The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign – Chapter 535

The Demonic Sword Master immediately began work on the scabbard.

The Demon-Killer Sword in Bu Eunseol’s possession was no ordinary blade; it was a Black Divine Artifact, utterly unlike anything the elder had ever touched in his long life. For a man who had spent decades at the forge, this was both a fitting finale and the greatest challenge he had ever faced.

‘Beyond mere spirituality… this sword feels almost human.’ The elder muttered with a troubled expression.

Normally, a demonic sword was satisfied once its sheath was forged from the exact same material. Yet Bu Eunseol’s sword kept rejecting every attempt, as though none of the sheaths pleased it.

Vrrr! Vrrr!

Each time it slid into a newly made scabbard, the blade cried out in clear dissatisfaction.

“Hmm. It dislikes this one too.”

But the elder did not give up. He tirelessly mixed different metals and remade the sheath again and again.

Though it was called “making a scabbard,” forging one from the same material as the Demon-Killer Sword was as arduous as crafting a divine or demonic blade itself—an undertaking no one but a lifetime master could even attempt.

After countless failures, the elder suddenly stopped.

He ceased working altogether, shut himself inside the forge, and—to any onlooker—began speaking to the sword like a madman.

“So that was it.” For an entire day and night he muttered alone. “You didn’t want to stand out. Yes, that makes sense.”

On the third day:

“It is done!”

A triumphant shout burst from the sealed workshop.

Bu Eunseol hurried inside and saw the pitch-black sword resting peacefully in its new sheath. 

At long last, the Demon-Killer Sword had accepted a scabbard that satisfied it.

“This… is the scabbard for the Demon-Killer Sword?” Bu Eunseol looked somewhat bewildered.

The elder had neither eaten nor slept while crafting it, yet the result looked like any cheap scabbard one could buy at a roadside smithy. Dull, slightly rusted in appearance, it seemed fit only for the lowliest iron sword.

“It may look like rusted junk, but it is forged from exactly the same material as the blade itself. Incredibly tough.” The elder reverently lifted the sheathed sword with both hands and offered it to Bu Eunseol.

“Here, take a look.”

Bu Eunseol accepted it and examined it closely.

Vrrr.

The sword let out a low, contented hum—as though urging him to pour in Thunder Spirit Energy.

“Good.” Bu Eunseol gathered the Thunder Spirit Energy circulating within his body.

Yet unlike before, no patterns or light emerged.

‘Has the seal vanished?’

Startled, he poured in the maximum amount.

Ziiing.

Mysterious patterns suddenly appeared on the surface of the scabbard itself, and both golden and dark-crimson light flowed forth at once.

“What is the meaning of this? Why do the patterns appear on the scabbard?”

“Heh heh heh. Because it is the same material—I simply moved them there.”

“Does that mean the seal is broken?”

“Of course not. The seal merely shifted location. Sword and scabbard are one and the same, after all.”

“I see.”

Only now did Bu Eunseol understand.

From the sword’s perspective, those sealing patterns must have felt like a criminal’s brand of shame. But once the elder crafted a sheath of equal material, the blade hid its lights and patterns within the scabbard instead.

“It even wanted a scabbard that looked like scrap iron.” The elder gazed at the patterns and lights now glowing on the sheath and nodded. “It wishes to conceal its true appearance as much as possible.”

“You truly spoke with the sword?”

“Heh, does it sound like a lie?”

Bu Eunseol shook his head at the question.

A man who had spent his entire life handling metal—he would surely understand even the whispers of plain iron.

“Moreover, the demonic qi has completely vanished. Even a master smith of my level would never recognize it as a Black Divine Artifact now.”

Bu Eunseol nodded.

As long as he did not pour in maximum Thunder Spirit Energy, its true nature would remain hidden. 

It would be an immense help when facing powerful enemies as Seon Woojin.

Clack.

Yet when he slid it back into the scabbard, the sword let out a low, almost sulky hum.

Vrr… vrr…

“What now?”

“Give it a name.”

The elder spoke as though reading the blade’s mind.

“Now that it has a proper sheath, it intends to serve its master faithfully.”

Bu Eunseol instantly thought of the silent sword he had lost long ago.

He had left the Ice Soul Sword at the hidden residence for when Seo Jinha needed to switch identities, and he had always regretted the absence of that trusted blade.

Now this Demon-Killer Sword would become his new beloved weapon.

“Silent Tiger Soul.” Bu Eunseol declared firmly, gazing at the sword. “From this day forward, I shall call you Silent Tiger Soul.”

If the soul of his old silent sword still lingered, he wished it might reside once more in this blade—thus he named it Silent Tiger Soul.

Vrrrrrrr!

