Chapter 125 :

Chapter 125. The Black Flame Dragon Gives Them a Chance (5)

Seeing a space where heaven, earth, and every direction were entirely white, Eun Seollan let out a small sigh.

They said it was an ultimate formation that drove people mad and killed them through sheer emptiness, but she never thought she would experience that firsthand.

"How... did it come to this?"

Her sect, based in the Northern Sea, had no reason to install arcane formations, and once her mandatory service ended, she had no intention of remaining active in the murim world.

There should have been no reason for someone like her to ever become trapped in a formation.

Even so, she had applied for this event because, having no one to rely on in the murim world, she held a faint hope that perhaps she could gain something from it.

"I shouldn't have come in here."

If she traced the indirect cause, it was Hong Saryeon, who had entered with her.

If she traced the direct cause, it was herself for becoming distracted by the floral scent coming from Saryeon's body and taking a step backward.

The moment they entered a space where there was no object or scent of any kind, the natural scent of people's bodies became unusually noticeable.

Unlike Saryeon, Eun Seollan suddenly became conscious of the smell of sweat from her own body and reflexively stepped back once.

That was all it took for the people who had been standing in front of and behind her to vanish without a trace.

"Haah..."

Her relationship with Saryeon had not originally been this uncomfortable.

Saryeon's sect, the Ice White Palace, was a sect located at the very bottom of the Hundred and Eight Peaks, just like the Taeul Sect.

In the past, its founding patriarch had been the legendary expert known as the Peerless Divine Maiden, and her signature technique, the Peerless Divine Art, had been passed down through the generations.

But ever since the Peerless Divine Maiden, no one had managed to cultivate the Peerless Divine Art beyond four-star mastery.

The absence of experts weakened the sect.

By now, people often mocked them by saying that instead of living in the Ice White Palace, they lived in an "Ice White Cave."

Perhaps that was why she and Saryeon had quickly become close through a sense of shared hardship.

'But too much changed.'

Their relationship began to fall apart—

More precisely, Eun Seollan began distancing herself from Saryeon—

when the name of Saryeon's Eldest Senior Brother, the Bloodflame Dragon, began resounding throughout the murim world.

He saved thousands of people on the Maling Plateau, earned the acknowledgment of the Wind Earl Breaking Sword at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, and stormed through the official examination like a tempest.

During all of that, Eun Seollan increasingly felt distant from Saryeon.

Academy students who had once paid no attention to either Saryeon or her gradually began showing interest in Saryeon.

To disciples belonging to the Hundred and Eight Peaks, the Bloodflame Dragon was practically an object of admiration.

It was not that Eun Seollan herself did not admire the Bloodflame Dragon.

But Saryeon had him as a dependable Senior Brother.

And Eun Seollan had no Senior Brother like the Bloodflame Dragon.

That fact alone caused her to drift away from Saryeon.

"A pathetic woman always finds a way to act pathetically on her own."

Even as the names of the Bloodflame Dragon and Taeul Sect appeared more and more often in people's conversations, Hong Saryeon remained exactly the same.

If anything, she had even offered to introduce Eun Seollan to the Bloodflame Dragon.

She said the Bloodflame Dragon had heard about Eun Seollan and wanted to meet her.

But Eun Seollan, whose vision was already warped by twisted feelings of inferiority, could not take even that positively.

Why would a brilliant rising star who had shaken the murim world have any reason to want to meet Eun Seollan?

It was obviously just Saryeon being considerate.

"Huuh."

And all those feelings of inferiority had ultimately created her current situation.

A hopeless situation where there was no one else she could blame.

"Am I really going to die like this...?"

Eun Seollan sighed as she placed a hand into her empty pouch of fasting pills.

When she first entered the Soul-Destroying Formation, they had given her enough fasting pills and water for seven days.

She had wondered why at the time, but without them, she would have starved to death long ago.

Now even those supplies were completely gone.

She could no longer remember how long it had been since she had last eaten anything.

"Haha... Hahaha."

As death began to feel real, an awkward laugh escaped her lips.

But the laughter could not spread far.

It was soon swallowed by the silence and emptiness.

The perfect silence, unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life, was more than enough to fill Eun Seollan with an unfamiliar fear.

Wooong.

When she drew upon the Peerless Divine Art, white vapor flowed from both of her hands.

Only after placing those hands against her cheeks did Eun Seollan feel that she was still alive.

'In the end, I couldn't even uncover the secret of the Peerless Divine Art.'

She had never truly believed that she would be the one to unravel a mystery no one had solved for hundreds of years.

Even so, what left her with regret was that she would die without ever having a chance to try.

She had wanted to work within the Martial Alliance and meet masters of ice arts and fire arts while searching for the secret.

