Chapter 80 – Northern Sea Ice Palace (4)

At Bukri Eun’s outburst, Bukri Cheong stared at Yu-jin in disbelief.

“I can’t believe it! I acknowledge that he is strong, but…”

“That man is worthy of such respect. Can you not feel the immense power hidden within him? He is perhaps the strongest person I have met since entering the martial world. Second only to Father… no, he may even be stronger than Father.”

After shouting at Bukri Cheong, Bukri Eun turned her gaze back to Yu-jin. Her eyes then drifted past him, and she gasped in shock at the sight of the women standing behind him.

She hadn’t noticed them before, overshadowed as they were by Yu-jin’s presence, but their auras were far too powerful to be ignored.

‘One is my equal, two are on par with Bingpa, and one is on par with Cheong-a. Why on earth have such masters come to this place?’

“We have come only under the orders of His Majesty the Emperor. I make it clear that we bear you no hostility.”

Yu-jin spoke calmly, his eyes fixed on Bukri Eun.

“Those who come are not kind, and the kind do not come.”

Bukri Eun spoke, her gaze locked on Yu-jin. Her words meant that those who arrive uninvited are not benevolent, and the benevolent do not arrive uninvited. It was a clear refusal to engage in any dialogue.

With her stubbornly rejecting all conversation, there was nothing Yu-jin could do. Just then, the warriors of the Northern Sea slowly began to reveal themselves. Seeing them, Yu-jin sighed.

“I had hoped for a peaceful discussion, but since you’ve chosen this path, I have no other choice. I will break through you and meet the Palace Lord myself.”

“Do you think we’ll just stand by and allow that?”

As Bukri Eun spoke, she launched a surprise attack. A blast of pure white energy shot towards Yu-jin, aiming to engulf him.

But Yu-jin made no move to defend himself. At that moment, So-un appeared before him.

She smiled and extended her hand. Imbued with black demonic energy, her palm effortlessly deflected the force of Bukri Eun’s Ice-White Divine Palm. Bukri Eun’s face contorted into a frown as she watched.

“Then how about this!”

Bukri Eun unleashed an even more intense blast of energy. But Han So-un, the woman who had ruled the demonic path before the Heavenly Demon, easily parried her attack.

In terms of skill, she was at least half a step above Bukri Eun. The way she defended against Bukri Eun’s attacks was reminiscent of her former days as an absolute ruler.

Taking that as their cue, Na Ye-jin, Eun Seol-rin, and Ran also drew their swords and stepped in front of Yu-jin.

“Our master’s enemy is our enemy.”

The women radiated killing intent, their thoughts aligned. Yu-jin watched them with a smile before giving his command.

“Break through!”

At his word, the four women charged toward the dozens of Ice Palace warriors led by Bukri Eun.

The battle was spectacular. With every single person being a master in their own right, it was only natural.

Yet, the most dazzling fight was not Bukri Cheong’s, nor was it Ran and Eun Seol-rin who faced dozens of other warriors, nor even the Moon Empress Na Ye-jin who fought against Bingpa Yeong-yeong.

It was the battle between the Ice-White Divine Maiden Bukri Eun and the Demonic Empress Han So-un.

“Haaat!”

Bukri Eun thrust her hand, and a streak of ice energy flew out, repelling Han So-un’s hand. The force of the blow also pushed Han So-un back.

Han So-un frowned slightly as she watched Bukri Eun’s power grow fiercer. It wasn’t enough to overwhelm her yet, but the gap between them was clearly narrowing.

‘It seems this land itself is protecting her.’

It was as if the very land of the Northern Sea was aiding her. The cold wind and frigid energy were empowering Bukri Eun’s attacks.

But her surprise was fleeting. She was the Demonic Empress, the grandmaster who had subdued the demonic path before the Heavenly Demon and nearly unified the world under its banner.

No matter that Bukri Eun was a master who had reached the Profound Realm, nor that the land of the Northern Sea was aiding her, she could not defeat Han So-un.

‘I will show you that now.’

*Kwooooooo!*

Han So-un unleashed a power she had never before revealed. A colossal demonic energy, seeming as if it could swallow countless people, began to pour out from her entire body.

The true power that had earned her the title of Demonic Empress revealed itself to the world once more, crossing hundreds of years. Faced with this overwhelming presence, Bukri Eun gritted her teeth.

‘She’s half a step… no, a full step above me.’

Among absolute masters, a difference of half a step or a full step was both a small gap and a massive one. An absolute master of a slightly lower level could kill one of a slightly higher level.

But reaching that realm required more than just bone-grinding training. That was why it was both a small difference and a huge one.

‘However, as long as the land of the Northern Sea protects me, I will not lose.’

With that thought, Bukri Eun relentlessly fired blasts of ice energy. They were powerful attacks that could freeze a person solid on contact, but Han So-un concentrated a tremendous amount of demonic energy in both hands, forming a protective barrier that deflected and destroyed every single blast.

Seeing this, Bukri Eun determined that attacking from a distance was pointless and took a step forward.

*Kwaaaang!*

It was merely a single step, but the pressure it exuded was extraordinary. Warriors with weaker spirits would have been knocked unconscious by her intimidating presence alone.

But Han So-un was different. With a smile, she took a step toward Bukri Eun. Having closed the distance, the two women extended their hands toward each other.

*Kwaaaaang!*

A massive explosion, incomparable to any before. Yet, neither woman was fazed, and they reached for each other once more.

Each time the Freezing Spirit Hand, which froze all it touched, and the Demonic Spirit Hand, which destroyed everything, clashed at a single point, a massive shockwave shattered the icy landscape.

