Jeok Mumi couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.
“You’re refusing?”
“I came here to foster good relations between the Martial Alliance and Yeolha Holy Palace,” Bu Eunseol said, his tone polite but firm. “If I were to blindly refuse the palace lord’s request, building a good relationship with the alliance would become an impossible task.”
“Hmph, you’d better give up on the idea of friendship,” Jeok Mumi said confidently. “The palace lord has no intention of that.”
“Who knows?”
“Can a third-rank leader persuade her?”
“Perhaps.” Bu Eunseol spoke with assurance. “Yeolha Holy Palace, which has never allowed outsiders, invited me, after all.”
Jeok Mumi narrowed her eyes.
Only then did she realize that Bu Eunseol was not only exceptional in martial prowess and wit but also possessed remarkable audacity.
“You’ll die,” she said, her expression tinged with pity. “My warning to refuse was also to spare your life.”
“Is that so?”
“Does it sound like a joke?” Realizing she couldn’t persuade Bu Eunseol, Jeok Mumi coldly curled her lips. “People as clever as you make a mistake. They think they can control and manipulate every situation.”
Turning away, she said icily, “Do as you please. Even if you refuse, there’s a backup plan.”
Without hesitation, she vanished using a stealthy movement technique. As Jeok Mumi disappeared like a ghost, Bu Eunseol let out a deep sigh and gazed out the window.
“‘I’ll die… huh.’” Deep in thought, he nodded with a hint of satisfaction. “That means the request will be dangerous enough to risk my life.”
A faint smile crossed his lips. “All the better.”
If Palace Lord Hwa Jeong made a request so perilous it could cost his life, Bu Eunseol could strongly push for friendship in return. Nothing in this world came for free, so he might achieve an unexpectedly great feat.
The next day, Bu Eunseol was summoned by Hwa Jeong and ascended Chukyung Mountain, a massive stone peak at the northern gate.
He was heading to the Sacred Flame Platform, where the Yeolha Holy Saint had trained.
But something was odd.
He had expected the palace lord to be accompanied by disciples, yet Hwa Jeong stood alone.
“Palace Lord.”
“You’re here.” Hwa Jeong greeted him with a smile. “I’m sorry for calling you here so suddenly. There’s something I must show you.”
“It’s fine.”
“Then shall we go?” Side by side, Hwa Jeong and Bu Eunseol walked toward the inner part of the Sacred Flame Platform.
Though called a platform, it was uneven, littered with peculiar stones.
As they walked, they exchanged formal pleasantries about the Martial Alliance and Yeolha Holy Palace.
Deep within the platform, they came upon a three-zhang-tall statue.
An elderly figure with majestic eyes stood as if overlooking the world—the statue of Yeolha Holy Saint, the founder of Yeolha Holy Palace.
“An impressive statue,” Bu Eunseol said, letting out an admiring exclamation.
Hwa Jeong’s expression turned serious. “We don’t have much time, so I’ll get to the point.”
Gazing at the statue, she spoke in a low voice. “Our palace has a legend about a Secret Palace, said to house the Fire Ring Divine Flute, used by Yeolha Holy Saint.”
A flute—a long bamboo pipe with holes.
Could Yeolha Holy Saint have been skilled in music as well?
“The Fire Ring Divine Flute is no ordinary flute. It’s a divine artifact containing Yeolha Holy Saint’s extreme yang energy, the Yeolha Sacred Aura.” Hwa Jeong explained calmly. “For those trained in extreme yang martial arts, infusing the Yeolha Sacred Aura from the flute can instantly clear the Conception Vessel and transform their body into a Sacred Flame Constitution, achieving mastery in extreme yang martial arts.”
Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide his astonishment. “A mere flute holds such power?”
“Originally, our palace’s extreme yang martial arts were meant to be trained using the Yeolha Sacred Aura in the flute. But since we couldn’t find it, our martial arts have weakened with each generation.”
After finishing, Hwa Jeong gazed at the statue and sighed deeply. “But by heaven’s grace, we’ve finally found the Secret Palace where the flute is hidden—right here.”
She pointed to the opposite side of the statue, where unremarkable large stones were piled.
“That’s the entrance to the Secret Palace?”
“Yes.” Hwa Jeong sighed deeply again. “But even after finding it, we can’t enter.”
“What do you mean?”
“To open the Secret Palace’s gate, someone with a Sacred Flame Constitution is needed. The long passage to the palace is filled with both Yeolha Sacred Aura and Supreme Fire Ring Aura, which only a Sacred Flame Constitution can withstand.”
