Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1077

Whirring.

As Tang Gwan sat in a meditative posture, circulating his energy, a faint red glow began to emanate from his body.

The three days of energy cultivation were coming to an end. Tang Gwan thought,

‘So, this is it.’

He had heard it from Yeon-wi, Yeon Ho-Jeong, and even Mak Won.

Those who reached the pinnacle of martial arts often struggled to maintain their sanity.

The mind, of course, referred to the upper dantian [an energy center in the body, associated with the mind and spirit], but it wasn’t just about the upper dantian.

The upper, middle, and lower dantians were organically connected, and if one was damaged, it would cause significant problems for the others.

Strangely, Yeon-wi and Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t show any such signs.

Tang Gwan now understood the reason.

‘That rascal has mastered a special martial art. From the beginning, he trained in a divine art that activates the entire body, making it extremely powerful. The middle dantian, the five viscera and six entrails, are overwhelmingly robust, so naturally, the upper and lower dantians also boast an iron-clad strength.’

What about Yeon-wi?

‘Before reaching the pinnacle, Yeon Gaju [a respectful title for a family head or leader] had already given up everything. With the relief of raising his children well, he lost himself as a swordsman. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it an extreme inner demon. Overcoming such an inner demon and reaching the pinnacle, he obtained an unchanging upper dantian.’

But he was different.

His body was fully prepared to reach the pinnacle. From physical training to internal energy, he was more robust than the Yeon family father and son.

However, his upper dantian couldn’t keep up with the perfection of his body.

Of course, his upper dantian was as well-managed as any master’s, but even with his essence, energy, and spirit unified, its capacity didn’t match the middle and lower dantians.

In that process, he broke through to the pinnacle in an instant with a flash of enlightenment.

Surprisingly, the divine art he created in a moment of enlightenment was based on the upper dantian.

The suddenly expanded upper dantian wasn’t properly filled with divine energy. The vessel and the path for water to enter were created, but there wasn’t much water to fill it.

The weak upper dantian shocked the middle dantian, and naturally, he lost control of his emotions.

‘This is it. This is the true form of the Myriad Return Divine Art.’

The Myriad Return Divine Art, created immediately after reaching the pinnacle.

However, following his father Tang Hyeong’s advice, he deeply studied the Tang family’s Supreme Method.

The Supreme Method was one of the basic martial arts that Tang family members, who specialized in hidden weapons, learned from a young age. It improved eyesight and concentration.

Tang Gwan also entered the world of hidden weapons through the Supreme Method. But now, the Supreme Method he was rereading was the missing piece that perfectly filled the gaps in the Myriad Return Divine Art.

The Myriad Return Divine Art was a martial art that freely manipulated the vast upper dantian, but it was also a double-edged sword that used the upper dantian’s divine energy without regulating its amount.

The Supreme Method, a basic art that repeated concentration and relaxation, played a crucial role in correcting the balance of the Myriad Return Divine Art.

With this, Tang Gwan was able to complete the Myriad Return Divine Art.

Swoosh.

Tang Gwan rose from his spot and headed straight for the family head’s chamber.

It was a timely moment. From afar, a familiar presence was rushing towards him at a terrifying speed.

“I am here.”

The sound from Tang Gwan’s mouth echoed throughout the inner courtyard, beyond the family head’s chamber.

The startled presence turned back towards the family head’s chamber.

Thud!

The door opened, and Tang Yun appeared.

“Brother!”

“Your cultivation was too long. So, what is it?”

Tang Yun’s face was truly grave. Naturally, Tang Gwan’s face also hardened.

“It’s a disaster! It’s reported that five thousand demonic soldiers are descending from the Qilian Mountains in Gansu!”

“Demonic soldiers?”

“Yes. Their descent speed is incredible! They’ve covered the distance from Yumen Pass to Dunhuang and Jiuquan in just two days!”

“… !”

“Moreover, it’s reported that they’ve completely destroyed the area in those two days! Thousands of civilians have lost their lives to the demonic soldiers’ attacks!”

A murderous intent flared in Tang Gwan’s eyes.

“Those crazy bastards!”

He had no doubt that this war would start in the Central Plains first.

But they had come down first.

“We received information recently that experts, presumed to be enemy forces, are approaching from the Jilin area as well.”

Tang Gwan calmly asked,

“How are the imperial palace, the Martial Alliance, and the Black Imperial Castle responding?”

“The imperial palace’s movements are still unknown, but they must have noticed it before us and are making their own preparations. The Martial Alliance has dispatched thousands of troops, and the Black Imperial Castle’s lord and several top experts have headed to the imperial palace.”

“I see.”

Tang Gwan could clearly grasp how the situation was unfolding.

“A feint to the east, attack to the west.”

The Gansu and Qinghai areas were far from the central part of the Central Plains, so the activities of informants were also sparse.

But it wasn’t the same for Jilin Province. The martial world’s informants distributed in Jilin and Liaoning were fewer than in Qinghai or Gansu. Moreover, since the Kunlun Sect was in Gansu, they could react quite sensitively in central Gansu.

“They’ve diverted attention. Knowing that there aren’t many eyes in Jilin and Liaoning, they’ve made a grand appearance to grab attention.”

“… !”

“Thus, the Three Teachings’ tactic was to make the main experts and informants focus there, while another force moved to break through the Central Plains’ head in one go.”

Tang Gwan gritted his teeth.

“It’s too simple, but it was a really effective move.”

Sometimes, simple things are much more effective than complex strategies and tactics.

