Chapter 332: Are You Planning to Oppose Me?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 332: Are You Planning to Oppose Me?
Whoosh!
Lee Yeon’s Soul Link began to be swallowed by a massive blaze.
Bukgung Yeon watched the scene unfold, her expression clouded with bewilderment. She couldn't understand it—this surreal situation that had erupted so suddenly.
At the same time, a question arose: where did a fire of such immense proportions, capable of devouring even Lee Yeon’s Soul Link, come from?
Bukgung Yeon slowly turned her head toward the source of the flames.
There, she saw her. A woman standing in the distance, radiating an overwhelming inferno.
Hair as red as a burning fire and eyes to match. Skin as white as polished jade. A straight, elegant nose and lips as red as ripe persimmons. All these features were perfectly arranged on a small, delicate face.
She was a woman so beautiful that the term Nation-Toppling Beauty felt like an understatement.
Bukgung Yeon knew exactly who she was.
"...Neung So-hwa."
Bukgung Yeon whispered the name under her breath.
Indeed, the one who had summoned the towering flames was Neung So-hwa.
Bukgung Yeon’s expression shifted to one of pure shock. This was a person she had never expected to see here.
How?!
It made no sense to her. The Neung So-hwa she remembered was a frail woman without a single drop of internal energy—someone so weak that Bukgung Yeon could have frozen her to death with a mere flick of her wrist.
How could such a woman reappear in just one day, wielding such colossal power?
Power was not something that could be achieved overnight. It required decades of grueling cultivation and the sacrifice of many things to finally attain. Yet here she was, flaunting this immense strength after only a single day.
It was utterly incomprehensible.
As Bukgung Yeon stared blankly at her, a sharp sound cut through the air.
Swoosh!
The Soul Link that had been swallowed by the fire began to emerge once more, piercing through the flames. It seemed that even that gargantuan inferno wasn't enough to withstand the overlapping power of the Soul Link.
Whoosh!
Startled, Bukgung Yeon quickly summoned her Snow Wind to bolster the flames. As the Snow Wind merged with the fire, it created a terrifying surge of thermal power.
Roar!
Before long, the Soul Link that had broken through was swallowed by the flames once again.
After some time had passed, the flames and the Snow Wind began to subside.
Thud.Thud.
The weapons that had been trapped in the fire lost their momentum and began to drop, one by one, piercing into the ground. They had been completely overwhelmed by So-hwa’s flames and Bukgung Yeon’s Snow Wind.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
In an instant, thousands of weapons were buried in the earth.
Seeing this, Lee Yeon slowly turned his head. He looked at Neung So-hwa, who was drawing back her flames, with eyes that were chillingly indifferent.
"It has been a long time," Lee Yeon said in a calm tone.
"It has."
"I heard rumors that you had left the palace, but I never imagined you would appear like this."
"I didn't imagine it either. I never thought you would act so recklessly."
"I am merely following orders."
"I don't recall ever giving such an order."
"The one who gave me the order was His Majesty."
"That is strange. I don't believe Grandfather ever ordered you to commit a massacre."
"It is merely a process to fulfill the mission."
"Did Grandfather order you to cross the border?"
"This, too, is part of the process."
"So, you are acting on your own authority," Neung So-hwa said, glaring at Lee Yeon with a cold gaze.
"I simply deemed it necessary."
"Do you think Grandfather will accept that?"
"I will simply bear the consequences," Lee Yeon replied, his expression remaining stoic.
"I am giving you a different order. Drop your weapons this instant and apologize to them. I no longer require the Ice Essence, and these people are my benefactors."
Neung So-hwa continued to glare at him with icy eyes.
"Regrettably, I cannot do that."
"What!?"
"The only person who can give me orders is His Imperial Majesty."
"The search for the Ice Essence was for my sake in the first place! How can you refuse when the party involved says she doesn't want it?"
Neung So-hwa spoke with a look of exasperation.
"Such circumstances are irrelevant. I simply carry out the orders I was given," Lee Yeon replied calmly.
"Are you truly going to defy my command!" Neung So-hwa raised her voice in anger.
"I will say it once more. You, Commandery Princess, do not have the authority to command me. You do not hold a position that allows it. Only His Majesty can give me orders."
"Are you insulting the Imperial Family!?"
"I am merely stating the facts."
Lee Yeon looked at Neung So-hwa with eyes as dead as a corpse.
"And if I were to stop you, what then?"
"Then it cannot be helped. I will have to respond accordingly."
"Are you saying you would point your spear at me!?"
"If the situation calls for it, yes."
"I cannot understand you! Why are you being so stubborn? Do you not realize how grave a sin you are committing right now?"
It was an insult. What Lee Yeon was doing was nothing short of that. No one could lightly defy the orders of the Imperial Family, no matter if Lee Yeon held the title of Grand General.
"Two hundred of my men have lost their lives."
Hearing her words, Lee Yeon spoke in a dry, hollow voice.
"I intend to see their mission through to the end."
"You are truly a hideous man!" Neung So-hwa shouted, her face flushed with rage.
"Why do you consider me hideous?"
"To justify your own arbitrary actions under the name of a 'mission'—how can that be anything but hideous!"
"Those words insult my subordinates who died while carrying out their orders, Commandery Princess."
"You are the one insulting them! If you truly respected them, you would admit your fault and apologize to those who died!"
"The insult comes from you. A soldier has his own laws and his own honor. By what right do you judge and issue orders as you please?"
".......Are you planning to oppose me?" Neung So-hwa asked in a freezing tone.
"Do not act as my superior. There is only one person above me."
