Chapter 432
The dense jungle of the Southern Barbarian Region was like a dark blue sea.
The forests of the Southern Barbarian Region were fraught with dangers—snakes, poisonous insects, and scorching heat.
Even the grass and fruits often contained toxins, requiring extreme caution.
If someone untrained in martial arts wished to traverse the jungle, they would need provisions, insect repellents, and all manner of supplies.
But martial artists who had mastered exceptional martial arts were different.
With just a handful of true qi, they could leap dozens of feet in a single bound, using grass and branches as footholds to propel themselves lightly through the air.
Swish!
Amid the rustling of leaves in the wind, a shadow darted swiftly through the jungle.
It was Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seon-u Jin.
The deep jungle he had reached no longer showed any trace of a human path.
Under the blazing sun, broad-leaved plants and vines unseen in the Central Plains sprawled everywhere, along with scattered poisonous insects.
An ordinary person would have long given up, but he moved through it all with ease.
Even the terrain he traversed was so treacherous that swift-footed beasts would struggle to cross it.
But a martial artist with exceptional movement techniques could not be compared to four-legged creatures.
They were far more agile and possessed greater endurance.
In just half a day, Bu Eun-seol had already broken free of the dense jungle.
And finally, a small village came into view.
There was a well-trodden path, a guest inn where travelers could rest, and even a bustling marketplace.
"Haa."
Bu Eun-seol deliberately worked up a sweat as he surveyed the village.
Though he had already reached the level of being impervious to cold and heat, unaffected by temperature, he intentionally feigned exhaustion.
Now that he had entered the territory of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, he couldn't be sure who might be watching him—or from where.
When disguised as Seon-u Jin, he had to act in a way that fit the persona.
"I should rest here today."
On his way to the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, Bu Eun-seol had crossed countless jungles and encountered numerous tribes.
Each time, he deliberately stayed in villages to gather information about the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
Of course, most of the information had already been obtained in advance through the Death Soul Squad.
But some intelligence could only be acquired locally.
Just like now.
Entering a guest inn where dried fruits were hung out to dry, he found an old man running the place alone.
The interior was cramped, with the kitchen and tables practically touching.
But Bu Eun-seol paid it no mind and took a seat.
"What'll you have?"
The old man, his skin darkened by the sun, spoke fluent Chinese.
He seemed to have immediately recognized Bu Eun-seol—wielding an iron sword—as a martial artist from the Central Plains.
"Water and something to eat would be good."
The old man brought a pitcher of clear water and something resembling fried rice cakes.
"Mind if I ask you something?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke in a deliberately casual tone.
"I'd like to hear any news about the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace."
"You've come to the right place. This place is close to Zhurong Island, so warriors from there often come to buy liquor."
In other words, he was well-informed about the happenings there.
But the old man blinked after giving that answer.
Nothing in this world was free.
Especially not for an old man running a guest inn alone in such a harsh place—he knew that better than anyone.
Bu Eun-seol smiled and slid a small silver tael toward him.
Only after taking the silver did the old man lower his voice and speak.
"Ever since the late Palace Lord Jeok-sa died, the atmosphere has been uneasy."
Bu Eun-seol sipped his water, listening intently.
"The new Palace Lord, Hwa-jeong, is a stepmother, so she doesn't get along well with the Young Palace Mistress Jeok Mu-mi. A year ago, the warriors of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace nearly came to blows."
A faint glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
The late Palace Lord Jeok-sa, after his wife's death, had taken Hwa-jeong—leader of the Clashing Fire Hall—as his second wife.
But he, too, had died suddenly three years ago, and according to his will, Hwa-jeong had become Palace Lord instead of the Young Palace Mistress Jeok Mu-mi.
Of course, Bu Eun-seol already knew this through intelligence networks.
But on the surface, Palace Lord Hwa-jeong and Young Palace Mistress Jeok Mu-mi were said to have no major issues.
Yet in reality, their relationship was far from amicable.
"Moreover, the Radiant Yang Adept—a loyal retainer of the late Palace Lord—went to the Central Plains and ended up dead..."
'The Radiant Yang Adept who slaughtered vagrants was a loyal retainer of Palace Lord Jeok-sa?'
Bu Eun-seol frowned slightly at this unexpected revelation—
Just then, the murmur of voices grew louder as a group of people entered the guest inn.
Noticing the old man's cautious glance, Bu Eun-seol nodded with a faint smile.
"I see. Thank you for the information."
After taking a sip of water, he gazed at the distant sky.
