The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 171

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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 171.
They say that when humans face death, their entire life flashes before their eyes like a lantern slide show.
But in Hyuk So Jin’s vision, it was not his past life that appeared—instead, he saw himself crossing the Sam Do Cheon river on a crimson cloud, his spirit soaring with joy.
‘…I’m going to die!’
Snapping back to consciousness, Hyuk So Jin threw his entire body to the left with all his might.
Boom!
The fist force of Bu Eunseol’s Thousand Hands Palm technique grazed past his rolling form, obliterating one section of the Training Grounds’ wall,
and with a deafening crash,
an entire Palace Hall standing before it began to crumble to pieces.
―Such a martial technique….
Not only Poong Yeo Rang, who had been watching from behind, but even Hyuk Gong Baek stood with his mouth agape.
The single punch Bu Eunseol unleashed transcended the limits of human power—it was as though dozens of cannons had detonated simultaneously.
Whoooosh.
The thick dust filling the Training Grounds was swept away by a single gust of wind.
“He moved.”
Bu Eunseol, withdrawing her fist, murmured matter-of-factly.
Hyuk So Jin, who should have been standing at the center of the Training Grounds, had shifted five zhang to the left.
‘This madwoman, she really did unleash a vacuum palm….’
Just as Hyuk So Jin was about to shout in protest,
Whoosh whoosh whoosh….
he fell silent upon seeing the fabric around his shoulder crumbling into powder.
Because the range of Bu Eunseol’s Thousand Hands Palm technique was so devastatingly wide, even moving five zhang had not allowed him to escape completely.
‘Does she not fear death?’
Hyuk So Jin glared at Bu Eunseol.
If he merely gave the command, the masters of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji would immediately swarm forth and tear Bu Eunseol to shreds.
“….”
Yet Bu Eunseol stood unmoved, her expression serene as though nothing had transpired.
‘She means every word.’
Hyuk So Jin’s forehead glistened with sweat as he swallowed hard.
‘A martial technique of this magnitude could only be countered if one had reached at least the seventh stage of the Divine Flame Demon Technique.’
“Now I understand why you were so confident in the wager.”
Hyuk So Jin cleared his throat and spoke with an air of indifference.
“Indeed… if this is the power of a single technique, no one could withstand it head-on.”
Shaking his head, he continued his words.
“In fact, if one could wield such a technique with such freedom, there would be no need to fight at all….”
But then an unexpected statement spilled from Bu Eunseol’s lips.
“There is no need to worry. I will not use this technique again.”
“What do you mean?”
“A vacuum palm is something that must be unleashed freely regardless of posture or circumstance. But I have not yet refined this technique to that degree.”
Bu Eunseol dusted off her hands and spoke with an air of ease.
“A frog in a well wouldn’t even understand what I’m saying.”
At that, Hyuk So Jin’s body flinched.
He grasped what Bu Eunseol was trying to convey.
A frog in a well.
Hyuk So Jin, who gazed coldly upon the world and squandered his days in idleness.
While Bu Eunseol advanced, he would never achieve even a single breakthrough.
“Regardless of my martial prowess, what concern is it of yours?”
Hyuk So Jin spoke with fury blazing in his eyes.
“Just because you’ve diligently cultivated your skills, you think you have the right to lecture me….”
“I offer no lectures.”
Within Bu Eunseol’s gaze burned an intensity fierce enough to melt steel itself.
“Prepare yourself.”
“For what?”
“You lost the wager. Now you’ll honor the terms.”
Shing.
As the Silent Blade was drawn, the air of the Training Grounds seemed to freeze with chilling finality.
“A real fight. Not some trivial game.”
In that instant, Hyuk So Jin’s pupils dilated sharply.
He realized Bu Eunseol truly intended to wield her blade against him.
‘This woman… she means it.’
Hyuk So Jin could sense it instinctively.
Bu Eunseol would fight with genuine intent, and if that came to pass, he would never walk away unscathed.
Uuuoong!
A low resonance sang out as six chi of ink-black blade energy erupted from the Silent Blade.
‘She’s materialized true energy across the entire blade?’
His eyes, which had been languidly half-closed, snapped wide open in shock.
‘Her inner power surpasses mine by this much?’
Hyuk So Jin’s cultivation level stood at roughly a century’s worth of accumulation.
That itself was only possible because he’d consumed spiritual elixirs instead of food since childhood, and the Divine Flame Demonic Technique granted him cultivation benefits throughout all twelve hours of the day.
‘I’ve always prided myself on not falling behind any successor of the Ten Demonic Gates in inner power.’
Hyuk So Jin clenched his teeth.
‘With the Divine Flame Demonic Technique alone, I cannot possibly defend against her assault.’
Then Bu Eunseol looked down at Hyuk So Jin with a cold gaze.
“From this moment forward, I will unleash my full power. Do not blame me for not warning you beforehand.”
“Truly? You’d cut me down? Here in the main hall?”
“I’ve already spoken with Hwan Ma about this.”
Thwack.
Bu Eunseol, her Silent Blade aimed at Hyuk So Jin’s forehead, spoke in an eerie tone.
