The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 178

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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 178.
Demonic Killing Arts.
Like the hundred killing techniques of assassins, it referred to a brutal Demonic Path martial art designed solely to sever an enemy’s life force.
It was utterly incomprehensible.
To teach her own granddaughter such vicious Demonic Path killing arts—arts that would earn her the title of witch?
What kind of absurd demand was this?
“This child possesses a tender heart. She despises harming even plants or insects. Yet as the next Master, such compassion would only hinder her path forward.”
Geuk Hye Ryeong sighed as she spoke.
“I have exhausted every method available, yet I have failed to cultivate a poisoned heart within this child.”
“Mm.”
Bu Eunseol exhaled heavily.
Though she had suspected as much, Geuk Hye Ryeong was genuinely asking her to teach this innocent girl the Demonic Killing Arts.
“I do not believe this is the right path, Master.”
Hyuk So Jin, who had been listening silently, shook his head.
“I acknowledge that the next successor of Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong need not possess a tender or compassionate heart. However….”
Hyuk So Jin continued, his expression troubled.
“Is the position of Master truly so perilous that a ten-year-old child must be taught killing techniques and a poisoned heart? Her temperament could change as she matures.”
Geuk Hye Ryeong, who had maintained her silence, nodded with a composed expression.
“The previous Master once harbored such naive thoughts as well.”
A terrifying killing intent flickered in Geuk Hye Ryeong’s eyes as she gazed toward the distant horizon.
“And because of that, this child lost her voice.”
“What do you mean….”
“You must have heard of the incident that occurred at Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong two years ago?”
Suddenly, Hyuk So Jin recalled an incident that had circulated secretly within the Ten Demonic Gates two years prior.
Dong Bang Jung Ri, a master of the Evil Sect and the Flower Thief—the Color Demon Blood Soul.
The rumor that he had secretly infiltrated Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong and was ultimately killed.
“Could it be that Dong Bang Jung Ri….”
“Indeed. That vile wretch was hiding in the main hall, wounded, when this child discovered him.”
Geuk Hye Ryeong’s expression grew sorrowful.
“This child’s heart is as pure as silk. She helped him without hesitation. But that vile creature attempted to use Bin as a hostage to escape. Instead, when his escape failed, he drove his sword through her throat—the throat of the innocent child who had tried to save him.”
A chilling killing intent spread through Geuk Hye Ryeong’s eyes as she recalled those memories.
“He severed her voice with his blade.”
Only then did Hyuk So Jin fully comprehend Geuk Hye Ryeong’s resolve.
“I see.”
“Yet despite enduring such cruelty, Bin still clings to her innocence.”
Geuk Hye Ryeong spoke with fierce intensity, her eyes wide.
“If time continues to pass like this, she will never become the next Master. Instead, she will become prey for cunning and malicious people!”
Her lips pressed together, her expression devastated.
From the perspective of a grandmother rather than a Master, she wished to preserve her granddaughter’s noble character forever.
Yet that very purity and tenderness had cost her granddaughter her voice….
I intend to create a poison heart to ensure such an incident never occurs again in the future.
“Originally, I was planning to feed this child the Extreme Fire Demon Flame Pill.”
At Geuk Hye Ryeong’s words, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed with understanding.
‘So it was the Saryeong School.’
Only then could I discern who the successor of the Ten Demonic Gates who had arrived first was, and why Jeongju had accepted that proposal.
The Extreme Fire Demon Flame Pill.
It was a secret treasure of the Saryeong School, crafted from the Demon Spirit Pellet of the Ghost Gate—a substance that detonates demonic nature and cruelty.
“The Extreme Fire Demon Flame Pill is made from the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, so it can build formidable inner strength.”
Bu Eunseol responded to those words.
“You were attempting to use the fire essence within the inner core to transform this child’s temperament.”
“Precisely.”
The inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp greatly enhances inner power and contains intense fire essence.
That scorching energy circulates endlessly throughout the body, causing the vital force to reverse and transform emotions.
Is it any wonder that those from Haeng Rim refer to the rage erupting from within the heart as heart fire?
“But wouldn’t there be limits to regulating human emotions through elixirs?”
“Indeed. I myself was deeply troubled by that very point. Which is why….”
Geuk Hye Ryeong nodded.
“But if two successors of the Ten Demonic Gates unite their efforts, couldn’t we achieve better results than such elixirs?”
Geuk Hye Ryeong believed that the exceptional successors of the Ten Demonic Gates could produce superior results compared to feeding her granddaughter a toxic elixir.
At that moment, Hyuk So Jin, who had been deep in thought, asked a question.
“Then do you wish for her to learn only lethal killing techniques? Or do you desire for your granddaughter to transform into someone cold and merciless?”
