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chapter 90
Pengma King was struck speechless.
The face he had searched for relentlessly over the past several years, yet never found.
And now, that very person appeared at this exact moment.
Coincidence, or fate?
And in the exact same form as in the past.
His insides churned.
“You said you were looking for me?”
Sun Wukong laughed.
Now, he truly looked exactly as he did in his memories.
“I…”
“I missed you.”
“…!”
Pengma King tried to speak, but—
「Kak-kak, forgive me for interrupting this reunion, but we should get out of here first, Brother.」
The tiny turtle perched atop Sun Wukong’s head lifted its head high.
Though so small in stature, it radiated a presence no less than Wukong’s.
「For now, the steam is blocking outside perception, but if we stay too long, the Celestial Sect (<천교>) might notice.」
“You don’t need to yap in my ear to tell me that.”
Sun Wukong straightened the edge of his hand and slashed diagonally.
Slash!
The ice chains tormenting Pengma King shattered effortlessly.
Whump.
Sun Wukong caught the falling Pengma King in his arms.
A princess carry.
Their faces ended up very close.
“It’s been a while since we were in this position.”
“You…!”
Pengma King’s face flushed red.
Wukong chuckled lightly.
“Let’s get out of here first and talk later.”
He lightly kicked off the ground, while Sha Wujing quickly formed hand seals.
A gust of wind enveloped the three of them, triggering a curse-dispelling seal that erased their presence entirely.
They vanished from the sight of the Celestial Sect and the heavens above.
Pengma King had been rescued.
“…What on earth.”
Zhang Bai’en leapt down the stairs in alarm when a lightning bolt suddenly tore through the ceiling.
Rumble—!
Burning rock fell from the collapsing ceiling, and sticky magma began dripping down the walls.
Ordinarily, he should have sealed the hole in the ceiling first.
But Zhang Bai’en couldn’t spare the attention.
The lightning crackling in that spot—
It was far too familiar.
Crackle! Crack-crackle!
Blue-white lightning flashed amid the steam.
And with the sweltering heat emerged a face—
“…Senior Lee Hyun?”
“Been a while, Zhang Bai’en.”
Lee Hyun appeared, grinning wide enough to bare his fangs.
“Now, should I thank you for this… or should I say I never had such a traitorous bastard for a junior in the first place? Still calling me that, huh?”
“…”
Zhang Bai’en pressed his lips tightly shut.
He too was once a member of the Thunder School, part of Azure Lightning.
Though long naturalized in another country, the habits ingrained in his body were not so easily erased.
Moreover—
‘That power…’
The lightning radiating from Lee Hyun stung his skin.
It meant he had regained a level similar to when he conquered the Ice Palace.
No—perhaps even beyond that.
“I heard rumors you returned… but have you even overcome the Ring of Eternal Frost?”
“Well. What do you think?”
Hyun only replied with a smile.
Zhang Bai’en’s thoughts spun in confusion.
‘He overcame it? Impossible. That curse is from a 4-star dungeon, powerful enough to shock even demigods. No mere mortal could completely conquer it.’
He had seen his comrade Xu Changyu struggle just to suppress the Ring of Frost.
‘But if he did… if that’s how he’s radiating this aura? What happens if he really broke it?’
On the other hand—if he hadn’t broken it, yet still regained this strength? What would that mean?
With no way to know the truth, the calculation was impossible.
—I heard Lee Hyun shattered the Demon Dragon. Even left Chairman Peng humiliated. Be careful when dealing with him.
The words Xu Changyou had said to him just days ago floated into memory.
—Come on, Brother. As if I’d ever be in the same league as the Demon Dragon. I’m already…
—Quit spouting nonsense.
—S-sorry.
—Keep your head straight. You think I handed you pure ice crystals for nothing?
—I’ll keep it in mind.
At the time, he had been too focused on capturing Pengma King to care.
But it seemed he had chosen the wrong priority.
“Your skull must hurt from trying to think, huh? What if I just take it off your shoulders so you can rest? Want me to, for old times’ sake?”
Zhang Bai’en’s face stiffened.
Whatever the truth, Lee Hyun stood here unscathed.
And knowing Hyun’s personality, he would never appear unless he thought he could win.
Which meant…
‘No way—!’
Zhang Bai’en jerked his head upward in shock.
He sensed nothing from above.
Which meant everyone had been annihilated.
His spine went cold.
‘…In just the short time I was focused on Pengma King?’
And worse—
‘He’s gone!’
The place where Pengma King had been was empty.
He must have escaped in the chaos of Lee Hyun’s arrival.
Zhang Bai’en’s nerves frayed.
If this continued, the mission was ruined.
He had to prevent that—
Buzzzzz!
“You’ve grown, Zhang Bai’en.”
[The Wrath of Dokkebi’s Fury detonates!]
“You even dare daydream in front of me now.”
“…!!”
Zhang Bai’en didn’t have long to ponder.
Suddenly, the fangs of Do-cheol descended on his crown, unleashing thunderbolts.
Power no less fearsome than when Hyun shattered the ceiling.
Zhang Bai’en hurriedly crossed his arms, unleashing a defensive skill.
[Mythic skill, Frozen Silence that Even Heaven Fears, activates to raise an ice barrier!]
Crack-crack-crack!
Moisture in the air froze rapidly, forming nine layers of ice shields.
