The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 351
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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 351.
‘You’re going to block it?’
As Bu Eunseol extended her power, Ok Yu Ha could no longer hide her astonishment.
A mere youth in her twenties daring to match martial arts with her, boldly raising her inner force to receive the initial strike?
Boom!
When finger sword and fist collided, a deafening explosion erupted.
Yet an unexpected result unfolded.
“Ugh.”
With a frustrated groan, Ok Yu Ha, who had launched the first strike, staggered backward four full steps.
‘Her martial prowess is so formidable, yet her inner force is nearly depleted?’
Faced with this unexpected outcome, Bu Eunseol could not conceal her bewilderment.
From that single finger sword technique alone, one could discern that Ok Yu Ha had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Yet her inner force barely exceeded a single dan of cultivation?
‘Could her power have been damaged?’
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
Inner force, like water, dissipates completely once lost.
It was impossible to leave behind such a precise amount—merely one dan’s worth.
“You, girl….”
Ok Yu Ha too was flustered, her expression hardening.
She had never imagined that Bu Eunseol would actually block her attack from within Geomgak.
“Honored Elder. Sect Leader.”
Just then the door opened and a disciple rushed in urgently.
“The Young Sect Leader’s condition is now critical.”
“What?”
“The Chung Hyeon Jin In from Wudang Sect who is treating her says that it appears impossible to proceed with his strength alone….”
Fortunately, Geomgak had an elder from Wudang Sect staying within—Chung Hyeon.
He was not only a master of martial arts but also exceptionally skilled in medicine.
Upon hearing that Ah Yeon had not regained consciousness, he had been treating her alongside the Yak Seok Won Master.
“Impossible with his strength alone? Yet Yak Seok Won has so many disciples?”
Ok Yu Ha, who had spoken sharply, departed the Palace Hall with hurried steps.
Her demeanor of acting as though nothing had happened, along with her irritable and reckless tone, were hardly befitting conduct for a Geomgak Sect Leader.
‘Reckless beyond measure. Truly like a twenty-year-old child.’
Bu Eunseol, watching Ok Yu Ha depart, shook her head.
And just as she was about to leave Woon Yeon Gak,
“Young Hero.”
Neung In Sa Tae, who had been standing quietly, spoke to Bu Eunseol.
“Please show understanding toward the Sect Leader.”
“What understanding could I possibly offer or withhold?”
Bu Eunseol replied curtly.
Originally, because of Ah Yeon’s righteous character, she had viewed Geomgak itself quite favorably.
However, upon seeing Ok Yu Ha, the current Master of Geomgak and former Sword Sovereign, my heart shifted entirely. My tone and demeanor naturally grew cold.
Neung In Sa Tae seemed to understand my feelings and spoke carefully.
“To be frank, she developed a mental affliction long ago. That’s why she harbors an extreme aversion to men.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression showed incomprehension. How could the Hyun Mun Sect’s chief develop such a condition?
“That can’t possibly be true.”
As Bu Eunseol appeared skeptical, Neung In Sa Tae muttered in a low voice.
“It’s the truth. Because of this mental affliction she acquired long ago, she ultimately failed to ascend to the position of Master.”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke with a bitter expression.
“That’s why Bon Gak has had a vacant Master’s seat for decades.”
Bu Eunseol felt puzzled.
―The Master is currently in seclusion.
Surely when she first met Ah Yeon, that’s what she had said.
But now it turned out the Master’s position had been vacant from the start?
‘She must have been trying to keep it secret.’
Since the Sword Sovereign’s emergence, the identity of Geomgak’s Master had never been revealed.
Ah Yeon may have simply felt no need to disclose Geomgak’s circumstances to an outsider.
If that were the case, another question arose.
Then who currently leads Geomgak?
As Bu Eunseol fell into deep thought,
“Please forgive her—when she sees men, she unintentionally speaks with barbed words.”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke in a low voice.
“In fact, Bon Gak has had no history of admitting men for decades.”
Bu Eunseol asked incredulously.
“You mean Wudang’s members are not men?”
“Wudang’s elders are Daoist cultivators, after all.”
Neung In Sa Tae shook her head.
“Monks and Daoist cultivators are all members of the Hyun Mun Sect, so naturally we don’t regard them as men.”
‘So she truly does suffer from a hatred of men.’
Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide her astonishment.
From Neung In Sa Tae’s expression, it couldn’t be a lie. The Sword Sovereign whom the Orthodox Sects so revered suffered from an aversion to men?
