The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 643
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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 643.
An unexpected result had emerged.
The first trial to select the new Mu Cheon Danjoo.
Perfectly recreating the Silver Seal Formation of Wu Tian Duan.
And the one who had flawlessly passed it was none other than Seon Woo Jin.
‘This cannot be.’
Yuk Jang Cheon’s eyes widened in shock.
He himself had demonstrated such a flawless Silver Seal Formation that he would have believed it even if the previous Danjoo, Jo Cheon Wang, had returned.
But Baek Mu Sung and Seon Woo Jin.
These two young prodigies had gone even further, unveiling a new formation that evolved beyond the existing Silver Seal Formation, had they not?
Baek Mu Sung had presented a new Silver Seal Formation that maximized the previously lacking offensive power.
And Seon Woo Jin, by further refining the essence of solidity—the ultimate principle of the Silver Seal Formation—
Had discovered the secret to maintaining the formation for a certain duration even if the silver seal itself were destroyed.
Clap, clap, clap.
As all the demonstrations concluded, Buk Ri Seung applauded and nodded in approval.
“Extraordinary!”
And with an expression of utmost satisfaction, he spoke.
“All of you were magnificent. Even if Jo Dan Ju were to return, I doubt he could have displayed such formations.”
Yuk Jang Cheon’s complexion shifted at Buk Ri Seung’s praise.
The words that even if Jo Dan Ju were to return, he could not have displayed such formations—
Were ultimately praise directed solely at the newly evolved Silver Seal Formation.
“It seems the selection of the new Danjoo cannot be rushed after all.”
Buk Ri Seung stroked his chin and nodded.
“You have all worked hard. Let us meet again at the next trial.”
With a satisfied smile, Buk Ri Seung departed the Great Training Arena alongside the senior members.
As Yuk Jang Cheon stood dazed, Baek Mu Sung looked at Seon Woo Jin and smirked.
“Indeed, you are my true rival.”
This was both praise for Bu Eunseol and mockery directed at Yuk Jang Cheon.
“Baek hyung….”
As Bu Eunseol attempted to steer the conversation, Baek Mu Sung waved his hand.
“We shall speak of such matters another time.”
And with a subtle smile, he continued.
“For someone might think this competition was not entirely fair.”
His gaze remained fixed upon Yuk Jang Cheon.
Baek Mu Sung had merely spoken to Bu Eunseol for the sake of mocking Yuk Jang Cheon.
“Then.”
Having cast one final smirk toward Yuk Jang Cheon, Baek Mu Sung turned away with indifference.
He was clearly avoiding Bu Eunseol.
‘Baek hyung.’
Bu Eunseol gazed after him with a bewildered expression.
‘What on earth is he thinking?’
Baek Mu Sung’s affiliation with Sam Gye was an established fact.
Without Sam Gye’s tacit approval,
he could never have presented a fake head of Hyuk Ryeon Eung.
Yet why Bul Jon’s disciple had thrown himself into Sam Gye’s service, and what his true purpose was, remained a mystery.
And now that he had committed himself to Sam Gye… he had become an enemy with whom I could never coexist.
“Hmph.”
At that moment, a scoff reached his ears.
Turning his head, Yuk Jang Cheon was looking at him with a sneer.
“They say black-haired beasts shouldn’t be raised, but I never expected one to bite the hand that feeds it like a wild jackal.”
He was genuinely furious with Bu Eunseol.
Countless times he had verified his loyalty, and countless times he had doubted it.
Yet in the end, he had been struck from an unexpected quarter, his very throat torn out.
“Yuk Danjoo.”
Bu Eunseol bowed with utmost deference.
“How could I ever dare to bite the throat of the Danjoo?”
“What?”
“I merely do as I am commanded.”
Yuk Jang Cheon laughed toward the sky as if utterly exasperated.
“Still wagging that three-inch tongue. Then are you saying Gong Son Chong Sa ordered you to become a candidate for Danjoo?”
“That is correct.”
At Bu Eunseol’s calm reply, Yuk Jang Cheon nearly burst into hollow laughter.
