The Sacred Demon Hall.
Built with four stories, this pavilion where the Demon Emperor resided was the largest and most magnificent structure within Majeon.
At the very peak was the Demon Heaven Palace, housing the Demon Emperor’s private quarters and a library called the Hall of Spiritual Treasures, where forbidden books were stored.
The third floor consisted of the Demon Emperor’s office and a place called the Hidden Demon Pavilion, a space where he shared tea with distinguished guests.
The second floor held the Great Hall, used for assembling subordinates or issuing commands. Inside, one hundred and eight massive pillars carved with patterns of dragons and clouds stood tall. On the ceiling, celestial light stones recreated the night sky, with constellations that shifted according to the time.
Finally, the ground floor housed the armory and the mechanisms that guarded the security of the Sacred Demon Hall, where the most elite warriors remained on standby at all times.
***
The Throne of Blood and Shadow.
On an altar above the Great Hall, a single person sat upon a seat that rose high as if looking down upon the world. He was the master of Majeon and the current number one of the Demonic Path—the Demon Emperor.
The hem of his robes hung heavy enough that they did not flutter even in a gentle breeze, and his eyes harbored a deep, dark abyss.
The throne, crafted from black jade, was engraved with patterns symbolizing the Demonic Path itself. The seat radiated a heavy pressure as if it were saturated with blood and darkness, and its backrest soared sharply upward, reminiscent of dragon claws tearing through the sky.
Standing below the throne was the Elder Hall Lord, the Blood Demon Jeok Bung. He was present not as a simple high-ranking official, but as the supreme head of the Disciplinary Hall to punish a criminal—the Martial Soul Command Lord.
Standing silently in his red robes, he emitted an indescribably overbearing aura, looking like a blood-colored dragon looming over the hall.
At the Demon Emperor’s feet, along the long path stretching from the throne to the entrance of the Great Hall, all the warriors of the Disciplinary Hall, including the Hall Lord, stood lined up in two rows.
‘What are they doing here?’
The warriors of the Disciplinary Hall tilted their heads slightly in confusion. When the messenger’s cry announced that the Martial Soul Command Lord had arrived and was heading straight here upon entry, they noticed figures they had never seen before already lined up around the throne.
Curiously, these figures stood even closer to the Emperor than the Elder Hall Lord, who was the true power of Majeon.
Creeeeak.
The massive doors, three zhang high, swung open, and a shadow clad in black appeared.
It was Bu Eunseol.
“The Martial Soul Command Lord, Bu Eunseol, has returned after completing the assigned mission.”
At that moment, the eyes of the lined-up Disciplinary Hall warriors bulged. At a time when he should have been kneeling in repentant prayer, he shouted as boldly as a general returning with victory.
Furthermore, such words should only be spoken after approaching the Demon Emperor and showing proper etiquette, yet he was shouting from the doorway like a grandson coming home and calling out to his grandfather.
Boom.
Strands of dark radiance shot out from the Demon Emperor’s eyes, which were deep like an abyss.
The warriors instantly stopped breathing.
The Martial Soul Command Lord, once the successor of Majeon, was now a serious criminal who had defied the Emperor’s orders. As he boldly wagged his tongue, an invisible pressure poured into the corridor where they were lined up.
Vrummm.
With a momentum that felt as if heaven and earth were collapsing, the air evaporated and space itself began to twist.
‘At this rate, one will have no choice but to bow their head and crawl.’
Despite being lined up beside the corridor where the pressure wasn’t directly focused, the warriors of the Disciplinary Hall could barely breathe.
Now, the Martial Soul Command Lord had to walk this path up to the altar where the Demon Emperor sat.
No matter how great his internal energy was, or if he had reached a realm far beyond his known martial prowess, he should not have been able to walk this path standing upright.
Thud. Thud.
However, Bu Eunseol, looking up at the Demon Emperor with clear eyes, slowly moved his feet while keeping his body perfectly straight.
Crunch. Crack.
With every step he took, the marble turned to dust and scattered. As the Martial Soul Command Lord approached, the long path leading to the Great Hall was covered by a strange demonic art that refused to allow even the existence of living beings.
Thud. Thud.
