Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1137

Even with considerable losses, the Divine Light Church forces were retreating, and Yeon-wi quickly headed towards Master Mu Heo.

Master Mu Heo also looked bewildered. He had been pressuring Cheol Heum-gi with his martial arts at the divine level, but even Cheol Heum-gi was retreating with five thousand troops, so he couldn’t help but be flustered.

“Master!”

“Martial Chief.”

Peng Mu-gang and the forces of the Hebei martial alliance had also stopped chasing the enemy.

“What is going on?”

“The remaining forces of the Three Sects that attacked Gansu and Shaanxi are attacking the west gate of the imperial palace!”

Master Mu Heo silently activated his Prajna Great Ability [a Buddhist concept referring to wisdom or insight].

With his ability, he could tell that a major battle was taking place at the west wall just by concentrating his mind. However, the fact that he was using the Prajna Great Ability meant that his senses had been dulled by the soaring killing intent.

After a moment.

“Indeed.”

A shadow fell over Master Mu Heo’s face.

“That energy seems to be from the supreme commander.”

“That’s right. The Black Demon Castle Lord is leading the Golden Sky Cavalry against the enemy forces.”

“That means…”

Peng Mu-gang took over Master Mu Heo’s words.

“The retreat of the Divine Light Church may be a temporary regrouping of forces, or it may be to lure the Northern Army.”

Yeon-wi nodded.

“The Black Demon Castle Lord had predicted the enemy’s attack in advance and made thorough preparations. However, the Divine Light Church forces did not know that.”

“Hmm.”

“In other words, this is to lure us. It means to leave the west side being attacked and come after them.”

Master Mu Heo’s eyes deepened.

“Then, we should immediately turn our forces…”

“Impossible.”

Yeon-wi said firmly.

“If we head west, the retreating Divine Light Church forces will attack the north wall again. If they target the gap in our forces, the two masters of the enemy who have reached the Limitless realm [a martial arts realm signifying immense power] will directly lead the charge and break down the wall.”

“… !”

“Also, our soldiers are too exhausted to chase after them.”

Master Mu Heo sighed.

“Then, are you saying we should just leave the retreating Divine Light Church forces and the battle in the west alone?”

Yeon-wi nodded.

“That’s right.”

His son was fighting there. It wouldn’t be easy to say that they shouldn’t send reinforcements, but Yeon-wi was resolute.

“Before we set out, the Black Demon Castle Lord said, no matter what happens, don’t be surprised and stay in your positions.”

“…”

“It means that the Black Demon Castle Lord has his own plan, and he gave the order as the supreme commander. If we disperse or withdraw our forces from here, it would be tantamount to insubordination.”

“But…”

Peng Mu-gang said cautiously.

“How about sending even the Hebei forces to help?”

“The Hebei forces are indispensable in this northern battle. If a commander’s battle were to break out, the Hebei forces are essential to face the numerically superior enemy forces.”

Peng Mu-gang’s eyes wavered.

His son, known as the Black and White Demon and the most famous master in the current martial world, was still a father who couldn’t help but be anxious.

Yet, the fact that he was speaking so firmly meant that he trusted Yeon Ho-jeong, but also that he was trying to see the situation as calmly as possible.

Yeon-wi said, trying to remain calm.

“The reason I blew away that small mountain was to see if the enemy would use any tactics such as flanking maneuvers even if they retreated, to secure a wider battlefield through the Hebei forces’ surprise attack to disperse the enemy as much as possible, and to expand our view so that we can directly see where we can strike the enemy’s rear from the northern wall at the decisive moment.”

“…”

“We just need to fight our own battle. Since they have retreated, let’s take a break for a while.”

* * *

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s killing intent spread in all directions.

It wasn’t the unique fiery killing intent he had shown against the Three Sects.

A dignified and restrained, yet wide-ranging general’s killing intent.

Heeheeheeing!!

The Silver Demon Cavalry’s horses all faltered and trembled at the Black Blood Divine Horse’s grotesque cry.

The first unit commander was flustered.

“What? Why suddenly…?”

Crash!

It was a charge with a different level of power than before.

Due to the Divine King Ki [a type of internal energy], he was forced to obey Yeon Ho-jeong’s orders, but that didn’t diminish the Black Blood Divine Horse’s durability.

Rather, the Black Blood Divine Horse, which had temporarily gained a more powerful outer shell by being surrounded by the Yellow Dragon Ki [another type of internal energy], didn’t even get a scratch despite being hit by numerous spear and sword strikes.

‘Good.’

Whoooosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s momentum, wielding the Mad Dragon Axe along with the Black Blood Divine Horse, was also stronger and more splendid than before.

He had a comrade, albeit forced, to fight with. An invincible horse that didn’t get scratched and didn’t know fear. That fact further solidified Yeon Ho-jeong’s will, and the mindset of fighting together deepened the density of the Divine King Ki.

There is a limit to human will. The existence of the Black Blood Divine Horse, which charged with invincible power, became the starting point that ignited Yeon Ho-jeong’s will, which had reached its limit, even stronger.

Clatter!

The demon soldiers were helpless against the Mad Dragon Axe and the Coiling Dragon Chain, which were wielded as if possessed.

There was nothing they could do. Even if they wanted to form a formation, there was no effective formation against an enemy in the middle of their main camp, and the enemy was too strong to push and attack.

And one more thing.

Twitch! Twitch!

The demon soldiers, who were trying to stop Yeon Ho-jeong by urging their horses, felt bewildered.

The horses’ condition was not the same as usual. They followed orders somehow, but their movements themselves had become sluggish.

It was because of the Black Blood Divine Horse.

The king of all horses was emitting a different aura than before and letting out a cry full of anger.

Since the aura was different, they could see it as not their master, but the demonic energy pulsating within their bodies was clearly that of their master.

That fact was making the horses’ movements sluggish. They were confused about whether the target was someone they should attack or not.

For Yeon Ho-jeong, it was an unexpected benefit.

Clatter!

The path was wide open with the techniques of the Stormy Rain Dragon, which poured down like a storm.

Lee Gwang’s eyes widened.

“Supreme Commander!!”

“Attack the rear! Push them to the wall!”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s cry echoed throughout the battlefield.

It was the order of a great general mixed with the Yellow Dragon’s inner energy. It was such a powerful voice that the huge wall rumbled for a moment and poured out stone dust.

Lee Gwang gave the order as if possessed.

“Golden Sky Cavalry, attack the rear! Drive the enemies to the wall!”

“Waaaaa!!”

The existence of Yeon Ho-jeong charging on the Black Blood Divine Horse reminded them of a general from an old legend who broke through a hundred thousand troops.

It was a sight that couldn’t help but make their blood boil just by looking at it. On top of that, they heard a majestic voice that swept through the battlefield, so the Golden Sky Cavalry regained their vigor in an instant and began to charge towards the rear.

The unit commander shouted.

“Chase them and kill them!”

They were already being pressured from the front and the rear. Even if they attacked the rear with courage, the enemy pushing from the front was still there.

In a battle, morale is important, but morale doesn’t solve everything.

The Silver Demon First Unit, who had raised their killing intent at the unit commander’s cry, chased after the Golden Sky Cavalry and swung their spears.

Thud thud thud!

Several dozen Golden Sky spearmen screamed and fell.

Still, they ran. Lee Gwang didn’t look back.

Rather, he encouraged the cavalry with a loud voice.

“The Supreme Commander has killed the enemy’s commander! We have already won this battle!!”

“Waaaaa!!”

They were pouring oil on the burning courage.

The speed of the Golden Sky Cavalry, who were charging while shouting, was getting faster and faster. The horses, whose courage had been infected by their masters, were foaming at the mouth and increasing their speed.

And at an even faster speed than them, Yeon Ho-jeong was chasing after the Golden Sky Cavalry.

Boom boom boom!

Now, there was nothing else to hear except for the explosions.

‘This is it.’

While freely wielding the Mad Dragon Axe and the Coiling Dragon Chain, he used the Blood Wind Dance from time to time to relieve the pressure from the approaching enemies.

He was a master at handling the axe and the chain, but Yeon Ho-jeong realized anew that he had shortcomings.

During his time as the Black Demon Emperor, he had faced enemies on horseback many times, but he had never used such diverse attacks and covered such a wide range.

