Chapter 27: The Ice Soul Spear Saint
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: The Ice Soul Spear Saint
The Ice Crystal.
A sacred artifact of the North Sea Ice Palace.
According to the Martial Gods of the North Sea, it was a cursed object that went on a rampage every hundred years.
'But what exactly happens when the Ice Crystal goes on a rampage?'
In response to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s question, the Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress answered.
—Why do you think a Martial God has been born every hundred years?
'Does it have something to do with the Ice Crystal’s rampage?'
—Those who stopped the rampage became Martial Gods. Those who failed... died.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom felt a chill run down his spine at the Demon Empress’s answer. It was likely the influence of the Extreme Yin Qi radiating from the Ice Crystal.
'Then, if the Ice Crystal goes on a rampage this time...'
It meant someone had to be there to withstand it.
'Are there specific conditions for the rampage?'
—It’s the Extreme Yin Qi. Think of it as the Ice Crystal reaching its limit after accumulating Extreme Yin Qi for a hundred years. It eventually explodes because it can’t hold any more.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom glanced back as he approached the brilliantly glowing Ice Crystal.
The North Sea Ice Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho, or the Young Palace Lord, Seol Yerin.
Since they were the only ones allowed near the Ice Crystal, one of them must have endured its rampage in the past.
And.
'Considering I never heard anything about the Young Palace Lord in my past life...'
There was a high probability that it was Seol Yerin who had absorbed the brunt of the explosion.
"I can't let that happen again."
Seol Yerin was the link connecting Hyeok Ryeon-yeom to the Ice Palace. If she died, he would no longer have a place to nest here.
Therefore...
Ssssss—
Steam began to rise.
The closer he got to the Ice Crystal, the more his Extreme Yang Qi clashed with the Extreme Yin Qi it emitted.
'I can't... absorb this.'
The cold was on a completely different level compared to the Extreme Yin Qi Seol Yerin carried in her body.
Crackle—
It was so intense that frost began to form even amidst the Yang energy Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was radiating.
"How long do you think it'll be until the rampage?"
Both the Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress, having become Martial Gods, had experienced the Ice Crystal’s rampage.
—Hmm, it’s hard to call this a rampage just yet.
—I agree. It doesn’t seem like the Extreme Yin Qi within the crystal is completely full. It looks more like it’s lashing out with Yin energy in response to your Yang energy.
—But still... it’s strange. This isn't the reaction I remember from the Ice Crystal. So-ryeong, what do you think?
—It does seem strangely different to me as well. It doesn't look like a rampage, nor does it look like the Ice Crystal we’ve seen before. However, based on the cycle, it is about time for it to explode. Perhaps this is a side of it we simply haven't seen.
As Hyeok Ryeon-yeom watched the Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress tilt their heads in confusion, he tried to step closer to the crystal.
"I recommend you don't go any further."
His father-in-law was standing behind him, having approached silently.
"Why is that?"
"You are close enough to gauge the possibility of a rampage. What did the Sword Venerable have to say?"
"He says it's fine for now, but..."
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was bothered by the puzzled reactions of the two ghosts. However, if the possibility of a rampage was certain...
'It's better to deal with it before it happens.'
If the rampage occurred because the crystal was full and couldn't absorb any more Extreme Yin Qi...
'Then the rampage won't happen if I drain the Extreme Yin Qi from the crystal beforehand.'
Surely, there had to be a way.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s eyes began to tint red.
No matter how much water you pour into a broken pot, it will never fill up. Similarly...
'If I can make a hole in the Ice Crystal, the rampage will never happen again.'
The problem was whether he could even put a dent in that solid-looking crystal. Furthermore, he had to get permission from his father-in-law, who was watching him with hawk-like eyes, to damage the sacred artifact.
'Ugh.'
It was a difficult task.
—Ho-ho, to think someone would actually consider injecting Yang energy into the Ice Crystal.
—Hmm, I think it’s a good idea.
—Do you really think it’s possible to melt the Ice Crystal?
The Ice Crystal was said to have existed since the founding of the Ice Palace. The Sword Venerable remarked that melting such an object would be difficult even if the first Martial God of the North Sea, the Ice Emperor Seol Cheon-woo, were to return from the dead.
"Well, I won't know until I try."
Sring—
As Hyeok Ryeon-yeom drew his sword, his father-in-law’s voice rang out from behind, filled with suspicion.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Forgive me, Father-in-law."
Whether it was a sacred artifact or not, the best course of action was to eliminate any potential danger.
Fire Control Sword—
"—Flame Connection."
Flutter—
A butterfly made of flickering flames took flight and soared toward the Ice Crystal.
Seol Baek-ho stared at Hyeok Ryeon-yeom with an expression of pure disbelief.
'Is what I'm seeing actually real?'
He truly hadn't expected the boy to swing a sword at the Ice Crystal. He was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even bring himself to stop him.
Naturally, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s sword never reached the crystal.
Crackle—
The sight of the flying butterfly freezing solid and falling to the ground was a spectacle in itself.
"Stop this. In a space of Extreme Yin, everything freezes."
"You mean absolute zero."
"Absolute zero?"
"It's just a term."
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom didn't look like he was giving up.
Whoosh!
If anything, his fighting spirit seemed to burn even brighter.
"Let's see who wins."
A staggering amount of heat erupted from Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
"So this is... the Extreme Yang Body."
The Hyeok Ryeon-yeom radiating Extreme Yang Qi was worlds apart from the version Seol Baek-ho had seen until now.
"Flame Wind—"
'That's...'
It was the Snow Wind Sword, the signature technique of the Ice Palace. There was no mistaking it. However, the energy being unleashed from the blade wasn't Extreme Yin Qi—it was Extreme Yang Qi.
A whirlwind of flames surged forward, reaching for the Ice Crystal.
Ssssss—
A massive amount of steam erupted.
Witnessing the clash between Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang for the first time, Seol Baek-ho finally understood how a mere twenty-year-old like Hyeok Ryeon-yeom could go around thrashing the warriors of the Ice Palace.
'Was spreading rumors about being a scoundrel all part of his plan?'
There was no way someone with this level of martial prowess could be anything less than diligent, regardless of his natural constitution.
'He's dodging every single counterattack the Ice Crystal fires into the space where his Yang energy touches.'
His kinetic vision was extraordinary. Such vision couldn't be developed without constant, rigorous training. It was clear he had undergone grueling discipline since childhood.
'Furthermore...'
Though slow, the distance between him and the Ice Crystal was shrinking. The sheer will to close that gap at any cost... that kind of determination wasn't built overnight either. It was a passion only possible for someone who constantly and fervently delved into their craft.
'Just as Su-hyeok said.'
A stroke of good fortune had rolled right into his lap. However...
"No matter how much of a blessing you are..."
As the Lord of the Ice Palace, he could not allow the Ice Crystal to be damaged. Just as he was about to step in and pull Hyeok Ryeon-yeom away...
Ssssss—
Flames erupted all around Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s body.
'Samadhi True Fire?'
No, the range was too wide for that. Moreover...
"The color... is changing?"
"To melt absolute zero, I just need to raise the temperature to the melting point."
The orange flames began to turn a brilliant, pure white.
The moment Seol Baek-ho shielded his eyes from the blooming White Heat Flame...
Flash!
A burst of light exploded from the Ice Crystal.
"That is..."
A light he had never seen before was erupting from the sacred artifact.
"...Where am I?"
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a strange space.
—Heh, I never expected he would hide his soul inside the Ice Crystal.
—I suppose he thought no other madman would ever attack the Ice Crystal like Ryeon-yeom did. It seems his gamble paid off.
The Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress appeared.
"What are you talking about?"
—It means you got lucky.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, unable to understand the two Martial Gods, looked around.
A pure white space. It looked like a world filled with snow. It was a place that certainly didn't exist in his past memories. If so...
"Come out."
It meant this space had been artificially created by someone other than himself.
"You are a child with incredibly strong mental fortitude."
"Is that so?"
It was a man holding a spear. His appearance was entirely different from the current Ice Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho. A man with pale skin, tall stature, and striking white hair appeared before him.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom immediately realized who he was.
