Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 293

Whish!

The cold winter wind ruffled the two men’s collars.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked around.

“It’s much wider than our Pagun Hall. It’s perfect for a training ground.”

Tang Gwan tapped the ground with his toe, not answering.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“It’s very clean. Judging by the traces, it seems a master of internal energy cleaned it. Did the Clan Leader clean it himself?”

Tang Gwan replied curtly.

“It’s none of your business.”

It was a strange thing.

Yeon Ho-jeong thought Tang Gwan was a proud man who thought highly of himself. He didn’t seem like the type to do such menial tasks.

But now, it seemed he had cleaned this vast area himself. It was surprising.

‘His change of heart must be significant.’

He didn’t know what had happened to Tang Gwan. He had only heard from his father that he had changed.

But facing him like this, it was more than what his father had said. Tang Gwan had definitely changed.

“By the way.”

Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.

“To assess someone’s worth through martial arts… A duel with a supreme master like the Clan Leader is something I would drop everything for, but is there really any point?”

The corners of Tang Gwan’s mouth curled up.

“Why? Are you afraid you’ll die?”

“Of course not.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice was relaxed.

“I don’t die so easily. My martial arts are about killing before I’m killed.”

“Arrogant.”

“I’m just telling you the nature of my martial arts.”

Tang Gwan, who had been quietly watching Yeon Ho-jeong, reached out towards the window on the second floor of the building.

Whoooom.

An invisible internal energy created a heavy flow.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘Indeed.’

It was an incredible formless energy.

Even from the perspective of the Black Emperor of the Black Demon Castle, not as the eldest son of the Yeon family and the unrivaled master of the younger generation, Byeoksan Hojang [a title meaning ‘Wall Crushing Tiger General’], it was an internal energy that was astonishing.

‘His mastery of telekinesis is almost at its peak.’

Regardless of the quality and quantity of his internal energy, the technique itself to create the flow was amazing. To reach that level of enlightenment, one needed not only genius talent but also relentless training and passion.

‘It was like that back then too.’

When he was the Black Emperor, joining hands with the White Path Martial Alliance to wage war against the Three Teachings [referring to three major religious and martial sects].

The internal energy Tang Gwan had shown back then was much bolder and more delicate.

But the framework for creating this flow, the solidity of the technique to draw out the formless energy, was no different now than it was then. In other words, Tang Gwan was already preparing to ascend to the level of the Thirteen Seats of the Saintly Heaven [a reference to a group of powerful martial artists].

Whirrr! Thwack!

Tang Gwan grabbed a long object.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes lit up.

“A steel staff.”

“Take it.”

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong caught the seven-foot-long steel staff that Tang Gwan threw. He grabbed the middle of the staff and twirled it around.

Unexpectedly, it was a steel staff with a very well-balanced center of gravity. It was also quite heavy, so it seemed to be made of solid steel.

“To wield such a large axe skillfully, you must be proficient in various spear and staff techniques.”

“Of course.”

“It’s better than nothing. Use it.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“Why is such a thing in the Clan Leader’s residence?”

“It’s none of your business.”

Tang Gwan raised his chin.

It was an arrogant posture. A posture that exuded absolute confidence in his martial arts.

“Are you ready?”

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed the middle of the staff and swung it through the air a few times before resting it on his shoulder.

“I’m ready.”

It was then.

Whoosh!

Tang Gwan charged forward at a terrifying speed.

Yeon Ho-jeong was always prepared to respond to an enemy attack at any moment. But at this moment, even Yeon Ho-jeong couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘A preemptive strike?!’

Given Tang Gwan’s pride, he thought he would at least let him make three moves before starting. Regardless of skill, he had that much pride.

But a sudden preemptive strike? It was completely unlike Tang Gwan.

Whoosh!

His approach speed was fast, but the speed of his palm strike was also top-notch.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed with a bright blue light.

Thud!

Tang Gwan’s eyes also flashed.

‘Rebound force?’

