The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 465

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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 465.
The ground trembled and heaved.
Suddenly, a murderous aura descended as if the entire forest darkened, and the earth surrounding the woods began to undulate violently.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s heightened senses triggered a subtle alarm.
A low rumbling echoed.
Simultaneously, from the fissured earth, black shadows began to emerge one by one, revealing their forms.
They were Shil Hoon In, their eyes stained crimson.
‘So that’s it.’
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand why the sorcery woven throughout the forest had shattered, yet that grotesque stench continued to permeate the air.
As it turned out, the Shil Hoon In had been buried deep within the forest soil, dormant all along.
Unlike ordinary humans, the Shil Hoon In generated no biological responses whatsoever.
By remaining motionless in slumber, they could completely conceal their presence—as if they had deployed a concealment technique of the highest order.
A thunderous boom erupted.
In that moment, a transparent light flickered brilliantly in the distance.
The Old Woman from Shenshui Palace, who had forged ahead, had begun to engage the Shil Hoon In that emerged from the forest.
A sharp cry rang out.
The Shil Hoon In at Gugok Mountain differed somewhat from those I had encountered before.
Not only their eyes, but their skin too bore a crimson hue, and they possessed grotesquely long claws split into two segments.
Their movements were incomprehensibly swift and possessed the fluid grace of beasts.
Yet the Old Woman’s martial prowess was of a caliber that denied the Shil Hoon In any approach.
Her body was enveloped not only in spherical droplets of tangible protective qi, but
Splat! Splat!
she was also unleashing torrents of water from the gourd suspended at her waist like cannon fire.
At times, she discharged spiraling torrents of water that sent the Shil Hoon In crashing to the ground.
‘Was she not of the same water-element physique as the Palace Lord of Shenshui?’
Among the Four Gods Seven Kings, the Water God Neung Gyeong was known to be capable of wielding martial arts using moisture from the atmosphere alone, without external water sources.
The Old Woman’s martial prowess was formidable, yet she did not appear to possess an innate water-element physique. She continued to draw repeatedly from the water stored within her gourd.
‘And yet, it made no practical difference.’
Water could be found anywhere with ease.
In other words, the disciples of Shenshui Palace could wield water-based techniques at any moment, as if they possessed an innate water-element physique.
And because of this advantage, they were regarded as possessing the greatest martial strength among the Seven Secret Palaces.
A violent torrent erupted.
Having annihilated all the Shil Hoon In in a single stroke, the Old Woman gazed coldly at Bu Eunseol as she caught up.
“There are no heads left to take.”
All the heads of the Shil Hoon In scattered about had vanished.
It appeared the Old Woman had deliberately used her water technique to obliterate only the heads, preventing Bu Eunseol from severing and collecting them.
‘She appears to be in her nineties, yet her behavior is as childish as a child’s.’
Suppressing a quiet laugh, Bu Eunseol bent down and began to meticulously examine the remains of the Shil Hoon In.
The Four Gods rarely revealed themselves in Murim, and opportunities to witness their martial techniques were exceedingly rare.
I intended to use this chance to observe the distinctive characteristics of Shenshui Palace’s martial arts.
“Hmph.”
The Old Woman assumed that Bu Eunseol was examining the Shil Hoon In corpses to sever their intact necks, so she smiled coldly and departed.
‘So this is what a water-controlling technique looks like.’
Regardless, Bu Eunseol carefully inspected the wounds left upon the Shil Hoon In bodies.
I had assumed it was merely a technique of flinging water droplets to slaughter enemies.
But the water-controlling technique had completely transformed the nature of those droplets.
The traces suggested not light water droplets, but rather as if heavy water had been hurled.
Moreover, the shapes were not droplets at all, but rather left in various forms.
‘Not only could ordinary water be made as heavy as heavy water, but it could also be shaped into diverse forms…’
Bu Eunseol could not help but marvel.
The Sasin had displayed formidable power across generations in Murim, and possessed unique capabilities that could not be manifested through martial arts alone.
