Chapter 356: The Natural Enemy of All Demons

    TL: FoodieMonster007

    Even while parrying Eun Hwiryong''s sudden attack, Seol Suryeon''s attention remained focused on Seol Mugeol.

    "Mugeol! Stop!"

    From a young age, Seol Mugeol had been a haughty child, and his martial arts talent had never struck her as particularly impressive. Still, he was the direct heir of the clan and her blood relative. There was no suitable replacement for him.

    Therefore, to strengthen him, she had no choice but to make him learn demonic arts. She could not allow another heir from a different family to emerge again.

    Foolish boy!

    She had warned him many times to only study the art out of necessity and not to become enthralled by it. Ultimately, however, Seol Mugeol could not resist the temptation and succumbed to the demonic art, going completely berserk.

    PWAAH!

    The moment Seol Mugeol was decapitated, Seol Suryeon turned her head, consciously accepting the tactical opening she was offering her opponent. It was an act born of pure instinct, bypassing reason entirely.

    Coincidentally, her eyes met Seol Mugeol''s.

    "......"

    The final expression on her grandnephew''s face was one of resentment toward her.

    THUD!

    As if in slow motion, Seol Mugeol''s decapitated head rolled across the floor, and his body collapsed lifelessly in a heap. Seol Ryonghwi stood over him, a chilling sneer on his face.

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    It was unreal.

    Why? How could you?

    CLAAANG!

    The cold edge of a blade against her nape brought Seol Suryeon back to reality. Her hands moved on pure instinct, independent of her conscious mind. The palm that she used to deflect the White Ice Divine Sword throbbed with such intense pain that she felt as if it would fall off, but she could barely register it.

    "Traitor! It''s laughable how miserable you look right now," Eun Hwiryong said, her face a mask of cold fury as she leveled her blade. "You''re just receiving the heavenly punishment you deserved long ago."

    "Heavenly punishment? Who dares to punish me?"

    The raging emotions on Seol Suryeon''s face vanished. Her anger, having surpassed its limit, caused her to cool down instead of flare up. At the same time, her flamboyant red royal gown flapped so wildly that it seemed like it might rip at the seams.

    ROAAAAAR!

    A brilliant white light exploded from Seol Suryeon''s eyes, sending a shockwave of inner qi through the hall.

    "I am the sky of the North Sea!"

    The White Ice Empress Seol Suryeon, former ruler of the North Sea Ice Palace, cloaked her entire body in the arctic cold of the North Sea. Her aura was so destructive, even her bold claim to be the sky of the North Sea didn''t seem arrogant.

    VWOOOOOOOM!

    An equally powerful aura blossomed from Eun Hwiryong''s body. The White Ice Divine Sword and the White Ice Bangles resonated with her White Ice Divine Art, lending her their strength.

    "In accordance with the laws of the North Sea, I will take your head and restore discipline to our fractured Palace," she declared, her pure white armor of enhanced qi lending her an aura of immense dignity.

    Seol Suryeon sneered, forming an ice spike of enhanced qi in her hands. "Truly pathetic. Who would''ve thought that sniveling little girl would grow up and lecture me on the laws? Have you forgotten who taught you the White Ice Divine Art?"

    BOOM!

    Seol Suryeon kicked off the ground and flew toward Eun Hwiryong like a massive typhoon. Undeterred, Eun Hwiryong swung her White Ice Divine Sword.

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    CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

    The ceiling of the Royal Court shook as if it were about to collapse from the deafening explosions. Each time the two women collided, enormous aftershocks spread out like tidal waves.

    Eun Hwiryong frowned as she was pushed onto the defensive. Seol Suryeon''s attacks were more powerful than she thought possible. For now, she could only block.

    I thought I had almost caught up to her, but the gap was this big...!? Without the White Ice Divine Sword and the White Ice Bangles, I would have already lost!

    Suddenly, Seol Suryeon''s eyes flashed. "So, you found the White Ice Bangles. There seems to be a clumsy change in your White Ice Divine Art as well. Is that the basis for your confidence in eliminating me?"

    "......"

    Seol Suryeon snorted. Although Baek Suryong had backstabbed her, she was a woman who had risen to her current position through intrigue, conspiracy, and unrivaled martial skill. With eyes like a viper, she glanced around, assessing her situation.

