The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 259

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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 259.
“Wait. Hold on.”
As Bu Eunseol moved to venture deeper into the Forest, Yu Hwa Ryeong stepped forward.
“Let me pursue them and assess the situation. It would be better for you to remain in the Village.”
He seemed concerned that while Bu Eunseol chased after them, they might inadvertently lose track of the Heavenly Sword Society’s vicious beast.
“Understood.”
Eunseol, grasping his intent, turned back with reluctance.
“…!”
But something was amiss.
Astonishingly, the villagers who had entered the Forest seemed to have vanished without a trace.
After searching extensively, I found no evidence of them anywhere.
‘Have I been possessed by a ghost?’
I quickly returned and informed Bu Eunseol of this discovery.
“Let us go together.”
Whoosh.
The two of them unleashed their lightness techniques and plunged into the Forest in a single breath.
Yet those who had been pulling the cart had vanished without a trace. Even venturing deep into the Forest yielded the same result.
‘My senses cannot be deceived.’
Bu Eunseol’s heightened perception could detect the sound of a falling leaf from a hundred paces away.
Yet those who had entered the Forest mere moments ago had disappeared in an instant?
After pondering deeply for some time, Bu Eunseol murmured.
“It appears some sort of mechanism has been installed somewhere in this place.”
It would be impossible for ordinary civilians ignorant of martial arts to deceive my senses and vanish in an instant.
“That could very well be.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong, experienced in the ways of Gangho, began scanning the surroundings with keen eyes.
Yet nowhere could he detect the faint friction sounds of an activated mechanism, nor any traces of formations constructed using silver-shadow stones.
“Nothing. They’ve completely disappeared.”
Just as Yu Hwa Ryeong shook his head,
Zing.
A low vibration resonated as white heat shimmer bloomed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Whoosh.
Reaching down to trace the marks left upon the ground, I began walking forward while surveying the surroundings.
I was employing the Hollow Heart Perception, the pinnacle of the Beast Path, to follow the traces.
“Here it is.”
Bu Eunseol finally came to a halt at a vast Open Ground deep within the Forest.
“They vanished from this very spot.”
“That cannot be.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong, surveying the empty surroundings, wore a helpless smile.
“For so many people to disappear at once from here, they would have to soar into the heavens or….”
“Precisely.”
Bu Eunseol nodded and gazed down at the ground.
“It must have sunk into the earth.”
In the same moment, she unleashed the Thousand Pound Drop.
As her formidable inner energy pressed down upon the ground, a metallic clang suddenly rang out, and a square-shaped opening abruptly appeared.
“This cannot be.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong opened his mouth wide and peered inside.
Upon closer inspection, the massive opening revealed itself to be an artificially constructed passage.
“To construct such an elaborate mechanism hidden within the mountain.”
The deep corridor, shrouded in darkness, resembled the very entrance to hell itself.
Yu Hwa Ryeong dared not look directly into the depths, merely stretching his neck to peer cautiously within.
“I cannot fathom where this passage leads.”
“We shall discover it by venturing forth.”
“Then I shall go first. There is no telling what awaits ahead.”
He hastily took the lead, lest Bu Eunseol suffer injury.
“Wait.”
But Bu Eunseol stopped him, plucking a single leaf and flinging it toward a towering ancient tree some distance away.
Thwack!
With a dull sound, the fallen leaf embedded itself rigidly into the trunk of the distant giant tree.
It was a remarkable display of the Crimson Leaf Flying Flower technique.
“Reveal yourself.”
Bu Eunseol spoke softly.
Yet the forest remained silent, offering no response.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol this time plucked two leaves and, without hesitation, hurled them toward the interior of the ancient tree.
Ting ting!
The leaves rebounded with a clear sound and bounced back,
Whoosh.
A figure clad in black, with cloth wrapped around their face, descended from atop the tree.
Though not tall, the figure possessed a compact, muscular frame with limbs thick as logs. To all appearances, they seemed a man who had cultivated considerable external martial prowess.
“Your perception is remarkable.”
