The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 625

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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 625.
“There’s no need to be so shocked.”
She smiled softly as she spoke.
“We’re in the process of creating them, not that we’ve succeeded yet.”
“….”
“The Dark Divine Artifacts have existed since the beginning of time. Humans could never truly be said to have created them in the first place.”
She spoke with an unbothered expression.
“We’re researching how to recreate them. But so far, we haven’t succeeded.”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t comprehend it.
Why was she divulging such secrets so readily?
“Why are you telling me such things?”
“Are your questions finished?”
If she said they were, the woman seemed ready to unleash a barrage of questions in return.
Bu Eunseol immediately asked again.
“Who are you? What is your position here?”
“My name is Bi Yeon. I research the Dark Divine Artifacts here….”
She continued speaking calmly.
“And I’m working to destroy this place.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew complicated.
In essence, this woman named Bi Yeon researches Dark Divine Artifacts here.
Yet simultaneously, she was someone determined to bring down Gokgeomrim.
“Why do you seek to destroy it?”
“Because it must be destroyed.”
The woman, Bi Yeon, spoke with measured calm.
“It seems you know quite a bit about Dark Divine Artifacts. Would you really want even more of such terrifying weapons to exist?”
In that moment, Bu Eunseol grasped something.
“Gokgeomrim isn’t just one place, is it?”
“Hmm. You really are clever.”
Bi Yeon gazed at the forest visible through the window as she spoke.
“There are branches of Gokgeomrim scattered throughout Zhong Yuan. Each one researches Dark Divine Artifacts independently.”
“Who is the Master of Gokgeomrim? Why are they trying to create Dark Divine Artifacts?”
“Who knows.”
She spoke casually.
“It’s different for each branch of Gokgeomrim.”
Just as Bu Eunseol was about to say something, she suddenly noticed the dense scars covering Bi Yeon’s nape.
“Were you forcibly brought to this place?”
“Are you suggesting that because I was forcibly brought to Gokgeomrim, I’m seeking revenge?”
“Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re not right.”
Bi Yeon spoke with composed clarity.
“I told you already. This place is meant to collapse.”
“But why?”
“It’s my objective.”
Bi Yeon’s eyes seemed tinged with melancholy.
“So you helped me for that reason?”
“Yes. I thought you came here to bring this place down.”
“I didn’t even know where this place was. Even if I were to destroy it, I would never wish for innocent people to be harmed.”
She rose to her feet and brought her face close to mine, nearly touching.
“Innocent people?”
Her gleaming eyes drew near until they almost met mine—eyes I had borrowed through Seok Chi Haeng’s power.
“There are no such people among the Murim who live drenched in blood.”
“….”
“Murim practitioners spend their entire lives fighting others, and sometimes they take lives.”
Bi Yeon spoke in an utterly frigid tone.
“Once you’ve learned martial arts and wielded weapons to harm others, there is no one without fault or sin.”
I found myself nodding unconsciously.
“I largely agree with that sentiment. However….”
Thud, thud.
Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from outside.
Bi Yeon’s eyes gleamed, and she suddenly seized a mask standing nearby.
“Put this on.”
She whispered urgently but quietly, pressing a perfectly spherical iron mask into my hands.
“And don’t say a word.”
Creak.
The door opened.
Without hesitation, I quickly pulled the iron mask over my head.
Instantly, a stench of blood assaulted my nostrils, and my neck prickled with discomfort.
“What are you doing?”
The figure who entered was a man of such enormous stature that he struggled to pass through the wide doorway.
I widened my eyes as I observed the man through the mask’s opening.
The face of this hulking man.
It was covered in such thick, long hair that “hairy” barely did it justice.
“What’s going on?”
When Bi Yeon asked, the Hairy Man sniffed the air and approached me standing to the side.
“I caught a scent I hadn’t smelled before.”
The man’s height exceeded seven feet, allowing him to look down at me even with the mask on.
“Who is this?”
“I asked for permission to bring them in. I wanted to try something new.”
“That won’t work.”
The man bared his sharp fangs as he spoke.
“What more ghost children do you expect to create? In any case…”
“She’s not a ghost child.”
Bi Yeon pointed confidently at Bu Eunseol.
“See for yourself.”
The man tilted his head curiously and leaned in close to Bu Eunseol.
He thrust his face forward, peering intently at Bu Eunseol’s eyes through the iron mask.
“What is this?”
The man’s expression shifted to one of astonishment as his mouth fell open.
“Don’t tell me it’s complete?”
“To a degree. Can’t you see the possibility of realization?”
“Hehehehe.”
The man burst into hearty laughter and nodded his head.
“Good. Very good.”
The man, who had been grinning and nodding, released a long, heavy sigh.
“It truly seems like I can see the end now.”
It was strange.
Though his eyes were smiling, the Hairy Man’s gaze carried the light of tears.
