Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: The Demonic Heavenly Emperor
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When Bu Eun-seol arrived before the Sacred Demonic Pavilion, the massive, thirty-foot-high doors opened on their own.
*Kuuuuung.*
A grating sound, like the low growl of a beast, echoed out, as if from the heavy iron.
Bu Eun-seol, mesmerized by the inky darkness, slowly stepped inside.
A magnificent interior, seemingly over a hundred feet high, came into view.
The floor was paved with stones that held a bluish hue, and round pillars supporting the structure were placed throughout.
The ceiling was densely embedded with Seven-Colored Night-Luminous Pearls, brightly illuminating the interior.
At the far end of the great hall stood a high altar, and upon it, a towering shadow could be seen.
Despite the soft light from the pearls brightening the hall, a strange darkness lingered over the altar.
And the shadow standing there.
Its form felt like a projection of his own self, standing tall within an abyss.
The deep shadows made it impossible to see the face clearly, but Bu Eun-seol instantly knew the shadow's identity.
The Ma-cheon-je, Sado Mu-myeong.
The greatest demonic artist of the era and master of the Demonic Palace, who ruled over half the world alongside the Murim Alliance.
That great titan was standing before him.
*‘Is the Ma-cheon-je alone?’*
Bu Eun-seol found it strange.
He had expected that upon entering the Sacred Demonic Pavilion, the Ma-cheon-je would be seated on the Grand Master's Chair, looking down upon those below...
And that at the foot of the hall, all the leaders and heads of various organizations under him would naturally be bowing their heads.
But contrary to his expectations, the Ma-cheon-je filled this vast hall all by himself.
“The disciple of Nang-ya-gak…”
Bu Eun-seol tried to bow his head to the Ma-cheon-je to show his respects.
But after uttering the word “disciple,” he found he could not speak further.
“Bu Eun-seol…”
As he forced his mouth open once more, white teeth were revealed from within the Ma-cheon-je’s shadow.
“Quite impressive.”
What did he mean by impressive?
As Bu Eun-seol tried to force his mouth open again, the Ma-cheon-je turned.
“Follow me.”
It was an irresistible command.
*Thud, thud.*
As if possessed, Bu Eun-seol ascended the altar and followed the Ma-cheon-je’s shadow out of the great hall.
After passing through a long corridor, the west gate of the Sacred Demonic Pavilion came into view. Stepping outside, he was met with an unexpected sight.
*‘A field?’*
Surprisingly, a vegetable garden was cultivated outside the west gate.
And in its center, a small pavilion had been built, a place to sit comfortably and enjoy the view.
*Ssk.*
The Ma-cheon-je, who had been looking up at the sunlight, slowly turned toward Bu Eun-seol.
Finally, Bu Eun-seol could see the Ma-cheon-je’s appearance, fully revealed under the sunlight.
“...!”
Their eyes met, and Bu Eun-seol’s widened.
At the same time, he felt a strange resonance in his chest.
The Ma-cheon-je he had imagined was an absolute ruler, heartless and with a spirit as imposing as a great mountain.
But the appearance of the greatest demonic artist revealed under the sun was…
that of an ordinary old man, the kind one might easily see in any village.
“The disciple of Nang-ya-gak…”
Hastily regaining his composure, Bu Eun-seol bowed his head and paid his respects politely.
“Bu Eun-seol greets the Ma-cheon-je.”
He then raised his head and looked at the Ma-cheon-je again.
*Kuuung.*
Once again, that strange resonance echoed in his chest.
A moment ago, the man standing before him was an ordinary, elderly man.
But now, what stood before Bu Eun-seol was a monster in human skin, no… an unknown, unknowable being.
*‘Am I seeing an illusion?’*
As he blinked several times, the Ma-cheon-je before him suddenly transformed into hundreds of different forms.
At times, he was an ordinary old man; at others, an absolute ruler who overwhelmed all.
Then he would appear as a divine hermit exuding a serene aura, but with another blink, the leader of all the world’s demons stood before him.
*Gulp.*
A gush of blood surged from deep within his stomach up to his throat.
He had suffered a deep internal injury just by meeting the Ma-cheon-je’s gaze.
*‘This… This isn’t an internal injury caused by aura or internal energy.’*
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip hard to hold onto his fading consciousness.
*‘I must fortify my spirit. Otherwise, I will suffer an irreversible internal injury.’*
Bu Eun-seol focused his mind to drive out the distracting thoughts invading his head.
“Huhuhu.”
The Ma-cheon-je let out a low laugh.
“Not only your internal energy, but your spiritual cultivation is also considerable.”
And his steady gaze once again swept lightly over Bu Eun-seol’s body.
Though it was just a glance, it felt as if not only his body but also his mind had been completely seized, every corner of his being laid bare.
*‘This is the Limitless Realm…’*
The Limitless Realm, said to be beyond the Heavenly Apex Realm, the very limit of martial arts. The Ma-cheon-je, known to have reached its edge.
That state was a level Bu Eun-seol could not dare to fathom.
