Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1106

So Hyun-jong’s demonic eyes glowed with an unsettling light.

‘Blocked, are we?’ he mused.

It was a surprising development.

The Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers possessed a breakthrough power that ranked among the top three within the Demonic Sound Sect. Moreover, their ranks numbered ten thousand. Although they had suffered significant losses in the initial assault, they still had considerable reserves.

Yet, their advance was gradually being checked. They were no longer tearing through the enemy lines with the same ferocity as before.

‘Their morale is high,’ So Hyun-jong observed.

He could sense it—the powerful military spirit emanating from the enemy’s left and right flanks.

It was like a wildfire, an intense morale that had initially been subtle but now burned fiercely enough to counter the Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers’ deadly aura.

‘But that alone won’t be enough to stop us,’ So Hyun-jong thought, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

Galloping amidst his horse soldiers, he glanced back. In the distance, the Sword Demon of the Central Plains was rapidly closing in, cutting through the rear of the Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers with incredible speed.

‘I suppose he has to be dealt with.’

Masters who had reached the Saintly Demonic Realm actively utilized their upper dantian [an energy center in traditional Chinese medicine].

They had no choice but to do so. The upper dantian allowed them to draw upon divine power using their human bodies. To manifest inhuman strength, they had to borrow power beyond the limits of ordinary humans.

To temporarily seal that upper dantian meant they could not properly access the power they had attained in the Saintly Demonic Realm.

Unfortunately, that tactic had not worked effectively on the Sword Demon. Most of the demonic illusion powder had been burned away by his powerful internal energy.

‘With his senses dulled, he won’t be able to pinpoint my location, so all he can do is smash through the rear,’ So Hyun-jong reasoned.

Indeed, Namgoong Seung was doing just that.

Without a horse, wielding only his sword, the Sword Demon’s martial arts were truly terrifying as he indiscriminately cut down the rear cavalrymen.

So Hyun-jong, weaving through the horses, slung his long spear onto his back and snatched a bow and arrow from a nearby cavalryman.

Fweeeng!

The arrow, shot low, gradually ascended and flew towards Namgoong Seung’s forehead.

Namgoong Seung’s eyes flashed.

“Hah!”

Jjeoeong!

The arrow was deflected by a lightning-fast swing of his sword.

‘Impressive,’ So Hyun-jong thought, unable to suppress a flicker of admiration for Namgoong Seung’s sensitivity.

In such a chaotic environment, with so many people, he had managed to deflect an arrow that had been secretly aimed at him, even after being affected by the upper dantian sealing technique.

His senses might be dulled, but his five senses were still sharp. If he could deflect an arrow shot by him, then a half-hearted ambush would be futile.

So Hyun-jong climbed onto a subordinate’s horse and surveyed the battlefield.

‘A right diagonal formation? They’ve used their heads,’ he noted.

The formation was being disrupted by the enemy’s left flank, which was surging like a wave.

If the formation was disrupted, the cavalry’s unique charging power would inevitably diminish. The Silver Tiger Horse Soldiers were also skilled in individual combat, but they couldn’t afford to waste time in a melee on this battlefield.

So Hyun-jong sent a telepathic message to the demonic soldier general, Gal Yo, who was commanding the entire army in his stead from the center.

[Order a diagonal charge towards the Hwasan bastards on the left. There’s a weakness there.]

The demonic soldier general, Gal Yo, immediately shouted.

“First to third units, attack the left diagonal with a single horn formation!”

His voice was calm, but his demonic will resonated throughout the entire army.

Kwakwakwang! Peobeobeok!

About twenty cavalrymen fell due to the sudden change in formation.

But as before, none of the horse soldiers paid any attention to it. Even the fallen cavalrymen faced death with stoic calm.

Moyong Woo’s eyes flashed.

‘These bastards!’

The units that had been sweeping in a horizontal line instantly shifted into a sharp, spear-like formation.

The speed and decisiveness with which they changed formation were nothing short of terrifying.

“They’re planning to break through the right flank! Split their center!” Moyong Woo shouted.

The leaders of Jongnam also recognized the enemy’s intentions.

“Disrupt their center! We must tie their feet here!” one of them yelled.

