The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 32

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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 32.
“Who is this little one? I haven’t seen this face before.”
Wang Gyeol answered the man’s question in a low voice.
“She was selected as one of the Ten Demon Experts this time.”
“One of the Ten Demon Experts… I see.”
The Bearded Warrior gazed at Bu Eunseol with a peculiar smile playing at his lips.
A sharp hum pierced the air.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol felt a strange resonance—as though a colossal mass of metal were pressing down upon her body.
‘Formless pressure…’
Having already experienced the formless pressure of Wi Hyuk Gyun, the Sword Demon, Bu Eunseol immediately recognized it.
This suffocating weight bearing down from above was undoubtedly the formless pressure unleashed by the Bearded Warrior.
A deep resonance rumbled forth.
In that moment, brilliant radiance blazed forth from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Simultaneously, a whirlwind-like momentum erupted from her body, pushing back against the pressure cascading down upon her head.
The Inverse Extreme Heart Method.
This remarkable internal cultivation technique continuously circulated vital energy, protecting her body from the onslaught.
“Ho.”
The Bearded Warrior let out an exclamation of admiration.
“You’ve accumulated considerable internal power. To block such pressure with your own cultivation…”
Bu Eunseol felt pain as though mountains were collapsing upon her, yet she straightened her spine.
“Don’t waste time on pointless tests.”
Wang Gyeol frowned and spoke at that moment.
“She’s only been here for two months. Moreover, the Deputy Hall Master brought her personally.”
“Don’t worry. She doesn’t seem to be at a level where testing is even necessary.”
The Bearded Warrior looked down at Bu Eunseol and chuckled.
“She’s only grasped the fundamentals of internal power. She hasn’t learned anything else.”
“….”
“I wanted to see if she’d dodge, but instead she just stood there and resisted.”
‘He wanted to see if I’d dodge?’
As Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed, the man turned away as if bored.
“Since she’s one of the Ten Demon Experts, I suppose I’ll need to see her again eventually.”
Having uttered these strange words, he waved his hand toward Wang Gyeol.
“Work on your blade technique. I’ll return in three days.”
“Three days won’t do. Come back in four days.”
At Wang Gyeol’s words, the man simply walked away with a wave of his hand.
“Who was that person?”
Bu Eunseol displayed an unusual curiosity.
The formless pressure unleashed by the Bearded Warrior was on par with that of Wi Hyuk Gyun, known as the Sword Demon.
“You don’t need to know.”
Wang Gyeol, who normally didn’t answer questions he wasn’t asked, remained characteristically evasive.
Yet this time, for reasons unclear even to himself, Wang Gyeol evaded the question.
“You’re late.”
Wang Gyeol muttered the words low and quiet, then seized the great blade resting upon the table and swept into the depths of the smithy.
* * *
Hyul Geum Gang, standing rigid at the precipice’s edge as he listened to Bu Eunseol’s account, furrowed his brow.
“A master of Changsin Squad wielding a great blade.”
Bu Eunseol recounted her encounter with the Bearded Warrior before ascending Cheol Jang Peak.
“Did he not sport a face bristling with whiskers?”
“Indeed.”
“His name is So Jeon, and his epithet is Swift Plunderer’s Great Blade. He earned such a title for wielding his massive blade with both swiftness and fluidity.”
Hyul Geum Gang’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“He is the commander of Changsin Squad.”
“I see.”
Masters capable of manifesting invisible force were rare even in the martial realm.
Bu Eunseol had already suspected So Jeon held such a position. Yet what troubled me was Wang Gyeol’s demeanor.
‘The title of Changsin commander is hardly so momentous. Why would he claim ignorance?’
“Henceforth, sever your interest in him.”
Fortunately, Hyul Geum Gang provided the answer at once.
“So Jeon possesses not merely formidable martial prowess, but a temperament of profound eccentricity. Moreover….”
He paused, then shook his head.
“He harbors a peculiar conviction that all members of Nangya Sect must be exceptional beings.”
“Exceptional beings… you say.”
“Indeed.”
Hyul Geum Gang’s gaze upon Bu Eunseol gleamed with piercing intensity.
