Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 520

‘Hmm.’

Paeyul’s eyes flashed.

How far away was it? Roughly ten li [approximately 5 kilometers]?

‘Golden flames, huh.’

Kuuung!

The shockwave that erupted from ten li away shook the entire mountain area.

‘Yeon Ho-jeong, and…’

Someone unknown was fighting.

And their skill seemed extraordinary. Though the distance made it impossible to gauge the enemy’s aura, the shockwaves emanating were immense. It meant that they were a master capable of engaging Yeon Ho-jeong in a fierce battle.

‘There are truly many masters in this world.’

A smile spread across Paeyul’s face.

He was also human. And a person who had staked his life on martial arts.

He had a strong pride, and his desire to not lose was second to none. Naturally, if there was someone stronger than him, he would feel jealousy and look at them with displeasure.

However, a much more intense fighting spirit fueled his life than such jealousy.

‘There’s a thrill in defeating them.’

There were many stronger than him. Even Yeon Ho-jeong was stronger, despite being more than a decade younger.

That was why it was good. Because there were many geniuses and monsters in the world.

The more obstacles there were, the more fun it became to break through and overcome them. The time of endurance was difficult, but he could endure any pain to taste the moment of fighting and winning.

‘But.’

Paah! Paah!

He had halved the ten-li distance.

Then, ominous auras were felt from all directions. Assassins, martial artists, their numbers were countless.

‘At least for now, I can’t tire out my benefactor just because of my competitive spirit.’

Of course, that benefactor was Yeon Ho-jeong.

Paah! Paah!

An assassin who had sprung from the left bushes aimed for his neck with a hooked claw.

Chiing!

As if waiting for it, he blocked the assassination technique by raising his short spear, then grabbed the assassin’s throat and twisted it.

Kwaddeuk!

The staggering assassin fell backward into the bushes. His windpipe and carotid artery had been torn out. Even if he immediately applied pressure, he couldn’t escape death.

At that moment, the chaotic killing intent narrowed down to Paeyul alone.

‘Hoo.’

Paeyul took a deep breath, and a powerful aura surged from his body.

Pa-ba-ba-bak!

The assassins attacked without even a common battle cry.

The number visible at a glance was over thirty. Moreover, this was not an open area. If he allowed the assassins, who were hiding their auras, to approach, he could die without even showing his skills.

But Paeyul smiled as if satisfied.

‘Good.’

Pa-a-a-ang! Thud!

The chest of an assassin was blown open by the blade of the short spear he had swung with elasticity.

He didn’t swing to cut or strike. It was a killing technique that only stabbed and killed.

Pa-ba-ba-bak!

He instantly increased his speed and approached the assassins, fiercely whirling his short spear.

Peo-beo-beo-beo-beok!

It was a spear technique as fast as a ray of light.

Even though it wasn’t a long spear, large holes were pierced in the chests of five assassins who were far away.

It was the opening of a secret technique from the start. The martial art of Pointing the Sky Piercing the Sun (點蒼貫日), which had been honed and created over a long time, was exploding, erasing the legend of Pointing the Sky Shooting the Sun (點蒼射日) and creating a new myth.

‘Euaaaap!’

Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeo-jeo-jeong!

He didn’t even draw his sword. Paeyul’s martial art, which freely wielded a single short spear and deflected all the assassins’ attacks, had reached a truly unique level.

Peo-beo-beok! Peo-beo-beo-beo-beok!

After defense came the attack. After a defense as fast as the wind, an ultra-fast attack as fast as a ray of light followed.

Thud!

The many assassins all collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. All the fallen assassins had holes of the same size in their chests.

‘Hoo-oop.’

Paeyul composed his breathing.

The piercing power of the Piercing Sun Spear could penetrate even steel. However, to obtain that level of piercing power, he had to handle not only the turning force but also his joints and muscles with maximum elasticity.

He was putting all his strength into unleashing an explosive strike. It was inevitable that his stamina and internal energy consumption would be high.

‘It feels so much better when used in actual combat.’

He had to be mindful of stamina distribution and internal energy distribution. If he overused it in a chaotic battle with a difficult opponent, he would tire himself out before killing the opponent.

