Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1127

“Cough!”

Blood speckled Chal Geuk-pyeong’s lips as he coughed raggedly.

However, he couldn’t stop and rest here.

Flap! Flap!

The Yeon family’s supreme footwork, the Heavenly Net Step, propelled the Asura’s feet forward.

In an instant, Yeon-wi reached Chal Geuk-pyeong and swung the Imperial Sword.

Flap! Flap! Flap! Flap!

He swung both hands, imbued with the power of the Flame Emperor’s Purifying Art, but countless sword wounds were etched onto Chal Geuk-pyeong’s forearms and the backs of his hands.

It was truly unbelievable. The Flame Emperor’s Purifying Art was at the pinnacle of the Divine Flame Sect’s Purifying Art lineage. If one excluded the teachings of the sect leader, it was no exaggeration to call it the strongest.

From containing fire energy to making the body stronger than steel, it was a martial art that could be called an all-rounder among all-rounders.

Yet, he was being cut. Before the strength of his body, the black sword, crazed with bloodlust, was slicing through the Flame Emperor’s energy, which he had been confident was impenetrable, with such ease.

‘An incredible sharpness!’

Chal Geuk-pyeong quickly retreated and unleashed the Flame Emperor’s Hand, the Flame Demon’s Restraining Path.

Surging fire energy drew a red picture in the air, turning the ground upside down. In an instant, Chal Geuk-pyeong’s surroundings were filled with fire energy.

Only those who had mastered the Yang energy could enter this domain. And even then, anyone who had not surpassed the realm of Heavenly Transformation would be reduced to ashes.

Chal Geuk-pyeong believed this, and that belief was instantly replaced by a sense of betrayal.

If he were to write down the Flame Demon’s Restraining Path’s techniques in a martial arts manual later, he would have to include one exception.

‘If it is a monstrous power, it can enter this domain.’

And Yeon-wi, who had become that very monstrous power, cut through the flames with his mad swordsmanship, reaching right in front of Chal Geuk-pyeong.

Thwack! Whoosh!

The descending sword strikes were not just fierce, but downright evil.

The way he swung was simple, but each strike cut off the opponent’s breath and pulse, and even tried to sever their soul.

It was not a simple sword strike. Yeon-wi’s sword strikes were filled not only with inner energy and enlightenment that had reached the ultimate, but also with a vicious bloodlust that could cut through substances not of this world.

Whoosh!

The bloodlust was more shocking than the martial art itself.

Chal Geuk-pyeong, who was frantically retreating to reorganize his stance, suddenly realized that his movement speed had become slightly slower.

That realization turned into bewilderment, and as soon as he felt the bewilderment, he understood the reason.

‘Bloodlust!’

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s eyes shook.

There was another eight-armed Asura approaching. The unique, clear, and elegant blue energy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was advancing, scattering dark red energy in all directions.

The movements of its arms were slow, yet they left afterimages. The movements of its head were not particularly fast either, yet several faces appeared and then disappeared.

The eight arms became sixteen arms, and the three faces became six faces.

There was no blind spot anywhere. The appearance of the Asura, who had decorated a chapter of Buddhist mythology along with Indra, was majestic and terrifying, as if proclaiming who the true master of the Eight Legions was.

‘Such an absurd demonic art!’

Chal Geuk-pyeong gritted his teeth and swung his palms.

Kwaaang!

Another Fire Dragon Cannon was fired. Not one, but two.

Overflowing power, an impeccable momentum. It seemed impossible to split the two pillars of fire with any martial art.

‘Kill.’

Kill him.

That single, simple, and direct will melted into Yeon-wi’s massive upper dantian [an energy center in the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine], descended like lightning through the Imperial Sword, and bestowed ultimate power.

Yeon-wi unleashed a merciless horizontal strike.

Flash! Rumble!

The two pillars of fire split into four, brushed past Yeon-wi, and caused a massive explosion.

“Just what in the world… !”

Kwaang!

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s fist struck Yeon-wi’s chest.

Even as Yeon-wi spat out blood, he grabbed Chal Geuk-pyeong’s wrist and pulled him, swinging him around.

His massive body spun through the air without any resistance before crashing into the ground.

Bang!

It was as if an earthquake had occurred. But unlike the loud noise, Chal Geuk-pyeong did not receive any impact.

The real shock was in his wrist. Yeon-wi’s grip was getting stronger and stronger, and before he knew it, Chal Geuk-pyeong’s hand had turned dark red.

Thud! Thud!