Yet, Bu Eunseol moved with an unconcerned expression. His eyes were so clear they felt righteous, and his gait looked as comfortable as if he were taking a casual stroll.
‘Something has changed.’
The warriors of the Disciplinary Hall watched the scene with wide eyes.
Originally, Bu Eunseol’s aura had been somewhat desolate and lonely. Although he occasionally showed a mad, overbearing nature, it was for extremely short periods, and the prevailing opinion was that it was a calculated move to solidify his position as successor. But now, he radiated a soft, unfamiliar atmosphere they had never seen in their lives.
‘It’s as if… he has become more ordinary.’
Initially, he had shown an extremely ordinary demeanor that transcended the realm of quietude. But now, even that ordinariness had been washed away, leaving him with a naturalness that didn’t even catch the eye.
Looking at his profile, it felt like standing alone in an ancient forest—a forest where the shade is deep and sunlight doesn’t reach, yet it is filled with warmth and tranquility.
The Emperor’s Step
Vrummm.
Meanwhile, the pressure grew even more intense. Blood began to bead at the corners of the mouths of the warriors lined up on either side of the corridor.
‘Ugh…’
Aside from the inability to breathe, the strange pressure crushed their very souls.
Because the Disciplinary Hall selected only outstanding warriors, their individual strength was at the level of a second-class Corps Leader. They were essentially on par with the warriors of the Special Grade Squads, yet even while standing far from the direct pressure in the corridor, they were groaning, unable to endure the pain.
‘Does the Demon Emperor truly intend to kill us first?’
The Disciplinary Hall warriors opened their eyes wide, but the pressure blurred their vision. All they could see was the shape of Bu Eunseol walking forward.
Thud. Thud.
The remaining distance to the throne was roughly fifty paces.
The energy pouring into the corridor was not simple pressure. It was an absolute weight as if the entire universe were collapsing, and the pure power of chaos itself that no human body should dare to face.
But Bu Eunseol did not stop walking.
Whoosh.
For a moment, a quiet but powerful energy flickered around his body like a wind, enveloping him, and streaks of auspicious light rose from beneath his feet. The space that seemed to be screaming under the pressure began to breathe again wherever his footsteps touched. He did not break under this terrifying pressure but advanced boldly with his back straight.
It was as if flowers were blooming wherever he stepped, and even the air of the world was being newly purified.
Stomp.
Before they knew it, Bu Eunseol had reached the bottom of the altar stairs where the Demon Emperor waited. The watching warriors all stared with wide eyes in shock. However, their optic nerves were so crushed by the pressure that they could only see a blurry scene around the altar.
Thump.
In the end, the warriors of the Disciplinary Hall knelt helplessly like criminals and lowered their heads. Only Jeok Bung and the strange figures lined up beside the Demon Emperor watched the scene calmly.
‘What on earth is happening?’
A few warriors struggled to endure the pain, trying their best to watch the top of the altar. But the agonizing pain that felt like their eyeballs would burst eventually forced them to drop their heads and pant heavily.
‘The Demon Emperor has already made up his mind to kill the Martial Soul Command Lord.’
If the pain was this great even away from the center of the pressure, the body of the Martial Soul Command Lord standing in the middle of it should have turned to dust long ago.
‘So this is what the Life-and-Death Single Palm Decree meant.’
The Demon Emperor had announced that he would issue an unavoidable Life-and-Death Single Palm Decree if the mission failed. To think that “unavoidable” punishment truly meant an absolute power that could grind one’s physical body into dust.
‘At this rate, even we will die.’
The Disciplinary Hall warriors clenched their teeth. Since they were away from the path, they could somehow endure the pressure. Holding their breath was possible for a moment. But their bodies were slowly collapsing due to the overbearing demonic majesty spreading out as if to crush their very existence.
‘Uuuugh.’
A mere moment felt like an eternity. Just as their bones were about to be crushed,
Shhhhh.
As if it were a lie, all the pressure vanished. The warriors, whose souls were about to squeeze out of their throats, finally found their breath, and their blurred vision slowly returned.
‘What?’
