Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1245

1251. The Unbreakable Land (1)

“……”

Gang Ryang’s eyes turned towards the southeast in the distance.

“What is it?”

Jin Yang also seemed to sense something, his eyes deepening as he looked in the same direction as Gang Ryang.

“I don’t know what it is, but… it’s a bit eerie, isn’t it?”

They had arrived in the west before Ha Eun-Gyo. Around them, a portion of the Sichuan Black Path forces were stationed.

Gang Ryang frowned.

“It’s really unbearable.”

“What is?”

“This realm, I mean.”

“What are you talking about?”

“When I first reached this realm, I was overjoyed. But as my martial arts improve and my realm rises, it feels like only ambiguity remains.”

It was not a realm to complain about. If one had achieved the martial prowess of a leader of a prestigious clan at his age, it was an extraordinary feat.

Considering that most martial artists die without ever reaching Gang Ryang’s level, his statement was quite absurd.

However, Jin Yang understood Gang Ryang’s feelings.

‘The higher you climb, the more you desire a higher realm. I am not satisfied with my current position.’

Restlessness is a privilege hard to enjoy without ambition. In that regard, Gang Ryang was certainly exceptional.

Jin Yang smiled and said,

“The air is definitely different. Perhaps the Tang Clan Head is engaged in battle with the enemy.”

It was a distance they could never sense with their senses.

Yet, both men intuitively felt that something unusual was happening in the south. It was an intuition that surpassed their senses, a testament to how incredibly sensitive their upper dantian [a key energy center in the body, according to martial arts philosophy] was.

“But I’m more concerned about that side than the south.”

Jin Yang’s fiery eyes turned north.

Whoooosh.

The wind blowing was extremely rough.

The sky was filled with dark clouds, and the air was humid. It felt like a downpour of rain or snow was about to fall.

“Senior Ha is about ten miles south of us. Ten miles… it’s a long distance, but there’s no way Senior Ha wouldn’t have felt the unease we’re feeling.”

“You’re right, brother.”

The unease Gang Ryang felt was not only due to the situation in the south, where he couldn’t even guess what was happening.

Both men were feeling a terrible unease coming from the northern sky. It was a much more concrete unease than the one in the south.

The smell of the battlefield was in the air.

Their numerous battle experiences, genius-level talent, and the constantly sharpening abilities of their upper dantian had honed their senses as sharp as a sword.

“I can’t figure it out. Currently, the Blood Cult forces were annihilated at Mount Wudang in Hubei. The forces crossing southern Shaanxi were also said to have been annihilated by the Great Formation and the Righteous Army. But why again…?”

Gang Ryang looked at Jin Yang with a strange expression.

That meant he was sure that the forces coming from the north were from the Blood Cult.

“Do they seem like demons?”

“You know it, don’t you?”

“I honestly just feel uneasy… I’m starting to think this is a useless ability.”

“They are demons.”

Whoooosh.

Fire blazed in Jin Yang’s eyes.

Shining true energy passed through his lower and middle dantian, reaching his upper dantian. Even though it was a fire that could burn everything, his divine art was pure. Sama Gi’s ability to distinguish was bound to be superior to Gang Ryang, who had learned the Black Path’s mind techniques.

“It’s a powerful demonic energy. It’s getting closer. No… it’s getting closer at a terrifying speed.”

Whoosh!

A tense energy wave emanated from Jin Yang’s body.

They had only been feeling unease, but now it was different. The air of the battlefield, which had been slowly pushing in like a cloud, was now rushing in like a storm.

Jin Yang shouted,

“You guys, tell Senior Ha to come here right now! And you two, go to the Tang Clan forces! The rest of you, get into the city! Inform Qingcheng and the Tang Clan that the Blood Cult forces are approaching right now!”

It was a commanding shout from Jin Yang, something he had never shown before.

The Black Path informants moved quickly. They had been selected for their swift footwork, so the information transfer would be even faster.

