Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 519

Mokwon was panting as he ran. He wanted to look back, but he couldn’t. Even twisting his body made it feel like his body was screaming. Now was the time to just keep running. In the forest filled with death, a single path of life had opened.

‘Just who is that guy…?!’

Kwaddeudeuk! Kuuung!

Fierce sounds came from behind. Giant trees were being shattered, rocks were flying, and the ground was shaking. It was the sound of invincible martial arts, a mad martial art, sweeping away dozens of assassins. The spearman’s aura was growing stronger with each passing moment.

‘He’s incredibly strong. Especially at that age… But why is he helping me?’

Suddenly, Makwon remembered the young man’s words. The voice that had confidently revealed his identity.

‘I am the chief of the Military Affairs Department of the Martial Alliance and the special adjutant of the Mukryong Ironclad Cavalry.’

‘I am Yeon Ho-jeong, the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon family.’

‘Ah!!’

The introduction he had brushed aside in his confusion.

‘That young man?!’

Mokwon had also heard rumors of the martial world.

‘The greatest rising star in the world.’

A young master who, upon entering the martial world, played a decisive role in bringing down the Guju Myeong family, who were the strongest in the world at the time. He later became the leader of the Martial Alliance’s military unit, crushing all sorts of black-path sects, and then, as the youngest ever, broke through the Wall of Martial Arts [a metaphorical barrier representing the peak of martial arts mastery], earning the honor of being the greatest rising star in the world.

Such a genius master had come to help him.

‘Did the Martial Alliance intervene?’

At that moment, Makwon sensed another master approaching. Not as strong as Yeon Ho-jeong, but still a formidable master. The skilled aura of a transcendent master was rapidly approaching.

Mokwon tensed up.

Paahng!

The person who arrived in front of him in an instant was a middle-aged martial artist. He wore a short, wide sword at his waist and held a short spear in his left hand.

Mokwon hesitated.

The middle-aged man, Paeyul, asked.

“Are you the White-Armed Divine General?”

“I am.”

“I am Paeyul of Jeomchang.”

“Ah!”

“Did you meet Yeon Ho-jeong?”

The tension on Makwon’s face disappeared.

“I did.”

“It seems he’s already fighting.”

The vibrations in the earth could be felt even here. Merciless killing intent and explosive power were shaking the forest.

Paeyul frowned.

“Even though it’s urgent, he’s fighting alone again.”

There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Mokwon felt a moment of absurdity.

Paeyul smacked his lips and turned around.

“If you go a little further, there are allies. You can be under their protection.”

The allies would surely be a unit of the Martial Alliance.

“Get on my back.”

“Wh-what?!”

“Even the White-Armed Divine General is in no shape to move on his own.”

“I’m fine. I can keep pace with you.”

“My comrade is fighting a life-or-death battle over there. And I have to help him.”

“……”

“Put aside your pride.”

Mokwon was bewildered.

Paeyul shouted in a sharper voice.

“Hurry!”

Damn it, I’m really making a fool of myself.

Mokwon, with an embarrassed face, got on Paeyul’s back.

“I’m sorry.”

Paeyul ran without answering.

Paahng!

Mokwon’s eyes widened.

‘He’s fast.’

The martial arts of the Jeomchang Sect were known to be the most practical among the nine great sects. ‘Practical’ meant speed. Leaving aside the principles of martial arts, the principle was to harm the opponent with a faster and more lethal strike.

Paeyul’s footwork was like that. It was a footwork that penetrated faster, further, and more fatally. That’s why his footwork was so fast.

Hwaaaak!

In an instant, Paeyul, having crossed several mountains, finally saw the Ironclad Cavalry advancing, kicking up dust.

Pabak!

Paeyul stopped.

Hwang Seok-tae’s eyes gleamed.

“Who is that person?”

“The White-Armed Divine General, Makwon.”

Paeyul put Makwon down.

“They will protect you. Then.”

Paahng!

Paeyul flew in the opposite direction. He was going to help Yeon Ho-jeong. Despite having traveled that far, he showed no signs of fatigue.

Hwang Seok-tae dismounted and clasped his hands.

