The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 476

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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 476.
Tak Il Hon of Bi Ma Gung.
Such a fearsome figure, yet he appeared as nothing more than a simple, honest old man.
“The person known as Bi Ma no longer exists.”
Tak Il Hon gestured toward his own legs.
“There is only a crippled old man left.”
One of his legs was completely shattered, the shin and thigh grotesquely swollen and protruding.
“Was it injured when you fell?”
“Well, yes. Losing one leg in exchange for falling unconscious—I’d say that’s a rather profitable bargain, wouldn’t you? Most people’s bodies are crushed to pieces and they die.”
Tak Il Hon had his martial power completely sealed by Shaolin, and his legs were shattered when he fell into Chamhoe Cave.
For a master of the Gyeong Shin School to have his legs destroyed, even if his martial power were to recover…
The figure known as Bi Ma could no longer exist in Murim.
“There’s no need to look at me that way.”
Tak Il Hon spoke matter-of-factly.
“At first, I was consumed with rage. But now, it troubles me not at all.”
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol answered while surveying her surroundings.
The old men gathered here showed little interest in Bu Eunseol’s arrival.
Apart from Tak Il Hon, only a handful of people had gathered here.
‘Do they possess no curiosity?’
Even the demons of Do Won Hyang had been curious about news from Gangho.
Yet these people, who had lived for decades in this damp, lightless cave, did not even ask about the outside world or who she was?
“Who are you? What did you do to end up imprisoned in this place?”
“I am called Seol So.”
There was no benefit in revealing one’s true identity here.
Bu Eunseol offered a vague explanation.
“I came merely to view the martial arts manuscripts in Jang Gyeong Gak, but one thing led to another, and I ended up touching even the Jang Gyeong Gak of Blood Shaolin… and thus arrived here.”
“Hmm.”
At this, Tak Il Hon let out a sigh of understanding.
“You read them.”
“Yes.”
“Then imprisonment is only fitting.”
And he smiled bitterly, gesturing to his own face.
“I did the same.”
It turned out that Bi Ma had also been imprisoned here for reading Shaolin’s secret techniques.
“In truth, most of those confined in Chamhoe Cave read the secret techniques of Jang Gyeong Gak.”
The Buddhist masters could not execute those who had read martial arts secrets.
Yet to simply release them would allow Shaolin’s secret knowledge to spread beyond these walls… so lifelong imprisonment in Chamhoe Cave was the only option.
“So you were nothing but a thief calling yourself a divine warrior or some such nonsense.”
“I thought we had finally received someone new.”
Several elderly men who had been watching out of curiosity seemed to have mistaken Bu Eunseol for a thief of the same ilk as Bi Ma Gung.
They shook their heads with waning interest and disappeared.
“But something strikes me as odd.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew puzzled.
“Unlike the entrance, I cannot fathom why all the elderly here possess such serene, immortal-like temperaments.”
“Hehehehe.”
Tak Il Hon let out a peculiar laugh.
“It was no accident that those Buddhist monks from Shaolin confined us here.”
He gestured toward the cave shrouded in darkness.
“Throughout this cavern’s interior, Buddhist sutras are carved everywhere. Moreover, the only edible things are those.”
Where he pointed, pale blue vegetation bloomed.
It was the Han Ryeong Cho—a plant said to calm the human spirit.
The demonic cultivators, whose cultivation bases were already shattered, had nothing to see here but the Buddhist sutras carved across the entire cavern.
And as they consumed the Han Ryeong Cho regularly, the demonic energy within their bodies gradually dissipated.
Eventually, they transformed into gentle-natured individuals who rarely displayed anger.
“I see now.”
Only then could Bu Eunseol understand why the demonic cultivators had come to be divided between the entrance and this place.
The entrance section bore no Buddhist sutras or teachings.
Thus, the ferocious demonic cultivators dwelt in the cavern near the entrance.
“But surely those elderly ones here would not have remained idle.”
“Of course not. For a time, we fought those old men fiercely. Whenever we craved meat, we would raid them at night.”
Tak Il Hon furrowed his brow as he spoke.
“Because of that, casualties mounted, and they endured… then whenever the time came, those who snuck into Jang Gyeong Gak to plunder the secret techniques would occasionally fall into Chamhoe Cave… well, that’s how it was.”
Eventually, the elderly at the entrance would periodically wage war to fill their bellies that way.
Or they would sneak into Jang Gyeong Gak to read the secret techniques, then devour those who fell into Chamhoe Cave.
It seemed they had repeated such brutal acts.
“But are you not curious about the outside world?”
Bu Eunseol watched the elderly depart with an expression of disinterest.
