Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1282

“Gi Woo-Hwan!!” Gi Cheon-Woong had targeted Gi Woo-Hwan from the very beginning. It was inevitable. This fight had erupted because of his own inadequacy and his son’s failings. Since the two people who needed to take responsibility were present, the fight would naturally end if one of them fell. And even beyond that, Gi Cheon-Woong could not forgive his son, who had been blinded by power, betrayed his father, and plunged the Mythical Order into the depths of evil. Peopeopeopeong! The Flame God Swords of the Mythical Order were fired at Gi Cheon-Woong. Even though he was clearly the former leader they had once served, they showed no hesitation in their attack. That was the reason why the Mythical Order was so strong. They were capable of doing anything if ordered, no matter who the target was. Red flames ignited in Gi Cheon-Woong’s blue eyes. He lightly swung his hand from left to right. Kwa kwa kwang!! The combined sword energy of the Flame God Swords was completely annihilated and scattered. Within that simple motion was a profound understanding that shook the heavens. Although he couldn’t unleash the Azure Flame Divine Art from the start due to the limitations of his upper dantian [an energy center in the body], he was still one of the three leaders who had stood shoulder to shoulder with Cheon Wi-Ryong and Sa Moon-Hyang. Gi Cheon-Woong’s foot stomped on the head of one of the Mythical Order warriors. Uduk. With a light cracking sound, the warrior’s head caved into his chest. Uduk! Ududuk! In just three steps, he had broken through five hundred men. And every warrior crushed under those three steps had their heads smashed, dying instantly. Paaaaaaang! Gi Cheon-Woong flew forward, leaving a sonic boom in his wake. He was truly a ‘Fire Heaven.’ Like the weightless fire he had described to Jin Yang, he flew with a sense of boundless freedom. And finally, the moment he reached the palanquin where Gi Woo-Hwan was riding. Kwaaaang!! A sudden explosion erupted. The source of the explosion was a cannon firing a fire bomb from the front of the palanquin. Bringing a cannon on a palanquin was something that didn’t exist in Gi Cheon-Woong’s time. Over a dozen Mythical Order members caught in the blast lost their lives on the spot. But neither Gi Woo-Hwan nor the Mythical Order warrior who fired the cannon cared about the deaths of their comrades. The opponent was Gi Cheon-Woong, a master who had embodied all the martial arts of the Mythical Order. Such sacrifices were only to be expected. Hook! Even that failed. Whether he had anticipated the fire bomb or his protective energy was too strong to be affected, it was unknown. The important thing was that Gi Cheon-Woong had not suffered any damage. Only his sleeves were slightly scorched, but his golden hair and the red glow in his blue eyes still radiated a beautiful majesty. ‘Is it unavoidable?’ A twisted smile appeared on Gi Woo-Hwan’s face. ‘I actually wanted to fight you, Father.’ Uuuuuuung. A blue power surged from deep within his dantian. The terrifying heat that spread through his limbs and bones, the fire energy he had stolen by burning countless people, had greatly increased the density of his Fire Essence [a core energy source]. “Your era is over!” Gi Woo-Hwan’s right palm moved like lightning. In that instant, Gi Cheon-Woong’s eyes wavered. He had seen the blue flames swirling in the center of the palm. ‘Azure Flame Divine Art!!’ Beonjjeok! Kwaang! A streak of blue light shot out in a straight line, piercing through Gi Cheon-Woong’s sleeve and embedding itself into the ground. Chiiiik! The blue force that pierced the earth melted the ground. It was a terrifying fire power, an astonishing palm technique. Although there were many earth-shattering fire techniques within the Mythical Order, none were as vicious as this. “You dare!” Kwaaaang! The roof and walls of the palanquin were completely blown away. The blue flames erupting from his entire body were as wild and destructive as the hellfire of the underworld. A flame of death that no ice technique in the world could extinguish, the dangerous blue fire, which seemed as if it would burn its master, was licking around like