The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 498

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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 498.
“You’ve reached the realm of Infinite Mastery at that age?”
Song Baek Do’s voice trembled.
He was under the mistaken impression that Bu Eunseol had completely seen through his entire spirit.
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then how did you know about Hyuk Ryeon Eung?”
“Because Hyuk Ryeon Eung deployed the Technique of Spectral Souls Converging to kill me.”
When Song Baek Do’s expression turned puzzled, Bu Eunseol quickly explained the circumstances.
“…So you were fortunate enough to escape with your life by leaping off a cliff.”
After hearing the entire story, Song Baek Do tilted his head.
“But why do you think I taught Hyuk Ryeon Eung? I never deployed the Technique of Spectral Souls Converging.”
“At the time, Hyuk Ryeon Eung claimed that Sa Ok Cheong, known as Hwan Wang, was his disciple who learned the Sealing Heart Technique from him. But even considering Sam Gye, it seemed unlikely that two renowned figures of the same era would have formed a master-disciple relationship.”
“Hmm.”
“Upon reflection, I realized that Hyuk Ryeon Eung had lied to me, and that there must be another person who transmitted the Sealing Heart Secret Art to both of them.”
Bu Eunseol explained calmly.
“Moreover, Hwan Wang’s Technique of Spectral Souls Converging and Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s were vastly different in function. As if it had been newly refined.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with conviction.
“And when I observed the ‘Harmony’ spread throughout Gwi Gok Gate, I began to suspect that you, the Gate Master, might be the teacher who instructed Hyuk Ryeon Eung.”
Song Baek Do’s expression showed incomprehension.
“You observed that Harmony?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have indeed reached the realm of Infinite Mastery.”
To sense and appreciate the Harmony arranged within Gwi Gok Gate was a level where no Sealing Heart Secret Art could penetrate.
And only a master of Infinite Mastery could construct such a spiritual barrier.
“No. I can only create a spiritual barrier by achieving the Convergence of Spiritual Laws.”
“Convergence of Spiritual Laws? If you’ve achieved that, why do you say you haven’t reached Infinite Mastery?”
“Because only my internal energy has reached an abnormally high level.”
“What?”
Song Baek Do muttered in bewilderment.
“To reach that level with internal energy alone would require at least four hundred years of cultivation.”
“It’s actually over five hundred years.”
Song Baek Do’s body went rigid as if struck from behind.
Only then did he realize that the young person before him had achieved an incomprehensible level of martial prowess.
Gulp.
Song Baek Do swallowed hard and asked with an expression of utter confusion.
“Tell me plainly. What do you want from me?”
“As I mentioned, the Hyeon Yeop Stone.”
Bu Eunseol stared directly at Song Baek Do as she spoke.
“Of course, since you said you’re affiliated with Sam Gye, it would be even better if you provided all information about Sam Gye.”
Song Baek Do fell silent.
What was certain was that the young man before me was genuinely opposed to Sam Gye, and I could feel that he harbored not a single lie in his words.
“How much do you know about Sam Gye?”
“That they control the entire Murim, that they’re divided into the Infinite Realm and the Cheonghae Gye, and that there are emissaries who deliver their commands. Beyond that, I know nothing.”
“Hmm.”
“I have no knowledge of why they were created, when they came into being, why they call themselves Sam Gye, or what their true purpose is.”
“Hmm.”
Song Baek Do fell silent.
Then, drawing a deep breath, he slowly opened his mouth.
“I am Do Song Baek, who once led the Seop Cheon Mun.”
Song Baek Do.
His true identity was Do Song Baek, the master of Seop Cheon Mun, who was said to have reached the pinnacle of the Seop Shim technique in the past.
“You, sir…”
This time, Bu Eunseol could not hide her astonishment.
Thirty years before the figure known as Hwan Wang appeared in Murim, the master of Seop Cheon Mun, who had already reached the apex of the Seop Shim technique.
He was leading Mang Hon Valley in such vigorous condition?
“To be precise, I did not teach Hyuk Ryeon Eung.”
Song Baek Do—or rather, Do Song Baek—continued in a low voice.