This, like the martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, could be called martial arts that transcended the boundaries of martial cultivation realms.
‘Murim is vast.’
Murim was vast, and talented eccentrics were numerous.
Some desired to spread their names and renown, while others lived in obscurity, concealing their abilities and cultivating themselves in silence.
Those with tremendous fame sometimes possessed little actual skill…
Yet those who had never established great renown sometimes possessed formidable power.
‘The martial arts of Shenshui Palace are far more formidable than what is known in Murim.’
Bu Eunseol preferred to trust what she witnessed with her own eyes rather than rumors.
And only after examining the Old Woman’s martial traces did I realize that Shenshui Palace’s martial arts were far more fierce and powerful than what was known throughout Murim.
Rumble.
Despite the Old Woman having eliminated quite many Shil Hoon In, they continued to burst through the earth and reveal themselves.
“Quite a number of them.”
Bu Eunseol, observing the Shil Hoon In rising gradually, casually unleashed a fist strike.
Boom!
With a low tremor, a Shil Hoon In collapsed heavily.
Yet immediately it rose to its feet and continued moving without pause?
Though I had infused minimal inner force, the power was enough to shatter stone with a single blow.
No matter how resilient a Shil Hoon In might be, they possessed bodies of flesh and blood. Yet they could maintain such a hardened form?
“Roooar!”
The Shil Hoon In, having encircled the Forest, shrieked and rushed toward Bu Eunseol.
‘Hmm.’
This time, I channeled the inner force of the Three Stars and unleashed successive fist strikes.
Boom! Boom!
Then, with deafening explosions, the Shil Hoon In became crimson masses that scattered in all directions.
―Roooar! Screeeech!
Yet even from thirty zhang ahead, the shrieks of the Shil Hoon In continued to echo relentlessly.
From the continuously spreading sounds, it seemed the Old Woman faced far more Shil Hoon In than I did here.
‘She must be in danger.’
Zing!
In that instant, dozens of true energy threads erupted from Bu Eunseol’s body like a spider’s web.
Thump-thump-thump.
Simultaneously, the necks of the Shil Hoon In rushing toward her were severed in a flash, their bodies crumpling to the ground.
She had deployed the Yeouigeuljgyeol in one breath, annihilating the Shil Hoon In.
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol, having unleashed her divine technique and surged forward, climbed higher up the mountain for a considerable time.
And finally, upon reaching Dae Mo Peak—where the Moshan Sect had once stood in ages past—she could see an Old Woman surrounded by Shil Hoon In in a vast open ground.
Their numbers were approximately a hundred.
Despite being encircled by a force sufficient to cover the small clearing, the Old Woman remained unperturbed.
Thump! Splash!
Each time she unleashed droplets imbued with water-spirit energy, the Shil Hoon In flew away like severed kites.
But their numbers were simply too great.
Even after considerable time had passed, the Shil Hoon In encircling the forest showed no signs of diminishing.
This was because these Shil Hoon In possessed bodies as hard as steel.
No matter how forcefully the water-spirit droplets were launched, they could not sever life in a single strike—and so the Old Woman found herself increasingly pressed into a defensive position.
‘There’s no helping it.’
Seeing the encircled Old Woman, Bu Eunseol drew her blade to offer aid,
“Not necessary!”
The Old Woman, having spotted Bu Eunseol’s approach, let out a cold scoff.
Then, raising her hand,
Whoooosh!
The water within the gourd began to spiral upward violently, its surface transforming into an ocean-blue luminescence.
Rumble!
The spiraling water formed a spherical shape before extending outward in radiating tendrils.
Splash!
The transparent water streams the Old Woman unleashed rotated ceaselessly, interwoven with azure radiance.
It conjured the image of a blue dragon tearing through the heavens, devouring the Shil Hoon In with its fangs.
Thud. Thud.
The Shil Hoon In who had charged until the very end collapsed to the ground, their heads severed.
