The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 328

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 328.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes wavered profoundly.
Mu Hwang had departed from Murim and ended his life in solitude four hundred years ago, his lineage severed then—yet Bu Eunseol, having discovered Martial Emperor’s Secret Archive, had inherited his supreme techniques.
But until now, not a single soul who witnessed the Thirteen Nights had discerned it as Mu Hwang’s secret art.
How could she have grasped in an instant what even Chong Gyo Ryeong, versed in all martial disciplines, had failed to perceive?
“Hmph, so the successor of Mu Hwang grows arrogant?”
So Ok Rim clenched her fists and laughed softly.
“But you should know—even among the Eight Emperors’ techniques, mastery varies by the wielder.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes trembled once more.
“The Eight Emperors?”
“Did you think you alone were exceptional?”
She laughed and pointed to herself with her thumb.
“I am the Star Emperor, So Ok Rim, descendant of So Mu Bin.”
Thud.
Bu Eunseol felt as though struck from behind.
A descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars from four hundred years past, appearing in this age? And not merely an inheritor of their arts, but direct blood kin.
―Soon you will understand.
Geom Joon’s words flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
Were those prodigies he spoke of truly the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars from four centuries past?
“How do you know Mu Hwang’s techniques?”
Blood light ignited in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Mu Hwang had faced a lonely death in his final years, unable to find disciples worthy of his transmission, and so created Martial Emperor’s Secret Archive.
How could the Star Emperor’s descendant possibly recognize his martial arts?
“You didn’t know?”
So Ok Rim smiled wickedly.
“The Thirteen Nights—that technique also incorporates the methods of the Dual-Severed Silver River.”
“Incorporates?”
“Well, in their youth, the two supreme masters of martial arts combined their intentions and created this technique… something like that.”
So Ok Rim uttered something astounding.
Mu Hwang and the Star Emperor had exchanged their martial arts with one another, and the Thirteen Nights was a unique secret art born from that exchange?
‘This makes no sense.’
If they had exchanged secret arts as precious as life itself, their bond must have been immeasurably deep.
Then why had the Star Emperor merely watched when Mu Hwang was falsely accused?
Could it be that he believed the false rumors of Mu Hwang’s treachery and turned away until the end?
‘Even if I ask, I won’t receive a truthful answer.’
Bu Eunseol harbored many doubts, yet chose not to voice them.
There was no guarantee that So Ok Rim would offer honest replies even if questioned.
If she could not immediately expose the woman’s true intentions, then at minimum, she need not reveal her suspicion.
“It concerns me not.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Don’t follow me any further. We have important matters to attend to.”
“Important matters? What kind?”
“I cannot say.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
So Ok Rim glanced at Seo Jin Ha before speaking.
“How could I let my destined counterpart slip away like this?”
As Bu Eunseol’s gaze hardened, she quickly added,
“You know Shin San Ja, don’t you? That sage who perceives the will of heaven above and comprehends the principles of earth below?”
Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed.
In truth, I did not believe So Ok Rim’s nonsense.
I had wasted two years searching for Shin San Ja, who had long remained hidden, and all for the sake of finding a destined counterpart?
Did a master of her caliber truly have nothing else to do?
“Ah, it was a side benefit, you see.”
So Ok Rim, having discerned my thoughts, rubbed the tip of her nose and spoke.
“There were other matters I needed to investigate as well.”
“Are you being truthful?”
“Of course.”
She spoke with an intensely serious expression.
“I told you it took a full two years to find that sage. I am being sincere.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent for a moment.
There was no one in the Murim who did not know that Shin San Ja was a sage who perceived the will of heaven.
Moreover, his prophecies had never once proven false…
If So Ok Rim had truly found Shin San Ja and heard such a prophecy?
Then I could not simply dismiss those words.
‘A destined counterpart, then.’
Bu Eunseol, who had been lost in deep contemplation, opened her mouth.
“Then you must not follow me all the more.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I must treat that destined counterpart.”
Seo Jin Ha blinked, regarding Bu Eunseol.
Wouldn’t such words only heighten curiosity or increase the likelihood of her following relentlessly?
But Bu Eunseol’s true intentions lay elsewhere.
If Geom Joon’s words were correct, worthy opponents matching my strength would soon emerge in the Murim realm.
