Chapter 4
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Path of the Fist
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Even as he hurriedly unleashed his protective aura, Seol Wi-myeong's form was pushed back.
“Ugh!”
Seol Hwa-un's figure was already floating two feet in the air. Seol Wi-myeong doubted his own eyes.
“No way…… Floating Samadhi?”
Floating Samadhi referred to the body spontaneously levitating upon attaining enlightenment during energy circulation and cultivation.
Seol Wi-myeong let out a hollow laugh.
‘What an absurd guy! Flying before he can even walk?’
Meanwhile, Seol Hwa-un was utterly focused on building his inner energy.
Three-tenths of the Nine Yin Primordial True Qi spreading through his body had gathered in his dantian.
'Can't push it further, huh.'
He could gather more if he wanted, but his dantian wasn't large enough yet. That was a problem that would resolve itself over time.
The storm of energy swirling around Seol Hwa-un gradually subsided. His figure slowly descended to the floor.
“…….”
Seol Hwa-un slowly opened his eyes.
Flash!
A silver bolt of lightning flickered in his eyes before vanishing. A satisfied smile curved his lips.
“Congratulations.”
Seol Wi-myeong was already standing before him. Seol Hwa-un rose to his feet and offered a respectful cupped-fist salute.
“It's all thanks to Father's teachings.”
“You've just begun cultivating the Ice White Divine Art, yet you've achieved such a presence. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.”
This wasn't just any technique—it was the Ice White Divine Art, the most profound and difficult to master among the North Sea Ice Palace's divine skills.
Countless geniuses had served as Ice Palace Lords throughout history, but none had reached this level in a single attempt.
However, the presence Seol Wi-myeong sensed was only a portion of it.
Seol Hwa-un, already adept at handling energy, was concealing more than three-tenths of his qi.
'Excessive achievements tend to breed suspicion and misunderstanding.'
Even so, it was shocking enough for Seol Wi-myeong. Not just because of the sheer accomplishment.
'The density of the energy I sense is different. This isn't ordinary inner energy built from the Ice White Divine Art. Could it be from absorbing the Ice Essence's power?’
Seol Hwa-un felt it too.
'Though it was created by accident, the inner energy built with Nine Yin Primordial True Qi has incredible purity. Unleashing martial arts with this should make them far more powerful than usual.'
He'd have to test it to know exactly how much.
Seol Wi-myeong gazed at Seol Hwa-un with a strange expression.
'He's completely transformed by overcoming that heavenly punishment.'
He regretted only teaching him the mental method and discouraging full martial training due to his weak body.
'No, it's not too late. Hwa-un is only fifteen now…….’
The North Sea Ice Palace was founded on five core families.
Yan, Winter, Snow, Cold, and Ice Families—with the Snow Family hereditarily producing the Palace Lord, while the other four families rotated the Palace Consort position.
Seol Wi-myeong was a universally acclaimed excellent Palace Lord, but the issue lay with his successor.
No one in the Ice Palace was unaware that the Young Palace Lord, Seol Hwa-un, had not learned martial arts.
Of course, there was Seol Eun-ji, but Palace Lords had always been men.
Occasionally, a Palace Lord might fail to produce a son, or the son might lack sufficient talent.
In such cases, an outstanding talent from one of the other four families would be adopted into the Snow Family or married in as a son-in-law to succeed the position.
Given such precedents, the current situation was ripe for the other families to covet the Palace Lord seat. Yet the previously overlooked Seol Hwa-un had suddenly achieved astonishing martial prowess.
'Heh. I wonder what faces the other family heads will make when they hear this.'
“Father. Then the next martial art…….”
Seol Hwa-un's words snapped Seol Wi-myeong from his thoughts.
“Ah, right.”
He carefully examined Seol Hwa-un's body before speaking again.
“Your inner energy seems sufficiently built up. However, martial arts can't be mastered with inner energy alone. They require matching stamina and a body to support it.”
Seol Hwa-un nodded in agreement.
“Yes.”
“Good. For now, steadily cultivate the Ice White Divine Art while training your external arts to build your body. Once you're ready, I'll teach you other techniques.”
“Understood.”
“It'll be inconvenient, but do your training here.”
There was no need to show the other families Seol Hwa-un practicing.
“Yes.”
From that day, Seol Hwa-un visited the underground training chamber daily, focusing on stamina training.
He trained so diligently that even Seol Wi-myeong, watching, felt like stopping him.
He entered at dawn and returned to his room only after sunset.
He ate balanced meals without skipping, forcing himself to increase portions to build a proper body.
Back in his room, he secretly practiced the martial arts he had originally learned. But he was soon disappointed.
'Is it because the foundational divine art is different?’
