Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 363

Five days later.

“…I see.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho sighed.

“It’s truly regrettable that we missed the enemy’s leader, but it’s a relief that everyone returned without dying.”

“…”

“In fact, just eliminating the majority of the vanguard of the enemy forces is enough to consider this battle a victory.”

“We didn’t catch the most important one.”

“Usually, in wartime, if you lose 30% of your forces, it’s considered annihilated, and a retreat is ordered. We eliminated more than enough of the Shin-Hwa Cult’s experts lurking in Hanan.”

“…”

“It’s an undeniable great victory. You’ve worked hard.”

Moyong Gun silently sipped his tea.

His breathing was quite unstable, as if he had suffered considerable internal injuries. Was it because of that? The Thunderous Energy he usually kept perfectly controlled was subtly leaking out, creating a somewhat imposing atmosphere.

Jeagal Mun-Ho asked,

“Was the enemy’s leader, the one called the First Martial General, that strong?”

“I don’t know how to describe it.”

Moyong Gun put down his teacup and continued in a calm voice.

“People say that the experts of the Saintly Heaven have reached the realm of the Limitless. But that’s just knowing one thing and not knowing two.”

“That’s right.”

“The Limitless Realm is different from the Wall of No Beginning. If the Wall of No Beginning is like climbing a great mountain, the Limitless Realm is like flying in the sky. But even in the sky, there are levels. The experts of the Saintly Heaven have already soared high into the sky, befriending the sun and moon, and looking down upon the world.”

“Those slightly below them are the Three Lords. Of course, the Three Lords are also absolute experts belonging to the Thirteen Seats of the Saintly Heaven, but the sky they walk in and the sky the ten Divine Immortal Emperors walk in will be different.”

“That’s right. Well, to us, all thirteen are beyond the heavens, so this comparison might be meaningless.”

“Indeed.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“That guy called the First Martial General hasn’t reached the Limitless Realm. I can be sure of that.”

He had clearly seen Yang Cheon’s power with his own eyes.

Even though he hadn’t used even half of his power, Yang Cheon’s energy wave was at a level that far exceeded imagination. The shockwave from his charge alone pushed back a supreme master, so it was questionable whether anyone could withstand even three moves if he used his martial arts seriously.

No matter how he thought about it, Beonjak, the First Martial General’s martial prowess, didn’t even reach Yang Cheon’s feet. Not just Yang Cheon, but if anyone had just stepped into the Limitless Realm, not a single expert there would have survived.

That realm was so supreme. The saying that an expert from the Saintly Heaven could wipe out a large sect single-handedly was by no means an exaggeration.

“However, he possessed martial prowess closest to the peak of the mountain we are climbing. To be honest, it would take two family heads of the Six Great Clans to even have a chance, and three would be needed to have a greater than 50% chance of winning.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho’s face hardened.

“Is it that serious?”

“Of course, compatibility can’t be ignored. If there’s an expert whose martial arts are the opposite of his, two family heads might be able to win.”

“In other words, at least two of us would have to go together to face him.”

“That’s right. And that’s only if luck is on our side.”

Moyong Gun readily acknowledged Beonjak’s martial arts. Although he had looked down on him as a foreign mongrel, he couldn’t deny the strength he had seen with his own eyes.

Rather, seeing Beonjak’s martial arts made Moyong Gun feel a surge of fighting spirit.

It was a moment when he desired the growth of his martial arts more than his desire for power. It was the first time in a long time that a pure martial fervor had ignited.

“There are many other matters to attend to, so there’s no need to spend more time on this. So, what I’m asking now is purely out of my personal curiosity. Please keep that in mind.”

“Speak.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho asked cautiously.

“Does Clan Leader Moyong know the true strength of Great Master Gong Gong and True Immortal Seung-Hyeon?”

“…I don’t.”

“But you must have some vague idea, right? About how strong their martial arts are.”

“Of course, I do.”

“Then I want to ask. Considering the martial arts of the leaders of Shaolin and Wudang, the two great pillars of the martial world, do you think they could face the First Martial General?”

It was a difficult question. And a dangerous one as well.

Moyong Gun pondered for quite a while, uncharacteristically.

In fact, although he said it was personal curiosity, this comparison of power was absolutely necessary.

The First Martial General was the leader of the Eighteen Martial Generals and the strongest vanguard that the Shin-Hwa Cult could send out. If that was the case for the Shin-Hwa Cult, it was reasonable to assume that the vanguards of the other two evil cults would boast similar martial prowess.

What if the leaders of Shaolin and Wudang were weaker than the First Martial General?

If so, then the Martial Alliance needed to drastically improve the individual martial arts of its members rather than just reorganizing the current system. That’s why Jeagal Mun-Ho’s question was important, and why Moyong Gun was being cautious.

After a while, Moyong Gun opened his mouth.

“In the case of Great Master Gong Gong… I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have my own way of estimating Great Master Gong Gong’s power. But I can’t be certain about my estimation.”

“…”

“Anyway, based on my estimated power, I think that even Great Master Gong Gong is a step below the First Martial General. But…”

“But?”

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

“Great Master Gong Gong is definitely hiding his power. Or rather, it’s not that he’s hiding it, but that he doesn’t need to reveal it.”

“Hmm.”

“If Great Master Gong Gong is hiding his power, he might be able to match the First Martial General. At the very least, they could have a close fight.”

Gong Gong was one of the Thirteen Seats of the Saintly Heaven and the top expert of Shaolin, who had achieved the pinnacle of the Fist God, and was recognized by Mu Heo, the Great Master. He was a true expert.

