Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1207

“……!!”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes widened.

The power of the Dark Dragon Flame Origin soared as if to engulf the entire world.

Whoosh!

The moment it unfolded, he felt a pain as if the skin all over his body was burning away. It was a terrible heat, as if his internal organs were cooking and his bone marrow was boiling.

This was the true power of Cheon Wi-ryong, the leader of the Blood Demon Cult.

It was on a different level from what he had shown in his fight with Tang Hyeong, which was closer to a pastime. It was the power of a demon god, capable of burning a mountain with one swing and even scorching the sky with two.

Yeon Ho-jeong kicked off the ground.

Kwarururung!!

The black flames surged in like a wave, smashing everything within a dozen yards ahead.

A tremendous shockwave spread. The ground swept by the flames was charred black, even leaving behind a reddish liquid.

No one could survive a direct hit from such a martial art. It was an unparalleled demonic art with the destructive power to make cannon fire look like a joke, infused with the heat of a volcano.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had already soared into the sky, shot towards Cheon Wi-ryong like an arrow.

Yeon Ho-jeong was no different in that he had transcended the human realm. It was a diagonal movement following a vertical one. It was not a leap possible for a human, and not only did he change direction mid-charge, but his speed was also like lightning.

Cheon Wi-ryong’s left hand moved towards Yeon Ho-jeong, who was piercing through like a bolt of lightning. It was the Thunder Dragon Descends Disaster, the power of the Twin Dragons’ Demonic Art, coexisting with the Dark Dragon Flame Origin.

Flash!

A bolt of lightning was fired.

It was a storm of light that turned the vision white. Although it originated from demonic energy, its nature and power were no different from real lightning. Anyone hit directly by this would also have no chance of survival.

As such power approached him, Yeon Ho-jeong’s response was simple.

The power of the Dancing Slash, the golden wind contained in the flexibly swung Mad Dragon Axe, collided head-on with the power of the Thunder Dragon Descends Disaster.

Kwarurung!

With a roar, the lightning split into two.

Cheon Wi-ryong’s eyes widened.

It was an incomprehensible anomaly. No matter how great the internal energy surrounding it, the Thunder Dragon Descends Disaster was not a force so weak that it would split into two when it hit a mere ‘object.’ Rather, it was a force equal to lightning, so it should have pierced through everything from the weapon to the owner’s body the moment it collided and then disappeared.

It was a power that changed even the nature of lightning, the thunder energy, just like a normal energy emission technique. If Cheon Wi-ryong was a demon god who unleashed a power close to a disaster, Yeon Ho-jeong was an evil god who turned the power of that disaster into the screams of hell’s minions.

Kwarung!

Before the Dancing Slash’s form could even finish, Yeon Ho-jeong’s left hand moved.

It was a speed he had never shown before. The wide palm energy extending from his left hand covered Cheon Wi-ryong’s entire body and descended.

Everything hit by the soaring body of the Golden Dragon would be crushed. It was the Golden Dragon Sky-Turning Palm.

Cheon Wi-ryong’s right fist rose.

Kwaaaang!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.

Just as the Mad Dragon Axe had torn through the lightning, Cheon Wi-ryong’s fist also tore through the power of the Golden Dragon Sky-Turning Palm.

No, it would be more accurate to say that it had pierced through it. The fire fist that had punched a hole through the mountain-heavy Sky-Turning Palm reached Yeon Ho-jeong’s solar plexus.

Thwack!

Before it could even touch his solar plexus, it rotated, deviating from the trajectory of the fiery fist wind. The side of Yeon Ho-jeong’s clothing, where the power of the flames had grazed, burst open, and a strange impact sound echoed.

Thwack! Flash!

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been descending diagonally, changed direction again vertically, landed, and then charged forward. The barrier of demonic energy laid down by the demon god was being shattered by his mere charge.

A subtle admiration arose on Cheon Wi-ryong’s face.

‘That’s an impossible movement.’

