Chapter 26: Training in the Ice White Divine Art (1)
Chapter 26: Training in the Ice White Divine Art (1)
As promised, Geum Tae-yang left home early in the morning. After climbing the mountain and arriving at the elegant cabin nestled on the mountainside, he found Seol Yu-ran—who had agreed to become his master—already prepared, dressed in lightweight martial attire.
Though it was a bit unusual that the color was pure white, like snow falling from the sky.
With an ethereal beauty reminiscent of a snow fairy, she gazed at her newly arrived disciple with eyes colder than before.
'Hmm. Even if she's disgusted by me, there's nothing to be done.'
No matter the sect's discipline, it wasn't like they were in a bedroom—she had seen him wrapping a flag around the entrance hall, dressing his wife in a bunny outfit, and engaging in stormy intercourse.
As a woman, witnessing such an unsightly spectacle would naturally breed revulsion. It wouldn't be strange if Seol Yu-ran now despised him.
Yet, the fact that she hadn't denied their master-disciple relationship could only be for the sake of her daughter.
She had deceived him with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians lie, so she must know that without him, finding another martial artist or divine doctor capable of curing her daughter would be nearly impossible.
"You've come."
"Yes, Master. This foolish disciple committed an improper act yesterday. I apologize."
"...No. If anything, it was this master's fault for entering without realizing the flag had been raised."
Seol Yu-ran felt a jolt the moment she locked eyes with her first disciple.
After all, though she had taken him as a disciple to teach him the divine art for her daughter's treatment, she had ended up witnessing that scene. Her disciple—over ten years her junior—dressing his wife in a bunny outfit and engaging in intercourse right in the entrance hall.
Before even considering the Post-Nut Clarity Sect's discipline, if a couple's relationship wasn't harmonious, they wouldn't go that far.
Though she couldn't shake off the thought of how lewd and vulgar it was—
'If only my husband and disciple were mixed half-and-half…'
A faint sense of envy flickered within her.
Seol Yu-ran shared a bed with her husband, Wi Ji-ja, but they hadn't engaged in relations for nearly seven years.
After conceiving Wi Ji-bo, for some reason, Wi Ji-ja had become impotent.
Was it because he lost his dantian? Or was his final release when impregnating Seol Yu-ran truly his last? Whatever the case, Wi Ji-ja had become impotent, and since then, despite being a peak expert with a perfected physique, she had to relieve her sexual desires through self-pleasure alone.
Even that had stopped being effective years ago, so she abandoned it and devoted herself to swordsmanship training instead.
And now, in such a state, she had taken Geum Tae-yang—a man with a healthy virility—as her disciple, only to stumble upon that obscene spectacle on the very same day.
It was only natural that the pent-up desire coiled inside her would be stimulated by what she saw.
Because of this, every time she looked at Geum Tae-yang, the scene from the entrance hall replayed vividly in her mind—though she showed no outward sign of it. After all, this teaching arrangement existed solely to treat her daughter Wi Ji-bo's severed meridians, not to establish a true master-disciple bond.
There was no room for personal feelings, and as a married woman, she shouldn't entertain such disgraceful fantasies about her disciple.
Seol Yu-ran shook her head side to side, dispelling her stray thoughts. Because of this, she failed to notice—
That when she shook her head, the image of Geum Tae-yang's manhood flashed in her mind, causing a momentary blush of arousal to rise and fade from her cheeks. And that Geum Tae-yang, with his hawk-like gaze, had caught it all.
"Today, I will naturally teach you the Ice White Divine Art. It is a martial art that accumulates yin energy in the dantian to manifest frigid cold energy. The closest comparable martial art would be the Heavenly Demon Divine Art of the Demonic Cult."
"It's well-known that the Heavenly Demon Divine Art enhances the power of all martial techniques by fusing them with demonic energy."
"Correct. I'm glad you're aware. However, our North Sea Ice Palace's supreme martial art, the Ice White Divine Art, accumulates not demonic energy but yin energy."
By storing yin energy in the dantian and manifesting it outward, it transforms into Yin Cold Qi. This was the foundation and ultimate technique of the Ice White Divine Art.
"Because of this, even if a man learns it, he cannot master it. It is a divine art optimized for women. It would be even better if trained in the cold North Sea."
"But this is the Central Plains, Master."
"Indeed. That's why I will use my internal energy to guide you in circulating the Ice White Divine Art's energy as much as possible. I'll teach you the mnemonic verses, so try it once."
Geum Tae-yang accepted Seol Yu-ran's instruction without difficulty.
Though his bones and muscles were not those of a Heavenly Martial Body capable of mastering a single discipline—
They were a Thousand Martial Bodies, capable of shining moderately in any field, which made this feat possible.