“Are you still toying with the Danjoo?”
“It is the truth, Danjoo.”
Bu Eunseol clasped his hands before Yuk Jang Cheon with an expression of utmost gravity.
“I cannot speak in detail, but I have circumstances that compel me to follow the Chief’s every command, Danjoo.”
Yuk Jang Cheon’s eyes flashed.
In the past, he would have questioned Bu Eunseol about the reason behind such words.
But now he understood with certainty.
That wretch was toying with him, holding him in the palm of his hand.
“No further words are necessary.”
“Danjoo.”
“We shall see.”
As Yuk Jang Cheon turned away coldly, a smile bloomed at the corners of Bu Eunseol’s lips.
‘I will bring him down, bit by bit, slowly.’
What if he came to realize that someone had betrayed him?
If he witnessed such ingratitude, his fury would burn white-hot.
But in doing so, he might yet recover his composure.
What people truly cannot endure
is being torn down relentlessly, piece by piece, while showing no outward sign of betrayal.
‘So for now, dream pleasant dreams.’
Yuk Jang Cheon still harbored no doubt that he would become a Danjoo.
After all, he had strived ceaselessly toward that goal, and at last he stood upon that lofty pinnacle.
But it was nothing more than an illusion woven by Bu Eunseol.
What Yuk Jang Cheon had ascended was not a staircase, but a bubble destined to dissolve into nothingness.
Before long, he would plummet from that vertiginous height into an abyss from which no recovery was possible.
* * *
Four hundred years ago, the emergence of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, who had elevated the martial arts of Murim in an instant.
Though unknown to Murim, it was an arrangement orchestrated by the combined forces of the Three Realms.
Yet even then, the banners of the Three Realms flew separately, each pursuing contradictory convictions.
And from that very schism, an unforeseen master was born among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
That master was none other than Mu Hwang.
He was the first to perceive the existence of the Three Realms.
He realized that his entire life had been nothing but puppet strings, and all the martial arts he had mastered, all the trials he had endured in Gangho—
were orchestrations of the Three Realms.
The shock was profound, and he withdrew from Murim for a time.
At last, he broke free from the martial arts bestowed by the Three Realms and created the Mu Hwang Jeong Gak, a heart method of comparable power.
And upon that foundation, he forged the Thirteen Night Records, a secret technique of unparalleled antiquity.
When Mu Hwang emerged into the world once more, he began his resistance against the Three Realms, who had mocked his destiny.
As a result, five masters who were the pillars of the Cheonghae Realm and the Infinite Realm at that time met their end.
And the Jeongbeop Seon Won, which had been the main headquarters of the Cheonghae Realm, crumbled.
Through this, the Three Realms, which had been fractured, united their purpose once more.
And in the end, Mu Hwang, bearing false accusations, was forced to abandon Murim.
They mobilized all the power of the Three Realms.
In a single stroke, they could destroy the honor, achievements, and very life of the Peerless Patriarch, who had been called the greatest master of the Orthodox Sects of that era.
And four hundred years after Mu Hwang’s death.
The figures of the Three Realms gathered once more in a single place to deliberate.
The reason was Bu Eunseol.
He had finally discovered the main headquarters of the Infinite Realm.
And without lifting a finger, he had even subdued Cheon Joon, who possessed a technique capable of bringing Jeok Su to death.
Flash!
Dozens of bolts of lightning streaked across the heavens in succession, and then a deafening explosion erupted as if the entire world were about to be inundated with calamity and tribulation.
It was as though the universe had exploded and been recreated anew, causing the entire world to tremble violently.
Had anyone heard that sound, no matter how stout their heart, their mind would have gone blank and rational thought would have become impossible.
But fortunately, this place was devoid of any living creature for hundreds of leagues around.
Severed from the world, it was a mysterious realm that could not be entered without knowledge of the way.
Much like the forest where Mok Bul, a disciple of Gu Beop Ja Mo Ryun, dwelled.
Screech.
As if the heavens and earth were being rent asunder, a tremendous blast resounded, followed by a fierce and relentless gale.
