The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 433

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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 433.
Jeok Mu Mi could not hide her bewildered expression.
“You’re refusing?”
“I came here to establish a good relationship between the Murim Alliance and Yeol Ha Sung Palace.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with courtesy but unmistakable resolve.
“But if you’re asking me to refuse the Palace Lord’s request without any regard for consequences, then establishing a good relationship with the Murim Alliance becomes an impossible dream.”
“Hmph, you’d do well to abandon any thoughts of making peace.”
Jeok Mu Mi spoke with confidence.
“The Palace Lord would never entertain such an idea.”
“That remains to be seen.”
“Can you persuade her with the status of a third-rank Lord?”
“Perhaps.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with assurance.
“After all, Yeol Ha Sung Palace has never allowed outsiders to approach, yet they extended an invitation to me.”
Jeok Mu Mi’s eyes narrowed.
Only then did she perceive that Bu Eunseol possessed not merely martial prowess and cunning, but also remarkable audacity.
“You will die.”
She spoke with a tone of regret.
“My advice to refuse was also meant to preserve your life.”
“Is that so?”
“Does it sound like a jest?”
Realizing that Bu Eunseol could never be persuaded, Jeok Mu Mi’s lips curved into a cold smile.
“Brilliant minds like yours often fall into delusion. You believe you can master and manipulate every situation.”
She turned her body away and spoke coldly.
“Do as you wish. Even if you refuse, there are alternatives.”
Then, without hesitation, she unfurled a secret movement technique and vanished.
As Jeok Mu Mi disappeared like a phantom, Bu Eunseol gazed out the window with a deep sigh.
“I will die, she said.”
Deep in thought, I found myself nodding with something akin to satisfaction.
“That means she’s about to ask for something so difficult it demands risking one’s life.”
And I allowed a faint smile to grace my lips.
“How fortunate.”
If Palace Lord Hwa Jeong were to make such a perilous request?
Then I too could strongly demand peace from Palace Lord Hwa Jeong. Since nothing in this world is free, I might even accomplish something unexpectedly grand.
The next day.
Bu Eunseol received a summons from Palace Lord Hwa Jeong and was ascending Chuk Yung Mountain, a massive stone peak at the North Gate.
The purpose was to reach the Sacred Fire Platform at the midpoint of Chuk Yung Mountain, where Yeolha Seongjun had once cultivated his martial arts.
Yet something seemed amiss.
I had expected the Palace Lord to arrive with several disciples in attendance.
Instead, Palace Lord Hwa Jeong stood there alone.
“Palace Lord.”
“You’ve arrived.”
Hwa Jeong greeted Bu Eunseol with a warm smile.
“I apologize for summoning you so suddenly. There is something I absolutely must show to Lord Seon Woo.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“Then shall we go?”
Hwa Jeong and Bu Eunseol walked side by side into the depths of the Sacred Fire Platform.
Though called a platform, the ground was far from flat—it was jagged and uneven, with peculiar stones scattered throughout.
As they walked, the two exchanged formal pleasantries, inquiring about the circumstances of the Murim Alliance and Yeol Ha Sung Palace.
Before long, as they ventured deeper into the Sacred Fire Platform, a stone statue towering three zhang in height came into view.
An elderly man with eyes full of majesty stood tall, gazing down upon Tianxia itself. It was the appearance of the founding ancestor of Yeol Ha Sung Palace—Yeolha Seongjun.
“A magnificent statue indeed.”
As Bu Eunseol uttered her admiration, Hwa Jeong spoke with a grave expression.
“Time is short, so I shall speak plainly.”
Hwa Jeong, her gaze fixed upon the statue of Yeolha Seongjun, spoke in a low voice.
“Our palace has long harbored a legend of a Secret Palace. Within it, the Flame Wheel Divine Flute that Yeolha Seongjun once wielded is said to be hidden.”
A flute refers to a long pipe with holes carved into bamboo.
Could it be that Yeolha Seongjun possessed mastery in the musical arts as well?
“The Flame Wheel Divine Flute is no ordinary instrument. It is a divine treasure containing the extreme yang force that Yeolha Seongjun achieved—the Sacred Yeolha Qi.”
Hwa Jeong explained calmly.
“If one versed in extreme yang martial arts receives an infusion of the Sacred Yeolha Qi contained within the Flame Wheel Divine Flute, they can achieve the breakthrough of the Conception Vessel in a single stroke. Moreover, they would transform into a Sacred Fire Body capable of perfecting extreme yang martial arts.”
Bu Eunseol could not hide her astonishment.
“Such power exists within a mere flute?”
“Originally, the extreme yang martial arts of our palace were meant to be cultivated based upon the Sacred Yeolha Qi contained within the Flame Wheel Divine Flute.”
Having finished her explanation, Hwa Jeong gazed upon the statue and released a deep sigh.
“However, because we have been unable to locate that divine treasure until now, the martial arts of our palace have grown weaker with each passing generation.”
Upon finishing her words, her eyes gleamed as she spoke.
“But heaven has blessed us, and at last we have discovered the Secret Palace where the Flame Wheel Divine Flute lies hidden. It is here.”
She pointed to the opposite side of the colossal statue.
There lay an unremarkable heap of enormous stones piled upon one another.
“That is the entrance to the Secret Palace?”
“Indeed.”
Hwa Jeong drew in a deep breath and spoke.
“Yet despite finding the Secret Palace, we have been unable to enter it.”
“What do you mean?”
“To open the door of the Secret Palace, one must possess a Sacred Fire Body. This is because the long corridor leading into the Secret Palace is simultaneously inundated with the power of the Sacred Yeolha Qi and the Extreme Flame Wheel Qi—forces that only a Sacred Fire Body can endure.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew puzzled.
“Are you saying that among Yeol Ha Sung Palace, where extreme yang martial learning is the foundation of all arts, there is not a single person with a Sacred Fire Body?”
“Originally, there were. Three of them.”
Hwa Jeong spoke.
“The late Palace Lord and So Gung Ju both possessed the Sacred Fire Constitution from birth. However, Gwang Yang Ja, who was an elder, died abroad after committing atrocities, and So Gung Ju refuses to open the Secret Palace.”
“Why is that?”
Hwa Jeong sighed deeply before speaking.
“So Gung Ju harbors hatred toward the current Palace Lord. She misunderstands, believing the late Palace Lord’s sudden death was the current Palace Lord’s fault.”
She explained calmly.
“The late Palace Lord suffered severe internal injuries from the Yeolha Divine Force that circulated within his body during martial cultivation. Thus, he regularly consumed medicinal broth infused with Thousand-Year Snow Lotus Seeds.”
Hwa Jeong’s expression turned bitter.
“But when he passed away suddenly from a stroke, So Gung Ju blames me. She insists there was something wrong with the medicinal broth I had been preparing all along.”
‘So that was it.’
Now I finally understood Jeok Mu Mi’s defiant behavior.
She believed her stepmother, Hwa Jeong, had murdered her father to seize the Palace Lord’s position.
“Of course, if one wanders aimlessly through Gangho long enough, eventually someone with the Sacred Fire Constitution will be found. However, this Palace sought to invite you in order to open the Secret Palace as soon as possible.”
“Why do you believe I possess the Sacred Fire Constitution?”
I furrowed my brow.
My bones and frame were entirely ordinary, with no distinctive features that could be called any special constitution.
So why did Hwa Jeong believe I possessed the Sacred Fire Constitution?
“The Hwa Ryun Crystal, a treasure of this Palace, constantly emits Yeolha Divine Force. Therefore, an ordinary person cannot carry it on their body for more than half a double-hour.”
Hwa Jeong smiled as she spoke.
“But I heard that Lord Seon Woo carried the Hwa Ryun Crystal on his person when returning to the Murim Alliance. That journey took approximately four days, did it not?”
