Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 324

Rumble!

“Hmm?”

Yeon-wi looked up at the sky.

“Heavens, thunder on a day like this. How bizarre.”

“Indeed.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho sighed.

“In any case, Military Chief Yeon has been incredibly busy lately. Knowing that, and seeing how well he handles things, I just went along with it, but hearing the Clan Head’s words, I realize I’ve been too indifferent.”

Yeon-wi shook his head.

“Don’t say that. How many things does the Military Chief have to handle? If someone busier than my own son says that, I won’t be able to show my face.”

“Heh heh.”

Jeagal Mun-Ho clicked his tongue.

“Well, since we’ve decided to divide the work like that, Military Chief Yeon can focus on his own tasks for a while. That’s a relief.”

“Still, I can’t help but worry. His anger towards the Gwangshin Three Sects [a group of three powerful martial arts sects] is sky-high. I’m just worried he might make a mistake.”

“Heh heh! Clan Head Yeon, you’re a father after all. Even a grown lion is still a child in his father’s eyes.”

“Humph.”

“Don’t worry too much. Military Chief Yeon is a genius with a cool head as much as he has a powerful drive. Even if he faces a dangerous situation, he’ll find a way to survive, so put your worries aside.”

“I suppose so, but…”

Just then,

“Father!”

Jeagal Ayeon’s voice was heard from afar.

Jeagal Mun-Ho was surprised and looked out the window.

“Ayeon? Why are you here at this hour…?”

Whoosh!

Jeagal Ayeon leaped to the window in an instant. Though not as fast as Yeon Ho-Jeong, her mastery of movement techniques was quite impressive.

“Something terrible has happened! Jeong followed an enemy expert!”

“What?”

“And that expert, his level is extraordinary. He seems to be someone Jeong is wary of! I’ve never seen Jeong so tense before!”

“… !”

“We need to send someone secretly! Something might happen!”

Thud!

Yeon-wi rose from his seat.

His eyes had turned as cold as ice.

“Military Chief. Call Ga Deuk-Sang. And Ayeon, guide me.”

* * *

Boom! Whoosh!

Flames split left and right with a loud explosion.

Whoosh!

A rapidly spinning gust of wind shattered the flames and pierced through the air.

Bang! Rumble!

As if it were true that he hadn’t been using his full power, the fire energy emanating from Gyujeok’s hands was truly formidable.

The power of his strikes was immense, but the fire itself, scattering with shockwaves, was also threatening. The Vermilion Bird energy of the Four Divine Arts [a set of powerful martial arts techniques based on mythical creatures] was considered the best in the world in terms of fire energy, but it was no match for the fire energy Gyujeok was emitting.

Flutter!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body spun rapidly, releasing the flames of the Azure Flame True Fire.

Sizzle!

Even with the Black Tortoise energy [a defensive martial art technique] surrounding his entire body, steam rose. The power of the Azure Flame True Fire was too strong.

“You!”

Gyujeok’s hand swung towards Yeon Ho-Jeong’s back.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

Thwack! Whoosh!

The force of the Fiery Divine Palm was split in half by a diagonal upward swing of the axe.

Losing in a fire-versus-fire battle?

There was nothing to worry about. Yeon Ho-Jeong had the Black Tortoise Art, which was compatible with fire, and the Azure Dragon Art and White Tiger Art, which were specialized for advancement, supporting the Black Tortoise Art.

The power of the Yeon Clan’s Divine Energy, which harmonized the Four Divine Arts, was deeper than anyone else’s, and furthermore, his godlike combat ability and supreme enlightenment were thoroughly dismantling Gyujeok’s martial arts.

Yeon Ho-Jeong swung his axe again.

Thwack! Thwack!

It was an incredibly fast series of strikes.

It wasn’t the Dragon Slaying Axe, but a hand axe made of high-quality steel. It weighed only five-tenths of the Dragon Slaying Axe, but thanks to that, he could perform lightning-fast axe strikes.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

Although weaker than the Dragon Slaying Axe, he compensated with speed. The wildly swung axe cut or shattered all the fire energy Gyujeok emitted, rendering it useless.

‘This guy…!’

