The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 692

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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 692.
Murim Alliance, Eun Wol Gak. Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s office.
Within the secret chamber concealed in shadows, Gong Son Dan Gyeong and Bu Eunseol—masquerading as Seon Woo Jin—faced each other.
Just as I was returning to the Murim Alliance, her summons arrived.
Mu Jon had issued another covert command.
“It’s been a while.”
Unlike when I last saw her at the Gong Sun Estate, Gong Son Dan Gyeong bore the unmistakable marks of exhaustion.
‘The Elder Hall Master’s doing.’
Observing the weariness etched across her face, I suppressed a bitter smile.
As the Chief of the Murim Alliance, the most critical matter I must monitor is the movements of the Demon Hall, the demonic coalition.
Jeok Bung, who had stepped down from his position as Elder Hall Master and retired, suddenly returned and reorganized the Elder Council.
He threw the power structure of the Demon Hall into chaos.
From her perspective, she needed to understand the reasons behind this, how the internal atmosphere had shifted.
That’s why she had been running about frantically gathering intelligence.
For the past few days, she had been so consumed with work that she hadn’t slept, and her eyes had grown hollow.
Regardless, I spoke with an expression of incomprehension.
“Mu Jon still issues commands to me?”
Mu Jon had already broken his word multiple times.
Yet he sends another command through Gong Son Dan Gyeong? No matter how I consider it, such behavior makes no sense.
“You’re free to refuse.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong spoke calmly.
“I was planning to consult with Seon Woo Dae Ju anyway. About how we should respond if Mu Jon issues such commands in the future.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong had chosen Seon Woo Jin over Mu Jon.
And she was prepared to bear the responsibility for that choice.
“Mu Jon is still the Alliance Master in name. I imagine he believes we cannot defy him.”
“He won’t think so simply. He knows my character far too well.”
“What do you mean?”
“Given my nature, I’m certain he has evidence that Mu Jon is acting in Jeong Cheon Je’s stead.”
“You intend to use that evidence as leverage to pressure Mu Jon?”
“Exactly.”
In the past, I might have agreed to such a method.
But now I understand.
Among those in the Murim Alliance, there are scarcely any who possess true justice.
Mu Jon claimed he became Alliance Master to preserve the integrity of Murim, yet he is a man with hidden, unknowable intentions.
If he deemed Gong Son Dan Gyeong an obstacle, he could eliminate her without hesitation.
“You cannot do this.”
“It’s fine. Even if Mu Jon is formidable, I possess one hidden trump card that others know nothing of.”
“Absolutely not.”
I spoke with unwavering resolve.
“Such men will stop at nothing if they perceive you as an impediment to their path. If you provoke them carelessly, you will be in grave danger.”
“Is that so?”
When Bu Eunseol firmly objected, Gong Son Dan Gyeong withdrew her opinion with surprising ease.
“Still, it’s reassuring. The Seon Woo Dae Ju cares even for the Chief’s wellbeing.”
‘That can’t be right.’
Someone as meticulous as Gong Son Dan Gyeong would never clumsily threaten a heavyweight like Mu Jon.
She had deliberately spoken those words.
“You’re still testing me, aren’t you.”
As anger flickered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes, Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s expression turned apologetic.
“Don’t think of it that way. Half of it was genuine.”
“What do you mean.”
“It means I’m prepared to employ any means necessary to protect the Seon Woo Dae Ju.”
She spoke with a hint of playfulness.
“We can’t simply ignore each other’s crises, can we?”
‘She’s definitely changed.’
Since visiting the Gong Sun Estate, her manner of speech and demeanor had shifted subtly.
The woman who had been as cold and detached as ice was gradually opening her heart to Bu Eunseol.
‘I must stay sharp.’
Gong Son Dan Gyeong was the Chief of the Murim Alliance and Bu Eunseol’s direct superior.
If she made a poor judgment, I too could sink with her.
If Gong Son Dan Gyeong had grown complacent, then I needed to become even more discerning.
Taking a deep breath, I steered the conversation elsewhere.
“What orders did Mu Jon give?”
“He said I must retrieve the Eternal Ice Jade.”
A flash of light crossed my eyes.
The Eternal Ice Jade. It was the treasure of the Zangsang Gate.
And wasn’t it the core material of the Eternal Ice Pavilion, the very device that maintained its frigid power?
‘Has something happened to Jeong Cheon Je’s corpse.’
Ever since I learned that even Gong Son Dan Gyeong had not seen the Eternal Ice Pavilion hidden beneath the Yeongak Dojeon.
I had never once used the Murim Alliance’s secret facilities.
After all, Mu Jon knew this fact as well.
He must have certainly sealed or altered the internal facilities in some manner.
‘But why me?’
If he held the position of Murim Alliance Master, he could obtain even the Golden Spirit Immortal Fruit, let alone the Eternal Ice Jade.
Yet he specifically tasked me with retrieving merely the Eternal Ice Jade?
“Why is that?”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong asked upon noticing my hardened expression.
“You’re reluctant, aren’t you?”
I quickly corrected my expression and spoke.
“That’s not it… If Mu Jon simply wanted to obtain a treasure, wouldn’t a single command suffice?”
“You’re right. In fact, even I don’t understand this mission.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong shook her head, her brow furrowing with concern.
“It seems there are considerable obstacles in the process of obtaining the Bing Jeong Ok. That’s why this task was entrusted to Seon Woo Dae Ju.”
“Obstacles, you say.”
With a soft rustle, she withdrew a document from the drawer and handed it to Bu Eunseol.
She offered no verbal response, instead producing a sealed letter from the drawer and extending it toward Bu Eunseol.
“The Bing Jeong Ok has been kept by a mysterious sect that has never revealed itself to the Murim.”
As Bu Eunseol received the document and read through it, a look of mild surprise crossed her face.
“The Snowflake Sect. So they’ve managed to maintain their lineage all this time.”
The Snowflake Sect.
A sect of the Yeoin Mun Pa and a formidable practitioner of the Profound Yin arts in Zhong Yuan, they had always been compared to the Buk Hae Bing Gung located in Sae Oe.
However, despite being a sect of women, they maintained political relations, and some regarded them as part of the Evil Sect.
This was because the ice techniques of the Snowflake Sect possessed such bizarre and terrifying power.
Ordinary ice techniques only manifested their power when struck by or exposed to the ice qi.
But the ice techniques of the Snowflake Sect worked merely from a touch, and even without leaving any visible wound.
They froze the blood vessels—a power so incomprehensible, transcending all martial principles, that it defied explanation.
Yet they had vanished two hundred years ago and never appeared in the Murim again.
And now, out of nowhere, she was being asked to go to the Snowflake Sect and retrieve the Bing Jeong Ok?
“Even I was quite shocked. A sect that disappeared two hundred years ago still maintains its lineage to this day.”
“But something troubles me. Based on this document alone, the task doesn’t seem particularly difficult.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent, contemplating the matter carefully.
“Considering the position of Murim Alliance Master, it doesn’t make sense that no one more capable could be found than me.”
“Then what are your thoughts on Seon Woo Dae Ju’s intentions?”
“I suspect I’m being used as a disposable piece.”
Bu Eunseol explained calmly.
“Logically speaking, having someone else bring back another sect’s treasure is no different from deliberately provoking that sect.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong nodded faintly and spoke with measured composure.
“Then you should refuse. This time, at least. Make any excuse necessary.”
“No, I’ll accept it.”
“Pardon?”
Bu Eunseol’s response contradicted everything she had just said—she readily accepted the task.
“I’ll go to the Snowflake Sect.”
“Why would you?”
“If I succeed in this task, it becomes leverage for negotiating with Mu Jon.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
“If I knowingly accept a dangerous, seemingly impossible task and actually succeed… surely I can demand at least that much in return, can’t I?”
A flash of brilliance danced in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Moreover, once I obtain the Bing Jeong Ok, someone will naturally be needed to deliver it to Mu Jon.”
