The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 776

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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 776.
“Sigh.”
Jung Cheong Ja, who had been about to depart, exhaled a heavy breath.
He had detected an auspicious aura faintly emanating from the ruins.
Walking toward that location, he slowly extended his hand.
A deep rumble echoed.
Trees and stones were swept aside, and three metal boxes rose into the air.
“These are…”
Jung Cheong Ja’s eyes narrowed.
These were among the treasures stored by Jeong Hwa Sam Gye.
Moreover, they were not particularly exceptional among the treasures kept there.
Yet they had endured the power of Ma Cheon Je, which brought calamity upon both living and inanimate things alike.
And they maintained their form completely intact.
“Then this too must be fate.”
Drawing a deep breath, Jung Cheong Ja placed them within his robes.
The boxes were made of heavy metal and were not small in size.
Yet as they entered his robes, they became like tiny pearls, leaving no trace of their presence.
And just as he was about to depart,
A chittering sound filled the air.
Suddenly, tens of thousands of insects poured forth, and the surroundings darkened as
roughly a hundred Masked Assassins surrounded Jung Cheong Ja like phantoms.
A low hum resonated.
Endless vibrations flowed from their bodies, and it appeared they had mastered some profound martial art.
Their eyes were tinted with violet light.
And what was even more peculiar was that their eyes were paired side by side.
It was as though one were gazing upon monsters wearing human form rather than humans themselves.
“Cheop Dong In?”
Jung Cheong Ja murmured as though crying out.
“Has he discovered the Xie Jie Lian Yu Jing?”
The Xie Jie Lian Yu Jing.
It was a cursed forbidden scripture said to contain the most vile demonic techniques in the history of Murim.
It was also said to contain methods for creating abominable demonic creatures that could not be countered by any technique.
Among these, the Cheop Dong In had their bodies and spirits linked as one.
And through the death of their comrades, they could acquire the power to counter an enemy’s techniques.
For example, if a Cheop Dong In were to die by a certain sword technique?
The remaining Cheop Dong In would instantly acquire the secret to countering that very technique.
However, the forbidden arts of the Xie Jie Lian Yu Jing were so cruel that one must abandon their humanity to practice them.
And since their contents were transmitted only as legend, never manifesting in the mortal world,
such demonic creatures had never actually appeared before.
Yet Ma Cheon Je had discovered the legendary forbidden scripture and ultimately created the Cheop Dong In.
“Ma Cheon Je.”
Jung Cheong Ja grasped the situation, his eyes flashing with sudden clarity.
Ma Cheon Je’s nature was meticulous beyond measure. He had accounted for the thousand-fold calculation with its single flaw.
It was evident that he had even stationed Cheop Dong In as a safeguard.
“To reach such a pinnacle of martial mastery and yet leave not a single opening.”
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
It seemed Cheop Dong In was designed to slaughter every living creature that fell within its perception.
Upon detecting Jung Cheong Ja, it lunged forward without hesitation.
“Impossible!”
As Jung Cheong Ja spread his arms wide,
A roaring inferno erupted!
The attacking Cheop Dong In burst into flames instantaneously.
It was the Flame Emperor Technique of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
Crackle, crackle!
As the keeper of all records in the Gyeong Se Gak, he was one who had read every secret martial art preserved by Jeong Hwa Sam Gye.
He was no ordinary master to be underestimated.
Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss.
Though the Cheop Dong In burned, they charged forward like moths fearless of flame,
Plunging directly into the torrential inferno.
Roar! Roaring flames!
As the number of Cheop Dong In multiplied, even the overwhelming power of the Flame Emperor Technique could not incinerate them all at once.
Moreover, the surviving Cheop Dong In began to show something extraordinary—even when struck by the Flame Emperor Technique,
They no longer burned but instead blocked and repelled the flames.
“Ugh.”
Jung Cheong Ja groaned.
The Cheop Dong In were endless in number, learning countermeasures through the deaths of their companions.
Moreover, a human body could not sustain an infinite output of flames that could even melt steel.
The only consolation was this:
Creating Cheop Dong In required astronomical wealth, uncountable spiritual entities, and the souls of stillborn infants—materials not easily obtained.
In other words, no matter how capable Ma Cheon Je was, he could not create Cheop Dong In infinitely; their numbers were finite.
