For a moment, the air between the two froze solid.

The aura of Undying Future Buddha erupted outward, and Yucheong’s demonic energy surged up in response.

As the pressure of two powerhouses who had reached No-Extremes Incarnation collided, the surrounding trees began to shake. Fallen leaves on the ground spiraled upward, swept into the air.

The gentle smile vanished from Undying Future Buddha’s face.

“We did fight a life-and-death duel about twenty years ago, if I recall correctly. Is that right?”

“That is correct.”

“This humble monk was gravely injured back then.”

“And I suffered injuries close to being fatal.”

“You think it would be different now?”

Yucheong looked up at the sky.

“I cannot kill you without the elder’s permission.”

“…Are you nervous? You say you cannot kill me? It sounds as though the subject of that sentence is a little off.”

“No. I am not nervous, and my words are not wrong. I cannot kill you. I, cannot kill you, Undying Future Buddha.”

“Heh….”

“But today, you will have to serve as the target for my venting.”

Undying Future Buddha burst into loud laughter.

“You must have finally stepped out on a rare excursion. Then today, I will make sure you stay bedridden for about a year.”

Undying Future Buddha had read it clearly.

Yucheong’s madness.

But he never once thought he would lose.

No matter how strong demonic power became, before the Buddhist path it was always crushed underfoot.

It had been so before, and it would be so again.

That was what subduing demons meant.

It had been similar back then as well.

Busy with tasks assigned by the Heavenly Daoist, Undying Future Buddha had harbored some resentment toward Yucheong, who received special treatment, and so he fought him.

The result had been a complete victory for Undying Future Buddha.

From that day on, Yucheong had been bedridden for more than two months.

This time would be the same.

After briefly pressing his palms together, Undying Future Buddha kicked off the ground.

***

After the event finally ended, Unhwi entered a quiet inner garden within the Heavenly Alliance and let out a deep sigh.

The Alliance Lord’s enthronement ceremony and the endless formalities that had continued all day were finally over.

Countless greetings with martial artists, tangled political calculations, and even the unexpected encounter with Yucheong. It had truly been an exhausting day.

Moonlight traced silver ripples across the garden pond, and lotus petals swayed gently in the breeze, releasing a faint fragrance.

The quiet night naturally offered a sense of peace.

But it did not last long.

“We seem to meet often.”

A trace of fatigue colored Unhwi’s voice.

Inside a pavilion by the pond, in its most secluded corner, someone was sitting. No, it would be more accurate to say he was collapsed there.

It was Undying Future Buddha.

What was truly strange was his condition.

His entire body was covered in wounds.

And these were no ordinary injuries.

They were clearly wounds inflicted by demonic energy. His right arm was nearly reduced to rags, and several holes pierced his abdomen. His monk’s robe was soaked in blood, darkened to a deep crimson, and even his once-gentle face was carved with deep gashes.

A warrior who had reached No-Extremes Incarnation could hardly be called human anymore.

Such beings possessed abilities that ordinary martial artists could never even dream of—chief among them, bodily regeneration.

The state Undying Future Buddha was in meant only one thing.

Injuries so severe that even regeneration was difficult.

Unhwi slowly walked into the pavilion.

“It seems you crossed hands with Yucheong.”

“Heh heh… I finally had a conversation about martial matters after a long time. He was truly remarkable.”

Undying Future Buddha’s voice was much weaker than usual, yet he still retained that characteristic composure.

“I will not ask why you fought. But this I must ask. Why are you here like this?”

“Heh heh, Daoist Seol, now that I see it, you are quite the cold-hearted fellow.”

Unhwi looked at him in silence.

No emotion showed in his eyes.

Letting out a dry chuckle, Undying Future Buddha spoke.

“You mean to just pass by after seeing an injured man like this?”

“I do not turn away guests, but no matter how I look at it, senior, you fall under the category of an uninvited guest.”

“Heh….”

“I am suddenly curious. If you are injured to this extent, then what state is the Vice Cult Leader of the Original Blood Cult in?”

Undying Future Buddha fell silent.

He could not bring himself to say it.

That he had been beaten senseless.

“That will do. I will not ask further.”

Unhwi had once experienced ascending to No-Extremes Incarnation himself.

It was truly a mysterious realm.

Within that realm lay further layers, which for convenience could be classified as early, middle, late, and peak stages.

From Unhwi’s perspective, the future Yucheong had nearly reached the very end of No-Extremes Incarnation—somewhere between the late and peak stages.

If asked whether he could fight the Heavenly Daoist, Unhwi would shake his head. But the fact that Yucheong had reached that level was what mattered.

At the present moment, Undying Future Buddha was at the middle stage of No-Extremes Incarnation.

Judging by his reluctance to speak, it meant he had been utterly defeated.

Which meant that Yucheong, now, stood at the late stage.

“I tried to prevent the return of the demon, but I failed. Surely Daoist Seol would not turn his back on someone like me.”

“You are shameless.”

Unhwi’s reply was brief, yet it struck with perfect precision.

Undying Future Buddha laughed as blood spilled from his mouth.

