The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 616

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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 616.
The next day.
Bu Eunseol, who had slipped out of the Murim Alliance to venture into Gangho, immediately exchanged identities with Seo Jin Ha.
And then headed straight for Hubei.
Deploying her lightness technique without restraint, she soon arrived near Song Rim Mountain.
Passing through the dense forest and venturing deeper, an abandoned temple that had crumbled with age gradually came into view.
“I cannot fathom what manner of spectral game this is.”
Bu Eunseol gazed toward the distant sky.
She had come to this place because of a promise made with Beok Goong Ryung.
―When the sun rises tomorrow, leave the Murim Alliance at once and restore your true identity. Then wait for No Bu before the abandoned temple at Song Rim Mountain.
Beok Goong Ryung had spoken with absolute confidence.
―I will bring someone who will perfect your plan.
Bu Eunseol could not comprehend his meaning, yet she followed his words.
There was no other viable path, and he was not one to speak frivolously.
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Only the soft calls of birds echoed around the quiet abandoned temple.
After waiting for some time without any sign of arrival, Bu Eunseol began to feel boredom creeping in.
She entered the abandoned temple and, settling into a cross-legged position, began to circulate her inner energy.
Whoosh.
As she operated her cultivation method, a layer of radiance began to bloom across Bu Eunseol’s entire body.
She had already reached the sixth stage of the Ban Geuk Heart Method.
Having attained the realm of Constant Forward Progression and Defying Heaven’s Infinity.
In truth, there was no need to deliberately circulate her energy at all.
Yet whenever she was not studying martial arts, she seized every opportunity to practice her cultivation.
‘For fundamentals are paramount in all things.’
If delectable dishes appeared endlessly before one’s eyes without any effort?
It would be exceedingly convenient for a time.
But eventually, one might even forget how to cook altogether.
Bu Eunseol possessed the ability through Constant Forward Progression to achieve the effect of continuous energy circulation whether sitting or sleeping.
Yet she continued to actively circulate her energy and examine her inner state.
And through this habit of constantly refining her fundamentals, unlike other masters of martial arts,
she would eventually transcend the limits of martial arts and possess an inner power that no one in Murim history had ever achieved—though that was still a distant future.
How much time had passed?
Flash.
Her eyes snapped open.
She had sensed the approach of someone rapidly rushing toward this place.
‘Two people?’
One was unmistakably the old man Beok Goong Ryung.
But she could also sense another presence approaching swiftly with equally graceful lightness technique.
Creak.
As Bu Eunseol opened the door and stepped outside, two shadows descended from the empty air to the ground.
“You.”
Bu Eunseol froze.
The figure standing beside Beok Goong Ryung.
He was none other than Song Ak, the great master of the Wudang Sect.
“I hear you two have some acquaintance with each other.”
Beok Goong Ryung spoke with natural ease.
“Since you’ve met, why not exchange greetings?”
“Elder.”
Bu Eunseol furrowed her brow as she spoke.
“Are you already prepared to relinquish your position as Murim Alliance Sovereign?”
Bu Eunseol was the successor to the Demon Hall.
Beok Goong Ryung was a righteous hero of the Orthodox Sects whose name was inscribed on the Monument of Heroes, and now the Murim Alliance Sovereign.
If it became known to the outside world that these two had a personal connection?
His position as Sovereign would naturally be stripped away, and irreversible consequences could unfold.
“If the two of you keep your mouths sealed, who in this world would know?”
Beok Goong Ryung’s words carried profound trust.
He trusted Bu Eunseol as much as he firmly trusted Song Ak.
“It has been a long time.”
Song Ak greeted Bu Eunseol with a slightly surprised expression.
“In this brief span, you have broken free from the shackles of the flesh and attained enlightenment. Truly, you have achieved boundless accomplishment.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression became subtle.
Song Ak had described her state as “enlightenment.”
That meant she had not ventured into the Demonic Path.
Instead, he had keenly discerned that she had cultivated the supreme principles of the two great orthodox martial arts.
“You are too kind with your praise.”
Bu Eunseol smiled softly as she spoke.
“And you, Song brother, have reached harmony with the mundane and listen with the heart, entering the realm of martial mastery. That too is worthy of congratulation.”
In that instant, Song Ak’s expression stiffened.
He had vaguely described Bu Eunseol’s state with the word “enlightenment.”
But Bu Eunseol had precisely pinpointed exactly where his martial cultivation had reached.
“Ha ha, I am no match for you, benefactor.”
Song Ak shook his head with a clear smile.
His nature was as pure and serene as water.
He gazed upon Bu Eunseol, whose martial prowess far surpassed his own, only with admiration.