Then I needed to discern whether they were my enemies and what purposes they harbored.
‘It would not be amiss to verify whether she truly is a descendant of the Sage Emperor.’
If So Ok Rim harbored impure intentions,
or if she were connected to the dark forces I had repeatedly clashed with.
‘It is strange that she boasts of such high spiritual aptitude.’
Even if she were a descendant of the Sage Emperor from four hundred years past, So Mu Bin would not have risen directly from the grave to transmit martial arts to her.
Yet she emphasized aptitude so strongly—it could only mean she had separately taken on a master of extraordinarily high spiritual caliber.
‘If she’s truly a descendant of the Sage Emperor, it’s strange that she would reveal having a different master.’
As Bu Eunseol fell into thought,
“Treatment?”
So Ok Rim tilted her head and asked.
“You came all this way to treat an illness?”
Bu Eunseol spoke honestly.
“It’s not an illness—my dantian is shattered. I’ve lost nearly half my martial power because of it.”
“Your dantian…”
So Ok Rim, who had worn a dazed expression for a moment, suddenly widened her eyes.
“Ah, I see. You’re trying to open the upper dantian and recover your martial power. Your original power must have been extraordinary?”
The moment So Ok Rim grasped her intention so readily, Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Being well-versed in the principles of martial arts meant possessing an exceptional mind.
Though she appeared simple and reckless on the surface, it could be that she deliberately concealed her true nature.
“That’s right.”
When Bu Eunseol answered readily, So Ok Rim asked,
“So then, where are you headed? Potala Palace?”
“Guangyang Temple.”
“The temple on Sera Uzi Mountain? That won’t work. That’s a place that specializes in external martial techniques.”
“I need the Great Primordial Mirror. I have to borrow it.”
“The Great Primordial Mirror? How could you possibly borrow a temple’s treasure?”
“I brought the Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara statue.”
The Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara statue had once been one of Guangyang Temple’s treasures.
However, it had been stolen and lost centuries ago, yet it had been kept in the Demon Palace’s vault.
Yu Woon Ryong had anticipated Bu Eunseol’s intention and prepared the statue in an envelope beforehand.
“But what exactly is your destination that requires the Great Primordial Mirror?”
Bu Eunseol spoke without hesitation.
“Yunhai Biyeok Palace.”
“Biyeok Palace? You’re going there?”
So Ok Rim spoke with a surprised expression.
“I’ve heard that no one knows the true nature of that place.”
“I’ve already investigated it beforehand.”
“Wow, really? Then that works out well.”
So Ok Rim wore a delighted expression.
“I’ve wanted to see that place myself.”
She spoke of visiting Seo Jang’s most mysterious sect as casually as if she were sightseeing at a local marketplace.
“Can I come along?”
So Ok Rim winked playfully and acted cute.
“I’ll be surprisingly helpful, you know? Hmm?”
“There are conditions.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a resolute tone, as if she had already thought it through.
“Cooperate so that I may obtain the Great Primordial Scripture.”
“Of course, naturally.”
She flexed her forearms as she spoke.
“I’m confident I can smash through anything.”
At that, Seo Jin Ha sent a transmission tinged with worry and exasperation.
「What are you thinking? Why would you agree to travel with that deranged woman?」
「The claim that she is a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars from four hundred years ago troubles me.」
I did not entirely trust Geom Joon’s words.
Simply because I had grown into an exceptional figure, powerful masters of equal caliber were appearing in this very age?
Especially—I had never believed in talk of heavenly will or destiny.
If something occurred, I believed only that there was a necessary reason for its occurrence.
「I see.」
Only then did Seo Jin Ha nod, as if grasping my thoughts.
Even if everything So Ok Rim said were true, the timing was far too convenient.
「Understood. The truth will reveal itself as we travel together.」
“Very well. I grant you permission to accompany us.”
“This will be exciting!”
At my words, So Ok Rim laughed brightly.
“Then let’s go now!”
* * *
Northwest of Lhasa. Upon Hong Mountain rose a magnificent structure gleaming with golden radiance.
Potala Palace.
The principal temple of Tibetan Buddhism, this place was a vast monastery spanning some thirty thousand square meters.
Within its interior, divided into the Red Palace and White Palace, there were said to be roughly a thousand chambers, ten thousand stupas, and two hundred thousand Buddha statues.