“That’s precisely the dangerous thinking I’m warning against.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong shook her head firmly.
“From Mu Jon’s perspective, Seon Woo Dae Ju is replaceable at any time. Besides, there’s no reason Seon Woo Dae Ju must be the one to deliver the Bing Jeong Ok.”
“That won’t be the case.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with absolute certainty.
“Mu Jon will surely grant me a private audience.”
Bu Eunseol was well aware that Seon Woo Jin was a replaceable figure.
But the Ice Jade’s purpose was singular—installation within the Eternal Ice Pavilion alone.
Therefore, the retrieval of the Ice Jade would inevitably be connected to Jeong Cheon Je’s corpse.
‘Mu Jon must know that I’ve seen the Eternal Ice Pavilion.’
I intended to negotiate with Mu Jon using the Ice Jade.
There was no other way to secure a private meeting with him. I had to discover whether Jeong Cheon Je lived and where he could be found.
‘And to split the Murim Alliance into three factions… I must settle accounts with Mu Jon before a new Lord is chosen.’
Only now, after fragmenting the Demon Palace into three pieces, did Bu Eunseol realize that she could not become the Lord of the Murim Alliance.
The position of Murim Lord carried immense power, but with it came equally grave responsibilities and obligations.
Yet Bu Eunseol needed to remain within the Murim Alliance until the Muhon Society had firmly established itself as a tripod force throughout Murim.
For that to happen, nothing was more essential than Jeong Cheon Je.
Or rather, a confrontation with Mu Jon had to come first.
“Your reason?”
“The Ice Jade must be something of tremendous importance. That’s why he’s sending me instead of some other subordinate.”
I could not explain to Gong Son Dan Gyeong about Jeong Cheon Je’s corpse enshrined within the Eternal Ice Pavilion.
So Bu Eunseol had no choice but to lie.
“And I have an inexplicable intuition about it.”
“Intuition…?”
“Yes. A strong intuition that Mu Jon will come personally to receive the Ice Jade.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with confidence.
“My intuitions tend to be quite accurate.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s expression grew distant.
From what she knew, Seon Woo Jin was not someone who conducted affairs based on intuition alone.
‘Yet everything he’s sworn to accomplish has always come to pass.’
The Gong Son Dan Gyeong of old would have pressed Bu Eunseol relentlessly for explanations.
But somewhere within her heart, a seed of trust in Seon Woo Jin had taken root.
It was faint now, but given time… it could grow beyond measure.
“Very well.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong swallowed her rising questions and nodded with a smile.
“Just be careful.”
* * *
The peaks of Jade Dragon Mountain, perpetually blanketed in snow, resembled a silver dragon descending upon the slopes and prostrating itself.
Throughout Murim, countless legends persisted of mystical beings and sacred herbs.
And at Heavenly Snow Peak, tales were passed down of the legendary herb, the Heavenly Snowflower, blooming in full splendor.
A single petal of the Heavenly Snowflower could restore one’s youthful appearance.
And if one gathered the entire flower, dried it, and consumed it as a decoction, one could achieve eternal health and longevity—a legendary elixir of immortality.
In ages past, Murim practitioners climbed Heavenly Snow Peak upon hearing such tales.
Yet all that could be seen was the pristine beauty of snow-covered peaks. The legendary flower remained hidden.
Moreover, the altitude was so extreme that breathing became laborious, making it nearly impossible for even the most formidable martial artists to ascend.
As time passed, the legend of the Heavenly Snow Flower faded into obscurity, and no one ventured to Heavenly Snow Peak anymore.
A chill swept through the air.
Now, a solitary figure climbed the steep mountain path of Jade Dragon Mountain, a place long abandoned by seekers.
The figure wore an ordinary white martial robe with a simple iron sword at the waist.
Jade Dragon Mountain, shrouded in jagged stone and treacherous slopes, was so bitterly cold that dizziness struck instantly.
Yet the man’s inner energy and movement technique were extraordinary, allowing him to ascend without the slightest difficulty.