'To invite a Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance... despite such unfavorable circumstances.'
His eyes narrowed.
The current palace lord, Hwa-jeong, and the Young Palace Lord, Jeok Mu-mi, were locked in a power struggle—hardly an ideal internal situation. Yet, they had invited a Martial Alliance Commander?
This was anything but normal. There had to be some hidden motive behind it.
Leaving the inn, Bu Eun-seol quickened his steps.
Soon, he arrived at the shoreline facing Zhurong Island, where the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace stood.
"Are you Young Hero Seon-u from the Martial Alliance?"
Upon reaching the dock, a dark-skinned girl approached him, clasping her hands respectfully.
Her striking features, toned physique, and sharp aura suggested formidable martial prowess.
"That's correct."
"I am Jo Ha, a disciple of the Profound Sound Hall."
The woman gestured politely toward the boat.
"Please board."
Despite its name, the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace was not a palace but a fortress built on the remote Zhurong Island.
To enter, one had to take a boat bearing the palace's emblem—meaning even the most skilled masters couldn't set foot there unless the palace permitted it.
Whoosh.
The massive vessel, its sail, sixteen widths across billowing with wind, cut swiftly through the waves.
Bu Eun-seol stood at the bow, watching the scenery.
'A great sect like the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace has no need for a mere Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance.'
As the palace loomed closer, he sank deeper into thought.
'One thing's certain—if I were to integrate the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace into the Martial Alliance... I could immediately rise to Second-grade Commander.'
The thought made him chuckle dryly.
If he truly intended to become the future Number One of the Demonic Path, ruler of the Demon Hall, he couldn't let the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace join the Martial Alliance.
The stronger the Alliance grew, the weaker the Demonic Path and the Demon Hall would become.
But Bu Eun-seol cared nothing for the divide between the Orthodox and Demonic Paths.
Even his current status and reputation were like clothes he could discard at any time.
The only thing he desired was vengeance—against the murderer who had harmed his grandfather and parents.
To achieve that, he needed to infiltrate the Martial Alliance's core of power. Only then could he reach the heart of the Three Realms.
Perhaps he could even be directly recruited by them.
As the Heir of the Demon Hall, it was impossible—but as a Martial Alliance member, he could freely pledge himself to the Three Realms.
Before long, a fortress that seemed to blaze like fire came into view on the opposite shore.
The Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
"Young Hero Seon-u."
Jo Ha approached, speaking in a hushed voice.
"When you arrive at the main palace, the palace lord will make... a rather unusual proposal."
Perplexed, he turned to her—only to find her expression deadly serious.
"Refuse it."
"If you don't, Commander... you will die."
"What do you mean by that?"
Jo Ha shook her head, her voice still low.
"That was the Young Palace Lord's instruction."
Bu Eun-seol wanted to press further—
But the boat gradually slowed, docking at the shore where a camp had been built.
As he disembarked, rows of stern martial artists stood at attention. At the forefront, a man who appeared to be their leader stood imposingly beside a carriage.
"You've had a long journey. I am O Gae, Hall Leader of the Southern Fire Hall."
O Gae clasped his hands respectfully, and Bu Eun-seol returned the gesture.
"Seon-u Jin."
"Please board. I will escort you to the main palace."
Bu Eun-seol stepped into the carriage led by O Gae.
How long had they traveled?
Winding up the mountain-carved road, the carriage soon entered a vast palace that resembled a roaring flame.
"We've arrived."
As Bu Eun-seol stepped out, an astonishing sight unfolded before him.
The interior of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace was as if the Giant Spirit God Pan Gu had carved the mountains with an axe—magnificent and colossal.
Every structure was built from faintly crimson-hued stone, giving the impression of stepping into a palace where fire spirits dwelled.
"This way."
O Gae guided him toward the central palace of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
The interior was extravagantly opulent, with blazing flame crests carved into the walls at every turn.
This architectural style reflected the essence of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace—a sect that revered the energy of fire and specialized in Extreme Yang Martial Arts.
At last, they arrived at the palace's central chamber, where a vast Great Hall came into view. Upon a high stone altar sat a middle-aged woman of striking beauty, clad in resplendent robes.
This was none other than Hwa-jeong, the newly ascended Palace Lord of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
"Welcome to our palace, Commander Seon-u."
Hwa-jeong's features were as beautiful as a crimson rose, yet her slender frame and the way her pupils flickered intermittently gave off an air that evoked protective instincts rather than the majesty befitting a palace lord.
