Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 144

The Rabble (5)

Thud!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having killed the last Eumsa Clan member nearby with an axe chop as if splitting firewood, turned his head.

Clang! Clang!

The chains that had been surrounding his massive upper body shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.

Whinny!

The horse let out a rough cry, seemingly uneasy. It was frightened by the ominous energy emanating from the man it was carrying.

It was then.

The man swung his large fist.

Thud!

The horse, its head crushed, collapsed as if its legs had given way. The man landed on the ground in a natural motion.

“Hoo.”

The man, having exhaled a rough breath, stared blankly ahead. He had been ruthless when killing the horse, but now he seemed like a soulless doll.

He was a strange one.

He emitted an ominous aura that was hard to describe, yet his eyes were hazy. At first glance, he seemed like an idiot.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘What is that guy?’

Before he moved, his presence was extremely faint. But after breaking the chains, he was emitting a powerful aura that rivaled any master.

‘He’s strong.’

Since his regression, the strongest opponent he had faced was Myeong Cheon.

However, Myeong Cheon had mastered a modified Vermilion Bird Technique. His level was comparable to his father’s, but he was helpless against Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts, which were completely incompatible with his. [The Vermilion Bird Technique is a powerful fire-based martial art.]

Moreover, the Vermilion Bird energy had damaged his upper dantian [an energy center in traditional Chinese medicine], so he wasn’t in a state to show his true skills. That was the reason for Myeong Cheon’s defeat against Yeon Ho-Jeong.

If Myeong Cheon was excluded, the most memorable master would be Mong Ui. He had captured him quickly with Muk Bi’s help, but with his skills at the time, it would have been difficult to guarantee victory in a one-on-one fight.

That man, at least judging by the aura he was emitting, was stronger than Mong Ui.

‘At least one level above.’

At that moment, Ah-Gwang shouted.

“Pyeongsan! As your master, I command you! Kill them all!”

Whoosh!

No sooner had he finished speaking than the giant man called Pyeongsan appeared before Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

‘Incredible speed!’

Wham!

Pyeongsan’s fist shattered the ground.

It was a lightning-fast movement, a brutal fist technique. If Yeon Ho-Jeong hadn’t retreated three steps in time, his left shoulder would have been shattered.

Ah-Gwang’s eyes widened.

“Deal with that guy later! Kill those remnants of the old sects first!”

Whoosh!

Pyeongsan charged at Yeon Ho-Jeong again.

Surprisingly, he did not follow Ah-Gwang’s orders. His hazy eyes were only fixed on Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“Th-That guy!”

Ah-Gwang was flustered.

On the other hand, Yeon Ho-Jeong was secretly relieved.

‘That’s better.’

If a master of this caliber were to target the younger disciples, it would be troublesome for them. He wouldn’t let anyone die, but he might miss the leader of this group.

That meant.

‘One-on-one. I just need to take down this guy.’

The conclusion instantly guided Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body.

Flash! Thud!

Pyeongsan’s body shook violently.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having pushed him away with a high kick, charged like a gale and unleashed the Reverse Dragon Palm.

Thud!

It was a push, not a strike. Pyeongsan’s massive body floated up and flew backward.

‘Good.’

The threat that had been reaching the younger disciples had moved further away. Now he could use his full strength.

Wham!

A white whirlwind blew in with a powerful stomp that could shake even a mountain.

Finally, he unleashed the Four Divine Beast Martial Arts, the White Tiger Art’s Tiger King Nine Thunderous Strikes. [The Four Divine Beast Martial Arts are a set of powerful techniques based on mythical creatures.]

Whoosh!

The Light Dragon Axe, cutting through the air, targeted Pyeongsan’s upper body like a tiger’s paw.

Madness flickered in Pyeongsan’s eyes.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

He met the terrifying seven consecutive strikes with both fists.

Splat!

Faint bloodstains appeared on Pyeongsan’s fists. He hadn’t been able to deflect all of the Light Dragon Axe’s violent attacks.

But that alone was amazing enough.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s internal energy, skill, and the Light Dragon Axe, which could be called a divine weapon.

To block an attack that would blow away most masters within five moves with bare fists was no ordinary feat. An unimaginable amount of power was concentrated in his two fists.

The two men’s martial arts collided head-on.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Rumble!

On top of the resonance that erupted when metal clashed against metal, a roar close to thunder was added.

It was an extremely combative fight that did not allow for evasion or counterattacks. It was a life-or-death battle of pure power, focused on completely crushing the opponent.