‘Whether it’s true or not is none of my concern.’
Bu Eunseol nodded calmly and spoke.
“I see. Then I shall take my leave now.”
“Wait.”
Neung In Sa Tae extended her hand as she spoke.
“Do you not wonder why this old woman shared such a shameful secret of Bon Gak with your sect?”
“I don’t.”
“I’m asking you to help Ah Yeon, child.”
Neung In Sa Tae had taken my side since her first appearance and had been kind in both word and deed.
As the most senior elder of Geomgak treated me with such courtesy, I suppressed my anger and spoke.
“What could I possibly help with?”
“Earlier, Chung Hyeon Jin In said ‘my strength alone is insufficient.'”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke calmly.
“Despite Bon Gak having thousands of disciples, to claim loneliness speaks to this man’s power—meaning he requires dual-force cultivation.”
Bu Eunseol nodded in agreement.
Neung In Sa Tae not only possessed keen judgment but also remarkable insight.
“If that’s the case, then you alone in Bon Gak can manifest dual-force cultivation, can you not?”
Dae Geom Mountain lay far from Seong Do, perched at the edge of a towering peak that even ordinary people found difficult to ascend.
To summon a martial artist of deep cultivation immediately would be impossible.
Neung In Sa Tae was attempting to detain Bu Eunseol as a precaution.
‘Hmm.’
Bu Eunseol, emerging from deep contemplation, spoke with gleaming eyes.
“Did I not mention earlier? I have mastered ice cultivation.”
One cannot generate heat-force cultivation upon mastering yin-aligned internal methods.
Since I had infused Ah Yeon with cold-ice true qi, I naturally became incapable of manifesting heat-force cultivation.
“That cannot be.”
Yet Neung In Sa Tae smiled knowingly.
“Have you not mastered an internal method capable of wielding both yin and yang cultivation?”
“What do you mean?”
When Bu Eunseol feigned ignorance, she spoke matter-of-factly.
“When you clashed with Ok Yu Ha just now, did you not employ ordinary cultivation rather than cold-ice true qi?”
Had Bu Eunseol insisted on mastering only ice cultivation, he should have drawn upon cold-ice true qi when manifesting power against Ok Yu Ha.
Instead, he had drawn upon cultivation ordinarily, executing fist techniques with ease.
Observing this, Neung In Sa Tae had discerned that Bu Eunseol had mastered an internal method capable of wielding both yin and yang cultivation.
‘Indeed.’
Bu Eunseol nodded faintly.
‘Then….’
As the thoughts crystallizing in his mind reached their conclusion,
“Until we reach a conclusion regarding Ah Yeon’s condition, could you not remain at Bon Gak for a time?”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke again.
“This old one makes this request of you.”
As Neung In Sa Tae approached with her aged frame and bent low as though to touch the ground, Bu Eunseol exhaled deeply.
‘Did I not come all this way to save her?’
Whoosh.
Then, with hurried footsteps, the entrance door opened once more.
And Ok Yu Ha, her eyes blazing with fury, entered.
She approached Bu Eunseol directly and cried out again.
“You will take responsibility for this.”
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
Ok Yu Ha bit her lip and spoke sharply.
“Your Glacial True Qi is killing that child!”
“Explain yourself calmly. What in the world are you talking about?”
Just as Bu Eunseol opened her mouth to address Ok Yu Ha,
“Infinite Buddha.”
A middle-aged Daoist in robes emerged from behind her.
Though his frame was gaunt, his eyes gleamed with childlike clarity, and his complexion bore a faint sallow tint.
He was none other than Chung Hyeon Jin In, the elder of Wudang Sect who had been staying at Geomgak.
From treating Ah Yeon, he had expended his vital energy so severely that his complexion was ashen, and thick beads of sweat streamed continuously down his brow.
“Abbess. How can you press such a fine young person like this?”
“Fine? Is he not the reason Ah Yeon is dying, having infused her with Glacial True Qi?”
“Abbess. Had this young man not infused her with Glacial True Qi, she would have already expired before reaching here, her meridians melted away.”
Chung Hyeon Jin In gazed at Bu Eunseol and smiled faintly.
“This young man, with no connection to Geomgak whatsoever, carefully placed her in a coffin and traveled thousands of leagues, infusing his vital energy the entire way.”
He then turned his gaze back to Ok Yu Ha and sighed.
“For that alone, Geomgak should kneel and bow to this youth. Yet you press him in such a manner?”
