The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 555

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 555.
He hesitated.
But Do Cheon Rin soon lowered his hand.
‘If I resort to such filthy tactics merely to claim victory, how could I ever reach the pinnacle of the sword path?’
He had abandoned everything to grow stronger—even the Blood Flame Sect he had cultivated his entire life, wandering the Gangho in pursuit of power.
Then he obtained the Hwan Ma Sword.
Through its power, he could manipulate the fleeting moments of time without even breaking through the Extreme Heavenly Realm.
And someday, through his own strength, he would reach the Extreme Heavenly Realm.
Then he could face Bu Eunseol once more—the one he had yearned to defeat even in his dreams.
But if he seized victory through such despicable means?
He would be unworthy not only of reaching the ultimate heights of the sword path, but even of standing against her.
Whoooosh!
At that moment, a piercing blade aura streaked toward Bu Eunseol’s back with a subtle tearing sound.
The wielder of the Blood War Sword was unleashing a relentless barrage of blood-infused strikes upon her.
‘He can still unleash blood strikes of this magnitude?’
Do Cheon Rin’s eyes widened.
The timing and angle of the blood strikes were far too precise, and this mysterious man continued to deflect them toward him.
At this rate, Do Cheon Rin would be unable to evade and would perish.
‘Damn it!’
In that instant, Do Cheon Rin threw himself forward without thinking, intercepting the blade aura with his own body.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
As the piercing blood strike burrowed into his flesh, blood erupted in an instant.
Boom! Crash!
Struck by the blood-infused lightning, Do Cheon Rin rolled across the ground with a grimace of agony.
“Ugh.”
His blood vessels burned as though aflame, and even after staggering upright, his body trembled for a long while.
‘Why did I—’
Do Cheon Rin could not comprehend his own actions.
Was it because this man had saved him at the cost of his own life, and he sought to repay the debt?
No. It was absolutely not that reason.
‘His eyes.’
Do Cheon Rin suddenly understood.
Because of that man’s familiar gaze, he had even avoided their first confrontation.
Because of those cursed eyes.
He had acted on pure instinct.
“Ugh.”
Do Cheon Rin groaned once more.
The piercing blade aura of the Blood War Sword had penetrated his protective qi barrier, tearing through his shoulder and flank.
Beyond the deep wounds themselves, the blood-infused lightning carried a formidable current of inner power, inflicting considerable internal injuries.
Sizzle! Crackle!
In that moment, Bu Eunseol deflected every cascading Blood Thunder Orb and soared into the void.
Then she hurled the Muk Hon Sword toward the distant forest.
Rumble!
Purple lightning enveloped the Muk Hon Sword, and with a brilliant flash, the blade vanished into the forest.
Whoosh—screech!
Not long after, the Muk Hon Sword flew once more toward the forest on the opposite side.
When it finally returned, the blade was stained with fresh crimson blood.
She had employed the Qi-Wielding Sword technique accompanied by lightning-attribute energy.
“Qi-Wielding Sword technique?”
Do Cheon Rin’s mouth fell open as he watched.
The Qi-Wielding Sword technique—manipulating a blade freely through inner energy—could be used without difficulty once one’s cultivation exceeded three centuries of accumulated power.
Yet despite this, masters rarely employed it.
Because even stepping beyond the pinnacle realm, one could easily defend against such attacks.
Controlling a sword through the void with qi and hurling it seemed convenient, but the assault lacked subtlety and was difficult to infuse with martial profundity.
However, the Qi-Wielding Sword technique Bu Eunseol had just unleashed…
Not only did it cover a distance of some forty zhang with speed rivaling light itself with perfect precision,
But it moved as though alive, weaving mysterious sword trajectories—was it not?
“She was a true master from the start. Functions like the Demonic Sword were unnecessary.”
Focus drained from Do Cheon Rin’s eyes.
After obtaining the Hwan Ma Sword, he had believed himself capable of matching any master in the Murim.
But that was a grave delusion.
“Was I merely a frog in a well?”
His voice carried profound emptiness and futility.
