The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 35
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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 35.
Moonlight danced across the surface of Yeong Gyo Lake as darkness descended, casting its ethereal glow upon the water.
Splash. Ripple.
A dark shadow raced swiftly across the lake’s surface, treading upon floating branches.
It was Bu Eunseol, clad in worn martial robes.
Whoosh. Tap.
With each leap, a hazy shadow of her feet scattered through the darkness.
Though she appeared to be running in a straight line, from a distance her movements seemed utterly unpredictable as she crisscrossed the lake’s surface.
“That’s Go Wol’s Ultimate Speed Shadowless Technique.”
Baek Yeon’s eyes widened considerably as he observed her from afar.
“The Ultimate Speed Shadowless is a divine movement technique that cannot be mastered in a short time, no matter how talented one is….”
He tilted his head in bewilderment, muttering with an expression of disbelief.
“Surely she hasn’t been learning only movement techniques since arriving at Nangya Pavilion.”
“That’s impossible.”
Dan Cheong chuckled and shook his head.
“She arrived three months ago. And just two months back, she was still cultivating her inner energy at Cheol Jang Peak.”
“Cheol Jang Peak, you say….”
“She’s been studying the Half-Extreme Heart Method under Hyul Geum Gang.”
“The Half-Extreme Heart Method, you mean.”
As an avalanche of unbelievable information poured forth, Baek Yeon furrowed his brows.
“Then the rumor that she mastered the Beast Path in just two weeks on Hell Island….”
“It’s not a rumor—it’s fact.”
Dan Cheong recalled the leather pouch Sa Woo always carried, a wry smile crossing his face.
“It seems her transcendent nervous system opened prematurely because she drank all of the Extreme Heavenly Spirit Water that Sa Woo had been carrying.”
“That’s absurd.”
Baek Yeon shook his head.
The Beast Path was less a martial technique and more a realm of enlightenment.
Even if she had consumed the legendary Golden Spirit Immortal Fruit instead of Extreme Heavenly Spirit Water, she could not have attained the Beast Path.
“Then all the rumors must be true.”
“What rumors?”
Baek Yeon replied to Dan Cheong’s question with an empty gaze.
“The rumor that because she possesses such exceptional talent, the Ten Demon Experts were increased from twelve to fourteen members.”
“That’s true as well. That’s why the former sect leader, Elder Hyul Ryeon, received disciplinary action and returned to Demon Hall.”
Dan Cheong made no effort to hide his satisfied expression.
“I didn’t expect much, but through the Ten Demon Experts tournament, Nangya Pavilion has gained an excellent successor.”
He regarded Bu Eunseol not as one of the Ten Demon Experts, but as the successor who would lead Nangya Pavilion.
“It’s not a matter to be thought of so simply.”
“A matter?”
“Because of that child, quite troublesome circumstances have arisen.”
“Troublesome circumstances?”
Baek Yeon paused mid-sentence, then abruptly shifted the conversation.
“When exactly will the Sect Leader finish his closed-door cultivation?”
“Tell me about it.”
Dan Cheong shrugged his shoulders and spoke with a weary tone.
“Because of that, I’m stuck on Geommi Mountain handling every trivial matter under the sun.”
“Mm.”
After a moment of contemplation, Baek Yeon broached the main topic.
“The Ten Demon Experts plan was originally pushed forward by the Demon Hall, so the Ten Demonic Gates harbored considerable resentment.”
Dan Cheong immediately continued the thought.
“Of course. Other sects have complicated issues like factional disputes. That’s why they must select successors in advance to avoid gossip.”
Unlike other sects, the Nangya Sect had no need to designate successors or heirs.
Only strength mattered—the strongest would become the next Sect Leader.
“So what’s the headache then?”
“In truth, all the Ten Demonic Gates except the Nangya Sect had long since selected disciples to inherit their martial arts. But when the Ten Demon Experts plan was announced, they were thrown into confusion.”
“That makes sense. But…”
A sharp gleam flashed across Dan Cheong’s narrow eyes.
“Wasn’t the Ten Demon Experts plan meant to create swordsmen capable of slaying the Righteous Alliance’s masters?”
“You understood it well.”
Baek Yeon nodded.
The current power balance between the orthodox and demonic paths stood at roughly six to four, favoring the righteous.
Moreover, the Murim Alliance had cultivated a common expert called the Righteous Master to nurture the next generation of supreme martial artists, and the Demon Hall viewed them as thorns in their side.
“However, some of the Ten Demonic Gates, unaware of the Demon Hall Master’s true intentions, made an unavoidable choice.”
“A choice?”
“They entered their hand-picked successors into the Ten Demon Experts tournament.”
“Not a bad decision.”
As Dan Cheong stroked his chin, Baek Yeon nodded.