The Demon-Killer Sword—no, Silent Tiger Soul—roared with delight, as though overjoyed with its new name.

The elder watched the ringing Silent Tiger Soul and smiled strangely.

“That sword’s spirituality is so deep it truly feels human.”

“I have felt the same.”

“Cherish it well. We do not know why its powers were sealed, but it is an exceptionally fine blade.”

Bu Eunseol fastened Silent Tiger Soul at his waist and clasped his hands in deep respect. “Thank you. Thanks to you, it feels as though I have gained a new sword.”

“Heh heh heh. This old man is satisfied too. My final hammer blows forged the scabbard for the next Lord of Majeon.”

With a refreshed expression, he hurled his hammer away.

Whirr!

It drew a long arc through the air and vanished deep into the forest.

Watching it disappear, Bu Eunseol nodded firmly.

“Let us go.”

***

The Demonic Sword Master took an immediate liking to the Nangyang Pavilion.

More precisely, he adored Master Iron.

Though not quite at the elder’s level, Master Iron was a veteran metallurgist who had spent decades handling metal. One glance showed he was a peerless smith; his personality was just as blunt, and he loved his drink.

They were like old friends who had known each other for years.

Bu Eunseol watched the elder’s satisfied smile for a moment, then quietly left.

After exchanging warm greetings with Dan Cheong, Baek Yeon, So Jeon, and others, he departed the Nangyang Pavilion.

“Now I must return to the Martial Alliance.”

As Seon Woojin, he successfully arranged a meeting with Commander Gongsun and sent Yeop Hyocheon a letter stating that the Demonic Sword Master had been found and was staying at the Nangyang Pavilion.

With Silent Tiger Soul now in hand and his duties as Martial Soul Command Lord fulfilled, he met Seo Jinha again, switched identities, and began his return to the Alliance.

Crunch.

Bu Eunseol transformed back into Seon Woojin, donning the shabby clothes of a wandering mercenary.

Seon Woojin was always “away gathering information,” so leaving the Alliance was never suspicious.

Tap. Whoosh.

Instead of taking a carriage, he unleashed his movement art.

Zing.

Something felt strange.

For some time now, an extremely peculiar sensation had been prickling at him. It felt as though an unidentifiable monster had appeared somewhere far away.

Yet his beast-like intuition detected nothing.

It was closer to pure instinct than any martial sense.

‘Hmm.’

Bu Eunseol never ignored even the faintest instinct.

After a moment’s thought, he left the main road and headed west.

He flew swiftly with his qinggong, circling and doubling back until he stopped at the entrance of a remote village.

He intended to back-track whoever—or whatever—was following him and discover their purpose.

‘Let us wait and see.’

Scanning the village entrance, Bu Eunseol walked straight into the marketplace.

But something was wrong.

Even for a quiet village, past noon it should have been bustling with activity. Yet not a single soul, not even an ant, was in sight.

Creak.

He peered into an open house—empty.

No people, nothing.

Then he noticed something odd.

On the table inside, bowls of food still steamed gently.

That meant people had been eating here only moments before he arrived.

Yet now there was no one.

‘Could it be…’

He stepped outside and checked another house.

Still no trace of life.

Zing.

White energy began pouring from his eyes.

He activated the Void Heart Command to scan the surroundings.

‘Just one incense stick ago… there were people here.’

Frowning, he examined the lingering traces.

A little over one incense stick before his arrival, the village had been full of hurried human activity.

Now every single person had vanished as though evaporated.

‘No, they could not simply disappear.’

Even if every villager were a martial expert who fled with lightness arts before he arrived, there should be some trace of movement.

Yet there was nothing—no footprints, no broken branches, no disturbed grass.

While sweeping the area, Bu Eunseol discovered repeated footprints leading to a large storehouse on the village outskirts—likely used for farming tools and communal storage.

Creak.

He cautiously opened the door.

His eyes shook violently at the sight within.

The entire storehouse was filled with the corpses of the villagers.

“This cannot be…”

The bodies were still warm.

Cause of death: heart failure.

But so many people could not have died of heart failure simultaneously, nor could corpses have walked themselves here.

Someone had massacred the entire village and dragged the bodies inside.

“Who would do such a thing…”

Rumble!

Wrath surged to the top of Bu Eunseol’s head; the combined power of Orthodox-Demonic Invincibility and Thunder Spirit Energy shot skyward.

To slaughter innocent civilians so brutally—

He stepped outside to pursue the killer and instantly raised his Void Heart Command again.

“…!”

Then, faintly, he sensed a human presence.

And it belonged to an absolute master.

Shhk.

In an instant, Bu Eunseol leaped into the air with anti-gravity steps and concealed himself.

