The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 148

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 148.
“This ends it!”
Just as Seong Ryun’s palm descended toward the fallen Yu Woon Ryong’s head,
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A sharp gust of wind accompanied a torrent of dark sword energy cascading down from the heavens like rain upon Seong Ryun.
“What?!”
Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Seong Ryun hurled himself backward.
As the deluge of sword energy vanished without a trace, a man in white descended from the void like an immortal touching ground.
It was Bu Eunseol.
“You?”
Seong Ryun could not hide his shock.
He was supposed to be fighting Woo Gang and the Sal Gu Haeng members—yet here he stood? Did that not mean they had fallen?
“Yu Woon Ryong.”
Bu Eunseol approached him without hesitation, leaning against the tree.
“You lost to him.”
“Don’t mock me. I haven’t lost! I’m merely… taking a brief rest.”
Yet the dried blood trailing from his lips betrayed his words.
His complexion was deathly pale, and his ragged breathing made it clear he had suffered severe internal injuries.
Even with cultivation techniques, recovery was not imminent.
“I would have no objection to facing him myself.”
Yu Woon Ryong offered no reply to Bu Eunseol’s question, only a snort.
Then, from behind the fallen Bu Eunseol, Seong Ryun slowly approached.
“What became of Senior Woo?”
“He overestimated his own abilities.”
From that brief answer, Seong Ryun understood everything.
“I see. So it has come to this.”
Seong Ryun muttered in a low voice, swallowing his rage.
“Senior Woo always supported and encouraged me.”
He drew a deep breath and gazed toward the distant sky.
“When I became a Grand Master, when I became Cheong Juk Gae… he rejoiced as if it were his own triumph.”
Crack.
From Seong Ryun’s eyes, clenched fists trembling, blazed a killing intent as fierce as the sun.
He could not forgive Bu Eunseol for slaying the senior he revered.
“Therefore, I shall kill you.”
Bu Eunseol nodded silently in acknowledgment.
The Murim was a path woven from gratitude and resentment intertwined.
Standing here, none could escape the cycle of debt and vendetta.
Whoosh.
With his left leg bent in a semicircle, Seong Ryun unleashed palm techniques in succession—Soaring Dragon’s Return, Slumbering Dragon’s Awakening, and Dragon’s Battle in the Wilderness.
Roooar.
As Seong Ryun unleashed the full force of his Soaring Dragon Palm, the air around them seemed to vanish in an instant.
‘Formidable.’
The power of Seong Ryun’s Eighteen Soaring Dragon Palms was extraordinary.
It was in no way inferior to the legendary divine weapons and precious instruments renowned throughout Tianxia.
Bu Eunseol immediately drew her Silent Sword and countered the palm strikes.
With a sharp whistle, sword wind and palm shadows filled the Reed Field as Bu Eunseol and Seong Ryun clashed for thirty seconds in rapid succession.
As if they had rehearsed together, neither gave an inch of ground.
The exchange of techniques continued fiercely, yet neither gained the upper hand—only the sounds of clashing echoed: *crack-crack*, *boom*.
“…!”
But after roughly a hundred seconds, the tide of battle shifted.
As Seong Ryun wove the Soaring Dragon Palm with occasional bursts of the Shattered Jade Fist and the Tail-Severing Fist, Bu Eunseol found herself gradually pushed into a defensive position.
*Boom!*
In that moment, Seong Ryun unleashed the Hidden Dragon Reversal technique of the Soaring Dragon Palm.
Bu Eunseol swung her Silent Sword to deflect the palm force and attempted a counterattack.
*Whoosh!*
But suddenly, with a sharp sound, the technique of the Hidden Dragon Reversal transformed mid-execution into the Raging Tiger Crossing technique of the Shattered Jade Fist.
Thus, Bu Eunseol’s Silent Sword, meant to neutralize the Hidden Dragon Reversal, found nothing to strike.
‘He transformed the technique mid-execution?’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as she evaded the cascading techniques pouring from Seong Ryun.
‘That should be impossible.’
Once a technique is released, it is difficult even to retract it.
Yet Seong Ryun was converting his released techniques into entirely different martial arts mid-flow.
*Crack!*
The Shattered Jade Fist grazed her shoulder, and her sleeve scattered like dust.
But Bu Eunseol did not retreat; instead, she drew even closer.
‘There is definitely something here.’
I had kept my sword sealed throughout, responding defensively.
Had I unleashed my full power and deployed the Boundless Celestial Flow, I could have maintained an equal fight. But victory alone was not what I sought.
A life-or-death battle.
It was an opportunity to discover flaws in martial technique, or to elevate my martial arts further.
‘If I cannot advance beyond this point, I will never achieve victory in the battles to come!’
“It seems the end is drawing near!”
As Bu Eunseol retreated repeatedly, Seong Ryun’s eyes gleamed with arrogance, believing he had seized victory.
‘Just a bit more!’
