The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 810
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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 810.
Further conversation with Bul Jon had become pointless.
He neither knew of my grandfather’s Hyung Su, nor understood anything of my own karmic origins, nor had he come to impart new knowledge.
He had simply arrived with a benevolent expression
to speak only what he wished to say.
As I turned to leave,
“Then.”
A sharp sound.
The man who had been carrying the great sword suddenly moved like lightning, blocking my path.
“How dare you speak such words so carelessly, you insignificant wretch!”
The man bellowed furiously.
“You must apologize for your rudeness.”
“Well learned indeed.”
I exhaled through my nose.
“A dog should wag its tail obediently to whoever holds its leash.”
Boom!
In that instant, a deafening explosion erupted, and dust billowed in all directions.
The man had drawn his great sword like lightning and brought it crashing down toward my head.
Whoosh.
As the dust cleared, an astonishing sight was revealed.
The great sword had stopped a single finger’s width above my head.
The explosive sound had erupted because
the man’s swordsmanship contained the essence of swiftness and the aura of thunder and lightning.
“Save your arrogant words for after you’ve withstood my blade.”
“After you’ve spilled your entrails?”
A sharp hum.
Suddenly, at the man’s lower abdomen,
dozens of true energy blades had stopped at a hair’s breadth distance.
The moment he made his move, I had instantly deployed the Feminine Sword Formation.
‘This bastard!’
The man’s face had gone rigid.
The technique of manifesting true energy into tangible blades was inevitably slower in release speed compared to conventional martial arts.
Yet both our attacks had landed simultaneously.
No—I had stopped his energy blades by a hair’s breadth, while he had stopped my blade by a finger’s width…
This proved that my reflexes were several times faster than his swift sword technique.
“Do not act recklessly.”
At that moment, Bul Jon spoke.
“Bu Eunseol is not our enemy.”
Click.
The man withdrew his great sword and clasped his hands together.
“My disciple displayed a shameful appearance.”
“Bu Eunseol.”
Bul Jon spoke in a low voice.
“The situation in Gangho is unfolding with urgency. Do not turn a blind eye to it any longer.”
Bu Eunseol offered no further response, only a respectful bow.
Whoosh.
He immediately unfurled his divine movement technique and departed from this place.
Bul Jon, watching his distant figure fade away, spoke with admiration.
“Indeed, the old man’s eyes were not mistaken. He has ascended to a boundless realm.”
“Are you speaking of him?”
The Mysterious Man’s expression turned aggrieved.
“I acknowledge his reaction speed is exceptional, but had we clashed head-on, I would never have yielded.”
“Do you truly believe that?”
Bul Jon smiled faintly and gazed at the great sword the Mysterious Man held.
Crack.
At that very moment, spider-web-like fractures began spreading across the great sword forged from mysterious iron.
“How is this possible?”
The Mysterious Man’s eyes widened in shock.
When exactly had he unleashed his technique?
“Did you not see Bu Eunseol’s blade?”
“I…”
As the Mysterious Man bit his lip without answering, Bul Jon spoke calmly.
“He employed his true energy technique only afterward. Had you not halted your sword strike midway, he would have severed not merely your blade, but your neck as well.”
The Mysterious Man’s face flushed crimson.
He had prided himself on the speed of his swift sword technique, comparable to lightning itself.
Yet Bu Eunseol, in that fleeting moment.
Drew his blade, shattered the great sword to fragments, and even deployed his true energy technique.
“Now do you understand? All of you must ultimately pass through every remaining gate.”
The Mysterious Man bit his lip.
They all had to pass through ten gates, yet they had all stopped before the seventh.
Because they had prided themselves on reaching the pinnacle of undefeated martial prowess after passing six gates.
Moreover, none could foresee how much time it would take to pass through all ten gates.
And passing beyond the seventh gate might mean losing one’s complete sense of self.
But today, he had come to understand.
Only by passing at least the eighth gate could one truly compete with the masters of Tianxia.
“So that is why you tracked his movements.”
The Mysterious Man finally comprehended.
By arranging for him to meet Bu Eunseol, the most outstanding among the new generation of disciples.