Within that boundless space, three shadows emerged.
It stood tall amidst the endless roar and wind, as if human vitality had merged with nature itself.
[Let us set aside the disputes within Ben Gye.]
The crimson shadow that had revealed itself spoke first.
[We absolutely cannot tolerate outsiders drawing blades against Ben Gye.]
Then the azure shadow opened its mouth.
[The collapse of the Infinite Realm was inevitable. You never concealed your presence from Murim all along.]
The azure shadow spoke again.
[You placed too much faith in holding influential figures from various realms as hostages. In the end, you could not even mobilize the forces you had laid in place before everything crumbled, could you?]
Then the crimson shadow spoke.
[That one was destined to die anyway.]
The crimson shadow gazed at the Black Shadow across from it.
But the Black Shadow remained silent, offering no comment.
[It seems the Realm Master has still not returned to his seat.]
At the azure shadow’s words, the Black Shadow spoke in a low voice.
[Ben Gye has merely come to listen. To see what conclusion is reached.]
[Then Bu Eunseol—that one has been decided for elimination.]
The fact that someone’s name had been spoken in this place
was equivalent to having one’s name already inscribed in the ledger of the Yama King.
[No, first let us meet with Sa Do Moo Myung.]
Then the azure shadow spoke.
[If he deliberately obstructs us, the matter will become far more complicated.]
Silence descended once more.
Could it be that they were expressing their intent through silence?
As the tediously prolonged silence continued, the azure shadow finally spoke.
[Then let us proceed as such, and determine what comes next.]
At the azure shadow’s words, the crimson and black shadows vanished in an instant.
At the hour when the sunset blazed crimson.
An old fisherman sat by the river bank, his fishing line cast into the water. His frame was gaunt and small, his features utterly unremarkable.
From a distance, he seemed less like a person
and more like a part of nature itself, melted into the landscape surrounding the river.
Thump, thump.
Then, at that moment, footsteps sounded along the river bank.
It was the Blue-Robed Elder, his white hair combed back neatly like the roots of a tree.
He too appeared to have come fishing, carrying a small basket slung across his fishing rod.
“Catching much?”
At the Blue-Robed Elder’s question, the old fisherman kept his gaze fixed on the river and spoke flatly.
“Not a single fish in this place.”
“Hmm.”
The Blue-Robed Elder regarded the old fisherman with a puzzled expression.
“Why fish in a place where there are no fish?”
“But instead, you’ve hooked something far bigger, haven’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
The elderly fisherman spoke in a voice of absolute serenity.
“The great power that moves the Cheonghae Realm.”
In that instant, the Blue-Robed Elder’s expression shifted subtly.
“You knew No Bu was coming.”
It was a shocking admission.
Then could this Blue-Robed Elder, bearing the ethereal grace of an immortal sage, truly be the Master of the Cheonghae Realm that divides the Murim into three factions?
“If I didn’t know such things, I’d have to discard the name Ma Cheon Je altogether.”
The elderly fisherman.
He was the master of the Demon Palace, the supreme leader of the Demonic Path—Ma Cheon Je, Sa Do Moo Myung himself.
“I saw you once in Haenam, more than a decade ago. Wouldn’t you agree?”
A mysterious brilliance flickered in Ma Cheon Je’s eyes.
“Do you find it amusing to move the Cheonghae Realm?”
“Hehehehe. To say I move the Cheonghae Realm is more than I can claim.”
The Blue-Robed Elder shook his head with a faint smile.
“No Bu is simply a person who does as he is commanded.”
The Blue-Robed Elder’s eyes narrowed as if sifting through memories of the past.
“It seems you remember clearly the day you first met No Bu.”
“How could I forget?”
Ma Cheon Je murmured softly, gazing toward the distant sky.
“The day I discovered the third person who exceeded my expectations.”
“Hehehehe.”
The Blue-Robed Elder laughed faintly.
“Truly worthy of one called the Sky of the Demonic Path.”
When the praise came, Ma Cheon Je’s interest seemed to wane, and he turned his gaze back to the river.
