The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 390
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 390.
Bu Eunseol shrugged as she heard the assassin’s frantic cry.
“You caught on quickly.”
The Assassin Leader’s eyes filled with blood vessels.
“Hand over the Boeun Coin willingly! Then I’ll let you keep your life!”
The blade sang as it was drawn.
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol unsheathed her dark sword.
“Hmph, if you wish to die, then so be it….”
The Assassin Leader, who had been sneering, suddenly froze as his gaze locked onto the dark blade.
“The Eternal Shadow Sword?”
The Murim possessed many renowned divine blades, and their wielders had earned legendary reputations across generations.
The moment the Assassin Leader recognized the Eternal Shadow Sword, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
Could this arrogant fool before him be the young Grand Master of the Demonic Path whom one must never confront?
‘It cannot be.’
Bu Eunseol possessed conditions that inevitably deceived Murim practitioners.
Her features were delicate and her frame impossibly slender, and the aura of true energy that naturally radiated from Murim masters was completely absent from her.
In short, before revealing her true martial prowess, she possessed an appearance and presence that even Black Gang thugs would scoff at.
“This is something that must be dealt with eventually. Let us begin at once.”
At that moment, crimson light blazed from her eyes, and a tremendous wave of true energy surged from her entire body.
She had resolved to annihilate the assassins of the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.
The air trembled.
The true energy flowing from Bu Eunseol’s body caused the sky itself to darken, and a suffocating pressure descended upon all directions.
This was a display of power unlike anything witnessed before.
“The successor of the Demon Palace…”
The assassin’s voice trembled with shock as he finally recognized Bu Eunseol’s identity.
“So you are the Master of the Muhonjung.”
The Assassin Leader, muttering softly, clasped his hands together in resignation.
Though the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon was a formidable sect, its headquarters lay in the Western Regions. There was no need for them to antagonize the successor of the Demon Palace, which ruled the Demonic Path of Zhong Yuan.
“I am Da Ri Gon, the Assassin Master of the Shadowless Killing sect.”
The Assassin Leader, Da Ri Gon, spoke in fluent Common Tongue.
….
As Bu Eunseol stood silent without response, Da Ri Gon cleared his throat and spoke.
“You have no grievance with our sect. Why would you wish to become our enemy?”
Da Ri Gon’s expression was courteous, but his eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a blade.
“If you make an enemy of our sect, it will bring you no benefit either.”
It was common knowledge throughout the entire Murim that Bu Eunseol had not yet solidified a perfect succession structure.
She was still in conflict with several of the Ten Demonic Gates.
“Should you become our enemy, it would adversely affect your position as successor.”
Da Ri Gon’s confident expression turned ice-cold the moment Bu Eunseol’s lips moved.
“I have no intention of sparing beasts who would kill children without hesitation for mere coin.”
From his eyes poured forth a blood-red radiance that seemed to dye the entire world crimson.
“Today, I will eliminate all of you. And afterward, I shall methodically dismantle the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.”
Da Ri Gon’s gaze shifted.
The successor of the Demon Hall publicly declaring the annihilation of the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon—this meant there was no longer room for negotiation.
“How unfortunate.”
Da Ri Gon’s narrow eyes sharpened like piercing spears.
“We have no choice but to slaughter them all and bury the evidence.”
Glint!
In that instant, a brilliant flash of light accompanied a silver spear as it streaked past Da Ri Gon’s side with tremendous speed.
“Aaahhh!”
Simultaneously, a piercing scream tore through the air.
The spear had found its mark in Bu Sal Ju, who commanded the formation array from behind Da Ri Gon.
So Yo had unleashed Dragon Fang, the secret technique of the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon, piercing Bu Sal Ju’s forehead in a single, devastating strike.
“You wench!”
Da Ri Gon spat out a curse, his voice trembling with rage.
“You dare use our sect’s supreme secret art to slaughter our own assassins!”
“Assassins have no sect.”
So Yo spoke with cold, unwavering eyes.
“Kill or be killed—that is our creed.”
“Tch.”