For the final moments before her death, Eun Seollan repeatedly used the Peerless Divine Art simply to feel that she was still alive.

Her meager internal energy quickly ran dry, and the cold energy gradually weakened.

Once all the internal energy in her dantian disappeared, strength drained from her entire body.

The only sensation of life she could still feel came from the Peerless Divine Art, so she desperately squeezed her empty dantian for more.

As though clinging desperately to life itself.

Crackle.

Startled by the sound coming from her hands, she quickly pulled them away from her cheeks.

"What... is this...?"

Instead of white vapor flowing from her palms, a thin layer of ice had formed there.

"..."

Eun Seollan stopped the Peerless Divine Art and slowly brought her palms together, melting the ice with her hands.

The ice gathered between her palms quickly became enough water for a single sip.

"Ah... Ah..."

Eun Seollan recalled the sensation from moments earlier and circulated the Peerless Divine Art again.

Crackle.

Ice formed as though molded directly from the shape of her palm.

Without even thinking to wet her already parched lips, Eun Seollan began shedding bitter tears.

Ever since the Peerless Divine Maiden died without passing on her teachings, no one had been able to properly master the Peerless Divine Art.

And now, after four hundred years, Eun Seollan, dying inside the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation, had uncovered the secret of the Peerless Divine Art.

...

How happy would the people of the Ice White Palace be if they learned this?

How overjoyed would her father and mother, who led the Ice White Palace, become?

And how bitterly tragic was her fate, discovering this enlightenment only to die here without being able to pass it on?

"Damn it... Damn this cursed world!"

For the first time in her life, Eun Seollan cursed aloud.

"Sniff... Damn it..."

The ice crystals that had spilled from her palms scattered in every direction before disappearing.

"Why did the enlightenment even have to come... Damn it."

More than the death immediately awaiting her, what upset her most was being unable to pass on this secret.

Just as she raged at the unfairness of the world and continued cursing—

"If enlightenment came to you, shouldn't you be happy?"

"!!!!"

At the sudden voice, Eun Seollan's eyes widened like a rabbit's.

She whipped her head around so violently it felt as though her neck might break.

Standing there was a man who looked like a black dot in the middle of an enormous white sheet, his clothes and sword both deep black.

He tilted his head with an expression of genuine confusion.

"B-Bloodflame Dragon... Great Hero?"

"You're Eun Seollan, right?"

"Y-you know me?"

The instant her name came from his mouth, Eun Seollan's heart began pounding wildly.

"I've heard a lot about you from Saryeon. But did I interrupt an important moment?"

The Black Flame Dragon looked at the ice crystals gathered in Eun Seollan's hands.

"N-no. I already had the basic idea and finished organizing everything."

"Then shall we get out of here now?"

"G-get out?"

The man standing like a dark point in the middle of the enormous white space spoke so casually that Eun Seollan could barely process his words.

"I understand wanting to gain more enlightenment, but I'm pretty worried about your condition. Looks like you've run out of food and water too. Aren't you exhausted?"

"I-I want to leave! I want to get out of here!"

The Bloodflame Dragon smiled warmly, like something out of a painting.

"Then let's go."

The Bloodflame Dragon walked past Eun Seollan and took the lead.

Determined not to lose him this time, Eun Seollan hurried to follow.

"Ah!"

But her already exhausted body refused to obey.

"If you're okay with it, can I carry you on my back? If you step in the wrong place again, I don't know when I'll be able to find you."

Being held by a man—

Wasn't something like that only supposed to happen in books?

Before the flustered Eun Seollan could even answer, the Bloodflame Dragon lifted her onto his back.

Contrary to how he looked, his back was broad and firm...

and warm.

"Hang on just a little longer. We'll be out soon."

"...Um, but Great Hero..."

"Great Hero? That feels a little embarrassing."

"Ah! S-sorry. Then what should I call you? Senior?"

"We're in the same class, aren't we? Senior would sound strange too. Since you're Saryeon's friend, how about just calling me Orabeoni?"

"I-is that really okay?"

For some reason, Eun Seollan felt heat rising to her face.

"If you're Saryeon's friend, you're practically my little sister. But why did you call me?"

Eun Seollan had completely forgotten what she had originally intended to ask.

The words "my little sister" and "Orabeoni" multiplied wildly in her head until her thoughts simply stopped working.

"I-I forgot."

"All right. Think about your question after we get out."

Within that space of absolute silence and emptiness, Eun Seollan no longer felt lonely, isolated, or hopeless.

#

"Thanks to you, we can finally breathe a little easier."

At Jegal Somyeong's words, the eyes of White-Handed Divine Sword Hyeok Mugang widened.

"Hoho. It seems that child Jin Sowoon truly is exceptional."

"There was genuinely nothing I could do about it."