Bu Eunseol’s expression turned skeptical. “In Yeolha Holy Palace, which bases its martial arts on extreme yang, there’s not a single person with a Sacred Flame Constitution?”
“There were three,” Hwa Jeong said. “The late former lord, the Young Palace Lord, and Elder Gwang Yangja were all born with it. But Gwang Yangja died committing misdeeds, and the Young Palace Lord refuses to open the Secret Palace.”
“Why?”
Sighing deeply, Hwa Jeong said, “The Young Palace Lord hates me. She misunderstands that I caused the former lord’s sudden death.”
She explained calmly. “The former lord’s body was severely damaged by the Yeolha Aura circulating within him while training. So, he took lotus soup infused with Thousand-Year Snow Lotus Fruit for years. But when he died suddenly, the Young Palace Lord blamed me, claiming there was something wrong with the soup I prepared.”
‘So that’s it.’
Bu Eunseol now understood Jeok Mumi’s rebellious behavior.
She believed her stepmother, Hwa Jeong, had killed her father to seize the lordship.
“Of course, if we searched the martial world endlessly, we might find someone with a Sacred Flame Constitution. But to open the Secret Palace quickly, we invited you.”
“Why do you think I have a Sacred Flame Constitution?” Bu Eunseol asked, frowning.
His physique was ordinary, with no traits worthy of being called a special constitution.
Why did Hwa Jeong think he had it?
“The Fire Ring Crystal, our palace’s treasure, constantly emits Yeolha Sacred Aura. An ordinary person couldn’t carry it for more than half an hour.”
Smiling, Hwa Jeong continued, “But I heard you carried the Fire Ring Crystal back to the Martial Alliance, a journey that took three days.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol realize why Hwa Jeong thought he had a Sacred Flame Constitution.
Only someone with a Sacred Flame Constitution could carry the Fire Ring Crystal for long, as it radiated Yeolha Sacred Aura.
Since Bu Eunseol carried it for three days, she naturally assumed he had it.
‘That’s why.’
When returning to the Martial Alliance, Bu Eunseol had sensed a strange heat from the crystal but suppressed it with his Heavenly Glacial Secret, thinking little of it.
That had led to the misunderstanding that he had a Sacred Flame Constitution.
‘The Yang Essence True Jade in my bed was to confirm if I truly had it.’
He now understood why his bed was made of Yang Essence True Jade.
‘It means a Sacred Flame Constitution isn’t identified through pulse diagnosis but by whether one can withstand Yeolha Sacred Aura.’
As Bu Eunseol pondered, Hwa Jeong spoke again. “Having discovered the Secret Palace, our long-held wish, we urgently needed someone with a Sacred Flame Constitution.”
“Then…”
“Please open the Secret Palace’s gate. If you do, we’ll reward you generously.”
‘“You’ll die.”’
Jeok Mumi’s warning flashed through his mind.
According to Hwa Jeong, only a Sacred Flame Constitution could withstand both Yeolha Sacred Aura and Supreme Fire Ring Aura.
Jeok Mumi, also possessing a Sacred Flame Constitution, refused to retrieve the flute, which should be a simple task.
That could only mean the Secret Palace held another terrifying trap.
‘Is Hwa Jeong planning to kill me to keep it secret?’
Unlikely.
No matter how low his rank, Bu Eunseol was a Martial Alliance leader. Killing him to keep a secret would be unthinkable for Yeolha Holy Palace.
“I mentioned a reward, but it’s not just material wealth,” Hwa Jeong said, sensing his hesitation. “The palace and the Martial Alliance could become close allies.”
She had accurately grasped what Bu Eunseol desired.
‘There’s no reason to refuse.’
Even if opening the Secret Palace was dangerous, it didn’t matter.
If it could lead to friendship between the Martial Alliance and Yeolha Holy Palace, it was worth it.
“Very well,” Bu Eunseol said decisively.
Hwa Jeong bowed respectfully. “Thank you.”
She clasped his hands. “Please retrieve the Fire Ring Divine Flute.”
Her demeanor was polite, not authoritative, a stark contrast to Jeok Mumi’s haughty gaze and condescending tone.
On the surface, Hwa Jeong seemed far more sincere and truthful.
“I’ll retrieve it.”
“Shall we begin?”
“Now?” Bu Eunseol asked, surprised, looking around.
Opening the mystical Secret Palace, never accessed before, with just the two of them?
