The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 245

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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 245.
‘He means it.’
Bu Eunseol could sense it.
Yeop Hyo Cheon intended to kill her with genuine intent through this assault.
And if she persisted in mere defense, she would inevitably be pushed into a corner and meet her death.
‘I must strike first.’
For an inferior martial artist to overcome a superior one, one must seize the initiative by any means necessary. And once momentum is gained, retreating even an inch spells certain defeat.
‘I cannot elevate my martial arts through mental resolve in this situation.’
The fusion of the two secret techniques moments ago was merely fortune born from an instant of hesitation.
To hope for such luck again while life hung in the balance would result in her head being severed in a heartbeat.
‘Then only the Thirteen Nights Technique remains.’
Yeop Hyo Cheon had already grasped the methods of the Yeop Hyo Cheon’s Righteous Heart Seal to some degree.
To endure Yeop Hyo Cheon’s killing intent—a gap as vast as heaven and earth—she needed unpredictable, explosive martial techniques that he could not anticipate.
She had to unleash the Thirteen Nights Technique.
Whoosh!
In that instant, Yeop Hyo Cheon’s form vanished, and invisible, razor-sharp killing intents poured forth.
Tss, tss, tss!
Bu Eunseol’s hands and feet, which deployed the Extreme Speed Shadowless Technique with all her might, began to tremble like rubber.
Just as Yeop Hyo Cheon did, she began to manifest fist techniques, leg techniques, and body techniques through different bodies simultaneously.
Boom, boom!
Yet an unexpected result emerged.
Though she had indeed deployed different martial techniques as one unified force, the power was insufficient.
Moreover, the sharp edge of the Thirteen Nights Technique flowed forth only weakly.
Splat!
Blood sprayed from near Bu Eunseol’s neck where Yeop Hyo Cheon’s killing intent grazed her.
As a burning pain seared through her skin, her mind suddenly sharpened.
‘Without the Wu Huang Heart Seal, it cannot exert its full power.’
When she had first mastered the Thirteen Nights Technique in the library, merely deploying all her martial arts at once had manifested its sharp edge.
But now, wasn’t its power reduced by dozens of times?
‘At that time, I had cultivated the Wu Huang Heart Seal’s dharma for so long that it naturally unfolded.’
In other words, without the Wu Huang Heart Seal, the Thirteen Nights Technique was nothing but an empty shell.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed with sudden comprehension.
Zing!
As she focused her spirit, the flow of true energy spread throughout her entire body.
Because it conflicted with her nature, the Wu Huang Heart Seal normally required calm meditation to cultivate.
Yet now, with death at her doorstep, her spirit suddenly stilled, and emotions surged violently in her chest.
In a single breath, she reached the realm of Profound Emotion and Clear Heart.
“Ha!”
Bursting with overwhelming emotion, Bu Eunseol released a battle cry unlike any before.
Simultaneously, she deployed the Cloud Pure Step with her legs and the Southern Peak True Fist with her left hand.
Crack!
Sharp qi erupted from my waist in a torrential wave of power.
The Thirteen Primal Technique—Wu Huang’s supreme secret art that compressed Orthodox martial knowledge into a single mass and unleashed unpredictable qi.
After four hundred years, it was finally unfolding through my hands.
Whoosh, whoosh!
But Yeop Hyo Cheon moved with such blinding speed that the sharp qi dispersed before it could fully manifest, shifting to the left.
Yet I still had my right hand.
Whirling! Crackling!
As I deployed the Immortal Capturing Hand with my right palm, two razor-edged strands of qi added themselves, carving into both sides of Yeop Hyo Cheon’s ribs and his escape route.
“Ho.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon gasped and moved with practiced swiftness, evading the cascading qi.
‘There you are!’
Thud!
The instant I pinpointed Yeop Hyo Cheon’s location, I unfolded my movement technique and deployed the Thirteen Primal Technique once more.
Whirling! Crackling, crackling!
As I unleashed the Thirteen Primal Technique in succession, three strands of qi orbited his body like a protective veil.
They would surge in unpredictable directions or bend back inward, circling around his frame.
Snip.
As Yeop Hyo Cheon lightly evaded the three sharp strands, a few strands of his hair were cleanly severed.
“Excellent.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon exclaimed and shifted his approach.
