The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 377

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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 377.
Namgung Jeong’s eyebrows shot up as he cried out.
“What did you say?”
“Are you planning to deny it?”
Nam Gung Poong spoke with cold eyes.
“I heard everything from Poong Elder.”
His bloodshot eyes blazed with fury as he shouted.
“How long did you intend to pretend to be my real father?”
Namgung Jeong drew a deep breath instead of answering.
In truth, Nam Gung Poong was not Namgung Jeong’s son, but rather the only child of his older brother Nam Goong Gyeol, who had been murdered by Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Janyeong.
And his mother had also wasted away and died the year after Nam Goong Gyeol was brutally slain by Chil Ji Ma Do.
At that time, Nam Gung Poong was merely a two-year-old infant.
Unable to bear it any longer, Namgung Jeong had taken Nam Gung Poong as his own son and raised him.
“What in the world are you talking about!”
At Namgung Jeong’s outcry, the corners of Nam Gung Poong’s mouth lifted.
“If you were righteous, why didn’t you tell me I was Nam Goong Gyeol’s son?”
“….”
“Wasn’t it because you were ashamed of being afraid of Chil Ji Ma Do and abandoning your older brother to flee?”
“What?”
Namgung Jeong asked Nam Gung Poong with a hollow expression.
“Is that what Poong Elder told you?”
“Isn’t it?”
“Of course not.”
Namgung Jeong exhaled a deep sigh with an indescribable expression.
“Chil Ji Ma Do was a master of such extraordinary martial prowess that even if the family head spent his entire life cultivating his skills, he could never kill him.”
“….”
“After that incident, Chil Ji Ma Do vanished without a trace shortly thereafter. No one has been able to find any trace of him since.”
Namgung Jeong spoke with a pale face.
“Since even the target of revenge disappeared, I did not wish for you to live carrying the burden of vengeance.”
Namgung Jeong had gritted his teeth and cultivated his martial arts, but he knew that his own skills could never kill Chil Ji Ma Do.
Moreover, when he suddenly vanished, revenge became nothing more than a dream.
He did not wish to tell Nam Gung Poong the truth and pass on to him the same anguish of a revenge that could never be fulfilled.
“So you simply did not wish to transmit to me the pain of an impossible revenge… is that it?”
“Yes.”
“A rather convincing lie.”
Despite hearing all the truth, Nam Gung Poong wore a bitter smile instead.
“But you never imagined I would hear you confess your sins with my own ears, did you?”
“Confess?”
“Do you remember the conversation you had with Poong Elder at Sangwoo Pavilion ten years ago?”
“Sangwoo Pavilion?”
“Back then, you clearly admitted it with your own mouth. You said your brother’s death was entirely your fault. That you couldn’t seek revenge because you feared the Chilji Demonic Sect.”
Namgung Jeong’s expression twisted strangely.
A faint memory of a conversation with Poong Elder from ten years ago surfaced in his mind.
“So Poong Elder was persistently asking those strange questions… it was because he had hidden you away.”
Only then could Namgung Jeong grasp the full picture of what had transpired.
The day Poong Elder had suddenly brought up his guilt and spoken of his brother’s death without warning.
He had deliberately brought Nam Gung Poong along and forced him to spill words that would cause misunderstanding.
“So you drew your blade against me because you believed that old fool’s nonsense?”
“Please don’t feel so wronged, Family Head.”
Nam Gung Poong spoke with a faint smile.
“Didn’t you yourself trap your father with cunning schemes and kill him before becoming Family Head?”
“Hahaha.”
Namgung Jeong laughed despite himself, finding the situation absurd.
Only now did he realize that Nam Gung Poong was a hopeless case who could never understand no matter how much explanation was given.
“At that time, the Chilji Demonic Sect was invincible. No master from the Orthodox Sects dared to stand against him.”
Namgung Jeong spoke with a desolate expression.
“But my brother’s confidence was excessive. He believed the Demonic Sect’s reputation was exaggerated and that he could certainly defeat him.”