“As they say, strike while the iron is hot,” Hwa Jeong said, smiling softly as if reading his thoughts. “This is our sacred ground, accessible only to the palace lord and a few elders. No one else can come here.”
After a moment’s thought, Bu Eunseol nodded. “Understood. Let’s begin.”
“Good.” Hwa Jeong gazed at the statue and snapped her fingers.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
It looked like she was casually sending energy blasts, but Bu Eunseol’s keen eyes noticed she was striking the statue’s mechanisms in a specific order.
‘It’s their internal energy technique.’
He even recognized that the sequence followed the flow of their internal energy method.
Crack! Crack!
The aged statue began to show faint cracks with each blast.
Yet Hwa Jeong continued without hesitation.
‘What a pity. That statue must be a treasure of Yeolha Holy Palace.’
Despite the growing cracks, her movements were relentless, as if destroying the statue to open the Secret Palace was inconsequential.
Rumble.
As she stopped, a low vibration emanated from the statue.
Clank.
A large garden stone opposite the statue sank, revealing a wide passage leading downward.
‘No wonder it was hard to find.’
The statue was revered by all disciples of Yeolha Holy Palace.
They wouldn’t dare touch it except for repairs, but Hwa Jeong, unconcerned, had examined it thoroughly and found the Secret Palace.
“Follow that passage to the end, and you’ll see the entrance to the Secret Palace.”
“You’ve already been inside?”
“Yes, but without a Sacred Flame Constitution, I could only take a few steps before turning back.”
“Couldn’t you use qinggong to rush through and open the gate?”
“The passage isn’t just filled with Yeolha Sacred Aura and Supreme Fire Ring Aura. The floor has a mysterious mechanism that generates immense suction if you move quickly or use internal energy, making it impossible to proceed.”
“I see.”
Now Bu Eunseol understood why, despite the palace’s many masters, no one had opened the Secret Palace.
“Here,” Hwa Jeong said, pulling a wooden box containing the Fire Ring Crystal from her robes and handing it to him. “According to the diagrams we found, the Fire Ring Crystal is the key to opening the Secret Palace’s gate.”
“Understood.”
As he took the crystal, a sharp glint flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes, though he accepted it calmly and bowed.
“Don’t overexert yourself—just open the gate. That should deactivate the mechanisms.”
“I’ll do my best.” Bu Eunseol clasped his hands and entered the passage without hesitation.
As he disappeared, Hwa Jeong’s gentle smile turned enigmatic.
Her ocean-like eyes darkened, and a sharp aura gleamed in her pupils.
“It’s been a long time,” she murmured softly.
Swish.
A black shadow appeared beside her.
Wearing a glossy mask, the figure’s eyes shone with a mountain-like brilliance.
It was an Emissary of the Three Realms.
[“You’ve finally done it.”]
The envoy’s voice was devoid of pitch or emotion.
[“If we obtain the Fire Ring Divine Flute with its Yeolha Sacred Aura, we can create an artificial inner core without side effects.”]
But unlike the voice, the envoy’s eyes trembled with excitement.
An artificial inner core without side effects.
How long had they worked for this? Once completed, it would solve the martial world’s and the Three Realms’ pressing issues in one stroke.
Hwa Jeong’s eyes also shimmered with joy, though she soon spoke calmly. “He’s a Martial Alliance leader, even if low-ranking. If the aftermath is mishandled, Yeolha Holy Palace is finished.”
[“No need to worry. Even with a Sacred Flame Constitution, or even three hundred years of internal energy, he’ll melt away instantly.”]
The Emissary rolled up their sleeve, revealing a palm where flesh looked melted and fused like taffy.
[“The Supreme Fire Ring Aura is something even my internal energy couldn’t withstand.”]
Even the envoy’s formidable energy couldn’t block the Supreme Fire Ring Aura pouring from the passage.
[“He’ll melt without a trace. Handle the aftermath as planned, recover the flute, and send it to us.”]
Hwa Jeong nodded, gazing at the scar.
The Emissary had mastered mysterious martial arts surpassing skill levels, akin to the Diamond Indestructible Body.
Yet they couldn’t withstand the heat, so a third-rank Martial Alliance leader, even with a Sacred Flame Constitution, had no chance of survival.
That was Hwa Jeong’s scheme.
Seon Woojin was merely a tool to open the gate, destined to vanish without a trace.
***
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyes grew heavy as he entered the underground passage.
‘The Young Palace Lord was right.’
When receiving the Fire Ring Crystal from Hwa Jeong, he had deliberately activated his Cheonui Heart Secret.
