Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1154

Whack!

With just a flick of her wrist, a circular imprint larger than a palm appeared in the center of a rock five yards away. The depth was about an inch.

Even from a considerable distance, she had managed to leave an inch-deep mark on the rock. It was truly an incredible feat of martial arts.

Ji So-hyeon’s eyes deepened.

‘She has achieved mastery.’

While training in her master’s supreme techniques, she had come to a realization.

Everything starts from the basics.

Of course, this was true in any field, but it was especially true of her master’s martial arts.

The reason was simple. Sound is free, with no limits from beginning to end, but sound-based martial arts are simple from beginning to end.

‘It’s vibration.’

In the past, masters of sound-based martial arts were said to have killed countless people by singing and drumming.

Was that possible with high and low notes? No, it wasn’t.

The beginning and end of sound-based martial arts are the strength and weakness of vibrations. It was called the martial art of enlightenment, but the core of all sound-based martial arts was how to use internal energy to transmit the power of vibration and how far to control it.

That was why she had put aside her ultimate techniques and focused solely on the Dark Sky Break for over half a year.

And now, Ji So-hyeon had mastered the Dark Sky Break. The martial art that was both the beginning and end of sound-based martial arts.

‘I’ve achieved mastery, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end. As my realm rises, the subtlety of my internal energy control will also increase. If that happens, the power of the Dark Sky Break will become much stronger.’

The important thing was that she had mastered one martial art.

‘Now I understand.’

Ji So-hyeon looked up at the sky.

‘Why my master called this martial art the martial art of enlightenment.’

There were countless sects in the world, some of which did not reveal themselves to the world, and some of which operated without revealing their identities.

Among them, Ji So-hyeon was the successor of the one-person secret sect, the Seonum Gate. Her master was the fifteenth sect leader of the Seonum Gate, so she was the next, sixteenth sect leader.

And the martial arts of the Seonum Gate were divine arts that could be said to be at the pinnacle of the world.

‘Sound-Speech Control of Martial Arts.’

Controlling martial arts by speaking of sound.

It was the strongest martial art of the Seonum Gate and the very sentence that pointed the way to enlightenment.

Therefore, the Sound-Speech Control of Martial Arts had no stages of achievement, such as first stage or second stage. If one didn’t understand it in the first place, one couldn’t enter, and the moment one entered, there was only endless depth left.

And now.

Whoooom!

Her true energy resonated.

The true energy of the Seonum Gate’s basic mind method, the Art and Music Mind Method, roared and naturally absorbed the energy of nature.

Shudder.

Ji So-hyeon’s body trembled all over.

It was different from the trembling of a person with malaria. Her expression was calm, and her trembling body seemed to resonate naturally with the air.

Tsutsutsutsu.

The internal energy gathered by the Art and Music Mind Method naturally flowed out.

The moment her three dantian [energy centers in the body] were completely empty, Ji So-hyeon calmly commanded her power, which was mixing with the energy of nature.

‘Come.’

One command was enough.

The new true energy that was being sucked into her eighty-four thousand pores was much more refined and pure than her existing internal energy.

‘Ah!’

Fullness filled her entire body.

The indescribable sense of satisfaction made her vision blur. At the same time, one side of her mind was calm. She was happy and excited at the thought that she had finally mastered the sect’s strongest martial art, but she discovered another persona calmly observing her.

Srrr.

The change was neither violent nor fast or slow.

As if it were a natural process, the power of the Sound-Speech Control of Martial Arts filled her entire body, and all the elements that made up her body, from her bones and muscles to her blood vessels and nerves, seemed to change subtly.

There was no pain. It was natural and very natural.

In that way, Ji So-hyeon surpassed the realm of the Martial Ancestor so comfortably.

She was young, very young. There were not many people who had broken through the realm of the Martial Ancestor at this age, even if one searched the entire world. And most of them were called geniuses of their time and were secretly rumored to be candidates for the next Martial God.

Ji So-hyeon did not have such talent. Yet, she surpassed the realm of the Martial Ancestor faster than anyone else.

It was an enlightenment that overwhelmed the talent of her bones and muscles. She did not forget a single one of her master’s teachings, and furthermore, she strictly separated her master and herself, and her wisdom and passion in finding her own way naturally led her to the path of enlightenment.

“Hoo.”

With a light sigh, she shook off her joy and satisfaction.

Although she had broken through the wall of the Martial Ancestor, she was even more pleased with the fact that she had finally mastered the sect’s secret divine art than with surpassing that realm.

And she felt an emptiness and sadness that overwhelmed that joy.

“Master.”

Tears streamed down Ji So-hyeon’s eyes.

How happy would she have been if she had shared this moment with her master?

Her master had seen right through her heart. Her master had told her to pursue sound, but she had pursued martial arts rather than sound, and her master had been troubled by that.

But at the moment of parting, her master had sincerely understood and acknowledged her disciple.

Where else in the world could there be such a master? Ji So-hyeon really missed her master so much.

Clap clap clap.

As she was looking up at the sky for a while, she heard the sound of clapping.

Ji So-hyeon, who had hurriedly wiped away her tears with her sleeve, turned around.

“Congratulations.”

There stood Sun Woo, the sect leader of Jongnam.

Ji So-hyeon bowed deeply.

“I greet the sect leader.”

“I’ve told you countless times that you don’t need to be so formal. If we’re just looking at seniority, you and I are about the same.”

As a disciple of the Sound Demon Ha Eun-Gyo, it wasn’t wrong. Regardless of martial arts or fame, Ha Eun-Gyo was over sixty years old. It was meaningless to consider seniority since they were from different branches, but that was why Sun Woo’s words made sense.

Sun Woo was genuinely impressed.