The black-clad figure’s voice was deliberately altered, unnaturally low and raspy.
They glanced at the darkness-shrouded passage and exhaled deeply.
“A weight-sensing mechanism. So that is why it could never be found until now.”
Bu Eunseol stared intently at the black-clad figure.
Then, as if realizing something, she nodded.
“You are the physician who was treating patients in the village.”
“What did you say?”
The black-clad figure blinked, then let out a soft chuckle.
“I am a physician?”
“You have stuffed something beneath your garments to conceal your true frame.”
Bu Eunseol crossed her arms and exhaled sharply through her nose.
“If that were the case, you would have been better off wearing looser clothing.”
The figure in black, meeting Bu Eunseol’s confident gaze, sighed as if resigned to her fate.
“How did you know?”
The voice was clear and melodious, distinctly feminine.
The moment Bu Eunseol revealed her identity, the woman tore away the cotton padding she had stuffed throughout her entire body.
“No one has ever seen through this disguise before.”
Like a true physician, she had not merely stuffed cotton haphazardly—she had meticulously sculpted the muscle contours with precision.
The appearance was flawless, yet how had this woman discerned it at a glance?
“With that degree of musculature, you would weigh at least one hundred sixty pounds. Yet your gait was remarkably light and nimble.”
Bu Eunseol narrowed her eyes, studying the woman’s thighs intently.
“Furthermore, with such a muscular frame, your stride would have been considerably wider due to the development of your quadriceps.”
She gestured toward the discarded cotton padding as she continued her explanation.
“But your movements and posture matched those of someone weighing around seventy pounds. In that village, the only person bearing traces of martial training who appeared to weigh that much was the physician who treated the sick.”
“Hearing you speak of sixty or seventy pounds makes me feel like a mere slab of meat.”
The woman laughed at the absurdity, alternating her gaze between the masked Bu Eunseol and Yu Hwa Ryeong.
“Well, with such keen observational prowess, you are certainly no unknowns. Who are you?”
“That is not your concern.”
At the cold reply, she momentarily wore a blank expression.
But soon she smiled with confidence and nodded.
“Very well. I had no intention of revealing my identity to you either. Let us agree not to ask further questions.”
Tap.
At that moment, a single fallen leaf drifted down onto Bu Eunseol’s head.
It was the leaf she had just deflected from the Red Leaf Crimson Flower technique Bu Eunseol had unleashed.
The leaf that had fallen to the ground bore microscopic punctures invisible to the naked eye.
“You are of the Needle King Family.”
At Bu Eunseol’s low murmur, the woman’s eyes behind the mask widened to the point of tearing.
“How did you know my identity?”
When Bu Eunseol offered no response, the woman raised her hand as if preparing to unleash her martial arts.
“Answer me. Now.”
A distinctly sharp aura emanated from her body.
Yet Bu Eunseol remained unmoved.
Though she was exceptional for her age, to Bu Eunseol, who had entered the Extreme Heaven Realm, her display appeared nothing more than child’s play.
“I am curious as well. Why not simply tell us?”
As the atmosphere grew tense, Yu Hwa Ryeong stepped forward as if to mediate.
“Besides, is the Needle King Family not known for treating the afflicted without charge and performing many good deeds?”
Then Bu Eunseol exhaled softly and spoke.
“A weapon.”
“A weapon?”
He picked up the fallen leaf from the ground.
The side of that leaf had microscopic holes invisible to the naked eye.
They were only visible if light passed through them with difficulty, but to Bu Eunseol, who had mastered Beast Path Vision, they appeared as large as a bowl.
“The Murim possesses countless ingenious weapons, but only the Needle King Family uses thin needles as their primary arms.”
Upon seeing the fallen leaf, Bu Eunseol immediately discerned that hair-thin needles had been employed.
“But something troubles me. Even if she practices the Needle King’s martial arts, how did I know she was of the family itself, not merely a disciple?”
“The Needle King’s techniques originated from medicine, so they cannot be mastered in a short time. In truth, all disciples under that lineage are accomplished physicians.”
