Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 268

“Things have gone south.”

“What do you mean by ‘things’?”

“Yang Cheon has reportedly cut ties with the evil cult.”

“…….”

“We’ve lost contact with the Seven Evil Commanders, who were sent as Yang Cheon’s confidants. They were operating as the Black Sheep of the Zodiac, the elite force under Yang Cheon, but they’ve vanished from the compound.”

“The fact that we directly noticed the disappearance of the Seven Evil Commanders means that our spies within the Mukryong Unit are still active, right?”

“The disappearance of the Seven Evil Commanders and the death of the new, mysterious intelligence chief at the hands of the Moyong Clan Head were the last pieces of information our spies sent.”

“So, does that mean all the spies we planted in the Mukryong Unit have been caught?”

“Currently… it seems we have to assume so. If they hadn’t been caught, they wouldn’t have been out of contact for over a month.”

“That’s just great.”

“…….”

“I’ve told you repeatedly. Don’t underestimate Yang Cheon. The Seven Evil Commanders? We shouldn’t have sent those kids as representatives. You said you were confident you could put a leash on Yang Cheon, but now you look ridiculous.”

“…….”

“What’s the evil cult’s reaction?”

“They’re silent.”

“They must be quite humiliated. Well, they deserve the criticism.”

“And, although it’s not confirmed, I have one more report to make.”

“Report it.”

“There’s a possibility that Yang Cheon made some kind of deal with the Moyong Clan Head.”

“With the Moyong Clan Head?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The Moyong Clan Head killed the Mukryong Unit’s intelligence chief, but why would they make a deal?”

“The exact reason is unknown. The credibility of the information itself isn’t very high, but it’s been confirmed that Moyong Gun returned safely to the Martial Alliance despite directly confronting Yang Cheon, and a woman, presumed to be Moyong Gun’s daughter, was seen entering the Mukryong Unit.”

“Oh ho.”

“It’s possible that some kind of deal was made. Of course, as I mentioned, it’s just speculation.”

“It’s just speculation, but considering the series of events, it seems highly plausible.”

“I think Yang Cheon is capable of it. But Moyong Gun has no reason to make a deal with Yang Cheon.”

“Reason… Do we have any personal information about Moyong Gun?”

“We do. It’s not very detailed, though.”

“Check it out. Investigate his personality and how much the Moyong Clan has expanded since Moyong Gun became the head.”

“Understood, but why are you doing this?”

“If, by any chance, the Moyong Clan Head is hiding his ambition, he has plenty of reason to make a deal with Yang Cheon.”

“Excuse me?”

“Didn’t they say they’re going to elect a new Martial Alliance Leader next year?”

“……!”

“It hasn’t been long since the Martial Alliance was founded. They’ll want someone who can demonstrate stable leadership as the first leader.”

“Shaolin…”

“Or the Wudang Sect. It’s likely that someone from the Nine Great Sects will be chosen. But the game can always be shaken up. If someone shows exceptional talent that goes beyond common sense, they could seize the leader position.”

“I see. So, you’re looking at the Moyong Clan Head…”

“I’ve heard that Moyong Gun has great ambition. It seems he’s also excellent at presenting himself to the public. We need a more detailed investigation.”

“I understand.”

“If Moyong Gun has joined hands with Yang Cheon…”

“…….”

“Then we might be able to shake up this game.”

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous? Especially if the evil cult makes an issue of this…”

“The evil cult was in charge of the dark side. We’re targeting Moyong Gun. The battlefields are different.”

“Ah!”

“Gather all the information about Moyong Gun.”

“Understood.”

* * *

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Chain of the Azure Dragon, piercing the air, unleashed terrifying power.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The chain deflected all the incoming arrows.

Surprise flickered across Muk Bi’s face.

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, with the Chain of the Azure Dragon wrapped around his hand, dashed forward at an incredible speed.

It was the Vermilion Bird’s Footwork, the incarnation of the Southern Sky. No matter how confident Muk Bi was in her footwork, she couldn’t afford to be careless in the face of the Blood Wing Sky Dance [a martial art technique].

Thud!

Muk Bi, using the Dragon Flight Step, created distance and drew her bow without an arrow.

