The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 310
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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 310.
Gu Sal Dae Hanam Branch.
Upon returning to that place, Bu Eunseol personally performed the funeral rites for Young Moon Ho, whose breath had ceased.
It was partly out of loyalty as one of the Ten Demon Immortals, but more so to study the wounds left upon his body and find clues to eliminate Cheon Geom.
Though Young Moon Ho had lost most of his inner strength, he fought Cheon Geom to dozens of exchanges with bare hands and empty palms, as befitted one of the Ten Demon Immortals.
Moreover, even knowing he could not defeat Cheon Geom, he persisted with stubborn tenacity.
“Young Moon Ho….”
The corners of Bu Eunseol’s eyes trembled slightly.
Young Moon Ho’s relentless resistance against Cheon Geom—it had all been to leave wounds upon his own body.
―This is that man’s sword technique.
Young Moon Ho had known well that Bu Eunseol would examine his corpse.
So he endured with cruel determination, etching Cheon Geom’s methods into his flesh.
Though Young Moon Ho’s body had become a tragic sight, it allowed for a detailed study of Cheon Geom’s sword mastery.
Shudder.
Bu Eunseol lowered her head.
No matter how cold one’s nature, I too am a person with warm blood flowing through my veins.
‘I must steel myself.’
Bu Eunseol steadied her resolve.
I could not allow myself to be swept away by emotion and waste even the slightest opportunity that Young Moon Ho had created by staking his life.
“Spirit, inner strength, body, and sword technique—there is not a single flaw.”
As Bu Eunseol carefully cleaned Young Moon Ho’s body once more, her gaze sharpened.
The sword marks left by Cheon Geom contained not a trace of hesitation, only a single unified sword intent.
Humans contemplate a thousand matters while eating, and unravel ten thousand worries even in sleep.
But Cheon Geom had unified his inner strength, mental power, and body into one.
Thus he could unleash sword techniques as swift as lightning and precise without the slightest deviation.
“I have not achieved such unity.”
Yet my situation was entirely opposite to Cheon Geom’s.
My spirit remained at a midpoint, and the Yeop Hyo Cheon Technique and Mu Hwang Jeong Gak—two great martial arts—collided within me.
Furthermore, my innate cold and barren temperament clashed with my acquired warm and tender nature, creating internal conflict.
Cheon Geom focuses his mind on a single sword to face his enemies.
But I am torn between spirit and body, even my inner emotions are in conflict.
“In my current state, I cannot stand against Myriad Forms Solar Eclipse.”
If the Yeop Hyo Cheon Technique and Mu Hwang Jeong Gak cannot display their full power, I must use Muang Cheon Ryoo to overcome him.
But Cheon Geom is one who has devoted his entire life to perfecting a single sword, and Geom Joon’s Myriad Forms Solar Eclipse is already a nearly perfected sword art.
With practical combat sword techniques that develop through fighting, I cannot defeat Cheon Geom, who has grasped the true essence of Geom Joon’s sword mastery.
‘I need not necessarily defeat him through sword technique.’
I was not attempting to compare my martial prowess with his.
If I could kill him, I would unhesitatingly employ poison or hidden weapons without hesitation.
Slowly.
At that moment, Young Moon Ho’s slightly curled fingers began to move.
For an ordinary person, it would have been shocking enough to make them jump.
But Bu Eunseol, who had been performing the ritual all along, recognized it as rigor mortis.
“…I see.”
As I watched Young Moon Ho’s fingers gradually straighten, a profound realization swept through my mind.
“The fundamental problem stemmed from simultaneously mastering the heart methods of both the Righteous and Demonic Paths.”
My nature had always leaned toward the middle path.
I possessed an innate coldness, and the acquired warmth instilled by my grandfather Bu Chanyang.
But martial arts were different.
Mastering the supreme heart techniques of both the Demonic and Righteous Paths simultaneously was equivalent to splitting one’s spirit in two.
Ultimately, the incompatible heart methods clashed, creating a divided mind within my spirit.
“Was it frustrating? So much so that even in death, you granted me enlightenment.”
Young Moon Ho’s fingers, which had been slightly curled, were now completely straightened.