From Seong Ryun’s body, which blended all the martial arts of Gae Bang, vital energy surged endlessly.
It was fueled by the emotion of vengeance that burned even his soul.
‘Soon, I will sever the neck of this vile demon who harmed Senior Brother Woo!’
But he did not realize.
Consumed by the flames of vengeance, Bu Eunseol’s eyes were ceaselessly analyzing his every technique.
*Whoosh.*
The Soaring Dragon Palm grazed her shoulder, and her garment tore away in tatters.
I unfolded the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique and retreated, while Seong Ryun pursued swiftly, deploying his initial moves.
A sharp whistle.
The Soaring Dragon Palm that had carved through empty space transformed this time into the Eagle Heaven Claw Technique.
As the talons grazed my cheek, a thin line of blood trickled down.
‘From palm techniques to claw techniques, from the palm of the hand to the fingertips….’
Observing how Seong Ryun’s fingers flowed as naturally as water, I finally understood.
‘So that’s what it was!’
Seong Ryun had neither altered his martial arts mid-technique nor blended them together haphazardly.
He was deploying different martial techniques that could flow seamlessly into one another, or that mutually complemented each other.
For instance, he would execute the Flying Dragon Ascends to Heaven technique, then naturally descend, connecting into the claw technique as smoothly as an eagle snatching its prey.
Continuous connection without severance, extending the short to lengthen the long.
All martial techniques must flow without interruption and be deployed at precisely the right moment.
Seong Ryun was arranging different martial techniques appropriately, wielding them as if they were a single unified art.
‘This man has deeply studied all the martial arts of Gae Bang, weaving together different techniques into one seamless whole!’
My eyes gleamed brilliantly with this revelation, and my body burned with an intense heat.
I had learned the profound principles of martial arts from Seong Ryun’s assault—truths that could never be gained through mere practice.
‘What is this now?’
As Seong Ryun noticed my expression growing more composed, his mood darkened.
“Are you pretending to be at ease!”
Seong Ryun drew upon all his power and unleashed techniques in rapid succession.
A sharp swoosh.
But my movements suddenly changed.
I deployed a fist technique with my left hand while simultaneously unfolding the Boundless Heaven Stream with my right.
Without time to blend different martial arts into one unified form as Seong Ryun had done, I deployed fist and sword techniques simultaneously to make them mutually reinforce each other.
“How peculiar.”
Seong Ryun leisurely wove the Soaring Dragon Palm and the Shattered Jade Fist together, pressing me relentlessly.
A sharp whistle!
But something was strange. The moment he transitioned from the Soaring Dragon Palm to the Shattered Jade Fist, my punch suddenly erupted forth, interrupting his technique.
“Hmph.”
When he deployed the Soaring Dragon Palm again to shatter my chest, my sword came sweeping toward his head instead.
‘This woman.’
As I connected my fist and sword techniques flawlessly, filling in the gaps, Seong Ryun felt a chill run through his heart.
‘Could she have learned the subtlety of using strengths to compensate for weaknesses from me?’
What I was deploying were unmistakably the martial principles that Seong Ryun had received from the Murim Alliance.
“Adapting the technique to suit the body….”
I recited the doctrines of Nangya Sect’s practical martial arts and thrust my fists forward in succession.
A sharp whistling sound!
As four streams of fist force poured toward his face, Seong Ryun extended both palms with all his might.
“…Adapting to circumstances with ingenuity!”
“Impossible!”
Seong Ryun unfurled the Soaring Dragon Palm to dissipate Bu Eunseol’s power, then rushed forward to unleash the Tail Whip Fist.
But in that instant, Bu Eunseol’s silent blade was already aimed at his lower abdomen.
“Ugh.”
Seong Ryun had no choice but to abandon the Tail Whip Fist and retreat his body.
Forcing out the palm technique would have meant pressing his lower abdomen directly into Bu Eunseol’s blade.
“Don’t mock me!”
The moment Seong Ryun realized his martial secrets had been stolen, his face flushed crimson with rage.
“How dare you wield the subtle techniques of the Two Pavilion Masters?”
This time, Seong Ryun deployed the Soaring Dragon Palm with his left hand while executing the Breaking Jade Fist, and with his right hand, he abandoned the Tail Whip Fist to unleash the Responding Heaven Claw Technique.
This was a principle of martial arts similar to dividing one’s focus, making Bu Eunseol’s situation equivalent to facing two masters of Gae Bang simultaneously.
‘It’s working!’
Seong Ryun exulted inwardly.
As he deployed the Two Pavilion Masters’ techniques with full force, Bu Eunseol’s initial precision and control were gradually becoming disrupted.
‘This technique was improvised on the spot, so it still contains flaws!’
Whenever Bu Eunseol deployed both blade and fist techniques simultaneously, minute gaps appeared.
‘Could it be… she’s deliberately revealing these openings?’
Doubt crept in.
