Chapter 433
Jeok Mu-mi couldn't hide her bewildered expression.
"You're refusing?"
"The reason I came here was to establish good relations between our alliance and the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with a courteous yet resolute expression.
"But if you're telling me to refuse the Palace Mistress's request without considering the consequences, fostering good relations with our alliance would become a distant prospect."
"Hmph, you'd better give up any thoughts of forming a alliance."
Jeok Mu-mi declared confidently.
"The Palace Mistress would never entertain such an idea."
"That remains to be seen."
"Can a mere Third-grade Commander really persuade her?"
"Perhaps."
Bu Eun-seol answered with assurance.
"Consider that the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, which has never allowed outsiders to approach, has specifically invited this commander."
Jeok Mu-mi narrowed her eyes.
Only then did she fully grasp that Bu Eun-seol wasn't just formidable in martial prowess and wisdom—he also possessed extraordinary courage.
"You'll die."
She said with a pitying expression.
"My advice to refuse the request—it was also meant to spare your life."
"Is that so?"
"Do I sound like I'm joking?"
Realizing she could never persuade Bu Eun-seol, Jeok Mu-mi curled her lips coldly.
"Brilliant minds like yours always make the same mistake. You think you can control and manipulate every situation."
Turning away, she spoke in icy tones.
"Do as you please. It makes no difference if you refuse—we have alternatives."
Without hesitation, she vanished using a secret movement technique.
As Jeok Mu-mi disappeared like a ghost, Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply and gazed out the window.
"'You'll die,' she says..."
Deep in thought, he actually nodded with something like pleasure.
"That means she intends to make a request difficult enough to risk my life for."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"All the better."
If Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong was going to make a life-threatening request...
Then Bu Eun-seol could just as forcefully demand the alliance in return. Nothing in this world came free... He might even achieve an unexpectedly great merit.
The next day.
Summoned by Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong, Bu Eun-seol ascended the massive stone mountain north of the palace—Mount Chuk-yung.
His destination was the Sacred Fire Platform midway up the mountain, where the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable had once cultivated his martial arts.
Yet something was strange.
He'd expected the Palace Mistress to be waiting there with a retinue of disciples.
Instead, Hwa-jeong stood alone in solitary grandeur.
"Palace Mistress."
"You've come."
Hwa-jeong welcomed him with a smile.
"I apologize for summoning you here so abruptly. There's something I must show Commander Seon-u."
"It's no trouble."
"Shall we proceed then?"
Side by side, Hwa-jeong and Bu Eun-seol began walking toward the inner area of the Sacred Fire Platform.
Though called a "platform," the area was uneven and rugged, strewn with strangely shaped boulders.
As they walked, they exchanged formal pleasantries about the Martial Alliance and the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace's affairs.
When they reached the platform's deepest recesses, a thirty-foot stone statue came into view.
An imposing old man with majestic eyes stood as if surveying the world below—the likeness of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace's Founder, the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable.
"An impressive statue."
When Bu Eun-seol voiced his admiration, Hwa-jeong's expression turned grave.
"Time is short, so I'll be direct."
Gazing at the statue, Hwa-jeong spoke in low tones.
"Our palace has long kept a legend of a Secret Palace. It's said to contain the Fire Wheel Divine Flute once wielded by the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable."
The "flute" referred to a long bamboo pipe with finger holes.
Could it be the Holy Venerable had been skilled in musical arts as well?
"The Fire Wheel Divine Flute is no ordinary instrument. It's a sacred relic containing the Extreme Yang Force and Blazing Flame Sacred Qi perfected by the Holy Venerable."
Hwa-jeong explained calmly.
"For one who practices Extreme Yang Martial Arts, absorbing the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi within the flute can instantly achieve Ren Meridian Opening. Moreover, it transforms the practitioner into a Sacred Fire Body capable of reaching Great Completion in Extreme Yang Martial Arts."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't conceal his astonishment.
"A simple flute contains such power?"
"Originally, our palace's Extreme Yang Martial Arts required cultivation based on the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi within the Fire Wheel Divine Flute."
Finishing her explanation, Hwa-jeong sighed deeply while gazing at the statue.
"But because we've been unable to locate this relic... our martial arts have grown weaker with each generation."
