The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 514

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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 514.
Bu Eunseol hesitated for a moment.
‘Should I kill him?’
In a cave that had already become a slaughterhouse, silently eliminating one Cheon Hwa In would make no difference.
The only concern was leaving traces of martial technique, so she would refrain from unleashing wind strikes. Her plan was to silently strike his vital points when he drew near.
“Screech!”
But at that moment, a frenzied figure ambushed Cheon Hwa In from behind.
The attacker’s movements were formidable enough that even Cheon Hwa In couldn’t easily overpower him.
Screech.
Then, the Soul-Shattering Demon Fragrance that had filled the cave suddenly dissipated, and a violet-hued wisp of smoke began seeping in instead.
At that, the people stopped fighting and stood in a daze.
Upon inhaling that fragrance, their nasal passages grew cold as if touched by ice. Simultaneously, the killing frenzy induced by the Soul-Shattering Demon Fragrance was instantly neutralized.
Rumble.
With a low tremor, light began flowing from the cave ceiling once more.
Beneath that faint illumination, a horrific scene was laid bare.
“Retch.”
Several martial artists surveying the cave’s landscape began vomiting.
Not a single corpse remained intact.
Without inner energy, the only methods to kill were tearing with teeth or shredding with nails.
Consequently, viscera and bodily fluids lay scattered throughout the cave in grotesque profusion.
“Ugh…”
Some of those witnessing the scene, unable to endure it, pounded on the entrance they had come through, crying out.
“I concede! I forfeit this gate trial!”
But the door would not open.
The Eight Rules of Geom Chong—once one entered a gate trial, withdrawal midway was impossible.
And the first gate had not yet ended.
Screech!
After some time had passed, the light vanished once more and smoke began rising.
This time, it was not the Soul-Shattering Demon Fragrance.
A single inhalation would feel as though the lungs themselves were burning.
“Ahhh…”
People began writhing in agony.
Despite merely catching a whiff of the smoke, their lungs contracted in pain, and even breathing became a struggle.
“Aaaahhh!”
Screaming in torment, people rushed toward the entrance.
“Open it! Open the door!”
But no matter how much they pounded, the door would not yield.
‘It is not a poison potent enough to kill.’
Bu Eunseol’s gaze grew even more composed as she inhaled the fragrance.
The smoke spreading through the cave was not a deadly toxin capable of instant fatality.
But the people could not endure the agony and screamed in chaos, their minds fracturing under the strain.
‘Then is this a test of patience?’
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
This was not the Ten Demon Hall Conference.
Most of these were third-rate martial artists who had reached adulthood. Even if they possessed exceptional talent, in their current state, they could never master advanced martial techniques.
“Aaahhhhh!”
White foam bubbled from the mouths of those writhing in agony.
Yet those who could discern the poison’s nature or possessed great endurance kept their eyes shut, gritting their teeth against the torment.
Thump. Thump.
Eventually, several martial artists collapsed like logs and breathed their last.
After that came various toxins—the Illusory Needle Poison that conjured hallucinations and terror, the Salt Shell Affliction Poison that burned only the skin, and more.
Diverse toxic vapors rose intermittently into the air.
Among them were some exceptional martial artists, but the majority possessed shallow internal energy and
had scarcely cultivated their spiritual essence—second-rate warriors at best.
Each time the toxic vapors rose, the martial artists lost their senses, and some even smashed their heads against the walls in desperation.
After a full day had passed, nearly two hundred martial artists had dwindled to fewer than a hundred.
“Haahhh…”
Those who remained, though the poison had completely left their bodies, bore a murderous gleam in their eyes.
Having endured the agonizing toxic vapors for so long, they had descended into a state of malevolence.
Creak. Creak. Creak.
Finally, as the door opened, the figure of the Ghost-Face Messenger, wearing a crimson ghost-face mask, appeared once more.
“What is the meaning of this!”
Several enraged martial artists rushed at the masked figure, protesting frantically.
