The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 535
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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 535.
Ma Geom Ja immediately set to work crafting a scabbard for the blade.
Bu Eunseol’s Slayer Demon Sword was a Dark Divine Artifact—utterly unlike anything he had handled before.
For someone who had spent a lifetime in the craft, it was both a fitting culmination and a formidable challenge.
―Transcending spirituality itself… this blade is almost like a person.
Ma Geom Ja muttered the words with a troubled expression.
Ordinary demon swords were finished once their scabbards were forged from matching materials.
But Bu Eunseol’s Slayer Demon Sword seemed dissatisfied with every scabbard he created, rejecting each one relentlessly.
Hummmmm! Hummmmm!
The moment the blade entered the scabbard Ma Geom Ja had made, it rang out in displeasure, its voice echoing without end.
“Hmm. This one displeases it as well.”
Yet Ma Geom Ja did not yield, continuously blending different metals and reshaping the scabbard again and again.
To call it merely crafting a scabbard was to diminish the work.
Forging a scabbard from the Slayer Demon Sword’s own material was labor as grueling as creating a Divine Demon Blade.
It was a task only someone who had devoted their entire life to demon swords would dare attempt.
But as failure piled upon failure, Ma Geom Ja suddenly did something extraordinary.
He ceased his work on the scabbard and instead,
“Ah, so that was it.”
With the blacksmith shop door sealed shut, he conversed with the Slayer Demon Sword as though possessed by madness.
“You despise being conspicuous. Yes, that makes sense.”
After a full day and night of murmuring to himself, he began crafting the scabbard anew.
By the fourth day,
“It is done!”
An exclamation burst from the sealed workshop.
Bu Eunseol rushed inside to find a darkly stained blade resting within its scabbard.
At last, Ma Geom Ja had created a scabbard worthy of the Slayer Demon Sword.
“This is the scabbard for the Slayer Demon Sword?”
Bu Eunseol’s expression betrayed her bewilderment.
The scabbard Ma Geom Ja had forged while forsaking food and drink—
It was an ordinary scabbard, the kind one could purchase at any blacksmith shop.
Moreover, its darkened, rust-stained appearance made it seem as though it housed a cheap iron blade, unremarkable in every way.
“It appears rusted iron, yet it is forged from the same material as the Slayer Demon Sword itself. Remarkably durable.”
Ma Geom Ja held the Slayer Demon Sword aloft in both hands and offered it to Bu Eunseol.
“Here, take a look for yourself.”
Bu Eunseol accepted the blade and examined it carefully.
Hummmmm.
The Slayer Demon Sword rang out with a contented, low hum—as though inviting her to channel her divine essence into it.
“Good.”
Bu Eunseol drew forth the divine essence flowing within her body.
Yet unlike before, no patterns or light emanated from the blade.
‘The seal has vanished?’
Bu Eunseol, alarmed, channeled the maximum amount of Ethereal Divine Energy into the blade.
A high-pitched hum resonated.
Mysterious patterns emerged across the scabbard’s surface, and golden and deep crimson light flowed forth simultaneously.
“How is this possible? Why are there patterns on the scabbard?”
“Hehe. Since they’re made of the same material, the seal must have been transferred there.”
“Has the seal been broken?”
“Impossible. The seal has simply relocated, nothing more. After all, the blade and scabbard are one.”
“I see.”
Only then could I truly understand.
For the Slayer Demon Blade, the seal’s pattern must have felt like a prisoner’s brand—a mark of shame.
But when Ma Geom Ja crafted a scabbard of equal quality, the blade concealed the light and patterns within it.
“Moreover, it requested a scabbard with an ancient, weathered appearance.”
Ma Geom Ja observed the patterns and light revealed on the Slayer Demon Blade’s scabbard and nodded.
“It must desire to conceal its true nature as much as possible.”
“You truly conversed with the blade?”
“Hehe, does it sound like a lie?”
Bu Eunseol shook her head at Ma Geom Ja’s question.
He was a man who had worked with steel his entire life.
It seemed he would understand even the words of an ordinary lump of metal.
“Moreover, since the demonic aura has completely vanished, even a master craftsman of your caliber would never recognize it as a Black Divine Blade.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Under these circumstances, unless I channeled Ethereal Divine Energy to its maximum, the blade’s identity would remain concealed.
When Seon Woo Jin encountered formidable adversaries, this would prove invaluable.