He could awaken to his own shortcomings and resolve to pass through the gates once more.
Encountering such a master and receiving this stimulation.
It would resonate far more deeply than hundreds of words of persuasion.
“Why must the affairs of this world be so complicated?”
Bul Jon spoke with a regretful expression.
“Elevating your martial prowess is an insignificant matter. But he is an absolute necessity for completing the original plan.”
He sighed deeply and shook his head.
“However, a being with a contradictory nature—one who can alter fate through their own will and defy the laws of existence—has now intervened.”
Bul Jon’s voice, muttered so softly, was inaudible to anyone present.
“Return.”
Bul Jon, shaking his head, spoke to the Mysterious Man.
“And convey clearly to your allies everything you witnessed and felt today.”
“That is all that is required?”
At the Mysterious Man’s words, Bul Jon smiled.
“Yes, that will suffice.”
With those words, Bul Jon vanished in an instant.
The Mysterious Man stared blankly at the place where Bul Jon had disappeared.
“Bu Eunseol.”
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
“I will surpass you without fail.”
* * *
After parting with Bul Jon, Bu Eunseol felt a heaviness in his heart.
Advancing in age did not mean
that one’s character and disposition would become refined and fragrant like that of a grandfather.
Rather, the older one became, the more one could transform into a decrepit wretch reeking of putrid malice.
“He has become a phantom of his former self.”
Shaolin was truly the pillar of the Righteous Path Murim, and Bul Jon, as a venerable master of Shaolin, had long been entangled in the affairs of Murim.
Yet his grand plan had failed, and as a result, even Shaolin’s elite were annihilated.
Since then, he has not recovered his vitality—his sense of guilt must be considerable.
In the end, Bul Jon, to atone for his past mistakes,
under the pretext that the calamity of the final age has arrived,
or perhaps to be compensated for the years that have passed, is now pursuing the new Absolute Demon Path Plan.
“Even an iron-willed figure like Bul Jon repeats his past errors.”
Foolish humans endlessly repeat their former mistakes.
Yet such a truth,
even Bul Jon—a living legend of Shaolin and a divine monk of the Buddhist Order—cannot escape.
Whoooosh!
With his divine technique amplified, I had already entered the vicinity of Gongchangbu.
Yet suddenly, the distant sky darkened,
Grrrrr.
A sound like the cry of some grotesque beast echoed forth.
“Was it not only Bul Jon who fell into the trap?”
Bu Eunseol felt the bizarre energy converging from all directions, yet a smile played across his lips.
It seemed that not only Bul Jon had been pursuing him for killing Jang In.
“It matters not.”
Whether it was Eight Immortals Heaven or Jin Ma, it made no difference.
If hidden masters emerged, he would simply crush them.
Whatever conspiracy unfolded, he would obliterate it.
Bu Eunseol did not evade the energy that blackened the sky itself, but instead descended smoothly and came to a halt upon the vast plains.
Crunch. Crrrunch.
Then, accompanied by another bizarre sound,
Whoosh.
A black shadow materialized directly before Bu Eunseol, swiftly engulfed in multiple hues before coalescing into a singular form.
Swish.
At last, that form transformed into the appearance of an elderly immortal clad in blue robes.
Bu Eunseol did not yet know it,
but this was the Blue-Robed Elder who had clashed head-on with Ma Cheon Je twice at the river bank while he fished.
“Truly remarkable.”
The Blue-Robed Elder who had suddenly appeared gazed upon Bu Eunseol’s unwavering eyes and nodded.
“Even Ma Cheon Je had not reached such heights at your age.”
“Who are you?”
Bewilderment filled Bu Eunseol’s eyes as never before.
The elder before him
possessed a power far more strange and unique than any master he had encountered thus far—a mysterious figure of profound enigma.
“Who am I, you ask?”
The Blue-Robed Elder’s expression grew subtle as he narrowed his eyes faintly.
“I cannot even recall when last I received such a question.”
As if seized by deep reflection, the elder gazed toward the distant sky and exhaled a turbid breath.
“If I must explain, No Bu’s existence at present is… that of a messenger conveying intent.”
“Are you of Sam Gye?”
