The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 42

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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 42
What is the pinnacle of liberation?
I had long believed I had already tasted the pinnacle of liberation.
After all, I had enjoyed playing dead in a narrow coffin for extended periods.
What would happen if a living person lay down inside a coffin?
At first, there is only suffocation.
But as time passes, one feels the illusion of invisible, rigid ropes constricting the entire body.
When even that time passes, breath becomes shallow alongside the sensation of nostrils and mouth sealed shut. And when consciousness begins to fade, stepping back into the world brings an indescribable sense of liberation.
‘Was what I felt then not liberation?’
Bu Eunseol, having emerged from the Demon Palace.
Only now did I truly taste the pinnacle of liberation.
The White Horse Sect and Hwawoo Sword Sect—both had sought my death by any means. I had barely escaped the snares they laid.
Afterward, having suffered grievous wounds and barely awakened, I found myself at the mercy of an unfathomable celestial demon who toyed with my life as though it were a game, holding my very lifeline in their grasp.
Had I stumbled even for a moment, I would have walked the path to the underworld itself, not merely the road of the coffin.
―A carriage has been prepared for you.
But was it due to the unexpected outcome?
When I emerged unscathed, the Demon Palace sent an ancient horse and an even more ancient coachman.
Yet I felt no disappointment.
Upon returning to Nangya Sect, I would once again dance between the threshold of death while cultivating martial arts.
So what if the journey back took a little longer? Such was my thought.
Another blessing was that I had received ample travel funds when departing Nangya Sect.
―I shall return alone.
If I wished, I could purchase a carriage and coachman for the journey back.
Having escaped the Demon Palace alone, I decided to tour the nearby villages before returning.
Yeol Rae Inn.
This was where I stopped after wandering about, seeking to satisfy my hunger.
A low murmur of voices filled the space.
Perhaps due to the Demon Palace’s proximity, most of those occupying the inn appeared to be martial artists of the Demonic Path.
Though some occasionally cast glances my way, since I carried no weapons, they seemed to regard me as merely a casual traveler.
“Come again soon.”
With my belly thoroughly satisfied, I stepped outside the inn.
Then I made my way deeper into the marketplace to seek out a carriage.
Ordinarily I would have walked briskly, but now I strolled through the marketplace with the leisurely gait of a local gentleman.
Yet the more I observed my surroundings, the more an odd sense of discord crept over me. And I realized a truth I had not grasped until now.
That peaceful scenery felt unfamiliar to me.
‘I have changed.’
Since leaving the Pyeong-an Funeral House, my days had been consumed entirely by martial cultivation or combat.
I had transitioned far too abruptly from the life of a mortician to that of a martial artist.
‘Yet this… is not what I desired.’
I gazed down at my own hands.
These hands are stained with the blood of countless boys and girls who had participated in the Ten Demon Experts tournament.
This was never what I desired.
A pause.
My footsteps faltered as I walked lost in thought.
An uncomfortable yet peculiar sensation.
It was the gaze of a predator stalking its prey.
‘I should have obtained a sword from the Demon Palace.’
The iron blade I had brought from Nangya Sect had shattered into two pieces when I blocked Go Gun Pyeong’s final technique, and I had left it behind in the Demon Palace.
Sighing, I changed direction and headed toward the blacksmith’s forge at the end of the merchant district.
“Are you looking for a weapon?”
The blacksmith, apparently taking me for a traveling youth, grinned and pointed to a display counter lined with weapons.
“Light swords suit young people best.”
On the counter the blacksmith indicated lay long swords gleaming with brilliant luster.
A soft sound.
As I picked up one of the long swords, I frowned.
Though the appearance was passable, the blade was far too thin and the weight distribution was completely off. It would shatter instantly if it clashed with another weapon.
In short, it was the perfect sword to hang as decoration in a wealthy merchant’s son’s chamber.
“Do you have anything cheaper? Even used swords are acceptable.”
At my words, the blacksmith’s face fell, and he pointed to several boxes placed at the end of the counter.
“Pick one from there. Whatever you choose, I’ll sell it for five silver coins.”
A large box contained layers of worn swords stacked upon one another.
Most were rusted, and many lacked sheaths.
As I rummaged through the stacked swords, I picked up one covered in rust.
It was so worn and corroded that it looked like an unfinished sword that had barely retained its form.
“I’ll take this one.”
“That one?”
The blacksmith’s conscience stirred, and scratching his head, he offered me an iron sword from another box.
“Use this instead. If you’re actually going to cut something with it.”
“No, I’ll take this one.”
I placed five silver coins on the table and left the forge.
Then I departed the Village Entrance and moved toward a quiet forest path.
Step by step.
After walking leisurely for some time, I stopped when a vast Reed Field came into view.
Drawing a deep breath, I caught the metallic scent carried on the wind.
“Come out.”
I murmured softly, gazing toward the distant sky.
“Unless you’re searching for a better location than this.”
A rustling sound.
Then the reeds blooming all around swayed wildly, and suddenly Black Shadows materialized around me.
They appeared as if black mist was rising from the earth and taking human form.
“Hmm.”
I furrowed my brow.
The shadows that had revealed themselves all concealed their faces, and each carried identical swords.
They were unmistakably warriors belonging to the same sect.
“Your perception is quite sharp.”
Among the masked assassins, the one who appeared to be their leader stepped forward.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“You know of me.”
“Of course. We know you’re some sort of expert, and….”
The Masked Assassin spoke with gleaming eyes.
“In three years or so, you’ll become a Demon Lord and ravage the martial world.”
“Nonsense.”