The Murim was vast. And this man, who appeared to be of similar age… had ascended to a realm of martial prowess beyond measure.
Which meant…
Even if he defeated every Demonic Sword user, even if he refined his blade throughout his lifetime,
In the end, he could never become a master who dominated the Murim.
“This is where it ends.”
Do Cheon Rin unhesitatingly reversed his grip on the Hwan Ma Sword and drove it forcefully into his own abdomen.
Clang!
But with a clear ring, the Hwan Ma Sword flew far away.
Bu Eunseol had instantly unleashed a gust of wind.
“Why do you interfere?”
Do Cheon Rin glared at Bu Eunseol with furious eyes.
“Do you savor the victor’s joy through shallow mercy?”
“Victor?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a somewhat bewildered expression.
“If every master in the Murim took their own life after a single defeat, there would be none left standing.”
“It is not merely one defeat.”
Do Cheon Rin gazed toward the distant sky, his expression serene.
“I had decided this from the beginning. If I were to lose again to anyone, I would end my own life.”
“What are you saying? End your life if you lose?”
“Without such resolve, I would never have abandoned everything and grasped this Demonic Blade.”
All this time, Do Cheon Rin had run forward with every ounce of his strength, eyes fixed ahead.
He had failed repeatedly, stumbled, and despaired, yet he never gave up and continued his relentless efforts.
Because that was the shortcut.
There was someone who had taught him that facing all trials without evasion, pushing through them, was the true shortcut.
And to defeat that person, he had abandoned everything and ventured into Gangho.
Then, by chance, when he obtained a Demonic Blade that would compensate for his shortcomings, he made a vow.
That if he were to suffer defeat even once more, he would take his own life.
He was that desperate, and he had come to understand that only by wagering his life could he truly advance.
“I was a frog in a well.”
He gazed at Bu Eunseol with a melancholic smile.
“I cannot bear that truth.”
He looked at the fallen Hwan Ma Blade and began to draw upon his inner power.
Too ashamed to pick up the fallen blade and end himself with it, he intended to sever his own meridians and take his life.
But Bu Eunseol had already seen through his every intention.
In a flash.
She suppressed Do Cheon Rin’s meridian gates with lightning-swift precision using the Golden Needle Technique.
“Do not entertain such thoughts.”
“It is futile.”
“Return to the Blood Flame Sect. If you refine the martial arts of the Blood Flame Sect anew, you will achieve even greater heights.”
“You knew of me.”
Bu Eunseol spoke as if in praise.
“No matter how blind one’s eyes, how could I not recognize the Ten Prodigies who shake Gangho?”
“I will not return to the Main House.”
“Why not?”
Do Cheon Rin spoke as if annoyed.
“Why do you pry so relentlessly?”
“Because I thought understanding your circumstances might allow me to dissuade you.”
“Nonsense. Unless you intend to follow me for a lifetime and stop me, you will never sway my resolve.”
Bu Eunseol opened her mouth, sensing the unwavering determination in Do Cheon Rin’s eyes.
“I could follow you for a lifetime.”
“What?”
“Otherwise, tell me your circumstances. I must know what drives you before I decide whether to stop you or let you be.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze was steady and unshaken.
If he did not reveal his circumstances, it seemed she truly would pursue him for a lifetime to dissuade him.
After a moment of hesitation, Do Cheon Rin shared his story.
* * *
From childhood, Do Cheon Rin had displayed genius-level talent in every field.
He had grown up bearing the full weight of expectations placed upon him by the Blood Flame Sect Master.
And finally, through negotiations with the Ten Demonic Sect Lords, he had even been designated as the next successor.
Originally, the masters of the Demon Palace had always been selected from the Ten Demonic Gates.
To prevent another incident like Ma Cheon Je or Sa Do Moo Myung, they had preemptively designated a successor.
But Ma Cheon Je suddenly initiated the Ten Demon Immortals plan and declared that the Demon Palace’s successor would be chosen through competition.
The Ten Demonic Sect Lords all scoffed at this.
