The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 466
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 466.
Thud.
The Old Woman, knocked unconscious, crashed headfirst into the ground.
“Ugh!”
The impact jolted her awake, and her eyes snapped open.
The sight of her collapsing from the blow, striking her head, and springing back up like a tumbler doll was almost impossible to watch without laughing.
“That’s not a spider—it’s Shil Hon In.”
“Didn’t it crawl like a spider?”
“Then how did you defeat those Shil Hon In from before? They all had grotesque appearances.”
“They walked on two legs, didn’t they?”
The Old Woman shuddered and shook her head.
“I despise insects. Especially those that crawl.”
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol gazed at the empty gourd bottle, then gestured toward the Corridor.
“You should leave now. More of these Shil Hon In could emerge.”
“Very well.”
Surprisingly, the Old Woman nodded without protest.
She glanced around, then extended her thumb.
“Now that I see it, your martial prowess is quite formidable.”
The Old Woman seemed to recall the Shil Hon In scattered across the ground and Bu Eunseol’s swordsmanship that had shattered the stone pillar in one breath.
“You don’t seem like an ordinary wanderer. I can’t fathom what brought you here.”
Muttering softly, she turned and walked toward the Iron Gate, attempting to open it.
Click.
But the Iron Gate was designed to open only from the entrance side, so she couldn’t exit from the other direction.
“Everything here is designed to be a nuisance.”
The Old Woman gathered her power once more.
Droplets of water clinging to her hair and robes began to rise into the air.
Since the gourd bottle held no water, she intended to use the droplets on her body to shatter the Iron Gate.
“Wait a moment.”
Bu Eunseol sensed something amiss and approached the Iron Gate.
“What is it?”
“I hear something strange.”
Closing my eyes briefly, I detected a faint mechanical sound emanating from near the Iron Gate and shook my head.
“This won’t do. If we forcibly destroy this door, another mechanism will activate.”
I had experienced countless mechanisms scattered throughout Murim during my time in Wu Huang’s Secret Vault.
Combined with the exceptional senses granted by the Beast Path, my mastery far surpassed even the renowned mechanism masters of Murim.
“Mechanisms don’t frighten me. As long as those spider-like Shil Hon In are gone, that’s all that matters.”
The Old Woman reached out with an unconcerned expression.
Dozens of water droplets aligned in a single formation in the air,
Boom, boom, boom, boom, crash!
She began striking the Iron Gate repeatedly.
As heavy droplets like molten metal rained down ceaselessly upon the Iron Gate,
Rumble!
At last, the thick Iron Gate swung wide open, collapsing to both sides.
“I shall proceed.”
The moment the Old Woman passed through the Iron Gate and moved forward without hesitation,
Clang.
From somewhere, the sound of an enormous metal object stirring echoed,
Whoooooosh.
A bizarre wail reverberated through the Mine Tunnel.
“What in the world—”
The Old Woman, glancing about nervously, suddenly widened her eyes as she beheld a dark mist approaching from afar.
It was not mist.
An enormous swarm of flies was hurtling toward them.
“Demon-Head Blood Flies?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
They were blood-sucking flies from the Southern Barbarian Jungle—Demon-Head Blood Flies.
Moreover, whatever they had fed upon, their size had grown to the size of a child’s fist, far larger than ordinary Demon-Head Blood Flies.
Should she be engulfed by such a number of them, she would be drained dry in mere moments.
“How… how is this possible?”
As the Old Woman trembled, uncertain what to do,
Swish, swish, swish!
A brilliant white radiance flashed forth, slicing through the descending swarm.
Bu Eunseol had positioned herself before the Old Woman and unleashed her swordplay.
“Ugh…”
As fragments of Demon-Head Blood Flies accumulated beneath her feet, the Old Woman stumbled backward as if about to faint.
Yet no matter how many she severed, the descending swarm showed no sign of diminishing.
“Hmm.”
Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow.
Creating such a vast sword barrier consumed an enormous amount of inner force and stamina.
Of course, with her reserves of stamina and inner force, she could endure for a considerable time, but the problem was not knowing what trials lay ahead.
In other words, she had to eliminate them as quickly as possible.
“Old Innkeeper, unleash that martial technique which felled the Shil Hoon In members in a single strike and sweep them away!”