Joy and sorrow.
The man was simultaneously expressing two contradictory emotions.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Very well.”
The Hairy Man stepped outside the building.
Once he had gone, I reached to remove the iron mask affixed to my head.
But it would not come free.
As if it were connected to the nerves near my neck, attempting to force it off brought a wave of pain.
“How am I to remove this?”
When I asked, Bi Yeon shook her head.
“Don’t remove it for a while. Not if you’re to remain in this place.”
“Don’t remove it?”
“You’re going to spy on this place anyway, aren’t you? As long as you’re wearing that, no one will question you.”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve been curious.”
I recalled how all those dwelling in this forest wore iron masks of various geometric shapes, and posed the question.
“Why does everyone here wear such grotesque masks?”
“Identity verification, defense against mind-reading techniques, and power regulation.”
I understood the aspects of identity verification and defense against mind-reading attacks.
But what did power regulation mean?
“What exactly do you mean by power regulation?”
“Are you going to keep chatting with me? Shouldn’t you be looking around if you want to bring this place down?”
At Bi Yeon’s words, I shook my head.
“I’ll spy, certainly, but destroying this place is a matter for later. I may not even have the ability to do so.”
“Intelligent and humble too.”
Bi Yeon shrugged as she spoke.
“First, take a look around. Then you’ll have your answer.”
“Understood.”
Bu Eunseol clasped her hands together.
“And thank you.”
Bi Yeon was speaking reasonably about everything—except for her demand that I destroy Gokgeomrim.
Besides, wasn’t she helping me scout this place thoroughly? She was showing considerable goodwill in her own way.
“Then I’ll take a look around the interior.”
“Yes, look all you want and come back here. But don’t go up the tower yet.”
“Why not?”
“The moment you try, you’ll trigger the formation. Your identity will be exposed.”
She smiled softly.
“Just by exploring the forest here and there, you’ll be able to make your decision.”
“A decision, you say.”
“Just look around first.”
Bi Yeon spoke with such certainty, as if she could see the future.
“Then you’ll understand.”
“Understood.”
Bu Eunseol immediately stepped outside and meticulously examined the interior of Gokgeomrim.
In this bizarre forest, isolated from the world, only trees, exotic flora, and masked figures wandered about.
‘A formation, perhaps.’
No matter how far I walked, the forest landscape repeated itself.
Most of the mushroom-shaped trees and buildings resembled the dwelling where Bi Yeon stayed, and wisps of faint smoke rose from each without fail.
‘Is each one a place where they research the Dark Divine Technique?’
As I examined the forest scenery carefully while wearing the mask, I suddenly wrinkled my nose.
A thick, pungent scent of blood drifted relentlessly from somewhere.
‘This is strange.’
How exactly do they create the Dark Divine Technique in this forest? Why are there so many of these mushroom-shaped trees?
“….”
I examined the buildings fused with trees that were erected throughout the area.
The scent of blood grew thicker, and an eerie energy became palpable.
I concentrated my inner energy at my fingertips and tore away the outer layer of bark from one of the trees.
Through the gap, countless hands, legs, and eyeballs were crammed inside.
Moreover, whether through some grand technique or chemical preservation, the severed limbs and eyeballs were all stained black.
‘These are everything.’
I surveyed my surroundings with trembling eyes.
If all these mushroom-shaped trees densely packed throughout this vast forest were filled with human remains?
Gokgeomrim had committed the massacre of at least tens of thousands of people.
Crunch.
A long streak of blood-red light blazed from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
―You’ll understand once you look around.
Recalling Bi Yeon’s words, Bu Eunseol immediately unleashed her lightness technique and returned to where she was staying.
Crash.
As I burst through the door, Bi Yeon stared at me as if she had been waiting.
“Quite the murderous intent.”
“Why, exactly.”
Bu Eunseol spoke each word as if spitting it out.
“What possessed you to do such a thing?”
Bi Yeon answered with an unbothered expression.
“I told you. To create the Heukshingi.”
“You’re saying the material is human?”
“It’s just one of the materials.”
Bi Yeon spoke with perfect composure.
“The Heukshingi is a divine artifact that grants power transcending human limits merely by possessing it. Did you think it was made easily?”
Sam Gye disregarded human life, unhesitatingly taking lives to achieve their goals.
And Gokgeomrim, which belonged to the forces of the Abyss, as well.
They were killing countless people while attempting to create the Heukshingi.
Whoosh.
Flames ignited in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
In the end, there is no good in Murim.
Neither in the Demon Hall nor the Murim Alliance.
Neither in Sam Gye nor Gokgeomrim.
They all kill innocent people for their own purposes.
Murim is ultimately a hell where demons gather.
“I told you.”
Bi Yeon, having seen through my inner thoughts, spoke calmly.
