“How could this be?”
Bing Hanpung exclaimed in great surprise.
“You’ve learned our palace’s martial arts.”
The martial arts of the North Sea Ice Palace cannot be performed even if one knows the techniques.
This is because one must master an extreme yin-based internal energy method, generating extreme yin energy such as the Cold Ice True Energy or Mysterious Yin True Energy within the body. Moreover, to execute palm strikes, one must separately learn the practical techniques passed down orally, right?
“No way that’s true.” As Bu Eunseol shook his head, Bing Hanpung’s expression hardened. “Even if you’ve mastered an extreme yin-based method, you performed our palace’s palm technique, which cannot be executed without knowing the exact techniques. And you claim you haven’t learned our martial arts?”
“The North Sea Ice Palace has been far too isolated from the outside world.” Bu Eunseol said with a sigh. “There are internal energy methods in the martial world that can harness both yin and yang energies.”
Bing Hanpung paused.
Indeed, there are methods in the martial world capable of wielding both yin and yang energies.
However, almost no one has actually mastered them.
One must have undergone a complete cleansing of impurities from birth, and above all, such methods are incredibly difficult to learn. Moreover, a slight mistake could lead to qi deviation, and in the worst case, death. Even if it’s a secret technique to become an immortal, few would dare to learn it.
“Are you saying you’ve mastered a method that can wield both yin and yang energies?”
“That’s correct.”
“Even so, how did you learn the practical techniques and variations of the Ice Thunder Palm?”
“I deduced the practical techniques from the explanation you gave, palace lord, and inferred the variations of the Ice Thunder Palm from the traces left on the young lord of the Han family.” Then, Bu Eunseol once again extended his palm into the air.
“Look closely.”
Whoosh!
Once more, a cold chill accompanied by the Ice Thunder Palm was unleashed.
But upon closer inspection, only the outward traces were identical.
The Ice Thunder Palm’s essential principles—Palm-Accumulated Cold Yin and Transforming Qi to Control the Mind—were entirely absent.
“You couldn’t use the exact principles, but by generating true yin with yin-yang energy and mimicking the variations, you outwardly executed a perfect Ice Thunder Palm.”
“Exactly.”
“For such a thing… to be possible.”
The ability to deduce the framework of a technique from partial knowledge or to infer variations from remaining traces. Isn’t that something only a grandmaster at the pinnacle of the martial world could achieve?
“I can hardly believe it.” Swallowing his astonishment, Bing Hanpung shook his head.
The North Sea Ice Palace has many talented martial artists, and in his youth, he himself was called the greatest prodigy of the North Sea. But compared to Bu Eunseol’s talent before him, it was like the difference between moonlight and a firefly.
“At any rate, it’s now clear.” Bu Eunseol said calmly. “The one who ambushed the son of the Han family head didn’t master the true Ice Thunder Palm. Like me, they used a method that harnesses yin-yang energy and mimicked its variations and forms.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Bing Hanpung’s expression grew grave.
“Then… it was an insider’s doing.”
Even Bu Eunseol, who could wield yin-yang energy and deduce variations from traces, could only mimic the Ice Thunder Palm after hearing its techniques from Bing Hanpung. In other words, the culprit who ambushed Han Jawook is someone from the North Sea Ice Palace. And they must be an exceptional master capable of at least vaguely understanding the Ice Thunder Palm’s techniques.
“Who could have done such a thing?” Fury blazed in Bing Hanpung’s eyes, emitting a chilling killing intent.
At the same time, intense cold energy began to emanate from his body.
“The reason I fell into mental anguish was the guilt and shame of failing to catch the culprit who ambushed him.”
As the leader of the North Sea Ice Palace, he couldn’t even catch the culprit who harmed Han Jawook, a candidate for the next palace lord.
But the palace’s martial arts are secret techniques never leaked to the outside.
Since a palm technique only the palace lord could master was used, Bing Hanpung had no way to explain or express his grievances. This had left him despondent for a long time, causing a rift in his once-resilient spirit.
But now, with the hope of catching the culprit, a fierce determination burned within him.
“You must have a way to catch the culprit, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
Hearing the response, Bing Hanpung clenched his fist tightly and let out a deep sigh. “Then I’ll soon be able to face the Han family head with my head held high.”
Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile.
“You can already face him with pride.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come out now, Han family head.” At Bu Eunseol’s words, a middle-aged man slowly stepped out from behind the training hall.
It was Han Woosang, who had come to the training hall after hearing Bu Eunseol’s words.
Having seen Bu Eunseol perform the Ice Thunder Palm from beyond the training hall, he realized he had misunderstood Bing Hanpung all this time.
And now, he had finally heard Bing Hanpung’s sincere heart.
“Palace lord.” Han Woosang walked up to Bing Hanpung and knelt.
“Why didn’t you offer a single excuse all this time? Why didn’t you say it wasn’t you?”
“…”
“Why didn’t you just punish me from the start?” As tears streamed down Han Woosang’s face, Bing Hanpung closed his eyes and murmured softly.
