Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1338

‘It’s still overwhelming.’

Tang Gwan, clad in armor of steel-like hidden weapons, blocked Hang Cheon’s spear and Hang Mu’s fists.

With each blow he parried, his internal organs were being battered. Although he possessed an internal energy reserve that was among the best in the Central Plains, facing two masters of the Supreme Realm simultaneously after unleashing the absolute technique of Myriad Heavenly Flowers was proving to be a struggle.

‘No, it would be difficult even in perfect condition.’

Fortunately, both enemy commanders were also showing considerable fatigue.

Having reached the Supreme Realm, they could replenish a large amount of internal energy with just a few breaths. However, even with full internal energy, their physical strength and concentration could not be at their peak.

These two had rushed from Shanxi to Hebei, battling harsh winds without rest. The reason why the enemy forces were particularly weak and why Tang Gwan was somehow holding out against two masters was due to this.

‘But that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. These guys are seasoned veterans who have been through countless battles.’

Flash!

Hang Cheon’s Dragon Emperor Spear pierced menacingly towards Tang Gwan’s neck.

For a moment, ‘death’ flashed through his mind. In the instant he lost his escape route due to Hang Mu’s destructive fist techniques, it had pierced with perfect timing.

Tang Gwan quickly stepped on the ground.

Whoosh!

He evaded Hang Cheon’s spear with an incomprehensible movement, but a small wound appeared on his neck.

Surprise flickered across Hang Cheon’s face. He had thought this blow would decide the match, but somehow, he had dodged it.

This was the Poison Dragon Sky-Shaking Step of the Emperor’s Poison Scripture. Although he had abandoned the Emperor’s Poison Art, the Poison Dragon Sky-Shaking Step, a top-tier footwork from the Poison Scripture, had been reinterpreted with the Myriad Return Divine Art, drastically enhancing Tang Gwan’s evasion ability.

‘Good, I’ve improved.’

Those who reach the Supreme Realm often experience a lack of practical combat ability.

It was a realm where one could progress without engaging in actual combat, but thanks to the war with the Three Sects, Tang Gwan, along with Yeon Ho-Jeong, was growing into one of the most combat-proficient masters of the Supreme Realm.

That was why the mastery of each martial art was developing so rapidly. Martial arts developed through experiencing death every moment were naturally superior to those obtained through solitary training.

Tang Gwan’s hands turned crimson.

Woo woong!

The heavy, pressing force bloomed like a flower in an instant. The Red Lotus Palm, a palm technique of red lotuses, unfolded.

Flash!

Hang Mu, who had returned behind Hang Cheon like lightning, swung his two fists.

Clang!

Tang Gwan’s body shook.

The two fists, which produced explosive sounds, were powerful enough to shatter even a steel wall in one blow.

‘This guy is stronger after all.’

They even looked like brothers with similar faces. In the midst of it all, this fist fighter was more ferocious than the one with the spear.

‘In fact, this guy is reacting to my attacks and evasions every time. Unlike the spearman.’

It was because this guy was holding his ground that the spearman’s attacks could shine.

‘Then.’

The thumb, curled inside the bent index finger, snapped out menacingly.

Fweeeng!

A small bead was shot out like a bullet.

In that instant, Hang Mu hesitated. As a hidden weapon launched by the head of the Tang Clan, the power contained in the bead was formidable, but it didn’t seem difficult to dodge or deflect.

However, the problem was that he couldn’t tell if it was a steel hidden weapon or a poison dart.

‘I should dodge it.’

When fighting with masters of the Sichuan Tang Clan, this was a burden. Since you never knew what tricks they would use, the worry doubled.

Flash!

Hang Mu, who dodged the bead by a hair’s breadth, approached Tang Gwan as if going against a waterfall. He was attempting a counterattack while evading.

At that moment, Tang Gwan struck his own chest.

Poof!

With an explosive sound, red powder scattered in all directions.

Hang Mu cursed inwardly and retreated to the side. No matter how far he had reached in the Extreme Realm, he couldn’t react reflexively to such an action. It was clear that he had anticipated his approach.

‘Damn it.’

Whoosh!

Although he retreated quickly, a small amount of the scattered powder penetrated his skin.