His speed and stealth were so perfect they seemed like sorcery.

Whoosh.

At the same moment, a gray shadow arrived in front of the storehouse from the opposite path.

By his unkempt clothes and appearance, he looked like a wandering mercenary swordsman.

At his waist hung a strangely glinting dagger.

“Hmm. I definitely felt an intense ripple of energy.” The mercenary tilted his head, scanned the area, then entered the open storehouse.

“Who did this?!” With a thunderous roar he stormed back out.

Shuk!

Suddenly, a black figure rose from the ground like a shadow given form and appeared before the storehouse.

From shoes to robes to mask—everything was pitch black, covered in strange patterns.

“Was it you who did this?”

At the mercenary’s question, the masked figure tilted his head.

[Strange.]

The voice was high and grating like a crow’s, yet seemed to echo from deep underground.

[I sensed quite a powerful aura, yet you still cannot manifest it?]

The masked man’s gaze was fixed not on the mercenary’s face, but on the small dagger at his waist.

‘An Emissary of the Three Realms.’

Hidden nearby, Bu Eunseol knew instantly from the voice. Not from the Infinite Realm or the Clear River Realm, but a new envoy from the third realm that had never shown itself until now.

The clothing, the patterns—everything differed greatly from the previous envoys.

The aura radiating from him was also incomparably superior.

Grit.

Bu Eunseol forcibly suppressed his rage and killing intent.

He wanted nothing more than to tear apart this murderer of innocents, but he needed to understand the situation first.

“I asked if you killed the villagers.”

[Hmm.]

Even when asked again, the masked man offered no reply. After a long pause, as though lost in thought, he finally spoke.

[Yes.]

At that blunt admission, the mercenary bellowed.

“An irredeemable murderer!” He flicked his sleeve, and a streak of light shot toward the masked man’s throat.

True to a mercenary’s style, he had launched a lightning-fast hidden dagger the instant an opening appeared.

‘Incredible hidden-weapon technique.’ Bu Eunseol inwardly marveled.

It lacked the exquisite precision of the Boundless Master’s Thousand-Sorrow Hidden Daggers, but in pure speed it was actually a notch higher.

Flash!

The streak of light tore through the air and buried itself in the masked man’s throat.

Clack.

Yet the dagger vanished in an instant—now pinched between the masked man’s two fingers.

[Heh… so this is how the Extreme Darkness Demonic Sword’s power is used.]

Crack.

He casually snapped the projectile and stepped toward the mercenary.

[Iron Palm Wanderer, Wang Cheol.]

Shockingly, the masked envoy had seen through the mercenary’s identity at a glance.

The man who wandered without a fixed abode, who had mastered the Nine Yin Iron Palm and fought the martial world’s experts with nothing but his bare hands—Wang Cheol.

[How was it? Was this Realm’s sword to your liking?]

As Bu Eunseol had suspected, the masked man was indeed an Emissary of the Three Realms.

“This Realm?” Wang Cheol frowned. “What do you mean by ‘this Realm’?”

Receiving no answer, Wang Cheol spoke solemnly. “You seem to be from some demonic cult. Why did you slaughter the villagers?”

The envoy waved his hand as though bored.

[Enough pointless talk. Time is precious.] He narrowed his eyes at Wang Cheol. [From the energy you briefly manifested, you possess considerable potential…]

After a moment of deep thought, he nodded. [Very well. This envoy will make an exception and explain.]

“Spare me the nonsense.” Wang Cheol drew the sword at his waist as though the words were unworthy of hearing.

A chilling frost spread in all directions, and razor-sharp killing intent poured from his body.

Yet the Emissary continued nonchalantly.

[Did you think you simply lucked into finding that demonic sword?]

“What are you saying?”

[That demonic sword can only be wielded by those with the Void Spirit Physique. It reacts solely to the energy of the Void Spirit Physique.]

Void Spirit Physique—also called the Sacred Lower Physique—was a perfect harmony of True Yin and True Yang within the body.

Men with it were strong yet refined; women were intelligent yet resilient. Possessors of this physique were said to excel outstandingly in any field.

Wang Cheol listened silently, then nodded.

“Then you deliberately scattered these swords?”

[Correct. And demonic swords resonate when near one another, so their wielders can find each other. You will have to roam diligently.]

A strange light flickered in the masked man’s eyes.

[I have rather high hopes for you.]

Wang Cheol stroked his unkempt beard and frowned. 

“You want those who bear demonic swords to kill one another.”

[Precisely.] The Emissary nodded with satisfaction. [Travel the martial world and fight every bearer of a demonic sword you find.]

“I refuse.” 

