Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1325

“No entry!” A beggar came running from afar, shouting. “No entry! You must retreat!” Even without being told, Ga Deuk-Sang could sense it. ‘Crazy!’ Kuururung! The sky, already darkened, was groaning. The clouds gathered in the sky, swirling in a circle. It was a sight that defied belief. It was as if a tornado, starting from the sky, was descending to the ground, twisting the clouds. ‘What the hell? Is the world turning upside down?’ It was a weather anomaly. Although he had not yet reached his master’s level, his senses, recognized as those of a genius, could feel the bizarre energy spreading throughout Shandong. ‘What on earth…….’ It was as if the very weather was being distorted. There was another problem. Kuururung! Kuururung! The ground was shaking. It was more than just a shockwave; the intensity of the earthquake was unusual. Even the most powerful experts fighting each other wouldn’t cause such a shockwave. It was a natural phenomenon, a real earthquake. It felt like the earth’s axis was twisting and colliding, like several key parts of a well-functioning machine had come loose. Ga Deuk-Sang’s face grew serious. ‘It seems like it will stop soon. It’s an earthquake, but not that serious.’ He knew from experiencing several earthquakes as a child. This one would stop soon. The problem was what came next. ‘I can’t believe it. It’s like the heavens and earth are groaning. Is it just a coincidence?’ Thud! Kugugung! Above the roar of the earthquake, a deafening explosion erupted. It was an explosion that made the martial artists shudder even more than the twisting sky or the earthquake. Although the shockwave didn’t reach them, they could tell from the explosion alone that unprecedented forces were colliding. It was as if dragons and dragons, monsters and monsters, were wrestling. The ‘sound’ itself seemed to have a form, making the Beggar Clan members gathered in Shandong flinch. Ga Deuk-Sang placed his hand on the ground. The Beggar Clan’s secret technique, the Dragon Subduing True Energy, seeped into the earth, and he began to read the flow of earth energy. ‘The energy is twisted. My prediction was right. The flow of energy is gathering towards Mount Tai.’ It was an extremely unnatural reaction. Energy can flow in one direction, gather for a while, and then spread out again as it pleases. That’s how the energy of nature is. But this flow was extremely artificial. It was as if masters of sorcery had gathered and were manipulating the energy; the flow of earth energy was excessively abnormal. ‘Someone is plotting something. If the Demonic Cult is scheming something here, it can’t be anything ordinary. Are they planning to shake the ley lines [energy channels] of the Central Plains?’ But the movement of the sky was also unusual. He couldn’t read the heavens, but anyone who could handle energy would know that the movement of the sky was unusual. ‘The heavens and earth are groaning, but they are twisting for different reasons. This earthquake is definitely artificial. The Demonic Cult bastards must have used some kind of trick. But that sky…….’ He had heard that such phenomena sometimes occurred, but to see such a sight just when Yeon Ho-Jeong was fighting an enemy. Especially at a time when these unusual explosions were being exchanged. ‘Surely, the sky didn’t become like that just because experts are fighting.’ Ga Deuk-Sang, who had been looking up at the sky with shaking eyes, lowered his head again. “Everyone, listen.” Thousands of Beggar Clan members turned their gaze to Ga Deuk-Sang. “The outcome of the fight is beyond our control. As you all have felt, it’s not a fight that we can win by helping or lose by watching. The Black Emperor is fighting a formidable enemy.” “……!” “After all, we came here to stop the Demonic Cult and stabilize Shandong. You all know the number of cultists who have infiltrated Shandong. I don’t think the Black Emperor would be pushing himself this hard against so many of them.” Ga Deuk-Sang tried hard to hide his true feelings. Could even a thousand, no, ten thousand enemies cause such explosions? The shockwaves from an actual battlefield would be indescribable. ‘The Demonic Cult Leader…….’ The final enemy of the Three Great Heretical Sects. If it wasn’t him, Yeon Ho-Jeong wouldn’t need to push himself this hard. But even then, it was doubtful that he could display this level of power. “We will immediately bypass the battlefield and ensure the safety of the civilians! And I and the elites of the Dragon and Tiger will head to Mount Tai! At the end of this unusual flow of earth energy is Mount Tai!” Not every supreme master can sensitively read earth energy. It was another talent that was revealed in a critical moment. His upper dantian [energy center], which had developed while handling a lot of information, was opening the limits of his talent and embracing the world. “Let’s go!” * * * ‘I can’t believe it.’ Sa Mun-hyang’s face, as he pushed back Yeon Ho-Jeong and calmed his true energy, was like cracked glass. ‘Even if he is my nemesis, how can he develop so recklessly?’ He had said that he was a disaster for those who harbored the Blood God in their hearts, but this growth rate was excessive. No, excessive was not enough. It was as if the will of the heavens itself had taken root in his body; he was growing rapidly and absorbing all of his power. “Can’t believe it?” Sa Mun-hyang’s eyes deepened at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s voice. “How long has it been since you manipulated the Three Sects from behind the scenes and played with people as you pleased? You’ve turned the Demonic Cult into a temple just for you for a long time, a hundred, two hundred years, so this situation must be bewildering.” Bewildering? It was more than that. Sa Mun-hyang was experiencing the feeling of his body stiffening for the first time in a long time. It wasn’t just because of his opponent’s growth rate. It was because he thought he might be defeated if he made a mistake. Moreover, the bizarre existence of the manifested Yellow Dragon just before he grew was so terrifying that his heart sank just by looking at it. Yes. He felt fear. Fear of Yeon Ho-Jeong, or rather, the will he possessed. It was not about receiving the will of the heavens, but about taking even the will of the heavens as his own and wielding infinite talent. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s will was making Sa Mun-hyang feel eerie. And that reality was also bringing about a strange feeling. “Interesting.” Sa Mun-hyang smiled. Conversely, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face hardened. Tsutsutsutsu. It was as if the Blood Demon energy that Sa Mun-hyang was emitting was engulfing the surroundings. “I am someone who cursed the heavens yet yearned for them, and even sought to place the heavens beneath my feet. And yet, I felt fear in the face of my nemesis.” He honestly admitted his feelings. It was not something he would easily say to an enemy. By admitting that fact, he shook off his fear. “I seek to become a god, but I have no intention of becoming a god who feels nothing.” Sa Mun-hyang waved his hand in the air. “I will become a real god, and I am someone who seeks to become a god as a human. Because I fully understand human emotions, I feel pleasure and am not afraid of being hated.” “…….” “So I was worried. For three hundred, no, almost four hundred years, I was tormented by the fact that I had become numb to human emotions.” Sa Mun-hyang clenched his fist. Whoosh! It was as if the surrounding air was being compressed into his fist. “You have made me realize what fear is.” “…….” “For humans, fear and dread are as intense as joy. Now that I have felt such emotions, I realize that I am not a jaded demigod, but a proper human being.” “…….” “I am truly grateful.” For some reason, Yeon Ho-Jeong silently listened to his words. A wry smile appeared on Sa Mun-hyang’s face. “I don’t know how the Mad Philosopher lived in this world. All his emotions must have been worn away, so he must have felt like he wasn’t really living.” “You’re wrong.” “Hmm?” Yeon Ho-Jeong said firmly. “He never wanted to become a god like you. He just wanted to live as a human. But he couldn’t even die. Because he didn’t know when you Blood Cult bastards would turn the world into a sea of fire again, he walked the earth steadfastly, even while losing his humanity.” “……!” “And when he met me, he finally laid down all his burdens and ascended to the heavens.” Ascended to the heavens. Returning to the heavens meant death. But Sa Mun-hyang felt a strange sensation from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words. “Ascended to the heavens…… Are you saying he achieved immortal ascension?” “That’s right.” The corners of Sa Mun-hyang’s mouth trembled slightly. It was a face that wanted to laugh but couldn’t. It was the most human expression Sa Mun-hyang had shown today. “Are you lying? In front of me of all people?” “Seeing you react like that, even though you know I’m not lying, it’s clear that you’re just a normal person.” “…….” “Humans cannot become gods. They can do something similar to playing god, though.” Sa Mun-hyang’s eyes trembled slightly. “I don’t know, I don’t understand at all.” “…….” “Who the hell are you? I’ve searched my memories over and over, but I don’t know you. Even as I was losing my human emotions, my abilities became immense and powerful. I don’t lose my memories.” “…….” “Who the hell are you!” “Looks like I’m the nemesis you’re so crazy about.” Sa Mun-hyang’s face flushed slightly at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s blunt reply. ‘I see.’ Watching that, Yeon Ho-Jeong realized. ‘This guy is becoming more and more human.’ And seeing that, Yeon Ho-Jeong felt relieved. Would it be satisfying to kill a sworn enemy who doesn’t know you? It would be satisfying. But the taste of revenge wouldn’t be clean. Of course, it was clear that he was a guy who had to be eliminated no matter what. My desire for revenge and satisfaction were secondary. What was important was to erase that guy from this world, and if that made the world safer and my people could live with a smile, that in itself was valuable. But now, seeing Sa Mun-hyang gradually showing a more human side. Yeon Ho-Jeong realized. ‘I will abandon my duty.’ For the sake of the world, for the sake of my people. He decided to abandon those thoughts. “Sa Mun-hyang.” “…….” “You have to look at me. Just like I was able to get to this point by looking at you.” “……?!” Sa Mun-hyang’s expression changed again. His brow furrowed, his eyes bloodshot. His cheeks trembled, his mouth twisted. A smile appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face. His joy grew each time his opponent descended into humanity. And he realized one more thing. “I’m starting to get a feel for how to handle you.” “……Handle?” A word that damaged his pride. “How dare you say you’ll handle me?” “Yeah.” As Sa Mun-hyang was returning to being human, Yeon Ho-Jeong was also returning to his usual self. He was a master of deceptive rhetoric who never lost his composure against any enemy, using terrifying provocations to break his opponent’s spirit and create openings. “Isn’t the thing you’ve been engrossed in for four hundred years just messing with young girls and ruining their lives? If you can’t even handle a guy like that, the title of Black and White Emperor is a joke.” “……!!” “By the way, it’s really absurd. If you live forty years properly, you’re revered as a saint, and even someone who has lived four years properly can be respected, but all you’ve done for four hundred years is that kind of thing?” Yeon Ho-Jeong scratched his head with his White Dragon Robe. “I admit your stamina, but aren’t you ashamed?” Kwaaang!! Sa Mun-hyang’s hand grabbed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s neck.