Chapter 12: Martial God
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Martial God
“Are you saying you intend to climb down there with nothing but your bare hands right now?”
Eun-bin looked as if he were barely suppressing the urge to ask if he had lost his mind.
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“It’s a cliff! Are you going to throw your life away looking for a Martial God’s legacy that might not even be down there?!”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked at Eun-bin with a curious gaze. The Eun-bin he knew wasn't usually this hot-tempered.
“Are you worried the Young Palace Lord will die if I do?”
“That’s…”
“It’s fine. I won’t die.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom pressed his feet firmly against the cliffside. Then, he channeled internal energy into his Yongquan Points.
Internal energy is essentially mana.
That meant internal energy, like mana, could have its properties altered.
Splat!
The internal energy discharged through his Yongquan Points adhered to the cliff. He tried to pull his foot away with force, but it wouldn't budge.
Perfect.
Though Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had never learned the Wall Lizard Art, altering the properties of his internal energy allowed him to perform techniques identical to it.
“Kyaaa! Young Master!”
Weizhi Young screamed as she saw Hyeok Ryeon-yeom hurl himself over the edge of the cliff.
“My ears hurt.”
“…Young Master?”
Splat.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was standing horizontally against the cliff face, his body perfectly straight as he looked back at Weizhi Young, Baek Mu-yong, and Eun-bin.
“I’ll be back.”
Eun-bin muttered to himself as he watched Hyeok Ryeon-yeom leisurely walk down the vertical drop.
“He’s using the Wall Lizard Art that naturally?”
“Young Master! You must be careful!”
Hearing Weizhi Young’s voice, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom flashed a satisfied smile. As he descended further down the cliff, the sensation grew clearer.
—…Child.
A voice seemed to call out to him desperately. It was a sound only audible to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, who had already experienced several lifetimes.
—Child.
I’m coming, I’m coming.
He hadn't expected the voice to be searching for him so anxiously. Then again…
Since none of his descendants ever visited, he must be dying for company.
But if he wanted to be found, he shouldn't have left his legacy in a place like this.
As he descended, a bitter cold wind began to howl.
Whoosh—
Amidst the swirling frost, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom ignited a flame.
“His words and actions don’t match up.”
No wonder no one had ever found this place.
The further down he went, the clearer his destination became. Once he reached the center of the cliff…
Buzz—
The Extreme Yin Qi he had received from Seol Yerin began to react.
Is there something here?
He could tell there was some sort of formation, but he didn't know how to break through it. Just then…
Vrrr—
This time, Extreme Yang Qi surged out through his Yongquan Points.
Sizzle—
The cliff face began to melt away, revealing the entrance to a cavern.
“Did the Extreme Yang Qi melt a formation surrounded by Extreme Yin Qi?”
This was why it had remained undiscovered. Even if someone possessed Extreme Yin Qi, they wouldn't have been able to find this place without the means to break the formation.
Thud.
Stepping into the cavern, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom saw the frozen interior shimmering brilliantly. He felt a powerful conviction that the Martial God’s legacy was here.
“Are you there?”
The voice that had been calling out to him abruptly stopped. As Hyeok Ryeon-yeom reached the entrance to proceed further into the cave…
[NO ENTRY 出入禁止]
A sign was carved there, warning him not to enter.
A smirk played across Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s lips. Being told not to do something only made one want to do it more, didn't it? In his past life, he had entered many restricted areas for the sake of his research.
And,
“I always walked out with everything inside belonging to me.”
This place would be no different.
Flames began to erupt from Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s entire body, and the heat started to melt the ice.
Drip, drip.
The ice wall bearing the "No Entry" warning melted away completely.
Whoosh!
A staggering amount of energy burst forth from the cavern.
“Even if someone found this cave, they wouldn't have been able to get inside if they couldn't melt that wall just now.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom cautiously entered the cavern. There were four Martial Gods of the North Sea in total, and he hadn't yet identified which one’s tomb this was.
—…Child.
The mournful voice began to ring out again.
“Were you annoyed because you wanted to come out, but no one ever came?”
Fwoosh!
