Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1138

Lee Gwang’s eyes wavered.

‘I can’t believe it!’

Although he led the Imperial Guard’s cavalry, he was also a martial artist.

And now, as a martial artist, he was witnessing the pinnacle of martial arts.

‘Such a sword technique exists?!’

The sight of two black and white rotating hand axes tearing through the enemy’s cavalry and soldiers was unbelievable.

It was a scene that seemed impossible in reality. The sword technique itself was a dreamlike realm for Lee Gwang, yet this man was using two axes to perform it while breaking through those fearsome cavalry.

Just how deep was his inner energy, and how high was the enlightenment he had reached?

‘He is truly worthy of being called a Martial God!’

Even Gok Gyeong, the strongest expert in the Imperial Palace, might not be able to do this.

‘He killed the enemy commander alone, broke through five thousand troops without any significant damage, and arrived here… Is this really possible?’

And yet, he was overflowing with power.

He could tell without looking back. Yeon Ho-jeong, the supreme commander and the general commander of the western battle, had a fighting spirit that was growing stronger with each passing moment.

The morale of the Golden Sky Cavalry soared endlessly, fueled by their commander’s fighting spirit. They were pushing back the enemy with such ferocity that it was hard to believe they had been in a tough fight just moments ago.

It was a moment that made his blood boil. Lee Gwang himself felt as if his reason would fly away with this surging morale.

At the same time, he felt fear.

‘This is absurd. This is abnormal.’

He had raised the morale of his allies and changed the course of the battle in an instant, a situation that would warrant applause and laughter.

Yet, Lee Gwang felt a sense of alienation towards Yeon Ho-jeong’s existence.

‘A person who can sweep through the battlefield alone? And against cavalry who have mastered martial arts and handle demonic beasts, not just ordinary soldiers!’

It was too much.

Even in this moment of surging morale and courage, he couldn’t help but think that.

War is about defeating the enemy in a short time with a larger force. This was the truth of war that had not changed throughout history, and would not change in the future.

Yet, here was a monster who was completely shattering the truth of war.

Could even the legendary martial artist, Great Master Mu Heo, do this? Or Tak Mu-ja, who had reached the realm of the immortals with a single sword? Or even the leader of the Divine Light Church, whom Gok Gyeong had deemed almost impossible to defeat?

Even if it was a difference in the martial arts they had mastered, this was too much. Lee Gwang couldn’t help but think of their commander as a monstrous force beyond the realm of reality, not just a peerless expert.

‘These are useless thoughts.’

Even knowing that, Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial prowess was so outstanding that he couldn’t help but think that for a moment.

Lee Gwang tried to calm himself.

‘That monstrous martial art will only be directed at the enemy. I’ve heard he’s that kind of person. His Majesty the Emperor couldn’t have misjudged such a great person, and since he was chosen by His Majesty’s insight, my thoughts are meaningless.’

That was enough.

At least for now, it was time to think about the enemy, not the commander.

Lee Gwang shouted.

“Switch the positions of the swordsmen and archers!”

They were already in the midst of a fierce battle, having formed their battle lines. Anyone with even a little knowledge of the military would know how absurd this order was.

Yet, this unbelievable thing actually happened.

Swish!

The spearmen at the rear, where Yeon Ho-jeong had arrived, threw their spears, attacking the vanguard of the Silver Demon Cavalry.

Taking advantage of the disruption in the front lines caused by the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes’ sword technique and the flying spears, the swordsmen in the center and the archers who had moved to the front skillfully switched positions.

Lee Gwang’s eyes flashed.

“Sky Bow!”

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

The huge arrows fired from the Dragon Eye Bow flew through the air.

Surprisingly, they were aimed not at the front, but at the rear, behind Yeon Ho-jeong. It was an attack to quell the momentum of the enemy chasing from behind.

It was a rational decision.

