The Ice Flower's Fury
The Ice Flower Witch, Han Seol-eun, let out a piercing scream. “Kuaaaaaah!!” Neunghogun roared, his voice thick with internal energy, as he yanked the sword embedded in his abdomen. Yet the power of the Flying Sword Art, linked to Baekri Hyeok’s true energy, was something even the Fist King could not easily endure.
“Sword Sovereign!!”
“You were acting so high and mighty, but the moment you take one sword strike you start screaming. How impressive. I like it.”
“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!!”
Enraged, Neunghogun unleashed a blast of fist force toward Baekri Hyeong. With all his hidden strength now revealed, the Fist King’s attack was nothing to be taken lightly. However, Baekri Hyeong, clad in the Black Tortoise Armor, met the assault with unwavering resolve. If he retreated, Baekri Hyang behind him would die.
“Huuup!”
As Baekri Hyeong stamped his foot, the surging sword force lost some of its momentum. Still, it was too powerful to block completely. He looked to the heavens and invoked the final form of the Black Tortoise Breaking Sword Art—Black Tortoise Descent.
Kwoooooooosh!!
A colossal Black Tortoise manifested, colliding head-on with Neunghogun’s fist force. Its shell, harder and thicker than anything else in existence, remained unscathed even under the relentless barrage. Instead, Neunghogun began to sweat profusely as he poured out more power. In truth, though he had stopped the bleeding, his abdomen was still pierced through. His fist force was weaker than usual, allowing Baekri Hyeong to hold the line with relative ease.
Finally—
Kwaaaaaang!
“You… Sword Sovereign…”
“Fist King Neunghogun. It seems you’ve forgotten the days when you were beaten and forced to flee.”
Baekri Hyeok had returned, having struck Neunghogun from afar with the Flying Sword Art. Though he had clearly witnessed the Black Tortoise’s form, he offered no questions to his son. Perhaps more pressing matters occupied his mind. In any case, Baekri Hyeok was angrier than he had ever been.
“You dared to target our clan? And alone, at that!”
“Kuh…!”
Neunghogun had been careless. He had not known his enemy’s true identity, and he had nearly lost both the son and daughter he held dear. Had this been inside the clan grounds rather than outside, Baekri Hyeok would have fought with the desperation of one defending his home to the death. Even with Han Seol-eun present, the risk had been immense. If the Fist King had led an army against the clan, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
Yet something felt off. Neunghogun knew Han Seol-eun was a descendant of the North Sea Ice Palace and a master of the Hyeongyeong realm. Why had he charged in alone?
“Young Master.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Was there no force accompanying Neunghogun? One man, ten men—anything. Was he truly alone?”
“When I faced the Fist King, he was alone.”
“…I see.”
His suspicion had been correct. No matter how powerful the Fist King was among the Ten Great Masters, he could never topple the Baekri Clan by himself. Han Seol-eun was already a Hyeongyeong master, and there was another—Gongson Ryong—currently residing within the clan. If Neunghogun had planned under the assumption of only one Hyeongyeong expert, then only one conclusion remained.
“Young Master. Leave Hyang with the Jegal Clan and return to our clan at once.”
“Pardon?”
“The Baekri Clan is in danger.”
“…! Understood!”
Baekri Hyeong immediately hoisted Baekri Hyang onto his back and raced toward the Jegal Clan. His father had spoken; there was no room for doubt. He should have suspected something the moment Neunghogun appeared alone. If the full might of the Pacheon Fist Sect was marching on the Baekri Clan—
‘This is bad. We won’t lose, but the damage to the clan will be unimaginable!’
The order to entrust Baekri Hyang to the Jegal Clan carried the implicit request for their aid. With two Hyeongyeong masters present, the clan would not fall easily, yet now was not the time for calculation. He had to move swiftly and protect his home.
**********
“Lady Han! The enemy has invaded the clan! Your orders!”
“…Understood.”
After Baekri Hyeok had rushed out, followed by Baekri Hyeong and Baekri Hyang, Han Seol-eun had quietly anticipated this very situation. Her prediction had proven accurate. Fortunately, Gongson Ryong was still within the clan. Unless the invaders were extraordinary masters, the Baekri Clan would not fall.
“The Guardian Unit and Escort Division will secure the Patriarch’s residence. Summon several members of the Amyongdae and order them to ambush the enemy’s key fighters. Request support from the Gongson Clan as well. I will hand command over to the Chief Steward afterward. I will take the vanguard.”
