‘A mere elder using the ultimate secret technique of the Yeolha Holy Palace…’
Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide his astonishment. Not only did swallowing the core instantly boost his power, but he produced the Yeolha Ionized Sword, a technique thought lost long ago?
‘He’s not just a fugitive who stole the Fire Ring Crystal.’
“Die!” With a battle cry, Gwang Yangja wildly moved his palms, and the floating Yeolha Ionized Sword shot toward Bu Eunseol.
‘I can’t clash with it.’
Though similar to sword-control techniques, the Yeolha Ionized Sword could melt anything it touched like taffy. Moreover, striking it could cause an explosion capable of devastating the area.
A reckless counterattack could engulf Bu Eunseol in flames.
‘I’ll face it with the Heavenly Glacial Secret.’
Crack.
Pushing the Heavenly Glacial Secret to its limit, frost covered his hair, and blue light flashed in his eyes.
Whoosh!
A freezing cold burst from his left palm, capable of icing the heavens.
Hiss!
White steam spread as the fiercely advancing Yeolha Ionized Sword evaporated instantly.
“Argh!” With a scream-like cry, Gwang Yangja produced another small flame in his palms.
Hum!
A low vibration echoed, and two beams of light shot up. Two Yeolha Ionized Swords formed above his palms.
“Die!”
Whoosh!
With a sharp sound, the two swords shot forward.
Clang, clang, clang!
Transparent ice crystals formed around Bu Eunseol, instantly scattering toward the swords.
Swish, swish, swish!
As countless ice crystals poured out, the Yeolha Ionized Swords, capable of melting anything and exploding on impact, began to freeze.
Thud.
The two swords, now ice blocks, fell to the ground.
“The Glacier Emperor… the Heavenly Glacial Secret Technique?” Gwang Yangja’s eyes widened.
Only then did he realize Bu Eunseol’s ice technique was the Heavenly Glacial Secret, the pinnacle of Extreme Yin martial arts, mastered by the Glacier Emperor.
“How could you wield a technique even the North Sea Ice Palace Lord couldn’t master?”
“No need for you to know.” Bu Eunseol glanced at the cold energy swirling in his hand. “Surrender quietly.”
“Surrender?” Black flames seemed to flicker in Gwang Yangja’s eyes.
Rustle.
He reached into his robes, swallowing a handful of inner cores. Consuming a handful of artificial inner cores, each capable of pushing one beyond the peak realm—
Boom!
A heat capable of melting iron poured from his body.
Zing!
As he extended his palms, twenty Yeolha Ionized Swords formed around him.
‘Dangerous.’ A chilling glint flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Creating twenty Yeolha Ionized Swords with a human body?
‘Can I block this?’
Such a technique transcended the limits of inner energy. If he couldn’t block them, how could he destroy the freely moving swords?
Whoosh!
The twenty swords shot toward Bu Eunseol’s body.
Swish!
In that instant, Bu Eunseol used his Sky-Soaring Technique, shooting into the air at full speed.
His speed was so swift, like a white meteor rocketing from earth to sky.
“You can’t escape!” Gwang Yangja surged his energy again, sending the swords soaring after him.
Crack.
Bu Eunseol’s body, airborne, was enveloped in white energy.
Converting all his inner energy to the Heavenly Glacial Secret, his body became encased in solid ice, like the Great Snowman technique.
‘With my left hand, I’ll maximize the Heavenly Glacial Secret Technique. With my right, I’ll infuse the Thousand Hands Destruction Technique with the principles of Two Thousand Forces!’
In that brief moment, Bu Eunseol devised a plan to counter the twenty swords.
He’d push the Heavenly Glacial Secret Technique to its peak with his left hand, raise the Thousand Hands Destruction Technique with his right, then descend rapidly. Using the falling pressure and the Thousand Hands Destruction Technique infused with Two Thousand Forces, he’d redirect the swords. Then, with his left hand, he’d unleash the full power of the Heavenly Glacial Secret Technique to freeze Gwang Yangja instantly.
‘If I fail, it’s death.’
If he missed even one of the twenty swords chasing him, he’d be struck and fall to the ground in flames.
Whoosh!
As the swords reached his feet—
Roar!
Red energy spread, resembling a fire dragon crashing to earth.
The swords, instead of exploding, scattered widely, creating a vast space.