Had it not been for the solemn ranks of subordinates standing in formation below, the dignity of her position might have entirely collapsed.
"Peak Leader Seon-u Jin pays his respects to the Palace Lord."
Bu Eun-seol respectfully clasped his hands together, and Hwa-jeong responded with a smile and a nod.
"I must express my gratitude for your willingness to travel thousands of li in response to my invitation."
Bu Eun-seol, too, pressed his palms together once more and replied courteously.
"To be invited to the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, a place known as the Absolute Forbidden Land, is a tremendous honor."
"The Fire Wheel Crystal is a treasure of our palace that cannot be exchanged for anything. Since you retrieved it for us, it was only right that I personally express my thanks."
Hwa-jeong spoke with a smile.
"You must be weary from your long journey. We've prepared comfortable quarters for you to rest and recover. A feast has been arranged for this evening."
"My gratitude."
Bu Eun-seol rested deeply in the quarters prepared by the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
When evening arrived, he followed the attendant's guidance to the grand banquet hall.
A lavish spread of fine wine and delicacies had been laid out, with all the major figures of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace in attendance.
They approached Bu Eun-seol with warmth, engaging him in conversation and uniformly praising him for recovering the Fire Wheel Crystal.
Had Bu Eun-seol been nothing more than an ordinary third-grade commander of the Martial Alliance, he might have been overwhelmed by such hospitality.
'They want something.'
But Bu Eun-seol held the lofty position of Martial Soul Lord and was intimately familiar with the ways of human interactions.
He could clearly sense an ulterior motive beneath their feigned friendliness.
'Interesting. What is it they desire?'
If they had some hidden intention, all the better.
Bu Eun-seol could simply play along and turn their own schemes against them.
'Besides, for the sake of a peaceful relations with the Martial Alliance, it's necessary to foster goodwill.'
A peaceful relationship wasn't something that could be achieved by persuading only the sect leader—the entire high command had to be won over.
Thus, Bu Eun-seol made a point of greeting each member of the leadership individually, leaving a favorable impression.
'It seems the rumors of their strained relationship... are true.'
After exchanging pleasantries with the high-ranking members, Bu Eun-seol retreated to a corner and carefully observed the banquet hall.
Though he had met all the key figures by now, the Young Palace Mistress, Jeok Mu-mi, had yet to appear.
'Even if she despises the Palace Lord enough to avoid being in the same room as her, skipping an event like this is extreme.'
No matter how much she might resent her stepmother, the Palace Lord was still the Palace Lord—and she was the Young Palace Mistress.
For her to absent herself from a banquet where the entire high command of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace had gathered?
This suggested that the rift between them ran deeper than Bu Eun-seol had anticipated—or that she had some critical reason preventing her attendance.
The grand feast continued until dawn.
Bu Eun-seol returned to his quarters thoroughly drunk.
In order to build rapport with the Palace Lord and the high command, he had indulged in every offered drink, matching them cup for cup.
"Ugh."
As the alcohol took hold, exhaustion washed over him. With a groan, he collapsed onto the bed.
Though a plush blanket had been laid out, the bed itself was made of unyielding stone.
'Strange.'
Moreover, the moment he lay down, a peculiar heat surged up from beneath, searing into his back.
This heat carried the energy of Extreme Yang, scorching not only his skin but even his bones as though it were being roasted.
Hmm.
Sensing something amiss, Bu Eun-seol swept aside the blanket covering the bed.
Beneath it lay an entire slab of stone emitting a faint crimson glow.
"A bed carved from Yang Essence True Jade."
A peculiar light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
The bed in his quarters was made entirely from Yang Essence True Jade—a stone that radiated heat akin to Extreme Yang Qi.
'They're testing me.'
There was no reason to provide such a bed to a guest who had traveled thousands of li from the Martial Alliance.
This had to be deliberate—a trial set before him.
'Well, I'll oblige.'
Bu Eun-seol activated the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and instantly froze the Yang Essence True Jade solid.
Then, the scorching energy that had been emanating vanished, allowing for a comfortable night's sleep.
"Drrrooon."
Bu Eun-seol deliberately snored loudly, pretending to be deeply asleep.
Swoosh.
Suddenly, a black shadow approached the bed where Bu Eun-seol lay, gliding forward like a ghost.
It was a masked figure clad in a skintight assassin's outfit. He—no, she—stared intently at Bu Eun-seol, who appeared to be sound asleep.
Then, without warning, she extended her hand and unleashed a Finger Wind straight at him.
