The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 364

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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 364.
At the unexpected name, Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed.
“Shin San Ja?”
“Is that not correct?”
Nam Goong Woon scratched his head.
“It’s strange. I was told Shin San Ja only provided information to the Main House.”
Bu Eunseol raised her eyebrows.
“Information given only to the Nam Goong Family?”
“Ah, yes, about that.”
Nam Goong Woon explained calmly.
According to his account, Shin San Ja had suddenly sent a letter to the Nam Goong Family, informing them of an organization artificially creating inner cores within the Murim.
He had also conveyed a promise that if they could trace the roots of these forces, he would grant them a Repayment Medallion.
Of course, the Nam Goong Family harbored no desire for the Repayment Medallion itself.
But they could not remain idle upon learning of those who disturbed the Murim.
They immediately dispatched martial artists to investigate, and the matter proved true. The family head then addressed all his children, including Nam Goong Woon.
―Whoever resolves this matter by grasping those roots shall receive generous merit points.
The Nam Goong Family employed a unique method of selecting their family head.
Before the family head was chosen, various accomplishments were accumulated, and points were awarded according to those merits.
Whoever accumulated the highest total score would ultimately become the family head—a system both distinctive and remarkably fair.
Now that Nam Goong Woon had become a candidate for family head, he had ventured into Gangho to accumulate achievements and earn points.
“I see.”
After hearing the entire account, Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
‘I need to revise my understanding of Shin San Ja.’
She had assumed Shin San Ja was merely a sage wandering through the Murim.
But it turned out he was connected to the Eight Great Families—specifically, he could deliver confidential information directly to the Nam Goong Family, who ranked at the forefront.
This meant he possessed considerable connections with the Orthodox Sects’ leadership and was likely a figure who had once walked the Orthodox path.
‘He may not be a simple Orthodox Sect member.’
Yet what troubled Bu Eunseol most was the possibility that Shin San Ja himself could be a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
‘The matter of artificial inner cores is a fact that only Bon Gak, who coincidentally learned of it after annihilating Saixiang and rescuing the children, should know.’
No matter how exceptional Shin San Ja was at reading the heavens, for him to possess information about artificial inner cores before she did was utterly absurd.
Moreover, artificial inner cores could not have been created overnight.
Shin San Ja must have been connected to that organization, or perhaps he was a traitor who had once served there.
‘Shin San Ja….’
Bu Eunseol bit her lip.
Only then did she realize she had made a critical oversight.
‘Even if I were to meet him, what he tells me may not be the truth.’
Ma Cheon Je had always taught her to acquire truth with her own hands.
Even if she found Shin San Ja and he revealed everything she wished to know, there was no guarantee those words were truthful.
In fact, at this moment, she had no way to verify Shin San Ja’s identity. What if he were connected to some organization?
Then he could subtly manipulate her instead.
“No matter how I look at it, this isn’t someone I recognize.”
Nam Goong Woon examined the face and weapon of the subdued figure in black with keen attention.
“Appears to be a newly emerged Star of Assassination.”
Not only was this a face he’d never seen before, but critically, even the weapon showed no signs of maintenance.
This meant there was a high probability this person had never made a name for themselves in the Murim until now.
Bu Eunseol snapped out of her reverie at Nam Goong Woon’s words.
“They must have been experimenting with artificial inner cores on martial artists who haven’t yet made their mark. It’s the easiest way to maintain secrecy.”
Bu Eunseol nodded in agreement and was about to examine the black-clad figure’s clothing and shoes more carefully when—
Whoosh.
The sound of tearing air echoed endlessly from the sky, and fifty or so martial artists descended through the void.
All wore masks and wielded deformed swords that gleamed with a dull light.
They all possessed extraordinary martial prowess and swiftly surrounded Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon.
Crash!
Without hesitation, they unleashed a torrent of killing intent.
“What is this?”
Nam Goong Woon immediately drew his sword and counterattacked.
“Reveal yourselves!”
Clang.
The masked figures, instead of answering, synchronized their movements and aimed their deformed swords.
