The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 527

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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 527.
Bu Eunseol thought she had found a solution, but she quickly shook her head.
‘No, I was thinking too simply about this.’
Refinement was easier than innovation.
But refining the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword was still beyond Bu Eunseol’s current capabilities.
First, the martial techniques of the Orthodox Sects had deep roots.
Since these were forms researched through careful deliberation by accomplished martial masters, it was difficult to modify them carelessly.
However, if that were the only issue, Bu Eunseol might have found a way, but a second reason held her back.
It was the fact that she had devoted herself entirely to the Demonic Path’s martial arts—she was a true practitioner of the Demonic Way.
‘If it were Demonic Path sword techniques, perhaps, but Orthodox Path sword arts are impossible.’
No matter how exceptional her talents were, for Bu Eunseol, who had focused her cultivation on Demonic Path martial arts, to arbitrarily modify the supreme techniques of the Orthodox Sects that had been passed down for centuries was—
—currently an impossible task.
‘Considering such points, Shin San Ja has a high probability of being the Murim Alliance Master.’
Moo Ae Ja was a figure from Sae Oe, and his supreme techniques were somewhat different from the martial arts of Zhong Yuan.
They were the exceptionally refined esoteric techniques of Sae Oe.
Shin San Ja had taken even Moo Ae Ja’s martial arts and refined them as easily as if they were Zhong Yuan techniques, creating a defensive form that repelled any external force.
This meant that Shin San Ja could freely refine not only Zhong Yuan martial arts but also the esoteric techniques of Sae Oe.
It was evidence that he was a grand master of Orthodox Path martial arts.
‘However, the refined Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword is close to a counter-form… so I’ll need to work on it once more.’
Until now, Bu Eunseol had learned Demonic Path sword arts that prioritized power while treating attacks as defense.
But Orthodox Path martial arts made defense primary and suppressed lethal killing techniques as much as possible.
Moreover, since the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword specialized only in counters, it was inevitably unsatisfying.
‘Difficult as it may be, it’s worth attempting.’
After careful deliberation, Bu Eunseol decided to proceed with her original plan.
She would use the secret manuals here to refine the Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Bu Eunseol began rapidly scanning through the secret manuals on the shelves, looking for those with the character for “sword” written on them.
‘It’s certainly different from Wu Huang’s Secret Vault.’
The secret manuals in Wu Huang’s vault had all been foundational martial arts designed to maximize the power of the Thirteen Nights through Wu Huang’s Absolute Form.
In particular, since the Thirteen Nights was a martial art capable of generating internal force through bare-handed palm strikes, fist techniques had been the focus.
As a result, Bu Eunseol was less knowledgeable about Orthodox Path sword arts than she had expected.
‘I see. Shin San Ja refined it by referencing Wudang’s sword techniques.’
Wudang’s sword arts, which suppressed strength through gentleness, bore considerable resemblance to the refined Thirteen Forms of the Iron Sword.
If Bu Eunseol had wanted to strengthen the subtlety of using softness to overcome hardness, it would have been right to study more secret manuals related to Wudang.
But now, to resolve the insufficient killing intent and lack of sharpness… she needed to find different manuals.
‘There are too many.’
Despite being on this floor of Yeongak Dojeon—
—the number of secret manuals displayed inside was truly staggering.
Bu Eunseol searched through the shelves until dawn broke, but she still could not find a secret manual that would serve as a clue for refinement.
“Am I growing hungry?”
Mental exertion consumed far more stamina than physical movement.
Bu Eunseol drew clear water from a large kettle placed at one corner of Yeongak Dojeon and drank deeply.
Then, from the display shelf beside it, she chewed on grain-scented Bigyokdan pills before resting for a moment.
That alone restored enough stamina for her to go four days without a single sip of water or moment of sleep.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
Bu Eunseol resumed her rapid search through the secret texts.
But Yeongak Dojeon’s scale and collection of secret texts were three to four times larger than the Manma Yujin Pavilion—this was no simple task.
‘Hmm.’
Pausing her search, Bu Eunseol turned her mind to the problem.
At this rate, even if she spent four nights searching, she wouldn’t find a technique that satisfied her needs.
‘I need a method. I must find a better approach.’
Four days remained.
Within that time, I had to find the key to refining the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms here in Yeongak Dojeon.
And refinement wasn’t merely about enhancing the sword’s destructive power.
I needed to infuse vicious killing techniques that would transform the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms—currently focused on counterattacks—into a fierce offensive sword style.
The problem was that the Orthodox Sects’ swordmasters naturally preferred suppressing killing techniques.
Ultimately, it seemed nearly impossible to refine the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms without incorporating Demonic Path swordplay.
‘No, wait. There is a way.’
Bu Eunseol recalled the secret texts she’d examined so far.
Even within Orthodox Sect swordplay, there existed vicious killing techniques.
It was simply that such techniques were only found in swordplay created by unorthodox sects or individual martial artists outside the mainstream.
‘Outside the mainstream.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
At last, I had grasped how to find secret texts that could aid in refining the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms as quickly as possible.
‘Secret texts that Orthodox practitioners avoid or refuse to touch.’
Versed in Demonic Path swordplay, Bu Eunseol understood the characteristics of various demonic techniques well.
Conversely, Orthodox practitioners, steeped in Orthodox swordplay, would recognize what something was merely by its name—they would never have picked up and read such texts in the first place.
“Hah.”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol focused her mind.
Zing.
A faint shimmer began to rise in her eyes.
She had activated Gongshim Tongyeong, the extreme sensory perception of the Beast Path.
In that state, Bu Eunseol began identifying secret texts that had been touched by few hands.
Texts bearing many fingerprints indicated they were refined swordplay that Orthodox practitioners favored.
But what I sought wasn’t refinement—I wanted swordplay imbued with the raw power of Demonic Path techniques.
Techniques that were undoubtedly Orthodox in origin.
Yet Orthodox practitioners would recoil from them—brutal, powerful swordplay.
If such texts existed, I could elevate the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms to an even higher level.
‘There.’
Using Gongshim Tongyeong to categorize the texts on the shelves, Bu Eunseol brought roughly thirty sword technique manuscripts that bore almost no fingerprints to the table.
She settled into a proper seated position and began rapidly scanning through the secret manuals.
‘Insufficient.’
The sword techniques inscribed in these secret manuals were indeed powerful rather than refined.
Yet even so, they fell short of the caliber needed to enhance the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
This itself testified to how elevated the improved Iron Sword Thirteen Forms had become.
‘Is it impossible?’
Bu Eunseol closed the final manual and drew a deep breath.
In the end, this floor of Yeongak Dojeon contained no sword techniques worthy of application to the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
Perhaps it was only natural.
Even as martial arts from beyond the seas, Moo Ae Ja’s sword techniques were absolute methods capable of dominating Murim.
Moreover, with Shin San Ja’s refinements applied, considering that level, one would need to ascend to the third floor of Yeongak Dojeon.
The secret manuals of this floor, provided to those of clan lord rank, simply could not match the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms’ caliber.
“Sigh.”
Bu Eunseol finally exhaled deeply, rose from her seat, and began returning the manuals to their shelves.
‘A waste of time, perhaps.’
Two days still remained.
But with no manuals that satisfied her, there was no reason to linger here.
Tap.
Frustrated, Bu Eunseol struck the lower section of the heavy bookshelf with her foot as she returned a manual.
Hum.
From the point of impact, faint qi ripples spread outward in concentric circles.
The vibration from the collision propagated through her foot, and her Void-Breaking Divine Eye activated.
‘Hmm?’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
She had sensed a thin secret manual resting atop the bookshelf where she stood.
‘Strange. Why would a secret manual be placed on top of a shelf where it cannot be seen?’
The bookshelf was quite tall, reaching approximately one zhang in height.
After a moment’s consideration, Bu Eunseol lightly lifted herself to retrieve the manual above.
Yet from somewhere, she felt a faint gaze upon her.
‘So it was as I suspected.’
Her mind had been absorbed in the manuals, which contributed to it.
Still, the observer possessed martial prowess so refined that detection was nearly impossible.
‘Mok Do In himself is watching.’
No matter how distracted one became, if one could deceive his senses, it would certainly be Mok Do In.
‘Strange. Yeongak Dojeon should have no surveillance.’
Unlike the Demon Palace, Yeongak Dojeon operated without watchers.
Yet Mok Do In was covertly observing Bu Eunseol—either the operational policy of Yeongak Dojeon had changed, or…
‘Has something occurred recently?’
In truth, from Bu Eunseol’s perspective, it was merely an ordinary secret manual.
To the eyes of ordinary Murim practitioners, however.
From this floor of Yeongak Dojeon onward, the shelves were filled with priceless martial techniques beyond valuation.
