The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 524
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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 524.
Yeongak Dojeon.
It was the Library Pavilion where the Orthodox Sects gathered their finest martial techniques—a place equivalent to the Manma Yujin Pavilion of the Demon Palace.
“For the sect leader or lord-ranked individual who achieves the greatest merit, we could grant access to the third floor of Yeongak Dojeon. And for the previous generation’s members who achieved the greatest merit, we could either permit access to the first floor of Yeongak Dojeon or provide elixirs that enhance cultivation.”
Muk In Hyeok and Seong Jo Young struck their knees.
―How had they not thought of Yeongak Dojeon?
In the Murim world, warriors would leap from their beds at the mere mention of swords and secret techniques.
But the martial arts of Yeongak Dojeon?
It could instantly restore the morale of warriors who had fallen to the depths of despair.
“We can open access up to this floor through the Chief’s authority, yes?”
At Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s question, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“That is correct.”
“The conclusion will come soon, then.”
With such rewards at stake, the morale of both brigades would pierce the heavens.
Even if ordered to refrain, they would stake their lives to annihilate the Cheon In Sect. Now they truly approached the final chapter.
“Both sub-lords, convey this information to your subordinates.”
“Understood.”
“And after sufficient rest, at dawn’s breaking, immediately proceed to annihilate the Cheon In Sect.”
Muk In Hyeok and Seong Jo Young clasped their hands together and bowed respectfully.
Gong Son Dan Gyeong and Bu Eunseol.
They now recognized these two possessed strategies and wisdom beyond their capacity to follow.
Naturally, they submitted and obeyed.
As the two sub-lords departed, silence descended upon the camp.
“We’ve reached the final stretch.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong, exchanging a subtle glance with Bu Eunseol, spoke in hushed tones.
“Now that we’ve established a camp here, the Cheon In Sect will move soon, won’t they?”
“Indeed.”
“My life now rests in the hands of Seon Woo Dae Ju.”
Bu Eunseol asked carefully.
“Are you not afraid?”
“Afraid?”
“If this gamble fails, if my abilities prove insufficient… the Chief’s life could be endangered.”
“I don’t gamble. I only calculate.”
The final plan would soon unfold.
If it failed, Gong Son Dan Gyeong might lose her life. Yet far from fear, a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“And.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong lifted her long lashes, gazing steadily at Bu Eunseol.
“I trust Seon Woo Dae Ju.”
From her eyes, brilliant as jewels, radiated unwavering confidence.
On the surface, she appeared an infinitely beautiful and tender beauty.
Yet in truth, she was among all the women Bu Eunseol had ever encountered—not merely exceptional in her wisdom, but utterly inscrutable in her intentions.
And I sensed that she too harbored secrets of her own.
“I shall do my utmost.”
Bu Eunseol answered with measured courtesy, concealing her true thoughts, and Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Now the true plan—one that would stake their very lives—was about to commence.
And should it succeed… Bu Eunseol would ascend immediately to the rank of First-Class Lord of the Murim Alliance.
* * *
—To the sect leader-level figures who achieved the greatest merit in the battle against the Cheon In Sect, I shall open the second floor of the Yeongak Dojeon.
And to the warriors of the vanguard who fought with the greatest valor, I shall open the first floor.
As Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s decree spread, the martial artists stirred with excitement.
It was the greatest reward imaginable—beyond anything they could have hoped for.
Moreover, it was the moment when a battle fought without clear purpose
transformed into one they absolutely had to win.
—Uwaaaah!
—Forward!
The Shin Wi Dan and Cheon Mu Dan, their morale soaring to the heavens, immediately advanced upon the Cheon In Sect entrenched on Yangmun Mountain.
And the battle began.
—What?
The Cheon In Sect disciples sensed something amiss at last.
The Shin Wi Dan and Cheon Mu Dan, who had always fought cautiously and pursued only stable victories,
were now charging with full force like rabid beasts, foam flecking their lips and eyes rolled back in their heads.
They no longer feared wounds. Indeed, they seemed to welcome a certain degree of injury.
The more fierce and spirited their fighting, the higher their chances of earning the reward.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The Shin Wi Dan and Cheon Mu Dan, having advanced to the very gates of the Cheon In Sect’s headquarters in a single breath, engaged in fierce close combat.
No matter how they possessed more than twenty times the enemy’s numbers, no matter how desperately they fought to the last,
the majority of the Cheon In Sect’s forces were third-rate martial artists.
They could not withstand elite warriors of one-against-a-hundred caliber, charging forward with desperate longing for wounds.
—Send forth the Ghost-Face Messengers!
The Cheon In Sect dispatched all their Ghost-Face Messengers of exceptional skill, yet they could not stem the tide of their unstoppable advance.
As the two brigades overwhelmed the battlefield, the martial prowess of Seong Jo Young and Muk In Hyeok, the two vice-commanders, began to shine brilliantly.
Shwack! Pap-pap-pap!
Seong Jo Young, who had mastered the swordsmanship of the Xueying School, a renowned sword family of the Righteous Path, had innovated the Biying Sword Technique by combining the methods of Luanjian and Sanjian,
and had felled his enemies without a single defeat until now, finally earning his position as vice-commander of the Shin Wi Dan.
And what of Muk In Hyeok?
As the legitimate heir of the Tieshi Sword School, he had ventured into the Murim at age ten and roamed the Tianxia with a single blade called the Moktian Lion Sword,
and having fortuitously obtained a Daoist scripture, he mastered both sorcery and formation arrays, prompting the Wol Young Dae Lord himself to personally invite him to the Murim Alliance.
Since then, he had achieved remarkable feats in the Wol Young Dae and caught the eye of the Cheon Mu Dan Lord, leading countless battles to victory.
As the two vice-commanders unleashed their full sword techniques, none could withstand even a single stroke—they fell like autumn leaves before the wind.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the gates of the Cheon In Sect’s main palace shattered.
Seong Jo Young and Muk In Hyeok, having dispatched countless Ghost-Face Messengers, had forced their way through to the Great Hall where the sect leader awaited.
“…!”
As they surveyed their surroundings, their eyes widened in shock.
They had maintained a siege, blocking both passages leading out of the Cheon In Sect.
Yet the sect leader and his inner circle had already escaped Yangmun Mountain?
―Could it be.
Muk In Hyeok and Seong Jo Young exchanged glances.
Now that they thought about it, something felt distinctly amiss.
Elite forces had been stationed all the way to the entrance, fierce enough to wage a desperate battle.
Yet once they penetrated deeper into the Cheon In Sect, the martial artists’ skill proved mediocre, and their defenses crumbled with ease.
“A trap…!”
Both men uttered the same word simultaneously.
If they had truly been preparing for battle against the Murim Alliance. If they had planned for so long.
They would have devised a strategy of this magnitude.
And they had discovered the easiest way to end this conflict.
“The Chief is in danger!”
Both men immediately unleashed their lightness technique and fled Yangmun Mountain.
But reaching Ha Seo, installed at the camp, required at minimum half a double hour.
Naturally, the Cheon In Sect would have anticipated their return time. The camp where Gong Son Dan Gyeong was stationed was surely already under attack.
“This cannot be!”
Both men unleashed their lightness technique with desperate fury.
If anything happened to Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
Neither the Divine Position Sect nor the Cheon Mu Dan could escape responsibility.
* * *
A rumbling sound, like a stampede of cattle.
Across the plains near Ha Seo where Gong Son Dan Gyeong was stationed,
roughly a thousand soldiers in black garments began encircling the area in a dark mass.
Each wore distinctive swords and ghost-face masks of black across their features.
The elite forces of the Cheon In Sect who had covertly escaped Yangmun Mountain through secret passages.
They were the Ghost-Face Messengers.
“Who goes there!”
The members of the Hwan Woo Geom Dae guarding the camp perimeter cried out,
―Kill them all!
The Ghost-Face Messengers immediately launched their assault.
“Enemy infiltration!”
At the alarm whistles of the Hwan Woo Geom Dae members,
the protective forces stationed at the camp moved to intercept them.
But the martial artists garrisoned here numbered merely three hundred.
It was impossible to withstand the thousand Ghost-Face Messengers surging forward like a tidal wave.
“Chief!”
Naeng Gyeom, the sword master of the Hwan Woo Geom Dae guarding Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s camp, came rushing over.
“The Cheon In Sect is attacking! You must evacuate immediately!”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong quickly followed Naeng Gyeom out of the camp.
But the surroundings were already swarming with Cheon In Sect warriors clad in black martial robes.
“Protect the Chief!”
The Hwan Woo Geom Dae members formed a circular defensive formation around Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s position, repelling the onslaught of enemies.
They were all uniformly skilled warriors.
But the Ghost-Face Messengers all wielded sharp blades and employed a distinctly unique sword technique.
With their numbers exceeding three times over, the situation was utterly untenable.