Gyujeok’s face contorted.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, with his expressionless face and cold eyes, stared at him and unleashed axe strikes and energy, not seeming like a human.

‘What kind of monster is this?!’

Unlike the fire he was emitting, his mind was gradually cooling down.

‘To wield such terrifying combat skills at that age? Is that even possible?’

It wasn’t just his practical combat ability that was outstanding.

Even though the distance was quite far, he was using his axe and fist techniques appropriately to cut or shatter the barriers of energy and seize the attack line.

This was a method that only a genius who had mastered internal energy or an experienced old master could use. In the first place, Gyujeok himself had only recently realized this technique.

“You!”

Rumble!

If the power of the Fiery Divine Palm was like a surging wave, the power of the Eight Kings of Hell Fist [a powerful fist technique] was like a solid hammer.

Thwack!

Blood spurted from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mouth.

He was hit directly by a timely blow. If it weren’t for the Wall of Azure Energy embedded in the Yeon Clan’s Divine Energy, he would have suffered a near-fatal injury.

Whoosh!

Gyujeok, who had closed the distance in an instant, grabbed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulder.

Sizzle!

The collar of his shoulder was burned. Both of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulders were instantly covered in burns.

Gyujeok, who was about to penetrate the Fiery Divine Palm while still holding on, let go of his hand due to an unknown, eerie feeling.

Whoosh!

“Ugh!”

A hand that seemed to have no joints rose upward, creating a long wound on Gyujeok’s upper body.

It was an axe strike. And it wasn’t just a superficial wound. The wound, which ran from his left hip joint to his right shoulder, was as deep as a furrow, as if it had no edge.

Gyujeok endured the extreme pain and threw a punch.

Thwack!

Blood spurted from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mouth again.

Gyujeok’s eyes flashed.

‘His reaction has slowed down.’

The opponent’s reaction speed was gradually slowing down.

It was only natural. In the first place, the depth of their internal energy was different. Rather, the opponent’s combat ability, which had endured until now and inflicted wounds on his body, was unbelievably great.

However, the difference in power was inevitable.

In terms of combat skills such as practical ability, Yeon Ho-Jeong was clearly superior. However, Gyujeok also possessed excellent combat skills, and crucially, his internal energy was deeper than Yeon Ho-Jeong’s.

That difference was what had created the current situation. If it had been a quick battle, it might have been different, but as the fight dragged on, it was inevitable that Yeon Ho-Jeong, whose internal energy was lacking, would be at a disadvantage.

Stronger force was put into Gyujeok’s two fists.

Bang! Rumble! Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong spat out blood repeatedly and retreated.

While unleashing fierce fist strikes, Gyujeok couldn’t help but admire his opponent’s abilities.

‘He’s truly a terrifying one!’

The balance of the fight had clearly tilted. Considering the amount of damage and internal energy consumption, the opponent had already lost.

Yet, he was still blocking or dodging the Eight Kings of Hell Fist, which had increased in power. Although internal injuries were accumulating from the shockwaves, he was not allowing any decisive blows.

Gyujeok’s eyes narrowed.

‘A monster! I must kill him here.’

The burning desire to win had disappeared. Gyujeok’s mind was now filled with vigilance towards Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘How can he have such martial arts at that age?’

He seemed to be just over twenty years old.

The internal energy that such a young man possessed was close to that of the Eighteen Martial Generals, and the combat skills he used were even beyond that of the Eighteen Martial Generals.

Was the childhood of the sect leader, who was called the most outstanding genius in the history of the Divine Cult, like this? Gyujeok felt a chill at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s potential rather than his skill.

‘The Yeon Ho-Jeong, who is said to be the best of the younger generation in the Central Plains, wouldn’t be this strong. This guy must be a disciple of some retired old master…’

Suddenly, Gyujeok’s eyes wavered.

‘Wait, Yeon Ho-Jeong?’

His eyes landed on the opponent’s hand.

‘An axe. But wasn’t he said to use a giant battle axe?!’

Boom!

He read the moment of hesitation and immediately launched a counterattack. Gyujeok quickly took a step back.

Whack! Whack!

He had opened a retreat for a moment, but Gyujeok was not easy to deal with. While maintaining the output of the Azure Flame Purification Art [a powerful fire-based martial art technique] at its peak, he used the Fiery Divine Palm to push Yeon Ho-Jeong back again.