“Learning a single demonic killing technique would suffice. Until now, no matter what efforts were made, it was impossible to even teach her such methods.”
Geuk Hye Ryeong wore a faint smile.
“Once she masters the killing technique, her temperament can gradually change as well.”
Hyuk So Jin exhaled a breath of inner relief.
If she had asked him to transform Geuk Hye Bin’s temperament into that of a cold and merciless assassin, it would have been utterly impossible.
‘But teaching killing techniques to an innocent child is no simple task either.’
A killing technique cannot be executed without killing intent.
As Hyuk So Jin hesitated in his response, Bu Eunseol stepped forward and answered.
“Grant me one month.”
“One month?”
“Indeed. Within that time, I shall complete a single demonic killing technique for her.”
“Brother Bu, allow yourself ample time. One month is….”
“Sufficient. Merely to learn a single killing technique.”
“Hehehehe.”
At Bu Eunseol’s bold declaration, Geuk Hye Ryeong burst into hearty laughter and nodded.
“As expected of the master of the Nangya Sect—so refreshingly direct. I like it.”
Rising from her seat, she nodded.
“If you can teach this child a single killing technique of the Demonic Path within one month… I shall gladly support you as the successor to the Demon Hall.”
* * *
The next day.
Hyuk So Jin had spent the entire night awake, his eyes wide open as the hours slipped away.
Ordinarily, he should have been cultivating his inner energy, but his mind was restless and scattered with distracting thoughts, making concentration utterly impossible.
‘What on earth is Bu Chanyang thinking?’
Rising from his seat, he gazed out the window as dawn broke across the sky.
‘Surely he’s not comparing my situation to hers.’
It was true that Hyuk So Jin had shed his former indolent self and become a new person with Bu Eunseol’s help.
Yet deep within his heart, a yearning for the martial way had existed long before their meeting.
Bu Eunseol’s arrival had merely awakened what already lay dormant within him.
‘Teaching demonic killing techniques to a pure girl who couldn’t even bring herself to harm a single ant? That borders on the impossible.’
A killing technique was, by definition, a martial art designed to sever an enemy’s life.
It wasn’t merely about wielding a blade according to predetermined forms—one had to possess the resolve to end an opponent’s life in a single stroke before such a technique could be unleashed.
*Click.*
At that moment, the door swung open and a tall, slender silhouette entered, carrying an enormous bundle.
It was Bu Eunseol.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
In response to Hyuk So Jin’s question, Bu Eunseol set the large bundle down upon the table.
*Thump.*
The bundle contained blank manuscripts—empty volumes waiting to be filled.
“What is this?”
“Starting today, you’ll transcribe the secret manuals in this order.”
Bu Eunseol handed him a sheet of paper.
As Hyuk So Jin examined it, he found a densely written list of forty-eight supplementary demonic cultivation techniques that Jeol Cheon Myeol Ji possessed.
“I’ve selected ones that women can easily master.”
“Wait—you’re telling me I’m to transcribe forty-eight secret manuals alone?”
“You must also demonstrate the techniques to your disciples and transmit both practical methods and incantations. So finish the transcription within a fortnight.”
“How tedious. Why don’t you do it yourself?”
His passion for martial arts had merely concealed his laziness.
By nature, Hyuk So Jin was indolent and easily bored. Two weeks of constant transcription? Absolutely not something he would willingly accept.
“If you refuse, so be it.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Then I’ll transcribe the manuals myself, and you can teach the demonic killing techniques to the granddaughter of Jeongju.”
“Time is pressing, so I shall begin transcribing the manuals diligently at once.”
As if he’d never complained, Hyuk So Jin seized his brush and ink, waving his hand dismissively as he spoke.
“Don’t worry yourself—go ahead and depart.”
Most martial sects’ training grounds typically feature expansive outdoor spaces.
However, the training hall of Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong, named Baek Ryeon Gak, was constructed much like a study hall for scholarly pursuits.
Its interior was densely furnished with chairs and tables for reading, while one side held bookshelves filled with texts on internal cultivation and sound-based cultivation techniques.
Had it not been for the blue stone platform laid out in the courtyard beyond the shelves, Bu Eunseol would have believed Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong had no training grounds at all.
“Ah.”
And standing in the courtyard before it was Geuk Hye Bin, a young girl dressed in pale pink martial robes, her posture taut with tension.
I noticed she didn’t have proper martial robes.
The loose robes draped over Geuk Hye Bin were clearly ordinary clothes that had been cut and hastily sewn together.
“Ah.”
Upon seeing Bu Eunseol, she formed her lips into a perfect circle and offered a respectful greeting.
Had a passing elder witnessed this, they would have involuntarily exclaimed at how adorably innocent she appeared.
Hmm.
Bu Eunseol, studying the girl’s large, dark eyes intently, released a silent sigh.
So that’s why it failed.
