Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 392

Sobang’s face hardened.

Half-baked. It was the phrase she hated most.

It wasn’t just her. All the seeds of the gods, with tainted blood flowing through their veins, hated that word. No, they didn’t just hate it; they loathed it.

But Sobang couldn’t easily show her anger.

‘This bastard…’

The words ‘half-baked.’ And the close-quarters combat ability that had broken her Blood Drink Palm’s stance before she could even unleash it.

‘Could it be, he knows me?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled coldly.

“Why? Are you surprised?”

“…You.”

“You’ve mastered the Blood Sound Evil Art. Or, have you not quite mastered it yet? Either way, you’ve reached an impressive level.”

“How do you know about the Blood Sound Evil Art…?”

“Now that you’ve reached a certain level with the Blood Sound Evil Art, will you soon be taught the Yin Desolate Martial Art? Hmm, that’s not so good.”

“…!!”

Sobang’s face turned pale.

“H-How do you know that?”

The Blood Sound Evil Art was a very special martial art even within the Evil Sound Sect.

It wasn’t because of its power or difficulty. It was because of the background and unique history of the Blood Sound Evil Art’s creation.

The Blood Sound Evil Art was a martial art that had branched off from the Sect Guardian Divine Art, which was practiced by the Evil Sound Sect Leader for generations. [The Sect Guardian Divine Art is the most powerful martial art of the Evil Sound Sect, passed down through the leaders.]

Of course, it wasn’t an advanced form. Rather, it was closer to a degraded form, and naturally, its power and difficulty were lower than the Sect Guardian Divine Art.

What was surprising was that not just anyone could learn the Blood Sound Evil Art. Those who first tried to master the Blood Sound Evil Art would always have their energy reverse when they reached the middle stage, falling into a demonic state and either losing their lives or becoming madmen.

Because of this, only a very few survived after learning the Blood Sound Evil Art. And surprisingly, all of those few were blood relatives of the Sect Leader.

It was a martial art where lineage was more important than talent. There were many martial arts in the world, but only a handful were dependent on bloodline.

The Blood Sound Evil Art was one such martial art. In other words, only those with the Evil Sound Sect Leader’s blood could master the Blood Sound Evil Art.

In the current Evil Sound Sect, there were a total of ten people who had mastered the Blood Sound Evil Art.

And all ten of them were illegitimate children, not direct descendants of the Evil Sound Sect Leader.

“Anyway, you came at the right time. Now that it’s come to this, I’ll make sure to capture you here.”

Chiririring!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had instantly connected the Coiling Dragon Chain wrapped around his upper body to the Mad Dragon Axe, spun the Mad Dragon Axe above his head.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoooosh!

It was a terrifying sight.

The Mad Dragon Axe, connected to the Coiling Dragon Chain, was rotating at an incredible speed above Yeon Ho-Jeong’s head. Before the strength and elasticity of the Coiling Dragon Chain that was withstanding the weight, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s strength in handling it so lightly seemed even more impressive.

But even that shocking and impressive sight didn’t move Sobang.

Sobang shouted fiercely.

“How do you know so much about our sect?!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled coldly once more.

“You’ll hear it in the afterlife, you half-baked thing.”

“…You bastard!”

Thwack!

Sobang charged forward at an incredible speed.

She had even forgotten that her opponent completely understood the Blood Drink Palm’s stance. The fierce anger that followed the shock had completely robbed her of her reason.

“Die!”

Sobang unleashed her palm strike.

Thwack!

The moment the Blood Drink Palm was unleashed, a single iron dart annihilated it.

It was a strike from the Nine Dragon Archery, shot with all her might. Muk Bi’s all-out attack was powerful enough to easily neutralize a single Blood Drink Palm strike.

And at that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong swung the Mad Dragon Axe.

Whoooooosh!!

The Mad Dragon Axe, swung through the air, accurately targeted Sobang’s waist.

Even while swinging the Coiling Dragon Chain, he could precisely place the axe blade of the Mad Dragon Axe where he wanted. It wasn’t just about being strong and fast; Yeon Ho-Jeong’s ability in the delicate handling of weapons was unmatched.