“Shameless… it may look that way. But is this not all because of Daoist Seol?”

“Because of me?”

“That fellow Yucheong was in an extremely foul mood after speaking with you. And thanks to that, I ended up like this.”

Leaning against the pavilion railing, Unhwi replied.

“Is that not because you provoked him, Preceptor?”

“Provoked him… I merely asked something I was curious about.”

“Curious about what.”

Unhwi’s eyes turned cold.

“May I ask what that was?”

Undying Future Buddha grinned.

“To think I would pay the ‘price of information’ like this. Beyond-Heavens… do you know—”

Mid-sentence, Undying Future Buddha’s eyes widened. No matter how injured he was, he was still a supreme master who had reached No-Extremes Incarnation.

At that moment, he understood.

That Unhwi knew about Beyond-Heavens.

“…How do you know?”

“I heard it in passing.”

“Heard it in passing…? No one would casually speak of such a thing. Daoist Seol must be under the protection of the ‘elder’… then it makes sense that you would know.”

Unhwi did not bother answering.

“In that case, all the better. You will understand this humble monk’s circumstances.”

To be honest, Unhwi had no intention of hiding the fact that he knew about Beyond-Heavens.

Given how things were unfolding, he judged it acceptable to reveal that much.

What mattered was that he did not know much about Beyond-Heavens as an organization.

He knew what they did, but not the most important thing.

Their purpose.

Yet now Undying Future Buddha spoke as though Unhwi would understand his situation, and from his knowledge of Beyond-Heavens, it was clear that Undying Future Buddha himself belonged to it.

He had obtained far more information than expected.

Keeping his expression in check, Unhwi looked at Undying Future Buddha as he struggled to rise. Still in pain, the monk slumped back down, and Unhwi spoke.

“Understanding does not mean I will help.”

“Blessed Light… Daoist Seol, you are truly heartless.”

“This is not heartlessness. It is reality, senior.”

Unhwi gazed at the pond and continued slowly.

“The real reason you came here was not to receive treatment. Was it not because of the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic?”

Undying Future Buddha’s lips curled into a strange smile.

The Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic was undeniably a Buddhist martial art.

The countless long and complex formulas contained within were nothing less than a secret art capable of evolving the human body to a higher stage—in other words, exponentially increasing physical recovery.

The greatest problem was that to even perceive this fact, one had to be at least at the level of Supreme Void Manifestation, which was precisely why Unhwi could not cultivate the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic at present.

Undying Future Buddha did not know the contents of the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic, yet he had learned and mastered a martial art derived from it.

The fact that he had reached No-Extremes Incarnation alone proved that his talent surpassed even that of a genius.

For someone like that to not grasp the core of the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic made no sense.

Test after test.

Demand after demand for proof.

That was [N O V E L I G H T] the martial world.

“As expected… Daoist Seol, you are no ordinary man.”

“Ordinary or not, my answer is the same. I cannot give you the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic.”

“Then the trade we discussed before, involving the recorded martial arts, still stands, does it not?”

“It stands, but you have offered nothing that suits my tastes. So we remain where we are.”

Undying Future Buddha lowered his head.

“Then what is this humble monk to do?”

“That is for you to think about.”

At Unhwi’s cold reply, Undying Future Buddha gave a bitter smile.

“To think I lived preaching the Buddha’s compassion, yet when the time comes for me to beg for it myself, it is this difficult.”

“Compassion….”

Unhwi turned to look at him.

“What is the compassion you speak of, senior?”

“Well, naturally the Buddha’s—”

“You speak of the Buddha’s compassion. Do you know what lies at its root?”

Undying Future Buddha looked surprised.

Was this man daring to instruct a master of No-Extremes Incarnation?

The thought flickered across his face, then vanished.

He would listen first.

“Our Daoist Seol is indeed deeply versed in Buddhist principles.”

“You keep forcing me to speak. I do not follow Buddhism.”

“And yet, your understanding seems deep.”

“I would not call it understanding. I merely know the principles.”

“The principles… then what do you believe is the root of compassion?”

Unhwi looked at the lotus flowers on the pond and spoke quietly.

“Great compassion without conditions. Great sorrow as one body.”

Undying Future Buddha’s eyes twitched.

“Bestowing great kindness even to those with no connection, and sharing great sorrow as though of the same body…?”

“So you know it as well.”

“Of course I know it… but I did not expect Daoist Seol to grasp it so deeply.”

Unhwi smiled faintly and continued.

“But is what you are seeking now truly compassion?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that seeking something for your own desire, and out of your own necessity—how does that relate to compassion?”

Undying Future Buddha fell silent.

“You are afraid, senior. You have grown accustomed to the desire of being the representative of those who serve Buddhism in this vast martial world.”

“…”

“And from your perspective, seeing some madman who does not even follow Shaolin’s path know the legendary martial art of Bodhidharma—the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic—and even understand it, you felt you had to seize it. Am I wrong?”

Undying Future Buddha neither denied nor affirmed it.

He only stared at Unhwi in silence.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep