Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1337

The Blooming of the Celestial Eye (4)

A human cannot keep up with the speed of lightning.

Perhaps even internal energy is not a power that nature has allowed. To contain and fix the ever-flowing energy within the body is, in itself, a violation of the laws of nature.

However, this unnatural power broadened the limits of humanity, allowing innate talents to bloom more grandly, leading to the realm of the superhuman.

Through continuous development, humans eventually went beyond simply strengthening their bodies with internal energy, pushing their limits to reach speeds approaching the speed of sound.

Those who reached that realm could only be seen as having walked the path of defying heaven. But if that was defying heaven, then the very study of internal energy cultivation could also be considered defying heaven.

However, the speed of light was different from both.

The speed of light was the absolute limit of the laws of nature. Even the greatest masters, surpassing the best in the world and even the best of all time, could not even approach the speed of light.

But Moyong Gun seemed to have reached that speed of light.

Although he hadn’t actually reached it, the afterimages of light he created made him appear as a living light.

Papapapapang!

Moyong Gun’s footwork, which closed in from all directions, was astonishing even to Myeong Hwal.

‘A beautiful martial art.’

Filled with the energy of lightning, he moved at an invisible speed, gradually closing the distance.

‘I can see his lines. But I can’t move at that speed.’

It wasn’t that Myeong Hwal was weak, but rather due to the nature of the martial arts he had mastered.

Of course, if he converted all the energy in his upper dantian [an energy center in the body] into internal energy, it wouldn’t be impossible, but that would be the same as giving up the power of extreme death, so it was meaningless.

His upper dantian was focused on suppressing opponents with spirit and converting divine energy into destructive power to crush enemies.

‘Too bad. Such a martial art would be perfect to steal and learn.’

A martial art so great that the Four Kings of the Demonic Cult would consider abandoning their life’s work.

However, Myeong Hwal quickly dismissed the lingering thoughts.

There was no way he would teach him, and the opponent was an enemy. What could be more foolish than stealing and practicing an enemy’s martial arts?

Sasa sasa sak!

Moyong Gun’s movements, which had been approaching with the sound of tearing through the air, now didn’t even create light.

He was so fast that one could only sense that something had passed through the air. Of course, Myeong Hwal could see Moyong Gun’s movements, but he couldn’t read his expression.

Myeong Hwal, who had been staring at the front, suddenly flashed his eyes.

Flash!

The greatsword, swung diagonally upwards, emitted a wave of sword energy like a tidal wave.

Kwakwang!!

A sword strike that caused an explosion in the air. Moreover, since Moyong Gun was moving quickly, the sword wave had swept in, leaving him no choice but to either take the hit or evade it.

Evading was, of course, impossible. If he suddenly changed direction while moving at maximum speed, he wouldn’t be able to control his body, which would be thrown off balance.

Kakakakakang!!

Myeong Hwal’s eyes gleamed.

He had been moving at extreme speed, but the moment he unleashed the sword wave, he drastically slowed down.

A human’s body should have exploded from that pressure alone, but Moyong Gun endured it. In the meantime, unable to overcome the inertia, he was flying towards the sword wave, but as if he had already anticipated it, he was preparing a move from the Unrestrained Heavenly Lightning Style.

Kwarurung!

With a thunderous roar, Moyong Gun was thrown backward.

He had unleashed his lightning energy to the fullest, but that was all. Myeong Hwal’s sword energy boasted a density too deep for Moyong Gun’s lightning energy to break through.

However.

‘Clear.’

Even as he was thrown back, Moyong Gun’s eyes were sharp.

‘My mind is clear. I can move.’

The moment he felt pain, he used his lightning energy to temporarily block the sensation of pain.

Not only that, he gathered the lightning energy that had risen to his upper dantian and released the pressure that was rushing into his internal organs. His internal organs, tempered by extremely dangerous lightning energy, boasted a certain level of durability even against this level of pressure.

Kwang!

