The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 16

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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 16.
―We shall commence the Third Gate!
The eyes of the trainees gleamed with renewed intensity at those words.
They had already suspected that their time in the Martial Hall learning martial arts would not continue indefinitely.
Yet to begin the Third Gate so abruptly, without warning, the moment training concluded—it was startling.
“The Third Gate? Wasn’t the Second Gate the last one?”
Moreover, most of the trainees knew nothing whatsoever of the Second Gate that Bu Eunseol had endured.
However, the expressions of the sharper-minded trainees remained composed.
They had already deduced the existence of another gate from the moment Bu Eunseol boarded the ship bound for Hell Island.
“Soon, the Cave will be sealed.”
At that moment, Baek Jeon Cheon, standing beside Hyuk Ryeon Eung, stepped forward and spoke.
“From this moment onward, gather all weapons stored in your quarters, along with any supplies you deem necessary.”
As the trainees exchanged bewildered glances, he continued.
“After this point, you will not be permitted to return to these quarters until the Ten Demon Experts are selected.”
“I do not understand your meaning!”
A young trainee listening to Baek Jeon Cheon’s words cried out loudly.
“How are the Ten Demon Experts to be selected?”
“It is not we who select them—you must select yourselves.”
Confusion flickered across the boy’s face.
“Surely you do not mean we should deliberate among ourselves to determine the candidates for the Ten Demon Experts?”
As this leisurely exchange continued, Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s brow furrowed.
“Allow me to speak.”
Baek Jeon Cheon possessed keen intellect, yet his manner of speech lacked directness, tending instead toward vagueness.
“Kill one another.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s voice resonated like a great bell, reverberating across the entire island.
“Until the Ten Demon Experts are selected. Until I, the sect leader, command you to cease. You shall kill each other. Do you comprehend?”
In that instant, the expressions of the trainees arrayed before Stone Mountain divided into two distinct categories.
Those who had anticipated this, and those who gazed at their fellow trainees in shock and disbelief.
“I have a question.”
At that moment, a young girl bearing two steel swords across her back cried out.
“What happens if we refuse to fight?”
“Refuse to fight?”
“For instance, if some were to hide in secret, or evade by wandering the perimeter of the island?”
At the girl’s incisive question, Hyuk Ryeon Eung bared his fangs in a grin.
“Of course, whether you hide or refuse to fight is entirely your choice. Yet you will find yourselves utterly unable to do so.”
The gaze Hyuk Ryeon Eung fixed upon the girl burned with fierce intensity.
“As time progresses, the habitable regions will become increasingly restricted.”
A sharp sound crackled through the air.
At that moment, Baek Jeon Cheon had his subordinates unfurl a massive parchment.
The parchment displayed a detailed map showing the terrain and landmarks of Hell Island.
“If you refuse to fight, or if your battles drag on without progress, I will gradually restrict the areas where you’re allowed to remain.”
The trainees’ jaws fell open.
Restrict the areas if the fights drag on?
This method would force the trainees into an extreme situation where they had no choice but to kill each other—the worst possible approach.
“What happens if we stay in the restricted area or hide secretly?”
At one trainee’s question, Hyuk Ryeon Eung extended his finger.
A sharp crackling sound.
Violent energy erupted, scorching a portion of the map drawn on the parchment black.
“Those who remain in the restricted zones will be slaughtered by the Killing Ghosts.”
A whisper of movement.
Before his words even finished, shadows materialized like phantoms behind the Platform.
The shadows, reflected in the sunlight, wore masks and assassin’s robes marked with bizarre patterns resembling reptilian skin.
Though countless trainees looked up at the Platform, none had seen when these figures had ascended it.
At that moment, a boy of exceptional height—his head a full measure taller than the gathered trainees—stepped forward.
“Can we not attack those Killing Ghosts?”
A deadly silence fell over the clearing before Stone Mountain.
A sudden burst of laughter.
Hyuk Ryeon Eung laughed abruptly, then nodded with satisfaction.
“Now that’s what I expect from a candidate for the Ten Demon Experts!”
After laughing for some time, his expression shifted to a sinister smile that seemed to rise from the depths of hell itself.
“Of course you can attack them. If you have the strength, you may kill them without consequence.”
“Kill them… you say?”
“Yes. If you can kill a Killing Ghost, you will immediately become one of the Ten Demon Experts.”
From Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s bold declaration, the trainees understood.
The martial prowess of the Killing Ghosts must be beyond imagination.
It would be easier for them to slaughter every trainee here than to deal with a single Killing Ghost.
“You may move in groups or conduct ambushes without restriction. There are no constraints whatsoever.”
A crimson killing intent rose like mist from Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s eyes.
