Chapter 170

Hyeonjin was already surrounded by more than ten Arhats. He held out using the martial arts of the White Lotus Pavilion, but the situation was steadily worsening.

One Arhat swung a massive iron mace. Hyeonjin ducked to evade it, but in that instant, another Arhat’s spear pierced through his shoulder.

“Urgh...!”

Hyeonjin let out a cry of pain—but he still continued fighting. His footwork, elegant like a dancer’s, remained beautiful. He managed to bring down several Arhats, but more kept coming, endlessly.

Yeon Chuha was already wounded in multiple places. His right arm was nearly unusable. But his eyes stayed cold, and his movements remained precise.

He fought with only his left hand, yet his skill remained exceptional.

Seol Horyeong had returned to confronting the Arhats, but the force he’d shown earlier was no longer there.

The utter confusion in his mind had dragged his genius down to its very depths. In the end, Seol Horyeong sustained injuries to both his shoulder and thigh.

Click.

Unhwi clicked his tongue.

Seo Hyo turned to him and snapped.

“...What are you doing! Just standing there!”

“Quiet.”

“...What?”

“Don’t raise your voice.”

Indeed, Unhwi hadn’t lifted a finger to fight. And in that brief moment, Seo Hyo realized something.

The Arhats weren’t attacking Unhwi.

Why?

Unhwi, who had been silently watching Seol Horyeong, slowly opened his mouth.

“This isn’t a trial that can be overcome with force. Brother.”

Wiping sweat from his brow, Seol Horyeong kicked away an Arhat and whipped his head around.

But before he could respond, a voice echoed louder than his own.

「There is one among you who is wise.」

Once again, the voice rang in everyone's minds.

Unhwi lifted his head and looked toward the lotus pedestal.

“This is the Hall of Dharma Clouds. A place where the wisdom of the Buddhist Law gathers. It cannot be conquered through brute strength.”

「Indeed. Continue.」

“Before I continue, please have the Arhats stand down.”

「If I stop them—can you convince me?」

“I don’t think whether I can convince you is the point. What matters is whether you can understand what I say.”

Was it just his imagination?

It almost looked like a smile formed on the face of the faceless statue.

And then, all the Arhats ceased their movements.

Seol Horyeong, Dongwoo of Cheonseolmun, Yeon Chuha and Hyeonjin of the White Lotus Pavilion—they all stared blankly at Unhwi.

Seo Hyo’s expression, in particular, was unforgettable.

It held the weight of his realization—that he had grossly underestimated the limits of this man.

It was an expression that could hardly be described in words.

Unhwi slowly picked up the Heavenshaking Spiritblade from the floor and secured it at his waist. The Arhats still made no move against him.

Facing the lotus pedestal in silence, he continued speaking.

“Emptiness is the essence of Buddhism. But emptiness is not nothingness—it is the principle of dependent origination.”

His voice was soft, yet somehow it resonated throughout the hall.

The light atop the pedestal began to ripple.

「Do you understand the principle of emptiness?」

The principle of emptiness.

A concept so intricate it defied simple explanation. Yet Unhwi’s answer came without hesitation.

“All phenomena in this world arise from conditions and causes, and likewise, they cease. Because nothing exists independently, their true nature is emptiness.”

「......」

“That’s why these Arhats are nothing more than illusions born of our own minds.”

「Illusions? Then what of the pain? One among you has already died, and another is gravely wounded. How can you call that an illusion?」

Unhwi’s gaze turned cold.

“Pain is real. But attachment to pain, and fear of it—those are illusions. The Buddha said: ‘All is suffering.’ Yet he also taught the path to liberation from it.”

「And what is that path?」

“The Middle Way. Neither indulgence in desire nor extreme asceticism. To practice the Middle Way. This battle is the same. It is not about meeting force with force, nor is it about surrendering completely. It is about understanding the essence of suffering—and transcending it. That is the Middle Way.”

A strange silence followed Unhwi’s words. Seol Horyeong found himself at a loss for words as he stared at his younger brother. He had never imagined the boy possessed such profound Buddhist insight.

Even Seo Hyo, who perhaps knew Unhwi best among them, had no idea he was capable of this. Let alone the rest.

But...

Unhwi truly knew much.

In his past life as the Blood-Sky Strategist, he had absorbed vast knowledge. And among that knowledge was Buddhist teaching.

Though he didn’t practice Buddhism. He found the teachings profound—but not enough to follow them with any faith.

