He had a realm, so his inner energy wouldn’t be entirely drained—but he’d still be heavily fatigued.In that state, what if he had to face the full might of the Northern Sea Ice Palace?Could he win?Buk Mu Gyeol shook his head.Impossible.Even now, after stepping into the Mythic Realm, that formation couldn’t be broken easily.It was the Ice Palace’s proudest, strongest formation.Its flaw: it displayed its full power only in the Northern Sea.Crack—.He was wondering how long it would take when—The ice membrane encasing Yeon Cheon Baek began to fissure.“The formation… has a crack? What is that?”At Buk Mu Gyeol’s question, Yeoulryang stared, just as bewildered.“I—I’ve never seen anything like that.”Craaaack—.The tiny fracture in the membrane spider-webbed across the whole.“What?”Rrrrrrumble—.The ground began to shake.“What’s happening?”“I—I don’t know.”“Is there a problem with the formation?”“T-there’s no way. I checked, again and again!”“Can’t you see? The formation is splitting.”“I—I’ve never seen that kind of—”Pakang—!Whoom—.He was about to say it was a first when—The formation shattered, and a shockwave rolled out in all directions.Inside the broken formation, Yeon Cheon Baek stood frozen white, grinning.“This was fun. Shame it broke right when I was hitting my stride.”Hitting his stride?“I was having a rare, all-out match with my Woo Jin.”Licking his lips with a vaguely unsatisfied look, he swept his gaze along the Ice Palace ramparts.“You set your formation too light and killed my mood, so you’ll have to make up the rest.”A chill rippled through the crowd.Everyone who met Yeon Cheon Baek’s eyes felt gooseflesh explode across their bodies.Yeoulryang realized something had gone wrong.“Th-the Polar Ice Heaven-Filling Formation… it’s broken. H-he brute-forced it.”“I saw.”“Th-that one is n-not human.”Yeoulryang stammered through his shock.“Get a hold of yourself! We’re just starting—don’t go soft on me!”“C-can the Palace Lord break the Polar Ice Heaven-Filling Formation by force?”“I don’t ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) know now. I haven’t experienced the formation since my breakthrough. No—if it’s me as I am now, I could break it by force.”At the Palace Lord’s words, light returned to Yeoulryang’s eyes.“As expected, the Mythic Realm really is beyond human measure.”“Right. So clear your head. He just came out of a match against a very strong opponent. Before he regathers his energy, we strike—”Craaaack—.Tukakagak—.Kwarrrrr—.While Buk Mu Gyeol was speaking, a thunderous blast ripped one section of the wall apart and brought it down.They looked back to where Yeon Cheon Baek stood; he was there with his fist still extended.What happened?“Uwaaaah! O-one strike—h-he brought down the wall in one strike!”“Insane! He’s not human!”“How are we supposed to beat a monster like that?!”“He smashed the Polar Ice Heaven-Filling Formation by force, then blew away the wall! He’s a monster!”Yeoulryang wasn’t the problem.The morale that had soared sky-high had collapsed in an instant.Buk Mu Gyeol’s brow tightened.“He got us with that. He took down the wall on purpose.”“I know. With that one blow, he turned the flow entirely his way.”“Looks like I’ll have to go.”“Palace Lord! We should drain him more first—”“No. For our men to rally, I have to step in.”He smiled.“Don’t worry. As I am now, I can beat him.”Yeoulryang hesitated at Buk Mu Gyeol’s words, then nodded.“Understood.”Thud-thud-THOOM—!While they spoke, another stretch of wall collapsed.Left unchecked, he’d reduce the entire Ice Palace to rubble.Buk Mu Gyeol leapt from the wall and headed straight for Yeon Cheon Baek.Yeon Cheon Baek said, “Why are you coming so soon? I haven’t properly enjoyed my afterglow yet.”“I’ll make up that afterglow for you.”At Buk Mu Gyeol’s words, Yeon Cheon Baek grinned.“Good. You’ll do.”“I’m lacking, but I’ll face you with everything I have.”