The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 723

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

Chapter 723.
‘One reaps what one sows.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed as she watched Wi Hyuk Gyun depart.
She had never intended to win from the start.
Seon Woo Jin, who had only just earned his place among the Four Gods Seven Kings, could never defeat the Sword Demon.
Not in pure swordsmanship alone.
Even if Bu Eunseol unleashed her true power, she could not match the foremost blade of the Demonic Path, who had spent a lifetime honing his craft.
That was why, just once.
She had devised a plan to secretly deploy the Crystal Divine Technique and destroy his hands.
Using Jin Gak’s teachings, she aimed only to land a single decisive blow against Wi Hyuk Gyun.
―I swore I would never let him leave unscathed.
That was the oath she had made.
But if they fought fairly?
Without unleashing her full power to crush him completely, it would be impossible to damage the body of such a supreme swordmaster.
Fortunately, Bu Eunseol understood Wi Hyuk Gyun’s nature intimately.
He possessed an obsessive reverence and pride in the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
Because of this, though he had earned the epithet of Sword Demon, foremost blade of the Demonic Path, he could never become the successor to the Hwawoo Sword Sect.
―All I needed was to create a single opening.
Bu Eunseol exploited that weakness.
Without claiming victory, she executed a plan to deliver a fatal strike against him.
By shattering the prestige of the Hwawoo Sword Sect, which he cherished most, she created a flaw in his sword form.
Then she damaged the meridians in his forearm using the Crystal Divine Technique.
‘I was fortunate.’
Though she had plotted meticulously.
At the final moment, the power of the Gyeong Seong Jade created an unforeseen situation.
Yet she had seized the opportunity, and thanks to the earthquake that struck Po Seok Island, she was able to end the battle cleanly.
Had the earthquake not occurred?
Perhaps Wi Hyuk Gyun would have attacked with desperation, and Bu Eunseol might have been forced to unleash her true power.
‘Now, I suppose it’s resolved in my own way.’
As Wi Hyuk Gyun and the forces of the Hwawoo Sword Sect departed.
The covert gaze she had sensed from the moment the battle began had completely vanished.
Whether it was Ma Cheon Je himself or one of his subordinates, she could not say.
But surely the figure known as Seon Woo Jin had departed convinced that she was not Bu Eunseol.
‘I’ve become so different that even I can barely control myself, so it’s only natural.’
Due to the Gyeong Seong Jade, Bu Eunseol’s face contorted in pain.
The way she channeled her inner strength, even the manner in which she deployed her techniques, had become utterly transformed.
Even if one possessed the ability to fly through the heavens, they could never discover that she was Bu Eunseol.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Then a middle-aged man with a weathered countenance, who had been standing behind Bu Eunseol all along, approached and offered his greeting.
It was Seo Muk, Vice-Commander of the Shin Wi Dan.
“Although I failed to break the Sword Demon’s will through unexpected circumstances, this shall elevate Seon Woo’s reputation to shine as brilliantly as the sun itself.”
Seo Muk’s expression was filled with goodwill.
In truth, he had not held Seon Woo Jin in high regard.
This was because he had rejected Baek Ri Mu Jo’s proposal to join the Sungwi Unit.
But after witnessing today’s duel,
Bu Eunseol proved himself a remarkable warrior who never retreated even in the face of dire peril, wagering everything on victory.
Recognizing that his martial prowess surpassed even Seo Muk’s own, the latter’s demeanor and tone had grown more respectful.
“You are too kind with your words.”
Bu Eunseol clasped his hands together.
“I am merely a defeated general who narrowly escaped death at the Sword Demon’s hands. How can such a one be called the sun of Murim?”
“Hah, but did you not toy with the Sword Demon using inferior swordplay while displaying Mu Hwang’s martial arts? The masters of the Orthodox Sects present here could not help but marvel at such a display.”
The exceptional masters of the Orthodox Sects gathered on Po Seok Island
had witnessed Bu Eunseol deliberately unfold both Mu Hwang’s martial arts and inferior swordplay, shattering the Sword Demon’s pride.