It was only a fleeting moment from when Sobang attacked, Muk Bi shattered the palm energy, and Yeon Ho-Jeong’s strike, taking advantage of the gap, reached two inches from Sobang’s side.

Whoosh!

The Mad Dragon Axe cut through the air. Sobang had dodged the strike.

Even though she had moved in a straight line at that speed, she avoided the Mad Dragon Axe with incredible agility. She had the skill to be confident in her martial arts.

Sobang, who had leaned her body back in mid-air, unleashed a Blood Drink Palm towards Yeon Ho-Jeong’s crown.

Thwack!

The palm energy that grazed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulder exploded the ground.

In an instant, Sobang’s feet scattered into a dozen, aiming for Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper body.

Chiririririring!

If Sobang’s movements were divine, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s response was equally astonishing.

He used the weight of the Mad Dragon Axe to pull the Coiling Dragon Chain taut, blocking the incoming kicks, and he was parrying each of those fast attacks.

It was a terrifying reflex. Whether it was with bare hands, a long weapon, or a heavy weapon, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s close-quarters combat skills were at the pinnacle of the Central Plains.

Thud!

But even the great Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t help but be impacted by the continuous barrage of kicks. He had perfectly responded to the speed and stance, but he couldn’t overcome the fundamental difference in inner energy strength.

Then, something amazing happened.

Clang!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body, which was being pushed back, stopped abruptly. The Mad Dragon Axe had been planted into the ground, acting as a counterweight.

Sobang’s eyes wavered.

Her left hand was already pulled back. It was to unleash the Blood Trace Guiding Pool of the Blood Drink Palm. [The Blood Trace Guiding Pool is a technique of the Blood Drink Palm that is most effective at a distance.]

‘He’s not retreating? Was it intentional?!’

The Blood Trace Guiding Pool technique was one that showed its true power when a certain distance was created between opponents. It was difficult to use in close-quarters combat, but it could be executed the fastest and sharpest when distance was created, so masters of the Blood Drink Palm favored the Blood Trace Guiding Pool.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong had stopped after being pushed back. The distance created in that state was too ambiguous.

Sobang hesitated for a moment.

At that moment, Muk Bi drew the string of the Crimson Lotus Bow.

Fwoooosh!

The iron dart, shot at a terrifying speed, cut through the space. It was aimed directly at Sobang’s heart.

Sobang, who was about to attack Yeon Ho-Jeong, unleashed a palm strike towards the iron dart.

Thwack!

The iron dart, its trajectory bent, entered the forest and caused an explosion, and at the same time, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s Crimson Flame Six Kill Hand was swung towards Sobang. [The Crimson Flame Six Kill Hand is a powerful hand technique that uses fire energy.]

It was too well-timed to avoid. Sobang’s eyes changed.

‘Damn it!’

She couldn’t be sure if he was truly breaking the Blood Drink Palm. But regardless, the opponent’s strategy of reading and attacking her openings was too outstanding.

‘What kind of crazy bastard is this!’

He was completely dominating the battle.

This was something that could only be achieved by not only having innate talent but also by hammering into one’s body the lessons learned from countless real battles.

And that was naturally impossible.

It was difficult to be born with such talent in the first place, but even if one had such talent, surviving countless real battles until such a reaction was ingrained in the body was as difficult as picking a star from the sky. The reason was that while it was easy to defeat the weak, surviving real battles against the strong was extremely difficult.

This guy, this crazy bastard with the axe, had survived all those real battles and gained this kind of ability?

Thwack!

The power of the Crimson Flame Six Kill Hand sent Sobang flying back three yards.

‘…!!’

Sobang’s expression changed once more.

‘Why is it delayed?!’

The reaction of the Blood Sound Evil Art felt a beat slower than usual. It hadn’t been like that at first, but gradually, the more she circulated her inner energy, the slower it seemed to become.

The attack and defense techniques weren’t being executed at the correct rhythm. It was something Sobang was experiencing for the first time.

Sarak!

Sobang, who had landed on the ground, quickly checked her internal state.

‘There’s nothing wrong?’

She hadn’t suffered any internal injuries, nor was there any disruption in her inner energy. It was the same as usual.

But why was this happening? Why was her reaction constantly slowing down?

“Where are you looking?”

Fwaaaang!

Two sharp sword energies grazed Sobang’s collar.