“As the palace lord, I failed to protect the next in line. Since I couldn’t catch the culprit… I had to bear that resentment.”
“Palace lord.”
“We were good friends in our youth, weren’t we? And during the battle with the North Heaven Demon Palace, you saved my life.” Bing Hanpung gave a calm smile.
“How could I punish you?”
Han Woosang lowered his head with a pained expression.
Bing Hanpung hadn’t forgotten past kindnesses, and even if he claimed innocence, the culprit couldn’t be found.
For the sake of the suffering Han Woosang, he had silently endured the blame.
“I’m truly sorry for misunderstanding you all this time, palace lord.” Han Woosang shed tears of remorse.
For so long, he had hated Bing Hanpung. And he had been a key reason for the division of the North Sea’s five families. Because he refused to acknowledge the palace lord’s authority, firmly believing he was the one who harmed his son.
“I’m truly sorry, palace lord…” As Han Woosang knelt and wept, Bing Hanpung shook his head.
“No need to be sorry. It all happened because of my shortcomings as palace lord.” Letting out a deep sigh, he said calmly, “But because our palace has been isolated from the outside for so long… I regret not grasping the subtleties of martial arts as this young man has.”
The North Sea Ice Palace has no internal energy methods that wield yin-yang energy. Thus, neither he nor any of the family heads could discern the truth behind the Ice Thunder Palm traces left on Han Jawook’s body.
Wiping his tears, Han Woosang said, “From now on, I’ll do my utmost to unite and serve you, palace lord.”
“Thank you.”
Listening to their conversation, Bu Eunseol said in a low voice, “To do that, we must now find the traitor who ambushed the young lord of the Han family and colluded with external forces.”
“Is there a way?” Han Woosang asked with concern. “That person has hidden their schemes for over a decade and caused the palace’s division.”
Pausing briefly, he bit his lip. “Even with my family’s misunderstanding resolved, they’ll never reveal themselves.”
“That’s likely. Absolutely.” Nodding, Bu Eunseol pulled a scroll from his robes. “So I’ve devised this method.”
Bing Hanpung and Han Woosang read the scroll side by side.
“Is this feasible?” At Han Woosang’s question, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Once the details of the ambush incident are revealed, they won’t be able to endure it. Because they know the sentiments of the other family heads, including you, will change.”
“Hmm.” As Bing Hanpung read the final part of the plan on the scroll, he furrowed his brow. “If this plan proceeds as written, we’ll surely root out the culprit. But must we go this far in the end?”
“If we don’t go this far, they’ll never reveal themselves.” Bu Eunseol continued, “What worries me more is another issue. When we set the trap, we’ll need to persuade the other families.”
“No need to worry about that.” Han Woosang pounded his chest and said, “I’ll stake my life to make it happen.”
“Good.”
“Wait.” Having read the entire scroll, Bing Hanpung said to Bu Eunseol, “For this plan to proceed, one more thing is needed.”
“What’s that?”
“Our palace’s martial arts.” Bing Hanpung smiled faintly and said, “You’ll need to learn our palace’s internal energy secrets. Only then can you fully wield the Cold Ice True Energy.”
“Is that alright?”
An internal energy method is, without exaggeration, the entirety of a sect’s martial arts.
Yet Bing Hanpung was saying he would teach Bu Eunseol the North Sea Ice Palace’s internal energy secrets.
“Consider it a reward for punishing the forces and traitor trying to destroy our palace.”
The North Sea Ice Palace’s internal energy secrets are said to have reached the pinnacle of extreme yin techniques. If Bu Eunseol mastered it, it would be a tremendous opportunity to leap forward once again.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
“Then it’s time to root out that person.”
Bing Hanpung and Han Woosang nodded.
If this plan succeeded…
They could catch the traitor who had divided the North Sea Ice Palace for so long in one fell swoop.
***
Bu Eunseol and Bing Hanpung stood before a cave where a cold wind blew.
Above it was inscribed the name “Heavenly Glacial Pass.” This place could only be reached by navigating deep through the secret underground passages of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Upon entering, the ceiling was embedded with faintly glowing night pearls, and deep inside was a small pond emitting cold energy.
It was the Divine Cold Spirit Water, said to freeze an entire well with a single drop.
“Originally, only the palace lord of our palace may enter this place,” Bing Hanpung said in a low voice as he led Bu Eunseol into the cave. “And the secrets inscribed there are the extreme yin techniques I’ll impart to you.”
Bu Eunseol looked at the wall Bing Hanpung pointed to.
The wall was densely inscribed with technique secrets carved with Mysterious Yin Finger Force.
“Heavenly… Glacial Secret?”
As Bu EunSeolsoftly repeated the name, Bing Hanpung took a deep breath and said, “Correct. It’s the supreme technique of our palace’s founder, the Glacial Great Emperor, the Heavenly Glacial Secret.”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide his astonished expression.