“Ugh.”
The members fought desperately in defense, but roughly half suffered grave wounds.
Whish! Whirrrrr!
Then, from somewhere, a barrage of sharp flying blades erupted.
“Ugh.”
“Argh!”
With cries of agony, the Ghost-Face Messengers collapsed as though struck by an invisible sledgehammer.
Thud.
At that same moment, a white-robed figure descended from the sky before the sword brigade members.
It was Bu Eunseol.
“Escort the Chief and flee quickly!”
With a brief shout, Bu Eunseol unleashed another volley of flying blades.
The blades she released found their marks with perfect accuracy.
With each flash of light, Ghost-Face Messengers fell without exception.
The Hwan Woo Geom Dae, bolstered by Bu Eunseol’s prowess, broke through the Ghost-Face Messengers’ encirclement and attempted to flee.
But their numbers were far too great, making escape nearly impossible.
“We cannot breach their encirclement!”
As Naeng Gyeom, the Hwan Woo Geom Dae master, cried out, Bu Eunseol spoke.
“I shall carve a path!”
Bu Eunseol immediately drew her iron sword and unleashed sword energy like a violent tempest.
Whoosh! Pap pap pap pap!
Her swordplay lacked overwhelming power but was extraordinarily precise, striking the vital points of the Ghost-Face Messengers with unerring accuracy.
As her efforts shattered one section of the encirclement, Naeng Gyeom immediately began carving a path forward.
Tap tap tap.
With Naeng Gyeom leading, the Hwan Woo Geom Dae and Gong Son Dan Gyeong rushed forth.
They deployed their lightness techniques to escape the region, but the Ha Seo area was already blanketed with the Cheon In Sect’s heavy siege net.
Unable to escape the encirclement no matter which direction they moved, Gong Son Dan Gyeong cried out.
“Climb to the cliff top!”
Understanding her intent, Naeng Gyeom immediately broke through the encirclement and moved toward the mountain peak.
A formation with one’s back to the water.
If they couldn’t escape the encirclement anyway.
They might as well position themselves with a river or cliff at their backs to block rear attacks, then hold out with all their strength until reinforcements arrived.
A faint shimmer rippled through the air.
But the Cheon In Sect had already perfectly predicted their escape routes and established their encirclement accordingly.
As they raced swiftly up the mountainside, they approached a wide open ground within a forest nearby,
when a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
As if waiting for them, hundreds of Ghost-Face Messengers suddenly blocked their path ahead.
“These bastards—they had this plan from the very beginning!”
Naeng Gyeom bit his lip.
The Cheon In Sect had realized they couldn’t win against the Murim Alliance.
So they seized the moment when all their forces ascended Yangmun Mountain to launch their total assault.
Using the secret passage, they slipped out of Yangmun Mountain and ambushed Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
Of course, they had also sealed off every possible escape route.
‘There’s simply no way out.’
Just as Naeng Gyeom was about to bite his lip,
“Just hold them for half a quarter hour.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong began rearranging the positions of fallen stones and branches on the ground.
“As a precaution, I laid a formation array along one of the escape routes.”
At those words, Naeng Gyeom’s eyes widened and he nodded vigorously.
‘Fortunately, the Chief had prepared a formation array in advance!’
When facing a sudden ambush, one naturally had to secure an escape route.
Gong Son Dan Gyeong had anticipated that not only would the enemy deploy their massive forces in an ambush, but they would also seal off the escape routes.
So she had pre-installed a formation array capable of buying them some time.
A brilliant flash erupted.
As she finally completed the formation array, the surrounding landscape blurred, and a narrow passage appeared that only about twenty people could traverse at once.
“With this White Transformation Extreme Formation, no matter how massive an army they bring, they won’t be able to pour through all at once.”
At Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s confident declaration, Naeng Gyeom exhaled in relief.
With this arrangement, even a small force could defend against a massive army.
They could hold out until the forces of Sungwi Unit and Cheon Mu Dan returned.
A thunderous roar echoed.
In the meantime, about twenty Ghost-Face Messengers rushed through the narrow passage.
“I’ll take the front.”
Bu Eunseol immediately dashed forward and unleashed a storm of flying blades.
Thanks to the White Transformation Extreme Formation’s properties, despite being surrounded on all sides, Ghost-Face Messengers only appeared from the passages ahead and behind.
Clang! Clang!
Bu Eunseol alternated between Heavenly Edge Flying Blade Technique and Iron Sword Thirteen Forms, dispatching those who rushed at her.