Peobeobeobeok!

Arrows shot from the outer flanks swept through about three hundred martial artists of the left flank led by Jongnam.

Sun Woo’s eyes widened.

‘Those bastards!’

It was impressive that they changed formation to charge towards the right flank, but at that moment, the cavalrymen on the outer flanks, who had been chasing the charging formation, fired arrows at the left flank as if they had been waiting for it.

There seemed to be no need for detailed orders. The moment the order was given, they knew exactly what to do.

It wasn’t just about being strong or not. Outstanding martial arts, horses that were no less than demonic beasts, light and sturdy armor, and overwhelming combat experience all came together.

‘There was such a monstrous unit,’ Sun Woo thought, his face grim.

They had been inflicting damage by pressing down with a diagonal formation, but even that had reached its limit.

Peobeobeok! Puwhaak!

The martial artists of the left flank, who had been tearing through the center formation, were dying one by one.

Of course, the enemy’s cavalrymen were also dying, but even in the midst of that, they were still helping to break the formation. A cavalryman who fell from his horse would always take two or three martial artists from the left flank with him to the afterlife.

‘No! We must stop them! If these guys break through the right flank, then Seoseo…!’

It was then.

Jjeoeoeong!

Sun Woo gritted his teeth and stepped back.

The one who pushed him back was a large cavalryman. His helmet was different from that of ordinary cavalrymen.

It was Myo Sa-ha, the commander of the second unit.

“You!” Sun Woo exclaimed.

“Jongnam, are you?” Myo Sa-ha replied.

That was all he said. Myo Sa-ha, who had been leading the outer cavalrymen and firing arrows, immediately charged his horse towards Sun Woo.

Jjeojeojeong!

Spears and swords clashed in succession, emitting a brilliant cry.

Myo Sa-ha’s eyes deepened.

‘He’s strong!’

Even though he had charged with the full weight of his horse, he had only managed to push him back five steps.

Myo Sa-ha, who had attacked the enemy, felt his wrist creak. The recoil from the enemy’s sword was tremendous.

‘Is he the leader?!’ Myo Sa-ha wondered.

Sun Woo’s eyes blazed.

“Try to take this!” he roared.

Bbeonjjeok!

A dazzling sword energy erupted like lightning and attacked Myo Sa-ha.

Jjeoeoeong!

It was an incredibly powerful attack. Myo Sa-ha’s horse was violently pushed to the left by that single strike.

‘This is?’ Myo Sa-ha thought, inwardly shocked.

‘Has Jongnam’s martial arts become this strong?’

Sun Woo’s attacks continued.

Bbeonjjeok! Bbeonjjeok!

The sword energy, so blue it was almost dark, whipped like a lash, cutting through the cavalrymen on the left and right.

Jongnam’s secret techniques, the Flowing Cloud Sword and the Falling Thunder Nine Swords, were unleashed in one breath.

Myo Sa-ha was once again surprised that the power emanating from that slender sword was reminiscent of a giant glaive.

‘Interesting,’ he thought.

Pipipiping!

The cavalrymen following behind fired arrows at Sun Woo.

Sun Woo moved without hesitation.

Jjeojeojeojeong!

The divine sword techniques of the Taiyi Formless Sword deflected all those arrows. It was as if he had eyes on the sides of his head.

Puwhaaak! Peoeok!

Sun Woo, who had deeply reproached himself for his absence during the Jongnam War, fought with a fierce momentum, as if he wouldn’t be defeated this time, as if he would sweep them away with his own hands. It was almost like madness.

Kwakwakwang! Peoeoong!

Sun Woo’s martial arts, which broke through the cavalrymen by stepping forward more than anyone else, were truly dazzling.

Myo Sa-ha was genuinely impressed.

“That’s incredible strength,” he admitted.

“Shut up!” Sun Woo retorted.

Jjeojeojeong! Peoeok!

A deep sword wound was carved into Myo Sa-ha’s thigh, and an arrow pierced Sun Woo’s left shoulder.

Myo Sa-ha was also a master who had achieved his own style, but he was slightly lacking compared to Sun Woo. Thanks to the cavalrymen who were helping him attack Sun Woo, he was still able to survive.

