Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1227

‘……?!’

Even while unleashing the Heavenly Flower Demise, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s senses were scanning the entire battlefield.

That’s how he knew.

Since when? He felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

The source of that familiarity was rooted in a powerful camaraderie. Although they hadn’t spent ten or twenty years together, he could feel the spirit of those who, after his regression, had first roamed the Central Plains with him, striking down the wicked of the Demonic Cults—his subordinates and those akin to disciples.

‘The Extinction Squad?!’

No. They were no longer the Extinction Squad.

They were once the Extinction Squad, but they had merged with the Subjugation Squad and were now called the Righteous Army.

The leader of that Righteous Army was himself, but he had soon passed the title to Moyong Gun.

Though he hadn’t been able to watch them closely, he occasionally heard news of them.

The Righteous Army, led by Moyong Gun, had grown into a force that rivaled the strongest in the Martial Alliance, especially in cavalry charges and disrupting the enemy, where they were said to be on par with the Black Dragon Unit’s Dragon Tooth Iron Cavalry [an elite cavalry unit known for their heavy armor and powerful charges].

Unlike the five hundred or so members of the Subjugation Squad, the soldiers of the Extinction Squad, who were a small elite force, were each said to be worthy of being generals, skilled in troop deployment and possessing an exceptional eye for assessing situations.

Each one was a leader in their own right, and yet, despite all of them being from prestigious families, they had remained as soldiers of the Righteous Army until the end.

And now.

The power of the Righteous Army, which had developed to the point where it seemed impossible to improve further, had fully blossomed, to the point where they were said to be a moving sect [a group so powerful and organized that they resemble a martial arts sect].

‘These guys.’

Even in the midst of unfolding the Life and Death Struggle, a strange smile crept onto his face.

‘If you were coming, you should have come sooner!’

They were individuals who, while belonging to the military organization, freely roamed the battlefield.

They were like that too. They would train in the Martial Alliance, but if a sect caused trouble in a certain region or if a villain appeared, they would charge in without hesitation, crush them, and then wander the Central Plains before returning.

And now, that Righteous Army was coming here.

Though their numbers were only a little over five hundred, they were as reassuring as if he had gained a million soldiers.

“You bastard!”

Kwaaaang!

The two fists that exploded with sound unleashed a power unlike anything before.

His disheveled hair and the torn clothes revealed a body covered in blood. These were the wounds he had suffered from not being able to avoid the force of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s two axes.

“How dare you laugh in front of me?!”

He was in the midst of leading his entire army south, facing an unprecedented crisis in the history of the Blood Demon Cult. Naturally, his primary goal was the area where the cult leader’s spiritual power had been severed.

However, if a master appeared before him, one he couldn’t immediately defeat, things changed.

The one who wielded the spear was strong, but he could still be defeated somehow.

But this one was different. He couldn’t afford to pay attention to the demonic forces. If he took his eyes off the situation even for a moment, an axe would fly in, aiming for his neck.

This was the most dangerous adversary he had faced among all the opponents he had fought so far. And yet, this adversary was even smirking.

Even though he knew it wasn’t a provocation, he couldn’t help but feel his anger surge. Perhaps it was because this situation was so perilous, and the frustration of not being able to control things as he intended, that made him even angrier.

“I’ll kill you!!”

It was a common cry, but it was filled with genuine intent.

Immediately using the Demonic Dragon Step, Cheon Hwa-Je approached Yeon Ho-Jeong’s flank and unleashed a triple strike with the Blood Dragon Demonic Fist.

Whoosh!

It was as fast as lightning. Before the first fist could even retract, the shockwave of the second fist had already arrived.

The turbulent air seemed to be sucked in. He could tell that he had reached a higher level than Kyu Hong’s Blood Dragon Demonic Fist.

However.

Kwaaaang!

A single strike of the Mad Dragon Axe, swung diagonally, completely nullified the triple strike of the Blood Dragon Demonic Fist. He couldn’t understand how such a move was possible at such a close distance.

“Ugh!!”

Cheon Hwa-Je, unable to withstand the force of the explosion, was pushed back more than ten steps.

‘What is this?!’

Form, power, speed.

Everything was superior to his.

But even if his opponent was more skilled, it didn’t mean he couldn’t win. That’s how battles were.