*‘If one reaches the Limitless Realm, can they embrace everything under the heavens?’*
From the Ma-cheon-je who rules the demonic world to the aura of a peasant living in a remote mountain village.
The being before him possessed everything a human could manifest and encompassed all facets of humanity.
*‘If I reach the sixth stage of the Reverse Polarity Divine Art… no, the seventh stage, could I also project such an aura?’*
The Ma-cheon-je, watching Bu Eun-seol lost in thought, spoke.
“It seems you’ve had an epiphany from seeing me.”
“Yes.”
“And what is that?”
“That upon reaching the Limitless Realm, one can embrace and contain all phenomena and truths.”
“Huhuhu.”
The Ma-cheon-je looked pleased but shook his head.
“That is merely the realm I have achieved, not a phenomenon displayed within the framework of the Limitless Realm.”
“...”
“Foolish martial artists divide the realms of martial arts and become bound by them. If you wish to reign above all, you must not climb the stairs built by others.”
“Built by others…”
“That’s right.”
A flash of lightning streaked through the Ma-cheon-je’s eyes.
“You must first destroy everything created by others. Even the boundaries and doctrines written in divine arts and ultimate techniques.”
In that moment, Bu Eun-seol felt the hair on his head stand on end.
*‘He even saw into my heart?’*
The Ma-cheon-je had grasped even the questions about martial arts that Bu Eun-seol had long harbored.
*Thump, thump.*
His heart began to pound uncontrollably.
The Ma-cheon-je.
In Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, he was not human. He felt more like a vague, indefinable existence that transcended humanity.
That was why the ruler of the demonic path was not called by his name, Sado Mu-myeong… but as the Ma-cheon-je.
“But it is impressive.”
Looking at the astonished Bu Eun-seol, the Ma-cheon-je smiled faintly.
“To be able to vaguely grasp my realm at your age. That is no easy feat.”
Then he muttered as if to himself.
“Ak Mu-nyeong. From his perspective, this must be rather galling.”
Ak Mu-nyeong.
That was the name of the Nang-ya-gak’s master.
But why would the master suddenly find it galling?
Unable to immediately understand the Ma-cheon-je’s words, Bu Eun-seol mulled them over for a while.
*‘I see. He said he entered seclusion with the Ma-cheon-je.’*
According to Dang Cheong, the Ma-cheon-je and the Nang-ya-gak master had dueled, and due to their injuries, the two supreme masters entered seclusion at the same time.
But the Nang-ya-gak master had not yet emerged, while the Ma-cheon-je had already finished his seclusion…
This proved that the Nang-ya-gak master’s martial arts still could not match the Ma-cheon-je’s.
*‘But why would that be a galling situation for the master?’*
As Bu Eun-seol’s pupils wavered, the Ma-cheon-je spoke as if to resolve his curiosity.
“If he weren’t in seclusion, he would never have sent a disciple of Nang-ya-gak as a candidate for the Demonic Palace’s succession.”
The Ma-cheon-je smiled, revealing teeth as flawless as a beauty's.
“Because he is the only one I can call my rival.”
Only then did Bu Eun-seol understand the meaning behind the Ma-cheon-je’s words.
Regardless of the process, the result was that he had used his authority to bring his rival’s disciple to the Demonic Palace…
From the Ma-cheon-je’s perspective, he might feel a sense of inner satisfaction.
“I have heard all about your journey to the main palace. Indeed, you were as reckless and bold as a disciple of Nang-ya-gak should be.”
Though his words were such, his voice carried a tone of praise.
“After finishing my seclusion and returning to the Sacred Demonic Pavilion, I personally saw the successors of the Ten Demonic Sects and the exceptional talents recommended by the Hall of Elders.”
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
“Among them, you are by far the most unique.”
With a deep sigh, the Ma-cheon-je spoke as if to himself.
“A successor candidate with no interest in the succession…”
Bu Eun-seol was greatly surprised but did not show it, carefully opening his mouth.
“How did you know?”
“The ones who stand before me all show intense desires for success, status, power… many things. But you, like a high monk cultivating the Dao, crave nothing.”
The Ma-cheon-je showed a serene smile.
“If you don’t even want to be my successor, why did you come to the main palace?”
“I came to challenge a new destiny.”
“A new destiny.”
The Ma-cheon-je wore a peculiar smile.
As if he had seen through Bu Eun-seol’s desire not for status… but to become limitlessly strong.
“Perhaps you are the talent that fits what I desire.”
“I do not understand what you mean.”
“Here, look. At this Demonic Palace.”
The Ma-cheon-je pointed to the scenery of the Demonic Palace spread out behind the Sacred Demonic Pavilion.
“This vast place is a coalition united not by master-disciple relationships, but for power. And a place where various desires are mixed is inevitably bound to rot.”
He said calmly.
“Knowing that well, I implemented the Sip-ma-jeon-in plan.”
Bu Eun-seol remained silent.