As if signifying emptiness itself.
―With your current strength, unifying the martial arts of both paths is impossible. Why not create something entirely new instead?
Until now, I had been researching the Sak Jeong technique and the methods of Mu Hwang Jeong Gak, attempting to unify the two.
But was unification truly necessary?
What if I simply left my spirit empty in the form of emptiness? Wouldn’t a new heart method be born?
This was the counsel Young Moon Ho was offering me.
“It’s impossible for now….”
Looking at Young Moon Ho, I spoke with a firm voice, as if making a vow.
“I will soon seek out a new martial art that can fill the void left by the Yeop Hyo Cheon technique and the Thirteen Night Technique.”
Nang Rim Mountain Seven Sword Peaks—
Near the seventh summit, there was a small hermitage.
But now it had become an empty clearing, with a large stone coffin and a wooden coffin placed side by side.
Inside the wooden coffin lay Young Moon Ho, whom I had carefully prepared with my own hands.
His face was radiant with life, as it had been in his living days, and appeared peaceful.
I slowly dug into the earth.
Then, with care, I buried the stone coffin and placed the wooden coffin inside it. This way, the body would be completely protected from wild beasts and external elements.
Soon, a small grave appeared where the hermitage had once stood.
The Bu Eunseol of old would have sworn vengeance against Cheon Geom before that grave.
But that was not what Young Moon Ho would have desired.
Instead, I offered only a prayer for his happiness.
“In the next life….”
I turned my head away from the mound, murmuring softly.
“May you be born in a place free from resentment, and live happily….”
* * *
I returned immediately to the Demon Palace.
My original destinations were the White Horse Sect and Saryeong School. I had intended to investigate the activities of the Seven-Finger Demonic Path, which had remained unknown to the Murim.
But now my objective had changed.
‘How can I seek revenge when I cannot even properly handle the matters before me?’
Streaks of crimson light radiated from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Cheon Geom.
Bu Eunseol intended to begin by striking down that righteous sect’s madman.
Jamma Pavilion conference room.
At the center of the large table sat Bu Eunseol, with Myo Cheon Woo and Yu Woon Ryong positioned on either side.
Myo Cheon Woo and Yu Woon Ryong.
These two were among the Ten Demon Immortals who had escaped Hell Island together, and could be considered Bu Eunseol’s closest confidants.
Silence hung heavy within the conference room.
Yu Woon Ryong and Myo Cheon Woo studied Bu Eunseol’s complexion with grave expressions.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes were frozen like glacial ice, devoid of any emotion.
The two men exchanged glances, their tension mounting.
They knew well that Bu Eunseol was most terrifying when displaying such emotionless composure, a sign that he was plotting something formidable.
“What in the world has happened?”
Unable to bear the silence any longer, Myo Cheon Woo finally spoke with careful deliberation.
“Did something go wrong during this venture into Gangho?”
Bu Eunseol surveyed them both before speaking in a low voice.
“From this moment forward, mobilize all our resources to investigate Cheon Geom.”
“Cheon Geom?”
Myo Cheon Woo blinked.
“You mean the disciple of Geom Joon, one of the Three Sovereigns?”
“That’s correct.”
The two men exchanged confused glances once more.
Cheon Geom of the Divine Position Sect Leader.
Years ago, he had made his name in Gangho by eliminating evil sect forces that tormented commoners, earning that epithet.
Yet since then, he had scarcely appeared in Murim. Why would Bu Eunseol suddenly order an investigation into him?
“He killed Young Moon Ho.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, both Myo Cheon Woo and Yu Woon Ryong’s faces darkened.
“Young Moon Ho? The Young Moon Ho who went to Saryeong School?”
“Yes.”
“What are you saying? How could he kill Young Moon Ho, who was already dead once?”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol calmly recounted everything that had transpired.
How he had been using the Guusal Unit to locate surviving Ten Demon Immortals.
And how he had finally reunited with Young Moon Ho, who had been living as a gatherer of medicinal herbs, but…
On the return journey, the man who had devastated Heuk Pung Chae—Cheon Geom—had brutally murdered him.
