Chapter 331: Desperate Situation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 331: Desperate Situation
Kwakwakwakwang!
The Soul Link Spear and the ice storm collided, followed immediately by a thunderous explosion.
At the same time, the Soul Link Spear flew back to Lee Yeon, and Bukgung Yeon withdrew her hand.
"I gave you too much time."
Lee Yeon spoke with a scowl, clearly displeased by her appearance.
"If you'd just thrust your spear instead of flapping your trap, you would've killed me already."
Hearing this, Bukgung Yeon sneered at Lee Yeon and replied.
"I admit it. I talked too much."
"It's because you're old. Old folks always have a lot of useless things to say, don't they?"
"How impudent."
"We're not exactly on terms that require manners, are we?"
"I suppose that's true."
Lee Yeon nodded with a calm expression and opened his mouth again.
"You'd better prepare yourself. My shoulder's been pierced, and I'm quite pissed off right now."
"Ridiculous. You think you can defeat me with a wound like that?"
Lee Yeon snorted.
"It's fine. I'm not alone."
At his words, Bukgung Yeon glanced sideways at Sun-woo and spoke.
"You're relying on a pathetic brat like that? You have no eye for people."
"And who was it that got their secrets exposed by that 'pathetic brat'?"
Bukgung Yeon retorted sarcastically.
"I see I can't win with words."
Lee Yeon shook his head and spoke.
"Go ahead and try. I don't think I'll lose even if the two of you come at me together."
Lee Yeon continued with a gallant expression.
"I'll have to make you realize how wrong that thought is."
Bukgung Yeon spoke with a cold smile.
She began to circulate her Heavenly Yin Ice Soul Divine Art, shrouding her entire body in frigid air.
Seeing this, Lee Yeon used Void Manipulation to pull his spear back to him and began to pour his soul into it.
Soon, his spear began to take on a greyish hue once more.
Sun-woo also infused his internal energy into the Dragon Tail Soft Sword, forming Astral Qi.
It was to match Bukgung Yeon's pace.
"Don't clash directly with his spear."
Bukgung Yeon warned, her eyes fixed on Lee Yeon.
"Your soul is too weak to endure a spear imbued with a soul."
"Then is there another way?"
"It's simple. I'll block his spear. You focus on attacking."
"Will that work?"
Sun-woo asked, sounding skeptical.
The man before them had reached the great Profound Realm.
He doubted whether his own attacks, being only at the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm, would even land.
"We have no choice. There's no other way."
Bukgung Yeon spoke with a calm expression.
"He's not an opponent easy enough to handle while injured. I'd be grateful for even a cat's paw right now."
"Thanks. I'm glad to know even a cat's paw is helpful."
"It's just a figure of speech. Practically, you're more like a rabbit's forepaw."
"..........."
"I'm joking."
After making the lighthearted jest, Bukgung Yeon slowly extended her hand again.
Crack, crackle!
A long, sword-shaped block of ice began to form over her hand.
"I'll block whatever attack comes your way. So swing your sword with confidence."
Bukgung Yeon spoke with a look of absolute certainty as she looked at Sun-woo.
Then, she slowly turned her head to face Lee Yeon in the distance.
"Understood."
Sun-woo nodded with a firm expression.
He realized there were no other options in this situation.
If worst comes to worst, I just need to hold out until Neung So-hwa arrives.
Sun-woo glared at Lee Yeon with serious eyes.
He didn't necessarily have to win.
If he could just hold out until Neung So-hwa arrived, they would seize the advantage.
He just had to endure.
Just endure.
Grip.
Sun-woo tightened his hold on the sword in his right hand.
Thus, Lee Yeon, Sun-woo, and Bukgung Yeon stood in a tense standoff.
"..........."
".........."
They glared at each other, searching for an opening.
The moment even the slightest gap appeared, they intended to pounce.
How much time had passed?
Boom!
Lee Yeon was the first to kick off the ground, launching himself forward.
Swoosh!
With the sound of rending air, he reached Sun-woo's nose in an instant.
Lee Yeon targeted Sun-woo first.
Was it not the rule of war to eliminate the weak first?
He intended to deal with the easy enemy first.
Clang!
Unfortunately, his plan did not go as intended.
His spear was blocked by the ice sword swung by Bukgung Yeon.
Lee Yeon frowned.
He hadn't expected to be blocked so easily.
Wooooong!
Suddenly, Sun-woo's sword thrust toward his chest.
Lee Yeon quickly concentrated internal energy into his palm and struck the flat of the blade.
Bang!
The sword, struck on its side, veered off course. Sun-woo seemed to lose his balance, his body leaning forward.
Having dodged the sword with ease, Lee Yeon immediately drove his knee upward, striking the off-balance Sun-woo right in the jaw.
