Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 542

“……What did you say?”Bu Sun’s face was the very picture of shock.”The third young master?””That’s right.””…….””And we suspect that the one who did this to the Third Young Master is the First Young Master.”Baek Seo looked at Bu Sun with clear eyes.Bu Sun’s face was filled with shock. There was no pretense or falsehood in it.”I know that the Second Young Lady is targeting the First Young Master. And that she was very close to succeeding.””…….””Did you capture the First Young Master?”Bu Sun shook her head.”I couldn’t capture him.””Did he act alone?””……No, he didn’t.”Bu Sun told him the names of the people who were on her side.Baek Seo clicked his tongue.”Have you not heard from them yet?””No.””It’s one of two things. Either they swore false loyalty to the Second Young Lady, or they’re all dead by now.””……!””No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like the former.””W-wait a minute!”Bu Sun said in a flustered tone.”Yeop Seong was almost dead. His right arm was gone, and his left arm was dislocated. He suffered various bruises and fractures, as well as severe internal injuries. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.””Is that so?””That’s why I didn’t bother chasing him directly. I thought he was easy prey.”Baek Seo shook his head.”I don’t know if that’s fortunate or unfortunate.””……?!””Whatever the case, after checking the personnel not currently at headquarters, aside from the combat units and a few experts on missions, it’s just the First Young Master and the leaders the Second Young Lady mentioned.””That’s…….”Bu Sun couldn’t understand how the situation was unfolding.”Even so, why would Yeop Seong come back to the unit and kill the Third Young Master?! No, he doesn’t have the ability to……!””He does.””What?””The Third Young Master died after having all his life force and internal energy sucked away.””……!!””The Demonic Rock Martial Art that the Third Young Master cultivated is a divine art of the ages. However, he cultivated the Blood Lion Energy before the Demonic Rock’s true energy. There are only four people in the Mukryong Unit who have cultivated the Blood Lion Energy, and no matter how crazy the First Young Master is, he wouldn’t be able to target the Vice-Chief or the Second Young Lady.””W-wait a minute!”Bu Sun’s face was stained with shock.”Are you saying that… Yeop Seong has mastered the Absorption Technique?!”Baek Seo turned his body.”Go to the Mukryong Garden right now and explain the situation to the Vice-Chief.”* * *”This is driving me crazy.”Gang Ryang ruffled his hair wildly.”Why did this have to happen right after I met you…….””There’s no point in dwelling on that now.”Yeon Ho-Jeong frowned.”The important thing is that we need to catch Yeop Seong first.””By the way, I still don’t understand even after hearing it a while ago. What exactly is this Death Absorption Technique?””You heard it all. What’s there not to understand?””You left out all the details!”Yeon Ho-Jeong sighed.”The Death Absorption Technique is a type of Absorption Technique, but it’s different from the Absorption Technique. It can be seen as a form that combines some of the incantations of the Absorption Technique with a martial art that was originally the Supreme Mystical Art.””The Supreme Mystical Art…….””The Absorption Technique is a demonic art because it has not solved the fundamental problem of conflicting internal energies. But the Death Absorption Technique is different. The origin of the Death Absorption Technique is a divine art. It’s made by incorporating some of the Absorption Technique into it.””I thought I heard earlier that it can only be used when one’s internal energy is depleted?””That’s why the Death Absorption Technique is so terrifying. No matter how skilled one is in the Death Absorption Technique, it can never be used if the user’s body is in good condition. It’s a martial art with extreme limitations.””But?””However, if the dantian [energy center] is on the verge of collapse or the true origin energy, the source of life, falls below a certain level, then the Death Absorption Technique can be used.”Srrk! Thud!Yeon Ho-Jeong checked the blades of the Black and White Twin Dragons and put them back into their sheaths.”The Death Absorption Technique is a demonic art that completely absorbs the internal energy and life force of others and makes it one’s own. It’s a demonic art, but because it’s rooted in a divine art, it doesn’t cause mental or physical breakdown.””So, it doesn’t have the same side effects as the Absorption Technique.””It varies from person to person, depending on the level of mastery. It’s known to have no side effects, but the actual probability of side effects occurring is about 20 to 30 percent. Even that’s a huge number.”Gang Ryang’s eyes lit up.”So, you’re saying that Yeop Seong was defeated by you, then by the Second Young Lady, and then escaped, entered the Mukryong Unit’s secret passage, ambushed Jeon Hong, absorbed everything from him, and then fled?””That’s what we’re assuming right now.””What do you think, brother?””I think so too.””Your intuition is surprisingly good. But that intuition needs some information to work, doesn’t it? As of now, there’s no evidence that Yeop Seong has mastered the Death Absorption Technique.””Yes, you’re right.””But you still think Yeop Seong is the culprit?””Yes.””What’s the reason?”After checking his clothes and weapons, Yeon Ho-Jeong suddenly recalled the past.Not the past after his regression, but the past when he was the Black Demon Emperor, who covered the southern part of the Central Plains in darkness.”Do you know where the Death Absorption Technique first appeared historically?””I wouldn’t know.””Tibet.””……Tibet? Are you talking about that Tibet beyond the borders? Where the Potala Palace is?””It’s not just the Potala Palace. There’s also the Xiaoleiyin Temple, which is more heretical than the black sects of the Central Plains, and the Daleiyin Temple, which is the origin of the Buddhist path of the Leiyin Temple.””Hmm.””The combination of divine and demonic arts. There are many people in the world. Even if we don’t divide the Central Plains and the outside world, anyone can come up with such an idea. However, there is a place that is extremely familiar with such combinations.””Is it Tibet?”Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gave off an eerie atmosphere.”Yes, it’s Tibet. The Death Absorption Technique that flowed out of Tibet settled in the Central Plains. Of course, there are very few people who know it or have mastered it. Especially in the righteous sects, it’s safe to say that no one knows the Death Absorption Technique.”Gang Ryang’s eyes wavered.”Are you saying that Yeop Seong is from Tibet?””That’s not it. I don’t know where Yeop Seong is from. The important thing is that ‘someone’ deliberately spread it in the Central Plains to ensure the stability of the Death Absorption Technique.”A shadow fell over Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.’Damn it, I forgot because it was so long ago.’It was a long time ago, and it wasn’t really a strong memory. The situation at the time was too urgent.He recalled a conversation with Muk Bi during his time as one of the Five Great Generals.’It’s soon, isn’t it? The day of the final battle.”That’s right.”Is the Moyong Alliance Leader also joining us?”Yes.”The Moyong Alliance Leader is a rare hero. But he’s also a cunning man.”You’re talking a lot today. You should talk more often.”……I just wanted to tell you not to trust him too much.”Don’t worry. He’s not so small-minded that he would betray us when facing a common enemy.”Yes.”Go get some rest. I won’t be here when you wake up tomorrow.”I wish you good fortune.”Take good care of the kids.”Oh, and I heard that there are quite a few traitors who have mastered the Death Absorption Technique. Most of them died before they could even use it.”Foolish fools. They don’t even know they’re being used.”I’ll look into that separately.”Do as you see fit. I can’t worry about that right now.”I know.’It was too old of a conversation. He only remembered the context, not the exact words.”I don’t know exactly where the Three Teachings’ headquarters are. However, I know that they span across Qinghai and Tibet. Maybe even more than that.””……?!””I don’t know if the Potala Palace or the Xiaoleiyin Temple are part of it yet. However… it’s highly likely that the Death Absorption Technique entered the Central Plains under the guidance of the Three Teachings.””Hmm.”Gang Ryang frowned deeply.”Is it the Three Teachings again? They’re really a headache.””They’re trying to achieve victory while maintaining their full strength. It’s only natural, but they’ve done a lot of work beforehand for that.””Let’s say the Death Absorption Technique came from the Three Teachings. The important thing is, isn’t the Death Absorption Technique a demonic art with almost no side effects? Why would they spread such a martial art in the Central Plains instead of using it themselves?””Because it’s not perfect.””Huh?””It has almost no side effects, but it’s not completely without them.””Are you saying that they were experimenting with the Death Absorption Technique on the martial artists of the Central Plains?””That’s highly likely. Just look at the Divine Flame Sect, they’re cultivating something called Fire Essence. They can somehow recover unless they suffer a fatal injury like having their head cut off, extreme bleeding, or their internal organs melting away.”Krrr.Yeon Ho-Jeong and Gang Ryang opened the cave wall and went outside.”It’s not the Divine Flame Sect. The Divine Flame Sect has already completed the Fire Essence. It’s probably one of the other two places, or both, that spread it.””If Yeop Seong has mastered the Death Absorption Technique… then Yeop Seong isn’t the only one?””That’s right.”Yeon Ho-Jeong gritted his teeth.He recalled the list of traitors from the past. He didn’t remember all of them, but most of them were around the same age as him during the Black Demon Emperor era.”Successors… were they targeting the successors?”Did they spread the Death Absorption Technique to the successors of prestigious martial families for experimentation?That’s not enough. There’s no way they would have spread a dangerous martial art like the Death Absorption Technique into enemy territory for such a simple reason.”Experiments are just experiments. If the Three Teachings spread it, they must have put a fatal flaw in it. That makes sense.””By the way, where are we going now?””We need to follow the scent of blood.”The two who left the Mukryong Unit scanned the area where Bu Sun had fought.Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes sparkled.”If he escaped from here and entered the secret passage, there’s a high chance he came back this way.”* * *”It’s been a while, sister.””You’ve come.””Yes.”Tang Yang-Seon, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, had become surprisingly mature.Tang Yang-Seon bowed his head.”I heard that you’ve been through a lot in the Alliance. I’ve become the head of the family and caused you trouble. I’m sorry.”Tang Sang-Ah’s eyes wavered.’This is surprising.’Tang Yang-Seon hated her. No, he hated her to the point of loathing.For him to be so polite now? How could a person change so much in just a few years?”No, it’s not. You must have had a lot of family matters to deal with as well. You’ve worked hard.””It’s nothing compared to what Father and you have done.”Tang Yang-Seon smiled quietly.It wasn’t a bright smile, but it wasn’t a fake one either.However, she could feel a certain kind of desire, but it didn’t seem particularly strange.”How is Father?””He’s in a meeting.””Ah, I see.”Tang Yang-Seon shook his head.”I heard that the Central Plains is quite turbulent. I wish I could lend a hand.”Tang Sang-Ah smiled.”Your martial arts have grown beyond comparison to what they were before. You’ll definitely be a great help.””I hope so. Actually, I want to jump into a mission right away.”The corners of Tang Yang-Seon’s mouth curled up.”A mission that’s so important that I could die.””Let’s talk about that with Father separately later.”Tang Sang-Ah turned her body.”Let’s go to your quarters. It’s not far.””Yes, let’s do that.”As soon as Tang Sang-Ah turned her body, Tang Yang-Seon’s face turned expressionless.It was a chilling expression.