The battle was so immense that the others fighting elsewhere were forced to stop their own combat.

“This is the first time I’ve seen her true skill.”

Yu-jin watched the two women’s battle from the closest vantage point. He stood nonchalantly in a place where even Na Ye-jin and Eun Seol-rin, who had reached the Transformation Realm, could not endure.

The shockwaves from the women’s clash dispersed before they could even reach his body. Meanwhile, their battle was reaching its climax.

“Haaat!”

The air around Han So-un churned, and a colossal blast of demonic energy shot from her hand toward Bukri Eun. Not to be outdone, Bukri Eun retaliated with the most powerful technique of the Ice-White Divine Palm: the Ice Dragon Seal.

The clash of black demonic energy and a white dragon!

*KWAAAAAAANG!*

The massive glacier, formed over a period of time beyond human comprehension, could not withstand the force generated by the two absolute masters and began to crumble.

Bukri Eun and Han So-un were, astonishingly, floating in mid-air. But the stalemate did not last long. Bukri Eun’s face began to contort further until she finally coughed up blackened, poisoned blood.

“Ugh!”

The blood she spat landed on the ravaged land of the Northern Sea, and the ice melted instantly. The Demonic Empress’s energy was dangerous enough to poison even an absolute master.

However, Han So-un was not unscathed either. Parts of her body were frozen over, and as they regenerated, they would freeze again, tormenting her. But to any observer, the victor was clearly Han So-un.

“This can’t be…”

Bukri Cheong, Yeong-yeong, and all the other warriors of the Northern Sea stared at the scene with utter disbelief.

For them, who had never once imagined that the goddess of the Northern Sea could lose, Bukri Eun’s defeat was a tremendous shock.

Yu-jin watched the scene and smiled. But a moment later, a look of urgency appeared on his face.

“So-un, get out of the way!”

As Yu-jin shouted, he lunged forward. Han So-un could feel an immense power descending upon her.

It was a giant spear that connected the heavens and the earth. The spear was aimed at Han So-un, but Yu-jin appeared between her and the spear and swung his hand. Flames of the Green Phosphorus Poison Fire spread out, blocking the spear of ice.

“For the ruler of a major power to resort to such a cheap sneak attack, I’m quite surprised.”

Yu-jin spoke, having spotted someone floating higher in the air than himself. The one who had attacked Han So-un was none other than the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, Bukri Hwan.

Yu-jin couldn’t help but be impressed. The reason neither he nor Han So-un had detected Bukri Hwan’s approach was that Bukri Hwan had become one with the land of the Northern Sea itself.

Even looking at him with his own two eyes, Yu-jin could barely feel Bukri Hwan’s presence. The ruler of the Northern Sea, one with the land he governed, gazed down at Yu-jin.

“It’s the Palace Lord!”

“Ooh!”

The warriors of the Northern Sea Ice Palace looked at Bukri Hwan with eyes full of hope. The absolute master of the Ice Palace had finally appeared.

Bukri Hwan looked at Yu-jin, then turned his head and pulled the pale Bukri Eun toward him.

He placed a hand on her back and infused his energy into her, suppressing the demonic energy raging within her body. Bukri Eun immediately lost consciousness and collapsed into his arms.

Holding Bukri Eun, Bukri Hwan looked at Yu-jin and opened his mouth to speak.

“Why have you come here?”

Bukri Hwan’s voice boomed, as if showing off his profound internal energy. A person with weak internal energy would have had their eardrums burst, but no one gathered here was that weak.

However, it was a slightly different story for Yu-jin, who was directly in its path. A powerful formless energy was enveloping his entire body.

Bukri Hwan was an absolute master who had reached a level where he could kill with his will alone. Though caught in such formless energy and killing intent, Yu-jin never let his smile falter.

“I have come here to carry out the order of His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty wishes for the Northern Sea and the Central Plains to walk the same path together.”

As he spoke, Yu-jin took a letter from his robes and sent it floating through the air to Bukri Hwan. Bukri Hwan’s face hardened as he read it.

It was indeed a letter from the Emperor of the Central Plains, stating that the Central Plains had no interest in the lands of the Northern Sea and wished to establish friendly relations.

Bukri Hwan closed his eyes for a moment. He wanted to agree with the Emperor’s wishes, but if he did, it was highly likely that all the warriors of the Ice Palace would rebel.

“Nonsense!”

“The Central Plains are our enemy!”

Led by his son, Bukri Cheong, numerous warriors were protesting the idea of establishing friendly relations.

The will they were showing now represented the will of all the warriors of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, and Bukri Hwan could not completely ignore their wishes.

Bukri Hwan sighed, shook his head, and spoke.

“I appreciate the letter from the Emperor of the Central Plains, but we cannot accept this proposal.”

Hearing this, Yu-jin showed no particular reaction. He hadn’t expected to establish friendly relations so easily in the first place.

Yu-jin looked down at the Ice Palace warriors below and laughed loudly.

“How foolish, you warriors of the Ice Palace! Do you truly believe the Central Plains could be defeated by the likes of you? Was watching the defeat of the Ice-White Goddess you so trusted not enough?!”

At his words, which openly disdained the warriors of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, not only Bukri Hwan but all the gathered warriors became enraged.

However, Yu-jin scoffed at their reaction and circulated his energy. Light erupted from around him, and light connected to light, line to line, drawing a single trajectory.

And the moment this phenomenon occurred, golden wings brightly illuminated the sky of the Northern Sea. Thirteen wings of light had unfurled from Yu-jin’s back.

A pure power, devoid of any taint. A mighty force that annihilated all evil and impure energies.