In an instant, he released a heavy energy wave and then deflected the Whirlwind Palm that had pierced straight through.

Even if it was a light strike, it was a palm technique used by the Clan Leader of the Tang family. It was not an attack that could be easily deflected.

‘Interesting.’

Tang Gwan’s body blurred for a moment.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.

‘Fast.’

He was fast. Incredibly fast.

Since returning to the past, he had seen countless masters, but no one had shown such fast movements. Yang Cheon was an exception, but he had never properly shown his martial arts since his return.

‘Rear upper left.’

Without turning around, Yeon Ho-jeong thrust the steel staff towards that spot.

Clang!

A clear yet heavy metallic sound enveloped the entire training ground.

Yeon Ho-jeong unknowingly took a few steps forward. He couldn’t withstand the force that was transmitted from the tip of the staff.

At the same time, the light in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes changed from blue to red.

Whoosh!

Tang Gwan, who was about to charge in and grab his neck, was taken aback by Yeon Ho-jeong’s sudden change in aura.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

If Yeon Ho-jeong was surprised by Tang Gwan’s incredible footwork, this time Tang Gwan was surprised by Yeon Ho-jeong’s speed.

‘Fast?’

He was swinging the steel staff, striking left and right at a terrifying speed, and that speed was not much different from his own.

And this energy.

Whoosh!

The fiery aura and the dazzling killing intent that came with it were intimidating and a deadly move in themselves.

It was a martial art with an overwhelming aura that broke the will to fight even before the actual attack came.

Tang Gwan’s hands moved frantically.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Whoosh!

The power of the steel staff was so strong that it could break rocks. Attacks of that power were coming in a barrage of twelve consecutive strikes.

And Tang Gwan was deflecting all of those attacks with his bare hands.

Whirr! Bang! Bang!

The swirling wind collided and compressed, creating an invisible shockwave.

Flash!

After creating some distance with a few clashes, Yeon Ho-jeong approached at lightning speed.

Tang Gwan’s eyes flashed.

‘He’s closing in? With a polearm?’

Before he knew it, the tip of the staff was aimed at his throat. The strike, thrusting with both hands gripping the staff, was simple yet fast, efficient yet full of killing intent.

Tang Gwan’s hands wrapped around the steel staff like snakes.

Clang!

A tremendous burst of power erupted from his wrapped hands. The heavy defense almost made Yeon Ho-jeong lose his grip on the staff.

‘No, he’s letting go.’

Tang Gwan was surprised when Yeon Ho-jeong suddenly let go of the staff as he was about to deflect it and launch a follow-up attack.

Yeon Ho-jeong quickly spun in place and kicked the end of the staff.

Thwack!

It was a counterattack that came from point-blank range. The steel staff, launched from a distance of less than two feet, was imbued with considerable internal force.

An unexpected strike, a genius-level sense of combat.

Even Tang Gwan couldn’t block this strike. Not because of its power, but because it was an attack that aimed for an unpredictable moment by breaking the rhythm.

Tang Gwan leaned his upper body back using the Iron Plate Bridge technique [a martial arts technique involving a backbend].

Whoosh!

The steel staff, flying like an arrow, grazed Tang Gwan’s chest and stuck into the ground.

Tang Gwan’s eyes sharpened.

‘He’s going to fight with skill and combat ability, not with power, is that it?’

It was a response that deserved admiration.

No matter how strong Yeon Ho-jeong was, he was not yet at the level of the heads of the Six Great Clans. If he clashed with power and internal force, he would naturally be pushed back.

In other words, Yeon Ho-jeong had perfectly planned how to deal with Tang Gwan from the moment the fight began.

‘He’s a prodigy.’

Thud!

Tang Gwan, who had leaned his upper body back, was propelled forward using tremendous elasticity.

It was a technique of the Bow Body Shadow, following the Iron Plate Bridge. As if he had intended to respond in this way from the beginning, the continuous movements and flow of power were smooth and immediate.