“Well, had you arrived ten years earlier, they would have been quite curious.”
Tak Il Hon spoke with a bitter expression.
“But now, even if you claimed to be an immortal, they would take no interest.”
Most of the demonic cultivators here exceeded a hundred years in age, their cultivation bases shattered.
Their past glory had vanished, and they spent their days consuming Han Ryeong Cho and sitting in caverns carved with Buddhist sutras.
They had abandoned all attachment to worldly things.
“But something is strange.”
“What is it?”
“The demonic energy from your body is not distinctly apparent. Rather, it feels similar to one who has mastered the heart techniques of the Orthodox Sects.”
Bu Eunseol was astonished.
From merely exchanging a few words.
How could he discern that my spiritual nature was dual-natured and that I had learned Orthodox Sect martial arts?
“There’s no need to be so surprised. I myself….”
Tak Il Hon, who had been about to say something, shook his head and let out a soft chuckle.
“Well, among those here, how many don’t have secrets they can’t share with others?”
Bu Eunseol felt a subtle emotion stirring within her.
Tak Il Hon of Bi Ma Gung was both a great swordmaster and a supreme demon expert who had slaughtered hundreds of Orthodox Sect figures in the past.
Yet seeing him burst into hearty laughter as if he had become an immortal sage, Bu Eunseol’s heart was awakening to something ineffable.
‘What truly distinguishes righteousness from demonism?’
A human life is short if you measure it one way, and long if you measure it another.
And through the course of living, people change as they experience various things.
One might love a certain food, then come to despise it. One might love a certain person, then come to hate them.
Moreover, a master of the Demonic Path who lived by the logic of strength might attain enlightenment and enter the Righteous Path, proclaiming justice.
Conversely, an Orthodox Sect member who lived by strict propriety and rank might feel absurdity and disillusionment, then defect to the Demonic Path.
In the end, the concepts of demonism and righteousness are merely constructs born of human convenience—notions that can shift at any moment.
Just as my grandfather Bu Chanyang taught me.
“But what is that?”
Throughout the cave, strange characters that appeared to have been scraped away by human hands were etched into the stone, alongside Buddhist scriptures.
Upon closer inspection, they were martial arts techniques.
“Ah, those are martial arts the old ones carved here.”
Tak Il Hon smiled faintly.
“Knowing their time to die was near, they etched their supreme techniques as a final catharsis.”
Tak Il Hon looked at Bu Eunseol and chuckled softly.
“Well, if you’re interested, you’re welcome to study them. Master even one of them properly, and you’d become an expert who could traverse Tianxia.”
And he laughed with a bitter edge.
“That is, if you can escape this place.”
“I see.”
However, Bu Eunseol had little interest in martial techniques.
This was because her martial cultivation had already reached the Extreme Heaven Realm and she was forging her own path.
Therefore, ordinary martial arts were beneath her notice.
“Well then, tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“What is the current state of the Murim? And what has become of Bi Ma Gung?”
Tak Il Hon spoke while wiping his nose slightly.
“Compared to those others, I’ve only been here a relatively short time. I still have considerable interest in the secular world.”
Tak Il Hon had been imprisoned for only about fifteen years, and he was still only eighty years old.
Therefore, unlike the others, he had not yet transcended worldly affairs, and his interest in Gangho remained keen.
“Even a brief account will do.”
Sensing Tak Il Hon’s persistent gaze, Bu Eunseol opened her mouth reluctantly.
“Well, as you likely suspected, the moment the old master disappeared, Bi Ma Gung was immediately dissolved….”
And she calmly explained the current state of the Murim.
However, she omitted events and situations related to herself, and gave only a condensed account of the complex affairs of Sam Gye.
Despite this, Tak Il Hon managed to grasp the current state of chaos in the Murim with reasonable clarity from the summary.
“I see. It’s quite the mess.”
After hearing the entire account, Tak Il Hon let out a faint sigh.
He had once believed that he wielded considerable influence over the Murim, and that his disappearance would have caused great upheaval.
But that was not the case.
The subordinates who had risked their lives in loyal service dissolved the Bi Ma Gung the moment he vanished.
The name Bi Ma Tak Il Hon was swiftly erased from people’s memories.
“Thank you for the information.”
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Bu Eunseol rose from her seat.
Having repeatedly used the Yeui Jin Gyeol without yet circulating her inner energy, a sweet metallic taste lingered throughout her body.
It seemed she would need to quietly cultivate her energy and take some rest.
“Rest? Your body must be far from intact.”
Tak Il Hon gestured casually around the Cave.
“Find an empty space wherever the old men haven’t occupied and rest there. I won’t pay it any mind anyway.”
