The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 356

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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 356.
“Death is merely a return to one’s original state.”
Whirrrr!
From Bu Eunseol’s silent blade, torrents of black sword energy began to pour forth.
“Ugh!”
With cries of agony, the disciples of Geom Gak suffered grievous wounds from the cascading sword energy.
This destructive force exceeded even Bu Eunseol’s own expectations when she had first unleashed the Life-Death Reversal technique.
‘This technique proves far more useful when facing multiple adversaries.’
The Life-Death Reversal, when wielded against a solitary opponent, becomes a path of martial arts that demands one’s willingness to embrace death.
Yet when battling a multitude, it transforms into a demonic technique that instead rains death upon those surrounding her.
Clang clang clang clang!
Yeom Hwa Dae and Yeon Hwa Dae deflected the sword energy erupting from all directions, rapidly closing in to pressure Bu Eunseol.
Ordinary disciples could never have deflected such sword energy, but dozens unleashing their blade force simultaneously amplified the collective power immensely.
‘True martial mastery lies not in raw power, but in subtlety.’
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two keen currents of inner force began to whirl violently around his body.
As the sword formation’s power intensified, Bu Eunseol unleashed the Thirteen Nights technique with her left hand instead of the Blood Weeping Seven Forms.
Yet she alternated, unfurling the Blood Weeping Seven Forms once more to scatter sword energy anew.
Crash!
As sword energy clashed with blade force, inner currents collided with sword winds, a tempest capable of devouring the world erupted outward.
Simultaneously, the formation waves that collided in the void soared toward the heavens.
‘That one!’
Neung In Sa Tae’s eyes widened as she observed the battle.
It was not the mysterious power of the Thirteen Nights technique that captured her attention, but rather the enigmatic waves of sword energy rising like foam before her eyes.
‘Could it be… the techniques of the Chilji Demonic Sect?’
Neung In Sa Tae had once witnessed a confrontation between an Orthodox Sects’ renowned master wielding the Iron Essence Flying Blade and the Chilji Demonic Sect.
She now recognized that the technique Bu Eunseol was displaying bore striking resemblance to the very method the Chilji Demonic Sect had used to sever that master’s neck.
“Could this one be a successor of the Chilji Demonic Sect?”
Neung In Sa Tae trembled.
The Great Slaughterer of old, who had once plunged the Tianxia into terror—the Chilji Demonic Sect had left behind a successor.
Was that why this youth had ascended to such heights of martial prowess despite their tender age?
“This one must be eliminated!”
Yeom Hwa Dae and Yeon Hwa Dae comprised disciples who had undergone rigorous training for over fifteen years to master the Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin that dominated the Tianxia.
They were, in essence, Geom Gak’s supreme fighting force.
Whether or not the Chilji Demonic Sect was involved, this mere stripling could certainly be captured.
“Second Formation, deploy the Resentment-Meeting-Suffering Form to shatter this one’s sword technique!”
At Neung In Sa Tae’s command, the swordplay of Yeon Hwa Dae and Yeom Hwa Dae transformed once more.
Resentment-Meeting-Suffering.
It signified the agony of inevitably encountering those one despises.
Yet within the Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin, it referred to a technique wherein combined blade force collides with an opponent’s weapon, overwhelming them through sheer devastating power.
Crash! Crash!
The sword energy pursued not Bu Eunseol’s vital point, but the ink-black sword she gripped in her hand.
Striking sword energy against a martial master of exceptional skill is an extraordinarily difficult feat.
However, if one deliberately seeks to collide with a weapon in such a manner, it becomes far less challenging.
Screech!
As the sword energy burrowed into the ink-black blade like a living creature, Bu Eunseol’s bones ached sharply, and a sweet taste of blood flowed from her lips.
Yet with each wound she sustained, her eyes burned an ever deeper crimson.
Blood Flowing Seven Techniques.
This Demonic Path of Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Janyeong grows more devastatingly powerful the closer one approaches death.
‘I shall collapse the sword formation in a single decisive strike using the Four Layers Nine Circles.’
The second form of Blood Flowing Seven Techniques—it annihilates the retreating space of an enemy pouring forth their ultimate blow.
She intended to unfold the Four Layers Nine Circles and shatter the sword formation.
Boom! Boom!
Bu Eunseol deliberately convulsed her body against the overwhelming sword energy.
Whether the sword formation’s efficacy was working, blood soon trickled from the corners of her mouth, and her sword momentum began to weaken.