And that Cheon Geom was one of the mysterious masters of righteousness whose identity had remained concealed until now.
“….”
As Bu Eunseol finished his account, a deathly silence descended upon the chamber.
This was entirely unexpected.
One of the mysterious righteous masters whose identity had been unknown until now was Geom Joon’s disciple, Cheon Geom.
And he possessed strength rivaling Bu Eunseol himself, the foremost late-stage master of the Demonic Path?
“So that’s what happened.”
Yu Woon Ryong, who had been silent until now, nodded slowly.
He knew well that Bu Eunseol had always regarded the Ten Demon Immortals as kindred spirits.
After finally spending an astronomical sum to locate Young Moon Ho, only to have him brutally murdered by Geom Joon’s disciple who had left Murim.
Though Bu Eunseol sat with an appearance of calm, her fury must have been piercing the heavens.
“From the beginning, our sect pitted the Ten Demon Immortals against the Great Righteous Masters.”
Yu Woon Ryong, lost in deep thought, spoke in a low voice.
“Though it was part of the process of selecting successor candidates, we have not yet rescinded that order.”
At this, Myo Cheon Woo, who had his arms crossed, nodded.
“So the Ten Demon Immortals and the Great Righteous Masters cannot coexist.”
Bu Eunseol, listening silently, kept her gaze fixed on the window.
“Since he has never revealed his whereabouts until now, investigating will be difficult. Mobilize every available resource to trace his movements first.”
Bu Eunseol turned her head, her eyes flashing with brilliant light as she spoke.
“From here on, I will handle it myself.”
“Understood.”
Yu Woon Ryong, who had been lost in thought for a moment, answered immediately.
“I will mobilize every available intelligence organization to locate him.”
And he continued carefully.
“If what you’ve said so far is true, it seems you will also need time to refine your martial arts.”
Bu Eunseol nodded readily.
“I know.”
In my current state, I cannot achieve complete victory over Cheon Geom.
I must now abandon my obsession with the two heart meridians and enter a state of emptiness to reach a new realm.
Several days later. Yu Woon Ryong’s face, as he entered Bu Eunseol’s office, had turned deathly pale.
“I’ve found Cheon Geom’s whereabouts.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s coming to our sect.”
As Bu Eunseol’s eyebrow twitched in incomprehension, Yu Woon Ryong spoke again.
“He’s coming to our sect as an emissary of the Murim Alliance, openly and brazenly.”
“An emissary of the Murim Alliance?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew strange.
Cheon Geom, who had never even revealed his presence in Murim until now, had suddenly become an emissary of the Murim Alliance.
“That madman has made his move.”
Yu Woon Ryong, frowning deeply, let out a sigh as he spoke.
“He went to the Murim Alliance and reported all the merits he had secretly accomplished, including the elimination of Heuk Pung Chae. And…”
To summarize the explanation that followed.
Cheon Geom had suddenly visited the Murim Alliance, revealed all the merits he had accomplished so far, and demanded an appropriate position.
Thereupon, the Murim Alliance, after deep deliberation, granted Cheon Geom the position of Lord of the First-Class Sword Brigade under the Divine Position Sect Leader, one of the Seven Great Pavilions.
For his merit in eliminating troublesome factions like Heuk Pung Chae and O Ryong Bang, which had harmed innocent civilians yet could not be subdued by our sect.
As this fact became known, not only among the Orthodox Sects but also among ordinary civilians, interest in Cheon Geom and his reputation began to spread gradually.
“You used your head well.”
Bu Eunseol frowned slightly.
He stood as an enemy to Bu Eunseol, the successor of the Demon Palace. If he continued wandering Gangho alone as before, he could be attacked at any moment without warning.
But now that he had made his accomplishments public and obtained the position of Sword Lord in the Murim Alliance…
He had become someone even Bu Eunseol could not touch carelessly.
“What reason brings you to the Demon Palace?”
Yu Woon Ryong answered Bu Eunseol’s question in a grave voice.
“The Ten Demon Immortals.”
Yu Woon Ryong paused for a moment, then spoke with an expression of utter bewilderment.
