Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1125

The Great Battle of the Three Demons (1)

‘This is difficult.’

On the surface, Yeon-wi maintained a cautious and stern expression, but inside, he was quite perplexed.

‘I knew he’d be strong, but not this strong.’

The swordsmanship he had used against the Qinghong cultists was the Yeoui Breaking Sword, once hailed as the Absolute Three Swords.

Among the Yeoui Breaking Sword techniques, he had unleashed the Yeoui Lightning Flash, the first form, four times in a row.

The Yeoui Breaking Sword consisted of three forms, each requiring a combination of enlightenment and inner energy, so there wasn’t a specific pattern to it.

In other words, it was a sword energy technique that embodied the ultimate enlightenment. Its power was beyond description. If a direct hit was allowed, it would be as powerful as taking all eight stances of the Gentleman’s Eight Sword Styles.

The second and third forms were similar. The difference in power wasn’t significant, and like the name Yeoui Breaking Sword suggested, the user’s enlightenment and will played an increasingly larger role. It was a martial art closer to the Way of the Mind Sword.

He couldn’t just recklessly unleash such a martial art against such a skilled opponent. The consumption of inner energy was a problem, but if the enemy didn’t take the technique head-on, it would be meaningless.

Only after making it unavoidable for the enemy to receive it could it become a finishing move. That was why Yeon-wi couldn’t use the Yeoui Breaking Sword.

“It’s not just his martial arts that are outstanding.”

Chal Geuk-pyeong slowly rotated his shoulders.

He was a giant who looked down on Yeon-wi. His frame was large, and his limbs were long. Despite his massive physique made of solid muscle, he didn’t seem slow at all.

He was a true master who had not only focused on inner energy and enlightenment but had also honed his outer strength to the extreme. He had trained every aspect of himself to perfection, truly deserving of being called the strongest among the Fire Kings.

“He knows how to move at the right time and place. A master like you and I can actually disrupt our own side’s strategy if we carelessly jump into a fight.”

“…….”

“He may not be the best strategist, but as a martial artist, he’s a true powerhouse who has developed without any flaws.”

Yeon-wi, pointing the Imperial Sword at Chal Geuk-pyeong, spoke calmly.

“You talk too much.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve met a master like you. I’m a bit excited. Please understand.”

Yeon-wi knew that wasn’t the whole truth.

‘This guy is fulfilling his role just by keeping me tied up. He knows that without me, it’ll be hard to stop the enemy’s relentless attacks.’

Anxiety rose within him. However, Yeon-wi quickly recognized his state and regained his composure.

Ssssh.

The sharpness emanating from the Imperial Sword gradually increased.

The smile on Chal Geuk-pyeong’s face also disappeared.

‘He’s regained his focus.’

Whoosh.

A reddish fire rose above his shoulders.

The Divine Flame Emperor Art, a guardian divine art that was among the top three in the Divine Flame Sect. The absolute martial art that those without talent couldn’t even begin to learn was slowly revealing its true form.

Yeon-wi’s eyes trembled slightly.

‘As expected.’

With undeniable certainty, he realized.

‘He’s stronger than me.’

In terms of pure martial power, he was inferior. Yeon-wi humbly accepted that fact.

However, there was no rule that the stronger one always wins. Deciding who was strong and who was weak could wait until after life and death were determined.

“…….”

Amidst the chaotic battlefield, only the place where the two stood was filled with silence.

How much time had passed?

Whoosh.

With a light step forward, the Imperial Sword moved smoothly.

At that moment, Chal Geuk-pyeong’s eyes flashed.

Swish!

Reading the moment of Yeon-wi’s movement, Chal Geuk-pyeong charged forward and unleashed the Blazing Palm.

Whoooosh!

Even before the fire energy burst from his palm, he felt as if his entire body was burning.

Yeon-wi’s Imperial Sword drew a circle and a square. The sword path, seemingly complex yet relaxed and natural, instantly created a wall of sword energy.

Bang!

With a loud explosion, Yeon-wi was pushed back.

Chal Geuk-pyeong leisurely chased after Yeon-wi, continuously unleashing the Blazing Palm.

Crack!

The massive pillars of fire that swirled and shot out were like natural disasters in themselves.

Whoosh!