Vertical ascent, diagonal charge, and then vertical descent followed by a frontal breakthrough.

It was not a human movement. The one blessed by all the energy in this world, the invisible power of nature spread in the void, resonated with the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art, making Yeon Ho-jeong’s movements free and unrestrained.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s Mad Dragon Axe and Cheon Wi-ryong’s twin palms collided.

Clang! Clang! Thwack!

It was a spectacle of overwhelming power. The Yellow Dragon Divine King Art, which he had finally mastered, unleashed all the power it had been hiding towards his greatest adversary and prey.

Cheon Wi-ryong, in response, freely manipulated the power of flames and lightning, offsetting the tyrannical attacks that the Mad Dragon Axe was drawing in.

If Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts were freedom itself, Cheon Wi-ryong’s martial arts were a majesty that destroyed even the concept of freedom. The demon god and the evil god, freedom and majesty, were aiming for each other’s throats, naturally releasing powers that were not allowed in the mortal world as if they were breathing.

Clang! Kwarung!

As before, the movement of the Mad Dragon Axe was unbelievably fast.

It was hard to believe that it was a heavy weapon weighing over eighty pounds. The axe blade on the shaft, which bent almost to a diagonal, tore through space and magic power, creating immense pressure.

Kurururung!!

By now, the battlefield of the two had been devastated.

It was as if the monstrous gods of mythology were rampaging. The land within a radius of twenty yards was overturned, melted, and turned to dust.

Thwaaaang!

Surprisingly, Cheon Wi-ryong flew backward in response to Yeon Ho-jeong’s relentless martial arts.

It wasn’t because he couldn’t handle it. It was to get out of the opponent’s attack range and more efficiently unleash the power of the twin dragons.

That’s what made it even more impressive.

After completing his demonic art, he had never retreated in front of any strongman. The flames of the Dark Dragon were so hot that even a superhuman could not approach, and the lightning of the Thunder Dragon was so destructive that it could even scorch a martial god.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts, which made Cheon Wi-ryong, who had never taken a step back in decades, retreat and think about ‘efficiency,’ were truly worthy of being called supreme.

Sreuk.

Cheon Wi-ryong, who had retreated, moved to the right.

He had only taken one step, but he was already ten yards away. It was the secret art of shrinking the earth, the footwork of the Divine Demon Light Shadow, born with the Twin Dragons’ Demonic Art.

Cheon Wi-ryong’s right hand was swung.

It was the Dark Dragon Flame Origin, a wave of cataclysmic fire.

Whoooosh!

It was different from the previous attack that had spread like a wave on the ground. The black flames that rose diagonally and extended towards the sky fell like slow rain, trying to engulf everything. Of course, the unique heat of the Dark Dragon Flame Origin did not disappear.

‘Impressive.’

It was abnormal for him to emit this much heat, but what was even more impressive was Cheon Wi-ryong’s understanding of freely manipulating everything from the size of the power to its shape and attack range.

‘It’s not as simple as it looks. To hold onto and increase this much power, one must have an ultimate understanding that matches the overwhelming amount of internal energy.’

Anything, when taken to the extreme, becomes simple. Cheon Wi-ryong’s energy manipulation ability had reached that level.

And Yeon Ho-jeong had not yet reached that level.

Kwakwakwakwang!!

The black flames, about ten yards wide, crushed and melted everything in front of them like a roof falling without pillars.

The trees beyond the five-yard radius of the flames also caught fire due to the unimaginable heat. It was a martial art that seemed capable of burning down the entire Mount Wudang. It even seemed like it would be possible if he put his mind to it.

However, Cheon Wi-ryong had no interest in this Mount Wudang.

His interest was now focused solely on Yeon Ho-jeong, just one person.

Puhwaaaak!

Yeon Ho-jeong burst through the black flames that covered the area.

Cheon Wi-ryong’s eyes shook.

‘He didn’t take any damage!’

He couldn’t believe it.