He was attempting to intercept my qi through close-quarters combat.
Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
We would clash and separate, rise into the air only to plummet back down.
The two of us became streaks of light, carving through the void as we collided and retreated repeatedly.
Boom!
With a tremendous explosion, the luminous shadows created by Yeop Hyo Cheon and me collided head-on.
Screech.
Simultaneously, the two points of light retreated left and right, and Yeop Hyo Cheon and I appeared once more.
“Hmm.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon exhaled a long sigh, his eyes dropping to his sleeve.
Though he bore no wounds, his sleeve had been cleanly shredded.
“Hehehehe.”
As he laughed, the murderous aura radiating from Yeop Hyo Cheon’s entire body gradually faded.
“No matter how exceptional one’s talent, enlightenment has its limits.”
He narrowed his eyes and murmured.
“There is no way you could have grasped all of the Sect Leader’s techniques in such a brief span of time….”
His voice carried a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
Click.
I sheathed my sword and answered respectfully.
“I merely discerned that my hands and feet moved according to different martial principles.”
“Such a keen force-emission technique cannot be from Nangya Sect’s methods… Did you devise this martial art on the spot just now?”
Bu Eunseol, unable to mention that she had entered Wu Huang’s Secret Vault, shook her head.
“I merely applied insights gained during this journey through Jeol Cheon Myeol Ji.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon stared directly into her eyes, as if trying to discern the truth.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes held only confidence.
The Thirteen Night Technique was indeed an insight gained from the Jeol Cheon Myeol Ji journey.
As long as she did not mention discovering Wu Huang’s Secret Vault, Bu Eunseol could always hold her head high.
“I see.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon nodded.
From his perspective, it sounded as though Hwan Ma Hyuk Gong Baek had transmitted these insights to her.
“You’ve made remarkable progress in the meantime.”
Only after uttering those words did Yeop Hyo Cheon’s gaze and expression return to their usual state.
Watching him, Bu Eunseol felt an inexplicable chill run through her.
‘The Demon Palace is truly the Demon Palace.’
The Demon Palace always carried a solemn atmosphere, and neither Ma Cheon Je nor Yeop Hyo Cheon had ever openly displayed their demonic energy.
Rather, it was only Nangya Pavilion Master Ak Moo Ryung who exhibited the typical appearance of a great demon cultivator.
But now she understood.
All the demon cultivators of the Demon Palace possessed tremendous demonic energy; they simply concealed it in their daily lives.
The Demon Palace was the Demon Palace.
This place was the holy ground of all demons under heaven and the cradle of great demon cultivators who ruled millions of demonic path practitioners.
“At this level, it should suffice.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon, a faint smile playing at his lips, spoke words that were entirely unexpected.
“Even if you undertake independent missions, you will not diminish the dignity of this hall.”
“Independent missions… you say?”
Bu Eunseol’s expression showed bewilderment.
She had always undertaken independent missions, but only those related to her role as successor.
Yeop Hyo Cheon smiled.
“Lead the Sa Yeong Dae forth into the Murim and assist the Cheon Sal Unit Master.”
It was an entirely unexpected command.
As Bu Eunseol blinked in surprise, Yeop Hyo Cheon spoke in a low voice.
“I have already conveyed the details to the Man Bak Dang Master, so go and meet with him.”
Then, as if his business was concluded, he slowly turned away. It was a silent dismissal.
“Then.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together.
And just as she turned to leave, Yeop Hyo Cheon’s voice reached her once more.
“You have become a sharper blade than this Sect Leader anticipated.”
She paused.
Bu Eunseol stopped in her tracks.
Only then did she grasp the true meaning of today’s sparring match.
‘Was that really the case….’
Yeop Hyo Cheon was a Blacksmith.
He had hammered and tempered steel countless times to forge a single blade. And finally, he had tested the completed sword.
If the blade had displeased him, if he had deemed it a failure…
He would have shattered it in an instant.
‘Is the Demon Palace truly the Demon Palace….’
Bu Eunseol clenched her fists.
And she slowly withdrew from the Small Training Ground.
* * *
That afternoon.
After bathing, Bu Eunseol lay down in her quarters for the first time to rest.
Every muscle in her body felt torn, and she lacked the strength to move a single finger.