“He said he came to end the conflict between the Ten Demon Immortals and the Great Righteous Masters.”
As the gates of the Demon Palace swung wide open, an eight-horse carriage bearing the Murim Alliance flag entered within.
Click.
The door of the carriage, which had stopped at the center of the Demon Palace, slowly opened.
A large built man with a great sword strapped to his back descended slowly from the carriage.
He possessed a gentle countenance with eyes that sparkled like jewels reflecting sunlight.
A smile was constantly drawn at the corners of his mouth, making him appear somewhat simple-minded at first glance.
Yet in truth, he was an extraordinary martial genius with both exceptional physique and wisdom.
Though he bore the epithet of Golden Divine Eyes, he was more commonly known as Cheon Geom, the disciple of Geom Joon.
“Many of you have come out to greet me.”
Cheon Geom waved both hands at the officials of the Demon Palace waiting before the carriage.
“Pleased to meet you. Delighted to see you.”
As he continued waving his hands, the gathered officials of the Demon Palace furrowed their brows.
Cheon Geom’s actions and expressions felt somehow frivolous and playful.
At that moment, a middle-aged man dressed in an elegant scholarly robe approached through the crowd and offered a light bow.
“Welcome to our hall, Cheon Geom.”
The pupils of Cheon Geom’s eyes, who had been observing Baek Jeon Cheon, shifted.
Though he bore the atmosphere of a refined scholar, an overwhelming and formidable aura poured forth from behind his back.
“You are….”
“I am Baek Jeon Cheon, who leads the Man Bak Dang.”
“Ah, you are the one who understands the will of heaven above and comprehends the hearts of people below….”
Cheon Geom waved both hands in greeting with an exaggerated expression.
“Your reputation, Master Baek, has reached my ears well.”
“You are too kind.”
Baek Jeon Cheon smiled gently and extended one hand.
“Please follow me.”
Cheon Geom ascended the Sole Brightness Pavilion under Baek Jeon Cheon’s guidance.
After gazing up at the Sole Brightness Pavilion for a long while, Cheon Geom tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
“Ma Cheon Je is not here, is he?”
Despite visiting the Demon Palace for the first time, Cheon Geom knew the locations of the inner halls with precision.
Yet Baek Jeon Cheon showed little surprise and spoke matter-of-factly.
“Recently, Ma Cheon Je has entered seclusion. Currently, Chong Gyo Ryeong oversees all matters of this hall.”
“I see. Ah, but.”
Cheon Geom opened his mouth with a playful smile.
“I’ve heard that the Palace Lord has been missing for quite some time. Why hasn’t Ma Cheon Je appointed a new Palace Lord?”
Even as a disciple of Geom Joon, one could not presume to comment on the affairs of the Demon Palace.
Had Baek Jeon Cheon been anyone else in the upper echelon, he would have immediately offered a cold rebuke or sternly told him not to meddle.
But Baek Jeon Cheon answered with a subtle smile.
“I couldn’t say. The Palace Lord surely has his own deep designs.”
‘He’s someone of considerable standing, just as I’ve heard.’
Baek Jeon Cheon appeared as an unassuming scholar, yet his insight was remarkably keen.
Moreover, he referred to Ma Cheon Je as the “Palace Lord” even in Cheon Geom’s presence.
Cheon Geom immediately grasped that Baek Jeon Cheon possessed formidable authority beneath his unassuming exterior, along with martial prowess that was nothing short of extraordinary.
“An emissary from the Murim Alliance has arrived.”
As Baek Jeon Cheon spoke quietly, a low voice echoed from within the office of the Sole Brightness Pavilion.
“Show them in.”
Baek Jeon Cheon then clasped his hands respectfully to Cheon Geom.
“Then please, let us converse.”
Cheon Geom returned the courtesy and entered the office.
Even as he stepped into the office of the Demon Palace’s second-in-command, his expression and gait remained composed.
But upon seeing the elderly man seated within—Yeop Hyo Cheon—his smile vanished.
‘…!’
Cheon Geom realized that the seemingly ordinary Yeop Hyo Cheon was in fact a martial master of tremendous power, capable of overturning heaven and earth.