As if recalling those memories, Namgung Jeong exhaled heavily.
“In the end, my brother found the Chilji Demonic Sect and challenged him recklessly. By the time I arrived, he was already a cold corpse.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“In my rage, I tried to strike at the Chilji Demonic Sect immediately. But I couldn’t even draw my sword. Then the Demonic Sect, as if uninterested, simply passed by.”
Namgung Jeong spoke with an anguished expression.
“I thought my brother’s death was my fault because I failed to stop him properly. And I said I regretted not drawing my sword because I feared the Chilji Demonic Sect.”
Blood flowed from the short blade embedded in Namgung Jeong’s vital point, growing thicker with each passing moment.
Yet he stood upright as he spoke.
“That is the entire truth.”
Nam Gung Poong said nothing.
Poong Elder had been a most considerate master.
He was the only person who had revealed to him the truth about his father’s death.
And he had taught him the Imperial Sword Form’s Third Technique, which only a Family Head could master, as well as the mysterious Severing Sword technique to counter it.
―The sword techniques this master taught must never be used within the Namgung Family.
It turned out that Poong Elder was a member of a mysterious organization.
―If you enter the organization this master belongs to, you will not only become Family Head but gain far greater power.
And through Poong Elder’s recommendation, Nam Gung Poong was also able to join that organization.
However, because he only followed Poong Elder’s orders, he couldn’t discern the organization’s system or structure. Yet these people wielded such tremendous power that they could manipulate the entire Murim.
‘Even if what he says is true, it doesn’t matter anymore.’
Nam Gung Poong wore a cruel smile.
If he followed through with this plan to kill Namgung Jeong and Nam Goong Woon, he would soon become Family Head.
And Poong Elder and his organization would handle all the remaining cleanup.
Whether the truth about his father was a lie or not… it no longer mattered.
“Is that so.”
Namgung Jeong, who had been observing Nam Gung Poong’s expression, gave a faint nod.
He had seen through it—all the words Nam Gung Poong had spoken until now were merely excuses.
“Avenging Father was nothing but a pretext.”
“Family Head. I could have waited.”
Nam Gung Poong spoke the truth that lay in his heart.
“If you had not shown such favoritism toward that youngest one, I would never have resorted to this.”
Nam Gung Poong knew it well.
The one whom Namgung Jeong cherished most, loved most, and intended to make Family Head.
It was Nam Goong Woon, the one he had scolded most harshly and treated with the greatest severity.
“No matter how much work I’ve done for Gae Bang, how could I just hand over the Boeun Hall to Un like that? Isn’t that negating all my contributions up until now?”
“Cough.”
At that moment, Namgung Jeong, who had been about to speak, coughed and spat out a clot of blood.
His injuries had worsened, and he had sustained grave internal wounds.
“I was not thinking clearly. Haha, my words have been far too long.”
Nam Gung Poong smiled faintly.
“Now, please die.”
Whoosh.
In that instant, an intense sword resonance flowed from the blade Nam Gung Poong had drawn.
The Sovereign Sword Form, Third Technique.
The supreme sword art that only the Family Head of the Namgung Family could master was about to unfold in Nam Gung Poong’s hands.
“Farewell!”
Boom.
A tremendous pressure, as if hurling a mountain, gathered densely upon the Golden Needle Sword.
Nam Gung Poong had already mastered the subtlety of the Sovereign Sword Form—controlling space and pouring pressure into that singular point.
But then,
“Do not lay a hand on the Family Head!”
Nam Goong Woon, who had been sitting with labored breath, cried out loudly and seized the sword that Namgung Jeong had dropped.
And he slowly stepped forward.
“Fight me instead.”
“Hahahaha.”
Nam Gung Poong shook his head.
“Nam Goong Woon. Your skills have improved considerably this time, but you are not yet at a level to face me.”
Nam Gung Poong had long since accumulated power high enough to reach the Transcendent Realm.
Nam Goong Woon, who had neglected martial cultivation and indulged in recklessness, was not his match.
“Moreover, you can only exert half your power.”
