Chapter 694: Yeon-ah! Don't Break That!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 694: Yeon-ah! Don't Break That!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bukgung Yeon’s White Jade Hand began to strike Eon Jung-gi’s body relentlessly.
Head.
Chest.
Abdomen.
Arms.
She struck every part of him without exception.
"Hahahaha!"
Eon Jung-gi let out a boisterous laugh as he stood his ground against her assault.
He didn't dodge.
He met every attack head-on, relying solely on the sheer durability of his body.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Every time her hands struck his flesh, the sound of metal clashing against metal rang out.
"Hahahaha!"
Along with the impact, Eon Jung-gi’s hearty laughter grew even louder.
After the confrontation intensified for some time—
Boom!
Bukgung Yeon snapped her leg upward, driving her foot into Eon Jung-gi’s chest.
Using his chest as a springboard, she propelled herself backward.
Whoosh!
Her elegant form traced a graceful arc through the air as she retreated.
In an instant, the distance between Bukgung Yeon and Eon Jung-gi widened significantly.
Tap.
A moment later, Bukgung Yeon landed softly on the ground.
"He’s damnably sturdy."
Having successfully opened up the distance, Bukgung Yeon spoke with a look of exasperation. Her irritation flared at Eon Jung-gi’s absurdly high durability.
No matter how hard she struck him, she couldn't leave so much as a scratch. And that was despite her putting a considerable amount of sincerity into those blows.
"Hahahaha... You are strong! Ice Palace Master! You are truly strong!"
Eon Jung-gi marveled, laughing as if he were having the time of his life. A natural sense of awe welled up within him from the sensation of Bukgung Yeon’s strikes raining down on his body.
"Please, entertain me further!"
Boom!
Eon Jung-gi stomped the ground with force.
Using the explosive recoil, he lunged forward. In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap and reached Bukgung Yeon’s nose. It was a blinding speed that defied his massive frame.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Upon reaching her, Eon Jung-gi swung his boulder-like fists again and again. He moved with the momentum of someone intent on pulverizing her.
Head, neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, arms.
His fists flew toward every part of her body.
Bukgung Yeon moved her feet in a swift footwork pattern, lightly evading the barrage of punches.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Eon Jung-gi’s thrusting fists pierced through nothing but empty air.
"Incredible! Truly incredible!"
Eon Jung-gi exclaimed even as he continued to throw punches. He felt a sense of reverence for her reaction speed, which allowed her to effortlessly dodge the essence of the Eon Family’s fist arts.
If it’s this woman... I can give it my all.
He realized that a woman like her could handle everything he had to offer.
Eon Jung-gi began to circulate his internal energy to its absolute peak. He clenched his fists even tighter, pushing his grip to the limit.
He put strength into his lower body.
He put strength into his waist.
He put strength into his shoulders.
And then, he swung.
Harder.
Faster.
Sharper.
Heavier.
He swung and swung again, desperate to reach that overwhelmingly powerful woman.
Perhaps Eon Jung-gi’s wish was granted.
CRASH!
For the first time since he started swinging, a thunderous explosion erupted.
Eon Jung-gi let out a smile, flushed with excitement. He had finally forced Bukgung Yeon to use her hands—not to attack, but to defend.
His attack had finally reached her.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Caught in a surge of exhilaration, Eon Jung-gi began to thrust his fists with even more joy.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous booms erupted in sync with his punches. Every single one was the sound of his fists colliding with Bukgung Yeon’s hands.
"Is dodging becoming a burden now?"
Eon Jung-gi spoke with a playful smirk. He felt an immense thrill seeing her forced to block rather than evade.
"..."
Despite his question, Bukgung Yeon remained silent as she continued to defend. Every single punch was incredibly threatening.
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing her preoccupied with defense and unable to speak, Eon Jung-gi burst into laughter. It was an exhilarating feeling to see such a powerful master struggling against him.
Joy welled up.
Excitement surged.
Furthermore, his body began to heat up until it turned a glowing crimson.
