The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 468

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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 468.
“Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.”
At that moment, Gong Son Dan Ah spoke, her gaze fixed upon Bu Eunseol.
“The successor to the Demon Hall, am I correct?”
Bu Eunseol reached up to touch her face.
Only then did she realize that the cloth mask she had been wearing had been blown away somewhere.
“It wasn’t your face that gave you away to someone. It was your martial prowess.”
Gong Son Dan Ah spoke with a knowing smile.
“Why hide something so distinguished?”
“Our paths diverge, and concealment became unavoidable.”
It was a feeble excuse, unbecoming of the Demon Hall’s successor.
As Bu Eunseol fumbled to tear a sleeve and cover her face, Gong Son Dan Ah burst into laughter.
“You are far too cautious of others, Ryeong Ju.”
“….”
“Aren’t you the one called ‘the righteous one within the Demonic Path’? You need not guard yourself so preemptively against others.”
“This caution you speak of—does it stem from your own experiences?”
“What do you mean?”
Gong Son Dan Ah hesitated briefly, then burst into laughter.
“They say the Demon Hall’s successor, Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, possesses a ruthless temperament. Yet I see you jest quite well.”
She laughed with genuine delight.
It had been so long since she had laughed so freely.
“How does your body feel now?”
Bu Eunseol circulated her inner energy to assess herself.
Unlike before, the dizziness and the twisted sensation of her qi had largely dissipated.
And within her body, a subtle yet unfamiliar energy continued to flow.
It was the energy of the Sushinggi that Gong Son Dan Ah had infused into her.
“This Sushinggi—it does not disappear but remains within the body indefinitely?”
“The human body is composed almost entirely of water. The Sushinggi is an energy that naturally dissolves into the body, so it will take considerable time before it is fully expelled.”
“I am grateful.”
As Bu Eunseol bowed respectfully, Gong Son Dan Ah calmly waved her hand.
“You saved me as well, Ryeong Ju. Now we owe each other nothing.”
Though her words were measured, her eyes betrayed profound affection.
When Bu Eunseol had collapsed, bleeding, she had wept openly.
When his qi had become twisted, she had generously infused her Sushinggi to restore his body.
Though she did not consciously acknowledge it, she harbored deep fondness for Bu Eunseol.
Of course, Bu Eunseol felt the same.
‘She is quite different from the women I have encountered thus far.’
Not a single woman who had seen his face had failed to blush or express astonishment.
Yet she, upon witnessing his visage, showed no great surprise and instead regarded him with the ease of a long-time companion.
In other words, Gong Son Dan Ah, like Bu Eunseol, was someone who paid little heed to the superficial judgments of beauty or ugliness.
“Oh, and once you leave this place, you must seek guidance from our Palace Lord.”
Gong Son Dan Ah spoke calmly.
“The four energies within your body cannot be eliminated or expelled by your own will.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Perhaps… to suppress or harmonize the energies within your body, you will need the complete power of the Four Gods.”
After taking my pulse, Gong Son Dan Ah had discerned that the mixed forces within my body were the powers of the Four Gods and Five Emperors.
And she had concluded that the power of the Four Gods would be necessary to suppress them.
“The Four Gods….”
“Yes. The forces injected into your body are each so powerful that harmonization is impossible.”
Gong Son Dan Ah shook her head.
“However, if you master all the powers of the Four Gods, it should become possible. Of course, this is merely my conjecture.”
Then she handed me a sheet of paper inscribed with a technique.
“What is this?”
“It is a secret method created by combining the strengths of the Five Animal Frolics of Hwa Ta, who was called the Medical Sage, and the Daoist inner secrets of the Jeonjin Sect, which was the headquarters of Daoism.”
Gong Son Dan Ah spoke calmly.
“Since it was actually created by a Daoist master of the Jeonjin Sect, it would be more accurate to call it a Daoist secret method of the Jeonjin Sect.”
“You’re giving this to me?”
“It may seem remarkable, but in reality it is merely a secret method that promotes bodily health and allows one to govern the true energy within. It is not a great technique for those of the Murim. However….”
She paused briefly, then whispered.
“If fate permits and the Palace Lord were to inject Water Spirit True Energy into you in the future… with this secret method, you could completely master the energy of extreme yin.”
I felt somewhat moved.
She had continuously recognized that my body was afflicted, and had been devising means to cure it.
“I am grateful. I shall take it to heart.”
Since she stood shoulder to shoulder with the renowned physicians of the Murim, her prescription was certainly trustworthy.
However, I had no intention of obtaining the Water Spirit True Energy of Shenshui Palace.
Acquiring the martial arts of the Four Gods simultaneously was not merely impossible, but I also lacked the time and leisure for such an endeavor.
“You must visit our palace. The Palace Lord will surely find a way.”
“I understand. I shall visit sometime in the future.”