a snake’s tongue. “You have created a truly amazing martial art, Father. The Azure Flame Divine Art is like the essence of our Order’s martial arts.” Murderous intent filled Gi Woo-Hwan’s eyes. “You created such an amazing martial art, yet you didn’t pass it on to your son because of your greed!” “You fiend!” Gi Cheon-Woong’s hands moved forward. It was the Mythical Order’s ultimate technique, the Blazing Fire Palm. Kwaaaang! With an explosion, shattered flames spread in all directions. Surprisingly, the Blazing Fire Palm was completely disintegrated and scattered by a single gesture from Gi Woo-Hwan. Even if there was a difference in fire power, Gi Cheon-Woong should have had the upper hand in internal energy, yet that power had been easily broken down. Gi Woo-Hwan smiled coldly and kicked off from the palanquin. The moment he moved, he was already right in front of Gi Cheon-Woong. The two men’s fists were swung indiscriminately at each other’s faces and upper bodies. Kwa kwa kwang!! Explosions erupted continuously, and the flames that had not been extinguished spread across the sky and earth. It was a battle of fire against fire, a battle between father and son. If one only looked at their achieved levels, Gi Woo-Hwan was no match for Gi Cheon-Woong, but Gi Cheon-Woong, whose upper dantian was damaged, still couldn’t unleash his full power. Moreover, Gi Woo-Hwan was using the Azure Flame Divine Art to its extreme. The Azure Flame Divine Art was the pinnacle of all fire techniques, and even if Gi Cheon-Woong poured out all the fire techniques of the Mythical Order, it would be difficult to match the Azure Flame Divine Art. Kwaaaang! Gi Cheon-Woong’s body was sent flying far away by a spinning kick. Gi Woo-Hwan didn’t let it go. His father was not someone to be taken lightly, not someone who would die from this one blow. Beonjjeok! His change of direction in mid-air was effortless. He instantly caught up to Gi Cheon-Woong and shouted. “Your greed created this situation!” Kwaang! “So I thank you! If not for your greed, I wouldn’t have even thought of usurping the position of leader!” Kwakwang! “But you must know! How much your small-mindedness has ruined our Order!” Kwa kwa kwang!! “We are fire! The warriors of our Order are fighters! You tried to suppress the beasts that must be burned away, and that’s why our Order is in this state!” Peoeoeoeong! Gi Cheon-Woong was pushed back continuously by the various palm strikes based on the Azure Flame Divine Art. He was already far from the battle with the Mythical Order warriors. That was how destructive and powerful Gi Woo-Hwan’s attacks were. ‘He is strong, indeed.’ Fire consumes fire. Fire techniques also possess this characteristic, so a stronger fire technique can absorb a lower fire technique to amplify its own power. In other words, the Azure Flame Divine Art was a supreme martial art specialized in dealing with all fire techniques in the world. Its characteristics were similar to demonic arts, where a higher demonic art overwhelms a lower one. ‘But that’s not the end of it.’ Although it was a martial art created to aim for the pinnacle of all fire techniques, the Azure Flame Divine Art was also a martial art of enlightenment. It was also a demonic art. ‘The enlightenment of the Azure Flame Divine Art is about becoming one. It’s about making any fire my own, creating a perfect unity, and amplifying the fire power itself.’ Gi Cheon-Woong’s body trembled. The power was too outstanding to simply block and deflect Gi Woo-Hwan’s palm strikes. ‘But fire is a double-edged sword, a means to harm the enemy and also to harm oneself. To distinguish between the two, I brought the enlightenment of the Taoist Heart Art [a method of cultivating inner energy] and completed it.’ The reason why it was called a demonic art even though it followed the formulas of the Taoist Heart Art. It was because it had made the already extreme fire techniques of the Mythical Order even more extreme. ‘When fire meets fire, it becomes fire. Fire is always one. That’s why… it’s dangerous.’ The power of the Azure Flame Divine Art cannot be handled without the Fire Essence. The Fire Essence is the essence of fire, and it makes the human body out of fire. The reason why the recovery ability develops so extremely as the achievement of the Fire Essence deepens is because of that. Fire doesn’t go out when it’s cut. However, the Fire Essence burns the human body and collapses the upper dantian over time. It was natural since it was a secret technique that even drew spiritual power to restore the body. What if the Azure Flame Divine Art was added to that Fire Essence? The fire power at the end would soon push the power of the Fire Essence to its limit. The Fire Essence at its extreme would turn into a demon that consumed human lifespan and destroyed the upper dantian even faster. That’s why the Azure Flame Divine Art was only half-complete. Because it could not be practiced without the Fire Essence. That’s why the Azure Flame Divine Art was a demonic art. Because even if practiced with the Fire Essence, it would lead to destruction, and if practiced without the Fire Essence, it would inevitably lead to death. ‘The fact that fire and fire are one means that my body is also like fire. But we are human. Humans cannot become fire. The Azure Flame Divine Art, which could be completed thanks to the formulas of the Taoist Heart Art that sees me and the world as one, is a demonic art because it was completed.’ Hwaaaak! Kwaang! Gi Cheon-Woong finally spat out blood. The blood that was spat out was immediately vaporized by the Azure Flame Divine Art. “How futile!” Uuuuuuung!! The fire energy poured out, and his voice echoed. Gi Cheon-Woong felt his vision blurring. Gi Woo-Hwan’s voice and fire energy were shaking his mind. “You tried to fight me with just this much power! With such a pathetic martial art!” Kwaang! Gi Cheon-Woong retreated again, bleeding. Chiiiiik! He thought he had blocked it with the Blazing Fire Palm, but a blow that had pierced through that shield struck his chest. White smoke rose from his chest. Even the power of the Golden Restraint Divine Art could not stop the power of the Azure Flame Divine Art. “Die now!” Gi Cheon-Woong looked at Gi Woo-Hwan. Gi Woo-Hwan’s face, as he swung his right fist filled with fire power, was filled with joy. But Gi Cheon-Woong could see it. The terrifying madness that was hidden in Gi Woo-Hwan’s eyes. ‘So, that’s how it was.’ He had wondered. He had a feeling that was closer to certainty than doubt, but he still wondered. But seeing it directly like this, he could now be sure. ‘The fire energy of the Fire Essence has invaded his brain.’ The source of fire energy is the heart. The heart is like a symbol of life force, and the reason why the Fire Essence is located in the area close to the heart is because that is where the fire energy resides. However, if the fire energy flows backward and rises to the brain in the process of the Fire Essence drawing spiritual power, the person goes mad. Of course, such a thing rarely happens. ‘The fire energy flowed backward because of the Azure Flame Divine Art, which spreads fire energy throughout the body.’ Sadness appeared on Gi Cheon-Woong’s face. Even when he was driven out of the position of leader, Gi Woo-Hwan did not show such madness. He had expelled his father with a sound mind. If that was the case, he should have used that sound mind and vision to make the Mythical Order greater, so why did he appear before him in such a state? Why had his son changed so much? ‘It’s all my fault.’ Gi Cheon-Woong closed his eyes. ‘In the end, it’s all my fault.’ Gi Woo-Hwan’s fist struck Gi Cheon-Woong’s chest. Kung! At that moment, Gi Woo-Hwan’s face, which had been wearing a triumphant smile, hardened. Chiiiiik! The Azure Flame Divine Art that had been emanating from the fist that touched Gi Cheon-Woong’s chest was instantly collapsing and being sucked into Gi Cheon-Woong’s body. “Have you forgotten?” Gi Cheon-Woong’s hand naturally grabbed Gi Woo-Hwan’s wrist. In that instant, Gi Woo-Hwan felt a chill run down his spine. Udu duduk! “Keuek!” His wrist was broken. It was an unbelievable grip strength. “I am the one who created the Azure Flame Divine Art.” Gi Cheon-Woong’s red eyes gradually turned blue. “A tributary can never surpass the main stream.” His fist struck Gi Woo-Hwan’s chest. Kwaaaang! With an explosion, Gi Woo-Hwan’s body was sent flying twenty yards away.