Chapter 337
"This can't be."
Bing Han-pung exclaimed in astonishment.
"You've learned the martial arts of our palace."
The martial arts of the North Sea Ice Palace could never be executed even if one knew the techniques.
Because one must master an extreme yin internal energy method to generate either Cold Ice True Qi or Profound Yin True Qi—extreme yin true qi—within the body.
Moreover, to release palm energy, one must separately learn the practical techniques passed down orally, no?
"How could that be possible?"
As Bu Eun-seol shook his head, Bing Han-pung's expression hardened.
"Even if you mastered an extreme yin mental cultivation method, without knowing the precise techniques, how could you execute our palace's palm arts? And yet you claim you haven't learned our martial arts?"
"The North Sea Ice Palace has been far too isolated from the outside world."
Bu Eun-seol sighed as he spoke.
"In the martial world, there exists a mental cultivation method that allows one to wield true qi containing both yin and yang energies."
Bing Han-pung hesitated.
It was true that such a method existed in the martial world.
But those who had actually mastered it were exceedingly rare.
One must have undergone Marrow Cleansing from birth, leaving almost no turbid qi in the body, and above all, the method was far too difficult to learn.
Moreover, at best, one risked qi deviation—at worst, death. Even if it were a technique to become an immortal, few would dare attempt it.
"Are you saying you've mastered a method that allows you to manifest both yin and yang energies?"
"That is correct."
"Even if so, how did you learn the practical techniques and initial variations of the Cold Ice Five Thunder Palm?"
"I deduced the practical techniques from the principles the palace lord explained, and inferred the initial variations from the scars left on the young master of the Han Family."
Then Bu Eun-seol extended his palm energy into the air once more.
"Observe closely."
Whoosh!
Another burst of icy cold energy erupted as the Cold Ice Five Thunder Palm was unleashed.
But upon closer inspection, only the outward traces were identical.
The two most crucial secrets of the technique—Palm Accumulates Cold Yin and Transform Qi to Control the Heart —were entirely absent.
"You couldn't employ the true secrets, but by generating true yin through yin-yang true qi and mimicking the initial variations, you perfectly replicated the external form of the Cold Ice Five Thunder Palm."
"Precisely."
"To think such a thing... is possible."
The ability to deduce an entire framework from partial techniques or infer variations from residual traces—these were feats only a Grandmaster of Martial Arts, one who had reached the pinnacle of the martial world, could achieve.
"Truly unbelievable."
Bing Han-pung swallowed his astonishment and shook his head.
The North Sea Ice Palace had many outstanding martial prodigies, and he himself had been called the greatest talent of the North Sea in his youth.
But compared to Bu Eun-seol's talent before him, the difference was like that between moonlight and a firefly.
"At any rate, it's now certain."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"The one who ambushed the Han Family Head's son didn't truly master the Cold Ice Five Thunder Palm. Like me, they must have learned a method containing yin and yang energies and merely imitated its variations and forms."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Bing Han-pung's expression darkened.
"Then... it must have been an inside job."
Even Bu Eun-seol, who could manipulate yin-yang energies and infer variations from scars, had only been able to mimic the technique after hearing Bing Han-pung explain its principles.
Meaning the assassin who attacked Han Ja-un was someone from the North Sea Ice Palace—and a master skilled enough to vaguely grasp the principles of the Cold Ice Five Thunder Palm.
"Who in the world would do such a thing?"
Fury radiated from Bing Han-pung's eyes as pure white killing intent surged forth.
Simultaneously, an intense cold energy began rising around his body.
"My heart ailment... came from the guilt and self-loathing of failing to catch the assassin."
As the sect leader of the North Sea Ice Palace, he hadn't even been able to capture the culprit who harmed Han Ja-uk, the heir apparent.
But the martial arts of the North Sea Ice Palace were an unbroken tradition never leaked to outsiders.
Since a palm art only the palace lord could master had been used... Bing Han-pung had no room for excuses or grievances.
