The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 706

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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 706.
Tae Mu Ryong clenched his fists with a resolute expression.
“I will stake my life and uncover their whereabouts without fail.”
Finding Hyung Su among the Seven Lords.
It was the reason Bu Eunseol had come to the Murim Alliance, and the objective the Elite Division must achieve.
“And Jeong Jong Do, go to the Murim Alliance branch in the Bogyeong Branch and assemble all the martial artists there.”
Jeong Jong Do had been appointed as the Vigilant One managing all martial artists of the Cheop Mil Won, yet Bu Eunseol still addressed him by his former title of Captain.
Because this was the Elite Division.
Until the day we departed from the Murim Alliance, that name, that position… would never change.
“The Bogyeong Branch, you say.”
Jeong Jong Do blinked and spoke.
“You intend to prune the rotten branches that have grown within the Alliance.”
There were only this many secret organizations registered within the Mangyeong Jeon.
The secret organizations under the direct command of the Alliance Lord or the Elder Council had yet to be fully identified.
Even Gong Son Dan Gyeong operated secret organizations, did she not?
Jeong Jong Do understood that Bu Eunseol intended to cut down the roots of all secret organizations within the Murim Alliance.
“No, the Murim Alliance comes later.”
Bu Eunseol wore a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
“The branches to be pruned first belong to the Demonic Path.”
“The Demon Palace, you mean?”
“Indeed.”
“Then…”
“I intend to cut down one by one the secret elite units hidden within the Demon Palace. Preferably those directly under Ma Cheon Je or Chong Gyo Ryeong.”
A cold sneer flowed from Bu Eunseol’s lips.
Now that she had become the leader of the Cheop Mil Won.
She intended to systematically dismantle the secret organizations of the Demon Palace—something impossible while bearing only the title of Muk Hon Ryeong Ju.
Nammong-dang.
This was a renowned pharmacy with branches throughout Zhong Yuan.
It primarily sold expensive medicinal herbs—either to preserve the health of women from noble families or to feed to children of delicate constitution.
A gentle murmur filled the air.
As dusk fell, the servants of Nammong-dang began slowly tidying the interior of the shop.
Soon the lights extinguished and the main gate closed.
Whispers of movement.
When the moon rose, shadows silently surrounded the place.
They all wore black garments and carried curved swords strapped to their backs.
The number of martial artists reached three hundred.
They converged around Nammong-dang, then
Thump. Thump.
suddenly began discreetly positioning stakes and large stones around Nammong-dang, including at the main gate.
A sharp whistling sound.
A pale mist began to rise, and soon the buildings standing in Nammong-dang became invisible to the eye.
A wondrous formation had been deployed to ensure that not a single person inside could escape.
Whissssh.
Once the formation was complete, the martial artists vaulted over the walls and entered discreetly.
Yet something felt amiss.
Throughout the sprawling courtyard and every corner within.
Not a single lantern burned, and everything remained dark as an abandoned building.
[Who dares trespass?]
Suddenly, an ominous voice echoed across the front courtyard of Nammong-dang.
[You reek of the Orthodox Sects. Leave at once.]
Thud thud.
One of the masked martial artists stepped forward slowly and surveyed the surroundings.
“Heaven and earth fall silent, and sun and moonlight vanish into an endless dark night…”
He spoke in a low voice.
“Then one must practice Shen Jin Xing Zhi—guard your body carefully, follow the single path without leading the way.”
[You wretch, how did you unravel the formation….]
The words the martial artist murmured were the most wondrous directional formation of the Demonic Path.
He had unraveled the counter-method to the Jue Qin Miao Mi Shen Xing Formation through its song-key.
“A remarkable formation indeed, but it reeks of age and disuse.”
Clink.
The martial artist withdrew several coins from his sleeve and scattered them across the ground.
Shhhhh.
As the coins aligned in a row and reflected the moonlight, the darkness that had filled all directions began to dissipate.
In the same moment, the pitch-black interior transformed into a landscape lit by torches.
And there, facing forward, stood Tavern Servants with blazing eyes.
“They call themselves Hyeoljuk, do they not?”
The masked martial artist gazed upon them, his eyes narrowing to crescents.
“One of the Demon Palace’s secret organizations—impossible to trace even after dissecting clothing, footwear, or the body itself?”
In that instant, the Tavern Servants’ expressions turned cold as ice.
Hyeoljuk was an ultra-classified organization unknown even to the upper echelons of the Demon Palace.
How could these intruders have discovered their identities and existence?
“Who are you?”
To the Tavern Servant’s question, the masked martial artist replied with an impassive expression.
“Do not harbor resentment.”
The martial artist laughed coldly.
“We are simultaneously eliminating the Hyeoljuk in Bongan Branch and Eungjeon Branch as well.”
Shing.
The masked martial artist drew the peculiar blade from his back, his eyes narrowing to slits.
“So die quietly.”
* * *
Demon Palace, Sole Brightness Pavilion.
Within the secret chamber covertly installed in the office, a biting wind swept through relentlessly.
Three bases of Hyeoljuk, the secret intelligence organization, had crumbled in an instant.
Their existence had never once been detected by external intelligence organizations.
Moreover, their last operation was years ago—how could these people have annihilated them all?
“Have you confirmed where the information leaked from?”
At Yeop Hyo Cheon’s question, Gwan Mu Pyeong, who managed the secret organization as the leader of the Choe Ming Party, bowed his head.
“There were no signs of information leakage.”
He continued speaking calmly.
“However, based on the report from Nammong-dang in the Eungjeon Branch that personnel from the Murim Alliance’s secret branch moved several days ago….”
“The probability that it was the Murim Alliance is high, then.”
“That is correct.”
Click.
At that moment, the door opened and a martial artist from Bi Young Gak bowed his head.
He was Ju Woon Cheon, a messenger from the Ten Demon Immortals who delivered top-secret intelligence from Bi Young Gak to the Chong Gyo Ryeong.
“While we found no evidence that the Murim Alliance moved their secret intelligence division, it is said that Seon Woo Jin, who became the leader of Cheop Mil Won half a month ago, inspected each branch.”
“Seon Woo Jin?”
Yeop Hyo Cheon’s eyes gleamed.
A merchant guild prodigy who had consistently earned merit in the Murim Alliance before finally defeating Gwon Wang and ascending to the position of one of the Four Gods Seven Kings—a new generation master of the Orthodox Sects.
From the Demonic Path’s perspective, it was as if an unknown figure had ascended to the throne, so Yeop Hyo Cheon was already familiar with his name.
“Are you saying he mobilized the assassination squad within the Murim Alliance branches?”
“The probability is high.”
Ju Woon Cheon bowed his head.
“He is a man who has earned the firm trust of the Murim Alliance Lord and even obtained the Cheong Sim Ryeong. Considering that he has accumulated outstanding achievements in a short period of time… the probability that he discovered Hyeoljuk is not insignificant.”
“One of the Extreme Secret Units of Ben Jeon was completely annihilated by that mere young upstart?”
Yeop Hyo Cheon nearly burst into laughter at the absurdity.
In the history of Demon Palace, the Extreme Secret Unit had occasionally been exposed to the outside, but it had never been completely destroyed.
Yet now, not only had it been discovered by a young man who had just become the leader of Cheop Mil Won, but it had been utterly annihilated?
“I will immediately investigate through what means the secret organization of Ben Jeon was detected.”
“No, there is no need for that.”
A flash of light gleamed in Yeop Hyo Cheon’s eyes.
“It seems the time has come to send a warning to the Murim Alliance.”
When rumors circulated that the neck of Dharma Protector Division Lord Hyuk Ryeon Eung had been severed, Demon Palace showed no particular reaction.
In the first place, he was not even the real Hyuk Ryeon Eung, and above all, he was a man branded as a traitor.
It would have been laughable to react to the death of such a person.
But this matter was different.
One of the highest secret intelligence units that Demon Palace had been operating covertly had been completely destroyed.
And by a green young man of the Murim Alliance, no less.
Then it was only proper to send a grave warning to the Murim Alliance.
To ensure they could no longer engage in martial activities—through complete death.
“Wherever you look, the young always cause trouble.”
A profound light flickered in Yeop Hyo Cheon’s eyes as he briefly recalled someone.
“Deliver this message to the leader of Amhondae.”
His voice grew increasingly sinister as he continued.
“Ensure Seon Woo Jin is dealt with decisively.”
Amhondae.
To sever Seon Woo Jin’s neck, he had commanded the deployment of Amhondae, one of the Demon Palace’s three elite special units.