“If you can kill them, use any means necessary. That is your path to becoming one of the Ten Demon Experts as quickly as possible.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung examined each silent trainee’s expression carefully, then nodded.
“It seems you understand clearly.”
And with eyes as solemn and quiet as death itself, he proclaimed:
“The Third Trial now begins!”
* * *
As Hyuk Ryeon Eung and Baek Jeon Cheon ascended the Platform to explain the Third Trial,
Bu Eunseol began carefully observing the faces and distinctive features of the trainees gathered at Stone Mountain.
‘This is my last chance to gather information.’
The number of trainees gathered in the clearing before Stone Mountain was roughly ninety.
Once the Third Trial began—with combat waged across the vast island—there was no telling what might happen.
Some trainees might fashion masks and disguise themselves, while others might impersonate Killing Ghosts rather than remain as trainees.
“In the martial world, those who gather more information survive longer than those with superior martial prowess.”
It was something Bu Chanyang always told Bu Eunseol—a man who spent his days uncovering the causes of death and carefully preparing corpses for burial.
“Most martial artists who are murdered never even get to display their skills, dying without ever understanding why they were killed.”
Had they observed their surroundings more carefully, they could have avoided the traps of death.
Had they studied the people around them more intently, they could have prevented sudden ambushes.
Bu Eunseol had learned these truths viscerally while cleaning corpses.
Before the Third Trial began, I was determined to gather as much information as possible and seize the advantage in any unexpected situation.
‘There are far more who’ve formed alliances than I expected.’
As I observed the trainees around me carefully, I was able to glean three crucial pieces of information.
First, there were numerous alliances formed among them.
Many of the trainees exchanged meaningful glances with one another.
‘This is certainly different from before.’
Second, those remaining on Hell Island were exceptional talents with superior martial skill and strategic acumen.
At the Second Gate, most had stumbled about unable to adapt, but the trainees here all wore composed expressions.
Some even stood silently in corners like I did, observing their surroundings without a word.
They clearly understood the importance of information as well.
‘And quite a few have mastered multiple martial disciplines.’
Third.
Several trainees carried not just iron swords, but unique blades, whips, and other distinctive weapons.
Judging by how openly they wore them, they were likely issued during martial training in the Martial Hall.
‘No. Some have smuggled weapons in secretly.’
When we arrived on Hell Island, we had surrendered all weapons and clothing we brought, receiving iron swords and martial robes in exchange.
Yet traces of hidden blades and other concealed items were visible on several trainees’ bodies.
‘Even if they deceive the instructors, they cannot deceive my eyes.’
I had prepared countless martial artists for burial—an incalculable number.
Most of those who died unexpectedly had been equipped with specialized hidden mechanisms.
They left barely a trace when clothed, but upon undressing or examining hidden places on the body, such devices were frequently discovered.
‘Such items will act as variables in unforeseen circumstances.’
As I sank deeper into contemplation, narrowing my eyes,
“Then we shall commence the Third Trial one hour from now!”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s thunderous cry echoed across the entire island, as if it might shatter eardrums.
Thud.
I kicked off the ground with explosive force.
Then I began sprinting at full speed toward the dense forest visible before me.
‘I must leave this place immediately.’
From the moment I entered the Hwawoo Sword Sect’s Intermediate Hall, I had drawn the attention of many trainees.
Had I lingered near Stone Mountain without fleeing, I could have been subjected to a coordinated assault by the more skilled trainees.
Tap-tap-tap.
Then, accompanied by sounds of movement, shadows rapidly pursued from behind.
‘They’re targeting me.’
Bu Eunseol sensed that several pursuers were closing in on her.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of tearing air erupted from behind her back.
Thud, thud, thud.
As Bu Eunseol wove through the tangled forest path, the sharp sound of hidden projectiles embedding themselves into trees echoed all around her.
Yet she did not even turn her head.
The moment her gaze shifted, her pace would falter, and if they caught sight of her face, they might refuse to abandon the chase.
‘Just a little longer.’
By now, the slaughter would have begun in earnest, and they would soon forget about her existence entirely.
Interest in what cannot be seen does not last long.
Whoosh, whoosh. Thud.
Even as she sprinted at full speed, Bu Eunseol’s expression remained as calm as if she were taking a leisurely walk.
Two months of training on Hell Island had forged her body into steel, granting her extraordinary endurance.
‘That place would be perfect.’
For now, there were no restrictions on where she could venture.
Therefore, she needed to choose the safest location on Hell Island.
Whoosh. Thud.
As she sprinted with all her might toward the northern edge, a small dwelling came into view in the distance.
It was the Martial Hall of Nangya Sect—the very dwelling where Sa Woo resided.

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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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