There was no envy or jealousy, nor even prejudice against the Orthodox Sects.
‘The people of the Wudang Sect are generally quite admirable.’
Bu Eunseol held a faint smile.
Throughout her travels in the Gangho, she had witnessed the twisted convictions and greed of the Orthodox Sects, yet the Wudang members she had encountered thus far were upright and virtuous.
Much like Song Ak himself.
“I’ve heard the story.”
Song Ak spoke.
“Ah Yeon fell into a heart demon, and only Bu’s death can break it free, or so I’m told.”
Beok Goong Ryung seemed to have simplified the complex matter of Sam Gye into the term “heart demon.”
“Indeed.”
“Even without your request, didn’t I share a brief connection with you and Ah Yeon? I shall naturally lend a hand.”
As Bu Eunseol made a peculiar expression, Beok Goong Ryung continued.
“The Wudang Sect’s non-lethal techniques are said to be the finest among the Nine Sects.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol let out a sound of understanding.
The swordplay of the Wudang Sect fundamentally carried the sword intent of non-lethality.
Among them were many masters whose strikes, even when they connected, inflicted no fatal wounds.
As Song Ak was the next generation’s representative successor of Wudang, he would be proficient in the diverse techniques of non-lethal swordsmanship.
“Moreover, rather than facing No Bu in single combat, having this fellow join forces with you to attack her would be far more deceptive.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Certainly, with Song Ak’s aid, she could more easily deceive the sharp gaze of the witch-possessed Ah Yeon.
“This place is conveniently remote and ideal for martial practice.”
Song Ak smiled, revealing his white teeth.
“Shall we begin then?”
* * *
―Her movements have been detected.
Word from Sa Hon Dae was relayed to Bu Eunseol through So Yo.
The Bi Ma Dae led by Eun Jung Hwi surpassed the Sa Hon Dae members in lightness of body alone.
Perhaps it was only natural.
For years they had carried people on their backs and continuously deployed their lightness of movement.
The Bi Ma Dae members, who under Sa Hon Dae’s command had been monitoring the Wushan region where Shin Nyeo Gung lay with their exceptional lightness of movement,
had finally detected Ah Yeon’s whereabouts.
―As expected, she’s heading toward Shin Nyeo Gung. However, it appears she’s moving alone without troops or subordinates, suggesting she intends to infiltrate covertly.
Upon receiving this news, Bu Eunseol immediately deployed a wind-like movement technique toward Shin Nyeo Gung.
‘Does she think that by eliminating my betrothed, she can have me?’
Ah Yeon’s intellect must have developed as dramatically as her martial prowess.
Yet if she was heading directly toward Shin Nyeo Gung as Bu Eunseol had anticipated?
Either she harbored another hidden plan,
or she was confident she could subdue her even in direct confrontation.
‘Either way, it matters not.’
If things unfolded as planned, the personality of Ah Yeon that slumbered within the witch’s consciousness would awaken.
‘At least that’s a mercy. She hasn’t committed any heinous acts of her own.’
As Bu Eunseol pressed forward with her movement technique, she felt inwardly relieved.
Ah Yeon’s true nature was solemn and righteous. If the malevolent personality had committed atrocities through her body?
Even if the brainwashing were broken,
like Cheon Ae Sang In, she might not forgive her own actions and choose to end her life.
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol arrived at the foot of Wushan Mountain where Shin Nyeo Gung stood and took a deep breath.
If anyone was present, Ah Yeon would flee immediately, so I had even sent So Yo far away.
How much time had passed?
From far away, a beautiful woman in a violet robe came rushing forward with a faint sound of air splitting.
It was Ah Yeon.
Tap.
Upon spotting Bu Eunseol, she stopped three paces away, facing her directly.
“How thoughtful of you.”
Ah Yeon’s eyes gleamed with an eerie light.
“Waiting here out of concern for your betrothed’s safety.”
Her face had not changed, yet the sharp, intermittent gleam in her eyes and violet lips gave off
an inexplicably sinister aura.
“You’re not the real Ah Yeon, are you?”
Bu Eunseol deliberately provoked her.
“Seeing your face twisted like a crow’s, it seems a vile creature has taken possession of your body.”
Hehehehe.
Ah Yeon smiled, her violet eyes sparkling.
“There’s hardly any difference now, is there?”
“What is your name?”
“Ah Yeon.”
Ah Yeon displayed a provocative smile.
“And Eun Ra.”
It seemed the witch merged with Ah Yeon was called Eun Ra.
“Then the real Ah Yeon still exists.”
“That’s right.”
“Then I’ll ask, assuming the real Ah Yeon is listening to my words.”
Bu Eunseol asked with a calm expression.
“Has your heart turned?”