His durability doubled.
His strength doubled.
His speed doubled.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Slide...
Screeech...
Bukgung Yeon, who had been holding her ground, began to be pushed back slowly. She was being driven back, unable to fully withstand the sheer weight behind Eon Jung-gi’s punches.
After a prolonged exchange—
KABOOM!
Eon Jung-gi’s right fist, laden with monstrous strength, collided directly with Bukgung Yeon’s palm.
Voom!
Bukgung Yeon was sent flying. The massive force contained in the punch had literally blown her away. Her body hung suspended in the air.
An opening!
Seeing this, Eon Jung-gi saw his chance to finish the fight. He acted immediately to seize the opportunity.
He stomped the ground with both feet, channeling his great strength.
Boom!
The recoil launched his massive body into the air.
Whoooooosh!
He flew toward the mid-air Bukgung Yeon to deliver the final blow.
Eon Jung-gi clasped his hands together and raised his arms high above his head.
Whoosh!
It’s over!
He brought his hands down toward Bukgung Yeon with the resolve to end it.
Bukgung Yeon hurriedly crossed her arms to minimize the damage.
CRASH!
Eon Jung-gi’s strike slammed into her.
"Urgh!"
A faint groan escaped Bukgung Yeon’s lips. An impact beyond her imagination reverberated through her entire body.
Rumble!
Her body was driven straight into the ground by the heavy blow Eon Jung-gi had unleashed.
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing this, Eon Jung-gi let out a great laugh, certain of his victory.
But then, an anomaly occurred.
Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!
Suddenly, a cone-shaped pillar of ice shot up from the ground below.
Thump!
The rising ice pillar struck the mid-air Eon Jung-gi square in the chest.
"Gah!"
Eon Jung-gi coughed roughly from the impact. Fortunately, his body wasn't pierced, but the shock was considerable. His massive frame was sent tumbling backward.
Thud.
Landing on the ground, Eon Jung-gi began to rub his chest where the ice pillar had struck. The stinging ache refused to fade.
That actually hurt.
Eon Jung-gi shifted his gaze forward. There, he saw the Ice Palace Master rising to her feet.
"I was intending to pierce your heart..."
Bukgung Yeon spoke in a calm tone as she stood up. She seemed to feel a sense of regret that the ice pillar hadn't managed to run him through.
"...Hehe... Impressive... Ice Palace Master... To think you could counterattack in that situation."
Eon Jung-gi let out a chuckle of admiration. He was impressed by her tenacity, attacking even while being struck.
"If I’m hit, I have to pay it back."
Bukgung Yeon replied tartly.
"Hahahaha... You have a very proper set of values, Ice Palace Master."
Eon Jung-gi laughed heartily. From start to finish, there wasn't a single thing about this woman he didn't like.
"Eon Jung-gi, was it?"
Bukgung Yeon asked, watching the laughing man.
"That is correct."
"Do you have a title?"
"The people of the world call this Clan Head the 'Fist King'."
"It suits you."
"You flatter me."
Eon Jung-gi couldn't hide his pleased expression. Being acknowledged by such a powerful warrior made him feel a sense of pride.
"You are strong," Bukgung Yeon said, looking him straight in the eye. "So, I don't think I can win unless I take this seriously."
"That sounds as if you haven't been serious until now."
"I didn't want to kill you."
She didn't like that he had made Yeon-woo cry, but she didn't hate or dislike Eon Jung-gi enough to kill him.
"But I suppose that was arrogance. You aren't someone I can defeat without giving my best."
Bukgung Yeon continued with a composed face.
"My pride is a bit wounded."
Hearing her words, Eon Jung-gi spoke with a look of bruised ego. Who was he? Was he not the Fist King who stood tall in the Murim with nothing but his fists? And yet, she had thought of going easy on him?
It was a disgrace. An insult.
"I apologize. You are strong."
Whirrrrrrrr!
Bukgung Yeon spoke as she began to emit a frost and chill that was incomparable to anything before.