“Truly amazing. Senior Ha has an eye for talent that is no less than his great martial arts. He must have known all along that his disciple was such a talented individual.”

“I am ashamed. I am still a lacking disciple who has not followed even one-hundredth of my master’s teachings.”

“If you say that, what will the children of our sect become?”

Sun Woo burst into laughter.

Ji So-hyeon was grateful and sorry to Sun Woo. After the Jongnam War, the power of Jongnam, which had suffered enormous human and material damage, had greatly weakened.

Of course, as one of the Nine Great Sects, their financial power was still considerable, so it wouldn’t have been difficult to take in one person. Still, as a disciple of the Sound Demon, they must have been very concerned, but they had never shown it.

Ji So-hyeon looked at Sun Woo’s face.

He looked somewhat gaunt. Unlike before, the energy emanating from his body was also quite unstable.

Of course, she soon knew why.

“I am truly sorry. I should have lent a hand…”

A war had broken out in the Central Plains. The Three Teachings had finally invaded.

And she had heard that in the recent battle in Shanxi, the Murim Alliance [martial arts alliance] forces, along with Hwasan and Jongnam, had joined forces to defeat the enemy’s cavalry, which boasted tremendous power.

Many people must have died in the process. Ji So-hyeon was truly ashamed to show her face.

Sun Woo shook his head.

“We have taken action to protect Jongnam. Protecting Jongnam is protecting Shanxi, and protecting Shanxi is protecting the entire Central Plains.”

“…”

“We have our own battles. What kind of petty person would complain that a guest did not participate in that battle?”

“Still, I am sorry.”

“Haha, but we don’t know what will happen in the future. If something really urgent happens, I might ask for your help then.”

Sun Woo looked up at the sky.

“The war has just begun. Everyone must fight as one, but at the same time, not everyone has to draw their swords and confront the enemy.”

“…”

“You are an outstanding talent. In the future, your martial arts will make many people cry and laugh. You must be aware of that.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Sun Woo smiled.

He liked this young disciple of the Sound Demon. Not because of her talent or background, but because her calm training seemed like the training of Taoists.

Perhaps this young and vibrant genius was much closer to enlightenment than the current Jongnam people, who were only thinking about war.

“The situation is not very good. But those who need to rest should rest. I may not be able to replace your master, but I can congratulate you, so come to the main palace before the sun goes down today. I will call some elders and disciples to create a celebration for you.”

Ji So-hyeon did not refuse. She knew that it was Sun Woo’s pure goodwill.

“Thank you.”

“You will need time to control your enlightenment. Refine the power you just gained.”

“I understand…”

It was then.

‘……?!’

Ji So-hyeon’s head snapped around.

Her face, looking north, hardened fiercely.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“…”

“Hey.”

“Sect Leader.”

“Speak.”

“May we have the celebration later?”

Her voice was filled with tension, surprise, disbelief, and a strong desire.

Sun Woo’s face also hardened. Ji So-hyeon’s reaction was unusual.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something…”

Ji So-hyeon was also bewildered.

Buzz. Buzz.

A strange sensation that resonated with her internal energy and one side of her heart.

It was a longing and a sense of vigilance. She had no idea what this sensation meant.

But one thing was clear.

“There is a place I must go.”

“A place you must go?”

“Yes.”

Ji So-hyeon’s fist clenched.

“I must leave right now.”

When Yeon Ho-Jeong left Hebei and entered Shanxi.

Ji So-hyeon descended the mountain and headed north.

***

Yeon Ho-Jeong and Jin Yang, having left the Fen Yang branch, passed through Wen Yang in Shanxi and immediately crossed into Shaanxi.

Was it just a feeling? Even though it was adjacent to Shanxi, the air was completely different.

‘I see it.’

A golden aura softly flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

‘I feel it. The turbid wind.’

At the same time, Yeon Ho-Jeong realized that the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art had grown even stronger.

To be precise, the Yellow Dragon Energy, the foundation of his martial power, was no different from before, but the Divine King Energy had developed.

‘I don’t know the exact distance. But it’s quite far. It must be several hundred miles.’

The source of that wind must be where the enemy is.

He now possessed a sharper sense than anyone else among the Limitless Masters. It was not because Limitless met Limitless, but because Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper dantian had developed tremendously.

“Let’s go.”

Thud thud thud thud.

The Black Blood Demon Horse, pounding the earth, passed through several villages in an instant.

Two or three of the villages visible below the mountain were nothing more than ruins. The villages that had been destroyed by the Silver Phantom Cavalry as they moved south were even filled with ghostly energy.

Yeon Ho-Jeong and Jin Yang suppressed their anger and sped on.

How long had they been running?

The Black Blood Demon Horse, with its speed surpassing that of a peak master and the best stamina in the world, and Jin Yang, who had attained the enlightenment of fire and was using extreme movement techniques, had passed through two counties without stopping for half a day.

And finally.

Heeheeheeheeing!

A powerful golden aura emanated from the Black Blood Demon Horse’s body as it raised its front legs and let out a dragon’s cry. It was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s Yellow Dragon Energy.

“Big Brother.”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong pointed to a small hill visible in front with his Mad Dragon Axe.

“They are beyond that.”

The unforgettable storm of evil energy.

The Blood-Drinking Evil Energy, which had split off from the Yin-Yellow Demon, was concentrated there. It was the martial art that the small group of the Evil Sound Sect, who had come to help the Yin God Ya Yul-Jeok in the past, had mastered.

It was a supreme martial art of the Evil Sound Sect, whose counter-method Yeon Ho-Jeong also knew.

But he was not surprised by the Blood-Drinking Evil Energy.

Whoooom.

The Divine King Energy blazed fiercely.

“…Senior Ha.”