The thought occurred to him that Bu Eunseol might be intentionally exposing these weaknesses.
‘This one is far too dangerous.’
Seong Ryun’s instincts sounded an alarm.
This mysterious opponent was like steel that grew harder with each clash.
Rather than continue fighting, he found himself wishing to withdraw.
‘No. This one must die.’
If I fail to eliminate one of the Ten Demon Experts now, the elders will eventually appoint another Cheong Juk Gae as the Fire Master.
Would that not render even Woo Gang’s sacrifice for me meaningless?
‘Even if it’s a trap, it doesn’t matter. I just need to kill!’
Seong Ryun no longer cared about martial superiority or victory. Such things were irrelevant.
He simply had to kill Bu Eunseol.
Boom!
At that moment, Bu Eunseol deployed both blade and fist techniques once more.
Simultaneously, her center of balance wavered, and an opening appeared near her ribs.
‘Now!’
Spotting Bu Eunseol’s weakness, Seong Ryun unleashed dual palms.
Whoosh!
Seong Ryun pushed back Bu Eunseol’s attack with the Soaring Dragon Palm and drove forward at close range with all his strength.
Then he immediately struck her exposed ribs with a palm strike.
Roar!
This was a technique he had recently created called Peril Without Blame, a single palm strike infused with a lifetime of cultivation.
‘Even if you’re wounded, I will crush your body!’
“Cough.”
Blood droplets sprayed from my lips as the spear strike struck true.
Yet my body lurched forward toward Seong Ryun instead.
‘This can’t be!’
In that instant, Seong Ryun understood.
This entire exchange had been a trap I had orchestrated.
The spear he had unleashed had not struck me with precision—as if an invisible force had twisted his arm away.
Shing!
With a cutting sound, Muk Geom’s blade pierced through Seong Ryun’s chest.
Clang.
As I staggered and sheathed Muk Geom across my back, Seong Ryun reeled backward with great force.
“How is this possible…”
Seong Ryun’s eyes widened as he clutched his chest.
Even if that opening had been my trap, he should have been able to evade it easily.
Yet his decisive attack had missed pathetically. And it was no fault of his own.
“Why did it miss…”
Watching Seong Ryun stare with wide, uncomprehending eyes, I spoke.
“You failed to perceive it.”
“Perceive what…”
“I unleashed the Sword Extreme Stance precisely as you were releasing your spear technique.”
In that moment, Seong Ryun’s pupils rippled like water.
“Merely a Sword Extreme Stance… and I failed to see it?”
I spoke with solemn conviction.
“It was inevitable. You were consumed entirely by the obsession to kill me.”
Seong Ryun’s eyes trembled greatly.
“I see.”
He nodded as if awakening to some truth.
If he lost this fight, he could never become the leader of Gae Bang.
This desperation and urgency had blinded him to my hidden technique.
For me, the heights and depths of martial skill mattered little.
I had merely responded to his killing intent, struggling to survive…
His strike, aimed solely at death, had missed. My counterattack, born from the will to live, had succeeded.
‘Have I fallen into the abyss of my own destruction?’
Deep regret flowed from Seong Ryun’s eyes as understanding dawned.
This fight carried the weight of avenging his master and the opportunity to become leader of Gae Bang.
In other words, he had desperate reasons to win.
“A beggar’s greed… how foolish.”
Yet that very desire had scattered his focus, leading to a fatal mistake in the final moment.
“…I was blind.”
With those brief words, Seong Ryun breathed his last.
So complete was her penetration that her eyes never even closed.
“Cough!”
The moment Seong Ryun collapsed, I spat out the blood I had been holding back.
No matter how I had twisted my strength through the sword’s extreme form, I could not have perfectly blocked Seong Ryun’s all-out palm technique from the Weimu Gou.
‘If I had not reached the fourth layer of the Reverse Extreme Heart Method… I would have been the one who died.’
My entire meridian network flowed with powerful protective true qi that shielded my body from external force.
Without it, the moment I took that palm strike, my meridians would have shattered and my five organs and six viscera would have burst.
“A terrifying one.”
Then came the voice of Yu Woon Ryong, leaning against a tree stump.
“So you’ve brought down Seong Ryun after all.”
He lay collapsed on the ground, yet he had witnessed every moment of my battle with Seong Ryun.
And he was now fully realizing just how terrifying I was.
“I’ve heard that the martial arts of Nangya Sect are perfected through real combat… but I’ve never seen someone grow stronger while fighting.”
In Yu Woon Ryong’s eyes shone admiration rather than hostility.
My combat was so fierce and desperate it could be described as burning everything within my body.
It was the kind of thing that set the hearts of observers ablaze, regardless of the height or depth of martial skill.
“….”
To Yu Woon Ryong’s words of admiration, I stood motionless like a statue.
“Are your internal injuries severe?”
I shook my head with a very grave expression.
“Tremendous masters… are coming.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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