The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign - Chapter 863
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 863.
Han Sang Ja continued speaking with a chest full of pride, his arms crossed.
“Ben Rim possesses a unique formation technique capable of achieving perfect harmony with nature itself.”
“A formation technique.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol grasp what Han Sang Ja’s stratagem truly was.
If the spiritual resonance that distinguishes individuals were split into two…
The Executor would necessarily have to verify the appearance of both persons.
But if their forms remained hidden within the formation technique…
Then ultimately, the Executor himself would have no choice but to expose his own presence.
“Through this matter, we may also be able to confirm just how transcendent an existence the Executor truly is.”
Bu Eunseol and the one with the celestial fragrance constitution.
If both were concealed beneath a special formation technique created by Hyeonja Forest’s sage…
The Executor would inevitably tear through the formation to examine what lay within.
And depending on how the Executor tears apart Hyeonja Forest’s mysterious formation technique…
We could gauge just how transcendent his power truly is.
“What if the Executor could manipulate numerous people and send a massive force instead?”
“That would be impossible.”
Han Sang Ja spoke with calm certainty.
“The Executor can only exert his power over those in the immediate vicinity of his target.”
Bu Eunseol exhaled slowly.
It seemed that Han Sang Ja…
possessed unwavering confidence in the information about the Executor passed down through generations in Hyeonja Forest.
“You can be certain of this?”
“Of course. Because it is law itself.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
Within the Murim, there exist bizarre laws unknown to ordinary martial artists.
And even the sages of places like Hyeonja Forest…
take these laws for granted.
“But there is another problem.”
Bu Eunseol, lost in deep contemplation, drew in a heavy breath.
“How could we possibly find someone with the celestial fragrance constitution in such a vast Zhong Yuan?”
“There is no need to worry about that.”
Han Sang Ja spoke with a faint smile.
“We already found them thirty years ago. And the celestial fragrance constitution is a hereditary condition.”
“Thirty years ago.”
“Ben Rim’s purpose is to research the world’s various phenomena, including the secrets of the Murim, and to unravel their principles.”
Han Sang Ja chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed his nose.
“Discovering people with unique constitutions scattered throughout the realm was also part of our research.”
Bu Eunseol nodded in understanding.
Hyeonja Forest had mentioned that beings like the Baek Ri Family and Jin Ma were also subjects of research.
They even attempted to artificially create Cheon Ki Sung, a sage bestowed by the heavens themselves.
Research into unique constitutions and severed meridians would naturally have proceeded.
Yet Bu Eunseol deliberately feigned ignorance as she asked.
“Why were you searching for those with unique constitutions?”
Han Sang Ja drew a deep breath.
“There were many reasons, but the most significant was that the bodies of those possessing unique constitutions could be used as materials necessary for Jin Ma’s resurrection.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
Those with unique constitutions.
They served as materials for resurrecting Jin Ma?
Then Jin Ma was not human, but rather—
A being that manifests suddenly like The Demon?
“Did you truly mean resurrection in that sense?”
Bu Eunseol could not help but press further about Jin Ma.
“Then Jin Ma is not a person?”
“No, Jin Ma apparently possesses an extremely ordinary human appearance. It is simply that the Baek Ri Family sealed his abilities, preventing him from taking center stage.”
Han Sang Ja continued the conversation with a grave expression.
“Since I broached this topic first, I have provided you with answers. However, I would appreciate it if you refrained from asking about Jin Ma or the Baek Ri Family going forward.”
“Why is that?”
“Information concerning the Baek Ri Family and Jin Ma falls under heavenly secrets. In other words, the more I speak of such matters, the more I invite celestial punishment upon myself.”
Heavenly Retribution.
The truth that the heavens conceal.
When humans speak of such things aloud, those who reveal them inevitably receive divine punishment.
But information about the Baek Ri Family and Jin Ma all fell under heavenly secrets?
“Why is their information considered heavenly secrets?”
“That too is truth and law.”
At Han Sang Ja’s words, Bu Eunseol’s expression grew hollow.