And Mu Heo was an absolute expert who, along with the Sword Immortal Tak Mu-Ja, was considered the closest to being the best in the world. If such an expert recognized his talent, it was right to assume that even if he hadn’t reached the Limitless Realm, he had reached the ultimate level in this domain.

“Then, what about True Immortal Seung-Hyeon?”

“I don’t know. However, in the past, Great Master Gong Gong said that True Immortal Seung-Hyeon’s enlightenment encompassed the entire world. The meaning of enlightenment from a monk’s mouth doesn’t necessarily mean martial arts, but the important thing is that Great Master Gong Gong recognizes True Immortal Seung-Hyeon more than anyone else.”

“That’s true.”

“Moreover, Wudang’s martial arts are the pinnacle of Taoist martial arts, maximizing the principles of ‘striking after the opponent’ and ‘softness overcoming hardness.’ Leaving aside skill, just looking at the compatibility of martial arts, True Immortal Seung-Hyeon might be able to catch him more easily than Great Master Gong Gong.”

“Hmm.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho nodded.

“I’ve heard that the Shin-Hwa Cult’s Scorching Yang Art is particularly good at releasing inner energy. To be able to unleash a pillar of fire from one’s hands, there aren’t many martial arts in the world that can achieve that level of inner energy release.”

“That’s right. At the same time, the very nature of their martial arts is ‘strong.’ If True Immortal Seung-Hyeon’s skill is on par with the First Martial General, I can guarantee that he could subdue him within thirty moves.”

Martial arts is not simply about reaching a higher level to determine victory.

As Moyong Gun said, compatibility is important, variables are important, and above all, an attitude of not being careless and absolute concentration are also important aspects of facing a battle.

That’s why the world of competition is interesting. That’s why it’s never easy to predict the outcome of a battle.

And that’s why Moyong Gun thought Yeonwi was amazing.

‘I didn’t know he was that good.’

Moyong Gun recalled Yeonwi’s swordsmanship.

Yeonwi’s swordsmanship, which skillfully blocked or deflected Beonjak’s ruthless martial arts and charged forward, was truly perfect.

When defending, he used an iron wall of a sword, when deflecting, he was as soft as Wudang’s martial arts, and when charging in, he was as strong and fast as his own Unfeeling Thunderous Strike.

In other words, it was as if he had incorporated the attributes of all the swordsmanship scattered throughout the world into one sword. A sword of the middle way that didn’t lean in any one direction. There might be many who were stronger than Yeonwi, but there wouldn’t be a single person who used martial arts that were the opposite of his.

‘He was hiding the martial arts of a beast behind the face of a gentleman.’

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

‘Is this really Yeon Ho-Jeong’s father? In some ways, he’s even more amazing than Yeon Ho-Jeong.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was a genius who was hard to come by again. He had top-notch talent in all areas, including martial arts, strategy, and insight. At least, that’s how Moyong Gun saw it.

But Yeonwi’s sword was not something that could be honed just by having talent.

It absolutely required constant inquiry and self-reflection regarding martial arts, and further, the process of breaking down and assembling an immeasurable amount of swordsmanship to make it his own.

Of course, he had outstanding sword talent, but he had overwhelmed that talent with effort and enlightenment. Even if Yeon Ho-Jeong were to walk the same path as Yeonwi, he would never reach the same level.

“I’ve listened well to Clan Leader Moyong’s insights. You must be tired, so I apologize for keeping you for so long.”

“No. I’m the most okay one anyway.”

“Haha, Clan Leader Dang seems to be more okay than I thought.”

“That person isn’t mentally okay.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho chuckled involuntarily.

Moyong Gun rose from his seat.

“Contact the Chief Commander. There might be remnants of their forces left in Hanan.”

“Don’t worry. Hu Gae is already investigating.”

“He’s fast as always.”

“They’ve worked so hard, so we should at least handle the aftermath well.”

Moyong Gun nodded.

“Work hard.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

* * *

“Huu.”

Drops of sweat formed on Gi Woo-Hui’s forehead.

Yeonwi asked in a worried tone,

“How is he?”

Gi Woo-Hui replied in as bright a voice as possible.

“He’s injured quite badly. But it’s okay. He’s so strong that there won’t be any problems with his recovery.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But you need to be more careful in the future. Of course, you can’t afford to be relaxed in a life-or-death battle where you don’t know what’s going to happen, but this time too, Commander Yeon seems to have fought by drawing out more power than he’s capable of.”

“…”

“That might help with the growth of his martial arts, but it’s also a double-edged sword, and if he’s not careful, he could suffer internal injuries that are hard to recover from. The reason Commander Yeon lost consciousness like this is that the fatigue accumulated from pushing his limits has finally exploded this time.”

“Was it that serious?”

“He probably could have handled it on his own. If he had enough time. But Commander Yeon is someone who keeps running without rest, right? Sometimes, it’s important to rest completely without thinking about anything.”

“I’ll make sure to tell that to Ho-Jeong.”

Gi Woo-Hui smiled.

“Still, it’s amazing. I’ve seen thousands of patients, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone recover as fast as Young Master Yeon. It’s not just his inner energy, but his physical strength is truly amazing.”

Yeonwi smiled wryly and looked down at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

His complexion was pale, but his expression looked relatively comfortable. Although they had missed the enemy’s leader, it was still a great victory, so he must have relaxed.

Yeonwi placed his hand on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s forehead.

“Rest well.”