The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 26

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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 26.
“This way, please, young master.”
As Bu Eunseol descended, the attendant standing before her gracefully guided her to a seat by the window.
“What would you like to order?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened as she gazed out the window.
Where the desolate landscape of Hell Island should have stretched before her, an ordinary marketplace sprawled instead.
“Young master.”
Prompted by the attendant’s gentle urging, Bu Eunseol, who had been sitting in a daze, asked a question.
“Where is this place?”
“This is Hell Island Center.”
“The center….”
Bu Eunseol nodded as if understanding something.
During my investigation of Hell Island, this center was precisely the region I could never penetrate.
“Would you like to order later?”
“What do you have?”
“If there is any dish you desire, we can prepare it for you. In particular, our head chef excels at six-variety cold platters and shark fin stir-fry, shrimp tempura, and….”
“Noodles.”
“Pardon?”
The attendant, who had been rattling off dish names, widened his eyes, and Bu Eunseol spoke softly.
“Two bowls of noodles will suffice.”
“Ah, understood.”
The attendant returned from the kitchen shortly, setting down two steaming bowls of noodles on the table.
“Please enjoy your meal.”
As the attendant departed, Bu Eunseol stared down at the noodles with an unfocused gaze.
―You foolish child. You come to an inn after so long, and you order noodles?
The year Bu Eunseol turned ten.
Bu Chanyang took me to the largest inn in the Demon Palace.
Yet even there, the only food I ordered was noodles without a single ingredient.
When Bu Chanyang asked the reason, I answered with bright, clear eyes.
―You once said that if a person tastes something sweet, they will never wish to eat something bitter again.
Upon hearing my response, Bu Chanyang nearly burst into laughter.
But my eyes were so earnest that he could only sigh.
―Eunseol. That saying meant… if you fall into the temptation of taking an easy, comfortable path even once, you will not walk the righteous path, did it not?
―Regardless, I will not fall into the temptation of delicious food. If I do, I might never reach for noodles again.
Though my words were absurd, Bu Chanyang smiled and nodded. And indeed, we left after eating only one bowl of noodles together.
―Do you know why your grandfather ate only noodles according to your wishes?
When I shook my head, Bu Chanyang laughed pleasantly and stroked my hair.
―Today will be a day neither your grandfather nor you will ever forget.
Bu Chanyang’s conviction proved true.
I could never forget what happened that day for the rest of my life.
“Bu Eunseol.”
A bright silhouette appeared across from Bu Eunseol, who had been lost in thought.
“What is it? Are you still unwell?”
As I regained my senses, a beautiful youth with long hair cascading down sat in the chair across from me. It was Seo Jin Ha.
“Do you like noodles? You’ve ordered two bowls.”
“….”
“So your body is fine now?”
“If you have something to say, don’t dance around it. Speak plainly.”
“Impudent. And here I was, worrying about you.”
He frowned and shook his head, then exhaled a deep sigh before speaking.
“No, I have no right to be irritated with you.”
“What do you mean?”
Seo Jin Ha cleared his throat awkwardly and smacked his lips.
“I’m saying thank you. If not for you, I would have become a wandering ghost, drifting through the nine heavens.”
“I never saved you. I simply cut down the enemy before my eyes.”
Seo Jin Ha blinked as he studied Bu Eunseol’s expression.
“You… do you really not know? Or are you pretending not to know?”
“Know what?”
“I heard that originally, twelve people were supposed to remain in the Third Trial.”
“So?”
“So?”
Seo Jin Ha, arms crossed, could not hide his bewildered expression.
“When you cut down three in an instant and found yourself facing death at the hands of Sal Gwi, the Sect Master halted the Third Trial midway. That’s why you and I are alive like this.”
“What?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in shock, and Seo Jin Ha scratched his cheek with a flustered face.
“What? You really didn’t know? Well, four days have already passed….”
“Four days?”
Only then did Bu Eunseol realize why her limbs had grown slightly thinner.