The warriors hurriedly looked around. Both the Demon Emperor on the throne and the Martial Soul Command Lord who had been heading toward the altar had disappeared without a trace. The only one remaining was the Elder Hall Lord Jeok Bung, who had been lined up below the altar.
“Hmph.”
The Elder Hall Lord let out a low groan, then slowly turned his body and left the Great Hall, heading out of the Sacred Demon Hall.
“…”
Unable to contain their curiosity, the Disciplinary Hall warriors swarmed to where the Hall Lord was.
“What on earth happened?”
When the Deputy Hall Lord Jeong Geuk asked, the Hall Lord shook his head weakly.
“I don’t know. All I saw was…”
His face was soaked in cold sweat, and the corners of his eyes were trembling.
“The Demon Emperor and the Martial Soul Command Lord standing and facing each other—that was all.”
“Facing… each other?”
Jeong Geuk asked back as if he couldn’t believe it.
At any other time, it might be different, but in this Great Hall of the Sacred Demon Hall, the Demon Emperor sitting on his throne allowed no one to match his eye level.
Moreover, wasn’t the Martial Soul Command Lord a criminal who was to receive the punishment of the Life-and-Death Single Palm Decree? How could the Demon Emperor tolerate standing face-to-face with a mere criminal?
“That makes no sense.”
“That is why I said I don’t know.”
The Hall Lord’s expression was like someone who had just woken from a terrible nightmare.
“Dismissed.”
Seeing the Hall Lord still sweating, Jeong Geuk and the warriors could not ask further; they bowed politely and withdrew.
***
“Hmm.”
Outside the Sacred Demon Hall, a deep furrow was etched between the brows of the Elder Hall Lord, Jeok Bung.
‘To think the Martial Soul Command Lord could use his power.’
The aura of the Martial Soul Command Lord, Bu Eunseol.
Did it not bring back an old, forgotten memory?
About thirty years ago, Jeok Bung, true to his name as the Blood Demon, was continuously leaving a blood-stained trail that shook the martial world.
—Better to meet King Yama than to encounter the Blood Demon.
Such a saying circulated in the martial world back then. The only ones who could live before the Blood Demon were the commoners who didn’t know martial arts and the loyal people of the Demonic Path.
If anyone irritated him even slightly, he would turn them into a puddle of blood in an instant, regardless of whether they were from the Demonic or Orthodox path.
While the Blood Demon, who enjoyed such invincibility, was drinking wine and looking at the night view in a pavilion of a private room at an inn,
Flash.
A man wearing deep sea-blue robes suddenly appeared before him, his entire body enveloped in a divine aura.
“Brother Jeok.”
The man in blue suddenly sighed.
“You kill far too many people without discrimination.”
The Blood Demon burst out laughing in disbelief.
“A great master has appeared, I see.”
He set down his wine glass with a contemptuous expression.
This was during the period when he had long since broken through the boundaries of the Supreme Heavenly Realm, had finally beaten to death with his bare hands the Unfeeling Sword Jeon Woo, who had been the most respected figure in the Orthodox martial world, and had ascended to the throne of the Three Demons.
Since then, not a single person had dared to speak harsh words to his face, yet some young fellow not only called him “Brother” but also spoke to him as if giving a lecture?
“Hehehe.”
Nevertheless, he laughed. Faced with such an unexpected and fresh provocation, he felt a hearty sensation as if he had just consumed freshly brewed wine and stir-fried snacks.
“One often sees them while traversing the martial world.”
Jeok Bung stopped laughing and spoke coldly, baring his fangs.
“Those fellows who act arrogantly as if they’ve become the Supreme Master of the Martial World just because they reached a satisfying realm at a young age.”
“Supreme Master of the Martial World, is it?”
The man in blue smiled and nodded.
“Perhaps I should have ascended to such a position long ago.”
Boom.
Jeok Bung let out a snort, signaling the man wasn’t worth dealing with, and picked up his wine glass.
Simultaneously, the power of the Thousand-Wave Shifting Ring instantly swallowed the young man’s body.
Splatter.
The man in blue soon fell to the floor as a lump of blood, his form unrecognizable.
“Drinking while enjoying the night view brings about some interesting events.”
Trickle.