Da Ri Gon clenched both fists before gripping his curved blade.
“You will surely….”
But the words never came.
Bu Eunseol, descending like a great roc, had already begun scattering sword qi in all directions.
Screeeech!
The sword qi, which had been visible in its deliberate slowness, transformed into violet brilliance accompanied by a sharp, piercing wail.
Heavenly Thunder Unmatched had been unleashed.
Thud thud thud.
In that same instant, the heads of five assassins standing at the front fell to the ground in rapid succession.
“Scatter!”
The assassins, caught off guard by the sudden assault, hastily retreated while unleashing a torrent of Baek Ryeol projectiles.
Even the most formidable master would be helpless against such a massive barrage of projectiles unleashed simultaneously.
But there was one thing they had utterly failed to anticipate…
Since Bu Eunseol had begun her journey through Gangho, she had faced countless assassins wielding hidden weapons, and she was the foremost expert in one-against-many combat.
Moreover, with the Beast Path allowing her to sense any attack in advance, Bu Eunseol was nothing less than the grim reaper incarnate to these assassins.
Whoosh!
Countless Baek Ryeol projectiles rained down, yet Bu Eunseol evaded them without deploying her movement technique, standing calmly as she slipped past each one.
From the wind’s flow and the piercing wails alone, she could discern the angle and velocity of each projectile with perfect clarity.
Ping! Ping!
Meanwhile, So Yo’s spears found their marks one after another, piercing through the brows of the assassins.
She targeted the assassins of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon, yet her true purpose was to create openings for Bu Eunseol to fight comfortably at close range.
She ceaselessly disrupted their formations and severed their momentum.
Bu Eunseol, in turn, spread her sword net wide to severely restrict the assassins’ attacks, allowing her partner to dominate the battlefield freely.
“Damn them!”
Da Ri Gon bit his lip.
The assassins of Baek Ryeol Sal Moon wielded ranged weapons, and by their very nature, their power increased exponentially with greater numbers.
Yet as two exceptional masters executed a flawless combination as if they were one body, the mysterious hidden projectiles known as Baek Ryeol Jeon failed to display their true might.
Bu Eunseol and So Yo.
The two moved as one without exchanging a single word or glance.
As if they had spent a lifetime perfecting their coordinated techniques, they achieved perfect harmony between close and ranged combat…
It was a level beyond even Baek Ryeol Jeon—a defense so flawless that not a single drop of water could find purchase.
“Excellent!”
Da Ri Gon clenched his teeth and raised his left hand, spreading his palm wide.
It was a hand signal to the assassins.
Shaaack!
The assassins, who had been relentlessly unleashing Baek Ryeol Jeon, widened their distance further, then suddenly poured a dark, murky energy projectile toward Bu Eunseol.
Then So Yo, who had been circling Bu Eunseol while unleashing arrows, spoke in a low voice.
“Black Crack Fire Burst. I’ll handle it.”
From the name alone, Bu Eunseol could discern that these projectiles contained an enormous quantity of gunpowder.
Click.
So Yo swiftly drew a silver arrow from her sleeve—one she had not yet used, a Baek Ryeol Jeon of the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.
Whoosh!
A single arrow transformed into a hundred needle-like projectiles, colliding with dozens of Black Crack Fire Bursts descending upon them.
Boom boom boom!
With the sound of explosions, dozens of Black Crack Fire Bursts detonated endlessly in mid-air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
So Yo switched back to ordinary arrows and fired them in rapid succession.
Swoosh!
The arrows that had been flying in straight lines suddenly curved in a gentle arc, striking the quivers of assassins carrying Black Crack Fire Bursts.
Crash!
A dozen assassins who were about to unleash Black Crack Fire Bursts were engulfed in explosions and burst into flames all at once.
Divine Bow.
So Yo’s archery technique had truly reached the realm of the divine.
Whoosh!
Once So Yo eliminated the assassins unleashing Black Crack Fire Bursts, Bu Eunseol advanced through the flames, deploying her sword technique.
“Scatter!”