The Old Woman had single-handedly defeated over a hundred steel-bodied Shil Hoon In.
‘The martial techniques of Shenshui Palace are remarkably diverse.’
Bu Eunseol marveled at the martial technique the Old Woman had displayed.
Water possesses no fixed form.
The martial techniques of Shenshui Palace allowed the practitioner to release water-spirit energy in countless variations.
In other words, no matter what adversary appeared, one could reshape the water-spirit energy to counter them—it was equivalent to wielding a weapon of infinite transformation.
“Do you have the audacity of a madman?”
The Old Woman regarded Bu Eunseol with an irritated expression.
“If you were fortunate enough to save your life, you should leave. Why do you keep following this old woman?”
“Your martial prowess is extraordinary.”
“Hmm?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with admiration in her voice.
“Thanks to you, Elder, I have gained insight.”
When she offered her praise, the Old Woman’s frowning frame shuddered slightly.
“Well, that’s just how the martial arts of my palace are.”
Though she spoke thus, her eyes gleamed with unmistakable pride.
‘Such an innocent nature.’
Bu Eunseol found herself drawn to the Old Woman, who appeared to be around ninety years old—her demeanor and gaze possessed a purity reminiscent of a child.
“And I am not following you, Elder. I am simply doing what I must do.”
Bu Eunseol accepted the cantankerous Old Woman’s nature with equanimity as she spoke.
“Have you come to deal with the Shil Hoon In, Elder?”
“Indeed.”
The Old Woman surveyed her surroundings with a rather proud expression as she spoke.
“When the Shil Hoon In began appearing on Gugok Mountain, not only the common folk but also martial artists like yourselves seeking to earn a few coins were being slaughtered mercilessly. So I came here to sweep them away myself.”
“I see. But why did you come alone?”
Judging by her martial prowess and age alike,
the Old Woman surely held considerable standing within Shenshui Palace.
Then why had she climbed this desolate Gugok Mountain alone to deal with the Shil Hoon In?
“Well, I suppose you could say I came to gain experience in the Gangho?”
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed.
Given her age, it was obvious she must have accumulated enough Gangho experience to reek of it.
Could it be that even at such an age, she still felt something lacking and sought more experience?
“That’s not quite it….”
Sensing she had misspoken, the Old Woman paused briefly before speaking plainly.
“I have been in closed cultivation for so long that I have not breathed the outside air.”
“I see.”
“Now that it is finished, I should return.”
“Then, please return safely, Elder.”
The Old Woman’s appearance was grotesque, and her temperament and manner of speech were as cantankerous as they came.
Yet as Bu Eunseol maintained courtesy from beginning to end, the Old Woman seemed to develop some interest.
“Why don’t you leave? Surely it’s not because the Shil Hoon In have no heads?”
Bu Eunseol closed her eyes and shook her head.
“That is not it. Rather….”
At that moment, as I took a step forward, a flash of light erupted in my eyes.
I had detected a subtle mechanism transmitted through the soles of my feet.
‘So it was this again.’
Taking a deep breath, I immediately unleashed my Thousand Pound Pressure.
Boom.
The ground beneath where I stood sank inward in a perfect square,
and with the sound of chains grinding and clanking,
the floor collapsed, and a massive iron gate rose from the opposite ground.
Someone had constructed a covert facility in various locations near Dae Mo Peak.
A deep rumble echoed through the air.
As the iron gate finally swung open, a long corridor yawned before them like a gaping maw of absolute darkness.
“That is…”
The Old Woman, who had been observing the sight, parted her lips in astonishment.
Such a remarkable mechanism hidden in this desolate Dae Mo Peak?
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol’s eyes deepened as she gazed upon the corridor’s dark opening.
‘It bears resemblance.’
The secret passage that lay before me shared a similar structure to the Sichuan Underground City I had once investigated with Yu Hwa Ryeong.
That meant this place too was likely an experimental ground created by Sam Gye.