Bu Eunseol fixed her gaze upon the young woman’s eyes.
“But to possess such refined medical skill at such a tender age and wield the Needle King’s secret techniques with such freedom… only bloodline could explain it.”
“Your observational prowess is remarkable, and your vision equally impressive.”
With her identity completely exposed, she tore away her mask.
Beneath the moonlight, a clean and elegant face emerged, as if cradling morning dew.
“That’s right. I am Jong Ri Sa Yu.”
Jong Ri Sa Yu—the granddaughter of Jong Ri Sa Hyeon, known among the Four Gods Seven Kings as the Needle King.
She was renowned throughout the Gangho, having inherited both the Needle King’s martial techniques and medical mastery.
Particularly, by blending ordinary herbs to achieve effects rivaling spiritual medicines, she had earned the epithet Grass Spirit.
“Now it’s your turn.”
Jong Ri Sa Yu spoke in a cold voice.
“I’ve revealed my identity openly—shouldn’t you do the same?”
As Bu Eunseol remained motionless, Yu Hwa Ryeong reluctantly clasped his hands together.
“I am Yu Hwa Ryeong, a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Society.”
“The Heavenly Sword Society?”
Jong Ri Sa Yu raised her eyebrows.
The Heavenly Sword Society had once flourished, but now it was merely a name without substance—a faction that scarcely engaged in Gangho activities.
‘The Heavenly Sword Society…’
Assuming Bu Eunseol was also a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Society, she snorted dismissively.
“What grand organization are you hiding from?”
She sighed and asked in a low voice.
“How did the Heavenly Sword Society discover this place?”
“We didn’t. We merely heard that a rival of our society was in this vicinity, so we came searching.”
“A rival?”
“Yes. While pursuing some suspicious individuals, we happened to discover this corridor.”
“Who is this rival?”
“I cannot disclose that due to circumstances.”
Though masked, Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes gleamed with integrity, and his voice carried an upright character.
Moreover, though the Heavenly Sword Society was said to walk the line between Orthodox and Demonic, it was actually a faction that researched martial arts and followed the Righteous Path.
“Hmm. A rival, a rival…”
Her wariness seeming to ease, Jong Ri Sa Yu shrugged and wore a subtle smile.
“Could that rival be someone from Gwan Bu?”
“How did you…”
As Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes widened in shock, she nodded as if she understood the situation.
“It seems we’re both pursuing the same person.”
Based on her manner of speech and behavior, she had been tracking someone from Gwan Bu for quite some time.
“Who exactly are you searching for?”
At Yu Hwa Ryeong’s question, Jong Ri Sa Yu sighed and spoke.
“Long ago, the Main House discovered there was a faction deliberately using labor-consuming worms to create plagues.”
“Deliberately releasing them to cause plagues? Is such a thing even possible?”
“For Gwan Bu, it’s hardly impossible.”
She spoke with a resolute voice.
“Unlike the Medical Sect or Poison Sect, Gwan Bu faces no public condemnation from Murim, nor does anyone dare to restrain them.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes widened.
The reason that demon appeared in every region plagued by disease—was it to research the plague itself?
“Well, we’ll know the details once we go inside.”
She pulled her mask back over her face and gazed into the darkness-shrouded corridor.
“Since our objectives seem aligned… let’s cooperate for now.”
The passage leading underground stretched endlessly.
As Jong Ri Sa Yu walked through the darkness-drenched path, she showed neither hesitation nor fear.
‘Whether she’s fearless or simply overconfident, I cannot say.’
A question flashed through Yu Hwa Ryeong’s mind as he observed her figure leading the way.
No matter how much she inherited the true teachings of the Needle King, wandering Gangho alone to pursue a faction spreading plague?
―Long ago, the Main House discovered there was a faction deliberately using labor-consuming worms to create plagues…
Yu Hwa Ryeong nodded faintly, recalling Jong Ri Sa Yu’s words.
‘She’s not alone.’
Though she appeared to travel solo, she clearly commanded a hidden force.
After all, she was of the Needle King Family.