In Geuk Hye Bin’s clear, transparent gaze dwelled only purity itself.
Teaching demonic killing techniques to such a girl was as difficult as instructing a Shaolin monk in banditry.
“Hmm.”
After a moment of deliberation, Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“Can you manifest your divine technique?”
“Ah.”
As she nodded, Bu Eunseol turned her body.
“Follow me.”
At the western edge of Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong lay a beautiful forest where a waterfall cascaded.
Beyond that place stretched a dense jungle thick with towering trees.
Thud.
After running through the forest for some time, Bu Eunseol occasionally tapped rocks and trees.
She was using her Void-Piercing Divine Eye to meticulously examine the entire forest.
When the terrain gradually leveled into a flat clearing, she suddenly propelled herself upward into the air.
Tap.
Landing on a branch of an ancient tree towering some five stories high, Geuk Hye Bin pushed off the ground and lightly joined Bu Eunseol’s side.
“From now on, you must suppress your presence.”
Nod.
Geuk Hye Bin held her breath, her bright eyes unwavering.
In that instant, her presence vanished completely, as if she had become one with nature itself.
Bu Eunseol realized another truth.
Geuk Hye Bin—this small girl was actually a martial genius no less talented than Hyuk So Jin.
The natural suppression of one’s presence meant complete mastery over the vital energy within one’s body.
Should this small girl properly cultivate her martial arts, there was every possibility she could become the successor to Demon Hall in the future.
Because there was sufficient possibility she could become Demon Hall’s successor, Jeongju had accepted my proposal.
By the time Geuk Hye Bin matured into adulthood, all the struggles for succession within Demon Hall would have been resolved.
Should I become the successor, I would need to grant this girl the qualification to challenge for the successor position, as promised.
Whoosh.
At that moment, a hawk that had flown down from the sky perched on a tree branch more than a dozen paces away.
The hawk, standing as if reading the wind for quite some time, finally spotted a rabbit crouching in the distance.
Tap-tap-tap.
The rabbit, too, spotted the hawk and began darting away at great speed.
As I watched the rabbit zigzag frantically across the terrain, the hawk released a sharp cry and launched into pursuit with a powerful glide.
A piercing screech tore through the air.
No matter how swift the rabbit was, it could never outpace the hawk’s velocity.
The hawk caught up swiftly, its razor-sharp talons closing around the rabbit’s neck.
Feathers and fur scattered in the struggle.
As the rabbit thrashed in resistance, the two creatures became locked in a fierce tangle.
Blood sprayed in all directions, and as the rabbit was finally subdued, Geuk Hye Bin let out a cry of distress.
“Do you wish to save it?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Geuk Hye Bin nodded urgently.
“Then do as you wish.”
Without hesitation, she swiftly deployed her movement technique, descending rapidly to snatch the rabbit from the hawk’s grasp before its talons could tighten further.
The rabbit, its fur torn and bleeding profusely, bolted away into the underbrush the moment it was freed from the hawk’s grip.
Bu Eunseol, who had been watching silently from beside her, deployed her movement technique once more.
“Follow me.”
Swift footsteps echoed as we ascended the steep cliff face.
The place where I arrived was a hawk’s nest built into a hollow beneath the cliff’s edge.
Inside, hungry chicks cried out, waiting for their mother to return with food.
Some, having starved for so long, could no longer even cry—their bodies reduced to skeletal frames.
“Had you not interfered with the hawk’s hunt, these young ones would not have perished from starvation.”
“Ah…”
Geuk Hye Bin’s eyes darkened as she gazed upon the starving chicks.
Bu Eunseol, observing her expression, spoke in a low voice.
“I do not blame your actions. Humans naturally feel compassion for creatures weaker than themselves.”
“…”
“But animals do not release their prey out of compassion, nor do they feel pity. Only humans wield the measure of good and evil.”
Bu Chanyang had always spoken to me this way about good and evil.
―Humans divide good and evil from their own perspective. Thus, what is good can become evil, and what is evil can masquerade as good.
At that time, I could not comprehend these words. I was too young, and far too innocent.
Much like Geuk Hye Bin is now.
“And by that measure, your actions lean far closer to wickedness.”
“Ah…”
As Geuk Hye Bin blinked her wide eyes in confusion, Bu Eunseol spoke with grave solemnity.
“Now I shall show you how cruel the act of helping others truly is.”
Yet the longer I gazed into those large, dark eyes, an inexplicable sense of discord crept through my mind.
A scene suddenly flashed across my consciousness.
It was the moment when Geuk Hye Bin had saved both the hawk and the rabbit.
‘Wait… was she not simply compassionate?’
Recalling that moment, I grasped a startling truth.
This child was not innocent at all.
Geuk Hye Ryeong and everyone at Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong had been completely mistaken about this girl.

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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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