Chapter 210: Venerable Buddha (2)
Supreme Great Art.
Among the seventy-two Shaolin martial arts, it stood at the pinnacle alongside the The Muscle Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic.
Those who mastered the Supreme Great Art would emit a unique radiance called Buddha's Radiant Qi—a glow so serene and golden-white that it evoked the warmth of the Buddha himself. For that reason, it was counted among the most orthodox of internal techniques.
But—
“What’s going on with that?”
Cheon Yura furrowed her brows.
There was no way she couldn’t sense what I had felt.
The radiance from Venerable Buddha’s Supreme Great Art definitely emitted a soft, gold light—almost white in hue.
However, anyone with sufficient cultivation would be able to sense a sense of ominousness from that light.
And anyone who had cultivated demonic arts at the level of Transcendent Master or higher would surely detect demonic qi within it.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“And why do you say it doesn’t make sense?”
As Venerable Buddha responded with a calm smile, Cheon Yura replied with a grounded explanation.
“Supreme Great Art is a divine art that stands at the peak of demon-subduing techniques. It’s unnatural for demonic qi to be present in such a technique.”
“But it’s not entirely impossible either, is it?”
Venerable Buddha’s words were unsettling.
“Didn’t Lady Baek also transform his True Essence into demonic cultivation? It’s within the realm of possibility.”
“No, although both are strange phenomena, his case is fundamentally different.”
They may appear similar, but their essence was not the same.
“There’s a difference between internal energy reversing into demonic cultivation and a Buddhist technique manifesting demonic nature.”
The former may be possible, but the latter was theoretically impossible.
This wasn’t just a matter of succumbing to an inner demon (Simmag)—it was on a whole different level.
“No, it is possible.”
Monk Myeongjeong refuted Cheon Yura’s claim.
“All things flow within a single vast law. Whether righteous or demonic, they are but branches stemming from the same great ocean.”
“…The Muscle Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic.”
I muttered to myself.
Surely, the only explanation for such an uncanny phenomenon must lie in the The Muscle Changing and Marrow Cleansing Classic.
But still—
Even if he could somehow house demonic qi, where on earth did Venerable Buddha acquire that monstrous level of demonic energy?
‘No, more importantly…’
The moment Venerable Buddha mentioned Baek Sang-ah, a chill ran down my spine.
“Monk Myeongjeong. What happened to Lady Baek and her companions?”
“……”
Venerable Buddha did not answer.
He merely smiled in silence.
“A vast ocean, is it…?”
At that moment, the Heavenly Demon Founder, who had been silently watching until now, finally spoke.
“Heh… It sounds plausible.”
“Do you disagree with what he said, Founder?”
At Cheon Yura’s question, the Heavenly Demon Founder shook his head.
“No, logically, he isn’t wrong. But it’s nothing more than speculative nonsense—an impractical philosophy that no mere mortal could ever manifest.”
For once, his expression turned icy cold.
“The sea of law flows at the core of the Three Thousand Realms—it is the primordial principle itself. Should a mere mortal dare reach for that law, they’d be consumed without a trace. Worse yet, they’d leave nothing but disaster in their wake.”
I blinked and countered.
“Then what exactly is that in front of us?”
If it’s supposedly impossible, how is it standing there in plain sight?
“The only reason something even resembling that can be realized is because of an external causal force that far surpasses the individual’s capabilities.”
I understood what he meant.
“You’re saying Venerable Buddha acquired something that made that possible?”
“Yes. And that something must be closely tied to my true body.”
“…?!”
“If not, there’s no way he could’ve entered this space without the key.”
The Heavenly Demon Founder looked at us with a trace of regret.
“I’m sorry to say this to you all, but I won’t be of much help in this place.”
“What do you mean…?”
“That person has a connection to my true form. Therefore, no matter how vast the gap in our power, I—the fragment—cannot do anything against him.”
He swept his gaze across us and continued.
“I’ll send you all back to where you came from. If you fight here, it’ll be an unwinnable battle.”
“…But!”
If we left this place, we’d be right beneath the city of Luoyang.
To battle Venerable Buddha there, regardless of victory or defeat, would mean turning Luoyang into a living hell!