They found exhilaration not merely in his defeat of the Sword Demon, but in the far greater humiliation inflicted beneath the blade.
“It was merely a desperate measure born from the impossibility of victory through conventional means.”
“Impossible. The very fact that you faced Hwa Woo Geom with such swordplay proves that Seon Woo’s blade has reached the pinnacle of mastery.”
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
To deliberately stake his life and face the opponent with inferior swordplay—this served not only to provoke Wi Hyuk Gyun and diminish the Sword Demon’s power,
but as Seo Muk had said, it was to announce to all under heaven that his own swordplay
had reached a level where it could be wielded freely, unbound by form and technique.
Only then would Ma Cheon Je acknowledge him without reservation,
regardless of victory or defeat.
A deep rumble shook the earth.
At that moment, Po Seok Island trembled violently once more.
Seo Muk then pointed toward where the ship awaited.
“It seems the island truly intends to sink. Let us depart at once.”
Bu Eunseol nodded and followed in Seo Muk’s wake.
Once the two of them and the Murim Alliance forces had left Po Seok Island,
[So the island itself was one of the Baek Pal Sung.]
A strange voice echoed across the now-empty Po Seok Island.
It was as though a demon crouching in darkness had let out a cry.
[That is why he was so formidable.]
The voice emanating from the desolate Po Seok Island
had not only discerned that the tremors were caused by the aura flowing from Bu Eunseol’s body,
but also grasped why Seon Woo Jin, who had opened Mu Hwang’s Secret Chamber less than a year ago,
could fight on equal footing with the Sword Demon.
[I must revise my assessment of him.]
With those words, the voice that had resonated across Po Seok Island faded into silence.
Was this too part of Ma Cheon Je’s design?
Just as Bu Eunseol had anticipated.
Thanks to this duel with the Sword Demon, the countless forces that had been watching him ceased their suspicions about Seon Woo Jin’s true identity from this day forward.
However, there was one person who suffered a tremendous shock—quite the opposite.
It was none other than Gong Son Dan Gyeong, who had observed the final battle in secret.
The carriage wheels clattered rhythmically as she departed Po Seok Island.
Her eyes had turned as cold and sharp as ice.
‘Have I been deceived all this time?’
Gong Son Dan Gyeong was in a state of profound shock.
It was a truth she could scarcely believe.
Had she not witnessed the unmistakable evidence with her own eyes, she would never have accepted it.
She knew why the sudden earthquake had struck Po Seok Island.
Because she had experienced the very same phenomenon in her childhood.
She understood why this light and tremor had occurred.
‘The Celestial Blessed Star.’
In the past, the Jung Sun Ga had kidnapped children suspected of being Celestial Gifted Stars, attempting to awaken their power.
When they could not find a true Celestial Gifted Star, they forced the children to slaughter one another.
The child who lost to her—Hwa Soo—was dragged away like a pig destined for slaughter.
Facing death, Hwa Soo had unleashed the Baek Pal Sung power dormant within her body and resisted them.
‘The radiance spread in all directions, shaking the entire Jung Sun Ga.’
If what she had witnessed was not a phantom—
The power that had emanated from Seon Woo Jin’s body was unmistakably the aura of the Celestial Blessed Star that Hwa Soo possessed.
‘Hwa Soo, who lost her memories, survived and became a member of the Yang Seol Family… and now that power is being wielded by Seon Woo.’
A chill ran through Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s chest.
‘If that is the case… then Seon Woo could be… a member of the Jung Sun Ga.’
The Jung Sun Ga had labored so desperately to find Celestial Gifted Stars for one reason alone.
They possessed a technique capable of extracting the Baek Pal Sung power.
In other words, if Seon Woo Jin wielded the Celestial Blessed Star’s power—
It was possible that he was a member of the Jung Sun Ga, and had killed Yang Seol Rin to steal her power.
‘Hwa Soo.’
Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes darkened.
In the past, she had captured a member of the Yang Seol Family who had emerged in Gangho, hoping to discover the Jung Sun Ga’s location.
But the member of the Yang Seol Family turned out to be Hwa Soo, who had been kidnapped alongside her, living under the name Yang Seol Rin with her memories erased.
‘Could it be that Seon Woo killed both her and the Yang Seol Family’s guards?’
In the past, she would have deemed such an assumption impossible.
But now she understood.
With Seon Woo Jin’s martial prowess, he could easily cut down even the members of the Yang Seol Family.
‘He fought the Sword Demon to a draw, after all.’
Seon Woo Jin was at such a formidable level that he could match the Demonic Path’s greatest swordsman, who had shaken Gangho long ago.
Killing Yang Seol Rin and her guards was far from impossible.
‘If he truly is a member of the Jung Sun Ga…’
“If he’s one of Jung Sun Ga’s people.”
Resentment swirled in Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes.
She had trusted Seon Woo Jin, in her own way.
But if he were someone from the Jung Sun Ga who could steal the power of Baek Pal Sung?
That would be utterly unforgivable.
‘I will kill him without fail.’
Gong Son Dan Gyeong made her resolve.
She would expose every layer of Seon Woo Jin’s mask and dispose of him quietly.
―The Sword Demon and the Sword King reached no decisive conclusion!
As news of the duel’s outcome at Po Seok Island spread rapidly through Murim, people were struck with profound shock.
The rising prodigy, Sword King Seon Woo Jin.
He had built an unassailable reputation, yet he could not defeat the Sword Demon and instead fought to a draw?
―Had the earthquake not interrupted the duel, Seon Woo Jin would surely have become a wandering spirit beneath the Sword Demon’s blade!
At Po Seok Island, numerous masters of the Orthodox Sects had observed the confrontation and evaluated the two combatants with precision and cold objectivity.
What was remarkable was Wi Hyuk Gyun’s reaction.
Given his character—one that knew neither tolerance nor compromise, and who valued the honor of the Hwawoo Sword Sect above all—
even if Seon Woo Jin refused,
people expected him to repeatedly demand a rematch and once more establish his authority as the foremost blade of the Demonic Path.
Yet he kept his mouth sealed, making no mention of the Po Seok Island duel whatsoever.
―Perhaps the Hwawoo Sword Sect is simply too busy?
―Well, if he’s made such a mess of things, you could say the duel was properly decided.
Opinions among the people varied widely.
But as Wi Hyuk Gyun showed no particular reaction, interest soon cooled.
“We’ve nearly arrived.”
Before long, Bu Eunseol had returned to the Murim Alliance alongside Seo Muk.
During the journey back to the Murim Alliance, Seo Muk treated Bu Eunseol with exceptional courtesy.
He had crossed paths with the Sword Demon several times in the past and had engaged in combat, only to suffer a humiliating defeat.
Now the young Bu Eunseol had fought fiercely against the Sword Demon and reached a stalemate.
Thus Seo Muk felt a cathartic satisfaction, as though he had avenged the defeat he had suffered long ago.
“Director, let us share a drink sometime.”
As Seo Muk prepared to depart for Seongwi-gak, he spoke to Bu Eunseol with a wistful expression.
Though there was an age difference between them, Bu Eunseol was the director of the Cheop Mil Won and possessed the Azure Heart Spirit—a position of supreme authority.
In terms of power, she was comparable even to the Branch Master himself.
He believed he was more than worthy of her company.
“Whenever you wish to call upon me, sir.”
“Haha. You’ve given me your word then.”
Seo Muk chuckled heartily and clasped his hands together in a friendly gesture.
“Then.”
“Safe travels.”
As Bu Eunseol returned the courtesy, Seo Muk departed in high spirits.
Watching his figure disappear, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and immediately returned to Jeol Jeong Gak.
As I stepped inside, Tae Mu Ryong and all the team members rushed forward to welcome me.
