Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 514

“What did you say?”

Yang Cheon asked, his face incredulous.

“They’re still fighting? Even now?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Baek Seo’s face was unusually troubled.

Yang Cheon let out a hollow laugh.

“It’s been five days since he was appointed as a special duty aide. Are you saying that Yeon Ho-Jeong has been holding Hwang Danju [Unit Leader Hwang] hostage and fighting a thousand cavalrymen for five days?”

“To be precise, it’s been three days. The nine hundred Iron Cavalry members who went out for training all returned in two days, and they’re trying to rescue Hwang Danju by forming a battle formation.”

Yang Cheon was dumbfounded.

“He’s been holding out against a total of one thousand soldiers for three days?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“How on earth?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial prowess was extraordinary. Even within the Mukryong Clan headquarters, finding someone who could match Yeon Ho-Jeong, aside from Yang Cheon, was a daunting task.

Even so, the Yongah Iron Cavalry was the strongest in the Mukryong Clan. Moreover, there were a thousand of them. They were a force that could wipe out most minor sects within half an hour, even if they just charged in without a plan.

“Some of the Twelve Zodiacs [elite warriors of the Mukryong Clan] witnessed the scene and said they couldn’t explain it. So, I went to see it myself…”

Baek Seo shook his head.

“He’s using martial arts, strategy, and tactics in every moment to fight against all one thousand cavalrymen.”

“Huh!”

Yang Cheon clicked his tongue.

“Is that even possible?”

Of course, it was possible for Yang Cheon.

The strong of the Saintly Heavens were beings beyond the comprehension of ordinary humans. Yang Cheon was also an absolute master who had proudly made his name in the Saintly Heavens, and if he were determined to face the Iron Cavalry, he could annihilate them without any special strategy or tactics.

However, Yeon Ho-Jeong was different.

The Iron Cavalry was not something that could be easily dealt with by someone who had not reached the Supreme Extremes [a high level of martial arts mastery], or even if they had, had not cultivated their own power.

In particular, the Iron Cavalry’s formations were perfect in both offense and defense, making them strong regardless of whether they were a small elite group or a large force.

“This is a situation that cannot be ignored. I need to see it for myself.”

* * *

“This is far from enough!”

Kwarururung!

An immense inner force was loaded into the iron spear he thrust out.

It was just a simple act of violently thrusting the spear he held in one hand, but the power of the explosive force around the spearhead was beyond imagination.

Peopeopeopeong!

With one brutal spear thrust, about a dozen Iron Cavalry members were sent flying backward.

They had long since given up on mounted combat.

A mounted soldier was ten times stronger than a regular infantryman. A trained horse was a beast in itself, and its charge was so powerful that even the strength of a martial arts master was difficult to withstand.

However, things were different when the master’s level was around Yeon Ho-Jeong’s.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s reflexes and the subtlety of his agility were among the best in the Central Plains. No matter how many mounted soldiers charged at him, he would avoid them and send the soldiers flying, and the timing of his moves was so precise that even the Iron Cavalry could not withstand it.

In the end, they gave up on mounted combat and faced him in close-quarters combat.

It was the right decision. If they had continued with mounted combat, they would not have been able to deplete his stamina properly, and only the horses would have been injured.

The problem was that it was difficult to deal with Yeon Ho-Jeong even in close-quarters combat.

Shweeek!

With a single, casual swing of his spear, a chilling gust of wind swept through, splitting the earth.

Peok!

Three charging soldiers were flung away on the spot.

They were saved by the force that was emitted from the spear shaft. If they had been hit by the wind force from the spearhead, all three of them would have had two or three limbs torn off.

Bwoong! Bwoong! Bwoong!

The spear shaft rotated menacingly as his wrist turned.

“Charge!”

Papabak!

About thirty soldiers charged, forming a battle formation.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

Paah-ah-ahng!

Faster than they could charge, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hands shot out flames.

Peobeobeobeok!

The seven soldiers at the front didn’t even have time to scream. They were just sent flying, spitting blood, already unconscious. They even blocked the vision and movement of the soldiers behind them.