The successors of the Ten Demonic Gates were prodigies who had undergone rigorous education and training since childhood.
Yet now he proposed to pit these Ten Demon Immortals, who had only recently mastered the martial arts of the Ten Demonic Gates, against those carefully cultivated successors? It was a laughable scheme.
―The Ten Demon Immortals from Nangya Sect, this fellow Bu Eunseol, is no ordinary person.
But among the Ten Demon Immortals, there was said to be someone who could match the successors that the Ten Demonic Gates had painstakingly nurtured.
And that ominous premonition proved true.
He continuously claimed victory against the Murim Alliance’s masters, and later, he even slew Geol Wang, one of the Four Gods Seven Kings.
―We cannot allow another figure outside the Ten Demonic Gates to become the master, as happened with Ma Cheon Je!
But with Geol Wang’s death, the martial prowess gap had already widened considerably.
Ultimately, the Ten Demonic Gates faction pressured Ma Cheon Je to decide the successor’s position based on merit demonstrated in the battle against Heuk Ryeon.
This time, they had arranged the situation so he could not possibly achieve merit.
Yet it was that Ten Demon Immortals from Nangya Sect who severed Heuk Ryeon Ju’s neck and led the battle to a great victory.
―Open the Blood Dragon Seven Gates. The one who assumes the position of Demon Palace successor must be proficient in all disciplines!
Though he struggled to the very end, he ultimately broke through the Blood Dragon Seven Gates and became the successor to the Demon Palace.
―Regardless of being called a prodigy or whatever, his talent was not truly exceptional.
―We should have simply pushed forward with the successor from Hwawoo Sword Sect as planned.
Having lost the position of Demon Palace successor and seeing a successor emerge once again from outside the Ten Demonic Gates, the Ten Demonic Sect Lords all turned their backs on Do Cheon Rin in resentment.
And the Blood Flame Sect Master, Do Mu Jeok, felt the same way.
―Cheon Rin, that child seems unworthy even of the Main House successor position.
Disgusted by Do Cheon Rin’s successive defeats, Do Mu Jeok gave the successor position to his second son, Do Yong Rin.
With this turn of events, Do Cheon Rin could no longer remain in the Blood Flame Sect.
Now that his younger brother had become the successor, if he stayed, it would inevitably lead to internal family conflict.
By departing, he could allow his brother to establish a stable succession structure.
He left the clan of his own accord.
Having departed from the Blood Flame Sect, Do Cheon Rin began his journey through Gangho to refine his martial arts.
He would stake his life in battles against formidable opponents.
Through such struggles, he could awaken the subtle mysteries of Blood Flame techniques he had yet to comprehend.
―Was that it?
Only then could Do Cheon Rin truly understand.
Bu Eunseol, the Ten Demon Immortals from Nangya Sect.
Why he had grown so rapidly powerful.
―He fought without ever considering his own life.
Now he finally grasped the mindset with which his rival had journeyed through Gangho and crushed his adversaries.
How he had advanced his martial arts so swiftly.
I realized how he rapidly advanced his martial arts skills.
Do Cheon Rin continued his endless pursuit of martial mastery without regard for his own life.
Was it coincidence? Or was it someone’s design?
During his travels through Gangho, he obtained the Hwan Ma Sword, which bore the sword techniques of the Illusory Demon Lord from four hundred years past.
―This is it.
The Dream Demon Sword was remarkably similar to the Blood Flame Sect’s methods, and it was possible to combine the two techniques.
With such a technique, I believed I could surely achieve victory.
―If I were to suffer defeat even after obtaining such a demonic blade, I would sooner take my own life!
Thus Do Cheon Rin set up a position of no retreat and clashed with powerful masters.
―Victory or death!
Fighting with such resolve, Do Cheon Rin could overcome any formidable opponent he encountered.
As he defeated countless users of demonic blades, the malevolent qi of the Hwan Ma Sword grew increasingly unstoppable.
Do Cheon Rin could declare with certainty:
Now he could defeat even Bu Eunseol in combat.