Had he been able to create them without limit,
He would have long since swept away the Orthodox Sects and dominated the Murim.
“Ughhhh.”
Smoke began to rise from Jung Cheong Ja’s arms as he poured forth the Flame Emperor Technique.
His body had reached its limit and could endure no further.
‘No need to finish them off.’
Whoosh!
Jung Cheong Ja ceased the Flame Emperor Technique and immediately unleashed his movement technique, escaping the area in a single breath.
Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss!
The Cheop Dong In then deployed their own technique, transforming into black meteors as they pursued him.
* * *
Beneath the scorching sun, endless dunes of sand and barren hills stretched across the wasteland.
It was less a desert and more a desolate expanse of emptiness.
With each gust of wind, even the sky grew hazy, and the entire world shimmered like a mirage.
Thud, thud.
A solitary figure trudged ceaselessly along the harsh, parched terrain.
It was Jung Cheong Ja, who had departed from Jeong Hwa Sam Gye in Seo Jang, bound for Zhong Yuan.
“Haah, haah.”
Jung Cheong Ja gasped for breath, each inhalation labored and desperate.
Though I had barely managed to shake off Cheop Dong In, my stamina and inner force had been utterly depleted in the process.
Originally, my cultivation was profound enough to traverse a thousand li in a single bound.
But after exposure to Ma Cheon Je’s power, I had sustained injuries from which there was no recovery, and I was barely maintaining my life force through the Severed Karma Soul Technique.
At this rate, I would perish before ever reaching Zhong Yuan.
Sssssss.
Then, from somewhere, the sound of insects moving echoed through the wind.
Cheop Dong In.
The demonic creatures that never ceased until their target was dead had caught up to me once more.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Before long, the Cheop Dong In had revealed themselves, completely surrounding me.
“Very well.”
I forced my inner force to surge upward.
Sharp sword energy erupted from my index and middle fingers.
I would unfurl the Finger Sword technique and cut down the Cheop Dong In that rushed toward me.
“This will be my last stand.”
I bit my lip.
The Cheop Dong In knew no fear of death and would attack relentlessly.
I would not last long before falling.
“Why is it so noisy?”
But then, accompanied by a clear, melodious voice,
Whoosh.
Suddenly, near the sand dune where I stood, a young man in tattered clothes sprang to his feet.
His face was covered with cloth, obscuring his features, yet his eyes were as deep and clear as a lake.
Twitch.
The Cheop Dong In tilted their heads in confusion upon seeing this new figure suddenly appear in their field of vision.
Though they were demonic creatures said to eliminate all enemies within their sight, they were ultimately fashioned from human bodies.
Thus, they possessed a certain capacity for thought.
Their superhuman senses could detect even a mole buried underground within fifty paces.
How, then, had they failed to sense a single young man sleeping peacefully just ten paces ahead?
The Cheop Dong In pondered this mystery for some time.
“Tsk.”
The Young Scholar gazed at the Masked Assassins with their dual pupils and clicked his tongue.
“Dual Pupils, is it? It seems you’ve mastered some bizarre demonic technique.”
Upon seeing over a hundred Cheop Dong In, the Young Scholar simply lay back down with an unbothered expression.
“I can’t fathom why anyone would bother learning such techniques. Better to spend that time honing martial prowess instead.”
Jung Cheong Ja, who had been observing the Young Scholar, gaped in astonishment.
Could this youth have been lying here all this time because he harbored a death wish?
Or had his senses dulled so completely that he couldn’t perceive the overwhelming aura these Cheop Dong In radiated?
“Listen here. Flee at once.”
Jung Cheong Ja spoke urgently.
“The Cheop Dong In don’t merely pursue their targets relentlessly—they possess savage instincts. If you remain in their sights any longer, you’ll perish as well.”
As if to prove his words, the Cheop Dong In’s pupils fixed not only on the old man but also on the Young Scholar sprawled before them.
“Hmm.”
Upon hearing this, the Young Scholar rose to his feet once more.
He approached Jung Cheong Ja and spoke calmly.
“From that single remark alone, I can tell you’re a good person.”
Bewildered, Jung Cheong Ja opened his mouth, but the Young Scholar laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.
“Having lived in this desolate desert for so long, I’ve encountered far too many who strike from behind.”