Reading heavenly secrets or tampering with predetermined fate brought punishment.
Though the source was unclear, people had believed in heavenly retribution since ancient times.
And Han Sang Ja, who belonged to Hyeonja Forest,
Firmly believed in such things as well.
Much like the laws he had been discussing all along.
“It is strange,” Han Sang Ja said with a bitter expression.
“Not understanding why laws came to exist or why things unfold as they do, yet believing them to be truth.”
“Honestly, that is the case.”
Bu Eunseol expressed her feelings candidly.
“Moreover, such laws do not seem to exist for the benefit of people at all.”
To receive heavenly retribution merely for mentioning the Baek Ri Family or Jin Ma? This was absurd from the start.
“I share the same thoughts, in fact. However, since the sages of previous generations said it was so, I simply choose to believe.”
Han Sang Ja scratched his head.
Han Sang Ja scratched his head.
“It seems that laws, fundamentally lacking clear answers from the outset, feel all the more irrational because of it.”
A heavy silence settled between us.
I shifted the conversation, as if to dispel the oppressive atmosphere.
“In any case, it seems I must now seek out the Heavenly Fragrance Constitution.”
“Indeed.”
“But even if I find the Heavenly Fragrance Constitution, there’s no guarantee he would aid me, is there?”
This plan to lure the Executor demands a life-or-death commitment.
As the one directly involved, I would have no regrets even in death.
Han Sang Ja, too, seeks to uncover the truth of the Executor, so he can accept the danger.
But merely because someone possesses the Heavenly Fragrance Constitution—
there is no reason they would risk their life to aid me.
“Do not worry. They will surely help.”
“How can you be certain of that?”
“Because they are a member of the Ten Demonic Gates who supports Ryeong Ju.”
“The Ten Demonic Gates support me?”
“That is correct.”
Han Sang Ja nodded.
“It is Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong.”
“Surely not.”
“Indeed.”
Han Sang Ja wore a mysterious smile.
“The leader of Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong was born with the Heavenly Fragrance Constitution.”
It was remarkable.
During Hyeonja Forest’s golden age,
not only had they conducted extensive research on the Baek Pal Sung, including Cheon Ki Sung, but they had even ascertained the constitutions of the leaders of the Ten Demonic Gates.
“Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong is a forbidden zone for men, with formidable security.”
I could not contain my curiosity and asked,
“But how were you able to investigate the leader’s constitution?”
“Is Ben Rim not a place where countless knowledge has been researched across generations?”
Han Sang Ja spoke in a low voice.
“That research includes techniques to infiltrate any location and impersonate anyone.”
He shrugged his shoulders with a proud expression.
“Just as all martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin, all disguise techniques and infiltration methods in Murim came from Hyeonja Forest.”
I gasped in astonishment.
All the disguise techniques and infiltration skills scattered throughout Murim originated from Hyeonja Forest?
“Why would Hyeonja Forest conduct such research?”
“To research anything, one must be well-informed about information and directly verify the truth, must they not?”
Han Sang Ja smiled, revealing white teeth.
“For that, we needed techniques to infiltrate anywhere and the ability to transform into any person.”
“No matter how refined the information, direct verification is always best.”
“Precisely so.”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
In the end, the Sages of Hyeonja Forest had
secretly infiltrated Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong and verified the constitutions of all disciples, including Geuk Hye Ryeong.
“The Sages of Ben Rim in those days had a tendency to disregard propriety.”
Han Sang Ja, noticing my stern expression, scratched his head and gauged my reaction.
“If Ryeong Ju cannot tolerate such conduct, I fear this matter will become difficult to proceed with.”
“Since this occurred before Han Sang was even born, I shall not hold it against them.”
I spoke with gravity.
“But should such methods be attempted in this present age, I leave the consequences to your imagination.”
“Rest assured. Times have changed since then.”
“How have they changed?”
Han Sang Ja spoke gently, as if to dispel my concerns.
“To enter Ben Rim now, one must undergo endless trials of character. In other words, to become a Sage of Ben Rim, one must first become human.”
“Trials of character, you say?”