“Silence. Ungrateful wretch.”
Nam Goong Woon spoke in a solemn voice, his sword held at an angle.
“From now on, you are no longer my brother.”
“Khahahaha!”
Nam Gung Poong burst into hearty laughter, his expression brimming with delight.
“Excellent. It’s far more entertaining when someone like you shows defiance at the end!”
Without hesitation, he unleashed the Emperor’s Sword Form.
Whooom!
As a deep vibration resonated through the air, my vision plunged into darkness. The overwhelming pressure that erupted in an instant had consumed my sight entirely.
Clang!
Yet I deflected Nam Gung Poong’s invisible assault with ease.
My five senses were exceptionally keen, and I had witnessed Nam Gung Poong’s sword techniques since childhood.
Without needing to see or sense his movements, I could already envision how he would unfold his sword forms.
“True enough—I taught you many sword techniques when you were young.”
Nam Gung Poong, realizing that I understood his habits, smiled knowingly.
“Shall I indulge you for old times’ sake?”
“You didn’t teach me—you hindered me.”
Deep down, Nam Gung Poong feared my potential.
That’s why he had always pretended to instruct me while deliberately teaching me flawed sword techniques.
But I had already seen through his deception. Rather than learning the techniques he offered, I had carefully observed him whenever he practiced his sword arts.
“Merely knowing isn’t enough!”
Nam Gung Poong chuckled and attempted to deploy the Emperor’s Sword Form once more.
But each time, my Golden Needle Sword intercepted his attack path first.
Clang clang clang clang!
An endless exchange of offense and defense unfolded.
I had always fought defensively, restraining aggressive and violent techniques.
But now I unleashed my full power, pouring out lethal moves without reservation.
This duel concerned not only my own life but also the life of the family head behind me.
Because of this, a focus unlike anything before surged through me, and the potency of my sword techniques multiplied several times over.
“Like a trapped insect making its final struggle!”
Nam Gung Poong attempted to push back my relentless close-range assault.
But my concentration, standing at the precipice between life and death, had reached its absolute peak.
With intimate knowledge of Nam Gung Poong’s habits and methods, and having anticipated his sword moves in advance, I could hold my ground with unwavering resolve.
‘All of this I learned traveling with Bu Chanyang.’
Bu Eunseol was not bound by conventional martial techniques; she always pursued victory even in desperate circumstances.
―No matter how formidable an enemy’s martial arts are, they’re useless if they can’t be deployed.
During her days as a wanderer, Bu Eunseol had taught me the importance of seizing the initiative and controlling the tempo.
―When facing an opponent stronger than yourself, every move must begin before they can launch their attack.
Any technique requires telltale signs before it can be executed.
Moreover, through an enemy’s gaze and movements, one can predict their actions in advance.
Besides, I harbored no intention of defeating Nam Gung Poong.
I merely sought to buy time, to endure until Bu Eunseol arrived.
Bu Eunseol. She would surely sense this situation and come to me.
“How amusing. Who do you think will save you by stalling for time?”
Only then did Nam Gung Poong, having seen through Nam Goong Woon’s true intentions, let out a hearty laugh.
“The reason I arrived late was to erase all traces of my presence here. Moreover, I’ve stationed three hundred members of Shil Hon In throughout this area.”
Nam Gung Poong laughed with confidence.
“Right now, the Namgung Family is too preoccupied with containing the fire. Even if he discovered traces of this facility, he could never break through the Shil Hon In members in such a short time.”
Nam Gung Poong was as cunning as he was ruthless.
To ensure this plan would not fail.
He had laid traps in twofold and threefold layers, making it impossible for anyone to find this place.
Yet Nam Goong Woon’s lips still curved into a smile.
It was faith.
The reason he could endure so desperately was because he held an unwavering conviction that Bu Eunseol would find this place.
“Nam Gung Poong! You’ve never trusted anyone in your entire life, have you?”
Nam Goong Woon’s voice dripped with contempt.
“That’s precisely why you never listen to others and have become so twisted.”
“How ridiculous!”