“There are no innocent people among those in Murim.”
“Did you have a hand in their deaths?”
“Why? Do I not seem like it?”
Screech.
As Bu Eunseol extended her fingertips, flames erupted and the workbench with the metal ingot split in two.
The inner energy that had diminished from rage surged back, drawing forth the scorching heat of the Yeolha Great Perfection technique capable of melting steel.
“I don’t ask twice.”
Bi Yeon stared at Bu Eunseol with eyes full of silence.
“If you threaten like that, who would tell the truth?”
She took a deep breath and shook her head.
“I didn’t. Everyone at Ben Rim. Because they were all too busy researching the Heukshingi.”
And she continued in a low voice.
“However, all of those preserved remains were done by the Inbiyin.”
“The Inbiyin.”
“Yes. They’ve preserved the severed limbs using a special technique.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
The Inbiyin.
The term for the forces of the Abyss—or the Abyss dwellers—who lurked hidden throughout Zhong Yuan, and yet it came from Bi Yeon’s lips?
Then was Gokgeomrim ultimately connected to the Cheonghae Realm?
‘It cannot be mere coincidence that the words are identical.’
“What exactly are the Inbiyin? What connection does Gokgeomrim have to the Cheonghae Realm?”
Judging by her eyes, her claim that she had not participated in the murders did not appear to be a lie.
Thus Bu Eunseol asked again in a measured voice, though her killing intent remained undiminished.
“Answer truthfully.”
Even if Bi Yeon had not directly abducted and killed those people, the fact that she had used human bodies as tools remained unchanged.
If she spoke falsehoods, I would sever her neck immediately.
“I know nothing of the Cheonghae Realm. But the Infinite Realm has always clashed with Ben Rim.”
“Why have they clashed?”
“Who knows.”
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol pressed her finger, condensed with the Yeolha Great Perfection Qi, against Bi Yeon’s brow.
“You must know.”
“If you wish to kill me now, that is acceptable.”
Even as she gazed upon the Yeolha Great Perfection Qi that seemed capable of melting flesh, she offered a tender smile.
“You will destroy Gokgeomrim anyway, will you not?”
Bu Eunseol felt her strength drain away.
Bi Yeon had already transcended death.
Thus no threat could reach her in her current state.
‘It would be better to appease her and extract whatever information she possesses.’
Bu Eunseol changed her approach and asked calmly.
“Then what of the Inbiyin? What are they?”
“The Inbiyin are martial artists too. Just like you.”
It was a peculiar answer.
Moreover, by referring to “you,” did she not imply that she herself was not a martial artist?
“The only difference is whether one walks openly or remains hidden in the deepest places, never revealing oneself.”
“Remaining hidden in the deepest places….”
Originally, Bu Eunseol had always understood the term Inbiyin to refer to forces or individuals within the Abyss who had maintained their lineage without ever revealing themselves.
Forces or figures dwelling within the Abyss.
Yet Gokgeomrim too, when examined closely, was a force that had never revealed itself to the Murim.
Then the Inbiyin was not a collective term for all hidden figures or forces within the Abyss.
Rather, it referred to a specific force or individual.
‘If even the people of Gokgeomrim who create the Black Divine Artifacts are unaware of their identity, so secretive are they….’
Bu Eunseol felt both bewildered and seized by a terrifying realization.
Sam Gye had always said he was protecting the Murim.
Each time, I wondered what exactly they were protecting Murim from.
If my suspicions were correct…
Sam Gye, whom I had always believed to be a force that disturbed the world and committed evil acts.
Could it be that they were actually protecting Murim from the Inbiyin among the Abyss forces? That was the imagination that consumed me.
―They said those forces are hidden throughout Zhong Yuan. Perhaps soon… they will reveal themselves.
Recalling Ah Yeon’s words, Bu Eunseol’s expression grew hollow.
If all these assumptions were true.
Then not all of Murim’s Abyss forces could be considered evil, and it meant there was a separate faction that was cruel and vicious.
‘I am not the supreme master of Murim.’
Whether it was the Abyss or Sam Gye.
From my perspective, avenging my grandfather and parents was all that mattered.
It was no concern of mine which factions tore Murim apart or divided it among themselves.
‘But.’
Bu Eunseol bit her lip.
The problem was that all these factions, without exception, were harming innocent commoners.
I could not simply stand by and watch such atrocities unfold.
‘I’m utterly disgusted.’
Shhhhh.
Black energy flowed from my body in thick waves.
‘Murim seems like a place that never deserved to exist in the first place.’
My eyes grew increasingly dark.
If all the people of Murim, all its factions were like this…
Wouldn’t it be better to sweep it all away cleanly?
Crack.
As incomprehensible rage surged forth, bone-cracking sounds emanated from my entire body, and my pupils began to fill with an impenetrable darkness.