Yeon-wi’s body vanished from the spot like a ghost.

KABOOM!

No fire bomb could produce such power. A large crater formed where Yeon-wi had been standing.

Swoosh!

Using the Heavenly Cloud Movement, Yeon-wi positioned himself to Chal Geuk-pyeong’s side and unleashed the Thirty-Six Styles of the Great Iron Sword.

It was one of the three great sword techniques of the Yeon family. Although its power was less than the other two, it pursued the middle path of the sword, drawing the most ideal sword path.

It was also the sword technique that had previously kept Chal Geuk-pyeong in check. Yeon-wi imbued the sword technique with even stronger inner energy, pressuring Chal Geuk-pyeong.

Chal Geuk-pyeong didn’t just stand there and take it. He immediately used the Fire Dragon Sprint’s movement technique to create distance, then unleashed another Fire Dragon Cannon from the Blazing Palm.

Whoooom!

The low, rumbling sound sent chills down the spine.

The pillar of fire that spun and shot out resembled a dragon.

It seemed that nothing could withstand the massive fire dragon. In fact, it was the strongest energy technique besides the secret techniques of the Blazing Palm.

‘I can’t dodge it.’

Yeon-wi’s eyes half-opened.

‘If I dodge, I’ll be dragged around. I have to cut off the flow here.’

His left hand naturally went behind his back, and he swung the Imperial Sword in his right hand.

It was a solemn and formal swordsmanship, as if painting with a brush on a giant piece of paper. It started by drawing an eight, but then showed a complex sword path as if drawing all four noble plants [plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, often used in East Asian art to represent noble qualities].

The Fire Dragon Cannon and the Gentleman’s Eight Sword Styles collided head-on.

CRASH! BOOM!

It was a martial art that created a picture out of a massive pillar of fire.

He wielded the Imperial Sword like a ghostly brush, erasing the pillars of fire one by one. In the process, his sleeves were burned, and his hair was disheveled, but Yeon-wi’s half-opened eyes showed the same calmness as ever.

Whoosh!

Because of the sudden disappearance of the fire energy, cold air gathered at the point of impact.

Pure admiration appeared on Chal Geuk-pyeong’s face.

“Amazing!”

He had seen people dodge or swallow it with an even stronger martial art, but he had never seen anyone counter the Fire Dragon Cannon by erasing it step by step with a single sword.

It was a scene that shattered the common sense of the Divine Flame Sect’s martial arts. Although they had met as enemies, Chal Geuk-pyeong felt great admiration for his opponent’s martial arts.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Chal Geuk-pyeong, who had instantly closed the distance, wildly swung his fists.

Admiration was admiration, and fighting was fighting. He had intended to tie up the enemy general, but if he could kill him in the process, it would be the best outcome.

The two fists, inheriting the true energy of the Divine Flame Emperor Art, were unleashed eight times in an instant.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

Yeon-wi felt a stinging sensation in his hands.

The Imperial Sword, a treasure of the imperial palace, had withstood Chal Geuk-pyeong’s monstrous martial arts without a single scratch, but Yeon-wi, who wielded it, received a shock that shook him internally.

Slice!

The Imperial Sword created a cut on Chal Geuk-pyeong’s shoulder.

Chal Geuk-pyeong wasn’t flustered. It was amazing enough that he had broken through the Yama’s Eight Fists and inflicted a cut. Besides, when was the last time he had been injured while fighting an enemy?

Anyone could be surprised and lose their composure, but Chal Geuk-pyeong didn’t panic at all and aimed for Yeon-wi’s lower body.

Swoosh!

As his pillar-like leg swept past, a crescent of dust rose into the air.

Yeon-wi, who was floating in the air, unleashed the Flying Eagle Sword Technique.

It was a sword technique practiced by the Yeon family’s Flying Eagle Unit. Compared to the Great Iron Sword or the Gentleman’s Eight Sword Styles, it was of a lower level, but when unleashed by Yeon-wi, who stood at the pinnacle of all swordsmen, it produced a power worthy of being called a divine art.

Swish!

The three swords, curving down like a descending hawk, created cuts on Chal Geuk-pyeong’s shoulder, forearm, and thigh.

Thud!

Even from his collapsed stance, Chal Geuk-pyeong unleashed tremendous elasticity and swung his fist at Yeon-wi.

