Chapter 019 : Cold Snow Secret Realm
North Sea Ice Palace, Palace Lord’s Hall.
"Palace Head. There is news that flames soared in the Great Grasslands."
"That means……."
"It seems the Eldest Young Master has succeeded."
The North Sea Ice Palace Head, Seol Baek-ho's expression changed strangely.
At the words that the horse bandits who had always been a headache were swept away, he felt like old indigestion was swept down, but.
-Father-in-law, please take care of me.
Thinking of seeing him smiling, annoyance surged.
"How many went on the expedition?"
"Including the Young Palace Head, it is six."
"To think merely six swept away the horse bandits."
It seemed he had to re-evaluate the Demonic Cult's Third Young Master, Hyeokryeon Yeom.
"It seems we brought him in as a live-in son-in-law very well."
General Manager Seol Su-hyeok seemed to like Hyeokryeon Yeom very much.
"It seems the General Manager likes Hyeokryeon Yeom?"
"That is correct."
"What part do you like so much?"
"The biggest part is because he is solving the parts I considered headaches."
As the General Manager of the Ice Palace, Seol Su-hyeok was a person who knew most of the major and minor affairs occurring in the Ice Palace.
Originally, the biggest problem in the Ice Palace was the succession issue.
The Ice Palace Head, Seol Baek-ho, who had only one daughter, was famous as a fool for his daughter.
The problem was the fact that the daughter had the Extreme Yin Body and she was terminally ill scheduled to die young.
Because of that, Seol Baek-ho's attention inevitably focused entirely on his daughter.
He couldn't listen to what was happening in the Ice Palace.
Taking advantage of the gap where the Palace Head's power weakened.
The Elders of the Council of Elders were trying to seize the Ice Palace under the surface.
They seized the Snow Tiger Squad and disbanded the Small Snow Squad.
When Seol Su-hyeok noticed, it was irreversible.
However,
‘Many things changed after Hyeokryeon Yeom arrived at the Ice Palace.’
Seol Ye-rin recovered her health.
The Snow Tiger Squad's Captain was severely beaten by Hyeokryeon Yeom.
Eun Bin, who had fallen into despair, became the Vice Captain of the Small Snow Squad.
Hyeokryeon Yeom took Tae Un-seo of the Snow Tiger Squad, who was regarded as a problem child.
Rumors even circulated that he seemed to have seized Elder Gwak Tae-san of the Council of Elders.
Furthermore, if he completely swept away even the horse bandits, the headache of the Ice Palace.
‘Such a blessing!’
Where was he, and why did he appear now.
Thanks to him, Seol Su-hyeok's impression became very good.
"It is good that the General Manager's expression has relaxed but... I still do not like it. What did the Demonic Cult say?"
"They say the Cult Leader will personally visit the Ice Palace if we set the wedding date."
"Ugh, they must intend to completely make him an Ice Palace person at this opportunity."
"Although we were the ones who requested it first."
Indeed, people are cunning.
As soon as Seol Ye-rin recovered her health, the Ice Palace had no choice but to judge the Third Young Master again.
"First, let's ask what he says when he returns."
Since he passed the test, he would definitely demand something.
Furthermore,
‘Will the Council of Elders acknowledge Hyeokryeon Yeom?’
The Ice Palace Head, Seol Baek-ho, was also a person with ears to listen.
Until now, he had let go of the major and minor affairs of the Ice Palace because of Seol Ye-rin, but he intended to be different from now on.
***
-Do you intend to enter?
"Of course."
If this is the place where a Martial God's trial is located.
If I conquer even here, I will obtain the legacies of two of the Four Martial Gods of the North Sea.
‘They say one can become a Martial God even if they obtain just one person's legacy.’
With two, three, four, I felt I could have the conviction to kill Hyeokryeon Geuk.
-Shall I help?
"Thank you."
I became curious whether the Martial God I would meet from now on would be a Martial God from before or after the Sword Venerable from three hundred years ago.
"Entering."
The gap where Extreme Yin Qi was leaking was buried in the ground.