It was an invisible arrow of true energy, a Formless Bullet.

Bang!

The power of the Formless Bullet, burning the air as it was fired, was different from before.

Flames ignited in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes.

Boom!

The moment the swift footwork changed to a footwork of power and advance was instantaneous. A white wind swirled, creating the first step of the White Tiger’s Descent [a martial art stance].

Yeon Ho-Jeong, with the Chain of the Azure Dragon wrapped around both fists, wildly swung his fists.

Wham!

The Formless Bullet shattered, and two streams of fist wind targeted Muk Bi’s body.

Fast and sharp fist strikes. It was a terrifying martial art that showed no mercy to the opponent.

At that moment, Muk Bi’s body displayed a mysterious movement.

Swoosh!

Muk Bi, who had dashed out like lightning, reached the wall beyond the training ground in an instant.

Thud!

Her body, kicking off the wall of the training ground, reached the opposite wall in no time.

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

The Dragon Flight Step was not just a fast footwork. It was the pinnacle of martial arts, fulfilling all the ranges that agility could achieve, including elasticity, flexibility, long-distance movement, short-distance dashes, and attack assistance.

That footwork, combined with her innate elasticity, the training that had developed that elasticity to its limit, and finally, Muk Bi’s terrifying dynamic vision, created an incredible spectacle.

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

Dust flew from all directions.

Whap! Whap! Bang! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Bang!

The sound of the air exploding became even sharper.

“W-what is that?!”

Peng Man-Ho’s voice was filled with shock.

It wasn’t just him. All the soldiers of the Extinction Army, watching Muk Bi’s movements, couldn’t close their gaping mouths.

Muk Bi moved, erasing all areas within the training ground. It was hard to see her movements with the naked eye, her speed was so fast.

She moved like a madman, as if drawing dozens of straight lines with a thick brush dipped in white paint. Surprisingly, even though she was moving so fast, the movements of her toes kicking off the ground and walls looked very light.

‘Hmm.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

‘It’s impressive, but her stamina must be draining quickly.’

Muk Bi’s martial art was a dynamic one. Her cardiopulmonary capacity wouldn’t be much worse than Yeon Ho-Jeong’s.

But this kind of movement couldn’t last forever.

‘She’s trying to win in a short battle. But she knows my reaction speed. No matter how many arrows she shoots from unseen places, I can dodge them all. Then…’

Rumble.

It was as if an invisible wave was surging from all directions. Yeon Ho-Jeong was drawing up his Xuanwu energy [a type of internal energy].

‘Simultaneous barrage!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s guess was correct.

Whoosh!

Formless Bullets, filled with tremendous reverberation, were fired at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

It wasn’t just one. Every time Muk Bi, who was constantly crisscrossing in all directions, moved, she fired Formless Bullets. However, the speed was so fast that only one explosion was heard.

Whoosh!

The Wall of Azure Energy soared like lightning.

The world seemed to slow down. Yeon Ho-Jeong counted the number of Formless Bullets rushing in from all directions.

‘Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine… fifty-nine? She’s firing ten shots every time she moves?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t help but be amazed.

‘She’s insane. She devised such a martial art?’

Of course, he couldn’t just be amazed. He was in a situation where he could be defeated if he was careless.

‘Then.’

If the opponent launched an attack that went beyond common sense, he had no choice but to show a response that transcended common sense as well.

Black water energy gathered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hands.

Boom! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

The training ground shattered, creating a thick cloud of smoke.

“Ugh!”

“Get out of the way!”

“Damn it, I’m going to die just watching!”

The Extinction Army soldiers were terrified and retreated. The aftermath of the rebounding force alone was enough to cause internal injuries.

Whoosh!

Muk Bi, who had soared high into the sky, had a rather pale face. The consumption of internal energy and the burden on her body were too great.

However, her expression was bright.

‘The Nine Dragons Destruction Formation worked perfectly. I didn’t expect it to succeed in a real battle.’

The Nine Dragons Destruction Formation was not a martial art from the Nine Dragons Heavenly Bow. It was a technique she had created herself while being taught by Yeon-Wi.

