Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1314

“Devastated, indeed.”

Moyong Gun’s face was grim as he surveyed the ruined village in Hebei.

“Moyong Heon.”

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

“Lead the Tongcheon Unit, the Cheonseong Sword Unit, and the Jisu Unit twenty li [approximately six miles] out. If the enemies come, they will surely bypass this place, the village behind that hill.”

The Tongcheon Unit, Cheonseong Sword Unit, and Jisu Unit were three of the four most formidable martial groups of the Moyong Clan.

“Understood.”

Moyong Gun spoke to Jeong Hwan.

“You will send the merchant alliance forces to the northeast and northwest to set up camp.”

“Are we taking all the forces?”

“Take them all.”

“Understood.”

He had intended to leave the merchant alliance forces behind, but he couldn’t. Although they were under the Martial Alliance, the merchant alliance, being a separate organization, had never trained with the Martial Alliance forces.

Moreover, the merchant group’s combat style was different from that of the Martial Alliance. Due to the nature of the merchant world, where all sorts of infighting were rampant, the combat of the merchant warriors was conducted without regard for means or methods.

In a way, it was similar to the combat style of the dark martial world, making it difficult for them to blend in with the currently tense forces. This was why Moyong Gun had brought the merchant alliance forces to Hebei.

Having finished deploying the clan and merchant alliance forces, Moyong Gun approached Tang Gwan.

“How is your body?”

“……”

“Clan Leader Tang?”

“It’s strange.”

“Hmm?”

Tang Gwan’s eyes deepened.

“A warning bell keeps ringing in my head.”

Moyong Gun’s face hardened.

These were the words of Tang Gwan, whose merchant intuition was unusually developed. It was not something to be taken lightly.

“I feel threats from all directions, but I don’t know how far away they are.”

“Are they already here?”

“Them… yes, I feel the killing intent of those guys we fought. But that’s not all.”

Tang Gwan turned his head south.

“There… no, a little more to the left.”

“……?”

“The air is trembling like crazy.”

Tang Gwan’s eyes trembled.

“It’s so far away, yet it feels so close. A battle is taking place there.”

“That’s towards Shandong. I heard rumors that the Three Sects’ forces have appeared in that direction. The Beggars’ Sect forces are also gathering in Shandong.”

“That’s not it.”

Whoooosh!

A reddish aura surged from behind Tang Gwan.

“That bastard.”

“……?!”

“It’s that bastard’s energy. But it’s amazing. It’s so powerful that I can feel it from this distance… Has he ever burned so fiercely?”

Moyong Gun’s face was filled with surprise.

His sixth sense, honed through the practice of Thunderclap Energy, had transcended the human realm. It was no exaggeration to say it was at the level of Limitless Mastery [a state of martial arts enlightenment].

Yet, Tang Gwan was beyond that.

‘If the unease Clan Leader Tang feels is coming from Shandong, then this is truly incredible.’

Hebei and Shandong were adjacent regions, but the distance between their central areas was vast. It would take an ordinary person several days on horseback, and even a supreme master using their fastest movement techniques would take more than a day.

To feel an aura from that distance meant that Tang Gwan’s merchant intuition was unimaginably profound, and at the same time, Yeon Ho-jeong’s energy was also incredibly powerful.

‘There are only monsters here.’

Moyong Gun’s eyes deepened.

‘Can I really reach that level of depth?’

He had always thought he could reach it someday. He had never doubted that he would reach the realm of Limitless Mastery, though he didn’t know when.

But seeing the abilities of these superhuman beings firsthand, he wondered if it was truly possible.

“The enemies simultaneously attacked the east and north of Jiangsu Province. They even invaded in three directions. Their strategy and forces alone are beyond common sense.”

“……”

“And they split their forces again to deploy them in Shandong. I can’t even imagine the true strength of the Demonic Yin Sect.”

Tang Gwan, who had been silently listening to Moyong Gun, asked abruptly.

“What’s the probability of the Demonic Yin Sect Leader appearing in the East Sea?”

“It was fifty percent, but now I can say with certainty that it’s not.”

“It wasn’t in Shanxi or Shaanxi either. If the Demonic Yin Sect Leader’s power is at least similar to that of the Divine Cult Leader, any battlefield would have been in chaos.”

“Then it must be…”

“Shandong.”

Whoom! Whoom!

The Myriad Return Divine Art [a powerful martial arts technique] blazed fiercely.

“The Demonic Yin Sect Leader appeared in Shandong, and that bastard went there too. And now, I’m feeling that bastard’s energy like never before.”

Tang Gwan’s face was filled with agitation.

“Is he fighting the Demonic Yin Sect Leader?”

Moyong Gun also felt an unknown surge of emotion.

‘Truly, you are something else.’

To protect the Central Plains, he had traversed the world for years, engaging in countless battles and achieving countless victories.

He had even recently accomplished the feat of eliminating the Blood Demon Cult Leader. Although the Blood Demon Cult Leader was superior in terms of raw power, in battle, winning was more important than being skilled.

In other words, by killing the Blood Demon Cult Leader, he had proven his ability to kill a leader-level master of the Three Sects.

And now, he was meeting the Demonic Yin Sect Leader.

‘Honestly, I still feel regret. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to admit it. But no matter how I look at it…’

Moyong Gun smiled wryly and looked up at the sky.

‘You are the protagonist of this Central Plains.’

What was even more astonishing was that he was glad that Yeon Ho-jeong had become someone who could be called the representative of the Central Plains.