Bu Eunseol cried out while continuously executing her swordplay.
The Old Woman had used water from the gourd to unleash a tsunami-like force, annihilating roughly a hundred Shil Hoon In members.
With such a method, she could eliminate the descending swarm in a single stroke.
“Alas, there is no more water in the gourd.”
“Even without water, there is something else available.”
Bu Eunseol gestured toward the viscous fluids and blood of the fallen Shil Hoon In members scattered about.
“That could serve as a substitute for water.”
“What… what did you say?”
The Old Woman stared with trembling eyes at the yellowish mucus dripping from the mouths of the Shil Hon In and the blood flowing from their necks.
“I refuse.”
As the Old Woman shook her head, Bu Eunseol spoke coldly.
“Would you prefer to be drained dry by those fly swarms?”
“Ugh…”
She reluctantly drew upon her inner power.
Whoooosh!
Then the yellowish mucus and blood clots scattered across the ground began to levitate above the Old Woman’s head.
“Ugh…”
An indescribably foul stench emanated from the blood and mucus.
Yet she gritted her teeth and forcibly deployed the Shenshui Palace’s supreme technique, Returning Heaven and Reversing Day.
The blood and mucus began to spin slowly like a whirlwind.
Whiiiish.
But as this happened, all the foul odors from the mucus and blood were sucked directly into the Old Woman’s nostrils.
“Retch.”
Unable to bear the stench, she gagged, and the technique of Returning Heaven and Reversing Day was interrupted.
Splooosh!
The moment the technique ceased, the mucus and blood clots hovering above her head… cascaded down directly onto the Old Woman’s head.
“Kyaaaah!”
In that instant, the Old Woman thrashed her head wildly, leaping about and shrieking.
That scream was not the low, grating voice of an elderly woman she had heard until now, but the clear, melodious cry of a young girl.
“Ahhhhh!”
Seized by panic, the Old Woman rushed toward the Iron Gate on the opposite side and began shaking it frantically.
“No! No!”
But no matter how hard she pulled, the Iron Gate would not open, so she stamped her feet in place once more.
Click.
Then a mechanical sound suddenly rang out,
“Kyaaaaah!”
With a single scream, the Old Woman vanished.
It turned out the Iron Gate was not meant to be opened by force, but rather possessed a safety mechanism requiring a special method to unlock.
And beneath it, a trap had been installed to eliminate intruders.
When the Old Woman leaped about shaking the Iron Gate, the trap was triggered, and she fell below.
“So she wasn’t the Old Woman after all.”
Hearing that clear, melodious scream, Bu Eunseol exhaled a sigh.
And after gazing into the pit where she had fallen for some time,
“There’s no helping it.”
Shaking my head, I extended my left hand once more.
Whoooosh!
Then black demonic energy flowed from my left hand, spreading out wide like a massive wall.
She had deployed the Yeouui Jingyeol, creating a massive barrier to block the Madou Hyeolseung.
Thud.
Having repelled the Madou Hyeolseung, Bu Eunseol swiftly hurled herself into the pit below.
Whoosh!
After plummeting for some time, I finally glimpsed the bottom emerging from the darkness and struck my insteps once more.
Whirr.
With that momentum, I rocketed skyward, executed a graceful aerial somersault, and descended lightly to the ground below.
“Phew.”
Catching my breath, I surveyed my surroundings.
A vast corridor stretched before me, as though carved from an enormous cavern, shrouded in darkness.
Yet light seeped in from somewhere, allowing me to discern the shapes of objects.
Since I could see through darkness as clearly as daylight, I faced no difficulty.
“Now I understand why Iron Gates were positioned throughout this place.”
Those gates above served to defend against external intruders, and simultaneously—
They were clearly intended to firmly contain the various demonic creatures concealed within the mechanism.
“Ugh…”
At that moment, an Old Woman collapsed in one corner let out a groan.
She appeared to have fallen into the pit in such panic that she had failed to land properly.
“Are you unharmed?”
“Where is this place?”
“I don’t know. When you leaped frantically before that Iron Gate, a pit opened up.”
“What? Leaped?”
The Old Woman, struggling to rise, spoke to Bu Eunseol in an angry voice.
“What did you just say?”