He wanted to pull it away quickly, but he couldn’t. Yeon-wi was mercilessly stabbing his sword at Chal Geuk-pyeong’s face as he fell.

Even one strike would be enough to kill him instantly. He was avoiding them with his incredible reflexes, but every time the Imperial Sword pierced the ground, the bloodlust that seeped into the earth stirred Chal Geuk-pyeong’s mind.

Finally, a scream-like shout erupted from Chal Geuk-pyeong’s mouth.

“Uwaaaah!”

Flash!

Yeon-wi released his hand and retreated as intense fire energy burst out in an instant.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Dozens of flames rotated around Chal Geuk-pyeong’s body.

It was as if he was manipulating will-o’-the-wisps. It could even be called ghost fire. The small, red and blue flames slowly rotated as if guarding Chal Geuk-pyeong.

“Just what is your true identity!”

Yeon-wi did not answer. He had no time to answer.

He was reversing the inner energy circulation of the Sword Extremity Demonic Art to unleash the Asura Eight Swords. The reverse circulation of the Sword Extremity Demonic Art, which was more righteous than anything else, was similar to the method of generating demonic energy.

The moment that reverse energy combined with bloodlust and turned into demonic energy, Yeon-wi would become a true demon and stain the world with blood.

‘It’s still okay.’

Flash! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

An incredible quick sword strike cut through half of the flames surrounding Chal Geuk-pyeong, causing them to explode.

Yeon-wi, who had charged in like a greedy beast, unleashed the Heaven-Slicing Ghost-Snatching technique of the Asura Eight Swords.

Flash!

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck down.

It was a sword swung towards that descending lightning. Like its terrifying name, which meant to slice through the heavens and pull out ghosts, Yeon-wi’s Imperial Sword moved diagonally, filled with immense bloodlust.

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s Flame Emperor’s Hand created a wave of fire.

Yeon-wi’s descending sword was filled with the force of ten thousand pounds, and Chal Geuk-pyeong’s power, which he had unleashed to block it with the Flame Emperor’s Hand, was no less powerful.

Rumble!

The savage sword strike and the ferocious Yang energy collided, creating a massive shockwave.

The ground within a radius of ten or so yards where the two were standing caved in.

The earth cried out, and the wind raged wildly. The clouds, which had been looking down at the earth with worried eyes, were startled and scattered.

Trickle.

A thin stream of blood flowed down Chal Geuk-pyeong’s lips.

It was an internal injury.

He, who possessed an absolute martial art that forbade approach, had been injured by the martial art of a judge’s sword that had turned into a mere demon. The Fire Essence quickly healed his internal injuries, but Yeon-wi, who did not miss that brief opening, attacked him once more with the Asura Eight Swords.

Chal Geuk-pyeong let out a beast-like shout and swung his fist, and Yeon-wi fought back, creating a sword sound more terrifying than a ghost’s wail.

Thud! Thwack! Thwack! Slash!

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s fist struck Yeon-wi’s torso, and Yeon-wi’s sword and elongated fingernails left merciless wounds on Chal Geuk-pyeong’s body.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Whoosh!

The overflowing powers collided, and the heavens and earth groaned.

Yeon-wi was Yeon-wi, but Chal Geuk-pyeong also thought that he could no longer retreat. The bloodlust that was exploding right in front of him was so vicious that his mind was becoming dizzy, but he had the Fire Essence.

Fire Essence. The foundation of the Divine Flame Sect’s martial arts and a secret technique that enabled ultimate recovery.

As long as his neck was not severed, as long as his internal organs were not completely torn apart, any part of his body could be regenerated. The loss of stamina was unavoidable, but he could prevent himself from becoming crippled.

That one fact brought a new realization to Chal Geuk-pyeong.

‘I just need to endure the bloodlust. Just the bloodlust!’

Even as he thought that, he was dumbfounded. The bloodlust was so intense that even he, who had trained his upper dantian the most among the Flame Kings, felt like he was going insane?!

Bang! Thwack! Slash! Whoosh!

The moment he abandoned defense and attacked, a massive blood storm erupted all over Chal Geuk-pyeong’s body.

Yeon-wi’s swordsmanship, which cut through blood points, vital points, and joint connections as if he had been waiting for it, was so cruel that it was impossible to think that it was a martial art created by a human.

Chal Geuk-pyeong endured the terrible pain and the bloodlust that seemed to blind him, and attacked Yeon-wi’s torso.

Bang! Pop! Pop! Whoosh!

Little by little, little by little.

Yeon-wi’s body was pushed back.

