Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 245

Thwack! Crack! The tree, struck by the deflected force, snapped at its base and crashed down. It wasn’t even a direct hit, but merely the residual power from a blocked attack, weakened as it was, that shattered the tree. It was a stark reminder of the lethal techniques being used in this battle.

Yeon Ho-Jeong quickly raised his hand, striking upwards.

Thud!

The approaching narrow-bladed sword was deflected away with terrifying speed.

A massive opening appeared. Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t miss it.

Swish!

A piercing strike, a ‘penetrating hand,’ shot forward with incredible speed, piercing the throat of a Sahon Jowon [a type of assassin].

Thud!

From the fingertips that pierced the throat, the power of ‘transferred silk’ unfurled. The Sahon Jowon collapsed.

At the same time, Yeon Ho-Jeong realized this attack was a trap.

‘Tch.’

Swish, swish, swish!

Narrow-bladed swords flew in from all directions.

Front, back, left, right, even above and below, there was nowhere to escape.

‘They knew they would die, yet they threw themselves as bait?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong slammed his palm down on the ground, unleashing the Yeon family’s secret technique, the ‘Reversed Dragon Palm’.

Boom!

The earth trembled, and the paths of the incoming swords wavered slightly.

That extremely slight gap was the best escape route. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hands moved in a mysterious way.

Thud, thud! Rip!

His clothes were torn in several places as he struck the blades of the swords and slipped through. Had he been a fraction of a second slower, his torso would have been riddled with holes. It was a close call.

“Hoo.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a light breath and looked around.

“Damn it.”

Already half an hour had passed since the fight began.

In that half hour, he had only killed twelve Sahon Jowon. There were still eighteen experts remaining.

‘Is this the first time?’

Since his regression, he had cultivated his martial arts at a terrifying pace, but there were still many stronger people in the world.

However, while there might be many stronger, there was no one as skilled in actual combat or as capable of identifying an enemy’s weakness as he was.

That was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s greatest weapon.

His combat sense had been honed through countless battles, but his ability to see through an enemy’s weakness was almost innate. These two abilities had made Yeon Ho-Jeong a peerless fighter.

Perhaps that was why? He had never failed to end a life-or-death battle quickly.

But now?

‘These bastards…’

The Sahon Jowon were only watching Yeon Ho-Jeong with lowered stances, never attacking first.

Were they scared? No, it wasn’t that.

The Sahon Jowon reacted to the target’s movements. Moreover, whatever internal energy they had cultivated, they could recover their depleted true energy incredibly quickly just by taking a moment to breathe.

And it didn’t end there.

Swish!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been approaching their front at a terrifying speed, suddenly changed direction.

Boom!

The ground covered in fallen leaves exploded. Before anyone knew it, Yeon Ho-Jeong was unleashing a leg technique towards the Jowon on the far right, at the edge.

Clang!

The Sahon Jowon’s reaction was incredibly fast.

It was a powerful leg technique that could cause an explosion of force. Its speed far surpassed theirs, even before considering its power.

Yet, it was blocked. In that brief moment, three Jowon had stuck to the target, dispersing the shockwave of the leg technique.

‘Force dispersion. They’re good at evasion, but their defense is exceptionally strong.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong swung his fists.

Bang, bang, bang, bang! Thud!

He struck eight times, landing only one blow. And even that was a strike to the shoulder, not the face or chest.

Normally, a neck or sternum should have been broken. If that had happened, he would have immediately followed up, disrupting their vision and taking them down one by one.

‘They’re skilled in actual combat too.’

Rip!

The tip of a narrow-bladed sword tore a long gash in the edge of his cloak.

‘Their attacks are as sharp as needles.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body spun rapidly, creating a white whirlwind.

Whoosh!

The White Tiger’s aura scattered brilliantly, becoming a gust of wind that attacked the Sahon Jowon.

It was an attack that struck with internal energy, not fists or kicks. It had the disadvantage of consuming a lot of internal energy, but it also had the advantage of being able to attack in all directions.

Swish, swish, swish!

All the Sahon Jowon retreated.