The Golden Sky Cavalry’s charge was at its peak. In such a situation, it was more appropriate to attack the enemy chasing from behind than the enemy they were facing.

Even without being told the target, the leader of the archers designated the target. It meant that the Golden Sky Cavalry was as well-trained as the Silver Demon Cavalry.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The cavalry fell like rain under the barrage of arrows.

This attack from the Dragon Eye Bow was devastating to the Silver Demon Cavalry.

Although the number of cavalry hit by arrows had been small so far, the cavalry, who were moving differently than usual due to Yeon Ho-jeong’s reckless breakthrough and the presence of the Black Blood Divine Horse, had to block the thick arrows with their own strength.

There were too many arrows, and their power was too strong.

In an instant, the area behind Yeon Ho-jeong became empty. Some cavalry charged forward, trampling over their fallen comrades, but most had to turn their horses or stop.

Lee Gwang’s eyes turned to the front.

‘There!’

Pushing and pushing, they had finally reached their target point.

Now, they just needed to lure the enemies to that point. No enemy in this chaotic battlefield would think of a lure.

Just as Lee Gwang was about to shout.

[Stop!]

Yeon Ho-jeong’s telepathic message flew into Lee Gwang’s ears in an instant.

[The enemy isn’t just cavalry! Look to the left and right!]

Lee Gwang turned his gaze.

His face turned pale in an instant.

Infantry, not on horseback, were charging towards the fortress walls from a distance on both sides.

Not the gates, but the walls. Even if the walls were solid and seamless, they could be captured if martial arts experts stabbed their swords into them and climbed up.

‘When?!’

This was the terrifying aspect of war.

Even in an open space, when fighting a life-and-death battle, one’s vision narrows. This was the case even for Lee Gwang, a veteran of many battles.

Since Jima Hoo himself had charged from behind the cavalry with the Jima Spirit [a type of battle aura], it was easy to forget about them from the perspective of those facing them.

[Divide to the left and right! I’ll lure the ones following from behind!]

It was the commander’s order. Lee Gwang immediately shouted.

“Divide into left and right flanks! Crush the infantry!”

As soon as the order was given, the Golden Sky Cavalry, now numbering less than two thousand, spread out to the left and right.

They were indeed a well-trained army. It was hard to find an army that reacted this quickly anywhere.

As the troops split to the left and right, the center opened up. The number of demonic soldiers remaining near the fortress walls due to the sword technique and cavalry charge was no more than fifty.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes blazed.

“Uwaaaaah!!”

It was a lion’s roar that would make the heavens tremble.

Heeheeheeing!!

The Black Blood Divine Horse also let out a roar no less powerful than Yeon Ho-jeong’s, kicking off the ground.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

It was as if an earthquake had struck.

The speed of the Black Blood Divine Horse was astonishing. The demonic beast, which had been unable to reach its full speed due to the presence of enemies and allies on all sides, showed a speed faster than a top expert’s movement technique as it charged towards the open path.

The enemy cavalry was approaching menacingly.

Thwip! Thwip!

They fired a few arrows, but they were all swept away by the storm created by the Mad Dragon Axe.

Yeon Ho-jeong powerfully swung down the Mad Dragon Axe.

Crash!

Fifteen cavalrymen were smashed into pieces and sent flying by the diagonal collapsing mountain strike.

In that instant, Yeon Ho-jeong felt a pressing pain in his chest and lower abdomen.

The consumption of inner energy was extreme. He couldn’t even count how many times he had used the Wind Fury Nine Dragon Kill techniques today. On top of that, he had poured Divine King Energy into the Black Blood Divine Horse and used the Yellow Dragon Energy to increase his body’s strength.

If he hadn’t incorporated the postures of the Four Deathly Arts into his cavalry battle, he would have been too exhausted to properly use even one technique of the Wind Fury Nine Dragon Kill by now.

‘Not yet.’

Yeon Ho-jeong swung the Mad Dragon Axe again.

Boom! Crack!