Clang!
As blade met blade, Nam Goong Woon was driven backward.
Already burdened by internal injuries and facing an opponent whose cultivation far surpassed his own, and with Nam Gung Poong capable of wielding all three final forms of the Emperor’s Sword Technique…
No matter how stubbornly he persisted with the Changgungs Bi Yeon Sword, desperately preventing a decisive strike, defeat was inevitable.
“Indeed, this is the Changgungs Bi Yeon Sword that Father painstakingly modified.”
As Nam Goong Woon continued to buy time, Nam Gung Poong began to erode his spirit through words.
“Did you truly believe you were using the authentic Changgungs Bi Yeon Sword?”
Nam Gung Poong smiled faintly and swung his blade.
“What you learned is a separate variation of the Changgungs Bi Yeon Sword that the Family Head created specifically for you. The forms are merely identical, which is why you cannot distinguish them.”
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes widened.
Modifying the foundational forms of sword techniques passed down through generations into new sword principles was an extraordinarily delicate and time-consuming task.
It was precisely because the Orthodox Sects’ schools created separate summaries of their sword techniques that they could not individually adapt them to suit each disciple’s unique nature.
“I told you since childhood. You do not understand the Family Head’s heart.”
“….”
“What this trap required was you alone. Because the Family Head cherishes and loves you more than anyone else.”
Nam Gung Poong’s expression twisted with mockery.
“Yet you never believed those words and always whined that the Family Head hated you.”
“Stop your nonsense!”
Enraged, Nam Goong Woon swung his blade with even greater ferocity.
And that was a movement that contradicted the essence of the Changgungs Bi Yeon Sword.
Consumed by fury, the rigid structure of the Changgungs Bi Yeon Sword’s forms grew somewhat loose.
‘Now!’
Seizing the opening, Nam Gung Poong extended his Golden Needle Sword.
Crack!
The tip of the Golden Needle Sword shattered, hurtling toward Nam Goong Woon’s throat.
This was the secret killing technique that Poong Elder had transmitted to him—the Severing Sword Form.
“Tch!”
Nam Goong Woon twisted his body as the sharp wind of the blade cut toward his throat.
Thunk.
A razor-sharp fragment of the sword embedded itself deeply into his shoulder instead.
“Hahahaha!”
Nam Gung Poong seized the opportunity and unfurled the Sovereign Sword Form once more.
Whooom!
An enormous pressure bore down upon Nam Goong Woon. In this state, he intended to shatter Nam Goong Woon’s meridians in a single stroke and end his life.
Thud.
In the end, Nam Goong Woon dropped to one knee.
Once caught within a perfect Sovereign Sword Form, one could neither swing a blade nor resist. Every space in which movement was possible had been completely dominated.
Nam Gung Poong had mastered the profound mysteries of the Sovereign Sword Form under the guidance of Poong Elder long ago.
Trembling.
Nam Goong Woon attempted to rise using his inner energy, but his body merely quivered like an aspen leaf.
Footsteps.
Nam Gung Poong approached slowly and looked down at the kneeling Nam Goong Woon.
“Farewell.”
Thunk.
But the blade Nam Gung Poong extended did not pierce Nam Goong Woon’s throat—instead, it had embedded itself in Namgung Jeong’s shoulder, who had slipped between them.
“Ugh.”
Namgung Jeong cried out sharply as Nam Gung Poong’s blade pierced him.
The sword’s tip carried such potent inner force that even a wound to the forearm instead of the shoulder would have severed his vital meridians.
“Gah!”
Yet Namgung Jeong gritted his teeth and shattered the Golden Needle Sword embedded in his shoulder with his bare hand.
Clang!
In the same instant, he cried out sharply.
“Swallows Resting in the Hall!”
At Namgung Jeong’s words, Nam Goong Woon’s mind cleared and he extended his blade.
In the enemy’s moment of carelessness, he unleashed the supreme technique of the Changgungs Bi Yeon Sword in an instant—Swallows Resting in the Hall.
Splash!