It was her own martial art that combined the elasticity and speed of the Dragon Flight Step with the destructive power of the Nine Dragons Archery. There were still many points to improve, but in terms of firepower, it was a more powerful technique than the Dragon Fang Cannon.

Rumble!

The thick dust cloud settled, revealing the training ground, which was completely torn and shattered.

Muk Bi’s eyes wavered for a moment.

‘Where did he go?’

If hit directly by the Nine Dragons Destruction Formation, not even the corpse would be intact.

But that wasn’t the case for Yeon Ho-Jeong. She knew Yeon Ho-Jeong’s abilities and had no doubt that he would be able to handle this level of attack with ease.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong had disappeared.

Only a huge hole remained in the center of the training ground.

‘Could it be?!’

Was he really hit by the Nine Dragons Destruction Formation? Really?

Tap!

Muk Bi, who had quickly landed on the ground, scanned her surroundings. Her face was clearly flustered.

“Y-Yeon Young Master!”

It was then.

Bang! Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Chain of the Azure Dragon, which had sprung up from the ground, grabbed her ankle.

“Gasp!”

Crack!

Her foot, bound by the Chain of the Azure Dragon, was buried in the ground up to her ankle.

It was an enormous amount of internal energy. She had blocked it with force in an instant, but her ankle was still buried. Considering Muk Bi’s internal energy, it was truly an outrageous amount of power.

Surprise flickered across Muk Bi’s face.

‘The ground?!’

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With a roar that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth, Yeon Ho-Jeong sprang up from the ground on the left.

Muk Bi’s hand moved reflexively.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Muk Bi’s reaction speed, firing four Formless Bullets in that one moment, was also beyond the realm of humans.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong was faster. He dodged the Formless Bullets with fast and flexible footwork and approached, unleashing the Tiger King’s Wall [a martial art technique].

Bang!

“Ugh!”

Muk Bi collapsed on the spot.

The Crimson Lotus Bow she had dropped flew far away. She should have been thrown back by the powerful blow, but her ankle was bound by the Chain of the Azure Dragon, so she couldn’t dodge or defend properly.

“Ugh.”

“Are you okay?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled wickedly.

“I won.”

Muk Bi grumbled.

“That’s unfair.”

“What’s unfair?”

“Hiding in the ground, there’s no rule like that.”

“Where are the rules in a real battle?”

“And, what’s this on my ankle? Are you going to tie me up and beat me?”

“It’s entirely your fault for letting your guard down. Surely, you didn’t think I was completely obliterated by that martial art, did you?”

He was truly a hateful person.

Muk Bi grumbled.

“Just let me go. How did you tie it so that I can’t move?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, untying the Chain of the Azure Dragon that was wrapped around her ankle, said,

“It was still good.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, that attack. Most opponents wouldn’t even dare to dodge it. Well, you’d have to be much more precise to hit all the shots.”

Joy flickered across Muk Bi’s face.

“Was it good?”

“Yeah, but it’s not something you can use in a real battle. The consumption of internal energy and stamina is too excessive. Unless you’re sure you can kill them, you’ll be the one who gets hurt.”

“…I guess.”

“Work on it a bit more. Once it’s complete, it’ll be an impeccable weapon of war.”

“Yes.”

The Extinction Army soldiers were speechless at the two people’s outrageous sparring. They knew it would be brutal, but this was beyond the limit.

And they realized once again. Their commander was strong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts, which had not even a scratch from that disastrous attack, were truly beyond the realm of humans.

“Commander!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was about to say let’s grab a bite, turned his head.

Jeagal Ayeon was waving her hand from afar.

“We have a guest… What is this?! Who wrecked the training ground! Did you two spar?”

“Ahem.”

“Ah, if you’re going to fight, go fight in some mountain valley! What are you doing, this is!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong pointed at Muk Bi.

“Muk Bi wrecked it. I’m only guilty of hiding in the ground.”

Muk Bi looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong with a betrayed expression.

Jeagal Ayeon grumbled.

“Tch, it’s going to cost a lot of public funds to repair this.”

“But why?”

“We have a guest. Come quickly.”

“Who?”

Jeagal Ayeon pointed her finger upwards.