At that, the disciples cried out in triumph and severed her neck in one swift motion.
A deep hum.
In that instant, black mirage-like wisps rose from the blade of the ink-black sword alongside a low vibration.
Simultaneously, black energy flowed from Bu Eunseol’s body and began to envelop the disciples of Geom Gak who rushed forward.
And should one unfold the Demonic Path following the trajectory of that energy, every living being within that space would forfeit their life.
Yet to Neung In Sa Tae, ignorant of the Chilji Demonic Sect’s techniques, Bu Eunseol appeared to be thrashing about in desperation before death.
Click.
As Bu Eunseol twisted the ink-black sword in her grip and began to unfold the Demonic Path,
“Stop!”
A clear, resonant voice rang out across the heavens,
Whoosh!
A colossal sword energy, pale as snow, cascaded down between Bu Eunseol and the sword formation.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, a vast chasm opened between Bu Eunseol, Yeon Hwa Dae, and Yeom Hwa Dae.
Thud.
Simultaneously, a figure in white robes descended from the void. It was Ah Yeon.
“Why are you here?”
As Neung In Sa Tae asked in astonishment, Ah Yeon exhaled deeply and spoke.
“Elder. How could you commit such an act?”
“It is all for your sake.”
“Is repaying kindness with enmity truly for my sake?”
“Is there no other way to dispel the heart demon?”
“Not at all.”
Ah Yeon spoke with unwavering resolve.
“Such methods only shatter one’s spirit into fragments—surely you do not claim ignorance of this?”
“Of course, it will be painful for now.”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke with an unwavering expression.
“But one day, you will thank me for this.”
As Ah Yeon gazed into Neung In Sa Tae’s eyes, consumed by obsession, she finally grasped a singular truth.
The successor she had personally nurtured had fallen into ruin before her very eyes, and Neung In Sa Tae herself…
carried within her heart a demon’s shadow that could never be dispelled.
“There is no other choice, then.”
As Ah Yeon raised her hand, countless figures surged forth from behind her.
They were the sect leaders and disciples of Geom Gak who had opposed Neung In Sa Tae’s tyranny and arbitrary decisions.
“Will the successor who now leads Bon Gak fracture Geom Gak and incite conflict?”
“I am not fracturing anything—I am doing what is right.”
“You are wrong. You have split Bon Gak in two for the sake of that Demonic Path man!”
“Elder.”
“Try it if you dare!”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke coldly.
“Half of those who follow this elder will stand with me. Go ahead—shatter Bon Gak into two pieces for the sake of that man!”
Ah Yeon bit her lip.
In truth, Neung In Sa Tae loved Geom Gak more than anyone.
Yet a twisted past had consumed her with obsession over the sect’s power and its successor, gradually warping her into someone tyrannical.
I could not simply blame her for this.
“Tae.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol stepped forward.
“I heard that this formation you just mentioned was designed to annihilate the Chilji Demonic Sect.”
“That is correct.”
Neung In Sa Tae laughed coldly.
“Had Ah Yeon not interfered, your head would already be severed and wandering through Gu Cheon.”
“Then very well. Let us make a wager.”
“A wager?”
Bu Eunseol swept her gaze across Yeom Hwa Dae and Yeon Hwa Dae as she spoke.
“What if I alone were to break their formation?”
“What?”
“What if the Lord of Bon Gak were to shatter that formation single-handedly?”
“Nonsense.”
“You said this could capture the Chilji Demonic Sect, but that is nothing more than a hollow dream.”
“Hahaha.”
Neung In Sa Tae spoke as though it were absurd.
“You are dreaming.”
Though Bu Eunseol had broken the First Formation, her body bore countless wounds from her imprisonment within the formation.
Moreover, before she could receive the Second Formation’s devastating blow, had not Ah Yeon saved her life?
“Is it not you who dreams the hollow dream, Elder?”
Bu Eunseol let out a scoff and spoke.
“To think you attempted to capture the invincible Chilji Demonic Sect with merely such a formation.”
“Merely such a formation?”
“Indeed. The very fact that you fail to grasp this point only proves that you lack proper judgment of the times, does it not?”
“Amusing. Very well.”
Neung In Sa Tae, grasping Bu Eunseol’s intent, nodded readily.
“If you alone can shatter the Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin, I shall willingly step down from my position as supreme elder. And I shall cease all involvement in the affairs of Geom Gak.”