"Urgh!"
Sun-woo let out a groan as he took the hit directly to his chin.
The pain was considerable.
Clang!
Seeing this, Lee Yeon quickly parried Bukgung Yeon's ice sword with his spear.
Then, he thrust his spear toward the vulnerable Sun-woo once more.
Clang!
But again, his spear was blocked by Bukgung Yeon's sword.
She had formed an ice sword in her other hand as well to block Lee Yeon's spear.
Lee Yeon's face contorted.
Irritation surged within him at Bukgung Yeon's persistent interference.
Lee Yeon hated doing things twice.
And he loathed having his work interrupted.
This woman was doing everything he hated.
It was impossible for him not to be annoyed.
I'll kill you first, bitch.
Clang!
Quickly parrying the ice sword, Lee Yeon thrust his spear, this time targeting Bukgung Yeon.
He aimed for her right arm.
He judged that her reaction speed would be slow since her right shoulder had been completely pierced.
Swoosh!
Lee Yeon's Soul Link Spear streaked toward Bukgung Yeon.
Bukgung Yeon watched the rapidly approaching spear and thrust her sword.
Boom!
The Soul Link Spear and the ice sword collided with a thunderous roar, entering a struggle of strength.
Slide.
Not long after they clashed, Bukgung Yeon's body began to be pushed back bit by bit.
She was losing the contest of power.
Die!
Seeing her being pushed back, Lee Yeon began to pour even more strength into his spear.
He intended to end it with this first move.
Swoosh!
However, his plan was thwarted by a sword that suddenly flew in.
Sun-woo, who had been knocked back after the hit to his jaw, had closed the distance and swung his Astral Qi.
Lee Yeon quickly clenched his left hand into a fist.
He channeled his internal energy and struck the flat of the blade once more.
Bang!
"Argh!"
But something unexpected happened.
The fist that struck the sword's surface was repelled, and a sharp pain flared through it.
Swoosh!
And Sun-woo's sword continued its trajectory without being deflected.
Lee Yeon hurriedly raised his Protective Qi.
He realized that in this situation, he had no choice but to take the hit.
Kwakwang!
Sun-woo's Astral Qi collided with Lee Yeon's hastily summoned Protective Qi, resulting in a thunderous explosion and a shockwave.
"Uuuugh!"
Whoosh!
Lee Yeon, unable to withstand the impact between the energies, was sent flying.
Dammit!
While suspended in the air, Lee Yeon quickly performed the Thousand-Catty Press.
His weight increased instantly, and his body began to sink toward the ground.
Thud!
Using the increased weight to land quickly, Lee Yeon raised his spear and took a stance.
"Urgh... you son of a bitch."
As he took his stance, Lee Yeon spat out a curse at the pain in his chest.
He was furious at the pain that exceeded his expectations.
Moreover, a sense of shame began to rise at the thought that he had been struck by Sun-woo, whom he had looked down upon.
"What kind of dark arts did you use!"
His face flushed with shame, Lee Yeon raised his voice and shouted.
He couldn't understand it.
He had clearly struck the sword with a fist full of internal energy.
How could his own arm be repelled?
And with such pain surging through the arm he had swung?
It made no sense.
"Old farts always call it dark arts when they get hit by someone younger."
Perhaps pleased that he had landed a blow, Sun-woo mocked him sarcastically.
"What did you say!"
Hearing this, Lee Yeon's face turned bright red as he shouted.
"You won't learn until you're in a coffin!"
"Are we even going to see that coffin today?"
Grind.
Lee Yeon gnashed his teeth at Sun-woo's continued mockery.
His Immovable Mind was slowly crumbling.
Having spent his entire life on the battlefield, Lee Yeon was originally a man of hot-tempered and violent disposition. However, after reaching the Profound Realm, his discipline had deepened, and his confidence in his martial arts had allowed him to maintain his Immovable Mind under most circumstances.
But now, having suffered a significant wound and hearing such grating words, his composure was beginning to shatter.
Shame welled up.
Irritation surged.
Anger boiled over.
"Do not regret this!"
Lee Yeon roared in a voice full of rage.
Then, he began to slowly gather his internal energy.
Wuuuuuuuuung!
A massive amount of internal energy began to gather, enough to make the ground tremble.
Soon, an incredible amount of energy, incomparable to before, converged within his body.
Next was the soul.
He began to draw in the souls of the soldiers slumbering within the broken weapons.
Wooo... wooo...
Aaaaah... aaaaah...
Haaaa... aaaa...
A ghostly wail echoed, and the souls of the soldiers began to be sucked into his body.
Soon, the two energies—Qi and Soul—were completely settled within him.
Before long, a transformation began to occur in his body.