The fight was now decided. As long as he didn’t let his guard down, he couldn’t lose. Gyujeok was sure of his victory.

Of course, the surprise was still there.

‘Yes, this guy is Yeon Ho-Jeong!’

The contents of the letter Donggak had given him came to his mind.

‘If this guy is really Yeon Ho-Jeong, then that half-wit of a woman was fooled by this guy’s fake information. How does this guy know about us…?’

Just then,

Amidst the blue flames that were spreading with a loud explosion,

Gyujeok realized that Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes were burning even more intensely than when he had first seen them.

In an instant, the hair on his whole body stood on end.

‘Danger!!’

Whoosh!

Due to an inexplicable eerie feeling, he stopped his attack and retreated to the rear.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong reached out his hand.

Bang!

“Huh?!”

Gyujeok was flustered. A semi-transparent water wall was blocking his back.

The water force was so strong that his entire back felt cold and even stinging. For a moment, the Azure Flame Purification Art itself was shaken.

It was when the flustered Gyujeok was trying to correct the Azure Flame Art again.

Thwack!

“Cough!”

Gyujeok’s mouth fell open.

The axe, which had flown like a ray of light, shattered his right shoulder bone and embedded itself.

It was a jaw-dropping speed. To throw an axe at this speed, it would require almost the maximum output of the Azure Flame Purification Art. It was not the kind of power that a guy who was spitting blood and losing his internal energy could show.

And that wasn’t all.

Whoosh!

“Kuaaak!”

The moment he tried to pull out the axe, the Black Tortoise energy emitted from the axe instantly penetrated his entire right upper body.

It was an incredible penetration force. In the first place, he had bound the penetrating force of the energy to the axe before throwing it.

Yeon Ho-Jeong kicked off the ground.

Bang!

With a loud explosion, the flames were pushed back. Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had flown like lightning, grabbed Gyujeok’s hair and swung his knee.

Crack!

This time, there wasn’t even a scream. The large kneecap had crushed his nose, left cheekbone, and left eye socket all at once.

Fwoosh!

Gyujeok, who was spitting blood from his nose and mouth, unknowingly sat down on the spot.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was floating in the air, swung his hand towards Gyujeok’s left collarbone.

Thwack!

Gyujeok’s one remaining eye widened.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had pierced through the flesh and grabbed the left collarbone, had spiderweb-like blood vessels bulging on his left forearm.

Crack!

“Aaaaargh!”

The collarbone was ripped off raw.

It was a truly cruel method. Even the masters of the White and Black Paths did not use such gruesome methods.

Trickle! Trickle!

The bleeding from his left upper body was considerable. The blood vessels along the collarbone were damaged. Perhaps it was fortunate that the arteries were not damaged.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

His panting breath quickly returned to normal. It was the power of the Yeon Clan’s Divine Energy.

“You have good instincts. I was just waiting for you to unleash your maximum fire power, but you retreated right away.”

He had only endured some damage to minimize the damage and win the fight. Although he had suffered considerable internal and external injuries, the fact that he had not suffered any fatal injuries was proof of that.

If Gyujeok had pushed even harder, he was planning to penetrate Gyujeok’s pores with the Black Tortoise energy at the decisive moment and reverse the fight.

“Well, I guess it’s okay since I won?”

“Cough!”

Gyujeok, who coughed weakly, looked up at Yeon Ho-Jeong with his one remaining eye.

Buzz! Buzz!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fluctuating energy was rapidly returning to normal.

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s energy, which was spreading low, was felt.

Gyujeok’s mangled mouth slowly opened.

‘This can’t be!’

The opponent’s energy he was feeling was, surprisingly, stronger than when they had first met. It wasn’t just that it was not much weaker than his own, but it was almost equal to his own internal energy.

‘Could it be that he was hiding his power?!’

As if reading his mind, Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“If you want to enjoy a delicious meal, you have to be able to endure a little hunger.”

“…!!”

“Anyway.”

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had pulled the axe from Gyujeok’s shoulder, said with an indifferent face.

“Are you ready to be sliced, you little brat?”