“Nice. I’ll give you the first move.”“I won’t decline.”Without a heartbeat’s hesitation, Buk Mu Gyeol unleashed the Northern Sea’s ultimate arts straight at Yeon Cheon Baek.“Ice-White Demon Palm!”Craaaack—.A clean hit.He didn’t stop there.“Ice-Heaven White-Jade Hand!”“Cold-Ice Life-Stripping Palm!”He unleashed arts in succession, driving Yeon Cheon Baek back.The Ice Palace warriors watching erupted.“Our Palace Lord is pressing the Martial Deity Heaven Lord!”“Ten thousand years! Long live the Palace Lord!”Seeing Buk Mu Gyeol chase Yeon Cheon Baek without letup, the fallen morale rose again.Buk Mu Gyeol, face flushed, kept hammering his attack.Was this enough?No.He needed something certain.Zuuum—.An invisible sword formed in Buk Mu Gyeol’s hand.“Ice-White Asura Slash!”Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—.Countless invisible blades of astral energy flew at Yeon Cheon Baek.BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!They slammed in and detonated in a massive blast.Not enough!Feeling the lack, Buk Mu Gyeol drew in every shred of energy.“Ice-White Annihilation Slash!”Shuaaaak—.As his blade cut, it felt as if space itself had split.It’s over!He felt it in his fingertips.He had hit.The Martial Deity Heaven Lord was finished.Unless one was overwhelmingly stronger than him, there was no way to withstand that last strike.And to be overwhelming above a Mythic Realm like himself—what realm would that even be?No human could ascend that high.He was sure.Yeon Cheon Baek had overestimated himself and chosen to take everything head-on.The price would be death.Thanks to that, he had beaten the Martial Deity Heaven Lord easily.All that was left was to shout his victory and shake off the humiliation he’d been swallowing all this time.Wheeeen—.The thick dust around where Yeon Cheon Baek had stood began to blow away.As the dust cleared, Buk Mu Gyeol’s pupils shook uncontrollably.There stood Yeon Cheon Baek, perfectly fine, smiling.“Not bad. If it were the old me, that would’ve been troublesome.”“Monster…”Impossible.How could a human take that attack and be unscathed?“I took yours, so I should give you mine, shouldn’t I?”Whooom—.Yeon Cheon Baek opened the power he’d been holding back.Rrrr-rrrip—.“—!”Feeling Yeon Cheon Baek’s true force, Buk Mu Gyeol was aghast.Winnable?That was self-delusion.This was not someone he could “try” against.It wasn’t Yeon Cheon Baek who had been arrogant—it was Buk Mu Gyeol himself.“If I go all out, you die—so I’ll just let you taste it.”Grinning, Yeon Cheon Baek charged. The sight was pure terror.This wouldn’t be a fight.Having already lost the will to battle, Buk Mu Gyeol moved to surrender.But before he could speak, Yeon Cheon Baek’s fist buried itself in his body.Squelch—.“Gahk!”It hurt.Not just pain—this was the worst agony he’d ever felt.He couldn’t breathe.Squelch— smack— crack—.Blows rained in without pause.The pain doubled and doubled again.He had to surrender, but he couldn’t force breath to speak.Through a dimming field of vision, he saw Yeon Cheon Baek laughing as if enjoying himself.And he thought:As long as that man exists, the Central Plains will forever be out of reach. ****Thud—.Buk Mu Gyeol collapsed.Not because he’d fallen to some splendid technique.He’d been beaten senseless by Yeon Cheon Baek and knocked out.Wheeeee—.In the silent Ice Palace, only the sound of a cold wind could be heard.Tap, tap—.Then came the sound of Yeon Cheon Baek dusting off his hands.People flinched at the sound.Yeon Cheon Baek looked around as he brushed off his hands.People scrambled to avoid his gaze.The confidence from moments ago had long since vanished.To think they’d planned to conquer a Central Plains that had a monster like that in it.They realized how mad they’d been.Yeon Cheon Baek’s eyes settled on Yeoulryang, who had sunk to the ground and was staring blankly up at him.