“Of course. Even after becoming a disciple of Ben Rim, one faces endless examinations.”
Hyeonja Forest possesses exceptional knowledge and mastery of various mystical arts.
Should such techniques spread indiscriminately throughout Gangho,
uncontrollable forces of evil could emerge within the Murim.
Therefore, in selecting disciples, character is the foremost consideration,
and even after acceptance, disciples undergo continuous trials.
“Becoming a disciple of Hyeonja Forest is no trivial matter, then.”
“Not necessarily. All humans are born with their destined occupation, after all.”
Han Sang Ja spoke in a peculiar manner.
“Those meant to become Sages become Sages, and those meant to become butchers become butchers.”
I exhaled slowly.
Even these celebrated Sages believed in fate.
Han Sang Ja averted his gaze from my piercing stare and changed the subject by shaking his head.
“We shall arrive at Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong shortly.”
Cheop Chae Mountain and Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong lay so close that even traveling by boat consumed little time.
“I wonder if Jeong Ju will assist us in this matter. The risk involved is considerable.”
“No. She is advanced in years and aging, making her unsuitable.”
“Though Jeong Ju has grown older, her vitality remains sound and her martial prowess is formidable.”
“That is not what I meant.”
Han Sang Ja explained.
“As one ages, one’s constitution changes. Our bodies undergo transformation even in brief periods.”
“Jeong Ju’s constitution may not have changed.”
“How could that be? Even without bathing for merely four days, our bodies emit odor. Over decades, constitution naturally transforms.”
I shook my head.
“In any case, So Jeong Ju has not yet reached adulthood. I cannot place her in danger merely for my own convenience.”
“That sounds right on the surface, but dig deeper and it falls apart just the same.”
Han Sang Ja spoke.
“If we fail to deal with the Executor, those around Ryeong Ju will continue to fall one after another. It won’t end with just So Jeong Ju.”
“….”
“In that case, it would be better to tell So Jeong Ju everything and ask her to help eliminate the Executor.”
His words sounded somewhat sophistic, yet strangely logical.
“That may be true, but I sense there’s another intention hidden beneath your words.”
Han Sang Ja was still young.
Had he wished to wander the Gangho, there would have been plenty of opportunities ahead.
There was no need for him to wade into such perilous waters.
“I wish to uncover the true nature of the Executor.”
Han Sang Ja spoke with equal honesty.
“For a scholar, the greatest joy is unraveling the mysteries of truth.”
Now I understood—he wasn’t simply wandering the Gangho.
He was helping me to satisfy his own intellectual hunger.
“Your honesty pleases me.”
I had been somewhat wary of Han Sang Ja.
Gwi Jin Ja was a righteous man, yet Hyeonja Forest conducted research to artificially create beings like Cheon Ki Sung.
If that were true, then within Hyeonja Forest itself—
there would surely be those willing to do anything to realize their own desires.
But Han Sang Ja could be trusted.
Those with clear purpose and thirst for knowledge concern themselves with nothing else.
“Very well.”
I nodded.
“Let us journey to Mu Ha Soo Yu Jeong.”
From this moment forward, I would—
accept Han Sang Ja’s strategy and eliminate the Executor.
* * *
While Bu Eunseol and Han Sang Ja conversed aboard the boat,
a rustling sound echoed through the air.
In Hyeonja Forest, hidden within Cheop Chae Mountain,
countless shadows suddenly surged forward with the sound of insects scattering.
They all bore flesh and animal remnants attached to bodies that could hardly be called human,
and their eyes gleamed with serpentine, triangular pupils.
At their head, a young scholar draped in white robes reminiscent of crane feathers deployed a technique as vast as clouds.
His features were as refined and composed as jade, and upon his head sat a cloth hat spread wide like a fan.
From a distance, he resembled the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang himself.
It was Cheon Ki Sung, Chu So.
“That fellow is truly remarkable. To discover that forgotten Hyeonja Forest in a single breath.”
He clicked his tongue as he gazed upon the mysterious formation spread throughout the forest of Cheop Chae Mountain.