He approached with a bright smile.
“I’ve learned the hard way that extending a helping hand often invites betrayal.”
Whoosh!
In that instant, a sharp aura erupted from the Young Scholar’s body.
Powerful enough to effortlessly withstand the overwhelming force the Cheop Dong In unleashed.
‘This young man possesses such power?’
Jung Cheong Ja’s eyes widened in shock.
A youth barely past his coming-of-age was releasing an aura that seemed to engulf the entire desert?
Growwwl.
The Cheop Dong In bared their fangs like savage beasts.
They had now added the Young Scholar to their list of targets to eliminate.
Crash!
Without hesitation, they launched their assault.
No matter how formidable a combined formation might be, a hundred masters cannot simultaneously attack a single person with perfect coordination.
Yet the Cheop Dong In had mastered a unique demonic technique.
Even against a creature as small as a puppy, they could concentrate their combined power into a single devastating strike.
Crash!
But something extraordinary occurred.
Rather than engaging each Cheop Dong In individually, the Young Scholar moved at blinding speed,
toying with them effortlessly.
Flash!
In his hands appeared sharp daggers.
With each brilliant flash, the heads of the Cheop Dong In began to fall one by one.
“Quite an impressive movement technique.”
Jung Cheong Ja let out an exclamation of admiration.
With just a single movement technique so swift it was barely visible to the eye,
the Young Scholar was rendering the Cheop Dong In’s attacks futile, cutting them down one by one.
“Ugh.”
But as the battle continued, a groan escaped the Young Scholar’s lips.
Somehow, the Cheop Dong In had grown accustomed to the Young Scholar’s speed, now evading attacks and launching counteroffensives.
Watching this unfold, Jung Cheong Ja gathered strength into both his palms.
“I cannot allow the innocent to be caught in this.”
Then from both his palms,
the purest flames in all of Tianxia began to surge forth.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, dozens of pillars of fire erupted from the ground where the Cheop Dong In stood.
It was the Flame Emperor’s supreme technique—Liaoyuan Liefire.
Screech, screeeech!
The Cheop Dong In touched by the flames instantly crumbled into bone fragments and collapsed.
“Cough.”
Straining his power in a body with little life remaining, Jung Cheong Ja finally spat out blood.
“Elder.”
As the Young Scholar moved to support him, Jung Cheong Ja shook his head.
“I’m fine. My body is already broken anyway.”
And he smiled faintly.
“They say the Vagrant King’s movement technique and short blade mastery have no equal in all of Tianxia. Truly remarkable.”
The young man dressed in worn clothes.
He was none other than Heuk Pyo, the Vagrant King whose name resounded throughout Tianxia.
“How did you know?”
Heuk Pyo’s expression showed surprise.
Only the name Vagrant King was known.
In Gangho, no one knew what martial techniques he employed or what his appearance was.
Yet how had this old man recognized him at a glance?
“Though you were said to be holed up deep in the mountains of Seo Jang, I have always kept my ears open to news of Gangho.”
Jung Cheong Ja smiled broadly.
“If you were not the Vagrant King, how would you be lying here alone in a place where bandit gangs roam, and how would you face the Cheop Dong In single-handedly?”
Heuk Pyo’s eyes gleamed.
“Are you saying those are the Cheop Dong In created by that evil demonic scripture?”
“If they were not those Cheop Dong In, how could bone fragments remain in the heat of Liaoyuan Liefire?”
“The Eight Emperors and Three Stars.”
Only then did Heuk Pyo realize this old man was far from ordinary,
and that he was connected to Sam Gye, who stood in opposition to Bu Eunseol.
“Elder, you are…”
“Do not worry yourself.”
Jung Cheong Ja smiled calmly, as though he had glimpsed into Heuk Pyo’s heart.
“The Sam Gye you know is somewhat different from what I speak of.”
“If it differs, then how does it differ?”
“The tale would grow far too long, so let us set it aside. I have little time remaining.”
Jung Cheong Ja nodded while regarding Heuk Pyo.
“One who possesses a vessel as pure and luminous as yours would surely understand what manner of person I am.”
Heuk Pyo found himself nodding without conscious thought.
From Jung Cheong Ja’s form emanated an aura as crystalline and refreshing as that of an immortal, while his eyes held depths of profound radiance.