As Bu Eunseol reached point-blank range, the assassins unfolded a misty movement technique to escape her attack radius.
But it was nothing more than a futile wish.
“Ugh.”
“Kgh.”
Bu Eunseol’s Formless Heavenly Stream had continuously evolved through countless encounters with masters.
Where once he had blended multiple techniques to amplify his power, now he infused the principles of martial arts themselves, elevating his strength to an entirely new realm.
Even when he unleashed the simplest of moves, the assassins could not block a single strike…
Each technique carried overwhelming internal force, and even a glancing blow left them in an irreversible state of ruin.
Thud, thud, thud.
More than half of the eighty-some assassins had already fallen.
“Tch.”
Da Ri Gon ground his teeth.
Bu Eunseol and So Yo’s combined assault unleashed the power of thunder and lightning in perfect balance.
If this continued, all the elite assassins under his command would be slaughtered.
“Mark my words! Even if I must gather every elite assassin from our sect, I will never let you two wretches escape!”
Da Ri Gon, his gaze fixed upon Bu Eunseol and So Yo, roared with fury.
“Retreat!”
Boom.
Yet from somewhere, a tremendous vibration echoed through the air.
The tremor was so deep and resonant that upon hearing it, one’s heart seemed to drop into one’s legs.
Screeeech!
In that same instant, a net-like web of sword energy cascaded from the heavens, descending upon the assassins who were withdrawing.
Crash!
As the net-like sword energy struck the ground, its range expanded to cover some thirty paces.
Craaash!
Blood sprayed from the bodies of assassins caught within the expanding sword energy.
Thud, thud, thud.
Only a dozen or so assassins, including Da Ri Gon, managed to escape the range of the sword energy.
The remaining assassins lay on the ground, their bodies severed into dozens of pieces.
Tap.
At that same moment, a massive shadow descended from the sky to the earth.
Whoosh.
As the crouched figure rose, it seemed as though the moon hanging in the night sky had been blotted out.
This was no mere human—it appeared as though a colossal being had descended to devour the entire world.
Thump, thump.
As the shadow stepped forward, the form of a middle-aged man with a massive frame slowly came into view.
His physique was that of a bear, yet his waist was long and slender like a tiger’s.
His entire being radiated an aura that overwhelmed even Mount Tai itself, and his eyes gleamed with the brilliance of a blazing torch.
He continuously emanated a presence so suffocating that merely beholding it caused one’s breath to catch and one’s bones to shrivel.
“Why do the fools of the Western Regions come to frolic in Zhong Yuan?”
A voice as low and resonant as that of a flame king reverberated through the forest.
“You are…”
Da Ri Gon’s eyes widened as he recognized the middle-aged man’s face.
“Jo Cheon Wang.”
Da Ri Gon trembled as if he had seen a ghost.
Jo Cheon Wang, the Sword Emperor.
One of the seven pillars supporting the Murim Alliance—the greatest master of the Orthodox Sects—had suddenly appeared before his eyes.
“I have merely come to Zhong Yuan to eliminate a traitor.”
Da Ri Gon’s voice quivered.
Though Bu Eunseol was said to be the next ruler of the Demonic Path, his current authority could not command all the forces of the Demon Hall at will.
But Jo Cheon Wang was one of the supreme masters who currently dominated the Orthodox Sects, and the supreme authority who held the Wu Tian Duan—one of the seven great halls of the Murim Alliance—in his grasp.
If I fell from his favor, the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon could face an all-out assault from the Murim Alliance itself.
“I harbor no intention of making an enemy of Jo Dan Ju.”
Da Ri Gon spoke in a servile tone despite having lost dozens of his subordinates to his hand.
“This Sal Ju will depart quietly as things stand.”
“Hmph.”
Jo Cheon Wang let out a low scoff and spoke.
“Do not linger in Zhong Yuan henceforth.”
‘Just wait. I will surely demonstrate the power of my sect to you wretches.’
But that was merely a thought in his heart.
“Understood.”
Da Ri Gon bowed and immediately withdrew with the remaining assassins.