“Hwang Seok-tae, the commander of the Yongah Ironclad Cavalry, greets the White-Armed Divine General.”

It was an unusually polite greeting for him.

It couldn’t be helped. Not only was there a difference in age, but the opponent was one of the strongest warriors in the martial world. For a true black-path person who revered strength, the name of the Three Armies was worthy of respect in itself.

“Please get on my horse. We will move to a safe place.”

Mokwon had many thoughts.

Yongah Ironclad Cavalry? Was there such a group in the Martial Alliance?

Looking at the restrained military discipline they exuded, and the strong scent of blood, they could never be a unit of the white-path martial world.

Mokwon shook his head.

‘Let’s not think about that now.’

For a moment, he wondered if they were a force trying to use him, but it was a meaningless worry. If they were going to kill him, they would have done it already, and even if they were using him, surviving was more important than being captured and killed by the enemy.

And so, the Ironclad Cavalry led Makwon to the rear.

Before retreating, Hwang Seok-tae looked at the distant battlefield.

“…He’s really amazing.”

* * *

Puwhaak!

A long spear blade, having pierced through flesh and blood, revealed itself with a pure white glow.

Beonjjeok!

The spear blade, sweeping horizontally across a wide area, decapitated seven assassins.

A spear, no matter how long the blade, was basically a weapon primarily used for thrusting.

Yeon Ho-jeong was different. He not only thrust, but also skillfully used slashes with amazing distance control. Furthermore, he would strike with the spear shaft to break bones, and sometimes even push forward to crush them to death.

‘Not bad.’

He wields a single long spear like a ghost. It was hard to tell if a ghost was wielding the spear, or if a person was wielding a ghost-possessed spear.

Peoeok!

A rotating spear blade pierced the chest of one assassin.

The spear blade that came out of his back, and the spear wind that was shot out, pierced through a tree beyond and blew away the shoulder of another hidden assassin.

‘It’s completely mastered.’

To wield a weapon like the Gwangryong Spear, one had to be a master of spear techniques.

However, even Yeon Ho-jeong had not wielded a spear for a long time. While he could wield it like a master whenever he held it, it took time to make the spear an extension of his body.

Yeon Ho-jeong carried out that training, combining it with his internal energy training, against the Ironclad Cavalry.

‘Vermilion Bird.’

Papapapapang!

In an instant, he moved forward, piercing through a hundred jang [approximately 300 meters] with a flame-like footwork.

And the twenty-five assassins within that hundred jang all had their throats pierced.

It was a spear technique that covered an enormous range. It was a martial art of the Three Gods, combining the speed of the Vermilion Bird, the attack power of the White Tiger, and the flexibility of the Azure Dragon.

It was then.

In the distance, a flash of flame could be seen.

Yeon Ho-jeong planted his spear into the ground.

Uuuuuuung!

The Three Divine Energies instantly subsided, and all the true energy of the Yeon family’s divine core awakened the Black Emperor of the North Heaven.

The North Heaven was the same as the Dark Heaven, and the Dark Heaven was the same as the Black Tortoise. It was the manifestation of the Black Tortoise Art’s Twelve Walls of the North Heaven, the True Martial Great Emperor’s Heavy Wall.

Beonjjeok!

A translucent black wall appeared in front of Yeon Ho-jeong.

And.

Kwaaaang!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s body shook. It was a tremendous impact. But his internal organs were not concussed, nor did he suffer any external injuries.

Chiiiiik!

Powerful fire energy evaporated most of the water energy that formed the surface of the True Martial Great Emperor’s Heavy Wall.

But that was it. There was nothing wrong with Yeon Ho-jeong’s body.

He had blocked a cannon.

The explosive giant iron ball, filled with fire energy, could not penetrate the True Martial Great Emperor’s Heavy Wall.

Kwaaang!

Yeon Ho-jeong, having closed the distance with a heavy footwork, had already reached the cannon.

“Huk!”

“Th-this guy?!”

The guys loading the cannon were clearly from the government side. But surprisingly, they all had mastered considerable martial arts. Not government martial arts, but martial arts from the martial world.

Beonjjeok!

