Chapter 49: The Flame Demon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: The Flame Demon
A Living Zombie.
In the past, they were monsters—human bodies modified by the Maoshan Sect of the Demonic Cult. He had heard they vanished when the Maoshan Sect was wiped out for defecting to the Blood Cult.
To think someone is using a zombie, which is no different from a remnant of the Blood Cult, in this way.
A specific person immediately came to mind.
Hyeok Ryeon-geuk.
It seemed Hyeok Ryeon-geuk had already visited Potala Palace. He had even seen the Fire Spirit Jade and planted a zombie here.
It appeared the Palace Lord of Potala Palace had sent Hyeok Ryeon-yeom down here knowing all of this.
Boom!
He’s fast.
Flames erupted every time the creature swung its sword. The fire veil protecting Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was parrying the zombie’s blade.
-How annoying.
The Living Zombie continued to transmit its thoughts through secret voice transmission.
However...
Hmm?
As he watched the zombie’s swordsmanship to defend against it, a realization struck him.
I wondered why this felt so familiar...
The sword strikes the zombie unleashed were techniques Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had seen many times before.
The Seven Severing Demon Sword.
The martial art being displayed by the zombie’s hands was one of the techniques Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had learned from the Elders in his past life.
Which meant...
“Why are you in a place like this... as a zombie!”
The Elder who should have been training Hyeok Ryeon-yeom in the Demonic Cult at this point in time—why was he here?!
Seven Severing Demon Sword, First Form: Truth and Illusion.
A technique where reality and illusions intertwined blurred Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s vision. A blade that made it impossible to distinguish between a killing strike and a feint flew toward him.
But...
I can tell them apart.
Swish!
The sword strike grazed his neck.
That was a feint.
-No way...
Next, a rapid thrust aimed for his heart.
Second Form: Cold Slaying Divine Flight.
Dark cold qi erupted from the tip of the sword, shooting toward his heart. This was the killing strike.
In that case...
“Nine Slaying Molten Gold.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom drew his sword and swung it nine times. Nine blades flashed, vomiting red flames.
-How do you know that!
Slash!
The zombie’s chest was sliced open, and sparks began to bloom from its body.
“Because, Seven Severing Old Man... I learned that sword directly from you.”
Seven Severing Demon Sword, Ultimate Essence: Seven Severing Soul Slash.
A strike meant to incinerate the soul flew toward the zombie’s heart—its core.
-Guh...
“I don’t know why Hyeok Ryeon-geuk turned you into this. But now, you can finally rest in peace.”
Whoosh!
Flames began to consume the zombie. At that moment, a faint light returned to the zombie’s pitch-black eyes.
-Th-thank you...
Fwoosh!
The flames turned the zombie into ash. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom stared at the remains with a lingering gaze.
Sizzle—
As the demonic qi dissipated, the Fire Spirit Jade behind it revealed itself. The jade began to emit a radiant light.
-Heh, what do you plan to do now?
If he put his mind to it, taking the Fire Spirit Jade would be effortless. Of course, he had no intention of doing so, as taking it wouldn't particularly benefit him.
However, if Hyeok Ryeon-geuk had seen the Fire Spirit Jade and the Young Palace Lord had been affected by the Fire Spirit Energy because of it...
“I have to check it out.”
He needed to see what had been done to the jade. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom stepped closer to get a better look.
At that same time, in the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Crack—
Fragments of the Ice Crystal began to fall.
“I feel uneasy...” Seol Yerin, standing before the Ice Crystal, muttered.
After Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s group left the Ice Palace, Seol Yerin had not been idle.
“I’m even more uneasy!”
“I told you, you don’t have to watch over me like this.”
Beside the Ice Crystal, the Ice Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho, was watching Seol Yerin with an extremely anxious expression.
“Must you do this while the Captain of the Little Snow Unit is away?”
“I have Tam Ya with me, so it’s fine. Besides, I have to do this now precisely because he isn't here.”
The reason Seol Yerin stood before the Ice Crystal again was to sever the curse of the crystal herself.
Before the Third Young Master returns, no matter what...
She wanted to ensure there would be no more talk of him being engaged to a terminally ill woman with severed meridians.
Until Hyeok Ryeon-yeom arrived at the Ice Palace, Seol Yerin was someone who couldn't hope for a future. She had lived her life merely waiting for the day she would die, but thanks to him, she was able to truly live again.
It must have started then. Though Hyeok Ryeon-yeom might not know it, Seol Yerin had decided to live the rest of her life for him. That was why she had been able to let the word "Gaga" slip from her lips.
To her, the engagement ceremony was a monumental event. Currently, the perception of the Young Lady within the Ice Palace was not very good. She was seen as a terminally ill patient whose Extreme Yin Qi could flare up and kill her at any moment.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, who claimed he would marry such a woman, was being treated like a madman. Seol Yerin had learned that rumors were spreading that he didn't care about her at all and only wanted the marriage to secure his position as the matrilocal son-in-law of the Ice Palace.
Grit.
The first emotion she felt upon hearing those rumors was resentment.
Does anyone think I wanted to be born with this constitution?
