The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 126
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 126.
Bu Eunseol blinked as she observed Dan Cheong’s startled expression.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m saying… how did your martial prowess advance so dramatically in just a year?”
Dan Cheong, blinking as he spoke, suddenly fell silent. He had realized his demeanor was unbecoming of his station as a vice-sect leader—lacking in propriety.
‘How is this possible? His martial realm has transformed so completely in a single year?’
Though Dan Cheong rarely engaged in Murim activities and remained confined within Nangya Sect, he was in truth one of the supreme masters of celestial martial arts who looked down upon the entire Murim.
At a glance, he had discerned that Bu Eunseol’s martial realm had reached the Transcendent Stage—and not merely its beginning, but its middle phase.
“Ahem.”
Dan Cheong, who had been observing Bu Eunseol, cleared his throat once more and spoke.
“Your journey through Gangho has borne fruit. Remarkable progress indeed.”
Knock, knock.
At that moment, a soft knock sounded at the door, followed by Si Bi’s gentle voice.
“The Commander of Fengyun Corps has arrived.”
“Show him in.”
As Dan Cheong spoke, a middle-aged man with jade-like features draped in white silk robes appeared. It was Baek Yeon, Commander of Fengyun Corps.
“Commander.”
As Bu Eunseol bowed her head, Baek Yeon’s expression shifted with slight surprise.
“I heard you had returned, but…”
Baek Yeon’s eyes swept across Bu Eunseol’s form, and his brows rose slightly.
“You’ve made considerable progress. Truly unrecognizable.”
At this point, Bu Eunseol found herself curious.
Everyone who saw her marveled at how much she had changed. Yet she herself could not perceive any difference whatsoever.
“Do I appear so different?”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve heard it several times since arriving at the Root Sect, but… I genuinely feel nothing has changed.”
At Bu Eunseol’s serious expression, Dan Cheong and Baek Yeon exchanged glances before chuckling warmly.
“That is only natural. It has always been thus.”
Baek Yeon spoke with a smile.
“The realm of martial arts cannot be confirmed by sight nor measured by objective standards. It is merely a scale that masters of martial arts have divided for convenience.”
Bu Eunseol, savoring Baek Yeon’s explanation, asked again.
“Then it seems I still lack the discernment to perceive such a scale.”
“That is not so. Had the Commander’s martial arts advanced from a year ago, you would have felt it clearly. But perceiving the transformation of one’s own cultivation is inherently difficult to sense directly.”
Then Dan Cheong, who had been listening silently, added his explanation.
“Martial arts are fundamentally about observing that which lies beyond the self—beasts, nature, and the like—to discover the principles within them.”
Dan Cheong, gazing at Bu Eunseol, spoke in a low voice.
“Yet when one attains mastery of such principles, one can even discern and unravel the phenomena and transformations occurring within one’s own body. Those who reach such a level, we call masters of martial arts.”
Dan Cheong’s explanation contained not merely the meaning of the term “master,” but the profound essence of martial arts itself.
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew dazed as though struck from behind, then her eyes suddenly gleamed with clarity.
She stepped back and bowed deeply, her forehead nearly touching the ground.
“Thank you for the enlightenment you’ve provided.”
Through Dan Cheong’s guidance, Bu Eunseol had finally resolved several martial mysteries that had eluded her understanding until now.
Of course, such clarity was only possible because of Bu Eunseol’s exceptional aptitude for enlightenment—her natural talent for comprehension.
“I can already guess at your martial rank without seeing it, but I’m curious about your actual level of skill.”
At Baek Yeon’s words, Dan Cheong nodded.
“Indeed. Since the opportunity has presented itself, perhaps I should demonstrate my abilities.”
When Dan Cheong offered to instruct her directly, Bu Eunseol’s eyes brightened with anticipation.
“Would you teach me a technique?”
But Baek Yeon shook his head firmly.
“Absolutely not.”
“Pardon?”
“Martial instruction is one thing, but sparring is out of the question.”
Because Dan Cheong had engaged in almost no Murim activities, his true martial rank remained largely unknown to the world.
Yet Baek Yeon, who had grown up alongside Dan Cheong since childhood, knew well that his genuine power was terrifying enough to tear heaven and earth asunder.
If he were to unleash his martial arts and lose himself in the fervor, unable to control his strength—
Bu Eunseol would suffer injuries so severe she could never recover from them.
“You’ve already entered the Transcendent Realm. Given your nature, you’ll throw yourself at this with everything you have until you succeed. In doing so, the Pavilion Master could seriously injure you.”
In other words, Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess had grown formidable enough to warrant genuine concern.
‘I’m not sure whether to be pleased or troubled by this.’
Seeing Bu Eunseol’s disappointed expression, Baek Yeon spoke.
“Don’t worry. I have the perfect opponent for you.”
In the Reed Field near the back garden of Cheong Pung Jae.
There stood a man wielding a massive broadsword.
It was So Jeon, commander of the Changsin Squad.
“Hahahaha. So it comes to this after all.”
Looking down at Bu Eunseol, he laughed with unbridled delight.