“Why! Why are you committing such cruelty!”
And some fell to their knees before him.
“Please, release us! I wish to leave!”
The Ghost-Face Messenger regarded the protesters with cold indifference.
“I have told you many times—once the trial begins, you cannot leave.”
He swept his icy gaze across them and spoke.
“Return to your positions at once.”
But then both those who protested and those who pleaded had their eyes roll back.
“Do you think you will escape unscathed after committing such atrocities? If you step outside…”
Slice.
Suddenly, with a sharp sound, the head of one of the protesters fell uselessly to the ground.
Severed in a single stroke by a blade swift as lightning.
Splurt!
The Ghost-Face Messenger flicked the blood from his blade onto the floor, his voice dripping with killing intent.
“If any of you wish to break the rules again, speak now.”
Those who had been protesting could say nothing more and slowly retreated backward.
The Ghost-Face Messenger’s blade was so swift and merciless that even in perfect condition, none could have stopped him.
Moreover, wasn’t her dantian currently suppressed as well?
If she resisted recklessly, she would die without even a whimper.
“We move to the next gate.”
At the Ghost-Face Messenger’s command, the martial artists lowered their heads and moved toward the opened doorway.
Then an empty expanse came into view.
Two towers, each five stories tall, stood side by side, connected by a single log bridge that allowed passage between them.
Ladders were erected on the sides of the towers for people to climb.
“Two people climb the towers and push each other off the log bridge. The victor advances to the next gate.”
The martial artists fell silent at the Ghost-Face Messenger’s words.
If one’s inner energy were intact, even falling from five stories could be managed with relative safety.
But falling from a five-story tower with a suppressed dantian?
Nine times out of ten, death was certain, or if one was fortunate enough to survive, disability was highly probable.
“Why force us to slaughter each other like this?”
The One-Eyed Man asked, unable to comprehend the logic.
“Are you trying to reduce our numbers? If that were the case, you could have selected fewer people from the start. You could have culled enough in the first gate alone.”
“Did you think entering Geom Chong would be easy?”
At the Ghost-Face Messenger’s response, the One-Eyed Man spoke pleadingly.
“Even if we enter Geom Chong, we won’t be chosen by the sword itself, will we? Why not just place us directly in Geom Chong? There’s no need for us to slaughter strangers.”
The martial artists murmured in agreement with the One-Eyed Man’s words.
“You’ll understand why that’s impossible once you see Geom Chong.”
“Why is it impossible?”
“Our sect is already granting entry to unknown individuals without any conditions.”
The Ghost-Face Messenger placed his hand on his sword hilt with an air of annoyance.
“If you do not comply with our sect’s policies, I will act immediately.”
It was an ultimatum no different from the King of Hell’s final warning.
If the Ghost-Face Messenger decided to slaughter all the martial artists, no one could stop him.
The One-Eyed Man finally lowered his head.
“Begin.”
Following the Ghost-Face Messenger’s instructions, people began climbing the towers in order.
Bu Eunseol, watching silently, sensed something amiss.
The second gate as well.
It was ultimately an extension of the slaughter from the first gate.
As the One-Eyed Man had said, if the goal was to select outstanding individuals, the first gate alone would have sufficed to filter them.
If the intention was to reduce numbers, that too could have been accomplished as desired in the first gate.
So why force them through such tedious and complex procedures to fight?
“Aaaahhh!”
A man who had emerged from the left tower pushed the one emerging from the right tower.
With a piercing scream, the man who fell from the log bridge
Crack.
His skull shattered like a watermelon.
The interior fell into a silence as profound as death itself in an instant.
Terror flooded the faces of the martial artists. If they failed to push back their opponent, they would meet their own demise.
―I absolutely cannot die a meaningless death here!
The eyes of the warriors gazing up at the Tower burned with obsession and madness.
“Aaaagh!”
“Argh!”
The battle raged on, and with each shift in fortune, agonized screams pierced the air.