“Does it seem like it has?”
“Otherwise, why reveal yourself so boldly before me? You couldn’t have been unaware that I’m guarding this place.”
Ah Yeon smiled faintly.
“Who knows?”
“You must have a better plan.”
“You’ve caught on.”
Ah Yeon spoke playfully.
“You’re not actually a young disciple of the Demonic Path, are you? There’s no need to fight directly.”
She then rolled up her sleeve, exposing her pale forearm.
“I’ve already spread word throughout the Murim Alliance that I’ve been defiled by you.”
Geom Gak only accepts women of chastity, marked with the guardian sand seal on their forearms.
Moreover, the Shuigong Curse could only be dispelled through the union of man and woman, yet her arm bore no such mark—it was pristine.
“I’ve also informed Geom Gak. That you coveted my body, yet treated me as a madwoman and sought to capture me.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand why Geom Gak’s response had been so cold.
There was not a single disciple of Geom Gak who didn’t know that Ah Yeon harbored feelings for him.
Even if Geom Gak wished to believe Bu Eunseol, with the Shuigong Curse vanished, he could not help but doubt her.
“How intriguing. I wonder how you’ll prove your innocence.”
No one would dare ask Geom Gak’s disciple directly whether Bu Eunseol had stolen her chastity.
But if Ah Yeon were to spread rumors throughout the entire Murim with a sorrowful expression?
Regardless of the truth, Bu Eunseol’s reputation would crumble to dust.
“Why would I bother proving such a thing?”
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
“You’ve already proven it for me.”
“What do you mean?”
Instead of answering, she turned to look behind her.
Then dozens of shadows emerged from between the trees.
They were Ok Yu Ha and the disciples she had carefully trained all this time.
“How is this possible?”
Geom Gak already had her location and movements perfectly within his grasp through the aid of Cheonghae Realm.
How could Bu Eunseol have brought them here without anyone knowing?
Moreover, how had she managed to hide while deceiving his supernatural senses?
“If you were truly the young lady Ah Yeon, you would never have devised such a pathetic scheme. You would know it wouldn’t work on me.”
All this time, Bu Eunseol had lost precious people to Sam Gye and witnessed all their filthy methods firsthand.
If Ah Yeon possessed a clear mind, she would have known that such a plan could never succeed.
But Eun Ra’s personality had failed to recognize this point and had instead concocted such a crude scheme.
“Those tainted by evil believe they can win by merely exploiting weaknesses. That’s why you failed to notice Geom Gak’s reaction and my plan.”
Ah Yeon merely glared coldly and said nothing.
Through her dual personality, she had executed dirty and sinister methods without hesitation, yet such tricks would not work on Bu Eunseol.
In other words, Ah Yeon’s other personality seemed unwilling to aid her.
“Fine.”
Ah Yeon laughed coldly.
“I’ll just sweep you all away.”
Shing!
Drawing her blade in one fluid motion, Ah Yeon unleashed dozens of sword strikes toward Bu Eunseol.
Then Ok Yu Ha stepped forward before Bu Eunseol.
Whoosh.
As Ok Yu Ha lightly swept her sleeve, the sword strikes that Ah Yeon had unleashed melted away like snow.
“Ah Yeon. I know you’re listening.”
Ok Yu Ha spoke with earnest sincerity.
“You are a strong child. Even in any situation, your consciousness….”
Crack!
Her words trailed off.
Ah Yeon immediately unleashed a blade of sword energy, slashing across her cheek.
“You do talk quite a lot.”
A metallic ring echoed.
Ok Yu Ha drew her sword.
“Ryeong Ju. Since she is a disciple of Bon Gak, I shall handle her myself.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
If Geom Gak subdued her and took her away, that would be the best course of action.
“Deploy the Annihilation Saint Responsive Sword Formation!”
At Ok Yu Ha’s command, thirty disciples swirled around Ah Yeon like dizzying petals, encircling her.
Most sword formations exist to suppress an enemy.
But the Annihilation Saint Responsive Sword Formation was different.
Unlike other formations of Geom Gak, it was created solely to slaughter.
“So you speak of cherished disciples, yet in the end you deploy a killing formation.”
As Ah Yeon spoke coldly, Ok Yu Ha replied matter-of-factly.
“Your swordsmanship has grown so formidable—how could I attempt a mere suppression?”
Clang clang clang!
The circular formation expanded and contracted, the array unfolding in dizzying patterns.
Yet with each move, Ah Yeon’s swordsmanship achieved flawless perfection.
Standing at the very heart of the Annihilation Saint Responsive Sword Formation, which absorbed all external force, her technique’s power remained utterly undiminished.
“You thought to capture me with such a pathetic formation?”
