The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 540

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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 540.
Massive pillars stood throughout the vast, shadowed Great Hall.
The surface of each pillar gleamed with a soft luminescence, carved with the forms of the Four Symbols.
The interior remained shrouded in darkness, revealing no discernible shapes.
Yet low, damp voices echoed through the space.
[It seems he must step down from the Special Envoy position.]
[Indeed, he has substituted for the Heavenly Sovereign far too long with merely the Absorption Technique.]
[Moreover, now that his identity—maintained for decades—has been completely exposed, he can hardly be called a Dharma Demon Sage anymore.]
The voices differed from one another, yet the emotions they carried were uniformly identical.
Mockery and contempt.
As the voices reverberating through the Great Hall subsided, a deep, resonant tone emerged.
[Perhaps we should simply kill him and be done with it.]
The low voice that filled the Great Hall carried a razor-sharp killing intent.
[Such matters are best discussed after the fact.]
At that moment, a shadow that had filled the Great Hall vanished outward.
Whoosh.
As the shadow passed through the Mountain Gate, a sprawling Flower Garden came into view.
The flowers and plants blooming in the garden emanated a soft, ethereal light.
The shadow gazed upon the flowers that pulsed like stars embroidered across the night sky.
He was Hyuk Ryeon Eung.
“I should have killed that bastard for certain back then.”
He had lured Bu Eunseol to the Wei Wang Residence because he was confident he could make her his puppet.
But that plan ultimately failed, forcing him to abandon not only his position as Dharma Protector of the Demon Hall but also his identity as Royal Advisor of the Wei Wang Residence.
No matter how formidable the power of the Three Realms, such positions could not be conjured anew on a whim.
As his identities for operating within Gangho disappeared, his standing within the Infinite Realm steadily diminished.
Recently, the Infinite Realm regarded him as nothing more than a tool needed for the Absorption Technique.
“They dare revoke my status as Dharma Demon Sage?”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung clenched his fists.
For one who had long handled the Infinite Realm’s most critical affairs in place of the Heavenly Sovereign, such treatment was utterly humiliating.
“I never should have let that wretch live in the first place.”
Initially, he had possessed such mediocre aptitude that I thought he would die quickly.
But as the trials continued, I could sense it.
Not only exceptional martial talent but also keen observation, perseverance, insight, and a coldness that never wavered even before death itself.
And the temperament of a supreme Demonic Sovereign who could place the entire Murim beneath his feet.
That wretch would inevitably catch Ma Cheon Je’s eye, learn the Demonic Heart Scripture, and become a great Demonic Sovereign rivaling the golden age of Samma.
But all my predictions proved wrong.
He learned Ma Cheon Je’s heart scripture yet never fell into the Demonic Path.
Instead, he displayed incomprehensible actions and repeatedly obstructed the Infinite Realm’s affairs.
Yet Hyuk Ryeon Eung paid it little mind.
In the eyes of one who had refined the Soul-Gathering Reversal Technique to the tenth star, he remained nothing but a pyramid—disposable at any moment.
However, the incident of giving Sim Wol an artificial core revealed his identity.
Ultimately, he boldly lured Bu Eunseol to the Wei Wang Residence to make her a puppet, but she endured the Gong Ryeong Cho Hun Secret Technique and leaped from the cliff.
Yet no corpse was found, and even as seasons changed, no trace of her emerged, nor were there any covert attempts to locate the Beloved Sword.
Only after detecting that even the Cheonghae Gye, perplexed, was searching for his whereabouts in a secretive yet frantic manner did he finally act.
He declared with certainty that Bu Eunseol was dead.
Such an exceptional individual would never remain dormant for so long plotting a scheme, nor would she abandon the Beloved Sword.
Thus, he mobilized Sa Ja to provoke Gong Ya Geuk and prepared a plan to remove him from the Moo Hon Ryeong Ju.
But contrary to expectations, Bu Eunseol was alive and well.