“They still use such antiquated formations?”
He clicked his tongue and waved his hand lightly.
In that instant, the formations spread across the entrance of Cheop Chae Mountain vanished, revealing the interior of Hyeonja Forest, as pristine as Doyuon Gyeong itself.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The Strange Beings standing behind Chu So began pouring into Hyeonja Forest.
Zing.
At that very moment, accompanied by a mystical light.
Seok Gyeong Ja, who guarded the passage leading inward, revealed himself.
“Who dares!”
Despite Seok Gyeong Ja’s sharp rebuke, the Strange Beings did not pause—they surged forward into the interior without hesitation.
“These creatures.”
Seok Gyeong Ja immediately summoned Eumsal Ibaek-in to confront the onrushing horde.
Yet something unfolded that defied belief.
The Strange Beings, dangling tattered flesh from their frames.
Were tearing through Eumsal Ibaek-in’s body—harder than diamond—as though it were mere paper.
“That is…”
Only then did Seok Gyeong Ja comprehend the true nature of the creatures this youth had brought.
“The genuine Eumsal Ibaek-in… crafted from inanimate matter.”
The Eumsal Ibaek-in of Hyeonja Forest were fashioned from living humans as their foundation.
But what this youth had brought was different.
Created using a secret method lost ages ago.
Fashioned from corpse bones, beast blood, human essence, and the spiritual essence of moonlight… the genuine Eumsal Ibaek-in itself.
“You couldn’t possibly be…”
Only now could Seok Gyeong Ja discern the youth’s true identity.
In this world, only one being could craft the genuine Eumsal Ibaek-in that had vanished from existence.
Was there any other possibility?
“You are what we might call our king!”
Seok Gyeong Ja cried out, staring at the youth.
“Why do you seek to annihilate Ben Rim?”
The youth, Chu So, exhaled a weary sigh and shook his head.
“It seems Gwi Jin Ja, that old fool, concealed the truth.”
“What?”
“Did you never wonder why the Chilji Demonic Sect sought to exterminate you all?”
Chu So smiled with amusement, asking playfully.
“In the past, the sages of Hyeonja Forest seized the spiritual domain and rescued the spirit creatures, spirit herbs, and the souls torn to shreds within it… where did they take them?”
“What?”
“You don’t know? They all became excellent sacrifices.”
Chu So’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Sacrifices for a forbidden, sinister grand ritual that should never be performed.”
Seok Gyeong Ja’s eyes trembled.
Only then did I grasp the truth behind the rumors that had once unsettled Hyeonja Forest.
And I understood why Gwi Jin Ja had instructed me to no longer guard the entrance.
‘Rim Ju knew everything all along.’
Gwi Jin Ja had sent Han Sang Ja to accompany Moo Hon Ryeong Ju.
After his departure, he had said there would be no further need to operate this gate.
That meant he had already grasped the full extent of Cheon Ki Sung’s movements.
“The disciples here have no connection to those who created you.”
“Created me?”
In that instant, Chu So’s expression turned glacial.
“Do you think you’ve all become gods or something?”
Within his eyes,
an emotion he had never once revealed to another soul blazed forth—rage.
No, it was not mere anger, but a anguish so profound and sorrow so deep that it consumed everything.
“From this moment forward, you will all experience the suffering I have endured.”
As the blazing fury was swallowed down, a smile as sharp as a blade’s edge curved across Chu So’s lips.
“Hyeonja Forest, them, and… all the people of this world will know that suffering.”
“So you choose the path of becoming The Demon?”
“The Demon?”
Chu So smiled faintly and spoke in a low voice.
“If I am The Demon, then what should we call you? Monsters wearing human faces? Or hypocrites masked in righteousness?”
As he raised his hand, the Eumsal Ibaek-in who had been standing behind him surged forward in a torrent.
“Savor slowly from the Mu Jeo Roe how this twisted world you created becomes hell.”
In that moment, Seok Gyeong Ja’s eyes widened in shock, his pupils
flooded with the sight of the Eumsal Ibaek-in rushing toward him like a swarm of wasps.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————