Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1350

“Is this it?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s face showed surprise.

“It’s amazing. The form is so free, yet it feels like the structure is very well-organized.”

“The fact that you realized that now means you’re truly remarkable.”

Even while heading to Shandong, the two fathers and sons spent special time together.

Yeon-Wi, realizing that the time had come for Yeon Ji-Pyeong, taught him his own enlightenment, the Purifying Swallow Sword and the Willful Breaking Sword.

Although he was moving urgently, Yeon-Wi knew well that rushing wouldn’t make things work out. He was on this path for his son, but he couldn’t lose himself. That was why Yeon-Wi taught Yeon Ji-Pyeong whenever they rested.

“In the case of the Purifying Swallow Sword, it’s not a martial art you can use with your current enlightenment. It’s a martial art that should reveal itself only when you reach the Sword Heart Path [a state of perfect unity with the sword].”

“Yes, I know.”

“Also, the incantation of the Purifying Swallow Sword can open the path for you to reach the Sword Heart Path, but it won’t become yours. The Purifying Swallow Sword is a martial art where I, your father, have melted my own enlightenment into an incantation. It can be a reference, but your Sword Heart will be very different from mine.”

Yeon-Wi swung his Imperial Sword straight.

“On the other hand, the Willful Breaking Sword is different. In a way, the Willful Breaking Sword can be seen as a sword technique obtained in the process of heading towards the Purifying Swallow Sword.”

“Is that so?”

“There is evil in my heart as well. To suppress that evil, I clung even more to the righteous path. Thanks to that, I was able to master the Yeon family’s sword techniques, but fully understanding myself means being able to embrace my evil nature as well.”

“……”

“The Willful Breaking Sword is a martial art where my evil heart, or in other words, my destructive desires, are maximized. Therefore, each strike of the Willful Breaking Sword consumes a vast amount of internal energy and boasts tremendous destructive power. I believe that in terms of destructive power alone, it rivals the best sword techniques in the world.”

Yeon-Wi was among the top five masters among all the swordsmen scattered throughout the world. If he said so, it would actually be able to exert that much power.

“I know that you are a kinder and purer child than your father and Ho-Jeong. But people are not born just good or just evil. Strictly speaking, good and evil are merely a matter of choice for an individual, and they are inseparable natures.”

“I understand.”

“Yes, it seemed so.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s enlightenment was truly remarkable. He had trained hard following his brother and had gone through numerous battles. He had gained martial prowess and enlightenment that were truly not fitting for his age.

In fact, Yeon Ho-Jeong was an exception, but even Yeon Ji-Pyeong was worthy of being called a talent of the century. In the meantime, Yeon Ho-Jeong had even regressed, so if you only consider pure martial talent, Yeon Ji-Pyeong could be said to be the best in the history of the Yeon family.

“Delve deeply into the Willful Breaking Sword. Although I taught you the form first, the form is not that important. What’s truly important is understanding why my enlightenment manifested in that form.”

“That’s why understanding the incantation is even more necessary.”

Yeon-Wi smiled as if he was proud.

“If you’ve seen that far, then there’s nothing more for me to teach you.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong was lost in thought.

Among the teachings he had received from his father so far, this was the most free and natural. So, even though his father was in front of him, he could enter his own world without paying attention.

Yeon-Wi quietly got up and went a few steps away.

‘The wind is cold.’

The north wind was unusual. A chilly and harsh wind was blowing.

Yeon-Wi’s eyes sank deeply.

‘The higher I go, the worse I feel.’

He thought about opening the Yeon Family Divine Altar [a spiritual space used for divination and communication] to check the situation in Shandong, but he stopped.

It was because he didn’t know what he would actually see. If he could accurately see only what he wanted from a distance, he would already be a god.

‘If I try to see it carelessly, it could strain my upper dantian [an energy center in the body]. For now, steadily heading north is enough.’

Still, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Whenever that happened, Yeon-Wi took a deep breath. By refining his breathing, he could dispel his worries and regain himself.

‘How are you, Ho-Jeong? Are you alright right now?’

His son would be alive.

It wasn’t just a simple wish. Yeon-Wi could now clearly see what the bond of blood was like.

Moreover, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper dantian was as vast as Yeon-Wi’s. In fact, the purity of his spiritual power had already surpassed Yeon-Wi’s. The way they handled spiritual power was different, but the density was superior in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s case.

That’s why he knew. If his son had died, that tenacious spiritual power bond would have been severed. And Yeon-Wi would have immediately known that his son had died.

Fortunately, Yeon-Wi had not yet felt any such sign.

However, he also didn’t know what condition Yeon Ho-Jeong was in.

‘At first, I set out on this path for you. I was so worried about you that I couldn’t stand it. But……’

The eyes of Yeon-Wi, which had been filled with worry, were now filled with a brilliant light.

‘It’s different now. I’m not going for you, but to find out the identity of this evil and twisted wind blowing from the north.’

That strange power was indescribable.

It was a power that made him feel despair that it couldn’t be dealt with by human power, yet also made him think that it had to be dealt with by human power.

However, at least one thing was certain. That power couldn’t be left alone.

He had a foreboding feeling that something more terrible than war would happen.

‘It seems that the stories of the ancient sages were not just fictional stories.’