“We’re heading south.”

“Brother! What about them?”

“They’re not opponents we can handle.”

It was then.

Whoosh!

Not only Jin Yang but also Gang Ryang’s face hardened.

The already fast storm was now flying in like a gale.

‘They’ve noticed our presence.’

Fwoooosh!

The two quickly leaped south.

At that moment, Ha Eun-Gyo’s figure appeared in the distance. She had felt the unease even before the informant was sent and was approaching with Ji So-Hyun.

“Senior!”

Ha Eun-Gyo’s face was terribly cold.

“They’re strong. You two, come behind me.”

“Understood.”

Ha Eun-Gyo lightly shook her hands.

Whoooosh!

The formless Yin Fire Demonic True Energy flowing from her delicate hands spread far and wide with a subtle vibration.

Not to mention Ji So-Hyun, even Gang Ryang and Jin Yang could not guess what she was trying to do.

Ha Eun-Gyo closed her eyes.

‘One, two… four?’

Her closed eyes opened on their own.

An undisguisable tension appeared on her face.

‘There are four Limitless Masters?!’

To be precise, there were three. It was hard to tell if the other one was a Limitless Master or not.

‘According to the Tang Clan’s information, almost all of the Blood Cult’s forces had entered the Central Plains. But logically, they wouldn’t have brought the masters guarding the cult.’

Even Ha Eun-Gyo, who was not skilled in strategy and tactics, knew that much. It was common sense.

‘But with this many forces, why didn’t they come together? If they were guarding the cult, it would be common sense to stay put, so why send a small elite force at such an ambiguous moment?’

Even if she didn’t know much about strategy and tactics, the depth of her experience was different.

Ha Eun-Gyo realized that the enemy’s movements were not logical. That’s why she was tense. The fact that the enemy was not acting logically meant that they didn’t know what was happening, and it also meant that it was difficult for their side to read the enemy’s movements.

However.

‘It’s not my concern.’

Her thoughts stopped there.

Whoooosh!!

Her hands were covered in a hazy true energy.

‘I am neither a commander nor a strategist. I just need to eliminate all the threats that come before me.’

Ha Eun-Gyo reached behind her.

Whoooosh!

The zither that Ji So-Hyun was holding floated up and was placed in front of Ha Eun-Gyo.

Surprisingly, Ha Eun-Gyo sat down and placed the zither on her lap. Even though she knew that the enemy was approaching at an incredible speed, she showed a relaxed demeanor.

Gang Ryang said in an anxious voice,

“Senior.”

“There are three, maybe four Limitless Masters. The number of demons following them is about three hundred, and they are quite elite.”

Jin Yang gritted his teeth.

“Let’s retreat.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Senior!”

“Don’t worry. I may not have the ability to annihilate them, but I have the ability to buy time. Besides…”

Ha Eun-Gyo turned her gaze east.

“Our allies are coming. Powerful allies who can tie down the enemy.”

It was then.

“Wooooooo!!”

A tremendous lion’s roar was heard from the north.

It was completely different from the Shaolin’s lion’s roar. The demonic sound that swept through the surroundings had a strange power that stimulated the fear of all living beings.

If it were a color, it would be as black as ink. It was a terrible demonic energy, as if a huge demon containing demonic essence was howling.

And then.

Whoosh!

The enemies, with black and red demonic energy fluttering like flames, appeared on the hill.

* * *

“Strange.”

Jo Yang-Jin’s eyes deepened.

“It’s a powerful demonic energy. It’s similar to what I felt at Mount Wudang… even if the density is somewhat lower, this is also a power that rivals the Limitless realm.”

“It’s the Blood Cult.”

Gi Cheon-Woong and Chal Geuk-Pyeong read the Blood Cult’s demonic energy faster than Jo Yang-Jin.

“The last of the forces guarding the cult have come.”