It was possible that someone had attempted to copy the secret manuals or damaged them.
But if that wasn’t the case….
‘It’s not the manuals being watched—it’s me.’
After a moment of deliberation, Bu Eunseol began rapidly scanning the manuals before her eyes again.
And as she quickly moved to pull another book from the shelf, she misjudged her strength,
and with a rumbling sound,
all the books that had been shelved came tumbling to the floor.
In that instant, she felt the watching gaze fix itself upon the books she had scattered.
In a flash,
Bu Eunseol seized the moment and used her void-grasping technique to affix a book from the upper shelf to her back.
And as she naturally crouched before the pile of scattered books, the volume adhered to her back became indistinguishably mixed among them.
“Hmm.”
Making a small sound, she gazed at the scattered books as if they had caught her interest, then gathered them all at once and brought them to a table.
Then she sat down and began reading.
The watching gaze remained fixed upon Bu Eunseol as she sat obediently at the table, absorbed in her reading.
But the book she had opened was not one that had been shelved—it was the volume she had placed on the upper shelf.
‘Despite its age, there are scarcely any fingerprints…’
The manual appeared quite old, its cover considerably worn, yet paradoxically bore almost no traces of handling.
This could only mean that this manual too had been recently revised from an older version.
Sword Laughter of Xuanyuan.
).
As she opened the pages, the title that should have appeared on the cover was instead written on the first page of the manual.
‘Sword Laughter of Xuanyuan? Could it possibly be that legendary technique?’
A sword technique from the ancient era of immortals.
It was a single-form sword method created by Gwang Seong Ja to teach Emperor Hyeonwon, who came seeking the Way.
Why would this timeless secret art be hidden atop the shelves of this floor in Yeongak Dojeon?
Moreover, judging by the manual’s condition, it was clearly a newly created sword record, not something passed down from antiquity.
‘This is….’
As Bu Eunseol read through the manual, her eyes trembled slightly.
The sword technique inscribed in the record was more brutal and bloodthirsty than any sword form she had ever witnessed,
and far more vicious and lethal than any other technique.
It was strikingly similar to that demonic sword method—the one that had severed her grandfather’s arms with glass-smooth precision, without the slightest deviation.
How could it not resemble that demon’s technique?
Her hands trembled as she held the manual.
Bu Eunseol’s fingertips quivered as she gripped the secret text.
Why would this demonic sword technique exist atop the shelves of Yeongak Dojeon in the Murim Alliance?
‘Moreover, while the initial form is vicious, it remains fundamentally a technique of the Orthodox Sects.’
The sword technique inscribed upon her grandfather Bu Chanyang’s body was a demonic sword method infused with pulling and twisting techniques.
Yet this Sword Laughter of Xuanyuan displayed nearly identical variations to that form, while its fundamental origin was rooted in Orthodox Sect sword learning.
‘Then does that mean Hyung Su, who killed my grandfather, deliberately unfolded this Geomso Heonwon as a variation of the Demonic Path swordsmanship?’
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
My heart thrashed as though it might burst.
I had to use my inner energy to calm myself.
―Those recruited by them and capable of executing such orders are likely one of the Seven Sect Lords. This is all the information regarding Yeomsa Bu Chanyang’s death.
Suddenly, words that Shin San Ja had spoken in Shaolin’s Underground Facility flashed through my mind.
According to Shin San Ja’s account, the one who killed my grandfather was likely one of the Seven Sect Lords.
And as if to prove those words—
The swordsmanship that appeared to have been crafted into an Orthodox Sect secret technique, the blade technique that severed my grandfather’s two arms, was stored in Yeongak Dojeon.
‘The one who killed my grandfather is in the Murim Alliance, just as Shin San Ja said!’
Bu Eunseol silently swallowed her rage.
She wanted nothing more than to destroy the Murim Alliance immediately, to root out whoever had learned the Geomso Heonwon.
But she could not.
For now, Bu Eunseol possessed neither the ability nor the authority to do so.
Crack.
In Bu Eunseol’s eyes, as she suppressed her fury, a desolate killing intent swirled fiercely.
She had come to the Murim Alliance to find the one who killed her grandfather.
And now, having finally uncovered traces of that murderer, a devastating rage boiled up within her, so intense it was nearly impossible to maintain composure.
‘I must become a Sect Lord. I must become a Sect Lord.’
There was no time.