    Her gaze settled on Seol Ryonghwi.

    "...Seol Ryonghwi. No, I don''t even know if that is your true name."

    After cutting down Seol Mugeol with a single strike, Seol Ryonghwi had stood by, indifferently observing the progress of the battle.

    Did I trust that boy too easily?

    No, that wasn''t it. On the day they first met, she had leashed him by feeding him poison. When even that wasn''t enough, she put him under surveillance and tested him frequently.

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    However, Seol Ryonghwi never revealed a flaw. In all respects, he was the Seol Clan''s ambitious heir apparent.

    She had even considered using him as the foundation for her kingdom in the North Sea.

    "...I will not grant you an easy death."

    Seol Suryeon''s expression calmed as she glared at him, but her eyes surged with berserk qi. The bitter curl of her lips was almost bewitching. If Eun Hwiryong wasn''t in her way, she would have lunged at Seol Ryonghwi and torn him limb from limb right then and there.

    "Traitor. Where are you looking? The one who will take your head is right here," Eun Hwiryong taunted.

    The White Ice Divine Sword sliced through the air like a beam of light, leaving a white trail behind it.

    Unable to ignore the threat, Seol Suryeon summoned even more internal energy. The ice qi gathering in her hands swelled.

    BOOOOOOM!

    Pushed back by the aftershock of the collision, the two women''s gazes clashed fiercely.

    Curling her nails like a hawk''s talons, Seol Suryeon cackled, "The women of the Eun Clan all have such savage eyes. For a long time, I''ve wanted to gouge them out."

    "For the first time, we''re actually on the same page."

    Any further probing was unnecessary. The two women had sufficiently gauged each other''s capabilities. All that remained was to take each other''s lives.

    "Come! Let us decide the fate of the North Sea once and for all!

    The two women simultaneously drew upon the full power of their internal energy.

    KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

    A terrifying blizzard raged within the hall. Small ice particles and fist-sized hailstones collided and shattered everywhere. Indeed, it was no exaggeration to say that those who had reached the pinnacle of the White Ice Divine Art were capable of causing a natural disaster.

    Seeing an unfortunate nearby martial artist instantly turn into an ice statue, even the masters of the North Sea Ice Palace dared not approach the domain of extreme cold.

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    "Retreat to the walls!" Grand Elder Han Songbaek shouted.

    "Don''t get caught up in it!" the Seol Clan''s Grand Elder yelled.

    The masters from both sides, centered around the two old men, clashed. Since they were all martial artists of the North Sea, they knew each other''s fighting styles well.

    Consequently, following the initial surprise attack, each victory became increasingly difficult to achieve, and fierce close-quarters battles erupted across the battlefield.

    "Rebels, kneel!"

    "The old man of the Han Clan has gone senile! He doesn''t even recognize the true master of the Ice Palace!"

    Han Songbaek and the Seol Clan''s Grand Elder battled fiercely, striking with powerful palm techniques. Han Songbaek was gradually gaining the upper hand, but victory remained elusive.

    The situation was similar elsewhere. Though the current Empress had a slightly larger following, the Seol Clan''s martial artists held their ground against the offensive.

    [Do you not intend to step in?] the Azure Dragon Divine Sword asked.

    [Not just yet,] Baek Suryong replied.

    He glared into the raging blizzard. Visibility was near zero, but he had the Blood Demon Eyes which could see through the storm.

    Seol Suryeon''s martial arts...

    This was the first time he had seen Seol Suryeon perform the White Ice Divine Art, but something about it nagged at him.

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    What is this familiar yet ominous feeling?

    "Don''t tell me..." Baek Suryong''s eyes widened as he thought of a certain possibility.

    His fears were almost immediately confirmed.

    Seol Suryeon''s voice thundered through the blizzard, "Hear me, martial artists of the Seol Clan! From this moment on, I permit you to release the restrictions on your inner arts!"

    Immediately, demonic qi erupted from the bodies of the Seol Clan martial artists.

    "Grrrrr..."

    "Kehehehe..."

    For decades, the Seol Clan had ingested elixirs provided by the Blood Cult and studied their demonic arts. While they were initially hesitant, the desire of martial artists to become stronger eventually led them, one by one, to dabble in the forbidden.