Before long, the statue atop the lotus pedestal spoke again.

「Your words are true. But words alone are not enough. Show it with your heart.」

Unhwi closed his eyes. His breath deepened.

“It is said that only those who realize the Four Noble Truths can attain true liberation. Suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path that leads to cessation.”

He slowly opened his eyes. They gleamed sharply as he looked straight at the statue.

“This battle is an illusion born of our delusions—our greed, our anger, and our ignorance. To dispel these illusions, we must walk the Eightfold Path.”

He raised his hand. With his fingers, he traced the Eightfold Path into the air.

“Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration.”

With each movement of his hand, a soft light followed. Even though no internal energy was at work, the act itself was meaningful in this spiritual realm.

Though intangible, the eight characters of the Eightfold Path clearly appeared in midair for all to see.

The statue spoke.

「Correct. You understand the essence of the Dharma.」

Unhwi continued.

“One of the teachings of the Dharma is Hwajaeng—the harmonization of conflict. If the 108 Arhats symbolize the 108 worldly afflictions, then we are not meant to fight them, but to recognize and transcend them.”

「Then how will you transcend them?」

A faint smile tugged at Unhwi’s lips. It was the calm smile born of deep insight.

“There are eighty-four thousand teachings in Buddhism, but they all lead to a single truth—the realization of emptiness. When one realizes that all things lack inherent nature, affliction ceases on its own.”

He paused, then looked around and continued.

“The Diamond Sutra says: ‘Let the mind arise without attachment to anything.’ A true mind dwells nowhere. Let go of the desire to fight the Arhats. Let go of fear. Let go of attachment.”

As soon as he finished, the golden light radiating from the statue ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) grew stronger.

「Your realization is genuine. Share that truth with the others.」

Quietly.

Unhwi sighed.

He found this whole situation somewhat irritating.

「Why? Are you unable?」

“I can—it’s just that it feels like I’m playing the clown.”

「The clown, you say... True, suffering is real. And the Arhats do exist. I have halted their movements. Do you wish them to begin again?」

“To be honest, I don’t care if they start again.”

「Do you have a reason?」

“Yes. I don’t see them as much of a threat.”

「...Aren’t these people here your companions?」

“Some are. And there are those I must protect. But not all. Besides, they’re merely one hundred and eight ‘third-tier’ martial artists. Nothing I can’t kill.”

Among everyone present, only the statue could sense the truth in Unhwi’s words.

「Then—what is it that you want?」

“I want to know who you are.”

That question reminded everyone of what they had briefly forgotten.

Right now—

Unhwi was having a conversation with a statue born within a secret realm.

There is no record anywhere of anyone ever speaking with a presence inside a secret realm.

Even Seo Hyo—who had the keenest sense for information—had never heard of such a thing.

They had merely forgotten, distracted by the threat of death.

「Is that important?」

“I don’t think it’s something you just let slide.”

「I am Jiun, guardian of the Hall of Dharma Clouds.」

“What is Jiun?”

Once again—was it just illusion?

It seemed a smile appeared on the statue’s blank face.

「You are not asking who I am, but what I am.」

“This is the first time I’ve seen a self-aware entity inside a secret realm. Who you are matters—but what you are matters more.”

「Your question goes deeper than I expected.」

The statue paused, then slowly spoke.

「I am the one who waits.」

“What do you wait for?”

「The one who will sever the chain.」

“What chain?”

「The chain of Heaven and Earth’s flow.」

Unhwi’s eyes shifted strangely.

The flow of Heaven and Earth was chained—and this being awaited the one to break it?

「You have more questions, it seems. But I won’t answer further.」

“Why not?”

「Because you do not yet know what is twisted—and what is misaligned. Until you do, I cannot speak. And if you ever do know, you’ll have no need to ask me. So there is no reason.」

Unhwi accepted that.

It was enough.

「Then show your realization to the others.」

Unhwi spoke in a calm voice.

“Everything is created by the mind. Clear your minds—let go of anger, fear, and attachment. That is the only way to pass this trial.”

With that, those who followed would survive.

Those who didn’t—would die.

The statue, looking at Unhwi, murmured softly.

「To preach awakening is hard. To accept it—harder still. Now we shall see.」

The light grew brighter—and the Arhats, once still, began to stir.

But they did not attack.

At the very least, everyone here had attained some level of cultivation. Practicing what Unhwi spoke of did not require much time.

Mastery was another matter—but for this brief moment, they could embody the insight he had shown.