“It has been a long time.”
As the assassins of the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon departed, Jo Cheon Wang gazed down at Bu Eunseol with a smile tinged with murderous intent.
“Now that the flesh has ripened sufficiently, it seems the time to devour it has arrived.”
In the past, Jo Cheon Wang had publicly declared he would take his revenge when Bu Eunseol’s reputation and martial prowess grew great enough to be worthy of his hand.
And now he was saying that time had finally come.
“Were those assassins from the Wu Tian Duan?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Jo Cheon Wang’s brow furrowed.
“What are you saying?”
“Have you not continuously sent assassins from the Murim Alliance? Preventing me from reaching Seong Do or the villages?”
“I know not what you speak of.”
Jo Cheon Wang spoke in a low voice.
“What I commanded my subordinates was merely to discover your whereabouts and identify an opportune moment for confrontation.”
Bu Eunseol fell into deep contemplation.
If those words were true, it could only mean the Murim Alliance had sent assassins against Bu Eunseol without Jo Cheon Wang’s knowledge.
Even though he clearly knew Jo Cheon Wang intended to face him in battle.
‘He is one who values honor and righteousness, one who even postponed his own son’s revenge. He would never lie.’
After witnessing the confrontation between Bu Eunseol and Cheon Geom, Jo Cheon Wang had judged him to be far beneath his own level.
Moreover, considering propriety, it would be like tormenting a child. Because of this, he had even postponed his son’s revenge—a true practitioner of the Orthodox Path.
Such a man would never resort to using assassins so crudely to observe his martial arts or weaken his strength.
‘Is the Murim Alliance like that as well?’
Bu Eunseol gave a faint nod.
When one considered it, that dark underworld force possessed enough power and authority to make even Samma’s disciples into puppets.
There was no way such individuals were not embedded within the leadership of the Murim Alliance.
‘Hwa Mil Won Ju must have been one of their puppets.’
In the past, I had infiltrated the Murim Alliance, and together with Jip Beop So Ryeong, eliminated Hwa Mil Won Ju, a pawn being manipulated by the Dark Underworld Forces.
But thinking about it, there was no way they would send only Hwa Mil Won Ju as a pawn.
Just like the Demon Hall, the Murim Alliance surely had Dark Underworld Force operatives embedded throughout—it was far too obvious.
“Shall we begin?”
Jo Cheon Wang drew the precious sword from his waist.
Immediately, a formidable aura surged to the heavens, and the very air of the world seemed to grow heavy as lead.
“Will that foreign woman join in as well?”
At Jo Cheon Wang’s words, I turned my gaze toward So Yo.
“This is my duel. Step aside.”
So Yo did not answer, but instead met my eyes.
In that gaze lay emotions I had never seen before, a complex mixture of feelings.
What I could clearly discern among them was a deep sense of ‘concern’.
Whoosh.
Yet contrary to that look, So Yo swiftly unfolded her divine technique and soared into the sky above, vanishing from sight.
Jo Cheon Wang, watching her depart, spoke in a low voice.
“I’ll grant you the first strike.”
His low voice carried a thick, seeping killing intent.
“If I attack first, this duel would be no fun.”
From his perspective, I was an irreconcilable blood enemy who had slain his beloved only son.
To speak such words with a calm expression at this very moment, when he was about to finally begin the revenge he had waited for so long—was it not remarkable?
‘A bearing I must surely learn.’
To maintain composure while facing an enemy you wish to tear apart is never an easy feat.
I stood before a formidable foe who threatened my very life, yet I sought lessons in this confrontation.
“Unnecessary.”
Shing.
As I drew my dark sword, the surrounding air seemed to ignite with scorching heat.
“Attack first.”
A swordsman’s battle begins with momentum.
I was unleashing an intense aura to shatter Jo Cheon Wang’s overwhelming presence.
Jo Cheon Wang’s epithet was the Imperial Dragon Sword.
It was both the name of the cherished blade he wielded and the name of the sword technique he had created.
However, the name “Imperial Dragon Sword Technique” was not one he had given himself.