“Even if I cut you down repeatedly, the Elder will not intervene.”
“Nonsense. I’ll ask Grandfather directly myself.”
As Hyuk So Jin let out a scoff and moved to rise,
A flash of light!
A thin line of blood traced across Hyuk So Jin’s cheek alongside the brilliance.
“I told you to be ready.”
Drip, drip.
Hyuk So Jin’s eyes widened as he watched crimson droplets fall to the ground.
His life had been monotonously repetitive.
He had always thought death would be a welcome escape.
Yet now, facing death itself, his mind went blank.
‘I’m going to die to this person’s single blade?’
Fear was not what I felt. Only bitter resentment.
Had I properly cultivated even one of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji’s supreme techniques—the Divine Flame Demonic Qi—I could have deflected such an attack effortlessly.
Or had I earnestly mastered even a fraction of the hundreds of demonic arts dwelling in my mind, I would not be so utterly helpless now.
The life of a lazy genius.
In truth, it was far closer to the life of a foolish idiot than to any genius at all.
“Wait!”
I could not die like this.
Hyuk So Jin extended one hand and spoke urgently.
“I haven’t properly learned martial arts until now.”
“And?”
“This is unfair.”
“How amusing.”
Bu Eunseol smiled coldly.
“Do you truly believe that if you diligently cultivated martial arts from now on, you could stand against me?”
And she continued in a low voice.
“While you wasted away here, I sacrificed sleep and endured bone-grinding cultivation. I ventured into Gangho and fought battles that danced on the edge of death.”
“Simply because I…”
“Found life tedious?”
A smile dripping with contempt played at Bu Eunseol’s lips.
“Those who truly have no attachment to life do not gamble. They simply swallow their suffering day after day and continue living.”
Bu Eunseol, who had witnessed the lives and deaths of countless souls.
Upon seeing Hyuk So Jin gamble, she had discerned that he did not truly feel disgust with life.
“That aggrieved expression suits you well. Very good.”
Bu Eunseol lowered the silent blade she had aimed and spoke coldly.
“One year? Three years? Name the day you wish. I will postpone our duel if you ask. But…”
Bu Eunseol paused and stared intently at Hyuk So Jin.
“During that time, I will venture into Gangho and grow stronger still.”
And she spoke with utmost solemnity.
“No matter what you do, you will never surpass me in your lifetime.”
Hyuk So Jin’s eyes widened as though struck by a thunderbolt.
A giant.
Bu Eunseol stood towering before him, emanating an aura as immovable as Mount Tai itself—something one could never dare to look up at.
‘Have I truly been nothing but a frog in a well?’
Hyuk So Jin had always believed no talent surpassed his own.
Yet now, standing before him was an insurmountable genius of transcendent martial arts—a wall he could never breach.
“Don’t mock me!”
Hyuk So Jin gathered his courage and drew upon his inner strength once more.
A low rumble echoed.
In that instant, a sharp aura erupted from Bu Eunseol’s entire being, and the silhouette of a colossal blade seemed to materialize behind him.
It was a natural manifestation of momentum—the kind that emerged only after countless life-and-death battles.
‘This person…’
Thump-thump.
A true warrior stood before him—one who walked the bloody path with death balanced upon the blade’s edge.
There was no way to win.
The moment Hyuk So Jin accepted this truth, fear gave way to a long-forgotten hunger that ignited within him.
“I concede.”
Hyuk So Jin lowered his head.
There was no point in clinging to pride. He acknowledged his defeat cleanly and brought his hands together in respectful salute.
“For now.”
A sharp gleam flashed across Hyuk So Jin’s languid eyes.
“In the future, I will seek you out. When that time comes, let us face each other properly.”
‘He intends to master martial arts properly.’
A metallic click.
Bu Eunseol nodded and sheathed his silent blade.
“Good. I accept.”
Hyuk So Jin then straightened his posture and spoke.
“You should prepare yourself. Once I master martial arts properly, I will never lose to you.”
Then, as if remembering something, he clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice.
“Though no matter how strong I become… I can only ever become the lord of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, managing the aged demons.”
Only after hearing this did Bu Eunseol understand the fundamental source of Hyuk So Jin’s despair.
‘His suffering came from the shackles of being the heir to Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.’
Whether he strived or remained idle…
The only position Hyuk So Jin could ultimately reach was that of lord of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.
No matter how brilliant his martial talent, no matter how diligently he cultivated his arts, nothing would change.
“But now that you have a goal in me, why not try again?”
The anguish and lethargy that had clouded Hyuk So Jin’s eyes vanished.
Stimulated by Bu Eunseol, his vigor was reborn. From now on, he would cultivate his martial arts properly to overcome him.
‘This should suffice.’
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Then he turned his head and spoke to Hyuk Gong Baek.
“It seems you’ve fulfilled the second promise as well… What do you say?”
“Hmm.”
Hyuk Gong Baek, who had let out a sound of contemplation, slowly walked toward the center of the Training Grounds.
After pondering for a moment, instead of answering, he poured out the curiosity he had been holding in his heart all along.
“But you see.”
“…?”
“Did you really intend to kill So Jin?”
