The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 499

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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 499.
Do Song Baek stared intently into the Samgye Emissary’s eyes.
Having discerned the hidden intention lurking within that pair of eyes, he exhaled a weary sigh and shook his head.
“So it cannot be done, after all.”
The Samgye Emissary’s eyes were brimming with deception.
“Why?”
Even if he were to take his own life, there was no intention whatsoever to spare the people of Mang Hon Valley.
[Indeed, a master of thought-theft—the Thief of Minds truly lives up to his reputation.]
The Samgye Emissary responded with admiration for Do Song Baek’s perceptiveness.
[Could you not cultivate another disciple in the meantime?]
“Would I commit such a folly again?”
[I wish to believe your words, but the world does not always flow as we intend.]
“I have dismantled my own cultivation in atonement for past transgressions. Yet the Mind-Stealing Secret Art—there is no way to dismantle that.”
Do Song Baek exhaled a profound sigh.
“That is why I sought only to use the Mind-Stealing Secret Art to grant peace to the hearts of those who suffer.”
[Do Thief of Minds, is your true strength not here, rather than in cultivation?]
The Samgye Emissary pointed to his temple with a finger as he spoke.
[If you but set your mind to it, you could endlessly nurture masters of the Mind-Stealing Art capable of opposing the Ben Gye itself.]
All along, Sam Gye had feared the power Do Song Baek possessed.
Thus they pursued him relentlessly after his disappearance, yet could find no trace of him for a long time.
But by chance, the youngest son of the Ya Soo Gung master was spotted heading toward Mang Hon Valley on the intelligence network.
This was because Dae Gon, master of Ya Soo Gung, had mobilized the intelligence network to observe the journey of Dae Gu Hwi, who was venturing into the Gangho for the first time.
The Infinite Realm sensed something amiss.
It was not uncommon for weary martial artists, having heard the legends of Mang Hon Valley, to visit that place.
But for a young heir of Ya Soo Gung to enter the forgotten Mang Hon Valley? This made no sense whatsoever.
They conducted a concentrated investigation into Mang Hon Valley once more.
And ultimately, they discovered that Do Song Baek was hiding there, and dispatched a great army.
No matter how formidable Bu Eunseol’s schemes were.
None could have foreseen that Dae Gon would take such action, nor that Sam Gye would detect this intelligence and set such events in motion.
[It seems I must waste a bit more time.]
The Samgye Emissary raised his hand once more.
Thereupon the assassins drew their blades again and prepared to attack.
A low hum resonated through the air.
Yet in that instant, Do Song Baek’s eyes had turned a deep crimson.
The Samgye Emissary’s body became immobilized, his hands and legs beginning to twitch involuntarily.
A sharp whisper cut through the silence.
At the same moment, light swirled in the eyes of the assassins surrounding them, and they suddenly began to encircle the Samgye Emissary.
Do Song Baek had unleashed his Mind-Stealing Art to paralyze the Samgye Emissary’s body and seize control of the assassins.
[There, you see?]
Despite being surrounded by the assassins, the Samgye Emissary clicked his tongue with an unperturbed expression.
[As long as the Do Taoist Emperor’s Successor possesses such power, there can never be true peace.]
“Leave.”
Do Song Baek spoke coldly.
“Otherwise, dozens of blades will pierce your body.”
“Valley Lord! Be careful!”
At that moment, Dae Gu Hwi, who had been lying on the ground, cried out loudly.
He had sensed that the Emissary’s body was not rigid at all.
But it was already too late.
Squelch!
Blood gushed from the lower abdomen of Do Song Baek, who was executing the Sealing Heart Technique.
The Emissary, who had been surrounded by the assassins, moved in an instant to Do Song Baek’s face.
He drove a sharp water blade into his lower abdomen.
[Having survived this long after escaping the grasp of Ben Gye is quite the feat.]
The Emissary withdrew the water blade he had driven into the belly with a sinister smile.
Whoosh.
Bright red blood flowed out like a river.
The water blade had severed the abdominal aorta around the navel.
[How does that pain feel?]
Having torn through his insides with bare force, the agony would be beyond imagination.
Yet Do Song Baek merely wore a faint smile.
“Is not the essence of life suffering?”
He murmured softly with a desolate expression.
“All humans begin with life and walk toward death. And inevitably, joy and sorrow are intertwined throughout that journey….”
[Are those your final words?]
Just as the Emissary wore a bloodstained smile,
Boom.
Thunder roared from the distant sky,
Flash!