I had thought I had merely lost consciousness for a moment, but four days had slipped away.
“I thought only a day had passed.”
Seo Jin Ha offered a bitter smile at Bu Eunseol’s words.
“You were truly fortunate. Gwang Ui happened to be staying on this island.”
Gwang Ui, Cheok San Rim.
Once called the Divine Hand in the past, he had contracted a peculiar affliction that left his mind unstable after failing to cure his beloved’s illness.
Yet his medical skill remained supreme in the martial world, and so they called him Gwang Ui.
‘So it was Gwang Ui.’
The physician who had so thoroughly healed my wounds was none other than Gwang Ui, the one who could save anyone with even a breath of life remaining.
“In any case, you saved my life. So, I owe you my gratitude.”
By nature, Seo Jin Ha was cold and aloof, not one to speak casually to others.
But having crossed the line between life and death with Bu Eunseol, and recognizing that her swordsmanship rivaled his own achievements, he had developed considerable affection for her.
‘Besides, though she’s cold-natured, she’s not the type to betray or stab someone in the back.’
The stronger the competitor, the better to keep them close.
Understanding this truth, Seo Jin Ha had approached Bu Eunseol with genuine warmth.
“Mm.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze swept across the interior of the Inn.
Everywhere she looked, she saw the faces of the boys who had fought with their lives on the line. Their expressions were remarkably bright, and all traces of killing intent or hostility had vanished without a trace.
“So everyone here now has become one of the Ten Demon Experts?”
Seo Jin Ha nodded at Bu Eunseol’s question.
“For now.”
“For now?”
“The leadership of the Ten Demonic Gates will apparently visit Hell Island soon to select the Ten Demon Experts.”
“How do you know that?”
“You were unconscious, but everyone else heard the explanation from the Man Bak Dang master.”
Upon hearing this, Bu Eunseol immediately rose from her seat.
She realized that during the four days she’d been unconscious, there were several pieces of information she alone didn’t know—information everyone else had learned.
“There’s no need to wander around asking questions.”
Seo Jin Ha, having guessed Bu Eunseol’s thoughts, spoke calmly.
“If you’re curious about anything, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Why?”
“Let’s call it goodwill toward someone who was once my comrade.”
Seo Jin Ha wore a subtle smile.
“Besides, I’d like to talk with you a bit.”
“Mm.”
After sitting back at the table, Seo Jin Ha gazed out the window and spoke.
“Ask me anything. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“What method will the Ten Demonic Gates use to select the remaining candidates?”
“What method?”
“Will they decide based on the opinions of the sect leader or the Man Bak Dang master?”
Only Hyuk Ryeon Eung and Baek Jeon Cheon had witnessed the bloodbath on Hell Island firsthand.
If the successors of the Ten Demonic Gates were to be selected based on their opinions alone…
Considering the scale and gravity of the Ten Demon Experts tournament, this didn’t quite make sense.
“Ah.”
Seo Jin Ha chuckled and shook his head.
“The masters of the Ten Demonic Gates were watching the Third Trial directly. In fact, they were participating in it.”
“Participating?”
In that moment, a thought flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
“Could it have been them?”
“Exactly. Those Killing Ghosts were masters dispatched from the Ten Demonic Gates, apparently.”
Seo Jin Ha wore a bitter smile.
“While we were fighting ourselves to exhaustion, they were already deciding who would become a Ten Demon Expert and who they’d take if anyone survived.”
“I suppose that’s how it was.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand why the martial prowess of the Killing Ghosts—mere executioners of trial participants—rivaled that of the sect leaders.
“But what did you mean when you said the Grand Sect Leader stopped the Third Trial to save me earlier?”
“Originally, the Third Trial was supposed to end when twelve people remained. But the Grand Sect Leader halted it midway to keep you alive.”
Bu Eunseol stared intently at Seo Jin Ha, a question burning in his eyes.
“Truth be told… the Master of Man Bak Dang didn’t reveal the reason. But it’s obvious enough without being said.”