―Is Seon Woo Dae Ju’s martial prowess truly so formidable?
Naeng Gyeom and the members of the Hwan Woo Sword Brigade who witnessed this all dropped their jaws.
Even though Bu Eunseol held the title of Dae Ju, she was merely the lord of a second-class brigade.
They were first-class sword brigade members, so they naturally believed their martial skills surpassed hers.
Yet Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess was of a caliber that shattered their pride entirely, leaving them awash in shame.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Each time the dark iron blade swept through the air, faint afterimages lingered in its wake.
Though Bu Eunseol’s swordplay appeared deceptively simple at first glance, it contained mysteries beyond words and the profound principles of martial mastery that towered impossibly high.
“Ugh.”
“Kgh.”
With each swing of Bu Eunseol’s blade, the Ghost-Face Messengers could not evade, their vital points struck by the sword’s edge.
It was the confident swordplay of a righteous practitioner who subdued enemies without resorting to lethal techniques.
As Bu Eunseol dispatched the charging Ghost-Face Messengers with ease, the brigade members surged with renewed courage and held firm against the assault from behind.
“Hold on just a little longer!”
Naeng Gyeom, who was commanding the members, called out in a loud voice.
“Soon the Lord will return leading reinforcements!”
Boom. Boom.
Yet at that moment, a sound that shook the very earth reverberated through the gorge.
The Ghost-Face Messengers, who had been relentlessly charging, retreated momentarily.
Boom.
As the earth-shaking sound drew closer, a silhouette emerged into the passage.
It was a middle-aged man of truly colossal proportions, reminiscent of a mountain itself.
Standing over eight feet tall, his entire body was covered in fur more than a foot thick.
A black iron mask forged from metal covered his face, with large holes bored through where his eyes should be.
His eyes were slanted upward toward the heavens with a bestial gleam, and from a distance, he resembled a tiger standing upright on two legs.
It was none other than Ho Yeon Gyeong, the Sect Leader of the Cheon In Sect, who had arrived.
“How amusing,” he said.
Walking with great strides, he surveyed the mist of the Hundred Flower Extreme Formation and spoke softly.
“Did you truly believe such a formation could not be pierced?”
Possessing some special ocular technique, he instantly spotted Gong Son Dan Gyeong, who was concealing herself among the brigade members,
“Hehehehe!”
and let out a bestial laugh.
“Gong Son Dan Gyeong! At last I have you within my grasp.”
It was remarkable.
Ho Yeon Gyeong, the Sect Leader of the Cheon In Sect, spoke as though he had known Gong Son Dan Gyeong for ages.
“With only you in my possession, they will come to negotiate of their own accord.”
Drawing upon his power, an immense aura erupted from Ho Yeon Gyeong’s body, soaring to the very heavens.
His eyes remained coldly fixed, while his inner spirit maintained an indescribable tranquility and composure.
Should such a being unleash his swordplay, it would display power beyond imagination.
Clang, clang, clang.
Sensing the grave threat, members of the Hwan Woo Sword Brigade stepped forward before Ho Yeon Gyeong and raised their blades.
Shing.
Ho Yeon Gyeong then drew the sword at his waist.
It was a peculiar blade whose blood grooves—designed to allow smooth withdrawal whether stained with blood or when piercing muscle—were dyed a deep black.
“We have no time to waste. Let us quickly dispose of these insects.”
A deep rumble echoed.
As he raised his great blade, dark clouds suddenly gathered overhead, and the sky seemed to darken.
‘Something is amiss.’
Sensing the ominous presence, Naeng Gyeom rushed forward and unleashed a torrent of attacks.
He instinctively understood that if Ho Yeon Gyeong’s blade technique fully unfolded, a devastating sword strike would rain down upon them.
“Ha-yah!”
As he poured forth the ultimate technique of the Dancheon Sword Method—River Lake Extended Wave—a mist-like sword aura engulfed Ho Yeon Gyeong’s entire body.
“Hmph.”
With a brief snort, Ho Yeon Gyeong swung his great blade.
A sharp metallic screech rang out.
In that instant, Naeng Gyeom was sent flying backward as if someone had yanked him away.
With merely a single blade stroke, an overwhelming pressure erupted, sweeping away both the sword aura and his body in one devastating wave.
A sickening crunch.
In that moment, Ho Yeon Gyeong’s massive blade carved through the guards protecting Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
Sickening crunches echoed repeatedly.
With each step he took forward, the guards’ limbs flew skyward.
It was a shocking sight.