‘So he truly is the left hand of the Four Gods Seven Kings….’
Concealing his astonishment deep within, Cheon Geom smiled broadly and clasped his hands.
“Cheon Geom, Lord of the Murim Alliance’s Sword Sect, pays respects to Chong Gyo Ryeong.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon, who had been observing Cheon Geom’s face, let out an exclamation.
“Remarkable. I once believed there was no talent in all the Murim to compare with our hall’s Muhonjung Lord….”
And with that exclamation, he continued.
“So Heon Won has been in seclusion all this time, yet cultivating such extraordinary talent.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon smiled and extended a hand.
“Please, sit.”
Having offered Cheon Geom a seat, Yeop Hyo Cheon called for Si Bi to bring tea.
“How fares the old friend Heon Won?”
Yeop Hyo Cheon asked warmly after his well-being.
“The last time I saw him was twenty years ago at Chung Yak Mountain.”
Yeop Hyo Cheon, known as the Dark King, had once clashed with Geom Joon, called the finest blade of the Orthodox Sects, at Chung Yak Mountain twenty years prior.
The result of their battle was, remarkably, a mutual draw.
Yeop Hyo Cheon suffered grave damage to his meridians from Geom Joon’s blade strike and was forced into seclusion for three years.
Yet Geom Joon was not unscathed either.
His right leg was struck by Yeop Hyo Cheon’s One-Handed Dark Heaven Strike, leaving him with a permanent slight limp in his right foot.
“My master also sent his regards to Chong Gyo Ryeong. Once he finishes with these complicated matters, he wishes to request instruction in the techniques of Il Soo Am Cheon once more.”
‘He’s lying.’
Yeop Hyo Cheon’s eyes narrowed to slits.
Cheon Geom was already over a hundred years old and had long since withdrawn from the affairs of Murim.
There was no way such a man would still speak with competitive fervor.
Yet Yeop Hyo Cheon simply smiled calmly and nodded.
“Tell the Sect Leader he is always welcome.”
And he continued speaking.
“Indeed. What brings the Sword Lord of the Murim Alliance, whose name echoes across Tianxia, to this humble hall of mine?”
‘The old fox. He knows but asks anyway.’
With an inwardly frigid cry, Cheon Geom clasped his hands together and spoke.
“The Divine Position Sect Leader has made me a proposal. He suggested we cease these wasteful conflicts that benefit neither side.”
Cheon Geom suppressed his laughter as he spoke.
“I agreed with his sentiment and have come here formally to the Demon Palace to convey this proposal.”
“Wasteful conflicts, you say?”
“The Ten Demon Immortals.”
Cheon Geom spoke with an air of stating the obvious.
“I understand the successor to the Demon Palace also hails from the Ten Demon Immortals. If the talented of both sides continue to clash over such matters, wouldn’t that be problematic?”
His words were measured, yet his eyes gleamed with killing intent and madness.
Yeop Hyo Cheon examined Cheon Geom intently, his eyes narrowing.
Judging merely from the expanded blood vessels and elastic musculature, his physical constitution appeared far superior to Bu Eunseol’s.
Moreover, his gaze was abnormally sharp, giving off an unsettling chill.
‘Heon Won Dam Cheong. That old man has taken a madman as his disciple.’
Yeop Hyo Cheon, who had instantly perceived the lunatic quality saturating Cheon Geom, smiled faintly.
‘This will be interesting.’
If madness were the measure, Bu Eunseol, who had been called the Mad Sword, was no different.
Moreover, he would have no intention of making peace with the Murim Alliance.
Yeop Hyo Cheon was intensely curious how Bu Eunseol would face this madman.
“However, since Ma Cheon Je is not present, I cannot make a decision on this matter.”
“Hehehehe. When Ma Cheon Je enters seclusion, he delegates full authority to me.”
“I see.”
Cheon Geom tapped the great sword strapped to his back with a rhythmic sound, baring his white teeth in a refreshing smile.
“Then will you accept?”
Cheon Geom was certainly a madman.
Even knowing he was no match for Yeop Hyo Cheon, he deliberately tapped his great sword and provoked him nonetheless.
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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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