“…Little brother, just what exactly are you?”

I relaxed my grip and lowered the sword.

“Sister. An illusionary sword dazzles the eyes, but a real sword is calm. Your sword is calm, but it’s far too dazzling.”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“About half of it is a compliment. Considering it hasn’t been long since you reached the Five Banners Form, it’s clear that your future is incredibly bright.”

She lowered her sword as well.

Her expression revealed that she was struggling to comprehend this surreal situation. I decided that I needed to clarify things a bit more.

“Whether I’ve joined hands with the Central Blood Sect, or whether I’m deceiving them and acting as a double agent… Honestly, I don’t think that matters much to either {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} of us.”

“…”

“I’ve told Father. I said I would protect Everlasting Snow Palace.”

I reached out and gently brushed my sister’s shoulder.

“There are four people who must be present in the Everlasting Snow Palace that I intend to protect.”

“…And who are those four?”

“The first is Father. The second is our eldest brother. The third is our second brother.”

“And the fourth?”

“Who else could it be? It’s you, of course.”

My sister’s eyes began to tremble slightly.

“There is only one reason Father called upon the Polar Successors. I’m about to show you that reason now.”

I took a step back and drew upon my inner strength.

In an instant, everything I saw was enveloped in pure white.

And then—

KAA-BOOOOM—!!

As the deafening roar echoed, my sister fell backward in shock, the Chief Steward Seong Yangho, who had been nervously biting his nails from afar, jumped to his feet, and Han Murin, standing beside him, staggered as though his legs had given out.

Well, of course they would react like that.

This was a technique I created with Father.

The Heavenly Snow Dominion (천설지세 / Cheonseol Jise).

Surrounding my sister and me, in a radius of about five chi (approx. 15 cm), thousands upon thousands of ice crystals had formed.

These were the ambient energies of nature that had previously been invisible to the naked eye.

What many martial artists could only sense as the faintest traces of heaven and earth’s energy had now materialized in physical form.

Blue, red, gold…

All kinds of shimmering energies had crystallized into ice, glittering like tiny stars. My sister stared at the sight in awe and murmured softly.

Even the sword she was holding had frozen solid, rendered utterly useless.

“…It’s beautiful…”

A smile spread across my lips.

“This is my answer.”

I waved my hand, and the ice crystals scattered.

My eyes, which had turned a chilling white, reverted to their original state.

“…Little brother… What was that?”

“It’s the technique that Father plans to teach you and our brothers.”

“…That?”

“Yes. The Heavenly Snow Dominion. Currently, I am still too weak to control a range beyond five to six chi (approx. 15-18 cm), but as someone who’s mastered the Five Banners Form, you should be able to dominate entire spans measured in cheok (approx. 30 cm per cheok).”

“When you say dominate… Are you talking about what I think you are?”

“Yes, precisely. You can kill, you can wound, and when your realm far surpasses your opponent’s, or if they can’t react in time, you will hold absolute dominance.”

Where the Blood Domain Imprisonment created by the Heavenly Taoist tore space apart with killing intent, the Heavenly Snow Dominion controlled space with the pure essence of ice and snow.

It was infinitely more versatile.

The martial arts contained within the Complete Compendium of Everlasting Snow were fully embodied in this technique, and my sister, whose eyes had yet to leave the sparkling ice crystals, grasped its value in an instant.

Now, she was wearing an expression I had never seen before.

Shock, and more than that—

Awe, bewilderment, and a sense of the boundless potential that this martial art could bring.

It was a little embarrassing to say, but… she looked like a complete fool.

“…Th-This… It feels like a technique far beyond my understanding.”

“You can comprehend it.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my sister.”

“Oh…”

I dropped to one knee and looked up at her.

“Just as you believe in me, I believe in you too, Sister.”

“…You know you’re really strange, right?”

“I won’t deny that I’m a bit different from the me you remember. But there is one more thing that has changed.”

“…”

“It’s your gaze. But I am still your youngest brother, Seol Unwi—the one who cherishes and thinks of you.”

“But… how do I even begin to understand this?”

“You have to understand it. And I haven’t forgotten the love and care you have shown me not just in childhood but even up until recently.”

Seol Yeonhwa scratched her head awkwardly.

“Well… that’s only natural as your sister.”

I reached out and gently smoothed her disheveled hair.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“…From me?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“You regularly visit the Martial Alliance, right?”

“Yeah. It’s a gathering for the younger generation. Who else would go from the Palace? It’s not like our eldest brother, that bastard, or Unhae would go.”

“You’re right. And you mentioned that the young lord of the Tyrant Blade Sect has been hitting on you, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. You know how it is—your sister’s got a pretty face, after all.”

I stood up. She did too.

I spoke quietly.

“I think it’s best if you keep your distance from the young lord of the Tyrant Blade Sect.”

“…Something’s going on, isn’t there?”

“The rumors aren’t good.”

I had mentioned it briefly before, but my sister would die about a year from now.

Cause of death: Assassination.

There were five culprits, but only three were ever caught.

One of the two who got away was the young lord of the Tyrant Blade Sect.

I had annihilated the Tyrant Blade Sect, slaughtered its entire lineage, and dragged him to a cave located in a remote corner of the Central Blood Sect. I kept him alive there for over a decade. That was when I perfected the Ten Thousand Agonies Art.

“You’re worried about me?”

“Yes.”

“…Thank you.”

She smiled faintly.

“It’s only natural for me to do as your little brother. Now, has your suspicion been cleared?”

“I never really suspected you. I was just… worried.”

“I understand. Then, Sister, I will take my leave now.”

As I began walking toward the carriage, my sister called out to me.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

I turned to look at her.

“Not help, but I do have one request.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll be going to the Martial Alliance soon, right? Before you go, could you stop by Yangnyeong for a moment?”