Only then did I understand why Hwa Jeong believed I possessed the Sacred Fire Constitution.
The Hwa Ryun Crystal could only be carried for extended periods by those with the Sacred Fire Constitution, who could withstand the Yeolha Divine Force.
Since I had carried the Hwa Ryun Crystal for four days while returning to the Murim Alliance, she naturally concluded I possessed the Sacred Fire Constitution.
‘So that was the reason.’
When I returned to the Murim Alliance back then, I had sensed a peculiar heat emanating from the Hwa Ryun Crystal.
However, because I had suppressed it with the Bing Ha Cheon Ryu Gyeol, I was able to carry it without difficulty.
But I never imagined it would lead to such a misunderstanding about the Sacred Fire Constitution.
‘The placement of Yeol Yang Jin Jade beneath my bed must have been to confirm once more whether I truly possessed the Sacred Fire Constitution.’
Only then did I understand why Yeol Yang Jin Jade had been placed beneath my bed.
‘So the Sacred Fire Constitution cannot be verified through pulse diagnosis—it’s determined by whether one can endure the Yeolha Divine Force.’
As I fell into thought, Hwa Jeong spoke again.
“Since we have finally discovered the Secret Palace, which has been a long-cherished desire, we had to find someone with the Sacred Fire Constitution as quickly as possible.”
“Then…”
“Open the door to the Secret Palace for me. If you do so, I will provide ample compensation.”
―You will die.
Jeok Mu Mi’s words suddenly flashed through my mind.
According to Hwa Jeong’s account, only those with the Sacred Fire Constitution could withstand the power of the Yeolha Divine Force and the Extreme Fire Wheel Force.
And Jeok Mu Mi herself possessed the Sacred Fire Constitution.
If merely opening the door and retrieving that flute would suffice, why would she refuse to do so?
It could only mean there were other terrifying traps hidden within the Secret Palace.
‘Then does Hwa Jeong intend to kill me as well? To keep the secret?’
That couldn’t be right.
No matter how low her rank, Bu Eunseol held the status of a Murim Alliance Lord. Would Yeol Ha Sung Palace truly execute a Murim Alliance Lord simply to keep secrets?
Such a thing was utterly unreasonable.
“When I spoke of compensation, I didn’t mean merely material wealth.”
As Bu Eunseol hesitated, Hwa Jeong spoke again.
“Our Palace and the Murim Alliance would become the very best of allies.”
Now I could see that she had grasped precisely what I desired.
‘I have no grounds to refuse.’
Even if opening the Secret Palace’s doors was fraught with peril, it mattered not.
If it could forge peace between the Murim Alliance and Yeol Ha Sung Palace, it held value beyond measure.
“Very well.”
As Bu Eunseol answered decisively, Hwa Jeong bowed with utmost courtesy.
“Thank you.”
She clasped both of my hands.
“Please, bring me the Hwa Ryun Divine Elixir without fail.”
Hwa Jeong’s demeanor was respectful, devoid of any arrogance.
A stark contrast to So Gung Ju and Jeok Mu Mi, who maintained their haughty gazes and condescending tone throughout.
Because of this, on the surface, Hwa Jeong appeared far more sincere and truthful.
“I shall ensure it is brought to you.”
“Shall we begin then?”
“Now, you mean?”
Bu Eunseol glanced around in surprise.
This was the task of opening the mystical Secret Palace, which had never been unsealed even once.
Yet they would proceed with just the two of them, without a single soul from Yeol Ha Sung Palace present?
“As they say, strike while the iron is hot.”
Hwa Jeong, as if reading my thoughts, offered a quiet smile.
“After all, this place is the sacred sanctuary of our Palace—none may set foot here save the Palace Lord and a select few elders. There is no one who could come here in the first place.”
Bu Eunseol, after a moment’s consideration, nodded.
“Understood. I shall begin at once.”
“Excellent.”
Hwa Jeong gazed upon the stone statue of Yeolha Seongjun and flicked her fingers.