A metallic click.
Yet when the blade was sheathed again, the Slayer Demon Blade seemed discontented,
Humming softly.
It sang a low, mournful cry.
“What troubles you now?”
“Give it a name.”
Ma Geom Ja spoke as though he understood the blade’s heart.
“Now that you’ve crafted a scabbard, it seems ready to serve its master properly.”
Bu Eunseol’s thoughts suddenly turned to the lost Muk Hon.
The Frost Soul Blade was kept in An Ga’s vault for Seo Jin Ha to use whenever changing identities, leaving me perpetually longing for Muk Hon’s presence.
Now, this Slayer Demon Blade would become my new cherished blade.
“Muk Hon.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with conviction, gazing upon the Slayer Demon Blade.
“From this moment, I shall call you Muk Hon.”
If the Black Blade possessed a soul,
I bestowed upon the Slayer Demon Blade the name Muk Hon, hoping it would return to dwell here once more.
Whoooosh!
The Demon Blade—no, Muk Hon—seemed pleased with the name, letting out a resonant cry from the sword.
Ma Geom Ja gazed at the Muk Hon Blade as it sang, a subtle smile crossing his face.
“That blade’s spiritual essence is so dense it’s almost like a person.”
“I’ve sensed something similar myself.”
“Cherish it well. Whatever reason its power was sealed, it’s a truly exceptional blade.”
Bu Eunseol fastened the Demon Blade to her waist and bowed respectfully with both hands clasped.
“I’m grateful. Thanks to you, it feels like I’ve gained an entirely new sword.”
“Hehehehe. This old man finds satisfaction in it too. My final hammer strike forged the scabbard for the next Lord of Demon Hall.”
With that, he tossed the hammer away with a satisfied expression.
Whoosh!
The hammer traced a long arc before vanishing somewhere deep into the forest.
Bu Eunseol watched it disappear, then nodded firmly.
“Then let’s depart.”
* * *
Ma Geom Ja had taken a liking to Nangya Sect.
More precisely, he had grown quite fond of Cheol Sa Bu.
Though not quite Ma Geom Ja’s equal, Cheol Sa Bu was also a master craftsman who had worked with metal for decades.
At a glance, he was a skilled artisan no less talented than Ma Geom Ja himself, with a temperament just as taciturn, and a love of drink to match…
It felt like meeting an old friend after years apart.
Bu Eunseol watched Ma Geom Ja’s satisfied smile for a moment, then quietly took her leave.
After exchanging pleasantries with Dan Cheong, Baek Yeon, So Jeon, and others, she departed Nangya Sect.
“Now I must return to the Murim Alliance.”
As Seon Woo Jin, Bu Eunseol had successfully arranged a meeting with Gong Son Chong Sa.
She had also located Ma Geom Ja for Yeop Hyo Cheon and sent word that he was staying at Nangya Sect.
Now that she had obtained the Muk Hon Blade, her duties as Muk Hon Ryeong Ju were complete. She would meet Seo Jin Ha again to switch identities, then
begin her return to the Murim Alliance.
Rustle.
Bu Eunseol changed into Seon Woo Jin’s form and donned the tattered clothes worn by wanderers.
After all, Seon Woo Jin always left the Murim Alliance under the pretense of gathering information while traveling the Gangho.
Tap. Whoosh.
Rather than taking a carriage, she deployed her movement technique.
Zing.
Yet something felt amiss.
For some time now, I had sensed a peculiar feeling.
It was as though some unidentifiable monster had appeared from very far away.
But my Beast Path could not detect it.
It was more accurate to call it instinct—a sensation beyond normal perception.
‘Hmm.’
Bu Eunseol never dismissed even the faintest intuition lightly.
After a moment’s deliberation, he departed Seong Do and headed westward.
Unfolding his lightness technique with speed, he circled and circled for some time before coming to a halt at the entrance of a secluded village.
It was to trace back who his pursuer was and what purpose they harbored.
‘Let me wait here and see what happens.’
After surveying the Village Entrance, Bu Eunseol immediately walked toward the Market Street.
But something was amiss.
Even in a secluded village, past midday should bring bustling activity of various kinds. Yet here, not a single soul was visible.
Creak.
I peered into an open house, but found the same emptiness within.
The interior held no people—only vacant silence.
That was when I noticed something peculiar.
On the table sat bowls of food with steam still rising from them.