The Sip-ma-jeon-in plan was to create pawns on a board, necessary for the power struggle between the demonic and orthodox sects.
In other words, they were nothing more than disposable pawns.
“Huhuhu. Were you dissatisfied with that?”
The Ma-cheon-je said calmly.
“Human life is generally like that. It seems as if one moves by their own will. But… if you look closely, are they not just playing as pawns of destiny?”
Bu Eun-seol didn’t even need to express his inner thoughts.
As if performing mind-reading, the Ma-cheon-je was thoroughly reading his mind.
“I became the master of the Demonic Palace to defy destiny. But looking back, that too could be called destiny.”
After muttering those inscrutable words, he continued.
“I will ask again. Do you wish to succeed me and lead the main palace in the future?”
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol bowed his head.
“Yes.”
“But as you are now, you are not qualified to be the successor.”
Such an unexpected response made Bu Eun-seol’s eyes widen.
“You are the successor of Nang-ya-gak, the one with the least power among the Ten Demonic Sects. On top of that, your relationship with the White Demon Temple and Hell Blood Fortress is not good.”
The Ma-cheon-je stared intently at Bu Eun-seol.
“The position of master of the Demonic Palace fundamentally requires the ability to embrace all of the Ten Demonic Sects.”
When he thought about it, it was a perfectly natural thing to say.
The Ten Demonic Sects, the ten pillars that support the demonic path and the core forces that make up the Demonic Palace.
Without their support, the position of successor to the Demonic Palace was one he could not dare to ascend to.
“Nevertheless, do you know why I summoned you to the main palace?”
After a moment of thought, Bu Eun-seol answered politely.
“Excluding such qualifications… I believe you summoned me to personally confirm if I have potential as a successor.”
“Correct. Uniting the Ten Demonic Sects is a problem that can be resolved later. First, I wanted to confirm your disposition.”
“...”
“If you had come to the main palace leading Nang-ya-gak’s forces, or if you had shown any sign of avoiding the flood of enemies… I would not have allowed you into the main palace.”
The Ma-cheon-je smiled faintly.
“But even in a disadvantageous situation, you did not avoid the enemy at all and showed an aura that could cover the heavens. That is an important quality for leading the one million demonic cultivators.”
And he continued calmly.
“Without such a disposition, no matter how outstanding one’s martial arts are, they cannot become the successor of the main palace.”
The Ma-cheon-je’s tone grew progressively softer, as if he were telling a story to his grandson.
“Therefore… I will give you the opportunity to become a candidate for the succession of the main palace.”
“Thank you.”
“There is nothing to thank me for. For someone like you with no foundation to gain power as a successor, you will have to walk a path more difficult and full of hardships than others.”
Staring intently at Bu Eun-seol, the Ma-cheon-je spoke again.
“Do you know what you must do from now on?”
Bu Eun-seol, who had experienced the succession battle of the Sa-cheon-dang-ga with Dang Gon.
He knew well that to become the successor of any sect, one needed the support of the existing factions above all else.
“I must gather factions to support me as the successor.”
“Correct. To do that, you must first seek out the places among the Ten Demonic Sects that are unrelated to the succession.”
“Are you referring to Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji?”
Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji.
It is a place where the great demons who once shook heaven and earth live in seclusion.
Their unique demonic arts are stored in Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji, and in return, the rest of their lives are guaranteed there.
Therefore, for great demons who could not become sect elders or had no heirs, it was a place with no other choice.
“That’s right. Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji is a place where demonic cultivators spend the rest of their lives. Although it is one of the Ten Demonic Sects, it extremely refrains from Murim activities.”
The Ma-cheon-je said.
“In addition, Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong is also unrelated to the succession. Because they are a sect of women.”
Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong.
It is a renowned house of great demonic arts such as the Soul-Seizing Great Art, Sound Art, and the art of Plucking Yang to Supplement Yin.
However, due to its nature as a women's sect, it extremely suppresses its activities in the Murim and manipulates Murim factions from the shadows. Therefore, under the Demonic Palace's protection, it merely holds the title of one of the Ten Demonic Sects.
“Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji and Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong. Although these two are part of the Ten Demonic Sects, they are ultimately neutral places. You must gain the support of these two.”
The Ma-cheon-je said with a solemn expression.
“We will discuss matters of the succession after that.”
There was no demonic cultivator who would refuse the Ma-cheon-je’s stern command.
Bu Eun-seol immediately bowed his head and cupped his hands.
“Understood.”
“Go.”
It was a brief dismissal.
Bu Eun-seol bowed deeply. Then he politely turned, passed through the field, and left the Sacred Demonic Pavilion.
“Heo.”
Watching Bu Eun-seol’s retreating back, the Ma-cheon-je’s eyes narrowed.
“A natural-born demonic cultivator with immense killing intent. Yet he also shows the disposition of a righteous hero… hmm.”
A peculiar light flickered in the Ma-cheon-je’s eyes.
“Indeed… I see.”
It was a look that could be seen not from the great master who rules the demonic path, but from a single human being.