He filled his wine glass to the brim. But he couldn’t grab the glass. He had clearly turned the man into a handful of blood, yet there was the man in blue, standing perfectly fine once again, smiling brightly.
“Ho.”
Jeok Bung nodded as he looked at the man in blue standing loftily with his hands behind his back.
“You’ve refined a unique martial art.”
He could tell at once. It wasn’t sorcery or a grand technique, but a very unique and mysterious essence of martial arts that had never been created before.
“Allowing the flow to guide the energy, following the Dao to wander freely… If you leave it to the flow, the path flows naturally… is it?”
Jeok Bung scanned the man’s body with interested eyes.
“Were you a person who cultivates the Dao?”
“Do I look like a daoist to you?”
“No, you look like a fellow who will soon be wailing miserably before King Yama for acting arrogant without knowing his place.”
Despite Jeok Bung’s biting words, the man smiled and said,
“Brother Jeok. If your martial prowess ever escapes the boundaries of the Limitless Realm, you will realize what this power is.”
“What did you say?”
“Actually, I thought about it a lot on my way here.”
The man in blue licked his lips and stroked his chin.
“Considering your cruel and vicious hand, I cannot leave you alone… but you haven’t touched innocent commoners.”
Muttering lowly, he shook his head while walking around the pavilion with his hands behind his back as if still deep in thought.
“Since it’s obvious you will become a person who transcends even the realm of the Ultimate Demon and becomes a pillar of the martial world in the future…”
But his words couldn’t continue. The space of thirty zhang around where the man in blue stood was slowly disappearing. Jeok Bung had unleashed his Infinite Reversal Power to erase the space along with the Thousand-Wave Shifting Ring.
Whoosh.
Even within the vanishing space, the man in blue was walking slowly with his hands behind his back. His naturalness had reached such an extreme that no external force could penetrate his body, and even though the ground he stepped on had disappeared, his action did not stop.
The act of walking.
It is the life-long task from the moment a baby begins to stand on two feet until they draw their last breath in old age, and it is one of the most natural movements a human can perform. The man in blue had taken that single act of walking and made it into a cosmic law that no one could stop, ensuring that no one and no power could block or interfere with that action.
“Instead of creating a new martial art, you created a new law… making an Emperor’s Step that no one can approach?”
“Well, could one even call it a law?”
The man in blue showed a dignified smile.
“‘Reaching the ultimate to harmonize with Heaven, doing nothing to harmonize with the Dao’… If naturalness reaches its peak, wouldn’t any action already be no different from the movement of Great Nature?”
“Great Natural Qi?”
Jeok Bung showed a shocked expression. To pursue and complete the Great Natural Way is a path that even the grandmasters of martial arts who have reached the Limitless Realm cannot easily choose. It is impossible for a mere human to fathom the logic of nature, and even if one trains until death, the probability of failing to complete it and wasting one’s life is far too high.
While there were rumors that the one called the Sword Venerable, Heonwon Damcheong, was attempting it, considering his level of martial arts, it was uncertain if he would complete it even after decades. Yet a young man who didn’t even look thirty had accomplished it?
“You completed that and turned it into a footwork technique?”
And soon, he couldn’t hide his absurd expression. If he had completed Great Natural Qi, he could have finished an eternal sword or palm technique. Why on earth did he make it into a footwork technique one would use for a stroll?
“Wait, Emperor’s Step.”
However, the man in blue seemed struck by Jeok Bung’s random words. He wore a dazed expression for a while, then let out an exclamation of admiration.
“Your skill at naming is quite extraordinary, Brother.”
He then clapped his hands and praised him.
“Come to think of it, the name of your martial art, Thousand-Wave Shifting Ring, is also very cool.”
“…”
“If I had known this, I would have shown myself to you first. Then some strange name like ‘The Number One Secret’ wouldn’t have been attached to me.”
Only then could Jeok Bung grasp the identity of the man in blue chatting leisurely before him.
“The Number One Secret of the martial world.”
Jeok Bung opened his eyes wide.
The mysterious person who suddenly appeared in the martial world and continued his secretive movements; the one whose sect, martial arts, and age were unknown. The one whose origins and history no one could fathom.
He was indeed Baekri Muha, the Number One Secret of the martial world.