Pah-pah-pak!
As the razor-sharp wind pierced the vital point on his chest—
"Ugh!"
Bu Eun-seol let out a short gasp and sprang up from the bed like a coiled spring.
Clack.
The moment he sat up, the masked assassin, as if she had been waiting for this, pressed the sharp edge of her sword against his throat and spoke coldly.
"Peak Leader Seon-u Jin."
"Who are you?"
"That's none of your concern."
Though she had modulated her voice to sound deeper, the clarity of her tone betrayed her as a young woman.
"Tomorrow, the Palace Lord will make a request of you."
"You must refuse it."
Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted in confusion.
"What do you mean by that?"
"No matter what the Palace Lord asks of you, refuse it. Then leave immediately and return to the Martial Alliance."
The masked assassin swept her sharp gaze over him.
"I've just applied the Flame Poison Bone-Seizing Punishment to your body. If you break this promise, you'll suffer every night as your True Qi reverses, wracked with agony."
"The moment you leave this palace, I'll release the technique."
"This makes no sense at all."
Bu Eun-seol crossed his arms and spoke leisurely.
"You seem to be a member of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace as well. Are you telling me you intend to betray the Palace Lord?"
"Just make your decision."
When the assassin issued the stern command, Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a faint smile.
"I refuse."
Pak!
At the same time, a strange rebounding sound echoed from his body as he effortlessly rose to his feet.
"How—?"
"It seems you haven't heard the information that this Peak Leader has mastered Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade."
"Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade?"
The assassin's mouth fell open slightly.
Normally, the technique of Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade was only capable of deflecting external force.
But the masked assassin's Flame Poison Bone-Seizing Punishment was a Meridian-Sealing Punishment Art, a method of suppressing the body by pouring True Qi into the opponent's meridians.
How could that be deflected?
"It's not as if this Martial Alliance Peak Leader won by rolling dice."
Bu Eun-seol chuckled dryly.
"Young Palace Mistress Jeok Mu-mi."
His gaze and tone were calm, devoid of hostility.
The assassin stared at him for a long moment before sighing and removing her mask.
Beneath it was the face of a stunning beauty—dark skin, thick eyebrows, and striking features.
It was none other than Jeok Mu-mi, the Young Palace Mistress of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
"You're no ordinary Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance."
Her mysteriously glimmering eyes fixed on Bu Eun-seol.
In the Central Plains, peerless beauties were known for their fair, translucent skin and sharply contrasting black-and-white eyes.
By that standard, Jeok Mu-mi—with her dark skin and eyes that shimmered with a blue light—could hardly be considered beautiful.
And yet, she radiated a vibrant, healthy allure unlike anything Bu Eun-seol had ever seen before.
Moreover, she was known as a martial prodigy who had perfectly mastered the Martial Arts Essence of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace. Perhaps because of this, her sun-kissed skin seemed to emanate a faint, smoldering heat.
"Not just martial prowess, but insight as well."
Not only had he deflected the Flame Poison Bone-Seizing Punishment—the highest form of coercive technique in the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace—using Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade, but he had also deduced her identity in an instant.
Only now did Jeok Mu-mi realize that Bu Eun-seol was no ordinary master.
"In the Central Plains martial world, there's a saying: 'Fame and skill do not always go hand in hand.'"
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"Much like yourself, Young Palace Mistress."
His words were both a compliment—acknowledging that her martial arts had reached a far greater Realm than what was publicly known—and a pointed observation.
The Blazing Flame Sacred Palace did not operate in the Central Plains, so the true extent of their martial prowess remained obscure.
Jeok Mu-mi, in particular, had never stood out as the Young Palace Mistress, yet in reality, she possessed extraordinary skill.
"How did you know I was the Young Palace Mistress?"
"Didn't you send your subordinates to deliver the same message?"
"And that was enough?"
Bu Eun-seol shrugged at Jeok Mu-mi's arrogant glare.
"I am a Peak Leader of the Martial Alliance and an honored guest invited by the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace. How many people in this palace would dare sneak into my quarters and threaten me?"
She exhaled deeply before fixing him with a sharp stare.
"So you're accepting my proposal?"
As the only daughter of the former Palace Lord Jeok-sa, Jeok Mu-mi wielded Authority nearly equal to Hwa-jeong's.
If he refused, troublesome incidents would undoubtedly follow.
Any sane person would find it impossible to reject such terms.
But Bu Eun-seol answered firmly.
"I refuse."