The Blue-Robed Elder naturally cast his fishing line once more.
Silence continued for a long while.
Both men stared at their fishing lines as if possessed by the art itself.
These were the figures who dominated the Murim of Tianxia, whose every word could sway the fate of the realm.
Yet even in such a meeting, they squandered precious time in endless silence.
Before long, the sun had set and dusk descended.
Only when stars began to appear in the night sky did the Blue-Robed Elder finally speak.
“That child cannot be allowed to live.”
His voice was far more solemn than before.
“Bu Eunseol—that child.”
The Blue-Robed Elder was presenting his intention to Ma Cheon Je, seeking to make Bu Eunseol’s death a foregone conclusion.
But a startling answer burst from Ma Cheon Je’s lips.
“Impossible.”
Ma Cheon Je, having set down his fishing line, spoke once more.
“Do not lay a hand on that child.”
“Are you saying you would sacrifice yourself?”
“Sacrifice?”
Ma Cheon Je let out a snort as if hearing an unfamiliar word for the first time in his life.
“It’s not as though I made this decision simply because that child struck the Cheon Hye Medicine Forest.”
The man, who had been organizing his fishing rod and empty basket, continued speaking.
“I cannot fathom what you fear.”
“Hehehehe. You’re the type whose nature demands reciprocation, aren’t you?”
The Blue-Robed Elder smiled faintly.
As if Ma Cheon Je would ever sacrifice himself for anyone…
A figure of the Cheonghae Realm could never harbor fear of another.
“With just those words, you could have died here.”
“Hehehehe.”
Ma Cheon Je smiled broadly instead.
“Should you not have spoken such words a decade ago?”
“Hmm, that was an unavoidable decision at the time.”
As the Blue-Robed Elder sighed, Ma Cheon Je spoke.
“It is not too late now. Try if you wish.”
“That would be difficult now.”
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke honestly.
“Even then, you were far too formidable. Had I resolved to strike you down, I suspect even half of the Three Realms might have crumbled.”
A curious statement indeed.
The Blue-Robed Elder, though a figure of the Cheonghae Realm,
spoke of the Three Realms not as the Ben Gye, but as though it were a separate force entirely.
“Such circumstances cannot be created twice.”
“Do you believe that child has reached toward the Abyss?”
“No matter how absurd your words, no matter what you say… through them, I glimpse your true thoughts.”
At Ma Cheon Je’s response, the Blue-Robed Elder shrugged his shoulders. He showed a hint of admiration.
“破性—Breaking Nature. That was the first Infinite Realm Force you created, was it not? Perhaps?”
The power that Bu Eunseol termed a “phenomenon,” which masters of the Infinite Realm produced.
Its formal name was Infinite Realm Force.
And the Blue-Robed Elder knew the depths of Ma Cheon Je’s martial legacy in full.
“Correct. There was reason for that as well.”
The Blue-Robed Elder, nodding his head, spoke.
“But what truly matters is that the child appears to have genuinely inherited the martial purification of the Chilji Demonic Sect. And… the fact that he possesses far too many treasures.”
He gazed at Ma Cheon Je and offered a faint smile.
“Is it not said in the Murim that possessing treasures is a sin?”
“You draw out your fear of that child’s potential into quite the lengthy discourse.”
Zing.
In that instant, two ghostly lanterns ignited within the eyes of the Blue-Robed Elder, whose gaze had been gentle until now.
He had transformed from appearing like an immortal sage into a malevolent spirit that dominated all the demons of Tianxia.
“Oh my, careful. One must be careful.”
The Blue-Robed Elder resumed his gentle smile.
“I nearly severed the neck of the Demonic Path’s greatest asset without even realizing it.”
He spoke of Ma Cheon Je’s neck as though it were corn he could pluck whenever he pleased.
Despite such provocation, Ma Cheon Je exhaled sharply through his nose and opened his mouth.
“Mark my words—that child will thrash about endlessly seeking vengeance for the Chilji Demonic Sect. His blade will inevitably turn toward the Three Realms.”
“That too becomes problematic.”
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke.