With his decent comprehension and a physique that could harmonize even a thousand martial arts, he easily grasped and circulated the basics of the Ice White Divine Art.
Of course, while the advantage was that he could moderately master any martial art, the downside was that his talent for reaching true mastery was no different from an ordinary person's.
But Seol Yu-ran didn't know that. As she placed her hand on his back to assist him in energy circulation while he sat cross-legged in meditation, her face filled with astonishment.
'Outstanding talent. His bone structure isn't bad either, and his comprehension is precise enough to accept yin energy despite his body containing thunder energy of the opposite polarity. No, in a way, this is only natural.'
Geum Tae-yang was a peak expert who surpassed her.
For someone like him—whose martial prowess was on par with a grandmaster capable of founding his own sect—mastering the basics of the Ice White Divine Art and accumulating yin energy in his dantian in one go wasn't particularly difficult.
However, the fact that he could so easily grasp Yin Cold Qi while still containing Yang Thunder Qi—a yang-based force—was nothing short of astonishing.
Perhaps the day her daughter would be fully healed wasn't far off. Seeing this possibility, Seol Yu-ran's eyes gleamed brightly.
'Yes. If we can cure our Bo-a quickly, she'll be able to live a high-quality life, both as a woman and as a martial artist. To do that, I must help this new disciple grow rapidly.'
His demeanor made him seem utterly unreliable.
That was why, if he were to rebel against the Thunder Sect and fail to properly master the Ice White Divine Art, he was prepared to stain his hands with blood if necessary—to exact vengeance for the humiliation inflicted upon his family. However, now that he had witnessed Geum Tae-yang's talent, a vague hope welled up within him. If, as the boy claimed, he could achieve harmony between yin and yang through the Yin-Yang Sexual Art, then perhaps even the Nine Yin Severed Meridians could be cured.
The seemingly endless meditation session finally came to an end.
Geum Tae-yang unfolded his legs from the lotus position and turned to look at Seol Yu-ran.
"How was that, Master?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your evaluation of me. With my talent, wouldn't I be able to master the Ice White Divine Art as well?"
Flinch.
It seemed the shameless, arrogant disciple had caught on—his master had been scrutinizing him as if assessing his worth. A flush of shame rose to Seol Yu-ran's pale cheeks. His skin was so fair that even the slightest change in color was glaringly obvious.
Though their master-disciple relationship had been formed out of necessity, Seol Yu-ran had to admit that his attitude as a teacher had been far from ideal.
"Huu…" He sighed. "My apologies. This is my first time taking on a disciple, so I've been discourteous to you."
"It's fine," Geum Tae-yang replied with an easy smile, waving it off.
"Ours was never a proper master-disciple relationship from the start. It's not normal. So how could I expect excessive consideration from you? As things stand, I'm satisfied with just this much."
"...You're a better man than this master of yours."
"And—"
For the first time since their meeting, Geum Tae-yang—who had maintained nothing but bold confidence—hesitated. It seemed he was struggling to bring up something difficult.
"After being caught in that kind of situation yesterday, wouldn't it be even weirder if we just pretended to have a normal master-disciple relationship?"
"...Disciple."
"Yes?"
"Be quiet."
"Yep."
After that, the two silently cultivated yin energy through the Ice White Divine Art.
***
Once the day's training was over, Seol Yu-ran returned to the cottage where his family was waiting.
I descended the mountain at a leisurely pace, as if out for a casual stroll, analyzing Seol Yu-ran's earlier reaction.
'There was definitely a reaction toward me.'
It was only natural for a master to feel awkward and flustered upon realizing just how vulgar and lewd his disciple's marital affairs were.
But the emotions reflected in her eyes weren't limited to just that.
Within the swirling depths of those complex emotions, there was undoubtedly a small but unmistakable trace of envy. Of course, that was an absurd analysis.
A master feeling envy after witnessing her disciple engaged in intercourse?
If such a master existed, she could hardly be called normal. Unless—
'She isn't in a normal state to begin with.'
A martial artist who has reached the pinnacle attains a body nearing perfection. Their immunity to poisons increases, their control over internal energy rises, and they gain the qualifications to manifest a Transcendent Heart Art capable of altering the world itself.
Naturally, they wouldn't catch so much as a cold, nor would they ever succumb to poisoning.
But that didn't mean a peak master possessed an invincible body.
Even martial artists who have surpassed their limits have boundaries, and crossing that line could lead to abnormalities in their bodies.
And perhaps Seol Yu-ran's current state meant that the seed I had planted had begun to sprout.
'[Cannot achieve erection.]—seems to still be working just fine.'
A cripple whose dantian had been shattered, losing all his internal energy and becoming nothing more than an ordinary man.
The suggestion I had planted in him long ago was finally beginning to bear fruit.