Chapter 40: Emperor of Flames 2

Baek Moo-jin felt Jin So-hye’s body growing increasingly hot. As soon as the attendant showed them to the room, he hurried to the bed and laid Jin So-hye down—she was already like a burning ember.

It was truly strange.

What would have become of Jin Sohye if Baek Moo-jin hadn’t been here? Baek Moo-jin soaked a towel placed in the room with water and wiped Jin Sohye’s face. But the moment the moisture touched her skin, a hissing sound could be heard, and Jin Sohye’s face grew even redder.

“This is absurd. What on earth is the Yan Emperor?”

Baek Moo-jin rolled up Jin So-hye’s sleeve, grasped her wrist, and tried to infuse her with his vital energy once more. Yet, Jin So-hye’s entire body seemed to possess a powerful counterforce, repelling Baek Moo-jin’s vital energy.

Only then did Baek Moo-jin realize.

‘This energy itself is the Yan Emperor.’

That meant Jin Sohye was in a state of rampant energy. She herself had become this precarious after failing to control the energy of the Yan Emperor. Ultimately, it was right to first bring her back to her senses before letting Jin Sohye regulate her own qi and breathing.

A chill began to form on Baek Moo-jin’s hands. He poured an icy coldness, cold enough to make one shiver, onto Jin So-hye’s crown. He was controlling the force extremely weakly, ready to stop immediately if it had any adverse effect.

But it seemed to work—Jin Sohye’s eyes were opening.

Baek Moo-jin urgently asked.

“Are you all right?”

As soon as Jin Sohye regained consciousness, Baek Moo-jin’s words came rapidly, hoping to find out various things.

“How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do to help? What is the Yeomje? You keep losing consciousness…”

Jin So-hye swallowed hard and replied.

“The Yanje is the fundamental power source of the divine technique I use. I must begin my qigong practice now.”

Baek Moo-jin nodded, and Jin So-hye calmly delivered an extraordinary story.

“Master Baek…”

“Yes.”

“If… should I not awaken after practicing qigong, would you be able to bring my remains back to my father?”

Baek Moo-jin responded with a startled expression.

“Harmful? What a dreadful thing to say.”

“If I can’t suppress the flame back into my dantian, that’s probably what will happen. The flame and I will become one. I’ve mastered that martial art.”

Realizing the situation was truly critical, Baek Moo-jin blurted out the question in a casual tone.

“Is there any way to help?”

Jin Sohye shook her head.

“When it rages like this, Father and the Left and Right Guardians would step in. They’d infuse me with their own internal energy to assist the Great Heavenly Cycle, then suppress the Flames. Now the Left Guardian has met with misfortune. Even if the two of you are fortunate enough to find me… I’ll hold out alone for now.”

Jin Sohye gave a faint smile as she spoke to Baek Mujin.

“Master Baek, thank you for your help.”

Jin Sohye’s words sounded like a farewell to Baek Mujin. Baek Mujin shook his head with a bitter expression.

“Miss Jin.”

“Yes.”

“That energy called the Flaming Emperor… I’ll try to suppress it.”

Jin Sohye replied with a smile.

“It’s hard to endure unless you’re of the same kind. It’s an energy powerful enough to consume even Lord Baek.”

At those words, a vein bulged on Baek Mujin’s forehead.

‘How dare she…’

Baek Moo-jin’s expression hardened with tension and fury, like a man preparing for battle. At this moment, even Baek Moo-jin could not help but utter words of unparalleled arrogance.

“Young Lady Jin, forgive me for saying this, but do I appear weaker than the Holy Palace Master and the Left and Right Guardians?”

“That’s not it, but it takes all three of you working together to barely…”

“Recall our duel…”

Jin Sohye looked at Baek Moo-jin, and he continued.

“Do you think the Palace Master of Seonghwa and the Left and Right Attendants could suppress me if they joined forces? You know their martial prowess, and you’ve faced me in combat. I believe you understand this well, Lady Jin. What do you say?”

Baek Moo-jin’s question itself radiated immense confidence.

Jin Sohye stared at Baek Moo-jin and thought.

‘Could Father and the Left and Right Guardians defeat the Baek family head if they joined forces?’

Baek Moo-jin met Jin So-hye’s gaze and slowly shook his head.

“It would not be possible. Even if the three of them combined their strength…”

Jin Sohye, however, nodded.

“Will you help us?”

“Let’s try.”

Jin Sohye boldly extended her hand. It was a request to be held. Baek Moo-jin took Jin Sohye’s hand. She descended from the bed, sat on the floor, and crossed her legs in the lotus position.

“I’ll perform the Great Circulation. But my energy is insufficient; the path of the Great Circulation will be blocked. Don’t push yourself. If it becomes too difficult, withdraw your energy anytime. Together…”

Jin Sohye couldn’t bring herself to say, ‘I don’t want to die together.’

Baek Moo-jin roughly guessed what she meant to say next. He nodded and urged her to begin quickly.

“Begin. Whether it’s the Lord of Hell or King Yama… Let’s see what happens.”

Jin Sohye formed her hands into the shape of flames, then gently lowered them to her lap and quietly closed her eyes.

Silence hung heavy.

After watching quietly, Baek Moo-jin turned and sat behind Jin So-hye, then closed his own eyes.

In the darkness, Baek Moo-jin confirmed Jin So-hye’s prayer as if he had opened his third eye.