“You mean Amhondae?”
Gwan Mu Pyeong, the leader of Choe Myeong, who had been listening silently, wore an expression of mild surprise.
The Demon Palace’s elite special units were not classified merely because of their martial prowess.
Rather, they were designated as such because they invariably succeeded in any mission assigned to them.
Amhondae in particular specialized in assassination—capable of taking the head of even a master of the caliber of the Four Gods Seven Kings.
The problem was that if they were to eliminate a figure of such magnitude as the leader of Cheop Mil Won, who enjoyed the absolute trust of the Murim Alliance’s lord,
the consequences might prove impossible to manage.
“Chong Gyo Ryeong.”
“If you dared to touch Ben Jeon’s elite intelligence division, you should have been prepared for this.”
A brilliant gleam poured forth from Yeop Hyo Cheon’s eyes as he spoke.
“Let us observe how the Murim Alliance reacts when he dies.”
* * *
Though Bu Eunseol was the successor to the Demon Palace, she could not command Bi Young Gak, the foremost intelligence organization of the Demonic Path.
Consequently, she remained under the surveillance of Sam Gye, Ma Cheon Je, and Chong Gyo Ryeong alike.
However, when the Sa Hon Dae she had cultivated herself and the intelligence network of the Murim Alliance Elite Force merged, she gained power rivaling that of Bi Young Gak itself.
And at last, she had uncovered the Demon Palace’s secret organization—
The elite intelligence unit under Chong Gyo Ryeong: Hyeoljuk.
With this knowledge, Bu Eunseol mobilized the assassination units of each Murim Alliance branch and eliminated them entirely.
Having completed all her tasks, she was now returning to the Murim Alliance under the identity of Seon Woo Jin.
Upon reaching the border of Hubei, she descended from her carriage and deployed her lightness technique to return toward Hanam.
A cool breeze swept past.
As Bu Eunseol rapidly executed her movement technique while gazing at the darkening sky, her expression
had grown somewhat shadowed, like the dimming twilight.
For she had discovered something astonishing while eliminating Hyeoljuk.
‘So the attack on Ryeong Ju was ordered by Chong Gyo Ryeong.’
Bu Eunseol had once served as the eighteenth member of Guusal Unit, tasked with protecting Dan So Ok.
Then, she had suddenly come under attack by assassins of unknown origin, barely managing to repel them.
Even with the Demon Palace’s intelligence network, she had been unable to identify the organization behind those assassins.
Yet those assassins who had attacked Dan So Ok at that time were none other than Hyeoljuk.
‘Then Chong Gyo Ryeong and Sam Gye formed an alliance?’
The leader of the assassins who had attacked Dan So Ok back then had wielded the secret martial arts of the Namgung Family.
If it were Sam Gye, it would not be impossible for them to steal and master the secret techniques of the Eight Great Families.
Thus, Bu Eunseol had concluded that they were all assassins of Sam Gye.
‘Could it be…?’
Poong Elder, who had once instigated the Namgung Family’s rebellion, had transmitted a swordsmanship similar to Hyung Su’s—the man who killed my grandfather—to Nam Gung Poong.
If that were the case, did it mean Chong Gyo Ryeong was also a figure from Sam Gye and had connections with Poong Elder, who had been the Namgung Family’s agent?
‘No, Chong Gyo Ryeong is not a figure from Sam Gye.’
There was no probability that Chong Gyo Ryeong, who handled most of the Demon Palace’s affairs in place of Ma Cheon Je, was a member of Sam Gye.
Rather, the deduction that he had formed a temporary alliance with Sam Gye would be closer to the truth.
‘But why on earth?’
Dan Wol Hon, the leader of the Jipma Clan, was a loyal man who had never abused his authority even once.
Moreover, his relationship with Chong Gyo Ryeong was not particularly poor.
So why would he orchestrate such a scheme to kidnap Dan So Ok?
Could it be that Chong Gyo Ryeong simply disliked the existence of Dan Wol Hon, who commanded more than half of the Demon Palace’s forces?
Or perhaps not.
Could it be that through Dan So Ok’s attack, he manipulated Dan Wol Hon into sweeping away the Sal Mun, which had been mistakenly blamed at the time?
‘The latter probability is higher.’
Indeed, when Dan So Ok came under attack, Dan Wol Hon eliminated not only the assassin sects related to the incident.