She annihilated the Dae Woon Rim, which manufactured Shil Hoon In, and the Jangbaeksan Merchant Guild, which had been the financial lifeline, and reduced the Hell Blood Sect, which had participated in this affair, to a half-sealed state.
Flustered, Hyuk Ryeon Eung attempted to kill her afterward, but…
She had become someone he could no longer touch easily.
She methodically seized control of the Demon Palace and operated formidable forces and a powerful Information Division.
In conclusion, he had instead given her appropriate trials and even granted her the opportunity to counterattack.
Now Bu Eunseol had.
Grown into a powerful individual capable of threatening the very existence of the Infinite Realm.
And all responsibility for this fell upon Hyuk Ryeon Eung, who had long shouldered a major pillar of the Infinite Realm.
“We shall see if such words are still spoken after I kill that wretch immediately.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung bit his lip.
If he killed Bu Eunseol, everything could be set right.
Yet he already possessed formidable forces and intelligence organizations. It was impossible to kill him instantly with any military force.
To kill such a person, one must first sever his eyes and ears, then his hands and feet.
“Bu Eunseol. In any case, you are within my grasp.”
As the Dharma Protector Division Lord, Hyuk Ryeon Eung had long observed Bu Eunseol.
How she had taken root in the Demon Palace, how she operated her organization—all of it.
“First, I shall sever the eyes and ears you have so carefully hidden.”
A murderous gleam flashed in Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s fierce eyes.
There was no need to drag this out. He would execute the plan immediately and behead Bu Eunseol in one swift stroke.
* * *
Those of the Information Division who handled intelligence lived each day as if walking the edge of a blade.
They observed the movements of hostile forces and gathered intelligence.
Sometimes through reverse operations or false identities, sometimes by infiltrating enemy territory to execute assassinations or sabotage.
Perhaps they lived even more precarious lives than warriors who risked their lives in combat daily.
Bu Eunseol, having spent considerable time in the Guusal Unit, understood this well.
And she endeavored to ensure that information operatives did not lose their lives in vain.
―Could assistance not arrive somewhat faster in critical situations?
Especially since Bu Eunseol mostly conducted missions alone, when critical situations arose.
When inescapable dangers descended, she researched ways to survive by any means necessary.
―Should we not at least establish a communication system to rapidly alert others to emergencies?
After much deliberation, Bu Eunseol reached this conclusion.
And she sought counsel from So Ja Myeong on the matter.
So Ja Myeong, who had long led the Guusal Unit as a covert intelligence division,
possessed far more experience in such matters than anyone else.
“It is complete.”
So Ja Myeong had perfected an emergency communication system that could swiftly relay both the location and situation of intelligence operatives whenever they found themselves in peril.
“Though I do hope this communication network never needs to be activated.”
So Ja Myeong spoke with a smile.
“If this emergency system remains dormant, it means not a single operative has been lost.”
Upon hearing those words, Bu Eunseol too nodded with a gentle smile gracing her lips.
And she earnestly hoped that this emergency communication system would never be triggered, just as So Ja Myeong had said.
But that wish would not come to pass.
Bu Eunseol, seated in her office within Jeol Jeong Gak, received a letter from Tae Mu Ryong.
“A letter has arrived at the Lord’s residence from the Seon Hwa Trading Company.”
It was a letter sent by the Seon Hwa Trading Company.
Within it lay inquiries about Bu Eunseol’s wellbeing, along with news of a substantial donation made to the Murim Alliance.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes trembled visibly as she held the letter.
“Lord, what troubles you?”
Sensing something amiss, Tae Mu Ryong asked, and Bu Eunseol erased her stern expression, replacing it with a smile.
“No, it occurs to me that I have been rather thoughtless. I should have visited and paid my respects at least once.”
Bu Eunseol tucked the letter into her garments and withdrew a small envelope from the desk drawer.
“Recently there has been neither pressing matters nor special assignments, so I believe I should finally submit the leave of absence I have been postponing.”
Bu Eunseol handed the leave request to Tae Mu Ryong, speaking with a smile.
