The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 694

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

Chapter 694.
So Young Hwa’s expression brimmed with pride.
“Hyang Yi is not merely my daughter—she possesses far greater beauty than those women commonly called the Three Beauties of Tianxia.”
Her expression was utterly serious.
“It is simply that our sect has never ventured into the Gangho, so my daughter’s beauty remains unknown to the world.”
And she added one more thing.
“Is it merely her appearance? She has also achieved the Eight Celestial Stages through the Cheonum Ice Wall technique, and she excels in the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In short, she is a paragon of talent with not a single flaw.”
“No, that is not—”
“It matters not. What does a Murim Alliance Lord’s position signify?”
So Young Hwa cut off Bu Eunseol’s words again and patted his shoulder lightly.
“If you possess the strength to traverse the Cheonum Jigwan and reach the Cheonum Ice Wall, that is more than sufficient to become our sect’s son-in-law.”
“But that is to say—”
“You may abandon the Murim Alliance immediately and join our sect without hesitation.”
And she spoke with affection.
“A man cannot become the Moonju of our sect. However, I shall grant you the position of Supreme Elder so that you may lead our sect alongside Hyang Yi.”
Bu Eunseol’s vision darkened.
Where should he even begin to respond?
This talkative Seolhwa Moonju who loved to interrupt—
he had no sense of whether she would comprehend his actual circumstances.
“Hyang Ah, come forth.”
At the Seolhwa Moonju’s call, a beautiful woman in white with a somewhat pallid complexion opened the door and entered.
She was the mysterious beauty Bu Eunseol had once rescued—the Seolhwa Moonju’s only daughter, So Eun Hyang.
“The two of you should speak together.”
She smiled contentedly as she spoke.
“I shall consult briefly with the elders regarding matters ahead.”
“Moonju, I—”
As Bu Eunseol rose abruptly, So Young Hwa cut him off once more and waved her hand dismissively.
“It is fine. Speak with her in the meantime. I shall return shortly.”
With an utterly affectionate smile, she swept back out.
As Bu Eunseol stood with his mouth agape, So Eun Hyang approached.
She was exceptionally tall, differing by only half a head from Bu Eunseol, who stood over six feet.
Her appearance was as though the heavens had devoted their utmost care to gather brilliant jewels and flowers into a single form.
The Seolhwa Moonju’s claim that she surpassed the Three Beauties of Tianxia was no mere boastful confidence.
“This humble one, So Eun Hyang, offers her respects to you, my lord.”
As if she had inherited her mother’s nature—
her temperament was impatient beyond measure, and she was already referring to herself as “this humble one.”
“Moonju, I cannot accept this.”
Bu Eunseol let out a groan of distress for the first time.
“I merely interfered with your cultivation after being deceived by a middle-aged woman who served as a guide. I could never presume to become your consort—”
“It is fine.”
It seemed this family had inherited the secret technique of interrupting others’ words as a hereditary martial art.
So Eun Hyang brought a finger to her crimson lips, then shook her head slightly.
“This too is my fate, is it not?”
“Moonju So.”
“I’m bewildered as well. But what can be done?”
So Eun Hyang bit her crimson lips and spoke in a low voice.
“Since things have come to this, we might as well form a marital bond and live well together.”
Bu Eunseol’s mouth fell open.
What kind of woman possessed such a hasty temperament?
‘Moreover, my current identity makes this difficult.’
If I held the identity of Muk Hon Ryeong Ju, I could refuse even if Ma Cheon Je recommended a match.
But my current identity is Seon Woo Jin.
As someone of the Murim Alliance Lord’s rank, I could not simply reject the Snowflake Sect Moonju’s proposal.
“I cannot accept such words.”
“Do I not please you?”
So Eun Hyang asked as if unable to comprehend.
“Is it that my appearance lacks appeal?”
“Absolutely not.”
In terms of appearance, she was the most radiant and dazzling woman I had ever encountered.
Moreover, each time she parted her lips, an indescribable sweet fragrance diffused through the air.
My heart raced and my mind grew restless.
‘I must maintain my composure.’
“Then why do you speak such words?”
Bu Eunseol wiped the cold sweat from his brow and forced a smile.
“I am merely a Lord who lives by carrying out the Murim Alliance’s orders. There is no matter of whether I please you or not.”
“Please do not say such things. Your accomplishment alone in passing through the Cheonum Jigwan and reaching the Cheonum Ice Wall is more than sufficient to qualify you as a husband.”
‘There is no way out.’
No matter how indirectly I spoke, she did not comprehend the refusal.
Then only one method remained.
“I am….”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and spoke with firm resolve.
“Already betrothed by my family.”
Yet an absurd answer came in return.
“A betrothal is something anyone can make.”
“Pardon?”
“A promise is merely a promise. It is not a marriage, is it?”
So Eun Hyang spoke with a calm expression.
“In the past, I too had many betrotheds. But in the end, they all became wandering spirits with that place as their tomb.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened in shock.
“Are you saying that the traces of that place were your former betrotheds?”
“About half of them. Some were people my mother brought.”
“Why did you push your betrothed into such perilous situations?”
“Perilous? I was merely… testing whether they possessed the qualifications to become my mother’s son-in-law.”
Bu Eunseol felt her spine turn cold.
Now she could finally understand why the Snowflake Sect had never openly revealed itself in Murim, yet was still treated as an Evil Sect.
It wasn’t simply because they had mastered the bizarre Extreme Yin Secret Art.
They all possessed a fundamentally different way of thinking from ordinary people.
“There is one thing I wish to ask.”
“Please, speak.”
“If I refuse this marriage, what becomes of me?”
So Eun Hyang blinked her eyes.
“What becomes of you? Why, nothing at all, naturally.”
“I see. How fortunate.”
“The problem lies with me, you see. Having lost my True Yin and become crippled, what use is there in continuing to live?”
So Eun Hyang blinked her large eyes before speaking with perfect composure.
“I would simply have to slaughter Binghwa Wonju and her entire family for causing this, then slit the throats of those elderly fools in the Murim Alliance who ordered my husband to do such things, and finally take my own life.”
Gulp.
Bu Eunseol swallowed hard.
She wanted to believe it was a jest, but no matter how she considered it, it sounded nothing like one.
“Why? Are you refusing the marriage?”
When So Eun Hyang raised her long lashes and blinked with artless innocence, Bu Eunseol quickly shook her head.
“How could I possibly do such a thing?”
Bu Eunseol had never made excuses in her life, nor had she ever avoided another’s gaze.
Yet now she hung her head, cold sweat dripping down her face as she stammered out lengthy explanations.
“It was simply that you spoke of the marriage so suddenly that I was taken aback.”
“I see.”
So Eun Hyang laughed brightly while retrieving the sharp dagger she had concealed in her sleeve and putting it away again.
“I thought you were being sincere.”
The blade of the dagger was stained pitch black—clearly coated with an extreme poison.
Whether her words about taking her own life were sincere or not remained uncertain, but her words about killing Binghwa Wonju and the elderly members of the Murim Alliance seemed far from false.
Bu Eunseol offered a forced smile and spoke.
“You have quite an urgent temperament, my lady.”
“What urgency is there in matters of life and death?”
So Eun Hyang replied matter-of-factly.
“If one dies, one dies. If one lives, one lives.”
“Wisely spoken.”
Bu Eunseol offered awkward agreement while wiping the sweat from her brow.
‘There is no escaping this.’
For the first time, the word resignation surfaced in her mind.
If she refused the proposal, she could not even fathom what So Eun Hyang might do.
‘No, that won’t do.’
If I were to unleash the Yin-Yang Grand Method containing the mysteries of the Hundred Days of Harmony, my Phantom Bone Technique would shatter.
And if that happened, my true identity would be exposed to the entire world.
Drip, drip, drip.
Bu Eunseol wiped away the sweat cascading down like a waterfall with her sleeve, then carefully opened her mouth.
“Miss So, I have something I wish to ask you. I sincerely hope you won’t refuse to answer.”
Had it been any other time, Bu Eunseol would never have asked with such formality, even before the Emperor.
But now her eyes held an unprecedented gravity and seriousness.
Because standing directly before her was something that would explode at the slightest touch…
A bomb in the form of a beautiful woman.
“Please, go ahead.”
“Is there perhaps another way to restore the Moonju’s true essence, besides that phoenix… that grand method or whatever?”