But now, as he broke through the enemy forces alone, he was seeing the end of the Mad Dragon Axe and the Coiling Dragon Chain’s utilization. It was a level of subtlety that was being embodied at an instinctual level. The power of the weapons was still the same, but because he was targeting the enemy more skillfully and subtly, the speed of the follow-up attacks also increased, and as a result, he used less power.

And there was the Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill and the Death God Dance.

‘The two martial arts are different. But they are also one.’

The martial art that he created directly with enlightenment during the time he had forgotten the Death God Dance was the Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill.

But what is his enlightenment based on? It is the Death God Dance. By appropriately mixing the martial arts of the regained Death God Dance into the Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill, which was created based on the Death God Dance, the martial art that had been controlling its power only with ‘will’ began to be controlled by forms and techniques as well.

The already complete martial art was bringing in another level of completeness. The martial art itself didn’t become stronger, but its versatility increased, and it changed to reduce the consumption of stamina and inner energy.

‘There is another Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill that suits horsemanship.’

The White Tiger Art’s Tiger King Nine Thunderous Strikes, the Azure Dragon Art’s Dragon Group Three Forms.

The Vermilion Bird Art’s Crimson Flame Six Kill Technique, the Black Tortoise Art’s Northern Sky Twelve Walls.

By melting the four combat techniques into the Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill as needed, a different kind of Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill appeared than when used alone.

It was another Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill with the same name, but without the awakening, using the elasticity of the upper body and the power of the horse. Yeon Ho-jeong’s unique horsemanship martial art gradually revealed its forms through continuous breakthroughs.

He embodied it at the same time as he revealed it. The enlightenment he had reached at the Limitless realm, the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art, which was called the pinnacle of martial arts, made everything possible.

Little by little, little by little.

But Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts, which were developing steadily, had already begun to surpass the level of the Three Emperors of the Holy Heaven.

The practical training, which had been focused on enlightenment by learning the martial art of will, returned to forms and the body again, balancing the tilted balance.

There is only another level of completeness above completeness.

Unlike the previous completeness that made everything possible with will alone, the completeness that balanced will and body raised Yeon Ho-jeong’s level even higher.

Fwip fwip fwip!

As if they thought they couldn’t take it anymore, the Silver Demon Cavalry began to shoot arrows.

Surprisingly, the target was only Yeon Ho-jeong. The range was too wide, so even their allies could be hit, but the demon soldiers who shot the arrows didn’t feel any guilt about the sacrifice.

They were only trying to catch the advancing monster.

Without looking back, Yeon Ho-jeong put down the Coiling Dragon Chain and drew the Black Dragon Axe.

The two large and small axes moved in completely different ways.

Thud thud thud!

If they didn’t avoid it because it was a short hand axe, they wouldn’t be able to avoid death. Within the forms drawn by the Black Dragon Axe, the three consecutive moves of the Stormy Wind Nine Dragon’s Ruthless, Ascending, and Collapsing Mountain exploded one after another, blocking the enemy’s approach.

Whoooosh!

The Mad Dragon Axe, swung towards the rear, created a huge whirlwind, and the whirlwind soon turned golden, forming a huge octagonal inner energy shield.

Clang clang clang!

The Northern Sky Twelve Walls, deployed with the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art, deflected all those arrows.

An unbelievable feat. The Silver Demon Cavalry couldn’t reload their weapons with their mouths agape.

Trickle.

Blood flowed from the corner of Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth.

The Black Blood Divine Horse, the double Stormy Wind Nine Dragon Kill, and the shock he had received while fighting Jima Hoo had finally caused internal injuries due to the power of the numerous arrows.

Whoosh!

The moment he suffered internal injuries, his fighting will rose even further.

Bang! Crash!

Finally, Yeon Ho-jeong, who had broken through the second unit of the Silver Demon Cavalry and reached the center of the first unit, reached the rear of the Golden Sky Cavalry.

Yeon Ho-jeong shouted.

“Duck your heads!!”

At the thunderous command, all the Golden Sky Cavalry bent their upper bodies forward.

Flash! Crash!

The two Black and White Twin Dragon Axes, which flew in an arc, swept away the vanguard of the Silver Demon Cavalry that was pressing in.