The Heavenly Glacial Secret is the ultimate technique of the Glacial Great Emperor, said to be the originator of extreme yin true energy, and the North Sea Ice Palace’s greatest martial art, isn’t it?
“You’re imparting this to me?”
“Imparting is a bit much. After all, it’s a martial art even I, the palace lord, couldn’t master.” Bing Hanpung said with a bitter expression. “To master the Heavenly Glacial Secret, you need Cold Ice True Energy of three hundred years’ worth. Without it, attempting to learn this martial art would cause your body to freeze and die instantly.”
Letting out a deep sigh, he said in a low voice, “For this reason, none of our palace’s past lords dared to learn this martial art.”
From the vibrations of the palm strike Bu Eunseol had performed earlier, Bing Hanpung could immediately tell.
This young successor of Majeon had internal energy far exceeding three hundred years’ worth.
Pausing briefly, he spoke again.
“I’ve studied these secret techniques for a long time. But no matter what, I thought learning them was tantamount to suicide.”
“…”
“But seeing your method that wields yin-yang energy, I could guess the solution.” Bing Hanpung said with intensity in his eyes, “The Heavenly Glacial Secret can only be mastered by someone who can wield both yin and yang energies simultaneously.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
With a Ban-geuk internal method that can wield both yin and yang energies, even if the body freezes, one could instantly thaw it with fiery yang energy.
“However, you’ve already deeply mastered one internal method. Learning another would truly mean risking your life.”
Learning a new internal method after deeply mastering another is more dangerous than walking a tightrope over a cliff while doing a handstand. If, while learning the new method, one instinctively uses the familiar method, it could lightly damage the qi channels or, in severe cases, lead to qi deviation.
Especially with an ice technique like the Heavenly Glacial Secret, which can freeze blood vessels in an instant, it truly requires risking one’s life.
“Is it really alright for me to learn this?” Bu Eunseol asked with a puzzled expression.
Even if he was helping for the sake of an alliance with the North Sea Ice Palace, to offer another sect’s supreme martial secret?
That was unheard of.
“Our palace…” Bing Hanpung started to say something but shook his head. “No matter. If you can master it, go ahead and learn it. Don’t worry about it.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
He had unexpectedly gained a tremendous opportunity. Of course, that was assuming he could survive learning the Heavenly Glacial Secret.
“Thank you, palace lord.” As Bu Eunseol clasped his hands, Bing Hanpung gave a dry smile.
“You have only four days here.”
“I understand.”
“I wish you luck.” Then he slowly reached out and patted Bu Eunseol’s shoulder.
“I entrust our palace to you.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
He sensed that those words carried a meaning beyond just the alliance. Before Bu Eunseol could respond, Bing Hanpung was already leaving the cave.
Then he slowly turned around.
The Heavenly Glacial Secret consisted of about five thousand characters of techniques.
Its excellence lay in generating the formidable Cold Ice True Energy, the essence of ice techniques, and also storing external cold energy within the body.
“Absorbing the cold energy from the pond would be faster.” Bu Eunseol lightly touched the pond filled with Divine Cold Spirit Water.
Crackle.
Even before his finger reached the pond, frost formed at his fingertip.
“With just the cold energy here, I could freeze everything.” Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol looked down at the pond with a tense expression. “Is this the only way?”
Then he began to undress.
With only four days, it was impossible to grasp the essence of the techniques and generate Cold Ice True Energy. Bu Eunseol intended to immerse himself in the Divine Cold Spirit Water and master the Heavenly Glacial Secret over those four days.
“One wrong move in circulating energy, and I’ll die frozen.”
It was truly a life-risking cultivation.
If he failed to properly store the cold energy in his dantian, he would freeze to death instantly.
Splash.
Undressing in one swift motion and entering the pond, crackle.
Bu Eunseol’s body turned into a block of ice.
‘Ugh.’ The cold energy, freezing even his organs in an instant, nearly made him lose consciousness.
If that had happened, Bu Eunseol would be having a one-on-one with the King of Hell by now. If he stopped circulating energy for even a moment, his blood vessels would freeze, and he’d lose his life.
‘I need to absorb the cold energy before my body completely freezes.’
Hummm!
As he circulated the Heavenly Glacial Secret, a low vibration sounded, and the cold energy in his body began to seep into his dantian.
‘Argh.’
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s face contorted in pain.
The moment he stored the cold energy in his dantian, it felt as if hundreds of needles were tearing through his lower abdomen. If he were an ordinary martial artist, he would have regretted it by now or leapt out of the pond immediately.
But Bu Eunseol was different.
He had never learned martial arts without risking his life.
The Ban-geuk Method required facing death, and Swift Beyond Shadow required sacrificing his lower body.
To create the Supreme Heavenly Flow Technique, he risked his life alongside So Jeon in real combat, and the Seven Fist Demon Forms were performed in life-or-death battles.
‘I will master it.’
Enduring excruciating pain that made his mind fade, Bu Eunseol relentlessly circulated the Heavenly Glacial Secret.
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