―Instead, please make me one promise.
Before coming here, Bu Eunseol had made a request of Hyuk Gong Baek.
It was that ‘the moment you step onto the Martial Arts Arena, do not intervene no matter what happens’.
At that time, Hyuk Gong Baek had accepted the proposal without much thought.
He had confidence in So Jin’s martial prowess, but he had thought, ‘Surely she wouldn’t actually do anything to the successor of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji?’
But just moments ago, when Bu Eunseol had aimed her silent sword at Hyuk So Jin, he too came to understand.
That Bu Eunseol had been in earnest.
“That is correct.”
“Hehehehe. Hahahaha!”
In that instant, Hyuk Gong Baek burst into hearty laughter.
“Your nerve isn’t just thick—it’s swollen to bursting! Ahahaha!”
The supreme masters who command the Murim and Tianxia all possess an unapproachable madness.
A genuine madness that shatters worldly morality and convention, capable of committing any deed without hesitation.
After laughing heartily for some time, he nodded his head.
“From this moment forward, I shall officially support you. I will send word to the Demon Palace and inform the Demon Palace Master of this matter immediately.”
“Thank you.”
As Bu Eunseol’s expression brightened, Hyuk Gong Baek asked.
“Are you leaving right now?”
“That is correct.”
Bu Eunseol respectfully brought her hands together.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
“I wish you fortune on your path.”
“Thank you. Farewell.”
Bu Eunseol turned and vanished beyond Jeol Cheon Myul Ji.
Hyuk So Jin gazed at Bu Eunseol’s receding figure with hazy eyes.
The warrior’s spirit.
Bu Eunseol’s figure, bearing that burning warrior’s spirit, was shaking Hyuk So Jin’s heart profoundly.
Hyuk Gong Baek nodded and spoke.
“She has been perfecting her martial way through solitary wandering in Gangho. That is why she can display such martial prowess at her age.”
At those words, Hyuk So Jin’s body trembled.
Wandering in Gangho.
There was once a time when he too had considered embarking on such a journey. But because martial arts came so easily to him, he had abandoned the idea instead.
―After all, martial arts are easily mastered just by reading the secret manuals. There is no need to walk the path of hardship through wandering in Gangho.
But only now could I truly understand it.
To perfect martial arts, one cannot avoid a decisive battle that transcends the boundary between life and death.
“Will you follow?”
At that moment, Hyuk Gong Baek’s gentle voice resonated in Hyuk So Jin’s ears.
“If you wish to follow, you may do so.”
“I’m not certain what you mean, grandfather….”
“For a martial artist who pursues the Way of the Warrior, formidable adversaries and trials constantly rain down.”
Hyuk Gong Baek spoke while gazing at Bu Eunseol’s receding figure in the distance.
“Much like that master of the Nangya Sect.”
He understood perfectly.
His grandson, reborn through the Soaring Phoenix, desperately wished to venture into the Gangho alongside Bu Eunseol.
But pride held him back from admitting it.
“Go. If you traverse the Gangho with such a formidable individual, you will not only complete your martial arts cultivation far more swiftly, but gain immeasurable advantages as well.”
At Hyuk Gong Baek’s persuasive words, Hyuk So Jin drew a deep breath.
“Are you truly certain it is acceptable for me to depart?”
“Hahaha. What could be more agonizing than watching a grandson who does nothing but idle away his days? Go now.”
Hyuk Gong Baek felt both pride and concern as he beheld his grandson’s sudden growth.
“Ah, one more thing….”
“No.”
“Hmm?”
“Do not even think of secretly dispatching the Sa Hon Dae to follow me.”
Hyuk So Jin, having seen through his grandfather’s intentions, spoke with firm resolve.
“If you do, it becomes a leisurely tour of the Gangho rather than a true journey of cultivation.”
“True enough. A fine blade cannot be forged without being hammered.”
A martial artist grows only through trials and tribulation.
Hyuk Gong Baek, clearing his throat awkwardly, pulled his grandson into a tight embrace.
“Take care of yourself.”
Though he was called the Master of Jeol Cheon Myul Ji, whose name shook all of Tianxia, Hyuk Gong Baek was now merely a grandfather cherishing and loving his grandson.
“Do not worry.”
After holding Hyuk Gong Baek close for a long while, Hyuk So Jin suddenly let out a small sound of realization.
“I must pursue him at once.”
He had arrived in a carriage, but Bu Eunseol had not borrowed one for departure.
Bu Eunseol must have escaped Jeol Cheon Myul Ji by deploying swift movement techniques.
“Hahaha. Do not fret. His whereabouts will be easy to discern.”
“How so?”
“His destination is obvious, is it not?”
“You know where he is going?”
“He is the master of the Nangya Sect. With only the support of our sect, it will be difficult for him to secure his position as successor to the Demon Palace.”
Hyuk So Jin’s eyes narrowed with understanding.
“Then he will head there.”
“That is correct.”
A flash of brilliance gleamed in Hyuk Gong Baek’s eyes.
“Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong. You would seize even that colossal and formidable female sect’s power to claim the position of successor to the Demon Palace.”

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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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