Finally reaching the summit of Heavenly Snow Peak, a mystical landscape unfolded below the towering cliff—where sky and mountain seemed to embrace.
The man stood transfixed, gazing upon this wondrous vista.
“In ages past, countless masters of the martial arts strove to create techniques that mimicked nature itself.”
As the man contemplated the vast and distant panorama, his eyes gleamed with sudden insight.
“Yet when all is boundless and profound… existence and non-existence become equally meaningless.”
The White-Robed Man was none other than Bu Eunseol, disguised as Seon Woo Jin.
Acting under Mu Jon’s covert orders, I had come to seek the legendary Snowflake Sect to obtain the Bing Jeong Jade.
“There should be a passage here that leads to the Snowflake Sect,” I murmured.
Gazing across the snow-laden landscape, I withdrew the letter that Gong Son Dan Gyeong had given me.
It contained an intricate array of bewildering diagrams—the solution method to unlock the secret formation hidden within Heavenly Snow Peak.
By solving the formation, one could access the concealed passage within the peak and enter the Snowflake Sect.
‘This is quite challenging.’
Yet despite possessing the solution method, the formation was so complex that it remained difficult to unravel.
‘If the solution is this detailed, then the Snowflake Sect must have been compromised.’
The diagram contained such precise instructions that only a member of the Snowflake Sect could possibly know them.
For Mu Jon to have obtained such a comprehensive solution to a sect that had never once acted in the martial world?
He must have surely turned one of the Snowflake Sect’s members and extracted this solution method.
A deep rumbling echoed through the stone.
At last, the hidden door concealed within the rock swung open.
Within lay a realm that seemed to hold primordial mysteries—rare and exotic flowers bloomed in abundance, their surroundings shimmering with an ethereal radiance.
Without hesitation, I stepped directly inside.
In an instant, I felt myself plummeting into an endless void.
What appeared to be a passage adorned with mystical flowers was, in truth, nothing but illusion.
The reality was a sheer, bottomless cliff.
‘A trap.’
Wind rushed past with a piercing howl as my body fell deeper into darkness.
The common method martial artists employed when falling from great heights was to lighten the body as the ground approached, then either deploy the Cloud Dragon Reversal technique or unleash a powerful palm strike downward to cushion the impact before rolling to safety.
But I had no need for such measures.
I possessed the ability to pierce through darkness with my vision, and I had mastered the Extreme Speed Shadowless Step to perfection, allowing me to shift my orientation even in mid-air.
It was a method of pouring intense tension toward the ground to cushion the impact, then rolling his body.
But Bu Eunseol had no need for that.
He possessed the ability to see through the darkness, and had mastered the Extreme Speed Shadowless technique as his specialty, allowing him to change direction in mid-air.
Moreover, with internal energy reserves exceeding five hundred years of cultivation, if I disregard the cost of depleting my power.
I can even deploy the Land Flight Technique.
If I dislike all of that as well.
I can hover suspended in mid-air by channeling the Otherworldly Qi flowing through my body to unleash formless pressure into the void.
In short, Bu Eunseol.
Would never meet her death by falling from a height, no matter the circumstances.
‘Can the disciples of the Snowflake Sect truly become birds and take flight?’
As I continued plummeting endlessly, I gazed downward with an incredulous expression.
The Cliff stretched down roughly three hundred zhang in height.
At such an elevation, unless one employed the Land Flight Technique or descended by driving a blade into the rock face.
Even the most formidable martial artists of Murim would have no means of preserving their lives.
‘This cannot be the entrance.’
When departing from outside Jade Dragon Mountain, one would need to ascend three hundred zhang into the air, and upon returning, without the ability to land gracefully from such a dizzying height.
The disciples of the Snowflake Sect would have no reason to use such a passage.
‘A test.’
A peculiar thought suddenly crossed my mind.
What if Mu Jon wasn’t assigning me a task, but rather testing something about me?
‘But why, exactly?’
Mu Jon knows everything about me.
That I’m searching for the enemy who killed my grandfather, that my father is Baek Ri Mu Ha.