As Yeon Ho-jeong moved elastically from side to side, smashing the cavalry, he saw the open fortress walls.

Inside the walls, two thousand cavalrymen with huge square shields were waiting. A vivid dragon was embossed in the center of the shields.

Yeon Ho-jeong expanded his Divine King Energy without looking back.

Whoosh!

A huge ghostly figure appeared above the heads of the charging Silver Demon Cavalry.

There was no fear in their red-hot battle flags. Only surprise, anger, and a blind killing intent towards the enemy filled them.

‘Good.’

There was no retreat, no dispersion.

Yeon Ho-jeong slightly reduced the speed of the Black Blood Divine Horse.

Then, three thousand Silver Demon Cavalrymen chased after him with all their might. They were trying to catch up at all costs.

‘More.’

He had gone far past the target point, and now the fortress gate was less than fifty yards away.

‘Follow me more.’

He ran and ran, and when he was within twenty yards.

Yeon Ho-jeong shouted.

“Now!”

The ground inside the open gate trembled.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

About fifty ropes, thick and thin, bound with wire, shot up from the ground.

At the same time, the ground directly behind Yeon Ho-jeong rose, revealing a huge wooden shield.

The wooden board, which was over one *jang* [approximately 3 meters] in height and half a *jang* in thickness, stretched horizontally for about twenty *jang*. Behind the wooden board, thin iron plates and connected iron bars were embedded in groups of six or seven.

And in the center of the wooden board, thick spikes the size of a human arm were densely packed.

The faces of the first and second unit commanders were filled with shock.

“Stop!!”

Their shouts came too late.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

The Silver Demon Cavalry, unable to overcome their momentum, collided with the huge spiked wooden board, the Dragon Spike Great Wall.

In an instant, hundreds of cavalrymen were smashed to pieces and lost their lives. Even the cavalry, who boasted their tough outer shells, had their bones broken and their internal organs ruptured by the impact of their comrades colliding behind them.

Crash!

The speed was so fast that dozens of cavalrymen were thrown into the air after hitting the Dragon Spike Great Wall.

“Stop! You must stop!”

Cavalrymen frantically turned their horses to reduce the sacrifice of their comrades.

The number of troops capable of continuing the battle among the remaining three thousand cavalrymen was reduced to about two thousand in an instant. They had lost a thousand troops without even swinging a spear once.

But their misfortune did not end there.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Dozens of pouches attached to various parts of the Dragon Spike Great Wall burst, emitting a faint yellow smoke.

Some pouches had burst the moment the hidden wall rose from the ground, while others had burst from the impact of the Silver Demon Cavalry’s charge.

The important thing was what was inside those pouches.

“Cough!”

“Gurgle!”

“Aaaah!”

The cavalrymen who had barely survived grabbed their necks and vomited or writhed in terrible pain.

It was poison gas stored in the Imperial Palace. There were many types, including nerve poison and blood poison, and the poisonous powder, which spread with a bloody haze, spread to the remaining two thousand cavalrymen.

“Circulate your energy! It’s poison! Drive out the poison!”

The Silver Demon Cavalry were in chaos.

It was impossible to prepare all of this poison as highly toxic. Even for the Imperial Palace, that was impossible.

However, since they had hung up poisons that were difficult for even inner energy experts to easily recover from, the combat power of the Silver Demon Cavalry had no choice but to drop to less than half in an instant.

“Open the gate!”

Crash!

The iron bars and ropes supporting the Dragon Spike Great Wall lost their strength and fell to the ground. The Dragon Spike Great Wall, which had fallen on the central ground where there were many casualties, resulted in burying the corpses in the ground once more.

And beyond that.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had immunity to poison due to the power of the Limitless, and two thousand shield cavalrymen who had taken the antidote in advance, charged with all their might.

Yeon Ho-jeong shouted.

“Bury them all in the ground without leaving a single one alive!”

“Understood!”