Some, unable to overcome their enemies, chose to perish together, hurling themselves downward.
Crack!
“Ugh.”
There were those fortunate enough to fall from the Tower yet survive with only broken legs.
And finally, Bu Eunseol’s turn arrived.
As Bu Eunseol ascended the Tower on the left, a Muscular Giant of tremendous build stood towering on the opposite side.
“A weakling, I see.”
The Muscular Giant, observing Bu Eunseol’s slender frame, curved his lips into a sinister smile.
Now that her inner energy had vanished, she could only rely on the raw strength of her body to push her opponent back.
The Muscular Giant was greatly reassured, knowing that the gaunt Bu Eunseol could never match his strength.
Thump. Thump.
The man ascended the Single Log Bridge with a malevolent grin.
“Let us begin.”
Then he confidently shifted his stance.
“I warn you—even a mutual destruction will be difficult for you.”
Crack.
As the man tensed his arms, his muscles swelled and veins like serpents began to protrude.
Now it was clear he had mastered a formidable external technique capable of amplifying his physical strength.
External techniques were independent of inner energy cultivation, so even with a sealed dantian, they could be deployed without restriction.
“Come on!”
The man charged forward with a battle cry, rushing straight toward Bu Eunseol.
The bridge between the Towers was so narrow that barely one person could stand upon it. With such overwhelming force driving forward, there was no way to evade.
Thud.
At that moment, Bu Eunseol calmly extended both hands.
It was a gesture inviting a test of strength.
“You wish to test our strength?”
Just as the man, laughing heartily, reached to seize Bu Eunseol’s hands,
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol swiftly pulled the man’s arm toward herself, causing his body to tilt precariously.
“Impossible!”
The man immediately pulled Bu Eunseol’s arm toward himself.
But that was precisely Bu Eunseol’s trap.
Swish!
I seized the moment when the man pulled his arm and instead pushed him back lightly.
“Huh?”
Using a simple pushing and pulling trick like children at play, he never imagined I could push him away like this.
“Aah!”
The man let out a cry of bewilderment as he plummeted downward.
Thud!
With a dull crash, the man fell straight to the ground.
I descended with an unbothered expression when the Ghost-Face Messenger suddenly spoke.
“Wait.”
He then sent another man up the tower on the right side.
“Let’s have another match.”
I responded with a somewhat bewildered expression.
“Why must I?”
“You must continue until you survive,” he said coldly.
The Ghost-Face Messenger spoke with icy indifference.
“However, if you survive this time as well, I will immediately grant you passage through the gate.”
“Very well.”
I reluctantly climbed back up the tower.
The man who stood on the opposite tower was, unlike the one I had just faced, smaller in build and far leaner.
Tap-tap-tap.
The Lean Swordsman immediately rushed across the Single Log Bridge and began pushing me back.
Screech.
Remarkably, the Lean Swordsman possessed far greater strength than the Muscular Giant from moments before.
Moreover, he pushed me back with pure force, employing no technique whatsoever.
Eventually, I was driven from the Single Log Bridge and pushed back to the tower where I could barely maintain my footing.
One more step backward and I would tumble into the abyss below.
‘A disciple of the Hyunyuan Sect, perhaps.’
The Hyunyuan Sect possessed not only the Hyunyuan Unified Qi technique, an exceptional internal cultivation method.
They also possessed the Jade Steel Secret Manual, which allowed one to maximize the body’s inherent strength without relying on internal energy—a technique remarkably similar to bestial power.
The force radiating from this Lean Swordsman’s body was precisely the power of the Jade Steel Secret Manual.
‘Shallow.’
The first thing I had trained after learning martial arts late was fundamental physical conditioning.
Since I began studying martial arts at the Nangya Sect, I had never slept except during cultivation periods.
I devoted every moment to tempering my body.
Crack.
As a result, my body had reached the pinnacle of what could be trained—equivalent to the extreme limits of bestial power.