That was the power of the collective.

No matter how much one person rampages, war is a battle between groups. Unless there is an overwhelming difference in power, a difference of about two people can be overcome with the help of allies.

“Sect Leader!” Gu Yun’s cry made Sun Woo’s eyes flash.

“They’ve broken through the center of the right flank!” Gu Yun exclaimed.

Startled, Sun Woo looked at the right rear.

Gu Yun was right. Thousands of cavalrymen had already broken through the center of the right flank and were approaching the rear.

“You’ve played well, Jongnam’s strongman,” Myo Sa-ha said, before joining the charging formation with the cavalrymen.

Sun Woo immediately tried to kill Myo Sa-ha, but the cavalrymen who followed behind didn’t let him.

Kwakwakwakwang! Puwhaaak!

Even more surprising was the situation of the left flank units, which had been split into five groups to smash the enemy’s center.

They had already been swept away by the charging cavalry units and had completely lost their way.

The units that had infiltrated to disrupt the enemy were now isolated from the main force due to the enemy’s single-point breakthrough.

The five panicked units attacked the cavalrymen charging towards the right flank, but they were being slaughtered by those who were charging as one, as if they didn’t care about their lives.

“This can’t be!” Gu Yun gritted his teeth.

“We have to chase them! Somehow!” he urged.

“The left and right flanks, join the right flank! We must strengthen the defense!” Sun Woo commanded.

It was then.

Pa-ba-ba-ba-bak!

Perhaps having judged that it was impossible to find and kill the enemy commander?

Namgoong Seung, who had been breaking through the rear, was now running towards the rear of the right flank, indiscriminately stepping on and crushing the shoulders of the cavalrymen.

Gu Yun shouted without realizing it.

“Senior Nam!”

A terrifying lion’s roar erupted from Namgoong Seung’s mouth.

Uuuuuu!!

It was the cry of the Central Plains’ greatest swordsman, once again igniting the morale of his allies.

Namgoong Seung, who was running while spreading sky-blue true energy all over his body so that everyone could see him, looked like a divine general sent from the heavens.

Yongseon Jin-in gritted his teeth and shouted.

“It’s Senior Sword Demon!”

“The Sword Demon has killed the enemy commander!” someone else yelled.

“Waaaaa!”

In war, sometimes false propaganda is necessary.

Of course, the leaders of Hwasan had no choice but to interpret Namgoong Seung’s return that way. Whatever it was, Namgoong Seung’s appearance explosively raised the morale of the Seoseo martial artists, which had been falling.

Puwhaaak!

Moyong Woo, who had been leading his unit and slowing down the charging formation by moving like lightning from left to right, leaped onto an enemy horse in an instant.

Pipipiping!

Moyong Woo, who had deflected the arrows that were flying as if they had been waiting, saw the rear in the distance.

The former masters of Hwasan were raising dazzling purple sword energy.

‘Did Senior Sword Demon really kill the enemy commander? If so, then this battle, somehow, will be our victory…’ Moyong Woo thought.

It was then.

Moyong Woo’s heightened senses were able to detect a single cavalryman running towards the former masters of Hwasan.

He had no helmet, and his armor was broken and falling apart. But the sight of him running with a ten-foot-long spear was so striking that he stood out even in the midst of the chaos.

‘The enemy commander?!’ Moyong Woo thought, his mind racing.

In that urgent moment, Moyong Woo’s mind instantly interpreted the current situation.

He quickly looked back at Namgoong Seung.

Namgoong Seung had already reached the end of the charging formation and was smashing the cavalrymen.

‘Why?!’ Moyong Woo wondered.

With Namgoong Seung’s skills, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed the enemy commander’s presence.

Moyong Woo instinctively realized that something was wrong with Namgoong Seung.

And that the enemy commander was taking advantage of his abnormality.

At that moment, Moyong Woo made a decision.

“We can’t stop the charging formation! Fall back to the rear of the right flank and deploy a defensive formation!” he shouted.

Kwaaang!

Moyong Woo smashed a cavalryman’s head and flew forward.

Moyong Woo, running as if possessed. The place he was heading was none other than the enemy commander, So Hyun-jong.