He knew that there was some mysterious power in his opponent’s martial arts. Especially in terms of defense and evasion, it seemed to be superior to the Twin Dragons’ Demonic Art, so he had crushed him with a range attack that was impossible to escape.

But he had survived even in that. He had survived, and not even a scratch was on him.

‘How is that possible?’

Even if they started from the same origin, their martial arts had developed in completely different ways. If the level of martial arts was similar, the only thing that could determine victory or defeat was the skill of the martial artist who had mastered that martial art.

Of course, that half-brother of his should have died. Even if he didn’t die, he should have at least suffered full-body burns and internal injuries, making it impossible for him to attack.

But what was this?

Why was it so hard to find even a single wound on that young man’s body? Why was that young man’s internal energy emitting an increasingly powerful energy wave as time passed?

Why was his mind becoming more and more confused by that young man’s energy wave?

Flash!

It was lightning flying at the speed of light.

Clang!

There was nothing faster than light. Yet, the lightning was shattered by Yeon Ho-jeong’s punch.

‘He’s reading it?!’

The moment the lightning was fired, Yeon Ho-jeong’s fist was already moving. Not towards him, but for defense.

What that meant was simple and clear.

His opponent was reading his attacks. He knew for sure which would come first, lightning or fire, fire or lightning.

‘Then why……?’

It was unbelievable, but if that was the case, why hadn’t he avoided the Dark Dragon Flame Origin a moment ago?

It was amazing that he was unharmed even after being covered by the wave of flames, but did he really know he would be unharmed and just take it?

Even if he knew he would be unharmed, why would he take it? If he could read the attacks, he could have attacked him with a more efficient movement, couldn’t he?

Kwarurung!

The firepower of the Dark Dragon Flame Origin and the lightning power of the Thunder Dragon Descends Disaster were unleashed simultaneously.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s body rotated.

Flash!

Cheon Wi-ryong’s eyes widened.

The pouring lightning was drawing an arc along Yeon Ho-jeong’s Mad Dragon Axe.

It was the dance of an evil god wielding a giant axe. The lightning, captivated by that dance, joined the evil god, and then, startled by the power of the Dark Dragon that followed, it shattered and scattered.

The black flames struck Yeon Ho-jeong.

Kwaaaaang!!

Due to the tremendous shockwave and heat, the trees fifteen yards behind Yeon Ho-jeong fell and were smashed. The rocks that were closer than that melted, rolled away with deep dents, and then shattered into dozens of pieces.

‘It hit properly.’

This level of shockwave doesn’t just happen. If the target hadn’t been hit, such an explosion would never have occurred.

But… Cheon Wi-ryong found it difficult to be sure that his opponent was dead.

The power of the Dark Dragon was so overwhelming that it was erasing even Yeon Ho-jeong’s presence. He couldn’t even read his life force. Still, for some reason, he found it hard to believe that his opponent was dead.

Cheon Wi-ryong’s intuition was spot on.

Pssshhhhh.

The thick smoke scattered in the cold wind.

And.

“……!!”

Cheon Wi-ryong’s eyes twitched.

“It’s warm.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s posture, with his left hand extended, was unwavering. Only the center of his left palm had turned black.

“…You blocked the Dark Dragon Flame Origin with one hand?”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“Is it such a great power that I need to block it with both hands? One hand is enough.”

“…….”

“Still, it’s impressive. Honestly, I’ve never imagined that a human could wield such power.”

Cheon Wi-ryong, who was about to say that he too had transcended the human realm, couldn’t bring himself to speak.

It was an incomprehensible realm, a situation that could not be interpreted even with the demon god’s understanding and knowledge. Cheon Wi-ryong’s face, stained with disbelief, was a picture of confusion, even as he prepared to react to any attack.

“Do you happen to have any potatoes?”

“……?”

“I’m hungry, so if you have some, shall we roast them and start again? That fire ball thing looks good for roasting potatoes.”

“…….”

“If not, let’s start right away. I need to finish this quickly and eat.”

Cheon Wi-ryong’s face gradually contorted.