Though one’s appearance may be altered, the vital essence that flows from one’s very nature cannot be changed.
‘A virtuous person indeed.’
Through his travels alongside Bu Eunseol,
he had somehow developed the instinctive ability to discern good from evil.
And this had become possible not
because he possessed the keen insight of someone like Bu Eunseol, but because his own heart was pure and untainted.
“Are you perhaps a departed master of the Wudang Sect?”
The term “vessel” was primarily used by Taoist priests of the Dao.
Jung Cheong Ja shook his head at Heuk Pyo’s question.
“How could that be? However…”
As he gazed upon Heuk Pyo’s face, something seemed to occur to him, and he rummaged through his robes.
Though his garments appeared to contain nothing of note, when he extended his palm, a rather sizable box materialized.
“It seems this item was destined to meet you.”
“What is this?”
“A thing most fitting for your use.”
Jung Cheong Ja smiled.
“It appears I shall require your aid once more.”
“You mean they are coming again?”
“At most within the hour, perhaps half that time. So open it at once.”
Heuk Pyo carefully opened the box.
Within lay a metal gleaming with a dark, lustrous sheen.
It was a pauldron designed to be worn separately upon the shoulder.
“This is…”
“The Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong. An authentic weapon once wielded by the Heuk Ik Hyeol Ju, who was renowned as the supreme master of lightness kung fu throughout Tianxia.”
Heuk Ik Hyeol Ju was a Dark Path Grand Master whose mastery of the mysterious martial techniques of Murim was deemed to have reached its zenith,
and with but a single mystical weapon—the Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong—he stood unrivaled across all the land.
Yet he vanished mysteriously in the Mu Ae Gok and never again appeared in Murim.
After that, his cherished weapon too was said to have disappeared completely.
How could this old man possess it?
“He did not abandon Murim. Rather, he entered the Ben Gye.”
Jung Cheong Ja spoke with a smile, once again having read Heuk Pyo’s thoughts.
“Try putting it on.”
Click.
The Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong fit perfectly across Heuk Pyo’s shoulders.
And as he drew upon his inner energy to unfold the divine technique,
Whoosh!
Suddenly Heuk Pyo’s body lifted slightly into the air, and a sharp aura spread outward like wings taking form.
The Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong—the forbidden weapon of Heuk Ik Hyeol Ju.
It had finally revealed itself to the world once more.
Rustle, rustle.
But at that moment, accompanied by a sound like insects swarming,
dark shadows were converging toward us once again.
Just as Jung Cheong Ja had said, Cheop Dong In’s forces had appeared once more.
“With your current strength, you should be able to evade them with ease.”
Jung Cheong Ja gazed at Heuk Pyo with the affectionate eyes one might show a grandchild.
“Just buy me a little time so that No Bu can escape.”
“Who exactly are you, sir?”
Heuk Pyo asked.
“Someone capable of dealing a mortal blow to a master like yourself?”
Heuk Pyo had discerned that Jung Cheong Ja was not only a virtuous person, but had also cultivated formidable martial prowess.
Yet what manner of individual could have struck down such a master in a single blow?
“Though I operate in Sae Oe, my roots run deep in Zhong Yuan. And I have no intention of allowing those who would destroy the Murim to go unchecked.”
Understanding Heuk Pyo’s meaning, Jung Cheong Ja shook his head.
“I gave you the Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong simply because fate brought us together.”
And he offered a benevolent smile.
“Life is but a fleeting thing that comes and goes. Since we have each helped the other in turn, there is neither debt nor obligation between us.”
“Sir.”
Jung Cheong Ja smiled faintly.
“Take care of yourself.”
And in an instant, he vanished from sight.
Heuk Pyo’s expression grew vacant.
The old man before him had transcended all worldly affairs, harboring neither regret nor lingering attachment.
Yet why would anyone seek to kill such an extraordinary being?
“Though he said there was neither debt nor obligation,
Whoosh.
Drawing upon my inner energy, my body lifted into the air.
The sharp aura flowing from the Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong began to grow distinct once more.
“How could I accept such a weapon as mere charity?”
Swish, swish, swish, swish.
In that interval, the Cheop Dong In forces had drawn right up to my face.
