Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1302

Kwaang!

With a brutal strike, about a dozen cultists were instantly turned into mincemeat. The destructive power was astonishing. It was just a single fist, yet people died and steel shields were crushed, flying into the sky.

“Euh-heong!!”

The shout, filled with inner energy, was a true lion’s roar.

The Black Lion Flag fluttered wildly. It was the cry of a hegemon [a dominant leader or ruler], filling the chaotic battlefield with terror in an instant.

The lion rampaged.

Crack! Crash! Thud!

No one could stand against the Black Lion Divine Fist, which was wielded as if possessed. It was like a lion leaping into a flock of sheep. He plunged into the enemy lines with terrifying speed, reducing their numbers, and when elite troops rushed in, he pushed them back with his powerful strength before retreating to the rear.

It was an extremely simple tactic. Yang Cheon, standing alone in the narrow passage and blocking the advancing troops, was reminiscent of Zhang Fei of Changbanpo, who was said to have held back an army of hundreds of thousands.

“Come!”

It was impossible to know how many enemies he had killed. Yang Cheon’s entire body was soaked in blood. Yet, he showed no signs of fatigue. The aura emanating from him grew stronger with time, and his activated inner energy seemed to absorb external energy, becoming even more abundant.

The faces of the Demonic Cultists were filled with dread. Even for them, who were driven by the power of faith, the disaster that was Yang Cheon was an insurmountable wall.

The Black Lion Flag that Yang Cheon raised was darkening the area. Its mere presence was enough to break morale. The rough and ferocious energy, the hegemon’s spirit that had scolded the world, defeated countless strongmen, and finally conquered the Black Path, was not something that could be overcome with faith.

“My lord. Conserve your strength.”

Though he said that, there was no worry in Baek Seo’s voice. He always worried about his lord, but worrying about his lord when he was determined to fight was foolish. He might be called a Four Kings, but Baek Seo was confident that if his lord was determined, he could win even against the Three Emperors or the Two Immortals.

Yang Cheon spoke in a heavy voice.

“Let the Twelve Earthly Branches deal with the enemies coming up the left and right hills.”

“Understood.”

If that was his lord’s will, then so be it. Baek Seo immediately ascended the left hill.

It was then.

Swoosh!

Someone appeared behind Yang Cheon.

“You’ve come.”

“Elder.”

The person who appeared was Muk Bi.

“How is the Clan Leader?”

“Fortunately, he has regained stability.”

Muk Bi’s face was stiff as he spoke.

Yang Cheon sighed inwardly.

‘It couldn’t be helped.’

In the middle of the battle, an enemy general suddenly appeared and targeted Yeon-wi. It was a stroke of luck for the martial forces that the commander-in-chief himself had targeted Yeon-wi. If they killed the commander-in-chief, the enemy’s morale would plummet, which would be a great opportunity for their side.

That’s where the variable occurred.

Surprisingly, Yeon-wi was pushed back by the enemy general. The enemy general’s martial arts were indeed strong and formidable, but no one had imagined that Yeon-wi would be pushed back to such an extent.

They, who were each fighting as one of the Four Kings, had to rush to save Yeon-wi, and in the process, the Demonic Cult forces, whose morale had exploded, pushed back the allied forces.

At that moment, it was impossible to fight. The battle, where three masters were determined to push forward, was closer to a disaster than a simple battle between forces.

If Yang Cheon and Gok Gyeong hadn’t roamed the battlefield and restrained the enemy generals, there would have been twice as many casualties. If that had happened, this battle would have ended there.

‘I really can’t figure it out.’

Yang Cheon, who joined the battle late, was able to see Yeon-wi’s fight from the middle. That’s why he was so surprised. Yeon-wi’s skills were so powerful that everyone could trust and follow him. He was even able to push back Chal Geuk-pyeong, the First King of the Divine Cult.

Yet, he was completely overwhelmed by the enemy’s commander-in-chief. Even though his inner energy and movements were fine, that was the case.

‘I don’t know what happened, but the result is already out. It’s important to focus on the fight ahead now.’

It was fortunate that the enemy’s commander-in-chief had also suffered considerable damage. He was probably resting in his tent now. In the end, due to the geographical characteristics, the outcome of this battle in Jiangsu Province would have to be decided between the masters of the Supreme Path.

Yang Cheon asked.

“What about the Black Imperial Castle forces?”

“They are scattered on the left front, blocking the enemy. Senior Guigun is holding one of the enemy generals, and it is judged that defense is possible.”

“Good. Have you contacted the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes, I have.”

Yang Cheon’s eyes flashed. They should not have been pushed back this far in the first place. But there was always the possibility of the unexpected. They had made many preparations for that time, so even in the worst case, the Emperor would not die.

At that moment, the Demonic Cultists shouted again and advanced.

Muk Bi’s eyes were filled with killing intent.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The heads of five cultists who were charging from the front were blown off. He didn’t suppress the enemy with violent killing intent like Yang Cheon. He simply blew off the heads of the enemies with his divine archery. It seemed to instill even greater fear in the cultists. The invisible projectiles that flew in without a sound blew their heads off, so no one could help but be terrified.

Yang Cheon shouted.

“You too, conserve your strength! Your role in this battle is huge! Fully heal your internal injuries and then join the battle!”

“Understood!”

Swoosh!

Muk Bi disappeared again.

Yang Cheon roared.

“Come again!”

* * *

“Cough!”

Yeon-wi, who was recovering his body with the lying-down method, suddenly coughed up blood.

“L, Lord Clan Leader!”

At the worried cries of his retainers, Wang Jeon said.

“Quiet.”

He calmly inserted needles into Yeon-wi’s body. It was to draw out the turbid energy in his body and make his energy circulation more active.