“Agreed.”
Bu Eunseol stepped forward without hesitation.
“Then let us begin.”
At that moment, Ah Yeon stopped her.
“What you faced was merely the First Formation of Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin. The true Third Formation, where its genuine power emerges, cannot be broken by mere martial prowess or swordsmanship.”
And she positioned herself before Bu Eunseol.
“This is a matter of Geom Gak alone. You need not risk your life for it.”
In truth, Ah Yeon understood.
Bu Eunseol had made this reckless wager to peacefully resolve the conflict dividing Geom Gak.
“That is not the sole reason.”
“Then what is it?”
“It is to open the twisted eyes of that elder.”
Chilji Demonic Sect was a Daoist who once reigned supreme over all under heaven, and Bu Eunseol could be called the inheritor of his teachings.
Yet to boast that one could capture him with merely a single formation?
It was a matter of Bu Eunseol’s pride.
‘Whether grandfather is Chilji Demonic Sect matters not.’
As Bu Eunseol mastered the Hyeol Roo Chil Sik, she came to realize that Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Janyeong was a figure who transcended life and death, an unparalleled master who had never known defeat.
The Hyeol Roo Chil Sik he created could never crumble before mere formations.
“Then let us begin.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Neung In Sa Tae smiled.
“Very well.”
And Bu Eunseol voluntarily took her place at the center of the formation.
Then Neung In Sa Tae raised her hand.
“Immediately deploy the Third Formation—the Teaching Beyond the Doctrine.”
A tremendous wave of energy surged forth, engulfing Bu Eunseol’s body.
Her body felt heavy, as though she had descended dozens of fathoms into the depths of water, and time seemed to flow in sluggish currents.
‘This is utterly unlike any formation I have encountered before.’
Most formations in Murim work by sealing movement through intricate patterns, or by unifying the power of many to amplify their might.
But this exquisite formation of Geom Gak was designed from its inception to seize both the spirit and flesh of the enemy, rendering them incapable of even counterattack.
A deep resonance echoed forth.
The energy radiating from sixty sword tips finally engulfed the entire world.
Simultaneously, their forms vanished, and a massive, luminous sphere materialized like a thin veil centered upon Bu Eunseol.
Composed of pure sword energy, it seemed that the merest touch would instantly dissolve the meridians and cleave bone from flesh.
Whoosh!
Bu Eunseol unfurled the Meteor Chasing Moon technique in overlapping layers, attempting to shatter the transparent barrier of sword energy that enclosed her on all sides.
Swish!
Yet the sword energy she unleashed was absorbed by the circular formation, dissipating as though consumed.
‘Impressive.’
As I hesitated to deploy more sword energy while observing the formation’s unexpected power,
Whoosh!
Without missing that fleeting opening, a sharp blade of energy erupted from the circular barrier, piercing toward my vital point at the waist.
Tch, tch, tch.
I unfolded the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique to evade the sword energy, and once again the massive barrier calmly enclosed Bu Eunseol’s form.
Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin, Third Formation.
It was a formation that absorbed attacks upon contact and counterattacked the moment an opponent revealed an opening….
A living barrier of sword energy that imprisoned the enemy—one that could neither be destroyed nor escaped.
‘My head will soon be severed.’
Seeing Bu Eunseol standing motionless within the transparent barrier of sword energy, Neung In Sa Tae exulted.
The mental cultivation and sword techniques of Geom Gak could be expressed in a single character: stillness.
They transformed defense into offense, sealing all movement through tranquility.
And the Third Formation of Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin maximized the secrets of that stillness…—a peculiar formation that imprisoned the enemy within an unbreakable barrier of sword energy, waiting only for an opening.
‘Soon she will thrash about like a wounded beast, driven mad.’
Neung In Sa Tae was certain that Bu Eunseol would eventually lose patience and flail like a lion trapped behind iron bars.
Yet something was strange.
Trapped within the barrier of sword energy, Bu Eunseol had assumed an odd posture, as though measuring something.
And at that very moment, her form grew hazy, seeming to merge as one with the transparent barrier of sword energy itself.
‘Could it be the Single Shadow Divine Art of Bon Gak?’
Neung In Sa Tae saw through Bu Eunseol’s intent and let out a scornful laugh.
Bu Eunseol had memorized the complete essence of the Single Shadow Mental Art. She was now applying its mysteries to counter Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin.
‘Hmph, it seems Bon Gak does not understand that sword mastery and mental cultivation are separate disciplines.’