Then, as if remembering something, he pointed toward the deep Corridor further within.
“Just don’t enter the place at the end of that Cave.”
Tak Il Hon spoke with a grim expression.
“The moment you step inside, you’ll meet a gruesome death.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Just know that even setting foot there will kill you.”
“Even setting foot will kill you? Is there a Blood Shadow Demon Lord there?”
“Hmph, even a Blood Shadow Demon Lord wouldn’t stand against the demons of Chamhoe Cave.”
Tak Il Hon swallowed hard.
“What dwells there is Death itself. Something no one can touch.”
“Death.”
“Yes. Even approaching it will kill you, so don’t harbor any curiosity about it.”
Tak Il Hon rolled up his left pant leg.
There was a sharp wound stained violet. Had it been any deeper, even bone would have been severed.
‘Death.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
Death.
Was that not the very word symbolizing the Chilji Demonic Sect?
If her suspicion was correct, then within that Cave lay Chilji Demonic Sect himself,
or perhaps the figure who had been his perfect Shadow, crouched in waiting.
“You mean even the old master couldn’t evade it?”
“Even if my inner power were intact, I couldn’t guarantee I could escape.”
“Who exactly is he?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Tak Il Hon shook his head.
“I arrived late, so I don’t know who he is or why he’s imprisoned here. He won’t answer no matter what I ask.”
“….”
“However, seeing how the old men trapped here for so long fear him, he is certainly no ordinary figure.”
Even as Tak Il Hon spoke, cold sweat dripped down his face.
It was because he recalled the “Death” he had encountered in that cave back then.
“You speak of fear.”
“Hehehehe. Is that so strange?”
Tak Il Hon spoke with an expression tinged with regret.
“There was a time when I knew no fear of heaven or earth. But after spending so long in this place, I came to understand.”
Tak Il Hon looked directly at Bu Eunseol and spoke plainly.
“Death is the end of all things, and humans are beings who cannot help but fear it.”
Bu Eunseol nodded her head.
It was such a natural response.
For humans living finite lives, death could only ever be a terror.
Those who could savor the meaning of death or remain indifferent to it were exceedingly rare.
“Rather, I find myself intrigued.”
“Well, if you wish to die, I won’t stop you. Who knows what might happen.”
Tak Il Hon spoke with a desolate expression.
“You are still young, so perhaps you might yet escape this Chamhoe Cave.”
“Mm.”
Bu Eunseol, having made a sound of acknowledgment, looked around.
At the far end of this cave, the sound of flowing water could be heard, yet from somewhere came a musty stench.
Another reason why the fierce Demonic Path cultivators had not established themselves here was
apparently because the caves in this vicinity emitted particularly strange and damp odors.
“I am grateful. Thanks to you, Elder, I have learned much.”
Bu Eunseol, offering a light bow, turned her body.
And from this corridor, she entered the filthiest cave whose interior was fully visible, and lay herself down.
“You will stay there?”
“Does it matter where?”
Bu Eunseol, surveying her surroundings, wore a faint smile.
“There are plenty of insects too, so it’s perfect when I’m hungry.”
“Hehehehe.”
Tak Il Hon laughed knowingly.
“So you are from beggar stock as well. Though most thieves do come from such origins.”
“Well, something like that. Then.”
As Bu Eunseol sprawled out flat, Tak Il Hon smacked his lips as if disappointed.
“I thought it would be entertaining having a young one arrive for once….”
In truth, Tak Il Hon was delighted that a new person had entered Chamhoe Cave after so long.
They would despair and suffer just as he did. He wanted to witness that sight.
But this pale fellow—had he not adapted to this place even better than himself, who had been trapped here for fifteen years?
“A worn and weathered old fellow has arrived.”
Tak Il Hon smacked his lips, his interest clearly waning as he turned and walked out.
Whoooosh.
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol began circulating her energy while lying flat on her back.
Having mastered the Longevity Secret from the Reverse Muscle Scripture, she could cultivate her inner force from any position.
After slowly recovering her depleted inner force to its peak, Bu Eunseol closed her eyes for a moment.
Then came a sensation like falling into deep water, and fatigue washed over her.
Though she had deliberately taken strikes from Gong Gong and the Blood Shaolin Monks, it was her spirit that was more exhausted than her body.
Her journey through Gangho had never once been easy.
She had always needed to consider countless matters and endlessly predict what would unfold ahead.
And now, an opportunity had arrived to finally resolve one question she had long harbored.
What if the being in that cave was Chil Ji Ma Do, or perhaps Shadow of Chil Ji Ma Do?
Then she would finally know for certain whether Grandfather Bu Chanyang was Chil Ji Ma Do or not.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
How much time had passed?
