Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1243

Swoosh.

Ho Yeon-hap drew his sword.

The Blood Demon Great Master raised his hand.

“Wait.”

“Yes.”

Kuurururung!

Even at this moment, rocks were pouring down the slope with relentless force.

‘Indeed.’

The Blood Demon Great Master’s eyes deepened.

He could see it. Amidst the falling rocks, the flow of red qi flickered.

‘A master who has reached the level of a Blood Demon, and even actively utilizes the upper dantian [a key energy center in the body according to some martial arts traditions]. This fight won’t be easy.’

Kugugung!

A streak of light flashed in the dusty path where the rocks had fallen.

Tzeeeeeeong!

Just from blocking a finger-sized throwing star, the body of the Spirit Tortoise Priest was slammed into the rocky mountain wall.

There were no internal injuries, but his head was bleeding profusely from the impact.

It was a terrifying throwing technique. Among all the sects that used projectile weapons, it was the throwing technique of the Tang family, who had reached the highest level.

Hwaaaak!

Tang Gwan, who emerged from the dust, looked quite battered. His once-perfect clothes were torn in places, and a trickle of blood ran down his forehead.

That was all.

His eyes were blazing, and the energy emanating from him was immense. Despite being swept away by so many rocks, he seemed to have suffered no internal injuries.

“You use interesting tricks.”

The rage that had burned like fire cooled down.

It was calm and cold. But a deeper rage than before was felt.

This was the true Tang Gwan. He had been blinded by the appearance of the leader of his enemy organization, but this one move had restored his composure.

The Blood Demon Great Master smiled coldly.

“You managed to survive.”

“A bizarre illusion technique. This is the first time I’ve experienced such an illusion.”

That was right.

The rocks that had poured down from the top of the rocky mountain were all illusions.

Even so, it was an illusion with a terrible sense of reality. It was on a different level from what ordinary heretical martial artists or demons used.

That was why Tang Gwan was injured. Even the slightest, very slight wavering of the mind would cause the illusion’s attack to become real and inflict damage on the body.

To eliminate that wavering, that gap in his mind, Tang Gwan regained his focus.

‘Tricky.’

The Blood Demon Great Master’s fingers twitched.

‘I’m not sure how effective the Blood King Illusion Technique will be.’

Even masters who have perfectly trained their mind, qi [life force or energy], and body are susceptible to the Blood King Illusion Technique. The mystical nature of the Blood Cult’s secret illusion technique was a study that reached the heavens.

However, the amount of demonic energy was somewhat insufficient to use the Blood King Illusion Technique.

Of course, if he were in perfect condition, he would have used an even more terrible secret technique than the Blood King Illusion Technique.

Sreuk.

Tang Gwan was not careless.

If the opponent was a master of illusions, moving rashly was forbidden. Even the divine eye of the Myriad Return Divine Art could not fully grasp it, so now was the time to be cautious.

Tang Gwan, who had stopped moving, slightly shook his sleeve.

Before he knew it, throwing stars were revealed between his fingers. The four throwing stars were ordinary, but they looked extraordinary in Tang Gwan’s hands.

The Blood Demon Great Master’s smile deepened.

“Go ahead and swing your precious pieces of iron.”

“That’s my intention.”

Paah-aah-aang!

While saying that, he unleashed a palm strike with his right hand, which was not holding the throwing stars.

It was the Three Yang Divine Palm he had used earlier. However, unlike the fast and violent previous strike, this palm strike was full and slow, but it had greatly expanded its range.

Ho Yeon-hap shouted.

“Block it!”

The disciples straightened their bodies and swung their swords at the approaching palm strike.

Kwaaaang!

Like a flooding river, the aftermath of the palm strike, which exploded at the point of impact, surged in all directions.

“Uweeeck!”

Half of the disciples vomited blood.

It was not a fatal injury, but they had suffered considerable internal damage from this one move.

‘They are no match in martial arts.’

He had expected as much. No, it was only natural that it would be so.

The realm of a Blood Demon meant standing on the path to becoming a god. Only the chosen ones could get infinitely closer to the side of a god, and their use and density of qi were on a different level.