Most Orthodox Sects like Hua Shan and Wudang harmonize their sword techniques with inner energy cultivation.
Therefore, if one knows the inner energy method, one can deduce the sword intent; and if one masters the sword technique, one can predict to some degree how the mental cultivation operates.
But Geom Gak is different.
The mental cultivation and sword techniques of Geom Gak are entirely separate, with scarcely any shared principles between them.
‘Try as you might.’
Neung In Sa Tae smiled faintly.
Even if she endured for ten days in this place, she could never comprehend the profound mysteries of Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin.
* * *
At that very moment, Bu Eunseol,
‘This state—this is what one would call half-life, half-death.’
Contrary to Neung In Sa Tae’s expectations, I was unraveling the mysteries of the Blood Furnace Seven Forms.
Surrounded by the transparent sword energy that represented the pinnacle of stillness, locked in mutual confrontation as the battle stretched into a prolonged stalemate….
The heart-seal of the Blood Furnace Seven Forms, Third Technique—half-life, half-death—suddenly became clear to me.
―Third Form, Half-Life Half-Death.
A state where one teeters on the precipice between survival and oblivion.
When Bu Eunseol first read the technique’s description, she had assumed this form was meant to be unleashed from a state neither alive nor dead.
Yet considering the undefeated legacy of Chilji Demonic Sect, such an interpretation made no sense.
With a single technique alone, he could cleave the great sea asunder—who could possibly reduce him to such a state?
‘Perhaps the meaning of neither death nor life refers to a stalemate like this very moment?’
Chilji Demonic Sect must have encountered enemies who, like now, revealed no openings and crouched like turtles, hunting only for gaps in defense.
And Half-Life Half-Death—might it be an absolute technique capable of shattering that defense and annihilating the enemy in a single breath?
‘If I were Chilji Demonic Sect, I would first measure the capabilities of Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin.’
The circular barrier of Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin dulled my senses and made my limbs heavy.
Moreover, behind that indestructible transparent veil, sixty disciples waited with blazing eyes for me to unfurl my swordsmanship.
Any technique unleashed would inevitably create a moment of recovery, and in that infinitesimal span, subtle openings would emerge.
And the disciples waiting within Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin would seize that fleeting gap without fail and counterattack.
In other words, no matter what technique I deployed, the counterstrikes within Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin were already unfolding as if they had been released.
‘Invisible, yet already manifested counterattacks.’
A brilliant light danced in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
In a life-or-death situation, I grasped the profound mysteries of Blood-Weeping Seven Forms, and sought to elevate my martial arts once more.
‘But if I cannot fully perceive the enemy’s mind and bodily movements, then Half-Life Half-Death is ultimately a technique I cannot unfurl, is it not?’
Whoosh.
At that moment, a sharp sword aura erupted from the circular barrier, grazing past my back.
They were not merely crouching—they were seizing the perfect moment when an opening appeared, unleashing attacks I could not even evade.
Whoosh!
As blood surged forth, pain bloomed, and warm blood streamed down my back.
‘Warm back.’
In that same instant, a memory flashed through my mind.
Something my grandfather had taught me when I fell into demonic delusion.
A heavenly secret technique that could synchronize with an enemy’s vital energy circulation in a single moment.
But it was a secret that could only be unleashed through contact with the opponent’s flesh.
‘Could it be possible through Night Beast Blade?’
A flash of insight pierced through my mind.
The heavenly secret technique required direct flesh contact to discern vital energy circulation.
But with Night Beast Blade’s extreme sensitivity—could I perhaps perceive it even through the clash of weapons? The thought struck me like lightning.
Whoooosh.
Bu Eunseol immediately pushed Night Beast Blade to its maximum. Then she deliberately exposed an opening near her chest.
Slash!
Another sword aura flew toward her.
Bu Eunseol did not evade, standing firm. Yet she subtly shifted her ink blade to protect the vital point on her chest.
Clang!
In that instant, sparks erupted as sword aura cascaded toward my neck.
Then a strange sensation swept through my mind and body.
‘It’s working.’
The Empty Path Heart Eye, perceiving even the tremors of air itself. The Empty Heart Penetrating Spirit, discerning traces carved a decade past.
As these two abilities reached their zenith, the mere collision of weapons granted me a sensation as though my blade had truly touched flesh.
Which meant… I could trigger the Heavenly Heart Demon Seal with nothing but the clash of weapons.

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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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