    "W-What is this?"

    "Is that demonic arts...?! You fiends!"

    "Be careful!"

    The eyes of the Seol Clan martial artists turned bloodshot, and their veins bulged. In some cases, their skin turned black while their muscles hypertrophied.

    CLANG!

    Their skin hardened to the point that blades couldn''t penetrate it, and their qi increased dramatically. Having turned into ghouls, they no longer felt any pain.

    This change was sufficient to turn the tide of battle in an instant.

    "Kuhahaha! Kill them all!" the Seol Clan''s Grand Elder laughed as he launched himself at Han Songbaek again.

    Within five exchanges, he seized the upper hand. Within the next five, he landed a palm strike on Han Songbaek''s chest.

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    This was a far cry from just moments before, when he had been pushed back.

    "Cough!" Sent flying, Han Songbaek spat out blood and barely regained his balance. Nevertheless, his pale complexion proved the severity of his internal injuries.

    "You monster! How dare you learn filthy demonic arts!" he bellowed.

    "Kehehe! Foolish old man. Since when have martial arts been divided into clean and dirty categories?"

    Grinning slyly, the Grand Elder surged forward, reaching for Han Songbaek. His fingernails had transformed, growing long and black and shimmering with a menacing, grayish qi that was a fusion of the White Ice Divine Art''s frigid power and demonic energy.

    Han Songbaek sensed his impending death. He could block a his opponent''s claws a few times, but he wouldn''t last long.

    Hyeon...

    His grandson''s face flashed before his eyes. The child had only just been cured of poisoning, yet he wouldn''t get to see him grow up.

    He gritted his teeth and glared at his opponent. "...I''ll at least take one of your arms with me."

    The Seol Clan Grand Elder laughed hysterically, "Not a chance! After I kill you, your grandson is next..."

    SWISH!

    "Keuaaah, aaargh!" The Seol Clan Grand Elder screamed and writhed in agony. His claws, along with his fingers, had been neatly sliced off.

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    Baek Suryong appeared from out of nowhere and regarded the old ghoul impassively. "Blood Cult scum. You really were planning to turn the Ice Palace into a den of demons."

    "Keuaaah, argh! I''ll kill you...!" The Seol Clan Grand Elder gritted his teeth and glared at Baek Suryong... only to come face-to-face with the young man''s crimson irises.

    Baek Suryong activated the Blood Demon Eyes, the signature technique of the Heaven Defying Divine Art, which dominated all other demonic arts.

    "Uh, uh, uwaaa..." Extreme fear settled into the Seol Clan Grand Elder''s eyes, and his body trembled uncontrollably like a leaf in the wind.

    "You''re using demonic arts in front of me?" Baek Suryong chuckled, smirking. Such is the fate of all demonic practitioners.

    He could currently use the Heaven Defying Divine Art while suppressing the physical transformation. The reason he didn''t always do so, though, was because revealing his red hair and eyes intimidated his opponents more effectively.

    Well, the Blood Demon Eyes alone are more than enough against opponents of this level.

    He, who had reached the eighth star in the Heaven Defying Divine Art, was quite literally the worst possible opponent for enemies using demonic arts, especially mediocre ones.

    They can''t even look straight at me!

    SPLURT!

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    Baek Suryong decapitated the Seol Clan''s Grand Elder with a simple, unremarkable swing of his sword.

    Had the old ghoul fought using the North Sea''s martial arts, he could have lasted ten exchanges. Now, however, he was as helpless as a beast before its natural predator.

    "Grand Elder Han. Tend to the injured," Baek Suryong commanded.

    Han Songbaek blinked in confusion for a moment before nodding blankly. "...Huh? Ah, I understand."

    Baek Suryong stepped forward and began methodically cutting down the Seol Clan martial artists who had turned into ghouls.

    CHWAAK! SKURK! PUUK!

    With each light swing of his sword, necks were cleaved and limbs severed. The ghouls whose eyes met his froze on the spot, giving him the opportunity to reap them as if harvesting wheat. Several of them even knelt down on their own accord.

    Even those witnessing it had a hard time believing their eyes.

    "How on earth is he doing that...!?"

    The martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace, including Han Songbaek, stared open-mouthed as Baek Suryong nonchalantly decimated the ghouls.