Suddenly, lightning poured down from above and split the Emissary’s skull.
Whoosh.
The Emissary quickly stepped back.
Crack!
A sharp blade of energy split the ground where the Emissary had stood into two pieces.
Thud.
At the same moment, a gray shadow descended from the void.
It was Bu Eunseol.
‘Have I arrived too late?’
Upon discovering Do Song Baek dying while bleeding, Bu Eunseol’s eyes dimmed.
[Who are you?]
The Emissary’s eyes flashed, but Bu Eunseol did not answer.
I immediately approached the collapsed Do Song Baek and infused him with vital energy.
It was to hear his final words, if any remained.
“It has been such a long time.”
Do Song Baek accepted his end with remarkable composure.
“I had intended to end this cruel life at once, but in the end, I could not. Instead, I opened Mang Hon Valley. For those who suffer as I do….”
Bu Eunseol could sense it instinctively.
Do Song Baek had harbored no attachment to life from the beginning.
Once Sam Gye discovered him in Mang Hon Valley, he had resolved to surrender his life without hesitation.
“Why, then?”
“The forbidden technique that allowed Sam Gye to command the Shil Hon In… It was I who perfected it.”
Only then could Bu Eunseol truly comprehend Do Song Baek’s anguish.
He had attempted to reach the pinnacle of the Seop Sim technique by joining forces with Hyuk Ryeon, but… to freely manipulate and subjugate the human spirit was an impossible feat.
In the end, they had resorted to a poison, creating a forbidden method that could only ensure absolute obedience in those addicted to it.
“You must rescue the people of this valley from their grasp.”
Even as Do Song Baek drew his final breath, he thought only of the inhabitants of Mang Hon Valley.
“You are capable of this, are you not?”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Do not worry.”
“Thank you.”
Do Song Baek smiled faintly.
And then he breathed his last.
A man who had lived unable to end his own life, who had devoted himself to aiding those in the Murim who suffered as he did.
The death of Seop Cheon Mun’s master, Do Song Baek, appeared infinitely peaceful.
“Why is Sam Gye so petty?”
Bu Eunseol glared at the Samgye Emissary as he spoke.
“You have already seized half the Murim. Did you truly need to hunt down and kill Do Song Baek, who sought only peace?”
[So you know of the Ben Gye.]
Since Bu Eunseol wore Seol So’s appearance, the Samgye Emissary did not recognize him at all.
“You have no right to live.”
Bu Eunseol wasted no time and unleashed the Thirteen Night Technique at once.
Screech!
Two streaks of blade energy scraped across the earth and flew toward the Samgye Emissary’s left and right flanks.
“Hmph.”
Crack.
The Samgye Emissary lightly raised his power to deflect the blade energy.
But that was merely a feint.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The true strike came from four streaks of blade energy that curved in a great arc, wrapping around the Samgye Emissary’s back.
Whirr!
The Samgye Emissary spun his body like a top in great alarm.
But a sharp blade had already pierced through his ribs.
[Kut.]
Sa Ja cried out in a sharp, truncated scream, his body curling inward.
As the keen blade dug deeper, a searing pain spread throughout his entire frame, as though every bone in his body were contracting.
[This wretch.]
Greatly alarmed by Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess, Sa Ja stumbled backward,
Hwaaak!
and suddenly threw open both arms, drawing forth his inner energy.
Transparent powder began scattering in all directions.
[Fall!]
At that very moment, a sickly yellow light emanated from Sa Ja’s right eye.
It was a formidable soul-binding technique rivaling the Gongryeong Chohon Secret Method—the Demon Spirit Evil Eye.
“The One-Eyed Yama, Dong Cheon Ki. So you were truly an emissary of Sam Gye?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed with recognition.
The One-Eyed Yama, Dong Cheon Ki. He primarily wielded poison techniques and rudimentary soul-binding arts,
and was the sect master of Gwi Hwa Gate, a dark path faction that lived by taking contracts.
He rarely showed his face in Gangho, instead sending his disciples to accept commissions while fattening his own coffers.
Moreover, he was an exceedingly arrogant man, having bestowed upon himself the grandiose epithet of the One-Eyed Yama.
Yet Dong Cheon Ki not only possessed the identity of an emissary of the Infinite Realm,
but also wielded the Demon Spirit Evil Eye, a soul-binding technique comparable to the Gongryeong Chohon Secret Method?
[The Demon Spirit Evil Eye… it has no effect?]
Sa Ja, Dong Cheon Ki, retreated hesitantly, visibly shaken.