The Heavenly Demon Founder shook his head.
“Do not worry. I can at least control your exit coordinates to some extent….”
…That was a relief, if true.
Just as I was inwardly sighing in relief, the Heavenly Demon Founder spoke to me.
“You, Jin Yeomyung.”
“…Yes.”
He suddenly looked at me and, through a whispered transmission, conveyed his intent.
—My successor carries a fate that is ominous and shrouded in darkness.
“…!”
It was not something I could simply brush off.
—What do you mean by that?!
I protested in disbelief.
How much I had struggled just to change her fate—was he saying it still hadn’t changed?
Even as I stared at him with fury, the Heavenly Demon Founder’s expression did not waver.
—Go to Guangzhou, in Guangdong Province. A version of me from a slightly later time will be there, and he will guide you on your next path.
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
Coincidentally, it was nearly identical to the place Yoo So had once told me about.
Judging from the tone, it didn’t seem like he would tell me more if I pressed him.
With a hint of resignation, I nodded.
—…Understood.
—And the owner of that booklet you’re carrying…
Booklet?
He couldn’t be talking about some petty ledger from the Colorful Flower Lord.
It had to be the Divine Demonic Physique Records.
—Killing him as soon as possible will benefit your future.
—What does that mean?
—Because it seems you still haven’t let go of your corrupt desires.
Ssshhk!
As soon as he finished speaking, the Heavenly Demon Founder lightly swung his arm.
In that instant, the space around us fractured, reacting as though it was about to forcibly expel us.
“Even if you face hardship and despair in the future, trust in the strength that has already carried you beyond one impossible fate. If it’s you, I believe you can do it.”
Leaving me with those encouraging words, the Heavenly Demon Founder turned his gaze to Cheon Yura.
“And you, successor.”
“Yes, Founder.”
“The higher your cultivation rises, the more you’ll begin to feel something writhing within you.”
“……”
“That is both the source of your talent… and the root of your curse. As your cultivation deepens, its presence will only grow stronger. And to suppress that entirely with your own will alone would be near impossible.”
“When that time comes, don’t forget—there is someone in this world who cares about you.”
Nod.
Cheon Yura gave a silent nod, as if something within her resonated with those words.
With all his advice given, at the very end, the Founder clapped his hands as though he had just remembered something.
“Ah, truly one last thing. I’ll be taking care of that fellow So Cheon for a while.”
“……”
“……”
“When the time is right, I’ll send him back. Just so you know. I’ll make sure he’s… remodeled—no, properly disciplined—into something useful.”
…Did I just hear him say “remodeled”?
“…Well, do as you please.”
It might be a tough experience, but being directly trained by the Heavenly Demon Founder was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a blessing few could even dream of.
At that moment, the Founder suddenly gave a sinister smile.
“Creating an entirely new Thief Saint in the Central Plains’ Murim sounds like a fun idea. Hehehe….”
“….”
Sir… I think attaching the word ‘saint’ to ‘thief’ might be a little off.
Also, I really don’t think that’s something good for Murim as a whole…
I bit my tongue, deciding to leave those thoughts unspoken.
“Well then, this is farewell. It’s been a pleasure meeting my successors again after so long.”
“It was an honor to meet you, Founder.”
The world turned over as the environment around us changed dramatically.
In our final moment there, Cheon Yura and I knelt respectfully before the Heavenly Demon Founder.
And just like that, we were expelled from Heaven of Sacred Spirits.
We soon realized we were now standing midway up a desolate mountain slope.
“…Where are we?”
“At least it’s not bad. Seems we’re quite far from Luoyang.”
“That means we can fight more freely.”
The real problem was whether we could actually find a way to defeat Venerable Buddha.
But then—
“Uaaaaagh!”
Suddenly, a piercing scream from Gwan Hyun stabbed sharply into my ears.
‘What’s that?’
It wasn’t a scream born of physical pain.
Rather, it sounded more like someone experiencing overwhelming mental shock…
As Cheon Yura and I turned our gaze to the source—
Only then did a sharp, metallic stench of blood fill my nose.