He conjured a flame to light up his surroundings. Then…
—Finally, we meet.
Light flickered from an ice bed located near the center of the cavern.
“Are you the Martial God?”
—Heh heh. It feels like three hundred years have passed. Do they still revere me as a Martial God out there?
A ghost manifested. It was an old man with flowing white hair.
“Yes, that is correct. My name is Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. May I ask the Martial God’s name?”
—Baek Un-han.
“The Snow Wind Sword Saint!”
—Heh heh. To think there is still someone who remembers me. Thank you.
Satisfied with Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s reaction, the Martial God from three hundred years ago, Snow Wind Sword Saint Baek Un-han, smiled.
“Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, the matrilocal son-in-law of the Ice Palace, offers his greetings.”
—A matrilocal son-in-law?
Baek Un-han’s expression stiffened instantly.
—Someone who is not of the direct bloodline heard my voice and found this place! How can this be!
Baek Un-han quickly began to circle around Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. He examined him here and there as if taking a pulse.
—Ho. Where did you get this Extreme Yin Qi?
Baek Un-han seemed to have detected the tiny trace of Yin energy circulating through Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s body.
“It is the Yin energy of my betrothed.”
—Ordinary Yin energy wouldn't be enough to handle an Extreme Yang Body… Don't tell me, was she born with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians?
With just a few pieces of information, Baek Un-han quickly deduced Seol Yerin’s condition. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom explained how he came to the Ice Palace and why he possessed Extreme Yin Qi despite having an Extreme Yang Body.
—To take a brat from the Demonic Cult as a son-in-law… my descendants must have truly gone mad.
“I told you already. I may be a brat from the Demonic Cult, but now I’m a brat of the Ice Palace.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom slowly approached the ice bed. Inside lay a frozen skeleton.
“But how did you end up in this state, Great One?”
He was curious how a Martial God had ended up like this, unable to pass down his martial arts or legacy to his descendants.
—Heh heh. It is because of the Ice Crystal.
“If it’s because of the Ice Crystal…”
—Well, if you want to hear my story, you must prove you are truly of the Ice Palace.
“Proof? How should I prove it?”
—Make a promise with me. If you do, I will hand over my legacy and tell you why I ended up like this.
“What is it?”
—Revenge.
At the mention of revenge, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom asked with a puzzled expression.
“Does a Martial God of the North Sea still have someone left to take revenge on?”
—I do.
“Who is it?”
—The Demonic Cult.
At the Sword Saint’s words, the corners of Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s eyes began to twitch minutely.
“Cult Leader. I have a question.”
“What is it, Strategist?”
“Why was it the Ice Palace?”
There was the Potala Palace in the Western Region, the Poison Palace in Nanman, and the Great Thunderclap Temple in Tianzhu. He was asking why Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had been sent specifically to the North Sea Ice Palace.
“Why? Because only by sending him to the strongest place among the Outlands will Ryeon-yeom become strong as well.”
“So you believe the Ice Palace is the strongest among the Outlands, Cult Leader.”
“Why? Does the Strategist think otherwise?”
The Strategist, Sima Yi, shook his head. It was recorded in the archives. Successive generations of founders had stated that the Martial Gods of the Ice Palace were their most formidable rivals.
“I do not think otherwise. I only asked to see if you were also aware of the tales regarding the Martial Gods of the North Sea.”
“Ah, of course I am.”
“Ah, come to think of it, every Cult Leader visits the Outlands during their inauguration ceremony, don't they?”
“That’s right. Quite a bit of time has passed already. But the current Ice Palace Lord felt a bit lacking to be called a Martial God.”
Sima Yi nodded.
“The records state that the Martial Gods of the North Sea appear once every hundred years. Since the last Martial God appeared about eighty years ago, the probability of one appearing around this time is high.”
“If Ryeon-yeom treats the Young Palace Lord, there is a high probability that the next Martial God of the North Sea will be her.”
The Cult Leader, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi, spoke with certainty.
“Is that so? Then the Third Young Master might end up being henpecked.”
“Do you think so?”
