Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 137

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 137
The Namgung Clan’s reputation in Anhui Province was extraordinarily high.
Many people trusted the name Namgung on sight alone.
The two men at the inn were no exception.
Once they confirmed Namgung Geom’s identity, their suspicions melted away.
They guided him directly to Mak Sam.
Mak Sam was a sturdy man in his thirties, known throughout the region as the finest hunter.
‘What a shame.’
Namgung Geom felt a pang of regret upon seeing him.
Mak Sam’s bone structure was not inferior to Namgung Cheolung’s.
Had he trained in martial arts from childhood, he would surely have risen to the ranks of the skilled.
But unfortunately, Mak Sam had never had the opportunity to learn martial arts.
Namgung Geom felt deeply sorry to lose such a talented prospect.
He could still learn martial arts now, but his age was already too advanced to reach the higher realms.
The world was full of people like Mak Sam—gifted with exceptional talent but living ordinary lives, having never met their fortune.
If the Namgung Clan could seek out such hidden talents and cultivate them into masters, it would become a tremendous asset.
Namgung Geom resolved that upon returning to the clan, he would devote effort to uncovering the talents buried throughout the world, and introduced himself to Mak Sam.
“I am Namgung Geom of the Namgung Clan.”
“Namgung Geom? Are you the Xiaobing Dragon of the Namgung Clan?”
Mak Sam started at the mention of Namgung Geom’s name.
“Indeed. I am the Xiaobing Dragon.”
“What brings the Xiaobing Dragon to seek me out, sir?”
Mak Sam asked, his expression taut with tension.
“I heard from those two that you’ve seen an ice serpent. Is that true?”
“It is. I didn’t approach close enough for fear of being seen, but I am certain it was an ice serpent.”
“Could you guide me to the place where you spotted the ice serpent?”
Mak Sam answered Namgung Geom’s request without the slightest hesitation.
“How could I refuse when the Xiaobing Dragon of the Namgung Clan asks such a thing?”
“I’m grateful. I’ll reward you handsomely for it. Is there anything you wish for?”
“There is one thing I desire.”
“Say it. If it’s within my power, I will grant you whatever you ask.”
Namgung Geom assumed Mak Sam would ask for financial compensation.
But contrary to his expectation, Mak Sam made an entirely different request.
“I have a son. The foolish boy speaks of becoming a martial artist, though he knows nothing of the world. I would be grateful if you would take him under your wing.”
It was an unexpected request, but one that could certainly be granted.
“How old is your son now?”
“Thirteen years old.”
“It would be best to see him first and decide. If he has no talent for martial arts, it’s better for him never to enter the Martial World in the first place.”
Namgung Geom had no intention of taking Mak Sam’s son blindly.
The Martial World was a realm of the strong preying upon the weak.
It was a brutal place where the talentless could not survive.
He could not carelessly allow someone to set foot in such a world.
“I understand.”
“And separate from that, I will certainly reward you for information about the ice serpent.”
“Thank you.”
Mak Sam did not refuse the reward.
There was no reason to decline what Namgung Geom was offering.
“Then I’ll come for you again tomorrow morning.”
Namgung Geom returned to the inn.
The next morning, he set out early to find Mak Sam.
Mak Sam was already preparing to depart.
At his side stood a boy who appeared to be his son.
Despite his youthful face, his body was exceptionally strong.
He seemed to have inherited his father’s physique.
Namgung Geom examined the boy’s bone structure.
Exceptional.
In bone structure alone, he surpassed Namgung Geom himself.
With such natural bone structure, reaching the Peak Realm would be entirely within reach.
With the aid of the Five Stars as well, even higher realms might be within grasp.
Namgung Geom posed several questions to the boy.
The boy answered without hesitation, his voice steady and assured.
At least he didn’t seem to lack intelligence.
“Do you wish to study martial arts?”
Namgung Geom asked the boy.
“Yes. I want to become a renowned martial artist like the Xiaobing Dragon, just as you are.”
“Training in martial arts is an extraordinarily difficult and painful process. Can you endure it?”
“If a man sets his heart on something, he must see it through to the end. For the sake of learning martial arts, I can bear any hardship.”
Namgung Geom’s expression brightened at the boy’s resolve.
“Would you be willing to study martial arts under the Namgung Clan?”
“Of course. I will certainly learn it.”
“Very well. I will arrange for you to study martial arts at the Changyong Martial School, and I will give you the opportunity to enter Changyong-gak at the main house. However, whether you pass the trials at Changyong-gak depends entirely on your own efforts.”
“I will certainly pass the trials at Changyong-gak.”
“Good. I look forward to it.”
After making his promise to the boy, Namgung Geom climbed deep into Huangshan with Mak Sam to search for the ice serpent.
The ice serpent dwelt in a remote ravine deep within Huangshan.
The place was so treacherous that hunters and herbalists rarely ventured there.
“I don’t usually go that far myself, but I stumbled upon it by chance while pursuing game,” Mak Sam explained.
“How long will it take from here?”
“At least two hours of travel.”
Namgung Geom followed Mak Sam deeper into Huangshan.
At last they arrived at the ravine where Mak Sam had first discovered the ice serpent.
“I found it in that inner ravine,” Mak Sam said.
“I understand. Just to be safe, why don’t you retreat to a good distance from here?”
“Will you be all right alone?”
“I am still the Xiaobing Dragon—surely I can handle one serpent.”
With those reassuring words, Namgung Geom launched himself into the ravine.
The moment Namgung Geom disappeared into the ravine, Mak Sam turned and hurried back out.
Once inside, Namgung Geom deployed his Bing Baek Cheon Mang.
The technique spread through the ravine like a net, sensing an anomalous body heat.
‘There,’ he thought.
Soon, a chill registered in his perception.
Namgung Geom shot toward that spot at once.
A cave ringed by layers of boulders came into view.
The cold emanated from deep within it.
Namgung Geom swung his Bing Long Sword directly at the cave entrance.
Crash!
The Sword Wind from the Bing Long Sword struck the cave’s mouth with tremendous force.
Rumble!
The cave, unable to withstand the impact, collapsed in on itself.
Crash!
A deafening roar echoed from within the destroyed cave.
Then, bursting through the rubble, the ice serpent erupted into view.
The ice serpent was indeed enormous, as Mak Sam had described.
Its body was thicker than that of an adult man, and its length easily exceeded thirty feet.
Despite its massive form, the ice serpent moved with shocking speed, lunging at Namgung Geom.
As the beast opened its maw wide, a torrent of Cold Qi poured forth.
Crackle!
The ice serpent’s hunting method was to freeze its prey with overwhelming Cold Qi, then swallow it whole.
Its cold was powerful enough to freeze a bull in an instant.
But its opponent was Namgung Geom.
Unless the serpent possessed Cold Qi superior to that of the Bing Bak Divine Art, it posed no real threat to him.
The ice serpent’s Cold Qi was indeed formidable.
But it could not compare to the cold of the Bing Bak Divine Art.
Namgung Geom thrust his Bing Long Sword toward the oncoming Sword Wind of cold.
The Bing Long Sword instantly consumed the ice serpent’s Cold Qi.
And in turn, it released an even more powerful cold.
The Icy Cold Sword Wind spiraled forward, aimed directly at the serpent’s gaping jaws.
The ice serpent recoiled in shock, jerking its head back.
But the Icy Cold Sword Wind was too swift to evade.
Crash!
The Icy Cold Sword Wind crashed directly against the ice serpent’s head.
The massive creature’s body flew through the air and smashed into the rocks of the ravine.
Crack!
The stone shattered under the impact, crumbling down over the serpent’s enormous frame.
The ice serpent lay stunned, its head ringing with pain, unable to move.
Namgung Geom unleashed another barrage of Icy Cold Sword Wind upon the creature.
Crash!
Wave after wave of Icy Cold Sword Wind descended upon the serpent, buried beneath the rubble.
The ice serpent had no time to escape, taking blow after relentless blow.
Crash!
The serpent thrashed, desperate to evade, but it was hopeless.
What was remarkable was that despite taking such a beating, the ice serpent’s body bore not a single wound.
Its scales were hard enough to deflect the very sword energy itself.
Yet even those scales could not withstand the force of impact.
The ice serpent could not regain its senses, the shock driving through its scales and piercing deep into its body.
It tried to mount a counterattack, but Namgung Geom gave it no opening.
Boom!
Crash!
The ice serpent was struck again and again and again.
It hurt.
It hurt unto death.
The ice serpent thought it might truly die this way.
And it felt profoundly wronged.
What had it done wrong that this wretched human suddenly came and tried to kill it?
—Curse you, human! What wrong have I done to deserve this?!
The enraged ice serpent unleashed Spirit Speech at Namgung Geom.
Namgung Geom stopped his attack at the creature’s words.
According to the Spirit Beast Compendium, Spirit Speech was a technique mastered only by spirit beasts of deep cultivation.
It seemed the ice serpent before him was no ordinary creature.
“You just spoke?”
Namgung Geom questioned the ice serpent.
The ice serpent did not answer.
Instead, it swung its massive tail at him.
It had seized the moment he’d paused to launch a counterattack.
“You’ve barely had enough of a taste.”
Namgung Geom conjured the Icy Cold Sword Wind and lashed the serpent’s tail as it came rushing toward him.
Boom!
The ice serpent’s tail was sent flying by the force of the sword wind.
In that same instant, the serpent’s head came bearing down upon Namgung Geom.
He pivoted backward and extended his left hand.
Crack!
Ice dragon talons materialized above the serpent’s head and came down to strike it.
Boom!
The serpent’s head was driven mercilessly into the ground with a thunderous crash.
The impact was so violent that the creature’s skull bored clean through the earth.
‘Now I finish this.’
Namgung Geom concentrated his will and unleashed the Bing Long Sword.
Ice dragon fangs materialized in the air.
They transformed into a colossal ice blade, surging toward the serpent—when, in that instant:
A panicked Spirit Speech from the ice serpent thundered through Namgung Geom’s mind.
—How does the soul of an ice dragon dwell within a human body?
Namgung Geom hastily halted the Bing Long Sword.
‘The soul of an ice dragon? What does that mean?’
Namgung Geom concentrated, sending back his thoughts.
He’d realized that Spirit Speech communicated meaning directly, not through sound.
His response must have reached her, for the Spirit Beast’s words returned.
—Within you I sense the soul of Bingsha, an ice serpent, against which I dare not resist an ice dragon’s spirit.
An ice dragon’s soul?
Is it because of the Ice Dragon Incarnation Technique?
‘Are you referring to the method I’ve employed?’
―No. Regardless of that, I feel the soul of the Ice Dragon within your body.
Namgung Geom struggled to comprehend the words of the ice serpent, Bingsha.
Had the soul of the Ice Dragon somehow taken root within his flesh?
Namgung Geom suddenly recalled how he had died and entered this body.
The Ten Thousand Year Ice Core.
According to legend from the North Sea Ice Palace, it was said to be the inner elixir of an ancient Ice Dragon.
“Could it be that my entry into this body was because of the Ice Dragon’s power?”
Ice Dragon of Namgung
Author |
Baek Wol Geom
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(주) Samyang C&C
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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