Chapter 245: Young Palace Master Baek Seo-jun (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 245: Young Palace Master Baek Seo-jun (3)
Within the North Sea Ice Palace, much like the other factions of the Seven Evil Black Sect, there existed a martial art passed down exclusively to the Palace Master.
It was the Beiming Divine Art.
To put it simply, it was a superior version of the Star-Absorbing Great Art. Or rather, the Star-Absorbing Great Art was merely a clumsy imitation of the Beiming Divine Art.
Unlike the Star-Absorbing Great Art, which haphazardly stored all sorts of miscellaneous energies within the body and inevitably led to internal strife, the Beiming Divine Art perfectly assimilated and dyed all absorbed True Qi into Ice Soul Divine Energy.
The history of the North Sea Ice Palace simply could not be explained without mentioning the Beiming Divine Art.
One of its primary functions was the flawless, lossless transfer of internal energy to another person.
Through this technique, the reigning Master of the North Sea Ice Palace held within their body the vast accumulation of True Qi passed down by generations of preceding Palace Masters.
But what became of the predecessor who transferred the bulk of their power?
What they passed on to their successor wasn't just raw internal energy, but the very foundation of True Qi they had meticulously cultivated over a lifetime.
Because they handed it over in its entirety, their martial enlightenment remained at the Transcendent Realm, but their physical body reverted to the level of a mere Third-rate martial artist.
"Ho, so it's not a case where losing the lifespan granted by profound internal energy causes them to instantly drop dead?"
"Hmph... What nonsense are you spouting? Regardless of the loss, the body has already been rejuvenated through cultivation. Though their aging might accelerate slightly, their remaining lifespan isn't much different from an ordinary person's."
Naturally, reaching the Transcendent Realm was no ordinary feat. With that profound enlightenment intact, it was theoretically possible to rapidly recover one's stage using even a sliver of True Qi.
Of course, reality probably doesn't work out so smoothly.
Passing the vast majority of one's True Qi to a successor would undoubtedly inflict heavy damage on one's essence and spirit. While climbing back to the Transcendent Realm wasn't strictly impossible, there were zero guarantees they would ever touch that peak again.
So, it boils down to this.
When the Young Palace Master reached the Transcendent Realm—or shortly thereafter—the current Palace Master would transfer the generational accumulation of True Qi via the Beiming Divine Art.
The reigning Palace Master would lose their cultivation stage, plunging back to the Third-rate level, while the Young Palace Master formally ascended to the throne.
"A Palace Master who transfers all their True Qi becomes completely free. After living almost their entire life confined within the walls of the Ice Palace, they can finally step out into the world."
Naturally, not every Palace Master passed their True Qi to the next generation.
Though you could count them on one hand throughout the long history of the Ice Palace, there had been a few selfish individuals who abandoned the palace with their True Qi intact, terrified of losing their cultivation stage.
Inevitably, the Ice Palace would stumble greatly each time that happened. However, seeing as their lineage had survived until now, they must have resolved those crises somehow.
And this woman seems to have inherited that True Qi in its entirety.
Baek Seol-hyang's internal energy was at a level that surprised even Seo-jun. If measured purely by quantity, didn't she possess even more than the Water Demon, Nok So-pyeong?
"Well, I think I get the gist of it."
In any case, Baek Seol-hyang's rant could be summarized as follows:
The Ice Palace itself, along with the True Qi, was the legacy inherited from her predecessors.
As long as she held that inherited True Qi within her, she had an absolute duty to protect the Ice Palace—a duty Baek Seol-hyang felt she had failed.
Since the Ice Palace she had cherished and tended to was now utterly trashed, she was completely fed up with everything. She wanted to dump the position of Palace Master onto a successor and finally be free. She had spent her entire life working tirelessly, never even having the chance to hold a man's hand, and now that things had turned out like this, she just couldn't bear it anymore.
However, there was no telling how long it would take for the next Transcendent Realm martial artist to emerge from the Ice Palace. Therefore, her logic was simple: If you don't take the position of Palace Master, I'm going on a total strike, okay?
"That's basically what you're saying, isn't it?"
"H-How insolent...! When did I ever say such a thing!"