So why? What more could he possibly need to test about me?
Whoosh!
My body had already gained momentum, falling faster, and the ground began to come into view.
I drew my internal energy to its maximum, making my body light as a feather.
Tap.
As the ground appeared, I gradually decelerated in mid-air and landed gracefully.
I immediately surveyed my surroundings.
Below was a pitch-black Cave where no light penetrated, and countless Branching Passages came into view.
‘They carved passages through the Mountain itself.’
Looking up at the distant ceiling, I shook my head.
Over the centuries that the Snowflake Sect maintained its lineage.
They either gradually carved away the Mountain, or the first sect master, upon reaching the Infinite Realm, used inconceivable power beyond human capability.
To create passages that pierced entirely through the Mountain’s interior.
Swish.
I lightly rolled my feet, attempting to deploy the Gong Pa Heart Eye technique.
But there was no need.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
Countless shadows in white robes suddenly poured out from the opposite direction.
They all wore face masks and possessed eyes as cold as ice.
I instantly recognized them as disciples of the Snowflake Sect and brought my hands together.
“The Elite Division Master of the Murim Alliance, Seon Woo Jin….”
The middle-aged woman standing at the front cut him off with a cold voice.
“Follow me.”
The middle-aged woman said only what she needed to say, then turned sharply and walked in the opposite direction.
Bu Eunseol was momentarily flustered, but soon followed them.
After walking through the dark Cave for some time, the surroundings gradually became clearer, and a vast Corridor came into view.
Creak.
When the door there opened, the interior of an ornate building was revealed.
Both the floor and walls were laid with marble, and the ceiling was densely studded with seven-colored luminous pearls.
The furnishings and structure inside were remarkably unique, distinctly different from the style of Zhong Yuan.
‘It’s a Zhong Yuan sect, yet I can’t fathom why it carries the essence of Sae Oe.’
“This way.”
The place the middle-aged woman guided them to had high steps constructed like an emperor’s throne hall.
Above it stood a magnificent jade throne adorned with white jade decorations and inlaid jewels.
And seated there with a solemn expression was a woman dressed in elaborate robes wearing a ceremonial crown.
She was none other than So Young Hwa, the Sect Master of the Snowflake Sect of this era.
“Bow to the Sect Master.”
The middle-aged woman respectfully pointed toward So Young Hwa, the Snowflake Sect Master seated on the jade throne.
Bu Eunseol had no choice but to approach the steps and offer a respectful salute.
“I am Seon Woo Jin, Elite Division Master of the Murim Alliance.”
When Bu Eunseol merely bowed without performing a full kowtow, the middle-aged woman’s eyes flared with indignation as she stepped forward.
“I told you to bow to the Sect Master.”
“That’s enough.”
So Young Hwa, the Snowflake Sect Master seated on the jade throne, raised one hand to stop her, then spoke.
“Seeing that you entered through our Moon Shadow Gate, he must have sent you.”
Bu Eunseol had simply entered according to the letter Mu Jon had given her, and had no idea what the Moon Shadow Gate was.
But from the way she spoke, it was clear that she and Mu Jon had already discussed matters to some extent.
“The reason I’ve come here is for the Ice Jade….”
“I know.”
The disciples of the Snowflake Sect seemed to have been professionally trained in the art of interrupting others.
The Snowflake Sect Master likewise cut off Bu Eunseol’s words matter-of-factly and murmured in a low voice.
“Indeed, they say you’ve brought the greatest talent in all of Tianxia.”
After pausing briefly, she opened her mouth with an astonished expression.
“Have you reached the realm of serene clarity at such a young age? I cannot detect even a trace of martial arts cultivation.”
Just as Bu Eunseol was about to respond, the Snowflake Sect Master extended her hand once more to silence her answer.
“Well, there’s no need for lengthy explanations.”
She nodded and gazed at the middle-aged woman.
“Take her to where the Profound Yin Wall is located.”
Bu Eunseol could not hide her bewilderment and opened her mouth.
Immediately upon arrival, she was being told to go to some wall? What on earth was happening here?

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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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