“That is not so.”
The Blue-Robed Elder offered an ambiguous reply.
“No Bu differs from the sects of Murim. I merely stand at the boundary of law itself.”
“I have no patience for riddles.”
Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow.
“If you will not reveal your identity clearly, this conversation ends here.”
As he turned to depart,
the Blue-Robed Elder moved like a phantom and grasped Bu Eunseol’s shoulder.
And with an expression of utmost familiarity, he continued speaking.
“There is no need to be so hostile. This conversation brings only benefit to you—no loss whatsoever.”
Bu Eunseol was greatly startled.
His martial prowess had risen sharply of late, and since obtaining the Fengyun Divine Technique,
I had transcended the senses of a beast master, achieving a mystical hypersensitivity so profound that even the flow of air felt sluggish to my perception.
Yet this person could place a hand upon my shoulder as though it were the most natural thing in the world?
“Hmm, observe this.”
The Blue-Robed Elder was equally astonished.
The moment his hand touched my shoulder, a mysterious radiance flickered, and he gasped in wonder.
“Sa Do Moo Myung. Now I understand why he sought to prevent Sam Gye from erasing you from existence.”
In that instant, I froze, forgetting even to blink.
Ma Cheon Je had prevented Sam Gye from annihilating me? What in the world was he talking about?
“It must have been a calculation that keeping you alive held greater advantage… yet it remains extraordinary.”
The Blue-Robed Elder nodded, unable to conceal his admiration.
“In all the history of Murim, none have reached your age and attained the realm of transcendent detachment from worldly concerns and the quietude of an empty mind.”
I was profoundly startled.
The Blue-Robed Elder had perceived and articulated the depths of martial cultivation that I myself had not yet fully crystallized.
Transcendent detachment from worldly concerns—to stand aloof from all that is mundane.
To ascend beyond the trivialities and desires of the world, reaching a state of noble freedom.
The quietude of an empty mind—the heart emptied, the boundary serene.
To transcend attachment to life and death, entering a state of profound peace.
The Blue-Robed Elder had captured the realm I had attained with these eight characters alone, expressing it with perfect clarity.
‘A sage beyond the world.’
I realized that this Blue-Robed Elder possessed not merely a distinguished station.
He was a terrifying master unknown to Murim itself.
“What purpose brings you to seek me out?”
“You have now become worthy of entering into a covenant.”
“A covenant?”
“Well, to explain it in the simplest terms.”
The Blue-Robed Elder continued with a revelation of staggering import.
“It is an accord that the mighty of Murim have forged across generations.”
My brow furrowed.
The strongest had been binding themselves through such agreements since ancient times?
“Otherwise, everything would end in ruin.”
The Blue-Robed Elder elaborated further.
“The covenant was established to prevent needless destruction and conflict, and to maintain peace within each domain.”
“Peace.”
When such a figure spoke that word, it felt strangely unfamiliar.
Peace—a word that had no bearing upon the supreme masters.
“When the mighty clash, it brings catastrophic devastation, threatening not only the weaker sects but also innocent lives.”
“Surely not.”
The Blue-Robed Elder smiled faintly.
“It is because such conflict disrupts the balance that we speak of peace.”
“Balance?”
“Precisely. If transcendent masters were to clash endlessly, the delicate balance we have painstakingly constructed would crumble to dust.”
The word “balance” was commonplace enough.
Yet when the Blue-Robed Elder spoke it, the term carried an entirely different weight.
“Then all the masters you recognize are bound by this Covenant?”
“Perhaps.”
The Blue-Robed Elder evaded the question, but a face materialized in my mind.
‘Could it be that Mu Jon himself entered into this Covenant long ago?’
If he had accepted the Covenant’s terms…
I could finally answer a question that had haunted me all this time.
Despite holding the position of Murim Alliance Master, despite possessing the supreme martial prowess of the Orthodox Sects…
Why he had drawn me into this matter, unable to handle mere Seven Lords on his own.
‘Could the Covenant impose restrictions even upon Mu Jon?’
Even if the Murim Alliance served as the headquarters of the Three Realms…
Mu Jon could have eliminated them through assassination, leveraging Shin San Ja’s identity, or any number of methods if he so desired.