Pa-ba-bak!

More enemies were appearing.

They weren’t assassins but officials. But they weren’t ordinary officials.

Each seemed to have mastered considerable martial arts, and they approached cautiously, showing their palms, which were glowing red.

‘Formation?’

It wasn’t a martial arts formation.

It was the formation of the government, the constables. Unlike martial artists, the imperial court and government did not consider fair fights.

They did not hesitate to use any means to catch criminals. Their strategies and tactics surpassed even the secret techniques of martial arts sects.

And they had that level of martial arts.

‘Good, very good.’

Cha-a-a-ang!

He drew his sword.

He was wielding weapons of different natures, a sword and a spear, but his aura had become even more intense than before. Regardless of whether he could wield them properly, his aura was sharp enough to chill the liver of any master.

Paeyul shouted.

‘Come!’

The officials shouted and charged.

The chaotic battle had begun.

* * *

‘He’s truly an amazing guy.’

Beonjak didn’t hide his emotions.

‘That clumsy guy from back then has grown this much in such a short time.’

It was understandable that Beonjak was surprised.

At that time, Yeon Ho-jeong couldn’t handle Beonjak. No, even if he had attacked with his father, Yeon Wi, they wouldn’t have been able to gain the upper hand.

Moreover, Yeon Ho-jeong at that time was in a state of extreme practical sense, and Yeon Wi was also in a state of heightened aura, having opened his secret technique for the first time in actual combat.

Yet, they missed Beonjak. To be precise, Beonjak had given up the fight and fled.

The surprising thing was that the escape was a strategic choice. Beonjak thought that he could kill both Yeon Wi and Yeon Ho-jeong, but he couldn’t withstand the combined attacks of the remaining masters.

If he had fought with his life on the line at that time.

Then, no one would know what would have happened to the lives of Yeon Wi and Yeon Ho-jeong.

‘It’s better this way. Even those above were skeptical about letting you run wild. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, it’s better to end your life this time.’

His calm voice was filled with great confidence.

In fact, he was a person who was qualified to say such things. He had internal injuries and a broken arm, but even so, his aura was not at all inferior to Yeon Ho-jeong’s killing intent.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled coldly.

‘So, are you ready?’

‘You’re a funny guy. What’s with being ready in a real fight?’

‘You don’t even know that I’m showing you mercy.’

Was it a provocation? Or was it genuine?

It was impossible to know. But as Beonjak looked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s fiery eyes, he realized that unlike his rapidly growing martial arts, his mental strength was no different from before.

Hwa-reureureuk!

Golden flames soared from Beonjak’s body.

The firepower of the Golden Emperor Purification Art (金帝純化功), the signature technique of the Shin Hwa Cult [a powerful and influential cult], spread without end.

‘Arrogant fool.’

Bbeonjjeok!

A huge blade of flame rose from Beonjak’s outstretched right hand.

It was the Fire Dragon Demon Blade (火龍魔刀). It was a unique technique of the Shin Hwa Cult that could emit the strength and sharpness of a divine weapon with bare hands.

‘I’ll bury you here, in this place, today.’

Pa-a-a-a-ang!

Beonjak rushed towards Yeon Ho-jeong.

‘As expected.’

He was fast.

His internal injuries seemed quite severe, and his right arm, which was wrapped in the Fire Dragon Demon Blade, didn’t seem normal.

Yet, he was this fast. That output, which drew out extreme flames, was the same as back then.

Yeon Ho-jeong swung his long spear diagonally.

Jjeo-eo-eo-eo-eong!

With a tremendous resonance, the trees around them exploded with a thud.

It was because of the internal force carried in the resonance. The principle of sound power was exactly like this. The two of them had created a shockwave that surpassed the power of a decent sound power master just by the collision of their weapons.

‘Not bad!’

Hook!

No sound of tearing through the air was heard.

Yet, he had already moved to Yeon Ho-jeong’s rear. It was a super-speed movement technique where his entire body moved like a weightless flame, not a bouncy footwork.

Beonjak’s Fire Dragon Demon Blade aimed for Yeon Ho-jeong’s waist. It was aiming for the closest and most fatal part from that position and posture.