Wang Cheol replied coldly.

“I have no intention of being a puppet for some unknown power, nor of murdering without cause.”

Though a mercenary, he was known as a righteous wanderer who upheld justice.

But the Emissary merely sneered. 

[Heh heh heh. That is not for you to decide.] He curved his eyes into crescents. [Once you grasp a demonic sword, the Void Spirit Energy awakens whether you wish it or not. Soon you will understand what that sword truly means.]

Listening in secret, Bu Eunseol finally pieced together the puzzle that had long plagued him regarding the Heaven Human Cult.

‘So the Three Realms were behind the Sword Tomb incident orchestrated by the Heaven-Human Cult.’

The cult’s ability to build a tomb filled with extraordinary demonic swords, to murder martial artists and awaken those blades, to prepare for so long against the Martial Alliance—all of it had been possible because the Three Realms stood behind them.

‘Then was Silent Tiger Soul also deliberately planted by the Three Realms?’

Silent Tiger Soul had been hidden in the Heaven-Human Cult’s Sword Tomb, and even the Demonic Sword Master had judged it a demonic sword.

Yet its true nature was a Black Divine Artifact containing the essence of both divine and demonic blades.

‘No one would intentionally bury such a priceless sword in a tomb.’

Had the Three Realms mistaken it for an ordinary demonic sword and planted it?

Or had they known exactly what it was?

‘But I do not possess the Void Spirit Physique.’

The Three Realms sought those with the Void Spirit Physique. Yet Bu Eunseol had been born with no such constitution. How, then, had he awakened Silent Tiger Soul’s powers?

‘It must have been the Thunder Spirit Energy after all.’

Thunder Spirit Energy was a natural force existing throughout heaven and earth. It shared a similar essence with the harmonious Void Spirit Energy of Yin and Yang.

[One last thing.] Despite his icy gaze, the Emissary’s tone was almost gentle.

[If you survive to the end among those who wield demonic swords, you will gain the power to rule the martial world.]

Wang Cheol’s eyes shook violently.

No matter what the envoy said next, he had intended to strike instantly and punish the slaughterer of innocents.

But now the man claimed they had deliberately scattered demonic swords across the martial world, and that through combat among their bearers, one could obtain the power to dominate the martial world.

“Power to rule the martial world…” Wang Cheol drew a deep breath.

Martial Sovereign—the ultimate glory every warrior dreamed of.

‘It is no lie.’

Ever since obtaining the Extreme Darkness Demonic Sword, Wang Cheol’s martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds thanks to its power; he feared no one.

Yet this eerie masked man’s aura far surpassed his own.

That alone proved the envoy was no mere lackey of some minor faction.

“Even if a bearer dies, the demonic sword remains. Does that mean the fighting must continue eternally?”

At Wang Cheol’s sharp question, the envoy smirked.

[That will not happen.]

“Why not?”

[Do not worry. You will understand when the time comes.]

As the envoy turned to leave, Wang Cheol shouted.

“Wait! One more thing—how exactly does the last survivor gain the power to rule the martial world?”

For the first time, Wang Cheol’s voice—until now cold and firm—became desperate and soft.

In the end, he had succumbed to the devilish envoy’s sweet temptation.

[Hmm.] The Emissary paused, considered, then nodded. [Very well. I shall tell you.]

He spoke in a secretive whisper.

[If you are the last one standing, you may become this Realm’s ‘Sword.’]

“Sword?”

[Heh heh heh. Think of it as… successor.]

Boom.

In Bu Eunseol’s mind, hidden nearby, a thunderclap seemed to explode.

So the reason they scattered demonic swords in the tomb was to select a successor for their realm?

[Who’s there!]

‘Damn.’

The Emissary instantly thrust his hand toward the tree where Bu Eunseol hid.

A terrifying surge of force erupted, melting every branch in an instant.

Crunch.

Bu Eunseol spun mid-air and landed on the ground, face wrapped in cloth. Fortunately, he was dressed as a mercenary—his identity remained concealed.

[Who are you?]

At the Emissary’s question, Bu Eunseol answered in a hoarse voice. 

“None of your concern.”

[Hmph.]

Rrrrrr.

The air suddenly turned into a vacuum and an intense energy gathered at the envoy’s fingertips.

A strange suction sound echoed as though the atmosphere itself were being inhaled, and a transparent force condensed at his hand.

BOOM!

It shot straight toward Bu Eunseol’s chest.

The strike carried the Heaven-Collapsing Force capable of shattering Mount Tai itself, and neither its speed nor timing could be predicted.

‘Tch.’

Bu Eunseol inwardly cursed.

Somehow, the finger wind had already reached his Jeonjung acupoint.