This meant that until just before my arrival, people had been eating here.
Yet now, there was no one.
‘Could it be…’
I stepped outside and examined another house.
But nowhere could I find any trace of human presence.
‘Then…’
Zing.
White energy began pouring from my eyes.
I drew upon the Hollow Heart Technique to survey my surroundings.
‘Just moments before I arrived… there were people here.’
My brow furrowed as I examined the traces left behind.
About a moment before my arrival, signs of people moving busily throughout the village remained evident.
But now, as if evaporated, all of them had vanished.
‘No, they couldn’t have simply disappeared.’
Even if every villager were a martial arts master who had unfolded their lightness technique and departed before my arrival,
there should still be traces of their movement somewhere.
Yet nowhere around showed any such traces.
Surveying the area, I discovered the marks of rapid footsteps going back and forth.
The tracks led to a large warehouse on the village’s outskirts.
It appeared to be a warehouse storing farming tools and various other items.
Creak.
I walked there and carefully opened the door.
My eyes trembled greatly as I gazed inside.
The warehouse interior was filled with the corpses of the villagers.
“This cannot be…”
The bodies still retained warmth.
The cause of death: cardiac arrest.
Yet it was impossible for so many people to stop simultaneously, and the dead could not have walked themselves to the warehouse.
In other words, someone had slaughtered the villagers en masse and crammed their bodies into this warehouse.
“Who in the world would do such a thing?”
Whoooosh!
From Bu Eunseol’s body, consumed entirely by rage, the power of the Eternal Demon Scripture and her divine technique converged into a single torrent that shot skyward.
Innocent civilians—slaughtered with such brutal savagery.
To pursue the perpetrator, Bu Eunseol rushed outside and immediately activated her Heavenly Heart Perception.
“…!”
Yet from somewhere, she sensed a faint presence—a human aura.
And not just any presence, but that of a supreme master.
Whoosh.
In an instant, Bu Eunseol leaped into the Half-Sky and concealed herself.
Her agility and stealth were so flawless, so seamless, it was as though she had invoked a mystical technique.
Shimmer.
At the same moment, a gray shadow emerged from the opposite path and arrived before the warehouse.
Judging by his unkempt, rough attire and appearance, he seemed like a wandering swordmaster who drifted from place to place.
Yet at his waist hung a peculiar short blade that gleamed with an eerie brilliance.
“Hmm. I sensed a powerful energy wave, but…”
The wanderer glanced about, tilting his head in confusion, then stepped into the open warehouse.
“Who would commit such an atrocity!”
With a thunderous cry, the wanderer emerged from the warehouse once more, and
Whoosh.
Suddenly, a black shadow erupted from the earth itself, materializing before the warehouse entrance.
Everything—from shoes to martial robes to mask—was dyed pitch black, and strange patterns were etched across the surface.
“Did you commit this atrocity?”
At the wanderer’s question, the Masked Assassin tilted his head.
[How peculiar.]
The Masked Assassin’s voice was shrill and grating, like a crow speaking, as though it echoed from deep within the earth itself.
[I sensed quite formidable power, yet you have not awakened it?]
The Masked Assassin’s gaze, spoken in low murmurs, was fixed not on the wanderer’s face, but on the small blade he wore at his side.
‘A Samgye Emissary.’
From her hidden vantage point, Bu Eunseol could discern the truth the moment she heard the Masked Assassin’s voice.
Not an Emissary of the Infinite Realm or Cheonghae Gye, but a new Samgye Emissary—one who had never revealed themselves until now.
The Masked Assassin’s garb and patterns proved this, differing markedly from the Emissaries who had appeared before.
The energy flowing through his body was incomparably superior to theirs.
Grrr.
Bu Eunseol was forced to suppress her rage and killing intent.
She wanted nothing more than to strike down this Samgye Emissary who had murdered innocent civilians, but she needed to understand what was truly happening.
“I asked if you killed the villagers.”
[Hmm.]
Though the wanderer pressed the question again, the Masked Assassin offered no response.
After pondering deeply for a long moment, I finally opened my mouth.
[Yes.]
When the wandering swordmaster received this resolute answer, he let out a sharp cry.
“A murderer incapable of redemption!”
Then, extending his sleeve, a flash of light streaked toward the Masked Assassin’s throat.
