Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1201

The Muddy Fight (11)

“This…!”

Even from a hundred paces away, Tang Pae, a master martial artist, could clearly see Cheon Wi-ryong’s figure.

Even if he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, he would have known. The chaotic, poisonous energy that erupted as the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation was torn apart, and the absolute demonic energy that began to emanate from within, were overwhelming everyone’s senses.

“Brother.”

An undeniable tension appeared on Tang Ak’s face.

“The Blood Demon Lord has truly… emerged.”

Tang Pae gritted his teeth.

‘Just why?!’

Even if the sky were to fall, he was supposed to believe Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words, as the family head had instructed.

Tang Pae couldn’t comprehend that terrifying level of trust. He knew that the family head had changed significantly from the past, but even so, could he place such faith in a stranger, someone not even of the same bloodline?

‘I know that the Black and White Emperor’s reputation shakes the world, but no matter how I think about it, this situation is…’

Not only could he not understand the situation itself, but a strong sense of displeasure rose within him.

The Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation.

That formation was the pinnacle of the Tang family’s formation techniques, an absolute sealing technique that could even capture and kill a martial god. [A martial god is a term used to describe someone who has reached the pinnacle of martial arts.]

Although it was only for a short time, Tang Pae himself had studied the principles of the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation and had shaken his head in disbelief. The flow of true energy, which seemed to have no discernible origin, was so incredibly delicate that it was beyond imagination, and that was the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation.

And that formation was a Tang family technique.

A Tang family technique was synonymous with the best technique in the Central Plains. Yet, the Blood Demon Lord had torn through that formation.

‘Even if a sacrifice was needed….’

The moment the formation was destroyed, by any means, a stain was left on the Tang family’s honor. For Tang Pae, who loved Tang Yu-gwang, Tang Hyeong, and even the Sichuan Tang family itself more than anyone, this was a truly unbearable situation.

‘Black Emperor Castle Lord. You have trampled on the Tang family’s pride. I don’t know what you were trying to gain by doing this, but if the situation worsens, you will have to bear the Tang family’s wrath.’

At that moment, Tang Ak spoke.

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand it.”

“What are you talking about?”

Tang Pae’s face, still fixed on Cheon Wi-ryong, was as hard as a rock.

Tang Ak licked his lips and continued.

“I heard that the Blood Demon Lord’s escort unit moved the moment he was trapped in the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation. I wonder how those guys knew that something had happened to their lord.”

Tang Pae frowned and said,

“Didn’t you hear the beggars of the Beggar Clan talking? They have sorcery that surpasses our imagination. If they were spiritually connected to their lord, they would have realized that they had to move the moment something happened to him.”

“I don’t know if such a study can really exist.”

“I don’t know either. But there’s no need to try to understand what you can’t understand. At least not now.”

“What’s even stranger is their behavior.”

Was it because they were freed from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s terrifying spiritual words?

Unlike his usual self, Tang Ak was quite calm and meticulous.

“Isn’t the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation a technique that even we are seeing for the first time? Yet, they rushed in as soon as they saw that formation.”

“What’s so strange about that?”

“How can that not be strange? They didn’t draw their swords and swing them to break the formation, nor did they strike it with their martial arts. They didn’t even pour demonic energy into it. They just rushed in as if it were the most natural thing to do.”

“……?”

“As if they were certain that doing so would save their lord.”

“……!!”

Tang Pae’s eyes wavered.

Tang Ak was right. Those crazy demons rushed in without even knowing what kind of formation the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation was, and they lost their lives.

‘Come to think of it….’

Even when they saw their comrades being reduced to dust before their eyes, they didn’t panic. They simply offered their lives, as if it were the most natural thing to do, completely consumed by fanaticism.

‘How is that possible?’

Tang Pae exclaimed in admiration.

‘Could they have used a technique similar to the Thousand Mile Transmission?’ [Thousand Mile Transmission is a technique that allows for communication over long distances.]

The Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation is a technique that completely separates the inside and outside of the formation. In fact, it was said that even the flow of time was different inside.

In other words, the inside and outside of the formation were as thoroughly separated as this world and the next, but the Blood Demon Lord was able to ignore even that and use a technique similar to telepathy on his subordinates?

‘He’s truly terrifying.’

If that were true, the Blood Demon Lord was not just a strong master.

He was likely skilled in demonic arts as well as all sorts of sorcery and magic. From the perspective of using the energy of nature, martial arts and magic become blurred as they approach their extremes, but the fundamental difference is clear.

If he had learned both martial arts and magic from the beginning, and if he had reached the ultimate realm because of it.

If that were really the case, then the Blood Demon Lord was the strongest human on earth, with no weaknesses.

Tang Ak said with a gloomy face.

“Damn it, we might really have to pray to the heavens now.”

Tang Pae, who had been lost in thought, turned to Tang Ak.

“What are you talking about now?”

“Aren’t you feeling it too, brother? How terrifying the Blood Demon Lord is.”

“…Yes. The elders of the main family and the branch family captured that terrifying guy.”

“Those two are something, but isn’t the Black Emperor Castle Lord, Yeon Ho-Jeong, a general who has fought the Three Teachings the most in the Murim? [Murim refers to the martial arts world.] I heard that his hatred for the Three Teachings is so deep that it’s incomprehensible.”

“I’ve heard that too. That’s why I can’t understand the current situation even more.”

“That’s right. The fact that the Blood Demon Lord specifically called his subordinates means that he couldn’t escape the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation without them.”

“Of course. No one can escape the Wind Demon Imprisonment Formation.”

“There’s no way the Black Emperor Castle Lord wouldn’t know that.”

Tang Ak sighed.

“If he hates the Three Teachings more than anyone else in the world, he should have let the lord die inside the formation, but he went out of his way to pull him out, even pushing us away. A man who hates the Three Teachings that much.”