Her eyes suddenly gleamed as she continued.
"Yet by heaven's grace, we've finally discovered the Secret Palace hiding the Fire Wheel Divine Flute. Right here."
She pointed to the area behind the massive statue—an unremarkable pile of large boulders.
"That's the entrance to the Secret Palace?"
"Correct."
Hwa-jeong drew a deep breath before continuing.
"But though we've found the Secret Palace, we cannot enter."
"What do you mean?"
"To open the palace's gate requires someone with a Sacred Fire Body. Because the long passage inside is flooded with both Blazing Flame Sacred Qi and Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy—forces only a Sacred Fire Body can endure."
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned doubtful.
"Are you saying that in the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, which bases its martial arts on the Extreme Yang Arts, there isn't a single person with the Sacred Fire Body?"
"There were originally. Three, in fact."
Hwa-jeong answered.
"The late former Palace Lord, the Young Palace Mistress, and the elder known as the Radiant Yang Adept—all three were born with the Sacred Fire Body. However, the Radiant Yang Adept met his end after committing evil deeds, and the Young Palace Mistress refuses to open the Secret Palace."
"Why is that?"
Hwa-jeong let out a deep sigh before speaking.
"The Young Palace Mistress despises me. She misunderstands, believing that I was responsible for the former Palace Lord's sudden death."
She calmly explained further.
"The former Palace Lord suffered severe damage to his body due to the Blazing Flame energy circulating within him while cultivating martial arts. That was why he regularly took the Lotus Seed Decoction infused with the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus Fruit."
Hwa-jeong's expression turned bitter.
"But when he passed away from a sudden illness, the Young Palace Mistress blamed me. She insisted that there must have been something wrong with the decoction I had been brewing all along."
So that's how it was.
Now Bu Eun-seol understood Jeok Mu-mi's rebellious behavior.
She believed that Hwa-jeong, her stepmother, had killed her father to seize the position of Palace Mistress.
"Of course, if one were to wander the Martial World aimlessly, they might eventually find someone with the Sacred Fire Body. But our palace urgently needs to open the Secret Palace, which is why we invited you."
"Why do you believe I... possess the Sacred Fire Body?"
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
His bone and muscle structure was utterly ordinary, with no distinguishing traits that could be called a special constitution.
So why did Hwa-jeong think he had the Sacred Fire Body?
"Our palace's treasure, the Fire Wheel Crystal, constantly emits Blazing Flame Sacred Qi. Because of this, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to keep it on their person for more than an hour."
Hwa-jeong smiled as she spoke.
"But I heard that Commander Seon-u carried the Fire Wheel Crystal on his person and returned to the Martial Alliance. The journey took roughly three days, didn't it?"
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize why Hwa-jeong believed he had the Sacred Fire Body.
The Fire Wheel Crystal could only be carried long-term by someone with the Sacred Fire Body, capable of enduring the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi.
Since Bu Eun-seol had carried it for three days while returning to the Martial Alliance... it was only natural for her to assume he had the Sacred Fire Body.
So that's why.
At the time, while returning to the Martial Alliance, Bu Eun-seol had sensed a strange heat emanating from the Fire Wheel Crystal.
But because he had suppressed it with the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, he had been able to bring it back without issue.
Yet that very act had led to this misunderstanding.
Placing the Blazing Yang Jade beneath my bed was also to confirm once more whether I truly had the Sacred Fire Body.
Now he understood why the Blazing Yang Jade had been placed under his bed.
Which means the Sacred Fire Body isn't something confirmed through pulse diagnosis, but rather by whether one can endure the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi.
Just as Bu Eun-seol was lost in thought, Hwa-jeong spoke again.
"Having finally discovered the Secret Palace, which I've long considered my greatest wish, I needed to find someone with the Sacred Fire Body as quickly as possible."
"In that case—"
"Please open the door to the Secret Palace. If you do this for me, I will reward you handsomely."
You'll die.
Suddenly, Jeok Mu-mi's words flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
According to Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong, only those with the Sacred Fire Body could withstand the combined forces of the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi and the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy.
And Jeok Mu-mi also had the Sacred Fire Body.
If all she had to do was open the door and retrieve the flute, why had she refused?
