Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 403

Watching Yayul Jeok rush towards Yeon Ho-jeong, So-bang gritted his teeth.

‘You idiot!’

‘Full power? He should have gone all out from the start!’

‘I knew it from the moment he was being so relaxed, you dog-like bastard!’

Bang! Bang!

In a fit of anger, So-bang smashed the ground a few times with his feet, but then he reflexively unleashed his killing intent at the powerful energy wave that was rapidly closing in from behind.

‘This energy, it’s definitely that formation he used to play tricks before.’

Due to Yeon Ho-jeong and his subordinates’ formation, his true energy was decreasing, and even his stamina was being depleted.

So-bang’s eyes turned cold.

‘I should leave this side to him.’

Though he was angry, he needed to quickly resolve the situation here. He had that much sense.

However, there was no need to help Yayul Jeok and kill Yeon Ho-jeong first. Rather, if he tried to help and fought alongside him, he would only give that Yeon Ho-jeong an opening.

Adding one to one doesn’t always equal two. Like their formation, it could become three or four, but conversely, it could become worse than just one.

So-bang and Yayul Jeok were like that. Aside from their relationship, their martial arts styles were so different that joining forces would only expose their weaknesses to the enemy.

“…You bastards.”

Feeling the five energies rapidly approaching, So-bang ignited his Blood Sound Demonic Energy.

“I’ll take care of the small fry first!”

Fwaaaang!

So-bang dashed forward at a terrifying speed.

Yayul Jeok thought. It was strange in many ways.

It was like something was constantly bothering him. No matter how he looked at it, he was in an advantageous situation, yet Yeon Ho-jeong’s face seemed strangely relaxed.

Of course, that composure could be interpreted differently depending on how one looked at it.

Yeon Ho-jeong was a genius in battle. Even if he had completely grasped So-bang’s martial arts style, it was not something anyone could do to hold out this long against two masters stronger than himself.

The difference came from enlightenment. With a battle sense and higher enlightenment that made up for the actual gap in martial arts, he was able to somewhat counter the attacks of the two masters.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s composure was the composure of a real battle. It was like the skill a craftsman who had hammered tens of thousands of swords would show when creating a new weapon.

Still, Yayul Jeok was tense. He wondered if Yeon Ho-jeong was planning something.

That’s why he hadn’t gone all out. It was partly due to the habits of an assassin, but he needed to know what the opponent was aiming for in order to devise a solid countermeasure.

However, his mistake was not realizing that it was just a simple stalling tactic.

Hook!

Yayul Jeok, firmly gripping the Azure Dragon Chain, approached at a terrifying speed. Even Yeon Ho-jeong, who was not inferior to Yayul Jeok in footwork, was momentarily surprised by the speed.

Jjeoooooong!

Yeon Ho-jeong spat out blood again.

He had blocked it with the broad blade of the Mad Dragon Axe, but the shockwave felt like it was shaking his very marrow. Yayul Jeok’s martial arts, once he started going all out, were shockingly powerful.

Jjeojeojeong! Puh-uh-uh-ung!

The control of the barehanded strikes had reached a divine level.

Just when it seemed like he was aiming for all the acupoints on the upper body, he would suddenly strike down low, and just when it seemed like he was going low, his piercing hand strikes and flat punches would confuse the eyes in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t just that he was skilled in changing moves, but each move was composed of fatal killing blows.

The destructive power of his martial arts was a step below that of Beonjak, but in terms of speed and technique, he was even better than Beonjak. The destructive power was also a step below Beonjak, but the explosive power of his strikes was so great that it was impossible for an ordinary master to defend against.

Puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-puh-pung!

It was an incredibly fast-paced battle.

His power was great, but the speed of his barehanded strikes was also a step above Yeon Ho-jeong’s.

When trying to kill an opponent, there was no need to use stronger force. A faster and sharper move was enough.

Yayul Jeok’s martial arts were like that. He was specialized in killing opponents with technique and speed, not power.

He was proving that when an assassin’s martial arts reached its peak, it could exert extreme power even in a head-on fight. Such martial arts existed in the world.

Chiriririring! Pu-hwaak!

Blood burst from Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth.

He had read the punch coming towards his left cheek, but he couldn’t completely avoid it. He had somehow managed to turn his head to deflect it, but the wind pressure alone had burst the inside of his mouth.

Chwareureureureuk!