Under normal circumstances, I would have tried to evade by any means necessary, but not now.
If I can eliminate even a few of those creatures, the senior of the Murim will be able to escape safely.
Whoosh!
As Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong manifested a complete wing-shaped radiance, a blade-like energy soared to the edge of the heavens.
Boom! Crash!
When Heuk Pyo deployed his divine movement technique, a thunderous explosion erupted alongside a streak of brilliant light.
They merely passed through the space between them at tremendous speed, yet the bodies of the Cheop Dong In scattered like toys, tumbling to the ground.
Screech.
The Cheop Dong In seemed enraged, their eyes beginning to emit an eerie heat.
Roar!
At the same moment, Cheop Dong In deployed his divine movement technique at high speed, pursuing Heuk Pyo.
“Try to follow me!”
Whoosh.
As Heuk Pyo amplified his internal energy, Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong emitted a sound as if drawing in air from all directions.
Crash!
Suddenly, it unleashed an enormous current, accelerating the divine movement technique more than twofold—was this not remarkable?
‘What an extraordinary treasure.’
Heuk Pyo gazed at Il Woo Pa Cheon Ryeong, which poured forth that terrifying current, and smiled.
“From now on, I shall call you Heuk Ik.”
They say master and disciple grow alike.
Upon obtaining a cherished weapon to wield for a lifetime.
Heuk Pyo, just like Bu Eunseol, was naming his weapon.
Whoosh!
Was it thanks to receiving a name?
Heuk Ik poured forth an even more intense current, transforming Heuk Pyo’s body into pure light.
* * *
At last, Jung Cheong Ja passed through the Jade Gate and entered Zhong Yuan.
Having already entered Sichuan, he was deploying his lightness technique without pause.
‘That child must be safe.’
Even amidst the chaos of his thoughts, Jung Cheong Ja desperately hoped that Heuk Pyo would be unharmed.
He possessed the qualities of a righteous hero, and despite his gentle appearance, his heart was sincere and resolute.
Surely he would become a pillar supporting the Murim in the future.
He merely hoped that Heuk Pyo would escape from Cheop Dong In without incident.
‘The Master should have been here.’
As Jung Cheong Ja deployed his divine movement technique, he gazed toward the distant sky with frustration.
To avoid repeating the past mistakes of Sam Gye, to prevent being consumed by power and authority.
Jeong Hwa Sam Gye had not established vast forces, nor a superior intelligence organization.
Instead, they cultivated outstanding successors in various locations, allowing only the leaders to maintain close communication with one another.
Thus, Jung Cheong Ja alone could obtain neither any information network nor assistance from other branches of Jeong Hwa Sam Gye.
‘So Ok Rim should be there.’
Once So Ok Rim of Jeong Hwa Sam Gye reached a certain level of cultivation, she would achieve another breakthrough.
Jung Cheong Ja and the members of Jeong Hwa Sam Gye had secretly established the Mu Hak Jeong Hwa, which they had researched and restored over the years,
in three locations, including this Neung Woon Mountain.
Since they had already completed the Yang Dan Eun Ha technique long ago,
by now, the child was surely diligently mastering the Mu Hak in one of the three divided locations.
After all, the child had always possessed exceptional talent that exceeded expectations.
After much deliberation, Jung Cheong Ja chose Neung Woon Mountain among the three and made his way here.
‘Please let the child be here.’
Upon arriving at Neung Woon Mountain, Jung Cheong Ja climbed the mountain path swiftly.
Screech!
Yet from somewhere, a peculiar sound echoed through the air.
Could it be that Cheop Dong In had arrived in this deep mountain and was waiting for him?
Whoosh! Whoosh!
But then, a strange sound of something cutting through the air followed in succession.
It sounded like the piercing noise of projectiles being launched, yet also resembled the sound of a violent gust of wind.
‘Could it be So Ok Rim?’
Rushing urgently toward the source of the sound, he found a man standing tall in a wide clearing within the forest,
and around him, hundreds of projectiles floated suspended in the air, moving freely like living creatures.
‘The Ten Fingers Eternal Return Formation?’
A technique capable of controlling numerous projectiles individually, infusing not only different speeds but also different organizational patterns into each,
the pinnacle of projectile techniques—the Ten Fingers Eternal Return Formation, which few had ever mastered?

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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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