The Great Heavenly Demon Sovereign – Chapter 706

Tae Muryong clenched his fist with a resolute expression.

“I will stake my life on it and track down his movements without fail.”

Finding the culprit among the Seven Great Commanders.

That was the very reason Bu Eunseol had come to the Martial Alliance—and the goal the Supreme Corps must absolutely accomplish.

“And Adjutant Jeong, go to the Bo-gyeong Prefecture Martial Alliance branch and gather every martial artist there.”

Though Jeong Jongdo had been appointed as the Vice-Pavilion Lord overseeing all martial artists of the Secret Intelligence Division, Bu Eunseol still called him “Adjutant.”

Because this was still the Supreme Corps.

Until the day they left the Martial Alliance, that name and that status… would never change.

“Bo-gyeong Prefecture, you mean…” Jeong Jongdo blinked and said, “You intend to cut away the rotten branches that have grown deep within our Alliance.”

The secret organizations registered within Mankyeong Hall alone were already this numerous.

The secret organizations directly under the Alliance Leader or the Council of Elders had yet to be fully identified.

Even Gongsun Dankyung was operating her own secret organizations, wasn’t she?

Jeong Jongdo believed Bu Eunseol intended to uproot every hidden organization within the Martial Alliance.

“No, the Martial Alliance can wait.”

A faint smile curved Bu Eunseol’s lips.

“The side we must prune first is the demonic side.”

“You mean Majeon?”

“Yes.”

“In that case…”

“I intend to cut down Majeon’s ultra-secret combat units one by one. Preferably those directly under the Demon Emperor or the Chief Instructor.”

A cold sneer played across Bu Eunseol’s mouth.

Now that he had become Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division Lord of the Martial Alliance, he could finally do what he had been unable to do while operating solely as the Martial Soul Command Lord: systematically dismantle Majeon’s secret organizations one after another.

Southern Dream Pavilion.

A renowned apothecary with branches scattered throughout the Central Plains, primarily selling expensive medicinal herbs to preserve the health of noblewomen or to nourish frail children.

Murmur, murmur.

As dusk fell, the shop assistants of Southern Dream Pavilion slowly began tidying the interior.

Soon the lights were extinguished and the main gate closed.

Ssssh.

When the moon rose, shadowy figures silently surrounded the place.

They were all clad in black, with grotesque swords strapped to their backs.

There were fully three hundred martial artists.

They converged around Southern Dream Pavilion, then began secretly driving stakes and placing massive stones at key points around the building, including the main gate.

Shuuu—

A pale white mist began to rise, soon growing thick enough to completely obscure the buildings of Southern Dream Pavilion.

A marvelous formation had been deployed so that not a single person inside could escape.

Sssssh.

Once the formation was complete, the martial artists vaulted over the walls and slipped inside in silence.

But something was strange.

From the wide courtyard to every corner of the interior, not a single lantern was lit; the place remained pitch black, like an abandoned ruin.

[Who goes there.]

A sinister voice suddenly echoed across the front courtyard of Southern Dream Pavilion.

[You look like righteous sect bastards. Get lost at once.]

Thud, thud.

One of the masked martial artists slowly stepped forward and surveyed the surroundings.

“Heaven and earth are silent, the sun and moon cast no light on this pitch-black path…”

He murmured in a low voice.

“Then one must practice Shen Jin Xing Zhi—cautious body and straight path. Walk carefully, follow the single road without leading.”

[How do you know the base of my formation…]

The words the martial artist muttered were the chant to break the most profound directional formation in the demonic path:

Hidden Peerless Array.

“An impressive formation, but it’s been used for so long it reeks of staleness.”

Clink.

The masked man drew several coins from his robes and scattered them across the ground.

Saaa—

As the coins aligned and caught the moonlight, the all-encompassing darkness began to recede.

At the same time, the pitch-black interior—previously empty—transformed into a scene lit by blazing torches.

Before them stood the shop assistants, eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

“They call you the Blood Trace, don’t they?” The masked man looked at them and narrowed his eyes into crescents. “One of Majeon’s secret organizations—so secret that even dissecting clothes, shoes, or bodies leaves no trace?”

