Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 748

Whoosh!

Yeon-wi’s movement technique was terrifyingly fast.

Though fast, it didn’t appear so when observed directly. There were no exaggerated motions to gain speed. He demonstrated the highest level of lightness skill [a martial art focused on agility and speed] with only the minimum necessary movements.

‘This is it.’

The task of entering the imperial audience hall and catching the real traitor.

However, even while advancing, Yeon-wi’s body was constantly refining the enlightenment he had gained through training.

He had transcended the mindset of training anytime, anywhere. His body was naturally absorbing enlightenment, analyzing it, and exploring deeper realms.

It was the result of pushing himself to the extreme in the Martial Alliance, completing the set time and intensity of training, so that yesterday’s training could blossom today.

‘This is the path I must take.’

Even in this urgent moment, Yeon-wi’s eyes were drawn to the sky.

The place he had to reach someday, though not now.

No, the aspiration to ascend to the heavens was rooted in Yeon-wi’s mind and body, as if he had to ascend right now if he could.

With every step, the essence of martial arts was imprinted. Seeing was enlightenment, and everything he heard presented a more suitable path of martial arts.

With every touch, he added a tenth of an inch of depth, and the place he was ultimately reaching was the abyss of martial arts he had never reached before.

‘If I don’t go this far.’

Several masters were rushing in from afar, spewing blue flames.

They were masters of the Divine Flame Cult. He could discern their skill level at a glance.

Yeon-wi’s senses grasped it instantly, and his body had already prepared to respond. Nevertheless, his consciousness was directed towards the deeper abyss of martial arts.

He was not completely focused on this situation, this fight.

Yet, he was strong.

Whoosh!

The fireballs that were shot passed by Yeon-wi, exploding the ground.

The flames that soared up in an instant were terrifying. It was enough to take one’s breath away. The intense heat stole the air, causing it to burn even more fiercely.

Even in the midst of that.

At a moment when any other master would have lost focus, Yeon-wi’s movements were as smooth and soft as silk.

Swoosh! Whoosh!

With one gentle sword strike, he deflected the fireballs, and with the following strike, he shattered the subsequent force head-on.

The overflowing sword energy was protecting Yeon-wi’s entire body. Even though the flames were hot enough to cause burns if one was just close, they couldn’t even singe a single thread of Yeon-wi’s clothes.

Yeon-wi’s body, which had been charging straight ahead, rotated in an instant and moved forward.

Swoosh!

‘Let it be.’

With a sharp cutting sound, a head that had lost its master flew high into the sky.

‘Relax your whole body. The sword will make its own path.’

Swoosh!

Another cutting sound, even cleaner and sharper than before. Following that, another head flew into the air.

‘Softly.’

Flash!

With a slash that was even faster than before, a Divine Flame Cult follower was split vertically.

It was a clean attack, typical of Yeon-wi, but also a cruel attack, not typical of him.

However, Yeon-wi only saw the result and was not swayed by it. His sword was aimed at the annihilation of the enemy, but the core of his being, starting from the blade, was always filled with the highest level of martial arts.

‘But firmly.’

Thud!

Yeon-wi, who had stopped advancing, held his sword straight.

It was quiet and still. However, before taking that stance, the sword energy that had already been released in all directions had pierced fist-sized holes in the chests of the enemies.

He had unleashed a sharp sword strike, but a large hole was pierced through the penetration point.

It was a martial art that had already far surpassed the form that a sword could draw. If he wanted, he could even deliver a blow like a fist with his sword.

It was then.

“You bastard!”

Whoosh!

A presence that revealed the force it possessed.

There was a giant wielding a huge axe, closing the distance in an instant.

He was wearing the uniform of a Golden Guard general, but he was not a Golden Guard. The golden flames that filled his entire body proved it.

Golden Emperor Purification Art. It was one of the highest-level martial arts that the Divine Flame Cult boasted.

He didn’t know who the opponent was, but if he had mastered the martial art that Ilho General Beonjak was practicing, he was definitely a master with a significant position within the cult.

And his skills were also enough to be called a formidable enemy.

Yeon-wi swung his sword.

Clang!

The giant who had charged and swung his axe was horrified and retreated.

He had deflected an axe that weighed at least fifty pounds, made of steel, with a thin sword blade.

It was impossible without possessing overwhelming internal energy [qi or life force]. However, the giant’s internal energy was also not inferior to Yeon-wi’s.

Nevertheless, he was deflected by a single sword strike. Considering the force of the charge and swing, it was even more impressive.

“You bastard!”

Flash!

The giant’s one-edged axe was swung diagonally.

There was no significant change, but it was fast and threatening. The high-temperature heat that interfered with breathing from the moment it was swung was a bonus.

Yeon-wi, who was holding the sword hilt with his right hand, grabbed the end of the long sword hilt with his left hand.

Clang!

It was another head-on confrontation.

“Ugh!”

The giant’s face turned red.

He was the owner of divine strength who had never lost in terms of power, but the axe was deflected again by Yeon-wi’s single sword strike, who was holding the sword with both hands.

He felt a pain as if his shoulder would pop out for a moment. If he hadn’t released the force at the moment of impact, either his elbow or shoulder would have broken.

“That’s not how you handle an axe.”

Yeon-wi, holding the sword with both hands, raised it to the middle stance.

It was a very ordinary stance, but the blue sword energy flowing from his body was overwhelming the giant’s golden flames.

“The heavier and duller the weapon, the less you should assume a follow-up attack. If you can’t defeat your opponent with a single blow imbued with your soul, you will be the one who suffers.”

“Shut up!”

The giant swung his axe again. He was also swinging the axe handle with both hands like Yeon-wi, but the speed was much faster than before.