“Successors with the finest qualities, having received long years of martial training from the Ten Demonic Gates, would surely be selected as Ten Demon Experts anywhere they went.”
“Precisely. In fact, the successors could prove their abilities, so the tournament wasn’t entirely unfavorable for them.”
Baek Yeon pointed toward Bu Eunseol, who was racing across Yeong Gyo Lake.
“But that girl has derailed their plans entirely.”
“Derailed them…”
“The grandson of the White Horse Sect Leader—Kang Mu Ryun, who could be called the sect’s lifeblood—fell by that girl’s hand.”
Only then did Dan Cheong seem to grasp the full situation, nodding slowly.
A successor sent by the Ten Demonic Gates, and a direct bloodline at that, had lost his life to Bu Eunseol.
“Overconfidence.”
“The fortunate part is that the Third Trial was created with the consent of the Ten Demonic Gates. Even the Alliance Leader didn’t know the White Horse Sect Leader’s grandson was participating.”
“Well, losing a grandson is unfortunate, but it doesn’t seem like something others should be blamed for.”
“There’s another problem.”
“What problem?”
“The Hwawoo Sword Sect is also raising objections.”
“The Hwawoo Sword Sect?”
In that instant, a memory surfaced in Dan Cheong’s mind—words spoken by Wi Hyuk Gyun, the Sword Demon, back on Hell Island.
―Not only the true patriarch but even the elder offered their highest praise. And on top of that, you say the patriarch Cheon Woon Gwang himself transmitted his divine sword technique?
“Could it be they’re finding fault with the sword technique that child has mastered…?”
“That is correct.”
Baek Yeon shook his head with a bitter expression.
“They claim that someone who isn’t even a disciple of the Hwawoo Sword Sect is learning the sect’s advanced sword techniques, and they’ve requested sanctions from the Demon Hall.”
“That makes no sense. Wasn’t it an agreed-upon arrangement from the start—establishing the trials so that the Ten Demonic Gates could freely learn the techniques?”
Dan Cheong spoke as though the matter were utterly absurd.
“Besides, the Cheonlae Musang Style isn’t even the orthodox sword technique of the Hwawoo Sword Sect. It’s a killing sword that Cheon Woon Gwang himself created.”
“The Demon Hall explained it that way as well, but the Hwawoo Sword Sect side… more precisely, the Sword Demon Wi Hyuk Gyun is strongly insisting on sanctions.”
“Wi Hyuk Gyun… Is his pride truly that narrow?”
Bu Eunseol had rejected Wi Hyuk Gyun’s proposal to become a true disciple of the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
Could he have harbored resentment over that matter and orchestrated this situation?
“It is not merely a matter of pride.”
Baek Yeon shook his head in response to Dan Cheong’s words.
“Wi Hyuk Gyun reveres the Hwawoo Sword Sect with fervent devotion. No matter that Cheon Woon Gwang created it as a collateral sword technique, he cannot tolerate it being transmitted to a true disciple of another sect.”
“Nonsense. If that’s the issue, he should take it up with Cheon Woon Gwang, who taught the technique in the first place.”
“Cheon Woon Gwang has already been stripped of his position as patriarch and sentenced to wall-facing meditation for the crime of arbitrarily transmitting the Hwawoo Sword Sect’s secret techniques.”
Dan Cheong smiled with a hollow expression.
“So they punished the one who transmitted the technique, and now they wish to punish the one who learned it?”
“That is their intention.”
“And so, what exactly are the White Horse Sect and the Hwawoo Sword Sect demanding?”
“The White Horse Sect says they will summon that child to the Demon Hall to verify once more whether she possesses the qualifications to be among the Ten Demon Experts.”
“Such an absurd demand could only come from the White Horse Sect Master, Kang Yang Cheon.”
“Indeed. Under the pretext of verifying her qualifications, they intend to summon that child from the Nangya Sect to exact revenge for his grandson.”
“And the Hwawoo Sword Sect?”
“The Hwawoo Sword Sect…”
Baek Yeon paused briefly before speaking with narrowed eyes.
“They demand that the child never wield a sword again. That she cease using the Cheonlae Musang Style.”
“Hahahaha!”
Having heard the entire account, Dan Cheong gazed skyward and laughed heartily as though the matter were utterly preposterous.
“Wi Hyuk Gyun. The man is still young, yet it seems senility has claimed him. To demand that a disciple of the Nangya Pavilion not wield a sword? Hahahaha!”
Dan Cheong’s laughter ceased abruptly, his tone turning glacial.
“Not worth hearing.”
“Pavilion Master.”
“Reject both demands. Tell them if they have grievances, they can seek me out.”
Whoosh.
In that moment, a piercing sound split the air as twelve afterimages cascaded down from the void.
Thud.
In that same instant, the twelve scattered afterimages converged into one, and a young man in martial robes materialized before them.
It was Bu Eunseol.
