The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 357

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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 357.
‘It can be done.’
Bu Eunseol immediately drew upon the Thousand Heart Sutra.
And once more, she deliberately clashed against their sword strikes.
Clang! Clang!
After repeating the collision roughly twenty-four times, Bu Eunseol could discern the flow of true energy circulating through the disciples as they wielded their techniques within the sword formation.
‘So that was it.’
The moment Bu Eunseol’s sword energy collided with theirs, she grasped the secret of Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin in an instant.
‘They were not waiting to unleash their sword energy—they had already spread thread-like strands of it throughout my body, predicting my movements and striking accordingly.’
Bu Eunseol began to synchronize with the true energy circulation of the sixty disciples.
Then the true energy within her body flowed in and out, ebbed and surged.
And there was a moment when the true energy that had entered her body struck the Baihui point again and ascended through the Governing Vessel.
‘Because the power of sixty-some disciples was unified into one, such a fleeting flaw becomes apparent.’
As the power of sixty-some disciples was being gathered and unleashed all at once, at the moment when true energy moved from the Conception Vessel to the Governing Vessel.
A subtle, infinitesimal break was occurring.
And at that moment, one could absolutely not counterattack—it was a defenseless state.
‘Wait. Then….’
Bu Eunseol, locked in the sword formation and continuing the exchange, was struck by another revelation.
A state where one could neither die nor live.
Could it be that this refers to synchronizing with the enemy’s energy and losing one’s sense of self?
Zzzzzing.
Finally, upon comprehending all the profound secrets contained within the Half-Life Half-Death Sword Principle, a dark radiance flowed from the ink-black blade.
Rumble.
With merely a light infusion of power, a thunderous sword cry echoed from the ink-black blade.
Crash!
Sensing the ominous presence, the disciples of Geom Gak, their bodies concealed within a transparent sword barrier, unleashed sharp sword rays.
Whoosh!
As they grazed past Bu Eunseol’s forearm, the flow of true energy from the disciples hidden within the circular barrier momentarily ceased.
At that very instant,
Whoosh!
A colossal sword force pierced through the transparent barrier of true energy.
Blood Cascade Seven Forms, Third Strike. Half-Life Half-Death was finally unleashed.
Shwoosh!
The colossal sword force that had passed through the barrier suddenly scattered into hundreds of points of light,
Boom!
The circular wall of sword energy that had never shattered crumbled, finally revealing the forms of the sixty-some disciples.
Thud!
All sixty-some disciples had their palms torn open, bleeding profusely.
Bu Eunseol had destroyed all of their weapons in a single strike.
‘This cannot be.’
The disciples of Geom Gak all went pale.
In a single instant, she had destroyed sixty weapons held by master swordsmen?
―She had unleashed a single sword force into hundreds of sword rings?
If Bu Eunseol had harbored different intentions, could she not have severed the heads of sixty-odd disciples in one breath?
“Haah.”
Bu Eunseol’s entire body was drenched in sweat.
After infusing her vital energy into Ah Yeon, I had faced Jeok Heo Myeol Mu Jin without even recovering my body.
Moreover, I had poured every ounce of mental and martial power into executing the Half-Life Half-Death technique—standing was nearly impossible.
“This cannot be.”
Neung In Sa Tae could not close her mouth.
It was not merely because of the exquisite mystery of the technique that converted sword force into sword rings.
She had seen it clearly.
At the moment when the vital energy of disciples who had achieved sword formation was newly stored in their dantian, and new power was about to bloom.
Bu Eunseol’s single sword had come slashing through time and space itself.
Her sword technique, which had seized that sublime instant, far exceeded the power visible within the boundaries of swordsmanship, did it not?
“Will you concede?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words,
“This humble nun….”
Neung In Sa Tae could not continue.
She had made a promise before hundreds of disciples. If she did not keep it, she could not be called an elder of Geom Gak.
Thud, thud.
Neung In Sa Tae walked forward as if abandoning everything, standing before Bu Eunseol.
“This humble nun….”
And drawing a deep breath, she stepped forward once more.
“…will never allow a Demonic Path disciple who would topple Bon Gak to live!”
Suddenly, with a piercing cry, brilliant sword light bloomed from Neung In Sa Tae’s hands.
Danhwa Yeomong Sword. Seven Paths to Enlightenment.
One of Geom Gak’s supreme sword techniques was being used as a vicious ambush.
Whoosh!
In that instant, hundreds of sword rings rose beneath Bu Eunseol’s feet.
I had already anticipated Neung In Sa Tae’s ambush.
And before the disciples of Geom Gak, I would clear the false accusation against Chil Ji Ma Do of murdering the Nine Elders once more.
“Wretched creature!”
Neung In Sa Tae, her face twisted like a demon, tore through the sword rings and lunged at Bu Eunseol.