In an instant, Hang Mu felt the internal energy throughout his body rapidly disintegrating.

‘Dispersion Poison?!’

Though called a poison, Dispersion Poison had a different system than poisons that coagulated blood or paralyzed nerves. It was a poison, but not a deadly one.

Whoosh!

He poured all his internal energy to expel the Dispersion Poison. While it might be difficult for a master of the Superlative Realm, a master of the Extreme Realm could quickly expel even a foreign Dispersion Poison.

And at that moment.

Hang Mu realized he had made a mistake.

Whoosh!

Dispersion Poison had no antidote. Naturally, the opponent would also have to temporarily seal their internal energy, and they would have to use some power to release it.

But the opponent had already disappeared from his sight.

Even though he had released the Dispersion Poison himself!

‘I’ve been had!’

Tang Gwan, who had already charged past Hang Mu, quickly approached Hang Cheon.

Hang Cheon swung his spear with a ghostly shout.

Whap whap whap!

Even if he was weaker than Hang Mu, he was still a master of the Extreme Realm. Moreover, the spear technique he used was taught by the Spear King So Hyun-Lip. [A renowned master of the spear].

He was still an opponent one would have to risk their life to face one-on-one. The spear flowers, blooming as beautifully as the Red Lotus Palm, targeted Tang Gwan’s entire body.

Hang Mu instinctively shouted.

“Fall back!”

Whap!

The Poison Dragon Sky-Shaking Step unfolded once more.

Screech!

His side was deeply cut along with his clothes. He had not completely avoided the spear blade.

However, Tang Gwan was able to gain something even greater.

He had penetrated Hang Cheon’s flank and aimed for his right shoulder with the Thousand Poison Hand.

Clang!

Hang Cheon gritted his teeth.

Tang Gwan’s palm technique contained truly formidable power.

‘But I can withstand it!’

Perhaps it was because he himself had been affected by the Dispersion Poison. He was shocked to the point where his hair stood on end, but this would be the end of it.

However, he had underestimated Tang Gwan, the new emperor of Sichuan.

Thud!

He struck Tang Gwan’s back with the spear shaft. Tang Gwan coughed up blood and was sent flying.

But soon, Hang Cheon’s face hardened.

‘It’s blocked?’

This blow, aimed at an opening, should have broken his back. Yet, the vibration transmitted through the spear shaft was immense, as if he had struck steel.

‘How?!’

He didn’t feel any powerful internal energy.

Hang Cheon’s eyes flashed.

‘To the upper dantian!’ [An energy center in the body]

That’s right.

Both Hang Mu and Tang Gwan had momentarily lost their internal energy due to the Dispersion Poison.

However, Tang Gwan was one of the few in the martial world with a superior upper dantian, and the Myriad Return Divine Art was also a top-level divine art based on the upper dantian.

Hang Mu had to exert all his strength to suppress the Dispersion Poison without realizing it, but Tang Gwan didn’t care if his internal energy scattered. He could move by converting his extremely refined upper dantian energy into internal energy.

He possessed an upper dantian so deep and wide that he could afford to use the Myriad Heavenly Flowers, a wide-area technique, making it a tactic only Tang Gwan could use.

But if that was all, Tang Gwan wouldn’t have targeted Hang Cheon while allowing an attack.

“Cheon-ah!”

Screech!

Hang Cheon’s eyes wavered.

A hazy haze was rising from his right shoulder, where he had been struck.

‘Poison?!’

To be precise, it was a hidden weapon.

A single feather needle, with extremely concentrated upper dantian energy, had pierced precisely between his shoulder and collarbone, at the Cloud Gate acupoint. [A vital point in the body]

And that feather needle was coated with Deadly Mountain Poison.

“Cough!”

Since it had pierced the acupoint accurately, not just the skin, the poison spread much faster.

Moreover, the Cloud Gate acupoint was connected to the lungs, and if there was a problem with the Cloud Gate acupoint, there would be a problem with breathing.

Such a place was injected with one of the most potent poisons of the Tang Clan, so his breathing became labored and his face turned yellow in an instant.

Whoosh!

Hang Cheon hurriedly gathered his internal energy to extract the poison.