‘If that is so, then the one wielding that great blade must also be a member of Sam Gye.’
A chill ran through my chest.
If that were true, then Sam Gye already knew of the Blood Slaughter Seven Forms and was studying the martial arts of the Chilji Demonic Sect.
A sharp sound pierced the air.
Bu Eunseol immediately unfurled the Hollow Heart Heavenly Technique.
Upon examining the area around the corridor, I could indeed discern traces of people having passed through.
That meant there was a high probability that the one bearing that great blade was present in this place.
“What in the world is this?”
At that moment, the Old Woman spoke.
“Could this be the place where the Shil Hoon In are created?”
“That appears to be the case.”
“Hmm.”
“You should return, Elder.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a grave expression.
“This is not a place ordinary Murim practitioners can handle.”
And without hesitation, I stepped into the darkness.
“Stubborn girl.”
At that, the Old Woman called out coldly as she followed behind.
“You, who have done nothing but observe until now, dare speak of what can be handled?”
“If you wish to enter, bring the disciples of Shenshui Palace with you.”
“Do you truly believe you have the right to instruct me, simply because you uncovered one mechanism like some burrowing mole?”
“Elder.”
“You are the one who should turn back.”
A blue aura rippled across the Old Woman’s eyes.
“Recklessly poking about in places like this can get you killed.”
And with that, she brushed past Bu Eunseol and strode into the corridor.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head helplessly.
Then I slowly walked into the passage that lay open before me.
The corridor was damp, and a foul stench—similar to the one that had blanketed the forests of Gugok Mountain—rose from within.
The Old Woman walking ahead caught a whiff of the scent and seemed to recall something, parting her lips.
“It appears the remnants of Hell Blood Sect are here as well.”
Bu Eunseol had struck down Dae Woon Rim, yet most of the Murim world mistakenly believed that Hell Blood Sect had created Shil Hoon In.
Hell Blood Sect had merely supplied various deadly poisons, but since the majority of Murim practitioners could not know that Sam Gye was the true force behind Dae Woon Rim,
they mistakenly believed Hell Blood Sect was the architect of Dae Woon Rim.
‘Reaping what one has sown.’
Bu Eunseol walked silently into the corridor, examining it as I advanced.
At last, as I reached the end of the passage, an extraordinarily thick Iron Gate came into view.
The Old Woman did not open it herself, instead staring intently at Bu Eunseol.
‘She wants me to open it.’
Bu Eunseol opened the Iron Gate without hesitation.
As the door swung open with a grinding sound, an unexpected landscape revealed itself.
“Another passage?”
The Old Woman’s expression turned bewildered as well.
Beyond the Iron Gate lay a vast, dark tunnel resembling a mine shaft, stretching endlessly into the distance.
Yet its width and height were considerable—broad enough for a hundred people to walk comfortably without needing to form a tight column.
After walking for some time, another Iron Gate appeared in the far distance.
Bu Eunseol walked forward without hesitation and examined the Iron Gate carefully.
Unlike the previous gate, this one was far heavier and thicker, resembling a seal designed to contain something ferocious.
‘How peculiar.’
My gaze deepened as I surveyed the surroundings.
Throughout this mine tunnel, seven-colored luminescent pearls were embedded at intervals, illuminating the passage.
No matter how wealthy Sam Gye was, there would be no reason to embed such costly seven-colored luminescent pearls in this shabby place.
That meant this passage could not use torches—there must be some special reason for it.
“Old Innkeeper.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“If we proceed further, there will be no opportunity to turn back.”
“You speak far more than I expected.”
The Old Woman, as if annoyed, reached out her hand to open the door herself.
Click.
Yet as the Old Woman approached the door, a very faint metallic sound echoed through the air.
‘A mechanism?’
Bu Eunseol extended her hand and spoke.
“Be careful. There appears to be a mechanism ahead.”
“If I were to fear such mechanisms, I would not have come.”
The moment the Old Woman opened the door nonchalantly and began to step inside,
Clang.