Yet he deliberately risked danger and drew in an outsider instead?
Perhaps he had indeed joined the Covenant the Blue-Robed Elder spoke of…
And through it, found himself constrained.
“The secret has slipped out.”
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke again.
“You have become a target of the Covenant.”
“What does it mean to be a target of the Covenant?”
“One capable of breaking through the limits of Incheon, or becoming strong enough to shatter the balance itself.”
There it was again—that word, balance.
I could not help but ask.
“What exactly is this balance?”
“You will understand once you join the Covenant.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Simple.”
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke with casual indifference.
“You will die, or live a life of utter misery.”
An answer that made me question my own hearing.
What manner of absurdity was this?
“Are you saying you will strike me down, Elder?”
The Blue-Robed Elder possessed both the ability and martial prowess to threaten my life.
Yet he shook his head.
“There is another who will execute you.”
And he spoke words even more incomprehensible.
“The executioner cannot be stopped. No matter how you erase your traces through intelligence networks or sow confusion, they will inevitably appear.”
“….”
“You might block them once or twice. But they will appear without end—until you die, until your life is utterly destroyed.”
It sounded like he intended to keep sending assassins until the day Bu Eunseol died.
“Isn’t that simply the fate of those who walk the Gangho?”
Bu Eunseol let out a soft laugh.
I continued down a perilous path where assassins could strike at any moment without surprise.
Regardless of the circumstances, I had numerous enemies, and I stood in opposition to Sam Gye, the hidden hand that dominated the Murim.
Therefore, no matter how formidable an assassin targeted me, it posed neither threat nor coercion whatsoever.
“Hehehehe. Is that so.”
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke with unexpected words.
“I will not force you. If you refuse, you may depart.”
“You’ll simply let me go?”
“Indeed.”
Bu Eunseol felt somewhat unsettled.
The Blue-Robed Elder possessed cultivation clearly superior to Incheon’s at a glance.
Yet he neither coerced through force nor demanded entry into the covenant—only confirming my willingness?
If that were the case, it seemed something truly terrifying would occur if I refused the covenant.
“Could you not explain the covenant in precise detail?”
….
“Surely I should know what this entails, should I not?”
Bu Eunseol subtly redirected the conversation.
“What would change if I acknowledge the covenant?”
“Nothing will change. You would simply conform to the law.”
“The law, you say.”
The Blue-Robed Elder’s expression grew solemn.
“Even without joining the covenant, I can answer certain questions. However, in that case, you must undergo a trial.”
“A trial?”
“You must withstand No Bu’s attack. In essence, you would be committing suicide merely to hear a few words.”
In other words, if I wished to hear answers, I would have to endure a terrifying strike from the Blue-Robed Elder.
“Very well.”
Yet Bu Eunseol nodded readily.
“I will withstand your attack. Now grant me the answers.”
“Your martial prowess is formidable. Yet the affairs of this world cannot be resolved by martial skill alone.”
In essence, the Blue-Robed Elder was hinting that there existed means transcending the limits of martial cultivation.
“It matters not.”
In that instant, the Blue-Robed Elder’s expression filled with compassion.
He seemed to believe Bu Eunseol was acting recklessly.
‘Ah, so that’s it.’
The Blue-Robed Elder smiled knowingly.
Observing the confident gleam in Bu Eunseol’s eyes, he had discerned my true intention.
‘He believes he cannot match me, so he intends to change his words and agree to the covenant immediately.’
If he withstood the attack and then changed his mind, agreeing to join the covenant?
Bu Eunseol had discerned the blind spot created by the Covenant’s laws—that he could not act.
‘Perhaps I should play along for a moment.’
No matter how formidable Bu Eunseol might be, in the Blue-Robed Elder’s eyes, he was merely a young martial artist of considerable skill.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Rather, the Blue-Robed Elder found it admirable how Bu Eunseol refused to be intimidated by his presence and continuously schemed to extract information.
“Very well.”
The Blue-Robed Elder smiled faintly and began to explain.
“Laws are things that must be obeyed. And one becomes bound by them.”