Jegal Somyeong wore a troubled expression, but the smile at the corners of his mouth refused to disappear.

Even that sight surprised Hyeok Mugang.

Was Jegal Somyeong really the sort of man who thanked people?

He had always been someone who gave to others, never someone desperate enough to ask for favors.

"I have never seen a report with such flawless justification for a budget allocation."

Because Jegal Somyeong strictly adhered to principles and procedure, following those very principles could sometimes make even seemingly impossible things possible.

"In any case, thanks to the Alliance Leader's Hall lending us the budget, we can finally breathe easier."

"The department head of the Alliance Leader's Hall was practically foaming at the mouth, asking what they were supposed to do now."

When Hyeok Mugang subtly complained, Jegal Somyeong nodded.

"I'll reorganize the budget and return the funds as quickly as possible. And beginning next year, I think it would be wise to establish a separate emergency reserve."

"That child Jin Sowoon truly is changing quite a lot about you, Chief Strategist."

At Hyeok Mugang's teasing, Jegal Somyeong nodded.

"What choice do I have? He never wrote it explicitly, but he tied it to the entity that appeared on the Fuyang Plains and indirectly invoked the Demonic Cult. There was simply no justification for rejecting it."

"And apparently it's already producing some unexpected results?"

"They say another layer of the seal on the Peerless Divine Art has been lifted."

"Oh... That is certainly cause for celebration. The Ice White Palace must be delighted as well."

After briefly matching the flow of conversation, Jegal Somyeong took a sip of tea and finally brought up the real subject.

"I heard that the Alliance Leader will also attend tomorrow's demonstration of the Soul-Destroying Formation?"

"Yes. I found myself becoming curious as well. I want to see what kind of formation it truly is."

Jegal Somyeong nodded as though that were perfectly understandable, then his eyes suddenly gleamed.

"Then I suppose I'll have to stay right beside you and assist you personally."

Hyeok Mugang's brow twitched faintly at Jegal Somyeong's words.

"I... heard that the Chief Strategist was too busy to attend..."

"How could I possibly stay behind when the Alliance Leader is going?"

"Since when have you ever acted like that...?"

"Does the Alliance Leader perhaps find my presence inconvenient?"

"That's... not it..."

"Is it simply more convenient for you to meet Jin Sowoon when I'm not there?"

Hyeok Mugang was struck speechless by Jegal Somyeong's abrupt question, and Jegal Somyeong raised an eyebrow at him.

"I-I knew it! You're trying to sneak ahead like a quiet cat climbing onto the stove!"

Hyeok Mugang also began to feel genuinely annoyed by Jegal Somyeong's accusation.

Who was the one who had pushed through the emergency funding of thirty thousand gold nyang this time?

It was Hyeok Mugang himself.

Was it really reasonable that he could not even have a private conversation with Jin Sowoon?

"Aren't you being a little too much, Chief Strategist? It's not as though I'm trying to steal him away..."

"They say once you see something, you want to touch it, and once you touch it, you want to possess it. Human nature is like that. Absolutely not."

"...Hmph. Good grief. I only want to meet him."

Hyeok Mugang simply could not suppress his curiosity about the ability that had even bewitched Jegal Somyeong.

This time, he had no intention of backing down easily either.

"If you insist on behaving this way... then I will resign as Chief Strategist."

"What?! Why would you suddenly say that?!"

"This old man is already exhausted, and the day when I become a wandering spirit is not far away. It is time for me to return home. I intended to discover and train someone suitable for the Intelligence Department and Simhyeon Pavilion before retiring, but if you insist on obstructing me like this, then clearly you no longer require my presence."

"Wow..."

The moment Jegal Somyeong disappeared from the Martial Alliance, countless political conflicts would undoubtedly rise to the surface and explode.

And once that happened, the Martial Alliance would inevitably fracture into pieces.

They absolutely could not afford to lose him.

"Fine. Fine. I swear I have no intention whatsoever of taking Jin Sowoon to the Alliance Leader's Hall, so please stop saying such horrifying things."

"To think you would bestow such an ocean-like grace upon someone as insignificant as me. I hardly know how I could ever repay you."

Watching Jegal Somyeong offer his gratitude with an expression far more moved than when Hyeok Mugang had lent him thirty thousand nyang earlier, Hyeok Mugang could think only one thing.

'What a filthy, petty bastard.'

#

"Huuh..."

A sigh escaped me.

I had told her again and again, so why did she refuse to listen?

"Please put it on."

The head maid held out the silk clothing as though this were the most natural thing in the world.

"Why did you embroider useless words onto it again?"

At the ends of the sleeves, countless instances of the word "Top-Ranked" had been embroidered while pretending to be decorative patterns.

"Didn't you hear that important people from the Alliance are coming today?"

"What does that have to do with anything? This isn't even an official event."

After Eun Seollan, who had been in the third group to enter the Soul-Destroying Formation, gained enlightenment inside it and uncovered the secret of the Peerless Divine Art that no one had solved until now—

the remaining hundred spots that had seemed impossible to fill were completely taken within a single day.

'And on top of that, I formed a connection with the Peerless Jade Maiden.'

The greatest result was undoubtedly creating a relationship with the Peerless Jade Maiden.

Wasn't she the one who would transform the Ice White Palace into the Northern Sea Ice Palace and display such invincible Divine Prestige that even the Demonic Cult could not invade the Northern Sea?

'Since she's close with Saryeon, maybe I can entice her into joining the White Wolf Pavilion later.'

Of course, it would not be easy.

But it was certainly worth attempting.

In any case, this incident had greatly increased the Alliance's interest in the Soul-Destroying Formation, and the academy wanted to invite members of the Elder Hall and pavilion masters to hold a demonstration.

"If such important people are coming, then naturally, Young Master, you must be the one who stands out the most. If you fail to catch their attention during an opportunity like this, advancing your career later will become difficult."

"I'm not interested in advancing my career. If I were, I never would have made enemies of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families in the first place."

"Precisely because you're in such a situation, shouldn't you make yourself stand out even more? Appearance influences people far more than you think, Young Master. If you present yourself like an emperor, more people may be inspired by that image and wish to stand beside you."

As we spoke, I suddenly noticed something strange.

Even if she was the head maid stationed at the academy, how did she know so much about what was happening among the students?

"How do you know so much about the internal situation?"

"...I am the person assigned to assist you, Young Master. Naturally, these are things I should know."

The head maid moved her lips as though she had something more to say, but ultimately closed her mouth.

I did not ask further.

"In any case, I'm not wearing it."

"You must wear it! Girls, close the door!"

"...Why are you so determined to dress me in this?"

At my question, the head maid let out a small sigh.

"My child had a deep interest in martial arts from a very young age. My husband and I both made our living within the Alliance, so naturally we had little resistance to it. Wanting to give our child a chance, we allowed him to take entrance examinations for several famous sects, but he failed every one."

It was a common story.

As talented people flocked toward famous sects, competition for admission into any sect considered respectable continued climbing without end.

"When he was young, he used to be so happy simply learning at a martial hall. But at some point, he seemed to decide that he had reached his own limit. And when he became discouraged by that wall, there was nothing we could do for him."

The gap that existed from the very beginning.

The walls that made it impossible to close that gap.

Things like that constantly crushed people who tried to make a new attempt.

"Recently, my child began attending the martial hall diligently again. He trains every single day without rest and has begun holding hope for the future again, and the reason for that is..."

The head maid looked at me with trembling eyes.

"It's because of you, Young Master Jin."

"I sincerely hope that you continue rising from victory to victory, Young Master. And I hope you remain a good example for my son. But because you're so excessively humble, it seems my wish simply refuses to come true. Very well. I'll have another outfit prepared."

After finishing her story, the head maid sighed and showed a weary expression she normally never revealed.

I picked up the clothes and looked them over carefully.

"Next time, please make these letters look a little more like actual patterns."

The middle-aged maid's face immediately brightened.

For some reason, I felt as though I had been tricked.

"That doesn't mean I'll wear something like this at every opportunity. Just make it less obvious."

The head maid nodded repeatedly.

"Understood."

And so, in the end, I stepped onto the main training ground wearing the "Top-Ranked" ceremonial outfit.

The surrounding area was packed shoulder to shoulder with academy students who had gathered to see the important figures visiting from the Alliance.

After pushing through the crowd, I found the sixth group, who had completed their theory lesson yesterday and were scheduled to enter the Soul-Destroying Formation today, waiting nearby.

But despite the demonstration being about to begin, the atmosphere felt strangely unsettled.

Moreover, there were far too many people present for them to be mere spectators.

Even the major members of the Nine Great Sects, Five Great Families, and Twelve Peaks Fortress, who had seemed unlikely to come anywhere near this place, had all gathered.

The moment I entered the main training ground, Yu Jiryang and his companions, who had been speaking with an academy administrator, hurried toward me.

"You've arrived."

"There are more people here than I expected. Is the Martial Alliance Leader coming or something?"

"Yes. That's right."

"What?"

Yu Jiryang treated the news that the Martial Alliance Leader was coming as though it were nothing significant and immediately continued.

"More importantly, we have a serious problem."

"...Something more serious?"

What could possibly be more serious than meeting the Martial Alliance Leader, someone most people would struggle to see even once in their entire lives?

"Some members of the Nine Great Sects... seem to have secretly entered the Soul-Destroying Formation and haven't been able to come back out."

"...Those crazy bastards."