The swordsmanship of Geom Gak was originally meant to be executed with a calm, settled mind, as if performing spiritual cultivation.
When she attacked with a spirit full of resentment and killing intent, her movements became sluggish and her technique lost its true power.
Pap, pap, pap, pat!
In the end, Neung In Sa Tae could not penetrate the hundreds of sword rings, retreating with her entire body covered in wounds.
And without fully executing the Life-Death technique, Bu Eunseol, who had been standing firm, was now transformed into a figure of blood.
“….”
At some point, as Ok Yu Ha’s confusion cleared, tears streamed down her face.
The image of Bu Chanyang standing resolute before the blade, unflinching as it tore through his flesh without any attempt at defense, burned itself into her mind.
“Ugh…”
Neung In Sa Tae released a pained groan.
It was not the agony of her wounds, but the contemptuous gazes of her disciples that cut deepest.
“I…”
She cried out sharply, then fell silent for a long moment.
After the prolonged silence, Neung In Sa Tae spoke with a sorrowful expression.
“I merely did what was required of me as an elder of Geom Gak.”
And she closed her eyes wearily.
There was only one path left for her now—the Face Wall Cave to atone for her sins. Moreover, as an elder of Geom Gak, she had committed deeds that should never have been done.
She had forced Ok Yu Ha to consume the Clarity Pill to maintain her composure, and she had attempted to kill the one who had saved her successor Ah Yeon’s life.
And she had unleashed a vicious, contemptible ambush—something no follower of the Righteous Path should ever commit.
If this Demonic Path man revealed everything to the Murim?
She could no longer maintain her authority as the highest elder, and Geom Gak’s honor would crumble to dust.
Splash!
In that moment, Neung In Sa Tae’s heart split open, and blood gushed forth like a fountain.
Rather than allow such shameful infamy to descend through countless generations, she severed her own meridians without hesitation, choosing death.
Thud.
And she collapsed like a felled log.
“Elder…”
Her disciples, unable to have anticipated this, rushed toward her corpse with anguished expressions.
Sway.
Bu Eunseol, who had been watching, finally dropped to one knee.
Her martial power, physical strength, and even her will had been completely depleted—she could endure no longer.
“You can rest easy now.”
At that moment, a gentle and tender voice, trembling with suppressed tears, reached her ears.
“There is no one left here who would harm you.”
As the low voice sounded, Bu Eunseol’s eyes closed of their own accord.
* * *
When Bu Eunseol opened her eyes again, she realized she was lying on a luxurious bed.
Among Murim masters, losing consciousness could cause one’s martial power to regress.
Yet Bu Eunseol felt her inner qi abundantly full.
‘A blessing in disguise.’
Bu Eunseol realized it was due to the Heavenly Heart Sutra she had unconsciously mastered.
It not only synchronized with an enemy’s qi circulation, but possessed the function of continuously circulating qi even in unconsciousness.
Much like So Ok Rim, who had mastered Seong Hwang’s heart sutra.
“You’re awake.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol notice a woman in white robes beside the bed, gazing intently at her.
It was Ah Yeon.
“What has become of the situation?”
Bu Eunseol posed the question simply.
Yet those few words carried layers of meaning within them.
Most pressing among them was the state of Geom Gak itself.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Ah Yeon bowed respectfully.
“With the help of the Spiritual Lord, Bon Gak has weathered the crisis without internal division. We have given the Elder a proper burial.”
Ah Yeon’s expression appeared melancholic.
Regardless of her transgressions, Neung In Sa Tae had been the unwavering pillar that sustained Geom Gak.
Now that she had taken her own life, not only Ah Yeon but all disciples of Geom Gak were suffering beneath that weight.
“A fortunate outcome, then.”
In that moment, Ah Yeon’s eyes rippled like disturbed water.
I have done nothing to deserve Bu Eunseol’s kindness. Moreover, she walks the Demonic Path.
Yet to prevent Geom Gak from fracturing, she risked her life to shatter the formation.
Bu Eunseol, as the master of the Chilji Demonic Sect, acted to preserve her pride.
And to honor the will of one who sought neither to destroy Geom Gak nor to abandon Ok Yu Ha—that was the true nature of her confrontation.
But from Ah Yeon’s perspective, Bu Eunseol was nothing less than a figure of absolute purity, one who had staked her life solely for her sake and for Geom Gak.
“You are truly remarkable. Bon Gak’s formation has never been breached before.”
Her eyes held a pride as though gazing upon a lord bearing the bearing of a hero.
Bu Eunseol averted her gaze slightly as she spoke.
“That is likely because it has never faced a true master.”
“That may well be true.”
Silence fell between them for a moment.
Yet Bu Eunseol sensed something amiss—a discord, one might say.
The nape of her neck felt cool, and she perceived something in the darkness watching her intently.