This bitterness was a feeling she had contemplated often while freezing under the influence of the Extreme Yin Qi, so it vanished quickly. The thought that followed was about Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
I might deserve this because of my karma, but the Third Young Master doesn't.
To save her, he had willingly cast aside his status as the youngest son of the Cult Leader and come to the Ice Palace. While there were likely various external factors involved, one thing was certain.
He didn't leave me.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was the only man who had told her he would protect her until the very end. She didn't want to be a flaw on such a man.
That was why she came back to the Ice Crystal. After all, the Ice Crystal was the reason she first discovered she possessed the Extreme Yin Body.
Seol Yerin gazed at the crystal. For some reason, its energy didn't feel as vibrant as before. In the past, the Extreme Yin Qi would have swirled around her excitedly the moment she approached.
-Grrr.
There were many reasons, but the primary one preventing the Extreme Yin Qi from acting out was...
“Thank you, Tam Ya.”
-Whine.
It was all because of Tam Ya. The energies knew. The moment the Extreme Yin Qi tried to rush toward Seol Yerin through the air, they would be devoured.
Seol Yerin closed her eyes. Now, while the Extreme Yin Qi couldn't easily attack her, was the time she had to achieve something.
“What are you trying to do?”
Her father’s attempts to stop her didn't matter to Seol Yerin.
Ice Crystal, I don't want to be weak anymore.
She didn't want to live a life where she was always indebted to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. Thus, her training began.
Sizzle—
She reached her hand toward the Ice Crystal.
Crack!
A massive amount of coldness began to flow through her fingertips and into her body. Having mastered the principles of emptying and filling, Seol Yerin was now filling herself with Extreme Yin Qi through the crystal after having thoroughly emptied it.
-Awoooo!
In case she took in too much, Tam Ya acted as a buffer to prevent an overflow.
If I keep this up...
She would never freeze again. Furthermore...
Hum—
In Seol Yerin’s dantian, the Extreme Yang Qi that Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had injected remained, however faintly.
“Ugh.”
The only one suffering was the Ice King, Seol Baek-ho. All he could do was mutter.
“That stupid brat, he better come back soon.”
He could only hope that Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, who had left for Potala Palace, would return quickly.
Cr-crack—
“It’s starting to develop fine cracks.”
-That... is a problem.
The Sword Venerable responded reflexively to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s murmur.
“Why is it a problem?”
-Hmm, if we use the Ice Crystal as an example, the point where it goes berserk is when it breaks.
In other words, it sounded like the Fire Spirit Jade might also go out of control the moment it shattered.
“What is this Fire Spirit Jade to Potala Palace?”
Potala Palace in the Western Region worshipped flames, much like the Demonic Cult. The Fire Spirit Jade was essentially the crystallization of those flames.
-Anyone who breaks a sacred artifact would become a public enemy.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom sighed. He had no desire to become an enemy of Potala Palace.
“This is a bit disappointing.”
Sizzle—
Extreme Yang Qi erupted from Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s dantian. The Extreme Yang Qi, which had already absorbed Fire Spirit Energy before, began to envelop the Fire Spirit Jade. The cracks on the jade started to mend.
Not only that.
Now you’re doing this too?
Are you Tam Ya?
The Fire Spirit Jade began to suck in the Extreme Yang Qi.
Thump— thump—
It was absorbing a surprisingly large amount of energy. He hadn't expected a moment where he would be emptied of Extreme Yang Qi at Potala Palace, so he was slightly flustered.
“Hyeok Ryeon-yeom!”
Cheon Deung-jin, the Young Palace Lord of Potala, appeared through a different entrance rather than the one Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had fallen through.
However, he seemed to have misunderstood the situation. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom wanted to tell him it was fine and that he didn't need to come running like that, but he was currently frozen in place while enveloping the jade.
“No!”
Witnessing this, Cheon Deung-jin began to sprint toward him at incredible speed. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom wanted to tell him to stop, but it was difficult to intervene because the amount of Extreme Yang Qi the jade was absorbing was increasing.
The moment Cheon Deung-jin’s hand touched the Fire Spirit Jade that was connected to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom!
Flash!
A massive light swallowed them both.
...
..
.
“...Ugh.”
The light that had flared for a long time finally subsided. Fearing he had been caught in the jade’s explosion, he checked his body first.
No injuries?
Where was Cheon Deung-jin? He was nowhere to be seen. Furthermore...
Where is this?
The Fire Spirit Jade had also vanished.
-Are you looking for this?
Just then, a voice reached his ears. He quickly turned toward the source of the voice.
Fwoosh—
A man in black, his entire body wreathed in flames, appeared with an intrigued expression. The man, who had red hair that contrasted with the Snow Wind Sword Saint of the North Sea, was the embodiment of fire itself.
And... he wasn't human. He was like the Sword Venerable.
A ghost.
He had no choice but to ask.
“Who... are you?”
He asked for the ghost’s identity. At the question, the figure turned to look at Hyeok Ryeon-yeom and spoke.
-Buk Gung-son, the Flame Demon.
Just like the Martial Gods he had met in the North Sea, he had encountered the ghost of a demon who mastered flames at Potala Palace.