Having regained some of her composure and stopped her sobbing, Baek Seol-hyang sat back down in her chair.
Seo-jun looked at her with a pitying expression. Because of Chun-bong's Severed Meridians, he had harbored nothing but ill will toward the North Sea Ice Palace. But in truth, hadn't that been entirely unrelated to them?
It wasn't completely certain yet, but based on the information he had gathered so far, the true culprit was highly likely the God-Destroying Association, not the Ice Palace.
Well, we're at war with the Seven Evil Black Sect, so they are technically enemies...
Enemy or not, she was just... pathetic. Was it because he had just watched a centuries-old Transcendent Realm master wailing like a petulant child?
"Ahem...!"
Clearing her throat under Seo-jun's blatant stare, Baek Seol-hyang finally adopted a dignified expression.
"Well, anyway, it was all a test. I wondered if you had returned to take my life, but even when I showed such a glaring opening, you did not reveal any ulterior motives."
"Mhm, let's go with that."
"Shut up...!"
Thumping the armrest of her chair, Baek Seol-hyang glared at Seo-jun.
"Regardless, the fact that you are highly suspicious remains unchanged."
"And?"
"Where did you learn the Ice Soul Divine Art and the Beiming Divine Art? Even if one of my predecessors passed the martial arts down to you, those two techniques cannot be mastered without an Ice Crystal."
I managed just fine.
No believable excuse came to mind. Seo-jun simply decided to act brazen.
"It's a secret."
"Hmm..."
Baek Seol-hyang pouted, glaring daggers at Seo-jun. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought things through.
Regardless of the circumstances, it was a fact that this fellow named Baek Seo-jun had been a great help in protecting the Ice Palace during the recent Divine Priestess incident (setting aside her own complicated emotional feelings on the matter).
Furthermore, since the aftermath of her Qi Deviation had been settled to some extent, she was confident she could handle him even if he revealed any sinister intent right now.
At the very least, he seems to possess the will to protect the Ice Palace, and he has mastered the Beiming Divine Art.
The fact that he was a man didn't matter. He had reached the Transcendent Realm, though she didn't know how.
Even if he's scheming something, well, I'll figure it out later.
In truth, Baek Seol-hyang just didn't want to do anything anymore.
"Fine. If you wish to keep it a secret, then do so."
"I appreciate that."
"In any case, you are the Young Palace Master."
Baek Seol-hyang pointed a finger at Seo-jun, then at herself.
"And I am the Palace Master."
"And?"
"It is an order. Demonic beasts are running rampant in the North Sea and the commoners are suffering greatly. You will go and deal with them."
"I don't want to."
"Eek...!"
Baek Seol-hyang clenched her fists tight. Seo-jun suppressed a laugh and asked, "More importantly, do you happen to know anything about the God-Destroying Association?"
"How should I know!"
"If you answer me properly, I'll help you."
"...I don't know much. The God-Destroying Association? The name is so blatant it just makes me scoff."
This woman was surprisingly unhelpful. Seo-jun scratched his chin.
Should I just ask?
Baek Seol-hyang might piece together some information based on his questions, but it wouldn't be a big problem.
Now that he had gained sufficient power, there were far fewer things he needed to tread cautiously around compared to before.
"Then, do you know anything about the massacre of the Geum family?"
"I don't."
"Not a single thing?"
"Do you have any idea how far the Geum family is from the Ice Palace? How should I know what happened out there?"
"It seems traces of the Ice Soul Divine Art were found there."
"What...? Again!? Which damn bitch was it this time...!"
Baek Seol-hyang flew into a sudden rage. He had asked after some deliberation, but she genuinely seemed to know nothing.
Seo-jun suppressed a sigh and asked, "Is there no one you suspect?"
"There is one."
Suddenly, Baek Seol-hyang looked at Seo-jun. Her gaze was icy, as if her previous tantrum had been a total lie.
There really aren't many sane people among Transcendent Realm masters.
As Seo-jun looked at her with a strange expression, she continued.
"By its very nature, the North Sea Ice Palace has far fewer masters of the previous generation compared to other sects."
This was, of course, because the preceding Palace Master passed all their True Qi to the next generation.
"Furthermore, because the palace itself is closed off, it is rare for martial artists of the Ice Palace to wander the outside world."