I bent my waist and began to infuse Extreme Yang Qi into the ground.
When matter suddenly becomes hot in an extremely cold state, stress occurs due to the difference in expansion speed between the surface and the interior.
The larger this stress becomes.
Crack-
Cracks occur.
Cracks began to occur at the entrance heading to the Martial God's trial.
"It's opening."
Boom!
Along with a sound.
"Huh?"
The ground collapsed.
Whoosh!
While falling down, I felt like I entered inside a formation.
Flash!
As the space began to change,
Whoosh!
Softly piled snowflakes begin to flutter.
"I didn't know such a space was prepared in the underground of the Great Grasslands."
I, who landed on the ground by exerting movement arts with full power, was startled seeing the spectacle unfolded before my eyes.
It was a snowy field.
-Whoever it is, they have quite a nasty taste.
"It seems similar to you, though."
-What?
First, I stepped on the snow and began to walk.
Once inside the formation, if I don't find the Gate of Life, I cannot go outside.
Fortunately, I could roughly guess where I had to head.
Twitch- Twitch-
Because the Extreme Yin Qi received from Seol Ye-rin was pulling me.
Approaching the direction the Extreme Yin Qi guided, I began to think about which Martial God's legacy place this would be.
‘Ice Emperor Seol Cheon-u, Cold Snow Demon Queen Jang So-ryeong, and Ice Soul Spear Saint Seol Yeong-jin.’
If possible, I wanted to meet the Ice Emperor, the founder of the North Sea Ice Palace, rather than the Demon Queen or Spear Saint.
-I didn't know two Noble Ones would come.
At that time, a woman's voice was heard by my ears.
"What……."
Unlike me who was startled by the unexpected voice.
-Heh heh, it is So-ryeong.
The Sword Venerable seemed to anticipate the opponent's identity.
-Who dares call This Queen's name....... Master?
Master?
I didn't expect North Sea Martial Gods with a gap of a hundred years to know each other.
Furthermore.
"One more ghost has increased."
The owner who installed this formation appeared before my eyes in the form of a ghost.
Cold Snow Demon Queen Jang So-ryeong.
A ghost woman with fluttering blue-white hair revealed herself.
"I greet the North Sea Martial God of two hundred years ago."
-Ahem, to use the alias Martial God when this Sword Venerable is clearly here.
-Again, again. The master was always like that. But who is this child?
-He is the successor of the Snow Wind Sword.
-Yes? It seems he is not a child of the North Sea?
It seemed Cold Snow Demon Queen Jang So-ryeong also saw through me at a glance.
"I am called Hyeokryeon Yeom, who came in as the Ice Palace's live-in son-in-law."
-You possess more Extreme Yang Qi than Extreme Yin Qi. You possess the Extreme Yang Body?
"You saw correctly."
-Huh.
The Demon Queen, who lamented at the words that I came to live as a live-in son-in-law in the North Sea despite possessing the Extreme Yang Body, thought for a moment and muttered.
-Perhaps it is better?
It seemed she thought it would be good for me, possessing plenty of Extreme Yang Qi, to live in the North Sea since it is cold.
-Right, it seemed so.
-Why is the Master here?
-Why would it be?
-Surely.......
-Right. He inherited the legacy.
-…You mean you came to meet me while having inherited your Master's legacy?
-I didn't know you would have left a legacy too.
I, who was listening to the conversation of the two Martial Gods, shone my eyes at the words that the Demon Queen also left a legacy.
-However, to pass it to an outsider.......
"My future wife is an Extreme Yin Body."
Flash!
At the word Extreme Yin Body, the Demon Queen began to show interest.
-Really? Master, is it true?
-Heh heh, right, this Master also saw it.
-Ah, then she will definitely need this Cold Snow Secret Realm.
The Demon Queen pointed behind.
A book was neatly placed at the place the Demon Queen pointed to.
"That is……."
-It is This Queen's legacy where the secret and experience of how I, who was an Extreme Yin Body, could become a Martial God are melted in.