Killing intent flared in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

He hadn’t been able to sense it because he was so distracted, but now that he was so close, he could tell what kind of martial arts they had mastered.

Killing intent instinctively surged out, but that made him even more certain.

‘Yeol Yang Gong!’

It wasn’t the Yeol Yang Gong of the Central Plains martial world. Although the level was low, Yeon Ho-jeong had seen that unique Yeol Yang Gong imbued with fire energy before.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s long spear moved like a ray of light.

Kwaaaang!

The Vermilion Bird fire energy exploded from the long spear that had been shoved into the cannon’s muzzle. Then, gunpowder exploded in all directions, creating a tremendous gust of wind.

No matter how much they had mastered Yeol Yang Gong, they couldn’t be unscathed by such an explosion. The three government officials were sent flying in all directions, covered in blood.

Hwareureureuk.

A terrifying flame engulfed the forest.

Chiiiiik!

The flames that had taken over parts of Yeon Ho-jeong’s clothes disappeared, emitting smoke. Even in that massive explosion, Yeon Ho-jeong was not greatly affected.

“I see.”

Burrrrr.

The expression ‘the mountains and rivers tremble’ must be used in times like this.

The forest was wailing at the tremendous aura that Yeon Ho-jeong was creating. Tree branches were shaking, and the rising flames kept trying to flee to other trees.

Hwaaaak!

The Yeon family’s divine core, forged with the Byukra Jin Gyeol, Yongpo Divine Art, Divine Energy, and Sword Extremity, rotated at an ultra-high speed.

Jing! Jiiing!

A vast amount of true energy was generated, and Yeon Ho-jeong’s senses were heightened to the extreme.

In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes blazed.

“There!”

Kwaaang!

Yeon Ho-jeong moved forward with a thunderous sound, his speed impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Kwang! Kwaang! Peoeoeong!

He was a tiger charging in a straight line, smashing all the trees and rocks that blocked his path.

Looking at him now, stained with a thick killing intent, the leisurely nickname of Byeoksan Tiger didn’t suit him at all. He was not a fierce general of the blue mountains, but a demon charging forward, his appearance like a blood-stained demon general.

‘Come out.’

Kwareureung! Kwang! Kwaaang!

He destroys everything in front of him.

He doesn’t consider the way back. He was traversing the shortest distance to reach one person, or rather, one target, that his senses had captured.

Yeon Ho-jeong shouted.

“Come out!!”

Kwaaang!

With a single strike of his long spear, a rock the size of a house was split into four pieces.

And behind the split rock, a large Westerner covered in blood stood with a surprised expression.

Chiiiiik!

White smoke rose from Yeon Ho-jeong’s body.

Thump-thump!

The Vermilion Bird fire energy, pulsating as if it would burst his heart, made the blood in his whole body boil.

“How long has it been? It feels like a long time, but seeing you again like this, it feels as vivid as if we met just yesterday.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice, filled with laughter, stimulated the listener’s fear.

Seureureuk.

The spear blade of the long spear, slowly rising, emitted a ghostly killing intent.

In front of him.

The person standing five jang [approximately 15 meters] away from Yeon Ho-jeong, who was aiming his spear, was truly an unexpected person that he never imagined he would see in such a place.

“…Yeon Ho-jeong?!”

“That’s right. You should. You should remember.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s smiling face, with his prominent fangs, looked as sharp as a wolf’s fangs.

Chiiiiik!

The splint on the man’s broken right arm was instantly burned away.

A transcendent master, with extremely delicate internal energy control, could set a broken bone and then harden it. While he wouldn’t be able to use it as freely as before it was broken, it wouldn’t be impossible to manifest martial arts.

Pusssseuseuseu.

Not only that.

The blood on his lips also disappeared, emitting a white smoke. It was impossible to know what kind of internal energy manipulation made that possible.

Of course, that wasn’t important to Yeon Ho-jeong.

What was important to him now was the fact that he had coincidentally met the prey he had missed again.

“Long time no see, Beonjak.”

One of the Eighteen Generals of the Shin Hwa Cult [a powerful and influential cult]. Among them, the invincible vanguard, known as the strongest general, the First General Beonjak, was there.