In an instant, the assistants’ expressions froze into icy masks.

The Blood Trace was an ultra-secret organization unknown even to most of Majeon’s upper echelons.

How could these people possibly know their identity and nature?

“Who are you?”

At the assistant’s question, the masked man answered with perfect calm.

“Do not feel wronged.” He gave a cold smile. “Because not only here—the Blood Trace branches in Bonganbu and Eungcheonbu are being dealt with simultaneously.”

Srrrng.

Drawing the grotesque sword from his back, the masked man narrowed his eyes once more.

“So die quietly.”

***

Majeon, Solitary Light Pavilion.

Inside a hidden chamber secretly built within the administrative office, a chilling wind howled.

Three key bases of the ultra-secret combat unit Blood Trace had been annihilated in the blink of an eye.

Their existence had never once been detected by any external intelligence organization.

Moreover, their last operation had been several years ago. How could they have been completely wiped out now?

“Have you identified where the leak came from?”

At Yeop Hyocheon’s question, Gwan Mu-pyeong—the Master of the Life-Reaping Party, who oversaw the secret organizations—bowed his head.

“There are no traces of a leak.” He continued evenly. “However, several days ago, the Southern Dream Pavilion branch in Eungcheonbu reported movement by personnel from a Martial Alliance secret branch…”

“So the probability points to the Martial Alliance.”

“Yes.”

Click.

At that moment the door opened, and a martial artist from the Shadow Pavilion bowed deeply.

It was Ju Uncheon, the special messenger from the Ten Demon Battle Hall who delivered the Shadow Pavilion’s highest-level intelligence directly to the Chief Instructor.

“While no concrete evidence was found that a Martial Alliance secret unit was mobilized, it is reported that fifteen days ago—shortly after Seon Woojin became Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division Lord—he conducted an inspection of various branches.”

“Seon Woojin?”

A flash passed through Yeop Hyocheon’s eyes.

A rising star of the righteous faction: born to a merchant family, steadily accumulating merit within the Martial Alliance, ultimately defeating the Fist King and ascending to the Seven Kings and Four Gods.

From the demonic perspective, it was absurd—an unheard-of figure claiming such a throne—so Yeop Hyocheon was well familiar with the name.

“You’re saying he mobilized the assassination squads hidden in the Martial Alliance branches?”

“The probability is high.” Ju Un-cheon bowed again. “He has earned the absolute trust of the Alliance Leader and even received the Clear Heart Token. Considering the remarkable achievements he has piled up in such a short time… the chance that he discovered the Blood Trace is far from negligible.”

“A single one of this sect’s ultra-secret combat units was annihilated by that mere young pup?”

Yeop Hyocheon almost burst into incredulous laughter.

Throughout Majeon’s history, ultra-secret units had occasionally been exposed to the outside world—but never completely eradicated.

Yet now a freshly appointed young Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division Lord had not only uncovered them but wiped them out entirely?

“We will immediately investigate through which channel he detected this sect’s secret organization.”

“No need.”

A fierce glint flashed in Yeop Hyocheon’s pupils.

“It seems the time has come to send a warning to the Martial Alliance anyway.”

When rumors first spread that the Hyeok Clan Leader Hyeok Ryeon-eung had been beheaded, Majeon had shown no particular reaction.

To begin with, he wasn’t even the real Hyeok Ryeon-eung—and more importantly, he had already been branded a traitor.

Reacting to the death of such a person would have been laughable.

But this was different.

One of Majeon’s highest-level secret combat units, operated in deepest secrecy, had been utterly destroyed.

And by a greenhorn from the Martial Alliance, no less.

In such a case, it was only proper to deliver a severe warning to the Martial Alliance.

A warning so final that they could no longer engage in any martial activities—delivered through complete death.

“Young ones are always the problem.”

For a brief moment, Yeop Hyocheon’s eyes gleamed with profound depth as he recalled someone.

“Relay my order to the Amcheondae Commander.”

His voice grew infinitely sinister as he continued.

“Make sure Seon Woojin is dealt with—thoroughly.”

Amcheondae.

Among Majeon’s three great special-grade combat units, he had ordered the Amcheondae—the one specialized in assassination—to mobilize for the sole purpose of severing Seon Woojin’s head.