Screech.
Now exerting my full strength, I pushed the Lean Swordsman back in one explosive motion.
The man was greatly startled.
Click. Click-click.
Then something strange occurred.
Jeong Gwang bloomed in the Lean Swordsman’s eyes, and he was gradually not merely blocking Bu Eunseol’s power—he was pushing back against it.
“I absolutely cannot die in a place like this!”
With a fierce shout, the Lean Swordsman began driving Bu Eunseol’s body backward once more.
The force was so overwhelming that even Bu Eunseol, who had reached the limits of what a cultivated body could endure, could not push him back.
Just as Bu Eunseol, driven to the very edge, was about to plummet from the tower,
A blur of motion.
With a sharp whistle through the air, the Ghost-Face Messenger, who had been watching silently, leaped up and landed on the Single Log Bridge.
“You. You’re channeling inner energy.”
The Ghost-Face Messenger’s gaze fixed upon the ground beneath the Lean Swordsman’s feet.
Because he had drawn upon his inner energy, he had inadvertently left deep footprints upon the wooden bridge without realizing it.
“Did you employ the Blood Sealing Displacement Technique?”
The Blood Sealing Displacement Technique was a secret art that allowed one to temporarily shift the Blood Sealing Points in a fleeting instant.
However, this great technique was difficult to employ, requiring one to know precisely which Blood Sealing Point the opponent was targeting.
But the Cheon In Sect had lined up the participants in order and publicly declared they would strike the dantian.
Using the Blood Sealing Displacement Technique to preserve one’s inner energy was child’s play.
“Did our sect’s rules seem amusing to you?”
At the Ghost-Face Messenger’s words, the Lean Swordsman let out a derisive snort.
“How could I passively allow my inner energy to be suppressed when I don’t know what schemes the Evil Sect is plotting?”
It seemed this Lean Swordsman, like Bu Eunseol, had infiltrated the Cheon In Sect for investigation purposes.
“Well, since I’ve been exposed, I’ll have no choice but to overwhelm you with force.”
A sharp crack.
The Lean Swordsman landed on the ground and immediately opened his mouth wide.
Then he slowly began extracting a thread that had been secretly tied to his teeth.
A long, steady pull.
As he drew the thread, a sharp, gleaming short blade complete with its scabbard shot out from his mouth.
Remarkably, he had swallowed the thread-connected blade and endured all this time with it inside him.
“If you’re confident, don’t summon your subordinates—try fighting me one-on-one.”
At the man’s words, the Ghost-Face Messenger landed on the ground and chuckled softly.
“You seem quite confident.”
“If I lacked confidence, I wouldn’t have entered in the first place.”
The man lowered his stance, gripping the short blade, and assumed his fighting posture.
The Ghost-Face Messenger, regarding the man with an unwavering gaze, nodded slowly.
“One who has mastered the inner energy cultivation of the Hyunyuan Sect, yet has also learned the Jade Silk Sword Technique… I see.”
The Ghost-Face Messenger recognized at a glance that the man’s stance belonged to the Jade Silk Sword Technique.
“You are from the Hae Nam Pai.”
The Hae Nam Pai, famous for the Thirty-Six Namhae Swords, had merged the Hyunyuan Sect and the Jade Silk School together.
Therefore, in all of Murim, only the masters of Hae Nam Pai could simultaneously master both the Jade Silk Sword Technique and the Hyunyuan First Qi Cultivation.
“If you knew that, you should kneel.”
“It’s pointless. Hae Nam Pai or not—death is death.”
“….”
“Now that a written agreement has been made, even the Murim Alliance Leader couldn’t raise objections.”
“Your confidence is excessive. Merely committing such a massacre would be enough to condemn your Cheon In Sect….”
Thud.
Before the man could finish his outcry, a brilliant flash of light erupted.
Thud.
In that same instant, the head of the man wielding the short blade tumbled to the ground.