The problem was the energy.

‘Why does the power keep…!’

The force created by the fist techniques, palm techniques, and leg techniques was being transmitted directly to his opponent.

However, the moment it was transmitted, it was being completely destroyed by his opponent’s light movements. It wasn’t even a particularly exquisite technique that would make one’s jaw drop. He was simply swinging an axe filled with inner energy.

Whoooong!

It didn’t end there.

He briefly floated the hand axe in the air, and then, aiming his empty left hand, he unleashed a powerful suction force that almost pulled his entire body in.

Pa-ba-ba-bak!!

He pulled up his inner energy as much as he could to resist, but he could feel the demonic energy on the surface being peeled away, sparking.

Cheon Hwa-Je’s eyes shook violently.

‘Demonic energy?!’

Flash!

The pure white hand axe that had been floating in the air was launched with tremendous speed.

Kwaaaang!

It easily shattered the barrier of demonic energy and flew, embedding itself into the cliff face.

‘How can this be!’

If he hadn’t instinctively turned his head, half of his skull would have been blown away.

Normally, he would have blocked it with demonic energy or twisted the trajectory. At the very least, he could have reduced its power and speed.

However, the enemy’s hand axe had flown in, crushing the barrier of demonic energy as if it were cutting through tofu. If it hadn’t been for the chilling sense of crisis, the battle would have truly ended at that moment.

Whoosh!

Just as he was about to charge in, determined to land a blow.

‘Fast!’

Before he could even take two steps, his opponent was right in front of him, swinging a massive axe.

Cheon Hwa-Je felt his vision darken.

The massive axe was falling vertically, and it felt as if an entire mountain was crashing down on him.

The immense pressure, the demonic energy wasn’t working properly. He couldn’t even defend, let alone counterattack. If he wanted to live, he had to dodge.

The problem was, dodging was also difficult.

‘It’s an energy that is the opposite of demonic energy. The pressure alone is different. It doesn’t just collide and create a shockwave, it seeps in and starts to dismantle from the inside.’

He threw himself to the right, but his movements were too slow.

‘Just what kind of monster is he to wield such an absurd martial art…!’

At that moment, a vicious light appeared in Cheon Hwa-Je’s eyes.

Puh-uh-uh-uhk!! Kwar-rur-rur-rung!!

With a merciless strike, Cheon Hwa-Je’s left arm was completely severed.

It didn’t end there. The force imbued with the Mountain Shattering Stance instantly struck the ground and traveled up the cliff far away.

Kwa-kwa-kwang!!

With a thunderous roar, one side of the cliff was split in half.

It was a power that was unbelievable even when witnessed with one’s own eyes. As if the density had increased by splitting the demonic energy, the range of the shockwave was beyond imagination.

It was then.

“You bastard!!”

Kwaang!

Cheon Hwa-Je’s fist wind created a massive fissure in the ground.

It was the ground, not Yeon Ho-Jeong. The fist wind that he had unleashed towards the ground created huge cracks in all directions.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s stance became unstable due to the momentarily shaking ground.

It was only a moment, but in the world of martial arts, a momentary mistake could lead to defeat.

Cheon Hwa-Je’s insight in using a technique to shake the ground at the moment he saw Yeon Ho-Jeong’s stance and the terrain was worthy of praise. Even though it was the moment his arm was being severed.

‘Die!’

I may have lost an arm, but you will lose your life.

Cheon Hwa-Je’s leg technique, launched like a cannonball, aimed for Yeon Ho-Jeong’s midsection in an instant. No matter how much he had mastered a martial art that was the opposite of demonic energy, if he was hit directly, the impact would be enough to destroy his heart.

Cheon Hwa-Je, who had been glaring at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a face full of glee, suddenly felt a sense of unease.

‘What is this?’

Unstable stance, he can’t even swing his axe. And yet, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes were calm.

‘Has he accepted his death?!’

It was then.

Puh-uh-uh-uhng!!

A chain that had sprung up from the ground pierced through the center of Cheon Hwa-Je’s outstretched leg, shattering his knee joint and soaring into the air.

Terror washed over Cheon Hwa-Je’s face.

His entire body was being dragged up by the chain. In that moment, Cheon Hwa-Je could see that the chain was connected to the inside of his opponent’s sleeve.