“Are you still trying to maintain this old woman disguise?”
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
Instead of answering, I gestured alternately at the Old Woman’s head and face.
From thrashing about like someone possessed, her wig had shifted askew, and
The plaster-like patches on her face had half fallen to the ground.
The sight was so absurd that even someone as stern-natured as I felt the urge to burst into laughter.
“Oh!”
Alarmed, she hastily straightened her wig and began carefully reattaching the fallen patches to her face.
“You appear to be a young woman—why did you disguise yourself as an old woman?”
To my question, the Old Woman—or rather, the woman—turned her head and spoke coldly.
“It’s none of your concern.”
Despite her identity being exposed, she still maintained the raspy voice of an elderly woman.
Yet unlike her earlier confidence, she now appeared deeply fearful of something.
“Hmm.”
I regarded her intently, then spoke matter-of-factly.
“You’re injured.”
She maintained a composed facade, yet one of her legs bore no strength whatsoever, and her complexion had turned deathly pale.
As Bu Eunseol moved closer, the woman cried out loudly.
“Don’t concern yourself!”
Her sharp voice was saturated with fear and wariness.
Bu Eunseol nodded helplessly and spoke.
“Very well.”
She surveyed her surroundings and proceeded forward with measured steps.
The Cave contained countless Branching Passages, and light was seeping through from somewhere.
Thud!
As Bu Eunseol examined the area, she rolled across the ground.
She was activating her Heavenly Eye Perception to discern the internal structure.
‘While it appears to have multiple Branching Passages like a labyrinth… in reality, they’ve been excavated throughout to install mechanisms.’
The various Branching Passages were not deliberately constructed to form a maze, but rather tunneled in multiple directions to accommodate the installation of mechanisms.
‘Indeed, if they had merely drilled holes to create a labyrinth, this place would have collapsed.’
Having discerned the internal layout, Bu Eunseol proceeded forward with steady steps.
Yet she sensed hesitant movement behind her.
Turning her body, she saw the woman disguised as an Old Woman limping painfully as she struggled to follow Bu Eunseol’s trail.
It was the terror of having sustained grave injuries in this dark Cave.
And it was mingled with wariness toward Bu Eunseol.
‘Hmm.’
Understanding the woman’s anxious heart, Bu Eunseol deliberately refrained from directing her gaze toward her.
Shing.
Drawing the Icy Soul Blade, I infused it with inner force.
Thereupon, pure white radiance flowed from the blade, and the surroundings began to brighten.
Bu Eunseol could pierce through darkness as if it were broad daylight, so light was unnecessary for her.
Yet knowing that bright illumination would provide her some measure of comfort, I deliberately released the blade’s radiance.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
However, strange sounds echoed from the various Branching Passages throughout the Cave.
Thud.
Bu Eunseol, who had been leading the way, withdrew the blade’s light and came to a halt.
The interior of the Cave was plunged into darkness once more, and all around fell silent.
How much time had elapsed?
After standing motionless for a considerable while, Bu Eunseol rekindled the blade’s light and proceeded forward slowly.
The woman followed cautiously from a distance once more.
Thud.
Yet Bu Eunseol, who had been leading, again withdrew the blade’s light and stopped at a Branching Passage.
She stood there for some time before resuming her steps.
The woman following behind grew uneasy.
A foul stench continuously wafted from somewhere.
And she realized that each time this occurred, he deliberately halted before resuming his advance.
‘It would be better if I went ahead on a different path.’
I couldn’t predict when Bu Eunseol’s resolve might waver.
The woman steeled herself with great determination and, though hesitant, approached Bu Eunseol with quickened steps.
Then, far ahead, another branching passage appeared. Bu Eunseol stopped once more.
The woman seized this opportunity and hurried past Bu Eunseol’s side, speaking as she went.
“I’ll take the right path. Don’t follow me….”
The woman’s words caught in her throat as her expression turned to shock, and she halted.
Before the branching passage, a suffocating toxic mist billowed forth.
And Bu Eunseol was using the Absorption Seal with her left hand to compress the toxic mist before obliterating it with overwhelming inner force.
‘This person….’
As the woman watched Bu Eunseol annihilate the toxic mist with her inner energy,
she realized that not only was her cultivation far beyond imagination, but she was also a formidable master completely unaffected by poison.