“Besides the Returning Phoenix Yin-Yang Grand Method, another way to restore true essence?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
So Eun Hyang blinked her large eyes while keeping her glistening crimson lips rounded.
To any ordinary man, such a sight would be breathtakingly beautiful.
But to Bu Eunseol, it looked like the Yama King deliberating whether to write in the Register of Fates.
“Well, I suppose…”
“Is there no way?”
“If I had to say, there is one.”
Bu Eunseol’s face brightened instantly.
She suppressed the urge to bow in gratitude to the heavens and asked carefully.
“What is it?”
“Destroy the Cheonum Ice Wall with a single strike.”
“The Cheonum Ice Wall… You mean that ice wall you fell from?”
“Exactly. If you can destroy it with one strike, the seal left by our sect’s founder will break. And then you can use the Snow Pavilion there to restore true essence, and even complete the Binghwa Snowflake Technique in one breath.”
“A seal, you say.”
“The founder said that only when that wall breaks can one truly move freely in the Murim. I’m not sure why, though.”
Bu Eunseol felt something was amiss.
“If the seal can be broken and treasures obtained… why hasn’t anyone attempted it until now?”
Even if that ice wall were of tremendous size.
A master of the Wuji Realm who transcended human limits should not find it impossible to shatter.
Moreover, wasn’t this sect connected to Mu Jon?
If Mu Jon had reached such terrifying martial prowess as to mimic Jeong Cheon Je…
With his help, the ice wall could be destroyed in an instant.
“It can’t be broken.”
So Eun Hyang shook her head vigorously, her snow-white neck slightly exposed.
“Even a master of the Wuji Realm cannot destroy the Cheonum Ice Wall.”
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know why. I only know that martial arts alone cannot break it, as the founder said.”
‘Martial prowess alone cannot shatter it…’
As Bu Eunseol fell into deep contemplation,
“What pleasant conversation are you two enjoying so much?”
So Young Hwa entered the palace hall with measured steps, a smile gracing her lips.
“Your cheerful chatter carries all the way outside, I see.”
So Young Hwa’s gaze upon Bu Eunseol was gentle and warm—the look of one regarding a son-in-law.
“I was telling my husband about the Cheonum Ice Wall.”
“The Cheonum Ice Wall?”
“Yes, he asked if there might be a way to recover my true essence without deploying the Huijeong Hwaneumbokhwang Daebeop.”
The Snowflake Sect Master’s eyes, which had been smiling softly, turned glacial in an instant.
“Why?”
Under her gaze, my mind snapped alert as if doused with ice water.
Bu Eunseol quickly offered a respectful answer, worried she might have displeased So Young Hwa.
“I merely thought that if another method existed, it would be the proper way to care for the Sect Master.”
“Care for Hyang Yi?”
So Young Hwa’s eyes froze over like a sheet of ice.
“If another method exists, why would that be caring for Hyang Yi?”
In that moment, Bu Eunseol’s mind spun faster than light, grasping for an excuse.
“Well, if the great technique is deployed for a hundred days straight, wouldn’t the Sect Master’s delicate constitution risk harm?”
“Hehehehe. Already concerned for your wife, are you?”
So Young Hwa’s expression softened, and a satisfied smile bloomed across her face.
“Your thoughtfulness is so touching—it gladdens this Sect Master’s heart as well.”
“…Thank you.”
“But that is an impossible task.”
She shook her head.
“That ice wall cannot be shattered even by masters who have reached the Wuji Realm. Because it cannot be broken by force alone.”
“Why is that?”
“The Cheonum Ice Wall is itself a frozen snowflake scripture embodying the power of Seol Gak. In short, it annihilates all force poured upon it from the outside in a single breath.”
The Snowflake Sect Master spoke with pride.
“Even if one detonated a hundred thousand jin of gunpowder, the ice wall would suffer not the slightest damage.”
The reason Snowflake Sect achieved its unique standing in Murim was precisely this:
The frozen snowflake scripture could annihilate any martial technique and instantly penetrate the human body with freezing qi.
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol finished her deliberation and nodded with resolute determination.
“Then I shall attempt to shatter the Cheonum Ice Wall myself.”
“What are you saying?”
‘If I cannot persuade her, I have no choice but to either endure the hundred days of dual cultivation or abandon my identity as Seon Woo Jin and flee.’