Seo Jin Ha uncrossed his arms, his eyes gleaming.
“The Grand Sect Leader absolutely wanted to place you among the Ten Demon Experts.”
After a deliberate pause, he asked matter-of-factly.
“So I’m asking—what connection does your sect of origin have with the Grand Sect Leader? Or do you have some prior acquaintance with him?”
“What are you talking about?”
“No matter how exceptional your talent… I can’t fathom why he would break the rules to save you.”
“We have no connection whatsoever.”
Seo Jin Ha, whose gaze had been fixed on Bu Eunseol’s eyes, shook his head.
“Then I truly don’t understand.”
“Don’t understand?”
“The Grand Sect Leader received severe punishment for this incident.”
Seo Jin Ha’s eyes remained locked on Bu Eunseol’s face.
“He stepped down from his position and returned to the Demon Hall. There are even rumors that he was tasked with purging Demonic Path sects that refuse to join the Demon Hall.”
Not all Demonic Path sects belonged to the Demon Hall.
Particularly those with independent power openly defied the Demon Hall, and it seemed the Grand Sect Leader had been assigned to handle their suppression as punishment instead.
‘Nothing but incomprehensible matters.’
I had no connection with the Grand Sect Leader whatsoever—I had never even spoken with him.
Then why would he accept such punishment to save me?
Bu Eunseol could not even begin to imagine.
A desperate determination to survive, a killer’s instinct, and exceptional talent capable of mimicking advanced swordsmanship in mere days.
All of it had set the Grand Sect Leader Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s heart ablaze.
Dong, dong.
At that moment, a great bell tolled from afar.
Seo Jin Ha’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Finish eating and get up.”
When Bu Eunseol simply stared, Seo Jin Ha bit his lip.
“That’s the summons for those remaining on Hell Island.”
“Then…”
“Yes.”
Seo Jin Ha’s eyes gleamed with utmost gravity as he spoke in a low voice.
“The leadership of the Ten Demonic Gates has arrived on Hell Island.”
* * *
At the southern shore, shadows disembarked one by one from ten large sailing vessels anchored there.
Their garments varied, yet the aura emanating from their bodies was uniform—a murderous intent that seemed to tear the very heavens asunder.
The ten pillars upholding the current Demonic Path martial world, and the sects and clans that had reached the pinnacle of Demonic Path martial arts.
They were masters dispatched from each of the Ten Demonic Gates.
“Welcome.”
Baek Jeon Cheon, standing before the ship, clasped his hands together.
“You must be weary from your long journey. We have prepared a banquet at the Eternal Demon Hall….”
As the master of Man Bak Dang, he held a high position ranking twentieth in the ceremonial hierarchy, yet his demeanor toward them was exceedingly courteous.
“We did not come here for sightseeing.”
A gaunt man among the ten masters, bearing two separated spear shafts across his back, cut short Baek Jeon Cheon’s words.
“Begin at once.”
“Pardon?”
“Do not waste time. Bring all the Ten Demon Expert candidates here immediately.”
“Understood.”
Baek Jeon Cheon nodded without hesitation.
He had indeed prepared the banquet as a precaution, but he had known all along they would not attend.
Invisible tensions existed between the Ten Demonic Gates. Yet some maintained cordial relations, while others snarled at each other like mortal enemies.
“The selected talents are waiting at the Eternal Demon Hall. Please follow me.”
The ten masters then gazed at the Killing Ghosts behind Baek Jeon Cheon.
When the Killing Ghosts nodded lightly, they finally began to move.
The Eternal Demon Hall.
A colossal palace hall situated at the center of Hell Island.
Originally, this place had been where the masters of the Demon Palace secretly cultivated their martial arts or underwent closed-door training.
And now, fourteen youths stood within the Eternal Demon Hall with stern expressions.
Boom.
With a low tremor, the doors opened, and Baek Jeon Cheon in formal robes entered with approximately twenty people behind him.
They were the masters dispatched from the Ten Demonic Gates and the Killing Ghosts stationed on Hell Island.

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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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