It did not take long to recognize that the relentless pursuit came from Ah Yeon’s fervent gaze, one that could not be evaded.
“Seeing your true face now—it suits you better.”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol touched her own face. The loss of consciousness had shattered the face-changing technique.
Ah Yeon, who had been staring intently at her features, suddenly offered a jest.
“Your previous face was too artificial. I disliked it.”
A strange thought crossed Bu Eunseol’s mind.
She was a disciple of Hyun Moon and carried herself with solemnity. Yet she jested about my appearance?
“Through this ordeal, I have come to understand that I cannot ascend to the position of Bon Gak’s successor.”
Ah Yeon, as though perceiving Bu Eunseol’s inner thoughts, offered a melancholic smile.
“The successor who will bear responsibility for Bon Gak’s future must be deep and righteous in every action and thought. But I failed in this, fell into demonic delusion, and endangered many.”
“When one pursues the martial way with passion, such things can happen. I too have experienced such trials in my past.”
“Do you believe my demonic delusion stemmed from the martial contest at the Demon Hall?”
Of course, Bu Eunseol knew the truth well enough.
But she could not speak it directly, so she chose her words carefully instead.
“Hmm.”
Ah Yeon exhaled deeply and shook her head.
“My fall into demonic madness wasn’t because of martial arts—it was because I harbored a forbidden fantasy that no disciple of Hyun Moon should entertain.”
She bit her pale pink lips gently.
As if steeling herself, she drew another deep breath and spoke with conviction.
“Ever since returning to the Demon Hall, I have thought of you constantly.”
Bu Eunseol was taken aback.
It was a burning intensity in her eyes that I had never witnessed before.
Ah Yeon was confessing her heart to Bu Eunseol with unflinching directness.
“Thinking of someone is hardly an uncommon occurrence, is it?”
Bu Eunseol, flustered, wrapped up her feelings with a dismissive expression.
But Ah Yeon unwrapped them all again, speaking clearly.
“No. I was thinking of you as a man.”
“….”
“The Young Palace Master of Shin Nyeo Gung provoked me, saying that even if a Lord knelt and proposed, you would never accept her heart.”
She smiled with bittersweet warmth.
“Since that day, whenever I close my eyes, your image appears—you, proposing to me.”
And she shook her head faintly.
“Don’t worry. They say that at my age, everyone experiences something like the fever of first love at least once.”
In Ah Yeon’s eyes burned passionate interest and affection.
It was a heat that even cultivation could not suppress.
As someone with a Yang-dominant constitution, she possessed emotions richer and more honest than most.
“And I’ve come to realize that even one who has devoted herself to Hyun Moon cannot escape this.”
She laid bare all the feelings she had kept hidden deep within her heart, concealing nothing.
“I have decided to relinquish the position of Geomgak Successor and return to being an ordinary disciple.”
“You’re abandoning the succession?”
“Yes. And if I can overcome this trial of affection… then I will stand tall once more as someone worthy of leading Geomgak.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
She had expressed her feelings honestly. What harm could that do?
To hide such feelings would only become a sickness of the heart—just as it had for Ok Yu Ha.
“I have a request for you, Lord.”
Ah Yeon spoke carefully.
“I wish to cross blades with you.”
Bu Eunseol, understanding Ah Yeon’s heart, nodded.
There was still much she wished to say. And she intended to express it not through words, but through the sword.
The sheer cliff face at the peak of Dae Geom Mountain.
Snow fell gently there.
The two drew their blades in silence and began to cross swords.
Shing! Clang!
With each clash of steel, gazes collided in the void.
Ah Yeon revealed all her heart through her blade and her eyes, answering without words.
Bu Eunseol hailed from the Nangya Sect.
She knew well that if one unfolded their swordsmanship with honesty and without deception, the profound mysteries of the blade could be easily grasped.
She did this for herself.
And for Bu Eunseol, who had risked her life for Geom Gak, she displayed the mysteries of the Danhyeo Yeomong Sword without reservation.
Bu Eunseol, understanding her heart, silently received the swordsmanship she unfolded.
It was the best he could offer.
Clang.
In the end, Ah Yeon’s treasure sword was sent soaring skyward by Bu Eunseol’s silent blade.
And it pierced the earth again, standing upright.
The match was decided.
Ah Yeon displayed an incomparably beautiful smile toward Bu Eunseol.
“I am a disciple of Hyun Moon. I will surely overcome this trial.”
And she pressed her palms together respectfully in salute.
“Thank you.”
“Then, take care of yourself.”
Bu Eunseol also pressed her palms together in return.
And immediately she turned and descended below the peak.
Ah Yeon gazed blankly in the direction Bu Eunseol had vanished, her eyes swirling with countless emotions.
“If only by chance, may we meet again.”
That soft whisper melted away like a snowflake falling into her palm, disappearing before long.
* * *
Upon returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eunseol convened a council of Lords.
She briefly recounted the events she had experienced thus far, though she kept silent about Geom Gak’s affairs as they were personal matters.
And she issued orders to Yu Woon Ryong and the others.
The Black-White Witch was certainly a person who had belonged somewhere, so they were to track her movements.
And likewise, information regarding the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, the Chilji Demonic Sect, and the movements of Shin San Ja.
After concluding the meeting, Bu Eunseol immediately entered seclusion.
This time, she had mastered the third form of the Blood Dew Seven Techniques, and obtained the ancient martial secret manual known as the Heart Sutra of a Thousand Intentions.
She needed to ruminate upon all of these and engrave them deeply into her body.
Bu Eunseol sat in lotus position and closed her eyes.
An ordinary martial artist would have used brush and ink to study the dharma texts and directly moved their body to cultivate their martial arts.
But she could engrave countless dharma texts into her mind simply by sitting and closing her eyes.
And through imagination alone, she could repeat the process of laboring and sweating as she performed martial techniques, engraving them into her body.
Four days had passed.
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol, who had been inspecting her martial arts in seclusion, slowly opened her eyes.
As she rose, she surveyed the surroundings of the Cultivation Chamber.
Staring into the darkness where not a single ray of light entered, Bu Eunseol suddenly recalled a peculiar thought.
The Chilji Demonic Sect.
Whether willingly or not, during her travels through the Gangho, she had inevitably stumbled upon traces of the Chilji Demonic Sect.
Moreover, this time I discovered hidden traces related to the Geomgak Successor of the past.
The more I traced his footsteps, the more peculiar my thoughts became.
His public image was that of a cruel and murderous figure of the Demonic Path.
Yet the traces I uncovered resembled instead the eccentric chivalry one finds among Orthodox Sect figures.
In other words, he was displaying a completely different face from what the Murim world knew.
‘But could Ma Cheon Je truly have been unaware of such facts?’
Until now, every place where I learned of the Chilji Demonic Sect’s hidden movements was thoroughly connected to the Orthodox Sects.
Then could Ma Cheon Je have been completely ignorant of these facts?
I thought the probability of that was nearly zero.
‘Ma Cheon Je scrutinized even my movements as a successor candidate as if reading the lines of my palm.’
Before I even became a successor, Ma Cheon Je thoroughly investigated my actions through the Bi Young Gak and inferred my future path.
There was no way such a person could be unaware of the Chilji Demonic Sect’s movements.
‘Moreover, the Chilji Demonic Sect’s recent actions differ greatly from the grandfather I knew, do they not?’
My grandfather Bu Chanyang was a wise, warm-hearted, and sagacious man.
Yet the Chilji Demonic Sect I learned of at Geomgak was passionate and a remarkable man who understood the deep affection one could hold for others.
‘Of course, even a hot-blooded person’s temperament changes with age. But….’
I shook my head.
The thought that my grandfather, once a Shaolin disciple, would become a romantic wanderer roaming the Gangho, scattering affection here and there, simply did not sit right with me.
‘The strangest thing is the name.’
What if my grandfather Bu Chanyang had thoroughly hidden the fact that he was Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Janyeong?
He absolutely should not have used the name Bu Chanyang when serving as a Yeomsa official.
Yet my grandfather boldly used the name Bu Chanyang and even registered it with the Constabulary.
No matter how careless a person might be, they could never make such a mistake.
‘From now on, I must consider every possibility.’
When I first learned of the Chilji Demonic Sect’s movements, I was certain he was my grandfather.
But as time passed, I began to wonder if perhaps he was merely someone with the same name.
‘The only conclusion I can draw now is one thing.’
I walked toward the door of the Cultivation Chamber and pushed it open with force.
Whoosh.
As light gradually filtered in, I spoke softly.
“Now I must verify the movements of this man called Chil Ji Ma Do from the perspective of the Demonic Path.”
Though fragmentary, I had confirmed certain movements regarding Chil Ji Ma Do from the leaders of the Orthodox Sects.
Now I had to thoroughly understand from the Demonic Path’s standpoint what kind of man Chil Ji Ma Do truly was.
Walking down the long corridor and exiting the Palace Hall, brilliant sunlight stung my eyes.
As I appeared, all the disciples and attendants passing by lowered their heads.
Normally, I would have exchanged light greetings with them and taken a leisurely stroll.
But I had made some grave decision, and I immediately left Jam Ma Gak and walked toward the East Gate.
My destination was the Intelligence Organization, which possessed the greatest information network of the Demonic Path.
And the leader of that organization was a mysterious figure whose identity remained unrevealed.
Bi Young Gak Lord, Hwa Jung Cheon.
Bu Eunseol intended to meet once more with the head of the Demon Hall’s premier Intelligence Organization.

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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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