It was then.

Jjeo-eo-eo-eong!

The axe blade of the Black Dragon Axe, which he had drawn out at some point, blocked Beonjak’s Fire Dragon Demon Blade.

It was a strike where his posture was disrupted and his weight wasn’t properly loaded. That was why it was possible to defend with the Black Dragon Axe.

Beonjak’s eyes flashed.

‘This guy.’

Huuk!

He retracted the Fire Dragon Demon Blade and reached out with his left hand, grabbing Yeon Ho-jeong’s right wrist.

Beonjak’s entire body was filled with the fire energy of the Golden Emperor Purification Art. Even if the true energy wasn’t manifested in the visible realm, just being grabbed could cause severe burns.

But.

Chiiiiiiik!

White steam rose from Yeon Ho-jeong’s wrist.

The icy water energy, the Xuanwu Water Energy of the Northern Xuanwu [one of the four symbols in Chinese constellations], poured out with tremendous force. It was a water force that could push back Beonjak’s Golden Emperor Purification Art in an instant.

Peo-eo-eok!

Beonjak staggered back. He had been hit in the shoulder by the end of the spear shaft.

‘Hmm.’

Yeon Ho-jeong lightly shook his right hand.

He had read the fleeting moment and responded with a large amount of Xuanwu energy, but even so, his clothes were burned, and the skin on his wrist was red. If he had been a little slower, he would have suffered terrible burns.

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

‘Yeah, you have to be this good.’

It was a statement that tore apart the opponent’s pride. Especially if you heard these words from an opponent who was weaker than you, there wouldn’t be many people who wouldn’t have a fit.

‘……’

One of the few people who wouldn’t was Beonjak.

His eyes, which were looking at Yeon Ho-jeong as he straightened his staggering posture, had become clear.

‘This guy, he’s really amazing.’

He knew that he wasn’t an opponent to be taken lightly, but he didn’t really think that he could actually match him.

Even if it wasn’t a battle of strength against strength, he could tell. This reaction speed, this internal energy manipulation, this explosive power was no less than his own.

No, in some aspects, it was even more.

Beonjak raised his right foot.

Kwaang!

A ground-stamping kick.

At the same time, the fire energy that had spread in all directions rotated and was sucked into his body.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes blazed.

Peo-eo-eong!

He instantly closed the distance and unleashed a spear strike, but Beonjak had already climbed up a tree.

It was a concentration of firepower. As long as he absorbed the fire energy of the flames that had spread through the forest, it was as if he had obtained an inexhaustible internal energy.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked up at Beonjak with cold eyes.

Beonjak chuckled.

‘Why? Is it unfair?’

‘Not really.’

‘I couldn’t help it. You’ve become too strong to just fight normally.’

It was a frank admission.

Decisively, he had to kill Baek Byung Shin Gun, Mokwon. He couldn’t waste time in a place like this.

Hwa-reureureureuk!

Huge flames rose from Beonjak’s hands, then quickly subsided. The flames had disappeared, and a faint golden flame was surging in his fists.

It was the Shin Hwa Cult’s technique, the Flame King Fist (炎王拳).

‘I’ll finish it within half a breath.’

Pa-a-a-ang!

An even faster speed than before.

He approached like a ray of light and threw a punch.

Peo-eo-eo-eo-eok!!

In an instant, with a terrible sound of flesh tearing, Beonjak retreated madly.

‘What?!’

Beonjak’s eyes trembled as he looked down at his abdomen. A small hole had been pierced in his side.

And the blackish-gray iron chain that had pierced the hole was wrapped around his body.

‘It’s the Vermilion Bird Art, the Red Flame Six Kill Art (紅焰六殺功)’s Red Lotus Flash (紅蓮一閃).’

Chiri-ri-ri-ring!

The Coiling Dragon Chain, which was tightly wrapped around his fist, turned red. It was Vermilion Bird fire energy.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was holding the Coiling Dragon Chain in his right hand, pulled the long spear in his left hand far back.

‘Let’s start by piercing a few places.’

Pa-a-a-ang!

The long spear was shot like lightning.