“Captain!”
“Welcome back!”
Their faces were brimming with pride and satisfaction.
I had returned to the Murim Alliance slowly by boat and carriage alongside Seo Muk.
Now that I had arrived at the Murim Alliance,
the decisive battle at Po Seok Island had already spread throughout the entire Murim.
Due to the sudden fame I had gained, the word “prodigy” had become permanently attached to my name in the Seonwoo Branch.
But regardless of how the match had gone, I had achieved the remarkable feat of not losing to the Sword Demon.
There was no one left in Gangho who would dare underestimate me.
“Judging by your expression, Captain, it seems everything went according to plan.”
Tae Mu Ryong smiled, and I nodded in response.
“Without anyone knowing, I damaged his forearm meridians using the Crystal Divine Technique.”
And I spoke with an utterly calm expression.
“For at least five to ten years… he should not even think of crossing blades with anyone.”
The team members’ jaws dropped.
To secretly damage the forearm meridians of Wi Hyuk Gyun, the greatest swordsman of the Demonic Path, in front of so many masters?
Did this mean I had already reached the same level as the Sammasamjon?
“It was only possible because I targeted his forearms alone. Had I truly competed with him in swordsmanship, I would have lost.”
Sensing their thoughts, I explained calmly.
“Moreover, I have long known that the Sword Demon’s nature is extremely narrow-minded, values honor and prestige above all else, and reveres the Hwawoo Sword Sect like his very life. In the end, I merely exploited those weaknesses.”
Even with such an explanation, the team members could not close their mouths.
Even if one knew of such weaknesses,
how many people in Murim could cripple the Sword Demon of Tianxia?
A brief silence fell over the conference hall.
“Hmm.”
Then Jeong Jong Do came to his senses first with a small sound.
“Ah, that’s right.”
And he handed me an envelope.
“A message from the Chief.”
And he spoke in a low voice.
“He instructed that no one but you should open it. It seems he is conveying something confidential to you.”
I immediately opened the letter right there.
The Elite Division members were like family to me, and I kept no secrets from them.
“Hmm.”
As I opened the letter, unexpected contents were written inside.
“What is wrong?”
When Tae Mu Ryong asked, I handed him the letter.
“He wants to meet secretly at Mokdan Fortress.”
Mokdan Fortress was a ruined ancient fortress standing in a desolate wasteland, dozens of miles away from Hagok.
Yet in the past, it was also the most renowned place in Murim.
Because it was where the two mightiest masters in Tianxia—Jeong Ma Ssang Cheon Je—clashed against each other.
However, only rumors of their fierce battle persisted.
With no traces left behind, it had become a place no one visited anymore.
So why would she suddenly summon Bu Eunseol to this desolate location?
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
Tae Mu Ryong spoke in a low voice.
“I’ll send Team Members ahead to scout what’s there.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Bu Eunseol shook her head.
“Through various trials with the Chief, I’ve built a certain level of trust. But if our intelligence organization is discovered moving about for this reason, that trust would ultimately crumble.”
“Yet summoning you to such a place without explanation is…”
Tae Mu Ryong trailed off.
He instinctively sensed that summoning Bu Eunseol alone to such a location could not possibly bode well.
Of course, Bu Eunseol harbored the same thoughts.
But there was no need to burden her subordinates with needless worry. She would simply handle whatever came.
“It’s fine.”
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
“Should anything arise, I’ll withdraw immediately. I’ll have Sa Hon Dae positioned nearby as well, so there’s no need for concern.”
“Understood.”
With such assurance given,
Tae Mu Ryong bowed without further protest.
Bu Eunseol’s mastery of the void was formidable—if she resolved to escape, few masters could stop her.
Mokdan Fortress.
In this desolate ancient citadel, Jeong Cheon Je and Ma Cheon Je had clashed in their prime years.
But the battle between these two masters who had ascended to the pinnacle of Jeongsayang-do could not determine a victor.
In the end, it was said that no decisive outcome was reached.