When Seo Jin Ha caught sight of Hong Mountain where Potala Palace stood, he longed to ascend it in a single breath.
Yet the destination was not Potala Palace, but Guangyang Temple, situated some twenty li to the northeast.
Though Seo Jin Ha wished to visit Potala Palace, he could only smack his lips and turn his body away.
At last, upon reaching Sera Uzi Mountain, a treacherous mountain path came into view.
Guangyang Temple was built from the mountainside’s midpoint all the way to its summit.
Though it could not compare to Potala Palace’s thirty thousand square meters, it appeared several times larger than any temple one could see in Zhong Yuan.
Upon finally arriving near the entrance, stern-faced lama monks came into view.
As my group approached, they respectfully pressed their palms together.
“What brings you to our temple?”
“We have come to meet the abbot, Master Da Gil.”
As I spoke respectfully, the lama monk bowed with a troubled expression.
“This temple forbids entry to outsiders. Please depart.”
Guangyang Temple was a Tantric monastery that had always strictly prohibited entry to outsiders.
At the lama monk’s response, I nodded as if I understood.
“Then, please convey this to Master Da Gil: someone has brought the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara statue, a treasure of Guangyang Temple.”
“The Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara statue, you say?”
The startled lama monk pressed his palms together respectfully.
“Please wait a moment.”
He then hurried inside the temple.
After some time, an elderly monk appeared, leading dozens of lama monks.
He was Da Gil, the abbot of Guangyang Temple.
“You say you have brought a treasure of our temple?”
“That is correct.”
I withdrew a jade Avalokiteshvara statue from my robes.
The Avalokiteshvara, carved from a massive piece of jade in its entirety, was crafted with such exquisite precision that its dozens of arms seemed as though they might come alive and move.
“Indeed, it is one of our temple’s treasures.”
Da Gil inquired.
“What do you request of our temple?”
As a monk of profound enlightenment, he had already discerned that I would not surrender the treasure without conditions.
“I wish to borrow the Great Circle Mirror for a time.”
“Our temple’s Great Circle Mirror?”
“Yes.”
“That is impossible.”
Da Gil spoke with a grave expression.
“The Great Circle Mirror is a treasure of our temple that cannot be removed from these grounds.”
“I ask only to borrow it for four days. I swear upon my honor that it will be returned without the slightest damage.”
I spoke with utmost sincerity.
“If you wish, I will allow masters of Guangyang Temple to accompany me for those four days.”
“Hmm.”
Da Gil pondered briefly, then shook his head.
“Regardless, I cannot allow our temple’s treasures to leave these grounds.”
“I see.”
I pressed my palms together in resignation.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Wait.”
Da Gil spoke urgently.
“You intend to simply depart with our temple’s treasure in your robes?”
“This treasure was legitimately obtained by me. I brought it as the price for borrowing the Great Circle Mirror.”
I spoke calmly.
“However, since you will not lend me the Great Circle Mirror, I cannot simply give it to you, can I?”
“In other words, that treasure was stolen from our temple long ago.”
Da Gil spoke with courtesy but unwavering resolve.
“Leave it here.”
“If you will not lend me the Great Circle Mirror, I cannot leave it.”
“Benefactor.”
“I shall depart now.”
Da Gil’s eyes widened.
No one could simply stand by and watch as a treasure passed down through generations was shown and taken away.
Yet he could not resort to force.
If he did, Bu Eunseol might destroy the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara statue on the spot.
“Patron, the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara statue is something our temple has sought for a long time. I earnestly beg you to return it.”
As Da Gil spoke again with urgency, Bu Eunseol turned her body with a faint smile.
“Then how about we make a wager?”
“A wager?”
Bu Eunseol turned and pointed to So Ok Rim as she spoke.
“There is no master within Guangyang Temple’s grounds who can defeat her.”
In that instant, Da Gil could not hide his bewildered expression.
Guangyang Temple merely lacked the fame and scale of Potala Palace.
Yet the Vajra monks here, who specialized in ascetic training, all possessed exceptional martial prowess.
But no one could defeat this woman of mere impressive stature?
“You mean to say that if someone from our temple can defeat her in a one-on-one match, you will return the Avalokitesvara statue?”
“That is correct.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with confidence.