He was a master of the Scattered Light Finger Force and soul-binding arts, and had effortlessly felled countless foes with the Demon Spirit Evil Eye he had mastered in the Infinite Realm.
Yet not only had it failed to work, but her martial prowess surpassed his own?
“Then the title of emissary of the Infinite Realm is not a fixed position, but rather one assigned as needed… or perhaps you hold another identity altogether.”
A flash of insight crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“You have been masquerading as a member of Gwi Hwa Gate under the guise of taking contracts, leading assassins through Murim while handling the Infinite Realm’s missions. And you learned soul-binding arts from them as well.”
[Silence!]
Dong Cheon Ki raised his left hand.
Chhek!
The assassins immediately pressed their blades against the throats of the people from Mang Hon Valley.
[Do not move. One twitch of my finger and they all die.]
Until now, the emissaries of Sam Gye had possessed not only exceptional martial prowess, but also wielded unique techniques that transcended the boundaries of martial arts.
Yet this emissary before me, Dong Cheon Ki, possessed martial strength that was distinctly inferior to all the other emissaries I have encountered.
This was likely because he had been assigned missions relying on soul-binding techniques rather than martial arts.
[No matter who you are, you cannot save all these people.]
The assassins had subdued approximately a hundred individuals.
To save all the people of Mang Hon Valley, I would need to sever every assassin’s neck simultaneously.
The only method would be to use the Yeouui Formation, but the problem was that its activation speed was not particularly fast.
‘There is no other choice.’
Under normal circumstances, he would have slain the assassins in a heartbeat and subdued the emissary without hesitation.
But Do Song Baek had graciously provided the Hyun Yeop Stone and extended his favor—so I could not sacrifice the people of Mang Hon Valley.
“Come to your senses.”
Bu Eunseol spoke to the people of Mang Hon Valley, who stood trembling before the ruined Flower Garden, their minds utterly shattered.
“If you wish to die, offer your necks to their blades. If you wish to live, then fight.”
A sharp gleam flickered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he regarded them.
“The Valley Master is dead. There is no rest for you now.”
His low cry resonated through the minds of Mang Hon Valley’s people.
―The Valley Master is dead. There is no rest for any of you now.
Light began to kindle in the eyes of Mang Hon Valley’s people, who had stood vacant and unfocused.
Mang Hon Valley had crumbled, and the Valley Master was dead.
There was no beautiful landscape left to ease the memory of their suffering.
Mang Hon Valley, severed from the world, had ceased to exist.
“Ooooh!”
A middle-aged man among Mang Hon Valley’s people unleashed a torrent of formidable martial force.
It was Dan Jung Ak, the Golden Blade Jade Man, who had once lost his beloved wife and despaired before finding peace in Mang Hon Valley.
“Uuuaaah!”
Those who had stood in a daze then began to wield the martial arts they had forgotten, attacking the assassins.
Paradise existed no longer.
If so, they had no choice but to return to the world, to Murim.
Crack! Whoosh!
As the people of Mang Hon Valley unleashed their martial arts, the assassins’ formation crumbled helplessly.
They were individuals possessed of such exceptional talent that they had grown weary of worldly affairs.
As they released the emotions they had suppressed all this time and drew upon their martial arts, they transformed in an instant into formidable masters.
Sever!
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s Thirteen Night Technique pierced through Dong Cheon Ki’s throat.
[Not quite.]
Compared to the emissaries who had appeared thus far, Dong Cheon Ki was only slightly weaker—his martial prowess was far from contemptible.
But Bu Eunseol’s martial arts were of a caliber that did not yield even when clashing with the supreme masters who dominated Murim.
Dong Cheon Ki’s head nearly severed several times over.
[Wait!]
Dong Cheon Ki cried out in panic.
[Do you not wish to know of the Ben Gye?]
Bu Eunseol let out a cold laugh.
“What could one like you possibly know? Your head would burst before you could even speak the truth.”
Bu Eunseol already knew through Hwan Wang Sa Ok Cheong and the Blue-Eyed Man from the Murim Alliance that Sam Gye had imposed a formidable seal.
And he well understood that revealing it would mean instant death.
Trembling.
Realizing at last that there was no way to survive, Dong Cheon Ki’s body shook, and he opened his eyes wide and cried out.
[Then we all die together now!]
And then he stretched both hands toward the sky.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, his blood and bone fragments scattered in all directions.
Like Kang Ryong Tak Bi Hon, he had unleashed a technique of self-detonation to perish together with his enemy.
Zing!