They had cultivated unparalleled defensive techniques, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts were still too threatening. Since the creation of the Sahon Jowon, they had never lost so many members.

Just as Yeon Ho-Jeong had never faced opponents like the Sahon Jowon, the Sahon Jowon had never faced an enemy as threatening as Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Bang! Crack!

The area where the fight had taken place was now a wasteland. With the surroundings clear, the moonlight illuminated the scene even more.

“Hoo.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a light breath, his eyes gleaming.

‘By now, Gang Ryang should have met them.’

The Sahon Jowon’s abilities were so outstanding that it was hard to believe.

However, Yeon Ho-Jeong wasn’t fighting with all his might either. The purpose of this fight was to keep the enemy’s attention on him and buy time for his allies to escape, not to annihilate the enemy.

There was no need to get unnecessarily heated. That was why Yeon Ho-Jeong could afford to be relaxed even after nearly half an hour of fighting.

‘Let’s stall for time. Just another half hour. After that, I’ll head north too and it’ll be over…’

That’s when it happened.

Peeeeeeeee!

One of the Sahon Jowon blew a small horn.

It wasn’t loud, but the sound itself was extremely sharp. If he hadn’t raised his internal energy in time, he would have momentarily lost his hearing. It was a strange sound.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face hardened.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

He maximized his Wall of Azure Energy and expanded his senses, feeling a group approaching rapidly from the east.

“…Hey, isn’t this a bit much?”

Another summoning of Sahon Jowon. They were sure they couldn’t end this fight on their own.

‘Damn it, I didn’t expect this.’

Even after nearly half an hour of fighting, no additional forces had joined.

He couldn’t even sense the presence of the Chambeakdan [a group of assassins] chasing his group. Yeon Ho-Jeong had naturally assumed that defeating these guys would be the end of it.

But that judgment was a miscalculation.

He could have dealt with the Chambeakdan, but now another group of Sahon Jowon, the same number as before, was joining the fight.

‘Since it’s come to this.’

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The wind blew softly, causing his cloak to flutter.

The Sahon Jowon felt an ominous aura, and tension filled their eyes.

“Things are about to get a little heated.”

Red and white light flared in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

Bang!

It was different from the Heavenly Cloud Movement Technique that used the stable Wall of Azure Energy. The elasticity and speed were different.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having decided to risk excessive internal energy consumption, finally had the Vermillion Bird’s wings appear beside his feet.

Boom!

It was terrifyingly powerful.

Following the form of the Crimson Flame Six Kill Technique, the ‘One Wing Flying Kill,’ a single palm strike shattered the collarbone of one of the Sahon Jowon.

“Kuh!”

A painful groan escaped the Sahon Jowon’s lips.

His collarbone had suddenly broken without any warning. It was a natural reaction for anyone.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

Snap! Crack! Thud!

A middle-level hand blade shattered ribs, a left-side strike broke a hip joint, and a half-palm strike to the jaw shattered the jawbone.

It was a speed that was on a different level than before. One of the Sahon Jowon died without even being able to take a defensive stance.

The panicked Sahon Jowon swung their narrow-bladed swords in unison.

In that instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body moved like a flowing wave.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Heavy and slow movements. But before anyone knew it, his body had passed through the Sahon Jowon and was behind them. It was the Black Tortoise’s ‘Strange Pillar Immovable’ technique.

It wasn’t just the Vermillion Bird and White Tiger that had changed after obtaining the Azure Dragon’s energy. He could immediately relieve the burden on his body, allowing him to deflect attacks even with heavy movements.

The panicked Sahon Jowon immediately turned around.

But it was too late. Yeon Ho-Jeong was determined to annihilate them before the reinforcements arrived. He had transformed into a monstrous being with innate combat sense, the ability to see through weaknesses, explosive speed, and limitless destructive power.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left leg struck left and right at an incredible speed.

Thud, thud, thud!

It was a leg technique that used the explosion of true energy and the elasticity of his lower body. And with the White Tiger’s fangs surrounding it, five Sahon Jowon fell to the ground, spitting blood.