A massive flame flickered before Baek Moo-jin’s eyes.

‘The Flame Emperor?’

It was no ordinary flame, as its name suggested. What kind of karmic connection could this be? Or was it a kind of destiny descending upon the Sacred Flame Palace, like Baek Moo-jin himself? Or perhaps it was a form of great magic performed to strengthen the forces of dark magic? As Baek Moo-jin’s thoughts speculated about the Flame Emperor, the flame known as Jin So-hye grew to an unbearable size.

Baek Moo-jin’s heart filled with a burning desire to win.

Whatever that flame signified, Baek Moo-jin didn’t care.

Whether it was a great law or a divine opportunity.

Even if it were the destiny of the Sacred Flame Palace…

‘It cannot devour me.’

After swiftly circulating his qi through the Heavenly Circulation with the White Flower Divine Art, Baek Moo-jin thrust both palms toward the enormous flame.

Finally, Baek Moo-jin’s inner energy began to extend outward, as if contemplating Jin So-hye’s body. But within the darkness, an intense force reared its head. The flame, appearing as if poised to devour Baek Moo-jin, flickered and came to meet him.

Even Baek Moo-jin’s complexion turned pale.

Just then, Baek Moo-jin, with his eyes closed, was imagining Jin So-hye’s form as flames. Yet, the newly emerged fiery energy absurdly took the shape of a fire dragon.

Was it an illusion born from Baek Moo-jin’s imagination?

Or was it truly the form possessed by the energy known as the Flame Emperor?

Unlike before, it had already fully channeled the White Flower Divine Art and infiltrated Jin Sohye’s body. Now, the fire dragon, which had grown enormous, glared at Baek Moo-jin as if ready to devour him.

Far from aiding the Great Heavenly Cycle…

It had become a standoff between the fire dragon and Baek Moo-jin at the boundary of Jin So-hye’s body.

Yet this battle unfolded not in the realm of reason and reality, but unrealistically, as if stepping into the domain of myth or primordial origins.

This was a scenario Jin Sohye had never anticipated, a rare occurrence that hadn’t even happened when the Sacred Flame Palace Master or the Left and Right Guardians had aided her.

Yes. This was unreal.

Yet it was also an ancient battle that had raged since the beginning of time.

This is

a clash of fire and ice.

a clash of origins against origins.

It was also the confrontation between the Sacred Flame Palace and the Snow Mountain Hundred Families.

and the clash between the myth of the Sacred Flame Palace, known as the Flame Emperor, and Baek Moo-jin, who bore the destiny of the Snow Mountain Hundred Families.

2.

Baek Moo-jin stood in a pitch-black void.

Before him, a colossal fire dragon—one worthy of being called the Yan Emperor—stretched its long body backward, its head raised to gaze down at Baek Moo-jin.

The dragon’s aura clearly conveyed its contempt for Baek Moo-jin.

Even though this place could have become the body of Jin Sohye, Baek Moo-jin continued to elevate the stage of the White Flower Divine Art. He had no choice. He instinctively realized that the moment Baek Moo-jin was swallowed by the fire dragon, he would turn to a handful of ashes, just as Jin Sohye had warned.

It was an incredibly bizarre and unbelievably dangerous situation.

Baek Moo-jin immediately elevated the stage of the White Flower Divine Art from Four Stars to Five Stars, from Five Stars to Six Stars, and from Six Stars to Seven Stars.

However, with each successive level, men dressed exactly like Baek Moo-jin began appearing on either side of him.

Then, Baek Moo-jin felt a chill run down his spine, not just in reality but even in this surreal world.

The dragon’s eyes slowly shifted, glaring at each of the men who had materialized beside Baek Moo-jin.

Baek Moo-jin was terrified.

Given his nature, it was extremely rare for him to fear anything.

But Baek Moo-jin wasn’t afraid of the fire dragon before him. He was afraid to look at the faces of those standing beside him. Everyone was staring at the fire dragon.

‘Surely… it couldn’t be.’

When Baek Moo-jin looked at the man standing on his left, a man with a very unfamiliar face was glaring at the fire dragon.

‘Ah… It’s just an illusion.’

That was when it happened.

The entire body of the fire dragon, which had been undulating, opened its enormous mouth. In that instant, flames so vast they seemed to unfold a hellscape poured forth.

Simultaneously, Baek Moo-jin drew his sword and unleashed the pure power of the White Flower Divine Art.

Was this a world without sound?

The massive fire column and Baek Moo-jin’s internal energy collided, yet no sound was heard. Instead, Baek Moo-jin, pushed back by the fire column, instinctively released the stage of the Eight Stars he had thought he would never need to use.

Thud― Thud-thud-thud-thud―

The moment the Eight Stars’ internal energy erupted, it was as if a dam had burst within Baek Moo-jin’s dantian, unleashing a colossal surge of power.

Then, two men in white descended before Baek Moo-jin and began pouring streams of white light toward the enormous flames.

‘Ah…’

Baek Moo-jin instantly recognized who the two people were.

How could Baek Moo-jin ever forget those two figures?

An old man with flowing white hair and a middle-aged man with black hair and a slightly more robust build were holding white swords, blocking the fiery breath of the dragon.

They were Baek Moo-jin’s grandfather and father.

This meant that all the people appearing around them were former heads of the Snow Mountain Bai Clan.