Chapter 71
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The Little Palace Lord's Sword Talent
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While diligently training in the Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist, Seol Hwa-un had been learning, once every four days, the martial art that only the lords of the North Sea Ice Palace across generations could master—from Seol Wi-myeong.
When he mastered ultimate techniques like the Ice White Divine Palm and Ice Ring Finger in an instant with his unique aptitude, Seol Wi-myeong slyly thrust a sword at him.
Seol Hwa-un politely refused, but Seol Wi-myeong was stubborn. He insisted that since he had left the Little Palace Lord position and become a member of the Snow Family, he must learn the family's swordsmanship.
Unable to withstand Seol Wi-myeong's stubbornness, which even invoked the family name, Seol Hwa-un had no choice but to learn the swordsmanship.
Starting from basic swordsmanship, he progressed to the Snow Family's foundational Ice White Sword Formula, and then to the Snow Ridge Divine Sword and Snow Flower Heavenly Flow Sword.
He had achieved tremendous results in a relatively short time.
Watching his swordsmanship training, Seol Wi-myeong remarked,
"Such a pity! If you focused on the sword, you could become a swordsman greater than I."
Seol Hwa-un's talent for the sword was so extraordinary that it could be called innate.
Having been perfectly subdued by him, Ma Seong-gyun powerlessly lowered his sword.
"......I lose."
"Brother Ma's swordsmanship was not bad. Plum Blossom Sword emphasizes flashy variations, but its power is no less than any other sword art. If you put more effort into channeling strength into your sword, you'll improve."
Even the Mount Hua Sect's third-generation disciples were shocked.
"Se, Seong-gyun lost so easily......!"
"This must be a dream!"
Dong Ho-won, who had watched the duel between Ma Seong-gyun and Seol Hwa-un, muttered unconsciously,
"Did the Little Palace Lord have such proficiency in swordsmanship too?"
Eom Mu-hwi was equally baffled.
"I saw it for the first time too. To reach that level even in swordsmanship...... He truly has no discernible limit."
"......Do you think he knows spear arts as well?"
"Who knows. He might even be better than you."
"No way, that can't be."
"The way you're stammering tells me you think it might be true."
Dong Ho-won waved his hands vigorously.
"N-No!"
Amidst this, Jo Jin-hong stepped forward and cupped his fists toward Seol Hwa-un.
"Thank you for the valuable instruction, Little Palace Lord."
"No need to mention it."
"But I never expected the Little Palace Lord to have such proficiency in swordsmanship. As expected of the Ice Emperor's son."
Seol Hwa-un smiled calmly.
[I look forward to Brother Jo's example.]
Hearing the transmission, Jo Jin-hong gave an awkward smile.
'What should I do?'
As he pondered, his eyes fell on the dejected Ma Seong-gyun.
'For now......'
Jo Jin-hong approached Ma Seong-gyun and patted his shoulder.
"How about it? Now you know there's a world beyond heaven?"
"......"
Ma Seong-gyun's face still showed he hadn't recovered from the shock.
"Hahaha, today's defeat will be a great asset to you. The Little Palace Lord's advice might not sink in now, but if you reflect on it later, it'll be a huge help."
With the sparring concluded, they immediately set off. Ma Seong-gyun remained deep in thought.
'For that guy to wield such sharp swordsmanship...... What was all my hard training with the sword for?'
As Ma Seong-gyun pondered, his eyes widened as if he had realized something.
'I see! The North Heaven Dragon's fist arts were a feint! His main martial art was swordsmanship all along.'
And so his delusions continued.
"Impressive. To gain such fame with fist arts instead of his main weapon, the sword. It's worthy of respect. But."
Ma Seong-gyun gritted his teeth.
'I can't stay defeated like this! I must have my revenge.'
He earnestly reviewed his spar with Seol Hwa-un.
'......Looking back, the North Heaven Dragon's swordsmanship itself was simple. I got overly excited and swung too hastily.'
The same went for his Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordsmanship. He had put too much brute force into it, failing to bring out the true power of its flashy and sharp essence.