Suddenly, gleaming spheres descended from the ceiling.
Simultaneously, a crushing pressure erupted forth—the Spine Stones that had also been installed in Wu Huang’s Secret Vault.
“Hmph.”
The Old Woman drew upon her inner energy without much panic despite the overwhelming pressure cascading down upon her.
A circular azure radiance flowed around her, beginning to deflect the torrential force.
She was using the Shenshui technique to create a slanted wall that diverted the crushing pressure at an angle.
‘A convenient method indeed.’
Bu Eunseol inwardly expressed her admiration.
The Shenshui Palace’s water technique could transform not only the form of water but even its very nature into something solid.
She was effortlessly deflecting the power of the Spine Stone—something that had even troubled the formidable Tan Wang.
“Crude.”
The moment the Old Woman attempted to take another step,
Crackle, crackle.
Strange sounds accompanied shadows that began to blacken the ground from the opposite side.
These were new forms of Shil Hoon In.
“What in the world is that?”
The Old Woman let out a cry of alarm.
The Shil Hoon In crawling across the ground were covered in yellowish mucus, their limbs grotesquely elongated.
From a distance, they resembled spiders bearing human heads as they approached.
“Ugh.”
Upon witnessing this sight, the Old Woman let out a groan.
Though her own appearance was hardly less grotesque.
Yet the emergence of these bizarre Shil Hoon In forms sent her into a panic.
“I hate spiders!”
The Old Woman shrieked, her wits half-scattered, as she unleashed her water technique.
Whoooosh!
However, with her concentration fractured and her form deteriorating, the water technique failed to manifest its full power.
—Crash!
Moreover, the Shil Hoon In struck by the water technique did not fall; instead, their bodies oozing yellowish fluid, they roared,
Crackle, crackle.
Using their long limbs and legs, they climbed the walls in grotesque movements.
“Ahhhhh!”
Finally, as the yellowish fluid splattered onto her body, the Old Woman lost her composure and began unleashing her water technique in frantic desperation.
As a result, the influence of the Spine Stone caused her movements to grow increasingly sluggish, while the crawling Shil Hoon In drew ever closer.
Thud!
At last, one of the Shil Hoon In seized the opening and lunged toward the Old Woman’s face.
Whoosh!
Just as claws sharp as blades reached for her neck,
Shring.
A clear sword cry resonated through the mine tunnel.
Crash, crash, crash!
Simultaneously, a comb-like sword energy surged upward, shattering the Spine Stone adhered to the ceiling,
Shatter! Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
Countless sword strikes flashed with brilliant light, and the bodies of the Shil Hoon In members crawling upward cascaded down like a waterfall.
Thud. Gasp!
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
The stalactite clinging to the ceiling crumbled into dust and fell to the ground.
Dozens of Shil Hoon In members who had been rushing forward let out a single scream before becoming mangled corpses.
Click.
Bu Eunseol sheathed the Bing Hun Sword once more.
“….”
The Old Woman stood motionless, her expression vacant.
It was not an expression of admiration, but rather one of complete shock.
For when Bu Eunseol unleashed her lightning-swift swordplay to dispatch the surrounding Shil Hoon In members, that yellowish viscous fluid splattered across her entire body.
“Aaahhhhh!”
The Old Woman shrieked and leaped up, pouring all the water from her gourd bottle over herself.
Splash.
The water in that gourd bottle was practically the only weapon the Old Woman possessed in this underground tunnel.
“Come to your senses!”
As Bu Eunseol seized the gourd bottle and cried out, the Old Woman finally stopped her frantic movements and opened her eyes wide.
But by then, all the water from the gourd had already been poured out.
“Why have you lost yourself so completely?”
The Old Woman shook her head, her expression still dazed.
“I… I despise spiders.”
She then trembled for a long moment before suddenly rolling her eyes back and collapsing backward.
Bu Eunseol could not hide her bewilderment.
Was this not the sort of childish behavior one might expect from a girl of merely ten years old?

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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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