The only explanation was that there must be some other terrifying trap inside the Secret Palace.
Does that mean Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong intends to kill me too? To keep the secret?
That couldn't be.
No matter how low his rank, Bu Eun-seol was still a commander of the Martial Alliance. Would the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace really kill a Martial Alliance commander just to keep a secret?
That would be absurd.
"When I say reward, I don't mean mere material wealth."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol hesitate, Hwa-jeong spoke again.
"Our palace and the Martial Alliance could also become very close allies."
Now it was clear—she had precisely discerned what Bu Eun-seol desired.
There's no reason to refuse.
Even if opening the door to the Secret Palace was an extremely dangerous task, it didn't matter.
If it could forge an alliance between the Martial Alliance and the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, then it was worth the risk.
"Very well."
When Bu Eun-seol answered decisively, Hwa-jeong bowed her head respectfully.
"Thank you."
She clasped both of his hands in hers.
"Please, bring me the Fire Wheel Divine Flute."
Hwa-jeong's demeanor was courteous, devoid of any imposing authority.
Her attitude was worlds apart from that of the Young Palace Mistress, Jeok Mu-mi, who maintained an arrogant gaze and condescending tone at all times.
Because of this, outwardly, Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong appeared far more sincere and truthful.
"I will bring it without fail."
"Shall we begin, then?"
"Right now?"
Bu Eun-seol looked around in surprise.
This was the momentous task of opening the mysterious Secret Palace, which had never been opened before.
Yet they were proceeding with just the two of them, without a single other member of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace present?
"Strike while the iron is hot, as they say."
As if reading his thoughts, Hwa-jeong smiled faintly.
"After all, this is our palace's Sacred Land—a place where none but the Palace Mistress and a few elders may set foot. No one else would come here in the first place."
Bu Eun-seol paused to think for a moment before nodding.
"Understood. I'll begin immediately."
"Good."
Hwa-jeong gazed at the statue of the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable, then flicked her fingers.
Tap tap tap!
At a glance, it seemed like she was casually releasing Finger Wind.
But Bu Eun-seol, with his keen eyes, could discern that her Finger Wind was pressing the mechanisms carved into the statue in a specific sequence.
'That must be the Internal Energy Method of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.'
Moreover, the sequence matched the meridian circulation of a particular Internal Energy Method.
Crack crack.
Perhaps due to its age, faint fissures began to form on the statue wherever the Finger Wind grazed it.
Yet Hwa-jeong paid no heed and continued unleashing Finger Wind without pause.
'What a pity. That statue must also be a treasure of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.'
Despite the growing cracks, her movements remained unhesitant—as if shattering the centuries-old statue of the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable meant nothing so long as the Secret Palace could be opened.
Rumble...
Finally, when she withdrew her hand, a low vibration emanated from the statue, followed by—
Clunk.
A massive garden stone installed opposite the statue sank downward, revealing a wide passageway leading below.
'No wonder it remained undiscovered.'
This statue was a revered treasure that all disciples of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace held in awe.
No one would dare touch it except for maintenance, let alone investigate it thoroughly.
But because Hwa-jeong had no such reservations, she had examined the statue freely and uncovered the Secret Palace.
"Follow that passage to the end, and you'll see the entrance to the Secret Palace left behind by the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable."
"You've already been inside, I take it."
"Correct. But lacking the Sacred Fire Body, I couldn't take more than a few steps before having to turn back."
"Couldn't you just activate Lightness Art and dash through to open the door?"
"The passage leading into the Secret Palace doesn't just emit Blazing Flame Sacred Qi and Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy. The floor is embedded with a mysterious mechanism... If you try to move quickly or circulate Internal Energy to use Movement Technique, an overwhelming suction force will immobilize you."
"I see."
To be honest, even without the Saintly Body, it had been slightly puzzling why no one had ever opened the Secret Palace's door.
Only after hearing this full explanation did Bu Eun-seol finally understand why, despite the many Masters in the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace, no one had succeeded until now.
"Take this."
Hwa-jeong retrieved a wooden case containing the Fire Wheel Crystal from her robes and held it out to him.
"According to the discovered diagrams, the key to opening the Secret Palace's door is this Fire Wheel Crystal."
"Understood."