“Promise me.”
Gong Son Dan Ah, having discerned that my words were hollow, furrowed her brow and spoke firmly.
“You must gather the power of the Four Gods.”
She resembled a wife nagging her husband.
Was it the keen edge of destiny piercing through? I flinched involuntarily and nodded.
“I understand. I promise.”
Finally, having escaped the Underground Cavern, I opened the iron gate leading outside.
Creak.
As the aged iron gate opened, both of us simultaneously widened our eyes.
A landscape like a small village spread before us, with square-shaped rectangular buildings erected in various places.
They followed neither the typical architectural style of Zhong Yuan, nor did they possess windows or visible entrances.
And at the center stood a vast open ground, upon which rose a building stained black.
Based on its color and size, not only did it appear to connect with the exit corridor, but something suggested that a great secret lay concealed within.
Bu Eunseol and Gong Son Dan Ah cautiously made their way toward the black structure.
“…!”
The moment they stepped inside the black building, both their eyes widened in shock.
Inhwa.
The charred remnants of burned inhwa flowers scattered throughout, with shattered glass containers strewn about in every direction.
Within them, grotesque byproducts of Shil Hoon In burned with an eerie glow.
In some places, only severed limbs—arms and legs—were contained, yet their size was abnormally massive.
‘Refinement.’
A flash of insight crossed my eyes as I walked deeper into the chamber.
Judging by the charred marks of the inhwa, they had grown to a scale incomparably larger than what I had witnessed before.
Moreover, the byproducts of Shil Hoon In burning within the glass containers were also far greater than anything I had seen thus far.
“An experimental laboratory.”
Gong Son Dan Ah immediately grasped the situation.
They had been cultivating inhwa here and refining the bodies of Shil Hoon In.
“It would seem so.”
“What exactly is their purpose? Why cultivate inhwa and modify the bodies of Shil Hoon In….”
“Sam Gye. That organization.”
I spoke with measured calm.
“They have already seized control of the Murim and are conducting various operations. The cultivation of Shil Hoon In and artificial inner cores are merely one facet of their ambitions.”
“Sam Gye?”
“Indeed. The Palace Lord likely knows of them.”
Most of the Murim’s leadership are aware of Sam Gye’s existence.
Yet they either cannot fathom the depths of their roots or the source of their power, or they are unknowingly cooperating with them—and so they remain silent.
And in all the Murim, only I.
I alone disregard them and systematically dismantle their forces one by one.
“Compared to you, I seem like a mere fledgling from the Gangho.”
Gong Son Dan Ah offered a bitter smile.
In truth, her words were not without merit.
I am the successor to the Demon Palace and have already ascended to the position of advisor to the Four Gods Seven Kings at a young age.
I am already a formidable force wielding tremendous influence over the Murim, and my martial prowess has reached the pinnacle of Grand Master rank.
“They evacuated in haste. These appear to have been destroyed not long ago.”
“It seems they activated the final mechanism before departing.”
“That appears to be the exit.”
After traversing the vast experimental laboratory, a wide gate finally came into view—unmistakably an exit.
Beyond it lay a sprawling open ground, enclosed on all sides.
Blood clots and various remains lay dried upon the floor, as if a massive slaughter had taken place in this very spot.
Thud. Thud.
Then a grotesque sound that shook the very earth reverberated from all directions.
Simultaneously, a bizarre shadow slowly approached from the opposite side.
The Strange Being stood over eight feet tall, its entire body wrapped in black metal shards instead of clothing.
Its skin bore the ashen hue of someone long dead, and its eyes contained nothing but whites.
It resembled not a person, but rather a colossal weapon forged from flesh and muscle.
“Stand back.”
From the Strange Being’s body, a black mirage akin to death itself rose and swirled.
It seemed a deliberate ploy—leaving Shil Hoon In behind to drag out time until the final moment or to eliminate the intruders.
“You’ve only just recovered your body. Fight alongside me.”
Gong Son Dan Ah’s expression grew troubled.
I had merely restored my vital energy to normal.
With my skin and muscles torn in countless places, moving would cause considerable pain.
“It’s fine.”
When I spoke with a soft yet resolute tone, Gong Son Dan Ah nodded as if resigned to the inevitable.
“Then be careful.”
With a nod, I drew the Bing Hun Sword and stepped forward.
Boom, boom. Boom boom boom!
The moment I drew the blade, the Strange Being’s eyes twisted violently, and it charged forward, shaking the very earth.
Crash!
I too rushed forward swiftly, unfurling the Meteor Pursuit technique.
Slash!
In one fluid motion, I severed its neck and stood firmly in its path.
Tap.
Yet something extraordinary occurred.
Despite unleashing the Meteor Pursuit, not only was the skin severed, but barely a few drops of blood emerged.
Moreover, the fallen droplets clung together as though coagulated and hardened.