Extreme Swift Killing Sword.
The Ghost-Face Messenger had unleashed what could only be described as a lightning-fast Extreme Swift Killing Sword.
Clang.
The Ghost-Face Messenger sheathed his gleaming blade and gazed down at the now-headless corpse, his voice cutting through the silence.
“Pathetic. Even the warriors of Hae Nam Pai.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The martial artists below could not conceal their shock.
The short man had possessed the bearing of a Hae Nam Pai master, his momentum formidable and his skill evident.
Yet the Ghost-Face Messenger had severed his head with a single stroke.
“Do you wish to possess such power as well?”
The Ghost-Face Messenger casually returned his blade to its sheath and addressed the participants.
“Should you pass through this gate, you too shall attain strength equal to that of this messenger. The sword of Geom Chong grants such power.”
The breathing of the warriors grew ragged.
The Ghost-Face Messenger’s words had reignited the fire within their chests.
“You—descend now.”
At the Ghost-Face Messenger’s command, Bu Eunseol made her way back down.
And once more, the fierce battle upon the Single Log Bridge commenced.
‘What could possibly be the purpose of this gate?’
It was no test to ferret out those concealing their inner power.
Anyone capable of infiltrating this place could easily crush third-rate martial artists without exerting their full strength.
Bu Eunseol pondered deeply, yet no matter how she reasoned, the answer eluded her.
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh!”
The duels upon the Single Log Bridge did not take long to conclude.
In less than half an hour, all participants had finished their contests on the bridge.
Those who fell inevitably plummeted to the ground below, sustaining grave injuries or perishing, while the victors clenched their fists in jubilation.
Only fifty remained.
“We proceed to the Third Gate.”
It was already the third gate.
Upon the vast open ground stood twenty-five disciples of the Cheon In Sect, and beside them were arrayed bizarre metal cylinders, densely packed together.
Opposite them lay an equal number of long, flexible blades displayed in rows.
The count matched the cylinders precisely—exactly fifty.
‘They deliberately selected fifty survivors.’
Not only Bu Eunseol, but all the participants could sense it as well.
That this third gate was the final gate.
In other words, if they survived here, they could finally enter Geom Chong.
“Everyone will equip these cylinders on your bodies.”
The participants who heard Sa Ja’s words gazed upon the massive cylinders.
The dark cylinders could accommodate any body size,
and with a metallic click,
the moment one’s body entered, it clung snugly to their frame.
The cylinders were mostly large enough to conceal the body from the neck down to below the knees.
“The cylinder has fourteen holes drilled through it. Of those, only four are genuine holes. The rest are false holes that are sealed.”
The Ghost-Face Messenger spoke in a low voice while observing the martial artists who were staring at him.
“And since those holes are connected by tubes, the visible position and actual position differ. Moreover, each time a match concludes, the position of those holes will shift again.”
The Ghost-Face Messenger pointed to the skewer-like thin swords arranged on one side.
“Three of the four holes pierce through the thighs, arms, and shoulders. And the remaining one targets the heart.”
The Ghost-Face Messenger narrowed his eyes visible through the mask.
“Even if you’ve mastered external techniques like Iron Skin or Thirteen Protective Refinement, it’s useless. These swords are no ordinary blades.”
He spoke in a low voice while observing the martial artists before him.
“Equip this, choose offense or defense, then fight.”
The participants no longer showed surprise or fear.
The eyes of those gathered at the Third Gate were already stained with killing intent and madness.
They had killed and killed again to reach this point. There was nothing left to astonish or excite them.
‘This is strange in its own way.’
The holes in this cylinder supposedly changed randomly.
Moreover, since the holes curved in arcs, no matter how closely one examined them, no differences could be discerned.
In other words, this was not a battle of martial prowess or perception, but purely a matter of luck.
‘And besides.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as she examined the interior of the cylinder with her Beast Path senses.
There was an empty chamber attached inside—one whose purpose she could not fathom.

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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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