And once he defeated all the demonic blade users, he would surely journey to the Demon Palace and face her in battle.
* * *
Having finished his entire account, Do Cheon Rin’s lips were stained with blood.
The internal injuries inflicted by the Blood War Sword’s blade qi had been severe.
“So you mean to end your life to honor such an oath?”
“The oath matters, certainly. But the greater reason is that seeing you made me realize one truth.”
Do Cheon Rin spoke with anguished expression.
“The gap between us cannot be easily bridged.”
Only after witnessing the martial prowess of this nameless wanderer could Do Cheon Rin grasp one fact.
Bu Eunseol, whom I considered a worthy rival, had not been idle either.
She must have achieved tremendous progress, advancing far beyond me.
For she was that kind of person.
There was not a single day when she failed to advance.
“I was merely deluded into thinking only I was progressing.”
Bu Eunseol, who did not shy away from trials and walked the thorny path toward her own destiny.
She must have ascended far higher, to heights that would make my achievements seem trivial.
“I thought I could surely catch up. But each time I raised my head, that wall grew taller.”
In truth, this despair Do Cheon Rin felt was not his alone—all who knew Bu Eunseol experienced it.
Had Yu Woon Ryong, Myo Cheon Woo, and Seo Jin Ha not become Bu Eunseol’s close companions?
They too would have become another Do Cheon Rin, still drowning in despair.
“Are you satisfied now?”
Do Cheon Rin spoke irritably toward Bu Eunseol, who held his meridian points.
“Or will you only release me after making me even more wretched?”
Bu Eunseol answered not with words but by drawing upon her inner force. She immediately injected the Anti-Extreme True Qi into Do Cheon Rin’s meridian points.
Whoosh.
An immeasurable torrent of pure true qi surged through Do Cheon Rin’s meridians, healing his internal injuries.
“You are completely mistaken about this.”
As Bu Eunseol infused her inner energy while shifting her tone, Do Cheon Rin’s eyes widened.
Her voice seemed familiar somehow.
Moreover, she spoke with such composure while pouring forth such formidable true qi that it penetrated every Blood Sealing Point in her body?
This person’s martial prowess transcended imagination, and her inner energy ran so deep and vast it defied measurement.
“Your resolve to die is admirable, but had you fought that way, all the masters of Bon Gak would have become wandering souls drifting through Gu Cheon.”
“Bon Gak?”
Do Cheon Rin’s pupils trembled like ripples on water.
“Who exactly are you?”
A soft cracking sound.
Bu Eunseol released her face-changing technique instead of answering.
Like moonlight breaking through clouds, her mysterious visage gradually revealed itself.
Do Cheon Rin’s mouth fell open as he gazed upon her.
The very person who had transformed his entire life—his rival. It was Bu Eunseol.
“How can this be.”
The young person who had shown me there exists heaven above heaven was Bu Eunseol all along.
So I have suffered defeat at the hands of the same person once more.
“One needs a different identity to wander the Gangho.”
Bu Eunseol answered briefly, then doubled her inner energy and began piercing through Do Cheon Rin’s Blood Sealing Points.
As Bu Eunseol infused her energy, her gaze grew solemn.
‘This won’t suffice.’
Though Anti-Extreme True Qi was said to be a pure force, it was not a panacea for all things.
His meridians had been severely damaged by the Blood Sword Demon Blade’s Blood Sword Thunder Qi, damage that could not be healed merely by infusing true qi.
A deep resonance.
After infusing a certain amount of Anti-Extreme True Qi, Bu Eunseol withdrew her energy and spoke.
“First, we should focus on proper treatment.”
Do Cheon Rin’s ribs, where the Blood Sword Demon Blade had pierced through, were exposed to the bone.
“Never mind.”
Do Cheon Rin spoke to Bu Eunseol with a humiliated expression.
“Is it amusing? Mocking me while hiding your identity?”
“Did it seem like mockery?”
“I need no pity. Leave.”
At Do Cheon Rin’s words, Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“It’s neither pity nor an attempt to help you. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need your help.”
