It was not a mere gust of wind.
It was a ripple of destruction that seemed capable of annihilating even primordial chaos.
Whoosh!
As the wind covered heaven and earth, howling like the breath of a god, Bu Eunseol instinctively raised his internal power. However, the boy frowned and shouted coldly.
“I am trying to help you, so do not move.”
“While attacking me?”
“Does this look like an attack to you?”
Whoosh!
The blue wind unleashed a sharp roar, but it merely swirled around Bu Eunseol’s body; it did not pour out any particularly lethal strikes.
‘It is not an attack.’
Furthermore, though that blue wind was incomparably fierce, it did not harbor the inherent power to destroy or crush things. Instead, it possessed an energy of colors so profound and mysterious that its nature could not be grasped.
‘Just as he said, it doesn’t seem like he intends to attack.’
“Absolutely do not move. If you do, your physical body will suffer.”
Flash.
The boy spread the wind once more. Bu Eunseol, deciding to trust him for the moment, stoically accepted the wind.
Kwah-oooo.
Then, the wind did not simply blow past him but coalesced around his shoulder for a while.
Swish! Swish-sh-sh!
At the same time, it began to rotate violently. How much time had passed?
Ssssss.
Suddenly, white smoke billowed from near his shoulder, and something transparent began to fall away.
It was a bizarre and alien mass that he had never once detected until now.
“What is this?”
“One of the secret techniques of the Baekri Clan. It’s similar to attaching a watcher that can never be felt.”
Bu Eunseol’s ultra-sensitivity could detect a bug the size of a millet grain within three hundred yards. Yet, he had failed to detect something clinging to his own back?
“But now that you have sensed that power, you will never be monitored by the Baekri Clan again.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
When grandmasters capture an alien sensation, they never forget it. It was a similar principle to when he went to find the Wood Buddha in the past; after Bu Eunseol had used the Wind-Cloud Divine Qi to hide before Baekri Mujo several times, Baekri Mujo eventually grasped that subtle yet alien sensation and found him.
“First, let us proceed with the Covenant. As for your true identity, we can settle that step by step after the Covenant…”
Just as the boy was continuing his words—
Zzzzt, zzzzzzt!
Something unexpected occurred. Suddenly, black sparks flew from Bu Eunseol’s shoulder. It was a reaction similar to a branch martial art being absorbed by a source martial art.
“The Black Secret Arts?”
“What is that now?”
“Silence!”
Slide.
Along with the shout, the boy—who was only five feet tall—instantly transformed into a clean-looking old man, six feet tall and wearing clothes embroidered with dragon patterns.
“You scoundrel!”
Blue sparks flew from the eyes of the boy—no, the old man of the Sacred Domain.
“Reveal your identity this instant!”
Kwahng!
An explosive sound spread in all directions. The old man of the Sacred Domain had unleashed a strike like a thunderbolt, slamming his palm into Bu Eunseol’s chest.
Zzzzt.
But something even more bizarre happened.
Vroom.
The entire Absolute Boundary shook like a wave, and instead of Bu Eunseol being harmed, the old man of the Sacred Domain was pushed back over a dozen yards.
“T-This fellow?”
The old man’s eyes widened. He had struck with the Power of Cosmic Creation, a force that no one who practiced the secret arts of the Sacred Domain could survive unscathed.
Yet, it had not worked?
“Has this brat not only stolen the Black Secret Arts, the true secret technique of this Sacred Domain… but gained another power as well?”
“What on earth are you talking about? Explain it so I can understand…”
“Do not play tricks!”
Kwahng!
A mysterious light spread from the old man’s body, and a power that seemed capable of crushing heaven and earth spread out behind him like a spiderweb. Bu Eunseol knew he was gathering strength, but he felt no desire to take advantage of the opening and attack.
“Finally… I have found you, the traitor who betrayed this Sacred Domain!”
The voice full of rage became a thunder that tore through the sky, echoing everywhere.
‘There is a misunderstanding.’
Seeing the enraged old man, Bu Eunseol conflicted for a moment. He sensed that if he did not properly reveal his identity, this misunderstanding would never be resolved.
‘It cannot be helped.’
Bu Eunseol hesitated briefly. If he revealed his identity, the old man would know that he was the Lord of the Martial Soul Society.
—Stay alive.
Suddenly, the words the old man had said to him in the past came to mind.
Even though he had realized Bu Eunseol was a half-blood of the two Great Clans, he was the one who promised to keep that secret and urged him not to reveal it to the outside world.
‘He has kept that promise well until now.’
If the old man had talked, the members of the Baekri Clan or the True Demon would not have left Bu Eunseol, the Martial Soul Command Lord, alone.
‘He would have found out because of those parchments anyway.’
