Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1345

Inside the Capture Essence Formation, Sama Hyeon quietly closed his eyes.

Whoooosh.

The transparent energy of the formation gathered in Sama Hyeon’s hands.

A bead about half an inch in size floated in his hand. It was a jade orb containing the energy of the fire jade.

The Evil Sorcerer’s face was filled with worry.

‘If only one of the beads hadn’t been broken, the Lord wouldn’t have needed to enter himself.’

He was furious at the Yin Emperor Army that had entered Gangso Province.

They could lose. Of course, that in itself was absurd, but even if they were pushed back by the martial world’s forces, he could concede that.

However, the fact that the bead was broken was absolutely unacceptable. Those guys deserved to die ten thousand times over.

‘Whatever happens, the Heaven-Defying Divine Pearl will be completed.’

Expectation flickered in the Evil Sorcerer’s eyes.

Kuururung.

The Taishan Mountain, which had been vibrating as if it would collapse, no longer vibrated as much as before.

This was because it had already obtained enough earth energy to operate. As the essence of Taishan, accumulated over tens of thousands of years, was being tainted by Sama Hyeon’s blood sacrifice, the completion time of the Capture Essence Formation was accelerating even further.

‘It’s soon. It’s really soon. The work of art I’ve been hoping for for decades is finally being completed.’

It was then.

“Evil Sorcerer.”

Jo Hol, the Second Evil King, one of the two Evil Kings who had entered Shandong together, spoke in his characteristically sticky voice.

“There’s a commotion below Taishan.”

“Isn’t that why I sent all the Dharma Protectors?”

“It would have been better if we had gone instead.”

Jo Hol was not one to question a decision once it had been made.

The Evil Sorcerer understood him.

Right now, the Evil Sound Cult was in the midst of achieving a great feat that would go down in the history of the Blood Cult. Moreover, the Lord himself was directly carrying out the task.

Naturally, they couldn’t help but be anxious.

“It’s alright. Bloodscale said that an elite force would be enough. If he says so, then it is so.”

Jo Hol, who had been quietly watching him, said as if throwing a stone.

“Please don’t misunderstand my words and listen carefully.”

“Speak.”

“You’re too excited.”

The Evil Sorcerer smiled.

“Of course, I’m excited. How can I not be? In the long history of the Blood Cult, no one has ever artificially completed the Blood Jade. How can I not be in a good mood?”

“I understand that you’re in a good mood, but don’t you think that this is the moment when fate will intervene most fiercely, when we are trying to tear through the heavens and achieve defiance?”

At that moment, the Evil Sorcerer flinched. It was because the words were too unusual to simply ignore.

Myeong Yu, the Eighth Evil King, also spoke in a chilling voice.

“The Lord was reborn as a vessel of Jeok Heum. We lowly beings cannot know how such a thing is possible, but we know that the Soul-Shifting, Spirit-Seizing technique is dangerous.”

“……”

“It is clear that the Lord possesses the power of a god, but I am worried that he has not yet adapted to this body. Who knows what will happen if the enemy’s blade reaches this place in the midst of all this?”

The Evil Sorcerer’s face became serious. What he heard made sense.

‘Have I been careless?’

Looking back, he felt uneasy.

He was in a place where he was tearing through the heavens and achieving defiance. What sorcerer throughout history had ever achieved such a feat?

The very fact of it gave him immense pleasure. Just by having a hand in tearing apart the existence of the invisible gods, his heart was filled with joy.

However, when he thought about it, the work was not yet finished. As the two Evil Kings said, to be fully prepared, they couldn’t just send the Dharma Protectors.

The Evil Sorcerer spoke in a somewhat subdued voice.

“However… with even the Dharma Chief dead, you two are the only ones who can protect the Lord’s safety.”

Even if everyone else died, as long as Sama Hyeon and the Blood Jade were safe, that was all that mattered. In the end, he was saying to leave it to the Dharma Protectors.