‘A Demonic Jade Body.’
Only then did I discern that this Strange Being was an improved variant of the Demonic Jade Body I had witnessed before
in the Sichuan Underground Fortress, the same type as Gu Ju Hun.
For no living creature’s blood in this world could clump and solidify in such a manner.
Whoosh.
The Strange Being gazed down at the blood dripping from its neck, then slowly turned its body.
Clang.
Simultaneously, a metallic ring resonated from the metal shards it wore, and a massive greatsword emerged from its back.
The Strange Being grasped the greatsword in one swift motion and approached cautiously.
As if it had realized it could not face me bare-handed.
‘No consciousness.’
The Strange Being’s eyes were nothing but white, and it uttered not a single word.
It felt less like a human and more like a metal weapon programmed with specific movements.
Slash!
Then the greatsword in the creature’s hands vanished.
In an instant, it had pierced toward my flank.
Clang!
Bu Eunseol stood firm and flicked the great blade away.
Due to the vast disparity in power, the massive Strange Being was instead forced back three steps.
But he twisted his body again and cleaved toward Bu Eunseol’s head.
Then the great blade trembled ceaselessly, splitting into three paths of steel that carved through his body.
“A blade technique utilizing the Scattered Sword formation.”
Bu Eunseol stood motionless and severed all three blade shadows in a single breath with a fierce stroke.
Just as with Gu Ju Hun in the past, she believed the great blade housed the vital acupoints that sustained life—that was where the core would be.
Scrape.
The edge of the great blade was slightly shaved away by the Icy Soul Sword imbued with fierce power.
But there was nothing inside.
Crash!
As the great blade was severed, the Strange Being altered his technique once more, instantly conjuring twelve blade shadows.
Though it appeared at first glance to be overwhelming force meant to crush an opponent, he was unexpectedly employing the subtleties of martial arts.
‘How intriguing.’
Clang!
The great blade, swung with ferocious momentum, collided with Bu Eunseol’s sword,
Whoosh!
It spun violently before cascading back toward the Strange Being’s body.
As the Strange Being employed his subtle blade technique, I unfolded the mysteries of the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms, instantly reversing the attack.
Boom!
The eight-foot-tall Strange Being was sent flying in a straight line, instantly shattering a square glass chamber.
Rumble.
Within the collapsing glass debris, the Strange Being slowly rose.
Given that speed and rotational force, his body should have been pulverized.
Yet the Strange Being rose calmly as if nothing had happened.
Thump. Thump.
From the eyes of the Strange Being who had risen again, white energy flowed forth.
And he swung the great blade in a wide arc through the air.
Crash crash crash!
Bu Eunseol moved like lightning, spinning the Icy Soul Sword like a windmill to block the cascading blade energy.
In that moment, the Strange Being approached and unleashed a lightning-fast punch.
Bu Eunseol immediately deployed the Fist Demon Chord technique to meet the Strange Being’s fist.
Boom!
As fist met fist, the world erupted with sound and waves of true energy rippled outward in all directions.
Screech.
The Strange Being slid backward about eight steps, pushed back once more.
Yet he remained unaffected by any impact, white smoke rising from his fist.
Remarkably, the Strange Being’s fist was faintly imbued with power akin to the Flame Emperor’s Force.
‘So that’s what it was.’
Only then could Bu Eunseol truly comprehend what had been experimented upon in this place.
‘Let me verify this once more.’
A low hum resonated.
Bu Eunseol lightly unfurled the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique, closing the distance to the Strange Being in an instant.
A sharp metallic clash rang out.
Bu Eunseol’s Frost Soul Blade condensed its edge in a heartbeat, then began to unfold into scattered sword techniques like a chaotic flurry.
The Strange Being responded by condensing its broadsword, unleashing a tremendous torrent of blade energy.
Yet because it deployed such overwhelmingly powerful saber techniques, it could not respond at all to close-range attacks.
‘The Scattering Blood Death Blade technique… so that’s what it is.’
The saber technique the Strange Being unleashed was the Scattering Blood Death Blade technique of Yeo Bul Heum, once called a master of the Scattered Blade style.
He was a saber expert with an abnormally enlarged right arm, and using that limb infused with innate divine strength, he overcame the limitations inherent in scattered blade techniques.
He could perfectly divide and deploy the blade strikes, completely transcending the weakness that power itself would be diminished through division.
‘Improvisation is impossible for it.’
If the Strange Being were a normal martial artist?
Even without mastering scattered sword techniques, one would naturally condense blade spirit and scattered strikes to suit close combat.
But the Strange Being, despite having learned supreme saber arts like the Scattering Blood Death Blade technique, could not apply them at all.
Instead, it mechanically repeated the same blade strikes over and over.
‘They surely did not strengthen the body for nothing.’
Bu Eunseol shifted her sword technique once more, employing a formidable heavy blade method to pressure both arms of the Strange Being gripping the broadsword.
A sharp crack echoed.
Suddenly, the Strange Being created a massive shadow with its leg, attempting to shatter Bu Eunseol’s neck.
It was the Iron Tranquility Flying Kick technique of Yeon So Geol, once called a master of leg techniques.
Thunderous impacts erupted repeatedly.
Bu Eunseol lightly unfolded her movement technique, weaving through the air to evade the leg strikes.
‘It is certainly only repeating the martial techniques that were implanted into it.’
What Sam Gye had attempted in this secret location.
They had conducted research into implanting the martial arts of outstanding masters into the bodies of Severed Meridian Jade Corpses.
A Severed Meridian Jade Corpse does not die unless its neck is severed, and its power increases several times over compared to when it was ordinary.
In the past, Gu Ju Hun utilized this characteristic to employ martial techniques that disregarded life itself, maximizing the advantages of the Severed Meridian Jade Corpse.
But the current Severed Meridian Jade Corpse.
Was simultaneously employing the martial arts of multiple masters.
The left arm wielded extreme yang fist techniques like Blazing Emperor’s Qi, the right arm the Scattering Blood Death Blade, and the legs the Iron Tranquility Flying Kick.
These were supreme techniques that even outstanding martial prodigies could not master in a short time.
Surely, by exploiting the characteristics of the Severed Meridian Jade Corpse, they had forcibly imprinted and instilled these techniques.
A sharp breath escaped.
Bu Eunseol stepped back, creating distance from the Strange Being, and exhaled deeply.
“Why does Sam Gye conduct such experiments despite already dominating the Murim?”
It was utterly incomprehensible.
Sam Gye was the hidden hand controlling the Murim.
What could possibly be lacking or insufficient that they would repeat such experiments?
[Whoosh!]
Unable to kill Bu Eunseol in a single stroke, brilliant white light erupted from the Strange Being’s eyes.
A deep hum resonated.
The massive blade trembled violently, casting faint shadows across the air.
Upon reaching the pinnacle of Mountain Sword mastery, even the slightest movement could create endless afterimages in the void.
The Strange Being was unleashing the supreme technique of the Demonic Blood Killing Path to sever Bu Eunseol in one decisive stroke.
[Click.]
Bu Eunseol sheathed the Icy Soul Sword back into its scabbard.
It was the ceremonial gesture of a killing blade—to end things swiftly without suffering.
Though the Strange Being possessed considerable power, it was never on par with me.
Moreover, I had grown incomparably stronger than when I fought Gu Ju Hun.
Even an improved Jol Ma Yeon Okyin was nothing more than a tenacious Shil Hoon In in my eyes.
[Crash!]
In that instant, with a sound like a tidal wave, the Strange Being unleashed hundreds of blade shadows.
Bu Eunseol, who had been watching calmly, drew the sword once more.
[Flash!]
Brilliant light erupted, and violet lightning began erasing every single blade shadow the Strange Being had unleashed.
[Crack! Crack! Crack!]
Simultaneously, the lightning traced a peculiar zigzag pattern through the air, bending sharply three times.
Nine Dragon Island Thunder.
The supreme pinnacle of the killing blade art founded by Cheon Woon Gwang unfolded once more in my hands.
[Scrape. Thud.]
The Strange Being’s grip loosened, and the massive blade fell from its hands.
Like a machine that had ceased functioning, it stood motionless and rigid.
The execution had been so devastatingly swift that no visible wounds appeared on its surface.
[Click.]
Bu Eunseol sheathed the Icy Soul Sword and turned away.
[Splash.]
At that same moment, a crimson line appeared across the Strange Being’s neck, and with a heavy thud, it collapsed like a felled log.
Gong Son Dan Ah, watching from a distance, blinked.
“It’s over, then?”
“Indeed.”
She tilted her head with a somewhat puzzled expression.
“Despite its appearance, it wasn’t much after all.”
Gong Son Dan Ah was a talented woman skilled in medicine, but her knowledge and discernment of martial arts remained limited.
To her eyes, it appeared that Bu Eunseol had casually evaded attacks and dispatched the creature with a swift blade strike, making the Strange Being’s martial prowess seem unremarkable.
“Let us proceed.”
Whether she misunderstood or not, Bu Eunseol pressed forward without hesitation.
Then, at last, the exit came into view.
“This appears to be the final chamber.”
Bu Eunseol drew a sharp breath and pushed the door open.
Before her lay another colossal stone chamber, its walls sealed on all sides.
The interior stretched vast—easily thirty paces across—bathed in daylight brilliance despite the underground depths.
The two figures who entered came to an abrupt halt.
There, embedded against the chamber wall, stood the Black-Robed Man, his body bound in heavy iron chains.

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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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