If the Covenant were forced, a situation where his identity was exposed would likely arise. After thinking deeply, Bu Eunseol finally—
Slide.
Using the power within his body, he released his disguise and spoke in his original voice.
“I truly do not know what you are talking about, Old Man.”
Thud.
In that instant, the jaw of the old man—who had been holding a power that seemed ready to tear the sky—dropped to his chest.
The unique and complete half-blood of the Baekri and True Demon clans, Bu Eunseol.
How, just how… could he harbor even the secret arts of the Sacred Domain in one body? How could such a thing happen?
“You.”
The old man shook his head in disbelief.
“How did you master the secret arts of this Sacred Domain?”
“I did not master them; I was injected with them.”
“Injected?”
Bu Eunseol spoke honestly.
“To be precise, I was attacked.”
“Attacked?”
The old man was so shocked that he repeated Bu Eunseol’s words like a child.
“So…”
Bu Eunseol had no choice. He told him about Hwa Mugi, who had lured him to the Hongsa Gorge in the past.
“…While fighting him, he drew out the energy of the Boundary Prosperity Jade within my body. As a reaction, a portion of the power he held flowed into my forearm.”
“Boundary Prosperity Jade? You were absorbing a large amount of its energy? How is such a thing possible?”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t bring himself to say it happened in a stone chamber where the jades collected by the Martial Venerable was kept, so he made a vague excuse.
“In the past, I entered a mysterious place and discovered a location with numerous Boundary Prosperity Jades. It seems the power injected there entered my body for a time.”
The old man frowned and said, “That is something only you could do. Originally, it is impossible to absorb the power of the Boundary Prosperity Jade all at once.”
Because Bu Eunseol possessed a body that could mix all powers, he was able to absorb the energy contained in a large amount of the Jade. If it were an ordinary person, their body would have exploded.
Bu Eunseol said calmly, “And I realized that this power allows me to perform a perfect disguise, changing not just my appearance but even the blood vessels and fine hairs of my body.”
“Is that true?”
“It is.”
And he readily held out his left forearm.
“Check for yourself.”
“You trust me?”
“I do not trust you, Old Man; I trust the name of the Sacred Domain.”
The old man wore a suspicious expression for a moment, then carefully examined the arm held out to him. After touching the arm for a long time, changing his fingers as if taking a pulse, he nodded.
“It is true. It is certainly the Black Secret Arts that the traitor refined to the Realm of Great Completion.”
The old man nodded. “It was injected from the outside. Furthermore…”
He shook his head and lamented. “Just what have you done to your body for it to reach this state?”
At a glance, it looked ordinary. However, his physical body had reached a state that had never appeared in the martial world until now, a state that could not be described in words.
The Universe.
His body, in which all sorts of powers were mixed and constantly expanding, was like the universe—expanding infinitely without anything being revealed about what it was made of or where its end was.
“Is it strange?”
“Is it strange? You call that a question? A thing like this, in the history of the martial world…”
Seeing Bu Eunseol’s nonchalant face—completely unconcerned by his own shock—the old man sighed and nodded.
He was the child of Baekri Muha and the Holy Maiden Saya. Furthermore, he was the successor raised with the lifeblood of Bu Zhanyang, who could be called the greatest blade of all time… even if he emitted the Primordial Spirit Light from his forehead like a Buddha, it was not something to be surprised about.
“Fine. Everything you do is like that.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
In the end, the old man of the Sacred Domain—just like the acquaintances by Bu Eunseol’s side—gave up on trying to fully comprehend or understand the miraculous abilities he possessed.
“But what did you mean by ‘traitor’? Whom are you talking about?”
The old man shook his head. “This is a matter of the Sacred Domain.”
“I told you my story, so shouldn’t you tell me yours, Old Man?”
After contemplating for a moment, the old man spoke as if he had no choice.
“There was a traitor in this Sacred Domain.”
He continued in a low voice.
“That fellow read and burned the Secret Book of Darkness without permission, killed the disciples of this Sacred Domain, and escaped. He has been fleeing for decades, evading our pursuit.”
“For decades… then.”
“The person who lured you to the Hongsa Gorge was likely the traitor of this Sacred Domain.”
Bu Eunseol was surprised. “Then that man was not the real Hwa Mugi; he stole the identity of a high-ranking official in Majeon.”
“We cannot know. The Black Secret Arts completely transforms the physical body, so it can even deceive a god. It is impossible to know unless he reveals his identity himself.”
Those words meant it was impossible to be sure whether the traitor had temporarily stolen the identity of a Majeon official or if he had been someone within Majeon all along.
“However, what is certain,” The old man continued, “is that since he lost this much power to you, he will not be able to perform the perfect secret art as he did before.”