Yayul Jeok, who was about to attack again with the Yin Cold Hundred and Eight Hands, flinched for a moment.

‘…?!’

The iron chain had wrapped tightly around his right elbow. He had swung the chain and bound it at the very moment he had allowed the attack.

Yayul Jeok was startled.

His lightning-fast reaction speed was secondary.

‘It stretched?!’

That’s right.

The iron chain that he had seen Yeon Ho-jeong use was no more than five spans long. It was long enough, but he had been controlling the length by pressing it down with one foot, so it shouldn’t have been able to bind his elbow.

Yet, it had bound him. It could only be seen as the chain having stretched.

‘I don’t know what he wants, but…’

Yayul Jeok’s eyes flashed.

Puh-uk!

This time, it landed properly. Yayul Jeok’s forehead struck Yeon Ho-jeong’s chin.

He had absorbed the impact with a momentary internal energy shield, but the remaining shock was enough to shake his brain. Yeon Ho-jeong’s knees buckled.

The outcome of a battle between masters was decided by a single mistake. It was far too easy to deal with an opponent who had lost their mind for even a moment.

‘I’ll finish it.’

Yayul Jeok brought his index and middle fingers together and swung them towards Yeon Ho-jeong’s Adam’s apple. He intended to cut his throat in one go without dragging it out.

That was when it happened.

‘…?!’

Yayul Jeok felt his two feet lift off the ground.

‘What?’

Chiiiiing! Kwang!

The Azure Dragon Chain was pulled taut, and Yayul Jeok’s body drew a semicircle before slamming into the ground.

The impact was almost nonexistent. He hadn’t been so negligent in his training that he would be injured by this level of attack.

However, the mental shock was considerable.

‘He flipped me over?’

Chwareureureuk!

Yayul Jeok quickly straightened his body.

‘…That guy.’

Looking at Yeon Ho-jeong’s condition, Yayul Jeok felt dumbfounded.

‘He closed his eyes?’

That’s right.

Yeon Ho-jeong had closed his eyes and was panting. It wasn’t like he was being careless, but to close his eyes in front of someone stronger than himself?

Chiriririring!!

No matter what state the opponent was in, there was no need to show mercy. Yayul Jeok pulled the Azure Dragon Chain with all his might.

Hu-u-u-uk!

Yeon Ho-jeong was pulled in weakly.

He thought he would let go of the Azure Dragon Chain, but he was being pulled in as if he had been waiting for it. It must mean that he was confident in close combat.

‘It won’t be the same as before.’

He didn’t know how he had reacted when he was out of his mind. But a coincidence was enough for one time.

Yayul Jeok reached out his hand and then unleashed a kick like lightning. He intended to shatter the entire upper body with a powerful blow.

That was the moment.

Yayul Jeok could see how Yeon Ho-jeong had been manipulating him.

Hwiririririk!

The kick, shot like a cannonball, passed through Yeon Ho-jeong’s body.

No, it looked like it had passed through. In reality, Yeon Ho-jeong’s body was spinning like a falling leaf, burrowing into his arms.

Yayul Jeok’s eyes flashed.

‘Soft Art [A martial art focused on yielding and redirecting force]!!’

Yayul Jeok, who had retracted his kick in an instant, curled his upper body and advanced. He was going to ram into him with a body check.

Chwareureureureuk!

‘What is it?’

The Azure Dragon Chain stretched out again, wrapping around Yayul Jeok’s upper body.

Fwaaaak!

Yayul Jeok, who quickly lowered his stance to avoid the binding of the Azure Dragon Chain, quickly shook his right arm. He was trying to free the Azure Dragon Chain that was binding his arm.

However.

Chiiiiiiik!

There was a fierce fire energy that suppressed the energy of the Yin Cold Hundred Flows [A martial art technique].

It was Vermilion Bird Fire Energy. It was suppressing the cold energy of the Yin Cold Hundred Flows with fire energy, binding the Azure Dragon Chain even more tightly.

Yayul Jeok’s eyes wavered.

‘This guy, something’s wrong.’

“Hoo-uk! Hoo-uk!”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s breathing was still rough.

He wasn’t completely broken, but he wasn’t in a state where he could stably execute his martial arts. If an internal energy master’s breathing was that disrupted, there would be openings in their true energy circulation as well as their explosive power techniques.

Yet, the power transmitted through the iron chain binding his arm was as fierce as a volcano. It seemed like a faint wood energy could be felt, but the fire energy was much stronger, making his entire right arm hot.