‘Gokgeomrim or Sam Gye… Demon Palace or the Murim Alliance, all of them….’
And that darkness, as if attempting to devour the entire world, began spreading uncontrollably.
But then,
Flash!
Something scorching surged from the Naoho acupoint at the back of my head, and an inexplicable energy began circulating through my body.
It was as if I had been drenched in ice water—my mind snapped awake, while my body was flooded with a warm sensation.
It felt like someone had poured cold water on me while I was gasping for breath from a severe heat stroke.
Whoooosh.
At the same time, all the spreading black energy vanished, and my eyes returned to their normal state.
The energy that surged from the Naoho acupoint was something infused into me during childhood by Seo Jang…
But it would be some time before I came to understand that.
“What are you doing?”
I was wearing an iron mask.
The spreading black energy was invisible to others—an intangible force.
So to Bi Yeon’s eyes, it appeared that I had merely flinched before her.
‘The matter of Sam Gye and Inbiyin can wait.’
Bu Eunseol, having regained her composure, spoke coldly.
“Simply because you didn’t participate in killing innocent civilians doesn’t erase your guilt.”
“Of course not.”
Bi Yeon offered a serene smile.
“Did you think asking me to destroy Gokgeomrim meant excluding myself from judgment?”
She thrust her chest forward and continued.
“If you wish to kill me, do it now. I have no objection.”
An elderly person who has tasted both bitterness and sweetness might harbor no attachment to life.
Yet for Bi Yeon, barely twenty years old, to display such detachment toward death was extraordinary.
“But if you do that, it will be difficult to destroy Gokgeomrim, so think carefully.”
‘Could she have consumed the Heart-Cleansing Pill?’
Bu Eunseol sensed something amiss.
Bi Yeon’s appearance was youthful alone.
Her demeanor and bearing were those of an elder who could accept her own death with equanimity at any moment.
“But why did you come to create the Black Divine Technique here?”
Bu Eunseol asked.
“What circumstances led you to bind yourself to a place called Gokgeomrim?”
“Why? Are you worried I have secrets I cannot share? You want to spare my life, yet struggle to find justification?”
“I am not a judge.”
As if struck by a truth, Bu Eunseol averted her gaze and spoke.
“It’s simply that as one lives, there may be circumstances one cannot speak of, is there not?”
“Does it matter what circumstances exist?”
Bi Yeon spoke matter-of-factly.
“When one’s body is bound to a cruel organization that abducts people.”
Bu Eunseol sighed.
Bi Yeon was not someone who could be judged by simple standards of good and evil.
Moreover, since she had always yearned for death, she surely harbored complex circumstances.
“If that is your conviction, I have nothing more to say.”
Bu Eunseol steeled her resolve and spoke.
“Since I have already infiltrated this place, I shall capture those here and extract information about Gokgeomrim….”
Yet for some reason, she could not bring herself to say she would slaughter everyone in this place.
Though Gokgeomrim had committed atrocities for a long time.
Seeing Bi Yeon, it felt as though there were special circumstances at play.
“Your heart is tender.”
Bi Yeon smiled with affection, as if gazing upon a naive grandchild.
“But Gangho is a place where right and wrong cannot be determined. Only the merciless can survive.”
In the past, or even just moments ago when she raged, she would have believed those words to be truth.
But whether due to the clear energy surging from her Noeho acupoint, or the people she had encountered and bonded with in Gangho.
She could not fully agree with that sentiment now.
“I’ll handle that myself.”
Bu Eunseol swiftly changed the subject.
“However, since Gokgeomrim has kidnapped people and committed such atrocities, it must be destroyed without question.”
“I agree.”
“Then where is Rim Ju?”
“You can find him at the very top of that distant tower. But not now.”
“Why not?”
Bi Yeon spoke matter-of-factly.
“Your current level would never allow you to reach the summit.”
“Are there traps?”
“Yes. Those traps cannot be breached, no matter how formidable one’s martial prowess.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll manage it myself.”
“Don’t even think about bringing forces from outside.”
Bi Yeon spoke with absolute conviction.
“I don’t know how you infiltrated, but it was only possible because you came alone.”
“You mean if I’d brought multiple people, we’d be discovered immediately?”
“Yes, and you’d all be slaughtered.”
Bi Yeon stated this plainly.
“How many masters of your caliber exist in the Murim?”
In other words, unless one had reached Bu Eunseol’s level of Choguk Dowon, any force brought would be annihilated.
“Then how do we destroy Gokgeomrim?”
“Stay with me day and night from today.”
Bi Yeon’s eyes gleamed like crimson jewels.
“For one hundred and ten days. That will be enough.”
“Why is that?”
“The Yin-Yang Grand Method.”
She winked playfully, her eyes burning bright red.
“I’ll transfer my power to you through it.”

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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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