This had left him despondent for years, fracturing his once-unshakable spirit and mind.
Yet now, with hope of catching the culprit, a fierce will ignited within him.
"You must have a way to find the assassin, don't you?"
"I do."
Hearing the answer, Bing Han-pung clenched his fist and let out a deep sigh.
"Then soon, I'll be able to face the Han Family Head with dignity."
Bu Eun-seol responded with a faint smile.
"You already can."
"What do you mean?"
"Come out now, Family Head Han."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, a middle-aged man slowly emerged from behind the training room.
It was Han U-sang, who had come to the training room after hearing Bu Eun-seol's words.
Having witnessed the Cold Ice Five Thunder Palm Bu Eun-seol displayed, he realized he had misunderstood Bing Han-pung all this time.
And now, he had finally heard Bing Han-pung's deepest sincerity.
"Palace Lord."
Han U-sang approached Bing Han-pung and knelt.
"Why didn't you offer a single word of explanation all this time? Why didn't you once say it wasn't you?"
"..."
"You should have punished me from the start instead."
As Han U-sang spoke through tears, Bing Han-pung closed his eyes and murmured quietly.
"Am I not a sinner who, as palace lord, failed to protect the heir? Since I couldn't catch the assassin... I had to bear your resentment."
"Palace Lord."
"And in our childhood, were we not close friends? Moreover, during the battle with the Northern Heavenly Demon Palace, it was thanks to you that my life was saved."
Bing Han-pung smiled faintly.
"How could I possibly punish you after that?"
Han U-sang lowered his head with a resentful expression.
Bing Han-pung had not forgotten the past kindness, and even if he had denied it, the true assassin would never have been found...
For the sake of Han U-sang, who was suffering, he had silently endured the accusations all this time.
"I apologize for misunderstanding you all this time, Palace Lord."
Tears of remorse streamed down Han U-sang's face.
For years, he had harbored hatred toward Bing Han-pung. And he had become the decisive cause of the division among the five clans of the North Sea.
He had refused to acknowledge the Palace Lord's authority, convinced that he was the culprit who had harmed his son.
"I am truly sorry... Palace Lord..."
As Han U-sang knelt and wept, Bing Han-pung shook his head.
"Sorry? It was my own shortcomings as Palace Lord that led to this."
He let out a deep sigh before speaking calmly.
"However, since the Ice Palace has long been isolated from the outside world... I regret that I failed to grasp the profundity of martial arts as deeply as this young man."
The North Sea Ice Palace had no mental cultivation methods for handling Yin-Yang Dual Qi.
Because of this, neither he nor any of the other Family Heads had been able to discern the truth behind the Cold Ice Five Thunder Palm energy lingering in Han Ja-uk's body.
Han U-sang wiped his tears and spoke.
"From now on, I will devote my strength to serving the Palace Lord once more."
"Thank you."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been listening to their conversation, spoke in a low voice.
"To do that, we must now find the traitor who ambushed the Han clan head's son and conspired with outsiders."
"Is there a way?"
Han U-sang asked worriedly.
"That person has concealed their schemes for over a decade and instigated the division within the palace."
Pausing briefly, he bit his lip.
"Even if the misunderstanding with the main house is resolved, they will never reveal their true nature."
"That's right. Absolutely."
Bu Eun-seol nodded and retrieved a scroll from his robes.
"That's why I've devised this method."
Bing Han-pung and Han U-sang stood shoulder to shoulder as they read through the scroll.
"Is this feasible?"
At Han U-sang's question, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Once the inside story of the ambush is revealed, they won't be able to endure it. Because they'll know the sentiments of the other Family Heads—including the Han Clan's—will inevitably shift."
"Hmm."
Just then, as Bing Han-pung reached the final part of the plan written on the scroll, his brow furrowed.
"If this plan proceeds as intended, we will undoubtedly root them out. But must we go this far at the very end?"
"Anything less, and they will never expose themselves."
Bu Eun-seol continued.
"What concerns me more is another matter. When we set the trap, we'll need to persuade the remaining clans."