It was a merciless staff technique unleashed from the opposite end of the spear, the shaft. It wasn’t the spearhead, but if he had put his full force into it, it would have pierced through their bodies.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had instantly disrupted their formation, leaped into their midst with a powerful stride.

It was like a mountain tiger leaping into a pack of wounded stray dogs. Every time Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body rotated, the spear strikes that shot out in all directions tore through their shoulders, thighs, and sides.

“Kueuk!”

“Hup!”

The Iron Cavalry members were sent flying in all directions.

Not a single one of them could touch even the hem of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s clothes. Even the Iron Cavalry, the best in the world, had their formation broken in an instant, and Yeon Ho-Jeong’s attacks, which exploited their weaknesses, were too well-timed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and looked around.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

The hundreds of Iron Cavalry members hesitated.

This place was at the edge of a cliff. The higher they went, the narrower the path became, and the maximum number of people who could attack at once was no more than fifty.

That wasn’t a big problem. The Iron Cavalry was strong and skilled in group tactics. Even a half-battalion could easily deal with a master of the highest level.

But the opponent was Yeon Ho-Jeong.

He had reached the end of the highest level, and his instantaneous judgment and reflexes were among the best in the world. He had the advantage of the terrain, and his stamina, excluding his inner energy, was so good that it was not far behind that of the masters of the Saintly Heavens.

The cliff that Yeon Ho-Jeong was guarding was like an impregnable fortress.

“Amazing,” Baek Seo said, shaking his head as he watched the standoff between Yeon Ho-Jeong and the Iron Cavalry from a distance above the valley.

“Even after seeing it again, his skills are truly amazing. Not a single one of those hundred-man-strong Iron Cavalry members can even touch the hem of the special duty aide’s clothes.”

“Hmm.”

Yang Cheon stroked his chin.

“Yeon Ho-Jeong is indeed strong. But that’s not all there is to it.”

“Yes?”

“The terrain advantage, his unique reflexes, the top-notch combat skills he’s acquired from who knows where, and his unbelievable stamina and explosive power. None of it is ordinary.”

Baek Seo inwardly shook his head at Yang Cheon’s words.

Reflexes and ultimate combat sense, stamina that didn’t falter even when fighting against a thousand warriors, and explosive power that was no less than his stamina.

Even if one had only one of those qualities, they could maximize that strength and become a master. But Yeon Ho-Jeong had all of those strengths.

‘He’s a monster, indeed.’

Yang Cheon scratched his head.

“But what’s truly amazing is that guy’s killing intent.”

“Yes?”

“Look closely.”

Paah-ah-ah!

Waiting wouldn’t yield an answer. Following the orders of the unit leaders, five groups of about a dozen soldiers each, drawn from different units, charged in formation.

Five different formations with completely different characteristics were attacking at the same time. No matter how skilled Yeon Ho-Jeong was, he couldn’t block them all alone.

That’s when it happened.

Beonjjeok!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

In an instant, the ten soldiers of the third unit who were rushing in from the far left flinched.

Peobeobeobeok!

That moment of hesitation was enough time to change the outcome of a battle between masters.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had knocked down six soldiers from the left formation with incredible footwork, used his elastic steps to push through the forty or so soldiers who were charging horizontally.

“Uwaaaap!”

Kwaang!

The White Tiger Descending Steps [a martial arts technique] exploded repeatedly, and the Iron Cavalry members fell like dominoes.

He charged with his long spear held horizontally, and no one could stop Yeon Ho-Jeong’s power.

Even when they tried to split his head with short spears and swords, he would twist his upper body in an instant to avoid them all, and his flexibility was unbelievable to witness.

It was like fighting a ghost, not a human. The faces of the unit leaders and the soldiers were filled with dread.

Paah-ah-ahng!

He not only completely broke their formation but also knocked out about twenty soldiers by pushing, kicking, and striking them at the same time.

It was hard to call him a human at this point. It was as if a giant siege ram was alive and fighting against the Iron Cavalry.

“Hoo-uk!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stepped back and took a breath.

No matter how skilled Yeon Ho-Jeong was, he couldn’t help but be exhausted from fighting so many people.

However.

Uuuuuuung!

The condensed Yeon Family Divine Energy [a type of internal energy] rotated, spreading a massive amount of true energy to his limbs.