How long had they walked?
Finally, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the seemingly endless passage.
Upon entering, a vast space stretching some ten stories high revealed itself.
Night-luminescent pearls were densely embedded in the ceiling, casting light like broad daylight, and beneath them stood countless structures.
Truly, the landscape of a minor metropolis.
Had this not been deep underground, one would have mistaken it for entering an ordinary city like Seong Do.
“Ah, ah…”
Yu Hwa Ryeong involuntarily gasped.
Until now, he had traveled throughout the Four Seas and Eight Wastelands, priding himself on his extensive knowledge.
Yet he had never even heard rumors of such a vast and enormous space carved deep beneath the earth.
‘What in the world is that?’
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes gleamed as he surveyed the surroundings from behind a building.
Martial artists moved busily about, and in one area, corpses covered in white cloth were piled high.
Moreover, among the corpses were those still breathing, emitting low groans.
“What do they appear to be doing?”
At Yu Hwa Ryeong’s question, Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“I’m not sure either.”
In truth, Bu Eunseol was equally astonished.
During my years serving as a member of Yeomsa, I had encountered countless bizarre situations, yet I never anticipated discovering such a landscape hidden beneath the desolate Forest.
However, Jong Ri Sa Yu showed no sign of surprise whatsoever.
Instead, she surveyed the surroundings with sharp eyes before speaking to Bu Eunseol and Yu Hwa Ryeong.
“Follow me.”
Jong Ri Sa Yu wove deftly between the buildings, moving deeper into the complex.
Finally, her footsteps halted before a structure whose entire facade gleamed with a lustrous metallic sheen—not merely the gate, but the entire edifice.
The iron door stood sealed shut, and what appeared to be a sophisticated mechanical lock bore only intricate, ornamental patterns carved into its surface.
After examining the surroundings, she withdrew two golden needles from her garments and began tracing the patterns etched upon the iron door.
Upon discovering a small aperture, she inserted a needle and commenced a series of precise, deliberate movements.
With a metallic click, the firmly sealed iron door gradually began to swing open.
‘She’s accustomed to infiltration.’
I observed Jong Ri Sa Yu’s silhouette as she walked without making the slightest sound.
Undoubtedly, this was not her first time penetrating such a place. Perhaps she had received professional training in concealment and infiltration techniques.
‘Which means the Needle King Family has been investigating these people all along.’
“What in the world are all these things?”
At that moment, Yu Hwa Ryeong tilted his head in confusion as he surveyed the surroundings.
The interior was a vast space whose metallic sheen extended to the ceiling, spanning what appeared to be well over three hundred paces in width.
Moreover, hundreds of grotesque structures stood densely packed throughout, each draped in black cloth.
Beneath them, black pipes twisted chaotically in all directions.
From a distance, it resembled thousands of colossal spiders sprawling their legs outward in every direction.
“Hmm.”
Confronted by this eerie vista, Yu Hwa Ryeong instinctively took a step backward.
In doing so, he accidentally stepped upon the black cloth covering a nearby structure.
With a rustling sound, the structure’s form was revealed.
‘A glass tube?’
What lay beneath the cloth was a transparent glass cylinder.
And within it, a sleeping woman lay enshrouded among vibrant, luxuriant plants.
“This is…”
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s eyes widened as he peered into the glass tube.
Upon closer inspection, thick needles connected to tubes were inserted into the veins of the sleeping woman.
And was this not a mechanism by which blood flowed through the tubes to nourish the plants?
“What manner of abomination is this?”
Jong Ri Sa Yu answered Yu Hwa Ryeong’s outcry.
“It’s a Human Flower.”
“A Human Flower?”
Her eyes blazed with profound contempt and fury.
“When the vital essence blood of humans is forcibly infused, it creates an artificial spirit herb known as a Human Flower.”
Yu Hwa Ryeong’s mouth fell open.
Cultivating spirit herbs using human vital blood? Such a thing is possible?
Moreover, why is such an abomination—something that heaven and earth themselves would condemn—being perpetrated in this place?

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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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