It was a brutal power.

They wanted to shatter his force, but they couldn’t. It wasn’t just the power, but the speed was on a different level, making it impossible to react properly.

‘Hoo.’

Of course, Yeon Ho-Jeong wasn’t unscathed either.

He was explosively using the techniques of the three gods, excluding the Azure Dragon. He was trying to end the fight in the shortest time possible, even if it meant wasting power, so his internal energy and stamina were rapidly depleting.

Swish!

They wouldn’t just stand there and take it. The Sahon Jowon’s sword strikes seemed to say just that.

The narrow-bladed swords, thrust like skewers, pierced through Yeon Ho-Jeong’s clothes.

Thwack!

The Sahon Jowon’s faces hardened.

‘He’s not there?!’

The loose cloak fluttered in the air. The person who had been wearing it had vanished without a trace.

One of the Sahon Jowon shouted.

“Scattering Palm!”

Boom!

Before they could even shatter his force, a heavy blow struck, turning six Sahon Jowon into a bloody mess on the spot.

It was the Black Tortoise’s ‘Northern Sky Twelve Walls,’ enhanced with the Vermillion Bird’s speed and the White Tiger’s intimidation. Like an unbreakable fortress falling off a cliff, the body slam had a brutal power, and the bodies of the six dead Jowon were almost crushed and scattered in all directions.

“T-this can’t be!”

A groan escaped the lips of the surviving Jowon.

Six Sahon Jowon, who called themselves death gods, had died without being able to lift a finger from a single body slam. It was a power that was unbelievable even when witnessed.

‘Grind!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s complexion turned noticeably pale.

He had suffered internal injuries from the excessive use of his power. It was a shock that even the Azure Dragon’s mystical power couldn’t prevent.

‘It can’t be helped. Just two more…’

That’s when it happened.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s senses picked up another group.

‘……!!’

His face lit up.

Ding!

A sword aura flew from the darkness on the left.

It was a new group of Sahon Jowon. As soon as they entered the open space, they had launched a sword aura at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes blazed.

Boom!

With an explosion, his body shot towards the north.

“He’s escaping!”

“Catch him!”

Swish, swish, swish!

The newly arrived Sahon Jowon and the few surviving original members chased after Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Red flames flickered from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body.

The Vermillion Bird’s energy was leaking out. It meant that he was experiencing problems with his power control.

Swoosh.

Naturally, the speed of his movement technique slowed down. As the most explosive energy, the aftereffects of using it without control were bound to be significant.

Swish, swish, swish!

The distance between the Sahon Jowon and Yeon Ho-Jeong was gradually closing.

If things continued like this, it would be dangerous. In his current state, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t have enough internal energy or stamina left to deal with this many enemies.

That’s right. That was ‘current’ Yeon Ho-Jeong.

But what if he were to find his true self?

What would happen when his martial arts met the conditions to unleash their greatest power?

Whoosh!

The eyes of the Sahon Jowon leader, who was running closest to Yeon Ho-Jeong, flashed.

‘What is that?’

There was a dark object flying, momentarily blocking the moonlight.

‘A bat?’

No.

It wasn’t a bat. A bat’s tail wasn’t that long, nor did it look that heavy.

The dark object that had been cutting through the air descended at a terrifying speed.

‘…An axe?’

At that moment, the Sahon Jowon leader heard Yeon Ho-Jeong’s voice.

“I told you not to throw it around carelessly.”

A voice full of laughter.

In that instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong leaped high into the sky.

Boom!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, having leaped with all his might.

He reached out his hand towards the axe.

Clang!

The cold, hardened shaft sent a jolt through his entire body.

Finally, he grasped the massive axe, weighing over eighty pounds, the legendary weapon known as the ‘Mad Dragon Axe’.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, suspended in the air, turned around.

His eyes burned with a terrifying killing intent, the gaze of the Myeolsa Army Commander [a high-ranking military officer], the best combat unit of the Martial Alliance.

“Kill them.”

Boom!

Trees and rocks shattered as fifty mounted soldiers charged in.