“There is no need for the Sect Master to suffer through a hundred days alongside me, is there?”
Bu Eunseol’s tongue moved with unprecedented smoothness.
“If I can shatter it, then Snowflake Sect’s seal can also be lifted—a perfect outcome indeed.”
“It’s impossible.”
So Eun Hyang, who had been listening quietly until then, shook her head.
“Everyone who has stepped forward to break the seal has died.”
“That’s acceptable.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with resolute determination in her eyes.
“I will absolutely shatter the Cheonum Ice Wall.”
“Hmm.”
So Young Hwa, who had been contemplating something for a moment, nodded her head.
“Can he truly see the future?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Shin San Ja.”
Her eyes narrowed as she continued speaking.
“He said that the young man he’s sending this time might be able to break through the constraints of our sect.”
From So Young Hwa’s words, Bu Eunseol could deduce several facts.
‘I wasn’t the first.’
She had clearly said “the young man he’s sending this time.”
That meant countless young people had come here before.
And more than that…
‘He’s manipulating multiple sects not as Mu Jon, but under the identity of Shin San Ja.’
The one who had informed the Snowflake Sect beforehand was not Mu Jon, but rather someone using Shin San Ja’s identity.
That meant he was likely resolving matters of the Gangho not as Mu Jon, but as Shin San Ja.
Mu Jon was one of the Three Supremes of the Orthodox Sects with formidable martial prowess.
But Shin San Ja was the greatest sage of all Murim, revered by everyone.
“Did Shin San Ja say such a thing?”
“He did.”
So Young Hwa spoke in a low voice.
“I never believed in the reputation of being the greatest sage of Murim, but everything he has prophesied so far has come true.”
From So Young Hwa’s story, Bu Eunseol could deduce much once more.
‘Mu Jon deliberately approached the Snowflake Sect Master under the identity of Shin San Ja and provided various forms of assistance.’
The identity of Shin San Ja held many advantages.
Not only could he naturally approach mysterious sects hidden from Murim like this.
But he could also manipulate them through the word prophecy.
With just a few words of prophecy, the identity of a sage could easily place any sect or master in his debt.
He could brainwash them to suit his purposes.
‘Shin San Ja. Mu Jon.’
Bu Eunseol bit her lip.
Only now could I realize how terrifying a shadow Mu Jon had created.
Even the Namgung Family’s patriarch, Namgung Jeong, in the past sought to obtain a single favor.
Didn’t he send forth the masters of the Namgung Family and his sons, including Nam Goong Woon, into the Gangho?
The greatest sage of Murim.
With merely that name alone, I could easily manipulate countless sects.
‘In the end, it’s all the same.’
Mu Jon, just like Ma Cheon Je.
He manipulates the fates of others as he pleases. Which means Mu Jon is highly likely to become my enemy as well.
‘I must obtain the Binghwa Jade at all costs.’
If I obtain the Binghwa Jade, Mu Jon will have no choice but to face me directly.
Even if he tries to avoid it, I will create a situation where we must confront each other.
So what I must do now is.
Destroy the Cheonum Ice Wall, obtain the Binghwa Jade, topple that fraudulent alliance, and make my way to the Murim Alliance as quickly as possible to face him in direct combat.
“I will succeed, I promise you.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, So Young Hwa nodded.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Bu Eunseol left the Palace Hall, and under the guidance of So Young Hwa and So Eun Hyang, entered the Cheonum Jigwan once more.
“Please don’t overexert yourself.”
So Eun Hyang already seemed to regard Bu Eunseol as her husband.
Seeing the affection brimming in her eyes, Bu Eunseol felt her chest tighten, but she forced a smile and stepped into the Coffin Chamber.
Whiiiing.
A wind carrying an eerie chill swept through, but Bu Eunseol pressed forward without hesitation, utilizing the subtleties of the Glacier Stream Technique.
And once again, I faced the colossal ice wall—the Cheonum Ice Wall.
‘I will pour forth every ounce of power I can muster.’
Harmony.
It was the most formidable martial art I could unleash, so devastating that even Ak Moo Ryung was forced to evade.
The power it displayed was extraordinary.
However, deploying Harmony required far too much time, and aligning my strength proved impossible to control.