Splat!

Pyeongsan’s forearms cracked and were stained with blood. His skin couldn’t withstand the White Tiger energy’s fierce pressure.

Shred!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s sleeves were also torn to shreds. His arms, exposed from the torn sleeves, were also covered in blood like Pyeongsan’s.

It was a clash of monstrous strength where it was hard to determine who was superior. It was difficult to decide the winner with a power struggle.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been unleashing a barrage of attacks with the Tiger King’s momentum, suddenly twisted his body.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

He switched from a power-based martial art to a speed-based one. Pyeongsan’s attacks faltered from the leg, side, forearm, and shoulder strikes.

‘An opening!’

It was an opening created by a perfect combination. Yeon Ho-Jeong did not miss that opening.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong dove into Pyeongsan’s chest.

Even though it was a difficult position to swing an axe, the energy he emitted was still formidable. Pyeongsan instinctively raised his knee.

It was then.

The white wind transformed into a black-blue tortoise shell.

Bang!

Pyeongsan’s stance crumbled easily due to the immense rebound force. It was the absolute defense, the Black Tortoise Art’s Northern Sky Twelve Walls. [The Black Tortoise Art is a defensive martial art focused on resilience.]

Was he immediately switching to offense?

No, he wasn’t.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The image of the tortoise shell became clearer on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper body as he advanced, stepping with the terrifying stomps of the White Tiger’s Descent.

Surprisingly, he was advancing by pushing the Black Tortoise Art to its limit. He was using the defensive Black Tortoise Art to attack, not the White Tiger or Vermilion Bird Arts.

Pyeongsan’s face darkened with a black-blue light.

Wham!

Pyeongsan’s body flew up and crashed into the ground.

“Cough!”

He coughed up a large amount of blood from his nose and mouth. He had suffered severe internal injuries from the Northern Sky Twelve Walls’ immense rebound force.

‘Good.’

A perfect defense can become an invincible attack.

It was too heavy to use easily, but if used at the right time, it could unleash this much power.

‘This is a good enough result.’

As time passed, the speed of his martial arts transitions increased, and his body was being trained to handle that speed.

Before coming to the Martial Alliance, Yeon Ho-Jeong had refined his martial arts for two months, and his martial prowess had grown to this level.

It didn’t end there.

Whoosh!

From Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes, which had been dyed with the darkness of the north, a murderous intent like the sun poured out.

“Kuaaaak!”

Pyeongsan, having risen while spitting blood, charged at Yeon Ho-Jeong again. He was using a power-based martial art, a destructive fist technique, once more.

Whoosh!

Pyeongsan’s eyes showed a bewildered look. Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been in front of him, had disappeared.

Where did he go?

Flash!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having taken Pyeongsan’s rear with the fastest footwork of the Four Divine Beast Martial Arts, the Blood Wing Soaring Sky.

From the swinging Light Dragon Axe, a hot, red energy like flames poured out.

Splat! Splat! Splat!

A speed that was invisible to the eye.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had already lowered his stance and raised the Light Dragon Axe high, looked like a Vermilion Bird with its wings folded.

Shred.

Red lines were drawn all over Pyeongsan’s body.

Shortly after.

Splat!

Pyeongsan, his entire body split into twelve pieces, met his death.

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having straightened his posture, took a deep breath.

‘It went in properly.’

The absolute killing technique of the Vermilion Bird, the ruler of the south.

The moment the White Tiger’s Tiger King Nine Thunderous Strikes, the Black Tortoise’s Northern Sky Twelve Walls, and the Vermilion Bird’s Crimson Flame Six Killings were perfectly realized.

‘But.’

A strange look appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face as he looked down at Pyeongsan’s fragmented corpse.

‘Did this guy learn from him?’

One of the Thirteen Seats of the Saintly Heaven. [The Saintly Heaven is a powerful organization in the martial world.]

The martial arts style of Yang Cheon, the Fighting King, the only one among the Divine Kings who belonged to the Black Path, was faintly visible.

‘…It doesn’t matter now.’

Yang Cheon was the person he had clashed with until the very end when he created the Black Emperor Castle in the past.

At the moment he killed Yang Cheon and established the Black Emperor Castle, Yeon Ho-Jeong was recognized by everyone as the Grand Master of the Black Path.

‘He’s someone I’ll have to clash with anyway in the process of uniting the Black Path. Now is not the time to worry about him.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned to look at Ah-Gwang.