First, his skin began to turn deathly pale, as if all color had been drained from it.
Like a corpse with no warmth at all.
Next was his hair.
His pitch-black hair began to change, gradually transforming into a dull grey.
Then, his upper body muscles began to swell, growing so large that they tore through his clothes.
Gulp.
Sun-woo swallowed hard as he watched Lee Yeon's transformation.
He had expected something unusual when Lee Yeon began drawing in that massive energy, but he never imagined it would transform his physical appearance as well.
Sun-woo observed him closely.
Grey hair, skin as white as a corpse, and bulging muscles.
It was an appearance quite different from before.
Of course, the biggest change was something else.
The atmosphere has changed.
It was the aura.
An alien and chilling atmosphere was consuming him.
Cold sweat began to run down Sun-woo's forehead.
He regretted it inwardly.
He wondered if he shouldn't have provoked him.
"Soul Link."
Then, the transformed Lee Yeon spoke.
Kukuuuuuuuung!
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground began to vibrate.
Then, all the broken spears on the ground began to gather toward him.
Wuuuuuuuuuuung!
That wasn't all.
Even the weapons of the soldiers waiting in the rear began to fly toward him.
Before long, a magnificent spectacle unfolded.
At least several thousand weapons, glowing with a grey light, began to swirl above his head like a vortex.
"............"
Sun-woo could only stare blankly at the sight.
He was completely overwhelmed by that transcendental display.
Sun-woo wondered.
Could he really deflect something like that with the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth?
But he couldn't reach a conclusion.
Every single weapon was glowing with a grey light.
If they were just imbued with internal energy, he might have been able to twist them somehow, but if they contained souls as well, he couldn't be sure.
After all, he hadn't been able to deflect the Soul Link Spear, which contained the essence of Soul Link.
Fear naturally took hold.
A sense of despair—the thought of whether he could even win against such a thing—also crept in.
Chatter, chatter, chatter.
Sun-woo's teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
His entire body began to shake.
It was an overwhelming sense of terror he hadn't felt in a long time.
Tap.
Just then, he felt a soft touch on his left shoulder.
"Don't worry."
Then, Bukgung Yeon's voice reached his ears.
"I'll handle it somehow."
Bukgung Yeon spoke as she looked at Sun-woo with eyes full of grim determination.
"............"
Sun-woo silently felt her warmth and began to calm his mind.
"What a coward."
Bukgung Yeon made a joke in her own way to soothe Sun-woo.
"I promised, didn't I? That I'd block whatever attack comes your way."
"...But... that thing is..."
"I'm a woman who keeps her promises."
Bukgung Yeon spoke with a small smile.
"So don't worry. I'll definitely protect you."
Having finished speaking, Bukgung Yeon turned around and glared at Lee Yeon.
Her eyes, fixed on Lee Yeon, were filled with a frigid chill.
"You didn't seem human to begin with, but now you've turned into a complete monster, haven't you?"
"..................."
"How does it feel to gain power by sacrificing even your subordinates?"
".................."
Despite her harsh words, Lee Yeon did not react.
He simply stared straight ahead, his neck stiff like a corpse.
Then, Lee Yeon slowly raised his arm.
And slowly brought it down.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
As if that were the signal, thousands of weapons began to pour down toward Bukgung Yeon and Sun-woo all at once.
Shuaaaaaaaa!
Seeing this, Bukgung Yeon quickly circulated her Heavenly Yin Ice Soul Divine Art and unleashed a fierce Snow Wind.
Soon, the thousands of weapons and Bukgung Yeon's Snow Wind collided, beginning a struggle of power.
Countless weapons began to fall like a torrential rain.
All of them imbued with the souls of soldiers.
"Kugh!"
Bukgung Yeon let out a groan as she faced that magnificent power with her Snow Wind.
She was continuously unleashing the Snow Wind at her maximum output.
Based on a cold so powerful it could freeze even a North Sea Lake in an instant.
However, the Soul Link unleashed by Lee Yeon was not something she could easily withstand.
While her power remained constant, his power seemed to increase as if it were stacking.
Grind.
Bukgung Yeon clenched her teeth.
Tremble, tremble.
Her whole body shook.
If she was pushed back here, everything would be for naught.
Everyone would surely die.
Bukgung Yeon endured and endured.
Hoping that the stacking power would eventually diminish.
But contrary to her hopes, his power stacked even further, and her Snow Wind began to be pushed back.
No!
Despair began to cloud Bukgung Yeon's eyes as she saw this.
It was then.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a burning sound echoed from somewhere.
At the same time, a massive pillar of fire soared up, beginning to completely swallow Lee Yeon's Soul Link.
"What!?"
Bukgung Yeon's eyes widened at the sight.