The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 33

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

Chapter 33
From the start, Cheongmyeong Platform was unmistakably a place to test those who had mastered divine techniques.
The abundance of floating debris in the lake, the towering cliff face that appeared the moment the path ended—
All of it must have been an artificial trial designed to test the spiritual cultivation of every Nangya Sect disciple.
“Regardless, I have to climb.”
Bu Eunseol steeled her gaze and began ascending the cliff face slowly.
The lower sections of the cliff were jagged and uneven, allowing me to climb without hesitation.
But as I progressed higher, the stone grew increasingly smooth, making ascent far more difficult.
Tap, tap, thud.
My foot slipped for a moment, and a pebble tumbled down into the void below.
Looking down, the ground had become a dizzying distance away—easily forty zhang below.
Bu Eunseol clenched her teeth as she looked upward.
The remaining height stretched well over a hundred zhang. If I fell from this cliff, my bones would shatter and death would be certain.
Drip, drip.
Blood had begun to bead at my fingertips and fall away.
Yet Bu Eunseol climbed on, her face as expressionless as if forged from steel.
What I feared was not falling from the cliff, but failing to master true martial arts.
“Haah.”
As the stone grew increasingly smooth, I unconsciously drew upon the Bangeuk Heart Method.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Each time I lifted my fingers, an eerie whistling sound echoed.
I had never learned the Suction Hand technique. Yet as I climbed this perilous cliff with my bare body, I instinctively generated suction force.
Crack.
Then the stone protrusion I was gripping suddenly fractured slightly.
In that instant, my body tilted and I began to plummet.
‘No!’
At this height, there would be nothing left to recover.
As I fell past the cliff face, I spotted a narrow crevice between the stones.
“Hah!”
Without hesitation, I channeled the full force of the Bangeuk Heart Method and drove my left hand into that gap.
Crack.
With the sound of bones grinding, my falling body came to a halt.
Rip.
As I forced my hand deep into the crevice, the skin on my wrist and the back of my hand tore open, and crimson blood streamed down.
‘Thank heavens.’
At least my bones had not broken.
But a pain so severe it threatened to steal my consciousness engulfed my entire body. My vision blurred and blood rose in my throat, yet Bu Eunseol climbed on with an unmoved expression.
Thud.
At last, Bu Eunseol reached the summit of the cliff.
My entire body was covered in dust, and blood flowed ceaselessly from my fingertips and through the tears in my shoes.
“Huff, huff….”
With each exhale, my entire skin burned as though consumed by flame.
Pain, ache, torment.
During the ascent up the cliff face, I experienced every conceivable form of suffering and agony the human body could endure.
Yet I pressed forward with shoulders squared. No amount of pain or trial could bend my frame.
“….”
My eyes widened as I continued walking.
A small tea tower stood in an open clearing where the surrounding landscape spread beneath my gaze like a painted scroll.
It bore the humble, unremarkable appearance common to the alleys of Bu District. Yet nestled within that beautiful vista, it seemed to possess something extraordinary.
“Cheongmyeong Tea Tower….”
Beneath the eaves of the tower, characters spelling out Cheongmyeong Tea Tower were carved into the wood.
“…?”
It was remarkable enough to find such a tea house deep in the mountains, but as I drew closer, the rich aroma of tea enveloped me.
I felt a thirst more intense than any I had known before.
Creak.
I pushed open the door with the urgency of a drunkard seeking a tavern, and found the interior meticulously arranged.
Yet the space was empty, with only the sound of water heating in the kitchen echoing from within.
‘Is there no one here?’
After scanning the interior of the tea tower, I reluctantly turned to leave.
But then,
“Welcome, friend.”
A weathered voice resonated from behind me.
When I turned, an elderly man with white hair combed back stood before the kitchen entrance, blinking slowly.
‘There was no sign at all….’
I could not hide my astonishment.
Though I had mastered Beast Path and could sense the flow of air itself, I had detected no presence as the old man emerged from the kitchen.
“Sit here, if you will.”
The old man’s eyes were closed and barely visible, his back hunched, his gait slightly unsteady.
Yet he approached me with perfect naturalness and gestured toward a nearby table.
As though enchanted, I followed his guidance and sat at the table.
“Tsk.”
Only then did the old man notice my pitiful state and clicked his tongue.
“What in the world did you do to end up looking like that?”
“I swam across and climbed the cliff face.”
“What was that?”
At my matter-of-fact reply, the old man’s narrow eyes widened.
“You mean to say you swam across Yeong Gyo Lake and climbed Sa Ja Rock with your bare hands?”
The old man could not conceal his bewilderment.
“Well, once disciples enter Nangya Sect, they all seem to develop some peculiar habit or other.”
“I….”
Bu Eunseol was about to explain that she had come to learn the Divine Method. But the old man waved his hand dismissively.
“Sit first. I’ll have tea brought out shortly.”
Then he turned back toward the kitchen.
Watching his retreating figure, Bu Eunseol couldn’t help but be startled once more.
Though she could detect the sound of falling leaves beyond ten zhang away, she couldn’t hear the footsteps of the old man walking weakly before her eyes at all.
“Have some.”
In the meantime, the old man who had entered the kitchen reappeared, setting a steaming cup of tea on the table.
“Elder.”
Bu Eunseol rose from her seat without even glancing at the teacup, carefully clasping her hands together.
“I am Bu Eunseol, recently admitted to the Nangya Sect.”
“I thought your face was unfamiliar.”
The old man nodded as if his curiosity had been satisfied, then turned his body toward the kitchen with a shuffling gait.
“Then drink slowly.”
“Elder.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together once more.
“Please teach me the Divine Method.”
“I cannot teach you.”
“Why not?”
“Why? Do you not know the rules of this sect?”
The old man explained matter-of-factly.
“Now that you’ve become a disciple of this sect, you may learn martial arts from any master here.”
But the old man smiled faintly.
“However, if I choose not to teach, you cannot force me to. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I understand that well.”
“Then that settles it.”
As the old man turned to leave without hesitation, Bu Eunseol bit her lip.
She had instinctively realized that this time, she would need to trade on someone else’s name rather than rely on her own efforts.
“Hyul Geum Gang sent me.”
Bu Eunseol spoke loudly, drawing strength from her core.
“Hyul Geum Gang instructed me to come to this tower to learn the Divine Method and the Lightness Technique.”
“Hyul Geum Gang?”
“Yes.”
The old man stopped in his tracks and turned around with a look of surprise.
“He sent you here?”
“Yes.”
Then a bewildered light flickered in the old man’s eyes.
“Why would he…”
The emotion in his voice seemed deeply complex.
It appeared the old man shared a profound history with Hyul Geum Gang.
After a long silence, the old man exhaled a deep sigh and spoke again.
“Do you also study the inner cultivation method from him?”
At the words “also study,” Bu Eunseol’s pupils trembled slightly.
‘So there were others in the past who learned the Reverse Extreme Heart Method from Hyul Geum Gang.’
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm.”
The old man released a deep sigh.
Then, gazing at the distant sky spreading beyond the window, he spoke in a low voice.
“I’ll be honest with you. I have decided never to pass on my divine method to anyone again.”
“Why is that, sir?”
“Have you truly not heard the reason?”
The old man’s eyes narrowed as he continued to gaze at the distant sky.
“Because I, like Hyul Geum Gang, have driven countless disciples of Nangya Sect to their deaths.”
“To their deaths…”
Watching the old man’s darkened eyes, Bu Eunseol suddenly grasped the meaning behind those words.
―From the beginning, Dan Cheong said he would send me the materials to master the Reverse Extreme Heart Method. Ten years have already passed since then.
Recalling Hyul Geum Gang’s words, Bu Eunseol quickly understood the complex circumstances.
‘Hyul Geum Gang wasn’t waiting these ten years—he was teaching the disciples of Nangya Sect all this time.’
Hyul Geum Gang, who had taught many disciples of Nangya Sect over these ten years.
But none of them would have mastered the Reverse Extreme Heart Method. Because it inflicts suffering akin to death itself…
“What he sent means… you have mastered the Reverse Extreme Heart Technique.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Remarkable. You’ve only been here for about two months, haven’t you?”
The old man looked over Bu Eunseol from head to toe with renewed amazement.
“And you’ve already reached the first stage of the Reverse Extreme Heart Technique?”
“I have reached the second stage.”
“What?”
As the old man asked again, Bu Eunseol lowered his head apologetically.
“Due to my limited aptitude, I have only cultivated up to the second stage.”
The old man stood speechless, swallowing his astonishment.
He had witnessed countless disciples who either took their own lives or became paralyzed while attempting to master the Reverse Extreme Heart Method.
The Reverse Extreme Heart Method—even for a heaven-blessed prodigy, it requires over a year of cultivation to reach the first stage.
To reach the second stage in merely two months?
“You reached the second stage?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I see.”
Only then could the old man understand Hyul Geum Gang’s intention.
‘No wonder he was so proud.’
The old man nodded, recalling the Vice-Pavilion Master Dan Cheong who had visited Cheongmyeong Tea Tower not long ago.
The youth before him was not only exceptionally talented but possessed a warrior’s spirit capable of overcoming any trial—a true prodigy of heaven.