His somewhat pale complexion quickly returned to normal. His breathing was still even, and the sweat that had been flowing quickly evaporated.

Yeon Ho-Jeong grinned and shouted.

“Is that all you’ve got! Come at me again!”

His voice, which echoed loudly, was filled with immense majesty and chilling killing intent.

It was the roar of a beast that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it. Yet, his courage to face hundreds of Iron Cavalry members alone while wielding his spear was impressive.

It was a situation that would make any martial artist’s blood boil. It was even more impressive because he was actually doing it.

Yang Cheon chuckled.

“He wasn’t this good before… So that’s what it was.”

“Yes?”

“It seems he had an enlightenment. His true energy is much more condensed than before. The true energy, which is clumped together like an inner core, has improved both quantitatively and qualitatively.”

Baek Seo’s eyes widened.

He knew how difficult it was to gain even a single enlightenment at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s level.

Yet, he had entered a new realm again in just a few months. Now, even the word ‘monster’ was not enough to describe Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“But no matter how much of a genius he is, it takes time to fully embody such an enlightenment. So, what would be the best training to embody that enlightenment?”

“…”

“It’s real combat.”

“…!”

“He’s currently using the Iron Cavalry as his training ground, fully integrating his newly improved martial arts into his body. As time goes on, his control of true energy is becoming more refined and skillful.”

“Hoo… !”

“Especially that killing intent is amazing. He’s immediately drawing the true energy condensed in his inner core to his upper dantian [an energy center in the body] and spreading his killing intent. It’s nothing short of an art.”

Yang Cheon let out a hollow laugh.

“Even that killing intent is refined. He’s accurately firing it at the desired target, within the desired range, to block the opponent’s movements. And he’s doing it in real combat, where he could be injured if he’s not careful.”

“…”

“It’s an impossible feat without courage, let alone talent or experience. I knew he had steel in his heart, but I didn’t know he would go so far as to engage in such insane training.”

Baek Seo shook his head.

“It doesn’t look like an insane act to me. He’s so overwhelming…”

“It is an insane act. Because he’s not the only one training.”

“Yes?”

Yang Cheon pointed his chin at the Iron Cavalry.

“Look.”

Baek Seo turned his gaze in that direction.

Kururururung!

No matter how impenetrable the fortress was, they were not the Iron Cavalry if they retreated like this.

Once again, about fifty soldiers formed a formation and charged, and behind them, the second wave of soldiers also formed a formation and ran. There were as many as ten such formations, meaning five hundred soldiers were charging towards Yeon Ho-Jeong.

But they were not all of them.

About a hundred Iron Cavalry members, who had disappeared like ghosts, were climbing the cliffs on both sides and moving towards the rear of Yeon Ho-Jeong. It was where the unconscious Hwang Seok-Tae, Pae Yul, and Gang Ryang were.

“The proud Iron Cavalry, who were blindly charging at the opponent, are finally using their heads.”

“Are you saying…?”

“Yes.”

Yang Cheon smiled.

“He’s training them. Not just himself, but the Iron Cavalry as well. Well, when would the Iron Cavalry have ever planned an operation to capture a master or to recapture their kidnapped superior?”

“…!”

“I was wondering how he would go through his initiation, but he was actually enduring the initiation of a thousand people all by himself.”

Baek Seo sighed.

“His caliber is different.”

“That’s why I want to make him mine. Apart from his martial prowess, not just anyone can have that kind of caliber.”

Yang Cheon smiled and turned his body.

“Let’s go. Judging by the looks of it, it will be over in two days.”

Yang Cheon’s prediction was accurate.

The battle between Yeon Ho-Jeong and the Iron Cavalry ended exactly two days later.

Surprisingly, not a single member of the Iron Cavalry died during that time. Most of them suffered moderate to severe injuries, but there were no fatalities.

On the other hand, Yeon Ho-Jeong also suffered injuries that were close to severe towards the end of the battle. But he was still full of energy.

That day, all one thousand members of the Iron Cavalry bowed their heads before Yeon Ho-Jeong. It was an expression of sincere respect for the strong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong received their greetings and then smiled and fainted.