"There's no need to worry about that."
Han U-sang struck his chest firmly.
"This Family Head will stake his life to accomplish it."
"Good."
"Wait."
At that moment, Bing Han-pung, having finished reading the scroll, spoke to Bu Eun-seol.
"If we are to proceed with this plan as written, one more thing is necessary."
"What would that be?"
"The martial arts of this palace."
Bing Han-pung grinned.
"You must also learn this palace's Internal Energy secrets. Only then will you be able to fully wield Cold Ice True Qi."
"Are you certain?"
An Internal Energy Method is, without exaggeration, the entirety of a sect's martial heritage.
Yet here was Bing Han-pung, offering to teach Bu Eun-seol the North Sea Ice Palace's deepest energy secrets.
"Consider it the price for annihilating the forces that sought to destroy this palace and the traitor among us."
The North Sea Ice Palace's Internal Energy Method is said to represent the pinnacle of Extreme Yin Arts.
If Bu Eun-seol mastered it, it would become another opportunity for a great leap forward.
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath, his eyes flashing.
"Then it's time to weed them out."
At this, Bing Han-pung and Han U-sang inhaled deeply.
If this plan succeeded...
They would finally expose the traitor who had torn the North Sea Ice Palace apart for so long.
Bu Eun-seol and Bing Han-pung stood before the Ice Cave, where a frigid wind blew.
Above them, the words "Glacier Heavenly Flow Gate" were carved.
This place lay deep within the underground secret passages of the North Sea Ice Palace, reachable only after a long journey.
Inside, Night Shining Pearls embedded in the ceiling emitted a faint glow, while a small pond radiating icy cold energy lay in the depths.
This was none other than the Cold Spirit Divine Water—a single drop of which could freeze an entire well.
"Originally, only the Palace Lords of this palace were permitted to enter here."
Bing Han-pung, who had guided Bu Eun-seol into the ice cave, spoke in a low voice.
"And the Mind-Training Formula inscribed there is the Extreme Yin Secret Art I will pass on to you."
Bu Eun-seol turned his gaze to the wall Bing Han-pung indicated.
Covering its surface was the Heart-Seal Method, densely carved with Profound Yin Finger Force.
"Glacier... Heavenly Flow Art?"
As Bu Eun-seol murmured the words, Bing Han-pung took a deep breath.
"Correct. The secret Mind-Training Formula of the Glacier Great Emperor—our Founder. The Glacier Thousand Streams Art."
Bu Eun-seol could not conceal his astonishment.
The Glacier Thousand Streams Art was none other than the True Body Supreme Art of the Glacier Great Emperor, the founder of Extreme Yin True Qi, and the supreme martial art of the North Sea Ice Palace—was it not?
"You're saying you'll pass this down to me?"
"'Pass it down' isn't quite the right phrase. After all, this palace lord could never master it himself."
Bing Han-pung spoke with a bitter expression.
"To learn the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, one needs Cold Ice True Qi cultivated to a level of at least three hundred years. If someone tries to master this art without meeting that condition, their body will freeze solid in an instant—and death will follow."
He let out a deep sigh before continuing in a low voice.
"For this very reason, none of the past palace lords of this sect dared to attempt learning this art."
Bing Han-pung had already guessed the moment he witnessed the shockwave of palm energy Bu Eun-seol had unleashed earlier.
This young successor of the Demon Hall possessed internal energy that far surpassed the three-hundred-year threshold.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"This palace lord has studied this Heart-Seal Method for a long time. But no matter how much I tried, I always concluded that attempting to master it would be suicide."
"..."
"However, after seeing your mental cultivation method that manipulates Yin-Yang Dual Qi, I think I can guess the solution."
Bing Han-pung's eyes sharpened as he declared:
"This Glacier Thousand Streams Art can only be mastered by someone who possesses both Yin and Yang energies simultaneously."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
With the Reverse Extreme Inner Method, which allowed him to wield both energies, even if his body froze, he could instantly thaw himself by unleashing Extreme Yang True Qi.