“Hyuk Ryeon Eung had already achieved considerable mastery in the Seop Shim technique on his own. He came to me and proposed that we research the Seop Shim secret art together, saying that if two people of our caliber joined forces, we could reach the ultimate pinnacle of the Seop Shim technique.”
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol nodded faintly.
That Hyuk Ryeon Eung possessed such an absurdly exceptional Seop Shim technique.
It was because he had researched that secret art together with such an extraordinary figure as Do Song Baek.
“But all of that was my delusion. The Seop Shim technique we created together… was instead destroying people’s minds and throwing Murim into chaos.”
“What purpose does the Infinite Realm have in doing such things?”
“According to Hyuk Ryeon Eung, the Infinite Realm’s purpose is to save Murim, which is heading toward destruction.”
“Destruction, you say?”
“Exactly as I said—destruction. Everything would be annihilated, leaving nothing behind.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
The word “destruction” felt strangely similar to the “total annihilation” of Murim that the Dharma Seeker Mo Ryun had prophesied in the past.
“You’re saying the Infinite Realm claims to be saving Murim?”
“Yes.”
Bu Eunseol asked with an expression of incomprehension.
“Then what does the Cheonghae Gye do?”
“I entered the Infinite Realm following Hyuk Ryeon Eung and devoted myself to researching the Seop Shim secret art. As for the other realms of Sam Gye, I know little. However…”
Do Song Baek spoke.
“From what I know, the highest-ranking figures in the Infinite Realm are the Supreme Emperors and Celestial Venerables. They decide all plans. The Cheonghae Gye is likely the same.”
“Are they the realm lords?”
“That, I cannot say. Whether there are even higher figures above them… I myself do not know for certain.”
Do Song Baek drew a deep breath, then began to explain in detail what he knew.
“The Infinite Realm has common ranks who follow orders alone, and above them are emissaries who command them. These emissaries can freely utilize the Infinite Realm’s military forces and intelligence networks.”
He paused for a moment, then continued with a sigh.
“And above the Emissaries, there exists the Rank of Celestial Virtue.”
“Rank of Celestial Virtue…”
“Indeed. The Rank of Celestial Virtue gather their opinions and relay them to the Heavenly Sage and the Celestial Emperor, and the Infinite Realm operates according to their conclusions.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened at this unexpected revelation.
She had assumed it operated like the Three Realms in opposition to one another—a perfect parallel structure of scattered cells.
But in reality, the Infinite Realm possessed a supreme leadership at its apex, with clearly delineated chains of command and authority.
It was a vertical hierarchy no different from any other martial sect.
“Then the Rank of Celestial Virtue not only commands the Emissaries, but also serves to convey opinions to the Heavenly Sage and the Celestial Emperor?”
“Precisely.”
“Then Hyuk Ryeon Eung was…”
“Correct. Hyuk Ryeon Eung held the rank of Dharma-Demon Sage among the Rank of Celestial Virtue—an extraordinarily elevated position.”
“Dharma-Demon Sage.”
“And…”
Do Song Baek continued in a low voice.
“What the Infinite Realm feared most was not the Cheonghae Gye, but the Three Realms, who have yet to reveal themselves. According to Hyuk Ryeon Eung, the moment they truly step forward… everything ends.”
He drew a deep breath and spoke with a sigh.
“This is all the information I possess regarding the Infinite Realm.”
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath.
By chance entering Mang Hon Valley, and through Do Song Baek, I had finally come to understand the system and structure of the Three Realms that I had so desperately wished to comprehend.
‘Moreover, the Infinite Realm saves the Murim from destruction.’
Until now, the Infinite Realm had not only manufactured Inhumans and members of Shil Hon In, but had committed countless atrocities against the Murim.
Yet they claim to save the Murim from destruction?
But what was even more peculiar was the intuition that Hyuk Ryeon Eung did not seem to be simply lying.
“Perhaps this too is fate.”
At that moment, Do Song Baek spoke again.
“I created Mang Hon Valley to atone for the wrongs I committed while serving the Three Realms. Because of it, countless people were manipulated by them and perished.”