The moment Bu Eun-seol took the Fire Wheel Crystal, a sharp glint flashed across his eyes.
But he showed no outward reaction, accepting it calmly before bowing his head.
"Don't push yourself—just open the door. That should deactivate the internal mechanisms."
"I'll do my best."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together and stepped into the passageway without hesitation.
As his figure disappeared into the passage, Hwa-jeong's lips curled into a subtle, inscrutable smile—different from any expression she had worn until now.
Her ocean-like eyes darkened, and a sharp energy flickered in her pupils.
"It's been a long time."
As she murmured those words—
Whoosh.
A black shadow materialized beside her.
The figure wore a mask with an eerie sheen, and its gaze radiated a light as vast as Mount Tai.
It was the Messenger of the Three Realms.
[At last, it's done.]
The Messenger's voice held neither highs nor lows—no trace of emotion.
[Once we obtain the Fire Wheel Divine Flute containing the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi... We'll finally be able to create an Artificial Inner Elixir completely free of side effects.]
Yet despite the flat tone, its eyes trembled intensely.
An Artificial Inner Elixir with no side effects.
How long had they labored for this? Moreover, its completion would serve as the catalyst to resolve all the problems currently facing the Murim—and the Three Realms—in one stroke.
A glimmer of joy also flickered in Hwa-jeong's eyes, but she soon composed herself and spoke coolly.
"Though his rank is low, he's still a Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance. If the cleanup isn't handled properly, the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace will be finished."
[No need for concern. Even if he possesses the Sacred Fire Body... Even if he has cultivated Internal Energy surpassing three centuries... He'll melt away in an instant.]
The Messenger rolled up its sleeve, revealing its palm.
There, flesh had melted like molten taffy, leaving behind a grotesque, congealed scar.
[The nature of the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy is such that no amount of Internal Energy can withstand it.]
Not even the Messenger's own Internal Energy had been able to block the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy surging from within.
[He'll dissolve without a trace. Once we handle the aftermath as planned, we'll retrieve the Fire Wheel Divine Flute and send it to the main faction.]
Hwa-jeong nodded as she studied the wound.
The Messenger had mastered a mysterious Martial Arts technique that transcended conventional power levels, cultivating a unique energy akin to the Vajra Indestructibility Divine Art.
Yet even it couldn't withstand the torrent of heat—
No matter how strong the Sacred Fire Body, a mere Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance stood no chance of survival.
And that was precisely Hwa-jeong's scheme.
Seon-u Jin.
He was nothing more than a tool to open the door—one that would vanish without a trace.
Meanwhile, deep within the underground passage, Bu Eun-seol's gaze grew solemn.
'The Young Palace Lord spoke the truth.'
When Hwa-jeong handed him the Fire Wheel Crystal, Bu Eun-seol had deliberately activated the Heavenly Robe Mind Art.
Her demeanor and speech were gentle and benevolent, yet there was an inexplicable sense of dissonance, as though she were wearing a mask.
And just as expected.
Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong had mastered an entirely unique Internal Energy Method, one unrelated to the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
That wasn't all.
Through the Fire Wheel Crystal, he had sensed it—the faint but unmistakable killing intent lingering at her fingertips.
A killing intent so repulsive and bizarre that it could only belong to those who had ingested an Artificial Inner Elixir.
Moreover, the energy was so faint it was barely discernible. That could only mean one of two things: either she had fully assimilated the Artificial Inner Elixir, or...
"She has undergone yet another refinement."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
"Besides, there's no way the Palace Mistress of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace could have been subverted by the Three Realms."
Like the North Sea Ice Palace, the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace was a formidable faction.
The Three Realms had neither the means nor the leverage to coerce or sway its leader.
"Then that means she must either be a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars... or an agent of the Three Realms herself."
Most likely, Hwa-jeong had infiltrated the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace from the beginning as a spy—just like No Bong of the Beggars' Sect, who had been a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
"Which would mean Palace Mistress Hwa-jeong assassinated her predecessor, Jeok-sa."
Though she was his second wife, it was widely known that Jeok-sa and Hwa-jeong had shared an exceptionally close relationship.
Yet the fact that Hwa-jeong, now Palace Mistress, had consumed an Artificial Inner Elixir...