'It's frustrating, but the North Heaven Dragon's advice was right.'
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.
'Yes. If I acknowledge the North Heaven Dragon as a superior swordsman and properly unleash our sect's swordsmanship, I have a chance! In pure swordsmanship, our sect is far superior.'
Feeling confident he could win a rematch, Ma Seong-gyun grew impatient for no reason.
'Yes, if I use that method......!'
He approached Jo Jin-hong, who was leading the way.
"Fourth Martial Uncle."
"Hm? Haha, Seong-gyun. Have you come to your senses?"
"Yes. Are we heading to the Hua-Zhong Assembly now?"
Jo Jin-hong shook his head.
"No. Guests come first. We're going to the Martial Alliance. I was planning to send you lot separately to Mount Zhongnan anyway."
This Hua-Zhong Assembly was being held at the base of Mount Zhongnan.
Originally, he had planned to escort the third-generation disciples there on the way and then meet up with Seol Hwa-un's group, but their stubbornness had made it troublesome.
"You're not participating, Fourth Martial Uncle?"
"Hahaha, don't you have your formidable martial uncles there? As you know, my priority is escorting the North Sea Ice Palace members to the Martial Alliance."
Ma Seong-gyun's eyes sparkled.
"If escorting the North Sea Ice Palace members to the Martial Alliance isn't urgent, how about inviting them to this Hua-Zhong Assembly?"
"Hm?"
Jo Jin-hong tilted his head.
"Though the Hua-Zhong Assembly has been scaled down from before, it's still an important event for our Mount Hua Sect and Mount Zhongnan Sect."
Ma Seong-gyun nodded knowingly.
"Moreover, the two sects' ultimate arts are demonstrated, so outsiders besides invited notables are strictly prohibited from observing. You know that, right?"
"Yes."
"On top of that, they're from the Outer Realm."
"How could it not work?"
"Hmm."
Jo Jin-hong pondered briefly.
'Well, having the famed Little Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace attend as our official invitee wouldn't be bad for our reputation.'
He had the authority for that much.
'Yes, I can say it's in return for dealing with Seong-gyun!'
"Alright, let's do that."
Ma Seong-gyun bowed his head.
"Thank you, Fourth Martial Uncle."
Jo Jin-hong's eyes narrowed.
'This kid has some scheme......'
But he couldn't tell what yet. So he immediately addressed Seol Hwa-un.
"......The Hua-Zhong Assembly?"
"Yes. I'd like to formally invite the Little Palace Lord and your group. It's a chance to freely observe the swordsmanship of Mount Hua Sect and Mount Zhongnan Sect. Consider it in return for sparring with Seong-gyun."
"Hmm."
Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan were representative sword sects of the orthodox faction, alongside Wudang and the Namgung Family.
Though currently rated a step below Wudang and Namgung, these two sects had produced the world's greatest swordsmen multiple times in martial history. Their swordsmanship was of a high level.
Seol Hwa-un glanced at Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won.
'Come to think of it, these guys have never properly faced Central Plains swordsmanship either.'
It wouldn't be bad to broaden their horizons this time. They might even face them directly someday.
"Very well. We're not in a rush to reach the Martial Alliance, so let's do that."
* * *
At the foot of Mount Zhongnan Sect's entrance.
A large sparring platform was surrounded by many people—warriors from Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua.
In addition, a few invited martial artists occupied the VIP seats.
The Hua-Zhong Assembly—or Zhong-Hua Assembly, as Mount Zhongnan called it—was led by the second-generation disciples of the two sects.
Elders attended only one or two at most, and even they merely observed without interfering. Naturally, sect leaders rarely appeared.
Compared to the past when the two sects clashed with full force, it had been greatly scaled down.
There was a reason for this. With their sects' pride on the line, spars often heated up, leading to frequent casualties.
Thus, Mount Hua Sect and Mount Zhongnan Sect cautioned against injuring their precious talents unnecessarily, which led to the scaling down of the Hua-Zhong Assembly.