The Martial God from a hundred years ago, the Ice Soul Spear Saint, Seol Yeong-jin.
He was the third of the four Martial Gods of the North Sea he had encountered, and the one who had held the title most recently.
"You've anchored your soul within the Ice Crystal."
"Correct. It was because I hoped that in the next generation, no one like me would ever have to appear again."
The Spear Saint scanned Hyeok Ryeon-yeom from head to toe.
"But I never imagined that someone who isn't of the Ice Palace would be the one to wake me."
"Was it a bit too hot for you?"
"It was certainly intense."
—Greetings. I am the Sword Venerable.
—And I am the Demon Empress, descendant.
The Spear Saint tilted his head as he saw the two Martial Gods hovering beside Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
"Are you... the Snow Wind Sword Saint and the Cold Snow Demon Queen...?"
—Correct.
—I didn't expect to meet a descendant from two hundred years after my time.
"And there's a three-hundred-year gap between the Sword Venerable and the current era."
—Heh, which means I'm far too senior to even be treated as a mere predecessor.
In the lineage of Martial Gods, the Sword Venerable held the highest seniority. The problem was that such things didn't matter much here.
"Since the Spear Saint anchored his soul in the Ice Crystal for the sake of the next generation, I assume you've summoned me here to help me?"
This space was essentially a realm created by Seol Yeong-jin’s soul. At Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s question, the Ice Soul Spear Saint ran his hand along his spear.
A foreboding feeling began to creep in.
—Heh, don't get ahead of yourself. He's here for a different reason. I can see it now that I'm here. There was a problem with the Ice Crystal, wasn't there?
"It's difficult for me to say right now, Sword Venerable."
The Ice Soul Spear Saint turned a wary gaze toward Hyeok Ryeon-yeom at the Sword Venerable’s words.
"You. You are not of the Ice Palace."
—Look at his eyes. He clearly doesn't like the fact that Ryeon-yeom isn't an Ice Palace man.
At the Spear Saint’s words, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom gave a fist salute and spoke.
"If you consider my family name, I am the future son-in-law of your distant descendant."
"Son-in-law?"
"The one who uses the names 'Baek' and 'Ho' is the current Ice Palace Lord."
"And who are you?"
"I am Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, the one betrothed to the Young Palace Lord, the daughter of the Ice Palace Lord."
Twitch.
The moment Hyeok Ryeon-yeom revealed his name, the Spear Saint’s brow furrowed. It was a twitch Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had seen before on his father-in-law.
'What is he unhappy about?'
He had only stated his name.
'His name?'
The moment one heard the name Hyeok Ryeon...
'Damn it!'
Hyeok Ryeon. It was the surname of the family that produced the current Heavenly Demon. And the Hyeok Ryeon family had been ruling the Demonic Cult for over a hundred years.
In other words...
The Ice Soul Spear Saint, the Martial God of a hundred years ago, must have encountered an ancestor of the Hyeok Ryeon family who was the Heavenly Demon of that time.
And...
'The Ice Palace and the Demonic Cult have been arch-enemies since ancient times, haven't they?'
"So you're a dog of the Demonic Cult."
The Ice Soul Spear Saint, Seol Yeong-jin, raised his spear with an expressionless face.
"I am a matrilocal son-in-law! I am a man who will become part of the Ice Palace!"
"It seems my descendant has made a grave error in judgment. How could he think of taking a cultist as a son-in-law? Forget the Ice Crystal; I'll have to deal with you myself."
Whirrrr!
The spear began to spin.
The accumulated snow in the surroundings began to swirl, and a massive snowstorm erupted.
This was truly unexpected. Since the Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress were with him, he thought he would be able to easily obtain the legacies of the other North Sea Martial Gods.
He realized once again that such things didn't matter. In the end...
'I have to earn the Spear Saint’s approval.'
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom raised his sword, struck by the fact that surviving in the North Sea was truly a brutal ordeal. He couldn't just stand there and be killed.
"It won't be easy, Spear Saint."
Because Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had also resolved to survive this life with everything he had.
The spear of the Ice Soul Spear Saint, Seol Yeong-jin, lunged toward Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.