago with Do Song-baek of the former Seopcheon Sect—that could produce the same effect as the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words.
In that instant, searing pain flared at Bu Eunseol’s pulse, and scorching heat began flooding into his mind.
“Do not resist. I am merely performing the great law to look into your spirit for a moment.” Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s voice echoed as though from far away, and at the same time, Bu Eunseol’s eyes closed as if he had fallen into deep sleep.
Bubble, bubble.
He felt as though he were sinking into deep water.
‘Father?’
Astonishingly, his father’s face began to appear faintly.
He was as tall as the current Bu Eunseol, with long phoenix-like eyes filled with draconic majesty.
He favored luxurious robes and always wore an elegant smile on his lips.
‘My eyes resemble Father’s.’
In his vision, Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
He was simply overjoyed.
He had always wondered what his father looked like, and now the image had suddenly surfaced.
‘Aside from the eyes, I don’t seem to resemble him much—perhaps the rest comes from Mother.’
As Bu Eunseol smiled pleasantly within the vision,
Crash!
His father’s face suddenly shattered like glass,
BOOM!
The heavens and earth shook, and Bu Eunseol’s body was hurled dozens of zhang backward.
Hyeok Ryeon-eung had suddenly struck his chest with ferocious palm force.
BAM!
“Puhat!”
Sent flying in a straight line by the palm force and crashing into the ground, Bu Eunseol immediately spat out a thick mouthful of blood.
The palm force had been far stronger than expected, instantly wounding his inner organs.
“You bastard!” With another furious roar, Hyeok Ryeon-eung unleashed lightning-like palm force straight at Bu Eunseol’s face.
Even before it made contact, his skin felt as though it would tear apart.
That was how terrifying the power was.
Whirr!
Bu Eunseol barely dodged using Swift Beyond Shadow.
“So your mind changed the moment it came time to offer your neck?”
“Silence!”
The eyes that had always been gentle now blazed with mad, flickering light.
“You must die!”
Swoosh!
As he extended his left hand, Bu Eunseol’s blood instantly began to boil. Hyeok Ryeon-eung was using the Blood Emperor’s martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
“Die right now!”
When he thrust out his right hand, searing heat capable of melting the world poured forth.
It was the Flame Emperor’s Energy.
Shockingly, he was simultaneously unleashing the martial arts of both Blood Emperor and Flame Emperor with his two hands.
Paaat!
Bu Eunseol extended one hand and released a torrent of energy.
The outpouring Flame Emperor Energy and Blood Emperor Energy began to falter.
He had executed the Heavenly Glacial Secret.
“Why are you trying to kill me?” While pouring out extreme yin force, Bu Eunseol shouted loudly.
But Hyeok Ryeon-eung only widened his bloodshot eyes and continued unleashing martial techniques without pause.
‘Hyeok Ryeon-eung… just what did he see?’
Hyeok Ryeon-eung was a master who had reached the pinnacle of mind-reading arts; his spirit would never waver from external influence.
Yet now he was greatly shaken, and the color of fear could be glimpsed in his eyes.
Bu Eunseol sensed it instinctively.
While performing the great law, Hyeok Ryeon-eung had seen something in his memories. And because of what he saw, he had fallen into madness and was attacking.
“If you do not answer, I will counterattack.” Even at Bu Eunseol’s final warning, Hyeok Ryeon-eung showed no reaction.
‘I will subdue him first, then ask.’
KWAAAAA!
Fierce energy swirled violently from Bu Eunseol’s right hand.
While executing the Heavenly Glacial Secret, he simultaneously unleashed the Yeolha Great True Energy.
PAAAAA!
The distance between them was too close, and Hyeok Ryeon-eung was pouring out Flame Emperor and Blood Emperor techniques, while Bu Eunseol simultaneously unleashed extreme yang and extreme yin forces.
Their figures were obscured by a spherical wave of energy, and the ground for thirty zhang around began to crack as though an earthquake had struck.
‘There is no need to continue this clash of strength.’
Bu Eunseol instantly leaped into the air and extended his left hand.
Two strands of meridian force shot from his shoulder and pierced into Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s arms.
He had executed the Thirteen Guiding Energies.
Sizzle!
Yet when struck by the Thirteen Guiding Energies, a sound like grinding metal rang out from Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s body.
“So you have been learning orthodox sect martial arts.”
Despite being hit by the Thirteen Guiding Energies, not a single wound appeared on his body.
Crack, crack, crack.
At the same time, the color of his skin was changing.
It gleamed strangely, as though his entire body had turned to metal. Seeing this, Bu Eunseol realized something.
“So this is why he kept creating Bound Asuras.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s body had become hard enough to shrug off even the Thirteen Guiding Energies, which could slice through iron. Moreover, both Flame Emperor and Blood Emperor techniques were still pouring from his arms.
Body reconstruction and martial art implantation.
The abilities continually displayed by the Bound Asuras were now being reproduced—not in a corpse puppet, but in the perfectly intact body of Hyeok Ryeon-eung himself.
In other words, the Three Realms had been researching a secret method capable of granting humans an overwhelmingly powerful body like the Bound Asuras and implanting multiple martial arts into a single person.