“Nonsense?”
The Masked Assassin’s voice turned sharp.
“Don’t you understand that the more beings like you grow stronger, the more the Demon Palace and the Demonic Path flourish?”
‘The Demon Palace and the Demonic Path….’
I had chosen to become a martial artist for revenge alone. I was no bloodthirsty Sal Gwi.
I had no desire to entangle myself in sectarian interests or power struggles, nor did I seek fame.
“Do you wish to kill me.”
“Kill you? What a misunderstanding.”
The Masked Assassin chuckled softly, regarding me.
“Your life and death rest in our hands. It’s not that we wish to kill you—your death is already decided.”
“Life and death in your hands?”
In that instant, killing intent blazed from my eyes.
Those who proclaimed themselves strong, who deluded themselves into believing they could command the fates of others—I despised such creatures above all.
“Hehehehe. The strong command the destiny of the weak. That is the martial world.”
I nodded at the Masked Assassin’s words.
“Then I shall command yours as well.”
Crimson blood-light blazed from my eyes.
“Your lives end today!”
At my killing intent-laden cry, the Masked Assassin shouted to his companions.
“Deploy the formation!”
Whoosh.
The masked assassins surrounding me split into two lines, one circling left and one circling right in spinning motions.
Scrape.
Drawing my iron sword, I thrust it toward the spinning masked assassins.
Crack!
But before I could fully execute my technique, the tip of my blade curved and rebounded as if struck by an invisible force.
‘A peculiar formation technique.’
It was as though an unseen power had deflected my sword.
From somewhere amid the chaos, a sharp blade aura streaked toward Bu Eunseol’s shoulder.
Slash!
Her garment tore, and a faint line of blood traced across her shoulder.
The Masked Assassins moved in disorienting patterns, creating endless afterimages, making it impossible for Bu Eunseol to discern where the blade auras were pouring from.
Slash, slash!
Sharp blade auras erupted once more.
Bu Eunseol swiftly evaded the attacks and attempted counterstrikes, but her blade kept deflecting away.
The Masked Assassins’ movements—swinging their swords while shifting chaotically—complemented each other’s weaknesses perfectly.
‘They’ve spent considerable time mastering coordinated attacks together.’
What the Masked Assassins employed was the Orthodox Sects’ supreme technique: the Returning Killing Membrane Formation.
However, Bu Eunseol, who had never studied formation techniques, merely assumed they had meticulously refined some remarkable collaborative swordsmanship.
Whoosh.
Then a blade suddenly appeared, grazing Bu Eunseol’s shoulder once more.
“…?”
In that instant, a flicker of confusion crossed her eyes.
The techniques were exceptionally sharp, yet not truly lethal strikes. Their intent was solely to target the Shoulder Well acupoint and render her combat-ineffective.
‘This isn’t Demonic Path swordsmanship.’
Though their movements appeared relentless and vicious on the surface, the Masked Assassins’ blade techniques focused far more on targeting vital acupoints in the limbs than on severing life itself.
‘It matters not to me.’
Bu Eunseol felt no curiosity about who these assassins were or why they sought her death.
‘The martial world has always been a place of killing and being killed.’
A deep hum resonated.
As Bu Eunseol drew upon her inner energy, crimson light points erupted around her body, and her senses amplified a hundredfold.
She had unleashed all the inner energy and bestial instincts she had held in reserve until now.
Flash!
Her eyes widened, and the blade auras of the Masked Assassins—previously invisible—became crystal clear.
They appeared to move erratically, yet they followed a fixed footwork and blade pattern.
‘Fascinating. They’re simply repeating the same movements according to a set pattern.’
The moment a formation is broken, it becomes nothing but useless motion.
Having grasped that they repeated fixed movements, a smile bloomed on Bu Eunseol’s lips.
Clang!
Bu Eunseol extended her blade directly toward the center of the spinning Masked Assassins.
Immediately, blades rained down from all directions. Yet Bu Eunseol pressed forward without hesitation.
‘They’re all feints anyway.’
Boom!
In that instant, the spinning Masked Assassins’ movements halted.
One of them had deviated from the formation pattern to block Bu Eunseol’s attack.
“Do not panic!”
The leader of the Masked Assassins, believing Bu Eunseol had discovered the formation’s weakness, called out loudly.
“Deploy the Secondary Formation!”
The Masked Assassins then began moving in chaotic patterns, unleashing a torrent of blade strikes.
But I had already pushed the Wild Beast Blade to its absolute limit.
No matter how erratically the Masked Assassins moved, identifying their openings proved effortless.
‘Their coordination is impressive, but the gap in skill between individual Masked Assassins is considerable.’
They moved like scattered constellations across the night sky, yet when several of their footwork patterns faltered, their vulnerabilities became immediately apparent.
‘It seems we’ve reached the end.’
As the tedious exchanges continued, I finally extended the Killing Strike.
“Aaahhh!”
As my blade cleaved through the air, one of the chaotically moving Masked Assassins clutched at their neck, releasing a harrowing scream.
In that lightning-fast instant, the carotid artery near their neck had been severed.
‘To perceive the flaw in the Seven Star High Sword Formation in such a brief moment?’
Indeed, what the Masked Assassins were now executing was the Seven Star High Sword Formation.
To dismantle the Wudang Sect’s absolute formation—one that had never been broken before—in a single exchange?
‘The Demon Hall must have already transmitted the Orthodox Sects’ breaking techniques to the Ten Demon Experts!’
The leader of the Masked Assassins, who had gravely misjudged my abilities, ground his teeth.
“Deploy the Third Formation!”

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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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