Snap, snap, snap!
It appeared as though she were merely releasing finger strikes carelessly.
Yet Bu Eunseol, with her keen eye, discerned that her finger strikes were activating mechanisms carved into the statue in a precise sequence.
‘It seems to follow the inner cultivation method of Yeol Ha Sung Palace.’
Moreover, the sequence itself matched the qi circulation pathway of some inner cultivation technique.
Crack, crack.
The stone statue, worn by age, began to show faint fissures with each strike.
Yet Hwa Jeong continued unleashing her finger strikes without hesitation.
‘What a pity. That statue must surely be a treasure of Yeol Ha Sung Palace as well.’
Despite the continuous cracks forming, her hands moved without hesitation.
It was as if the stone statue of Yeolha Seongjun, passed down through generations, could shatter without consequence if it meant opening the Secret Palace.
A low rumble echoed.
Finally, as she withdrew her hands, a deep vibration emanated from the statue,
and with a metallic clank,
the massive garden stone installed on the opposite side of the statue slowly descended, revealing a wide corridor leading downward.
‘No wonder it was so difficult to discover.’
This statue was a treasure revered by all disciples of Yeol Ha Sung Palace.
Because of this, no one would dare touch it except during maintenance and repairs.
But Hwa Jeong paid no heed to such reverence, allowing her to investigate the statue thoroughly and uncover the Secret Palace.
“If you follow that corridor to the end, you’ll see the entrance to the Secret Palace that Yeolha Seongjun left behind.”
“It seems you’ve already entered.”
“Yes. But because I lack the Sacred Fire Body, I couldn’t venture more than a few steps before having to turn back.”
“Could you not simply deploy your lightness skill to open the door in one swift motion?”
“The corridor leading into the Secret Palace doesn’t only generate Yeolha Seongjun’s energy and the Extreme Fire Wheel energy. The floor is fitted with mysterious mechanisms… If you walk too quickly or attempt to unleash your inner force to deploy a divine technique, a suction force so powerful emerges that you cannot move your feet.”
“I see.”
Even without the Sacred Fire Body, I found it somewhat puzzling why the Secret Palace’s door couldn’t be opened.
Only after hearing all of Hwa Jeong’s explanations did Bu Eunseol understand
why, despite the many masters in Yeol Ha Sung Palace, no one had been able to open the Secret Palace’s door until now.
“Take this with you.”
Hwa Jeong withdrew a wooden box containing Fire Wheel Crystals from her bosom.
And she handed it to Bu Eunseol.
“According to the diagrams I discovered, this Fire Wheel Crystal is the key that can open the Secret Palace’s door.”
“Understood.”
The moment Bu Eunseol received the Fire Wheel Crystal, a sharp gleam flashed across her eyes.
But she showed no sign of it, calmly accepting it and bowing her head.
“Don’t strain yourself under any circumstances—just open the door. If you do that, the mechanisms inside will deactivate.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Bu Eunseol brought her hands together.
And without hesitation, she entered the corridor.
As he disappeared into the corridor, Hwa Jeong’s expression shifted into a mysterious smile unlike any before.
Her eyes, which had resembled the sea, darkened, and a sharp aura flowed from her pupils.
“It has been a long time.”
With her soft murmur,
a shadow materialized,
revealing a single Black Shadow.
It wore a mask with an eerie luster, and its eyes radiated a brilliance as immense as Mount Tai.
It was none other than the Messenger of Sam Gye.
[You’ve finally done it.]
The Messenger’s voice contained neither inflection nor emotion.
[If I can obtain the Flame Wheel Divine Elixir containing the Yeol Ha Sung records… I will be able to create an artificial inner core completely free of side effects.]
Yet despite the calm tone, my eyes trembled greatly.
An artificial inner core without side effects.
How much time had been spent pursuing this? Moreover, once this is perfected, all the pressing problems facing Murim and the Three Realms could be…
…resolved in a single stroke.
Joy also gleamed in Hwa Jeong’s eyes.