Tremendous inner force cascaded across his entire body, and a devastating pressure crushed down upon him.
The masked figures were using a bizarre formation to unleash their combined power all at once.
“This is absurd. Who dares employ a heavy sword technique against me?”
Nam Goong Woon immediately unleashed the Emperor Sword Form’s Third Technique, pushing back the overwhelming pressure.
Whoosh!
In that instant, an attack came at Bu Eunseol as well.
As they extended their swords, a pressure rivaling the Emperor Sword Form bore down upon her body.
‘Their inner force is considerable, but their formation technique is clumsy?’
Bu Eunseol raised her eyebrows as she easily escaped the attack range using Extreme Speed Shadowless.
The masked figures possessed formidable inner force, but their methods of deployment were monotonous and their movements somewhat awkward.
In other words, these were people with limited combat experience who had merely learned the formation.
‘How strange.’
The fact that they attacked immediately without hesitation made it clear the masked figures were sent by the faction that created the inner cores.
Yet those with enough power to annihilate or rebuild Murim sects in an instant would send assassins of such crude skill?
Swoosh.
Her thoughts were swift, but her actions swifter still.
As Bu Eunseol drew her silent sword, a chilling aura spread in all directions.
Clang!
As she wielded her blade in dizzying arcs, the overwhelming pressure that had been directed at her was redirected toward the masked figures opposing Nam Goong Woon.
Half offense, half defense—the reversal of all forces.
Using the supreme mystery of the Ten Thousand Forms Single Eclipse that she had mastered through her battles with Cheon Geom, she transformed the nature of the cascading pressure into something as solid as stone before—
In a flash, she pivoted and hurled her formless qi toward the Masked Assassins attacking Nam Goong Woon.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
As Bu Eunseol’s intangible force rebounded like a solid object, the Masked Assassins hastily deployed their movement techniques to evade.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The moment the Masked Assassins scattered, Bu Eunseol seized the opportunity and unleashed a meteor-swift technique, striking their vital points in rapid succession.
Thud. Thud.
Each time the Silent Sword carved its brilliant arc through the void, the Masked Assassins fell like felled logs without exception.
Ordinary Murim practitioners would have chosen to retreat upon witnessing Bu Eunseol’s prowess.
Yet these Masked Assassins abandoned their formation and charged at her with full force instead.
Clang! Clash!
As dozens of curved blades collided in succession, a crystalline metallic resonance echoed forth.
The fact that they struck the Silent Sword without cutting it, leaving only scratches, confirmed that their weapons were also treasure blades.
‘Orthodox Sects?’
Yet as Bu Eunseol observed the techniques they unleashed, a flash of insight crossed her eyes.
The blade techniques they displayed appeared at first glance to be heretical and bizarre—techniques of the Qinghai Demonic Sword Sects.
But they could not deceive the eyes of one who had mastered the Thirteen Night Techniques. They were wielding blade methods derived from Orthodox Sect martial arts.
‘I’ll discover exactly which sect they belong to.’
In the past, it would have been difficult to determine with certainty which school these assassins came from.
But now, didn’t I possess a secret technique embedded within my body to discern such things?
A faint hum resonated.
As Bu Eunseol drew upon the Heaven’s Heart Seal, a subtle luminescence enveloped her entire form.
Clang!
The moment the Silent Sword collided with the curved blade while the Heaven’s Heart Seal was active, the flow of true qi occurring within the Masked Assassin’s body instantaneously manifested within Bu Eunseol’s own.
‘This is…’
In the instant Bu Eunseol grasped something crucial,
“Ugh.”
Nam Goong Woon let out a groan of pain.
The Nam Goong Family’s heavy sword technique was supreme under heaven, yet Nam Goong Woon had only mastered the first three forms of the Imperial Sword Style.
Because the heavy sword technique had not yet become second nature to him, when the Masked Assassins unleashed powerful attacks using the same heavy sword technique, he could not respond with adequate skill.
‘Was Nam Goong Woon the target from the start?’
The Masked Assassins’ tactics seemed to have been planned specifically to counter Nam Goong Woon.