“Amcheondae, my lord?”

Gwan Mu-pyeong, who had been listening silently, showed a trace of surprise.

Majeon’s special-grade units were not classified merely by superior martial prowess.

They were special because they succeeded in every mission assigned—no exceptions.

Especially the Amcheondae, specialized in assassination, could take the head of even a Martial Alliance Commander-level expert by any means necessary.

The problem was that killing a figure like the Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division Lord—who enjoyed unlimited trust from the Alliance Leader—might bring consequences too grave to handle.

“Chief Instructor.”

“He must have been prepared for at least this much when he dared touch this sect’s ultra-secret combat unit.”

Madness poured from Yeop Hyocheon’s eyes as he spoke.

“Once that man dies, we shall see how the Martial Alliance reacts.”

***

Although Bu Eunseol was Majeon’s successor, he had been unable to mobilize the Shadow Pavilion—the demonic path’s foremost intelligence organization.

Because of that, he had never been able to fully escape the surveillance of the Three Realms, the Demon Emperor, or the Chief Instructor.

But once the intelligence network he had personally cultivated—the Death Spirit Corps—merged with the Supreme Corps’s network within the Martial Alliance, he finally gained power comparable to the Shadow Pavilion.

And at last, he located one of Majeon’s secret organizations: the ultra-secret combat unit under the Chief Instructor—‘Blood Trace.’

Then Bu Eunseol mobilized the assassination squads from various Martial Alliance branches and eradicated them completely.

Having finished everything, he was now returning to the Martial Alliance under the identity of Seon Woojin.

Upon reaching the border of Hubei, he disembarked from the carriage and used qinggong to hurry back toward Henan.

Fwoosh.

Gazing at the deepening twilight sky as he swiftly executed his movement technique, Bu Eunseol’s expression grew somewhat dark—like the dimming glow of sunset.

While dealing with the Blood Trace, he had discovered a shocking truth.

‘The attack on Lady Dan was carried out on the Chief Instructor’s orders.’

In the past, while serving as Number Eighteen of the Nine Deaths Squad, Bu Eunseol had once been assigned to guard Dan So-ok. Suddenly they were ambushed by assassins of unknown affiliation and he barely managed to repel them.

Even with Majeon’s intelligence capabilities, the organization behind those assassins could not be identified but the assassins who had attacked Dan So-ok at that time were none other than the Blood Trace.

‘Does that mean the Chief Instructor and the Three Realms formed an alliance?’

The leader of the assassins who struck Dan So-ok had used the Namgung family’s heavy sword secret technique.

For the Three Realms, stealing and mastering the secret arts of the Eight Great Families was not impossible.

Thus Bu Eunseol had assumed they were all assassins from the Three Realms.

‘Could it be that…’

In the past, an elder—who had incited the Namgung family rebellion—had taught Namgung Pung a sword art strikingly similar to the one used by the culprit who killed his grandfather.

If so, did that mean the Chief Instructor was also a member of the Three Realms—and connected to the elder, the planted agent within the Namgung family?

‘No, the Chief Instructor is not a member of the Three Realms.’

The probability that the Chief Instructor—who handled most of Majeon’s affairs in place of the Demon Emperor—was part of the Three Realms was effectively zero.

Rather, the truth was likely that he had formed a temporary alliance with the Three Realms.

‘But why?’

Deputy Sect Leader Dan Wolhon was a loyal man who had never once abused his power.

His relationship with the Chief Instructor was not particularly bad either.

So why would the Chief Instructor orchestrate such an incident to kidnap Dan So-ok?

Perhaps the Chief Instructor simply disliked the fact that Dan Wolhon commanded more than half of Majeon’s military forces?

Or—if not that—perhaps he had manipulated events so that, after the attack on Dan So-ok, Dan Wolhon would be led to wipe out the assassin sect wrongly blamed at the time?

‘The latter seems more likely.’

Indeed, when Dan So-ok was attacked, Dan Wolhon had not only eradicated the assassin sects implicated, but also used the opportunity to eliminate several other sects that had long irritated him.

‘But why go so far as to join hands with the Three Realms to orchestrate such a thing?’

For a fleeting moment, a strange thought crossed Bu Eunseol’s mind.

‘Could he have been testing the Demon Emperor?’

The Demon Emperor avoided direct commands as much as possible, always observing events from afar as though he were a god.

‘To strike at the emptiness of the Demon Emperor, who views everything as a mere game.’

Perhaps the Chief Instructor—treating all humans as chess pieces and manipulating the grand board at will—had, in alliance with the Three Realms, decided to test the Demon Emperor just once?

‘It is possible.’

After all, the Chief Instructor was a man whose power had ultimately been castrated by the Demon Emperor.

Moreover, during their previous private audience, Bu Eunseol had confirmed that he was not someone who perfectly aligned with the Demon Emperor’s will.

If so… perhaps the Chief Instructor, too, was struggling to break free from the Demon Emperor’s grasp.

‘In the end, entering the Martial Alliance was the best choice.’

As a result of entering the Martial Alliance, he had gained control of the supreme intelligence unit spanning both righteous and demonic paths.

‘If I had remained only in Majeon… I would still be nothing more than a puppet manipulated by them.’

If he had stayed solely within Majeon?

If he had not created a dual identity and risen to a senior position in the Martial Alliance?

He would have lived his entire life never truly understanding the reality of either Majeon or the Martial Alliance.

‘That both coalitions operate shadow forces.’

Until now he had merely enjoyed the sweet title of Martial Soul Command Lord, while knowing nothing at all about the true nature of Majeon despite being its successor.

‘From the beginning, the Shadow Pavilion would never have been usable for life.’

Majeon’s highest intelligence organization, the Shadow Pavilion, moved only according to the Demon Emperor’s will and provided complete information only up to the Chief Instructor.

In hindsight, that was utterly absurd.

No matter how much the demonic path operated on the logic of power, no matter how absolute the Demon Emperor’s authority, to withhold information from Majeon’s successor—the future ruler of Majeon—was simply nonsensical.

‘From the inside, I will tear it apart.’

Having crushed the Blood Trace, Bu Eunseol made a firm resolution.

With the power of the Martial Alliance, he would expose the true face of Majeon.

With the power of Majeon, he would lay bare the true face of the Martial Alliance.

Puff, puff.

But a strange sensation crept in.

It felt as though mist was rising from somewhere, and the air within several hundred jang around him had grown as heavy as lead.

Whirr.

Sensing the anomaly, Bu Eunseol doubled his movement technique and veered toward Seongdo.

He was currently traveling alone in secret without any escort force, so he intended to return to Seongdo, gather guards, and then continue.

Pa! Tak.

Repeating leaps and gliding steps, he rushed forward swiftly—but the air grew heavier and heavier, like iron.

Before long his legs became so leaden he could no longer execute qinggong, and his chest felt suffocated, unable to draw breath.

Thud.

Finally he halted his movement technique and stopped in a quiet reed field.

Shuuk!

As though they had been waiting, dozens of black shadows erupted from the ground around the reed field.

They wore black martial robes and grotesque iron masks that covered nose and mouth.

The eyes behind the masks burned red, like demons risen from hell.

‘Amcheondae.’

Majeon’s special-grade combat unit—the assassination corps said to have never once failed a mission.

The Amcheondae had appeared before Bu Eunseol.

‘They deployed a formation while pursuing me at high speed…’

The Amcheondae had moved at ultra-high speed to keep pace with Bu Eunseol while simultaneously weaving a formation that instantly completed the encirclement.

Thud, thud.

At that moment, Amcheondae Commander Hui Mussang stepped forward.

As he approached, the already heavy air seemed to crush his entire body and nausea rose in his throat.

At the same time, the veins across his body began turning black, and his head started spinning.

‘Poison.’

Hummm.

Bu Eunseol raised his internal energy to burn away the invading toxin.

Yet no poison could be detected within his body. Nevertheless, the symptoms of poisoning grew steadily worse.

‘Heart Poison.’

Incredibly, the Amcheondae was unleashing Heart Poison—a toxin that could only be manifested by one who had perfected the Poison Saint Body—by combining it with a bizarre great method that fused their internal energies.

‘This will serve as a sure means.’

Heart Poison could not be blocked by internal energy; it struck the spirit directly, inducing poisoning symptoms. Moreover, because it operated on an entirely different principle from hallucinations or illusions, even one who had achieved Spirit Regulation Harmony could not defend against Heart Poison.

‘Even my internal energy is being affected.’

Struck by Heart Poison, Bu Eunseol’s internal energy dropped by roughly a third.

Furthermore, as the poisoning symptoms intensified, his movements slowed and all manner of distracting thoughts began to cloud his mind.

“Confirmed.”

Hui Mussang examined Bu Eunseol’s disguised appearance as Seon Woojin, then nodded without another word.

“Kill.”

There was no customary greeting, no announcement of impending death.

Slaaash!

At the command to kill, the Amcheondae drew their swords as one and unleashed lethal killing forms.

Screee!

As sharp sword qi grazed his cheek, Bu Eunseol executed qinggong to evade the pouring onslaught.

‘Fascinating.’

Even as Majeon’s successor, he had never been privy to the training methods or techniques of the special-grade units.

At best, he had heard from Seo Jinha—when he was in the Cheonsal—that they employed a unique sword formation capable of striking the spirit.

Yet the Amcheondae was blending bizarre formations with Heart Poison to attack both the enemy’s spirit and body simultaneously.

‘Hmm.’

In the midst of crisis, Bu Eunseol instead felt interest and curiosity.

Because of who he was, he had never once crossed blades with Majeon’s forces in a true life-or-death struggle.

Now, facing one of Majeon’s representative special-grade units, he felt an unexpectedly fresh sensation.

Srrrng.

At last Bu Eunseol drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword and unfolded the Thirteen Iron Sword Forms.

His swordsmanship had reached such a profound level that even ordinary techniques carried devastating power.

“…!”

Despite his diminished internal energy and the effects of Heart Poison, the Amcheondae members were visibly shaken to see him calmly deploying sword techniques to block their attacks.

Sla-sla-sla-sla!

The Amcheondae switched forms again.

At first the swordplay seemed to carry little force, yet the moment it touched Bu Eunseol’s body, the qi split into three or four strands.

Those strands moved not swiftly but with languid grace.

Yet each carried ferocious internal force—so potent that even a graze would melt meridians.

Bu Eunseol watched the sword qi flutter toward him like falling leaves from front, back, left, and right.

Then suddenly he hurled the Silent Tiger Soul Sword high above his head.

Shuuuk!

In that instant, every Amcheondae member’s gaze snapped upward simultaneously.

It was the briefest of moments, yet for Bu Eunseol it was long enough to cross dozens of jang.

Kwaaaang!

A mass of air currents burst from Bu Eunseol’s fingertips and instantly condensed into a single point.

Flash!

With a light flick of his finger, a single line shot forth,

BOOM!

With an explosive sound, more than ten Amcheondae members were hurled dozens of jang away.

It was the Finger Bullet Shot—compressing immense internal energy—disguised as the Inner Bullet Qi technique of the Bullet King Bukgung Ryeong.

“Keuk.”

Groans escaped as blood trickled from the mouths of those struck by the Finger Bullet Shot.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Firing Finger Bullet Shot in rapid succession, not only the Amcheondae members but nearby trees were split in two, and shattered boulders sent dust and stone fragments scattering in all directions.

Until now Bu Eunseol had deliberately refrained from using martial arts that relied on overwhelming internal energy.

Because various factions—including the Three Realms—continually employed methods to weaken internal energy, he had concluded that superiority in raw internal energy held little meaning.

In truth, Bu Eunseol had always preferred to rely on the subtle principles of martial arts rather than brute internal force.

So why was he now repeatedly mimicking Bukgung Ryeong’s Inner Qi?

Was it to make absolutely certain—through this battle—that Majeon understood he could freely wield Bukgung Ryeong’s supreme energy, the Inner Bullet Qi?

‘If it’s the Amcheondae, so much the better.’

Bloodlust flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.

Now was the time to put into motion—consecutively—the plan he had postponed for a while.

One that would cause an earth-shaking shift across the entire martial world.