Chung Hyeon Jin In’s words were logical and sound.
Ok Yu Ha surely understood this truth in her heart as well.
But was her heart afflicted? What spilled from her lips were again words bordering on stubbornness.
“Bon Gak has always protected the Murim. Therefore, bringing the injured Geomgak Successor here is only natural, is it not?”
Chung Hyeon Jin In ceased responding to her obstinacy and spoke instead to Bu Eunseol.
“Ah Yeon has long harbored a subtle demonic affliction. When exposed to the Absorption Technique, it deepened, and eventually the calamity spread to her very body.”
He explained Ah Yeon’s condition with measured composure.
“With the Abbess’s assistance, I assessed her vital energy circulation and prioritized restoring her damaged body. However, your Glacial Art runs too deep—I failed to restore her completely.”
“Are my Glacial Arts connected to her condition?”
“Ah Yeon was born with a Yang-Hui Constitution, bearing the essence of Jinyang, which is directly tied to her life force.”
Chung Hyeon Jin In exhaled deeply as he spoke.
“But when powerful Glacial Arts froze her blood vessels to the brink, that Jinyang essence was completely extinguished.”
In short, the Glacial River Heavenly Current had prolonged her life, but at the cost of preventing her awakening.
“Yet all the meditation techniques practiced by Geomgak’s disciples follow the Hyun-Eum lineage, unable to reignite her Jinyang essence.”
Chung Hyeon Jin In wiped the sweat from his brow with his robe’s hem as he spoke.
“From this ordeal, the Abbess has expended so much vital energy that she too must enter seclusion for forty-nine days to recover her cultivation.”
Chung Hyeon Jin In fixed Bu Eunseol with an earnest gaze.
“If her Jinyang flame is not rekindled within these few days, she will not survive beyond four days.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent.
In the end, Neung In Sa Tae’s prediction had struck true.
“Geomgak has many masters. Why must only the Daoist Master waste his cultivation on this?”
To Bu Eunseol’s question, Chung Hyeon Jin In replied calmly.
“I ask you, young one. Why did you travel thousands of leagues from Pyeong Do to Dae Geom Mountain to save Ah Yeon?”
When Bu Eunseol did not answer immediately, Chung Hyeon Jin In smiled gently.
“I harbor the same heart as you, nothing more.”
And clasping her hands together, she spoke.
“I beg you, for the sake of Geom Gak’s and Bon Gak’s honor, please restore her vital energy….”
But her words trailed off as her body swayed.
She had exhausted so much of her vital energy that she lacked even the strength to stand normally.
“Master.”
As Neung In Sa Tae and Ok Yu Ha rushed over, Chung Hyeon Jin In waved his hand and spoke.
“I am fine. I only regret that my inadequate abilities prevented me from saving her.”
He gave no thought to his own condition, thinking only of Ah Yeon’s welfare.
Watching him, Bu Eunseol suddenly recalled Song Ak, the great master of the Wudang Sect.
Song Ak was a man of remarkable clarity and purity whom she had met around the same time as Ah Yeon.
And he was also someone who had shown her kindness transcending mere formality.
‘The people of Wudang are generally quite admirable.’
Then Neung In Sa Tae pointed to her disciples and spoke.
“What are you all staring at? Quickly escort the Master to Yak Seok Won.”
“Yes, yes.”
Only then did the disciples snap to attention and, supporting the exhausted Chung Hyeon Jin In, hurried outside.
“What are you doing right now?”
Then Ok Yu Ha glared fiercely at Bu Eunseol and shouted.
“If you heard what was said, why aren’t you treating Ah Yeon immediately!”
‘Truly beyond redemption.’
A deep sigh escaped from Bu Eunseol.
No matter how youthful her appearance, Ok Yu Ha was approaching sixty years old.
Yet she couldn’t discern the situation and was throwing a tantrum? Bu Eunseol had moved beyond anger into laughter.
‘Must I even sympathize with her affliction?’
Bu Eunseol had no connection whatsoever to Geom Gak.
Even if Ok Yu Ha were afflicted not with a mental illness but with a mortal disease that would kill her tomorrow, there was no reason to show her mercy.
“Ok Yu Ha. Can such thoughtless words still emerge from you in this situation?”
“What, what did you say?”
Bu Eunseol ignored her reaction and spoke with a stern voice.
“Even the great master of Wudang does not spare his own body and worries for others first. How can you, who might be called an elder of Geom Gak, speak such deranged nonsense?”