".......It seems I must teach you some manners."
Fwoosh!
As she finished speaking, flames began to erupt from Neung So-hwa’s entire body.
"If that is your choice, then I have no other option, Commandery Princess," Lee Yeon said calmly. "To protect myself..."
With those words, he began to draw the spears back to him. There was no grand gesture; by mere will alone, the thousands of weapons embedded in the ground began to float into the air once more.
Vrrr...
Neung So-hwa watched the scene, her expression tense. Despite her bold words, she remembered that her flames had been momentarily pushed back.
I can't do this alone, she thought. She knew she couldn't withstand his attack by herself.
So-hwa shifted her gaze slightly behind Lee Yeon. Her eyes met those of Bukgung Yeon. They exchanged a brief look and gave each other a subtle nod.
A temporary alliance was formed.
Having signaled her intent, Neung So-hwa immediately circulated the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art to its peak.
Roar!
An immense amount of Yang-heat Energy surged, transforming into a torrent of fire.
KABOOM!
She thrust her hands forward, sending the inferno toward Lee Yeon.
Seeing the massive wall of fire approaching, Lee Yeon immediately unleashed his Soul Link.
Swoosh!
Thousands of weapons flew straight into Neung So-hwa’s flames.
Crash!
The two massive energies collided, locked in a fierce struggle for dominance.
After some time, Neung So-hwa let out a groan.
"Ugh!"
The flames that had swallowed the Soul Link were slowly being pushed back. Even though she was using the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Art at its limit, it wasn't enough. No matter how much internal energy one possessed, there was a limit to the output one could produce at once.
She was clearly being overpowered in terms of raw output.
While maintaining the flames, So-hwa glanced toward Bukgung Yeon. She saw Bukgung Yeon standing there with a calm expression.
So-hwa felt a surge of frustration. Why was she just watching when they were being pushed back like this?
Swoosh!
The power of the Soul Link intensified, and So-hwa’s flames were pushed back even further. Her frustration quickly turned to anger.
"What are you doing?! Help me at once!" Neung So-hwa shouted, her face reddening slightly with shame.
At those words, Bukgung Yeon finally extended her hand toward Lee Yeon.
Whoosh!
An immense ice storm began to pour from her palm.
Swoosh!
Sensing the energy, Lee Yeon quickly split his Soul Link into two directions—one to hold back So-hwa’s fire and the other to counter Bukgung Yeon’s ice storm.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion erupted as Bukgung Yeon’s ice storm collided with the Soul Link.
The three of them continued their battle, with neither side willing to yield an inch. It was a stalemate, as the combined might of Neung So-hwa and Bukgung Yeon was roughly equal to Lee Yeon’s Soul Link.
"Grrr!"
"Hah!"
"Hmph!"
All three groaned as they pushed their power to the absolute limit. The world was filled with fire, ice, and spears.
"Whoa..."
Watching the scene from a distance, Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh. There was simply no room for him to intervene.
The sky was a chaotic mess of soaring flames, swirling ice storms, and thousands of flying spears. It was an overwhelming sight, almost like watching a natural disaster unfold.
Sun-woo felt a slight sense of deprivation. He had rolled through life-and-death struggles to reach the Upper Transcendent Realm—a supreme level where one is treated as an absolute being in the Murim and a candidate for the second strongest under heaven.
Yet, looking at the scene before him, he felt incredibly small. He was reminded once again that there is always a heaven above heaven.
And he felt the unfairness of it all. Why did these people, who hadn't shown their faces for twenty years, suddenly appear the moment he entered this martial arts novel? He wasn't one for conspiracy theories, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was some plot afoot.
Swoosh!
Whoosh!
Roar!
A significant amount of time passed, but the three energies remained locked in a stalemate. It seemed that Neung So-hwa’s intervention had balanced the scales.
Hmm.
Sun-woo watched them and thought to himself. At this rate, the fight would go on forever.
I have to do something!
He realized he needed to be the weight that tipped the scales.
Sun-woo began to circulate his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art.
Hummm...
He accelerated the blood flow within his body. As his circulation quickened, his physical abilities were pushed to their peak. His skin turned a deep red, and his heart began to thrum like a drum.
I'll take his head with the Transposition Technique.
He felt it was possible now. Lee Yeon was so focused on Bukgung Yeon and Neung So-hwa that he wouldn't even be aware of someone like Sun-woo.
He had to seize this moment. Like a hunter stalking its prey, he would strike the moment the man let his guard down.
Sun-woo channeled his gathered internal energy into his Yongcheon Point. Then, he arched his upper body like a bow.
In an instant, he stomped his right foot, detonating his internal energy and using the recoil to launch himself forward.
Zip!
His figure cut through the wind, shooting straight toward Lee Yeon. Sun-woo thrust his sword forward, intending to pierce Lee Yeon’s throat.
As he reached point-blank range, Sun-woo was certain of his victory. Lee Yeon hadn't made a single move. He clearly hadn't even perceived the attack.
Swoosh!
Sun-woo’s sword flew toward Lee Yeon’s neck.
It’s over.
A smile began to form on Sun-woo’s lips.
Clang!
But unfortunately, things didn't go as Sun-woo planned. The sword, which should have struck home, stopped dead just inches from Lee Yeon’s neck.
What the fuck!?
Sun-woo was struck with bewilderment. Why did his sword, which was moving with such momentum, just stop?
But that wasn't the end of it.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
Suddenly, an excruciating pain began to assault his entire body. It was just like the first time he had come into contact with the Soul Link spears.
Blood vessels began to bulge in Sun-woo’s eyes.