Bu Eunseol, who had fallen asleep in the darkness, faintly opened her eyes at a sound coming from somewhere.
Whoooooo.
It was like the wailing cry of a ghost—a moan laden with bitter, unresolved resentment.
The sound echoed softly through the cave, yet the Demonic Path masters in Chamhoe Cave deliberately pretended not to hear it.
Because it was the weeping of Death itself.
‘The demonic energy has truly vanished completely.’
The Demonic Path masters of old would have feared nothing—not Death nor any other being.
But now, like Tak Il Hon, the Demonic Path masters here feared the being called Death.
Because Death was the end of all things.
Yet Bu Eunseol did not fear Death.
―Life and death are like the two sides of a coin.
A coin is divided into front and back.
But the front and back are merely distinctions people made for convenience. Whether you see the front or the back, it is still a ‘coin’.
Bu Eunseol had received such teachings from Bu Chanyang and grew up believing that death was not the end.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol slowly walked toward where the sound was coming from.
Her inner force had recovered perfectly, and all her Beast Path senses had returned.
Yet still, she could not sense the presence of whatever was in that cave making the sound.
As if a formless phantom were weeping.
Step, step.
As Bu Eunseol’s footsteps grew louder, the weeping cries subsided.
As a silence as deep as death descended, the air around her became heavy as lead.
If she took another step, it felt as though The Demon would burst from the darkness and swallow her whole in an instant.
But Bu Eunseol did not hesitate and continued forward.
Step, step.
Then from the cave’s entrance, an overt, thick, and damp killing intent began to pour forth.
At last, as I reached the end of the corridor, an iron gate came into view—sealed shut with astonishing finality.
Unlike the other Demonic Path cultivators, the Great Demon confined within was imprisoned in a dungeon deep within Chamhoe Cave.
The iron gate’s thickness defied imagination, yet its lock mechanism had already been disengaged.
Around it, on both the floor and the gate itself, dried blood stains marked the stone.
It appeared that Demonic Path cultivators, unable to resist their curiosity, had ventured inside and met their end.
“Hmm.”
As Bu Eunseol exerted force, the massive iron gate creaked open gradually, groaning with the weight of ages.
Upon entering the prison, I was met with absolute darkness and a pungent, acrid stench.
It was not the smell of the cave itself, but rather a sickening reek emanating from a human body.
“….”
The interior of the prison was remarkably spacious—a vast stone chamber spanning more than ten zhang in both directions.
At the far end, a Strange Being crouched low, both legs shackled by iron chains.
The chains were lengthy enough to allow movement of at least three zhang or more.
Judging by their length and arrangement, the shackles appeared to have been self-imposed rather than forcibly applied by another.
The peculiar luster flowing across them suggested they were no ordinary iron chains, but rather forged from a mixture of rare metals.
‘So they had no intention of starving him to death.’
Even within this prison cave, cold-essence herbs and underground springs flowed through certain passages.
This allowed the captive to sustain life despite confinement, preventing death by starvation.
A flash.
The Strange Being, legs bound by chains as he crouched, pierced through the darkness with sharp, penetrating eyes.
Upon meeting his gaze, I understood why the Demonic Path cultivators of Chamhoe Cave called him Death.
‘Despite possessing no inner force, he radiates such overwhelming presence.’
Had my own inner force been depleted?
I would have been crushed beneath the aura he unleashed, my body wracked with agony.
Fortunately, my inner force remained intact, allowing me to receive his pressure with composure.
“Bu Eunseol of the late Murim pays respects to you, Elder.”
The radiance in the Strange Being’s eyes swept across my form with piercing intensity.
[Uuh.]
Then, as our eyes met—mine clear and unwavering—he suddenly seized his head.
Slash!
It happened in a mere instant.
I had thought he was grasping his head.
Yet from his hand, a razor-sharp light erupted, driving toward my throat.
It was a finger sword, formed by extending his middle and index fingers.
“Tch!”
I gasped in alarm and twisted my body with swift reflexes.
The Strange Being’s dantian was sealed; he possessed no inner force whatsoever.
Yet still, the finger sword grazed past my brow, scraping against the stone wall behind me.
‘This cannot be.’
Had my inner force been incomplete? Had the Savage Blade not responded instantaneously?
Bu Eunseol would have had her throat pierced by this single move.
‘How could this be possible?’
She had not only achieved the Eternal Wheel Breakthrough, but her inner power had reached the level of five hundred years of cultivation… and she stood at the threshold of a new realm within the Extreme Heaven Stage.
Yet an old man devoid of inner power had nearly pierced her throat with his finger strike?

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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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