“Yes!”
Han Seol-eun changed into combat attire and headed for the battlefield. She was no longer the wife of the Baekri Clan Patriarch—she had returned to being the martial artist Han Seol-eun.
Shortly after she departed, the Chief Steward, Taehun, who had been bowing his head, slowly raised it with an expressionless face.
“The Baekri Clan will be annihilated here. I did not foresee Gongson Ryong’s involvement, but it cannot be helped.”
Taehun spoke of the clan’s destruction as though it were nothing. Behind him, members of the Dragon Demon Squad, the elite force of the Demonic Cult, began to appear one after another.
“There are only two Hyeongyeong masters: Han Seol-eun and Gongson Ryong. With the Sword Sovereign absent, this is our chance. Strike swiftly and decisively.”
“Understood!”
Though only twenty in number, every member of the squad had reached the Transcendent Peak Realm. Moreover, the squad’s leader had only recently entered the Extreme Demon Realm. The Baekri Clan, without its Sword Sovereign, could never withstand this large-scale assault. Absolutely not.
“The Jegal Clan and Wudang Sect will be troublesome, but they are likely occupied elsewhere right now.”
To erase a single clan from the martial world, one simply had to prevent outside aid. All that was needed was to create another crisis that would draw their attention away.
“Everything you have built will crumble, Sword Sovereign. I wonder what expression you will wear when you see your clan reduced to ashes. Hahahahaha!!”
Taehun’s manic laughter was soon drowned out by the clash of weapons. He vanished into the smoke, as though he would never return to this place again.
“Kuaaaagh!”
“Aaaagh!”
“Do not retreat! Defend our home!”
“The Sword Sovereign will come! We must not fall back!”
“For the Baekri Clan!”
Meanwhile, the warriors of the Baekri Clan fought desperately against the sudden invaders. Though their identities were unknown, the use of fist techniques reminded them of the recent alliance between the Black Tiger Sword Sect and the Pacheon Fist Sect. The Pacheon Fist Sect was led by the Fist King Neunghogun, one of the Ten Great Masters. While he was their only Hyeongyeong expert, most of his subordinates had reached the Transcendent Peak Realm. The sect itself was one of the Four Great Heavenly Sects, far larger than any ordinary clan. Even the Baekri Clan, whose strength rivaled the Five Great Clans, was nothing more than a mid-tier clan without its Sword Sovereign.
“Everyone, fall back!”
“It’s Lady Han!”
Just as the Pacheon Fist Sect’s momentum threatened to overwhelm them, a savior appeared. It was Han Seol-eun, the clan’s sole Hyeongyeong master. The moment she revealed herself, the Pacheon Fist Sect warriors hesitated. Not because she was a Hyeongyeong expert, but because her epithet had once been the Ice Flower Witch. The title had been granted due to the terrifying power of her Ice Flower Qi Art. The ice flowers that bloomed from her hands created a sight more chilling than any other martial art.
“Our clan’s principle is to never turn away visitors… but if you come charging in with the intent to destroy everything, I suppose I must respond in kind.”
“Run! Everyone, run!!”
“I will not allow that.”
Whooooosh.
As Han Seol-eun spread both arms, an intense chill swept across the entire Baekri Clan. The clan’s relatively small size made such a feat possible. Fortunately, the clan members possessed some resistance to the cold. The Pacheon Fist Sect warriors, however, trembled violently beneath her icy gaze. Since Hyeongyeong masters were expected to deal with other Hyeongyeong masters, they could only wonder when their promised reinforcements would arrive, retreating step by step in fear.
“I will make you regret setting foot here.”
“Ice Flowers!”
“If they touch you, it’s over! Run!”
“Aaaaaah!!”
Ice flowers bloomed from Han Seol-eun’s fingertips, sending the Pacheon Fist Sect warriors into a panic. Yet she did not let them escape. Moving with the grace of a celestial maiden, she lightly waved her hand and froze entire groups of enemies in an overwhelming display of power. To the people of the Baekri Clan, it was nothing short of salvation.
“Waaaaah!!”
The clan members cheered. For a moment, they dared to hope that even without the Sword Sovereign, they might repel the attack. But that hope was short-lived. The anomaly appeared in an instant.