A test disguised as a sparring match.
Through it, Yeop Hyo Cheon had drawn out all of Bu Eunseol’s hidden martial prowess.
‘I thought he intended to elevate my martial arts one step further through the match.’
Looking at the results alone, that wasn’t entirely wrong.
Thanks to the sparring with Yeop Hyo Cheon, I had been able to apply the Wu Huang Jeong Gak and the Heart Three Wild Tales to real combat in a short span of time.
But one thing was certain…
Yeop Hyo Cheon had genuinely intended to kill me, but changed his mind midway.
‘Is the Chong Gyo Ryeong plotting something as well.’
Chong Gyo Ryeong Yeop Hyo Cheon.
Until now, he had seemed to cherish Bu Eunseol considerably.
But through this sparring match, I realized that was a delusion.
A tool.
I was merely a tool.
A sharp blade that exceeded expectations.
Perhaps that very fact would not be entirely welcome.
A blade too sharp could, if not careful, wound its own master.
‘I can find the answer another day.’
There was no point in holding onto unanswered questions for long—it would only drain my spirit.
Once my energy had recovered somewhat, Bu Eunseol rose to meet with Man Bak Dang Master Baek Jeon Cheon.
But there was no need.
Just as Bu Eunseol was about to leave, Man Bak Dang Master Baek Jeon Cheon had come to find her.
“It has been a while. Master Bu.”
Man Bak Dang Master Baek Jeon Cheon always wore a warm smile.
But Bu Eunseol, who had now sensed the true nature of Yeop Hyo Cheon and the true nature of the Demon Palace.
Now that smile felt somehow different from before.
“Master.”
As Bu Eunseol bowed with clasped hands, Baek Jeon Cheon withdrew a small wooden box from his robes.
“What is this?”
As Bu Eunseol opened the wooden case, a jade token engraved with twin dragons locked in struggle gleamed with five-colored radiance.
It was a jade token symbolizing the rank of First-Class Master of the Demon Palace.
“Master Bu has just received the position of First-Class Master of our Demon Palace.”
Baek Jeon Cheon continued speaking matter-of-factly.
“However, since this is a temporary position for the execution of a secret mission, the formal appointment procedures were omitted.”
‘Was this planned from the beginning?’
Upon returning to the Demon Palace, they had promoted the Sa Yeong Dae to a First-Class residence.
At that time, I couldn’t understand it, but now it became abundantly clear.
All of this had been part of the plan from the start.
“If you speak of a secret mission….”
Bu Eunseol asked, concealing the turmoil in her heart.
“Gong Gong Sin Tu.”
Baek Jeon Cheon exhaled deeply before speaking.
“In the end, information about Gong Gong Sin Tu’s movements reached the ears of the Murim Alliance.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyebrows rose sharply.
Tracking Gong Gong Sin Tu was a successor candidate mission chosen by Wi Ji Hye Sang. Yet his movements had leaked to the Murim Alliance?
“As a successor mission for the Hwawoo Sword Sect, this situation became unmanageable, so ultimately our Demon Palace had to intervene.”
Baek Jeon Cheon explained the situation to Bu Eunseol in a low voice.
Gong Gong Sin Tu was known to possess detailed information about not only the Demonic Path but also the schemes of the Orthodox Sects.
When intelligence emerged that the Hwawoo Sword Sect was pursuing Gong Gong Sin Tu’s trail, the Murim Alliance dispatched their own forces.
“The Murim Alliance has sent five First-Class Sword Units, including the Iron Sword Unit, and ten Third-Class Sword Units under their command to Haenam.”
Baek Jeon Cheon narrowed his eyes.
“It’s a measure to prevent full-scale armed conflict.”
If the Murim Alliance had deployed a sect-level military force, an immediate war between the great powers would erupt.
However, First-Class Sword Units operate under individual masters who bear responsibility for all their subordinates.
This means that if armed conflict occurs, they could claim it was merely the unauthorized action of individual masters.
“But isn’t that merely a facade?”
Whether they sent one military unit or a dozen First-Class Sword Units, their allegiance remained unchanged.
A conflict between the Demon Palace and the Murim Alliance was still a conflict between the Demon Palace and the Murim Alliance.
“In conflicts between powers, justification is paramount.”
Baek Jeon Cheon sighed.