‘Then it’s possible that the Chief Instructor is the traitor of the Sacred Domain.’
Bu Eunseol wore a strange expression.
In fact, he had suspected that the mysterious person who lured him to the Hongsa Gorge was Chief Instructor Yeop Hyocheon. The note had definitely been delivered from Majeon, and the number of people who could deliver such a note to him was limited.
‘But if he is the traitor of the Sacred Domain, would he really need to continue a dangerous tightrope walk by the Demon Emperor’s side?’
With this power, he could even become an Emperor and steal anyone’s identity. There was no need to maintain the position of Chief Instructor under the Demon Emperor, handling all sorts of miscellaneous tasks for Majeon.
“You know something,” the old man said, noticing Bu Eunseol’s expression. “Tell me. Who is it?”
“To be honest, I have suspected the Chief Instructor all along.”
“The Dark King, Yeop Hyocheon?”
“Yes. Except for people like the Demon Emperor, the Lord of the Gathering Demon Hall, or Hall Lord Baek Jeoncheon, who are off the list of suspects, only he could have left such a letter in my office.”
“I see.”
The old man of the Sacred Domain looked troubled.
Majeon was a Middle Heaven territory, and a member of the Sacred Domain could not intrude recklessly. Furthermore, if they tried to test Yeop Hyocheon—who was always in Majeon and almost possessed the strength of the Three Demons—the Sacred Domain might suffer a backlash instead.
“But to think you were the Lord of the Martial Soul Society.”
The old man immediately turned the subject with a sigh. “You are stirring up the martial world beyond even my expectations.”
He continued, “But this was reckless. If I hadn’t come…”
As he spoke, the old man’s expression turned peculiar. He had realized something from looking at Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Did you already expect and anticipate that I would come?”
Bu Eunseol showed a faint smile. “I simply believed your words from before, Old Man.”
In the past, the old man had explained to Bu Eunseol that the Sacred Domain was a place that controlled the martial world to prevent it from affecting the fight between the Baekri and True Demon clans, who dominated the world. Bu Eunseol had believed that.
“Why did you think the Sacred Domain would appear?”
“Because that is the only way to prove that the martial world is not just a playground for the Baekri and True Demon clans.”
“Heh heh heh. Hahaha!”
The old man laughed heartily, as if he liked that answer. “You truly are a madman.”
Until now, he had witnessed countless brilliant young people being broken by the hands of grandmasters before they could even bloom. But he had never seen a madman like Bu Eunseol, who—at such a young age—not only stood shoulder to shoulder with them but even tried to use the power of the Sacred Domain.
‘His wisdom and ability to analyze situations and predict the future… are truly on par with the Heavenly Mechanism Star.’
As he looked at Bu Eunseol with satisfaction—
“However, I did not expect my disguise to be discovered,” Bu Eunseol shrugged. “If another member of the Sacred Domain had come, it would have been a disaster.”
“So, do you intend to fight against the Baekri and True Demon clans from now on? Even knowing it is a fight with no chance of winning?”
“I do not know,” Bu Eunseol said honestly. “However, as long as they do not stop what I am doing, I have no particular intention of fighting them.”
“What?”
“But right now, more than anything, I needed a space where I could escape their hands and rest comfortably.”
He then asked, “The ‘Middle Heaven’ you mentioned earlier—it seems to mean an allied force that even the Baekri or True Demon clans cannot touch. Is that correct?”
“It is.” The old man shook his head. “But the concept of Middle Heaven is not eternal. It can be dissolved immediately depending on the need.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Bu Eunseol said with a stoic expression. “Within that time, I just need to find the culprit who struck my grandfather and those who attacked my parents.”
He continued, “In any case, I had many things I wanted to ask you, Old Man.”
The old man realized one more fact.
Bu Eunseol had leaked the information that the New Bloodline was in the Martial Soul Society not only because he predicted that the Sacred Domain would mediate even if the Baekri and True Demon clans appeared… but also as a means to summon a member of the Sacred Domain who was favorable and could provide a lot of information.
Namely, himself.
“You are truly terrifying.”
“I will take that as a compliment.”
“However, I do not have much time. And I cannot tell you everything you are curious about.”
“Of course.”
He had expected as much. Nevertheless, Bu Eunseol believed the old man would provide him with new information.
“But couldn’t you tell me about the Saha Manor?”
The old man had revealed his identity without hesitation and even shared his mother’s name. Thus, at the very least, he should be able to tell the story regarding the bloodbath of the Saha Manor.
“The words I can give you now are only a very small part.”
It was the expected answer.
Bu Eunseol nodded with a desperate expression. “Of course. Even a small part is fine.”
The old man opened his mouth as if he had no choice.