Unaffected by the formation’s function, she felled Geom Gak’s disciples one by one.
“Ah!”
Brief screams rang out in succession as the formation began to collapse beyond recovery.
“Stop!”
Finally, Ok Yu Ha stepped forward with a sharp command.
Clang clang clang clang!
As master and disciple crossed blades at the formation’s center, tempests erupted in all directions, and the shockwave of true energy soared to the heavens.
“You think to suppress me with such power?”
Ah Yeon wore a cold smile.
Ok Yu Ha’s swordsmanship was superb, yet her inner strength was far too weak.
Her cultivation had greatly diminished from maintaining the Waiting Seal technique while awaiting Chil Ji Ma Do Bu Chanyang.
Whoosh!
Ah Yeon’s sword spun mightily, slashing toward Ok Yu Ha’s throat in one fluid motion.
Clang!
Ok Yu Ha continuously swung her blade to parry, yet she was pushed back step by step without respite.
She could not withstand the inverse force contained within Ah Yeon’s sword.
Yet Ok Yu Ha paid it no mind, continuing the exchange of moves with Ah Yeon relentlessly.
Clang clang clang!
Before long, they had exchanged some forty blows.
Ok Yu Ha continued retreating, yet her expression remained composed.
In stark contrast, Ah Yeon, who pressed forward relentlessly and seized the advantage, found her face contorting with each passing moment.
“How is this possible?”
The focus drained from Ah Yeon’s eyes.
Ok Yu Ha’s swordplay was neither flawless nor overwhelming in power.
Yet with each clash, wasn’t it exposing flaws in her own perfect technique?
“You lack perfect control over your mind.”
Ok Yu Ha smiled coldly.
She sensed that the evil personality had not completely seized control of the spirit—rather, Ah Yeon’s true self lay dormant within.
With each exchange of the Cho Soo Gong Bang technique, Ah Yeon’s body was responding instinctively to Ok Yu Ha’s moves.
“Don’t mock me!”
Ah Yeon cried out loudly and unleashed her perfect swordplay once more.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Though the gap in inner power was vast, Ok Yu Ha’s swordplay had already transcended to the realm of a heart like still water and a hand that strikes with substance.
Regardless of the level of power, she could unravel any technique.
Bu Eunseol, watching from a distance, could not help but admire.
‘Indeed.’
Geom Gak, as the Sword Gate of the Righteous Path, had long protected the Murim.
Whenever turmoil arose in Gangho, merely dispatching a disciple with a single sword resolved countless matters.
Such feats were possible only because of their exceptional swordplay.
‘That is why they invested such effort in selecting a successor.’
The essence of Geom Gak’s swordplay could be expressed in a single character: stillness.
Within that quietude, they unleashed the pinnacle of the sword’s power, defending while attacking the enemy.
Ok Yu Ha, having regained her clarity of mind, now poured forth without restraint the highest technique of Geom Gak—the Elegant Dream Sword.
Ah Yeon’s body, possessed by the witch Eun Ra, was gradually responding to her swordplay.
Whoosh.
Ok Yu Ha’s blade rotated smoothly, ensnaring Ah Yeon’s sword.
With a clear metallic ring, her blade was sent flying.
Snap.
Ok Yu Ha pointed her long sword at Ah Yeon’s throat.
“Remember the hours you spent training swordplay with this master.”
A piercing light flashed in Ok Yu Ha’s eyes, and a transparent aura radiated from her entire being.
It was a form of heart-sword technique.
Striking directly at her spirit to awaken the true Ah Yeon buried within her heart.
“M-Master.”
In that instant, Ah Yeon’s eyes wavered like ripples on water.
Simultaneously, her lips and eyes, which had been tinted purple, began to return to their natural color.
Through Ok Yu Ha’s heart-sword technique, she had finally regained her senses.
“Are you coming to your senses?”
“Master.”
Ah Yeon approached with a trembling voice and knelt down.
“Master, with your guidance, I have finally awakened and dispelled the delusions that clouded my mind.”
Ok Yu Ha exhaled a sigh of relief and nodded.
“Thank goodness….”
But her words did not continue.
Thunk.
Ah Yeon, who had been kneeling, suddenly drew a dagger from her sleeve and stabbed Ok Yu Ha’s lower abdomen.
“She’s already gone, I told you.”
A sinister laugh erupted from Ah Yeon’s lips.
She had not truly regained her clarity of mind, but rather feigned awakening to exploit Ok Yu Ha’s vulnerability.
It was all an act to catch her guard down.
Flash!
At that moment, a brilliant sword light split the space between Ah Yeon and Ok Yu Ha.
Bu Eunseol, unable to bear watching any longer, had drawn her blade.

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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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