“If a battle erupts between representative units of both sides, it becomes difficult to reconcile. But a clash of this magnitude can be dismissed as the transgression of a single unit.”
Shaking his head, he continued.
“In any case, now that the Murim Alliance has committed its forces, the Demon Palace can no longer remain silent.”
Ultimately, Gong Gong Sin Tu’s matter had slipped from the Hwawoo Sword Sect’s hands and become the Demon Palace’s affair.
A question suddenly arose in Bu Eunseol’s mind.
Should Wi Ji Hye Sang be considered successful in his mission, then? Or was it a failure?
Or should he be credited with some merit?
“Given the circumstances, the successor candidate mission must be set aside for now. It’s simply too important a matter.”
Baek Jeon Cheon spoke, having discerned what lay beneath Bu Eunseol’s thoughts.
“There have been several clashes between our Demon Palace forces and the Murim Alliance’s units in the Oji Mountain region, where Gong Gong Sin Tu is known to be hiding.”
He let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“Because of that, two weeks ago, our Demon Palace dispatched the Cheon Sal Unit to Oji Mountain.”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide her surprise this time.
The Cheon Sal Unit was one of the three elite units of the Demon Palace.
Their deployment was equivalent to sending sect-level military strength.
If things went wrong?
A scaled-down version of a full-scale orthodox-demonic war could unfold on Oji Mountain.
“Then why is our unit being deployed so late?”
“During the process of establishing an encirclement around Oji Mountain, the Cheon Sal Unit Master requested one additional first-class unit.”
Baek Jeon Cheon continued his explanation.
“However, our Demon Palace cannot dispatch any more first-class units at this time. Thus, the Chong Gyo Ryeong suggested temporarily promoting the Sa Yeong Dae to first-class unit status. In any case, their martial prowess already exceeds that of a second-class unit.”
With Bu Eunseol alone, the Sa Yeong Dae already surpassed the military strength of a second-class unit.
Moreover, the Sa Yeong Dae had Myo Cheon Woo and Yu Woon Ryong, both transcendent realm masters, and the members themselves possessed capabilities incomparable to their former selves.
In essence, they were no different from a first-class unit.
“As soon as dawn breaks, lead the Sa Yeong Dae directly to Oji Mountain.”
Baek Jeon Cheon gazed at Bu Eunseol, whose expression remained grave and composed.
“There, you will carry out your mission under the command of the Cheon Sal Unit Master.”
It was an unsatisfying assignment.
Yet after hearing the full explanation, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Understood.”
Now that I had become the master of the Demon Palace, accepting such missions was inevitable. No—from the moment I resolved to become master, I had already steeled myself for this.
‘But I won’t blindly follow orders alone.’
My expression remained calm, yet in my eyes burned a flame as brilliant as the sun itself.
Before the dormitory of the Sa Yeong Dae, at the Training Grounds.
Bu Eunseol assembled all her members and briefed them on this expedition.
From the Sa Yeong Dae receiving the status of a first-class unit.
To how the Murim Alliance’s sword units were currently facing off against the Demon Palace forces on Oji Mountain due to Gong Gong Sin Tu.
And that the Sa Yeong Dae must depart there as well to join forces with the Cheon Sal Unit.
―Then we’ll prepare immediately.
Each squad leader, having heard the full situation, dispersed with untroubled expressions.
They had trained relentlessly in peacetime to survive any mission.
Moreover, with Bu Eunseol at their side, even a mission to hell held no fear.
Dusk had fallen, and the sky was turning crimson.
A man with a cold expression stood in Bu Eunseol’s office, his arms crossed.
It was Yu Woon Ryong, who commanded the Third Squad of the Sa Yeong Dae.
“Why did you call me?”
Though Yu Woon Ryong had become a squad leader of the Sa Yeong Dae, he still seemed to find it difficult to accept that Bu Eunseol was his direct superior.
But Bu Eunseol paid it little mind.
Whether Yu Woon Ryong regarded me as his superior or not mattered little. What mattered was that he remained unrestrained and properly utilized his exceptional abilities.
“I had no idea you were a young master from an official family that has held positions in government for generations.”
“What are you talking about?”
Bu Eunseol curved her lips into a faint smile, one I had never seen before.
“Your family background.”

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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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