“Deranged?”
Murderous intent flashed in Ok Yu Ha’s eyes.
“How dare you insult me….”
“Hear me out!”
Bu Eunseol’s solemn voice cut through as she continued.
“I will treat Ah Yeon. But not because you are coercing me—rather, because I will not allow that Wudang Master’s efforts to be in vain.”
“You dare think you have the right to order me about!”
The enraged Ok Yu Ha struck out once more.
Whoosh!
With a piercing sound of cutting air, her finger sword drove toward Bu Eunseol’s throat again.
But as if she had already anticipated this move, the power of the Demon Child Lock erupted from Bu Eunseol’s left fist.
Boom!
With the explosive sound, Ok Yu Ha’s body shook violently.
Though she had only infused thirty percent of her internal energy, by preempting the positioning of the Geomgak’s defense, Ok Yu Ha had suffered a significant disadvantage.
“At your age, if you lack discernment and act recklessly, who would follow the Master with genuine devotion?”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s entire being radiated an aura of such weight and solemnity that it seemed to eclipse Mount Tai itself.
It was an aura that could never emanate from the body of a mere wanderer.
―Still lacking discernment, and yet you claim to be the successor to Geomgak?
For a moment, Ok Yu Ha’s ears seemed to catch the voice of a figure from decades past, one who had sternly rebuked her.
“You….”
Ok Yu Ha gazed at Bu Eunseol with an expression as though caught in a dream, radiating an aura that dominated all beneath heaven.
Her face, with its topknot, appeared unremarkable in features, yet her eyes were long and solemn like a phoenix, and her entire being flowed with the bearing of a dragon.
That figure overlapped with the visage of a man she had buried deep within her heart, transcending time and space—a man she could never forget even in death.
The appearance of that incomparably despised yet eternally unforgettable supreme swordsman of the Demonic Path….
“Bu Chanyang.”
‘Bu Chanyang?’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in shock.
Grandfather’s name had suddenly spilled from her lips?
“Why did you not keep your promise?”
Without realizing it, she trembled and spoke in a low voice.
Ok Yu Ha’s gaze seemed fixed upon some distant place, not upon Bu Eunseol.
“Why did you slaughter the elders of Bon Gak so ruthlessly….”
“Master!”
Neung In Sa Tae cried out sharply and struck Ok Yu Ha across the cheek.
With a crisp sound, Neung In Sa Tae shouted with a stern expression.
“Come to your senses!”
Startled back to awareness, Ok Yu Ha looked around.
“I….”
Only then realizing her mistake, she spun her body around and rushed out in panic.
As an awkward silence settled, Neung In Sa Tae spoke to Bu Eunseol.
“My apologies.”
Neung In Sa Tae gazed at the door through which Ok Yu Ha had departed and shook her head.
“Her condition has never been this severe. Yet to lose composure and act so unreasonably….”
And she smiled bitterly.
“I shall apologize on behalf of the Master’s rudeness.”
Bu Eunseol seemed to ponder something deeply before speaking.
“The Chilji Demonic Sect.”
And fixing her gaze upon Neung In Sa Tae’s face, she asked.
“Did Master Ok develop her affliction because of Bu Chanyang of the Chilji Demonic Sect?”
It was an entirely obvious deduction.
In the past hundred years, the only person to gain renown in the Murim under the name Bu Chanyang was none other than Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
“I see.”
Neung In Sa Tae fell silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“When she ventured into the Gangho, she suffered grave injuries while dealing with the Mak Buk Blood Sword. It was then that Chil Ji Ma Do, who happened to pass through that place, came to her aid.”
Her brow furrowed deeply.
“As you know, the men of the Demonic Path are cunning and treacherous. They likely conspired with the Mak Buk Blood Sword and manipulated that girl’s heart.”
Bu Eunseol wore a bitter smile.
“At that time, Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang was not yet an invincible master swordsman of the Demonic Path. Are you saying such a person orchestrated schemes to sway the heart of the Geomgak Successor?”
“Bon Gak has eliminated evil for generations. Moreover, Bon Gak’s swordsmanship is the antithesis of the Demonic Path. He sought to destroy Bon Gak, which could threaten him in the future.”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke with a sorrowful voice.
“He used Ok Yu Ha, who was the successor at that time, to meet the Seven Great Elders of Bon Gak, and he slaughtered them all in a single, merciless stroke.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
“He murdered the elders of Geomgak?”
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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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