“In the past, he has beaten to death numerous young disciples who entered Nangya Sect, claiming they lacked the strength or talent befitting the sect.”
“I see.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol comprehend Wang Gyeol’s behavior.
‘He feared I might perish at that man’s hands.’
Recalling the Bearded Warrior’s—So Jeon’s—contemptuous sneer, something scorching surged violently within my chest.
‘He believed he could kill someone like me whenever he wished.’
Bu Eunseol’s fists clenched with twisting force.
Since entering the martial realm, the class of person I despised most was precisely one like So Jeon.
‘Intoxicated by strength, believing oneself capable of determining the fates of others.’
Bu Eunseol’s gaze grew as cold as the chill emanating from a deep cavern.
“Master.”
Having resolved something within my heart, Bu Eunseol spoke.
“Is there truly no method to evade an invisible force?”
“Do you speak of formless aura?”
“Yes.”
Since mastering the Wild Beast Blade, Bu Eunseol had become capable of evading sudden attacks and predicting cascading techniques.
Yet against formless momentum that manifested without any preceding motion, one could only suffer helplessly.
“Formless momentum is, as the name suggests, merely force itself. The only way to counter it is to emit an equally powerful force, or to create a strong qi constructed from internal cultivation.”
Hyul Geum Gang’s gaze, which had been fixed on Bu Eunseol’s eyes, shifted subtly.
“Surely you’re not thinking of testing yourself against So Jeon.”
“Whether I wish it or not, he will certainly come seeking me out.”
A flash of light gleamed in Bu Eunseol’s parched eyes.
“Under the pretense of a trial.”
Hyul Geum Gang exhaled a long sigh.
“The commander of Changsin Squad stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest masters under heaven. I acknowledge your exceptional talent, but to face him in such a short time is unrealistic.”
“I am not attempting to match myself against him.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes had already begun to burn with fierce intensity.
“If someone tests me, then I too shall test them.”
It was arrogance bordering on delusion.
Had anyone else spoken such words, Hyul Geum Gang would have scoffed without restraint.
‘But this one truly seems capable of it.’
Bu Eunseol’s resolve always set others’ hearts racing. Hyul Geum Gang was no exception.
“If that is your conviction, then you cannot afford to cultivate only your internal techniques at a leisurely pace.”
Having made his decision, Hyul Geum Gang spoke with a lighter expression.
“Judging by your current state, ascending to the third level is not so distant a prospect. Then you must learn to use your time more strategically.”
He fixed his gaze upon Bu Eunseol and continued.
“From now on, spend half your days learning internal cultivation from me. With the remaining time, you must master movement techniques and footwork.”
“Movement techniques and footwork….”
“Yes. If you properly master these two arts, you will at least never fall to another’s hand.”
Hyul Geum Gang paused for a moment, gazing toward the distant sky.
“In truth, Bin Seung was planning to directly transmit movement and footwork techniques to you soon as well. If you master the techniques that Bin Seung has cultivated, you could deepen your understanding of the Halfpole Heart Method….”
He trailed off, shaking his head as he looked at Bu Eunseol.
“But what you need now is not the perfection of the Halfpole Heart Method. You must complete the foundation of true martial cultivation as soon as possible.”
Without a breath of wind, Hyul Geum Gang’s robes fluttered.
His internal power naturally manifested through the resonance of his spirit.
“Master.”
Bu Eunseol bowed her head.
Though they had not formally established a master-disciple bond, Hyul Geum Gang had always understood and cared for her future.
It was a kindness that could not be purchased for all the gold in the world.
“At the far end of the Nangya Pavilion Western Garden, there is a path that leads to Cheongmyeong Platform.”
“Cheongmyeong Platform….”
“Yes. There stands a place called the Cheongmyeong Tea Tower where one can drink tea.”
Hyul Geum Gang cast his gaze toward the distant sky, speaking in a low voice.
“From today onward, go there to cultivate your movement techniques. We shall resume internal cultivation training after you have mastered the footwork.”
Bu Eunseol asked with a puzzled expression.
“You mean I should go to the tower… to learn movement techniques?”
“Indeed. Normally, only a master of divine techniques can ascend Cheongmyeong Platform… but given the current circumstances, there’s no helping it.”