It’s common to hear stories about gods descending from the sky to defeat monsters, or giving blessings to the poor and kind.

Among them, the story of a hero appearing from somewhere to punish evil when an evil force raises its head to prevent the world from functioning properly is childish, but it always had a magic that made people’s hearts flutter.

Of course, most of them would be made-up stories. But those fictional stories contain the strong wishes of the people.

And the Central Plains [the heartland of China], this vast land, has maintained peace thanks to the many heroes who rose up with the wishes of the people.

But were the half-immortals who did not appear in the world just playing around?

‘Even now, I’ve set out because I feel that there’s something that shouldn’t exist in this world. We just didn’t know it, but these kinds of things must have been happening steadily every generation.’

Among them, there would be many who had reached a higher level than himself. Would they have just been twiddling their thumbs in this situation?

They would never have done that.

If they felt the same way he did now, they would have done everything they could to overcome this situation.

Woo-ung!

Yeon-Wi’s eyes became sharp.

It wasn’t that his eyes had changed due to powerful true energy.

They were the eyes of a half-immortal, not a half-immortal in metaphor, but the eyes of a true divine being who had half a foot in the immortal realm.

‘I can see it.’

He had tried to block the Yeon Family Divine Altar. Of course, he shouldn’t have been able to see it.

But as he kept thinking about that ominous feeling, his spiritual power was opening his eyes on its own.

Now, it was no exaggeration to say that he had truly reached the level of Tongcheon Jin-In [a legendary figure who achieved enlightenment], or even beyond.

‘It’s more enormous and more terrible than I thought.’

It was as if the sky had been forcibly opened.

The sky, which looked perfectly fine to the eyes of ordinary people, looked terribly distorted in Yeon-Wi’s eyes.

It was as if the axis of the world had been twisted, and the sky was screaming.

“Father.”

Whoosh!

The divine eye that had been opened naturally closed. It was the moment when a half-immortal powerhouse returned to being human.

“Have you finished your contemplation?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. I finished a while ago.”

“Hmm?”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong pointed to the sky with a bewildered face.

“It’s already been an hour, Father.”

Yeon-Wi was startled and looked at the sky.

Indeed, it was so. The setting sun in the west was bursting with brilliant red light.

“I must have fallen into a trance.”

“I thought I shouldn’t disturb you rashly, but I was worried about my brother, so I waited for an hour.”

“You did well.”

Yeon-Wi took a deep breath.

“Have you fully stored your strength?”

“Yes. If I control my internal energy well, I can run for three days without resting.”

“Save the spirit pills. You might need to use them at a crucial moment.”

“Of course.”

“Now, let’s go again.”

Whack!

The two fathers and sons headed north again.

Surprisingly, Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s movement technique had become even faster in the meantime. Perhaps he had gained enlightenment in controlling his inner strength while studying the Willful Breaking Sword, he was able to run faster and farther while using less strength.

A terrifying growth rate. It was no exaggeration to say that it was truly a talent given by heaven.

As such, Yeon-Wi was impressed by his son’s genius, but he ran without shaking off the increasingly ominous feeling.

* * *

“……”

Tak Mu-Ja’s eyes deepened.

Mu Heo, who was about to ask what was wrong, was also startled and looked north.

“This is……?”

“The sky has opened.”

“……!”

“Someone has torn the net of heaven. The providence is being crushed.”

“……No, that’s not it.”

“What?”

Tak Mu-Ja looked at Mu Heo.

For some reason, his face, which was much more emaciated than a few months ago, looked terribly old. But the clear light in his eyes was that of someone who had attained enlightenment.

“This strange power…… I’ve felt it before.”

“When was that?”

“It’s hellish energy.”

“What?!”

Tak Mu-Ja jumped up in surprise.

“Has hellish energy reappeared?”

“I don’t know. It’s very similar to hellish energy, but it also seems a bit different… Anyway, I can only say that it’s almost identical to the power that gnawed at my body.”

“Oh no!”

Tak Mu-Ja almost released his spiritual power without realizing it. It was because he wanted to see where that place was.

Mu Heo shook his head.

“It’s a power that you can’t do anything about.”

“Even if I can’t do anything about it, I can’t just stand still, can I?”

“Don’t forget that we are the closest guards of His Majesty the Emperor. The demons scattered in the Jiangxi Province battle might come here at any time. Besides, you know, don’t you? The fact that the three sects are luring the weak and spreading demonic arts.”

“……”

“Although the imperial palace’s forces are outstanding, we still have to protect this place. This is where we old men, who are about to die, will spend our last moments.”

It was a voice filled with deep and profound mystery.

Tak Mu-Ja knew that Mu Heo had changed greatly after the imperial palace battle. As if he had completely shed his true nature in that one battle, he was filled with a clear and sacred aura as time passed.

Tak Mu-Ja sighed.

“I really… I don’t know. I don’t know what kind of demon has opened up such a power. Even if they gained the power, would they even know how to use it?”

“They wouldn’t know.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

Mu Heo shook his head.

“The hellish energy of the Blood Jade was probably a single mistake of heaven that has continued countless times. And this energy now is terribly similar to that hellish energy.”

“……”

“It’s something that no human, no god, no one can handle properly.”

A deep worry settled on Mu Heo’s face.

“That’s why I’m even more worried. Because it’s a power that you don’t know where it will go.”