Outwardly performing the forms posed no issue, but infusing them with inner energy was impossible.
He had expected it for his signature techniques, Blazing Flower Fist and Thunderbolt Three Fists.
Those relied on pure yang energy arts at their core.
But even other supreme arts from the Mixed Origin Sect, like Flash Thunder Shadow Step or Scattered Thunder Hand, couldn't be infused with qi.
'Troubling.'
This left him no choice but to learn other North Sea Ice Palace martial arts.
'Still, I won't give up. I'll find a way.'
Fortunately, his slender frame was adapting quickly to the stamina training, gradually transforming into a warrior's build.
Just like that, a month flew by.
* * *
In that month, Seol Wi-myeong hadn't neglected teaching martial arts entirely.
He taught Seol Hwa-un basic fist and leg techniques like Six Harmonies Fist, Seven Stars Step, and Whirlwind Kick.
Of course, Seol Hwa-un could perform them blindfolded, but he learned without complaint.
And now.
He was demonstrating them before Seol Wi-myeong.
Pa-pa-pang!
Crisp bursts of air echoed from his fingertips and toes—proof that power was properly infused in the movements.
'Incredible. In just a month…….’
Seol Hwa-un's stamina was now ample for martial training, and his once-slender body had become quite respectable.
“Enough.”
At Seol Wi-myeong's command, Seol Hwa-un halted and stood straight.
“That should suffice. Now, let's have you learn the palace's true supreme arts properly.”
“Yes, Father.”
“As you know, our palace's supreme arts are second to none compared to any Central Plains sect. They're even superior.”
“…….”
“Then why has our palace failed to advance into the Central Plains?”
Seol Hwa-un knew the reason.
“The environment. The Central Plains climate is too warm compared to our palace, so our arts lose much of their power there.”
“Exactly. Our ancestors worked tirelessly to overcome this, improving many aspects, but it's not fully resolved. Yet the Central Plains folk still fear us as part of the Outer Realm Evil Forces.”
Pride shone on Seol Wi-myeong's face.
“I hadn't planned to teach you the secret arts. But you've proven yourself worthy.”
Sss.
A pure white energy gathered in Seol Wi-myeong's left hand.
“This is the palace's signature supreme art, Ice White Divine Palm.”
He thrust his hand forward, and white aura shot out like lightning.
Kwaaaang!
A massive handprint cratered the training chamber floor—over five inches deep.
“Ah!”
But Seol Hwa-un saw it instantly: Seol Wi-myeong hadn't used full power, not even one-tenth of his inner energy.
'Truly worthy of its reputation! Astonishing might.'
Next, Seol Wi-myeong swung his right hand. A ring-shaped aura burst from his index finger.
Bang!
The head of a wooden dummy five paces away exploded.
“This is Ice Ring Finger. It excels in long range, speed, and lethal power.”
Seol Wi-myeong continued his explanation.
“These three arts, including the Ice White Divine Art, are secret techniques exclusive to the Palace Lord and Young Palace Lord. You must never transmit them to outsiders.”
“Yes.”
“There are also Yan Family Soul-Hooking Hand, Winter Family Soul-Falling Spear, Cold Ice Sword Method, Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist, and more. All signature arts of the other four great families, worthy of being called palace supreme arts. But.”
Sring.
He drew the sword at his waist—Snow Peak Divine Sword, one of the North Sea Ice Palace's treasures.
“The greatest among them is Snow Flower Heavenly Flow Sword.”
The blade tip moved slowly at first, then unleashed terrifying sword lights in all directions.
Shuu-shuu-shuu-shuu-shuu!
Even with Seol Wi-myeong restraining his inner energy, tiny white ice particles filled the chamber.
Snow Flower Heavenly Flow Sword encompassed the subtleties of slow sword, fast sword, and even illusion sword.
It was a supreme art rivaling the famed sword styles of Wudang, Huashan, or Namgung Family—perhaps superior due to the Ice White Divine Art's chilling penetration and destructive power.
Paaaang!
With a sharp air burst, the ice particles scattered. Seol Wi-myeong had already sheathed his sword.
“What do you think?”
Seol Hwa-un answered honestly.
“Truly an extraordinary sword art. It has greatly broadened my horizons.”
Seol Wi-myeong smiled with satisfaction as he sheathed the blade.
“It's such an advanced swordsmanship that even for you, we must start with Ice Extreme Heart Formula. Only after mastering it and Snow Peak Divine Sword perfectly can you learn Snow Flower Heavenly Flow Sword…….”
As Seol Wi-myeong explained at length, Seol Hwa-un interrupted.
“Um, forgive me, but…….”
“Hm?”
“Must I learn Snow Flower Heavenly Flow Sword?”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to learn fist techniques, not sword arts.”