Infusing the Thousand Hands Destruction Technique with the full principles of Two Thousand Forces, he redirected the swords instantly.
Blaze!
As the redirected swords scattered, creating a dazzling display of flames—
‘Now!’ Looking down, Bu Eunseol used the Thousand Catties Drop to land swiftly, preparing to unleash the Heavenly Glacial Secret Technique.
But then—
“…” Spotting something, Bu Eunseol halted the technique and landed.
Roar!
Gwang Yangja’s body was already ablaze, his palms extended.
Having gained immense power from the Extreme Yang inner cores, he couldn’t withstand their energy, and his body became a fireball.
“Ughhh.” Maintaining only a human shape within the flames, Gwang Yangja wailed. “I could have saved the palace!”
Glaring at Bu Eunseol, he let out a resentful cry.
“Because of you, I couldn’t complete the Yeolha Thousand Sword Crimson Corps…!”
Blaze!
His cry soon faded.
Unable to control the heat pouring from his body, he melted away instantly.
Ooze.
His body, even his bones, turned into molten oil and began to burn.
Roar.
Amid the flames, a glimmering orb appeared. Despite the intense heat capable of melting bones, it retained its form perfectly.
Hiss.
Using the Heavenly Glacial Secret to control the spreading heat, Bu Eunseol employed Void Capture to bring the burning orb before him.
‘This is…’
Floating before him was a transparent orb the size of a baby’s fist. Within it, orange specks glimmered, as if gazing at a universe filled with countless suns.
“The Fire Ring Crystal.” Recognizing the Yeolha Holy Palace’s treasured artifact, Bu Eunseol nodded.
The Fire Ring Crystal was the palace’s priceless treasure.
Its form radiated a mesmerizing glow, as if drawing in one’s soul.
Ooze.
Blood-red liquid seeped from the flames, soaking into the ground. The flames, burning like molten oil, likely contained the inner cores Gwang Yangja had created.
“He made quite a few.” The spreading blood-red liquid resembled a small, crimson pond.
“Because of you, I couldn’t complete the Yeolha Thousand Sword Crimson Corps…!”
‘The Thousand Sword Crimson Corps?’ Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the melting red liquid. ‘He needed an army to overthrow the Yeolha Holy Palace?’
It seemed Gwang Yangja had used demonic essence and the Fire Ring Crystal to create Extreme Yang inner cores, aiming to build a powerful army.
‘And that’s how he was ensnared by the Three Realms.’
The Three Realms, operating in the shadows, manipulated people’s ambitions and desires to control them. Gwang Yangja likely fell for their schemes, stealing the Fire Ring Crystal and receiving demonic essence to create the cores.
‘With a thousand soldiers wielding Extreme Yang inner cores, it would be possible.’
The Yeolha Holy Palace, rivaling the North Sea Ice Palace, possessed powerful and diverse Extreme Yang martial arts. If a thousand talented disciples consumed Extreme Yang inner cores and mastered Extreme Yang techniques to their peak, overthrowing the palace wouldn’t be difficult.
“But…” Bu Eunseol shook his head.
Gwang Yangja was an elder of the palace, over seventy years old.
Why, at such an age, would he turn traitor and try to overthrow the palace?
“I could have saved the palace!”
Though his actions were reprehensible, his final cry lingered. Didn’t he shout as if he were trying to save the Yeolha Holy Palace from a crisis?
Even if his methods were wrong.
‘It’s his own doing.’
Unable to achieve his goal, Gwang Yangja burned alive, just as he had burned the vagrants.
The net of heaven is vast and wide, coarse yet missing nothing.
“It’s a pity, though.” Bu Eunseol was currently using Seon Woojin’s identity.
Otherwise, he would have relentlessly investigated how the Three Realms ensnared Gwang Yangja, how they created fire-attributed inner cores, and the state of the Yeolha Holy Palace.
But he had to return to the Martial Alliance, so that would have to wait.
‘At least it’s fortunate the inner cores burned away.’
If the Extreme Yang inner cores had remained intact, he’d have had to deliver them to the Alliance.
But since they burned cleanly, there was no need to worry.
Hiss.
Cooling the heated Fire Ring Crystal with the Heavenly Glacial Secret Technique, Bu Eunseol tucked it into his robes.
“I could have saved the palace.”
Gwang Yangja’s cry echoed in his mind again.