But soon she spoke with a composed gaze.
“Even if his status is low, he is still a Lord of the Murim Alliance. If the cleanup goes wrong, Yeol Ha Sung Palace is finished.”
[There is no need to worry. No matter how much Sacred Fire Physique he possesses. Even if that person carries over three hundred years of accumulated inner strength… he will melt away in an instant.]
Sa Ja rolled up her sleeve and gazed at her own palm.
There, marks appeared as if flesh had melted like taffy and clumped together.
[The Extreme Flame Wheel Force is something that cannot be blocked by inner strength alone.]
Even Sa Ja’s inner strength had been unable to withstand the Extreme Flame Wheel Force that poured forth from within.
[He will melt away without a trace. After handling the aftermath as planned, recover the Flame Wheel Divine Elixir and send it to Ben Gye.]
Hwa Jeong, gazing at the wound, nodded.
Sa Ja had cultivated a mysterious martial art transcending the limits of inner strength, and mastered a unique inner force similar to the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art.
Yet even so, she could not defend against the pouring heat…
No matter how much Sacred Fire Physique one possessed, a third-rank Lord of the Murim Alliance could never survive.
And that was Hwa Jeong’s scheme.
Seon Woo Jin.
He was merely a tool to open the door, and he would disappear without a trace.
* * *
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew grave as she entered the corridor descending underground.
‘So Gung Ju’s words were true.’
When receiving the Flame Wheel Crystal from Hwa Jeong, I deliberately elevated my Thousand Intention Heart Technique.
Her demeanor and tone were gentle and affectionate, yet there was an inexplicable sense of dissonance, as if she wore a mask.
And indeed.
Palace Lord Hwa Jeong was cultivating a unique inner strength technique completely unrelated to Yeol Ha Sung Palace.
That was not all.
Through the Flame Wheel Crystal, at the tips of her fingers, I sensed something that only those carrying artificial inner cores in their bodies would emit—
—a most unpleasant and bizarre killing intent.
Moreover, those traces were so faint that I could barely confirm them. Which meant either she had perfectly integrated the artificial inner core, or…
‘…she had undergone another refinement.’
I drew a deep breath.
‘Besides, the Palace Lord of Yeol Ha Sung Palace would never be recruited by the Three Realms.’
Yeol Ha Sung Palace, like Buk Hae Bing Gung, possessed formidable power.
The Three Realms had no leverage to recruit or sway the Palace Lord of Yeol Ha Sung Palace.
‘Then she must be either a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars… or a member of the Three Realms.’
Perhaps Hwa Jeong had entered Yeol Ha Sung Palace from the beginning as a spy, much like No Bong of Gae Bang, who was a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
‘Then Hwa Jeong Palace Lord assassinated the previous Palace Lord, Jeok Sa.’
Although she was technically a second wife, the previous Palace Lord Jeok Sa and Hwa Jeong were known to have had an excellent relationship.
But the fact that Hwa Jeong, after becoming Palace Lord, had consumed the Artificial Inner Elixir…
This was not merely an intentional encounter from the beginning, but rather evidence that she had been involved in the death of Palace Lord Jeok Sa.
Thud, thud.
As I descended to the very end of the underground chamber, an endlessly long corridor came into view.
Whoosh.
Then an enormous suction force erupted from the floor, seizing both of my legs.
Simultaneously, an invisible scorching heat rose from all directions.
It was such an intense heat that even those trained in extreme yang martial arts could not endure it.
‘This must be the Yeolha Sacred Flame Qi.’
Yeolha Seongjun was born with the Sacred Flame Body, and using it, he created an exceptional extreme yang martial art.
Therefore, only those who possessed the Sacred Flame Body could inherit his supreme secret techniques.
Pondering this dilemma, he created the Flame Wheel Divine Elixir, which concentrated the essence of Yeolha Sacred Flame Qi, allowing successive Palace Lords to transform their bodies into the Sacred Flame Body.