‘But you should know. I have also reached that same level.’

The paths they took were different. It was still too early for either of them to speak of the Myriad Return, but the Blood Demon Great Master, who was considered the best in the world of sorcery, was confident that he could face Tang Gwan even in his current state.

Of course, that was all.

He was confident in facing him, but not in winning. From the start, this was not a fight where he should exert his full strength to win.

‘It’s already been two days. Hurry up and come!’

The Blood Demon Great Master shouted.

“Hold your positions to the end.”

Peopeopeong!

The Three Yang Divine Palm strikes came one after another.

Slow but wide-ranging palm strikes, fast but narrow and sharp palm strikes, and even more powerful palm strikes that were infinitely fast and strong.

He was using the same martial art with completely different principles, so it didn’t feel like the same martial art at all. The diverse power of the Three Yang Divine Palm made the disciples’ reddish eyes fill with urgency.

Kwakwang! Kwaaaang!

Even with Ho Yeon-hap joining in, they could not reduce the accumulated damage.

After blocking a total of seven palm strikes, their bodies were completely covered in blood. Even Ho Yeon-hap was bleeding from his nose and mouth.

They were no match. If they formed a formation and attacked with a strategy, it might be different, but even for a supreme master, a head-on confrontation with a Limitless Master was this difficult.

However, Tang Gwan could not underestimate them.

‘Not a single one died.’

Even though he had not used his full power, it was also true that he had used his strength decisively.

Yet, not a single one had died. He had carefully unleashed each of the seven Three Yang Divine Palm strikes, not using the Three Yang Seven Color Cannon in rapid succession, but no one had died.

‘There’s something I’m not seeing.’

Uuuuuuung!

Tang Gwan’s eyes flared red again.

‘So that’s what it was.’

A transparent barrier finally caught his divine eye.

Centered around the Blood Demon Great Master, a colorless and odorless sorcery was layered on each of the underlings’ bodies.

It was not a giant barrier, but a separate sorcery defense was applied even to the moving masters. Tang Gwan, who was also skilled in formations, had never seen or heard of such a level.

‘Even though he hasn’t recovered his strength, he’s this strong….’

Tang Gwan’s smile deepened.

‘It was good that I checked.’

Using martial arts while also activating the divine eye of the Myriad Return Divine Art was a considerable burden.

Hook!

Centered on his upper dantian, the Myriad Return Divine Qi spread like lightning throughout his body.

Uuuuuuung!

The spread qi converged back to the center of his upper dantian, and the converged and condensed qi spread throughout his body again before returning.

Such condensation and release occurred dozens of times in a short moment.

Hwaaaaaaaak!

The Blood Demon Great Master’s face hardened.

Not only that, but the disciples, including Ho Yeon-hap, also involuntarily stuck to the rocky mountain wall.

Kugugugung!

Deep and massive cracks extended around the rocky wall where Tang Gwan was standing diagonally.

The radius alone was over twenty yards. Just by releasing his energy, it felt like the center of the mountain would collapse.

“Sorcery that counters martial arts… It’s impressive, but I was worried about what else you had, and it’s just that.”

Tang Gwan grinned.

At that moment, the disciples felt a chill run down their spines. Even they, who were addicted to the Blood God’s energy, the most toxic demonic energy in the world, and knew no fear, felt fear for a moment because of Tang Gwan’s terrifying energy.

“Farewell.”

At that moment, the Blood Demon Great Master shouted.

“Left side, first path!”

Flash!

The moment the Blood Demon Great Master’s incantation spread, the four throwing stars that Tang Gwan had already thrown were an inch away from the disciples’ foreheads.

Lightning-fast speed, a power that seemed capable of piercing through anything.

It was the Chasing Thunder Flying Knife, one of the Tang family’s secret throwing techniques.

Saaak! Peobeok!

Since the Blood Demon’s will existed before the incantation, the disciples’ movements were faster than Tang Gwan’s attack.

Even so, two of the throwing stars pierced the foreheads of two disciples.