Two sword energies that had flown from behind, it was Ok Cheong and Yeo Guk.

Normally, she would have scoffed and blocked or dodged the attacks, but her collar was cut. It was partly because she hadn’t been able to focus on the battle, but also because her inner energy reaction was continuing to slow down at this moment.

As Sobang was about to attack Ok Cheong and Yeo Guk with a distorted face.

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was holding the Coiling Dragon Chain in one hand and the Mad Dragon Axe in the other, appeared in the air.

Clang! Crack!

The Mad Dragon Axe split the earth.

It was a merciless strike, an axe blow imbued with Vermilion Bird Fire. [Vermilion Bird Fire is a powerful fire-based energy.] Sobang, who had dodged the Mad Dragon Axe with all her might, glared at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“You…!”

Chiririring!

The Coiling Dragon Chain writhed like a snake, trying to wrap around Sobang’s upper body.

‘Tch!’

Thwack!

Sobang, who had retreated while unleashing the Blood Drink Palm, felt a sudden heat on her back. She had been pushed back to the edge of the burning forest.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a cool air entered her nostrils along with the hot air. In a space where everything should have been hot, a surprisingly cool air had entered.

At that moment, Sobang realized.

‘A formation?!’

That’s right. It was a formation. The reason her inner energy reaction was slowing down and her stamina was gradually decreasing was all because of the formation.

The reason she could smell the cool air was because Yeon Ho-Jeong’s attack had just shaken the formation’s barrier, causing external air to momentarily leak in.

But Sobang couldn’t believe it.

‘No way!’

They had predicted that she would come to this exact spot and set up a formation? Even the greatest strategist couldn’t do that.

Then, it meant that the four people she could see had set up a formation, but where in the world was there such a formation!

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s cold voice was heard.

“That guy was right. He said that when you panic, you think too much, making it easier to deal with you.”

“W-What did you say?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled. It was a sinister smile.

“You can’t escape from here.”

Thwack!

Sobang’s body was flung sideways.

While Yeon Ho-Jeong had drawn her attention, Muk Bi had unleashed a formless strike. It was fortunate that she had defended at the last moment, or her head would have been blown off.

And it didn’t end there.

Saaaaaak!

A spectacle of sword energies narrowing in like a net. Ok Cheong and Yeo Guk had fully joined the battle.

Sobang’s hands moved frantically.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Spiderweb-like sword wounds appeared on her arms. It was obvious that her sleeves were torn to shreds.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s foot cut through the air.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

It was the first scream.

She had crossed her arms to block, but the impact of the kick shook her entire internal organs. Blood spurted from Sobang’s nose and mouth.

“Let’s end this now.”

Whoosh! Clang!

Sobang moved her body like crazy.

Her stamina was dropping at an alarming rate. It was because she had suffered internal injuries. On top of that, the reaction speed of her inner energy was also noticeably slowing down.

Bang! Thwack! Crack!

“Kuh-ack!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s close-quarters combat was merciless.

Her right arm was broken by the swung axe handle. If she hadn’t blocked it, every bone in her right upper body would have been shattered.

Sobang’s eyes were bloodshot.

With internal injuries and a broken right arm, her pride took a backseat, and her survival instinct rose to the surface.

‘I have to retreat!’

She couldn’t focus on the battle. Moreover, her physical condition was gradually deteriorating to the worst.

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong shouted.

“That bitch is trying to escape! Capture her no matter what… Kugh!”

Suddenly, Yeon Ho-Jeong raised his left shoulder and knelt down.

Sobang, who was puzzled by his sudden strange behavior, cheered inwardly for a moment.

‘Blood Drink Palm!’

The Blood Drink Palm that had grazed his shoulder during the chaotic battle.

She had thought it had failed, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. The hidden energy that had penetrated his body seemed to be causing problems now.

A small hole had appeared in the huge net. Now there was nothing to hold her back.

Fwaaaaaang!

Sobang, who had charged forward at a terrifying speed, broke through Ok Cheong and Yeo Guk with force. She suffered more sword wounds in the process, but that wasn’t important now.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

How desperate she was, Sobang’s figure disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-Jeong stood up calmly.

“Don’t follow her. Let her go.”