“I’ve been itching to see how much that girl has grown, and now the Pavilion Master himself has arranged this opportunity for me.”
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol glanced around her surroundings.
In the Reed Field stood not only Dan Cheong and Baek Yeon, but also Je Woon, the squad leader, and the members of the Changsin Squad.
And gathered alongside them were the young masters from the Nangya Sect who had previously demonstrated real combat to Bu Eunseol.
“Is it necessary to make such a grand spectacle of a sparring match?”
Feeling the piercing gazes upon her, Bu Eunseol’s expression grew troubled, and Dan Cheong spoke.
“Aren’t these the same martial brothers and sisters who once helped you build your foundation in practical combat? Now they should learn from watching you.”
“I understand.”
“Then let us begin.”
At Dan Cheong’s words, Bu Eunseol immediately drew her ink-black sword.
Shing.
Seeing the ink-black blade gleaming with the resonance of the blade, So Jeon’s lips curled into a grin, revealing white teeth.
“You’ve acquired a fine blade.”
“It is a sharp sword, so please exercise caution.”
“Heh heh. How dare you speak to me in such a manner.”
So Jeon rested his broadsword across his shoulder and flicked his wrist dismissively.
“Attack first.”
Bu Eunseol nodded without hesitation and unleashed the first stance of Heavenly-Earthly Divided Strike, sweeping her silent blade upward from below.
It was a stance that merged the Heavenly Tyrant Blade Extreme Form with mid-range sword technique.
With this single move, I paid proper respect to So Jeon, who had laid the foundation for my Formless Heavenly Stream.
“You’ve transformed the Heavenly Tyrant Blade Extreme Form.”
“It has become the Heavenly Tyrant Sword Extreme Form.”
So Jeon nodded and swept his broadsword horizontally, pushing back the overwhelming pressure Bu Eunseol unleashed.
“…!”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
So Jeon’s single move had not only blocked my attack—it had completely sealed off the entire three-stance sword path that would have followed afterward.
‘He grasped the subsequent stances at a glance.’
I could viscerally feel just how exceptional So Jeon’s martial prowess truly was.
‘Even fighting with all my strength, he’s a formidable opponent.’
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and without hesitation unleashed the Formless Heavenly Stream, thrusting toward So Jeon’s throat.
It was a subtle stance imbued with the mystery of Using Formlessness to Break Form—protecting one’s own body while simultaneously luring out the enemy’s openings.
“Excellent!”
Unable to find a flaw in Bu Eunseol’s stance, So Jeon offered his praise.
“It’s not that you’ve encompassed all techniques—the technique itself transcends constraint.”
So Jeon, having grasped the sword intent of Using Formlessness to Break Form in a single breath, unleashed the Heavenly Tyrant Blade Extreme Form.
“Block this!”
As he raised his broadsword to the upper position, overwhelming force cascaded down, driving back Bu Eunseol’s sword stance.
The power seemed several times greater than the Heavenly Tyrant Sword Extreme Form I wielded.
Whoosh!
In an instant, So Jeon’s broadsword descended as if to crush heaven and earth, cleaving toward my head.
‘I cannot evade!’
Bu Eunseol attempted to deploy Extreme Speed Shadowless, but it was already too late.
The sword momentum flowing from the broadsword’s edge had sealed off both my evasion and retreat.
Clang!
Bu Eunseol had no choice but to raise her silent blade and meet the broadsword head-on.
Boom.
In that moment, one of Bu Eunseol’s knees nearly touched the ground.
Overwhelming inner energy, as massive as Mount Tai itself, erupted from the broadsword and crushed down upon my body.
‘My inner strength cannot compare.’
My Reverse Extreme Heart Method had reached the pinnacle of the third tier, yet So Jeon’s inner power surpassed mine by a level.
‘I must dissolve it through technique!’
Bu Eunseol spun her silent blade in circles, dispersing the cascading force.
But So Jeon adjusted his stances in response—when I defended, he tightened; when I released pressure, he pushed again.
Clang clang clang clang!
Sparks erupted through the void as the ink-black sword and broadsword clashed endlessly in a whirling dance.
After some twenty exchanges, both fighters retreated as if by mutual agreement.
So Jeon stood calmly with his broadsword held high, while Bu Eunseol breathed heavily with her ink-black sword lowered.
“Hah. Hah.”
Bu Eunseol possessed such formidable stamina that she could deploy her lightness technique for four days and nights without faltering.
Yet merely exchanging some twenty moves with So Jeon had left her gasping for breath.
“Hehehehe. I cannot hold back any longer.”
With a metallic ring, So Jeon lowered his broadsword to middle guard and smiled, baring his canines.
“I cannot show mercy. There is simply no way.”
Rumble.
In that instant, a thunderous sound erupted from So Jeon’s broadsword.
He was drawing upon his true inner energy to unleash a killing strike.
“So Jeon. Restrain yourself.”
Baek Yeon’s shout rang out, but So Jeon’s ears heard nothing.
“It is best to pour all my strength into this single moment!”
Rumble!