After it became known that Mokdan Fortress was the battleground of these two transcendent beings, countless Murim practitioners visited this place.
It held symbolic significance as the site where two absolute masters first clashed.
Moreover, they came hoping to find traces of those transcendent beings’ martial enlightenment left behind.
But remarkably, there was no trace of their clash whatsoever.
Not a single blade of grass, not a single tree.
Not even the faintest mark of martial techniques was visible on anything.
―Someone spread false rumors.
Those who visited were deeply disappointed and departed.
―Of course, the duel site of Jeong Ma Ssang Cheon Je would never be made public.
But the world did not know.
The masters of Mujik Gyeong who had secretly visited this place all departed in shock.
Jeong Ma Ssang Cheon Je had not clashed by moving their bodies and employing martial techniques.
They had overlapped their mental worlds to create a new space, fighting there with only their transcendent power.
—Terrifying.
The martial masters of Murim, astonished by the martial realm these two had achieved, fell into two camps.
Some swore they would surpass Jeong Ma Ssang Cheon Je without fail.
Others returned home, feeling the limits of their own potential and harboring reverence.
Whoosh.
Upon arriving at Mokdan Fortress, which belonged to no faction’s territory, I was greeted by desolation.
It felt as though the world’s end was drawing near, an emptiness and loneliness that permeated everything.
I wandered from place to place, observing my surroundings with keen attention.
Originally, I had little interest in Jeong Ma Ssang Cheon Je.
I had never even considered visiting this place, which martial artists supposedly frequented at least once.
Yet somehow, these two absolute masters had become figures of profound influence on my life and my future revenge.
Any location connected to them demanded my scrutiny.
Flash!
My eyes suddenly gleamed as I prepared to examine my surroundings.
‘Something is amiss.’
Expanding my senses, I realized that a mysterious energy enveloped the area for dozens of miles around me.
Without needing to look closely,
I discerned that it was the aura emanating from overlapping ancient formation arrays.
To sense the aura of formations from this distance meant
the overlapping arrays might number not in the dozens, but in the hundreds.
Swoosh.
Then, a beautiful woman in white robes slowly materialized before me.
It was Gong Son Dan Gyeong.
“Remarkable formations indeed.”
I offered Gong Son Dan Gyeong a word of praise.
“In all my travels through Gangho, I have never encountered formations of this caliber.”
I possessed such acute supersensory perception and awareness that I could detect an ant’s movement from a hundred paces away.
Yet I had failed to sense her until she appeared before my eyes?
The formations laid beneath this place…
possessed extraordinary capabilities I had never witnessed or experienced before.
“The terrifying aspect of these formations is not merely that they cloud one’s senses.”
A sharp gleam flashed across Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s large eyes.
“They completely suppress the power of the Baek Pal Sung dormant within your body.”
As I regarded her calmly, her gaze grew sharper.
“You seem unsurprised.”
“Should I be?”
“Well, you must have anticipated everything. You always do.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong fixed me with eyes as keen as a blade’s edge.
“Do you truly intend to deceive the Chief even now?”
“I believe there may be a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
A sinister gleam flickered across Gong Son Dan Gyeong’s eyes.
“You possess not only exceptional strategic acumen but also silver-tongued eloquence, so you likely believe you can persuade anyone.”
Her voice grew increasingly ominous.
“But no matter what words you speak today, you cannot sway me, the Chief.”
“Are you afraid?”
“What did you say?”
“You fear being persuaded by my words.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with perfect composure.
“At least if I understand your reasons, I’ll have something to say to Yeom Wang even in death.”
As Bu Eunseol struck at her pride,
“Very well.”
Gong Son Dan Gyeong instead wore a cold smile.
“Let me hear your answer.”
In this place, with merely a finger’s movement,
whether it were Seon Woo Jin or even the Sword Demon, they could be instantly buried beneath the earth, for such traps were installed here.
A brilliant radiance exploded in her eyes.
“How you could become a Heavenly Star.”

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