The urgent fire had to be put out first. Yayul Jeok poured out the cold energy of the Yin Cold even more strongly.

Chiiiiiiik!

The fire and cold energies collided, creating a hazy smoke.

‘…!!’

Surprise appeared on Yayul Jeok’s face.

‘How can this be? This guy’s internal energy…?!’

The concentration of fire energy was truly immense.

Receiving the power of the increased wood energy, it was showing explosive output for a moment, and its momentum was so fierce that it was gradually evaporating the cold energy of the Yin Cold Hundred Flows.

It was unbelievable.

He had been impressed by how he had somehow managed to respond in terms of speed and technique, but that was understandable.

He was a guy who had gained enlightenment of the sword intent with a lower level than himself. With that level of insight, he thought he could read and respond to attacks one or two steps ahead.

But internal energy was a different story.

Internal energy, true energy, was a major indicator that divided the levels of martial arts. He could compete with him in barehanded combat with enlightenment, but he couldn’t compete with the quality of his internal energy.

This was a very obvious thing. It was common sense that the internal energy of someone who had reached a higher level was qualitatively superior.

Yet, he was being pushed back?

Kuhng!

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had already detached the Azure Dragon Chain from the Mad Dragon Axe, bound the Azure Dragon Chain to one arm and swung it widely.

A circular motion. It was so smooth. It was unlike Yeon Ho-jeong, who had always executed linear and destructive martial arts.

Urgency appeared on Yayul Jeok’s face.

The signs were not good. He poured out as much internal energy as he could to avoid being dragged in.

Kwadudududuk!

A long groove was created under Yayul Jeok’s two feet.

He poured Yin Cold True Energy into the iron chain and Yin Fire Red Energy into both feet.

In other words, he was simultaneously executing the Yin and Yang energies of the Yin God. Yet, he had already been dragged in by a span.

Yayul Jeok finally burst into a roar.

“What are you trying to do, you bastard!!”

Yeon Ho-jeong silently pulled the Azure Dragon Chain.

Kwadudududuk!

Yayul Jeok was dragged in another span. It was an overwhelming force.

‘Th-this, what is this?!’

The guy who had been unable to properly respond to his martial arts and had been getting hit until just now was suddenly showing unbelievable power after being out of his mind for a moment.

What was this? Why had he suddenly changed?

“…Even though I wielded the divine sword of the world, I had been defeated by so many insignificant people.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice was faint and soft, as if he were walking in a dream.

“It can’t be helped. Because it was the past me who wielded that sword. I couldn’t draw even half of that sword with the name of Byuksan, which I could control with the name of Black Abyss. There was no way I wouldn’t be defeated.”

Yeon Ho-jeong still had his eyes closed.

However, Yayul Jeok felt differently. Even though his eyes were closed, it felt like he could see him clearly.

Ossaak!

He suddenly got goosebumps.

Hwareureureureuk!

The Azure Dragon Chain gradually turned red. The Vermilion Bird Fire Energy had almost completely pushed out the Yin Cold True Energy.

“I felt it while fighting the Fighting King. Something had come. Something was about to change.”

“…?!”

“It was a call of destiny that those who had not walked that path could never know. Even I had pondered for days what it meant.”

Yeon Ho-jeong stepped firmly on the ground.

Kuhng!

In an instant, Yayul Jeok’s body floated into the air.

Yeon Ho-jeong rotated his body as it was.

He spread his arms wide like a bird’s wings and spun in place, and his movements looked like he was dancing or demonstrating a fist technique.

Yayul Jeok, who had been spinning helplessly in the air, finally realized what kind of martial art Yeon Ho-jeong’s movements were.

‘Tai Chi Fist [A Chinese martial art characterized by slow, flowing movements]?!’

Yayul Jeok’s body, bound by the Azure Dragon Chain, rotated helplessly before slamming into a rock.

Kwaaaang!

Yayul Jeok got up with a dismayed face.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong opened his eyes.

Buhnjjeok!

The heat of the sun was contained in his two eyes.

It was a divine light that was shining so brightly that it was dyeing the surroundings with black darkness.

“I told you. I can let the woman go, but I can’t let you go.”

“…!!”

The killing intent of the Black Abyss, which he thought had been completely gone, returned to Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.

“Did you think you could survive unscathed after making this mess in our land?”