‘No way!’

Finally, Cheon Hwa-Je realized.

This terrain, this stance.

He wasn’t the only one who had predicted the next move. His opponent had also anticipated this moment and was preparing a counterattack using an unimaginable hidden weapon.

‘I thought only the young cult leader had this kind of talent?!’

Chwa-rur-rur-ruk! Thud! Thud!

The Dragon Binding Chain writhed as if it were alive, piercing through Cheon Hwa-Je’s thighs, back, and abdomen, wrapping around his entire body.

It was the Dragon Binding Chain, heavily imbued with the Yellow Dragon Divine King Energy. Cheon Hwa-Je’s demonic energy was powerless against it.

“You were quite impressive. If it weren’t for the incompatibility between our martial arts, we would have had to fight for at least half a day.”

The demonic energy within his body was being shattered into pieces.

Cheon Hwa-Je’s eyes turned a hollow gray.

‘Damn it. Such words are nothing but mockery to a loser.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong continued.

“But I still would have won. I can’t show my subordinates that I’m getting my ass kicked after seeing them for the first time in a while.”

Subordinates?

At those words, Cheon Hwa-Je felt a sense of urgency. This guy had subordinates?!

“Farewell.”

Puh-uh-uh-uhk!

Without even leaving a last word, without even accepting death peacefully.

Cheon Hwa-Je’s head flew high into the sky. It was the futile death of the fourth-ranked member of the Blood Demon Cult.

Chwa-rur-rur-ruk!!

The Dragon Binding Chain was released from the lifeless body of the demon.

Thud!

The White Dragon Axe, embedded in the cliff, flew back on its own and entered the axe sheath.

Yeon Ho-Jeong kicked off the ground.

Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

Just like when he charged in, he soared upwards in reverse.

His body wasn’t in normal condition due to the inner energy he had used to block the demonic forces before his fight with Cheon Hwa-Je. More than half of the inner energy that had filled his dantian [the energy center in the body] was gone.

Even so, he charged forward as if he was overflowing with power, enveloping his entire body with inner energy.

Kwa-kwa-kwang! Puh-uh-uhk!

The demons were flung to the left and right of Yeon Ho-Jeong as he broke through vertically. Thanks to that, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face gradually became pale, but he still didn’t stop.

How long had he been running like that?

“Secure the flanks!”

It was an incredibly loud voice. Even as the large army advanced, that voice was the first thing he heard.

It was a shout that filled his broad chest. Along with that shout, a rumbling thunder echoed.

Kwaaaang!

Two demons flew into the sky, dead.

It was a single strike imbued with the power of lightning. It was a martial art of monstrous strength.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes finally caught sight of the cavalry unit moving in perfect unison.

“Spearmen!”

Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeo-jeong!

The way they opened and closed ranks was perfect. He wondered if even the Dragon Tooth Iron Cavalry could do that.

The Tiger Subduing Spears and Demon Vanquishing Spears of the Emei Sect spat fire.

A woman, always wearing a bamboo hat, was commanding the spearmen.

‘Song Yeon-Gyeong!’

How hard had she been training all this time?

The energy wave of Peng Man-Ho, who was leading the charge from the flank while wielding the Thunderclap Blade, was truly monstrous.

“There! It’s the leader!”

“Waaaah!”

Among the soldiers who were charging out with shouts.

There were Yoon-Ho and Dong-Ho, who were using the Plum Blossom Sword Technique of the Mount Hua Sect in an incredibly practical way.

His first impression wasn’t good, but now, Yeo Guk of the Kunlun Sect, who was more reliable than anyone else, was wielding the Dragon Slaying Sword, completely blocking the demons’ approach.

Where had the gentle-looking young man gone? Cheok Gang of the Jeomchang Sect, who was emitting a more violent energy wave than anyone else, was also pushing back the demons with his ruthless strong sword.

And beyond that.

He saw his blood relative who had been with him during the Divine Forest operation but had remained in the Martial Alliance.

He didn’t know when he had joined the Righteous Army, but now, his eyes, which were even filled with dignity, shone with a spirit that was stronger and more upright than steel.

“Ji-Pyeong!”

“Brother!”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, wearing light armor, charged in with a monstrous momentum, wielding a greatsword in one hand and the Yeon family’s longsword in the other.