Do Song Baek had pledged himself to the Three Realms through Hyuk Ryeon Eung.
And though he had created a powerful Sealing Technique, it would ultimately become a tool through which the Infinite Realm controlled the Murim.
Realizing too late that everything had gone wrong, Do Song Baek had left the Three Realms and lived by helping others.
“There is no need for lengthy explanations. It is all the past for me.”
With a soft sound, Do Song Baek withdrew a stone emanating blue light from his robes.
It was the Hyeon Yeop Stone.
“Take it. And there is no need to return it.”
Do Song Baek spoke with earnest conviction.
“Everyone in Mang Hon Valley lives having forgotten their painful memories. Myself included.”
Only after hearing those words could Bu Eunseol understand.
Do Song Baek must have committed terrible deeds alongside Hyuk Ryeon Eung under the guise of researching Sealing Heart Technique.
And by helping others who writhed in anguish, he was attempting to forget his own past transgressions and suffering.
And by helping others who are struggling in agony, he is trying to forget his own past mistakes and suffering.
“If one can forget, then forgetting is truly the best course.”
Do Song Baek, who had placed the stone in Bu Eunseol’s hand, turned his body with a listless motion.
His figure resembled another soul trapped in Mang Hon Valley, writhing in agony as painful memories refused to fade.
‘Hmm.’
Bu Eunseol felt a peculiar sentiment stir within her.
In this world, some people advance through hardship and adversity, while others merely wish to forget their suffering.
Do Song Baek had reached the pinnacle of the Seop Cheon Mun’s teachings. Yet even so, he could not master his anguished emotions, only hoping that his prolonged torment would finally cease.
“However, you will need to persuade your companions directly.”
At that moment, Do Song Baek paused mid-step and spoke in a murmur.
“They have already tasted the peace that oblivion brings….”
“I understand.”
Bu Eunseol harbored no particular concerns.
Neung Bi Hon must avenge his son, and Dae Gu Hwi must gain recognition from the Ya Soo Gung’s master to resolve the resentment of his mother, who died so miserably.
These two would never be content with the peace that forgetting offers.
Boom.
At that moment, a violent explosion shook the entirety of Mang Hon Valley.
“Elder!”
Simultaneously, a man came rushing over, breathlessly addressing Do Song Baek.
“Elder, disaster has struck!”
“What is it?”
“Someone is using explosives to destroy the mechanisms of the valley and force their way in.”
“Explosives?”
Do Song Baek’s complexion changed drastically.
To breach the Gwi Mun Gwan and forcibly enter Mang Hon Valley would require no less than tens of thousands of jin of gunpowder.
And those who would lavishly expend such explosives to force entry could only be one force—Sam Gye.
‘Have they traced Thunder God’s movements?’
Bu Eunseol, who had intuited that they were Sam Gye, spoke to Do Song Baek.
“Valley Lord, it is likely because of Yi Hyung.”
“Yi Hyung?”
“Yes. Yi Hyung has long been at odds with the Infinite Realm, and this time he suffered wounds fighting someone who uses Do Huang’s martial techniques.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“We were careful to erase his traces, but… it seems they discovered that Yi Hyung is attempting to recover his strength and wish to interfere.”
Yet the response was strange.
Do Song Baek shook his head as if that were not the case, then spoke to the man.
“First, evacuate everyone in the valley to Yeon Wol Cave. There, you should be able to….”
Boom! Crash!
But already the explosions were shaking the interior of Mang Hon Valley.
There was no time to prepare—they came crashing down directly.
―Ahhh!
Soon, faint screams began erupting from all directions.
It seemed that the masters of Sam Gye had already entered Mang Hon Valley and were committing indiscriminate slaughter.
“Do not worry. I will handle it.”
As Bu Eunseol’s expression grew grave and she began to draw upon her inner power,
“That’s fine.”
Do Song Baek placed a light hand upon Bu Eunseol’s shoulder.
“You need not involve yourself.”
Stiff.
In that same instant, Bu Eunseol’s body went rigid as stone.
Do Song Baek had unleashed a grand technique—not a pressure point strike nor a nerve-sealing method, but the Vein-Sealing Punishment Technique, which paralyzed all the nerves within the body.