The thunder pouring from his broadsword grew louder, and the wind rising from beneath his feet transformed into a tempest.
In that moment, Bu Eunseol sheathed her ink-black sword at her back and drew upon her inner power with eyes closed.
Burst!
Suddenly, crimson radiance erupted from her body like an active volcano—she had drawn upon the Anti-Extreme True Qi flowing through her body with full force.
“Overlord Heaven Blade Extreme―――!”
The entire world darkened, and a blade aura like lightning poured down upon Bu Eunseol’s head.
It was a force of nature itself—impossible to evade, impossible to block.
Whoosh!
In that instant, the ink-black sword sheathed at Bu Eunseol’s back drew free from its scabbard.
Screech!
Simultaneously, a cry like a soaring hawk pierced the air, clashing against the descending blade aura.
She had deployed the first form of Musan Cheonryu, Meteor Chasing Moon, and the fourth form, Waning Moon Howling Star in succession, greatly amplifying their power.
Flash!
In the narrow space between Bu Eunseol and So Jeon, dazzling sword light flickered.
As blade met blade, both fighters simultaneously transformed their techniques.
Clang clang clang clang!
Though it appeared on the surface that So Jeon unleashed multiple forms, he wielded a single heavy and ever-changing sword form.
Though Bu Eunseol seemed to pour out single forms, she was actually deploying three consecutive techniques from Musan Cheonryu in rapid succession, creating swift and ever-shifting killing strikes.
“Ugh.”
Among the martial artists of Nangya Sect watching, those with weaker cultivation closed their eyes.
They lacked the ability to appreciate the interweaving of blade light and sword shadow across the void, and the complex forms left them dizzy.
“….”
The light that had filled the Reed Field scattered away.
Bu Eunseol’s sword had already returned to its scabbard, and So Jeon held his broadsword across his shoulders once more.
If someone had just arrived at this moment, they would have mistaken the two for not yet having begun their practice match.
“Hmm.”
It was So Jeon’s low groan that broke the silence.
He had maintained an easy smile throughout, but now his brow furrowed as if he were chewing on a bitter pepper.
“How have you honed your blade over this past year?”
Bu Eunseol answered So Jeon’s question calmly.
“I sought out the strong and tested myself against them.”
“Was that all?”
“And… I gained profound insights.”
“Insights, you say.”
So Jeon nodded and turned his body sharply.
“Let us spar again next time.”
Without waiting for Bu Eunseol’s response, he strode away with long steps and departed the Reed Field.
“Master. Let us go as well.”
Then Je Woon and the Changsin Squad members, who had been watching blankly, bowed to Dan Cheong before hurrying after him.
The remaining Nangya Sect warriors also lowered their heads to Dan Cheong before leaving the Reed Field.
“Splendid.”
Baek Yeon approached Bu Eunseol, who stood alone in the empty Reed Field, and smiled broadly.
“To directly block So Jeon’s sword technique head-on. It is almost unbelievable even having witnessed it.”
“I merely… managed to block one of the Master’s techniques.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression was grim.
Though I had unleashed my blade technique with all my strength, I had barely managed to block just one sword technique from So Jeon.
“One technique?”
Baek Yeon spoke with an astonished expression.
“You blocked Heavenly Rend Extreme—one of So Jeon’s three supreme techniques—without a single wound. How can you call that merely one technique?”
“Hahaha! This is most satisfying.”
At that moment, Dan Cheong approached and laughed heartily while patting Bu Eunseol’s shoulder.
“Here is this stubborn one who ignores every word I say, actually wounded in pride and slinking away? I cannot remember the last time I saw that one’s shoulders drooping like this. Hahahaha!”
Despite Dan Cheong’s jesting, Bu Eunseol’s expression did not brighten.
Noticing this, Baek Yeon asked with a puzzled expression.
“Why has your expression been like that since earlier? As if you suffered a crushing defeat.”
“If Master So had fought with full intent to kill, I wondered whether I could have blocked it… I was contemplating that.”
“What?”
Dan Cheong and Baek Yeon exchanged glances, visibly taken aback.
Now it became clear—Bu Eunseol had been fighting with actual combat in mind, not merely a practice match.
“Hahaha!”
Dan Cheong burst into satisfied laughter and nodded.
“I see. That is why this one advances faster than the others.”
In Bu Eunseol’s mind, there was no thought of victory or practice matches.
I was only studying whether I could sever my opponent’s life with full strength in every single encounter.
In the Nangya Sect, which pursued practical martial arts, there was no way for her strength not to rise faster than anyone else’s.
“Bu Eunseol. You are grasping the subtleties of the Root Sect’s practical martial arts faster than anyone and putting them into practice.”
Dan Cheong, nodding with an expression of admiration, spoke words that were unexpected.
“You have not yet reached So Jeon’s level, but at this rate, you could even look forward to a confrontation with a master of the great way.”
“A master of the great way….”
“Indeed.”
A flash of lightning blazed in Dan Cheong’s eyes as if it would incinerate the very soul.
“Orders have come down to gather all Ten Demon Experts at the Demon Palace.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————