The attack was a beat slower, but the speed of the throwing stars was incredibly fast. It was truly like a flash of light.

Pa-ba-bak!

After taking care of the dead disciples, they flew to the left.

At that moment, their figures disappeared from Tang Gwan’s sight.

It was an unbelievable harmony. It was no exaggeration to call it a formation or sorcery.

Hook!

Tang Gwan’s body floated in the air.

There was nothing more foolish than going near someone who used sorcery. Moreover, if the sorcerer was dangerous even to a Limitless Master who had fully opened their upper dantian, there was no need to say more.

Tang Gwan’s choice was excellent.

It was excellent and amazing.

The red Myriad Return Divine Qi, which spread like a blood-colored robe, was like the clothes of a fairy soaked in blood.

Wearing that robe, he floated well in the air. Before any distinction of level, Tang Gwan, who had taken in numerous poisons and possessed the strongest internal energy, found this level of aerial stepping, no, land flight, not so difficult.

‘Three Strings, Three Thunders.’

Chiring! Flash!

Three throwing stars that popped out from his sleeve were shot to the upper, lower left, and lower right sides of where the Blood Demon Great Master’s group had disappeared.

Peobeobeok!

The throwing stars disappeared before they even hit the rocky wall. The entire area was an illusion.

Uuuuuuung!

The power of the Myriad Return Divine Qi was transmitted from the three throwing stars embedded in the wall.

Tang Gwan’s hand slowly closed.

“Three Severance Explosion.”

Kwaaaang!

With a tremendous explosion, the rocky wall within a radius of three yards was shattered.

It was the Three Severance Explosion of the Chasing Thunder Flying Knife. It was a death formation that condensed and exploded the throwing star and the palm strike.

Jiiiiiing!

Even sorcery was just a harmony of qi. If such a powerful qi exploded, the illusion would have to be erased as well.

Jing! Jiiiiiing!

The shape of the ordinary rocky mountain began to distort haphazardly.

Now that he looked, half of the rocky mountain was an illusion. It was such a high-dimensional illusion that it could even deceive the eyes of Tang Gwan, a Limitless Master whose upper dantian was particularly developed.

And between the swaying illusions.

The Blood Demon Great Master’s demonic energy and the disciples’ evil energy were felt.

Hook!

The speed was not fast. But it was not slow either.

Tang Gwan’s figure, dashing through the air, was like a demon general flying in the sky.

Peopeopeopeong!

He followed the illusions and relentlessly shot palm strikes and throwing stars.

The entire rocky mountain vibrated. The illusions that had been distorted and restored twisted wildly, revealing empty spaces in various places.

It was then.

Hook!

Tang Gwan’s eyes deepened.

‘Demonic energy is surging?!’

Peobeok!

The corpses of the two dead disciples fell out of the empty space.

Surprisingly, their chests were wide open. Inside their open chests, the hearts that should have been there were missing.

“Too bad. I didn’t expect to take their hearts so soon.”

Flash!

The illusion of the rocky mountain immediately returned to its original state.

It didn’t end there.

Bubbling.

Before he knew it, blood-red lava with tremendous heat was rising from the bottom of the rocky mountain at a terrifying speed.

Kwareureung!

In the darkened sky, silent lightning struck in succession.

The worst disasters that could occur in the sky and on the ground filled Tang Gwan’s vision. And in all those places, suffocating demonic energy was lurking.

However, Tang Gwan did not feel fear.

Rather, he felt anger.

“How dare you….”

Weeeeeeeing!

The density of the Myriad Return Divine Qi, which seemed to have no more room to rise, gradually increased.

“How dare you spread such filthy demonic energy in front of me?”

Paah-aah-aang!

Following the instinct of the rising qi, Tang Gwan’s body was shot straight towards the rocky mountain.

Chiririring!

Before he knew it, dozens, hundreds of throwing stars with brilliant light soared from behind his back.

“How dare you in front of me! On my land!!”

Tang Gwan screamed and stretched out his right hand.

Following the incantation of the Jade Sound Strong Cannon, the technique of the Heavenly Flower Rain began to align.