It was executed with such natural grace and without a hint of malice that Bu Eunseol could not evade it.
“What are you doing?”
“Not because of your sworn brother, but because I came searching for the old master.”
As Bu Eunseol’s expression turned bewildered, Do Song Baek spoke.
“I learned some time ago that they had been searching this place. I thought there would be no problem since nothing had occurred until now, but in the end… it has come to this.”
―Aaaahhh!
As another scream echoed forth, Do Song Baek shook his head and spoke urgently.
“If they desired blood, the Valley Lord would never have established Mang Hon Valley.”
“Valley Lord.”
“What they seek is the old master’s life. Give them that, and everything will be resolved.”
“Do you truly believe that?”
Do Song Baek offered a smile as if he had transcended all worldly concerns.
“They fear only the old master’s nerve-sealing technique. They cannot allow two beings with such power to exist.”
With those words, he rushed hastily toward the direction of the screams.
“That is mistaken.”
Bu Eunseol, watching Do Song Baek depart, shook her head.
“Sam Gye does not cease their slaughter once their objective is achieved. Because they must never allow their identity to be revealed.”
Whoooosh.
At that very moment, five-colored radiance erupted from her body.
Do Song Baek knew that Bu Eunseol’s inner power exceeded five hundred years, and he had used a peculiar Vein-Sealing Punishment Technique that could never be broken by inner power alone to suppress her.
But Bu Eunseol’s strength was not merely in her inner power.
Chiii.
At that same moment, Bu Eunseol’s body began to alternate between freezing and thawing, radiating intense heat.
By alternating between the energies of extreme yin and extreme yang, she sought to dissipate the power Do Song Baek had poured into her body.
Crackle.
The more she alternated between the two energies, the more her rigid body began to move, inch by inch.
‘Faster.’
Bu Eunseol poured forth her power with all her might.
If she did not quickly deal with them, the lives of not only the people of Mang Hon Valley but also Neung Bi Hon and Dae Gu Hwi would be in danger.
* * *
* * *
“Why?”
Dae Gu Hwi, who had been tilling the fields, trembled.
Since arriving here, I had forgotten all the anguish of my past and savored a peace I had never known before.
Yet suddenly, grotesque figures poured forth, setting the beautiful Mang Hon Valley ablaze.
Not only that, but they were mercilessly slaughtering those pure-hearted people who had prepared delicious meals for me, labored alongside me under the sweltering sun,
and shared stories that brought peace to my heart.
The cascading blood had become a pond, and the piled corpses formed hills.
Witnessing this horrific spectacle, Dae Gu Hwi felt a fury unlike anything he had known before.
“Uuuuu… Aaaaah!”
A colossal roar shook Mang Hon Valley with deafening reverberations.
Simultaneously, Dae Gu Hwi’s body swelled to such immense proportions that his garments tore asunder, and his eyes blazed with crimson radiance.
Crash!
He became a streak of lightning, tearing through Mang Hon Valley.
Each time Dae Gu Hwi moved with such blinding speed that his form vanished from sight, geysers of blood erupted from the assassins’ bodies.
Having found peace and sanctuary, only to witness a scene reminiscent of hell itself,
the barriers of my spirit shattered in an instant, and the beast power sealed away by my mother’s death was unleashed all at once.
―Roooar!
With each of Dae Gu Hwi’s roars, the assassins fell like autumn leaves in a gale.
The beast martial arts of Ya Soo Gung transcend human limitations in movement and destructive force.
Moreover, because they attack instinctively like wild beasts, the beast cannot be predicted,
and in battles against multiple opponents, such power becomes even more devastating.
[Was there even a beast from Ya Soo Gung mixed among them?]
At that moment, a low voice accompanied the emergence of the Black Shadow.
A figure adorned with a mysterious mask upon his face—the Samgye Emissary himself.
“Snarl!”
Upon spotting the Samgye Emissary, Dae Gu Hwi bared his sharp fangs and lunged at him.
Though it appeared to be a reckless charge on the surface, every move was calculated to anticipate the Samgye Emissary’s evasion and counterattack.