True to his nature as a wandering swordmaster, he unleashed a lightning-fast blade technique, exploiting the slightest opening in his opponent’s defense.
‘Remarkable blade technique.’
Bu Eunseol couldn’t help but admire it inwardly.
While it lacked the exquisite precision of Moo Ae Ja’s Heavenly Blade Technique, its speed was surprisingly superior.
Flash!
A streak of light embroidered the empty air before the sharp blade technique burrowed into the Masked Assassin’s throat.
Click.
But the blade vanished in an instant, now pinched between two of the Masked Assassin’s fingers.
[Hmm… so you use the Ultimate Dark Demonic Sword’s abilities in such a manner.]
Crack.
The Masked Assassin casually shattered the blade and approached the wandering swordmaster.
[Iron Palm Wanderer Wang Cheol.]
Remarkably, the masked emissary had discerned the wandering swordmaster’s identity at a glance.
He was none other than Wang Cheol, the wanderer who roamed without destination, mastered the Nine Yin Iron Palm, and faced masters of Gangho with nothing but his pair of hands.
[Tell me—does Ben Gye’s sword prove its worth?]
As Bu Eunseol had anticipated, the Masked Assassin was indeed a Samgye Emissary.
“Ben Gye?”
Wang Cheol, the wandering swordmaster, furrowed his brow and spoke.
“What place are you referring to?”
When no answer came, Wang Cheol spoke in a solemn voice.
“You appear to be from an evil sect. Why did you kill the villagers!”
The Emissary waved his hand dismissively, as though bored.
[Spare me the needless talk. Time is far too precious.]
The Emissary gazed at Wang Cheol and narrowed his eyes.
[Judging by the power you displayed, you possess considerable latent potential…]
After pondering deeply for a moment, the Emissary nodded.
[Very well. I have taken special interest in you, so I shall tell you.]
“Enough with the meaningless words.”
Wang Cheol, as though the words held no value, drew the sword at his waist.
Instantly, a piercing cold spread in all directions, and a sharp aura began to radiate from his body in waves.
Yet the Emissary spoke without concern.
[Did you think you were fortunate to have found that demonic sword?]
“What do you mean.”
[That demonic sword can only be wielded by those who possess an ethereal spirit body. It responds solely to the aura of an ethereal spirit body.]
Ethereal Spirit Body.
The Gong Ryeong Constitution, also called the Holy Body, achieves perfect harmony between the True Yin and True Yang energies within the body.
Men possess both strength and meticulous sensitivity, while women possess both brilliance and formidable physical prowess.
Moreover, those with the Gong Ryeong Constitution are known to possess exceptional wisdom, allowing them to excel and distinguish themselves in any field they pursue.
Wang Cheol, who had been listening silently, nodded his head.
“Then you’re saying you deliberately scattered these blades?”
[Precisely. And since Ma Geom blades resonate with one another when in close proximity, they can recognize each other. So you’ll need to travel diligently.]
A peculiar energy shimmered in the eyes behind the Samgye Emissary’s mask as he continued speaking.
[You seem like quite an intriguing specimen.]
Wang Cheol, stroking his stubbled chin, furrowed his brow.
“You’re telling me to make those who carry Ma Geom blades kill each other.”
[Exactly so.]
The Samgye Emissary nodded with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
[From now on, travel throughout Gangho seeking out those who possess Ma Geom blades and engage them in battle.]
“I refuse.”
Wang Cheol spoke coldly.
“I have no intention of being manipulated by unknown forces, nor will I commit murder without cause.”
Though a wanderer, he was known as a righteous swordsman who understood honor and performed many good deeds.
But the Samgye Emissary laughed mockingly.
[Hehehehe. That is not your decision to make.]
The Samgye Emissary’s eyes narrowed to crescents.
[Now that you wield the Ma Geom blade, the Gong Ryeong Energy has already awakened within you. Soon enough, you will understand what that blade truly means.]
Bu Eunseol, who had been listening in hiding, finally found herself able to piece together the fragments of doubt she had long harbored about the Cheon In Sect.
‘So they were behind the Geom Chong incident orchestrated by the Cheon In Sect.’
The Cheon In Sect’s ability to construct the Geom Chong, where formidable Ma Geom blades were stored.
Their capacity to awaken Ma Geom blades by slaying Murim practitioners and prepare for prolonged resistance against the Murim Alliance.
All of it had been possible because the Three Realms stood behind them.