Blood sprayed from Nam Gung Poong’s neck.
But unfortunately, his sharp reflexes prevented the blade from severing his carotid artery.
“These bastards…”
Nam Gung Poong placed his hand near his bleeding neck, his eyes blazing with fury.
Had he not instinctively evaded this sword technique, he would have been crossing Sam Do Cheon by now.
“I’ll kill you for real!”
Murderous intent erupted from Nam Gung Poong’s eyes.
Without bothering to use his hands, he intended to unleash a torrent of sword strikes to sever both their necks in one breath.
But then,
Splash. Crackle.
The stone wall behind Nam Goong Woon suddenly crumbled.
A deep boom echoed through the chamber.
As the wall split apart entirely, a single silhouette emerged from the darkness.
It was Bu Eunseol.
Upon spotting Bu Eunseol, Nam Goong Woon instinctively called out her true family name.
“Bu!”
“You’ve endured well.”
Bu Eunseol gazed at Nam Goong Woon and gave a slight nod.
That single glance was enough to ease all of Nam Goong Woon’s anxieties.
Now it was finished.
Everything else could be entrusted to Bu Eunseol.
“So you’re no ordinary vagrant.”
Nam Gung Poong stared at the shattered stone wall Bu Eunseol had destroyed.
To breach the Underground Facility in such a manner required martial prowess capable of tearing mountains asunder.
“There were quite a few suspicious rabble scattered about.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with perfect composure.
“Dealing with each one individually would have consumed too much time, so I came through here instead.”
Even at Bu Eunseol’s arrival, Nam Gung Poong showed no surprise, merely offering a cold smile.
“You possess yet another identity, don’t you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not particularly.”
Nam Gung Poong’s smile turned sinister.
“I constructed this facility long ago in case such circumstances arose—to ensure no martial master within the Namgung Family could surpass me.”
A metallic click rang out.
Suddenly, a sound of metal resonated from the lofty ceiling above.
Across the inverted ceiling hung countless black spheres, clustered together like dewdrops.
Simultaneously, an enormous iron gate erupted from the floor, materializing directly before Nam Gung Poong.
“Those are—”
Nam Goong Woon’s eyes widened.
Suspended from the ceiling were Heavenly Collapse Burst Orbs, weapons capable of demolishing an iron fortress with a single detonation.
Caught in such an explosion without any inner energy to shield oneself would mean instant annihilation.
A deafening whoosh erupted.
Before anyone could react, the darkened Heavenly Collapse Burst Orbs cascaded downward in torrents.
“Woon!”
In that instant, Namgung Jeong, who had been sitting helplessly, summoned every ounce of strength to rise and embrace Nam Goong Woon’s body.
He was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant Nam Goong Woon would survive.
A catastrophic explosion erupted.
Light so blinding it threatened to sear the eyes accompanied a deafening roar that shook the entire chamber.
The shockwave continued to reverberate.
The blast was so violent that even the massive iron gate erected before Nam Gung Poong buckled and began glowing red-hot from the intense heat.
Crack.
The Iron Gate finally gave way under the explosive force, rupturing with a gaping hole torn through its center.
‘That should do it.’
Nam Gung Poong nodded, observing the destruction before him.
This trap possessed an explosive force that no mere mortal of flesh and blood could possibly endure.
Whoosh.
Smoke that had been trapped behind the ruptured Iron Gate dispersed in all directions.
A smile played across Nam Gung Poong’s lips as he watched the scene unfold.
If he managed to conclude this matter cleanly, Nam Goong Woon and Namgung Jeong would be declared missing, and he would ascend to the position of family head without delay.
“The head of the Namgung Family need not envy the position of Murim Alliance Master—at least not within the limited domain of Gangnam.”
As he murmured softly and turned to leave,
Crackle.
Black lightning flickered through the gray smoke, and an astonishing sight revealed itself.
Within the inner stone wall, a dark sphere had formed, and standing unharmed within it were Bu Eunseol and Nam Goong Woon.
Not a single scratch marred them—they stood completely uninjured.

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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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