Moreover, to safely preserve the Flame Wheel Divine Elixir, he constructed it so that only those without the Sacred Flame Body could not pass through.
I took a deep breath and drew upon my inner energy.
‘I may not have the Sacred Flame Body, but I will break through this.’
Whoosh, whoosh.
The mechanism installed on the floor was extremely mysterious—if one walked slowly, step by step, there would be no problem whatsoever.
But if one attempted to unleash powerful inner force and deploy movement techniques, or tried to move quickly…
An enormous suction force would instantly erupt, gripping both legs with an iron hold.
‘This will be… difficult.’
As I passed roughly the midpoint of the corridor, my vision blurred and white vapor rose from my entire body.
‘There’s another force mixed in besides the Yeolha Sacred Flame Qi.’
Along with the Yeolha Sacred Flame Qi, an unknown invisible power was relentlessly boring into my body.
―The long corridor leading into the Secret Palace is simultaneously inundated with the power of Yeolha Sacred Flame Qi, which only the Sacred Flame Body can withstand, and the Ultimate Flame Wheel Qi…
Recalling Hwa Jeong’s words, I narrowed my eyes.
‘So this force was the Ultimate Flame Wheel Qi.’
Ultimate Flame Wheel Qi.
This mysterious power was roiling and churning the blood and organs within my body—everything liquid.
As a result, no matter how much I wrapped myself in the Glacial Heaven Current Seal, my entire body burned with heat and my organs felt as though they were being seared by flames.
Sizzle, crackle.
I drew the Glacial Heaven Current Seal to its maximum, enveloping my entire body in formidable frigid energy.
But it was useless.
The power of the Ultimate Flame Wheel Qi paid no heed to the cold of the Glacial Heaven Current Seal, easily penetrating through it.
It continued to shake my organs and blood with frenzied intensity.
‘A force of such a nature that even the Glacial Heaven Current Seal cannot block it…’
My lips grew parched and dry.
What I had relied upon was the Glacial Heaven Current Seal.
No matter how formidable the extreme yang power, the Glacial Heaven Current Seal should be able to withstand it effortlessly.
But contrary to my expectations, the corridor was inundated with a lethal force called the Ultimate Flame Wheel Qi, and even the supreme ice art of Buk Hae Bing Gung could not block it.
Because the Extreme Fire Wheel Qi possessed a fundamentally different nature of vibration than the Yeol Ha Sung Qi…
It continuously oscillated, piercing not only through the Glacial Heavenly Stream Formation but also effortlessly penetrating the protective true qi that enveloped Bu Eunseol’s body.
“Ugh.”
A groan finally escaped from Bu Eunseol’s lips.
This mechanism was a death trap that even the Sacred Fire Divine Body—which remained unaffected by Yeol Ha Sung Qi—could not enter.
A death trap, indeed.
Step. Step.
My footsteps grew increasingly sluggish.
Until now, I had been able to walk halfway through the corridor only because I possessed an extraordinary reservoir of inner power that defied common sense.
Particularly, having broken through the sixth stage of the Reverse Extreme Heart Method, my inner power level approached nearly five hundred years of cultivation.
Yet the Extreme Fire Wheel Qi possessed a mysterious and wondrous nature that even such formidable inner power could not withstand.
As I drew closer to the entrance of the Secret Cave, the power of the Extreme Fire Wheel Qi intensified…to the point of evaporating the blood within my body.
Had I not mastered the Glacial Heavenly Stream Formation and been unable to block the Yeol Ha Sung Qi, my body would have already melted into a puddle of liquid.
Thud.
As the pain intensified, while maintaining the Glacial Heavenly Stream Formation, I deployed the Yeui True Formation, creating a spherical barrier of true qi.
But as the troublesome vibration continued to bore into my body, I found myself involuntarily recalling the heart method of Mu Hwang Jeong Gak in my mind.
“…!”
Then something remarkable occurred.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The yin-yang qi within my body divided through both palms, and the two great martial arts began manifesting alternately, did they not?

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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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