But Bu Eunseol had already anticipated such a move, creating a circular barrier with the Yeouui Formation to block it all.
Rumble!
Yet something unexpected occurred.
As Dong Cheon Ki detonated, the entire Mang Hon Valley suddenly began to collapse.
Before entering this place, he had ordered his assassins to install enormous explosives.
Should the mission fail, he intended to bury everyone here alive.
“To Yeon Wol Cave!”
At that moment, Neung Bi Hon, who had been standing in a corner, cried out.
“There is a safe passage to escape through!”
Having remained in Mang Hon Valley, he had come to understand its structure intimately.
Thus he knew of the secret passage in Yeon Wol Cave that connected to the outside of Mang Hon Valley.
Tap tap tap.
Following Neung Bi Hon’s cry, countless people rushed toward where Yeon Wol Cave lay.
And as they reached the end of the cavern, a massive iron gate stood before them.
Passing through it quickly, they emerged directly beneath the mountainside.
Rumble.
In that moment, the mountain trembled, and the place where Mang Hon Valley had stood collapsed completely.
The people of Mang Hon Valley gazed upon the sight with vacant expressions.
There was no longer a Mang Hon Valley to forget all the world’s sorrows.
They had to venture forth into the world once more and live their lives.
They all wore the expressions of those awakening from a dream, and soon they bowed in reverence toward where Mang Hon Valley had been.
It was their gratitude toward Do Song Baek, who had brought them peace and care all this time.
* * *
Sinsugung was the most unique and mysterious female sect among the Murim Seven Great Secret Palaces.
They did not interact with other sects or figures of Gangho, maintaining their lineage with pristine isolation and lofty dignity.
Furthermore, by combining a mysterious power called Soo Shin Ki with martial arts,
they wielded a martial technique that transformed water—the most common of substances—into the most fearsome weapon in the world.
And within the mysterious interior of Sinsugung lay another secret place unknown to Murim.
That was Yao Jian Plain.
Storm clouds perpetually gathered around Yao Jian Plain, and the atmospheric conditions remained unstable.
Due to strong winds, the terrain, and a hot, humid climate… lightning struck constantly.
Having obtained the Divine Spirit Ranch and the Hyeon Yeop Stone,
now by using the lightning that fell at Yao Jian Plain to awaken the Thunder Divine Qi, Neung Bi Hon would be able to recover all his power.
Bu Eunseol and her companions diligently made their way to Eun Ha Ridge, where Sinsugung was located.
Finally arriving near Eun Ha Ridge, as night deepened, they settled at a shrine and kindled a fire.
“Let us recover our strength here before heading to Sinsugung.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Dae Gu Hwi eagerly kindled a fire while Neung Bi Hon prepared a sleeping area.
Once they had made preparations for a makeshift night’s rest, Neung Bi Hon began to meditate.
Though his memories did not return, as time passed, the martial techniques of Noe Ryeong Gate surfaced in his mind one by one.
Through meditation, he would recall the techniques that emerged in his thoughts, commit them to memory, and then impart them to Dae Gu Hwi.
During the journey from Mang Hon Valley to Eun Ha Ridge where Sinsugung lay, Neung Bi Hon transmitted a considerable number of Noe Ryeong Gate’s martial arts to Dae Gu Hwi.
Since both Noe Ryeong Gate and Ya Soo Gung’s martial arts emphasized overwhelming power, the harmony and compatibility between the two disciplines were exceptional.
“Hmm, this should prove useful.”
As martial technique scriptures continued to surface in Neung Bi Hon’s mind, he would explain them in detail and teach them to Dae Gu Hwi.
“Gu Hwi, you may think your gentle temperament and tendency to be bound by past memories prevent your Beast Power from manifesting properly. But I believe otherwise. Rather, it is your excessive rationality that hinders it.”
“Is rationality a flaw?”
“Not at all. To judge coldly and rationally before a fight is the finest choice. However, you must not overthink your opponent’s movements with your head, nor should you concern yourself with victory or defeat.”
Neung Bi Hon explained calmly.
“Since Ya Soo Gung’s martial arts emphasize instinct and sensation, mastering this Lei Ling Form should help you awaken your keen senses.”
He then recited the scripture of Lei Ling Form.
Dae Gu Hwi listened intently with a serious expression, committing the scripture to memory.
‘Perhaps this is how he wished to live.’
Bu Eunseol smiled as she watched the scene.
Neung Bi Hon must have cherished his son dearly. And while the child grew, he must have wanted to raise him this way, teaching him martial arts one technique at a time.