That was the case now.

The leaders of the martial world had no doubt that the war would begin with the Central Plains launching an attack first. Of course, they had prepared for the possibility, but the war preparations themselves were based on the idea of a preemptive strike.

The Three Teachings must have known that as well. It didn’t make sense that they didn’t know. They hadn’t moved until now.

Furthermore, they must have been fully prepared as well.

However, they were prepared to be attacked, not to strike first. That was clear from their movements so far.

Yet, the attack came at such an unexpected moment?

“There’s always a protruding stone.”

The person who entered the family head’s chamber without a sound was Tang Hyeong.

He looked a little, just a little, more gaunt than before, but his eyes were even clearer and deeper.

“I heard that the Three Teachings are one but three. They’re just in a cooperative relationship, not truly one?”

“That’s what we know.”

“Then the situation is simple. One of them couldn’t stand it and poked first.”

Tang Yun cautiously asked,

“Is there a possibility that this is also a tactic to deceive us?”

“If we’re talking about possibilities, it can’t be completely ruled out. But the chances of that are extremely low. Isn’t that right, Family Head?”

Tang Gwan nodded.

“This isn’t a battle of wits in a life-or-death duel, it’s war. The importance of the first battle in a war is immense. To abandon that and choose a double tactic isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Even in a battle between sects, it’s difficult to catch them off guard. In an actual fight, the changes between large formations may be unpredictable, but tactics like deceiving the enemy to trap their forces in a quagmire or dividing one’s own forces to deceive the enemy aren’t easy to pull off. Not to mention in a national-level war fought across the entire continent.”

“The fact that they used the feint to the east, attack to the west tactic and actually achieved its effect shows the Three Teachings’ power is considerable.”

“The Family Head has seen it very accurately. Even if a protruding stone made a sudden move, the fact that they immediately deployed troops in response means that there are great strategists in the other two places.”

Tang Hyeong stroked his beard.

“Well-trained armies are bound to react quickly like this. Those guys, they’ve really prepared for war properly.”

Tang Yun swallowed hard and said,

“Then what should we do? We don’t know their level of martial arts, but there are as many as five thousand of them. Moreover, the fact that they’ve charged through that distance in two days, destroying everything, means that the enemy’s level is considerable, doesn’t it?”

“It would be.”

“Isn’t it too dangerous to leave it to the Kunlun Sect alone?”

Of course, it was dangerous.

But Tang Gwan couldn’t rashly say he would go help.

“Brother?”

Instead of the silent Tang Gwan, Tang Hyeong spoke.

“Sichuan is geographically strong against foreign invasions. That’s the same for martial artists. But Sichuan has the disadvantage of not being able to predict the enemy’s speed and troop strength.”

“Yes?”

“If they had entered from western Sichuan, it would be understandable. If they had broken through such rough terrain and mountains, it would mean that the enemy’s level is unprecedented.”

“…?!”

“But if they came through Gansu? There are vast basins and plains in eastern Sichuan. The moment the enemies spread around that area, it’s difficult to measure the damage to civilians.”

Tang Hyeong looked at Tang Gwan and said to Tang Yun,

“Right now, the Family Head is worried because he doesn’t know whether the enemy will break through from Gansu into Sichuan or continue south.”

Tang Yun said,

“It’s a problem if either place is breached. If the demonic soldiers ignore the Kunlun Sect’s forces and charge into Shaanxi, what will happen then?”

“It’s not an easy choice. If that happens, the demonic soldiers will have to fight while being sandwiched between the Kunlun Sect chasing from above and the Zhongnan and Huashan Sects in Shaanxi. If we go to help Kunlun, they’ll have to face us as well. No matter how great their power is, it’s not an easy choice to make…”

It was then.

Another warrior rushed in to report.

“Urgent news! It’s reported that ten thousand unknown cavalry are descending from the northern end of Shaanxi!”

Tang Gwan gritted his teeth.

Tang Hyeong’s face became grave.

“So, it means that the troops sent from the two places weren’t combined, but were in charge of completely different areas.”

He was mistaken because of the numbers.

Each of the Three Teachings was said to have the power to compete in a one-on-one match with the Central Plains martial world, but even so, it was hard to believe that such power was hidden in a single religious group.

Tang Hyeong also thought so, and most martial artists would think similarly.

It was unknown how many troops they actually had each.

But if there were five thousand in the northeast, five thousand in the northwest, and ten thousand in the north, that would be a total of twenty thousand.

Twenty thousand troops. And it was highly likely that all of them had trained in martial arts.

It could be seen as a deployment to crush the first battle. From a global perspective, it could be said to be an overly hasty troop deployment, but for those who had to stop them at the front lines, it was a number that made their blood boil.

“What should we do, Brother?”

Tang Hyeong also looked at Tang Gwan.

He was his son, but he was the family head. The Supreme Family Head would also move according to the family head’s decision.

Tang Gwan, who had been lost in thought, suddenly looked at Tang Hyeong.

Tang Hyeong smiled.

“It’s not for a novice, who has only just begun, to worry about a senior who has reached the pinnacle decades ago, just because his body is a little worn out.”

Tang Gwan said to Tang Yun,

“Give orders to the Green Wind Squad and the Green Water Squad. I and the two squads will immediately depart for Gansu.”

“B-Brother!”

“Sichuan will be entrusted to the Qingcheng and Emei Sects, and…”

Tang Gwan’s eyes turned back to Tang Hyeong.

“To the Supreme Family Head.”