Looking back, his eyes were filled with madness, not malice.
If his words were true, Gwang Yangja had created artificial inner cores using Fire Essence Stones and demonic essence to save the Yeolha Holy Palace and form the Thousand Sword Crimson Corps.
‘They’re starting to show their tail.’
The Three Realms, always operating in secret, had extended their reach not only to the North Sea Ice Palace but also to the Yeolha Holy Palace. If they continued revealing themselves bit by bit, their true nature might soon be exposed.
“But my task comes first.” Bu Eunseol shook his head.
His primary goal was to find the culprit who killed his grandfather.
The Three Realms’ manipulation of outer region factions was a future concern. For now, he needed to steadily build merits and rise within the Martial Alliance. By climbing the ranks, he could uncover the Three Realms’ influence within the Alliance and identify which of the Seven Great Leaders killed his grandfather.
“To build merits, I need to return this.” Patting the Fire Ring Crystal in his robes, Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky.
Then, he shot into the air with a single leap.
***
The Martial Alliance was abuzz with talk of Seon Woojin, the Supreme Branch Leader.
“The newly formed Supreme Branch achieved a great feat.”
“They recovered the treasured artifact of the Yeolha Holy Palace, a rival to the North Sea Ice Palace?”
The Fire Essence Stone thefts, initially thought to be the work of a petty thief sneaking into the Alliance’s armories, turned out to be far more significant.
The true culprit was Gwang Yangja, an elder of the Yeolha Holy Palace, who had stolen the Fire Ring Crystal and was on the run.
He was also the one burning vagrants with the stolen Fire Essence Stones.
All these truths were uncovered by the Supreme Branch Leader, sent to investigate the thefts, who also recovered the Fire Ring Crystal.
The Alliance members couldn’t hide their astonishment.
How could he identify and pursue the culprit in such a short time?
“He transformed the Supreme Branch into an intelligence unit to handle martial world affairs swiftly.”
“He trained the members to refine information from the Mankyeong Hall repeatedly?”
The Martial Alliance had an excellent intelligence organization, the Mankyeong Hall, with access to information varying by rank. Thus, the Supreme Branch had been trained to refine the abundant low-level information from the Mankyeong Hall to extract what was needed.
“Indeed, he created a new kind of branch the Alliance never had!”
Contrary to initial plans, with the Elder Council’s support cut off, the Supreme Branch had become a liability.
Without missions, it risked becoming a useless entity.
But under Bu Eunseol’s leadership, the Supreme Branch took on the characteristics of an intelligence unit, capable of swiftly handling martial world affairs.
With the Beggars’ Sect sealed, the Alliance had lost a key intelligence source and was late to rebuild its own.
Building an intelligence unit was costly and slow.
Yet, the Supreme Branch had naturally developed into one, capable of handling martial world affairs and substituting for an intelligence unit—a versatile branch.
“But how could a third-class branch leader defeat Gwang Yangja?”
There was still a question.
The Yeolha Holy Palace’s martial arts, based on Extreme Yang energy, were nearly unbeatable by ordinary techniques. How could a newly appointed third-class branch leader defeat an elder of the palace?
“He’s said to be the successor of the Boundless Master, a legendary figure from the great desert three hundred years ago.”
“He even defeated Cheon Hwain, a renowned master among the great warriors?”
As Seon Woojin’s background spread, the Alliance members began to understand.
For a while, the Martial Alliance buzzed with talk of Seon Woojin.
But that wasn’t the end.
Envoys from the Yeolha Holy Palace, rarely seen in the Central Plains, suddenly visited the Alliance. They came to express gratitude for the unconditional return of the Fire Ring Crystal.
They brought a thousand roots of the Yeolha Heavenly Jade Herb, a priceless treasure money couldn’t buy.
“To return our palace’s treasured artifact without conditions—we’re deeply grateful.”
With the Yeolha Holy Palace sending envoys, the Alliance welcomed them warmly.
With the North Sea Ice Palace now part of Majeon, this was a golden opportunity for the Alliance to build ties with the Yeolha Holy Palace.
At the Martial Alliance’s Ascendant Martial Hall, in Yuk Jangcheon’s office—
“Well done.” Yuk Jangcheon smiled broadly at Bu Eunseol.
Sent to solve a simple theft, he not only uncovered a crime committed by a Yeolha Holy Palace elder but also recovered their treasured artifact.