“I believe it depends on what kind of relationship he forms with the Ice Palace Lord. The records do mention that past Cult Leaders crushed the Martial Gods of the North Sea… will it be alright?”
A question was raised as to whether the two families could truly become in-laws.
“That happened a hundred years ago. Surely, they aren't such petty fellows?”
—It is something I have dreamed of for three hundred years!
The Snow Wind Sword Saint was a Martial God who held a very long grudge.
“Revenge… are you saying the previous Cult Leader is the one who put you in this state?”
Pause.
At Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s question, Baek Un-han wore an awkward expression.
Probably not.
Among the past Cult Leaders of the Demonic Cult, none used ice arts. Fire arts, perhaps. There had to be another reason why he had become an ice statue in this deserted cavern.
—Ahem. It is indeed because of the Ice Crystal.
“The Ice Crystal… you say?”
—Yes. I do not know about the descendants of the future, but the Ice Crystal’s power goes berserk every hundred years. In the process of trying to withstand that power…
Wait.
“If the cycle of the Ice Crystal’s explosion is a hundred years…”
There were four Martial Gods in total. The fact that stories of a Martial God from a hundred years ago were still circulating meant that a hundred years had passed since then.
It feels like Seol Yerin has gained another reason to die besides her Extreme Yin Body.
“Is there no way to stop it?”
—Regrettably, I had none, but you do.
“What is it?”
—The Extreme Yang Body. Your constitution.
As Hyeok Ryeon-yeom ignited his flames, the ice bed began to melt.
“Then I shall have to do my best.”
Drip, drip.
As the ice melted completely, the skeletal form of the Snow Wind Sword Saint, Baek Un-han, was revealed.
—Heh heh. Seeing as you found me like this, it must already be time for the Ice Crystal to go berserk again.
“I need your help, Elder.”
—Make the promise. Can you achieve my revenge?
“Of course.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom intended to take revenge on Hyeok Ryeon-geuk anyway. To do that, he planned to build his strength in the North Sea.
The Snow Wind Sword Saint looked into Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s eyes.
—You are sincere. Very well. I do not know how much of my legacy you, with your Extreme Yang Qi, can absorb, but give it a try!
Flash!
Baek Un-han’s skeleton emitted a brilliant blue light.
Whoosh—
“This place is…”
An endless snowy field. Even when he radiated Yang energy, the snow did not melt.
“You are maintaining a clear mind. Not bad, child.”
Appearing out of nowhere, the white-haired old man on the snowy field, Snow Wind Sword Saint Baek Un-han, held a sword.
“Have you created an Imagery World?”
“You even know of such things?”
“I’ve made many of them in the past.”
One of the things he did most in his previous life was meditation. Since he couldn't use magic, training within the imagery world brought forth by meditation was an essential requirement for survival. This was similar to the image training he had done in his first life.
However…
The difference is that this feels much more realistic.
The Snow Wind Sword Saint smiled.
“Then I can pass it on to you more quickly.”
“Pass on what?”
“Did you not say you wanted my legacy?”
Ssssh.
Baek Un-han’s sword rose, leaving afterimages in its wake. The pure white sword-light blooming from the blade exhaled a staggering chill.
Then, the wind began to blow.
“I shall show you why this old man was called the Snow Wind Sword Saint.”
Sizzle—
If Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s body hadn't been shrouded in Extreme Yang Qi, he would have frozen solid long ago.
“I would be more than happy to learn the swordsmanship of the North Sea.”
But he had to see if that sword was truly stronger than the martial arts he already knew.
Fwoosh—
Flames began to surge from Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s sword as well.
“Flames, eh? Truly like a brat from the Demonic Cult. But you will not be able to match this old man’s experience.”
A fierce wind rushed toward Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. Baek Un-han spoke.
—This sword form is called Snow Wind.
Not only the bitter northern winds but all the surrounding wind and cold were being sucked into Baek Un-han’s sword.
—Martial artists call this Deadly Snow. Come.
The legacy left by the Snow Wind Sword Saint.
Three hundred years ago.
The signature sword technique of Baek Un-han, who was revered as a Martial God.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom charged toward the Snow Wind Sword.