Wang Jeon was the strongest personal guard of the Yeon Clan Leader, and beyond being a simple guard, he also had a talent for medicine. He was responsible for the Clan Leader’s life and health.

‘As expected.’

Thick drops of sweat dripped from Wang Jeon’s face as he inserted the needles.

‘It’s an amazing body. It’s on a different level than before. The speed at which he expels turbid energy and absorbs external energy is incredible. In this state, he will be able to move sufficiently within half an hour.’

The problem was after he got up.

‘He will surely try to fight right away.’

He was a personal guard, but he would not be able to stop the Clan Leader’s will to participate in the battle. He knew Yeon-wi’s personality well. On the outside, he seemed taciturn, but that mask-like face was just a device to hide his vulnerable self.

In reality, Yeon-wi was more tender and gentle than anyone else. In the past, his personality had shaken the clan, and the efforts of his ancestors, which had been built up for a long time, were almost ruined. After that, Yeon-wi changed. He became colder and more resolute than anyone else. His will to suppress his true nature in order to protect the clan was truly remarkable.

However, even that will could not function properly in the face of justice. It was clear that he would join the battle immediately, thinking of the dying allies. But if that happened, the Clan Leader’s life would be in danger.

‘Should I try to stop him this time?’

Wang Jeon inwardly shook his head.

‘First, it is important to restore him to normal as quickly as possible. Let’s focus.’

Contrary to Wang Jeon’s worries, Yeon-wi was calm.

‘It’s getting faster.’

The Sword Extremity Qi [a type of internal energy] was devouring and burning the turbid energy that was rising from all over his body like a ghost. Thanks to Wang Jeon’s acupuncture, his senses had become even more sensitive. Now, the Sword Extremity Qi was healing his body on its own without him having to focus. Yeon-wi left his body to his inner energy and reviewed the fight.

‘He was a formidable opponent. But it wasn’t that his martial arts were stronger than mine that I was pushed back.’

The surging fists, the wild demonic energy that shook in all directions. And within that demonic energy, a strange spiritual power that was hard to describe.

‘So that’s what it was.’

The battle was so fierce and chaotic that he didn’t realize it at the time.

‘That energy mixed in with the demonic energy, that strange energy, was suppressing my Upper Dantian Qi [energy center in the head].’

Yeon-wi’s swordsmanship had now surpassed the level of simply using inner energy. He was actively using the spiritual power of the Upper Dantian to unleash greater power and draw more exquisite sword paths. However, in the fight against the enemy general, Ilsa King Dan Gong, he was not able to do so. Although it was a very slight difference, his sword power and style were more unstable than before.

It was a chaotic battle, and his body had already suffered internal injuries once, so he didn’t notice it right away. Rather, it was amazing that Yeon-wi’s sensitivity had allowed him to grasp that subtle difference even now.

‘It’s the same spiritual power, but it’s different from mine. It’s like an energy that thoroughly breaks down the divine energy, as if it was aimed at those who have actively trained the Upper Dantian from the beginning.’

That was it. He had wondered why the rotation of the Yeon Clan’s Divine Core was not as good as usual, and after reviewing it, it was because of the enemy’s strange energy.

‘How was that possible?’

There is no perfect martial art in this world. There may be the best in the world, but there is no such thing as absolute existence. There is always a natural enemy, no matter when or where. But he had never imagined that there would be a technique that directly broke down the energy of the Upper Dantian.

It was a relief that he didn’t die. It wasn’t a martial art he wanted to use, but if it hadn’t been for the Asura Eight Swords, his head might have been blown off.

‘I can respond to it.’

Yeon-wi’s fist clenched.

‘If you are caught off guard, it’s over, but if you know, you can deal with it.’

It was not arrogance. He had one of the most vast Upper Dantains in the world, and even more amazing was his delicate manipulation of spiritual power. Unless it was a matter of eliminating the energy itself, if it was a method of breaking down the energy and interfering with the operation of the Upper Dantian, there was no reason why Yeon-wi could not respond.

It was a matter of pouring out stronger spiritual power to inflict damage, or temporarily converting the spiritual energy into inner energy to drastically increase physical abilities.

‘The delicacy may be broken, but if I lead it into a chaotic battle, it’s possible enough.’

If not, he could just cut the enemy’s heart with the Mind Sword or the Purifying Swallow Sword as soon as they met. That would be a problem afterward, though.

‘The important thing is to get my body back to normal as quickly as possible. If I go out in a half-baked state, it will only harm my allies.’

Yeon-wi knew his position in this battle well. He was a master who had reached the Supreme Path, and he was one of the pillars of the martial forces. If such a person died in vain, that would be a bigger problem. If it was unavoidable, then so be it, but if possible, he should enter the front lines after conserving as much strength as possible.

‘Let’s be calm. We are fighting with everything we have. The fact that I feel guilty about their deaths is an insult to all of our wills. I have to think that way.’

His fist clenched tighter and tighter. The operation of the Sword Extremity Qi was getting faster with time. The turbid energy that had remained in his body had almost completely disappeared.

‘From now on, I will start accumulating energy focusing on the Upper Dantian. Then I can get even faster.’

He rotated the Yeon Clan’s Divine Core, which he had stopped.

It was then.

Flash!

Even though his eyes were closed, it felt like a bright light flashed.

‘……?!’

Yeon-wi opened his eyes. It wasn’t that his physical body had opened its eyes. But it felt like he had actually opened his eyes.

‘That is?!’

A huge sword, like a tower, appeared before his eyes. And next to that sword tower. A slender figure was visible.

Yeon-wi’s face was filled with shock.

‘You are…?’