I had to accumulate merit as quickly as possible and become the Wu Tian Sect Lord even a day sooner.
Even if merit determined the outcome, I would verify my martial prowess as well.
Perhaps in the future, as a candidate for Alliance Lord, I could fight all seven Sect Lords and root out whoever had learned the Geomso Heonwon.
Grrrrind.
Bu Eunseol clenched her teeth with all her might to suppress the surging waves of inner energy.
If she allowed her inner energy to explode here, her identity would be exposed.
Crunch.
Blood-red light flickered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as she gripped the secret manual tightly.
‘I will master it.’
And with her teeth still clenched, she began to read through the secret manual.
The one who killed her grandfather would likely use this swordsmanship when fighting her as well.
If that were the case, she intended to master this technique perfectly and devise a counter to it.
‘This is…’
As Bu Eunseol read through the manual, her eyes widened with surprise.
When she first saw the manual,
she had not believed it was merely named Geomso Heonwon and was an improvement upon the swordsmanship created by Gwang Seong Ja.
A sword technique created by an immortal could not possibly be so thick with killing intent and so brutal.
But the more she read, the more certain she became.
This Geomso Heonwon was indeed an improvement upon the swordsmanship created by Gwang Seong Ja.
Because this sword technique was simply impossible for a human body to execute.
‘Three hundred ninety-five transformations unfolded in a single strike?’
Sword of Heavenly Origin.
It was a technique that produced three hundred ninety-five transformations in a single blade strike, simultaneously adapting to the enemy’s movements.
Then becoming one sword form again to cut down the opponent.
‘This is impossible.’
Gak Ju and Dan Cheong—the finest swordsmen of the Nangya Sect.
He had infused one hundred eight transformations into a single strike.
That alone had encompassed the pinnacle of all sword technique variations in the Nangya Sect.
Bu Eunseol had combined those transformations with the Nangya Sect’s sword methods to create the Musang Cheon Ryu.
Yet this Sword of Heavenly Origin displayed three times more transformations than Dan Cheong’s single strike.
‘Is such a sword technique even possible?’
Bu Eunseol read through the secret manual rapidly, counting the technique’s transformations.
‘Wait.’
Bu Eunseol’s movements halted as she read the manual.
To produce three hundred ninety-five transformations in a single strike,
a master formula was needed to bind all those transformations together as one.
But this manual was missing the master formula—the essence of the Sword of Heavenly Origin—containing only the foundational transformations.
‘It’s been split.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as she touched the final page of the manual.
This wasn’t divided into upper and lower volumes—someone had cleaved the complete manual in half.
‘With a sword.’
The swordsmanship of whoever split the manual was so transcendent and exquisite that the cut surface was smooth as glass.
Like the handiwork of whoever severed grandfather’s arms.
‘An intact manual couldn’t be cut by a blade.’
A flash of insight crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes as she touched the cut surface.
‘A battle over the manual?’
The manual had been split not by a blade, but by sword energy.
By two separate sword energies at that.
Bu Eunseol closed her eyes and touched the cut surface once more.
Then the scene from that time materialized in her mind.
Two exceptional masters must have entered Yeongak Dojeon simultaneously, purely by chance.
Someone discovered this manual, and they fought in absolute silence to seize it.
Whoosh!
As the manual flew into the air, the one trying to prevent its theft drew a blade like lightning and unleashed sword energy.
Whoosh!
Then the one attempting to steal it unleashed sword energy to prevent damage.
Clang.
Clang clang clang clang!
When the bell tolled, both eventually fled this place, leaving the manual fragmented in the repository.
Bu Eunseol opened her eyes again, her brow furrowed.
‘Then had someone stolen half of the secret manual? Or was it hidden elsewhere?’
No matter how much I pondered it, I could find no answer.
And why this secret manual was placed upon the shelf was of no importance.
What I needed to do now was master the sword technique contained within this remaining half of the secret manual.
‘Though without the conclusion, I cannot fully execute it.’
A single sword stroke generating three hundred and ninety-five variations—that was theoretically possible at best.
In other words, Geom So Heon Won transcended the limits of variation achievable within the framework of sword technique itself.
And remarkably, its roots lay in the Orthodox Sects, yet it harbored ruthless and vicious methods.
What if I were to graft these variations into Cheol Geom Sip Sam Sik?
A terrifying killing sword technique would be born—one that would make Jeon Ryu Mu Ssang Sik appear mundane.

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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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