“Very well. I shall teach you the divine method.”
At the old man’s words, Bu Eunseol pressed her palms together and bowed deeply.
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. Once you hear what I’m about to explain, I suspect your thoughts will change.”
“I shall listen with an open mind.”
“I am called Go Wol.”
The old man who had revealed himself as Go Wol emanated an aura as towering and immovable as Mount Tai.
“In my past, I was known as the Extreme Speed Without Shadow.”
As the old man reminisced, his eyes glistened with profound nostalgia.
“I was originally a grand thief. Because of this, I had to be faster than anyone else, and I had to master movement techniques while evading attacks.”
Go Wol spoke with eyes brimming with pride.
“The movement technique I will teach you is a Body Movement Martial Art that dissolves the boundary between movement techniques and footwork. I named it after my own alias—the Extreme Speed Without Shadow.”
As he continued speaking, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
“For a long time, I attempted to transmit this Extreme Speed Without Shadow to the disciples of Nangya Sect. But all of them failed… and became crippled.”
Bu Eunseol could not comprehend this.
Internal cultivation techniques were delicate yet perilous martial arts that controlled the vital energy within one’s body.
But to become crippled simply from learning a movement technique that lightens the body?
“Why did they fail, sir?”
“There are two reasons. First, this Extreme Speed Without Shadow continuously depletes one’s internal energy. Without solid internal cultivation to support it, one could suffer severe internal injuries.”
Go Wol continued.
“But more serious than that is the fact that if one deploys the Extreme Speed Without Shadow incorrectly, both legs could be severed.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
“You mean one’s legs could be severed while executing the technique?”
This made no sense whatsoever.
How could one’s legs become disabled merely from executing a movement or footwork technique incorrectly?
What kind of technique in this world could do such a thing?
“Watch carefully.”
A demonstration was worth a hundred explanations.
Go Wol lifted his body slightly into the air, then landed back in the same spot.
Bu Eunseol found herself doubting her own eyes as she watched.
‘So that is the Extreme Speed Without Shadow….’
Had she not mastered Beast Blade, she would never have detected those subtle footwork shifts.
Go Wol had merely lifted his body slightly from where he stood, yet in that brief moment, he had changed direction forty-four times.
A heavy silence fell within the tea tower.
As the oppressive air began to escape through the windows,
“You saw it, I presume.”
Go Wol, who had been observing Bu Eunseol’s expression intently, spoke with pride in his voice.
“The Diamond Immovable Movement Technique, considered the supreme movement art of the Orthodox Path, can change direction sixty-four times in place.”
As Go Wol continued, his eyes flashed with brilliance.
“But my Extreme Speed Without Shadow can change direction ninety-nine times in place. This is because it is a Body Movement Martial Art that combines movement techniques and footwork.”
Had Bu Eunseol possessed deep knowledge of movement and footwork techniques, she would have found such a claim unbelievable.
Divine techniques are fundamentally extensions of inner cultivation methods—the art of lightness of body. Movement techniques, by contrast, are martial arts rooted in formation studies.
“Do you understand why mastering this Extreme Speed Shadowless technique would cripple you?”
“Earlier, I noticed you were shifting directions continuously in place, Elder.”
“And so?”
“In such a short span, moving at high speed through the air, a single misstep in direction would cause both legs to collide, would it not?”
Bu Eunseol’s precise explanation drew a nod from Go Wol, who smacked his lips thoughtfully.
“The martial world has plenty of stable movement techniques. Honestly, unless you’re planning to become a thief, there’s no real need to risk learning such a dangerous one.”
Bu Eunseol found Go Wol’s reasoning sound.
No one would willingly gamble with losing both legs just to master a single technique.
“Are you planning to become a great thief?”
“No, Elder.”
“Then I’d advise you to learn a different technique instead. Our Nangya Sect has many masters skilled in excellent movement arts.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been studying Go Wol intently, spoke with unwavering conviction.
Shaking her head firmly, Bu Eunseol spoke with quiet strength.
“I wish to learn your technique, Elder.”
Go Wol’s expression betrayed complete bewilderment.
“Is this because of what Hyul Geum Gang said?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes remained steady and resolute.
“I trust my instincts.”
“Your instincts?”
“Yes.”
Bu Eunseol had sensed it intuitively.
The movement technique of Go Wol, whose footsteps she could not even detect before her eyes, was surely the finest in all of Nangya Sect.
“Hmm.”
Go Wol gazed into Bu Eunseol’s eyes, brimming with certainty.
He too could sense it now.
Standing before him was the talent he had long awaited—one capable of mastering the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique.

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