“Since I have delayed submitting it for so long, approval should come immediately upon filing. Please submit this in my stead.”
“You intend to take leave so suddenly, Lord?”
“It is not sudden—I have been contemplating this for some time. Please inform the operatives as well.”
“Understood…”
Before Tae Mu Ryong could even finish his response, Bu Eunseol had already departed the office.
“She seemed quite eager.”
Tae Mu Ryong, gazing at the spot where Bu Eunseol had stood, shrugged his shoulders and attempted to place the letter in his garments.
“…?”
Yet something felt peculiar about the letter.
Since the leave request had been prepared in advance, it was natural that the paper and ink had dried somewhat.
‘The Eighth Month Seal?’
But why did the faint trace of oil from the Eighth Month Seal—which the Demonic Path’s agents used for their correspondence—linger upon it?
And specifically where the Lord had touched it with her hand.
‘It cannot be.’
The Lord frequently traveled throughout Gangho, gathering intelligence from various sources.
For someone who moved about constantly, it would be unremarkable if traces of the oil had rubbed off on her.
Yet it was strange. The letter purportedly from the Seon Hwa Trading Company also bore similar oil residue where the Lord had touched it.
Whoosh.
Tae Mu Ryong, his expression growing increasingly grave as he examined both letters, placed them into his garments.
And then he began writing a letter using the brush and paper placed on Bu Eunseol’s desk.
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol swiftly deployed her lightness technique and was already leaving the Murim Alliance.
In the current situation, there was only one person capable of activating the emergency contact system—So Yo.
Only she traversed the Gangho freely in all directions, carrying out the tasks Bu Eunseol and Seo Jin Ha assigned to her.
‘A master so formidable that even So Yo’s divine technique cannot escape?’
Bu Eunseol’s heart quickened with urgency.
I had trained So Yo with intense rigor to ensure she could preserve her life even in the gravest of dangers.
Her divine technique had been honed until it reached a level comparable to my own.
Yet the emergency signal had been activated nonetheless.
Did that not mean a master surpassing even my abilities was pursuing her?
Whoosh.
As Bu Eunseol raced through a desolate forest beyond Seong Do,
Crack.
She instantly deployed the face-changing bone technique and returned to her original appearance.
In the same moment, spinning once in mid-air, her white garments transformed into black ones in an instant.
Szzzt… Boom!
Restored to her true form, Bu Eunseol unleashed her lightness technique at full power.
The assembly location written in the letter was near Sanyang in Seomseong.
If the contact had reached Bu Eunseol at the Murim Alliance, it would have certainly reached Yu Woon Ryong as well.
Given the distance, the Demon Palace was far closer, so the lords of the Sayoung Battle Division would likely arrive first.
‘But I must arrive first.’
The enemy was surely a master whose abilities exceeded my own.
Even if the lords of the Sayoung Battle Division arrived first, they would be utterly unable to contend with such a foe.
Boom! Crash!
With the sound of thunder, Bu Eunseol’s form tore through the half-sky.
Deploying one’s divine technique at such full intensity consumed inner energy and physical stamina at an extreme rate.
Yet Bu Eunseol paid it no mind, becoming a single streak of lightning as she continuously unleashed her technique.
Whoosh!
With each leap that carved through the earth, Bu Eunseol spotted red smoke rising from a distant mountain.
Crack!
Upon seeing it, Bu Eunseol changed direction once more in mid-air.
Finally heading toward the mountain where the red smoke billowed,
Whoooo!
This time, the sound of a horn trumpet used in naval warfare echoed softly from somewhere.
All of this was a signal system developed by So Ja Myeong.
The crises faced by intelligence operatives typically involved their movements being exposed and facing relentless pursuit.
In such urgent, time-critical situations, there was no opportunity to leave letters or reveal one’s location.
Therefore, So Ja Myeong created an emergency contact system that would immediately alert the Sayoung Battle Division and Bu Eunseol when operatives sent signals in crisis situations.
To allow operatives to transmit their location instantly even while moving, he established signal stations not only at the Demon Palace branch but throughout each region.