Boom!
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion erupted.
In that same instant, Dae Gu Hwi was sent flying backward more than a dozen paces, as if struck by an invisible iron hammer.
“Roar!”
Yet as if he had never fallen, he sprang up like a coiled spring and charged at the Samgye Emissary once more.
A body infused with beast power becomes as hardened as one who has mastered horizontal conditioning martial arts.
[Hmph.]
The Samgye Emissary scoffed and extended a finger.
Flash!
A razor-sharp luminescence erupted forth,
“Crack!”
and blood fountained from Dae Gu Hwi’s shoulder.
By unleashing an invisible wind blade of such speed that the eye could not follow, the Samgye Emissary had pierced through Dae Gu Hwi’s body, hard as steel, in a single instant.
Trembling, trembling.
Moreover, that earthen wind carried a mysterious power, leaving Dae Gu Hwi unable to move his body as though his Blood Sealing Point had been suppressed.
“A root that would become a future calamity must be uprooted immediately.”
The Samgye Emissary walked toward the fallen Dae Gu Hwi with heavy footsteps.
“Do not harm him!”
At that moment, a gaunt middle-aged man standing seven feet tall stepped forward to block the Samgye Emissary.
It was Neung Bi Hon.
The Samgye Emissary studied Neung Bi Hon’s face for a long moment, his expression becoming peculiar.
It was as though he recognized him from somewhere, yet the memory eluded him.
[You are….]
The Samgye Emissary’s eyes blinked behind his mask.
[Who are you.]
Indeed, Thunder God had always been surrounded by the Thunder God’s Divine Qi, his eyes stained with madness.
But now Neung Bi Hon stood before him with the Thunder God’s Divine Qi and madness gone, his gaze clear and lucid—making him utterly unrecognizable.
“There is nothing to know. Disappear.”
The Samgye Emissary furrowed his brow and flicked his finger in one fluid motion.
A sharp earthen wind pierced toward Neung Bi Hon’s brow.
Or rather, it should have pierced through.
Neung Bi Hon had lost his memories.
But he had not lost the combat instincts his body had mastered.
He sensed the Samgye Emissary’s earthen wind targeting his brow, and the moment his hand extended, he lowered his body and threw a punch.
Boom!
With the explosive sound, dust erupted in all directions.
At the same time, Neung Bi Hon, who had launched the attack, was instead sent flying backward more than five zhang.
His single punch had failed to penetrate the Samgye Emissary’s protective qi formation and instead sent him flying in the opposite direction.
[Was it Pyra Mi.]
Just as the Samgye Emissary was about to move his hand again,
Step by step.
An elderly man dressed in white robes, ethereal as an immortal, walked toward the Samgye Emissary.
It was Do Song Baek.
“Oh no.”
Do Song Baek, observing the tragic scene, wore an expression of utter despair.
The people dwelling in this valley had struggled through pain and suffering their entire lives, and had only recently found peace of mind and were living happily.
To slaughter these wretched souls who were finally beginning to live in happiness?
[It has been a long time.]
The Samgye Emissary’s eyes narrowed to crescents behind his mask.
[I wore through iron shoes searching for you. Who would have thought you were buried in this deep ravine of Yunnan, a place we had already investigated long ago.]
The Samgye Emissaries typically refrained from unnecessary speech to avoid exposing their identities.
But toward Do Song Baek, he spoke with verbose familiarity, as though there was no need to conceal his identity.
[Try running away once more. This time, I shall find you within a month.]
“I will not flee.”
Do Song Baek walked forward calmly and spoke to the Samgye Emissary.
“These people have nothing to do with me. Do not attack them any further.”
[….]
The Samgye Emissary stared at him for a moment, then raised his right hand lightly.
Instantly, the assassins attacking the people of Mang Hon Valley ceased their movements in unison.
[Very well. Then there is no need to waste time.]
The Samgye Emissary gazed at Do Song Baek, his eyes narrowing into crescents.
And he spoke in an utterly sinister voice.
[End your life cleanly. Then I shall withdraw quietly as promised.]

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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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