It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t a difficult task either. If it hadn’t penetrated directly through the acupoint, detoxification would have been much easier.

Murderous intent flickered in Tang Gwan’s eyes.

In the moment Hang Mu hurriedly approached Tang Gwan, three throwing knives flew through the air.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The thrown knives exploded one after another with explosive sounds between Hang Cheon and Hang Mu.

It was the Exploding Dragon Kill, the ultimate explosive force of the Emperor’s Poison Scripture. It was a martial art that Tang Sang-A had shown during the Shanxi War, and although not as powerful as the Myriad Heavenly Flowers, it was a powerful killing technique.

“Kuaaak!”

Even without poison, its destructive power was greater than Tang Sang-A’s. For Hang Cheon, who was just about to expel the Deadly Mountain Poison, it was no exaggeration to say that it was a truly fatal blow.

Clang!

Tang Gwan was sent flying back again, coughing up blood from Hang Mu’s brutal fist. He couldn’t properly block it because he had unleashed three consecutive Exploding Dragon Kills.

Hang Mu hurriedly turned to look at Hang Cheon.

“Cough!”

With a stifled groan, Hang Cheon knelt down.

“Cheon-ah!”

Hang Cheon couldn’t even answer.

He kept coughing as if he was suffocating. Since he couldn’t breathe properly, his internal energy flow was also disrupted. He tried to open the pores of his entire body to boost his energy, but the poison of the Deadly Mountain Poison had already taken over his right half, making it difficult.

Moreover, the fragments of the throwing knives that had exploded with the Exploding Dragon Kill had torn Hang Cheon’s back. It wasn’t a big wound in itself, but several acupoints were damaged, and the penetration of energy created an environment where the poison could easily run rampant.

At that moment, Hang Mu had to make a decision.

Save his only brother, or kill the dangerous enemy commander.

‘Damn it!’

Hang Mu turned his body again.

He trusted his brother. His brother was also a master of the Extreme Realm, and he had the power to withstand even the strongest poison in the world for half a day.

He would hold out until the end of the fight.

Screech!

In the moment Hang Mu hesitated, Tang Gwan was able to recover more than half of his scattered internal energy with just a few breaths.

Tang Gwan smiled coldly.

“I had forgotten for a while. That I only chose hidden weapons, not that I abandoned poison.”

“You bastard!”

“You guys are out of luck.”

Just as Hang Mu was about to charge, Tang Gwan’s hand was already on the ground.

His extremely developed upper dantian was superior to Hang Mu’s. It was a battle where each predicted the other’s actions, but his upper dantian energy, which had heated up to the extreme, read one step ahead of Hang Mu.

Thump thump thump!

The ground burst in various places, and black poison began to rise. It was a simplified version of the Dark Dragon Fusion Formation. [A powerful poison technique].

“As long as I am here, you will never reach Shandong.”

It was then.

‘……?!’

Tang Gwan, Hang Mu, and even Hang Cheon were startled by a strange energy that ran down their spines and turned their heads.

Flash!

Over a hundred yards away.

The enormous lightning energy emanating from the center of the light spread rapidly in all directions.

Crack crack crack!

The lightning energy, which spread faster than sound, swept through the surroundings like a flooding river.

Screech!

The lightning energy, which had penetrated here in the blink of an eye, surprisingly evaporated the poison of the Dark Dragon Fusion Formation in an instant.

Tang Gwan’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

Even if it was a simplified version, it was still the Dark Dragon Fusion Formation. It was impossible to blow away that dense poison with lightning energy alone.

‘Upper dantian energy!’

That’s right.

It would have been impossible if the power of the soul, the true energy of the upper dantian, had not been contained in that lightning energy.

Thump!

Hang Mu blocked the lightning energy that struck his entire body with his internal energy. But Hang Cheon couldn’t.

Screech!

“Kuaaaak!”

The lightning energy that coursed through his skin and nerves completely stopped his internal energy circulation.

Screech!

Some of Hang Cheon’s shoulder and chest began to crumble from the inside. His bones and organs were melting.

“Cheon-ah!”

And at that moment.

Crash!

Far away, someone holding a greatsword was sent flying backward with the sound of thunder.