Myeong Yu stepped forward.

“If that’s the case, I’ll go down to the mid-slope for a while. Didn’t you say that Bloodscale’s spiritual power was depleted?”

“……”

“In the midst of such chaotic energy, we need to be more cautious for the sake of the greater good.”

In the end, the Evil Sorcerer nodded.

“I understand. Then, Eighth Evil King, please go and meet Bloodscale.”

Myeong Yu’s face brightened.

“Thank you for making the decision.”

Right now, the highest authority here, in the creation of the Heaven-Defying Divine Pearl, was the Evil Sorcerer.

No sooner had Myeong Yu finished speaking than he used his movement technique to descend to the foot of Taishan Mountain. Although he hadn’t shown it until now, he too had been anxious.

The Evil Sorcerer sighed.

“It seems I’ve lived too smooth a life compared to the Evil Kings. To be careless at the moment when I should be most vigilant.”

“You will be remembered as the one who changed the history of the Blood Cult.”

Evil intent flashed in Jo Hol’s eyes.

“So, proceed with the work without a single mistake. I will protect not only the Lord but also your safety.”

The Evil Sorcerer completely trusted Jo Hol’s words.

Although Jo Hol was the Second Evil King, his martial prowess was greater than that of the First Evil King, Dan Gong. In fact, Jo Hol was the first in line to be the candidate for the Evil Sound Emperor who ruled the Evil Kings.

The reason he gave up the position of Evil Sound Emperor was because he saw the potential in Ya Yul Dae Geuk. He remained an Evil King, saying that although he was stronger now, Ya Yul Dae Geuk would surpass him someday.

The reason he yielded the position of First Evil King to Dan Gong was also because they were like brothers. Of course, Dan Gong was the elder brother.

In other words, Jo Hol was the most prudent and considerate of the Evil Kings, and his loyalty to the Evil Sound Cult was exceptional.

If such a Jo Hol were to become enraged, unimaginable things would happen.

The Evil Sorcerer looked at Sama Hyeon.

Although his face had changed, his unique dull skin and sturdy physique were very reliable.

‘May you achieve the great work.’

* * *

The movements of the Dharma Protectors were truly bizarre.

At first glance, they resembled Bloodscale’s movement technique. They were clearly kicking off the ground to run, but it felt like they were floating in the air, like watching a huge ghost army.

Muk Bi’s eyes twitched.

‘A formidable force.’

They were gloomy yet evil, cold yet burning fiercely like a wildfire.

Their momentum was truly immense. In a frontal battle on flat ground, even the Righteous Army, which prided itself on being the strongest in the martial world, would have a hard time against them.

It was only natural. They were the disciples who had come together to protect the Lord. When it came to combat units, no force could beat the Mountain and River Unit, but in terms of individual capabilities, the Dharma Protectors and the Spirit Return Disciples were the best.

Muk Bi made a cold judgment.

‘I can’t fight them.’

She wanted to reduce their numbers with a few Dragon Fang Cannons, but she was currently chasing Bloodscale.

And at this moment, Bloodscale was getting further away. His speed was truly mind-boggling.

‘He’s fast. But he’ll reach his limit soon.’

Whoooosh!

Muk Bi’s eyes sharpened.

She realized that Bloodscale’s spiritual power was almost completely depleted.

That was why she had been keeping pace with the disciples. To conserve her strength as much as possible.

The reason Bloodscale’s spiritual power was depleted was because of the Light Jade. It was the bead with the greatest power among the Heaven-Defying Divine Pearls he had collected so far, and he had been controlling the power of the Light Jade while moving without sleep, which had depleted his spiritual power.

For Muk Bi, it was a golden opportunity.

Flash!

She used the Dragon Flight Instant Movement technique countless times.

She had been constantly taking the inner energy recovery pills and elixirs she had received from the Yeon family to get here. She had intended to distribute them to the soldiers, but she had been forced to swallow them, hearing that a strong general would lead the battlefield.