“Ch-Cheongwoon! Cheonggok! E-even Cheongryeong?!”
“…What is that?!”
Strewn across the area were over a dozen corpses.
All of them wore that signature blue robe.
‘If that’s Wudang’s Cheongja disciples… they’re second-generation disciples!’
Why were the second-generation Wudang disciples lying dead here, in such a remote place?
Just as questions began to rapidly pile up—
Gwan Hyun screamed toward the sky.
“Y-you bastard, Venerable Buddha! How dare you! How dare you kill disciples of our sect!”
Was Venerable Buddha the one responsible for this massacre?
Finally, Venerable Buddha, who had remained silent until now, opened his mouth.
“All of this is your karma, Gwan Hyun.”
“Karma?! You call this karma?!”
“You sold your soul to the devil for power. It’s only natural you pay the price for that.”
“Don’t spout nonsense!”
Roaring in fury, Gwan Hyun charged at Venerable Buddha.
A fierce battle between Gwan Hyun and Venerable Buddha erupted.
As the sudden clash between the two began, I hesitated, unsure how to react.
“Jin Yeomyung, come look at this for a moment.”
Cheon Yura called out to me.
“What is it?”
“Here, this.”
“…Huh?”
Cheon Yura lifted the arm of one of the dead Wudang disciples.
The moment I saw the arm’s form, my eyes narrowed.
“This is…”
“Yes, it matches the characteristics of the monstrous figures who attacked the demonic sects.”
Cheon Yura and I quickly grasped the chain of cause and effect.
“These were Wudang’s second-generation disciples…”
“Venerable Buddha didn’t touch us—he only went after Gwan Hyun. And now he’s massacred them…”
“Then Venerable Buddha’s current killing intent is aimed at the Heaven-Defying Society?”
“Exactly. We need to decide how we act from here.”
Do we oppose Venerable Buddha, or do we stand by and watch?
“For whatever reason, that being has given himself over to demonic energy, but his hostility hasn’t been directed at us. On the contrary, if we let him be, he could become a very useful hunting dog.”
“…That’s true.”
From the standpoint of someone from the Heavenly Demon Cult, this made practical sense.
Right now, Venerable Buddha’s enmity was clearly focused elsewhere. If we supported him strategically, we might achieve a great victory with minimal loss.
“However, there are three problems.”
She listed all three.
“Lady Baek’s whereabouts, our alliance with Gwan Hyun… and what Venerable Buddha might eventually become.”
“Exactly. This is merely my intuition but…”
Cheon Yura nodded, her tone somber.
“If we continue to let that being roam freely, I have a terrible feeling he’ll become a god of destruction we can’t possibly contain.”
“…A god of destruction, huh.”
It might have sounded like a childish expression.
But what if someone who had already reached the current realm gained another miraculous opportunity and took yet another step forward?
“In the end, the only one who could possibly stop that man would be the Cult Leader.”
“……”
The problem was, the current Cult Leader didn’t particularly enjoy leaving the cult grounds.
More importantly, as the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, there was a high chance he wouldn’t care in the slightest what happened to the Central Plains under the hand of a mere monk who wasn’t even part of the Heaven-Defying Society.
It was at that moment—
“Hey, you idiots!”
A shouting voice rang out from a distance.
“Damn it, what took you so long?!”
“Lady Baek!”
Baek Sang-ah, her entire body in tatters, came running toward us after recognizing our presence.
Cheon Yura let out a quiet sigh.
“You’re an absolute mess.”
Baek Sang-ah pouted and grumbled.
“Of course I’m a mess. I just fought with one of the Three Sovereigns—how could I be fine?”
At her words, both Cheon Yura and I stiffened.
“What happened?”
The faintly cheerful façade she’d been forcing dropped in an instant, and gloom clouded her expression.
“That person… no, that thing intends to kill anyone who stands in his way.”
“Anyone, as in…”
“Just like with Wudang—many of the so-called prestigious sects in the Central Plains joined hands with the Heaven-Defying Society for their own gain, right?”
That had been a casual remark I made earlier while sharing the Colorful Flower Lord’s secret ledger.
“At this rate, half of the Nine Great Sects might really end up annihilated.”