Which meant that knowing I, injured as I was, could never overcome the poison…she had stopped with each surge of toxic mist and methodically dispelled them.
“I’m sorry.”
The woman clasped her hands together, gazing at Bu Eunseol.
And speaking in the manner of a young woman rather than the old woman she had been disguised as, she continued respectfully.
“I knew you weren’t a bad person…but I was so afraid that I kept my guard up.”
Even when I had disguised myself as that hideous old woman, Bu Eunseol had maintained courtesy and never been disrespectful.
And even though I was trapped in this dark cave, even though she knew I was a young woman,
she never complained once about my wariness and irritation, silently protecting me all along.
“Will you forgive my rudeness?”
Bu Eunseol calmly shook her head.
“There was no rudeness to speak of.”
With that calm statement, she dismissed everything the woman had done up until now.
‘This person…is different from ordinary men.’
The woman took a deep breath and spoke.
“Aren’t you curious why I disguised myself in such a form?”
She seemed troubled by having deceived Bu Eunseol all this time.
But Bu Eunseol simply shook her head dismissively.
“I’m not curious.”
“Why not?”
“The Murim often has many individuals with peculiar tastes.”
At this unexpected answer, the woman’s mouth fell open.
“What do you mean? Are you saying I…did this as some kind of hobby?”
“Then who forced you to go about in such a form?”
“No, that’s not it.”
When the woman couldn’t continue, Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“It’s fine. I have no intention of judging anyone’s tastes.”
“That’s, that’s not what I meant.”
The woman waved her hands in protest, her expression aggrieved, but Bu Eunseol nodded and turned away.
“That wasn’t it at all.”
An ordinary person would have either shown curiosity—wondering what circumstances led to such a thing—or…
at the very least, they would have worn an expression suggesting there was some untellable reason behind it.
But wasn’t Bu Eunseol simply accepting it with an expression that said, ‘Ah, so you have rather unique tastes’?
“Aren’t you going to ask what the reason is?”
Finally, the exasperated Woman spoke first, but
“I have no interest.”
Bu Eunseol cut her off with surgical precision.
And her gaze remained unwavering.
―A woman with peculiar tastes.
The Woman was absolutely infuriated by Bu Eunseol’s transparent stare.
“It’s not a taste, I’m telling you!”
“I understand.”
“But why does your expression look like that?”
“What do you mean by my expression? I’m wearing a face veil.”
“You’re speaking with your eyes right now. Saying that this crazy woman has bizarre tastes.”
Flinch.
When Bu Eunseol’s expression betrayed that she’d been caught, the Woman let out a groan of frustration.
“Do I really look like such a crazy woman to you? Truly?”
Bu Eunseol averted her gaze instead of answering.
It was as though a crazy woman was picking a fight, and she had no choice but to look away.
The Woman had never experienced anything so unjust and infuriating in all her life.
“That’s not it!”
The Woman’s eyes reddened as though she could bear it no longer, and she cried out loudly.
“Who in this world would dress like a beggar just because they liked the look of it?”
Suddenly, she had a fit, tearing off the wig and peeling away the tattered poultice.
Then a beautiful visage emerged, radiant enough to illuminate the dark Cave.
A small, delicate face with a high nose and eyes so large and beautiful they seemed mysterious were revealed.
Her features were so exquisite and lovely that even with the yellowish grime of medicinal paste and poultice caked thickly across her face, her beauty remained utterly undiminished.
“Oh.”
Bu Eunseol gasped involuntarily and asked.
“Who are you, exactly?”
She possessed a beauty so striking that even Bu Eunseol, who was indifferent to such matters of appearance, was greatly astonished.
Seeing the shock in Bu Eunseol’s eyes behind the veil, the Woman’s pride recovered and she spoke with a satisfied expression.
“My name is Gong Son Dan Ah. I wonder if you’ve heard of me.”
‘The Three Beauties of Tianxia….’
The Flower That Understands Speech. Gong Son Dan Ah.
She was one of the three most beautiful women in Gangho. One of the Three Beauties of Tianxia—
Her beauty was so extraordinary that she bore the epithet of ‘the Flower That Understands Speech’ rather than being called merely human.
And her legendary reputation was far from undeserved.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————