“My help?”
Bu Eunseol gazed at Do Cheon Rin’s ribs, then shook her head.
“We can discuss that after treatment.”
“Nonsense.”
“How cold. Isn’t it natural that there is give and take?”
“What are you saying?”
“You’ve heard my story, so now you should hear mine, shouldn’t you?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a rather serious expression.
“If you still wish to die after hearing my circumstances, I won’t stop you.”
Wasn’t that simply reversing Do Cheon Rin’s situation from moments before?
“Hmm.”
Do Cheon Rin’s eyebrows twitched.
In the past, he had conducted a thorough investigation into Bu Eunseol, but had only discovered that she lived an ordinary life while serving as a Yeomsa.
The fact that Bu Eunseol, whom he had always considered a rival, was now willing to reveal her personal history directly to him was extraordinary.
If he couldn’t hear this, Do Cheon Rin would be so consumed by curiosity that he wouldn’t even be able to depart for the afterlife.
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol brought the wounded Do Cheon Rin to none other than Jeok Cheon Mak Ji.
In the lands of Seomseong where Orthodox Sect forces held sway, this was the only place Bu Eunseol could trust and where someone like Do Cheon Rin could rest comfortably.
Above all, Dam Yoo Yeon possessed the Soul Restoration Divine Needle Grand Salvation Technique, which rivaled Chim Wang’s golden needle acupuncture.
With her acupuncture skills, she could prevent Do Cheon Rin from losing his martial prowess despite half his meridians being damaged.
Jeok Cheon Mak Ji, Su Gyeong Jeon. Dam Yoo Yeon’s office.
“Treat him.”
At Bu Eunseol’s request as she brought in the pallid Do Cheon Rin, Dam Yoo Yeon spoke coldly with an irritated expression.
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“He’s been struck by vicious sword energy, and half of his Twelve Primary Meridians are damaged. Without the Soul Restoration Divine Needle Grand Salvation Technique, his injuries cannot be perfectly healed.”
“Why should I grant such a request?”
Bu Eunseol placed a promissory note on the table.
“I’m not asking you to do it for free. This is the Wanderer Market, after all.”
“You’re greatly mistaken, Moo Hon Ryeong Ju.”
Dam Yoo Yeon spoke in a low voice without even glancing at the note.
“I know you didn’t kill my brother Jeong Cheon. But it’s true that you forced my brother to test his martial arts against you.”
Dam Yoo Yeon glared at Bu Eunseol with a cold expression.
“After that day, my brother became obsessed with martial arts and eventually left Jeok Cheon Mak Ji. In the end, you killed my brother just the same.”
Dam Yoo Yeon still blamed Bu Eunseol for Jeong Cheon’s death.
‘There’s no helping it.’
Bu Eunseol fully understood Dam Yoo Yeon’s heart.
If she had no one to resent, her heart would be broken even more severely.
‘I have no choice but to make the effort to go to Geum Wang Mountain and meet with Chim Wang.’
Do Cheon Rin’s condition was not good.
By the time they arrived at the Chimp King House, it was possible that an irreversible situation might unfold.
“Hahaha.”
Yet Do Cheon Rin, standing there with a pallid complexion, looked at Dam Yoo Yeon and laughed heartily.
“You’re mistaken about something.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know what all people who met her and had their entire lives turned upside down have in common?”
As Dam Yoo Yeon fell silent, Do Cheon Rin spoke immediately.
“A self-proclaimed genius who had grown overconfident in his own abilities.”
Dam Yoo Yeon furrowed her brow but offered no rebuttal.
Jeong Cheon was indeed a martial prodigy, and he had been arrogant about his prowess.
However, he had injured many people because he could not control his killing intent.
He had subsequently mastered the secret of suppressing that killing intent, but afterward, Jeong Cheon lost interest in martial arts.
―Others are so weak that I must suppress my innate killing intent just to fight them.
Realizing there was no one at his level, he grew disinterested in martial arts and weary of all worldly matters.