Not only did it serve as circumstantial evidence that their meeting had been intentional from the outset, but it was also circumstantial evidence of her involvement in Jeok-sa's death.
Step. Step.
Before he knew it, he had descended to the bottom of the underground passage, where an endlessly long corridor stretched before him.
Whoosh.
Then, an immense suction force erupted from the floor, locking his legs in place.
At the same time, invisible waves of scorching heat surged from all directions.
It was an overwhelming blaze—one that even those trained in Extreme Yang Martial Arts would struggle to endure.
"So this is the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi."
The Blazing Flame Holy Venerable had been born with the Sacred Fire Body, and through it, he had founded his supreme Extreme Yang Martial Arts.
Thus, only those who possessed the Sacred Fire Body could inherit his True Body Supreme Art.
After much deliberation, he had forged the Fire Wheel Divine Flute, condensing the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi within it, allowing successive Palace Mistresses to transform their physiques into the Sacred Fire Body.
Moreover, to safeguard the Fire Wheel Divine Flute, he had ensured that none but those with the Sacred Fire Body could pass through this passage.
Bu Eun-seol steadied his breathing and summoned his internal energy.
"I may not have the Sacred Fire Body, but I'll break through regardless."
Swish. Swish.
The Mechanism Formation embedded in the floor was incredibly intricate—if one walked slowly, step by step, there would be no issue.
But the moment one attempted to use a Movement Technique or move too quickly...
An overwhelming suction force would immediately seize their legs, locking them in place.
"This... is going to be difficult."
By the time he reached the halfway point of the corridor, Bu Eun-seol's vision blurred, and white steam began rising from his entire body.
"There's another energy mixed in with the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi."
Alongside the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi, an intangible, unknown force relentlessly invaded his body.
"The long passage leading to the Secret Palace is flooded with both the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi and the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy—forces only the Sacred Fire Body can withstand..."
Recalling Hwa-jeong's words, Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
"So this force is the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy."
The Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy.
This mysterious force violently churned the fluids within his body—his blood, his organs—setting them ablaze.
No matter how much he reinforced himself with the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, his entire body burned as if his insides were being roasted alive.
Crackle.
Bu Eun-seol pushed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art to its limit, encasing himself in an impenetrable barrier of frigid energy.
But it was futile.
The Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy ignored the glacial cold entirely, piercing through effortlessly—
Still agitating his blood and organs like a raging storm.
"So it's a type of energy the Glacier Thousand Streams Art can't block."
His lips were parched.
He had trusted in the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
No matter how formidable the Extreme Yang Force was, he had believed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art would be enough to withstand it.
But contrary to his expectations, the passage was flooded with the lethal Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy—a force even the supreme Ice Art of the North Sea Ice Palace couldn't suppress.
Because the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy was fundamentally different from the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi—
A ceaseless, oscillating force that not only bypassed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art but also effortlessly penetrated the Body Protection True Qi shielding his body.
"Ugh..."
A pained groan finally escaped Bu Eun-seol's lips.
In the end, this mechanism was a death trap—one that even those unaffected by the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi, like the Sacred Fire Body bearers, couldn't enter.
Step. Step.
His footsteps grew slower with each passing moment.
The only reason Bu Eun-seol had made it this far was his transcendent internal energy reserves.
Having broken through to the Sixth Layer of the Counter-Polar Internal Art, his internal energy was nearly five centuries deep.
Yet the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy was a force that even such immense power couldn't resist—a bizarre and mystical energy unlike any other.
The closer he got to the entrance of the Secret Cave, the more violently the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy raged—threatening to vaporize the very blood in his veins.
Had he not mastered the Glacier Thousand Streams Art and blocked the Blazing Flame Sacred Qi, his body would have already melted into a puddle of liquid.
Drip.
As the pain intensified, Bu Eun-seol, while maintaining the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, manifested a spherical barrier of true qi using the Willful True Binding.
But as the relentless oscillations continued to bore into his body, he unknowingly recalled the mental principles of the Martial Emperor's Enlightenment.
"..."
Then, something astonishing happened.
Hiss! Hiss!
The Yin-Yang Dual Qi within his body split between his two hands—
And the two martial arts began manifesting in turn.