Yeon Ho-jeong and Tang Gwan clashed with bare hands.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two men’s fist and palm techniques collided at high speed.

Whoosh!

From Yeon Ho-jeong’s hands, which were wreathed in a fiery red aura, terrifying killing intent and dazzling deadly moves were erupting in succession.

Bang! Thud! Thud!

On the other hand, from Tang Gwan’s hands, which were unleashing a chilling energy wave, sinister killing intent and unique deadly moves were constantly erupting.

It was a clash between martial arts with completely different characteristics. There were no single strikes with absolute power, but it was a merciless bare-handed fight where one could lose their life in an instant.

‘Indeed.’

While facing Yeon Ho-jeong’s explosive fist strikes, Tang Gwan thought.

‘Looking at his martial arts, he doesn’t seem like the type to use his head much.’

His arms, which were blocking and deflecting Yeon Ho-jeong’s punches, had been tingling for a while. It meant that Yeon Ho-jeong’s internal energy and power were so strong that they were breaking through his defenses.

It was as if he was shouting, ‘Let’s see if you can break through!’ Each attack came from an unpredictable angle, ignoring the rhythm, and if he tried to prepare for it, he would then aim for another opening with a straightforward strike.

There was emptiness within the fullness, and fullness within the emptiness. Even Tang Gwan, if he didn’t have the eye technique trained with hidden weapons, would have been hit at least three times. It was that unconventional of an attack.

Of course, Tang Gwan hadn’t used the poisons or hidden weapons that the Tang family was proud of.

‘Anyway, I’ve seen enough.’

Just as Tang Gwan was about to slowly retreat and deflect Yeon Ho-jeong’s attacks.

Boom!

Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

Rumble!

The fiery energy wave that had been burning like a flame suddenly transformed into something as heavy and solid as a mountain.

‘……?!’

The moment of change was instantaneous. To be able to transform into such opposing qualities in the blink of an eye was unbelievable.

‘This guy.’

Tang Gwan could instinctively feel that an unprecedented strike was coming.

‘Could it be that he hasn’t been going all out until now?’

Whoosh!

The white whirlwind that enveloped Yeon Ho-jeong’s entire body tore through the air, and the sound was like the roar of an angry beast.

Clang!

One step forward.

After raising his heart rate to the limit with the Crimson Flame Six Kill Technique and expanding his muscles to their peak, Yeon Ho-jeong’s explosive strike.

The Tiger King’s Wall Breaking Stance of the White Tiger Art, the Tiger Roar Kill, swept over Tang Gwan’s upper body.

Bang!

Tang Gwan’s body, which had been sent flying into the air, flew three yards and fell to the ground.

Fwoosh!

White smoke rose from Tang Gwan’s arms. He had even unleashed his own poison technique to neutralize the tremendous power of the Tiger Roar Kill.

Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

‘An incredible strike!’

If he hadn’t prepared properly, he might have lost his mind from this strike. It was that terrifying of an attack.

“Hoo.”

Yeon Ho-jeong took a deep breath. To the right of where he stood, the steel staff was stuck diagonally into the ground.

He grabbed the staff and pulled it out.

Crack!

The ground split open, and the thick steel staff revealed itself.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed the middle of the staff and swung it a few times before lowering his stance.

Whirr! Whirr!

Fierce fighting spirit flickered in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

Fwoosh!

The smoke rising from Tang Gwan’s arms slowly turned green.

“…I thought I had seen enough, but there’s still more left?”

“I’m not flexible, so if I’m interrupted in the middle of something, I can’t sleep well.”

Tang Gwan gave a chilling smile.

“Can you handle it?”

“You said to prove my worth through martial arts, didn’t you? I don’t know what you’ll see, but at least you’ll have to go to the end to get something, right?”

The smile disappeared from Tang Gwan’s face.

Swish!

The iron whip that had emerged from his sleeve was writhing like a poisonous snake.

“For the first time, I like you. That insolent personality of yours.”

Yeon Ho-jeong grinned.