The Nam Goong Family’s heavy sword required one to generate even greater force to withstand any external power.
Yet Nam Goong Woon, having mastered only the first three forms, could not fully display that subtlety.
With the Masked Assassins pouring forth even more formidable qi, Nam Goong Woon was flustered and unable to demonstrate his true capabilities.
‘Since the opportunity presents itself, I’ll enlighten him.’
Witnessing Nam Goong Woon’s struggle, Bu Eunseol drew upon her full power.
A chill swept forth.
Simultaneously, white frost began to descend across her entire body.
The most effective martial art when facing multiple enemies—she had activated the Bing Ha Dae Je’s Glacial River Seal.
A tremendous freezing sound erupted.
Frost seemed to descend upon Bu Eunseol’s hair, and from her left hand, a white aura began to spiral violently.
Whoooosh!
As Bu Eunseol extended her left hand, a white and blue frigid energy instantly engulfed the Masked Assassins’ bodies.
Crackle.
The Masked Assassins’ bodies frosted over, and for a moment, their movements ceased entirely.
Clang.
Yet their considerable inner strength allowed them to shatter the ice and break free in a single breath.
However, their counterattack was delayed by a crucial beat.
“Take this!”
Seizing the opportunity, Nam Goong Woon’s keen golden needle sword traced a massive circle through the air.
Simultaneously, a crushing pressure as if hurling Mount Tai itself descended upon them.
Whoosh.
The startled Masked Assassins quickly retreated beyond the sword’s range.
“Ugh.”
Those who failed to evade in time cried out, blood spraying from their vital points as they collapsed.
Emperor’s Sword Form.
The supreme sword technique that had elevated the Nam Goong Family to the pinnacle of the Eight Great Families finally revealed its true power.
I could sense he was finally unleashing it properly.
Until now, Nam Goong Woon had been forced to execute the first three moves of the Emperor’s Sword Form while being constantly harassed by the Masked Assassins.
But now that I had created a proper opening, a single strike had ruptured the internal organs of five or six of them.
From the power of merely the first three moves, I could appreciate just how profound the Nam Goong Family’s intermediate sword techniques had become.
Whoooosh!
I unleashed the Glacier River Severing Technique repeatedly against the Masked Assassins.
In truth, if I had fully exerted my power, I could have frozen them solid in an instant.
But I deliberately spread the frigid energy widely, merely halting their movements.
Recognizing that Nam Goong Woon was still unfamiliar with the Emperor’s Sword Form, I arranged the situation to allow him to practice his swordsmanship against these opponents.
“Retreat!”
As Nam Goong Woon’s sword power became unstoppable thanks to my intervention, the Masked Assassins withdrew in perfect unison.
Yet that was merely their wishful thinking.
The Glacier River Severing Technique extending from my left hand firmly sealed their movements.
Crack. Clang!
Each time their bodies froze, the Masked Assassins drew upon their inner strength to barely escape.
But by then, Nam Goong Woon’s golden needle sword was already piercing their vital acupoints.
Boom.
In the end, all fifty or so Masked Assassins fell beneath Nam Goong Woon’s blade.
“Huff, huff.”
Having defeated all the Masked Assassins, Nam Goong Woon breathed heavily.
He had traveled through Gangho alone until now and faced countless crises. Yet never had he encountered a situation as precarious as this.
What if Bu Eunseol had not arrived?
He would have perished at the hands of the Masked Assassins, who had come prepared with knowledge of the Emperor’s Sword Form’s weaknesses.
“I’m not sure why masters from Cheong Hae suddenly appeared and attacked us.”
Nam Goong Woon had assumed that the sword techniques and internal energy used by the masked assassins were all methods of the Qinghai Demonic Sword Sects.
However, Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“They are not masters from Cheong Hae. They are all members of Gae Bang.”
“Gae Bang?”
Nam Goong Woon shook his head as if he couldn’t comprehend it.
“But all the techniques they displayed belong to the Qinghai Demonic Sword Sects?”
“They were disguised.”
Bu Eunseol spoke matter-of-factly.