But also numerous other sects that had been irritating him all along.
‘But why would he go so far as to join hands with Sam Gye to orchestrate such a thing?’
In that moment, Bu Eunseol was struck by a peculiar thought.
‘Could it be that he was testing Ma Cheon Je?’
Ma Cheon Je avoided direct orders whenever possible, always observing situations from a distance as if he were a god.
‘To exploit the weakness of Ma Cheon Je, who treats everything as mere entertainment.’
Chong Gyo Ryeong, treating all humans as chess pieces, sought to test Ma Cheon Je—who manipulates the grand game according to his whims—
by allying with Sam Gye, didn’t he?
‘It’s possible.’
Chong Gyo Ryeong was ultimately a man whose power had been curtailed by Ma Cheon Je.
Moreover, through the recent private audience, I had confirmed that he was not perfectly aligned with Ma Cheon Je in purpose.
Then perhaps Chong Gyo Ryeong too…was struggling to escape from Ma Cheon Je’s grasp.
‘In the end, entering the Murim Alliance proved to be the best choice.’
As a result, because I had entered the Murim Alliance, I was able to seize control of Jeong Sa Yang Do’s highest information division.
‘Had I remained only in the Demon Palace…I would still be manipulated like a puppet by them.’
What if I had remained only in the Demon Palace?
What if I had not created a dual identity and risen to a senior position in the Murim Alliance?
I would have never known the truth about either the Demon Palace or the Murim Alliance for my entire life.
‘The fact that both alliances operate shadow forces…’
In the end, I had merely maintained the sweet position of “Muk Hon Ryeong Ju” all this time.
As the successor to the Demon Palace, I knew nothing of its true nature.
‘I would never have been able to utilize Bi Young Gak for my entire life.’
The Demon Palace’s supreme intelligence organization, Bi Young Gak.
It moved only according to Ma Cheon Je’s will and provided all information solely to Chong Gyo Ryeong.
Looking back, this was utterly absurd.
No matter how much the Demonic Path operates on the logic of power, no matter how strong Ma Cheon Je’s authority may be.
To refuse providing information to the heir of the Demon Palace, the one destined to become the next ruler of the Demon Hall?
It made no sense from the start.
‘I’ll destroy them from within.’
As Bu Eunseol shattered the Hyeoljuk, she made her resolve.
Using the Murim Alliance’s strength to expose the true nature of the Demon Palace.
Using the Demon Palace’s strength to lay bare every secret of the Murim Alliance.
Wisps of mist drifted.
Yet something felt peculiar.
It was as though fog were rising from somewhere, and the air within several hundred paces around her had grown heavy as lead.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Sensing the anomaly, Bu Eunseol doubled her divine movement technique and redirected toward Seong Do.
She was moving in secrecy without any escort, so her plan was to return to Seong Do and gather her guard before coming back.
A sharp crack. A heavy thud.
She bounded and glided in rapid succession, yet with each moment, the air grew heavier still, like iron.
Soon her legs became too heavy to employ her divine movement, and her chest grew so tight she could barely breathe.
A dull thump.
Finally, she ceased her technique and came to a halt in a desolate reed field.
A sharp whoosh!
As if waiting for this moment, dozens of black shadows erupted from the ground around the reed field.
They wore black martial robes and grotesque iron masks that covered their noses and mouths.
The two eyes behind the masks burned crimson, as though she were gazing upon evil spirits risen from hell itself.
‘Amhondae.’
The Demon Palace’s elite special unit—the assassination squad that had never once failed a mission.
The Amhondae had appeared before Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
‘They deployed a formation technique while moving at extreme speed to keep pace with me…’
The Amhondae had followed Bu Eunseol at ultra-high velocity while simultaneously deploying a formation technique to encircle her in an instant.
Heavy footsteps approached.
Then Hee Mu Ssang, the commander of the Amhondae, appeared.
As he drew near, the air that had grown heavy suddenly pressed down upon her entire body, and nausea welled up.
At the same moment, the blood vessels throughout her body began to darken, and her head started to spin.
‘Is it poison?’
A deep rumble echoed.
Bu Eunseol drew upon her inner force to burn away the seeping toxin.
Yet no poison could be detected within her body. Still, the symptoms of poisoning only grew worse.
‘Heart Poison.’