“You mean to become a puppet?”
“Not at all. It is to conform to truth itself.”
That was precisely the sort of answer an adherent of an Evil Sect would give.
Had the Blue-Robed Elder not possessed such tremendous martial prowess, Bu Eunseol would have assumed he was a man brainwashed by a heretical organization.
“Can one refuse the Covenant after joining it?”
“No.”
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke as if issuing a warning.
“If the target of the Covenant refuses it, they die. Even if they survive, they will live a life more wretched than death itself.”
It was utterly incomprehensible.
Bu Eunseol pondered for a moment before asking.
“Can one know who the target of the Covenant is?”
“No.”
The Blue-Robed Elder, having discerned Bu Eunseol’s thoughts, answered matter-of-factly.
“The Covenant is not something concluded in a few words. And there are things one can only learn after entering the Covenant.”
“You mean regarding the laws?”
“Precisely.”
Bu Eunseol deftly shifted his approach.
“If we exclude the laws—surely one must know the contents before joining the Covenant, even if one wishes to?”
“You believe that even after joining the Covenant, you could defy the laws.”
The Blue-Robed Elder gazed at Bu Eunseol’s gleaming eyes and chuckled softly.
“But once you join the Covenant, you cannot defy orders from the very beginning. No matter what martial realm you attain, even if you become dozens of times stronger than you are now.”
That was a significant clue.
‘The power that enforces the Covenant has no connection whatsoever to one’s martial prowess.’
“Correct. It does not manipulate martial skill or spiritual consciousness.”
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke as if peering into Bu Eunseol’s very thoughts.
“Even if one reaches the Six Senses Spiritual Communion instead of the Five Senses Spiritual Communion, the result remains the same.”
It was simply astounding.
What manner of thing was this Covenant that wielded such tremendous power?
“Then might I learn something of the orders the Covenant enforces?”
Bu Eunseol needed to extract as much information as possible.
Though the Blue-Robed Elder had discerned Bu Eunseol’s intentions, he answered willingly nonetheless.
This was because Bu Eunseol had earned his favor.
‘He resembles his younger self.’
The Blue-Robed Elder spoke with a faint smile.
“A covenant is a choice.”
In truth, this statement was the crucial clue.
But Bu Eunseol failed to grasp it. The words were far too ambiguous.
“Hmm.”
Sensing that he was not yet prepared to face the truth, the Blue-Robed Elder sighed and shifted the conversation.
“For instance, power can only be exercised within your own sphere of influence. Should you enter another’s territory without permission or launch an attack, you face severe sanctions.”
Upon hearing this, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
‘Quite reasonable, indeed.’
The masters who have ascended to the Mujik Gyeong in recent times
could, if they wished, infiltrate any sect or faction alone and destroy it or inflict grievous harm.
Yet none of them do so. Could it be that this restraint stems from the covenant?
‘It was not merely to avoid a great war between the righteous and demonic paths.’
The current Murim maintains a position where the Righteous Path holds somewhat superior power compared to the Demonic Path.
Yet the fact that this advantage is not leveraged to initiate conflict is not to spare countless martial artists from sacrifice, but rather
it may well be due to the covenant itself.
“Then how are disputes resolved?”
“Neutral Territory has been established. Negotiations are conducted there.”
“A dispute resolution mechanism exists, then?”
“Of course. However, it is not designed to reduce the unnecessary suspicion and hostility you speak of between one another, nor to maintain each faction’s interests.”
The Blue-Robed Elder laughed.
“Rather, balance is maintained through a life-or-death commitment.”
Words utterly incomprehensible.
As Bu Eunseol’s gaze grew clouded, the Blue-Robed Elder spoke.
“That is all. I have nothing more to tell you.”
“I am grateful.”
“It seems you have made your decision.”
“Indeed.”
“Before that, there is something you must know.”
“Speak.”
“Once No Bu acts, changing your mind midway will avail you nothing.”
The Blue-Robed Elder wore a smile.
He expected Bu Eunseol, having had his true intentions exposed, to show shock or confusion.
“A matter of course.”
Yet Bu Eunseol simply nodded without hesitation.
“I must decline the proposal.”
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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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