‘Then was the Muk Hon Blade also deliberately placed there by the Three Realms?’
The Muk Hon Blade had been hidden within the Cheon In Sect’s Ma Geom arsenal, and even Ma Geom Ja had judged it to be a Ma Geom blade.
But its true nature was the Black Divine Blade, possessing all the energies of divine and demonic paths.
‘They would never deliberately place such a precious blade in the arsenal.’
Did the Three Realms believe the Muk Hon Blade to be merely an ordinary Ma Geom blade when they placed it there?
Or did they place it there knowingly?
‘But I am not a Gong Ryeong Constitution bearer.’
What the Three Realms desired was the Gong Ryeong Constitution.
Yet she had not been born with such a body. So how had she awakened the functions of the Muk Hon Blade?
‘In the end… it must have been because of the Sasin Energy.’
Sasin Energy was the natural force that existed throughout the universe and all things.
It likely possessed a similar resonance to the Gong Ryeong Energy that achieved harmony between yin and yang.
[Let me tell you one more thing.]
Despite his barren gaze, the Samgye Emissary’s demeanor had become quite gentle.
[If you survive to the end in battle against those who wield the Demonic Blades, you will gain the power to dominate Murim.]
In that instant, Wang Cheol’s pupils trembled violently.
No matter what the Emissary said next, he had been prepared to strike immediately and punish them for the ruthless slaughter of innocent civilians.
But upon hearing these words, he realized they had deliberately scattered the Demonic Blades throughout Gangho.
And through battles with those who possessed the Demonic Blades, one could obtain the power to dominate Murim.
“To gain the power to dominate Murim, you say.”
Wang Cheol drew a deep breath.
Supreme Master of Murim.
Was that not the glory every martial artist dreamed of?
‘It cannot be a lie.’
Since obtaining this extreme Demonic Blade, Wang Cheol’s martial prowess had surged dramatically through the blade’s power.
He now feared no one.
Yet even so, that eerie masked assassin’s cultivation far surpassed his own.
By that measure alone, they were certainly no minion of a weak faction.
“But if the Demonic Blade remains even after its wielder dies, wouldn’t that mean such battles would continue forever?”
At Wang Cheol’s piercing question, the Emissary chuckled softly.
[That will not happen.]
“Why not?”
[Do not worry. When the time comes, you will understand.]
As the Emissary turned to leave, Wang Cheol cried out.
“Wait—tell me just one more thing. If I survive to the end fighting those who wield the Demonic Blades, how exactly will I gain the power to dominate Murim?”
Wang Cheol’s voice, which had been cold throughout, now trembled with desperation and softness.
In the end, he had succumbed to the sweet temptation of the Emissary, who was like a demon himself.
[Hmm.]
The Emissary paused in thought, then nodded.
[Very well. I shall tell you specially.]
The Emissary spoke in a hushed voice.
[If you survive to the end, you can become the ‘Sword’ of Ben Gye.]
“The Sword?”
[Hehehehe. A successor, if you will.]
Thud.
A dull sound echoed in Bu Eunseol’s head as she listened from her hiding place.
So the reason for scattering the Demonic Blades throughout Geom Chong was to create a successor to the Three Realms?
[Who goes there!]
‘Damn.’
The Emissary’s hand shot out like lightning toward the tree where Bu Eunseol was concealed.
A terrifying aura erupted, melting all the branches to nothing.
Crack.
Bu Eunseol, spinning her body mid-air, landed on the ground wearing her mask.
Fortunately, because she was dressed as a wanderer, her identity remained hidden.
“Who are you?”
The Samgye Emissary’s question hung in the air, and Bu Eunseol answered in a hoarse voice.
“That is not your concern.”
“Hmph.”
A low, resonant hum filled the space.
The air around them seemed to collapse into a vacuum as an intense force began to gather at the Samgye Emissary’s fingertips.
A strange, piercing sound echoed outward as though the very air were being drawn inward, and a transparent aura crystallized at the tips of his fingers.
Whoosh!
The aura shot toward Bu Eunseol’s chest.
It carried within it the Heaven-Shattering Force—power capable of toppling mountains in a single strike—and both its velocity and the timing of its release were utterly unpredictable.
‘Tch.’
Bu Eunseol felt a flicker of genuine alarm rise within her.
When had the Samgye Emissary’s wind blade reached her vital point at the center of her chest?
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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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