Transmitting positions one by one through people was far slower than sending signals from designated stations scattered throughout each region.
The signal system operated flawlessly, and Bu Eunseol could move instantly toward any emergency without needing a guide.
‘The Reed Field?’
Bu Eunseol realized that the distant Reed Field was the origin point of the emergency signal.
‘An emergency signal from such an exposed Reed Field?’
If a signal were sent from such an open location, enemies would detect it immediately.
Of course, it was possible in truly dire circumstances.
But an exceptional intelligence operative like So Yo would never make such a mistake.
‘A trap.’
In that instant, Bu Eunseol intuited that this emergency signal was a trap.
Which meant the signal system that I and So Ja Myeong had developed and constructed together had been completely compromised by someone.
Thud.
Bu Eunseol landed in the center of the Reed Field and drew a deep breath.
‘It can only be Sam Gye.’
They had used the covert communication network employed by the Sayoung Battle Division to lure me here.
This meant an enemy surpassing my information network and forces. And only Sam Gye possessed such power.
Whoosh.
As if waiting for this moment, pitch-black figures began encircling the Reed Field.
Their faces were masked so their features were hidden, yet their eyes gleamed with a strangely familiar, murderous intent.
They appeared to be Shil Hoon In under Sam Gye’s command.
‘Such a crude trap.’
They had gone to such lengths to detect the Sa Hon Dae’s emergency communication system and use it to lure me here.
Yet they attempted to kill me with merely Shil Hoon In?
The situation made no sense.
‘No need to overthink this.’
As I drew upon my inner force, crimson radiance erupted from my left fist.
I would unleash the Kwon Ma Chil Sik and break through their encirclement in one breath.
Whoooosh!
As the Mang A Dong Swae Sik unfolded, a wind capable of sweeping away the world itself poured forth, and dust erupted in all directions.
Crash!
Yet a tremendous gale blew in, and the dust scattered by the Mang A Dong Swae Sik vanished.
Someone had unleashed a formidable force, hurling the dispersing dust skyward in an instant.
Thud. Thud.
Simultaneously, a massive silhouette emerged between the figures encircling the Reed Field.
An elderly man with a sturdy frame and wild hair like a lion’s mane walked forward.
Boom.
The moment our eyes met, the heavens themselves seemed to vibrate in Bu Eunseol’s ears.
“Hyuk Ryeon Eung!”
Sparks ignited in my eyes.
The one who sent the dust skyward with a single strike.
He was none other than the Dharma Protector Division Master of the Demon Hall, a key figure of the Infinite Realm whom the Wei Wang Residence had attempted to suppress and turn into their puppet.
It was Hyuk Ryeon Eung.
“It’s been a while.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung gazed at Bu Eunseol and smiled faintly.
“You’ve grown stronger. Your spiritual cultivation has become far more refined.”
So it was Hyuk Ryeon Eung who had detected the Sa Hon Dae’s emergency communication network and used it to lure them into a trap?
‘He certainly possesses such capability.’
Bu Eunseol asked without much surprise in her expression.
“Was it you who attacked Commander So?”
“Hmm.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung let out a murky sound.
“I thought you were still using the Guusal Unit, but instead you entrusted your Information Division to some unexpected female assassin from the Sal Mun.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung knew that Bu Eunseol operated the Guusal Unit as her secret Information Division.
Therefore, he had sought out So Ja Myeong and attacked to sever her eyes and ears.
Yet unexpectedly, the one operating the intelligence network while moving around Bu Eunseol’s vicinity was a female assassin who wielded the martial arts of the Baek Ryeol Sal Moon.
‘He hasn’t fully grasped the Sa Hon Dae.’
Fortunately, what Hyuk Ryeon Eung had detected was only So Yo, who traveled the Gangho to assist her.
It seemed he had failed to properly understand Mu Heun, the Sa Hon Dae Master, and the Sa Hon Dae itself.