Mount Zhongnan disciples in light brown uniforms and Mount Hua disciples in red uniforms stood divided on either side, eyeing each other.
Mount Zhongnan's second-generation disciple Ju Sa-wol spoke.
"Aren't they too late? When exactly are your third-generation disciples arriving?"
Mount Hua's second-generation disciple Gong Il-hu retorted.
"The agreed time hasn't come yet. Isn't it set for noon?"
"Still, they should have come early. All us second-generation disciples are here!"
"Umm."
Gong Il-hu had nothing particular to say about that.
'What happened to Martial Brother Jo?'
He resented Jo Jin-hong, who was leading the third-generation disciples.
'It's been so long since we got word they left Mount Hua......'
At that moment, a Mount Hua disciple, anxiously scanning the surroundings, shouted.
"Ah! There, there they come!"
Turning to look, a group of warriors was approaching using lightness skill.
Leading them with lightness skill was none other than Jo Jin-hong.
'Finally! But why are they coming from that direction? And there seem to be quite a few......'
Jo Jin-hong, arriving first, said,
"Phew, we didn't arrive late, did we?"
Gong Il-hu stepped forward immediately.
"Martial Brother, why are you so late? And who are they......?"
"There were circumstances."
He explained that just before leaving Mount Hua, he received a request from the Martial Alliance, and the third-generation disciples insisted on seeing the North Heaven Dragon and tagged along.
"These guys......?"
Gong Il-hu's fierce gaze turned to the third-generation disciples. They flinched and averted their eyes.
"Haha. I permitted it."
"That's the problem with you, Martial Brother Jo. Where did all that temper from your youth go? Indulging them like this has made them forget their place......"
Jo Jin-hong cleared his throat, cutting him off.
"Ahem, Il-hu, you should greet the guests."
"Oh."
Jo Jin-hong introduced Seol Hwa-un's group.
"I formally invited them. They're from the North Sea Ice Palace."
Reactions came immediately.
"North Sea Ice Palace?"
"That North Heaven Dragon who's been all the talk lately?!"
The crowd's attention instantly focused on them.
"Heh heh, what an unexpected honorable guest."
"Indeed."
Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua elders seated nearby approached Seol Hwa-un's group.
"Jin-hong, introduce them to us too."
Mount Hua elder Sang Un-geon spoke with a faint smile, and the surprised Jo Jin-hong quickly bowed.
"Greetings, Elder Sang. Greetings to Elder Dan as well."
Mount Zhongnan elder Dan Wi-yeon nodded.
"It's been a while. You've brought honorable guests."
"It just turned out that way."
Seol Hwa-un exchanged greetings with them.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Seol Hwa-un."
The kindly-faced Elder Sang replied with a faint smile.
"Pleased to meet you, Little Palace Lord. We've heard much of the North Heaven Dragon's fame."
"Pleased to meet you. Truly outstanding presence. The evaluation that you've surpassed later-generation talents is not unfounded."
The two elders closely observed Seol Hwa-un. They couldn't help being interested in him, who was currently making waves.
Meanwhile, Mount Zhongnan disciples bustled about. With over thirty sudden arrivals, they hurriedly prepared new seats in the VIP area, originally about fifty spots.
After the commotion settled, everyone took their seats. Pyo Il-rip, the leading second-generation disciple of Mount Zhongnan, stepped onto the sparring platform.
Appearing in his late thirties, he wasn't strikingly handsome but had an affable face and formidable presence.
"First, thank you all for attending this Zhong-Hua Assembly."
The Mount Hua disciples frowned at "Zhong-Hua Assembly" instead of "Hua-Zhong," but said nothing.
When held at Mount Hua, they called it the same way.
"This Zhong-Hua Assembly......"
Afterward, Pyo Il-rip began droning on about the purpose and history of the Hua-Zhong Assembly.
It was a boring time for Seol Hwa-un, who had little interest. Then, someone approached his side.
Turning his head, Seol Hwa-un saw a familiar face smiling.
"You are......"