Dae Gu Hwi possessed a gentle temperament and followed Neung Bi Hon well.
Anyone observing them would mistake them for father and son.
‘It seems I have little role to play on this journey.’
Originally, Bu Eunseol had intended to transmit various martial techniques to Dae Gu Hwi during this journey to unleash his Beast Power.
However, through the events at Mang Hon Valley, Dae Gu Hwi had already succeeded in awakening his Beast Power.
And Neung Bi Hon was gradually filling in the remaining gaps.
By the time they completed their business at Sinsugung, Dae Gu Hwi would likely be able to draw upon his Beast Power smoothly.
Nod, nod.
As the night deepened, Dae Gu Hwi fell into a deep sleep, exhausted.
Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky, lost in thought.
At that moment, Neung Bi Hon approached Bu Eunseol.
“You have suffered much because of me.”
“Not at all.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“Elder Neung may not remember, but in truth, all of this is my fault.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Because of me, Elder Neung was forced into sudden combat. In that battle, you were defeated and injured.”
“How could that be your fault? It was my own lack of strength.”
Neung Bi Hon smiled gently and spoke.
“You have truly endured much hardship. Because of me.”
Bu Eunseol smiled.
Though the bond had formed under incomplete circumstances, I felt a deep affection toward Neung Bi Hon as though we had truly become brothers.
So much so that these trials never felt like hardship.
‘But.’
This is merely a fleeting dream.
Once I reclaim my divine spiritual essence, all these memories will fade away.
For now, I simply needed to think of it as a pleasant dream I was experiencing.
“Such talk can wait until everything is settled. It remains uncertain whether the Shen Shui Gong Master will even lend us access to Yao Jian Plain.”
“True, that’s a fair point.”
Neung Bi Hon spoke without emotion.
“But even if I never recover my power, I harbor no regrets. So do not strain yourself too much on my account, younger brother.”
Bu Eunseol answered with a smile instead.
I had resolved that no matter what happened, I would restore Neung Bi Hon to his former self.
Yet I could not have foreseen the unexpected turn of events that would unfold.
The next day.
Bu Eunseol and his companions arrived early at the gates of Shen Shui Gong and conveyed their request to visit Yao Jian Plain to Wi Sa.
“Please deliver this letter to the Deputy Palace Lord.”
The Palace Lord of Shen Shui Gong was in seclusion, and all matters were being handled by the Deputy Palace Lord, Sa Cheong Ha.
Thus, the request to enter Yao Jian Plain was transmitted to Deputy Palace Lord Sa Cheong Ha.
What came back in response was rather absurd.
“Though he would prefer to execute you on the spot, he grants you mercy instead. He commands that upon hearing this, you must withdraw thirty li beyond Eun Ha Ridge.”
“What does that mean?”
“Simply relay that message. That is all.”
Thud.
The gates of Shen Shui Gong closed firmly once more.
Standing before the gates, Bu Eunseol could not hide his bewilderment.
This was entirely unexpected. Even if Shen Shui Gong rejected outsiders, to go to such lengths?
There was clearly some past conflict between the Deputy Palace Lord and Neung Bi Hon.
“Brother Neung, do you recall anything?”
“Nothing.”
Neung Bi Hon shook his head calmly.
Having lost his memories, even if there were some bitter history between him and Sa Cheong Ha, he could not know of it.
“To come this far only for this.”
Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
How much suffering had we endured to obtain the Divine Spirit Ranch and the Luminous Jade Stone?
If Shen Shui Gong refused us entry to Yao Jian Plain, all our efforts would come to naught.
And I would be unable to find the Taoist Emperor’s Successor.
“Seol So.”
At that moment, Dae Gu Hwi stepped forward.
“Allow me to attempt something.”
He struck his chest confidently as he spoke.
“Regardless of circumstances, I am the successor to Ya Soo Gung. Even Shen Shui Gung cannot easily disregard the dignity of my palace.”
I had been dismissed.
Vice Palace Master Sa Cheong Ha held no regard whatsoever for Ya Soo Gung’s reputation.
He had no intention of elevating the prestige of an obscure youngest son whose name was scarcely known.
As Dae Gu Hwi returned with vacant, unfocused eyes, thoroughly snubbed, Bu Eunseol’s gaze sharpened.
‘There is no other choice.’
Bu Eunseol bit her lip.
In the end, there was only one way to enter Shen Shui Gung, which refused even to open its doors and cast aside all pretense of civility.
The identity of the successor to Demon Palace—the Lord of Muhonjung.

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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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