Martial artists of the Ice Palace usually ended their lives within its frozen walls. Even if they went on a journey, it was mostly confined to the vicinity of the North Sea.
"If the traces found at the Geum family estate are definitely the Ice Soul Divine Art... then it is highly likely to be someone who was exiled from the Ice Palace."
"Exiled..."
"But before that, are you absolutely certain it was the Ice Soul Divine Art? It's not as if there aren't other martial arts in the world that handle similar Yin Cold Energy."
If that were the case, the number of suspects would increase significantly. It could be a branch sect that split off from the Ice Palace centuries ago, or an entirely unrelated demonic sect.
"No, it seems it was definitely the Ice Soul Divine Art."
"Any other clues? Like if the perpetrator was a man?"
"I don't know. One of the culprits used the Ice Soul Divine Art, and that's all I know."
"How do you expect to find a culprit with just that?"
Baek Seol-hyang snorted.
Should I just hit her?
Seo-jun seriously considered it, but before he could act on the impulse, Baek Seol-hyang continued.
"However, it is exceptionally rare for a master powerful enough to be involved in the massacre of the Geum family to be exiled."
While the possibility of it being a former master of the Ice Palace wasn't zero, excluding that unlikely scenario, one specific person immediately came to mind.
"Three hundred years ago, there was one fellow who, much like you, mastered the Ice Soul Divine Art within a male body."
"Hmm..."
Then shouldn't he just track that guy down and interrogate him? Seo-jun inquired, "Do you have any clues about him?"
"...It's a secret."
"Palace Master, stop acting like such a brat."
"H-How insolent! Is that any way to speak to the Palace Master?!"
Baek Seol-hyang huffed and puffed, but she didn't dare make a move. If they were to trade blows and her Qi Deviation flared up again, she would be the only one losing out.
"Three times!"
"Hmm?"
"Help me with the Ice Palace's affairs just three times, and I will cooperate with you to the best of my ability."
Seo-jun narrowed his eyes.
"Without even asking why I want to know?"
"If I ask, will you answer?"
"Probably not."
"I thought as much."
"Sigh..."
It was literally like watching a child throw a tantrum to get their way. This was a Transcendent Realm master who had lived for hundreds of years?
Seo-jun let out another heavy sigh.
Wait. Hold on.
Is this how I look to other people? That's a bit...
Having unexpectedly experienced the harsh effects of mirror therapy, Seo-jun clicked his tongue.
"So, is the first task dealing with those demonic beasts in the North Sea?"
"Yes. Report back when the job is done."
Having finished speaking, Baek Seol-hyang slouched back into her massive chair as if lying down. It was a clear, brazen declaration of her intent to do absolutely nothing.
"What are you still doing here? Move it."
"...Palace Master, are you good at fighting?"
"Oho, is this a rebellion?"
Baek Seol-hyang's eyes sparkled dangerously. Seo-jun clicked his tongue.
"Never mind. I'm going."
If she ordered him to do something ridiculous or proved unhelpful later, he could just give her a solid flick on the forehead.
With that thought, Seo-jun left the Ice Palace.
* * *
Based on the information he had received, Seo-jun arrived near the frozen sea where the demonic beasts were said to appear.
Was there always a sea around here?
He tried to visualize a map of Earth in his head, but quickly realized it was a pointless exercise and stopped.
The geography of the Central Plains and modern China were similar, but not identical. From what he had heard, the Central Plains itself seemed to be an entirely separate, massive continent.
Maybe I'll take a look from space later.
Given his current realm, it wasn't an impossible task. Smacking his lips, Seo-jun stood over the middle of the ocean and dipped his hand into the frigid water.
"Let's finish this quickly, friend."
Ideal World. He summoned only a single element from that vast, conceptual world.
The reason for speaking the name of his domain aloud was to solidify the mental image and utilize the innate power contained within words; only thus was such a precise feat possible.
A localized deployment of the domain. He bestowed a name upon a single element that constituted his Ideal World.
"Eight Cold Hells."
C-C-C-C-CRACK—!!!
The vast sea instantly froze a blinding white. A smirk spread across Seo-jun's face as he exhaled a plume of white frost.
"Found you."