“What are you doing? Your Palace Lord—go take him away already. Sleep on the cold ground and his face will freeze crooked.”“Y-yes!”Snapping back to himself, Yeoulryang shouted,“W-what are you doing! H-hurry and attend to the Palace Lord!”“Yes!”The Ice Palace warriors, faces taut with fear, moved toward the fallen Buk Mu Gyeol.Carefully lifting him, they rushed him back inside the fortress.Meanwhile, Yeon Cheon Baek walked up to Yeoulryang.No one stepped in his way.Yeoulryang, body shaking, received him.“Want to go another round? If you didn’t have enough prep time, say so. I’ll give you more.”“N-no.”“Then the Demonic Tiger Relic… no—mind if I borrow your Palace Lord?”“I-if the Palace Lord permits…”“And if he doesn’t? Should I wipe you out like the Blood Sect and just take the Demonic Tiger Relic?”Blood Sect?Was he the one who erased that sect?Seeing him now, it was entirely plausible.Did he go to the Blood Sect alone too?Completely possible.If it’s Yeon Cheon Baek, wiping out the Northern Sea Ice Palace would be possible too.“Forget it. The old me would’ve done that, but I promised my grandson. I’ll try persuading your Palace Lord again when he wakes.”Persuade?Would that be persuasion by words?He suddenly felt sorry for his lord.“It’s cold. How long are you going to keep a guest standing outside?”At Yeon Cheon Baek’s words, Yeoulryang hurriedly said,“I—I’ll show you in.”“I’m hungry too.”“I—we’ll serve a feast of the finest delicacies.”“And wine.”“We’ll bring out the Northern Sea’s finest.”“Heh heh. Now we’re talking. Let’s go.”“Yes.”Yeon Cheon Baek strode inside so confidently it was hard to tell who the master was. ****Buk Mu Gyeol came to.Remembering exactly how he’d been knocked out, he clutched his head in misery.He’d been humiliated in front of the entire Northern Sea Ice Palace.He’d just been beaten senseless.“You’re up?”Buk Mu Gyeol flinched at the sudden voice.He lifted his head—Yeon Cheon Baek was there.In front of him, the table was piled so high with food the legs looked liable to snap.“I didn’t know when you’d wake, so I had them set the table here. If you’re with it, come sit.”When Buk Mu Gyeol didn’t move, Yeon Cheon Baek set down his cup.“Figures once isn’t enough for you either. Right? Shall we go out?”Go where?“I’ll let you have the first move again.”“—! N-no!”“Hm? What’s no?”“No need to give me the first move!”“Ah! Did yielding the first move hurt your pride? Fine. Then this time we do it even.”“N-no! I—I lost!”“Didn’t seem like you could accept it.”“I—I accept!”“Then come sit. Don’t make me say it twice.”“…Understood.”Buk Mu Gyeol hurried to sit.Glug—.Yeon Cheon Baek filled the cup in front of him.“Bitter?”“N-no.”“Come on. It’s written all over your face.”“……”“Did you think beating me meant you could take the Central Plains?”“T-that is…”“Sorry to say, but even if you beat me, you can’t have the Central Plains.”“You say that because the Central Plains has no owner.”“What? Since when does the Central Plains have no owner? My grandson’s there.”“…What?”“Because my grandson’s there, you can’t have it.”“Y-your grandson?”“Yeah. He’s unifying the Central Plains. No—he’s basically unified it already. Heh heh.”What was he talking about?“The one stronger than me is the master of the Central Plains. You follow?”“…What?”What was this now?There was someone stronger than Yeon Cheon Baek? And that someone was his grandson?And he was supposed to believe that?No one would.“You’ll meet him soon, so you can see for yourself then whether I’m lying.”“…Understood.”“So? Will you come along, or do we start over from the beginning?”“I—I’ll come.”“Good choice. If you said no, I was really going to have to think hard about what to do.”What kind of thoughts?Whatever they were, they wouldn’t have been good for them.Yeon Cheon Baek spoke to Buk Mu Gyeol, who sat there looking dejected.“Don’t worry. Once we’re done, I’ll send you back.”

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