"However, you've already deeply mastered one mental cultivation method. To learn another now... would be nothing short of gambling with your life."
Mastering a new mental cultivation method after already engraving one deeply into oneself—
—was even more dangerous than walking a tightrope over a bottomless chasm while standing on one's hands.
What if, while learning the new method, he unconsciously fell back on the familiar one?
At best, his qi vessels would suffer severe damage. At worst, the probability of qi deviation skyrocketed.
And especially with an Ice Art like the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, which could freeze one's bloodline in an instant—this was truly a matter of life and death.
"Are you truly alright with me learning this?"
Bu Eun-seol asked with a puzzled expression.
Even if this was part of the alliance between the North Sea Ice Palace and the Demon Hall, handing over the supreme Martial Arts Inner Formula of another sect—
—was something that should never happen.
"This palace..."
Bing Han-pung started to say something but then shook his head.
"No. In any case, if you can master it, then there's no harm in you learning it. Don't dwell on it."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
This was an unexpectedly massive fortuitous encounter. Of course, that was assuming he could survive mastering the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
"Thank you, Palace Lord."
As Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together, Bing Han-pung gave a dry smile.
"You only have four days to stay here."
"Understood."
"I wish you good fortune."
Then, slowly, he reached out and patted Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
"Take care of this palace for me."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
He could sense that those words carried more weight than just a simple diplomatic gesture.
He was about to respond, but Bing Han-pung had already stepped outside the Ice Cave.
Then, he turned back one last time.
The Glacier Thousand Streams Art consisted of a cultivation formula roughly five thousand characters long.
The brilliance of this method lay not only in its ability to generate the Cold Ice True Qi, the essence of Ice Arts, but also in its capacity to absorb and store external cold energy within the body.
"Absorbing the cold energy from the pond would speed things up."
Bu Eun-seol lightly touched his finger to the pond brimming with Cold Spirit Divine Water.
Crsssh.
Even before his finger made contact, a thin layer of ice had already formed on his fingertip.
"Just the cold energy from this place alone could freeze everything solid."
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol stared down at the pond with a tense expression.
"There's no other way."
Then, he began hastily stripping off his clothes.
He only had four days. Mastering the essence of the method and generating Cold Ice True Qi in that time was an impossible task under normal circumstances.
Bu Eun-seol planned to immerse himself entirely in the Cold Spirit Divine Water for all four days while training in the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
"A single mistake in qi circulation, and I'll freeze to death on the spot."
This was truly a life-or-death gamble.
If he failed to properly accumulate the cold energy in his dantian, he would freeze to death instantly.
Splash.
The moment he stripped and plunged in—
Crrrrackle.
His body turned into a solid block of ice.
Ugh—!
The cold energy, which instantly froze even his internal organs, nearly made him lose consciousness.
Had that happened, Bu Eun-seol would already be having a private audience with King Enma. If he stopped his qi circulation even for a second, his bloodline would freeze over, and he would die on the spot.
Absorb the cold energy before my body completely freezes.
Huuuum—!
As he began circulating the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, a low vibration resonated through him, and the cold energy throughout his body started seeping into his dantian.
Ghhh—!
Instantly, his face twisted in agony.
The moment the cold energy entered his dantian, it felt as though hundreds of needles were tearing through his lower abdomen.
An ordinary martial artist would have regretted their decision by now—or immediately leapt out of the pond.
But Bu Eun-seol was different.
Never once in his life had he learned martial arts without betting his life on it.
The Reverse Extreme Inner Method required him to face death head-on.
The Swift Shadowless demanded he be prepared to abandon his lower body.
To create the Formless Heavenly Flow, he had risked his life in real battles alongside the Innovation Unit.
Even the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon had been unleashed in life-or-death combat.
I will master this without fail.
Enduring pain so intense it threatened to shatter his consciousness, Bu Eun-seol continued circulating the Glacier Thousand Streams Art without pause.