"So, don't die."
She spoke as if giving a warning.
Whoosh!
Hearing that, Eon Jung-gi’s face flushed bright red. He felt as though he were being looked down upon.
I’ll finish this!
Eon Jung-gi’s eyes flashed with a fierce fighting spirit. An immense battle aura began to radiate from his body.
His entire body heated up to a crimson glow. The veins throughout his body bulged so vividly they were clearly visible. His muscles, already like stone, swelled even more grotesquely. The capillaries in both his eyes burst, staining the whites of his eyes blood-red.
An overwhelming fighting spirit, incomparable to before, began to envelop his massive frame.
"Pray that you do not die either."
Eon Jung-gi curled his boulder-like hands into fists. Then, he stomped the ground.
Boom!
Using the recoil from the stomp, he launched his massive body forward.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Eon Jung-gi’s enormous form reached right in front of Bukgung Yeon.
Voom!
He thrust his boulder-like fist forward, aiming to smash Bukgung Yeon’s head.
Slowly...
Watching this, Bukgung Yeon slowly raised her palm. She moved to catch Eon Jung-gi’s massive fist.
Foolish!
Eon Jung-gi scoffed inwardly. He thought she must have a death wish. His fist currently held the concentrated essence of the Eon Family’s fist arts. It contained a force so fierce it could pulverize anything it touched.
And yet, she dared to try and catch it?
Eon Jung-gi was certain she had resolved to die. He anticipated the moment her delicate, jade-like hands would be blown apart.
Cr-cr-crack!
W-what?!
Then, the unexpected happened. A situation he had never even imagined occurred.
Eon Jung-gi’s boulder-like fist—the fist containing the essence of his family's arts, the fist carrying a force that could crush all things—began to freeze solid.
What... what is this?!
Eon Jung-gi’s face filled with bewilderment.
Cr-cr-crack!
The freezing didn't stop at his fist; it began to spread across his entire arm. His entire right arm was encased in ice.
Cr-cr-crack!
The ice that had frozen his arm slowly expanded its territory, beginning to spread across his entire body.
Past his chest to his left arm.
Past his left arm to his abdomen.
Past his abdomen to both legs.
No... No!!
Eon Jung-gi screamed internally. Once the freezing began, he couldn't move his body properly. It wouldn't obey his will.
The fists he had trained his whole life, the legs that had always supported his massive frame—nothing would move.
A deep sense of despair began to well up in his heart. It was the feeling of total loss, as if everything had been taken from him.
"I'm sorry."
Then, a beautiful, melodic voice rang in Eon Jung-gi’s ear. He shifted his eyes slightly.
The woman of peerless beauty entered his vision. The one who had frozen him.
The Master of the North Sea Ice Palace, Bukgung Yeon.
"I realized I couldn't possibly break that body of yours," Bukgung Yeon said with a calm expression. "So I had no choice but to freeze you. I hope you understand. This is all because you are so strong."
She spoke with a voice tinged with regret.
"In...credible..."
Cr-cr-crack!
And then, Eon Jung-gi froze completely, before he could even finish his word of admiration.
An ice statue of Eon Jung-gi now stood in the middle of the training ground. It was an ice sculpture so perfect it looked as if a master craftsman had carved it by hand, bit by bit.
"You were a strong warrior, Eon Jung-gi. I shall remember you."
Bukgung Yeon spoke slowly as she looked at the frozen man. She slowly raised her hand. She intended to grant Eon Jung-gi an honorable death as a fellow martial artist.
Just as she was about to swing her hand—
"WAIT A MINUTEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"
A frantic voice suddenly reached her ears.
"Huh?"
Bukgung Yeon turned her head toward the source of the voice.
And there he was. Her one and only husband.
"Sun-woo!"
She smiled softly, welcoming him. The sight of her wonderful husband instantly melted her expression, which had been as cold as the bitter northern winds.
"Yeon-ah! Don't break that!"
Sun-woo screamed at Bukgung Yeon, his voice filled with desperation.