“Why?”

“I have something to give you.”

Seol Yeonhwa tilted her head, puzzled.

“A gift?”

“Yes.”

“It’s going to be interesting. Alright. See you then.”

As I resumed walking, I spoke to the still-stunned Seong Yangho and Han Murin.

“Let’s move.”

Han Murin shook his head as if clearing his mind and headed straight to the coachman’s seat. Meanwhile, Seong Yangho followed me inside the carriage, rolling up his sleeves in a fluster as he spoke with wide eyes.

“This… Do you see this? Look at these goosebumps. Just what exactly did I just witness?”

“What do you think it was?”

I chuckled and continued.

“It was the future of Everlasting Snow Palace.”

The Blood Domain Imprisonment of the Central Blood Sect is a technique that symbolizes the sect itself.

It’s a technique so infamous that even someone like Lee Jichang, a mere martial artist of the Three Flowers Gathering Essence Stage, could recognize it instantly.

In Everlasting Snow Palace, there was no such definitive technique.

Only “ice” was well-known.

But from now on, the Heavenly Snow Dominion would become the iconic martial art representing Everlasting Snow Palace.

*****

Ten days later, the letter personally penned by the Ice Sovereign Seol Jungcheon arrived at the Silent Soul Sect.

Everlasting Snow Palace is located in what is considered the Outer Regions of the Central Plains. Similarly, the Silent Soul Sect also operates in the Outer Regions.

The specific area is called the Great Desert.

The top-tier messenger hawk had flown through the skies, and for it to have taken ten days was perfectly reasonable.

After receiving Seol Jungcheon’s letter, the Sect Master of the Silent Soul Sect, Eun Unsaeng, skimmed the first page and burst into laughter.

“Our grand Ice Sovereign of Everlasting Snow Palace is playing some rather unfitting pranks.”

Myo Rim, the Deputy Sect Master standing beside him, asked,

“What do you mean?”

“This man claims to know about the Heavenly Soul Annihilation Art.”

Myo Rim’s brows knitted tightly.

“…You mean the lost Heavenly Soul Annihilation Art of the Silent Soul Sect?”

Eun Unsaeng nodded.

The Heavenly Soul Annihilation Art.

A martial art that evaporates the surrounding heaven and earth energy within a designated range. Its efficacy was so devastating that it was practically classified as demonic martial arts.

Its power was undeniable, but the reason it was classified as demonic was due to the severe life force it consumed each time it was used.

The technique was lost during the Great Chaos a thousand years ago and had only been passed down orally since then.

“And Everlasting Snow Palace, of all places, knows about it? That damn fool has really gone mad up in the snowy mountains.”

The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

“What kind of joke is this? First, he says he wants to buy the Hundred-Year Flower, and now he’s trying to backstab me…”

“Sect Master?”

“What?”

Myo Rim scratched his head awkwardly.

“There’s more on the back.”

Eun Unsaeng’s brow furrowed. He had been so thrown off by the absurdity of the content that he hadn’t even checked the back.

The moment he flipped the letter over, his eyes widened dramatically.

天魂化長夜 神明盡消散 (Cheonhon Hwajangya, Shinmyeong Jinsosan)

The soul of heaven becomes an eternal night, and all divine spirits are extinguished.

一念斷萬緣 永世不復還 (Illyeom Danmanyeon, Yeongse Bulbuhwan)

With a single thought, ten thousand fates are severed, never to return.

There was no way not to be shocked.

This formula.

These words.

Vile beyond description. And without a doubt, it was the exact incantation of the Heavenly Soul Annihilation Art that had only ever been passed down orally.

“…This… can’t be real…”

Unable to believe it, he read it again.

While the latter half was somewhat incomplete, it was unmistakable.

This was real.

His hands began to tremble.

“This… what… what is this…?”

There had been no news that the Heavenly Soul Annihilation Art had reappeared in a hidden realm. And yet, here it was, and Seol Jungcheon of Everlasting Snow Palace knew about it…

“Wow… that sly old fox.”

It was absurd.

There was only one possible scenario.

A hidden realm had appeared near Everlasting Snow Palace.

Apparently, our grand Ice Sovereign had looted a hidden realm that contained the Silent Soul Sect’s treasure.

There was no choice now.

Seol Jungcheon wanted the Hundred-Year Flower.

And Eun Unsaeng wanted the Heavenly Soul Annihilation Art.

“Prepare to move.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re going to Everlasting Snow Palace.”

“Ah…”

“It seems the Ice Sovereign wants the Hundred-Year Flower delivered to him personally. We can’t refuse.”

And thus, on that day, Eun Unsaeng, the Sect Master of the Silent Soul Sect, set out for Everlasting Snow Palace.

The estimated arrival date was in about ten days.

Even if unforeseen circumstances arose, it wouldn’t take more than two weeks.

****

During those ten days, a lot had changed in Yangnyeong.

The former government building had been completely transformed into the Everlasting Snow Palace’s Yangnyeong Branch, while the area once occupied by the Four Great Sects was under heavy construction.

Mining operations at Cheongneung Mine and Seolhan Mine for Cold Jade Essence had intensified, far exceeding previous output levels.

Yangnyeong was now more populated than it had ever been under the Four Great Sects’ control.

It wasn’t because Yangnyeong had become a more livable place.

It was because the martial artists of the Central Plains interpreted the current state of Yangnyeong, now fully under Seol Unwi’s control, differently.

The incident where Seol Unwi had swallowed up Yangnyeong whole was certainly spearheaded by him.

However, as the saying goes, “Don’t believe it until you see it,” the martial artists were full of doubt.

Was Seol Unwi really the one pulling the strings?

Did he really accomplish it all on his own?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep