He had lived for a truly long time.
Jin Mudo had experienced astonishing things over the years.
He felt it anew every time: the world was vast, and extraordinary people were as numerous as grains of sand.
And was that all?
Even things he could not understand despite his vast experience happened frequently.
Remarkable events that a country bumpkin might have passed by without knowing—they occurred everywhere in this world, and Jin Mudo knew that only too well.
'...Madness!'
Yet the events unfolding before him recently were among the most unbelievable of them all.
A person skilled in every direction was someone with many talents.
But among people with many talents, few were exceptional at any one of them.
In other words, one might do many things well, but it was rare to possess one talent so outstanding that it stood alone.
As the saying goes, broad knowledge is not deep knowledge. It was exactly that: to know widely but not profoundly.
'Keh heh heh! Where did a boy like this come from?'
Looking at the way he behaved, Jin Mudo wanted to tear him apart and kill him at once.
Did he honor his elders? Did he even speak politely? There was not a single appealing thing about him.
Yet his talent was truly among the greatest, the sort rarely seen under heaven.
Not only had he gained enlightenment, he had formed the Mad Jade.
What was more, he had rolled the Mad Jade around once.
So Jin Mudo coveted him.
No, envy and greed rose at the boy's talent until the blood in Jin Mudo's entire body boiled hot.
If it was someone like this, someone like this!
'Enough, not yet!'
Barely enduring the dizziness that overcame him, Jin Mudo tried to regain his composure.
What a blessing to receive in his final years!
If he thought only of using the boy to take his revenge, then yes, he could endure even being scorned and humiliated by him.
As much as necessary!
"What are you doing? Are you still breathing?"
Again, that dry voice pierced deeply into his lungs like an iron skewer.
As expected, the brat had not a shred of courtesy toward his elder.
"Even if you are on your way out, you have to hand over your bundle of martial arts first! Only then can I take revenge for you, old man!"
Jin Mudo was certain.
This boy had no sentiment in him at all.
'Keh heh heh....'
That was why he let out a hollow laugh instead.
No, was the boy not a perfect fit?
He was just right to become the new patriarch of the Demonic Path.
He had no sentiment, no manners, outstanding talent, and a perfect Heavenly Kill Physique to boot.
He, who had once been called the sovereign of the Demonic Path, had met such a successor. He could not complain.
'Still, praising him would hurt my pride!'
It was a strange relationship.
The disciples Jin Mudo had raised had always bowed to him, prostrated themselves flat, and shown obedience.
Of course, they had betrayed him in his final years.
'Perhaps this is better instead? Keh keh!'
Just as Murin was mad, Jin Mudo was not normal either.
Instead, he thought that because Murin was honest, he would not betray him.
"Ahem! Disciple, do not worry too much. This master will live long enough to pass the Mad Heaven Demonic Art on to you!"
"No, old man, you can die whenever you like. What I want is the bundle of martial arts. With that alone, I can cultivate it by myself. It might take some time, though."
"...."
The boy made him angry again.
But Jin Mudo once more calmly reined in the hot emotion rising within him.
He could not ruin a great affair under heaven over such petty feelings.
"Heh heh... That would be fine as well, but this master wishes to teach you properly, one thing at a time."
"Then stop dragging things out and teach me properly. It keeps slowing our progress."
"Yes, yes! My disciple has excellent scholarly zeal! Now, let us proceed."
Jin Mudo continued teaching Murin about the Mad Heaven Demonic Art.
And the more he taught, the more astonished he became.
'So this is the Heavenly Kill Physique! It is truly a vessel for a martial god of the highest rank, comparable to the Heavenly Martial Physique of the orthodox sects!'
Jin Mudo himself had been a man of tremendous talent.
Yet Murin displayed a terrifying rate of achievement, absorbing everything in an instant.
He perfectly understood the breathing method, whose core others could not grasp even after expending immense time.
The cultivation of inner arts that began upon that solidly laid foundation was truly frightening.
Once someone had obtained the Mad Jade and begun to control it properly, he had to receive training suited to it.
Like a lion dropping its cub from a cliff to strengthen a future king.
'Hmm, I can deploy the Soundless Illuminated Courtyard Formation soon!'
The Soundless Illuminated Courtyard Formation.
This too was based on a formation of the same name created by Sa Giljin. Its meaning was that only when sound was stilled did light shine upon the courtyard.
In other words, Jin Mudo had remade it to teach Murin how to conceal his own killing intent and discern the killing intent of others.
'If he cannot endure killing intent pouring in from all directions like sharpened blades, he will die. Will alone cannot endure killing intent, so he must gain the realization that eliminates killing intent with inner arts.'
In reality, when a sharp blade stabbed in, one could not stop it with will alone.
One needed a fitting method: to block it with a sturdy shield or raise one's inner arts to resist it.
The formation made to train that perfectly was the Soundless Illuminated Courtyard Formation.
Jin Mudo realized the time had come.
"Disciple."
"Speak."
"You have cultivated a fair amount of inner arts, so let us train."
Murin nodded.
Growing stronger was what he wanted as well.
And after learning martial arts, he realized that it was no ordinary pleasure.
He was coming to understand that martial arts were not only about killing someone and taking a life.
He thought he could see why those who found enjoyment in martial arts early on became immersed in them day and night.
"Will I die if I cannot get out again?"
"What choice is there? Look at this master's condition. I no longer have the strength to deploy a new formation."
Murin answered as though he understood.