“I heard that the guards protecting the Black Emperor are incredibly skilled. Even in the worst-case scenario, they should be able to save at least that one guy.”

“You’re wrong.”

Moyong Gun shook his head.

“As you know, that guy isn’t one to throw himself into a battle he can’t win. He must have gone because he’s confident he can win.”

“Of course, I think so too, but…”

Tang Gwan trailed off.

‘Is that really the case?’

Yeon Ho-jeong hated the Three Sects.

Any person from the Central Plains would, but Yeon Ho-jeong was different. It was as if they were the enemies of his parents and siblings. From the first time they met, he had burned with a fierce hatred for the Three Sects.

Among them, he seemed to think that the Demonic Yin Sect was an absolute evil that should not exist in this world or the next. Naturally, the Demonic Yin Sect was the most hated of the Three Sects.

And now, the leader of that Demonic Yin Sect had appeared?

Win or lose, Yeon Ho-jeong would definitely swing his axe.

At least, that was the Yeon Ho-jeong he knew.

‘Don’t be reckless. Even if you end up dying with the Sect Leader, it’s a loss. Only go if you’re truly confident you can kill him. For any reason, you must not die.’

Half a day later.

“Clan Leader!”

The leader of the Tongcheon Unit, who was stationed in the north, rushed over.

“The enemies have appeared!”

“I know.”

Tang Gwan and Moyong Gun burned with fighting spirit.

Their own battle had begun.

“The enemies may have come to Hebei to occupy it, or they may be trying to infiltrate Shandong. I think it’s probably the latter.”

“I think so too.”

Moyong Gun glanced at Tang Gwan.

“Can you still feel that energy?”

“Yes.”

Tang Gwan looked south with trembling eyes.

“Even after half a day, it’s still there, no, it seems like they’re fighting even more fiercely.”

* * *

Rustle, rustle.

Three figures emerged from beyond the dissipating fog.

But the Ho-jong Guard and Heo Baek only perceived one person.

It was inevitable.

Crumble! Crumble!

Thunder rumbled in the silent world, and the sound of the earth grinding against itself echoed as if from an earthquake.

It was clearly an auditory hallucination. But it was a hallucination that felt too real.

Whoooosh.

The wind that blew was strangely damp.

It was as if the underworld had sent a death god. Evil and deathly energy surged like a flooding river.

‘This is bad.’

Han Jung-myeong’s face turned pale.

Even he, who never lost his composure, felt like his mind and body were collapsing due to the presence of a man walking from dozens of yards away.

If that was the case for him, how would the Ho-jong Guard members fare?

Whoom! Whoom!

More than half of the hundred members instinctively used stealth techniques, only to realize their mistake and cancel them.

Their loyalty to the Black Emperor was absolute. The overwhelming force was so intense that they forgot even their absolute loyalty and used stealth techniques to protect themselves.

Heo Baek also felt his breathing falter under the intense pressure.

‘It’s different.’

He had met many masters while working with Yeon Ho-jeong and running the intelligence unit. Of course, he had seen Limitless Masters several times.

‘It’s different from the Limitless Masters of Seongcheon.’

Temperament, presence, martial arts, soul, gait, atmosphere, gaze, breathing, and so on.

There was nothing that matched anyone else in the world. He knew it at first glance.

Was it simply a different dimension? Yet, he still had a human form.

The appearance of an alien being who had transcended the realm of humans yet retained a human form, but who was unlike any master he had ever met.

‘……!’

At that moment, Heo Baek realized.

‘He’s strong.’

He belatedly realized why the opponent felt so alien.

‘He’s just strong. He’s stronger than the Limitless Masters of Seongcheon. It’s just a difference felt because he’s endlessly strong.’

He couldn’t believe it.

Heo Baek hoped his judgment was wrong. Since he had not yet reached the Limitless realm, he thought it might just be a personal feeling.

But no matter how he looked at it, that wasn’t the case.

The strength of that giant man, who was seven feet tall, was not something only a master could feel.

Even a commoner without a shred of internal energy, even a three-year-old child, could see through the man’s strength. He was someone who unleashed everything he had. He had contained his internal energy, but he was revealing his value by unleashing his innate soul and power without restraint.

Could the number one master of Seongcheon, the powerful monk Mu Heo, face him? What about the Sword Saint Tak Mu-ja, who fought with enlightenment rather than martial arts?

‘This is bad.’

Heo Baek swallowed involuntarily.

The closer the opponent got, the more unstable his mind and body became, and even his internal energy was out of control. Stealth techniques would activate on their own and then suddenly cancel, and his energy would burst out and then suddenly be contained.

It was an absolute power that toyed with even the presence of others. It possessed an endless, evil power, yet the term “Martial God” suited him so well.

‘Lord!’

And in front of such an inhuman being, how was the leader of the Black Alliance holding up?

“Move back two hundred yards.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice was unbelievably calm.

“Hurry.”

“……Lord.”

“If you’re there, I’ll be too distracted to fight properly. Go quickly.”

His voice even had a hint of laughter. He seemed to be more interested in his opponent than nervous.

Heo Baek felt awe. The calm of his lord, who maintained his composure even in the face of such a monstrous being, was truly something that could be said to have reached the heavens.

With the Ho-jong Guard and Heo Baek moved back, only Yeon Ho-jeong remained.

And in front of him.

Finally, the seven-foot-tall man stopped walking five yards away and looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with clear eyes.

“So, this is how it is.”

Demonic Yin Sect Leader, Sa Mun-hyang.

The appearance of a fated rival, stained with death, betrayal, hatred, and resentment.