Her demeanor and tone were gentle and kind, but he sensed a subtle dissonance, as if she wore a mask.
As expected, Hwa Jeong practiced an internal energy method unrelated to Yeolha Holy Palace. Moreover, her fingertips, through the crystal, carried a disturbing, eerie killing intent, felt only from those with artificial inner cores.
The aura was so faint it was barely detectable, meaning she had either fully integrated the core or…
‘It’s been refined again.’ Bu Eunseol took a deep breath. ‘Yeolha Holy Palace’s lord wouldn’t be swayed by the Three Realms.’
Like the North Sea Ice Palace, Yeolha Holy Palace wielded immense power.
The Three Realms had no leverage to recruit or persuade its lord.
‘Then she’s either a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars or a member of the Three Realms.’
Like Nobong of the Beggar Sect, a descendant of the Eight Emperors, Hwa Jeong likely infiltrated Yeolha Holy Palace as a spy.
‘That means she assassinated former Lord Jeok Sa.’
Though a second wife, Hwa Jeong and Jeok Sa were said to have had a good relationship. But her use of an artificial inner core suggested their marriage was intentional, and she was involved in Jeok Sa’s death.
Step. Step.
Reaching the end of the passage, an endlessly long corridor appeared.
Whoosh.
A tremendous suction force from the floor gripped his legs.
At the same time, invisible scorching heat rose from all directions, unbearable even for those trained in extreme yang martial arts.
‘This is Yeolha Sacred Aura.’
Yeolha Holy Saint, born with a Sacred Flame Constitution, created exceptional extreme yang martial arts.
Only those with the same constitution could inherit his true teachings.
To allow future lords to transform their bodies into Sacred Flame Constitutions, he created the Fire Ring Divine Flute, infused with Yeolha Sacred Aura, and designed the passage to be impassable without it.
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and raised his internal energy.
‘I don’t have a Sacred Flame Constitution, but I’ll break through.’
Swish. Swish.
The floor’s mysterious mechanism posed no issue if he walked slowly, step by step.
But using powerful internal energy or moving quickly triggered immense suction, locking his legs in place.
‘This is… difficult.’ Halfway through, his vision blurred, and white steam rose from his body. ‘There’s another force mixed with the Yeolha Sacred Aura.’
An intangible force, alongside the Sacred Aura, relentlessly invaded his body.
Recalling Hwa Jeong’s words, he narrowed his eyes:
‘“The passage is filled with both Yeolha Sacred Aura and Supreme Fire Ring Aura.”’
‘This is the Supreme Fire Ring Aura.’
This mysterious force stirred his blood and organs, causing them to boil.
Despite enveloping himself in the Heavenly Glacial Secret, his body heated up, and his organs felt like they were cooking.
Crack. Crack.
He maximized his Heavenly Glacial Secret, surrounding himself with intense cold.
But it was futile.
The Supreme Fire Ring Aura ignored the cold, easily penetrating and continuing to agitate his organs and blood.
‘A force that even Heavenly Glacial Secret can’t block?’
His lips grew parched.
He had relied on Heavenly Glacial Secret, believing it could counter any extreme yang force.
But the passage unleashed the deadly Supreme Fire Ring Aura, which even the North Sea Ice Palace’s supreme ice technique couldn’t stop.
Unlike Yeolha Sacred Aura, the Supreme Fire Ring Aura was a vibrational wave, piercing not only his Heavenly Glacial Secret but also his protective energy.
“Ugh.”
A groan escaped Bu Eunseol’s lips.
The mechanism was a death trap, impassable even for those with a Sacred Flame Constitution.
Step. Step.
His steps slowed.
He had reached the midpoint only due to his extraordinary internal energy, nearly five hundred years’ worth, having broken through the sixth layer of Ban-Geuk Method.
But the Supreme Fire Ring Aura’s mysterious nature couldn’t be blocked even by such power.
As he neared the gate, the aura intensified, threatening to evaporate his blood.
Without Heavenly Glacial Secret to counter the Yeolha Sacred Aura, his body would have already melted into a puddle.
Pop.
As the pain intensified, Bu Eunseol, while maintaining Heavenly Glacial Secret, activated Wishful True Binding, forming a circular energy barrier.
But as the troublesome vibrations continued to invade, he instinctively recalled the principles of Martial Emperor Absolute Technique.
“…!”
An astonishing thing happened.
Swish! Swish!
His yin-yang energy split between his hands, and the two martial arts alternated rapidly.