Thus he spent his days idling away at Jeok Cheon Mak Ji.
But when he crossed blades with Seol So and reached a draw, a warrior’s spirit he had never known before began to ignite.
―I will cultivate my martial arts to defeat him.
Jeong Cheon wandered the Gangho, honing his skills.
Then he learned that Seol So was Bu Eunseol, the successor to the Demon Palace.
After that, Jeong Cheon suffered greatly upon realizing he was a frog in a well and could never catch up to Bu Eunseol.
“And all of that was a life he chose for himself, was it not?”
“What do you know to speak so boldly?”
Dam Yoo Yeon shot to her feet and cried out.
“What could someone like you possibly know!”
“The same applies to me. I too met him, abandoned my clan, and risked my life to venture into the Gangho.”
Do Cheon Rin spoke calmly.
“But I harbor no regrets. If I could cross blades with him again, if I could become as strong as he is, even my life would be a small price.”
“You are quite the remarkable person. So, are you saying you can compare with my elder brother Cheon?”
“I do not know who your elder brother Cheon is. But I do not believe he is more renowned than I.”
“Who are you?”
“Blood Flame Sect, Do Cheon Rin.”
Dam Yoo Yeon drew a sharp breath in that instant.
“The Prodigy of Ten Perfections?”
Though he was called the greatest genius in the history of the Blood Flame Sect, after he failed to become the successor to the Demon Palace,
he was cast out by his clan and became a wanderer—a tragic figure.
This pale-faced man was Do Cheon Rin?
He too had his life transformed upon meeting Bu Eunseol, becoming one who risked his life to venture into the Gangho.
Just like Jeong Cheon, whom she had loved.
“I must go now.”
Do Cheon Rin turned away with composure.
“It seems I will not be able to hear your story after all.”
His face was drenched in cold sweat.
His Twelve Vital Gates were already severely damaged; he had reached the limit of what he could endure.
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol nodded with a grave expression.
Do Cheon Rin was proud and cared nothing for his own life.
If I were to plead with Dam Yoo Yeon to spare him, it would only be an insult to his dignity.
“Then let’s have one last drink.”
Bu Eunseol gave Dam Yoo Yeon a light nod.
“Forgive our intrusion.”
As Bu Eunseol and Do Cheon Rin turned to leave, Dam Yoo Yeon’s expression grew bewildered.
“Just like that? From the looks of his condition, he won’t last even two hours.”
Bu Eunseol turned back to speak.
“This man foresaw a day like this from the moment he left his family.”
“….”
“He sacrificed everything to perfect the Way of the Blade.”
A refined smile appeared simultaneously at the corners of Bu Eunseol and Do Cheon Rin’s lips.
It was a smile only those warriors who had transcended life and death itself could wear.
And that smile.
Overlapped with the smile Jeong Cheon had shown Dam Yoo Yeon when departing Jeok Cheon Mak Ji.
Her fists clenched tightly.
She trembled.
Why did the men of Gangho regard their lives so lightly?
Why did they dedicate their entire existence to a martial path that served no purpose whatsoever?
“Then.”
As Bu Eunseol prepared to leave, supporting Do Cheon Rin, Dam Yoo Yeon bit her pale pink lips and cried out loudly.
“Is anyone outside?”
She spoke sharply to Wi Sa, who waited beyond the door.
“Clear out Hoe Chun Dang immediately—I need to set up the Divine Needle Thirteen Formations!”
“Dam Yoo Yeon.”
Bu Eunseol turned back in surprise, and Dam Yoo Yeon spoke coldly.
“Don’t misunderstand.”
“….”
“I simply despised seeing you wear such a solemn expression while claiming to have died for the Way of the Blade.”
Bu Eunseol wore a faint smile.
She bowed her head and clasped her hands together with utmost respect.
“Thank you.”
The successor of Demon Palace, Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, was known as one who bowed to no one.
Yet she expressed her gratitude in this manner for treating the person she had brought.
For such is the nature of a true warrior.
They would not lower their head for themselves, yet they would not hesitate to kneel for another.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————