How could the sect leader of a mere evil sect possess such formidable martial prowess?
Why had such a fact not been revealed throughout Murim?
“Unh…”
A young guard, paralyzed by terror and unable to move, trembled as the great blade descended to cleave him in two—
A clear metallic ring.
Suddenly, a dark iron sword intercepted the great blade.
It was Bu Eunseol.
“Fall back now.”
At Bu Eunseol’s command, the guard hastily retreated.
A sharp metallic clash.
With fierce momentum, the energy erupting from the iron sword reversed and rebounded.
She had unleashed the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
“Hoh.”
Ho Yeon Gyeong’s eyes gleamed as Bu Eunseol effortlessly deflected his attack.
“Who are you?”
“That need not concern you.”
“Hmph.”
As Ho Yeon Gyeong’s shoulders shifted subtly, Bu Eunseol wasted no time and immediately thrust her blade toward his throat.
A master of the sword must move their shoulders with minute precision before unfolding their technique.
Ho Yeon Gyeong had been standing calmly while actually searching for an opening to strike Bu Eunseol.
“Your swordsmanship is formidable!”
Finding no flaw in Bu Eunseol’s strike, Ho Yeon Gyeong retreated.
Flash!
As Bu Eunseol’s blade cut through the void once more, dozens of comb-like sword qi scattered outward.
It was the Absolute Stroke Bodhi Division Method of the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
Ho Yeon Gyeong swung his massive saber again, attacking Bu Eunseol.
“Begone!”
Flash!
It was a wondrous saber technique that blended the methods of Overlord Saber, Swift Saber, and Killing Saber all at once.
Clang!
Yet Bu Eunseol lightly parried Ho Yeon Gyeong’s massive saber as it carved in from an impossible angle.
‘Not a technique born from skill alone.’
The moment our weapons met, I could discern the truth.
Ho Yeon Gyeong wasn’t simultaneously employing three saber techniques—rather, the three methods were manifesting naturally from the saber itself, their energies intertwined.
‘A demonic blade.’
It wasn’t Ho Yeon Gyeong’s saber mastery that was exceptional; the blade he wielded was a demonic weapon.
“Hehehehe!”
Ho Yeon Gyeong wielded the demonic blade like a tempest.
Bu Eunseol attempted to deflect that torrential saber qi using Flower Butterfly Jade and the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms, hoping to neutralize it in one breath.
But the saber qi pouring forth, with three techniques perfectly harmonized, proved relentless.
It pierced through my Iron Sword Thirteen Forms’ defense and began carving shallow wounds across my body.
Clang! Clang clang!
The two masters continued their close-range exchange of moves for a time.
Masters could discern ability from even a single sword stroke.
Ho Yeon Gyeong realized the young, inexperienced one before him possessed martial prowess rivaling his own.
Yet Ho Yeon Gyeong remained utterly composed.
Even if the Divine Position Sect Leader and the Cheon Mu Dan Lord arrived at their fastest, it would take at least half an hour.
With Gong Son Dan Gyeong and her forces already perfectly encircled, there was no need to rush.
‘Hmm.’
Conversely, Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
I had anticipated that even with Seon Woo Jin’s martial arts, we could adequately counter the Evil Sect’s leader.
But because Ho Yeon Gyeong wielded that demonic blade displaying such peculiar properties,
he was demonstrating power that Seon Woo Jin’s martial knowledge would struggle to handle.
“You’ll make fine sustenance for the Blood Wheel Demonic Blade.”
Ho Yeon Gyeong’s demonic blade, Blood Wheel, grew more powerful the more it drank the blood of martial masters with exceptional prowess.
The superior the enemy’s martial arts, the finer the nourishment obtained.
Bu Eunseol felt Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s gaze upon her from among the guards.
―Unleash your hidden strength.
Her eyes seemed to speak those very words.
‘Was this also part of her plan?’
Even as Ho Yeon Gyeong’s martial mastery far exceeded expectations, Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes remained unwavering.
‘Through this battle, I’ll gauge the true extent of my hidden power.’
Moreover, there are Hwan Woo Sword Brigade members here with eyes wide open, watching the battle unfold with crimson intensity.
They are all exceptional swordmasters capable of discerning the differences between Righteous Path and Demonic Path sword techniques at a glance.
If Bu Eunseol were to employ vacuum techniques like the Musang Cheon Ryu style here? She would have no choice but to abandon all hopes of ascending to First-Class Lord status and prepare herself to leave the Murim Alliance.
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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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