“I can’t understand it. If that’s the case, they should have come with the forces that descended into the Central Plains in the first place…”

“The Blood Revered Master might have summoned them.”

Jo Yang-Jin’s eyes flashed.

If there was a sorcerer who could use a technique comparable to the Wudang Sect’s secret technique, the Limitless Art, even with a weakened body, they would be able to call allies from a distance.

“If they are the forces guarding the cult until the very end, then they must be the Young Cult Master’s forces.”

“Young Cult Master?”

“That’s right.”

Fwoooosh!

Their speed, which had already surpassed Tang Eul-Han, was now exceeding the limits of human capability.

“Whether it’s Soul Absorption or something else, the Blood Cult forces are spiritually connected to the Cult Master. But not the Young Cult Master. The Blood Cult’s Young Cult Master is the most complete of the three successors. He has the martial power to take the position of Cult Master right now.”

“……!”

“When the regime changes, people change too. There are those who have reached the Heavenly Transformation [a high level of martial arts mastery] by the Young Cult Master’s side. If the forces that pushed into the Central Plains are the Cult Master’s people, then those who have appeared here now must be the Young Cult Master’s people.”

Jo Yang-Jin shook his head.

“Then does that mean the Blood Cult has as many forces as the ones that invaded the Central Plains?”

“That can’t be. Their forces were scattered. But some of the leaders must have survived.”

Whoosh!

Gi Cheon-Woong’s body ignited.

It meant that he was going to increase his speed in earnest.

“I don’t know if it’s the Blood Revered Master’s doing or if there’s something to gain, but if we crush them too, the Blood Cult will truly be destroyed.”

It was the final battle of the Blood Cult.

“Let’s go!”

Gi Cheon-Woong and Chal Geuk-Pyeong grabbed Jo Yang-Jin’s arms and increased their speed.

Fwoooosh!!

It seemed that the divine techniques they had used so far were not their full power.

When the two used their full power, they achieved a speed that was truly beyond imagination. Their speed, cutting through the basin and the city, was like a meteor.

The scenery changed rapidly. The splendid city was no longer visible, and only villages and desolate lands greeted them.

And finally.

“There!”

Gi Cheon-Woong’s eyes blazed.

A beautiful woman was seen sitting leisurely, her hands on the zither. And behind her, three men and women were staring ahead with tension.

Facing them, over three hundred demons were charging at an incredible speed.

‘As expected, our thoughts were right!’

They had arrived just in time. If they had been just a little late, the battle would have already begun.

But Gi Cheon-Woong’s relief soon turned into surprise.

Ting!

An invisible sound resonated softly from under the hand that lightly plucked a zither string.

In that instant, Gi Cheon-Woong slowed down.

“Stop!”

Fwoosh!

The two who were holding Jo Yang-Jin hurriedly stopped their divine techniques.

Immediately, Ha Eun-Gyo’s hands frantically plucked the zither strings.

Ting ting ting ting!! Ting!!

It was not a melody, but like a musician loosening their fingers before playing.

Beyond the lightly plucked zither strings, formless gusts of wind shot out like arrows.

Fwoosh!

Nothing was visible.

Yet, the upper bodies of the leading demons, charging from over a hundred yards away, were constantly twisting.

It was to offset the formless shockwaves. Without a skill comparable to Ha Eun-Gyo, it would have been difficult to cope even at a distance of a hundred yards.

“Not bad.”

Ha Eun-Gyo smiled.

The smile was warm, but her eyes were like the cold of winter. The best sound master in the world, who had finished loosening her fingers, began her full performance.

“It’s a self-composed piece called ‘Overcoming Sorrow, Mad Laughter, and Tears.’ Let’s see if there’s a dance that can match my performance.”

Tung! Tudung! Taaang!

Fast then slow, lingering yet rough.

On the melody of the solemn seven-stringed zither, the sorrow of the world-renowned masterpiece that swept through the basin darkened the land and sky.