The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 239
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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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The Youngest Son of the Jin Family of Luoyang – Chapter 239
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“Has he departed?”
“Yes. He left just moments ago.”
Seol Ha-yeon, the Junior Princess of the Northern Ice Palace, closed her eyes gently as she absorbed those words into her ears.
The events of that time remained vivid in her mind. The expressions and gazes of the dying alone made her tremble with rage, and the image of her dead father was something she could not bear to contemplate.
Yet she held it all within her mind and heart.
A reality that must not be forgotten.
And something that must be accepted.
But she would not let vengeance consume her.
Keep the mind cold, the heart resolute.
First, she would determine what needed to be done, set her priorities, and proceed one step at a time.
And the highest priority was.
“Once the palace’s restoration is complete, we will recruit new warriors.”
“…Junior Princess.”
“We have not yet… fallen.”
Though anyone would think it strange if the Northern Ice Palace had not collapsed, it still stood intact, and she remained alive.
Moreover, this incident had opened the Binghua Yujing, and the eternal power flowing from the Eternal Ice Jade was steadily growing stronger through the Ice Soul Stone.
They could rise again.
And when all of that was complete.
Crunch—!
Seol Ha-yeon clenched her fist as she thought of Gang Cheonho.
That beast of a man.
She would sever his neck without fail.
* * *
The Northern Ice Palace, which had been so close, gradually recedes into the distance.
Though the time spent there was brief, countless events unfolded in that place.
There were dangers, certainly, but I gained much in return.
First and foremost, the Gok Ok.
The one in Namman was held by Gwanbaek, and what Mo Yong-cheon sought to obtain was taken away by Auk—I had tasted failure twice before.
But this time was different.
I obtained it with certainty, and it became wholly mine.
The consumption of innate true energy troubles me somewhat, yet in the most perilous moments, it would prove far superior to surrendering my life.
Second is the sword.
I gazed upon the blade resting beside me.
It felt no different from usual, yet the moment my hand touched it, I could discern a stark contrast from before.
A biting chill emanated from it.
The frigid aura was so pronounced that one could sense the Ice Soul Stone had been consumed—incomparably different from when it had not been fed.
Now I understood why the Master of the Heavenly Demon Forging Method had instructed me to feed it the Ice Soul Stone.
Though I had not yet wielded it properly, it would undoubtedly prove invaluable.
This alone justified the journey to the Northern Ice Palace.
“Young Master, would it not be wise to rest here for a time?”
At that moment, Namgung Baek’s voice suddenly reached my ears, pulling me from my reverie as I surveyed my surroundings.
We had traveled quite a considerable distance without my notice.
The Northern Ice Palace, visible mere moments ago, had vanished entirely, and the landscape had transformed in an instant.
Lost in thought, I had not realized how time had passed.
We had departed in the early morning, yet it was now noon.
Looking around, everyone bore expressions of exhaustion.
They had endured combat without proper rest, and just when it seemed to end, they were occupied with arranging the fallen and offering assistance before departing once more.
Though unspoken, dark shadows hung beneath every eye.
In the end, I nodded and began searching for a suitable place to rest.
We settled in an appropriate location and kindled a campfire.
Several swift-moving individuals prepared food, while others arranged comfortable resting places, granting our weary bodies respite.
I confirmed these arrangements and took my seat.
Then I lifted the sword beside me and drew it slightly from its sheath.
The moment the blade emerged, a chill far more intense than before surged forth.
The sensation of freezing everything it encountered stirred the martial pride of a warrior greatly.
I glanced subtly toward Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon.
They would make suitable opponents for a test, yet they appeared so worn from recent trials that they sat sighing—it was pitiful to witness.
I could not wield my blade while burdening such exhausted companions.
Then what?
My gaze turned toward Cheon Yul.
Unlike the others, she appeared quite unscathed.
One would not be surprised if she were to leap into action immediately.
Had she sensed that gaze directed at her?
Cheon Yul gazed at me with a puzzled expression.
“Huh? What is it?”
“Are you bored?”
“Hahaha! What, you want to spar with me?”
“I would be honored.”
“Really?!”
At my sudden proposal, Cheon Yul sprang to his feet.
I, who had refused to engage no matter what he said, had suddenly offered to fight—it was enough to make his eyes spin with excitement.
Even Namgung Yeon and Jang Chuchyeong beside him opened their eyes wide in surprise, their expressions betraying complete bewilderment.
“Let’s do it! Come on! Hurry up! Attack me now!”
Cheon Yul, who had already drawn his blade, shouted with urgency.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he launched forward in a flash, charging at me.
Ssswick—!
A blade of unparalleled sharpness came sweeping toward me.
Heedless of the people surrounding us.
Moreover, it felt entirely different from that brief encounter at the Jin Family.
In the short time that had passed, he had clearly made progress of his own.
I narrowed my brow and retreated backward.
The swung blade cut through empty air uselessly, but Cheon Yul, as if he had anticipated this, closed the distance and swept his blade again.
In an instant, five blade shadows materialized and flew toward me.
Impossible to discern which were illusions and which was real.
Judging by Cheon Yul’s smiling expression, he seemed convinced that this time he had me cornered.
In that moment, I released my innate true energy.
Simultaneously, his movements slowed.
If one were to consider what innate true energy truly was, it would seem like an ability wasted on someone like Cheon Yul, but without mastery, such power cannot be deployed when needed.
At the same time, I counted.
One.
Merely one count—such a brief moment.
But in a battle with a powerful expert, this was tremendous.
Enough to overturn the entire situation in a single breath.
Clang—! Thud!
“Ugh?!”
I thrust my sword through the opening to block his attack, then extended my leg and swept a kick toward his abdomen.
The man who took the blow in an instant wore an expression of shock and bewilderment, as if he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
Seeing that, I offered a slight, provocative smile.
“Is that all you have?”
“Impossible!”
Cheon Yul grinned and drew upon even greater power.
Unwilling to miss this rare opportunity, he began wielding his blade with renewed ferocity, his extreme inner force now fully unleashed.
Swift and nimble, yet dazzling to the eye.
I began to exert pressure, displaying martial arts of such refined quality that it proved my training under Cheon Gong-hak had not been in vain.
Was it because of this display?
Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon’s gazes never wavered from me.
As if determined not to miss a single detail.
Clang—clang clang clang—clang clang—!
I received each strike lightly, deflected it, and received the next.
With no intention of attacking, I wielded my blade not to strike but to draw out everything from my opponent, displaying it all to the two observers.
“This time, I will definitely cut you down!”
“By all means, try.”
Flare—
Cheon Yul’s eyes burned with terrifying intensity.
Just from looking at the expression of this grinning opponent, it was clear he anticipated gaining much from our confrontation.
But I could not yield so easily.
Once more, I moved my sword guard lightly.
“Huh?! Wha—what—?!”
Thwack thwack thwack thwack—!
Before his saber could even be fully swung, I blocked his movement and simultaneously struck his head. As this repeated several times, he could do nothing but take blow after blow, unable to properly display any martial technique.
Crash—!
At his ungainly tumble, Namgung Yeon let out a hollow laugh of exasperation.
Yet it only ignited Cheon Yul’s fighting spirit further.
Roaaaar—!
A fierce momentum exploded wildly.
In an instant, I saw Cheon Yul regain his stance, but he was already before my eyes. Just as I raised my blade to block his incoming saber—
I furrowed my brow and stepped back half a pace.
Whoooosh—!
Cheon Yul had definitely been before me, yet suddenly his saber swept down from behind. Feeling the sharpness graze past by the width of a single sheet of paper, I found myself laughing despite myself.
That technique from Cheon Gong-hak.
Without thinking, I let out a hollow laugh and drew up my inner force.
Power radiated outward in all directions, extending strongly.
The sensation of the sword in my hand transformed.
As if it held the bitter cold of northern winds and winter snow.
The more I poured out my force, the stronger the frigid aura it emitted.
It felt as natural as if we had been one from the beginning.
Swooooosh—
In the moment when the frost gathering on my blade reached its peak—
I stepped forward and swung my sword simultaneously.
Clang—!
Crack!
“Ugh—?!”
The instant blade and saber met, his saber froze solid.
Not as powerful as the Junior Princess, but unmistakably a freezing sensation. The biting cold that accompanied it encroached upon the surroundings, causing Cheon Yul to recoil in alarm.
It was more than mere threat he sensed.
The overwhelming chill would freeze and solidify his body.
Understanding that his movements would sluggish as if frozen, Cheon Yul created distance and adapted to the situation accordingly.
“What is this?! Did you master the Frost Arts? When on earth did you learn this!”
“It is not the Frost Arts.”
Clang—! Clang clang—!
Crack—! Crackle crackle!
“Then what exactly is this!”
The Ice Soul Stone.
I had come to understand precisely how to draw forth the power dwelling within the blade.
It was not merely what lay dormant in the sword.
As if becoming one with me, I could freely control its strength and weakness using my inner energy.
Sometimes weak, sometimes overwhelming.
Though such a display would pale in comparison to the Junior Princess wielding the Frost Arts, the fact that I could achieve effects comparable to the Frost Arts meant this sword had become something incomparable to any other.
A small smile crossed my lips as I swung the blade once more.
Clang clang—!
Cheon Yul’s saber blocked it and attempted a counterattack, but the encroaching chill made him furrow his brow as he retreated once again.
Seeing this, I moved my body.
The Junior Princess’s footwork.
As if unfolding what came to mind, I continued moving, blocking Cheon Yul’s saber, and naturally extended my blade to strike the ground, releasing the frigid energy.
Crack! Crackle!
“Ugh?!”
In that instant, Cheon Yul, unaware that the ground had frozen beneath him, slipped in shock, and my blade seized the opening to cut across his chest.
Slash!
Not deep, but unmistakably a wound.
Yet no blood flowed.
I had frozen the wound instantly.
I pointed my blade toward Cheon Yul, who stared at me in astonishment.
“Shall we continue?”
“No, what is this….”
Cheon Yul muttered, his expression still one of disbelief.
Just from the trembling of his eyes, I could tell the current situation was shocking.
It was only natural—someone not of the Binggung had wielded the Frost Arts.
I retrieved my blade, my expression one of satisfaction.
Unlike before when I didn’t understand the method of drawing it forth, my mind felt refreshed now, and the heaviness that had weighed on my chest felt completely lifted.
It was better than I had anticipated.
In some ways, even more so than the power I gained from Gok Ok.
If I could only master it properly, it would be perfect, and if I could additionally obtain the Binggung’s cultivation method and restructure it, there would be nothing more to say.
No, if I could go further and perfectly integrate what Geomcheon Muheo had demonstrated into my own technique, the Binggung’s cultivation method would become meaningless.
As I was thinking such thoughts, I heard Cheon Yul’s disgruntled voice.
“What a monster! This is completely unfair!”
“Isn’t using illusions even more unfair?”
“That’s our martial technique!”
“This is also my martial technique.”
“Ugh, ptooey!”
Cheon Yul, clearly displeased about something, furrowed his brow deeply and spat, then began grumbling continuously as he made his way back to his seat.
I gazed at his figure and smiled.
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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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