The Asura’s bloodlust was being amplified by Yeon-wi’s power, which was close to the strongest upper dantian in the world, and was being reborn as the strongest killing intent in the world. However, it could not completely bridge the gap in absolute martial arts mastery.

Thwack!

A fist struck Yeon-wi’s face.

It was a direct hit. The blood vessels in Yeon-wi’s eyes burst, and dark red blood gushed from his nose and mouth.

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s eyes widened.

‘Did I win?!’

At that moment, Yeon-wi’s head, which had been turned away, snapped back into place.

Thwack!

Blood foam appeared in Chal Geuk-pyeong’s mouth.

The Imperial Sword pierced his left lung precisely. Yeon-wi’s demonic left hand was gripping Chal Geuk-pyeong’s neck.

Thud! Thwack! Thwack!

With a silent scream, Chal Geuk-pyeong struck Yeon-wi’s face and shoulders.

Yeon-wi’s face became more and more of a mess. But his bones did not break, his teeth did not fly out, and his eyeballs did not shatter.

‘Why! Why!’

At this point, Chal Geuk-pyeong was going crazy. How could he be so unscathed after being hit by a fist that could shatter steel in one blow? Was this really a human?

‘He’s not human! What kind of demonic art did this guy learn!’

It was then.

Thunk!

Yeon-wi, who had drawn his sword, stabbed Chal Geuk-pyeong’s body madly with a cruel smile.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s face contorted as the sword strikes entered his lungs, heart, and liver indiscriminately.

The Fire Essence’s incredible recovery power was nullifying all those sword strikes, but the terrible pain and the bloodlust left behind by the sword strikes were shaking his mind.

‘This bastard!!’

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s hand struck Yeon-wi’s head.

Thud!

It was then.

Whoosh!

A stream of energy, more vicious than bloodlust, rose like the smoke of a candle.

Yeon-wi’s left eye slowly turned red. Not only his pupil but also the whites of his eyes turned blood red.

‘……!!’

At that moment, Yeon-wi regained his senses.

Kwaang!

Yeon-wi, who had kicked Chal Geuk-pyeong with all his might, staggered and knelt down.

“Huff! Huff!”

His breathing became ragged in an instant.

From his face to his arms and legs, there was no part of his body that did not hurt. Even though he had been slowed down and weakened by the bloodlust, it was only natural that he had endured the attacks of a master who had surpassed the ultimate.

“Cough!”

Yeon-wi, who had coughed up a mouthful of blood, raised his head.

Chal Geuk-pyeong, who was covered in blood, was also staggering as he walked. He looked more intact than Yeon-wi, who had put down the Asura Eight Swords, but he also did not look normal.

“You crazy monster… !”

Chal Geuk-pyeong’s face was clearly filled with disgust.

“What are you trying to do now, pretending to be a normal person!”

Yeon-wi, who had slowly stood up, pointed his sword at Chal Geuk-pyeong.

His breathing was still rough, but his eyes, which had been crazed with bloodlust, were as calm as a lake.

“Shall we see this to the end?”

Chal Geuk-pyeong suddenly felt fear.

That one thought quickly grew in size, creating an unstoppable terror.

A man who was more polite and righteous than anyone else had become a demon in an instant, thirsting for blood.

The red demon, who had been laughing white as if he would burst into laughter, had returned to being a human in an instant and was pointing his sword indifferently.

This absolutely mismatched duality was stimulating a primal fear. Chal Geuk-pyeong was confident that he could defeat humans or ghosts, but he was not confident that he could defeat a demon of hell who was soaked in madness.

But…

“Yes, we have to see this to the end, no matter what.”

Fire energy began to surge from Chal Geuk-pyeong’s body again.

“If I catch you, the rest will be a disorganized rabble.”

It was then.

Yeon-wi’s ear twitched, and then he slowly lowered his sword.

Chal Geuk-pyeong reacted sensitively to each of his actions.

“What kind of crazy thing are you trying to do now!”

“The reason to settle this has disappeared.”

“What?!”

Yeon-wi smiled faintly.

“I’ve learned a lot. Let’s go to the River of Three Crossings [a river in Buddhist mythology that the dead must cross] next time.”

“What kind of dog… !”

Whoosh!

Chal Geuk-pyeong involuntarily closed his mouth.

There was a massive energy spreading from the far east.

Kwaang!

The heavens and earth shook from a single fist wind that was unleashed from that far distance.

It was the fist technique of Mu Heo, who had come with the Peng family and three thousand of the Hebei martial arts forces, who had been blocking the eastern defense line of Hebei.