“This is precisely the moment when the Three Realms’ power must not waver.”
“Should you not be grateful?”
Ma Cheon Je turned his head to regard the Blue-Robed Elder.
“The Infinite Realm has been exposed enough already. This incident has merely excised the rotting flesh from the Three Realms, has it not?”
“Exposed or not, to actually topple a portion of the Three Realms? Does such a thing even warrant discussion?”
The Blue-Robed Elder shook his head.
“It is not fear, but rather a judgment of danger. His very existence itself. Such is the Three Realms’ conclusion.”
“In the end, you fear he will descend into the deepest abyss, come to know all, and ultimately open the door to where they dwell.”
Ma Cheon Je’s eyes gleamed mysteriously.
“The gate to their place.”
The Blue-Robed Elder’s body trembled.
He realized that Ma Cheon Je’s Infinite power had subtly invaded his own spirit.
And for a second time, he had uttered a word that should never be spoken.
“Think as you will.”
Blue radiance rippled across the Blue-Robed Elder’s form.
He was expelling Ma Cheon Je’s Infinite power that had invaded his spirit.
“The conclusion has already been reached.”
“Do as you please.”
A single strand of radiance, like starlight illuminating the night sky, flickered across Ma Cheon Je’s body.
“I will ensure that for the next three hundred years, the Three Realms cannot set foot in the Murim.”
In that instant, a silence as profound as death descended.
Ma Cheon Je’s form merely flashed with light once.
The sound of water from the river bank, the chirping of insects, the whisper of wind—
All the sounds that flowed from nature ceased in that single moment.
“I regret the events of ten years past.”
The Blue-Robed Elder, who had been regarding Ma Cheon Je, laughed faintly.
“I should have killed you then, regardless of opposition.”
“You could not have.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“You would have been flickering about like a ghost, spewing crimson and azure radiance, clicking your abacus beads. For how many centuries?”
“Hehehehe.”
The Blue-Robed Elder suddenly clutched his belly,
“Hahahaha!”
He burst into laughter so hearty the heavens themselves seemed to shake.
“That’s right. The problem with the Three Realms is exactly that.”
The Blue-Robed Elder’s laughter ceased abruptly as he spoke.
“Some matters demand immediate action, yet all they do is tear their hair out and squabble with one another.”
“And thanks to that, you’ve endured quite well.”
Ma Cheon Je spoke with composure.
“By making excellent use of me, naturally.”
“Hehehehe. To think you understood even that much—I’m left speechless.”
The Blue-Robed Elder nodded his head.
Given Ma Cheon Je’s capabilities that exceeded even his expectations, it was only right to yield on this matter.
“Very well then. Let us do this.”
He gazed at the stars twinkling in the distant sky as he spoke.
“I shall send Sang Je.”
The Blue-Robed Elder drew a deep breath and continued.
“Let his judgment be the deciding factor. What do you think?”
“By revealing certain truths, you’ll redirect their attention elsewhere.”
A mysterious radiance flickered in the depths of Ma Cheon Je’s eyes.
“Have them deal with those instead of the Infinite Realm, while buying time as well.”
“Perhaps he might even slaughter them outright. He is a merciless man, after all.”
“Precisely.”
“Let us entrust it to Sang Je’s judgment. Should they survive his hands, I shall personally revoke the execution order this once.”
Ma Cheon Je narrowed his eyes and nodded.
“This should prove interesting.”
“Agreed.”
The Blue-Robed Elder gazed at Ma Cheon Je and nodded.
“I do hope you achieve your ambitions as well.”
Whoosh.
With those final words, his form vanished.
Not by moving swiftly, nor by ascending to heaven or descending to earth.
Rather, as if merging with nature itself, he simply ceased to exist in an instant.
“Hmph.”
Ma Cheon Je gazed coldly at the spot where the Blue-Robed Elder had stood, a faint smile crossing his lips.
“I can finally see the end of you all drawing near.”
Ma Cheon Je set down his fishing rod and slowly turned his body.
His form too scattered like starlight before vanishing into the distance in an instant.
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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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