The countless masters who had faced him had unanimously praised it, saying it was as if a dragon that ruled the heavens had descended with his swordsmanship.
“So be it.”
Before his words even finished, Jo Cheon Wang’s Imperial Dragon Sword was already cleaving toward my head.
The distance between us had originally been about three zhang.
Yet Jo Cheon Wang had closed that gap in an instant, as if our noses would touch.
‘The Beast Path did not activate?’
My Beast Path Technique, which could sense even the flow of air itself, had always allowed me to perceive an enemy’s movements with ease and anticipate them beforehand.
Moreover, I was staring directly ahead with both eyes wide open.
Yet I could not detect how Jo Cheon Wang had approached so close.
Clang!
With the clear metallic ring, my brow furrowed deeply.
The moment the Silent Sword and the Dragon Slaying Sword collided, my entire internal organs trembled, and it felt as though my heart had dropped beneath my feet.
It was not a difference in inner power.
The pressure and vibration flowing from the Dragon Slaying Sword had struck directly through my body’s interior.
‘He is wielding Sword Resonance.’
Jo Cheon Wang’s swordsmanship was not merely exceptional; he was unleashing a formidable Sword Resonance that a human body could scarcely endure.
Each strike carried overwhelming force infused within it.
I bit my lip.
I could defend against the swordsmanship itself, but that invisible sword wind—I could not block it.
In other words, each time my blade clashed with Jo Cheon Wang’s, my body would inevitably be shaken.
‘If this continues, I will eventually suffer severe internal injuries.’
“Impressive. In terms of inner power alone, you surpass the Clan Lord himself.”
As our blades met, Jo Cheon Wang’s eyes gleamed with apparent surprise.
“Such a thing would be impossible even if one consumed vitality elixirs like rice.”
Before his words finished, Jo Cheon Wang closed the distance between us once more.
There was no time to deploy my movement technique.
I had no choice but to raise the Silent Sword and meet the Dragon Slaying Sword.
Clang!
As blade struck blade, I furrowed my brow once again.
My inner power was actually superior, yet the sword wind from the Dragon Slaying Sword and the Sword Resonance contained within it shook my internal organs violently once more.
‘A new technique.’
I had fought countless masters and experienced various sword techniques throughout my life.
But I had never encountered a method that raised Sword Resonance like wind, shaking an opponent’s body with vibrations and inflicting internal injuries.
‘This man must also be well-versed in the Formless Heavenly Flow and the Resonant Truth Formation.’
Jo Cheon Wang was someone who had witnessed my duel with Cheon Geom without missing a detail.
He must have observed my Formless Heavenly Flow and Resonant Truth Formation techniques meticulously.
Whoosh!
In that moment, the Dragon Slaying Sword Jo Cheon Wang wielded twisted at a subtle angle.
It was a technique designed to invite a collision while simultaneously unleashing sword wind upon my body once more.
Zing!
Suddenly, a strange vibration resonated from my Silent Sword.
At the same time, it began tearing apart the incoming sword wind like sheets of paper.
I had utilized the mysteries of the Myriad Forms Eclipse’s Dual Counter Force to materialize the formless sword wind into something tangible.
“You have stolen Geom Joon’s swordsmanship.”
Jo Cheon Wang showed little surprise even as I employed the mysteries of Myriad Forms Eclipse.
“Then let us play with this instead.”
For decades, Jo Cheon Wang’s mastery of swordsmanship and combat tactics—honed through his dominion over Murim—were so refined that I could not hope to match his experience.
The moment I extinguished his sword wind using the subtleties of the Heavenly River Force, Jo Cheon Wang shifted his technique once more.
Clang!
The Silent Sword and the Dragon Slayer Blade clashed again.
This time, though no sword wind erupted, I furrowed my brow in frustration.
‘He knows my technique changes in advance?’
Something impossible was unfolding before me.
Every time I attempted to unfold my swordsmanship, Jo Cheon Wang anticipated each variation of my opening move with uncanny precision…
He was interrupting my technique before it could fully manifest.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————