"Then strike while the iron is hot. Let us begin."
"It is the Soundless Illuminated Courtyard Formation. Within it, conceal your killing intent and sense the killing intent of others to defend yourself. I will say it again. Fail, and you die."
"I like your honesty! I think I am starting to trust you by an ant's eyelash."
Jin Mudo smiled faintly at Murin's words. He had grown fairly accustomed to the boy's way of speaking now.
And whatever the boy said, it sounded like birds chirping to him.
His grand ambition was on the verge of coming true. What did the boy's manner of speech matter?
"I will deploy the formation."
"Good."
Whoosh—
Jin Mudo deployed the Soundless Illuminated Courtyard Formation.
The formation carved into the wall fifty years ago by Sa Giljin, the greatest master of formations, came to life and opened.
Rumble—
Then Murin disappeared from before him.
"Go well, disciple. Keh heh heh."
Jin Mudo laughed softly.
All of this was foundational training for properly handling the Mad Jade.
If Murin could only complete the training methods Jin Mudo presented correctly, he would gain the greatest power.
Murin looked around.
The formations Jin Mudo deployed had a clear intention.
He was not trying to kill Murin.
Rather, he wanted more than anyone for Murin to overcome this crisis, grow, and return.
Then discerning the intent behind this formation was the first priority.
'He told me to conceal my killing intent and sense the killing intent of others, did he not?'
And Jin Mudo had explained it very clearly.
Conceal Murin's own killing intent, and try to sense the killing intent of others.
'First, I will conceal my own killing intent.'
Only half an hour earlier, Murin had thought it impossible to control the killing intent he gave off.
It was only natural.
Killing intent had no shape. How could one control it or not control it?
Moreover, whenever he saw blood, his whole body grew hot, and without realizing it, he would rush off in search of his next victim. Such a temptation was truly difficult to endure.
It felt as though someone else lived inside his body; whenever that moment came, his consciousness seemed to vanish completely.
'But now I know the method!'
That was why martial arts were so extraordinary.
Killing intent was, after all, one branch of energy.
He had verified that with absolute clarity while cultivating the Mad Heaven Demonic Art.
It was merely extremely difficult to control because the energy carried by killing intent was so intense and ferocious.
It was more difficult than putting a bit in a wild horse that had gone mad.
But after dozens, hundreds of attempts, he had succeeded in reaching his killing intent with the tiny amount of inner arts produced through the Mad Heaven Demonic Art's breathing method.
That was what he had realized in the Still Blade Law Realm Formation.
'If I can reach it, I can suppress it.'
That was his conclusion.
If he could only reach it, he could suppress it.
That was probably why Jin Mudo had thrown him in here now.
'Hoo....'
Killing intent began to seep from him.
This formation itself seemed to be awakening and provoking Murin's killing intent.
But Murin slowly moved the inner arts of the Mad Heaven Demonic Art as he had learned.
If killing intent was energy, he could govern it with the energy of the inner arts from the Mad Heaven Demonic Art.
'Be quiet and stay buried in a corner. I will certainly make a time when you can bare your teeth to your heart's content.'
The violent energy that wanted to taste the blood of every living creature and take its life.
Murin neither coaxed nor placated it. Instead, he only suppressed his killing intent with strong, firm power.
Crackle—
The killing intent that had made his heart pound violently slowly sank beneath deep water.
"Hoo."
At this level, he would probably not differ greatly from other people.
He gathered his inner arts and strode forward.
It was not yet worthy of being called martial arts, but a respectable energy had nevertheless formed within him.
'Now, let us see. What is he trying to test?'
Jin Mudo's method of training was never confusing or complex.
Rather, it was terrifying precisely because it was so simple and direct.
Whoosh—
The scene before Murin suddenly changed.
While he had been standing on an empty plain only moments ago, he was now in a very crowded marketplace.
People sat and sold goods. Couples were happy to be outside after a long time. An old woman, perhaps buying a present for her grandchild, looked happy about something....
The energies of countless people intertwined, and the market was extremely bustling.
'As expected, this will not be easy.'
Had it been an empty plain, sensing killing intent would not have been difficult.
The inner arts of the Mad Heaven Demonic Art gathered in Murin's qi center were only a tiny mass, but they were remarkably keen.
But now, with the energies emitted by so many people tangled together like a spiderweb....
"...!"
Murin's eyes suddenly flew open.
A boy.
Among the boys running toward him with bright smiles, one met Murin's eyes.
Shiver—
At the same time, Murin felt a chill run down his spine.
The eyes of a boy who looked to be no more than five years old.
Yet through those eyes, the boy was saying, 'I will cut off your head.'
The boy had been holding candied fruit and laughing brightly as he ran with his friends. Then, in the next instant, he disappeared.
Ting—
Before Murin could react, the boy had leaped onto his shoulder, brought his face close to Murin's ear, and whispered,
"Wow, big brother! You must be happy to be going to see your mother! Right?"
"...!"
Stab!
Before he had time to answer, something sharp plunged deep into Murin's throat.
It was the long bamboo skewer that had held the candied fruit.
"Gasp!"
Murin staggered badly where he stood. Blood poured out, turning the floor red in an instant.
"Let us go together! Ha ha ha!"
Whether Murin clutched his throat and staggered or not, the boy only laughed brightly again and ran toward his friends.
Crash!
Feeling the world turn upside down, Murin collapsed where he stood.
Within the Soundless Illuminated Courtyard Formation,
Murin was dying in that cruel killing formation.