That was why her stamina was low, but her strength was overflowing. If she missed the enemy even after storing up that much power, it would be a disgrace.

Whoooosh!!

As the string of the Crimson Lotus Bow was drawn, a huge wind gathered.

Murderous intent flickered in Bloodscale’s eyes. He had sensed the powerful force targeting his back.

‘That damn bitch!’

He wanted to turn around immediately, knock her down in a few moves, and tear off all her limbs.

However, he couldn’t. Due to the extreme consumption of spiritual power, it would be difficult to win even if he fought, and his current mission was not to kill the enemy but to safely transport the Light Jade.

‘Still, it’s a relief that the Dharma Protectors are here…’

It was then.

Bang!

A formless cannon shot, fired with an explosion, struck the ground twenty feet in front of Bloodscale, creating a whirlwind.

Boom! Kwarururung!

The slope collapsed, and countless stones and rocks rained down.

Bloodscale cursed inwardly as he stepped on his footwork.

Fapapapak!

Muk Bi’s eyes slightly twitched.

Bloodscale’s movements were exquisite. He was dodging all the falling rocks by moving left and right dozens of times as he climbed the mountain, as if he knew in advance where to move to be safe.

However, Muk Bi was also determined.

Kadeudeuk!

She placed five iron arrows on the string and concentrated the Crimson Sky Energy of the Yellow Dragon to its limit.

Bloodscale’s movements became urgent.

Ta-a-a-a-ang!!

A sound of tearing through the air, on a different level than before, rang out.

The five iron arrows, shot like lightning, twisted erratically, preempting the direction Bloodscale would dodge.

Fapapapapak!

Surprisingly, Bloodscale dodged even that. He wasn’t even looking back, so there was no way to know how he could do such a thing.

‘Spiritual power!’

No, now Muk Bi knew. How the Limitless Ones were able to dodge her arrows, the fastest and most precise in the world.

It was because they were using the upper dantian [an energy center in the body]. The act of reading the attack line from the opponent’s killing intent, understanding the attack line, and ultimately understanding the martial art itself was possible for the Limitless Ones.

‘But even if he knows the trajectory, he won’t know the tactics.’

Muk Bi reached out and concentrated the Crimson Sky Energy.

At that moment, a powerful reverse field arose between the five arrows stuck in the slope.

It seemed that even Bloodscale had not predicted that, and he was visibly flustered. His body, which had been running through the widely spread arrows, had slowed down.

‘Such a brute!’

This was not telekinesis using spiritual power. It was literally telekinesis of power, unleashed with overflowing force. The upper dantian was also being used, but more than that, there was a strong intention to crush him with inner energy.

Pa-a-ang!

Immediately after crushing him with inner energy, Muk Bi, who had used the Dragon Flight Instant Movement, hung the Crimson Lotus Bow behind her back and drew a short spear from her waist.

Determination flashed across Bloodscale’s face.

‘I have no choice.’

Whoooosh!!

A terrible evil energy erupted from his body.

He scraped together his depleted spiritual power and inner energy, which had fallen to the bottom, and unleashed a martial art that he should never have used with his current body.

Hwa-a-a-ak!!

Even poison was mixed in the blood-colored energy that spread in all directions.

It was the Blood Sound Evil Art. It was something that only the talented among the Lord’s bloodline could complete, and he had learned it by enduring it with his own sorcery.

Bang!

Bloodscale, who had escaped from telekinesis, turned his body and extended his left palm.

“Die… !”

At that moment, Bloodscale’s eyes shook.

‘Where?!’

The moment he realized that the archer had disappeared, Bloodscale realized that a dark shadow was covering his body.

‘The sky?’

He looked up at the sky.

There, a Rakshasa ghost [a demon-like figure] with a short spear on its string was looking down at him with cold eyes.

“Even without spiritual power, you can predict your opponent if you have experience.”

Urgency filled Bloodscale’s face.

Pa-a-a-a-ang!!