“……?!”

“It means there’s something we haven’t thought of… Damn it, we need to know what that is.”

Tang Pae’s eyes widened slightly.

“Something we haven’t thought of?”

“Otherwise, why would the Black Emperor Castle Lord have released the Blood Demon Lord?”

“…….”

“If that’s not the case, it really means that the Black Emperor Castle Lord is in cahoots with the Blood Demon Lord, but considering what the family head said, he’s definitely not that kind of person.”

Tang Ak’s eyes deepened.

“But… honestly, I still don’t trust that man. So, I can’t rule out the possibility that he’s in cahoots with the Blood Demon Lord. And if that’s really the case…”

“…….”

“It means that the Central Plains has to face the next strongest person in the world, who knows the Murim the best and is also the most trusted.”

It was a terrifying statement, but Tang Pae didn’t properly hear Tang Ak’s last words.

‘There’s something we haven’t thought of?’

What on earth could that be?

Tang Pae trusted the family head, Tang Gwan. Because Tang Gwan had told him to trust the Black Emperor Castle Lord, he had stepped back even though he had complaints.

If he wanted something from the Blood Demon Lord.

What on earth could that be?

* * *

“The Four Divine Generals….”

Cheon Wi-ryong’s eyes deepened.

“What is your relationship with the Madman of Four Colors?”

He mentioned the Madman of Four Colors in one breath.

Like the previous Blood Demon Lord he had met in the Qinghai Divine Forest, Cheon Wi-ryong, the current lord, also knew the Madman of Four Colors well.

However, the reaction was quite different.

The previous lord harbored a deep-rooted hatred for the Madman of Four Colors. However, Cheon Wi-ryong was only surprised, and seemed to harbor interest rather than hatred.

Yeon Ho-Jeong saw that the difference stemmed from martial arts.

The previous lord’s martial arts, which were not in perfect condition, were terrifying enough. But Cheon Wi-ryong’s martial arts were even more impressive.

Not only was his realm high, but the perfection of the demonic arts he was practicing was truly astonishing. He hadn’t experienced it yet, but just looking at the density of the demonic energy, it was enough to be considered the best in the world.

And decisively.

‘It’s similar to me.’

The true energy of the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art and the opponent’s true energy resonated strangely.

There was a difference between god and demon, but fundamentally, they shared the same power. He had expected it, but he never imagined that the power he felt would be so unpleasant and yet so nostalgic.

‘Master.’

Beyond Cheon Wi-ryong’s terrifying demonic energy, he could see his master’s face.

‘Master was similar to this as well.’

How great of a martial artist was his master, who had already obtained a complete martial art in his twenties, and who was reborn after meeting the previous Four Divine Generals?

It wasn’t the time to think about it, facing the greatest enemy of his life, but Yeon Ho-Jeong really missed his master.

‘I think I can finally let go of my hatred and resentment.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes became a little clearer.

In the past, he would have swung his axe without question the moment he met the Blood Demon Lord. He would have tried to kill the enemy blindly, burning his whole body with a murderous intent that would evaporate even the sky.

But now, even when facing such a formidable enemy, he felt longing for his master rather than hatred.

At this moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong realized that he had grown significantly.

He realized that he, who had been like a child as a person rather than a martial artist, was now becoming a truly human-like human.

“Why are you silent?”

“You know a lot about the Four Divine Generals.”

“I don’t know about the Four Divine Generals, but I know very well about the crazy traitor who wields the power of four colors. After the war, the Madman of Four Colors was said to have combined the power of four colors to create an amazing divine art.”

Cheon Wi-ryong’s eyes narrowed.

“He took our sect’s Five Colors Hell Art.”

“……”

“I smell hell from you. It’s the same as the abyss that emanates from my body.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a deep breath inwardly.

He had completely let go of his hatred and resentment, but that was in the realm of blind emotion.

The fact that the opponent was one of the leaders of the fanatics who would trample on his homeland was clear. There was no way he could not feel anger and murderous intent towards him.

Yeon Ho-Jeong did not hide those feelings. It was because the opponent was not someone he could hide from.

‘From now on, I am not the Four Divine Generals, but just a disciple of a martial artist who was called the strongest in the history of the Blood Sect.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong glared.

“Your power is truly amazing. It started from the same hellish power, but to be able to branch out in such different ways, it’s just amazing.”

“It’s a power that can go anywhere, god or demon. Even so, it’s amazing.”

Cheon Wi-ryong shook his head.

“They said he was the greatest genius in the history of our sect, but to have created such a complete divine art. We only completed it thirty years ago after several generations, but he completed it alone three hundred years ago and was continuing his lineage like this.”

He didn’t know that Yeon Ho-Jeong was the direct disciple of the Four Directional Emperors.

It was natural. No matter how much he was, it would be hard for him to think that Yeon Ho-Jeong’s master, Cheon In-ryong, had lived for more than three hundred years.

Cheon Wi-ryong looked to his left.

The figures of the Four Kings, who had fallen a hundred paces away, were clearly visible in his eyes.

After looking at them for a moment, Cheon Wi-ryong turned back to Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“Why did you go out of your way to help me, even pushing them away? Without your indirect help, things would have been very difficult, you must know that.”

Cheon Wi-ryong smiled.

It was a smile that was too well-suited to his handsome face, and at the same time, a bizarrely murderous smile.

“Did you want to kill me directly?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“Although I pride myself on being born with the greatest talent in the world, I know that I have not yet reached the ultimate because I do not have enough experience. Even if I wanted to kill you, I am not yet up to your power.”

Cheon Wi-ryong tilted his head.

“Then why?”

“Do you have the leisure to talk like this?”

“What?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s lips curled up.

“You want to get the Great Master, don’t you?”