In other words, it meant that if she had that, Seol Ye-rin could live on even if I didn't transmit Yang energy anymore.
"I want to pass it to my future wife. Perhaps, I wish to ask if you can hand over that secret manual to me if I do something."
I asked the Demon Queen observing etiquette.
Then,
-I can't give it for free, you must pass a trial.
At the word trial, my pupils flashed.
***
Cold Snow Demon Queen, Jang So-ryeong, gazed at Hyeokryeon Yeom who visited the hiding place after several hundred years.
After leaving the Martial God's legacy, not a single guy discovered this place.
Actually, she was incredibly glad.
Especially, she confirmed the fact that her master, the Snow Wind Sword Venerable, was also together.
As soon as she realized that fact, Jang So-ryeong changed her mind.
‘What an outing this is after several hundred years!’
Although she is a ghost, if she contains herself in the Cold Snow Secret Realm, she can be with the person holding the secret realm.
The reason the Sword Venerable roams outside freely like that must also be because that child inherited the Snow Wind Sword.
‘Furthermore, a girl possessing the Extreme Yin Body.’
It is a very old memory, but it feels like the pain of that time comes to mind again.
Thinking of the harsh pain the person possessing the Extreme Yin Body would have suffered, Jang So-ryeong wanted to meet that child as soon as possible and soothe her.
‘A meeting of the Extreme Yang Body and Extreme Yin Body.’
Memories like a past life came to mind vaguely.
Looking closely, it seems Hyeokryeon Yeom also resembled the man in her memories.
-Perhaps, is the child's place of origin the Demonic Cult?
"How... did you know?"
Ah.
Hearing Hyeokryeon Yeom's answer, the Demon Queen's eyes became rapidly warm.
-Heh heh, looking at your eyes, I know what you are thinking.
-I don't want to travel with Master, but this lady is also curious about the outside.
-Still, a trial is a trial, so it would be good to decide what trial you will hand over.
At the story that the Sword Venerable also granted a trial, the Demon Queen also began to ponder looking at Hyeokryeon Yeom.
The Demon Queen's legacy is the Cold Snow Secret Realm containing the Demon Queen's martial arts.
To acquire this Cold Snow Secret Realm as a legacy.
-I will start the trial to acquire This Lady's legacy.
As soon as the Demon Queen's words ended,
Sizzle-
A cold blizzard flew in and created a mirror.
I, Hyeokryeon Yeom, who looked into that mirror,
Whoosh!
Was sucked into the mirror in an instant.
"What……."
When I came to my senses,
"Youngest, do you know how many people suffer damage due to your actions?"
Hyeokryeon Geuk stood before my eyes.
‘Memory of the past?’
The memory of the past life appeared like an illusion.
"So did you come to kill me?"
"Huh? How do you know I will kill you?"
Grin.
Hyeokryeon Geuk smiled.
I cannot forget this moment.
I was always remembering this moment.
"You know well. Die."
Whoosh!
I was cut by the sword Hyeokryeon Geuk swung, but I did not die.
I, who turned into flames and disappeared then returned, swung my sword towards Hyeokryeon Geuk's neck.
Slice-
‘Failed.’
I definitely cut him.
There is no feeling caught in my hand.
"Asura-"
The scent of the Heavenly Demon rising from Hyeokryeon Geuk's sword.
It seemed I still had to become stronger to win against Hyeokryeon Geuk.
"Flame Butterfly-"
The moment the flapping of the butterfly wrapped in flames touched Asura!
Clang!
Hyeokryeon Geuk and Asura began to crumble.
"Is it over?"
The moment I muttered,
Flutter-
A blue butterfly made of ice crystals began to fly around.
"This is……."
It is an Ice Butterfly.
Contrary to the butterfly wrapped in flames created with the Fire Art Sword, the Ice Butterfly wrapped in ice wrapped around me.
Watching that, I could realize what the Cold Snow Demon Queen's legacy was.
Cold Snow Secret Realm.
Martial arts that seemed to suit the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, more than me.
The Demon Queen's martial arts began to shimmer before my eyes.