Moyong Gun, who had been thrown back, kicked off the ground again and charged forward.

This time, even Myeong Hwal couldn’t help but be surprised. He thought he had rendered him incapable of fighting in just one second, but he was attempting a counterattack in that state?

Of course, despite his surprise, Myeong Hwal was reading all of Moyong Gun’s attack lines.

Myeong Hwal’s greatsword rose from the lower to the upper.

It was an extremely simple slash, but with that one movement, Moyong Gun saw an illusion of the world being split diagonally.

Paaaak!

It was the moment when surprise turned into shock.

He spread his legs wide and lowered his upper body to the extreme to evade the slash.

Pa babak!

Blood splattered on Moyong Gun’s back.

He had evaded the slash, but the shockwave of the explosive force created by the greatsword had struck Moyong Gun’s body, which possessed tremendous heat resistance and strength.

It was a blow that made it clear that if he allowed even one hit, he would surely die.

However, Moyong Gun was not flustered.

He was maintaining a clearer mind than ever before. There was tension from facing a monster he couldn’t handle, but his heart was calm.

An unwavering focus, a suitable level of tension.

Even the destructive power of the enhanced Lightning Energy Art, thanks to his commitment to giving his all.

Moyong Gun’s left palm drew a short arc.

Myeong Hwal’s eyes wavered.

Kwang!

With a thunderous roar, Moyong Gun staggered back.

Chiiik!

White smoke rose from Myeong Hwal’s side. Surprisingly, Moyong Gun’s Nine Heavens Thunder Palm had accurately pierced Myeong Hwal’s gap.

Pa jik!

The clearly flashing lightning energy was scattered by Myeong Hwal’s true energy. As if such an attack was not even ticklish, his movements were no different from before.

However, Myeong Hwal’s expression and eyes were much more ferocious than before.

“How many times are you going to surprise me?”

His side, struck by the Thunder Palm, was burning red.

Such an injury would subside after a few breaths, but the important thing was that a master who had not reached the Supreme Extremity had injured the body of a Supreme Extremity master.

Myeong Hwal had never experienced such a thing before. He had never even heard of such a person. The difference between those who had reached the realm of extreme death and those who had not was that extreme.

“Truly amazing. Now that I see it, that palm technique seems to be a fusion of divine skill and swordsmanship.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes wavered.

Myeong Hwal’s insight was accurate. The Nine Heavens Thunder Palm was a palm technique that aimed to maximize explosive force by converting the principles of the Unrestrained Heavenly Lightning Style, based on lightning energy, into palm strikes.

To recognize that after only facing it a few times, he was indeed a monster.

Saaaak!

Black haze flickered from Myeong Hwal’s body.

“I was going to treat it as just the fun of seeing a new martial art, but I can’t.”

He slowly lowered his stance, pulling the greatsword behind his back. He was poised to rush in and deliver a single blow.

“You’re a worthy opponent to take seriously. Though an enemy, you deserve respect.”

Myeong Hwal had never treated an enemy with this much respect in his life. He hadn’t even done this when he fought Tang Gwan. That was how impressed he was by Moyong Gun’s martial arts.

“I will end it with a single blow.”

Moyong Gun’s eyes wavered once more.

‘He’s coming!’

Paak!

Myeong Hwal kicked off the ground.

He was fast. Fast, but not at a speed that he couldn’t react to.

Yet, despite that, Moyong Gun couldn’t figure out where to evade. He felt a sense of unease that no matter how he evaded, Myeong Hwal would take that position first.

And his unease was accurate.

Myeong Hwal’s divine energy-filled eyes were reading even Moyong Gun’s will and emotions. If he could read the moment the will was emitted, even before Moyong Gun moved, taking the initiative was too easy.

That was the fight of Supreme Extremity masters. A fight between monsters who had transcended realms.

‘I can’t block this.’

He couldn’t evade it, nor could he block it.