The sword and axe collided like lightning.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks burst in the air with a chilling metallic sound.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread around the feet of the two people standing on the bluestone floor. The masters who were approaching were startled and retreated at the collision of weapons imbued with extreme power.

Yeon-wi’s eyes became calm.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The collision became more and more spectacular as time passed.

The weapon containing the deep blue sword energy increased its sword speed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The giant gritted his teeth.

A suppressed groan leaked out from between his tightly closed lips. Already, dozens of sword wounds were engraved on his shoulders and upper body.

He wasn’t actually hit by the sword. Yeon-wi’s quick sword was shattering the axe’s power, injuring the giant’s body beyond it.

And.

Clang!!

With a fierce collision, the giant screamed.

“Kuaaaak!”

The giant, who let out a strange cry that was neither a scream nor a shout, grabbed the axe that had been thrown back and struck down with all his might.

Yeon-wi’s eyes blazed.

The sword, still held in the middle stance, twisted briefly.

Swoosh!

In an instant, the giant’s eyes widened.

His hands had already flown high into the sky. The axe he was holding was in the same situation.

‘When?!’

He was more puzzled than shocked and pained by the fact that his hands had been cut off.

The moment the vertically held sword moved diagonally, he felt an illusion as if soft silk was wrapping around his wrists.

That was the end. He didn’t feel the danger, nor did he read the direction of the killing intent.

“Kuh!”

The giant, who had lost his hands and weapon, quickly retreated.

As soon as he suffered a loss, he retreated with the best defense and the highest speed. He had been defeated by Yeon-wi without knowing what had happened, but he was a person who knew the flow of attack and defense properly.

Of course, Yeon-wi was reading even that. The giant’s body, the true energy flowing from that body, was wriggling backward.

‘……!’

As much as he retreated, he was there.

The giant was shocked to see Yeon-wi, who had already reached right in front of him.

Yeon-wi coldly swung his sword.

It was then.

‘……!’

Like a weightless flame, a sharp fire energy was shot towards Yeon-wi’s neck.

It was an incredibly fast strike. It reminded him of the hidden weapons that Tang Gwan threw [a reference to a character known for using hidden weapons].

‘But it doesn’t have that much weight.’

The formless sword energy that had been enveloping the giant’s body was released in an instant and headed behind Yeon-wi.

At the same time, his right arm moved like lightning.

Thud! Thwack!

The giant’s eyes widened.

His face turned pale as he slowly looked down at his chest. There was a bowl-sized hole in the middle of his broad chest.

Traces of black burns remained around the pierced chest.

“How…?”

This sharpness, this speed.

The giant knew what this martial art was. It was a strike fired by one of the Red Dragons, the Red Dragon Bow, a legendary archer that the Divine Flame Cult boasted.

But why did that strike pierce his chest?

The giant looked at Yeon-wi.

‘……!’

Only then did he realize why the Red Dragon Bow’s formless projectile had pierced his chest.

Swoosh.

Yeon-wi changed his stance. A slightly scorched mark could be seen on his sword.

He had deflected the fire-filled formless projectile that was shot at him with the back of his sword, changing its trajectory. The formless projectile, which had changed its trajectory, hit the giant’s chest.

“Th-this…!”

What expression and words could explain this surprise?

The giant, who was pointing at Yeon-wi with his severed wrist, soon collapsed.

Thud! Thwack!

Red blood vessels burst from all over the giant’s fallen body. Yeon-wi’s sword energy, added to the formless projectile, had penetrated his body and torn apart the blood vessels throughout his body.

“A person who uses a weapon like my son, and a person who possesses archery skills similar to my daughter, I see them like this.”

Yeon-wi’s divine eyes reached the top of a building fifty yards away.

“However, both are not as good as my children.”

Yeon-wi turned his body.

Whoosh!

Five formless projectiles flew towards his back.

Yeon-wi swung his sword carelessly.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Whoosh!

The wave of sword energy, swirling like a torrent, deflected four formless projectiles high into the sky, and the remaining one was deflected into the fallen giant’s body.

The body, which had already lost its vitality, was hit by flames once again. As if the fire had disappeared, the giant’s body, hit by the formless projectile, instantly burst into flames.

Whoosh!

Yeon-wi flew towards the imperial audience hall again.

The Red Dragon Bow’s arrows no longer flew.

* * *

Thud! Whoosh! Thud!

All sorts of sounds of shaking, exploding, and bursting intruded.

‘……?!’

Mu Heon’s face noticeably stiffened.

‘What is it?’

Why are these sounds being heard?

‘Could it be that they’ve already broken through there?!’

Not only the Red Dragon Sword, but the number of masters placed in the wide space near the imperial audience hall, far from the main gate, was almost equivalent to a sect.

But what is this explosion? What is this shockwave?

Why is a collision that can be clearly felt by the Emperor and Empress, as well as himself, who has sealed his martial arts, being felt?

‘Yeon-wi? Could it be that Yeon-wi wasn’t the only one coming? Even if a few masters are together, is it possible that they’ve already broken through to that point?’

It was then.

Boom!

A terrifying explosion erupted right in front of the imperial audience hall. The sound and shock were enough to shake even the dragon throne.

The Empress’s face turned pale.

“T-eunuch!”

Mu Heon swallowed and stood up.

He, who had been so confident just a moment ago, felt his thoughts stop in surprise at this moment.

He bowed his head towards the dragon throne.

“There seems to have been some mistake. This subject will immediately…”

Swoosh! Crash!

With a single cutting sound, the large door of the imperial audience hall was cut diagonally.

And beyond that.

A swordsman stood with the moonlight and the flames spreading from all directions behind him.