“Pavilion Master Bu.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been observing Dan Cheong, pressed her palms together and bowed deeply.
While refining the Extreme Speed Shadow technique, I had sensed the two of them watching me.
Then when that booming laughter shook Yeong Gyo Lake, I couldn’t pretend not to notice and approached.
“So you’ve received instruction in the Extreme Speed Shadow technique from Master Go.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“That is cause for celebration.”
“Thank you.”
As Bu Eunseol lowered her head in response to Dan Cheong’s words, Baek Yeon stepped forward.
“So you are one of the Ten Demon Experts of the Pavilion.”
Bu Eunseol paused for a moment.
The middle-aged man before her not only wore extraordinarily peculiar attire, but the vital energy flowing through his entire body was no less formidable than Dan Cheong’s.
“I am Baek Yeon, the Grand Master overseeing the Fengyun Corps of the Pavilion. Offer your respects.”
At Dan Cheong’s words, Bu Eunseol bowed again.
“Bu Eunseol greets the Grand Master.”
“Mm.”
Baek Yeon nodded and swiftly assessed Bu Eunseol’s physique.
‘The bone structure doesn’t appear particularly exceptional…’
But then, seeing eyes that gleamed in the darkness, he nodded.
‘Yet those eyes… they are the very essence of a martial artist’s spirit.’
“Welcome.”
Just as Baek Yeon was about to relay what had been discussed, Dan Cheong shook his head.
“Grand Master Baek. It is hardly worth hearing. There is no need to burden this child with such matters.”
“I am also a disciple of the Nangya Sect.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol spoke with resolute conviction.
“I do not shy away from battles that come my way.”
Baek Yeon’s eyes widened gradually.
“You heard everything we discussed until now.”
“My apologies.”
“Has your inner power already reached the pinnacle of perfection?”
The distance between Yeong Gyo Lake and this place was at least a hundred zhang.
To eavesdrop on a conversation while frantically deploying movement techniques? Had Bu Eunseol’s cultivation realm already rivaled that of Hyul Geum Gang?
“This vast lake has become my ears.”
At Bu Eunseol’s answer, a sudden thought flashed through Baek Yeon’s mind.
“You’ve applied the principles of the Beasts’ Way’s Resonant Heart Perception technique.”
Resonant Heart Perception.
It was one of the practical techniques of the Beasts’ Way—a method that could expand extrasensory perception by vibrating surrounding objects.
Bu Eunseol had used the vast lake as a medium, and while deploying the Extreme Speed Shadow technique, she had been eavesdropping on Dan Cheong and Baek Yeon’s conversation.
“That is correct.”
At Bu Eunseol’s answer, Baek Yeon’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“The dharma of the Formless Heart Technique requires absolute mental focus in a state of profound tranquility. Yet you say you manifested it while executing a divine technique?”
“Well, the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique that Master Go Wol taught me requires shifting one’s defensive stance mid-execution, so….”
“So?”
“Each time I struck a branch floating on the water, I attempted to draw forth the Demon Beast Sword by following the ripples spreading across the surface.”
Baek Yeon’s eyes began to lose their focus.
“You drew forth the Demon Beast Sword by following the ripples spreading across the water’s surface?”
“That is correct.”
Baek Yeon could not conceal his amazement and turned to look at Dan Cheong standing beside him.
Dan Cheong then opened his mouth with an indifferent expression.
“Whatever this brat learns, it always turns out like this. The teacher is invariably the one left astounded.”
“…I see.”
Only then could Baek Yeon understand Dan Cheong’s heart.
―Refuse both requests. Tell them if they have grievances, they can come find me.
Bu Eunseol is the rare genius who will bloom the practical martial arts of Nangya Sect into an unparalleled technique.
And Dan Cheong, to protect a genius that will not appear again in a thousand ages, is willing to clash not only with Baek Ma Sa but even with the Hwawoo Sword Sect, the foremost of the Demonic Path.
“I will take responsibility.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol spoke with determination burning in her eyes.
“I will go to the Demon Palace and undergo the trial, and I will no longer wield the sword. All of that is….”
“Hahaha, what a reckless child you are.”
But Bu Eunseol’s words did not continue. Dan Cheong had struck her shoulder heavily.
“Bu Eunseol. You are already a disciple of Nangya Pavilion.”
“Master Dan Cheong.”
“A disciple of Nangya Pavilion must never yield to any external force. Do you understand?”
Dan Cheong cut off his words with a solemn gaze.
“Does Nangya Pavilion appear so weak to you that I would ask a child like you to bear such responsibility?”
He chuckled softly and spoke in a low voice.
“You need not concern yourself with such matters. All you need do is diligently cultivate your martial arts.”
But then Baek Yeon stepped forward and spoke an unexpected word.
“Master Dan Cheong. Why not try trusting this child instead?”
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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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