As if carrying a storm on his back, the transmitted energy was incredibly crude. The lightning energy of the Lightning Energy Art that coursed through his entire body was being pushed away by the wind, scattering with a scream.

‘It’s more futile than I thought.’

He didn’t feel any despair.

No, far from despair, his fighting spirit was actually surging. He was just drained by the fact that there was no way to respond, but Moyong Gun’s fighting spirit was even more intense than before.

‘The Unrestrained Heavenly Lightning Style won’t work. The Nine Heavens Thunder Palm might be better, but I’d have to give up at least two arms.’

If he could save his life, he would give up both arms. If he didn’t have arms, he could fight with his legs.

But was that the best option?

‘How is that guy seeing all this?’

How was he grasping his movements, this lightning martial art?

‘What kind of perspective does he have on the world?’

In the past, during the Tang family incident, Gang Ryang, one of the Five Great Generals of the Black Emperor Fortress, had broken through the Unmoving Realm.

At that time, he had shouted with a voice full of joy.

That this was the world they saw.

That’s right. In the end, masters are people who see a different world.

Moyong Gun also sees a different world than other top masters. Even among the same transcendent masters, very few would see the world with the same perspective as Moyong Gun.

Then what kind of world are those guys seeing?

With what eyes, with what heart, are they facing the world?

Flash! Flash!

The lightning energy that had penetrated his brain seemed to be pounding his skull madly.

His brain seemed to be boiling from the intense lightning energy. It was as if all the nerves in his body were on fire.

‘Can I reach that realm?’

He didn’t know. He had no confidence.

He had heard the news that the invincible swordsman, the Sword Emperor Jongli Baek, had died. Jongli Baek had burned brightly until the end and had passed away with a smile. Tang Hyeong must have been the same.

The generations that had created legends were leaving one by one. The masters who had discussed the pinnacle had something special even in their deaths.

Could he really do that?

‘I can’t.’

It wasn’t because he lacked confidence.

Moyong Gun was looking at himself transparently. He could never smile at the moment of his death. Although he had greatly awakened and was living a different life, he would not be able to change his innate nature.

He would worry about his people until the moment of his death. Even if he became a ghost, he would cling to the things he had not achieved.

That’s right. He was that kind of guy.

No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn’t be able to see the end like the dead masters of the Heavenly Fortress or the countless martyrs who had left with a smile.

Moyong Gun’s eyes darkened.

Then the world also darkened.

‘I’m just that kind of guy.’

His brain seemed to be boiling and vaporizing.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

The three dantians, upper, middle, and lower, turned into light and madly rotated the lightning energy.

‘Because I’m just that kind of guy, I’m still in this state even after seeing the end long ago.’

Weeeeeeeng!

The blue lightning energy in his eyes also rotated.

Not a rotation that expanded power, but a rotation that absorbed power. Unlike the divine pills held by Yeon Ho-Jeong and Yeon Wi, there was a darkness within that would absorb and extinguish even light.

‘Then…’

If I can’t reach that realm.

If I can’t block that sword with my power.

If I can’t accept the enemy’s limits with my limits.

Moyong Gun closed his eyes and reached out his hand.

‘You just need to become weaker.’

Pa jiji jik!!

The lightning energy that had been pushed back gathered at a terrifying speed and pierced Myeong Hwal’s forehead.

No, it looked like it had pierced. In reality, Myeong Hwal had not suffered any damage.

And then, the greatsword was swung.

Kwaaaang!!

A more powerful explosion than ever before shook the battlefield.

“…!!”

Myeong Hwal’s eyes wavered.

That powerful greatsword was blocked by a thin, single-edged sword.

‘What is this?!’

At that moment, Moyong Gun’s languid voice echoed in his ear.

“I’ve always been busy pulling others down instead of rising myself.”

Moyong Gun raised his head.

In that instant, Myeong Hwal was shocked as if his heart had dropped. Moyong Gun’s black pupils had expanded to fill his entire eyes.

“You come down too.”