Because of this, it was a technique utterly unusable in actual combat.
‘If I had reached the Boundless Realm, could I have used Harmony consecutively?’
I suddenly grew curious.
What if I had progressed through the stages toward the Boundless Realm via the Boundless Ascension?
Would I have been able to unleash Harmony continuously in the future?
‘No, that’s not it.’
The Boundless Realm was a term expressing the pinnacle of enlightenment that humans could achieve.
Yet even at the Boundless Realm, depending on one’s understanding, the Boundless Way diverges infinitely.
The only characteristic that emerges is the ability to wield a transcendent power called Boundless Force.
But Harmony.
It was a technique that poured forth all the mixed forces within my body at once.
Rather than reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, it was a kind of deploying multiple martial arts simultaneously.
It was closer to the supreme subtlety of martial arts.
‘Had I reached the Boundless Realm, I could have manifested phenomena unrelated to Harmony.’
Then should I feel regret?
If I could use Boundless Force, I could match even masters of the Boundless Realm.
‘This is a point I must absolutely clarify.’
Whether it was martial arts or anything else, the higher the realm one ascended to, the easier it became to fall into delusion and inner demons.
Because depending on a single moment’s choice, the destination could be completely different.
After pondering deeply for some time, Bu Eunseol arrived at a definitive conclusion.
‘It was indeed the right choice.’
What if I had reached the Wuji Realm?
I could never defeat Sam Ma Sam Jon or Ma Cheon Je, who had first reached the threshold of the Wuji Realm.
Moreover, I had no idea how much time would be wasted trying to surpass them.
Of course, the Wuji Realm was a realm of enlightenment.
Even if Bu Eunseol entered the Wuji Realm belatedly, there was no guarantee that I could never catch up to them.
But still, this path was faster.
By choosing to venture into a new martial way that I had not yet reached, it meant I had no idea what realm I would attain.
In other words, even if I were to fight a master of the current Wuji Realm, no one could predict what outcome would unfold.
Because my current standing was neither the Extreme Heaven Realm nor the state of Wuji Ascension.
‘Ma Cheon Je must have also been trying to break free from the limits of his martial arts realm.’
Otherwise, he would not have immediately recognized that I was not following an ordinary martial path.
And Ma Cheon Je’s choice of such a method was likely one of two things.
Either because it was the method to reach the Thousand Intention Realm.
Or perhaps there existed a master who surpassed even Ma Cheon Je’s martial realm, and he was forced to make such a choice to catch up to that person.
‘Though it’s hard to believe there’s someone stronger than Ma Cheon Je.’
A rustling sound.
Bu Eunseol, brushing away the stray thoughts that had surfaced, drew forth the power of harmony.
Immediately, five-colored radiance began to bloom from my entire body.
‘It’s gotten slightly faster.’
In the past, it had taken more than half a quarter of an hour to align the power within my body.
But now I could shorten that time by more than twice as fast.
The problem was that the Prajna Great Ability was the key to the core.
Since it was always the Prajna Great Ability that perfectly aligned the chaotic power, if it didn’t activate, I couldn’t use harmony at all.
But because the Prajna Great Ability manifested automatically when danger was sensed or when struck by an enemy’s attack.
Bu Eunseol still couldn’t freely deploy harmony.
“Ughhhh.”
Even now, despite drawing forth all my power, the Prajna Great Ability did not emerge.
Because of this, the power within my body was not perfectly aligned, and instead, my physical form was on the verge of collapse from the power I had drawn forth.
A cracking sound.
As my skin split and bones twisted from the overwhelming power contained within.
A resonant hum.
Finally, as golden light shimmered and the Prajna Great Ability unfolded, all the power within my body became perfectly aligned.
Rumbling sounds.
At the same time, the Cheonum Jigwan began to shake as if it would collapse.
The power of Overwhelming Supremacy—which had even forced the Nangya Pavilion Master and In Ma Ak Moo Ryeong Ma to evade.
Harmony was about to unfold.
Flash!
In that instant, a lightning-bright gleam streaked across Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
‘I cannot use harmony here!’
Realizing a truth I had overlooked, my body
shuddered with a deep, ominous rumble.
A grotesque sound reverberated through the air.
Bracing myself for internal injuries, I immediately ceased the flow of harmony’s power.

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