Remarkably, the Amhondae was unleashing Heart Poison—a technique that could only be performed after achieving the Poison Saint’s Body—
by combining inner force through a bizarre grand technique and pouring it forth.
‘This will prove to be a decisive method.’
Heart Poison could not be blocked by inner force; it struck the spirit directly, creating poisoning symptoms instantaneously.
Moreover, hallucinations and illusory techniques were entirely different concepts, so even if one achieved spiritual resonance, it was impossible to defend against Sim Dok’s poison.
‘My martial power has been depleted.’
After being struck by Sim Dok’s poison, Bu Eunseol’s martial power had diminished to roughly one-third of its original strength.
Furthermore, the poisoning symptoms grew progressively worse, causing my movements to become sluggish while countless stray thoughts began to bloom in my mind.
“Indeed.”
Hee Mu Ssang confirmed Bu Eunseol’s appearance as she had transformed into Seon Woo Jin, then nodded silently without further comment.
“Kill.”
There was no common greeting, no warning of death.
Crash!
The moment the order for death fell, the Amhondae drew their blades as if they had been waiting and unleashed a barrage of assassination techniques.
Slash!
As a sharp blade aura grazed past my cheek, I unfurled my movement technique to evade the overwhelming assault.
‘How extraordinary.’
Even as the successor of the Demon Palace,
I knew nothing whatsoever of the special forces’ training methods or techniques.
It was only because Seo Jin Ha had been in the Cheon Sal Unit that I had heard they employed special sword formations capable of striking the spirit.
Yet the Amhondae combined bizarre formation techniques with Sim Dok’s poison,
attacking both the opponent’s spirit and body simultaneously.
‘Hmm.’
Amid the crisis, I felt a strange sense of intrigue and curiosity awakening within me.
Given my station,
I had never once fought the Demon Palace’s forces in a life-or-death struggle.
Yet now, facing the elite special unit that represented the Demon Palace, I felt an oddly refreshing sensation.
Whoosh.
Finally, I drew the Muk Hon Blade and unleashed the Thirteen Forms of Iron Sword.
My swordsmanship had reached a profound level, so even ordinary techniques possessed tremendous power.
“…!”
The Amhondae seemed quite flustered when Bu Eunseol, despite her depleted power and poisoning,
calmly deployed her sword techniques to defend against their attacks.
Clash! Clash! Clash! Clash!
The Amhondae altered their sword technique once more.
When unfolded, the technique appeared unremarkable, but as the blade aura approached my body, it split into three or four separate strands.
The movement of these blade auras was neither swift nor particularly forceful.
Yet they carried such fierce energy that merely grazing them would cause the meridians to melt away.
I gazed at the blade auras scattering like autumn leaves from all directions, then suddenly hurled the Muk Hon Blade overhead.
Whoosh!
In that instant, the eyes of all Amhondae members turned simultaneously upward.
It was an extraordinarily brief moment, yet for me, it stretched into time enough to traverse dozens of zhang.
Boom!
From my fingertips, a surge of energy dispersed outward before condensing into a single point.
Flash!
A flick of my finger sent a streak of energy hurtling forward,
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the Amhondae members were hurled backward more than a dozen paces.
It was a technique masquerading as Tan Wang Buk Gung-ryeong’s Inner Elixir Flicking Method.
A compressed Finger Flick powered by overwhelming martial force.
“Ugh.”
Blood spilled from the mouths of the team members struck by the Finger Flick, accompanied by groans of pain.
Boom, boom, boom!
As I unleashed successive Finger Flicks, not only the Amhondae members but nearby trees were split cleanly in two,
and dust and stone fragments scattered in all directions from the shattered rocks.
Until now, I had restrained my martial techniques, relying on my formidable inner power as much as possible.
Multiple factions, including the Three Realms, had continuously employed methods to weaken my inner power.
I had come to believe that superiority in martial force held little significance.
In truth, I had actively favored the subtleties of martial technique over raw inner power.
Then why now did I repeatedly mimic Buk Gung-ryeong’s Inner Elixir Flicking Method?
Through this battle, to make it abundantly clear to the Demon Palace that I could freely employ Buk Gung-ryeong’s supreme technique—the Inner Elixir Flicking Method.
Was that my intention?
‘The Amhondae will serve my purpose well.’
Blood-red light flickered in my eyes.
I was about to execute a plan I had postponed—one that would reshape the very foundations of the Murim.

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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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