“Originally, I intended to sever your eyes and ears and then dispose of you slowly… but upon reflection, there’s no need for that.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung, whose eyes had been fixed upon Bu Eunseol like those of a lion, now displayed a smile laden with killing intent.
“I’ll simply strike you down the moment I see you.”
“Are you confident?”
“I was careless then. I didn’t expect you to break through the Spirit Sealing Soul Stealing Technique and leap off the cliff.”
A violet radiance flowed from Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s pupils.
“But there’s nowhere to escape here.”
Whoooosh.
As Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s eyes gleamed, the sky darkened to black, and black mist seemed to rise from the earth.
The Spirit Sealing Soul Stealing Technique.
A terrifying soul-stealing martial art capable of stealing an opponent’s spirit merely by meeting their gaze.
This dreadful technique unfolded once more.
Flash!
Yet in that instant, a sharp gleam of light flickered before Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s eyes.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
And immediately after, a red and piercing point of light began to bore into Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s neck.
The Meteor Chasing Moon Technique had been unleashed.
“Tch.”
But Hyuk Ryeon Eung was no ordinary master.
Though a specialist in soul-stealing martial arts, he was a seasoned veteran who had roamed the Murim for ages and fought countless fierce battles with his bare hands.
Realizing it was too late to evade the cascading sword light, he immediately raised both arms to block the points of radiance.
Clang!
With a metallic ring, Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s body was thrust backward, and his forearm struck by the light point gleamed with golden radiance.
Without even drawing upon his inner force, both his arms were as hard as indestructible diamond, and whenever external force touched them, they shimmered with golden light—a unique demonic martial art.
The power of the Overlord Golden Wall Fist was being unleashed.
Golden Arms Blood Eyes.
Hyuk Ryeon Eung had earned this epithet because his two arms turned golden through the Overlord Golden Wall Fist, and
he was born with the Blood Wheel Ghost Eyes that could suppress enemies with mere eye contact.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Hyuk Ryeon Eung, who had been driven back nearly four zhang with his forearm raised to his neck, looked at Bu Eunseol with evident surprise.
“The Spectral Soul Pressure Push didn’t work.”
Seeing the clarity in Bu Eunseol’s eyes, he widened his own in disbelief.
“Could it be that you’ve mastered the Immovable Heart Method?”
Even Sa Ok Cheong, who was called the Hwan Wang, had only reached the fifth tier of the Spectral Soul Immovable Heart Method, yet Hyuk Ryeon Eung had mastered it to the tenth tier.
To block his soul-seizing technique, one would need to master something like Shaolin’s Immovable Heart Method to its highest level, or
reach the Infinite Realm.
“You haven’t reached the Infinite Realm, though.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung discerned that Bu Eunseol’s swordsmanship was remarkable, yet still confined within the boundaries of technique and art.
Had he reached the Infinite Realm, both his arms would have been severed by this single strike.
“Are you prepared to die?”
Bu Eunseol twisted her grip on the Muk Hon Sword.
Hyuk Ryeon Eung’s supreme technique was the Spectral Soul Pressure Push. But since it proved ineffective, they would have to clash in pure martial combat.
“I anticipated that such a situation might arise.”
Yet Hyuk Ryeon Eung maintained his composure.
“Your abilities are simply impossible to fathom.”
“And yet you fight anyway. Admirable.”
“Is it?”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung, wearing a cruel smile, raised his hand.
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
Then the Shil Hoon In who had been surrounding the Reed Field slowly emerged.
But something was strange.
Now that she looked closely, weren’t they wearing the martial robes of the Demon Palace warriors?
Footsteps echoed as they approached.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as the approaching Shil Hoon In drew near.
The faces of those coming toward her were not merely familiar—they were unmistakably recognizable.
“Remove your masks, all of you.”
Hyuk Ryeon Eung commanded,
and in unison,
the Shil Hoon In mechanically pulled away their face coverings.
Then astonishing faces were revealed.
They were Won Se Moon, Jo Nam Cheon, Wi Cheon Gyeong… and the warriors under their command.

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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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