“With the marriage between the successor of the Baekri Clan, Baekri Muha, and the Holy Maiden of the True Demon Clan, Saya, a slight atmosphere of reconciliation was created between the two powers.”
Startling words came out from the beginning. Because of the Baekri and True Demon clans, who had fought since the beginning of time, their bloodlines were also inherently incompatible powers. Yet, an atmosphere of reconciliation was created? Could it be that the fight between the two powers was simply due to a grudge?
As if sensing Bu Eunseol’s question, the old man spoke. “That question is simple if you think about the bloodlines of the True Demon.”
“Bloodlines?”
“Assuming one can repeat reincarnation with memories since primordial times, how many children could have been scattered?”
Bu Eunseol could not hide his bewildered expression. “You mean to say… all of them are called the bloodline of the True Demon?”
The True Demon could be born in the West, or in Cheonchuk. They could be born as a man or a woman. But each time, the True Demon would have left descendants, and they were grouped under the name of ‘bloodline.’
“Of course. And among them, several outstanding individuals were treated as tools to maintain the power of the True Demon.”
“Tools.”
“Yes. But conversely, among the bloodlines, there were also those who did not follow the True Demon’s will.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
The True Demon was a pure demon that repeated reincarnation while retaining memories. From the beginning, they would have no attachment to their bloodline and would have simply manipulated and used their descendants like tools. It was inevitable that some among them would become dissatisfied.
“Then the True Demon Clan is…”
Bu Eunseol finally realized the meaning of the words ‘True Demon bloodline.’
“It is not a single family, but a loyal collective of the descendants the True Demon has scattered.”
“Yes. There can be members of the True Demon Clan in Cheonchuk, and there can be some in the West.”
The old man took a deep breath and continued with shocking words.
“…They could be in the Nine Great Sects or the Martial Alliance, and they could be in the Ten Demonic Sects or Majeon.”
Frightening words. In the end, did it not mean that the children the True Demon scattered were forming secret powers all over the world under his command?
“I’ve digressed.”
Leaving the shocking fact behind, the old man returned to the original story.
“Anyway, the bloodlines who rebelled against the True Demon instead tried to stop the True Demon’s ambition… by interacting with the Baekri Clan.”
He took a deep breath and said, “And the pinnacle of that interaction was the marriage between Baekri Muha and the Holy Maiden Saya.”
“…”
“The two met by extreme chance, but they fell in love. And they were able to marry with the blessing of the True Demon Clan members who wanted interaction with the Baekri Clan.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed as if tracing long-past memories. Bu Eunseol held his breath and listened intently to what the old man was saying. Because this old man was the only person in the world who could tell him about his parents’ history.
“Then, the situation suddenly turned extreme. Not only the Baekri Clan, who had been favorable to the two, but even the bloodlines of the True Demon Clan turned against them.”
“Why?”
“It was said there was a traitor who ruined everything and sowed discord.”
“A traitor? Who is he?”
“I do not know. It is only because the Holy Maiden Saya relayed those details to me.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed. “In the end, there was a traitor, and it was an unavoidable fate.”
“An unavoidable fate.”
Bu Eunseol was silent for a moment, pondering the meaning of his mother’s words. “Then, my mother predicted everything, yet she failed to predict the destruction of the Saha Manor?”
“That was the very question I wanted to ask.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol realize why the old man had expressed doubt when he had asked about the bloodbath of the Saha Manor in the past.
The Holy Maiden Saya, was someone who could fathom all things.
Yet, did someone deceive her eyes and ears, sowing discord between the Baekri and True Demon bloodlines and weaving a meticulous plot, and she alone failed to detect it? Or was that betrayal not predicted, while the annihilation of the Saha Manor was a carefully planned arrangement?
It was a riddle that could never be solved unless the couple returned alive.
“I have entered the mental worlds of the Jungson family and the subordinates of the True Demon. And each time, I saw the priests taking away my mother’s power.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath. “They said that one person’s strength could not accept my mother’s power, so they had two children divide and hold that power.”
He asked with an incredibly serious gaze, “Just who are they?”
The old man was silent for a moment. Then, he spoke slowly.
“To seize the Holy Maiden Saya’s power, the two powers confronted each other again, and they finally realized that one person could not accept it.”
“The two powers?”
“Yes.”
And then he said something even more shocking.
“So, the True Demon Clan and the Baekri Clan cooperated… and divided the power.”
Thump.
Bu Eunseol was so shocked that he saw stars. “You mean the two children were children of the True Demon and Baekri clans?”
“Yes.”
‘Lady Manwol.’
Bu Eunseol bit his lip. He had thought all along that Manwol was only the saintess of the True Demon Clan.
But she could also be a figure of the Baekri Clan.