“I’m not certain what you mean, sir.”
“You’ll understand once you go there.”
Hyul Geum Gang, who had been muttering incomprehensibly, spoke in a voice both serene and solemn.
“There exists within Nangya Sect a supreme master of divine techniques—one whose methods are as unpredictable and matchless as they come.”
* * *
The Western Garden of Nangya Sect.
Beyond the meticulously cultivated flower gardens, a narrow path wound deeper into the forest, promising passage through the dense woodland.
After walking along the path for some time, Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow and came to a halt.
“What is this…?”
The path had ended abruptly, and before her stretched a vast lake with no visible shore.
“Am I meant to cross this?”
Scattered across the water’s surface were wooden fragments, seemingly placed there deliberately.
Yet these fragments drifted erratically, and the distances between them were far too great to traverse.
“Even if the pieces were closer together, it would be impossible.”
To cross the lake by stepping upon these fragments would require mastery of the Water-Walking technique—a skill only a true master of divine methods could possess.
“Hmm.”
I exhaled softly and surveyed my surroundings.
The water ran deep, and not a single boat was visible. To reach the tea tower, I had no choice but to cross this expanse somehow.
“Surely they don’t expect me to construct a raft.”
After a moment’s deliberation, I drew a deep breath.
Splash.
Without hesitation, I waded into the lake and began to swim.
“Huff. Pah.”
I had never formally learned to swim.
Yet through relentless martial training and physical conditioning, I managed to propel myself forward through the water.
“Huu. Huu.”
But as time wore on, my limbs grew progressively heavier.
Swimming consumed far more stamina than I had anticipated. Pushing through the water without rest, I felt my breathing become increasingly labored.
“Haa. Haa.”
The distant shore seemed tantalizingly close, yet no matter how hard I swam, it remained beyond reach.
“Huu. Huu.”
When I could no longer move even a single finger, I ceased my efforts.
“Hup.”
Drawing a long breath, my abdomen gradually expanded.
Floating at ease upon the water’s surface, I began to circulate my inner energy throughout my body. Having mastered the breathing technique from the Reverse Muscle Scripture, I could cultivate my power in any position.
‘How strange.’
Cultivating while suspended in the water produced a peculiar sensation—my inner strength seemed to deepen with each breath.
‘Rather than growing weaker, it feels as though fresh power is welling up from within.’
Humans are beings composed of three separate elements: flesh, vital energy, and spirit.
And martial artists sought to unify these through internal cultivation techniques—a state known as the Convergence of Three Flowers at the Crown.
Bu Eunseol concentrated solely on crossing the river, pushing both mind and body to their limits.
As I began circulating my energy in the tranquil waters, essence, qi, and spirit gradually merged into one.
A brilliant flash.
My eyes gleamed with an ethereal radiance as I completed the energy circulation.
‘Has so much time already passed?’
I thought I had only practiced for a brief moment, yet the sun was already setting.
“We must hurry.”
Splash.
As I resumed swimming, my body shot forward, cleaving through the lake.
Moving my hands and feet to cut through the water, I naturally channeled my internal energy.
Splash. Whoosh.
With my qi flowing, my body accelerated several times faster than before. At last, I reached the shore that had seemed impossibly distant.
“Moving the body requires not just spiritual intent, but harmony with the flow of qi itself.”
Profoundly mysterious.
I had grasped a practical principle that only those who had cultivated internal energy for decades could master—and I had discovered it by chance.
“Internal cultivation techniques are far more wondrous than I ever imagined.”
I had swum at full speed for nearly half a double-hour without tiring at all. At this rate, I could swim day and night for three days straight without faltering.
“This is….”
My footsteps halted as I walked along the path.
“A cliff face this time?”
Blocking my way stood a sheer rock wall of dizzying height, as if piercing the heavens themselves.
Had I been a master of lightness technique, I could have leaped from protruding stone to stone, ascending swiftly.
But without any training in movement techniques, I had no way to climb.
―Originally, Cheongmyeong Platform can only be reached by masters of movement technique…
I exhaled deeply, recalling Hyul Geum Gang’s words.
Only now did I understand their true meaning.

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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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