Rumble—!
Do-cheol’s axe crashed down with thunder.
Seven layers shattered instantly.
Flash! Flash!
Rumble—!
Lightning rebounded in all directions, turning into more bolts that hammered down.
Boom! Boom-boom!
Crash-crash-crash!
Even the last two layers shattered.
Screeech—!
[Skill ‘Frenzied Strike (S)’ activates—Bull Rush attempted!]
Hyun charged with explosive speed, shoulder lowered for a crushing slam.
“Let’s see how well you’ve enjoyed your time drinking China’s water.”
BOOM!
“Urgh!”
Zhang Bai’en was hurled back into an ice wall.
Rumble—!
“!!”
Before he could recover, Do-cheol’s fangs came hurtling at his face.
He barely jerked aside—
The axe buried deep into the wall.
“Well, you’ve got a big aura, but that’s all. No substance. Did Pingxin teach you that?”
He tried to counterattack while Hyun wrenched his axe free—
But crack-crack!
“…!?”
The axe’s sheer force spiderwebbed the wall with fractures.
Blue-white lightning surged through the cracks, widening them, pulling magma inside.
Rumble!
‘What… what kind of axe blow does that!? To shatter even lava-freezing ice walls?’
Just watching made Zhang Bai’en’s guts twist.
This wasn’t just Hyun regaining his old strength.
He was stronger than four years ago.
Zhang Bai’en panicked, retreating quickly while hurling ice arrows.
Dozens rained down like a storm.
But—
Rumble—!
[‘Frenzied Strike (S)’ repels all arrows!]
“Shut up? No—you shut up, traitor.”
Hyun didn’t dodge. He plowed straight through, lightning bursting, batting aside or breaking every arrow with his axes.
Clang-clang-clang!
Crash-crash-crash!
And suddenly, Do-cheol’s fangs lunged for his throat.
“If you’re a traitor, die like one.”
“Damn it!”
Zhang Bai’en bent backward, dodging by a hair.
The axe tore a deep gouge so wide even the magma beyond was visible.
Rumble!
Again and again, Hyun pressed, driving him to flee like a rat.
Zhang Bai’en was being hounded mercilessly.
Hyun broke through every skill, ignored every terrain trick, and kept closing in.
Cracks spread wider and wider. Lava seeped into the cavern.
Chasing Pengma King? Impossible now. He could barely save himself.
‘How!? Did he really break the Ring of Frost? Even if so, this power is insane!’
He didn’t know Hyun’s bonus stats were ALL-SS rank.
Hyun wasn’t just on par with others of his rank—he was a monster who could contend with high-rankers.
And more—
[The Epic of the Snow Queen wishes this wretched place destroyed!]
This entire ice cavern had been created by the Snow Queen.
And now she whispered its weaknesses to Hyun.
Zhang Bai’en never stood a chance.
No matter his ranking—Hyun was his natural enemy.
Lightning piled up, bolts crashing dangerously close.
Zhang Bai’en desperately dodged, each strike shattering the cavern further, magma welling up from the ground.
‘I need to restore the cavern… somehow—’
Then the realization struck him—
‘Wait. If it collapses—!’
Horrified, he looked to the ceiling.
Hyun grinned coldly, raising his axe.
“Not a bad tomb, Bai’en. Buried alive isn’t such a bad way to go.”
“You’re insane!! You’ll be buried too!”
“Only you will.”
“What…!”
Zhang Bai’en never finished.
Hyun slammed his axe into the ground.
BOOOOM!
Flash!
A colossal bolt surged upward, shaking the cavern.
Cracks spread like a spiderweb.
The ice cavern collapsed.
Lava poured in torrents, flooding the ground.
“You lunatic!!”
[Mythic skill Frozen Silence that Even Heaven Fears consumes ‘Pure Ice Crystal Shards’ to maximum capacity!]
[The Ring of Frost begins!]
[The collapsing cavern begins to refreeze. Part of the Ice Palace epic is revealed!]
[All consumed ice shards melt away and vanish!]
Zhang Bai’en had originally created this cavern both to capture Pengma King and to secure a safe battleground.
Even with pure ice shards, diving into magma was suicide.
But if the cavern collapsed now, he’d be swallowed whole.
And he had no confidence surviving against both Hyun and the magma.
So, reluctantly, he poured every last shred of pure ice shard’s cold into the cavern.
Whoooosh—!
The shards were gone, but the ice walls were now several times thicker. Surely even Hyun couldn’t collapse it now.
Blizzards howled, sealing cracks, expanding the cavern.
But—
Crack-crack-crack!
“…!?”
Even the freshly sealed cracks shattered again, collapse accelerating.
The freezing gale of the Ring of Frost twisted strangely—
All of it was being sucked into Lee Hyun.
Not just the snowstorm and cold, but even Zhang Bai’en’s own magic—
[The Ring of Frost is forcibly absorbed!]
[Mythic skill Frozen Silence that Even Heaven Fears is breaking apart!]
Even his mana circuits began being drained.
Zhang Bai’en went pale.
“W-what! W-what the hell did you d-do!!”
The fear that his years of painstakingly built power would crumble made him scream.
But Hyun only sneered coldly.
“I told you—I don’t know.”
He slammed his axe down once more.
BOOOOM!
The cavern lit blue-white.
“No—no!!”
CRASH!
And it collapsed completely.