“Thanks to you, the Alliance gained a treasure for crafting rare elixirs and an opportunity to build ties with the Yeolha Holy Palace.” Though not yet at the level of proposing an alliance, creating a foundation for exchange was a significant achievement.
“Thank you.” Bu Eunseol replied calmly, and Yuk Jangcheon stroked his chin.
“But I can’t understand it. Why would an elder of the Yeolha Holy Palace make such a foolish choice?” Swallowing a sigh, he continued. “Stealing the Fire Ring Crystal, being chased by the palace’s masters, and still robbing our Fire Essence Stones to burn vagrants?”
Yuk Jangcheon’s eyes held a subtle glint as he looked at Bu Eunseol.
“There must be a reason for such actions, don’t you think?”
Of course, Bu Eunseol knew the reason.
Gwang Yangja’s goal was to create a thousand Extreme Yang inner cores for an army. Even with vast wealth, acquiring large quantities of Fire Essence Stones was complex and difficult.
Thus, he had no choice but to rob the Alliance’s branches.
“I suppose he was plotting something to master a great martial art,” Bu Eunseol said with a natural expression. “Perhaps there was a secret to enhancing inner energy using the Fire Ring Crystal and Fire Essence Stones. When we clashed, he perished from mishandling his energy.”
“So you said.” Yuk Jangcheon nodded, looking at the documents on the table.
There lay Bu Eunseol’s report alongside the findings of the Alliance’s investigation team.
“Read it.” Bu Eunseol nodded and reviewed the documents Yuk Jangcheon handed him.
They detailed the information gathered by the Alliance’s team dispatched to Uiryong Mountain, meticulously cross-referencing Bu Eunseol’s report with the scene’s conditions.
‘As expected of the Martial Alliance.’
Bu Eunseol felt a chill.
Majeon praised achievements without scrutinizing the process.
But the Alliance, even for great feats, meticulously examined every detail, checking for omissions or unreported facts.
“It was a dangerous affair, wasn’t it?” Yuk Jangcheon’s words carried weight.
Bu Eunseol bowed calmly.
“It was all due to luck.” With a natural expression, he continued. “Majeon’s Taewon Branch suddenly held training at Uiryong Mountain, prompting our branch to encircle it. That’s how I found Gwang Yangja so easily.”
Yuk Jangcheon stared at Bu Eunseol, then nodded with a smile.
“Yes, that’s how it happened.”
“And the fact that he was an elder of the Yeolha Holy Palace was completely unexpected.” Bu Eunseol spoke calmly. “If Gwang Yangja hadn’t self-destructed, I’d have been buried at Uiryong Mountain, let alone recover the Fire Ring Crystal.”
Yuk Jangcheon smiled warmly.
“Humble, aren’t you? You’re the Boundless Master’s successor. In a dangerous situation, you’d have found a way to escape.”
Bu Eunseol smiled silently.
In truth, Gwang Yangja, having consumed Extreme Yang inner cores and created twenty Yeolha Ionized Swords, was a foe Bu Eunseol could only defeat at full strength.
Even if the Boundless Master himself had returned, victory wasn’t guaranteed.
If such details were revealed, Bu Eunseol would have faced suspicion.
Knock, knock.
A soft knock came, followed by a servant’s low voice from outside.
“Hall Leader, the branch leaders have gathered in the meeting room.”
Yuk Jangcheon stood, smiling.
“Time to get up.”
“Yes.”
“Having handled the mission so splendidly, the branch leaders’ attitudes should change.” He smiled and extended a hand to Bu Eunseol.
“Let’s go together.”
Bu Eunseol walked side by side with Yuk Jangcheon into the Ascendant Martial Hall’s meeting room.
The branch leaders ignored their entrance.
After all, the Yeolha Heavenly Jade Herb sent by the palace was worth a year’s Alliance budget.
“This meeting is regarding a request from the Sichuan Tang Clan,” Yuk Jangcheon said in a low voice as he sat.
“Hall Leader Yuk Cheongah will explain the details.”
Yuk Cheongah stood, nodding.
“The Sichuan Tang Clan has requested troops from the Alliance.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression showed slight surprise.
It was an unexpected agenda.
Why would the Sichuan Tang Clan suddenly request troops from the Alliance? Were they preparing for war with another faction?
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