“Techniques can be imitated, but the cultivation method cannot.”
“The cultivation method…?”
“Circulating their vital energy so chaotically while steadily accumulating internal power in the dantian—that can only be the Small Flea Cultivation Method of Gae Bang.”
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Could it be that Bu Eunseol had discerned the enemy’s internal cultivation method during combat itself?
“Are you certain of this?”
In that instant, a flash of light crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
‘As I thought… Jeong Cheon Je’s martial arts were not as widely known as I assumed.’
The Nam Goong Family was renowned for their deep research into Orthodox Sect martial arts.
Nam Goong Woon must have received such education since childhood.
If Jeong Cheon Je’s martial arts had been widely disseminated throughout the Murim, Nam Goong Woon would surely know of them.
“Bu?”
As Bu Eunseol fell into deep thought, Nam Goong Woon blinked.
“How did you discover that they had learned the Small Flea Cultivation Method?”
Snapping back to attention, Bu Eunseol offered a vague explanation.
“In the past, when preparing to strike down Geol Wang, I conducted a thorough study of Gae Bang’s Small Flea Cultivation Method. And during my battle with Geol Wang, I precisely grasped how that vital energy circulated.”
“Ah, I see.”
Nam Goong Woon nodded without further thought. After all, there was no one unaware that Bu Eunseol had defeated Geol Wang.
“But Gae Bang, you say. I find it difficult to believe.”
Nam Goong Woon spoke weakly, his head lowered.
“Gae Bang is a place that has even established rules specifically to protect the Way of Chivalry and Righteousness, is it not?”
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes lacked focus.
As the legitimate heir of the Nam Goong Family, he had been taught the principles of chivalry and righteousness since childhood.
And whenever the Way of Chivalry and Righteousness was discussed, one place never failed to be mentioned.
That was Gae Bang—an organization commanding nearly a hundred thousand members and vast information networks, yet maintaining integrity and virtue.
“Moreover, if it is Gae Bang… there would be no reason for them to attack me.”
“They were trying to retrieve the artificial core.”
This artificial core had been infused into Jung Hyeon’s body for a long time, yet it maintained its form remarkably well.
It would likely take considerable time before it dissolved completely.
Therefore, it would be more economical to extract the core from the corpses and reuse it.
“Hah. Hah.”
The eyes of the black-clad assassin, whose Blood Sealing Point was being suppressed, grew dim.
Caught in the clash between Gae Bang masters and exposed to Nam Goong Woon’s Emperor Sword technique, his internal organs were rupturing as he slowly died.
‘I need to extract the inner core first.’
Bu Eunseol approached the black-clad assassin and drew upon the Heavenly Heart Seal to examine his body.
Yet something was amiss. No matter how I synchronized my vital energy circulation, his body contained only demonic qi.
I could not sense any trace of an inner core.
‘Strange. There was definitely demonic qi flowing from an artificial inner core.’
“Extract the Demonic Embryo… please.”
At that moment, the black-clad assassin uttered those strange words.
‘Demonic Embryo?’
Bu Eunseol’s expression turned puzzled for an instant,
Thud.
The black-clad assassin, whose breathing had been labored, finally drew his last breath.
Zing.
Then, as I continued to examine the black-clad assassin with the Heavenly Heart Seal drawn forth, a change rippled through my body.
A powerful force writhed near the Solar Plexus Point.
‘The man is dead, yet I sense the energy of an inner core?’
Whoosh!
Bu Eunseol immediately drew upon the Female Healing Seal.
I formed tweezers from a sharp blade edge and immediately examined the Solar Plexus Point, from which a single crimson-gleaming orb emerged.
‘A Demonic Embryo… so that’s what it was.’
A Demonic Embryo—bearing the meaning of “carrying the demonic within”—could rightly be interpreted as harboring the seed of the demonic within one’s body.
Only then did Bu Eunseol finally understand their true purpose.
“So this was their real objective.”
“What do you mean, my lord?”
“The method of creating an inner core.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a grave expression.
“They are completing their inner cores through death itself.”

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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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