It was like a giant rock flying faster than an arrow. It was clear that it was an unavoidable blow.

Yeon-wi raised the Imperial Sword to defend.

KABOOM!

It was a shock he had never experienced before.

The moment he received the blow, his vision went white, and he almost lost consciousness. It was not just the violence of the attack, but the power of the fire energy that maximized the explosive force was immense.

Yeon-wi, who had been sent flying back by five yards, quickly regained his stance.

However, Chal Geuk-pyeong was already approaching Yeon-wi’s side. Yeon-wi didn’t need to see it to know that fact.

Whoosh!

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s right palm aimed for Yeon-wi’s head.

It was a moment that was absolutely impossible to avoid. At least, that’s how it looked to Chal Geuk-pyeong.

That’s when it happened.

In a split second, Chal Geuk-pyeong’s eyes caught Yeon-wi’s left arm coiling up like a snake.

‘He’s going to block it? That’s absolutely impossible.’

A blue aura swirled from Yeon-wi’s left palm.

KABOOM!

Another explosion.

Surprisingly, Yeon-wi wasn’t dead. He staggered back, but he was much more intact than expected.

Even more surprising was that Chal Geuk-pyeong, who had launched the attack, had been pushed back five steps further than Yeon-wi.

Sizzle.

Faint smoke rose from Chal Geuk-pyeong’s right hand. He had been burned.

Someone who had mastered the Blazing Yang Art had been burned. It was unbelievable.

Of course, he quickly recovered with the power of the fire essence, but the shock to his mind was considerable.

“What kind of martial art is that?”

Yeon-wi spoke calmly.

“The Reverse Dragon Palm.”

It was the Yeon family’s best counter-attack technique. However, a counter-attack technique meant a technique to counter, not to return the opponent’s martial art as it was.

Within the Great Iron Sword, there was a technique called the Harmonious Energy Sword. Similar to the Wudang Sect’s Borrowing Strength, it was a flexible sword move that returned the opponent’s sword force along with one’s own explosive power.

By incorporating that into the Reverse Dragon Palm, Chal Geuk-pyeong had been the one to suffer damage.

A serious expression appeared on Chal Geuk-pyeong’s face.

‘Just what is this guy?’

He had admired his martial arts and enlightenment, but in a battle to the death, he should have been the one with the advantage.

Yet, he hadn’t been able to land a single fatal blow. Instead, he was even being countered like this. Chal Geuk-pyeong had never imagined that his martial arts would be returned to him in this way.

“Indeed.”

While Chal Geuk-pyeong was hesitating.

“It’s embarrassing to show to others, but after fighting you, I realized that I can’t continue in this state.”

Whoooom. Whoooom.

The sword energy howled.

“With my own enlightenment, nor with a sword path that unravels energy techniques, I can’t overwhelm you, so there’s only one thing left.”

“What?”

Whirrrrr.

The inner energy in Yeon-wi’s dantian [an energy center in the body] began to rotate.

At that moment, Chal Geuk-pyeong felt an unknown eeriness.

‘What is this?!’

The light visible between his opponent’s eyebrows grew brighter and brighter. Unlike before, when it was neat and simple, it was now dyed in a deep color and rotating, looking like a single elixir.

Flash!

Yeon-wi’s half-opened eyes fully opened.

But they were not human eyes.

Swoosh!

The righteous aura of the Judge’s Sword was replaced by the murderous intent of a monstrous god wreaking havoc in the eighteenth level of hell.

Whoosh.

A faint smoke mixed with the breath flowing from Yeon-wi’s mouth.

His head slightly lowered, and a terrifying murderous light flashed from his seemingly downcast eyes.

In an instant, the person had changed. Chal Geuk-pyeong felt goosebumps all over his body.

Swoosh!

Instinctively, he charged forward and unleashed his strongest martial art, the Flame Emperor Hand.

However.

KABOOM!

With a loud explosion, Chal Geuk-pyeong’s hand stopped.

Surprisingly, Yeon-wi’s left hand had grabbed Chal Geuk-pyeong’s wrist.

Slowly raising his head, Yeon-wi’s face was possessed by a three-faced evil god mad with slaughter.

“Let’s finish this quickly.”

Whoosh!