“If anyone can defeat her in three consecutive matches, I will immediately return the statue to you.”
“And if our temple loses?”
“I will borrow the Great Primordial Mirror once.”
Da Gil held a faint smile.
So Ok Rim’s aura seemed extraordinary, but Guangyang Temple had many practitioners trained in its unique external martial arts.
In other words, it could be said they specialized in one-on-one duels.
‘He seems like someone who will keep his promise.’
As the abbot of Guangyang Temple, he not only possessed exceptional Buddhist power but was also quite skilled at reading people’s faces.
Though Bu Eunseol had an ordinary appearance, her eyes were resolute and clear.
She was certainly no villain, and he could discern that she would honor her word.
“Very well.”
Da Gil nodded readily.
“Let us proceed as such.”
『What are you thinking?』
At Seo Jin Ha’s worried transmission, Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
『It is an opportunity to confirm her identity once more.』
Originally, Bu Eunseol had several plans in mind.
She could exploit Potala Palace’s inferiority complex and competitive spirit to obtain the Great Primordial Mirror.
Or she could reveal her identity as the successor of Demon Hall, restore their dignity, and then negotiate using the Avalokitesvara statue.
Moreover, with Bu Eunseol’s skill and the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique, secretly infiltrating Guangyang Temple to obtain the Great Primordial Mirror was not an impossible task.
But Bu Eunseol had proposed an entirely different approach.
It was because So Ok Rim had joined them.
So Ok Rim’s appearance in Murim was limited to two years ago when she had overturned the Yang Gwang region for three months.
Through this confrontation, I could discern whether her temperament truly matched the rumors—whether she was as reckless as they claimed, or if such tales were exaggerated fabrications.
‘And whether she truly is the descendant of the Celestial Sage.’
I could only infer that her fist technique mimicked the circulation of heavenly qi. Whether it was the Celestial Sage’s own martial art remained unknowable.
Yet Guangyang Temple had suffered defeat four centuries ago when the Celestial Sage visited this place.
The various sects had always advanced their martial arts by studying the techniques of the masters who had bested them…
Perhaps Guangyang Temple could recognize the Celestial Sage’s fist technique.
「Identity. I see.」
Seo Jin Ha, grasping Bu Eunseol’s strategy, wore an expression of admiration.
When So Ok Rim claimed her fist technique was the martial art of the Celestial Sage, Seo Jin Ha had not doubted her words.
Because her fist technique was simply that extraordinary.
But Bu Eunseol was cautious in all matters and did not easily trust others.
Though it was a fact that could be easily accepted, Bu Eunseol refused to abandon her suspicion that it might be a lie.
“What? Me?”
So Ok Rim, who had been listening intently, furrowed her brow.
Bu Eunseol was making a wager using her as collateral without even asking permission?
There was no way her temperament would accept this willingly.
“Why should I fight them?”
“Isn’t that the least you should do for your destined counterpart?”
Bu Eunseol wore a faint smile.
“Or have you forgotten the condition for traveling together?”
Only then did So Ok Rim let out a sound of realization.
To cooperate in obtaining the Great Primordial Scripture. That was the condition Bu Eunseol had set for their journey together.
“Hmm. Well, I suppose that’s true.”
So Ok Rim clicked her tongue as if she had no choice.
“Fine. But you have to help me a lot from now on.”
Her request for help seemed to refer to her relationship with Seo Jin Ha, whom she had marked as her destined counterpart.
“I shall consider it.”
“Good.”
So Ok Rim stepped forward, cracking her knuckles.
“Well then, who will come forward?”
Da Gil’s expression grew grave for a moment.
Regardless of how things unfolded, the wager involved the Avalokitesvara statue. He could not afford to show mercy.
“Dan Pa.”
At Da Gil’s call, a muscular Buddhist warrior, Dan Pa, stepped forward.
He possessed not only naturally formidable divine strength, but was a master who had cultivated the Golden Adamantine Dharma Technique—similar to the Indestructible Golden Body—to the level of ten stars or higher.
In other words, no matter how powerful an attack was unleashed, he could not be felled. This wager was already Guangyang Temple’s victory.
Yet there was a fact Da Gil did not know.
So Ok Rim possessed not only extraordinary martial prowess, but was one who employed methods that martial artists abhorred—without the slightest hesitation.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————