Ah-Gwang’s eyes were filled with intense fear.

“A m-monster!”

He was already overwhelmed by that guy even before fighting Pyeongsan. But now it seemed that he hadn’t even shown his full strength back then.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts, having unleashed his true power, were already worthy of being called a school of their own.

Yeon Ho-Jeong pointed the Light Dragon Axe at Ah-Gwang.

Startled, Ah-Gwang took a couple of steps back.

“It’s time to end this.”

Whoosh!

Ah-Gwang rushed towards the valley entrance without looking back. It was difficult to get over the many rocks piled up there, but it was even more difficult to fight against Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Sangyo also followed Ah-Gwang. There was no point in continuing the fight. They had to save their lives.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said in a calm voice.

“Muk Bi.”

Thwack! Thud!

Two arrows that flew past Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face accurately pierced the back of Ah-Gwang and Sangyo’s heads.

The battle was over.

* * *

“Hoo, that was tough.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having put down the Light Dragon Axe, sat on the bare ground and looked at the younger disciples.

Their faces were stained with indescribable shock.

It was understandable. They were from the Nine Great Sects, the pillars of the White Path, and had trained in martial arts for a long time. Their prideful martial arts were not even 30% effective in actual combat, so it was understandable that they were shocked.

Moreover, the fifty of them were protected by only Yeon Ho-Jeong and Muk Bi.

The wounds they suffered in their hearts were greater than the wounds they suffered from the enemy.

“It’s quite brutal, isn’t it? Real combat.”

It wasn’t just brutal. The swords of the enemy, who charged without reason, were terrifying. It was difficult to even properly execute a single martial arts move that they had ingrained in their bodies.

“I’m sorry for not telling you beforehand. But I want you to know one thing. I didn’t think you would be so helpless.”

It was a statement that provoked their pride.

But why? They couldn’t even get angry at those words. That’s how great the shock and heartbreak they had suffered were.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes turned cold.

“Shall I tell you one surprising fact?”

“…”

“This archer, my friend named Muk Bi, also hasn’t had much experience in real combat. But this guy used more than 80% of his skills in real combat.”

Certainly, Muk Bi’s martial arts were strong.

But they realized that in real combat, mindset was more important than the level of martial arts.

Even if you reached the highest level, you could die if you panicked. The sword fights of the martial world don’t give you three seconds or stop the sword in front of your neck.

That was real combat. You had to kill your opponent before they killed you to survive.

In other words, they owed their lives to Yeon Ho-Jeong. Even if it was a life-or-death situation that Yeon Ho-Jeong had forced upon them.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, looking at the younger disciples with clear black and white eyes, opened his mouth.

“If you stay with me, this kind of thing will happen countless times. I plan to target only the most vicious of the Black Path groups from now on.”

“…!”

“As I said, I have the power of life and death over you. And my power of life and death is protected by the Martial Alliance’s laws.”

“…”

“In other words, from the moment you followed me, you became my subordinates. However…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“It would be quite troublesome if you were just a bunch of weaklings who couldn’t even swing a sword properly against those kids. So, I’ll give you one last chance.”

“…”

“I’ll count to ten. Those who don’t leave before then will join me in cleaning up the Black Path from this moment on.”

A wicked smile appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face.

“One, two, ten.”

“…?”

“Oh? No one? As expected of those from the old sects, you all have some backbone.”

Yoon Ho said, as if dumbfounded.

“N-No, you said you’d count to ten? You went straight from two to ten?”

“It’s my will, you punk. Don’t talk back.”

“T-This is.”

Yoon Ho was flustered. Yeon Ho-Jeong had a mischievous face.

The younger disciples couldn’t help but chuckle. The atmosphere had been so serious that even a small joke softened the air.

As the serious atmosphere eased somewhat, Yeon Ho-Jeong said in a serious voice.

“Now that you’re here, let’s throw away the reasons and fight properly. As your leader, I’ll at least make sure you don’t die in a shameful way.”

Song Yeon-Gyeong asked with a smile.

“Not guaranteeing our survival?”

“It’s a life walking on a blade. How can I know when something will happen? I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong rose from his seat.

In the eyes of the younger disciples, Yeon Ho-Jeong no longer looked like the eldest son of the Yeon family.

Yeo Guk asked, as if throwing a question.

“What’s the name?”

“What name?”

“Our unit, the Yu-gun unit.”

His tone was more polite than before, and he used the word ‘our’.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and said.

“The Extermination Army. We are the Extermination Army.”